The Oswegonian 4-9-21

Look Inside: A3 SUNY Oswego professor discusses lockdown drills

Friday, April 9, 2021 VOLUME LXXXVI ISSUE V SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

Special election hosted over weekend

SA Presidential election sees low turnout in voting

41,150

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian On April 8 and 9, SUNY Oswego sutudents can vote for the next SA President on Laker Life in a special election.

Matt Watling Managing Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com

CONTENT

On Tuesday, March 23, Student Association Chief Justice Matthew O’Donnell announced a shocking revelation to the Senate: there would need to be a special election on April 8-9 to vote for SA president. Despite the initial election, which was closed on March 12, the need for the special election is due to a historically low turnout, with just 79 votes casted for the candidates, Takayla Beckon and Alanna Hill.

The additional election was declared by the Student Association Judicial Branch. According to Part C, Section 604 of SA bylaws, special elections are administered by the Elections Subcommittee. Part D, Section 607 of the SA bylaws reads that the winning candidate must receive “at least 25% of the votes cast.” This does not mean that 25% of the student body must vote for a given candidate, however O’Donnell believes that the 79-vote election does not adequately represent the student body. “[The winner] only got 69 votes, something like that,” O’Donnell said. “We don’t want a president who is representative of 8,000 students, that was only

Crossword/Sudoku... C6 Contact Info................ A2 Laker Review.............. C1 News............................. A1 Opinion........................ B1 Sports........................... B3 Student Spotlight.... C6

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**Positive rate over a seven-day average**

44

0.92%

181,833

205

46,678,571

3.51%

University Police to partake in traffic safety movements

voted by 79. So, we just want to make sure that the individual representing the students is able to have the vote of a representative amount of students.”

The winner of this special election will be named the SA president for next academic year, regardless of the amount of votes she receives.

While this past election was valid and the winner could have been sworn in, O’Donnell cited moral reasons for asking for a special election, adding to the idea that 79 voters is not a fair representation of the entire student body.

This lack of involvement is not exactly new for the SA election, but it has never gotten to this level. O’Donnell said last year’s election also saw a downtick, citing the start of COVID-19 as the major reason.

“Last year right as we were doing the voting, that was right when Gov. Cuomo announced SUNY schools were shutting down and going to distanced learning,” O’Donnell said. “That one only got [848] students … We kind of let it slide because we had no clue what was going on, but in this case, we’ve had COVID for over a year now, we know how to work around it, so that’s why we want a lot more [votes this year].”

The two years before 2020, the elections saw 1,498 and 1,143 votes cast in the 2019 and 2018 elections, respec-

tively. In both of these, there were two candidates like in 2021 and 2020.

SA Advisor and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Jerri Howland has also never seen voting drop in such a precipitous manner. Howland has been involved with SA since she was hired by SUNY Oswego in the summer of 2014. She added that she had never seen a special election like this called before for either the president or vice president elections.

While students have learned how to function through COVID-19, it seems as if that has been at least one of the reasons as to why voting was so down this year.

“There’s no doubt COVID had something to do with it because one of our main ways of getting the word out was tabling,” O’Donnell said. “But we have ways to get around it. I think a lot of it might be a lack of getting the word out.”

Howland suggested three potential reasons for the lack of turnout, including a possible lack of advertising due to a virtual format.

“One [reason] is it may be some sort of editorial of how students are feeling about Student Association in general. That might be it, in the sense that they [students] don’t want to participate in the process,” Howland said.

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See HOPE, A3

B4

The Oswegonian file photo from 2019

Kaitlyn Goodwin Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com ​Throughout the month of April, SUNY Oswego University Police will be participating in two widespread movements to promote traffic safety.

The first initiative, “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” is aimed at promoting awareness of distracted driving, specifically due to interactions with cell phones. The second, “Click It or Ticket,” is highlighting the importance of wearing a seat belt in the car.

In New York, the second movement will also serve as a reminder that the state law has changed and now requires all passengers in the back seat of the car, regardless of the passengers’ age, to wear a seatbelt.

Both efforts were put out by ​ the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and will be followed by campus police at different times. The “U Drive. U Text.

U Pay.” campaign will be the first to hit the streets, taking place from April 5-12. “Click It or Ticket”

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Image from Warner Bros. via YouTube

comes next, spanning from April 19 to May 3. ​D uring these periods, campus police will be enforcing a zero-tolerance policy in regard to drivers on their phones or unbuckled passengers in the car.

“We have a lot of cars coming on and off campus, especially at class change, and the amount of pedestrian traffic is really our main concern because if you take your eyes off the road for a second, you don’t see that pedestrian trying to cross,” UP Officer Scott Maynard said. “And then we have a really bad day for us and for the families of both parties.”

During the last distracted driving crackdown in 2020, SUNY Oswego UP wrote 79 tickets over the course of just nine days. That number grew to over 100 tickets over the year.

Maynard added that one does not have to be texting to receive a ticket. If an officer sees a phone in the driver’s hand while the vehicle is moving, even if the driver is simply holding it, that still counts as distracted driving.

See MOVEMENTS, A4

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Photo provided by Alexis Fragapane

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THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

Weekend Forecast

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FRIDAY, APRIL 9 THROUGH SUNDAY, APRIL 11

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WEATHER FRIDAY, APRIL 9

Potsdam 68°/51°

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Mason Burch, 20, was arrested on March 23 at 8:31 p.m.

Albany 65°/47°

for disorderly conduct after an incident involving unreasonable noise.

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Shauntavius Venson, 24, was arrested on March 27 at 9:44 a.m. for criminal mischief in the fourth degree where

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The Oswegonian

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On the Opinion Cover!

NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In 2017, an estimated nearly 15,000 lives were saved from wearing seatbelts.”

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

-Scott Maynard, from A4

Lockdown drills have been changed by COVID-19

A3

Professor discusses challenges presented by pandemic Tomas Rodriguez Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com

Following the recent Atlanta and Colorado shootings, one SUNY Oswego professor is sharing her insight on how COVID-19 has shaped the way in which lockdown drills are performed.

Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut, a criminology professor at SUNY Oswego and a national expert on mass shootings, said lockdown drills have pretty much looked the same since they started being practiced after Columbine, although there are different variations of emergency preparedness and active shooter protocols. These variations have emerged over the years through various initiatives from the Department of Homeland Security, families of students killed in school shootings and private for-profit corporations.

From a policy perspective, Schildkraut added, there have not been really any changes; there is no federal guidance on lockdown drills, leaving the decision up to the states in terms of the requirements for the number of drills to be conducted.

“The importance of practicing drills is to build muscle memory,” Schildkraut said. “In stressful situations, our thinking may be compromised but our bodies will do what they have been trained to do, drills help us to build those skills so that we respond how we need to in order to stay safe in stressful situations.”

While COVID-19 has presented challenges for drills in the sense that during a drill in normal conditions everyone would huddle together in a safe space out of sight, the modifications Schildkraut and her team have implemented do not impact response efforts. By being mindful of health and safety simultaneously, students, faculty and staff are still getting their practice in, Schildkraut said.

“Being in super close proximity in

Tyler Art Gallery: Abstraction from the Permanent Collection, Friday, April 9, 11 a.m. in Tyler Hall

Photo provided by Jaclyn Schildkraut Jaclyn Schildkraut is a SUNY Oswego professor and national expert on mass shootings.

the pandemic presents challenges for potentially contracting COVID-19,” Schildkraut said. “How we have approached it is you deal with the immediate threat. During drills, that is COVID, so we have the schools we work with practicing in a modified way that incorporates social distancing and mask wearing. If there was an active shooter, however, that is a more immediate threat than COVID-19, so everyone would get out of sight by whatever means necessary in such a situation.”

In fact, Schildkraut had recently been putting this new approach to the test with schools in the Syracuse area assisting in evaluating their effectiveness in responding to school shooting scenarios during the pandemic.

“While they are given brief insight into why those response calls may be made, we focus more on the ‘how’ than the ‘why,’” Schildkrat said.

“The reality is that in the more than 13 years children are in schools, they can face one or more of many different types of emergencies. We want to make sure they have the tools to stay safe in any scenario.”

In their most recent study, Schildkraut and her team found that educators generally viewed their schools as safe and participating in lockdown drills and training did not alter these feelings; what they did change was how prepared they felt, she said.

“Teachers, who normally participated in fire and lockdown drills, didn’t feel significantly more prepared for these two emergencies but did for lockouts and holds,” Schildkraut said.

“Staff members, who often don’t actively participate in the drills, felt more prepared to respond in all five scenarios after going through training and the second drill. So it highlights the importance of the training component.”

Schildkraut emphasizes that a distinction has to be made as K-12 schools and colleges or universities cannot be treated as one in the same because they have very different challenges for how to respond to emergencies. This is largely because of environmental issues like campus layouts and number of buildings, she said.

However, Schildkraut said that the biggest change that is needed from both lawmakers and the public more broadly is to focus on being proactive rather than reactive.

“We are three weeks out from the Colorado shooting and no one is even talking about it anymore,” Schildkraut said. “Instead, everyone just moved on like it didn’t happen, but will somehow be surprised when the next one happens. We need to be talking now about how to prevent the next tragedy rather than waiting for it to come and then figuring out how to respond or react to it.”

Planetarium Zoom Show: “Destination: Mars,” Sunday, April 11, 7 p.m., over Zoom Campus Recreation Basketball Shoot Around, Monday, April 12, 2 p.m. in Marano Campus Center Swetman Gym Zumba, Monday, April 12, 8 p.m. in Marano Campus Center Arena

Laker Hall Pool Lap Swim, Tuesday, April 13, 1 p.m. in Laker Hall Pool

Butts, Guts & Thighs, Wednesday, April 14, 7 p.m. in Marano Campus Center Arena Visiting Artist Series: Kenseth Armstead, Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m. over Zoom

Artist Alberto Rey hosts virtual talk with students Hope for reNew exhibition by Rey to come to SUNY Oswego in Spring 2022 turn to normalcy voiced

Sydney Havens Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com

Global artist Alberto Rey hosted a virtual talk on Tuesday, March 30.

