The Oswegonian 9-13-20 by The Oswegonian

Look Inside: A3 Oswego State pays respects to Jacob Gardner

Friday, Sept. 13, 2019 VOLUME LXXXIV ISSUE XII SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

Dorm access policy changes

New residence hall door ID system creates controversy

SA president to focus on improving textbook accessability Alexander Gault-Plate Editor-in-Chief aplate@oswegonian.com SA President Takeena Strachan is seeking to improve the accessibility of textbooks for students at Oswego State as a part of this year’s legislative agenda. “What we’re trying to do it to get reliable resources to students at a more accessible, affordable price,” Strachan said. Currently, Oswego State and the SUNY system are encouraging the adoption of open-source or digital options for textbooks. There are three initiatives in pursuit of this goal currently at Oswego State. One is called the All-Inclusive Access eTexts Initiatives, another is the open educational resources grant program, and the third is the recent introduction of e-text options at the campus bookstore. Strachan’s goal is to have SA assist where needed to make it easier for students to find the

books they need as quickly as possible, cutting down on the length of time at the start of the semester that students do not have the required course materials. Delayed textbook purchases can leave a gap of a week or longer between the start of a class and when a student receives their materials, depending on where the student orders their books from, between when a class starts and when a student actually has their materials. When the book is popular, some students can find that it is out-ofstock at their preferred retailer, causing further delays and costing the student more money. “The university could tell people how to get their books for cheaper,” said Matt Crary, a senior history major. “Instead of just trying to push us through the bookstore, I feel like the university doesn’t really make it easier to find it cheaper or faster right now.”

See DIGITAL, A4

Nsikak Ekong | The Oswegonian Scales Hall, like every other residence hall on campus, will now grant access only to building residents instead of all students during the day.

Dyllan Lawrence Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com

CONTENT

The rules surrounding access to residence halls have changed from the previous policy of allowing all on-campus students access to all residence halls before 11 p.m. Starting this semester, a student ID only grants access to the residence hall that a student resides in. This change has created controversy on campus, as students are upset about the change. Oswego State Residence Life and Housing has not announced any changes to these rules as of yet, leading students to start an online petition over the new rules. The online change.org petition, which has over 1,300 signatures at time of publishing, is titled “Open Access to Residence Halls Before 11 p.m. with SUNY Oswego ID,” and

Calendar...................... A3 Crossword................... C6 Contact Info................ A2 Laker Review.............. C1 News............................. A1 Opinion........................ B5 Sports........................... B1 Sudoku......................... C6

was created by Oswego State student Kyle Mazza. He said he created the petition in response to concerns of student safety. “The reasons are plentiful, but we are largely concerned for the safety and well-being of SUNY Oswego students as well as connecting the campus,” Mazza said. “One of the main reasons is the inclement weather that Oswego presents and how the new restrictions take away tunnels and access to other dorms for protection against the weather.” The online petition also lists criticisms of the new access policy such as a hindered sense of student community and difficulty finding shelter in a dangerous situation. The petition additionally said University Police had trouble accessing Riggs Hall during an emergency, due to the new access system. University Police and the Office of Students Af-

fairs have confirmed that University Police have emergency access to residence halls. “We really need to look at the way we secure our campus, and one of those changes was the change in access as it relates to students and their ID,”said Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing, Shaun Crisler. “The change really was related to us increasing and improving the way we secure our campus.” According to Crisler, the online petition was constructive for Residence Life, as the residence hall access policy is not set in stone. “I think [petitions are] important ... Any time you have a petition, it’s just another way for you to hear students,” Crisler said. “When you roll out a change, it’s never the final change. What I’ll be doing is not only talking to students, but

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Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Oswego State students start every semester purchasing textbooks, which can cost over to $200.

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NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK Do not ever think you are immune to this violence and do not ever think you have to be prepared.”

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

-Jaclyn Schildkraut, from A4

Oswego State loses alumnus, staff member

Residence Life and Housing administrator dies unexpectedly Colin Hawkins News Editor chawkins@oswegonian.com On Tuesday, Sept. 3, the Oswego State campus community lost an administrator, friend and Laker. Jacob Gardner, associate director of Residence Life and Housing died unexpectedly last week at the age of 32.

Gardner attended Oswego State as an undergraduate, studying education in the class of 2009. He returned to Oswego State to complete his Master’s degree in education in 2011. Gardner began his journey with Residence Life and Housing as a resident assistant during his time as a student at Oswego State, a

journey he followed after graduation as he became associate director of Residence Life and Housing. While working at Residence Life and Housing, Gardner was dedicated to improving the Oswego campus experience for resident students while helping and supporting residence student staff, just like he was as a student.

Scholarly and Creative Activity Symposium, 2 p.m., Friday, Sheldon Hall Ballroom

Write Ways Series: “Navigating the Blackboard Jungle,” 3 p.m., Friday, Penfield Library 215 Bystander Intervention Training, 3:30 p.m., Friday, Marano Campus Center 201 Welcome Back BBQ for Off-campus Students, 4 p.m., Friday, Breitbeck Park Totally Teal Tuesday, 12 p.m., Tuesday, Culkin Hall north entrance

Alumni and ALANA Student Lunch Meeting, 12 p.m., Wednesday, King Hall

Residence Life and Housing at SUNY Oswego via Facebook Jacob Gardner, associate director of Residence Life and Housing at Oswego State died unexpectedly on Tuesday, Sept. 3

ALANA Keynote Speaker: Darlynda Brownlee, 6 p.m., Wednesday, Marano Campus Center 132

Presentation: The Workplace, 6 p.m., Thursday, Marano Campus Center 114

Presentation: What is Diaspora?, 7 p.m., Thursday, Marano Campus Center 114

Presentation: Danger of a Single Story: Vol. 2, 5 p.m., Friday, Marano Campus Center 114

Only six senators were present at this week’s Student Association meeting. Normally, this would mean they did not have enough senators present to meet quorum, so a meeting could not take place. However, the meeting was called to order and allowed because of the Skeleton Crew Provision. The six senators were sworn in, and three chairs were elected. Another seven director positions were referred to their respective committees.

The Outdoors Club presented a proposal for an added $1,000 to their budget for this school year. According to Outdoors Club President Linden Merrill,

that campus life would take last semester, the club sub- over club sports, but it was mitted their budget on time, actually impossible, due to but it “got lost in the shuffle,” certain SA rules. meaning the original proposal had disappeared. In order to submit their budget on time, they were not given sufficient time to propose all they needed. They requested the $1,000 to pay for first-aid classes, gas and new equipSA President Takeena ment to keep members safe. Strachan spoke in front of the senate about some of her upcoming objectives. She would like to look into getting more local businesses to accept Laker Dining Dollars, as well as provide Ryan Green, the SA direc- more student discounts. tor of finance, spoke about Strachan would also like changes that have occured to increase the safety and in the SA budget. One of the accountability in student main modifications is the clubs and organizations on amount in the contingency campus as well as general fund. Last year, the contin- on-campus safety, so more gency fund was $10,000. people know what to do in This year, SA has a $20,000 case of an emergency. contingency fund, in addiAnother idea tossed tion to a $25,000 champion- around by both Strachan ship fund for club sports. He and some SA directors was said the money was factored having a separate involvein when considering budgets ment fair for Greek life and last year. club sports, in order to proGreen also said the origi- vide more tables for other nal plan for club sports was organizations on campus.

During last spring’s involvement fair, there was not enough space in Swetman Gym for each organization to have a table. The idea is to prevent that from happening again.

Senator Goldstein was elected as involvement chair. He served as a senator last semester, and described himself as involved in many clubs across campus and well-known to the Oswego State community, Senator Olalekan was elected Rules and Judiciary chair after being a part of the Rules and Judiciary committee during her time as a senator. Senator Calixte was elected finance chair. His previous experience includes serving on the finance committee last semester. As the finance chair, he said he hopes to get to know more clubs around campus.

A4 NEWS Digital textbook alternatives UP reviews mass shooter, emergency plan could help avoid high costs Oswego updates safety protocol to better fit campus THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

BOOK from COVER Strachan says that her goal is to get a currently undefined percentage of required books in each of Oswego State’s four schools available either on course reserves at the library, or in a longer-term fashion as early as possible in the semester. “There’s a wide range of books, from 100-level courses to 400-levels, and we’re trying to figure out which books are needed more than others,” Strachan said. “The higher the course level, the more expensive the book is what we’re finding. But the lower the course level, the more students need the text.” Oswego State Campus Technology Services is responsible for finding delivery methods for etexts, which are an important part of the efforts to improve accessibility. They just finished implementing the computer systems in the bookstore that allow the store to offer e-text versions of some books, and are responsible for the maintenance of the systems which support the All-Inclusive eTexts Initiative. “A big part of these initiatives is delivering digital content,” said Sean Moriarty, the Chief Technology Officer for Oswego State. “However, they are different in other ways.” The All-Inclusive eTexts Initiative is a program where students receive a digital copy of their textbook on the first day of class, and have the bill for the book added to that semester’s bill from the school. While students can opt to take the charge off of their bill, and get their materials from another source, Moriarty said that there are relatively few students who choose that.

“By having all of the students buy in, we can get the materials at a far lower price,” Moriarty said. Currently, 87 individual class sections utilize this program, with about 2,747 students receiving their books through it. Moritary said there could be fewer individual students in the program, as it is not uncommon for a student to have multiple courses who use the All-Inclusive eTexts Initiative. The Open Educational Resources grant program is a program by which professors can receive a grant from the state or SUNY to build a free, open-source set of materials for a class. There were 10 classes using OER materials for the 2018-2019 academic year, and more are expected to use it this year.

Tomas Rodriguez Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com In light of recent mass shootings, Student Association executives are interested in a firm and updated campus safety emergency plan in case the unthinkable happens. University Police took part in a safety plan last week. The campus safety plan, known by the abbreviation “SRP,” stands for “Standard Response Protocol” and is an effort to improve and distribute campus safety information to Oswego State students. Matthew O’Donnell, vice president of Oswego State Student Association, said Oswego students may not know what to do during a campus emergency. “Let’s say you’re in Lanigan 101, and there’s a shooting or bombing situation. What do you do?” O’Donnell said. “I’d rather be proactive than reactive.” Jaclyn Schildkraut, associate professor in the department of criminal justice at Oswego State, said that the Run Hide Fight protocol, which had been in place previously, is not the most appropriate plan for school-based settings. Schildkraut, teaches most of the criminal justice department’s core courses as well as electives on homicide, mass shootings, the death penalty, crime in the media and organized crime. Schildkraut recently published her research, “Mass Shootings and the Media: Why All Events Are Not Created Equal,” which looks at mass shooting events from the perspective of media coverage, while analyzing the extent of coverage received between different events and perpetrators, according to the professor’s official webpage. The new plan, SRP, takes educational institutions into consideration and is a better protocol across the board, Schildkraut said. “I am from two communities that had mass shootings – I grew up in the Parkland area and went to college for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Orlando, Florida, which is where Pulse [nightclub shooting] happened in 2016,” Schildkraut said. “We always thought our communities were safe and that it could never happen here … but it can and it does.” According to Schildkraut, inaction is not the answer. “The minute you say ‘it can never happen here’ is the moment you become complacent and let your

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

guard down,” Schildkraut said. “Do not ever think you are immune to this violence and do not ever think you don’t have to be prepared.” “Run, Hide, Fight” is only applicable for active shooter situations, whereas SRP handles all different emergency scenarios: lockout, when the threat is outside near campus, lockdown, when the threat is inside a building, evacuate, moving to a different location, shelter, used for other emergencies or hazards and hold, keeping hallways clear. The new plan is also based on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, emergency management language and provides users with information with regards to the specific emergency and how to respond. Schildkraut hopes that with the new protocol students, faculty and staff feel more prepared for any emergency that could take place on campus. “I also am a firm believer that it is better to have the skills and not need them, than to need them and

not have them,” said Schildkraut, who trained University Police on the new protocol. In this sense, Assistant University Police Chief Kevin Velzy said that no changes have really been applied with regard to a safety plan and that it is just a new approach to notifications during an event. Velzy suggests that students sign up for the NY-Alert service, and add the Oswego/Rave Guardian mobile app on their phones, besides being aware of their surroundings and reporting any suspicious activity. O’Donnell said he is interested in somehow informing students on what to do in a dangerous situation, perhaps in the same way Oswego State informs students about Title IX before they attend campus for the first time. University Police table at the Marano Campus Center on an ongoing weekly basis. “Everyone plays a role in their own safety. Be prepared, not scared and if you see something, say something,” Velzy said.

