The Oswegonian 9-21-18 by The Oswegonian

Look Inside: A4 Oswego State’s Year of Korea launched.

Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 VOLUME LXXXVIII ISSUE III SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

Blackboard, DegreeWorks outages hurt assignments Jacob Vanderbroek Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com Since the beginning of the semester, Oswego State has been dealing with some major outages that have been slowing down students and professors. Blackboard and DegreeWorks have been experiencing intermittent service issues, which have resulted in slow response times or outages. This has resulted in a series of complaints toward the hosting provider for these services. Oswego State has had a total of seven outages that have occurred on four separate days, including four of them within one day, which was fixed on Sept. 6. “Fortunately, DegreeWorks hasn’t been an issue with me thus far,” said Oswego State junior Brittany Cairns, “Blackboard, on the other hand, is always giving me problems when I try to log in, or it will take forever to load.” Most of Carins’ projects and quizzes she has to send for one of her classes would be a constant

issue for her, she said. “I tried taking a quiz for my news reporting class, and the quiz would not show up at all,” Cairns said. “I just don’t understand, and it drives me insane.” Students expressed they are not able to take quizzes or to turn in assignments, including senior Kyle Fitzgerald. “It is very frustrating, and I’m sick and tired of these ongoing outages,” Fitzgerald said. “It hasn’t allowed me to submit two of my assignments for my finance class.” He also mentioned that he would have to explain to his professor why he was a day late for turning in the assignments. “It stinks for me and my professor because he likes to grade assignments the minute after the assignment is due just so he can stay on schedule,” Fitzgerald said. “Due to these outages that have been occurring, not only it is slowing me down, but it’s been slowing down my professor as well.”

See VIRUS, A4

Oswego spreads LGBTQ pride Community gathers for parade, festival, talent show Julia Tilley Asst. News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com On Sept. 15, Oswego Pride and Queens for a Cause hosted their annual Pride Festival. Queens for a Cause has hosted a number of charity events in the past to support and help the community, including monthly drag shows, and worked with other organizations to help with events like Toys for Tots and the AIDS Walk. This year’s theme for the Pride Festival was “Love in Color,” and the event kicked off at 11a.m. at Breitbeck Park with a pride march. Those marching held up the gay pride flag and walked to the corner of West First and West Cayuga Street. The rest of the festival took place at West Linear Park, with vendors such as Dino’s House of Burgers and Lipsense. At noon, there was a familyfriendly drag show hosted by local drag queens Macy Parade and DeeDee Bustier. Other drag queens from the area gave performances as well, followed by the first-ever Oswego Pride’s Got Talent competition, where local people and acts were able to compete for cash prizes.

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian Members of the Oswego community carried the gay pride flag across town in the parade.

“The talent show was a new thing they came up with this year that seemed to work really well,” Oswego State senior Maria DeRenzo said. “There were a few new vendors, as well as the addition of the Oswego Pride Color Guard marching in the parade.” Coming in third place was the

Oswego State Swing Dance Club, where six of its club members performed a mashup of previously choreographed routines. In order to show different sexualities and pairings, they had a male/female couple, a female/female couple and a male/male couple.

See SWING, A6

SAVE CNY hosts annual 5k walk, run Stride to SAVE Lives advocates for suicide prevention Kassadee Paulo News Editor kpaulo@oswegonian.com

Students have been experiencing missed assignments and quizzes due to Blackboard outages.

CONTENT

OSWEGO INVITE

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian

Kassadee Paulo | The Oswegonian Jamie Leszczynski (center) and Vocal Effect hug following their performance.

rewrite or change how you live your life, no one else,” said Jamie Leszczynski, Oswego alumna and head of SAVE CNY. “You can

choose to change anything about your story. You are your own author, so grab a pen.”

See OSWEGO, A4

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Suicide Awareness Voices of Education CNY held its eighth annual Stride to SAVE Lives 5k Sept. 15, where close to 400 members of the community gathered in the Hewitt Ballroom at Oswego State to support the organization’s cause. Partnered with Clubhouse Project, a program at Oswego County Opportunities for young people ages 17 to 21, SAVE CNY chose this year’s theme of the event to be “rewrite your story today.” “Only you have the ability to

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THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

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Jamal D.O. Williams-Banks, 20, was arrested at 4:55 p.m. on Sept. 10 for petit larceny after an investigation conducted by the Oswego City Police Department determined that he stole gasoline from the Stewart’s Gas station in Oswego, New York.

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Tiffany M. Royce, 26, was arrested at 10:11 p.m. on Sept. 11 in the area of East Tenth Street and East Cayuga Street for disorderly conduct after obstructing traffic by walking in the middle of a public roadway.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

You can choose to change anything about your story. You are your own author, so grab a pen.” - Jamie Leszczynski, head of SAVE CNY - From cover

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

Oswego State fails to vote at national average

Vote Oswego works to encourage students to vote in midterm elections Kassadee Paulo News Editor kpaulo@oswegonian.com Oswego State students fall below the national average for people enrolled in four-year colleges that vote in both the presidential elections and midterm elections. In the most recent midterm election in 2014, although 55.6 percent of students had been registered to vote, only 8.7 percent voted, according to the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement report for 2012 to 2014. The average percentage of voters in public master’s institutions across the nation was 18.5 percent. Out of the 8,055 students enrolled on campus, 678 voted in 2014. The non-partisan campaign Vote Oswego hopes to double that statistic of Oswego State voters with this upcoming midterm election in November. “Our theory for Vote Oswego is ... that our students got registered in high school or they registered to vote in the 2012 presidential election, but the step between registering and casting a ballot can be a lot of things,” said Allison Rank, an assistant professor in the political science department. “It can be hard to know who you are voting for in a midterm election, so part of that is our voter education campaign [to] try to let people know and get their information.” Rank started the campaign when she realized how much

lower the voter turnout for Oswego State students was in comparison to the national average of fouryear college student voters. She teaches the Vote Oswego class and oversees five student interns and 30 students from the class. “[Politicians] think, ‘They are college students. As a group, they don’t vote enough for anyone to bother trying to speak to their issues,’” Vote Oswego member Connor Breese said. “But when we engage, when we vote, volunteer, show up for events and voice concerns, we are no longer a minority because that’s when we matter.” According to Rank, the national average of voters in four-year colleges in 2016 was 76.6 percent, but Oswego State’s average compared at 54.6 percent. However, Oswego State’s average increased from the 2012 presidential election, in which 33 percent of students voted. People vote significantly less in midterm elections than presidential elections, and Rank believes that votes on a local level make more of an impact. “[College students] live here frequently for four years,” Rank said. “Things that happen in the city have a really direct impact on [them], and I think the housing market is the biggest demonstration of how local laws and the enforcement of them really matter for the college students who attend here.” Vote Oswego is currently aim-

ing for three objectives: encourage students eligible to vote to register to vote if they have not already, to send in an application for an absentee ballot if they are registered in their hometown before Oct. 12 and to write down a reason to vote in a pledge that will be mailed back to the student before the general election to remind them of that reason. Moreland Hall and Lonis Hall voters have a different polling place than the rest of campus due to where the Mackin Complex is situated, and it can be difficult for some students to find transportation to the off-campus location. Although Vote Oswego does not have a solution right now, Rank said they will be working to help the students know where their polling place is and to lay out the exact bus route for them to get there. Dalton Bisson, the campus coalition intern for Vote Oswego, said he encourages those with vehicles to help out their friends by giving them a ride and carpooling. “Get all of your friends in the car, go into town and help each other out,” Bisson said. To prepare for the upcoming general election, Vote Oswego will be hosting events for training volunteers Sept. 23, National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 25 and an absentee ballot party Oct. 29 and 30, where students can get a free stamp to send their absentee ballots to their county.

Alumni Leadership Panel, 4:15 p.m., Friday, Marano Campus Center, 114

ALANA Fashion Show, 6 p.m., Saturday, Hewitt Hall Ballroom

Learn to Play Tennis, 1 p.m., Sunday, Onondaga Tennis Courts

Focus on Faculty: Oswego Jazz Project, 3 p.m., Sunday, Sheldon Hall Ballroom

Study Abroad Fair, 11 a.m., Monday, MCC Main Concourse

TIAA Retirement Counseling Sessions, 9 a.m., Tuesday, MCC 226

I, Too, Am Study Abroad: Identity Overseas, 12:45 p.m., Tuesday, MCC 133 Shea McCarthy | The Oswegonian

Science Today Lecture: “Linking Behavior and Biodiversity in Birds,” 4 p.m., Tuesday, Shineman 132

Visiting Artist Series: Jeremy Randall, Ceramist, 6 p.m., Tuesday, MCC 132

Student Association had its 54th Legislative Session on Thursday, Sept. 20. All new senators took an oath to uphold the SA constitution as a part of their position. Roll call was taken, and 13/18 senators were in attendance. Senior Dalton Bisson, former vice president and president of Student Association and interim special advisort of the president of Student Association, opened the meeting.

Junior Edward Kelly, former interim vice president of Student Association, was voted into the vice president

position. This is Kelly’s third year as a member of SA, and he hopes to represent all students equally. Kelly was then sworn in under oath by Brian Monahan, chief justice of Student Association.

of the Oswego State club softball team, she says there will not be a conflict of interest, as she will remove herself from their budgeting plans. She was motioned to be referred to the involvement committee next week.

Sophomore Jade Laplante asked the senate to appoint her as director of athletic affairs. Some of the things she hopes to work on, if elected, include changing intramural sports rules and working on the budgeting issues steming from last year. She discussed the tension between men’s and women’s club sports. and hopes to eleviate any remaining strain between the two. Although she is currently vice president

Junior Andrew Nimetz asked the senate to appoint him as director of videography and filmmaking. If elected, he hopes to ensure Oswego State is represented “as the diverse campus it is.” He also aims to show more campuswide events on various social media platforms to show different aspects of the campus online. He was motioned to be referred to the involvement committee next week.

Senior Jacob Small asked to be appointed director of diversity and inclusion. He held the interim position over the summer, so he has started working toward having a positive, more personal relationship with SUNY. He has already begun working with Rodmon King, the new chief diversity and inclusion officer at Oswego State. If elected, he hopes to emphasize community building at Oswego State. Small said he is willing to reach out to the correct resources to get campus progressing and moving forward. He was motioned to be referred to the involvement committee next week.

