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WebAssign Issues

Students upset at length of physics assignments

Jan. 5-23 ~ oswego.edu/winter

Friday, Nov. 7, 2014

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VOLUME LXXXI ISSUE IX

KATKO UNSEATS MAFFEI IN CONGRESS

Anticipated close election turns into 20-point win for John Katko in New York’s 24th district; heads to D.C. in January JoAnn DeLauter | Luke Parsnow Asst. News Editor | News Editor lparsnow@oswegonian.com jdelauter@oswegonian.com

epublican candidate John Katko defeated Democrat incumbent Dan Maffei for New York’s 24th district in the House of Representatives in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Less than two hours after the polls closed in New York state, Maffei conceded. Katko spoke vibrantly at the Onondaga County Republican headquarters at the Sheraton Hotel at Syracuse University. “Voters are sending a fighter to Washington, I guarantee that,” Katko said. “We have problems in our country, we have problems in this district and we deserve better leadership in Washington.” What was projected to be a close race turned into a land slide as Katko, a former federal prosecutor from Camillus, won by 58.59 percent of the vote compared to Maffei’s 39.22 percent, according to the New York State Board of Elections. Out of the 192,034 people who voted, Katko received 112,522 votes and Maffei received 75,315. JoAnn DeLauter | The Oswegonian Congressman-elect John Katko gives his victory speech at the Onondaga County Republican headquarters at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel last Tuesday night after incumbent Dan Maffei conceded.

Yik Yak raises campus safety concerns JoAnn DeLauter Asst. News Editor jdelauter@oswegonian.com

CONTENT

College campuses across the country have banned or considered banning Yik Yak in an effort to deflect the negative effects of the anonymous social media app. Yik Yak is an anonymous social media app that all posts, called Yaks, can be on any topic which can be viewed and commented on within the near vicinity of a smartphone’s GPS-determined location. On Oct. 6, USA Today reported that schools in Vermont, New Mexico and Chicago have banned Yik Yak in reaction to a rise in bullying. In September, Norwich

Calendar...........................C2 Classified..........................C7 Crossword.........................C6 Contact Info......................A2 Laker Review.....................C1 News.................................A1 Opinion............................B5 Sports...............................B1 Sudoku.............................C6

University in Vermont blocked access to Yik Yak on the college computer network to combat issues raised. On Oct. 24 a student at SUNY Canton reported two threats to the school via Yik Yak that led the school into lockdown. According to The Syracuse Post-Standard, it wasn’t until a second threat was made that administrators decided to take action. “The lockdown was enacted due to an abundance of caution, and the entire campus community came together calmly to do what was needed,” said Travis Smith, acting director of public relations at SUNY Canton. “Fortunately, we have apprehended the individual allegedly responsible and

Cuomo wins another term as governor Republican candidate Rob Astorino loses bid for governor by 13 points Seamus Lyman Editor-in-Chief slyman@oswegonian.com Gov. Andrew Cuomo was re-elected to another 4-year term in office on Tuesday in a Democratic Party sweep of statewide elections. According to the New York State Board of Elections unofficial election result tracker, Cuomo and his lieutenant governor running mate Kathy Hochul won with 52.5 percent of the vote over Republican

See YIK YAK, A5

Sports KEEP IT COOL

David Armelino| The Oswegonian

See KATKO, A4

See CUOMO, A4

Photo provided by the Governor’s Office Andrew Cuomo being sworn into office for his first term in 2011, the same oath he will take in January.

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Stephen Musacchio, 19, was arrested on Nov. 1 at 1:11 a.m. at 230 W. Bridge St. for public lewdness, criminal mischief and unlawful possession of marijuana.

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Dylan Decuffa, 21, was arrested on Nov. 1 at 2:18 a.m. at the corner of West Bridge Street and West Third Street for disorderly conduct and criminal mischief in the 3rd degree.

Brian Lamond, 31, was arrested on Nov. 1 at 5:30 p.m. at 341 State Route 104 for petit larceny.

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TC Ingleston, 23, was arrested on Nov. 1 at 12:06 p.m. at 169 W. Second St. for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

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Donald Letendre, 19, was arrested on Nov. 1 at 12:40 a.m. at the corner of West Third Street and West Bridge Street for an open container violation.

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Clark Grabb, 19, was arrested on Nov. 1 at 12:40 a.m. at the corner of West Third Street. and West Bridge Street for an open container violation.

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POLICE

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

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WEEKEND WEATHER Weather by Andrew Janiszeski | Graphics by Devon Nitz

Friday

Saturday

Angel Hernandez, 18, was arrested on Nov. 1 at 9:13 p.m. at 253 Syracuse Ave. for criminal possession of stolen property. Nicholas Altaro, 22, was arrested on Nov. 1 at 11:15 p.m. at 26 NW. Ninth St. for a noise ordinance violation. Vincent St. James, 23, was arrested on Nov. 2 at 12:38 a.m. at 151 W. Seneca St. for a noise ordinace violation. Kenneth Hutchinson, 26, was arrested on Nov. 2 at 1:13 p.m. at 341 State Route 104 for petit larceny. Edward Perry, 27, was arrested on Nov. 2 at 2:55 p.m. at the corner of Syracuse Ave. and Scriba St. for assault with intent to cause injury to an officer and resisting arrest.

High: 41

Low: 32

Sunday

Edward Pappa, 45, was arrested on Nov. 2 at 4:41 p.m. at 48 Ellen St. for resisting arrest.

High: 42

Low: 35

High: 45

Low: 38

Following a wet Thursday, much colder air moving into the region will end the rain as some wet snow Friday evening. Expect little if any snow accumulation. Saturday and Sunday will feature more precipitation, mostly rain, and rather chilly conditions as well. High temperatures will only be in the low to mid 40s with a raw breeze to make it feel truly like November. Much colder air looks to pour across the region as we head into next week.

NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Anyone want to know why I am wearing a purple tie? It is a combination of red and blue because we all have to come together, Democrats and Republicans.”

-- John Katko, Congressman-elect

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

WebAssign causes students to petition Students appeal to physics department over online homework length

This semester, all labs for college physics and general university physics classes adapted the online homework system WebAssign for the pre-lab assignments. The new assignments have upset some students in the course, which is the largest in the physics department and is required for most STEM majors. Students protested the length and bugginess of the new prelabs, circulating a petition and plastering copies around Shineman Science Center, bringing the department to change its policies. Unlike pre-lab assignments in previous semesters, which focused narrowly on a few questions related to the week’s experiment, the new online pre-labs were designed to accomplish broader goals. These include review problems in algebra and material that was not yet covered in lecture. Anne Caraley of the physics department took a sabbatical from teaching this semester in order to develop and maintain the new online pre-labs. They are created through WebAssign, an online homework system with automated grading. According to the company’s website, WebAssign is used by over 2,300 educational institutions. The department chose this system in order to address the fact that the 250 students who enroll in the labs start with very different levels of competency for the material. “The pre-labs were designed at providing a solid background in introductory physics, strengthening students’ algebra skills and preparation for the upcoming lab,”said Sashi Kanbur, the physics department chair, in a statement on behalf of the department. “They were developed during the summer and during the fall as part of Dr. Caraley’s sabbatical project.” There were, however, a number of unpleasant surprises with the new pre-labs. Caraley expected each assignment to take an hour to complete for those who had already developed mastery and two hours for novices. The WebAssign software allowed Caraley to see how long students spent on each pre-lab, but she could not tell whether they were actively working on the problems or merely had them open. Therefore, she did not have an estimate of how much time students were really spending. Many students, however, claimed to take more time than one to two hours. This is in addition to other work for the lab, including weekly reports and a quiz. “Most people I spoke with said a pre-lab would take them four to six hours to complete on average,” said Brice Rebeor, a senior geology major who started the student pe-

tition against WebAssign. Rebeor thought in addition to being unreasonably long, the online pre-labs suffered from many other problems. “WebAssign often does not accept equivalent answers,” Rebeor said. “Sometimes it accepts the wrong answers, which puzzles and discourages students. The wording of the questions is often confusing. Similar questions would be repeated two, three times. The tolerance for the significant figures in the answers is so strict that you have to carry through a dozen decimal places into each part of calculation to get an answer right. And we had to deal with all of this while teaching ourselves the concepts necessary to do these problems.” Kenny Roffo, a junior physics, math and computer science major, saw the same problems when tutoring for the two physics classes. “A lot of people came to me for help on the pre-labs,” Roffo said. “But I find it difficult to help. My job is to make sure my tutees understand the material. When I’m sure they are using the right method to solve problems but they still get the answer wrong, it’s really frustrating.” Roffo, who has had an interest in physics, said he understood the frustration of students taking the lab. “If I had to do these pre-labs in my first year, I would still be a physics major because I already had a passion for physics,” Roffo said. “But if I was just considering majoring in physics, the pre-labs would be very discouraging to pursue it further.” Many students took issue with the new pre-labs right from the start of the semester. It wasn’t uncommon for pre-class discussions to be devoted to complaining about WebAssign. “People started to complain about WebAssign starting the first week of labs, and kept complaining as the semester went on,” said Ian Evans, a freshman physics major taking the lab. The physics department claimed it was keeping abreast with any problems with the pre-labs upon their introduction. According to a statement issued by the physics department, “the department was continually monitoring the program from the start. Making immediate changes one or two weeks from the inception did not make sense.” The only item of feedback for which the students were explicitly asked in the first few weeks was a question about the references they used to complete each assignment. The complaints students were voicing were largely within talk among their peers. Dale Zych, a physics professor who teaches two lab sections, said he only got feedback about the pre-labs when he asked the students for it. The feedback he got suggested little more to him than vague discontentment about the length of the assignments. Mohammad Islam, a physics professor who teaches one lab, had a similar experience. “I never had a student approach me with a problem about the pre-labs,” he said. Neither Caraley nor Kanbur, the two professors in the best position to make changes to WebAssign, are teaching sections of the lab. Kanbur teaches one section of lecture. It was not until a Sunday in mid-October that Caraley became aware of the significant figures issues with the prelabs, after helping a student with an assignment via email. “Until that particular Sunday, I had no clear details of what students were experiencing,” Caraley said. She announced she was changing the tolerance of the answers and asked students how she could make up for the difficulties they had been experiencing. This lack of an explicit avenue for feedback differs from what is typically considered good practice in the rollout of a new software project. James Early, a computer science professor

currently teaching software quality, described how software developers approach their work. “What we strive for is a process that involves testing with the user from the very beginning,” Early said. “We call it user-centered design. That’s the ideal.” At the beginning of October, Rebeor became frustrated enough to compose a petition with complaints he had come to believe students shared and sent it around in his physics classes. “Nobody had anything bad to say when I brought out the petition. The general reaction was ‘I’ll sign it,’” Rebeor said. The petition collected over 80 signatures, including some students not taking the class. He brought the petition to Kanbur but did not get the response he was hoping to get. “Every time I went to see Dr. Kanbur, he would tell me to give it another week, give it another week and wait to see what the next pre-lab is like,” Rebeor said. “All the time I knew something was wrong with WebAssign, and I couldn’t let it keep going for another week. I decided that I had to go to the dean.” Rebeor went to Brad Korbesmeyer, the associate dean of arts and sciences, to see what could be done. “The people best fit to make decisions about the curriculum are those that teach it, not the dean’s office,” Korbesmeyer said. “I suggested that the department should look into reviewing their policy.” A few days later, an unidentified student posted copies of the petition on the doors of physics faculty and elsewhere around the science center. They were soon taken down. Roffo, who signed the petition, now expresses some regrets about it. “I was rash and thought I should sign it to help my tutees,” Roffo said. “Now I look back on the petition and see that some of the wordings were a little hurtful and personal. I feel really horrible about that, and I’m sorry. Most people just signed it without reading it because they thought it would fix the pre-labs.” The physics department declined to comment on the petition. For the past few weeks, the department had been working on fixing the issues with the pre-lab and deciding how to reconcile the difficulties students had been experiencing. Last week, the department settled on a solution. “The department implemented a new policy regarding the pre-labs in WebAssign and communicated this to students. We feel this policy is fair to all whilst still maintaining the integrity of the program,” the department said. The pre-labs were shortened for the rest of the semester, and everyone’s pre-lab grades were raised by 50 percent for the whole semester. Rebeor approves of these changes but still thinks that many problems with the WebAssign pre-labs remain unresolved. He also questions why the department thinks it is appropriate to treat students as a means for testing the quality of the pre-labs. “This policy is an exceptional reward and should be taken with grace and respect because we, the students, should recognize that the physics professors and lab instructors have put in an exceptional amount of time just to help us,” Rebeor said. Rebeor is already thinking about pre-labs in college physics II and general university physics II, the next required course in the physics sequence for many STEM majors. “If the issues continue into next semester, verily I say that I will step up once again,” Rebeor said. The nature of next semester’s pre-labs has not been finalized. But the department is intent to move forward in a positive way. “Even with some growing pains, we are committed to the educational value of pre-lab programs,” the physics department said. The author is currently taking the lab and signed the petition.

The Student Association held its eighth meeting of the semester Tuesday evening. The number of senators needed to make quorum was satisfied. One new senator took the oath of office on the SA constitution and was sworn in to the senate. The minutes from last week’s meeting and the agenda for the current meeting were both approved. There was one guest to the senate. Donald E. Albright briefed the senate on his reading of financial statements. He said he would go over SA’s audit financial reports for 2013 and 2014 and will speak to SA Finance Director Elena Sanchez for further questions. In executive reports, SA President Tucker Sholtes then spoke to the senate. The big topic for the week was planning for the SUNY Student Assembly Conference Oswego State is hosting Nov. 7 to 9. There is a town hall meeting Friday evening and a Saturday breakfast with Oswego State President Deborah Stanley, followed by a formal dinner

Saturday evening. SA senators will also be attending Saturday’s hockey game. Sholtes said he attended SUNY ACT conference last weekend, which featured a lot of presentations. He also said he learned a lot about budgeting and that the conference leaders did an overview of all capital projects in Oswego and highlighted Rice Creek and Shineman Center. Sholtes also went to SUNY Con Conference, where he learned how to drive change for collective impact in higher education and plans to put together a committee that will drive large-scale changes. Sholes added that he purchased “Growing Cities,” a documentary about urban gardening and he wants to have a public showing of it with a potluck dinner with Auxiliary Services and local businesses. There’s been more headway with the alternative Bridge Street Run concert. Sholtes said a name for the event is still being looked at. He is looking to possibly call it “OzFest.” Bids for artists were also put out last week. Oswego State is planning to make its own

version of an “It’s On Us” video, a sexual assault prevention measure that was launched in September by the Obama administration. The Oswego State administration hopes to launch its own video by Nov. 18. Sholtes reported he is working with Sen. Emily Nassir on making student discount cards for local businesses and working with Assistant Director of Student Affairs Katie Weber to buy new signage for local businesses to encourage students to behave properly when off campus and keep the college’s image positive. SA Vice President Neely Laufer reported that she is looking to bring senators back to campus the weekend before the beginning of the spring semester to do senator trainings. If that happens, Laufer said every expense will be paid for. Laufer also reminded senators to log their office hours on Laker Life. Sen. Jillian Kranz checks them regularly. Finance Director Elena Sanchez then took the floor to speak to the senate. She told senators to come ask questions if anyone did not understand something auditor Albright

Kimberlyn Bailey | The Oswegonian Brice Rebeor holds the petition sent to the departmemt.

