Fall 2014 Edition 1

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Pandora’s Box Serving York College of the City Univeristy of New York and the Sorrounding Jamaica, Queens Community Fall 2014 Ed. I; Monday, September 22, 2014

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GET OUT THE VOTE, CUNY! York tries to register students for November elections

BY RODNEY GANTT In collaboration with the office of Student Activities, York College’s Student Government Association has begun efforts to promote voter registration on campus for the upcoming general elections in November.

“We will begin our efforts on National Voter Registration Day,” said Anthony Andrews, assistant director of Student Activities at York.

On Sept. 23 members of student government and the Delta Sigma Theta sorority will be registering new voters and encouraging everyone to vote in the upcoming elections, according to Andrews.

The event will take place in the atrium from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“I hope that we’ll raise awareness about the voting process and get students to vote,” said Andrews.

In a related event, on Oct. 5

members of student government will partner with the York College Alumni Association to hold a meeting in the faculty dining room from 6 to 9 p.m. Student Government President Shaikh Amin said he hopes the meeting will help educate young students on the importance of voting. In preparation for the events Student Activities will provide promotional materials, including posters and pamphlets.

“Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions.”

-Edward R. Murrow

The pamphlets, decorated with the CUNY-wide campaign slogan, Voice Your Choice, provide information on how to register, enrolling in a political party and how to obtain an absentee ballot application.

According to Amin, this year York will be a part of another CUNY-wide promotional campaign, I Vote Because. ...SEE “VOTE” ON PAGE 5

Alleged Gang Member Arrested in Q6 Bus Shooting

BY JANAE HUNTER Police arrested a second suspect in connection with a May 2013 shooting that left a Jamaica teenager dead.

The suspect faces several charges, including murder and weapons possession, police said.

Brooklyn teen Shamel Capers, 16, was arrested on July 30 in connection to the murder of 14-year-old D’aja Robinson, who was shot in the head on May 8, 2013 while riding the Q6 bus from a party. Robinson and her friends left the Onyx Lounge on Rockaway Boulevard shortly after 9 p.m. and were on their way to another party when the shooting happened.

Nine shots hit the side of the bus, one striking Robinson in the head, as the bus passed near Baisley Pond Park. She was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center ...SEE “SHOOTING” ON PAGE 5

In Case You Didn’t Notice... ...York’s Got A New Cafe

BY ALLYSON GILL Rotisserie chicken, quesadillas, and calzones, are just a few of the major additions to York College’s dining options under the direction of Henry McCants, York’s new food service director and executive chef. The changes, implemented at the beginning of the Fall 2014 semester are in response to complaints about the lack of variety and pricing of food.

McCants has been getting praise from workers who have worked at York for over 10 years.

“Under the new manager with Aladdin, it is excellent.” said cashier Marva Pedler. “The customers come in, they praise us and it’s very professional. He respects us and that’s what we weren’t getting under (prior management).

We get a lot of respect, the workers, and with that we can relate out to customers much better.

Greet them with a smile and feel comfortable what we’re doing.”

“I like him,” said cashier Brenda Williams. “He’s very professional, he listens to us. The changes are very nice. Henry is nice, very different than before.”

With a culinary degree from

SUNY Cobleskill and over 20 years of experience in the food industry, McCants takes much pride in his work and presentation. The entire cafeteria has been redecorated and two new cooks have been hired. Even suggestion cards can be seen by the Starbucks and cafeteria along with cards to contact McCants directly, something that was never expected and even shocked the current cafeteria staff.

“When I first came here I couldn’t believe this was a cafeteria,” said McCants, who began working at York in June, “The quality of food wasn’t to my standard.”

The student responses have been overwhelmingly positive.

“The food is actually edible now,” said senior Kevin Aponte, 20.

The new cafeteria menu also includes an omelette bar in the breakfast menu, and a revamped pizza station. The increase in variety comes from looking at local restaurants, McCants said. To make options all inclusive, all foods sold at Starbucks are kosher and the soup station serves both vegan and meat soup daily.

INDEX

NEWS

NEWS: .................... 1-7 A&E: ....................... 8-11 OP-ED: .................. 12-13 SPORTS: ............... 14-16 For More News:

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NYC’s Green Cart Initiative gets fresh produce in urban areas that don’t have access to supermarkets, such as Jamaica. (PHOTO BY ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION) eas that do not have accessible

BY JOSEPH DARIUS JAAFARI

Bodega Fresh!

Jamaica’s availability to fresh produce limited

...SEE “FOOD OPTIONS” ON PAGE 6

3 OP-ED

York Students React to Police and Race

Access to fresh fruits and vegetables in Jamaica is increasingly scarce as corner bodegas become the neighborhood’s primary source for food in an area that many consider to be a kind of urban food desert.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been reluctant to label any portion of the five boroughs as “food deserts,” a term they give to ar-

12 A&E

How Ferguson and Ray Rice are Similar

supermarkets selling fresh produce within a mile’s distance.

And Jamaica is no different.

There are only four large supermarkets within the entire neighborhood, and most of them outline the Northern border -- a good eight blocks in some cases for people who live anywhere south of the York College campus. ...SEE “FARMERS” ON PAGE 6

8 SPORTS

Do It for the Vine & What’s next for the App

Women’s Volleyball Starts Rough

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NYPD Is Warned Not To Censor First

NYPD officers patrol the streets of Manhattan.

BY RODNEY GANTT

In the wake of the viral video of the killing of a Staten Island man by police, a memo was

The Dark Night Light pollution is problematic, but manageable

BY JOSEPH JAAFARI

As a group of about 20 shuffled onto the fourth floor terrace of the H-wing of York College, Professor Tim Paglione shielded his eyes and looked straight up.

“There!” he said, and everyone craned their heads back.

With squinted eyes – and hoodies pulled over their heads– the group was looking at one of the brightest stars in the night sky, Vega.

Once a month, Paglione, an astrophysicist who is also the chair of the Earth and Physical Sciences Department, puts on an open sky observation night for the community and college students fascinated by the cosmos.

This time, everyone was expecting to see the “summer triangle,” a constellation that around the early night-time hours draws an imaginary triangle directly above using the three brightest

recently issued by the NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton’s office reminding officers that it is legal for them to be filmed while on duty.

stars from three separate constellations: Altair from the constellation Aquila; Cygnus from Deneb; and Vega from Lyra.

Though sometimes viewing conditions can be dubious (mostly because of cloud cover), the sky’s haze is matched with one problem that will just never go away: the lights.

“Gertz is off tonight,” Paglione said and pointed to the darkened Gertz Plaza Mall signage. “That’s a blessing.”

“Light pollution is the easiest pollution to fix, it’s not like you have to wait centuries for it to leave the atmosphere. I calculated it, it takes a millisecond,” Paglione said.

New York is one of the few states in the nation that has no laws limiting light pollution.

However, a bill was passed through the state Senate in June that would require facades on all lights to reduce glare and light pollution. It’s yet to be seen if the bill will be signed into law.

California, on the other hand, has some of the strongest laws and has recently emboldened their program in places like downtown Los Angeles and Oakland by changing the or-

NASA-Funded Program At York Pushes S.T.E.M Learning With Youngsters

The planetarium for the NASA-SEMAA program. (PHOTO BY ROSANNA SINGH.)

BY ROSANNA SINGH NASA’s Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) at York College broke a record this summer with a 25 percent jump in enrollment, college officials said.

The NASA-funded project has been serving the community for more than 14 years, yet despite its nationally recognized success, it’s also one of the least-known projects on campus.

The NASA-SEMAA program is

a national education project which is designed to increase the participation and retention of historically underserved and underrepresented K-12 youth in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and operates at 15 sites which are located in 14 states.

York College is the only fully funded site in the Northeast, and has served over 16,000 students.

During the Summer 2014 Session, the SEMAA program was rated as

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“Members of the public are legally allowed to record police interaction,” the memo reads according to an article in The Daily News, which originally reported the story.

The memo served as a warning to officers that any attempt to prevent a person from recording such as blocking cameras or ordering them to stop “constitutes censorship and also violates the First Amendment.”

“I think recording police officers is a good idea,” said Stafford Nichol, a Far Rockaway, Queens resident. “It's better for the person being arrested because it will give an account of what happened with the officer.”

The policy clarification came less than two weeks after a bystander recorded an attempted arrest on Staten Island which resulted in the death of local resident Eric Garner. The video showed a white officer tackling Garner, who was black, in a chokehold.

Garner was repeatedly heard tell-

ing officers “I can't breathe.” The incident resulted in accusations of racism against the officers.

“I have seen the video of Mr. Garner, such a shame I've seen a few others too,” said Cedlyne Jean-Joseph, a Jamaica, Queens resident. Jean-Joseph, who said she had been aware of the right to film the police, said she had never felt the need until now.

“It's really unfortunate how police officers have the green light to do and act how ever they want,” said Jean-Joseph. “They are becoming the new KKK.” Both Nichol and Jean-Jean said, while they themselves have never been harassed by police, they have heard stories and know friends and family who have. “Growing up in my neighborhood I have seen people getting arrested just for coming out the park late at night, it makes no sense,” said Nichol.

When it comes to recording on duty officers and exercising their right Jean-Joseph

and Nichol expressed different views. “I've learned to always mind my business, what they are doing to whoever is none of my business,” said Jean-Joseph.

Speaking from personal experience Jean-Joseph said she knew of instances where officers knew they were being recorded and became more aggressive, even snatching the camera away from the person. “It's kind of scary if you ask me,” said Jean-Joseph.

Unlike Jean-Joseph, Nichol said he thinks police recordings will, “change how they conduct their arrest and how they deal with the community.” When it comes to exercising his right to record officers, Nichol said, “If the situation calls for me to record police harassment I will.”

ange-hued sodium street lights (similar to the ones that surround York College) to a brighter, more cost-efficient, LED light. The switch between bulbs has the potential to reduce the overall number of street lamps by 66 percent, according to some researchers.

It also saves California over $5 million in electricity usage, according to the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting.

