The Oswegonian 4-21-17

A3 Freshman international student elected as SUNY SA representative

Friday, April 21, 2017 VOLUME LXXXV ISSUE X SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

Senate violates election bylaws

Oswego State alumna cares for April, calf

Potential candidate unable to run for SA President

Maria Pericozzi News Editor mpericozzi@oswegonian.com

Alexander Gault-Plate Assistant News Editor aplate@oswegonian.com

The world followed the pregnancy of April the giraffe and millions watched her give birth to a male calf on Saturday. Allysa Swilley, an Oswego State alumna, is one of the few who cares for April and the new calf.

Swilley graduated from Oswego State in 2015 as a Zoology major. She currently works at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, taking care of giraffes April, Oliver and their calf.

Caring for the giraffes has put Swilley in the national spotlight, gaining a following of people who admire her love and dedication while caring for the giraffes.

Junior Russell Cox said seeing an Oswego State alumna taking care of one of the most famous animals right now is inspiring.

“One day I want to work with animals and seeing someone who graduated from here get as famous as she is, is incredible,” Cox said. “It makes me want to work even harder than I do now.”

Millions of people watched April give birth to her fourth calf via a live webcam that was installed in her pen.

The Animal Adventure Park Giraffe Cam that captured the moment April’s

See GIRAFFE, A4

On April 18, junior Emily Stasko informed the Student Association Senate that a violation of their bylaws regarding the elections process had prevented her from running for SA President this semester.

All potential candidates for SA President are required to collect 500 student signatures on an official SA-provided petition.

According to Title IV, Chapter 2, Part A, Section 203 of the SA Code, “A sheet of instructions stating the necessary dates and rules of the election shall be included with each packet of petitions.”

Although this is stated in the bylaws, none of the candidates who received a petition from the SA offices in The Point had the required instruction sheet included in their packet or were made

CONTENT

A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that the rate of deaths from opioid overdoses has nearly quadrupled from 1999 to 2014.

The CDC also found that more than 165,000 Americans have died from opioid overdoses during the same 15year period. In 2015, 2,457 people died in New York State due to an accidental opioid overdose.

According to the Texas Opiate Detoxification Specialists’ website, opioids are any drug made from the opium poppy.

This includes prescription painkillers such as morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone, as well as street drugs like heroin.

Oswego County has not escaped the opioid overdose epidemic. According to research from the Oswego

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The code that is found online says one thing about how you run for president, and in person it seems to be a little bit different.”

-Emily Stasko Oswego State student

Stasko petitioned to get her name on the SA election ballot for president, but was told that not only would her petition be rejected if she turned it in, but her job

as the director of public relations for SA was in jeopardy due to the way she had her petition filled out.

“I had heard there were people saying that now I was at risk of losing my job, which to me, the two don’t really correlate,” Stasko said.

Stasko was unable to run for president and Dalton Bisson, the other presidential candidate, was only aware of the bylaws regarding elections because of his current position as SA vice president.

“I was not actively made aware [of the rule], but I knew,” Bisson said.

According to Stasko, she was informed that her method of collecting signatures was against SA bylaws the night before the petitions were due and was not officially informed by anyone in SA. A concern she had was that even as a member of SA she was not officially

See SENATE, A4

President, vice president election results posted Bisson, Bancroft to be sworn into positions on May 2 Alexander Gault-Plate Assistant News Editor aplate@oswegonian.com

Rachel Futterman | The Oswegonian

Oswego County sees increase in treatments for substance abuse Natalie Brophy Chief Copy Editor nbrophy@oswegonian.com

aware of the rule by SA. “When I had the petition, nowhere on it did it say I couldn’t canvas, so I then had my teammates out there to help me get the signatures,” Stasko said.

County Prevention Coalition, three addiction treatment centers, Farnham Family Services, the County of Oswego Council on Alcoholism and Addictions, COCOAA and Harbor Lights Chemical Dependency Services, have seen an increase in the percentage of people treated for heroin and opioid addiction.

The percent of all patients treated for opioid abuse rose from 18.8 percent in 2011 to 38.4 percent in 2015.

According to the coalition’s data, heroin use by people of all ages in Oswego County is on the rise. From 2011 to 2014, heroin use among those under age 25 has increased 201 percent and heroin use for people over age 25 has increased 325 percent.

“Back when I first got into the field, about 10 years ago, it tended to be more alcohol and marijuana,” said Andrew Long, the program director at the

See ABUSE, A5

Sports HISTORIC CAREER

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Cole Parzych | The Oswegonian

On April 6 and 7, Oswego State students were able to vote on the LakerLife website for both Student Association president and vice president.

Running unopposed for the office of president was Dalton Bisson. Running against one another for the office of vice president were Daisie Bancroft and Robert Taglia.

Bisson won the presidential election with nearly 85 percent of the vote, or 368 votes. A little over 15 percent of voters opted to not vote for Dalton and chose the “abstain” option on the ballot.

Bisson, the current SA vice president, said when he first announced his candidacy, he felt he was best equipped for the president position due to his experience in the vice presidency and his experience under the current SA president, Emily Nassir.

Bisson said, when he first announced his candidacy, some of his plans for the coming academic year include expanding shared governance of Oswego State between students and faculty, which includes placing more students in committees with administrators and faculty.

Bancroft won the office of vice president, with approximately 72 percent of the vote or 312 votes.

Taglia had a little over 22 percent of

Opinion STUDENTS NEED GRANT

B5

Photo provided by Manhester City Library via flickr

Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian

Photo provided by Daisie Bancroft

Dalton Bisson, sophomore, is the new SA president.

Daisie Bancroft, junior, is the new SA vice president.

the vote or 98 votes.

Twenty-three votes were abstentions.

Bancroft said, when she first announced her candidacy, she feels that her two years of service as a senator, as well as her last year in the position of pro tempore, has prepared her for the position of SA vice president.

Bancroft said, when she first announced

her candidacy, that she plans to introduce “Meet Your Senator” days, which would allow students to meet the senators that represent them to SA and would foster more communication between students and their senators.

On the week of April 9, SA posted the results to the billboards in their offices in The Point, in Marano Campus Center.

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THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

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The Oswegonian

C h r i s to p h e r A . J o n e s , 4 0 , was arrested at 12:02 a.m. on April 9 for driving while intoxicated folowing a traffic s to p f o r o p e r a t i n g a m o to r vehicle on a public highway without lighted headlamps.

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THIS WEEK IN OPINION

Latisha A. Hudson, 23, was arrested at 1:59 a.m. on April 9 for second-degree harrassment and resisting arrest following a physical altercation she was involved in.

Solomon H. Salisbury, 71, was arrested at 3 p.m. on April 10 on an active arrest warrant issued

by Oswego City Cour t. After being arraigned, he was released on his own recognizance and provided a return court date of April 20 at 9:30 a.m. in Oswego City Court.

Shackira E. Reyes, 22, was arrested at 6:29 p.m. on April 11 on an active bench warrant out of Oswego City Court.

What are your thoughts on the college's Matthew J. Slocum, 31, was commitment to sustainability? arrested at 7:49 p.m. on April 12 on an active bench warrant out of Oswego City Court.

WEEKEND WEATHER

Mark S. Duplessis, 53, was arrested at 12:40 a.m. in April 12 for aggrevated driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop for a vehicle and traffic violation.

Weather by Adam Schmidt | Graphics by Mikala Thompson

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

J i l l i a n M . G r a y, 2 2 , w a s arrested at 2:46 a.m. on April 13 for second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation following a traffic stop for driving on a suspended New York driver's license.

Bernard A. Thibault III, 22, was arrested at 12:47 a.m. on April 13 for public urination, after he was seen urinating off the balcony of Old City Hall.

High: 52

Low: 42

High: 50

Low: 42

High: 55

Low: 41

On Friday, an isolated shower cannot be ruled out in

Mark D. Allen Jr., 20, was the morning to end the work week. Otherwise, expect a arrested at 1:09 a.m. on April mostly cloudy Friday with highs in the low 50s. A dry 14 for public urination.

weekend will make for an excellent chance to get a head start on early gardening. Unfortunately, tempera**Blotter information provided tures will be on the chilly side with limited sunshine by the Oswego Police Department. on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Oswegonian

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NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

I’m going to be a senior next year, nothing really personally can come out of this for me, but just so that in the future it’s said.”

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

-Emily Stasko, Oswego State junior

A3

Oswego State SA senator elected to SUNY SA Van Reenen will be university colleges representative starting in fall

Alexander Gault-Plate Assistant News Editor aplate@oswegonian.com Eusebio Omar van Reenen, a freshman international student at Oswego State, has always had a passion for student advocacy and said he believes that in America there is a great platform for students to represent one another.

Serving as a senator in the Oswego State Student Association for the past academic year, van Reenen has used his passion to fight for international and undocumented students, as well as expanding diversity and inclusion across the Oswego State campus.

At the SUNY Student Assembly conference from April 7 to 9, van Reenen was elected to the position of university colleges representative.

“The university colleges representatives on SUNY [SA] basically serve the constituents of state colleges or four year colleges,” van Reenen said.

The university colleges representatives are assigned a certain number of SUNY campuses as their constituencies, based on their location in the state. The representatives then speak on behalf of those cam-

Photo provided by Eusebio Omar van Reenen Van Reenen took part in SUNY Students On the Hill.

Women’s softball vs. Oneonta, 3 p.m., Friday at the Laker Softball Field.

Theater production: “Pride and Prejudice,” 7:30 p.m., Friday at Waterman Theatre.

Women’s tennis vs. Wells College, 10 a.m., Saturday at the Romney Outdoor Tennis Courts.

Drag Ball: “A Night on Broadgay,” 7 p.m., Saturday in the Sheldon Hall Ballroom.

Photo provided by Randy Lau Van Reenen will serve as a SUNY SA university colleges representative for the upcoming academic year.

puses to SUNY SA and foster communication between the student governments of their constituencies.

“It’s also acting as a linkage and a bridge between the [student government] presidents in the colleges you represent,” van Reenen said.

Van Reenen said he works in his Oswego State SA position to ensure policies that help the campus are implemented and made as effective as possible.

“Wherever there is a crack in policies that can help push our students forward, I make sure I fill it and fill it with the determination to uplift our campus,” van Reenen said.

As an international student from the African country of Namibia, van Reenen said he is pleased that SUNY students were willing to elect not only him, but another international student as well to SUNY SA positions.

“Even though we are not subjected to Pell Grants and TAP and FAFSA… the students still trusted us to fully fight for policies that embitter them,” van Reenen said.

The other international student elected as a university colleges representative, Vrinda Kumar, is also the president of SUNY Plattsburgh’s SA.

SA President Emily Nassir spoke to the senate about the meet-and-greet process for this years OzFest program. Per a request by DNCE, 25 randomly selected ticket holders will be allowed to meet DNCE, beyond those who purchase the VIP package being offered.

The SA budgeting process for next year has begun, with next week being

Van Reenen said he believes this is the first time two international students have served as university colleges representatives.

The election process takes place at the SUNY SA spring conference, which was in Rochester this year.

“You get nominated from a voting delegate, which is a president and a vice president of a student government or a student association from the campuses,” van Reenen said.

The nominees then present their platforms to a caucus of the voting delegates, who then vote for the candidates they want to represent their campuses at the end of the caucus.

Van Reenen has been an active member of the Oswego State SA as a senator.

“Senator van Reenen is an extremely passionate and dedicated senator who works tirelessly to represent those under his constituency,” said Emily Nassir, the Oswego State Student Association President.

“I am confident that he will put the same passion and drive to his constituents in the University Colleges caucus of SUNY SA, and can’t wait to hear about all of the great things he will accomplish.”

the time frame clubs can appeal their current budget based on the SA bylaws.

On April 25, club executives can go to the SA senate meeting to request a change to their budget.

Two people went before the senate to announce they were applying for p o s i t i o n s o n t h e p re s i d e n t ’s e x e c u t i v e c a b i net. Cindy Pietrakowski applied for director of the Student Association Planning Board and was referred to the involvement committee for one week. Miranda Kryskow

Planetarium show: “The Eclipse is Coming!,” 7 p.m., Sunday in Shineman Center, Room 223.

Speaker: Irving Schild, 5 p.m., Monday in the Marano Campus Center Food Court.

Men’s baseball vs. Ithaca, 4 p.m., Tuesday at the Laker Baseball Field.

Talk: Phil Klay, “Mortality in Relief,” 6:30 p.m., Tuesday in Marano Campus Center, Room 211.

Panel Discussion: “Whats Next?,” 7 p.m., Tuesday in Marano Campus Center, Room 132.

Movie: “Embrace of the Serpent,” 7 p.m., Wednesday in Marano Campus Center, Room 132. applied for the director of finance and was referred to all three major SA committees for one week.

A resolution was passed by the senate, asking for Residence Life and Housing to allow off-campus students to work as desk assistants and recycling technicians. The Senate also passed a bill that seeks to simplify the process of greivance processing through the offices of the attorney general and solicitor general. The bill clarified language in the original legislation and added more specific points on confidentiality.

Emily Stasko, SA’s public relatons director, came before the senate to share her issues with this year’s SA election process. Having petitioned to run for SA president, Stasko was unable to turn in her petition because she had violated the bylaws regarding petitioning for inclusion on the voting ballot. Stasko expressed disappointment that the issue was not brought to her professionally and also that the regulations for the election were not made clear to her before the election process.

A4 NEWS Concern brought to SA over lack of communication Public donates money to park for Senate begins process of repairing election procedures for future opportunity to name new giraffe THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

SENATE from COVER

informed. She said her concern grew when she heard her job as director of public relations was at stake as well.

“Really that would have been the [SA Supreme] Court’s decision, but really they wouldn’t have been allowed to do that,” SA President Emily Nassir said.

