The Statesman 9-30-19 by The Statesman

Monday, September 30, 2019

Volume LXIII, Issue 6

President Bernstein talks future and finance

sbstatesman.com

By Gary Ghayrat Editor-in-Chief

Interim President Michael Bernstein said in an interview with The Statesman on Aug. 30 that the university’s budget is balanced for the academic year, and the school is in a position to pay off its accumulated debt in the upcoming years. The goal is to keep the budget balanced for the next academic year and avoid deficit spending, Bernstein said. He announced the loosening of hiring restrictions during a university senate meeting earlier this month and that the university would be making a series of “modest investments” in a budget update sent via a campus-wide email last month. “We have to be very careful about how we manage our resources,” Bernstein said. “All that being said, I think that the budget is on a much more stable ground now, and we were able to capture some savings this past year and reinvest back in the academic enterprises.” A hiring freeze was put in place almost a year and a half ago over a $18 million budget deficit, according to a 2018 Budget Message from President Stanley. The school cut back on spending in several

RABIA GURSOY / THE STATESMAN

Students call for action against climate change with a protest at the Academic Mall on Thursday, Sept. 26. Approximately a dozen students participated in the demonstration, organized by the Oxfam Club. other ways as well, including by letting go of adjuncts and eliminating programs. “I am concerned,” Bernstein said. “All of us managing the finances are concerned that as we look through the years ahead, our costs are going to continue to go up. We’re in a much better position than we were a few years ago, but we’re not completely free of worry or concern.” The university’s financial crisis was called into question when a group of professors hired an ac-

counting professor from Eastern Michigan University, Howard Bunsis, to conduct an independent report analyzing the university’s finances last March. The report concluded that the university was in good financial standing and had positive net cash flow in the past 10 years. Bernstein said that, speaking as the “then provost and now the president of the university,” the Bunsis report is not accurate. “He never communicated with us,” Bernstein said. “He never

spoke to our financial leadership. He never asked a question of our budget officers. He looked at published information on the web.” Bunsis said in an email that the report was based on publicly available data compiled and published by the university administration. The claim that it’s inaccurate is “not supported by the empirical evidence.” “The report is a comprehensive analysis of the financial situation of SBU,” Bunsis wrote in the email. “SBU is a public university,

and if there is any data that is not publicly available that concerns the financial situation of SBU, then that data should immediately be made public.” Some faculty have also questioned the administration’s relatively high salaries while faculty and staff struggle to make ends meet. “I don’t think that this is an accurate assessment of what the issues are, but again, people are Continued on page 4

Stony Brook moves Homecoming tailgate Student listed in "30 Under 30" By Ethan Tam

Assistant Sports Editor

Stony Brook University designated the Gym Road parking lot as the tailgating space for Sunday, Oct. 5’s homecoming football game, according to an email sent to The Statesman on Sept. 22. “After meeting with Alumni Events, Campus Security and Athletics, we were able to identify the Gym Road parking lot as designated space for student tailgating for the Homecoming game this year,” Jeffery A. Barnett, interim associate dean of students, said. “We met with student leaders and got their input and feedback and all agreed this a viable solution for this year.” The university’s decision comes as students and alumni express rising discontent over their inability to tailgate in the Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium parking lot, which is where Homecoming tailgates traditionally occur. This year, the stadium parking

lot is being occupied by the Homecoming BBQ, which is run by the Stony Brook University Alumni Association. A petition demanding that the tailgate be returned to the stadium parking lot, originally posted online on Tuesday, Sept. 17, amassed over 1,200 signatures as of Sunday, Sept. 29, with a goal of 5,000. “Homecoming is an event that happens every year and it is a tradition that students wait eagerly for,” the petition reads. “It has become an important facet to student life at Stony Brook University. We are requesting, to the parties involved, that tailgating remains the way that it is and student priority is taken into account before all else.” Though numerous students and organizations have claimed that their attempts to obtain a stadium parking permit have failed, Stony Brook Athletics stated that parking pass purchases are not being denied. “We have the parking passes available for the students,” a representative

from the Stony Brook Athletics Ticket Office said on Sept. 20. “We’re going to have a designated area for them for Homecoming. It’ll be a different area than where they normally would be for the rest of the games. They’re just going to have a different location for Homecoming, but we still have areas for them to tailgate in.” Historically, student clubs and Greek life organizations have purchased passes for parking spots in the student parking lot of Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, where they would tailgate. The traditional pass system allowed for a person to bring up to two cars with designated spots for Homecoming. This year, parking permits will continue to be issued even as the location changes to the Gym Road lot. “We also agreed that student parking permits for the Homecoming game will be issued at no cost and we are working with students to identify Continued on page 4

Multimedia

Arts & Culture

Students participate in protest to end global warming.

The new minor will allow use of cellphones for filming.

Climate change protest photo gallery.

MORE ON PAGE 9

Matt Senk extended through 2024. MORE ON PAGE 11

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Bernstein says the university budget is balanced for the academic year Continued from page 1 entitled to their opinion of whether senior administrators are worth the money they’re being paid,” Bernstein said in response. Students have also protested cutbacks in the humanities programs and the elimination of some majors. “It’s always an opportunity cost,” he said. “Those are the tough questions because every decision to do something over there means you’re not doing something over here.” Bernstein said that decisions like “deactivating” the theater major and the doctoral program in comparative literature were challenging to make, but they allowed the university to redirect funds to help larger programs that are struggling for resources. Deactivating a program, however, “doesn’t mean you can’t reactivate [it],” Bernstein said. “That takes future decisions, future investment of resources and future steps.” Bernstein plans to keep the university moving in the “powerful and positive” direction established by his predecessor, Samuel L. Stanley, who left for Michigan State University in late May. “I think like everyone else at Stony Brook, I was surprised when he announced he was leaving,” Bernstein said. New presidential announcements are often made during March and the summertime is used as the transitioning period. “We were nearing commencement … and I think I just didn’t expect it at that time,” he said. Bernstein expects to hold the position for the rest of the 2019-2020 ac-

ademic year. The search for the next president will be led by the Presidential Search Committee, which is made up of members of the Stony Brook Council, student and faculty representatives and other members of the community. The firm Isaacson, Miller will be aiding the search, with Michael Baer as the lead search consultant. Bernstein said the search will continue for months. The search for a new provost — a position that was vacated when Bernstein took over as interim president — was halted partly because of the uncertainty of who the next president is going to be, Bernstein said. Minghua Zhang, a former dean at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), will serve as interim provost indefinitely. Bernstein said that during his tenure, he plans to focus on four key responsibilities, including continuing to manage resources efficiently, facilitating support for the presidential search and managing leadership transitions and changes throughout the university. “I want to do anything and everything I can to strengthen our structures of shared governance at the university, interaction with the university senate leadership, faculty leadership, student leadership, alumni leadership [and] the wider community leadership,” he said. Bernstein said his focus in the past three years as provost has been on improving graduation rates and recruiting new faculty with the help of school deans and managing resources to achieve student, faculty and staff success.

