The Oswegonian 11/19/21

Look Inside: A3 Dance recital returns after two year hiatus

Friday, Nov. 19, 2021 VOLUME LXXXXVI ISSUE X SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

Writing Center offers peer-to-peer help Office of Learning Services there for students in need

Abigail Connolly Managing Editor aconnolly@oswegonian.com As the end of the semester approaches, the Writing Center provides students with resources to tackle final papers and research projects.

Located on the first floor of Penfield Library, the SUNY Oswego Writing Center offers students the unique opportunity to work with trained student tutors on papers and class writing assignments in a one-on-one setting. With 35 years of experience, Writing Center Director Steven Smith believes that peer tutors offer a comfortable and relatable environment for students those looking for writing help.

“They are students just like you coming in to get help and they can readily relate to the kinds of issues and challenges and frustrations that you are facing,” Smith said. “That’s why I have always been for peer tutors, it’s because students I work with, I see a different side when they come in and work with me, they don’t have a tendency to open

up to me and tell me all the issues and challenges they are facing.”

The Writing Center currently has 11 student tutors on staff, majoring in subjects from English and creative writing to computer science and zoology. Dominic Altamura, a computer science and logic minor, has been with the Writing Center for a year and a half, tutoring students who make appointments. Altamura encourages students to go to the writing center to get a more objective, specialized look at their writing.

“Everyone who is a writing tutor has pretty much excelled at writing in one course or another,” Altamura said. “It’s not just if you were to have one of your friends look at it and see it, it’s people who actually have a good idea on how to form papers, whether it be creative writing or a formal research thesis.”

Over the eight years at his position as director of the Writing Center, Smith has noticed a trend of students “panicking” when finals week begins. As SUNY Oswego’s finals week, Dec. 6 to Dec. 10, creeps closer, the Writing Center anticipates more appointments being made. Smith encourages students to get help as

soon as possible.

“If [students] anticipate any kinds of problems, any kinds of challenges in their courses with writing, they should come in and seek Writing Center tutorial assistance as soon as possible,” Smith said. “You need time for writing to ‘cool off.’”

The Writing Center uses the service “TutorTrac” in order for students to book appointments with tutors and view tutor profiles. The current hours of operation run Mondays through Thursdays 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Fridays 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sundays 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Students are permitted to make up to two appointments a week, although exceptions may be granted in certain situations. Aside from the typical, one-on-one tutoring sessions, the Writing Center offers in-person drop-in tutoring sessions with tutors Allyson Voerg and Emma Yusko. The drop-in hours run Mondays 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., Tuesdays 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Thursdays 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. To book an appointment or learn more information about the Writing Center resources, visit https://www.oswego. edu/ols/writing-center.

Abigail Connolly | The Oswegonian

CONTENT

The SUNY Oswego Writing Center is located within the Office of Learning Services on the first floor of Penfield Library and offers students a space to improve writing skills.

Calendar...................... A3 Crossword................... C6 Contact Info................ A2 Laker Review.............. C1 News............................. A1 Opinion........................ B1 Sports........................... B3 Sudoku........................ C6

Popular driver “Uber Josh” petitions to return on campus

Image via Josh Barbour

Images above were provided by Barbour and features several pictures with his “regular” customers.

John Custodio Opinion Editor jcustodio@oswegonian.com Joshua Barbour, known as “Uber Josh” among students, is a common sight around the night streets of Oswego, ferrying partygoers around town in exchange for $5 or $10. However, Barbour is a controversial figure among students and is a persona non grata on SUNY Oswego campus grounds. Barbour is petitioning for his persona non grata order to be removed.

Barbour started driving for Uber over four years ago, and only drove through the Uber app for two years. He said he decided to stop driving through Uber when people started messaging him directly to request him, a feature that Uber’s app does not allow. In his two years for Uber, Barbour said he gave over 7,000 rides which he said is an extremely high rate.

During the week, Barbour works a full-time job at a health insurance company. On busy weekdays and the weekend, he said he will drive until the people stop requesting him, and said he will average 50 to 60 rides on a Friday or Saturday.

Barbour’s vehicle is very distinct from other Ubers, driving a 2012 red Kia Soul with a custom logo, a $3,000 speaker system and custom lights in and out of the vehicle. Barbour said he has put more money into upgrading his vehicle than it is worth.

“When I first started out, I just

got out of a long-term relationship, seven years,” Barbour said.

“It was three months after I got out of that relationship that I started Uber driving because I needed something to do to occupy my time.”

Originally from Virginia, Barbour said he lived in Fayetteville for a few years before moving to Oswego after his relationship ended. He started Ubering to do something late at night instead of “moping around the house, miserable.”

Barbour said it was also the social element of driving that drew him to driving so much, giving him an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.

“In a small town like Oswego you drive around the same people a lot because there aren’t as many drivers,” Barbour said. “So you see the same people a lot, and it became more of like a service I would do for friends.”

When he was younger, Barbour said he would always be his friends’ designated driver and takes pride in getting people home safe.

However, while he sees driving people around as a way to help friends and as a side hustle, SUNY Oswego has deemed him a “persona non grata,” Latin for “person not welcome,” on campus grounds for violating state, local and college COVID-19 mandates in 2020.

Jump to A LETTER, A4

Sports

Opinion

Laker Review

News

TOURNEY CHAMPS

SEMESTER REVIEW

TAYLOR’S VERSION

DANCE RECITAL

B5

William Rogers | The Oswegonian

B2

John Custodio | The Oswegonian

C2

Photo via Youtube

A3 Image via Laker Life

PAGE 2

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

Weekend Forecast

Gonian Social

FRIDAY, NOV. 19 THROUGH SUNDAY, NOV. 21

Friday

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Sunday

Saturday

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H: 44 °

L: 36 °

H: 49 °

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70%

L: 38 °

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NEW YORK STATE

WEATHER FRIDAY, NOV. 19

Potsdam 39°/22°

Oswego 42°/30° Albany 44°/25°

Syracuse 43°/27°

Buffalo 41°/30°

Julian Bruni, 32, was arrested on Nov. 10 at 1:23 a.m. for criminal trespassing in the third degree following an incident in the City of Oswego.

NYC 48°/39°

Weather forecast provided by Brittney Sparceno from WTOP-10

Extended Forecast Monday

H: 48 °

L: 28 °

Tuesday

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70%

MONDAY, NOV. 15 THROUGH FRIDAY, NOV. 19

Wednesday

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Thursday

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Sean McAward, 20, was charged on Nov. 11 at 3:03 a.m. with disorderly conduct for unreasonable noise following an investigation conducted by the Oswego City Police Department.

Lee Williams, 25, was arrested on Nov. 15 at 2:29 a.m. for harassment in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, aggravated family offense and criminal contempt in the first degree after an incident that occured in the City of Oswego. **Police blotter information is provided by the Oswego City Police Department**

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Mark Hewitt, 51, was arrested on Nov. 10 at 2:12 p.m. for driving while ability impaired by drugs as a first offense after an incident that occured in the City of Oswego.

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On the Opinion Cover!

NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK We are so proud of each other and the whole club”

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

-Del Sarte PR Director Madeline Cornish, from A3

A3

Saturday recital marks return of Del Sarte Club comes full circle after last recital two years ago Brandon Ladd Editor-in-Chief bladd@oswegonian.com

Del Sarte Dance Club, the student-run organization at SUNY Oswego which has performed a recital at waterman theatre in Tyler Hall every semester for several years, is returning to the stage on Nov. 20 and Nov. 21 for its first in-person performance since Nov. 2019.

COVID-19 and the restrictions that came with the virus had sidelined the club’s ability to perform for a crowd in the theatre. The spring 2020 recital was cancelled due to students being sent home from campus and the fall 2020 and spring 2021 recitals were not able to be held due to capacity limitations on campus.

Gabriele Candela, the president of Del Sarte this academic year, gleamed when explaining what the return of the recital and club in general means to her.

“The first word that comes to mind is obviously exciting,” Candela said. “But of course nervewracking too. Basically, it has been two long years since we have been on stage. We are all just super pumped and excited to be back on stage, be back together, have an audience packed out to show all of our friends and family

our dances.”

Madeline Cornish, who is in charge of public relations for the club shared a similar sentiment to Candela’s. Cornish acknowledges that this is the first time the e-board has been able to put on a show, after having to endure the pause of last year.

“We are so proud of each other and the whole club,” Cornish said.

“Putting this all together with whatever restrictions, like masks.

I just think it is so exciting to be back on stage and get out there and dance for everyone.”

The crowd will even get to see the dancers’ faces, Candela explained, as the restrictions will not apply to dancers while they perform. Similar to the policy for indoor athletic events this semester on SUNY Oswego.

“They are allowing us to take our masks off on stage,” Candela said. “As long as we show a negative COVID test the week of [the recital]. So, we are allowed to dance maskless. We still have to wear one backstage. Then the audience will have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test, but no seating restrictions except the first two rows being blocked off.”

The club has had to revitalize itself following COVID-19, as many members graduated and it was hard to do recruitment through Zoom last year. Still, according

to the e-board involvement has been a pleasant surprise.

“Our club basically thrives off on face to face interaction,” Candela said. “In the studio, on the stage in Waterman every semester. So, last year we had to go completely virtual and everybody was sick of Zoom quickly. It was a disappointing year. This year has been our rebuilding semester.

50% of our club is new. We really rebuilt ourselves to what we used to be though.”

Cornish explained how this has helped advertising and public relations for the club as well.

“This year you see our signs all over campus,” Cornish said. “Social media has become a big part of our club and is a place a lot of people get our updates from. If the dancers need to know, it comes right through our social media.

Being able to be creative with that is what helps.”

The club will do a “Laker takeover” of SUNY Oswego’s instagram before the show but Candela stressed that going to the show will be the only way to get the full effect. The week leading up to the recital has been filled with practice and dress rehearsals as the club comes full circle in two years.

The return of Del Sarte has been the branding of the event and will be open to the public at 7 p.m. on Nov 20 and 2 p.m. on Nov. 21.

Oswego Empty Bowls Friday, Nov. 19 1:00 p.m.

MCC 145 Del Sarte Fall Recital: “The Return of Del Sarte” Saturday, Nov. 20 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

MCC 133 Open Skating Sunday, Nov. 21 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall, Ice Rink Planetarium Show: The Weird LIves of Close Binary Stars Sunday Nov. 21 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Planetarium, SHI 223

XXX

XXX

Image via Laker Life

The advertisment for the recital on Nov. 20 and Nov. 21 has been seen around campus and on social media.

Student Association meets at 6 p.m. every Tuesday in Lanigan Hall, Room 103

Guests of the Senate, Steven McAfee and Nicholas Marinelli presented thoughts on the Tuesday senate meeting.

McAfee, the executive director of auxiliary services presented ideas regarding the involvement and responsibilities of SA members.

McAfee advised that SA representatives should be accountable for actions and decisions taken and gave the advice that the budget process should be changed, services SA provides should be owned and funded and recom-

mended that members read, understand and follow the bylaws. Marinelli provided a discussion on the independent auditors report, giving the statement of the financial position which holds all the assets and liabilities of SA to the specific date. The audit indicated that the depreciation expense is the main factor impacting SA. In the letter of observations and recommendations, it was advised that some internal control procedures were not being followed, minutes should be read consistently to assure that all information provided is true and accurate.

In her executive report, SA President Takalya Beckon reported that discussions over renovations for academic spaces are underway, with an emphasis on having more spaces for students. The monthly budget meeting met and discussed holding the budget meeting earlier to prevent conflicts and problems from rising. A meeting regarding the flags in MCC has been planned for the upcoming semester to discuss the reinstatement of the flags. In her monthly meeting with SUNY Oswego President Deb-

orah Stanley, Beckon discussed future plans to remove club sports from SA with another way of providing funds. Beckon further reported that the Know Your Rights Campaign will have three events with a budget request of $700 to $900.

SLE.57.03 was tabled from the last senate meeting. After moving into debate, it was determined that the bill had to be tabled and amended again with the correct bylaw information included. The bill was tabled for a second time.

X

UBER JOSH from COVER

NEWS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

A4

Oswego PD donates bodycams to University Police

Used equipment serves as bridge to 2022 upgrades coming

Image via Josh Barbour

John Custodio Opinion Editor jcustodio@oswegonian.com In a letter sent on Sept. 17, 2020, and posted by Barbour to his Instagram account “@UberJosh89,” then-SUNY Oswego Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Jerri Howland cited screenshots from social media that were submitted to their office of Barbour and students in his vehicle without face masks on. Howland’s letter referenced New York and local mandates that state Uber employees and passengers must wear masks while in the vehicle. Citing Part 535.6 (b) of Title 8 NYCRR Ch. V, Barbour was declared a persona non grata on all campus grounds of SUNY Oswego.

In the letter, Howland said “Persona non grata status means that effective September 17, 2020 you are prohibited from entering onto the grounds or into any facility of this institution without prior written consent from this office.”

“If University Police finds me on campus grounds, I can be prosecuted for trespassing,” Barbour said. “And that means my car being on campus grounds, on the roads even.”

When Barbour received the notice, he said he was extremely surprised. Barbour said when he saw a parcel from SUNY Oswego, he was excited and hoped it was a gesture of thanks for getting students around safely. Barbour said his persona non grata will never naturally expire and it must be appealed to be removed.

“At that point, I had been driving for the local community for almost three years,” Barbour said.

“To and from campus, dropping students off, getting them home safe, and I thought the school was sending me something to acknowledge that; A thank you.

When I opened it, I was like, it this real?”

Barbour contacted the college in October of 2020 to request his persona non grata be overturned, and was denied. He requested again in April of 2021 and was denied again, so Barbour created a petition and posted about it on his Instagram to garner support from SUNY Oswego community members. As of Nov. 18, 58 signatures are on Barbour’s change. org petition.