If Stasko turned in her petition to SA for processing, she may have been taken to the SA Supreme Court for violating the SA bylaws, but she was informed that her petition would not have been accepted before doing so.

“She caught wind of it before it actually became a problem,” Nassir said.

As for why Stasko was not contacted directly, the process for officially notifying someone of an issue with their compliance with the bylaws is an investigative process done by the SA attorney general.

“If speculation of an issue comes up, the attorney general can start to kind of dig around and see what’s going on,” Nassir said. “They can’t actually launch anything until there’s an official complaint.”

The SA bylaws require an information sheet to be provided with the petitions, which was not included by the elections subcommittee when the petition packages were printed.

The entire elections process is overseen by the election subcommittee, including the formatting of the petitions potential candidates use. The chair of the elections subcommittee, Connor Breese, only realized that this page had been omitted after the issue had already occurred. Breese was unavailable due to personal issues during the timeframe when Stasko’s petition was found to be invalid.

“I knew there was an issue that needed to be addressed,” Breese said. “I didn’t realize that our petitions had gone out without the instruction sheets they were supposed to have.”

Stasko’s presentation to SA focused on how she felt there was a lack of communication between those who were running the election and those who were running in the election.

Stasko said she brought the issue to

GIRAFFE from COVER

Alexander Gault-Plate | The Oswegonian The SA bylaws require an information sheet to be provided with the petitions shown above, which were not included by the elections committee when the petition packages were printed.

SA to make sure that future petitioners are able to go through the process with all the pertinent information. Her own situation is not fixable, as the election process has already been completed, with Bisson winning the SA president seat.

“I’m going to be a senior next year, nothing really personally can come out of this for me, but just so that in the future it’s said,” Stasko said.

The chair of the elections subcommittee has already begun the process of fixing this oversight.

“I found out there was no instruction sheet,” Breese said. “I’m making sure that that was written up and taken care of so we can make sure that next year this doesn’t happen again.”

Stasko said she is concerned that SA was not diligent in following their own bylaws in this situation, yet continue to monitor how clubs and students follow the same bylaws.

“A code cannot only be used when it is convenient,” Stasko said.

The senate has begun the task of repairing the elections process.

“We’re continuing to look back and see what we could do different,” Bisson said.

“The election subcommittee and other parties interested within senate have met two or three times so far to go over election law.”

Part of the process of fixing the elections process will involve spreading the responsibilities of the election subcommittee among multiple members, rather than the current model of having the chair of the subcommittee handle most of the process.

“Instead of one individual running the show, we’re splitting that up and we’re looking [at] maybe three or four individuals dealing with various aspects of the election,” Bisson said. “Should something unfortunate happen to one of those people, and they have to step out, it’s not a total mishap.”

Week-long tabling encourages various programs BikeShare, BusShare, Tap In, Perk Up advertised with giveaways

Maria Pericozzi News Editor mpericozzi@oswegonian.com The Office of Sustainability celebrated Earth Week in their own fashion this week, with tabling to promote different campaigns to encourage students to participate in sustainable behaviors.

Monday was Meatless Monday which showed the environmental benefits of a primarily vegetable diet.

Tuesday was Transpo Tuesday promoting the BikeShare program and the launch of the new BusShare webpage.

Wednesday was Wake Up Wednesday promoting the Perk Up campaign with reusable hot drink cups. Thursday was Thirsty Thursday promoting the Tap In campaign with reusable water bottles. Friday was Food Waste Friday with the celebration of the participation of students involved in the Clean Plate Club.

According to Jamie Adams, the sustainability program coordinator, Earth Day officially began in 1970.

“Since then, there have been so many new topics, environmental issues and sustainable behaviors we can all learn more about and participate in,” Adams said. “One day can’t manage it all, so our office celebrates Earth Week.”

On Wednesday, students who stopped by the table received free reusable cups for hot drinks and free coffee, while supplies lasted, and on Thursday a limited

Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian The Office of Sustainability gave out stickers, water bottles and coffee cups in the Marano Campus Center.

number of reusable metal water bottles were given away.

The BikeShare program, run by the Office of Sustainability, gives students access to bikes each semester, free of charge. The bike is theirs for the semester and they are responsible for any loss or damage. Adams said the office provides free maintenance for all bikes on campus, even personally owned bikes not affiliated with the program, as well as storage and upkeep.

The goal of the program is to reduce the use of automobiles on campus by help-

Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian Interns for the Office of Sustainability tabled throughout the week to promote eco-friendly behaviors.

ing students get around by bicycle, Adams said. The program is partially funded through the Student Association.

BikeShare is a program that not many students know about, according to Brielle Jodeit, an intern for the Office of Sustainability.

“It’s a really awesome program,” Jodeit said. “Everyone is super interested in it, but we only have 50 bikes so it’s hard to supply for the entire campus.”

A new mobile friendly website, BusShare, was also launched to simplify the use of the Centro Bus system, both on campus and around the City of Oswego. The app has easy-to-follow instructions and requires only the location the student is leaving from and going to, Adams said.

“Our office hopes to reduce the amount of commuter traffic off and on campus by making it easier for students to use the provided Centro Bus services,” Adams said.

Jodeit said the Centro app is hard to use. Two interns with the Office of Sustainability, Alex Monachino and Cassandra Kaiser, are making an interface that is more user friendly.

“It isn’t just an app,” Jodeit said. “It’s an actual website that has really good global formatting, so people who can’t download the app can still use it.”

Senior Aiyana Huger stopped by the table to participate in the events throughout the week.

“I love ‘Earth Week,’” Huger said. “I think it’s great that the campus is doing something to try to preserve our planet.”

calf entered the world on YouTube had more than 14 million views on Thursday.

Animal Adventure Park is asking for help to name April’s calf while raising funds. Anyone can go to nameaprilscalf.com to enter and vote on any name for the calf. In order to vote for a name, participants must pay $1. The top 10 names will be revealed, followed by another round of voting. At the end of voting, the zoo will reveal the winning name and donate the funds raised to three causes.

The funds will be split between the Giraffe Conservation Efforts in the Wild, which contributes to the Giraffe Conservation, Ava’s Little Heroes, an event named after the daughter of the park owners, and the Animal Adventure Theme Park to continue to improve the animal and guest experiences.

Sophomore Kervans Lerouge is a zoology major and said he wants to be a veterinarian one day and work with animals when he gets out of school. “[Oswego’s Zoology program] has

the prerequisites I need for vet school,” Lerouge said.

He said he is inspired seeing Swilley as the caretaker for the world famous giraffe.

One day I want to work with animals and seeing someone who graduated from here get as famous as she is, is incredible.

It makes me want to work even harder than I do now."

- Russell Cox, Oswego State junior

“I am inspired because seeing the new born giraffe being delivered reminds me why I decided to be a zoology major,” Lerouge said.

A5 NEWS New professional certifications in health, physical education available THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Several students already taking classes at Oswego State's main campus, Syracuse center, online for program Maria Pericozzi News Editor mpericozzi@oswegonian.com

Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian Professor Jason Leone speaks to his Concepts, Theory and Problems of Athletic Coaching class.

Oswego State now offers an adjustable format for a professional certification for graduate students teaching kindergarten through grade 12 health education and physical education.

Several students currently take the necessary classes for the certification, according to Sandra Bargainnier, the department chair of health promotion and wellness in Oswego State’s School of Education.

“The format of course offerings will provide flexibility to current teachers out in the field,” Bargainnier said. “Many teachers in health and physical education also coach after school, thus a flexible format is helpful.”

Bargainnier said she started at Oswego State in the fall of 2013 as the chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness in the School of Education, and was the program director of health and physical education teacher training at both Syr-

acuse University and Penn State University. She said she was well versed in those areas of certification.

“SUNY Oswego Department of Curriculum and Instruction [C&I] in the School of Education has offered Professional Certification in all subject areas for currently certified teachers with the exception of Health Education and Physical Education,” Bargainnier said. “The only piece that was missing was the 12 credits of related content in health or physical education.”

Bargainnier said the classes for the certification are offered not only on the Oswego State campus and in Syracuse, but they are also online.

“Since we now have an online, 15-credit graduate certificate in Health and Wellness, I put it all together that we could collaborate with C&I to make Professional Certification available to current teachers in these disciplines as well,” Bargainnier said.

According to an Oswego State press release, the new specialist track for teachers pursuing an Oswego State master’s of

science in curriculum and instruction recently earned SUNY and State Education Department approvals.

In order to receive the certification, the teacher must have a New York State initial certification in either health education or physical education, Bargainnier said.

All of the content needed for the new professional teacher certification track was already in Oswego State’s catalog, said Marcia Burrell, the chair of curriculum and instruction, in an Oswego State press release.

“Why not use that content and build that for people who are coaches and those with other after-school commitments?” Burrell said. “[The online courses] provide them with the flexibility to keep their certification within their master’s degree program.”

Gustavo Tejeda, a wellness management major, said he is interested in the certifications. “[This program] brings more opportunities when it comes to that kind of job,” Tejeda said.

Drop box for medical substances located in lobby of Oswego Police Department Safer way introduced to dispose of unwanted prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, patches, vitamins ABUSE from COVER Harbor Lights, located in Mexico, New York. “But over the years, I’ve definitely noticed more painkillers like oxycotin and hydrocodone, as well as the heroin use.”

According to Long, people can become addicted to opioids from taking prescription medication as a result of chronic pain.

“Even if you take [prescription painkillers] as prescribed, you can develop a physical dependence on it and it builds tolerance over time and you need more and more, heavier and heavier stuff,” Long said. “A couple of years ago, they really started to crack down on over prescription of pain medications, so doctors became more hesitant to prescribe, which led people to find heroin, which was cheaper and provided a better high or more relief or whatever they were looking for.”

According to the CDC, people who are addicted to prescription opioid painkillers are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin. Approximately 75 percent heroin users reported abusing prescription opioids before they began to use heroin. The CDC cites “the increased availability, lower price, and increased purity of heroin” as possible contributing factors to the rise in heroin use.

“A lot of the times, addiction doesn’t just appear on its own,” Long said. “There’s usually other factors that come into play,

be it family issues, and I’m not necessarily just talking domestic violence or something like that. A lot of these people grew up with families that abused substances and it kind of became the norm for them.

They haven’t really experienced what normalcy is outside of their families.”

No one chooses to be an addict. It's a disorder; it needs to be treated as that and that's how the county, state and country is leaning, because it's such an epidemic. " - Teresa Woolson coalition member

People who have mental health issues are also more likely to abuse drugs.

According to Long, people with mental health issues “try to use substances to deal with their mental health, but that usually ends up making things worse in one way or another.”

Harbor Lights treats people of all different ages for a number of different addictions, including alcohol, gambling and drugs. Many of their clients are mandated

Criselda Mapoy | The Oswegonian Perscription drugs that individuals no longer wish to take can be disposed of in the dropbox.

to go to treatment by the court system, although some people go on their own because they want to get sober.

“Some people come once or twice and they’ll disappear because they don’t want to come anymore,” Long said. “There are people who require a higher level of care than we’re able to provide so we have to refer them out and people who want to stay forever because they like coming here, they like therapy and it just works for them.”

Since Harbor Lights is an outpatient treatment center, the counselors focus mostly on talk therapy. The center offers a number of different programs, including once a week individual sessions with a counselor and group therapy sessions that can meet up to five times a week.

“We educate people about substances, the addiction process, about what different substances can do to you physically, mentally and emotionally,” Long said.

“We work with people to predict what is going to happen to them. We try to show them the negative effects that can come from substance use, which includes legal, health and relationships issues. We try to work with them to develop coping skills, skills they can use to actively stay away from drug use, refuse drug use if it should be offered or be around and develop networks of supportive, healthy people.”

Currently, there are no inpatient rehabilitation centers in Oswego County.

In addition to Harbor Lights, there are two other addiction treatment centers in Oswego County, COCOAA and Farnham, which both have offices in the City of Oswego and Fulton.

The Oswego County Prevention Coalition installed a prescription drug drop box in the lobby of the Oswego Police Department.

The drop box is a safe way for community members to dispose of unwanted prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

“That was absolutely one of the best things we could do for this community, to get the prescription medications out of people’s homes and to get them off the streets and not in our water system,” said Penny Morley, the coalition’s co-chair.

“They’re incinerated, so it’s much healthier for the environment as well.”

Rachel Futterman | The Oswegonian

Items that can be put in the drop box include prescription pills, patches, medication and ointments, over-the-counter pills, vitamins, samples and medication for pets.

Thermometers, needles, hydrogen peroxide, inhalers, aerosol cans, over-the-counter ointments, lotions and liquids and medications from businesses or clinics cannot be placed in the drop box due to safety concerns.

“This is very important because that’s where a lot of the drugs are being found, just in people’s medicine cabinets and homes,” coalition member Teresa Woolson said.

According to Robin Burdick, the coalition’s part-time coordinator, the coalition is working on securing another location for an additional drop box in Oswego County.

The Oswego County Sheriff’s Department has “seen a dramatic increase in usage” of prescription drugs and heroin, according to Oswego County Undersheriff Eugene Sullivan, III. “What we see more traditionally is that [Oswego County] residents go to Syracuse and end up overdosing in Syracuse,” Sullivan said. “I think Onondaga County has seen a significant increase in heroin deaths, but some of them have certainly been our residents that have gone down there to buy their drugs or use drugs.”

According to Sullivan, it is difficult to

determine exactly how the drugs are entering Oswego County. “[The City of] Oswego seems to have a pretty strong connection to the city of Rochester because of the [Route] 104 corridor,” Sullivan said. “Fulton and the east side of the county seem to gravitate more toward Onondaga County and Syracuse.

