THE
Hudsonian
Basketball team on a roll.
Page 12
OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Thehudsonian.org
Volume 68, Issue 9
EMMA DILLON ELECTED FRESHMAN CLASS PRESIDENT
FREE Extra Copies 25 cents
November 10th, 2015 HUDSON VALLEY CLUBS
Campus leaders strive to unite clubs By: Durgin McCue News Editor The first all-clubs meeting of the semester was held on Monday, Nov. 1 in an effort to connect clubs on campus. The meeting was initiated by Student Senate treasurer Josiah Dillon at 4 p.m., and ran for about an hour. The Senate sent out a message requesting that one representative from each club be present at the meeting. However, only nine clubs were spoken for at the meeting. “I’m going to try my very best to get a lot of people here next time. It kind of takes a while seeing as it is mostly through word of mouth,” said Dillon at the meeting. One of the focuses of the meeting was limiting inefficiencies and competition between clubs. “Oftentimes, teaming up is a much better way to go about that than just trying to compete against each other,” said Dillon. He cited incidences of competition between bake sales in the Campus Center. The floor was then opened for clubs to voice concerns and their plans for the coming semester. “These can be set-in-stone things, these can just be ideas, this is just a platform to get it out,” said Dillon. Continued on page 3 SOCIAL MEDIA ISSUE
Students ‘yak’ about controversial social media app By: Samantha Longton Staff Writer By: Jenny Caulfield Staff Writer Emma Dillon was officially sworn in as the freshman class president on Nov. 2. “I had adrenaline pumping through my blood,” said Dillon upon finding out she had won the presidency on Oct. 29. Dillon won the seat with 137 votes. “It was fun, and I was really excited to have won after putting in all the effort,” she said. “The election is over, but the campaign isn’t,” said Manik Elahi, one of the three candidates that ran for the position.“Almost one hundred people voted for me, so I’m not about to let those hundred people down after the elections are up.” Out of the 6,033 eligible students,
only 300 students voted. Elahi had 98 votes and Pelletier had 53 votes. Twelve students abstained from voting. “I feel pretty good. We have somebody who I know will do a great job in office.” said Stephen Pelletier, the other candidate for freshman class president. Despite losing the race for the presidency, both Elahi and Pelletier stay active in the Senate by attending the weekly Student Senate meetings. “I’ve been attending these meetings since I started attending Hudson Valley,” said Pelletier. “I feel as though it’s an obligation to come,” said Elahi about attending the Student Senate meetings. “I’ve been attending the meetings since the semester essentially began, because I’ve been associated with the senate since last semester.”
“I’m hoping to be appointed as a senator,” said Pelletier. Both Elahi and Pelletier see a position as senator in their future. Pelletier has already started to go through the process of becoming a student senator. “I started by sending out emails to the executive board members, so that way I can hopefully meet with them and get my interviews done. I know that working with the senate, i’ll be sure to do my fair part, as I know they will,” he said. Pelletier advocates for the student participation in college related affairs. “I’ve gone to every single volunteer opportunity I’ve had the chance to, and I’ve tried to encourage as many friends and as many people I’ve seen on campus to do the same,” he said. Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN
Heshan Ahmed, architecture student, met up with people through Yik Yak at Hudson Valley. “I think it’s a way for people to express themselves without knowing its them,” said Ahmed. Social media application Yik Yak has made its way to Hudson Valley campus by connecting students, acting as a platform for people in the area to post their own thoughts and ideas anonymously. “Personally, I think it would be convenient because not everyone wants to put themselves out in the open so that people know what they’re about or who they are,” said Tyi Nicholson, digital media student. “If you see somebody that you like in the library you don’t want them to know that you’re the one that posted about them because it makes it awkward.” According to the application’s main site, Yik Yak can help people get in touch with those around them. Students that check the Hudson Valley Yik Yak can find out things that are happening on campus, share their thoughts anonymously, and even meet up with new people. Continued on page 6
Inside News
Inside Features
Inside Sports
China
Table Tennis
Football
College looks to recruit students from the Far East. Page 2
Biggest campus club plans to get even bigger. Page 4
Vikings wait on a phone call for a bowl game bid. Page 11
2
November 10th, 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 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 Staff Writers Jenny Caulfield Rebecca Jordan Samantha Longton 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. Editorial Policy All views expressed in this paper are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the The Hudsonian or the College. 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
