Monday, May 8, 2017
Volume LX, Issue 28
sbstatesman.com
Incoming USG President Ayyan Zubair sets sights high
By Joseph Konig Staff Writer
LUIS RUIZ DOMINGUEZ / THE STATESMAN
Students gather during Campus Life Time on May 3 in protest of recently-proposed theatre arts and humanities cuts. The unfinalized cuts are sparking outrage across campus.
In November, 52.5 percent of Suffolk County voters went to the polls and pulled the lever next to Donald J. Trump’s name in the U.S. presidential election, according to Politico. In March, 53 percent of Stony Brook students logged onto SOLAR and clicked the option next to Ayyan Zubair’s name for the Undergraduate Student Government presidential election. The two share one other notable trait — neither of them drink or smoke — but after that, the similarities end and the differences begin. Zubair is the son of Pakistani im-
migrants who raised three sons in East Meadow – a Nassau County hamlet within 15 miles of the Queens border. “My parents are doctors and they came to America. The whole dollar and a dream kind of thing, right?” Zubair said. “They worked their butts off – Burger King, cleaning toilets, passing their exams and now they’re doctors…But yet there’s still this air of suspicion around them or around Muslims in general.” The incoming USG president views himself as one of many who can help change the American perception of Muslims. While his faith is important to him – “I don’t hide the fact that I’m Muslim. I’m proud to be Muslim,” he Continued on page 3
University cuts Adapted Aquatics program
By Rebecca Liebson Assistant News Editor
For 19-year-old swim instructor Bridget Kennedy, learning that one of her students, a 15-yearold boy with cerebral palsy, had walked for the first time helped to reaffirm that she had chosen the right career path. Kennedy, a health science major and prospective adapted aquatics minor, who hopes to become an aquatic therapist one day, described her experience working with disabled kids as, “the most rewarding thing” she has ever done. That is why she was so upset by Stony Brook’s recent decision to cut the adapted aquatics minor, which helps provide local disabled people with free swimming lessons. As the school prepares to reopen the pool after five years, the program, which had been put on hold during that time, will not resume despite former promises from the university. The announcement has come as a shock to students and community members who believe in the rehabilitative powers of aquatic exercise. For the nearly one in five Americans living with disabilities, getting the proper amount of exercise may prove a great challenge. For these people, “water is a game changer,” Andrea Salzman, founder of the Aquatic Resources Network, an organization that seeks to inform clinicians about aquatic therapy, said. “When you take away the water, you take away the capacity for people to experience freedom.”
A study published in the Disability and Health Journal in 2010 examined the benefits of aquatic therapy in disabled children ages from the ages six to 12. Out of the 16 children — whose wide range of disabilities included autism spectrum disorder, severe spinal injuries, down syndrome and cerebral palsy — 81.3 percent reported an increase in strength and endurance and 87.5 percent reported an increase in self-confidence. Stephanie Volpe, a Holbrook, New York resident and mother of two, saw firsthand the impact aquatic exercise can have after she enrolled her then nine-year-old son Christopher in Stony Brook’s adapted aquatics class back in 2009. “It definitely helped him with pool safety,” said Volpe, something she never thought would be possible for her son, who has au-
tism and muscle weakness due to complications during pregnancy. Since the program was put on hold, Volpe said the progress her son made has diminished to the point where she no longer feels comfortable letting him go in water over his head. “When you take away skilled handlers… then you make it impossible [for disabled people] to be in the water because their family doesn’t know how to be safe oftentimes,” Salzman said. “Now you’ve removed one of the things that potentially affects quality of life.” In the eyes of Stony Brook graduate Chris Lu, who took the last section of the adaptive aquatics class back in 2012, the program epitomized the university’s mission in that it went “Far Beyond.” Continued on page 3
COURTESY OF STONY BROOK ATHLETICS
The renovated Stony Brook University Pool is set to open May 8. Renovations started in January 2015.
COURTESY OF AYYAN ZUBAIR
Zubair, above, is the incoming USG president. He plans to push for free feminine hygiene products on campus.
Medical school Vice Dean appointed to the National Board of Medical Examiners By Michaela Kilgallen News Editor
The National Board of Medical Examiners has chosen Stony Brook Medicine’s Vice Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs Latha Chandran, Ph.D., to serve on the organization’s executive board. “There are only 12 people on the board, so that came as a total surprise for me when I got a call from the new CEO and President to serve on the board,” Chandran said. The National Board of Medical Examiners, or NBME, creates and administers the four rounds of testing medical students must complete to become physicians. Chandran’s four-year appointment to the NBME’s highest board comes after 15 years of volunteer
work for the organization. With NBME, she worked on the Standard Setting Panel and the Item Writing Panel, which creates the questions used on exams. She later joined the Finance and Audit Committee. “Dr. Chandran brings a breadth and depth of skills and experiences to the Executive Board as a national leader in medical education,” Dr. Lewis R. First, a member of the NBME Nominating Committee, said. “Her work as vice dean for Undergraduate Education at Stony Brook, her national leadership roles she has had in pediatric faculty development, combined with 15 years of service on multiple test and administrative committees at the National Board of Medical Examiners will Continued on page 3
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Community mourns the loss of aquatics minor Chandran hopes to start a conversation about stress among medical students Continued from page 1
“It [gave] a sense of purpose and fulfillment at the end of the day as the students [had] a feeling of accomplishment knowing that they made a difference in someone’s life,” Lu said in an email. As the founder of the program, Dr. Peter Angelo is a fervent advocate for the life-changing potential of adapted aquatics. Although Angelo, who has been out on medical leave since November 2014, was not available for comment, he expressed his opinion on the matter last month in a statement posted to a private Facebook group for families of the program’s participants. “When I return to Stony Brook in the fall, my department will no longer exist, in spite of the 50 [plus] years I spent running one of the most unique and incredibly effective programs at the University...What a terrible shame that is and a terrible loss for the
infants, children, and adults with disabilities whom we serviced for over 50 years! It is also a great loss to the nearly 1,000 students who signed up for our program’s classes yearly,” he wrote. Although the minor was created in 2003, this first-of-its-kind program can be traced back to 1966, when Stony Brook partnered with the local Red Cross to develop a swimming course for the disabled that could be taught at universities nationwide. Kennedy said it was this groundbreaking approach to therapy that attracted her to Stony Brook in the first place, despite the fact that it was her second choice school. Although the university has released no official statement on the minor’s cancellation, Kennedy said that an instructor who she has been in contact with told her that he had been let go, and contact information for instructors has been removed from the program web page.
“It’s official,” she said. “It’s definitely happening, but the university is not telling the students and is not making it public.” The Office of Campus Media Relations and the School of Health Technology and Management, which runs the program, did not provide a comment after repeated inquiries. Meanwhile, Volpe said she was puzzled as to why the school had not explored other options to bring back the classes by potentially charging a small fee, especially considering she and many of the other parents receive funding from Medicaid to pay for programs like this one. “My kid misses it,” she said. “He’s been asking for three years and he has cognitive issues. So for him it made a major impact in his life that he’s still asking to go back. His best friend also asks about it all the time asking when the pool is going to be open. I have to keep telling them I don’t know.”
