The chronicle- October 29, 2013

The Chronicle

October 29th, 2013

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

Volume LXXXII Issue 11

Broken Switch to Generator Shuts Down Network and Buildings

By JACKSON WANG Executive Editor

The College of Saint Rose was partially power down late Saturday night into early Sunday morning to fix a broken switch to the generator. This was the second attempt in a week that The College tried to fix the defective switch.

Six buildings on campus including Albertus Hall, Saint Joseph Hall, the Events and Athletics Center, Alumni Hall, Lima Hall, and the facilities buildings, were all completely shutdown

with no power for a few hours early Thursday and Sunday morning, according to Dennis McDonald, vice president for student affairs.

Also, The College’s network operating center was shut down, which meant that Blackboard, e-mail, printing, computer logins, Banner, Internet access, the College’s website, and any other network-based systems were unavailable.

This all occurred after a tree fell on Hudson Avenue on the Continued on Page A8

Madison Theatre Set to Reopen Next Month

By SAM MAXWELL Contributing Writer

Midnight Madness 2013 See Page Pages D23 - D24 For Photos and Story The Golden Knights’ Mascot, Fear, entertaining the crowd on Thursday night.

News & Features

CHRIS ALVARADO

Arts & Opinion

Renovations at the Madison Avenue theatre should be completed within the first two weeks of November. Then, it will be open to the public where patrons will be able to watch second-run movies, and before long be able to shop and bring coffee and other refreshments in from a Tierra Farms company store.

The renovations will be completed in three phases. In the first phase, five out of the seven existing theatres will be demolished, with the two remaining theatres receiving new seats and a new

sound system. The layout of the two remaining theatres will remain the same, and seat around 130 people.

The second phase is installing a Tierra Farms company store where two of the theatres were previously located. Finally, in the third phase, the manager plans to combine the three theatres in the back of the building into a large, 400-500 person entertainment venue.

The first two phases will cost around $295,000, while the entertainment venue is expected to cost around $250,000, according Continued on Page A6

Sports

Fourth Annual PB and Jams.

See pages A7

Bang your head with Brendan: Special Halloween Edition See pages B15

Miami Hurricanes avoid tough sanctions.

See page D21

Photo profile story: Maria Southworth.

See pages A12-A13

False rape accusations damage victims.

See page C19

Joshua Natoli discusses Kobe Bryant’s ranking on ESPN. See page D22

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News

The Chronicle

October 29th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

An Eerie Twist on South Manning Boulevard

By KATELYN DOHERTY Staff Writer

For the first time in 15 years, trick-or-treaters will no longer swarm to what once was the busiest, spookiest house on South Manning Boulevard. Instead, they will be greeted by a “for sale” sign. The Sykes are moving.

The Sykes opted not to frighten buyers when they resisted the urge to decorate their home this year. A spooky soundtrack and a lawn abundant with scary figures and headstones would be “in conflict with our ability to sell,” said Illene Sykes.

Homeowners, Illene and her husband, Jerry, spent the past 30 years in this home and are now ready to move on. No longer will eerie creatures arise two weeks before Halloween to frighten and excite passersby. This 86-yearold seasonally haunted mansion, built in 1927, needs another owner.

The house, located at 100 South Manning Blvd., is a spacious single-family 4,250-squarefoot home. This seven bedroom,

seven bathroom house, equipped with the essential first floor living space for a large family, is on the market for $624,900. With only the two of them living in the house now, the Sykes plan to downsize, but stay in the neighborhood.

“We love the neighborhood,” said Illene Sykes. Although they will miss the Halloween excitement, they are ready for a change.

Traditionally, the Sykes relied on workers from The Party Warehouse to setup the display, yet without owning the house this year, it would have been harder to decorate. Each year, two managers from the warehouse spent an entire workday creating a frightful scene that included lighting, cobwebs, little people and creatures, body bags, giant inflatables, and running spine-chilling soundtracks that were triggered when pedestrians walked by.

While this neighborhood haunting lasted two weeks prior to Halloween, all decorations were removed the very next day.

The house became the ultimate destination for city dwellers far

KATELYN DOHERTY

Jerry and Illene Sykes standing in front of their house which be will sparsely decorated this year.

100 South Manning Blvd. with no Halloween decorations this year, only a “for sale” sign. and near who journeyed from all over to experience the spectacle.

Even people who had moved out of the neighborhood came back yearly to see the display. Neighbor on South Manning Boulevard, Dyrleif Bjarnadottir, felt it was always a fun part of Halloween to walk by the Sykes’ house.

Without them decorating this year, “it will be a little less Halloweenie,” said Bjarnadottir.

Averaging at about 1,200 trick-or-treaters last year, which doubled in the amount expected two years ago, the number will only begin to decrease now. Each year, the Sykes kept track of the amount of trick-or-treaters by giving out large bags of pretzels that contain about 50 small individual bags and would then count how many were empty by the end of the night. The Halloween festivities began around 3 p.m. and continued until 10:30 p.m., when the lights were finally shut off.

The decorating was appreciated by community member Elaine Fromer, who said they were always generous when it came to

Halloween and it “was a really nice thing to do” for the neighborhood. Hundreds of children enjoyed the decorations and always looked forward to seeing them.

Visitors never damaged or vandalized the property. Everyone who came to see the display was always respectful. Although this time of the year could be hectic, “all in all it was a wonderful experience,” said Illene Sykes.

At times, finding a place to park on the street throughout the night became chaotic but many parents felt it was still a very safe place to allow their children to walk around and trick-or-treat.

Sykes hopes that people do not travel too far this year just to find out there are no decorations.

She’s “sure there are going to be a lot of disappointed kids,” said Sykes.

Unlike past years, this year, the only decoration adorning the Sykes’ house will be a giant Halloween wreath above the front door. They will still welcome trick-or-treaters that ring the doorbell, along with giving them

KATELYN DOHERTY

the usual Halloween treats. There will be no tricks this year.

These spooky creatures and creations will no longer live on Manning Boulevard weeks prior to Halloween. Instead, somewhere, in Guilderland, an 11-year-old Halloween addict will spread the holiday spirit at his undisclosed location using all the decorations the Sykes' bequeathed. He has already begun planning out his first display.

The neighborhood will have a different feel with the Sykes gone.

“They are an asset to the community, deeply involved in many wonderful causes,” said Karen Glaser, their realtor and a family friend.

A house that was once a yearly tradition for many will be put to rest this Hallow’s Eve. Married on Halloween, the Sykes, once relocated, will finally be able to go out and celebrate their anniversary.

“It will be a different Halloween,” said Illene Sykes. “We’re going to miss the whole thing.”

October 29th 2013

News

Volume 82 Issue 11

In Brief

Bus Stop Incident Downtown Yet another early morning bus stop incident occurred in Albany last week, this time victimizing young children.

A male inappropriately approached a group of school-aged children at approximately 7:50 a.m. last Friday, Oct. 25 at the stop located at South Pearl Street

and Rensselaer Street.

Officers responded to the bus stop, and upon arrival, stopped a person matching the description of the suspect.

Police investigation is still ongoing.

The Albany Police Department and the City School District

of Albany would like to remind the members of our community to never walk alone, don’t talk to strangers, come to school on time, walk against traffic so not to be followed, and report incidents immediately.

Business Robbery on Lark Street Elisa Holloran Designs at 229 Lark St. was attempted to be robbed on the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 20. The shop sells handmade jewelry as well as the work of many local artists.

When officers arrived, the

owner reported that a male entered the store armed with a knife and demanded money. The victim stated she chased the suspect from the store and he fled without any proceeds.

The suspect was described as a

The Chronicle

Executive Editor Jackson Wang ‘14 wangj847@strose.edu

Features Editor Conor Shea ‘15 sheac613@strose.edu

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Calendar of Events

Tuesday, October 29th 11a.m. St. Joseph Worker Program Career Center 4 p.m. MAPS ALB 109 7 p.m. G4G (Girls For God) Sanctuary 7 p.m. Spectrum St. Joseph’s Hall 7:30p.m. Sidney and Beatrice Albert Interfaith Lectureship Sanctuary 8 p.m. Outside the [Box] Albertus 216 8 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary Wednesday, October 30th 11 a.m. ShopRite SuperMarkets Career Center 2:40 p.m. Natural Science Association Science Center Room 352 4 p.m. The Peter M. Tully Lecture Touhey Forum 4:30 p.m. Student Association Meeting Standish 4:30 p.m. Women’s Soccer vs. New Haven Plumeri 4:30 p.m. Men’s Soccer vs. Le Moyne Plumeri 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

black male in his 30’s wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

The investigation is still ongoThursday, October 31st ing and anyone with information 11 a.m. iSmile Studios Career Center is asked to call the Albany Police 4:15 p.m. Adventure Club Lima Basement Detective Division at 462-8039.

5:30 p.m. SEB Meeting St. Joseph’s Hall 7:30 p.m. Identity Main Lounge

Chief Economist Marie Schofield To Lecture A Saint Rose alumna, Schofield is chief economist and senior portfolio manager for Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, one of the nation’s top asset management firms.

In her lecture, Schofield will discuss the Federal Reserve’s unwinding of an extraordinary monetary policy known as quantitative easing, one of the greatest

The Chronicle

concerns facing investors today.

Entitled “Tough Exit from Easy Money,” the lecture will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30 in the Carl E. Touhey Forum at the Thelma P. Lally School of Education. The event is part of the College’s financial services lecture series.

Advance reservations for the free lecture are required.

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 Blaise Bryant Katelyn Doherty Asia Ewart Andy Gilchrist Tariq Kendall Katie Klimacek Kevin Jacob Lauren Klose Vanessa Langdon Alex Pecha Lauren Sears Michael Smith Staff Photographer Anthony Chapin

Friday, November 1st 5 p.m. Men’s Soccer vs. Southern New Hampshire Plumeri 7 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. Saint Anselm Nolan Gym Saturday, November 2nd 1 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. Saint Michael’s Nolan Gym Sunday, November 3rd 6:30 p.m. College Mass St. Vincent de Paul Church 7 p.m. Toad the Wet Sprocket featuring Lee DeWyze Massry Monday, November 4th 3 p.m. Environmental Club Meeting Community Service Office 5:15 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary 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.

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

Submissions

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

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All advertising inquiries should be sent to Advertising Manager Shawn Dixon at dixons@strose.edu. The Chronicle offers free black and white 5-by-3 in. ads to student-run organizations.

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.

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News

October 29th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

Singer-Songwriter in the House that supports female performers.

“It’s good to give people the opportunity to perform, with a band behind them. It gives them confidence.”

Coyle met her manager, Tom Miller, through her cousin. From there, Miller heard her at Red Square and instantly knew he wanted to book her. The manager first set up the vocalist for a sidewalk performance at Ben and Jerry’s on Lark Street, roughly five years ago. From there, he always “kept track of her,” and supported her performances throughout the area.

Miller described Coyle’s voice as “unique, almost eerie and spooky, but other times it can be upbeat and happy. She has the Coffee House vibe, just her and her guitar.” He believes Coyle

By STEPHANIE MONTGOMERY

Contributing Writer

The combination of Laura Coyle’s sweet, eerie voice and confident stage performance make her an active player on the region’s coffee house circuit.

Coyle, 32, who lives in the Pine Hills, works for the New York State Retirement Office during the day. At night, she plays the acoustic guitar and sings her original work at a number of bars and restaurants in the area. Sometimes she performs alongside fellow musician, Jesse Calhoun. The artist plays frequent happy hours, usually between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. for two-hour sets. Some of her local venues include McGeary’s, The Hollow, Red Square and Valentines in Albany, Backstage Pub in Schenectady, and Trickshots in Clifton Park.

“I was terrified, but I loved it at the same time.”

Laura Coyle At age five, Coyle sang alongside another girl in church. The two even wrote their own music. From there, she sang in her Catskill Senior High School Spring Concerts, often performing covers of The Beatles and Jewel.