Rey discussed his current work on an upcoming exhibition “Biological Regionalism: Oswego River and Lake Ontario,” which is coming to SUNY Oswego in Spring 2022.

Rey was born in Havana, Cuba, and has worked on projects from upstate New York all the way to Nepal. Rey’s skills extend beyond being an artist, he is also a professor at SUNY Fredonia and values his work as a teacher.

Rey also writes books about the ecological areas he examines and makes these books accessible through free PDFs on his website. Rey said he wants others to be able to access his books so that he can reach more people than just soley the ones who come to his exhibitions.

“A website and a book provide more longevity and long term effects and that would never occur with an exhibition,” Rey said.

“Biological Regionalism: Os-

Photo from Flickr Alberto Rey discusses the Oswego River and Lake Ontario in his virtual talk with students.

wego River and Lake Ontario” is an exploration and investigation of the history and the present condition of both the Oswego River and Lake Ontario. The exhibition is expected to include a series of large paintings, water samples and its related data, ecological research,

Dr. Rodmon King, SUNY Oswego’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, spoke to the Senate in regards to the flags that formerly hung in the Marano Campus Center. King has been working with Senator Nsikak Ekong in order to establish a new policy regarding the flags, which were removed in the fall of 2018.

SA passed a new bill in regards to diversity training. RES 56.08 proposes that the senate work to establish man-

large maps, video projections and an illustrated catalog.

The goal of this project is to combine science, art and community interaction to create conservations pertaining to cultural, social, economic, technological and geopolitical issues related to local

bodies of freshwater.

Through interaction, engagement and dialogue, Rey ultimately aims to increase awareness and pride of the unique natural resources that are integral to the livelihood of the Oswego region.

The “Biological Regionalism: Oswego River and Lake Ontario” exhibition is still in its early stages and Rey said he is open to anything. He is still in the research phase of the project, which he said he does extensively. Rey described this step as him absorbing as much information as possible and then envisioning what that will look like when he displays it.

The next step for Rey wil be to document each site and then go back to the studio to begin painting. Lastly will come the installation in time for the opening of the exhibition next year.

Rey hopes that his exhibition will be interesting enough that it reaches as many different people as possible.

“I use art as a way to access people,” Rey said. “Hopefully the art is intellectually interesting enough that people will want to know more.”

datory training for executive board members of all student organizations at SUNY Oswego.

The SA Executive The training would take Board also proposed a place in both the spring bill that would require and fall semesters. each presidential cabinet of SA to establish a directorship position for diversity, equity and inThe training required clusion. The bill states

by RES 56.08 is intended that SA “needs to make to help unpack stereo- a tangible commitment types and “challenge mis- to the student body” to conceptions,” according ensure they are advocatto the bill. It also states ing for underrepresented that the training will ex- communities. A director pand student awareness of D.E.I. would help SA of diversity practices that to achieve its goal of “inmay be able to be utilized creasing the initiatives in various student orga- around diversity, equity, nizations. The bill passed and inclusion.” The bill passed with a 13-0 vote. by an 11-1 vote.

SPECIAL from COVER “The second thing could be since we are so remote and students are online all the time, maybe the advertisement for this election just fell short … The third thing is that sometimes people may not be aware of what’s going on for whatever reason. We had students on campus and students that are still taking classes but are not physically here.”

Regardless of the potential excuses or reasons behind the lack of involvement, SUNY Oswego sees this as a pressing issue.

“When [current President] Lizeth [Ortega-Ramirez] got the information, she had to go meet with President Stanley who was deeply concerned with the lack of participation,” O’Donnell said.

Howland does expect SA to bounce back. COVID-19 has plagued SUNY Oswego’s clubs in terms of involvement, but as the school begins to open back up, an increase in participation will follow.

“With this news that 16-year olds and above can receive the vaccine if they so choose, that will move us in the right direction to a traditional type of semester,” Howland said.

SA Vice President Asheem Calixte spoke about the special election for SA President.

The special election was established due to an extremely low turnout at the initial election, held from March 11-12. He encouraged Senators to reach out to clubs across the SUNY Oswego campus, with Elections Chair Fei Yang Gu saying that “barely half” the intended clubs have received communication from SA regarding the election. The special election was held from April 8-9.

Photo Brief

ON-CAMPUS VACCINATIONS

William Rogers | The Oswegonian

SUNY Oswego hosted its second vaccination clinic for students on Tuesday. This comes on the heels of the first one which occured on March 25, in which SUNY Oswego offered the Moderna vaccine at Laker Hall. ll.

This time around, the school offered the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which is one single dose. The clinic ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Hewitt Ballroom.

Shortly after the first Johnson & Johnson clinic concluded, the school announced a second one for Friday, April 9 at the same time and place.

Both announcements were sent via email to all SUNY Oswego students on Saturday morning, offering 500 doses of the vaccine. Appointments were granted on a first-come, firstserve basis and were made through a link found in the same email.

These vaccination clinics come as New York state opened up vaccine eligibility to all residents 16 years or older. Despite this, Angie Brown, the director of health services, and Pam Caracciolo, the deputy to the president campus safety monitor, who wrote the announcements said that the clinics are only

for SUNY Oswego students.

“This clinic is exclusive for SUNY Oswego students and members of the SUNY Oswego campus community only,” the email said.

The first Hewitt Ballroom vaccination clinic was in partnership with Wegman’s.

For students that were not able to set up an appointment, SUNY Oswego expects to establish more clinics in the near future.

“In partnership with SUNY and the State of New York, we are working to secure additional doses of the vacccine that we hope to have available in the coming week or two,” the email said. “Please watch your emails in the coming week or two ... for more information on future oncampus clinics.”

SUNY Oswego encouraged its students to get vaccinated in the email, citing the scientific data behind the vaccine.

“Studies show that it is safe and effective and our best chance at protecting ourselves and getting back to an operational campus where students can live, study and connect with one another.”

Movements meant to enforce traffic safety on campus

NEWS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

A4

Club sports to see significant cut in funding SUNY Oswego Student Association passes new bill, RES 56.07 Dylan McGlynn Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com When club sports are cleared to return to SUNY Oswego, they will do so with slightly less funding than before. On March 23, the SUNY Oswego Student Association passed a bill limiting the funding for the Club Sports Budget Committee to $110,000 in total.

RES 56.07 states that SA will give the entire sum to the Club Sports Budget Committee, allowing them to distribute it across all club sports on campus. SA stated that they wish to provide them with one set financial sum, a change from previous years.

“Last year, the Student Association constantly changed the lump amount of money given to the Club Sports Budget Committee, so they had to constantly change the amounts given to the Club Sports,” the bill stated. “To make the jobs of those in the Club Sports Budget Committee easier, the Senate should give them an accurate and definitive number for them to work with.”

According to Director of Campus Life Daniel Roberts, the decision to allow the Club Sports Budget Committee to distribute the money themselves also had to do with Title IX. “Up until three years ago, club sports were funded like any other SA organization,” Roberts said during the meeting. “SA had uncovered some very broad funding discrepancies, particularly between men’s and women’s club sports, that exposed the Student Association to some pretty significant Title IX violations.”

These included violations in terms of equity and opportunities, as well as funding. According to Roberts, this led to the decision to develop a “three-year transition”.

In the transition plan, SA worked with Campus Life in order to ensure a funding process that kept the Association compliant with Title IX. “The goal at the end of that threeyear time period was that SA would move the governance, allocation and disbursement of club sports funding over to the oversight of Campus Life completely,” Roberts said.

Roberts also mentioned that in the past, the Senate had been skeptical about turning over such a large portion of their finances, but called RES 56.07 “a good start.”

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Roberts said he is hopeful that the bill will lead to future discussions in regards to the distribution of club sports funding, and whether Campus Life should eventually take over that aspect of SA’s finances.

The $110,000 figure was recommended by the Association’s Director of Finance, Trentin Carentz. This includes a $20,000 “championship fund,” which was established in fall of 2019.

The championship fund, as its name suggests, is essentially extra money that can be given to club teams that ascend to the championship level of their respective seasons.

This leaves a working budget for club sports at $90,000, according to SA Vice President Asheem Calixte. Calixte said that in the previous year, the overall budget was $135,000, which gave a working budget of $115,000 for club teams on campus.

The bill referred to SA as “cash poor,” one of the reasons for the decision. Student advisor Dr. Jerri Howland said that SA had consistently overspent in the past.

“There’s been a couple times where we couldn’t make payroll,” Howland said during the meeting.

“And it was because every year, SA

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

Photo provided by Alexis Fragapane SUNY Oswego Student Association decided to cut club sports funding upon their return.

was allowing a budget to go forward that was in the red.”

Like Roberts, Howland also referred to RES 56.07 as a “step in the right direction,” but advised the association that they may need to make cuts in other areas besides just club sports.

“That sort of ideal should go across everything you do, and not just one chunk of it,” Howland said. “It shouldn’t be something that’s cut towards club sports, and not cut towards all your spending across the board.”

SA President Lizeth OrtegaRamirez echoed a similar sentiment, saying that SA will have to carefully consider their finances in the future.

“SA really needs to be smart about how they allocate funding across all fixed expenses, as well as funding for clubs,” Ortega-Ramirez said. She also said that next year is a “critical” year for the association, with a referendum on the student activity fee approaching.

“It is critical that students vote ‘yes’ to [a mandatory student activity fee], because this is what funds clubs,” Ortega-Ramirez said.