“Everyone knows it’s been a challenging path the past couple of years with resources,” Bernstein said. “We’ve managed through that, through those challenges. And that was a big part of what kept me up at night over the course of three years.” Now as the interim president, Bernstein said there won’t be major changes in the university’s goal of creating a diverse, inclusive and secure community. He also said delivering state-of-the-art medical care through the university hospital, stimulating the economy of Long Island and developing new technology and new knowledge for the region are the same goals that the school will adhere to. Chair of the Department of Art and an Associate Professor of Music, Margaret Schedel, said she was hopeful but concerned about the number of administrators in interim positions. “Luckily most of them have administrative experience, but to have this many people being interim, from the graduate dean to the dean of libraries to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, I think everybody is justified to be nervous about that,” Schedel said. English and American Studies professor, Eric Wertheimer, was appointed dean of the graduate school effective July 1, according to a press release. Deborah Lowen-Klein was appointed as the interim vice president for Stony Brook University’s Advancement Department in late June, according to another press release. Shafeek Fazal, who joined Stony Brook University in 2014 as the Associate Dean for Library Technology,

Discovery and Digital Services, is now the interim dean of university libraries, according to the school’s website. Nicole Sampson, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, is also expected to serve another year as the interim dean of the College of Arts and Science. Director of Biology Online and a lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Joanne Souza, said she is concerned about the long term plans for the university. “I’m not against what they’ve done with the budget,” Souza said. “I’m just waiting for them now to start reinvesting because we’re down to bare bones as far as people are concerned.” Souza, who has worked for Bernstein in the past, said she was impressed by Bernstein’s honest and direct character. She said she hopes the “top down” administrative approach that has caused a lot of “paranoia and distrust” in the past is going to change and people will start working together again. “When colleagues say that there was no consultation with faculty leadership, I mean, it doesn’t comport with my memory,” Bernstein said. “From my experience as provost, there was a lot of conversation going on with faculty, and obviously with my office, the provost office.” Stony Brook Chapter of the United University Professions (UUP) — a union that represents faculties and professionals across SUNY campuses — is scheduled to meet with the interim president at the end of September, Chapter President Edward Quinn said. President of the Undergraduate Student Government, Shaheer Khan,

said it was great to hear Bernstein talk about student matters, including a reassessment of the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC), during the first university senate meeting. “It’s good to see that we’re on the path of shared governance,” Khan said. “And oftentimes throughout this meeting not only faculty and staff concerns have been raised, but also the students’.” Schedel said the administration is taking “rational” approaches and putting systems in place to cut down costs while leaving room for growth. “It’s going to be hard, but at least they’re being upfront and transparent at this time,” she said. “I’m hopeful.” Bernstein said he wanted to emphasize to students that they should take advantage of the diversity Stony Brook University offers both in and out of the classroom. “Take advantage of everything here,” Bernstein said. “Don’t shy away from it. Don’t avoid trying to do something you’ve never done before. Don’t avoid taking a class in something you’ve never taken a class in, because it’ll change your life,” he said. Despite some disagreements between faculty and administration, Bernstein said Stony Brook University is an “astounding” place to be, and to be part of it is a “privilege.” “Even when we’re arguing about stuff, or you know, there’s a contentious senate meeting, and there’s a debate about something — everyone is proud to be part of Stony Brook,” he said. “That’s a gift.”

Homecoming tailgate moved to Gym Lot Tidal Tees Apparel honored Continued from page 1 additional programming elements to add for an enhanced student experience,” Barnett said. “Students interested in securing a permit for the Gym Road lot for the Homecoming game on Oct. 5 should call the ticket office at 631-632-WOLF or stop by the Ticket Office located in the Island Federal Arena lobby.” The Homecoming BBQ is advertised as an event featuring unlimited barbecue and non-alcoholic drinks, food trucks, a photo booth and activities such as a bounce house and giant Jenga. Tickets can either be purchased for the barbecue alone or in a package including a ticket to the Homecoming football game. Early registration prices range from $10 to $35. This type of ticket package is not unprecedented for Homecoming, but the decision to relocate the BBQ to the students’ prime tailgating spot has drawn ire. “Homecoming tailgate at the stadium lot is a tradition students look forward to, both current and alumni, and to take that away like this has angered a lot of students,” Zee Mustafa, a senior psychology and political science major and the president of Sigma Phi Delta, said prior to the university’s update. “The atmosphere elsewhere isn’t the same, and Stony’s decision to do this is going to bite them as a lot of stu-

dents simply are not interested in homecoming anymore.” Prior to the posting of the petition, rumblings about the situation had been circulating on social media, most notably on Twitter where linebacker Victor Ochi, a Stony Brook Football alumnus and one of three Seawolves to play in the NFL, expressed his outrage. “This is arguably the highest point in history for Stony Brook Athletics and the administration have no idea what to do with it,” Ochi said in a thread of tweets on Sept. 12. “How do you ban student tailgating in the stadium parking lots? Why are they trying their hardest to disconnect with the students; is student participation not a priority? You expect students to show love but you boot them out the lots and say nothing?” Ochi, Stony Brook’s all-time leader in sacks and tackles for loss, continued, “All this just to tax the community for higher tickets prices. Continue to sabotage the biggest money generator in athletics history. Then they wonder why they can’t hold onto staff and alumni. Years and years of people putting their hearts into the school just for idiots to s – – – on it. What a joke!” Stony Brook University’s annual Homecoming football game, known as Wolfstock, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 5, during the Stony Brook football team’s game against the James Madison Dukes,

who are ranked No. 2 in the Stats FCS Poll as of Sept. 22. Homecoming traditionally provides the largest attendance numbers for the Stony Brook football season. The seven most attended games in program history have all been homecoming games, and last year, Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium set an attendance record when 12,701 people witnessed the Seawolves’ 52-14 blowout over the Rhode Island Rams. “I’m not happy at all,” Mustafa said. “The school hasn’t really said anything about the LIRR lot or the arena lot as alternative venues either, so not sure what’s going on.” The administration hopes that labeling the Gym Road parking lot as Homecoming’s official tailgating space will calm students’ fears about potentially losing the ability to engage in pregame festivities. “As Homecoming event organizers looked to reconfigure the area in which guests can comfortably congregate and enjoy food and refreshments in the main stadium lot, students expressed concern that their Homecoming tailgating tradition was at risk,” Barnett said. “We immediately sought to identify an alternate location near the Stadium.” With the game only days away, Stony Brook will have to contend with a dissatisfied student base in order to ensure that attendance is high as the university’s football team takess on a challenging opponent.

