The Oswegonian 10-26-18 by The Oswegonian

Look Inside: A4 Excelsior Scholarship update

Friday, Oct. 26, 2018 VOLUME LXXXVIII ISSUE VIII SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

Poet practices patterns, fractals in literary work

Kassadee Paulo | The Oswegonian

Shea O’Malley Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com The Living Writers Series poet Jamaal May visited on Oct. 24 in the Marano Campus Center auditorium. May, author of poetry collections “Hum” and “The Big Book of Exit Strategies,” began the conversation discussing the topic of patterning. He moved into a dialogue concerning fractals. “Patterning brings surprise and symmetry to our world,” he said. “Patterns shape the reality we live in.” In his discussion, May pointed out that patterning is similar to a fractal, a shape that appears the same zoomed in and out, or as May put it, “the small becoming the large.” May played a video showing the musical and visual imagery of a larger fractal broken down, revealing smaller images representative of the entire whole. Put together once more, it played a musical rendition of the same sounds in differing patterns. He then spoke about layers of depth in writing. He mentioned that one line of poetry may say one thing, but the sentence itself may say something different. He also spoke about “snapshotting” in writing, which is a limited view of reality.

CONTENT

See MAY, A6

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

Oswego State makes pledge It’s On Oz campaign raises awareness of sexual assault Julia Tilley Asst. News Editor kpaulo@oswegonian.com On Oct. 24, Oswego State students took to Marano Campus Center to take the It’s On Us pledge with It’s On Oz. It’s On Us started in 2014 and is a national movement to end sexual assault. According to the It’s On Us website, the campaign began along with the White House Task Force to Prevent Sexual Assault under the Obama administration. “It’s On Us is a national campaign to raise awareness for sexual assault and domestic violence, and then It’s On Oz is our school’s campaign, so that’s our take on It’s On Us,” said Isabella Winklestine, Services to Aid Families (SAF) Oswego State campus advocate.

SAF is Oswego County’s domestic violence and rape crisis program. As a campus advocate, Winklestine collaborates with Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator Lisa Evaneski to put on educational preventative programs. It’s On Oz is an organization on the Oswego State campus that works to educate students on sexual assault, domestic violence and Title IX. According to its Lakerlife page, it is “dedicated to bringing awareness to and prevention of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, stalking, domestic violence and dating violence.” During the day It’s On Oz interns and volunteers tabled, encouraging students to take an online pledge through It’s On Us to help put an end to sexual assault

and violence. Students who took the pledge were given It’s On Oz Tshirts and took photos with props in front of an It’s On Oz backdrop. “We really appreciate everyone coming out and taking the pledge,” Winklestine said. “It’s a great way for everyone to show their support.” Students crowded around the tables from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. to speak to the It’s On Oz interns, get more information and take the pledge. “When I was signing up at the table, I saw lots of others taking the pledge too,” said Megan Campbell, an Oswego State sophomore. “It is important to do events like this because, otherwise, we don’t hear about these serious issues.”

See IT’S, A6

Shea O’Malley | The Oswegonian Students, faculty and staff could get an “It’s On Oz” T-shirt if they followed the social media accounts and made the It’s On Us pledge.

Former NBA player discusses athletes, activism

Kassadee Paulo | The Oswegonian

Kassadee Paulo News Editor sflavell@oswegonian.com Etan Thomas, a former NBA player, visited Oswego State Oct. 22 to discuss the topic of his book, “We Matter: Athletes and Activism,” which was released in March. Brian Moritz, an assistant professor in the communications department, hosted Thomas and moderated the discussion on his experience with activism as an athlete, when he played basketball for Syracuse University and the Washington Wizards and then after his retirement from the NBA. Moritz and Thomas discussed athletes like Colin Kaepernick who used their voices to advocate for or against prominent issues occurring in the U.S., such as police brutality. Thomas compared this generation’s issue of Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem to when Muhammad Ali refused to enlist in the military during wartime in the 1960s. “There was this push of why aren’t athletes speaking up? But then you see when they do speak up, like Aaron Green, Colin Kaepernick, [Thomas] and other people, there’s immediate criticism of them,” Moritz said. “It was very noteworthy when Muhammad Ali died; lionize this great American figure, and they were writing a lot of negative stuff about him when he was being active.”

See THOMAS, A5

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It’s been really exciting to watch our community come together and find ways to make prevention normal.”

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

- Lisa Evaneski, from A6

Local businesses to receive grants

Downtown Revitalization Initiative continues projects Kassadee Paulo News Editor kpaulo@oswegonian.com Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow announced that 20 local businesses will be receiving a portion of $545,000 as part of one of the 12 projects of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative to rejuvenate downtown Oswego. The Downtown Improvement Fund was created with the purpose of helping smaller businesses with improvement projects or expansions in contrast to the larger multimillion-dollar new developments, according to Barlow. “We established a scorecard with criteria like private investment leverage, addition of residential housing, number of expected jobs created and location in downtown, and I appointed a scoring committee to judge the applicants,” Barlow said. “We had 41 businesses apply, and I hosted two engagement sessions to lay out our expectations.” Out of the 20 businesses accepted, the owners of the Red Sun Fire Roasting Company and Adirondack Therapy will be granted the most - $80,000 each. The smallest amount will be given to Port City Copy Center for $1,145. The owners of the Red Sun Fire Roasting Company will be using the funds to go toward constructing apartments above their restaurant. “These projects will introduce residential housing to the downtown area by taking the upperstory vacant space that exists now, and converting it [to] downtown residential living,” Barlow said. “[The owners of the Red Sun Fire Roasting Company] received the most because they asked for the most, but obviously, their projects are the largest projects, including the most construction and renovation work.” Laurie and Will O’Brien are the owners of the Red Sun Fire Roasting Company and Port City Cafe and Bakery. They applied for the Downtown Improvement Fund and plan to use the $80,000 they were grant-

Penfield Library 50th Anniversary Celebration, 11 a.m., Saturday, Penfield Library

Music Department Concert, noon, Saturday, Hewitt Hall Ballroom

Mini Carnival, 1 p.m., Saturday, Swetman Gym

Comedian Jonathan Burns, 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Marano Campus Center 132 Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian

ed to build apartments above their businesses on the first floor. “We have yet to even have architectural drawings done, so it’s typically a fairly long process,” Laurie O’Brien said. “We haven’t had much feedback yet from the mayor’s office nor from the state about the type of things that need to be done... We are still kind of sorting through what their expectations are before we get started.” Maida’s Floral Shop will be receiving $3,500 for a new updated sign to be placed outside the building. Deb Sherwood works at Maida’s Floral Shop, which is owned by Debra McKinstry. She said the shop was able to garner more points toward qualification of receiving the grant because of its location on

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian Maida’s Floral Shop is one of the Oswego businesses set to receive money from the DRI.

Community services came to Student Association to ask for money for individual programs they sponsor, which are Adopta-Grandparent, ARC and Mentor Oswego. Adopt-a-Grandparent currently has 82 volunteers and spans eight nursing homes. Mentor Oswego has 78 volunteers and also spans eight locations. Itrequested$1,800forAdopt-aGrandparent,$850forARC,$1,000 for Mentor Oswego and $3,800 for community service in general.

Three directors were confirmed in Student Association. Marquel Jeffries was confirmed as the director

First Street downtown. “I think it’ll give the shop a fresh look,” Sherwood said. “We’ve had our sign for about six years, and things change as far as style in the world of signage and graphics. It will give us an edge on maybe catering to a younger generation.” According to Barlow, all 12 projects are all in progress. The waterpark has leveled the building that existed on site now and has broken ground. The Flexo Wire development will have a groundbreaking next month, as they just closed on the property. The Children’s Museum is currently closed to conduct the renovations funded through the DRI. “I believe the first completed project, besides the Cahill building, will be our Market Street pocket park, a mini-park for people to hang out, do homework, grab a cup of coffee, listen to some music downtown between the Ferris Wheel and Coffee Connection buildings,” Barlow said. “This space is being geared towards accommodating the student community to give them a nice space to hang out downtown.” The Market Street pocket park project will begin construction next month and open in the spring. The Midtown Plaza development will begin demolition next month, and both the Global Buffet and West First Street development projects are going to close by the end of the year. The Cahill building is just about complete and due to open on Nov. 1. “The kids want to shop downtown and live downtown. That’s really what the initiative was all about, making downtown attractive to people and them wanting to live down here,” Sherwood said. “It’s a wonderful thing for downtown, a wonderful thing for Oswego.”

of diversity and inclusion. He said that, in the position, he hopes to provide equal rights to all groups on campus and make that a priority. This position was one many Oswego State students were passionate about, as they previously spoke out during public comment against the first interim director. Nicole Peters was confirmed as the director of multicultural organizations. She was not at the meeting, but President van Reenen vouched for her, saying she was very involved in multiple organizations on campus, has good intentions and initiatives and has leadership experience. Deanna Newman was confirmed as the associate director of video and film. She will work in conjunction with Andrew Nimetz, who is the director of video and film. The team will get more event coverage and have a quicker turnaround in their video production than Nimetz would have had alone.

Pride Alliance’s Friends and Family Bonfire, 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Mary Walker Health Center fire pit

Vote Oswego’s Absentee Ballot Party, 10 a.m., Monday, Marano Campus Center 133

Town Hall Meeting with Dana Balter, 6 p.m., Monday, Marano Campus Center 132

Pumpkin Carving, 7 p.m., Monday, Penfield Library 215

Science Today Lecture: Nick Sard, 4 p.m., Tuesday, Shineman 132

Students from the Global Change club requested $900 from Student Association to help them put on a Polar Bear Plunge in the future. Two senators wrote up a bill for the club to be later voted on. The club had been waiting for about six weeks, according to club members. Student Association voted to give the club the full $900 in an 11 to 7 vote after debating.

Fashion at Oswego club requested $1,110 to host a brunch and magazine reveal event. The bill created for them lowered the amount to $500. However, catering cost the club

$570. Club representatives said they had been waiting for three months for an answer on whether they got the requested funding. Student Association senators amended the bill to $570. It passed in a 17 to 0 vote.

The Young Americans for Freedom were unhappy with how their bill was handled. A member of the club read a letter during public comment, saying he felt their bill did not get a fair vote, and that their organization was belittled on social media and asked “racially charged” questions. Senators said they could not vote on their bill without the correct information provided from the club, which they did not bring to the most recent meeting. The club is being referred back to the finance committee.

A4 NEWS Bucs Booster Club board Most students do not receive Excelsior president discusses updates 3.2 percent of undergraduate students awarded scholarship last year THE OSWEGONIAN

FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

Ben Grieco Sports Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com Sean Callen remembers his time as a student in the Oswego City School District as a great experience during the 1980s and 1990s. Callen thinks about the wrestling match his father brought him to when he was only 7 or 8 years old against Oswego and Fulton. The gym at Leighton Elementary School was packed, and people were standing in the doorway just trying to get in. Callen compared moments like that to the popular “Friday Night Lights” football games in Texas. “It wasn’t just like, ‘Oh, my son’s wrestling.’ It was way beyond that. It was all about the Oswego community and the Fulton community,” Callen said. “Everybody knew the wrestlers. There was this buzz, and everybody knew the wrestlers’ last names from Fulton. Everybody from Fulton knew the wrestlers from Oswego. It was a community thing.” Now, after joining the board about three years ago, Callen is the Buc Boosters board president. He joined the boosters at a time where the school district was making major budget cuts – some of which would affect the sports programs. Between the boosters and a group called Save Our Sports Committee, the school district received enough funding so sports programs were not cut. The boosters now support multiple events throughout the school year. They provide funding for the school’s annual spirit week and homecoming in the fall, manage a concession stand during the winter sporting events and even support a track meet between fifth and sixth graders in the elementary schools of Oswego. The Buc Boosters, however, get major funding from two events throughout the school year: The Go Bucs 5k that happens in the fall and the annual Oswego Buc Boosters Golf Tournament hosted at the Oswego Country Club. Callen said this year was a record year for the boosters in terms of the money the board raised and the number of teams that participated. “We had 32 golf teams,” Callen said. “We had a lot of great sponsorship throughout our community, and we raised right around $22,000.” Callen has three children currently enrolled in the school district. He has an 11-year-old in elementary school, a 13-year-old in middle school and a 15-year-old in high school. “My kids are thriving where they are right now,” Callen said. “If they get involved with athletics, it’s a really great experience.” Despite having three children of his own in the district, he said his reason for joining the Buc Boosters is beyond that. Callen said he, along with his wife, grew up in Oswego and attended the city school district. Both of their parents still live in the city. He talked about how he and his wife were on the fence whether they were going to stay in Oswego or move to a nearby area, such as Marcellus, New York, or Skaneateles, New York. After evaluating Oswego’s school district, they realized they had found home. “We made a decision we were going to stay here, and that’s when I got involved with the boosters because I had such a great experience and my wife had such a great experience at the Oswego middle school and high school,” Callen said. “It was a much greater picture than just my 11-, 13- and 15-year-old. This was about the Oswego community.” The Buc Boosters are now putting their focus on a capital vote that is happening in December of this year. The capital budget is going to bring a new environment to the classrooms and improve safety. That part of the budget is being pushed by the board of education, whose president is Callen’s wife, Aimee. The part that affects the Buc Boosters is the section that improves the athletic complexes of the school district, including the baseball and soccer fields, as well as football stadium. The improvements would help the school district compare its own complexes to those of nearby schools, such as Fulton, Mexico and Phoenix, Callen said. “If you look around, we’re absolutely one of the last in our area

school districts to upgrade our facilities,” Callen said. “That’ll not only help with student-athletes, it’ll help our marching band. That’s part of the school spirit. The boosters want to bring the musicians, the athletes, and have everybody at a football game, for example.” Callen said the Buc Boosters is also trying to help the city compete with other local areas in order to be more appealing to families, especially ones with young kids. He said it all starts with what the school district can offer, both athletically and scholastically. Callen and his wife lived in Cortland for a short time before moving back to Oswego, and after choosing the elementary school for their own children, he realized that all families determine where they want to live based on two major things: where they work and what school they want their children to attend. “We want families to come and see our community with the lake, with SUNY Oswego, with a great hospital, with a mayor who’s doing great things with downtown revitalization and a great school district,” Callen said.