But then you’ve got the whole [Route] 81 corridor, which leads to points north and south, including, but not limited to, the Saint Regis [Mohawk Tribe] reservation.”

New Visions Allied Health, a program run through Oswego County BOCES, conducted a survey in 2014 of high school students throughout Oswego County to determine high school student’s awareness of drug use. According to the survey, 19.8 percent of those surveyed rated Oswego County’s drug problem as seven out of 10.

“It’s all about raising awareness and breaking down the stigma,” Burdick said.

According to Woolson, many drug counseling professionals now refer to substance abuse as “substance use disorder” to help with the stigma of substance abuse.

“No one chooses to be an addict,” Woolson said. “It’s a disorder; it needs to be treated as that and that’s how the county, state and country is leaning, because it’s such an epidemic.”

A6 NEWS Smart Neighbors program adds new collaboration THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Oswego State students partner with Man in the Moon Candies Jordan DeLucia Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com Amy Stone-Lear, owner and founder of Man in the Moon Candies, has deep family roots in the candy-making industry, dating back to the 1920s. She inherited her love of candy making from her grandfather, who used to own Stone’s Home Made Candies.

Stone-Lear worked as a fulltime optician, making eyeglasses until 2005, when she decided to take her hobby of making candies to the next level. She began selling her sweet treats by order to her friends. She appeared at the Oswego farmer’s markets in the summer of 2006, and by February 2007, Man in the Moon Candies was opened in Canal Commons, located at 203 W. First St. Now Stone-Lear is working with Oswego State students as part of a program called Smart Neighbors, started in 2014

by Leigh Wilson, the director of both the creative writing department, and interdisciplinary programs and activities.

The project is a partnership with three other SUNY schools, developed as a way for students of varying disciplines to come together to work on a project that will benefit a community business.

Ultimately, Wilson wanted to build a program that gave students the opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom to a real-world entity.

“Oswego is full of really interesting businesses and the relationship between the town and the college isn’t as seamless as I would like to see it,” Wilson said.

“I feel like our students have a lot to offer the town, beyond just being consumers.”

Wilson said she knew Stone-Lear’s business would be a great candidate for the program’s next project, especially with the novelty of Man in the Moon’s sugary confections. Students began working with the store, meeting with Stone-Lear to decide the different projects that would be created by each of the majors. Collectively, the students first decided on the store’s new slogan, “One Giant Leap for Candy.”

“How can students not get excited?”

Stone-Lear said. “It’s candy and who doesn’t like candy?”

Haofeng Deng | The Oswegonian

Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian Man in the Moon Candies opened in February 2007 and is located in Canal Commons at 203 W. First St.

The art department’s sculpture classes made different molds from chocolate to resemble the heads of Oswego icons such as Mary Walker and the waves of Lake Ontario. Soap molds were also made to look like waves and other assorted sweet confections, like mini ice cream cones.

The Experiential filmmaking students from the Cinema and screen studies program created short motion pictures that showcased their creative talents and displayed the hard work that goes into making chocolate candies look the way they do.

Creative writing also had a hand in creating promotional material for the store. Fourteen students were divided into three groups to create digital essays with accompanying slideshows that exhibited the store’s sweet delights.

Journalism and creative writing student Emily Shaben co-produced the slideshow “Sweet Refuge.”

“As students, this project helps us step out of our comfort zones,” Shaben said in a Oswego State press release.

“We forget that a huge part of why we're here is networking and getting out into the community. This project gives us the confidence to do that.”

Partnering with Man in the Moon to create these projects was more than just another graded assignment in a class, Wilson said. Wilson wants this, and all future projects, to show students how different disciplines can work together to create valuable media.

“They have all become [invested] in what the other disciplines created,” Wilson said. “And that’s my favorite part.

Somehow, 150 students become a community, even though they’re not even in the same classes.”

Wilson also emphasized the value in the work that off-site, real-world experience provides to students outside of the classroom and knows how important partnership is to the Oswego community.

“We are a community,” Wilson said.

“And that feeling, if I could get the town and the students to feel that way, I would be so happy.”

Smart Neighbors partnered with The River’s End Bookstore in its first year of operation, in 2014, and utilized the services of almost 150 students in eight different classes to create different types of promotional and marketing material for the store.

OPINION OPPOSE HOUSE BILL 780

B5 Photo provided by Bev Sykes via flickr

VOLUME LXXXV ISSUE IX • www.oswegonian.com

SPORTS THE OSWEGONIAN

SPORTS SUNYAC EMERGENCE

B4 Haofeng Deng | The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

B1

Hamilton closes in on all-time Laker records as career winds down Lakers, Hamilton seek unfinished business as he builds his legacy as Laker great in final stretch of senior season Luke Scoville Incoming Sports Editor lscoville@oswegonian.com With all the accolades imaginable for a collegiate baseball player and every school record already accomplished or well in reach, senior third baseman Eric Hamilton has put together an alltime Laker career as the end of it nears.

“The best,” said head coach Scott Landers when asked where Hamilton ranks as a player he coached at Oswego State. “He proves it every day on the field.

He’s never been overmatched when he was a freshman or a sophomore.”

Hamilton, a graduate out of CiceroNorth Syracuse High School, came to Oswego State as the younger brother of then Laker, Brian Hamilton.

“I just came in as a freshman hoping to make an impact right away,” Hamilton said. “Coach Landers recruited me all throughout high school and I couldn’t thank him enough for that, so I just wanted to come here and make a stand for him and do what I can to help this program win.”

It was clear early on that Hamilton would be a great player in the Laker baseball program, the questions would be how great would he be and how great the team would be.

Obviously when he came as a freshman he was above and just better than everybody else, especially freshmen on other teams and freshmen that were already here,” -Tim Cronin senior pitcher

Freshman year Hamilton, for the most part, found himself in the starting mix. His power with the bat was not quite there, but his consistent hitting and defense was good enough for All-SUNYAC First Team honors with a .333 batting average in 2014.

“Obviously when he came as a freshman he was above and just better than everybody else, especially freshmen on other teams and freshmen that were already here,” senior pitcher Tim Cronin said.

“It’s been fun watching him progress over the four years.”

As Hamilton was improving, the Oswego State Lakers baseball team was improving alongside him, making a run in the SUNYAC playoffs each year, after

just recently being a one-win program in conference play in 2011.

In Hamilton’s sophomore season, already an All-SUNYAC award winner, he had one of his biggest improvements from a statistical standpoint, from one year to the next.

In 40 games played, Hamilton drove in 39 RBI, 26 more than he did the previous season. He also increased his hit total from 30 base hits to 57 and a .345 batting average on the season. His .957 fielding percentage also earned him a Gold Glove award at third base for the ABCA/Rawlings New York Region.

“Experience as an underclassman, getting majority of playing time as a freshman and really evolving towards the end of the year,” Hamilton said.

“Working my way into a starting role sophomore to senior year, it’s just been huge. It all comes with playing experience and not being overmatched by anyone else knowing you can get the job done whenever you are called for.”

In 2015, the Lakers advanced to the SUNYAC Championship after defeating the College at Brockport in an elimination game 11-5, where Hamilton hit a tworun homer in the third inning to put the Lakers up 3-1.

Coming up short to SUNY Cortland for the SUNYAC title, Hamilton and the Lakers still earned themselves a bid in the NCAA Div. III Tournament for the program’s first time since 1996.

The Lakers were bounced after early losses to Amherst and Oblein College, despite Hamilton going 4-10 with an RBI in those contests combined. With two impressive seasons under his belt, the valuable experience gained was bound to carry over into the second half of his collegiate career.

2016 was the year of highest expectations from Hamilton himself and those who surround him. He knew his game was solid, but felt there was a higher level to reach for himself and the team.

“I really just took my work ethic to a next level, really tried to take no days off in the weight room or swinging,” Hamilton said. “Just a couple adjustments to my swing to hit more gaps, hit more balls over the fence, using my strength staying short to the ball, and doing whatever I can to help the team win.”

Hamilton improved from good to even better than the season before, but this season was just that much better from him in every way possible.

In only the fifth game of the year, against then No. 7 Salisbury University, Hamilton hit his first two home runs of the season for his first career multi-home run game as a Laker in a 15-6 victory.

The very next day in a doubleheader against Wesley University, he would hit three more home runs, the first two coming in a 13-9 victory in game 1, and the third coming in game 2 for a 10-5 victory.

Andrew Pugliese | The Oswegonian Hamilton as a third baseman has a .949 career fielding percentage to go with a Gold Glove award.

Cole Parzych | The Oswegonian Hamilton (right) is batting .382 this season with 14 doubles already, two more than the total he had last season when he was named SUNYAC Player of the Year.

The home run tear would only continue from there for Hamilton, as he would hit eight more that season to break a Laker’s individual season record and was the seventh most in the country that season amongst Div. III. As for the Lakers, they would go on a 15-game winning streak in the middle of the season behind Hamilton’s stellar season, which was getting professional baseball scouts attention as the Lakers were ranked No. 4 in the Div. III polls.

The Lakers lost to SUNY Cortland again in the regular season and SUNYAC Championship, but made it to the second round of the NCAA Div. III Tournament until they were eliminated by Tufts University.

Hamilton finished his historic season with a .399 batting average and was highly decorated by being named to the following awards: All-SUNYAC First Team, SUNYAC Player of the Year, First Team All-New York Region, Player of the Year in D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings New York Region, D3baseball.com Second team All-American and ABCA/Rawlings Third Team All-American.

It was an individual season you could not ask too much more of, but there were further goals Hamilton and the Lakers sought, winning a SUNYAC Championship and beyond.

Prior to the start of Hamilton’s senior season, he was named to D3baseball.com Preseason First Team All-American. So far this season he is already broken alltime Laker records in at-bats (530), hits (195), and doubles (37).

He is currently fourth in runs scored (110), second in runs-battedin (133), third in home runs (19), and 10th in batting average (.368).

The Lakers, led by Hamilton, are in prime position once again to make a championship run in the SUNYAC with SUNY Cortland in their headlights.

“Well [SUNY Cortland] has always been known as the top team and just going into that weekend it’s a whole other mindset,” Hamilton said. “We’re right there neck and neck with them, there’s no doubt about that, if we bring our A-game this weekend we can win the series and hopefully host SUNYAC’s.”

Oswego State is 3-10 against SUNY Cortland in the Hamilton era, including a 1-3 record in the SUNYAC Championship playoffs.

To go with all the records Hamilton seeks to reach, defeating the team they finished runner-ups to the previous two seasons will be next on Hamilton’s list.

Rachel Futterman | The Oswegonian

Shore Report

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 14, 2017

Oswego Scoreboard

SUNYAC Standings Baseball

Overall

Cortland Oswego State Brockport New Paltz

Conference

28-5 21-7 16-14 14-13

13-2

W10

10-2

W4 L3

7-4 7-8

Fredonia Oneonta

16-12 12-14

3-8 3-8

W1

Plattsburgh

7-17

1-11

W1

Overall Overall

Conference

Streak

11-1 8-4 8-3

3-0 3-0

W3

Cortland Plattsburgh Geneseo Oswego State

Overall

Conference

Brockport

11-1

5-0

Cortland

10-3

5-0

Oswego State

6-6

4-2

W3 L1

Buffalo State

6-7

3-2

L1

Geneseo

6-7

3-3

W1

Oneonta

6-6

2-3

L2

Fredonia

2-12

1-4

L4

New Paltz

5-7

1-5

W1

Potsdam

3-9

0-5

L1

W1

18-14

8-4

W5

New Paltz

14-14

8-4

W4

Oswego State

11-13

7-3

W4

Oneonta

19-9

7-5

L2

Geneseo

17-9 9-19

5-5 5-5 3-7

W2

1-9

L7

0-12

W2

Wednesday, April 19

@

@

@

1:

Noon

12:30 p.m.

OSW: (11-13, 7-3) NPZ: (14-14, 8-4)

OSW: (6-6, 4-2) COR: (10-3, 5-0)

Baseball

Men's Tennis Friday, April 21

@

@

3:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

OSW: (21-7, 10-2) COR: (25-8, 13-2)

OSW: (5-5, 0-0) UTI: (1-5, 0-4)

Laker Athletes of the Week

Baseball

6

NPZ: (5-7, 1-5) POT: (3-9, 0-5) Oswego State field hockey has hired their first full time head coach in Heather Moore.

Coming by way of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, Moore has four years of head coaching experience at the Div. III level. At Earlham College, she oversaw all aspects of the field hockey program, including practices, recruiting and scouting of opponents.

@

Tim Cronin | Mitchell Cavanagh

Wednesday, April 19

ITH: (20-6, 9-1) ONE: (19-9, 7-5)

@

L2

Women's Lacrosse

7

Saturday, April 22

L2

Softball

8

Women's Lacrosse

Friday, April 21

Around the SUNYAC

0

17 Kenneally: 4 assists 5

Saturday, April 22 (Senior Day)

Streak

10-0

3

Softball

W5

21-7

5

Wednesday, April 19

Upcoming Matches

Streak

Cortland Plattsburgh

Tuesday, April 18

Men's Lacrosse

Sutton: 2 goals Henrie: 1 goal, 1 assist Smith: 1 goal, 2 assists

L7

5-18

Tuesday, April 18 (Game 1)

CAN:

2-2

Potsdam

Softball

Woods: 1-2, 1 R Brock: 2-2, 2 RBI Crooks: 1-4, 1 R

3-9

Fredonia

GEN:

Millich: 7 goals Cregan: 2 goals, 1 assist Fisher: 2 goals, 1 assist McFadden: 6 saves

BUF:

1-3

13-13 11-17

Pirro: 2-4, 1 RBI, 2 2B Fraser: 2-4, 1 RBI Pearson: 2-4, 1 RBI

Emerson: 3 goals Wilkom: 2 goals, 2 assists Bacon: 2 goals, 3 assists

4-7

Conference

Garrett: 2 goals Shattuck: 2 goals, 2 assists Ponto: 10 saves

OSW:

L3

Overall

OSW:

Lyman: 2-2, 2 RBI, 1 HR Vilchez: 2-3, 2 RBI Vilchez: 7 IP, 2 ER

L2

Buffalo State Brockport

CLA:

Dellicarri: 2-3, 2 RBI Hamilton: 2-4, 2R Holton: 2-3, 2 RBI Zywicki: 5 IP, 0 ER

OSW:

1-2

Softball

OSW:

13

4

W3

5-5

Women's Lacrosse

8

4

Tuesday, April 11

4

6-7

Potsdam Oneonta

Tuesday, April 18 (Game 1)

Women's Lacrosse

W2 W1

2-1 2-2

Brockport

Baseball

Streak

L1 W5

Men's Lacrosse

B2

5 NPZ: (14-13, 7-8) PLA: (7-17, 1-11)

3:

Eli Holton of the Oswego State baseball team has hit three home runs in the Lakers last three wins.