Alexander Gault-Plate | The Oswegonian Students can often purchase electronic editions of textbooks faster and more cheaply.

William Rogers | The Oswegonian Oswego State University Police are implementing new campus safety plans to respond to situations from shootings to extreme weather.

A5 NEWS Oswego downtown revitalization starts ResLife system still evolving THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

Mayor Billy Barlow gives grant for restaurant opening Controversy over housing door access Nicole Hube Photography Director nhube@oswegonian.com

The city of Oswego’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative is underway with construction beginning at the former Global Buffet location in the city’s downtown riverfront area. The city of Oswego’s proposal for revitalization is part of an effort to build upon the city and continue its upward trend of expansion and positive growth through partnering with public and private investors with the hopes of enhancing future investment potential. Some of the projects outlined in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Proposal include the construction of a midtown mixed-use housing development that would include 24 rental apartments with added commercial and/or retail spaces, exterior renovation and further development of the Children’s Museum of Oswego and a housing development featuring townhouses at 77 W. First St. City of Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow announced a $25,000 grant for “Southern Fare,” a new restaurant coming to downtown Oswego. Southern Fare is said to be a 60seat bar and eatery. The Southern Fare project is included as part of the Oswego Downtown Revitalization Initiative. Local landlord and project developer Atom Avery and his team have already demolished the Global Buffet building and are breaking ground, looking to replace the old buffet with a five-story complex consisting of first-floor commercial space with residential housing located on the upper floors, including a potential rooftop bar and terrace. Southern Fare will be one of two businesses to occupy the provided commercial space, with plans to open its doors to the community in late 2019. “It sounds amazing. I’ve never tried southern cuisine, but I would love to,” Oswego junior and off-campus resident Elizabeth Phan said. Phan is excited to hear of plans to expand the local downtown cuisine scene, but expressed concerns over potential parking issues and traffic pattern changes. “But another thing I’m con-

cerned about is, if [Southern Fare] will be located where the old Global Buffet building was, will people have a place to park if it’s packed inside?” Phan said. “Since they’re in construction, who knows how long it will take for the space to be finished. So, right now, it’s a maybe for me.” Indyah Green, an Oswego State senior, said she would consider moving into the housing complex if there were residential units available for students. “I think it would be a great idea because I would be in the middle of everything, such as other bars and restaurants surrounding that area,” she said. “My only main concern is since [Oswego] is a college town and a populated area, the prices might be unaffordable for college students.” Gregory Caster, also an Oswego State senior, lives in a threeperson apartment off-campus in downtown Oswego. Caster interns for a local newspaper, works at a pharmacy and frequents many local businesses around the Bridge Street area. He said despite the various available housing complexes, he would like to see more student apartments and residential housing in the southwest corner of town. “Maybe in a single building or a designated area of just apartment units,” Caster said. “Not so many houses, really, but an area designed specifically for students.” Caster expressed concerns over the affordability of Southern Fare’s menu and the new housing units on West First Street. He said that he is not much of a fan of southern cuisine, but would be “willing to give [Southern Fare] a try.” The downtown revitalization proposal focuses on expanding the city’s resources and opportunities available to the community while strengthening the local economy by building upon Oswego’s downtown urban foundations and areas of success. The project is a collaboration with the city, the Oswego State campus, Oswego county business partners, Pathfinder Bank, Oswego Port Authority, Oswego Health and many more. The Oswego Downtown Revitalization Initiative is an effort to attract more residential life to the downtown area while

promoting local businesses, stimulating arts and culture, expanding diverse dining options and stoking a new level of enthusiasm and confidence through added benefits. Project developers have identified six key potential projects, located specifically in downtown Oswego, that appear suitable for new development. These potential projects include the potential construction of upscale housing rental units, a new 60-seat southern cuisine eatery, a five-story housing complex located in the old Global Buffet location on West First Street, mixed-use commercial developments, new commercial/ retail space, health and human service organization expansion and increased youth educational and enrichment opportunities through the collaborative support of the Children’s Museum of Oswego. Another key aspect of Oswego’s DRI application focuses on a Route 104 revitalization project spearheaded by Bergmann Associates, which would work to beautify Route 104 running through downtown Oswego and create a safer and more accessible downtown. If awarded, grant funding could encourage new storefront exterior facelifts throughout downtown Oswego. Appointed by Mayor Barlow, The Downtown Revitalization Committee represents a diverse group of investors from the local community who all bring specialized talents and business expertise to the table. They are all hoping to capitalize on this opportunity to breathe new life into downtown Oswego. No specific dates of completion have been released to the public as of late. Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed in his state budget a plan to allow $100 million in state grant money to be used for revitalizing downtown regions deemed appropriate for aid through the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The grant states that money will be allocated across the state throughout 10 cities selected from winning application proposals. The City of Oswego competed for the $10 million grant money allocation and was one of 10 cities, out of 122 applicants, that were awarded $10 million in the first round of the state’s Revitalization Initiative.

Nicole Hube l The Oswegonian Downtown Oswego will feature an entertainment and housing building in the former Global Buffet location on the corner of Bridge Street and West First street.

DORM from COVER also other leaders about upcoming changes that I’ve even talked to other leadership members about that need to go up to the next phase, and I’ll be working on that.” The rules are still being adjusted, according to Crisler, because responding to student and administration feedback is all a part of crafting a better plan. “Anytime you roll out a new policy,

sometimes it doesn’t land where you want it to land,” Crisler said. “So for me, when the policy was enrolled I already knew there were going to be changes from the student side. Right now, I’m in the process of collecting that information and working out what those changes need to be and being able to implement the next phase of those changes as I pull it all together.”

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Residence Hall ID scanners now restrict access to only residents of that building.

NEWS

Photo Briefs Lakerfest

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

Penfield Library considers extending hours

SA president, library staff discuss possibilities, logistics

William Rogers | The Oswegonian

On Saturday, Sept. 7, Oswego State Residence Life and Housing hosted their annual Lakerfest on the Onondaga Hall fields. Students attending had to sign in to enter, and then were given the choice of a ticket for either the taco truck, the ice cream truck, or the smoothie truck. Students were also given a ticket for the popular “stuff-a-buddy” station, where students are able to pick and create a stuffed animal, until they ran out. Students were also able to ride a mechanical shark, play a lifesized version of “Hungry Hungry Hippos,” and participate in an inflatable obstacle course. On a sportier side, there was

also a giant slide and zipline for student enjoyment. Opportunities for students to play regular sports were provided. There was also a photo booth, with props and an option to email, text or print photo copies and a crowded airbrush tattoo station. The event was staffed by both student Residence Life and Housing staff as well as residence hall directors and assistant directors. The event was increasingly popular around the midway point, with many students straggling towards the end of Lakerfest. The event ran from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., and was open for all Oswego State students.

PAWS of CNY

Julia Tilley | The Oswegonian Extended hours a not the only change occurring to the library: the EOP and OLS offices have moved to the first floor of Penfield Library.

Julia Tilley Asst. News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com Student Association President Takeena Strachan recently announced that she was in the process of finding out whether or not it is possible for Penfield Library to extend its hours. Last semester, after hearing students’ wishes for longer library hours, Strachan put in the research to see how Oswego State’s library hours compared to other SUNY schools. She found that Oswego State had some of the most limited hours of all SUNY schools. “After doing the research and seeing all these schools that had the same state-wide operating level that we did, we were the one with one of the most restrictive library hours,” said Strachan. Last semester, Penfield Library extended its hours from midnight to 2 a.m. during the week prior to, and the week of finals. According to the Penfield Library staff and Strachan, the changes came due to student request. “We had met at the end of the previous semester, and it was SA’s efforts and interests that encouraged and inspired us to extend hours at finals to the 2 a.m. time, so we are going to do that again,” said Penfield Library Director Sarah Weisman. “Traditionally, we had been open until midnight, and now we are going to be open until 2 a.m.” Students had been asking for extended hours during finals week, since they wanted more quiet spaces to study besides the 24-hour room. Due partially to the set-up of the 24-hour room, which encourages group work and collaboration, students complained about the noise being too distracting. In response, Strachan and the library staff worked together to coordinate the best possible option

William Rogers | The Oswegonian

At this year’s Lakerfest, PAWS of CNY stopped by with some therapy dogs for students to visit and play with. The dogs were present for the entirety of Lakerfest, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. As usual, there were large numbers of Oswego State students frequenting the PAWS of CNY area of Lakerfest. PAWS of CNY have provided therapy dogs at multiple Oswego State events in the past, as an attempt to relieve stress in students. This also provides the dogs with socialization and their happiness, so there are advantages on both ends. The overall feeling at the PAWS of CNY stand was one that was

extremely happy and relaxed. The staff members were there to answer any questions, and provide information about the dogs who attended. Students sat in circles around the dogs, all taking turns playing with and petting them, and in turn, getting to know each other better. The dogs provided a common ground for students to begin discussions amongst each other common topics included pets students have at home or pets they hope to have in the future. PAWS of CNY aims to provide “pet-assisted wellness services” to a multitude of locations in Onondaga, Oswego, Cortland, Madison and Cayuga counties, according to their website.

Julia Tilley | The Oswegonian

for students to study. While many students are interested in having longer library hours, some others, especially student library employees, may have differing opinions. According to the Associate Library Director Lynne Rhys, there are currently around 31 students employed at Penfield Library. Longer hours could mean additional jobs on campus or longer hours for current employees. That has both advantages and drawbacks, which Strachan and the Penfield Library staff are considering. “At this point, the Student Association is in the process of determining what the needs are, whether it needs to be open the extra hour. If so, then we will do whatever we can to work with them, but again, we’re going to have staffing issues and logistical things we have to go through,” Rhys said. “Students generally want a wide variety of different types of study spaces and ac-

cess to various materials and so the more we can offer, the better.” Extending the library’s hours is only considered a temporary solution. The library’s 24-hour room will eventually be renovated, and will switch places with Lake Effect Cafe in the distant future. The ultimate plan is for Oswego State to build a tunnel connecting Lanigan Hall and Penfield Library, which would result in Lake Effect and the 24-hour room trading places. The possibility of extending library hours, according to Strachan, would be a temporary change, to hopefully be implemented in the spring. Strachan and Corey Cesare, the Director of Student Life, Health and Safety will work in tandem with the library staff to create a solution to benefit Oswego State students. “We’re very interested in working with SA, working with the students, we really want to meet student needs,” Weisman said.

