The Statesman 9-02-19 by The Statesman

Monday, September 2, 2019

Volume LXIII, Issue 2

sbstatesman.com

USG finds discrepancies in constitution and code

IACS receives $11.3M donation for research

By Samantha Robinson

By Maya Brown

Assistant News Editor

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President Shaheer Khan revealed that major discrepancies were found within the USG constitution and code at a senate meeting on Thursday, Aug. 29. USG hired lawyers to look into its governing documents over the summer. In May, USG announced a $15,000 hike in legal fees for its 2019-2020 academic year budget. The now $50,000 allocated towards legal fees is paying for lawyers who review the constitution and code. “This year’s going to be a very transformative year for the Undergraduate Student Government,” Khan said. “For the first time in a long time, the USG will be going in depth and really analyzing our constitution and making tangible changes to it.” The issues found with the two documents can cause serious problems for USG as an organization, Khan said. During USG training, Khan said all of the senators and executive council members sat down to read the constitution and found themselves baffled. “We were reading it and we’re like, ‘This is so confusing,’” Khan said. “Shouldn’t a governing docu-

The Institute for Advanced Computational Science (IACS) at Stony Brook University received a $6.3 million anonymous donation in early August that will advance data-driven research for the department. They also received a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that will enable researchers nationwide to test future super computing technologies. According to the IACS website, the department’s vision is “to establish Stony Brook University at the forefront of data and computing in science and engineering by advancing vibrant interdisciplinary research and education programs.” “A very accomplished person looked at the impact of our institute over the past six years and at our plans for the future, and decided to double down on the original multi-million dollar investment,” Robert Harrison, Ph.D. director of the IACS, said, referring to the anonymous donation. He said that he is excited for the department’s future with key

EMMA HARRIS/ THE STATESMAN

Students, alumni and families watch in excitement. Stony Brook football team won 35-10 in their season opener against Bryant University on Thursday, Aug. 29. ment be something that everybody can read and understand? And if students themselves can’t understand it, then who’s it written for? If we need lawyers to read it, that just doesn’t make sense.” Khan said USG couldn’t make sense of their own governing documents, which he saw as a problem. The main issue between the constitution and the code, he pointed out, is that they often don’t align. “The code is something that we can change internally within USG,” Khan said. “Often times while we’re adding to the code, our constitution is being left behind. And when you compare the two documents, sometimes the constitution will say, ‘Please refer to code xyz,’ or the code will say, ‘Please refer to page 3 in the constitution,’ and they don’t match. They don’t talk, and that’s a big issue.”

Mohamed Heiba, the USG executive vice president, saw problems within his own title and powers. “Under my responsibilities, it says that I am the chair of the senate, but if you look under the senate information … it says the chair of the senate, but it does not specify who the chair of the senate is. That’s very problematic,” Heiba said. “It’s referring to anyone being the chair of the senate, when under my responsibilities, it says that I’m the chair of the senate.” USG Treasurer Adrian Ortega said that though USG doesn’t have a set date, he expects they’ll be finished with revisions by October. “Over the summer, we’ve already started speaking with our legal council and red marking what we need to change and then going from there,” Ortega said. “It’s been a process.

Now, we’re going to try to move forward a lot faster with it.” Since the USG constitution is decided upon by the students, Khan said the process is going to be an “open forum.” “In order for [the constitution] to change, we have to put it out for a vote,” he said. “The student body has the right to vote for which changes need to be made, which is great because we need transparency, we need accountability, and at the end of the day, we serve our student body.” Khan hopes a more comprehensive constitution will encourage more students to participate in USG. “We want to simplify [the USG governing documents] as much as we can so students can understand it, read it, and then actually apply to it,” Khan said. “Our whole thing is just to make it easier and more accessible for students.”

Continued on page 4

Stony Brook graduate student honored with Hidden Hero Award By Samantha Robinson Assistant News Editor

Recent Stony Brook alumna, Yark Beyan, was awarded the Hidden Hero Award by the Andrew Goodman Foundation (AGF) for her commitment to promoting civic engagement on June 22. The AGF focuses on encouraging young people to participate in democracy. It founded the Vote Everywhere program, which was brought to Stony Brook University in 2015. Beyan joined the team in 2016, when she began serving as a Team Leader for the Stony Brook campus. Since then, she has been offered a position as Program Administrative Assistant in the fellowship department with the Open Society Foundation to support international work on social justice, education and human rights. According to a press release issued by the organization, the AGF honors five Vote Everywhere Am-

bassadors who uphold its mission of “expanding civic engagement and defending democracy.” Taryn Dwyer, the program and fellowship manager for the AGF, said Beyan encapsulated these qualities. “The award is really meant to designate when somebody has done exceptional work on their campus and is really spearheading specific leadership on that campus,” Dwyer said. “Every semester [Beyan’s] been involved [with the AGF] she’s done really exceptional work.” Dwyer served as a mentor and advisor for Beyan with the AGF and nominated her for the award. Dwyer said it was Beyan’s voter registration skills that led to her nomination. “She’s done and led some exceptional voter registration work on campus,” Dwyer said. “At Stony Brook, during her entire time as an ambassador, her team has registered at least over 8,000 students.”