A4 NEWS Year of Korea event discusses K-Pop Oswego hosts fun run, walk THE OSWEGONIAN

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

Institute for Global Engagement educates students on Korea Julia Tilley Asst. News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com The Institute for Global Engagement held the opening for its Year of Korea on Sept. 14. This is its third year of events, following 2016’s Year of Brazil and 2017’s Year of India. The goal of these events is to educate students on other nations and help them better understand other cultures and practices. This year, IGE chose Korea to focus on because of its relationship to both global politics and economics. Suk-Young Kim was asked to kick off the Year of Korea with a presentation on K-Pop, focusing on music videos. “We found that Dr. Kim’s work on K-Pop, emotional citizenship in both North and South Korea as well as her background in performance art made her an ideal scholar to introduce Korea to our students,” said Evelyn Clark, associate professor of sociology and IGE fellow. Kim began her presentation by discussing the quick rise and popularity of K-Pop across the globe and why it has caught on so quickly among millennials. “One of the most exciting aspects of K-Pop is that it has this amazing ability to bring communities like never before,” Kim said. “Sometimes, it has this amazing ability to really launch a movement to turn our attention to the social ailment that is being faced

by millennials.” Kim focused heavily on how K-Pop groups market themselves and what effect it has on their popularity. For example, girl group “Girl’s Generation” presented themselves in roller skates, jeans and white T-shirts during their United States debut as a way to invoke nostalgia for the 1980s and attract the last 20s - 30s male demographic. However, in Japan, they marketed themselves in nautical outfits, as a way to attract those interested in “Sailor Moon.” She then spoke about “Twinkle,” a musical video from the group “TaeTiSao,” which is made up of three former members of “Girl’s Generation.” Throughout the video, the three women were seen in glamorous ways, getting their makeup done and walking down a red carpet. Kim said this could be based on the genre of theatre known as “backstage musicals,” which emphasizes stars’ lives. “This genre thrives on nostalgia,” Kim said. “The emphasis on female stars and beauty, I think, that’s tradition in the U.S., which started with the genre called the Ziegfeld Follies. This was a very popular entertainment form that thrived in the early 20th century.” Kim noted other connections between K-Pop groups and the Ziegfeld Follies, discussing how both tend to involve large group performances, with individual stardom being acknowledged at the same time.

In the music video, there were hints of Motown, which Kim pointed out can be huge inspiration for K-Pop, since Motown is not only a place, but a brand. That dual meaning is something K-Pop producers are striving to attain for their groups. This method of borrowing themes from various other places and time periods came as a surprise to some, including Oswego State junior Nicole Insolia. “Going into it, it wasn’t what I was expecting at all,” Insolia said. “Overall, I thought the presentation was well thought out and very intriguing. It gave me a viewpoint of K-Pop that really made me appreciate the music.” Kim ended her presentation by answering questions and talking about what K-Pop could mean for North Korea. “For the kids of North Korea, it serves a different function,” Kim said. “It gives an outlet to express themselves and deviate from the very-much-controlled society.” Last year, IGE put on 18 events for the Year of India and had almost 800 students attend. It hopes to have similar, if not better, results this year. “We are off to a good start in introducing SUNY Oswego to Korea, both North and South,” Clark said. “I am really looking forward to our series and hope that both students and faculty will take advantage of engaging in this series and all the events IGE has planned.”

to discuss mental health

Kassadee Paulo | The Oswegonian Students and faculty joined the central New York community to walk 3.1 miles around campus.

SAVE from COVER Mary Jay Olalekan, a junior at Oswego State, has been volunteering for the Stride to SAVE Lives event since her first year at college. “A couple years ago, I lost a friend to suicide, and now I have an appreciation for life,” Olalekan said. “I appreciate everybody who asks for help, and I want to help other people and make sure everybody feels appreciated and loved, so I always come every year to volunteer. It’s really nice to see everyone come out, and it’s like a family that I want to be part of forever to talk about mental health everywhere.” The guest speaker, a young woman named Taylor, described her experience with self harm and suicide ideation beginning when she was in the eighth grade after the loss of her grandfather, the loss of her older sister and dealing with the difficulty of coming out as bisexual. After being bullied and catfished, her family got her help. Although she said she had dips in her mental health, she succeeded in graduating high school early and has a support group. She said she now has the means to cope with depression and has the proper resources to help her. She urged everyone in the audience to talk about their feelings and get help like she did. “It means so much to me that this is still going and that there are this many people to support a cause because I’ve been through

this first-hand, and I know it’s hard, but it does get better,” Taylor said. “I learned that mental illness isn’t just this stigma; it isn’t just being a little weird, seeing things, hearing things, doing things. It’s all just people who need help.” Organized by Leszczynski, SAVE CNY was the first of 18 charters of the national organization. Daniel Reidenberg, executive director of SAVE, said it is the leading national nonprofit working to prevent suicide through public awareness, education and training, reduce stigma around suicide and mental health and be a resource for those who have been touched by suicide. “This is a topic that a lot of people don’t want to talk about; this is an issue that is very hard for people to understand,” Reidenberg said. “It is through events like this that can break down the stigma, the shame and taboo of the topics of mental health and suicide.” Attendance was half of what it was last year, and the amount raised was about $13,000 less. The donated funds raised go toward the community programs that SAVE CNY holds throughout the year, including education, support groups and trainings. “Honestly, this year, we were down in both attendance and total fundraised,” Leszczynski said. “I am hoping that is simply because less people have been impacted and they don’t need our event as support.”

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian The Institute for Global Engagement and the Oswego State community celebrate the Year of Korea, kicking off with a discussion on K-Pop.

Virus attacks SUNY schools, affects necessary services BLACKBOARD from Cover Oswego State Campus Technology Services started to do some updates in the middle of the summer so the software and sites like Blackboard and DegreeWorks would still be up and running. “In the middle of August, we updated to the SUNY cloud, and one of the schools had a service [virus,]” Chief Technology Officer of Campus Technology Services, Sean Moriarty said. “When that one specific school has a service [virus,] it affects us and so many schools.” Oswego State is not the only one dealing with this issue. Several SUNY campuses are dealing with the damages with Blackboard and DegreeWorks as well.

A virus that usually shoots thousands of packet information that contains computer requests is targeted to one certain campus. ITech would usually be handling 90,000 packets of information per second. However, during the attacks, Oswego was handling over 900,000 packets of information per second. This got to a point where the FBI had to investigate, according to Moriarty. Oswego added a service-blocker to block a majority of computer requests. “Our next step is to find the serviceblocker to block all these viruses to be happening in the long-term,” said Moriarty. “I’m glad that it is getting better, but we still have some work to in order to fix this issue and to prevent it from happening.”

NEWS SUNY chancellor officially inaugurated Johnson hopes to increase development at SUNY research institutions Alexander Gault-Plate Managing Editor aplate@oswegonian.com On Sept. 14, the SUNY system inaugurated its 13th chancellor, Kristina Johnson. Johnson has served as chancellor since September 2017. The event, held at SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology’s Halt Theater in New York City, was attended by delegates of all 64 SUNY campuses, as well as representatives from 116 other American colleges and universities. During her inaugural speech, Johnson outlined some of her goals for SUNY, which include increasing research and development at SUNY research institutions, addressing the upcoming retirement eligibility of 40 percent of the over 88,000 SUNY faculty members and having the SUNY system become a major driver for economic growth within the state. “I pledge to do all I can to make SUNY more than the sum of its many remarkable parts and the individual campuses better for being part of the whole,” Johnson said in her speech. Johnson outlined how her plan for increased research in the SUNY system would capitalize on partnerships between academia, business and government in order to achieve the goals of her administration. As for the aging of SUNY faculty, Johnson announced her plan to increase the representation of minority and underrepresented groups in the ranks of SUNY professors through a program titled PRODI-G. An acronym for Promoting Retention and Opportunity for Diversity, Inclusion and Growth, more details on the program will be released in the near future. Johnson also said she hoped the SUNY system will become an

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

Photo Briefs Happy Birthday, Constitution

Francesca Miesner | The Oswegonian

Image provided by SUNY FIT Kristina Johnson has been acting as chancellor for a year, but has now been inaugurated.

economic powerhouse for New York state. “We will prepare the state to thrive in challenging times, while adding to the economic and cultural vibrancy of our communities,” Johnson said. “We will embrace the diversity that makes New York the most dynamic state in the nation.” As chancellor, Johnson will oversee the running of the largest comprehensive higher education system in the country, with more than half a million traditional students and 1.1 million adult education students. Johnson herself is a Colorado native, with a background in science and athletics, having played on her high school’s boys lacrosse team. Johnson is a Stanford University alumna and founded what is now the Stanford varsity women’s lacrosse team. Johnson has her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering

Kassadee Paulo | The Oswegonian

from Stanford and was a postdoctoral fellow at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, before becoming an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder in 1985. While at U.C. Boulder, Johnson co-founded the National Science Foundation and the Engineering Research Center and even helped to start a company that was later instrumental in the revitalization of 3-D films. In 1999, Johnson was appointed as dean of the School of Engineering at Duke University. Most recently, Johnson was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2016. The inauguration was attended by Oswego State president Deborah Stanley, Oswego State Faculty Association chair Lisa Glidden and Oswego State history professor and member of the SUNY Board of Trustees Gwen Kay.

The Happy Birthday Constitution Day Party took place on Monday, Sept. 17 in the Marano Food Court. Upon entering, visitors were offered pizza, cake and a copy of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Constitution was written in 1789 by the attendees of the Philadelphia Convention. It is, to this day, the supreme law of the United States. The U.S. Constitution constructed the way that our government is run. It is organized by three different branches, the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial. This year was the Constitution’s 229th birthday. Among the different branches of government, there are both a Bill of Rights and amendments that guarantee freedoms and protect rights. Scattered at various tables were different types of games, where tickets were granted to those who proved their knowledge. Among these was Jeopardy, where questions were asked on various as-

pects of the Constitution, such as The President, The Bill of Rights and Amendments and Legislators. The tickets won would then be exchanged for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card. Among the various games and foods, a table was situated at the entrance of the event where those who have not yet registered to vote could do so. There were multiple members of Vote Oswego situated at the table to help those who needed it fill out their applications. If the attendees were registered to vote already, the Vote Oswego volunteers helped those who needed an absentee ballot to apply for one. When the forms were filled out, someone would approach to look it over and make sure everything was filled out accurately. Vote Oswego is a campaign run by Oswego State students of any and all political parties to emphasize the importance of voting in both midterm and general elections.

NEWS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

Swing Dance Club performs at pride parade Community performs in talent show, attends festival OSWEGO from COVER “What it boils down to is that I have these five dancers I’m working with, so I wanted to do something from past semesters: something fun and something that highlights the strengths of all my lovely dancers,” said co-choreographer and Oswego State graduate student Josh Herrick. “Not only this, but I wanted to show a big variety of types of swing that we do, so I showed three types: jive, foxtrot and basic East Coast.” With its winnings, the club was able to have food and drinks at its first club meeting of the semester. “As an ally, it was cool to still be included in a cause that is very close to my heart, and to be able to perform at a very new event in the festival was an honor, really,” Treasurer of Swing Club Lauren Degnan said. After the talent competition,

local bands and musicians were able to take their turn on stage. In addition to the Swing Dance Club, other Oswego State organizations stopped by the festival to show support. Oswego State senior Ryan Benson Smith marched in the parade and attended the festival with Oswego State Pride Alliance. This was his third time attending Oswego Pride. Those who had attended Pride Festivals in the past had noted a lower attendance, but it did not influence their time at the festival. “I think although it was not as well-attended as it has been in the past, the people who were there had a great time,” Smith said. “I think that it went very well. There maybe wasn’t as many people there as there have been in previous years, but there were other things going on in the community that day as well,” DeRenzo said.