College moves brand recognition overseas in ‘Far East’ direction By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor In an effort to increase international student enrollment, the college looks to push its brand name into China and Vietnam. “It’s not just going to be one trip that will yield a great amount of students but, an ongoing effort to make connections with international high schools, students and families,” said Dennis Kennedy, director of communications and marketing. International student advisor Jay Deitchman travelled to China with Linden Educational Services, visiting high schools and college fairs in a handful of cities. “We thought that it was a good fit for the college considering our connections to other fouryear institutions in the area,” said Kennedy. “A lot of things came together to make this trip a very good idea,” said Director of Admissions Mary Claire Bauer. Out of two dozen other colleges across the
From Page 1
All clubs According to Dillon, student initiative is more important in this regard than that of advisors. “It’s really the advisor who is supposed to reach out to the interested students, but I think it’s better if a student does,” he said. Several clubs present at the meeting had plans for upcoming fundraisers, such as the equinox fundraiser being held by the Pride Alliance. Pride Alliance president Madison Hernandez expressed a desire to work with other clubs on campus to help collect food and clothing to donate to a homeless shelter. Chad Albright, a student senator, suggested that the Student
country, Hudson Valley was the only community college on the ten-day trip. “It was beautiful because [UAlbany] was on that trip and we were the only community college on that trip so, students that could not necessarily be accepted into [UAlbany] could be guided to
look at Hudson Valley,” she said. Part of the initiative to tackle international student enrollment was inspired by Fulton-Montgomery Community College, which has about 100 international students on its rural campus. While Fulton-Montgomery’s student population is 2,800, Hudson
Courtesy of Jay Deitchman
Valley has a population of over 11,000 students and yet, has a little over 30 international students. “It became obvious that we were missing something,” said Bauer. The college started moving closer to the option of travelling overseas to recruit internationally last spring, when student housing was expected in 2016. While the opening date of student housing was delayed, the college’s plans to move forward with international recruitment were unchanged. Next spring, Deitchman plans to travel to Vietnam to recruit international students. According to Deitchman’s research, a growing number of Vietnamese students are looking into the “2+2” option (two years of community college followed by two years at a four-year college). “With the emerging middle class, the economy and the recognition of the 2+2 option, community colleges are becoming very attractive to students in Vietnam and their families,” he said.
Chinese students hit Hudson Valley’s booth on the Linden Educational Services tour earlier last month. Senate sponsor an event where free food would be offered to bring students in and clubs could be represented at tables. Dillon expressed his agreement, “People love free food, we at the student senate are very aware of that.” Club interest lists were given out to new students at orientation this year which the clubs could then use to contact the new students. “For Investment Club, we had about 175 people interested, and I personally called all of them and we had a good turn out from that, so that is something we will continue to do. You should be getting those like once or twice a semester,” Dillon said. Jefri Nazri, a member of the tour guide club, suggested that clubs have a presence at the college’s open house on Nov. 14. Currently no club related promotions
are listed on the itinerary for the open house. “I don’t know too much about that, but I think it would be a phenomenal opportunity,” said Dillon. The meeting was well received by some of the clubs at the meeting. “I feel like there is no disadvantage to going to the all-clubs meeting. We get to know people from different clubs, and what we can do to improve ours. It’s a way we can all share our thoughts and improve Hudson Valley,” said Foreign Language and Culture Club president Shreshta Kota. She hopes that the All-Club Meeting will help her to promote the diverse cultures at Hudson Valley. So far, the Foreign Languages and Culture Club has not had any cooperative initiatives with other clubs, but Kota hopes to change that. She hopes to find
ways to bring the Russian Club and her club closer because they are both focused on foreign cultures. Kota is optimistic about the future of the all-clubs meeting. “In the first meeting I really learned a lot, and I feel like if we do it every other week it will grow a lot. It is going to succeed,”she said. Despite the first meeting being considered a success by both Dillon and Kota, others still see room for improvement. Audrey McKee, secretary of the Public Speaking Club, said, “I would like to see more people there from the different clubs, and possibly other students who are maybe even not involved in the clubs come to the meeting so they can learn about it.”
