A3 Maria Murray recognized for her work with reading education
Friday, Oct. 13, 2017 VOLUME LXXXVII ISSUE XV SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com
Fagan covers West Nile Virus found in Oswego Break The Cycle social issues in Microbe transmitted by mosquitoes can cause health problems sparks debate on violence at home sporting world
Alex Simone Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com
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Sitting at a Denver bookstore in 2002, Kate Fagan did not choose to tell her mother she was gay, it was a necessity. “I had engaged in a pattern of lying by omission that was really eating away at me,” Fagan said Tuesday in front of a full Sheldon Ballroom. “And while I didn’t actually solve it going forward, I did at least put a stake in the ground at that moment to lie a little bit less to my parents.” Even after she came out to her family and teammates on the Colorado University women’s basketball team, Fagan did not come out publicly until 2011. Following Fagan’s graduation in 2002 and a few years playing basketball professionally, she began writing as a journalist. One of Fagan’s most widely recognized pieces came as a writer for ESPN and ESPNW. In 2015, she completed “Split Image,” an investigative story about suicide victim Megan Holleran, who, at the time, was a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania. Since then, Fagan expanded her concept for “Split Image” into the book “What Made Maddy Run” and has consistently chosen to promote awareness of mental health and anxiety in sports. “So many of the stories that I work on now, the sole pursuit is to try and redefine how we see weakness and vulnerability,” Fagan said. “It used to be when I was playing college sports that anybody who couldn’t finish a sprint or had to step out of practice, I just thought they were totally weak.” The concept of self-care resonated especially well with junior Mabel Muñoz, a wellness and development major. “A lot of athletes feel that they have a lot of pressure that [nonathletes] won’t understand,” Muñoz said. “And I completely, 100 percent agree with that because I will never understand what you as athletes go through. But at the same time, we’re here for you as well.” Pressure was something Fagan keyed in on, not only in sports, but in her own life after becoming a
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Noah Blake Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com
A case of West Nile Virus has recently been discovered in Oswego County. West Nile Virus is a virus contracted by mosquito bites. It is not contagious by human contact. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia have reported cases of the West Nile Virus in the past. Though 1 in 5 people who have the virus actually experience symptoms, it is always imperative to take precautionary action to prevent getting bitten by mosquitos. Climate change is one factor for the spread of the disease because the prolonged warm weather is causing a high number of mosquitoes to thrive in the environment. According to Dr. Jiancheng Huang, the director of the Oswego County Health Department, infected mosquitoes generally pass the virus between birds, mammals and humans. He further mentioned how there is no vaccine to prevent contracting the virus, but there are ways people can prevent getting bit by an infected mosquito. Symptoms of West Nile Virus infection, called West Nile Fever if not linked to a neurological disease, include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea and rash according to the Mayo Clinic.
vent getting bitten by mosquitoes. The Rice Creek Field Station, where many Oswego State students study, is an example of a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes because of the stagnant water. Oswego State junior biology major Daniel Hatch said he feels as if no one should feel alarmed. The reason for this is the West Nile Virus is difficult to prevent from spreading.
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Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian Watery areas, like the shores of bodies of water, are breeding grounds for West Nile-carrying mosquitoes.
Author Lindy West speaks on campus Presents thoughts on feminism, fat acceptance, criticism Kassadee Paulo Asst. News Editor kpaulo@oswegonian.com Sexism, fat-shaming and internet trolling: journalist and writer Lindy West unapologetically disclosed her experiences with these topics, among others, in the Sheldon Hall Ballroom Wednesday night. West is widely known for voicing her opinion on social justice and fat-acceptance on a number of media platforms including “The New York Times,” “This American Life,” “The Guardian,” “GQ” and “Jezebel.” West founded “I Believe You, It’s Not Your Fault,” an advice blog aimed at teenagers, and #ShoutYourAbortion, a campaign to destigmatize reproductive rights. The Oswego Reading Initiative chose Lindy West’s “Shrill: Notes From a Loud
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West Nile Virus can cause neurological diseases, such as encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. It can also cause inflammation of the spinal cord, or poliomyelitis. Even though it is more likely to find mosquitoes during the summer season, it is important to keep in mind that anyone can get bitten by them whenever the weather shifts to warmer temperatures. Areas that have dense woods and swamps are spots where it is crucial to take necessary steps to pre-
Woman” memoir for this academic year. Each year, the Oswego State-based project selects one book out of various scores of pieces recently published and encourages the community to read it over the summer and participate in cul-
tural events and discussions the following fall semester. “Lindy offers a compelling narrative about her life growing up as young girl
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Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian West’s book, “Shrill,” was the book seletected for the Oswego Reading Initiative for the incoming freshmen.
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Laker Review CONTRACEPTIVE CONUNDRUM “BLADE RUNNER” ASTONISHES
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Taisha Khalil Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com A domestic abuser can be more than just a significant other, which was the focus of the Break the Cycle event on Oct. 2. The presenters from Two and a Half, Emely Curiel and Cheick Traore, asked the audience what they think domestic violence is. Sophomore Tony Jones said he thinks domestic violence is violence within a relationship, whether verbal or physical. Curiel and Traore defined domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Curiel and Traore said there are different forms of abuse: economical, emotional, physical, sexual and psychological. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 20 people per minute are abused with one of these forms in the U.S. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men are abuse victims and 90 percent of children are exposed to domestic violence. The room was split in half when discussing the pros and cons of hitting children. Some people thought it was completely acceptable to beat or hit a child. One audience member said that there is a difference between abusing kids and hitting them. She said abusing children has the intention to hurt them, but hitting or spanking them has the only goal of teaching them a lesson and stopping bad behavior. However, the other half of the room suggested that hitting children will create the domestic violence pattern. They said hitting children will probably lead them to think it is okay for someone to hit them, and they will accept a relationship with an abusive partner. When this statement was said, those on the pro side counterargued their parents hit them and they turned out alright. One person in the audience said that she is a decent person who does not tolerate domestic violence. However, those on the con side said that their parents never hit them and they also turned out to be decent people. One person said her parents did not have to hit her for her to respect them. She still fears her parents as much as a child who is subjected to corporal punishment. This debate took up more than half of the presentation that the presenters had to take control and
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