For families to be attracted to come to Oswego, they also have to be attracted to the school district.” Sean Callen, - Buc Boosters president

With the Buc Boosters, the biggest step the group is taking is all about rebranding and marketing, which all started around six months ago, Callen said. The boosters created their own logo, separate from the one the athletics teams use, and are in the process of making their own website. The website will have pictures from games, forms for athletics teams and an alumni section for people to connect with the boosters. The board will be looking for sponsorships not only from community members and local organizations, but national companies like Coca-Cola and Powerade as well to provide more for the school to help for a big push with booster club membership. Callen also said the boosters are now going to be using social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, come to age with today’s students, promote events going on and even cover some games live. “You can only do so much within the Oswego community… That’s how we’ve got to do it: with technology, our website and social media to really get our name out there and support the athletics programs,” Callen said. “We’re going to do that with social media and create that excitement and that buzz.” While still in the process of moving toward that next step, the Buc Boosters have made some small steps toward getting more of the community involved. Last year, the board established the Coach of the Year award, given to a coach in the city school district, and they have also given scholarships to senior student-athletes at an awards banquet. Callen said the board gave out around $3,000 last year. For Callen, his hopes for the Buc Boosters is a shared vision for the entire 13-person board that he oversees. Past the rebranding, he wants to get a platform to highlight the hard work and competitiveness of the student-athletes at all levels of competition and get more of the student body involved in school pride. He said he would love to be able to bring two large groups, the musicians and athletes, all together. “I think we’ll achieve what we want to achieve,” Callen said. But for Callen personally, it is all about giving student-athletes the same experience he had while in high school from 19871991 and bring the community back to really care about the high school athletics. “It’ll take a while, but I think we’ll get there,” Callen said. “It will be pretty cool when the community has a much higher-level interest of what’s going on at the field, on the courts, on the rinks, with our school district – that’ll be pretty neat.”

Jessica Wickham Chief Copy Editor jwickham@oswegonian.com The Excelsior Scholarship was hailed as a free tuition initiative at its April 2016 launch, but recent reports have shown most students attending state colleges do not receive it. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has continued to support the scholarship, calling it an opportunity to open doors for students to attend State University of New York and City University of New York schools. “Nearly 80 percent or more than 940,000 families with college-aged children across New York would qualify for tuition-free college at SUNY and CUNY,” Cuomo said in January 2017, according to the Watertown Daily Times. According to reports from the 20172018 school year, however, the average number of students who received the award is much lower. The Center for Urban Future reported in August 2018 that the program awarded 20,086 scholarships in 2017-2018, which is 3.2 percent of the 633,543 undergraduate students in New York. Of the 75,000 students who applied for the scholarship when it was first introduced, only 23,000 qualified, according to The New York Times. The Center for Urban Future reported that most of the students were turned away because they did not meet the requirement of 30 credits per academic year. “It was a big learning experience for the college and the financial aid community during the first year of the Excelsior Scholarship,” said Todd Moravec, financial aid director at Plattsburgh State, where 6.3 percent of students last year received the scholarship. Moravec said the credit minimums and other requirements were not as well publicized as the scholarship’s selling points of free tuition, creating confusion for students and financial aid staff alike. “What [Gov. Cuomo] didn’t say, or at least in the news coverage I watched, was all these provisions,” said Katie Short, a senior creative writing and political science major at Oswego State. Short said that, though she currently has the scholarship, credit requirements were a concern for her because she had taken college courses in high school. She said decreasing the requirement to 24 credits per year, about 12 per semester, could help alleviate this problem for her and other students. “Twelve [credits] is full-time, so why can’t 12 be full-time in association with this scholarship?” Short said. Kevin Ozgercin, associate professor and politics, economics and law department chair at SUNY Old Westbury, said he would like to see Excelsior include part-time students as well. “It’s a privilege to go to school fulltime,” Ozgercin said. “In some ways, part-time students have a greater need.” Another limiting qualification of the scholarship was the requirement to complete degrees without taking time off or extra years or semesters to finish, David Chen at The New York Times said. Randolph Hohle, associate professor of sociology at SUNY Fredonia, said life complications can make it hard to meet those requirements and complete a degree on time. “I don’t think that it’s actually a reasonable assumption to think that an undergraduate is going to graduate in four years,” Hohle said. “Over the course of four years, you’re never supposed to get sick [or] have a bad semester.”

Shea McCarthy | The Oswegonian

The scholarship’s maximum income qualifications also contributed to the low numbers in the program’s first couple years: $100,000 adjusted gross income at its launch for the 2017-2018 school year and $110,000 for 2018-2019. The scholarship’s final income cap raise will be $125,000 for 2019-2020, according to a March 2018 press release from Cuomo’s office. Mark Humbert, financial aid director at Oswego State, said the income cap raise has helped the number of Excelsior Scholarship awards increase by over 50 percent at Oswego State, from 632 awards in the 2017-2018 school year to 915 awards in the 2018-2019 school year so far. “We worked really hard to leverage this new scholarship and help our students,” Humbert said. Though the income threshold increase is generally a good thing, Hohle said, it does not account for the disparity in cost of living throughout the state. Hohle said that is reason enough to get rid of the income cap. “If you include more people, especially more high-income people, I think the data would show that the probability of success rate of degree completion would probably go up, which means the program would look better for future expansion,” Hohle said. In addition to limiting qualification factors, SUNY professors said the Excelsior Scholarship does not cover enough, leaving plenty of room for improvement. The scholarship currently acts as a last dollar program, so any other forms of aid, like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the state’s Tuition Assistance Program, apply to tuition first. Excelsior will then cover up to $5,500 of the remaining cost of tuition, and state grants will cover what is left. Moravec said he is worried schools could one day be left to pay that gap covered by state grants, and it would be better to increase the $5,500 limit. “I’d like to see the legislation change and the maximum award amount to the full SUNY tuition,” Moravec said. “I think that would help campuses a lot.” The scholarship’s last dollar quality also means that, though tuition is technically free, students have to pay for room and board if they live on campus, which often exceeds the cost of tuition. “There should be something for that because, while it’s nice to [be] paid for our school, living is also a huge deal,” Short said. Another change that would benefit students, Moravec said, is to adjust when the award amount shows up on the students’ bills, currently much later than other forms of aid. “Ideally, I think that the application needs to be bumped up and put on a schedule that’s more similar to the application process for TAP so that awards will be made available earlier,” Moravec said.

Robert Spitzer, political science department chair at SUNY Cortland, said the university has taken a different approach to solve that issue until the state changes the program, applying the award amount for qualified students on their bill immediately. The school will then be reimbursed that amount by the scholarship, so SUNY Cortland has to face the delay, not the students. Despite its flaws, the Excelsior Scholarship has helped increase attendance at SUNY and CUNY schools by 10 percent, the Watertown Daily Times reported. The program’s requirements for students to remain in the state for the same amount of time they received the scholarship means these students also enter the state’s workforce and boost the economy in the state, Ozgercin said. “It’s a wise policy decision for Albany to institute a program like this that would enable the state to retain more of their college graduates,” Ozgercin said. Hohle said the program helps students and the state as a whole because of its dedication to improving education. “The immediate benefits will be the students going to the college because they are going to have a lot less money to have to pay out of pocket,” Hohle said. “The long-term benefit will be New York state residents because they’re going to have a generation of college graduates not saddled with student loan debt.” Though that economic benefit means that Excelsior is generally wellliked by officials on both sides of the political aisle, Spitzer said the program still faces opposition from private colleges, particularly smaller ones that could see their attendance drop from students choosing SUNY schools instead due to cost. “The main backlash or resentment toward the program comes not so much from conservatives or Republicans, but comes from private colleges and universities because they feel like this is… drawing students away from them,” Spitzer said. Ozgercin said some citizens may oppose the scholarship as well because they may simply misunderstand it as one that takes money from taxpayers to create an unfair system. “There are some people on the right who are skeptical of taxes and all sorts of programs like these,” Ozgercin said. “[But] students aren’t receiving a check of taxpayer dollars. They’re not being charged tuition for a seat that would be empty otherwise.” Though some said the program is sure to stick around and possibly expand in much-needed areas, Ozgercin said the political climate makes the program’s future anything but certain. “The Excelsior Scholarship would be the first thing on the chopping block if the economy overheats, as it’s starting to do,” Ozgercin said.

A5 NEWS Thomas, Moritz discuss athletes, media Lifestyles Center hosts Retired professional basketball player uses voice for advocacy Zumba night to fight drug use THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

FORMER from COVER Thomas said the viewpoint on Kaepernick will evolve in the coming decades and he will be described differently, just as Ali is now in comparison to decades prior. “You have to have thick skin, but you also have to be prepared to defend your position, because when somebody disagrees with what you are saying, that is when there’s an issue. When they agree with you, there’s no problem,” Thomas said. “When they disagree then it’s like, ‘Oh, this athlete doesn’t even deserve to speak,’ ‘You should stay in your lane,’ ‘You should shut up and dribble.’” In his experience as an athlete and an activist, Thomas said athletes have always been expected to stick to sports and be apolitical, rather than express their opinions and use their status to voice them. Thomas recounted when he interviewed the brother of Trayvon Martin, a boy who was killed by George Zimmerman in 2012, that the boy expressed to Thomas he was appreciative to athletes who spoke out after the fact because it was only at that point that the incident get media coverage. Thomas also said fans often group black athletes in a protected bubble and do not realize they also face racism and police brutality. “You don’t stop being black after the game is over,” Thomas said. “The issues don’t stop when you’re playing basketball or football.” He recounted a time where he was driving his son and his son’s friends home, and he was pulled over by a police officer for having one of his taillights out. “Immediately when we get stopped, I roll the window down, turn the music off, put the interior

light on, take my wallet out and put it on the dashboard, take out my registration, put my phone on record and put my hands on 10 and 2,” Thomas said. He recounted that he slowly spoke to the officer, making sure to clearly say that he was reaching to get his license from the dashboard, and the officer on the other side of the car followed Thomas’s hand with a flashlight. “That process was what I felt like I had to do in order to ensure that we’d get home safely,” Thomas said. He then explained to his son and his teammates that it was necessary for him to “deescalate the situation [he] didn’t escalate in the first place.” He said it was not about what it should be, but the reality of what it is. Thomas also spoke about the influence media can have on the perspective of how people view an athlete practicing activism. He discussed how Kaepernick said his actions were not intended to disrespect the U.S. flag or the military, but to stand against police brutality, systematic racism and the political process. Thomas said when someone does not like the message an activist is sending, they will twist the words to morph others’ views on it to go against the original message. Each side of an issue will focus on personally attacking the other by discrediting them, he said. “You have to be prepared to be able to passionately defend it in a way when you first came out with it because the naysayers or people who want to prove you wrong will try to squash your position,” Thomas said. “If you’re not able to follow up that second question or be able to eloquently speak about your position, [the media] is going to make

you look like a buffoon, and that will hurt the cause even more.” Thomas said social media has transformed the way activists get their message out to everyone that follows them on social media, in contrast to when Thomas played for the NBA and athletes had to wait for reporters to ask a question and then hope they conveyed those feelings correctly. During media coverage, Thomas said he believes the “why” factor is often ignored in regards to when an athlete performs an act of activism, and instead uses headlines that will result in the most number of clicks. Moritz, who teaches journalism classes, said oftentimes writers do not write their own headlines, and instead, the responsibility is with the editor, whose word choice can distort what the actual article is about. Thomas said there is a specific relationship between athletes and reporters. Once someone writes a negative article about the athlete, they automatically lose trust and start getting generic responses, disrupting the relationship. “We have younger athletes now that are being inspired by things that Lebron is doing and Kaepernick is doing, using their voices. And my advice to them always is to be prepared for the criticism that is definitely going to come,” Thomas said. Thomas has contributed to The Washington Post, Huffington Post, CNN, ESPN, Hoopsype.com, slamonline, MSNBC and WPFW 89.3FM, the Collision. “[My biggest takeaway was] definitely how important it is for athletes to speak their minds and to be open about what you believe and say, no matter who you are,” said Oswego State student and basketball fan Justin Kraus.

