The Oswegonian 9-6-19 by The Oswegonian

Look Inside: A3 New student social event space opens on campus

Friday, Sept. 6, 2019 VOLUME LXXXIV ISSUE XI SINCE 1935 www.oswegonian.com

in Scales Hall Campus relocation roundup Fire Cooking catastophe causes some concern Julia Tilley Asst. News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com Over the past few months, Oswego State has gone through several changes in anticipation of the fall 2019 semester. The campus bookstore in Hewitt Union, entitled Bookland, has been moved to the old theater department labs and classrooms, while an advisement center took over the original space. Bookland has expanded in the new space provided, and the rooms that were previously used as the theater departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s costume shop and lab classroom have been moved to the freshly renovated Tyler Hall, where they are intended to remain. Tyler Hall has been in different phases of renovation since 2016, causing the original displacement of certain theater, art, and music classes and rehearsals.

See BOTH, A4

Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department via Facebook

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Bookland, the Oswego State bookstore, moved across the lobby in Hewitt Union this semester.

Student Association plans for year

SA president interested in reducing textbook expenses John Contrata Business Manager jcontrata@oswegonian.com The Oswego State Student Association president is looking for ways to make out of class academics easier on students and updating SA rules. Student Association represents the voices of the students at Oswego State. They promote the wants and needs of the students while funding many clubs and organizations on campus with a budget of $1.8 million. Many students may not realize how much SA affects the campus experience at Oswego State, such as free hockey game tickets and the GoCentro bus routes. One of SA President Takeena Strachanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main priorities for the year is to reduce the costs of textbooks by finding a cheaper alternative to required textbooks, which can cost upwards of $200.

CONTENT

See HER, A5

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

A fire broke out in Scales Hall on the east side of campus Wednesday night. The fire originated from a stove in a Scales kitchenette unit around 8 p.m. Oswego State University Police responded to the emergency call and were quickly dispatched to Scales Hall. Lt. Robert Vaccarelli and officers Michael Boehn, Mark Miklos and Scott Bullard arrived at the scene and confirmed smoke and flames. Using a fire extinguisher, Boehn was able to keep the flames contained to the area around the stove. His fellow UP officers sup-

plied him with an additional two fire extinguishers as they were expended. Oswego Fire Department arrived from the city, followed by the Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department and several assisting emergency personnel from surrounding areas. According to UP, the fire was contained to the stove, adjacent wall and cabinet area of the kitchenette. UP reports indicate the fire was put out within 10 to 12 minutes, with no injuries reported. The fire, according to UP, was said to be caused by students cooking on the stove with oil, which caught fire.

Photo provided by Kelly Perkins SA President Takeena Strachan is focusing on student academic needs outside of the class.

Sports

Opinion

SEASON STARTS

ID SCANNER FAILURE

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department via Facebook

Laker Review SUMMER RECAP

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NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK Mental health and awareness is really important in society today and I think it’s good for people to learn different ways to cope with mental health issues.”

-Roderick Bell, from A5

New area opens up for student events

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

The Space now ready for on-campus organizations to reserve Julia Tilley Asst. News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com Oswego State office of Campus Life opened a new area on campus for student organizations to host social events. The new area, The Space, is located under the Swetman Gym in Marano Campus Center. Previously the area housed locker rooms for Swetman, but after recent renovations the new area features audio-visual equipment including a sound system and three projection screens. “The Space was designed to be multi-functional and fit many different types of events,” Daniel Roberts, director of Campus Life said. The Space is equipped with a professional sound system, Roberts said, and has customizable ceiling lights to fit events ranging from dance parties, rehearsals and viewing events, to board meetings, networking events and banquets. Opening a place on campus for student events was important to Campus Life, according to Roberts. Typically, Roberts said, student organizations often have the lowest priority when it comes to reserving spaces on campus, with academic and athletic events getting first pick. “[Student] groups were telling us ‘we get bumped for stuff, we have to use rooms that don’t meet our needs,’ and we realized we were way overdue for a student-prioritized space where that priority list flips,” Roberts said. “Quite frankly our student leaders deserve The Space where they can program on their own.” In addition to a central event area, The Space features five gender-inclusive bathrooms and green room areas where performers can prepare for their acts. These back rooms also include a shower and are accessible by a side door so performers do not have to enter through the central area. Part of the attraction, Roberts said, is the equipment installed in The Space. According to Roberts, the sound system can support up to five wireless microphones for events and has a loading dock for

Public Telescope Observation Sessions, 8 p.m., Friday, Rice Creek Field Station

Lakerfest 2019, 1 p.m., Saturday, Onondaga Hall Field Colin Hawkins l The Oswegonian The Space is meant to be a new alternative room for students to reserve for rehearsals and larger events.

Auxiliary Services to deliver catering, which should help student organizations save money. “All the sound and the lighting is built-in and the house sound system in here is awesome,” Roberts said. “Our students want to do professional sounding and professional looking events, so they’ll book [outside equipment]. In here, they don’t need to absorb that cost because it’s all built-in for them.” Student organizations have already begun reserving The Space for club meetings and rehearsals, according to Megan Runge, the event coordinator at Campus Life. “A lot of the organizations are really lacking in rehearsal space,” Runge said. “Then we have some networking dinners and meet-andgreets with career professionals that are coming up. I think students are liking the idea of using [The Space] with round tables.” Runge said students were reminded of downtown venues when touring The Space during its Aug. 28 open house. Student organizations can reserve The Space through the standard reservation request form on the Oswego website and specifying the request is for The Space. Runge said this was to keep the request form unchanged to make the process as easy as possible. “It’s our only student ‘first dibs’

space, and I love it so much because I’m the one that works with all the students,” Runge said. “Now if it’s booked, it’s booked by another student [organization] and I feel like that’s easier for students to understand than having it booked by a department or an office on campus. Both Roberts and Runge were excited that student organizations now have a place where they are put first and where students get the opportunity to learn event planning. Student organizations that book an event through Campus Life can receive event planning assistance from the office, which Roberts said is a valuable opportunity for both student hosts and attendees, that faculty-planned events cannot always provide. “There’s a difference between programming for students, and having students learn how to make experiences for their peers. They’ve never had a place where they could launch really amazing experiences for their peers until this has shown up,” Roberts said. “[Getting bumped from a room reservation] can be hard and frustrating, and it’s hard to get traction and credibility as a group when you can’t consistently do events or provide services for your peers. So this is a place where we’re hoping a lot of those things can happen.”

Oswego Women’s Tennis vs. Sage, 1 p.m., Saturday, Romney Tennis Courts

Shaun Cassidy Fan Club Improv Show, 8 p.m., Saturday, Marano Campus Center 132 “I Remember Apollo 11,” 7 p.m., Sunday, Shineman Room 223

9/11 Memorial Ceremony, 2 p.m., Monday, Marano Campus Center front lawn

Oswego Abroad: Information Table with Student Mentors, 11 a.m., Wednesday, Marano Campus Center Concourse

UUP Student Debt Clinic, 11 a.m., Wednesday, Marano Campus Center Room 201

Living Writer’s Series: Robert Mirabal, 3 p.m., Wednesday, Marano Campus Center Room 132

Colin Hawkins l The Oswegonian The Space includes brand new equipment for student use, including a sound system with five wireless microphones for events.

ETHEL + Robert Mirabal: The River, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Tyler Hall

Open Skating, 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Marano Campus Center Ice Arena

A4 NEWS Cooper Hall: new decorations, equipment Campus Relocation: Part 2 THE OSWEGONIAN

FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

Dining hall, fitness center in Cooper Hall updated Tomas Rodriguez Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com

Located in central campus, both the Cooper Dining Hall and Cooper Fitness Center have been renovated during the summer ahead of the fall 2019 semester. These renovations included a new paint job in the entrance and dining area of the building and a new wooden floor where fitness classes are held. The renovated dining hall featured maintenance such as repainting walls, the removal of the older decorations and work on fitness equipment. “We haven’t gotten any new decorations yet, so it’s a bit bare on the walls,” said Cooper Dining Hall employee Cindy Canale. “They removed the sand boxes and the beach scenery from the walls, which gave us a bit more space along those areas.” Director for Resident Dining Ruth Stevens said they will be adding live plants soon and are looking for student produced artwork to add to the walls. Cooper Dining Hall, connected to both Funnelle and Hart Halls, serves central campus as a dining hall and fitness facility. The Cooper building also houses the Cooper Fitness Center, which provides access to fitness equipment and group exercise classes to students with a paid membership. As part of the renovation, the Cooper Fitness Center has received new flooring, ceiling, lights, paint and a new front desk. Fitness Center manager Brian Wallace said that the returning staff are particularly excited about the changes. “The purpose of the change was to brighten up and modernize the space a bit,” Wallace said. “We hope members and prospective members will feel more energized and motivated to use the facility.” One challenge Wallace has faced was putting the fitness center back together and adapting to the new layout. Although most of the changes are complete, he now has to evaluate the new layout in terms of user efficiency. “It is one thing to see the layout on paper, and another to see the changes in action,” Wallace said in terms of the modifications. “I expect us to do some tweaking of arrangement and overall operations after a couple of weeks.” According to Wallace, the new equipment purchased allows them

Mary Walker, Advisement Center

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Improvements at Cooper Fitness Center featured a new wooden floor and updated equipment.

to rearrange and improve the facility floor plan. His hope now, however, is that the members enjoy the upgrade and use the facility more often. These renovations have sparked mixed reactions among some of the student population. While many do not like the gray paint by the entrance, they do support the ivory and blue blend in the dining hall, although there are those who see the change with enthusiasm. However, Cooper is not alone when it comes to renovations. Funnelle Hall, also located in central campus, is going to close in December of this year as it is scheduled to be renovated as well. In this sense, students were given the option to stay knowing they would have to move out in January. Although some of the students who have stayed in the building will be graduating this upcoming December, others have decided to take their chances, hoping not to be moved to West Campus. According to the Oswego State website, Cooper Hall opened in 1967. The building was named to honor famous American author James Fenimore Cooper, who was stationed near Oswego between 1808 and 1809 while serving with the U.S. Navy. Cooper’s time in Oswego was brief, but according to the Oswego State website, his novels “The Pathfinder” and “The Littlepage Manuscripts” were influenced by the Oswego area. Cooper’s re-

lationship with Oswego, New York, led the college to name Cooper Hall, Pathfinder Dining Hall and Littlepage Dining Hall in honor of the author and his works. Since it was built, the complex has gone through a total of 15 different renovations. These have ranged from installing a fire suppression system to installing gas fired water heaters, the installation of electric and steam meters or the replacement of the tunnel’s ceiling.

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Located in Cooper Hall, the Cooper Fitness Center received equipment upgrades and new decorations, including the brand new front desk.

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

Both Mary Walker Health Center and the Counseling Services Center have moved from their regular building to the second floor of Hewitt Union, in order to update the old building. Health Services is now located in room 213F, while the Counseling Services Center is located in room 202. The hours for both Health Services and Counseling Services Center have remained unchanged, since the move. All regular services provided by both Health Services and Counseling Services Center will continue, unchanged. The change in location is only temporary and anticipated to last for just the 2019-2020 academic school year. Parking spaces are available for both Health Services and the Counseling Center in lot R-9.