Club teams at SUNY Oswego have not played in the past two semesters due to COVID-19. For these teams, the budget decrease has become another disappointment in a year full of them.

“Initially, it was disappointing,” said Christopher Timmons, head coach of the Oswego State ACHA men’s club hockey team. “Just knowing how much I know about how much our players have put into this program over the years.”

Timmons said that while “there is somewhat of an understanding” of the issues that the Student Association is dealing with, it was still disheartening to see the budget decrease yet again.

“Historically, we’ve seen decreases to club sports budgets year over year, so it is definitely disappointing to see that it’s still occurring going into this following season,” Timmons said.

He also said that this could lead to some players struggling to afford the necessary costs to play with the team.

“Unfortunately, when [budget cuts] occur, some guys financially aren’t able to afford to self-fund the team.” Timmons said.

The Oswegonian file photo from 2020 SUNY Oswego UP will be cracking down on distracted driving and unbuckled passengers.

UNIVERSITY from COVER The “Click It or Ticket” campaign is equally as important to enforce. When an accident occurs, the occupant in the car becomes much heavier, and much harder to restrain without a proper seat belt.

The occupant now weighs their actual weight times the speed of the vehicle.

Maynard used the example of a person who weighs 185 pounds getting into an accident in a vehicle moving at 30 miles per hour, that person then becomes the equivalent of 5,500 pounds, a weight that would be almost impossible to hold in place if the person is not wearing a seatbelt at the time.

“The seatbelt is designed to keep you in the seat. If you’re wearing it properly … if it is com-

ing across at your shoulder [it will protect you]. In 2017, an estimated nearly 15,000 lives were saved from wearing seatbelts. That’s across the United States,” Maynard said. “The seatbelt shouldn’t hurt you anymore than what you already would have been. Some people are concerned about getting trapped in the vehicle with a seatbelt on, if that is a concern, they make tools you can cut the seatbelt with.”

During this time, there will be increased patrol cars being sent out explicitly to patrol the campus that will not be distracted by calls or other responsibilities. However, students should bear in mind that these laws will not disappear once the crackdowns are over, texting while driving and not wearing a seat belt are always chargeable offenses, and even more they may be potentially fatal.

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OPINION COVID-19 PASSPORT

B2 Photo from Flickr

OPINION

VOLUME LXXXVI ISSUE V

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

SPORTS B3

SOPHOMORE SHINES

The Oswegonian file photo 2019

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

B1

Will college students be more willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, should schools require it?

Ease will increase I think college students will be more likely to get the vaccine now that the age of eligibility has dropped because it is easier.

They do not have to figure out what group they qualify in and that, for many, is too much work already. If it is easy to get, I think and hope that more people will get the vaccine.

-Annika Wickham Copy Editor

Should be required Hesitance hinders A majority of college students will be inclined to get the COVID-19 vaccine now that the age requirement has dropped.

Large amounts of students will put off getting vaccinated due to vaccine hesitancy. I believe all schools should require students to be vaccinated by the start of fall semester. SUNY Oswego already requires MMR and meningitis vaccinations. Why not add the COVID-19 vaccination to the list? It will save lives in our local community and make SUNY Oswego a safer and healthier place. The vaccine is free and will be available to everyone months before the fall, so there is no argument to be made that it is unfair or discriminatory.

With the new age requirement for COVID-19 vaccinations in New York state, we will definitely see an increase in the number of college students who recieve it. However, I feel that it is important that schools require the vaccination for the fall semester as a way to promote public safety. Vaccine hesitancy is the new pandemic, so long as it stands in our way, it will be difficult to return to the lives that we miss.

-Abigail Connolly, Opinion Editor

-John Contrata, Business Manager

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

After 4 years at The Oswegonian, thank you Looking back on college career, looking ahead to the future

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

THE OSWEGONIAN

The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935

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

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

This is the column where I take a moment to reflect and say, “Thank you.”

After April 1 came and went, I quickly realized that my time at SUNY Oswego is coming to a close.

During my first column of the year, I wrote that if someone had told me in August 2017 that I was going to be Editor-in-Chief during this thing called “COVID-19,” I would have laughed and not believed it.

My time as Editor-in-Chief, and subsequently my senior year at SUNY Oswego, has flown by. Even during my first semester while taking Astronomy 100 (we will not talk about the grade I received in said class), I never imagined how fast May 2021 would come.

I suppose that old saying of, “Time flies when you’re having fun” reigns true.

It is nearly impossible to pinpoint one specific time to say, “Yeah, that’s my favorite memory at The Oswegonian.” Whether it be getting Wonzones with Ryan Zalduondo after hockey games during my freshman year, or going to Mackin Dining Complex with several staff members during my sophomore year while getting the newspaper ready for publication, I created life-long friendships within the newsroom at 139A Marano Campus Center.

From my very first article with The Oswegonian on Sept. 8, 2017, an Oswego State golf season preview after the team joined the Empire 8 conference, to what will ultimately

be my last column in the April 23 issue, there has undoubtedly been growth in my writing.

Not only can I thank different journalism classes and professors for instilling that growth in classes, but also previous editors and staff members who took the time to sit down with me and discuss my stories with the corrections that were made.

In hindsight, when I was trying to make the big decision of where I would go to college during my senior year of high school, SUNY Oswego was a no-brainer. What other school could I have stepped onto campus, gotten involved in the student media organizations within the first week and basically been given every opportunity if I chose to take it?

Over the last four years, I have gotten to expand on my passion for sports journalism, something that I have wanted to do since the beginning of high school. But now, thanks to The Oswegonian, I learned so much more about the field of journalism. It is sometimes so much more than just words and statistics on a page. It is about telling someone’s story and giving them a voice, something I strive to do each and every day that I write a feature story on a group or person.

So, as cliché as it sounds, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

SUNY Oswego has made me a better

person, let alone a better journalist.

Thank you to all four years of staff members at The Oswegonian for working hard every single day, especially this year’s staff who had to deal with me being in charge as well as adapting to such a strange system with COVID-19. I cannot wait to see what The Oswegonian will look like long after I graduate; knowing who is in charge for the next few years, I am excited for the end result.

Thank you to every professor that I have had in the last four years for not just sticking to the textbook, but being humans; you all care so much more than just the grade on the exam, you care about students as people.

Thank you to every single coach and student-athlete that I have come across that has been willing to sit down with me and talk, even after some tough losses, about different stories. Special shoutout to the men’s hockey team for some of my favorite memories over the last two seasons. I will never ask to ride the bus again.

A special thank you to Matt Watling, this year’s managing editor, who has been a close friend for the last four years. We pushed each other to be better every day, whether that was when we were running the sports section together or we were running the entire organization this year. I cannot wait to see what is in store for both of us after May.

Ben Grieco | The Oswegonian The first article written by now-Editor-in-Chief, Ben Grieco, appeared in The Oswegonian on Sept. 8, 2017.

Dobby

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

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

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

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

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

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B2 OPINION Legal weed, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, time to resign Green New Accusations of sexual misconduct follow New York state governor new way for Deal’s the equity answer THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

John Custodio Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

Photo from Flickr

Abigail Connolly Opinion Editor aconnolly@oswegonian.com On Wednesday, March 31, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed new cannabis legislation which legalized recreational marijuana use for adults 21 years and older. This historical legislation comes after years of debate over economic and tax issues, as well as backlash from anti-drug groups and advocates. As the 15th state to legalize recreational cannabis use, New York is positioned to rise to the top in cannabis sales.

For some, this new legislation threatens the anti-drug narrative that has been in place for decades.

For many more, this new legislation means long overdue economic and racial equity.

Black and Latino communities have been historically hit with disproportionate marijuana charges.

The legislation passed states that 40% of the tax revenue will be put back into these minority communities that have been negatively affected. This new legislation also aims to have individuals with marijuana-related charges who are no longer criminalized have their records automatically expunged.

While it is impossible to erase the years of systemic racism within the U.S. and New York state justice systems, this new legislation is a move in the right direction.

“It is time we realize how disproportionately minority communities have been affected by marijuana related charges and take a more combative role in preventing it.”

Racial injustices aside, this legislation will save millions in taxpayer dollars. In an article for The New York Post, Bruce Barcott cites that “the average marijuana arrest costs $4,390 in taxpayer money,” and with an average of 24,000 arrests annually, those dollars add up. It is particularly upsetting to learn that a majority of these arrests affected minority communities and the funding that could have been used for education or other structural funding.

Alongside monetary concerns regarding this new legislation, backlash from anti-drug groups argue that the legalization will increase teen drug use. The Journal for Adolescent Health, however, has published a study that says the opposite. After legalization in Colorado and Washington in 2012, studies were conducted relating to this exact issue, and the findings suggest “minimal short-term effects of [recreational marijuana legalization] on adolescent substance use, with small declines in marijuana use.”

With more regulation regarding legal recreational marijuana, there is less of an opportunity for teens to access and abuse it.

The legalization of recreational marijuana has been a long time coming. It is time that we realize the health and public safety benefits that come along with it. It is time we realize how minority communities have been disproportionately affected by marijuana related charges and take on a more combative role in preventing it.

With these things in mind, this new legislation can create a more equitable future, a stronger economy and a healthier environment for all.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who many thought was a beacon of hope in the early days of the pandemic, must resign. Ten women have accused Cuomo of inappropriate sexual behavior. In this day, and with someone in as high of a position as the governor of New York, every single allegation must be thoroughly investigated.

In modern American politics, it is obvious there is a problem when both sides of the political aisle are calling for someone to resign.

Democrats and Republicans have united to tell Cuomo to resign, and many New York residents agree.

To give Cuomo credit, he led the state through tough times and fought for the right issues.