“I was terrified, but I loved it at the same time,” Coyle said about performing in front of a crowd. “I was terrified when I was younger.

I would stand there and not move a muscle, but with age you just deal with it a lot better. After my first two songs, I feel a lot better once that hump is over.”

After the singer graduated from the state University of New York at Oneonta, where she studied music industry, she then moved to

STEPHANIE MONTGOMERY

Laura Coyle in front of her home on South Main Avenue in the Pine Hills.

New York City. Living in Brooklyn, Coyle worked administrative duties in a medical office and a design agency. She performed all over Manhattan in a band called Miss Lee. When the band broke up, she moved back to the Capital Region, where she has lived and performed for nearly five years.

The songwriter has also played for benefits and weddings. She collaborated with her mother and the duo would perform for weddings of their friends. Her mother played the piano and Coyle sang along. She doesn’t play often at weddings anymore but will perform when requested.

Six years ago, the musician

broke her foot and ankle. Having nothing to do and nowhere to go during her recovery, Coyle taught herself to play guitar. A friend noticed she wanted a guitar, had an extra acoustic-electronic Ibanez, and gave it to her. “I lucked out,” she said. Once she was able to get up and move, she took a few guitar lessons from Mark’s Music in Rhinebeck to correct anything that she was doing wrong, but that was it.

Although the songbird said that she’s “not good at selling herself,” she books gigs through local networking and uses an online service called Afton. “Once you meet other musicians, they

will ask you to open for them and fill in, and then you do the same for them, it’s really a networking thing.

“Albany has a lot of opportunities to perform, lots of open mics, lots of bars looking for people,” she said. Coyle’s favorite place to perform is on Clinton Square in Albany. “I really like McGeary’s.

There’s always a good and diverse crowd there, and I like the ambiance.”

Tess Collins, manager of McGeary’s, said, “she has a very sweet voice, and a sweet way about her. She seems so confident when she goes up there.” Collins described McGeary’s as a venue

“She has potential to be more energetic with a band behind her and I would like to put her out there more.”

Tom Miller “has what it takes” to be in the forefront of a smaller band. “She has potential to be more energetic with a band behind her and I would like to put her out there more.”

The singer will be performing around the area, and will be playing more frequently in the future.

Her last performance was on Saturday at The Backstage Pub in Schenectady. She will be playing alongside Jesse Calhoun, where the two, according to Miller, “feed off each other’s energy, and have a great time.”

News

A5 John Mariani: The Man You Can Count On

October 29th 2013

By KATELYN DOHERTY Staff Writer Making every dollar count in addition to overseeing tellers and keeping in constant contact with customers requires a certain personality. Working a job with these obligations is simply a calling.

The branch manager at the neighborhood Trustco Bank, John Mariani, 22, has always known he was the man for the job. In February, he will reach his twoyear mark working at the bank.

Averaging a 40-hour work week, Mariani not only supervises the branch, but also works alongside his tellers and helps customers on a daily basis. Even with his long list of daily tasks as branch manager, there is nothing more rewarding for him than this job.

His regular duties keep the bank running smoothly. He supervises and trains tellers, provides customers with information to take out loans and mortgages and he also promotes the bank at certain events throughout the community.

“This is a great company to work for and I love my job,” he said. Although at times some stressful situations arise, he would not want to be doing anything else. He hopes to become a regional manager and eventually assistant vice president of the company.

Mariani grew up in Colonie, still living there today, with traditional Italian family values, which strongly influenced the person he has become. The elder of two children, he attended Saddlewood Elementary, Lisha Kill Middle School and Colonie Central High School. He later graduated from Hudson Valley Community College with a degree in business administration.

In addition to working as a fulltime branch manager, he is taking online classes through Empire State College.

While still in high school, at age 16, Mariani started working for the Wolf Road Dunkin’ Donuts in Colonie as a crew mem-

Volume 82 Issue 11

ber. He quickly became a shift leader and eventually a manager.

Once he was promoted to the manager position, he traveled to various Dunkin’ Donuts locations as far away as Great Barrington, Mass. Mariani enjoyed the work he did there and loved the customers, but for a 20-yearold full-time college student, the workload became too much.

Ever since Mariani was a young boy, he “always loved money and how to get money” and planned that his second job would be as a bank teller. When his parents went to parent-teacher conference night in second grade, even his teacher told them he could “count money way too well.” Working at a bank was in Mariani’s future ever since elementary school. His family has had an immense impact on his life and influenced his work ethic skills.

Today, Mariani’s family still plays an important role in his life.

Coming from a “big Italian family, we still have our family dinners every Thursday night,” he said, dinners his grandfather started in 2005 after his grandmother passed away. His grandfather, head chef in charge, holds the dinners at his house and invites everyone in the family weekly.

At first, his tellers and customers were surprised by his age.

As a result, he worked harder to prove himself.

“I expected the manager to be older,” said Hennessy Golcochea, one of Mariani’s tellers. When she heard the bank was getting a new branch manager, she did not expect him to be so young. After working with Mariani for a while now she said he works hard and that it “pays off.”

Mariani constantly informs his tellers about his decisions as a manager and how the bank is performing. He takes pride not only in working with his staff, but also in motivating them to meet monthly goals. In August, he and his staff won branch of the month award for great customer service and doubling the monthly goals.

The Chronicle

KATELYN DOHERTY

John Mariani has always had a knack for money and has been planning to work in a bank ever since he was a child.

Mariani “always comes on his shell and be more outspoken. Mariani said.

Although he likes to take time and always respects the cus- Even friends from high school he tomer,” said Stephen Bashir, an- met up with over the summer said “each day at a time,” he one day hopes to settle down with a wife he is completely different. other one of Mariani’s tellers.

Outside of work, Mariani and possibly five children. Now, He knows what the important aspects of his job are and wants to enjoys being with his family though, Mariani is solely deprovide a good example. Mariani and traveling. He loves spend- termined to work his way up in keeps in contact with his regular ing summer days at his parents’ the banking system and achieve customers and offers them per- house on Lake Sacandaga in the his future goals as assistant vice sonal service. “It just shows I Adirondacks. He likes kayak- president and eventually even do care about what is going on in ing, boating and jet skiing in the vice president.

“I do want to keep working their lives than just being a work- summer and snowboarding in the winter. When he does have hard and showing them what I er,” he said.

With the help of this job, he the time off, his outside interests have to offer,” said Mariani. “I said he was able to come out of are “nice, peaceful and relaxing,” love what I do, I love doing man-

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News

Madison Theatre Continued From Page A1

to Gunther Fishgold, one of the managers of the theatre and one of the owners of Tierra Coffee roasters, which is located next door to the theatre.

Currently, Fishgold is renting the property, according to Joe Tesiero, the current owner of the theatre. Tierra Farms has the option to buy the theatre at any time.

“We could have bought it right away, but did not like the financing options,” said Fishgold. The first and second phases are being done completely out of pocket, he added.

Fishgold said he expects to own the theatre by June of 2014.

Including the purchase of the theatre, the entire project will cost around $750,000, according to Fishgold.

For Fishgold, the primary motivation of purchasing the theatre was so that nobody else could.

The movie theatre was an eyesore, and by renovating it, the coffee shop would get more business, he said.

“The coffee shop is doing very well and we did not want the space to be bought by someone else,” he said.

The five people who previously ran the theatre wanted someone else to run it because the partners had other things going on, and could not have any on-site management, according to Tesiero.

“Someone with an interest in the business should be the one running it,” he said.

A doorway connecting the eastern wall of the coffee shop with the theatre will enable customers to move freely from one venue to the next. All items purchased at either the company store, or the coffee shop, will be allowed into the movie theatre, according to Fishgold.

Customers will no longer be limited to just popcorn and soda from the concession when they head to the theatre, but can now bring a panini over from the coffee shop, or any items from the

store.

About two miles southeast, Tierra has another coffee shop adjacent to the Spectrum theatre.

There, customers can also bring in items from other places, including the coffee shop.

“It may hurt concessions a little, but it is in the best interest of being reasonable,” said Aindrea Richard, the general manager of the Spectrum. Prohibiting customers from bringing in refreshments from other places is unfair and a silly rule to have, she added.

In keeping with Tierra’s mission to sell organic products, for those who prefer popcorn when going to the movies, the new Madison will feature a new concession stand with organic popcorn, and other organic products.

The seats for the two remaining theatres are expected to arrive around the first or second week of November, and once they are installed, the theatre portion of the building will be open.

The theatre will have a special free movie showing on Halloween, which will feature a Halloween-themed movie. The movie will be shown at 8 p.m. and while customers will not be able to take the new seats for a test-ride, the concession stand will be open.

A project manager, Damir Svraka, has been assigned to make sure the renovation and construction goes as planned. He is responsible for making sure the workers have tools, contacting subcontractors, speaking with the City to make sure they have all the correct permits, giving the City insurance paperwork, and working with Fishgold on designs.

The existing marquee is also being renovated as a part of the first phase of renovations, and will be overseen by Bill Allen, a member of the Historic Albany Foundation. The price of renovating the marquee is included in the $295,000.

Allen’s vision for the marquee is to make it look similar to when the marquee was first designed

back in the seventies. “I want to bring a familiarity to when I went to the Madison as a kid,” he said.

Making the marquee larger, adding chaser lights, and changing the dominant color of the sign to red are all in his plans. There will also be a main section of neon for the theatre entrance, and smaller sections of neon for the coffee shop, and company store.

“I know this is a great project and want it to look great for Albany,” said Allen.

“I know this is a great project and want it to look great for Albany.”

Bill Allen The company store, part of the second phase of renovations, will sell many of the 180 products that Tierra Farms sell across the country. Some of these products will be nuts, chocolate, fruit, and coffee.

The store will be able to be accessible from the street, and from the theatre. It is going to take the space of two smaller theaters that were located in the front.

One Pine Hills resident who is thrilled about this is Ann Savage.

Savage was a founding member of “Friends of the Madison,” an organization that was dedicated to saving the Madison from demolition in 2004. That year, there was a proposal to demolish the Madison, and replace it with a large CVS with a parking garage and drive-thru.

One of the issues that Savage had with the way the Madison was set up was how the two store front windows were the back of theaters instead of stores. The current empty storefront windows at the Madison made the property look empty from the street, Savage said.

“Those store fronts needed to be stores, not the back of movie theatres,” said Savage.

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Volume 82 Issue 11

Now, motorists and pedestrians who go by the theatre will be able to see people shopping, and not a dark window.

The store should be completed in January or February, according to Fishgold.

The theatre was not aesthetically pleasing, and was in need for additional upkeep, said Leah Golby, the Albany common council member for the 10th ward, where the theatre is located.

The space at the back of the building, part of the third phase, will be converted into an entertainment area.

The entertainment area will be used for comedy shows, concerts, lectures, and movies as well, according to Fishgold. However, there are some limitations as to what kinds of performances he will allow.

“I’m not trying to do rap shows,” said Fishgold. He has promoted rap shows for the Upstate Concert Hall in the past. Because of this, he knows the problems that can arise at those kinds of shows.

The permit for showing movies was grandfathered in.

The combination of having to compete with the Spectrum for movies, and with the Regals of the world for customers, coupled with the theatre being run down was a combination for disaster, according to Fishgold.

Fishgold envisions the theatre as a second-run theatre, meaning it will show movies that have been out for a while. This is a

change from what the Madison used to have. He wants to bring back old movies like Indiana Jones and E.T., and show them on a big screen.

“It’s just not going to compete with the malls and other first-run theatres,” he added.

Because every movie is trademarked, Fishgold would have to pay the movie companies for the right to show the movie. However, he has reached out to the various movie companies and does not see this as a problem.

The movie companies still want to sell the movies to theatres because they are not making money on them anymore.

