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OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Thehudsonian.org

Volume 68, Issue 11

November 24th, 2015

$ENATE RAISES BILL

Photo Illustration by Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN

By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor The Student Senate unanimously voted to increase the student activity fee $5 for the next two academic years last week.

“It was bizarre to me that it went through that easily, but I think we made it look a lot easier than it was because we spent a

long time as an executive board looking [at] it,” said Student Senate treasurer Josiah Dillon.

The student activity fee will be raised from $50 to $55 if passed by the Faculty Student Association.

“I think we really made some leeway in making a heavily important decision that will affect campus life,” said freshman senator Stephen Pelletier. The vote had unanimous support in

the Senate and no abstains. The only senators absent from the vote were Kara VanGuilder and Shreshta Kota.

Senior senator Audrey McKee originally hoped the fee would stay the same, but changed her position at last week’s meeting.

“After hearing the past history and [learning about] prices going up, it just made more sense to raise it a little bit,” said McKee.

“I think $5 is good. If you think about it, it’s not that much per person but if look at all the students who will be enrolling … it’s a lot of money,” said senior senator Chris Orzeszek. Last year, the student activity fee collected $802,562.

“The increase alone will allow us to absorb a lot of the added expenses without having to make any additional cuts,” said

Alfredo Balarin, assistant director for student life. Due to a drop in enrollment over the last two years, the Student Activities budget has decreased. This year, enrollment dropped two percent.

The Student Activities club budget has been cut four percent over the last two years. “Clubs are now submitting budgets and we don’t have enough money to fund them,” said Balarin.

Inside News

Inside Features

Inside Sports

Stewarts

Josiah Dillon

Basketball Twins

$1,000 granted to Emergency Assistance Fund.

Page 2

Student Senate Treasurer’s life changing journey.

Page 7

Continued on page 2

Palmer brothers take the court.

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November 24th, 2015

NEWS

The Hudsonian Hudson Valley Community College 80 Vandenburgh Ave. Troy, NY 12180 Phone: 518-629-7568 Email: hudsonian@hvcc.edu Editor-in-Chief Matt Whalen

Emergency Assistance Fund granted $1,000 at Stewart’s Shop ribbon-cutting By: Rebecca Jordan Junior News Editor

Managing Editor Tyler McNeil Business Manager Patrick Gareau News Editor Durgin McCue Sports Editor John C. Longton III Photo Editor Marison Topinio Copy Editor Dae-Jin Yuk Junior Editors Jenny Caulfield Rebecca Jordan Staff Writers Sam Kobylar Samantha Longton Wanda Lewis Staff Photographers Mikey Bryant Jenny Caulfield

Stewart’s donated $1,000 to Hudson Valley’s Student Emergency Assistance Fund at the grand opening of its newest shop on Friday.

The afternoon began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was attended by government officials and Stewart’s executives.

After a “ribbon” of Stewart’s coupons was cut, Hudson Valley President Drew Matonak accepted the $1,000 check to the college alongside Mark Mitchell, treasurer of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, and Josiah Dillon, Student Senate treasurer.

“Many of our students

find that they have obstacles – financial obstacles, or other things that occur during their time at Hudson Valley that impact their ability to complete their degree.

This contribution is going to help us help those students overcome those obstacles so they can meet their educational needs,” said Matonak.

The newest addition to Stewart’s 331 stores is located on 50 North Greenbush road and is within walking distance of Hudson Valley. It boasts madeto-order sub sandwiches, whole pizzas and pizza by-the-slice, and a walk-in cooler called a beer cave in addition to its traditional ice creams, drinks, and snacks.

“I drive home that way, and I can see myself stopping

there every once in awhile,” said William Polverelli, liberal arts student.

There is still construction to be done on the new building, but the shop was open for business Wednesday, Nov. 18 before its official opening on Friday. By the end of 2015, Stewart’s will have opened two brand new stores, including the one by Hudson Valley. It will also have completed the rebuilding of six other shops in addition to performing dozens of remodels and additions throughout their chain.

“We’re really excited about the partnership [with Stewart’s], we’re really excited about them joining our community here and we wish them a success,” Matonak said.

Faculty Adviser Rachel Bornn Letters to the Editor Letters can be delivered to CTR 291 or emailed to hudsonian@hvcc. edu. Readers may have their letters published anonymously as long as their identity can be verified. Letters will be edited for grammar, style, libel and length.

Calendar of Events November

Tue 24

Mindfulness Meditation 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm Siek Campus Center, room 220 (Interfaith Prayer Room) Yoga 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm Siek Campus Center, Suite 270

Wed 25 Thu 26 Fri 27 Sat 28

Holiday - College Closed Holiday - College Closed Holiday - College Closed Holiday - College Closed

December

Editorial Policy All views expressed in this paper are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the The Hudsonian or the College.