Queens for a Cause, cohosted with Oswego Pride, organized the Oswego Pride parade and festival that was held in Breitbeck Park.

! All photos by Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian Central New York members gathered with their family, friends and pets to celebrate the LGBTQ community and allies.

down n u r e th *Hear the staff *Meet olved! v n i t e G *

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BRAND NEW START

FRIDAY, Sept.21, 2018

Golf takes lead in Empire 8, looks to end fall season strong

The Unsung Heroes Sean Paul Owen named conference golfer of week after plus-one performance of the Fall Season Ben Grieco Sports Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com

Matt Watling Asst. Sports Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com Every sport in the fall has its key athletes. Those players are constantly in the headlines and are on the game plans for opposing teams. But, most teams also has its unsung heroes. These players make the silent contributions, whether they are leaders on the field, making key passes or even defending extremely well. The athletes listed are in no specific order. 1. Volleyball - Skylar Bechard Bechard has been a strong player for the volleyball team during her first year as a Laker. The Rialto, California, native, has only played 24 sets this season, but has been a dominating force, especially in the Oswego State Invitational. With a 0.54 points per set average, she has 13 points and has 86 digs. Bechard’s behind-the-scenes contributions have helped Oswego State achieve a 10-4 record, so far. 2. Men’s Soccer - Caleb Munski Munski is the younger brother of junior defenseman Jacob. The freshman has played a huge roll on the back line, starting all six games for the Lakers. Although he has not registered a goal or assist, he makes his presence felt as a defensive defender according to head coach Dan Kane. Munski has played 496 minutes, which is third on the time behind starting goalie Brian Terra and senior captain Thomas Osborn. 3. Women’s Soccer - Audrey Burbidge

The Oswego State golf team overcame the challenge of Timber Banks Golf Course in Baldwinsville to lead the Empire 8 Conference Championship heading into the spring season. For the first time since the 20062007 season, St. John Fisher is not the leading team after two rounds of play, thanks to strong play from the Lakers, five of which landed in the top 15 overall. Head coach Mike Howard emphasized that the team has not won anything yet, and that the real focus is in the spring. “We’re ahead in the fall portion, and that’s the message I pretty much gave to the team,” Howard said. Oswego State had five of its six golfers in the top 15 for the fall portion. Corey Marshall, Ryan Fecco, Daniel Mort and Erik Schleicher were among the top golfers for the Lakers. But senior Sean Paul Owen finished first not only for Oswego State, but the entire tournament. Owen came in at plus-one for the entire weekend. “It feels good obviously to bring home the individual,” Owen said. “The team’s more important, with that we really want to make it to the NCAAs.” Owen has also been a key player during the entire season for the Lakers. Other than leading the team at the Empire 8, he was the team’s medalist at the St. John Fisher Invitational and the Hamilton College Invitational. He was named the Empire 8 Men’s Golf Athlete of the Week for the week ending on Sept. 16. Howard said that his quality play has led to the entire team’s improved performance. “We’ve got a quality golfer there. He’s capable of going under-par, he’s done that before in competition,” Howard said. “It’s certainly a

Shea McCarthy | The Oswegonian

load off my mind when he’s playing well to know that we’re going to have a pretty good score from our No. 1 man.” The actual course for the tournament was challenging, Howard said. Between the heat and humidity, Oswego State had some challenging greens to manage. Howard also said the par-fives were a “thorn in their side.” “My message to them was that we have to clean this up, so when we went there for the practice round, the guys decided the risk wasn’t worth the reward that you can possibly get with those parfives going in two,” Howard said. “So, we did a tremendous job of cleaning that up from the week before. That was critical.” That has not been the only advantage for Howard. There are 12 players on the roster this season. Howard called it a “really deep roster” with “12 really good golfers.” He has been able to use that to the team’s advantage to push players to be their best for the next match.

Team looks toward SUNYAC matchups in upcoming pool play

4. Field Hockey - Lacey Woite

5. Golf - Ryan Fecco Fecco is one of four freshmen on the roster; however, he is certainly the most productive. In just his second invitational of his collegiate career, Fecco led the Lakers to a victory. Although he was in a three-way tie with two teammates, Sean Paul Owen and Corey Marshall, he won the playoff to win the first-place medal. His strong start to the fall portion of the golf season propelled the Lakers to winning the fall Empire 8 Championship. Prior to his freshman year at Oswego State, Fecco was named the 2018 Central New York Junior PGA Champion.

cluding earning conference honors, such as golfer of the year and different academic honors. “[The NCAA’s are] primarily why I pushed the administration to get into this conference. Prior to this, we were just out there playing golf,” Howard said. “We didn’t really have anything to shoot for in the spring, other than playing at competitions that were on the schedule.” For now, Oswego State has to focus on the Elmira College Invitational on Sept. 22. Owen is from the Elmira area, a Horseheads native himself. “He wants to defend his title,” Howard said. After that, the Lakers will have home course advantage by hosting their own invitational at the Oswego Country Club. Howard is looking toward the advantage, something he said “no other team has, except maybe baseball.” “We have 11 teams, and it’s going to be a dogfight,” Howard said. “So, we have to be ready to play, for sure.”

Lakers place second in home invitational behind Saints

The senior midfielder from Cazenovia, New York has played a key role in Oswego State’s 3-2-1 start. In six starts, Burbidge has two assists. Despite scoring just those two points, Burbidge has taken 13 shots, 10 of which landed on goal. In every game this season, she has at least one shot, and in half of the games, she has three.

The Amherst native has had a strong start to the season for the Oswego State Lakers. In her first three games, she totalled four assists. In those games, the Lakers went 3-0, beating teams by a combined score of 13-2. Aside from Woite’s six total assists, she is an integral leader on this freshmen-heavy roster.

The tournament lead for the Empire 8 has been a big boost for the team, especially being right up there with St. John Fisher, Howard said. “We’re excited the position we’re in, and we’re looking to finish the fall campaign on a high note, and looking forward to getting ready for the spring tournament,” Howard said. Schleicher has also been a major factor for the team. He said his biggest improvement was his consistency. Owen had a specific part of his game. “Really putting was something I tried to focus on this summer,” Owen said. After the first-place finish, the Lakers, who are in the Empire 8 for the second season, have a lot more to look forward to during the spring. The winner of the Empire 8 Conference Championship gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III Tournament. Howard said there are a lot of added bonuses for the players, in-

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian Oswego State went 3-1 during its home invitational, suffering its only loss to St. Lawrence University.

Jake Vanderbroek Staff Writer sports@oswegonian.com Over the weekend, the Oswego State volleyball team took second place in its home invitational as it defeated SUNY Canton, D’Youville on Friday, followed by a win against Elmira and a tough loss to St. Lawrence. In the first game, Oswego got off to a slow start to Canton, as it only tallied seven kills in the opening set. The Lakers managed to adjust in the next three sets to win, as Melissa Lussier recorded nine kills and junior Shauna O’Flaherty had seven.

The Lakers got a huge lift from their liberoes, as Rochester natives Jessica Long, who came off the bench, served four aces and freshman Skylar Bechard recorded five to go along with her 12 digs in the matchup. Oswego out-blocked Canton 12-5 with Alison Sullivan’s five blocks, as she made it look easy on the court. “You try to read all the players on the court,” Sullivan said. “Since I’m the middle blocker, I have to know where all the players are. So I try to read the middle and outside and then I look at the setter’s approach. If she is bending a little then I can tell she is going to set it back.”

Serving was the key in the second set as Oswego had 18 aces as they cruised past D’Youville in three sets. Julia Flohr, Mira Legnon-Bozman and Lussier each recorded four. Junior Sarah Massie finished with six kills and Julia Pacitto had three kills on only four swings. Allison Berger came off the bench dished out 10 assists and a pair of aces in the match. “When you have the opportunity to play on the court, your one of the best out there,” said Flohr. “When you know that our bench is deeper it just shows how well these ladies can play.” In their third match of the Oswego State Tournament, the Lakers took down Elmira in four sets winning 20-25, 26-24, 25-23, and 25-10. Berger finished with 33 assists, dug eight balls, and recorded three aces in the contest. Lussier and Bozman had 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Bozman also led the defense with 24 digs. Ariana Wright added more damage in the Lakers win with eight digs and eight kills. In their loss to the Saints of St. Lawrence in three sets, the Lakers had opportunities to take sets two and three but couldn’t hold on losing 22-25 and 23-25. Lauren Fie led the team in kills as she recorded 10 and Sarah Massie finished with eight. Three Lakers finished with double-digits digs with Shauna O’Flaherty pre-

venting sixteen of them hitting the ground, Bozman recorded 13 and Long finished 12. “We probably should’ve committed more blockers, said J.J. O’Connell. “They have some dynamic jumpers. “I probably would’ve committed a second blocker in there to try to take away and channel them into one half of the court.” Seniors Alison Berger and Jessica Long were named to the All-Tournament team for their galactic play. The Lakers get ready to start SUNYAC pool play this Friday as they travel to Potsdam and take on the Oneonta Red Dragons (57), the Geneseo Knights (7-5), followed by a meeting with the Potsdam Bears (4-7). The Red Dragons lost in the first round to the Hawks of New Paltz in 4 sets. Geneseo made it all the way to the SUNYAC semifinals as they defeated the Cortland Red Dragons (3-0) and then lost to the Fredonia Blue Devils (3-0). Potsdam didn’t make it to the SUNYAC tournament as the Bears finished with a record of (12-18) including one win in the SUNYAC. “I’m very confident with this team,” O’Connell said. “Were deep, we grind, we hustle, we fight, we don’t panic if we get down. There is no need for negative energy so I just tell my players and myself to stay positive.”

SPORTS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

Men’s soccer more than team; Lakers consider group family Family sentiments originate from pair brothers, Caleb, Jacob Munski from Liverpool

Taylor Woods Staff Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State men’s soccer team is already like a family, but this year, the team has a unique duo of brothers from Liverpool, New York. Growing up, soccer was always a big part of Jacob and Caleb Munksi’s life. It is something they have always shared with their family. “It’s something we can all do together no matter what our age difference was, whether it was pickup in the front yard with a bunch of friends or just playing on the field,” said Caleb, a freshman defender. “During practice, we all practice together. It’s something all three of us could do, and we knew it was going to be there during the week.” Jacob, who is a junior defender, and Caleb also played together on their high school soccer team. Jacob was named team captain of the Liverpool boys soccer team in 2015. Caleb followed, as he was named team captain for the 2016 and 2017 season “It was fun to play with him in high school, and it’s kind of cool that now we’re in college, out of all the colleges he could choose, he chose Oswego,” Jacob said. “So, it’s kind of cool that he chose to come play here and I’m happy to have him.” Caleb, who is the youngest of three brothers, said there is pressure just from being the youngest, but he enjoys it because without

Photo from oswegolakers.com Brother Caleb Munksi, freshman defender.

his brothers, he said he probably would not be where he is now. “Going to their games when I was younger, I was always on the sideline like, ‘dang, I really want to be out there,’” Caleb said. “One day I got out there, and they always pushed me to be better.” Oswego State men’s soccer head coach, Dan Kane, said his assistant coach, Scott Brown, was helpful in recruiting Caleb, who was a highly recruited player. Jacob also played a part in Caleb choosing Oswego for college and soccer. “He [Jacob] kind of helped me choose this school, talked to the coach, helped me get here,” Caleb said. “He could be lying to me, but I think he wanted me here.”

