The Oswegonian 2-28-20

Page 1

Look Inside: A3 National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 VOLUME LXXXV ISSUE IV SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

Author Harlan Cohen visits campus Best selling author discusses his works, gives students advice

Former Oswego State professor charged with sexual assault Julia Tilley News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com

On Monday, Oswego City police arrested 42-year-old Dwayne Arruza of Waterloo, New York. Arruza is currently being investigated for allegedly “engaging in oral and sexual intercourse with a person less than 15 years of age,” according to a press release by the Oswego City Police Department. Arruza taught at Oswego State for one semester, according to chief communication officer Wayne Westervelt. “Dwayne Arruza was an instructor who taught one course during one semester at SUNY Oswego. He is not currently employed by SUNY Oswego in any capacity,” Westervelt said. Some Oswego State students

who had Arruza as a professor noted he was absent frequently, and considered his large amount of absences to be unusual. “He would always miss class and blame it on car trouble,” first-year student Michael Talbot said. “When he showed up to class, he would talk about how he and his girlfriend were having problems. [He] treated us more like friends than students. He was an awkward person, but never made us feel uncomfortable.” According to former students, he did not give much notice for missing class, and would miss “more than half of [the] classes.” Other students expressed similar sentiments, and brought up that he frequently mentioned his girlfriend and disputes they had.

See ADJUNCT, A5

Hannah Leonard | The Oswegonian Bestselling author of five books Harlan Cohen spoke at Oswego State, about the power of a positive mindset, and not fearing rejection.

Hannah Leonard Asst. News Editor hleonard@oswegonian.com

CONTENT

Living without fear of rejection and failure can be achieved by having people, places and patience, New York Times Best Selling Author and speaker, Harlan Cohen, told audience members at Oswego State. “I had a rough first year in college. I was really challenged and no one ever told me it could be that way and I thought it was me that was the problem,” Cohen said, “Change is uncomfortable. Just because you are not

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

having the experience you want does not mean that you are responsible or defective.” The event, “Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable” held in the Sheldon Hall Ballroom was organized by Oswego State’s Residence Hall Association and sponsored by Campus Life, The Dean of Students office, New Student Orientation and Health Services. “An incredible amount of work went into this. We have been planning it since before the break but it has been worth it,” Justin Techmanski, event organizer and president of the RHA said.

Being in a place that has resulted in people achieving specific goals and being surrounded by those positive people and, having the patience to grow, will help to ensure success, and confidence, according to Cohen. “You need to have someone in Oswego you can turn to when you are nervous so that you have someone in your corner,” Cohen said. “If there is something you want and you are limited by that thing then you always need to think, people, places and patience.”

Sports NECHL PLAYOFFS

Opinion

See HARLAN, A6

PARASITE, TRUMP

B1

B5

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Photo provided by Oswego Police Department Former professor Dwaume Arriza was arrested for alleged oral and sexual intercourse with a child.

Laker Review CLONES STRIKE AGAIN

C2

Image from Star Wars via YouTube

Oswegonian.com HOCKEY GALLERY

Web

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian


PAGE 2

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

Weekend Forecast

Gonian Social

FRIDAY, FEB. 28 THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 1

Friday

H: 27°

Sunday

Saturday

L: 15 °

H: 22°

L: 14 °

H: 25°

90%

90%

L: 16 °

The Oswegonian

@TheOswegonian

@GonianSports

40% @the_oswegonian

@GonianLRO

Chance of Precipitation

NEW YORK STATE

WEATHER FRIDAY, FEB. 28

Potsdam 20°/7°

Oswego 27°/15° Buffalo 24°/19°

Albany 34°/23°

Syracuse 29°/17°

Harry Palacios, 22, was arrested on Feb. 16 at 6:21 p.m. for criminal mischief in the third degree after a domestic dispute where he was physical with his victim and broke their cellphone. Taylor A. Loughrey, 26, was arrested on Feb. 17 at 2:03 p.m. for petite larceny after he stole from Waynes Drugs.

NYC 40°/29°

Weather forecast provided by Dan Hummel from WTOP-10

Lee A. Williams, 24, was arrested on Feb. 23 at 11:26 a.m. for endangering the welfare of a child where he had

Extended Forecast Monday

Tuesday

MONDAY, MARCH 2 THROUGH FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Wednesday

Thursday

unwanted physical contact with the victim in front of their two-year-old child.

Friday

Tyler D. Hoey, 22, was arrested on Feb. 11 at 6:34 a.m. for petite larceny, possession of a hypodermic needle and H: 37

L: 30 °

H: 45 °

L: 38 °

H: 45 °

L: 35 °

H: 37°

L: 28 °

H: 32°

possession of marijuana.

L: 23 °

Robert F. Moshier, 29, was arrested Feb. 19 at 8:47 p.m.

10%

50%

40%

20%

Chance of Precipitation

The Oswegonian

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief | Alexander Gault-Plate Managing Editor | Ben Grieco News Editor | Julia Tilley Opinion Editor | Francesca Miesner Sports Editor | Matthew Watling Laker Review Editor | Brandon Fallat Multimedia Editor | William Rogers Photo Director | Nicole Hube Creative Director | Patrick Higgins Chief Copy Editor | Rachel McKenna Copy Editor | John Christopher Copy Editor | Matt Czeitner Asst. News Editor | Hannah Leonard Asst. Sports Editor | Luke Owens Asst. Laker Review Editor | Stephan Novak Events Coordinator | Katelyn Gloade Ad Manager | Didem Demir Sales Associate | Tyler Resche Business Manager | John Contrata Asst. Business Manager | Caydee Blankenship Social Media Coordinator | Megan Sylvester Faculty Advisor | Brian Moritz

ADVERTISING

40%

BE HEARD!

following an investigation where he was in possession of cocaine and marijuana. **Blotter information provided by Oswego City Police Department.**

advertising@oswegonian.com ddemir@oswegonian.com Direct: 315.806.8232 Classifieds: 315.312.3601 Ads must be received by the Friday before desired

CIRCULATION

Circulation Dir. | Lindsey Hulburt For drop-off inquries please call 315.312.3269 1,300 copies across the Oswego State campus and the city of Oswego every Friday.

CORRECTIONS Call 315.312.3269 to discuss a correction on any story.

139A Marano Campus Center Editor-in-Chief Phone: 315.312.3269 SUNY Oswego Office Phone: 315.312.3600 Oswego, NY 13126 info@oswegonian.com

W W W. O S W E G O N I A N . C O M

We're looking for writers. That could mean you.

Have you ever wanted to...

Check out

• Express your opinion? • Investigate & report on a story? • Learn how a newspaper operates? The Oswegonian is read by 1,000’s of people in the region, including local residents and your fellow students. Write for us and let your voice be heard.

Join us to learn more. When: Every Friday at 3 p.m. Where: 139A in the Campus Center across from the WTOP-10 studio.

On the Opinion Cover!


NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

We see all of you guys, we want you to know that it is not you guys that are the problem, we want you guys to succeed.”

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

-Corey Cesare, from A4

A3

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Focuses on health, insurance coverage, treatment

Olivia Bailey Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com This year, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week began on Feb. 24, and will continue until March 1. The New York Office of Mental Health website describes an eating disorder as, “complex mental health problems that often have physical manifestations.” The disorders anorexia nervosa, restricting food intake, and bulimia nervosa, the purging of food, are the most common. Eating disorders have the potential to cause cardiac problems, low blood pressure, thinning of bones and weight loss. The Office of Mental Health website said, “The long-term mortality for people with severe anorexia nervosa may be over 10%.” If left untreated people can develop infertility, bone breakage, die or commit suicide. Treatment is important and can be on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Therapy is also key in combating the illness. Prescription medication can also be part of the process. Antidepressants have been used in some cases to combat the illness, but lack of access to medication and proper care leaves several patients untreated, according the National Eat Disorder Association’s website. Insurance coverage is difficult to acquire for many people suffering with an eating disorder. Some companies do not cover behavioral or psychiatric health, problems such as an eating disorder falls under those categories of

healthcare and can lead to physical health problems. NEDA said the common reasons insurance companies reject eating disorder patients are weight. “Typically, that it’s not low enough,” or “no medical complications,” for example not showing any physical signs or internal damage to the body. Companies can also drop coverage if patients are “not restoring weight or show a lack of motivation,” according to the NEDA. Insurance companies can also halt coverage if the patient shows a beneficial change, which can cause problems as people can relapse or need constant help to maintain a healthy lifestyle, so cutting off coverage when a patient improves may not be enough. New York Senator Alessandra Biaggi of the 34th District realized the discrepancies in the healthcare and insurance system in regards to eating disorders. She is the main sponsor of the New York Senate Bill S3101, relating to the coverage of eating disorders. The bill is intended to close, “A gap in coverage by requiring insurance companies to provide full coverage for all aspects of eating disorder treatments.” The bill was introduced in early 2019 and has been passed by the Assembly and Senate with no opposition, but has not been sent to the governor yet, for undisclosed reasons. One of the 17 co-sponsors of the bill is Senator Jamaal Bailey of the 36th District. Bailey said there is a “great portion of our society,” dealing with eating disorders and it is a “medical condition.” Although Bailey said he does not know “the ins-andouts of the bill,” he said everyone

should “deserve to get treatment.” When asked why the bill has not been sent to the governor and why the process has been prolonged, Bailey said he is “not certain yet,” and that he is not in the position to speculate. Regardless of where the bill is at the moment, Bailey believes the bill, “is the right thing to do, especially for young people who are scared and don’t know what to do,” and suffering with an eating disorder. This bill would benefit thousands of men and women suffering. According to New York State Department of Health’s website, “An estimated 5 to 10 million women and 1 million men in the United States suffer from eating disorders.” One particular case shows the benefits of having insurance cover the expenses. Lauren MacTaggart, 17, suffers from anorexia nervosa, said she “was one of the lucky ones,” because her hospitalization and outpatient programs were covered by her insurance. She said she is lucky to be covered because she “met lots of people that suddenly just stopped going [to programs].” She said this was because insurance companies would drop those patients, leaving them unable to get treatment. MacTaggart said it took weeks to find facilities that would be covered by her insurance. “Before going to residential treatment I had to wait due to finding a program that took my insurance,” she said. This meant she lost useful time to recover, waiting to be treated. “This bill would be beneficial to people who cannot afford treatment but need it not only for their physical health, but mental too,” MacTaggart said.

Mortals and Gods, Benjamin Entner 10 a.m., Friday, Feb. 28, Tyler Hall Art Gallery

Careers in Insurance 4 p.m., Tuesday, March 3, Sheldon Hall Ballroom

Step Up! Bystander Intervention Training, 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 4, Marano Campus Center 114

Effective Learning Strategies Workshop, 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 4, Penfield Library 215

Simple Self Care: Decorate Lucky Bamboo, 11 a.m., Thursday, March 5, Marano Campus Center 133

Healthy Cooking Class 3 p.m., Friday, March 6, Mackin Complex, Kitchen

Technical Writing: What Are the Different Types, 3 p.m., Friday, March 6, Penfield 215

Exhibition/show: “Museum of Sex” 6 p.m., Friday, March 6, Hewitt Hall Ballroom

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian The goal of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Feb. 24, 2020 to March 1, is to educate people about eating disorder and treatment.

with members who have transferred to Oswego State simply to join, and another stated that he would not still be at this school if not for this With $14,570 in the team, that they stated is contingency fund and more like a family. three new senators sworn in, the Student Association meeting started with a lengthy public comment section dominated by club sports athletes at OsweDeadlines for SA elecgo State. tions petitions have Athletes protested with been extended to Friday. discontent regarding the Voting will take recent announcement place after midterms. of a 54% club sports Students will be nobudget cut. tified via email and Many athletes exthen directed to cast plained to the senators their votes on the laker that such a dramatic cut will likely lead to life website. the end of their organizations as members already pay out of pocket. Some members such as those involved in the roller hockey team stated that they are an Jerri Howland gave incredibly unique team

At The Art Studio - Winter Session 10 a.m., Saturday, March 7, Tyler Hall her Advisor report in which she outlined many issues. One being differing amounts when it comes to dues. Howland said that dues must be uniform when it comes to clubs at Oswego State, for it is discriminatory to charge different amounts.