Barbour said he wants to be allowed on campus again so he can drive students directly to their dorms instead of having to drop them off outside of campus. He said the closest he can get people to west campus dorms is Bev’s Dairy Treat, and just outside of Sheldon Hall for Lakeside campus dorms. Barbour said for students looking to get to Lakeside, he usually declines as he does not want people walking that far. Barbour said it is not about the money that he could get from campus rides, but from a place of good will and wanting to get people home safe.

However, sophomore Jarrad Wakefield says they were warned to avoid Barbour by their resident assistant, and have seen Barbour on campus despite being a persona non grata. Wakefield said he has seen Barbour driving on cam-

pus with his lights off to avoid being seen.

“When I’ve seen him driving multiple times down, what I think is called, Iroquois Way, over by west campus, with his lights off and coming onto campus with his lights off by Rudolph Way,” Wakefield said. “I think that indicates there’s some interesting stuff going on. All I have to say is if you’re a trustworthy and reputable person, you shouldn’t be turning your lights off to drive around campus.”

Around campus, Barbour is a controversial figure with rumors of harassment and inappropriate behavior against him. However, no formal charges have been filed against him and some long-time riders like Jackie Pagliocca do not believe the rumors. Pagliocca said over the past three years that if she was going out Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, she would usually ride with Barbour two out of the three nights and has never had any problems.

“He talks to me like I’m a regular human being, and not some “college girl.” Honestly, a lot of the times when I hear allegations against him, it’s coming from a man,” Pagliocca said. “And not to say anything about that, but it’s usually the guys saying ‘Oh, it’s Uber Josh’ and none of the girls I talk to have said anything about that. So I think it could have really been a rumor that has just been circulated and just the guys being protective over their girlfriends.”

Barbour said in the spring semester of 2019, a friend informed him people were spreading a rumor that he had followed an intoxicated student into Seneca Hall.

Barbour denied the allegation via Instagram post, and said he is still dealing with it two years later.

“You can google my name, it is public record, there is nothing outside of these anonymous comments,” Barbour said.

Online comments are a major source of rumors about Barbour, with Instagram comments and the anonymous forum app “YikYak” commonly hosting messages commenting on Barbour.

Under a non-college affiliated SUNY Oswego meme Instagram account post on Nov. 9, 2020, Instagram user @kylejspisak commented “Frick Uber Josh all my homies severely dislike Uber josh.” Others said Barbour was “creepy” and discussed him posting mostly pictures with collegeaged girls in his car or late at night to his Instagram.

Barbour said he thinks other Uber or Lyft drivers and people with personal problems against him started the rumors, and that he has not done anything to anyone.

“I became popular very quickly, and I don’t think [other drivers] liked that,” Barbour said. “So they started a rumor, and told one of their passengers ‘Oh, Uber Josh did this.’”

While Barbour and some students support his plight to end the persona non grata, SUNY Oswego has not made a statement about him. When reached for comment, interim Dean of Students Christy Huynh said via email that she had no comment at this time.

Image via City of Oswego Mayor’s Office Featured above from L to R: Mayor Billy Barlow, SUNY Oswego PD Chief Kevin Velzy andOswego Police Chief Phil Cady.

Spencer Bates Copy Editor sbates@oswegonian.com

City of Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow announced on Oct. 25 that the Oswego City Police Department has donated used body cameras to the SUNY Oswego Police Department.

This comes as an attempt by the city to assist in the gradual expansion of the SUNY Police Department’s line of body cameras.

Currently, the SUNY Oswego Police Department is in the process of upgrading their body camera system and the donated cameras will be used until the upgrade is scheduled to be completed.

The department’s Administrative Lieutenant Matthew Barbeau explained that the upgrade was needed for several reasons.

“Our contract with the vendor who provided the first body cameras that we had expired and then we had an issue with the server on our side,” Barbeau said. “[We] made a decision on going to a different product, which we’ve been in the process of doing, we’re just waiting on some grant information from the state.”

Barbeau explained that the problems with the server made it harder to transfer data with the body cameras. The donated equipment that the SUNY Oswego Police Department are receiving from city police will help with this issue as well as provide an easy transition to the cameras they will get once their official upgrade is complete.

“The cameras we’re getting

from them [are] going to be the same brand that we’re going to be going to, but obviously an upgraded model, a newer model,” Barbeau said. “So it’ll help when we finally do receive our new cameras it’ll make the transition seamless.”

In a news release, Barlow touted the importance of collaboration between the city and university police departments.

“Donating our used body cameras to SUNY PD is a great display of support and cooperation between two local law enforcement agencies and ensures the safety of all police officers and members of the public throughout Oswego,” Barlow said.

Barbeau explained that the city police department and SUNY Oswego’s police department already have a good relationship and this is just another collaborative project that strengthens the bond between the two. He also believes that the two departments working together, especially in a college town, is imperative.

“I like to think that we have a really good relationship with the city police department,” Barbeau said. “Obviously, we’re so close in proximity, they deal with our college students quite a bit for various reasons because we have a [large] population that lives in the city of Oswego while they’re attending classes here and we’ve worked with them in the past on different things such as DWI roadblocks or checkpoints and any time if we have to go into the city for a certain reason we call them for assistance.

We’ve backed them up on calls before when they’ve called us, when they need an extra officer to assist them with any number of factors.”

In regards to the community reaction, Barbeau does not believe there will be any surprises or outcry following the upgrade. He cited the fact that the SUNY Oswego Police Department has been using body cameras for years now as reasoning for his belief.

“I think a lot of people know that we already carry cameras,” Barbeau said. “We’ve had them since 2019 so it’s not really a major change, we’re just using a different style of camera, so I don’t envision anybody just finding out for the first time.”

SUNY Oswego originally launched their fleet of body cameras for university police officers on Feb 1, 2019. At the time they became the sixth State University force to employ the use of body-worn cameras. Former University Police Chief John Rossi Jr. said that it was important to get body cameras for the university police force to keep up with the times.

“Technology changes, and we do our best to keep up with it, to help us continue to make this a very safe campus,” Rossi Jr. said.

“Police body cameras have been an emerging tool to help defuse situations on the civilian side and allowing officers to use less force when necessary.”

The former chief made sure to note that suspects and defense attorneys will have access to the videos or audio files through the Freedom of Information Law so long as legal exemption does not apply.

The donated Oswego City Police Department cameras will be used by the police department at SUNY Oswego throughout the rest of the year and until their upgrade to an even more advanced version is complete in early 2022.

Image via the Oswegonian file photos

NEWS SUNY study abroad opportunities back Giving students pre-pandemic chances to see the world

Image via Javier Rodriguez The SUNY Oswego Study Abroad program returns after being put on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic for last three semesters.

Tomas Rodriguez Asst. News Editor trodriguez@oswegonian.com

Following a nearly two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic, SUNY schools are set to once resume study abroad programs this spring.

Study abroad programs were brought to a stall across SUNY during the spring of 2020 as nations worldwide declared lockdowns and other restrictions amid the worsening conditions triggered by COVID-19.

For SUNY Oswego student Romeo Yotat, the opportunity to be part of the first group of SUNY students to study abroad since the start of the pandemic, he said, means a lot.

“I always had studying abroad in the back of my head since my freshman year of college,” Yotat said. “I was thinking about it over the summer and I decided, ‘You know, let me take a risk.’

You never know when you are going to get another chance.”

Yotat said he was looking into completing the program

from Barcelona, Spain or London, in the United Kingdom.

“Knowing how much I love soccer and how I played soccer since I was little, I chose Barcelona because I wanted to really put myself out there and it is also out of my comfort zone,” Yotat said. “I never really traveled outside the country except for when I first came to America in 2008. This will actually be my first time traveling alone.”

Both Spain and the United Kingdom, along with France and Italy, the top four study abroad destinations in Europe for SUNY students, had been labeled as “Level 4” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention throughout the study abroad hiatus. The CDC identifies four levels of risk, with the fourth being the highest of all. Of those, only the United Kingdom remains at the highest risk level.

“The process really was long, but was really worth it,” Yotat said. “It has not really hit me yet. I’m honored I got accepted.”

Study abroad programs could be canceled at any time up to 30 days in advance of the start date.

“It has been stressful,” Yotat

said. “It is like gambling. Basically, we have until Jan. 15.”

Being part of history as SUNY resumes study abroad programs means a lot for him, Yotat said.

“The pandemic really had an effect on all of us,” Yotat said.

“Making history, going abroad and knowing this difficult situation, I get to learn a lot of things about myself. I am really excited to see the difference between Barcelona and America.”

If SUNY cancels study abroad programs due to the pandemic, refunds will not be issued, although they will allow students to complete the experience online or postpone until the summer months.

SUNY schools have been receiving foreign exchange students throughout the pandemic as individual institutions were able to make that decision on their own over the past year, although in order to send students overseas they needed to get the all-clear from SUNY, records show.

The Oswegonian has reached out to SUNY for comment on the status of study abroad programs but has not yet received a response.

Photo Brief Myth of Multitasking

Image via Laker Life

Annika Wickham Chief Copy Editor awickham@oswegonian.com The SUNY Oswego Advisement Center hosted Myth of Multitasking: Maximise Focus and Productivity via Zoom on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.

The event was hosted by Nicole Klinger, a graduate student who works in the advisement center. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss research that has been done behind the myth of multitasking, go over ways to improve focus and why it is important to know these things as a college student.

Klinger began the meeting with the question, “Is multitasking real?” and placed emphasis on the fact people often believe they are multitasking effectively, but in reality they are not being productive.

“When you switch between two tasks,” Kilnger said. “You lose that concentration, so it might be a small bit of time like 1/10 of a second, that’s what Reacher’s research says, but it adds up after a while, especially if you have a big project to do.”

She continued, saying that every time you have to refocus on a task, you are more likely to make mistakes because your brain has not had time to refocus.

According to the presentation, multitasking is harmful because it increases the production of cortisol, a stress hormone, and adrenaline.

“These hormone levels increase and it can actually cause your brain to overheat,” Klinger said. “It leads to foggy mental awareness and processing.”

Klinger said research also shows that multitasking can “tax the prefrontal cortex,” which decreases one’s ability to

problem solve.

“Not only are you less productive, it is not good for your brain and causes fogginess,” Klinger said. “You are more likely to make mistakes and you can’t process information well.”

At the end of the presentation, Klinger offered advice for students on how they can work more efficiently. She suggested batch processing, which is setting aside time during the day for specific tasks such as answering emails, creating goals and lists or using distraction blockers, which are online tools that force productivity, like Cold Turkey Writer that will lock your computer screen until a certain word count is reached.

Any students who have questions about how to be more productive can contact the advisement center via email at advisement@oswego.edu or stop by during their walk in hours.

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

A5

NEWS A6 SUNY Oswego offers Recovery Ally Training THE OSWEGONIAN

FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

Editorial Goodbye to Oswego

Training, "empowers participants," according to coordinator

Image via Tomas Rodriguez

Tomas Rodriguez Asst. News Editor trodriguez@oswegonian.com My time here at Oswego is coming to an end, with this being the last issue I officially sign off as the Assistant News Editor.

But the journey here has been one to remember, and show gratitude toward.

Having been diagnosed at a very young age with a medical condition called hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain,” I knew deep inside that everyone has a story to tell and I wanted to be that voice.

But I also knew I had to put my head down and work really hard to reach those ambitious goals of mine.

I still vividly remember when I began searching for colleges during my senior year of high school in Jensen Beach, Florida not really knowing where I wanted to go, or which degree exactly best suited my longer-term goals.

Some may say I landed in Oswego by accident. To an extent, they were not wrong.

At the time I was narrowing my college search, my brother was a member of the collegiate swim team here at SUNY Oswego. That allowed me to have one foot in the door.

My humble beginnings as a nightly news reporter and multimedia journalist at student-run WTOP-10 during my first semester as a freshman was just the tip of the iceberg.

Little did I imagine all that would happen next and where the journey would lead me.

I will admit, though, that freshman WTOP-10 reporter did not really know what he wanted to do with his life at the time. He did not even know if broadcast journalism was his true passion.

Of course, I had the pressure of following in my father’s footsteps and become a broadcast journalist.

Born to a 25-year broadcast journalist, I was destined to pursue a career in the field of storytelling.

By the end of freshman year, this reporter transitioned into newspaper journalism against all odds, proving his father’s expectations wrong.

My journey at The Oswegonian has taken a lot of unexpected turns,

I can assure you.

If something really did start as an accident, I guess that would be my first footsteps in print journalism.

My first byline for the student newspaper was actually a news package, or broadcast news story, produced for the newscast at student-run WTOP-10.

Then, once I had that foot in the door, I got my feet wet writing for the different departments in the paper, news, opinion and Laker Review.

But that was not the end of the journey and my involvement with student media here at SUNY Oswego.

When COVID-19 hit, I traveled to Spain to help my family and continue my degree remotely for what I thought would be just the summer months.

Rather, I stayed overseas through April of this year. That led to a whole set of unexpected opportunities and growth.

During this time, I was able to serve as WTOP-10’s foreign correspondent as well as start my own podcast with the student radio station, WNYO 88.9 FM. Here, I examined how international students and alumni living abroad had been impacted by the epidemic.

As I packed my bags to return stateside after spending merely one year overseas, I pondered applying for newsroom leadership roles at both WNYO and The Oswegonian.

To my surprise, I was selected to serve as WNYO’s news director as well as The Oswegonian’s assistant news editor. Later on, I was promoted to serve as one of two assignment managers at WTOP-10.

It is truly mind-blowing to think that I became the first Hispanic or Latinx student to simultaneously hold editorial roles across all three student media organizations, and I could not have accomplished this without your support.

I might have been the first to accomplish something of this magnitude, but I most certainly hope I am not the last Hispanic or Latinx to lead or assist in doing so across all three student media organizations at the same time.