“Light pollution is the only form of pollution where you can save money by fixing it,” said Scott Kardel, Acting Executive Director of the International Dark Sky Association. “We tend to think of air and water pollution as a thing. You can touch toxic water, for example. Light pollution is a bit more nebulous than that. You can’t hold or smell it, but you can see it, and you can make an instant difference in turning your lights off.”

But light is a finicky particle.

You can direct light into a beam by, for example, fashioning a piece of paper into a cylinder around a flashlight, but light photons bouncing off the paper will create a slight halo effect at the opening, creating spillover.

“Light easily comes out in all

angles, all you can do is put lenses in front of it,” said Dr. Robert Alfano, a distinguished professor of the physics department at CUNY’s City College of New York. “Light emits everywhere, so you have a glow. The light bulb is glowing. Even tungsten glows in all directions.”

The inevitable spillover, coupled with city lights from skyscrapers and billboards, wreak havoc on the ecological environment of many cities. In one example, Florida sea turtles that hatch at night have been affected by light pollution.

“Instead of hatching and making their way to the water, they wander towards the lights, away from the water, and die,” said Paglione. “You know how the poster child of global warming is the polar bear? The poster child of light pollution is the sea turtle.”

In 1993, Florida enacted legislation to prohibit any illumination on or near beaches during nesting season in an effort to protect hatchlings, which are also on the endangered species list.

Jamaica lies roughly ten miles from midtown Manhattan, the most polluted region

of the United States according to The Royal Astronomical Society. When it mapped out the level of brightness for each continent, the group concluded that the corridor between Washington D.C. and Boston was the brightest.

Paglione contested the severity of light pollution in Jamaica, and said that the neighborhood ranked low on the Bortle Scale (a nine-step checklist that anyone can check from their doorstep to see how dark their sky is).

“Hundreds of measurements get logged all over NYC each year, and it's bad. But it's really good just 30 minutes away in some directions,” he said.

“The intangible factor is that for all of human history we’ve had the night sky,” said Kardel.

“The stars have inspired countless people for cool things in regards to art and science and religion and philosophy. Now that we’re cut off from that, it’s hard to say.”

one of the best sessions in the past five years according to Dr. Nazrul Khandaker, Director for SEMAA at York College.In the fall and spring York offers two eight-week Saturday sessions for students, grades one through nine and they offer a three-week session during the summer. Khandaker said that the program had about five hundred students in grades one through six enrolled in the summer session, a dramatic 25 percent increase.

“We’ve reached so many milestones, it’s been productive through media and publicity, this has been one of the best in five years. We can assure everyone that we can reach full strength, we have the resources for teachers, classrooms and materials,” Khandaker said.

Khandaker has been a part of York College and the SEMAA program for the past 10 years. He added that while major funding comes from NASA, Con Edison has been a great financial contributor to the program since 2007.

The summer 2014 session of the SEMAA program at York College received significant coverage and publicity by television news networks like NY1 News and

Telemundo, where they featured almost all the components that the program offers its students.

SEMAA attracts students with an Aerospace Education Laboratory, featuring dynamic aerospace technology. But what parents seem to like is the immense focus to use STEM programs throughout the experience and a Family Cafe to promote sustained parental involvement in their child’s work.

“Kids go home and talk to their parents about the SEMAA program.

SEMAA lessons help them in school and they do better in their exams, they’re finding a way to enhance math and science,” Khandaker said.

The aerospace lab which was installed by NASA is one of the essential facilities for the SEMAA project at York. It is comprised of a wind tunnel, a weather station, aircraft design station and flight simulator according to Khandaker. He said that the SEMAA lesson has been expanded to multiple sections including robotics and lego, communication technology and 3D printing.The Starlab, the college’s portable planetarium that can be seen popped up around York College (most recently two weeks ago in the atrium), is

one of the more intriguing set pieces for SEMAA. Younger students, mostly grades one through five, engage in activities inside the Starlab.

“It’s really beneficial to the students, they get to learn in a different environment,” said Adley Thelusma, a junior at York. “It’s a new unique, exciting opportunity for kids to learn and gain new experiences.”

The program has received national recognition for its positive influence on communities like Southeast Queens, where majority of its students come from nearly 125 schools within the Jamaica community.

In 2003, SEMAA was classified by NASA as the agency’s top K-12 educational projects and York College has continued to uphold its excellent annual reviews and the site has also been known for its diversity and its cost efficiency according to NASA. “The kids learn a lot and it’s a satisfactory program,” said Shavan Ramdial, a teacher’s aid from SEMAA. “There’s a balance with fun and learning in the program.”

Rodney Gantt is a staff reporter. He can be reached at R.Gantt@yorkpbnews.net

Joseph Jaafari is Editor in Chief. He can be reached at Joseph@yorkpbnews.net

Rosanna Singh is a staff reporter. She can be reached at R.Singh@yorkpbnews.net

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In Wake Of NFL, York Hosts Domestic Get Them Help Violence Panel

Members of the York College Domestic Violence stress the importance of getting help. (PHOTO BY ROSANNA SINGH)

BY ROSANNA SINGH

The Baltimore Ravens football player Ray Rice was recently let go and suspended indefinitely by the NFL for abusing his then-fiance Janay Rice in an elevator. It ignited many conversations regarding domestic violence, which is also why York College holds panel discussions to educate students about the issue.

The most recent footage of Rice punching the woman who has since become his wife in

an elevator then dragging her unconscious body out of the elevator, has started to shed light on the issue of domestic violence which is concealed behind many closed doors.

The recent security footage not only made a difference to the NFL, but also to survivors of domestic abuse. And the latest hashtag on Twitter #WhyIStayed, gave more outlooks and perspectives on the issue.

“You have to teach people

York College Involved In Governor’s Small Biz Initiative

Governor Cuomo signs recently passed Start-up NY law. (PHOTO BY RYAN SCHULTZ)

BY ALLYSON GILL

York College is one of five CUNY schools, one in each borough, selected to participate in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Start-Up NY initiative, to spur economic development in the neighborhoods surrounding each campus.

Initially focused on upstate, the initiative’s goal was to attract new high tech businesses to the state by connecting them with top talent on college campuses and creating tax-free zones around campuses where businesses can develop

without being obligated to pay taxes for 10 years. Employees working at Start-Up NY-zoned companies will also have the benefit of paying no income tax.

“Employees hired for and whose jobs are certified as net new jobs in a tax-free area will pay no state or local income taxes for the first five years,” according to the StartUp NY website “For the second five years, employees will pay no taxes on income up to $200,000 for individuals, $250,000 for a head of household and $300,000 for

how to prevent domestic violence,” said Patricia Gregory from Transition Center Safe house, during a panel discussion at York College. “If someone is in a domestic violence situation, get them help. Healthy relationships don’t drag you out, they bring you up.”

The topic is receiving unprecedented coverage by the U.S. media. Intimate partner violence entails aggression between two partners and it can happen to anyone of any gender or ethnicity.

More than six million people are victims of domestic violence each year, according to the New York District Attorney’s office.

Approximately 4,000 women and 900 men are treated in New York City emergency rooms each year for partner violence, while an average of 40 percent taxpayers filing a joint return.”

York seeks to attract businesses in the college’s areas of strength including, pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, medical device research and manufacturing, water resource management and purification, supply chain logistics, aviation management and wireless technology.

Ronald Thomas, Vice-President of Administrative Affairs, is leading the initiative on campus. Part of the negotiation to become part of York’s Start-Up NY tax free zone will involve student internships, he said.

Thomas also stressed the importance of connecting businesses with faculty doing potentially viable research.

“We had to identify faculty who were interested in, and are doing research that might have some practical commercial value and identified a number of areas where we thought that would be true,” said Thomas. “We then worked with the respective deans of the schools to develop some ideas.”

Faculty who are included in the plan have already begun doing research in these fields, including Computer Science Professor Shweta Jain, whose research in wireless technology is included in the York College Start-Up NY plan. She said she is interested in

of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner each year, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Vice President Joe Biden recently described domestic abuse as, “The most vicious form of violence there is, but not only

the physical scars are left but the psychological scars are left.”

Many people choose to stay in relationships where domestic violence is present so they can keep their families together, or in some cases due to financial situations. At times a lot of people who are abused feel that they are psychologically unfit to get out of their relationships with their abuser. Many connecting students with startups.

“It would be nice if they involved our students so now our students get internships,” said Jain. “That’s how I work. I work for the school which is a non-profit and it’s not my company so I’m not looking to make profit. If there is something that comes up the startup company should benefit the students.”

Professor Ratan Dhar of the Earth and Physical Sciences department was also included in the Start-Up NY plan. He believes that his research in water resource management and purification can help Queens and New York City as a whole. All of the water running into New York City comes from upstate reservoirs and there may be a time when we need a water source closer to home. Dhar is looking into alternative sources for clean water in the city that he claims already exist right under the surface of Queens. His job is to find ways to safely extract and purify them.

Dhar claims that it is possible to use the underground water to heat York College while simultaneously purifying the water for use. His interest in Start-Up NY is to possibly work with a company to find ways to make this a reality and become less dependent on water from upstate. Community awareness is important, he said.

NYPD Gets Moved From Desk Duty To The Streets

BY VALERIE VICTOR In order to get more officers in the street and fewer pushing paperwork, the NYPD’s Summer All Out Initiative, created by Police Commissioner William Bratton, turned office workers into street patrollers.

Beginning July 7, about 300 NYPD members typically assigned to desk-duty were placed in focused neighborhoods such as Canarsie, East New York, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Brownsville, Parkchester, Fordham, and Williamsbridge.

The Daily News reported gun-shootings at a 25 percent decrease in the targeted neighborhoods. There was also a 12 percent

drop recorded in citywide shootings as a result of the NYPD’s initiative.

Neighborhood residents noticed the increased presence of uniformed police officers in their communities.

“I did see a lot more cops this summer…I liked it, I felt safer,” said East New York resident Marsha Pierre, 30.