Howland also said that SA cannot financially support one religious group and not the other, referencing the Muslim Student Association’s request for funds to be allocated toward the delivery of halal meals throughout Ramadan. Rather, Howland mentioned that Cooper Dining hall will be open at sundown to provide Muslim students meals.

Senators voted against the American Marketing Association’s bill requesting $1305.61 to aid four members in attending a competitive conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. President of the AMA, Felicia Lester, told the senators that the club had recently received a contribution from the school of business to ensure the members attend the conference. Lester stated in her initial presentation that the participating members would cover additional charges such as food, transportation from the airport and to and from the conference. Many senators, including MaryJay Olalekan, expressed that they no longer felt the AMA needed a financial contribution from SA due to the aid provided by the school of business.


NEWS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

A4

Club sports teams attend senate Webinar focuses on Future of Food meeting, give concerns on budgets Poverty, global warming, sustainability all discussed Euroka Sejour Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com

Hannah Leonard | The Oswegonian Over 50 club sports members from 10 teams came to the senate meeting, expressing their concerns.

Hannah Leonard Asst. News Editor hleonard@oswegonian.com Club sport athletes flooded the Student Association Senate meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 15 to express their concerns after senators decided to approve a resolution to cap club sports budgets at $135,000, including championship funds, last week. The new budget is an approximate 54% cut to all club sports compared to their budgets last year. Matthew O’Donnell, vice president of SA explained after the meeting that the senate’s decision to cut funding to c l u b s p o r t s by 5 4 % w a s a final resolution. That means there is no possibility to amend the bill, be vetoed, or draft a new bill. Nonetheless, 10 club sports teams, represented by over 50 members, dominated the public comment section of the SA meeting as they displayed great passion for their sports and explained how devastating a 54% budget cut would be for their club sport. Many expressed it would likely be the end of that club spor t at Oswego State. “Riding horses is a very expensive sport, it costs us $35 every time we want to sit on a horse just for practice,” Kelly Dolan, treasurer of the equestrian team, said. “I have probably spent over $10,000 over the course of my college career just for practices, let alone our entry fees which some we pay out of pocket, some we split w i t h S A j u s t to g i ve a l i t t l e buffer room for those people who cannot afford it.” Spor ts like men’s club ice hockey and the equestrian team require immense funds in order to compete. Many present club spor ts teams shared similar senti-

ments. They said they feel they pay a lot of money out of pocket already, and fear for the future of their clubs. “Our budget right now is fit for what we do, because we do spend so much out of pocket, $31,000 a year, so if we keep the original sports budget we are almost one third of the sports budget,” Dolan said. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t make cuts, because I understand it is necessary, but I am just saying our team alone is one third of that budget how can we accommodate other teams, and we already pay so much out of pocket.” Members of the Senate res p o nd e d to p re s e n t i ng c l u b sports members by either asking for clarification or details about their club sport, or by trying to explain why they made their decision. SA Director of Finance Ryan Green denied additional comment. “Our budget cuts are not against any of you here at all, but we see what each and every club are doing,” Corey Cesare, director of student life, health and dafety, said. “We see all of you guys, we want you to know that it is not you guys that are the problem, we want you guys to succeed.” A member of the club table t e n n i s t e a m e x p l a i ne d t h a t t h e c l u b i s ve r y s m a l l w i t h an average of 10 members per semester and that this past year their club did not receive funding, nearly killing the club as a whole due to members having to pay everything out of pocket. The table tennis team along with the roller hockey team wanted to urge SA not to “ne g l e c t s m a l l c l u b s ” b e cause they bring a “unique culture” to the Oswego State campus, as a few of them stated they had either transfe r r e d o r s t a y e d a t O s w e g o State in order to play the offered club sports.

The Future of Food-Live Webinar was held on Tuesday, Feb. 25, and was hosted by the SUNY Oswego chemistry club counting down to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. The webinar was held in Shineman Center and worked to demonstrate how the chemistry community is working to address some of the major food related problems that humanity is facing. With the mutual understanding that food is a common denominator in issues like health, sustainability, global warming, poverty and inequality, the webinar presented the research of three experts who used different methods to combat these problems. Daniela Barile, a certified chemist and professor at The University of California, Davis, spoke about how she is working to combat these issues with her research program focusing on milk functional glycomics, the study of all glycan structures of a given cell type or organism. Her interests are in combining an understanding of the chemical

and biological properties of food with analytics and engineering to characterize and make use of all parts of food so that there is regulation in food waste and in addition, helping the environment. “The new information that I learned was about the oligosaccharides that we’re getting from different kinds of food byproducts,” Julia Koeppe, a biochemistry professor at Oswego State, said. Another expert who presented their research at the webinar was Ricardo San Martin who is the research director of the Alternative Meat Program at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at The University of California, Berkeley. The Alternative Meat Program allows students to explore entrepreneurial opportunities in alternatives to animal meat which can be difficult as it is not yet discovered what gives meat its particular umami flavor which can differ between meats. The last expert who displayed their research was Selena Wang whose research program focuses on chemical quality, purity and nutritional boundaries that occur during fruit and vegetable post-harvesting, processing

and storage. Her lab works on identifying the important chemical markers that are important for quality, purity and nutrition. She also works on developing faster and cheaper detection methods that can be easily adopted by food industries to modify the processing methods to improve food quality. As the advisor of the chemistry club at Oswego State, Kristin Gublo, the instructional support advisement coordinator, said that “very little effort is needed to plan an event like this.” “For the past few years, we have signed up for all of them. Topics differ each time, I thought the topic for this one would be a popular one.” For Maria Mendoza, a biochemistry major at Oswego State, it was a potential interest in the field and her courses that brought her to this event. “I want to either go into food chemistry or forensic chemistry,” Mendoza said. As for Gublo, she hopes that students gain knowledge about the topic, become more familiar with their professional organization, the American Chemical Society and make some new friends.

Eurokah Sejour | The Oswegonian The SUNY Oswego chemistry club hosted the webinar as an early Earth Day celebration to educate students on sustainability in relations to food.

315-343-6429 176 East 9th street

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian Student Association senators decided to cut club sports teams’ budgets by almost 54% for next year.


A5 NEWS Multiple burglaries in Cayuga Hall Adjunct professor at Cayuga THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

University Police encourages locking doors, staying alert Tomas Rodriguez Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com Last week, University Police investigated several burglaries in Cayuga Hall, which led to the arrest of an 18-year-old man. At least five rooms were entered during the burglary, two of which were unoccupied. Residents from the remaining three rooms were asleep at the time of the incidents; however, all five doors were unlocked. Per UP, at least one laptop was damaged during the theft, as well. Following the chain of robberies, Cayuga residents were sent an email reminding them to always lock their doors. The email stated that several students reported items of various values were stolen following the incident. The burglaries took place either while students were asleep or not present in their rooms. All rooms entered, per the letter, were unlocked. No students were hurt while the crimes were committed, according to newly-appointed interim chief of UP, Kevin Velzy.

“I want this to be a learning experience for everyone on campus to lock their doors, so we tell people at orientation, we tell them at programs all the time ‘lock your doors, safeguard your valuables’ and it just seems like the message doesn’t get through to people,” Velzy said. “I don’t know if it’s that they’re too comfortable in their surroundings or what it is, but they just don’t seem to want to secure where they live and where they sleep.” Following the reports of stolen items, UP responded quickly in identifying the intruder and removed him from the residential campus community. Charges are still pending at this time. The identity and hometown of the arrested student have not been released. UP insisted that students safeguard their own belongings, as students play a big role in protecting their own property. Due to a new policy for the 2019 – 2020 school year, only residents of a building are allowed access through their school IDs. All guests after 11:00 p.m. must be checked in with a resident of the building at the front desk. Following the incident, the Counseling Services were made available

for those in need of support. Oswego State’s Counseling Center is located in 202 Hewitt Hall, where the services are available Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. If students cannot meet the aforementioned schedule, they may receive crisis counseling by dialing 315-312-4416 and choosing the second option. A different option available for students is “Let’s Talk,” available in Penfield Library room 211 on Mondays starting at 12:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The service is also available on Tuesdays in Johnson Hall’s study room between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. If students need to report a crime, they can reach University Police at 315-312-5555, as police are available twenty-four hours every day. Besides calling UP at the aforementioned phone line, students can also download the Rave Guardian safety app on their phones and send anonymous tips, which include taking pictures on their phones and sending them to report a crime. At the time that this story was reported, The Oswegonian had reached out to Cayuga Hall staff, although they were unable to make any comments.

Image from Oswego State University Police Facebook Page Cayuga Hall resident were notified via email about the multiple burglaries, while other students found out from the University Policy Facebook account later on.

Community College charged FORMER from COVER One student recounted a story Arruza once told during class, where he said his girlfriend, and mother of his children, was cheating on him. “It was odd that he would speak about his girlfriend since everyone in the class was a freshman and no one really knew how to respond,” Talbot said. At the moment of the arrest, Arruza was employed by Cayuga Community College and taught at their Auburn campus. According to their website, for the fall 2019 semester, Arruza taught three English courses: English Skills, Fundamentals of Writing and Freshman English I. However, since being arrested, Cayuga Community College terminated his employment. “Cayuga Community College’s top priority is always the safety of our students and employees. Wednesday morning, we became aware of charges filed by the Oswego City Police Department against part-time adjunct instructor Dwayne Arruza. Mr. Arruza is no longer employed as of Wednesday. We have shared information with students and staff.

As this is a personnel matter, we will have no further comment at this time,” Andrew Poole, public and media relations associate at Cayuga Community College said. According to police, Arruza used the app “MeetMe” in order to speak to and later meet the victim. “MeetMe” is a social networking app created by The Meet Group that encourages connecting with new people, whether it be online or in person. Arruza has been charged with one count of each of the following: rape of the second degree, criminal sexual act in the second degree disseminating indecent materials to minors in the first degree, sexual abuse in the second degree, and endangering the welfare of a child. Arruza was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. The investigation is still ongoing. Although some of his students critiqued his attendance and the personal stories he would share, they were still surprised to hear the news. “[I was] very, very shocked. I would never guess,” Talbot said. “[This] is the least expected thing to hear [about] him.”


NEWS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

A6

Harlan Cohen discusses Looking into snow days at Oswego State confidence, being brave Administration discusses how, why they decide to cancel classes AUTHOR from COVER Cohen’s team contacted Oswego State initially to see if they would be interested in having Cohen come speak, Techmanski said. Following along the theme of Cohen’s speech about believing in yourself without fear of risk or rejection, Techmanski said, “Don’t be afraid to do the work.” In the efforts of making people feel comfortable sharing their stories, self-proclaimed master of rejection, Cohen spoke of his own struggles and encounters with rejection, which was effective in easing tension as the room would

roar with laughter sporadically. “Whether it’s wanting to find some love or wanting to deal with uncomfortable situations in class people really tend to be a little more afraid of that,” Cohen said. Audience member and Oswego State student Ivanelis Ruiz said that she has aspirations to be an actress, but has yet to take the step in that direction. After hearing Cohen’s advice, Ruiz said that she thinks she will pursue these dreams. Cohen, the author of six books, syndicated advice columnist and a speaker who has traveled to over 400 college campuses, is currently working on another book to be released next January.

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian In order to cancel or delay classes at Oswego State, the administration consults meterologist Wayne Mahar to gauge safety conditions.

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

Hannah Leonard | The Oswegonian One of the main ideas Harlan Cohen wanted students to take away is to not be held back by fear.

