The Oswegonian 11-6-20

Look Inside: A4 16th Annual Media Summit conducted virtually

Friday, Nov. 6, 2020 VOLUME LXXXV ISSUE IX SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

Voter turnout expected to rise Despite COVID-19, more Americans vote through new methods Rachel McKenna Chief Copy Editor rmckenna@oswegonian.com Just like everything else in 2020, this election season has been extremely different compared to years before.

With COVID-19 looming, how to vote was an overwhelming question for most U.S. citizens, especially trying to keep families safe while still participating in this election made for some confusion and misunderstanding. However, this did not stop people from going out of their way to vote.

Emotions of every political party are heightened in this election, making the turnout of early voters unlike any other. According to the U.S. Election Project, over 101.3 million people voted before Election Day, including mail-in ballots and in-person polling. This number is already 73% of the voters in the entire 2016 general election.

In New York, the total number of people who have voted as of Nov. 5 is over 7.1 million, including returned absentee ballots and inperson voting.

According to the Oswego County

Board of Elections, voter turnout this election has increased significantly in Oswego, just as it has nationally.

“The numbers are way up for this election. For the General Election last year, we processed a total of 696 voters during early voting,” said Laura Brazak, the Oswego Board of Elections Commissioner.

“This year we processed 7,926, we usually get around 2,000 absentee ballots, but because of COVID, we have already received 8,650 returned ballots.”

Brazak predicted that Nov. 3, Election Day, will have a massive turnout.

“We have 73,930 registered active voters. We’re a little over 20% turnout already,” Brazak said. “In 2016, we had a 69% voter turnout total. I expect we will top that this year.”

Voter turnout, volunteering and participation have increased dramatically this election. Young voters are specifically becoming more involved in this election. According to a Harvard Youth Poll, 63% of 18 to 24-year-old respondents answered that they will “definitely be voting” in the 2020 election.

However, Vote Oswego, a class centering around campaigning to get SUNY Oswego students involved in voting, has noticed that

participation has stagnated compared to recent years. “[Involvement] is less this semester with Vote Oswego, but the national trend suggests that engagement is much higher,” said Allison Rank, the professor of the Vote Oswego class. “And so, it’s tricky. Normally we have tons of volunteer opportunities, and lots of people come out for events. But I understand why people didn’t want to sit in their rooms by themselves to volunteer with Vote Oswego.”

Young voters are known for not participating in elections and not turning out to vote. However, this election has changed that assumption. Although Vote Oswego has not had as much involvement this election cycle, nationally young voters are more involved.

“All of the national trends show that students, or young people generally, are paying much more attention in this election,” Rank said. “[They] are much more likely to have volunteered in some capacity around this election, and are much more aware of different issues in the election than they were in 2018 and certainly 2016.”

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Photo provided by Esther Loja via Vote Oswego

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Unlike previous years, early voting has been prominent in part due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and mail-in ballots.

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Oswego’s cinema remains closed, lacks ‘1st-run films’ Kylie Annable Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com Oswego Cinema 7, the local movie theater in Oswego, has been closed since March 17 following an order by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

While Cuomo allowed movie theatres outside of New York City to reopen on Oct. 23, Oswego Cinema 7 is still closed.

On Oct. 19, a day after Cuomo announced movie theaters can reopen, Oswego Cinema 7 posted on its Facebook page that it were planning on opening soon.

“We are happy to announce that Oswego Cinema 7 will be opening soon,” the Facebook post stated. “More information will be available soon so keep an eye out for our next post.”

“I don’t have enough first-run films to open this Friday,” said owner Conrad Zurich in a Palladium-Times interview. “So, we’re pushing it back a week.”

Theaters reopening across the state must follow certain guide-

lines mandated by state health officials. These restrictions include a limit on the number of people in the theater, assigned seating and all people in the theater must wear a mask at all times.

On top of these restrictions that theaters must follow, counties opening theaters must have a less than 2% infection rate across the last two weeks, and the theaters must have an enhanced air filtration system that satisfies the New York state standards.

In the most recent posts on Oswego Cinema 7’s Facebook page, the theater posted safety guidelines from the state that they will be enforcing upon reopening. It has also expressed its pride in collaborating with CinemaSafe.

“We are proud to partner with CinemaSafe: a program promoting protocols and guidelines developed and supported by leading epidemiologists to support a safe return to movie theaters,” the Facebook post stated.

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THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

Weekend Forecast

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FRIDAY, NOV. 6 THROUGH SUNDAY, NOV. 8

Friday

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Sunday

Saturday

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H: 67°

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L: 50 °

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NEW YORK STATE

WEATHER FRIDAY, NOV. 6

Potsdam 63°/48°

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Syracuse 69°/45°

Albany 67°/41°

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Extended Forecast Monday

H: 69°

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Tuesday

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10%

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Wednesday

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Thursday

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The Oswegonian

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief | Ben Grieco Managing Editor | Matt Watling

Opinion Editor | Abigail Connolly Sports Editor | Brandon Ladd Laker Review Editor | Stephen Novak Multimedia Editor | William Rogers Creative Director, Photography | Nicole Hube Creative Director, Graphics | Patrick Higgins Chief Copy Editor | Rachel McKenna Copy Editor | Annika Wickham Asst. Sports Editor | Michael Gross Asst. Laker Review Editor | Mary Katherine Moylan Asst. Creative Director, Photography | Kailee Montross

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On the Opinion Cover!

NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

All of the national trends show that students, or young people generally, are paying much more attention in this election.”

-Allison Rank, from Cover

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

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Young voting rises even with de- Water bill impacts overall cost of student housing creasing Vote Oswego involvement Some rental companies include utilities in rent, others do not Ben Grieco Editor-in-Chief bgrieco@oswegonian.com

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian In 2019, Vote Oswego was able to host election festivities which assisted in involvement.

VOTER from COVER Many trends of this election have strayed far from tradition, and COVID-19 has made it difficult for volunteers and voters, forced to change their usual strategies.

In previous years, Vote Oswego has had events all over the SUNY Oswego campus, opening themselves up to students to ask questions, Rank said. Now that everything is online, they had to change their plan of action.

“It’s just harder for us to build that collective feeling around voting,” Rank said. “We are doing everything we can with having social media stickers and emails, but it’s just harder for us to feel

confident that students are getting their questions answered because it’s harder to ask that question now than it was before.”

Most campaign strategies have been online-based, and Vote Oswego, like many others, have taken it to their social media accounts.

According to Rank, one trend that has stayed consistent is the desire for stickers. Students who have voted, in this election and previous ones, reach out and make sure they get the famous “I Voted” sticker. For SUNY Oswego students who voted, they can go to voteoswego.com to download an “I Voted” sticker if they have not gotten one already.

Theater to reduce capacity by 22%, 50 patrons allowed per show

Ben Seligson | The Oswegonian Oswego Cinema 7 has been closed since March but is expected to open in the near future.

OSWEGO from COVER Before COVID-19 restrictions, Oswego Cinema 7 could house a maximum of 232 people per showing. Now, all theaters are limited to only 50 people per showing.

This is just 21.5% of the theater’s capacity. Oswego Cinema 7 still has not released its planned re-

opening date, but it has expressed its commitment to following state protocols when they do reopen.

“We’re going to space people out so there is a minimum of six-foot clearance for every group,” Zurich said to The Palladium-Times. “We will have sufficient spacing between the groups so that we will not have problems.”

SA has proposed a resolution that would change the grading system to Pass/Fail for the 2020-21 academic year. The resolution [RES 56.03] says that distance learning “places students at an educational disadvantage, as virtual instruction does not allow in-person meetings.” It went on to add that distance learning hurts educational quality.

The resolution passed by a vote of 12-1.

SA President Lizeth

When it comes to off-campus housing for SUNY Oswego students, one of the main differences between some leases is whether or not the water and sewer bill is included within the monthly rent.

The bill, which comes directly from the city of Oswego, is charged at a quarterly rate. According to the 2019 payment document from the city, houses with a water meter on the west side are charged in March, June, September and December. While there are select student rental properties on the east side of the river, most lie on the west side.

Residential homes in Oswego can opt in for a “flat rate” of $225 each quarter, where there is a direct pipeline from the street to the home.

Residential homeowners also have the option to install a water meter, but most residents “take advantage” of the way the system is run, said Robert Corradino, who is the councilman for the seventh ward in the city of Oswego as well as the council president.

He mentioned that if every property had water meters, “a lot of people would probably be [using water] differently.”

“When you’re not paying for water over what you’re allotted, and there’s no meter, people kind of abuse it,” Corradino said.

Currently, the minimum bill for a metered house is $205 each quarter. Corradino said the minimum charge is based on how many gallons of water are used per day. The process was established years ago, Corradino said, and is a set by the average usage for a family of four.

Rental properties cannot have water bills in one of the tenant’s names, instead all of those bills must be put in the property owner’s name. It is up to the owner to decide how the renters will pay the water bill.

Corradino added that he has seen metered bills climb up to $250, and in rare cases, “if you like to shower a lot, wash your cars or have a leaky faucet,” it could reach the likes of $500 or $600.

“If you go over that certain [amount] of water that you’re allotted, then you’re charged by the cubic foot of water,” Corradino said. “No matter if you’re frugal or not, as long as you stay under that certain amount, it’s $205.”

Different rental companies have different policies. Furlong Properties, which owns Premier Living Suites, handles the payment of the water bill in all of its student-rental properties. Avery Rentals, owned by Atom Avery, keeps the bill separate from the monthly rent. Oswego College Housing, which is run by Lee Walker, has properties that go both ways.

Landlords who do not charge the water and sewer bill in the rent have a few different ways of charging their student tenants. They can choose to individually charge each student within the single-family home or they can give the bill

Ortega-Ramirez spoke to the Senate, discussing the promotion of new “Oz-Spots.” The school has made numerous classrooms and other locations throughout campus available for student use. The spaces are limited to six people at a time and will be first come, first serve. Groups can stay in an Oz-Spot for up to 90 minutes at a time.