Fishgold does admit that it will be difficult to forecast which movies, that were popular at the time they came out, will still be popular in a large screen format.

“It is a shot in the dark to some degree,” said Fishgold.

This was echoed by Rachel O’Neil, a graduate student at UAlbany.

“It would really have to depend on the movie,” said O’Neil, when asked whether she would pick to go to a showing of a second-run movie over a new movie.

Forrest Gump and Titanic were two examples of movies she would go see at a movie theatre.

Finally, in addition to its other attributes, Fishgold believes the new Madison will succeed because, “thirty bucks gives a family of four movie tickets, and concession, without feeding their kids junk.”

SAM MAXWELL

One of the theaters that is staying and is getting new seats and a new sound system.

October 29th 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

Students Fight Hunger With PB and J Sandwiches

By JACKSON WANG Executive Editor

Dozens of students were making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on Thursday in the main lounge. Many of these students were hungry and looking forward to lunch, but not a single peanut butter and jelly sandwich was going to be eaten by students.

That’s because the sandwiches were being made to help fight hunger in Albany. Students were able to make over 3,000 sandwiches on Thursday, which went to many local shelters, including the Capital City Rescue Mission.

“This event brings everybody together to do one goal, which is raise awareness for hunger and bring them what they [don’t] have,” said Student Association President Justin Whittaker, who helped organized this year’s event.

The event, entitled PB and Jams, was started four years ago by then sophomore Myles Clendenin. About 150 sandwiches were made at that event, which took place in the Sanctuary. In the following year, 1,012 sandwiches were made in the main lounge.

And last year, students were able to make 2,147 sandwiches, more than doubling the previous year’s mark. “[Clendenin] just wanted to raise awareness for the hunger, bring sandwiches to local charities, and throughout the years, it has been getting bigger and bigger,” said Whittaker.

Clendenin, who is now a graduate student at Saint Rose, was helping make sandwiches at this year’s event. He said seeing all the students come help make sandwiches was already a huge accomplishment.

“I just love it,” said Clendenin.

“I just love helping anyway I can,” said Clendenin.

Many students helping at Thursday’s event were just like Clendenin, including freshman Addison Todd, who’s on the Student Association committee and helped organized the event.

“I really like doing community service and fighting hunger is a good way to do it,” said Todd.

“It’s going to mean … a lot of people will have full stomachs tonight.”

Another student volunteering at PB and Jams for the first time was freshman Alyssa Hart. She said she didn’t expect Saint Rose to be so close with helping the community, but events like PB and Jams and Reach Out Saint Rose Day has really showed her what The College tries to do for Albany.

“It’s really surprising to see how many people actually come in and stop to make five or ten sandwiches,” said Hart, who’s also part of Student Association.

“They don’t know how much it means. It’s really nice.”

But Thursday’s event wouldn’t have been possible without the help of many local businesses.

Whittaker said many grocery stories like Price Chopper, Hannaford, and ShopRite donated gift cards to the Student Association to help with the purchases of bread, peanut butter, and jelly.

“It’s great,” said Whittaker. “It really shows the college community that we have.”

And while this event was successful for the Student Association, they are already preparing to start their next community service event. Whittaker said they’ll soon open up registration for Saint Baldrick’s Day to raise money to help fight childhood cancer.

Also, the Student Association will begin to collect non-perishable food from Nov. 4 to Nov. 8 for their Stuff The Van event.

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Clean neighborhood, Clean Slate?

By ARIANA WILSON Contributing Writer More than 350 students from the State University at Albany gathered Sunday to engage in a yearly neighborhood cleanup of the Pine Hills. The students picked up everything from leaves to trash in an effort to improve the living conditions for both residents and students.

Coordinators of the event typically expect about 100 students to turnout, but this year the numbers more than exceeded the expectation. The dry, sunny weather may have contributed to the numbers, with only wind hampering conditions for the community service project.

The Pine Hills Cleanup 2013 began at noon at Ridgefield Park at Myrtle Avenue and Partridge Street. A number of campus groups including athletes, fraternities, and sororities were involved in the cleanup, according to Thomas Gebhardt, director of personal safety and off-campus affairs at the University police department.

Rakes, shovels, garbage bags and gloves were loaned to the students free of charge by the city’s Department of General Services, Gebhardt said. Students worked in the blocks bordered on the south side by Myrtle, to the east on Lake Avenue, north to Washington Avenue, and west to South Main.

Students filled trash bags and left the garbage at nearby receptacles for city pickup.

The university has developed an incentive for students to complete community service hours and earn the chance to win a trip to Camp Dippikill, an 850-acre wilderness retreat in the Adirondacks owned by the university’s Student Association. Students can camp, hike, canoe, and participate in a number of outdoor

activities. In addition to trying to win a trip, students participate in the cleanup to give back to the neighborhood where thousands of college students have stayed over the years.

“We live here too, and we care too,” said Billy Shields, a University student and fraternity member of Zeta Beta Tau. “We are tired of the fact that we are the stereotype for the bad stuff that happens in this area.”

Unlike Shields, some of the students decided to go out to the cleanup just because they thought it would be an enjoyable experience. UAlbany Freshmen Jackie Belle and Jen Baran said they saw posters in their residence hall advertising the event.

Gebhardt has been involved with the cleanup for the past 10 years, even when the cleanups were not a yearly event. Now the UAlbany Student Association, University at Albany, and Pine Hills association team up one time each semester to tidy up.

The three groups have planned a date each fall and spring semester for the past five years, according to Gebhardt. Even though he has not lived directly in the Pine Hills, Gebhardt, a UAlbany graduate, is an active community member and attends many of the Pine Hills meetings.

The new acting President at the school, Robert J. Jones, has asked the student body to be more active with community service, said Rose Avellino, a junior at UAlbany and director of outreach and engagement.

“College is not just academics,” Avellino said. After three years in the Student Association, and two years on the Outreach and Engagement board, Avellino is familiar with the university’s community service activities in the city.

The Student Association does more than just clean up the neigh-

borhood. Group members volunteer their time to the Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, and the suicide prevention walk that takes place on the UAlbany campus each year.

They also volunteer their time to work with Albany High School and Hackett Middle School to inform students that there are options out there beyond secondary schooling, said Avellino.

UAlbany calls this its ‘Student to Student Initiative’ and is not just used to support colleges and universities in the Albany area.

Instead, it serves the purpose of supporting higher education in general, Avellino said.

Pine Hills residents were more than welcome to attend the event as well, although the advertising was not done quite as vigorously in the neighborhood as it was on campus.

Resident Corrie Aldrich was a bit perplexed when all the students came through the neighborhood. “I was like, ‘Where are all these college kids going?’” said Aldrich, who lives at Partridge and Morris streets.

She would liked to have volunteered at the event had she known it was taking place. She recommended that maybe there should have been fliers distributed throughout the neighborhood in order to get residents more involved. Either way, she said, “It’s good to see people going out and doing something.”

Avellino hopes to improve the event next year by including more cleanup equipment and developing a more effective method for registration. Overall, the cleanup was a success, she said.

“It’s good to see so many community service groups today to help,” said Toni Hines, a member of the Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority.

“We really just want to help the community.”

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The Chronicle

Network Shutdown

“The power must be shut down so that it is safe for electricians to morning of Oct. 19 due to strong work on this high-voltage equipwinds, and interrupted the Na- ment,” said Bryant, who supertional Grid utility power for Saint vised the first attempted repairs Rose and surrounding neighbor- that occurred late Wednesday hoods, said Assistant Vice Presi- night and early Thursday morndent for Facilities John Bryant. ing, which were unsuccessful.

Instead of making a second Many students and local residents were without power for several attempt at repairing the broken switch, McDonhours that mornald said they ing.

“The Network performed a During that Operations Center temporary fix power outage, that should last The College is equipped with until Thankswas required to a backup battery giving break, use a 2-megasystem, which which is when watt generator The College will that provides provides power replace the old standby electrical power to five during short outages, automatic transfer switch with of the major colbut this shutdown new unit. The lege buildingsmay last longer than aswitch is locatAlbertus Hall, the battery backup ed between the Saint Joseph’s Hall, the Events system is capable of Events and Athletics Center and and Athletics covering.” the Neil Hellman Center, Alumni Library.

Hall, Lima Hall, John Bryant During the atand the facilities tempted repairs, buildings, according to Bryant. Some build- several campus buildings were ings had individual generators, requested to be completely shut which were used during those down, including two residential halls, Lima and Alumni. Resifew hours.

Bryant said the backup gen- dents of both buildings received erators were able to fire up right an email from area coordinator away because of the electrical Julianna Hart on Tuesday in order switch gear called automatic to be prepared for the power outtransfer switch. When the ma- age from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thurschine senses utility power is day morning, and 12 a.m. to 4 lost, it switches over to generator a.m. Sunday morning.

In the email, Hart asked resipower. Then, when power gets restored, it switches back from dents to shutdown computers prior to 11:30 p.m., limit travel generator to utility.

But that wasn’t the case last through the hallways unless to the restrooms, retrieve flashlights Saturday.

“Unfortunately, Saturday from resident assistants, charge morning the (automatic transfer phones and alarms prior to powswitch) failed to switch back from er down, and refrain from doing generator power to the utility, and laundry after 10 p.m. that night.

Last year, Brubacher Hall lost these six buildings have been running on standby generator power power after two of the build(from Saturday to Sunday morn- ing’s three electrical feeds from a National Grid pole had stopped ing),” said Bryant.

In order to have the problem functioning. Residents were then fixed, a power shutdown was re- asked to exit the building and quired to replace the controller only return to pick up essential portion of the automatic transfer needs. Brubacher Hall was closed for the night and residents were switch.

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Volume 82 Issue 11

Continued From Page A1

KELLY PFEISTER

The generator is located by the corners of Partridge and Madison. asked to travel home, if nearby, stay with friends in other dorms or apartments, or at last resort, sleep in the Events and Athletics Center.

But residents in Lima and Alumni Hall were allowed to stay in their dorms during the two power outages, which had extra security guards stationed at the entrances of both buildings that only allowed access to Saint Rose students with valid identification.

Along with the building power outages, all college network services were down from 11:30 p.m.

Wednesday night to 7 a.m. Thursday morning, and then again from 11 p.m. Saturday night to 9 a.m.

Sunday morning. The Network Operations Center is located in Saint Joseph’s Hall, where power was turned off during the shutdown, Bryant said.

“The Network Operations

Center is equipped with a backup battery system, which provides power during short outages, but this shutdown may last longer than the battery backup system is capable of covering,” said Bryant. “Therefore, the network must be shut down in a controlled manner so as to prevent systems from going down suddenly, which would occur if power were cut abruptly.”

John Ellis, executive director for information technology services, said there are no technology related reasons for the network shutdown.

“The main impact is that due to the size and complexity of the network, including Banner, Blackboard, e-mail, printing, wireless, etc.,” said Ellis, “it takes about one hour to bring the network down and then at least three hours or more to bring the

network back up mostly due to interdependencies between the various systems.”

All networks were back up and running Thursday and Sunday morning by the promised times.

If The College ever has to shut down again, Bryant said they’re going to try to complete repairs during breaks when residential halls are closed. But there is a chance the electrical repairs could be done while Saint Rose is in session, said Bryant.

Bryant said it was unfortunate that The College was experiencing difficulties with a portion of their standby power system, but “we consider ourselves fortunate to have the capability the standby power system affords us. Without it, when utility power is interrupted, our buildings would simply lose power.”

October 29th 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

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Human Rights Panel Held On Campus

By CHRIS CRUCETTI Contributing Writer

The College of Saint Rose hosted a panel Wednesday that discussed human rights employment opportunities. The panelists talked to students about various possible careers within the field.

Job opportunities involving human rights were the subject of discussion, while the speakers also incorporated their own experiences.