Zubair aims to change course retake policy Continued from page 1 said – he views himself as “a very normal college guy” who is also fairly religious. “Every time you turn on the news, you hear about a Muslim guy blowing himself up,” Zubair said. “That’s why representation really matters. People look at me, alright I’m a normal guy. I listen to Migos. I’m wearing a Bulls Hat. I happen to be Muslim. Okay, fantastic.” Despite Zubair’s repeated insistence that he is just “a normal guy,” his peers constantly contradict that assessment. And it has nothing to do with his religion. “I don’t think you can make it any more obvious how distinguished and remarkable he is,” current USG President Cole Lee said. Zubair served as Lee’s chief of staff since the fall. “Right off the bat, he was someone who impressed me and who I was inspired by,” he said. Zubair has not only impressed his peers with his skills and experience, but also his superiors. “I have had a chance to get to know Ayyan, particularly in his role as the USG representative to the Senate Executive Committee,” Stony Brook President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. said. “I look forward to working with him in his role as president of the USG, and I am confident he will do an outstanding job.” By the time Zubair announced his candidacy, he had already worked on a congressional campaign in NYS Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s office and as an advisor for security council affairs for the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations. And that was just in the last two years. “I was asked by a couple of the [university] administrators who
it is I think would not only be a viable replacement, but someone that can go above and beyond,” Lee recalled. “And I knew from that very moment the question was posed to me that there is no one more qualified, more deserving, more ready to lead and serve than Ayyan.” On Zubair’s first day of college in August 2015, he walked into the USG office with an eagerness to contribute that immediately caught Lee’s eye. “He wanted to make a difference right away,” Lee recalled, sitting in the office that will become Zubair’s on May 20. “His resume, honestly was unparalleled. I had not seen anything like that and I will even go as far to say that he was more accomplished than me, coming in.” Before attending a single class at Stony Brook, Zubair was a credited author on a peer-reviewed psychopathology study at Nassau University Medical Center. Zubair was the only author of the study without a Ph.D. or M.D. He had also published columns for The Huffington Post, founded an activist non-profit called “Pakistanis4SocialChange” and co-founded the youth program for the Long Island Muslim Society. After working as an intern at USG, Zubair was later promoted to deputy chief of staff and then chief of staff. Now, he will take on the top job. “Would I love to do everything in this next year?” Zubair said. “Of course. But I know I can’t do everything for everyone. My biggest prerogative is helping as many people as possible.” Since working alongside Lee on efforts to secure 24-hour operation of Melville Library last spring and free laundry for students next fall, Zubair hopes to continue pushing the university
forward. His major policy proposals include a new course retake policy and free feminine hygiene products on campus. “There’s free condoms everywhere and sex is optional,” Zubair said. “Having a period isn’t. And for too many Seawolves it’s too expensive to buy menstrual pads. Which is really saying something because it’s a basic human right.” Zubair is currently working on a double major in applied mathematics and statistics and economics. After that? Law school, then politics. For Zubair, the appeal of politics is not the result of vanity, nor is it the result of proximity to authority. Instead, it was his inability to effectively wield influence while working at the United Nations last summer, that reassured him of his passion for public service. “I was at quote-unquote ‘the table,’ but really I had no power,” Zubair said. He recalled a day when news came in that the Assad regime in Syria was blocking all the roads to Aleppo, keeping humanitarian aid out of a city where thousands were starving. “I’m in this nice UN building with AC and the East River is right there. Y’know, the UN is a gorgeous place,” he said. “But there’s people halfway across the world, little kids who are going to die of hunger of all things. It left an impact on me.” The impact did not result in a grandiose hope to fix all that ills the world. Instead, Zubair grew determined to help where he can, on the micro level. “I understand my role won’t be to change the entire world, no one can ever do that,” Zubair conceded. “But I can change the life of one kid who maybe doesn’t have right now or one family who maybe doesn’t have upward mobility and create that opportunity for them. That’s what it’s about.”
COURTESY OF NBME COMMUNICATIONS
Dr. Latha Chandran, above, was elected to serve on the National Board of Medical Examiners Executive Board. Continued from page 1 make her a strong contributor to the strategic direction and planning that the Executive Board must do to further the mission of our organization.” On the executive board, Chandran and her colleagues will have administrative and judicial responsibilities within the organization. They control the organization’s budget, assess policy and develop new products and programs. “I think Latha is an ideal person for this because she understands medical curriculum up one side and down the other,” Kenneth Kaushansky, Ph.D., dean of the School of Medicine, said. “She understands how students learn, and she, of course, is very quantitative in medicine.” Chandran started her medical career as a pediatrician and has worked at Stony Brook for over 25 years. Some 15 years ago, she joined the dean’s office and worked her way from vice dean for undergraduate medical education to her current position. “I was board certified in adolescent medicine, so I had a reputation of being a good listener perhaps,” Chandran said. “So that’s how the job came to me. From there, one thing led to another, and now I am the Vice Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs.” Along with her recent NBME appointment, Chandran was chosen as the inaugural Miriam and David Donoho Distinguished Teaching Professor in February. The endowed professorship is funded by Miki and David Donoho, Ph.D.s, who also support the Academy of Clinical and Educational Scholars at the School of Medicine, which Chandran is the founding director of. “I asked Latha to head that institute, and their job is to figure out better ways to teach our students,” Kaushansky said. Through that search, they developed a new curriculum for the medical school, which Chandran spearheaded. “I was involved in changing our entire medical school curriculum,” she said. “It was really exciting because it got a lot of people together to
creatively think about how we can teach better.” What they came up with is called the LEARN curriculum. The program, which was launched three years ago, favors active learning as opposed to traditional passive learning. “One example that I use a lot is that we could teach our students what’s called Acid-Base Physiology, which is how the body regulates its PH levels, really well,” Kaushansky said. “They learn it, and they take the test on it and then probably it would drift away. Now however, if you teach Acid-Base Physiology after a student has seen and taken care of a patient with way out of control diabetes – we call it diabetic ketoacidosis. If you’ve taken care of that patient, suddenly Acid-Base Physiology has a whole new relevance, and my hypothesis is it sticks with them a lot longer.” In addition to revamping the school’s curriculum, Chandran led the preparations for re-accreditation in 2011. This year, she was also named a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, the highest level of professorship in the SUNY system. Along with the prestige that comes with being named to the board, Chandran’s position offers many practical benefits. Through Chandran’s involvement, she can better understand what the NBME looks for and how to adequately prepare students for testing. She also has the platform to highlight areas of medical education that she sees are in need of attention, including mental health. “Our students get so stressed about the step one exam because that really determines the residency programs, which is the next level of training for them,” she said. “They all look at that number, so they get so stressed about that number. There’s a lot written about stress and anxiety and depression among students and faculty, so at the last NBME meeting I said I would like us to develop a national conversation.” Chandran’s appointment to the board came earlier this month, and the group has not met yet for their first meeting. But she is optimistic that the position will help her to bring about change. “I think it’s a very fitting honor for the kind of career she has hammered out,” Kaushansky said.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Students snack on sweet treats at annual Strawberry Fest By Josh Farber Contributing Writer
Thousands of students gathered on the Academic Mall on May 3 to celebrate one of Stony Brook’s biggest springtime traditions – Strawberry Fest. The picture-perfect weather, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, helped the joyous ambiance as students spread out across the mall lawns, enjoying their strawberry treats before the stress of finals week kicked in. Stephanie Sottile, a junior nursing major, said that her favorite food of the day was the thyme-roasted turkey tacos with jalapeno-strawberry salsa. “It’s a really good way to bring the campus together, plus it was a really nice day,” she said, adding that this was her third time celebrating the event. The menu also included strawberry shortcake, strawberry lemonade, strawberry-thyme potato gnocchi with buttery brie cream sauce and strawberry gelato. Campus Dining stated on the station’s label and on the festival tickets that the gelato was made from scratch, but employees were instead serving commercially-made Edy’s Grand strawberry ice cream from three-gallon tubs for much of the event.
