The Statesman: Volume 57 Issue 4

The Statesman informing stony brook university for more than 50 years

Volume LVII, Issue 4

Monday, September 23, 2013

sbstatesman.com

Student cyclist pinned under SUV on Roosevelt Drive

By Rebecca Anzel and Deanna Del Ciello

News Editor and Editor-in-Chief

A Stony Brook University resident student cyclist was hit and pinned underneath a white Chevrolet SUV at the intersection of Circle Road and Roosevelt Drive on Saturday, Sept. 21 at approximately 3:45 p.m., according to officials.

Robert Capuano was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital Emergency Room by the Stony Brook Volunteer Ambulance Corps

POLINA MOVCHAN/ THE STATESMAN

Freshman midfielder Jorge Torres suffers a blow to the head during Sunday's match against Central Connecticut State University. The Seawolves' record fell to 3-4-0 after losing to the CCSU Blue Devils 2-0 on Sunday, Sept. 22.

Students voice food-related complaints at USG and FSA Campus Dining forum

By Steven Rosa Staff Writer

Stony Brook students, Undergraduate Student Government officials, Campus Dining officials and the Faculty Student Association all converged in Frey Hall this afternoon to discuss the problems that students have with the food on campus.

The changes Campus Dining made this semester caused an outrage from residential students about the quality of food provided. The lowering of portions, the higher prices and elimination of a convenience store on campus are just some of the grievances explained by students.

Students were given the chance to voice their opinions on what the school needed to do to improve the quality of dining.

One by one, students gave their stance on what needed to change.

One major complaint numerous students made were the sanitary practices by the workers at Kelly Dining. One student claimed to have seen workers at West Side Dining working with raw meat without wearing gloves.

Another student claimed to have found plastic in her food.

One student said she was served raw meat.

Loaded with controversy due to lack of features, the new West Side Dining has minimal seating

availability, a slow provision of meals and workers who practice questionable sanitation tactics.

Its open kitchens make it possible

Faculty Student Association, said.

“They really care about what’s happening, not being apathetic but taking a stance and taking

MARVIN FUENTES / THE STATESMAN

USG President Adil Hussain closes the Campus Dining Forum on Wednesday, Sept. 18 in Frey Hall. for students to see such acts.

Another criticism students expressed was the lack of vegan and organic options. The FSA responded to these complaints by announcing that they are meeting with the health and nutrition club to discuss how they can bring more healthy options to campus.

Many felt it the forum was a step toward progress.

“I was very happy to see so many students there,” Dawn Villaci, customer advocate for

the time out of their day to voice their suggestions.”

While many had a positive reaction to the forum, there was still some skepticism from students.

“They heard us but I just feel like the students are a trapped consumer base,” Daniel Podolsky, sophomore, said.

“I just think their format that is set up gives them no incentive to change because we don’t have any other options.”

Multiple students including Podolsky asked why Campus Dining has not given more options to students. Potentially working with local grocery chains like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s was given as an example.

FSA officials explained that they reached out to those chains among others and none were interested.

600 dollars that will not be used on meal points are taken out of each student’s meal plan. The elimination of flex points further disqualifies the justification.

While the meal plan does save students five percent, that does not come close to covering the difference.

That circumstance creates reluctance for a multitude of students to believe that the open forum will create the many drastic changes needed for the reputation of Campus Dining to change.

The open forum provided the opportunity for all concerned parties to come together and provide a solution for all the Campus Dining problems.

The forum will hopefully be able to provide a consistent communication channel to speed up the needed improvements and satisfy the students in a quicker manner and also give Campus Dining more incentive to improve their service.

“We can confirm that the bicyclist is a Stony Brook resident student, indentified as Robert Capuano.”

-Lawrence Zacarese

Assistant Chief of Police

(SBVAC) with minor injuries, according to Assistant Chief of Police Lawrence Zacarese.

At the time of print, Capuano was still admitted to the hospital.

He was in stable condition.

It is unclear how long he was pinned under the SUV’s front right tire.

The driver, a female student who told reporters her name is Anastasia, was evaluated at the scene by SBVAC and found to be uninjured, according to Zacarese.

“The accident remains under investigation,” Zacarese said, “and further information will be released as it become available.”

ANUSHA MOOKHERJEE / THE STATESMAN

Lieutenant John Stankaitis carries the cyclist's mangled bicycle away from the scene of the accident.

Reported by Rebecca Anzel and Giselle Barkley.

2

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Student RSP usage increases after on-campus robberies

By Jasmine Blennau Contributing Writer

On Sept. 13, Chief of Police Robert J. Lenahan sent a campus update to the Stony Brook University community regarding the robbery that took place on the evening of Sept. 1 and the attempted robbery that took place two days later.

After a comprehensive investigation by University Police detectives, two individuals with no university affiliation were arrested and charged with robbery in the 2nd degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the 5th degree.

Additionally, a third individual with no university affiliation was arrested and charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the 5th degree. Two of the individuals reside in East Setauket; the third resides in Setauket. All three individuals are 16 years of age.

This matter will now be pursued in the Suffolk County Criminal Courts.

In the first incident, a student was approached by two to three males who threatened the victim and took his phone and U.S. currency. In the second related incident, three students were approached by two males who displayed an Airsoft pistol and demanded money.

Although no one was injured during the occurrences, careful students and worried parents were searching for a sense of security as some students must walk through campus at night.

The Residential Safety Program provides students with a free Walk Service from 12 p.m. to 3 a.m. every day if they call (631)632-WALK (9255).

When a student calls the headquarters using the number above, a dispatcher informs a unit of two to three RSP workers of that student’s location and destination. The unit then finds that student and escorts them.

When asked if there was an increase of calls for the walk service after the campus robberies, Emmanuel Gyamfi, program coordinator for the Residential Safety Program, answered, “Yes, there were more calls as far as the walk service is concerned.” There are also more calls on days of the week when campus-based social events occur.

“Feel free to call,” Gyamfi said.

“Don’t be intimidated because it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a female when you think about safety first.”

Last year the service had over 600 walks, and as more students learn about RSP—what they do and why—the service is prepared to take more calls. According to their website, their staff consists of over 300 SBU students. RSP is responsible for field units that are always on patrol as well as the desk monitors that check students into their residential buildings at

night. RSP is also able to call in walks to the walk service.

“This campus is very unique in that we have a police department on campus,” Gyamfi said. “Every Thursday night UPD and RSP meet, patrol and discuss areas of interests.”

RSP has a good working relationship with UPD. When discussing SB Alert and the community emails from UPD, Gyamfi said, “It’s very nice to know that when something happens on campus everyone is informed about it.”

“Anyone can call,” sophomore women's studies and sociology major John Aguilar expressed.

“We are students working for your own safety, we would never say no to anybody, we’re not here to judge anybody.” Aguilar is an RSP supervisor.

After working at RSP for a year, Aguilar noticed that the walk service demand has increased pursuant to the robberies, and he feels that as time goes on, this demand will probably return to normal. The service is always present and working toward making students feel more comfortable, not only after a threat is perceived.

“RSP is one of the best services on campus, and everybody should be utilizing it. We are not here to get students in trouble; we are here to help them and ensure their safety,” said Jenna Mazzella, a double major in philosophy and political science who is also an assistant coordinator at RSP. Mazzella started working for

JAIME ABBARIAO / THE STATESMAN

RSP monitors are stationed in each residential building in order to check students into their buildings at night.

RSP during her sophomore year and has moved up in the RSP ranks since. She has risen to a managerial position within the program, and she is very happy with her experience.

“It’s a huge workforce, and I stuck with it,” she continued, “It’s the best job I’ve ever had. I work with great people serving the campus community.”

Gyamfi sums up the program perfectly in his own words: “We are not cops. We are not security guards. We are a safety program here to make you feel comfortable.”

NEWS

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

For students struggling with financial debt, the new legislation signed by President Obama will provide some welcome relief by lowering student loan interest rates.

New legislation on student loans will help stabilize interest rates

By Christopher Woods and Ryan Wolf Contributing Writers

Stony Brook students have dodged a huge financial bullet with the passage of the Bipartisan Student Loans Certainty Act. The bill was signed into law Aug. 9, 2013 for the purpose of reforming a part of the 1965 Higher Education Act. Director of Stony Brook’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Services Jacqueline Pascariello believes the change has come as a relief for parents.

“I don’t know about students, but amongst parents I think there is a lot of relief,” she said.

The bill was sent to President Barack Obama for signing after passing the House of Representatives with a margin of 392-31 and the Senate with a vote of 81-18.