Kimberlyn Bailey Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com

The Agenda

Our weekly list of what to do in Oswego Global Awareness Conference, themed “Solutions to Inequality,” Friday at 5:30 p.m. in Hart Hall. Women’s Ice Hockey vs. SUNY Cortland, Friday in the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena at 7 p.m.

Sonali Samarasinghe will discuss “Silenced Voices: The Call of Conscience” in the basement of Hart Hall, Friday at 7 p.m. Swimming and Diving vs. Clarkson University at Laker pool in Laker Hall, Saturday at 1 p.m.

Skate Away Diabetes, rollerblading fundraiser in Swetman Gymnasium, Saturday at 7 p.m.

Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Cortland, Saturday in the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena at 1 p.m.

Giant shoebox gift-packing party providing gift-filled boxes to impoverished children, Sunday at 1 p.m. in the activity court in the Marano Campus Center. Talk: “Humor in Poetry,” Monday in the Marano Campus Center, Room 132 at 3 p.m.

Documentary film: “Freedom without Walls” playing Monday in the Marano Campus Center, Room 255 at 4:30 p.m. Bassoonist Gregory Quick’s concert, Wednesday in the Sheldon Hall Ballroom at 7:30 p.m.

Lecture: “Blogging While Female,” Thursday in the Marano Campus Center, Room 132 at 6 p.m.

explained. Sanchez said she has been updating insurance and making a huge binder of information for her successor. She is open to the Finance Committee’s input. She also asked anyone who was interested in joining the budget council to let her know. Anyone already on the budget council should send her their class schedules for the spring semester once they are finalized. Sholtes’s Chief of Staff Ryan Hopf then addressed the senate. Hopf said all new directors have been hired but a new graphic design director is needed as the former one resigned last week. Hopf also acknowledged the assistant director of Greek affairs, which would work on a positive image campaign for Greeks with the Greek council and is working to go to local business and alcohol awareness programs. Hopf also discussed how he has been talking with the director of academic affairs on wanting to change the way teaching assistants are chosen, and some TAs are not doing anything for credit or doing a lot for no credit. They have also discussed attempt-

ing to make it mandatory for all majors to have an internship program of some sort to encourage “learning outside the classroom.” Hopf said he talked with Sholtes about starting an academic registration survey to see how students feel about the current registration process and possibly make means to change it. In committee reports, Student Involvement Committee Chair Shantol Williams said the committee talked about “Meet Your Senator” posters, presence on social media, the “Miss-aMeal” event and several directors came to talk. Finance Committee Chair Tyler Jodeit said he needs bills to examine during meetings. There were no hall council reports. In senate research forum, the topic of student discount cards for local businesses was discussed again. There were no special or general orders. There was no new legislation this week. There were no senator issues. The SA senate meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Lanigan 102. All meetings are open to the public.

NEWS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

Maffei loses to Katko KATKO from COVER

Source: New York State Board of Elections

Lily Choi | The Oswegonian

Democrats see string of victories in New York state races

CUOMO from COVER challenger Rob Astorino and Chris Moss with 39.6 percent. Astorino, the Westchester County executive, and Moss, the Chemung County sheriff, won 46 of the 62 counties in New York, but that was not enough to take control of the state from Cuomo. Notably, Green Party candidate for governor, Howie Hawkins, garnered 4.7 percent of the vote, putting his party on the D-line for ballots in the future. In Oswego County, Cuomo was at a disadvantage with 36.7 percent while Astorino received 54.8 percent. Hawkins gained 5.7 percent of the vote in the county. According to the NYS BOE, there are 68,709 registered voters in Oswego County. However, according to election

night results, 28,136 voters casted ballots at the polls. On Astorino’s campaign Facebook page, a picture of the Astorino and Moss families along with a thank you to supporters was posted. “Sheila and I thank you for the tremendous amount of support you have shown my campaign over the last several months. We fought hard together in an effort to better the state we can all call home. Thank you for the time you dedicated to making phone calls, knocking on doors and reaching out to friends and family on my behalf. Your support gives me faith that New York will, one day, be great again,” the thank you post signed by Astorino read. Cuomo’s Facebook page had a thank you note to supporters as well. “Thank you, New York. Four years

ago you honored me with the opportunity to serve as your governor, and tonight, you have done so again. It is a privilege to be your governor, a solemn duty, and a chance to serve the state that I have loved my entire life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Now let’s get back to work,” Cuomo’s post read. Meanwhile, Thomas DiNapoli was re-elected as state comptroller over his Republican challenger Robert Antonacci with 58.9 percent to 34.6 percent. Antonacci is the Onondaga County comptroller. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman gained 52.7 percent of the vote to win over Republican John Cahill, who received 39.4 percent of the vote. Cahill was the chief of staff for former Gov. George Pataki. Cuomo will be re-sworn into office on Jan. 19, 2015.

According to a September poll conducted by the Siena Research Institute, Maffei led Katko by eight points. By the following month in late October, Katko started to swing back with a 10-point lead over Maffei. In anticipation of a close race in the campaign’s final days, Rep. Maffei got a state supreme court order last Monday to impound all voting machines in the district once polls closed. “I love a challenge and I said to myself, ‘We deserve better for this district and we deserve better for this country and what we have, both sides of the aisles, it is not just a Republican thing and not just a Democrat thing,’” Katko said. “We deserve better out of our leaders, we deserve to have better than a 10 percent approval rate for our congressmen. And you know, what we got to keep trying to get things better and that’s why I came into the race.” The district’s race reflected the results of the rest of the country, with the GOP winning big races for state governors, House representatives, and gaining a majority in the Senate for the first time since 2006. “It sends a message,” Katko said. “It sends a message that people want change and want moderation and they listen to that.” Katko ended election night by leading the polls for all four counties that make up the 24th District. In Cayuga County, Katko led 62 percent to Maffei’s 35 percent; Onondaga County, Katko led 56 percent to Maffei’s 42.26 percent; Oswego County, Katko led 62 percent to Maffei’s 34 percent and Wayne County, Katko led 67 percent to Maffei’s 29 percent. Despite his big wins, Katko did not take the opportunity to praise Republicans but embraced his hope for pursuing bipartisanship in the 114th Congress. “Anyone want to know why I am wearing a purple tie?” Katko asked his crowd of supporters. “It is a combination of red and blue because we all have to come together, Democrats and Republicans.” Katko extended his many thanks to his family and friends as he accounted for the effort they put forward on the campaign. The victor was passionate about the changes he plans to bring for the district and the representation he plans to bring to Washington, D.C. “We have some work to do, there is no question about it, and I’m not going starry eyed thinking we are going to light the world on fire,” Katko said. “When you have unemployment startlingly high here and manufacturers continuing to leave, we have to do something about it. I have a seven-point economic plan and we are going to do our best to get it into place.” Around 10:40 p.m. on Election Night, Rep. Maffei entered the Onondaga County Democratic headquarters at the Oncenter in Syracuse and expressed his disappointment in the election results. “We all love New York, we all love our region, we all love our country,” Maffei said. “And in our country, in our Democratic system, elections don’t always have the outcomes that we want.” Maffei thanked his family and fellow sup-

Luke Parsnow | The Oswegonian Dan Maffei loses election for the third time since 2008.

porters for their help over the years and effort in his latest campaign. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to represent the people of Central New York in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Maffei said. “I want to thank the thousands of Central New Yorkers who have joined me throughout this race and dedicated their time, energy and resources to support my campaign.” Maffei’s loss is his third defeat in eight years and the district’s fourth consecutive party flipflop – from Democrat to Republican, Democrat to Republican – since Maffei was first elected in 2008. Maffei lost the seat to Republican Ann Marie Buerkle in 2010 and then took it back in a rematch election with Buerkle in 2012. According to the archives of the U.S. House of Representatives website, only one other district in Congress (Arizona’s 1st congressional district) had changed t parties three times since Barack Obama’s first t election and had the chance to change again a b fourth time Tuesday. Previous to Maffei’s first q election six years ago, the district had voted Republican for nearly 40 straight years. f “I think what we’re seeing in this district t is a bellwether for what’s going on around the T country,” Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner t said. “You’re seeing the country kind of go w back and forth as both parties struggle to find a g message and a record of accomplishment.” t This fluctuation pattern in Central New York w led a lot of national attention to the area from t some well-known figures to sway voters to one side or the other. In the month leading up to Election Day, Vice President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton visited the district to support Maffei. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy came to support Katko. Katko, along with two other Republican candidates, one from northern New York and one from Long Island, were viewed by House Republicans as vital candidates that could defeat their Democrat incumbents, and all did. “Our region faces challenges, but also many opportunities,” Maffei said. “There is much work still to be done, from constituent casework to continuing to move the ball forward with legislative initiatives that will help grow our economy and create jobs. I am dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition with Mr. Katko’s office in the coming months.” Katko will begin his term as the district’s new congressman on Jan. 3, 2015.

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NEWS

Sen. Gillibrand aims to ban microbeads

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

Oswego State decides not to ban Yik Yak

Senator meets with Oswego authorities to discuss microbead production issues

Photo provided by Gillibrand 2010 U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has been urging Congress to pass state and federal legislation to ban microbeads.

Max Edick Contributing Writer news@oswegonian.com

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand recently visited the port of Oswego to discuss urging Congress to pass new legislation to ban plastic microbeads in personal care products that are frequently found in the water of the Great Lakes. Microbeads are the small, plastic spheres found in body washes, face soaps and even toothpastes that help exfoliate the surfaces. They rub against the skin, or enamel, and help the soap clean tougher surfaces. They then wash down the drain where most people forget about them. They are small enough to pass through the water treatment plants and become washed out with the wastewater. In the case of the Oswego area, that leads to Lake Ontario.

“We have to make sure that Congress passes this ban on microbeads because microbeads have already caused significant ecological damage to the Great Lakes region and they will continue to do so until they are removed from the marketplace,” Gillibrand said. “These plastic particles fill the water, attract pollutants and harm not only fish and birds, but the people in this region who rely on them for food and well-being. Banning harmful plastic microbeads is the best solution to this damaging environmental problem.” Meeting with other city officials, Gillibrand expounded on the effect of microbeads in the lake and the need for a ban at the state and federal level. The mayor of Oswego, the port chairman, the chairman of the Oswego Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning and a representative

of Citizens Campaign for the Environment all came out to support her cause. Microbeads float and accumulate in the upper portion of the lake alongside photosynthetic bacteria. These bacteria secrete wastes that attach themselves to the slightly charged and porous microbeads. They become surrounded in a cloak of these natural, toxic wastes. Fish and birds eat the beads, mistaking them for food and become poisoned. The rotting corpses release these orbs back into the ecosystem to wreak more havoc. Because they are made of plastic, they don’t decompose easily. They often last decades and become concentrated in these areas of wastewaters. According to recent reports, there were thousands of plastic particles per square kilometer in Lake Erie and up to 1.1 million particles per square kilometer in Lake Ontario. This could have a devastating effect on the Great Lakes fish populations, hurting the $7 billion recreational fishing industry, tourism industry and the general economic well-being of the entire region. “With 1.1 million plastic particles per square kilometer, the levels of microbeads in Lake Ontario are the highest in the Great Lakes,” said Oswego city Mayor Thomas Gillen. “These microbeads soak up toxins like a sponge and these harmful chemicals can be passed on to humans and wildlife. It is critical for our environment, economy and quality of life to address this danger and ban microbeads.” “Plastic microbeads can accumulate toxic chemicals and be consumed by fish and wildlife,” said Sarah Eckel, the legislative and policy director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “They are unnecessarily polluting New York’s waters, wildlife and threatening public health. Safer, biodegradable, nonpolluting alternatives to plastic microbeads are readily available and cost effective. CCE commends Sen. Gillibrand for her leadership in working to protect the health of the Great Lakes and all of our treasured waterbodies from plastic pollution.” Meanwhile, the plastic microbeads have been banned in Indiana and New York is not the only state discussing banning them altogether. Ohio and California are also considering it. While states discuss it for their own conditions, Gillibrand seeks more national action. “We have to make sure that Congress passes this ban on microbeads,” Gillibrand said. “Banning harmful microbeads is the best solution to this environmental problem.”

ns Lily Choi | The Oswegonian

YIK YAK from COVER the college is moving forward.” According to Julie Blissert, the director for the Office of Public Affairs at Oswego State, SUNY sent out a system-wide notification on Thursday to keep other universities informed. The following morning, Oswego State President Deborah Stanley held a meeting to address campus emergency responses, including questions of what the administration knew about the incident and how they would handle a similar situation. University Police Chief John Rossi played an important role in this meeting along with the president’s council. Discussion on banning Yik Yak was raised SUNY-wide in response. At the administration’s meeting on Oct. 24, they discussed the possibility of banning Yik Yak on Oswego State’s campus. At the end of their discussion, they decided against it, but discussed how they would handle incidents of the same nature. “We felt that [banning Yik Yak] would be an infringement of freedom of speech,” Blissert said. “Yik Yak is just another medium for speech. It doesn’t seem right to ban a whole medium because of particular instances of concerning content and it would likely be futile – another would replace it.” Before the incident in SUNY Canton, high schools had already contacted Yik Yak and banned it in the school due to bullying and harassment. Recent incidents have sparked a conversation for many other schools across the nation. In order to ban the social media site, geological positioning would find the banned location and cancel the program using a

tracking system that is referred to as geofencing. Because of such technology, the site appears anonymous to viewers but it is not. Yik Yak is able to identify its users. “We have discussed geo-fencing Yik Yak,” Smith said. “At this point, we’d rather use this to educate our students about posting threats to social media.” At SUNY Canton, administrators worked with Yik Yak in identifying the suspect. Alexis Vazquez was arraigned in Plattsburgh. He was charged under U.S. Code Title 18 Chapter 14 Section 875, a law that prohibits the transmission of any communication containing a threat to injure any person or persons, which can result up to five years in federal prison. On Nov. 4, stiudent, Jordan Crockett was arrested for allegedly making a bomb threat on Yik Yak at SUNY Albany. Schools have become more aware of the possibility that social media can put their students and faculty in risk of danger. As a result, administrators are prepared to handle these types of incidents. According to Blissert, any communication that is threatening or disturbing that is brought to the attention of college officials is taken seriously and investigated according to criteria established by law enforcement professionals. The administration has an emergency management plan that addresses many possible scenarios including anonymous threats. Overall, University Police have stressed to students to be aware of what they post on social media, threatening or non-threatening. “Using social media is like a fingerprint,” Rossi said. “Any electronic communication can be quickly and easily traced by law enforcement using subpoenas and federal resources.”