The Advisement Center opened on campus this semester in the previous Bookville location, on the first floor of Hewitt Union. A new addition to Oswego State, the Advisement Center is aimed at providing academic advisement and help planning registration for students. The Advisement Center focuses specifically on underclassmen and transfer students. By concentrating primarily on students that may not have a dedicated faculty advisor to provide academic guidance, the Advisement Center can assist newer Oswego students that may feel intimidated by the registration process. Walk-in advisement sessions are open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Friday.

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

A5 NEWS Oswego State promotes mental health SA executives look towards College wellness fair focuses on counseling, wellbeing 2019-2020 legislative goals THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

Julia Tilley Asst. News Editor jtilley@oswegonian.com On Sept. 4, Oswego State hosted their fourth annual Mental Health and Wellness Fair. Sponsored and organized by the Health and Wellbeing Committee, Oswego State hopes to spread awareness about the different aspects of wellness. Similar to last year, students and staff who participated were encouraged to get their “wellness wheel” stamped by stopping by the different tables around the fair to complete the eight aspects of the wellness wheel. It is inspired by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)’s eight-dimension wellness wheel. “Each vending table has a category, that could be occupational, financial, physical wellness, intellectual wellness, mental wellness, spiritual wellness or emotional wellness. Basically what you do is you go to each table and you’re supposed to learn something about what they do, pertaining to that wellness,” Oswego State Counseling Services intern Roderick Bell said. Students who were able to complete this task were entered to win various prizes, including a Fitbit. Planning this year’s Mental Health and Wellness Fair required exhibitor recruitment, marketing and various donations. In years past, the event had been organized by Counseling Services, the Fitness Centers, and the Employee Assistant Program (EAP). This was the first year the Health and Wellbeing Committee organized the event. One of the tables at the Mental Health and Wellness Fair was hosted by the Dean of Students office, where they partnered with the Sui-

cide Prevention Coalition. At their table, students were encouraged to decorate 100 posters with inspiration quotes, sayings and drawings. The posters will be hung up around the city of Oswego, as a precursor to the upcoming ninth annual Suicide Prevention Walk, which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21. “Students have been really eager to write quotes on the poster boards or even just jot down an inspirational message if they’re quickly walking through,” Trisha DeWolf, Alcohol and Other Education Coordinator from the Dean of Students office said. “We’re just looking for something positive and uplifting.” Other offices that hosted tables and activities included the Sustainability Office, the Community Service Office, the Non-Traditional Student Organization, Oswego Opportunities, the Oswego County Humane Society, Helio Health and more. Due to inclement weather, this year’s Mental Health and Wellness Fair was held in Swetman Gym, as opposed to the outdoor area between Marano Campus Center and Penfield Library. “Due to many department moves and staffing changes across campus, it was more challenging for those of us involved to attend to all of the tasks of growing the event,” said Katherine Wolfe-Lyga from the Counseling Services Center. “However, there was amazing effort in bringing it all together. Additionally, this is the first year that the entire event had to be hosted indoors. We are ultimately pleased with the outcome, but certainly value being outdoors when the weather has permitted.” Some students who attended the Mental Health and Wellness Fair in previous years noted a dif-

ference in both the number of attendants and the number of activities for students to participate in and interact with. “I thought the fair was good this semester, but I thought last year had more people and activities,” Oswego State senior Lindsey Zeller said. “I wish the counseling center had a table and gave students coping skills like in a pamphlet or something. I do think the fair is very important, but I wish they had more resources for students on campus to share.” The goal of the Mental Health and Wellness Fair, according to Bell, is to educate Oswego State students, faculty and staff. The tables at the fair were not aimed towards solely students; there were activities and information for faculty and staff as well as the greater Oswego city community. “We believe that we can all be at our best when we are engaged in self-care and ensuring our needs met. We hope that this fun and resource-infused event helps promote a culture of well-being across the campus,” Wolfe-Lyga said. Wolfe-Lyga also noted another objective of the fair was to normalize placing a value on making mental health and well-being a priority, which was a common idea among other attendees and staff at the event. “Mental health and awareness is really important in society today and I think it’s good for people to learn different ways to cope with mental health issues and come in here. Learning all types of different ways can really be beneficial to everyone, and allowing different agencies to come up here and express what they do, how they help the community, is really helpful overall, not just for Oswego State itself, but for Oswego county,” Bell said.

Nicole Hube l The Oswegonian Many on-campus and Oswego county organizations set up tables to spread awareness about their services as well as general mental health and wellness.

Student from COVER Her goal is to “find better and cheaper ways for students to get their textbooks and required resources.” A good example of this would be a PDF version of a textbook, rather than a hard or online copy through the publisher. “Textbooks are too expensive, I spend hundreds of dollars every semester on textbooks,” said Jacob Tawil, an Oswego State student. “If we could find any way to make it more affordable, that would be great.” Strachan stressed that college is expensive enough as it is and paying additional hundreds of dollars a semester for textbooks is too much. The other main priority for Strachan is to extend the hours at Penfield Library. Compared to other SUNY schools, Strachan said, Oswego has some of the most restrictive library hours. Strachan found that students were using the library for more than what libraries usually provide. “Students want a place to study rather than needing a computer or other material,” Strachan said. According to Strachan, students need these spaces to be available later into the night to finish their work in an effective manner. “Penfield Library should be open for 24 hours,” said Zach Stockman, an Oswego State student. “They need to do that so students always have a place to study.” Stockman also added that this would create more jobs in the library and make shifts longer, which in turn would put more money in students’ pockets. Matthew O’Donnell, the SA vice president, said he is interested in improving student safety, looking at SA finances, and updating SA rules in addition to Strachan’s plans. “We’re really keening in on student safety, we’re seeing all these terrible acts done by people,” said O’Donnell, in reference to recent mass shootings. “We’re working with [University Police], we’re working with other campus officials, to make sure we have a policy and preparations in place just in case something might happen.” O’Donnell said the SA budget was a real concern for him, especially given the budget cuts last year which saw clubs receive significantly less money than they expected. “SA as a whole is trying to make sure we’re staying afloat. Last [year] we had budget cuts, and the reason we did those was for the organization itself.” said O’Donnell. “All these previous years we were budgeting into the red. In the red means we’re giving out money we don’t even have.” As for updating SA rules, O’Donnell said the overhaul is long overdue. “[The rules were] made in the 60’s and the 70’s, stuff that works in the 60’s and 70’s just doesn’t work anymore,” O’Donnell said. The Student Association has been hosting OzFest during the last day of classes in May each year. OzFest features games and free food during the day and puts on a concert to end the night. Last year the concert lineup included Ella Mai, Gunna, and more.

Nsikak Ekong l The Oswegonian Matthew O’Donnell, 2019-2020 SA vice president.

OzFest’s main goal is to attract students who are under 21 away from the Bridge Street Run, an unofficial bar crawl on the last day of classes in downtown Oswego. Strachan stressed how important it was for students to attend OzFest and to have a fun and safe last day of classes at Oswego. The current future of OzFest is uncertain, as changes to club funding last year left with the Student Association Programming Board with a budget they said is insufficient to support the OzFest concert. The Student Association has an open meeting at 6 p.m. every Tuesday in Lanigan Hall room 106, where anyone is free to come and share thoughts, suggestions or concerns. Strachan and O’Donnell also welcome anyone to pop into their offices at The Point during their posted office hours.

NEWS Photo Briefs Central Campus

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

Over on central campus, several renovations are currently being made. Cooper Dining Hall was freshly painted and redecorated, while the Fitness Center was renovated. Cooper Dining Hall has gotten rid of their old tropical decorations, while the Cooper Fitness Center has gotten newer floors and equipment installed. The top three floors of Funnelle Hall, floors seven, eight and nine have been closed for renovation, while the rest of Funelle Hall will close next semester. Current Funnelle residents will have to move out of their dormitories at the end of the semester, in anticipation for the renovations occurring to the rest of the building.

These renovations are beginning next semester. Floors seven, eight and nine are currently taped off to prevent entry and potential harm to anyone who may walk into the construction zone. Funnelle Hall is expected to reopen in the fall 2020 semester. Funnelle Hall usually houses around 400 students, and will return to that number after all the construction has been completed. To finish off renovations near Funelle, the commuter lot behind Funnelle was repaved with asphalt, as was much of the concrete on the academic quad. The academic quad encompasses the areas outside of several academic buildings, including Penfield Library, Lanigan Hall, Mahar Hall and Hewitt Union.

The Space

Colin Hawkins | The Oswegonian

Over in Marano Campus Center, The Space has been officially opened. Formerly locker room areas beneath Swetman Gym, the newlyrenovated The Space is the first ever student-prioritized event space on campus. Campus Life said The Space is well-suited for everything from performance events and rehearsals to dance parties and professional networking events. Student organizations can reserve The Space for club events and will be given priority on reservations over faculty and academic bookings. Oswego State Campus Life decided to make The Space available for student use, after hearing complaints from students that their organizations did not have enough rooms big enough or suitable for the meetings they would like to hold. Campus Life is excited to offer The Space as it gives students the opportunity to plan their own

events and bring unique experiences to the campus. The Space is fully equipped with a professional sound system, including five wireless microphones. There are spots in the room where Auxiliary Services can cater events. The video equipment at The Space include three projector screens and lights that can be controlled to illuminate different areas of the room. For performance events, the new area features professional green rooms with a lounge area, attached bathroom and shower. Access to the green room area can go through a designated coat room so performers can enter without going through the main event area. Campus Life was proud to say The Space is equipped with five fully gender-inclusive bathrooms. To reserve The Space, student organizations complete a reservation form on the Oswego State website.

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

OPINION SELF-SERVICE

FAST FOOD

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

VOLUME LXXXIV ISSUE XI

SPORTS THE OSWEGONIAN

SPORTS VICTORIOUS

B3 Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

• www.oswegonian.com

Editor’s Column

VOLLEYBALL

FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

Women’s soccer gears up for start of 2019 campaign

Meet our 2019- Oswego State must ‘finish’ in tight, strive to reach postseason once again 2020 sports staff

Matt Watling Sports Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com Some of our readers may remember me from last year, as I was the assistant sports editor. Now, as I move into this new role, I cannot wait to innovate The Oswegonian sports section into one that provides even more connections to the Oswego area. With new writers coming to our section this year, I am excited to start weaving in more club sports. In order share their stories, I would love for representatives from these teams to contact me. As the editor I can then pass along stories and information to writers. Speaking of writers, I want to build connections between writers and the audience. In order to do so, we will have our beat writers tweet game updates and news from their own personal accounts. While we will still use the Oswegonian Sports twitter account for updates, our writers have great insight on the teams they cover. For a little bit about me, I am a senior broadcasting major. While I never thought I would become the sports editor, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I am someone who loves to break down games and film in a more analytical manner. With that in mind, I am excited to write some more unorthodox stories this year that focus on strategy and gameplay. Outside of my work with The Oswegonian, I host two radio shows on WNYO on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. I am a sports media junkie, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts and reports with the Oswego community.