The support for this bill was one of the few instances of bipartisan cooperation seen in the newly convened Congress.

This new act will affect the 12 million students in the United States who have taken out loans, which amount to $1 trillion in outstanding national debt.

This bill came recently after Congress failed to stop an increase in student interest rates from an original 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1, 2013.

Pascariello said the new legislation will thankfully bring the rates back to levels close to what they were originally and soften the impact on Stony Brook students.

After the initial spike to a 6.8 percent rate, she said that when “freshmen were coming to campus and were doing orientation, we were saying ‘6.8 percent’ and were waiting to be stoned. But before the beginning of the term, Washington did its thing and for at least this year, the sub-and-unsub for undergraduates is 3.86."

For graduate students, the

interest rates will also be lowered to 5.4 percent for loans issued after July 1. With these new rates, experts estimate that the average student will save $1500 between July 2013 and July 2014.

This piece of legislation also ends the practice of variable interest rates that would change the amount a student would have to pay each year and adopt a policy of fixed interest rates for the lifetime of each loan.

To control unpredictable

“As the economy rebounds, [rates] could absolutely increase...I don’t think it’s likely in the next few years.”

-Jacqueline Pascariello

Director of Stony Brook Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Services

increases, the law caps interest rates at 8.25 percent for undergraduate students and 9.5 percent for graduate students, meaning no loan can have an interest rate higher than these maximum amounts.

These interest rates will be tied to financial markets, meaning the following years rates will be determined each June.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, this act would also help to lower the nation’s deficit by $715 million by 2023 Critics of this bill have warned that while interest rates are now decreasing, after 2015 rates will

increase as the economy begins to significantly improve and students will eventually have to pay more.

Ms. Pascariello is also concerned about the likelihood of increased rates as financial markets improve.

“As the economy rebounds, [rates] could absolutely increase,” she said. “I think that we’ll see that [increase] at some point, I don’t think it’s likely in the next few years.”

Stony Brook students are no stranger to problematic loans, with many feeling the effects of unbearable interest rates and the weight of being unable to completely pay off debts from school in a timely manner.

Freshman electrical engineering Collin Champagne said the new legislation has come as a relief.

“I had to get a loan so I can't really afford college anyway,” Champagne said. “So it really would be difficult to pay a higher interest rate on the loans."

But Champagne added that he was still concerned about the rates rising as financial markets improve.

“Inflation of rates don't help students,” Champagne said.

The fight against rising college costs is set to take place in the fall of this year during the reconstruction of the entirety of the 1965 Higher Education Act, but those who have loans hanging over their head can take comfort in the fact that, as President Stanley states in a Huffington Post article “these loans are not only a good investment in the earning power and job security of the students who use them, but also in the well-being of the whole nation.”

“I would just like to say that borrowing for your education is not necessarily a bad thing. Borrowing in moderation is a good thing," Pascariello added. "But to take out the absolute most that you can just because you can? It’s about what you need not about what you want.”

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News

Monday, September 23, 2013

5

Under the microscope: Memory's effect on crime investigations

By Ruchi Shah Staff Writer

Every other week, Ruchi Shah, a biology major, will take a look at Stony Brook-related research and science news.

Memory is a fickle thing. When meeting someone for the first time, someone might feel certain they have met the person before.

Or, they might have met someone briefly but do not seem to remember him or her on a second encounter.

These occurrences are minor inconveniences in daily life, but the failure to accurately remember faces leads to much graver consequences in the realm of eyewitness testimony, as Dr. Nancy Franklin, associate professor of cognitive science at Stony Brook University, explained.

Franklin and collaborators recently published a paper highlighting the factors that play a role in identification and memory of criminal events. Even under ideal conditions, they found that people correctly identify unfamiliar faces only about half of the time.

This percentage further decreases when weapons are present or under stressful conditions, which are common characteristics of crime scenes. For example, in a study conducted by the U.S. Military, high threat and low threat training environments were created, personnel were divided equally between the two and then they were interrogated for 40 minutes.

When the personnel were then tasked to identify the investigator, those in the high stress environment made correct identifications only about 30 percent of the time and were twice as likely to make a misidentification, even after 40 minutes of direct exposure.

A myriad of studies have corroborated these results and questioned the validity of facial recognition, yet the general public continues to view eyewitness testimonies as reliable evidence.

“The biggest problem is that people don’t recognize that it’s a problem,” Franklin said. She continued by saying people believe that they will never forget the details of a life-threatening experience. Flashbulb memories are perceived to be highly accurate

and people place a large amount of confidence in them. In actuality, Franklin found a “low correlation between confidence and accuracy."

Franklin further explained that

In an experiment Franklin explained, individuals were shown mug shots of suspects. One of the suspects whose mug shot was shown was then placed in a line

historically, 78 percent of cases in which people were exonerated had used eyewitnesses to convict the people. These statistics strongly suggest the inaccuracy of memories, which is partially due to the vulnerability of memories to change.

up with different suspects. Due to the mugshot exposure effect, the individual is much more likely to pick the suspect that appeared twice, in the mug shot and the lineup, due to increased familiarity and exposure to that suspect.

Therefore, multiple identifications

budget centered on the $410 pole-dancing event, which, despite its expense, would only have been able accommodate 20 students, presumably all women.

Hairitage’s public relations officer, Lyncia Bertil, was grilled with questions about the event’s cost, capacity and relevance to the club’s mission, which was amended this semester to include the phrase, “We also encourage a healthy lifestyle to promote healthy hair.”

“To spend that much money on one event does not seem fiscally responsible to me,” Senator Joy Pawirosetiko said.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Steven Adelson suggested the club collaborate with the Department of Campus Recreation to hold a poledancing event instead of seeking funding from USG, adding that the Philippine United Student Organization has successfully worked with the department to sponsor a dance class.

Though he conceded the equipment cost would make it more difficult for Campus Recreation to sponsor a pole dancing class, Adelson added that he would be happy to help Hairitage work with the department.

Senator Gibryon Bhojraj agreed. “I think this is something that could better be approached another way,” he said.

The senate ultimately struck the $410 allocation from the budget request with 13 votes in the affirmative, three votes against and two abstentions. The revised budget passed with little

debate by 14 yes votes and four abstentions.

Hairitage’s budget request

EMILY MCTAVISH/ THE STATESMAN

Dr. Nancy Franklin studies the factors that play a role in identification and memory of criminal events.

of a suspect may not be as accurate as previously thought, because the brain is choosing based on familiarity and not memory.

Furthermore, memories can be easily distorted by outside information and other input as the human brain strives to create a complete model of any event.

Studies referenced in Franklin’s paper found that talking to other individuals about a crime or interpreting the behavior and social cues of a police officer presenting mug shots can alter a memory.

Even with surmounting evidence against the validity of eyewitness testimonies, “jurors still use eyewitnesses as the most important tool to make a decision,” Franklin said. The powerful, emotional and confident identification of a suspect by a witness who was at the crime scene is difficult for most jurors to question. Franklin hopes however, that through papers she has published and news reports that highlight stories of those who have been exonerated, the general public will be more aware of the inaccuracies of eyewitness testimonies, ultimately leading to rightful convictions.

Campus briefing: Club receives USG budget, minus dance pole

By Will Welch

Assistant News Editor

The Undergraduate Student Government Senate approved a $390 provisional budget for the hair and beauty club, Hairitage, at this Thursday’s senate meeting, funding two social events and headscarf-making program, but cutting $410 that would have gone towards a pole-dancing fitness class.

The debate to approve the

NINA LIN/ THE STATESMAN

Senator Joy Pawirosetiko is critical of using Undergraduate Student Government funding for small events.

Marijuana

Police Blotter

On Monday, Sept. 9, one male resident student was issued a closed student referral for marijuana use.

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, two male resident students were referred to the University for marijuana use at Langmuir College.

Exit Signs On Friday, Sept. 13, two exit

signs were reported damaged at Eisenhower College.

On Saturday, Sept. 14, two more exit signs were reported damaged at Eisenhower College.

On Saturday, Sept. 14, an exit sign was reported stolen from Lauterbur Hall.

Thefts

On Monday, Sept. 9, a parking pass was stolen from a male resident student’s car at Benedict College. This case is still open.

On Monday, Sept. 9, $80 was stolen from a male resident student and a cell phone was stolen from a female resident student at the SAC. Both cases are still open.

On Thursday, Sept. 12, chess sets were reported stolen from the Social and Behavioral Sciences building.

Compiled by Ashleigh Sherow.