Masks will be required, and students will be asked to wipe down materials with provided sanitizer before and after using them.

Photo provided by Ian Cummins Many students live off-campus but may not know the price variations between different options.

straight-up to the students.

Jamie LaRochelle, property manager for Furlong Properties, said the monthly rent is based on different expenses on each property, which includes the water and sewer bill. When it comes to determining the rent, Furlong Properties uses an “approximation” for the expense that the water and sewer bill will create.

“The rental amount will never change outside of the contract price agreed upon,” LaRochelle said. “Usually if a water/sewer bill is higher than normal we will go into the property and make sure there is not a running toilet or slow leaking shower.”

A majority of Avery Rentals’ properties are not all-inclusive, meaning the water and sewer bill is kept separate from the monthly rent. While Avery has some buildings that are all-inclusive, all of the student rentals have separate monthly rent and water bills. He also said he does not upcharge or include it in the monthly rent to avoid undercharging or overcharging students.

“It’s a lot of extra work on my office instead of just building it in [to the rent],” Avery said. “But it makes it cheaper for the tenants.”

With a diverse collection of rental properties, Avery said he charges apartments the exact number that he is charged, and it is split between the number of people in the home. For multifamily properties, such as duplexes, Avery has one “master” water meter, takes the entire bill and splits it between the renting parties who then further divide it among themselves.

Avery added that people who rent in large multiplexes can expect a monthly charge of $30 to $40 compared to someone who lives in a single-family home who could expect $55 or $60 a month, due to less people.

“Let’s say we have a duplex. I have two people on each side,” Avery said. “If I only have one meter and I divide that cost by four, now every-

SUNY Oswego will hold a virtual commencement for students graduating in December.

Ortega-Ramirez said the ceremony will look a lot different than May’s ceremony, as it will be more interactive via social media like Snapchat.

Later in November, SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley will host a town hall. The goal is to raise awareness of issues around campus. Students can send suggestions on topics to Ortega-Ramirez, SA Vice President Asheem Calixte, SA Advisor Dr. Jerri Howland or Stanley herself.

body’s paying $51, not $105 per side.”

Walker, who also owns a diverse group of properties, goes both ways when it comes to charging the water and sewer bill. An exact monthly rent for two different properties was obtained from this rental company.

One of Walker’s two-person properties, the monthly rent sits at $800, equaling $400 per person, with the water and sewer bill included. On the flip side, one of Walker’s five-person properties, which sits at $1,750 and is $350 a month per resident, does not include water. Assuming the five residents do not go above that $205 minimum, each resident must pay $41, meaning the total cost could be a minimum of $391.

Walker, after two phone calls, could not be reached for comment on his choice to differentiate properties.

When it comes to which option better benefits students looking to rent off-campus housing, it depends on how the landlord charges water alongside the monthly rent. In terms of Walker’s housing, based on the previous examples, despite there being a different number of residents in the home, students saved money with water not included in the rent. Part of the savings could be because there are more residents.

Both Avery and LaRochelle said that their respective companies do not upcharge residents for the water and sewer bill, with LaRochelle adding that Furlong Properties immediately turns around and pays the bill sent to their office.

Corradino said he is not sure where students might benefit more, and it depends on how the landlord treats the water and sewer bill.

“In a perfect world, the landlord gives the water bill to the students and says, ‘Here’s the water bill. You need to go down to city hall and pay this before the 27th of the month,’” Corradino said. “It’s a tough thing to narrow down.”

SUNY Oswego is set to unveil the move out process for on-campus students returning home at the end of the semester.

Howland said that students should be prepared to receive communication from ResLife with regards to the process. Inperson classes will cease for the semester on Nov. 25, according to SUNY Oswego’s calendar. SUNY previously announced that students from all schools within the school system must test negative for the coronavirus before being cleared to return home. If a student tests positive, they must isolate in Oswego.

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Media Summit 16th Annual Media Summit dissects shaky media landscape wrap up: from Trump sparks ‘fake news;’ journalists must find way to gain back trust the co-director

Ben Grieco Editor-in-Chief bgrieco@oswegonian.com In any other year of the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, there would be chaos running around campus trying to make sure everything was set up correctly, and panelists and career connectors were in their correct classrooms to talk to students.

Then, the 3 p.m. panel would begin with hundreds of people in Waterman Theater, followed by the career connector session immediately after.

Instead, co-event director Mikayla Green and I sat socially distant in The Oswegonian’s newsroom at different computers making sure all of the Zoom calls ran smoothly. Eventually we made our way up to MCC 201 with Professor Brian Moritz to host the actual summit on Zoom. Then we went home. Like that, it was over.

We watched seven months of Zoom calls, strict deadlines and numerous questions about keeping the legacy of the Media Summit intact all come to a close in less than 24 hours.

As much of a walk in the park as this sounds, technology errors popped up all day. People were kicked from Zoom meetings, the typical Zoom “trolls” came into rooms and microphone and internet issues arose. As I watched the summit alongside Mikayla, I realized our hard work that began in March came out to be one of the best panel discussions in the four years that we have been at SUNY Oswego.

But at the end of the day, this experience of hosting one of SUNY Oswego’s premier events for the School of Communications, Media and the Arts was an experience that I will never forget.

It is impossible for me to think of one favorite moment from the last seven months. From random bursts of screaming in the group chat of Mikayla, Moritz and myself; to Moritz and I both agreeing that Mikayla was truly in charge of this two-bit operation, there are too many moments that I can look back on and laugh at.

Choosing this year’s theme was special to Mikayla and I. As we said in the summit’s opening speech, some of the professionals on the front lines of the First Amendment, covering what 2020 has become for a newspaper, radio or TV station, are our friends who have graduated before us.

Both of us want to enter the media field after graduation, and this is what we are getting ourselves into. We see what these professionals are doing everyday: telling others’ stories and reporting on them. But we had not been able to hear directly from them, learning what it is like to be on the “front lines,” which is something very special and advantageous to students and young journalists or broadcasters.

The thank-you list that I have to everyone who made the 16th Annual Media Summit possible is far too long for this column. But every single person that attended the Media Summit or had some part of its physical appearance or piece of coverage was crucial to the success of keeping the same legacy that “Doc” had established, even if we were virtual this year.

Seeing the interaction between students, alumni and professionals at this event gives me hope that the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit will continue to run strong and will be a sense of pride for SUNY Oswego and the School of Communications, Media and the Arts. Even though the summit was virtual this year, imagine what can and will be done in future years when it will be back in Waterman Theater.

Photo provided by Lily Clark via the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit The Media Summit highlighted several aspects of 2020 that are pertinent to journalism, including media distrust, misinformation and the protections of the First Amendment.

Matt Watling Managing Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com In an event that spans months to prepare for, the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit was held virtually on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

While the summit is typically hosted in Waterman Theater, COVID-19 forced it to go fully virtual with seven breakout sessions leading up to the panel discussion moderated by SUNY Oswego assistant professor Michael Riecke. The breakout sessions and Zoom panel can be found online on the Media Summit’s website, free to watch at any time.

This year’s theme was “On the Front Lines with the First Amendment,” and the Media Summit executive board was able to find a wide variety of professionals to touch on such an open topic. Panelists came from as close as Buffalo to as far as North Texas, as the virtual nature of the event allowed for easier access to SUNY Oswego for some professionals with busy work schedules.

Panelists included Steve Brown, an investigative journalist for WGRZ in Buffalo; SUNY Oswego alumna Michelle Garcia, who is an editor overseeing NBC News’ NBCBLK vertical; Bret Jaspers, a political reporter for KERA, which is an NPR affiliate in Dallas; Ava Lubell, a legal fellow at Cornell Law School’s First Amendment Clinic, who provides pro bono advice to journalists regarding the First Amendment; and Pulitzer Prize winner Connie Schultz, who has authored several books and is a columnist for Creators Syndicate.

Before questions or introductions, the summit was started with a short video highlighting the old preCOVID-19 Media Summit, as a nod to what the summit once was before it was forced fully-virtual. The summit’s co-event directors, Ben Grieco and Mikayla Green, led off with a speech discussing the fact that this was not the original plan, but the major events from 2020 were just too significant to ignore.

And, of course, the first virtual summit was not without minor technical glitches, as Riecke lagged out in his opening statements. Other than that and one small Zoom error in which the session ended, everything went incredibly smooth.

Riecke began the discussion looking at the role of journalists at large. In a time where there is so much misinformation, he pondered whether or not these story tellers considered themselves to be “soldiers of truth.” While none of the journalists on the panel would give themselves such an “important title,” as Schultz said, she did mention that it is important for journalists to be vocal in different aspects.

“Before [President Donald Trump] was even elected, he was calling us the enemy of the people,” Schultz said. “Before we had Trump, I thought that journalists were not being activists for the profession enough. I understand that when you use the term activist, a lot of journalists will immediately recoil, you know, ‘we don’t get political,’ but that’s not what I

meant by that. I mean that we have got to make clear to the public why journalism matters and why the First Amendment matters.”

While the First Amendment is clearly defined and studied in media law classes, Lubell likes to segment it into three pieces. Two of which are beneficial to journalists, while one is a bit more dangerous.

... If we say you can’t make a mistake, we all might as well go home because the standard of perfection is not one we can attain. It’s not going to allow for the free flow of information ...”

Ava Lubell - Legal fellow at Cornell Law School’s First Amendment Clinic

“One is as this beautiful shield and that’s where it most often comes in my work with journalists … [is] a beautiful defense [against the threat of lawsuits,]” Lubell said.

“You also get to use it as a wonderful sword … It is a means by which you can investigate, find information and hold people accountable.