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THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

Textbook costs increase, become big factor in choosing classes

Surveys from colleges across the country found that higher textbook prices dissuade students from purchasing books at all

Natalie Brophy Staff Writer news@oswegonian.com College is expensive enough with tuition, room and board and other miscellaneous fees. But every semester, textbooks become an added expense. A recent study from the Government Accountability Office reported that the cost of college textbooks have risen 82 percent from 2002 to 2013. This rising cost is deterring college students from purchasing textbooks for classes. The United States Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) surveyed more than 2,000 college students from over 150 different colleges across the country and found that textbook costs can dissuade students from purchasing books at all and can also affect which classes they choose to take. “I can tell you that professors do talk about this,” said Oswego State Communication Studies professor Gary Ritzenthaler. “In the course I use a textbook for, we looked at all the available options. You want to get the best textbook or the best

resource. The textbook I am using for this class is the cheapest textbook and we did think a lot about that.” The PIRG report determined that 65 percent of students would decide against buying a book they felt was too expensive, 48 percent of students said that textbook cost influenced their course selection and 94 percent of students who chose not to purchase textbooks feared it would negatively impact their grade in the course. “In a perfect world, an instructor uses the textbook to complement their teaching, not to replace their teaching, but also not to be repetitive of their teaching,” said Oswego State bookstore manager Susan Raby. “They go together and give you a great education. If you have a teacher that does that and you don’t have a textbook, you’re missing out on part of your education.” There are some alternatives to buying JoAnn DeLauter | The Oswegonian brand new, expensive textbooks every se- The College Bookstore at Oswego State introduced a 10 percent discount for all new textbooks this year. mester. Many students choose to buy used versions of the textbooks or older editions. using websites like Amazon and Chegg. But bookstore uses competitive pricing on all Some students like to rent their textbooks the Oswego State bookstore is also a good re- used textbooks, as well as discounting all source for finding cheaper books. new textbooks by 10 percent. or purchase e-books. Oswego State has introduced a new pro“We worked really hard to reduce our The best way to save money on textbooks gram this year called Dare to Compare. The prices across the board on all new textis to shop around online for the best prices,

books,” Raby said. “Were we always the least expensive? Maybe not, but we spent a lot of time and dedicated a lot of Auxiliary Services dollars to discounting the prices on new books.” The bookstore also has rental options as well as a buyback program at the end of each semester where students can receive up to half of what they paid for the original textbook. Another way to save a few extra dollars is by purchasing or renting e-books, digital copies of a textbook that can be viewed on a computer, tablet or smartphone. While e-books are a growing trend, many students do not take advantage of the new technology. “Some publisher ’s e-books cost just as much or more than the printed version. E-books cannot be shared with a friend or sold back at the end of the semester,” said Oswego State librarian Emily Thompson. “Students like them better when they get more than 50 percent cheaper than the print book.” Getting good prices on textbooks is not an easy task, but with more options, students do not have to sacrifice their education because they cannot afford the books.

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THE OSWEGONIAN

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VOLUME LXXXI ISSUE IX

SPORTS

• www.oswegonian.com

Editor's Column

FOR NEW SEASON

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FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

Oswego State set up to Season ends for Lakers, Laker Ledger: Composure key in make run at SUNYAC title team still stands proud proving dominance

Steven Cordero Staff Writer sports@oswegonian.com

Andrew Pugliese Sports Editor apugliese@oswegonian.com It has been nine seasons since SUNY Cortland has knocked off Oswego State in men’s ice hockey, but one way the Red Dragons seem to be able to win is by breaking the usual composure of its SUNYAC traveling partner. Last season, the Lakers averaged 10 penalty minutes per game in SUNYAC play, the lowest total in the conference. However, when it came time to play SUNY Cortland, the average ticked up just slightly, especially in the first meeting between the teams on Nov. 9, 2013. When Oswego State headed down I-81 last fall, it committed a season-high eight penalties in arguably its chippiest game of the season. On the other side of the ice, the Red Dragons committed 13 penalties, including two 10-minute game misconducts on sophomores Sean Sullivan and Ryan Wagner, causing their ejections from the game. So far this season, through two games, SUNY Cortland has committed eight penalties, including a game misconduct at Buffalo State on Saturday on junior Jason Kenney. The Lakers have also committed eight penalties through two games, including six trips to the penalty box on opening night at Buffalo State. Although they have had an equal number of penalties, the difference is Oswego State has not had a player ejected from a game as of yet, while SUNY Cortland has. The Lakers are coming off a very impressive opening weekend during which they scored four unanswered goals to come back and defeat Buffalo State and then put up 10 goals in a victory over SUNY Fredonia. So far, so good. But, the Red Dragons seem to have a way with getting in Oswego State’s head, allowing them to keep contests close. In last November’s meeting, it took the Lakers until late in the second period to pull away for a 4-1 victory, and they finished just two for eight on the man advantage, suggesting the strong possibility the win could have been much more comfortable. Saturday night, Oswego State needs to come out with a mindset of staying composed. The Lakers must play especially poised because of the Red Dragons’ tendency to try and get under its opponent’s skin. If the Lakers can stay calm, it should mean minimal play without five men on the ice, capitalizing on what should be numerous power play opportunities and, most importantly, another lopsided victory in their favor. The success of this plan falls a lot on its implementation by the team’s three captains, Bobby Gertsakis, Nick Rivait and Denton King. Last weekend, only Gertsakis took the ice for both games as Rivait and King have battled injuries to start the season. If, for some reason, King and Rivait are not able to go on Saturday night, every man being accountable for himself will be even more crucial than usual. Between transfers and freshmen, newcomers to the Laker roster committed six of the eight penalties at SUNY Cortland last year. The excuse of never experiencing the rough play of the Red Dragons is no longer on the table. Oswego State is a significantly better team than SUNY Cortland once again this season, and it is time to play like it, in all respects. Last season, the Lakers were only able to beat the Red Dragons by scores of 4-1 and 4-2. This season, if Oswego State plays composed, the margin of victory should be even greater.

UPCOMING MATCHES * green indicates home games

David Armelino | The Oswegonian Junior Olivia Zimmerman is one of the top performing new additions to this year's volleyball roster.

Matthew Moran Asst. Sports Editor mmoran@oswegonian.com The Oswego State volleyball team built another successful season this year. Coming off a 20-win season last year, the most in a single season in 20 years, there was a lot to live up to. Even with the historic season, the Lakers still missed out on the SUNYAC playoffs because of their 2-7 conference record. This year, Oswego State finished 5-4 in the SUNYAC, enough to earn the No. 5 seed in this weekend’s SUNYAC Championships held at SUNY New Paltz. Comparing last year to this year, the Lakers strength of schedule was built a lot tougher than it was last year. Oswego State started its season on the road in Colorado Springs to face some tough teams out west that included Colorado College, ranked No. 8 nationally at the time. Head coach J.J. O’Connell, who is in his third season as the head of the program, noted that the tough schedule the Lakers had has prepared them well for the upcoming playoff tournament. “Every weekend was a grind. Every weekend was a battle,” O’Connell said. “We played a lot of four and five set matches to really prepare ourselves for this type of challenge.” To earn the right to be in the playoff tournament, the Lakers had to pull off a huge victory over SUNY Fredonia on Oct. 25 on the Blue Devils’ home court. Oswego State swept the Blue Devils in an impressive victory. One of the players who made a big impact in the match was junior libero Rachael Ruggaber. She had 26 digs and a 8.67 dig/set average, a season high for her. O’Connell mentioned how important she was to the team in the most crucial game of the season. “She pretty much took over Fredonia. Everytime they tried to hit cross-court, she was eating it up. She had a really great match to get us into the SUNYAC playoffs. If we don’t have that defensive anchor, I’m not sure we make it,” O’Connell said. “[The] team played well, but she played exceptional in the match.” Ruggaber has played exceptionally all season in her second year on the team. Coming off last season where she had the most digs on the team with 386, she broke out this year with 578, breaking the program record for digs in a single season. For junior setter Olivia Zimmerman, who is in her first season as a Laker, having Ruggaber as the backbone of the defense has made the team

so much stronger. “Rachael’s someone I always can count on back there in the defensive line. She’s always picking the ball up,” Zimmerman said. “If the ball is deep in the court, I find her back there and she’s picking them up. It’s awesome to play with her.” Junior outside hitter Kelsey Dillon, the leader in kills on the team this season with 260, revealed that Ruggaber had doubts she would even make the team last year. But, because of her hard work, Ruggaber has become one of the most important players to the Lakers. This record-breaking season was something Ruggaber did not plan on having, but she knew she had to raise her level of play after being named one of the captains this season. She also credited getting more chances to be more involved in the gameplay due to the implementation of a new strategy by the coaches throughout the season. “We really talked a lot more about incorporating the defense a lot more instead of treating it as an offensive game, and we’ve done a lot more work this season on defensive work,” Ruggaber said. Along with Ruggaber, the Lakers have a great group of new players that have made their presence known on the court. That includes Zimmerman, who ended the regular season with the most assists with 510, and Jessica Long, third on the team in kills with 169. These new players’ efforts have not gone unnoticed by the team. “Not only do they come and give a lot of talent, they come and give a lot to the court, personality wise,” Ruggaber said. “They’re definitely leaders not only in their positions, but on the court also. They come in their first season here and they’re really taking leadership positions, scoring and just doing what they need to do.” Another one of those new players is Hannah Dahlgren, who finished with 156 kills, fourth most on the team. She and middle blocker Stephanie Bailey are the two seniors on the team and both of them are keys when it comes to winning the point. “We try to get both of them the ball a little more. We know they can both terminate very effectively,” O’Connell said. “They’re two of our better hitters so we’ve worked extra hard to get them the ball more often. We know they’re looking for it. We know they want to put the ball away.” Bailey has been one of the best players on the team since she arrived four

The Oswego State men’s soccer team made the SUNYAC playoffs for the first time in four years this season, and is heading to the offseason with their heads held high. The Lakers started off the season with a win, but then struggled throughout the early part of the season until they were able to right the ship in order to secure the playoff berth. “We started off real slow, we hit a point in the season where we went on a goalless drought, but we really picked it up as a team,” sophomore Mitch Brickman said. “We found it in ourselves once the conference games started and we made the playoffs.” The team had not made the playoffs since 2009, and the team was happy to be able to change the culture of the team, if only a little. “It’s a real good feeling to know that you broke a barrier, knowing you did something good for both the program and the school,” Brickman said. Perhaps the most crucial game to the Lakers turnaround was their match-up at home to start alumni weekend. Brickman agrees and believes that was when the season changed. “I’d say the Potsdam game, getting our first SUNYAC win in the conference. Connor scored an unbelievable goal that kind of sparked us to achieve what we did,” Brickman said. The person who scored that critical goal, Connor Lunduski, was a key element in the Lakers’ run to the playoffs. The freshman made an immediate impact on the team, scoring three goals and providing an assist on the campaign. But, aside from statistics, his presence helped give the team the spark they needed to recover its season. He believes his future with the team is bright. “Coming into the season, I didn’t really know what to expect,” Lunduski said. “But as time went on, I knew I love it here. The season started slow, but then we went on a drought. But once SUNYAC came along we knew we had to pick it up.” He sees the playoffs as a great achievement for the squad, as they won critical games against Buffalo State and SUNY Geneseo at a crucial point in the season. These wins helped set the Lakers up for the playoff push they made. “Making it to the playoffs was a huge success after the drought we had,” Lunduski said. Despite the rough start to the year, junior goalkeeper Todd Lawson agrees with the comments of his teammates

about the rough start to the season but also thought it was not the most important thing. “It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish,” Lawson said. He also thinks the team rose above what was expected of it at the start of the season, especially after last season’s campaign, when the Lakers did not win a single game. To go from there to an unexpected, by many, playoff appearance really helped the team. The match against the College at Brockport can be seen as the start of something bigger. “We came out with a bang against Brockport. Sure, we didn’t get the result we were looking for, but we brought it to OT. No one really expected us to get that far,” Lawson said. Despite being the goalkeeper, Lawson empathized with his teammates during the scoring drought it was suffering. “It’s always difficult when we’re not scoring, but we stuck it out together. There is always a burning desire to get a goal. Well, in my case, it’s to stop them,” Lawson said. He thinks the season was a good one and wants it to end on a positive note, and is glad with his teammates. “We went out very well, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to spend my junior year with,” Lawson said. Head coach Bob Friske believes the talent is there for this young team and enjoys the fact the squad has experienced a bit of success. He also sees the growth of the character and the togetherness the team has. “It was a great season on many levels. The direction of the program has success written all around it, and it was nice to see them achieve that playoff appearance,” Friske said. “They definitely improved from early September to late October, that could be seen in regards to wins and also the team really became tight and had great chemistry toward the end of the year.” Friske believes the team stands out as what it is, a team, and he will continue to see it that way no matter what. “Not one person, to me, exceeded anybody else,” Friske said. “I felt that they were a very good group of focused, talented players. That made our team be successful and not any one individual.” With the season over, Friske is looking toward the future of the team and program as a whole. He hopes for bigger things for the Lakers in the not so far future. “Continued focus on becoming a great program, they’ve experienced success, but our goal isn’t to just make the tournament, we want to win it, that’s where the focus is,” Friske said.

