The Statesman 01-27-20

Volume LXIII, Issue 16

sbstatesman.com

Monday, January 27, 2020

Students petition for a smoothie truck spot

Bernstein withdraws presidential candidacy

By Alek Lewis

By Brianne Ledda

Assistant News Editor

News Editor

More than 1,100 students have signed a petition showing support for a smoothie truck on campus after negotiations between its owner and the Faculty Student Association (FSA) went sour in early January.

Senior business management major Tyler Phillips, who was attempting to start a campus food truck called The Smoothie Spot, launched a social media campaign seeking student support after FSA terminated negotiations on Jan. 8.

Phillips said that he first approached FSA in Spring 2018 with the idea for his own student-run business, inspired by his interest in business and his past work experience in a family friend’s smoothie shop.

“I observed a lack of customer-centric food services that provid-

RABIA GURSOY /THE STATESMAN

The new SAC Market is expected to open up on Monday, Jan. 27. The market will feature Argo Tea, Craft Salads and Bowls and the SBU Marketplace. ed meal options that were both delicious and healthy,” Phillips wrote in an email. “The smoothie truck concept, from my perspective, is what makes The Smoothie Spot so customer-oriented. Through the utilization of a vehicle, I am able to set up shop at various events on campus in order to best serve the Stony Brook community.”

Phillips said that he initially hoped to open for Summer 2019.

Phillips said that he was informed towards the end of the Spring 2019 semester that Culinart would likely partner with Jamba-Juice.

Although a Jamba-Juice isn’t currently on campus, the Healthy

by Nature shop in East Side

Dining, which serves smoothies among other things, opened in Summer 2019 — Phillips’s original launch date for The Smoothie Spot.

Phillips said he felt “offended” and “betrayed” that FSA was working with Jamba Juice beContinued on page 4

SBU professor uses $3.5M grant to combat Alzheimer's

By Joe McQueen Contributing Writer

Stony Brook University Associate Professor of biomedical engineering, Donghui Zhu, is working with the Institute for Engineering-Driven Medicine to develop a new way to combat Alzheimer’s disease after securing a $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Zhu is evaluating the molecular and cellular mechanisms that cause the disease in the first place. He said one of the main factors that causes Alzheimer’s is neuroinflammation, or inflammation of nervous tissue.

His approach is looking to find how magnesium, Alzheimer’s and inflammation are connected — since magnesium helps reduce inflammation in the body, he’s investigating whether it might do the same within the brain.

“We are using a multidisciplinary approach including engineering, biology and neuroscience imaging as a comprehensive study looking at how new information may contribute to the development of AD [Alzheimer’s],” Zhu said.

Learning how magnesium and inflammation play a role in

degenerative neurological diseases could potentially evolve into a new therapeutic treatment for Alzheimer’s and neuroinflammation, he said.

Researchers believe that Alzheimer’s is caused by multiple factors like genetics, lifestyle and environmental conditions.

Huaxi Xu, director of Neuroscience Initiative at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, a nonprofit institution that conducts biomedical research in neuroscience and immunology based in La Jolla, California, is collaborating with Professor Zhu in developing this new approach.

“He [Zhu] has expertise in magnesium regulation of molecular pathways related to BBB [blood-brain barrier],” Xu said. “My expertise comes from the rates of magnesium among Alzheimer’s patients.

That’s why our expertise came to be complementary.”

Xu explained that once people reach 60, they begin to experience reduced magnesium in the brain. Zhu’s research is evaluating if those magnesium levels are connected to neuroinflammation and the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

“This is an angle study on how regulation or supplementation of magnesium can be a unique way of helping our journey of curing Alzheimer’s,” Xu said.

Stefan Judex, assistant professor of Biomedical engineering, said getting funding for this type of research from the National Institutes of Health is

-Lauren Sheprow

ERIK1980/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS VIA CC BY SA 3.0

An MRI scan of a brain. An SBU professor secured a $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Arts & Culture

He is stuck near the initial outbreak of coronavirus.

Self-care and resilience were themes of the night.

MORE ON PAGE 4

“He felt he needed the freedom to pursue external professional opportunities ...”

University Media Relations Officer

News

SBU professor unable to return to U.S.

often difficult, especially in a time where scientific research is being blocked and facing serious budget cuts from the Trump administration.

“It’s exceedingly difficult to get funding for large projects,” Judex said. “Just the fact that he [Zhu] received funding reflects the quality of his research.”

Interim President Michael Bernstein has formally withdrawn his name from Stony Brook University’s presidential search, according to a statement emailed to The Statesman on Jan. 25.

“As he considered his future career options, he felt he needed the freedom to pursue external professional opportunities, without the complication of being an internal candidate at Stony Brook,” Lauren Sheprow, the university media relations officer, wrote in the email.