But, I think there is a darker side to the First Amendment that’s being talked about among journalists … What’s the point of the First Amendment if it [lacks] regulation of platforms and disinformation?”

Misinformation is not a new phenomenon but has certainly gained traction as social media has given anybody and everybody access to an audience. It gave rise to what Garcia described as “information organizations [that try] to disseminate false information.” One person leading the way is Trump, who has unequivocally tweeted or mentioned actual “fake news” or rather false facts. This begs an important question: is everything that an elected official says newsworthy — even if it is false?

“Studies have shown that repeating bad information creates a path, a neural pathway that says it is true or that gets cemented in our brains as true rather than the fact check,” Jaspers said. “So, I’ve really tried to push back on playing the bad information, and I guess some others might disagree and say that’s not telling the world what the president is saying. But, he is actively misinforming people, and we know that he does that so it’s … a real problem.”

Schultz had a dissenting opinion, where she believes that it may be a journalist’s duty to inform the public what the president is saying on a regular basis. Perhaps, the only reason this false information may be considered newsworthy is because of the source. According to Brown, he would never use soundbites from an ordinary source when they are false. Jaspers found one

concept that could be a safe compromise to his hesitations to use false sound and Schultz’s desire to hear from the president.

“I would be much more comfortable [using my own words rather than the sound] because then you are giving the right information in your paraphrase,” Jaspers said. “You can characterize it appropriately.”

After the first 45 minutes of the panel, Riecke opened it up to audience questions. One member wanted to know how local journalists could distance themselves from the negative connotation or stigma “the media” has picked up. “[Local reporters are] in their backyard, in their community,” Brown said. “You have to study, immerse yourself in the community that you are in, if you want to be seen as something other than a journalist — and I think that’s important because I am a son, father, friend and a lot of other things other than a journalist. It is very important to me but it’s not the only thing that I am. If you want to be seen that way in your community, you need to get plugged into your community, so that they can see you, experience you in different contexts.”

Another question came about regarding anonymous sources and when to use them. All the panelists agreed it is important to use them sparingly and to make sure you know everything about the source.

“If we can’t discern a clear motive to disseminate information that is important for the public to know then it’s not a story,” Garcia said.

While they should ethically be used sparingly, the First Amendment does allow for some mistakes, although the public may not and public relations issues can arise. “[The First Amendment is] structured to say, ‘People are going to make mistakes,’ and if we say you can’t make a mistake, we might as well all go home because the standard of perfection is not one that we can attain,” Lubell said. “It’s not going to allow for the free flow of information, which leads to all these end goals of ours, having an

informed citizenry and participation in government. It is to take accountability and responsibility for those mistakes and then to draw the line about what kind of mistake was avoidable.”

The discussion eventually took a turn beyond the First Amendment.

Recently, journalists have been attacked or seriously injured while doing their job, most notably during Black Lives Matter protests. Here, there is not a lot of legal protection, but preparing for the worst is key.

“A lot of this is about education, how to just engage in self care. A standard protocol is, if you know you’re writing a story that is likely to trigger certain people, we as an organization are aware of that,” Lubell said. “Make sure you’re engaging in some set of digital hardening of various tools that you have. Check your Twitter, your email, maybe log out of your Twitter account because you’re about to see some really horrible things come your way … In general, we are a little bit oppositional to government … [but] I’ve sent reporters to their local police stations to make sure you know them.”

Lubell added that journalists may need to call the FBI once in a while, for security, but there is still very little they can do.

Despite the potential scares of journalism, especially in today’s climate, every single panelist adores their job. To end the 16th annual Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit on a positive note, each panelist was asked to provide the students watching with a bit of advice.

“Don’t be afraid to take intelligent risks. It is very easy to do what everybody else is doing and try to stand out in that particular way.

Don’t do that. Take a risk that you think is going to place you wherever you want to go,” Brown said. “If you feel like the world needs to change, and certainly a lot of people do … this is the conduit by which change can happen. It’s the powerful stories.

Journalism has taken down presidencies. It has overthrown governments. It has done all manner of things with just words.”

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

OPINION CONTINUING ONLINE

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OPINION

VOLUME LXXXV ISSUE IX

“Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech or of the press.”

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VILCHEZ RECOGNIZED

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

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What has the SUNY Oswego community done well with as it navigates COVID-19?

Virtual events

Testing security

Support systems

The school has done a good job trying to bring some sort of normalcy to the campus community. There have been so many virtual seminars and information sessions that can provide a brief distraction, whether it be Yappy Hour Zoom with pets or really insightful conversations.

Recently, OzSpots have been introduced. While masks are still required, these are critical for on-campus students trying to get together with friends in a safe manner. With winter fast approaching, taking walks is not feasible, so this is a great alternative.

The number of cases have gone down significantly over the course of the semester, in part due to the actions of the SUNY Oswego community. Walking around campus, I am not afraid of contracting the virus. The consistent surveillence testing has provided security for the students on campus and members of the outside community.

Oswego State has made a valent effort in assisting students who are concerned with the added stress of COVID-19. By setting up the COVID-19 hotline, studets and parents who have concerns can have any of their questions answered in one place. By creating a community of transperency, SUNY Oswego has helped create greater understanding between students and the surrounding community. The counseling center has also been a positive force on campus, providing services over Zoom and promoting self-care practices.

-Stephen Novak, Laker Review Editor

-Matt Watling, Managing Editor

From my seat: The Editor-in-Chief’s column

Journalism mixture of facts, opinions have value in both modes of discourse

Ben Grieco Editor‑in‑Chief bgrieco@oswegonian.com

THE OSWEGONIAN

The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935

G UIDELIN ES

We want your thoughts on our coverage, campus and local issues, or any‑ thing regarding the Oswego State community.

Email all letters as Word attachments to opinion@oswegonian.com or mail submissions to 139A Campus Center, Oswego N.Y. 13126 All writers must provide their real name, address, academic year, major and phone number (which will not be published).

-Abigail Connolly, Opinion Editor

By definition, a columnist is, “a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions.” Let me rephrase that: a person who writes articles that offer opinions.

I get it. This may shock some people that this is a legitimate job that a person can hold. They get paid to write their opinion at a local, national and sometimes international level.

Compared to that random stranger on Facebook barking his or her opinion, most of the time a columnist’s article is based on facts, statistics and quotes.

Every newspaper has columnists that write for an opinion or editorial section. There are even “specialized columnists,” such as those who are political columnists, entertainment columnists, health columnists or sports columnists, the list goes on. Most of the time, these columnists are experts within their specific field or are former long-time reporters Columnists do not write news stories with their own opinions sprinkled in. Sure, there is the argument that there is biased news—which can be true to a certain extent—where reporters sprinkle in different biases, but that is a whole different story. That gets into the debate of biased news and President Donald Trump’s multiple claims at “fake news.” But I will leave politics aside for now.

Given today’s climate, it is no surprise that people immediately go at a columnist’s throat. It is important to understand the difference between a news reporter and a columnist, one

whose job is to report facts, the other to provide an opinion based on facts.

When reading a columnist’s piece while expecting a news report, all an audience will see is biased and opinionated reporting — but that is, again, the columnist’s job: to provide an opinion that is factually driven. If someone wants the cold hard facts, click the “News” section on a website, not “Editorial.” Or, take the columnist’s opinion with a grain of salt: they may have a differing opinion than you.

Ninety-nine percent of the time there is only complaining when the reader does not agree with the opinion, as expected. But once an editorial with aligning views pops up on someone’s timeline, it is the next best thing since sliced bread.

Notice how the same controversy that follows political columns does not extend, in the same caliber, to editorials about movies or entertainment.

Or, if there is a “debate” about the column, readers tend to be more civilized.

Obviously, there are a few exceptions with people who go after a reporter or threaten their life or family, but I would like to think that is a rare scenario.

The real problem here is not the fact that columnists have opinions or commentary on a situation and write about them. It is more the fact of going after columnists for having that opinion and choosing to write about it. Journalists

are humans too. They have every right to an opinion. They just have a larger platform than other people and can publically express their opinions because it is their job.

At The Oswegonian, we have writers that consider themselves “exclusive” to our opinion section. They hold the same title, “Staff Writer,” as any other writer does in our organization, whether they write for news, sports, opinion or Laker Review. However, with only a certain amount of students writing every issue, sometimes those writers bounce around and write for multiple sections. That means, sometimes, our news reporters are also our opinion writers.

As a disclaimer, those news writers are not allowed to write an opinion article on the same topic. For example, if our staff writer writes a news story on SUNY Oswego’s return-to-campus plan with facts, they cannot write the opinion article saying it is either great or bad — that is biased reporting and the news story loses its credibility. So, if a staff writer wants to take on a news story about the school’s COVID-19 testing policy but has an opinion on how another state may be handling the coronavirus, it can happen.

So let me be blunt in saying this: columnists have opinions and they are allowed to talk about them. It is as simple as that.

Photo from Flickr Despite the belief that journalism is exempt from opinions, columnists provide unique insight.

Chester

Members of organizations should include their title if their letter addresses an issue pertaining to the organization.

For publication, letters should be 250 words or less and submitted by the Tuesday prior to the desired publication date.

The Oswegonian reserves the right to edit and reject letters and cannot guarantee that all letters will be published.

Opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not always reflect those of The Oswegonian.

See web exclusive Opinion articles at www.oswegonian.com/opinion

Photo from Joseph Brennan via Twitter

Online learning hurts

Photo from Flickr

Tomas Rodriguez Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com The pandemic has turned the world upside down, there is no question about that.

As a result, college students are having a hard time adjusting to this “new normal” with little to no faceto-face interaction — a crucial piece in the college experience.

Last spring, COVID-19 brought colleges to a sudden stall, along with side effects like anxiety or depression among a student population who had to learn the hard way how to navigate through the situation.