Kassadee Paulo | The Oswegonian Brian Moritz (left) and Etan Thomas talked about Thomas’s experience with activism while in the NBA and after he retired from his basketball career.

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian Students practiced Zumba as an alternative to going out and drinking or using drugs.

Stephen Novak Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com On Oct. 22, the Lifestyles Center had an open event for students to take part in a night of Zumba to fight alcohol and drug abuse on campus. The goal of the event was intended to motivate students at risk of alcohol abuse or the various dangers of partying by providing an alternative way to spend the evening. The event was hosted by the Lifestyles Center, which promotes student health and other likeminded events. Yarbrielle Ingram, a graduate student in graphic design, volunteered to offer her talents and knowledge of Zumba exercises. Zumba is a workout style that originated in Brazil and other South American countries. It is known for its focus on long-form dancing aimed at overall weight reduction rather than specialized muscle development. Ondrea Campagnolo, a graduate student in psychology, represented the Lifestyles Center. She said how the center promotes healthy choices, while also keeping them accessible to other students by keeping the costs low and accessible to Oswego students. “We like to run programs on campus that give students an alternative to going out, going to the bars or house parties or dorm parties,” Campangolo said. “So, we like to run free events or low charge events [in order to give students other options] to kill time on campus.” The week is filled with events, usually providing free T-shirts and

workout equipment to promote a healthy lifestyle. “We run these events sporadically, and the reason we are running events this week, is because last week was National Alcohol Awareness, but we had our fall break at the end of the week,” Campagnolo said. “We wanted to make sure we got a full week of programming and a full week of students being on campus.” Throughout the week, the Lifestyles Center will be hosting many other events. However, issues with advertising and low turnouts have caused events to be pushed back. The Zumba event had only ranged in a low turnout of four to seven people, including staff. The event lasted one hour, but everyone who participated in physical exercise was offered a free exercise band or shirt. “Last year, we did one paint night,” Campagnolo said. “We attempted to do a second paint night, but we had a lot of issues with advertising.” The few students who did participate were dubious on the effects Zumba had on the overall well-being of Oswego students. Trentin Carentz, an Oswego State accounting major, had attended the event with his partner. Carentz said that he feels alcohol and substance abuse is alive on campus and is especially popular among underage students. “A lot of people drink, [especially people] our age,” Carentz said. “Underage drinking definitely happens.” He also said he finds the link between Zumba and reducing substance abuse to be weak at best. “I’m not 100 percent sure on that,” Carentz said. “Maybe some more research needs to be put forward for that.”

NEWS A6 It’s On Oz, Title IX hosts It’s On Us day May discusses inspiration Community pledges to prevent sexual assault, violence of absurdity of life issues THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

POET from COVER “If you take a snapshot of something, you may say that is all there is,” May said. “What you see is not the true representation of what is there.” May recited three of his poems throughout the event, including “There Are Birds Here: For Detroit,” “The Gun Joke,” and, “And For My Last Trick.” The forum followed with a Q&A session. When asked about his writing styles, he said he writes about the “absurdity of the issues” of life. He gave the audience writing tips, encouraging them to do something they are not used to. “Look for the patterns you don’t know you’re making,” May said.

“Let your mind swerve.” The event followed with a book signing in the Marano Campus Center book store and an author dinner. According to his website, May was born and raised in Detroit. He has taught in both the Detroit Public School system and the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program. A few of May’s honors include the Spirit of Detroit award and The Wood Prize for Poetry Award, along with fellowships from The Kenyon Review and The Stadler Center. His first collection of poetry earned him the finalist position with the Tuft’s Discover Award and the NAACP Image Award. He currently co-directs OW! Arts with Tarfiah Faizullah.

Shea O’Malley | The Oswegonian The It’s On Us pledge spreads awareness of sexual assault and domestic violence and encourages creating safe environments for survivors.

OSWEGO from COVER It’s On Oz started in 2014, along with It’s On Us. According to Evaneski, It’s On Us day on campus started with It’s On Oz buying shirts and having a pledge day, but on a smaller scale than it is now. “That’s really when we started to realize we need to do more programming, more training,” Evaneski said. “It’s On Oz is our prevention campaign, so everything falls under there - our It’s On Us days, our One Love workshops and

any other prevention that we do and training that we do.” Throughout the year, It’s On Oz holds Title IX training workshops, where members discuss topics such as how to spot an abusive relationship and what resources there are for victims of sexual assault. They also host other larger events like It’s On Us day and, in the spring semester, Yards for Yeardley. “Sexual assault is a very serious issue that is still not talked about enough and occurs on a lot of college campuses,” Campbell said. “It

is important to me to get the word out to other people that this is in fact a serious issues that occurs much more often than we think.” Evaneski said she has seen growth in It’s On Us day each year and is happy to see where it will go in the future. “We don’t even know where it’s going next, or how big it will get, but it’s been really exciting to watch our community come together and find ways to make prevention normal, make prevention something that we do every day,” Evaneski said.

Kassadee Paulo | The Oswegonian Jamaal May, author of “The Big Book of Exit Strategies,” held a book signing during his visit.

OPINION ABSENTEE BALLOTS

B6 Photo provided by Theresa Persona

SPORTS THE OSWEGONIAN

SPORTS JUST MISSED B3 PLAYOFFS Kyle Hurley | The Oswegonian

VOLUME LXXXVIII ISSUE VII • www.oswegonian.com

Ben’s Beliefs An open letter to sports teams at Oswego State

Ben Grieco Sports Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com To the sports of Oswego State: I know it is hard to get recognition. I get it. As a former athlete whose sports were not overly popular, I desired the same acknowledgement. As sports editor for The Oswegonian, I am trying to help you out. In the sports section, we have four pages of space. Pages B1 to B4, with B4 being all stats, records and numbers. So, in all reality, the sports section has three pages to inform Oswego State students, staff and faculty and the Oswego community about Oswego State athletics. We, as a staff, try to give everyone equal coverage. For every NCAA-sanctioned sport, we try to get a season preview, a season recap and a feature or two. Those features may be focused on specific athletes, coaches or, in a broader sense, what happened during the previous week. I will be blunt when saying this: for NCAA sports, the coverage is greater. This is merely due to the fact that the Oswego State athletics have a couple of important factors: a website with all the teams, stats, rosters and schedules, and a heavy social media presence on Twitter and Instagram. When the sports staff sees content on social media or on the website, whether it be from athletes, coaches, individual teams, or even the Oswego State accounts, the journalist minds we have acquired immediately come up with story ideas that will captivate an audience. As I look through previous volumes of The Oswegonian, I will be honest in saying that sometimes, previous sports editors did not give equal coverage, whether that be NCAA programs or the club sports sponsored by the Student Association. When I was given the title of sports editor this year, my goal was to change that. I would like to think that, as a section, we have accomplished that to some extent. But, that does not mean we are perfect. We still have plenty of room for improvement. We have covered a couple of club sports this season. We covered men’s rugby, and men’s and women’s club ice hockey. The reason we did those three was because someone reached out to us, had a strong social media presence or was trying to promote their respective sport throughout campus. If your team wants coverage, we have to know about it. Please, feel free to reach out to myself or Asst. Sports Editor Matt Watling. We want to give you coverage – really, we do. If something cool is going on, we want to talk about it. For example, this season, women’s club hockey joined Div. II of ACHA, something it has never done before. Whether you are a part of an NCAA program or a club team that is funded by the Student Association, The Oswegonian Sports section wants you featured. Reach out to us and keep us in the loop of what is going on. Sincerely, Ben

FRIDAY, Oct.26, 2018

Volleyball avoids tie-breaker, makes playoffs Lakers start Oswego State goes 2-1 in final SUNYAC pool, beats Cortland 4-game road trip at King’s Matt Watling Asst. Sports Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com

Last season, Oswego State finished its volleyball season in a three-way tie with SUNY Cortland and SUNY Oneonta for the fifth seed in the SUNYAC playoffs. Despite defeating SUNY Oneonta in the regular season, both of the opposing teams won tiebreakers to surpass the Lakers, forcing Oswego State out of the postseason. The Lakers were not happy with how the end of last season went, but the team was not discouraged. Instead, Oswego State used it as fuel for the 2018 season. “The girls have been really motivated all year. To lose at this point [of the season] last year, [it] really fired them up,” head coach J.J. O’Connell said. “We laid out things they needed to do. Winning two [games] on the last weekend was going to be important.” Coming out of the gate to start the season, the motivation and energy was prevalent. In the first three invitationals of the season, the Lakers rattled off eight wins in 12 games. As important as a hot start may be, a postseason berth depends on the nine conference games the Lakers played throughout the season. Oswego State failed to get results in the first SUNYAC invitational, dropping two games, including one against SUNY Potsdam, a match the Lakers thought they would win. “We had a lot of people worried when we were upset by Potsdam that we wouldn’t make it [to the postseason] and that that first weekend tournament had determined our fate,” senior Alison Sullivan said. “But we stayed playing strong, playing clean and playing our game so we were able to make it.” The biggest win of conference play came on Oct. 20 against SUNY Cortland. With both teams heading into the game at 3-5, the winning team would receive the sixth and final spot in the SUNYAC playoffs. The Lakers won the game in three straight sets. Oswego State got off to a hot start in each of the three sets, taking the first point in two of the three. The Lakers were also able to string together a handful of points and take big leads. In the first 12 points of each set, the Lakers won at least eight points. Despite giving up these large leads later in the sets when the Red Dragons fought back, O’Connell was confident his team would be victorious. “We got off the starts we wanted in

Luke Owens Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian Oswego State has two more games on Oct. 27 before it takes on The College at Brockport.

every match we played. Even [against] Cortland, we were up big,” O’Connell said. “They chipped away late, but we were in control the whole way.” In the match, the Lakers were dominant when it came to attacking the Red Dragons. Oswego State accumulated six more kills than SUNY Cortland, winning that battle 38-32. Oswego State was led by junior Shauna O’Flaherty, who put up nine kills against the Red Dragons. O’Flaherty was noticeable all over the court, leading the team in aces and digs. Her ability to play on both the front and back lines helped the Lakers secure their fifth postseason appearence in seven seasons. Even though this was a mustwin game, Sullivan felt the team was not panicking. “I don’t want to use the word urgency,” Sullivan said. “But, everybody knew you had to win, and I think everybody used that as good motivation. Everyone is like, ‘OK, we have to win, let’s go play clean, play our game and we can win.’” This urgency stems from the fact the Lakers lost to the third seed, The College at Brockport. Despite holding early leads in all three sets, the Lakers could not hold on, and the Golden Eagles went on to win 3-0 (20-25, 21-25, 21-25). Oct. 30, the Lakers will take on the Golden Eagles again. This time, the Lakers will have a different look. “One of our players is coming off a medical hardship season, so we try

to rest her at different times to make sure she is fresh for the matchups she plays in,” O’Connell said. “The Brockport match was one she didn’t play in, so they haven’t seen her, and she is one of our key components. The fact that we are putting a slightly different lineup out there will throw them off guard a little bit.” One significant player that missed The College at Brockport game was Mira Legnon-Bozman. She has registered 117 kills in the 21 matches before the contest against the Golden Eagles, and with her return, there should be an advantage for the Lakers. Oswego State will be able to go on the attack a bit more, something O’Connell wants to do against the Golden Eagles. “I was happy with our offense, too,” O’Connell said. “It’s just a matter of continuing to execute and outscore them. They are going to get kills. I guarantee it. We just have to get our own.” Legnon-Bozman can add the extra pop the Lakers’ offense may need to upset the Golden Eagles who are on a 10-game win streak. Despite the tough opposition, Sullivan is confident that the team can have more success as long as the Lakers follow the precedent set by Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, “Just do your job.” “Trust your teammates to do their job, and we’ll be successful because we all play hard and work hard,” Sullivan said.

After a dramatic underdog exhibition win over the London Jr. Devilettes last weekend, the Lakers women’s ice hockey team will hit the road to Pennsylvania for two games this weekend, and look forward to two games against NEWHL rival Buffalo State in western New York. The two Pennsylvania games represent some interesting opponents. The King’s College Lady Monarchs are only in their second year of play. After an 0-22-1 inaugural season record, the Monarchs look to put one in the win column this year. King’s College was also outscored by a whopping 151-16 goals overall. Even against such a young program, Lakers head coach Diane Dillon is sure to not overlook them. “The parody in women’s hockey is getting better every day. On any night, any team can win. You have to be able to execute,” Dillon said. “We’re focusing on our side of the puck and making sure that we do what we need to do.” The Lakers should be able to win this game handily, but as Dillon said, it is more about focusing on cleaning up the Lakers side of things, like sloppy passing. Dillon said the team will use this coming weekend to touch that up. For Saturday’s matchup, the Lakers will meet another young program, the Wilkes University Colonels. Wilkes is in its first year as a Div. III program in both men’s and women’s ice hockey. The Colonels were set to begin play last season, but, due to a lack of players, had to push back to the 2018-19 season. This season, there are only nine players listed on the roster, two of which are goaltenders. With the depth Oswego State has, it could bring many headaches to Wilkes. The third stop on the Lakers road trip will not begin until next weekend, but it will present the biggest challenge of the young season. It is a two-game road trip to Buffalo State, the first NEWHL conference game for the Lakers. Although Buffalo State lost five of their top six scorers and their starting goaltender, any matchup between the Lakers and Bengals is sure to come down to the wire.