Calendar of Events November
Tue 10 Pride of Our Nation, Pride of Our College Opening Reception 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Marvin Library Learning Commons’ Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Atrium
Wed 11 Yoga 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm Siek Campus Center, Suite 270
Thu 12
CC Vagabonds 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium
Sat 14 Intramural Sports: Long Distance Putt 1:00 pm In front of Higbee Hall
Open House Student Pavilion, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Siek Campus Center
Corrections
From Issue 7: Charon was not the name of the bird mentioned in the headline, in the article. It was also not about a zoo, it was about a bird sanctuary. From Issue 8: Jordan Lourie was not arrested the week described in the lead.
HUDSONIAN.ORG
November 10th, 2015
NEWS
3
Required office hours shortened more than thirty percent by new contract By: Rebecca Jordan Staff Writer Under the new faculty contract, required office hours for professors have been reduced from one hour per class taught to 40 minutes. “It just gives less time for one-on-one with the teachers. It’s setting us up for failure, almost,” said Jonathan Binner, a business administration student. Some students agree with Binner,“I think it could be an inconvenience considering the size of some classes and multiple students needing help,” said Cassandra Squires, a biological sciences student. Construction technology student Janaye Heber said, “They are not available when I am. When I need help with something, I have to go to a student or a previous teacher who does have office hours.” Gregory Sausville, a history professor who also heads the Faculty Association, said that the recent reduction was due to new federal legislation that would force adjunct, or part-time, facul-
ty to go from teaching four courses a semester to three, or, in many cases, two. “The reasoning behind that wasn’t to disenfranchise any students, it was trying to keep the adjunct faculty from being unemployed,” he said. Hiring part-time instructors is more cost effective for colleges because it eliminates the extra costs required for full-time benefits. “You have people who have to teach at three different schools just to make ends meet. They don’t have health care, and that’s where it gets hard,” Sausville said. Sausville also pointed out that teachers are unlikely to turn away any students seeking help: “The vast majority of faculty are not going to kick students out of their office on a break.” Biology student Patricia Rivenburg was not as concerned as some of her peers stating,“While it is severely unfortunate that [teachers] will not be as available to students, I feel that students here still have so many different resources available to them, like the LAC, that, given they use them efficiently, then they should still be fine.”
Marison Topinio | THE HUDSONIAN Student sits down with professor during office hours in the Marvin Library.
SUNY approves sale of college property College awaits bidders for future site of student housing By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor
Tyler McNeil | THE HUDSONIAN Hy Rosenblum Administration Center no longer has signs up marketing student housing as the college looks to sell the property.
Over 30 acres of property were approved for sale by SUNY last week, pushing Hudson Valley’s hopes of moving student housing forward. Two weeks ago, a post was made on the college’s site requesting a proposal. In an appraisal report by Conti Appraisal & Consulting LLC on Oct. 26, the property was projected to sell within 12 to 18 months if “properly priced and marketed.” The Hyman Rosenblum Administration Building property is listed at $645,000 while the remaining property is listed at $195,000. Last week, the college held a pre-bid conference for the student
housing project. Bids are due on Nov. 23. “Of course, we will need to review [the bids] and are seeking approval but, at this point we’re moving forward and trying to get interest in the community,” said Dennis Kennedy, director of communications and marketing. Less than a month ago, the Rensselaer County Legislature approved the Board of Trustee’s decision to sell the Hyman Rosenblum Administration Center property. The Board of Trustees voted to sell the property on Sep. 22. after Omni Development struggled to finance the project, “It came to a point where the folks said, ‘We’re not hoping to get the financing put in place but we’re still out there looking and when we do it, we will get back to you’. That
leaves it kind of open-ended and I don’t believe the college was willing to do that,” Board of Trustees chairman Neil Kelleher told The Hudsonian last month. The project would have cost over $20 million to complete. The most recent opening date of student housing was moved to 2017 in August due to Omni Development struggling to finance the project which was originally expected to be complete by Fall 2016. Aside from the remaining property, the 2,000 square foot pressure house near the Hyman Rosenblum Administration Center will not be sold, because it is still under contract with the New York State Weatherization Directors Association until 2023.