When the snow starts to fall in Oswego, one wish pervades the student body: canceled classes. However, the way the Oswego State administration comes to the decision to cancel classes takes more than just a grim forecast into consideration. Timing, severity, area of impact and a number of other factors are considered when making a decision to cancel classes. According to Nicholas Lyons, the Oswego State vice president for administration and finance, the administration consults local meteorologist Wayne Mahar for their weather data. Mahar is the chief meteorologist for CNY Central news in Syracuse, and the founder and president of Precision Weather Service, a private forecasting firm that services hundreds of clients nationally, including Oswego State. The school has been using the services of PWS for over a decade. “The decision [to cancel classes] is based solely on the safety conditions that the weather presents and of the weather forecast that is predicted,” Lyons said. “The safety and well-being of all members of our campus community are always our ultimate concern.” According to Mahar, the typical procedure for tracking a weather event that may affect Oswego State starts with the opening of a channel of communication between the two. “Every weather situation is different,” Mahar said. “What will usu-

ally happen is that, if there is a big storm that is well foreseen, I’ll be in touch usually the day before or a few days before, or I’ll even get a call from the university. I’ll transmit a text version of the forecast, the day before or the night before, and we’ll talk the night before and early in the morning around 4:30 a.m. to see if classes might need to be canceled or delayed.” While Mahar provides the forecast and can predict the potential impacts of the weather on travel conditions, he cannot ultimately tell the administration whether or not they should cancel classes. That, he said, is their decision to make on their own. According to Lyons, the administration’s leadership team begins discussing the forecasts and the necessity of a cancellation early in the mornings. For the cancellation on Feb. 7, weather data was assessed at 5 a.m. so the decision to cancel could be made by 6 a.m. Lyons said that 6 a.m. is a deadline chosen by the administration to ensure that classes are canceled in an “orderly fashion,” and to give local media time to spread the word. Conditions considered by the administration include not just the weather on campus, or in the city of Oswego, but also in the greater Syracuse area and the travel conditions between there and Oswego. Many Oswego State students and faculty commute from the Syracuse area, so inclement weather along Highway 481 can impact the commute for a significant number of students. Even with the support of PWS,

the administration does not always know when the weather will get bad in advance and is occasionally caught off-guard by changing patterns. On Feb. 7, the decision to cancel classes was made after 9 a.m., meaning that some students and faculty had already come to campus or begun their commutes. “The weather forecast that we received at 5 a.m. that morning indicated a later start to the inclement weather,” Lyons said. “Our consultation at 5 a.m. indicated a later start of the snow event. When the weather shifted and snow started around 7 a.m., we reconvened and canceled classes as promptly as possible.” While students are not required to attend classes, staff and faculty are not given the day off from work. As a SUNY campus, Oswego State is under the command of the New York State government, and only the governor can officially close state-owned campuses and buildings. Lyons said employees who cannot attend work during a weather-related cancellation of classes are still required to charge leave accruals as if they were taking a regular day off of work. Mahar said that Oswego State has the added complication of nearby Lake Ontario, which can cause very severe snows in a relatively small band of land around the lakes shores. “Particularly in Oswego you’re dealing with localized lake effect situations that a lot of our other school districts and universities don’t have to deal with,” Mahar said. “So it is more tricky for Oswego State than most of the other colleges that we forecast for.”

Want to know what’s going on? Tune in on

Spotify To hear OUR Podcasts

Want to earn extra money while in school and be a star? Hollywood Racing is hiring Brand Ambassadors to post & do appearances with the race car. Monthly a student will win $100 just for having the best Hollywood moment of the month. Also free passes will be given away for those students who follow, like, tweet and post!! The question is are you Hollywood? #HollywoodHype


OPINION MEDICARE FOR ALL

B5 Photo via Flickr

SPORTS THE OSWEGONIAN

SPORTS OPENING

B3

WEEKEND

Casey Stone | The Oswegonian

VOLUME LXXXV ISSUE IV • www.oswegonian.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

B1

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

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

Men’s hockey vs. Plattsburgh

Ben Grieco Managing Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com It is the 131st overall meeting between the Oswego State men’s hockey team and Plattsburgh State, but it will be the third meeting this season. The last time the Lakers and Cardinals met three times in one season was last year, and Oswego State took the series 2-1. In the first meeting this season between Oswego State and Plattsburgh State on Nov. 8, which was also the Lakers’ Whiteout Weekend, David Richer posted his first shutout of the season. Anthony Passero, Carter Allen and Tyler Currie all scored for Oswego State. Jimmy Poreda stopped 26 shots for the Cardinals. With it still being the beginning of the year, especially with a young roster for the Cardinals, Oswego State skated circles around Plattsburgh State, truly overpowering it until the third period when the Cardinals had 15 shots on net, desperately trying to avoid the shutout. That second game on Jan. 31 at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena was much different – Steven Kozikoski was in net for the Lakers in the 4-2 win. Alex DiCarlo scored twice, with Josh Zizek and Michael Gillespie notching the other goals. Brendan Young and Ryan Kuhn scored for Plattsburgh State. That second battle between these two teams will likely be a similar comparison to what this third meeting could be, with more experienced teams fighting for a trip to the championship.

Lakers’ season turns around following major changes

Defense, goaltending adjustment sparks improved play for men’s hockey Ben Grieco Managing Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com In the last nine games for the Oswego State men’s hockey team, the Lakers have boasted a 7-1-1 record only falling to nationally-ranked SUNY Geneseo and tying a tough The College at Brockport team. Ten games ago, Oswego State fell in a tough overtime loss to SUNY Cortland—a team that has been since eliminated from the SUNYAC playoffs—on Jan. 24. While the first game against SUNY Geneseo, a 9-1 loss in November, was considered a turning point for the Lakers, the loss to the Red Dragons took the season for another turn. At that point, it became the players’ team. “That was the point of the season where our players took ownership,” Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek said. “That was the turning point of our year as far as the players buying into it.” A day after the loss to SUNY Cortland, the Lakers had a break from league action with a game against SUNY Canton, a team that Oswego State had not lost to since 1972. Defenseman Carter Allen said they “just needed to win games and needed to play better.” During the pre-game skate before the game against the Kangaroos, Gosek and the rest of the coaching staff told the team they had “a big announcement to make.” That is when it was announced that sophomore Steven Kozikoski would start his first collegiate game. “Usually we tell the goalies separately. But, we spruced it up a little and

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Behind Steven Kozikoski (left), Oswego State is 5-1-1, surrendering 1.84 goals per game.

told the whole team together,” Gosek said. “They all went crazy and they were happy for him.” Kozikoski said he did not have any inclination that he would be starting against SUNY Canton. He mentioned that the coaches usually tell the goaltenders the night before who is starting, but when the announcement was delayed, he “wasn’t thinking anything of it.” Allen said putting Kozikoski in net “initially was a bit of a wake-up call.” “I was just going into my normal day. I got a couple stick-taps before practice,” Kozikoski said. “It was definitely surprising for sure.” Kozikoski won the first game against the Roos, and the Lakers pulled

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

off an 8-2 victory. Gosek added that the change “lifted the spirits of the team at the appropriate time.” “It’s not always how you win. It’s the factors of how the team played in front of him,” Gosek said. “He made some good saves against Canton. He wasn’t tested a lot, but he made the saves that he had to.” The win was followed by a weekend sweep of the North Country teams, with a 4-2 win over Plattsburgh State and a 5-1 victory against SUNY Potsdam. The sophomore had a win-streak going for himself. The win over the Cardinals was surely impressive, as the Lakers beat their top rival on the road. The Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena, where the Cardinals play, is full of history and is “a tough environment with the pressure on,” Gosek said. The next weekend was even tougher. Kozikoski faced his first big test with games against The College at Brockport and SUNY Geneseo, a weekend that ended in a 0-1-1 record. “Geneseo was a big one for me,” Kozikoski said. “It wasn’t the outcome that we wanted, or the outcome I wanted. [But] now that I’ve played them, I was able to get that out of the way and get those jitters out of the way. I feel a lot more comfortable in net.”

In the last nine games, Gosek has mentioned a change in the way the defense has played, adding “it’s all about defense in the offensive zone, neutral zone and their own defensive zone” during practices. Gosek also said “a big part of it was the change that Kozikoski brought to the attitude, the effort and the willingness to block shots” from the skaters in front of him. “There’s more positives on the video after this past weekend [against Buffalo State and SUNY Fredonia] than we had the entire first part of the season,” Gosek said. Kozikoski was not the only major difference in how Oswego State’s season took a turn. The defense has been creating turnovers and getting it out of the zone, “instead of opposing players picking it up and maintaining zone time.” Oswego State has a 1.65 goals against average in those nine games, as well as a combined save percentage of .929. Two numbers that Gosek shoots for every season, and mentions at every pre-season press conference. “I know that our defense’s life has become a little bit easier because our forwards are working harder to support and back pressure [opposing teams],” Gosek said. “It all goes handin-hand. Our players have been buying into what we’ve been preaching.” Practices have also shifted to a defensive focus, and the “numbers have improved over the last nine games,” Kozikoski said, making a “testament to the team.” “We’ve been way more defensive based and that’s what we’re stressing out there in practice,” Kozikoski said. “We’re focusing on our defense, our penalty kill and our power play.” With SUNYACs looming for Oswego State and the semifinals coming up, it is a whole different challenge for Kozikoski. For him, he said it is a little unusual, since his playoffs before college “weren’t in front of 3,000 people, maybe 500 at most.” But he is making sure to play for the 13 seniors on the team. “Even going in for his very first game, it’s a lot of pressure,” Gosek said. “He’s had enough high-pressure games—the Geneseo game, the Plattsburgh game, the Brockport game—he’s more than prepared and ready.”

Club men’s hockey looks to capture first NECHL title

Lakers will travel to Buffalo as No. 3 seed in conference tournament over weekend

Luke Owens Asst. Sports Editor lowens@oswegonian.com

Matt Watling Sports Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com While Plattsburgh State was expected to finish third in the SUNYAC, according to the preseason poll, its climb to the SUNYAC Semifinals is a bit of a surprise. The Cardinals began the season with a new head coach and a freshman-heavy lineup, who would go on to lose their first three SUNYAC games. Fast forward to the end of the season, and Plattsburgh State won its last three games, propelling the Cardinals into the No. 5 seed. Along the way, Adam Tretowicz has established himself as a solid SUNYAC forward, leading the freshman class in scoring with 18 points. The large freshman class holds 10 roster slots and has scored 46.4% of the team’s 69 goals. Jimmy Poreda regressed slightly in net but is still a premiere goaltender for the Cardinals. In 23 starts, the junior posted a .910 save percentage and a 2.62 goals against average. In comparison, he has posted a .920 save percentage and a 2.38 goals against average through 60 career games.

After a solid 13-3-10-1 (7-2-4-1 NECHL) season, it all comes down to this weekend for the Oswego State men’s ACHA club hockey team. Last Sunday, the Lakers captured a 3-2 victory over Canisius College on home ice, securing the three seed in the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League tournament. The single-elimination tournament is being played this weekend in Buffalo, with six teams competing for the automatic bid in the ACHA National Div. I Hockey Tournament in Frisco, Texas. Although the Lakers tied the Rochester Institute of Technology with 26 league points, the Tigers get the advantage after winning the tiebreaker. Oswego State will not have a bye and will match up with Rutgers University (7-1-15-2, 5-0-9-0 NECHL) on Friday. The Lakers and Scarlet Knights met twice in the regular season back in October. Rutgers University won the first matchup 3-1, despite being outshot 48-24. The Lakers bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory in the second game. “The first game we came out flat,” Oswego State head coach Chris Timmons said. “We went in expecting to just roll over them and that is not the case. Any game is up for grabs and at that point in time we just weren’t ready. We were able to wake up the second game and get a big three points.”

If the Lakers can play like they did in the second meeting, they will have a date with the Rochester Institute of Technology in the semifinals on Saturday. Oswego State controlled its own destiny going into the last weekend of games, but fell 1-0 to the Tigers in regulation. The lone Tigers’ goal came in the first period on the power play. The Lakers won the shot battle 47-30. “That game was one of our frustrating games,” Timmons said. “I thought it was going really well for us, playing our systems well and dominating play. We just couldn’t get it past a hot goalie. All it took for them was one powerplay opportunity.” Special teams won the day last weekend for the Tigers, but it is often the Lakers that own the power play. They have converted at a 23.7% clip this season. “The biggest thing has been the evolution to using our lower side,” Timmons said. “At the beginning of the season we were really top heavy, just trying to get it to those right sides. That resulted in more chances and gave us more goals.” Oswego State has been led in the scoring category by Luke Myers, who has 37 points in 27 games. It has also had major help from freshman sensation Braydon Deming. Deming is second on the team with 33 points and has scored five points in his last two games. “He’s been a lot better in terms of puck movement,” Timmons said. “At some points early on, he was trying

to do everything on his own. As the season built up, you can tell the passing is there, he’s looking for the open guy. For him, it’s creating space in the offensive zone.” In net, the Lakers have a steady presence in Alex Gallose. Gallose posted a .928 save percentage in the regular season paired with a 2.56 goals against average. In a single-elimination tournament where teams play three games in three days to win a title, goaltending is of the utmost importance. “I expect the same thing I get from him all year,” Timmons said. “Just consistency and playing to his strengths. If one gets past him this weekend, he has to just stay focused on the task at hand. This is his fourth year being with us. As long as he’s playing his

game, I expect to ride him all the way to the championship.” On the road to a potential championship, the Lakers could face either No. 1 seed Niagara University, No. 4 University at Buffalo or No. 5 Canisius College. Oswego State has beaten all three of these teams at least once in the regular season, as well as the aforementioned Tigers. If the Lakers are to win their first-ever NECHL title, the formula is simple. “If we play our game,” Timmons said. “If we play a full 60 minutes. It’s something I’ve barked at to the guys all season long. When we play a full game, and rely on our systems, then we have no problem taking the whole thing. It’s a matter of consistency which is probably the toughest thing to overcome as a team.”