News

In order to achieve those numbers, Beyan helped Stony Brook revolutionize its voter registration initiatives. The school used to leave registration forms and a pencil on a table in the Student Activities Center at student orientations, which resulted in low registration rates, she said. Many who registered did so incorrectly. Beyan said her team had to devise a new strategy. “We decided to start having a physical person there to register students, and we saw a huge increase from that,” she said. “Just having someone at the table meant students were being registered to vote correctly and at a higher rate as well.” Beyan also helped to found the Center for Civic Justice, which aims to help engaged Stony Brook students “positively contribute to the betterment of their communities through awareness, advocacy and action,” according to its website. Beyan wrote the proposal to start the center.

Arts & Culture

“A lot of the other schools that are partnered with the AGF have a center, so we’re the outliers,” she said. “Rather than going to the administration and telling them to create a center, we [Stony Brook’s Vote Everywhere program] thought it would be pretty amazing if we wrote a proposal to start it and made it student-led instead.” Beyan worked with Steven Adelson, the co-director of the Center for Civic Justice, to found the center. He called her a “standout leader and visionary,” something that allowed Beyan and her team to understand the need for a Center for Civic Justice on campus. “They wanted to ensure that their work, and the importance of civic and voter engagement, was sustainable and part of every student’s experience … The students decided to bring together the ideas of social justice and civic engagement into a single term,” Adelson wrote in an

Opinions

email. “Civic justice is the process of acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to be a civic leader.” Visiting the AGF table during the involvement fair in her freshman year, Beyan was told the story of how people who tried to register African Americans to vote were murdered by the Klu Klux Klan across the United States. It compelled her to join the AGF. After that, she stayed because of her passion for advancing democracy and says she wants other people to know these stories and fight for themselves. “I’m very outspoken, and when I see something that’s like, a pothole, for instance, or why the heck tuition keeps going higher and higher, I just have that passion behind me,” she said. “I wanted other people to see how important these issues are.” It isn’t always an easy task, Beyan said. Some people are reluctant to

Continued on page 4 Sports

IACS given $11.3M donation.

Wolfieland tickets go up a second time.

Defending the AR15.

Football opens season with win.

MORE ON PAGE 9

$6.3M anonmyous donation plus $5M grant from NSF.

USG decides to raise the prices on Wolfieland, again.

Semi-automatic weapons are intrical to self-defense.

Seawolves victorious over Bryant at home.

The Statesman

Monday, September 2, 2019

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Monday, September 2, 2019

FREE PJ/SBU SHUTTLE

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NEWS

New funds will advance research

Student presented with award

Continued from page 1

stakeholders, including the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the milestones they will be able to achieve. “The donation will take the IACS to the next level in terms of research growth and student success, and will have campus-wide impact,” he said. The IACS was established in 2012 and began with an original $10 million donation from the same anonymous source that just donated $6.3 million, according to Lynn Allopenna, administrative director of IACS. That original donation was matched by the Simons Foundation, an organization that supports scientific research. This new donation will help expand research excellence, sustain the IACS with the hiring of additional staff and serve as seed money for engagement initiatives, Jennifer McCauley, educational program manager at the IACS, said. The money will also be used to continue and make different aspects of the STRIDE program available to all IACS students, a program that provides STEM graduate students with a range of interdisciplinary skills aimed at

vote, but Beyan uses passion-based arguments to convince them. “A lot of it is convincing them by saying, ‘Hey, this is your right,’ ‘People died for this right,’ and ‘This is what you should be doing as a citizen of the U.S.’ Playing into them and the way you frame it is really important to get students to register,” she said. Beyan, who graduated in May, doesn’t plan to make a career out of advocating for voter engagement but said she also won’t leave it behind. “I’m moving towards international development, so like women empowerment initiatives,” she said. “My career path has shifted a bit, but it’s still a passion of mine. Follow me on social media and you’ll see me talking politics all of the time.” Beyan said the Hidden Hero Award was something she strived for during her time with the Andrew Goodman Foundation. “I’ve been seeing amazing students from campuses around the country receiving this award, and I’m like, ‘I hope one day I can get this. I probably won’t, but I’ll work for it.’ Being recognized like that is really amazing.”

EMMA HARRIS / STATESMAN FILE

The building for the Institute for Advanced Computational Science. The IACS received a $6.3 million anonymous donation and a $5 million grant from the NSF. facilitating communication, by expanding opportunities offered through the program. Another use of the donation is to support old and new staff members, as the new funds have already allowed IACS to promote some staff members, such as McCauley, who was promoted from STRIDE program director to educational program manager at the IACS. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to grow in my new role thanks to the generosity of our donors,” she said. While seeking donations, the IACS sent out requests to donors, which outlined various initiatives. These initiatives included improv-

ing the IACS by expanding and advancing department programs. “The largest part of the funds will be used to generate new, external Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Fellowships, which will help IACS increase the level of talent and skill we can attract to SBU,” Allopenna said. Those fellowships would be competitive for the same caliber of applicants who would apply for the National Science Foundation or the Department of Energy fellowship opportunities. “We want to see our multidisciplinary research programs expand and grow, and to see our students thrive and head off to successful careers,” Allopenna added.