“It’s unfortunate, we really wanted to bring a fun and exciting fitness event to campus.”

-Ciara Ward

Hairitage President

originally came before the senate at last week’s meeting, but was tabled after senators requested a member of the club appear before the senate to answer questions.

“I’m kind of surprised because it’s in our mission statement,” Bertil said in response to the decision cut the dance pole rental.

“It’s unfortunate, we really wanted to bring a fun and exciting fitness event to campus,” Ciara Ward, president of Hairitage, said in an email.

“It’s even more unfortunate that we can’t use that money to fund another event in place of the pole dance fitness class.”

Two other clubs, Dumbledore’s Army and the Investment Club, each received approval for inclusion in USG’s annual budget.

The Bhangra dance team and Solar Boat Club were both given approval to begin a probationary period, allowing the groups to request provisional budgets next year.

In addition to funding decisions, the senate also repealed the Eligibility of Class Representatives Act, which was passed last year to prohibit students from running to represent any class but their own in the USG. Senator Vincent Justiniano, who proposed the repeal, said the law’s credit-based definition of class standing prevented students who have a lower class standing in the spring from running for the appropriate class representative position in the fall.

“It wouldn’t be fair to students wanting to run for their class,” he said.

The law did not prevent any otherwise eligible students from running for class representative positions last year, but could have in future elections.

Justiniano said he plans to propose a new law with better wording to replace the repealed legislation before the end of the fall semester. He invited anyone with suggestions for the new law to email him.

NINA LIN / THE STATESMAN

Senator Justiniano's bill repeals credit limits for class representatives.

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Monday, September 23, 2013

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“Kimberly Akimbo” debuts with laughs at Staller Center

By Chelsea Katz

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” might have hit movie theaters in December 2008, but the girl who might as well be Button’s genetically fast-forwarded sister debuted her play on Thursday at the Staller Center.

“Kimberly Akimbo” by David Lindsey-Abaire tells the story of Kimberly, who suffers from a condition that forces her body to age four and a half times faster than her actual age—kind of like a weird “Benjamin Button.” Her condition, in addition to a crazy family, first love and fantastic casting and technical decisions, drove The Asylum’s Theatre’s opening night.

There were few parts of the set that did not double as more than one set of furniture or as a prop. As the audience walked into Theatre Two in the Staller Center, they

COURTESY OF THE STALLER CENTER

Deb Mayo stars as Kimberly.

immediately saw a kitchen that took up the entire stage. However, as the show progressed, different backgrounds were projected onto the white walls of Kimberly’s kitchen: What first appeared as a kitchen turned into a library, a snowy evening and more. The set of blinds atop the set also doubled as a part of the kitchen turned

library and snowy evening. The mirror turned into a bed.

The casting was spot on. Two standouts were Deborah Mayo, who played Kimberly, and Laura Ross, who played Aunt Debra.

Mayo portrayed what seemed to be the most challenging of all the roles with great ease. She transitioned between angsty teenager with a fake pink highlight (sometimes) to a devoted niece in a manner of seconds. Ross’ entrance was one of the best in the show, with her literally appearing out of thin air.

Robert Doyle (Jeff), Catherine Zambri (Patti) and Steven LantzGefroh (Buddy) all added to a stellar cast.

With regard to the plot, it is the kind of play that can only stay happy for so long before it gets somber. The family is playing games one moment and then, the next moment, they are arguing or worse. Still, the ensemble’s transition was solid.

The most irking part of the

COURTESY OF THE STALLER CENTER

Mayo and Lantz-Gefroh perform at The Staller Center. entire play was definitely the ending. It just seemed particularly inconclusive, but director Val Lantz-Gefroh really could not have worked it any better. In regard to the technical design, it was all tied together. In terms of plot, it was one of those more open-ended, anything-can-happen plays.

Overall, The Asylum Theatre’s

production of “Kimberly Akimbo” is a refreshing night off for those who want to relive a more comical version of “Benjamin Button.”

The Asylum Theatre will be performing “Kimberly Akimbo” from Sept. 19 to Sept. 22 and Sept.

26 to Sept. 29. Tickets are $28 and are available online and at the Box Office.

SAC gallery showcases artistic successes of Stony Brook alumni

By Jessica Desamero Contributing Writer

Paintings, sculptures, installation art and videos, all by Stony Brook alumni, can be found on display from Sept.

4-Oct. 4 in the Student Activity Center Art Gallery’s Alumni Exhibition, curated by Chris Vivas, ceramics artist and SBU alumnus class of 2003.

Although this is not the first alumni exhibition in the gallery, it still holds significance. According to Janice Costanzo, coordinator of the Craft Center and SAC Gallery, there have been alumni exhibits in the past, but this is the first one since the Craft Center took over the gallery. “I would like to make it a yearly exhibit in the beginning of the semester,” Costanzo said.

This gallery is aimed, not only at alumni, but also faculty, staff and affiliates of Stony Brook. “Our goal is to showcase the talents within the community,” Costanzo said. “We’re trying to expose art to our students so they will then in turn be future patrons of the art when they’re out in the world.”

According to curator Chris Vivas,

.

what motivated him to organize this gallery and what makes it special is its ability to really highlight the accomplishments of Stony Brook’s former students, in part because of the school’s passionate art department. “You know every artist that’s here is a working artist but many of them are professors, many of them have been worldwide, many of them have gone on to pursue all avenues,” Vivas said. He started exploring the concepts and philosophies of existentialism through ceramics as a Stony Brook undergraduate. He later expanded his work through further studies in Japan and SUNY New Paltz, earning multiple honors along the way.

Now he is an arts instructor at Suffolk and Nassau Community Colleges and St. Joseph’s College.

There is no one theme to this gallery; every piece is valued. “The work is so varied,” Vivas said, “I got video installation, a performance piece, 2-D, sculpture, abstracts, a little bit of photography…as a curator, there’s a creative process that goes into weighing out, picking the work, laying it out, that in itself I see it as a whole, everything here, it’s all my favorite.”

The artists all had unique inspirations. For example, Vivas’ porcelain and resin pieces reinforced the concept of “existence, essence, how fragility and strength are paradox.”

New York’s City’s abundant construction places and abandoned, uninhabited areas influenced Jin-kang Park, an installation artist and sculptor of the SBU alumni class of ’09, to create a performative, interactive art form called “Loop” where she walks around wrapping and tying together bundles of yarn above soil hearse, letting others help. “I wanted to embrace this environment,” Park said. “It’d be good for bringing community together, making, creating the work together.”

Meanwhile, what inspired Lawrence Mesich, video artist and class of ’05, to create this piece was the idea of boredom at work. “The housing for the monitor that the videos are playing on,” he said, “are meant to mimic the sort of bland, repetitive and ignorable infrastructure that typically occupies spaces like that.”

This fine balance of ideas allows even non-art majors to get a glimpse of and appreciate the various aspects of art as former Stony Brook arts students, now

JISOO HWANG THE STATESMAN

The Exhibit has artwork, scupltures and digital media. successful artists, see it.

SBU alumni artists also get to connect or re-connect with others sharing similar interests and backgrounds. As Mesich said, “I was honestly more interested in the fact that SBU was doing an alumni show. There haven’t been very many of these, at least that I’ve seen happen since I left, and I was happy that they were doing it…I hope that they continue to

do it.”

Despite Stony Brook’s reputation as a science school, there are still plenty of alumni who have gone on to become distinguished in the arts community, as the many impressive artworks in this gallery exhibit. This will hopefully encourage visitors of all majors and careers to see what Stony Brook really has to offer in the world of fine arts.

THREE ARTSY EVENTS

1) Confucius Institute MidAutumn Festival Performance

Binghamton University’s Confucious Institute of Chinese Opera’s Peking Opera Company will be performing on Wednesday, Sept. 25 in the Wang Center. There will be jingju, Chinese vocals, acrobatics and more.

2) SBU4CASEY

Campus Recreation will be hosting a comedy night on Friday, Sept. 27 in the SAC Ballroom A. The comedy night will be raising money for Casey Ellin, the assistant director for intramurals and sports clubs, who fractured three vertebrae over the summer. Tickets for undergraduates are $10 and tickets for graduate students and faculty are $20.

3) Scavenger Hunt

Epsilon Sigma Phi and Zeta Beta Tau will be hosting a scavenger hunt on Friday, Sept. 27 in SAC 302. First place winners will get $100 for the charity of their choice. Groups of 4-8 are required with an additional registration fee of $2 per person.