Continued from page 1 we got to talking about how we can bring Tidal Tees into our retail locations on campus,” Agnello said. All clothing items are printed with water-based ink, and all packaging and labels are both recyclable and biodegradable. The factory that Bell utilizes is powered by solar energy to minimize its carbon footprint. “I think it’s a really good cause and they have been selling well in this store. So far students are really liking them,” Kris Newsom, the general merchandise manager at Shop Red West, said. She is working to restock Tidal Tees Apparel in stores for the next few weeks and add more items to the selection. Tidal Tees Apparel sold out only a week after it was launched in Shop Red West on March 28. It was restocked at the beginning of this fall semester but is almost out of stock again. “I think that protecting endangered species needs to be a priority with the state of our planet right now,” Carmela Czara Lopez, a sophomore biochemistry major who purchased a Tidal Tees shirt in Shop Red West on campus, said. “When I saw the t-shirt made complete-

ly from recycled water bottles in the school store I had to get it. It’s such a good cause and I wanted to show my support to a fellow science student and female entrepreneur.” Even as Bell combined her artistic ability with a cause she is passionate about to create a successful company, she also found time to be a full-time student and act as president of the Marine Science Club. This year, she also started working in the Padilla Lab on campus to research the effects of ocean acidification on mussels. “There are so many things happening right now, and I know that when I get my degree in marine biology I will be able to do research to help with conservation of endangered species, but I wanted to start something right now,” Bell said. So far, 100% of profits have gone to organizations such as The Ocean Cleanup, The Coral Restoration Foundation, The Orca Conservancy, The Manta Trust and National Geographic’s Pristine Seas, among others. Bell also has a collection of products aimed to collect proceeds for Coastal Steward Long Island, a non-profit dedicated to preserving Long Island’s marine environment.

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Students marched on campus on Thursday, Sept. 26, for climate change action and policy. The event occured a week after the day of international climate strikes which took place onon Friday, Sept. 20.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Stony Brook announces new accessible minor in filmmaking By Alek Lewis

Contributing Writer

For those interested in the new minor in filmmaking, Undergraduate Program Director Karen Offitzer presented detailed information that introduced students to the program’s curriculum on Sept. 25. The discussion, which packed around 40 students in a small conference room in the Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library, drew in a bigger crowd than expected. The minor will require 21 credits to complete and will be comprised of 10 courses, some new to the Stony Brook curriculum and several courses set to be added. The minor will focus on various aspects of filmmaking, including scriptwriting for movies and television, documentary filmmaking, production and direction. The course will culminate in a capstone project related to filmmaking. Offitzer uses her background in creative writing and film to lecture in the film and television MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) and undergraduate programs at Stony Brook Manhattan. “There is a huge demand,” Offitzer said regarding the minor’s inclusion. “The ability to create compelling visual stories is helpful in whatever anybody is doing, that was really the genesis of it, to teach people the visual storytelling skills that are so necessary to any field.” The minor is the first program in filmmaking at the main campus

LIAM YEHDUAI/ THE STATESMAN

UG Program Director Karen Offitzer with James Evans. She presented the new minor to students on Sept. 25. and the second for the university; the program joins the university’s MFA in Film and Television based at the Stony Brook Manhattan Center on Eighth Avenue. Established filmmakers and writers, as well as master’s program students, will be teaching in the filmmaking minor program. It was decided that smartphone devices would be used as the recording equipment due to the ease of accessibility, Offitzer explained. Applications, such as Apple’s iMovie, are going to be used as the main tools to edit student films; outside equipment such as student cameras won’t be used in the classes to make the filmmaking courses as streamlined as possible. Possibly later in the program — or if filmmaking becomes a major at the

university — sound and lighting equipment may become accessible to the program, she said. “We are really approaching this from a very ‘low tech, anyone can do it’ frame of mind, meaning that we are teaching how to use what is in everybody’s back pocket,” Offitzer said. “We are different from programs that have sound stages and expensive cameras. We want people to learn simple storytelling skills from the ground up.” Graduate students in the MFA Film and Television program, James Evans and Vivien Jastrzębski, will be teachers in the minor program. Evans is a filmmaker who founded the Mastic Beach Mini Indie Film Fest; he is currently finishing up his thesis,

a feature film that will grant him his master’s from SBU. “What I think I bring to the program is a love for character-driven stories and how to articulate visually,” Evans said. “The faculty are all working in film, so we are not just academics. We are practicing what we teach, which is really important.” Jastrzębski will teach television writing for the program; she values the importance of a “strong story engine” to set up the world for a show. Her students are treated as professional writers and are taught a “real-life practical approach” in class. She finds television to be her passion and hopes the minor’s popularity will only grow. “It’s an incredible media of expression and there is a viable career in it,” Jastrzębski said. “Hollywood is a huge engine, and they are pulling talents from all sorts of walks of life; there has never been a better time to tell your story, tell a story and be passionate about storytelling in the medium of film.” During the discussion, some students asked if the program will include a film animation and CGI (Computer-Generated Imaging). Muhammad Hossain, a sophomore biology major, is not committed to the minor due to a full plate but says if the CGI tech and animation film classes were part of the curriculum, he would consider the minor more heavily. Although it looks like the minor isn’t in his future, Hossain said he is still interested in taking classes with the curriculum.

“Fight scenes have always piqued my interest; I’ve always wanted to be the guy behind the camera shooting it, choreographing it, seeing my work on screen,” Hossain said. “A nice fight scene is always something I wanted to do. If any of the classes would help me out with it, I would certainly be taking it.” Saramma Thomas, a sophomore business major, will be declaring the minor in filmmaking next semester. She said she has always had an interest in film — especially cinematography, a skill she’s always wanted to learn — the minor presents an exciting opportunity for her to build those skills. “I like the idea that you can use iPhones to get a basic understanding of film, and then you learn how to develop it through other courses,” Thomas said. This discussion is one of the five parts in a series of discussions called “Create Wednesdays” for the new minor in filmmaking; the other four will be held Oct. 16, Oct. 30, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11 with various guest speakers. “One of our goals is to encourage a community of filmmakers here on campus,” Offitzer said. “By offering events with different topics that all relate to filmmaking, we hope to build a community. By running these events, we thought that would be a way for people to get together, and eat pizza.”

Woodstock’s legacy depends on a new generation on its 50th anniversary By Nicholas Grasso Contributing Writer

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, a three-day music festival held under a banner of peace and love. The festival’s genesis came at a time when violent protests were commonplace and war raged overseas. More than 400,000 people — most of whom were college-students — trekked to the town of Bethel in rural upstate New York to bear witness to the biggest festival of the day. The film documenting the festival, “Woodstock,” released in March of 1970, cemented it as the pinnacle of 1960’s counterculture and helped unify a polarized nation. While it garnered significance in 1969, the evolution of American music and changes within the political climate complicate whether Woodstock is worth the time of college students in 2019. Professor Jonathan Sanders, a professor at the School of Journalism at Stony Brook University, was a college student at the time of Woodstock.“In 1969, looming over all young males was the fear of being drafted and put through the meat grinder of an insane war in Vietnam,” he said. Having supported anti-draft efforts in his youth, Sanders explains that those who performed at Woodstock were “cultural ambassadors” who allowed the anti-war cry of America’s youth to be heard by the entire nation. His position is epitomized by what many consider to be the festival’s quintessential mo-