Bernstein initially announced his interest in the permanent position at a media roundtable on Dec. 4. He said that he would be taking nearly a decade of experience as a provost at Tulane University in addition to his experience at Stony Brook to the table.

Before he took up the interim position in August, Bernstein was apparently contemplating retirement.

In an interview with TBR News Media, Bernstein said that he had been planning to step down as provost and move to San Diego.

The search began in September, when the members of the search committee were announced.

Since then, there have been periodic updates — most recently on Jan. 23.

A campus-wide email announced that interviews with potential candidates are expected to begin next week and potentially continue through mid-February. The search committee expects to present its top five choices to the Stony Brook Council this winter.

Opinions

Sports

Commuter students should feel part of the community.

Seawolves tied for longest win streak in the country.

CPO hosts popular First Night Out.

Securing housing for SBU students.

MORE ON PAGE 6

MORE ON PAGE 8

Women's Basketball continues win streak.

MORE ON PAGE 12

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NEWS

Negotiations between owner and FSA fail Professor trapped in China Continued from page 1 hind the scenes, even as he invested “time and resources” into his own smoothie venture.

He said that throughout the negotiation process, he was treated in a condescending manner.

“An environment was created where I felt talked down to if I asked too many questions,” he said, adding that he was forced to be his own teacher. “I had not seen other on-campus businesses experience this, and I began to wonder why The Smoothie Spot did not appear to be a priority, or at least of equal importance. Part of me wondered if this is what discrimination looked like,” he said.

He said that a “build-up of various occurrences” led him to speak with the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, though he didn’t file a complaint.

Phillips was notified that his branded truck would be ready on Jan. 13 and walked into a Jan. 8 meeting with FSA confident that The Smoothie Spot would open in Feb. 2020. Instead, he was handed a letter of termination.

Phillips said he was told that The Smoothie Spot was “outside of the scope of FSA resources.” Phillips’ immediate reaction to this news was confusion.

“After a year and a half working on this project and one month before the grand opening, after significant time and resources, it was now outside of FSA’s scope?” he wrote. “I truly could

not comprehend the sense in this statement.”

FSA Executive Director, Van Sullivan, said that after a “thorough review of the project, the Faculty Student Association has decided to consider other options to further enhance the student experience while continuing to provide the best possible service to the campus in a cost-effective, creative and efficient manner.”

He added that the FSA had not, at any point, entered into a contract agreement with The Smoothie Spot.

Frustrated, Phillips started the Change.org petition in response, which reached its goal of 1,000 signatures on Jan. 19, only five days after it was posted.

He promoted the petition on Twitter and Instagram, where other students shared the link on their stories.

Junior business management and psychology double major Bolu Oloruntoba posted the link to his petition on his Instagram story on Jan. 14. “The Smoothie Spot seemed so positive that it made so much sense to share this innovation with my peers, so we can push the movement and allow students to have access to an affordable and healthy lifestyle,” Oloruntoba wrote in an email.

A business management major himself, Oloruntoba sees Phillips’ business as inspiration for future students who hope to make their mark on campus through business. “It's beautiful to see students who can manage to thrive academically and innovate, and more importantly, inno-

SCREENSHOT OF CHANGE.ORG

Petition for The Smoothie Spot on Change.org, which has been signed by over 1,100 students.

vate on their school's campus,” Oloruntoba wrote.

On Jan. 24, The Smoothie Spot’s Instagram account posted a statement that said FSA made its final decision to terminate negotiations with The Smoothie Spot because of “financial risk.”

“This is by no means the end of The Smoothie Spot, but simply a delay in its opening,” Phillips wrote on the Jan. 24 Instagram post.

“Thank you from the very bottom of my heart for fighting with us until the end.”

Phillips announced in another Instagram post the next day that he would be speaking with staff from Stony Brook University’s President’s Office, in a “last effort to get The Smoothie Spot” on campus and to address his treatment by FSA.

“This is by no means the end of The Smoothie Spot, but simply a delay in its opening.”

-Tyler Phillips

Senior Business Management Major

Although his business may not come to fruition, Phillips said that he can’t ignore that FSA “provided information and mentorship that has been a significant benefit,” including help with understanding business operations, spreadsheets, vendor contracts and marketing.

“The work that FSA and others involved in this project have accomplished for me is something of which I am incredibly grateful for,” Phillips wrote. “It is my hope that with these experiences brought to light, resources and services can be refined in order to provide effective and efficient assistance to students and businesses in the future.”

By Brianne Ledda News Editor

A Stony Brook professor visiting family near the initial outbreak of a dangerous new coronavirus in Wuhan, China, is unable to return to the United States, according to Newsday.

