The Oswegonian 11-14-19 by The Oswegonian

Look Inside: A3 Oswego students prepare for the winter season

Friday, Nov. 15, 2019 VOLUME LXXXIV ISSUE XV SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

Club softball members verbally harassed during practice

SA considers bill to limit expenses

Legislation would limit clubs’ ability to use budgets for food

Julia Tilley Asst. News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com On Nov. 12, Student Association Vice President Matthew O’Donnell proposed a bill he wrote alongside Student Association Director of Finance Ryan Green. The bill, SLE.55.17: Too Much Pizza, lays out both O’Donnell’s and Green’s desire to cut back on clubs and organizations spending money unnecessarily. This proposed bill is one of two or three more to follow, cutting spending in areas like organization apparel. An exception would be club sports, who are required to have certain apparel. What would happen in this situation, should that bill be passed, is jerseys would be nonpersonalized and returned to SA

after graduation. “We believe that the student association fee, which comes into the student association budget, is not helping students; it’s helping individual organizations,” O’Donnell said. According to both O’Donnell and Green, they found multiple clubs spending leftover funds, especially at the end of a school year, on food for members of their organization. Many clubs and organizations use this leftover money out of fear that they will lose any funds they did not use when requesting a budget for the next year. Any funds not used go back into the SA reserve. Currently, there is not a lot of funds in the reserve, causing difficulties with SA, which has been trying to give campus life jurisdiction over club sports. However, they need money to run these sports, which

would have to be given by SA, according to O’Donnell. O’Donnell explained that there are two sides to SA: an advocacy side, and a financial side. While this administration is focusing on the finances, others before focused mainly on advocacy, contributing to the severe debt SA finds themselves in. Should SA not fix this deficit, they may lose all funding, and be unable to help and provide for clubs as they currently do. Considering that SA is in debt, some senators are very on-board with the proposed bill. “Many clubs feel if they provide food for their members, that gives them the incentive to attend meetings,” said SA senator and rules and judiciary chair Maryjay Olalekan. “That is not the way we want our clubs to run, we want them to grow

See LEGISLATION, A4

Photo provided by Jade Laplante Students were alerted days after the club softball team faced harassment during a practice.

Stephen Novak Asst. Laker Review Editor snovak@oswegonian.com On Nov. 7 a campus-wide email was sent out detailing an instance of harassment against the Oswego State club softball team. The email in question was in response to two in men who had reportedly bothered the players by gawking at them and calling out to them, even asking if they could join in the club’s game. Another incident was also reported which centered around three to five men in a car driving past and jeering at the team. It is unknown if these men were students of Oswego State. These incidents are considered harassment under the Oswego State student handbook code of conduct, which states that harassment is anything that “interferes with or is disruptive to the learning environment, College process or activities, and/or educational interests and mission of the College,” Vice President of Student Affairs Jerri How-

land said to anyone who finds themselves in an instance of harassment should immediately contact University Police. Softball club President Katrina Johnson elaborated further, claiming that the men had remained nearby and were prompted by the team to leave, before coming back later that night, bothering the team further. “We went back and forth for a little while, I let them know that they were making people uncomfortable,” Johnson said. Johnson said she has experienced harassment as a member of the club softball team. She said that ever since she joined the club in 2016, she has had people bother her. “A lot of the time its people screaming catcalls at us from cars,” Johnson said. “That’s happened to me when we were there to practice, that’s happened to me when I’m talking to my friends, it’s even happened to me outside of practice when I’m playing softball with friends outside

See DEAN, A6

CONTENT

DIGBY’S NEW ROLE

Oswegonian.com

Laker Review

Opinion

Sports Calendar...................... A3 Crossword................... C6 Contact Info................ A2 Laker Review.............. C1 News............................. A1 Opinion........................ B5 Sports........................... B1 Sudoku........................ C7

Colin Hawkins | The Oswegonian Although the bill has not yet been finalized senators already started thinking of ways to modify the bill, which will be amended next week.

SEX WORK REGULATION KOJIMA STRIKES AGAIN

Casey Stone | The Oswegonian

Photo from Pixabay

Image from PlayStation via YouTube

STUDY ABROAD GALLERY

Web Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

PAGE 2

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Weekend Forecast

Gonian Social

FRIDAY, NOV. 15 THROUGH SUNDAY, NOV. 17

Friday

H: 40 °

Sunday

Saturday

L: 14 °

H: 27°

40%

L: 13 °

H: 35 °

L: 26 °

The Oswegonian

@TheOswegonian

@the_oswegonian

@GonianSports

@GonianLRO

Chance of Precipitation

NEW YORK STATE

WEATHER FRIDAY, NOV. 15

Potsdam 36°/1°

Oswego 40°/14°

Buffalo 35°/15°

Syracuse 40°/18°

Brandon J. Miller, 32, was arrested at 1:50 a.m. on Nov.

Albany 46°/18°

9 for criminal mischief after breaking a window at the Ferris Wheel bar. Debby J. Moyett, 23, was arrested at 6:54 p.m. on Nov. 4 for operating an unregistered motor vehicle and possession of marijuana and a controlled substance.

NYC 52°/30°

Weather forecast provided by Joseph Champaign from WTOP-10

George C. Knighton, 25, was arrested at 9:42 p.m. on Nov. 5 for violating a duly sworn court order by physically

Extended Forecast Monday

Tuesday

harrassing the protected party.

MONDAY, NOV. 18 THROUGH FRIDAY, NOV. 22

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Erica J. Germain, 38, was arrested at 9:22 p.m. on Nov. 4 on an active bench warrant for failing to register a canine.

H: 38 °

L: 33 °

H: 42 °

L: 35 °

H: 43 °

L: 36 °

H: 42 °

L: 36 °

H: 40 °

L: 35 °

Ericka L Milburn, 37, was arrested at 1:48 a.m. on Nov. 4 for driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed

40%

50%

40%

Chance of Precipitation

The Oswegonian

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NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

We believe that the student association fee, which comes into the student association budget, is not helping students; it’s helping individual organizations.”

-Matthew O’Donnell, from COVER

Oswego State unprepared for winter, first snow

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Options on campus for students who need assistance

Eurokah Sejour Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com With many students unprepared for the snowy season at Oswego State, the on-campus community offered some tips and resources in order to stay safe and warm during the harsh climate. As students are waiting for the winter necessities from their parents and loved ones, they seem to be at the mercy of the cold weather. Annabella Zocco, an Oswego State freshman, said she is “terrified” of the snowy weather. “It is freezing,” Zocco said. “My mom sent me winter gloves.” On Tuesday, Oswego was expected to receive “9-10 inches of snow, said Brittney Sparceno, a sophomore broadcasting major and a meteorologist for WTOP-10, the student TV news station at Oswego State. “I think they should have one more blue route [bus],” Zocco said. “In order to compensate for the one blue route running being too full as it gets colder.” Many students did not expect the winter weather at Oswego State to arrive as early as it did and while it is not the college’s responsibility to clothe students, if people do not

have winter gear it could easily become a safety concern. “Thrifty Shopper has 25% off on Thursdays,” Natalie Trainor, an intern at the sustainability office said. She hopes it is a more affordable alternative as students wait for their winter gear to arrive. With students, especially freshmen not knowing what to expect, the majority tend to be unprepared. “I’m not ready,” freshman Julissa Juarez said. “I didn’t expect it to get this cold in November, so I don’t have a coat. I only have a jacket, so I have to wear a long sleeve and a sweater and a hoodie and like a thin jacket and rain boots.” As she prepares for winter, Sparceno is not just preparing herself. “Make sure you have winter tires on your car and make sure there’s tread as well. Also pick up your windshield wipers so they don’t freeze down on the windshield and make sure you have gas,” Sparceno said. To help those around him be safer, Michael Jean, a resident assistant at Oneida Hall, hopes to make a difference by making “a winter necessities” list for his residents. At Oswego State, another resource that is helpful in case of any winter unpreparedness is The Students Helping Oz Peers project, or

most commonly known as SHOP. The SHOP program is coordinated by Ariel Gutman-Gates and “is a center of resources for the SUNY Oswego community,” Gutman-Gates said. “It is a free, confidential place where people can come and get what they need or want,” GutmanGates said. “They sign up for SHOP once and then after that they will receive an ID number that allows them to come back and get whatever they might need or want.” SHOP has been open since October 2016 and supplies members of campus with non-perishable food, gently used clothing and toiletries. “We also do specialty events throughout the year,” Gates said. “We have a free Thanksgiving basket giveaway that is currently going on. Anyone can email SHOP@oswego. edu by the 18th to receive the link to get their very own Thanksgiving basket for free. Each basket has a traditional Thanksgiving meal and a $10 gift card to Price Chopper.” SHOP is located in room three in the basement of Penfield Library. “SHOP is an awesome resource for all students, regardless of what their situation. We are always willing to work with people so they can get what they need or want,” Gates said.

$1 Show, 5 p.m., Friday, Tyler Hall 213

Latino Student Union dinner: Mi Casa Es Su Casa, 6 p.m., Saturday, Hewitt Hall Ballroom

Don Giovanni, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Waterman Theater

The Village Renaissance, 8 p.m., Saturday, Village Commons

I, Too, Am Study Abroad: Student Life Overseas, 4 p.m., Monday, Marano Campus Center 114

International Opportunities After Graduation, 5 p.m., Wednesday, Marano Campus Center 201

NY-24 Congressional Candidate Forum, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Marano Campus Center 132

Dead Man’s Cell Phone: Preview, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Waterman Theater

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

College Community Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Waterman Theater

Although some Oswego State students came to school prepared for the winter weather, others were caught off-guard during Tuesday’s snow-

Fashion at Oswego presented in front of the senate, asking for a total of $3,205. The organization is hoping to host another pop-up shop like they have in the past. The budget breaks down as follows: $900 for lighting and sound; $225 for DJ services; $480 for eight vendors’ tables; $800 for a wellknown host; $300 for five vendors’ transportation; the rest of the money would go toward things like decorations and photographers. The bill is to be written and voted on next week, should the organization meet with the finance committee.

The senate voted on SLE.55.11: Men’s Volleyball. Originally, the men’s club volleyball team requested a total of $340, with $279.90 of that total going towards 10 custom shirts for the team’s uniform and $60.60 going toward four pairs of shorts. However, after speaking with the finance committee, the men’s club volleyball team said they were able to fundraise for their needed uniforms. They asked that the $340 be put toward their league dues. The senate voted on the bill and awarded the $340.

Student Association Vice President Matthew O’Donnell wrote and presented SLE.55.16: Hey, I’ve Heard That Before. The bill proposed recording audio of student association meetings. The main reasons behind this bill included

giving more detailed and accurate notes for their weekly meeting minutes, since senators can sometimes speak quickly, making it difficult for the chief of staff to dictate all of what is said for meetings. O’Donnell spoke with student association’s attorney Kristin Shanely, to ensure recording meetings was allowed and how to go about implementing it. The bill was debated during the meeting and was passed.

TwO bills were tabled until further notice. SLE.55.14: Collective Voices and SLE.55.15: Justice for the Justice Club were not discussed or voted on, due to the organizations not meeting with the finance committee. After the organizations attend the required meeting, the senate will vote on or amend the bill, if needed.