The donation, according to McCauley, will create sabbatical opportunities for visiting scholars in addition to other outreach programs, such as those with local high school students. With the new donation, the IACS hopes to provide more outreach opportunities for underrepresented groups, including minorities and women. “I was personally amazed, delighted and very excited at this new and very significant gift from our original donor,” Harrison said. “It is a huge pat on the back for our staff, faculty, and students,” he said.

ARTS & CULTURE

The price of Wolfieland goes up for the second year in a row the turnout. Yes, I get students are not thrilled with the idea of paying more.” “However, the two-dollar increase is to give them better raffle prizes and things like that. In no way would we ever try to cheat the students out of their

By Isabelle Panza Contributing Writer

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) started charging students five dollars for advanced Wolfieland tickets, a two-dollar increase from 2018. This will be Wolfieland’s fourth year at Stony Brook; but just two years ago, Wolfieland was entirely free for students. Last year when asked about charging students an entry fee, the USG treasurer at that time, Adrian Ortega, stated, “We felt charging a small fee would allow us to do more for all students.” As a result, there was a large difference in attendance when the price went up; only 2,400 students showed up in 2018, compared to the 6,000 that showed up in 2017 when Wolfieland was free. Vice President of USG, Hadi Mohammed, explained USG’s decision to increase the price, “The increase in charges helps support the inflation of costs associated with the production of WolfieLand. Things such as prizes, giveaways, Stony Brook paraphernalia, etc.” “USG makes no profit from the event, and any amount we are able to recoup from the event is then utilized to help facilitate other functions coming up for the school year hosted by USG,” he said.

GARY GHAYRAT/ THE STATESMAN

This will be Wolfieland’s fourth year at Stony Brook and students will be charged five dollars for advanced tickets; but just two years ago, Wolfieland was entirely free.

Stony Brook students didn’t hesitate in sharing their thoughts on the price increase. Sophomore business major Randy Ochs said, “I think the increase in price is absurd.” “Unless USG is hiring famous performers and raffling off MacBooks, then there is no need to charge us more for ordinary things,” he said. “I probably won’t go. It’s not worth it.”

Randy’s friend, sophomore business major and a Kappa Sigma fraternity brother, Erik Von Bevearn, chimed in as well. “Sometimes I find it bizarre all the things we’re charged for,” Von Bevearn commented. “From my understanding, Stony Brook University has a lot of money, and it would be nice if they could for once give us something for free. I’ll go if my friends go, but honestly, the chance is slim.”

However, not everyone is upset about the price increase. Sophomore biology major, Mary Neff, said, “I’ll probably still buy a ticket and go. I went last year and had a good time. It’s worth the extra two dollars for me.” When asked about the price increase, double economics and finance major and USG College of Business Senator, Camila Morcos, said, “I don’t think the price increase will affect

Comedian Ryan Hamilton is coming to The Paramount By Alexander Bakirdan

Assistant Arts and Culture Editor

Stand-up comedian Ryan Hamilton is bringing his act to The Paramount in Huntington on Sept. 14. Hamilton — who put out the Netflix special, “Happy Face,” in 2017 — has never performed at The Paramount before. “I’ve been coming to Long Island for a long time though,” Hamilton said. “Back when I first came to New York it was hard to get shows in the city and getting them on Long Island was easier.” Hamilton’s return to Long Island comes with a new hour of material entirely different from the content in his special. He hopes people will take the time to watch the show before coming to see him live. “I’m really happy for people who haven’t seen the special to watch the special and then come to see an all-new show,” Hamilton said. Over the course of his career, Hamilton has earned a reputation for being a “clean” comic, but that wasn’t a deliberate choice. Instead, he just tailored his act to the type of comedy he liked and that worked for him. “It kind of just happened that I got that reputation,” he said. “It was kind of just, this is who I am, this is what works for me.”