A crowd of roughly 65 people attended the event, moderated by Saint Rose psychology professor Kathleen Crowley. The experts focused on four main goals: to reveal how the Peace Corp can lead to a career; to show the diversity of careers that can be pursued; to state that they are real careers to be pursued; and finally, that Saint Rose prepares students for the careers.

“The College of Saint Rose students are prepared to take on the world, literally,” said Crowley.

The four-member panel discussed the diversity of opportunities within the field, and how prominent human rights issues are today. The panel included: Colleen Thapalia, a former Peace Corp volunteer and current director of international recruitment and admissions at Saint Rose; Dr. Michael Brannigan, who used his ethics and philosophy background to discuss the three main parts of human rights; Stephen Eisenbraun, the editor-in-chief of the state department’s annual country reports on human rights; and Josh Machleder, media outlet Internews’ vice-president for Europe and Eurasia programs for the Global Human Rights Project.

The panel provided information to the spectators regarding how broad the field is, as well as how diverse the field can be.

“International careers are doable, which lead to a very important contribution—to improve lives around the world,” said Crowley.

Machleder discussed his time as a Peace Corp volunteer and

shared what his company, Internews, is doing about human rights issues. Internews is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to give people the news and information they need. Machleder said that his time in the Peace Corp piqued his interest in human rights affairs. He was so interested, after his two-year term in the Peace Corp, he then traveled around the world for 15 years doing his own volunteer work.

“You really get to see the world, not as a tourist, but as a resident,” Machleder said.

Machleder discussed the challenges of living in another culture with different religious beliefs, customs, and attitudes while facing a language barrier. As a result, during his time in Uzbekistan, Machleder learned Uzbek and Russian to help break the barrier.

“Language is the basic essential you need for communication,” said Machleder.

Thapalia echoed Machleder’s thoughts when she spoke about her time in the Peace Corp, in the country of Burundi in central Africa. She worked in the parks and reserves. It was her job to allow people into the parks to obtain firewood and other supplies so they could function in their daily lives.

“The goal was not to keep people out, but to figure out what they need,” said Thapalia.

Brannigan approached the topic differently by discussing equality, equity, and the challenges he has seen people face.

He examined the poor treatment of women in countries who are being stoned because of their country’s strict laws. He shared a case where a 13-year-old girl was raped and then stoned because she had sex outside of marriage.

Brannigan also spoke about the poverty around the world, stating that over 10,000 people will die today in Africa because of malnutrition. “There is something terribly wrong when 300 of the richest people in the world have more money than the 2.5 million poorest,” said Brannigan.

CHRIS CRUCETTI

The panelists discussed various issues regarding human rights, as well as careers to promote them.

Finally, Eisenbraun provided unique insights, as he detailed the reports he and his company create on an annual basis. His department creates the worldwide report about human rights and its violations throughout the year and is sent all over the world. Eisenbraun clearly stated the United States does not create

the report based on our findings, rather they are compiled all over the world and the report then follows a rubric that is universally agreed upon. “The report is not from an American perspective,” said Eisenbraun.

Eisenbraun recalled a story where at separate conferences, representatives from Canada and

Sweden came up to him and said that his report is used throughout their countries to determine asylum cases. He then realized how important his job was. People all over the world used his reports for cases concerning their own citizens. “We better get it right,” said Eisenbraun, referencing his reports.

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News

The Chronicle

October 29th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

New Pub Slated To Open Next Month

By CHRIS CRUCETTI Contributing Writer

BM&T management will be introducing another one of its many restaurants to the Pine Hills neighborhood. The new pub is to be called ‘Madison Pour House’

and is currently under renovation, adding a brick façade and siding to make the building more aesthetically pleasing. Madison Pour House has set a tentative opening date of November 25.

The building, located at 1110 Madison Ave., is undergoing a

$300,000 two-floor renovation; adding a gasoline fireplace, a full-length bar and small kitchen.

The second floor, which was previously an apartment, will contain the fireplace as well as additional dining area. The location was previously occupied by

a bar named Mahar’s, and operated out of said building for a number of years until BM&T management purchased it on December 28, 2012 for $300,000.

“We wanted to maintain the character of the building,” said Daniel Sanders, the architect overseeing the project. “Adding the apartment was big,” said Sanders, who believes they are on track to meet the tentative opening date. The redesign of the exterior was intended to give the building the appearance of an old English pub. “We wanted to give it an open feel to take advantage of the two-story space,” he said.

BM&T is named for its three partners, Brian Viglucci, Michael Viglucci Jr., and Tony Lounello.

BM&T management currently owns Café Madison, The Point, and Junior’s. General Manager

“All of the management and owners were born and raised in Albany. We’re very involved in corporate responsibility.”

Daniel Savage

CHRIS CRUCETTI

Construction continues on the exterior of the future Madison Pour House.

of Junior’s, Daniel Savage, is thrilled for the expansion of business in the Pine Hills area.

“All of the management and owners were born and raised in Albany. We’re very involved in corporate responsibility,” said Savage, who will become the general manager of the Madison Pour House when it opens. He stressed the company is helping the community by adding 10 to 15 jobs, most of which include bartenders, a waiting staff, and kitchen

aids. According to Viglucci, most of the employees will remain at their original restaurant, not becoming interchangeable with the other establishments. BM&T is excited about their latest venture and hopes it will draw more consumers to the Pine Hills area.

“The Pour House will certainly increase business. This is becoming the destination block in Albany,” said Savage.

Viglucci emphasized that his company wanted to keep the style Mahar’s previously maintained, but give it a few updates.

Ideas discussed included adding a menu with 35 craft beers, 30 draft beers, over 100 drink options, and food to complement the beverages. Some notable new food items to be incorporated are spicy nuts, deviled eggs, and homemade pickles.

Brian Viglucci also shared the group’s latest idea, called a “ploughman’s lunch.” The dish would be served on a long board, and gives customers the option to create their own sandwich or salad with options such as meats, pickles, and sliced apples. “This would be ideal for one customer or a party of 20. It is an inexpensive option we will provide.

There is an experience to be had,” said Viglucci.

The company has ties with the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association, and is part of the Beautify Upper Madison Project (BUMP).

Savage highlighted how much the company gets involved in the neighborhood, doing what they can to help it succeed.

“We have been very in sync with BM&T,” said Virginia Hammer, Pine Hills Neighborhood Association president. Hammer expressed BM&T’s commitment to the neighborhood “They come to a number of community meetings if they have ideas to see how the neighborhood would feel about it.” She was impressed that they are a local company who cares about local issues. “BM&T has set the tone for the upper Madison area,” she said.

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Rocktoberfest 2013

October 29th 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

Photos by Zachary Olsavicky

Ricky Demetro of Rhino House Band sings to onlookers at Rocktoberfest.

Ricky Demetro of Rhino House Band sings to onlookers at Rocktoberfest.

Pumpkins were available for purchase to decorate.

Stephen D’Intino, left, and Michael Nerosa of Walls perform at Rocktoberfest.

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News

Her Flower Philosophy

October 29th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

A photo profile of student Maria Southworth

By KELLY PFEISTER Head Photographer Hi! This week is the start of a photo profile story in The Chronicle. I’ve always thought that students at Saint Rose were special, and I wanted to showcase a little bit about what makes them so. My first subject is Maria Southworth, music education major, who graciously invited me inside of her home to photograph her flower clip collection.

If you don’t know her by name, you have probably seen her around Massry, or performing with the Girls Next Door. She’s the girl on campus that wears a flower clip in her hair every day. Some are tiny, while others take up the majority of the back of her head. They’re all different colors and patterns too – rainbow, music notes, and one with silver rhinestones.

She has worn them to special occasions – weddings, concerts, and prom – she even had the hairdresser work them into her hairstyle.

The tradition started during the middle of Southworth’s junior year in high school. Her mother brought her flowers to cheer her up when she was going through a bad time at school, and said it was just “a small thing that got me through the day.” Three years later it still is, and the amount of flower clips has grown to over 50.

Southworth and her mother make most of the flower clips. They buy fake flowers at A.C Moore or Michaels, along with hair clips, felt, and hot glue them together – she said it’s very simple.

Southworth’s flower philosophy is simple - “Nobody’s life is perfect. We all have our issues and problems and drama.” She explained that her flowers help her to remember that if she’s having a bad day, “I should remember the small good things that happened that day, and I realize that my life is pretty amazing.”

“But when I wear them I feel I can be who I am... It makes me smile when people like my flowers, because if I can make one person smile because of my flowers, that’s all that matters.”

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Volume 82 Issue 11

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Southworth keeps her flower clips in a drawer, and in a wicker basket, although floral decoration has crept into her room. She has flowers hanging on her wall, and a dried rose in a vase near her window.

As a challenge, I asked Southworth to put as many flowers as she could in her hair. The final count was 15, not including her floral headband. She picks her flowers depending on what she’s wearing, but sometimes it’s the other way around.

Do you know a Saint Rose student that has a quirky collection of items, or something about them that sets them apart from others?

Contact Kelly Pfeister with your story idea at Pfeisterk953@strose.edu.

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The Chronicle

Arts

October 29th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

Fitz and The Tantrums to Play Upstate Concert Hall

By LAUREN HALLIGAN News Editor

The cleverly named Los Angeles-based indie pop sextet Fitz and The Tantrums will soon be visiting the Capital Region as part of their fall tour.

Formed in 2008, the band released their second full-length CD in May, entitled More Than Just a Dream via Elektra Records. Their latest hit song “Out of My League” (a 102.7 WEQX favorite), is the opening track on the release.

The Bright Futures Tour, featuring Fitz and The Tantrums and fellow L.A. pop groups Capital Cities and Beat Club, will be rolling through the 518 next week.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park.

Tickets cost $23.50 in advance at Ticketmaster locations or $25 at the door on the day of the show.

Bandleader Michael Fitzpatrick (Fitz) will be joined on stage by co-vocalist Noelle Scaggs, who adds an element of soul to the group’s style, James King on saxophone and flute, Joseph Karnes on bass, drummer John Wicks, and keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna.

Ruzumna said that when the band performs live, they do ev-

erything they can to make the crowd shake around and sing their lungs out. “It's a party onstage and we won't stop till you're right there with us,” he said, and Tuesday night’s show will be no exception.

“It’s a party on stage and we won’t stop till you’re right there with us.”

Jeremy Ruzumna The Chronicle: How do you describe the Fitz and The Tantrums musical style?

Ruzumna: I always described the first album as sounding as if an ‘80s New Wave band had transported themselves to the '60s, recorded the album, then had a hip hop producer from the early '90s mix it and add some beats to it.

The new album comes from a similar place songwriting-wise, but with a different sonic personality. If the first album was about Fitz' huge, old organ and his old upright piano, this album was

much wider. I've got a massive collection of keyboards from the '60s, '70s, and 80s, and we used all those plus laptop synths. So, this album really has a personality of its own.

The Chronicle: How did you come to form Fitz and The Tantrums?

Ruzumna: Fitz knew James in college and from there it snowballed. I'd known James from a band called The Breakestra, and I'd known Joe technically since junior high. Interestingly, Noelle had been in a band called The Rebirth which was an offshoot of The Breakestra. And John and I had met while in the house band at a club called Bardot, which was this crazy scene where people like Prince would come jam with us. It was pretty awesome.

John is actually the one who told Fitz about me and that's how it all went. It was very quick and we literally only had one rehearsal before we were off and running.

The Chronicle: What has the band been working on lately?

Ruzumna: Most recently we've been concentrating on upping the ante on our live show. The album is doing well and we are touring our butts off and we want the live show to blow away everything we've done so far. I'm really happy with how it's going. We just

want to keep topping ourselves.

The Chronicle: What has The Bright Futures Tour been like so far?

Ruzumna: We met Capital Cities a couple of times at festivals we were both playing, and we fell in love with their music and also got along with them. We all joked about how cool it would be to be on the road together and then it actually happened, so we are stoked. It's a love fest for sure.