NEWS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Legislation considered to curb Alex’s on the Water provides lakeside dining excess club spending on food While closed for winter, local restaurant offers view of lake NEW from COVER However, this does not mean student organizations will be unable to cater events. The catered events will have to serve the Oswego State community, not just current club members. The main idea is to take back unused funds to help fix some of the debt SA is facing. Another way to combat this is trying to get rid of “historical funding,” where organizations are given the same budget as years prior. “Let’s say you had three events, and we find out two weren’t successful. Normally, we’d be funding all events, including the un-

successful ones, but we’re trying to think of a way to only fund the successful ones, and maybe also a risk one, where it’s a new event where it might be successful, it might not be,” O’Donnell said. “But in the end, the organization still has a chance.” The bill was widely debated during the last senate meeting, with senators bringing up various points, including how they could enforce this rule and the negative effects it may have on clubs and organizations. During the next SA meeting, senators will work together to amend the bill and later vote on it. If the bill gets approved, it will take effect in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Rachel McKenna Chief Copy Editor rmckenna@oswegonian.com Oswego sunsets are known to be beautiful, with the town overlooking Lake Ontario. Watching those sunsets while eating a meal with your close family and friends is something that the restaurant Alex’s on the Water offers. Alex’s on the Water, located on 24 East 1st St., offers an inside and outside section of the establishment. The outside is a patio that consists of tables for customers to sit and eat at and an outdoor bar overlooking the water. “It’s such a pretty place. The fact that it’s right on the water is great, and that they have the nice outdoor patio. They can heat it if it’s chilly, it’s great to be outdoors,” Julie Pretzat, dean of the school of communications, media and the arts at Oswego State said. Pretzat is one of the restaurants loyal customers, holding an annual event there called Drinks on the Dean. Pretzat holds this event in May, the week of finals, and invites the whole staff and faculty of the department of communications. She hands out vouchers and buys the first drink that everybody orders there. Everyone is welcome to stay and order more drinks, and there is catered food provided by Alex’s on the Water. “We gather down at Alex’s on the outdoor patio and people come in

and just have lots of down time,” Pretzat said. “We get to interact with each other and have conversations that we don’t often get the opportunity to do during the semester because we are all so busy.” The food provided tends to many different eating restrictions that some might have, because of the restaurants “varied menu,” Pretzat said. Alex’s on the Water gives the dean the options of vegetarian, vegan and glutenfree food for everyone that attends the event. Keeping up with the taste of what customers want is a challenge that most restaurants struggle with, especially in a small town. Alex’s on the Water is known as one of Oswego’s “nicer” restaurants, people flocking to it for a fancier night out. However, this is not a name that Alex’s on the Water wants attached to itself. “When you label yourself fine dining, it kind of scares people away. You want the blue collar customers to come in,” Mark Pluff, the manager of operations at Alex’s on the Water, said. Alex’s on the Water wants to invite everyone to come inside. They do not want to turn people away because they seem too fancy. With this goal, they want to make sure customers, like college students, feel comfortable to choose their restaurant for the night out. “Alex’s on the Water is such a beautiful place and some people get kind of intimidated when they go down there and look at it, thinking, ‘I

can’t go in there if we’re not dressed up’ and that’s something we don’t want to be,” Pluff said. “We want to be the average joe that you can go in there and have a good time, bring your family in and sit down and have a good meal.” However, the atmosphere of Alex’s on the Water does depend a lot on the location of their spot. Being located right on the water makes their spot seasonal. In recent years, Alex’s on the Water decided to close during the winter months after realizing their business decreased significantly because of cold weather and earlier sunsets. Closing may not affect the customers, but the employees must find another way to bring in money during those months out of work. Employees that have worked at Alex’s on the Water for a few years tend to collect unemployment during these winter months, according to Pluff. He also mentioned that some do get other jobs in restaurants, such as Steamers, that are owned by the same company as Alex’s on the Water. The restaurant opens up again around April. Although Alex’s on the Water closes during the colder months, their employees and their customers are still loyal. They are still a staple in Oswego, where many people come for the friendly atmosphere and good food, including Oswego State student Anna Boyd. “It’s nice, but it’s not too over the top. So it’s good to celebrate special moments with friends and family,” Boyd said.

Colin Hawkins | The Oswegonian Student Association meets every Tuesday night to discuss bills and decide club funding requests.

Rachel McKenna | The Oswegonian While Alex’s on the Water is closed for the season, diners in warmer months can enjoy live music on the restaurant’s waterside patio dining area and bar.

News: chawkins@oswegonian.com Sports: mwatling@oswegonian.com Opinion: fmiesner@oswegonian.com Laker Review: bfallat@oswegonian.com

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A5 NEWS Dining halls expand vegan, vegetarian menu Oswego State updates lights THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

With more students switching to plant-based diets, options grow

on dark campus walkways

Angelina Zingariello Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com

Alexander Gault-Plate Editor-in-Chief aplate@oswegonian.com

If someone asked for vegan food up until about five years ago, they would be met with surprised faces. Fast forward to 2019, the statistics show how times have changed. According to the Vegan Society, veganism by definition, is a way of living which seeks to exclude as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. The number of U.S. consumers identifying as vegan grew from 1% to 6% between 2014 and 2017, a 600% increase, according to GlobalData. Sales of plant-based alternatives to foods including meat, cheese, milk and eggs grew 17% in 2018, while overall U.S. food sales rose only 2%, according to data from the Good Food Institute. The market for such foods totaled more than $3.7 billion. Oswego State has seen a growth in vegan students as well. The registered dietitian on campus, Kathryn Szklany, reports that in the 2014-2015 academic year, 10% of students with dietary needs, food allergies or dietary restrictions were self-identified as vegetarian or vegan. Now that percentage is up to 20% of Oswego students self-identifying as vegetarian or vegan. Due to the increasing number of students adopting the diet, Szklany works with the dining hall to add more options. These options included Beyond Meat products, a plantbased meat alternative that gained popularity for its similarities to meat. “We have continued to increase our vegan options. We now have vegan chia seed pudding in the gluten free coolers daily, vegan oatmeal on at all breakfasts and brunches,” Szklany said. “Last year we added the Beyond Burger and it went

Patrick Higgins l The Oswegonian

over so well that this semester we added the Beyond Sausage to the menu. Our bakeshop continues to work on adding vegan desserts such as the new vegan magic cookie bar.” According to Szklany, the dining halls continued to improve vegan recipes and meal options over the summer, such as vegetable cassoulet, guacadillas, sofritas, vegetable paella, oat milk and vegan ranch dressing, with plans to introduce plant-based egg alternatives. Another witness to the changes in the Oswego State dining halls was Lakeside Dining Hall manager, Shannon Brooks. Brooks has been working for Oswego Dining for 19 years and sees a huge increase in students who choose to lead a vegan lifestyle. “Several years ago we only offered vegan items a few times a week with a separate menu [that] could be ordered to be made to order,” Brooks said. “But now on our menus you will find vegan entrees every single meal—fresh, hot and ready on our serving lines—and oftentimes offer vegan sides and we also offer daily vegan salads.” Brooks anticipates there will

be more vegan options added in the coming years. This rising trend makes veganism more accessible for students who have been living a vegan lifestyle before it was on the rise. Nicole Ratliff, a student at Oswego State, has been vegan since November of 2016 and said she has only seen it grow, not only in the dining halls, but in her everyday life. Instead of her diet being a joke to her peers, they now come to her with questions and to get help on switching to a plant-based diet. Although veganism has become more mainstream, Ratliff believes it will only continue to grow as new recipes and products attract meat-eaters or what she refers to as “carnists.” “There’ll always be naysayers, of course, as there is with any movement, but I see veganism on the upswing instead of decline,” Ratliff said. “More major celebrities are adopting a plant-based lifestyle, marketing it as trendy and fun instead of extreme and crazy. More products are coming out that actually taste good, convincing carnists to, at the very least, try them.”

The lighting around campus is getting an upgrade, meant to increase coverage, improve energy efficiency and address reliability concerns. The project, which is being run by the department of facilities and maintenance, is a multi-year initiative to cut down on dark spots around campus, after a number of student complaints. “It’s been a long time coming, if you will,” Justin Techmanski, president of the Oswego State Residence Hall Association, said. “There’s been plenty of students over the years who have complained, primarily that they just do not feel safe walking around campus, due to the many dark spots there are.” Techmanski said that as president of the RHA, he has fielded a large number of comments expressing concern from female students primarily. The new lighting fixtures will not only improve visibility and energy efficiency but are also equipped with motion detectors that will brighten the light as a person walks towards it. Mitch Fields, associate vice president for Facilities Services, said that this has a double benefit of improving efficiency and indicating when there is another person nearby. “These lights dim down, but when you approach them, they sense you and brighten,” Fields said. “If someone is off in the distance, you can see them coming because the lights start activating.”

The project has been running for a few years, and its first phase was completed when the lighting around Glimmerglass Lagoon was replaced last year. The upgrades will stretch from Oneida Hall to Rich Hall, adding energy-efficient LED lighting across over a mile of campus walkways. “The project itself has been in the works for a couple years, the first phase was over behind Seneca around Glimmerglass, those were replaced last year.” Timothy O’Hara, the former project lead, said. O’Hara said that the expected time of completion is before the end of 2019. In the meantime, while lights are down before their replacements can be installed, the maintenance and facilities department has put up a gas powered “light tree” that is turned on before the sun sets every night. Techmanski said that he is pleased that campus departments are able to come together to get student concerns addressed. This project has seen involvement from the Dean of Students office, Student Association, RHA and Residence Life and Housing. “There are a lot of people working on this to ensure that the safety of our students can be assured,” Techmanski said. He added that the role of organizations like RHA and SA is to hear from students about their concerns and to address them. He said he would urge students to go to their residence hall representatives, and SA representatives when there is cause for concern or a way to improve the campus.

Nicole Hube l The Oswegonian Light posts were recently removed from the area outside of Mahar Hall for updates.

Olivia Bailey l The Oswegonian Oswego State dining halls added Beyond Burgers to their menu last year, offering a familiar food to students wishing to avoid meat.

NEWS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Environmental awareness Dean of Students, Campus Life working to prevent harassment rising on Oswego State campus Club team mocked by passersby, administration plans to address concerns Shyanne Reid Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com Across the country people are beginning to take steps to become more environmentally friendly and now environmental sustainability is growing to be a big part of life at Oswego State. Oswego State has implemented many different programs in order to make the school more environmentally sufficient. Oswego’s State’s Sustainability Office works to educate students and provide them with resources to become more environmentally friendly. “We have all these projects that we do,” Alina Rinaldi, a zoology major and student intern at the Sustainability Office, said. “For example, Tap In promotes zero waste living by using reusable water bottles as opposed to buying plastic.” Tap In is a program with a goal to reduce waste by encouraging students to switch to reusable water bottles or mugs rather than disposable ones. “We also have bikeshare, which is a way for students to have access to bikes so they can bike as opposed to drive. Students on or off campus can use it,” Linden Merrill, a biology major and student intern at the Sustainability Office, said. Merrill thinks students are interested in being environmentally aware, however, she believes the sustainability office needs to continue its presence on campus to ensure students are reminded of the importance of sustainable living. “Along with a lot of other things people are concerned about, you fall into your daily rhythm and then you kind of forget about things until its brought to your attention again,” Merrill said. “I think it’s important for our office to stay really visible because then kids do remember.” The Sustainability Office is very active around campus, working to improve the schools, and its student’s environmental awareness. The office has an Instagram account called “sustainabilibuddies.” It also has a monthly newsletter called Whirled Pees that is hung around bathrooms on campus. “We have Whirled Pees, we have one each month and they have information on ways that people can stay sustainable that month and what’s going on around them,” Merrill added. Whirled Pees is a newsletter produced by the sustainability office. It is printed on repurpose student cover sheets and hung

in bathrooms across campus. Environmentally friendly efforts are in many programs that are offered at Oswego State. The tutoring center takes several steps to be more environmentally efficient. “Starting fall 2019, the center has switched to using cotton cloths for the boards, which are washed and reused each week,” Casey Towne, math and science learning center coordinator and a member of Oswego State’s sustainability minor committee, said. “The switch has saved money and resource’s all while keeping our tutor’s hands clean.” Further environmentally efficient steps are even being taken in the design structures used in Oswego State. The tutoring center recently moved from Marano Campus Center to Penfield Library. “While designing the new center, care was taken to choose glass over plastic whenever possible, even if it meant incurring additional costs,” Towne said. Other programs like Oswego State’s Math Success Camp which helps incoming freshmen, transfer and international students to complete degrees in specific fields, also makes efforts to be more environmentally friendly. “The food waste of MSC students was weighed in the dining hall and reported to the students the next morning,” Towne said. “It was my goal to expose them to the detriment of overserving an effort to reduce food waste.” The math success camp also runs all of its events as “zero waste events,” Towne said. With the help of Auxiliary Services, the camp only uses real mugs and dishes and provide compost buckets. Towne said Auxilary Services “has been very supportive” and she commends them. “MSC social activities are run as zero waste events,” Towne says. “Working with Auxiliary Services, I have arranged to have real mugs and dishes for all events and compost buckets available for food disposal. AS has been very supportive of our efforts and I commend them.” The school has taken many actions to be more environmentally friendly. However, it is still up to students to take advantage of and participate in these efforts. The sustainability office has recently introduced their choose aluminum initiative. “In the vending machines around campus there are now aluminum cans of soda you can purchase, but there’s also still plastic bottles,” Rinaldi said. “Choose aluminum over the plastic. It’s much more environmen-

CLUB from COVER playing softball with friends outside of the team.” Johnson went on to describe her interaction with UP, who she said she found unhelpful. Johnson said that UP claimed that the event did not fall under harassment. “When we were talking, and I was explaining the incident to them … They said it wasn’t harassment and called it a pissing match.” Johnson said. Johnson said that the task of getting any action from the school had also taken a lot of time and effort. Johnson said she had to go through several different people to get the first email sent from the Dean of Students. In addition to Howland, Johnson also met with Daniel Roberts, the director of Campus Life, as well as Lisa Evaneski, the Title IX coordinator

at Oswego State to get assistance with the situation. “I’ve been to five different meetings,” Johnson said. “I met with Dan Roberts twice, I met with UP to file the report, I met with Lisa Evaneski … and then I met with Dr. Howland. It took five meetings just for that email to be sent out. Five meetings just for someone to say ‘Yes this is harassment.’” Howland confirmed that Roberts and Campus Life are working to help prevent future incidents of harassment at the softball fields. In the meantime, Campus Recreation assigned student field monitors to help document incidents to aid in any UP or college investigation into future incidents. Only the president or vice presidents of Oswego State, or their offices, can authorize a campus-wide email broadcast, requiring students to contact those offices if

they want an email sent to the campus-wide community. When asked, Student Association Senator Maryjay Olalekan said that there were no current plans to tackle on campus harassment. However, she openly urged students that may be targeted to reach out to any available campus services. “In my opinion harassment is harassment,” Olalekan said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s sexual harassment or you’re talking against somebody’s sexual preference.” Olalekan recommends that any students who have experienced harassment to reach out to available support networks. “Talk to somebody that you confide in, ASAP, [then] report it,” she said. “We have UP, we have Title XI, we have a ton of things. And if they’re not doing their jobs, talk to someone in student government, like us.”