LUIS RUIZ DOMINGUEZ/THE STATESMAN
Students line up along the Academic Mall to eat strawberry-themed foods like mock strawberry margaritas and thyme-roasted turkey tacos at Strawberry Fest on May 3. Robert Hutnik, a senior biomedical engineering major, had rave reviews for the gnocchi. “I’m not a gnocchi person, but that was really good gnocchi,” he said. Just after the 1 p.m. bell tolled from the Administration Building, a group of students chanted loudly as they marched through the mall in protest of the proposed cuts to Stony
Brook’s Department of Theatre Arts. Protesting at the height of both Campus Life Time and the Strawberry Fest drew significant attention to the already large crowd. Students were canvassing the event seeking petition signatures for the remainder of Campus Life Time. Tickets for Strawberry Fest sold out by 2 p.m., but staff re-
mained busy serving the long lines of students. Sodexo District Manager Gary Arthur said that 3,380 pounds of strawberries were used for the estimated crowd of 3,000. “From what I’ve heard people are saying, we’ve stepped it up this year,” Arthur said. The event cost Campus Dining “roughly $10
to $12 per person, but tickets were sold for $9, so there was a bit of a give back there,” he added. Victoria Crowe, a sophomore athletic training major, noticed that this year’s crowd seemed bigger than in past years. Her favorite food of the day was the chocolate-dipped strawberries. “I love chocolate and I love strawberries. They’re a perfect pair,” Crowe said. Nearly 5,000 chocolate-dipped strawberries were distributed to students, according to Angela Agnello, the director of marketing and communications for the Faculty Student Association. Another event, happening alongside the Strawberry Fest in the mall was the 19th annual Diversity Day, organized by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The event celebrated Stony Brook’s different heritages, cultures and lifestyles with student music and dance performances as well as creative art, cultural expression and trivia. Vincent Giacalone, a freshman French major, is going to have to wait until next year to experience both events in their fullest. “I went to get a ticket and they were all out,” he said. “I saw the commotion and heard there was a lot of good food.”
Holi festival celebrates springtime on campus with color By Luis Ruiz Dominguez Contributing Writer
The Mendelsohn Quad pit exploded with vibrant colors in celebration of Holi, the festival of colors, on April 29. Holi is the Hindu Students Council’s largest spring event, both in terms of population and significance, and this year it showcased Stony Brook pride. Wolfie attended for the first time and the festival highlighted its
inclusion into Stony Brook’s “25 Things to Do Before You Graduate” list this semester, Yoga Kammili, president of the Hindu Students Council and senior biology major, said. Attendees donning white clothes lined up at the beginning of the event to receive a cup filled with the colored powder of their choice. As they entered the pit, Bollywood music played in the background. The air quickly
filled with a rainbow of colors as attendees threw and smeared the powder on one another. A second cup was given mid-event before everyone gathered in a crowd and began chanting “Holi, Holi, Holi!” Originally scheduled for April 23, the event was postponed to the following week due to a forecast of thunderstorms and cold weather. Despite the date change, Kammili said that there was great turnout.
ARACELY JIMENEZ / THE STATESMAN
Student PP (left) gets slapped with colored powder by Serena Zachariah (right) at Holi, hosted by the Hindu Students Council in the Mendelsohn Quad pit on April 29.
“It was a lot of fun and no one really knows each other but we all got along and had a great time,” Robert Myrick, a junior mechanical engineering major, said. Holi is a two-day festival celebrated throughout India that features an evening bonfire event on the first day and a play of colors on the second day, Devanshi Bhimjiyani, a sophomore information systems major from India who attended the event, said. The HSC annually hosts the second day of the festival as a way to share the celebration with anyone who wishes to participate. “Just like the majority of the festivals [in India] it has a religious and symbolic meaning,” Kammili said. “It’s about good beating evil, or color defeating the darkness.” The festival is based on the old legend of Prahlada, a devoted follower of Vishnu, the God of Protection. His father, Hiranyakashipu, tries to kill him by placing him on the lap of his sister, Holika, a fire-immune demoness, as she sits on a pyre. Because of his loyalty to Vishnu, Prahlada’s life is spared as Holika burns to death, representing the defeat of evil and the entry into prosperity and life, Bhimjiyani said. A sense of unity was felt through the festival as friends and strangers alike threw fist-
fuls of color at each other. “You need more color,” was a common phrase heard throughout the pit before someone was struck with a handful of powder. “It’s my third year coming to the event,” Joseph Perez, a junior respiratory care major, said. “With finals coming up, it’s a great way to destress, hang out with friends and have a blast.” The aromatic powders are made from natural ingredients that are non-toxic, biodegradable and skin-safe, according to Krishna Color Sales, the company that provided the colorful powders. They also do not stain clothing and easily come off with water. “This is my first time attending the event and I will definitely come back next year,” Marina Fandaros, a junior biomedical engineering major, said. Unlike past years, water balloons and mango frooti, a popular drink in India, were not available this year. “Hopefully next year we will have more colors, frooti and water balloons,” Kammili said. “Some people loved them and others hated [the water balloons] so we might do a poll on whether or not we bring them back.” Regardless of race, age or gender, festivals like Holi serve as a great way for people to learn about new cultures in a colorful, fun-filled mess.
Year in Review 2017
TOP STORIES The Statesman’s Year in Review is a collection of our favorite stories and your favorite stories, all from the past academic year. We used online data to compile some of our most popular pieces and combined them with those that our editors wanted to highlight. Here you’ll find everything from memorable anecdotes to groundbreaking reports. Stony Brook University is full of interesting happenings, so these are what our readers and editors believe defined the 2016-2017 school year.