Cuomo fought hard to legalize same-sex marriage in New York in 2011, helped raise the state minimum wage and helped lead through Superstorm Sandy. In 2020, he implemented tight COVID-19 restrictions that helped save lives and has stuck by them while states like Texas and Florida eased restrictions and became hotbeds for the virus. While a controversial figure throughout New York due to issues like harsh gun restrictions, he has done a lot for the state, especially in chaotic times like the pandemic.

However, the reality is the position of governor has no place with a man out of touch with the state of the world. Many argue that Cuomo is just an old man who does not know how to talk to women or that he is just a bit oldschool. That does not fly. In the era of the #MeToo movement, it is painfully obvious that this behavior is unacceptable.

Many have questioned the severity of some claims. Cuomo claims he kisses people as a way of

greeting, the same way his father Mario Cuomo, the 52nd governor of New York, did. However, former aide Lindsey Boylan’s accusation of Cuomo touching her inappropriately should be enough to sink his ship. The accusation of Cuomo fondling an aide under her clothes is more than enough to warrant his complete resignation.

While due process still exists and no criminal charges have been filed against Cuomo, he should leave the office of governor with dignity instead of being dragged out kicking and screaming in a lengthy and embarrassing trial.

Cuomo’s attempts at apologizing are embarrassing as well. He deflects the blame, clearly not regretting that he did what he is accused of but that he is in trouble for it. He sets conditional apologies and expects to get away with it, while all it accomplishes is turning away his supporters.

Instead of simply admitting that the actions Cuomo was accused of are wrong, he deflected the blame onto those that were “offended” by it, saying “What I also understand is, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter my intent. What it matters is if anybody was offended by it,” in a press briefing in March.

Coupled with the scandal of underreporting nursing home deaths, Cuomo should take his bow with grace and leave office. If Cuomo were to resign, the state would not go without a governor until the 2022 governor election. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul would take over the position of governor until the 2022 election.

If any concrete evidence is found, Cuomo should resign from the position of governor. To be tried for any sexual harassment while in the position of governor would not only be an embarrassment to the state of New York, but to his and his father’s legacies.

The United States has a long history with water and letting big companies willingly extract oil or gas from deep within the Earth’s surface. Water has always been something sacred and vital for humans. It runs through the veins of mother earth and can do a lot for anything living.

Many big companies are able to access much of the waters on federal and tribal lands because the U.S. auctions off land areas to wealthy corporations and investors. The hydraulic fracturing process is when a drill goes deep underground and injects gallons of fluids to extract natural gas and oil from rock formations. The results from fracking have left communities with toxic waste waters and polluted air.

Photo from Flickr Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing serious allegations from multiple women regarding sexual misconduct .

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

COVID-19 passport will not violate rights

Vaccine passport in place to protect, not isolate or estrange Matt Watling Managing Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com With the rise of COVID-19 vaccinations and the return to a “normal” life, the concept of a COVID-19 vaccine passport gained traction on Twitter and other social media platforms. Some of these posts include calling these passports unconstitutional, citing privacy concerns, which while somewhat understandable, is fraudulent.

I call these ideas fraudulent not to say that I am OK with constant surveillance, but because this is not the main concern of those who call it that. Secondly, the constitution allows the government to infringe on some of our rights during a national emergency. After over a half a million deaths in the U.S, I certainly would consider this to be a national emergency.

The U.S. and almost every country in the world require vaccinations and proof of getting them. Before one can enter a kindergarten classroom, they must have a certificate that they received the vaccines for a variety of diseases such as polio, chickenpox and others. While this varies by state, every state has these requirements.

The idea that the government is tracking us with the COVID-19 vaccine is such a joke, I am sorry.

Almost every adult in this country has a smart phone or cellular device that actually tracks us.

Every single user of social media has already signed his or her privacy rights away for the most part, as social media platforms

Photo from Flickr

Chelsea Maldonado Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

sell information to advertisers. Is the vaccine - that is being administered globally - really where some people draw the line?

The real reason for this COVID-19 passport is certainly not to infringe on HIPAA laws. It is not meant to act as something to restrict one’s rights or turn the American democracy into fasism. The real issue is that 26% of Americans do not plan on getting the COVID-19 vaccine, according to Gallup. Twenty-six percent of Americans will prolong this plague, many of them doing this for selfish reasons.

This is not a piece knocking everyone who refuses to get the vaccine. Many underprivileged Americans do not trust the current healthcare system and healthcare workers due to poor health in underprivileged and minority communities. These Americans have been burned in the past from the current health system. They have experienced things I will never understand, but I hope people they trust will be able to show the safety and importance of this vaccine.

The vaccine passport is something meant to help us return to normal, not stray away from it. In 1937, the World Health Organization issued a Yellow Card, or certificate of proof that said person had been vaccinated for yellow fever. To this day, U.S. travelers still use it to travel to parts of South America and Africa. We are still using this but there has not been outrage, why you might ask? Because COVID-19 has become a political issue, unlike yellow fever.

In all honesty, I do not understand how this is a “civil rights

crisis.” This passport will not last forever. Just like face masks, COVID-19 passports will eventually disappear but only when the time is right. Despite this, politicians and political parties continue to make ridiculous slippery slope arguments that I cannot help but get frustrated with.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem tweeted, “The [COVID-19 passport] proposal is one of the must un-American ideas in our nation’s history. We as Americans should oppose this oppression.”

Is this really oppression? Is this really what we need to worry about? I would argue that things like the wage gap, unequal access to education and about 1,000 other things lead to way more tangible examples of oppression.

One last tweet that really made me sick was from the Libertarian Party of Kentucky. It writes, “Are the vaccine passports going to be yellow, shaped like a star, and sewn on our clothes,” alluding to the yellow stars with “Jude” written on them that Nazi Germany forced Jews to wear.

This party really just compared a health crisis to a mass genocide. It is such a heinous comparison, but it still stung as I read those ridiculous words. I still cannot believe that someone thought to tweet this. A few days later, the party offered a nonapology, saying it started a conversation that needed to be had.

The conversation should not be about facism or oppressing Americans. The passport is about ensuring the safety of every American man, woman and child, so nobody has to experience this level of pain, anxiety and tension ever again.

“Biden agrees that the Green New Deal would target the need to change and meet the challenge.”

“Fracking destroys ground water sources and people within communities that are poor, and it destroys their lives,’’ Lynn Ocorr a biology professor at Finger Lakes Community College said. “I’m a little more OK with hydrofracking now if they were to police it. It would be best if the United States continued fracking so we wouldn’t depend on the Middle East.”

The effects of hydraulic fracturing have been known to decline property values, increase crime and decrease local tourism and agriculture. The fracking process has also increased climate change. It leaks methane, which can take up to 12 years to be removed from the atmosphere.

It is common for spills to occur, resulting in the contamination of drinking water. Landmark and environmental laws do not have any fracking laws so big companies can continue to drill in lands everywhere in the U.S. This is a problem.

“You can’t survive without water,” Sayuri Pacheco a zoology student at SUNY Oswego said. “Everything is an ecological system connected to everything. The smallest species are ecological keystones to one another.”

Drilling permit applications escalated during the Trump administration. It increased more than 300% from 2017 to 2018. 12% of natural gas and 24% of crude oil were taken from federal lands and waters in 2019.

President Joe Biden is on board with the Green New Deal, which was introduced by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts. The plan proposes to get the federal government to step away from fossil fuels and greenhouse emissions.

The Green New Deal would target climate change as the Biden administration said it would. Biden agrees that the Green New Deal would target the need to change and meet the challenge. It would also target the environment and the economy which are connected.

“We should seek a Green New Deal and clean energy,” Kenneth Ayhens said, Chief Officer in Environmental Health and Safety. “The United States has done a lot for climate change. A lot of countries do not do what we do.

They should get on board like us. We used to use diesel fuel, now we use natural gas.”

Big companies are not required to release what chemicals they use when fracking. Research and studies have found leading evidence to supports the ban of fracking. More must be done to stop this harmful practice.

SPORTS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

B3

Wiley, Sherman lead charge Editor’s Column: Consistent pitching key for baseball to begin season unbeaten Lack of run prevention could prove costly later in season

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Trina Catterson Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State women’s lacrosse team is 2-0, taking home a win against SUNY Fredonia on Saturday, April 3.

Due to COVID-19 related issues with SUNY Geneseo, the game that was scheduled for Wednesday, April 7 against the Knights was canceled.

Midfielder Sela Wiley was a strong component to the team’s most recent success. The sophomore scored seven goals in the season’s first matchup against Morrisville State and five goals along with two assists against the Blue Devils. She was named SUNYAC Women’s Lacrosse Athlete of the Week twice already through just two weeks of play for her strong performances.

Wiley said she is excited to see what her and the team can achieve in the upcoming games.

“I’m excited to figure out how everyone is going to work to-

gether on the field and what is going to work for us,” Wiley said. “We can obviously do a lot in practice, but we can’t do everything. So just seeing it all connect on the field is what I’m looking forward to.”

Head coach Britt Howard named Wiley captain after last year’s short but successful season. Howard said Wiley is a key component to the team’s midfield.

“She came in hard last year, and I saw a lot of great things out of her,” Howard said. “She steps up on defense and offense and is very much a vocal leader.”

Wiley is not the only athlete stepping up to the plate. Kamryn Sherman, one of the team’s attackers, is off to an impressive start as well. In her first action in over a year for the Lakers, Sherman scored one goal and had one assist in the matchup against the Mustangs. Sherman also had a very productive day on offense last Saturday, scoring four goals against SUNY Fredonia.

While the team is relatively young, consisting of mostly freshmen and sophomores, Sherman is the only player that Oswego State will lose to graduation this year. Sherman has had an incredible three years of achievements, being a twotime Oswego State Athlete of the Week and registering seven career hat tricks.