Holton is tied for second on the team in home runs. His two homer game against the College at Brockport last week was the first multi-home run game of his career.

The junior has been filling in for injured senior Wes Randall in center field, and pushing for a spot in the starting lineup.

Rebecca Vilchez

Baseball Senior, Walden | Junior, Oneida

Softball Freshman, Franklin Square

The starting pitching duo of Tim Cronin and Mitchell Cavanagh had a great week for the Lakers baseball team, posting nearly identical statistics in two games pitched for each player.

Posting 14 innings each, the pair combined for 21 strikeouts, an ERA of 0.64 and one earned run, on the way to four of the five Laker wins on the week.

Both pitchers are undefeated on the season, 7-0 for Cronin and 6-0 for Cavanagh, holding earned run averages under 2.00.

Freshman pitcher Rebecca Vilchez has been named player of the week in the SUNYAC after earning four wins and allowing only one earned run over 25 innings pitched for a 0.36 ERA for the week.

For the season, she has dominated on both the mound and in the batters box, compiling a 1.46 ERA and a .306 batting average, good for third highest on the team. Vilchez has shown a knack for the clutch, especially on Wednesday, knocking a two run walk-off double with two outs in the seventh to propel the Lakers to a 4-3 win over Buffalo State.

With four consecutive wins, all coming in SUNYAC play, the Oswego State softball team has propelled themselves back into contention after a slow start to the season. With a 7-3 record in conference, they have put themselves in great position to qualify for post season play. Freshman stars such as Rebecca Vilchez and Jessica Roe have emerged in the middle of the season to lead the push towards the end of the season.

Laker's third baseman Eric Hamilton ranks fifth in the SUNYAC with a .382 batting average. The mark is good enough to top all batting averages from Oswego State.

Hamilton also leads the team in runs scored, hits and doubles. Hamilton has been a leading force behind the Laker's four game win streak over the last week.

4:

5:

SPORTS

SPORTS

FRIDAY, September 10, 2010

Women's lacrosse turns season around in SUNYAC After slow start, win streak has propelled team into playoff contention Shenandoah Briere Incoming Chief Copy Editor sbriere@oswegonian.com After a rough start to the season, the Oswego State Lakers women’s lacrosse team appears to have settled in during SUNYAC play.

The team started off 2-2 in their first four games before going on a three-game losing streak, including losing their first SUNYAC conference game 14-3 against the College at Brockport.

The turn-around game for the Lakers’ season came when they faced SUNY Oneonta, according to head coach Britt Howard. “[SUNY] Oneonta, it really brought our team together,” Howard said. “Senior day, they came out with a fire under their butts and they just came out ready to play. Obviously the outcome was what we wanted, but I think they played hard and it definitely gave them the confidence they needed to continue on in the conference play.”

The victory over SUNY Oneonta put the Lakers at 2-1 in the SUNYAC conference.

They kept that same spark as they went on to face SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Fredonia, winning both of those games as well.

Currently, the Lakers are 6-6 overall and 4-2 in conference play after their 13-4 loss Tuesday to SUNY Geneseo, placing them

third in the SUNYAC standings. They sit behind the College at Brockport and SUNY Cortland in the standings, who are both 5-0 in conference.

Part of the change comes from attacker Teresa Shattuck and goalie Angela Ponto. Shattuck, a sophomore, took strides this offseason and has 69 points, more than twice as many as any other player on the team, totaling 20 goals and 49 assists. Last season Shattuck put up 79 points and is on pace to surpass that by the end of this season.

Howard described Shattuck as “always being in the right place at the right time,” and always helping her teammates on the field. Shattuck has been an inspiration to all her teammates, especially to fellow attackman Montana Garrett.

“I’ve heard a lot about how great of a player [Shattuck] was and then actually being on an offensive line with her, she’s assisted many of my goals so far and honestly I definitely look up to her as a freshman,” Garrett said.

Ponto, a junior, has started in every game this season and currently has the highest save percentage in the SUNYAC at 55.5 percent, which includes 131 saves. “[Ponto] definitely gives us those second opportunities on defense with

rebounds and then just getting our clears out,” Howard said. “She’s definitely a great player and she gives the defense a great leader.”

Looking ahead, the Lakers agree that the last few games will be their toughest since they are not at home. This season the team is 1-5 on the road, with the next two games being away, Shattuck believes that keeping the momentum on the road will be the toughest part because they are a better team at home, with a 5-1 record at Laker Turf Stadium.

The biggest thing the Lakers are looking to do is just take it “one game at a time”, especially on the road, Howard said.

With both Oswego State and SUNY Cortland losing multiple seniors from last season, midfielder Toni Laneve believes the Lakers brought back a strong core of players to compete this season. “[SUNY] Cortland is number one and they lost a lot of good players and [Oswego State] lost a lot of good players, but we gained a lot of good players. I think we want to try to give them their hardest game,” Laneve said.

The Oswego State Lakers look to bounce back from their sluggish loss to SUNY Geneseo with a conference road matchup Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at SUNY Cortland.

Haofeng Deng | The Oswegonian The women's lacrosse team is 4-1 in their last five SUNYAC contests, scoring a total of 50 goals, which is their best mark of any five game stretch all season.

A-9

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

B33

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

Baseball at SUNY Cortland Ten wins in their last 10 games has the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons officially hot heading into this weekend's high-stakes SUNYAC series. The Lakers were unable to muster one win in any of the four meetings with the 2016 SUNYAC champions last year.

This season could be different for the Lakers. It still seems like a tough hill to climb, even with the College at Brockport winning their regular season series against the Red Dragons earlier this year. SUNY Cole Parzych Cortland has rebounded from that, only allowing 13 runs during this 10-game winning streak. The highest total allowed in a single game was four. That is some serious pitching domination that could stifle the Lakers bats all weekend.

Oswego State's offense put up eight runs in the first game against Clarkson University in game one of this week's doubleheader, a great mark, but they followed that up by only scratching across two runs in game two.

Oswego State does have the arms to compete and their bats have the capabilities to produce as well, but SUNY Cortland is on another level.

This weekend’s marquee series in all of Div. III baseball features the No. 12/14 Oswego State Lakers and No. 4/5 SUNY Cortland Red Dragons squaring off for SUNYAC supremacy.

For many years, the Red Dragons have been the class of the SUNYAC and remain the measuring stick for all other teams.

In recent years, especially last season, Oswego State has been pushing to send the perennial powerhouse off the top of the mountain.

It is hard to gauge call whether this will be the year, but the Ryan Zalduondo Lakers come into the weekend series riding a massive wave of momentum. All it takes is for a team to believe at the right time to get themselves to the top.

The Lakers are 8-4 on the road so far this season, and that record includes two huge wins over the College at Brockport Golden Eagles.

Those same Golden Eagles went to SUNY Cortland a few weekends ago and handed the Red Dragons their only two losses in conference.

It may sound like grasping at straws making a prediction over a record against a mutual opponent, but sometimes there is nothing that can get in the way of confidence, not even a Red Dragon.

The No. 14/12 Oswego State Lakers find themselves controlling their own destiny once again in SUNYAC, closely behind the No. 4/5 SUNY Cortland Red Dragons.

Winner of this week’s upcoming series shall determine this year’s SUNYAC Championship host, as it has the past few seasons.

Both teams come in with good spirits as the Lakers have won four straight after their 2-1 series win over the College at Brockport on the road.

After suffering a series lost to The College at Brockport Luke Scoville themselves, SUNY Cortland has quietly won 10 straight games, including six conference wins in four days this past weekend.

Outfielder Eli Holton has moved into a starting role for the Lakers with this hot bat, batting 5-9 his last three games with three home runs and five RBI. The one-two punch starting pitching duo of Mitchell Cavanagh and Tim Cronin have the Lakers in position to get over the hump against the Red Dragons, but it will be no easy test.

SUNY Cortland as a team are batting a whopping .334, led by Jack Massa, Steven Figueroa, and Justin Teague who combine to bat .412.

The Red Dragons starters on the mound, Jeff Cooke and Alex Weingarten, are more than capable to counter the Lakers Cavanagh-Cronin duo, combining for 12 wins and 83 strikeouts on the season.

Two softball freshmen leading Lakers out of cellar, into playoff chase Uprising duo Vilchez, Roe both behind softball's mid-season turnaround using four-game winning streak Ryan Zalduondo Incoming Asst. Sports Editor rzalduon@oswegonian.com After stumbling out of the gate, the Oswego State softball team has ripped off four straight wins to put themselves in the thick of the SUNYAC playoff race, with a 7-3 conference record.

Of all the reasons behind this massive push, there is one glaring explanation as to why the Lakers have been able to find their footing.

The emergence of two freshman, Jessica Roe and Rebecca Vilchez, have done more than fill roles in the lineup, they have emerged as stars for the team.

Both players are not only star pitchers, but capable of excelling in the field and at the plate, all traits that have been driving forces in propelling the team up the standings.

Roe has become a mainstay in the Lakers’ starting rotation after taking advantage of injuries on the team to emerge as a commodity on her own.

The Wappingers Falls native ranks 14th in the SUNYAC, with an ERA of 3.78, and has been on the mound for a lot of big wins in conference that have given the Lakers control of their own destiny going into the playoffs.

In the batter’s box, she has been equally important, posting up a .310 batting average and nine RBI. Roe has started 22 of the team’s 25 games so far.

Vilchez has found the most success of this year’s freshman class and it was a shock that she ended up coming to Oswego State in the first place.

“She was an interesting one because I technically didn’t recruit her,” head coach Abby Martin said. “I didn’t know she was coming until probably the end of August which is usually too late to bring kids in at that point.”

Vilchez has been the bestfind for the Lakers this season, putting up a SUNYAC high 1.46 ERA and holding a record of 7-4, which is over half of the team’s win total.

Vilchez’s presence was sorely needed at Oswego State and she has been far and away been the ace on a staff that lacks top end depth.

“We lost a couple pitchers that were supposed to be here this year so it was kind of a blessing that she even got here in the first place,” Martin said.

Vilchez’s talent and experience all over the field gives her an edge when it comes

to her mental approach when playing different positions.

“It’s definitely difficult,” Vilchez said.

“It definitely helps me out in the end because it helps me understand the strike zone better for hitting because it lets me know where the umpire’s calling and for pitching it helps me know where to place the ball better.”

Martin is grateful for the gift she has been given in Vilchez and is confident in her ability to perform on the field.

“I knew that she was a Div. I talent coming to Oswego State and it would be my job to develop her into the kind of athlete that is going to be successful at this level and dominate in the way that I know that she can.” Martin said.

The Lakers head coach went so far as to compare Vilchez’s potential to her own

successful college career that saw her named a NFCA First Team All-American while playing at SUNY Cortland.

“She actually reminds me a lot of myself doing the job in the circle and coming in and doing it offensively,” Martin said. “She’s definitely a leader.”

For all the success she has found in her short time at Oswego State, Vilchez credits her teammates as much as herself in all of her accomplishments.

“My confidence level is pretty high right now with my defense behind me,” Vilchez said. “They’ve been doing really well and it helps me so even if I mess up I know they have my back.”

As the stock of Roe and Vilchez rises over the remainder of the season, the team’s potential for success rises with them.

Cole Parzych | The Oswegonian Vilchez (25) on the bump winding up for a pitch during an effort to extend the Lakers four-game win streak.

SPORTS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

B4

Campus Recreation Report:

Freshman catcher gives baseball extra gear

Michael Cicero Contributing Writer sports@oswegonian.com

Ryan Zalduondo Incoming Asst. Sports Editor sports@oswegonian.com

Spring season starting to wind down Olsson’s ability to exceed expectations has sparked stacked Lakers team

Campus Recreation is rounding out the intramural sports season with leagues and tournaments. The women’s dodgeball league crowned its champions this past week. Three teams dip, dodged and ducked their way to the championship. Voll is Life came out on top with a shutout then winning three games to one against Ball Is Life to take home the crown.

In men’s recreational dodgeball, Clap Bombs got off to a good start on the night with a win against Fer Sure Dad. Alex Kemper was able to swing a come from behind victory after being alone in a one on three battle. Clap Bombs also got a win against Is That A Wrench? which went down to the wire, involving a one on one standoff in the final game between Kemper and Peter Mancarella. Kemper and the Clap Bombs would come out victorious. Fer Sure Dad ended the night with one win against Is That A Wrench?

United Nations went undefeated, 3-0.

Robert Sgroi and William Nunez defended their team and had a pair of catches each, while Quentin Lamb and Nicolas Van Kempen were both throwing hard.