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Monday, September 23, 2013

The Statesman

Arts & Entertainment

UCafé offers a variety of options for students over 21

By Nicole Mihalik Staff Writer

Stony Brook’s UCafé is hosting a variety of free events and performances this semester.

Students over 21 can join UCafé every Tuesday through Thursday for a fun night out with friends without leaving campus. This year, the Graduate Student Organization will host Tuesday night graduate student get-togethers and DJ Dance parties from Stony Brook University’s DJs. Students can join the Stony Brook University Jazz Department every Wednesday for live jazz music or bring their own instruments to participate. The GSO will be hosting “StonyBrooklyn,” a hipster “Brooklyn-vibe” campus event Thursday nights with performances by popular city and national rap, rock and indie bands.

The eighth-year Sunday Street Acoustic Series co-sponsored by WUSB-FM will host a variety of live performances by national and international artists every Sunday beginning Sept.

29. Louisiana native singersongwriter and producer of six groundbreaking albums Mary Gauthier will perform Sunday, Sept. 29 with the opening act

by Canadian artist, Scott Nolan

and a guest appearance by Joanna Miller. Gauthier, who performs mostly country and folk music, has “earned praise from Bob Dylan and Tom Waits” for her exceptional skills, according to her website. Some additional guest appearances this semester include artists John Wesley, James Keelaghan, Jez Lowe and Ellis Paul. Tickets range from $15 to $25 and can be purchased at the door or ahead of time at UCafé’s website.

RockYoFaceCase is the only event organized by SBU’s undergraduates for students 18 and older. This free, Monday night electronic/rock music event offers the opportunity for students to showcase their band or listen to a variety of performances with food, drinks and contests.

UCafé has a newly renovated floor, sound-system and lights since it was closed in 2011. Last semester, the courtyard outside UCafé was reopened after being closed for several months due to renovation on the Campus Recreation Center. Students can now enjoy live music, food and drinks on the outdoor patio.

The full-scale bar at the UCafé offers 20 beer selections, wine by the glass or bottle and a variety of liquor from Macallan to Jagermeister and Bacardi.

EZRA MARGONO / THE STATESMAN

UCafe is an on-campus bar that offers musical entertainment throughout the week.

Beer prices range from $4 to $6, wine by the glass is $5.50 and by the bottle is $27. A 12 ounce house mixed drink is $6 and 13 ounce shelf drink is $8. A 14 ounce premium mixed drink is $10. UCafé also serves a variety of non-alcoholic drinks including juice, coffee, tea and soda. UCafé does not serve food but allows guests to bring in food from the Stony Brook

Union food court.

UCafé’s hours have changed from opening at 5 p.m. in the past to 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weeknights, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. for SBU’s Sunday Street Acoustic Series. UCafé’s smaller staff and Stony Brook’s strict regulation on serving alcohol has forced UCafé to close earlier than in the past, according to Student Manager Tai Uddin.

If UCafé generates more customers, they are more likely to offer more hours, he said.

Four years ago, UCafé was a widely used venue for Greek life and athletics. Since many SBU students and UCafé customers graduated, it has lost some of its appeal.

“Many people thought since it shut down, it wasn’t going to reopen,” Uddin said.

Campus Spotlight: "didgeri-dude" rocks open mic nights

By Chelsea Katz

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor

He is the Yorktown Heights boy who found himself playing in New York City without enough money to take the train home. So naturally he pulled out a didgeridoo, played for an hour, made $20 and was on the next train.

Another time he jammed with his didgeridoo in Washington Square Park and watched as some people started dancing while others watched the dancing people and one person started smoking pot right in front of him. He figured that those were just the sorts of people he attracted.

By the time Joe Schultz arrived at Stony Brook for his freshman year, he already played clarinet, baritone, cello, guitar, percussion, futujara and the didgeridoo. And with the plethora of open-mic nights on campus, his long black aluminum windpipe is hard to miss. For Schultz, his star moments are when he gets to discuss his music and meet others.

“People say to me ‘How do you know how to play all of these instruments?’” the undeclared sophomore said. “It’s just knowing the fundamental concepts and then figuring out how to apply them.” Learning about notes, scales, rhythms and chords is just a part of mastering

an instrument. One must also have the physical ability to play.

When it comes to physical ability to play the didgeridoo, one must figure out how to use “circular breathing,” a type of breathing that requires the player to store air in his or her cheeks to expel while inhaling.

Schultz took about one week of

“I would watch him play and I was really interested in it so he went to Home Depot and got a piece of PVC pipe and made me a didgeridoo and that’s what I… learned to play on,” Schultz said.

About three years ago, he purchased his first didgeridoo.

Last spring, he played at 15 shows on and off campus. The

sound, an idea that he first heard from a French didgeridoo player named Zalem.

“It’s surprising what he can do with the didgeridoo,” Dylan Israelian, a sophomore linguistics major and Schultz’s roommate, said.

“He plays with a modern style and it’s pretty captivating how well and

CHELSEA KATZ / THE STATESMAN

Joe Schultz has played his didgeridoo at many events and open mic nights around campus. solid practice to get it down.

He likes the freedom that comes with playing his “didge,” a freedom that he found when he was six or seven years old.

His dad played the didgeridoo and saw that it piqued the young Joe’s interest.

preceding fall, he played 12 times. His goal is to increase the amount of times he plays each semester.

One of his shows last semester was at UCafe where he played his didge into two microphones to create a different fusion of

how interesting he can be, how fresh.”

Israelian plays the guitar and jams with Schultz on a pretty regular basis. Schultz says that the didgeridoo works with a number of different instruments.

He has improved with guitar

players, banjo players and electronic music.

When Schultz is not playing an instrument, he plays tennis.

In addition, he and Israelian enjoy playing “Super Smash Brothers.” Though he has not yet officially declared his major, he is toying with economics.

Ultimately, he wants to be a professional musician but still wants a fallback. At one point, he wants to sell didges as well.

He has even received a job offer in Los Angeles to do so.

He also mentors other people around campus who want to learn to play the didgeridoo.

“He’s just a really nice guy,” Liza Dikovskaya, a senior biology and psychology major and friend of Schultz’s, said.

“He’s really enthusiastic. I was a complete stranger and he decided to help me. That shows passion and I like that.”

Dikovskaya was just one of his “students.” For Schultz, one of his favorite parts of playing any instrument is the people that he meets.

For those interested in learning any instrument, he considers practicing key. His suggestion is to learn from better people on YouTube.

“Nobody gets good at anything without putting tons and tons and tons of hours into it,” Schultz said.

And for those who want even more practice, well, they can always just play with him.

The Statesman

Arts & Entertainment

Monday, September 23, 2013

9

Fashion for the fall looks to colors, flannel, layers and more

By Ashley Zaikowski Staff Writer

As summer quickly comes to a close and we reflect on how it is even possible that it is already ending, we welcome those familiar autumn favorites. That is right: ‘tis the season of magic color-changing leaves, textbooks, illuminated pumpkins and colder weather. With the temperature slowly dropping (and rising and

JIA YAO/ THE STATESMAN

Jon Weber models his blues.

then dropping again), it is time for a wardrobe update. Whether you are in the know about style, or are looking to jump onto the fashionable bandwagon, here are some of this fall’s trends.

When first looking for trends for a specific season, look to the colors. This autumn, keep an eye out for earthy colors, specifically colors that reflect those on the leaves. Two very popular colors have been cobalt and moss green.

The latter has been seen mostly on pants and oversized, militarystyle jackets.

Another color to keep an eye on is the winter white trend.

Remember that rule: “no white after Labor Day?” Well, that seems to be over because winter white is a very popular color, seen on the runway at New York Fashion Week. If solids are too boring for you, prints are always in. The question is just what prints? Classic prints, for example houndstooth and the traditional plaid (a fall staple), have been seen on the runway at New York Fashion Week. Another classic print seen recently is leopard, but in more eccentric ways. This pattern is being shown in different colors and designs this fall.

The nineties called, and it wants its flannel back. With the revival of the “teen spirit” trend from two decades ago, clothes like button downs, beanies, rock band shirts and shoes like Doc Martens and combat boots are returning. This is also seen in the aforementioned moss green looks. Make sure to have some extra angst and rebellion while sporting this look.

“I think that a lot of people are going hipster,” Kimberly Shievdayal, a sophomore majoring in health science, said.

This season, accessories to look out for are those that make you feel warm and cozy. Knit hats and scarves are very popular. Infinity scarves, the scarves that you loop around your neck, are the latest trend in neckwear. For jewelry, it is all about rings and chunky necklaces.