China is expanding travel restrictions on the area as the flu-like virus begins a global spread. There are currently five confirmed cases in the United States and the results for four potential cases in New York are still pending.

Sen. Chuck Schumer said at a Jan. 26 press conference that his office is trying to arrange a flight home for the professor, who he declined to name.

“We want to get him out of there as quick as possible,” Schumer said.

Stony Brook University is "grateful" to Schumer and the U.S. State Department, Media Relations Officer Lauren Sheprow wrote in an email.

"Upon return to the United States, our employee will follow CDC quarantine protocols," she wrote.

The university sent a campus-wide email on Jan. 23 warning students about symptoms — which include fever and a cough — and how to avoid spreading the disease.

Stony Brook Medicine recommends that people “follow healthy habits,” including updated flu vaccinations and frequent hand-washing, to prevent the disease.

Former professor pleads guilty

By Brianne Ledda and Melissa Azofeifa

News Editor & Arts and Culture Editor

Former Stony Brook University Professor, Geoffrey Girnun, pleaded guilty to stealing government funds on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Girnun, a former associate professor in the department of pathology and director of cancer metabolomics at the Renaissance School of Medicine, was arrested on Sept. 12 after stealing $78,000 from National Institutes of Health (NIH) between December 2013 and December 2017. According to an initial indictment, he allegedly used the money to cover personal expenses, including mortgage payments.

“He regrets his conduct and is taking responsibility for it,” Michael Yaeger, Girnun’s attorney, said.

U.S. District Court Judge Denis Hurley, who accepted the plea, emphasized that the guilty plea would waive a number of rights, including the government’s burden of proof, right to confrontation and public trial, and right against self-incrimination.

Girnun signed a multi-page plea agreement which he said he went over “extensively” with his attorney.

As per the plea agreement, Girnun

could face a maximum of 10 years in jail without parole, and “a fine to be determined,” according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.

He will also pay $225,000 in restitution, “which includes the NIH funds and approximately $147,000 from SBU’s foundation and state-sponsored grants.”

Girnun acknowledged that he understood all provisions in the plea agreement. He resigned from Stony Brook University in December 2019.

“With today’s guilty plea, Girnun has been held accountable for his unconscionable scheme to embezzle for his personal use [of] hundreds of thousands of dollars in government funds that were intended to help find a cure for cancer,” U.S. attorney Richard Donoghue said in a press release.

A Stony Brook University spokesperson wrote in an email that the university is “outraged and appalled” by Girnun’s theft.

“This behavior is absolutely contrary to the ethical and professional standards expected of our faculty,” the spokesperson said. “Dr. Girnun has resigned from the University and has no remaining affiliations.“ Girnun agreed not to appeal his sentence, which will be handed down in May.

NYS invests $20M into offshore wind training institute at SBU

By Sara Ruberg Multimedia Editor

New York State will invest $20 million into a new offshore wind training institute to be hosted by Stony Brook University and SUNY Farmingdale, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in his 2020 agenda on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

The institute plans to start accepting students in 2021, “when the industry is expected to need a significant number of new skilled employees,” according to the agenda. Cuomo expects the program to train 2,500 workers over the next five years.

“Through Stony Brook’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences programs, we are poised to start training a highly skilled engineering workforce, focusing on expertise required

in today’s rapidly evolving clean energy landscape,” Interim President Michael Bernstein wrote in an emailed statement.

“These include, among others, wind resource assessment, wind turbine and wind farm project design and optimization, offshore wind project economics, public policy, social acceptance and environmental impacts, as well as energy storage and grid integration.”

There are currently three wind farms being developed around Long Island. Two are off the coast of Montauk — South Fork and Sunrise Wind Farms — and one, called the Empire Wind Farm, stands off the south shore by the East Rockaways. Sunrise and Empire wind farms represent New York’s first investments in offshore wind, and will cost more than 200 million dollars in state

funds. According to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the two farms will produce nearly 1,700 megawatts (MW) of energy — “the single largest renewable energy procurement by a state in U.S. history.”

The wind farms and coming institution are part of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan to power New York on 9,000 MW from offshore wind farms by 2035. Over the summer, Cuomo signed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which mandates that 70% of New York’s electricity should come from renewable sources by 2030. Twenty six percent of electricity used in the state came from renewable energy in 2018, according to the New York Independent System Operator, the nonprofit

corporation that runs the state’s power grid.

A Stony Brook University study, cited in a 2016 stakeholder review on offshore wind farms in New York, estimated that one wind farm producing 250 MW could create nearly 3,000 full time jobs. If those statistics are accurate, that means that Sunrise and Empire wind farms would produce more than 20,000 jobs.

Farmingdale State College President Dr. John S. Nader said in an emailed statement that “the environmental and economic benefits to Long Island and the region are vital to our future,” and the school’s work “in workforce development” will prepare the “economy for the future.”