Manju Shivacharan / Statesman File
SBU faculty ranked fifth worst professors by Princeton Review By Justine Josue / Oct. 11, 2016 / News
The Princeton Review ranked Stony Brook as having the fifth worst professors out of 381 universities with comparable academics.
Pheezy / Flickr via CC BY 2.0
GSO president detained at JFK under travel ban By Mahreen Khan / Jan. 28, 2017 / News
Stony Brook graduate student and Graduate Student Organization President Vahideh Rasekhi was detained at John F. Kennedy International Airport under President Donald Trump’s executive order.
Aracely Jimenez / The Statesman
Closed Student Union evokes old memories By Taylor Ha / Dec. 10, 2016 / News
“Student Union closed as of 12/1/2016,” a sign on the door announces in capitalized red letters – closed for a three-year renovation.
Anna Correa / The Statesman
Stony Brook community denounces travel ban at two protests By Michaela Kilgallen / Feb. 1, 2017 / News
“No ban, no fear. Refugees are welcome here,” echoed throughout the Academic Mall during Campus Life Time on Feb. 1, as upwards of 500 protesters paraded through campus during the March for Unity.
Evan Yuson / The Statesman
Stony Brook guard Blair Mendy charged with rape By Kunal Kohli / Feb. 8, 2017 / Sports
Stony Brook men’s basketball sophomore guard Blair Mendy was charged with thirddegree rape, according to the Stony Brook University Police Department. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
OF 2016-2017
Megan Miller / Statesman File
Editorial: SBU students deserve the truth on Ecklund’s departure By the Editorial Board / Jan. 29, 2017 / Opinions
University policy should not be used as means to camouflage such important information.
Town of Brookhaven
A reporter’s near-deck experience By Jill Ryan / Aug. 31, 2016 / News
The Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity threw a party late on the night of Aug. 26 that ended with dozens of people, a Statesman reporter included, in free fall after the house’s deck collapsed.
Luis Ruiz Dominguez / The Statesman
External review team to investigate School of Dental Medicine By Desiree D’Iorio / April 27, 2017 / News
The administration of Dr. Mary Truhlar, the dean of the School of Dental Medicine, faces an external review of complaints made against the school.
Megan Miller / Statesman File
Statesman File
Students criticize new meal swipe system
Department of Theatre Arts faces possible cutbacks
An issue many students have is that they are required to eat within the confines of the dine-in building and cannot take food, drinks or silverware outside to eat on the go.
Theatre Arts majors and minors received an email from department chair John Lutterbie, announcing cutbacks, but the administration says no decisions have been finalized.
By Matthew Yan / Sept. 3, 2016 / News
By Michaela Kilgallen / April 30, 2017 / News
A LETTER FROM OUR GRADUATING EDITORS It often seems that whenever we reach the end of an epoch, we find ourselves looking back at the beginning. As graduation day approaches, we find ourselves looking back on when we were freshmen, frantically pulling the campus maps up on our phones to find Frey Hall, or falling asleep in our First-Year Seminar class. We look back on when we made our very first friend at college and felt that euphoric relief when we knew we weren’t going to spend the next four years alone. We look back on the stories that we made. We look at the people we met and the things we saw and the mistakes we made. We look back on our clubs and our classes and the experiences Stony Brook University has given us, and we ask ourselves: Was it all worth it? As the graduating editors of The Statesman, we can say with great confidence that it was. Stony Brook has taught us more than just how to be good journalists. It has given us memories that we will take with us for the rest of our lives. We will never forget when students flooded the Staller Steps for the 2013 Mac Miller concert, or when a house’s deck completely collapsed at one of Alpha Epsilon Pi’s parties in 2016. We will never forget the opportunity to cover incredible artists like Childish Gambino, Diplo, Future, Walk the Moon and DNCE. We will remember every Ladies Night at The Bench, every beautiful day spent on the Staller Steps, every “out of an abundance of caution” text that made us jump for joy. We will also remember the heavier moments. Every vigil that was held for a lost friend or protest against continuing injustice will remain with us forever. We will never forget the March For Unity, when more than 500 students came together in reaction to President Trump’s travel ban, or the Black Lives Matter protests across campus. These are the moments of solidarity that showed us how strong our Stony Brook community is and will always be. It has been an honor to cover and report every one of these moments. There is a great deal of confidence placed in student journalists, for we are trusted with representing the many voices of this university. For all of us at The Statesman, it has been a true privilege to report on the many facets of this university. Thank you for four amazing years. Thank you for sharing your stories with us.
Arielle Martinez Editor-in-Chief
Christopher Leelum Managing Editor
Rachel Siford Managing Editor
Emily Benson Opinions Editor
Anisah Abdullah Arts & Entertainment Editor
Jessica Carnabuci Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor
Cover Photo | Aracely Jimenez. Design | Arielle Martinez and Hugo Tam.
The Statesman
Arts & Entertainment
Monday, May 8, 2017
7
EOP hosts indoor carnival to destress before finals week By Emily Norman Contributing Writer
The Student Activities Center Ballroom A was transformed into an indoor carnival on April 26 to keep students’ minds off finals and instead on fun. The circus-themed event was organized by the Educational Opportunity Program Student Association to serve as a way for students to de-stress in a time of impending final exams, Chrissey Celissaint, the president of the EOPSA and senior health science major, said. Attendees had a variety of games and activities to choose from to enjoy with friends. A photo booth by the entrance, a popular attraction throughout the night, had props like mustaches and top hats for students to take funny photos. A bull ride was another main attrac-
tion at the event, where students lined up waiting for their chance to try to stay on the bull as long they could. EOPSA members encouraged students to play games like ring toss, darts and bowling as many times as they wanted to earn tickets. Depending on the amount of tickets earned, students received prizes including a Rubik’s Cube and portable charger. With the abundance of carnival food and activities, some students expressed how happy they were to be able to procrastinate studying and assignments. Lazaro Rivera, a sophomore psychology and English major, attended the carnival to relax and support his fellow EOP students. “Events like these make me feel relieved; they take the stress off,” Rivera said. “I get to just hang out and not worry about my finals.”
EOP provides students from disadvantaged backgrounds with financial and academic support to further their success in college. The EOP Student Association was created in 2014 to promote the message and mission of EOP across campus through activities such as Wednesday night’s carnival. A live DJ kept the event going with upbeat music that had everyone dancing. Students also hovered over the array of concessions including popcorn, cotton candy, funnel cakes and hot pretzels. Those with a sweet tooth had the option of using caramel and powdered sugar as toppings for the funnel cake or going straight for the ice cream. “The turnout was a lot higher than expected,” Celissaint said. “I was not expecting this many people to come but we are happy they did. I wanted to do this last
EMILY NORMAN/ THE STATESMAN
A Stony Brook student tries to hold on as he rides a mechanical bull. Students also enjoyed other games including ring toss, bowling and darts.
semester, but space was short so I am glad we actually got it done this time.” In order to get into the carnival, students had to bring school supplies as the entrance fee. Celissaint said
that the EOPSA plans on giving the supplies to incoming EOP students. “We thought about giving it to new students so they have something fresh to start with,” she said. “It’s good to have something new.”