On Nov. 7, this email was sent to all student email addresses by the office of the Vice President of Student Affairs, alerting the campus to harassment on campus.

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VOLUME LXXXIV ISSUE XV

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FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Lakers look to change up system, adjust to new players Each week, The Oswegonian Sports beat writers give you their thoughts on each team's upcoming weekend schedule.

Men’s basketball @ Ithaca

Matt Czeitner Copy Editor mczeitner@oswegonian.com Hello everyone. My name is Matt Czeitner, I am a senior journalism major who is currently a copy editor for The Oswegonian and now the men’s basketball beat writer for the 2019-20 season. I have been around the game of basketball for as long as I can remember. I played at my high school in Johnson City, and continued to play through my first two years of college at SUNY Broome. It is the best time of the year for me. These winter months mean it is basketball season and I love every single minute of it. I transferred to Oswego State as a junior and immediately wanted to get more involved with sports here. I knew my time as a player most likely had come to an end so I, a journalism major, took full advantage of the opportunity to cover sports for The Oswegonian. I am very excited to get started and follow the team this year as the Lakers look to repeat their success from last season. Make sure to follow me on Twitter, @MCzeitner, for the latest updates on the team as well as live tweets each home game this season. The Lakers begin their season Friday at 5:30 p.m. as they take on Ithaca College at the Elmira Tip Off Tournament. Last year, Oswego State finished 24-6, winning the SUNYAC Championship, while also adding a NCAA Div. III. Tournament run, making it all the way to the Sweet 16 before losing to Marietta College. The opposition, the Bombers, finished 16-11 last year eventually losing in the Liberty League Championship semifinals to Skidmore College.

Despite losing 2 starters, men’s basketball excited to start 2019-20 season Matt Czeitner Copy Editor mczeitner@oswegonian.com The Oswego State men’s basketball team had a very successful season last year that included a SUNYAC Championship and a trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Div. III Tournament. Heading into the 2019-20 season, the Lakers are confident they can achieve the same level of success. Despite losing three key pieces of last year’s team in Tyler Pierre, Quinn Carey and Allen Durutovic due to graduation, the Lakers have 10 returning players, including three starters in junior Liam Sanborn, senior Joe Sullivan and senior Brandan Gartland. Head coach Jason Leone had nothing but good things to say about the departing seniors, knowing how big they were to the team and what kind of leaders they were. “The key element that we lose with those guys is how committed they were to the team’s success and our process-oriented approach,” Leone said. “Things did not go well at times last year and they were very reliable pieces of our team where they didn’t let their emotions get the best of them. They stayed with the plan ... It is not a matter of if things are going to go wrong, but when they are going to go wrong and how you handle them. They were leaders and they were incredibly mature.” Leone knew the departure of those seniors would have an impact on the team, but he was fully prepared for the situation this offseason. “When you lose players to gradu-

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Oswego State will look to improve off their 2018-19 season in which it reached the Sweet 16 of the national title before falling to Marietta College.

ation, most coaches don’t think of it as a replacement. It’s more of, OK, ‘how are we going to identify what our makeup is going to be next year?’” Leone said. “Our team will look a little bit different in terms of some of our on the court emphasis, but it doesn’t mean that our team won’t be just as good or better.” Sanborn, who was an All-SUNYAC First Team selection last year and the starting point guard for the Lakers, knows what those players meant to the team but he, as well as everyone else on the roster from last year know that it is a team effort and it is on every single one of them in order to succeed. “They were a big part of our leadership but I think everyone that is

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

returning played a pretty big part last year and gained a lot of valuable experience,” Sanborn said. “So, we got to carry over what we did from last year into the new season.” The Lakers certainly have a different look to their roster to start the season. There are many new players on the team, including five incoming freshmen, two transfers as well as players from last year who did not receive much playing time. “For us, we’ve got our three starters, but everybody else on our roster is either a sophomore that has not had the opportunity to get much of a chance in the games or a freshmen or transfer,” Leone said. “We’re working through a period where we’re really teaching a lot and we’re trying to build and improve daily. So, where we’re going to be in the beginning of the season is certainly not where we’re going to end up by the end of the year.” With a new team, learning and adjustments are expected to occur frequently. Much of these younger players are going to hop right into bigger roles than expected for the team and at some point, they will look somewhere for guidance. Sullivan knows the team looks different, but he is fully prepared to take on a leadership role and help guide the team toward success. “We’ve got a new team, new pieces of the puzzle to put together and we have to figure it out,” Sullivan said. “We have Leone to lead the way and we have three other leaders [himself, Sanborn and Gartland] to lead the way for us and with Tim [Marshall] back mid-way through the year, we will have a fourth lead-

er. Me and Liam are our emotional leaders, we hold that down and that’s what we got to do.” Repeating the success of last year’s season will not come easy for the Lakers, but Leone spoke highly of his players from last year. He explained in great detail how they were successful and how they can use that same blueprint for the upcoming season. “The first part is, which the players kind of have to take ownership of, is just realizing that the results part of what happened last year was a byproduct of a lot of different things going well. First of all, our preparation. Second thing is we had a very close-knit group of guys last year, so developing chemistry both on and off the court is critical. The last part is making sure we don’t take anything for granted,” Leone said. “Winning does not come easy. There are no shortcuts, so making sure we are very detail-oriented in our approach [is important].” Looking ahead to the Lakers first matchup this Friday vs. Ithaca College at the Elmira Tip Off Tournament, the Lakers want to get off to a good start and get that first taste of winning, but it will certainly be a tough first matchup for them. “It’s going to be a very challenging game because it is a little bit of contrasting styles,” Leone said. “They are an exceptional offensive team, and they are playing their main rotation which will include just about everybody that is a returning player ... I think our team right now is looking forward to playing against somebody else for real.”

Mark Digby joins women’s hockey team as associate head coach Takes jump 9 years after working with men’s team, enjoys coaching new group of players Neil Boedicker Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State women’s hockey team are five games into the regular season and have shown improvement as a team as the season continues. One person that has played a part in this is new associate head coach, Mark Digby. Before coaching at Oswego State, Digby played hockey for over 20 years. This includes four years of playing for The College at Brockport, from 2001-2005, where he played in over

90 games for the Golden Eagles after graduating from Fulton High School. Digby began his coaching career by coaching with the boy’s hockey team at Brockport High School. After that he soon became an assistant coach for The College at Brockport men’s hockey team, a position he held from 2006-2010. During his time at The College at Brockport, Digby worked with the defensive and power play units. This resulted in a huge statistical improvement for the Golden Eagles. Digby also helped organize conditioning programs and develop different practice plans for

Casey Stone | The Oswegonian Mark Digby (center) was named associate head coach of the women’s team in 2019.

the Golden Eagles. After four seasons with The College at Brockport, Digby was given the opportunity to coach at Oswego State where his impact on the team was immediate. In his first season with the Lakers he helped the team reach the NCAA Div. III Frozen Four. This would lead to three more Frozen Four appearances by Oswego State and reaching the national championship game twice. After his ninth season with the men’s team, Digby made the decision to join the Oswego State women’s team. Digby says he has always had an interest in coaching women’s hockey and was very excited when the team had an opening. “It was a new opportunity for me,” Digby said. “A chance for a little bit of growth and to take on a little bit more. I thought it would be a fun opportunity to come in to try and help the team.” Head coach Diane Dillon was very excited when she found out that Digby would be joining her staff. When you add the knowledge and love for the game that Digby has, it was a great fit from the start. “He definitely brings a new perspective,” Dillon said. “He understands what Laker hockey is all about, [and he] is as passionate about Oswego as I am. [He has] understood and knows our history, where we have come from and where we want

to go. I couldn’t be happier.” Digby has been with the team for a few months and thrives on being steady with the way he coaches. Digby feels that is a key to his style of coaching and communication with all his players. “From day one that I arrived here, at Oswego, I have been pretty consistent,” Digby said. “I think that when anyone does that it’s pretty easy to understand what you should expect from that person any day. I think that has carried over to the women’s team now. The players know that I am here to do whatever I can do to help the team.” This has led to Digby keeping the same mindset when it comes to coaching as he did with the men’s team. Digby sees no difference when it comes to coaching the women’s team versus the men’s team. “They all show up for the same reasons,” Digby said. “They want to get better and they want to win. The size of the team has been a little different. We’re a little smaller compared to the men’s team, but other than that, I don’t see any difference.” This has helped Digby become accepted very fast as a coach by his new team. Junior Amber Thomas was very excited when she found out that Digby would be one of her coaches after she decided to transfer to Oswego State.

“He always sees the best in us and wants us to do the best we can,” Thomas said. “After finding out he was one of the assistant coaches with the men’s team it was really promising with all the success they have had.” This season will be Digby’s 15th year coaching. Add that to the amount of success he had with Oswego State’s men’s team, a future as a head coach is definitely a real possibility. Whether it is with men’s or women’s hockey, Dillon sees him having success. “He’s really hit the ground running and the players have responded well,” Dillon said. “He’s a hockey guy, has the right temperament and has a huge love for the game.” When asked about how important it was to stay in Oswego, Digby responded by simply saying it was everything to him. Even though he is originally from Fulton, he hopes to stay in Oswego long-term. Getting the associate head coaching title will help Digby prepare more for the day he becomes a head coach. However, he also takes what he has learned from the past 14 years as a coach. “More than anything you just learn how to treat people,” Digby said. “You learn how to be honest. Letting a player know you care about them and that you want them to get better.”

SPORTS Men’s hockey team carries on Teddy Bear Toss tradition

Stuffed animals to be thrown on ice after first Lakers goal Friday night

Photo provided by Dominic Pike Ed Gosek (left) poses with players Carter Allen, Josh Zizek and Travis Broughman along with Toys for Tots representative Dominic Pike.

Ben Grieco Managing Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com The Oswego State men’s hockey team is big on its community service, between the annual fall leaf raking sponsored by Oswego State athletics and its different promotional nights. But the one that likely gets the fans most involved is the annual Teddy Bear Toss, helping the Toys for Tots Foundation in Oswego county. For the last three years, during the game, once the Lakers scored their first goal, fans throw stuffed animals on the ice which are eventually donated to lessfortunate children in the area. The annual Teddy Bear Toss game started in December of 2016, when the then-No. 1 Lakers hosted Morrisville State. Matt Galati was the player to send the bears flying on the ice. That year, 573 stuffed animals were donated. In 2017, Oswego State hosted The College at Brockport for the second Teddy Bear Toss. Cameron Berry scored five minutes into the second period, allowing fans

to throw 736 bears on the ice. Last season, now-captain Josh Zizek had the unique honor of opening up scoring for the Lakers against the Golden Eagles and allowing the teddy bears to soar. In a constant trend of improvement, 803 bears were donated. “We improved from [2017]. I was hoping for 1,000,” Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek said following that game. In total, 2,112 bears have been donated by the Laker faithful for the Toys for Tots foundation. But it was a little frightening for people on the bench, like Gosek, during that first toss just a few seasons ago. “The first year, it was shocking. It was like, ‘Oh man. That is a lot of stuffed animals. How long is this going to take to clean up?’ Gosek said. “They had it wellorganized with plenty of people picking them up, putting them in garbage bags.” Actually being on the ice when the first Oswego State goal is scored is also unique. Not only is the team potentially getting a lead in the game, but they are “helping a lot of people out just with simple teddy bears,” senior Anthony

Passero said. Last season was his first-ever Teddy Bear Toss. “Any time you can play for something bigger than the game, it’s even better,” Passero said. “It’s a lot easier to just get it over with. But if you sit out there and take it in and laugh with the boys picking up teddy bears, it’s unheard of.” Zizek said one does not realize how many bears actually get thrown onto the ice until after the game. The senior has not scored yet this season. “To be the one who scores that goal and gets the teddy bears flying, it’s super cool. I’m going to try to score first again this weekend,” Zizek said. “You look in the crowd and see a bunch of people but you don’t really know how many bears they have and then they have it all in the dressing room. It’s just a huge mound.” Toys for Tots was founded in 1947 by U.S. Marine Corps reservist Maj. Bill Hendricks. The first national campaign for the charity started in 1948, where Marine reservists and other volunteers collected refurbished toys and would use drill hours to refurbish the toys until 1979. Only new toys were accepted from 1980.