While it is easy to mostly focus on the back-then graduating seniors who had their long awaited graduation ceremonies ripped apart, it is the underclassmen and rising seniors who are now grappling with the worst of it.

With the epidemic in the United States picking up speed rather than stabilizing, many professors are now in the process of making the decision to instruct on-campus in the spring, keep their courses somewhat hybrid or fully teach through online learning.

“A full transition to online learning could have devastating consequences...”

But just as professors, students, too, are now in a limbo in terms of making their decision for the upcoming semester.

Students told The Oswegonian, in a previous opinion article, thatcampus feels even emptier than it did toward the beginning of the greatly downsized fall semester. Of course, this will result in the college losing funds; however, students’ mental and physical health should be put on the frontline right now.

Given the already dangerous common flu during the early weeks or even months of the spring semester, combined with COVID-19, this should make professors and universities think twice about allowing students to take their classes in-person and partake in otherwise routine activities in a remote model, which has proven to be successful in many ways up until now.

A full transition to online learning, however, could have devastating consequences for college students as many will have most of their collegiate experiences truncated by COVID-19. This could require counseling and other essential on-campus services to double-up on personnel in case of the unexpected, with all the unknowns that the pandemic has left in its trail up to this point.

Just to put this into perspective, what tools will senior student-athletes have at their disposal to help them navigate through the situation and grapple with the consequences of having their last seasons forcibly taken from them?

Of course, there are many layers to the developing situation, and it will require a joint effort from everyone. But the bottom line is that colleges should start planning ahead for a possible remote learning semester for the sake of students’ safety and put financial and personal interests behind them.

OPINION Holidays like no other, sickness prevails

Cases still rising, COVID-19 continues into winter season Erin Washburn Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

It is no secret that the world has changed drastically since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In the words of the President via a tweet, “until November 4th., Fake News Media is going full on Covid, Covid, Covid.” With the worldwide shift to an online environment, it only makes sense that the upcoming holiday season would be affected as well.

What was once a time for joy and reconnection has been overshadowed by the pandemic in every way possible. Twohundered and thirty thousand loved ones will no longer join the Thanksgiving prayers and the December feasts. That leaves every grieving family with only two horrible options. The options: either celebrate with an empty place at their table or to call off the gatherings altogether. Either way includes benefits and risks, each being different geographically and situationally.

Do you have a family full of healthy young adults in an area with record low COVID-19 rates?

Or do you have a family more like mine, where the majority of people are older, with pre-existing conditions in a rapidly increasing COVID-19 hotspot? It is safe to say these scenarios have wildly different risks associated with them. Does your family believe they are being lied to by the aforementioned “Fake News Media” and therefore are going to live regularly? Or do they believe it is better to be safe than sorry? Opinions vary greatly regarding how to balance safety and self-preservation during this unprecedented time.

Personally, I think this is hard to balance. Imagine a fam-

ily who believes wholeheartedly that life cannot be controlled by an illness. Conversely, imagine one which believes it would be irresponsible to bring the family together during such a trying time. Both sides are correct in their own way. Devout families have religious obligations to fulfill through gathering, and yet mosques, churches and synagogues remain at less than half capacity to reduce the spread of the virus. All families, whether they practice religion or not, need the holiday break to reunite extended members who may live all across the world.

“The Season of Giving” may look different in preparation

as well. Much like myself, the Black Friday shoppers of the world do all their holiday shopping in a 24-hour span. This year it will look drastically different, if it happens at all.

Online shopping can solve all those problems though, right?

Maybe not. The United States Postal Service and shipping companies all around the world will receive more stress if people are forced to take their holiday shopping entirely online.

Given the birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and graduations that COVID-19 has already taken from us, it is daunting to think that the happiest time of year is also being robbed.

Today’s youth face pressures

Abigail Connolly Opinion Editor aconnolly@oswegonian.com

Photo from Flickr The usual holiday crowds in New York City, may dwindle due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Women’s care at risk with Supreme Court

Election fears spread across nation, colleges should prepare

With the current appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, many women are fearful of losing their rights to both abortion and birth control.

It has long been said that a Donald Trump presidency would overturn Roe v. Wade, which is a landmark court case that protects a woman’s right to abortion. With the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the appointment of conservative Coney Barrett, those feelings of terror that abortion could become illegal are alive and well. It has gotten to the point where on social media some women are advocating for other women to get an IUD, a long-lasting contraceptive, in case access to birth control is hindered in the coming years.

In a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, it showed that women sought long-lasting contraceptives in the first 30 days after Trump’s 2016 election. That fervor is making a comeback with the appointment of Coney Barrett. Some women say IUDs are not for everyone and to stop pressuring women to get something without thinking of possible side effects or consequences. This division does everything but assist a woman living in 2020 America. Personally, it is really smart to think long-term, but at the same time, women pressuring other women on social media is not what we need right now. Trump winning the election and having a second term in office will only increase the

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Photo from Flickr

SPEAK YOUR MIND, TWITTER! POLLS POSTED EVERY WEEK TO @GonianLRO

Ashley Scott Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

likelihood that these measures will be taken in case access to birth control is obstructed.

I hear a lot of people say that they could have never imagined something like this happening in this country and that we are living through a crucial time in history.

And, that is the reality.

Major cities are boarding up ahead of the upcoming election, and what is so terrifying to comprehend is that people plan to stay inside and avoid going out for the entirety of the week. As I previously mentioned, major cities are boarding up most likely to prepare for any riots that may break out after the election.

What I have not seen, though, is any preparations from colleges with the election right around the corner. Typically, it is university students and the younger masses who want their voices to be heard. I know some professors are easing their workloads on Tuesday because of the election, but I think it is interesting and maybe

a little unsettling that colleges are not preparing for the election.

For example, schools should have canceled both hybrid and synchronous classes for Tuesday, and any students who work on campus outside of necessary jobs like dining hall employees should have had the day off. University Police should have policed the campus more vigilantly, and the town and school could have worked together to set up check points on the main roads. With daylight savings, it gets darker earlier, and with election results coming in at night the safety of students should have been a priority. Because of COVID-19, students could not protest, demonstrate or participate in any other legal forms of protests, so I think it would be smart for college campuses to create an outlet for students. We are living through such an important time in history and 2020 has not stopped throwing curveballs at American citizens.

Photo from Flickr Supreme Court Justice, Amy Coney Barrett, was sworn in on Oct. 27, shifting Supreme Court dynamics.

“Remember, these are the best days of your lives,” says the woman from the health center moving people into quarantine or the professor on the Zoom call, talking to students who have not even gotten out of bed. That sentiment thousands of college students have heard since their arrival to secondary education is beginning to hold less weight.

COVID-19 has altered the way an entire generation will learn how to exist in the world. While taking classes this semester many students have asked the question, “What is this for?” Now, the usual answer of “job security” cannot be given. As COVID-19 has completely altered the job market, many students have simply decided not to return to campus for classes or to return to school at all. The “gap year” seems to be coming in alarming popularity as many students feel that they would rather enjoy the college experience mask-free and in person.

“It is necessary to consider the incredible pressures young adults are facing as they begin their journey to adulthood...”

In addition to the feelings that many people have about attending school during a global pandemic, the reality some students face financially has had impacts on whether or not some students can even afford the education they desire. In an article for The Washington Post, Heather Long and Danielle Douglas-Gabriel highlight that some 100,000 high school seniors did not fill out an application for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), after a study was conducted by the National College Attainment Network.

The reality for these students is quite different than it has been for previous generations.

It is difficult to see how the days spent worrying about a global pandemic in addition to classes, the inability to afford classes or the fear of being unable to find a job after graduation, amount to the best days of a young college student’s life. It is necessary, in this time, to take into consideration the incredible pressures young adults are facing as they begin their journey to adulthood and the workforce.

Yes, these should be “the best days,” for many people, but the unprecedented times that the world has encountered have completely adjusted the ways in which individuals interact and think. At this time, it is important to acknowledge the loss, acknowledge the difficulties and acknowledge the unusual times in which we live. By doing this, a greater community of understanding can be reached. This is vital to inspiring the next generation of students to create better days for all.

SPORTS Vilchez earns SUNYAC All-Decade honors

Former Laker’s leadership presence felt by current team

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Rebecca Vilchez started in 102 games during her three-year career despite being a walk-on.

Michael Gross Asst. Sports Editor mgross@oswegonian.com Former Oswego State star Rebecca Vilchez was named to the SUNYAC All-Decade softball team on Oct. 21.

The Franklin Square native was an exceptional player, batting .317 and recording a 2.49 ERA in 390 innings pitched over her three years as a Laker.

Vilchez was a one of a kind player.

Former Oswego State slugger turned coach Angela Frampton said, she broke the “pitcher’s curse.”

“There is this thing in softball.

Ninety percent of the time, if you are a pitcher then you suck at hitting,” Frampton said. “They call it the ‘pitcher’s curse.’”

Vilchez was far from a bad hitter, as her outstanding average can speak for itself. In her Laker career, she slugged .479 with an on-base percentage of .371 and only struck out 33 times in 334 at-bats.

“I was almost in awe, and it really made me reflect on my three years playing at [Oswego State] and where I am now,” Vilchez said. “I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this if it weren’t

for all the people that supported me, all my coaches, all my teammates, and it was just an amazing feeling that shows that hard work does pay off.”

Vilchez did work hard to get to the next level and that started with her leadership qualities not just on the field but off the field too. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and knocked out the spring season in 2020, Vilchez had her senior season taken away. However, that never stopped her from making an impact and using this undesired offseason as a stepping stone for the future of this program.

“I really got to work with them individually in groups of two or three, and I got to know [the underclassmen] personally,” Vilchez said. “It got us to really connect and talk about different strategies about sequences and figuring out what their best pitch is and how to use it. Coach [Gabrielle] Rivers worked really hard on keeping us close together and work on team bonding, including myself and the younger girls which I loved because they were all so open to hearing what I had to say.”