Long Island fishermen, however, worry that the farms could affect their livelihoods. They point to cases overseas, where wind farms were

built in prime fishing locations, and instances where windmills were placed too close together to navigate through them safely, making the area unfishable.

“The reality is that… they are putting [the windmills] in prime fishing grounds,” Bonnie Brady, the executive director of the Long Island fishing association, said.

She advocates for 11 different gear groups in 14 different ports around Long Island.

The South Fork and Sunrise Wind Farms are expected to power millions of homes in the Hamptons and the Town of Brookhaven, while the Empire Wind Farm near Long Beach is expected to power more than a million homes in Manhattan. The farms are anticipated to be operational by the mid-2020s.

Brianne Ledda contributed to the reporting.

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ARTS & CULTURE

CPO hosts self-care themed “First Night Out” for SBU Students

By Lajiere Blake

Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

On Jan. 25, the Center for Prevention and Outreach (CPO) hosted a First Night Out event that focused on self-care and resilience at the Campus Recreation Center.

First Night Out events take place at the beginning of each semester and are an attempt to connect and encourage incoming students to look forward to the semester ahead.

CPO offers Stony Brook students “a wide range of services to address student concerns about mental health, alcohol and other substances, healthy relationships and sexual violence.”

Senior health science major Vivien Llanes is the alcohol and other drug outreach assistant for CPO. According to Llanes, First Night Out’s goal was to “cater to all the new transfer students, especially freshmen, and all the other students who are looking for something to do.”

There are stigmas surrounding mental health including the belief that people rarely experience mental health issues, but CPO says 1 in 5 people experience mental illness in a given year.

An article by Stanford University finds that basic needs, like getting enough sleep and drinking enough water, need to be met in order for students to continue to be successful.

As a senior, Llanes understands the importance of self-care, specifically for Stony Brook students.

Although Llanes previously struggled, she says “I got better with my time management and also by asking other people for help. It’s ok to go to

RABIA GURSOY/ THE STATESMAN

The outside of the Walter J. Hawrys Campus Recreation Center. Center for Prevention and Outreach hosted a "First Night Out" event on self-care at the recreation center to start off the spring 2020 semester. your professors for help; it’s ok to tell your boss that you need a day off.”

Senior sociology major Jenna Santiago is also an intern for CPO and wanted students to walk away from the event knowing the vast importance of mental health.

“Just know that you and your mental health are important so if you feel like you’re really stressed

out just take a minute, take a breather, talk to a friend or even take a nap. Do whatever you need to do because your mental health is more important than getting a good grade or impressing someone. Sometimes you need to just be selfish and that’s good.”

This need for virtuous selfishness seemed to be popular among the First Night Out attendees.

Transfer student Jessica Strong is a sophomore business major who is looking forward to the semester ahead and understands that self-care will be a big part of her success at Stony Brook.

“I spend more time on [other] people than I do on myself and that gets in the way of a lot of things like my plans and my goals.

I tend to put that to the side when

it comes to other people but it’s all about time management and I’m working on that.”

The Student Health, Wellness and Prevention Services’ website offers students a clear list of the resources on campus that are integral to the community of care at Stony Brook. From mental to physical health, all students have access to these helpful outlets.

doesn’t take long for the show to hit its groove.

These moments prove to become more of a humorous punctuation instead of an uncomfortable silence.

Part of the reason for season one’s popularity was the show’s ability to paint a picture of why sex education is so important.

Teenagers need this knowledge, and some of the crazy questions Otis is forced to answer shed light on this in a hilarious way.

Season two continues this well, but it also starts to show the differences between Otis and his mother, Jean Milburn, who is a trained and licensed sex therapist.

Otis has the tact and ability to deliver the information to teenagers in a way that makes them feel safe and comfortable. But in a lot of cases, he just doesn’t know enough.

Jean on the other hand, who is played by Gillian Anderson, has the knowledge, but isn’t very good at dealing with teenagers.

This contrast causes a new conflict which plays out over the course of the season and ultimately comes to a head in a brilliant finale.

Maeve Wiley, played by Emma Mackey, comes head to head with new obstacles as her mom, Erin, played by Anne-Marie

Duff, forces her way back into Maeve’s life. She deals with this at the same time that she and Otis try to figure out where their friendship is really going.

The show executes so many different storylines brilliantly that it’s pretty amazing they’ve managed to make me care about all of them.

When Jakob, the love interest of Otis’s mother Jean, started to finally get some more screen time and character development, I found myself intrigued even though he was somewhat of a minor character.

The only problem the show might have at this point is an overabundance of good characters. Characters like Maeve, Ola and Jackson, portrayed by Mackey, Patricia Allison, and Kedar Williams-Stirling respectively, all get excellent character development and growth in season two, each going through their own unique struggles.