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VOLUME LXXXIV ISSUE XII • www.oswegonian.com

FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

From ocean to lake, Long Island makes impact on Oswego State

Men’s soccer adds five freshmen from Long Island, use geography as bond with returning Long Islanders

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Matt Watling Sports Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com It is the water man, it just makes a difference. Something one may hear pretty much on a daily basis on the Oswego State campus, and nine times out of 10, it comes from a Long Islander. That is very much the same for the men’s soccer team who added five freshmen from Long Island, bringing up the team’s total to seven. While Long Island is massive, with a population estimated to be 7.75 million, the guys seem to have the same mindset. “The Long Island guys are definitely special and unique,” head coach Dan Kane said. “They bring a certain amount of toughness, but I also think they really come from strong families and from strong soccer families too. They bring that ‘I got your back, you got mine’ mentality.” That type of mentality is something the whole team rallies around, even before the influx of Long Islanders. The team is gritty in nature, stout defensively. Dating back to last season, they surrendered just 21 goals, an average of 1.40 per game. That number was the fourth fewest in the SUNYAC, with only teams that reached postseason play ahead of them. A big part of this success was Long Island’s own Brian Terra, who was very impressive in net. Even as the team struggled to move the ball out from their own half, Terra

was able to stand strong as the last line of defense. While Terra was on the sidelines for Oswego State’s 7-1 rout of the St. John Fisher College Cardinals, he was able to see growth in the team’s game. “As a team, [we learned] what we are capable of,” Terra said. “Doesn’t matter who we are playing, we come out there ... wanting to come out with the win.” In the victory, Long Island stood out. Two of the seven goals came from Long Island products, and freshman Steven Rojas out of Sachem North High School recorded three assists. Rojas received high praise from his coach and other teammates. He comes from Lake Grove/Newfield United, one of the best club teams in the state. In June 2018, he was part of the United club that won the state title. Later that year, Rojas was named to the United Soccer Coach’s all-region team as a senior. Rojas is not just a talented player. He has great vision and a soccer IQ that is hardly matched. He can pick up his teammates and make that quick pass that few players find. While Rojas could have been a Div. I athlete, according to Kane, it was the Oswego State family that drew him in. “When I came to visit, I loved it here,” Rojas said. “The team brought me in and treated me as if I was on the team already.” That type of culture is something that Kane is focused on building. For him, it is easy to find talent; however, how a recruit

meshes with the rest of the team is equally important. “Everybody on our current team does an overnight, so we know they’re good players,” Kane said. “But once you get to know their personality and are they workers? Do they value family? ... That’s when we know we have someone special.” One of the players that really embodies the idea of constantly working is Kieran Gilroy. The freshman found himself without a club team after his U14 club disbanded. Being forced to commit all his time to high school soccer paid off, as he built himself into a talented player. “He turned himself into a really really good player. His sister plays for Tennessee and was in the U21 national team pool,” Kane said. “He had an uncle that played hoops at St. Johns, so he’s got great DNA, and he worked really hard to become a great player.”

or practice time. If an Oswego State Div. III team needs the location and time, the Wizards lose their spot for the day. That is the reality of club sports. Despite this struggle, the team finds time to hone their skills. “We have already seen so much growth over the offseason, it has been really exciting,” head coach and staff advisor Toby Malone said. “Over this offseason, they have been really working on fundamental skills, really working at the strategy and technique. They are all really fit, one of the fittest teams in the league, so we are going to run most teams off the field.” With that work, the team has the confidence to do damage in the higher division this year. Rugby is a physical sport, that may result in injuries. It is a next man up mindset though, which it was for much of 2018. As the new season starts, the team returns several prominent players from injury. They were quickly implemented back in this preseason. The players who gained experience in their absence last season are confident in their abilities to pick up from last season. The Wizards played well against RIT in their preseason scrimmage.

Aaron Valentino Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com

In everything, it’s Long Island against everyone else ... Where we come from, we are proud of it.” Brian Terra -Oswego State Goalkeeper

This season as a freshman, Gilroy has played in four games, reg-

istering a goal and six shots. Even before Oswego State, Gilroy has vivid memories of playing against his new teammates back home. That is one of the best aspects of Long Island, everyone seems to know everybody. “I played [club soccer] with Brendan [Murphy] and we played in high school against each other,” Gilroy said. “I actually remember [thinking], ‘wow he got so much better from when we were younger.’ Rojas ... is one of the fastest guys I know, one of the more skillful guys. And you got Liam [Rothar] who you’re scared to go up against because he’s just going to tackle you off the ball ... they’re really good players.” Part of what drives these Long Island players is where they come from. Long Islanders always want to be the best, and are competitive in nature. “When you’re coming from Long Island, coming up here, seeing the upstate kids, you want to be better than them,” Rojas said. “Long Island kids all [have] big egos, we want to be the best players out here.” Even though the players from Long Island share that bond now as college players, it was not always that way. Long Island athletics, especially soccer, have unique rivalries between distinct schools. As the importance of each game revs up, so does the intensity on the turf. “Liam was on Commack, I was on Sachem North. We don’t like Commack, so when I heard Liam was coming up to Oswego, it was

a little bit of a problem because we came from rival schools,” Rojas said. “[But] we are best friends.” Regardless of high school background, the Long Islanders on this Lakers team share that special geographical bond. At Oswego State, everyone is sick of hearing about that bond, but it is true. “In everything, it’s Long Island against everyone else, not in a bad way, but all the guys mess around,” Terra said. “Where we come from, we are proud of it.” Perhaps most important, the guys are proud of their Long Island pizza. “Little Vinny’s of course, it’s got to be,” Rojas said. “[With the cold cheese,] it’s the best.”

take on Utica College, Elmira College and SUNY Canton. The Lakers had some success last year in their home invitational, going 4-1. Their only loss came against St. Lawrence University, while they beat SUNY Canton and Elmira College by scores of 3-1. The Lakers had success at home last year, posting a strong 7-3 record. After their first eight games on the road, the Lakers are ready to play in front of the home crowd. “We are all so excited to be at

home,” said junior Melissa Lussier. “I think that because it’s at home, we will have the most energy that we had all season.” Home court advantage is a real thing in sports, and home openers are typically another level of excitement. The Lakers have a chance to come back, playing teams they have had success against.

The Oswegonian file photo from 2018

Rugby looks to improve Lakers struggle in Wisconsin road trip during second year in Div. I Face unknown, strong competition at Pizza Hut Invitational Brandon Ladd Contributing Writer sports@oswegonian.com

The Oswego State Wizards, Oswego State’s club rugby team is two years removed from a state championship. Following the championship, they moved to a higher division last year and felt it instantly, getting blown out in their first game. While this could have derailed the season, the Wizards improved after each practice. Eventually, they would go on the road to SUNY Albany, who was undefeated at the time. There, Oswego State got their signature win of the 2018 season. That is the resilience that embodies the Oswego State rugby team. They will take a punch to the mouth and keep going as a team. Their 2018 record crept towards .500, a benchmark they want to reach in 2019. To reach .500 and prove their status in the higher division requires a grind from each and every player. They needed to get in the gym and train this summer. Training is tough for the team, as they do not have varsity status. As a result, they are not guaranteed gym time

See WIZARDS, B3

After a tough trip to Wisconsin last week, the Oswego State volleyball team looks forward to being home for the annual Oswego State Invitational. After losing just one set in their first three games of the year, the Lakers went to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the Pizza Hut Invitational, where they lost three of four games. Their only win of the trip came against Lawrence College, who lost every game of the invitational and as of publishing, have a 1-10 record. Oswego State did not win one set the rest of the games. However, the Lakers had never seen any of these teams before. To add to the challenge of surprise, the remaining three teams hold a combined record of 17-5. “We played some really tough competition,” said senior Shauna O’Flaherty. “It was really good because we have never really seen any of these teams before, so it was good to see some of our weaknesses and see what we need to work on heading into this weekend.” This weekend the Lakers will be home for the first time this season for the Oswego State Invitational to

See OSWEGO, B3

The Oswegonian file photo from 2018 Oswego State’s volleyball team looks to bounce back from a tough road trip in Wisconsin.

SPORTS B2 Women’s soccer faces tough road ahead leading into SUNYAC play THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept 20, 2019

Oswego State plays 9 of next 10 games away from home, looks towards veteran leadership

The Oswegonian | Nicole Hube Lakers foward Grace Mueller (16) fights for a lose ball in the Lakers loss to University of Rochester.

Luke Owens Asst. Sports Editor lowens@oswegonian.com If fans want to catch the Oswego State women’s soccer team at Laker Turf Stadium anytime soon, they will have to wait awhile. The Lakers play nine of their next 10 games on the road and have started the season with playing three of five games away from home. The good news for the Lakers is that they have a handful of seniors that have been through the grind that comes with being on the road, especially early in the season. Corina Chambers and Grace Mueller know how to manage the stress that can come from being off-campus, and pass this knowledge on to the Lakers large freshman class. “You really just have to get in the mindset,” Chambers said. “When you’re at home, it’s very hyped up, but during away games, you have to change your mindset.” That mindset comes with knowing that when a game is over on a Friday, the players will not be sleep-

ing in their beds back at Oswego. Sometimes, it is about being uncomfortable. “Expect to wake up early and be ready to go once you get there,” Chambers said. These early wake-ups paired with long bus rides have been tough for Oswego State to deal with, especially with so many new faces on the squad. “This is not a great stretch for us,” head coach Brian McGrane said. “It is good because you have to get on a bus early Friday, play a game, then rest and recover to be ready for Saturday. The big test will be when we are on the road the first five SUNYAC games.” The road has not been kind to the Lakers thus far. After a 3-3-1 road record last season, Oswego State is 0-3-0 in games played away from home. Last weekend, it was a two-game tournament in Fredonia that resulted in a pair of 2-1 losses. Those games came against nonconference opponents, University of Mount Union and D’Youville College. In both those games, the Lakers out-

shot their opponent. “We definitely could have done a lot better,” Mueller said. “We had a lot of opportunities we didn’t finish. We could have won both games, but we didn’t.” McGrane shared the same feelings as his senior leader. Once again, the theme in 2019 has become finishing at the net. “Soccer is probably the unluckiest of sports,” McGrane said. “You can play really well and not get results. Case in point last weekend. I thought we were the better team in both games, but we just struggled to finish. Give credit to Mount Union and D’Youville, they were able to finish their chances.” These road tests are especially tough for freshmen like Katherine Balog, who has seen significant minutes in her first season with the team. “I’ve never been on the road for a high school soccer team before,” Balog said. “It’s all new to me.” It falls on the seniors to help the younger players out. “They tell us what to bring, what to expect, just things like that,” Balog said. McGrane understands the trials of being on the road, especially for his freshman class. “For the young players, they just have to give it all they can,” McGrane

said. “There’s going to be ups and downs, the ball changes possession every couple of seconds so to expect a lot of success is sometimes foolish to think. Our young players are good, but it’ll be a work in progress.”