EMILY NORMAN/ THE STATESMAN
Attendees were served carnival foods like cotton candy, popcorn and soda in SAC Ballroom A on April 26.
EMILY NORMAN/ THE STATESMAN
The EOP event allowed attendees to destress from finals with fun activities while providing disadvantaged students with school supplies.
Nassau band All Out! spreads music across Long Island By David Pepa Staff Writer
If you feel like you’re listening to the same songs in your music library again and again, the local band All Out! may have the fresh music needed to spice up your mix.
All Out! is a Nassau County-based heavy pop punk band consisting of five musical members: Luke Varisco on lead vocals, Phil Montalbano on bass and vocals, Andrew Ojeda on rhythm guitar, Andrew Lachs on lead guitar and Tim Snow on drums.
“We formed this band in the summer of July 2014 when I met my best friend, songwriter and bandmate Andrew Ojeda,” Varisco said in an email. “We hit it off and started writing like crazy, breaking song’s backs, rewriting melodies and rewriting lyrics.”
MIKE FARGIN RANDALL / THE STATESMAN
All Out! is a Nassau County-based heavy pop punk band. The band released their self-titled EP in Nov. 2016 and has performed in multiple venes around Long Island.
While their music falls under the heavy pop punk genre, they are branching out into new sounds including hip-hop, metal and emo. All Out! released its debut self-titled EP in November 2016, which is available on their website. Songs from the EP include “Strive On” and “We Refuse to Sink.” Although they have released music, they have yet to be signed to a record label. “We are not signed to a record label but hope that one day we get picked up or hoping that a label has an interest in us,” Varisco said. “We have a lot to offer and are dedicated to our craft.” This up-and-coming band has yet to collaborate with other artists, but its members wish to work with people in the future, like the Long Island rock group Table Talk and the progressive death/doom metal band In Loving Memory. All Out! has performed in numerous venues around Long Island since last year including Amityville Music Hall and Evolution Sound Stage in West Babylon. Most recently, the band played at 89 North Music Venue in Patchogue with pop punk groups Carousel King, Abandoned by Bears and Bad Case.
Like most musicians, these five members look up to many artists. Varisco said the band’s influences include “Bach, Beethoven, Sabbath, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Green Day, Blink 182, Rage Against The Machine, Sonic Youth, The Cure and so, so many others.” Although the band released its EP just months ago, All Out! is already writing new music and trying to get its next single ready for fans. The five musicians are now making an effort to perform weekend runs and mini tours around the community when they receive the opportunities. “We’re very proud of [our debut EP] and how well it’s done locally, but we’re gearing up for future releases and truly believe this will reach on a national level with mini runs, short tours and most importantly, marketing,” Varisco said. “Nothing in stone yet, but we’re focusing more on writing at the moment. Trying to have a single by the end of the summer.” All Out!’s digital album is available for purchase on their website for those who enjoy a heavy pop punk sound in their playlist.
OPINIONS Editor-in-Chief ............ Arielle Martinez Managing Editor ........... Rachel Siford Managing Editor ........... Christopher Leelum News Editor ..........................................................Michaela Kilgallen Arts & Entertainment Editor ..................................Anisah Abdullah Sports Editor .............................................................Chris Peraino Opinions Editor ........................................................Emily Benson Multimedia Editor ......................................................Eric Schmid Copy Chief ................................................................Kaitlyn Colgan Assistant News Editor.............................................Mahreen Khan Assistant News Editor...........................................Rebecca Liebson Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor............ Katarina Delgado Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor............. Jessica Carnabuci Assistant Opinions Editor ....................................Andrew Goldstein Assistant Multimedia Editor.............................. ..Aracely Jimenez Assistant Copy Chief.............................................Stacey Slavutsky Assistant Copy Chief................................................Tess Stepakoff Advertising Manager ............................................ Rebecca Anderson Advertisement Layout............................................Frank Migliorino
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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 50 cents.
Donald Trump speaks at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. He has caused controversy with his latest remarks on the Civil War.
The Onion Bagel: Stony Brook's newest course Alternative History
By Joseph Konig Staff Writer
The Onion Bagel is a satirical column for The Statesman. Stony Brook University is pleased to announce a new course for the Fall 2017 semester, thanks to generous funding from longtime donor, Robert Mercer – a Long Island native and major financial backer to the 2016 Trump campaign. Saddened by the news that Stony Brook’s Theatre Arts Department is facing a diminished role, Mercer did not want Stony Brook students to go without a well rounded cultural education. From the people who brought you fake news and alternative facts comes Alternate Social Studies 411: Alternate History! ASS 411 is a landmark course that will function effectively as a lecture series with a big-name instructor holding class each week to teach students on how to discern fact from alternative fact. The guest lecturers include: Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary: You thought you knew everything there was to know about the Holocaust – that was, until you attend Professor Spicer’s class. Learn about the Holocaust centers and how Zyklon B is not a chemical weapon, but simply a garden variety pesticide. Have your whole
world turned upside down when you discover that the Jews were not the targets of Hitler’s Holocaust, but, in actuality, the globalists were. Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Neurosurgeon and former presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson will instruct students on the history of Egyptian pyramids. Archaeologists say that the pyramids were tombs for the Egyptian pharaohs. Dr. Carson has an alternate theory: Joseph, he of the technicolor dreamcoat, built the pyramids to store grain. Dr. Carson looked past the mainstream narrative and turned to the one place he knew he could trust – the Bible. Genesis 41:49 states “Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.” Wow! That’s a lot of grain! President Donald J. Trump: In what many are calling a “bigly” addition to what is already a tremendous – absolutely tremendous – lineup of lecturers, President Donald J. Trump has agreed to come speak about his role model and predecessor: the seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson. Everyone knows Jackson was a great guy. Third grade history taught us about the duels and Jackson’s heroics in the War of 1812 and
his generous donation of land to the Native Americans. Now, President Trump has the lowdown on the untold history. For example, did you know that many people say that Andrew Jackson would have stopped the Civil War had he been president later in the century? President Trump was a Civil War expert before he took office, after all. At the end of his lecture, President Trump has generously agreed to do a mini-lecture on Frederick Douglass, who “is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more.” Way to go Freddie! Bill O’Reilly: Speaking of slaves, recent retiree Bill O’Reilly has agreed to come to Stony Brook to give a special lecture titled “No Spin History: Slaves Had It Good” – a history of the luxuries slaves were awarded and how things actually got worse after the Civil War – another thing that could have been avoided had Andrew Jackson been president in the 1860s. Afterward Professor O’Reilly is going to swing by Stony Brook’s Inter-Fraternity and Sorority Council to give a talk on workplace conduct. SOLAR is currently being inundated with students attempting to sign up for the class. Administration asks for patience while we work to resolve these issues.