Tue 1

The Hudsonian is the exclusive student newspaper of Hudson Valley Community College. It is published every week. To join The Hudsonian, attend our weekly meeting on Mondays at 2 p.m. in ADM 107.

Weather

TUESDAY High/Low 68/46 WEDNESDAY High/Low 70/49 THURSDAY High/Low 64/48 FRIDAY High/Low 64/45 SATURDAY High/Low 59/42 SUNDAY High/Low 61/42

Mindfulness Meditation 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm Siek Campus Center, room 220 (Interfaith Prayer Room) Yoga 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm Siek Campus Center, Suite 270

Mikey Bryant | THE HUDSONIAN The ribbon-cutting included an appearance from Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino.

From Page 1

Activities fee “When we need money, we take it out of somewhere where we don’t have to have the money so when we don’t have to have the money it leads to less opportunities for students,” said Student Senate vice president Bryce Kirk. He said that discussions about student fees with the Faculty Student Association and athletic department began last month.

According to Kirk, the athletic department is hoping for the Senate to increase fees as much as $15 later this month.

At the meeting, senior senator Chad Albright suggested raising the fee as high as $15. “The more [money], the better,” he said.

If the fee was approved for $15,

Albright mentioned, the senate would have more money to fund a radio club, a platform he has held since last spring while running for Student Senate President.

Despite suggesting a higher fee, Albright voted to raise the student activity fee $5 for the next academic year. “I had to go with the majority,” he said.

Senior senator Erika Pelletier argued in response to Albright’s original suggestion. “I think to go from one price all the way up to $15, [although] it doesn’t sound like much, a lot of students would be very angry,” she said. She was the only senator currently in the organization to vote on the student activity fee back in 2013 when it was raised $5.

For full-time students, the student activity fee has been raised $20 since 2008. For parttime students, the fee, which is

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currently $4, has only increased by $1 over the last seven years and will be 25 cents higher next academic year.

Although he voted to pass the fee, in hindsight, freshman senator Saydou Bonsa believes there should’ve been more discussion among senators. “I might’ve voted against it if I had a second vote,” said Bonsa.

Along with the increase, a vote passed making the student activities fee mandatory for the next two years. Bonsa believes select students should be exempt from paying the student activity fee. “Not every student joins club or participates in community service so it shouldn’t be mandatory for every student,” he said.

Cybersecurity 101 Program Kick-off Event 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium

Thu 3

Fri 4

Intramural Sports: Bean Bag Toss 1:00 pm In the Siek Campus Center

Holiday Banquet Franklin Terrace, 126 Campbell Avenue, Troy, NY 12180, USA

The Hudsonian’s next publication will be Tuesday December 8.

November 24th, 2015

NEWS

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Program gets $90,000 accredition boost from SUNY By: Durgin McCue News Editor A $90,000 grant from SUNY will allow Hudson Valley to begin the accreditation process of its health information management and technology program.

According to Phillip White, dean of business, engineering and industrial technologies, new policies have made it difficult to find a job without having a degree from an accredited program. After the course, accredited students will be able to sit for a licensing exam.

White noted that the current course model is already similar to standards of

Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM) so changes to the curriculum should be minimal.

CAHIIM is the agency responsible for accrediting the program at Hudson Valley.

The process is estimated to take 2 years, but after the initial application, the program will be considered accredited while under review.

The grant, partially authored by assistant professor Barbara Lamarche, is considered competitive though most proposals are funded. Over 35 percent of the funding from last year’s grants went to healthcare related programs.

“We get a lot of grants from the state and federal government which are linked

to specific programs or curriculums as is the case here. we get an awful lot of money that way,” said Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing Eric Bryant.

This semester, Hudson Valley has received over $1,000,000 in contributions in the form of donations and grants. Last Wednesday, the college announced that it received a $25,000 donation that will allow them to give a $1,000 scholarship annually to a student in the electrical technologies program.

About 35 students graduate from the program annually. The college predicts that the program will attract about 6 new students in the first semester after the accreditation process begins.

The grant is part of the SUNY Higher Needs program which has given over 30 million dollars to colleges across the state since 2006. The program seeks to fill jobs in new and expanding industries such as engineering and nursing. The college cited the increased need for healthcare professionals because of a rapidly aging baby boomer generation.

SUNY reports that since 2013, the initiative has helped over 2,000 students receive training for a job in high demand.

SUNY also claims that more than 50 new faculty members were hired with the grant money. At Hudson Valley, most of the money will going towards hiring an accredited faculty member to lead the program.

Panelists discuss body art at the end of lecture series By: Jenny Caulfield Junior Creative Editor More than 70 students attended the panel “Putting Together The Pieces of Body Modification”, which addressed the psychological, legal, and health risks associated with tattoos and piercings last Wednesday in the BTC. The panel consisted of John R. Ostwald, associate professor at Hudson Valley, Veronica Barber, a third-year student at Albany Law School and Rosemary Ostwald, senior sanitarian at the New York State Department of Health.