Alexis Fragapane | The Oswegonian Oswego State’s club hockey team was awarded the third seed in the NECHL playoffs,


SPORTS Men’s basketball ready for No. 1 Brockport Each week, The Oswegonian Sports beat writers give you their thoughts on each team's upcoming week schedule.

Golden Eagles bring balanced, talented lineup into Friday

Men’s basketball @ Brockport

Matt Czeitner Copy Editor mczeitner@oswegonian.com The Oswego State men’s basketball team overcame a sevenpoint first-half deficit and won 79-76 against SUNY Cortland on Tuesday in the first round of the SUNYAC playoffs. The Lakers were led by junior Liam Sanborn who finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. He scored 22 of his points in the second half. Sanborn also had the task of guarding the Red Dragons’ leading scorer Austin Grunder, who came into the game averaging 21.9 points per game. Sanborn held Grunder to 10 points on 5-11 shooting. Next up for the Lakers is a road matchup vs. first-seeded The College at Brockport. In the two meetings this season, the Lakers lost to the Golden Eagles 68-67 on Dec. 6 and 85-80 in overtime Feb. 22. Liam Sanborn is a player to watch for the Lakers. He is averaging 24.5 points per game over the past two contests, including a 23-point performance against the Golden Eagles in the overtime loss. Jahidi Wallace is a player to watch for The College at Brockport. He is averaging 25 points per game vs. the Lakers this year and is the leading scorer for the Golden Eagles. The semifinals matchup is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday at The College at Brockport.

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Joe Sullivan (right) had 14 points in the Lakers’ win over SUNY Cortland.

Matt Czeitner Copy Editor mczeitner@oswegonian.com The Oswego State men’s basketball team has advanced to the semifinals of the SUNYAC playoffs after a win vs. SUNY Cortland which sets up a date with conference foe, The College at Brockport, on Friday. Oswego State is 0-2 vs. The College at Brockport this season, but both games were decided by a small margin. In the first matchup on Dec. 6, the Golden Eagles snuck away with a 68-67 victory at home. In the second matchup on Feb. 22, the Lakers overcame a 14-point first half deficit, but the Golden Eagles secured the win in overtime, 85-80. Despite the two losses, the Lakers showed they can hang with one of the nation’s best, but Oswego State head coach Jason Leone credits the Golden Eagles success this season to

a balanced offense. “They’re 22-3, 17-1 in the conference,” Leone said. “They really have a balanced scoring attack. They have a good combination of physicality around the basket combined with improved shooting on the perimeter.” The College at Brockport’s success this season should not come as a surprise, as it consistently plays to its strengths which has led to wins all season. The Golden Eagles ended the season on a 15-game win streak. “The thing they do best is they get to the foul line,” Leone said. “They are ranked top 10 in the country in both attempts from the foul line and makes. They are also a very opportunistic team off their defense. They create turnovers off their pressure and that allows them to get into the open floor and get a lot of conversion opportunities in transition.”

The College at Brockport is currently ranked second in the nation in free throw attempts and seventh in free throws made. Seventh in the nation in steals per game, sixth in total steals and ninth in turnovers forced are some notable defensive stats as well for the Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles have a slew of very talented players. “From a standpoint of personnel, they’ve got four or five guys that are worthy of all-league consideration,” Leone said. One of those forwards is senior Justin Summers. Despite playing in only 16 games this season due to injury, Summers averaged 16.4 points per game and 6.4 rebounds in the regular season. He also led the team with 24 blocks. “He is a guy that has been a 1,000-point scorer,” Leone said. “He was on the Bevo Francis Small College Player of the Year Award list before he got injured, pre-season All-American. He kind of does it all at his position. I think his most valuable attribute is the presence he provides around the basket with his shot blocking ability.” Another player is sophomore Jahidi Wallace. Wallace averaged 14.4 points per game this season and averaged 25 points per game against the Lakers this season. “Jahidi Wallace is definitely going to be voted one of the five best players in the league this year, so he will be first team All-League,” Leone said. “He is their four-man, he is undersized at 6-foot-2, but he has the quickness of a guard. He is a capable shooter from [the] 3-point line and is a good player in the post and the offensive glass.” Heading into Friday’s matchup, the Lakers are confident due to their play this season. However, adjustments will have to be made for the Lakers to defeat one of the nation’s best teams and move onto the SUNYAC Championship game. “We really just had two bad stretches, one in each game,” Leone said. We didn’t do a good job playing our zone, and they got up 12 points on us, then we battled back. It was very similar to the game here where we got down 14 at halftime. The games were eerily similar, so the adjustments we have to make are those two six-minute stretches, we got to clean that up.”

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

B2

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

Women’s hockey vs. Morrisville

Neil Boedicker Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com Playoff hockey is officially here for Oswego State. After ending the season with a six-game win streak the, Lakers earned the No. 2 seed in the NEWHL playoffs. The Lakers will also host the first round of the playoffs. This gives the team an easier route to the NEWHL Championship, as it does not have to face the dominant Plattsburgh State, who only lost one game this season. Oswego State will instead focus on the third seed, Morrisville State, who has proven to be a tough opponent for the team throughout the season. In the second game these two teams played, Morrisville State defeated the Lakers in the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena. Not only did it leave Oswego with a win, but the Mustangs were also able to shut out the Lakers’ offense and prevent top scorers Megan Teachout, Amber Thomas and Eryn Stewart from getting the offense going. Oswego State has been able to turn things around since that loss and responded by defeating the Mustangs at home, scoring four goals. This should be an exciting playoff game with Morrisville State looking for revenge. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, but has been postponed until Tuesday at 3 p.m.

Lakers prepare for NEWHL semifinals Despite injuries, Lakers Oswego State, Morrisville State ready to battle triple win total in 2019-20

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Oswego State has won two of its three meetings with the Mustangs this season.

Neil Boedicker Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com The regular season is in the books for the Lakers, as the team prepares for the first round of the NEWHL playoffs on Tuesday. The team will take on Morrisville State, who is coming into the playoffs as the third seed and has faced Oswego State three times this season as one of the newest members of the NEWHL. In the games during the regular season, Oswego State was able to defeat Morrisville State two out of the three times the teams faced off. Each game was very close, as the contests were decided by no more than two goals. Head coach Diane Dillon stressed the importance of the little things entering the playoffs.

“It comes down to a play here or a play there,” Dillon said. “It’s making sure we’re taking care of the blue lines. Winning puck battles, crashing the net and moving the puck out of our zone. A lot of things come down to faceoffs, and we’ll make sure we’re taking care of the dots.” The Lakers ended the season on a six-game win streak to help them earn a home playoff game for the semifinals. Senior Kate Randazzo and her teammates are all excited, and are confident in how the team is playing. “It doesn’t really matter for us where we play,” Randazzo said. “We’re always feeding off of each other with our energy. It is nice to be home and not have to travel, but I think we would do well no matter what.” Dillon sees playing on home ice

as a huge advantage as the team’s fans will show up for the playoffs. Dillon also credited how hard the team worked to earn the second seed in the NEWHL playoffs. “It’s outstanding for a lot of reasons,” Dillon said. “We’ve had close to a thousand people before, and it’s just so much more exciting and electric. It really does change the atmosphere of the event not only for the student body, but for the athletes as well.” This season was Morrisville State’s first season as a member of the NEWHL, and it made a huge mark on the conference by making the playoffs as the third seed in its debut. Dillon sees the Lakers’ experience as another advantage for the team on Saturday but knows that Morrisville State will bring a lot of effort. “It’s going to be a heck of a battle,” Dillon said. “They’re going to come and look to take it to us on our own ice. This is our house, and we’ve been in this position before. Our players know what to expect and it should help out our younger players.” Dillon also explained how the focus for the team will be the same as it has been all year. Playing its style of hockey and focusing on itself more than the opponent. “We have got to keep doing the little things,” Dillon said. “We’re focusing on one day, one game and one shift at a time. Making sure that we’re playing the game the way that we want to play it and not so much worried about what our opponent is up to, but executing our system. Playing Lakers hockey where everybody is involved and it’s a full team effort.” Associate head coach Mark Digby complimented the team’s energy after its first practice of the week on Monday. “If practice today is any indication, I’d say they are pretty excited.” Digby said. “They were going pretty good today and that’s always a good feeling to start the week that way.”

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian After a solid start to the season, the Lakers struggled once SUNYAC play began.

Brandon Ladd Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State women’s basketball team entered SUNYAC play with a lot of promise, but a 2-16 record in conference play put the brakes on a promising season. There was a lot of positives sprinkled in the 6-18 overall season, the program took a step forward and the 2020-21 season looks to be another leap for the team. The thing that matters the most in any team sporting event is the scoreboard, the more points at the end of the game wins. Looking over the full season in terms of scoring differential, Oswego State was minus 7.2 points per game, averaging 56.1 points per game to their opponents’ 63.3. That was better than the minus 11.3 scoring differential for the 2018-19 season. The scoreboard is closer and it is why Oswego State was able to triple its win total from the previous season. Another positive is that Oswego State was 4-3 when forward Ramatoulaye Sy played this season, who is expected to be back next season.

A full season with Sy could bring the Lakers into the pack of the SUNYAC. Sy averaged 18.1 points and 11.6 rebounds in her seven contests. The Lakers will have to fill the void of losing one-year transfer player Sydni Eure, who came from Onondaga Community College after scoring 1,000 points in two seasons there. The senior was dominant on the glass and scoreboard just like Sy. Eure averaged 14.3 points and 10.9 rebounds. The Lakers will look to overcome the deficit left by Eure and other departing seniors, Quincey Zimmerman, Erin Gantley, Morgan Wolanin and Tatyana Fish, by shooting a higher percentage from the 3-point line next season. The Lakers finished last in the SUNYAC for 3-point shooting percentage at a 22.7% clip. The hustle and the effort were there for the Lakers all season, while the results were not. The team will look to improve its offense in the offseason and go into next season knowing it may have a fighting chance in the SUNYAC. It cannot be forgotten that the Lakers started 6-4 this season. A double digit wins total is in sight for the first time since 201213 for the Lakers if health goes their way next season.


SPORTS Baseball opens up season with pair of wins Lakers happy with performance despite brisk Ohio weather

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

B B33

Photo Briefs

SENIOR NIGHT CONTRIBUTIONS

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

Casey Stone | The Oswegonian Ben Wilcox (left) threw three innings last weekend, giving up two hits and one earned run, while the Lakers won two of three games.