See FRESHMEN, B3

Players from Carleton Place, Oswego, held to same standards Broughman, Campbell face former team in second exhibition game Ben Grieco Sports Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com Two towns that are 152 miles apart and in different countries have a lot of similarities. Both places have populations under 20,000 people and are right on bodies of water. But, the thing that ties the two communities together the most is hockey. The Oswego community packs at least 3,000 fans every weekend from October to March into the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena to watch the Lakers hit the ice. Around the same length of time, Carleton Place has an arena capacity of 1,000 people to cheer on the Carleton Place Canadians. But, off the ice, the players are held to the same standards by Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek and Carleton Place head coach Jason Clarke. Players have to represent their teams well, be a good person off the ice and, most importantly, make sure they give back to the community that has given so much to them. “Those are all the qualities that we look for in players. It’s the same things we do here,” Gosek said. “Give back to our college, give back to our community, be good people, represent the program well, along with being good players trying

to win championships.” Two of the current Lakers know the Carleton Place system well. Senior Devin Campbell played with the program from 2011-2015, and freshman Travis Broughman wore the blue and gold from 2017-2018. Campbell, during the 20142015 season, was named an assistant captain for the Canadians. Broughman, in his lone season, scored 65 points in 60 games, which was second on the team during that season. “When you go into juniors, there’s a lot of guys that leave early. Maybe they give up on hockey, maybe this, maybe that,” Campbell said. “I think [Clarke’s] way of rewarding me for sticking through the process was giving me a letter.” Gosek said all players from the Carleton Place team are capable of playing at the NCAA Div. I level. Eleven of the players from Broughman’s team went Div. I or have committed to a Div. I program. Fourteen of the players from Campbell’s final year either went to Div. I and transferred or are currently playing Div. I. “We’ve tried to get players from there, but most of his players go Div I.,” Gosek said. “We feel Travis Broughman was a Div. I player. Obviously, Devin Campbell was at Niagara University. We’ve tried to get some others out of there.”

Photos provided by Devin Campbell and Bob Lefebvre | Shea McCarthy | The Oswegonian

While at Carleton Place, Campbell had tremendous amounts of success with the team. His team was the CCHL Champions three times and won the Fred Page Cup three times. They also attended the Royal Bank Cup Championships. He amounted 57 points in his four seasons, highlighted by a 27-point season his final season. “I remember my first year at the RBC Cup and everything, not saying that we were happy to be there, but we were looking around and going like, ‘Holy crap, this is a lot of good hockey players and a lot of good teams,’” Campbell said. “It just makes you work that much harder to realize how many good players there are how hard some players work.” Clarke, who has been with the franchise over 10 years, bought the team as a Junior ‘B’ squad,

but applied for Junior ‘A’ status and received it in 2009. His success has come from preparing players and keeping a wellorganized team, Gosek said. For a game like the one against the Lakers on Oct. 27, Clarke will know the team’s strengths and weaknesses from being in midseason form. Campbell said Clarke is a coach that will call players out if they are not playing to their fullest potential or make some mistakes. “The biggest thing with [Clarke] is you know where you stood at all times. He’s very honest,” Campbell said. “He just does a lot of things at Carleton Place and he’s always thinking. That’s why he’s had a lot of success.”

See CAMPBELL, B3

Photo Brief Hockey unveils history display

SPORTS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

Men’s soccer ends, seniors leave their mark Despite missing playoffs, coach Kane excited for future Taylor Woods Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com

Ben Grieco | The Oswegonian

After several years, Oswego State was able to debut its history of hockey display on Oct. 20. This display is located on the concourse of the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena. The exhibit showcases a timeline of Lakers’ hockey dating back over 50 years. The timeline highlights significant players and coaches from both programs. Some of the more unique names include former Athletic Director Gardner “Tully” Wells. Wells purchased an old airplane hangar, which became Romney Field House, where the Lakers played hockey until 2006. The display showcases some of the elite players in Oswego State history like Pierre Belanger, who donned the nickname “the flying frenchman.” According to the display, Belanger was the first elite star in Laker history. The forward scored 131 points in just 39 games. The Lakers also paid homage to one of their Oswego natives, as Mike Cullinan has a blurb of his own. The gritty forward scored 33 points from 1975-1979. Perhaps the biggest attraction is in the center of the cove, the 2007 NCAA Div. III National Championship trophy. Even though the Lakers have

had an extensive history spanning decades, there have only been four coaches for the men’s program. The first coach was Herb Hammond, who led the team for 12 seasons and helped put the Lakers on the map in Div. III hockey. Oswego State was able to create the display thanks to the Herb Hammond Foundation, which was established in 2010. While the women’s hockey program has not been around as long, it has had some success of its own. The program’s inaugural season dates back to 1976; however, it disbanded in the mid-1980s. Fast forward nearly 20 years to 2006, as head coach Diane Dillon restarted the women’s hockey team. Since then, Dillon has had success, appearing in seven consecutive ECAC West Championships and one NEWHL Championship. With success in the near future for both programs, it is important for the players to remember where they came from. Being able to look back through the decades will keep both teams grounded, and provide them with additional motivation and goals to stride to achieve.

Campus Rec Report: new season of sports underway

The Oswego State’s men’s soccer season came to a disappointing end Saturday afternoon after its tie game against SUNY Geneseo. “I think we just couldn’t get that one balance we needed,” senior captain Thomas Osborn said. “We just kind of got unlucky in a couple opportunities. We didn’t finish our chances, and it came down to it. I think we played well throughout the whole game, and it was just that one extra balance that didn’t go our way.” In the two games leading up to the Lakers’ last game, they beat SUNY Fredonia and The College at Brockport. In the game against The College at Brockport, they were tied until the game-winning goal that came from junior midfielder Anthony Paris. “It definitely felt good giving Brockport their first SUNYAC loss,” Paris said. “But it didn’t really mean much, seeing that we lost Saturday.” With only needing one point to make it to SUNYAC playoffs, the Lakers could not find the point they needed on Saturday. “We knew going into the game that we needed to win,” said Dan Kane, Oswego State men’s soccer head coach. “We were pushing a lot of numbers forward and created some good opportunities early in the game. The more the game went along, the more we kind of had to throw numbers forward and left ourselves open and exposed.” The feelings are mixed with the season-ending game, seeing that Oswego State felt it was playing its best soccer of the year, according to Kane. “We would’ve loved to be in the playoffs, and we really felt like that any team we would have played in the playoffs, we would’ve liked the matchup,” Kane said. “So, there’s definitely disappointment. There’s also optimism in knowing that we can do it.” Osborn credited the progress of the Oswego State program to his head coach, Kane. “The program is definitely looking better,” Osborn said. “He’s definitely turned guys into true competitors, and he’s bringing guys in that are going to win and want to win. I think he’s just turned the program in the right direction.”

[The senior class] showed us how hard you have to work to be successful... But they’ve

also given us the gift of knowing we can do it.” Dan Kane,

-Oswego State men’s soccer coach

Shea McCarthy | The Oswegonian

The team ended its season with a conference record of 3-5-1, a significant change from last season’s conference record of 1-8-0. For the seniors of the team, this was an emotional end to their season, considering it is the last time they will play for Oswego State. “It was hard. I was excited because it was a good four years, but I was definitely sad because I’m going to miss being around the guys every day,” Osborn said. “We are literally with them every day, two to three hours. I’m still going to see them, but it’s not going to be the same. You’re not hanging out with everyone as much, but I think that’ll definitely be the hardest part of it.” Kane has a lot of hope moving forward next season, but he still felt for his senior class. “When it ends, it ends quickly,” Kane said. “But, I did say to the seniors that we went from kind of a team just hoping to be able to make the playoffs to believing that we could be in the playoffs.” With only two seasons with the Lakers’, Kane has left his impression on the team, just as the team and the seniors have left an impression on him. “This senior class specifically has given us a reason to believe moving forward,” Kane said. “They showed us how hard you have to work to be successful, and we’re definitely going to miss them a tremendous amount. But they’ve also given us the gift of knowing that we can do it.” Osborn said that the goal of Oswego State next season should be

playoffs first. “We definitely could have made it,” Osborn said. “So, that’s got to be their goal next year and, I think they absolutely can do it.” With nine seniors leaving the team, Kane has been on the road already searching for new players to recruit. “Every one of those seniors provided something really special to the program, and it’s impossible to fill those voids exactly with recruits,” Kane said. “So, we’ll try to bring the best people and the best player to the program.” More specifically, Kane is looking for players who share the same qualities that his team currently has. “We definitely need some two-way central midfielders and some defenders,” Kane said. “But, probably more than that, we just want people that have the desire and competitiveness that’s required to be successful in the SUNYAC.” Kane said that, after every game and season, he takes a moment to reflect and uses this as motivation to see how the team can do better. “From after the first season, I get a lot of self-reflection on how to be better on the second day of the SUNYAC. I thought we made some significant strides in that,” Kane said. “But that took a lot of self-reflection. I have a lot of time in the car coming up, and I’ll be doing a lot of self-reflection in terms of what does our program need to move forward and how can we do that.”

Shelby Stuart | The Oswegonian With the new intramural season upon us, broomball leagues have started up.

Morgan Meaney Contributing Writer sports@oswegonian.com This week at campus recreation, it was busy but filled with exciting games. The floor hockey league was dominated by the men’s recreational league this week. In the first game of the week, Jagr? I barely know her overtook Boolin Boys in a final score of 3-0. The Wizards and Pucks on Nets met their match this past week with a tirelessly fought time game in a high-scoring final score of 9-9. In the final game of the week, The Nightmen dominated the Dekes of Hazzard in a final score of 9-0. In the broomball league, three of the teams competed. In the men’s competitive broomball league, the Long Lizards defeated Here Comes the Broom, finishing the game in a tight final score of 3-2. In a similarly close game of 1-0, Beantown Freaks took down Metards in a final score of 1-0. The Mighty C’s also captured a victory over Mighty Schmucks in a final score of 7-1, taking home

their second win of the season. In the corec competitive league, Church Group defeated Thots N Yatchts (4-1), and Injury Attorney defeated Australian Monks in a close match-up with a final score of 4-3. In the corec rec league, Broom Ballers defeated Bad Joke Squad (5-1). In a hard-fought battle, RIP Oneida Screamer and You Got Rec’d tied in a final score of 1-1. The basketball leagues were also exciting this past week with close match-ups amongst three of the leagues. In the men’s recreational league, Lets be coached defeated the Phil Jackson Five (69-48). In two dominating games, Tune Squad overtook Free Agents (77-40), while Blazers took down We Chose the Latter (66-43). In the men’s competitive league, the games were very close. The 516 Ballers defeated 1926ers in a final score of 50-37, and in an even closer game, OFCBC shut down Shaqtin’ A Fool in a score of 35-32. The final game of the week turned out to be one of the best, with the Lakeside Guys taking down One Hit Wonders in a final score of 43-41.

Kyle Hurley | The Oswegonian Lakers midfielder, Jack Van Pelt, who accumulated four assists this season, dribbles the ball across midfield of Laker Turf Stadium.

SPORTS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Oct., 26, 2018

B B33

Wrestling begins season on Nov. 2, 3 Campbell looking forward to Lakers look to bring wrestlers back to national championships see Clarke, staff, fans at game

Greg Tavani | The Oswegonian Devin Campbell came full circle after being given the ‘A’ in juniors and now has the ‘C’ in college.