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Poster for comedian Ryan Hamilton's Netflix special, "Happy Face." He will be performing in Huntington. Hamilton’s comedy is mostly observational, he works to find the humor in everyday situations and make the mundane funny. He draws on his own life for inspiration and uses relatable situations in his bits. “I was always kind of drawn to those comics and that kind

of broad observational comedy,” Hamilton said. “I like the restrictions that are put on that.” Hamilton’s career has taken him to a variety of places and he’s worked with all sorts of different people. He’s been on several different late-night shows such as

“Conan,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” Late-night talk show appearances are very different than doing an hour-long stand-up, and Hamilton says he has to take a different approach with his comedy because of that. “They’re different because they’re very short and you don’t have a lot of opportunity for error. You have to get the audience right away,” he said. “If you lose them, you don’t have the opportunity to get them back.” He describes the late shows as having their own unique style and says that because most of his jokes are a few minutes long, he sometimes has to alter them to fit the routine. “Late night shows are an art in itself,” Hamilton said. Hamilton has also toured and worked with the legendary New York comedian Jerry Seinfeld multiple times over the course of his career. Seinfeld impressed Hamilton with his work ethic and ability to still have a balanced life. “The level of importance he puts on each show, he’s very passionate about it and it makes me want to be a better comedian too,” Hamilton said. Hamilton will be putting all of this experience to work on stage on Sept. 14 at 8 p.m., and tickets for the show are now available online.

“Unless USG is hiring famous performers and raffling off MacBooks, then there is no need to charge us more for ordinary things.” -Randy Ochs

Sophomore business major

hard-earned money. We want this event to be a nice, special, well-executed event for all students,” she said. Wolfieland will be held in the Student Activities Center Faculty/Staff Parking Lot (H Lot) on Sept. 7 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Need a break?! Exciting things to watch when you’re not studying! In Theatres: • “It: Chapter 2”- Sept. 6 New on Netflix: • “American Psycho”Sept. 1 • “Surviving R. Kelly” (Season One)- Sept. 15 • “Disenchantment: Part Two”- Sept. 20 • “American Horror Story: Apocalypse”Sept. 24 New on HBO Go: • “127 Hours”- Sept. 1 • “Anastasia”- Sept. 1 • “The Hurt Locker”Sept. 1 • “The Spongebob Squarepants Movie”Sept. 1 • “Mary Queen of Scots”Sept. 7 New on Hulu: • “The Goonies”- Sept. 1 • “The Matrix”- Sept. 1 • “Wu-Tang: An American Saga”- Sept. 4 • “Bob’s Burgers” (Season 10)- Sept. 30

MULTIMEDIA

The Statesman Editorial Board 2019

Gary Ghayrat, Editor-in-Chief

Chris Parkinson, Managing Editor

Karina Gerry, Managing Editor

Brianne Ledda, News Editor

Ryan Pavich, Sports Editor

Melissa Azofeifa, Arts & Culture Editor

Gabby Pardo, Opinions Editor

Alexa Anderwkavich, Copy Chief

Sara Ruberg, Multimedia Editor

Maya Brown, Assistant News

Samantha Robinson, Assistant News

Alexander Bakirdan, Assistant Arts

Emma Harris, Assistant Multimedia

Andrew Zucker, Assistant Sports

Ethan Tam, Assistant Sports

Cindy Mizaku, Assistant Opinions

Karla Rios, Assistant Copy

Michelle Wong, Assistant Copy

The Statesman

Monday, September 2, 2019

OPINIONS

Rifles like the AR-15 are intrical for self-defense By Andrew Infantino Contributing Writer

Editor-in-Chief....................Gary Ghayrat Managing Editor..............Karina Gerry Managing Editor..........Chris Parkinson News Editor..............................................................Brianne Ledda Arts & Culture Editor..............................................Melissa Azofeifa Sports Editor.................................................................Ryan Pavich Opinions Editor...........................................................Gabby Pardo Multimedia Editor........................................................Sara Ruberg Copy Chief..........................................................Alexa Anderwkavich Assistant News Editor..................................................Maya Brown Assistant News Editor......................................Samantha Robinson Assistant Arts & Culture Editor..........................Alexander Bakirdan Assistant Multimedia Editor.....................................Emma Harris Assistant Opinions Editor...........................................Cindy Mizaku Assistant Sports Editor..................................................Ethan Tam Assistant Sports Editor.............................................Andrew Zucker Assistant Copy Editor.....................................................Karla Rios Assistant Copy Editor..............................................Michelle Wong Advertising Manager ............................................. Kaylee McAllister

Contact us: Phone: 631-632-6479 Fax: 631-632-9128 Web: www.sbstatesman.com To contact the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editors about organizational comments, questions, suggestions, corrections or photo permission, email editors@sbstatesman.com. To reach a specific section editor: News Editor.....................................news@sbstatesman.com Arts & Entertainment Editor.............arts@sbstatesman.com Sports Editor..................................sports@sbstatesman.com Opinions Editor..........................opinions@sbstatesman.com Multimedia Editor..................multimedia@sbstatesman.com Copy Chief.......................................copy@sbstatesman.com The Statesman is a student-run, student-written incorporated publication at Stony Brook University in New York. The paper was founded as The Sucolian in 1957 at Oyster Bay, the original site of Stony Brook University. In 1975, The Statesman was incorporated as a not-for-profit, student-run organization. Its editorial board, writers and multimedia staff are all student volunteers. New stories are published online every day Monday through Thursday. A print issue is published every Monday during the academic year and is distributed to many on-campus locations, the Stony Brook University Hospital and over 70 off-campus locations. The Statesman and its editors have won several awards for student journalism and several past editors have gone on to enjoy distinguished careers in the field of journalism. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @ sbstatesman. Disclaimer: Views expressed in columns or in the Letters and Opinions section are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Statesman. The Statesman promptly corrects all errors of substance published in the paper. If you have a question or comment about the accuracy or fairness of an article please send an email to editors@sbstatesman.com. First issue free; additional issues cost $1.