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Luke Owens Asst. Sports Editor lowens@oswegonian.com The Oswego State women’s soccer team narrowly missed out on a SUNYAC playoff berth in 2018. Last season, it was tough for the Lakers to score. This season, the message is pretty clear. Oswego State needs to capitalize on their offensive opportunities. “We’ve got to finish,” Lakers head coach Brian McGrane said. “The past few years we just haven’t finished. You take those two games against New Paltz and Fredonia where we outshot them a ton but finished in a 0-0 tie. You finish one of those games and you’re in. We missed by two points. There’s a slim margin of error in this conference.” But this is not a message just from the twelve-year head coach. It has also been echoed by senior leaders such as midfielder Corinna Chambers, who had two goals last season. “We definitely need to score more often,” Chambers said. “We’re strong in the back, but sometimes when we get the ball up the field we don’t know what to do with it and don’t move off the ball quick enough. We’ve got to finish.” Luckily for the Lakers, they return with some offensive production from last season. This starts with junior Lynsey Roth, who led the team with seven goals and 15 total points in 2018. It also includes some of the underclassmen, such as sophomore Liz Myers. Chambers knew how talented Myers was, even before stepping foot on campus.

“Liz has always been good,” Chambers said. “We went to the same high school and she’s always been great up top. She’s one of those players that knows how to finish, especially on crosses.” And finish Myers does. Last Saturday, Oswego State was tied with Houghton with just 15 seconds remaining in the game. At that point, Myers booted home the game-winning goal on a crossing pass from fellow sophomore Maggie Riordan. The Lakers would hold on to win, 2-1, for their first win in the 2019 campaign. “I thought that goal was huge,” McGrane said. “Without it, that game might’ve ended in a tie or even a loss and mentally would’ve been draining with all the chances we had in the second half.” Myers’ ability paired with other scorers such as Roth and Chambers could be a huge key to the Lakers’ success this season. Oswego State managed to score just 1.06 goals per game in 2018. The sophomore understands the pressure she is under after losing a few key scorers from last season. “I’m just taking it in stride,” Myers said. “I know people are looking at me to produce, and I’m using it as motivation.” An area the Lakers feel pretty confident in is their goaltending. Emma Allen has been stellar between the pipes since transferring from Onondaga Community College in 2017. She is a big reason why Oswego State was able to hang around in games last season, even while struggling to score. Allen posted a 1.29 GAA and stopped 80.3% of the

shots that came her way in 2018. Now a senior, Allen reflects on the Lakers’ senior class, which consists of seven student-athletes. “This senior class is really close,” Allen said. “We’re close to both under and upperclassman. It’s going to be really tough to leave, but I know we’ll leave the team in great hands.” That closeness is something felt even by the younger players. They describe the senior class as one that has been nothing but welcoming. “Our senior leaders have made sure we mold well together,” Myers said. “They taught us to just have fun. We had a huge freshman group come in this year, and they made sure each and every one of them

felt welcome.” Allen and Chambers both expressed their desire to make it back to the SUNYAC playoffs one last time. But before Oswego State enters into conference play, they must focus on a tough non-conference slate, where they begin a five-game road trip starting Friday, Sept. 6. “Non-conference is big,” McGrane said. “It tells us about how we want to play and we’re playing against really good teams so that’s another plus to see some of the pace and physicality of other college players.” All in all, Emma Allen summed it up in one simple sentence. “Honestly, I just hope we go out with a bang.”

Will Rogers | The Oswegonian Gianna Perri (right) looks to win the tackle in Oswego State’s 2-0 loss to the Yellow Jackets.

Lakers look to land first winning record since 1985

Following loss of strong senior core, field hockey will work toward widespread attack

Luke Owens Asst. Sports Editor lowens@oswegonian.com Last year was my first at The Oswegonian and I focused on just writing. In addition to taking on stories every week for the sports section, I also had the opportunity to beat write for the Oswego State women’s hockey team. This is where a good chunk of my skill and knowledge stems from. I have been writing about sports my entire life. But being the women’s beat writer gave me insight into the daily tasks of a beat writer. These include weekly articles on players and coaches, paired with pregame and postgame stories and interviews. I was able to further hone my writing and interviewing skills through this process. This year, I intend to use these skills to help our new writers now, as assistant sports editor. Now a little more about myself, my passion comes with being on-air. Whether it be on television or behind a mic, talking about sports has always been what gives me life. I love being an on-air talent for live sports with WTOP-10 and WNYO, as well as co-hosting sports talk shows with both organizations. That being said, I would not be where I am right now without writing. Writing is at the core of any talent in sports media. If you cannot write, nothing else will matter. Framing content in a way that is beneficial to you and your audience is essential to getting a message across. If you find yourself with that same passion for sports as me, come hone in on your writing skills. I guarantee you will thank me later.

Ben Grieco Managing Editor bgrieco@oswegonian.com The Oswego State field hockey team has been shooting for a winning record for the last 34 seasons, after a 7-6 record in 1985 – a year that Bowling for Soup said was “way before Nirvana, there was U2 and Blondie and music still on MTV.” Ever since 1986, the theme has been the same for Oswego State: achieve a winning record once again. And since 2002, the added goal of making the postseason has been included in that. The Lakers have not made the playoffs since 2002 in the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association – before the SUNYAC even existed for field hockey.

Last season, Oswego State finished with a 6-10 record and entered the final two games of the season with the potential to finish at .500, but it fell in back-to-back games against St. Lawrence and Union College. During that season, the Lakers had a strong senior class, including Katie Reynolds, who led the team in points and goals, with 33 and 15, respectively. Also graduating were Emily Conklin and Lacey Woite, who were third and fourth in points. Now, Oswego State head coach Heather Moore is looking toward her three captains to fill the void left by last year’s senior class. “I would say Riley Mallett, Kathleen Little and Theresa Glynn. They’re three of our captains,” Moore said. “Right now they’re all

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Emily Hunter (21) battles for the loose ball in the Lakers 3-1 loss to Elmira College.

leading by example. They came [into the season] in shape and they’re fit. Now we’re just working on communication so we can fire up the rest of the group.” Mallett is the only senior on this year’s squad, but is backed by six juniors, including Little and Glynn. The three of them have come close to achieving the goals Moore has established since she joined with the program during the 2017 season. Mallet led the team in minutes last year, but registered no points in the campaign from the midfield. During her sophomore year in 2017, she only scored a single goal. But, this season, Moore is hoping to utilize the midfield a little more and have more of a widespread scoring effort from the forwards after losing Reynolds. In the three seasons that she was at Oswego State, Reynolds led the team in points for two of those – her junior and senior seasons – and was tied for third during her sophomore campaign. “Obviously losing Katie and her skillset was a huge loss. But, I think that our forwards right now are stepping into gap,” Moore said. “We’re working through the midfield to get a collective effort so that there’s not just one person, but an entire team.” After bringing in 11 freshmen last year – nine of which stayed for their second season – Moore recruited eight freshmen this year. A couple freshmen have already stood out, Moore said, in the team’s first couple games of the season, including Annie O’Neill who has scored in both of the Lakers’ games.

“I think [O’Neill’s] getting herself into some good positions and getting some good touches close to the cage,” Moore said. “Kaitlyn Ahle is also starting on the midfield and she’s generating a lot of offense.” The Lakers have already started their season, with a road game at Houghton College on Aug. 31 and a game on Laker Turf on Sept. 5 against Elmira College. Oswego State was victorious in the road matchup, but fell to the Soaring Eagles 3-1. In both games, freshman goalie Erica Scheblein played all 60 minutes. Moore said returning goaltender Joanna Christman is coming off a shoulder injury from the 2018 season. “She had surgery. She’s gaining confidence and communicating a lot better this year,” Moore said. “Erica is a strong goalkeeper. She has really good fundamental skills. I think between the two of them, it’ll be a strong year in the cage.” Moore said following the win against Highlanders, she thought the team had a strong passing game and was “doing the little things right.” She also said the expectations were positive following the win. “I think [the loss to Elmira College] just showed that we need to continue to work on those little things so that we can continue to do that consistently,” Moore said. The Oswego State Lakers, who are now 1-1, will continue their season on Sept. 7 against Wells College, but will not see a SUNYAC opponent until Sept. 25 when it travels to Morrisville State.

SPORTS B2 Men’s soccer looks to get back to playoffs in tough conference THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept 6, 2019

Oswego State loses tiebreaker for final SUNYAC postseason spot in 2018, uses as fuel for 2019 Matt Watling Sports Editor mwatling@oswegonian.com Last season the men’s soccer team ended its season in heartbreak. The team was one point away from a postseason berth, their first since 2014. Through the pain from last season, the Lakers are ready to take the next step in 2019. With that in mind, Oswego State looks like they will be able to start the season strong as they return four of its top five scorers from last year. Caleb Asamoah and Ryan Young led the team in goals with three apiece. While Asamoah’s total dropped from the previous year, he was more of a facilitator offensively. Rather than directly attacking the net, he was able to move the ball around and try to find his teammates in high scoring areas. As a result, he added two assists in nine starts on the year. Young was a freshman last season but did not show it. He started all 15 games and was dynamic on the back line. He plays with excellent pace and is able to drive play forward, something the team desperately needs. Last season, the team played a bit slow with the ball. The Lakers were comfortable with sitting back and holding onto the ball. This season, that has changed as head coach Dan Kane changed up his system. “We’re touching the ball a lot

more,” goalie Brian Terra said. “We have a different game plan where we are trying to move the ball … trying to keep possession [and] trying to really come at our opponents this year.” Young will be a huge factor with his ability to drive the ball up the field, despite acting as one of the team’s top defenders. The sophomore will be forced to play a larger role defensively because the Lakers lost nine seniors, two of which were defenders including captain Thomas Osborn. “My game is usually always going forward, so I always look to create,” Young said. “But at the same time, we did lose a lot defensively, so I’ve got to be safe on the back and a little bit conservative at some times.” While the team did lose a large portion of their starters from last year, the Lakers brought in a handful of freshmen that are expected to fill key roles. “We definitely had a need in our back line, so we brought in a number of defenders,” Kane said. “But we did bring in some good attacking players, some good midfield too. I think you’ll get to see the freshman … and say ‘wow they’re good players.’” Some freshmen right off the start of the season have gotten decent playing time. Steven Rojas out of Holbrook has started both games, recording five shots. Kieran Gilroy is another first-year player who

has played 92 minutes over the first two games of the year. Being able to drive play to that extent will be critical for Oswego State as they look to jumpstart its stagnant offense. Last season, the team scored just 15 goals in as many games. Typically, a team that struggled that much to score would not have three conference wins. The Lakers had a stout defense, led by Terra. This season will be his second receiving the full work load in net, and he stressed the importance of communication on the back end. “Just communicate with them,” Terra said. “Let them know that we are all in it together and we have their back no matter what mistake or what happens.” In 2018, Terra was virtually flawless in net. He surrendered 21 goals, while making 61 saves. Despite his good play, it was not enough in the difficult SUNYAC conference. “I think the [SUNYAC] is one of the best conferences in the country,” Kane said. “It’s a pleasure to play in it, and you know the games are just so meaningful and everybody wants to win.” Kane can still be confident in Oswego State, as it returns a large veteran presence that have experienced the tough grind of a SUNYAC schedule. “To have the guys that have been there and done that before, they share how difficult the SUNYAC

The Oswegonian file photo from 2018 The Lakers won the first game of the season 1-0 against Morrisville State at Drake Field.

is on a daily basis,” Kane said. “To have that and to be able to rely on the older guys to send that message is crucial.” Despite a difficult SUNYAC, Kane was satisfied with his team’s season last year. “We beat the SUNYAC champions for the first time in 20 years since ‘98,” Kane said. “The guys had been hungry all spring and summer. The

preseason has been fantastic, it is a great group of guys. We are looking forward to actualizing our potential.” When it comes to that potential, it looks like that might be reaching the postseason for the first time in five years. “We hope to make the playoffs,” Asamoah said. “Keep playing every game like it’s our last and just keep putting in the work.”