Layering will always be a fall favorite. It is also a great way to transition from the summer to the fall. Now is the time for jackets and cardigans. Wear your tank tops under a cardigan. Put a jacket over your sundress.

“Yes I do [layer], to keep me warm,” Hazel Nderitu, a freshman majoring in psychology,

said.

Once the cold weather officially sticks, it is probable that most college students will turn to much more comfortable options.

“Sweaters, scarves, leggings, anything cozy,” Krysten Massa,

“It’s a good season for jackets, of wool and leather variety. Belts also. Jeans are always in style as are leather shoes. Sneakers, not too much in the fall because its cold sometimes,” Collin Richardson, a freshman majoring in music, said.

JIA YAO/ THE STATESMAN

Kai Lu Chu works a brown jacket and boots for the fall. a junior majoring in journalism, said. Being comfortable is also great for the following months that involve the biggest “foodie” holidays. You may want to slip on those leggings and huge sweaters after all that candy in October and turkey in November.

Guys, do not think that fall fashion does not apply to you.

Make sure to try out some of these trends this upcoming season. You can either be trendy or comfy while sipping on that autumn favorite, the Pumpkin Spice Latte. For more information, log onto Glamour. com or collegefashion.net. Also, check out magazines, such as Vogue, for extra fashion insights.

New iPhone revives Apple versus Android rivalry

By Jonathan Quinones Contributing Writer

The epic showdown between Apple’s iOS system and Google’s Android wages on after a tiresome yet heated battle.

The HTC Dream burst onto the scene in October 2008 sporting the first version of the Android operating system and not quite being able to contend with the iPhone and its already sizable install base. Google and Motorola teamed up to provide a necessary reinforcement with the Motorola Droid, a device that had the iPhone squarely in its crosshairs. Through the last five years, we have

seen the Android operating system evolve and flourish into a fit alternative to the iPhone’s beloved iOS for many individuals. The major conflict that has spawned resides in those tiny icons adorning the background screen.

With the announcement of the new, more affordable Apple iPhone 5C and the incremental upgrade of the base model 5 to the 5S on the horizon, it is impossible not to expect a flood of new apps spawning in the coming months. Apps, as they are labeled by both providers, are designed to please the consumer in a way that is forthright and directly links to

the contentedness of the user.

This is precisely why many Android users stare with envy at shiny Apple hardware seen around the nation in the hands of iOS owners.

In terms of addicting and refined game experiences, Apple takes the crown. The hotly anticipated “Plants vs Zombies 2" as well as franchises ,such as the “Real Racing” series and the “Infinity Blade” trilogy, provide reasons for casual and hardcore gamers alike to flock towards the latest Apple offering. The Apple App Store also undoubtedly attracts developers. Powerful developer Zynga who has toiled over such hits as “Words With

PHOTO: MCT CAMPUS

Apple released the 5S and the 5C iPhones this past week alongside the iOS7 operating system.

Friends” and “Draw Something 2,” undoubtedly prefers the iOS App Store. “Farmville,” the wildly popular backyard simulator, is Zynga’s biggest cash cow, claiming $1 billion dollars in player transactions alone as of February 2013. Its sequel “Farmville 2" as of that date has racked up a whopping 40 million active monthly users. The “Farmville” series is stunningly nowhere to be found on Android devices and remains exclusive to Apple’s vast App Store. Zynga chose iOS and so do many business minded game companies simply for the reason that the App Store is where the money is.

Interestingly enough, the Google Play store has balanced the odds and racked up 10 percent more app downloads in comparison to the Apple App Store. However, Apple still appeals more towards the developer. Apple’s App Store gains 2.3 times more total revenue than the Google Play store and its the money that developers gravitate toward.

A wide variety of app offerings exist outside the realm of games. Apps that allow you to find the best place near you to grab a bite to eat are placed on the same playing field with apps that allow for an interactive periodic table.

This form of offerings seems to be nearly identical on the two dominant mobile platforms.

Google has baked in a plethora of apps aimed at the everyday mobile user and so has Apple.

To the average mobile user, there is virtually no difference in function. Both phones

possess music players and have internet access. So is it safe to assume that the majority of Android users who are not enamored with mobile gaming are completely content?

Sophomore engineering major Andrew Rossin described his overall content impression with the Galaxy s4 he gripped in his palm. “I really like it.

I’ve had no reason to want an iPhone other than this one app.

The Adventure Time Beemo app is only on iPhone and it annoys me.”

Freshman biology major Shyam Bhatt explained his appreciation for the Android platform. Bhatt clenched an HTC EVO 3d in his hand.

When asked if he ever felt any envy towards the iPhone user he spoke about his satisfaction with the Android operating system. “I love my Android.

My contract ends in December and I’m probably sticking with Android or maybe switching to Windows. I really don’t like iPhones to be honest.” When pressed with the question of why he elaborated, “I’m not a huge fan of the platform and also for what they’re priced you can get much better products.

That’s for Apple in general not just iPhones.” The final question was if Bhatt had ever seen an example of an app that was not available on the Google Play store. “Most are available.

I haven’t really come across any that aren’t,” Bhatt said. Overall the pros seem to outweigh the cons in the minds of Android buyers and jealousy of the illustrious iPhone is kept to a bare minimum.

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The life of a commuter: is it worth it?

By Jonathan Kline Contributing Writer

Commuting to Stony Brook can be a hassle, but it is something that a lot of students on campus, including myself, have to do on a daily basis. About 45 percent of Stony Brook’s students commute, with students coming from all over the island, including areas of Nassau and the five boroughs.

For those of us that have to

“Waking up late in Shoreham or Babylon will result in you either being extremely late or not even making it to any of your classes.”

do it, we have to deal with the constant struggles that come with commuting; traffic, bus delays, train delays, accidents, or other types of impediments that just seem to be in the most inconvenient places at the most inconvenient times. Whether there is an accident on route 347 or traffic on Nicolls Road, commuting can be a challenge that may make you wish that you just lived on campus.

Being a commuter, you have a train to catch or traffic to beat, which means you have a schedule to strictly adhere to. If not done correctly, this will be a real pain in the neck. Even if you woke up late and you lived on campus, most places on campus are accessible within a reasonable walking distance of about 10 minutes.

Waking up late in Shoreham or Babylon will result in you either being extremely late or not even making it to any of your classes.

“Commuters can, without a doubt, feel like they are out of the “loop,” so to speak, at Stony Brook.”

Then comes the problem of having large gaps in your schedule. Should you live on campus, it is easy to go back to your dorm and take a nap or finish some work while waiting for your class, but for a commuter it is different.

I have met people who have a five hour gap between classes, but commute about an hour each way just to get to Stony Brook, making a trip back home Continued on page 11

Phone: 631-632-6479 Fax: 631-632-9128 Email: editors@sbstatesman.com Web: www.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 photography staff are all student volunteers.

The Statesman is published Mondays during the fall and spring semesters while classes are in session. No part may be reproduced without consent of the editor-in-chief.

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.

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JESUS PICHARDO / THE STATESMAN

Some commuters face up to an hour long drive on their way on their travel to campus.

Opinions

The Statesman

Monday, September 23, 2013

11

Commuter students experience the best of both worlds

By John Sagliocca Contributing Writer

Home-cooked meals, having someone to do your laundry and mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies all sound like great things. Unfortunately, most college students cannot get them.

For commuters, it is easy. Being a commuter is both a blessing and a curse, but for me, it is very easy to see how it is a blessing, especially at Stony Brook University.

One of the biggest fears for commuters at a new school is that they will have trouble getting adjusted to the campus, but I find it easy thanks to my commuter assistant. The Commuter Assistant Program pairs incoming commuter students with seasoned student leaders who volunteer their time to provide support, advice and camaraderie during the new students' first year.

My commuter assistant gave me tours of the campus and met with me before school started. In my opinion, having a commuter assistant is like having a friend you knew at school before school started. The best part is that they are students, so they are easy to relate to and know what it is like to be a student.

I also believe that another benefit of being a commuter is having home-cooked meals. Many students living on campus have to spend a large amount of money on campus meal plans. The bronze meal plan for campus costs $1930 a semester, and that is the least expensive meal plan.

This forces many students to make their own meals. The only thing I can make is cereal. Luckily for me, I am a commuter and I do not have to make myself cereal for dinner. Instead, I can enjoy my favorite dinner, my mom's homemade tacos.

“My commuter assistant gave me tours of campus and met with me before school started.”

As a commuter I can honestly say that the school has many events where I can meet people and have fun. At Suffolk County Community College, there were few events for students to enjoy, so when I transferred to Stony Brook University, I was surprised by the large amount of events they had for students.