There are still worries, though, about how an increased presence of police could mean more trouble for minorities in those neighborhoods, especially as tension between police and residents has increased since the death of Eric Garner, who died after an NYPD officer put him in a chokehold.

On Monday, Sept. 8, a New York City Council meeting with

The Summer Initiative Program involved police towers in neighborhoods like East New York and Brownsville.

Bratton took place to discuss NYPD reform. The council meeting revolved around police tactics in New York and increasing the number of cops in the streets.

Garner’s death prompted the meeting, which involved council members picking apart new NYPD training protocols and procedures. Bratton not only testified on police tactics, he also urged

the council to approve funding to hire more than one thousand new NYPD officers in the year 2015.

However, reform in the recent past has been denied, making some wonder if the new talk about police training is just hot air. The ideas outlined for NYPD reform were proposed earlier this year to Bratton just months before the hearing and were denied.

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victims of abuse are sometimes those who have unstable immigration and legal statuses and they are afraid to seek help due their vulnerable positions.

“Domestic violence is a problem. Even today it is still not being taken as serious in this day and age,” said Vishwamitra Persaud, a York Business Administration major. “It’s not just physical abuse, it’s emotional and psychological too.

Sometimes there’s a lot of stigma.”

Persaud said that he has witnessed the presence of domestic violence in many relationships.

“People are emotionally chained to relationships and they feel they can’t get out, they want to stay and make it work anyhow,” Persaud said.

Rosanna Singh is a staff reporter. She can be reached at R.Singh@yorkpbnews.net

“That’s one thing, the research, whatever we do it has to be transferred to the local people through the students,” said Dhar. “The social component is another strong component.”

The major challenges lie in the funding and research. With little space to host businesses on campus there have been discussions of developing site 9, a vacant lot of land on the southeast corner of the campus into an incubator space where the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation and The Long Island Jewish Hospital network may have interest.

“In the college’s campus plan, we included that undeveloped parcel of land on which a developer we hope to attract, would construct something that could be used as incubator space,” said Thomas. “But that’s a longer term proposition.”

York plans to lease space in the Southeast Queens community and sublet to businesses interested in working in the zone.

Developments in Start-Up NY should be seen within the next six months.

Allyson Gill is Online Editor. She can be reached at Allyson@yorkpbnews.net

Commissioner Bratton stressed that all officers will receive training outlining the use of force in official-to-civilian encounters. The training also includes workshops that will be used to teach officers about cultural sensitivity, according to Bratton at the council meeting.

Bratton said he continues to work closely with city lawyers about using aggressive defense correctly and reverting to less lethal methods to avoid more civilian casualties. Expected costs and expenditures for training all the new officials were estimated at approximately $25 to $30 million, according to official reports.

Valerie Victor is staff reporter. She can be reached at V.Victor@yorkpbnews.net

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A Festival Of Photos: New Gallery Shows Off Carnivals Of The Carribbean

Mario Picayo and Mariano Hernandez’ gallery shows off carnival life in the Caribbean (PHOTO

BY KEVIN AVONTE)

BY RODNEY GANTT More than 150 images decorated the walls of the York College Fine Arts Gallery as students and faculty gathered for the Sept. 18 opening of Caribbean Carnival Portraits, a special exhibition featuring the work of photographers Mario Picayo and Mariano Hernández.

The exhibit, according to Picayo, is a traveling exhibition, which started at the Mariano Gallery in Havana, Cuba in 2013 and was part of a larger event, Cultural Diversity in the Caribbean. The exhibit was later moved to the Gallery of Fine Arts in Santo Domingo. The debut exhibition in the York gallery, which he and Hernandez had been preparing since April, is the first in the U.S. According to York College President Marcia V. Keizs, Picayo’s mother, Professor Sonia Viera-Valdes in the foreign language department at York, is the one mainly responsible for the idea.

“I just lucked out,” said Keizs. “We were lucky, she brought the idea to us.”

Picayo worked on the exhibit for so long, he said the photos almost felt like a family album.

“There are 62 photographs and

close to 140 pictures,” said Picayo. “It’s the work of 25 years of traveling throughout the caribbean, photographing Carnivals, from Cuba to Trinidad.”

The different images represent 25 Carnival festivals from 15 caribbean islands including Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

"All of the Carnivals are somehow connected, so it's like connect the dots," said Picayo.

"You visit one island and find something, then you go to another and find something else."

Hernández and Picayo are both caribbean natives and Picayo, originally from Cuba, moved with his family to Puerto Rico, then to the U.S. Virgin Islands where he spent much of his adult life.

His inspiration for the exhibition began by simply taking pictures at carnivals. The project grew as he learned more about the various cultures, said Picayo.

"Carnivals intrigued me because of all the traditions and cultural history I found through my investigation, research and traveling," he said. "It's not just the photographic aspect, but also the historical aspect."

When putting together the

New And Continuing SGA Members Looking To Improve York

Student Government Association has new plans for the students of York College. (PHOTO BY ROSANNA SINGH)

BY ROSANNA SINGH

After a low voter turnout last semester and a number of complaints from Student Government Association (SGA) over a new voting system, the members of 2014-2015 student government were finally named on Sept. 4.

During elections last spring SGA members discussed the outcomes along with what their future plans for the next school year would entail and what they can get accomplished for the York College campus and its student body.

SGA President Shaikh Amin said he is pleased with the library and cafeteria improvements and as they approach another academic year, they intend to have more teamwork within

SGA, an issue that has plagued past student governments.

By having a good team, they can achieve and get more done for the student body, he said.

During the meeting, Shaikh said that as president he wants York College students to be leading the path of success and at the same time getting a quality education for their tuition and being able to benefit from scholarships and educational programs on campus.

“It’s an honor to serve the student body. There has been a 70 percent improvement,” said Amin. “We want to improve the activities on campus, but we need to create awareness with ourselves first. We can do a better job this year, we are going to

Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

exhibit, Picayo and Hernández sifted through thousands of photos and narrowed them down to a specific few.

"We chose between ones that have never been shown before and photographs that represented the different islands," said Picayo. "We tried to represent as many islands as possible."

Many of the people who viewed the images called them colorful and vibrant. Many Caribbean students agreed that they were an accurate representation of the culture.

“It was very naturalistic,” said Antonia Marmol, a student at York. “The faces were very unique and it showed how we enjoy life.”

Russelly Castillo, a Spanish major, said the event was, “...a great reminder of where we come from.”

The opening event featured musical jazz performances by a live band led by Mark Adams, adjunct lecturer in the Fine and Performing Arts Department, at York.

“The music gave more of a Latin groove, it brought you more into the culture,” said Elisee Augustin, Computer Science major at York and member of the band.

Many native Caribbean foods and drinks were served at the event, including Beef Patties, Jerk Chicken and Ginger Beer.

Another performance was offered by the dance group Cachuas De Cabral, which performed Repique, a Dominican cultural dance traditionally involving the use of a whip.

Once the performance ended, the dancers presented Keizs with a whip and a mask.

“Our performance was the best compliment to this exhibition,” said Mÿail Alcátara, a dancer with the group.

“I felt like I was back home, watching the live show with my family,” Castillo said.

The exhibition is scheduled to run until Oct. 15.

Rodney Gantt is a staff reporter.

He can be reached at R.Gantt@ yorkpbnews.net

negotiate for more club activities and career service aspects.”

In addition he said that SGA is working on improving the state of the bathrooms and the library services by creating a more settled studying environment for students. Amin said having more quiet sections in the library, improving the WiFi and more computer cubicles for students to study is a project that SGA will be working on.

The Student Government Elections were held in the spring 2014 semester from May 1 through May 7, where members of the York College student body voted to elect SGA senators.

While some of the students’ focus was on the election itself, there were several concerns that were brought to the attention of numerous members of the student body about the election voting process, according to Geneva Walker-Johnson, vice president of Student Development at York.

The clash was reported in the May edition of Pandora’s Box, where students running for office had complained that the election process was unfair and too complicated for York College students, despite a vast campaign by each of the contenders. There were also several complaints about various irregularities and five candidates were disqualified.

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York Alum Is Awarded Grant For Ivy League Degree

Robert Fernandez is the only CUNY graduate to be awarded a Soros Fellowship.

BY JOCELYN SOSA

It used to be uncommon to hear of truly amazing things coming from York alums, but the past few years has seen an immense wave of York alums not just doing great things, but also being awarded serious money.

Robert Fernandez, who graduated from York in 2013 with a B.S. in Biotechnology, was recently awarded the Soros Fellowship to help him get his PhD at Yale.

Each year, the Soros Fellowship awards money to 30 graduate students across the United States to help further their education.

Fernandez is the only graduate among the other 29 graduates that came from CUNY. The Soros Fellowship was started by Paul and Daisy Soros. Mr. and Mrs. Soros were Hungarian immigrants who felt it was important to give back to other immigrants and children of immigrants seeking a higher education. Almost 20 years ago they began the fellowship with a charitable trust of $50 million.

In 2010, Mr. and Mrs. SoAccording to Johnson, following those allegations, during the period of May 14 through June 30 the Student Elections Review Committee (SERC) investigated the accusations in accordance with the University bylaws. On Aug. 5, the president informed the students of her decision upholding the SERC Committee and the candidate disqualifications. Three of the five students appealed the decision, but were rebuffed.

The low voter turnout has given SGA members the idea that outreach may be a better goal.

“A lack of communication is one of our biggest problems.

We’re trying to better Student Government and make it bigger,” said SGA Vice President Gesmen Begum. “Students can come to us with their concerns and we can make a solution.”

Some students, though, are happy with SGA as it stands.

“Student government is doing great, they listen to the students and they get stuff done,” said Elliot Wiseman, Jr., a York Physics major. “They got us a better cafeteria, I voted because I wanted people to change things around here.”

Rosanna Singh is a staff reporter. She can be reached at R.Singh@yorkpbnews. net

ros contributed an additional $25 million to the charity.

Fernandez was born in Peru and came to the United States in 1992 at the age of four with his parents and younger brother.

Fernandez faced many problems when he trying to get into college.