Several teams played back to back nights, and Is That A Wrench? swept Clap Bombs 3-0 in the rematch. Josh Beniamino and Matthew Poteralski had cannons for arms as they thinned the herd. Mancarella and Kemper had yet another one-on-one showdown, this time Mancarella came out victorious. No

L’s was able to take two games from Clap Bombs, winning a game with a four-onone man advantage. Clap Bombs showed up in the last series of the night as they beat Joe Buck Yourself. Mike Rifkin sealed the deal with a game winning catch.

In CoRec recreational league, Brian’s A WHORSE beat Watch Your Balls as Peter Mancarella teamed up with Alex Kemper, Kimberly LaGatta and James Dillon who all played well. Oz Army also took their series against Watch Your Balls, as they ducked, dipped, dived and dodged to a 3-1 win. Ruggers was able to take a 2-1 win against Duck. Ervin Bautista and Kailey McFarland dodged their way around hard throws from Nic Epping Madison Bush and Spenser Iodice. Riggs Piggs broke even with a 2-2 record on the night.

Don’t Stop Ballieving was swept by Roller Lakers, as Chris Fries and Ryan Holmes eliminated players in all three games to kick off the week of the men’s competitive league. Off Multiple Times improved their overall record to 7-4 on the season with a win against Sizey Balls and blanking Moke Gang. Poughkeepsie St. Flying Cougars was undefeated making their record 9-3.

In the men’s softball tournament The Squidwards took down Size Don’t Matta by a 15-9 score. The Lumps beat Hit It And Quit It 6-4, thanks to a few runs early in the game.

In the CoRec league, Cleats and Cleavage took a close game that went to the last innings 12-11 against Mythologically Speaking.

Baha Women lost a close one to BrokeBat Mountain. The tournament continues with the finals ending next week.

Photo provided by Mic-Anthony Hay Dodgeball is one of the remaining sports left in a 2017 intramural spring season that is coming to a close.

Going into the 2017 baseball season for the Oswego State Lakers, there were as many questions as there were answers for a team coming off an incredible season.

After graduating a few cornerstones of the program, there were some holes where young members of the team could come in and become part of the Lakers core for years moving forward.

Enter Lukas Olsson.

The freshman catcher has become a staple in the Lakers lineup, hitting .320 through 12 games played, and starting in multiple conference games so far.

Olsson had a long road to Oswego State, coming from Bayport-Blue Point High School, where he was a three year varsity athlete.

The recruiting process for Olsson originally had nothing to do with the Lakers, and it was only a development late in the process that led him to the shores of Lake Ontario.

“I was going to another school and they ended up not continuing their program with the same staff that had recruited me,” Olsson said. “I had some connections and I saw that Oswego was in a good spot last year and I knew that they would be a very good contender in the Div. III conference.”

From day one at Oswego State, Olsson had high expectations from both his teammates and coaching staff.

“I think he’s handled it tremendously,” said head coach Scott Landers. “He came in as an unknown like every other freshman and he works harder than most. His learning curve has been quick and short as a freshman. I think he really listens and interprets things well as a young kid.”

An unknown is the best way to describe Olsson coming in, because even though he had the ability, he was unproven at the Div. III level.

“I knew that he could hit and he caught and played some outfield in high school,” Landers said. “He was a big kid that could hit and we needed some help at the catcher position so we brought him in.”

Beyond the high regards Olsson has from the coaching staff, his teammates have nothing but great things to say about the freshman as well.

“I think what stood out to me and probably everyone else is his work ethic,” Senior Tim Cronin said. We got here in the

Cole Parzych | The Oswegonian Olsson catching bullpen sessions during Tuesday’s doubleheader against Clarkson University.

fall and you walk by the weight room and he’s always in there, he’s a quiet kid so he doesn’t talk about it but he’s always in there doing his work and hitting in the cages and getting all his throwing in so I think that’s what kind of separated him.”

As a senior, Cronin has seen players come and go from the program, and he thinks there is something special about Olsson that sets him apart.

“I think he’s got the second highest average on the team right now so you could pencil him anywhere from fourth on and he’d be a good fit,” Cronin said.

In addition to all the great things Cronin had to say about Olsson on the field, he also had a ton of praise for what the freshman brings in the clubhouse. The catcher’s mentality gives him an advantage compared to most newcomers, according to Cronin.

“His best quality? Probably his attitude,” Cronin said. He gets out, he doesn’t slam anything, he doesn’t get upset, he kind of

keeps a level head and that helps him going into his next at bat.”

With all the support he has behind him, Olsson plans on continuing his career at Oswego State with the same expectations he had for himself coming into this season.

“I expected myself to play a big role behind the dish,” Olsson said. “I knew that I have good potential and I could have a good impact on the team so I wanted to lead as a freshman and I think so far I’ve done an OK job with that.”

Olsson has done nothing but earn the praise he has been given since his arrival in Oswego. Going forward he has set himself up for nothing short of success.

“I give all the credit to him and his work ethic and his attention to detail,” Landers said.

For the rest of Olsson’s career, he has set a blueprint for all of his teammates to follow.

OPINION TAKE CONTROL OF IMAGE

B5?

B Photo provided by Arvind Grover via flickr

OPINION

VOLUME LXXXV ISSUE IX • www.oswegonian.com

“Congress shall make no law... abridging

SPORTS FRESHMEN

B3 Cole Parzych | The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

the freedom of speech, or of the press...”

THE OSWEGONIAN

The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935

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

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

Members of organizations should include their title if their letter addresses an issue pertaining to the organization.

For publication, letters should be 250 words or less and submitted by the Tuesday prior to the desired publication date.

The Oswegonian reserves the right to edit and reject letters and cannot guarantee that all letters will be published.

Opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not always reflect those of The Oswegonian.

DUO SHINES

-First Amendment

STAFF EDITORIAL

B6

EDITORS TAKE ON DIGITAL AGE The journalism world is undergoing major changes, forcing the industry to adapt more quickly than ever before. These changes not only affect major newspapers internationally.

They affect our student run newspaper too.

The Oswegonian staff will be taking part in these changes to coincide with the evolving journalism industry to the best of our ability next school year.

With an added focus on our various social media accounts and keeping a keen eye on timeliness of stories, next year will see an added step of growth for our media organization.

Without these changes, The Oswegonian could witness itself becoming obsolete.

It is no longer viewed as acceptable for us to only focus our efforts to the 3,000 copies we produce and distribute on Fridays to newsstands around campus and in the City of Oswego.

To counteract this, our social media team, in tandem with our section heads, will have an added focus on bringing students in the Oswego State community and surrounding area the latest in news, sports, opinion and arts and entertainment.

According to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey titled “How Americans Encounter, Recall and Act Upon Digital News,” 71 percent of online news consumers got their news from either a news organization’s website, app or social media.

This should give our staff an added sense of responsibility to maintain our website and social media accounts with the upmost quality we can produce in print and online.

It is not only important for us to adapt with the ever-changing journalism landscape, but this will give our staff an advantage down the road, because they will already be accustomed to

responding to the demand of producing content as quickly as possible, to attempt to meet the standards of real-life journalism experiences.

The Oswegonian is run by students and is a learning experience for all staff members, but it is still up to us to make a conscious effort to strive to achieve these industry standards each week we produce a newspaper. Even without the responsibilities of producing a daily newspaper, this is important.

This experience for our staff will be beneficial in any instance of traditional print journalists failing to adapt to the times when The Oswegonian staff members of 2017-2018 are finally ready to move into the workforce and make a name for themselves.

It rests on us to expand our capabilities in the newsroom for an improved chance of one day reaching our goal of landing a dream job whenever, or wherever, that develops.

IN THE OFFICE

Student organization makes large impact Newspaper staff transitions, ‘builds better newspaper,’ keeps traditions The Voice of the People

What are your thoughts about the college’s commitment to sustainability?

“If we have a sustainable lifestyle we will provide a better life for future generations.”

Alex Urban sophomore, electrical and computer engineering “I don’t think they do enough, especially in the dining halls where all the food is wasted.”

Briana Mccall senior, Political Science “They seem to be doing all they can, I like that.

Save the polar bears.”

JoAnn DeLauter Editor-in-Chief jdelauter@oswegonian.com Oswego State is known for its sunset on the lake, but I will never forget the feeling of seeing the sunrise on my walks back from a long night at The Oswegonian office my sophomore year as an assistant news editor.

Now three years, over a hundred bylines and fortunately earlier nights later, when people ask what my favorite place on campus is there is no question that I will say, “The Gonian.” Not only because I spent more hours there than any other place, but it is because of what it does to a person.

The Oswegonian is the best example of a love/hate relationship. No matter how much you put your love into it, it can never love you back and although you hate it sometimes, you always come back for more.

The office is always cluttered, no matter how much you clean it. For anyone who forgets deodorant, it is unforgiving and the florescent lights play this awful trick on you that makes it seem like it is always 4 p.m.

This seems awful now that it is in words, but there is one reason why this cluttered, window-less office is my favorite place to be.

It is because there is no other place like it.

We do not answer to a publisher or meet any type of quota. We do what we want. Every word and page is ours and it is our hard work, passion and pride in it that makes us sacrifice our GPAs and time away from friends to put out a better newspaper every week.

We leave the office at the end of the week, tired, stressed and preparing ourselves to return the next week just like year after year.

Alumni return to see the office because for some reason, no one can get enough of it.

It is where staff bonding becomes natural because that is what happens when you are in the same office with people for ten hours at a time. Although some people might frustrate you or annoy you to no end, you know at the end of the day you would do anything for that person because they share your unique experience.

The column “In the Office” is not only to give graduating seniors an opportunity to write a sappy article because it is their last, it is to showcase the opinions of the

people who are crazy enough to work in The Oswegonian office.

When I first came to the office, four years ago, I wanted to be a journalist. After I wrote my first article, I saw what a time commitment it was and how much time it took away from schoolwork so I left it for a month. It was not until one of the seniors at the time reached out to me and encouraged me to come back. She said gaining experience is more important than a 4.0 GPA and told me “journalism is not easy, but it is rewarding.”

Now, after being in four different positions, I can say that I indeed learned more working at The Oswegonian than I did in my classes. It was not easy, but it was definitely rewarding.

By my junior year I realized that I did not even want to go into journalism for my future career, yet I still came back to such a beautiful love/hate relationship and, like the editors have said before me, I have strived to do what everyone in the office does, to “build a better newspaper.”

This week was training week, when the newly hired staff takes over the newspaper with only the guidance from departing staff members. Little do they know what impact this office will have on them in the end. It is their turn to “build a better newspaper” and to continue to build this love/ hate relationship.

Welcome refugees to America

Everyone deserves opportunity at better life in safer country Julianne Loney Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

Tyler Battist junior, broadcasting “Shineman is a really good showcase of how the school is committed to sustainability.”

Bella Jackson junior, marketing “I think it’s good we use other types of energy.”

Daniel Rodriguez freshman, finance

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

The Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse (ACTS) members have just scored free tickets to the 2017 Syracuse International Film Festival, a night that shed light on many important topics.

The ACTS Youth Council, made up of primarily Somali refugees or children of refugees, will meet with 150 other refugee students from Syracuse schools and surrounding areas.

The first event the students will be able to attend on April 21 is a three-part cultural celebration series that may hit home with some of the students. There will be music from an international musician, Samite Mulondo, who was able to escape Uganda as a refugee under Idi Amin’s horrific rule. The night will continue as students watch Disney’s awardwinning film “Queen of Katwe,” a film about a Ugandan girl who overcomes struggles in order to become a chess champion. Students will also be able to watch “Song of a Refugee,” a documentary by Syracuse native Glenn Ivers, about how Samite’s music impacted refugees in camps in Uganda.

While this annual festival is dedicated to culturally and artistically showing films of people’s lives, the act of allowing student refugees to attend for free could not come at a more appropriate time. After Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons in a gas attack on civilians, the U.S. reacted by launching Tomahawk missiles in order to combat further fire from Syrian government.

As a nation, we are at a time politically

Photo provided by FS1.tv via flickr

Syracuse, looks to promote themselves as a sanctuary city by offering a film festival focused on refugee issues. where refugees are a topic of discussion in our everyday lives, a shift that has taken place within the past decade.

After understanding more about the situation in both the Middle East and in Europe, one can see that refugees are people struggling in underdeveloped countries.

They can very well live in a city like Syracuse, even with extensive and complicated backgrounds. By being a sanctuary city, according to Mayor Stephanie Miner, Syracuse shows the rest of New York State that acceptance of people regardless of their geological background is to be valued. By providing services to refugee students, it sets an example of how other organizations should be able to understand their audiences, and provide messages to others about how to better understand this intense political climate people

are now living in.

The importance of the Syracuse Film Festival and its partners allowing refugees to attend for free can also impact U.S. citizens. As this festival is determined to help individuals grow in their understanding of political issues, audiences can see that the refugee crisis is not something happening in a far-away land that is never on the news. Students captivate and inspire people around the world and offering this event to refugee students opens citizens’ eyes that much more.

Mundolo commented on the event in Syracuse saying that he is proud to perform in such an understanding city.

When asked what the importance of such an event is Ivers said, “For me, it underscores how special Syracuse is. It has always welcomed refugees.”

OPINION

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Greek Life members responsible Tip of for own perceived stereotypes

B5

◊...to Greek organizations that haze.

the hat...

◊...to the Student Association for not sharing election process procedures. ◊...to North Carolina’s recent bill to ban samesex marriage again.

◊...to April ◊... to the Office of Sustainability’s Earth Week. ◊...to Oswego State’s new partnership with Man in the Moon candies.

Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian College administrations have been cracking down on Greek organizations, leaving their futures uncertain.

Cole Parzych Incoming Editor-in-Chief cparzych@oswegonian.com A recent letter sent to students at Penn State from university President Eric J. Barron discussed issues the university has faced with its Greek Life and ways they have tried to counteract it to no avail, in most cases. These issues with fraternities and sororities are not limited to Penn State.