John addressed the psychological aspects of body modification, Barber discussed the legal standpoint of body modification, and Rosemary discussed the public health risks associated with modifications.

“I thought they had three good different perspectives to talk about it,” said Barber. “I think the health part is super important and people don’t always think about that, they just rush to get something done and don’t necessarily think about those

repercussions.”

“Every time you expose yourself to a needle, you put your body at risk of infection,” said Rosemary. The health risks include diseases like tetanus or staph infections, which have side effects like itching, redness, swelling or blood thinning.

Allergic reactions to tattoo ink can also occur. Currently there is no test to see if a person is allergic to tattoo ink. Rosemary also

recommends not getting tattoos or piercings during pregnancy.

“The physiological aspect I think is tough because, like [John] said, you never really know why somebody does it and I think everybody has their own personal reasons,” said Barber.

John discussed the psychological aspects of modifications including the reasoning behind why someone would get a tattoo or piercing.

“The reasons and motivations are complex,” he said. According to John, the reasoning can include rebellion, signs of pride, prominence or wanting attention.

Sometimes, the reasons for tattoos can be unclear. “Sometimes tattoos have their own special, personal meaning,” said John.

John himself plans to get his first tattoo in January of next year. “It’s going to be a symbolic tattoo for me,” he said.

Mikey Bryant | THE HUDSONIAN Panelists: Rosemary Ostwald (Left), Veronica Barber (Center), John Ostwald (Right), and host William Kent (Far Right).

Barber based her segment of the panel on discrimination based on body modification. According to Barber, courts are not eager to protect something a person can choose to do. “The courts have not dealt with body modification as something that needs to be protected,” she said.

Barber, who has a variety of tattoos and piercings on her body, has personally dealt with discrimination because of her tattoos. Despite seeing her tattoos as an art collection, she reports having to deal with people making split-second judgements based on her tattoos and piercings.

At job interviews, she would always cover her tattoos. After often finding herself altering her appearance to meet regulations, she became open to compromise.

“It’s part of the game,” she said.

Individual studies student Heather Phillips was one of many who attended the lecture. Phillips has one tattoo located on her chest and one piercing through her nose. “You can cover [tattoos] up, but you should also be proud,” she said. “It’s part of you, it’s how you want to represent it or how you don’t want to represent it.”

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November 24th, 2015

NEWS

Alumni Foundation and Workforce Development Institute return to campus By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor Two Hudson Valley offices will leave the Rensselaer Technology Park to fill new space in Fitzgibbons Hall next spring.

“It’s going be a whole lot better for us and hopefully better for the students who we intend to serve,” said Rich Bennett, associate dean of Continuing Education, Summer Sessions and Workforce Development.

The Alumni Foundation and Workforce Development Institute are projected to move into Fitzgibbons Hall between January and mid-February. “Relocation in Fitzgibbons creates an opportunity which allows for the Foundation Board of Directors and staff to further ingrain themselves into the campus community and work collectively with other departments to further the mission of Hudson Valley Community College,” said Regina Lagatta, interim executive director of Hudson Valley Foundation, in an email.

Both offices will share the former location of health services. “The Foundation staff team is excited to be back on campus with its community,” said Lagatta. Despite the two office’s departures from the Rensselaer Technology Park next year, the cardiorespiratory and emergency medicine department will remain at the location.

Hudson Valley first rented space on Jordan Road in 2009.

“It made sense for a little while considering the space constraints [that] the college was facing,” said Dennis Kennedy, director of marketing and communications.

After the Science Center was completed in 2013, according to Kennedy, the college had more area with additional laboratory space left vacant. “Moving the [Alumni] Foundation and Workforce Development Institute back to campus makes sense from an operational perspective and it also allows us to reduce our rental commitment off campus and save money,” said Kennedy.

Alexander Popovics, vice president for enrollment

management and student development, started developing a project to move and consolidate departments around campus about three years ago. The project was approved by President Drew Matonak in spring 2013.

The Wellness Center, along with the Center for Careers and Transfer (a merger of the Center for Counseling and Transfer and the Center for Careers and Employment) opened in the Campus Center earlier this semester. “The setting is very conducive to taking care of students. It’s just a wonderful place to work,” said Claudine Potvin-Giordano, director of the Wellness Center.

When the advisement and new student orientation offices merged in Fitzgibbons Hall, this left new space open nearby in Brahan Hall, at the site of the former individual studies offices.

Those spaces were taken by the office of planning and research formerly located in Guenther Hall.

Graphic by Tyler McNeil | THE HUDSONIAN The distance between Hudson Valley’s main campus and the Rensselaer Technology Park.

PREVIEW

Senate anticipates high attendence for holiday feast By: Samantha Longton Staff Writer The Student Senate is expecting a large turnout for this year’s winter banquet, where students can enjoy free food and entertainment.