Michael Gross Contributing Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State baseball team began its 2020 campaign last Saturday in Berea, Ohio, with a trio of games vs. No. 5 Heidelberg University, Baldwin Wallace University and La Roche University. Heidelberg University fell behind early courtesy of a Lukas Olsson sacrifice fly, but it poured on the runs after that. The Lakers dropped the Saturday opener by a score of 4-2. While it was not the start Oswego State was looking for, it would turn around on Sunday putting itself back in the win column after a double-header against Baldwin Wallace University and La Roche University. The first game against the Yellow Jackets was a high scoring affair, considering the first-pitch temperature on Sunday morning was a frigid 34 degrees. The game ended 12-8 in favor of the Lakers. In the game, sophomore Kieran Finnegan took the mound in his first start of the year, posting four strikeouts while allowing eight hits and four earned runs in five innings pitched. Head coach Scott Landers was pleased with Finnegan’s performance, despite the unfavorable conditions. “I think he controlled the game,” Landers said. “He got in a little trouble in the fourth inning, things didn’t go his way. They weren’t bad pitches, [but] he let up two doubles in a row on splits that were down. I tip my cap to those guys, [they] are pretty good hitters. They went down and got them, but overall I

was pleased where he was at. He threw about 70 pitches for his outing, right where he should be. Hopefully we move past the last weekend, and we build on that and get better and better.” The left-hander from West Nyack was not too thrilled that he gave up four runs in his first outing, but he was happy with his execution in the win. “They got around, and they were able to hit some of my pitches,” Finnegan said. “I threw good pitches, and they just put their bats out there. Runs scored. I was able to locate a lot and was able to get the ball where I wanted. Then hits happened and errors happened. It’s baseball.” Last season, Finnegan made five starts in 10 appearances and was certainly a standout among his freshman class. He sported a 3.47 ERA in 2019 and sat down 23 batters in his first year as a Laker. As a pitcher, work needs to be done every day in order to improve on the mound and that is what Finnegan does. Whether it is learning a new pitch or improving location, Landers loves his work ethic and how much progress he has made since coming to Oswego State. “Pitching is a work in progress year after year after year, really day after day, so he has done his work,” Landers said. “His split has gotten better. He developed his split last year and his [velocity] has gotten better. I think he is coming out of the right tunnels with his fastball, his split and his breaking ball. The thing I have really been pleased with him over the last couple weeks is his command has gotten better, especially down in the zone.

When he gets in trouble, he is up in the zone.” The third game of the weekend resulted in an 8-4 win over La Roche University, and the bats were still alive. The Lakers jumped out to a 5-1 lead, after three innings, but the Redhawks kept it close. They scored two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth to cut the deficit. But with a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Oswego State pulled away, driving in three runs to expand its lead to four. By the time the ninth inning came along, sophomore Erik Dusseldorp closed the Redhawks out. He faced four batters, walking one and striking out the other three. It was the tale of the sophomores this weekend, as first baseman Ryan Weiss joined the party at the dish. Weiss went 2-2 with three RBIs and two walks adding on to the already impressive offensive performance on Sunday. Looking on to next weekend, the Lakers will travel to Wesley College in Dover, Delaware and Salisbury State in Salisbury, Maryland. Landers and the Oswego State baseball team have found success at Wesley College, including last year during a 22-4 routing of the Wolverines. Landers was impressed with last season’s victory but knows that the game on Saturday, Feb. 29, will not be an easy task. “They have been better in the past than they were last year,” Landers said. “I know they had some injuries and some other issues. We have to go in there every inning and every game. We [have to] win two on Saturday and go to Salisbury feeling good and win that one as well.”

Last Saturday the men’s hockey team celebrated its 13 seniors on its Senior Night. The Lakers defeated SUNY Fredonia by a score of 4-1, eliminating the Blue Devils from playoff contention. Despite starting the weekend in last place, the Blue Devils were a win away from clinching the sixth and final playoff spot. Oswego State’s seniors were firing on all cylinders, as 11 of the 13 played in the contest. Three of the four Lakers’ goals were scored by seniors, as Josh Zizek netted a pair, including an empty-net goal, and Anthony Passero scored his seventh goal of the season. Five seniors registered points in the game, as Joseph Molinaro was credited

with one assist and Jody Sullivan and Tyler Currie each had a pair. Senior David Richer played the entire game in net, stopping 14 shots on 15 SUNY Fredonia shots on goal. After the game, the senior celebration began with a video presentation on the jumbotron inside the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena. The video showed pictures of the seniors as young kids playing hockey, as well as highlight plays like goals and saves. After the video, each player and his major career stats were announced. The seniors have one guranteed game left in their Oswego State careers, as the Lakers will take on Plattsburgh State on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

SENIOR NIGHT NARROW DEFEAT

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

While the Lakers fell to The College at Brockport on Saturday, the team celebrated its three seniors. The game was incredibly back-and-forth, requiring an overtime period, but Oswego State fell 85-80. Despite trailing by 14 at halftime, the Lakers started the second half on a 28-12 run to take a slight lead. After that point, the teams continued to trade baskets, but the Golden Eagles would take a six-point lead in overtime, propelling them to victory.

Prior to the game, senior Brandan Gartland was presented with a game ball to recognize his 1,000 points in his college career. The other seniors were honored before the game, as well. The trio had a solid night despite the loss, as Joe Sullivan contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds. The third senior, Tim Marshall, started his first game of the season, playing three minutes. Gartland would score 14 points on the night off of a 3-10 shooting performance from the floor.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

Ben Grieco | The Oswegonian

At the NCAA Convention last month, Oswego State’s athletics deparment was awarded with a National Association of Div. III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) community service award. This is the 13th award for community service the Lakers have received in the last 11 years. The NADIIIAA Community Service Awards program was es-

tablished in 2001 and is meant to recognize Div. III programs and student-athletes that volunteer around the community and campus. Oswego State received its award for the “array of projects” category, one it has won six times in the last eight years. During last school year, Oswego State teams participated in 72 different events, assisting 57 different organizations.


OPINION

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

B5

Corrupt sys- Parasite highlights problems with economy Bennett’s tem requires Trump, once again, discusses what he does not understand reputation fixing soiled Francesca Miesner Opinion Editor fmiesner@oswegonian.com

Photo from Flickr

Nathan Beers Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com With the election looming large over our country, the questions that each election begs of the nation to mull over change. This election cycle’s linchpin question seems to be on healthcare and the role of the American government in healthcare. I can say, with clear conscience and full heart, that the only moral and ethical option we can take is toward Medicare For All, especially as it has been proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders. The integral parts of American life, what we as Americans define ourselves as, demands the compassionate, complicated, leap into the modern age with healthcare. Critics of this plan are quick to say that it will harm our economy, that we cannot afford to take care of the sick, dying, mothers and fathersto-be, and anyone else. I ask them to reflect on why we have these markets in the first place. The accumulation of wealth should be used to help those less fortunate than us. The neoliberal status quo loves to remind us that the free market lifts the poor from poverty. But if we are not using this money to better fund the least fortunate among us, what is the point? What are you arguing for? It is inexcusable that in the richest country on earth, at the richest time in history, that we only now begin to really ask ourselves how much it will really cost.

How can we abide by a system that has left the poor and the downtrodden to die ...

After Parasite won Best Picture at the Oscars, the exact people that the film warns against have shared their feelings publicly. The film highlights three different families, all of different economic classes. They are each, in a way, “feeding on” one of the other classes. By the end of the film, it is clear that in the current economy, upward mobility to the extreme upper-class if you are a member of the lower class is a pipe dream and something nearly unachievable. Despite the film being South Korean, it perfectly encaptures the American dream being a myth. The film became popular to American audiences due to its relatable plot, incredible cinematography, thrilling action sequences, emotional acting and hilarious dialogue, all despite the barrier of language. A lot of celebrities, including David Dobrik, Chrissy Teigen, Dylan O’Brien and Priyanka Chopra, all praised the film for either winning the Oscars it did or being an incredible movie. They are all wealthy individuals, which does not necessarily stop them from understanding what the film was really about, but since they drew no attention to their own economic privilege, many people on Twitter wonder if they understood that the point of the film was not just to make the audience’s jaws drop. The film highlights a serious issue that transcends borders, which is the wealthy ignoring the poor’s problems and the hoarding of wealth.

film. He only focused on the Academy Awards being an American hosted award ceremony that featured a non-American film as the film that won the most awards. Specifically, he focused on the winner being from one of the Koreas, which America is not necessarily on the best terms with. He somehow was able to discuss the economy in relation to America and South Korea, while the film “Parasite” itself is bashing on the economy and the corruption that money brings. Trump and some of his supporters believe that South Korean people, cinema and culture are fundamentally the same as the government that we are having trade issues with. Too many people who watched missed the point of “Parasite.” They were far too focused on having to read subtitles and were therefore unable to get a grip on what the movie was trying to say.

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian Donald Trump spoke of the film Parasite, without actually understanding what the film is about.

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

Amount of network outages unreasonable Spectrum internet negatively impacting student’s education Alexis Hanna Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

Many in this country find that Christian faith and heritage is an American trait in and of itself and boldly declare this nation to be a Christian one. Perhaps, then, we should act like it. How can we abide by the system that has left the poor and the downtrodden to die when the rich, who have exploited and tossed them aside, are treated and cured to the highest degree? Have we forgotten Christ’s reminder that, “as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me,” Matthew 25:40? Or that, “whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed,” Proverbs 19:17? The utterly discompassionate behavior of those who claim the faith and yet have twisted it into such a painful contortion of self-serving, self-congratulatory babbling is sickening. Any behavior like this, that takes advantage of the less educated and the less well-off should be condemned by not just the Christian community, but our nation at large. Charity, while a beautiful act of compassion, has failed in its mission for universality and cannot be held accountable in the same ways a government program can be. The program will take time to be normalized, but in the end we will have taken a massive step toward a government we can be proud of, one that takes care of all of its citizens, not just the richest and best off and a massive step toward accomplishing the American dream.

Donald Trump had something to say about a non-American movie winning so many Oscars, of course. “By the way, how bad were the Academy Awards this year? ‘And the winner is a movie from South Korea,’ What the hell was that all about?” He goes on to add to the tweet, “Was it good? I don’t know.” Truly insightful. Naturally, a man who cares very little about the poor while sitting on a hoard of gold like a hateful dragon would not like a film about the obliviousness the rich have to the needs of those less fortunate. If the president tweeted about disliking a movie because it was hard to follow, not interesting or poorly executed, there would be little issue. The issue is that Trump either did not watch this film or did not understand this film, but still felt like he should speak against Bong Joon Ho’s film in ways that had nothing to do with the actual content of the

Oswego State, as a community is reliant on the campus’ wireless connection, this is not a surprise. From teachers, to students, to clubs, WiFi binds together our courses, busywork and extracurriculars. Without it, we are essentially down for the count. Recently, Spectrum has failed to deliver, miserably. Starting early February, with a whole blackout, Spectrum’s wireless connectivity has been spotty. Customers from Maine to downstate New York experienced the blackout and, of course, Spectrum jumped to fix it. Successfully, it seems, for everyone but Oswego State. The number of “wireless connection failure,” “Intermittent Network Availability” and “Off-Campus Login Issue” emails we have received this semester is unbelievable. No matter if your classes are solely on-campus, off-campus or online, an Internet or network outage will negatively affect your semester, be it by grades or stress. An enormous amount of work is submitted online, even in on-campus classes. There is no hiding that a majority of college students procrastinate until the last day, or even wait to hand in work that is done, and not being able to hand in your work is devastating. Of course, professors will often come back with “well you should not have waited until the

last minute,” or “that’s why the due date is given in advance.” That is a fair statement, to a professor. Students have upwards of four or more classes to worry about and complete work in, it is not always emotionally logical to make sure everything is done in advance. To be able to achieve having your work done for one—let alone five—classes takes an immense amount of dedication, planning and perfection. Punishing a student because their work was not handed in early and they could not hand it in on time because of network issues is unfair and just adds more stress. The WiFi connection this se-

mester has been abysmal. It has never been great, but the accuracy and reliability this semester is disappointing and stressful for students. We should not have to worry about getting work done and in early because our WiFi connection might fail us just in the nick of time and cost us a grade point. Not all professors are forgiving or understanding when it comes to Internet connection problems, and not all students can afford to miss assignments because of poor connection. As a campus that depends on the Internet as much as ours does, we should be disappointed about the failure of our connection as of late.

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian After the recent internet provider change, Oswego State’s WiFi has been spotty and unreliable.