In 1995, Toys for Tots became an official mission for the Marine Corps Reserves, approved by the secretary of defense. According to Toys for Tots, the goal of the charity is to “deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive and patriotic citizens,” according to the Toys for Tots website. The website also states since 1947, 556 million toys have been distributed to 258 million children. Dominic Pike, the Toys for Tots representative for the Lakers’ Teddy Bear Toss, said this event is the second-largest fundraiser for the organization in the area. “The past three years, the amount of teddy bears, toys and funds donated have far exceeded our expectations,” Pike said. “We wouldn’t be as successful without coach Gosek, the players and their parents, and to go along with the fans, it makes it a great event.” For the cleanup of the bears, there is a stoppage in play while the players from Oswego State skate around and pick up the bears. Last season, members from The College at Brockport’s hockey team also helped, along with some of Pike’s student-athletes from Oswego High School. “The kids are amazed when they see the outpouring of the fans during the Lakers’ games,” Pike said. With the holidays right around the corner, Gosek said that “anything we can do to help give back, it’s a positive.” “More importantly, our fans have been outstanding in supporting the event,” Gosek said. “All of the stuffed animals on the ice went to someone that certainly needs one. We feel good about that. We hope to keep it going, hoping fans will come out and support the United Way and Toys for Tots.” In all of Zizek’s appearances in Oswego State’s Teddy Bear Tosses, he does not remember any specific stuffed animal that he picked up while he was on the ice. But this season, he has his eyes set on one goal. “I always go for the biggest one,” Zizek said. “I’d love to get a picture just holding a big bear on the ice.”

Oswego State wrestling begins 2019-20 season

Lakers opened campaign with 2 road tournaments, placing 8th in each

The Oswegonian file photo from 2018 Junior Christian Gramuglia has led the way for Oswego State, winning both tournaments in the 165-pound weight class.

Aaron Valentino Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State wrestling season is underway with an eighthplace finish at the Ithaca College Invitational and the McGinley Tournament in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The Lakers will look to build off of this for the rest of the season. At the Ithaca College Invitational, the Lakers finished eighth out of 14 teams with a total of 66 points. Aiden Mathews and Isaac Mathews both made it to the semifinals of their respective weight classes. Aiden Mathews also made it to the semifinals one week later in the McGinley

Tournament. The Lakers took eighth out of 12 teams that week, with a total of 68.5 points. The real bright spot so far this season is junior Christian Gramuglia, who won the 165-pound weight class in each of the tournaments. Gramuglia said his success starts before he hits the mat. “Stay focused,” Gramuglia said. “I get a good warmup in. You have to make sure you have energy after you weigh in and eat some good food.” The Lakers are coming off a 7-7 season in which they placed ninth out of 18 teams in the NCAA Mideast Regionals. Oswego State took five members of the team to regionals, with four seniors. The lone sophomore was none other than Gramuglia. At regionals, the Lakers had a

total of 54.5 points with the highest finishers being Gramuglia and Troy Seymour, who both finished fifth in their respective weight classes. The Lakers are looking to improve from last year and have done that. Last year at the Ithaca College Invitational, they did not perform as well as this year, as last season they finished in 10th place. Head coach Mike Howard has been impressed so far with his athletes. “They have done well,” Howard said. “Initially at Ithaca, it was a pleasant surprise to see how well we did. We have a lot of new faces in the lineup. I wasn’t sure [who] was going to show up, but overall the team battled hard and put on a good show. We are just trying to build each week off

of past successes and shore up the things we did not do well and keep moving forward.” Oswego State has two more invitationals before facing off against individual opponents. This includes the Nov. 24 contest at the Max Ziel Gymnasium. This will give them a chance to get used to more opponents and wrestle frequently against some tougher opponents. In the first two invitationals, the Lakers have had some wrestlers succeed and if they keep up that pace, it could be a very strong season from them. If Gramuglia continues the success from last season and early this season, he could build off an impressive sophomore campaign. As only a sophomore, he made it to regionals, where he was able to finish fifth. Having two invitationals wins already is a strong start. “A lot of people get caught up in the process of who they’re wrestling and how good they are,” Gramuglia said. “My main focus is just having fun. If I go out there and have fun, I feel like there is always a chance to be in the match and win.” He and his teammates will be having a lot of fun if he keeps wrestling like this. These early wins are certainly a confidence booster for him. Aiden Mathews who lost in the semifinals at the McGinley Tournament, due to his contact falling out, has also impressed in the first two tournaments. With that, he is excited with where the team is going. “I think we are doing very well, we are moving in the right direction,” Mathews said. “The guys, compared to other colleges, are self-motivated to wrestle which I like.” Howard said it is a long season and looking forward to getting better every day. “If we keep doing the right things and making good decisions outside the wrestling room, we will be okay,” Howard said. “It is going to be a fun year and we are looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Each week, The Oswegonian Sports beat writers give you their thoughts on each team's upcoming weekend schedule.

Women’s hockey vs. Cortland

Neil Boedicker Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State women’s hockey team will be back in the Marano Campus Center for the second time this week to face SUNY Cortland. The Lakers are 3-2 so far this season and will look to start a winning streak. Last season, the Lakers had a record of 1-2-1 against the Red Dragons and were shut out in their last match up. The Lakers will have an extra boost of confidence, after scoring six goals against Buffalo State on Wednesday. SUNY Cortland has gotten off to a 4-1 start this season, but are coming off of a 3-2 loss to Morrisville State. With the Red Dragons going 1-16 on the power play to start the season, it will be a difficult task to get it going against the Lakers who have had a very strong penalty kill. SUNY Cortland should look to get back to the strong offensive game that it had been previously playing, utilizing smart passing and generating many opportunities in the offensive zone. For Oswego State, they should try to play more disciplined and stay out of the penalty box against the Red Dragons. Against Buffalo State, the Lakers found themselves in the penalty box a total of three times. That is an improvement compared to previous games, but going up against a strong offensive team in SUNY Cortland, the Lakers do not want to be on the wrong end of a power play that is hungry to get going. The edge should be given to Oswego State as the home team. These are two very good teams who are going to get better as the year goes on, resulting in a close game for the Lakers.

Men’s hockey vs. BPT/GEN

Ben Grieco Managing Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com This weekend will serve as the No. 3 Oswego State men’s hockey team’s first real challenges of the season, between The College at Brockport and facing No. 2 SUNY Geneseo. Yes, the same two league points are on the line for both games, but with the success and prominence the Golden Eagles and Knights have found early in the season, Oswego State will truly be tested for the first time. The last two weekends, the Lakers have faced teams either just starting their season, like Oswego State was, or teams that were searching for their first win of the regular season. In those three games, the Lakers put up 17 goals and allowed just three. The Knights and Golden Eagles have had their fair share of scoring. SUNY Geneseo has 18 goals (4.5 per game) and The College at Brockport has 13 (3.3 per game). However, the biggest challenge will be the special teams. Oswego State has yet to score on the power play going 0-9 in the three games. SUNY Geneseo is directly opposite, going 11-29 with a 37.9% success rate, which is third in the nation. The College at Brockport is not far behind in eighth at a 34.8% clip. With the Lakers’ somewhat undisciplined play, committing 19 penalties, including nine against SUNY Potsdam on Saturday, SUNY Geneseo and The College at Brockport could make them pay.

B B33 SPORTS SUNY Geneseo’s rise to national excellence breeds new rival for Lakers THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

With men’s hockey loss to Knights in SUNYAC finals, Oswego State looks ahead to this season

Alexis Fragapane | The Oswegonian Michael Gillespie has made his physical presence felt in his two games played with two penalties.

Matt Watling Sports Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com On March 2, the Oswego State Lakers experienced heartbreak. SUNY Geneseo’s men’s hockey team was able to knock off the Lakers in the SUNYAC championship by a score of 4-3. That game was the moment that pushed the two recently dominant programs to a new level of rivalry. The two SUNYAC powerhouses will meet again this Saturday on SUNY Geneseo’s home ice. The two teams have played each other extremely close the last several years, especially the last three. In those three seasons, SUNY Geneseo reached the SUNYAC championship game all three times, beating Oswego State and SUNY Fredonia once each. For Oswego State, the pain of defeat still lingers as a sense of motivation against its new foe. “With last year, we lost to them in the finals which is still salt in the wounds,” captain Josh Zizek said. “It still hurts these days, but last year is last year and now all we can do is look

forward to this year.” Looking at this year’s team, the Lakers have a lot to look forward to. A team that has a slew of seniors and two excellent goaltenders in David Richer and Cedric Hansen. Goaltending is always a critical part of the game. But with SUNY Geneseo, it seems to elevate to a new level. Last season, the Knights’ opposition always struggled to put it past Devin McDonald, their goaltender and last season’s Div. III Player of the Year. Despite his excellence, the Lakers always shift the conversation to SUNY Geneseo’s team defense in front of him, as the defense can build up a goaltender. Even with the loss of McDonald, the Knights have former backup and junior Aaron Mackay to take the helm. He has split time with freshman Matt Petizian who excelled in junior hockey with the Central Canada Hockey League’s Hawkesbury Hawks. Petizian is no slouch of a first-year goaltender. The 21-year-old led the CCHL in wins with 28 and shutouts with seven last season, resulting in an impressive 2.35 goals against average and .923 save percentage. Despite his impressive performances, Mackay seems to have

the slight edge in the starting goaltender competition. Both have played two games, with Mackay facing the tougher competition in Plattsburgh State and Nazareth College. In those games, Mackay has surrendered just two goals, for a .960 save percentage, a number reminisent of McDonald’s stellar season last year. While the sample size is small, SUNY Geneseo returns an impressive defense and structure that helps out its goaltenders. “Anytime you lose a senior goalie of that caliber, there’s some question marks [with goaltending,] but they play very good team defense,” Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek said. “It makes it hard to get grade-A [chances].” Team defense is something that SUNY Geneseo did so well last season and have continued to do through 2019-20, despite losing some integral pieces. The team lost three marque defensemen in Duggie Lagrone, Mitch Ferguson and Will Campion. What makes these three significant is they all spent time with Div. I programs. While Oswego State has a handful of Div. I transfers, having three in one defensive core is a big advantage and a testament to the recruiting ability of the Knights. Heading into this season, defensively they added sophomore Matt Doran, who spent a season at

Alaska-Fairbanks, another Div. I program. This ability to recruit has placed SUNY Geneseo in the top level of Div. III hockey, right with Oswego State. To some, it might seem as if great defense is not as important to goals against numbers than the goaltender himself. While the goalie is the last line of defense, a swarming team defense that is positionally sound makes it so much easier for the goalie. “When everything is working well and everyone is working together, goalies, our job is to make the first save and control our rebound for sure,” Richer said. “But if we can’t, the defense is there to clear the front of the net and that’s what good teams do.” This is something that the Knights do so well. In their win against the Cardinals on Nov. 2, the team defense was quick to chase loose pucks. This resulted in few second chance opportunities for Plattsburgh State. Without that second wave of attack or extended zone time, it forces teams to play back and more conservative, as they cannot get their entire team up the ice. Aside from that, it enables goaltenders to reset and establish their positioning and improve rebound control, something Richer struggled with last season. For Oswego State, the best way

Photo Brief

to combat this swarming defense is to support one another throughout the three zones. Rather than launch stretch passes like against SUNY Cortland, shorter passes could help the Lakers enter the zone with more effectiveness. Once in the zone, a net front presence will be crucial. Being able to get inside position closer to the front of the net will help the Lakers jump on loose rebounds before the Knights. From a defensive standpoint, the Lakers have to return to form from the SUNY Potsdam game. The Lakers did a very good job exiting the defensive zone and avoiding long shifts in their own end. One thing that does need to be cleaned up is Oswego State’s discipline. The Lakers took eight penalties last Saturday. Despite killing off seven penalties, this is a Knights team that is dominant offensively and on the power play. SUNY Geneseo has the third-best power play in the nation at a rate of 37.9%. It also has drawn the most power play opportunities with 29. Between the Knights’ quick-strike offense and speed that creates power play chances, Oswego State has a tough task ahead of them. “They’re the team to beat and we have to match that and try to get back to where we were,” Gosek said.