They are nationwide.

These issues have been escalating year after year, and the colleges are handcuffed because Greek Life houses are usually off campus and not governed by the school or university police. This makes it more difficult for campus members to ensure student safety.

Barron stated in the letter, “If new rules can just be ignored, or behavior just goes underground, and if there is no willingness to recognize the adverse impact of excessive drinking, hazing, and sexual assault, then is there any hope?”

The future of Greek Life is unclear. It seems like each day there is a growing number of people who disapprove of Greek Life.

Schools can stop their sponsorship with any Greek Life chapter that violates rules put in place, but when all is said and done, these members are adults and should be able to watch over themselves without schools breathing down their necks.

This is where issues arise, as well as why fraternities and sororities are viewed in such a bad light by most, even if the

backbone of Greek Life is the volunteering and philanthropy they promote within their respective communities.

Every day there are Greek Life events at Oswego State, lining the Marano Campus Center halls, tabling for causes they are attempting to raise money or awareness for. Greek Life should be known for this, not the ugly baby it has birthed. One cannot just forget the horrible instances of sexual assault, hazing, and even death, however, that have stemmed from fraternities and sororities.

Universities and colleges should not have to put forth all this extra effort to patrol what goes on in Greek Life houses. Somewhere, somehow, the brothers and sisters must take it upon themselves to stop all of this negative attention.

People like to have a good time and Greek Life offers places for people to find others they can form lifelong relationships with. That should not be an issue, but more often than not, these frat parties, mixers, or anything else that goes on, get out of hand.

There is no easy fix for this. There is no cutand-dry solution. Universities can do all they want to counteract this, but the simple fact is that Greek Life chapters can go underground and ignore any new sanction or rule imposed if they please.

The leaders of Greek Life need to take it upon themselves before all hope is gone for the future of their current fraternity or sorority. Soon it may be too late, which could spell the end of Greek Life as a whole. There are so many positives to these organizations, but as it stands now, the negatives heavily outweigh those positives.

Pompeo finally labels Assange, Wikileaks hostile intel actors

Wag of the finger...

Longshot bill still poses threat Lawmakers’ priorities revealed with attempt to undermine Supreme Court Julianne Loney Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com On April 11, North Carolina legislatures filed House Bill 780, also known as the “Uphold Historical Marriage Act.” This bill is a direct attack on the civil rights same-sex couples fought for and finally achieved in 2015.

Now, House Bill 780 has been left to die at the hands of Republican House Speaker Tim Moore, who said, “There are strong Constitutional concerns with the bill.”

Speaker Moore is saying he believes the bill is unconstitutional. Americans can agree, with North Carolina lawmakers creating bills like House Bill 780, the recent “Bathroom Bill” and others, the state is treading a dangerous line in American democracy.

House Bill 780 is in response to the landmark 2015 Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized nationwide same-sex marriage. North Carolina lawmakers’ goal with House Bill 780 was to “null and void” the Supreme Court decision in the state of North Carolina because of an amendment in their state constitution that negates the federal constitution.

The 10th Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights says if there is a law not addressed by the Constitution then it is reserved to the states. North Carolina added an amendment to their state constitution in 2012, three years before Obergefell, that said, “only a marriage between a man and a woman ‘shall be valid or recognized’ in the state.”

Then, in 2015, the Supreme Court decided on the marriage issue at the federal level, now North Carolina’s State Constitution Amendment is “null and void,” not the other way around. When lawmakers oppose court deci-

Photo provided by Nathanmac87 via flickr

North Carolina’s new bill attempts to ban same-sex marriage again through obscure state loophole. sions and question democracy, they become a threat. They become a hazard to American democracy and the American people.

Lawmakers who believe they can create legislation based on what they think is right or wrong, regardless of what our Founding Fathers wrote in the Constitution, need never hold office. The people who are supposed to be in office are there because they know the laws, how the government works and they want to be their constituents’ voices.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his majority opinion, “the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person.” That is a phrase, an intellectual thought, that every American can take solace in. No matter who they love, they can marry any human being they want, because it is their right and their liberty. They are free to marry and spend their days with whomever they please. There are elected of-

ficials trying to invalidate that, and that should scare every single American.

Democracy may not be perfect, but it is proven to be the best way to run a successful country. Americans are lucky to live under democracy each day of their lives. When our democracy is threatened, we need to show our voices in a respectable way, at the ballot box.

Oswego State is not located in North Carolina, but this is still New York’s problem. Once a state begins to pass legislation that threatens our democracy, people will see democracy go down like a Jenga tower.

It might be early, but this November is still an important election year, just like every other year. Go out, register and be ready to vote for representatives who will respect our Constitution, respect our democracy and respect you.

Planned Pell cuts hurt vulnerable

Students across country insist on continued federal education support

Photo provided by Thierry Ehrmann via flickr Wikileaks is finally being exposed for nefarious connection with anti-democratic movements across the globe.

Derek Smith Incoming Opinion Editor dsmith@oswegonian.com Julian Assange’s public image is quickly shifting from benevolent vigilante to partisan cyber pest. CIA director Mike Pompeo agrees. Pompeo, newly appointed director of the world’s most powerful and sophisticated intelligence apparatus, recently labeled Assange’s website, Wikileaks “a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia.”

Wikileaks’ attack on the Democratic National Committee’s email server during the 2016 campaign has caused more American officials and citizens to turn their opinion on the role Wikileaks plays in the world.

Assange’s character has always been in question, given the sexual assault claims leveled against him, and his alleged antiSemitism. Despite Assange’s personal shortcomings, few disputed the importance of the work Wikileaks did. In fact, a large movement arose in America and across Europe, where he is currently in asylum, to free Assange and allow him to escape prosecution under the Espionage Act for exposing the murder of civilians by the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan.

To many, Assange was a hero and Wikileaks was an independent seeker of justice.

Now, Assange and Wikileaks find themselves on the other end of damning exposure.

Prior to 2016, aside from minor pro-Russian allegations, Wikileaks was seen as largely non-partisan. Brexit, the most important European election in a generation, and the Clinton-Trump circus of 2016 revealed Wikileaks

loyalties. Assange was in close contact with Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) ,during the Brexit campaign using propaganda to demonize migrants in Europe and stoke fear in British voters, evidently to some success.

Much ink has been spilled on the connection between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia during 2016, though few realize the essential role of Wikileaks as a Russian agent leaking incriminating emails from the DNC in support of America’s own far-right nationalist.

It is not clear why Wikileaks would have an affinity for nationalist movements in Europe with Farage, Marine Le Pen in France and now in America with Trump.

What is clear, however, is why Russia would. Russia, in their infinite cynicism, has weaponized Assange’s rivalry with western democracy to create instability in the western world and increase their own global dominance. When the West is in disarray, Russia has the opportunity to seize geopolitical power and supplant themselves a superpower once again. Wikileaks was just the tool to do the job.

Democracies thrive when a healthy support exists for independent whistleblowers and leakers. Large bureaucracies that are the roots of the American government have a tendency toward excessive secrecy. The secrets that need to be exposed will almost always come from vigilantes on the inside like Edward Snowden, which is healthy. It keeps agencies from sinking into destructive complacency.

Pompeo was right. Leakers are friends of freedom and democracy. Assange and Wikileaks are not.

Photo provided by Michael Fleshmann via flickr While President Trump’s recent budget proposal is a longshot to pass in its entirety, the possible federal student aid slashes have left students anxious.

Hannah Francisco Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com Pell Grant programs are an important part of American higher education and are the only way college is possible for some students. According to USA Today, Congress has considered cutting funding for Pell Grants and Federal Student Loans. Now 575 colleges, including Ivy League schools, have signed a letter asking Congress not to do this. Their claim is “Federal Student Aid serves a critical role in preserving access to higher education and enabling student success at a time when postsecondary education has never been more necessary to support the American economy.”

The colleges are correct.

A point made by the petition, as well as many other organizations and individuals, is that college graduates tend to earn more than those with only a high school diploma.

They also have lower unemployment rates.

In January 2017, the unemployment rate was 5.9 percent for high school graduates compared to 2.5 percent for those with a bachelor’s degree, according to the

Bureau of Labor statistics. Logically, people who are paid more and are more likely to have a full-time job will pay more in federal, state and local taxes, which benefits society by paying for government services.

Some proponents of cutting Federal Financial Aid argue that college is a choice, therefore the bill should not be footed by the taxpayer. Although this may sound good in theory, the maximum Pell Grant is $5,920, according to the Federal Student Aid website. This would cover tuition at a state school, but if a student cannot live with their parents, it is not nearly enough to cover the cost of living, food and college fees. Without the Pell Grant, college is out of reach for many students entirely. This is a particular problem for rural students, who may not live within commuting distance of a university or even community college.

Another counterargument is that a high school education no longer adequately prepares students to make a living wage. Many critics chastise younger people for demanding a living minimum wage, yet do not want to help them earn that living wage through making higher education affordable. This essentially leaves students caught in a difficult

situation, especially if they come from a working-class background.

Beyond putting money into the economy through more tax dollars, keeping Pell Grants around helps fill in-demand jobs. Jobs in technology education are desperate to fill positions and positions like these require a bachelor’s degree and then master’s degree.

Technology colleges, such as Morrisville State College and SUNY Canton, offer degree programs in fields like renewable energy and nursing, which are both in high demand. Additionally, Pell Grants apply to community colleges, which are a more affordable way to get ready for a career or prepare to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Education is an essential American value, for good reason. A well-educated population not only improves the economy, but is more likely to collectively question the actions of authority, a trait that is more essential now than it has been in many years. Lastly, the U.S. is supposed to be the land of opportunity and college should not be an opportunity restricted only to the wealthy.

x

INSIDE

C2

Look at Oz: Student Lab Orchestra impresses

C4

Kendrick Lamar drops another instant classic

C5 ‘Fate of the Furious’ crashes,

burns into theaters

FRIDAY April 21, 2017

Laker Review

The Oswegonian

C C2 2

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Events Calendar

Friday, April 21 through Friday, April 28

LAKER REVIEW

Look at OZ: Oswego State Lab Orchestra

Student conductor Kevan Spencer takes stage to revive classical works

ART EXHIBIT: “INTERNUM OPERA” Rebecca Szabo Time: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Staff Writer Date: Friday, April 21 laker@oswegonian.com Location: Oswego State Metro Center, Syracuse

On April 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sheldon Ballroom, the Oswego State Lab Orchestra will perform their semi-annual concert under the direction of student conductor Kevan Spencer and music faculty member, Juan F. La Manna, THEATER PRODUCTION: “PRIDE & PREJUDICE” the Director of the CollegeTime: 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Community Orchestra.

Date: Friday, April 21 The ensemble consists of Location: Waterman Theatre, Tyler Hall 17 members and will be full of opulently intricate musical and cultural pieces by ART EXHIBIT: “GOING FOR ADVENTURE” Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Time: Noon - 5 p.m.

Wagner, Johannes Brahms Date: Saturday, April 22 and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Location: 186 W. First St., Oswego State Downtown Included in the concert are classical work, Beethoven’s DRAG BALL: A NIGHT ON BROADGAY First Symphony (First Movement) and romantic Time: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. work, Felix Mendelssohn’s Date: Saturday, April 22 Hebrides Overture.

Location: Ballroom, Sheldon Hall What is an orchestra?

To many people, an orTHEATER PRODUCTION: “PRIDE & PREJUDICE” chestra can be a group of talented individuals Time: 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. coming together to creDate: Saturday, April 22 ate emotionally vivid and Location: Waterman Theatre, Tyler Hall refined music. To others, the sounds of an orchestra SPEAKER: IRVING SCHILD can represent the ultimate Time: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. form of artistic expression. Spencer believes an Date: Monday, April 24 orchestra is like a painter’s Location: Marano Campus Center Food Court color palette, with varying facets of instrumentation TALK: PHIL KLAY, “MORALITY IN RELIEF” and a medium that allows Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. storytelling and a deep glimpse into human emoDate: Tuesday, April 25 tion. The musical pieces Location: Room 211, Marano Campus Center were carefully selected to enrapture and captivate the MOVIE: “EMBRACE THE SERPENT” audience through dynamic

ART EXHIBIT: “GOING FOR ADVENTURE” Time: Noon - 5 p.m.

Date: Friday, April 21 Location: 186 W. First St., Oswego State Downtown

Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Date: Wednesday, April 26 Location: Room 132, Marano Campus Center BACHELOR OF ARTS EXHIBIT Time: 7:45 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Date: Thursday, April 27 Location: Lobby, Penfield Library

CORRECTION: In last issue, the article “Look at Oz: Evan Diem artist showcase,” the featured artist’s name was misspelled. His name is correctly spelled Evan Debevec-McKenney.

Also, the album art is credited to Natalie Padberg Bartoo. The photo is credited to Thomas Pickett.

Cover image provided by KendrickLamar.com

Photo provided by Eian Gordon

Kevan Spencer believes these works can even appeal to those who are not musically inclined.

changes with a whirlwind of emotions ranging from joy to mystery and excitement.

Music and non-music majors will find value in this event because of its historical and cultural elements.

According to Spencer, his main influence for pursuing conducting is composer Gustav Mahler.

“Music can open the door to a deeper understanding of the human condition,” Spencer said. “These pieces have periods of wonder and excitement and explore different realms of emotion. The audience can expect to think about beauty in their lives and are sure to be moved by this performance.”

Hundreds of hours go into preparing for an orchestra concert, including multiple

rehearsal sessions per week during a semester, intense individual practice and copious amounts of time studying the scores. Spencer plans to continue working with La Manna throughout the duration of his studies at Oswego State. They meet weekly, where La Manna reviews videos of Spencer conducting the Lab Orchestra and offers tips and insight into improving his skills. “[La Manna] is extremely knowledgeable, extremely experienced and he does anything he can to help any of his students,” Spencer said.