“Finding out I was undocumented in high school meant I could not go to college in New Jersey, as these colleges required a social security number and wanted me to pay out of state tuition, which was quite expensive,” Fernandez said. “My only choice was to go to community college where I made the choice of not giving up despite how hopeless things seemed at the time.”

He graduated Union Community College in New Jersey, with an Associate’s in Business and in 2010, he applied to York College. He worked hard to pay off his tuition and said that with the help of his mother he was able to continue his education.

In his last two years at York, he was able to fix his immigration status and was able to work as a tutor and pay off his tuition.

Fernandez is working on his PhD at Yale University in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. He said that getting this far was a struggle, but advises to never give up.

“Despite how bleak things look, no matter how difficult the hardship, as long as you have drive and motivation it will get you through the tough times,” Fernandez said.

“Never be afraid and ashamed of your immigration status, be proud you made it this far and keep on striving for a better life.”

Jocelyn Sosa is a staff reporter. She can be reached at J.Sosa@yorkpbnews.net

York Police Blotter Every month York College’s Campus Safety is required by federal law to report any criminal activity to the campus body on request. The following are events that have occurred between last semester and Sept. 10, 2014

5/6/2014; 5:18 p.m.

ASSAULT II ; Queens Educational Opportunity Center 5/7/2014; 12:30 p.m.

PETIT LARCENY; Student Support Services 5/9/2014; 3:30 p.m.

ATTEMPTED GANG ASSAULT; 159th street between Archer and Liberty Ave 6/4/2014; 4:49 p.m.

HARRASMENT; Academic Core Building 6/23/2014; 4:15 p.m.

STALKING; Academic Core Building 9/2/2014; 12:10 p.m.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF; English Dept.-Academic Core Building 9/10/2014; 12:30 p.m.

HARASSMENT; Escalator of 3F Corridor-Academic Core Atrium

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“VOTE” ...CONT’D FROM PAGE 1

As part of the campaign, students who register will be asked to write down a reason why they vote attached with a photo, which will be posted on Facebook.

An important part of the student government agenda this year includes lobbying for more funds from the city and state, Amin said.

He also said collaborative efforts and a high student voter turnout can help raise the profile of the school in the eyes of local elected officials.

“When they see you have enough students to vote and strong alumni connections, then they care,” said Amin.

Student government has also partnered the members of the University Student Senate, which includes student representatives from all CUNY schools, in a larger effort to promote voter registration CUNY-wide. Members of the senate worked on the promotion during the summer to register voters for the recent primary on Sept. 9.

York’s voter registration efforts coincide with the larger goal of the Project Vote campaign. “Project Vote is a citywide campaign to get people out to vote,” said Andrews, who serves as the voter registration coordinator at York.

“The coalition includes a number of different organizations including the City University of New York.”

According to the website, the project is responsible for 60 percent of new registrants in recent years, and distributes over 100,000 voter registration forms every year and more than 300,000 during election years.

Despite the project’s broader goal, both Andrews and Amin agree that York’s efforts are targeted toward its students.

“Our main focus is the school, and if we educate our students they can reach out to the community.”

Andrews said he hopes to register as many students as possible.

“If we can get one more person to vote than we did last year then that should be deemed a success,”Andrews said.

Rodney Gantt is a staff reporter. He can be reached at R. Gantt@yorkpbnews.net

“SHOOTING” ...CONT’D FROM PAGE 1

and pronounced dead on arrival.

Robinson was not the intended target of the shooting and police believe it may have been gang related.

Capers and another suspect are allegedly connected to the Snow Gang and the shot was intended for another girl on the bus who was friendly with members of a rival gang. Capers’ charges include second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and first-degree reckless endangerment. He faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the murder charge.

Police arrested the first suspect in connection to the shooting, Kevin McClinton, 22, less than a month after the shooting after he fled to South Carolina. He also faces up to life in prison if convicted of the murder. Police said it is not clear if the shot that killed Robinson was fired by Capers or McClinton.

Members of the community have set up a memorial near Baisley Pond Park where Robinson was killed and a fund.

Janae Hunter is a staff reporter.

She can be reached at J.Hunter@yorkpbnews.net

Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

A Violent Force

BY GINA MARTINEZ

An officer responds to a call about a sick person in Ferguson, Missouri, and within 10 minutes the situation led to an unarmed 18-year-old man shot to death in response to a convenience store robbery.

The Michael Brown case caused massive unrest all over the country, especially in black communities that have always felt preyed upon by police. In New York, especially in areas of Brooklyn, people still resent the NYPD after recently seeing three unarmed black residents gunned down by police including Kima-

ni “Kiki” Gray in East Flatbush last year.

But what’s more disturbing is the use of tanks and military combat gear that have been used against American citizens.

In 1997, The Department of Defense launched The 1033 Program. According to the Huffington Post, "the 1033 Program authorized the Pentagon to transfer military equipment to local law enforcement free of charge, without established standards -- other than a requirement that the equipment be used within one year -- and no training guidelines."

Whereas talking heads have contested that police may be naturally racist due to a poor ethnic mix in police departments, it’s difficult to draw that conclusion in New York

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after a recent study by the Associated Press found that the racial make-up of the NYPD more closely mirrors the population than departments in most major American cities.

However, there are still issues of whether too many police departments single out black communities, or is it their training matched with their military-grade gear that have made them more hostile?

We went to York College students to see what they thought about the subject.

Gina Martinez is a staff reporter. She can be reached at G.Martinez@yorkpbnews.net

When it comes to cases like Mike Brown and Eric Gardner, do you think their deaths were caused by police training that encourages violent force or were they targeted because they were black?

ROBERTO BRUTUS

There are different variables.

Police are on edge depending on the town. For instance Ferguson has a population that is around 85 percent African American but you only have 3 officers that are black and maybe one of them is local , no one really feels safe, including the officers, because no one really knows each other.

CHRISTIAN MARMOL

Race does apply to everything we do. To me at times I believe black people are targeted because of the area they tend to live in. But when they deal with a white person they are treated a different way.

Race is a big factor, but its a combination. Officers are being trained to be more aggressive and to target a specific race, it’s not so simple.

NOSA EDIONWE

I think the police are trained to be aggressive. They're not trained to solve the problem. I don't want to say all police officers over react but the ones that do overreact stand out. They make other officers look bad. I think the most police officers tend to be afraid so that's why they over react.

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Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

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“FARMERS” ...CONT’D

“FOOD OPTIONS” ..CONT’D FROM PAGE 1 Over the summer McCants brought in a Boar’s Head representative to come in and create special sandwiches specifically for York.

Along with the new food options there is now a Hershey’s milkshake machine, a larger variety of Pepsi products and there are now 50 different drink options across the campus including cold Starbucks beverages.

The increased variety is inspired by local food vendors and restaurants. “I look at what’s here and I look at what people are buying and what is my competition,” said McCants. “So I just bring what they have outside in here and just make it a little bit better.”

To combat pricing complaints, McCant is implementing frequent buyer cards for both the cafeteria and Starbucks and plans to run coupons and meal voucher cards in Pandora’s Box. The options may change as the semester progresses.

“I’ll make adjustments as we go along. We don’t know what everybody wants unless we offer,” said McCants. “We’ll see what sells first and we cut back here and there. We all benefit.”

Aside from the college, McCants now caters to the daycare and pre-k across campus as well as the Queens High School for the Sciences.

Allyson Gill is the Online Editor.

She can be reached at Allyson@yorkpbnews.net

FROM

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1

“Even if you think about it, a mile is a long way for people in New York City,” said Michelle Friedman, communications director for the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH). “It puts a huge burden on people who already have limited access to a supermarket.”

The USDA definition of a food desert is too narrow and doesn’t make sense for urban areas like Queens or in the Bronx, where the problem of finding even simple markets with vegetables is becoming an epic issue, Friedman said.

“A mile might not be a significant distance in a suburban area where people have a car to get around, versus in New York City” where supermarkets may not be accessible within even half a mile, Friedman said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Green Cart Initiative, the roll-around produce carts that aim to get fresh fruits and vegetables into low-income areas that have limited access to fresh food, is visible throughout Jamaica and the rest of Southeast Queens stretching as far as the Rockaways.

But these subsidized produce carts are the government’s reaction to what many see as a problem with the lack of Farmer’s markets in the area.

Every Friday, sponsored by the neighborhood non-profit giant Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, Jamaica hosts a small farmer’s market on 160th Street just north of Jamaica Avenue. But the three farms involved in bringing their produce into Jamaica’s market have issues of

competing against more profi able markets in more affluent neighborhoods that utilize farmers markets more as a social tool than an economic necessity.

“Farms usually rely on community representatives in low-income areas,” said Diane Eggert executive director of the Farmer’s Market Federation of New York.

“They have to use methods to get people into the market by getting farmers to accept SNAP benefits.”

But despite a 136 percent increase of farmers markets borough-wide in Queens over the past five years, there remain only two farmers markets available in all of Southeast Queens and only 56 percent of all Queens farmers markets accept EBT cards, including the market in Jamaica, according to data compiled from the USDA. A new initiative by the NYCCAH includes creating Community Supported Agricultures (CSA’s), which allow members within a community or neighborhood to buy shares of a farmer’s crop which, in turn, will deliver fresh produce to them.

“Normally CSA’s have been beneficial to middle-income families,” said Friedman, but NYCCAH’s program is subsidized for those in lower-income brackets to pay for shares using their EBT cards.

“If you make healthy produce physically available and economically affordable, struggling families will flock to access it,” said Joel Berg, the executive director of NYCCAH. Joseph Darius Jaafari is the Editor in Chief. He can be reached at Joseph@yorkpbnews.net

yorkpbnews.com

NEWS BRIEFS

Get quick facts from your neighborhood, city and nationwide

Woman Jumps From Van During Police Chase A woman was injured close to York College after jumping from a van during a police chase, leaving her in critical condition, police said.