Photo from Flickr

Alexis Hanna Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com We all know her, and we are all sick of her: Kaitlin Bennett, known on the internet as “gun girl.” She gained public attention after posting her Kent State graduation pictures on Twitter, which featured her carrying her cap while sporting an AR15 slung over her shoulder. While the pictures may have been innocent in intent, it stirred an enormous amount of controversy. Many were upset with her choice to bring a firearm onto a campus, given the increasing amount of school shootings and fatalities from illicit and poor gun-bearing decisions. Bennett claimed to have simply been advocating for the second amendment, amid the gun-owner’s worries over stricter gun laws. Many assumed their right to carry was going to be stripped instead of reading up on the actual proposal. The proposal simply looked to enact stricter background checks and necessary guidelines before being able to purchase a gun. In many states, once one turns 18 they can walk into a Walmart and walk out with a gun of their own without trouble. Needless to say, people were not happy with Bennett’s inconsiderateness and lack of slefawareness. Bennett lashed back at Twitter users and has since used the platform to advertise for President Donald Trump, his campaign and her seeming undying support for his atrocities. She has her boyfriend and a cameraman follow her around while she shows up to public places—rallies, college campuses and debates to name a few, and harass those that do not stand by her or Trump. She has been seen harassing people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and Bernie Sanders/Elizabeth Warren supporters. She has been filmed chanting and harassing women exiting or supporting Planned Parenthood. In one recent video, she was seen screaming at women for supporting “murder,” abortion, while clearly being uneducated on the topic. When one woman started screaming back at her that it is her body and shared her own personal abortion story, she was sneered at by the Republican girl. She was filmed on a campus slandering LGBTQ+ students, claiming lesbians must think she is hot. She was filmed fat shaming a woman, and then proceeded to threaten her with her gun after she yelled back at her. She acts as though she has no idea why people dislike her. She drove through a college campus and filmed as she was booed and had things thrown at her car. She claims to be the victim, when she is the bully receiving backlash for her actions. Bennett has caused so much strife, anger and grief among students and citizens of all kinds— or, any kind that does not stand by a racist, homophobic and sexist president, at least. Some argue that we should not be posting her, commenting on her videos or paying her any attention and that if she gets ignored, she will be forgotten and silenced. Others believe the latter that her ignorance and harmful intent needs to be addressed and dissented. Bennett has only caused chaos and controversy. She has contributed nothing positive to the community and it is no surprise that the only people who “feel bad” or stand behind her are those who share the same inhumane and ignorant values. Whether or not we acknowledge her and her antics, she will continue to be a proud, white-supremacist conservative. She will feel she won if she gets ignored, and likely become more violent to gain the attention she so craves. Nothing about her is, or will be, good news.


NEWS CAYUGA BURGLARIES

A5 Will Rogers | The Oswegonian

OPINION

VOLUME LXXXV ISSUE IV

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

SPORTS B2

SUNYAC SEMIFINALS

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

OFFICE OPINIONS

What are your thoughts on Kaitlin Bennett, the Kent State Gun Girl? Ignore her

She is disrespectful

She is hateful

The biggest issue with Kaitlin Bennett being seen so publicly is that it gives her an easy platform to spread her message. Basically every tweet or post about Bennett on college campuses gets retweeted and reposted tens of thousands of times. It seems that Bennett craves this attention and honestly does a good job getting her message out by just allowing people to yell and throw things at her. Those that disagree with her platform should avoid giving her any kind of attention, even if it is negative.

I loathe Kaitlin Bennett. I find her intolerable, and besides our radically different political views, I feel she gives a terrible name to journalists. She goes around campuses, shoving microphones into people’s faces and tries to provoke them to erupt. Ultimately, I think she just wants attention and to be able to paint herself as a victim, which is all that’s been happening.

Kaitlin Bennett is easily one of the most hated people on social media at the moment, and for good reason. All of her political ideals are immoral and rooted in hate. She has gotten more and more publicity over the years, but I don’t think it has done her any good. Yes she has a platform now, but the only thing she has done with it is annoy college students, post it online and get ambushed with hate comments once again.

-Julia Tilley, News Editor

-Rachel McKenna, Chief Copy Editor

-Luke Owens, Asst. Sports Editor

IN THE OFFICE

Learning languages important for development America should start teaching languages at younger ages

Julia Tilley News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com Compared to other countries, the United States is incredibly lacking in their foreign language education. Most Americans begin studying a foreign language in school around age 11 or 12, if not later, whereas many European students begin studying a foreign language between ages 6 and 9. The younger you learn a language, the easier it is. But American schools, in general, seem to prioritize other subjects, such as math and science, over learning a foreign language. In my experience, I began studying French at age 11. Due to the program and level I was placed in, I would have been able to stop studying French at age 15, without picking up another language. How much could I really have learned in four years? Compare this to a high school student I met while studying in The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935 France. She began learning English in elementary school and by the time she had gotten to high school, she was practically fluWe want your thoughts on our coverage, campus and local issues, or anything ent, and began picking up another regarding the Oswego State community. language as part of the school’s required curriculum. Email all letters as Word attachments to opinion@oswegonian.com or mail I found similar results with my international classmates in submissions to 139A Campus Center, Oswego N.Y. 13126 France. I had tested at the same

fluency level as students from Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand and other countries who had French as their third language. Most of these students only had two to five years practicing French, compared to my nine years. Many Americans have the mentality that learning another language is not important, because “everybody speaks English.” The reason “everybody” speaks English is that other countries prioritize learning languages. American media is one of the most dominating and wide spread, besides the fact that many Americans cannot speak another language, causing other countries to try and adapt, which they should not have to. This is not just hurting our reputation as a country, but it is hurting students going through the school system. They are being put at a disadvantage, due to the education system that they are stuck with. Being bilingual, at the very least, makes you more com-

petitive in the workforce, among many other benefits. Learning a language can lower your risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and in that vein, can improve memory overall. It is also a fantastic way to get to know a country’s culture, or even get in touch with familial culture that could have gotten lost through the generations. Plus, learning about a culture is an easy way to become more openminded and understanding of other people and their backgrounds. Learning a foreign language has also been proven to make people better problem solvers, and in some cases, more creative. The United States education system needs to change. By making language classes seem unimportant, they are making their students feel the same, which hurts everybody in the process. Not only are Americans falling being their international peers, but it is reinforcing stereotypes that Americans are lazy and nationalistic.

THE OSWEGONIAN G UIDELIN ES

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.

Photo from Pixabay American elementary schools should consider introducing languages into younger grades.

Jax

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 @Danhotaling8 via Twitter


Shore Report Playoff Brackets

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

B4

Oswego Scoreboard

Men’s Hockey

Baseball

Women’s Hockey

Sunday, Feb. 23

Saturday, Feb. 22 No. 1 Geneseo No. 3 Buffalo State

2

No. 6 Potsdam No. 6 Potsdam

No. 4 Brockport

1

8

OSW:

Teachout: 1 goal, 4 shots B. Thomas: 1 goal, 3 blocks Farmer: 18 saves

OSW:

Finnegan: 5 IP, 4 ER, 4K Olsson: 3-5, 3 RBI Enos: 2-6, 3 RBI

CAN:

Cullen: 1 goal, 2 blocks Susac: 18 saves

BWA:

Berg: 4 IP, 4 ER, 5K Taw: 2-5, 2 RBI

Men’s Basketball

No. 5 Platsburgh

12

Tuesday, Feb. 25

No. 5 Plattsburgh

Women’s Lacrosse Wednesday, Feb. 26

No. 2 Oswego State

Women’s Hockey No. 1 Plattsburgh

74

67

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

13

8

COR:

Fitzpatrick: 24 Pts, 7 assists DiSanto: 14 Pts, 2 Reb

4 goals, 5 SOG MOR: Hanehan: Bice: 13 GA, 10 saves

OSW:

Sanborn: 26 Pts, 7 Reb Sullivan: 14 Pts, 9 Reb Gartland: 12 Pts, 3 assists

OSW:

Beck: 3 goals, 1 assist Garrett: 3 goals, 5 SOG Sanchez: 8 GA, 4 saves

Upcoming Events

No. 4 Cortland

Men’s Basketball Friday, Feb. 28

Men’s Lacrosse Sunday, March 1

No. 2 Oswego State @

@

7:30 p.m.

1:00 p.m

OSW: 19-7 (12-6) BPT: 22-3 (17-1)

No. 3 Morrisville

Women’s Hockey Tuesday, March 3

3:00 p.m.

MOR: 12-12-1 (9-8-1) OSW: 15-6-4 (10-4-4)

No. 3 Oneonta

Men’s Hockey Tuesday, March 3

@

@

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Men's Basketball

HAR: 0-0 (0-0) OSW: 0-0 (0-0)

7:00 p.m.

PLA: 10-13-3 (6-8-2) OSW: 15-9-1 (12-3-1)

Laker Athletes of the Week

No. 3 Oneonta No. 2 Potsdam No. 6 Geneseo

No. 4 Oswego State No. 4 Oswego State No. 5 Cortland No. 1 Brockport Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Around the SUNYAC Men’s Basketball 54

81

GEN: 9-17 (6-12) ONE: 19-7 (14-4)

Men’s Hockey 3

2

PLA: 10-13-3 (6-8-2) BPT: 15-10-1 (8-7-1)

2:

After four consecutive seasons of an at or below .500 record, the men’s lacrosse team has posted two straight winning seasons. Last season, the Lakers finished 8-6 but were bounced in the SUNYAC semifinals by No. 1 seeded SUNY Cortland. Their 2020 campaign begins on Sunday afternoon.

Women’s Basketball 50

61

ONE: 12-14 (9-9) BUF: 16-10 (11-7)

69.8:

In the last meeting between the Oswego State women’s hockey team and Morrisville State, the Lakers won 69.8% of faceoffs. Freshman Mia Conboy led the way for the Lakers, winning eight of nine draws. Oswego State would win the game 4-2 and have won five games in a row since.

Walker Snowden

Catarina Burke

Men’s Swimming and Diving Junior | Tallahassee, Florida

Women’s Track and Field Senior | Raynham, Massachusetts

The junior had an impressive week at the SUNYAC Championships, capturing the conference championship in the 100-yard freestyle. His 45.66 second finish was also a school record. Snowden would go on to set another Oswego State record with a 20.82 50yard freestyle, winning his second event. The Lakers would finish in third place for the men’s side of the SUNYAC championships.

Burke captured her second Athlete of the Week award this year after collecting her 10th career win in the high jump, soaring for 1.68 meters at the St. Lawrence Invitational. The Raynham, Massachusetts native is now tied for 11th place nationally in the event. The Oswego State men’s and women’s track and field teams will return to action this weekend for the Indoor SUNYAC championships.

When the men’s hockey team takes on Plattsburgh State on Tuesday night, it will be the 131st meeting between the two rivals. The Lakers have won the last three meetings, including a 3-2 win at home last season in the SUNYAC semifinals. Puck drops at 7 p.m. with a spot in the SUNYAC championship once again on the line.

Freshman wrestler Charlie Grygas has dominated the 165-pound weight class this season, posting a 27-5 regular season record and a conference championship. He was ranked 10th in the nation on Feb. 10 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association for his weight class.

131:

165:


INSIDE

C2 ‘Star Wars: The Clone C3 ‘Hunters’ delivers Nazi- C4 Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’

Wars’ finally returns

hunting fun

justifies existence

FRIDAY Feb. 28, 2020

Laker Review


C2

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

Force is strong with first episode of ‘Clone Wars’

‘Star Wars’ renews fan-favorite animated series for final season

Bob Iger steps down as CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek name d as successor.

Image from Star Wars via YouTube With Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) returning, this final season of “The Clone Wars” takes place both before and during the events of “Revenge of the Sith.”