Many of these events are held by the Weekend Life Council. One event they did was the Weekend Water Park on Sept. 6, 2013. This was my favorite event so far because they brought in a water slide that was almost as tall as the Student Activities Center building. I went down that slide six times, and even though I fell down the stairs once as I was climbing my way up, I still had fun. The best part was that I

met someone new on campus and became friends with them.

Another big fear for commuters is that they will not meet anyone on campus and have a hard time finding friends, but I found it easy for a number of reasons.

One of these is that the school has many clubs and organizations that students can join. I joined the Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band, which has over 200 members. So I now have plenty of friends.

I also recommend joining clubs because it is very easy. For example, the Fall Involvement Fair, which took place on Sept. 4, 2013 showed students all of the clubs and let them talk to students who are club members.

“Go to football games, use the Recreation Center, go to the commuter lounge and try to meet new people.”

Many clubs have websites where you can follow and join them.

A piece of advice for commuters who do not want to join clubs or organizations is to not be shy. Go to football games, use the Recreation Center, go to the commuter lounge and try to meet new people.

In all, being a commuter may have its bad points, but it is very easy to have just as much fun as any other student. I am having a great time as a commuter and a student at Stony Brook. I believe the more effort you put in as a commuter, the more fun you will have at Stony Brook.

NINA LIN / THE STATESMAN

Every semester, students can attend the Student Involvment Fair. Clubs and organizations hand out information, which is a valuable tool for commuter students.

The trials of being a commuter at Stony Brook Continued from page 10

seem pretty much pointless as they would waste both time and money getting to and from the campus.

Now, you could go to one of the commuter lounges and try to meet up with a friend or try to make some new friends, until you realize the lounges are more like morgues than places to socialize.

Most of the couches are occupied by sleeping students, commuters who are finishing up work, or people trying to finish up that last episode in their "Breaking Bad" binge.

This seems to be the average, normal occurrence in the commuter lounges, and it can definitely leave people feeling left out in a campus as large as Stony Brook’s.

Commuters can, without a doubt, feel like they are left out of the ‘loop’, so to speak, at Stony Brook. With a campus of over 16,000 undergraduate students and over 8,000 graduate students, it is easy to feel lost.

Stony Brook offers many clubs for students on campus.

However, as a commuter, you sometimes do not want to stay until 8 p.m. for a club, and then have to drive back home. If you are commuting from the city you really cannot stay on campus and wait for a club later on at night.

It is a inconvenience, since it is a lot easier for commuters to meet people through clubs than just striking up a conversation in one of the lounges. This is when you have to make the choice of either meeting a new person or getting some sleep.

It also feels like there are not nearly as many associations for commuters as there are for residents. While there are the CSA and the CSS, the amount of clubs for commuters, or really even the amount of events for commuters, pales in comparison to the amount of events held for residents.

Being a commuter, while having the benefit of a home cooked meal, also has disadvantages that residents do not have to deal with, like having a harder time meeting new people.

But, to those who are commuting, try to get involved on the campus. It will definitely help you meet new people, make new friends and make Stony Brook feel like a much smaller place than it really is.

JESUS PICHARDO / THE STATESMAN

A main spot for commuters to pass time on campus is in the Commuter Lounge, which is located in the Student Activities Center.

12

Monday, September 23, 2013

Opinions

The Statesman

SB Voice could facilitate change if more students actively use it

By Tejen Shah

Contributing Writer

Before we enter college, we think of all the exciting things that we never had the opportunity, time, money, or resources to do in high school. We tell everyone we know that we are going to join this club and that club, play this sport and that sport and leave a lasting impact on the university and, even more importantly, our peers.

Because we are already in college, specifically a top-tier one like Stony Brook, we have exceedingly high aspirations.

On the one hand, some people in college use their newfound resources to explore every facet of their intelligence and prosper. They make themselves part of what is going on and take matters into their own. On the other hand, however, a majority of people get overwhelmed

by the immensity of the university environment and struggle to find their niche.

Many students complain that because Stony Brook is so large it is impossible to be heard. What they do not realize, however, is that to be heard, all they have to do is speak up.

Two current seniors, political science and economics major

“In theory and practice, SB voice is a great idea.”

Mario Ferone and applied math and statistics major Brian McIlvain, wanted a way for students to get their

ideas out.

Ferone and McIlvain, who are also the Vice President of Communications and Public Relations and Treasurer of the Undergraduate Student Government, respectively, started SB Voice during the spring semester of 2013 after doing some research on how student governments operate in other universities. They came across George Washington University’s G-Voice, which is essentially a webbased petition forum in which students can vote on issues that have to do with almost every aspect of university life encompassing topics from dining to academics. Thus, the two figured it would be a good idea to start something similar at Stony Brook.

In both theory and practice, SB Voice is a great idea. It gives students the chance to make a change: an

impact on the school that they were always dreaming about.

The only way that these changes can be implemented, however, is if they have a vast, receptive and supportive backing. According to Ferone, “One of the advantages is that people can vote on the issues submitted. We’re hoping more people use it because if we bring [an issue] to administration they’ll see how much support is behind it.” If it is used to its full potential it can take off.

For example, in reaction to the recent blood drives at Stony Brook, the law states that any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 cannot donate blood. Essentially, gay and bisexual men who are sexually active are banned from donating.

Expectedly, this topic has raised some eyebrows and initiated some debate.

This is currently SB Voice’s most voted on topic. It calls for letting

anyone with healthy blood donate, regardless of sexual history. The presenter of the issue wants to make this a school-wide cause.

The only problem is that in a university with almost 25,000 students the issue only has 27 votes.

For SB Voice to have a legitimate effect on our school, more people need to know about it. Once that happens it is only a matter of time until we see the changes we want implemented.

People say they want to make a difference, but when the opportunity presents itself, not enough people are taking the initiative.

I say get out and post what you are thinking about on SB Voice and chances are there are others with the same thoughts. They might not take it upon themselves to be heard, but you can. Like Mario and Brian, go make something happen.

just a drop in the bucket.

I understand people on Long Island go hungry. I do, I get that.

What I do not get is how one can have the audacity to say that students on this campus do not need help with food every once in a while. We all have bad months, we are sick, we have to miss a day or two from work for a test or to go home for grandma’s birthday.

I think this program is great.

It prevents students from living off Cup’o’Noodles and $2 Union burritos at 11 p.m. solely because they had private matters they had to deal with and have no money left for food.

I work hard for my friends, and my friends here work hard, and sometimes, we need help. I am 23 years old, three figures in debt and about to take the LSATs in a few weeks so I can spend another three years and almost 200K more on an education. Yes, you may say that is my choice, and I know it is.

But guess what. This food pantry thing we have here for students, it is probably the best program I have heard of starting here.

It is what the people need in order to keep their bodies healthy so that their minds can follow.

If you seriously think there is

nobody struggling here to keep their head above water, stop for a minute and look around you.

Look in the commuter lounge when you are cutting through campus late at night. There are kids that literally stay here because they can not afford the train a couple stops down to their off campus apartment. People are struggling, Seawolves are struggling, and you cutting them down, saying they are fine, that is not going to help.

But starting a program like this might.

I just want to commend you, Stony Brook. Caring for our fellow men and women (and Wolfie) is what builds a community. This program is a spectacular idea. I encourage everyone: when you have a little extra, give it, and when you need a little extra, take it.

At the end of the day, we are all in this together. At the end of the day, we are all lucky enough to say, ‘I’m a Seawolf.’ And it is programs like this that really, truly, make me proud to say that.

Letter to the editor: food pantry is needed by our campus community

EFAL SAYED / THE STATESMAN

The Food Pantry is located in the Information and Technology Studies Center.

Last week I found myself happily grabbing for a crisp new copy of The Statesman on Monday, as I always do, to get a breath of fresh air filled with the news of what is new at the Brook.

One of the first articles to catch my eye was one about the new food pantry opening up on campus, something I had overheard while working in my office in Mendelsohn Quad. I was excited to hear about it when I initially absorbed the office gossip a few weeks back, so it was great being able to read an article about how students will be able to both give and receive in times of need, something I truly understand.

As I continued to read the paper, however, I found myself in the center section and my eyes fell on an opinion article about how Stony Brook does not need the food pantry and that there are more people who need it on Long Island than on this campus.

The author was quick to note the hefty Big Ten price tag of Michigan State. He was understanding of why they would need help supporting students with a food pantry because the tuition burden is significantly higher than Stony Brook’s. The author ended his article with the

opinion that investment should not be made in a food pantry at the Brook, as we do not need it as much as those in need on Long Island.