Last spring would have been Rivers’ first season as the head softball coach and having a pandemic delay one’s

coaching debut must be troubling. Vilchez took her leadership role to a whole new level and stepped up to help the underclassmen learn during a difficult time away.

“I had all freshmen pitchers, other than [Vilchez,] and they all looked to her as a mentor,” Rivers said. “She was willing to give any type of advice whether it be about pitching, hitting, fielding or even something that was not related to softball. She was there for anyone, for anything.”

Vilchez’s leadership skills and work ethic go hand-in-hand which is one reason why she is one of the best players to ever wear the green and gold.

When she arrived at Oswego State, she had not committed to playing softball nor had she been recruited. Vilchez was a walk-on.

“I didn’t know any of the players going into it, and our class freshman year was so big. It was kind of weird for me,” Vilchez said. “Not because I didn’t feel like a part of the team, being a walk-on, but it was just different. The girls welcomed me with open arms and helped give me confidence in the player I was.

They always supported me, and if I didn’t have such a good defensive and offensive team, I couldn’t have been the pitcher I have become.”

She credits a lot of her teammates for being supportive of her and that also helped her learn how to be accountable for herself and others for the good of the team. Frampton played with Vilchez for three years and always knew she was a strong leader but never really understood how much she did behind the scenes to keep everyone in check.

“Transitioning from playing with her to coaching her, I got to see a whole different side of what she was actually doing for the team and how she was able to help her teammates,” Frampton said.

“She always held people accountable. If she didn’t want to say it to them personally, it could be easier coming from me, as the coach.”

After she graduated from Oswego State in May of 2020, Vilchez went back home to coach a 10-U travel team in Nassau County. Vilchez has been coaching throughout her college career, but now she had the chance to take the skills she learned as a leader in Oswego State and give back to the next generation of great softball players.

“It is awesome just really seeing how excited they are to learn,” Vilchez said. “How much they look up to me is awesome, and I do private instructions with hitting and pitching lessons. There’s always a part of me that is going to be a part of softball. It is a huge part of my life and it’s helped shape me to be the person I am today.”

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

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Photo Brief DIV. III HOCKEY IN MICHIGAN

Photo provided by Mike Dickie via Adrian Athletics

On Friday, Oct. 30, a Div. III men’s hockey game occurred between Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan, and Trine College, located in Angola, Indiana. The two schools faced off in the 500-seat Arrington Ice Arena in Adrian. Small groups of parents and family were carefully spread out in the stands, sitting well away from the benches on the other side of the arena.

Adrian College won the game 6-3, overcoming an early 1-0 deficit in front of the small home crowd, one of the rare hockey games that will be seen at the Div. III level this season, after many conferences around Div. III landscape are canceling their seasons.

The SUNYAC did so on Oct. 19, citing safety concerns in its rationale for the decision. With hockey games that do not result in positive cases for COVID-19, that might refute the SUNYAC’s decision to cancel winter sports.

With the SUNYAC’s decision, it also canceled men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, indoor track and field, as well as swimming and diving.

Adrian College and Trine College are two of the few teams marching forward with their reduced men’s hockey schedule this season. The two teams have five more matchups planned against each other.

The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association is going forward with a makeshift conference for this unique season and it is still in the works. All 11 teams of the NCHA have intent to play after the new year. Currently, only some of the teams are playing before the holiday break. A small minority of the schools that wanted to play before the break were able to due to the hurdles of COVID-19, according to a source from the NCHA. Adrian College will defend its 2020 NCHA Harris Cup Championship after defeating St. Norbert College, which won three straight cups from 2017 to 2019. St. Norbert College is one of the schools with intentions to start conference play in January.

The SUNYAC decided to keep its arena lights off early this fall.

The decision has been cemented as final. Being reinforced by the SUNYAC Commissioner, Tom Di Camillo also announced the cancelation of the NEWHL, the women’s league he also oversees, which included all of the SUNYAC schools that play women’s hockey, plus SUNY Canton.

Spring sports are still up in the air for the SUNYAC, which will be decided at a later date, according to the conference’s press release on Oct. 19.

Beneath the Surface: Dan Kapuscinski, PA announcer for men’s hockey

After attending Oswego State games growing up, Kapuscinski comes full circle, joins team he loves

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Brandon Ladd Sports Editor bladd@oswegonian.com NOTE: “Beneath the Surface” is a joint project of the sports departments of The Oswegonian, WNYO 88.9 FM and WTOP-10 TV. The live broadcasts can be seen and heard on select Fridays at 8 p.m, as well as on WNYO’s and WTOP’s websites on demand.

Since 2016, Dan Kapuscinski has been the electrifying voice behind every single goal scored by the Oswego State men’s hockey team. This upcoming season was going to be Kapuscinski’s fifth season as public address announcer for the team. With the cancellation of the season, he will now have to wait until 2021 to announce another penalty or ignite the student section with another Laker goal announcement.

Kapuscinski is no stranger to Oswego State hockey, having graduated from Oswego High School. He was a member of OHS’s

broadcasting club, WBUC. This club granted him his first licks of announcing, as he announced high school hockey games. His fandom for Oswego State hockey started around then as well.

“I always was going to Oswego State [games]. My uncle Joe and father Mike had been attending Oswego State games since the 1970s,” Kapuscinski said. “So, it’s something that has always kind of been in our blood.”

His fond memories of attending games with his family soon expanded to memories of following the team extensively with his friends from 2001 to 2004 because of the team’s success. These years marked a memorable time in Oswego State hockey, as his group of friends witnessed the team finish as runner-ups in the 2003 Div. III NCAA tournament. He also took in almost every game of head coach Ed Gosek’s first season in charge of the program.

The 2003 team charged by 15 wins in front of the home faithful in the Romney Field House captured the eye of Kapuscinski, so

much so that he and friends followed the team to Norwich, Vermont, for the NCAA Frozen Four.

A heartbreaking 2-1 defeat occurred to Norwich University, but a trip of a lifetime is remembered.

“We loaded up a Monte Carlo, me and my buddies,” Kapuscinski said. “It’s one of those things where you are a senior in high school or some of my buddies were freshmen in college. Our parents were trusting us to go out on these trips on our own. We managed to survive and not cause too much trouble. We went out to the games and had a great time.”

After graduating from St. John Fisher College in 2007 with a degree in communications, Kapuscinski went on to work for the World Racing Group, an organizer of races around the country based in Concord, North Carolina.

He handled public relations and digital media until 2012 when he moved back to Oswego. His first job back was as Public Relations Director at Oswego Speedway.

Kapuscinski has close ties with Oswego Speedway. His parents owned race cars before he was even born, and the first time he went to the track he was only three months old. His career at Oswego Speedway may have started when he was 16 years old, but his racing career started at the age of five, racing go-karts and smaller model cars growing up. He feels hockey and racing in the small city of Oswego go handin-hand.

“In Oswego, the ties between hockey and auto racing are through and through,” Kapuscinski said. “Obviously Ed [Gosek’s] brother Joe competed in the Indy 500 as a champion right here at Oswego Speedway. Also, people

who sit in the seats at Oswego State hockey games are race fans as well. I’ve said this before, there are two seasons in this town, racing and hockey, and I’ve had the privilege of being a part of both of them.”

Bill Foley held the same microphone position sitting above Oswego State men’s hockey games for 19 years before Kapuscinski took the position. Kapuscinski learned a lot from Foley, and the longtime public address announcer even hand picked him as his replacement.

“My days as a public address announcer in hockey are deeply rooted in that of Bill Foley, I listened to him for a lot of years,” Kapuscinski said.

He added that Foley taught him a lot about pacing and phrasing, when to say something or not. The two voices have rattled over Oswego State hockey for a combined 24 years. The magic behind their voices, according to Kapuscinski, came from their fandom of the team.

“Being as lively and energetic as you can be and doing that obviously comes back to being a fan,” Kapuscinski said. “When I’m in that booth watching Oswego State hockey play, I’m right there with everybody else in the grandstands, and when I turn that microphone on, I’m excited as everybody else nine times out of 10.”

Kapuscinski has found happiness in the life he has carved out for himself in the city of Oswego. He holds other positions outside of Oswego State hockey, each of which allows him to take advantage of his learned expertise in sports, communication and marketing.

“A lot of people along the way when I told them I wanted to be in journalism, said, ‘Well you aren’t going to make a whole lot of money doing that,’” Kapuscinski said.

“Well, I don’t need to make a whole lot of money to be a happy person.

I enjoy what I do, I enjoy talking sports, I enjoy marketing and I’m 35 years old now and I can’t wait for the next game.”

Photo provided by Dan Kapuscinski Dan Kapuscinski (left) also served as the public relations director at the Oswego Speedway.

NEWS VARIED

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VOTING

Dallas Barrigar | The Oswegonian

SPORTS THE OSWEGONIAN

VOLUME LXXXV ISSUE IX • www.oswegonian.com

Even with canceled season, Teggart takes on heavy leadership role

Women’s hockey senior captain improves team chemistry, looking toward next season

OPINION HOLIDAYS

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APART

Photo via Flickr

FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

Beat Writer’s Column Season called off too early

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Ben Grieco Editor-in-Chief bgrieco@oswegonian.com

The Oswegonian file photo from 2019 Philomena Teggart (19) was named captain of the Oswego State women’s hockey team, alongside senior Aislinn McAleer, for the coming season even though it was canceled.

Neil Boedicker Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com This year has been very different for the Oswego State women’s hockey team. With COVID-19 looking like it could derail the upcoming season, the Northeast Women’s Hockey League announced on Oct. 23 that winter sports would be canceled.

This was a tough pill for the team to swallow, after finishing last season with a record of 16-7-4 and with high expectations for this season. However, seniors will be allowed to have another year of eligibility next season so they can finish out their athletic careers at Oswego State.