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
4
November 10th, 2015
NEWS
Senate siblings seek volunteers for community service project By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor Erika Pelletier hopes to have Minions, toys and community service from the Student Senate brought to the Saint Catherine’s Center for Children Copson House. “These children who have such a troubled pasts have such life to them and it really makes you think, ‘If life’s hard for me now, imagine what these children feel’,” said Pelletier. Later this month, the Student
Senate Community Service Committee will renovate a room at the Copson House, a treatment center for children from difficult situations in Albany. The Student Senate passed a budget over $200 for the project’s paints, and the rest of the funds came from fundraising (bake sale: $119; coin drop: $67). “Anything [the Senate is] doing to help children in any way, shape or form is a great thing. It’s creative, it’s original and I think it’s great to get kids involved in anything that helps the community,” said Jessica Gilbert, one of two chaperones who will oversee
the room’s renovation on Nov. 21 and 22. The room will be unveiled after the project’s expected day of completion with an appearance from President Drew Matonak. “The Community Service Committee’s Minion bedroom is just one example of their leadership and compassion, and it’s sure to bring great joy to the children at St. Catherine’s Copson House in Albany. I am looking forward to seeing all of the smiles during the room’s revealing later this month,” said Matonak in an email. Two years ago, Erika’s broth-
er Stephen volunteered with the Copson House through an Eagle Scout project. Stephen raised $1,300 to put sports memorabilia in a child’s room at the facility. “The look you get to see on a child’s face when they get to see the room after the unveiling realistically makes all the work that you put into it instantly pay off,” he said. Along with her brother’s support in the Community Service Committee, Erika’s mother and uncle will be involved in helping volunteer for the project. “Everyone’s happy. Everyone’s proud. Ev-
Courtesy of Erika Pelletier Stephen Pelletier measures wall at St. Catherines Center for Children Copson House.
eryone’s excited,” said Erika. Her current goal is to have a minimum of four student volunteers every hour during the renovation. If the project lacks enough volunteers from the Student Senate, the committee has considered recruiting volunteers from the Black and Latino Student Union (BLSU) and the Cheerleading Club. “I love when students want to get involved and give back to the community,” said Larry Ellis, the current advisor for the BLSU. “We’re hoping to get more people to help out because it’s really just life changing to be a part of the project,” said Stephen. The Community Service Committee was largely inactive on campus last year. When Erika was reappointed as a senator earlier in the semester, she decided to resurrect the committee. This will be Erika’s last project with the Student Senate as she hopes to transfer to Russell Sage next semester. She is currently the longest standing senator in the Student Senate, working with the organization since Fall 2013. “I don’t know what people are going to remember me for when I leave Hudson Valley but, if they remember I helped a child and I did community service projects as much as I could then, I couldn’t ask for anything more,” she said. After Erika leaves, Stephen has considered leading the committee. “I believe in service to others and I believe that’s one of the most important things you can give to people,” said Stephen.
Why printing allowances were raised $10 this year for full-time students By: Rebecca Jordan Staff Writer Less than two percent of students met or exceeded their printing allowances last year. If students go over the budgeted amount, they have the option to add their own funds. Any money students add will carry over into future semesters as long as they are still enrolled at Hudson Valley, but this money is nonrefundable once students leave the college. Charles Youngman, financial accounting student, disagreed with the lack of refunds. “If you put a thousand dollars on [your account], there’s nothing you can do. That’s just dumb,” he said. In August 2012, Hudson Valley employed a new printing policy, one that would require students to pay for previously free and unlimited printing on campus. “I don’t mind much, considering it’s not too much per page,” said Abby Skarbowski, individual studies student. According to Dennis Kennedy, director of communications and marketing, the
college realized that they were one of the few colleges that offered unlimited printing to students. “We also realized students were doing less and less printing as there were more digital communications, and we moved to a balance, or allowance, for student printing to avoid any waste,” he said. Full-time students were originally given a $20 printing allowance when the policy was put into effect, equivalent to 250 single-sided, black-and-white printed pages, while part-time students were allowed $10. This year, the allowance increased to $30 per semester for each full-time student, or 375 printed sheets, and $15 for each parttime student. The allowance is renewed at the start of each semester. “Obviously I understand that ink is expensive, but tuition is a lot of money, and I feel like we should get printing for free,” said Alexander Ost, individual studies student. The new printing system allowed the college to expand its printing services. Students can now print wirelessly from their devices using the college’s ePrint option and have the ability to
send documents to a print station from anywhere. They can release the job once they arrive on campus, and can also print in color if they choose, which is a new feature as well. Brenda Hazard, director of the Marvin Library, is in favor of the college’s decision to place a fee on student printing. “It’s a green policy: it helps in terms of eliminating waste, it makes financial sense for the college, and it’s a reality for all library users that they have to think, ‘Do I really want this item that I’m printing?’,” she said. Hazard also commented that sometimes students would print a document and then never pick it up at the printer. In turn, this caused the library to generate
HUDSONIAN.ORG
about eight full tubs of paper recycling per day. Today, after the policy’s implementation, the library produces less than one full bin per day. “It makes us look like we’re good stewards of the money that the county gives us, that the state gives us, and that we get from tuition,” Hazard remarked. “I just think it makes a lot of sense in terms of how we’re using our resources.” According to Kennedy, “My understanding is that we just don’t necessarily have a process right now that would allow us to give printing refunds. We have been clear about the fact that we’re not able to do that.”