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Official poster for Woodstock 2019. The festival which began in 1969, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. ment: Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner.” The guitarist played a solo worth a thousand words. He composed a sonic force that reproduced the bombs and sirens that ravaged the war-torn nation of Vietnam. Hendrix augmented his performance by infusing “Taps,” the melody performed on a single bugle at funerals for soldiers, into his instrumental. His message was received across the nation through Woodstock’s theatrical release. In the years that followed, American’s approval of the war continued to plummet until fighting concluded in 1975. The Black Lives Matter movement is one of the various fervent conflicts in America today. Kendrick Lamar has championed it with “Alright” from his 2015 concept album “To Pimp A Butterfly.” Its provocative

music video visually depicts the violence African Americans have encountered at the hands of the police throughout the nation’s history, and its lyrics have become an anthem recited at peaceful protests. Miles Marshall Lewis, a music journalist who interviewed Lamar for “Ebony” and is currently writing a book about the young artist, discussed his interpretation of the song’s pre-chorus with “NPR.” He explains the lyrics detail a young man who “might trade in the Martin hat for the Malcolm hat, and have to defend himself” in the face of police brutality. However, he concludes the song is uplifting, as the chorus declares “we gon’ be alright” with the hope of an end to the conflict between African Americans and the police. Lamar’s song upholds the protest power of music exemplified

by Woodstock and Hendrix’s “Star-Spangled Banner.” However, the sociopolitical atmospheres that charged Woodstock and contemporary hip-hop differ regarding extreme responses to protest. In the 1960s, the free speech movement and opposition to the Vietnam War and the draft routinely led to violent clashes with the police. Professor Charles Haddad, the Associate Dean of Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism who attended Woodstock at age 14, vividly recalls how “police were throwing tear gas at Berkeley students on a weekly basis,” which would make headlines as an abnormality in America today. Police brutality was also a staple of America’s political climate during the time of Woodstock, when the issue led to the rise of the Black Panther Party. Haddad remembered when the Chicago police who attempted to suppress the movement, murdered leaders of the Black Panther Party in their sleep, he also remembered the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. “I don’t know why your generation would care about [Woodstock],” said Haddad, who considers the political climate of the 1960s far removed from the experiences of Generation Z. Music festivals are still attended by young Americans today, in-

cluding the acclaimed Coachella in California. The festival, organized into two three-day weekends with identical lineups, is attended by nearly 100,000 people on each of the six days. Compared to Woodstock, Coachella “is a bit more mainstream,” said Thomas Traube, a freshman computer science major. He notes how Coachella’s performers represent a variety of popular genres, from indie rock to hip-hop to electronic dance music. Woodstock only represented the politically charged folk and rock music prevalent in the counterculture of the time and omitted other genres popular in the 1960s like R&B. Traube’s peer, Ryan Hayward, a sophomore doctor of musical arts candidate, agrees and contends that a ticket to Coachella is “a status symbol”— a costly purchase to a celebration of popular music — whereas Woodstock was a platform for anti-establishment music. If today’s college students attempt to experience the music of Woodstock for its landmark anniversary, the violent atmosphere that necessitated the festival may be incomprehensible and makes the moment in music history irrelevant. However, today’s students may identify with the use of music as a medium to protest, a power recognized by generations throughout time.

Arts & Culture

The Statesman

Monday, September 30, 2019

"Jeff Dunham: Beside Himself," unique in characters and perspective

with hilarious comments against Peanut. With three distinct different personalities and voices, this iconic combination makes for some of the best jokes of the special.

By Alek Lewis

Contributimg Writer

Jeff Dunham’s latest comedy special “Jeff Dunham: Beside Himself ” was released on Netflix on Sept. 24, keeping the old puppets that fans love while introducing Dunham’s new puppet, a satirical vessel used to comment on President Trump. The special, filmed at the American Airlines Center in Dunham’s hometown of Dallas, Texas, continues to bring electric energy to his comedy special series. Dunham, a stand-up comic-ventriloquist hybrid, uses his puppet’s different and unique personalities — all equipped with a diverse set of material and perspectives unique to their themes — to create funny and sometimes risqué, self-deprecating and observational comedy. The act begins with around ten minutes of Dunham’s standup before getting into the puppets. Dunham uses this time to make a few jokes about himself and his life, but more importantly to establish the basis for his self-deprecating humor. The first ten minutes feed material to the puppets, who will reference this segment with a unique joke throughout the show. Dunham’s comedy makes the puppets the center of the show. Often, Dunham brings in the same group of puppets throughout all of his shows, rotating a few out to keep the comedy fresh and often adding a new

“Dunham’s comedy makes the puppets the center of the show.” PUBLIC DOMAIN

The official poster for “Jeff Dunham: Beside Himself,” a Netflix special. The special was released on Sept. 24. Dunham included Puppets in his act. puppet to his roster during every special. Like most recent comedy specials, Dunham doesn’t shy away from topics in the political sphere; his diversity in puppets allows him to comment on almost every issue in a unique and funny way. His clever solution to commenting on Trump is his newest puppet, Larry. “I don’t want to create division, I don’t want to pick sides, but you can’t ignore the elephant in the room,” Dunham said before introducing Larry. “What could be the worst possible job to have in the White House right now under Donald Trump?” Larry is the personal advisor to President Donald Trump, a nervous, jittery, chain-smoker who gets fired

and rehired every week. Dunham uses Larry to comment on Trump’s presidency in a moderate way — hoping to avoid stepping on either side of the aisle — and successfully criticize the truth of Trump’s unpredictable actions. With Larry, Dunham effectively wisecracks the absurdity of Trump’s tweeting habits, Trump’s marriage and the changes in his administration, claiming that Trump has “Firing Fridays” akin to “Taco Tuesdays.” Dunham’s act includes staple puppets such as Walter; Bubba J; Achmed the Dead Terrorist; Peanut; and José, the Jalapeño on a Stick. Walter is an old white man behind on the times. Bubba J is a trailer trash, redneck puppet; Dunham uses his

stupidity very cleverly to land a number of hilarious incest jokes. Achmed the Dead Terrorist is a corpse of a jihaddist who is used to make insensitive jokes about dead people and terrorist threats. Peanut’s character is an uncontrollable eccentric muppet, and he is the highlight aside from Larry. The energy that Dunham brings to the stage with Peanut’s physicality and expeditious quips is unparalleled to any comedy act. Although Achmed was the most controversial of Dunham’s puppets, recent politics shift that title to José, the Jalapeño on a Stick — a Mexican stereotype who comes in during Peanut’s set. Peanut insensitively makes fun of José, while José shoots back

One largely consistent political joke that Dunham uses throughout the special is generalization of white men as bigots. With Dunham being in this category, these jokes seem to be the only concrete political stance that he takes, constantly making fun of the absurdity of the act of generalizing white people’s opinions as racist and solely conservative. I had the honor of seeing this particular set live at the Pennysaver Amphitheater at Bald Hill in September 2018. Dunham’s goofy cast of unique and diverse characters is what draws his comedy together. If you’re creeped out by puppets, then I would avoid this special; however, for anybody looking for a unique take on stand-up comedy or any fans of Dunham’s past specials, I would recommend “Jeff Dunham: Beside Himself” out now on Netflix.