Kane thinks of his team as a family and enjoys the bond between Jacob and Caleb bring to the team. “They have a fun relationship, too. We always talk about us as a family, but when you actually have family on the team, I think it helps you,” Kane said. “When you get in low spots, you need your family to pull you up. They have intimate knowledge of how to do that. I think it’s a huge benefit.” With his brother on the team and close ties between the other players, it was rather easy for Caleb to fit in. “Jake’s just my blood brother,” Caleb said. “They’re all family.” There were never any questions

[The team] treats everyone well. It’s a

good family environment. Everyone is welcome, even the freshmen. Even though they don’t have any siblings on the team, they all still feel like they’re siblings.” Jacob Munski, -Oswego State men’s soccer junior

Photo from oswegolakers.com Brother Jacob Munksi, junior defender.

whether the players would take in Caleb as one of their own. “I know they’re going to treat him well because they’ve treated me well, [and] they treat everyone else well,” Jacob said. “It’s a good family environment. Everyone is welcome, even the freshmen. Even though they don’t have any siblings on the team, they all still feel like they’re siblings.” The brothers, who both play the same position, are completely different in their style of play, according to Kane. “Jake is more of a, what we call, a wingback. He gets up and down the field, a great runner, good 1v1 and attacking skills,” Kane said. “Caleb is more of a no-nonsense defender. [He] grinds the game,

definitely a defender that an attacker doesn’t like to see when they’re matched up against.” With the same positions and different playing styles, the brothers do have some brotherly competition when playing with each other. “For me, it’s not really a rivalry,” Caleb said. “It’s more of he plays hard, so I have to play hard, I play hard, so he has to play hard, a brotherly love competition.” Kane hopes that Caleb and Jacob can bring their own family traits to the team that would lead to a good impact in the program. With the special bond between Jacob and Caleb, and their love for soccer, they look forward to a successful season together and with the Lakers. “When we were younger, we tried all different kinds of sports,” Caleb said. “But soccer was the one that connected with us the most.”

Samantha Flavell | The Oswegonian

Greg Tavani | The Oswegonian Both Oswego State cross country teams came in second place at the Oswego State Inivte.

SPORTS Photo Brief Oswego State in NWHL

Photo provided by Alexa Aramburu

Alexa Aramburu has made her name known as an alumna of the Oswego State women’s hockey program. On Sept. 13, the Metro Riveters of the National Women’s Hockey League announced that Aramburu signed a new deal to return to her home state of New Jersey. According to Elite Prospects, Aramburu is the only player from Oswego State to compete and play p r o f e s s i o n a l l y. The Glen Rock, New Jersey, native played for four years in the green and yellow. Aramburu tallied 61 points with 29 goals and 32 assists in 105 games played. Aramburu also holds the record for the most points in a single game (5) during a 10-0 victory over SUNY Canton in December of 2016.

After graduating in 2017, Aramburu was drafted 30th overall in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League draft in the fifth round by the Toronto Furies. Her rookie season in the CWHL resulted in 28 games played but registered no points. She accumlated 12 penalty minutes. Aramburu joins a newer league that was founded in 2015 after a former NWHL went defunct in 2007. The Riveters are coming off a very successful 2017-2018 season, capturing the league’s championship, the Isobel Cup. It was the team’s first title since being founded in 2015. The team has also signed a new head coach, former New Jersey Devil Randy Velischek, to take charge during the 20182019 season.

Campus Rec Report: Soccer, softball kick off for the season Morgan Meaney Contributing Writer sports@oswegonian.com Campus Recreation is back in full swing this week with the first round of intramural sports. It looks to be an exciting season for the fall sports as softball, flag football and soccer begin. The leagues are looking as competitive as ever, and teams are determined to take home the coveted intramural champion T-shirts. Softball is back in action with games in both the co-recreational competitive and men’s competitive leagues as front-runners begin to make themselves known. There were some dominating victories and some close matchups in the first week of competitive play. In the co-rec competitive league, I’d Hit That proved themselves as a force to be reckoned with, with overwhelming victories over The Raccoon Rampage (15-0) and Dingers and Dongs (9-3). Also capturing a victory this week was I Am 12 with a 17-2 win over the One Hit Wonders. In a much closer game, Dingers and Dongs bounced back from their loss to I’d Hit That with a win over The Raccoon Rampage (12-8). In the closest co-rec competitive game of the week, WTOP-10 managed to win by one point over Dingers and Dongs (5-4). In our men’s competitive league, the competition is looking fierce. Yup fought their way to the top of the leaderboard this week with two big victories over Master Batters (62) and Sheesh! (19-2). Yup looks to be one of the teams to watch this season. How’s That Fair? also managed to snag a victory over Sheesh! in a game with a final score of 11-4. In the final game of the week, The Bueller Boys defeated Hit It and Quit It in a final score of 10-3. Looking forward to the next sport, soccer stats coming from the men’s competitive, men’s recreational and the co-rec leagues are promising. There were some close matchups this week with Real Saucy taking on Young Boys (2-1).

After a hard-fought game by both sides, Real Saucy walked away with their first victory of the season. In another close game, C’Mon Phil defeated Oxford United (5-4) and were able to secure themselves a victory. In the final men’s competitive game of the week, 1926ers took down Young Boys in a final score of 4-2. In the men’s recreational league, there were some very exciting games. In the first game of the week, Halls & Balls and Heifers Handsomes fought valiantly, but were only able to tie (2-2). Later in the week, Los Pollos Lokos handed Heifers Handsomes their first loss in a dominating victory of 4-0, while Halls & Balls walked away with a win over Kung Fu Kenny’s Dojo (4-0). SAE FC captured their first victory in a close game and final score of 1-0. In the co-rec league, 2 Goals 1 Cup dominated with two victories over Obtuse rubber goose (3-0) and CG 2.0 (5-3). Kick My Balls managed to secure their first win over Rooney Toons by two points (4-2). The final two games of the week ended with the same final score (3-2), but handed victories to two teams. Let’s Get Messi defeated Scott’s Tots (3-2) while Off Sliders II took down Namaste in Bed (3-2). From the flag football 7 vs. 7 competition, there was an exciting first week of play. In the men’s competitive league, THE-D-BUS defeated the Metards in arguably the closest game of the week. In a nail-biter finish, THE-D-BUS walked away with the victory in a final score of 22-21. In a larger margin of victory, FumbleThis defeated Big Ballers in a final score of 53-6. In the men’s recreational league, there was only one scored game this week. Sheesh! defeated Halls & Balls in a final score of 37-6. Campus recreation is looking forward to watching these seasons progress and to eventually crown victors in these leagues. Also, coming up are registration deadlines for the broomball, badminton, pickleball, floor hockey and basketball leagues.

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept.21, 2018

B33

Women’s club hockey gains ACHA status Players, new coaches, look to take advantage in ACHA Div. II

Ben Grieco | The Oswegonian Under new leadership, the women’s club hockey team is looking to be competitive in the ACHA, along with teams like the United States Naval Academy.

Luke Owens Contributing Writer sports@oswegonian.com After the Student Association ruled in favor of “Equal Play, Equal Pay” last season, the Oswego State women’s club hockey team was able to make the jump to the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The Lakers will join the likes of big-name schools like Notre Dame, Maryland, the University of Connecticut, Ohio State and in-state rival University at Buffalo after receiving a $16,199 fund increase for the 2018-19 season. First-year coach and Oswego State student Cole Parzych said it gives the players more opportunities. “They all love hockey, or else, they wouldn’t be playing at the club level,” Parzych said. “It should be a fun challenge for them, and we’ll see how that gets going in the next couple weeks.” Parzych has had to battle the duties of being both a full-time student and a hockey coach, but as he said it has been a rewarding experience. “So far it hasn’t been too difficult, but it’s early on in the semester and only time will tell,” Parzych said. “I love the game of hockey, and being around

it for an extra three to five hours a week or so isn’t too bad.” Parzych, a former high school goaltender, said his prior hockey experience helps a lot with his coaching. “The first practice we did was drills that I remembered from my playing days in high school and on travel teams,” Parzych said. “I’ve basically been playing since I was 4 or 5 years old and skating before then. It’s been an easy transition. Hockey is second nature to me, and that makes it easier for me to describe to them what they need to do, where they need to be, things like that.” Lakers forward Maddie Block agreed that the Lakers were up to the challenge. The junior from Ithaca said she is eager to show her skills. “We want to show people that we can do it. Last year, we did beat Buffalo, and they were in the league,” Block said. “We want to prove that we can succeed and be just as good as the rest of the teams in the conference.” Beating a talented Buffalo team last season is sure to be a confidence boost for the Lakers, as the Bulls went 10-2 in ACHA play last season. Jumping from no conference to the ACHA Div. II level is no easy task, but the Lakers are up to the

challenge, Parzych said. “They’re committed. There’s a lot of hard-working girls on this team,” Parzych said. “They like being out there, and they’re very receptive of what I’m telling them. It’s a committed bunch, and I hope that translates onto the ice.” Although the Lakers are in the Division II level of the ACHA, they will be going up against some of the biggest universities in the country. Senior Tahirah Abdo said she looks to shoulder some of the leadership load on this Lakers team. She said there are important differences between this year’s team and those in the past. “I’ve been with the team the past three years, and we do recognize in years past we’ve had girls that put in work, but those girls are gone now,” Abdo said. “We just have to continue their intensity.” Making the jump from no conference to the ACHA Div. II level certainly will not be easy for the Oswego State women’s club hockey team, but this team seems eager to succeed. From asking coaches to run conditioning drills during practice to keeping up the intensity level, the Lakers are sure to compete with the rest of their new conference.

Shore Report

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

SUNYAC Standings

Men’s Soccer Cortland Buffalo State Brockport New Paltz Potsdam Oswego State Oneonta Geneseo Fredonia Plattsburgh

Women’s Soccer Potsdam Plattsburgh Oswego State Cortland Geneseo Brockport Fredonia Buffalo State New Paltz

Field Hockey New Paltz Cortland Oswego State Geneseo Oneonta Brockport Morrisville

Volleyball

New Paltz Oswego State Fredonia Geneseo Brockport Oneonta Cortland Potsdam Plattsburgh Buffalo State

Oswego Scoreboard

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

Streak W4 L1 W1

0-0

Conference

Streak

7-1-0

0-0

5-1-0 3-2-1

0-0 0-0

W1 L1

3-2-1

0-0

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

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

W1 W1 L1

1-6-0

0-0

Conference

Streak

Overall 5-0-2 5-1-0 5-2-0 5-2-0 4-2-1 3-2-1 3-2-2 2-2-2 2-3-1

2-3-2 Overall

Overall

W1 W2 L1 L1 W2 L1

4-3

0-0

3-2 3-3

0-0 0-0

L2 W1

3-4

0-0

2-4 1-4

0-0 0-0

L1 L1 Streak W5

0-0

7-4

0-0

7-5

0-0

6-7

0-0

5-7

0-0

4-7

0-0

4-7 3-9

0-0 0-0 0-0

W1 L8 L3

Around the SUNYAC Volleyball

Field Hockey 1

NPZ: 4-3 SKI: 3-3

CAN: 8-4 POT: 4-7

The men’s soccer team held No. 25 Ithaca College to just two shots on goal. Despite the 1-0 loss, the Lakers played a stout defensive game against a team that is nationally ranked. In the 29th minute, the Bombers scored on Oswego State’s Brian Terra. Nate Masfield scored the goal off a pass from Thomas Pierce.