David Armelino | The Oswegonian

See VOLLEYBALL, B4

Freshman Connor Lunduski was impressive in his first season, leading the team in goals (3) and points (7).

Volleyball

Women's Ice Hockey

Swimming and Diving

Men's Ice Hockey

Friday, Nov. 7

Saturday, Nov. 8

vs.

6 p.m.

1st Round of SUNYAC Championships at SUNY New Paltz

vs.

1 p.m.

7 p.m.

Blue Line Oswego State

SCOREBOARD Men's Ice Hockey Saturday, Nov. 1

10 2

Women's Ice Hockey Saturday, Nov. 1

4 0 Men's Swimming and Diving Saturday, Nov. 1

Quote of the Week There's no team that really intimidates us anymore. It's not like we're going into this scared or anything...We're looking to make that deep run. We're not backing down from anyone."

Oswego State cross country teams finish well through harsh weather at conference championships Mike Nakoski Staff Writer sports@oswegonian.com

This past weekend both the men’s and women’s cross country teams continued their successful season at the SUNYAC Championships held in Brockport, N.Y. As every New York state cross country runner knows, once it gets to November one is not only battling other teams and runners, but one is battling the weather as well. During the race, runners experienced a mix of rain and snow. Temperatures barely got over 40 degrees, and winds gusted up to 25 mph. Weather can affect the way a runner races as the cold temperatures and freezing rain can prevent a runner’s body from warming up properly and slows down a runner during a race. The Oswego State men’s cross country team finished in 6th out of 10 teams in the race, just behind 5th place finishers SUNY New Paltz. SUNY Geneseo won the overall race. Senior Nick Montesano shared his joy about the team’s performance. “I’m satisfied with the race overall,” Montesano said. “We definitely had higher goals coming in. We wanted to finish in 5th

place, but it happens and I’m happy with the race. I’m not displeased.” Montesano was the top Oswego State runner finishing in 19th place with a time of 26:21. “I had a PR (personal record),” Montesano said. “I was able to handle the temperature and weather and things like that because it was snowing during the race, but overall I’m very satisfied.” Continuing recent trends underclassmen runners, had another strong race. Freshman Colin Greenseich finished in 31st place with a time of 26:49, only 28 seconds behind Montesano. Freshman Tommy Kolankiewicz finished in 42nd place with a time of 27:44. Finishing just behind Kolankiewicz was sophomore Tyler Morris in 43rd place with a time of 27:46. Freshman Kyle Pollicove rounded out the top five for the Lakers finishing in 45th place with a time of 28:24. Overall, out of the top 10 runners for Oswego State, nine of them were either a freshman or sophomore. Greenseich also had a positive outlook on the team’s SUNYAC Championships performance. “The teams performance was pretty good,” Greenseich said. “People stepped up well. It was a little bit not what we were expecting, but we still did pretty good.

Women's Swimming and Diving

Saturday, Nov. 1

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Oswego State

ROAD RECAPS Women's Ice Hockey

Men's Soccer

The Oswego State men's soccer season ended in dramatic fashion on Saturday, Nov. 1 at The College at Brockport in the Play-In game of the SUNYAC Championship tournament. The Lakers lost in overtime 2-1 on a sudden death goal by the Golden Eagles. After being down 1-0 from the 24th minute to the 70th minute of play, freshman Nick Zingaro put it in the back of the net to tie the game up at 1 a piece. Oswego State played tough the entire game against a team that they lost 4-1 to, just two weeks ago. Junior goalkeeper Todd Lawson made 11 saves in the effort.

Cross Country

The men's and women's cross country teams were at SUNYAC Championships at The College at Brockport this past weekend. The men took 6th place out of 10 while the women took 8th place out of 10. For the men, Nick Montesano led the way finishing in 19th place overall. Freshman Colin Greenseich finished 31st overall. While freshman Thomas Kolankiewicz, sophomore Tyler Morris and freshman Kyle Pollicove finished 42nd, 43rd and 45th respectively. For the women, juniors Sarah Popovitch and Karlee Duffer had the best finishes at 39th and 44th overall. Also finishing in the top 50 were graduate student Sammy Bielli, freshman Morgan Bronner and junior Katie Laris at 45th, 47th and 48th respectively.

Runners battle tough conditions

The Oswego State women's ice hockey team split its first two games of the regular season this past weekend against non-conference opponents Castleton State College, and New England College. On Friday, the Lakers fell to the Spartans, 2-0. Senior goalie Bridget Smith made 32 saves for the game. On Saturday against the Pilgrims, Oswego State won, 4-0. Sophomores Alli Ullrich and Brianna Rice scored the first two while freshmen Lydia Cosgrove and Andrea Noss put in the second two. Junior goalie Tori Trovato made 14 saves to earn the shutout.

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

-J.J. O'Connell, Oswego State volleyball head coach

Photo provided by Sports Information Senior Sarah Popovitch runs the best time of the five Laker competitors who finished in the top 50.

Photo provided by Sports Information Senior Nick Montesano runs a personal best at last weekend's SUNYAC Championships in Brockport, N.Y.

Our goal was to get 5th place as a team, and we finished in 6th so we didn’t reach our goal but we still did good.” Along with the great performance by the team, Montesano commented on how he was very impressed and excited for the future of the team after the great performance. “We have a deep team coming up and a lot of these guys are beating my times as freshmen, so, in comparison, they’re going to be better than me when they’re seniors so that is excellent,” Montesano said. Oswego State will look to continue its season as it has the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships coming up on Nov. 15 at Genesee Valley in Rochester, N.Y. The race will begin at 11 a.m. The Oswego State women’s team also had to battle against the rough weather racing in the same conditions as the men’s race. The Oswego State women’s crosscountry team had a strong race at the SUNYAC championship race. The team finished in 8th overall in the 6k race. The team’s top runners continued to dominate as a pack finishing within a

minute of each other, something they have consistently done all season. Junior Sarah Popovitch led the way for the Lakers finishing in 39th overall with a time of 25:38. Junior Karlee Duffer finished right behind her in 44th place with a time of 25:07. Coming in just seconds behind Duffer was Graduate Student Samantha Bielli with a time of 25:12. The top freshman runner for the Lakers was Morgan Bronner who finished in 47th place with a time of 25:16. Coming in 5-tenths of a second after Bronner was junior Katie Laris who finished in 48th place. The Lakers had five runners place within the top 50 at the SUNYAC event with an average time of 25:06. The women’s cross country team will also continue the season at the NCAA Atlantic Regional event in Rochester, N.Y. on Nov. 15. The race will begin at 12 p.m. As the season starts to close both the men’s and women’s teams have had very impressive seasons so far and will look to have a strong performance on Nov. 15.

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SPORTS

Wrestling prepares for success

FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

B33

Athletes of the Week

Team brings in new talent as returners set high expectations for themselves in the upcoming year

EMILY DOE

Women's Swimming and Diving Junior, Dansville, N.Y.

Photo provided by Sports Information Senior captain Scott Bova has a career record of 34-29 at Oswego State. This season, in his last year as a Laker, he is getting himself ready to be an All-American and possibly the national champion.

Seamus Lyman Editor-in-Chief slyman@oswegonian.com With almost a month of preparation under its belt, the Oswego State wrestling team looks to have a winning season. The squad is split with the experience of returning members and the incoming freshmen. A small handful of transfers will look to bring their experience in college wrestling to the Lakers. Head coach Mike Howard said right now the focus is on getting his team ready for the season and making sure everyone is settling into their weight classes. “As far as preparing for the start of the year, obviously, we’re trying to get guys in the right weight classes,” Howard said. “We may start the year with some guys at different weights and hopefully get them down as we go.” Howard hopes to avoid the injuries that plagued his team last season. “Then we have all the injuries with broken thumbs, three shoulder surgeries... so we had like 10 guys, 12 guys, that had to leave by injury or illness last year that were totally done for the season,” Howard said. “That was a hard thing for us to get through and kind of stabilize things, try to get through the season and we got a couple of those guys back and some of them not.” Going into this season, Howard has high hopes for his squad. “I just think with the guys we have coming back, the experience they have

and the youth, we should be much better,” Howard said. “We still have a tough schedule. We’re going to wrestle off some tough competition, we’re going to have to rise up to that.” Howard said his weight classes are not set yet and things will be decided based on the performances at the Ithaca College Invitational on Nov. 7 at Ithaca, N.Y. The Bombers are currently ranked

Sow made it to the finals as a freshman, only to lose to teammate Michael Gentilcore in the 141 lbs. weight class. “We’re going down there to get some experience in an early season tournament,” Howard said. “We have some guys who want to be successful and win it and that’s their individual goals, but as a team we’re looking to put out a good, strong performance so we can look at

My long-term goal is to be a national champ. I'm going to do everything I can to achieve it. It's one goal I've had my whole life, to be a national champion." -Abubakarr Sow, junior

No. 8 in the country, according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll from Oct. 23. Last season, the Lakers placed in fifth out of eight with 93 team points. Senior captain Scott Bova placed third in the tournament for the 184 lbs. weight class and junior Abubakarr Sow won the tournament in the 149 lbs. weight class. Both expect to win this year. “I’m going to do what I usually do,” Sow said. “Make my way to the final and progress, winning one match at a time.”

what we need to do as coaches--see what we need to improve on and see where we’re lacking and make those adjustments. We’ve got guys who obviously, like I said, [want to] win the tournament, and we’ve got guys who are going to get their feet wet in college wrestling and see what they’re capable of doing.” Sow and Bova both have high expectations for the season, both looking to take a trip to Hershey, Penn. in March for the NCAA National Championships. “Right now, they just came out with

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the rankings and I made it into the top 30,” Bova said. “The main goal is to be All-American, be national champ.” Bova said his competition ranked ahead of him are wrestlers he has held his own with, so he is making sure to set a pace for himself in practice that will help keep him competing. “It’s kind of tough now, being a senior, because now it’s not about setting the pace for the room or pushing yourself against your teammates,” Bova said. “Now, it’s about setting yourself against everyone in the nation.” Bova placed fifth at the New York State Championships in 2013 behind Division I opponents Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, Columbia University and SUNY Binghamton. In his career at Oswego State, Bova holds a record of 34-29. Sow’s outlook on the season is not much different from Bova’s, he said he expects this season to be “better than last year.” “My long-term goal is to be a national champ,” Sow said. “I’m going to do everything I can to achieve it. It’s one goal I’ve had my whole life, to be a national champion.” While looking at the wall in the wrestling room in Laker Hall’s basement that holds the names of previous Lakers to become AllAmericans, Sow pointed out two spots left in the last column. “I see two spaces left, so by the time I graduate I’m going to put my name on both of those,” Sow said. Sow holds a record of 38-18 in his collegiate career. The last time the Lakers had an All-American was in 2006 with John Spinner and the last time they had a national champion was in 1984 with Doug Morse. Howard said to look out for seniors Quamaine Thomas 133 lbs. and Kevin Ramkishun at 125 lbs.; junior James Ronca at 125 lbs.; sophomores Taylor Jones at 141 lbs. and Simon Greebel at 125 lbs. as well as Bova and Sow. Ronca holds a collegiate record of 12-7 and placed fifth at the Ithaca Invitational last year; he did not compete in the 2012-2013 season. After the tournament in Ithaca, the Lakers will return home to host the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at Max Ziel Gymnasium. Oswego State will host a total of four dual meets this season as well as the annual New York/ Pennsylvania Duals in early January. In most recent years, the Lakers have not hosted more than three dual meets in a season. Last season the wrestling team went 3-12, gaining wins over King’s College in Pennsylvania and two wins over Alfred State College. “I’m looking forward to it,” Howard said. “This is a good group of kids right now. They’re working extremely hard. They’re committed to what we’re trying to do and they’re putting forth the effort.”

Doe secured 29 points for the Lakers in the team's first win of the season against the Wells College Express on Saturday, Nov. 1. The junior began the day earning 11 points in a 1st place finish in the 200-yard medley relay for Oswego State. Doe swam the last leg of the relay to secure the win. She then went on to take first in the 100-yard and 50-yard freestyles, capturing an additional 18 points between the two events and helping the Lakers defeat the Express, 105-63.

KENNY NEIL

Men's Ice Hockey Sophomore, Clarenville, Newfoundland

Neil helped the Lakers secure two key wins against SUNYAC opponents this past weekend, racking up four points in the process. Neil scored the game-winning goal in the final minute of regulation to give Oswego State the 4-3 win over Buffalo State College on Friday, Oct. 31. The sophomore recorded a power-play goal earlier in the game as well. On Saturday, Nov. 1 Neil picked up another goal and an assist to help the Lakers cruise to a 10-2 win over SUNY Fredonia.

Men's ice hockey sophomore forward Krystian Yorke recored five points in the Lakers 10-2 win over SUNY Fredonia on Saturday, Nov. 1. Yorke scored one goal and made four assist on the night, coming one assist short of tying the SUNYAC record for assists in a game. Oswego State will return to the ice on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. for a home game against SUNY Cortland.

11:

Men’s soccer junior goalkeeper Todd Lawson made 11 saves in the Lakers 2-1 OT loss against The College at Brockport on Saturday, Nov. 1 in the Play-In game of the SUNYAC Championship tournament. After giving up a goal in the 24th minute of play, Lawson kept the Golden Eagles scoreless for over 70 minutes until giving up the sudden death game winner just over four minutes into overtime.

15:

Volleyball junior setter Olivia Zimmerman recored 15 assists in the Lakers 3-0 win over SUNYIT on Saturday, Nov. 1. Zimmerman led the team assists for the game, and also finsished the regular season as the team leader in most assists with 510. Zimmerman and the Lakers now get prepared for the SUNYAC Championship tournament at SUNY New Paltz this weekend.

SPORTS

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

B34

Friendship brings club volleyball together Through management by officials of student-run organization, team progresses as they prepare for second tournament

Photo provided by Jennifer Varvaro According to senior Mary Lenhart, the hardest part of running the team is getting everyone involved.