Sherman and the Lakers play two road games on Saturday, April 10, at Buffalo State and Monday, April 12, at SUNY Geneseo, before returning home to play Clarkson University on Wednesday, April 14, at the Laker Turf Stadium.

Sherman is excited to have one last chance on the field with her teammates, regardless of the COVID-19 guidelines they must follow.

“I’m excited, kind of sad, but we didn’t know what was going to be expected coming into this season. We didn’t even know if we were going to have a season,” Sherman said. “At least we get to play games, and I get one more last ride with my teammates which I am really excited for.”

Michael Gross Asst. Sports Editor mgross@oswegonian.com

The key for the Oswego State baseball team this season is consistency. The bats have no problem getting going as they scored 35 total runs in Tuesday’s doubleheader, but if the pitching is not consistently doing their job, things can get ugly very quickly for the Lakers.

It was a tale of two games for the Oswego State baseball team on the road at Brockport State on Sunday, April 4, winning game one 7-2 and losing game two 14-2. Junior Kieran Finnegan got the start in game one, throwing a solid four innings, striking out three, walking three and only letting one run cross the plate.

Finnegan’s outing was slightly overshadowed by junior Anthony Van Fossen. The long reliever threw the final five innings, striking out five and only gave up one run. The most impressive part was that he did not surrender a single walk on 19 batters faced, which is a very difficult thing to do in the SUNYAC, let alone in baseball.

The offense scored seven runs in the win against the Golden Eagles, but the offense is not an is-

sue for Oswego State. Pitching in game one was commanding, but it never transferred from game one to game two.

Brockport State scored 14 runs in the latter half of the doubleheader, dominating Laker pitching and getting the victory. Senior Ronald Loomis started for Oswego State, giving up six runs on six hits in just two innings pitched. Loomis was pulled in the third inning and replaced by senior Connor Van Dreason, followed by senior Jared Kwicinski and freshman Jacob Sanders who all combined for eight earned runs allowed.

The Lakers had an off-game. It happens to every team and not just in baseball, but in every sport. Inconsistent pitching, especially in a shortened season, will not bode well for them.

The SUNY New Paltz doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon proved that good pitching is the key to winning baseball games for Oswego State, but if inconsistent, it could find itself in the loss column. The final score of game one was 24-12. Twenty-four is the most runs scored in a single game for the Lakers since they scored 31 against St. John Fisher College on May 1, 2018.

Despite the strong hitting per-

formance in game one, the Lakers let up 12 runs. That might fly against SUNY New Paltz, but it will not cut it against SUNYAC powerhouses like SUNY Cortland or Brockport State in the SUNYAC tournament.

A team that has brought back some seniors as graduate students due to COVID-19, will help develop strong, young arms for the Lakers.

Mike Di Salvo, who has an ERA below 3.00 for his collegiate career, and Ben Wilcox who has a career ERA of 2.35, are both back on the roster for the 2021 season.

In game two, Laker pitching gave up just three runs in a dominant performance from freshman Jai Sharma in the 11-3 win. The St. James native threw six innings, giving up three runs and striking out eight batters in the process.

Sharma had total control over the Hawks in his first-ever outing as a Laker.

Finnegan has been electric since jumping on the scene in the spring of 2019, when he posted a 3.47 ERA, striking out 23 batters in 36.1 innings. With Finnegan and Van-Fossen leading the charge, as well as Sharma’s young arm, the Lakers are in a good position to make their mark in the SUNYAC provided they remain consistent.

Michael Gross & Brandon Ladd | The Oswegonian

Shore Report

LAKER ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

SUNYAC Standings as of April 8

Baseball - West Oswego State

Overall 5-1

Conf.

Conf.

1-1 2-3

1-0 0-1

1-2

1-0

0-1

0-1

Oneonta

2-0

2-0

Potsdam Plattsburgh

2-2

1-1

1-3

1-1

New Paltz

0-3

0-2

Overall

Conf.

Brockport

Cortland Geneseo

4-2

3-1

Fredonia

0-2

0-2

Cortland Oneonta

9-3

2-0

7-3

New Paltz

2-2 0-4

2-2 0-2

Baseball - East

Softball - West

Overall

3-1

Brockport

Plattsburgh

M Lacrosse - West

0-2

Oswego State

M Lacrosse - East

W Lacrosse - West

Overall

Conf.

Geneseo

2-1

0-0

Geneseo

2-0

2-0

Buffalo State

5-5

2-2

Oswego State

2-0

1-0

Brockport

1-1

1-1

Brockport

3-2

Oswego State

1-1

0-0

0-3

Fredonia

1-3

1-1

Buffalo State Fredonia

2-1 0-2

0-4

0-2

Softball - East

Sela Wiley Women’s Lacrosse Sophomore | Cheshire, CT The two-time SUNYAC Player of the Week scored 12 goals and registered three assists putting her first on the team in points at 15. Behind her great performances, Wiley is third in the conference for total points scored by a single player this season, and has 21 shots on goal which is 12 more than any other Laker.

W Lacrosse - East

Cortland

8-2

5-1

Oneonta

1-0

1-0

Plattsburgh Oneonta Potsdam

3-1 2-4 1-3

3-1 2-4 0-2

Cortland New Paltz Potsdam

2-0 2-1 0-4

New Paltz

0-2

0-2

Plattsburgh

4-1 2-1 2-5 0-0

24:

The baseball team scored 24 runs in game one of the doubleheader at SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday afternoon.

With a 1:04 p.m. first pitch, the game lasted 3:37 before the Lakers won. Oswego State gave up 12 runs in the game resulting in 36 total runs scored during the contest.

36:

Oswego State men’s lacrosse is 0-36 all-time in matchups against SUNY Cortland. The closest game among the 36 games was an 11-10, overtime loss on April 26, 2017, at SUNY Cortland. Since their first matchup in 1980, the Lakers have never beaten the Red Dragons but will have a chance to on Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Laker Turf.

61:

0-0

The women’s lacrosse team registered 61 shots on goal in the first two games of the regular season. It is out-shooting opponents 61-31 regarding shots on goal, showing its dominance on the offensive end. The Lakers have only taken 79 total shots meaning 77% of their total shots are on goal.

Paul Tammaro Baseball Junior | New City On Tuesday at SUNY New Paltz, Tammaro went 3-4 with three RBIs in game one and 2-3 with a run scored in game two. Tammaro is now batting .467 in four games. Before this season, Tammaro had a career batting average of .275 as a Laker and has since proven to be a top hitter on the team.

NEWS ALBERTO

A3

REY

Photo via Kailee Montross

SPORTS THE OSWEGONIAN

VOLUME LXXXVI ISSUE V • www.oswegonian.com

OPINION LEGAL

B2

WEED

Photo via Flickr

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

Tanner Spink was born into hockey family; misses out on senior season

Soon-to-be graduating senior reflects on his time as Laker, theme of fun for past 3 years

The Oswegonian file photo from 2019 Tanner Spink (7) finished his Oswego State career with 41 points over 74 games played, and head coach Ed Gosek believed his senior season could have been a special one.

Ben Grieco Editor-in-Chief bgrieco@oswegonian.com It was pretty obvious from the beginning that Tanner Spink was going to be a hockey player.

Spink’s dad, Kenton, is the assistant general manager of the Cornwall Colts in the Central Canada Hockey League. Spink’s twin brothers — Tyson and Tylor — both played for Cornwall, then went on to Colgate University and now play professionally in Germany.

Growing up, Spink, Tyson and Tylor played pond hockey in their hometown of Williamstown, Ontario, Canada. Eventually, Tyson and Tylor both became examples to follow for Spink in “hockey life” after midget hockey.

“My family is hockey crazy,” Spink said. “[Tylor and Tyson] were my role models with what I was going to do and how I was going to do it.”

Tyson and Tylor, who are a little less than four years older than Spink, helped “pave the way” by the time junior hockey came around for Spink. All three of them played for Cornwall. Tyson and Tylor played four years with the Colts from 2009-2012, while Spink played five seasons from 2012-2017.

Tyson played in 169 games for Cornwall and Tylor was not far behind with 141 games played. But Spink, including that extra season, played in 274 games. Spink said he believes he is top-three in all-time games played for Cornwall and could have been No. 1 had it not been for injuries.

Spink’s older brothers made their way to college hockey in the United States at Div. I Colgate University, ironically just an hour and a half away from Oswego State.

Having the “Spink” name brought some opportunities for the youngest brother, but Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek said the coaching staff was on him pretty hard during the recruiting process in the last couple years of Spink’s time in junior hockey.

“He had some Div. I interest because of his brothers’ success.

Both of them being very good players, he had the name and he was a very good student,” Gosek said. “He committed [to Oswego State], but if he got something Div. I, obviously he was going to take it, which we understood.”

Choosing Oswego State was easy for Spink. He talked to a few different Oswego State alumni he was familiar with, including Williamstown native Chris Ayotte, who graduated from Oswego

State in 2013, as well as Stephen Johnson, a 2017 graduate who played in Cornwall.

Spink mentioned he essentially knew “the ins and outs” of what Oswego State hockey was and what the program was like.

Plus, players like Mitch Herlihey, who was a senior when Spink was a freshman, with open arms, Spink added.

Once the games rolled around, having a packed Marano Campus Center every weekend, Spink started to get more and more settled in.

“Mitch was my favorite captain I’ve ever had … He made it very easy to step in as a freshman,” Spink said. “You would be out in the community shopping for groceries with your hockey jacket on, and they’d stop and talk with you and ask you how things were going, sharing their excitement for the weekend ahead. It made it easier being here.”

As a freshman, Spink made an immediate impact on the Oswego State squad, playing in 22 games and leading the freshmen class in goals with seven.