So thank you, Oswego, for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime.

Image via SUNY Oswego There is a divide on campus to students as to which residence halls have more alcohol and drug abuse than others, according to Dewolf.

Annika Wickham Chief Copy Editor awickham@oswegonian.com

SUNY Oswego offers Recovery Ally Training to all interested students, faculty and staff as one resource of many in the pursuit to educate the community about alcohol and drug use on campus.

Recovery Ally Training, according to Trisha DeWolf, the alcohol and other drug program coordinator, is a short process that “empowers participants to learn how to support people in recovery from substance use disorders.” The program is one way DeWolf is attempting to educate students about substance use at SUNY Oswego and she said her goal is not to shame those who use alcohol or drugs, but give them the tools to make an informed decision before participating.

“Students are adults, they can make their own decisions,” DeWolf said. “But I want them to have accurate information first.”

As alcohol and other drug program coordinator, DeWolf has many roles, such as working with students, meeting with faculty, staff, Greek life and athletics to discuss substance use issues, organizing programs and educational events, acting as a liaison for students who need recovery options off campus and more.

More recently, DeWolf has started the conversation of creating a substance-free housing option for students who live on campus. She said that though some buildings like

Johnson Hall, which is the freshman-only dorm, should be drug and alcohol free because all the residents are underage.

“We don’t have a specific residence hall that is marketed as alcohol and drug free, but I think most students would know what halls have less substance [use],” DeWolf said. “Students talk, there are areas of campus that are known for more alcohol or drug use and moving forward I would love to see [substance free housing] as an option for students.”

DeWolf explained that for those who do not want to be surrounded by substance use, it is best to talk to other students or peer leaders because they know the dorms better than faculty or staff.

“Talking to other students is going to give them some insight on how SUNY Oswego is,” DeWolf said. “It’s best to come from other students, not necessarily me” More recently, DeWolf said she has heard from students that the use of cannabis products on campus has become more apparent, though she has not seen a rise in students breaking conduct. Because New York State legalized recreational marijuana in March 2021, DeWolf has more focus on educating students who are of age on different types and uses of the substance.

“Generally, when you tell someone not to do something, it’s not the best tactic,” DeWolf said. “We focus a lot on making sure students have the correct information, so they aren’t getting [inaccurate] information and they know safer ways to not only partake in cannabis [use], but with

other substances too.”

DeWolf also wanted to stress that even though New York passed the law, using cannabis products on campus are still not permitted, partially because SUNY Oswego receives grants from the federal government.

“We almost have two arms to this,” DeWolf said. “It’s illegal federally, so we’re not supposed to have it on campus, and then the other part of it is it violates our smoke and tobacco policy.”

In April 2021, SUNY sent out informational posters for colleges in the system to remind students that the laws about marijuana use on campuses had not changed. The posters had phrases like “Weed out the truth” and encouraged students to do thorough research before deciding to use, which aligned with the message DeWolf is trying to relay.

“We still need to educate students,” DeWolf said. “We need to educate them about things like cannabis concentrate, edibles, and how there are differences between those and regular smoking. We try to put out some educational harm reductionbased information for students so they can make the best decision.”

Due to COVID-19, DeWolf said all the educational programs she organized had to be online, which limited student attendance. With restrictions loosening on campus, DeWolf is hopeful that events will be able to be fully in-person and will be able to better serve students.

For more information about Recovery Ally Training or about substance use on campus, contact DeWolf at trisha.dewolf@oswego.edu.

Brandon Ladd

bladd@oswegonian.com

John Custodio

jcustodio@oswegonian.com

OPINION TRAVIS SCOTT’S ASTROWORLD

A B52 Photo from Flickr

OPINION

VOLUME LXXXVI ISSUE X

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

SPORTS SUNYAC CHIP B3 REMATCH Photo from Kailee Montross

How was the semester at The Oswegonian?

FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

B1

Best semester

Eternally grateful

Awesome time

This semester has been the best, hands down. It is been filled with long hours in the office, sleepless Wednesday nights and perfectly terrible newsroom coffee.

This may not sound all that great, but the best co-workers anyone could ask for has made it worth while. I will be forever grateful that I was pushed to become a copy editor because this really has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, even if the insane amounts of Pixie Sticks I have consumed in the office have taken years off my life.

This semester at the Oswegonian has been incredibly rewarding, from the late Sub Shop runs to the frantic InDesign edits. Each year the Gonian has been a place for companionship and creativity. This semester’s editions have only proved that point, with weekly issues back and a full office. I am eternally grateful for each and every writer, editor, creative director and reader for an amazing semester with this paper.

The first thing that comes to mind in my first full semester at the Oswegonian is opportunity.

The chance to better my knowledge of sports on this campus and translate that into broadcast for Oswego State Athletics has been awesome. As far as the atmosphere here at the office and the teamwork that we have, it has been an absolutly fantastic semster to be a part of this team.

It reminds me that there is more to college than just schoolwork, but the a feeling of belonging in the things we strive for and the people we want to be come the time we turn our caps.

- Spencer Bates, Copy Editor

- Abigail Connolly, Managing Editor

- Jack Perdek Sports Editor

From my seat: The Editor-in-Chief’s Column Winter is coming, along with spring’s graduation Take time to reminisce about the past, as the end is almost here

Brandon Ladd Editor-in-Chief bladd@oswegonian.com The mood around campus right now is an anxious one and it is not because of the looming deadlines in classes. It is instead of the looming snow that just will not fall.

It has sleeted, rained and sleeted some more the past two weeks, as the temperature during the day sits around 40 degrees and the temperature at night dips towards freezing. Fulton has received snow, Watertown has received some, even Buffalo and Rochester have seen flurries fall from the past weekend’s cell. The question presents itself, when will it snow on the frozen tundra that is Oswego?

The anxiety that comes with the first snowfall is warranted.

It has been at least seven or eight months since we last saw snow in Oswego and the colder temperatures make one desire the cold precipitation to fall around them. Also, the snow this time of year is historically lighter and still allows for travel around town and campus.

It is most importantly, more pleasing to look at when you The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935 walk the campus. Covering the fall scars of brown grass, bare trees and nasty wind whipping between buildings.

The campus community We want your thoughts on our coverage, campus and local issues, or anyneeds to be patient though, as thing regarding the Oswego State community. the text messages and direct messages in friendly group Email all letters as Word attachments to opinion@oswegonian.com or mail chats saying it is snowing have submissions to 139A Campus Center, Oswego N.Y. 13126 all been proven false. This anxiety might be the last wait for

snowfall for many SUNY Oswego students. I am in this boat as well, as just this week I signed up for my last four classes as a student this upcoming spring.

The wait for snow is similar to the wait for graduation. You know it is coming and you know it will be exciting, but it also brings doubt and a sudden flood of the past.

I am in disbelief at times that my years at SUNY Oswego are coming to an end this upcoming May, as my seventh of eight semesters as a student is going to be over in a few weeks leaving just one last metaphorical dance. As I signed up for classes and applied for graduation this past week, my mind started to race. I had memories of friends, classes and of course snow from the past three years.

I thought of my first class here at SUNY Oswego. It was a warm August morning and I had intro to playwriting, my creative writing elective class at 9:10 a.m. on a Monday. I remember sweating as I walked into Marano Campus Center and tried to find the second-floor classroom.

The professor for the class was professor Korbesmeyer, a longtime employee of the college, who had several roles over his decades at the campus.

He walked into the class and

provided us with our first lesson of the semester, it was in acting.

As he stepped to the front desk, he had what appeared to be the class roster in his hand. As he started calling out attendance, he stopped suddenly and yelled out “SH*T!” The professor then ripped the paper and stormed out of the classroom. It was shocking and when he came back he had a smile on his face.

It was almost like he knew that he had to calm this room of freshmen’s nerves before their first-ever college class. It was a brilliant act that worked and from there on, it was just a class. No different than any class in high school.

Just because this coming semester will be my last, after the first day I make myself laugh out loud for whatever reason it may be. It will just be another semester. I will apply the tricks and skills I have learned from past ones to be successful. I will laugh with friends and focus on the newspaper and the games I will broadcast during the semester tirelessly. Then I will graduate and enter the world. Like the first snow, it will fall soon enough. We will laugh as we walk in it and treat it with the timeless joy that we always have treated the first snow with.

THE OSWEGONIAN G UIDELIN ES

All writers must provide their real name, address, academic year, major and phone number (which will not be published).

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

Photo from Flickr SUNY Oswego will soon be covered by snow, with first snow usually in mid-November.

TIMMY

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 provided by William Rogers

OPINION

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

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Great Travis Scott not at fault for injuries Christmas semester at ‘Astroworld’ music festival crowd was not controllable by Scott season starts Oswegonian too early Spencer Bates Copy Editor sbates@oswegonian.com

Photo from John Custodio

John Custodio Opinion Editor jcustodio@oswegonian.com We made it, the final fall 2021 issue of the Oswegonian. Honestly, when I agreed to be the opinion section editor last April, after beating out the zero other applicants, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Seven months later, I could not have made a better decision. Not only from a “looks good on a resume” standpoint, but from a development as a person and a writer, and reinvigoration of why I am in college, joining the Oswegonian was the defining decision for this semester and every day I am glad I did.

Journalism is a tough profession, as are all forms of writing. Without a good grindstone, your craft becomes dulled and just plain bad. I know after the long summer and not writing anything from May to September, I was dull. My first two news articles this semester will never see my portfolio, and only barely appeared in the newspaper. With an honest lack of journalism classes at Oswego, if you are a journalism student and you are not writing at least once a month for the news section, I hate to say it but you are doing it wrong. It may not seem like it, it may not feel like it, but you are losing precious practice in a forgiving environment.

Oswego simply does not have enough journalism classes to get away with no Oswegonian involvement. For pure print or web journalism, there is intro to newswriting, advanced newswriting and reporting, investigative journalism and finally, digital and social journalism. Granted, it would be smart to spread them out over your junior and senior years, but I did not plan like that, nor is that realistic to actual print journalism jobs. As a senior, I often find myself on LinkedIn, JournalismJobs.com or Handshake looking for jobs post-graduation or just for fun. Just about every description says how many stories each reporter is expected to write a week, and it usually averages around four. Classes do not prepare you for that. The most I ever had to write in one semester was eight stories over 14 weeks of classes. The rate of writing is simply not enough to prepare future journalists for the fast pace of a legitimate publication.

Yes, this might be my most biased opinion article yet, but that is the beauty of the opinion section and each section of the newspaper. You have room to explore. I do not actively watch sports, but I wrote a sports article for the Nov. 12 issue and might have another one in for this issue, the Nov. 19. Rarely can you find a class so diverse and with such ability to grow and communicate with the editors.

Outside of professional development, everyone should get involved in a major club or professional organization. Besides being future LinkedIn connections and people to take a picture with at graduation, these people become your friends. Time in the office gets a lot easier when I am gossipping with the “Abigails”, throwing paper airplanes at Spencer or talking about my favorite professor with Annika. Even teasing Will about other clubs, discussing the weekend with Jack or minorly bullying Ladd and Diamond became the highlights of my week, even under some stressful times trying, or more so watching because the opinion section is pretty easy, to get the paper out by Thursday night’s deadline.

To journalists, join the paper. Not only do we need writers, but there will be plenty of staff positions opening soon. Build your resume, add to your portfolio, and come make some new friends. There is a world of possibilities out there, and you are severely limiting yourself by only doing class assignments.

As more and more details start to come out about the tragedy that occured at the Astroworld music festival, questions need to be raised as to what security measures were in place and the state of ethics of our society.

The Astroworld festival put on by rapper Travis Scott on Nov. 5 has already claimed nine lives with many more injured. The festival opened at 9 a.m. and by the time Scott took the stage at 9 p.m., 260 people had already been treated by the Houston Police Department due to what police described as “dangerous crowd conditions.”

According to authorities, things only got worse after Scott took the stage. Multiple reports were filed of unconscious people in the crowd with some needing CPR. Eventually, not even an hour into Scott’s performance, a Level One Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) was reported by authorities. Between the hours of 10 p.m. to around midnight, 17 people were reportedly taken to hospitals by ambulance, six of which were in cardiac arrest.

Scott’s lawyer told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that Scott was unaware of the MCI as his performance continued. This is where the lines of this story start to blur. Many people believe that Scott did know about what was happening in the crowds and still chose to perform, others believe the opposite in that there was no way Scott could have known.

Personally, I believe that thee was no way for Scott to know the conditions of the crowd and during his performance. Mid-set he may have

been able to see that the crowds were getting rough but as a performer, his job is not to stand up there and survey the crowd for incidents. His job is to perform.

Yes, there have been accounts of musicians stopping their sets as they see something happening in a crowd. However, at a music festival, during a very extravagant performance, at night, the crowds are going to be massive, there will be pushing and shoving but if Scott was to stand up there and scope out the crowd instead of giving the fans that came to see him the show he believes they deserve, not only would that be uncomfortable for the crowd, it would feel like a strange, off-putting form of detention. So no, I do not think Scott is at fault for not seeing what was happening in the crowds at the time of his performance, what I do believe he is responsible for is what took place in the 12 hours before he went on stage.

As I mentioned earlier, there

were multiple accounts of injuries and people taken to hospitals because of the dangerous conditions.

This is what Scott should have been aware of and, as the organizer of the festival, done something about it.

What that thing should have been, I am not sure, what I do know is that it was very obvious things were taking a turn for the worse long before Scott took the stage with no signs of anything resolving.

Scott is not the only one at fault here. Society as a whole has failed in this situation. It is tragic that as a population we have stooped to the level of feeling the need to charge merchandise booths, bust down barriers and trample over others, just to get a glimpse of a celebrity and the ability to attempt to impress others with stories that will become old news the very next day. Every new death that is announced to have been a result of the Astroworld music festival should be a slap in the face for humanity.