Ryan Kelley Staff Writer sports@oswegonian.com With a roster that has been rather inconsistent in numbers, the Oswego State women’s volleyball club has gotten off to a much better start than expected this fall. Despite a large amount of interested students coming to the first practice of the year, it has been a challenge for the club to keep a steady number as the season has gone on. According to sophomore Marissa Smith, vice president of the club, the team is still in need of more members. “In the beginning it’s big and we have a lot of people come out,” Smith said. “But after a while some of them just stop coming.” This is due in large part to the fact that club teams are not allowed to hold tryouts or make cuts. Instead, the club conducts open practices in which they encourage anyone who is interested to come participate. According to the club’s president, senior Mary

Lenhart, it only takes a small amount of girls to each tournament, but that roster is always subject to change. “We tell everyone in the beginning that we only take about 10 to 12 girls per tournament,” Lenhart said. “It’s not always the same girls either, so we tell them to keep their hopes up because we like to change it up to see what works best.” Every fall, the club gets a table at the student involvement fair at which many of its new members sign up. While not nearly everyone that signs up actually plays for the whole year, Lenhart sais they are constantly emailing and staying positive in order to convince girls to keep coming to practices. Even though Lenhart is technically in charge of the team, she makes sure to consider the opinions of the other upperclassmen when it comes to deciding who makes the roster for each tournament. “I don’t think I should run it alone,” Lenhart said. “So I have my vice president and

a couple of the other girls make a list of 10 girls that they think should go to the tournament, and then I’ll pick and choose between our choices so we pick a team that’s fair to everyone.” Oswego State competes in a tournament league against other club teams from around the area. Each school sends a team to whichever tournaments it can sign up for, and the teams that perform the best throughout the year have a chance to play in the sectional tournament. Although they have only participated in one tournament so far this fall, in which their record was 1-3, the club has already shown progress. According to Lenhart, the team began to work a lot better together during the last couple matches of that tournament and the chemistry has continued ever since. “We’ve progressed in the fact that when we play together we play well as a team, and we’re friends on the court as well as off the court,” Lenhart said. “Last year, it was more of just doing well on the court and we didn’t really connect, but we have much more of a connection this year.” As president, it is not only Lenhart’s responsibility to make sure everybody else is doing their job correctly, but she also runs the practices. The team has a coach, Kevin Speer, but he typically only serves as an adviser for Lenhart and the other leaders of the team. In order for the team to be able to go to tournaments, a money order must be filled out and sent to the Point, who then sends the check to the league to register Oswego State in the tournament. Being able to coordinate everything that is going on is what Lenhart says is the most challenging part. “The most difficult part is making sure that everything runs smoothly,” Lenhart said. “Making sure that the money for the

treasurer is sent in on time, making sure our secretary is talking to the other teams so that we know what time to get to places and when meetings are.” Smith added that finding out ways to please everyone and get everyone involved is what she thinks is the hardest part about running the team. Her role as vice president is to provide Lenhart with support at practice, run practices if she can’t be there and anything else she may need for the club’s day-to-day operations. Regardless of the stress the leaders of the club are faced with, Smith says the friendships she has been able to gain have made it well worth it. “The best part is you get to meet new people,” Smith said. “It’s really nice to

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VOLLEYBALL, from B1 years ago. With 237 kills this season, she has amassed 866 kills over four seasons, ranking third on the all-time program kill list. For her teammates, she is much more than a top player, but a leader as well. Now, everyone on the team is getting ready for the Lakers’ big playoff matchup on Friday against The College at Brockport Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles defeated the Lakers back on Sept. 26 on the Lakers’ home court. But the Lakers are very confident in the way they are playing lately, as they have gone 6-2 in the final three weeks of the regular season, with two of those wins coming against top 10 ranked teams in the New York Regional Rankings. “I think we can actually take it all this year. I know we have the talent, it’s just whether or not we bring our A game,” Zimmerman said. “If everyone’s pushing on all cylinders, I think we can definitely beat any team.” If Oswego State does defeat The College at Brockport, it would be a historic win for the Lakers. Oswego State

has not won a SUNYAC playoff game since 1994. In O’Connell’s first year as head coach in 2012, the Lakers reached the SUNYAC Championships for the first time since 1996. But for players that were on that team two years ago, they feel they are a lot more prepared and ready to earn that win. “This year is way different. Everybody’s been saying it,” Dillon said. “It’s a 50-50 shot for both us and Brockport, and I know everyone on the team is just hungry for that win.” With a win over the Golden Eagles, the Lakers would be set to go up against No. 1 seed and host of the tournament, the SUNY New Paltz Hawks on Saturday in the SUNYAC semifinals. O’Connell is confident the team can pull off the big upset and do well in the tournament. “There’s no team that really intimidates us anymore. It’s not like we’re going into this scared or anything. We’re going like, ‘Hey let’s get through Brockport, and then let’s really take it to New Paltz on their home floor,’” O’Connell said. “We’re looking to make that deep run. We’re not backing down from anybody.” That confidence is the source of the win over SUNY Fredonia, with the Blue

3:45 pm.

Devils being the No. 2 seed going into the playoff tournament, Oswego State feels if they play like they did against SUNY Fredonia, it could take down anybody in the conference. Though the Lakers might have the momentum going into the tournament this weekend, they must remember they will have to keep up the strong play they have had lately in order to defeat The College at Brockport, a team they lost to earlier in the season. “We struggled with closing out Brockport when we first played them. We were up in three of the four sets, and we ended up losing in four,” O’Connell said. “We’ve gotten a lot better at closing out, and that will be something big against Brockport.” “I just think we’re going to have to work this week and not forget what we’re fighting for,” Ruggaber said. However this season ends for the Lakers, they can be proud of the way they played with having record-breaking seasons like Ruggaber has had, new players stepping up like Zimmerman and great leadership from the seniors, like Bailey. But with all of that, a SUNYAC Championship is something that would wrap this season up with a big bow on top.

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After strong play to finish regular season, volleyball believes in chance to make history this weekend at New Paltz

be able to have different friend groups on campus.” Lenhart added that simply getting to play the game with a group of teammates is her favorite part because she loves the sport of volleyball. The Oswego State women’s volleyball club will play their next tournament on Sunday, Nov. 9, in Buffalo. Lenhart and Smith both expect the team to continue to grow and come together as a team, and they hope to win some more games in the process. “I actually have high hopes,” Smith said. “I think we can do really well so I’m excited, and I know last year we were good but could’ve been much better, so hopefully this year is different.”

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OPINION

VOLUME LXXXI ISSUE IX • www.oswegonian.com

“Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...” -First Amendment

THE OSWEGONIAN The independent student newspaper of Oswego State since 1935

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

SPORTS VOLLEYBALL READY

FOR TITLE RUN

David Armelino | The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

STAFF EDITORIAL

VOTE TO BRING CHANGE LOCALLY Election Day may be behind us, but that does not mean that politics end until 2016. A deplorable number of people showed up on Tuesday to cast their ballots in the midterm elections. Now, the Republican Party controls the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Some have said there is a correlation between the two, while others credit President Barack Obama’s low approval rating. However, one thing is clear: Americans do not care enough to try and make change in the country. According to Pew Research, 13 percent of voters were under 30 years old. Meanwhile, voters ages 45 to 64 made up 43 percent of the voter demographic. In 2012, Pew Research reported that 19 percent of voters were under the age of 30 and the

last midterm election saw 12 percent of voters under the age of 30. A report from U.S. News and World Report shows that in New York state, about 6 percent less voters came out on Nov. 4 than in 2010. The trend was not unique to New York. However, 12 states reported a higher turnout this year than in 2010, according to the report. Should we just expect less voters to come out of the woodwork in non-presidential election years? There’s no reason to. Exercising the right to vote is something most, if not all, Americans should do. More people could probably name the last winner of American Idol, but not one of their state or federal lawmakers and that’s unfortunate. Most lawmaking that directly affects

voters is done at the state level. Hundreds of laws are passed yearly and few pay any attention at all. More people are worried about catching the Ebola virus. The political fights are not over, as the Republicans need to officially decide who their leader in the Senate will be as they try to take down Obamacare. There’s a lot that will be discussed in the coming months ahead, but one thing is certain: What happens cannot be blamed on one political party or the other, but on the American people who failed to show up on Election Day. Obviously 2016 will be a big year for voter turnout as we elect a new president. So here’s to 2018 (the next midterm election); may more voters turn out to support their candidates.

IN THE OFFICE

Old enough to vote, not to drink Becoming adult in U.S. earns rights, doesn’t foster enough responsibility

What class that’s not offered do you wish was offered at Oswego State? “If we had a class on the differences parenting can make on students, that would help.” Becca Kave childhood education major, junior

“I think there should be more classes offered in other languages, even some rare or unspoken languages.” Lewis Lenard linguistics major, sophomore

JoAnn DeLauter Asst. News Editor jdelauter@oswegonian.com Eighteen is a good year. Young people are able to vote, own property, be considered a legal adult and be drafted into the army and yet they can’t celebrate these freedoms responsibly, with an alcoholic beverage. This past Halloween weekend, students above and below the age of 21 participated in festivities surrounding alcohol. If people below the age of 21 are going to drink anyway, it should be legal to buy and consume alcohol at the age of

In world of tablets, smart phones, we still need word processors

Justin Vignola chemistry major, graduate student

Mia Bonacore business administration major, senior

“There should be a class to teach you how to do everything after college like how to balance a checkbook. I’ll have to ask mom and dad.” Tyler Yastrub broadcasting major, junior

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

Although this law could be considered not as important as the right of free speech or the right to vote, it could be considered one of the rights of being an adult. According to the United States Census Bureau, ages 18 to 24 are considered to always have the lowest voter turnout, including voter turnout in this past midterm elections. In terms of politics, politicians generally appeal to the people who are more likely to vote. Since people under 21 are not likely to vote, the right to be considered an adult and consume or buy alcohol is not on anyone’s political agenda. Stumbling over themselves on a Friday night and not being able to account for their own actions is not a way to justify a person’s right to consume alcohol. People can still have a good time with friend while being responsible and celebrate their right to be an adult whether they are over the age of 21 or not.

Computers still necessary

“More music classes so that people without a music background can pick up an instrument.”

“In the school of business there’s an emphasis on business and accounting, I’d like a business class on sales and communication.”

18. The law shouldn’t forbid people below the age of 21, but teach them how to do it right. People can buy and consume alcohol while still being role models and in control. If people are exposed to alcohol at a younger age, they would be more desensitized to drinking and know their own personal limit. The idea of binge drinking would be less glamorized and seem less intriguing. This would eliminate the risk factor and remove another way for people to rebel. Society creates a double standard. If an 18-year-old breaks a law, they are charged in court as an adult. They are considered responsible enough to balance their own bank account and own property. They are able to kill and fight for our country. They are considered intellectually capable of voting and picking future leaders. They are expected to act and behave like adults on a daily basis. However, they are not considered responsible enough to buy or consume alcohol at their own risk.

Lily Choi | The Oswegonian

Tom Kline Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com About a week and a half ago, I was in my room chatting with my roommate one minute and cursing at the blinking folder icon on what should have been my MacBook Pro’s boot screen. Now, if I had a PC, this wouldn’t be much of an issue; I’d just have to buy a new cable and install it myself (or have someone else do it for me). Alas, because this was another quality Apple product, I had no choice but to schedule an appointment at the Apple Store in Destiny USA the following Monday, which meant I had no choice but to spend the better part of a week with only an iPod touch, smartphone and tablet (a Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, respectively) to serve my daily computing needs. As infuriating as the situation was, I

saw it as an opportunity to work more closely with my Galaxy Tab 3, a Christmas gift that had been gathering dust until recently. If recent goings-on in the world of mobile smart devices is any indication, there will likely come a time in the not-too-distant future in which tablets and smartphones replace laptops and desktops as the primary consumer-grade computing devices of choice, and as such it’s good to be prepared. My situation was as good a time as any to test how far mobile technology has come. I realized pretty early on that one of the primary reasons why I barely used the Tab 3 in the past had to do with it being the odd man out as an Android tablet running alongside an Apple laptop and iPod. Let’s face it: One of the factors of Apple’s success is the way in which iOS and Mac OS X play nicely with each other in a wide variety of contexts (which, with the release of iOS 8 and Mac OS X Yosemite, have improved significantly). This kind of device synergy isn’t as common among Android devices, as there are too many devices on the market to account for. Hardware-wise, my 2-year-old Galaxy S3 and one-and-a-half-year-old Tab 3 are still fairly middle-of-the-road, which is impressive given the pace of rapid iteration in consumer electronics. Both can run Android 4.4.2 rather smoothly, which can’t exactly be said of iOS 8 and my fifth-generation iPod touch. Nevertheless, the Tab 3 suffers from a severe lack of storage space, as 8GB is far too small for the growing size of modern apps, and its 7-inch screen is too small for my purposes. Also, the innards of both the S3 and Tab 3 are starting to show their age, with most smart device processors leaving them in the dust performance-wise. But alas, a platform lives and dies by

its available apps, and although the Android operating system is more powerful and far more customizable than iOS, fewer apps have Android functionality due to the deep market penetration of Apple’s iPhone and iPad, thereby encouraging app developers to focus primarily on iOS at first and port the app to Android in the future. Also, while Google Play is far more organized than the App Store, too much of an emphasis is placed on superfluous apps that one has to wade through a swamp of garbage in order to find the apps that are actually useful. I have yet to find any word-processing app that compares to Pages on Mac OS X and iOS, much less a free one. Indeed, while not everyone may need word processing software on a tablet, I have a Bluetooth keyboard and case for a very good reason; after all, typing with an on-screen keyboard that lacks haptic feedback is lame. Also, the selection of quality mobile games on Android is abysmal, which is a big deal for a budding game designer like me. After all, I never got to experience the awesomeness of Spaceteam because the Android version came out about a year after its initial iOS release, which just happened to be months after people stopped caring about Spaceteam. In the long run, I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re not quite at the point where a tablet-only setup is sufficient for most people. Smartphones and tablets are useful secondary devices, which is fine for now, but until devices with a greater storage capacity, larger screens and general hardware specifications become more affordable, I’ll happily stick to writing the column on my MacBook Pro and saving the Android devices for email and Temple Run.