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Lakers use new season as way to bond

Women’s tennis focuses on personal relationships to improve Brian Rudman Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com With the new semester starting, fall sports are upon us as the Oswego State women’s tennis team begin their 2019 campaign. Coming into the year the team is focused on growth as a group on and off the court. The team is off to a 1-1 start, following a victory against Hartwick College by a score of 7-2. Then the Lakers dropped a close match 5-4 to Houghton College on Tuesday. The team seems to be pleased with the first two outings of the season. “I’m very proud of the first two matches,” head coach Shane Evans said. “We weren’t sure about the level that Hartwick was at, but we put in a lot of time and effort leading up to that match and it paid off fairly well.” Despite showing some positives in the first two matches of the season, the team still has more to

accomplish. This is a Lakers squad that is looking to become a family. “The first expectation is that we all get familiar with each other,” Evans said. “We’re all team bonding.” Chemistry should not be a problem for this group, with five out of the nine players on the roster returning. The team is focused on working together. “Getting closer together on and off the court, I think that’s super important,” junior captain Bridgette Bender said. “A good portion of our team lives together and we’ve really tried to welcome all the new girls and do team bonding with them, because if you like your teammates you’re going to play better.” With three underclassmen on the roster, it is important to communicate, as it helps keep athletes loose and comfortable “We have really good teamwork,” senior captain Lorrayne Broach said. “Really good communication across the whole team.”

The Oswegonian file photo from 2018 The Oswego State women’s tennis team’s next match is Saturday, Sept. 7 against Sage College.

Broach is one of two seniors on the roster and has appeared in matches for the Lakers since her sophomore year. Due to this experience, Evans will look to Broach to be a leader on the team this season. “[Broach has] been my captain since her sophomore year,” Evans said. “She gets them organized, she gets them focused, she runs the warm ups in the beginning. I really look to her to set a good example for the rest of the team and I think a lot of the new players especially are buying into it.” Broach is not the only leader on this team, however. The other captain on the roster is Bender, who will be taking a different path in her leadership role this season. She has yet to appear in either of the teams first two matches of the season due to an injury. “Currently I am recovering from an ACL injury,” Bender said. “I’m trying to work hard so I can play my best matches in the spring.” Bender is still able to fill her lead-ership role despite not playing in matches. Because of her leadership, she has had a big impact on the team. “I think Bridgette being off the court, really seeing everything that’s going on is great from a player to player perspective,” Broach said. “I know exactly how that is, in that specific match, making those decisions, getting advice from [Bender] in the middle of a match is great.” With all the leadership available to the players, there is an expectation of growth from the new players on the roster, specifically the three freshmen that joined the squad this year. “I just want them to take time as freshmen to learn,” Evans said. “To watch how the returners are playing, watch how they’re practicing, look at their demeanor. Pretty much it’s a learning experience for them.”

B B33 SPORTS Volleyball builds off last Team must replace all-conference golfer year, wins first invitational Despite losing Owen, Oswego State want Empire 8 title THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

Brandon Ladd Contributing Writer sports@oswegonian.com

The Oswegonian file photo from 2018 The Oswego State Lakers swept the Elms College Invitational by a combined score of 9-1.

Aaron Valentino Sports Writer sports@oswegonian.com The Oswego State volleyball season is underway and the Lakers are looking to build off a successful 2018 campaign. They made the SUNYAC playoffs but fell in the semi-finals to SUNY New Paltz. Last weekend they got off to a hot start, winning all three games at the Elms College Invitational and are looking to continue that success. The Lakers won all their games in convincing fashion with two shutouts of 3-0. In their final game against Elms College, they won by a score of three sets to one. Melissa Lussier led the way with 31 total points while Shauna O’Flaherty and Lauren Fie had 26.5 points and 24.5 points of their own. Although it is early in the season, the Lakers were impressive. “We did a really good job of coming out strong given it was our first weekend and we didn’t really know what to expect,” Lussier said. “We really put it all out on the court and I think our chemistry was really good.” The Lakers finished strong last season winning four of their last six games to reach the SUNYAC playoffs as the sixth seed. They went to defeat The College at Brockport by a score of 3-2 in the first round of the tournament. Eventually, the Lakers fell to SUNY New Paltz in the semi-finals.

We could have won last year ... [this year] we are just looking to prove everyone wrong.” Julia Flohr -Oswego State setter

The Lakers were not satisfied with their second round exit. “Heading in [to the SUNYAC tournament], I thought we had a chance at the conference champi-

onship,” Head coach J.J. O’Connell said. “That is ultimately what I like, is a team that is willing to compete and win a championship. And I felt like last year’s team as well as this year’s team can both do that.” The Lakers finished with a 1914 record last season but went just 4-5 in conference play. Despite this, they were able to upset the Golden Eagles when it mattered most, even though the Lakers fell to them just 10 days prior. Oswego State is still confident it can excel this season. “ I know we could have won last year,” Julia Flohr said. “Everyone kind of thinks we can’t win this year, so I think we are just looking to prove everyone wrong.” There is no denying that it is hard to win a playoff or tournament as a sixth seed. The fact is that SUNY New Paltz was really good last year, going 27-8 overall and 8-1 in the conference before going on to win the SUNYAC conference. Now The Lakers know what it is like to be there. They brought back five seniors this season who played in the tournament last year and that experience is crucial for a young team. “We know what the atmosphere is like,” O’Flaherty said. “A lot of our returning players are back, and we have a lot of starting players that played last year, so I think we all have a lot of chemistry and we all want to win.” The Lakers will not start SUNYAC play until Tuesday, Sept. 17 when they take on SUNY Cortland in the Max Ziel Gymnasium. This could be an advantage for them, as non-conference games give them a chance to find themselves as a team. It enables O’Connell to toy with different lineups and see who works best in different scenarios. They are off to a great start at 3-0, winning an invitational and only losing one set in the process. They have a lot of momentum and should be ready when conference play starts. “I think we know we really have to push during these [non-conference] games,” Lussier said. “Even if they are not SUNYAC games, this is our chance to get the team chemistry together and get all the kinks out before we actually have to play in conference.”

It is a new era for the Oswego State golf team, as their 2019-20 season starts with the St. John Fisher Collegiate Invitational on Friday, Sept. 6. It is a year where they must make up for the loss of Empire 8 Player of the Year Sean Paul Owen and four other seniors, but it is not a rebuilding year. “I thought we had a great year,” coach Mike Howard said. “We had the player of the year in the conference, we won five, six invitationals ... we had some guys do some really great things on the golf course, overall it was pretty productive.” The Oswego State Lakers were a force to be reckoned with last season, with a second place finish in the Empire 8 Conference championships. Finishing behind 16-time Empire 8 champion St. John Fisher. Sean Paul Owen dominated the Hershey Country Club, earning medalist honors, as the winning golfer. He defeated the runner-up in the conference championships. The Lakers also controlled their home course, Oswego Country Club, each time teams visited in the fall and spring. With Corey Marshall winning medalist honors in the fall and Sean Paul Owen winning the honor in the spring. While both of those players are gone, the Lakers are still here to win. “It’s hard replacing guys like that,” Howard said For Howard and the returning players, the goal is just that. They are looking forward to the opportunity to make this season a winning effort, one that eventually leads to a conference championship. Regardless of the championship mindset, Howard’s expectations year to year do not change. “I expect the same thing as we always do,” Howard said. “Go out and perform to the best of our ability and play smart golf … avoid the big numbers.” Howard’s players are up to his challenge. Senior Erik Schleicher, who shot the best score at the Lakers preseason tryout, has

The Oswegonian file photo from 2018 The men’s golf team begins their fall season Friday, Sept. 6 at the St. John Fisher Invitational.

high hopes. “As a group, I would love to see us compete or even win our conference championship,” Schleicher said. “Even beat St. John Fisher.” He seems up to the challenge of filling Sean Paul Owen’s shoes. He is confident in the work he put in this summer and has been using personal analytics to mentally prepare for the upcoming season. Schleicher’s role as the number one golfer is needed this season. With the new faces, returning players must perform well.

“It puts pressure on us but also will bring out the best in our games,” Schleicher said. Sophomore Ryan Fecco has a similar outlook to his teammate, Schleicher, on the challenge ahead, high hopes for the season ahead. “[My expectations are the] same as last year, to win the conference championship,” Fecco said. “But to do that we are going to have to take it tournament by tournament, and shot by shot. Grow as a team and get better as the season goes on.”

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian

Shore Report

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

SUNYAC Standings

Men’s Soccer

Overall

Conference

Oswego Scoreboard

Streak

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

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

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

W2 W2 W2 W2 W2 T1 W1 L1 W1

Women’s Soccer

0-2-0

0-0-0

Overall

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

Field Hockey

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

0-0-0

0-2-0 0-3-0

0-0-0

Cortland Brockport New Paltz Oneonta Geneseo Oswego State Morrisville

Oswego State Oneonta

Cortland Potsdam Buffalo State Fredonia Plattsburgh Brockport Geneseo New Paltz

KC: 0-4 (0-0) BPT: 2-0 (0-0)

Streak W2 W2 L1 W1 L1 L1 W1

HOU:

Simons: 1 goal Merrifield: 8 saves

OSW:

Paris: 2 SOG Terra: 4 saves

OSW:

Roth: 3 SOG Myers: 1 goal Allen: 2 saves

HAM:

Schmidt: 2 goals Plump: 1 assist Benson: 7 saves

Women’s Tennis Tuesday, Sept. 3

4 Broach (OSW) Moore (HOU)

6 6 3 4

Swanson (HOU) 6 6 Johnson (OSW) 3 0

Field Hockey Wednesday, Sept. 4

ELM:

Kempf: 2 goals Aloi: 4 SOG O’Donnell: 5 saves

OSW:

O’Neill: 1 goal Scheblein: 7 saves

Upcoming Events

Streak

1:00 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

2-0

0-0

2-1 2-1

0-0 0-0

L1 L1

2-1

0-0

1-1 0-3

0-0 0-0

L1 L3

Conference 0-0

Streak W3

0-0

2-2

0-0

1-2

0-0

1-2

0-0

1-3

0-0

Men’s Soccer 3

ROC: 1-1-0 (0-0-0) COR: 2-0-0 (0-0-0) Runners from the Oswego State women’s cross country team finished in the Top 10 at the Fredonia Invitational last weekend. There were 43 total runners. The Lakers were led by Emily Gustafson’s first-place finish, while Hannah Hertik placed seventh and Sarah Rappleye rounded out at number ten. Oswego State finished second of three teams at the meet.