At the same time Victoria and Ruby, played by Simone Ashley and Mimi Keene, both have brief moments of characterization that makes us see them as more than just the school’s “untouchables” but it left me wanting a great deal more.

I only hope that we get to see a little bit more of these characters in season three because season two was entirely too short.

“Sex Education” second season continues to serve irresistible awkwardness

By Alexander Bakirdan

Assistant Arts and Culture Editor

The second season of “Sex Education” shines with teenage angst and awkwardness, accompanied by some of its most heartwarming, gut-wrenching and shocking moments yet.

Building on the momentum of last season — which left off on a pretty dramatic note — Otis Milburn, played by Asa Butterfield, is forced to cope with all new challenges. Navigating social life as a teenager is already hard enough.

The problems that come with being your school’s unlicensed sex therapist is even worse and there seems to be a crisis at every turn for Otis this season.

Eric Effiong, played by Ncuti Gatwa, also faces new trials in season two as he deals with a new relationship, and the complications of an old one.

Adam Groff, played by Connor Swindells — the bully who might just be into him — is back in his life and Eric doesn’t know what to do.

The awkward moments carry on into season two, and the show continues to test how far it can push the discomfort without making the audience want to fast-forward or look away.

A few episodes early in the season go a tad overboard with the graceless moments, but it

PUBLIC DOMAIN

The official poster for the second season of “Sex Education.” The second season was released Jan. 17, 2020.

MULTIMEDIA

Photos by Rabia Gursoy and Sara Ruberg New student facilities are under construction or open for use around campus for the spring semester. The Student Activities Center hosts the SAC Market (top two photos), which sells teas, salads, bowls and more. It is open now to students after construction ended over winter break. The Student Union (bottom left)is under construction and remains closed to students. The Dubin Indoor Training Center (bottom right) curently hosts some teams' practices, but is still under construction.

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Cars parked in South P Lot, the commuter student parking lot. Commuter students make up nearly half of Stony Brook’s student population.

The importance of secure housing in SBU

By Sarah Tantawy Contributing Writer

Sarah Tantawy is a junior journalism major.

The morning is cold and dark, meanwhile the sun is barely up as the sound of alarms simultaneously go off all across New York, one, two, three times. Snooze.

Snooze. Snooze.

The time is 7:30 a.m., and hitting the snooze button again doesn’t seem like the best idea. Class is at 9 a.m., but who knows what the traffic will be like, if your car will have any trouble or if you will be able to find a parking spot.

A flurry of commuters make their way down Stony Brook Road and turn into South P Lot — all scrambling to find parking as close to the bus stop as they possibly can. The students carry cups of coffee and stand in lines that circle the Wolfie's Hut, hoping to get a seat on the mile-long bus ride that will bring them to Stony Brook University's main campus.

This is a commuter student’s daily morning routine.

Commuter students make up nearly half of Stony Brook’s student population, most of whom reside on Long Island. Log on to Stony Brook’s website and you will see an array of resources available to help those students that live close to campus.

These resources include the information for the Suffolk County Transit system and the Long Island ferry service. If you are close enough, biking or walking is an option too. However, if a student lives outside of Long Island, finding a way to school becomes much more complicated.

At the beginning of this academic year, I experienced a housing crisis.

The enrollment rate at SBU went up, and the university seemed to accept more students than on-campus housing had the room for.

This affected many students, as incoming students found

Corrections

themselves forced in rooms only meant for two. I applied to Stony Brook as a residential student, fully intending to dorm. However, the only rooms that were available were triples, which led me to consider other housing options.

This problem affects students who come from outside of Long Island — the boroughs. As housing ran out of space, students ran out of luck. When I went on the housing portal, waitlists to get into housing had over 300 names. The options were limited; either make the commute from the city to Stony Brook every day, which can often take upwards of an hour and a half, or try to find a reasonably priced apartment and commute from Long Island.

In an attempt to find housing, commuter students turn to SBU’s housing section of their website, but on the website, one of the first things mentioned is Stony Brook disclaiming themselves, saying that they do not vet any of the listings.

This means that if you were to run into trouble, even if you found the listing on Stony Brook’s site, the university is not responsible.

In an attempt to find housing over the summer, I looked up some of the complexes SBU had listed and found that one of the numbers mentioned, The Reserve at the Boulevard, isn’t even a housing complex, it is the number to a woman’s home. She had mentioned that this isn’t the first time someone had called inquiring about an apartment complex and that she had been dodging calls for a while.

This was a clear indication that it is the students responsibility to make sure each housing contact is legitimate, which already sets a precedent for how little care is put into securing housing options for off-campus students.

Having the opportunity to live on campus allows students to be better members of their

college community, and lets them find a home within their school quicker.