Life after college scary without help Luke Parsnow News Editor lparsnow@oswegonian.com

I’m graduating college in May. Boom. I said it. I’m still a little bit in denial, thinking that after 17 years of education, I’ll be handed a college degree, the university’s way of telling me I’m ready for the world. I’ll walk out of here knowing how to write articles, how lake-effect snow works and how the Union won the Civil War. I’ll walk out of here knowing everything I need, right? Yeah. Everything except real life. I wonder if anyone else has walked off this campus thinking, “Oh, now I have to pay bills. Now I have to do taxes, pay back loans and take out new ones. So how do I do that?” Why there has never been a class on “real life” is something that has me wondering. I’m not talking about math 102: “Math in the real world” because we all know everything we learn in that class is outdated and has been replaced by other things. I bet every college student remembers filling out their first W4 forms, and if they haven’t done that yet, I am sorry. The ones that do remember looking through the many pages of seemingly never-ending lines, boxes and complex language. I remember when I first got mine. Besides my job as a traveling musician and singer/songwriter, my summer job in 2013 was my first official job. I was 20 years old, I thought, on the brink of the adult world, and I couldn’t even figure out the damn form to get me paid. They might as well have given me a paper with quantum mechanic equations on it, in German, upside down. That’s about what it looked

like to me. The only thing I was sure about was not to check the box saying I had committed a crime. Sure, I was able to ask my employer for help, but who wants to do that when you have a degree that says you’re ready for the real world? In just a few months, I’ll have to start paying back loans. Wait, how do I do that? How do I go about that? How do I take out other loans when I want to buy a car or a house? I wonder if I’m going to be able to know what I can financially afford and what I can’t. When tax season comes, I don’t know if I will be prepared. When I turn 26 and need to buy my own health insurance, will I be able to figure that out? How many times have you or someone in your class asked your teacher or professor, “When are we going to use this?” In this case, I feel like the things that are essential to learn, the very set of instructions for adult survival, are the things students aren’t required to learn. This frightens me, not only for myself, but for other people. It frightens me when people I’m graduating within a few months don’t know how much their phone bill costs because their parents have paid for it their whole lives. It frightens me when people spend their whole paycheck at the mall on Saturdays. It frightens me that when I graduate, I won’t be ready for the real world, and college should have offered me an opportunity to become ready.

Lily Choi| The Oswegonian

First year players need introducing, not abuse

There are many reasons people participate in clubs or sports teams. Some do it for the sake of meeting new people and exploring a new activity, while others do it as a résume builder. Regardless of the reason, the main objective of participating is to have fun while learning. However, the concept of hazing is always on the back burner when joining any group. In simplest terms, there are three outcomes when hazing is involved. It will be addressed right away, it will take some time for the situation to become more public or it may never be revealed to outsiders at all, the latter being very unlikely. The communities that pride themselves on certain clubs or sports sometimes are in denial about such allegations, and that is a problem. Central Bucks High School in Pennsylvania suspended its football team’s season after

Lily Choi| The Oswegonian

THE OSWEGONIAN FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

Tip of the hat...

reports of hazing. Now, I’m all for the freshmen players carrying all of the extra water bottles or racking all the weights in the weight room, but the things that occurred at Central Bucks were more than that. One instance was when a rookie player had to “grab another player’s genitals through his clothes while other players watched.” The suspension was announced one day before the homecoming game.

Now, I’m all for the freshmen players carrying all of the extra water bottles...but the things that occured at Central Bucks were more than that.” Sayreville War Memorial High School in New Jersey faced hazing allegations when older players pinned down freshmen and kicked them in the locker room before practices in early September. The season was eventually cancelled after the third game. Incidents like this make me think of two extremes: The Miami Dolphins bullying incident and the Duke Lacrosse case. We want those involved to be punished in an appropriate manner, but the media and the people cannot be quick to judge without a thorough investigation. The concept of hazing by both teams seemed to shock their respective communities. Both teams have state and/or sectional titles and previous years of success. Even at the Pop Warner level, where children ages five through 16 play, coaches led players toward the varsity path. Whenever a player made a mistake, the Pop Warner coach would tell them the varsity coaches would not like that. That being said, there are no winners once this clears up. For both cases, the community will start to feel a divide because some will believe the freshmen “snitched” on the upper classmen and should have just dealt with it, while other members will say this suspension is justified. In addition to the community feeling torn, the remaining players will be under pressure, too. Players know what they did or did not do, but it will hopefully be sorted out in a court of law. What about younger players who are in Pop Warner and have nothing to do with this? Do they still want to play once the suspension is lifted? All we know is that it’s going to be a long time before both issues are investigated.

◊...to those who didn’t vote on election day. ◊...to parents who bring noisy children to the library and then yell at them to be quiet. Shh!

◊...to the voters that keep independence going. ◊...to those who went to see Rocky Horror, keep supporting theater. ◊...to Littlepage employees for keeping it together for breakfast after the water main broke.

◊...to unhelpful advisers.

Wag of the finger...

Gun purchases should require testing School shooters suffered from mental illness, still purchased firearms David Bubbins Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com In the wake of several school shootings, many college students across the country have asked for gun ownership reform. However, the majority of college students

within his classmates and teachers that he suffered from psychopathy and schizophrenia, for which he received no assistance. His disorders manifested themselves through stalking attempts and writing very violent material (in the form of either him dying or someone else dying). His behavior became such an issue that one of his teachers asked the dean to remove him from her classroom.

Lily Choi| The Oswegonian

Hazing on, off playing field Mitch Petrella Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com

OPINION

who ask for this kind of reform don’t understand that these people are not what we would consider to be “healthy people.” In fact, most of the school shooting perpetrators have either attempted or committed suicide with the threat of arrest. This shows that these people quite possibly have severe mental disorders. If you look into the profiles of the people who were responsible for three of the deadliest school shootings, it is shown that they had severe mental disorders. For example, the Virginia Tech shooter, SeungHui Cho, was diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder, as well as major depressive disorder. There were also rumors from

But maybe that was just one person who was criminally insane. The problem with that statement is that two other school shootings (to my knowledge) have had perpetrators who were also criminally insane. The Sandy Hook Elementary shooter, Adam Lanza, was under speculation by his father that he might have had undiagnosed schizophrenia or psychopathy. He claimed that professionals who worked with him assumed his son was on the autism spectrum. However, he felt they were ignoring many of Lanza’s psychopathic symptoms in order to explain his condition without making him seem insane. The third school shooter was the Red Lake massacre shooter, Jeff Weise. After

many years of being bullied, he was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Soon afterward, he attempted suicide twice and was hospitalized numerous times. He was soon expelled from school after giving the Nazi salute during the Pledge of Allegiance at a pep rally. This resulted in Weise buying guns and murdering his grandfather and his grandfather ’s girlfriend, before killing many other people and then committing suicide. These are just three school shootings that have involved psychologically unstable people. Most of the school shooters who have committed suicide have emotional or psychological issues. As a person who has had bouts with depressive disorder, I understand thoughts can enter the mind and be almost impossible to control; they can even dictate your actions. Couple that with murderous intent or schizophrenia and the result can be a catastrophic tragedy. But the question that should be answered is, how in the world did they attain those weapons? After looking at the police reports of these incidents, the perpetrators simply bought their weapons in a store. This point is what makes me angry. People who clearly have mental or emotional problems, and have a higher probability to engage in criminal acts, have the ability to purchase guns very easily. If one has any kind of murderous or suicidal intent, one should not handle firearms, and that person certainly should not be allowed to buy them. One piece of legislation I would love to see passed is one I proposed a few years ago in The Oswegonian. It is a law that would require any person buying or planning to buy a weapon to undergo a psychiatric exam to see if they are emotionally and mentally stable enough to own a weapon. Something as simple as this can lead to quieter, safer schools and it will lessen the chances for emotionally unstable people to act on irrationally dangerous thoughts.

Though high rates of teen pregnancy, no sex-ed in schools Maggie Faller Staff Writer opinion@oswegonian.com How did you learn about sex? Was it good, bad or indifferent? Was it through friends, films and TV, older brothers or sisters, personal experience, or did you get sex education at school? Perhaps it was from your mom or dad. As college students, most of us, hopefully, have figured out sex is not like coach Carr’s sex advice in “Mean Girls”: ‘‘Do not have sex, because you will get pregnant and die.’’ We may understand this joke, but what about students who were never given the sex talk? According to dosomething.org, more than 750,000 girls in the U.S. ages 15 to 19 become pregnant every year. More than 80 percent of these are unintended pregnancies. Young people ages 15 to 25 contract 19 million STDs annually. Two young people (ages 13 to 29) contract HIV every hour. Teen pregnancies in Oswego County increased from 198 in 2006 to 239 in 2007, according to Oswego Today. This is a substantial increase as the number had been below 200 since 2002. Even with this increase, Oswego County has a teen pregnancy rate of 37 per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19. What is more disturbing is Oswego County has not mandated any formal sexual education programs in their schools. The purpose of sex education goes beyond learning about the male and female reproductive systems; it allows students to examine one of the most fundamental aspects of humanity. Comprehensive sexual education allows developing young men and women to examine the physical, emotional and psychological implications of sexuality in their lives and gives them the tools to make informed choices. The National Conference of State Legislatures, AB 2694/SB 957, a sex-ed policy,

Lily Choi| The Oswegonian

“establishes an age-appropriate sex education grant program through the department of health to provide grants to eligible applicants that provide comprehensive, age-appropriate and medically accurate sex education programs.” In addition, the policy “requires the commissioners of education, health and mental health to establish a comprehensive, medically accurate and age appropriate sex education curriculum to be taught in grades one through 12 in all public and charter schools. It also requires the curriculum be taught within one year of the effective date of this legislature.” Oswego may want to consider that teens who receive a comprehensive sex education are 50 percent less likely to have an unintended pregnancy than those who receive sex education. Some parents don’t like to acknowledge their children’s sexuality, but just ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. Children will grow up and start to have feelings and desires that put an end to their little, adorable, innocent stage of life. Not teaching children about sexuality will not stop them from developing and becoming attracted to that girl or guy sitting in front of them in class. It will just leave them confused and full of questions they’ll find an-

swers for elsewhere. Many parents find contraception to be against their beliefs, which is, of course a free exercise of their rights. However, denying this information to students who don’t share the same beliefs is effectively violating those students’ freedoms to religion and information. According to the NCSL website on sexual policies, 37 states and Washington D.C. make it a requirement that parents consent to sexual education in schools. Oswego needs to implement sex education programs that include information on birth control methods, sexually transmitted diseases and the emotional issues that can accompany early sexual involvement, teen pregnancy, parenting and sexual assault. These programs do not give students the “green light” to have sex; it simply gives information to those who will decide to have sex. Responsible information on sexuality allows students to stop viewing sex as an unrealistic ultimate pleasure/ultimate sin dichotomy. Instead, students will view sex for what it truly is: a broad spectrum that encompasses a variety of social, emotional and biological factors. When we inform students on sex, we

INSIDE

Theophilus London and Kanye West on ‘Vibes’

Calvin Harris’ crossover electro-pop sensation

Gyllenhaal transforms on screen in ‘Nightcrawler’

FRIDAY Nov. 7, 2014

Laker Review The Oswegonian

FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

Events Calendar Friday, Nov. 7 through Friday, Nov. 14

Art exhibition: Circles and squares Date: Friday, Nov. 7 Time: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Location: Oswego State Downtown, 186 W. First St. art department faculty show Date: Friday, Nov. 7 Time: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Location: Art Association of Oswego, Fort Ontario, 1 E. Fourth St. Theater performance: “Rocky Horror picture show” Date: Friday, Nov. 7 Time: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Location: Ballroom, Hewitt Union faculty Concert: Pianist robert auler Date: Sunday, Nov. 9 Time: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Location: Ballroom, Sheldon Hall talk: “humor in poetry” Date: Monday, Nov. 10 Time: 3 - 4:30 p.m. Location: Auditorium, Room 132, Marano Campus Center CONCERT: BASOONIST GREGORY QUICK Date: Wednesday, Nov. 12 Time: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Location: Ballroom, Sheldon Hall MOVIE: “AL OTRO LADO” Date: Wednesday, Nov. 12 Time: 7 - 9 p.m. Location: Auditorium, Room 132, Marano Campus Center

Laker Review

OK Go keeps up pop-rock energy on new album Heather Clark Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

OK Go, the popular alternative rock band, released their latest album on Oct. 14. The Los Angeles-based band is comprised of lead singer and guitarist Damian Kulash, bass guitar and vocalist Tim Nordwind, percussionist Dan Konopka and guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist Andy Ross. On Sept. 17, 2002, the band released their self-titled debut album, “OK Go.” Their second album, “Oh No,” was released in 2005 and contained their smash hit “Here It Goes Again.” In 2008, OK Go released an iTunes exclusive EP titled “You’re Not Alone.” Released on Mardi Gras, the album raised over $40,000 to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. OK Go is best known for their eccentric music videos. Often done in a single take, the videos are produced and made entirely by the band. Some music videos include a choreographed dance on treadmills, “Here It Goes Again,” an entire marching band choreographed to the song “This Too Shall Pass” and optical illusions in “The Writing’s on the Wall.” “We’ve done a good job of pushing the boundaries of what

you can do with music and video in terms of distributing it online and finding people digitally,” Kulash said in a recent interview. “Hungry Ghosts” is the fourth studio album by OK Go. It is the first full-length album released under their own record label, Paracadute. The album has peaked at number 13 on big name charts and has released one single so far with another on the way in December. OK Go wrote all the music and lyrics. The lead single off “Hungry Ghosts,” “The Writing’s On The Wall,” was released on June 17. The video has over 7 million views on YouTube. The song is about a relationship that is about to end and they know there is nothing they can do to save it. The video itself features the

band using optical illusions and then exposing the optical illusions as if to match the meaning of the lyrics. The video shows how partners in a relationship can look for something that is not actually there. The song is reminiscent of their earlier albums with a heavy use of synth and keyboards. The bass makes weird little noises when it is played, which makes the song even more unique. The second single on the album, “I Won’t Let You Down,” will be released as a single on Dec. 27. The video was released on Oct. 27 and was shot entirely on an aerial drone. Lyrically, the song is pretty self-explanatory. It is about someone convincing the person they love that they will never let them down. The

song is disco inspired and groovy. The keyboards have interesting sounds that are the basis of the song. The album “Hungry Ghosts” by OK Go is introducing the band’s new, more electronic sound. With the heavy use of keyboards and synth, the album shows the band is experimenting with new sounds and can stay popular. The overall album is very upbeat, just like their former albums. However, the overall sound of the album is different. The lyrics and vocals are all reminiscent of their previous albums. The album is a lot of fun to listen to and definitely deserves its number 13 spot. In a recent interview, Kulash and Nordwind said, “It’s like when you’re writing songs, you’re not always trying to out-do the last one – you’re just trying to write a good song.”