Alex Premo Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: For “Star Wars” fans, it’s hard to believe that after six years off the air, the first episode of the new season of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” has finally arrived on Disney+. After a five-season run on Cartoon Network, the series was suddenly canceled in March 2013 after the acquisition of Lucasfilm by the Walt Disney Company. As a result, the series showrunner, Dave Filoni (“The Mandalorian”), was assigned to another animated television project called “Star Wars Rebels.” While positively received, it failed to reach the popularity that the previous series had. Some of the remaining episodes of “The Clone Wars” were released on DVD and Netflix, while some were

only released unfinished, and in other forms such as comic books and novels. With a huge following from devoted fans and a new owner desperate to please “Star Wars” fans, it was announced in 2018 that “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” would be revived for a final season on the new Disney+ streaming service. The series is well beloved by fans for its mature themes and storytelling, fast pace, characters and world building, but will this new season hold up? The first episode, “The Bad Batch,” is a solid, yet ultimately flawed, start to the season. This episode introduces us to four new clone characters, members of the titular “Bad Batch,” a group of defective clone troopers with “desirable genetic mutations.” While they’re certainly a likeable bunch, the character traits of these new clones are what truly holds this episode back

from greatness. The writers relied on certain character tropes to differentiate them from each other, which ultimately comes off as lazy and stereotypical. “The Bad Batch,” has about as much characterization as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles do, where each member has a certain set of skills. The overused “brute” and “tech whiz” types make an appearance in this episode. Some of their dialogue also comes off as childish and unnatural. Aside from this, the rest of the episode is pure fun. The animation, although updated, keeps the same look and feel that the rest of the series had. The new episode certainly feels like “The Clone Wars” should, with high amounts of action. After the critical disappointment that was “The Rise of Skywalker,” it’s refreshing to see that highquality “Star Wars” content is still coming to viewers. Still, for the first episode

in a series that hasn’t aired in years, some viewers may find it disappointing that other well-known characters from the series don’t make an appearance in this episode, and those that did were brief. However, their significant appearances in trailers should calm any worries about them not getting any screen time. Even though the “Bad Batch” arc is set to take up the first four episodes, with the rest of the season eventually dedicated to exploring events taking place immediately before and simultaneously with “Revenge of the Sith,” it still feels that for such a long awaited comeback, the small and intimate nature of this episode wasn’t appropriate for a season opener. Regardless, even with basic writing and cringe inducing dialogue, “The Bad Batch” is an overall solid addition to the series, it just needed to do more to excite fans for the season to come.

Variety reports that Steven Spielberg is no longer directing “Indiana Jones 5” and James Mangold is in talks to replace him.

MGM is moving for ward with “Creed 3,” Michael B. Jordan is set to return and writer Zach Baylin is writing the scr ipt.


LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

C 3 C 3

‘Hunters’ delivers entertaining ride despite messy story structure

Ethan Stinson Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: After being founded by writer, director and actor Jordan Peele (“Toy Story 4”) in 2012, Monkeypaw Productions has made a name for itself for producing his hit films “Get Out” and “Us,” in addition to other works, such as Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman.” The studio has also delved into the realm of television, with Peele using it to executive produce shows such as “The Twilight Zone” reboot, in addition to the recent Amazon Prime series “Hunters,” which takes a heavily stylized approach at depicting the lingering horrors of Nazism during the aftermath of World War II. Though mostly effective in portraying an entertaining, well-acted and gleefully violent story, the show occasionally contradicts itself with clashing tones and choices of style which hinder it from fully conveying its intended themes.

The 10-episode series follows the eponymous group of “Hunters” as they investigate and kill high-ranking Nazi officials while they secretly attempt to develop the Fourth Reich in the United States during the late 1970s. The show features an ensemble cast of unique characters, featuring the likes of actors such as Logan Lerman (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”) as Jonah Heidelbaum, a new recruit to the Hunters, and Al Pacino (“The Irishman”) as Meyer Offerman, the rich leader and organizer of the group. Pacino, along with Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother”) as Lonny Flash, shine in their roles with the latter standing out as perhaps the best character in the series due to his comedic presence and the intriguing role he plays in the group. Another stand-out performance is given by Greg Austin (“Class”) as the delightfully demented and villainous Travis Leich. As a way to distinguish itself from similar Nazi-hunting stories such as Quentin Tar-

Image from Amazon Prime Video via YouTube Al Pacino stars as a Jewish Nazi hunter in the 1970s, alongside Logan Lerman.

antino’s “Inglorious Basterds,” “Hunters” heavily pays homage to the 1970s, and as such frequently and sometimes abruptly cuts to scenes which are intended to reference 70s movies, game shows and other popular media from the decade. Though these scenes are often entertaining and occasionally funny, there are instances in which they

feel completely out of place. They sometimes follow more dramatic or emotional moments, thereby hindering the emotional effects which the latter scenes may have on the viewer. Despite its uneven tone, the story itself does not cease to entertain throughout each of the 10 episodes, displaying many twists and turns which

should keep the viewer relatively entertained for the entire season. Contrary to what one would expect, the series also utilizes its campy exterior in order to cleverly and uniquely depict its subject matter, though this partially comes at the expense of historical accuracy. Regardless, it successfully establishes a style which, with some fine tuning in the future, will be easily, and rightfully, attributable to the up and coming writer and creator of “Hunters,” David Weil (“Moonfall”). It may not be the strongest series in Amazon Prime’s expansive library of original content, but “Hunters” still proves to be a relatively entertaining take on a partially familiar concept. With a talented cast, intriguing premise and a gripping season finale, the show certainly has the potential to carry on into future seasons which, so long as the writers reorganize its structure and presentation, may improve upon the story’s effectiveness as a drama, while helping to maintain its charm and camp.

‘Birds of Prey’ results in boring action flick with wasted potential Alex Kent Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: If you want to watch a good movie about retrieving a diamond, see “Uncut Gems!” In all honesty, “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey” is very far from being a worthy gem in the DC catalogue. Adding on to the list of DC disappointments, this film has become a box office dud. Even “Sonic The Hedgehog” has surpassed Harley and Co. Other than Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”) and Ewan McGregor’s (“Doctor Sleep”) performances, this film didn’t have a lot that worked. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“The Parts You Lose”) was good but not in it enough. Sure the action sequences were well choreographed but it’s just that it got repetitive. Here’s the formula: slow-mo, tons of quick cuts and a song blasting in the background. It’s basically a female John Wick

character with a bat and other zany weapons. Someone in the theater had the right idea when they passed out five minutes in and snored the rest of the way through. Everything is just so forced in the movie, you don’t even understand why it’s in the DCU. The only mentions of a character from a previous film is Batman, in a brief reference, and the Joker being a bad plot point for Quinn. It’s fine that the writers wanted Quinn to become independent and develop her own persona, they just needed to execute it better. This is easily a film that people should wait for the DVD release of. Along with “Justice League,” “Birds of Prey” was one of the blandest ventures to the cinema in recent memory. When analyzing DC’s quality of film, it’s like putting ones hand into a haunted magic bunny hat. You don’t know if you’re going to pull out a cute rabbit or the demons of commercialism. Entertainment is to be had within these 109 minutes, just

Image from Warner Bros. Pictures via YouTube Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn in her first R-rated outing, following the critically-panned “Suicide Squad.”

not enough to sustain the problems of the screenplay. It is not a stretch to say this is one of the worst stories in superhero movie history. There are certain moments that just don’t make any sense at all. Toward the end, one ridiculous resolution was outright insulting to watch. Cathy Yan’s (“Dead Pigs”) direction is competent with vibrant colors invading the usually dim Gotham. Her best aspect was easily the energy

that oozed from her performers. Everyone had a natural chemistry that was easily the highlight of the picture. To give DC some credit, it’s cool to see them hire a woman that hasn’t done many mainstream efforts yet. If one thing is for certain about the film, she isn’t the biggest problem. The big issue is the fact that this got an R-rating. There are reasons such as swearing, hyper-realistic violence and some sexual references;

but the target demographic should’ve been teenagers. “Deadpool” is similar, but they have a better marketing effort from the studio. “Birds of Prey” seems to have been assembled and thrown into the beginning of the 2020 calendar. DC’s next effort “Wonder Woman 1984” is on the list to redeem this stinker. “Tenet,” “The French Dispatch” and “Dune” are three films that will hopefully make this year better for cinema.


C4 C 4

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

Underrated family epic ‘Waves’ towers with depiction of tragedy Luis Galarza Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: With the release of “Waves” on DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as streaming services, audiences are getting a second chance at one of A24’s most underseen and bold projects to date. This is a lot coming from the cinema fan-favorite production and distribution studio behind soon-to-be classics such as “Moonlight,” “Lady Bird” and “Hereditary.” The studio has garnered an absolutely unforgettable reputation of releasing well-crafted critically acclaimed films with moderate commercial success. However, not all of their films get their time to shine in the theaters and “Waves” was one of them. “Waves” is a strange hybrid of both mainstream and artistic filmmaking. On one hand, it’s very modern aesthetic made up of the rich blue skies of South Florida and kinetic camera work, all topped off with a great but seemingly cal-

culated soundtrack filled with the types of music one would see on one of those “chill music to do homework to” playlists, is the type of aesthetic you can catch on multiple modern mainstream movies and TV shows about the struggles of being a young adult in today’s society. The comparisons to “Euphoria” are not unwarranted. However, on the other hand, the structure of this film, which is distinctively split up into recognizable halves, is something we don’t see often. The film follows an American high school teenager named Tyler, played by a wonderfully magnetic Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Luce”), who is placed under an overwhelming amount of pressure by his family and friends. Writer and director Trey Edward Shults (“It Comes At Night”) puts the audience in the head of Tyler as he tries his best to navigate through what seems like a slowly brewing panic attack. Ultimately he is weighed down by a series of less than perfect decisions guided by his own ill perceived idea of what mascu-

linity is, provided by a tough father and wrestling instructors who require nothing but greatness. We then see how these decisions impact the rest of his family and peers. Touching on themes such as forgiveness, grief and toxic masculinity, the film has a way of getting you into the exact headspace of its characters going through these exact ideas. Whether it be through its sharp and sometimes jarring editing by Isaac Hagy (“Guava Island”) and Shults himself, beautifully dynamic cinematography from Drew Daniels (“Euphoria”), some blatantly unsubtle but oddly enough effective needle drops, or through a changing aspect ratio, Shults absolutely loves to mess with and ranges in the film from extremely effective to showy and barely appropriate. In fact, that description can be said about the movie as a whole. A good chunk of it feels as though Shults had multiple ideas for cool and creative camera moves, cuts and needle drops specifically. However a lot of it also does feel incredibly passionate for

Image from A24 via YouTube Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. (left), “Waves” depicts how hate can destroy a family.

the characters they revolve around, and the soundtrack does provide for some undeniably great cuts from Tame Impala, A$AP Rocky, Frank Ocean and other great artists, even if it does feel like Shults is trying his best to let you know how cool his music taste is. What is consistently great throughout the entirety of the film is the performances. Along with Harrison Jr., the film features the best performance to date from Sterling K. Brown (“This is Us”) as an ambitious and well-meaning

father. In addition to this, Taylor Russell (“Escape Room”) gives both a literally and metaphorically quiet performance that you can’t help but empathize with. “Waves” is at times a mixed bag, but the highs are incredibly high. Its structure gives off the feel and scope of an epic, and although some of this film is unnecessary and Shults missing his mark, it ends on an absolute high note that makes you think it was all worth it just to get to that point. Bold is the word to describe it.

Image from Netflix via YouTube Henry Cavill stars as Geralt, the lead hero from the hit video game series.

cies”), look more like starved parakeets than fearsome firebreathing beasts. With the acting, the main trio, or quartet if Jaskier is counted, are talented enough and sell their roles excellently. Cavill has years of experience, having played “Superman” in three blockbuster DC movies, and performs as expected. Lesser known Chalotra and Allen play up to par as well, and Batey steals every scene he is in. Where things start to go awry is the writing itself, with more than a few scenes being forced exposition, and being simply too drawn out. Similarly, the costume design in many instances is atrocious, with Cavill’s wig looking like it was bought from Party City, and the Nilfgaardian armor looking like it’s wrinkled plastic. All things considered, “The Witcher” succeeds past its missteps, and Netflix has started production on another season. “The Witcher” isn’t trying to be the next “Game of Thrones,” and it shows it.