OPINIONS 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..............................................Donovan Alexis Assistant Copy Editor.....................................................Karla Rios Assistant Copy Editor..............................................Michelle Wong Advertising Manager ............................................. Kaylee McAllister

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Students during a #MeToo march on March 1, 2018. Women hold 25% of executive and senior-level positions and 6% are CEOs, according to the Center for American Progress.

Men should embrace feminism, not vilify it

By Joe McQueen Contributing Writer

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.

After reading “Misandry in feminism is real and needs to be addressed,” I felt that it was necessary for me to provide an alternative guy’s perspective since there often aren’t many men who speak about this issue. I would like to address the misperceptions about men’s place in feminism that the article touched on. The article references feminists like Suzanna Danuta Walters and New York Attorney General Letitia James, claiming that they show a clear hatred towards men. Walters specifically argues how men in power have been pervasive and corrosive to women throughout history. The rising concern surrounding feminists’ disdain for men reflects the misunderstandings of what it means to be a feminist and what the movement is fighting for. Feminists believe that activists can combat sexism and racism by embracing the movement’s diverse backgrounds. Promoting hatred towards men is antithetical to the movement’s core values. The uncertainty surrounding toxic masculinity reflects itself in the article when the feminist concept was criticized for denouncing men’s masculinity. The article says feminists are fighting toxic masculinity by apparently “feminizing” men and suppressing masculine attributes. Meanwhile, those qualities of masculinity are not toxic. It is important to illuminate what gets overlooked — feminists are not arguing that masculinity as a whole is toxic; instead, they explore the traditional norms that pressure men to conform to alienating expectations. This includes men

having to always “act hard” or having to express their emotions through aggression as a means of masking their vulnerabilities. This kind of behavior, which is reinforced by mostly men, emotionally harms young boys and men who, like young girls and women, are taught to fit oppressive molds. Men think they are losing their social status to women. Young women are surging in today’s job market and that is something men should be praising, instead of vilifying the feminists who advocate for equal opportunity. Women only hold 25% of executive and senior-level positions and only 6% are CEOs. In the last few years since the conversation around empowering women has gotten more attraction, it seems to worry some men that more women are attending and finishing college, starting careers and moving up the social ladder. A good example of this is what happened in 2018, where a record number of women were elected to public office. The feminist movement has led to reactionary movements like meninism that are against feminism. There are men’s rights activists, who claim men are victims of oppression because of feminism. Then there are men like Ben Shapiro, who calls the modern feminist movement “radical.” Threatened by feminist activists, these groups aim to reinforce patriarchy by silencing the people who dare challenge men in power. There has been a rise of people like Shapiro who have become part of the world of reactionary politics. When talking about sexual assault, the author argues that he has heard

feminists say “all men are sexual predators to women”; he goes on to say that this kind of rhetoric is vilifying men. The author seems to be attempting to sway away from the idea that there is a problem with men. The vast majority of people who are victims of sexual assault and rape are women. Women are sexually assaulted in college at a higher rate than men. Another problem is that when women decide to come out about their stories of sexual assault, people will often not believe them. Questions are raised as to why they waited so long to come out. This often causes women to fear telling their stories and losing their job status, which has happened to many of them. Yes, sexual assault also happens to men. Although it happens in much smaller numbers than in women, most of their perpetrators are also men. There is an ongoing crisis with men today regarding masculinity. They have become the perpetrators of most sexual assault cases and create a culture of fear for women when they try to speak out about their stories of being sexually assaulted or harassed. I believe it is time for men to get off the sidelines and start speaking out about this issue. They need to start believing and listening to women rather than dismissing their stories. By embracing this movement, men can help create a world where they work alongside women to encourage having equal opportunities in all aspects of society.

Corrections Opinions

The article “SBU fails to go ‘Far Beyond’ with students” in the Volume LXIII, Issue 4 stated that “full-time resident students” have to pay a $286.25 Intercollegiate Athletic Fee. All undergraduate students, including commuters and part-time students, have to pay different amounts of the fee depending on the number of class credits they are enrolled in for the semester.

Opinions

The Statesman

Monday, September 30, 2019

Eliminating the Regents exams would increase graduation rates across NY By Samantha Lauria Contributing Writer

New York State residents know the toil it takes to pass a Regents exam. The countless hours of studying that go into preparing for the Regents is enough to drive anyone insane. Although we may have all suffered together, things may be different for future high school students. This summer, the Board of Regents and the New York State Education Department decided to consider revising the Regents examinations. The Board looked at factors such as graduation rates, financial situations and academic relation to other states as well as the validity of the exams themselves. They are even looking at the possibility of completely doing away with the Regents. No actions have been taken yet, but the final decisions will be made in fall 2020. If the Regents exams were to be removed, it would benefit students across New York because the tests put an unnecessary burden on students. The Regents are a series of tests administered by the State of New York that high school students must take to receive a diploma. Typically, students must pass five exams — each in a different subject — along with receiving a passing grade in the respective class to pass the class; however, it is possible to fail the Regents associated with a particular class and still pass the class. The main reason as to why the Education Department wants to remove or modify the Regents is because of low graduation rates among minority students. In 2018, graduation rates in New York State reached

an all time high of 80.4%. Although NY graduation rates are steadily increasing, there is a drastic difference in academic achievement between those who live in lower income neighborhoods versus those in high income neighborhoods. Graduation rates were notably lower in poorly performing communities like in Rochester, whose rate was 53.5%. The test unfairly targets students of color, students with disabilities and those who are on the lower end of the financial spectrum. The majority of underprivileged students have little to no access to the same resources as students who can afford to attend more prestigious schools. “The system is not working for everyone, and too many students – particularly our most vulnerable students – are leaving high school without a diploma,” Betty Rosa, the NY Regents Chancellor, said. A proper education system would allow all students to have an equal opportunity to earn a diploma. The Regents are a setback to this idea, limiting students who face hardships from reaching their full potential. To remedy this fault, the exams must be removed. Rosa also points out that the Department of Education needs to “rethink what a high school diploma means and what it ought to signify” and what requirements students in New York need to graduate. Apart from the curve, which heavily inflates a student’s academic ability, the Regents exams have no positive effect on students. According to Chalkbeat, high school students are not benefiting from exit exams. In 2017, another member of the Board of Regents, Ju-

dith Johnson, stated that the Regents needed to be changed. “I don’t think the Regents exams measure what a student should know and be able to do,” Johnson said. Exams as serious as the Regents should confidently reflect the academic ability of a student. But in reality, they are holding students back from reaching their full potential. As someone who was forced to earn an Advanced Regents Diploma in high school, I can confidently say that the removal of the Regents would greatly benefit students of every background.