One of those seniors is Philomena Teggart, who finished last season as the most productive defenseman on the Lakers with 21 points, more than double the amount of points she contributed her sophomore season.

While it is devastating that this season was canceled, she was excited to find out she would have eligibility for next season.

“I’m really happy [about the extra year of eligibility],” Teggart said. “If not, me and the other seniors would have to end our careers like this, without

playing. So thank God for next year that we can play.”

Junior defenseman Avery Webster is glad Teggart will be beside her on defense again, discussing how much of a great leader she is and how her positive attitude has such a great effect on the entire team.

“Phi is a great leader,” Webster said.

“She always has our best interest in mind, definitely looks out for others and doesn’t only care about herself.

She just makes everyone feel comfortable and is really easy to talk to.”

From head coach Mark Digby’s perspective, he praised Teggart for her work ethic and consistency as a player, not just what she can do on the ice, but also what she does off it.

“I would say first and foremost, she is a very passionate player,” Digby said.

“She brings a very intense mindset to every practice and every game. That’s just her personality. Anytime there is anything to compete in, whether it’s practice or games, she knows when to turn it on, but also knows when to have fun and just be one of the girls.”

When it comes to Teggart, her coaches all believe her biggest strength is consistency. That proved to be true toward the end of last season where she recorded a point in sev-

en of the last nine games in the month of February. Digby also credited Teggart’s leadership and how she treats her teammates as a huge contribution to the team.

“I think what her teammates appreciate about her the most is they know Phi is gonna be there for them no matter what,” Digby said. “They all know that away from the rink, if they need something or just need to talk to somebody that Phi is going to be there for them. It’s pretty rare when you find a leader that can do that.”

When it comes to leadership, Teggart learned a lot from former captains and upperclassmen on how to help new members of the team adjust to being a part of Oswego State women’s hockey. She follows in the footsteps of a former two-year captain, Kate Randazzo, who epitomized the “Laker Way” and what it meant to be a student-athlete. As a sophomore last year, Webster saw first hand how great Teggart and Randazzo are at bringing in underclassmen.

“The upperclassmen in the past have made us feel welcomed right off the bat,” Webster said. “It’s very intimidating coming in as an underclassman. The upperclassmen here have made it very easy and a smooth transi-

tion from high school to college.”

When it came to the team communicating this offseason, Digby gave a lot of credit to Teggart and the rest of the upperclassman for constantly keeping in touch with each other, especially with the incoming freshman and new transfer students that joined the team in the fall. Digby said that it has led to the team building chemistry with each other even though the players cannot practice at this moment in time.

“Our upperclassmen have been communicating extremely effectively with everyone,” Digby said.

“They can’t be together physically in person, but they can be together socially and mentally through Zoom or Snapchat. We can’t get better at stickhandling, shooting, forechecks or D-zone, but we can become a better team. That has really been the main focus.”

Teggart and the rest of her teammates are already focused on next year and doing whatever they can on or off the ice to improve by that time.

The entire team has high expectations for next season and are excited for the future of their team.

“I think we could go all the way,” Teggart said. “We even thought that this year, if we did have a season.”

Gramuglia misses out on national championship, senior season

2-sport athlete also competed with Oswego State golf team for 2 years

Photo provided by Oswego State Athletics After three seasons with Oswego State, Christian Gramuglia (top) finished his collegiate career with 46 wins, 27 of which came during his junior year.

Trina Catterson Staff Writer sports@oswegonian.com Oswego State senior Christian Gramuglia is in the same boat as a lot of other college athletes who had their 2020-2021 seasons taken from them due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately for Gramuglia, this was supposed to be his last year with Oswego State.

The Schenectady native chose to attend Oswego State for two different reasons: they had golf team

and a decent wrestling program, both of which he could see himself being on. Gramuglia played golf his freshman and sophomore year of college while simultaneously being on the wrestling team. Although he never started on either, he intended on stepping away from the wrestling team to pursue golf. Luckily, Mike Howard, the head coach of both teams, pushed Gramuglia back to the mat.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s on a golf course or on the wrestling mat, if there’s something on the line, he’s

trying to win,” Howard said. “I really respect Christian and his growth since arriving here as a freshman.”

Gramuglia has been wrestling for 17 years. His brother came home from kindergarten one day with a flyer, showed it to his dad, and the three of them ended up going to the tournament.

“My dad just kind of threw me on the mat … and that’s how it all started,” Gramuglia said.

He then went on to join the MiniMen Wrestling Club, worked his way up to the Journeymen Wrestling

Club and was on his high school’s varsity wrestling team as a seventh grader. Gramuglia thought he was done with wrestling after placing third at states his senior year of high school, but after coming to Oswego State, that soon changed.

Typical training for Gramuglia included 6 a.m. lifts twice a week, two-hour training sessions Monday through Friday and even more training if he had to cut weight.

All of this training has paid off as Gramuglia has placed in the top three in many different tournaments, including the Ithaca College Invitational and the McGinley Invitational at King’s College.

But he said his biggest accomplishment was making it to the national tournament.

“My biggest success was definitely making it to the national tournament with Charlie [Grygas] last year,” Gramuglia said. “It was the best one too.”

Unfortunately, the NCAA Div. III Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were canceled before Gramuglia and Grygas got to compete due to COVID-19.

Grygas is only a sophomore and still has a few years left on the collegiate mats.

As for Gramuglia, he is upset that he will not have one more year to prove his talent on the mat but is looking forward to a lot more things for his future.

“It sucks because it was my last year. It would have been nice to have one more season,” Gramuglia said. “But I’ve been home, doing all my classes remotely, and I’ve been searching for jobs to take the next step in life. We’ll see where it goes from here.”

On Oct. 18, 2019, I was laying in bed like an excited child before Christmas morning, just waiting to see what the next day would bring. Oct. 19 was the start of the 2019-2020 Oswego State men’s hockey season with its first exhibition game against Nazareth College.

I had so many interesting story ideas for the season. It was my second year on the men’s hockey beat for The Oswegonian, and I was looking to improve on the last season as a writer.

Exactly one year later, instead of tweeting out my “Laker Gameday Preview,” I had to tweet out, “Winter sports are officially canceled for the SUNYAC.” My heart sank. Sure, I am not a studentathlete losing out on a season, or a parent that has to deal with the heartbreak of not attending any games throughout the season. But I lost out on covering the men’s hockey team for a third year, something that is near and dear to my heart and would have been my last season.

It was one of those surreal moments in life that you just cannot fathom. I sat down at my desk and stared at the wall in shock.

It finally happened. I saw other leagues, like the NESCAC with close-by Hamilton College cancel its winter season. I laughed it off, saying it was too early to make a decision. It was not going to be bad enough for the SUNYAC to cancel in October.

The SUNYAC had even released preliminary schedules for men’s and women’s basketball, plus men’s hockey. It gave me a glimpse of hope that it was finally happening, even if it was pushed back until February. They were later taken down and called “drafts” that needed to be approved.

One week later, the SUNYAC came back and canceled winter sports. The Northeast Women’s Hockey League, which hosts Oswego State women’s hockey along with several other SUNY schools, canceled the season not too long after.

A petition was created by Buffalo State freshman Joe Glamos.

Sophomore Joe Kile of Plattsburgh State wrote a long and emotional piece on Medium. Numerous tweets were sent out begging the SUNYAC to reconsider. Suddenly, student-athletes whose passions were just stripped away from them were using their voices.

COVID-19 has taken its inhumane toll on the world. Nothing has been “normal” since March when students were originally sent home. In hindsight, the SUNYAC was going to be forced to make this decision. A hockey season, as optimistic as I was, was not possible. Schools and teams need as much time to prepare as possible. Returns to campus need to be prepared, practices need to be scheduled and travel to games needs to be coordinated. But with the drafts, that would have already been planned. All that needed to be voted on was if the season was going to happen or not.

But, this decision needed to be made later in the semester, not in the middle of October. There is too much time between October and January to come up with a solution that would have been safe for student-athletes and coaches to have a modified season, assuming COVID-19 does not gain more traction.

INSIDE

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‘Little Hope’ provides narrative-based horror

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of ‘The Witches’ flops

‘Happy’ shows student spirit

FRIDAY Nov. 6, 2020

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

‘Borat’ sequel proves to be equal parts hilarious, controversial

Ethan Stinson Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating:

Since its 2006 release, actor-comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) mockumentarystyle satire “Borat” has remained both popular and infamous among audiences worldwide due to its racy brand of humor. Despite its fictional protagonist and story, a good portion of the film is dedicated to his reallife interactions with American citizens, some of which sparked significant controversy amidst the parties involved in these encounters. Despite Baron Cohen performing similar pranks as different characters, the overwhelming popularity of “Borat” following its release prompted the actor to retire the character, as he had simply become too recognizable for the actor to maintain a low profile while filming as him in later appearances.

In 2020, the public was shocked to learn that Baron Cohen had in fact resurrected the Borat character and had been secretly filming a sequel, titled “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.”

Remaining in the same satirical spirit as its predecessor, the sequel follows the eponymous Kazakh journalist, alongside his daughter, Tutar (Maria Bakalova, “Last Call”), as he once again tours America, this time in the middle of a presidential election and a global pandemic.

In the process, the film provides a renewed commentary on American culture, which proves to be all the more timely and hilarious given that we are still living under these conditions.

The film finds Baron Cohen, alongside Bakalova as they target real life individuals for their pranks and antics. Such people who fall victim to these surreal events include current Vice President Mike Pence, and former Mayor

of New York Rudy Giuliani.

Regardless of the person or situation, both performers show intense devotion to both their characters and schtick, thus allowing for authentic, often bizarre, interactions to occur. Overall, the film’s comedy prospers by maintaining the same gutsy, often shocking nature of the first film’s humor, though it may be slightly less memorable in the long run.