Photo from Flickr “Astroworld” drew 50,000 attendees to the Houston, Texas, event and resulted in multiple deaths.

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

Photo from Flickr

Sarah Skibickyj Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com Every year seems to be the debate of when the Christmas season officially begins and when people should start putting up Christmas decorations or start turning on the radio to listen to the popular Christmas hits. For some people this season starts on Nov. 1, for others it is the day after Thanksgiving when November is basically over, and you even have people who do not want the season to start until Dec. 1.

The Christmas season is definitely the best time of the year.

It is a holiday that makes people happy and there are so many festivities to take part in with friends and family. I would love for the Christmas season to be longer but it still does not necessarily need to start right after Halloween like I have seen many people do. It seems as if Thanksgiving just gets skipped over and people want to rush into Christmas.

Christmas music, movies and activities should be starting after Thanksgiving. Even though Thanksgiving is just one day out of the year and it is not technically a season like Christmas or even Halloween; I would still consider November fall time. It does not really seem fair to start Christmas things while it is still fall and there are

“It does not really seem fair to start Christmas things while it is Liam and Ashley’s Toliet Talk: Tyler Hall still fall and there While all are fine, sub level bathrooms flush away competition are still leaves on the ground.”

Liam Morgenstern & Ashley Perretta Contributing Writers opinion@oswegonian.com Tyler Hall is home to many restless art students who endlessly slave away at their various creations. At some point in the creative process, they need a break, a bathroom break. In this week’s article, we will be breaking down and reviewing the restroom facilities of Tyler Hall.

The building is split up into four levels: second level, central level, lower level and sub-level.

First, let us take a look at the second floor. The second level comes equipped with two gender-specific, single-stalled bathrooms and a gender-neutral bathroom. These bathrooms are great for a quick trip, but often have heavy traffic during class hours. When I go to utilize them I often find them occupied, and for an extended period of time, might I add. Due to this I usually end up making a quick trip down to the central level.

The central level is nothing special, the only thing it has going for it is the size of the single stall gender-neutral bathrooms.

Much like the second floor there are two gender-specific bathrooms and a single gender-neutral. One thing I would like to add is the lock on the men’s bathroom is quite finicky, you have to jingle it like Bobby Helms during the holidays for it to lock properly.

Another unfortunate letdown of the men’s bathrooms is an overall lack of decor, they feel very cold and institutionalized. Much unlike the women’s restroom, where there is a warm and welcoming ambiance accompanied by an in-

spirational quote reminding patrons to “be the sunshine.”

The lower level of Tyler Hall is constructed with two gender specific bathrooms and a single gender-neutral bathroom outside of the entrance to the Waterman Theater. While these bathrooms are in a somewhat central location, they are generally low traffic between class hours. These bathrooms are adorned in black tile, a very modern approach to bathroom design. The back wall of the women’s bathroom is covered in a vibrant red tile, which reminds me of the bathroom in “The Shining.” If I were to see the rumored ghosts of Tyler Hall, I would expect to see them here. One thing to note about these bathrooms is the awkwardly small handicap stalls. An asset to these bathrooms is that the sinks are not visible by the hallway. This allows for handwashing and outfit-checking privacy.

Within the sub-level there are six gender-neutral bathrooms.

These are prime bathroom real estate. This is an extremely low trafficked area, I have never seen another person in this area while utilizing these bathrooms. The stalls are also a large size, free of messes and no smells. There are only two critiques to these bathrooms. Unlike other bathrooms in Tyler, these have no available feminine products, a non-inclusive disappointment.

The toilets also have a moderate flush splashback, leaving a dash of water on the seat after you finish. I would consider this a minor inconvenience, less so for the user and more so for the next person. Regardless of the downsides, these six genderneutral bathrooms are the best bathrooms in Tyler Hall. Whether you are in for a quick trip or an extended stay, treat yourselves to the bathrooms in the sub level of Tyler Hall.

Photo from SUNY Oswego Tyler Hall, with four different levels, is home to the arts department of SUNY Oswego.

still leaves on the ground.

If someone were to play Christmas music before Thanksgiving, though I would not mind or be upset because it is still fun and there is no need to be a Grinch. There are definitely people out there who probably get mad at even the sound of Christmas music in early November and refuse for anything even remotely related to the holiday of Christmas to take place before Thanksgiving Day. Christmas decorations are also something that people seem to debate on and how early is too early to start putting them up in your house. Some people already have Christmas trees up. It seems a little early for that too. In my house we have fall and Thanksgiving decorations up until December so it seems odd to put Christmas decorations up all through November. Even though it is fun and festive and puts people in a good mood, December is definitely a better time to start to put up a tree and other Christmas decorations.

There are so many things to do during this season with the music and movies, gift giving and opening, decorating the tree or even winter activities like playing in the snow or drinking hot chocolate. There are a lot of enjoyable things that go along with Christmas that do not really go with fall time.

On a deeper level as college students we are also away from our families and places we call home which could also affect a person’s mood.

Christmas is not all about the decorations and presents. It is also about time spent with others and what fun activities you can do with them during the Christmas season.

The Christmas season is something that a lot of people enjoy and look forward to every year but every year it seems as if the season is starting too early. After Thanksgiving seems to be a happy medium of when to start getting in the holiday spirit.

SPORTS Rodriguez breaks paraswimmer record, 34:08 Holman confident Laker swimmer would set new limits

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

Sports Writer’s Column

Gross’ Takeaways: men’s soccer 2021

Michael Gross Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com Rosanne Beltran | The Oswegonian (Pictured in the lane) Tomas Rodriguez swimming in para-swimmer butterfly event at Florida in 2018, training for record time.

John Custodio Opinion Editor jcustodio@oswegonian.com

Oswego State men’s and women’s swimming and diving lost in its meet against Clarkson University on Nov. 6, but coach Mike Hallman is looking forward to getting back into shape after not being able to practice over the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lakers lost 97 to 147, but as a blend of individual and relay competitions, according to Hallman, winning overall is not the end-all be-all of the sport. Hallman also attributes the loss to team illness and injuries, and thinks that in perfect health, the Lakers would have had a good chance.

“I think if we were fully healthy, it would have been a much closer meet,” Holman said. “A meet that we possibly could have won, but it just wasn’t in the cards right now where we’re at, so it is what it is.”

Hallman said it was a tough transition back into the season after not being able to practice for 21 months, with the last Laker practice in February of 2020.

“I think the obvious is that we weren’t allowed to do anything last year, and that makes a year and a half plus out of the pool for most of the kids,” Holman said. “And that is not an easy thing to do in this sport and I think we’re seeing the consequences of that.”

Other SUNY schools such as Geneseo and Cortland were allowed to practice over the shutdown, and as a practice-heavy sport, Hallman believes it to be a major contributing factor to the Lakers’ performance so far.

However, some Lakers stood out like Zach Brown, edging out the competition in

the men’s 50 meter breaststroke by just under a second. In diving, Eric Dzierzgowski dominated the men’s one meter diving, scoring 173 over Clarkson’s 135.85 to bring home nine total points.

Paralympian and senior swimmer Tomas Rodriguez potentially broke the para-swimmer S9 category record for the men’s 50 yard butterfly, beating the previous record time of 40.76 seconds with his time of 34.08. The confirmation process can take up to two weeks, but Rodriguez is confident that it will be accepted.

From the women’s dive team, Laura Bornheimer scored 157.05 and Jessica Azoulay scored 140.10, receiving nine and four points respectively. The pair brought home four and three points respectively in the one meter dive. Twyla Nastasia won nine points in the 800 meter freestyle with a final time of 10:18:51, and the relay team of Margaret Romano, Eva Potvin, Grace Parente and Alexia Lemus came in a close second in the 200 meter medley relay at 2:12.89 to Clarkson’s 2:10.44.

The tight races could be attributed to the specifics of Clarkson’s pool being measured in meters, as the Lakers are accustomed to yards, which Hallman said may seem like a miniscule difference but can change the flow a swimmer is used to.

“This is always a weird meet for us because Clarkson is a 25 meter pool and all of the other pools we swim in are 25 yard pools,” Holman said. “So a meet like that, the times don’t mean a whole lot because they’re not what we’re used to, and not that it’s a way longer distance but it does have an effect on you when you’re not accustomed to the extra strokes on each length.”

Senior swimmer Eva Potvin agrees

with Hallman, saying the change from yards to meters was a problem.

“None of us really knew what a good time was because short course meters is swam so rarely that you just had to go in and try your best,” Potvin said.

However, Potvin is proud of her team and is excited for the rest of the season.

She said it has been a hard adjustment coming back to the season after such a long time off, and the team has suffered a lot of illness and injury.

“Swimming is really demanding so when you take that much time off, you just can’t expect your body to do the same thing,” Potvin said. “But we need it to, to get to where we want to be by the end of the season.”

Potvin does not see the meet against Clarkson as a complete loss, as some swimmers and divers performed excellently. She also sees it as a necessary evil to get the team into high gear.

“We had a really good home meet against Oneonta, and we got a wake up call against Clarkson,” Potvin said.

“We got comfortable, then we got kicked in the butt.”

Outside of the meet, Oswego State swim and dive participated in the “Hour of Power” relay on Nov. 9 in honor of the late Ted Mullin, a Carleton College swimmer who died in 2006 from sarcoma. Participants swim or exercise for one continuous hour in Mullins honor, and in the past 14 years participants across sports and organizations have raised $880,000 for cancer research. While the Lakers did not raise any funds this year, swimming the relay raises awareness about the event and honors Mullin.

B B33

A couple of weeks removed from the SUNYAC men’s soccer championship, many have turned their attention to the winter sports of hockey and basketball. While that is fully expected as the weather gets cooler, it is important we reflect on what was one of the best seasons in Oswego State men’s soccer history.

Given the nature of this team over the past few years under head coach Dan Kane, the spirits have been high and the ceiling has been even higher. The Lakers finally hit their stride during the 2021 season and their hard work paid off as they fought their way to the SUNYAC championship. The young core of talent this team possessed was a key piece to this equation.

Sophomore Kyle Genrich had four goals and two assists this season which makes him the leading point scorer on the team with 10. His role as an attacking midfielder allowed him to cut through defenses and deftly find open space which is his forte. He burst onto the scene when he scored the equalizer against Morrisville State in the Lakers first game of the season.

A key pair of freshman, Hajoon Lee and Kyle Hanner, also deserve recognition for the plethora of talent this team showed over the course of the season. Hanner’s speed along the end lines allowed him to get in behind defenses and cause problems for many teams on the wing. As for the younger Lee on the team his presence was felt in tight spaces as he dug his way out of collapsing defenses to either find the back of the net or find a teammate that would.

These two combined for 16 points.

William Rogers | The Oswegonian

But it goes without saying that a trio of leadership on this team gave the structure possible for this remarkable run in the SUNYAC: seniors Brian Terra, Ryan Young and Caleb Munski.

Forget the point scoring or minutes played by these three, their captainship was worth so much more than numbers on a stat sheet.

Terra, now in his fifth year at the school, has been the centerpiece to Kane’s teams over the past few seasons, and with good reason considering the Bay Shore native has been one of the top goalkeepers in the SUNYAC each year he sported the green and gold.

Young will have the option to return next year as he is eyeing an extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA following the COVID-19 pandemic’s cancellation of the 2020 season. A player with many tricks up his sleeve, Young’s ability to create chances in any aspect of the game, his two-way ability to play the game and a vocal leader, on or off the field, makes him an important potential returner for the men’s soccer team.

Munski also has a season of eligibility left and what a treat if that means he gets to return for next season. His defensive prowess and ability to read the game better than just about every player on the field is something that the Lakers will certainly take back.

In terms of success, the uncertain feeling that many have should not be a worry when the 2022 fall season comes around. The aforementioned players are only scraping the surface of what Kane and this Lakers team has to offer when they return to the field next year. The Oswego State men’s soccer team has finally put themselves on the map and it is time that people begin to recognize them as a top-notch program in the SUNYAC.

Thank you for sticking with us, more sports coverage in 2022!

Fall sports 2021 photo gallery

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics

William Rogers | The Oswegonian

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics

William Rogers | The Oswegonian

William Rogers | The Oswegonian

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics

Shore Report

* - Indicates NEWHL Standings #- seed clinched x- playoffs clinched e- eliminated

SUNYAC Standings

Men’s Basketball Overall Brockport 2-1

Streak W2 L1 L1 L3 L1 L1 L1 W3 L1 L1

0-1 1-2 0-3 0-1 0-0 3-1 3-0 1-2 0-1

Conference 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Overall 5-0-0 5-0-0 2-2-1

Conference 3-0-0 3-0-0 2-0-1

Points 9 9 7

3-2-0 2-3-0

1-2-0 1-0-0

4 3

Fredonia Plattsburgh

3-2-0 2-3-1

1-0-0 1-2-1

3 3

Morrisville Potsdam

0-5-0 0-4-0

0-4-0 0-4-0

0 0

Buffalo State Cortland Fredonia Geneseo New Paltz Oneonta Oswego State

Plattsburgh

Potsdam

Men’s Hockey

Brockport Geneseo Oswego State Cortland Buffalo State

Women’s Hockey (NEWHL) Overall

Conference

4

Canton Morrisville

3-0-1

1-0-1

3

2-2-1

1-1-1

3

Oswego State

3-2-1

1-2-1

3

Potsdam Buffalo State

1-2-1

0-1-0

1

0-3-0

0

POT: 0-2-0 (0-2-0) COR: 2-1-0 (1-1-0)

W3 W2 W2 L4 L1

2-1

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

3-0 3-0

0-0 0-0

W3 W3

HAR: 1-0 (0-0) COR: 0-1(0-0)

22:

After a 22 point performance in the Championship game of the Max Ziel Tournament, Oswego State men’s basketball guard, Kaleb Cook, was named Tournament MVP. Cook’s 22 points made up a third of the Lakers’ entire scoring in the 6348 win over Hobart College. Other notable scorers in the game include sophomore Jeremiah Sparks who had 15 points, and Jamal Achille who had 9 points. With the

Drew-Mead: 2 goals Unsworth: 2 goals Boric: 1 goal, 1 assist

PLA:

Haas: 6 shots Grugin: 3 shots Teggart: 3 shots

CLA:

Sparks: 18 pts, 3 Ast, 8 Rebs Cook: 15 pts, 6 Rebs, 1 Stl Crittendon: 15 pts, 2 ast, 1 Reb

OSW:

Women’s Basketball Tuesday, Nov. 16

39-75 Lazo: 16 pts, 2 Rebs Roche: 7 pts, 9 Rebs Lennon: 6 pts, 6 Rebs, 4 Stl

DEL: OSW:

Pickett: 13 pts, 16 Rebs Johnson: 12 pts, 8 Rebs Giles: 10 pts, 4 FGM

Women’s Basketball Friday, Nov. 19

Streak L1 L1

5:00 p.m.