Like many other students, the endless hours I spent studying sent me into panic attacks that negatively affected my mental health. To make matters worse, all of the preparation and panicking that I put myself through was for nought since colleges do not take Regents scores into account, further invalidating the exit exams. The Regents exams fail to meet every one of their intended outcomes for students. They claim to give struggling students a fair shot at receiving a diploma, but those who need the most academic help are struggling. The Regents Board

claims that they give students a comprehensive overview of different areas of study, but grade with an awfully inaccurate curve. Members of the Regents Board agree that their test is flawed and desperately needs to be revamped. Tests as important as the Regents should continue to exist if they help students prepare for higher levels of education. Instead, they have been destroying students’ academic reputation — something that the Board of Education should be avoiding. The Regents exams are truly an academic injustice.

ALBERTO G./FLICKR VIA CC BY 2.0

A scantron in use during an exam. The Board of Regents and the New York State Education Department are considering revising the Regents exams.

Sustainable fashion is on the rise for shoppers as Forever 21 nears its end By Xenia Gonikberg Contributing Writer

Popular teen clothing brand Forever 21 is on track to file for bankruptcy within the next year. Known for its loud patterns and trendy styles, fast fashion creates clothing that is made cheaply and quickly, typically catering towards teens and young adults. In the midst of the world’s environmental crisis, it is important for consumers to develop good spending habits by knowing where their

clothes are coming from, shopping at stores that promote a sustainable message and thrifting. Spending habits have changed, especially now that more stores are revolving their missions on sustainability and promoting eco-friendly brands. The harmful environmental impact of Forever 21 is too big to ignore, and it is one of the reasons why fast fashion companies should go out of business. According to Forbes, Forever 21 has experienced a decline of up to 25% in sales because of their inability to adapt to their consumers’ needs.

They recently downsized most of their stores and closed some locations altogether. Spending habits have shifted dramatically in the last 20 years, with online shopping becoming more prevalent in the last five years because of its accessibility and wider variety of clothing. In addition to online shopping, thrifting and secondhand shopping have also increased in popularity over fast-fashion chains like Forever 21 and H&M. Most of the clothes that are manufactured by Forever 21 are of mediocre quality and contribute to

MIKE MOZART / FLICKR VIA CC BY 2.0

Entrance of Forever 21, a popular teen clothing brand. Forever 21, known for it's loud patterns and trendy styles, is on track to file for bankruptcy within the next year.

the pollution in the environment. Forever 21 contributes to the waste in landfills since the clothes have a short lifespan, and are made of cheap fabrics to sell at cheap prices. An article published by Elite Daily states, “Americans alone toss out 82 pounds of textile waste per year. Not to mention, these textiles are mostly made of synthetic fibers, which are not biodegradable.” As the fashion industry becomes more eco-friendly, Forever 21 is getting left behind since companies like H&M and American Eagle have implemented ways to recycle old clothes in exchange for discounts or store credit. Programs like these are a great way for clothes to be given a new life, instead of sitting in landfills where they contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. “I refuse to buy from stores that choose to dispose of their extra materials in a harmful fashion,” Milana Pla, a freshman psychology major, said. Pla likes how secondhand shopping is just “recycled old clothes that are way more unique than new clothes.” Adopting this approach to shopping is a much better alternative to buying clothes from Forever 21 and other fast fashion brands on the market. This sentiment rings true for brands like Reformation and Aritizia that have been slowly gaining popularity for being more environmentally conscious. Sustainable fashion is a better and more eco-friendly option.

Perhaps Forever 21 going bankrupt is a sign for both companies and consumers to think about how the fashion industry impacts the environment. It is important that consumers shop with a purpose. That is, shop at stores that promote sustainable practices. With the

“I refuse to buy from stores that choose to dispose of their extra materials in a harmful fashion” -Milana Pla

Freshman, Psychology Major

movement towards environmental preservation growing more and more every day, brands like Forever 21 are doing nothing to contribute towards sustainability. Being mindful of where you shop can have a lasting impact, even if you don’t directly see it. Forever 21 going out of business is a sign that sustainability should be a bigger focus for large and influential companies, otherwise they too will end up going bankrupt while smaller and more sustainable fashion brands will take over the industry.

SPORTS

Athletics announces extension for head coach Matt Senk through 2024 By Ethan Tam

Assistant Sports Editor

For 29 seasons, head coach Matt Senk has been the driving force that has led Stony Brook’s baseball team. On Friday, Sept. 27, Stony Brook Athletics announced that Senk’s contract would be extended through the 2024 season. “I am extremely thankful for the opportunity given to me by our university and athletic administrations,” Senk said in a press release. “I’m looking forward to the upcoming seasons and very appreciative of the confidence and belief in myself to continue leading our baseball program to future success.” The extension comes on the heels of an incredibly successful 2019 season for Stony Brook Baseball. Senk led the team to a 31-23 record, including a 15-9 mark in America East play to capture the Seawolves’ fifth regular season title in conference history. As the No. 1 seed, Stony Brook swept through the America East tournament to earn their sixth conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth. From last year’s team, outfielder

Michael Wilson was selected in the 16th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers and shortstop Nick Grande was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 17th round. Senk, a former catcher at Cortland State, took over the program in 1991 when the team was still in Division III and known as the Stony Brook Patriots. He recruited a little-known shortstop from Pine Bush High School named Joe Nathan who became the school’s first MLB draft pick when he was selected in the sixth round of the 1995 draft by the San Francisco Giants. Nathan eventually converted to pitcher, where he made his mark in baseball history as one of the premier closers of the 21st century. Nathan ended his career with 377 saves (eighth most all-time), as well as six AllStar appearances and the highest save percentage in MLB history amongst pitchers with at least 250 saves. In August of this year, Nathan was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. Senk gained national attention in 2012 when he led Stony Brook to the College World Series in a run that is recognized as one of

the greatest underdog stories of college baseball. He was named Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) after the team finished 52-15 and became the first Northeast school to reach the College World Series since 1986. “He’s obviously done a wonderful job,” former New York Yankees man-

ager Joe Girardi said of Senk during Stony Brook’s 2012 season. “I think it’s amazing what they’ve accomplished and it’s in our backyard.” Senk has played a role in developing 27 players that have been selected in the MLB Draft. Five of them have reached the major leagues, most recently New York Mets reliever Daniel Zamora, who made his debut on

Baseball head coach Matt in 2012. Senk's contract

Senk was

in the recently

August 17, 2018. The Seawolves also have a pair of draftees from 2018’s class, reliever Aaron Pinto and infielder Bobby Honeyman, making strides in the minors this season. The Stony Brook baseball team will look to capture their second consecutive America East crown when they take the field for Senk’s 30th season in the spring of 2020.

EZRA MARGONO / STATESMAN FILE

dugout during a extended through

game 2024.