Used by both millions of lawful citizens and some of America’s worst mass murderers, the AR-15 is arguably the most controversial rifle in United States history. Many Americans want to ban the AR-15 along with other assault weapons, as well as magazines that support more than ten rounds — especially in the wake of mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton. An assault weapon usually refers to a semi-automatic rifle that sports detachable magazines and additional features such as pistol grips and folding stocks. They argue that such weapons are not necessary for legitimate civilian self-defense. “America’s gun debate suffers because of unreasonable, extreme positions taken by the NRA. But gun control advocates who push for [assault weapon bans] contribute to the problem … Assault weapon bans are bad policy and bad politics,” UCLA law professor Adam Winkler said in an op-ed for the L.A. Times. I previously wrote for The Statesman that future gun laws should further restrict who can purchase firearms rather than what they can purchase. The process itself of vetting prospective gun owners needs urgent reform. Self-defense is a fundamental right, and sometimes a firearm is needed to exercise it. The police are not always available, or sometimes even willing, to protect you. Engaging a criminal in combat can be tantamount to suicide. Tasers and pepper spray are not always reliable, hence police officers don’t always use them. Some gun control supporters accept the legality of handguns, shotguns and manually loaded (such as bolt-action, lever-action or single-shot) rifles for self-defense. These weapons are not always sufficient for that purpose. A shotgun’s recoil can compromise its user’s defenses, especially if he or she is inexperienced or unconditioned. It takes a sturdy amount of practice to use one quickly and reliably. Semi-automatic pistols are designed to fire quickly and accept high-capacity magazines because they often miss (even in the hands of police officers) or lack the firepower to instantly stop criminals (especially if they are intoxicated or profoundly disturbed). Handguns and shotguns usually become significantly less effective at 100 yards, which is problematic for defending large properties such as farms. Violent crime rates in rural areas rose above the national and suburban averages in 2016. Rifles make up for this disadvantage, and with the right

ANDREW INFANTINO/ THE STATESMAN

From left to right, a Ruger Carbine, four AR-15 rifles and shotguns lined on a wall at a Long Island gun store. ammunition, are also effective in shorter ranges. Defensive use, however, requires the ability to fire again — quickly and accurately — if one misses. Manually-loaded firearms are impractical for that purpose, especially without significant practice. As other weapons may not be suitable, law-abiding citizens should be allowed semi-automatic rifles to defend themselves from realistic threats. “If I had run out of the house with a pistol and faced a bulletproof vest and kevlar and helmets, it might have been futile,” Stephen Willeford, who put an end to the Sutherland Springs church shooting with his own AR-15, said. Some gun control supporters accept this while questioning the necessity of high capacity magazines. Indeed, an AR-15 chambered to fire .223 Remington is significantly more powerful and accurate than a common 9mm handgun. However, the gun can still miss the target, and one hit might not immediately stop a threat. Willeford fired multiple rounds and hit the perpetrator twice, causing him to drop his rifle and continue firing with a pistol before fleeing by car and committing suicide. The aforementioned risks are further multiplied if there is more than one attacker, which is tangible in gang-ridden neighborhoods and in rural (even some suburban) areas where wild animals may threaten one’s crops, livestock, pets or family members. Feral hogs are an especially destructive agricultural menace and the AR-15 has proven an important tool for combating them. When one is in a situation where they have to defend themselves, there could be a scarce amount of time to reload ammo. Furthermore, having extra ammunition (or “reserve capacity”) is important to deter living criminals from attacking again. While magazines sporting more than 30 rounds may

Corrections Opinions

The last sentence of the article “The fate of Stony Brook's financial future” in the last issue (Volume LXIII, Issue 1) was cut off because of layout errors. The full sentence is “Stony Brook University plays an important part in that future.”