On Sept. 14, after police tried to pull over a Ford Econoline van at about 4:40 p.m. on Archer Avenue and 165th Street, the van sped away and a woman jumped from the car just south of the York College soc-

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Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

Speeding Car Slams School Bus A speeding car hit a Jamaica school bus, injuring 11 people including nine children who had to go to the hospital, according to authorities from the Department of Education (DOE).

On Sept. 16, at 7:30 a.m., the bus was stopped at a traffic light at Archer Avenue and 183rd

Street when a car hit them, injuring all the passengers aboard the bus, according to authorities.

All the passengers were treated at Long Island Jewish Hospital and five suffered severe injuries, but were listed as stable at the hospital, officials said.

Most Crime Down In 103rd Precinct

cer field, according to police.

The woman was taken to Jamaica Hospital where she was last known to be in critical condition while the driver, Jameson Golding of Brooklyn, was eventually caught and charged with resisting arrest and reckless driving, according to police.

Pedestrian Killed Crossing Liberty Ave A middle-aged man was struck and killed while crossing Liberty Avenue on Aug. 30 police said.

The 53-year-old man was hit by a 2007 Dodge Charger shortly before 5 a.m. as he crossed near Tuckerton Street, two blocks west of York’s campus, police said.

He was taken to Jamaica hospital and pronounced dead, police said. No charges were filed against the driver.

READY FOR HILLARY?

Legal Weed Killed By NY Legislators Recent reports released by the NYPD’s 103rd Precinct which includes the area surrounding York College showed that overall crime in the area is down 8 percent from last year.

Rapes were significantly reduced

between last year by nearly 52 percent, and robbery was down 24 percent. Shootings were also down 26 percent from last year.

Felony assault and grand larceny categories rose by 10 and eight percent, respectively.

$11 Million To Study Disaster Prep In Jamaica Bay

New York lawmakers failed to enact legislation that could make the state the third in the nation to regulate and tax marijuana as a legal product after California, Colorado and Washington.

The bill, Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act, wasn’t voted on before both houses adjourned in late June. But state Sen. Liz Krueger, a democrat representing Manhattan’s east side, said she will reintroduce the bill during the next legislative session in January.

"It is a win-win to decriminalize marijuana and regulate it and tax it," Kreuger told Metro News.

According to the Huffington Post,

Colorado shops made more than $5 million during their first week. There are more than 100 recreational marijuana shops open and retailers have sold close to $70 million. Within the first five months of the passed bill, Denver crime had gone down. Colorado has collected close to $24 million in taxes and fees from residents and tourists, according to colorado.gov.

Washington is expected to collect approximately $190 million over the next four years, and legalization across all states could mean an increased tax revenue of $10 billion, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.

OPEN-DOOR POLICY

monthly event is not limited to a certain topic of conversation, Keizs said. By discussing a widerange of topics, a number of issues regarding student development, problems with faculty and even personal matters, Keizs is hoping to open a wider conversation about life on campus.

“If I were going to meet with the president, I would give suggestions on how to improve York College,” said Babita Stephanie Bissoon, a Speech Communications and Theater Arts ma-

In an effort to create a more open dialogue with students and the York College community, President Marcia V. Keizs will be holding monthly “Open Fridays” meetings, during which students are invited to meet with her oneon-one and can voice their concerns about any issues regarding campus policies and procedures.

The subject-matter at the

The Science and Resilience Institute (SRI) at Jamaica Bay was awarded $3.6 million in July from the Department of Interior’s Hurricane Sandy Mitigation Funding, along with $7.7 million from New York State, giving initiatives that prepare for ecological disasters in urban areas one large step forward.

SRI, a research consortium that is managed by CUNY’s Brooklyn College, concentrates on developing advances in technology that provide resilience to urban coastal regions.

These advances are constructed by scientists, managers, policy makers and community leaders in order to manage the capacity of humans and natural system in dense areas, such as New York City.

The grant helps support research projects that further the knowledge on providing recoil in urban coastal areas.

SRI will begin to unveil a series of research projects that examine water quality within Jamaica Bay, as well as the re-

silience of it’s salt marshes, the small islands that pepper the water south of JFK Airport.

The projects will begin immediately and continue through late 2016.

“The Institute's mission is to increase understanding of how disturbances impact natural and human systems in urban watersheds through resiliency-focused research of Jamaica Bay, and to engage government and community stakeholders in the translation of that knowledge toward a more resilient system,” said Gillian Small, CUNY Vice Chancellor for Research, in a press release by the National Parks Service. “This new funding from The Department of the Interior will significantly advance that mission.”

Core partnerships with SRI include the National Park Service and nine research institutions including CUNY, Columbia University, Cornell, and SUNY

jor. The opportunity presented by the meetings, she said, “... is opening doors for more democracy and gives individuals at York College the satisfaction of not only being heard but also making a difference.”

“This will allow the president, faculty and students to have a better relationship.. It gives a better perspective on what’s needed from York College,” said Jonathan Chery, a Computer Science major. “Open Fridays would amend the school

by having increased knowledge on what to fund. It gives the president an idea of what needs more money and what doesn’t.”

Open Fridays will be held at the York College Academic Core Building in the president’s conference room, 2H02. All appointments will be limited to 30 minutes and must be scheduled with Leteria Scott at lscott@york.cuny. edu or by calling the president’s office at 718-262-2359. The next scheduled meeting date will be Oct.17 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Stony Brook University.

Hillary Clinton may be running in the 2016 presidential election.

As she stepped to the podium to address Iowa Democrats at the Harkin Steak Fry, Hillary Clinton first spoke to the crowd about her coming grandchild and possible presidential run.

It was Clinton’s first visit to Iowa after finishing third in the caucus that also was the launching pad for President Obama and Clinton’s campaign back in 2008. And though Clinton has been fairly tight-lipped about a presidential run, it is a given in the general public’s mind that she will be running in 2016.

“I think she can run and win, but we are tired of the Bushes and Clinton’s name in our politics,” said Lloyd Ekengo, 45, an investor from East New York. “We need someone extremely new.

In 2008, Clinton was the brunt of criticism ranging from the type of pant-suit she wore to her inability of connecting with the middle class. But most problematic for Clinton was breaking away from her husband’s scandal his last term in office.

“She can possibly win but hopefully her policies are different from her husband’s,” said Chris Tale, 20, a security guard from Jamaica.

Clinton has started off with acknowledging her defeat against Obama in 2008, and her advocates have said that she could start learning from her mistakes to strengthen her 2016 bid. And people are ready for it.

“If we were to ready to handle a black president then a woman can do the job just as the men,” said Laverne Williams, 35, a nurses’s aid.

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C

an you make a breakfast omelet within six seconds? Well, not many people can. Six seconds may not seem like a long time, but Vine, the video loop-sharing app that has become an internet phenomenon, has made it worth a lifetime. Launched just last year, Vine now has over 40 million registered users uploading short, clip length videos featuring everything from the impressive (sky diving out of a plane) to the talented (rapping over your favorite beat) to the bizarrely random (screaming in public). They all replay back on themselves making these users six seconds of fame an eternity once they go viral.

The Explosion of Vine ccording to The New Zealand Herald, Dom Hofmann, one of Vines co-founders, knew he was on to something big, but wasn’t sure how much people would use it.

“We knew that people all had

A

By Kizuwanda Vialva these smartphones with great video cameras on them, but they weren’t using them at all.”

Hofmann, 26, and two of his other partners Rus Yusupuv and Colin Kroll came up with a simple basic ideas of Vine. Users would touch and hold the screen to record and releasing it to stop, filming with the phone upright. Keeping it this simplistic allowed for easy to manage six second clips ideal for uploading and sharing quickly with friends.

In October of 2012, the small company was purchased by Twitter and fully integrated into the social media service

by June of the following year.

What really separates a great vine from an average one depends on the message they are trying to deliver. The most popular vines tend to be the comedic ones. Many people on the service have gained a substantial following based on their ability to get people laughing in quick fire jokes.

Vines have almost become a bit of a subgenre of comedy. But upstart comedians aren’t the only ones getting their share of the popularity.

Some users gain their following through impressive tricks such as shooting a three pointer from ten feet away backwards. Some users have managed to convey entire stories by distilling the key points to the limited time. In February 2013, Turkish journalist Tulin Daloglu middle eastern publication Al-Monitor managed to document the aftermath of a car bomb using a series of Vines, showcasing just how useful the service can be if applied to something more news oriented. Some of the other channels that have since grown in popularity include, music, DIY, news, family and food.

Recently, large corporations are starting to see the value in using Vine as a marketing tool. According to a report

by ABC News, industry analysts say corporate America is forecast to spend “$4 billion this year alone on it, probably twice that much by the end of the decade.” Connecting big corporate brands like Coca Cola with social media stars is the best way to influence people because they can relate to it. In today’s internet

centric society, social media stars are often more popular, relatable, and influential with watchers than Hollywood actors and actresses.

“If you give somebody constraints, it’s easier to be creative,” Hoffman said. “Making a vine that goes viral is more art than science.” It is a science that larger companies are trying to take advantage of.

Instagram, another social media startup who met success back in 2011, launched a 15 second video function in June of last year. A clear attempt to compete with Vine, Instagram struggled to find its footing outside of the personal use of its user base. With more time to shoot a video, many wondered if there would be any effect in the steady growth in popularity of vines. Social media user and entrepreneur Tesfa Jones said, “At the time everybody was using Vine, then Instagram came out with video. Everybody seemed to go back to Instagram for a bit.” Unfortunately for Instagram, it failed to maintain the same sense of persistent community associated with Vine.

Future of Vine ith the initial goal of getting the app out into the public and making it simple as possible to use, what’s next for the service. Now the company is looking for better and more creative ways to keep their audience attached. Just this past August, additions to the robust editing tools were made including importing captured footage, ghost shooting, slow motion camera and more.

With them constantly refining the art of the six second video, only time will tell how Vine will continue to evolve. With Vine already having a bit of an advantage over any potential competitors, its seems like they’ve monopolized a niche no one could have guessed existed. In the meantime though, there are plenty of Vine’s out there to keep users and viewers alike entertained as the story unfolds (and continuously loops) itself.