Volleyball loses first A.E. match since 2017 Men’s Soccer falls to Rider By Ethan Tam

By Ryan Pavich

November 12, 2017. That was the last time that the Stony Brook volleyball team had lost a match versus an America East opponent. The Seawolves’ undefeated streak against the rest of their conference spanned 16 matches, multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and a dominant 2018 season. It all came to an end on Friday, Sept. 27, as Stony Brook fell 3-1 to the Hartford Hawks in their first conference bout of the season. “We knew Hartford’s strength was their offensive efficiency and we weren’t able to contain it in either of the last two sets tonight,” head coach Kristin Belzung said in a press release. “Conference play is a different level of intensity and we have got to be able to limit runs and shut down goto players to put ourselves in a position to win.” Having struggled during non-conference play, Stony Brook looked to get back on track in the America East opener. Initially, it appeared as if the Seawolves had turned the corner, showing improvements in the first set of the night. Stony Brook took early control of the set, scoring five in a row to go up 7-3 and forcing Hartford to play from behind. While the Hawks eventually worked their way back into a tie, they could not fully sway the balance in their favor as the two teams closely battled back and forth. Senior middle blocker Kendra Harlow sealed the set victory for Stony Brook, delivering the attack right past the swinging arms of a Hartford defender for the kill and the 25-23 win. The second set also started out as a close battle initially in Stony Brook’s favor. With the Seawolves up 12-10, the Hawks scored five in a row as part of an 11-1 run to give them their first

After over 100 minutes of play, one whistle decided it all. The Rider University Broncs came into Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 24 and walked away with a narrow 2-1 victory thanks to a late penalty that set up redshirt-junior midfielder Mathis Catanzaro for the game-winning shot. Stony Brook closely contested Rider throughout the match, and even managed to get ahead early. Redshirt-junior midfielder Gabriel Fernandes found an opportunity in the 14th minute, receiving the ball from junior midfielder Kori Cupid and funneling it to senior striker Jarred Dass. Dass connected on a shot from 20 yards out and found the back of the net for the fifth time this season, tying him for second in the America East. Dass continues to be the engine for the Stony Brook offense, finding 62% of the team’s goals this season. The Seawolves were unable to bring their slim lead with them into halftime, however. A yellow card as-

Sports Editor

Assitant Sports Editor

EMMA HARRIS / THE STATESMAN

Kendra Harlow in a game against Hofstra on Sept. 3. Harlow sealed the first set against Hartford on Sept. 27. lead of the frame. Hartford senior blocker Jenna Bridges, the reigning America East Player of the Year, lived up to her reputation by recording five kills during the run; she would finish the night with a match-high 31. Stony Brook never rebounded and lost the set 25-17. Hartford similarly faced small deficits in the third set but would not allow Stony Brook to hold onto their slim leads. The Seawolves, up 11-8 and having led or tied for the entire set, conceded four straight points to the Hawks, two kills from Bridges and two from freshman outside hitter Maddie Lindsay. Then, with the set knotted up at 16 apiece, Hartford scored six of the next seven points to create a sizable advantage that Stony Brook could not overcome, losing the third set by a score of 25-19. In set four, it appeared as if the Seawolves had enough fight in them to force the winner-take-all fifth set. Stony Brook caught fire and exploited holes in the Hartford defense to go up 15-6. While the Hawks kept things competitive from there, the Seawolves still held on to a 20-13 lead before the momentum completely

swung. Hartford picked apart Stony Brook’s backcourt and the Seawolves had no response for the Hawks’ vicious attack. Bridges and Lindsay did most of the damage for Hartford, piling on kills upon kills to grab the lead back on a match-closing 12-3 run. Bridges fittingly delivered the final blow to give the Hawks the 25-23 set win and the match in four, sending Stony Brook home with the unfamiliar feeling of a conference defeat. It took only the first match of the season for an opponent to do something no team could do all of last year. Senior outside hitter Liz Pulver led Stony Brook with 17 kills, and her 150 kills on the season are a team high. The loss was the first time that the Seawolves had lost to the Hawks since October 15, 2016, and Stony Brook still holds a 35-6 all-time record against Hartford. The Seawolves will take a temporary break from America East action as they take on a non-conference opponent in the Columbia Lions of the Ivy League. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30 at the Francis S. Levien Gymnasium in Manhattan, New York.

signed to freshman midfielder Birkir Gudmundsson in the 45th minute gave the Broncs a penalty kick, and redshirt-junior forward Pablo DeCastro converted the chance to tie the game. Stony Brook was unfortunate to lose their lead before halftime, but was able to hold on and force overtime after the second half. Rider was able to entrench themselves in Stony Brook’s half of the field, creating eight shots to Stony Brook’s three. Rider dominated the opening tempo of the second half, and forced freshman goalkeeper Edmond Kaiser to make three saves in fifteen minutes. Still, the Seawolves managed to hold their ground and force overtime. Both sides were unable to do much in the first overtime, as a shot from Dass in the 97th minute was the only competitive attempt to break the tie. The Broncs at last had success in the second overtime when a foul from Cupid gave up a free kick. Catanzaro took the opportunity, curled his shot around the bottom of the left poll and the Broncs walked away the victors.

EMMA HARRIS / THE STATESMAN

Senior striker Jarred Dass against Rider on Sept. 24. Dass scored the only goal in the game. on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Sports

The Statesman

Monday, September 30, 2019

An open Fields saves the day for the Stony Brook Seawolves By Andrew Zucker Assistant Sports Editor

The clock dwindled down on Saturday, Sept. 28 to the final two minutes of the game with the Stony Brook Seawolves up 2414 on the Rhode Island Rams, a Seawolves victory seemed all but assured. Stony Brook won, 31-27, but the path to victory was not easy. What unfolded over the final two minutes of play could only be described as crazy and intense. The game’s intensity picked up with 1:50 remaining in the fourth quarter and Rhode Island having possession of the ball on the Stony Brook 24-yard line, a passing touchdown from Rams redshirt-junior quarterback Vito Priore to junior wide receiver Isaiah Coulter gave the Rams some much-needed life. Following the extra point, the score was 24-21 Stony Brook with 1:42 left. On the ensuing kick-off, the Rams attempted an onside kick, which Coulter successfully recovered. Following the kick, the Rams started the drive on the Stony Brook 49, down three with 1:41 left in the game. Three plays, 49-yards and 0:36 seconds later, the Rams had scored another touchdown. This time, it was Priore to senior wide receiver Aaron Parker for a 29-yard touchdown. Suddenly, it was Rams 27, Seawolves 24.