OSW:

Wright: 8 kills, 8 digs Berger: 3 aces, 8 digs Lussier: 13 kills, 5 digs

OSW:

Reynolds: 2 goals Christman: 7 saves

Men’s Soccer Tuesday, Sept. 18

Women’s Soccer Wednesday, Sept. 19

ITH:

Mansfield: 1 goal Pierce: 1 assist Lichtenstein: 2 saves

OSW:

Allen: 9 saves Roth: 1 shot on goal

OSW:

Young: 1 shot Terra: 10 saves

ROC:

Seabury: 1 goal Lee: 1 assist Schechter: 2 saves

Upcoming Events Men’s Soccer Saturday, Sept. 22

3:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

OSW: 1-4 (0-2) PLA: 5-2 (0-1)

OSW: 3-2-1 COR: 5-0-2

Field Hockey

Volleyball

Saturday, Sept. 22

Wednesday, Sept. 26

OSW 3-2 BPT: 2-4

6:00 p.m.

OSW: 10-4 CLA: 7-4

Laker Athletes of the Week

Sean Paul Owen

Golf Senior | Horseheads

The Oswego State field hockey team has taken 148 shots, an average of 19.8 per game over the first five games of the season. Led by Katie Reynolds’ 23 shots, the Lakers have had a much better offense in comparison to previous years. Last season, the Lakers mustered up a mere 10.6 shots per game, nearly half the amount of this season.

3 J. Livejoy: 2 goals Dewart: 2 assists Nourse: 7 saves

Women’s soccer goalie Emma Allen has given up a mere four goals in five starts. Her 0.77 GAA has propelled the Lakers to a 3-1-1 record while she is starting in net. Although the sample size is small, her hot start is one that could be beneficial for the Lakers down the stretch of the season and into SUNYAC play.

6 NAZ:

GEN: 4-0 (3-0) BPT: 1-6 (0-2)

Tuesday, Sept. 18

Scheider: 18 kills, 4 aces John: 7 kills, 14 digs

The senior finished the Empire 8 Fall Championship in first place this weekend. After the first round, his score of 72 was good for one stroke behind the leader. In the second round, he shot a 73, ending the fall portion of the championship three strokes ahead with a total of 145 (+1). His efforts propelled the Lakers to first place in the championship.

Women’s Tennis

Field Hockey

ELM:

1:00 p.m.

10-4

3-10

Saturday, Sept. 15

Friday, Sept. 21

0-0

Conference 0-0

Volleyball

Women’s Tennis

4-3

Overall 11-3

19.8:

Alison Berger

Volleyball Senior | Planview At the Oswego State invitational, Berger accumulated 11 points off 74 assists, 2 kills and 9 service aces. Her strong performances over the four games of the tournament led her to being awarded with a spot on the All-tournament team. On the season, she is second on the team in assists with 171. The Lakers return to action Friday against SUNY Fredonia.

597:

The Oswego State golf team won the Empire 8 Fall Championship with a team score of 597 (+21). Sean Paul Owen led the team, as he shot a +1 at the championship. Erik Schleicher finished eighth overall with a score of +8. This was the first time since 2006-07 that St. John Fisher has trailed after the first two rounds. The final two rounds will be played in the spring.

OPINION

Secondhand smoke

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

Eating healthy not accessible Opportunities restricted Fast food more affordable, less healthy than alternatives Safiya Christian Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian

Anna P. Frost Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com Oswego State is a smoke-free campus, joining other institutions across the country in being tobacco free. At surface value, this is a wonderful advancement to keep fresh air up and pollution down. The problem is this rule is almost impossible to regulate. Students and staff alike find spots behind buildings and in small alcoves to take a puff, while some students simply do it in the open while walking to class. Seeing it so often, it is difficult to see how or when the rule is enforced, particularly when many people are apathetic about seeing it. Between vaping, cigarettes and marijuana, it seems impossible to avoid. As adults, the choice should be open to indulge in their own vices, but that changes when those habits negatively affect the people around them. Designated spots to smoke may help contain the issue, but the goal should be keeping campus as smoke free as possible. Most everyone knows the side effects of cigarettes. The threat of cancer and respiratory problems has been well ingrained by education institutions. However, the new fad of vaping is less known about, and the research for both is not well known. It is still important to maintain the rules for vaping and smoking across the board. The temptation is higher when people feel they can simply step out of the building and smoke without repercussion. Even those without addiction that are simply falling into the vape trend use them at will and become more conspicuous the more they see other people smoking. Education about vaping is a country-wide problem. Increasing what we know about the chemicals and process involved can help reduce the numbers of people doing it or help us decide if it is a harmless pastime.

As adults, the choice should be open to indulge in their own vices, but that changes when those habits negatively affect the people around them. If there were more ways for students and staff to be taught how to address this problem, perhaps it could at least be reduced. Non-smokers should not have to breathe in secondhand smoke, and smokers also should not breathe it in anymore. Just like polluting, it is a small but significant act that compounds, increasing as more people do it. All of this adds up to making the Oswego State campus less pleasant for everyone. Adding proper containers to dispose of cigarettes could reduce pollution on campus, and placing them the proper distance from buildings would help people know where it is appropriate to smoke. Keeping it properly separated yet subtle by having the containers would reduce the shame associated with going to that area. If it is too in the open, people would still feel the need to find their own spots to smoke. The smoking policy on campus is definitely moving in the right direction, but it is impossible to expect complete enforcement of the rules. It does not accommodate people that are very addicted to smoking, and through education and a bit of compro-

The likelihood of one spending $20 on just two items from Trader Joe’s simply because it is a “healthier choice” seems highly unlikely in comparison to their greasier “fast food” competitors like McDonald’s, Popeye’s, Wendy’s and Burger King, where one can pig out and still have money in their pocket for more. This mentality for some, if not most, of the population in America rings true. The idea that wealth supersedes health is the reason why many continue on this destructive path that leads to many heart-related illnesses and, inevitably, death. What makes this all the more shocking is some of these people are financially stable enough to make better food choices and buy their way out of the consequences. Meanwhile, there are other groups of people--the poor (or economically disadvantaged, on more appropriate terms)-who are not able to have that choice in whether or not they can sacrifice their health for death on a bun or a hamburger, so to speak. This raises the question: How fair is the representation and availability of healthy foods in the more marginalized communities, and how can we reverse the curse? To answer the first question, not that much; in fact the rarity of supermarkets that caters only to the health of the people surrounding it is little to none. This then creates the idea of a food desert. According to the American Nutrition Association, food deserts are defined as parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthful whole

Photo provided by Pixabay

Alexander Gault-Plate Managing Editor aplate@oswegonian.com

Photo provided by Pixabay McDonald’s, for many, is the only affordable meal option for lower income families.

foods, usually found in impoverished areas. Keeping this in mind, it is almost impossible to avoid the fast food lifestyle, especially with its convenience and such large portions for a small budget. To add on the idea of the immense gap between health and economic status, the difference is quite high. Digging deeper in terms of the health disparities in poorer communities than in more affluent neighborhoods, it becomes a generational pattern of health issues that is both vicious and unrelentless to the lives it affects. It is so much so that they have to supplement those diseases with medication, which, most times, are too expensive for them to afford. One can most undoubtedly see that the correlation of living in areas that are both poverty stricken and underrepresented with healthier living styles are in fact more prone to health problems in the long run. However, this does not have to be set

in stone. One of the most obvious answers to this increasing issue would be to build a supermarket. Sure, that solves the crisis of there being none at all to begin with, but let us not forget that regardless, the prices would still be too high for the people living in those communities to afford. The next step would be to match or get as close to pricing these healthier items on the basis of the finances of the specific community as a whole. With this method of thinking, people in the neighborhood are able to spend in accordance to their needs while also being able to save a significant amount of money. Hopefully, this will circumvent years of destruction and lack of acknowledgement that the poor needs to eat healthy too for sustenance and a better means of living just like those who can afford it. It just simply starts by thinking about them, too.

Student votes in elections make difference Absentee ballots can aid in increased student voter turnout Connor Breese Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com Students care. Despite some remarks to the contrary, all students care about at least one issue and stand by their opinions, their experiences and their personal knowledge. That is how they show they care deep down: they share ideas on social media, throwing themselves into heated conversations or arguments and saying, “Well I know, for me, I think…” Across the country, students are finding their voice. They engage with their representatives and their fellow Americans, and to engage, in this case, is not being thrown around here as a good buzzword. They are asking more of their representatives: protect us, meet us and advocate for us. The old shall wilt away, and every baby boomer will see their sun set. Still, too few politicians see the use of listening to a student. A politician will only ever stick their neck out for student issues, such as college tuition, healthcare availability, gun rights, marijuana or transportation, if they know the students stand behind them. A politician is more powerful than billions of dollars if students just vote from their hearts for the candidates who take stands on their behalf. Is there a candidate who represents students? Prove to them that if they help students they can also count on students voting, and voters voices will rise

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian Absentee ballots are sent in the mail a few days before an election and are added to live votes.

above the highest pile of campaign cash. Yet even if students register to vote and participate, so many representatives face safe elections. Nothing will move these safe politicians, even if a few more students going to school out of county vote, because the election is still safe. So why not engage where it counts? Oswego has the benefit of competitiveness. It swings back and forth, red or blue, one way or the other, election after election. How students vote in the 24th Congressional District could easily change the makeup of the city, the state and the country. Dana Balter is the Democrat challenging sitting Republican Congressman John Katko, and the election could swing one way or the other with student votes. Here is a call to arms: regis-

ter to vote here. Student votes can matter here. Oswego State adds 8,000 new voices to the district each election, and when the election can be decided by thousands of votes, candidates will listen. They know Oswego and the 24th District can easily slip out of the hands of any candidate for office here, so it removes the safety of running without student support. They know they have 8,000 voices all crying out to be heard and willing to put all their electoral power against the person who refuses to listen. If home elections are too safe, then use your voice as a student to register, and register for Oswego. Our country is holding the door open for us, here, now. Step inside, register to vote here, and, for once, have control of the future in a world that gets crazier by the day.