Matthew Rothbard, a senior geology major, arrived on campus as a transfer commuter student. “If you don’t live in a dorm, where you are practically placed in a social situation that forces you to make friends, it feels like you don’t have a community,” he said.

“If you don't live in a dorm, where you are practically placed in a social situation that forces you to make friends, it feels like you don't have a community.”

-Matthew Rothbard Senior Geology Major

When students have no choice but to commute because of limited housing, commuter students, like myself, often feel like they have to choose between two important facets of college life, either the educational one or the social one. Both come with benefits but having to choose one over the other does not really give commuter students a full college experience. SBU is a college where students are going “Far Beyond,” but how far can students actually go and feel a part of the community when housing options seem to be so confined?

No corrections were made to the last issue (Volume LXIII, Issue 15) of the paper.

Readers can send an email to editors@sbstatesman.com regarding any errors made in articles.

Opinions

The Statesman

Monday, January 27, 2020

9

News consumers need to freshen up their news literacy skills

By James Bowen and Sam Lauria Contributing Writer and Assistant Opinions Editor

James Bowen is a junior journalism major; Sam Lauria is a freshman journalism major.

The internet is an abyss of information which can serve as a helping hand for its younger users, but a Rubix cube for older ones. The presence of social media and memes not only spreads misinformation like wild-

fire but also adds to the “boomer” stereotype — a generation with the reputation of “drinking the kool-aid” — or intaking information at face value without fact-checking. Add into the mix the malware, fabricated content and propaganda, and you can start to understand why older people stride away from using the internet altogether.

Although 68% of boomers are using the internet, they’re seven times more likely to share false information

on Facebook than Millenials. Consumers’ comfort in looking at outlets that support their beliefs creates cognitive dissonance, especially when someone’s ideas or beliefs contradict another. Hence, approximately one-third of all Americans distrust the media.

But instead of cutting the web indefinitely, news consumers should approach digital media like a diet. By selecting what’s healthy to consume on a daily basis, boomers, as well as

EMMA HARRIS/THE STATESMAN

The Center for News Literacy located in the Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library.

According to The National Interest, one-third of Americans distrust the media.

younger viewers, can avoid sharing misinformation. As news consumers, we need to develop ways to critically digest what we see online.

At Stony Brook University, a news literacy course is taught to educate budding journalists on the dead giveaways of disinformation in the media. Educating news consumers about the basics of news literacy could, in turn, change their views of the web and allow people to make a distinction between good journalism and “fake news.” Once consumers of digital news freshen up their news literacy skills, well-reported and reliable information can then be further shared on social media platforms.

One vital piece of information to know when determining if a news outlet is valid or not is in recognizing the information neighborhood an article is coming from. In SBU’s news literacy course, student journalists are taught that information neighborhoods are an array of different mediums of communication to an audience such as journalism, entertainment and propaganda. Some of these information neighborhoods borrow characteristics from others to appeal to audiences like when entertainment tactics such as flashy titles, sound effects or music are used in journalistic platforms to appeal to audiences. This can make it even harder for people to decipher the difference between a media outlet that values journalism ethics and one that spews misinformation.

Government-funded news outlets, for instance, produce misleading and fabricated content so as to fit their political agendas. One of these outlets, RT (Russia Today), is a

government-funded site, which immediately is a red flag because the organization manipulates coverage of the news in favor of the Russian state.The site’s propaganda is seen through its use of radical headlines and claims to fuel readership.

Another thing to watch out for is when advertisers take advantage of claiming that their work is based on journalistic pursuits in order to bump up sales. They may use news articles to put an emphasis on why their products are worth purchasing or they could also buy advertising space and sponsor particular articles.

While the reports they use may be true and contribute valid points to their arguments, advertisement companies will be biased in order to further profit off their advertised products or services.

Information is spread instantaneously, so it can be easy to get overwhelmed with trying to figure out what is real and what is not. A simple process that we can all adapt when consuming news is to check the information that is displayed as fact is verified, that the news outlet is independent and that the publication holds accountability for what they publish.

We live in a world where it is common to distrust the media. In most cases, the reason behind this is people’s, particularly Boomers’, inability to recognize “fake news.”

By taking the time to incorporate the verification processes mentioned before in everyday lives, all news consumers can adapt to the changing times and appreciate the fast-paced world of digital media.

The Statesman

ACROSS 1. Something to get out of, socially 6. It’s a buck 10. Acronym for many colleges, including Stony Brook 14. Mysterious 15. Big language in Pakistan 16. πab, for an ellipse 17. Skill found by the well-mannered elite 20. A midterm e.g.

21. “However” text slang 22. Runs off 23. Southeast Asian language family 24. Grins 25. A sailor or his hat 29. Way he got home?