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BEGINS SEASON

The Oswegonian file photo 2018

Brandon Ladd Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com The opening game of the 201920 season for the Oswego State women’s basketball team summed up the agony the team felt all of last season, a 62-61 loss to Hilbert College Tuesday night. Close games, but more times than not, the scoreboard did not go the Lakers’ way. Oswego State looks to turn around a 2-23 record from last season. That 2-23 record was last place in the SUNYAC and the team went 1-17 against conference foes. Oswego State’s one win in conference play was a 13-point road win over SUNY Cortland on Jan. 12. Oswego State’s other win on the season was an opening night victory at Clarkson University. The team has not won a game in Max Ziel gymnasium since Jan. 12, 2018, a 58-44 victory over SUNY Potsdam. If Oswego State is able to turn around some of its closer losses from last season and if it can start to defend home court with some sort of proficiency, the Lakers will see a much improved record. On opening night, the Lakers saw their double-double machine from last season, Ramatoulaye Sy,

put up 20 points and 12 rebounds. She already recorded a double-double by the end of the first half with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She has a chance to put up monster numbers this season if she continues to be aggressive. Her 10.5 points per game last season was second on the team only, .1 points per game behind Raiven Encarnacion. If Sy’s points per game can stay near 20, she will be a strong contender to go from third-team All-SUNYAC to first-team All-SUNYAC. Oswego State shortened its rotation in the first game to seven players and that might continue for most of the season if it has the success like it did opening night. There is no such thing as moral victories, but the Lakers looked much improved from last season. The Lakers lost by only one point, even though expected sharpshooters, Taylor Torchia and Encarnacion, combined to shoot 3 of 23 from the field. That stat will not continue throughout the year, expect both to score a lot of 3-pointers this season. Oswego State looks to have an advantage in the rebounding department this season with its tall starting forwards of Sy, Sydni Eure and Quincey Zimmerman. All of them are at or near 6-feet tall. The

Lakers beat Hilbert College on the boards 50 rebounds to 36 rebounds Tuesday night. Sy and Eure had 11 offensive rebounds combined in the opening game, which lead to second-chance opportunities. Oswego State will look to take many trips to the free-throw line and get many more chances to score if that continues. The Lakers open up with four more home games before they face their first road test on Dec. 6 against The College at Brockport. The next four games include two games in the Max Ziel Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Lakers will play their first game of that two-day event Friday against the University of Wisconsin-Superior. They then will play either Clarkson University or Morrisville State Saturday. If Oswego State wants to take a step forward from last season and leave the 2018-19 season just a distant nightmare, it needs to take full advantage of small competitive edges it has. Those edges are rebounding, hustle and the ability to make 3-pointers. If the Lakers stay with this identity and turn around their fortunes at Max Ziel Gymnasium, there is a good chance the Lakers will win more games than last season.

Shore Report

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

x- clinched

SUNYAC Standings

Men’s Hockey Oswego State Brockport Morrisville Geneseo Plattsburgh Cortland Potsdam Buffalo State Fredonia

Overall 3-0-0 3-1-0 3-1-0 3-0-1 1-3-0 2-3-0 0-3-1 1-1-0 1-2-0

Women’s Hockey* Overall

* - Indicates NEWHL Standings

Conference 3-0-0 3-1-0 3-1-0 1-0-1 1-3-0 1-2-0 0-3-1 0-0-0 0-2-0

Points 6 6 6 3 2 2 1 0 0

Conference

Points

Plattsburgh Cortland

6-0-0

5-0-0

4-1-0

Potsdam

2-3-0

Morrisville

1-1-1

2-2-1

Oswego State

3-2-0

1-2-0

Buffalo State

1-4-0

Canton

0-3-1

Men's Basketball

Overall

Conference

Streak

2-0 1-1 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1

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

W2 L1 W1 L1

0-1

0-0

Overall

Conference

2-0

0-0

1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0

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

W1 W1 W1 W1 W1 -

1-2

0-0

0-1

0-0

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

Women's Basketball Geneseo New Paltz Oneonta Cortland Fredonia Brockport Plattsburgh Buffalo State Potsdam Oswego State

L1 Streak

Around the SUNYAC Men’s Basketball 78

NAZ: 1-0 (0-0) BUF: 0-1 (0-0)

Men’s Hockey 4

MOR: 3-1-0 (3-1-0) BPT: 3-1-0 (3-1-0)

Women’s Basketball

The women’s basketball team began its 2019-20 season with a 1-point loss to Hilbert College on Tuesday. The Lakers fell to the Hawks, 62-61, despite 20 points from Ramatoulaye Sy and 15 points from Sydni Eure. Oswego State finished last season with a 2-23 record, losing four games by just five points or less.

CAZ: 1-2 (0-0) POT: 1-2 (0-0)

The men’s hockey team poured in six goals in the final period last Saturday against SUNY Potsdam. The Lakers began the period up 2-1 but would come away with a commanding 8-1 victory. Jeff Solow started the scoring output just 11 seconds into the period and Travis Broughman scored two in the frame to lead the Lakers.

Oswego Scoreboard Men’s Hockey

Men’s Hockey Saturday, Nov. 9

Friday, Nov. 8

PLA:

Kile: 3 shots Poreda: 26 saves

POT:

Clerc: 1 goal Paglucca: 31 saves

OSW:

Allen: 1 goal Brown: 1 assist Richer: 25 saves

OSW:

Broughman: 2 goals, 2 assists Passero: 3 assists Hansen: 20 saves

Women’s Basketball Tuesday, Nov. 12

Women’s Hockey Wednesday, Nov. 13

OSW:

Sy: 20 points, 12 rebounds Eure: 15 points, 11 rebounds

BUF:

HIL:

Corts: 22 points, 6 rebounds Gawlak: 16 points, 4 assists Kisner: 10 points, 3 steals

OSW: Randazzo: 1 goal, 2 assists

Steinle: 1 goal, 9 shots Gawronski: 47 saves A. Thomas: 2 goals, 3 assists

Farmer: 26 saves

Upcoming Events Men’s Basketball Friday, Nov. 15

Men’s Hockey Friday, Nov. 15

vs.

5:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m

OSW: 0-0 (0-0) ITH: 0-0 (0-0)

BPT: 3-1-0 (3-1-0) OSW: 3-0-0 (3-0-0)

Women’s Basketball

Women’s Hockey

Friday, Nov. 15

Saturday, Feb. 16

7:30 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

UWS: 0-2 (0-0) OSW: 0-1 (0-0)

COR: 4-1-0 (4-1-0) OSW: 3-2-0 (1-2-0)

Laker Athletes of the Week

Meghan Maquet

Travis Broughman

Women’s Swimming and Diving Senior | Long Beach

Men’s Ice Hockey Sophomore | Mechanicsville, Virginia

Maquet totaled 18 individual points for the Lakers this past weekend against Clarkson University. The senior from Long Beach won both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving board events. She has now won five out of the six events she has participated in this season. Marquet and the Lakers took down the Golden Knights by a score of 163.5-133.5 and are now 3-1-0 on the season.

The sophomore played a major role in Oswego State’s two wins over Whiteout Weekend. Against Plattsburgh State, Broughman notched an assist and recorded four shots in the team’s 4-0 win. His big game came against SUNY Potsdam the following night, where he scored two goals and had two assists in the Lakers’ 8-1 victory. Broughman leads the team with five points early on.

Women’s hockey goaltender Rachael Farmer made 68 saves over the course of two games last weekend against No. 1 Plattsburgh State. The senior stopped 30 shots on Friday, followed by a season-best 38 on Saturday. Despite her efforts, the Lakers dropped both games in north country and are now 3-2 on the season.

Wrestling junior Christian Gramuglia won the 165-pound title at last weekend’s Ned McGinley Tournament hosted by King’s College. It is Gramuglia’s second consecutive tournament title, with the first coming at the Ithaca College Invitational. Oswego State finished in eighth place out of the 12 teams competing.

68:

165:

OPINION

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Tokyo Sex workers should not be punished Russian weather bad Banning sex work another way for government to control autonomy athletes drug for Olympics problem Francesca Miesner Opinion Editor fmiesner@oswegonian.com

Photo from Pixabay

Tomas Rodriguez Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com When Tokyo was selected for the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, little was known in terms of the impact of heat on competing athletes. However, in the past year the organizing committee’s measures to combat the aforementioned have been quite a hot topic, leading to a brainstorm or some innovative measures. Some of these are common sense, while others may seem unattainable. The latest is to move the marathon and race walking events to Sapporo, the host city of the Winter Olympic Games back in 1972. The move to Hokkaido, the northern-most region of the country, will mean significantly lower temperatures for the athletes competing in these sports during the Olympic Games. Just one day after the proposal, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the governing body and local organizers have decided to stage the 2020 Summer Games marathon and race walking events in Sapporo in order to avoid Tokyo’s extreme heat in early August. The average monthly high temperatures in Sapporo are around 78 degrees Fahrenheit in late July and early August. In Tokyo, the average highs are almost 10 degrees warmer, around 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Prior to the idea of moving the events to a different city, the organizing committee was already eyeing the possibility of changing the starting times for some events, like the marathon and race walk events, rugby and cycling to avoid the peak heat of the day. But why put the pressure on the athletes in such a way that might impact their performance at the Games? Last year a heatwave in the city killed over a dozen people. So far this year, 11 people have died and another 5,000 have been taken to hospitals. In late July, the organizing committee tested ways to keep people cool at an international volleyball event in light of next year’s Games. These measures include a specially-designed main stadium that is supposed to channel cooler air across spectators and onto the track, water mist towers, ice packs or shaded areas to provide relief to spectators lining up outside venues. The Tokyo Fire Department is also preparing additional ambulances and multilingual support for athletes and spectators as a safety measure against a possible surge in heatstroke and heat exhaustion cases at next summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. Weather-related concerns have increased ever since Tokyo was awarded the Games back in 2013. Most recently, a historic heatwave affected Japan’s capital last summer, as it saw a record high temperature of 41.1 degrees Celsius. While the organizing committee is vowing for the safety of the athletes, the city of Tokyo is seeking to use the situation as a political argument, which they should stay out of. Some have insinuated that pollution and littering have existed forever in Japan, and therefore do not understand why it is trending so much lately. The reason for this is that the Olympic movement drags the attention from millions of viewers and sportaholics. Whether society wants to believe it, global warming and climate change are real, and these are just some of the impacts they have. What better way to get the point across than through the Olympics? Since the Olympic Games are such a televised and viral event, maybe society as a whole should follow their example and begin to take care of our planet.

There is very little that the United States government likes more than trying to tell uterus owners what they can and cannot do with their bodies. From reproductive rights to freeing the “female-presenting” nipple, the government and those who help run it will try to make decisions on behalf of the people living in the nation, regardless of what is best for their health. A debate that has been going on for as long as it has been outlawed, is prostitution. As an issue, the outlawing of sex work is hardly different than any other law put in place by the government relating to people’s autonomy, regardless of whether it actually harms those involved or not is not a concern by the government. In fact, the outlawing of sex work does not stop people from becoming sex workers, or at least not in great quantities. All it does is ensure that those people who turn to sex work as a way of making ends meet are less safe in their line of work. With having sex for money being illegal, sex workers are not required to get tested for STDs, do not have the choice to screen their partners for STDs and

might not have access to treatment if they were to get an STD. If the government regulated the sex work industry, not only would the health of the worker be better, but the customer’s risk of getting an STD would also decrease. Legal sex work would open up possible jobs and would inevitably be taxed, which sends money back into the government and stimulates the economy. “Pimps,” or the people, usually men, that are in charge of keeping track of the sex workers and finding them jobs, also hold a dangerous position of power over the workers. If they are violent and the worker does not perform as anticipated, it would be easy for the “pimp” to hurt them, or worse. Again, it is important to remember that making sex work illegal only stops safe sex work. Sex workers will do what they have to regardless of the law when their lives, homes or families are on the line. In many horror or thriller films, the first bodies that turn up from a serial killer are those of sex workers, usually females. This introduces that the killer hates women, but it also gives a low-stakes death to make law enforcement accept that this is a serial killer. Usually, the stakes are not higher until a non-sex working woman is killed. This is, unfortunately, not fiction, as

often times the police will not investigate crimes against sex workers as seriously as they would other women, according to Rolling Stone. They are viewed as less than human by many investigators simply based on their line of work. If there was an institution in place for sex work, then the police would be forced to take it more seriously. In the United States, except for Nevada, sex workers are punished for making money off of sex, as do the customers for hiring them. However, in most states, the punishment between the two are almost equal, according to ProCon.org. The person that is trying to make a living is getting as harshly punished as the person who chose to pay for someone to have intercourse with them. One person is trying to be entertained, while the other is potentially trying to pay rent, but they are seen as equally guilty in the eyes of the law. The sex work laws in most of the U.S. are helping no one. Sex workers are still getting sick, being raped, murdered, disrespected and punished for using their bodies as they see fit. The government needs to stop telling people what they can and cannot do with their bodies, especially since this affects no one but themselves and the person they are being paid by.