Where the film really shines is through its story, which in comparison to the first film, is significantly more coherent and heartfelt. This comes through the addition of Tutar as a character, as we see her and Borat’s relationship as a father and daughter gradually develop, thereby allowing for some rather sweet and often hilarious moments.

Furthermore, this allows for Borat to experience a lot more development as a character than he had in the prior film, as his daugh-

ter’s presence causes him to begin questioning his own morals and lifestyle.

Full disclosure, this film is not for everyone. It’s star and creator’s willingness to push boundaries and do seemingly almost anything for the sake of comedy may be too much for some. Others may find that its shock value makes for a riotously hilarious outing.

Regardless, the film succeeds in providing a rather intelligent, albeit unsubtle, approach at conveying a satirical look into Ameri-

can culture and politics.

All the while, it provides for a rather heartfelt story which greatly improves the titular Borat as a character overall, all while still being able to maintain the bumbling personality and eccentric mannerisms which give his character so much appeal. Although its predecessor still reigns superior, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” still certainly justifies its own existence, and it stands as a remarkably worthy sequel to an iconic comedy.

Image from ONE Media via YouTube The effects of Cohens film have even reached public leaders and government figures.

‘Little Hope’ delivers scares in narrative-based horror Stephen Novak Laker Review Editor snovak@oswegonian.com

Rating:

“The Dark Pictures: Little Hope” proves to be a rarity for horror fans that can find themselves unimpressed by contemporary gore or action-filled zombie games. Supermassive Games (“Until Dawn”) have dedicated themselves to creating horror games where escaping isn’t about accuracy or combos, but one’s ability to make reasonable deductions about their situation. After last year’s “The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan,” the series continues with “The Dark Pictures: Little Hope.”

The premise is that four college students and their professor end up taking a detour while on a school trip, leading them through the titular town of “Little Hope.” Here they find that the town itself is alive

and has a personal grudge with each of the characters, sending out demons that wish to drag their souls to hell.

Persisting consequences are the true terror of “Little Hope.” If one of the players finds themselves caught by a demon, death will follow, and there are no retries.

The story will simply continue with the loss of that character, with everyone else vocalizing their feelings about the gruesome end they just witnessed.

The gameplay has players wandering through the town and collecting items.

These objects can range from things like a weapon, to a document that reveals more of the town’s history, to magical pictures that show the player a glimpse into the future. These pictures never fail to be unsettling, often showing uncomfortable ways to meet ones demise. These outcomes are never set

into stone, but the thought of knowing they could happen is enough to unnerve most.

When not walking around, one can talk to the others in their party, shaping relationships and setting up consequences that might come back later. Alongside these long-

term causes, the player also has to choose what to do in dangerous situations, whether run or hide, shoot or don’t, save this person or save someone else. This conflict can often resolve itself through quick time events, where a button quickly flashes on screen for the player

Image from IGN via YouTube The town of Little Hope is full of mysteries and keeps players theorizing.

to press. If the button isn’t pressed in time, they might find themselves quickly dragged away in chains.

While not as exciting and action-packed as it can be, the game capitalizes on inducing the player’s own anxiety by creating a tension that the player only has one chance.

The previous entry into the anthology, “Man of Medan” was notable for its visual glitches, bad acting and awkward writing. “Little Hope” has improved on these in a number of ways.

Will Poulter (“We’re the Millers”) pulls off a decent performance as Andrew and the dialogue has a degree of three-dimensional writing to encourage players to try and deduce the town’s mysteries on their own. It sparks a glimmer of hope for the next iteration of the anthology, “House of Ashes,” which was announced right after the release of “Little Hope.”

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

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Glam band The Struts release 3rd album ‘Strange Days’

Dallas Barrigar Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: In strange times like these, people will turn to music to find clarity, a glimmer of hope or a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. With nothing but time, listeners seek to expand their musical horizons and many have discovered the English rock band The Struts through their third studio album, ‘Strange Days’ 2020. This rocking quartet from central England formed back in 2012 and have been flaunting their talent on stages around the globe ever since.

The band, fronted by singer Luke Spiller and lead guitarist Adam Slack, has built a reputation for hosting an act which can only be described as unapologetically glam that leaves audiences soaked in sweat and mascara.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has thrown many a wrench in The Struts plans. Not only

have all concerts been postponed since March, but the release date of their latest album has also changed. Songs that the band had played live to hype up the release of said album do not appear on “Strange Days.” It seems that the planned record has been shelved for a future, unknown release date. Instead, all 10 tracks that appear on “Strange Days” were reportedly recorded in just as many days while in lockdown from the member’s home studios and living rooms.

The Struts have flirted with featured artists on their previous record Young and Dangerous (2018), where vocal duties are shared with American singer Ke$ha on Body Talks.

Of the 10 tracks on “Strange Days,” four of them feature an accompanying artist. These guest appearances range from British pop star Robbie Williams of Take That” to guitar legend Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine.

All features on this album

can be seen as collaborations with some of the band’s musical heroes and inspirations, rather than strategic picks for marketing viability.

Compared to The Struts previous collaboration with Ke$ha, the features found on this album do not contribute as much to the overall listening experience.

Where Ke$ha’s contributions enhance “Body Talks,” the features on this album could have simply been stand-alone Struts songs.

This is not to diminish the songs found on this album, however. The “big, fat chorus” of “I Hate How Much I Want You” and the driving riffs of “Wild Child” are host to great examples of vocal performance and musicianship from the featured artists.

Gems such as “All Dressed Up, Cool,” and “Am I Talking to the Champagne” miss the glam of an associated big name, but do capture the energy and express the themes that have made audiences fall in love with these high-

rather low on the list of Dahl adaptations. Though it may have the glitz and glamor of modern CGI on its side, in addition to a rather amiable cast, the film ultimately feels mostly soulless and overdone. Rather than improve upon its predecessor, the film instead is flashier and over-the-top, thus providing for a cringe-inducing, albeit slightly genuine, experience which will certainly disappoint

fans of both the original film and Dahl.

On paper, it looks like the film should have been more than capable of surpassing the original’s quality. With director Robert Zemeckis (“Back to the Future”) sitting behind the camera, in addition to stars such as Anne Hathaway (“The Last Thing He Wanted”) and Stanley Tucci (“Beauty and the Beast”) headlining the

boy band

Image from The Struts via YouTube The British glam band filled its album with guest appearances like Tom Morello.

voltage British rockers.

The Struts have achieved moderate chart success on previous outings, finding top 20 status on U.S. Rock charts.

This album has changed that.

“Strange Days” has peaked at No. 11 on the U.K. Official Albums Top 100 Chart.

Previously, the best ranking the band achieved on the same chart was for their debut album, “Everybody Wants” (2016), peaking at No. 55. The album and its accompanying singles have yet to

appear on the Billboard 200 or U.S. Rock charts.

‘The Struts’ have already made an impact on rock audiences with their shameless live performances and are leaving an ever-growing presence on musical charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

This album could help propel ‘The Struts’ to even greater mainstream success. With the future of live music still uncertain, the energy from this album may have to sustain them well into 2021.

film, it really felt as though it could have been quite captivating and special. Instead, the film presents a rather watered-down rendition of the original story, which does very little to promote any desires for a rewatch.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the film is its screenplay which, alongside Zemeckis and writer Kenya Harris (“Shaft”), was written by fellow filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape of Water”), who has been well established in the industry for his own wow-inducing films. However, the collective talent among these individuals shows in the screenplay, which feels woefully expositional and unoriginal, with a great deal of cliched lines and phrases somehow making their way in. As a result, the majority of the characters feel rather unmemorable, as they are not really given anything to help their personalities stand out.

As such, a great deal of the film, despite the elements specifically taken from the work

of Dahl, ultimately feels rather generic and boring as a result of an uninspired screenplay.

Like most modern remakes of classic children’s films, “The Witches” takes advantage of modern technology, mainly CGI, in order to generate enhanced visuals, though it also follows suit by perhaps overusing it. More specifically, the original film made innovative use of practical effects to create its weird and morbid nature, while this film utilizes CGI for the same result.

However, the end product ultimately feels overdone and disorienting, and it does little to recapture the magic or strangeness which makes the original memorable.

This goes on to affirm the film’s main issue, which is its drive to be even creepier and more magical than its predecessor. Unfortunately, its efforts were ultimately in vain, as the film’s half-hearted attempts at being eerie and magical ultimately make it feel more forced and lackluster, if anything.

‘The Witches’ fails to capture author’s original vision Ethan Stinson Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating:

The expansive library of film adaptations of the works of author Roald Dahl is characterized by the varied quality and memorability of the works within it. On one end, you have films such as “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” which is still beloved by fans young and old due to its ever-endearing charm. On the other hand, films such as “The BFG” have become quite forgettable since their release, thus showing that not all works may be successfully adapted for the screen.

More toward the middle of the spectrum is 1990’s “The Witches,” which may hold its own merit and memorability due to certain aspects, especially the makeup effects, but ultimately stands as rather average fare.

The 2020 remake of “The Witches” unfortunately ranks

Image from Netflix via YouTube This adaptation of Roald Dahl’s work fails, despite the talented director behind it.

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

‘#Alive’ pushes many boundaries for zombie film genre Cameron Ratliff Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: The zombie film genre is perhaps one of the most famous yet oversaturated in all of horror, especially with Western audiences. With countless movies, video games and television shows, it would seem that the traditional undead ghoul has been dried up and left for dead, so to speak.

However, zombies are seeing a renaissance in South Korean Cinema, with films like “Train to Busan” and “Peninsula” being praised for breathing new life into the genre, while providing their own unique takes, and it seems that Cho II-hyung’s “#Alive” is gladly continuing this trend.