It’s not an easy one. One of those trial by fire types of deals.” Brain McGrane -Oswego State head coach

Oswego State had an especially rude awakening on Tuesday night. The Lakers lost on the road to Hamilton College, 4-0. In that game, the team was outshot 38-4. “[The road] hasn’t been kind to us so far,” McGrane said. “And it probably will continue to be that way since we play our first five conference games on the road. Historically, four of our first five have been in the conference tournament.” The first of those five conference games come against SUNY Geneseo. The Knights have won the SUNYAC playoff tournament each of the last two seasons. Before the tough SUNYAC slate begins, the Lakers go on the

road once again this weekend. On Friday, Sept. 13, the Lakers matchup with Clarkson University, a team they have beaten in 26 of their 29 meetings all-time. On Saturday, the script is flipped against St. Lawrence University, whom they are 3-22-4 against. “From the veterans, we look for their leadership,” McGrane said. “They’re the ones who have played these teams prior and know the level of play to be expected. We want them to bring that level of maturity and mentality to road games.” These games become especially tough with the Lakers losing graduate student defenseman Rachel DiCocco for the season. In her absence, Oswego State has plugged in freshmen such as Fallon Lewis-Ellison in hopes of helping out Emma Allen in front of the net. “It’s not an easy fill,” McGrane said. “She’s sitting over there with a torn ACL, she’ll be out for her season and actually her career because she graduated last spring. It’s not an easy one. One of those trial by fire type of deals.” Even though it has not been an ideal start for the Lakers, the team feels it is close to turning that corner. “We’re probably pretty close to one of these days getting four, five, maybe six goals and then things will settle in,” McGrane said.

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Oswego State welcomes new head athletic trainer for 2019 season

Former SUNY New Paltz head athletic trainer brings knowledge, expertise to Lakers athletes Ben Grieco Managing Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com Kevin Joyce’s interest in athletic training started back in high school, during his senior year, when he originally intended to go into physical therapy. While playing soccer at Sacred Heart University, Joyce suffered a pretty serious injury in just his second day of practice as a freshman. He said it was his first time playing on any sort of turf. “I came out for the ball and twisted the wrong way,” Joyce said. “My foot went one way and my knee went the other.” Following the injury, he saw an athletic trainer to rehab the injury. During that time, he was able to see what the profession of an athletic trainer was really about. While the injury did not spark his interest in athletic training, he said his interest grew from there. “I already had that interest to work with sports teams through physical therapy, but it steered me in the right direction,” Joyce said. “But once I saw what athletic training was … I found it was a better fit for me.” More than 20 years since that injury, Joyce has been hired at Oswego State as the new head athletic trainer. He joins the established staff of assistant trainers, Elise Fitzsimmons, who was hired in 2012 and Dan Collins, who was hired in 2017. While Joyce is the main trainer for women’s soccer this fall, he is responsible for supporting all 24 programs that Oswego State has at the NCAA level. Despite being new to the program, Joyce said the transition has gone smoothly on the administrative end of things and also working with the specific athletes. Joyce also said that Fitzsimmons and Collins

were helpful in the opening weeks. “Still only three weeks in, you’re still learning a couple faces and a couple names,” Joyce said. “It’s the, ‘Wait, you told me you were from … ’ situations.” Fitzsimmons said that the transition has been easy on the athletes, as well. “A lot of our kids have really taken to him really quickly, which, previously, hadn’t necessarily been the case,” Fitzsimmons said. “Really, I don’t see any issues moving forward.” In the opening weeks of the athletics season, Joyce has already had to deal with some larger issues, both with the in-season women’s soccer team, but also the out-ofseason men’s basketball team. Women’s soccer has had a couple ACL injuries and the men’s basketball team had some injuries following last season and an unexpected injury before this season during a pickup basketball game, men’s basketball head coach Jason Leone said. “The thing that I was very appreciative of, is both Kevin and Dan being proactive, having a conversation with me that included me in both diagnosis and the decision-making process for this young man’s rehabilitation,” Leone said. While Joyce is new to the Oswego State program, he is not new to the SUNYAC, with stops both at Plattsburgh State and SUNY New Paltz. While at Plattsburgh State, Joyce worked with women’s soccer head coach Brian McGrane while he was part of the men’s soccer team there. “The biggest thing that I think Kevin brings is that he’s a pretty level-headed, down-to-earth guy who can joke around but also knows when it’s time to be serious,” McGrane said. For both Leone and McGrane, the biggest thing an athletic trainer

can do for their student-athletes is not only be a medical advisor, but also help with the mental and emotional side of sports. Leone said that Joyce’s personality is “comforting for him as a coach.” “A lot of the times, their role is, quite frankly, giving [athletes] peace of mind that they’re going to be OK,” Leone said. But for Joyce, being there for the emotional well-being of the studentathletes is “mentally huge.” As a former collegiate student-athlete, he also said he is able to draw from his own experiences to help the kids now.

“There’s so many times we can just be an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on,” Joyce said. “A lot of the time we’re not dealing with ankles and knees. We’re dealing with life in itself.” With Joyce’s experience at multiple colleges and in private practice with Professional Physical Therapy, he has been able to teach the rest of the sports medicine staff new techniques, especially with his physical therapy background. “I have 13 years in the field and he’s teaching me stuff that I still haven’t used,” Fitzsimmons said. “His big thing is that he wanted to

make us feel like we were all three collaborators together.” Leone, McGrane and Fitzsimmons all said that Joyce has been a valuable addition to the sports medicine team. But, Leone made sure to highlight the integral role that all three members of the sports medicine team play in all of Oswego State’s athletics’ success. “The trainers are invaluable to the student-athlete experience. They’re a vital part of our success,” Leone said. “We’re really lucky to have Kevin come aboard here.”

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

B B33 SPORTS Cross country starts season Wizards look to start strong vs. Syracuse strong at Fredonia Invitational Oswego State must combat speed by supporting ballcarrier THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

RUGBY from B1

Captain and lock, John Killkenny recognized a need for communication for their contest against Syracuse University on Saturday, Sept. 14. “We definitely need to communicate more on offense and tackling, spread the field more,” Killkenny said. Make our hits. Come up with intensity off that defensive line and make some hits.” Captain and lock, Dan Gazzola, pointed out the speed of Syracuse University, as the Wizards must be

able to combat that. “We need to spread the field better and we need to protect the ball,” Gazzola said. “Syracuse [has] a lot of ‘jackals’ on that team who like to steal the ball and poach it. We need to come in support run and be ready for a fight.” Gazzola was not a rugby player in grade school, as were few on this Oswego State team. “I always played football my whole life, got sick and tired of never getting to touch the ball,” Gazzola said. “I was in the weight room one

time and I see this flyer of this huge, beefy guy scoring a ‘tri’ ... I saw that and [it said] ‘are you tired of blocking, tired of not getting the credit?’ So, I figured I’d come out, join the team, and I’ve loved it ever since.” At the end of the day, teams always want to win. Despite tougher competition, Malone expects some winning from his team. “It’d be nice to aim to go .500 or better this coming year,” Malone said. “I mean really the progress is already there … We are where we belong to be, playing stronger teams.”

The Oswegonian file photo from 2018 Oswego State placed second and third at the Fredonia Inivtational for the women’s and men’s side.

Brian Rudman Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State men’s and women’s cross country teams are off to a fast start following their first meet of the season and will look to continue to build as the season goes on. Behind a new head coach in Jacob Smith and a group of hard working runners, the Lakers will look to have a successful season. The Lakers kicked off their 2019 campaign with the men’s side taking third out of four teams and the women taking second out of three teams at the Fredonia Invitational on Aug. 31. The team was boosted by several impressive individual performances. The biggest standout of the day was sophomore Emily Gustafson, who set a course record with a time of 15:49.00, topping 16:09.00, which was the old record. Gustafson’s firstplace finish played a big role in the women’s impressive finish. “She succeeds at such a high level because of the combination of talent and hard work,” Smith said. “She does a really good job of being diligent about her training and trying to eat healthy and getting her sleep and doing all the little things that you have to do to be a successful distance runner.” Gustafson was not the only standout at SUNY Fredonia, however. The men’s side was led by freshman Gabriel Winters-Bona, who placed fifth with a time of 20:42.83. But even with his individual success, the young runner still has a team-first mentality. “Me being the first man doesn’t mean any difference to the team,” Winters-Bona said. “Cross country’s a team sport, so it’s everybody.” This team mentality is something that Smith and the veterans on the roster like to see and try to instill. Senior Eric Perez demonstrated this as his goals are almost solely team-oriented. “Just help push the team,” Perez said. “[Get them] ready for the next following years because it’s a young team, so I want to put them in the direction that they should be in.”

This attitude has not gone unnoticed by his teammates. Perez has set an example that the other runners, the younger ones in particular can look up to. “They’re great leaders,” WintersBona said. “All of them, they all took me in. Better than my last team, they showed me the ropes.” The leadership on the roster can be attributed to the team-first mentality that has been established within the culture of Oswego State cross country. It is this kind of teamoriented mindset that can help a coach in his first season with a new team. Smith, an experienced collegiate coach, came to Oswego State this summer to take over as the cross country coach. While coaching changes can be tough, the team is doing its best to adjust. “I think they’re still kind of getting a sense of who I am and I’m still adjusting to them,” Smith said. “I think I’m a lot different than the coaches they’ve had in the past ... Change is usually not easy for most people, so making that change, doing things differently, is sometimes a struggle. But they do a fairly decent job of communicating, and everyday I’m starting to see some more improvement from people and I’m excited about the direction that we’re going.” The runners have seen growth with their new coach from a chemistry standpoint. They continue to build a relationship with him, and they are excited about what the future holds with their new leader. “He’s a really great guy,” Perez said. “He’s got a lot of experience. He cares about us a lot. It’s not just about athletics with him. It’s about academics, extra curriculars, everything. He’s pushing us to be better on the field and also in the classroom.” With a team-first mentality and a new coach to rally behind, this group of runners will look to have a successful season behind an expectation of focusing on themselves. “All we can do is execute our race plans and run to the best of our ability,” Smith said. “We can’t control what the other teams do so in essence its really just a battle of ourselves against ourselves.”

Photo provided by Emma Leary The Oswego State Wizards will face Syracuse University in their 2019 season opener after last weekend’s exhibition against RIT.

Oswego State to prep for SUNYAC games

Set to use Oswego State Invitational as trial run for Cortland LAKERS from B1 In the last three years, Oswego State has a combined record of 5-1 against SUNY Canton and Elmira College. The three teams the Lakers will face at the invitational enter Oswego with a combined 2019 record of 3-21. If the Lakers play the quality volleyball they are capable of playing, that can give them a lot of momentum heading into their first SUNYAC game against SUNY Cortland. Even though they have four games before they face the Red Dragons, SUNY Cortland is already on coach J.J. O’Connell’s mind. “Really our main focus for this weekend is how we are going to play against Cortland” O’Connell said. “Getting four wins in the next week would be great but I would

sacrifice four wins for one win against Cortland.” SUNYAC play has not started for any team yet but the Red Dragons have the best nonconference record at 5-3. Every game is important, but conference games are how you make the playoffs. The Lakers, despite having a solid 19-14 record last season, went just 4-5 in the conference. Because of this, they snuck into the playoffs with the sixth seed. The fifth seed, SUNY Potsdam, had a below .500 record at 13-18, went 4-5 in the conference and won the tiebreaker against Oswego State, giving them the higher seed. Like every season, winning conference games is vital to the Lakers season. In order to make a run at the SUNYAC title, O’Connell is looking for a player to step up.