The conductor must work with the concert master (first violin), who must be well educated on the pieces being played to bring effortless transitions in the speed and intensity of each piece. Spencer complimented his concert master, Calvin Cheung, as to what a pleasure it is to work with him.

Spencer said he believes all of the members of the Lab Orchestra are highly skilled at interpreting gestures and they successfully discern the depth of each piece.

The concert is free to attend.

La Manna is confident in the positive experience the concert will bring audience members due to its radiant pieces full of classical repertoire.

“The orchestra is playing them exceptionally well, a tribute to the dedication of the players and the skill of their leader, Kevan Spencer, an excellent musician and conductor,” Photo provided by Eian Gordon La Manna said.

The orchestra consists of an intricately operated seventeen member ensemble.

The SUNY Oswego Lab

Orchestra was founded in 2012, by alumnus Wojciech Milewski, who wanted to give undergraduate conductors time and experience working with an ensemble to prepare them for the demands of graduate school and their future careers.

Milewski recently spoke with Spencer, offering even more insight on conducting and how it brings him satisfaction that the Lab Orchestra continues performing.

Milewski said he is grateful that he was able to make an impact to help students follow their passion.

This makes Oswego State one of only three schools nearby, including Juilliard, to offer such a unique program.

Overall, the Lab Orchestra concert will be a highlight of the music and arts department end-of-theyear performances, along with the jazz and wind ensemble concerts and the theatrical performance, “Pride and Prejudice” scheduled for late April and early May. For student audience members, these shows offer a diversion and release of tension and stress from final projects and tests and need to be discussed more so every student knows about the remarkable and free opportunities for entertainment that exist around campus.

Judging by the way Spencer’s eyes light up as he discusses his passion for conducting, it is easy to see that this is going to be an exceptional show.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

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‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ returns with original charm years later, this time on NetfIan Saunders Incoming Asst. Laker Review Editor lix, providing commentary for isaunders@oswegonian.com some of the most hilariously

There are many shows that are so beloved by fans that they seem to be immune to being cancelled. “Futurama,” “Community,” “Arrested Development” and “Family Guy” fall under that category. Shows that are so ingrained into people’s minds that it was only a matter of time before they were brought back from the dead, whether it was because of crowdfunding or the network itself reviving them.

“Mystery Science Theater 3000” is another one of those . shows. Having been cancelled twice and airing on three different channels over a span of 11 years since its official cancellation in 1999, most of the hardcore fans had gotten used to life without “MST3K,” accepting that it was probably gone for good.

The robots are back 18

bad movies ever made. This resurrection is all thanks to Joel Hodgson, the original creator of the show, who started a Kickstarter campaign with the goal of raising $2 million for 12 new episodes. It ended with close to $6 million in donations and a promising future for a cult-classic that many people had learned to live without.

“We want to be in the world again,” Hodgson said in an interview with Vox, referring to the cast of the original show.

“It is time to see how ‘Mystery Science Theater’ can function in this world.”

Adding new faces to the mix like Patton Oswalt (“The Goldbergs”), Jonah Ray (“Fantasy Hospital”) and Felicia Day (“Co-optitude”), the show has not lost any of its original charm, using intentionally bad live recorded special effects to give it that cheesy homemade look that so many

of the fans fell in love with.

The two robots are the same, Tom Servo (voiced by Baron Vaughn, “Grace and Frankie”) and Crow T. Robot (voiced by Hampton Yount, “Like. Share.

Die.”) Jonah Heston is the new human character, who is trapped alongside the robots, on board a spaceship named Satellite of Love being forced to watch movies nobody should ever have to suffer through.

The trio sit with their backs to the viewer, casually tearing into every tiny aspect of each film shown. The timing of the jokes at certain points can be a little odd or out of place, and there are the occasional duds.

Many viewers, especially younger ones, will most likely find the show cheesy, especially if they are not familiar with the original series and its long run of success. That is to be expected, because “MST3K” was never for everyone. It was always an acquired taste, always a little too absurd and over the

b a c k . D a n Eg a n ( R e i d S c o t t , “Dean”) is the current co-host on CBS’ morning show, Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons, “Gold”) is a current congressman and i s ke e p i ng u p h i s t e s t i c u l a r cancer act because it appeals to a wider audience and Amy Brookheimer (Anna Chlumsky, “The End of the Tour”) is a campaign manager for her husband who is running for a seat in a southern state. Of course, Gary Wa l s h ( To n y H a l e , “A r re s t e d

Development”) Meyer’s obedient and most trusted assistant, is still by her side.

The season six p remiere kept up the show’s staple vulgar language from the past.

This may be somewhat of a novelty, but the things that come out of Meyer ’s mouth are shockingly hilarious. The one-liners are as vicious as ever and these characters seem to have lost any morals they have had in the past.

Photo provided by YouTube.com “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return” incorporates new gags into old formula.

top for some people to get into.

While the commentary of the movies is funny most of the time, the segments inbetween are very hit or miss.

These skits have a style of comedy that are very remin i s c e n t o f I F C ’s “ C o m e d y Bang! Bang!” with jokes so out of left field and off-putting it is like they are trying to alienate half of the audience. It might be best for the

viewer to just skip over these parts and go right to the movies, which take up most of the show’s runtime.

Fans of “Mystery Science Theater” have been overjoyed to see it brought back, and for the most par t they seem happy with how it was all handled. True-to-form revivals are hard to come by, so they should be appreciated when they happen.

People in actual American politics have said this show is scarily realistic.

Although the humor is purposefully implemented, the way cer tain characters interact with each other and the way in which they get their work done is supposedly spot on. The Netflix series “House of Cards,” s t a r r i n g K e v i n S p a c e y, i s another program to gain respect for its authenticity.

Louis-Dreyfus’ turn as the first female president may be the second best role she has portrayed on the small screen, undoubtedly after Elaine Benes from “Seinfeld.”

She is so out of touch with what it is like to be an actual person, complaining and making fun of people, issues and events that she would normally publically support.

The best part about her chara c t e r i s t h a t i t m a ke s t h e audience wonder what all of the real life politicians say when they are not on camera. Meyer is a genuinely m e a n p e r s o n a n d t h e w ay she verbally abuses her staff, family and strangers make

for wonderfully politicallyincorrect television.

“VEEP” has introduced the world to Timothy Simons and Sam Richardson, the best supporting characters on the show. Richardson plays Richard Splett, the awkward yet lovable lower-staff member who started under Ryan and is now working for Meyer. His humor is unlike the rest of the cast because it is based more on his strangeness and being a genuinely good person surrounded by the terribleness of others. He is the biggest surprise of the series.

Simons plays Ryan, who is the weirdest out of all the characters. He is a general p u n c h i n g b a g f o r M e y e r ’s staff as he worked for the president before her but his willingness to do whatever a t a l l c o s t s a nd f i g h t b a c k against bullies make for some outrageous situations.

“VEEP” is one of the smar test comedies on television right now. The openness HBO allows has made this project soar and test the boundaries other networks would not have granted.

‘VEEP’ offers hilarious look into American politics Dominick Lioto Incoming Laker Review Editor dlioto@oswegonian.com

The season six premiere o f H B O ’s c o m e d y s e r i e s “ V E E P ” a i re d S u nd ay eve ning and received its usual warm reception.

Prior to the premiere, some concerns were raised about how this latest season will tackle the current state of U.S. politics, which is arguably just as ridiculous as the show.

The first episode picks up one year after Selina Meyer’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Seinfeld”) historic re-election loss. She was vice president then, and due to unfortunate circumstances, was sworn in as sitting president for a full year before having to campaign to keep the position.

A l l o f M eye r ’s f o r me r staff, including herself, are at much different points in their lives. Meyer is in her post-presidency phase, and is trying to write her memo i r w h i l e p lo t t i n g a c o m e -

Photo provided by YouTube.com Julia Louis-Dreyfus has strongest performance of her career since “Seinfeld” in “VEEP.”

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LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

‘DAMN.,’ another perfect addition to Lamar’s resume bum’s opening track “BLOOD,” where Issack Cintron Lamar highlights criticisms made by Copy Editor issack.cintron@oswegonian.com analysts from the always “reliable”

As the nation sails into uncharted waters with a mad man at the helm and the future looking murky, it is a blessing to have an artist like Kendrick Lamar provide clarity and sanity during these dreary days. The Compton-based rapper has a knack for providing audiences with works that both provoke deep thoughts and a mean Milly Rock.

Lamar has returned, emerging from his castle in California, on Good Friday, to showcase once again why his nickname, King Kendrick, is more than a nickname, but a title. He does so on his fourth studio album, properly titled “DAMN.,” thus commencing “Kendrick Season.”

The album, released on April 14, is a grittier project for Lamar, with numerous hardcore, trap-influenced bangers to boot. It is a stark contrast to the jazz, funk and soul sounds that propelled his 2015 critically acclaimed album “To Pimp a Butterfly” into an instant classic.

Like its predecessor, “DAMN.” is an instant classic. Lamar is at the top of his game, refusing to hold back on any topic, a la Eminem, but in a masterful, cerebral manner. This is demonstrated on the al-

Fox News reporters regarding his performance of his unofficial Black Lives Matter anthem “Alright” at the 2015 BET Awards. The performance was denounced by the analysts, most notably by Geraldo Rivera who cited hip-hop as being responsible for “more damage to young African Americans than racism.”

Lamar simply claps back at Rivera on the track “YAH.” “Fox News wanna use my name for percentage/ My latest muse is my niece, she worth livin’/ See me on the TV and scream: “That’s Uncle Kendrick!”/ Yeah, that’s the business/ Somebody tell Geraldo this ***** got some ambition,” Lamar raps.

Between his last studio album and “DAMN.,” Lamar’s perspective has noticeably changed, much like the world. Former President Barack Obama has left office, replaced by the maniacal Donald Trump and Lamar’s pain matches that of many Americans, reflecting in his music on “DAMN.” There is a lot of aggression in Lamar’s ever-colorful and imaginative lyricism that allows listeners to feel his pain and comprehend his outlook on the current state of worldly affairs.

“It’s murder on my street, your street, back streets/ Wall Street, corporate offices/ Banks, employees, and bosses with homicidal thoughts; Don-

ald Trump’s in office/ We lost Barack and promised to never doubt him again/ But is America honest, or do we bask in sin?” Lamar passionately raps on the U2-featured track “XXX.” “DAMN.” is less of a convoluted listen than its predecessor, lacking a concept, but still possessing a strong message. The album also sees Lamar rehash some of the sounds he crafted on his 2012 classic “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” while mimicking and ultimately outdoing the sounds of his peers: Future on “LOYALTY.,” Big Sean on “ELEMENT.” and Drake on “LOVE.” He hits hard with tracks like “HUMBLE.” and “DNA.,” but he also demonstrates his one of a kind storytelling ability on songs like “FEAR.” and “DUCKWORTH.” On “DAMN.,” Lamar’s perception has shifted, coming off as a prophet, struggling with the perks that come with achieving a superstar status, something that is not too far off from “To Pimp a Butterfly”’s narrative. Lamar is noticeably agitated on “DAMN.,” feeling let down by those close to him, repeating the sentiment “Ain’t nobody praying for me” throughout.

“I feel like friends been overrated/ I feel like the family been fakin’/ I feel like the feelings are changin’/ Feel like my daughter compromised and jaded,” Lamar raps on “FEEL.” So what happens when it comes to the discussion regarding who is the best rapper alive? Lamar himself will tell you to look no further as he did on the album’s pro-

motional single, “The Heart Part 4.”

“I put my foot on the gas, head on the floor/ Hoppin’ out before the vehicle crash, I’m on a roll/ Yellin’, “One, two, three, four, five/ I am, the greatest rapper alive,” he confidently raps.

This claim only grows stronger, as “DAMN.” not only solidifies Lamar’s status as the best rapper alive, but even goes as far as to make Lamar deserving of inclusion in the “greatest of all-time” conversation in the realm of hip-hop. His placement on lists will vary, but to put him in the top 10 seems incredibly justified. Since the release of his

debut album “Section.80” in 2011, Lamar has rattled off four consecutive classic, critically-acclaimed albums in a six-year span, a feat no other hip-hop artist in history can boast. Trying to decipher what makes Lamar so amazing as an artist may be a strenuous process. It is possibly better to simply appreciate the greatness of the Compton native rather than question it.

Lamar, like his idol Tupac, is a once in a generation artist that does not deserve to be questioned. All one can do is sit back and say “DAMN.”

Photo provided by YouTube.com Kendrick Lamar converys strong messages and visuals in “DNA.” music video.

Rich Homie Quan succeeds going ‘Back to Basics’ Ryan Edinger Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rich Homie Quan released his latest mixtape “Back to the Basics” on April 14. Fans have waited since November 2015 for the Atlanta rapper to release a project.

W h i l e t h e y w i l l h av e to continue to wait on Quan’s major label debut album, he has reclaimed some of his fans with this latest release.

Quan’s last two mixtapes had fans questioning whether he had switched styles or the direction he was taking his career in. However, the init i a l re c e p t i o n f o r “ B a c k to Basics” has been outstanding, and fans have three words: Quan is back.

The fans are right, the entire tape could be described

as an ode to the struggle with subsequently deserved boastf u l ne s s . Q u a n s y m b ol i c a l l y opens the tape with a dedicated “to the grind” song, in which he reminds everyone “And I swear none of this **** I got was handed to me, never forget I still got me a lil’ family to feed, I swear.”

He then puffs his chest out on “Back End” bragging, “pulled up in something they ain’t never heard of / I ain’t seen no caution tape / but the whole scene, I murder.”

For someone like Quan who relies on the delivery of smooth, boastful punchlines, comes consistently with many more hits than misses, is a huge success.