Weekly EP Revue: Ella Eyre’s epynomous debut

Riley Ackley Promotional Director rackely@oswegonian.com

Cover image provided by calvinharris.co.uk

Photo provided by okgo.net Here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again for the quintessentially viral Californian pop-rock quartet OK Go.

The past three years have been eventful for Ella McMahon. Known almost exclusively by her stage name Ella Eyre, this 20-year-old songstress has been the subject of much praise and exposure. From collaborations with Bastille on their cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs,” to her featuring on Rudimental’s hit, “Waiting All Night,” Eyre has risen to the top of the U.K.’s music industry. As an accredited songwriter noted for her writing of Changing’s number one hit, “Changing” featuring Paloma Faith. The talent oozing out of Eyre is evident. Since the release of her debut

EP, “Deeper,” Eyre continued to build her fan base across the globe. Facing little recognition in the U.S. Eyre’s latest self-titled EP should help her skyrocket to stardom. The EP as a whole is spectacular. Nearly reaching perfection, Eyre’s vocals paired with moments of danceable beats and unsparing emotions culminate to make what may be one of the year’s best Extended-Plays. The first track off the record is “If I Go.” For audiences just being introduced to Eyre’s style, this track is the perfect lead in. Fiery and anthemic, “If I Go,” provides listeners with a multidimensional track for any occasion. Whether facing a difficult moment in your life or needing to dance throughout your house, “If I Go” will make you feel as though you can conquer the world.

Her next track is “Comeback.” Filled with fierce vengeance, the instrumentals of “Comeback” paired with Eyre’s unique soulful tones and creative structuring turn what could have been a basic pop track into a blend of genres. It is at one moment triumphant and at others relatable. The only setback facing Eyre’s latest EP is the inclusion of her previously released track “Deeper.” Despite being a perfectly appealing song with retro, reggae-inspired moments its inclusion on “Ella Eyre” is confusing; especially when listening to some of her tracks that could have been included but were not. Still though, the song has an atmosphere to it that is care-free and relaxing but also entertaining and empowered.

It is, once again, a terrific example of Eyre’s talents. The final track on “Ella Eyre” is “Home.” Most notable as a ballad, “Home” focuses more on the emotion of Eyre’s voice rather than heavy productions. It is an inspiring track that would seemingly fit into the end credits of a powerful film. It’s beautiful and compelling. There are few moments in time when an artist comes along and is able to consistently release material that is as striking as it is. Ella Eyre is a rarity. Her vocal talent and ability to put on a stunning experience, despite not being physically present upon listening to her music is a testament to her potential. Her latest EP further proves that she has tremendous talent and whether or not she breaks through the U.S. does not matter because as of now, she is doing pretty well as the queen of the U.K.

Laker Review

FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

Sybarite5 plays dynamic, diverse music for packed house Dan Gross Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com On Wednesday Oct. 29, the string quintet Sybarite5 took the stage in Sheldon Hall Ballroom to perform a varied set of music in front of a completely packed house, which was a surprise to many regular concertgoers. According to Colleen Dailey a music professor at Oswego State, all sections of the 100-level music appreciation classes and all sections of Music 100 were required to come to the concert. The hall was so packed, that even when three extrs rows were added in front, students were standing and sitting in back and around the ballroom. The group was even so gracious as to offer seating on the stage, which Dailey and a couple of middle school kids took advantage of. The host of the concert, faculty member and pianist Robert Auler, who also performed a piece with the quintet, sat with violinist Sami Merdinian and

bassist Louis Levitt to do a pre-concert talk. Auler and Levitt were friends at the University of Cincinnati, and the chemistry between the two was evident. The audience learned the group first got together during the Aspen Music Festival, which Levitt described as a music camp for “old people” in college, playing together in their free time, sometimes on street corners. Both Levitt and Merdinian discussed that classical musicians often do not have a choice in the repertoire they play, saying they “have to play the music you’re given, and you don’t always get to play what you want.” As these musicians get to play what they want, they have come to specialize in Radiohead covers, which violist Angela Pickett described as a “Radiohead problem,” that they solve by playing these covers. The group has an entire record devoted to Radiohead covers. Of all of their Radiohead covers, they chose to play “Paranoid Android,” “Weird Fishes” and “No Surprises,” the last of which they arranged themselves

Photo provided by sybarite5.org Sybarite5 is a string quintet composed of members Sami Merdinian, Angela Pickett, Louis Levitt, Sarah Whitney and Laura Metcalf.

and was a great highlight of the concert. Levitt said after the concert that these percussionist hits are notated with varying degrees of specificity in the music and they often work with the arrangers of their music with whom they discuss it, but it usually comes down to a decision by the group. Also in the music for these Radiohead tunes was the text for the melody whenever

a part had it. They rounded out the concert with pieces by Mozart, as well as a number of unusual tunes, exploring many tonalities, including a modern sound, avant-garde, jazz and the blues. Their newest member, Merdinian, also showed his influence, as they played a number of tangos from the violinist’s native Argentina.

Upon completing the set, they received a standing ovation. After leaving and returning to the stage, they treated the audience to an encore piece of “Take On Me/Flight Of The Bumblebee” mashing up A-Ha and Korsakov, which elicited laughs from the audience. It was a great concert for a packed house, especially those on stage.

Theophilus London’s good vibrations Ronel Puello Laker Review Editor rpuello@oswegonian.com

The most fashionable hip-hop album of the year has finally arrived. Brooklyn-based MC and part-time style icon Theophilus London has released his second full-length album “Vibes,” and the Kanye West-helmed album lives up to its simplistic name. London’s extensive genre-borrowing and mashing draws from a range of styles, from soul, pop, dancehall, electro and the classic R&B sounds of decades past. After dropping “Rio,” one of the most innovative and fun R&B singles of last year with the Menahan Street Band, the eyes of the music scene were on the Trinidad-born rapper as to how he could live up to the hype machine that surrounds him. London took most of the calendar to quietly get back into the studio with collaborators that include legendary R&B impresario Leon Ware, Blood Orange frontman and producer Dev Hynes and Kanye West as a featured artist and executive producer. What resulted from the toil of London’s efforts is “Vibes” and the vibes the album exudes are absolutely palpable. “Water Me” featuring Leon Ware, “Neu Law” and “Take and Look” are prime examples of the melding of electronic sounds with the modalities

present

Photo provided by commons.wikimedia.org Theophilus London is poised to make his mainstream breakthrough on “Vibes.”

of Motown Records. These tracks are most similar to “808’s & Heartbreak”era Kanye, without the resounding levels of pathos or self-pity. “Can’t Stop Now” is where West finally steps out from behind the production boards and appears to have the most genuine fun on a song in years. For fans of West’s earlier, warmer, soulinfluenced sound, this track is a treat to listen to and a pleasant departure from his current body of work. “Do Girls” is without a doubt the best track on “Vibes.” Originally released as a snippet of a demo, the finished track now boasts a backing guitar that elevates this song into a dark, rhythmic ode to London’s womanizing abilities. “Tribe” featuring relative newcomer Jesse Boykins III is London taking the party downtown and infusing house beats with his acerbic,

name-dropping brand of lyricism. The album’s closer “Figure It Out” has Dev Hynes and the fathers of new jack swing Force MD’s coming together to craft a down-tuned R&B slow jam in the vein of Daft Punk’s “Something About Us” or just a quiet storm station from the ‘80s. Theophilus London’s “Vibes” is confident to say the least. It’s draped in the finest fabrics and smoking out of a cigarette holder in the back of an elegant salon somewhere. It doesn’t feel out of place being played at a house party or on the runways of Europe. At times, listening to it feels like an alternative soundtrack to Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive.” It’s a dark, eerie album that’s still danceable for nights where you just want to dress up and have a wild night out on the town.

Bassoonist

Greg Quick

Wednesday, November 12 • 7:30 PM Sheldon Hall Ballroom

Host: Trevor Jorgensen | Pre-concert Talk 7 PM

oswego.edu/arts

Laker Review

FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

Calvin Harris stumbles setting latest album in ‘Motion’ Riley Ackley Promotional Director rackley@oswegonian.com

In 2012, Calvin Harris, born Adam Richard Wiles, experienced what it’s like to have an album climb the Billboard Hot 200. Reaching the 19th position, Harris’ fan-base grew astronomically. While already a wellknown electronic-dance producer due to the moderate success of his previous albums, Harris’ Top 40 recognition seemed well overdue as “18 Months” featured many well-known artists including Florence Welch, Ellie Goulding and Rihanna. Now, upon the release of his fourth album titled “Motion,” Harris hopes to maintain his title as one of the greatest electronic-pop crossover artists ever. Whether or not “Motion” can be recognized as a stride forward for the sub-genre is another story. Nothing particularly revolutionary exists on “Motion.” Each song is oddly similar to a track on “18 Months,” and while there is a certain appeal to the entertainment provided by the record, certainly there is criticism to be made about its lack of

dimensions. A replication of “Feel So Close,” “Summer” is one of the album’s least favorable tracks. Showcasing Harris’ groggy vocal styling, “Summer” adds nothing new to the young singer ’s repertoire. The fact that the song was released so preemptively to the album lends itself to irrelevancy. In contrast, there is “Outside” featuring Ellie Goulding. Providing the record with its most spectacular track, “Outside” once again acts as a reflection of Harris’s previous album, “18 Months.” Strikingly similar to “I Need Your Love,” this track focuses heavily on dance-pop beats as it is juxtaposed with wispy vocals. Unlike “Summer,” “Outside” is worth listening to purely on the appeal of entertainment. Flaunting a fiery beat furthered through an uncanny sense of intensity, “Outside” holds all the pieces of a potential hit. The album’s most subdued track comes in the form of “Ecstasy” featuring Hurts. Slow and burning, “Ecstasy” exists in a bordering space of sleepiness and beauty. As it never really becomes powerful enough to accomplish a goal, the melody of

Photo provided by commons.wikimedia.org “Motion,” the latest album from popular producer and DJ Calvin Harris, has its ups and downs but ultimately fails to impress.

Now, upon the release of his fourth album titled “Motion,” Harris hopes to maintain his title as one of the greatest electronic-pop crossover artists ever. ”

“Ecstasy” may lead many listeners to press their skip buttons. In terms of originality, “Pray To God” featuring HAIM is one of the only stand-out tracks on “Motion.” Its retro, yet unique sound surely promoted through HAIM’s own individuality rather than Harris’s, provides “Motion” with a capturing and redeemable moment of reprieve. For a dance album, content

may not be graded as harshly should the entertainment value of said album be high enough. For “Motion,” the balancing act weighs heavily against being entertaining enough. On the album, a few key tracks carry the vast majority of the weight while many other songs falter beneath. It’s a good effort, but maybe not good enough.

‘The Rocky Horror Show’ succeeds, involves audiences Andrew Kowal Staff Writer laker@oswegonian.com

The gender-bending cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” came to life in Hewitt Union this Halloween. Fans of the movie will not be disappointed, as this stage adaption marvelously captures the sex, outrageousness and great rockn-roll soundtrack that made up “The Rocky Horror Show.” For anyone who is unfamiliar with “Rocky Horror,” it is a campy, musical send-up of B-movie sci-fi, intimately entwined with a cast of hyper-sexual aliens and a madly brilliant transvestite scientist. When innocent newlyweds Brad Majors, played by Antony Sagrestano and Janet Weiss, played by Megan VanVorce, wind up stranded in the rain outside of a strange castle, they enter a world of twisted pleasure inside, and soon find themselves helpless at the whims of the seductive Dr. FrankN-Furter played by Josh Dobbin.

The show succeeded on a lot of levels. Its backbone, of course, was its musical numbers, and they were all on point. It was the way the actors moved, as much as the way they sang. Each number was a highenergy maelstrom that saw the ensemble weave up, down and around the tiered ramp stage, as well as a movable ladder. The stage deserves mention for being minimalist enough to let the color and glamor of the ensemble demand attention and its ability to suggest new environments with only a subtle change of lights and background. On several numbers, “Charles Atlas” and “Touch a Touch Me” in particular, nimble pole dancing and other sexually suggestive acrobatics really started to steam up the place. This is an impressively physical play. Frank-N-Furter was captivating in all his hairy femininity and forceful, tender loving. Josh Dobbin brought a killer voice to the role, both in and out of song. Eddie played by

Antonio Ortega, was a greaser-zombie beast, the titular Rocky played by Spencer Ventresca a strong yet infantile Adonis, and Magenta played by Amanda Joseph and Riff Raff, played by Jesse Lessner lurked with sinister intent. All the leads commanded the stage, while the ensemble played naughtily at the fringes. They were fun, sexy and chaotic. A great aspect of the stage adaption was how it encouraged audience participation throughout. Popcorn bags that anyone could buy for $5 before the show, contained goodies to hurl at the stage and instructions on when to insult and interrupt the show. This is meant to recreate the experience of attending a “Rocky Horror” screening where everyone knows the movie and acts it out in front of the screen. The lines played off of this for humor, with intentionally long pauses where the audience could raggedly throw in mocking questions and responses around the words.

David Armelino | The Oswegonian

Jesse Lessner and the cast of “The Rocky Horror Show” spooked out Hewitt Union.

The unseen, but integral part of the show was the live band behind the curtain. They made the dance numbers rock, as they ought to rock. The music popped in a way recorded soundtrack could not, and that energy was palpable to

the audience. “The Rocky Horror Show” will be reanimated for two more weekends, on November 7, 8, and 14-16. It’s a great time for old fans and new, so be sure come and see what’s on the slab.