‘The Witcher’ does mythology proud with thrilling first season John Custodio Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: “The Witcher,” an adaption of the original book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski (“Storm Of Seasons”), debuted on Netflix in late December, and already has been met with praise from fans of both the books and the video game series. Focusing predominantly on Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill, “Justice League”) as he travels the medieval continent slaying monsters for a price, it features a cast of characters and a world closer in style to “The Lord of the Rings” than “Game of Thrones.” Alongside Geralt are Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra, “Wanderlust”), as a sorceress, and Cirilla of Cintra (Freya Allen, “The War of the Worlds”) as the crown princess of the kingdom of Cintra. The show follows the three protagonists across years of separate adventures across

the continent, showcasing the magic and monsters of the world of the Witcher. The true strength of the show lies in supporting characters, such as the light-hearted bard Jaskier (Joey Batey, “Knightfall”), who acts as a sidekick and foil to the everserious, ever brooding Geralt. This is a much needed relief, as most of the plot focuses on heavy tones, with brutal combat and monstrous enemies occurring in every episode. Granted, the source material and video games are extremely violent, but a moment away from the constant blood and gore is welcome. Another strength of the show is the diversity of creatures shown. From the common-in-fantasy dragons, to lesser known folk monsters, “The Witcher” manages to showcase a new species just about every episode. This goes past just the monster slaying, as not-quite human species are used as important characters as well, leading to interesting

twists. In other instances, the creatures aren’t a focal part of the plot, and simply exist in the world and are paid no mind. This enables the worldbuilding of the first season to feel a bit more natural, instead of every episode having a “Monster of the Week” feel. This is a double-edged sword, however, as the CGI shown is not what one would expect from a multi-billion company such as Netflix, and especially not from a project

with such a well-known source material, and well-known lead actor. In some episodes, the CGI is more akin to a sci-fi channel movie, than from the production company that made “Stranger Things.” This can be especially distracting at times, with Geralt fighting something that looks like it came out of a PlayStation 2 game, rather than from a show with around a multi-million dollar budget per episode. The dragons, featured in episode six (“Rare Spe-


LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

C5

'Dead By Daylight' successfully brings horror to multiplayer chaos Cameron Ratliff Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating:

Most multiplayer games fall into the science fiction or fantasy genre, and are usually in the shooter or RPG category. But some games take a different route, and one of them is “Dead by Daylight,” an asymmetric survival horror online multiplayer that takes inspiration for its gameplay from old school slasher films. The game is played on five-player matches that center on a group of survivors attempting to escape supernaturally enhanced serial killers and avoid being sacrificed to a demonic being known as “The Entity.” Four players control the survivors while one takes the role of the killer in what could be described as a bloodier take on hide-andseek in randomly generated maps based in differently themed “realms.” Survivors must repair generators to unlock the exit while evad-

ing and outwitting “The Killer,” and can use a number of different items like tool boxes and first aid kits to help them. Meanwhile, killers must prevent their escape and bring them to meathooks scattered throughout the map to sacrifice them to the Entity using their own special weapons and abilities, which gives each killer a distinct feeling for players. Both groups have their own “perks” that grant individual bonuses and special abilities to help them complete their objectives along with unique cosmetics to help add variety. Playing as a survivor or a killer yields different experiences, but both are thrilling in their own right. Survivor matches are tense and frantic, as you sneak across the map to complete your objectives while watching out for “The Killer,” who can appear at any given moment, creating an unpredictability to the gameplay that keeps you even more on edge. Playing

a match as “The Killer” on the other hand, makes you feel empowered in a way that’s unlike most games, with the thrill of the hunt kicking in as you chase down the survivors. What is possibly one of the most surprising aspects of “Dead by Daylight” is its lore. Every character comes from a variety of different backgrounds and has their own distinct backstories, with the killers’ standing out for their macabre nature. The characters’ perks and cosmetics even offer small bits of info through their descriptions. The maps and realms also have their

own histories that relate to a specific killer and can be explored in outside media talking about the game. When the game first came out, it only had four survivors, three killers. But as of now, it features 20 survivors and 18 killers, with an upcoming DLC pack to raise those numbers to 21 and 19 respectively. It features a wide variety of both original characters and guest characters from well-known horror franchises like “Halloween,” “Stranger Things” and “Evil Dead” among others. There were also 15 maps in three realms in the beginning, based on industrial

Image from Dead By Daylight via YouTube "The Trapper" is one of the various killers in the game that the survivors will need to evade.

estates, gloomy junkyards and derelict farms. As of now, there are 34 maps and 14 realms, soon to be 35 and 15 with the previously mentioned DLC pack, their themes have expanded to include insane asylums, swamps, abandoned ski resorts and more. Through the course of time, the game has gathered a strong fanbase and has proven to be one of the best sleeper hits of the last decade. “Dead by Daylight” is not without its flaws, of course. Players are also unable to directly communicate with each other, though this might be an attempt to keep the tension and not trivialize it. Survivors also lack the variation found in the killers, making them somewhat more repetitive to play as, though some are best suited to certain tasks than others. But overall, Dead by Daylight’s core experience and engaging gameplay outweigh its flaws, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a good horror game and fun multiplayer.

'The Gentlemen' brings Guy Ritchie back to his creative roots Alex Kent Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: Guy Ritchie’s (“Cash Grab”) “Aladdin” came out last year and had people questioning if he was past his prime. Ritchie who is known for super stylized action films returns to form with “The Gentlemen.” The difference between these two films might be the most diverse turn-around of all time. With a cast featuring Matthew McConaughey (“Between Two Ferns: The Movie”), Charlie Hunnam (“Waldo”), Colin Farrell (“Dumbo”), and Hugh Grant (“The Undoing”); expectations were very high. Their chemistry was very much on point with Grant being the standout. Ensemble films are always interesting, and when done right can provide some of

the best thrills of the year. This is one of those movies where you buy popcorn and forget about the real world for a while. What Ritchie does so well with this narrative is use his unique ability to play around with time. Sometimes the unreliable narrator trope gets annoying in film, but here it was close to perfect. It is shocking how vulgar they got with the material in the script. If you’ve seen one of the most infamous “Black Mirror” episodes, then you already know one of the plot points. “The Gentlemen” is the result of a filmmaker having fun and allowing his creativity to roam free. In no way is this an artsy fare, but it’s not being advertised as such. Even the soundtrack is filled with catchy tunes that support the tone of the movie. Once the opening credits finished rolling, everything

one needs to know about the mood is portrayed. It’s evident that Ritchie didn’t care about pandering this toward a mainstream audience due to the gruesome violence. Some moments even feel like they were taken out of a Quentin Tarantino picture. Although Ritchie made a highly original screenplay with interweaving timelines, some of it became convoluted. There is an overwhelming amount of characters and bizarre tonal shifts. An amazing aspect toward the end was how they critiqued the entertainment industry. A tongue in cheek feeling was shown that demonstrated British humor at its finest. Michelle’s Dockery’s (“Downton Abbey”) character had an infectious spunk that made her a charismatic wonder. The worst element of this film is that it contains some jokes that can be taken the wrong way. Another issue

Image from STX Entertainment via YouTube Matthew McConaughey undertakes a role of the unreliable narrator.

is that most of the protagonists have plot armor but that’s common in action flicks. Going back to Grant for a second, he is delightful in his role. He’s usually in parts that demonstrate his romantic charm, but here he becomes a sarcastic master of quips. Hunnam has one sequence that gave a new meaning to the band Roxy Music. Farrell’s screen time is brief but memorable. It’s nice to see Farrell in a

role that’s not directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. If you’re looking to see a quality film entering 2020, “The Gentlemen” is the right move. Henry Golding (“Last Christmas”) has continued his hot streak since “Crazy Rich Asians” as well. Nothing about this film screams out masterpiece, but there are more positives than negatives. Ladies and gentlemen, Guy Ritchie has returned to relevance.


C6

FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

Crossword Puzzle

Across

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

1. Wound Covering 5. Likewise not 8. Weeded 12. Gambling game 13. Bullfight 14. Exclusively 15. Notion 16. Tedious 18. Kwanzaa’s mo. 19. Wind indicator 20. Disagreement 24. Round vegetable 27. Male chicken 29. Utopian 31. Wall socket 32. Commences 33. Sharply sloped 34. Trinidad music 35. Tricky curve 36. Cat breed 38. Skeleton part

39. Actor ___ Cruise 42. Most strict 46. Trick 47. Leisure 48. Stadium shout 49. Shopping center 50. Personnel 51. Make an attempt 52. Coin opening

Down 1. Slip 2. Relinquish 3. Amusing stories 4. Large snake 5. Forget-me-_____ 6. “_____ Twist” 7. Broadcasted again 8. Stockings 9. Yoko ____

10. Graceful tree 11. Color 17. Give a right to 21. Man or Wight 22. New spouse’s boy 23. Clique 24. Everlasting 25. Dines 26. And 27. Thorny bloom 28. Ins and ____ 30. “____ of Our Lives” 32. Uncle ____ 34. Roman general 37. Not active 38. Prepare tea 40. Capital of Norway 41. Soften 42. Dry, as wine 43. Paving liquid 44. Compass reading (abbr.) 45. Old pronoun 46. Kitchen and parlor (abbr.)

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


LAKER REVIEW

“Fairy Tale Ending” By Lucas Fernandez

A woodcutter and his husband lived in a very poor village beside a forest. Nothing grew in the gritty, unforgiving soil, and the rise in automation was really hurting the local job market. Many of the people were afraid they would go hungry, and so a town meeting was called. “Go save the town,” said the woodcutter’s husband impatiently. “Why me?” he asked, dumbfounded. His husband shrugged. “Someone ought to,” he said, “and remember one time you fixed the stove.” So the woodcutter attended the meeting in the town square. People holding aching bellies stood in a crowd around the mayor. He took a long sip from a cozied mug before speaking. “We are going to die,” said the mayor. Expecting more, the townspeople leaned in eagerly. More did not come. Upon realizing, everyone began to panic. “We should raid another town!” said the constable, already arming nearby children with pistols and torches. “We can try a new religion! There are at least two more!” said the priest, preemptively swearing allegiance to a new god. “We can survive if we eat the oldest first!” said the baker, tackling the elderly tailor, and soon a violent squabble had broken out that eclipsed all productivity. The woodcutter looked on, resigned. He would have to do it. So, packing a lunch for himself, he set off into the woods with his axe to find an answer. After walking a while through the maze of trees, the woodcutter found himself hungry. He opened his lunch and pulled out a sandwich: a chicken-tomato half sub, no cheese (he was trying to lose weight). No sooner had he unpacked this morsel than a crooked little dwarf came up behind him. “Hello weary traveler! Could you spare —” was all the gnarled fairy could get out. The woodcutter was so surprised that he immediately swung his axe around, cutting the dwarf’s head clean off. It rolled to the ground with a thunk. The woodcutter stared in disbelief. “Oh no,” he said. The dwarf’s head grumbled angrily. “Oh no!” it said, mocking him. “Put me back on my body!” The woodcutter nodded and started toward the dwarf’s head, but a glint of something in

FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020

C7

the creature’s pocket caught his eye. He stopped, his gaze moving between the body and the head. “Hey!” the head shouted, “Hey, look at me! Don’t go snooping over there!” But the woodcutter didn’t listen. In a moment his hand searched the dwarf’s pocket and came up with a handful of golden magic beans, recognizable to any poor townsperson worth their salt. This, he realized, would be the answer to all of his town’s problems. Avoiding eye contact with the dwarf, he began to walk away. “Hey!” shouted the dwarf’s head, “Hey come on! Ok, look, look, you can have the beans, I don’t even really care, but could you put my head back?” The woodcutter stopped and thought a moment before giving an awkward, apologetic look. “I would, but uh, I kind of feel like you’re gonna curse me or, or eat me or something if I do, so … ” he said, and continued walking home. “Come on man!” yelled the dwarf. “It’s nothing personal!” the woodcutter yelled back. And so, the woodcutter brought the magic beans back to his town and used them to grow a money tree, or maybe they granted wishes, I don’t know. In any case, he saved the town, and for all anyone knows everyone had a happy ending. Except the dwarf.

Quiet efficiency apartment. Available March 9. All utilities included: heat, water, cable, TV. New bathroom. No pets or smoking. Call 315-343-7072 or 315-532-8382.

Oswego Cinema 7 Fri. Feb. 28 - Sun. March 2

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey

11:55 AM

2:40 PM

5:10 PM

7:40 PM

10:15 PM

The Invisible Man

11:05 AM

1:55 PM

4:40 PM

7:30 PM

10:20 PM

The Call of the Wild

11:50 AM

2:15 PM

4:45 PM

7:10 PM

9:35 PM

Impractical Jokers: The Movie

11:40 AM

2:30 PM

5:00 PM

7:20 PM

9:40 PM

Sonic the Hedgehog 11:15 AM

1:40 PM

4:05 PM

6:30 PM

8:55 PM

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


Shea McCarthy

Jacob Fallat


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.