indeed lack defensive necessity, their sheer number in circulation and fabricability via 3D-printing would hinder attempts to ban them. Pistols are used to commit the majority of gun crimes in the United States. A Department of Justice Special Report found that they were used in roughly “70% to 80% of firearm homicides and 90% of nonfatal firearm victimizations … from 1993 to 2011.” Criminals favor handguns in great part for their concealability. It’s worth debating policies such as registration for them and currently unregistered long-guns that are collapsible to the lengths of short-barreled rifles. Rampage shooters, however, rarely utilize concealability. Meanwhile, other “assault” weapon features are usually either easily modified to circumvent bans, inconsequential to firearm lethality (i.e. pistol grips), conducive to lawful purposes (i.e. foregrips, which make it easier to aim, especially for users with disabilities) or fitting all three cases. Banning the AR-15 furthermore overlooks its legality in several countries where mass shootings are uncommon, including Switzerland, the Czech Republic, France and Sweden. New Zealand hasn’t had a mass shooting for over two decades before Christchurch. All of these countries have required licensure in order to own semi-automatic and military-style rifles, often following very strict processes and registration. Furthermore, several of them restrict their storage and ownership to sporting professionals. Fully adopting these laws would be too restrictive; states such as Communist Czechoslovakia used them to keep political dissidents unarmed. Some licensure requirements for ownership, however, are worth debating. Gun control supporters should promote these rather than outright bans — they are less polarizing, as they do not prohibit what gun owners can currently acquire, and they may significantly improve public safety nonetheless.

The last sentence of the article “Spoiler Alert: Netflix's ‘When They See Us’ is more than just a history lesson” in the last issue (Volume LXIII, Issue 1) was cut off because of layout errors. The full sentence is “‘When They See Us’ is a must watch because the miniseries sparked a fire in me, and I know I am not the same person anymore after experiencing this incredible piece of work.”

SPORTS

Football victorious in opener against Bryant Athletics signs with SNY By Andrew Zucker Assistant Sports Editor

Thousands of people packed Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 29. The screams of excitement were so loud they could be heard all around campus. Fans, students, alumni and families anxiously awaited the opening kickoff. The moment redshirt senior kicker Nick Courtney’s cleat made contact with the ball, the Stony Brook football season began. Coming off a season in which they went 7-5, including 5-0 at home, the Seawolves opened the season at home versus Bryant University. The final score, 3510 Stony Brook, appeared to be headed for a larger margin of victory with only 11:30 remaining in the fourth. Costly penalties and defensive miscues allowed Bryant to score their first touchdown of the season with 7:30 left in the fourth. But do not let the Bryant touchdown fool you; Stony Brook controlled the game from start to finish. “It was a good team win. I thought our kids came out ready to play tonight,” head coach Chuck Priore said in a postgame press conference. “We played a ton of kids in the first half and then we came out and took control of the game on the first drive of the second half. Once we got that going, I thought we were in good shape and we continued to play a lot of players throughout the second half.” When Stony Brook football is brought up in conversations with well-versed FCS media members, numerous items are discussed. But the two things that stand out are; Stony Brook plays physical, rugged defense and they will run the ball from many different angles; the Seawolves did both in Thursday’s game.

The Seawolves, who scored six defensive touchdowns last year, got the ball rolling with 6:58 left in the first quarter with a 22-yard pick-6 by redshirt-senior defensive back Synceir Malone. By the end of the first quarter, the Stony Brook defense had forced Bryant offense into throwing two interceptions, the second INT coming via redshirt-junior linebacker Elijah Duff, with only nine seconds remaining and punting four times. The Seawolves gave up 24 total yards of offense in the first quarter. By the time the final horn sounded and the clock struck zero, Bryant had punted nine times, while throwing two interceptions and only scoring 10 points. While people assumed the defense would have a big game, the offense matched the defenses output on the night. The “Long Island Express,” Stony Brook’s back field duo last year of Donald Liotine and Jordan Gowins, accounted for most of the offense’s run production. There was speculation in the media that the Seawolves run game would take a hit and have a drop off in output. It didn’t. The Seawolves run game, which produced a combined 247 yards on the ground, saw most of the yards come from four players. Junior starting quarterback, Tyquell Fields, along with running back, redshirt-senior and team captain, Isaiah White, and redshirt-freshmen Ty Son Lawton and Alex Indelicato, each rushed for at least 50 yards from scrimmage. Former quarterback Joe Carbone ran the Seawolves offense for the last three years while Fields was forced to sit on the bench and watch, playing sparingly. Fields got his first start on Thursday since his final game of high school, and it showed at the beginning of the game. After a shaky first quarter — which saw Fields fumble and

lose the ball on the one-yard line in the red zone and an interception — he quickly regained composure. Fields final stat line, 1020 for 194 passing yards with a passing TD and one INT along with 67 rushing yards and a rushing TD, gave fans a glimpse of what to expect throughout the season. “This is a young team, it’s our first time being in a game situation, and I felt we just got comfortable as the game went on and we just started clicking,” Fields said in the post-game presser. There were many notable performances by Seawolves players Thursday night. The defense — led by redshirt-senior defensive back and captain, Gavin Heslop — had numerous standouts. l Heslop had three tackles for loss for 14 yards, including an 11yard sack. Roaming the field and forcing quarterbacks to throw Heslop’s way were redshirt-junior rover Augie Contressa — who added seven total tackles — and junior linebacker Keirston Johnson, who also had seven tackles in his Stony Brook debut. Johnson came into Stony Brook in the spring following two years at the University of South Florida. On the offensive side, the biggest recipient of Fields big passing night was redshirt-senior and wide receiver, Andrew Trent who caught three passes for 79 yards, and redshirt-junior tight end, Peter McKenzie who hauled in a pass from Fields for an eight-yard TD. The Seawolves, who have now won 10 straight games at home, will have a little time to prepare for next week’s road trip out west. Stony Brook will face FBS foe Utah State in Utah on Sept. 7, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