“There’s one key component I’m still looking for” O’Connell said. “In the crunch time Alison Sullivan got us a kill or a block when we needed it, and I am looking for that one player, or two players, that are saying, ‘we are in a close game I got this.’ We have a bunch of options, we have a lot of talent, a lot of senior experience, but I’m still waiting for a player on this team to carry us to victory.” The Oswego State Invitational will start at 6:00 p.m., Friday, Sept. 13 in the Max Ziel Gymnasium with the Lakers taking on the Utica College Pioneers. It will continue Saturday with the first game starting at 11:00 a.m. Despite coming off a couple of losses the girls feel confident for the invitational. “Just to win,” O’Flaherty said. Her teammate Lussier agreed, when she said, “To win.”

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Shore Report

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

SUNYAC Standings

Men’s Soccer

Overall

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

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

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

Field Hockey

Overall

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

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

W5 W4 W4 W4 W2 W1 W2 W1 L3

0-0-0

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

0-0-0

1-3-0 1-4-0

0-0-0 0-0-0 Conference

Streak

Oneonta Cortland

4-0

0-0

3-1

0-0

3-2 3-2

0-0 0-0

L1 W1

3-2

0-0

2-1 0-4

0-0 0-0

W1 L4

Conference 0-0

SKI: 1-2 (0-0) GEN: 3-2 (0-0)

Streak W2

0-0

5-3

0-0

5-3

0-0

4-3

0-0

3-2

0-0

4-4

0-0 0-0 2-5 3-6 0-0 3-6 0-0 Around the SUNYAC

Streak W2 W3 L1 W3 L1 L1 W1 T1 L3 L3

Overall 6-3 6-3

Field Hockey

Streak

0-0-0

Brockport Cortland Geneseo New Paltz Oneonta Oswego State Morrisville

Oswego State New Paltz Geneseo Potsdam Plattsburgh Buffalo State Brockport Fredonia

0-0-0 0-0-0

Oswego Scoreboard

1-2-1

Overall

Volleyball

Conference

Men’s Soccer 2

SLU: 2-2-0 (0-0-0) ONE: 4-0-0 (0-0-0)

Assists came off the foot of Steven Rojas in the Oswego State men’s soccer routing of St. John Fisher College last Saturday. The freshman tallied the first three points of his Laker career in the 7-1 victory. Two of those assists came within 43 seconds of each other, as Rojas found senior Caleb Asamoah and freshman Kieran Gilroy for goals.

Field Hockey

Men’s Soccer

Saturday, Sept. 7

Sunday, Sept. 8

WEL:

Marcus: 1 SOG Michaud: 3 saves

OSW:

O’Neill: 2 goals Romanowski: 2 goals Christman: 4 saves

Women’s Tennis Tuesday, Sept. 10

0 Schultz (GEN) Broach (OSW) Klomp (GEN) Wilson (OSW)

1 Bonetto: 1 goal Mattis: 5 saves

SJF:

Asamoah: 2 goals Rojas: 3 assists Borrow: 3 saves

OSW:

Women’s Soccer Tuesday, Sept. 10

6 6 2 2

OSW:

Myers: 1 SOG Allen: 11 saves

6 6 0 2

HAM:

Gambino: 4 SOG Harris: 2 assists Pike: 3 saves

Upcoming Events Women’s Soccer Friday, Sept. 13

@ 3:00 p.m.

OSW: 1-4-0 (0-0-0) CLA: 3-1-1 (0-0-0)

Volleyball Friday, Sept. 13

@ 6:00 p.m.

OSW: 5-3 (0-0) UTI: 1-7 (0-0)

Women’s Tennis

Men’s Soccer

Saturday, Sept. 14

10:45 a.m

OSW: 1-4 (0-0) ONE: 5-0 (0-0)

Saturday, Sept. 14

4:00 p.m.

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

Laker Athletes of the Week

W1 L1 W1 W1

Women’s Soccer 0

HOU: 1-3-0 (0-0-0) BPT: 2-3-0 (0-0-0)

12:

Goals were scored by the Oswego State field hockey team in a 12-0 victory over Wells College. This was the most goals scored by the Lakers since a 1998 game against Medaille College. Nine different Lakers recorded a point in the win. The blowout puts the Lakers at 2-1 on the season and they take on Marywood at home this Saturday.

Caleb Asamoah

Soccer Senior | Accra, Ghana The forward from Ghana, was a b i g p a r t o f t he L a ke r s ’ h u g e victory over St. John Fisher College last Saturday. The senior tallied two goals on three shots in a 7-1 blowout win against the Cardinals. Asamoah was also the Lakers lone goal scorer in a 2 - 1 l o s s l a s t Fr i d a y a g a i n s t Stockton. He leads Oswego State with three goals and six points on the season.

42:42

Was the time on the clock when Kyle Scalzo scored his first collegiate goal for the men’s soccer team. The freshman from East Syracuse came off the bench and played 41 minutes in the Lakers 7-1 victory over St. John Fisher College. His goal was assisted by Slater Bushen, who also tallied a goal in the Lakers win.

Annie O’Neill

Field Hockey Freshman | New City The freshman from New City has wasted no time making an impact on the Oswego State field hockey team. O’Neill scored two goals in a 12-0 win against Wells College and added another goal in a 3-1 loss against Elmira College. She leads the team with four goals on the season, two of which were game-winners. The Lakers return to action at home on Saturday against Marywood.

89.7:

The percent of games won by women’s soccer team vs. Clarkson University all-time. The teams will meet for the 30th time on Friday afternoon. The Lakers have won 26 of the first 29 meetings, however it was the Golden Knights who won last year’s game by a score of 2-1. Oswego State will look to snap a three-game losing streak.

OPINION

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

Too much Forest fires unfortunate, avoidable government Rainforest effects international climate, transcends borders involvement Athena Lamicela Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

Photo from free-photos via Pixabay

Nathan Beers Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com The growing divide between political ideologies are hard to miss in the 24-hour news cycle these days. Despite this, even Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump can find common ground on one topic of discussion: the size of the government. Although both, and others, want to use the government to tackle vastly different problems, the expansion of powers and responsibilities of the government over the past two decades has been staggering. It is guaranteed that whoever takes office in this coming election will expand it further and this should worry all Americans. As Ronald Reagan famously said in 1986, “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” With every passing expansion of the government, parts of the natural, God-given rights granted to citizens are infringed upon. In some cases, most of us would consider that this is the price we pay to live in a civilized world; we pay taxes to pave roads and fund public enterprises, like parks and schools. Even Reagan recognized the value of government intervention to raise the drinking age to 21 to preserve life from DUIs. However, our country was founded on the ideals of freedom and individuality, and we should hold them closer than ever. The Constitution is the foundational document on which all of our laws are based. Whether we are restricting free speech for teenagers, Morse v. Frederick, or banning certain parts of guns from being sold together, NY SAFE Act, the distortion of the law by a large government that can enforce it is inevitably what leads to the ideological pendulum swing we see in this election. Traditional conservatives, like Mitt Romney and Nelson Rockefeller, have an ideology based on the fundamental principle that the government is not the answer to every national problem. Conservatives should have praised Barack Obama’s executive order protecting state law from federal agencies as much as they should have condemned Trump’s outright violation of the Second Amendment in banning bump stocks. But conservatism is changing in America for the worse. Today, the core arguments of the parties, both Republican and Democratic, now revolve around how to use a big government, instead of whether or not the government can or should get involved. Politicians are bending the phrasing of the Constitution to their ideology to expand the powers of the government, instead of using it as it was intended for the protection of American liberties. Trump’s brand of conservatism has swung the pendulum to the right and now leading democrats want to use this big government momentum to swing it to the left. Moderate, small government candidates are being bullied into the corner, because proponents of a large government feel that the office ethically demands the intervention into everyday life, that poor people or people in difficult situations are unable to help themselves or that the state and local governments cannot help them effectively. Sometimes that is the case, undoubtedly, but not nearly to the extent Sanders or Trump would have you believe. It is incumbent upon everyone, regardless of ideology, to get to the polls and vote for what they believe in. But when you get into that voting booth, remind yourself of the pitfalls of a big government and what that could mean for you.

Forest fires are a fact of life. Often, in especially dry months, even rainforests like the Amazon may ignite. Sometimes, this is beneficial for the ecosystem, fertilizing the soil and making room for tougher plants to grow. This is not the case with the recent Amazon fires. Brazil’s agricultural industry is no stranger to scandals. For years now, President Jair Bolsonaro and his predecessor Michel Temer have been slashing environmental protections, including one that requires rural properties in the Amazon to preserve 80% of their native vegetation. Brazil is also ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for environmental activists, who are frequently killed for trying to protect the land. Over the past months, a generally declining rate of forest fires in the area was alarmingly reversed when thousands of fires sprung up. These fires have cleared well over 7000 acres. NASA satellite imaging shows that a majority of these fires were intentionally started to create more land for farming. Bolsonaro does not deny the damage, but has rather sought to shift the blame. “We preserve more [rainforest] than anyone,” he stated, a fact which is obviously true due to the Amazon being the largest rainforest in the world. Any country containing it would have

little issue in claiming this statistic with minimal protections in place. He continued, “No country in the world has the moral right to talk about the Amazon. You destroyed your own ecosystems.” This statement might apply to contained political issues such as infrastructure upkeep, but is insultingly simple when applied to the one spot on Earth with the highest concentration of biodiversity and a potentially catastrophic amount of stored carbon dioxide. Some especially alarming articles suggest that the destruction of the Amazon would lower oxygen levels in the atmosphere, with claims that the rainforest contributes 20% of the gas. This is well intended, but unnecessarily muddles the issue. The majority of that oxygen only affects the surrounding area,

and losing it would not cause 20% of the world’s oxygen to immediately vanish. It would, however, destroy the majority of South America’s ecosystems, as the continent depends heavily on rainfall generated by the Amazon. There are still urgent threats on the global scale. Ecologist Yadvinder Malhi of the University of Oxford notes that, if the carbon stored in the Amazon were to be released on such a broad scale, then all efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from motor vehicles would essentially be pointless. In other words, if Brazil continues to prioritize profit over preservation and no action is taken to hold their agricultural businesses accountable, then the world is facing a point of no return in the fight against climate change.

Photo from stokpic via Pixabay The health of the Rainforest, despite being in Brazil, effects everyone on Earth.

SPEAK YOUR MIND, TWITTER! POLLS POSTED EVERY FRIDAY TO @gonianLRO

Government refuses to implement gun control

Primary systems imperfect

Photo from Proulain via Pixabay

Kenny Burnham Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com The Democratic primary is in full swing, and while things on the Republican side are not looking very competitive, there are some noteworthy challenges to the President. However, in New York, most will not get to have much say in how the nominees are decided. The reason is because New York State holds what are called “closed primaries.” Closed primaries are, well … closed to independents, as well as to third parties if they do not hold a vote. There are many different kinds of primaries, each with their own positives and drawbacks. Moreover, what works well in some states may not work well in others. New York, being a “blue” state (meaning it usually prefers Democratic candidates, at least at the state level), means that Democratic primaries are often the most significant elections in terms of deciding who eventually holds political office in the state. The upside of closed primaries is voters of one party cannot “meddle” in the other parties’ affairs. However, one does not need to go to the extremes that New York does to ensure that does not happen. In the semi-closed system, party voters can only vote in their respective parties’ primaries. However, independent voters can vote in any parties’ primary. It is a nice compromise between constrictive closed primaries, and open primaries. One minor problem is the deceptively named “Independence” Party, which many people may have accidently registered for thinking they were registering to be an Independent.