Throughout Spink’s entire career in junior and college hockey, he was plagued with several injuries. Early in his time at Cornwall, Spink experienced some shoulder injuries that reoccurred while

playing for the Lakers.

Gosek said that Spink worked hard to rehabilitate his injury and gave “everything he could” during his three years.

“You weren’t going to out-work Spinker. He’s not the beast-looking specimen like Carter Allen. But he was always in great shape,” Gosek said. “He was always in the training room and working out to try to get an advantage. He’d come early to practice or stay late. You respect a guy like that.”

Within a six-year period, Spink had surgery on his left shoulder three times.

Spink said that before the injuries, especially in midget hockey, he was more of a “grinding player,” getting into the “dirty areas” of the ice. Afterward, he was forced to change his style of play in order to avoid further injuries.

“I don’t really want to look back and think about what could have, should have or would have happened without the injuries, but it definitely was a factor for sure,” Spink said. “You have to evolve your style of play to prevent the injury from happening again. It doesn’t affect the way you play as much, just the style.”

Spink finished his three seasons with 74 games played, amassing 41 points. However, he was not

able to have what could have been his “breakout year,” according to Gosek, since the 2020-2021 season was canceled.

For his senior year, Spink was named one of the assistant captains. Gosek mentioned that Spink’s leadership grew after his freshman year, while Spink “watched and observed guys that did the right thing and guys that didn’t always do the right thing.”

“Certain guys establish themselves as guys that you can say, ‘OK, he could be a leader if he keeps going on this path because [he] does the right thing, says the right things,’” Gosek said. “Spink, you never had to worry about him. If he had a bad practice, it was a lack of execution not a lack of effort.”

He was one of only five seniors on the roster this season. Gosek said that between Spink’s health and “great shape,” plus “being out of the shadow” of the 13-player senior class from last season, his senior year could have been special.

“I feel like it was yesterday that it happened. I’m still trying to get over it,” Spink said. “You can’t control what life throws at you. It only makes us a better person.”

Now, Spink is looking ahead.

Just like the other four seniors, Spink said he wishes he could play just one more game with his classmates. He was looking forward to having a strong senior season in order to pursue a professional career overseas, similar to his twin brothers.

If pro hockey does not work out, Spink said he is currently in the process of becoming a firefighter in his hometown of Williamstown, something he has always had an interest in but just never had the time due to hockey and school.

Spink said he will always remember his three years at Oswego State.

“Just, all around, it was very fun playing for Oswego for three years.

I wish I could play with the rest of the seniors for a fourth year. But what can you do, right?” Spink said.

“I have nothing but good things to say about this organization … It’s probably the most fun three years and a month that I’ve had in my entire life.”

Oswego State esports team takes advantage of pandemic with virtual club

Nicknames, smiles, winning key for club as playoffs loom in near future for 2 teams

Photo provided by The Oswego eSports Association The Oswego State eSports Association has virtual opportunities for various students across campus, competitively and for fun.

Brandon Ladd Sports Editor bladd@oswegonian.com The Oswego State eSports Association has far and away had the most wins of any team located on the Oswego State campus this year. The club seems ideal to handle a situation like the pandemic, with all game action occurring in a virtual world and all communica-

tion between teammates going through the Discord application.

The two most impressive showings by the club so far this year are the undefeated play of both the Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege teams. Despite vastly different gameplays from each other and two different sets of teams, the teams have found a lack of competition playing in the NECC, the league Oswego State is part of.

The Rocket League team, which is 9-0, is led by a student who goes by his gamertag “Tommy the Tsunami,” his given name being Thomas Bullock.

Bullock beamed with joy, talking about the skill level of the team and their clever nicknames.

“My teammates are “Headless Chicken”, or Nate, and “Johnamite” or John,” Bullock said. “I feel like we should be at a different skill level or division. We

are currently at 9-0 and have yet to have much competition.”

Matthew Michaelis, who is on the Rainbow Six Siege team said the team has come together and is now the dominant team in the NECC. “We are 8-0 in the NECC league,” Michaelis said. “This is our second year of playing Siege. We started fall of last year. We didn’t do a league in the first semester and second semester we did CEA, which is just another collegiate league.

This semester we are in the NECC, in the challenger league, which is an open competition for all colleges to join.”

The open competition has led to a drop in the quality of play from last year in the CEA, and the team has not missed a beat against lower competition, winning every single map played so far this season. The game consists of a best-of-three series, with the potential for three different maps to be played. The hope is to continue to gain attention around the country for their stellar play and receive an invite to a league next year.

The club has been growing an audience and expects this Friday, April 9, to be no different facing the other undefeated Rainbow Six Siege team on the Oswego State eSports Association Twitch stream. It will be a different kind of Friday night lights than what many Oswego State fans are accustomed to, but is a matchup that will decide seeding for the upcoming NECC playoffs. Michaelis looks forward to a hard fought game Friday.

“As much as it is nice to have that big 7-0 or 8-0 [record], the

fun is in the challenge more than it is in winning,” Michaelis said.

For the Rocket League team, the season might already be decided as Oswego State has already faced the toughest teams on its schedule. Bullock does not see much competition on the horizon after already beating the previous two unbeaten teams in the league earlier this year.

“Personally, I think we have faced the hardest teams so far which were Bryant University and Hood College,” Bullock said.

“They are 7-1 and 6-1 right now.

So, I don’t really see any competition really.”

The two teams have the opportunity to gain the club national recognition in the upcoming playoffs, being favorites to win their respective tournaments. The tournament appearance is an exciting opportunity that would , with a win also reward each gamer with a brand new headset.

The club president, Don Ellers wants to create an environment which is welcoming and gives every gamer a chance to find games they like. The club offers teams in multiple games right now outside of Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege, including Pokémon and Super Smash Brothers. Ellers always is looking for new members to join.

“We are always looking for new people to join our club,” Ellers said. “Given the fact that we are in the middle of COVID-19, we are pretty much one of the more accessible clubs on campus. A lot of our teams and events are situated in a place where they can be reached entirely digitally.”

INSIDE

C2 ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ makes C3 ‘MONTERO (Call Me By Your C4 Asian-American novels

for lackluster action film

Name)’ sparks controversy

spread awareness

FRIDAY April 9, 2021

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ disappoints as MonsterVerse’s first crossover film

Ethan Stinson Asst. Laker Review Editor estinson@oswegonian.com

Rating:

.

After the release of two “Godzilla” films and “Kong: Skull Island,” Warner Bros.

Pictures’ MonsterVerse has finally produced crossover stories, beginning with the film “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Though it promises to feature the anticipated showdown between its titular characters for a good portion of its runtime, the film ultimately fails to deliver on the excitement of its premise. Instead, viewers are treated to a muddled, uninteresting story which has no clear direction.

Although its title indicates that the inevitable battle between King Kong and Godzilla will be prominently featured in the film, their altercation only contributes to a small portion of the film’s disap-

pointingly brief duration.

While it contains other action sequences and instances of CGI spectacle, which may keep some viewers occupied, those looking for the story to primarily relate to the event suggested by its title will find themselves to be disappointed by the end result.

Similar to crossover films such as “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Godzilla vs. Kong” also struggles because it does little to justify why the main conflict between its eponymous characters exists. Though some may argue that a fight between two giant monsters is not in need of any specific reasoning, that logic does not apply when a film is part of a shared universe with an overarching story. Despite the fact that mild allusions were made to the film’s events in the MonsterVerse’s prior installments, little had been done to connect the

Image from Warner Bros. Pictures via YouTube “Godzilla vs. Kong” does little to justify a reason for its characters’ big fight.

worlds and characters established in the monsters’ respective solo films prior to its conception. As such, the implementation of the creatures into the same film felt to be rather forced and unnatural due to the differing settings and tones of their other films.

Like its predecessors, the film also tends to drag due to the overabundance of human drama. Although monster movies sometimes ben-

efit on an emotional level by depicting human reactions, the films of the MonsterVerse often focus on trivial human conflicts which have little to do with the monsters or their actions. By submitting to this same convention, “Godzilla vs. Kong” once again forces these creatures to take a back seat to human characters who are far less interesting to watch.

Despite its flaws, one aspect which slightly re-

deems the film is its special effects and action sequences. Unsurprisingly, both Godzilla and Kong remain just as engrossing to behold as they were in prior films whenever they are present on-screen. The same may be said for the fight scenes, which prove to be both dynamic and creative in their execution. This makes it all the more disappointing that they are only a small part of the film.

Though it may keep some viewers entertained with its limited action scenes and eye-catching special effects, “Godzilla vs. Kong” will disappoint others on account of its squandered premise. With an uncertain future ahead, one could only hope that the minds behind the MonsterVerse will find a way to improve the franchise’s formula before another film is produced.

‘Spinning’ shows successful collaboration between multiple musicians John Custodio Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: “Spinning” by No Rome, with Charli XCX and The 1975’s lead vocalist Matty Healy and drummer George Daniels, is a certified banger but with some minor flaws.

Charli XCX, whose real name is Charlotte Aitchison, is a true queen of hyperpop, think 100 Gecs (“Hand Crushed by a Mallet”), Rico Nasty (“Own It”) and Dorian Electra (“Sorry Bro (I Love You)”), and she doesn’t let up her reign with “Spinning,” in which her voice is the most prominent of the artists present.

Released as a single, “Spinning” is set over a hyper beat and details Charli’s electric tale of romance in a club at 4 a.m. No Rome’s talents keep the song going, providing an excellent base, while Healy provides backup vocals. Although Daniel’s influences aren’t immediately apparent, it wouldn’t be a feature inclusion of The 1975 without him

and his talents present in the beat as well.