CAMPBELL FROM B1 Samantha Flavell | The Oswegonian

Jake Vanderbroek Staff Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State wrestling team is ready to return to the mats and start the 2018-2019 season. The Lakers look to have wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships for their third straight season. Oswego State opens its season at the Ithaca College Invitational on Nov. 2 and 3. The Invitational begins at 3:30 p.m. Friday and continues at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Lakers return to Ithaca again on Nov. 18, when they compete at Cornell University for the 50th New York State Collegiate Championships. The Lakers remain on the road when they head to the 53rd Invitational at the Rochester Institute of Technology on Dec. 1. A week after that, Oswego State will host its first home meet in Max Ziel Gymnasium and will take on the Bombers of Ithaca College at 12 p.m. Oswego State will host a competition at the start of 2019, welcoming King’s College, Lycoming College and RIT to campus for the NY/PA Duals at 1 p.m. on Jan. 5. The next weekend, the Lakers return the favor when they head to Lycoming College to take part in the Budd Whitehill Div. III Duals from Jan. 11-12. Oswego will then return to New York, competing in Brockport on Jan. 16 and 19. On Wednesday, Jan. 16, the Lakers hit the mat against the Golden Eagles in a dual meet. They will follow up with the 27th ECWC Championships at 10 a.m. on Saturday, again, hosted by the Golden Eagles of the

College at Brockport. The Lakers continue traveling for five of their six remaining contests of the regular season. They finish up January at Castleton University on Jan. 25 and Trinity College on Jan. 26. After grappling at the Baldwin Wallace Invitational on Feb. 2, the Lakers will return for their final home dual meet of the year. The Lakers will host the Red Dragons of SUNY Oneonta, who they have defeated the past two seasons, at 7 p.m. on Feb. 6. After wrapping up the regular season at SUNY Cortland on Feb. 8, Oswego State will compete at the NCAA Mideast Regionals from Feb. 23-24 in hopes of advancing to the NCAA Championships. The wrestling team has very high expectations for this upcoming season, including head coach Mike Howard. “We’re so ready to wrestle in the first event,” Howard said. “It’s very important that we are able start off strong and keep that momentum into the rest of the season. We felt that towards the end of the season that we underperformed, and we can’t have that happen again this season.” Another key element Howard pointed out was consistency. “If we’re consistent week in and week out, then we’re going to have many of our wrestlers qualify for NCAA Championships,” Howard said. “This is a great group of guys that will work together and get better.” Howard said the experience is going to go a long way through-

out the course of the season because there are many returners to the team that will help the new guys out. One of those returners is Troy Seymour, who was a part of the team that finished with a 5-6 overall record. Seymour was the only wrestler who competed in the NCAA Championships. He went 1-2 at the NCAA Div. III Wrestling Championships. Seymour entered the championships meet unseeded but was ranked No. 9 in the 174-pound weight class in the NWCA poll. The junior from Peru, New York, picked up a 6-0 shutout between a pair of losses to higherranked individuals. Seymour will be joined by Evan Corso, who competed in Regionals in the 133-pound weight class. Last year, Corso won his first match in the second round with a 6-2 decision. Corso dropped a match by fall to the top-ranked wrestler in Div. III from Stevens Institute of Technology in his next matchup. The 2017 National Championship qualifier rebounded with a win by fall (6:56) in the consolation bracket. This year, he looks to get even better than last season. “I’m just listening to Coach Howard’s plan and following it,” Corso said. “I’ve been putting a lot of work in the season. I’m doing all that I can, whether it’s the workouts or even dieting. I’m just making sure that I’m doing everything right to succeed, and I got to give coach Howard a lot of credit for keeping my head straight.”

Freshmen get first collegiate road trip Dillon uses games to make team like family, create chemistry FRESHMEN FROM B1 Buffalo State went 3-1 against Oswego State in the regular season last year, but ultimately, the Lakers had the final say in a 5-0 win on Buffalo State’s home ice in the NEWHL semifinals. Even though it is a new look from both teams, the rivalry is always there in Dillon’s eyes. “You know Buffalo is going to be gunning for us. They have a new coach, they graduated all of their top scoring and their goaltending. So, they’re going to be a new team just like we are,” Dillon said. “They’re our first league game, so, obviously, they’re important. It’s a rivalry that’s been generated over the past few years, and it’s been fun.” Although Buffalo State is a task to focus on for next week, it is still in the back of the Lakers’ minds.

The most important dynamic of any road trip is the leadership shown by upperclassmen. As 11 of Oswego State’s 22 players will make their first road trip, Dillon expressed the importance of veteran leaders. “Their job is to lead the way. One of the elements of our mission statement is that we’re leaving a legacy,” Dillon said. “One of the elements of this is making sure that those that come behind you understand what Laker hockey is all about.” Junior defenseman Kate Randazzo understands her role as one of the most seasoned players on the team. The upperclassmen had a similar take on what to tell the freshmen as they embark on their first road trip. “[We tell them to] try to keep it normal,” Randazzo said. “The only difference is we’re going to take a bus there.” As one of only two seniors on the

Shea McCarthy | The Oswegonian

team, forward Victoria Rankin understands her role as a leader. “I try to calm their nerves. Just trying to get them to settle into their roles a little bit more,” Rankin said. With such a young core of players and a new team, chemistry is another element that will factor into the Lakers’ journey. “With so many new players, it’s important we use these two games this weekend to work together as a team and come together as a team. And I think we will,” Randazzo said. Going on the road for college games is certainly a change of pace for first-year players, and unlike travel teams, it is only one game per day instead of the usual two to three games per day. That transition is another thing Dillon looks for in her young athletes. “It’s a good early indication of where we are. It’s an introduction for half the team of what the collegiate pace is and what the expectations are,” Dillon said. “We have a lot more mental preparation and video preparation, making sure you’re getting enough rest and nutrition, taking care of yourself as a student-athlete”. With all the new faces in the Oswego State locker room, a road trip to start the season is not always ideal. But, according to Dillon, it is always a good way to come together. “We want to come together as a team, as a family,” Dillon said. “And going on the road is a good way to do that.”

Campbell was drafted by Carleton Place in 2010 in the seventh round, 76th overall. However, he did not play until the 2011-2012 season. Campbell said he was a “raw hockey player” at 16 years old. He said that, if he was drafted by another program, there is a possibility that Campbell would not be where he is today. Putting emotions aside, Campbell said he is excited to see Clarke and the rest of the Carleton Place coaching staff, even if his teammates are all graduated from the program. “It’s my former coach. He found me when I was 14 years old,” Campbell said. “He was almost like a second dad to me for a number of years, kind of like what Ed is to me.” Gosek said both of the former Canadians are definitely grateful for what Clarke did for them and that are happy to be part of the Oswego State program that carries as much history as Carleton Place. “I think there’s a little added pressure. They want to play well,” Gosek said. “They want to show their coach, a lot of the fans that may come, their skills at the collegiate level.” Overall, Gosek said he is glad that the CCHL has the opportunity to see a Div. III rink. On the reverse, his

team gets to play a seasoned junior program, which he is glad the team has before the regular season starts. “It’s awesome for junior hockey, for the CCHL league, for Carleton Place, for our players,” Gosek said. “I think it’s a great situation for everybody.” Looking at the coming weekend, Oswego State will focus on itself for the second and final exhibition game of the season. It will be about honing in the process for the new Lakers, especially when SUNY Cortland comes to town on Nov. 2. “Right now, the emphasis is our play, still evaluating our players to make decisions for combinations, chemistry,” Gosek said. “So, really, our attention to detail is on our own execution, our own systems and still evaluating here on our last chance before the regular season begins.” While these two teams will never play each other in an official game for the Lakers, the small, hockey-town atmosphere will always mean something from Campbell, whether it be at Carleton Place or Oswego State. “The community is always behind us. Here, we have everyone come to the game, same thing as Carleton Place,” Campbell said. “You’d go to the grocery store and people would recognize you. It’s little things like that.”

Shore Report

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

SUNYAC Standings

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

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

Field Hockey

Cortland Oneonta New Paltz Geneseo Oswego State Brockport Morrisville

Volleyball

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

Overall 15-1-2 12-4-2 11-4-2 11-5-1 9-4-4 6-8-3 6-7-2 7-7-4 5-9-2

W1 L1 L2 T1 W1 W1

0-8-1

4-11-2 Overall

Conference

Streak

13-3-1

6-2-1

12-3-1 12-5-0

8-1-0 6-3-0

W2 W7

10-4-2

6-2-1

8-8-1 7-10-1

4-5-0 3-5-1 3-6-0

T1 L2 L2

2-5-2

L3 L5 L5

7-11-0 6-8-3 4-12-2 2-14-1 Overall

3-6-0 1-7-1

COR: 11-17 (3-6) SJF: 15-14 (6-2)

OSW:

Paris: 1 goal, 2 SOG Nichol: 1 goal, 1 SOG Terra: 12 saves

OSW:

McKnight: 1 goal, 1 assist Johnson: 7 saves

BPT:

Jeylani: 1 goal, 2 SOG Poniskaitis: 3 saves

LON:

Teggart: 1 goal, 2 assists Webster: 1 goal, 2 SOG Farmer: 13 saves

Volleyball

Saturday, Oct. 20

Field Hockey Wednesday, Oct. 23

OSW:

O’Flaherty: 9 kills, 2 aces Sullivan: 6 kills, 4 blocks Lussier: 8 kills, 5 digs

KEU:

Wilson: 1 goal, 5 SOG Valentine: 7 saves

COR:

Konzen: 8 kills, 10 digs Anderson: 2 blocks, 3 kills

OSW:

Reynolds: 1 goal, 5 SOG Woite: 3 assists, 2 SOG Catalano: 7 saves

Upcoming Events Cross Country

Saturday, Oct. 27 SUNYAC Championship

Swimming & Diving Saturday, Oct. 27

4-2 5-1

1:00 p.m

5-1

9-5

4-2

6-8

2-4

4-13

1-5

2-13

0-6

Conference

Streak

23-6

8-1

20-7 19-9

9-0

7-2

W10

18-9

6-3

17-12

4-5

11-16

4-5

11-17

3-6

11-17

3-6

6-21 3-25

1-8 0-9

L9 L18

Men’s Soccer 2

ONE: 9-4-4 (5-2-2) NPZ: 11-5-1 (6-2-1)

Saturday, Oct. 20

Streak L2 L1

Friday, Oct. 19

Women’s Hockey

Conference

12-5 10-7 10-6

Overall

Men’s Soccer

Around the SUNYAC

Volleyball

Oswego Scoreboard

Streak W7 W1 W3

Conference 8-1-0 5-2-2 5-3-1 6-2-1 5-2-2 3-5-1 3-5-1 2-5-2 2-6-1

Had the men’s soccer team accumulated one more point in its nine conference games, the Lakers would be in the playoffs for the first time in the Dan Kane era. Oswego State lost a tiebreaker against the Plattsburgh State Cardinals for the sixth and final seed in the postseason.

11:00 a.m.

Field Hockey Saturday, Oct. 27

WEL: MSD (0-0) | WSD (0-0) OSW: MSD (1-1) | WSD (0-2)

Men’s Hockey Saturday, Oct. 27

@ 12:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

OSW: 6-8 (2-4) UNI: 7-9 (2-5)

Exhibition Game CP: 13-3-0-2

Laker Athletes of the Week

Alison Sullivan

Volleyball Senior | Dedham, Massachusetts

Brian Terra

Men’s Soccer Sophomore | Lake Grove

NAZ: 8-10 (3-4) GEN: 9-5 (4-2)

For the second time this season, Sullivan was named athlete of the week. The middle blocker had an excellent weekend, tallying 22 kills and 18 blocks in three games. Her performance propelled the Lakers to a playoff berth for the third time in her four seasons as a Laker. She recorded a career-high eight blocks in the first match of the weekend against Buffalo State.

The Oswego State goalie has been one of the most important players on the men’s soccer team, giving up just 21 goals in 14 starts. Most recently, Terra stopped a penalty kick en route to handing The College at Brockport its first SUNYAC loss on the season. In that game, he made 12 saves and tacked on an additional five in the season finale against the SUNY Geneseo Knights.

Field Hockey forward Katie Reynolds needs to average three goals a game in the final two games of the season in order to set a program record for most goals in a single season with 20. The current record is 19, held by Diane Gilligan, who set the record in 1983. Reynolds has two career hat tricks, so this may be a tough task for her.

Heading into their final exhibition match-up, the Lakers men’s hockey team is ranked No. 10 in the NCAA Div. III according to the USCHO poll. The only other team in the SUNYAC to be ranked in SUNY Geneseo, who is fifth in the nation. While Plattsburgh State received votes, seven votes was not enough to enter the top 15.

Allison Berger of the Oswego State volleyball team has recorded 53 aces through 28 matches. The Plainview native plays an integral role as a senior. Aside from her 53 aces, she is fifth on the team in digs with 157. Berger’s 53 aces is good for first on the team, 24 ahead of second-place Julia Flohr.

Field Hockey 0

10:

53:

OPINION

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

Social media Trump puts more strict definition on gender Freedom of normalizing press under Trans people discriminated against by leader of nation violence attack Jessica Wickham Chief Copy Editor jwickham@oswegonian.com

Photo from Pixabay

Francesca Miesner Opinion Editor fmiesner@oswegonian.com In the news and on social media, there has been a multitude of violent video clips taken by onlookers. Ignoring the fact that standing by can often be more harmful than useful, it is too accessible and forced down internet users’ throats. Because of this, children and adults alike are becoming desensitized to violence. Social media has only boosted the accessibility of real-world violence, with videos being posted at a fast rate. A recent trend has been women abusing their boyfriends, followed by comments about how they are simply “putting their boyfriends in their places.” At this point, most people understand men beating women is unacceptable. However, these videos on social media, even the left-leaning accounts, have had a disconnect with domestic violence going both ways. Along with these, there have been videos of Nazis being punched by Jewish people or LGBTQ+ people. On the surface, this appears to be retribution for the violence the Nazi party represents. Of course, supporting a party means supporting all aspects, or at least being able to ignore the bad to support the good. Many viewers who see these videos cite the violence is justified because Hitler, the face of the Nazi party, ordered the genocide of 17 million people. This number is horrifying, but it is important to remember that Nazi-sympathizers will learn nothing by experiencing violence. On a basic level, not punching someone in the face seems like a pretty basic concept. In kindergarten, kids learned to only do to others as they want to be done to themselves. However, when someone is in the face of a person who is a minority or does not share their beliefs and are getting slurs and threats thrown at them, it becomes a different story.