Women’s Soccer Friday, Sept. 6

OSW: 1-1-0 (0-0-0) MTU: 0-1-1 (0-0-0)

Volleyball Friday, Sept. 6

OSW: 3-0 (0-0) UWO: 2-2 (0-0)

Men’s Soccer

Field Hockey

Saturday, Sept. 7

12:00 p.m

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

Saturday, Sept. 7

2:00 p.m.

OSW: 1-1 (0-0) WC: 0-1 (0-0)

Laker Athletes of the Week

1-3 1-3 0-3

Tuesday, Sept. 3

Conference

0-0

Saturday, Aug. 31

Men’s Soccer

0-0-0

2-0

Overall 3-0 3-1

Women’s Soccer

W1 L2 L3

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-3 0-0 Around the SUNYAC

Field Hockey 0

0-0-0

1-2-0

Overall

Volleyball

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

L3 L3 L3

Women’s Soccer 1

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

15:

Seconds were left on the clock when Liz Myers booted home the winning goal for the Oswego State women’s soccer team last Saturday. The Lakers would hold on to beat Houghton 2-1 at Laker Turf Stadium. Myers’ dramatic goal was assisted on a pass from Maggie Riordan and sealed the first win on the season for Oswego State.

Brian Terra

Soccer Junior | Bay Shore The junior goaltender from Bay Shore made four huge saves in the second half to secure a 1-0 win over Morrisville State last Friday. The shutout was the sixth of Terra’s career. He allowed 1.30 goals per game last season and made 61 saves in his first season as the Lakers starting goalie. Oswego State is currently 1-1 on the season, and their next game is Saturday against Stockton University.

42:

Assists by Julia Flohr for the Oswego State women’s volleyball team against Elms last weekend. The Lakers’ 3-1 win sealed a weekend tournament win where they won all three games. Oswego State is 3-0 on the season and heads to Wisconsin for a four-game tournament this weekend, where they look to win their second straight tournamnet.

Emily Gustafson

Cross Country Sophomore | Clarkston, MI The sophomore set a course r e c o r d f o r t h e w o m e n ’s c r o s s countr y team last weekend at Fredonia. Gustafson finished the run in 15:49:00, shattering the previous record of 16:09:00. The Clarkston, Michigan, native is also a forward on the Oswego State women’s hockey team. She was named the SUNYAC women’s Runner of the Week for her record-breaking performance.

856:

Miles from Oswego State to UW-Oshkosh, where the Lakers volleyball team will play in the Pizza Hut Invitational this weekend. The tournament consists of four games on Friday and Saturday, and is about a 13 and a half hour bus ride to Wisconsin. This is the farthest the team has traveled since a 2014 tournament in Colorado.

OPINION

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

Self New ID system causes safety concerns McDonald’s Checkouts Students prohibited from accessing buildings they do not live in can afford unavoidable staffing Anthony Battista Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

Megan Sylvester Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com Self-checkouts are a big thing for retail companies. Places ranging from Walmart and Target through fast food chains like McDonald’s all have an easy and accessible way to checkout. One major discussion that lies with the self-checkouts is, will this be the end of human to human interaction when shopping? Technology is a big part of this generation, causing things like online shopping to be the new normal. So naturally, places like Target and McDonald’s are going to make their stores up to date with the latest trends. Self-checkout is meant to be easier and faster. No one would prefer waiting in line to buy products when they could check out themselves and be done with their shopping chores in a matter of minutes. Same with McDonald’s, why speak with a person, when they could just order their food on a kiosk and cut the time in half? The problem with this is that self-checkouts and order kiosks are slowly taking peoples jobs away. When more are put in, less people are needed to work as cashiers. Leaving them out of a job, and having to figure out a new plan to pay the bills. Another issue is the lack of communication and socializing. Speaking to a person is no longer required. Customers can just face a computer and allow that to answer the questions. Humans are known to socialize, so when people lose that skill it affects you in life. How could someone go on with their career or meeting people, if communicating and socializing is more of a weakness then a strength?

At the beginning of this school year, a new ID system was implemented in all resident halls. The new system prohibits students from scanning their ID cards to get into a building they do not live in. On top of this, students can only enter through the main entrance of the building. For example, if a student lives in Seneca Hall, that student can only scan their ID to get into Seneca Hall. The student’s ID would not scan if they tried to get into Cayuga Hall, just next door. In the past, students were allowed to scan their ID to get into any resident hall before 11 p.m. It was only after 11 p.m. that the student could only scan their ID to get into the building they live in. An online petition has been started on change.org for the school to change things back to the way they used to be, which is to let students have access to all resident halls before 11 p.m. The petition has over 1,200 signatures. While the school most likely created this new system because of potential safety concerns, the new system seems like more of a nuisance than anything else. Campus police have already had trouble getting into Riggs Hall because their IDs would not work. If police could not get into the building during an emergency, then the system should not have been changed

in the first place. In the case of an active shooter or severe weather, the priority should be getting inside the building you are closest to. What if you are a student that lives in Onondaga Hall, but you are near Waterbury Hall, on the other side of campus? This new system prevents students from getting inside the building they are closest to in many cases. This further proves the point that this new system was an unnecessary change. The online petition actually lists some specific student concerns as well. Some of the concerns from students are about the use of tunnels that connect buildings. The tunnels to Pathfinder and Littlepage dining halls become exclusive to the students living in the connecting buildings. This becomes an issue for

students who want to go to late night on West Campus. Late night is only served in Littlepage dining hall on West Campus, which connects to Onondaga Hall and Oneida Hall. This creates an unnecessary inconvenience for at least half of the students that live on west campus, in Seneca and Cayuga Halls. Also, the tunnel on Lakeside that connects Lakeside dining hall to Riggs Hall is now only accessible to students who live in Riggs. Students living in the three other resident halls on lakeside no longer have the convenience of using the tunnel to avoid the snow. That will really become a problem during Oswego’s brutal winter when it would be safer and easier for students to avoid at least a portion of the walk outside. Just like the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian Student ID cards can now only be used to gain access to ones own residence hall.

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

Security cameras not needed in Oswego

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

Nicole Hube Photo Director nhube@oswegonian.com Oswego State students looking to obtain an entry-level position while juggling a college or high school education are expressing concerns over the future implications and consequences in standardizing selfservice kiosks in fast food restaurants. They have every right to be worried. In an alreadyshrinking market, how does job loss and student criticism weigh up against corporate benefit? The west-end Oswego McDonald’s, located approximately a mile away from the Oswego State campus, recently underwent a dining room renovation. The restaurant will now include self-order kiosks that will allow for customers to skip the line and avoid the wait while interacting with a touch-screen monitor. One Oswego senior expressed a concern that many students apply for positions at the Bridge Street location during the fall and spring semesters. Senior broadcasting major Zakary Haines claims that the addition of self-service kiosks would essentially mean that fewer employees would be necessary at the front end of the restaurant to engage in customer service and cashiering duties.

...many elect to wait in line for self-checkout because they see it as the “lesser of two evils” option.

Funds used for unneccesary cameras could be used elsewhere Times are evolving and so is technology, so we have to evolve with it.

Obviously, self-checkouts and order kiosks are not the main problem to being antisocial but it does not help. So, what can we do about the problem of computers doing the job for us? The answer to that is nothing. Times are evolving and so is technology, so we have to evolve with it. When introduced to stores in moderation, it could affect people a lot less. Technology will be technology and it will break down. When it does that, someone will need to be there to fix it, hence another job opening up. Target, for example, usually has four to eight self-checkouts and there are always one to two workers monitoring the selfcheckouts in case something goes wrong or a customer needs assistance. That allows us to still have the simple access of a selfcheckout, without the worries of people losing their jobs. Let us just hope the world does not become all self-checkout. That will be bad for cashiers all over and bad for customers that can never get those things to work.

Nathan Beers Contributing Writer opinion@oswegonian.com “Big Brother is watching, but it’s for all the right reasons.” This was the opening line of a College Life Newspaper article published last week in response to Oswego putting up new cameras to try and “thwart” criminal activity in the area. Besides a complete lack of awareness of what Orwell tried to warn us of decades ago, this serves as a chilling reminder of a growing trend across our nation: we are now willing to give up our most valued asset, our privacy, in the name of some kind of vague notion of security. Everyone should be immediately skeptical of such a claim without concrete goals and supreme oversight by the townspeople. Spectrum Local News interviewed bookstore owner Emil Christmann, who said that he supported the cameras even though he has never had the need for them. He also said that he has “always felt pretty safe downtown,” and “never felt like we really needed surveillance of this type.” This is a problem that has not even affected him. If the government wants to keep crime down in Oswego and to help businesses in the area feel more comfortable, there are better ways of doing it. It is true that thefts are the leading crime in Oswego, but this is a minute number. Oswego is supremely safe for its size and, as Christmann has said as a lifelong native, locals and outsiders alike feel safe downtown. Oswego is using a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant to improve the city and these cameras are cutting into it.

Photo from Pixabay Unnecessary security cameras are causing tax payers money and are not at all worth the price.

This money has been put towards small parks, making the city more walkable and other sorts of reinvigoration for the city, but these cameras are not the way to spend what is left. Oswego could give breaks to these companies that would be covered by this grant and these businesses, that would otherwise be wrapped up in taxes and other city-based financial stresses, could use the extra money to put cameras on their own businesses if they see that as being necessary to the security of their business. They could also use that extra money to reach out to customers and better serve the community. As a Republican, Mayor Billy Barlow should be eager to see these kinds of changes that can be made with the right application of government, not outright spending. In the past, Barlow has done good work balancing the budget

and has given tax cuts after doing so, but spending money on these cameras that businesses are not even sure if they need is a little strange for a party that stands on fiscal conservatism. Mayor Barlow seems to think that we need to give “more confidence to downtown property owners,” but this is a poor way of doing so. Oswego needs to diversify its holdings and encourage businesses to crop up across town, not stomp out a nearly nonexistent problem that could be solved by giving local businesses the freedom to choose what they need. That being said, these cameras are up and the money has been spent. Now that that choice has been made, Oswegonians should demand oversight and accountability for how this information is used, as well as statistics to prove that this money was not spent in vain.