OSW: 2-1 (0-0) POL: 0-1 (0-0)

Women’s Hockey

Men’s Basketball

@

@

7:00 p.m.

3-1 2-1 2-1 0-4 2-1

49

5-0

Friday, Nov. 19

Conference

55

Saturday, Nov. 13

7:00 p.m.

CAN: 2-0-1 (1-0-1) OSW: 3-2-1 (1-2-1)

Tuesday, Nov. 23

7:30 p.m.

NAZ: 2-1(0-0) OSW: 3-0 (0-0)

Laker Athletes of the Week

W1

Around the SUNYAC

8 0

Women’s Hockey

OSW: 2-2-1 (2-0-1) GEN: 5-0 (3-0)

Overall 3-2 1-2

Women’s Basketball

Veneklase: 1 goal Homitz: 1 assist Facchini: 1 assist

COR:

Miles-Ferguson: 21 pts, 13 Rebs Gearhart: 18 pts, 7 FGM

@

2-1-0

Men’s Hockey

OSW:

67-82

Points

4-1-0

Potsdam Buffalo State Oswego State Oneonta Fredonia New Paltz Geneseo Brockport

Sleeth: 1 goal Robillard: 1 goal Broughman: 1 assist

Saturday, Nov. 20

Cortland

Cortland

2-1

6

0-0 0-0

Tuesday, Nov. 16

Friday, Nov. 12

Men’s Hockey

3-0-0

Plattsburgh

Men’s Basketball

Men’s Hockey

Upcoming Events

4-0-0

Women's Basketball

B4

Oswego Scoreboard

OSW:

Plattsburgh

0-5-0

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

Men’s Basketball 77

31:

63

BRO: 2-1(0-0) HOB: 2-2(0-0)

The Oswego State women’s hockey team had 31 shots in the 5-0 loss to Plattsburgh State. The Lakers outshot the cardinals 31-22 but weren’t able to score, unlike the Cardinals who scored 5 times in less chances.

Ariella Haas had 6 shots, while Philomena Teggart, Kyleigh Grugin and Avery Webster all had 3 shots apiece. The Lakers also had the penalty advantage, being on powerplay for 8 minutes compared to the 4 that the Cardinals had.

Kaleb Cook

Men’s Basketball Junior | Auburn, N.Y. Cook was named the Most Valuable Player at the annual Max Ziel Tournament. The Auburn native recorded 27 total points and added four steals as the Lakers downed Elmira on Friday by a score of 85-51 and Hobart on Saturday in a 63-48 victory. Cook was a vital peice of the Lakers scoing attack beinga spark in teh starting line-up and being the lineup in their win versus Clarkson University

75:

The Oswego Lakers women’s basketball team put up 75 points in their win over SUNY Delhi.

The Lakers won by a large 36 point margin, winning the game 75-39.

The Lakers scoring was led by Diamond Pickett who put up 13 points to go along with 16 rebounds. Behind Pickett, Elaina Johnson put up 12 points, and Chastin Giles put up 10.

Diamond Pickett

Women’s Basketball Freshman | Rochester, N.Y. P icket t k icked of f her college ca reer w it h a pa ir of double- doubles i n a 1-1 wee k for t he La kers. I n t he tea m’s 74 - 67 lo s s at A l f re d , s he p ut up 10 points a nd 15 points. I n t he home win over Hilber t on Tuesday, the Rochester native had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Followed up with 16 rebounds versus SUNY Delhi.

.955:

In the 2-1 victory over the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons, Oswego State men’s hockey goalie Steven Kozikoski helped lead the Lakers to victory recording 21 saves. Towards the end of the game, Kozikoski saved a barrage of Cortland shots to keep the Lakers’ lead. In the end, Kozikoski ended with a .955 save percentage, only allowing 1 goal throughout the entire game.

SPORTS B5 Oswego State come out on fire starting season 3-0 at home EIC’S View THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

Lakers pick up victories, beat Elmira, Hobart in Max Ziel Tournement Spencer Bates Copy Editor sbates@oswegonian.com Over the days of Nov. 12 and 13, Oswego State hosted the 2021 Men’s Basketball Max Ziel Tournament. Across the two day span, four games were played between Elmira College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Hobart College and the Lakers.

The tournament tipped off at 5 p.m. of Nov. 12 with the SUNY Polytechnic Institute Wildcats taking on the Hobart College Statesmen. Throughout the first half of play the two teams seemed evenly matched with the only significant lead being a 10 point differential in favor of SUNY Poly that was quickly erased by Hobart College after the Statesmen ended the half red hot, going on an 18-4 point run. SUNY Poly forward Josh Gregory had just under half of the Wildcats’ points over the first half and would end the game with just under half of his team’s entire score. Gregory’s fantastic form would carry over into their next game of the tournament but would not be enough to lift his team past Hobart College. The Statesmen would come out of the break firing on all cylinders and would eventually seal the victory with a 17-6 point run that included back-to-back three pointers by freshman Aidan Rodgers on three straight possessions. Josh Gregory remained the main source of points for SUNY Poly but ultimately a more energetic and efficient Hobart College team would come out on top.

Following the SUNY Poly and Hobart College game, the Oswego State Lakers tipped their season off against the Soaring Eagles of Elmira College.

For the Lakers, it was a dream start, getting out to a 20 point lead in under 12 minutes of the first half and denying the Soaring Eagles double digit points until 14 minutes into the contest. The first half would eventually end with the Lakers leading by a score of 42-19 despite zero points on the board from Sparks, the only returning Laker from before the pandemic.

What really made the difference for the Lakers was the immaculate bench performance which contributed 23 points in the first half alone. Sparks would not have to wait much longer for his first basket since returning to play as he got the crowd on their feet with

William Rogers | The Oswegonian (#10) Kaleb Cook rising for the three point jumper in Oswego State’s Max Ziel Tournament win versus Hobart College Saturday Oct. 13.

an emphatic dunk a few minutes into the second half which turned out to be much like the first. Oswego State kept their foot on the gas and never let up as the game ended with a favorable final score of 85-51.

For not playing a game in about 650 days, the Lakers looked like a team that never left the court with a combined effort on both offense and defense to ensure a victory in their return. The Lakers were spurred on by stand out performances from senior Julien Crittendon and freshman Ahkee Anderson who put up 15 and 12 points respectively.

This win rounded out the gameday and meant that Oswego State would play Hobart College in the tournament final while SUNY Poly and Elmira College would play for third place.

At 2 p.m. on Nov. 13, the second and final day of games tipped off with SUNY Poly taking on Elmira College for third place. Out of the gate, the contest was evenly matched with no side taking any sort of significant lead. However, the shining star of SUNY Poly’s game yet again was Gregory. The senior put up 14 points while shooting 4-6 from beyond the arc in the first half alone.

The difference between this game and the game in which SUNY Poly lost to Elmira College was that Gregory was helped by a great first half performance by junior center Jesse O’Dell. His nine points were a big help for the Wildcats as they kept the game close and eventu-

ally closed out the half with a lead of 3531. Elmira College was kept in the game nearly single-handedly by guard Bryan Adams who had nine points on top of two rebounds and three assists. In the second half, the Wildcats came out with a purpose and after starting off the half with an 8-3 run, never let up and held the lead for the remainder of the game.

Once again, Gregory led all scorers and would finish with a crucial 24 points that would secure a 74-66 victory and a third place finish for the Wildcats in the tournament. SUNY Poly scoring nearly 30 more points in this game than the previous day’s, shows that they were able to quickly fix their issues with consistency on offense. For Elmira College, the struggle to find a reliable number two option behind Adams was still the glaring issue as only one other player on the Soaring Eagles managed to reach double digit points in the contest.

Following the conclusion of the SUNY Poly and Elmira College game was the championship game between Oswego State and Hobart College. The Lakers looked to capitalize on the momentum of their resounding win the previous day behind the hot hand of Kaleb Cook who would finish the half with 10 points. Excluding the three pointer that opened the game for the Statesmen, Oswego State would immediately take the lead and never let go. Despite a slight dry spell in the middle of the first half the Lakers were able to wake them-

selves up and keep themselves very much in the lead.

Oswego State shot an impressive 45% from the field of play which would give them a 35-20 point lead at the break.

The second half was much more of the same from the Lakers who showed no mercy and rode their home court advantage all the way through to the end.

At one point Kaleb Cook had the entire Oswego State fanbase on their feet as he drained a difficult three pointer and gave a fist pump to the crowd.

Just like the first half, the Lakers never lost the lead and would pull out the victory to be crowned tournament champions. Hobart College struggled against the strong Laker side with only one player, junior forward Jackson Meshanic, reaching double digit points with 18 on top of an impressive 11 rebounds. Over the course of the game Oswego State recorded a 43% field goal percentage and shot an impressive 29% from three as a team. De Facto team leader Sparks put up an impressive individual stat line with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, one block and four steals.

However, in this game he was outshined by tournament MVP Kaleb Cook who torched Hobart with 22 points, 12 of which came from three-point range.

The Lakers were then presented with their trophy in which they celebrated like a team who knows how much it means to be back on the court.

Pinkerton, Lakers rebound after Alfred University opener Oswego State wins two straight at home, Caivanna leads scoring charge

Shelby Peplowski| The Oswegonian (#32) Oswego State Athlete of the Week Diamond Pickett in the Lakers’ second regular season win scoring in the paint versus SUNY Delhi on Nov. 16.

Trina Catterson Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com

The Oswego State’s women’s basketball season is underway, the Lakers are currently sitting at a 2-1 record.

The team lost their season opener against Alfred University with a final score of 67-74. Since then, the Lakers were able to put that loss behind them and won two games at home. Their matchup against Hilbert College ended with a score of 72-58. Then on Nov. 11 Oswego State led an offensive onslaught and came out with a huge win against SUNY-Delhi on Tuesday winning 75-39.

In the game versus SUNY Delhi, the Lakers defense showed up early as they were able to take a strong 2510 lead through the first quarter. Diamond Pickett and Danielle Caivana both had seven points after the first, the score sat at 36-17 heading into the third quarter. Elaina Johnson showed out in the third quarter scoring 10 points and by the end of the quarter, the Lakers had four players with eight or more points. The leading scorer for the Lakers was Diamond Pickett with 13 points who also had 16 rebounds.

This 2021-2022 women’s basketball team is relatively young with 12 out of the 17 players being under-

classmen. A majority of their roster is filled with freshmen, with nine, and sophomores with three who are in the midst of playing for the first time at the collegiate level.

Despite this, they have some solid returners with a lot of potential this season. One of them being Raiven Encarnacion, a senior from Newburgh, who has had an incredible three seasons of play for the Lakers thus far.

In the 2017-18 season, Encarnacion appeared in all 25 games and was fourth on the team with 156 points and a 6.2 points per game average. In 2018-19, she led the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game, tied for first on the teams in steals (23), and then a career-high 21 points against Plattsburgh State on Feb. 9.

In her most recent season, Encarnacion scored a career-high 25 points against SUNY Fredonia, reached double-digits in points 10 times throughout the season, averaged 10.9 points per game and three assists per game while simultaneously sinking 25 three-pointers on the season for Oswego State.

Guard for the Lakers Encarnacion, as a leader on this team, said she recognizes her role in keeping this team involved and focused.

“Being there for the freshman and everyone else on the team is obviously important,” Encarnacion said.

“It’s big for us to be positive and have a lot of energy because that is what is going to make us successful.”

Some of Encarnacion’s past teammates lost a season of playing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since they graduated, she has stepped up into the leadership role past players such as Sydni Eure once held. Encarnacion emphasized that players like Eure motivated her to be the type of teammate she is now.

“I play for the team all the time, whether they were here the year before or not. We as a team always do what we have to do to play our best,” Encarnacion said. “I definitely think about those girls all the time. I miss them so much. Sydni Eure herself had 1,000 rebounds and that pushes me to believe I can do something that big too.”

Even though she has already proven herself to be a great athlete in Lakers’ history, Encarnacion still has things she wants to improve on in the upcoming games this season.

“I was always a decent player, but I wasn’t always consistent. To me, consistency is key,” Encarnacion said.

“I spend hours shooting threes and I

want to go out there and be able to prove to myself that I can be a better shooter and better at whatever I put my mind to.”

Sean Pinkerton, head women’s basketball coach, also expressed his excitement to watch his team improve throughout the rest of the season.

“We are so excited to be playing basketball again. We have a young group, so we are focused on growth and learning,” Pinkerton said. “We have a lot of talent. We are focusing on the task at hand and the game plan. We’re hoping to go out there and execute that effectively.”

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the Lakers’ ability to not only compete in matches, but to practice as a team. Not only are there 12 players on the team who are just beginning their collegiate basketball careers, but the upperclassmen essentially had a year of absolutely no training with a team.