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

Trump deserves every boo he receives Jeering at political officials protected by first amendment Francesca Miesner Opinion Editor fmiesner@oswegonian.com An email sent to University of Alabama students warned that any disruptions during the upcoming football game would not be tolerated and that the punishment for misconduct would be banning violators from the student sections for the remainder of the semester. Disruptive behavior is always discouraged, but the reason this message was sent out is because President Donald Trump will be attending this particular football game. The University of Alabama did come out and clarify that their intention was not to disrupt anyone’s first amendment rights and apologized for the misinterpretation. Regardless, the message got some attention online and sparked some debate as to just how far a public university can go in censoring what students have to say. There have been viral videos of the president attending different sporting events and being booed, which UA probably saw and decided to make a disclaimer that they did not want anything similar happening during their games. In theory, this seems to be reasonable, since screeching during a football game about politics would probably be disruptive of the game as a whole. However, there are some complications. Booing the president at sporting events is a good example of peaceful protesting. It shows that the people in the arena, even if only a small proportion

of the total number, does not approve of the decisions that the president has been making for the country. It is all too easy for Trump to turn on a far-right news outlet and see that they approve of his blocking LGBTQ+ people from being able to adopt children, or that they like that he is pulling the troops from Syria, regardless of the non-American repercussions. When faced with the actual American public, not just politicians who are groomed to support him, or at least act respectful towards him, he deserves whatever reaction the crowd chooses to give him. If previous expressions of disdain toward the president included pitchforks, torches or even game-interrupting behav-

ior, then the university’s statement would have been warranted. However, the booing seemed to be only restricted to his entrance, as most of the people attended the game probably actually wanted to be there. My opinion on supporting peaceful protesting is not only because I do not approve of the president. The American people have opinions that are often ignored by politicians, which in a republican democracy is unacceptable. Even if the way anger about the president’s political decisions is shown through jeering as opposed to intellectual conversation, this is something that the president, or any other political official, deserves to hear.

Photo from Guardian Sport via YouTube Videos of Donald Trump being booed at various sporting events have gone viral on social media.

Photo from Pixabay

Tomas Rodriguez Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com Russia is now in a race against time to prove itself compliant with clean sport with less than a year to go until next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. For a long time now, the country has been surrounded by a controversy involving its anti-doping system. In the months leading up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, several athletes in various sports were allowed to compete, although that was not the case for the Paralympic Games. Most recently, it was discovered that Russians had manipulated the data they had handed over to World Anti-Doping Agency officials in light of an ongoing investigation into the Moscow lab. However, that investigation found that despite no apparent drug cheats, the information with which investigators were provided had indeed been manipulated. The lab data had been guarded by Russian law enforcement at the Moscow lab. WADA negotiated to acquire it in order to corroborate positive tests resulting from Russia’s doping program. But that is not all that the Russians have been up to in these past few weeks. Last month, Russian hackers apparently attacked the computer networks of at least 16 national and international sports and anti-doping organizations. The attacks were committed by state hackers and are the latest in a series of brazen Russian cyberattacks on foreign politicians, sporting officials and antidoping regulators. The hacks were timed as the WADA deals with the continued fallout from the 2015 Russian doping scandal, which caused many of its Olympic athletes to face a ban from the Games, while the country was excluded from taking part at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Russia was reinstated as compliant earlier in February of this year, although they may face yet another Games ban after WADA officials discovered that Russian athletes failed drug tests had been erased from a critical data set. In recent months, a WADA investigative team discovered inconsistencies between a data set it received from a whistleblower in 2017 and data submitted by Russian officials last January. Failed drug tests had been deleted from the Russian data set. Last month, WADA officials gave the Russians three weeks to explain the discrepancies. WADA has yet to determine whether it will accept Russia’s explanations. Earlier in October, in fact, Yuri Ganus, head of the newly-reformed Russian Anti-Doping Agency, had indicated that Russia doctored “thousands” of samples, and he said the data could have been manipulated to protect the reputations of star athletes who now hold key government or sport administration positions. With the recent series of scandals, maybe Russia should be considered twice in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Clean sport should always be first in line, in spite of political views and opinions. It almost seems as if the Russian situation is politicizing the Olympic Games themselves. It has gotten to a point where one does not know what to trust in terms of athletic results. Just like with East Germany back in the day, Russia should face an indefinite suspension from international competition – they probably do not even care if they get suspended, or least that is the impression that the world is getting from them. If they can prove the contrary, when they do, they can be reconsidered.

NEWS VEGAN OPTIONS

A5 Olivia Bailey | The Oswegonian

OPINION

VOLUME LXXXIV ISSUE XV

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

SPORTS B2

TEDDY BEAR TOSS

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

STAFF EDITORIAL

On Nov. 5, Northwestern University’s student newspaper, The Daily Northwestern, covered a protest when former Attorney General Jeff Sessions came to speak at the university. The editorial staff sent one reporter to the protest and a photographer; the other reporter was sent to cover the actual talk from Sessions. After stories with interviews and photos were published, The Daily Northwestern received a lot of backlash from students that were involved with the protest and were interviewed. Five days later, the newspaper released an editorial about what happened to receive the backlash and how they responded within their own newsroom. The newspaper received complaints about the photo coverage of the protest, and “some protesters found the photos posted to reporters’ Twitter accounts traumatizing and invasive,” according to the editorial. When pictures are taken at an

event like the protest, those students are presumably passionate about the topic at hand. If the protesters wanted to ensure safety and a lack of public acknowledgement through photos, they would not have shown up. Any “normal” protester should be encouraged that their voice was heard through media, whether it be The Daily Northwestern or any other news outlet. These students were also in a public area, where they should know any of this could happen. One of the bigger points made in the article that went around on social media was how the reporters contacted some students before the protest for interviews. Reporters used Northwestern’s directory to find cell phone numbers of other students and texted them to see if they would want to be interviewed. The editorial said, “We recognize being contacted like this is an invasion of privacy,” but does it push the bound-

aries of “privacy?” In a world where everything is digital, reporters text, call or even email sources for interviews. Many people prefer to be contacted even through text when it is a consistent enough source, where there is a trusted relationship built between the reporter and source. The directory is public to Northwestern students; anyone could have texted them. Is it a bit odd to text for this type of story? Perhaps. But, the students that received texts could have simply said, “No, thank you.” We, as The Oswegonian, believe in reporting on the news that is not always rainbows and butterflies. The original coverage from The Daily Northwestern was spot on: it sought truth and reported it, as the Society of Professional Journalists says to. But backing down because students did not feel safe tarnishes what we, as journalists and reporters, stand for.

IN THE OFFICE

NCA A takes 2 steps backwards Minor infractions penalized, focus should be elsewhere

Luke Owens Asst. Sports Editor lowens@oswegonian.com

THE OSWEGONIAN

The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935

G UIDELIN ES

We want your thoughts on our coverage, campus and local issues, or anything regarding the Oswego State community.

On Oct. 29, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Board of Governors voted to allow players to profit from their own name, image and likeness once the three divisions can reach a decision on how exactly this will work. The NCAA suspects this could go into effect as early as 2021. At this point, I believe the NCAA Board of Governors itself was among one of the only entities in the world that believed college athletes should not be able to profit off of their own image and likeness. It is common sense, right? Every other person in the world can make money off themselves, so why would collegiate athletes not be given the same rights? This does not mean athletes will be paid millions of dollars to run events, but if an athlete runs a summer camp they should be entitled to the same couple of hundred bucks that everyone else is entitled to, given the billions of dollars the NCAA makes off the athletes’ free labor every year. The bottom line here is good for you, NCAA. You finally did something right. This decision came way too late, and prob-

ably only came because of public pressure. But at least the NCAA made some progress. Players, many of which have been quoted complaining about a lack of time to study and a lack of money for basic needs, will finally have a chance to make some money off the field. Any sense of good progress was stopped last week. The NCAA announced that Ohio State star defensive end Chase Young had been suspended for at least one game and as many as four games. The “crime” Young committed was borrowing money from a family friend in order to buy his girlfriend a plane ticket to the 2018 Rose Bowl, which he paid back in full. The family friend also had no affiliation with Ohio State Univer-

sity. To summarize, Young asked to borrow some money as a college student that could not afford a plane ticket to California and was suspended by the NCAA indefinitely. The NCAA rules committee should be focused on busting people for getting paid under the table, or other serious infractions, not busting guys like Young. It seems at this point for every step forward the NCAA makes, it also takes two giant leaps backward. After approving players being allowed to profit from their own name and likeness, it seemed the NCAA was finally seeing the light. But after its recent decision on Young, it seems to be the same old story for the billion-dollar machine. The hypocrisy of the NCAA never ceases to amaze me.

Photo from Pixabay The NCAA penalized a student because they requested help paying for a plane ticket.

Cattan

Email all letters as Word attachments to opinion@oswegonian.com or mail submissions to 139A Campus Center, Oswego N.Y. 13126 All writers must provide their real name, address, academic year, major and phone number (which will not be published). Members of organizations should include their title if their letter addresses an issue pertaining to the organization. For publication, letters should be 250 words or less and submitted by the Tuesday prior to the desired publication date. The Oswegonian reserves the right to edit and reject letters and cannot guarantee that all letters will be published. Opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not always reflect those of The Oswegonian.

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

Photo provided by Michelle Intschert

INSIDE

C2 New film ‘Parasite’ proves C3 ‘Death Stranding’ has dull C5 James Dean will star in

modern masterpiece

gameplay, great story

LAKER REVIEW

new film through CGI

FRIDAY Nov. 15, 2019

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Masterpiece ‘Parasite’ one of year’s best films

Worlds, genres clash in this dark, satirical take on classism, family Brandon Fallat Laker Review Editor bfallat@oswegonian.com

Rating: Every once in a while, a film comes along that reminds us why movies are considered art. Usually this film comes out of nowhere. It is not highly anticipated by mainstream audiences, nor is it heavily marketed by its distributing studio. However, while watching it, audiences know they are witnessing a classic film before their eyes. “Parasite” is that film. Directed by Bong Joonho (“Okja”), the film revolves around a lower-class, destitute and unemployed family in South Korea that takes special interest in a more upper-class, wealthy and glamorous family and engage in a swindling scheme similar to something out of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.” That is all there is to know about this film before sitting down to watch it because, frankly, after a certain point early on, there is no way to tell where the film is heading or what specific genre it fits into. Simply put, it is original in the best sense of the word. The film opens within the confined basement complex the lower-class Kim family, consisting of son Ki-woo (Wooshik Choi, “Rosebud”), daughter Ki-jung (So-dam Park, “Fukuoka”), mother Chung-sook (Hye-jin Jang, “Adulthood”) and father Ki-taek (Kang-ho Song, “The Drug King”). The family is struggling to move past each other through cramped hallways and filthy rooms as they search for a viable Wi-Fi signal. Afterward, their employer, a pizza delivery service, scolds them for not properly folding the pizza boxes, to which the Kim family turns into a petition for a promotion. It is this opening scene that shows the audience all they need to know without explicit exposition or elongated sequences. The Kim family is a single unit, they are symbiotic. They act out of the interests of the whole party, never selfishly, and cling onto any shred of opportunity they

New streaming ser vice Disney+ already has over 10 million subscribers, despite only dropping on Nov. 12.