The Chronicle: What are the band's future plans beyond this tour?

Ruzumna: Our agent recently told us to pack our suitcases for two years, ‘cause they want us to tour this album like crazy. And if all goes well, that's what's up with us for a while.

After that, when it comes to making another album, it'll be time to rise to the same challenge we took on this album: to top what we did before.

The Chronicle: How would you describe a Fitz and The Tantrums show to someone who hasn't experienced one?

Ruzumna: High energy and fun. Fitz and Noelle make sure that they connect with each and every audience member, and the band is like a freight train behind them, driving up the mountain.

You'll get beats and bass lines that

make your ass shake, but you'll also get great songs that you can't stop singing.

The Chronicle: What's your favorite part about playing together as Fitz and The Tantrums?

Ruzumna: I really feed off of the crowd's energy. When that's there, and we're oiled and

“You’ll get beats and bass lines that make your ass shake, but you’ll also get great songs that you can’t stop singing.”

Jeremy Ruzumna primed, it's an incredible feeling.

And there's this one specific drum fill that sounds like an ‘80s drum machine that John knows I love, and he'll occasionally throw that fill into a song here or there in the set, and we always look over at each other and kind of laugh about it and it just reminds me of the joy of making music.

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Fitz and The Tantrums

COURTESY OF FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS

October 29th 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

Arts

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The Counselor: Deep, Disturbing, and Unlikely to Find a Wide Audience

By ANDY GILCHRIST Staff Writer

Crime is not glamorous. It’s not like on TV, where, with skill and determination, a man can rise up and control the underworld in a short span of time. Where a retired crimelord counts his money on a throne and lives in a mansion that’s acres large.

The life of a criminal is dirty, bloody, and the most dangerous there is. Those who cannot understand this, who think they are exempt from or above the danger, will be hurt or killed. They will lose everything.

The new film The Counselor shows this in unsettling detail.

Though it boasts an impressive award-winning cast, it’s, quite frankly, not a very commercial film.

It shows the violent real-life implications of entering the drug business and pulls no punches doing it. Those looking for a happy ending should look elsewhere.

The film is not perfect, stumbling a bit with dialogue and direction, but The Counselor is a slow-burn drama that builds to a tragic and perhaps unfair ending.

But it should not be unexpected.

The film follows an unnamed lawyer, always referred to as The Counselor (Michael Fassbender), who decides to go in on a drug deal when his money problems get out of control.

When the film opens, he has already set up a one-time, $20 million deal with an associate named Reiner (Javier Bardem).

The Counselor hopes to use this money, presumably, to retire and live happily with his new fiancée, Laura (Penelope Cruz).

Also in the mix are Malkina (Cameron Diaz), Reiner’s girlfriend who appears to be an overly sexual bimbo, but is actually the most dangerous character in the film.

There’s also Westray (Brad Pitt), a middleman between Reiner and the cartel. Westray requests a meeting before the deal goes down and does everything he can to get The Counselor to understand the consequences of what is about to happen. But The Counselor thinks he is untouchable.

A fatal mistake. The film cuts between The Counselor’s hubris and a truck carrying hundreds of bricks of product across the border. Inevitably, the shipment is stolen.

The cartel has lost a lot of money. The Counselor, the new man in the equation, is blamed. He and everyone connected to him have targets on their backs. His life goes straight to Hell. A dark,

dingy, nightmarish Hell.

The Counselor has been widely publicized for being the first screenplay by Pulitzer-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy, author of such acclaimed novels as No Country for Old Men, The Road, and Blood Meridian.

Together with legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott and an Alist cast, it seemed as though the film had all the ingredients for an awards-season hit.

But it’s obvious that McCarthy is a much better novelist than screenwriter. His script is filled with long speeches and rich symbolism, but these elements are better suited for a book than a screenplay.

Because of this, Scott’s voice struggles to be heard in the film.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Michael Fassbender stars as the nameless protagonist.

It’s clear he feels constricted by the material and lashes out only in the more violent and exciting scenes, leading to an uneven tone.

Since his last few films (Body of Lies, Robin Hood, Prometheus) have been hit-or-miss, detractors of the film will use this as proof that Scott has lost his way. But this is simply a case of a bad writer and director collaboration.

But storywise, the film is brilliant, poetic even. It reintroduces the audience to the timeless theme of the man greedy for power and follows him through disastrous events to his depressing end.

The Counselor is unnamed throughout the film because he represents the everyman: foolishly confident that he is the smartest man in the room who can control the situation and thrive immediately.

At the beginning of the film, he is the audience.

But this isn’t Breaking Bad and he isn’t Walter White. He’s just a normal man in a foreign situation. This is the real world, where people die for one mistake and everyone around them pays the price.

Another theme that is prevalent throughout the film is men vs. women.

Early in the film, several male characters talk badly about women in dialogue that borders on misogyny. “Women are crazy,” “women only care about money,” and “never trust a woman” are the rules of the film’s first hour.

Cameron Diaz’s character, Malkina, seems to perfectly showcase these beliefs. Reiner doesn’t trust her and seems to only keep her around because she’s constantly throwing her body at him. An unforgettable scene with a yellow sports car appears to drive this home.

But the film actually makes a case for the falseness of male chauvinism.

Men may claim to be in control of the situation, but they’re ultimately just greedy people and all they seem to do is shoot each other and go nowhere.

Women have the true power, moving pieces across the board and staying out of the way of the violence that is created.

In the end, it is a woman who walks away triumphant while the men are crumpled and bloody on the floor.

One common complaint that many viewers are sure to come away with is that the film is too confusing and vague.

Indeed, it’s never specifically stated what the specifics of the drug deal are, how The Counselor knows Reiner, who Westray works for, what forces are battling over the drugs, or even what happens to all the characters in the end.

The film lacks explanation and exposition because it’s mostly from The Counselor’s perspective.

He’s caught up in the madness of the situation he’s created and since there are times where he has no idea what’s going on, neither can the audience.

The confusion audiences may have is intentional because in the world of the international drug trade, no one ever knows everything.

The Counselor depicts an average man who thinks he can thrive in the world of drug trafficking.

It paints a disturbing picture of that world and the consequences of entering it, which is likely to turn many viewers away.

But for those strong enough to stomach the violence and its gloomy ending, it is a film full of complex themes, strong acting, and real-world emotion.

Ultimately, this is a film that demands to be seen.

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Arts

The Chronicle

October 29th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

Bang Your Head with Brendan: Special Halloween Edition

By BRENDAN TENAN Contributing Writer Hello everyone, and welcome to “Bang Your Head with Brendan!” This is a brand new music column, making its grand debut in The Chronicle this week.

There have been a number of fine music columns during the time I’ve been a student here at Saint Rose, most recently “Kickin’ It with K.J.” However, as much as I have enjoyed these columns, I feel that a significant portion of the school’s student body has not been properly represented in previous articles about music.

Perhaps I’m wrong, but I truly believe that a large percentage of the students here like to get in a mosh pit, bang their heads, crowd surf, and just rock out.

That’s where this column comes in. “Bang Your Head with Brendan!” will be a semi-regular music column focusing on hard rock, punk, indie rock, classic rock, metal, and whatever else strikes my fancy at any given moment.

This week’s column has a special theme: Halloween. Hal-

loween is one of my favorite holidays. Who doesn’t love to go trick-or-treating as a kid? And now that I’m older, it’s always been a great time of year to get together with friends and have a fun social gathering.

There’s just one problem, though. I’ve always been frustrated by the fact that, despite its popularity, Halloween doesn’t have the established musical standards or variety we see with other holidays, like Christmas.

The truth is there are a lot of really great songs that are perfect for the Halloween season, yet all anybody seems to constantly play at a Halloween-themed party are “Monster Mash,” “Thriller,” and the theme from “Ghostbusters.”

Well, I’m here to fix that. I’ve compiled a list of my twelve favorite songs that are either directly related to Halloween or something within the horror genre of books, television, and movies.

Here, dear readers, is my totally subjective, completely unscientific list of the Top 12 songs for Halloween NOT named “Monster Mash,” “Thriller,” and the theme from “Ghostbusters.”

Linda Blair today with her head right side on.

GLENN FRANCIS

12. Theme from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”: Yes, it’s incredibly short (barely lasting a minute at most), but there’s no denying that this is a great theme song, from the classic horror film/ haunted house opening notes and wolf howl to the terrific guitar lead played throughout the song.

Put this on to help set the tone for your shindig.

11. Tubular Bells: A great song to use to spook the trick-or-treaters. Best known for being used as the theme for The Exorcist, the melody to this day conjures up images in my head of Linda Blair being possessed by the devil spinning her head in circles.

10. Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, “Little Red Riding Hood”: One of the few songs that effectively combines romance with terror. The drastic change in tone helps set the mood for a catchy yet unusual tune.

9. Judas Priest, “The Ripper”: How could you possibly go wrong with the metal gods?

Short answer: you can’t. This particular song offers a chilling recounting of the infamous crimes committed by Jack the Ripper, one of the most famous serial killers of all time.

Glen Tipton and KK Downing bring a relentless but methodical pace to the song, and Rob Halford’s vocals are as powerful as ever.

A song every metalhead should have in their collection.

8. Anthrax, “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t”: The legendary thrashers (and member of metal’s Big 4 fraternity) came back in a huge way in the fall of 2011 with the excellent album, Worship Music.

One of the standout tracks, and an instant crowd favorite at Anthrax concerts, “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t” is about the zombie apocalypse and what one must do to survive.

With lyrics like “Cuz there’s no humanity/When the dead come

back to feed/You gotta fight’em,” what’s not to like?

7. Koffin Kats, “Chainsaw Massacre”: This marks the first entry on the list of the sub-genre known as psychobilly.

For those wondering what this is, picture an early rocker like Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis singing songs about zombies, vampires, and serial killers instead of a nervous first crush and partying in a jailhouse.

Koffin Kats are one of the best psychobilly acts around, and lead singer-upright bassist Vic Victor has one of the best voices in this niche scene.

The song has a fantastic rockabilly-style swing and a fun singalong chorus. The lyrics just happen to be based on the events that take place in the movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, giving a creepy vibe to an upbeat sounding song.

6. The Nightmare Before Christmas, “This is Halloween”: It’s hard to believe this movie is already 20 years old. It hasn’t aged one bit, and neither has the film’s signature song.

If you’re looking for something that’s a little out of left field, check out Marilyn Manson’s excellent rendition.

5. Calabrese, “Voices of the Dead”: Calabrese have gained a strong following over the last decade thanks to their constant touring and prolific recording schedule. The self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Horror Rock Band” have perfected the formula of creating power-chord based guitar riffs coupled with pleasant harmonies and memorable melodies that invite the listener to sing along.

The brothers Calabrese have rarely sounded better than on this track, off of their album The Traveling Vampire Show.

4. The Creepshow, “Take My Hand,”: The Creepshow are another excellent group from the psychobilly subgenre.

This song, off their sophomore effort Run For Your Life, tells the story of a vampire convincing its potential victim to join her for eternity. Once again, the song is full of great riffs, a catchy melody, and a rather morbid subject matter.

3. Alice Cooper, “Welcome to My Nightmare”: A list of the best spooky songs for Halloween wouldn’t be complete without the shock rock icon Alice Cooper.

The original rock villain has rarely sounded better than on the title track to the classic 1975 album, as he invites us in for a tour of the demented visions dancing through his head.

2. Theme from Halloween: Arguably one of the greatest themes to one of the greatest horror films ever made.

Carpenter made a theme that is simple and memorable, yet haunting at the same time. The song has set the bar for horror movie theme songs for the last 35 years, and very few have been able to top its simple beauty and eerie melody.

1. Misfits, “Astro Zombies”: No self-respecting horror rock fan could create a list without including the godfathers of horror punk, the legendary and influential Misfits.