Illustration by Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN
November 10th, 2015
NEWS
5
Entrepreneurs Club names winner of speak-off competetion By: Rebecca Jordan Staff Writer
Tyler McNeil | THE HUDSONIAN Speak-off winner James Waller won the competition to build another community college in the Adirondacks.
James Waller took home the $100 prize at the Entrepreneurs club’s speak-off last Wednesday, as well as the chance to represent Hudson Valley at SUNY Plattsburgh in March. “There are a lot of people out there with a ton of great ideas, and it’s platforms like this that really spark the excitement, not just in the individual or the organization, but in the campus. This is the epitome of what an entrepreneur club should be doing.” said Waller, engineering sciences student, after the competition. Waller will be part of a four-person team to go to Plattsburgh on Mar. 4 to compete against 12 other colleges. In the past, teams have been given a real product to design and market, and have been required to present their ideas to the actual owners of the brand. The team will have the chance to win up to $7,000 in prize money at the competition. Waller’s speech centered on the declining population of Hamilton County, where he was raised, and the need for a community college in the area. During the competition, speakers were asked
REVIEW
KoriSoron delivers impressive performance in BTC By: Jenny Caulfield Staff Writer Instrumental acoustic trifecta KoriSoron hit the BTC auditorium with their blend of Eastern and Western music and an improvisational jazz flair last Friday, Nov. 6. “The important thing is reaching people,” said KoriSoron’s lead guitarist Scott Collins. Some of the first things that stood out while watching their performance was the musical capabilities of each member of the band. Based on the band’s background experience, it was clear to me that their talents surpass those of the typical musician. Both Collins and Farzad Golpayegani, violinist, have backgrounds in musical composition for various video games. Percussionist Dean Mirabito has a background in recording and international touring. The majority of their instrumentals are polyphonic (having two or more parts each with independent melodies that harmonize), which can be incredibly difficult to produce cleanly. “You always think of things that you could improve,” said Collins on their musical development. “As a musician, you’re always self-critical.” It was great to see the genuine enjoyment on all of the band member’s faces. Watching Kor-
iSoron, I sensed that they were three men who truly felt what they were playing, and that they knew how to perform for an audience. Collins, who had a look of passion and emotion on his face the during the entire performance, drew my eyes in his direction while strumming his bright red acoustic guitar. KoriSoron were musically dynamic in their performance, adding an extra element of anticipation and intrigue to their music. Watching them perform, I felt the band members communicate without words. Aside from the difficulty of their polyphonic instrumentals, they also follow complex time signatures. The typical time signature is 4/4, but the band performed a minute long instrumen-
tal, “Cadineasca,” in 9/16. “It’s flexible”, said Collins. “A lot of the stuff we play is in odd time signatures. The whole goal for me is to not make it sound like it’s in ‘9,’” he said. In order to reduce the complexity of some atypical time signatures, Collins tries to feel the signatures as quarter note beats, especially at higher tempos. The elegant melodic movements with influences from places such as Bulgaria, India, and Iran, had some students clapping along to the music, some students even dancing along. “Everyone’s been really great, the audience was really receptive to what we we’re doing, and the facility is great,” said Collins.
Marison Topinio | THE HUDSONIAN KoriSoron members play in polyphony in the BTC.
HUDSONIAN.ORG
to present a three to four minute speech that proposed a solution to a theoretical social problem they might be faced with as a social entrepreneur. There were 14 students who participated, and their topics ranged from the lack of education in third-world countries to how to ask someone out. Emily Connolly, who is currently a non-matriculated student hoping to enter the entrepreneurship program, took second place and was declared the competition’s alternate. Connolly outlined her idea to give a percentage of profits from a food-truck business to organizations that feed hungry children in the nation. Speech criteria included both content evaluation, such as relevance to the topic and speech development, and speech mechanics, such as volume and body language. Professors John Meehan and Joseph Stenard, as well as president of the club Sandra Thomas acted as judges. Stenard addressed the contestants as the speak-off drew to a close. “The presentation skills were excellent, the topics were excellent, there was a lot of emotion and feeling in these [speeches], and I commend you for doing it. This process is not for cowards,” he said.