Graduate transfer wide receiver Jean Constant caught the ball on the kickoff at the five and brought it to the Stony Brook 25-yard line. Sixty seconds remaining. It was time for redshirt-junior quarterback Tyquell Fields to take the reins and lead the team downfield in an attempt to win the game — or at the very least — tie. Fast forward to 0:26 left in the game, there are zero timeouts remaining for Stony Brook and the ball on the 50-yard line. A pass from Fields to redshirt-senior wide receiver Andrew Trent falls incomplete. What came next shocked the crowd and left the Rams heartbroken. Fields took the snap, saw a hole right down the middle of the field and took off. By the time Fields made it to the Rams 30-yard line, all that stood in the way of a 50-yard touchdown run and an almost assured Seawolves victory were a few Rhode Island defenders who did not have a chance of catching him. Touchdown, Stony Brook. 31-27, 0:11 seconds remaining. “It was supposed to be a pass play. Just trying to get a first down,” Fields said about his game winning touchdown run. “I dropped back, saw the middle of the field open up. Once I knew I had a first down, I saw a lot of open space for the cutback.” The following drive ended after two plays. Captain and se-

nior defensive lineman Sam Kamara garnered his third sack of the night on the first play of the drive, followed by a 23-yard pass to Coulter to end the game. “We have a history of closing out games and our kids believe in themselves,” Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore said. “But it wasn’t great coaching out there at the end. It was players making plays. He [Fields] made a play, but they [Rhode Island] made some plays, too.” The Seawolves’ defense continued their trend of not allowing opposing teams to gain many yards on the ground. The Rams garnered a mere 26-rushing yards. The Seawolves disrupted Rhode Island’s access to an open field while being able to penetrate the Rams offensive line numerous times, leading to five sacks on the day to go along with eight tackles for loss and six forced punts. On the offensive side of the ball, the Seawolves finished the night with 52 carries for 336-yards. Redshirt-freshman running back Ty Son Lawton, redshirt-senior running back Isaiah White and Fields all scored a touchdown via the run, while Fields threw his sixth touchdown of the season to Constant in the first quarter, putting Stony Brook on the board. Fields finished the night completing 15 of 31 passes for 199-yards, one touchdown

pass, one interception and one fumble lost on the Rhode Island one-yard line. The Seawolves defeated Rhode Island with several players either unavailable for the game or going down with an injury during the course of the game. Lawton hobbled out of bounds to start the fourth quarter, grabbing at his knee. White, — who ran the ball in for a touchdown moments after Lawton left due to injury — went down with an injury of his own later in the fourth, only to return a few plays later. Junior wide receiver Brandon Benson missed his second straight game with an ankle injury, while redshirt-junior defen-

sive back EJ Fineran missed his fourth consecutive game with a hand injury. Following the victory, the Seawolves move to 6-1 all-time in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) openers. Standing at 4-1 overall and 1-0 in CAA play, Stony Brook returns to Long Island for a two-game homestand at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. The Seawolves will look to end Homecoming weekend with a victory as they take on the No. 2 ranked James Madison University Dukes on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. and then host the New Hampshire Wildcats on Saturday, Oct. 12 with kickoff set for 6 p.m.

EMMA HARRIS / THE STATESMAN

Redshirt-junior quarterback Tyquell Fields taking a running option in a game against Fordham.

Early goal dooms Seawolves in 1-0 loss Women's Soccer falls 2-0 By Ross O’Keefe Staff Writer

One of the best home environments that the Stony Brook men’s soccer team has seen this season — with the fans and a loud band — wasn’t enough for the Seawolves to overcome an early goal by Vermont in their conference opener on Saturday, Sept. 28 despite the added energy in a futile performance. “We created some good opportunities,” head coach Ryan Anatol said in an interview with The Statesman. “We didn’t finish the chances that we created. You always want to try to create more, but when you look at the run of play I thought we created more chances than they did. I thought we created better chances than they did. We didn’t finish our chances and ultimately that’s what came back to hurt us.” The Seawolves outshot Vermont 14-8 and flashed consistent offensive pressure throughout the game. Vermont senior defenseman Adrian Gahabka scored the only goal of the game as he broke away from a Stony Brook defender and took a shot with only him and freshman goalkeeper Edmond Kaiser blocking the goal. The score in the 19th minute would

hold for the rest of the game. The Seawolves played well, but not well enough to take the lead. “I think we dictated the majority of play throughout,” Anatol said. “We gave up a goal in transition, which we knew was what we didn’t want to do. Little disappointed we gave the ball up but

“They’re pretty consistent with the way that they want to play and I thought we did a good job preparing for them. I thought we did a good job in the way that we played.” -Ryan Anatol

Men’s Soccer Head Coach

overall I thought we did pretty good. Ultimately, we didn’t score a goal to get us back in the game.” This game marks Stony Brook’s conference opener in the America East, and dropping this one could hurt later on for the Seawolves. “We know that when we start conference play we’re competing for points, and every point is important,” Anatol said, regarding how different conference games can be compared to the regular season. “I think the familiarity is a part of it. We’ve layed each other every year and some of the teams look fairly similar even though there might be different personnel as far as what you’re trying to do,” Anatol said. “I thought we were pretty prepared for them. They’re pretty consistent with the way that they want to play and I thought we did a good job preparing for them. I thought we did a good job in the way we played. We just didn’t get the result.” Stony Brook faces off against the Fordham Rams next week on Tuesday, Oct. 1 back home at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, and will resume America East conference play against the New Hampshire Wildcats on Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.

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

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By Ross O’Keefe Staff Writer

In a dogfight that ended with 27 total shots taken, the Stony Brook women’s soccer team was not able to take advantage of the opportunities given to them and fell to the Boston University (BU) Terriers 2-0 in a road affair on Wednesday, Sept. 25. “I thought we worked hard but made some mistakes in critical moments of the game,” head coach Tobias Bischof said in a press release. “We will learn from them and continue to move forward.” Stony Brook junior goalkeeper Sofia Manner tried to keep up in an offensive shootout with six saves on the day but allowed two goals down the stretch in a situation where she was stuck between a rock and a hard place with the number of shots going up. As the Seawolves could not put a goal on the board, more pressure was applied on Manner to keep the game close. Ultimately, she could not deal with the offensive pressure the Terriers applied despite six saves. Tiny mistakes led to goals that the Terriers, by contrast, did not allow with the Seawolves’ shots. The Seawolves allowed goals in the final 10 minutes of each half, allowing one in the 31st minute into the right side of the net and in the 81st minute, both being on

long shots. The Seawolves initially outshot the Terriers in the first half, eight to six, but BU shot 11 to Stony Brook’s six in the second half. The Terriers were able to keep up consistent offensive pressure the Seawolves could not, and that proved to be the difference. Stony Brook has been outscored 5-10 over their last five matches, with three games featuring multiple goals allowed after not allowing more than one goal through the first five games of the season. The Seawolves fall to 2-10-1 alltime versus the Terriers in a series that began in 2001 and continues a five-game losing streak against Boston University, their former America East foe. Stony Brook falls to 6-4 with this loss and the Terriers advance to 4-5-1. Stony Brook has gone 2-3 in their last five after starting 4-1, and this loss ends a two-game Seawolves’ win streak. This game also snapped a scoreless streak held by Stony Brook in the last two games that included 15 saves by Manner. The Seawolves road trip continued with a 5-0 victory over Delaware State on Sunday, Sept. 29, creating a bounce-back opportunity as the Seawolves head into conference play on Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. versus UMBC at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.