It was a tough call, but for me it’s “Astro Zombies” that makes the cut. It features everything that makes this group so beloved: a fast pace you can dance to, catchy sing-along chorus, and the often imitated but never duplicated baritone howl of Glenn Danzig.

Well, there it is. My top 12 Halloween songs not named “Monster Mash,” “Thriller,” or “Theme from Ghostbusters.”

What say you, fellow rock enthusiast? Agree? Disagree? Send your thoughts, as well as suggestions for future columns, to tenanb400@strose.edu. Until then, friends, throw up those horns and keep on rocking!

October 29th 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

Arts

NBC’s Dracula: Mixed Results

By ANDY GILCHRIST Staff Writer

The story of Dracula is one of the most famous in the world.

Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic novel unleashed the most famous vampire of all time upon the world and the gentleman monster has had his teeth in the throat of the public conscious ever since. For nearly a century, adaptations of the novel have been produced at a steady rate, with such actors as Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Gary Oldman, and Leslie Nielson playing the title role.

Last Friday night, NBC debuted the newest version of the story. In addition to adding more blood and fight scenes than Stoker probably intended, the show takes several liberties with the source material in an attempt to appeal to a more modern audience. While the first episode is rather uneven in tone and makes some controversial changes to the novel, the new series has many promising elements that could lead it to become one of the better Dracula adaptations in recent years.

The series opens in 1881, where two men enter a cave in Romania and reinvigorate the shriveled corpse of Count Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Fifteen years later, the count is living under the alias of an American businessman traveling in London. He arranges a lavish party, the true purpose of which is for the count and his right hand man, Renfield (Nonso Anozie), to get a good look at the London aristocracy. England’s rich make up the mysterious Order of the Dragon, who killed Dracula’s wife centuries ago and whom he now swears to destroy.

In attendance at Dracula’s party is Mina Murray (Jessica De Gouw), a medical student accompanied by her would-be love interest Jonathan Harker (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). When the vampire sees her from across the room, he is shocked to see that she is the spitting image of his dead wife. Indeed, the series suggests she could be her reincar-

nation. As Dracula prepares for an all-out war against the Order, the appearance of Mina threatens to derail his mission and lead to even further bloodshed.

NBC’s Dracula has several things going against it from the get go. First off, it’s another remake. Cue the legions of fans complaining that there are no more original ideas. As stated above, Dracula has been put on screen dozens of times, including many times as a supporting character in a different vampire story, such as The Monster Squad or Blade: Trinity. Why does there need to be another interpretation?

Secondly, it’s time to accept that the vampire craze has passed. Twilight brought about a new wave of vampire stories that dominated the past decade, but vampires have been old news for years now. Even interest in zombies, successor to the title of Most Popular Monster, is waning.

Witches are in now, apparently.

With interest in the vampire genre slipping dangerously towards total apathy, it’s a bit perplexing as to why a new version of Dracula was given a big-budget production.

Finally, the show is very different from the original novel. In addition to taking place throughout the city of London, instead of almost exclusively in Dracula’s castle, there have been many major changes to the characters.

Dracula is still the powerful vampire the audience expects, but he’s younger, faster, and knows kung-fu, or some sort of martial arts. Towards the end of the episode, there is a slow-motion fight sequence that throws off the pacing and tone the first half had established. Hopefully, these scenes are better integrated in future episodes.

The other strikingly different character is Van Helsing (Thomas Kretschmann). Always portrayed as Dracula’s nemesis, often physically fighting him, Van Helsing is here shown to be his greatest ally. It was Van Helsing who freed Dracula in Romania, helped the vampire amass a fortune, and

now aids him in secret. This aspect of the show is sure to drive die-hard fans of the novel into a frenzy, but the two are shown to have a very volatile relationship. Perhaps this will serve as an origin story for their conflict. But then how can Dracula be meeting all the other characters now?

Only time will tell.

Despite all of these glaring issues, the series is actually very entertaining. The actors are all giving fantastic performances, believably portraying Victorian London citizens. Rhys Meyers especially deserves praise for his portrayal of the title character.

He goes from emotionally devastated while watching his wife die to calm and collected gentleman to bloodthirsty killer from scene to scene and is convincing in every one. The costumes and set design should also be recognized, for they are just as big a part of the first episode as the story. The show looks and feels like the late nineteenth century, giving it a degree of credibility such a period piece needs.

One final aspect of the series that must be mentioned is that it is a miniseries. It is not a show that will last for several years, with fans eagerly awaiting the season premiere every Halloween week. The show will run for 10 episodes on consecutive Fridays and then be finished. While this might seem like a bad thing, it actually couldn’t be better. Instead of planting seeds to be sowed in future seasons, the show must get right to the point. There’s no time to waste, so characterization and action must happen immediately.

This will ensure that the series has no dead space and is exciting from beginning to end. Should this format prove successful, NBC may use it more often in the future.

While Dracula’s first episode had some obvious problems, a few small adjustments and it would be well on its way to becoming one of the best versions of the classic vampire tale in a long time.

The Chronicle

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Total War: Rome 2

By ALEX PECHA Staff Writer

The Total War video game is known for two things: Being an epic strategy game where you control thousands of soldiers, and normally being a broken mess on release day.

True to form the newest game in the series Rome 2 was just as broken on release as the other games in the series, if not more.

But it’s been more than a month since release now, and I decided to wade into Rome 2 with a lot of hope that some issues had since been addressed. Rome 2 an unfun mess? The answer is a little of both. As you may have been able to tell from the title, Rome 2 is actually an indirect sequel to a much older game in the Total War series, named simply Rome. The goal of Rome 2 is to take control of one of several factions (and take over the world in a mix of grand strategy and real time tactics.

On the strategy front the game excels like its predecessors, commanding your faction (In my playthrough, Rome) as you deal in war, trade and diplomacy is still as fun as ever. Trying to balance keeping your allies happy with you while trying to smash a barbarian tribe or a rebellion is still as fun as ever.

However, the game lacks some basic diplomatic functions, like forcing an enemy to make peace with your allies while you’re trying to negotiate a cease-fire. It’s a small gripe but it can ruin your well-thought-out strategies when there’s isn’t a “Stop shooting at my friends” option at the negotiating table. Where the game really excels, however, is in the tactics area. Unlike other 4X games, when a battle is engaged between your army and another, you actually get to go down to the battlefield and control the army you have carefully built. You have to carefully manage your army on the battlefield, directing your melee troops to be ready to support your skirmishers while ordering your cavalry to run down

the enemy’s guarded skirmishers.

For the most part, on higher difficulties, the AI knows how to direct its troops effectively; however, on lower difficulties, the AI thinks that dog piling its troops onto yours is a very effective strategy. Basically, don’t play on lower difficulties unless you want to just watch the pretty soldiers slice each other to bits with no actual conscious thought.

That leads to another point, the game is utterly gorgeous. The strategy map is well built and flows well to really make you feel like you’re looking at Roman Italy. Meanwhile, the tactical screen allows you to see down to the bolts on your soldier’s armor. If your computer can handle it, Rome 2 is a beauty to behold.

That’s just the thought that was in my head the entire time I played Rome 2, it is a beauteous and entertaining game in many ways. The interface is thematic and great looking, the detail in the battles is utterly mind blowing, the strategy is fulfilling and controlling your armies on the ground is still fun.

Though at the same time, the game is simply not perfect; despite being gorgeous, the game occasionally hiccups by having soldiers that look like swiss cheese due to a slightly broken random face generator or lakes that look like rectangles, and occasionally the enemy AI thinks that attacking my army of several thousand with what amounts to basically a patrol is just a great idea. The game is great, but it has many small flaws.

Another point of annoyance is the paid day one DLC. Three Greek factions (Which include the Spartans) cost eight dollars to use, despite them still being in the game without the DLC; it just feels like a rip off.

But all the small and expensive things aside, you can easily get lost into Rome 2’s wonderful strategy and tactics gameplay. If you want to conquer the western world with a Greco-Roman empire you can’t do much better than Rome 2.

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The Chronicle

Arts

October 29th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

I Can’t Believe You Watched That: Call the Midwife

By RACHEL BOLTON Arts Editor It’s really hard to find a good female lead drama these days.

Thankfully, I have found the BBC show Call the Midwife which also feeds my addiction to period pieces.

Set in 50’s Britain, the show follows the adventures of midwives and Anglican nuns as they deliver babies and offer medical care in the poorest part of London.

Nurse Jenny Lee (a real woman who wrote the memoirs the show is based on) starts as a young midwife in Poplar.

She thinks she will be assigned to the hospital, but instead she is sent to Nonnatus House. The house is home to other midwives and a number of Anglican nuns where midwifery is part of their order.

Jenny (Jessica Raine) struggles to adjust to her new life, as she is not used to seeing such poverty.

But she soon makes friends with the other midwives, 50’s pin up girl-esque Trixie (Helen George), mild mannered Cynthia (Byony Hannah), and my personal favorite, tall and awkward Camilla Forteque Chumley Brown AKA Chummy (Miranda Hart).

The nuns, too, are well-written characters. None of them fit a stereotype.

Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) is the kindhearted leader, Sister Evangelina (Pam Ferris) is as hard as nails, yet is ultimately well meaning, and the odd and elderly Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) is a kleptomaniac.

While they do clash occasionally, the nuns and midwives support each other. This is a strength of the show instead of having them bicker as other female lead dramas do. In particular, the women team up when one of the nuns, Sister Bernadette, starts to fall in love with the local doctor (Stephan McGann).

While it has some light-hearted

moments, Call the Midwife deftly discusses difficult topics such as abortion, incest, domestic violence, prostitution, and teen pregnancy as the midwives encounter them on their rounds.

This may give the show some mood whiplash, since it tries to stay optimistic about life. All of the episodes skillfully pass the Bechdel test, which is a welcome relief.

While this show has a diverse cast, it does not have any queer characters or people of color. I will give it credit for discussing racism in a realistic way, without going into sappy territory.

One issue that the show has is that while Jenny is the main character, she is the least interesting person on the show due to being overshadowed by those around her. I hope in future seasons they will develop her more.

This show is not for everyone.

If you are bothered by scenes of childbirth, then you need to stay away. There is at least one birth

per episode, and occasionally they do go wrong. It also features examples of other medical issues, so those with easily turned stomachs be warned.

What I love about Call the Midwife is that it does not pull any punches about the time period it is set in.

Fifties London is a time of transition. World War II is becoming a memory. There’s better health care, but the midwives’ neighborhood is still filled with poverty and women who cannot limit the number of children they have. The shadow of the Dickensian workhouse hangs over may of the Poplar residents.

But the show never veers into being preachy as easily it could have. It merely shows the consequences that result from practices of the period. Such as the tragedy that follows a woman’s back ally abortion, or when an unmarried fifteen-year-old has a baby.

There are humorous moments, too. The Nonnatus House handy-

man Fred tries to raise a pig, and Chummy starts an adorable romance with a police constable.

On an aesthetic level, the show gives the ladies lovely 50’s dresses and the soundtrack brings in the music of the era. A history buff like me will appreciate the detail bomb ash from the blitz that still remained at the time.

Call the Midwife has been renewed for a third season, and I am interested in where it is going to go, since the writers have run out of material from the real Jenny Lee’s memoirs. I have faith that the writers will do a good job working on their own.

If you are a fan of Downton Abbey or Parks and Recreation (they share a humorous exploration of female friendships), you will enjoy this show. It’s quick and easy to watch during a study break.

Both seasons of Call the Midwife are available to watch on Netflix stream.

Scandal: A Show for Binge Watching

By NICHOLAS NEGRON Staff Writer ABC’s show Scandal premiered its third season with over 10 million viewers on October 3.

Scandal’s main character is Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington. Pope is an AfricanAmerican woman who is the head of her law firm, Pope & Associates.