Open and closed, however, hurt the state in different ways.

Walmart removes certain guns, ammunition from their shelves Annika Wickham Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com Unfortunately, we live in an era where stores are trying to stop gun violence more than the federal government. On Sept. 3 Walmart announced that they would both limit the sale of certain types of ammunition and weapons and asked customers to not carry guns in their stores, even in states with opencarry laws in place. This announcement has been praised by many, including Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders, but has caused an uproar from the store’s more conservative customers and the NRA. In a tweet, the NRA called Walmart “shameful” and said that the store has “chosen to victimize law-abiding Americans.” The NRA ended by stating that “our leaders must be willing to approach the problems of crime … with sincerity and honesty.” But where has the federal government been during each of the mass shootings this year? According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), there have been 283 mass shootings this year in the United States before Sept. 1. Congress.gov only reported one bill that passed through the House of Representatives in 2019 that relates to gun violence, with many more not making it past committee. 283 to one is not a good ratio, especially when lives are being lost. One reason Walmart is able to take preventative steps towards gun safety is that they do not rely on gun sales to keep their business afloat. Even with the NRA calling for their supporters to shop at other stores all together, Walmart is still

Photo from jimarojfm via Pixabay Walmart took initiative in gun control where the American government would not.

the second largest retailer in the world according to Forbes, behind Amazon which also does not sell any firearms. Walmart can easily take a stance for what they believe is right because they do not need the money from gun related sales, unlike certain members of congress who rely on donations from the NRA and other pro-gun organizations. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act was voted on Feb. 27 of this year where 150 of the 190 ‘nay’ votes were cast by House members who had received campaign donations from the NRA during the 2018 election. It makes sense that these House members would want less regulated gun sales because their campaigns are supported by the organizations that pushes for and relies

on gun sales. If the government is not going to push for stricter gun laws, who is? Large chain stores like Walmart should be taking steps for gun safety because it has become obvious that the government is not willing to do so. Lives after lives are lost and Congress can barely get one bill passed. It has become apparent that gun safety has become an issue for everyday people to solve and retailers like Walmart are needed as front runners in this fight. With over 5,000 stores across the United States, Walmart has the ability to influence large numbers of people with ease. Taking the majority of their fire arms off the shelves is decreasing the availability of guns to thousands of people. Hopefully this will prevent future mass shootings.

The opposite of a closed primary is, unsurprisingly, an open primary. In an open primary, any voter can vote in any party’s primary. Again, since New York is a blue state, Republicans would be heavily incentivized to vote in Democratic primaries for races they know they have little chance in, such as the governor’s race. Open primaries do make sense in some states however, specifically ones like West Virginia, where Democrats outnumber Republicans, even though Republicans now mostly dominate the state’s politics. One of the more obscure primaries that gained national attention in 2018 is the nonpartisan “jungle” primary. Currently only Louisiana and California use this style of primary. How it works is that in the primary, all the candidates are on the ballot together; Democrats, Republicans, etc, and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, go on to the general election. You could end up with an election between two members of the same party. Notably, this prevents spoiler candidates in the general election. The only problem is it is possible to end up with an unrepresentative general election contest. If there is enough vote splitting among the dominant party, it is possible to have the top two candidates from a much smaller party. This was something people worried would happen in California in 2018, but it never became a major problem. There is no objective answer as to which type of primary is best. Open and closed, however, hurt the state in different ways. A semi-closed system is probably the safer option, though the jungle primaries quirks may not be as troublesome as people feared. Either would be preferable to the system we have now, which excludes too many people from having a meaningful choice.

NEWS DOWNTOWN RENOVATION

A5 Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

OPINION

VOLUME LXXXIV ISSUE XII

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

SPORTS B2

ROAD TRIP

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

STAFF EDITORIAL

In the professional world, especially in the professional media world, deadlines are important. They are a fact of life in the world of journalism, writing and content creation. You have a set, regular time at which your work is going to be shared with the world and you better move mountains, if necessary, to make sure your work is ready. Nothing throws that whole process into disarray faster than when someone misses a meeting. Even in the wider world, a missed meeting usually means wasted time, wasted gas and wasted effort. Sitting there waiting for someone to show up, watching the minutes

tick by without the faintest idea why the person you are meant to be meeting is not showing up, can be a terrible feeling. It is totally understandable when someone misses a meeting due to emergency circumstances. Illness, family deaths, accidents, crimes and all other emergency situations that might cause someone to have to drop everything are forgivable. But when someone completely loses track of time, and simply does not do their due diligence to keep up on their schedule, that is the epitome of discourtesy. Having someone take time out of their likely busy schedule only to waste it on a meet-

ing that is not destined to happen is one of the most irritating things a person with a busy schedule can have happen to them. With so many tools out there to provide minute-by-minute planning of one’s day, with direct alerts about what is next on the agenda sent to your pocket, missing a meeting for any non-emergency reason should be a thing of the past. And while mistakes will inevitably happen, each and every person in the professional world today should be doing their absolute best to make sure they do not waste someone else’s time. We all have such a limited amount of the stuff already.

IN THE OFFICE

30 years later, Title IX still needs some work Collegiate field hockey brings concerns to gender equality Title IX was established to create equal opportunities between men’s and women’s sports in both high school and at the collegiate level. On Sept. 7, that so-called “level playing field” was violated during a women’s field hockey game between the University of Maine and Temple University. In a game that was scoreless after regulation, and after the first overtime half, the second half of overtime was about to begin. That was until officials from Kent State stopped the game and both teams declared it a no-contest. The entire reasoning behind ending the game before an official winner was declared was because of the Kent State football game, which had a firework display prepared for the game on the field hockey game’s field. The University of Maine’s athletic director, Ken Ralph, released a statement which said that Kent State announced in May the field that the field hockey game was on could not be used past 10:30 a.m., but the game was allowed to

Ben Grieco Managing Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com start at 9:00 a.m. If a field hockey game was played to regulation time with no stoppages whatsoever, the game would last 60 minutes, split up by 15-minute quarters with small breaks in between quarters. The overtime period is split into two 10-minute halves. With the University of Maine and Temple University, the game had gone for 70 minutes, not including any stoppages or breaks in between periods. This most likely resulted in a time con-

flict with the 10:30 time frame that Kent State put out. In the statement, Ralph said, “Once you allow a game to commence, you are obligated to allow the game to continue to conclusion.” This brings up the issue of allowing men’s and women’s sports to equally compete. What kind of message is this sending not only to the field hockey teams, but any women’s sport in general, about how schools feel about their program? Frankly, this sends the message to young female athletes in high school that some schools do not care about their female athletic programs, or choose to place a priority on men’s sports – ones that might make more revenue for the school. At what point does money play more of a factor than equality between genders? And quite honestly, I would much rather watch an intense overtime game of field hockey than noon fireworks the beginning of a football game.

Justice system unbalanced, needs fixing Minorities can get harsher punishments for lesser crimes Sarah Skibickyj Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com In the media, we hear about people of race being treated differently by the police and the justice system. Racial profiling is something that, unfortunately, is a big problem in the world today. People of color are watched over carefully or suspected for a crime that they did not even commit, or they commit a minor crime, but are given a prison sentence that doesn’t seem to fit what they have done. For example, a man in Alabama was arrested and sentenced to 36 years for only stealing $50 worth of stuff. People of color are given longer sentences for committing the same crime as someone who is white. Brock Turner raped a young woman named Chanel Miller, who was intoxicated. He got caught in the act and was charged with three felonies. He ended up only spending three The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935 months in jail. According to CNN, Judge Persky let Turner out “based on Turner’s lack of criminal history, his show of ‘sincere remorse’ and the fact that alcohol We want your thoughts on our coverage, campus and local issues, or anything was involved, impairing his judgment.” It regarding the Oswego State community. was also said imprisonment would ruin the rest of his life and the judge did not

want that. None of these reasons are valid for such a terrible crime. Brock Turner was let off the hook for rape because he was white. Even though this case is a couple of years old, how can the justice system be this messed up? Some would say that arrests like these do not have to do with race and might have to do with how rich or poor someone is or the person’s past criminal record. In the end, a crime is a crime and if you committed it, no matter what your background is, you should have to serve the full and appropriate sentence. People should not be let off the hook for a major crime just because of the color of their skin, the amount

of money they have or what their profession is. Everyone should always be treated equal. Another example is the arrest of Jason Van Dyke, a former Chicago police officer. He was sentenced to only seven years in prison for a fatal shooting. He was charged with second degree murder. According to Van Dyke’s attorney, he felt happy about continuing on with his life after his jail sentence. A white man shoots someone and he gets less than 10 years, but a black man steals $50 worth of something and receives 36 years. The justice system is not fair but hopefully in the future to come, things will be changed for the better.

THE OSWEGONIAN G UIDELIN ES

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

Photo from jodylehigh via Pixabay When it comes to prison time, the punishment should fit the severity of the crime.

Charlie

Members of organizations should include their title if their letter addresses an issue pertaining to the organization. For publication, letters should be 250 words or less and submitted by the Tuesday prior to the desired publication date. The Oswegonian reserves the right to edit and reject letters and cannot guarantee that all letters will be published. Opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not always reflect those of The Oswegonian.

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

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INSIDE

C2 ‘IT Chapter Two’ has fun C3 Post Malone delivers yet C4 Dave Chappelle’s new

scares, long runtime

again with new album

special has fans divided

FRIDAY Sept.13, 2019

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

‘IT Chapter Two’ takes its sweet time concluding saga

At nearly three hours long, ‘IT’ could have skipped some chapters from book

Box office pre dictions for “Hustlers” point to a career high for Jennifer Lopez. Image from Warner Bros. Pictures via YouTube Despite an all-star cast including Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader playing the adult versions of the Losers’ club, Bill Skarsgå rd (above) still steals the show as Pennywise.