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Opinions
Monday, May 8, 2017
9
Letter from the editor: Advice from a graduating senior
By Emily Benson Opinions Editor
As a graduating journalism major, I have reported on my share of stories for Stony Brook University. I have spent countless hours in the newsroom and The Statesman office calling sources, writing last-second articles and copy-editing stories until I wanted to throw my laptop across the room. But as a graduating senior, not just as a graduating journalist, I’m finding myself focusing not on the stories that I’ve reported on, but on the stories that I’ve made. I remember the time I locked myself out of my dorm freshman year at 3:00 a.m. so I slept in the showers (which was surprisingly comfortable). I think of the time my friends and I stole trays from Roth Cafe and went sledding down the Tabler hill. I remember the time I was walking up the stairs in Frey Hall and my skirt ripped down the back, completely exposing my taco underpants I was wearing that day. All my stories and experiences have taught invaluable lessons and gave me the opportunity to see new perspectives. Before graduating, I want to share the key things that my time at Stony Brook has taught me. Join clubs: Yes, I know, you’ve heard this one a thousand times before, but get involved. It’s the stereotypical college advice that’s plastered on every counselor’s poster board and encouraged by every adult in your life. And for good reason. College is nothing without extracurriculars because they are the backbone of your university. They are the random cupcake sales in the SAC lobby, they are the students giving out free hugs in the academic mall. They are awesome little gems that
ERIC SHMID/ STATESMAN FILE
Emily Benson, above, is the opinions editor of The Statesman. She is graduating in May 2017. Benson shares her advice to incoming students after four years at Stony Brook. brighten the student body’s day. So join them! Be a part of what makes your school fun, and have some fun yourself while doing it. Go back to meetings: Once you join a club, go back. Don’t just go to the first meeting and say, “this isn’t for me” and dip. Give clubs a chance. Maybe you didn’t connect with anyone the first day, but every new meeting is a chance to meet new people. Work can come second, just don’t fail: Maybe don’t go out drinking every night of the week (unless you have a liver of steel), but don’t be afraid to throw the books aside now and then. Full disclosure – there were a number of times when I should have dedicated the extra hour to writing a paper, or re-
ally should not have gone to Ladies Night because of an exam I had Friday morning. But I did. I did not fail. Maybe I didn’t do as great on my tests, but there are times when my priority wasn’t getting an A in my random DEC class, it was hanging out with my friends and making memories. Stay on campus longer: I remember my freshman year I would go to classes and then immediately go back to my dorm. I studied in my dorm room lounge or at my desk in my room. I never thought to go back onto campus if I had to. Then one day, while studying endlessly on my bed, I came to a great realization: I was a total hermit. The next year, I made an effort to stay on campus longer. I studied in the
library, grabbed lunch with friends at the SAC, went to the gym (some days) and spent countless hours roaming the campus for an open outlet. It was a lot more effort, but I felt more connected to the student body. Talk to people: As a journalist, having to approach random strangers is an integral part of my job. While it’s important for reporters to not be afraid of talking to people, I found that being brave in approaching others helped me in all aspects of college. If you’re going to a gym class, talk to the people in the class. Strike up conversation with the person next to you in your Javits lecture. Complain to someone while standing in line at Starbucks about how late this is going to make
you to class. People don’t bite, so be gregarious. Go to office hours: THEY GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS! GO TO OFFICE HOURS! Don’t be afraid to change: For a lot of students, college is the first long period of time away from their family. It’s the first time being away from a lifestyle that shaped you, a lifestyle that you have been living since you were born. I lived in Albany all my life before coming to Stony Brook, and being four hours away from my family for most of the year was really difficult at first. In the end, I’m so happy that I did it. It gave me a chance to see new perspectives and find out new things about myself. Don’t feel pressured to either: Change is good, but the one thing harder than adapting to new surroundings is having the courage to stand your ground. Don’t let college waiver your beliefs or who you are as a person. Don’t be afraid to stay the same, and don’t let the thoughts of the people around you dictate your behavior. Go on a Tinder date: You’ve got to do it at least once. Get that free dinner! There’s no one correct way to do college: In the end, these are your four years. If you want to join a sorority, join one. If you’re not a party person, that’s okay too. Be adventurous and explore your options, but don’t try to fit a mold of how you feel you should be “doing college.” There is no right way, and this time is different for each person on campus. Thank you Stony Brook for giving me the opportunity to share my stories with you. Now it is your turn to go out there and create your own.
Letter to the editor: Yes, Stony Brook's social life is out there
By John Scalamandre Contributing Writer
Six semesters ago, I wrote an article for The Statesman titled “Students deserve a university they can actually enjoy.” Needless to say, at the time I was disenchanted with the university from a student-life standpoint. Having had many friends unable to attend that year’s Brookfest featuring Childish Gambino and Diplo due to scheduling conflicts with midterms that affected a decent portion of the student body, I bashed Stony Brook for not placing high importance on an enjoyable college experience for students. In this case it seems ignorance was the opposite of bliss. As I stand here six semesters later, having experienced so much at this university throughout my tenure here, I can’t help but laugh at how wrong I was. Since then, I have watched and become involved in so many amazing pieces of student life on campus. From writing articles for The Statesman, to joining Men’s Rugby, to becoming an elected member of the USG Senate – the very organization I had set out to criticize in that article – I have come to
realize that student life is a priority nearly on par with academics here at Stony Brook. Over the past year, I have seen many amazing events come to fruition, each of which have contributed to Stony Brook’s growth as a community. In terms of USG events, Wolfieland, the outdoor Brookfest and Last Day Out immediately stand out as prime examples of the university’s commitment to campus life. If you had told me six semesters ago that my last year at Stony Brook we would have an outdoor carnival, an outdoor, festival-esque concert and that the last day of classes would become partially dedicated to enhancing the community at Stony Brook, I would’ve laughed. Being a USG senator throughout the course of this academic year has enabled me to become familiar with many of the clubs on campus, as well as the incredible events that happen almost daily. At times it’s almost as if there are so many that we as students may take them for granted. Every single event, from Twenty Too Many, which helped raise awareness of the struggles veterans face and the resources available that can prevent veteran suicide, to the LASO Concert that
ARACELY JIMENEZ/ STATESMAN FILE
A ferris wheel at Wolfieland. Wolfieland is a new annual outdoor carnival created by USG. The event is an opportunity for the Stony Brook community to come together. brought HOT 97’s DJ Kass and DJ Kastone to campus, to the endless smorgasbord of bake sale goodies being sold as fundraisers at the SAC and even my own personal favorite, rugby matches at the South P Fields, helps contribute to giving students a better college experience. As someone who has commuted the entire time I’ve attended
Stony Brook, I would like to give some advice to anyone who feels they aren’t having a proper college experience: Find a club. Get involved. Tie yourself to this university in any way and it will pay you back tenfold. The turning point of my Stony Brook career, and the moment I realized how small-minded my article in April 2014 was, happened when
I joined Men’s Rugby. Through that club I made a network of friends that grew into connections within the other amazing organizations and people. Take the initiative to get involved and so many amazing doors will open. The realization of the truth of student life at Stony Brook will make you proud to say “I’m a Seawolf.”