“We’re getting the young ones acclimated to this level of playing and what we’re expecting and asking of them,” Pinkerton said. “The older players are teaching as well as mentoring as we go teaching them [underclassmen] how we go about the process.”

The women’s basketball season is still in its early phases. The Lakers are scheduled to have four more out of conference matchups before they begin their SUNYAC play in December.

The Lakers will play the bulk of their SUNYAC opponents in 2022, leaving a decent amount of time for Pinkerton to get his athletes in the right mindset.

Following the first few games, Pinkerton emphasizes the talent is present, but the attention to detail is still a work in progress.

“During our first game, we struggled with taking a game plan and executing it. We also struggled with adjusting while the game was going on,” said Pinkerton. “These are all typical things for freshman and those who haven’t played college basketball before. It can be frustrating but not surprising. It’s all about how quickly we can expedite the process to do those things.”

The Lakers will head into a tournament in SUNY Morrisville on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20. SUNYAC play will begin on Nov. 30 against SUNY Cortland.

Brandon Ladd Editor-in-Chief bladd@oswegonian.com Coming into the 2021-22 men’s basketball season all eyes were on sophomore Jeremiah Sparks, who had a breakout freshmen season two years ago.

The expectations for Sparks centered around his flashy dunks in transition and ability to score from all three-levels of the court. Suddenly giving Lakers fans dreams of a 20 point scorer per game.

That still may be the case for Sparks, but luckily for the Lakers there is a rising cast of characters around him that will allow for the sophomore to not have to force his offense for Oswego State to score in volume.

Sparks after three games, all wins at home, is averaging 13.3 points per game. This average is mirroring his freshmen year points per game of 13.5 so far.

That might have proven to be worrisome for the Lakers, but it has actually been a blessing in disguise. For the Lakers to win fairly easily against Hobart University and Clarkson University the last two games, they have had to have other players step up on the offensive end.

It is clear and obvious now that the team has a lethal threepoint shooter in Kaleb Cook, who is averaging 14 points and two-made three-pointers per contest. The team also has secondary scoring help in the forms of Julien Crittedon and Jamal Achille, who have gotten nice opportunities out of the Lakers set plays in the half-court.

The icing on the cake was the debut of Brendan Mulson against Clarkson University on Nov. 16.

He scored 12 points and provided scrappiness on the inside.

Now, Oswego State has a plethora of options and a player in Sparks who can go off at any moment for heavy points. This is setting up for a season where the offense could carry the team more than even the 201819 team’s offense did.

Views from the A Alexander Abromovich Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com

The Oswego State women’s basketball team is off to a solid start to their 2021 season as they won two out of their first three games. Following a 74-67 loss to Alfred State in their season opener, the Lakers proceeded to defeat Hilbert College 72-58 and SUNY-Delhi 75-39.

The Lakers have a brand new squad this season after none of their top scorers from the 2019-2020 season return, but that has not hindered their game so far. Senior Danielle Caivana has been a star so far throughout the young season, as she leads the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game. Caivana dropped 22 points in her first game wearing the green and gold and followed that up with a 14 point game in her next outing. She will look to continue her success as the season progresses.

Along with Caivana, there have been many pleasant surprises so far for the Lakers, one of those being the play of freshman Diamond Pickett. Pickett has been a monster for the Lakers, producing a doubledouble in all three games this season. In the opening game, she had 10 points and 15 rebounds, followed by 10 points and 12 rebounds in the second game then 13 points and 16 rebounds in the third game. Those are some massive numbers for the freshman from Rochester, NY, and it looks like she will be a big part of the Lakers gameplan and the future of this program.

This team has played some great ball to start the season, but they have been in this position before, as they started off the 2019-2020 season 4-1 and then finished 2-17 the rest of the way. This is a much different team though, and head coach Sean Pinkerton will certainly look to mold this team into a serious threat to make a run at the SUNYAC playoffs.

The Lakers take on SUNY Poly on Friday and then Morrisville State on Saturday in the first and second matchups of the Morrisville Tournament as they look to lock up wins number three and four of the season.

Sports MEN’S

B3

SOCCER

Image via William Rogers

VOLUME LXXXVI ISSUE X

SPORTS THE OSWEGONIAN

NEWS DEL SARTE

A5

RETURNS

Image via Oswegonian File Photos

• www.oswegonian.com

FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

B6

Revenge game for Lakers hosting 2019 SUNYAC champs Perdek’s Corner LeBlanc, Lakers share keys to pivital confrence match-ups before Turkey Day

Ben Diamond Asst. Sports Editor bdiamond@oswegonian.com The Oswego State men’s hockey team heads into two big games this weekend after a hard fought 2-1 win against SUNY Cortland.

On Friday, the Lakers play against SUNY Brockport, a team they haven’t lost to since 2014. Although, in their last matchup, the Lakers did tie with the Golden Eagles 2-2 during the 20192020 season. So far this season, Brockport is 5-0 overall and 3-0 in SUNYAC play, while the Lakers are 2-2-1 overall and 2-0-1 in SUNYAC play. The Lakers know how important this game is early in the season as it will help set the tone for other SUNYAC matchups down the line. They will also try to keep the unbeaten streak versus SUNY Brockport alive, but that is not what they are worried about right now according to Laker forward Josh LeBlanc.

“I didn’t even realize that we had that record against Brockport over the last seven years,” LeBlanc said. “But it’s another game, those stats are cool to know and important, but the job at hand is to come away with the points we need, and we are just going to focus on the process to get us there.”

LeBlanc is one of the Lakers top players, sporting three points on two goals and an assist in five games so far this season. He is also one of the longer tenured Lakers, having played with the team back during the 2018-2019 season. In his first season with the Lakers, LeBlanc had nine points on four goals and five assists. LeBlanc looks to continue to improve himself, as well as improve with the team as the 2021-2022 season moves along.

Once the Lakers get through the Golden Eagle game, they are greeted by another 5-0 team in the reigning SUNYAC champions, the SUNY Geneseo Knights. Like SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo is also 3-0 in their conference matchups so far this season. The last time the Lakers played SUNY Geneseo, they were knocked out of the 2019-20 SUNYAC playoffs. Every player from that Lakers team remembers what happened and is fired up to get another

Jack Perdek Sports Editor jperdek@oswegonian.com

Shelby Peplowski | The Oswegonian

(#17) Justin LeBlanc ready at the net blocking the vision Red Dragon goaltender Luca Durante Oswego State’s 2-1 victory on Nov. 12.

chance to take down the champs. LeBlanc said that there is pressure on the team to win, so they can show that they mean business and are a force in the SUNYAC. “I haven’t beat them in my time here so it’s been a personal vendetta, I know for me and a lot of those guys,” LeBlanc said. “I think their time is done, it’s our turn. There is a lot of bad blood between us and Geneseo, so it’s a show up and show out kind of game.”

LeBlanc and the whole Lakers team believe that this game will be a good indicator for how the rest of the season goes. If they can put up a fight with one of the best teams in the league, they can show the rest of the league they are up there with the best of them.

“They are going to be one of the best teams we play all year,” LeBlanc said. “It’s going to be a good game to see where we stand with them, and a win would be a massive boost to our confidence.”

What had given the team a confidence boost was the team’s gutsy win over the Cortland Red Dragons. With-

in the last few minutes of the game, Laker goalie, Steven Kozikoski, had to make a bunch of tough saves in order to sustain the teams one goal lead. He and the defense were able to hold the game down and steal it from SUNY Cortland. LeBlanc said that any game against a conference opponent is going to be important, and anytime they can come away with a win will boost the confidence throughout the entire locker room. As the team continues to build confidence, their play on the ice will improve along with it. LeBlanc said that the team needs to take the season a game at a time in order to stay in sync with one another.

“That was a hard earned game,” LeBlanc said. “We’ll take those points how they come. It was an emotional night for a lot of the guys, especially being the one game we had over the weekend, it was the only game on our mind the entire week, so to get that win felt really good and we’re going to try and carry that forward through this weekend.”

The biggest part of the Lakers’ game

plan going into the big weekend is making sure they start off games fast. The Lakers have been known as a second period team. In order to make sure they are setting the tone of the game, the Lakers know they need to come out of the gates firing to put pressure on their opponents. LeBlanc believes that in order to be able to put the pressure on their opponents, they need to start the game angry, and continue that throughout the game so they are playing at their pace and not their opponents.

“I think we got to play [ticked] off, and play mean,” LeBlanc said. “We know what we are capable of and I think that’s the biggest thing. We usually start off games by assessing the other team, but we gotta come out playing fast and hard because it’s not about them, it’s about us.”

The Lakers look to put this new mentality to practice this weekend when they play the Brockport Golden Eagles in Brockport at 7:00 p.m. on Friday Nov. 19, and then the SUNY Geneseo Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 20 at the Deborah F. Stanley Arena.

After last weekend’s statement victory against the Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland, the Oswego State Lakers have a date with SUNY Brockport on Nov. 19 and defending SUNYAC champions SUNY Geneseo on Nov. 20.

To start with last weekend’s home victory against SUNY Cortland, the Lakers pulled away with the victory despite continuing their trend of getting off to slow starts. The Lakers were able to win the positioning battle in the first period of that game and led the game in shots until Red Dragon’s Trevor Veneklase sent one past goaltender Steven Kozikoski. The Lakers rebounded in the second and third periods with strong, aggressive play and contributions from sophomore Tyler Sleeth and junior Troy Robillard.

As the lone Laker scorers in this game, Oswego State was lucky to get out of this one with a win considering spectacular individual play from these two skaters, scoring on shots from near the blue line. This part of the game against the Red Dragons caught my eye because a majority of the time when the Lakers score they do it in breakaway fashion.

Although solo opportunities are a big part of their game, if they want to beat a team like SUNY Geneseo they will need to keep working the puck in the zone.

This weekend’s opponents for the Lakers will feature multiple team defining storylines for Oswego State’s history.

Starting on Friday, the team will head into Golden Eagle territory against a club they have not lost to since 2014, tying in their last battle 2-2. This could very well be a trap game for Oswego State considering they went on a 11 game win streak on them the past decade. For SUNY Geneseo on Nov. 20 the story will tell itself, a rematch of the 2019 SUNYAC championship where the Knights bested the Lakers 4-1 in western N.Y. The lights will be bright and the stage will be intense for playoff points and seeding.

Around the Women’s hockey seeking conference win versus Potsdam Digby, Teggart, McAleer discuss weekend coming off first place Plattsburgh State loss Diamond

Ben Diamond Asst. Sports Editor bdiamond@oswegonian.com The hot start for the Oswego State women’s ice hockey team has slowly faded as the Lakers have dropped two straight games.

After starting the season at an unbeaten 3-0-1, the Lakers dropped their games against SUNY Cortland 2-1, and Plattsburgh State, the defending NEWHL Champions, 5-0. To me, these are surprising losses, as this same Lakers team beat a top ranked team in Adrian College not too long ago.

The biggest reason for their loss versus the Red Dragons was due to their inability to follow through on the opportunities they were given. This is why they were only able to score one goal in the loss. The Lakers out shot the Red Dragons 18-6 in the first period and 43-23 throughout the contest but were still unable to find the back of the net more than once. From the score, to me it seems they played a slower paced game which is why they were not able to score like they usually do.

But, it was even worse in the game versus the Plattsburgh State Cardinals.

Where their defense was strong versus SUNY Cortland only allowing the two goals, the defense took a step back and could not carry the weight of trying to keep the team in the game without the strong offensive presence from early in the season.

I think the biggest thing for the Lakers to get back on track is that they need to get back in sync with one another. As the season continues they are going to go through ebbs and flows, it is how they bounce back from the tough losses is going to be how the fans will be able to gauge whether they can make a deep playoff run or not.

Image via Oswego State Athletics Philomena Teggart with the puck, top of the D-zone in the Lakers 2-1 loss Nov. 13 versus SUNY Cortland

Jack Perdek Sports Editor jperdek@oswegonian.com Playing Lakers hockey is the mantra for the 3-2-1 women’s ice team coming off a zero-point weekend versus SUNY Cortland and Plattsburgh State.

After losing a tight 2-1 affair against the Red Dragons, a game in which the Lakers won the shot battle 48-23, they dropped a big NEWHL game against the conference leader in the Cardinals. Last Saturday’s Teal Night match-up hosted the birds from up north ended up being the 11 straight Lakers loss in their last four years of games. Head coach of the green and gold Mark Digby said he understands the talent level with which Plattsburgh State plays and how his team had to adjust to their skill.

“Saturday [Nov. 13.] we came out and we were off to a good jump but the bench was relatively quiet and our focus was kind of timid when you play a good team,” Digby said. “What-

ever switch was flipped after the first period we came out with a strong sense of urgency. I thought we played as close to our potential as we could.”

Digby also referenced his team’s intensity coming out of the tunnel the previous night against Suny Cortland as a little lackluster. The Red Dragons wanted it more and were louder than the Lakers on the road.

As a coach analysis from the weekend, Digby said he wants the team to learn that the conference they play in is exceptional and they need to come out firing.

“There are two different lessons I hope we learned from last weekend,” Digby said. “Friday night [Nov. 12.] was simply every team in our league is very good and there are no off nights, Cortland came out like it was game seven of the Stanley Cup. When you get into those match-ups against good teams you have to be more prepared to be more gritty in the start of the game. Against Cortland, I thought to play a team with that ability was pretty good, we just have to finish plays.”

The message of intensity and finishing plays was mentioned in the locker room and at practice this week for the Lakers. Captain for Oswego State and senior defensemen Philomena Teggart also understood the challenge her team faced and said she is focused on bouncing back this weekend.

“We knew they were the number one team coming in and they were a tough opponent which brought some extra fire to our game,” Teggart said.