The United States public school system is still segregated. It is not as harsh as it once was, nor with so many rules, but the fact remains that public primary schools in this country are still vastly unequal, and it is hurting everyone. In the U.S., public schools are paid for out of property taxes. The more expensive the area a school is in, the more money it makes. That is a major problem for lowerincome areas. The system is built so that lower-income areas get schools with fewer resources than those in higher-income areas. Those resources range from food options in the cafeteria to how many teachers are available. The NPR reported that in one school district in southern Chicago, three schools share one nurse, and the school district has a single elementary art teacher and one elementary music teacher. They switch schools halfway through the year. In Colorado, Channel 2 reported that a Denver area school district had to consider closing five of its elementary schools to keep teachers’ pay at a state average, or risk losing their teaching staff. Teachers there earned on average $10,000 less than teachers in surrounding districts. Another Colorado school district had to institute four-day school weeks in order to keep the district financially solvent, according to a report by CNBC. While it is true that in many of these cases, these schools were also victim to state legislators slashing contributions to public schools, those legislators likely would not have slashed state funding for schools so heavily if they did not expect the school to be able to collect alternative funding from property taxes, regardless of how little money that actually is. In Canada, for example, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia have all undertaken provinciallevel school funding schemes that have drastically improved the fairness of public schools in those areas. We, in New York state, are fortunate. According to NPR, this state is the most equitable in how it spends money, with nearly every district in the state spending more than 33 percent more per student than the national average per student per year. New York is the only state with an equitable system. Every other state in the country has districts that have significantly fewer than average resources and districts with significantly more resources than average. This issue adds to many of the social problems the country is facing. When students do not have good educations, they may find it harder to enter higher education or compete in the workforce, depressing their chances at making a decent living and widening the income inequality gap. When students do not have school on Mondays, they miss out on years of schooling by the end of their 13 years in public school, significantly reducing their competitive edge in the workforce or their chances of getting to college. Add to that the fact that free time and young teenagers will probably lead to boredom, and that boredom can turn into drug use, criminal activity or even depression, it is pretty clear that students in poorly funded districts need help, and they need it immediately. The education system is the basis of our economy and our social system. Without it, we would all suffer from a greatly reduced scope of possibilities. We as a country decided long ago that we would commit to funding public education, and it is time for us now to say that we as a country will commit to funding public education equally.

OPINION SMOKING KILLS

B5 Photo provided by Pixabay

OPINION

VOLUME LXXXVIII ISSUE III • www.oswegonian.com

SPORTS

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

Should smoking on campus be allowed?

“[Secondhand] smoke hurts my lungs.”

Jenna Rios adolescent education, junior “They could have designated areas for people to [smoke.]” Zakary Haines broadcasting and mass communications, junior “They should keep the rule in place because it can affect other people.” Liz-Desir Seri business, sophomore “I don’t understand the big deal. I am not here to tell you what you can and can’t do.” Charles Tones psychology, sophomore

Rumors were circulating about the next James Bond being played by Idris Elba. On Aug. 20, the rumors were dismissed by Elba himself. Before fans of Elba were let down, many questions arose surrounding whether or not Elba should be eligible to play James Bond, meaning whether a black man should be allowed to play a historically white character. Historically in film, black men and women have been cast into roles that, according to the screenplay, must be played by a black actor. For example, the film “Black Panther” is about a king of the fictional African country, who is born and raised in Africa. Therefore, it would make sense for T’Challa to be played by a man with darker skin. Many white people are cast into roles that are beyond their race, such as Harry Potter or Frodo from “Lord of the Rings.” The quality or plot of the film would not be altered if Harry Potter was a black man. James Bond being a white male is not important to the plot. There is no major plot point that surrounds his race,

www.oswegonian.com/opinion

Francesca Miesner Opinion Editor fmiesner@oswegonian.com and therefore, there is no reason for him to be a white male. When describing James Bond, the first thing that people say is not related to his skin tone. Therefore, the only casting choice that has to be made is that he is charismatic, suave and attractive. If a historically black character was made white, the circumstances would be different. Even if the skin color of the character was not integral to the character, black men have had substantially

fewer opportunities to prove themselves the leading man. White men have historically had exponentially more opportunities to play in a romanticized role that was not reduced to their skin tone. “But the original James Bond is 6 foot 2! Daniel Craig is only 5 foot 10!” If the issue was truly with the lack of continuity between the reboots of the characters, then more James Bond fanboys would be screaming. Besides, Idris Elba is 6 foot 3, which is much closer to 6 foot 2 than 5 foot 10 is. It boils down to a prejudice against people of color. This is not the first case of that in Hollywood, and it certainly will not be the last. Scarlett Johansson is guilty of partaking in both whitewashing (“Ghost in the Shell”) and being a cis actress playing a trans man (“Rub and Tug”). The latter received so much backlash that Johansson quit the role and the film was cancelled. The way this barrier can start to be broken down is simple: cast a black man in a “leading man” role without changing the background of the character.

Public breastfeeding should not be taboo

Breastfeeding not sexual; babies need to eat in public too Kassadee Paulo News Editor kpaulo@oswegonian.com

major and phone number (which will not be published).

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of the vending machines in residence halls. What is most concerning is that people are not concerned with wearing condoms because “it does not feel as good” or because they are desensitized to STIs, thinking that many can just be treated and “go away.” While it is true there are certain STIs that can be treated, the number that can be is dwindling. The CDC is posting information on a form of drugresistant gonorrhea. Sexual health is not something that should be treated lightly. If you choose to be sexually active, you need to be comfortable having an open dialogue with your partner(s) about your sexual history and what combination of precautions you plan to take. If you cannot have that conversation, then perhaps you should not be having sex at all.

Black actors allowed to star in non-race specific roles

G UIDELIN ES

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

is that birth control does not prevent STIs. While it is a great tool to prevent unwanted pregnancies, it is important to always use a condom to prevent the spread of infections. A report from the CDC found a spike in STIs, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, especially among young people. Why? Because younger generations are not wearing condoms. A 2015 study conducted by Skyn found that 48 percent of millennials use condoms “never” or “rarely.” There are numerous options on campus and in any town to purchase condoms and have them on hand. The Lifestyles Center often hands them out when it does programs and trivia, or you can pick them up at the Mary Walker Health Center. Resident assistants hold sex education programs where they hand them out, and there are even condoms in many

Hollywood biased against black James Bond

THE OSWEGONIAN

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

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

IN THE OFFICE

Amid a culture of hyper-sexualization with billboards of Victoria’s Secret models posing in lingerie, sex scenes in television shows and movies and graphic T-shirts, one innocent act is constantly seen as more taboo: public breastfeeding. Before the invention of baby bottles and formula, the sight of a mother nursing her child was nothing out of the ordinary. After, fewer women breastfed Kyerstan Langdon and Koda and instead used the bottles and instant formula as a quicker substitution during accounting, the busy days of World War II, according junior to Breastfeeding USA. In our generation, a mother who nurses her child in public faces stares and expressions of disgust that she is exposing her breast. People in the mall The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935 pass by walls of advertisements of women in seductive positions and wearing very little, and they do not bat an eye. If a woman is sitting on a bench and is providing her baby with food, then the imWe want your thoughts on our coverage, campus and local issues, or anything age of a breast is deemed unacceptable regarding the Oswego State community. or “indecent exposure.” Women should not be shamed for Email all letters as Word attachments to opinion@oswegonian.com or mail having breasts. Men often go in public without a shirt on, and it is widely acsubmissions to 139A Campus Center, Oswego N.Y. 13126 cepted as a non-sexual image. However, if a woman has part of her breast exAll writers must provide their real name, address, academic year,

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

Cole Parzych | The Oswegonian

STAFF EDITORIAL

Resources on campus, like the Mary Walker Health Center and the Lifestyles Center, actively promote safe sex options to students and provide the resources students need. Despite these efforts, it is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that people ages 15 to 24 make up just over a quarter of the sexually active population and account for half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted infections that occur each year. There is no excuse for students with ample resources who are attending an institution of higher learning to contribute to these numbers. Part of being sexually active is the choice to be responsible and safe for the health of both your partner and yourself. We live in an age where there are a variety of options for birth control. What many seem to be forgetting

“Restricting [smoking] completely seems kind of harsh.”

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

SOCCER BROTHERS

Tip of the hat...

posed to nurse, then it is construed as a sexual image. Society tells mothers to cover their chest and child to block the view from others; it tells them to feed their child in a bathroom or the car. The opinion of others should not dictate when is an appropriate time for a baby to eat. If a child is hungry, they are hungry. It is in their basic instinct to signal to their parents when their body tells them it is time to eat. Children should not have to wait to eat because their mother is in a grocery store or a restaurant and someone might see her breast. The entire point of a breast is to produce the milk and nutrients that a baby needs to survive for the first six months to two years of its life, not to be a sexual object. “Children and adolescents who were breastfed as babies are less likely to be overweight or obese,” according to the World Health Organization. “They per-

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian

form better on intelligence tess and have higher school attendance. Breastfeeding is associated with higher income in adult life. Improving child development and reducing health costs results in economic gains for individual families as well as at the national level.” If someone feels uncomfortable after seeing a mother use her body for its purpose, they can look away. If someone does not want a child to see, maybe the question should be why. A child does not sexualize breasts until they see an adult do so. If a child asks what the woman is doing, they will simply accept that she is feeding her baby and move on with their day. What is deemed taboo is influenced from others. Mothers who do not feel comfortable with public breastfeeding have the option to cover up or find a private area because that is their choice. Embarrassment should not be forced on them because someone is staring at the top of their breast while their baby is nursing. It is mind-boggling how society got to the conclusion that it is disgusting or in poor taste for a child to eat in public. Let mothers feed their children without muttering under your breath, making a dirty face or ridiculing them. If you see a woman feeding a child in a restaurant, relax. Babies deserve to eat in public, too. Stop sexualizing nursing.

◊....to Vote Oswego. ◊... to the Spiderman PS4 game. ◊... to the Stride to SAVE Lives 5k.

Wag of the finger...

◊... to “The Predator” movie. ◊... to sexualizing breastfeeding. ◊... to income bias in the public education system.