10
Monday, May 8, 2017
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Sports
Monday, May 8, 2017
11
Jankowski and Van Dalen highlight Stony Brook Athletics HOF Class of '17
By Khondker Hossain Contributing Writer
Five alumni or former coaches will be inducted into the Stony Brook Athletics Rita and Kurt Eppenstein Hall of Fame, Stony Brook Athletics announced on Thursday. Travis Jankowski of the San Diego Padres and former Olympian Lucy Oliver (Van Dalen) highlight the Hall of Fame class of 2017. Jankowski, the 2012 America East Player of the Year, is currently in his second season with the San Diego Padres. He helped lead Stony Brook to its first and only College World Series. Against all odds, the team defeated LSU in a three game series on its way to its 2012 College World Series appearance. He set seven different single season program records in 2012. His 110 hits, .414 batting average, 11 triples, 79 runs and 36 stolen bases were all record shattering. The season allowed him to be drafted in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Padres. In 474 career at-bats, Jankowski has 34 stolen bases. However, he is currently on the 10-day disabled list with a bone bruise in his right foot. But right now, he is just happy to hear his name will be enshrined in his alma matter’s hall of fame. “You kind of take time and realize on a personal level what you did there,” Jankowski said. “To be inducted into such an elite class of hall of famers is an honor. As far as baseball players go... I think it’s just Joe Nathan and Tom Koehler, who are great pitchers in the Major Leagues.”
Lucy Van Dalen, who graduated from Stony Brook in 2012, has 13 indoor and outdoor track program records. Some of these records include the women’s 800, 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000-meter races. She was also a member of several record-holding relay teams such as the 4 x 800-meter relay and the distance medley relay. Following her success at Stony Brook, Van Dalen participated in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. She represented both the Seawolves and New Zealand in the 1,500-meter race. Van Dalen advanced to the semifinal round, but she did not advance to the final. She also attended the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, competing in the 5,000 meter race and finishing fourteenth in her heat. Dave Alexander was the head coach of Stony Brook’s swimming and diving program from 1979 until 2012. He not only coached the program for 23 years, but he also founded the women’s program. More than 100 of Alexander’s female swimmers earned All-Metropolitan Conference honors, four All-Americans and over 20 NCAA Championship Qualifiers. Alexander led the men’s team to the Metropolitan Conference Championship title in 1998. He received the Metropolitan Conference Coach of the Year award in 1991, 1996 and 1998, and had recorded over 300 wins in dual meets. He coached until his death in 2012, after a prolonged battle with cancer. Alyssa Breres (Struzenberg) also
COURTESY OF THE SAN DIEGO PADRES
Travis Jankowski (right), is the first former Stony Brook Baseball position player to play Major League Baseball. He is the third baseball player to be inducted to the Hall of Fame. joins the year’s list of Hall of Fame inductees. The Stony Brook Softball alumna graduated in 2010 as one of the best players in program history. Her 76 wins and 853 strikeouts are both program records. Breres won the 2008 America East Pitcher of the Year and was a three-time America East first-team athlete. Her play helped lead the Seawolves to their first NCAA Division 1 Tournament berth in 2008. Aside from numerous athletic accolades, Breres was also an equally impressive and accomplished
student. She was selected twice to the CoSIDA Academic all-District team and also received an NFCA Scholar Athlete award twice. She graduated summa cum laude in 2010 and is currently working as an account executive at Broadridge Financial Solutions. The university also recognized its older athletes, inducting former Stony Brook Men’s Basketball player Earl Keith. The 1979 graduate was the leading scorer in the 1977-78 team that made it to the NCAA Division III Final Four. The team was
known as the Stony Brook Patriots at the time. Keith ranks third in program history with 1,793 career points and has the second-most field goals made, behind Jameel Warney, in program history with 778. He averaged 21.7 points per game in each of his first two seasons with the team. Keith went on to play professionally in Italy and Germany. An induction ceremony will take place on Oct. 13 during Homecoming weekend to celebrate the careers of those inducted in the class of 2017.
Softball sweeps Binghamton, solidifies No. 3 seed in America East Playoffs
By Nick Zararis Staff Writer
The Seawolves picked up their first weekend sweep of a doubleheader since the first week of April at University Field on Saturday. The sweep improves the team’s conference record to 9-7. Game One: Stony Brook 2, Binghamton 1 Stony Brook outlasted Binghamton, the first-place team in the America East, in a hard fought first half of a doubleheader. The Seawolves were carried by freshman starting pitcher Melissa Rahrich’s strong performance in the circle and at the plate in a 2-1 win. She threw her ninth complete game of the season en route to earning her eleventh win. The freshman flirted with a shutout for most of the afternoon before surrendering a solo home run in the top of
the sixth inning. In her seven innings of work in the first game she struck out six Bearcats. Rahrich’s 137.1 innings pitched leads the America East. “Definitely getting ahead in the count helps a lot,” Rahrich said. “I was able to throw drop balls on the corners that they were just watching.” A drop ball is the softball equivalent of a breaking pitch in baseball. The Seawolves struck first when sophomore right fielder Katelyn Corr hit an RBI single to left in the third inning, allowing her team to take a 1-0 lead. Rahrich helped out her own cause by driving in the decisive run on a single to right field in the bottom of the third. It was the final time a team scored. “These conference games are the most important part of our season,” head coach Megan T. Bryant said.
MARIE MATSUNAGA / THE STATESMAN
Melissa Rahrich pitches against Hartford on April 26. She leads the America East with 86 strikeouts and 137.1 innings.