Image from IGN via YouTube Actors So-dam Park (left) and Woo-shik Choi portray siblings who swindle a rich family into thinking they are professional tutors.

notice until the root is pulled from under it. This is why director Joon-ho is such a genius, for he uses the characters to drive the story forward, as opposed to reducing them to simple passengers on an already set-in-motion merry-goround of a story that does not care who sits in the seats, because it will hit the same beats and go through the same motions no matter what. The Kim family goes on to trick the wealthy Park family, also consisting of a son, daughter, mother and father, that Ki-woo is an english tutor, Ki-jung is an art therapist, Ki-taek is a chauffeur and Chung-sook is a housekeeper. Sound comedic? Well it is, at first. However, the film never truly settles into the comedy arena so much so that it feels like a “Saturday Night Live” parody skit. In fact, the film almost entirely shifts genres by the third act, which one must see to believe. The Kim family lies and cheats their way into a life of luxury. This alone will split audiences into two packs, one which is still rooting for them by the halfway point, despite the heinous acts they commit, and one that is patiently waiting for their luck to run out and

the fallout to commence. Joon-ho knows these expectations and thwarts them at every chance he can, not because he wants to screw around with the audience out, because he is simply following the story. This film is by no means a comedy or even a thriller. It is an entirely new concoction of storytelling that takes audiences on a roller coaster of emotions and surprises, filled with subtly and nuances that flesh out the characters and their motivations. The intricacy that goes into every shot and every line of dialogue is well worth it in the end, for “Parasite” is a rare film that leaves viewers utterly speechless and in awe of the experience they just had that they can only classify as cinematic. The entire cast turn in stellar performances. Park is a scene-stealer as Ki-jung, the conniving sister with a solution to everything. She easily takes point in some of the film’s most memorable scenes. The most powerful, and Oscar-worthy work acting-wise, comes at the hands of Song. His portrayal of a loving, cowardly and gentle father adds that extra emotional resonance that

propels the film into some of its more profound and heartbreaking sequences. From gut-bustingly hilarious to emotionally-gutting, “Parasite” is a film we as Americans need more of. It does not follow the basic eight-sequence, three-act structure of mainstream Hollywood movies with a clear beginning, middle and end. It is refreshing to watch a film that does not follow the cinematic norms that we are used to and simply tells a story the way the filmmakers seem fit. It is unpredictable but not jarring, epic yet intimate. It knows its characters and lets them drive the bus and has a bombastic third act that leaves the audience utterly speechless even once the credits roll. However, the film’s greatest strength is that it does not feel like it was created as a general concept with a clear ending and a whole middle that needed to be filled with content. Nor does it feel like a neatly organized and well-thought out structure with every plot point planned and vetted beforehand. It feels as if Joon-ho had a general idea and started writing and as opposed to him coming up with the story, the story came to him and he was simply a transcriber. That is what true cinema should always strive for. That is what “Parasite” achieves.

Filmmakers behin d upcoming “Sonic the He dgehog” movie successfully re design character following fan backlash.

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk made his return to the company with a surprise debut on “WWE Backstage.”

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

C 3 C 3

‘Death Stranding’ tests gamers’ patience with slow pace, strong story Stephen Novak Asst. Laker Review Editor snovak@oswegonian.com

Rating: The key to enjoying “Death Stranding” is to believe in what it is selling. That sounds callous, but after all of the drama surrounding its creation and the claims of its director (Hideo Kojima, “Metal Gear Solid”) that this game would create a new genre, it is hard to not feel pressured by its commercial scale. This does amount to something of an illusion. The moment one truly zooms out and realizes that the core of the 50-hour campaign is mostly spent holding the forward button and watching for rocks, the viewer might never truly get sucked back in. It is a game one has to meet halfway, to accept all of the mundanity in order to fully enjoy it. The game follows a delivery man named Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus, “The Walking Dead”) as he acts as a messenger

to reconnect the U.S. after an unspecified destructive event simply known as the “Death Stranding.” Describing the plot past this point depends on both one’s patience and ability to guess at what an acronyms meaning is. “DOOMS,” “BTs,” “BBs,” the Beach and Death Stranding are all terms the player will have to figure out for themselves. Whether or not that is a part of the fun or a confusing mess that ruins the stories context is up to them. Most of Sam’s activities, and the players, revolve around the delivery of packages. A somewhat dull experience is at first only made exciting by the terrain. Getting from point A to B could be marred by a variety of things. A simple river that might be easy to wade through, might not be so easy once Sam straps 200 pounds of cargo on his back and risks getting swept away, along with all the precious items he was ferrying. Combat starts off a somewhat clunky affair, as Sam spends most of the game carrying his personal freight train. Being mo-

bile is out of the question, leaving players to use a clunky melee attack that only sometimes works. This does get remedied later on as newer weapons get included. but human enemies only make up a small portion of threats. Extradimensional beings known simply as “BTs,” or Beached Things, will roam in packs. Sam cannot see these by conventional means, however the same applies to them and BTs will only be a threat once Sam makes enough noise to be noticed. These are by far the most exciting moments of “Death Stranding,” as the mixture of tension and uncertainty will put anyone on their toes. The story is also a highpoint, with lengthy cutscenes that are brilliantly acted though not necessarily brilliantly written. Reedus does a great job as Sam, playing the character flat enough to allow any player to project onto him while also being quirky enough to inject humor throughout his various hikes. It is clear Kojima wanted to give “Death

Image from PlayStation via YouTube Actors Norman Reedus and Lea Seydoux star in the anticipated game.

Stranding” a “wow factor,” especially when Reedus meets up with his other cast members. The side characters consist of Deadman (Guilermo Del Toro, “Pans Labryinth”), Cliff (Mads Mikkelsen, “Polar”), Fragile (Lea Seydoux, “The Lobster”) and Higgs (Troy Baker, “The Last of Us Part II”) to bring what is likely the biggest A-team of actors in gaming.

As a final product “Death Stranding” is an anomaly. It is packed with detail, even after 30 hours’ players will go, “Oh, I didn’t know I could do that,” but this is only provided that they work with the other nuisances that seem to want to break players out of the illusion. It is not for everyone, but that is probably what makes it special for the people it is for.

All films can be cinematic, not just those that get Oscar noms Zakary Haines Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com With the movie industry as booming as it is in this century, it is easy to get caught up in trends. Superhero films have been dominating the industry for the whole decade. Between “Avengers: Endgame,” “Logan,” “Kick-Ass” and many more, superhero movies have been the trend of the decade. Some have even compared it to the trend of Western films seen in the 1950s and ‘60s. Recently, superhero films have come under fire from some of Hollywood’s finest and most elite names. Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”), one of the most successful and well-known directors of all time, claiming that Marvel movies are not “cinema” and more or less “theme parks.” This brought some resistance from fans and including Disney’s CEO Bob Iger. Iger responded by praising Scorsese’s work but said, “Anyone who has seen a Mar-

vel film could not in all truth make that statement.” This poses the question, “What is cinema?” But no one is asking, “Why do we consider cinema art?” Cinema has a rather short history compared to a lot of forms of art. The first film debuted December of 1895 in Paris, France with the Lumière brothers. In the early 1900s, film began to develop more and more. By the 1930s films had color, sound and were full length pictures. This was the Golden Age of Cinema. In the 30 years between the 1950s and 1980s, the film industry was doing poorly. In 1985, movies began to come back into the public interest and began a new age of boom. In the past 20 years alone, more innovations and improvements were made since the early 1900s and has helped transform the industry into what most consumers know today. During the recent renaissance, superhero films have been able to take form compared to their earlier forms.

Films like “Blade,” “Hellboy,” and “Spider-Man” all help pave the way for the current Marvel Cinematic Universe and other superhero films. But are they art? Is any cinema art? Even if it is the best film of all time, how do we know if it is an art? Film was also not considered a higher form of entertainment until fairly recently. Even during the 1930s, films were not given any respect in comparison to theater, classical

music, opera. The thing that separates high forms of art compared to lower forms of art is access and financial status. But the stories are still the same. A lot of films tell the same classic stories that are seen in the theater. Stories such as: good vs. evil, man vs. self, rags to riches, romance, etc. Plays like “Romeo and Juliet” have been retold multiple times in films. Another big play, Homer’s “Iliad,” got its

Image from ABC News via YouTube Disney CEO Bob Iger weighed in on the debate that has raged online for weeks.

major cinema debut in 2004’s “Troy.” Same story, different platforms. Scorsese has told phenomenal stories in films such as “Taxi Driver,” “Goodfellas,” “The Wolf of Wall Street” and more. But Marvel has told great stories in their own right. Even if there is a focus on making a franchise, no franchise can go anywhere without compelling characters and conflicts. But no film in general can gain an audience’s attention without the same thing. The issue is a matter of opinions but that is an argument that the years to follow will have to face. What makes a film cinema and qualifies it to be cinema? Or better yet, what is cinema? Some may argue stories but both sets of films have it. Others argue purpose but at the end of the day, films are meant to tell a story regardless if they wear a suit or body armor. If they fight another mob or aliens from outer space. When the idea of the plot is at its bare bones, it is the same story, just told in a different light.

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

‘Jojo Rabbit’ uses Nazis to tell year’s most heartwarming story

Set in Nazi Germany, 10-yearold Johannes Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) is a jignostic supporter of the Nazi regime. This devotion is reflected through Jojo’s imaginary friend Adolf (Waititi, “Avengers: Endgame”), who is a childish version of the infamous fascist dictator. Some of the film’s best moments include Jojo’s interactions with Adolf, which ex-

tend beyond comic relief to add layers to Jojo’s perception of the world around him. Certain people may feel apprehensive to watch this film due to its subject manner, but context manners. Even though Jojo supports the Nazis, his commitment to his country is completely understandable considering the circumstances. He may be susceptible to brain-

washing and propaganda, but he is also a product of his environment. In fact, Jojo’s background allows room for growth and understanding. This includes his impressions of Jews, who he believes are nasty monsters who terrorize children. We all know this is false, but the transition Jojo experiences to change this viewpoint is the most heartwarming moment of the film. Davis is joined by Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”) as Jojo’s mother, Rosie, whose portrayal is both believable and heartfelt. Johansson has proven her worth as an actress numerous times over, but her interactions with Jojo are so genuine that you feel as if he were her own child. Needless to say, Rosie is the best mother character in years. The rest of the impressive cast includes Sam Rockwell (“The Best of Enemies”) as the bumbling Captain Klenzendorf, Alfie Allen, (“The Predator”) as Klezendorf’s loyal assistant,

traction”), is a failed inventor with a cynical attitude. When their paths cross, they set off to free the animal, a rare Chickaraffe, before it can be caught by the evil Mr. Snerz (Eddie Izzard, “Ocean’s Twelve”). There is also Michellee (Diane Keaton, “The Godfather”), a literal bean counter and overprotective mom and her fun-seeking daughter E.B. (Ilana Glazer, “Broad City”). Since this is set in a Dr. Seuss-inspired world, there are a lot of wacky touches that tend to come off as more charming than annoying, particularly in regards to the world design, which incorporates a lot of oddball geometry. There are some good jokes, particularly with Snerz and his rich cronies, who play up their diabolical nature enough to make it enjoyable. The animation is relatively dynamic and engaging, though it comes off as a bit too clean and artificial for something inspired by Dr. Seuss. However, the nice touches do not outweigh the flaws.

For starters, the theme song is unbearable and the narrator adds nothing but forced rhymes and awkward jokes. The main concept of the show is the friendship that develops between Sam and Guy, but it becomes increasingly difficult not to get annoyed with Sam, who is extremely self-centered and often puts the two of them in danger. Guy’s reasonably angry or hesitant reactions

to his psychotic companion are treated as grumpiness and Sam is rarely ever held accountable. The whole world is so mean-spirited, with everyone treating Guy like garbage and then wondering why he is so mad. The show has the emotional consistency of a feral cat. Each episode faces pretty much the same problem in different clothes, Sam does something stupid, Guy quits, they

Garrick Groover Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: Easily one of the best movies of the year. Time and time again, audiences like to complain that creativity is dead in Hollywood. Movie choices today are restricted to the typical superhero fare and bland big-budget farces like “Men in Black: International,” “Gemini Man” and “Terminator: Dark Fate.” Despite these arguments carrying some weight, movies such as “Jojo Rabbit” break this mold. “Jojo Rabbit” is the newest film by New Zealand director Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok”) and is perhaps the most unique film to release this year. No other film in recent memory has elicited so many reactions of laughter, sadness, warmth and excitement. Combined with a stellar cast, “Jojo Rabbit” proves that Waititi is one of the best up-and-coming filmmakers working today.

Image via FoxSearchlight via YouTube Taika Watiti (left) portrays an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler, a friend to Jojo.