It is 2018, but there is still active political debate about how many genders are valid and if those who do not conform to a gender binary deserve federal acceptance and rights. On Oct. 21, The New York Times reported the Trump administration is considering narrowly defining gender as a “biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth.” The move is being proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which also wants to institute DNA testing to confirm a person’s sex. The DHHS has argued that former President Barack Obama’s loose definition of “sex” allowed him to wrongfully extend civil rights protections. The DHHS said a more strict definition is needed for two proposed rules under review at the White House: one dealing with sex discrimination at schools, and another with health programs and activities that receive federal funds or subsidies. The idea that there is any justifiable reason to strictly define sex in this way is ridiculous. This move will only serve to eliminate legal protections for people who identify as transgender or anything else other than male or female. It is no wonder this has prompted the hashtag #WontBeErased to go viral on Twitter, as the move would roll back the recognition and protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law expanded during the

Obama era. The LGBTQ+ community should not have to be worried about whether its members’ rights will be taken away, especially in this age where so much progress has been made and still needs to improve both federally and socially. The last time transgender issues came up in public debate was over the use of bathrooms – that somehow, strictly defining sex would introduce some much-needed order and safety into society. In fact, the opposite is true; people in the LGBTQ+ community are facing unwarranted hostility for simply wanting to be treated the same legally and socially as those who are not part of the community. There are more than two sexes, plain and simple. Even by pure biological definitions, people do not fall into male and female, as terms like intersex prove. Someone having a gender identity different than their assigned

sex does not harm anyone else, and any perceived harm is based on unwarranted fear, hatred and ignorance. Allowing multiple gender identities under law is important for ensuring legal protection for individuals who do not identify with the gender binary and for helping make progress in societal acceptance. Just like how a teacher treats a student largely influences how students treat each other, the government’s level of acknowledgement and protection of the LGBTQ+ community tells society what is acceptable and justified. If public discussion is ever going to shift away from the hateful elimination of additional gender identities, the government needs to extend protections. The Trump administration’s insistence to restrict and eliminate those protections, however, can only serve to worsen tensions in society over this issue – a conflict that should already be resolved by now.

Photo from Pixabay

Francesca Miesner Opinion Editor fmiesner@oswegonian.com

The First Amendment provides various freedoms to citizens. Among these is the freedom of the press. However, under this current presidential administration, reporters have never been treated with less respect while exercising their First Amendment rights. President Donald Trump regularly slams so-called “fake news” outlets like CNN and encourages his supporters to ignore all information from them, fact or opinion. CNN is notoriously left-leaning and therefore often broadcasts slander relating to Trump. However, it is the right of people at CNN to air what they want and educate the public. Fox News, the rightleaning equivalent of CNN, is equally inaccurate, if not less accurate than other news outPhoto from Pixabay lets. According to Politifact.com, Major cities celebrate the representation of all LGBTQ+ people, which is what Trump is attempting to destroy. 78 percent of statements made on Fox News range from halftrue to a “pants on fire” lie. This is interesting, especially since those who blindly listen to the president often also listen to the source that has more fake news than not. In the news last year, Ben Jacobs, a political reporter for The Guardian, was attempting to interview Congressman Greg Gianforte. For reasons unknown, Gianforte head-butted Jacobs to the ground and broke his glasses. Gianforte was ordered to pay $385, attend 20 hours of anger management and complete 40 hours of community service. Violence is unacceptable, especially in response to being asked for an interview. Reporters who are giving candidates for re-election a chance to speak their mind should be treated with respect, especially since it is their constitutional right to be there. Regardless, in the few days following the assault, Trump praised Gianforte, saying, rather intelligently, “Any guy that can do a body-slam… now that’s my guy.”

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

Age restrictions on products for protection of youth On a basic level, not punching someone in the face seems like a pretty basic concept.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech to anyone in the country. That, of course, includes hateful words. As frustrating as things might be, and how satisfying it might be to punch a Nazi in the face, violence rarely solves problems. Of course, there is the case of war, which can sometimes halt corruption, but in the case of attempting to persuade someone of something, using violence will only make them less likely to agree. The protests that stand out the most, historically, are the silent, peaceful ones, such as Emma Gonzalez’s minutes of silence during the March for Our Lives Rally in March of this year. Perhaps the most famous speech in American history is Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, where he peacefully explained what he and his followers dream of one day achieving. Of course, these are only a start to making an actual change in government or in viewer’s minds, but every movement has to start somewhere.

Young peoples’ minds cannot biologically handle alcohol as adults can Alexis Hanna Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com For the past three decades, the age of purchasing of alcohol has been 21-years-old, older than driver license acquisition (16) and status of adulthood (18). Adulthood is an interesting time, as people can legally purchase a lot of things they could not previously. From cigarettes to Juuls and independent apartments, adulthood has a lot of privileges to it. Eighteen years is the perfect amount of time to purchase and indulge in certain activities. Some may argue that if someone is old enough to serve the country, they should be able to buy alcohol. This is not quite the correct frame of mind. At 18, yes, one can decide to serve the country, attend college or even move out. That does not mean 18-year-olds are mentally stable enough for alcohol purchase. Alcohol is a drug that affects the mind immensely. Alcohol alters not only how one thinks at the moment but their mindset overall. Alcohol is dangerous in a 50-year-old’s life, let alone a teenager’s life. The age of 21 as the legal age of alcohol purchase is reasonable and acceptable. If we lower the age of alcohol purchase, even younger kids will be able to access it. That is not the point of the argument, but it is at the same time. No one can argue that alcohol is not a high school presence, but how would it affect middle school? If 16-year-olds getting access to alcohol from their 18-yearold friends or boyfriends is dangerous, 12-14-year-olds is even worse and more dangerous. Age of purchase for cigarettes is 18 years old. No one should argue the age for this purchase let alone

Violence is unacceptable, especially in response to being asked for an interview.

Photo from Pixabay Alcohol can cause serious long-term damage for those without fully developed brains.

the purchase itself. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes are responsible for one fourth of deaths annually, at 480,000 deaths. Cigarettes are only a stress-reducing and addictive substance. Cigarettes purchasable at 18 years old is acceptable, as long as cigarettes are acceptable. Seventeen and 18 are when you are able to move out of your parents’ house, as well. Some may argue children should be able to move out earlier than 18. In negative situations at home, this argument is valid. If a child does not feel loved, OK or safe in the home they are in, leaving by 16 should be acceptable. Paperwork should be involved, of course, regarding the situation. Some children attempt leaving just because they want to be free and without parental rule,

which is why 18 is a justified age. Freedom requires an insurmountable amount of responsibility and awareness. Children at 16 years old do not obtain that responsibility nor awareness, no matter what they believe. Children in certain circumstances can, as some learn much too early. These are the children who should be granted the ability to leave at 16. Having an age restriction on certain legally problematic issues is a smart idea. Not everyone should be able to move out when they feel like it. No one should be able to smoke cigarettes at an early age. No one should be able to buy drinks before their 20s. The age of mental stability is different for all but around the same for most. Obtaining all specialties at that time is dangerous. Obtaining any beforehand is even more dangerous.

When given the opportunity to take back what his praising of violence, Trump instead decided to reaffirm his claim, stating that Gianforte is a tough cookie and a tremendous person. In this country, at least in the eyes of our president, it is acceptable to assault reporters who are trying to interview the assaulter. By this happening, political reporters, in fact, all reporters, will be wary of requesting interviews or reaching out for information. Jacobs was punched in the face and tackled to the ground. His glasses were broken, and the president believes that attack to be honorable. In dictatorships, the first right to be taken away is usually the freedom of the press. This is not to say that the United States will become a dictatorship, since there are many checks and balances in place to avoid that happening. However, it is truly frightening that there are any parallels at all that can be drawn between Trump and fascism.

OPINION CENSORING REPORTERS

B5 Photo from Pixabay

OPINION

VOLUME LXXXVIII ISSUE VII • www.oswegonian.com

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

inst a g a e c n e l Is vio ever e l p o e p l u hatef ? acceptable

“I don’t think that violence is ever OK...All it does is create more violence.”

Hello -

SPORTS B1

POSTSEASON PREVIEW

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I was interested to read your excellent article on the achievements of our newly promoted D1-A men’s rugby team in your issue of October 19. As the team’s faculty advisor, I have followed the Wizards’ progress closely in this tougher division, and was pleased to see the team bounce back with a couple of good wins to finish the season. What I was disappointed to see, however,

was any mention of the still-undefeated Oswego Black Widows, the fearsome women’s’ team who swept through their division, only conceding a single try over the entire regular season. Last week, the Widows faced similarly undefeated Clarkson University for the State SemiFinal at the Hidden Fields: the Black Widows won 77-0 in a dominant display of force, winning the right to play Niagara University this coming weekend

for the State title. The development of the Black Widows, fueled by outstanding leadership and a strong crop of rookies, is something we should be proud of, and as they drive towards the national championships, we should ensure that our women’s teams get similar coverage to the men’s. Submitted respectfully, Dr. Toby Malone, PhD Oswego Rugby Faculty Advisor

IN THE OFFICE

Creative majors place pressure on students Abby Mincer, education, sophomore “It’s not good to promote [violence] because it leads to more violence in the future.” Maggie Hayes chemistry, freshman “Violence can be used to stop things, but it will keep drawing things out of proportion.” Michael Jean undeclared, freshman “Violence won’t help change other people’s opinions to your side.”

Emily Gustafson undeclared, freshman “I think it’s OK to disagree with people, but using violence against them is never OK.”

STEM majors not only ones who have stressful midterms On a 24-hour basis within the walls of Tyler Hall and Hewitt Hall, students at Oswego State are creating everything from graphic designs on a computer to 6-foot oil paintings on canvas. The final products of artwork created in the studios may appear on social media or be seen while passing through the hallways, but what non-art-major viewers do not see are the countless hours and processes that are required to produce the work they are viewing. Producing college-level artwork is a strong combination of technical, conceptual and visual skills, and people often overlook just how much work an art major will have weighing on their shoulders. Most classes occur twice per week. This does not sound too overbearing, but a semester filled with four of these classes, plus a general education class, is where it starts to get complicated. This schedule will mean an art student’s day could be filled with three classes, but they will spend a total of nine hours in them and repeat this twice per week. These three-hour studio classes only fulfill three credit hours, so students are spending triple the amount of time in a class for no additional credit. Art professors really try to make the most out of the class time with their students. They allow for periodic fiveto 10-minute breaks and for students to use headphones to listen to music while they work on projects. Some sessions are work sessions, while others are filled with lectures and quizzes on textbook material, meaning less time to get work done. Students are expected to come

G UIDELIN ES

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).

prepared with their projects and materials to class, especially on critique days. A college art critique is a three-hour session devoted solely to the project that is due on that given day. All students in the class are required to display their work, and the professor guides the class in speaking about each piece. This is a time for classmates and the professor to give both positive and negative feedback to the student artist. These critiques can turn intense quickly, and it puts each person in the class on the spot to explain and defend their hours of hard work. Each artist’s work is a very personal thing to them. It comes from their mind, and they put their heart into it. It is not uncommon for a professor to tell a student to completely redo a project, ultimately trying to push them to achieve their maximum art potential. This being said, the art professors at Oswego State are always trying to create a personal experience for their students. They genuinely care about their students and are always open to a student’s creative ideas.

