The Oswegonian

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Pulitzer Prize Winner

Author Douglas Blackmon speaks of modern worldly racial problems

Friday, Feb. 20, 2015

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF OSWEGO STATE UNIVERSITY • www.oswegonian.com

VOLUME LXXXI ISSUE III SINCE 1935

Katko plans to address heroin issues

Recent string of arrests, international factors spark local drug conversation Luke Parsnow News Editor lparsnow@oswegonian.com Rep. John Katko outlined a conversation about the heroin epidemic in Central New York and around the nation as one of his priorities during his inaugural term in Congress. Six weeks into his new term representing New York’s 24th congressional district, Katko, R-Camillus, said at a press conference last Tuesday that heroin is a problem that Photo provided by Rep. Katko’s Office needs to be discussed. Rep. John Katko holds a press conference Feb. 17 to outline the issues in the district he sees as priority. “This is in the news a lot lately,” Katko

School of Comm. selects new dean to take over in July

said. “Not only do I want to initiate a conversation on it and bring it more into the light that it’s not just an urban issue, it’s a suburban and rural issue, but come up with solutions as to how we can make it better, address the issue.” Katko already has held a listening session on heroin and public safety in the town of DeWitt on Feb. 12. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 4,400 people died last year from heroin use – double that of 2011. In 2014, there were more than 118,000 admissions into New York state cer-

White Out excitement

tified treatment programs for heroin and prescription opioid abuse – a 17.8 percent increase from 2009. Heroin arrests have been a concern for Katko’s constituents, who reside in Onondaga, Cayuga, Wayne and southwestern Oswego counties. In the last few weeks, there have been a number of arrests in Oswego County alone. The same day of Katko’s press conference, investigators arrested an Oswego County man in possession of 148 bags of heroin worth $2,960,

See HEROIN, A4

Student arrested for alleged rape in residence hall Seamus Lyman Editor-in-Chief slyman@oswegonian.com

Tatyana Bellamy-Walker Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com After serving Oswego State and her community for 30 years, Julie Pretzat, the associate dean of The School of Communication, Media and the Arts, will take over as dean, effective this summer. “In her 30 years at SUNY Oswego, Dr. Pretzat has distinguished herself through excellence in teaching and mentoring students, extraordinary productivity in the performing arts and, most recently, accomplishments as an academic administrator and campus community leader,” said Oswego State President Deborah Stanley when making the announcement. Beginning her collegiate work at Oswego State in 1985, Pretzat served as the

No. 1 Oswego State revamps its rivalry with No. 9 SUNY Plattsburgh on Friday night. Check out coverage of the 12th annual White Out inside.

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David Armelino | The Oswegonian Men’s Ice Hockey has gone on a three-game winning streak against SUNY Plattsburgh since last season’s 3-3 tie in the annual White Out game at the Marano Campus Center Arena.

An Oswego State student was arrested for first-degree rape Feb. 13 by University Police. Abhay Pant, 18, is a resident of Hart Hall from New Delhi, India. According to a statement from Julie Blissert, the director of Public Affairs, Pant allegedly entered the room of another resident and sexually assaulted the victim in the early morning hours of Friday. Pant was arraigned in Oswego Town Court and remanded to Oswego County Correctional Facilities on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond and is scheduled to reappear in court on Wednesday, according to the statement. No other information regarding the arrest is known at this time. According to the UP daily crime and incident report, on Feb. 14 there was a rape reported in Scales Hall. The report does not note if an arrest was made in that case.

See RAPE, A5

College pregnancies on the rise, local resources available Oswego State students would like sensitive topic discussed more, engage both genders Lydia Goerner Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com

CONTENT

Photo provided by Office of Public Affairs Julie Pretzat will replace Dean Fritz Messere.

See DEAN, A4 Calendar...........................C2 Classified..........................C7 Crossword.........................C6 Contact Info......................A2 Laker Review.....................C1 News.................................A1 Opinion............................B5 Sports...............................B1 Sudoku.............................C6

Unintended pregnancies are a rising problem with college-aged students. According to a study released by the American Journal of Public Health, 51 percent of U.S. pregnancies in 2008 were unintended. Of those pregnancies in women ages 18 to 24,

67 percent of them were unintended. Ashlee Stupp is an Oswego State alumna who became pregnant in college. “I was scared, but happy,” Stupp said. “I felt determined to make the best of it regardless of what changes would take place. I really did not have many negative reactions or anyone urging me to consider other options, which certainly made it easier. “I continued working full time and going

to school full time,” Stupp said. “I got married that December and I took that spring semester off to have the baby. My son was born in April. My husband and I agreed that it would be best for me not to work, but to continue going to school full time. I had good babysitters to watch my son for reasonable pay while I took all my classes.” Casey Merrill, a junior american studies student at Oswego State, said that on

campus, there is not enough education about pregnancy or support for pregnant students. Merrill said she had a friend who had an abortion, which showed her how upsetting and scary these situations can be. “I don’t feel like it’s a public thing,” Merill said. “People don’t really talk about it a lot. People who are going through it are probably

See PREGNANCIES, A5

Sports

Opinion

Laker Review

Oswegonian.com

HISTORIC RIVALRY

CHRIS KYLE’S LEGACY

KING KENDRICK

EUROPA’S FUTURE

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David Armelino | The Oswegonian

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