Taking a much more psychological, character-

driven approach to the zombie apocalypse, the film follows a video game live-streamer named Oh Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in, “My First Client”), who finds himself trapped alone in his family’s apartment when a mysterious virus ravages Seoul and turns its citizens into bloodthirsty zombies. As he struggles to survive, he faces the dangers of isolation and hopelessness as his mental health begins to break Image from Netflix via YouTube down and his supplies “#Alive” creates a post-apocolyptic world never seen in zombie horror. dwindle. However, when ready for. He manages to getting right to the point, he makes contact with a make Joon-woo a very vul- with the world becomresourceful young woman nerable and human char- ing an undead nightmare named Kim Yoo-Bin (Park acter while not making him within less than five minShin-hye, “The Gifted a comically ill-prepared utes into the running time.

Hands”), they quickly work jerk. Likewise, Shin-hye The characters are given together to survive and es- excels as Yoo-Bin, creat- little to no background incape with their lives. ing an empowered female formation while dialogue The cast is small, but character that remains and exposition are kept at they all give first-rate per- down-to-earth. Both inject a minimum. The tension formances. Ah-in is fantas- the film with depictions of and dread are balanced tic as Joon-woo, a young desperation, fear and hope, out of scenes of levity and everyman who finds him- elevating it beyond your genuine tragedy. The cinself in an unimaginable usual brain-muncher work. ematography offers some situation no one would be The film wastes no time clever scenes involving a

flying drone. Many of the characters’ struggles mirror our own situation in the COVID-19 pandemic. Some scenes see Joon-woo passing the time by playing video games and scrolling through social media the same way we do, albeit without the threat of ravenous flesh-eaters in our case. The story itself offers a message of maintaining hope and humanity through connection.

There are, of course, some minor flaws here and there. Much of the first half of the story is slow, though not in an unnecessary way, and in a few of the situations, the characters are somewhat far-fetched. However, these are matters of personal taste and beyond these, “#Alive” is a welcome addition to the pantheon of zombie films as well as an excellent gateway into South Korean cinema.

iDKHOW dazzles audiences with synth-heavy ‘RAZZMATAZZ’ Mary Kate Moylan Asst. Laker Review Editor mmoylan@oswegonian.com

Rating: It has been nearly two years since the newcomer band I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME (iDKHOW) released its debut EP, “1981 Extended Play,” back in 2018. Made up of singer and previous Panic! At The Disco’s bassist, Dallon Weekes, and the drummer for Falling in Reverse, Ryan Seaman, iDKHOW really turned heads with the alternative scene when its debut EP launched many right back into the 80s. The duo’s debut album on the other hand, “RAZZMATAZZ,” was finally released after being delayed a week on Oct. 23.

Consisting of 12 songs, “RAZZMATAZZ” had a distinct sound that can really only be harnessed by the duo and Weekes distinct voice.

As singer-songwriter and vocalist for his previous group,

The Brobecks and the primary writer of Panic! At The Disco’s 2011 album, “Vices & Virtues,” his hallmarks range between the use of sleighbells and synth-heavy beats all while calling back on the eerie-edged sounds of the 80s. With songs that sound like they fit perfectly in any “Stranger Things” episode, iDKHOW records a majority of their music from Weekes’ home studio where listeners can here unique little acoustics for each song, some-

times even mistakes that give the songs even more creative perks, which were typically found more so in their first EP. “RAZZMATAZZ” takes the listener on a journey and sways them between catchy upbeat songs to almost adorable, self-deprecating ballads, to 50s doo-wop tunes, but one of the most surprising songs after a blind listen would have be halfway through the album with “Clusterhug.”

With all that has hap-

pened this year, the lack of new music in 2020 had many fans eagerly awaiting the duo’s album. It is also expected to kind of be swept up in an almost surreal analyzation of our modern times without being too jarring, but Weekes deviates from his typical mold by surprising the listener with fairly obvious words “beautiful quarantine” right at the end of “Clusterhug,” even slipping in the phrases within the second verse when saying “Darling you’re a holy quarantine.”

It almost goes to wonder if audiences will ever hear certain words again without thinking of the pandemic and perhaps this is exactly what iDKHOW wants the listener reflect upon in the little quarantine romance they create in this three-minute tune, but they quickly change speeds, allowing one of dismiss it before focusing too heavily on the introspective undertones.

The methods in releasing Image from I DONT HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME via YouTube Weekes and Seaman bring forward a new twist on razzle-dazzle. this album were quite genius

as well. Over the past two years, the band had released five of the album’s songs as singles, and rather than cramming them all right in a rough toward the beginning of the album, they’re evenly sprinkled throughout which allows for a sort of comfort.

This enables the listener to almost be more receptive to the new songs they’re hearing for the first time since they are bookended by one’s listeners have heard before. iDKHOW’s “RAZZMATAZZ” covers the likes of being away from family, and more importantly the lead singer’s young children in “Need You Here,” creating a narrative on the stereotypes of new musicians in “Nobody Likes the Opening Band,” as well as just having heartwarming songs like “Door” and “Kiss Goodnight.” Overall, iDKHOW creates a thoroughly beautiful and diverse album that is quite amazingly summarized and cohesively brought together in the last and title track “Razzmatazz.”

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

Student Film Spotlight 'Happy' Stephen Novak Laker Review Editor snovak@oswegonian.com During the pandemic, many find themselves feeling restrained or hopeless. The student short film "Happy" was about the lives of the film makers, who are just trying to enjoy themselves, undercut with a serene set of acoustic guitars for it's soundtrack and a lack of dialouge to puncuate the strong camera work.

The film was a part of the Oswego Film Clubs "Fresh Fest," where students are arranged into random groups and a simple prompt that they must then make a movie out of. "Happy Won" three awards for it's submission. Including "Best Editing," "Best Cinematogrophy," and "Audience Choice."

The film eschews an over arching plotline, instead opting to showcase the smaller moments of it's characters. People building rock cairns, watching sports with their friends and enjoying the outdoors. Often the shorts best moments are in it's still and quiet

shots of nature, where the camera is able to focus in on individual details, like dew on tree leaves or green fields.

There is some hint of relationship between the characters, without anyone speaking. While everything appears platonic, there are some hints of a deeper care as characters hold each others hands.

One of the cast members said "For me I’d say like it was a collective effort to show everything that makes us happy individually."

The diversity between their methods of keeping themselves entertained was the focal point of each shot.

Scenes keep themselves brief.

Often going no longer than a Image from "Happy" via YouTube few seconds. It's clear the film Photography is the films biggest strength, using a shakey cam to show various locales. makers went to great lengths to film multiple places around Film Club the Oswego campus. From the lake, to The Village, fields Awards Won outside of town, rolling hills, dorm rooms, and parks.

The film stands up as a good model of simplicity done well. While it does not have much in the ways of story telling or dialouge, it achieves what it's after. It sets a mood and consistently holds it for its short duration.

Best Editing Best Cinematography Audience Choice

Image from "Happy" via YouTube Each character in the film has a specific something that they enjoy.

"This film was about trying to relax during these uncertain times, showing what makes all of us happy so that we can express that there are things that are still here and still good."

-Hannah Mogavero, Film Director

James Bond actor Sean Conne ry dead at 90 years old.

Long awaited role-playing game "Cyber punk2077 " delayed until December.

Patrick Wilson rumored to direct "Insidious 5" film.

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FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

LAKER REVIEW

Crossword Puzzle

Across

Sudoku Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 block contains 1-9 exactly once.

1. Moreover 4. Talk amorously 7. Scorches 12. Edgar Allan ____ 13. Owned 14. Fool 15. Trap 17. Actress ____ Blair 18. School playtime 19. Mailbox item 20. Informer 21. Tuna container 22. Upper crust 24. Lure 29. Ear part 30. Expected 31. Enlightened one’s words (2 wds.)

32. Sounds systems 34. Lugged 35. SSW’s opp.

36. Had a meal 37. Give to charity 41. Ship’s rears 44. Remain 45. Motor City 46. Back tooth 47. Wriggly fish 48. Apply frosting 49. Appears to be 50. Supplement 51. Clinton’s party (abbr.)

Down 1. Copier 2. Naught 3. Depict 4. Morally pure 5. Rower’s needs 6. Poem of praise 7. Soundless 8. Rework proofs

9. Isn’t, slangily 10. Traveled on horseback 11. Heavenly light 16. Tidier 19. Behind schedule 21. Bring about 22. Raised railroads 23. Large amount 25. Mob scene participant 26. Small celestial body 27. Middling grade 28. Mogul ____ Turner 30. Over 33. Registers 34. Squeal 37. Water barriers 38. Musical instruments 39. Egyptian river 40. Eden resident 41. Look for 42. Friendly 43. Flower stalk 45. Lower grade

For this week’s puzzle answers ...

Go to Oswegonian.com and click on the Laker Review tab!

LAKER REVIEW

Tumor

by Kayla Elfers

Malevolent mastermind Makes morals a malignancy.

Someone so charming and benign At first changed his consistency.

Damaged deceiver dependent On getting what he wants: Cajoling and coaxing independent Individuals and with their hearts he taunts.

Calling, crying, characterizing These women with his wounds.

Wishing to wash away, empathizing With his terrorizing, tumultuous tunes.

Little lies longing A less-lasting love in lives.

Used in a malicious manipulating Game where his hurt ego thrives.

Naive. Not knowing His heinous intentions Are secretly sewing Women’s insecure interventions.

After he finishes using His objects, he gains their constancy And leaves. They see each other and his abusing Ways, wiring feelings of envy and jealousy.

Left lonesome and lied to.

Still struck by his charm and humor, Unable to understand the utopic man who Is not a man at all, but a tight tumor Around their hearts and minds, Slowly suffocating each of them And sometimes he grinds Against their hearts, killing one of a kind gems.

FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2020

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Shea McCarthy

Jacob Fallat