Voting on campus not always easy, accessible Vote Oswego aids potential voters in filling out their absentee ballots Luz Robles and Jocelyn Lyon Contributing Writers opinion@oswegonian.com

Starting Monday, Oswego State students will redefine the word, “party,” as Nathan Couse they get the chance to make a differwellness management, ence in an easy and fun environment. With the mid-semester blues setting in, freshman students may be searching for an extra reason to get involved in their civic duty. With the help of Vote Oswego, students will be able to mail their absentee ballots while indulging themselves in free The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935 stamps, snacks and the chance to win exciting prizes. On Monday, Oct. 29 and Tuesday, Oct. 30, Vote Oswego will be hosting an We want your thoughts on our coverage, campus and local issues, or anything Absentee Ballot Party from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Marano Campus Center regarding the Oswego State community. Room 133. Vote Oswego staff will assist Email all letters as Word attachments to opinion@oswegonian.com or mail students in filling out and mailing their

THE OSWEGONIAN

Shea McCarthy Creative Director smccarthy@oswegonian.com

While in-class work is very important, working on projects outside of class is essential to time management and project due dates. Most art professors will photograph students’ projects at the end of each class to indicate how much work they have put in between sessions. This can be very overwhelming when multiple projects are due in the same week, especially during midterms and finals week. While other majors are putting in all-nighters to study for tests, art majors can be found in the painting studio at 2 a.m. putting in that same amount of work. At the beginning of each semester, the college bookstore is jam-packed with non-art students purchasing textbooks for their classes. These textbooks can cost hundreds of dollars, but art majors are spending the same, if not more money, on their studies. Syllabus week for art majors is when the term “starving artist” is most identifiable. They are required to purchase specific art materials for each of their classes, and financial aid is not available for material costs. They are also required to purchase textbooks for art history and general education classes. Every major across campus, no matter the subject, is work intensive in its own way. Being a college student in itself is a journey of individual academic battles, triumphs and learning experiences. Art majors endure a very unique college experience, and most people do not fully understand all they do within the walls of the art buildings at Oswego State.

absentee ballots. For many students on campus, trying to get absentee ballots filled out and mailed is a process. In a time where people are making it harder for people to vote, Vote Oswego is lightening students’ load and has been helping them every step of the way. Coralynn Figueroa, a senior at Oswego State, shared her thoughts on trying to vote on campus. “It’s confusing because they don’t explain the process to you.” Figueroa said. “We always hear that voting is important. but it’s not implemented into the curriculum.” Many people who are involved with Vote Oswego agree that this is a problem and have taken the time to create events that educate students on the voting process. ALANA, an organization that rep-

resents the diversity on campus, states that “voting is necessary for others to hear the voices of the underrepresented population. Many [people] are going through several struggles but don’t have the opportunity to vote. We need to come together as a country and make the right decision and have the equality we want and need.” If students are wondering how to get information about the candidates for this year’s midterm election, Vote Oswego’s website also has that covered (go to voteoswego.com). It is a valuable resource that has everything you need to know to be an informed voter. So, come to the Absentee Ballot Party, have fun and do not miss the chance to get your ballots mailed. Do not forget Election Day is fast approaching on Nov. 6. You have the chance to make a difference.

Zoey

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. Photo provided by @VanRiperKatie on Twitter

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

INSIDE

C2 ‘Halloween’ gets yet C4 ‘Assasin’s Creed’ adds C5 New ‘Daredevil’ season

another reboot

another satisfying entry

Lorem ipsum

Laker Review

fires on all cylinders

FRIDAY Oct. 26, 2018

FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

LAKER REVIEW

Hollywood: Stop making unnecessary, confusing reboots

Why studios will not let series like “Halloween,” or “Terminator” die already

“ Won de r Wo man 1984” gets pu she d back to Ju of 2020 ne d to exte ue nsive resho ot s

Image from John Campea via YouTube Linda Hamilton is set to reprise her iconic role as Sarah Connor in next year’s “Terminator” reboot from “Deadpool” director Tim Miller.

Brandon Fallat Asst. Laker Review Editor bfallat@oswegonian.com This past weekend, David Gordon Green’s “Halloween” proved to be a huge hit at the box office, raking in over $75 million, with an estimated budget of only $10 million. This “Halloween” film is the 11th in the series and the third to be simply called “Halloween.” Like “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later,” this film undid all the series’ films that no one likes, save for the original, to which it serves as a direct sequel. So, this film should really be called “Halloween 2,” but the filmmakers do not want fans getting confused with the “Halloween 2” from 1981 or the Rob Zombie-directed “Halloween 2” from 2009. Zombie’s films, like this one, also served as a reboot of the beloved series intended for modern audiences, but fans did not take too well to the sadistic, grungy tone from the person behind the song “Dragula.” Jamie Lee Curtis (“Scream Queens”) returns to the series this time, though. This has not been done since “Halloween: Resurrection,” “Hallow-

een H20: 20 Years Later” before that and “Halloween 2” before that. Was that confusing? Yes. Why? Because the studios behind the “Halloween” films, like many others, are constantly trying to resuscitate dead franchises in hopes that fans will just forget all the bad sequels and think that having three films in a franchise with the same exact title is normal. Similarly to “Halloween,” the “Terminator” franchise is also following this idea of simply “forgetting” about the bad films in the series, having the currently untitled sixth film be a direct sequel to “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” The film is even bringing back Linda Hamilton as the iconic Sarah Connor, just like “Halloween” did with Curtis. Clearly, this particular iteration of the Michael Myers story worked, bringing in gobs of money and pleasing fans of the series while also capitalizing on the 40th anniversary of the original film. However, is this series ever going to definitively end? Will fans ever see Michael Myers’ endless career of slaughters and assaults screech to a halt? The stu-

dios have milked a very simple story of killer-killsteens for 40 years now, and whenever the series dies out or one narrative is finished, Curtis comes back to kick everything off again. This is similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger with “Terminator,” Bruce Willis with “Die Hard,” Sylvester Stallone with “Rocky” and “Rambo,” Harrison Ford with “Indiana Jones” and almost Sigourney Weaver with “Alien.” Think about it. How many film franchises have actually ended and not been rebooted, remade or resurrected? “Back to the Future” finished its story in the 80s, and that was that, a finished story, on to the next original idea. This year, fans got a third reboot of the “Predator” series. It arrived to theaters with embarrassingly poor reviews and mediocre box-office returns. When studios are in need of some fast cash, they go back to the well and make another sequel to “Pirates of the Caribbean,” even though the narrative was completed after the third film, leading to two critically reviled sequels. Look at the “Toy Story” trilogy, one of the most beloved series of films ever

made, a perfect three-act story. A fourth film is currently slated to come out next year, in addition to the sixth “Terminator” film and even a reboot of “Hellboy,” a new addition to the “franchises that will seemingly never die” club. It may not be a terrible thing that big movie studios have properties that continue to excite fans for years and years. In 40 years, are fans going to be celebrating the 80th anniversary of “Halloween” with “Halloween 34: He’s Still Alive”? Will any franchise ever have the guts to simply tell the full story it wishes to tell and then close the book? Sequels and reboots are not inherently bad, and for certain types of franchises, such as comic book heroes or anything else based on pre-existing material, there may be enough stories to keep a series going for 100 years like “Godzilla” or “James Bond.” But four decades of a serial killer franchise? Michael, you had a good run, best to end on top, though. Fans do not want a repeat of “Halloween: Resurrection.” There is only so much Busta Rhymes a human can take.

“Dallas Buyers Club” director Jean-Marc Vallee is set to direct a film detailing the relationship between John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Netflix cancels both “Iron Fist” an d “Luke Cage” in one fell swoo p, lea ding to speculation about Disney interference

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

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‘Halloween’ 2018 proves that women can handle serial killers Francesca Miesner Opinion Editor fmiesner@oswegonian.com

Jamie Lee Curtis (“Scream Queens”) starred in the original “Halloween” in 1978. Her character, Laurie Strode, is the only survivor of the relentless serial killer Michael Myers. Donning a painted William Shatner mask, viewers all over the world feared him. The film itself was able to define a genre. Therefore, in May 2016, when the “official” sequel was announced, fans of the genre, the movie and strong female leads were excited. Finally, after several mediocre sequels and remakes, John Carpenter, the writer and director of the original “Halloween,” and Curtis worked together as executive producers to provide an equally campy and frightening experience as they did previously. In the first film, Laurie Strode comes off as an intellectual highschooler who has no real skills that would allow her to survive. Because of this, Laurie, in the years following the “Halloween” massacre, trained intensively in combat and firearms.

Image from Universal Pictures via YouTube Michael Myers returns to the franchise that made him a star in 2018’s “Halloween.”

Additionally, she “Michael-proofed” her home to keep those she cared about safe. The viewer understands just how horrifying Michael Myers is. This paranoia that Laurie displays, both on and off screen, provides a really interesting tension between Laurie and her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer, “Room 104.”) Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak, “Blue Bloods”), despite by being raised by Karen, who is hyper-critical of Laurie, feels some level of empathy for both of them. In modern film, if there is an argument, screenwriters make it so that the line between right and wrong is clearly drawn.

“Halloween” (1978) is arguably the most defining film for the horror genre. It jump-started the slasher subgenre, raking in over $70 million worldwide. It used chilling point-ofview shots to make the audience feel like Michael Myers. It did not rely on heavy gore, but rather the fear of a man being pure evil strong and enough to withstand bullets. From these criteria alone, the most recent “Halloween” provides the sequel that fans were craving. The film did not rely on gore or jump-scares to frighten the audience. In fact, it uses hardly any true jump-scares. All the fear comes from the empathy that viewers

hold for the female-dominated cast. The women in the film were enough to make viewers care. They were all relatable, justified and morally sound. Each of the characters had their flaws, making them more believable and likeable. The “Halloween” (1978) film is categorized as horror, and, for the time, it lived up to the genre. In the case of “Halloween” (2018), however, if viewers who frequent the genre are anticipating a film with major scares, they will leave disappointed. The R rating is really only due to a few moments of gore. The categorization as horror by IMDB is incorrect. If viewers enter this movie under the assumption that it is a thriller, they will leave substantially more content. Lately, film critics are claiming that female leads are either there for only diversity or are poorly written, existing only as props to the men. To the excitement of many, Laurie Strode and the females in her family are not only the main focus of the movie, but are also the ones who are smart and coordinated enough to perhaps stop Michael Myers, which is made clear from the beginning. All

the women have their own diverse personalities, and at no point was the tension between them reduced to cattiness, something too common in modern movies. The horror movie often wants to pander to an audience, as well. This is why “A Quiet Place” was overrated. That movie killed off a single person in the beginning rather abruptly, setting the tone as a ruthless movie where they would not be scared to kill again. The problem, however, is that they were, and virtually no one else died from the seemingly impenetrable monsters. “Halloween” (2018) set up the beginning as brutal and followed through appropriately. It kept a similar pace with amount of violence and brutality throughout the film, which kept viewers captivated. The new “Halloween” was extremely enjoyable to watch for a lover of the slasher and thriller genres. If viewers enter this movie eagerly waiting to leave the theater screaming or vomiting, they will be disappointed. The movie was well written, acted, directed and shot, all while maintaining the elements of the original that gave it the notoriety and praise that it deserved.

Myers has been stalking the player (complete with the “Halloween” music), and it is up to the player to lose him or get a game over. By mixing horror and competitive multiplayer, “Dead By Daylight” can bring the fear back to some of horror’s greatest icons.

toward graphics that verge on photo-realism and realistic gameplay. One game that almost certainly bridges this gap is “Until Dawn.” This game is different from many others on the market. There is no combat, no game over and no retry. The player is brought to the Washington Estate and given eight teenagers that will go through a night of horror. Each choice that is made will decide who dies and who survives until

Four video games to keep people busy on Halloween Stephen Novak Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com The divide between horror games and films is vast. On one hand, many iconic villains have been made in the wake of horror cinema: Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Leatherface to name a few. In the medium of video games, player involvement adds a whole new dimension. By forcing the audience to solve the situation, a different kind of anxiety is reached. Laurie Strode hiding in a locker while Michael Myers passes by is scary, but one can always rest safely knowing they are not in the situation - at least, until now. So, consider these four games to provide some great scares for this Halloween weekend. 1. “Resident Evil 7” One of the progenitors of scary games was “Resident Evil,” a slightly goofy game

about shooting zombies in a mansion. As time has gone on, changes were made to update the gameplay with modern times, focusing more on action rather than scares. Thankfully, “Resident Evil 7” brings back the horror with intense cat-andmouse gameplay. Players find themselves stranded in the Baker Mansion, home to a family of homicidal maniacs and mold monsters. Both of these creatures can easily take down an unaware player without warning. 2. “Alien: Isolation” Many film-related games do not tend to reach past the realms of mediocre. That is why when Creative Assembly had announced its plans to make “Alien: Isolation,” a game based on the nostalgic “Alien” franchise, many people were fearful. Those fears were quickly replaced once the game was released. By carefully facing an alien stalker, players find them-

selves in a deadly game of wits against a monster that can learn their tactics and adapt to each new encounter. Knowing the alien is learning the player and getting inside their mind creates a new fear in and of itself for players. 3. “Dead By Daylight” Sadly, many horror icons never make it past the screen. Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Jigsaw and LeatherFace will more than likely all find themselves being tied to their film franchises alone. However, cameo appearances are never out of the question. That is why when “Dead By Daylight” included the option to play as these horror icons, as well as a large cast of original characters, many people got reasonably hyped. “Dead By Daylight” pits four survivors against one killer, all controlled by other players. Some things will never be scarier than turning around and noticing that Michael

4. “Until Dawn” Some games try their best to mimic television. A large amount of focus is being put

Image from IGN via YouTube “Alien: Isolation” is one of four games that will entertain gamers on Halloween.