FEATURES
From Page 1
Once a Yak is posted, it can be voted up or down by the people who have viewed it. When a Yak is down voted five times, it is automatically deleted from the app and no longer accessible to other viewers. Getting up votes and posting on Yak can give users “yakarma” which, according to the website, is a rewards system for people who interact with the app. “I feel like a lot of people make it inappropriate,” said freshman football player Brett Clarke. “People just post stupid stuff on there,” said Joesph Dinapoli, another football player. “On a college level, you wouldn’t really get anything meaningful out of [posting on Yik Yak]” The restrictions of posting on the application are minimal, but Yik Yak’s website reminds users that the users are responsible for what they submit. They also note that they do not promote harassment, racially or ethnically offensive language, abuse, or threats that are posted anonymously. If someone were to be reported for any of the listed violations, Yik Yak can take down their account
be d .” ul n co yaw at th the ns it’s io nt od fu g ly nk di ha bo , t ll us f a gio “O nta co
Yik Yak
and restrict their use to avoid fighting. Some students at Hudson Valley claim that they use the app just so they can read what others students in the area post. “[Yik Yak] is really inappropriate, people these days can find hook-ups and friends with benefits on it and it’s just gross,” said Basmah Ali, liberal arts student. “I think the anonymous posting is a little dangerous. As far as someone saying something like, ‘Oh that girl is hot,’ you shouldn’t be saying that, and I feel like people are more likely to say things like that when they aren’t going to be held accountable because they’re anonymous,” said individual studies student Laura Pierson. Despite believing that only a small percentage of students are engaged in Yik Yak, Dennis Kennedy, director of communications and marketing, urges students to monitor what they are posting and be careful about what they put on social media. “We encourage students to address concerns through official channels if they have them, but we do respect their ability to communicate through platforms that are not college sponsored,” he said.
“Use t for 5 he prom o 0% o ff yo code “N ur ne e xt m tflix” idter m.”
t what find ou o t y a w to do.” e best hips. Th N’T WANT s n r e t DO “In finitely you de
quotes courtesty of YikYak
Lauren Sears ’15, Communications Concentration in Journalism, Minor in Business Producer, Time Warner Cable News
MAKE YOUR CREDITS COUNT
Transferring to Saint Rose was the best decision I have ever made. My academic experience was demanding in the greatest way possible, and my professors pushed me to be the best journalist I could be.
Why transfer to The College of Saint Rose? 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. Merit Awards range from $8,500-$14,500 and PTK scholarships are available (all accepted transfer students receive a merit scholarship). Our goal is simple: to help you achieve yours. To transfer, contact us at 1-800-637-8556 ext. 1 or admit@strose.edu.
WWW.STROSE.EDU/TRANSFER
HUDSONIAN.ORG
November 10th, 2015 “it’ is f s call acc allin ed fa ou g, le ll b nt, e a gp ves, caus a, m tem e e oti per very vat atu thi ion re ng ,b .” an k
6
p ee a k me.” n n go rry ’m ma I u , so yo irt ntil fl to u u ow at yo h k n “Id rtig sta
“Org a coup nized a t h le of no sh reesome la ows, but i st night. t was H a goo ad a d tim e.”
Graphic by Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN
RIGHT WHERE YOU BELONG. www.plattsburgh.edu
PROGRAMS AVAILABLE AT SUNY PLATTSBURGH’S MAIN CAMPUS, QUEENSBURY CAMPUS AND HVCC EXTENSION SITE. CONTACT ADMISSIONS FOR DETAILS.
IMAGINE WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH.