INSIDE

Henry Cavill reportedly New Spiderman game C4 ‘The Predator’ is one of done with Superman C3 proves a masterpiece 2018’s biggest losers

FRIDAY Sept. 21, 2018

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

LAKER REVIEW

Henry Cavill hangs up tights for good

Studio reportedly parts ways with British actor after failed contract talks Brandon Fallat Assistant Laker Review Editor bfallat@oswegonian.com Just when Warner Bros. could not possibly screw things up worse than it already has with the DC Extended Universe, or “Worlds of DC,” it does exactly that. According to an article released on Sept. 12 by The Hollywood Reporter, actor Henry Cavill (“Mission Impossible: Fallout”) has reportedly parted ways with the studio and, in turn, the iconic role that gave him his claim to fame, Superman. The 35-year-old Brit has portrayed the classic Kryptonian from Kansas three times already. He first donned the red-and-blue suit in 2013’s “Man of Steel,” followed by 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and last year’s abysmal “Justice League,” all helmed by director Zack Snyder (“Watchmen”). At least, that is what it says on paper (looking at you, Image from Warner Bros. Entertainment via YouTube.com Joss Whedon!). However, al- Henry Cavill as Superman in 2017’s “Justice League,” where the filmmakers infamously CGI’d out his mustache. though nothing has been officially confirmed or denied, it is bet money on which DC actor public was treated to press returns, popularity and critical unlikely that fans will see Cavill would leave the franchise first, statements, all of which con- acclaim. slap on the Clark Kent glasses almost everybody would put firmed absolutely nothing and As to why this happened, it and red cape anytime soon, or all their chips on Ben Affleck confused fans even further. A most likely had something to do ever again, for that matter. (“Gone Girl”). The actor has had spokesperson for Warner Bros. with the fact that DC is trying to For fans who may be con- fans confused, to say the least, said, “While no decisions have get a Supergirl movie going, and fused as to how this entire situ- for the past year as to whether been made regarding any up- following the franchise’s weak ation came about, it all started or not he would appear as Bat- coming Superman films, we’ve reputation so far, it is trying to with “Shazam!” Warner Bros. man again in the planned film always had great respect for reboot everything that is not had been in talks with Cavill, with Matt Reeves (“War for the and a great relationship with named Wonder Woman, to the attempting to sign him up for a Planet of the Apes”) at the helm. Henry Cavill, and that remains point of even getting a new stuSuperman cameo in the upcom- Furthermore, with Affleck re- unchanged.” dio name. These plans had no ing “Worlds of DC” film starring cently re-entering rehab for Cavill’s manager urged peo- room for Superman apparently, Zachary Levi (“Thor: The Dark alcohol addiction treatment, it ple to remain calm and that the and even with Cavill still signed World”). Unfortunately, contract is basically confirmed, yet not “cape is still in his closet,” with on, fans would not have gotten talks fell apart between repre- confirmed, that his time as Bat- nothing concrete there either. to see another Superman film sentatives of both Warner Bros. man is finished. Cavill also posted an Instagram for at least five years. However, and Cavill for “Shazam!”, and On the flip side, however, video of himself staring into the it now looks like fans are going now, it appears that both sides Cavill was virtually the polar camera while wearing a shirt to have to wait even longer. have stepped away from pursu- opposite of Affleck. Cavill has that says Krypton and holding Everything is just a rumor ing any other potential Super- stated repeatedly that he would a Superman doll, with a caption right now, but actor Michael man appearances with Cavill be down to play Superman as that reads “Today was exciting, B. Jordan (“Black Panther”) is as the character. many times as it would take to #Superman.” Was this meant now being talked about to reFor people who have been tell a complete arc for the char- to reaffirm his dedication to place Cavill, who is signed on following the Greek-like trag- acter. He has routinely show- the character or say goodbye? to lead a new Netflix property edy that is the DC Extended cased his love for the character No one knows because it ad- based off “The Witcher” video Universe, which now goes by at comic cons as well, which is dresses nothing. This method game series. It is most un“Worlds of DC,” this piece of all the more reason why hear- of dancing around the elephant fortunate because, out of all news, while still just a rumor, ing his name next to the phrase in the room is yet another rea- the bad that came out of this comes as a major shock and “leaving DC” before Affleck’s son why people look at DC as “Worlds of DC” experiment, completely out of left field. was surprising to say the least. incompetent and second fiddle Cavill as Superman was not For starters, if one were to Following the news, the to Marvel in terms of box office one of them.

Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther”) to produce a “Space Jam” sequel starring NBA superstar Lebron

James.

“Avatar: The Last Airben der” to be reborn as a liveaction Netflix series, w ith the creators of the orig inal series set to helm the production.

First “Captain Marvel” teaser trailer viewed over 109 million times in only 24 hours.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

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New Spider-Man PS4 game gives refreshing gameplay

of which revolve around stunning goons. It starts with an ability to stun, then a power to stun and knock back, followed by a web-bomb that stuns and culminating in the penultimate gadget, which simply creates a field that stuns goons inside it. That is a shame, knowing that Insomniac Games’ products such as “Ratchet and Clank” and “Sunset Overdrive,” are known for their great weapon design. Thankfully, this gap in Spider-Man’s arsenal is filled by the massive list of suits at his dis-

posal. Each one is a callback to the massive canon Spider-Man comes from, not just that each suit comes with a unique special ability tied to it, allowing one to do amazing things like web up the surrounding area, lower gravity and even deliver irritating quips to annoy enemies. Speaking of quips, without that specific late-game ability, Spider-Man is written much better this time around. He now keeps the jests mostly to himself throughout combat, saving the jokes for the many cut scenes

throughout the game. It is definitely worth commending the writing team for not only finding a way to make Spider-Man funny instead of annoying, but also making every character in the game as in-depth as Peter Parker, who is voiced spectacularly by Yuri Lowenthal (“Ben 10: Omniverse”). Classic Spider-Man characters like Mary Jane Watson (Laura Bailey), Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter), Aunt May (Nancy Linari) and J. Jonah Jameson (Darin De Paul) also making returns to the cast, and each one of them is written just as lovingly as the NYC Wall Crawler. All of these elements come together to create one of the best Spider-Man games out there. Not only delivering epic combat and a great story, it also is completely welcoming to newcomers by keeping its themes about growing up and being a good person central to its core instead of playing with the extended canon of the comics. This is a game any PS4 owner or Super Hero fan should not miss out on.

Steve Carell for “Beautiful Boy” are the shoo-ins for Actor in a Leading Role. Vera Farmiga in “The Front Runner” and Emma Stone for “The Favourite” are likely frontrunners for the Actress in a Leading Role award. The probable nominees for Actor in a Supporting Role are Adam Driver for “BlacKkKlansman” and Michael Jordan in “Black Panther.” The favorites for Actress in a Supporting Role include Nicole Kidman in “Boy Erased,” Lupita Nyong’o for “Black Panther” and Meryl Streep in “Mary Poppins Returns.” Last year, “Coco” received the Oscar for Animated Feature Film. For this category, films such as “Incredibles 2” and “Isle of Dogs” are frontrunners. Ryan Gosling’s’ “Blade Runner 2049” took the previous Oscar for Cinematography. This year, “A Star is Born” and “First Man” may have the chance. Directors Bradley Cooper and Spike Lee are favorites for an Oscar nomination for

their work with “A Star is Born” and “BlacKkKlansman,” respectively. Who will take the award for directing can be very unpredictable, as demonstrated by Clint Eastwood being overlooked for “American Sniper.” Other backend nominations include Film Editing and Visual Effects. The win for Film Editing could go to “First Man” or “If Beale Street Could Talk.” Visual Effects frontrunners are “Ready Player One” and “The Avengers: Infinity War.” Some films awarded in the Academy are for amazing costume design, makeup and hair styling. Examples from last year are “Phantom Thread” for Costume Design and “Darkest Hour” for Makeup and Hairstyling. This year, “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Mary Poppins Returns” are shoo-ins for Costume Design, while “Deadpool 2” and “Suspiria” are the frontrunners for Makeup and Styling. Other popular Oscar categories are Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted

Screenplay, Production Design, Original Song and Original Score. Current frontrunners for Best Original Screenplay are “Eighth Grade” and “First Reformed.” Probable nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay are “Windows” and “Annihilation.” The Academy Award for Production Design previously included nominations such as “The Shape of Water,” which ended up winning over “Beauty and the Beast” and “Dunkirk.” Shoo-ins this season are “Black Panther” and “The Favorite.” Nominees for Original Song and Original Score can be those that entertain both young and old with either catchy ballads or emotions and moods that can portray and heighten during such films as last year’s “Dunkirk.” This year, “A Star is Born” and “Hearts Beat Loud” are favorites for Original Song. “Black Panther” and “Annihilation” will have their chance at the Oscar for Original Score.

Stephen Novak Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Spider-Man on PS4 has an almost therapeutic quality to it. Swinging around its amazing recreation of New York City, diving straight off a building and catching yourself on a welltimed web swing to catapult into the air can bring a smile to even the most jaded of college students. Along with that is some of the most lovable writing and fluid combat seen in a game this year. Thankfully, it also contains the soul of something created out of passion and a genuine love for the Spider-Man brand. Insomniacs Games’ version of New York City is filled with things to do, be it web-swinging challenges, collectables, challenge missions or combat arenas. All of these are incredibly fun and integral to leveling up Spider-Man, as the game incorporates all of its side-objectives into its upgrade system. This means that it takes more than

Image from Smosh Games via YouTube.com Spider-Man swings through the streets and shows off his sleek new look with the graphics involved in the new PS4 game.

beating up goons to make Spidey stronger. The combat flows very well with the web-slinging, as most combat encounters are freeflowing, allowing one to quickly swing into combat, beat down henchmen and grapple out of the arena. This is also helped by a very large set of attacks Spider-Man has at his disposal, like swing kicks, webbing enemies to walls and environmental objects to throw. The only thing holding back the combat is its gadgets, most

Academy Award pre-season rundown predictions

Image from Amazon Studios via YouTube.com Steve Carell could get nominated for Best Actor for the upcoming“Beautiful Boy.”

Desiree Maichin Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com With months to go until the 91st Academy Awards, Hollywood is buzzing with predictions for major nominees. Wins from last year’s awards include “The Shape of Water,” Sam Rockwell (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing”) for supporting actor and Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”) for best actor. Frances McDormand (“Three Billboards outside Ebb-

ing, Missouri”) and Allison Janney (“I, Tonya”) also took home trophies for lead and supporting actress, respectively. While it is too early to speculate who will receive an Oscar in February, as upcoming releases are still potential contenders, favorites for a coveted nomination are flooding social and print media. Frontrunners for Best Picture include “If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Roma” and “The Old Man and The Gun.” Bradley Cooper for “A Star is Born” and

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

‘Predator’ proves yet another dull part of franchise Garrick Groover Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

“The Predator” is the most disappointing film of 2018 so far. The newest installment in the enduring sci-fi action franchise attempts to differentiate itself from the other “Predator” installments, with the end result being an ultimately lackluster affair that feels tonally inconsistent. The newest offering by director Shane Black (“The Nice Guys”) centers around a group of ex-military types as they oppose a Predator attack in the Texas suburbs. Our main hero is Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook, “Logan”), an Army Ranger sniper who returns to his family after his young son (Jacob Tremblay, “Wonder”) signals the return of the Predators to Earth. Along the way, Quinn is joined by squad of quippy jokesters chock-full of familiar faces, including comedy star

Keegan-Michael Key (“Keanu”), Thomas Jane (“A.X.L.”), Trevante Rhodes (“12 Strong”) and Alfie Allen (“Game of Thrones”). Olivia Munn (“Office Christmas Party”) rounds out the cast as Dr. Casey Bracket, a scientist who studies a Predator during a government investigation. Despite the obvious talent present, the writing could not be any more problematic, as the team would rather tell cringe-worthy wisecracks than engross themselves at the tasks at hand. Key in particular is more insufferable than funny, as his style of humor elicits more eyerolls than chuckles. The team has its own set of quirks and habits, which end up being the characters’ only defining traits for the rest of the feature. The lone exception is Munn, despite her acting being so awkward, it screams “miscast role.” In true retrospect, the cast of 2010’s “Predators” had better chemistry and dynamic than anybody present in this flick. In terms of thrills and

excitement, “The Predator” is a mixed bag. Gore and brutality are present, but the constant quick camera cuts and digital blood halt any sense of cinematic illusion or impact. The film also lacks any real suspense or tension. Repeat: A movie about an alien that hunts humans for sport is devoid of any real suspense. The film’s third act is action-packed and demonstrates why we all love “Predator” in the first place. Some of the kills are genuinely creative, and the concept of using Predator technology against the Predators themselves is a commendable concept that translates to some of the best spectacles of the 107-minute feature. Special effects and CGI in the film tend to be generally lackluster. While the actual Predator costume is exceptional, a chunk of the visuals are on par with dreck one would see on the SyFy channel. This is not to mention that the alien dogs that accompany the Predators ap-

Image from 20th Century Fox via YouTube.com Predator squares off against Mega Predator in Shane Black’s “The Predator.”

pear like they wandered out of Ang Lee’s subpar “Hulk” movie from 2003. Tone is the biggest problem facing “The Predator,” as the film shares more in common with a standard Marvel superhero fare than an actual “Predator” movie. As a result, the film loses its identity, and

all audiences have left is a joke-filled mess with forgettable characters, a razor-thin plot and a few bursts of OK action. “The Predator” is Shane Black’s worse film by far and proves that Hollywood does not know what to do with this tired franchise. “Iron Man 3” has officially been forgiven.