Laker Review

FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

‘John Wick’ not your typical action flick, surprising thriller Sage Chase Contributing Writer laker@oswegonian.com

Stunt actors aren’t known for much besides, well, stunts. Turns out they do know a thing or two about directing, as shown by the director duo of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Experience in fight choreography is evident in their directorial debut film. “John Wick” stars Keanu Reeves (“The Day the Earth Stood Still”) and Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist (“Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”) as the ex-mob enforcer and titular character John Wick and underground crime boss of New York City Viggo Tarasov, respectively. The films takes place in present day New York City with a few of the beginning scenes set in New Jersey as Wick hunts the criminals he helped create. The film follows Wick through his days of retirement and grieving for his departed wife who died of a terminal illness, one they had both known of for years and chose not to let keep them from marrying. Mere days after his wife’s passing, Wick receives one last letter from her telling him he needs to move on. Along with this letter she sent him a puppy

named Daisy. As Wick tries to come to terms with his new life of retirement alone and begins to gets comfortable with Daisy, a group of Russian delinquents, led by Viggo Tarasov’s son Iosef, break into Wick’s home to steal his car and in the process, kill his puppy. Iosef is played by Alfie Allen who plays Theon Greyjoy in “Game of Thrones” in much the same way as his character in “Game of Thrones;” a perpetually arrogant individual constantly trying to prove himself, and does really well at eliciting both hatred and pity. The plot of the movie revolves around Wick getting revenge on Iosef for killing his only remaining ties to a normal life. Wick has literally buried his previous life in hopes that it would never surface, represented by a trunk filled with his personal handguns and stacks of gold coins. As he unearths them from the foundation of his home, the profession he built with them that has been the foundation of his entire life returns as well. On the surface, “John Wick” seems like just another action movie with no deeper understanding required beyond the visually stunning gun-play. Music and sound remain the tools with the greatest impact, where the film starts with an abrupt crash that grabs your attention right away. High intensity is relayed through pumping electronic music,

Photo provided by johnwickthemovie.com Keanu Reeves hunts down and takes on his enemies as John Wick, a retired mob enforcer whose past comes back to haunt him.

growing into a chilling frenzy as Wick descends on his enemies. At every opportunity the scenes and settings look picturesque and sleek, even glamorous in their presentation. The cinematography is clean and active with a variety of shots to keep up the quality of the movie outside of the action segments. The feeling of the movie was that of precise and thoughtful direction and a clear and constant quality in all technical aspects of the film behind the scenes. Even the gunfights and intricate ac-

tion segments made great use of practical effects. Despite the pleasant surprise while watching “John Wick,” the continual references of him as the “Boogeyman” or “Baba Yaga” throughout were never very impressive and detracted from the established mystery and legacy of Wick. In the same vein, some will continue to cite “John Wick” as another boring performance by Keanu Reeves, though hopefully others see this claim as debatable at least.

“John Wick” is the definition of high quality action movies, retaining the excitement of common shoot‘em-ups while focusing on highly skilled use of choreography that creates a believable film world. “John Wick” knows it’s an action movie and takes itself very seriously with its intricate action sequences. Ultimately the film asserts itself as a unique look at the typical action-hero protagonist and covers a lot of ground within the genre while still staying grounded with its target audience.

‘Nightcrawler’ shines light on darker side of crime journalism Travis Clark Asst. Laker Review Editor tclark@oswegonian.com

The city shines brightest at night. Likewise, “Nightcrawler” shines brightest in its darkest, most disturbing moments. The film shines its light on the dark underbelly of Los Angeles crime journalism—it is brutal, unflinching and most of all, ratings gold for a local television news station. Lou Bloom, played by Jake Gyllenhaal (“Prisoners”), is down-onhis-luck and desperate. But he’s also driven and a little deranged. After witnessing a shocking car accident and the camera crew that responds to the scene, Lou takes on nightcrawling—and it swallows him whole. “Nightcrawler” shifts and turns throughout its narrative. There’s a lot of ways to describe it—neo-noir psychodrama, nail-biting thriller. It even has elements of a lavishly dark, violent comedy. When Bloom is sub-

Photo provided by nightcrawlerfilm.com Jake Gyllenhaal plays a tortured, manipulative young crime scene reporter willing to do anything to chase a story.

tly seducing Nina Romina, played by Rene Russo (“Thor: The Dark World”), the news director of the lowest rated news station in the Los Angeles area, it’s hard to take in, especially when she seems oddly turned on by his ability to get “the perfect footage.” These awkwardly comical scenes oddly enough fit perfectly into the overall narrative and tone of the film.

The film is Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut. Having written films like “The Bourne Legacy” and “Real Steel,” Gilroy is no stranger to thrillers. “Nightcrawler,” however, is a different entity. Gilroy captures a surreal tone. In many ways it’s reminiscent of 2011’s sleeper-hit “Drive;” cerebral and tonally twisted, with a mysterious main character. Like “Drive,” its moody

atmosphere is often interrupted by thrilling punches to the gut. Most notably, a brilliant car chase that is a spectacle and has to be experienced first-hand. As a first feature-length effort for Gilroy, it’s highly impressive. The major difference, though, between “Nightcrawler” and “Drive” is that Lou Bloom is much more expressive than the Driver in “Drive.”

Bloom has a scary confidence he exudes with a sinister grin and glaring, soul-penetrating eyes. He’s menacing in a way, like your Hannibal Lecters or Jokers, which is made all the more delightful by the fact it’s so unexpected. Gyllenhaal owns the role, having lost over 30 pounds—and any ounce of sanity—to portray Bloom. As a character, he lacks much likability or backstory, usually a problem. We know he’s highly intelligent without being formally educated and that’s about it. But the mystery surrounding him makes him all the more appealing. “Nightcrawler” isn’t about where Lou Bloom came from—it’s about where he’s going. And underneath it all is a killer commentary on news media in today’s blood-obsessed society. At the end of the day (or night), maybe Bloom isn’t even the villain of the story. Perhaps the most sadistic character is the city itself. It comes alive in the night time, and corrupts anyone who dares crawl through it.

Laker Review

FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

Comics & Games

Cre ati ve Writing

Crossword Puzzle

Abuelito de mi corazon, por que la luna es azul? Wait, let me compose a symphony under your name in another language no, no es español but the foreign land that starts 90 miles away. Grandpa, how come inspiration whistle words for abuela but not for you? You, that carelessly taught me to make jokes (he really does this) in awkward moments, like when mami yells at my brother for being a spoiled little brat.

Lily Choi | The Oswegonian

bodega two blocks from the house, goes through each grain of rice to triple check is fine to feast. You, that turned green from a milk chocolate tone when abuela carried a heavy box or stood in a high chair to clean the lamp. I still think that’s romantic. Do you feel lonely? Because I am lonely by not being able to kiss your soft old cheeks and listen to your compliments of how beautiful I’ve turned out.

It makes me feel like I’m still your It’s technically her fault for buying him favorite granddaughter, literally. video games. Until my soul reaches your soul for a hug, You, a simple demonstration that I never that wakes up at 7 a.m. to go buy the daily bread given in the showed when I was nine.

Down

Puzzle provided by boatloadpuzzles.com

1. Tree branch 2. Diva’s offering 3. Departed 4. Bother 5. Start of a Dickens title (2 wds.) 6. Painter Salvador ___ 7. Jupiter, e.g.

8. Snaky fish 9. B&O, e.g. 10. Got it! (2 wds.) 11. Fasting period 16. Perpetual 19. Had creditors 23. In __ (late with pay) 24. Tennis unit

25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 31. 34. 35.

Paving goo Phone number prefix Put on Pension plan (abbr.) Knockout count Sniffer Choose Not wavering

For this week’s crossword answers go to:

Camilo Licata | The Oswegonian

Across

1. 4. 7. 12. 13. 14. 15. 17. 18. 20. 21. 22. 24. 27. 30. 31. 32. 33. 35. 36. 37. 38. 40. 45. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53.

Ordinance Owned Danger Rage ___ standstill (2 wds.) Rent ___ oil Foreigner Large army unit Lease Compass direction (abbr.) ___ and tear Night twinklers Motor City Deserve Head gesture Barely cooked Traitor’s crime Family car Pub brews Bus terminal (abbr.) Trumpeter __ Severinsen TV host David ___ Act the ham Oceanfront Military doctor Writing tablet Unused Awkward Foxy CT time zone

37. 38. 39. 41. 42. 43. 44. 46.

Swipe ___ Moore of “Ghost” Harbinger Chef’s units (abbr.) Coal source Summer drinks Salamander Summit

Oswegonian.com/lreview

CLASSIFIEDS

lassifieds

Contact:Selena Ferguson

classifieds@oswegonian.com

Phone: 315.312.3600

Newly built 1 & 2 bedroom apts. Free lawn care, garbage/ snow removal. On premises washer/dryer. Partial or all utilities. 342-6764 www.mbrancatoproperties. com.

Renting for 2015-2016 school year. 1-8 bedroom house/apartments. Neat, clean, quiet. Off-street parking. Garbage and snow removal. 315-3435005. www.AveryRentalProperties.com

Newly remodeled, spacious 3 & 4 bedroom houses. Free lawn care, garbage/snow removal. On premises washer/dryer. Partial or all utilities. 342-6764 www.mbrancatopropeties. com. Available 2015. Newly remodeled 3, 4 & 5 bedroom apartments. Prime location. Free garbage, lawn and snow removal. 591-2253.

For Rent: 3-7 bedroom houses. Available June 1, 2015. Above- average student housing. Very homey. Coinless washer/dryer. Garbage, lawn, & snow removal available. Utilities included. Newly remodeled with hard-wood floors. Reputable landlord with many references. Call John Luber at 315-529-2475 BEFORE 9 pm.

Affordable off-campus housing. Great locations. 1-8 bedroom houses. Starting at $340/month pp. Utilities included optional. 315591-2735. www.oswegostudenthousing.com www. dunsmoorstudenthousing. com

Variety of houses. 2-4 bedroom houses. All large bedrooms. All new appliances. Washer/dryer included. Great location. Responsible landlord. Off-street parking. 591-8521.

7 bedroom, 4 bath, 2 kitchen house. Appliances, off-street parking, near downtown. Free garbage/snow removal. Call 591-8521. 3 bedroom house. Great location. Washer/dryer included. All new appliances. Very clean. 591-8521.

3-4 bedroom apartment. Center of downtown. Great location. Washer/dryer included. Low utilities. Off-street parking. 591-8521. 3-8 bedroom. Available June 1, 2015. 315-5321338.

Sudoku Efficiency apartment. 1 quiet person required. Utilities included. Internet, cable, water & trash included. No smoking or pets. Off-street parking. On bus route. Available January 1, 2015. 343-7072. Leave message. Multifamily 8, 7 or 6 bedroom. Great parking. Nice back yard. Utilities can be included. Great location. Washer/dryer, garbage & plow included. 9/12-9/19. Call Brian 315-591-3992. Available 2015-2016: 1-4 bedroom houses. West side. Free washer/dryer, off-street parking. Rent includes snow, garbage lawn care and water. Lease and security. Call 529-1015. Quality Student Housing. 3,4,5,8 bedroom houses. Close to campus. Free washer and dryer, snow removal and lawn care. 315-952-2902. Quality Student Housing. 3,4,5,8 bedroom houses. Close to campus. Free washer and dryer, snow removal and lawn care. 315-952-2902.

Horoscopes Aries (Mar. 21 - Apr. 19): Hardworking influences are moving in, making this a day where you will be only too happy to take charge on more than a few fronts. This is a real chance for you to shine in the eyes of those you respect. Some lingering issues will also be addressed. You will take it all in stride.

Taurus (Apr. 20 - May 20): Interactions are likely to go askew today and an overreaction early on could mean anger later on in the day. Don’t allow misunderstandings to linger or intensify. Be prepared to backpedal in order to recoup your integrity and think before speaking.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22): Negativity will impact your day, especially in terms of your judgment. At the moment, your typical intuitive mind is a little opaque, making decisions difficult. You should probably put off important conversations and commitments until later.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22): A friend in need is a friend. Someone is likely to turn to you for some support and guidance today. You’ll probably be able to offer a little more than a shoulder to cry on. Your ability to remain fair will help, especially by providing a fresh perspective on the matter.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21): Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sep. 22): It may feel as though errands or assignments are taking up too much of your time. It’s also likely that a substantial plan could develop but will turn out to be time consuming, which won’t help. However, a workable balance between the two is possible. You just need to find it.

A flashback to relationships will appear, and your social life will get an overdue kick-start. Take a go-with-the-flow approach and let someone introduce you to some new faces. A minor surprise may be on the horizon, so don’t waste any of these numerous opportunities.

FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014

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

Roomy 4 bedroom house. Close to Campus. Above average condition. All utilities included. Call for details. 315-591-2440. HUGE 5-6 bedroom house. Close to downtown and campus. Heat, electric, hot/cold water included, very nice. Call for details 315-5912440. MAMMOTH 7-8 bedroom house. In prime location. ALL utilities included. Clean and cozy. 2 full baths. Call for details 315-591-2440. LARGE 3-4 bedroom HOUSE. HUGE ROOMS. Nice location close to downtown. ALL utilities included. Call or text 315-593-4857.

Difficulty: Medium

4-5 bedroom home. Large rooms, great location. ALL utilities provided. Plenty of parking w/ plowing. Free use of furniture and washer/dryer. Call or text 315-593-4857. Nice 5-6 bedroom house. Many updates. ALL utilities included. Call or text 315-593-4857. Very spacious 7-8 bedrooms, nice sized rooms. Great location. ALL utilities included. Call or text 315-593-4857. Rooms available for 2015-16. All utilities included. Free washer/dryer in every apartment. Free unlimited printing, WIFI, cable and HBO. Continental Breakfast Mon-Fri. SHUTTLE BUS TO CAMPUS. www.Plsuites.com.

Difficulty: Medium

BY Gabrielle Reimann Libra (Sep. 23 - Oct. 23): A surge of calming energy is likely to counterbalance burning impulses. Since you’ll have this advantage, and you’ll know what to say, it’s a day to seek advice and resolve ongoing matters. Fix some loose ends. This could lead to a little excitement later on.

Scorpio (Oct. 24 - Nov. 21): You are likely to see a boost in productivity levels. It’s possible that your goals for the day will be assertive, which could create a few minor strains for everyone involved. A sensitive or well thought-out approach will produce better results today. Think and be patient.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): Mixed influences may have a surprisingly effective combination; they’ll be guiding you to make the best of your current condition. Career options may make themselves known, and

ON THIS DATE

there should still be some useful information released to you. Store that information away until you need it.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19): There’s an element of feeling slightly time-pressured. It may be this pressure is being applied indirectly, or you may be reading into it too much. Either way, you should avoid getting into minor disputes with those who are feeling equally hard-pressed.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): If you’re hard at work, keep focused because duties or assignments are likely to be pushed to the back of your mind today. A chance to catch up on all the latest news is always tempting, but you’re likely to hear something that isn’t true and will be distracting. Proceed with caution.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20): There is a possible bit of useful luck, which is not the same as good luck necessarily. A

minor mistake in your personal resources could viably draw your attention to something that needs addressing. In turn, this could lead to major improvements in your overall budget.

1944: Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected to a record fourth term as President of the United States. 1967: French DJ and producer David Guetta is born. 1991: Magic Johnson retires from the NBA after announcing he has HIV. 1996: New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde is born.