Rebel Wilson (“The Hustle”) as a brutish instructor and Thomasin McKenzie (“The King”) as a Jewish girl being hidden in the Betzler home. “Jojo Rabbit” is a very amusing film with most of the comedy emitting from its wellwritten characters. Rockwell’s performance in particular is splendid as he could have easily been a disposable source of goofy jokes but even he receives moments of greatness in the film’s climax. Even Wilson is enjoyable to watch as her humor extends into dark territory. Another highlight is Stephen Merchant (“Good Boys”) as a Gestapo agent who manages to be amusingly menacing. Overall, “Jojo Rabbit” is a funny, heartwarming film with magnificent performances and great characters. That may sound odd coming from a movie featuring a boy who speaks to an imaginary Adolf Hilter, but Watiti’s direction and screenplay have yielded a spectacular picture.

make up. Also, sometimes Michellee is there and she is mad at Guy, but then forgives him because she has no standards, but then gets mad at him again. All-in-all, the actual writing is pretty lazy and it becomes especially noticeable if you binge watch it. If audiences like Dr. Seuss’ style, they might get some enjoyment out of this, but overall it becomes pretty tiring to watch.

Even kids will be bored watching lazily written ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ Lucas Fernandez Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: If you have ever been a child, like most of us have, it is likely that your parents, guardians or kidnappers read you the famous Dr. Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham.” If you are not familiar, the book is basically just several pages of a man being accosted in different locations by an insistent goblin named Sam-I-Am who pleads with him to try the titular verdant entrée. It is simple, it is wacky, it is Dr. Seuss. Let us see what Netflix gave viewers. In the animated series, the protagonists are essentially the same as in the book, with some upgrades for the sake of the format. Sam-I-Am (Adam DeVine, “Pitch Perfect”), is now a wildlife liberator and steals a zoo animal in order to set it free. His hapless victim, now named Guy-Am-I (Michael Douglas, “Fatal At-

Image from Netflix via YouTube Actors Adam Devine and Michael Douglas portray Sam-I-Am and Guy-Am-I in the new Netflix children’s series.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Use of CGI to resurrect deceased icon James Dean problematic Ethan Stinson Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com On Sept. 30, 1955, the world lost what was perhaps one of its greatest acting talents. Actor James Dean died in a car crash at the age of 24. Sixty-four years after the day of the accident, Dean is still lovingly remembered by the film world and casual fans alike for his strong, though, unfortunately, shortlived, career. Many still speculate as to what he would have done had he survived. Though the actor himself will never answer this question, director Anton Ernst (“Momentum”) has decided to do so himself, recently announcing that Dean will be digitally recreated in order to star in his upcoming Vietnam War film, “Finding Jack.” Though this film will give audiences who had not seen Dean act during his lifetime the opportunity to witness him on the big screen, the project feels less like a

genuine tribute to the late actor and more like an unethical outlet for filmmakers to profit off of his legacy. Over the course of his six-year career, Dean broke through to the mainstream by starring in the films “East of Eden,” “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant.” Prior to his death, Dean was set to star in the film “Somebody Up There Likes Me” and was later replaced by actor Paul Newman (“Cool Hand Luke”). Though the idea of Dean experiencing a longer career is certainly a pleasant thought to ponder, the thought of him posthumously appearing in another film is also one to fear, for it is not entirely guaranteed that a project such as “Finding Jack” could ever live up to the legacy established by his past performances, thus creating the potential for his essentially flawless resume to be tainted. Another point of concern is how well the computergenerated imagery can realistically recreate Dean’s

Image from CBS This Morning via YouTube A CGI James Dean in a new film will only lead to more resurrections of public figures.

likeness and place it into the film’s setting. In recent years, films such as “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” have proved that digitally placing deceased actors into films is a possibility, with the face of actor Peter Cushing (“Dracula”) being digitally superimposed onto a double so that he could “reprise” his role of Grand Moff Tarkin.

However, the decision for the studio to portray Cushing in this capacity was met with criticism, due to the fact that it was a voice actor that gave the performance, not Cushing, in addition to the disturbing notion of witnessing the likeness of an actor deceased for over 20 years. As such, the fact that a digital shell of a man being

called “James Dean” is being given a lead role in a film is all the more alarming, for it will feel almost ghostlike and disturbing rather than a welcome reintroduction to a long gone actor. Even if the film itself turns out to be high quality, Dean’s presence within it will still remain in the minds of many as troubling and regretful. Even if it is his face that the audience is viewing, one must still acknowledge that it is not the real Dean that they are seeing, but instead a computer-generated puppet posing as him. Because of this, it will ultimately be recognized that this digital creature could never deliver a performance even close to as masterfully and powerfully as the legend which it is mimicking could. Though we have yet to see a final product, the sheer concept of it stands as a shameless effort to capitalize on a theoretical future which never occurred, and would be better left off that way.

DJ Audien redefines music as escapism with first studio album Tomas Rodriguez Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: American DJ, record producer and musician Nathaniel “Nate” Rathbun, recognized by his stage name Audien (“Something Better”) released his first studio album, “Escapism,” last Friday. Characterized by a chill and hypnotizing electronic sound, the album is full of smash hits that are sure to make their way to the dance floor in the remainder of this year and all of next year. Therefore, listeners cannot miss out on it. At first glance, the various tunes are characterized by a mix of relaxing piano melodies, followed by the now all-classic “beat drop” that depicts dance and electronic music nowadays. By definition, escapism is the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleas-

ant realities. When taken into consideration, that definition reflects on the album as a whole in that some of the songs’ titles allude to that mood of searching or reaching for an imaginary, pleasant and inviting atmosphere. When further analyzing the different tracks based on the combination of melody and overall tone, readers should stick to three of the 11 melodies that Audien has delighted music-holics with by way of his first studio album. The first pick comes in the form of the opening track, “See You On The Other Side.” With its opening of a bird song, it will automatically drive listeners to a state of joy and relaxation. The track then goes on to a set of piano notes and chords with a blend of feminine choir that are sure to reduce one’s levels of anxiety and stress. Then, the beat drops and magic happens. Despite the introduction of electronic beats and sounds, the chill and re-

laxing melody still manages to continue. The song closes with a series of violin chords that, along with the rest of the tune, will attract audiences at first listen. After a long day of work, a long night of study, or whatever the circumstances may be, this will be a go-to melody. If listeners would rather have a little bit more of a beat – and the addition of lyrics –

they will not have to dig too far into the repertoire. The second track, “Reach,” featuring Jamie Hartmann (“Hard Rain”) will meet those requirements, while also serving as the lead single for the album itself. The song talks about some of the problems a relationship could run into, while the vocalist discusses taking his girlfriend for granted. This mood can perfectly be

Image from AudienTV via YouTube By blending electronic dance music with relaxing melodies, Audien has made a great album.

exemplified in the song’s chorus. “All I had is all I took for granted / Like you, I thought we had it / So come on, turn around.” Through those lyrics, Hartmann tries to convince his lover to make a “U-turn” and return to his arms. In all, the theme is to end the damage or pain that one has done and the other is experiencing. The third and last recommendation deriving from this album is the ninth track, “Something Greater Interlude.” While it lacks vocals and that electronic mood, the piano-made melody is sure to persuade listeners to that overall sense of relaxation. The song, 1:48 long, serves as the second part to “Something Better,” a track that the producer released featuring duo Karmin (“Brokenhearted”) back in 2018. Overall, music aficionados should give this one a shot. It does a solid job of fusing relaxing music without lyrics with electronic music that features lyrics.

FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

Crossword Puzzle

Across

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

1. Hot Sauce 6. Prone 9. Foil metal 12. Dodge 13. Bring to court 14. Compass dir. 15. Made more compact 17. Author ___ Tolstoy 18. Leg part 19. Poet’s above 20. Narrow valley 21. Begin again 23. Canine comment 26. Colleague 29. Massachusetts city 31. Does nothing 32. Honed 36. Enjoy a buffet 37. Cap ornaments 38. Cereal grains 40. ___ Ripken of baseball

41. Mexican money 45. ___ Baba 46. Fabrics 48. That woman 49. Large primate 50. ___ Fools’ day 51. Function 52. ____-gallon hat 53. Basil sauce

Down 1. Burlap bag 2. Stratford-upon-___ 3. The ____ Star State 4. Flank 5. Lemon beverage 6. Evaluate 7. ___ Rico 8. Actor ___ Danson 9. Blabbermouth 10. “___ dead people!” (2 wds) 11. Sign gas

16. Negatives 20. Crossword diagram 21. Highway entrances 22. Citric and boric 23. Donkey 24. College cheer 25. Roadside problem (2 wds.) 27. Steeped brew 28. Washington, DC time zone 30. Significant times 33. Flee 34. Tidy up 35. She, in Paris 38. Honolulu’s island 39. Malt drinks 41. Plumbing tube 42. Hearing organs 43. Skirt opening 44. Norwegian city 46. Bathroom rug 47. Eminem’s milieu

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

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2019

One Good Thing by Lucas Ferna

It was a perfect split of dusk when a terrible thing occurred. It began with the mastiff, that is, the dog that Eddie said was a mastiff but which, really, was probably a quagmire of breeds all smacked together. As the last sunbeams raced from the horizon, they scattered through the fly-torn window screens and stabbed into the poor dog’s winking left eye. It’s important that it was the left eye, you see, because the right one was cloudy with cataracts, a problem which Eddie had said was too minimal to get treatment for. So it was the left eye, which had winked open for only a moment to spy what was making all the noise by the toaster. I had just finished browning some perfect slices of rye and was preparing to slather them with a bit of the fancy butter left over from our trip to the downtown diner the night before. I told Eddie that the place was too expensive, but he said that since he got a raise over at Farmington and Corduroy and Blatsky, he’d be able to afford it. So the dog wanted to see, but just at that moment the clouds parted from the horizon and the sunlight singed its left eye. Well, this sent the dog howling, it always was too sensitive, and never made a good guard dog, and it ran out of the kitchen, knocking over a chair on its way out. Whenever the dog was

Ubisoft dropped the ball with “Breakpoint” Ubisoft-developed games have a lot in common with substance abuse. The first time you try it out, things are not bad. You might even enjoy it with a friend. Then you do it again, again and again before you start to realize it is the same high every time but in a diluted form. Then you cannot say “diluted” because you are brain cells have been made soft and tame. The point is that if “Rainbow Six Siege” is cocaine then “Ghost Recon Breakpoint” is raw aerosol. It is buggy, uncomfortable and more than likely killing you at a faster rate than other alternatives. The game was given a lengthy and hype-fueled set of trailers that seemingly went silent the moment time came to actually release the thing. It is bad, clunky and rotten to the core. Gunfights feel like paintball, except the 12-year-olds on the other team froze their

distressed it would go to Eddie, who at that moment happened to be reclined at a just-so angle in his chair, which I thought was ugly but which he refused to get rid of. I had argued that my grandmother had offered us a perfectly good chair that matched better with the curtains, but he would have none of it. The chair she had even reclined, and didn’t get stuck from rusty hinges. He told me I would just have to oil the hinges. So when the dog ran into the living room, it jumped onto the end of the recliner, which should have pushed it down, but because of the sticking hinges, it didn’t. And this dog, being very large, but likely not a mastiff, see-sawed on the edge of the chair, flinging Eddie out of it and across the parlor. Now Eddie wasn’t heavy, and, in fact, I had told him to eat more so I wouldn’t have to worry about him wasting away to a shell, but he insisted on watching television during dinner and so he ignored any opportunities for extra helpings. So when he was flung, he flew like a baseball, and crashed head-first into the wall above the fireplace. It took three firemen to pull his body out, and three morticians to clean it. And if Eddie had just listened to me about the chair, I’m sure it would have turned out differently. But I got to eat my toast, so that was one good thing.

bullets. Upgrades are both expansive and constrained at the same time. Plus, it is just uninventively boring. Ubisoft has even openly said that they released the game as is with the intention of patching it into a playable state. Meaning that if you had pre-ordered the game with the intention of playing it at release, tough luck. Wait until Ubisoft patches out the bugs, adds a ton of extra missions and genuine value. Do not worry, all your friends that are talking about how interesting “Death Stranding” is are liars. A lot of its terrible implementation comes down to its aggressive monetization model as a “Live Service.” Asking players to boil down the systems into a monotonous grind with the promise that the “real” game is hiding somewhere at the end of the rainbow. There is no end to the rainbow though, just another rainbow with a larger price tag. Even with friends, the experience is best enjoyed when the game is breaking. Watching a car sink into the floor with your friend lodged in the backseat is a blast. Or laughing as all of you

walk into a base and watch the super terrorists reach for their FAZE branded paintball guns and duck into cover that does not exist. The silver lining is that at least the game flopped hard. Not as many people were willing to nip at this. It feels karmatically balanced. Now, if only the rest of the players could sober up and enjoy the fresh air. God knows the “Rainbow Six” players could use that.

Stephen Novak Asst. Laker Review Editor

Image from Ubisoft snovak@oswegonian.com

Shea McCarthy

Jacob Fallat