“Binghamton came in as the No. 1 seed, so we’re looking at a double elimination tournament. This was a test.” The biggest test for Rahrich came in the top of the seventh inning. Two Binghamton hitters reached base on playable balls in the infield when the team was down to its final out. This triggered a mound visit and discussion with assistant coach Jamie Kertes. The talk seemed to calm her down as the next batter hit a soft fly ball to left field, ending the Bearcats chance at tying the game. Binghamton came into the series averaging 4.8 runs per game, but scored just one run against Rahrich. Her start lowered her earned run average to 3.52, which is the fifth-lowest ERA in the America East among qualified pitchers. “It was a tremendous day for this team, not only did we pitch it well, we played great defense and we did what we needed to do offensively,” Bryant said. Game 2: Stony Brook 4, Binghamton 1 Freshman left fielder Jourdin Hering’s bat helped the Seawolves ensure they would complete a sweep of the doubleheader. She had a game-high three hits and an RBI in the 4-1 win. The freshman’s lone RBI came on a single up the middle, increasing her team’s lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore starting pitcher Lindsey Hughes left 13 Binghamton runners on base. Hughes wiggled out of bases loaded jams in both the second and fifth innings. However, both times Hughes went to the drop ball
and forced weak ground balls that did not make it out of the infield. Hughes tossed 6.1 innings, surrendering a lone run on a fielder’s choice in the second inning. It was just the second game where Hughes allowed one run or less in five or more innings pitched. “She took a little while in the beginning to get settled in, but she did a great job,” Bryant said. “She was spinning the ball well, but she did run out of gas there at the end.” Bryant went back to game one’s starter, Rahrich, to close out the game. “Before the first game, Coach K [Kertes] said it’d either be me or Maddy [Neales] and just to be ready,” Rahrich said. “They had me loosen up in the sixth [and told me to] just be ready to go in. Anything can happen.” Rahrich came in with runners on first and second with a 4-1 lead. She retired both batters she faced on soft pop flies to right field. Both were on fastballs that the batters were behind on. The freshman made her presence felt, not only as a closer, but at the plate as well. She had a two-run single in the bottom of the third, her only hit of the game. “The whole weekend [created a] clean slate for everybody,” Bryant said. “We’ve gone into the America East tournament as a number one seed and not won it, but we’ve also gone in as a three or four and won the championship. It’s a clean slate but this definitely gives us momentum going into a big week.” Senior shortstop Lexie Shue made the most of her final home
game. She hit her fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, extending her team’s lead to 3-1. The sweep raises Stony Brook to the No. 3 seed in the America East tournament, which will be played in Binghamton, New York. The playoff on Wednesday against Hartford.
Upcoming SBU Sports Schedule Womens Lacrosse Fri. - NCAA First Round vs. TBD @TBD Sun. - NCAA Second Round vs. Bryant @ 5p.m.
Track and Field Fri-Sun. - ECAC/IC4A Championships in Indianapolis @ TBD
Baseball Sat.- vs. Binghamton (DH) at noon Sun. - vs. Binghamton at noon
Softball Wed-Sat. - AE Playoffs vs. Hartford @ TBD
SPORTS
Ohlmiller sisters lead Women's Lacrosse to fifth straight AE Championship
By Joseph Konig Staff Writer
A year ago Monday, en route to its fourth straight America East championship, Stony Brook Women’s Lacrosse needed two goals in the last 90 seconds to overcome Albany and win 9-8. On Sunday, on the way to their fifth straight America East championship loss, the Great Danes needed two goals in the last 90 seconds to overcome a seven-goal deficit. They could not take advantage of the karmic irony and fell short, 14-12. “Three goals separating the last two championships. I don’t have any more words for it,” Albany head coach John Battaglino said. “I wasn’t around, but I guess I feel like the old Brooklyn Dodgers.” Unfortunately, for Battaglino, the Brooklyn Dodgers lost only four World Series to the New York Yankees over their notorious six-year stretch of futility from 1947-53. This year’s America East Championship makes five title losses in a row for the Stony Brook-Albany rival. The win was Stony Brook’s 26th straight in America East play and thirteenth straight overall. The effort, led by junior attacker Kylie Ohlmiller’s six goals, improved the Seawolves’ overall record to 18-1 heading into the NCAA playoffs. “We’ll play anyone, anywhere, anyhow. I don’t back down from anyone.
ANNA CORREA/ THE STATESMAN
Junior attacker Kylie Ohlmiller (above) receiving the game's Most Outstanding Player honor. Ohlmiller led the Seawolves to their fifth straight AE Championship. They don’t back down from anyone,” Stony Brook head coach Joe Spallina said. “That’s kind of our Long Island mindset.” Ohlmiller netted her first goal in the first 40 seconds. She quickly added two more in the next five minutes. “You can write this in capitals if you want: she is the best player in the country period,” Spallina said of Ohlmiller, reciting a familiar line of his. Albany senior attacker Dakotah Sav-
itcheff matched Ohlmiller’s hat trick in the first half. Even so, the game went into halftime with Stony Brook leading 7-4. Ohlmiller, who was named the America East tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after the game, finished the day with eight assists and three points shy of the all-time Division I records in those categories. “I know for a fact [other candidates for the Tewaaraton award] haven’t
been asked to do what I asked her to do,” Spallina said. “And that’s strap the team on her back.” The path to the America East Championship and a run in the NCAA tournament was forged by Ohlmiller’s historic season after senior attacker Courtney Murphy — who had 100 goals in 2016 — went down with a season-ending ACL tear. “I knew it was my time to step up. Someone had to be that energy source
for the team. I love that role,” Ohlmiller said. “But we have so many of those [players] on the team. All of our captains, all of our seniors. There’s just so much energy.” One of those recurring sources, senior attacker Sam Jaffe, was working overtime late in the second half. She nearly leaped into the stands as Stony Brook’s seven-goal lead slowly dwindled. The Seawolves were up 13-6 with 13 minutes to go in the game. Stony Brook midfielders, lead by sophomore Keri McCarthy and senior Dorrien Van Dyke, dominated the draw controls for Stony Brook, out-drawing Albany midfielders 17-3. Then, Albany won five of the next seven, pulling within two goals with 96 seconds to go in regulation. Stony Brook junior defender Carolyn Carrera knocked the ball out of the cradle of Albany senior attacker Kenzie Neal. Stony Brook sophomore goalkeeper Anna Tesoriero picked it up and passed it downfield. The game was over. “I have so much faith in Anna [Tesoriero] and Brooke [Gubitosi] and all those girls down there,” Ohlmiller said of the defense. Much of the rest of the offense came from Ohlmiller’s younger sister, freshman attacker Taryn Ohlmiller, who had three goals. Next up: the NCAA tournament. The Seawolves will host Bryant University on Friday night at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
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But at 28 days her eyes and ears have already begun to show. Education doesn’t have to end because a new life begins.
Need help? Call 631-243-0066 24 hours, 7 days www.aaapregnancyoptions.com
you could pick it up on the way to class... September 24, 2015 ...but sometimes that’s just too much effort. Statesman Advertisement Submitted by Respect Life Committee of St. James Church, Se Eric_G_Waxman@verizon.net H: 631-689-9759 Stony Brook’s only weekly paper also available online M: 347-834-1592
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• 25 minutes from campus • All expense paid probationary and EMT-B training • No prior experience needed • Gain valuable clinical hours and patient contacts • Learn lifesaving skills and gain experience • Probationary membership fee is waived for all Stony Brook Students COMMACK VOLUNTEER Contact Joseph Vollers: AMBULANCE CORPS fast-track application 200 Burr Road process! Commack, NY 11725 631-260-9161 631-499-9342 www.commackambulance.org
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