The SportsNet New York logo. The network is now partnered with Stony Brook Athletics. By Ethan Tam

Assistant Sports Editor

On July 19, 2019, Stony Brook Director of Athletics, Shawn Heilbron, cryptically tweeted about an important partnership that was secured for Stony Brook Athletics. A little over a month later, on Aug. 29, the university announced a new linear television deal with SportsNet New York (SNY), best known for being the main broadcast network of its primary owners: the New York Mets. Under the current partnership, SNY will broadcast five home Stony Brook football games as well as the season opener for men’s basketball, with the opportunity to add even more games as the season progresses. The partnership is a monumental achievement for a program on the rise, trying to establish itself as “Long Island’s Team.” “I’m beyond elated to announce this transformative partnership between Stony Brook Athletics and SNY,” Heilbron said in a press release. “Elevating and expanding our brand is extremely important, and this partnership helps to enhance those efforts in so many ways. Stony Brook is a dynamic institution with an unlimited trajectory. Distributing our games through SNY presents a powerful opportunity for us to promote the University and our successful teams to a larger audience.” The first Seawolves football game to be broadcast on SNY will be Saturday, Sept. 14’s bout against Wagner.

Homecoming on Oct. 5 versus James Madison is also scheduled for the network, as well as Oct. 12 against New Hampshire, Nov. 9’s match with Towson and, lastly, the annual Empire Clash against in-state adversaries Albany on Nov. 23. As of now, the only men’s basketball game on the schedule is Nov. 5’s season opener against Yale. The deal was brokered by the Collegiate Sports Marketing Group and comes during a year where the university is celebrating its 20th year of Division I athletics. SNY is available in approximately eight million households across the New York metropolitan region and 11 million households nationwide. It has previously notched deals with other universities in the tri-state area including Rutgers and UConn. Last season, SNY aired Stony Brook’s Oct. 27 game at James Madison as a one-off. “With college football season just underway, we are excited to team up with Stony Brook University and bring Division I Seawolves football to SNY,” SNY president Steve Raab said. “As the home of New York Sports, adding an emerging program like Stony Brook to our programming line-up is a win for us and for our viewers across the tri-state.” As the Stony Brook Seawolves prepare for another successful year coming off 2018-19’s historic Commissioner’s Cup-winning season, they will have another audience to witness their accomplishments live.

EMMA HARRIS/THE STATESMAN

Redshirt-junior tight end Peter McKenzie scores a touchdown. Stony Brook won 35-10 in a game against Bryant on Aug. 19.

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Seawolves defeat Delaware, improve to 3-0 Same Goal for Seawolves By Ryan Magill Staff Writer

The score was familiar, and it favored the Seawolves again. The Stony Brook women’s soccer team increased their season opening win streak to three games as they defeated the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens on Friday, Aug. 27 by a score of 2-1. Following the Seawolves first road game win of the season, the Seawolves are off to their best start since the 2000 season. The game got off to a rocky start for the Seawolves following a score by Delaware freshman forward Claudia Benz, who scored off a long ball from teammate Jessica Kennett only 15 minutes into the game. The Seawolves responded four minutes later when junior midfielder Chase Rome scored her first goal of the season from the top of the box to tie it at one apiece.

Junior forward Alyssa Francese became Stony Brook’s fifth goal scorer on the season in the second half when she put the Seawolves up for good in the 48th minute off an assist from junior midfielder Chelsie DePonte. Francese’s goal placed her at ninth all-time on the program’s career goals list with 19 goals, according to a team press release, while DePonte’s first assist of the year made her the team’s leading point scorer this season with five total points on the season. Junior goalkeeper Sofia Manner put up a five save night, including four in the second half, and the goal from Francese kept the Seawolves up for good. “It is not easy to win away games, especially against a wellcoached team like Delaware,” head coach Tobias Bischof said in a post-game press release. “I’m very proud of the ladies. They

played organized and stuck to our game plan and we were able to grind one out against a good CAA opponent.” Following their third straight win, the Seawolves are off to their best start since the 2000 season, when they defeated Duquesne, Vermont and UMBC to start off the year. It also marks the team’s sixth consecutive regular season win dating back to last season, adding on to their impressive streak of 11 wins in their last 13 games played. The Seawolves look to keep their hot streak in motion as the team’s road trip continues. They head to Philadelphia to take on the Hawks of St. Joseph’s University on Sunday, Sept. 1, at 1 p.m. before returning to a Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium to face St. John’s University on Thursday, Sept. 5. The Red Storm defeated the Seawolves 5-1 in their last meeting in 2018.

SASCHA ROSIN/STATESMAN FILE

Junior forward Alyssa Francese (No. 11) during the game against Maine on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. On Friday Francese scored, securing Stony Brook's lead.