8
FEATURES
Shreshta Kota drifts from subcontinent to student activities By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor At at age of ten, Shreshta Kota’s parents moved to the United States but she remained, at Narayana IIT academy, an all-girls boarding school in Southern India. Her classes at the boarding school started as early as 6 a.m. and ended at 1 p.m. but students were encouraged to keep studying for the next nine hours. Throughout her childhood, adjusting time around academics was standard. “In my family, they give a lot of value to education so everything comes after studies,” said Kota. Since the age of 12, flying to visit her parents every summer, which often took 24-26 hours, Kota became fascinated with various cultures she witnessed at airports from Qatar to Germany. “If you’re interested in learning about other cultures, you’ll always like it,” she said. During breaks, Kota
said that she sometimes encourages friends to attend cultural events. Earlier in October, Kota invited Student Senate members, including freshman class president Emma Dillon, to attend an Indian Festival in Albany. “When I used to travel a lot, I would ask a lot of questions to the people around me and I had so many different cultural experiences,” said Kota. Her experiences later inspired Kota, who speaks three different languages, to run for president of the Foreign Language and Culture Club. Born in Hyderabad, which has a population of 3.6 million people, she mentioned, moving to East Greenbush under her father’s VISA was a major change from living back in the Indian city. “It was weird for me in the beginning because I came from a place like New York City and I [now] live in a place where every apartment is so far from another,” she said. Along with adjusting to space, Kota has struggled to adjust to Upstate New York temperatures, grow-
ing up with temperatures sometimes reaching 104 degrees during the summer months. “The climate is really overwhelming,” said Kota who experienced her first snowfall last November. While withstanding temperatures, Kota was impressed by cultural freedoms which are still limited by tradition such as the ability to get divorced without shame. “You should think about [yourself] first,” said Kota. Although Kota favors progressive aspects of Western culture, she still misses pieces of her past back home. Kota makes an effort to keep communication strong with family living across the globe. “My grandparents are really sweet. I love them and I really miss them a lot,” she said. As Kota remains in the United States, despite missing family and friends, she looks forward to becoming a citizen. “I want to go back to India but I don’t want to stay there. I love the culture and I love the people here,” said Kota.
November 10th, 2015
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
Get paid to: - write - take photos - make art - hold editorial positions
BECOME A PART OF AN AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER TWO YEARS RUNNING. Tyler McNeil | THE HUDSONIAN Shreshta Kota stands in front of Higbee Hall.
Online health magazine has low student following By: Rebecca Jordan Staff Writer Only seven percent of student body actually accesses Student Health 101, an online publication that the college spends $2,500 a year on its 10-month subscription. “I think if they had a printed copy, that would make it easier to read. Usually if I see it on the email, I think it’s junk mail, and I end up deleting it,” said Toni Lopresti, criminal justice student.for students. Out of about 12,000 students who received the magazine in their college-issued email accounts in September, only 810 took
the time to visit the magazine’s website. “It’s important to me that if I’m sending this out, that students get something out of it,” said Wellness Center Director Claudine Potvin-Giordano. The current issue of Student Health 101 features articles on a wide variety of topics including how to deal with stress, what to do if your male friend is sexually assaulted, and how to avoid the flu. “I think it has the potential to be a good tool for students if people used it more,” said Caragh Lenox, individual studies student. The online magazine also conducts one miniature survey a week regarding
questions such as “What would you pay $100 to never do again?” and “Would you rather have wings instead of arms or jetpacks instead of legs?” “I like it because it talks about physical health, it talks about mental health, and it talks about relationships. It encompasses the student as a whole person,” said Potvin-Giordano. One of the biggest draws for students is the $1,000 drawing students are offered after they fill out a questionnaire evaluating the monthly issue. The anonymous feedback is then sent to Hudson Valley administration such as Potvin-Giordano and Student Health personnel for evaluation.
HUDSONIAN.ORG
Potvin-Giordano understands that different people have different opinions on health and nutrition. “For some people, nutrition is absolutely important; they want to ensure that they are eating properly. Some people don’t care. So I can’t say to everybody ‘This is really important.’ If it’s important to them, they will take away something from it,” she said. Students have been receiving Student Health 101 for about ten years according to the best guess Potvin-Giordano could make. The magazine was already in place when she began her job in 2011.
November 10th, 2015 Vikings Sports Schedule Women’s Basketball Friday 11/13/15 vs. Jefferson @ 5p.m. (Home)
Men’s Basketball Friday 11/13/15 vs. Jefferson @ 7p.m. (Home)
Men’s Ice Hockey Saturday 11/14/15 vs. Broome @1p.m. (Home)
Men’s Basketball Saturday 11/14/15 vs. Herkimer @ 3p.m. (Away)
Vikings Scoreboard Men’s Ice Hockey
WIN
Nov. 4 HVCC v. Mohawk V. 4-2 Nov. 6 HVCC v.