Quan put his story telling o n f u l l d i s pl ay i n t he Z ay toven produced “Da Streetz.”

He details just how early he was exposed to the street life, “17 was worse / felt like

Photo provided by Commons.Wikimedia.org

Rich Homie Quan goes back to rap fundamentals on “Back to Basics.”

I ain’t had no purpose / at 18 was working / at 18 was lurking.” He reminisces on doing whatever he had to for his children. “So they ain’t gotta go through what I used to do when I was breaking in houses / I was trying to make a better life for them / and I succeeded at that.”

Quan shows gratefulness with tracks like “Lord Forgive Me” with bars like, “I don’t stand in traps I no longer supervise / I thank God every

night before I close my eyes.”

Quan truly sticks to his AT L r o o t s a n d i n f l u e n c e s from other rappers, such as frequent collaborator Young Thug,which is apparent. His southern drawl combined with his muddled deliver y are hilariously reflected in Apple Music’s attempt to interpret some of the lyrics. He never misses a chance to remind everyone just how hard he is flexing.

“Hardtop, windows down

we riding around / them pistols out / act stuck up cause I’m the **** / you k no w m y * * * t hey k i s s i n’ now, they ain’t seen a real ***** in a minute heard it’s a drought.”

In an interview with XXL magazine’s Sidney Madden, Rich Homie Quan said, “I decided to name it ‘Back to the Basics’ because it’s like going back to the genre that I started with and just giving the fans the Quan they want as opposed to the Quan I wanted to be.”

If this was the goal, it is safe to say he has succeeded. His fanbase’s initial response has been nothing but positive.

It is not groundbreaking, re-inventive hip-hop by any means, but that is not something you would expect from Rich Homie Quan in the first place.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

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‘Fate of the Furious’ loses all logic in latest sequel Dominick Lioto the second time the U.S. Incoming Laker Review Editor government has had to redlioto@oswegonian.com cruit them to save the world.

The “Fast and Furious” universe has been the worst victim of Hollywood franchising the world has ever seen. The latest installment, “The Fate of the Furious,” is debatably the worst yet. What star ted as humble street racing films with a slight crime drama element has monstrously evolved into what is basically an “Avengers” movie.

Wi th Kur t R u s s el l i n t he N i c k Fu r y rol e , a s s e m bl i ng t he t e a m a nd d i c t a t i ng t he missions, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Captain America, the rest of the cast fills the remaining roles with their unique skillsets to assist in saving the world. Yes, that’s right. A bunch of people with fast cars are called upon to save the world.

What makes this whole idea worse is that this is

Sure, if the government had to sub-contract street racers to save the world from terrorists once that would be one thing… But twice? The Navy Seals, Marine Corps and Army Special Forces must have all been busy on other missions.

When super-hacker Cipher (Charlize Theron, “Mad Max: Fur y Road”) blackmails Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel, “xXx: Return of Xander Cage”) into betraying his team, he is forced to help her steal weapons and other instruments of mass dest r u c t io n. Ho b b s (Dwayne Johnson, “Moana”), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez, “The Assignment”), Roman (Tyrese Gibson, “Star”) and Tej (Ludacris, “Furious 7”) come together with the help of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell, “Deepwater Horizon”) to face their former friend and save the world.

Most big Hollywood movies are far-fetched, but at least

there are certain elements to help ground them to reality.

“The Fate of the Furious” offers absolutely zero logic in every category of the film.

Yes, there are some entertaining moments in this film, and yes, some scenes could even go as far as being called “cool”, but even the best moments of this film are riddled with absolute nonsense. Everyone k no w s J oh n s o n i s a l a rg e man, but would he be able to bounce rubber bullets off his body? Would he be able to throw three grown men a c ro s s a ro o m s i m u l t a n e ously? Would he be able to p u n c h m e t a l w a l l s a n d leave massive dents behind? Highly doubtful.

The strongest of all of the “Fast and Furious” films are installments four through six. There was a perfect blend of action, drama and the implementation of the cars. What really cemented this was that the action is somewhat believable. They

Photo provided by YouTube.com

“Fate of the Furious” defies laws of physics in every action scene. are stealing bank vaults, not taking down terrorists.

“Furious 7” and “The Fate of t he Fu r i o u s ” h ave t h ro w n this approach right into the garbage and adopted the superhero formula.

The dialogue in this film is absolutely reprehensible too. One-liners are something to be used sparingly and they usually have some sor t of humor or wittiness to them. “The Fate of the Fu-

rious” is filled with corny, cringe-worthy dialogue that could have been better written by a seventh grader.

Hearing Vin Diesel grumble his way through another mission as Dom Toretto was as torturous as waterboarding. The fact that they have multiple films in the works to c o n t i n u e t h e f r a n c h i s e proves, once again, that Hollywood is solely here to make a profit.

Sam Gellaitry continues hot streak with ‘Escapism III’ Ian Saunders ducer and a brilliant showcase Incoming Asst. Laker Review Editor of his talent and diverse repertoire. His sound is overwhelmisaunders@oswegonian.com

Twenty-year-old Sam Gellaitr y, the son of a bagpipe maker from Stirling, Scotland, h a s h a d a n u n p re c e d e n t e d rise in fame over the past few years. Having started out releasing fun, playful tracks and remixes on Soundcloud under the alias Synth-E-Sam, Gellaitry has gradually been moving in a different, mature, more refined direction.

Influenced by experimental trap music from artists like RL Grime and Mr. Carmack, Gellaitry signed onto the up-andcoming record label Soulectio and within a short amount of time has found himself touring around the world with other like-minded producers, people who have also used streaming services, like Soundcloud or Bandcamp to gather a respectable following. The EP “Short Stories,” his first major project released in 2015, was an enormous leap for the Scottish pro-

ingly complex, f rom anot her world, with each new release getting busier, more layered, and more intricate.

“Escapism III,” the third and final addition to Gellaitry’s “Escapism” series, is some of his mo s t p ol i s he d w o rk to d a t e .

Since the first “Escapism” EP, the series has transitioned from fun,

bombastic trap bangers to more serious, cinematic soundscapes.

In contrast to his earlier work, which was simple and punchy, very to the point, his newer releases have been incredibly ambitious. The number of samples being panned from one ear to the other make it hard for the listener to take it all in at once, and with each new listen, another layer of sound reveals itself.

“Jungle Waters” has a

Photo provided by YouTube.com Sam Gellaitry finetunes work more than previous ventures on final addition to ‘Escapism’ series.

dreamlike opening, filled with h a r p s a n d a s lo w l y b u i l d i n g string section that eventually dominates the track. Then, Gellaitry does what he does best, flipping the instrumental on its side with skull-crushing drums and trippy, diverse synths. The bass on this track is the most impressive part, staying powe r f u l a nd i n t he f ro n t , w h i l e not taking away from anything else. This is what separates Gellaitry from other young producers, his ability to let each individual sound in his tracks shine on their own, not letting anything become too crowded.

“Ceremony” is a glitchy, fastpaced adventure, packed with rubbery, high-pitched noises and choir samples. It is the closest thing to a pure trap song on the whole EP, but is not as memorable as some of Gellaitry’s other songs in that style like “Paper” or “Long Distance.” A long, wailing sitar sounds off on “Acres,” another track dominated by slowly building soundscapes. This track is all about Gellaitry experimenting with the sounds of other cultures, possibly made while touring unfamiliar territory.

“I love imagining my fans getting lost in my tracks, just as you would in a book or when exploring,” Gellaitry explained in a recent press release. “When I realized my escape would turn into what I do for a living, naming the project Escapism only felt right.”

Strange sounds fill the listener’s head in “Ever After,” in what turns out to be a stunning ending, wrapping everything up without leaving any stones unturned. A dense, aggressive synth fights against live recorded drums and atmospheric sound effects, with dizzying percussion digging away in the back. “Ever After” is similar to “Acres” in the way that it experiments with using foreign instruments and unorthodox melodies. Gellaitry is a producer who is not afraid to confuse his listeners by playing around with a vast assortment of sounds.

“Escapism III” is not as memorable as Gellaitry’s other releases, but is a solid addition to a body of work made by somebody who is not even old enough to buy a drink, so hats off to that. Keep an eye on this kid as he is pushes electronic music into a unique, bizarre and fascinating direction.

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CLASSIFIEDS

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

S D E I F I CLASS Contact: Selena Ferguson classiďŹ eds@oswegonian.com Phone: 315.312.3600

Ian Saunders | The Oswegonian

Crossword Puzzle

Across 1. Egg on 5. Talented 9. Fire remains 12. Dressed in 13. Mediocre grades 14. Contend 15. Wild Animal's home 16. Come back into view 18. Pittsburgh football team 20. Munitions 21. Ocean 22. Not that 24. Organize 28. Diva's offerings 31. Caustic liquid 32. Birds' abodes 34. Grand ___ Opry 35. Green sauce 37. Ill-fated ship 39. Canned fish 41. Beet's color 42. Wild attempt 44. Radiated 49. Pestered 51. Strong wind 52. Fall mo.

53. Pulled apart 54. Jazz's ___ Fitzgerald 55. Approvals 56. Gorillas 57. Prophet

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Punching tools Water vehicle Pennsylvania port Mother ____ Area of land Malt brew Slightest Psychic letters

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Dislike Thailand, once That woman's Couple Beatle John ______ Hurry Mont Blanc, e.g.

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Begins again Superlative ending Muhammad ___ Min. part Ranting speeches Band instrument Maxims Fable author

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For this week’s crossword answers go to:

Scat!

Small nail Simple Narrative She, in Toulouse Letter opener Amtrak stop (Abbr.)

Oswegonian.com/lreview

LAKER REVIEW creative writing

FRIDAY, April 21, 2017

Sudoku

CC 7 7

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

Difficulty: Easy

Ian Saunders | The Oswegonian The Windmill

by Ian Saunders isaunders@oswegonian.com I’d been on the road for days, checking the rearview mirror constantly to see if I was still being followed. At night, I slept on the old mattress in the back of my truck, keeping the windows covered and trying to stay as quiet as possible. An old polaroid of my kids was taped up on the wall next to me. I knew they were still out there somewhere – hiding, staying alive – just like me.

The signs alongside the highway were either torn up or missing completely.

“Welcome to Conn,” read the large green sign, covered in dust, with the right half reading “ecticut,” lodged in the ground next to it.

I was travelling along the east coast, the only place where cars weren’t immediately stopped and looted by refugees.

“You have to find the windmill,” said thve old man, pushing his two young grandchildren down the thruway in a shopping cart.

“Keep going north. They have guns there. They have protection. Find the white windmill, the

Horoscopes

one that still turns.” I offered him a ride, but he insisted that he stay on foot.

“I came this far already, might as well keep going.”

“You should probably get off the road then, stay out of sight,” I said.

“Whatever they want they can take it. I don’t have anything.

These kids are all I have now,” he replied, staring blankly at the horizon.

“Get off the road,” I told him.

“Believe me, you don’t want to lose them too.”

Difficulty: Hard

ON THIS DATE

753 B.C.: Rome is officially founded.

1816: Writer Charlotte Bronte is born in England.

1895: First movie projector is demonstrated in the U.S. 1918: The Red Baron is killed in action during World War II.

BY Morgan Altl and

Aries (April 19 - May 13):

Cancer (July 20 - Aug. 10):

Libra (Oct. 30 - Nov. 23):

Sagittarius (Dec. 17 - Jan. 20):

Over analyzing of an event that happened this week can drive you crazy. Do not waste time thinking of what could have been done differently and how that could have changed things. Concentrate on what you can do next.

Beauty may be fleeting, but that does not mean that it does not have value. There is great power held in beauty. Allow yourself to fall under the influence of the power, but only for a short while to appreciate it.

Small things can have a large impact on those close to you. A simple act can feel like a betrayal to them. Take the time to apologize and reconcile your differences, as time can make issues grow larger if not properly handled.

Things are different in different areas and can greatly alter how a situation is played out. A misstep can lead to you falling into unnecessary trouble.

Take the time to research a new area you are headed to before you go.

Items can define the perceptions others give you, such as a tweed jacket or a fedora. Take some time away from this defining item, whatever it be, so people take a deeper look into who you are. You are more than an item.

Be direct this week when speaking to others or tackling a conflict. Tools like eye contact can make the difference in an interaction, so do not be afraid to use them. Be prepared.

New does not always mean better.

There is great power in nostalgia and this can be used to grab a larger audience for something you have been working on. Bring the right blast from the past to get attention.

Taurus (May 13 - June 21): Sound plays a greater role than you know. Sound can draw people in, while too much silence can hurt what you are trying to accomplish.

Use sound to your advantage to strengthen your work.

Leo (Aug. 10 - Sep. 16):

Scorpio (Nov. 23 - Nov. 29):

Capricorn (Jan. 20 - Feb. 16):

Gemini (June 21 - July 20):

Virgo (Sep. 16 - Oct. 30):

Ophiuchus (Nov. 29 - Dec. 16) :

Aquarius (Feb. 16 - March 11): Pisces (March 11 - April 18):

Mundane actions may have you going through the motions. Take an extra step this week to do something that is a change of pace. Trying to be different is an important action that will lead you to satisfying results.

One problem may lead to another, which leads to another, causing you to feel overwhelmed with everything you have to deal with. Take a break from the drama. Come back with a clear head to tackle whatever issues have risen.

Have faith in those you are working with, as they can do more for you than you believe. Past groups may hurt your perception of working with others. Put trust in your team and appreciate their effort.

Hard work and effort can only take you so far. Sometimes all you need to finish what you have started is a little luck. Any lucky charms you hold may be useful tools for the upcoming week.

A support network can get anyone through the worst of times. You may already have this network of people who are more than willing to help around you. When the time comes for them to be there, they will be there.