Charli released her fourth studio album “how i’m feeling right now” just shy of a year ago, in mid-May, with some deeper songs like “party 4 u,” detailing a plot similar to “The Great Gatsby,” throwing parties for only one important person. “Spinning” greatly differentiates itself from the majority of “how i’m feeling right now” by the broader audience it appeals to. Hyperpop can

be a lot to stomach, to say the absolute least, with songs like 100 Gecs’s “Money Machine” having enough chaos to kill Prince Philip.

While “Spinning” is overly busy in a few spots, it is the perfect song to blast while whipping down the road on a nice day or in a club, albeit with a more alternative crowd. It’s not a song meant to make the listener reconsider their entire life, it’s a song meant to make people

get moving.

However, without the big names of Charli and The 1975 attached, it would be a bit bland. The teasing of future projects between Charli and The 1975, along with No Rome, is what really sells the song. Healy has been tempting Twitter about the “supergroup” for months, so hopefully “Spinning” is a taste of what’s yet to come.

Healy and Daniels are present in the song, but Healy

Image from No Rome via YouTube “Spinning” is a fun-loving song featuring artists No Rome, Charli XCX, and Matty Healy and George Daniels of The 1975.

is very limited. Having garnered such a massive following in recent years, Healy’s talents are truly iconic and extremely distinct to other vocalists in the game. In “Spinning,” Healy’s vocals are minor and work to vaguely support Charli’s main lines.

In future endeavors of the group, it would be good to see a more even spread of performance and involvement from the rest of The 1975. Having worked with huge names like Travis Scott (“Sicko Mode”), it’s easy to see how the band can blend with just about any genre and enhance any project its involved with.

At the end of the day, “Spinning” is intended to be a fun song about finding a love for the night in a club.

While it may possess some minor flaws, Charli’s talents to get people moving shine in a song meant to tease future projects. With The 1975 and No Rome involved, hopefully future projects will have a bit more meat on their bones.

Until then, “Spinning” makes for a good addition to any hyperpop or dance pop playlists.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

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Lil Nas X receives second No. 1 debut through controversial music video Mary Kate Moylan Laker Review Editor mmoylan@oswegonian.com On March 26, Lil Nas X released the music video for his new single “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name).” The “Old Town Road” artist has been made headlines the past two weeks between a devilish music video featuring controversial biblical imagery as well limited edition shoes, which has now resulted in a lawsuit from Nike.

The 22-year-old musician, otherwise known as Montero Lamar Hill, was inspired by the André Aciman novel “Call Me By Your Name,” and its 2017 film adaptation starring Timothée Chalamet (“Little Women”). The song which references the title in its chorus delves into biblical imagery such as the Garden of Eden, as well as the single cover art depicting a rendition of the Michelangelo classic painting “The Creation of Adam.”

Lyrically, the song is tasteful, creative and intriguing. Announced as of Monday, “MONTERO (Call Me

By Your Name)” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, which would

mark his second No. 1 spot. His first smash hit, “Old Town Road” back in 2019, spent 19 weeks on top after Billy Ray Cyrus collaborated on a remix of the song which initially sampled his track and was featured heavily in the chorus of the song.

The music video portrays Montero, a fictional haven similar to Eden, ornamented in lush pinks and purples. A red coal-hot snake slithers up the tree that Lil Nas X lounges under. Portrayed as an Adam or Eve character driven to

sin, the softer vocals that caress the first chorus that is meant to be sung by this gentle being. When he takes on a darker and more abrasive tone in the following verses, Lil Nas takes on different characters, such as the serpent, Lucifer, which sings of temptations. The song which actually references several different versions of the banishment of Adam and Eve is extremely intriguing as Lil Nas transitions between different characters with each separate character played by him. On

Image from Lil Nas X via YouTube Lil Nas X sparks controversy among conservatives due to his depiction of the Devil.

his ascent to heaven, he then falls in probably one of the most stylish ways down a pole dancing pole before seducing the Devil who contrasts extremely from his serpent counterpart above ground. Lil Nas then murders the Devil and takes his throne. Considered to be in support of Satanism by many conservative individuals, people were in outrage over the video.

To compliment the video, Lil Nas teamed up with a Brooklynbased brand MSCHF, one that is designed to challenge consumer culture. The collaboration is 666 pairs of custom Nike Air Max 97s priced at $1,018. The shoes sold out in less than a minute with red lettering of the biblical verse Luke 10:18. With the MSCHF release of its “Satan Shoes,” it recently underwent a lawsuit and received a restraining order from Nike to prevent the shipment of the shoes, which were said to have already been shipped out.

In a statement posted to its website on April 1, MSCHF stated, “Last week’s release of the Satan Shoes, in collaboration with Lil Nas X, was no different [than our Jesus

Shoes]. Satan Shoes started a conversation, while also living natively in its space. It is art created for people to observe, speculate on, purchase and own. Heresy only exists in relation to doctrine: who is Nike to censor one but not the other?”

Being that the creative outlet had released “Jesus Shoes,” its controversy with Nike has put Lil Nas X’s Twitter giveaway of the shoes on hold indefinitely.

Despite the song’s controversy and depictions of biblical places and figures, this shouldn’t come as a surprise being that many artists before him, such as Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie in “Emperor’s New Clothes,” have adressed biblical demons and characters, just as many will after. The primary opposition that has been rooted against this song is simply the fact that Lil Nas X is an openly gay man discussing sex in his song. Had it been any other straight rapper, there honestly would not have been so much backlash. Lil Nas, who likes to stake the flames and has been poking fun at all the criticism, is only profiting from all the outrage as he should.

‘Bad Trip’ humors audiences while André capitalizes on shock value

Ethan Stinson Asst. Laker Review Editor estinson@oswegonian.com

Rating: Reminiscent of comedies such as “Borat,” the recent Netflix release “Bad Trip” derives its humor from the depiction of fictional characters’ interactions with reallife individuals. Despite possessing a paper-thin plot, the film more than makes up for this through its abundance of laughs, which bank on the shock value of star Eric André’s (“The Lion King”) comedic style. Although the surreal, graphic nature of the pranks and actions shown throughout the film may be too much for some viewers to behold, those willing to stomach them are bound to have a good time watching it.

Utilizing hidden cameras, “Bad Trip” features André alongside Lil Rel How-

ery (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) and Tiffany Haddish (“Girls Trip”), as fictional characters who embark on a cross-country road trip. Along the way, the actors perform in hilariously bizarre scenarios and pranks that are made even funnier due to the reactions of real-life spectators who were present during shooting. Though these moments may appear to be unrelated, they each tie into the collective narrative of the film.

Having shown in past works that he is willing to do almost anything for the sake of comedy, it comes as no surprise that André’s antics shown throughout were often surreal and shocking to watch. However, seeing as Howery and Haddish have only starred in conventional comedies, it is a delightful change in pace to see the two performers exploring their craft in a different format. Though they may

not go quite as far as André in terms of the shock value of their pranks, the scenes featuring them are still hilarious and fitting with the overall atmosphere of the film.

Though practical jokes are shown to be its primary brand of humor, “Bad Trip” also takes the opportunity to make itself stand apart from similar hidden-camera comedies that have done the same.

More specifically, the film often finds ways to parody certain genres, films and tropes that have often been left unexplored in other comedies of its nature. By deciding to incorporate these spoofs into the pranks and scenarios depicted, the film makes itself stand out due to how it deviates from its genre’s typical conventions.

Despite being filled to the rim with laughs, the film is lacking in terms of story. Although its humorous scenes are meant to

Image from Netflix via YouTube Eric André goes above and beyond with physically shocking comedy in the film.

be a part of the story, their presentation and content makes it so that they could each stand on their own in another format such as a sketch comedy series.

As such, the actual plot of the film feels to be pointless, as its presence is not needed in order to justify the existence of comedic moments which occur, something seen in similar films like “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.“ For a Netflix film, “Bad

Trip” proves to be an overall enjoyable and creative film to watch. Bolstered by a strong trio of comedians, the film poses its own level of genius due to their seemingly undaunted natures when it comes to eliciting laughs from the audience. Although it may not be the most intelligent comedy, it still proves to be a worthwhile experience, so long as one is willing to handle its shocking moments.

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

Asian-American author recommendations for April Caitlin Alicea Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com In the past couple of weeks, there have been a number of acts of violence and hate toward members of the Asian community. Racial discrimination is not acceptable. Now more than ever, it is important to express love and support for each other no matter race or gender. To support Asian-American writers, here are a handful of excellent stories to offer.

1. “I’ll Be The One”—Lyla Lee This book is a young adult (YA) fiction romantic comedy about Skye Shin, a girl who has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance, wear bright colors or call attention to themselves. But she has dreams of joining the glittering world of K-pop, and to get there, she must break all the rules that society, the media and even her own mother set for girls like her. She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and do it better than anyone else. When she nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into countless practices, shocking performances and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty stan-

dards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho. But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.

This book brings light to the positive and negative effects of body image that most women go through in their early ages.

Need a book with LGBTQ+ representation, a love interest as sweet as a cinnamon roll and a main character who is bisexual and has to face body image stereotypes? Then this is the book to pick up.

2. “Legend”—Marie Lu Legend is a YA dystopian that takes place in a futuristic Los Angeles, ruled by the Republic of America. It revolves around Daniel Altan Wing (Day) and June Iparis who are on opposite sides of the economic spectrum. June is a military prodigy, who was born into an elite family, while Day is the country’s most wanted criminal born in the slums of the Republic. His family believes him to be dead except for his older brother, John.

When Day’s younger brother, Eden, is infected with the Plague, he breaks into a hospital to steal medicine to help his brother. June is then informed

Caitlin Alicea | The Oswegonian “I’ll Be The One“ tackles the topic of body image with a relatable LGBTQ+ character.

Caitlin Alicea | The Oswegonian “Legend” aspires to contain the character conflicts present in “Les Misérables.“

that her older brother, Metias, was killed during an escape attempt in the hospital. All the evidence to his murder points to Day being the prime suspect.