Let me take a minute to breathe, and relax. Let me take a minute to think about my own financial situation here at Stony Brook.

I am a transfer, a transfer student from out of state. Wait, let me get specific with you: Iowa.

America’s heartland.

Coming in, I was offered no money, none. And that big fat zero Stony gave me came a year after I went to the University of Iowa, a Big Ten school, just like MSU, for free because of an academic scholarship. My parents make too much money (most of which goes to paying for college for my younger sister who goes to an instate private school and my dad’s second degree from a private college) and because of their jobs, I am not eligible for TAP. My parents raised me to value the things I have in life, and to do that, they want me to pay for my own things.

I have taken out almost 100K in loans to pay for Stony over the past four years (mind you, a year was taken off so I could go on a hiatus and make some magical

moments as a finance intern at Disney World).

I stayed here all summer, I do not visit home more than once every year or two because flights cost $400. I cut out my meal plan and scrimped and saved all summer to shave a couple thousand off the private loan I had to take out from Wells Fargo this year. I work my butt off. I get good grades. Just kidding, I get spectacular grades and have been on the Dean’s List since I got here.

I work a job in the quad office, I intern with admissions and am a TA. I do work here. I hustle.

Stony Brook is my community, and I am doing all I can to give back to it. Some weeks, my friends need money for the train home, or their hours get cut and they need a little help with rent. I help my friends out when they need it, because frankly, they have become my family 1,000 miles from where I grew up. Sometimes, I am quick to say yes to them, my pantry runs short and I spend a solid week on chicken flavored Ramen and some crappy granola bars my mom mailed me this summer. But I do it, I accept it is college and I got myself into this mess. It is not a huge deal to me. If I can help my friends, I will. Life goes on, this is

SincerelyEmily Felton (Senior; sociology major)

Have a response to an article that was published in The Statesman? Email a letter to the editor to editors@sbstatesman. com. Please limit piece to 250-300 words.

The Statesman

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Sports

Monday, September 23, 2013

The Statesman

Loss of seniors Coker and Johnson hits Stony Brook football hard

By Catie Curatolo Assistant Sports Editor

The morning of the muchanticipated Stony Brook/Villanova matchup, Seawolves fans received some dire news: seniors Marcus Coker and Reuben Johnson are out for the season.

The news, announced by head coach Chuck Priore at the pregame press conference, was a tough blow on what would become a bad day for SBU, who went on to lose to Villanova, 35-6.

Coker and Johnson, both transfers, were supposed to be the stars of a Stony Brook team that had just lost it’s brightest

star to date, Miguel Maysonet, to graduation.

Johnson, one of SBU’s starting cornerbacks, transferred from Cincinnati after three seasons. He also sat out in 2012 for Cincinnati for medical reasons. He transferred to SBU in 2013.

He earned CAA Defensive Player of the Week honors after the Seawolves Sept. 7 win against Rhode Island, where he had two fumble recoveries. At the time of the announcement that a knee injury he sustained against Buffalo would end his season early, he was leading Stony Brook with two-anda-half tackles for loss.

Since 2013 was his fourth year

JIA YAO/ THE STATESMAN

Head coach Chuck Priore announced the loss of Coker in a press conference before the Villanova game.

of competition, the Seawolves will have to appeal to the NCAA in order for the New Jersey native to be eligible for a sixth year.

Coker, a Maryland native who transferred from Iowa, came to Stony Brook in 2012 with 2,000 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns for the Hawkeyes under his belt.

He played in 13 games last season, and rushed for 1,018 yards and nine touchdowns.

The duo of Maysonet and Coker helped the Seawolves reach the second round of the FCS playoffs. In the first-round playoff game against Villanova, Coker had a season-high 29 rushes. In an interview with The Statesman’s Mike Daniello in March, Coker called that game – which the Seawolves won, 20-10 – his “favorite moment while at Stony Brook.”

Sadly for Coker, he never got to play in the rematch. He is out with an abdominal injury, but is expected to return for the 2014 season after receiving a “medical hardship.” The running back gained 212 yards and scored a touchdown in the two games he played for SBU this season.

Although the loss of two seniors is rough, Priore is remaining optimistic.

“Obviously, we’re going to miss Marcus and Reuben,” he said in a statement released by the team. “[But] every team in college football deals with injuries. We will overcome them and move forward.”

KENNETH HO/ THE STATESMAN

Coker has rushed for 1,211 yards and has 10 touchdowns in his 15 games as a running back at Stony Brook.

They’re coming to Stony Brook.

(There goes the neighborhood.)

To Stony Brook University students

Staller Center Main Stage

Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 7:00 pm

A limited number of tickets have been saved for students!

Visit the Staller Center Box Office on Tuesday, October 1st, 12:00 noon - 6:00 pm, when half price tickets will be released for sale to SBU students.

Tickets: $46 Half-price for SBU students with ID on October 1st.

On sale to students throughout October (while they last).

(631) 632-ARTS [2787] stallercenter.com

Or use your "First On Us" voucher.

A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY

Come meet the family.

We’ll leave a light off for you.

The Statesman

Wildcats crush SBU in CAA matchup Continued from page 16

sophomore quarterback Cody Pittman. Pittman, who had drawn the defense’s attention, then found a wide open Gary Underwood for a touchdown.

The Wildcats would then score again on a trick play later on in the quarter. With 8:55 remaining before the half and the ball just beyond midfield, Robertson received the snap, and the handed the ball off to Underwood.

Underwood then pitched it to wide receiver Poppy Livers, who then gave the ball back to Robertson.

Robertson then threw downfield to receiver Clay Horne for a 43 yard touchdown connection.

Villanova would then make it a 21-0 game with 2:46 left in the first half on a 2-yard touchdown run by Robertson. The Seawolves showed signs of life at the end of the half, with a 71-yard drive, but came away with no points after a missed 21-yard field goal by junior kicker Graham Ball.

The Wildcats then put the game out of reach with 9:01 left in the third quarter, when defensive back Joe Sarnese recovered a fumble, and ran it back 36 yards for a touchdown.

Stony Brook’s only score in the game would come in the fourth quarter, with 5:45 remaining, on a Negron 4-yard pass to Eugene.

The play capped of an impressive 15-play, 72-yard drive.

With Saturday’s blowout win, Villanova was able to get payback for their playoff elimination by the hands of the Seawolves last season. Stony Brook defeated the Wildcats 20-10 in the first round of the Division I Football Championship last fall.

Now the Seawolves will try to rebound from not only a bad loss to a CAA opponent, but also from losing two of their most important players.

SBU was expecting big things from Coker this season, and for good reason. He has rushed for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns in his 15 career games with the team.

Johnson had also looked strong early on for Stony Brook, earning CAA Defensive Players of the Week honors for his efforts in the team’s opener at Rhode Island. He led the team with two-and-a-half tackles and two fumble recoveries in the game.

But the Seawolves are looking forward, as they will finally return home this weekend to play their home opener against Towson, on Saturday at 6pm. The Seawolves went 1-2 (1-1 in conference play) during a three-game road stretch to start the season.

“Injuries won’t define this team,” Priore said in a statement Saturday.

KENNETH HO/ THE STATESMAN

The loss of Marcus Coker (34) is a tough one for SBU.

Sports

Monday, September 23, 2013

15

Men's soccer loses to Central Connecticut

By Cameron Boon Staff Writer

Coming off of a 3-2 win Friday night on the road at Fordham, the Men’s Soccer team came into Sunday’s match against Central Connecticut State winning two of their last three games, and the loss was a late header on Sunday against Villanova.

The Seawolves came out very flat in the first half and by the halftime whistle, found themselves 1-0 down.

Coach Ryan Anatol said that there was “not enough energy in the first 45."

The Seawolves were not able to get a shot on goal in the first half, while the Blue Devils put three on goal, forcing two Jason Orban saves.

Zach Zurita took a pass and from 25 yards out put the ball into the top left corner with his left foot with 30:12 to go in the first half. The Blue Devils were ahead 1-0.

Most of the play in the first 15 minutes was controlled in the Seawolves' half of the field, and the pressure finally made the Seawolves' defense crack with the Zurita goal.

Later in the half, with under 16 minutes to go, Tavares Thompson was dragged down on a foul and he “tweaked his leg” according to coach Anatol.

The athletic trainers did not give him the go-ahead to continue the game and he left.

In the second half, there was a lot more energy and more chances for Stony Brook, but they were not able to put any in the net.