Student Senate vice president Bryce Kirk believes that the dance is a great way to make connections with other students on campus “It’s personally a wrap up of everything done in the fall. If you’ve been really stressed out with tests and grades it’s a nice little get together where you can finally settle down,” said Kirk. “I think it’s really nice as a school to put that on for the students [so] they know that we care about them.” Last year, the banquet had over 100 attendees.

“The biggest thing we had to do was pick the venue, it was kind of exciting to look at the different options and for us as students to get to decide that was pretty cool,” said Student Senate treasurer Josiah Dillon. The banquet is semi-formal and will be held at

HUDSONIAN.ORG

the Franklin Terrace in Troy.

“This year we’re going to have a bus line, and the venue is right down the road so we’re hoping for more people to come,” said Kirk.

“We are the highest rate of commuters for the SUNY system.

So it’s kind of hard getting students to become active on campus when you have kids living 30 [or] 40 minutes away,” said Dillon.

Dillon has been attempting to advertise the event though fliers and word of mouth. “Instead of just hanging fliers up, we cut them down to quarter sizes and physically hand them out in places like the library and campus center. We saw such success with this while campaigning that we figured we’d do that for big events like this to get people to come,” he said.

The student activities department plans to start finalizing plans and distributing fliers around the school this week. Students are encouraged to register to attend the free banquet.

To register, students can go to the Student Activities office with their student ID and sign up to attend.

November 24th, 2015

NEWS

5

Marison Topinio | THE HUDSONIAN Director of Dining Services John Poole moves around a slab of brisket on a chopping block.

Chartwells experiments with new specials to keep up with trends By: Samantha Longton Staff Writer According to director of Dining Services at Hudson Valley John Poole, the preparation for the pulled pork and brisket specials typically starts on Tuesday because making them up to students’ standards takes longer.

They have to unpack, age, and dry the meats, create and add the rub, and leave it overnight. The next day, everything is smoked

in the ovens for nine hours at 225 degrees which, “tenderizes the meat and makes it able to stay juicy,” said Poole.

“I think [the food] is actually very good. I’m actually very surprised because I hear that people in community colleges and four year colleges don’t think that the food is very great, but I think it’s really good here,” said Katie Pozzi, a business administration student.

“It’s a lot better than high school,” added Courtney Newcomb, a business marketing

student. “The food is actually prepared well, and it looks like something my mom would make, so it’s really good.”

The Hudson Valley Chartwells program plans to keep the brisket and pulled pork on the menu for the rest of the semester.

Poole hopes students and faculty will give either of the dishes a try.

“We look at things that are a little bit different, but still familiar. A lot of students haven’t had brisket before, but they’ve had beef, and not a lot have had pulled pork before, but they’ve had ribs or

pork chops, so it’s not completely different,” said Poole.

With a variety of options like pizza, a burrito bar, mac and cheeseology, salads, sandwiches, and the newly-added pulled pork and beef brisket, some students are pleased with both the convenience and tastes of campus dining. Some students report that they started eating on campus because of the convenience, but then the quality of the food kept them coming back.

Poole expressed that Chartwells’ goal is to provide a

high quality meal to students at reasonable prices.

He believes that implementing a diverse food selection will increase students’ overall experience with Hudson Valley’s dining program. “When we pick a new special, we try to see what’s popular or trending, and we ask students what they would like to see added to the menu. Ultimately, they’re the consumers,” said Poole.

Public speaking club looks to engage audience By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor “Everyone has something to do,” said Public Speaking Club president Joshua Dayter at the club’s first official meeting last week.

Every meeting, members switch their roles in the new club from speakers to evaluators.

“There’s a wide scale of exposure,” said club vice president Chad Albright.

Student Senate president Everett McNair has been involved in the club since its first unofficial meeting last month. “You could be a very good [Student Senate] president without public speaking skills but just on a personal level, I would really like to become an excellent public speaker,” said McNair.

The club is loosely based off of Toastmasters International, a non-profit public speaking organization. Dayter mentioned

that being involved in Toastmasters International for over a year inspired him to start a club on campus, but made changes to the club’s structure.

“I didn’t want to make it too stressful,” he said.

The Student Senate approved the club’s constitution last week.

According to Dayter, the club has attracted a consistent following since their first meeting last month. “Everyone’s doing their part,” said club secretary Audrey McKee. Kevin Lutz, liberal arts student, hopes to take his experience with public speaking beyond the classroom. He believes working with the club in the future could make it easier to fight his nerves. “That’s my biggest thing [about public speaking]. My heart starts racing,” said Lutz.

Speakers shared personal experiences last week from the past to the present. Freshman senator Saydou Bonsa walked in front of the audience without

a script, speaking about fearing for his aunt’s life in Paris during the recent attacks. “I wasn’t really ready for a speech but, I didn’t want it empty so I started to give a speech and it really helped give me confidence,” he said.