Garrick Groover Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: Send in the clowns. After a two-year wait, “IT Chapter Two” is finally here. Once again directed by Andy Muschietti (“IT”), this sequel finds the estranged Losers’ Club returning to Derry, Maine to end the deadly antics of Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård, “Villains”) once and for all. Boasting a runtime of close to three hours, “IT Chapter Two” is definitely epic in terms of length and ambition; but as a result it falters with pacing and story. Regardless, the film is a ghoulish romp with strong performances. The strength of “IT Chapter Two” comes from its leads. Set 27 years after the first installment, the assorted group of friends that cycled through the neighborhoods of Derry are now adults who have drifted apart and are consumed by their own personal lives. The updated cast includes Jessica Chastain (“Dark Phoenix”) as Beverly Marsh, James McAvoy (“Glass”) as Bill Denbrough, Bill Hader (“The Angry Birds Movie 2”) as

Richie Tozier, Isaiah Mustafa (“The Clinic”) as Mike Hanlon, Jay Ryan (“Lou”) as Ben Hanscom, James Ransone (“Captive State”) as Eddie Kaspbrak and Andy Bean (“Transformers: The Last Knight”) as Stanley Uris. Chastain, McAvoy and Hader especially stand out with their performances as individuals who have to come to terms that their childhood nightmare has returned. The actors also share great chemistry. One scene in particular at a Chinese restaurant stands out not because of its horrific payoff, but because it feels like a joyful reunion among friends. Central to the plot of “IT Chapter Two” is a theme regarding our relationships as we mature. As many of us will experience, our friends today may not be our friends tomorrow. People will move away, friends pass away, romantic advances are quelled by rejection, etc. This theme combined with that of facing our deepest fears and adapting to unconformable circumstances demonstrate that being an adult does not automatically signify we are done growing as a person. We can still make changes, right wrongs and rekindle past romances. Sit-

uations are only set in stone if we let them. Stylistically speaking, “IT Chapter Two” is identical to its 2017 counterpart. Anybody residing in a small town will automatically forge a connection to the blue collar ecosystem that is Derry, Maine. However, within that familiarity is a lingering sense of dread as anyone or anything could be the manic mime. The current events featured in this film are juxtaposed with flashbacks with the original 2017 cast and are used to further their development and provide the audience with more insight into who these characters are. Once again, Pennywise the Clown is enjoyable to watch. Due to the nature of It’s powers, the filmmakers are able to conjure up unique transformations and sequences for our protagonists to endure. While a few of the scares scattered throughout the film are quite obvious in their setup, some are subtle, leading to great horror entertainment. The CGI and effects are favorable for the most part, but a few seem a little too cartoony and silly to be viewed as frightening. The logistics of this monster are also questionable. It can kill children

with ease but he toys with our main protagonists like some clownish James Bond villain. Simply put, It’s powers are seemingly unlimited and yet it still cannot manage to kill off this crew of noncombatant adults. The movie’s biggest issue is its runtime. At almost three hours, “IT Chapter Two” is an almost laborious viewing experience. The film itself takes a while to get into the meat of the story but seeing how we need to reestablish the current lives of our protagonists, that is naturally forgivable. However, as we move further into the film’s narrative, it feels like we are entering into an unending stream of exposition-heavy, grotesque horror sequences. Just when you think it is over, you realize there is still an hour of movie left. Not withstanding, “IT Chapter Two” is a solid conclusion to the Stephen King adaptation. It has scares, laughs and even some touching moments that everybody can relate to. It may not rank with the top-tier King adaptations but it is a fun viewing experience and with September being a barren month for movies, fun is what we desperately need. IT is a good movie.

Acclaimed American singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston passe d away at age 58 due to kidney issues.

The highly anticipated DC film, “Joker” has won the prestigious Golden Lion award from the Venice Film Festival.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

C 3 C 3

Post Malone spreads his artisitc wings in ‘Hollywood’s Bleeding’

Julia Tilley Asst. News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com

Rating: On Sept. 6, Post Malone released his third album, entitled “Hollywood’s Bleeding.” Before releasing the album, he dropped four of the included songs as singles: “Sunflower,” “Wow.,” “Goodbyes” and “Circles.” These were solid indications of what was to come, but not completely encompassing all the new songs and styles to be released, leaving some nice surprises for listeners. The album opens with the line, “Hollywood’s bleeding, vampires feedin’/darkness turns to dust,” which sets the tone for not only the song, but for the album describing Malone’s feelings of solitude, loneliness, and isolation created by living and working in the music industry and not knowing who your friends and supporters are. It starts very slowly, leading up to a surprise beat drop, making the flow more similar to a typical

Post Malone song, followed by another change of pace in the song, keeping it evolving and rapidly changing, potentially as a representation of how Malone’s career has skyrocketed and his opinion on Hollywood and fame has changed during his time as an artist. “Hollywood’s Bleeding” as an album has the same laidback vibes and aesthetic as his previous two albums, but with underlying repeating themes of failed relationships and feeling alone in the world. His smooth vocals tie together the album despite differing genres included, even in more intense songs like “Allergic,” which is very reminiscent of 90s indie-rock. One of the main standouts of the album is definitely “Take What You Want,” which features Travis Scott (“Astroworld”) and Ozzy Osbourne (“Scream”). Although it may seem like a strange collaboration and choice for Malone to produce and put on the album, he has said he is a huge heavy metal fan and he definitely found a way to bring

Image from Post Malone via YouTube Post Malone has gained mass appeal with his unique blend of different genres of music, which continues in his new album.

both heavy metal and his sort of pop/R&B/rap music style together in a surprisingly coherent and flowing way. What is especially unique about this album is that there is a little bit of everything. If you like more of a pop sound, there is “Sunflower.” If you prefer rock there is, “Take What You Want.” If you like pop punk, there is “A Thousand Bad Times.” Malone has managed to appeal to such a large audience without losing his signature sound or mes-

sages in his songs, which will definitely contribute to his future popularity, and makes seamless transitions between songs. He also managed to release an album full of hugely popular and known musicians, like Halsey (“Friends Keep Secrets”), SZA (“WWW.”) and Meek Mill (“Championships”) which will attract listeners and fans of all different genres of music. Not only was that a great move because it would attract those who may not normally

listen to his music, but it also allowed him to experiment with different genres, which really worked out in his favor. Malone is already known for mixing pop, rock, hip hop, and R&B into his own sort of genre and now, he is mixing more genres, evolving his abilities as an artist, and making amazing new songs. As of right now, the album is headed towards number one on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, and it is pretty easy to understand why. Post Malone did it again; another hit album.

With three-hour films being accepted, should intermissions return? Alex Premo Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com The year 2019 has provided the public with more blockbuster films pushing the three-hour mark than any other year in recent memory. “Avengers: Endgame,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “IT Chapter Two” have all been noted for their considerable lengths as modern motion pictures, yet all of these films have shown themselves to be highly successful. “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” has yet to officially reveal its runtime, although comments from composer John Williams on the amount of music he has written for the film have garnered more evidence that this film, too, will be quite lengthy. In light of more movies starting to become lengthier, the question of whether or not intermissions should return to these films is beginning to become a subject of debate. In the past, especially during the 1950s and early 1960s, films of three hours or longer were not as

uncommon as they are today. “BenHur,” “Gone with the Wind” and “Lawrence of Arabia” are prime examples of this. At that point in time, in order to distinguish itself from the television, going to the cinema was marketed as an experience you could not get anywhere else. Hence, the more widespread use of color, introduction of widescreen formats and production of films on an epic scale were introduced. Of course, many movies made then still ran the typical 90 minutes, but all of the longest films from that era included an intermission allowing for viewers to smoke, visit the concession stand or use the bathroom. With the jumbo-sized sodas being sold to movie viewers today and the relative unfamiliarity of most people with watching three hour movies in a theater, the decision to release these films without a break is probably not the best decision for general moviegoers. Many audience members might also find themselves unable to go a full three hours without checking their phones, where the inclusion of an intermission would help relieve

this problem. It is a possibility that the directors behind these movies did not expect such a high number of other long motion pictures to be released in the same year, and chose to omit the intermission over fears that it might interrupt the flow of the movie. In the age of “spoiler culture,” it is also likely that there were concerns that viewers hanging out in the lobby and discussing the movie openly would have ru-

ined the movie. While this concern is certainly valid, common sense and respect should be a remedy to this problem, although that seems to be severely lacking in many people when it comes to matters like this. It will be interesting to see if this trend of long movies continues into the future. Clearly, based on the success of the long films released in the past year, es-

pecially with “Avengers: Endgame” becoming the highest grossing film ever, audiences have accepted these long movies with open arms and runtimes do not seem to deter too many audience members. Based on this, filmmakers who produce movies running close to three hours or more should strongly consider including an intermission.

Image from Pixabay With “IT Chapter Two” nearing three hours in runtime, movie theaters should include intermissions to accommodate the audience.

C4 C 4

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

Dave Chappelle does stand-up, everyone loses their minds

Zakary Haines Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: The comedic mastermind that is Dave Chappelle has added another stand-up comedy special on Netflix and it is not for those who have thin skin. The title “Sticks & Stones” is clearly attributing to the old saying. It is plain as day what the stand-up is about before you dive in too far; a lot of sensitive issues that Chappelle has thoughts on. Chappelle goes over everything from the opioid crisis, to the LGBTQ and cancel culture taking over the U.S., even if a person is not proven guilty. Chappelle starts off strong going over the song lyrics of Prince’s song “1999” and then transitions into a claim that audiences are going to get every celebrity for something in their career. Chappelle mentions names such as Michael Jackson, R. Kelly and Kevin Hart being

Image from Netflix via YouTube Dave Chappelle is no stranger to controversy, however, his new special, “Sticks and Stones,” tackles the most sensitive topics of the day.

part of some of the canceled culture and the witch hunt for something wrong. An interesting dynamic of this joke was Chappelle thinks Jackson did nothing wrong due to a “lack of evidence” but firmly believes Kelly is guilty based off a sex tape transcript that Kelly’s lawyer read involving a 14-yearold girl. Chappelle even admits to the tension between himself and the transgender community for some jokes

he performed in some of his previous specials. Chappelle worries about himself for a moment before moving on to his next set. The second half of the special carries some of the momentum of the first half but it does not have the same punch. Opioid crisis, school shootings and growing up poor all just showcase the second half of the special is not as cruel as the first half. It was what most

were expecting from Chappelle. One of the best jokes was about the “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett and the controversy of the “Make America Great Again” attack. Chappelle said the black community, for the most part, was quiet because they knew something was up. Chappelle’s main argument was Smollett’s claim of rope used during the confrontation. Chappelle asked the audience if anyone has been

to Chicago. A small percent responded yes or cheered. Chappelle said, “do you remember seeing any rope in Chicago? You think this is 1850?” before the audience burst into laughter. Most people in today’s world would expect Dave Chappelle to be ran out of town with material like this, but he was not. Not even for a second was the audience put off by any of the material, and in fact cheered longer and louder than expected. Chappelle has not missed a beat with any of his material; it all has his pin-point delivery behind it. The way it seems, Dave Chappelle’s “controversial” thoughts are just another point of view in the chaotic world that is life. Overall, this stand-up is not as good as some of Dave Chappelle’s other specials, some of the jokes feel like a quick attention-grab verses setting up a punchline. However, it is still worth seeing if strong opinions on sensitive subjects is one your favorite types of genres.

Billie Eilish morphs into demon for new interpretive music video Abigail Connolly Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: Billie Eilish has made headlines for her “anti-pop” hit singles and album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” Her haunting voice, distinct fashion sense and open personality captivated audiences and catapulted her into stardom which only escalated with the release of her debut album in March of this year. Since the release of her album, Eilish has performed at music festivals, on talk shows and is currently out on tour. Her influence goes beyond her performances and includes interviews with various media outlets, appearances on podcasts, YouTube interviews and sponsored social media ads. Eilish’s transparency about topics regarding mental health, social pressures and the effects of

Image from Billie Eilish via Youtube Eilish’s new video has been confirmed as a commentary on climate change.

the media earned her a large fanbase, notoriously consisting of mainly teenage girls and respect from other artists and influencers including Elton John (“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”), Lana Del Ray (“Born to Die”) and perhaps most famously, her childhood idol, Justin Bieber (“Purpose”). With all of her exposure, Eilish has continued to captivate her audiences long after the release of her album.