W

Kizuwanda Vialva is a staff reporter. She can be reached at k.vialva@yorkpbnews.net

Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

yorkpbnews.com

BY GINA MARTINEZ & TRONE DOWD Apple unveiled yet another iteration on the iPhone this month.

The much hyped iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus features larger screens (4.7 inch screen and a 5.5 inch screen respectively) more akin to their most prominent competitor, the Samsung Galaxy. In addition to the larger screens, the phone also features faster processors for gaming and performance, an improved camera and launches with the new mobile operating system, iOS 8.

More interesting than the long expected phone being

Do it for the Vine: The Secret Origin of the Internet Sensation

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iBORING: IS THE IPHONE CRAZE GONE?

announced was the reaction it managed to muster out of York students. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, has seemed to get the most negative to middling reactions of any iPhone to date. Despite nearly four million preorders set worldwide, here at York College, students seemed to be lukewarm on the idea of a larger, faster iPhone.

In a poll conducted by Pandora’s Box, out of the 75 students asked about the new iPhone, only only 12 students actually shared any interest in purchasing it. The staggering amount

of “not interested” responses was a pretty clear tell that Apple didn’t impress this time around. Reasons for the indifference varied. The most popular reason given was the lack of interest in upgrading. With the launch of the iPhone 5S, a universally praised piece of hardware, most students just didn’t see the point of the new model.

The second most popular reason, was investment in Android phones. With the 6 Plus being a clear response to the Galaxy S5’s larger display, Android users accused Apple of playing catch

up. The final two most popular reasons for the poor show of interest was the lack of noteworthy improvements followed by the steep pricing of the device, costing upwards of $850.

Apple’s lukewarm unveiling didn’t stop there. The Apple Watch, the company’s first foray into the wearable tech trend that has picked up in recent years, didn’t impress many either.

With speculation coming from credible Apple analyst John Gruber claiming higher end versions of the watch could cost up to as much as $5,000, consumers

will start to wonder who exactly Apple is hoping to sell this to.

If the result from our poll is any indication, it seems as though Apple needs to try much harder a year from now if they wish to appeal to students here.

Trone Dowd is the Arts & Entertainment Editor. He can be reached at Trone@yorkpbnews.net Gina Martinez is a staff reporter.

She can be reached at G.Martinez@ yorkpbnews.net

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Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

Above: Director Jessica Percharsky (left), and her cast) (right

PLAY SHOWS OFF FAMILY TIES BEFORE

By Jazmine Blakely

In 1995 Athens, Ohio, there was much more to life than the average day of gossiping on Facebook and posting your latest selfie on Instagram.

This month, the York College Performing Arts Center once again presented a compelling play titled, “She Kills Monsters” where the audience is taken on a literal journey full of laughs, relatable, encouraging life lessons wrapped up in the story of a girl trying desperately to reconnect with a loved

one, even after it’s too late.

The play, based on Vietnamese-American playwright Qui Nguyen’s latest work, portrays a forgotten (though not far back) time before the emergence of social media, an aspect that gave the play a deeper dimension than expected.

The play focuses on two sisters who live very different lives.

There’s younger sister Tilly, a lover of fantasy tabletop games with dragons, magic and evil villains, and Agnes, whose life consists of talking on the phone, hanging out with friends and

LOCAL DIRECTOR SCREENS DEBUT FILM AT YORK

By Dominique WIlliams

The Department of Performing and Fine Arts hosted a screening of local director Joe P. Chan’s first feature film at York College on Sept. 4, with Chan in attendance.

Part of the “Life in the Lens” series, which explores New York City professions in visual media, Chan presented his film “A Picture of You” as part of York’s annual Week of Welcome activities.

The annual event invites new and returning students back to school at the start of each academic year.

The film follows a pair of estranged siblings, Kyle and Jen (played by Andrew Pang and Jo Mei), who travel from New York to rural Pennsylvania to pack up the belongings of their recently deceased mother. As they are forced to deal with each other for the weekend, the siblings make a shocking discovery that sets in motion a mystery that the pair are conflicted about solving.

The movie focuses on a number of elements, one of which is grief (juxtaposed to the film’s comedic tone at times). The two siblings express their grief over their mother’s death in different ways while also dealing with their own strained relationship with each other. The movie starts off immediately as a bit of a downer with a slow, lingering, solemn scenes of the siblings packing up their mother’s things and reminiscing about their time with her as kids. The movie picks up once the risque discovery is found on their mother’s computer.

“It’s based on my grieving process when my mother died” Chan said after being asked if the movie was autobiographical. “I wanted it to be honest to the experience I had.”

The siblings try their best to understand that their mother was liv-

ing a life they had no idea about.

However, the different ways by which they deal with it show a contrast between the two main characters. While Jen actually wants to find out the truth, Kyle would rather bury whatever it is that their mother was doing and forget it for good. The conflict between the two characters carries the film quite a ways as the two sides clash in compelling ways.

Jen’s boyfriend Doug and best friend Meeka (played by Lucas Dixon and Teyonah Parris of Mad Men), accompany the duo helping them get to the bottom of the mystery behind the shocking discovery.

Dixon and Parris give memorable performances, providing some of the film’s witty comedic moments.

The movie was shot in primarily in Pennsylvania two years ago, where it took more than a year to finish and distribute. The film has received some rave reviews from reputable media outlets including the New York Times and The Village Voice, as well as a number of awards at indie movie showcases like . It is also worth noting that “A Picture of You” has gained positive buzz for bucking trends and starring two Asian Americans in the leading roles, (and another African American female actress as one of the two supporting characters), something forward thinking and refreshing by today’s standards.

Chan’s first full length independent work has its fair share of laughs and tear jerkers. It is an easy film to recommend. The movie will be available on iTunes in early October.

Dominique Williams is a staff reporter. She can be contacted at dominique.williams@yorkmail. comcuny.edu

impressing boys. Because of the wildly different personalities, the two barely bond together the way two sisters typically do.

Although never fully antagonistic towards her sister, Agnes did look at her lifestyle with befuddlement. She never understood her love for the fantastical and never bothered to ask. Instead, she always hoped that her sister would someday come out of her shell. One tragic day, when Agnes wishes Tilly’s life wouldn’t be so boring, the unthinkable happens. Agnes’ immediate family, Tilly includ-

ed, dies in a fatal car accident.

As expected, Agnes is deeply affected by the sudden change in her life. After Tilly’s death, Agnes finds herself wanting to understand her sister once and for all. Discovering a game module book that Tilly wrote herself, Agnes finds herself absorbed by how much perspective it give into her life.

Agnes realizes there was more to the life of her younger sister than what was seen on the surface. The sister that she ignored for so many years before her untimely passing turned out to be a girl who was teased and bullied in school. She was ostracized for being a gay youth in a society that refused to accept her sexuality and considered a freak for her love of all things fantasy.

While Agnes knew Tilly was an outcast, she didn’t know that it was to this extent. The games she immersed herself in was much more than fun for Tilly, it was a much needed outlet after all the adversity she faced in real life.

In the game, she at least felt like somebody important, triumphing over all of her problems, big and small, real and not real.

By the end of the play, Agnes understands her sister on a new level that she wishes she would have known prior to her death. She regrets that she found out about her sister’s

hardships as late as she did.

However, she was happy that she was able to connect with Tilly at all, even after death.

The director of the production, Jessica Pecharsky, highlighted the themes she tried to get across in her take of the play.

She mentioned that gaining an understanding of those close to you is something we should all try to embrace before its too late.

“It teaches us acceptance for who we are truly inside,” Pecharsky said. “And love those who are close to you now, while you can. Life is short and anything can happen.” She also hoped to “inspire other young women to be strong, powerful and magical.”

Pecharsky expressed her gratitude for the cast that came up with the idea of the play, which was a joined effort between her and her co-workers.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this production,” Pecharsky said.

“The cast and production team has put so much hard work and they were so passionate. They made this play come alive within four weeks.”

Jazmine Blakely is a contributing writer. She can be contacted at jazzmine.blakely@yorkmail.cuny. edu

ARTS PB

GET IN ONE LAST SUMMER HURRAH!

BY RODNEY GANTT

Summer vacation may be over, but that does not mean the fun has to end. Before you find yourself drowning in assignments during midterms week and the weather gets colder, check out a few fun events coming up around the city as we head into the fall season. All of the activities should pique your interest.

MIDEVAL ADVENTURES Hear ye all, good sirs and and fair maidens! If it be merriment you seek you, shall find it at The 2014 Medieval Festival.

This annual event brings the customs of the Middle Ages to the modern masses. In its 30th year, activities include displays of magic, minstrels, court jest-

STORY & PHOTOS BY KATHERINE ORTIZ

Known for his over the top shows, Marc Jacobs delivered a sensational finale for New York Fashion Week. Anticipation filled the air as celebrities and fashion enthusiasts surrounded a pink house within the Park Avenue Armory.

Influential stylists the likes of Miss J and Martha Stewart sat front row. As guests settled down, they were instructed to wear designated “Beats by Dr. Dre,” and listen to a pre-recorded track of military marches.

The showcase was for the Spring 2015 collection, which consisted of military fatigue-styled dresses and uniformed dresses. Olive greens filled the runway followed later by beige, gray, navy and silver hues, giving a sneak peek into 2015 fashion trends.

As in true Marc Jacobs ap-

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Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

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FOR THE TECH HEAD If knights and dragons aren’t your idea of fun (and shame on you if it isn’t), trade in your sword for a peek at the latest

gadgets. Whether you consider yourself a tech wiz or just the average joe consumer looking for the next big thing, Tech Week may have just what you are looking for. The annual event takes place in five cities across the nation including New York and is, according to its website, “weeklong celebration of technology and innovation.” A series of events held throughout the week, include a two-day technology conference and expo brings together entrepreneurs and other experts to highlight exciting developments in the local community.