According to Jordyn Applebaum, individual studies student, the public speaking club has allowed her to open up about her past. “I never really told [my] story which is why I came off kind of shaky but I’m glad I got to,” she said. After nearly exceeding her five-minute time limit,

Applebaum felt confident telling her story behind being a student athlete to the classroom audience.

“A lot of the things I’m telling other people not to do is kind of a self reminder,” said Jefri Nazri, human services student. While learning about the speakers, Nazri said last week’s meeting provided him an opportunity to learn about his own faults as an evaluator.

Being involved in years of theatre work at Averill Park High School, Public Speaking club treasurer Samantha St. Germain, saw the club as way to perform for

audiences without constraining her schedule. “It’s kind of like theatre but not as much of a time commitment,” she said.

After trying several clubs across campus, the Public Speaking club has been the only club Justin Hunt, business administration student, has stayed with the longest. “It’s just more fun. I feel like in a lot of the clubs I’ve been to so far, there’s a lot of clashing between club members and the leadership,” said Hunt.

Marison Topinio | THE HUDSONIAN Freshman senator Saydou Bonsa speaks to audience at meeting about his experience fearing for his aunt’s life in France during the Paris attacks.

HUDSONIAN.ORG

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FEATURES

November 24th, 2015

HUDSON VALLEY GETS BEARD By: Wanda Lewis Staff Writer Beards are blooming across Hudson Valley in the fourth week of No-ShaveNovember. What are some of the reasons that men are letting their facial hair grow?

Culture: “Culturally, overseas in Muslim and Arab countries, [they] like that,” said Nasir Ahmed.

Price: “I like not having to shave, it’s incredibly expensive,” said Andrew Farina.

New experience: “I just retired from twenty-three years in the military where we had to shave all the time, so now I’m just growing a beard,” said Darrin Smith.

Identity: “Personally, I think I look better with facial hair… Mostly for me, it’s part of my style, and I like being able to show off the fact that I’m capable of growing one. It’s one of those things that you don’t really see a lot, especially ones that are either bushy or long or both, so it’s a nice way to differentiate yourself from others,” said Garrick Johnson.

Awareness: Traditionally, participating men grow their beards out until the end of the month in support of the cause and to essentially grow hair for those with cancer who usually cannot.

“I heard about it being prostate cancer awareness, and I know no-shave-Movember is supposed to be just mustaches, but they also do general men’s overall health awareness, so I don’t really focus on just prostate. I try to look at all men’s health awareness,” said John Syne.

What do women think of beards?

“I love ‘em! It’s the best thing ever! It makes a man look more grown up and more mature. I like a guy to never shave, but that’s just me,” said Marcy Dean.

“I don’t really like it super scruffy. I like a solid five o’clock shadow,” said Meghan Riley.

“I think they’re kinda cool. It gives guys like a manliness about them ... I guess it depends on how long it is. If it’s too long it might be annoying, it might smell like a sandwich- I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing either- but I feel like they should groom it,” said Nathelia Bowman.

Lauren Sears ’15, Communications Concentration in Journalism, Minor in Business Producer, Time Warner Cable News

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Saint Rose accepts up to 70 credits earned at two-year colleges and up to 90 credits from four-year colleges. Plus, the College has several articulation agreements with Hudson Valley Community College which plan and sequence coursework to easily transfer into pre-selected majors without loss of credits.

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November 24th, 2015

FEATURES

7

From pump fakes to portfolios: Student Senate Treasurer invests in the future By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor Hudson Valley has been a part of Josiah Dillon’s household for over half of his life.

“This institution has probably given more to my immediate family than any other family I’ve ever known that has gone here,” he said.

Dillon’s mother faced financial hardships prior to getting employed by the state after graduating Hudson Valley in 2004. An early divorce left Dillon’s mother struggling to get by, left with a family business.

“Everything I’m doing wouldn’t be possible if she didn’t turn her life around and turn her family’s life around,” said Dillon.

Along with raising Dillon and his sister while studying computer information systems at the college, his mother ran a daycare and struggled to keep her business afloat left after the divorce. “[She] would’ve never let on that there was any problem to her kids. She’s very strong mother,” he said.

He recalled situations where the electricity was cut off because his mother was unable to pay the electric bill. According to Dillon, one winter, being unable to pay the town’s garbage bill, his mother stashed garbage in the garage. “I was so young that I remember it just enough to be extremely grateful for what I have now,” said Dillon.

Despite valuing his mother’s decision to enroll at Hudson Valley, education was not always one of Dillon’s priorities. “I was lazy with school but, I was never a lazy kid. I just focused on the wrong things,” he said.

Starting in middle school and peaking in high school, Dillon devoted much of his time to

basketball, playing year-round for Ballston Spa and Team 518. “I was always the first one there and the last one out,” said Dillon.

He originally hoped to play division three college basketball, but after switching coaches and moving closer to college, Dillon started turning his focus towards academics. Over time he grew tired of “disappointing” his family with failing grades. “It was basically just like spitting in [my mother’s] face with all the hard work she did to give me a better life to waste it all away,” said Dillon.