Men’s Soccer falls 1-0 in season opener By Ross O’Keefe Staff Writer

In the waning minutes of the second half, Stony Brook Men’s Soccer junior midfielder Joey Landicino sprinted down the right sideline with the ball in possession and took a desperation shot for the corner of the goalpost that rolled past, just missing a sliding Seawolf. This summed up a hard offensive day for Stony Brook, who were shut out in a game that came down to a spectacular goal as they fell 1-0 to St. Francis Brooklyn. “Tough result based off the run of play,” head coach Ryan Anatol said in a press release. “We carried the majority of the game but St. Francis Brooklyn defended really deep and were well organized and made it difficult for us. We need to get sharper in the final third to create better opportunities. It was a defensive battle that saw a goalless first half and took

until 20 minutes left in the second half before the first goal. Stony Brook had two shots on goal early in the game but both were rejected by Terriers goalkeeper Callum James. The trend of missed shots continued in the first half, and Stony Brook’s offense could not get anything going the entire game. St. Francis Brooklyn sophomore forward El Mahdi Youssoufi kicked a long range shot in the 69th minute, with defenders draped over him, which proved to be the decisive goal that sent Stony Brook to 0-1 on the season. The Seawolves have to feel good about the overall quality performance from the defense as a whole, which did a good job in terms of not surrendering shots. The lone goal in the game came when Stony Brook freshman goalkeeper Edmond

Kaiser was not expecting a shot from long range and drifted too far out from the goal, causing him to be defenseless as he saw the ball sail over him and hit its mark. Nothing puts more heat on a goalkeeper than having to maintain a shutout of the other team while the offense is not firing on all cylinders, but that is the situation Kaiser faced in his first collegiate match. Ultimately, in a game decided by a few inches, the Seawolves fell short and took their first loss of the year. This marks the first time the Seawolves were shut out in their season opener since Aug. 29, 2014 against the Central Connecticut Blue Devils, a season in which they went 4-13-2. They hope to rebound in a match against Penn State in the comfort of Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Monday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.

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By Ryan Magill Staff Writer

Defense, defense, defense. That was the mindset of the Stony Brook University women’s soccer team during Brendan Faherty’s tenure as head coach. But there’s a new man in town, and with him comes a change in the style of play. The new sheriff in town, Tobias Bischof, may sound familiar to Long Islanders who follow women’s soccer. Bischof, the former associate head coach of Hofstra University’s women’s soccer team, has brought with him a new identity for the team. A faster pace of play, more movement on passes, more freedom on the field and an emphasis on scoring are some of the key changes Bischof has instilled in the team’s on-field play. “We are trying to play a little bit more offensive-minded,” Bischof said in an interview with The Statesman. According to players, Bischof’s new scheme and approach are paying off. “He’s impacted this team a lot,” said junior midfielder Chelsie DePonte. “We want to score more goals, without giving up any, but I think we put a lot of emphasis on our attack now and switching on and transitioning fast and scoring goals.” Junior forward Alyssa Francese, the top returning scorer for the Seawolves, approves of the way Bischof has the team playing since his arrival to the program. “The style of play that he has brought in suits our team very well,” Francese said. “He wants the best from us and also makes sure that he’s giving us his best in whatever he can do, whether it’s on the field or off the field. He came in with the mentality of expecting to win and not being surprised by results of games, and that has benefited us.” The Seawolves face a tough draw this season, as their schedule is highlighted by four teams that competed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament: CAA champion, cross-island rival and head coach Bischof ’s former team, Hofstra; no.12 ranked West Virginia; Boston University and the defending America East champion: the University of Albany. Stony Brook’s season also includes road games against St. John’s University and

the University of Delaware, as well as matches against their fellow America East tournament competitors: Vermont, New Hampshire and UMass-Lowell. Early results, however, have been promising. The Seawolves have won their first two games, a 2-1 OT thriller in their home opener versus Northeastern and another 2-1 victory only days later against Manhattan. The Seawolves are looking to ride their early success to Delaware and then to Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“The overall goal is to be very competitive and to find a way to win the regular season and find a championship” -Tobias Bischof

Head Coach, Women’s Soccer

“It is different playing away,” said junior forward Fanny Götesson. “But we need to remember that we are there to play our game and that’s what we gotta do and try not to think too much about anything else.” “We, as a coaching staff, look at the big picture,” Bischof said. “The overall goal is to be very competitive and to find a way to win the regular season and find a championship.” Having head coach Bischof ’s new scheme, combined with a mostly intact returning team, eight of their top nine point scorers returning, and reigning America East Goalie of the Year Sofia Manner defending between the sticks, the Seawolves will be on the hunt, attempting to surpass their preseason No. 3 America East ranking.

SAMANTHA MONTES/STATESMAN FILE

Junior forward, Fanny Götesson, who scored on Aug. 25, in a game against UMass Lowell two seasons ago.