Tech Week New York 2014 will take place at 82 Mercer Street in Lower Manhattan. The event will run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 and host several guest speakers including, Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti, Director of Innovation at HP Andrew Bolwell and Red-

peal, all the models wore similar shaggy black wigs matched with pale nude makeup, hiding many A-list top models behind the facade of uniformityKendall Jenner, for example, sister of the Kardashian family, made her Mark Jacobs debut as she cat-walked along side Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima, and Karlie Kloss.

Dresses with open backs and oversized buttons were the essence of the show.

Alligator, suede, and military material were the must have bags for next season.

Chirping birds cued the closing moments of the show as every model walked for the last time that evening. Designer Marc Jacobs came out, and with a call to Old New York, pushed aa cigarette in his mouth and bowed to his audience. Deafening claps

filled the room as the “King of Fashion” presented himself.

The explosion of soft colors, daring bags, and confusing sound track, left guests with a strangely satisfied.

But what happens before the glamour is exposed? How did the pink house come about?

What about the track? As expected, quite a lot of work goes into the planning of a show like this. From the start, this event was all about the set built just for the event.

Benedetta DeAglio, 21, a Marc Jacobs intern from Rome, Italy was one of the many who worked on creating the scene for the show. Before that evening, she spent day and night with production.

“It was intense, ” DeAglio said. “For the last month, I ran around for days. These last two

ers, dancing even a live chess game done Harry Potter style.

The festival concludes with a four-way jousting match by performed by the Knights of Avalon. Vendors will demonstrate medieval crafts and sell food.

The 2014 Medieval Festival is chance for everyone to experience life in a forgotten time.

The festival will be held in Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park on Sept.

28 from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. For more information visit whidc.org/festival.

dit founder Alexis Ohanian. For more information including a complete list the week’s events and how to register visit techweek.com/newyork.

EAST COAST NERDS UNIITE Who needs the latest in technology when you have super powers? Comic book fans, (which, let’s be honest, is almost everyone now) prepare yourselves.

Comic Con is back in the Big Apple for it’s ninth year. The annual four day convention is one of the the largest pop culture event on the east coast.

Comic Con brings together the biggest artists, writers, directors and actors from some of the biggest properties in popular media across comic books, anime, manga, movies, television and video games. The convention includes vendors, panel discussions, meet and greets with fans and free swag at every corner.

This year’s event will feature actors from some of the most popular shows and movies, including the cast of Man of Steel, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Guardians of the Galaxy. It will also see the debut the “Eastern Championships of Cosplay,” a costume contest that will surely entertain attendees.

New York Comic Con 2014 will take place at the Jacob Javits Center located on 655 West 34 Street in Manhattan. The event runs from Oct. 9 to Oct. 12. Tickets are on sale now and customers are encouraged to buy online. But be warned, the tickets go fast. For more information visit newyorkcomiccon.com Rodney Gantt is a staff reporter. He can be contacted at rodney.gantt@ yorkmail.cuny.edu

BEHIND THE SCENES AT NYFW

weeks, I worked from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. There was so much to do. We had to pick a pink for the house, the headphones, find the carpet, build the house. And in the meantime, run around the city from end to end.”

Even the day of the show, the 21 year old couldn’t call it a day. “We came early to set. I have been here for four hours and counting. But look at how everything came out.”

The pink house was the pop of color that helped the darker tones of the clothing stand out. The most confusing part of the show was the pre-recorded track. DeAglio commented stating that, “It was intentional. ‘Make it monotone almost robot like.’ Marc told us. It was meant to go with the theme.

You have these beautiful military influenced pieces, why

not create a contrasted recording with chirping and a monotone voice? It’s ingenious.”

While some may still be a bit taken back by the recording, every small element of the show made for a spectacular finale.

Endless hours at work setting up and then taking down the show were just as important.

With a pattern to intentionally leave his audience in a confused and admirable state, Marc Jacobs wraps up New York Fashion Week in a unique pretty pink house all his company’s own.

Katherine Ortiz is a contributing writer. She can be contacted at Katherine.Ortiz@yorkmail.cuny.edu

OPINION PB Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

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What Has Ray Rice and Michael Brown Taught Us?

“

Society’s biggest problem isn’t among race or gender lines. We have become a victim blaming society.

BY XAVIER CRANDLE

S

upport for former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice isn’t at all surprising. However, some of it as a bit disappointing.

Rice was originally suspended for the first two games of the 2014 season by the National Football League for his role an altercation with his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer in an Atlantic City elevator in the early morning of Feb. 15. The sanction was later increased to an indefinite suspension after footage of the incident, which showed Rice knocking Palmer unconscious, was released by TMZ Sports. Rice was then shortly released. #SupportRayRice includes arguments for Rice such as condemning the actions, not the person, everyone makes mistakes, and the thought that the NFL increased his suspension only after the punch was made public. A more troubling reason for support centers on the role

of Janay Rice in the incident and the idea that domestic violence can sometime work both ways. According to the court summons, and also indicated by the footage, she attempted to hit Ray first.

Questioning Janay’s actions prior to her assault is a sentiment loosely shared with supporters of Darren Wilson, a Ferguson, MO police officer who shot and killed the unarmed 18-year-old Mike Brown in early August.

The two incidents aren’t as isolated as one might assume, and together reveal the biggest hurdle to justice in regards to race and gender.

Society’s biggest problem isn’t among race or gender lines. We have become a victim blaming society. And we will never change the status quo until this is addressed.

Rather than spearheading more “talks” about racial and gender inequality in the court of law and public opinion, attention should be focused on the sometimes explicit attempts to circumvent

justice in these areas. The most common opposition tactics are collectively known as the 12 D’s. And few are as damaging, insidious, and effective than discredit.

For Brown, this includes video footage of his “strong arm robbery,” and reports that he had marijuana (later updated by conservative media to by laced with PCP) in his system at the time of his death. His aggression was validated, as Brown bore the costs of his actions. Ironically, the marijuana motif was also used in the Trayvon Martin case last year.

What is remarkable and quite upsetting is while some acknowledges the media led the victimization of Mike Brown, few openly mention Janay Rice’s self driven victimization.

In a press conference in late May, Janay Rice stated she deeply regretted “the role [she] played in the incident.”

If assassinating the character of the victim doesn’t work, an alternative is to

glorify the history of the aggressor. While Yahoo news was first to report Wilson received an award for “extraordinary effort in the line of duty,” Rice was spotted at his hometown New Rochelle High School the weekend following his increased suspension and subsequent release. The astute and convenient reporting of the New York Daily News revealed Rice donated Nike duffel bags and Beats headphones to the members of the football team two years prior.

An underlying theme among supporters of Darren Wilson and some supporters of Ray Rice is they were “provoked,” or faced with an imminent threat by the victims, thereby making their reactions defensible. Brown shouldn’t have charged Wilson. Or he shouldn’t have tried to grab his gun. Or none of this would even be an issue if he didn’t allegedly commit a “strong arm robbery.”

Or Janay should have never attempted to hit Ray first.

” Bottom line: the aggressors don’t have to change their behavior. But the victims do.

This notion dates as far back as 1885, when Ida B Wells published “A red Record,” exposing the perceived justified lynching of black men. The New York Times countered with an editorial in the 1890s, claiming no “reputable or respectable negro” was ever lynched.

The characters of the men and woman prior to their instances may have been impeccable, admirable, hostile, or even criminal. But watching these cases unfurl in national, local and social media, it’s unfortunate that some in society can’t see that none of it should matter.

Xavier Crandle is a staff writer. He can be reached at x.crandle@yorkpbnews.net

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Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

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PB Magazine York College’s new edition for profiles, fashion and more

SPORTS PB

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Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

Cardinal Games Spread Women’s Tennis Schedule At home against Lehman College Sept 24 At home against the College of New Rochelle Sept 27 On the road against Sarah Lawrence College Oct 1 At home against Hunter College Oct 4 At home against the College of Staten Island Oct 7 Women’s Volleyball Schedule At home against Maritime College Sept 24 On the road against ManhattanVille College and against Mount Saint Mary College Sept 27 On the road against the College of Saint Elizabeth Sept 30 At home against Yeshiva University Oct 1 At home against Albertus Magnus College Oct 6 Women’s Soccer Schedule At home against Medgar Evers College Sept 20 At home against the College of Staten Island Sept 23 At home against St. Joseph’s College Sept 25 On the road against The City College of New York Sept 27

Senior Jordan Chin getting ready to kick the ball. (Phioto By Verity Rollins)

TACTICAL DEFENSE IS MEN’S SOCCER’S PLAN FOR A WIN

BY RAYMOND MORA

The 2014 season for the Men's Soccer team starts out decent with three wins

On the road against Brooklyn Oct 4 At home against Berkeley College Oct 8 Men’s Soccer Schedule At home against St. Joseph’s College Sept 25 On the road against Hunter College Sept 27 At home against Medgar Evers College Sept 29 On the road against Lehman College Oct 1 At home against John Jay Oct 4 On the road against Baruch College Oct 8 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country College of Staten Island Invitational Sept 28 The City College of New York Oct 12 St. Joseph’s College-Li Invitational

Sophomore Estefany Delgado fighting for possession. (Photo by Verity Rollins)

TWO SEASONS IN, SOCCER TEAM STILL NEEDS WORK

BY GINA MARTINEZ

The women’s soccer season has started off disappointingly

and three losses so far.

Last season the team finished 6-11-1 and came up short against Brooklyn College in the quarterfinals.This season assis-

slow, and coming off two seasons of consistent losses, the team is in need of a rebuild.

Robert Rivas, the new head coach of the team, is taking over the program after the departure of Kafui Kouakou, who is now the head coach of the men’s soccer team. Rivas has a lot of coaching experience from being a head coach of the NYU-Polytechnic women’s team to training various club teams in New York. He likes the challenge and hope to bring a winning mentality.

“When I took the job I knew it would be a new challenge in my life, taking something that is a work in progress and turning it into a masterpiece is the real regard,” said Rivas. “I know it won’t happen quickly but I know that with hard and dedication we will make it happen. I never get intimidated at taking risks in my career.”