After six years on the court, Dillon looked at his future, reaching as far as retirement.

Last year, Dillon opened up a Roth Individual Retirement Arrangement.

“The success certainly drives me more than the money but it’s almost like, if the success doesn’t pan out the way I want it to, I don’t have to worry about the money as long as I’m smart with it,” he said.

With the help of his grandfather, he started an investment account at the age of 12. He began putting holiday money into the investment account and later, grew the account with his own money from multiple jobs.

Last fall, Dillon came to Hudson Valley, determined to become involved in the Investment Club. By his second meeting, he ran against Kerry Gneiting for the club’s secretarial position and lost by two votes out of 14. “People kind of knew who I was right away. They knew my qualifications,” said Dillon.

In his second semester, as Dillon rose in the club, he started investing his time in the Student Senate. He worked alongside Brody O’Connor, a long-time friend since fourth grade. “We compliment each other pretty well working together,” he said.

As the Student Senate general elections approached, O’Connor and Dillon both campaigned under the LEAD Party ticket.

“That was honestly one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done in my entire life,” he said.

The election ended up having one of the highest voter turnouts for Student Senate elections with 648 total votes cast.

“All of a sudden, all of the things I’ve been working for all year were starting to be realized,” said Dillon. Along with winning the Senate treasurer’s position, Dillon became Investment Club president and the first student in college history to take a position on the Hudson Valley Alumni Foundation Board.

Earlier this month, Dillon, along with O’Connor, represented Hudson Valley at the SUNY Student Assembly fall conference for the first time since the 201314 academic year. “I really just want people to get involved and realize all these opportunities,” said Dillon.

This semester, he has taken on different roles on campus from heading the all-club’s meeting to competing in cross-country.

“I miss standing across from somebody and thinking, ‘I want this. You want this. Now, Let’s duke it out and see who gets it,’” he said.

With athletics, Dillon considers himself to be more qualified for the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence which he hopes to achieve in spring. “Coming in, I would’ve never guessed of it or known of it or imagined it but now, [the Chancellor’s Award] is high on my list of things I want to accomplish at Hudson Valley,” said Dillon.

Tyler McNeil | THE HUDSONIAN

JOIN THE HUDSONIAN STUDENT NEWSPAPER Meetings every Monday @ 2pm in the Administration building (ADM 107) For more information, stop by the office in the Campus Center (CTR 291), or email us at hudsonian@hvcc.edu HUDSONIAN.ORG

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FEATURES

November 24th, 2015

Student vocalist dreams beyond engineering to express identity By: Jenny Caulfield Junior Creative Editor Austin Falatek originally wanted to be an engineer, but decided to share his music with the world instead.

“I like technology stuff so I decided I would be an engineer and that sounds great, but that’s boring. I want to do something that’s fun,” said Falatek. Growing up, Falatek didn’t expect to have dreams of being a musician.

“I wasn’t really into music at all in elementary school,” said Falatek. In the middle of sixth grade Falatek moved to Lansingburgh and found immediate difficulty in the school system. “It was hard because that’s the first year everyone is mixed together, and to be taken and thrown into a new environment was kinda hard,” he said.

Falatek turned to music to comfort himself in the transition.

“I needed something to drown myself out, so I started listening to music,” he said.

At the time, Falatek did not have a musical preference so

he would listen to anything he could get his hands on. He started developing an interest in bands such as Green Day, Korn, and Avenged Sevenfold, which helped shape the genre he would one day find himself performing in. “I liked the heaviness of it,” he said.

After being told by his friends to learn how to scream, Falatek decided to accept the challenge.

“One day it just kind of clicked for me,” said Falatek. “I was driving and I was like, ‘did I actually just do that?’ I got home and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, so I kept practicing,” he said.

With the classes Falatek is taking, he has found a way to incorporate engineering with music with his newfound ability to fix his own equipment. “It saves us money in the long run, when we actually break everything we can fix it,” he said. Now at 19-years-old, Falatek has plans for his band, No Words To Give, to take over the world with their music.

“It’s kind of a hard mindset to get into,” he said. “Learning how to scream made me think, maybe I can do this.” Feeling inspired,

Falatek started songwriting. He said, songwriting has been less challenging due to his passion for creative writing.

Falatek makes an effort to make his songs relatable. “It’s easier to write music people can relate to,” said Falatek. “Being able to relate to people without ever having to say a word to them is a pretty cool thing,” he said.

As for the future of the band, they have goals to get themselves back on track by finishing a debut EP with around six songs. “Of course the goal is to have someone like our music, get signed and go tour,” said Falatek. His ultimate goal is to play at Warped Tour, the largest traveling music festival in the nation.

If his dreams don’t come to light, Falatek keeps himself with a positive outlook on life. “I live my life a day at a time. What happened yesterday, who cares? It’s done. It’s over with,” he said. “At the same time, you have to look in the past to find the important things that people can relate to. I want to help people, and help them understand,” he said.