‘Simple Favor’ turns out more like late 2018 surprise

Dominic Rizzi Laker Review drizzi@oswegonian.com

2018 has certainly been a year that has, for lack of a better word, crippled several incredible directors. People like Wes Anderson (“Isle of Dogs”), Jason Reitman (“Tully”) and Peter Berg (“Mile 22”), to varying degrees, have put out some of their weakest efforts in years. Not to mention, the month of September has all but officially replaced January as the dumping ground for movies that studios wish they had never signed the checks to fund. Against all odds, however, director Paul Feig (“Ghostbusters”) manages to churn out a film that besides being, you know, good, is quite possibly one of the biggest surprises to come out of arguably the worst year in movie history. Anna Kendrick (“Pitch Perfect 3”) portrays Stephanie, a single mom and mommy vlogger who befriends socialite

Image from Lionsgate Movies via YouTube.com Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick in Paul Feig’s new film, “A Simple Favor.”

Emily (Blake Lively, “The Shallows”) after their kids befriend each other in their pre-school. A very strange relationship develops between the two, leading Stephanie to consider Emily her closest friend. But when Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son one day from school and never shows up to

get him afterward, Stephanie finds herself on the warpath to find her new friend, ultimately unearthing secrets about her along the way, as well as growing closer to Emily’s husband, Sean (Henry Golding, “Crazy Rich Asians”). The biggest takeaway from this movie is that it is basically

“Gone Girl,” but if it were a satire. Granted, “Gone Girl” already was a satire of sorts, as that film was poking fun, albeit in a very dark way, at relationships and how the media interprets them versus what they really are. This film takes more of a cat-and-mouse angle, however, as unlike “Gone Girl,” where the mystery is solved halfway through, this film lingers on it and uses it, in a very clever way, to flesh out these characters, particularly Lively, who arguably gives her best performance in years with this character. She always acts like she is hiding something, and the way she manipulates people to get what she wants is unmatched. In addition, she plays one of those characters that says everything that people want to say but cannot because of societal norms, and it is just awesome to watch. Probably the most surprising thing about this film, however, is Feig’s direction. This probably also has something do with the fact that he did not write the screenplay, and

it is based on a book. But really taking a step back from the comedy and constant, forced improvisation of his previous work really allows his directing skills to shine through. Despite there being a few moments of straight-up comedy in the film that feel completely forced and out of place, the film really manages to settle into its stride of being a pitch-black, almost soap opera-esque satire. But really, the argument as to why this film shines is part of a larger argument having to do with speculation and how much press a film gets prior to its release. This film opened up against Shane Black’s “The Predator,” which has received largely negative reviews. But who knew a movie that not a lot of people knew was even happening, coupled together with a measly marketing campaign and little to no trailers, would result in one of the biggest surprises of this year? That is simply something we do not get with movies nowadays. Overall, “A Simple Favor” is most definitely a must-see.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

Why Shane Black proves one of Hollywood’s best

Image from Collider Video via YouTube.com The characters of Riggs and Murtaugh, potrayed respectively by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, in Shane Black’s first screenwriting effort “Lethal Weapon.”

Dominick J. Lioto Social Media Coordinator dlioto@oswegonian.com Shane Black has birthed a “Predator” movie that is the most 1980s-esque “Predator” film it could be. For reference, the original came out in 1987 and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as an army commando named Dutch. It is pretty hard to top that 80s-ness. Black directed and cowrote “The Predator” with the aspiration of making a “Predator” movie in theaters worthy enough to be called “an event.” Well, that is certainly an aspiration to have for one’s fourth directed feature, and one thing is true about “The Predator”: it is absolutely outrageous. The same year Black starred in the original “Predator,” he also wrote the screenplay for “Lethal Weapon” (a quintessential 80s movie) and “The Monster Squad,” which he coincidentally wrote with Fred Dekker, the co-writer of Black’s “The Predator.” That is quite the way to make a name for yourself during the first couple years of being in the industry. Afterward, Black continued to write the second “Lethal Weapon” film, albeit his role was reduced by the fourth installment, and

wrote “The Last Boy Scout,” “Last Action Hero” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight.” He was certifiably an 80s and 90s screenwriter and is a product of his times, even acting here and there in films and shows such as “Dead Heat,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “RoboCop 3,” “Dark Justice” and more. Now, Black’s second half of his career is arguably more interesting than his first, and that kicks off with 2005’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” a stylized Hollywood crime film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer that was bold and unique and proved Black needed to be in the writer-director chair more often. But he would not get that chance for eight more years. 2013’s “Iron Man 3” is one of the most unique and idiosyncratic out of any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films and also has the most divided opinions among fans. It is as controversial as a comic book movie can be, and Black is behind it all. It is a weird movie in many aspects, but it is not necessarily a bad film. After Black’s stellar “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” this movie is almost underwhelming. Luckily, his sophomore effort was not eight years later. “The Nice Guys” is Black’s

best film, hands down. He cultivates everything he is good at perfectly and creates a hilariously offbeat crime film starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, who share an incredible chemistry. “The Nice Guys” is something Black has said he wants to come back to, and it is something that deserves to be revisited. Black rebooting the “Predator” franchise almost feels like he has come full circle. An actor that was brutally killed by the ruthless creature in 1987 had the opportunity to write and direct an installment of his own, and, as previously stated, it is outrageous. What made the original so great was how it blended 80s machismo, campy military aspects, brutal action and violence and a horrifying creature, all with a sense of humor. Plus, it had Schwarzenegger going toe to toe with a Predator, and it is one of best showdowns out of most in its catalog (it being an 80s movie featuring a monster). Maybe Black did not mean to, but he replicated that with “The Predator.” It admittedly does not have the most original or nuanced story, but it is one hell of an entertaining ride. It has another macho cast consisting of Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Keegan Mi-

chael-Key, Trevante Rhodes, Thomas Jane, Sterling K. Brown, Alfie Allen, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski and Jacob Tremblay. Mostly everybody is great, especially Munn. With Holbrook and his Bad News Bears of a military squad, they are abrasive, ridiculous, hilarious and facing a Predator. The action and violence are off the walls. It is ridiculously gory and creatively violent. While sometimes it is hard to become invested in some of the moments and characters because of how the story progresses and the rate at which it does, it is

simply entertaining. There is not much to it, but if a fun, bloody time seems up your alley, “The Predator” will do just fine. There are moments of cheesiness, some odd character choices and, of course, (spoiler) the stupid Predator dog that thinks it is a human dog, but when a Predator is on screen, there will not be anything to complain about. It is hard to predict Black’s next move, as his career has been very much unpredictable, but for Black’s next project, is he going to advance his craft or go back to the 80s again?

Image from Warner Bros. Pictures via YouTube.com Ryan Gosling (Left) and Russell Crowe (Right) in Shane Black’s “The Nice Guys.”

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

Crossword Puzzle

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

Down 1. Fragment 2. Fiery felony 3. Didn’t exist 4. “Raggedy” doll 5. Hideaway 6. Least rainy 7. Face shape 8. Lease again 9. Kevin ___ of “Dances with Wolves” 10. Likely 11. “Harper Valley ___” 16. Browning’s “always” 20. Roman tyrant 22. ___ a girl!

24. Lyric verse 25. Staff 28. Nile viper 29. Go downhill 30. Honest 31. Absorbed by 32. Warned 33. ___ Plaines 35. Juice Fruit 37. Academy Award 39. Knockout count 40. More unusual 41. ___ Witherspoon of “Legally Blonde” 42. Discontinued 44. Quality of sound

Across 1. Animal foot 4. Zeal 9. Bottle top 12. Fin. fund 13. Gall 14. Make a selection 15. Most important 17. RR depot 18. Pine ___ 19. Give in 21. Diary items 23. Pavarotti, e.g. 26. Make lace 27. Make over 28. Lend a hand 32. Idolized 34. Rind 35. Spanish cheer 36. Spotted horse 38. Make like new 43. Fellow leading actor 45. First garden 46. Edgar Allen ___ 48. Asserted 50. That gal 51. Heavenly being 52. Compass direction (abbr.) 53. Rage 54. Marsh plants 55. Beet’s color

Image by | Pixabay 46. ___ Beta Kappa 47. Above, in verse 49. City trains

For this week’s crossword answers... Go to Oswegonian.com/lreview and click on the Laker Review tab!

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018

Flashback Friday: 09/21/2001

Image provided by Imdb.com

Shea McCarthy | The Oswegonian

On this day in film history, the infamous Mariah Carey-led musical, “Glitter,” was released. The film, which follows an aspiring, young singer whose relationship with a disc jockey crumbles as she rises to stardom, ranks #18 on IMDB’s “Bottom 100 Rated Movies list.”

Oswego Cinema 7 Friday, Sept. 21 Life Itself

11:20 a.m. 2:00 p.m.

4:50 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

10:10 p.m.

The House with a Clock in its Walls

11:40 a.m. 2:10 p.m.

4:40 p.m.

7:10 p.m.

9:40 p.m.

White Boy Rick

11:50 a.m. 2:25 p.m.

5:05 p.m.

7:45 p.m.

10:30 p.m.

The Predator

11:55 a.m. 2:30 p.m.

5:10 p.m.

7:50 p.m.

10:25 p.m.

A Simple Favor

11:35 a.m. 2:20 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

7:40 p.m.

10:20 p.m.

TO SEE ALL SHOWINGS, GO TO OSWEGO CINEMA 7'S WEBSITE