“Once you’re down, it’s hard to come back,” the third-year SBU coach said. “We have to be more patient. We got some chances today but we rushed them.”

A couple of instances, he pointed out, were when his players were “shooting from 2030 yards away” and “shooting

“Once you’re down, it’s hard to come back... we have to be more patient.

We got some chances today but we rushed them.”

-Coach Ryan Anatol

first-time”.

The second CCSU goal was crossed into the box by Zach Zurita and then deflected into the top shelf of the net by Eddy Bogle, his second goal of the season.

The Seawolves were a lot better offensively in the second half however, taking 10 shots, but only three found the net and all were kept out by keeper Josef Abele. Abele was able to post his second shutout of the season, making this the fourth time the Seawolves have been held goalless this year.

That will have to turn around as Stony Brook gets ready to visit defending CAA champions Northeastern in the final nonconference match of the season, Saturday at 6 p.m.

POLINA MOVCHAN/ THE STATESMAN

Jorge Torres gets knocked to the ground in men's soccer's 2-0 loss to Central Connecticut on Sunday.

Women's soccer drops two at Omni Hotels Classic in Boulder, Colorado

By Catie Curatolo

Assistant Sports Editor

Women’s soccer finished its non-conference play this weekend with a trip to Boulder, Colorado to play in the Omni Hotels Classic. They fell to Northern Colorado 1-0 on Sunday after dropping a 4-0 decision against Colorado on Friday.

The lone goal in Sunday’s game was scored when Northern Colorado’s Ambree Bellin banged a free kick past SBU goalkeeper Ashley Castanio in the 21st minute.

Determined not to lose, Stony Brook threw everything they had at UNC goalie Natalie D’Adamio in the second half.

For her part, D’Adamio made seven saves –four of which were in the second half - to keep the hungry Seawolves at bay.

Despite the loss, the Seawolves outshot the Bears by a 15-12 margin. Stony Brook was led by senior Larissa

Nysch, who led all players with four shots on goal. She also had two shots in Friday's game.

Goalkeeper Castanio also had a stellar weekend, making seven saves.

Friday’s game, against their first PAC-12 opponent, saw the Seawolves giving up a goal just 2:15 minutes into the match. Colorado was relentless, scoring four goals altogether and outshooting their East coast foes by a 20-4 margin.

This was the first time this season that the Seawolves were shut out by another team. In seven of nine games this year, Stony Brook has allowed their opponents to score one goal or less.

The Seawolves dropped to 5-3-1 with Sunday’s loss, making them 0-3-1 in road and neutral matches this season, as opposed to an undefeated 5-00 at home.

America East conference play for women’s soccer begins

YOON SEO-NAM / THE STATESMAN

Women's soccer traveled to Boulder, Colorado this weekend. They lost two games in the Omni Hotels Classic, making them 5-3-1 going into America East conference play. next week.

The defending champions, Stony Brook will open their

conference play at Vermont next Sunday. Kickoff is 1 p.m.

Lisa Setyon Ortenzio contributed to this report.

Sports

SBU falls to Villanova, 35-6, in CAA game Volleyball

spikes Princeton and Bryant

By Joe Galotti

Assistant Sports Editor

The Stony Brook football team suffered two major losses on Saturday. First, it was announced that the Seawolves will be without senior running back Marcus Coker for the rest of the 2013 season. Then, later in the day, the team was blown out by conference opponent Villanova, losing by the score of 35-6.

According to head coach Chuck Priore, Coker is suffering from an abdominal injury and will not see the field again this year. He is expected to receive a medical hardship, which would allow him to return next season.

This news comes in the same week that Stony Brook announced that senior cornerback Reuben Johnson will miss the rest of the season with an injured left knee.

On the field, the Wildcats did not show any sympathy for the Seawolves' injury woes. They were able to keep the Stony Brook defense off balance with a variety of trick plays, two of which resulted in touchdowns.

Sophomore quarterback John Robertson had a big day for Villanova, running the ball 20 times, for 126 yards and a touchdown. He also threw for 140 yards and a touchdown.

On offense for Stony Brook, sophomore Jamie Williams received the start at running back in place of Coker. But, it was junior Jameel Poteat who got the majority of the carries out of the backfield. He ran for 40 yards on 9 carries in the game, averaging a more than respectable 4.4 yards

By Zach Rowe Staff Writer

KENNETH HO/ THE STATESMAN

After losing to Stony Brook in the first round of the D-I Football Championship last fall, 20-10, the Wildcats got payback in their 2013 matchup, smacking SBU 35-6. per carry.

But, playing from behind for most of the last three quarters lead to the ball being in the hands of quarterback Lyle Negron for most of the contest.

Negron was once again strong running the ball, finishing with 56 rushing yards in the game.

Passing the ball, the senior was 23-of-33, with a touchdown and an interception.

Negron was also once again effective in getting the ball into the hands of senior wideout Malcolm Eugene. Eugene was all over the field for Stony Brook in the game, doing everything he could to get his team back in the game, catching 12 passes for a career high 184 yards, and a touchdown.

Where the offense struggled was in converting third downs, going 4-of-14 on the day. They also

turned the ball over three times in the game, two of which lead to Villanova touchdowns.

The Wildcats' second quarter dominance turned out to be the difference in the game. Villanova first got on the board 39 seconds into the quarter on a trick play.

Robertson took the snap then pitched the ball to his right to Continued on page 15

Former Seawolf Maysonet joins Colts practice squad

By Mike Daniello Sports Editor

Former Seawolf Miguel Maysonet has signed onto the Indianapolis Colts’ practice

squad, a few weeks after his release from the Cleveland Browns.

Maysonet had previously worked out with the Colts a week ago and is now insurance for them after star

running back Vick Ballard tore his ACL. It has been a busy past few months for Maysonet, who has bounced around from team to team.

FRANK POSILICO / THE STATESMAN

Maysonet (5), shown here against Syracuse in 2013, has signed on with the Indianapolis Colts practice squad after being droppd by the Cleveland Browns

After going undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of April. Just a few weeks later he was cut from the team, but signed with the Cleveland Browns soon after.

Maysonet spent the preseason with the Browns rushing for 30 yards on 13 carries. He also had 14 yards receiving on three catches.

Maysonet is the only running back on the Colts’ practice squad after the team promoted Kerwynn Williams to the team.

Former New York Giant Ahmad Bradshaw is also on the roster, ahead of Maysonet.

Maysonet finished his college career as one of the top FCS running backs and was also a Walter Payton Award runner up in 2012. He was also named CFPA All-Purpose Player of the Year along with Big South Offensive Player of the Year.

He ran for 1,964 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Seawolves in 2012.

A graduate with the Stony Brook University class of 2013, Maysonet transferred to SBU in 2010 from Hofstra.

The Stony Brook women’s volleyball team put up a dominant performance this Saturday at the Bryant Invitational. They played two matches against Bryant and Princeton, winning both matches and only dropping one set to Princeton.

In their first match against Bryant University, the team swept sets, winning 3-0(25-19, 28-26, 26-24).

Their second match against Princeton was again a strong showing, with the team winning 3-1, winning three consecutive sets after dropping the first (1325,25-23,25-18,25-21).

The entire team played extremely well, but there were quite a few key performances of note.

Sophomore Melissa Rigo delivered a pair of doubledoubles, hitting .543 with 13 kills and 11 digs in the win against Bryant. Hannah Dolan, a junior, racked up 82 assists between the two matches, setting her career high with 47 against Princeton.

Sophomore Stephanie McFadden tied captain Lo Hathaway for the team lead in aces, while also putting up seven blocks. Finally, senior Kaitlin Costello matched Rigo’s 13 kills against Bryant then exceeded that with 17 against the Tigers.

Head Coach Coley Pawlikowski was pleased with her team's performance.

"We had a really positive day today, making some necessary and solid changes on the court and playing sound, situational volleyball by making crucial adjustments," she said in a press release.

She also spoke of two performances of note.

"Nicole Vogel did a great job off the bench as a defensive player and with her serve. She gave us energy and a run at the last set against Bryant and worked hard to be disciplined on defense, scooping up some nice balls," she spoke of the sophomore’s performance.

She also spoke highly of Melissa Rigo’s play.

"Melissa was named alltournament after putting together three solid matches. We knew she was capable of it, and it was good for her to find her stride and push towards a weekend like this. She had a double-double and a .542 attack percentage against Bryant.

That's a great performance for a left pin," Pawlikowski said.

Stony Brook will begin their America East season away at UMBC this Friday at 7p.m.