30. Mistake 31. What platelets make blood do 32. Credit card type 36. Things on a resume 39. Part on a planner 40. Something sworn 41. “Things you own ___ owning you” - Fight Club 42. “Hit or __” 43. Police sticks 44. Cozy homes in the woods 47. Blinding crop grower 48. Most protected 49. Ending for musket or rocket 50. Tempeh alternative 54. They put ink on paper 57. Orc alike 58. “How cool!”

59. Possible test answer choice 60. “Piggies” or “Dogs” 61. Who polytheistic prayers go to

Comics & Crosswords

By Owen Lewars 62. What a horse does DOWN 1. Back to school time, abv.

2. ¡Aquí!

3. Greek God of love 4. Pull up, perhaps 5. Famous fighter Bruce 6. Japanese roll 7. Small band, usually 8. Stress in Shakespeare 9. Firearm fabricator 10. Shallon to the Brits 11. Excretory product 12. Self-built birdhouses 13. Veggie often confused with sweet potato 18. Constellation bit 19. Corrosive fluid 23. Semester 24. Jump into a puddle 25. To defeat 26. The fake whale species 27. Parabolic curve shapes 28. Permanently borrowed 29. Cuts 31. Place to learn 32. Release, emotionally 33. Asian peninsula “__-China” 34. Shock into silence 35. Egyptian snakes 37. Indicating 38. The average person is this 42. Sauna vapor 43. Jefferson’s vice Aaron 44. It’s what the hold holds 48. Common name for man’s 45. Hot Ed Sheeran song “___ Love” best friend 46. Elaine on “Seinfeld” 49. “Good gravy!”

47. Sevens, in Marseille 50. Ivan or Nicholas, e.g.

Monday, January 27, 2020

The answer key will be shared next week.

51. Third most northern capital 52. Party 53. Interacts with

55. Red pill swallower 56. Salamander or newt

10

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The Statesman

Monday, January 27, 2020

11

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Sports

The Statesman

Monday, January 27, 2020

12

Stony Brook falls out of first place after home loss against Binghamton

By Ethan Tam

Assistant Sports Editor

The Stony Brook men’s basketball team saw “déjà vu all over again” on Wednesday, Jan. 22 as they fell 8379 to the Binghamton Bearcats (811, 2-4) at Island Federal Arena. The Seawolves (13-8, 4-2) entered the game looking to avenge last March’s improbable homecourt upset in the America East Tournament. They left inexplicably stunned again by a team that has been consistently ranked as one of the worst in Division I over the past decade.

“I thought we got outplayed for 40 minutes,” head coach Geno Ford said in a postgame press conference. “We were up four and had the game won, and couldn’t get a stop in the last three minutes. We did some things which we talked about not doing.”

Despite poor defensive play throughout, it initially appeared as if the Seawolves would escape — having not lost at home in ­ six straight games -— after redshirt-junior guard Makale Foreman hit a second-chance three from the right wing to put Stony Brook back up 75-73. Binghamton couldn’t score on its next possession, and junior guard Elijah Olaniyi drove through traffic to complete the layup. Bearcats head coach Tommy Dempsey immediately called timeout as Stony Brook held a 77-73 lead, its largest of the night, with 2:41 remaining.

Binghamton brought down the offensive board after a missed three, and sophomore guard Sam Sessoms took advantage of the opportunity with a long ball from the top of the key. Stony Brook came up empty and Ses-

soms added three more with the bucket and the foul to give Binghamton the lead back, 79-77.

Foreman went for the 3-pointer again but had his shot rejected by senior guard Richard Caldwell, Jr. Sessoms, guarded by the much taller junior forward Mouhama-

thought it was going to be easy, if we just expected we were going to score enough that we would find a way to win.”

Stony Brook never led in the first half and were fortunate to have only been down by five, 40-35, at halftime. Junior for-

Olaniyi scored five points within the first four minutes of the second half, including two free throws to give Stony Brook a 44-43 lead, its first of the entire contest. The two teams would continue to trade buckets, but for the most part, it was the

EMMA HARRIS / THE STATESMAN

Junior forward Mouhamadou Gueye jumps to make a basket during the Stony Brook Men's Basketball home opener against Yale on Nov. 5. dou Gueye, took his shot from downtown and found nothing but net. The dagger put the Bearcats up by five with 51 seconds left. Sessoms scored nine straight points in less than two minutes, single-handedly powering Binghamton through for the upset.

“We didn’t play with as much physicality as we usually do, and that’s obviously on the coaches,” Ford said. “I don’t know if we

ward Anthony Ochefu got two quick layups, the second being a third-opportunity buzzer-beater, after Binghamton led by nine with 36 seconds to go. Olaniyi had been held scoreless, going 0-for-7 shooting while the Bearcats started the game shooting 55% (16-for-29). Binghamton had outscored Stony Brook in the paint 24-12 before Ochefu’s pair of layups.