This is not the average group of lawyers. They call themselves gladiators. They risk themselves daily for their clients. This includes cleaning up a crime scene before the police arrive, or even gun play.

The firm specializes in crisis management. Alone, this would be a fantastic show.

What makes the show thrilling is the focus on the White House, specifically, Olivia’s “special” relationship with the president.

The administration on the show is Republican. With the interracial relationship between Pope and the president, along with the scorned first lady, no-nonsense homosexual chief of staff, and his journalist husband, the show has crossed many boundaries.

There has always been a history of mistresses in the White House. There have been accounts of President John F. Kennedy’s infidelity.

It is well depicted in the TV series that the press would much rather report on affairs and rumors rather than concrete news.

One of the main purposes of the Chief of Staff, Cyrus Bean, is to control the media storm.

Olivia Pope, being a damage control specialist, often preps clients as they step into the public light.

Public opinion is seen as an animal in itself. Politicians’ rank-

ings can make or break their campaigns.

On the show, Pope is very intuitive, realizing how Americans will react at each and every statement made by her clients.

Perhaps the most intense storm in news history aside from Watergate is President Bill Clinton’s affair while in office.

The show is partially based off of Judy Smith, a former press aide during President George H.W. Bush’s presidency.

Smith was not romantically involved with the president. Olivia Pope is based off of Judy Smith because of her experience in crisis management.

She was essential in controlling relations with Kuwait, Iran, and through the crisis of the Gulf War in 1991.

After leaving the White House, she started her own firm, called Smith & Company.

It specializes in crisis management and media relations. Notable clients include Wesley Snipes, Michael Vick, and of course, the infamous Monica Lewinsky.

It may be a stretch, but who is to say her time with Lewinsky did not inspire the writers to add that dimension of sex and affairs, to the already intense character that is Olivia Pope?

Kerry Washington was recognized for her role with a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series at the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards.

She lost to Claire Danes of Homeland. Dan Bucatinsky, who plays James Novak, the husband of the White House chief of staff, took home an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama series.

The show is known for its special combination of crime, politics and sex.

The series is quickly becoming more popular. Many have “TV binged” the show on Netflix, finishing the first two seasons in less than a week.

With successful ratings and a great storyline, Scandal is a show America will be watching for years to come.

The premiere was up 71 percent of last year’s first episode. It also has risen 13 percent from the season two finale.

Viewership has done extremely well with African American women ages 18 – 34.

BET and ABC announced a syndication agreement.

BET now airs marathons of the show. The cable channel will also air the new season three episodes after an eight day delay.

Reach Nicoholas Negron at negronn756@strose.edu.

October 29th 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

Opinion

The Chronicle

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False Rape Accusations Damage Victims

By KATHERINE BAKAITIS Staff Writer Rape is never a joke, but one young woman, whose rape case was recently thought to be made up of false accusations, seemed to think so. Jamie Leigh Jones said, at the age of 20 in 2005, she went to Iraq to work in the Green Zone as a contractor for Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR), then a subsidiary of Halliburton. Soon after arriving, she explained, men clad only in their underwear had begun harassing her in her nearly all-male barracks. On her third night in the country, some of those men invited her to a social gathering outside the barracks and offered her what they called a “special” drink. “I probably didn’t even drink the entire thing,” she told ABC’s Brian Ross in 2007. “Just a few sips.

And I don’t remember anything after that.” She said she woke up groggy, confused, naked, and sore. “I felt like I’d been hit by a truck,” Jones said. She stumbled to the bathroom, where she said she realized she was bruised and bleeding between her legs. “Then I knew I had been raped,” Jones explained.

Jones’ story spread out to numerous public figures, including Texas Republican Representative Ted Poe, Senator Hillary Clinton,

Al Franken, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Jones soon appeared on Dan Abrams’s show on MSNBC and on CBS’s Early Show, and dozens of other news outlets featured her story prominently, including CNN and Keith Olbermann’s Countdown.

Jones lost her lawsuit against KBR, and now Washington Monthly has just published an

“Lying about being raped is probably just as bad as rape because liars, such as Jones, make coming out as a victim of rape that much harder.” impressive investigative piece by reporter Stephanie Mencimer, who has concluded that, based on the evidence presented in court, Jones probably made it all up. The extensive injuries Jones claimed to have suffered, including torn pectoral muscles and damage to her breast implants, weren't in the medical reports

taken by the Army doctor who examined her after the alleged rape, nor did Jones mention those injuries to her doctor at home.

Jones did have to get her breast implants fixed, but the evidence at trial suggests it was for unrelated reasons. Under questioning, Jones denied ever having claimed to have been gang-raped, even though her extensive media appearances say otherwise.

One juror, Paul Oldenburgh, told Mencimer that the jury wanted to believe Jones - that he personally came to the trial with bad opinions of KBR - but that the evidence suggests that Jones had consensual sex with one colleague that night and that's it.

Jones has a history of apparent hypochondria, a history of repeatedly telling medical professionals she had endured rape, and even her lively demeanor in the days after the alleged rape is a red flag to most. Unfortunately, a history of mental illness and not behaving how people expect rape victims to behave are both things frequently trotted out to discredit actual rape victims all the time.

The crime is massively underreported to law enforcement, but at the same time, a fair number of people lie about it. The best official estimates suggest that between 8 percent and 10 percent of all rape claims are false. And un-

Interested in writing for Opinion? Here are some questions that may spark some interest. Send them in to chronicle@strose.edu!

+Is there a teacher here that has had an impact on you? +Should Saint Rose have online classes? +Is there an item, such as the ipad, that you absolutely love or hate? We want to know about it! Give your thoughts on it and influence those Black Friday shoppers! +What are your steps to studying? +What are your ways to deal with stress? +What is your favorite holiday and why? +What is your favorite Saint Rose event? +What would you like the next word search to be about? +Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

KBR won the lawsuit Jones filed against them. fortunately, sometimes when people lie about rape, they lie spectacularly. Crystal Mangum did so in 2006 when she brought charges against members of the Duke University lacrosse team. Tawana Brawley did so in 1987 when, as a teenager, she nearly sparked race wars in New York by falsely accusing six white men, including police officers and a prosecutor, of raping her.

Lying about being raped is probably just as bad as rape because liars, such as Jones, make coming out as a victim of rape that much harder. Real victims think that people won’t believe them because of the entire “boy who cried wolf” accusations. It’s bad enough that such an act was committed against them, and it’s even worse not to be able to open up about it as a victim.

Some of the perfect examples about the effects of rape I can think of are in the book “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson (the movie adaptation with Kristen Stewart is pretty good if you’re not a big reader). In the book, without giving away many spoilers, this young high school freshman goes to a party with her friends, meets an older guy that she likes (but doesn’t like that much), and he takes advantage of her. After being raped, she calls the cops on

the party because she’s too scared to tell anybody, and her friends disown her. The rest of the book goes on to tell her anguish and state of depression through symbolism. “Speak” is probably one of the best pieces of fiction that accurately describes the sort of distress rape victims go through by not speaking out about what happened to them. We live in a society where we only teach our daughters how not to get raped, when we should be teaching our sons not to rape in the first place and to be respectful. As the saying goes; rape is never about sex, it’s all about power. If you can take away somebody’s control over their own body and mind, then you have stolen a piece of them, and such actions are never justified in any society.

Rape cases aren’t any less significant now just because Jones lied about her “situation.” Rape is an unfortunate and avoidable event that should never be taken lightly. It dehumanizes and belittles the women, and even men, who are forced into such actions and it takes away the power and free will people should have over their own body. Jones' fake case led to real legislation protecting the rights of rape accusers, but the law that resulted from the situation, which forces these cases out of corporate arbitration and into court, is still good legislation. After all, without the jury trial, we may have never known the truth of what happened to Jamie Leigh Jones.

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The Chronicle

Opinion

October 29th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

What Happened to Halloween?

By KATIE KLIMACEK Staff Writer Its that time of year again, pumpkin spice lattes are in, the leaves are changing and the sexy nurse is out to take your blood pressure.

I love Halloween; in fact it is my favorite holiday of the year.

ABC Family has their 13 Nights of Halloween, AMC has a scary movie marathon, Halloween town is playing in a continuing loop on the Disney Channel and I feel like I am five again. But it seems as though over the years the innocence of Halloween has been lost to the Naughty Nurse and Sexy Freddy Kruger.

If you were to walk into a Party City or Spirit Halloween store you would see the typical outfits; a princesses, witch ,or pirate, just to name a few. As you walk deeper into the store after the first few isles of costumes, you begin to see a wider selection of outfits, the sexy ones.

Row after row of sexy devil and sexy fairy, I often find myself becoming a bit upset. Halloween, in my mind, is that one day a year when everyone, no matter how old, can feel like a kid. That one

day when I could dress up like Mr. Pricklepants from Toy Story 3, and no one would say “What a weirdo”. A day when people can express their love for a show or movie character and have no one judge them on the way that they do it. But even though that is how I see Halloween, I guess nobody else sees it like that anymore.

It feels like, to me, now that people have taken that judgment free day and are now using it to

“Halloween,in my mind, is that one day a year when everyone can feel like a kid... I guess nobody else sees it like that anymore.” their benefit, and not in a good way. People, girls in particular, use it as an excuse to dress up inappropriately. They know that know one is going to think less of them, because like I said, it is that one day when people don’t judge one another.

As I was getting ready to write this article, I went online and looked at Party City’s website, and I was just amazed. On the home page there are a few changing adds that pop up. The first add that came up said “Be Captivating” and four girls dressed in various customs for this year. My favorite on is the sexy nerd: glasses with tape around the middle and a very reveling corset, because we all know that girls who study look like that.

No matter what it is; Elmo, Disney princesses, or slasher movie villains, everything for the women’s Halloween costumes has to have sexy in front of it. But what makes me ever more upset about this issue is that not every single women’s outfit is sexy, only the average size ones.

If you were to go onto Party city’s website and go under plus size costumes it is a much different story. Yes some of the plus size outfits are a bit provocative but not in the same way. On an average size costume for a woman it is very reveling. Most of them have a corset style top and have a petticoat bottom, which only goes to the upper thigh, no lower. But for plus size outfits the corset top

Campus Playlist Compiled by Staff Writer Lauren Sears.

Every week The Chronicle will be asking students around campus what songs they currently are listening to: 1. “No Scrubs” by TLC. It’s a great ‘90s flashback, but it can still be very relevant!

2. “Good People” by Jack Johnson. It brings me back to the summer, especially as the temperature drops!

3. “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic. I like it because it has a good beat and the lyrics are well-written!

KATIE KLIMACEK

Has the fun of Halloween been degraded? is not as fitted as it is for the average size one, it is less defining and has a higher neckline. The bottom of the dress goes to just above the knee, which compared to the average size is like mid-calf length. To any girl who is bigger than a size 12, this type of portrayal is upsetting. This image is telling girls that you can only be sexy if you a size 2.To add to everything else there where only 22 new plus size customs compared to the 180 new womans costumes for this year.

Its like plus size girls don’t like to dress up for Halloween. I was much more surprised this year at the plus size outfits, because normally the extent of variation stores have had for plus size girls are the nun , a pumpkin or some-

thing like that.

There is such a divide during Halloween. Not only is it a day solely based on the sex appeal of women (sorry guys),but also just another day to tell plus size girls that you don’t belong.

The point that I am trying to make is that Halloween has turned into a “Sex Appeal” holiday. Nobody cares that it is a day just to dress up, watch scary movies, and eat candy. No, instead people only see it as the day when thin girls will dress up as a sexy cat or whatever and show their inner “wild side”.

Katie Klimacek is a first-year student at the College of Saint Rose.

October 29th 2013

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The Hurricanes Survives the Storm Golden carried on regardless.