While Day is in a race for his family’s survival, June seeks to avenge her brother’s death.

When they cross paths, the two uncover the truth that really brought them together.

The author was inspired by the movie adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel “Les Misérables” and sought to recreate the conflict between Valjean and Javert in a teenage version.

3. “Spin the Dawn”—Elizabeth Lim “Spin the Dawn” is a Mulan retelling, where Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin.

There’s just one catch: she is one of 12 tailors vying for the job. Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she

draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise. Nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon and the stars, while finding more than she ever could have imagined.

This is the first book of The Blood of Stars duology. Think of this as Project Runway meets Mulan. Get sucked into a world that is captivating and beautiful with the skill of tailors.

Regé-Jean Page announced he will be leaving Netflix’s “Bridg erton” after just one seaso n.

Disney+ pushed back the release date of its series, "Loki," to June 11 when it unveile d its second trailer.

Peaky Blinders season six is set to release on BBC in late 2021 to early 2022 before streaming on Netflix.

Caitlin Alicea | The Oswegonian

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

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'Yes Day' fails to bring anything new to family film genre Ethan Stinson Asst. Laker Review Editor estinson@oswegonian.com

Rating: As it does every year, Netflix has already began flooding its service with an oversaturation of original content, which mostly lacks in thought and originality due to the rushed nature of each production. In general, these films often fall under the radar due to a lack of marketing, thereby further demonstrating the company’s lack of caring in all but a few stand-out films that it releases yearly.

One such film, “Yes Day,” is a by-the-numbers family film that does little to invoke any legitimate thoughts or emotions from its audience.

Though it occasionally poses interesting themes, in addition to moments of heart, the film does little to make it stand out from other, arguably better family films.

However, its premise and ju-

venile humor make the film something which younger viewers may enjoy, thereby making it something which should not be taken too seriously in the long run.

The film depicts a family as they experience a fun-filled day in which the parents, Allison (Jennifer Garner, “Wonder Park”) and Carlos (Édgar Ramírez, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”), are obligated to say “yes” to the demands of their three children, with some ground rules set in place. If they fail to meet any reasonable request, the parents must allow their oldest daughter, Katie (Jenna Ortega, “The Babysitter: Killer Queen”), to attend a concert with a friend and without adult supervision.

As with most modern kid's films, “Yes Day” is bogged down by humor which mainly consists of toilet jokes, generic dialogue and showcasing physical pain for the purpose of laughs. As such, parents with higher expectations may

Image from Netflix via YouTube "Yes Day" depicts two parents who must answer "yes" to their children's requests for a whole day.

find the film to drag due to its humor mostly falling flat. However, less demanding child audiences may find themselves mildly entertained, thereby allowing for the film to stand as at least a mild distraction.

During portions of the film, an interesting recurring theme is brought up, though it is disappointingly left unresolved by the film’s end. Unlike most family films, “Yes Day” addresses the concept of the mom always being the bad guy, while fathers usually get to be the fun parent.

If it had been well-developed and presented, this idea could have made for a compelling conflict which would have taken the film in a much more interesting direction. Though it is occasionally mentioned in order to drive minor portions of the plot, the theme is ultimately abandoned in favor of more generic children’s film tropes.

Despite its shortcomings, “Yes Day” does possess one major plus. Unlike most Netflix-produced films, in which the actors seemingly phone-in

their roles, this film showcases a well-assembled group of performers who all seem to have legitimate fun as they play their respective roles. In doing so, they provide a sense of authenticity in portraying a family that would certainly act as he would while enjoying a funfilled day of spontaneity. Had it not submitted to the cliches seen in most other family films, it is very possible that “Yes Day” could have been significantly more innovative and creative than how it turned out to be.

'Moondance' showcase's Morrison's iconic songwriting skills Alex Kent Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: Rating:

Near the end of 1969, Van Morrison was a frustrated man. He already had a hit with the infectious “Brown Eyed Girl," so stardom was on the way. After his first album, Morrison moved on to abstract jazz/folk with the landmark record, “Astral Weeks.” This album contained a more nuanced Morrison with talented session musicians backing him. The song’s length and mysticism made it hard for mainstream listeners to get into. Eventually, he realized the first two albums were not going to slow him down. It was time for a stylistic evolution.

Flash forward to 1970, Morrison understood that he needed to make something that would be accessible to the average music fan. The result of this was “Moondance,"

an album that features multiple images of Morrison on the cover. Rising through the ranks of the music industry, the front image allows listeners to finally see Morrison for who he was.

The album opens with the soulfully ambiguous “And It Stoned Me." Although the lyrics may sound like a reference to drugs, it’s the story of Morrison’s introduction to jazz through listening to icons like Jelly Roll Morton. The sounds of these influences frequently appear throughout the 38-minute artwork. What follows is the title track, an immortal symbol of eternal love through song.

The brass section is smooth and pure, allowing Morrison’s dynamic voice to sentiment the feelings of a strong romance. Morrison and his band take things down with “Crazy Love," where Morrison sings so softly that the engineers had trouble getting levels when recording this sentimental tune.

“Caravan” and “Into the Mystic” are the two last songs

on the first side of the vinyl format and showcase the brass players even more. An amazing live version of "Caravan" can be seen in the 1978 film "The Last Waltz." Morrison got so into this performance that he started doing intense leg kicks that Eric Clapton once called “the definition of rock and roll.” “Into the Mystic” is a short song that brings out the surrealism

of “Astral Weeks” with a more palatable template. It is the perfect song to close out the first half of “Moondance."

Side B of the vinyl shows a more fun side of the singersongwriter. “Come Running” is a successful attempt to replicate the sounds of gospel music with an R&B flare. “These Dreams of You” is another plea of love that features a brilliant harmonica playing in the

Image from Van Morrison via YouTube "Moondance" features iconic songs such as "Into the Mystic" and "Glad Tidings."

background. It’s hard to hear this song on the radio, making it an underrated gem in many people’s eyes. “Brand New Day” pays homage to the band and their magnum opus, “The Weight." Morrison recalls that he wrote the song on a beautiful day at his Woodstock home and gained a newfound appreciation towards life. “Everyone” is the penultimate track and features a distinctive clavinet introduction. “Glad Tidings” is a beacon of optimism that Morrison wrote as a hopeful way to view the world. It got popularized when it was used in the TV series “The Sopranos."

Overall, this album is the one to give someone when asked “Who is Van Morrison?”

It contains melodies and hooks that represent Morrison’s effective songwriting alongside talented session musicians. Though some albums may get monotonous after relistening to them over time, “Moondance” just grows fresher and more legendary after every listen.

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FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

Crossword Puzzle

Across

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

1. Bog product 5. Pack tightly 9. Slump 12. She, in Barcelona 13. Present!

14. Poison ____ 15. Most firmly built 17. HST’s party 18. Male cat 19. Support 21. Marked down in price (2wds.)

23. Sister’s daughters 26. “Mona ____” 28. Desist 29. Lunch, e.g.

32. Quiche ingredient 34. Attracted 35. TV repeat 37. Besides that 39. Catches

41. France’s continent 45. Groom’s assistant (2 wds.)

47. Hunting dog, for short 48. Baseball stat 50. Happen 52. A Gershwin 53. Not punctual 54. Completed 55. ____ Quixote 56. Viewed 57. Cheeky

Down

1. Green sauce 2. Rock star ____ John 3. Grads 4. Driveway sealer 5. Mandarin or Cantonese 6. Marsh plant 7. Fiery felony 8. ____ system 9. Motorcycle adjunct

10. Park or Madison (abbr.)

11. Workout site 16. Sub shob 20. Sower 22. Attraction 24. Wind dir.

25. Stitch 27. Become old 29. Married woman (abbr.)

30. Dusk, to a poet 31. Horse breed 33. Gathered 36. Cuddle 38. Works on a tan 40. Wander off 42. Martini garnish 43. Kitchen gadget 44. Film critic Roger ____ 46. Better half 48. Free (of) 49. Sis’s counterpart 51. Burst

For this week’s puzzle answers ...

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

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, April 9, 2021

That’s How it Gets You

by Lucas Fernandez

Don’t walk under street lamps alone, especially if they’re blinking. Don’t look down hallways past midnight, even if you hear someone talking. Don’t look out windows when everyone else is asleep. Because that’s how it gets you.

“Mr. Amsworth, what is that?”

It starts when someone points it out to you. They usually don’t know what they’re doing. It’s usually a child or a grandparent or the neighbor’s cat that sees it first. But then you see it, looking at you.

“Okay kids, eyes up here.”

And then the bell rings. Then it’s gone. You try to do your work, but you can’t shake the feeling that you’re going to see it again. You become so sure that it’s waiting for you that you start to make silly mistakes. You forget the rules.

“Heya, Walt! What, not gonna say hello?”

You learn new rules.

“Walter, are you okay? I haven’t seen you in a while. Call me back when you can.”

If you falter for a moment, it makes a move. Not that you can ever tell. How close was it yesterday? How close is it now? Was that it just then? Did you do something wrong?

“Mr. Amsworth, are you okay?”

You start to obsess. You count every step, you take notes, make lists. What’s allowed and what isn’t? What it does? Why it does them? Everything else becomes secondary.

“Walter, the kids have noticed you’ve been under the weather and —”

You just want to be alone.

“— just think you should take a few days off. ‘Til you feel better.”

You’re terrified of being alone.

Leaving the house becomes dangerous. So you stop leaving. You cover your windows (it can still see you). You board up your doors (as if that will stop it). You make plans (as if they will work). You become tired.

“Walter are you in there?”

And you wonder...

“Walter, are you in there?”

...if that’s how it gets you.

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Shea McCarthy

Jacob Fallat