Jenny Caulfied | THE HUDSONIAN Austin Falatek screams into a microphone on campus.

Jenny Caulfied | THE HUDSONIAN Right next to Hudson Hall, Austin Falatek puts his feet on a table and squats.

HUDSONIAN.ORG

November 24th, 2015

SPORTS

9

L L A B T E K S A B S G N VIKI E G R A H C S E K TA 6-1 R ECOR D

HUDSONIAN.ORG

November 24th, 2015

SPORTS

10 Vikings Sports Schedule Women’s Basketball Thursday 12/03/15 vs. Dutchess @ 5p.m. (Home)

Men’s Basketball Thursday 12/03/15 vs. Dutchess @ 7p.m. (Home)

Men’s Ice Hockey Friday 12/04/15 vs. Siena Club @TBA (Away)

Women’s Basketball Saturday 12/05/15 vs. Finger Lakes @ 1p.m. (Home)

Men’s Basketball Saturday 12/05/15 vs. Finger Lakes @ 3p.m. (Home)

Erie sweeps Vikings in weekend series By: Sam Kobylar Staff Writer The Vikings Men’s Hockey team looked to improve their record in back to back games against Erie Community College last weekend at home after getting off to a 2-3 start to begin their season.

However, it wouldn’t come easy to the Vikings as they hosted a very talented Erie team that came into the two game series with an overall record of 5-2 and looked to make a statement to the Vikings that they were the best team in the NJCAA. That is exactly what happened as the Cats beat the Vikings by a combined score of 8-0.

Friday night was an allaround mess for the Vikings as Erie defeated Hudson Valley, 6-0.

This game got out of hand very quickly for the Vikings as starting goalie Nate Muller allowed three goals in the first period and Erie had 18 shots on goal in the first period alone to help give themselves a lead and some early momentum.

Erie then scored two more goals in just under a minute in the middle of the second period to extend the 5-0 lead over Hudson Valley, which ended Muller’s night as he was pulled after giving

up the fifth goal of the game in favor of freshman Jeff Smith. Muller exited the game on Friday night with 17 saves on 22 shots by Erie.

“I didn’t think Nate played bad, I just think that you put in another guy and hope that it might change the momentum of the game a little bit and unfortunately it didn’t work out that way,” said hockey coach Matt Alvey.

Erie eventually scored one more goal in the middle of the third period to secure a 6-0 victory over the Vikings in the first game of the two game series. This game was complete domination

by Erie as the Cats outshot the Vikings 50-22 in the game and scored on three of their four power play chances, a bit of a tough game for the Vikings penalty killing unit.

“It is hard to get a win, if we can’t get shots on net we can’t generate any offensive movement and we simply won’t win,” said freshman forward Gavin Litz.

“The adjustments we have to do is bearing down and getting pucks out and making right decisions with the puck,” said Alvey.

“When pucks are put on net by the goaltender we are picking up men in front and clearing them out and I think we did a pretty poor job of doing that tonight.”

The Vikings lost their second straight game to Erie on Saturday

2-0 in a well fought game between the two teams. Each team had 26 shots on goal and had their fair share of chances to score, but Erie was simply the better team.

Smith had a very solid game in goal as he had 24 saves in the game including 14 in a row in a scoreless first period. However, Smith was outplayed by Erie’s sophomore goalie William Korczynski.

Korczynski was very solid for Erie in the two games as he stopped all 48 shots that the Vikings had on him in the two games combined. Erie scored one goal in each of the second and third periods to help finish off their second win in a row against the Vikings at Hudson Valley.

“We are really having a tough time finding the back of the net.

Their goalie played great, their goalie played well. Our goalie played very well today and it was a tough loss because we did battle, we tried to win a hockey game,” said Alvey.

Even though the Vikings fell on the short end of this game to a very good Erie hockey team, Alvey believes that a game like this could boost their confidence.

“Our work ethic was a lot better today all-around. We were really willing to compete out there today and tried to win a hockey game whereas I thought yester-

day we were just kind of here, we weren’t really competing at a high level,” said Alvey on Saturday.

The team’s penalty killing did improve after Friday. After allowing 3 power play goals on Friday night, the Vikings penalty killing unit bounced back on Saturday and didn’t allow a goal in four power play opportunities by Erie.

“I truly think it came down to being committed to playing more of our systems and coming together and having great work ethic,” said Alvey on the improved penalty killing unit. There was a total of 14 penalties and 8 power play chances total in the game in what was a very tough fought game.

“I think it was a battle out there today, I think guys were trying to set their lines out there and everybody was trying to show what they had,” said Alvey. With two losses in a row to Erie, the Vikings overall record dropped to 2-5. Their next game isn’t until Dec. 4 when they take on the Siena Club Hockey at 7 p.m. “[We have to] focus on what we do best: dumping the puck in, chasing, banging bodies, which we did not do today,” said Litz on what the team needs to do to bounce back and get a win.