If you are an anxious individual who steers away from socializing in these situations, kiosks may be great for you. Other large chains such as Walmart utilize a self-checkout kiosk process that often have only one self-checkout attendant to aid in issues that may arise with regular machine usage, even during busy times of the day. Therefore, many elect to wait in line for self-checkout because they see it as the “lesser of two evils” option. As a former McDonald’s crew member, I believe that in many cases, self-service kiosks are more hassle than they are worth compared to human cashiers. Machines, like humans, are not perfect. They crash, stall, glitch and require routine maintenance. Relying on self-service kiosks may not always go as a corporation projects. If you are looking to just grab a large black coffee and go, a kiosk may be the way to go to avoid unnecessary wait time. Not everyone wants to have a conversation when they are still waking up in the morning or trying to get through mid-day drowsiness. Nevertheless, many customers still elect for the traditional manner of standing in line, which often times move at a faster pace than those waiting to use a kiosk. While service speed in a high-traffic area that receives an influx of daytime customers from the Oswego State campus and surrounding Oswego City School District may be valued, sacrificing personable entry-level jobs from students in search of work might not be worth it in the long run.

NEWS NEW SOCIAL SPACE

A5 Colin Hawkins | The Oswegonian

OPINION

VOLUME LXXXIV ISSUE X

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

SPORTS B2

LOOKING TO IMPROVE

Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

STAFF EDITORIAL

The beginning of a new academic year also brings a new year for The Oswegonian, which is entering its 84th year of publishing. The staff is excited to share their best work every week with the faculty and students of Oswego State and the members of the Oswego community. This year is going to have a lot of positive changes, with The Oswegonian moving toward more multimedia content, including videos and podcasts that will be available on the website. Our new multimedia editor, Ethan Magram, has brought new ideas to the table that the rest of the staff is looking forward to. As the newspaper industry moves more toward online distribution, so will

The Oswegonian. As a staff, we are hoping to post stories more frequently on the website, compared to the sudden rush of stories on Wednesday and Thursday nights. There is also a cut in physical papers that we distribute. Our new circulation director, Lindsey Hurlbut, will be delivering to the same locations as before, but just fewer copies. We hope to then reduce waste that some extra copies would cause. Collaboration within the other two student media organizations, WTOP-10 TV and WNYO 88.9 FM, is another goal for our staff this year. In previous years, a big point of collaboration was just in each organization’s respective sports departments. We hope to share ideas and

finished products, beyond sports, with each other to put on our own websites for the most exposure possible. With the leadership of WTOP-10’s general manager, Joshua Holfoth, WNYO’s general manager, Carl Neff, and this year’s editor-in-chief, Alexander Gault-Plate, there will be some big projects coming out of the three organizations. Every year, we have the same hope: we want more staff, including writers, photographers, copy editors and more. We encourage any student interested in being part of our student-run newspaper to stop by The Oswegonian office (139A MCC) and see what we are all about – The Oswegonian accepts anyone and everyone.

IN THE OFFICE

Humanity needs to fix climate before too late Planet will keep spinning if humans no longer inhabit it July of 2019 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. Glaciers melted, sea levels rose, wildfires raged and tons of carbon dioxide poured into the atmosphere. Climate change got worse this summer and it will keep getting worse until major societal change does something to stop it. Oftentimes, the argument for stopping climate change is that “the planet needs saving,” or that the environment is in imminent danger. This is only partially true. The environment we live in now is definitely in danger. Humandriven carbon dioxide emissions have led to the warming of the planet. That is no longer a question. However, nature itself will survive. The planet will continue to spin, most likely still teeming with many forms of life that are more adaptable than we are. It is not the planet that needs saving here. It is humanity.

Alexander Gault-Plate Editor-In-Chief aplate@oswegonian.com By 2050, the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that we will see sea levels rise by 19 inches. If that happens, hundreds of thousands of New York City residents will be flooded out of their homes, as will millions more Americans living along the coast. The damage will be irreparable and worse than any single natural disaster we have yet experienced. Climate change has already had

effects on the way we live. Especially in the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shoreline regions, high water levels have destroyed and flooded thousands of people’s homes and businesses, with levels barely dropping to acceptable levels well into the summer months. The presence of pests is only getting worse as well. Ticks in upstate New York are more numerous and dangerous than ever before. We have only just begun to see what the effects of climate change can do, and much of the scientific information about what is happening around us is being hidden, adjusted or just plain ignored. The best time to be eco-friendly is right now. Please, start considering what impact you have on the environment and how you can help slow the pace of climate change with your actions, your vote and your voice.

Social media can lead to desensitization Vanity at locations of disaster disrespectful to lives lost Francesca Miesner Opinion Editor fmiesner@oswegonian.com For as long as humans have existed, we have been obsessed with vanity. When the way we were able to document our beauty was by commissioning a painter to do a portrait, those who could afford it had obscene amounts of paintings of themselves plastered to their walls. When the camera was invented, people wanted to use it to take photos of themselves. It was only natural that a selfie phenomenon would come from the presence of an accessible and high quality camera, especially when that camera was strapped to our hips in the form of a cell phone. That being said, selfies are really wonderful ways of improving self-esteem and capturing moThe independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935 ments with friends. However, with online culture, many social media influencers have started to become desensitized to certain things. LoWe want your thoughts on our coverage, campus and local issues, or anything gan Paul’s “Suicide Forest” video regarding the Oswego State community. showed the corpse of a man who had killed himself, which is clear-

THE OSWEGONIAN G UIDELIN ES

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

ly in bad taste. Apparently, it was time for Instagram influencers to have a turn at being problematic. Many people have been visiting places of extreme tragedy, like Auschwitz. These visits include a tour, learning the history behind the site and taking photographs for personal documentation. Photos taken with respect are one thing, but many Instagram users who visit the aforementioned sites have begun taking selfies at these locations. These selfies are almost always in bad taste. Whether your caption on social media is respectful or not, the idea of taking a selfie on a site where people died, were tortured or experienced extreme emotional distress and then trying to translate that into validation or appreciation through a social media post is extremely disrespectful. This is not to say that social media is a direct causation of desensitization towards terrifying events. In fact, many social media platforms allow unpopular or nonAmerican news of importance to be spread, that major news networks do not want to or cannot

cover. Social media can be a useful tool for making friends, learning new information and documenting memories that you want to share with people in your life. Making something that should be a somber trip of learning and remembrance of lost lives can be documented to social media if it must be. Those interested in posting photos of their emotionally draining trips and educating their followers on tragedies should avoid putting themselves into the photo. By putting someone into the photo, the photo will become about them, regardless of the caption. The solution to this problem is to hold influencers accountable. If an account with a few thousand followers posts an insensitive selfie, then their few thousand followers think it is alright to post a photo where they take the location of something devastating and make it about them. The best way to stop problematic behavior is to draw attention to it, educate and try to ensure that it does not happen again.

Carlos

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

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

Photo provided by @HiggyBare

INSIDE

C2 Summer Recap of best

semester break films

C3 Disney, Sony come to C5

blows over Spider-Man

Remedy’s ‘Control’ allows players to live psychic fantasy

FRIDAY Sept. 6, 2019

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 6 2019

Summer 2019’s overlooked gems of film, television

Breakdown of box office blockbusters, streaming service surprises

“It: Chapter Two” director Andy Muschietti confirms DC’s “The Flash” will be his next film.

Image from Amazon prime Video via YouTube (From left) Actors Erin Moriarty, Jesse T. Usher, Chace Crawford, Dominique McElligott, Nathan Mitchell and Anthony Starr as ‘The Seven” in Amazon’s “The Boys.”

Zakary Haines Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com This summer saw the end of an era at Marvel Studios, the completion of phase three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Avengers: Endgame” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” dominated the box office for most of the summer and created quite the buzz between the two films. With this in mind, this summer also saw other platforms thrive as well, between other films at the summer box office, streaming platforms asserting themselves as viable platforms and live streaming which all managed to make the summer worthwhile. This summer was packed full of films and blockbusters. “Endgame” set the bar high, but that does not mean it was a boring summer. Many films managed to carve themselves a spot in this busy summer, but the horror genre keeps proving time and time again that audiences like to be scared outside the month of October. Films such as “Midsommar,” “Crawl” and “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” all made a lasting impression with au-

diences and critics. Even if a horror film did not review well, many still made money at the box office. “Annabelle Comes Home” made the most out of any horror film with $72.6 million during the summer season. More horror films such as “It: Chapter Two” will hit theaters September 6th, beginning the fall season for films. Although horror films are popular, there were a few gems that audiences will remember for a long time and possibly win some Oscars. Films like “Yesterday,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “The Farewell” left audiences feeling a mixed bag of emotions of happiness, sadness and more overwhelming feelings. These films may have not brought home big bags of cash at the box office, however, they made critics rave about their stories and actors, including another huge performance from Margot Robbie (“Mary Queen of Scots”) as Sharon Tate. As well as smaller films like “The Farewell” blowing everyone away with a tragic story and handling the inevitable part of life in a more familial sense. Different kinds of emotions have been seen not just on the

big screen but on the small screen as well. This summer also saw a tremendous growth in streaming services and the shows they provided on a daily basis. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon all had a productive summer with new seasons and series premieres that kept people wanting more. Shows like “Stranger Things,” “The Boys,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and many more all made big impacts over the summer. With more streaming platforms coming along, including Disney+ in November, establishing a fan base has never been more important. One of the newer shows that managed to engage audiences was Amazon’s “The Boys.” This superhero based show goes into the darkness, corruption and pure evils of a superhero corporation and goes over more human issues of discrimination, sexual harassment and the moral question of right and wrong. Many reviews pointed out a lot of current issues with the United States through the use of symbolism through the character Homelander (Anthony Starr, “American Gothic”), hooking many viewers. Karl Urban

(“Thor: Ragnarok”) plays Billy Butcher in a performance that leaves audiences wanting more. Even though “Endgame” and Disney had a stellar summer, there are many other films and TV shows that deserved their time in the spotlight. Many films did well after the premiere of Marvel’s “Avengers Endgame” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” as well as Disney’s “Aladdin” (2019) and “The Lion King” (2019) but this did not bleed any wallets dry. Many people still went out to other summer films and blockbusters. Horror films continued to perform well outside of the fall season as well as some potential award-winning films having premiered during the hottest time of the year. Streaming services continue their rise as a staple of entertainment with many entertaining shows across many platforms. Many shows created a buzz during a time of year most people do not even turn on their TVs and unlike cable, can be taken anywhere consumers go. This summer was a huge success for more than just one company, and hopefully it follows into next summer.

Actor John Travolta’s new film, “The Fanatic,” opens to a laughable $3,153 on opening weeken d.

Australian indierocker Courtney Barnett announces intimate U.S. solo tour for January 2020.