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

Greta Van Fleet releases new album ‘Anthem of the Peaceful Army’

Mary Kate Moylan Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

On Oct. 19, the Michigan-native band Greta Van Fleet released its first full-length album titled “Anthem of the Peaceful Army.” This follows two EPs collectively released later as an album called “From The Fires.” With hits like “Highway Tune” and “Safari Song,” Greta Van Fleet was instantly branded the new Led Zeppelin of the generation. Sporting a voice much like Robert Plant, the band has had quite the time breaking away from that stigma. The band consists of brothers Josh, Jake and Sam Kiszka and friend Danny Wagner. While having tried with past songs like “Flower Power,” the band uses the album “Anthem of the Peaceful Army” to break away from the stigma. It has also mingled with covers like “A Change is Gonna Come” and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” Easing into the 11-track album,

“Age of Man” is an ode to enlightenment and the course of nature. Heavily referencing Christian beliefs and the mythologies that intertwine with nature, the first song is soft rock and has a beautiful arrangement that stirs the soul for a nostalgia that has yet to even form. “And as we came into the clear / To find ourselves where we are here / Who is the wiser to help us steer? / And will we know when the end is near?” The progressions throughout the song showcase different elements within the lead’s voice that is unlike his typically howl, at least until the final verse. One of the first released singles from the album “When The Curtain Falls” leans back on what Greta Van Fleet is known for: melding rock ‘n’ roll with today’s music scene. Other than The Struts, there are not many that can do it quite like Greta Van Fleet, especially with its signature Led Zeppelin-like guitar and vocals: “When the curtain falls / Walk the hollow halls, babe / Once a valley doll / Now you’re not at all, no.” Telling the story of a young star struggling in the limelight, “When The

Curtain Falls” is definitely one of the more rock-heavy tracks. With the lead’s distinct vocals and range, he allows there to be a lot explored within the absence of lyrics. “You’re the One” is one of the few stripped-back songs. Reminiscing much with “Flower Power,” “You’re The One” pulls from the roots of ’70s rock, using the likes of electric keyboard and gentler tones on the guitar. Kiszka also exhibits

a different side of his voice that is nearly unrecognizable compared to his Plant-esque edge, which peaks with the chorus. A simple yet predictable love ballad, this song is one that pulls at the heartstrings and is a refreshing sound for the young band, describing a fresh love but with the heart of an old soul. Mimicking the title of another song off the album, “Lover, Leaver (Taker, Believer)” delivers a new

Image from Greta Van Fleet via YouTube “When the Curtain Falls” is the first song on Greta Van Fleet’s new album.

take on the earlier track “Lover, Leaver,” a short-lived yet fiery song of merely three and a half minutes. With the final track, Greta Van Fleet extends the original track by two and a half minutes and inflates the tune with a series of guitar solo instrumental filled with lulling vocal murmurs. It adds falling vocals that parallel the scales of the guitar, which only build and execute the piece to a peak until it echoes in conclusion, leaving it the perfect song with which to close the debut album. In the words of the artists, “Our music is based on nature. I think that’s really what inspires it all. I think that’s what the universe is, and I think that’s what brings us all together.” Greta Van Fleet embraces the natural harmony of rock ‘n’ roll throughout all of its phases and experiments with its strengths and weaknesses, making it a worthwhile listen. More so a band one would rather see live, its discography is growing for the better as the members develop further as musicians and find their own unique voice.

New ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’ settings do not equal better gameplay

Image from Ubisoft North America via YouTube “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey” showcases a brand-new setting and method of gameplay for longtime players.

Stephen Novak Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

After a soft reboot with “Assassins Creed Origins,” Ubisoft has released its next title in the long-running “Assassin’s Creed” series. This time, the series goes even further back, to the age of ancient Greece, a time even before the titular assassins were formed. That might cause one to

question what this game has to contribute to the long-running canon. Unfortunately, even the game does not seem to have an answer to that question. Taking the players to the lands of Athens and Sparta comes with some certain connotations. For starters, the quiet, stealthy, urban espionage tactics of the previous games would be out of place in a culture that took gleeful joy in tossing their enemies’ heads off mountains to appease the gods. In response to that, the stealth

has been reworked from hiding in crowds and inside piles of hay in favor of hiding in tall grass. Despite this, the new version is serviceable, no doubt thanks to the many skills that the player can acquire. Another new system added is an in-depth character customization system, which brings in various role-playing elements like specializing in stealth, combat or ranged combat. Another addition is the ability to choose the gender of one’s character. At the

outset of the game, the player is asked to choose between Alexios or Kassandra, two descendants of Leonidas. While the two are not fairly interesting or captivating in their own way, they offer a good shell onto which any player can project themselves. Sadly, the same cannot be said for some of the other characters, who suffer from awkward writing and voice work. This is most evident when the player is asked to step into the shoes of Layla Hassan in the modern day. While not a deal-breaker (her gameplay segments are very short), her sections drag the player away from the action to showcase a paperthin storyline that is made worse by the abysmal voice acting by Chantel Riley. Pacing would have to the be main problem with “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.” While the addition of leveling up and specializing a build that works for each respective player is exciting, players will constantly find themselves pitted against enemies with higher levels. This means the player cannot stealth kill those enemies if they sneak up on

them, and engaging in a duel will be an uphill battle. This can be remedied by investing in an ability that allows the stealth attack to do three times the normal damage. However, this can only be unlocked after roughly 10 hours of play time. In the meantime, the only recourse is to undertake side missions, as they provide the biggest amount of experience that makes players stronger (this still leaves the player grinding for hours on end). A cynical person might notice this in conjunction with the games that offer to double the players experience intake for a paltry $10. Underneath the pacing and lackluster plot, there is still fun to be found. While not what players might be looking for in a game called “Assassin’s Creed,” the combat is deep and skillful, which can still be entertaining even after the player hits their 50th hour. Its attempts at reinvention do not fall completely flat; there is still some color in its cheeks again, and the role-playing elements add a certain degree of depth that audiences will find lacking in other releases this year.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

‘Daredevil’ season 3 gives life to Marvel’s Netflix universe

Image from Netflix via YouTube

After subpar seasons of “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage” and “Iron Fist,” Marvel’s “Daredevil” exceeds expectations.

Dominic Rizzi Laker Review Editor drizzi@oswegonian.com

Rating: Netflix has been having a rough time with its original Marvel-comics-related properties. Roughly three years ago, the entire idea of having another universe set within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe came around. Jeph Loeb and Ike Perlmutter commissioned Drew Goddard to come up with something that was continuing from the path “House of Cards” had started two years before: to craft a season of television around the character of Daredevil that had the look and feel of a rated-R, gritty street drama. Lo and behold, in March 2015, roughly two months before the Marvel movies would wrap up their second phase with “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Daredevil was released directly to Netflix. It was a tremendous success, with particular praise going toward its cinematography, style, fight choreography (particularly its affinity for tight space fighting) and performances from Charlie Cox (“King of Thieves”) as Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio (“Death Wish”) as Wilson Fisk.

The experiment continued, as the first season of “Jessica Jones” followed later that year in November, which was similar to “Daredevil” in its scope but vastly different in its subject matter, tackling issues of rape, abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder. After that, a second season of “Daredevil” was released in March, this time furthering this tiny “pocket-verse” within the greater MCU by introducing such figures as The Punisher (Jon Bernthal, “Shot Caller”), Elektra Natchios (Elodie Yung, “The Defenders”) and the Hand. Then, the first season of “Luke Cage” came around. While critically praised for its first seven episodes, dealing with racial tensions and police brutality, the show quickly fell off after its seventh episode with the death of fan-favorite villain Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (Mahershala Ali, “Roxanne Roxanne”). Then, “Iron Fist” happened, and it was basically over, as that series was criticized for its poor choice in a lead character, bad writing, a flimsy plot and story and an overreliance on the mystical, something that seemed to be dragging the Netflix series down the more it went on. It was so damaging that the big crossover event between the four heroes at

that point, “The Defenders” was all but critically panned. Did the TV side of Marvel fail where the movies had succeeded too well? To put this into perspective, the individual seasons of a Marvel TV show would usually correlate with the release of a movie. “Iron Fist” premiered a few weeks before “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2,” “The Defenders” premiered around the same time as “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” and the newest spin-off, “The Punisher,” aired a few short weeks after “Thor: Ragnarok.” To say the least, the movie side had a much better time in 2017 than the TV side. 2018 was looking to be very similar, as the second seasons of “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage” and “Iron Fist” received mixed reviews. It has now even gotten to the point that Netflix has cancelled both “Iron Fist” and “Luke Cage,” in part due to the pending release of Disney’s streaming service. Fortunately, not all is lost with the Netflix-verse, as the third season of “Daredevil” premiered on Friday, Oct. 19. Against all odds, the season has proved to be a return to form for the Netflix-verse. Every episode of the 13-episode season was pristinely plotted out. They are filled to the brim with tension and action but,

above all else, focused on character. Matt Murdock, at the end of “The Defenders,” was a broken man. A building collapsed on top of him, killing off his love Elektra once again and leaving him damaged, hopeless and angry at God for his slights. To top everything off, Wilson Fisk, his ultimate enemy, has brokered a deal with the FBI in order to get out of jail. With this season, Netflix solved a fundamental problem that had been afflicting most of its content so far: it doubles down by focusing on the individual story and characters and regrounding it in a world that makes sense. It helps to give the overall story much more stakes and, by default, makes the audience care more about the characters. Besides Murdock and Fisk, supporting players Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll, “The Punisher”) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson, “Luke Cage”) get much more individual screen time, finally getting to thrive without being in Matt’s shadow. Karen, in particular, gets a solo episode that not only justifies her guilt that she carries around constantly but also shows a darker side that makes viewers understand her as a person even more. The breakout star here,

however, is the man who almost became Captain America himself, Wilson Bethel as Agent Ben “Dex” Poindexter, whom many comic book fans will recognize as the alias of the character Bullseye. The introduction to this character is interesting enough, showcasing his incredible prowess of hitting with pinpoint accuracy. The show goes one step further, peeling him back layer by layer, revealing that not only has he been dark from an early age, but he was in a way that can make people sympathize with him, which is always a sure-fire way to have a rich character. Bethel’s performance is also fantastic because, even during his freak-out moments, he maintains a very strict composure that makes him so interesting. Overall, the third season of “Daredevil” had many hurdles to overcome, but it did so with grace. Regardless of what the future holds for this micro-verse with Disney swooping in and scooping up every superhero property under the sun for itself, Netflix can relax knowing that, of the four efforts it put out this year, one of them was a tremendous success. “Daredevil” season three is most definitely a must-watch.

Image from Netflix via YouTube

Matt Murdock goes through hell in an emotionally charged new season.

FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

Crossword Puzzle

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

Down 1. Leg hinge 2. Ages and ages 3. Shoe fastener 4. Greek letter 5. Symphony 6. Franklin ___ Roosevelt 7. New Year’s ___ 8. Island off India (2 wds.) 9. Milk measure 10. Choir singer 11. Broadway sign 16. Old cloth 20. Balanced 22. Destroy completely 23. Sleeping place

24. Nautical assent 25. Play the ponies 26. Splendor 28. Raised railways 29. Notice 30. Amtrack depot (abbr.) 32. Love deity 35. Overjoyed 38. Eternally, in verse 39. Actor ___ Guinness 40. Shredded 41. Put down 43. Burn balm 44. Portable shelter 45. Boundary 47. Resort 48. Chef’s measure (abbr.)

Across 1. Seaweed 5. Certain poem 8. Extend over 12. Ark skipper 13. Race the engine 14. Aggravate 15. Surround 17. Division term 18. Wind direction (abbr.) 19. I see! 20. Rock star ___ John 21. Swiss city 23. Baseball’s ___ Ruth 27. Pain 31. Shoelace hole 33. Sock type 34. Hindered 36. On a cruise 37. Certain hockey player 39. Road guide 42. Fighter pilot 43. Snacked 46. Bank transaction 47. Frightened 49. Funnyman ___ Idle 50. Teacher’s favorite 51. Ditty 52. Hand over 53. Lemon beverage 54. ___ Sampras of tennis

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

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018

Quality Student Housing. 3, 4, 5, 8 bedroom houses. Close to campus. Free washer and dryer. Snow removal and lawn care. 315-952-2902.

Flashback Friday On Oct. 26, 1984, the sci-fi classic “The Terminator” was released in the U.S. The film, directed by James Cameron, starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the title role, alongside Linda Hamilton. It spawned four sequels with a new fifth installment, starring the two original leads slated to release in 2019.

Contact bfallat@oswegonian.com

Image from YouTube Movies via YouTube

Oswego Cinema 7 Weekend of Oct. 26 - 28 Halloween

11:55 a.m. 2:40 p.m.

5:15 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

The Hate U Give

11:50 a.m.

3:50 p.m.

6:50 p.m.

9:50 p.m.

Hunter Killer

11:25 a.m. 2:10 p.m.

4:55 p.m.

7:40 p.m.

Smallfoot

11:20 a.m. 1:40 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

6:20 p.m.

Goosebumps 2: 11:30 a.m. 2:25 p.m. Haunted Halloween

4:40 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

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

10:30 p.m.

10:25 p.m.

9:15 p.m.