“We always try to focus on playing the best hockey we can play, which is Laker Hockey. At the end of the day I think we played the best we could, the best D zone I’ve seen all year we outshot them we just didn’t get one through. Despite the scoreboard, I think we outplayed them” Sometimes putting the net can be hard to come by in the game of hockey. Even though the Lakers won the shot battle, tied faceoffs and had fewer penalties, Plattsburgh State still scored the puck five times. Alternate captain Aislinn McAleer said playing a good team like the Cardinals can be tough but there is always room to improve.

“When things aren’t bouncing your way it can get hard,” McAleer said. “But one of these games it will bounce our way so we just gotta keep doing what we’re doing. Just gotta play our game, we’re not really worried about who we’re playing, we’re just going to try to keep on building.”

Building this team into a playoff contender will be one of the main focuses for this team heading into 2022. Now that this Friday’s Nov. 19 SUNY Canton game has been postponed, the Lakers can focus on SUNY Potsdam and gaining another set of points in the NEWHL. Digby said this is a talented conference and every team is hungry, he recognized that a team like the Bears will be no easy contest.

“For this weekend with Potsdam, I think they are a team trying to take

the next steps and get themselves back in the playoff picture,” Digby said. “For us, it’s trying to solidify our playoff spot and find how we’re going to consistently try to get better. It’s hard to say that after coming out of a weekend with no points but you have to be long-term greedy and points now are just as important as the ones in January and February.”

One of the key factors that Digby mentioned about his team was the depth this Laker squad possesses this year. In his first year as the head coach, he can now switch up his substitution style with players with a combination of new lines. Young players have been able to produce and the coaching staff is still working on finding the right fits.

“The best change in our roster is depth,” Digby said. “Before every line had a clearly defined role, in the past we had a first second third fourth line, this year we don’t, right now we have 15 forwards that are capable of playing defensively and producing offensively. We have forwards that are capable and I think it’s a great spot for us to be in. It comes down to evaluating who plays best with who, it’s gotta be a struggle as a player if you’re playing with a different line every week, but the issue with having so many players who didn’t play last year is that we really have to attempt to develop chemistry from the forwards’ group. I’d say we are really starting from scratch with a lot of it.”

From returners to newcomers on this roster, playing as a strong and noisy cohesive unit will help them play to Digby’s gritty vision of team identity.

Teggart and the rest of the team will be on a mission to bounce back starting with SUNY Potsdam on Nov. 20.

“We talk a lot about the grit with this team and playing Laker hockey,” Teggart said. “But at the same time we’re positive and when we’re loud we win. We can focus on the little things, the little battles, keep communication high and it will bounce our way.”

INSIDE

C2 'Red (Taylor's Version)' C4 'Red Notice' boasts action, C5

gains major attention

humorous leads

ABBA reunites for newest album 'Voyage'

FRIDAY Nov. 19, 2021

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ stuns nearly decade after original Abigail Connolly Managing Editor aconnolly@oswegonian.com

Rating: Taylor Swift’s “Red (Taylor’s Version)” offers more than 2012 reminiscence, bringing 30 tracks together to create an album masterpiece.

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” marks the second re-recorded Swift album, following “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” released in April 202 0.

The decision to re-record and rerelease these albums comes after an intense legal battle between Swift and her previous record company, Big Machine Records.

After the recording company was sold in 2019, a fierce, highlypublicized debate over the song masters began. Masters, refer to the original recordings of songs which give the owner the legal rights, and therefore moneymaking rights to songs. After losing the masters to her first six albums, Swift vowed to re-record each of them in order to retain the rights to her music.

While only few instrumental differences and slight pronunciation differences are featured in the re-recorded versions of the songs, the real excitement for most Swifties, the selfgiven nickname for die-hard Swift fans, lies in the “From The Vault” tracks.

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” includes the 16 original album songs, four songs from the original deluxe album and the charity single “Ronan” as well as nine “From The Vault” tracks.

The “From The Vault” tracks are songs that had not previously been recorded or released

by Swift, but had been written around the same time as the original album. The vault songs include, “Better Man (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Babe (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Message In A Bottle (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “I Bet You Think About Me (feat. Chris

Image from Taylor Swift via YouTube Taylor Swift acts in the music video for her new song “I Bet You Think About Me (feat. Chris Stapleton) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).”

Stapleton) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Forever Winter (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Run (feat. Ed Sheeran) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).”

Swift’s renditions of “Better Man” and “Babe” reclaim the songs she wrote for the groups Little Big Town (“Pontoon”) and Sugarland (“Still the Same”).

Hearing Swift’s vocals on her own words, years after the original song’s release, brings new perspective and appreciation to the tracks.

The highly anticipated 10 minute version of “All Too Well” was perhaps the most jaw-dropping track on the album. The fifth track on the album became known as a devastating expose and heartbreak ballad, already a relatively long track, falling at five minutes and 29 seconds.

The 10 minute version presents a slower burning narrative, adding verses and bridges that listeners never knew they needed.

The lines “They say all’s well that ends well, but I’m in a new Hell/ Every time you double-cross my mind/You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would

have been fine” show Swift’s gorgeous ability to encapsulate human experience in such a compelling manner. Swift’s performance in this version is perhaps even more compelling than the original, shorter version because of the noticeable maturity in her voice. Another reason fans got excited for this release was the surprise announcement in which Swift revealed that she directed a short film starring Sadie Sink (“Stranger Things”) and Dylan O’Brien (“Teen Wolf”) that would be released on the same day as the album. The short film follows the narrative of the 10 minute song, interlacing the song with stunning performances from Sink and O’Brien. Swift gave a gift that kept on giving with the inclusion of the 10-minute version and “All Too Well” short film.

In addition to the short film for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” Swift released a video alongside the vault song, “I Bet You Think About Me” which features country artist Chris Stapleton (“Cold”). The song is the perfect angsty, tell-it-likeit-is anthem for those who still have a bit of pent up aggression from a dissolved relationship.

The chorus, delivered with a

Swift-esque ferocity reads, “But now that we’re done and it’s over/I bet you couldn’t believe/ When you realized I’m harder to forget than I was to leave/ And I bet you think about me,” bringing the perfect passive-aggressive lines for those looking to get back at a former partner.

Stapleton’s deeper, masculine tone, pairs perfectly with Swift’s higher, feminie one, bringing a balance that places emphasis on the idea there are always two sides to a story. The song contrasts the idea that a relationship has ended for good with the idea that there is an aftermath of thoughts, hence the name “I Bet You Think About Me,” contrasting the higher and lower toned vocals illustrates the contrasts outside of the lyrics themselves. “I Bet You Think About Me,” may not have been as highly anticipated as some of the other vault songs but has stood out as one of the more compelling vault songs.

The collaboration with indiepop artist, Phoebe Bridgers (“Motion Sickness”), on the vault track “Nothing New,” brought Swift’s devastating lyrics about growing up and not feeling self-worth to a new level with Bridger’s reknowned melancholic vocals.

The track features the lines, “How

can a person know everything/ At eighteen, but nothin’ at twenty-two?/And will you still want me when I’m nothin’ new?,” in the chorus, linking the song to the upbeat sixth track of the album “22.” Contrasting the “happy, free, confused” version of a 22 year old with one who does not seem to have a clue what to do with themselves it yet another way Swift manages to bring the complications of being an individual in their early 20s into her album.

The song is as equally devastating as it is beautiful leaving fans wanting more from the new duo of Bridgers and Swift.

Swift managed to bring together more than 90 million people with the re-release of “Red,” breaking her second Spotify record becoming the moststreamed female artist in a single day on the day of its release. Swift has, and always will have, an ability to bring people together with her storytelling. The re-released versions of her albums further prove that Swift only gets better as she goes. The maturity and growth Swift fans have witnessed over the years are more than present in the released version of “Red.” With “Red (Taylor’s Version)” taking the world by storm, the only thing left to do is sit back and ask, “what will she do next?”

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

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Short film 'All Too Well' beautifully showcases Swift song Annika Wickham Chief Copy Editor awickham@oswegonian.com

Rating: Along with releasing a 30song album on Nov. 12, Taylor Swift (“Reputation”) surprised fans with a short film based on the much anticipated “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault).”

The film was written and directed by Swift and stars Sadie Sink (“Stranger Things”) as Her and Dylan O’Brien (“Teen Wolf”) as Him. The characters are assumed to be young Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal, who dated for a period in 2010. It goes between music video style with “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” playing over scenes of the characters together and dialogue showing parts of the relationship Swift alludes to both in this song and others.

The short film is split into seven chapters that repre-

Image from Taylor Swift via YouTube Taylor Swift surprised fans with the film, based on "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)."

sent the stages of Swift and Gyllenhaal’s relationship, "An Upstate Escape," "The First Crack In The Glass," "Are You Real?," "The Breaking Point," "The Reeling," "The Remembering" and "Thirteen Years Gone," which is an epilogue starring Swift as Her, later On. “An Upstate Escape” and “First Crack In The Glass” hold most of the dialogue and acting, as the latter shows a fight between Him and Her following a dinner party with

His friends. These portions of the movie give more clarity to listeners about the relationship and how it fell apart so quickly, as Swift and Gyllenhaal reportedly only dated for three months.

The rest of the short film closely follows the lyrics and is a visual representation of what Swift is singing about.

“An Upstate Escape” follows Her and Him on a car ride through the forest during fall and matches with the lyr-

ics, “We're singing in the car, getting lost upstate/Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place/And I can picture it after all these days.”

“Are You Real?” circles back to the happiness of the relationship after “First Crack In The Glass” revealed the hardships. The couple seems to glow as they do crossword puzzles and hold each other, as Swift sings in reminisce, “Cause there we are again in the middle of the night/We're dancing 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light/Down the stairs, I was there/I remember it all too well.”

The lyrics of “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” are beautifully shown by Sink, especially as she is shown in "The Reeling" and "The Remembering" getting over the breakup. Her is seen walking through an art exhibition alone while sipping champagne and looking around for anyone she knows, signaling her feelings of loneliness and abandonment

from Him while the words “A never-needy, ever-lovely jewel whose shine reflects on you, not weeping in a party bathroom/some actress asking me what happened, you/ That’s what happened, you.”

The film ends with Her, later on at a book signing for her novel “All Too Well,” which Swift is selling as merchandise for “Red (Taylor’s Version),” while an older version of Him watches from outside. It is the perfect ending, as it matches up with the lyrics” Just between us, do you remember it all too well?/Just between us, I remember it (Just between us), all too well” and shows how both parties feel 13 years after their relationship fell apart.

Swift shows her multitude of talents in “All Too Well: The Short Film,” as she impeccably wrote, directed and starred in a glorious representation of the song that fans have been anticipating for months. The movie is available on YouTube and is a must watch for any Swiftie.

Laker Review suggests novels reminiscent of 'Red (Taylor's Version)' Caitlin Alicea Asst. Laker Review Editor calicea@oswegonian.com On Friday Nov. 12, Taylor Swift’s rerecording of the 2012 album “Red," now called “Red (Taylor’s Version)," was released. It was a highly anticipated album with its inclusion of the 10 minute version of the song “All Too Well” rumored to be about the breakup of Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal (“The Guilty”).

In honor of the album and its success with being out only a week, why not share a few book titles that give the same emotional drive “All Too Well” presents. Know that all of these books will not catch the interest of every reader but the hope is that people find a good book that helps to reminisce the same feelings Swift provides in her heartwrenching lyrics.

"It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover is a very popular recommendation when it comes to “All Too Well,” with readers commenting on actress Sadie Sink (“Stranger Things”) and actor Dylan O’ Brien (“Teen Wolf”), who starred in the

short film that accompanied the song, resembling the two main characters of the book, Lily and Altas. While the “All Too Well” short film effectively captures a heartbreaking breakup with vivid memories of a former lover, “It Ends With Us” gives readers a similar concept as the book follows Lily in a new relationship with Ryle, a seemingly ideal partner. However, when things go downhill in her current relationship, she seeks out her old high school diaries, remembering her old relationship with her first love, Atlas.

The lyric “Maybe this thing was a masterpiece until you tore it all up” speaks high volumes in many relationships. In "People We Meet On Vacation" by Emily Henry, the lyric alludes to having something that is good go downhill due to self destruction. The story follows two best friends who are total opposites.

While Poppy loves adventures and to travel, Alex prefers to stay home with a book. For the majority of the year, they live apart, she lives in New York City while he remains in their small hometown. Every

Image from Colleen Hoover via Instagram Novels like "It Ends With Us" convey emotions similar to those of "Red (Taylor's Version)."

summer, for a decade, they would reunite for one week of vacation together until two years ago from present day when their friendship had a falling out leaving the two to not speak. Poppy is the one to initiate a vacation with Alex to try and fix things that she may have been responsible for in the first place.

"Heartbreakers and Fakers" by Cameron Lund was hard to incorporate into the relation between it and the song but the line “And I know

it’s long gone and there was nothing else I could do and I forget about you long enough to forget why I needed to” is the most relatable. The story revolves around a fake dating trope that follows Penny Harris, one of the most popular girls in school, whose life gets flipped upside down after she is caught kissing her archnemesis and best friend’s boyfriend Kai Tanaka when she has a boyfriend of her own, Jordan Parker.

After the incident, her life falls apart

losing friends and her boyfriend who starts to seek out comfort and a little more from her now ex-best friend Olivia. Penny comes up with a plan to win back her ex-boyfriend by making him jealous by pretending to be in a relationship with Kai, his best friend. Kai wants to fix his relationship with Olivia so he agrees, however things get complicated when new emotions float to the surface and present itself.

Penny questions if those feelings are enough to make her forget her previous relationship with Jordan.

These books cover very little of the iconic lyrical lines Swift gives listeners. However, these stories are still capable of replicating some of the deepest feelings that come from listening to a song like “All Too Well” that has many yelling in their cars, singing along to the song. They also incorporate true angst which makes the stories more relatable to the readers and helps them to gain attention to new audiences. Read the books with caution, check the trigger warnings and see if the heart can take it.