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

C 3 C 3

Sony takes Spider-Man away from Disney, what does this mean? Kenny Burnham Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com Talks between Sony and Disney over their deal to collaborate on the “Spider-Man” films, as well as include the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, broke down when Disney asked for 50% of the profits, a significant increase from the previous 5%. Sony did not want that and instead wanted to keep the old arrangement, but Disney refused. After the news broke, people rushed to point fingers one way or the other. Did Sony walk away too easily? Did Disney get greedy in asking for more money? Perhaps it is best to look at why this is a problem in the first place, starting with copyright law. When “Spider-Man” first came out in 1962, copyright only lasted 28 years, with the possibility of getting a 28-year extension before going into to the public domain. Under those rules (which date back to 1909) if “Spider-Man” got

Image from IGN via YouTube Tom Holland still has two more Spider-Man films on his contract, leaving him voiceless in the matter between studios.

the extension, it would have entered the public domain in 2018, which it never did. The system was amended in the Copyright Act of 1976. Copyright was further extended in 1998 with the Copyright Term Extension Act (ironically dubbed, “The Mickey Mouse Protection Act”). Many suggest the 1998 extension kept “Spider-Man” out of the public domain, when it was actually the 1976 Act that did, as its fixed 75-

year copyright term would have expired in 2037. The 1998 extension did however exacerbate the problem, with a fixed 95-year term which would expire in 2057. This does not necessarily mean that the 1976 Act was a mistake, but one negative thing it did was give corporations much more control over characters and franchises it owns, regardless of how it managed to acquire them. It is also worth mention-

ing the sheer size of Disney. In addition to Marvel, they own Lucasfilm, ABC, ESPN, Pixar and many others. Obviously, Sony does not own nearly as much, but it has plenty of acquisitions itself, mainly in the video games industry. The issue of monopolies has come up a lot in regard to Disney over the past few years. Taking a pro-Sony stance due to Disney’s many acquisitions or, even more extreme, being glad about

this, does not make sense. If the backlash to splitting up popular franchises like the MCU becomes associated with efforts to decrease the scope of large corporations, then more impactful, and more sensible, solutions (breaking up big corporations like Disney, without splitting franchises) may become less popular. In spite of all of these technicalities, arguing about which multi-billion-dollar corporation is at fault is just unnecessary. “Spider-Man: Far from Home” made over a billion dollars; 50% of that is not as much as 95%, but it would still be a lot of money for Sony. Neither company is really hurting for cash. The real question here is which corporation, if any, will accept some losses so that Marvel fans who have been so loyal and committed to the franchise do not see their favorite team split up again. People who are trying to find a hero and a villain in this are going to be disappointed: the only heroes in this story are made up.

New ‘Star Wars’ trailer does not fool anyone with ‘Dark Rey’ Abigail Connolly Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Over the course of four decades and three separate trilogies, the “Star Wars” universe is yet again faced with the end of a saga. Since the 2015 release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and the 2017 release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” fans have followed the story of the Resistance fighters and the overpowering First Order, keeping in line with the themes set by the films predecessors, the battle between the light and dark. Despite this overarching theme, the trailer release for the upcoming film “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” seems to blur the lines of tradition. The only question now is: do fans really buy it? The most recent saga has followed the journey of Rey (Daisy Ridley, “Ophelia”), an orphaned girl who gets wrapped up in the power struggle between the perceived good and evil in the galaxy. After an initial analyzation of the trailer for “The Rise of Skywalker,”

fans began to speculate about a “Dark Rey.” In certain clips in the trailer, it appears that Rey exhibits some of the darker qualities of the “Force” causing speculation of her supposed switch to the Dark Side. While this would be something new for Star Wars fans, a pattern like this has been seen before. Looking back at the original trilogy, undeniably similar circumstances can be observed. After Luke Sykwalker (Mark Hamill “Childs Play”) loses his aunt and uncle, he is orphaned and enters on a journey that leads him to discovering the truth about his past and his own ability to harness the power of the Force. When comparing the two sagas, these two characters are seemingly tied together, both by circumstances and actions, something that cannot be easily ignored. With some already pretty convincing similarities between the two characters, it is difficult to consider a “Dark Rey” emerging, or at least remaining in that dark side of the Force for very long. Again, looking back at the origi-

nal trilogy, Luke also experienced temptation to the dark side, and in some cases, gave into that temptation. Displaying a complete lack of faith in “Star Wars: Episode IVA New Hope” as well as vengeance towards Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) in “Star Wars: Episode VThe Empire Strikes Back,” Luke is no stranger to the powers of the darkside. This raises new questions regarding the supposed “bal-

ance to the Force,” but in regards to the newest trailer, this simply draws a bit of skepticism towards darker Rey. Throughout the “Star Wars” films, the light and the dark seem to be taking turns. In the original series the light side comes out on top while the dark prevails in the prequel series. This third trilogy is a bit unpredictable when it comes to balancing things out.

While fans speculate and theorize what might come next, as it stands right now, it appears that the only hope for a “Dark Rey” is for the writers to completely abandon the examples set before them, something we have yet to see in the new trilogy. Despite this, many fans are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the last episode in the saga, holding on for some new hope.

Image from Star Wars via YouTube Daisy Ridley surprisingly wields retractable, two-sided dark side light saber in the new trailer for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

C4 C 4

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

‘Mindhunter’ delves deeper into characters in season two

Luis Galarza Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: It has been roughly two years since Joe Penhall and David Fincher dropped their atmospheric and sharply written murder mystery series on Netflix “Mindhunter.” As per usual with Fincher, it was met with critical acclaim and fit neatly next to “Se7en” (1995), “Zodiac” (2007), and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2011), in his catalog of methodical, dark and twisted portrayals of serial killers and the people pursuing them. “Mindhunter” follows two FBI agents named Holden Ford and Bill Tench, played brilliantly by Jonathan Groff (“Frozen”) and Holt McCallany (“Justice League”) who interview imprisoned serial killers and use this knowledge to profile and catch other serial killers with psychologist Wendy Carr, played by an extremely magnetic Anna Torv (“Secret City”). They are based on the real life personas of John E.

Douglas, Robert Ressler and Ann Burgess. Season two picks up as soon as season one left off. Ford is diagnosed with panic disorder after his panic attack that happened during his meeting with Ed Kemper, and Tench is still dealing with the burden of raising a son who does not talk to him. In addition to this, the three series mains are given a new boss, Ted Gunn, who gives them far more freedom and resources than ever before. First and foremost, “Mindhunter,” visually, is better than ever and is arguably the most cinematic show on television. It maintains Fincher’s smooth and extremely crisp digital aesthetic and does so with absolute nuance, even when Fincher is not there to direct himself. The writing is also arguably more compelling than last season, as the show decides to focus less on Ford’s home life, which does so by omitting the character of Debbie, which seemed like a disappointing omission at first but less so once you realize it does so in order to focus more on the home

lives of Carr and Tench; Tench particularly having one of the more gripping storylines in the whole season due to a horrific situation involving his son. In addition to this, the show revolves around the dark but ultimately thrilling Atlanta child murders. Although Ford leads the chase to find this Atlanta murderer, Tench is the real star here who we see go back and forth between this investigation and his difficult home life. McCallany continues to be hard as nails, but completely likeable in the role, which makes it even more heartbreaking whenever we see him begin to crack under the pressure of the events surrounding him. We also dive deeper into Carr as she struggles to feel relevant, despite how Gunn makes her feel, as well as find a new romantic partner whilst continuing the interviews practically on her own. It is separated from the rest of the show and so, because of this, it feels as if the show halts a bit whenever we reach these scenes. However, even so, it is very telling that the least interesting storyline

Image from Netflix via YouTube (From left) Jonathan Groff and Anna Torv star as FBI agents investigating serial killers.

in the season is still far more interesting than many other entire shows. Easily the most riveting part of the season is the scenes involving the desperate attempt at finding the Atlanta murderer, while trying to maintain a city growing more and more uneasy as more and more young black childen are found across town. This sparks a fascinating question of the skin color of the murderer and as to whether or not this was racially motivated. The directors do a fantastic

job at making it feel urgent and like the characters are continuously fighting a losing battle. Because of this, the show flies by and leaves you wanting so much more by the time it’s finished. Causing you to keep it alive by doing your own research into the real life cases, as well as trying to analyze your friends and their motives because you totally know how to do that now. Let’s hope Fincher’s request for five seasons comes true because I could watch Holden Ford give uneasy glances at strangers all day.

Swift then delivers what is arguably her sharpest bridge in her discography. She references her and her lover’s past heartbreaks and how they have lead the couple to each other while evoking a sing song wedding vow, “Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?/With every guitar string scar on my hand/I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover/My heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue.” The middle of the tracklist is the absolute highlight of the album, with a series of roll-downyour-windows-and-blast-at-fullvolume feel good pop jams. Swift drops a low, sassy vocal groove before exploding into a Carly Rae Jepsen-style chorus in the song “I Think He Knows.” “Paper Rings” features driving electric guitars, sparkling synths and a shout-along vocal bridge à la mid-2000’s Avril Lavigne. In an album filled with love songs “Cornelia Street,” is the truest love song of them all. In the piece, Swift considers how the pain of losing her significant other

would affect her and whether she could ever go back to the places where she shared memories with her love. The final leg of the album starts to drag with overproduced and redundant tracks such as “London Boy” and lead single “ME!”. “London Boy” is yet another song about how much Taylor Swift loves her boyfriend, but this time with eye rolling anglicisms and rugby. “ME!”, featuring Brendon Urie, feels overproduced and frenetic following the tight and catchy pop anthems Swift delivered earlier in the track listing. Her heartfelt and vulnerable lyrics are completely absent here, instead handing the audience line such as: “Hey, kids!/Spelling is fun!/Girl, there ain’t no I in “team”/But you know there is a me.” At an hour long, “Lover” begins to feel bloated at parts and it would have served the album well to trim the fat. However, there exists a solid 45 minute album of Taylor Swift’s catchiest and most earnest songs to date.

Taylor Swift’s “Lover” delivers on pop anthems, catchy love songs Kazashi McLaughlin Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: Taylor Swift is in love and she is letting the world know in her latest full length LP, “Lover,” which was released on Aug. 23. Walking back from the darker themes and grittier production found all over her previous album, Taylor returns to form, delivering bombastic chorus after bombastic chorus on top of glittering synthesizer beats. The themes on this album are familiar ones to Swift fans. Love songs and heartache anthems have been Taylor’s lyrical bread and butter since the very beginning, when she burst onto the mainstream consciousness as a Nashville darling. This time around however, Swift’s romances are matured past the fleeting girlhood loves of “Tim McGraw” and “You Belong with Me.” She sings of lifelong companionship and anxieties associated with

Image from Taylor Swift via Youtube While bloated, Swift’s new album proves to be full of her trademark pop lyrics.

maintaining those long term relationships. The preoccupation about how her damaged reputation has now taken a backseat to bright celebrations of her lover and heartfelt contemplations of losing him. Swift opens the album with “I Forgot That You Existed,” an ode to any who have slighted her in the past. Piano interpolated into a lighthearted synth loop back Swift’s bouncy delivery and sweet vocal melodies make up

for the irony of Swift writing a song about how indifferent she is to her would be haters. The title track, “Lover,” is a floating waltz of a love song with a stripped back, reverbed acoustic arrangement and wandering bass. In the opening verse of the song, Swift gives an intimate account of creating a home with her significant other, a space only for them. “We could leave the Christmas lights ‘til January/This is our place, we make the rules.”

LAKER REVIEW

FRIDAY, Sept. 6 2019

'Control' provides exciting adventure into cosmic unknown

Image from PlayStation via YouTube Jesse Faden (Courtney Hope) taking her first steps into the Federal Bureau of Control in New York City.