Bearcats who were ahead. A Sessoms three put Binghamton up 61-57 with 10:36 remaining, but six straight Stony Brook points tilted the pendulum back in the Seawolves’ favor. The home team held the lead for just 5:50 of total game time.

“Because we’ve got size and we’ve got a lot of guys that can drive to the rim, [opponents] just sit in zone and hope you

don’t shoot it well,” Ford said.

“9-for-29 from three is significantly worse than what we’ve been on the season. We were bad at the foul line. Still, we had the game won and just couldn’t get one single stop in the last three and a half minutes. One stop and you win the game.”

The Bearcats shot 49% (32for-65) and knocked down 11 threes. Sessoms led all players with 25 points (10-for-21 from the floor, 4-for-9 from three), while senior forward Pierre Sarr posted a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Four players in total scored in double digits for Binghamton.

“We went zone because we weren’t getting any stops,” Ford said. “It wasn’t like we went zone because we thought it’d be good. We went zone because we couldn’t guard them.”

After zeroes in the first half, Olaniyi finished with a team-high 20.

Gueye scored a season-high 16 to go along with 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

As a team, Stony Brook shot 43% (29-for-68) from the floor, 63% (12-for-19) from the line and ended up dead even with Binghamton in rebounds.

The Seawolves have seven days to bounce back from the defeat.

A bye looms on Saturday before a trip to Massachusetts to take on the UMass Lowell River Hawks at the Tsongas Center on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.

“We’ll spend a lot of time on the defense,” Ford said when asked about his plans during the break.

“We’ve spent most of our time on offense because we’ve been so effective defensively. Clearly, that was not a great decision.”

Stony Brook ties nation's longest win streak with win over Binghamton

By Ross O'Keefe

Assistant Sports Editor

A showdown between rivals Stony Brook (19-1, 7-0) and Binghamton (13-6, 2-4) displayed a pair of teams with the two best overall records in the America East. The matchup did not disappoint, as neither team separated by more than 12 points during the entire contest. The Seawolves pulled out the 67-60 win on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the Dr. Bai Lee Court Events Center, winning their 16th straight game. Stony Brook now ties Gonzaga University for the longest winning streak in the nation.

Stony Brook faced adversity early in the game, going down 16-7 by the end of the first quarter after struggling heavily from the field. Stony Brook only managed to shoot 2-for14 from the floor against Binghamton’s 6-for-14 in the first quarter.

“Credit to Binghamton,” Stony Brook head coach Caroline McCombs said in a press release.

“They had a great first quarter.”

Graduate guard Kaela Hilaire and junior guard Victoria Johnson led the charge in the second quarter, scoring 18 of the Seawolves’ 24 points. In the first five minutes of the second quarter, Hilaire added her 10 points and Johnson added her eight in the last five minutes, with the transition between the two scorers going seamlessly.

The second half saw the Bearcats senior guard Kai Moon score 11 points in the first 15 minutes until something disastrous happened midway through the fourth quarter, hampering Binghamton’s chances. While attempting to go for a steal against sophomore guard Anastasia Warren, Moon caught Warren’s elbow to the face, causing her nose to bleed. She would not return for the rest of the game.

Without their leading scorer, Binghamton would surrender a 16-6 run by Stony Brook, bringing the score to 67-55 with 48 seconds left, which would effectively end the game. Hilaire started the run with an important three that put the Seawolves up five with about five minutes remaining.

“It was a good team win,” Hilaire said. “We played one of the best teams in the conference today but we came out and played Stony Brook basketball as a team on both ends of the floor.”

Stony Brook’s win comes after receiving the program’s very first top 25 vote in the USA Today/ WBCA coaches poll. The Seawolves also have accomplished their best 20-game start in program history at 19-1.

The Seawolves have now won 14 consecutive home games, including an America East playoff victory over Vermont last year.

The team has had some close

you could pick it up on the way to class... ...but sometimes that’s just too much effort.

www.sbstatesman.com Stony Brook’s only weekly paper also available online

calls during the streak, including a double-overtime win against Bucknell on Dec. 29.

The Seawolves will continue their conference schedule at the Island Federal Credit Union Arena against the UMass Lowell River Hawks on Wednesday, Jan. 29,

at 6:31 p.m. Stony Brook is 16-6 in the all-time series, currently holding a 15-game win streak in the matchup. The Seawolves have not lost against the River Hawks since Jan. 6, 1999. Both teams are currently undefeated in conference play with 7-0 records.

SARA RUBERG / THE STATESMAN

Junior guard Victoria Johnson during the Stony Brook Women's Basketball home opener against Manhattan.