Most recently, the release of her newest music video, which follows her song “all the good girls go to hell,” appeared on the YouTube trending page and earned 13 million views in just 24 hours. Sitting now with 42 million views and counting, the horror-like video has the media talking yet again. While it has been revealed that the song is a commentary of the rising climate change crisis, the depiction

of a demonic creature rising out of flames lends itself to other interpretations. The video shows Eilish being drugged, becoming a demon and walking through what appears to be hell on earth. Staying within the same storyline various other videos Eilish produced, this video uses some pretty basic footage yet holds a great deal of symbolism. As the demonic figure of Eilish walks through the dystopian scene, the wings on her back catch fire seemingly fueling her along, while the rest of the background slowly deteriorates. If a viewer had the background knowledge that the song was about climate change then they would have an off chance of seeing that being symbolized, without that knowledge, some serious questions about the song and Eilish’s message arise. For as much praise as Eilish gets for her work, there is just as much criti-

cism. Most stemming from the perceived romanticism of the devil and other demonic symbols. Taking into account the title of the song as well as lyrics such as “my Lucifer is lonely” and “Peter’s on vacation, an open invitation” draw connections between sinning and being a “good girl.” With the fanbase that she has, it is not a surprise that there is backlash against the song and video. As the song goes on and the scenes become more hellish, Eilish’s character seems to gain strength, furthering the idea that “it’s ok to be bad,” something a majority of society would disagree with. The video does not offer a lot in terms of cinematography, especially when compared to its predecessors. Despite this, Eilish is still able to deliver a compelling performance, one with hidden depth and meaning, something that should not be overlooked.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept.13, 2019

New film 'Good Boys' like 'Big Mouth' meets 'Ferris Bueller'

Image from Universal Pictures via YouTube Thor (Brady Noon), Max (Jacob Tremblay) and Lucas (Keith L. Williams) ditching school for the day.

Ethan Stinson Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: “Good Boys,” the newest collaboration released by friends and producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (“Long Shot”), designates itself from a significant amount of the duo’s past works in that it does not require showcasing the variable effects of

drugs or alcohol in order to generate an hour and a half worth of laughs. Instead, the audience is treated to a delightful new comedy charged by the naive nature of its three leads, in addition to a surprisingly relatable storyline involving friendship and middle school struggles. The brunt of the film’s charm is derived from the sheer cluelessness of its three main characters, Max (Jacob Tremblay, “Wonder”), Thor (Brady Noon, “Boardwalk Empire”), and Lucas (Keith L.

Williams, “The Last Man on Earth”), as they encounter various adult concepts and paraphernalia and later get in way over their heads as they skip a day of school. All three boys bring a level of maturity to their performances which shows promise in their respective futures. While their youthful qualities make for perfect outlets through which the film’s comedic style can be expertly conveyed. Though the majority of the film’s comedy lands relatively smoothly, at times

it is bogged down by the over-abundance of vulgar language delivered by the three children, which occasionally feels unnecessary or out of context in certain situations. However, this does not stop the boys from shining in their roles, for they all find ways to embrace the individual personalities of their respective characters and assert that they were indeed the best fit for them. Aside from its comedic elements, “Good Boys” also displays a surprising amount of emotional depth through real life issues covered in its screenplay. Though a great deal of the film is devoted to the common theme of friendship, it also twists the subject by focusing on the often overlooked issue of the possibility of friends eventually losing interest in one another, a concept reminiscent of another Rogen-Goldberg film, “Superbad.” The film even takes a brief break from it humorous aspects to address other possible issues that middle schoolaged children may experi-

ence in a more emotional manner, thus creating a new way through which audience members can resonate with the characters and their inner struggles. “Good Boys” is remarkable in that it not only features established talent such as Will Forte (“The Last Man on Earth”) or Lil Rel Howery (“Uncle Drew”), but also forces these individuals to take a back seat in favor of a strong group of rising stars who each show an immense amount of potential. Even first time director Gene Stupnitsky (“SMILF”) finds a way to shine through his involvement in this film, thus implicating that he may also have a bright future in the film industry as a comedy director. Overall the film triumphs because of its collective freshness both in terms of acting and content, which only further exemplifies how much heart the story possesses. As such, it most certainly can be said that “good” is far from enough praise to give this movie.

'Blinded By The Light' provides testament to impact of music and culture Alex Kent Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: "Blinded by The Light" was a wonderful way for the summer of 2019 to end. This Gurinder Chadha (“Viceroy's House”) directed homage to the artistry of “The Boss” is everything it needed to be. During an influx of musicrelated films like "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Rocketman” and “Yesterday;" "Blinded by The Light" is the first of the four to consistently hit the emotional home runs it intended. Bruce Springsteen is one of the few indescribable artists that has a complex range of songs in his diverse catalogue. His four-hour live shows are a spectacle filled with energy, social commentaries and intense jams led by the legendary E-Street Band. Screenwriters Sarfraz Man-

zoor, Paul Mayeda Berges (“Viceroy's House”) and Chadha bring us a story about an Indian teen named Javed (Viveik Kalra, “Voyagers”) living in England during the late 1980s. Javed is mainly inspired by Manzoor's real-life upbringing as a Pakistani immigrant in London during a time of unrest. Finding meaning in life is a struggle that everyone undoubtedly goes through and Javed's ambitions to become a writer are outweighed by his father's old school outlook on individual purpose. Even though Springsteen had already been a household name to many by 1987, Javed's late discovery opens a door to a world where he can be free to explore his hopes and dreams. Through a series of music sequences with Bruce's powerful words dominating the screen, the former outcast now begins living a new way with the songs as his guide. Confidence

becomes a key aspect of his life as his poems are assisted by his English instructor Ms. Clay (Hayley Atwell, “Avengers: Endgame”), eventually finding a girlfriend (Nell Williams, “London Town”) and becoming closer with his sister. Just like Springsteen's central themes in his music, "Blinded by The Light" is the story of finding ways to become who you are meant to be. Even if you feel stuck within a place that you feel is cursed, do your best to find "The Promised Land." Another quality about this movie that is great is its relevance to today. Hypothetically, if someone were to discover the music of lyrical masterminds like Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Neil Young in the current climate; their messages may resonate in a profound way with modern listeners. Racial tensions are at the forefront of this film between some hostile native Britains and the unfortunate Pakistanis who

are just trying to survive dayto-day. One of the best musical sequences involves the culmination of a protest and a significant moment in Javed's family with the haunting echoes of "Jungleland" illuminating the background. Even though Springsteen sometimes turns off a certain section of the public with his political views, he is the embodiment of American pride intertwined with

recognizing our faults. Javed's struggles with his dad perfectly correlate to Bruce's messages. He loves his father but also realizes that he must give him a reality check. "Blinded by The Light" fully gives in to the standard tropes of similar coming of age stories with a gleaming sense of pride. Not everything about this film is original, but it is done in a unique and sentimental way.

Image from Warner Brothers via YouTube Javad (Viveik Kalra) is dressed in Springsteen's classic attire after listening to his music.

FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019

Crossword Puzzle

Across

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

1. Small porch 6. Fishing gear 9. Superlative ending 12. Spear 13. Adam’s companion 14. Compete 15. Performer 16. Set free 18. Heavenly body 19. ___ photography 20. Wanderer 22. Trick 25. Denver’s state 28. Exclamation of discovery 29. Love, in Florence 30. Devourer 32. Triumph 33. Maize flour 36. Goblet part 38. Get out of bed

39. Navy members 41. Chamber 45. Illegally copy 47. Home of the Dolphins 48. Sweet potato 49. Ace 50. Longs (for) 51. Before, in verse 52. ___ Diego 53. Tease

Down 1. Shut hard 2. Folded tortilla dish 3. Informed of 4. Sandra Day ___ 5. According to 6. Peruse again 7. Exert excessively 8. Sub store 9. Appraise 10. Brother’s sib

11. Golf peg 17. Corn piece 19. Association of physicians 21. Raw metal 23. Citi Field predecessor 24. Nobleman’s title 25. Ravens’ calls 26. Leave out 27. Needing company 30. Printing measures 31. The United States 33. Photographer’s need 34. Portland’s state 35. Director ___ Howard 37. Converged 40. Heidi’s mountains 42. Hawaiian island 43. Future spin 44. Fine spray 45. Farewell! 46. Paddle’s kin 47. Wrestler’s pad

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

LAKER REVIEW

Rebel Pebble by Austin Malone There once was a pebble, Rebel Pebble and a rebellious pebble she was. Most pebbles were adorned with one solid color, they adorned themselves with their very favorite one. They became amber, cyan, azure and more, but always one color. There was only one exception. Rebel Pebble was red with one blue stripe right down the middle, she had herself a blue bandana. Most pebbles thought about silly things. They thought about being pebbles on the beach, where it never rained and the dirt did not turn to mud. They dreamed about where dirt never turned to trapping brown sludge, which was lava for pebbles. They imagined pebbles on the beach were never stepped on, which was the most glorious thought of all. If you see a pebble on the ground, take care not to step on her. Pebbles hate being stepped on. Rebel Pebble had larger aspirations. Every night she stared at the sky while it composed its journey from blue to black. White pebbles, little white pebbles dotted the skies and surrounding towns like dew droplets on morning blades of grass. She marveled over this, as any pebble should. More than any other pebble, she exalted that most majestic pebble among all the pebbles in the sky and surrounding towns. To her, that big white orb in the night sky was paradise. That big white orb circled Rebel Pebble night after night, inviting her to join. Rebel Pebble dreamed for maybe a million nights of one day floating among that orb, so big and bright in the sky. She yearned for it as no pebble ever had before. One day, her wish came true. She was chosen even over all

those glowing pebbles on the ground, in the towns. If you asked her, she would tell you with radiant pride she was part of a chosen few, and it was true. Rebel Pebble sat on the side of a mountain, the same side she had sat on for a million or more nights. One day, the humans did something amazing. It was an act of sacrifice Rebel Pebble was ever grateful for, a price she could never pay back. A big shiny missile sparkled across the sky, like an airplane. It seemed to Rebel Pebble like a shiny smoky arrowhead. A cloud as tall as the sky rose over town; it was shaped just like a mushroom. More arrowheads flew, more clouds sprouted, mushrooms which nobody would eat, mushrooms lifeless as mustard gas. A tidal wave of air flattened the trees around Rebel Pebble and blew her a million miles in the sky, swept up the mountain by the hand of God. Rebel Pebble circled and circled around the world, higher than the moon, she was among all the glowing pebbles in the sky. No longer were there glowing pebbles back on Earth, no longer were there mushrooms for anyone to eat. No longer was there anybody to eat them. Moral of the story: dreams really do come true.

Oswego Cinema 7 Fri. Sept. 13 - Sun. Sept. 15 IT: Chapter Two

11:30 AM

1:00 PM

3:00 PM

4:30 PM

7:00 PM

9:50 PM

10:00 PM

Hustlers

11:55 AM

2:30 PM

5:00 PM

7:30 PM

The Goldfinch

12:45 PM

4:05 PM

7:15 PM

10:25 PM

Good Boys

1:10 PM

3:20 PM

5:30 PM

7:40 PM

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

10:10 PM

8:00 PM

Shea McCarthy

Jacob Fallat