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

‘Red Notice’ overcomes stale plot with charming performances Spencer Bates Copy Editor sbates@oswegonian.com

Rating: Rating:

“Red Notice” provides a lighthearted and comedic spin of the typical spy movie with a brilliant cast and captivating storyline.

The star-studded film features Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds, “Free Guy”), Special Agent John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson, “Jungle Cruise”) and Sarah Black, more commonly known as “The Bishop” (Gal Gadot, “Wonder Woman 1984”) as they weave through all of the classic spy movie tropes: A massive score, double crosses and hidden love affairs. Despite using the same clichés as other spy movies, “Red Notice” adds its own flair which makes the film feel much more original.

Booth is one of the top two most prolific art thieves in the world. Over the course of his thieving career, Booth had successfully evaded police until Hartley, an FBI profiler is brought in. After finding themselves both tricked into assisting the most notorious art thief in the world, “The Bishop,” the two

strike up a mutually beneficial deal that will allow Hartley to arrest The Bishop and get his life back together and for Booth to make out with the score with no strings attached.

The score in question: the three bejeweled eggs of Cleopatra.

Easily the most lovable part of this movie is the on-screen chemistry between Reynolds and Johnson. The two high profile actors are simply brilliant with their quick and effortless wit which makes the comedic aspect of this film seem more realistic. The natural way the two actors move from a comedic bout into a high stakes car chase is brilliant. As the audience we are the beneficiaries of the best of both worlds in terms of action and humor.

Another shining aspect of this film is the brilliance of Gadot.

While not the main character the film follows, when the ever-illusive “Bishop” comes into play the cool and stoic way in which the actor plays the character makes her an easy fan favorite.

Despite the brilliance of the film’s cast, other aspects, such as the plot and set design, feel rushed at times. While the stereotypical spy movie does contain a lot of

Image from Netflix via YouTube Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds show off immense chemistry in “Red Notice” as an action-comedy duo.

flashbacks to show the secretive nature of spies and their plans, when this happens in “Red Notice,” it feels as though these flashbacks exist to try and fill plot holes left in the script. The movie really did all it could to drive as much plot forward with their flashbacks and after a while it becomes noticeable.

However, this is far from the worst part of the movie. As the movie progresses, we follow the characters in their journey through different countries, across several continents and in many of these

scenes, green screen is used as opposed to natural scenery. Unfortunately, the green screen looks extremely cheap and at times will make audience members outwardly exclaim their disgust for the scene design. If the movie could not afford to go and film the scene in a natural setting, or could not afford better green screen technology, it should have been omitted due to how much it takes the audience out of the movie.

That being said, the movie does suck the audience right

back in when they realize that Reynolds and Johnson form one of the funniest action duos in recent film history. When one looks at the film by its face value, it is hard to say more than it was just good. The genius of the cast evenly balances out with the cheap and thin plot line of the film. “Red Notice” is overall a decent movie that can easily be enjoyed by anyone as long as they do not look too far into the finer details because that is where the major problems lie.

PUP singles ‘Waiting,’ ‘Kill Something’ only new in name Connor LaLone Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: Canadian pop-punk and alternative band PUP (“DVP”) released two singles on Nov. 9, titled “Waiting” and “Kill Something.” These new tracks hint at an upcoming album release, but as of now, no album has been announced. A new album for PUP would follow up on the 2019 release “Morbid Stuff,” the band’s third studio album.

“Waiting” and “Kill Something” would not feel even slightly out of place on any of the band’s albums, and they have a similar compositional feel to tracks like “Free at Last” and “Morbid Stuff,” respectively.

“Waiting” is a guitar heavy composition that, similarly to tracks from “Morbid Stuff” features lead singer Stefan Babcock drifting between talking and singing. This style has be-

come synonymous with frontmen like Brian Sella of The Front Bottoms (“The Plan”) and Aaron Weiss of mewithoutYou (“Tie Me Up! Untie Me!”), and PUP has a similar sound to these groups. The song deals lyrically with the issues of addiction, utilizing linguistic double meanings and discussing topics the genre typically handles like depression and relationship issues. Throughout the track, Babcock grapples with his own mental health and the effectiveness of therapy, with lyrics such as “Two hundred bucks a week to talk about my lack of direction? I got a bit of a complex, in case that wasn’t clear from the last three sessions.” While discussing mental health and feelings of inadequacy and depression are certainly not new within the pop-punk genre, the open nature of Babcock’s writing is refreshing.

Musically, “Waiting” is incredibly similar to PUP’s earlier releases, featuring Babcock’s

Image from puptheband via YouTube

PUP’s new singles have prompted speculation of a possible new album.

vocals over strong and upbeat guitars from Babcock himself (rhythm) and Steve Sladkowski (lead). In true PUP fashion, the verses are more spoken than sung. The transition to the chorus is sudden and stark, creating a great dichotomy between verse and chorus.

“Kill Something” is initially different from its partner track in the way it reverses the format set by “Waiting.” The song

has a much more somber and subdued nature from its offset, and deals with ideas just as sensitive as the previous track.

Babcock’s writing in “Kill Something” is maybe his most deep and existential yet. While “Waiting” suggests Babcock is maintaining proximity to someone in hopes of starting (or perhaps resuming) a relationship, “Kill Something” serves as the yang of the two tracks. Babcock sug-

gests discontent with the situation he finds himself in: “And if I’ve got nothing to prove, Why do I do the things I do? I don’t want to be locked up, I just wanna kill something I love.”

While the song builds in intensity and volume, the reflective and depressive nature persists. This type of tone is not necessarily unique to this track, as the band has experimented with songs of this nature before like “Scorpion Hill,” and thus the song is not groundbreaking in any significant manner for the band.

If the remainder of an upcoming release from PUP is of the same quality as “Waiting” and “Kill Something,” there is cause to be excited for fans of the band and of the pop-punk genre. The clever yet occasionally childish witticism of Babcock’s lyrics combined with the band’s musicianship and ability to create memorable melodic phrases is continued in these two singles, making it hardly a pathetic use of potential.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

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'Voyage' marks lukewarm return for iconic band ABBA Ethan Stinson Laker Review Editior estinson@oswegonian.com

Rating: Nearly 40 years after ABBA’s (“Dancing Queen”) breakup, the popular music group has reunited to bring fans their newest album, “Voyage.”

Released Nov. 5, “Voyage” is a nostalgic album containing songs which will remind fans of the qualities that made ABBA successful in its heyday. However, with few memorable tunes aside from its three singles, the album feels more like a modest sampler, rather than the triumphant return the band might have hoped for.

Without its singles, the album would give listeners little reason to revisit it. Though these songs are far from ABBA’s best, their upbeat qualities and nostalgic subject matter are sure to delight diehard fans.

Headlining the album is “I Still Have Faith in You,” a heartfelt power ballad which hearkens back to the strong bond shown by ABBA’s members during the band’s glory

Image from ABBA via YouTube The nostalgic new album marks ABBA's first release since the music group disbanded nearly 40 years ago.

days. Reminiscent of tunes like “Chiquitita,” the song contains an uplifting sound which is sure to warm the hearts of listeners with its evocative lyrics.

The album’s next single, “Don’t Shut Me Down,” comes off as a less fun, yet more thoughtful, version of the ABBA hit “Take a Chance on Me.” A toetapping disco number, the song proves to be the most exciting of the album’s songs. With lyrics like “I’m not the one you

knew/I’m now and then combined/And I’m asking you to have an open mind,” the song alludes to ABBA’s downfall because of failing inner-band marriages, while also highlighting its members willingness to forgive one another.

Though originally produced in 1978, “Just a Notion” received a much delayed release as the final single of “Voyage.” Pairing the original recording’s vocals with updated instrumentals,

the song transports fans to the past with an optimistic melody and lyrics which could only have been produced by ABBA in its prime.

Aside from “No Doubt About It,” the album’s remaining tracks are slow, reflective ballads.

Though songs of the type make up some of ABBA’s best, those found in the album are bound to put listeners to sleep with their drawn out, hazy compositions.

The band, which is known

for letting personal and group experiences influence their songs, does not shy away from doing so with “Voyage.” However, whereas their past works are more nuanced and accessible in this regard, songs from the new album like “Keep an Eye on Dan” feel a little on the nose with their messages.

Despite its shortcomings, the band behind “Voyage” deserves praise for coming together after so many years to put it together. Having remained friends and collaborators since ABBA disbanded, backup vocalists and songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus join once again to produce an album which overall shows the heart of the band’s popular works.

With them, lead singers Agnetha Faltskög and Anni-Frid Lyngstad pick up where they left off with the band through their assured performances.

In celebration of the album’s release, a series of ABBA concerts will take place in London from May to Dec. 2022. Rather than the band itself, performances will be carried on by a group of digital avatars designed to resemble its members.

'Arcane: League of Legends' honors popular video game Christopher Panighetti Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: On Nov. 6, Netflix released the new animated series “Arcane: League of Legends.”

The show introduces Vi (Hailee Steinfeld, “The Edge of Seventeen”) and Powder/Jinx (Ella Purnell, "Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children”), sisters scaling the walls of Zuan and its twin successor Piltover city as treasure hunters. Through their adventures, the duo encounter scientific experimentations that compromise the city's health and its citizens, creating a diverse population of collisions amongst the engineers. The power duo must gear up and train with other alliances to halt the unknown alchemist Jacyce's (Kevin Alejandro, "Lucifer") experiments that are binding evil powers into the daily city’s inventions.

The binding magic results as a type of void magic with damag-

ing results that can slurp the life out of other magics and forms, while corroding the life around itself. This can be combated with healing ironclad weaponry and competitors with trained artillery skills, which is totally what Jinx and her team are about. Ironically, the void magics are represented as wind-up gadget toys, a symbol for the beloved mechanics of the cities of Zuan and Piltover hold dear,

especially the items similar to the restoring inventions on display on Progress Day. The most attractive part of the show is vibrational camera angles that help the characters and the user glide along in battle even though there is no direct heal percentage against the voltage thrown by the celestial blasts and void magics as they collide in mid-air.

As a storyteller, there needs to be

Image from League of Legends via YouTube "Arcane" makes great use of magic to set its world's cultural boundaries.

an understanding that magic is seen as a personal representation in “Arcane." Every spell cast comes from an eternal evocation unique to the characters such as Jayce, Vinx or Powder. Just as there are unique fingerprints, the elemental magic along with the spiritual, and celestial are altered from an evocation of the individual. Due to this origin rule, the battle's circumstances in the later episodes are all the more surreal with each character becoming a more compelling competitor within the conflict itself.

Any viewer of “Arcane" will interpret magic divided into cultural, region, and the magical forces already at work therein. There can be an offset when mages manifest magic, culturally drawing from local spirits, others will attempt neoscientific explanations and even then the possibility of what is expected of it can alter the outward results if something doesn’t go the way it was prophesied.

In the show, there are instances where the aforementioned rule divides guildes into cooperative,

if not opposing forces. This effects the iron adorned Vinx, as her guild is in conflicting danger. Her mentor Vander (JB Blanc, "Barry") falls into different councils of Plitover guards. Vander knows one of the trades between the coalition is monetary gain and that is what keeps the team safe as they tarde deals and avoid pitfalls. The Plitover city deems the hyperscientific magicians more worthy than those who oppose violence and void magics. In the episodes you can expect the void magics to infect others like a virus, manifesting an even more stronger and vengeful character.

Another aspect of the visual art is seeing floating blood in the graphics, therefore if you are squeamish about blood, an overall violence “Arcane: League of Legends” may not be for that certain viewer.

After watching the show, other fandom activities may be enjoyed, as fans can play the PC game based on the Netflix show, and check out the main “League of Legends'' website.

C6

FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

Crossword Puzzle

Across

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

1. Petticoat 5. Bunny’s motion 8. A Scandinavian 12. Sit for a painting 13. Retirement acct.

14. Prayer word 15. Passed with flying colors 16. Deliberately damage 18. Ghostly garment 20. Shoe spike 21. Popeye, e.g.

23. Outback bird 26. Grazing ground 29. Takes legal action 30. Landed property 31. Main dish 33. Not fake 34. Clergymen 35. Deface 36. Uncommon 38. More faithful

40. Like Santa’s helpers 44. Chart of days 47. Utimatum word 48. Matured 49. Hullabaloo 50. Budget item 51. Extinct bird 52. Primary color 53. Hardens

Down 1. Resorts 2. ____ Ness 3. Words of comprehension (2 wds.)

4. Statue base 5. That man’s 6. Source of answers 7. Artist ____ Picasso 8. Information 9. Nonprofessionals 10. Opposite of pos.

11. Compass point (abbr.)

17. Above, poetically 19. Tense 22. Great anger 24. Run into 25. Puts into service 26. Salon treatment, for short 27. On the ocean 28. Frightened 29. Pittsburgh team 31. Go wrong 32. Kind 34. Formal procession 36. Our star 37. Fragrant wood 39. Modernize 41. Run for it 42. Negative contraction 43. Clear as profit 44. Rascal 45. Gone by 46. Fisherman’s pole

For this week’s puzzle answers ...

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

LAKER REVIEW

Untitled

Dai Domenech

my mind is blank but my heart feels full of starlight and fireflies and campfire smores you’re like summer night when I as a kid where I get to run around in the dark for hours on end in the balmy air you’re like a skinned knee when I was learning to ride my bike exciting even if the fall hurt Because every time I lie my eyes on you I fall deeper in love more in love harder to get up each time could we just lay here till the stars come out and stare at them together? you are the sun and the moon starlight surrounded in by midnight darkness a shining hope lovely pure and warm I can’t help but let my mind race towards you wander around the idea of you get lost in the thoughts of you

FRIDAY, Nov. 19, 2021

C7

Shea McCarthy

Jacob Fallat