Vikings Scoreboard Men’s Ice Hockey

LOSS

Nov. 20 HVCC v.

Erie 0-6

LOSS

Nov. 21 HVCC v.

Erie 0-2

Women’s Basketball Nov. 18 HVCC v.

LOSS Adirondack 48-49 Marison Topinio | THE HUDSONIAN

Nov. 22 HVCC v.

LOSS Schenectady 52-56 Men’s Basketball

WIN

Nov. 18 HVCC v.

Adirondack 88-81

WIN

Nov. 22 HVCC v.

Schenectady 85-68

Hudson Valley struggles this past weekend giving up 8 goals combind to Erie as they fall to 2-5 on the season.

Sports writers wanted!

IF YOU LIKE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING, CONTACT SPORTS EDITOR JOHN C. LONGTON III @ J-LONGTON@HVCC.EDU - SPORTS FANATIC - ATTENDING GAMES - WRITING FEATURES AND GAME RECAPS - GETTING PAID

HUDSONIAN.ORG

November 24th, 2015

SPORTS

11

Vikings basketball gets double trouble By: Sam Kobylar Staff Writer

Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN

While two of Hudson Valley’s fall sports teams each had a set of twins in football and soccer this season, there are a new set of twins in town ready for their opportunities to play this winter.

The Palmer twins, Brandon and John, are both freshmen who play for the Hudson Valley Men’s Basketball team. Both Palmers are over 6 feet tall and each played high school basketball at Columbia High School in East Greenbush, New York. Brandon is majoring in business administration while his brother, John is majoring in individual studies.

Like most college basketball players, the Palmer brothers each started playing basketball at a very young age. “We have always played since we were little kids, we have always liked playing because we get to play with each other,” said Brandon.

His twin, John, said “My dad had me in the gym at an early age.

In fifth grade I started CYO.” Also, like almost every basketball player in the world, both of these guys have a huge love for the game. “[I enjoy] the feel of the game, going up and down the court, dribbling the ball and just getting shots up,” said Brandon.

“I just like being on a team, just like winning with each other,” said John.

Each had great success while playing at Columbia High, as both were part of a Columbia basketball team that made a Final Four appearance.

When asked about his favorite basketball memories, Brandon said “My senior year in high school we went to the Final Four and lost by two points in 5 overtimes.”

When asked the same question, John responded, “Definitely senior year in high school when we played [the Final Four] at the Times Union Center.”

Growing up as twins, the Palmers liked to cheer for opposite NBA teams as each Palmer’s favorite team comes from one of the biggest rivals in the NBA today - the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Brandon is a Bulls fan while John is a Cavaliers fan. Even though they like to support opposite NBA teams, both Palmers each love to watch one NBA player. That player is 2014-2015 NBA MVP, Stephen Curry.

When asked about who their favorite NBA players to watch are, both brothers simply said “Stephen Curry.”

While growing up, things got very competitive between the brothers. “It was crazy, we just competed all the time every time we played one on one, which is pretty much every day,” said Brandon.

“That has definitely been a big thing. We just competed every day during the summer.” said John.

Growing up really close to Hudson Valley made it a very easy decision for the twins on where to go to college coming out of high school. “It is close to home, about ten minutes, it was just the best option at the time,” said Brandon.

Since they go to Hudson Valley now, each brother is looking to move on to a four year school after their stay here. John said, “Hopefully I can go somewhere else after this and continue to play basketball.”

“I am trying to transfer to a D2 school on a scholarship,” said Brandon.

Both of these twins have both been huge assets so far throughout the first six games of the season for the Vikings and a big reason why the Vikings have won five of their first six games. Brandon’s breakout game came on the second game of the season where he led the team with 22 points and made five three pointers to help give Hudson Valley an 80-73 win over Cayuga.

While Brandon came up big in the Vikings second win of the season at Cayuga, John had a span of two games in a row where he had four three pointers. Both of those games resulted in wins for the Vikings. The first one came in the Vikings third game of the season where he scored 14 points (12 of them were three pointers) which led to a 110-74 win against Albany Pharmacy. John’s second breakout game came three nights later where he led the team with 26 points including four three pointers to help the Vikings improve to a 4-0 record in a tight win over Jefferson Community College, 92-86.

Throughout the first two weeks of regular season play, Vikings Men’s Basketball coach Mike Long really likes what he has seen from the Palmer twins.

“They have done very well, they bring an element of toughness to the team. They want to get better, work at the game, they both shoot the ball pretty well,” said Long. “They both play pretty good defense.

They run the floor, they are unselfish, they pass the ball so I am very pleased and fortunate to have both of them.”

Both of the Palmer brothers have gotten off to great starts so far this season and will look to keep this going throughout the rest of the season for the Vikings Men’s Basketball team.

Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN John Palmer

Brandon Palmer

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