Despite the positive outlook the team did not start out well in the season. Their record is 1-4 and losing each game by more than 5 goals isn't the ideal situation for any team. The team overall scored only 10 goals in 5 games. But a slow start hasn't deterred players and Head Coach Rivas. Forward Estefany Delgado acknowledges room for improvement and believes in team chemistry.

"I think we can improve

tant coach Kafui Kouakou was promoted to head coach of the team after Coach Linval Cunningham resigned. The transition from being an assistant to a head coach made Kouakou feel good about the opportunity.

“It feels good to always be in charge of the team,” said Kouakou.“As an assistant coach you get to help the head coach, but as a head coach you get to implement a lot of things that you really want to do for the team and I will be getting the chance to do that.”

This season the team lost seniors,recruiting new players to fill the gap. Kouakou has also implemented a new formation with the team. Last year the team ran what’s called a “4-4-2 formation” -- four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards. This year, Kouakou is switching the formations to be more competitive with other schools.

“I’ve seen lots of teams use that system because when you play you always want to have numbers in the middle,” said Kouakou. The new formations Kouakou has chosen for this semester gives an effective way to have many people inside the midfield, Kouakou said.

Kouakou felt that this formation would also mesh well with the players, and team captain Jordan Chin, Sr, feels similar to the coach.

“It is the perfect fit because Kafui already knows most of the players on the team so we both can help each other,” said Chin. “We look to him for the tactical aspect and he looks to us (returning players) for leadership.“All he has to do is work the new players into his system instead of having a new coach that would have on communicating with each other while we're on the field. And having more ball control,” said Delgado.

"All of us have a great relationship with one another which makes the team better. Were going to have a successful season by attending all practices and trying our best when we're on the field."

While its still too early to tell where the season is going, the team remains hopeful that the beginning of their season may just be a fluke in the team chemistry.

"Our goal for the season is to make it to the playoffs. We have a great team and with all of our combined skills with can reach it,” said defender Michelle Montalvan.

But besides the team pulling together, most players agree that their secret weapon to success is taking advantage of coach Rivas.

"Coach Rivas is a great coach, he is pushing us everyday.

We practice Monday to Saturday, and our main focus is to have great techniques and tactics as team,” said Montalvan.

“In addition he is always encouraging us. He reminds us of bad we want this and that practice is really important in order for us to achieve it."

Delgado also agrees that Coach Rivas is great and knows

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to work all the players into the system.” Chin’s presence, along with the returning players, has eased pressure off the new players. This season he wants to win a championship with the team. He worked hard in the off-season, playing with his club team that helped him stay in shape and be on top of his game. Chin feels that he has to be more than 100 percent for this team to make a playoff run.

“I think that I have to make sure my game is 110% always both in practice and games.

I have to guide the new players both on and off the field.

We need all our players to be present at all times. We all need to work hard, “ said Chin.

During the season teams go through adversity and those moments can be tough.

Chin believed that it all depends on the roles on the team and to not do too much.

“Its going to take all of us just reflecting on our individual game and see where we can improve. Also we all need to understand our roles in the team and try not to do too much,” said Chin.

The coach also understands the tough times during the season and wants the players to know that its not about winning all the time, its about how you play and learning from a game. Despite the slow start to the season, he's not worried.

“All of the games are out of the conference so we have time,” said Kouakou.

The team's next game will be in Long Island as they face Farmingdale State College.

Raymond Mora is a Sports Editor. He can be reached at raymond@yorkpbnews.net

Roberto Rivas (Photo by Verity Rollins)

exactly what he's doing and the areas that the team needs to work on. While the team has a long way to go before playoffs, they're determined and willing to put in the effort to see a first playoff berth.

Players and coaching staff are working hard to make sure this season is a successful one.

“I think what makes us strong as a team is the fact we are willing to work for one another no matter the final outcome,” said Rivas.“We know we need work harder to.compensate the lack of experience we don't have a team. We are a young team that still needs to learn.”

Gina Martinez is a staff reporter. She can be reached at g.martinez@yorkpbnews.net

SPORTS PB

yorkpbnews.com

Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

Junior Kiranjeet Kaur tapped the volleyball as her teammates are looking. (Photo by Verity Rollins)

BY GRACIANO CLAUSE

No sports team wants to lose, but the downward trend of the women’s volleyball team has plagued them for yet another semester.

The Lady Cardinals loss six straight games since the beginning of the season. For so long the women’s team has carried an abysmal record -- under .500 season records since 1998, according to York College Athletics records . It’s bad enough that the Lady Cardinals are losing, but it is worse when there appears to be no end in sight.

On Sept. 7, the women’s volleyball team lost their first three

matches in their season opener.

The team’s first loss came against Morrisville State College, in that game the cardinals put up a fight but couldn’t pull through to produce a positive end result.

“One of our problems on the court is that we need to improve our communication, we can get lost out there when everyone is not on the same page and it end up costing us,” said Shauncia McClendon .

Junior Joanne Ly also agrees with McClendon on the team’s status.

“We have returning players & new players this year,” said Ly. “As any other team, we’ve been trying to find our flow/chemis-

Senior Shanice Brown running on the track. (Photo by Verity Rollins)

CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS SEE MAJOR IMPROVEMENT, LOOK FORWARD TO A GREAT SEASON

By Raymond Mora

Both York’s men’s and women’s cross country teams placed in the top 12 at two separate invitationals this season, but that is quite an improvement from last year for Head Coach Mark Benjamin The men’s and women’s cross

country season started out with two invitationals from Baruch and QueensBorough Community College.The men’s placed 11th and 10th while the women’s placed 8th and 12th in both events. Head Coach Mark Benjamin sees improvements in both teams so far

try in playing with one another on the court to perform well.”

Morrisville State came out

VS Morrisville State Game 1- 25-18 Game 2- 25-18 Game 3- 27-15 VS City College Game 1- 25-20 Game 2- 25-18 Game 3- 25-27 Game 4- 25-16 VS D’Youville Game 1- 25-17 Game 2- 25-11 Game 3- 25-11 “I see that we're going to do much better than we ever did in cross county even though my runners did not run really hard that summer. They come to me and are not in great condition. They were suppose to run all summer lightly on their own,” said Benjamin Benjamin is taking all of September to get them in condition and ready to compete at the end of October. At the end of October is the CUNYAC Championship for both men’s and women’s. Benjamin explains the training techniques used in being prepared for Cross Country.

“In cross country we do light intervals because mostly its LSD (Long Slow Distance). The key to cross country is can you work yourself up to where you can run non-stop for an hour and then use that to do a tempo run with pace for an hour,” said Benjamin. “If you can do that then you come in for your 8k, your 8k is only going to take you about 30 to 32 mins.”

Benjamin likes what he sees in his new players and the work they put in. On the men’s side, Senior Jesus Medina describes the first two meets of the season despite the slow start and the goals.

“Our goal is to just get the whole team to run PR’s (Personal Best),” said Medina.“It went better than last year since I seen some improvements from freshmens last year and freshmens this year about 2 mins faster.”

Although the men’s team is preparing for October, the

women’s team has other things in mind. Returning Junior Diana Cuevas wants to improve on her personal performances and is training hard.

“To run a faster time and to gain more endurance this season, I trained about two times a week even though I didn’t train as much and didn’t expect to do very well in the first two meets,” said Cuevas. “But I’m taking advantage of coming to practice four to five times a week so I can get more milage.”

Cuveas also wants to run 30 minutes in a 6k event.

Both Cuevas and Medina are using cross country to be prepared for the indoor and outdoor season. To motivated and mentally prepare the players for competition, Coach Benjamin sees the drive and commitment on winning.

“We always talk about visualization techniques. We talk about how they need to step up to the plate. But a lot of it is their own internal competition,” said Benjamin. “They want to win.”

The season is still early for the players and they have time to prepare for the indoor and outdoor season. Coach Benjamin wants to see a championship in the indoor and outdoor season believes that it can happen. The team's next meet will be on Sept 28 in the College of Staten Island.

Raymond Mora is a Sports Editor. He can reached at raymond@yorkpbnews.net

15 to time, but is wasn’t enough to overcome the problems they put on themselves in. The college of New Rochelle would win 3-0 (25-13, 25-11, 25-19) over York.

The team did win against Medgar Evers College 3-1, but Assistant Coach Stephanie Betancourt gave her take on dealing with the losses.

“It’s a learning experience, we try not to beat ourselves up after a loss, all we can do is work on our mistakes to get better,” said Assistant Coach Stephanie Betancourt. She also mentioned how letting your emotions out after a tough loss isn’t the best idea because as a teammate you play collectively and not for yourself.

With a minor portion of the Cardinal’s games already set and stoned, they still have enough games in the season to improve.

Graciano Clause is a staff reporter. He can be reached at g.clause@yorkpbnews.net

VISIT US ONLINE AT YORKPBNEWS.COM

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SEASON MAY DISAPPOINT

blazing by dominating the Cardinals with 15 aces.

Senior Stayce Kay Muirhead and Sophomore Shauncia McClendon would lead their team with six kills apiece. The final score resulted in Morrisville State winning 3-0. The next day they would lose again to City College in four sets 3-1.

The final match came against D’Youville which showed a less competitive effort compared to the first two matches.

Murihead’s numbers stood out despite the team’s struggles as she would go on to lead the team with six kills. In the end they fell to D’Youville 3-0 .

Certain aspects of the Cardinals’ 2014 season are a given, like McClendon and Muirhead producing more than half of the team’s points. They show inconsistent spurts in sets which never really allows the team to get a hold of any lead along with lack of c “We have the potential to turn games around if it weren’t for the minor mistakes that consistently piled up, we just have to be more aware on the way we go about things like serves or positioning,” said McClendon.

The game against College of New Rochelle on Sept. 9 was another prime example of the problems the Cardinals face from lack of communication on the floor. The game had silly errors as they struggled with their own serves along with a few service errors.

Almost every player on New Rochelle contributed in such good fashion totaling to 45 points. On the other hand for York that was not the case where a third of the team’s players didn’t score a single point. . York had a few good runs from time

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SPORTS PB Monday, Sept. 22, 2014

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