Most importantly, recruits still poured in despite the ongoing investigation. The Hurricane’s 2012 recruiting class was ranked within the top ten of the nation amidst the full-fledged scandal that was occurring at the time.

Players were fully aware that the program could face the death penalty once the NCAA concluded case, but they committed to Miami anyway. Golden racked in 33 commits, 13 of whom were ranked among ESPN’s top 300 players of that year’s recruiting class. Although a handful of suspensions were handed out following the allegations against Miami,

the team had no players request a transfer from the program. The commitment that the Hurricanes’ players and coaching staff put forth during the investigation was astounding.

Despite many people’s claim that the NCAA’s decision was not strict enough, Miami can finally breathe free without the case constantly looming in the back of their minds. The university is currently working to prevent such a scandal from happening again as they rightfully should.

The time has finally come for the Hurricanes to put the past behind them and do what they do best, play some football.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Miami was fourtunate enough to avoid the death penalty in the midst of a successfull season.

By TORI ADDISON Staff Writer The NCAA ended its two year investigation of the University of Miami football program last week in what was arguably one of the most drawn out collegiate scandal cases of the decade. The case involved football booster Nevin Shapiro who illegally provided players with various benefits over an eight year time span.

Luckily, the Hurricanes escaped with no more than a slap on the wrist.

When the news first broke in 2011, Shapiro was imprisoned for his involvement in not only a $930 million Ponzi scheme, but also for providing benefits to at least seventy-two athletes on the football team from 2002 to 2010.

The long list of benefits ranged from cash rewards to prostitutes, and even included full paid dinners and night club bouts. Unfortunately, Miami football and

basketball coaches were not totally ignorant to the crimes that were being committed. In fact, several of them were aware or active participants. Shapiro’s hefty donations to both athletic programs were funded thanks to the ill-played Ponzi scheme he was involved with. Although the NCAA had more than enough evidence against Shapiro to arraign him, the case was not so simple to close. The investigation was halted early this year as the NCAA had to take a second to investigate its’ own involvement within the scandal. Reports surfaced of NCAA employees who knowingly tainted parts of the case, causing 20 percent of the collected information against the University to be dropped. At this point, most fans who originally thought Miami would end up facing the death penalty, were becoming more optimistic as they hoped the mishandling of case details would play a positive role for the sake

of the football program. The final verdict was announced last Tuesday, stating that the Hurricanes would only lose twelve scholarships over a three year probation; nine for the football program and three for the basketball program.

After facing a self-imposed bowl ban for the past two seasons, the University caught a huge break from what could have been a detrimental decision. The football team can once again compete for a bowl this season and with their undefeated start they may be able to pull one off.

The most surprising aspect of the case was not how it was handled, but rather how players and coaches’ dedication never left the team. Head coach Al Golden accepted the position in 2011, forcing him to be a deciding factor of instating the bowl bans for that current season and the next.

As you can imagine, no first year head coach would enjoy being thrown into such a situation, but

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Miami basketball was also hit with sancitons.

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October 29th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 11

The Joke that is the ESPN #NBARank

By JOSHUA NATOLI Sports Editor

Blatant disrespect. Those two words crossed my mind when I took a look at this year’s ESPN #NBARank, which ranks the NBA’s best active 300 players.

The one ranking that seemed to jump at me, and the NBA’s entire fan base, was Kobe Bryant sitting at 25. WHAT?!

No, you didn’t read that wrong.

Kobe Bryant, The Black Mamba, one of the greatest players of all time is ranked as the 25th best player in the league. Let me give you a rundown of players ranked ahead of Kobe just to give you a feel of how big of a joke this ranking is: Chris Bosh, Joakim Noah, John Wall, Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin (who’s ahead of Carmelo Anthony, too, by the way. Let that sink in), and Marc Gasol. Those

are just the guys that require no sort of argument whatsoever to disprove being better than Kobe.

I’m not counting guys like Steph Curry, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, guys who you can argue may be better than Mamba. What I’m saying is that if I came up to you on the street and asked “If you could choose between Al Horford and Kobe Bryant to have on your team who would you pick?” That’s not even a question.

Anyone who picks Big Al either has some sort of chronic fandom with the Hawks big man, or they just don’t know basketball. Even a Kobe-hater, and there are many, wouldn’t even pass up a shell of Kobe Bryant for Al Horford. I wouldn’t even take Horford AND Bosh for Bryant.

The main, face-saving attempt of an argument used to justify the absurd travesty was the torn achilles Bryant suffered dur-

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The ESPN #NBARank has disrespected Kobe Bryant.

ing the playoffs last postseason.

I realize that a torn achilles has the potential to ruin a career, a la Elton Brand, but have people forgotten about the durability of Kobe, the man who played with a broken finger ON HIS SHOOTING HAND?! That’s impressive and excruciatingly painful before you even mention the fact that Bryant was 34 years old at the time. So, I don’t want to hear the ranking justified by injury. Kobe is the second most durable player in the NBA behind Russell Westbrook (who is also currently injured but had not missed a game since his high school days before then).

I haven’t even mentioned stats yet. Go take a look at the rankings. You see Kobe at 25 (still can’t believe I just typed that) with 2012-2013 per game averages of 27.3 points, six rebounds and 5.6 assists. This is accompanied by a field goal percentage of 46, and a player efficiency rating, the Mecca of basketball talent measurement, of 23.10, good enough for 10th among all players last season. Now that you’ve marveled at the numbers take a peek at the Chris Bosh (ranked 24th) stat line: 16.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.7 APG, .535 FG percent and a 20.08 PER. So here we have Kobe with stats significantly more impressive than his superior in every category. You can even say Bryant is a better rebounder even though Bosh has a slightly better average. Look at the position and height difference. Mamba is a 6’6” shooting guard, Bosh is a 6’10” center/power forward.

Bosh’s total should be around two to three more boards than Kobe based off of position and height, but it isn’t. The PER difference doesn’t seem like much but it definitely is. A few points in that metric rating translates to quite the difference between a Chris Paul and a Jrue Holiday.

Let’s not forget the legacy this man has compiled. Five NBA titles, an MVP, two-time Finals

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Blake Griffin is listed ahead of Bryant in the #NBARank.

MVPs, two-time scoring champion, 11 All-NBA First-Team selections, nine-time All-NBA Defensive Team, second-most points in a single game (81), and tied with Donyell Marshall for most three-pointers made in a single game (12) and I just hit the tip of the iceberg. I know you’re not supposed to live in the past but c’mon, that is amazing. Last year Bryant’s Lakers experienced quite the failure, but still make the playoffs even with a much turned-down Dwight Howard and the cancer that is Mike D’Antoni.

Let me just rant about D’Antoni for a minute. He’s terrible and has a huge ego. What kind of coach forces his “successful” run n’ gun style on a team that is notorious for slowing down the offensive

pace to get quality looks. He needs to go. End rant.

Kobe has never come back from an injury and not been the same old superstar. If for some absolutely bizarre reason that he doesn’t or (don’t jinx it) pulls an Andrew Bynum and misses the entire year the ranking will be justified, I’ll eat some crow and admit I was wrong, but I don’t see that happening. Even though this has caused a plethora of controversy it makes for one great storyline to follow. It will be in my top three things to watch for this NBA season next to the size of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s hands, and the looks on Kobe’s face every time Laker newcomer Nick Young chucks an errant threepointer.

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Midknight Madness Takes Over Saint Rose Photos by Zachary Olsavicky Students pigged out during the pie eating contest.

The Women’s Basketball team channeled their inner 80’s and 90’s selves.

The ALANA Steppers “zombified” themselves for their routine.

Sports MidKnight Madness Consumes Saint Rose

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By CHRIS SURPRENANT Managing Editor This past Thursday, throngs of students gathered in the Nolan Gym for the annual MidKnight Madness, a rally to introduce the members of the men's and women's basketball teams for the upcoming year. Beginning at 8 p.m., the crowd stretched from the EAC Atrium out to the campus quad. Amid the packs of excited students, Fear the Knight danced his way through, amping up the crowd for the night's festivities.

When the doors finally opened, students entered the gym to pulsing music provided by Patrick Burke as emcees Myles Clendenin and CJ Joseph energized the already-fevered student body.

The students packed themselves close in the bleachers, creating a wild sea of black and yellow, ready to ring in the 2013-2014 season.

Starting off the night's festivities was a performance by the cheerleading team who then dispersed to pick out four members of the crowd for what would be the night's first contest: pieeating. Several students were plucked from their seats and

seated at one end of the gym with their hands behind their backs and given two minutes to finish the desserts. Not being an easy task, each participant attacked the baked goods with their faces in hopes of winning.

Following the pie fracas was a performance by the Golden Knights Dance team. Their routine included a selection of popular songs such Bruno Mars's “Treasure,” “Crazy” by Destiny's Child, “I Love It” by Icona Pop, and “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore.

After, Clendenin and Joseph invited the Golden Knights cheerleaders to choose another group of students to take center court in a dance contest. DJ Burke played a variety of tunes including: “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”, “Cotton-Eyed Joe”, “What Does the Fox Say?”, “The Jerk,” and “Cyclone.” Ultimately, the contest yielded three winners, all of whom cranked that (Soulja Boy) better than the rest.

The crowd then welcomed performances from hip-hop groups Knights Out and Knights in Motion, later followed by an intense game of musical chairs. With the conclusion of another contest, the

October 29th, 2013

crowd went wild for a zombiethemed routine from the ALANA Steppers. With the conclusion of their performance, it was time to usher in the women's basketball team.

After each member was announced, the team split into two groups. Half dressed in sweatpants and snapbacks, while the other half dressed in brightlycolored neon shirts. Much to the crowd's delight, the Backstreet Boys “Everybody” began to blare, ushering in a good ten minutes of 90's throwbacks ranging from RUN-DMC's “It's Tricky” to Britney Spears's “Oops!...I Did It Again.” The crowd was on its feet, belting out the words to every song as the women's team danced along.

As the women's team finished, members of the men's team were announced and welcomed with cheers from the crowd. With three minutes on the clock, the men's team shot free throws and layups, showing a lot of promise for the upcoming season.

The night concluded with the announcement of the winners of snowboarding gear sponsored by the Student-Athelete Advisory Committee and Washington

CHRIS ALVARADO

The men’s and women’s basketball teams showed off for Midknight Madness 2013.

Volume 82 Issue 11

CHRIS ALVARADO

The Golden Knights dancers posing in front excited students.

Tavern, as well as a drawing for a 32-inch flat screen television provided by the Student Association.

Proceeds from the raffle went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

For some students, it was their first time attending MidKnight Madness. For others, it was their last. “This is my last MidKnight Madness,” said Daniela Cunsolo, a senior Communications Sciences and Disorders major, “I'm so excited to be attending. It's a chance for the whole school to get together.”

Others like Resident Assitant Dave Mellan are looking forward to getting more involved this season. “I have a resident on the women's basketball team and she's very optimistic about the season. I'm excited to go to the games.”

On the women’s side the Golden Knights are coming off a rather disappointing season in which the finished 9-17 and 6-16 in the Northeast-10 Conference.

The team does show some promise though with the return of their number one scorer, guard Gabie Polce, who averaged 11.4 points

per game last season. If they can make some adjustments in the turnover department this season could be a much different and more successful story.

The men’s team posted a winning record last season of 15-14, but a losing conference record of 10-12 in the NE-10. The record was good enough to make it to the conference tournament, but they were met with an exit by Southern New Hampshire in the semifinal game. The team looks to be in good shape as they return two of their top scorers in senior Dominykas Milka (17.8 ppg) and sophomore Tyler Sayre (12 ppg).

They will, however miss the vocal leadership of departed guard Andre Pope who chipped in 11.9 ppg as well. If Sayre fulfill some of his monster potential after a stellar sophomore year to go along with consistent production from Milka, the Golden Knights should be in even better shape to make a run at the NE-10 title.

Joshua Natoli contributed to the story.