Stephen Novak Asst. Laker Review Editor snovak@oswegonian.com

“Control” is the newest game by Remedy Entertainment, known for their attempts to emulate Hollywood films. The game opens with Jesse Faden, a seemingly innocuous woman entering a New York City department of the “Federal Bu-

reau of Control,” a branch of government dedicated to dispatch agents around the world to deal with otherworldly phenomenon. Think of “Men in Black” meets “Rick and Morty”. Things quickly spiral as the only person in charge dies, which leads to Jesse being labeled as the Bureaus new “director.” What this means, or why, is left for the player to discover. The storytelling over all is a mixed bag, the game is able to set up strong in-

trigue and leave players with a lot of questions but at the same time, is more than happy to do incredibly goofy things like introduce an omniscient janitor, magical carousels and tons of watercooler talk happening right next to beings from realities incomprehensible to our own, a lot of which is thrown in fairly early on. Jesse comes off as an aloof character. While at first her inner monologue seems to be that of

someone thinking things through, it becomes clearer that she’s talking to the deity inside her mind, which gives her the appearance of a madwoman. However, audiences will likely still find themselves rooting for her as her goals are fairly sympathetic. The gameplay is based around a very fluid chain of jumps, dashes and telekinetic blasts that never cease to be exciting until the frame rate issues start up. While your repertoire of psychic abilities looks spectacular as you rip concrete from its frame and lob it at a flying zombie, it also means that depending on your console of choice, this review was done with a normal PS4, players could experience game stutter and glitches. Many of the later battles will bring Jesse into larger areas with more enemies and what should be a swashbuckling adventure gets bogged down and turned into a drip feed because of the strain put on the console. This also leaks onto the

in-game map. While the environment itself does a good job of signposting each department in the building, having to navigate the map is still difficult. The map itself will occasionally glitch, and the poorly drawn series of spiraling stairways does not translate well into 2D. This is a bit of a shame when everything else fits together so well. The story can be very absorbing at times and when the frame rate can be tamed the tactical mixture of taking cover, shooting and controlling time and space is a blast. The documents scattered throughout the map each function as a bizarre short story of their own and the sheer otherworldliness of the “Oldest House” is captivating. Audiences will find the opening intrigue enough to really sell Control, especially if they are familiar with things like the SCP Foundation and Remedy’s previous stories. The game is only slightly hindered by poor optimization and level design.

The Dark Crystal becomes both nostalgia trip and nightmare fuel Lucas Fernandez Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Rating: Look out world, the 80s revival is rolling in strong right on the heels of "Stranger Things" season three and coming up ahead of "It: Chapter Two," and "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance". Considering the fact that the film is pulled straight out of Jim Henson's warped dreams and definitely scarred generations of unsuspecting children, it’s hard to figure out who was brave enough to front the money for it. As it stands, Netflix has released a tenepisode prequel series that expands upon the world of the film and the mythical planet Thra, inhabited by the evil bird-lizards, the Skeksis; the kingdoms of the heroic, fairy-like Gelfling; the meek, unintelligible Podlings; and a host of puppet animals and plants. There are a mix of feelings that greet audiences upon viewing, let's start with what did not work so well. The original film carried a rustic

whimsy that mainly came from the genius puppeteering that holds the piece together. The technical prowess of Jim Henson ("The Storyteller") combined with the concept design of fantasy artist Brian Froud (“Faeries’ Tales”) created a unique atmosphere and artistic thumbprint that has made the film so beloved. This series is a much higher concept than the film and as a result requires larger sets, more dynamic action, and more creatures. The world must be supplemented with computer animation and it drains the essence from the final product. It is often obvious when computer models are standing in for puppets during certain scenes and the contrast between puppets and computer creatures in the background ranges from mildly uncomfortable to cringeworthy. Practical effects and sets create a lasting physical presence. Computer equivalents are too sterile, and it removes the sense of “long, long ago” required for this type of story. The other problem is not as large but should still be noted. At times the writing feels as though it is trying

to emulate more grounded shows like “Game of Thrones” or “House of Cards.” Doing so robs the show of much needed magical absurdity found in the film, and fails to flesh out the world and characters with the vibrancy and color they so desire. This diminishes significantly in the second half of the season, thankfully, when the mythic quest takes center stage and the previously predictable story elements are tied together in a truly magical way, and what seemed run-of-the-mill becomes strange and delightful. On to the good. When the show uses real puppets, they are phenomenal. From the odious Skeksis with their heavy breathing, heaving bodies to the numerous alien fauna that litter every frame and the delicate Gelfling heroes, the puppetry is some of the most impressive audiences will see on television these days. Of particular note is the puppet for the cantankerous Mother Augrah, a hideous wise woman and protector of Thra, whose every movement is riddled with personality. She was the best character in the show and is the most genuine part

Image from Gamespot via YouTube The world mixes computer graphics and physical puppetry for a rustic effect.

of the cast. All of the cast give worthwhile performances, with special note going to the Skeksis Chamberlain, or Skeksil (Simon Pegg, “Lost Transmissions”) who hams it up so perfectly, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Motherless Brooklyn”) as the princess Seladon, whose character arc helps to take the series’ story to new heights. Beyond the puppets and the acting, the complex worldbuilding is something to be appreciated. Henson and Froud created the world of Thra long ago, and the

movie only showed us a fraction of it. The chance to explore the unique magical ecosystem and history of that world is what gives this series an extra edge. If audiences can get past some of the clumsier new additions to the product and make it to the halfway mark of the season, they are sure to be satisfied with a surprisingly clever fairy tale that, despite some production missteps, still captures the wonder of the eldritch magic in “The Dark Crystal”.

FRIDAY, Sept. 6, 2019

Crossword Puzzle

Across

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

1. Slightly hot 5. Talkative 9. 60 secs 12. Bread spread 13. Make over 14. Fruit beverage 15. Hot and cold, e.g. 17. River SP 18. Piece of business 20. Foreign 22. Has supper 23. Pres. Coolidge 24. Put down 29. Woolly mama 30. Regarding 31. Compass reading (abbr) 35. Bowler’s Target 36. Fleshy fruit 39. Pile up 41. Disgusting thing

46. According to 47. Make up 50. Skill 51. Bullets, for short 52. Foot part 53. Depot (abbr.) 54. Christmas word 55. Tavern drinks

Down 1. Court romantically 2. Swiss moutain 3. Cold-blooded animal 4. Actor Roger ___ 5. Big smile 6. Allows 7. Suggestion 8. Pear type 9. “West Side Story” Character 10. Simpleton 11. Advertising Lights

16. Open shoe 19. ___-gallon hat 20. Fighter pilot 21. Regulation 25. Subside 26. Homers bartender 27. Italy’s cont. 28. Reach 31. Kind of dog 32. Family mem. 33. Naval off. 34. Upper limb 36. Fathers 37. ___ & Roeper 38. Major artery 40. Coffee flavor 42. Mideast nation 43. Disney clownfish 44. Peak. 45. Implement 48. Grant’s enemy 49. Raised railways

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

LAKER REVIEW

The cashier working the lunch line of Dewberry Elementary School was unremarkable, save for her bright blue hair. She was in her mid-fifties and thin as a toothpick. She was shaky, and rattled and addled by bottles and bottles of prescription pills. Her name was Sylvia. Blue was not her natural hair color, it had been blonde most of her life until it turned gray, undesirable in a world which cared only about being young. She tried dying it blonde to exterminate the gray, but her great-nephew thought it hilarious to switch her blonde dye with blue. It was really very funny and mostly everyone in her family had a good laugh about it, scarcely hiding laughs from the culprit. The joke wore off when Sylvia liked blue better and had been dying it blue ever since. So be it. A fly buzzed around, inspecting Sylvia’s blue hair. The fly had no facilities for understanding hair, or the color blue, or what was amusing about a sober and serious old lady with bright blue hair working, working and working. It was not bothered by these shortcomings. The fly landed on her cheek, and she smacked at it hard, the fly darting away just in time. The only thing Sylvia achieved was a bright red mark. This elicited laughs from a few kids near the register, and from some teachers as well. Those kids smacked themselves in parody, then each other willy-nilly. An English teacher came over, a haggard old man most at home on a barstool, he broke up the commotion and order was restored. The fly buzzed among lunch trays, finally settling on the tip of a seemingly abandoned straw stuck in a tiny carton of milk. What did Sylvia want? Sylvia wanted to retire, to not feel so alone and she wanted life to have some semblance of meaning. She had always expected it to come, she was still waiting and she wanted to stop taking so many pills. The fly saw Jimmy slowly, incrementally make his way to the front of the line. Sylvia saw herself as a tough, no-nonsense role model to all those kids, even though they would have to make all the wrong choices to wear her shoes. Jimmy finally reached Sylvia, who held her hand out to receive payment, currency. Without traces of a grin, without the slightest air of mischief, Jimmy reached into his bag, pulled out a big, fat wad of grass and pressed it firmly into her outstretched hand. The fly seemed embarrassed by all of this, so it tucked itself into the opening of the straw, with just its eyes and furry front forceps showing from the top. The fly felt very comfortable, and it was content. The cashier took the wad of grass, stuffed it into the register and did the same for the

next kid in line, again and again. She was very businesslike, very efficient and proud all at the same time. Jimmy sat alone and ate his food. This was his tradition, he had an oversized imagination on an undersized stature and so he sat and imagined all sorts of jazzy things. He drew a picture of a green rectangle; it had a portrait of an old man on the front. Jimmy didn’t know who that old man was, but he sure didn’t stop there. He also drew a triangle with an eyeball off to one side and circled it for effect, and then drew a little stamp on the other side. He even wrote “In God We Trust” on the back. He thought about it and to him it seemed grass was unrelated to the things it was traded for. This was worrisome, as many people didn’t have enough grass to live and there were even kids who couldn’t pay to eat at school, all while extra food was dumped every day, only in order to preserve the value of the grass. They couldn’t give stuff away, that would break the system. That would weaken the value of grass. It’s mathematics. He didn’t like thinking about that and so he stopped. Then he thought about how cool it would be to have superpowers. He crumpled up his drawing and threw it away. A little girl returned to the lunch tray she’d abandoned in order to trade grass for a cookie. Upon returning, she picked up her little milk carton and sucked a swig through the straw. She felt a strange tickling feeling on the back of her tongue and down her throat, just as if she’d swallowed the tip to a cotton swab. She didn’t think much about it.

S h o r t S t o r y b y Au s t i n M a l o n e

Oswego Cinema 7 Fri. Sept 6 - Sun. Sept 8 IT: Chapter Two

11:30 AM

1:00 PM

3:00 PM

4:30 PM

7:00 PM

9:55 PM

10:55 PM

Good Boys

1:20 PM

3:30 PM

5:40 PM

7:50 PM

10:10 PM

Angel has Fallen

11:40 AM

2:220 PM

5:00 PM

7:40 PM

10:20 PM

Ready or Not

12:30 PM

2:45 PM

5:15 PM

7:30 PM

9:45 PM

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

8:00 PM

Shea McCarthy

Jacob Fallat