LOSS SUNY Cortland 3-8 Women’s Basketball
LOSS
Nov. 7 HVCC v. Cayuga 38-45
Men’s Basketball
WIN
Nov. 5 HVCC v. Ulster 108-68
WIN
Nov. 7 HVCC v. Cayuga 80-73
SPORTS
9
Vikings Athletics have an awesome autumn By: Sam Kobylar Staff Writer The Vikings fall athletic teams started off the year with a bang with great performances. Almost every fall program finished with a winning record. Some even made it to a post-season and took full advantage of the opportunity. Tennis The Vikings Women’s Tennis Team probably had the best season of all the fall sports teams as the team went 8-1 in the regular season and were ranked ninth in the country. After the team started the season 2-1, they went on to win their final six regular season matches. “Our only loss to Broome this season was a key turning point this season. I found the players to be even more driven to do well in matches after that loss against a very strong Broome team.” said tennis coach Denise Potenza on how the team turned their season around after their one regular season loss. After the conclusion of their regular season matches, the tennis team went on to participate in the Regional Tournament at Adirondack last month where they were given the second seed. After placing second in the Regional Tournament, the Vikings made a third National Tournament appearance in the past four years. In this year’s National Tournament in Peachtree, Georgia, the team finished in 11th place out of 14 participating schools from around the country. “Competing at Nationals was a memorable experience for the players and myself. It was amazing to see the level of play from the best players in the country.” said Potenza. “The team faced the strongest opponents of the season and never gave up in any of the matches.” This was a very successful season for the tennis team and a season this team will remember for a while. Cross Country Cross Country just wrapped up their season in the National Tournament in Holyoke, Massachusetts on Saturday, Nov. 7. They went into the event ranked ninth in the nation and finished 12th overall out of the 42 schools that competed. It obviously took this team a lot of hard work to get to where they are today as they had a successful regular season. Before Nationals, the men’s team participated in eight invitationals, including a regional meet in the Finger Lakes. The team’s best regular season performance came on Sept. 26, where the Vikings men’s team finished in sixth place out of 12 participating schools in the SUNY Poly Long Course Invitational. However, the men’s Cross Country team’s best performance came in the regional meet in the Finger Lakes, where they finished in third place out of seven opponents to help give them a spot in the National Tournament. While the Men’s Cross Country team participated in eight previous invitations throughout the season, the Women’s Cross Country team only participated in one regu-
lar season invitational this fall. Even though they only appeared in one invitational in the regular season, it was a successful one for the women as they finished in seventh place out of 17 attending schools at the Mount Saint Mary Invitational on Oct. 3. But like the Men’s Cross Country team, the Women’s team also participated in the Regional Tournament a few weeks ago at Finger Lakes Community College. They were very solid in the Regional Tournament as the women finished in second place in the regional meet. It was an overall good year for the cross country team as they participated in the National Tournament for the first time since the 2011 season when the Men’s team finished in tenth place out of the 21 schools that qualified and the Women’s team finished in sixth place out of 16 different schools. Volleyball It has been a tough time for the Women’s Volleyball team the past few years and this year was no different as the team finished the season with an overall record of 4-18. The team got off to a good start this season as they won their first two matches against Paul Smiths and North County. However, after the 2-0 start, it was all downhill from there as the team lost 18 of their last 20 matches to sink their overall record to 4-18. One huge reason why the volleyball team fell apart this season was because one of their key players, Eileen Thompson, got hurt in their first match of the year when she blew out her knee due to an opposing player going through the net. “Losing Eileen Thompson really hurt us. She’s a tremendous player and was our number one setter at the time. It forced us to scramble to find girls that could set instead of having someone who knew how to set.” said volleyball coach Bryan Van Vliet. “I really think if that injury hadn’t happened, we would have had 10 wins this year.” Injuries could affect a team in a negative way and it did just that for the Vikings Volleyball team this season. Even though the team suffered a major injury early in the season, the Volleyball team also had many other key contributors this season that helped them in a positive way. “Statistically, Hope Rebeor, Emily Schumaker and Emma Soltis were our leading players. All three of them had to play multiple positions and did an excellent job adjusting on the fly,” said Vliet. The Volleyball team will look to have a bounceback season next year as this season was a tough year and one to forget. Women’s Soccer The Women’s Soccer team had a very productive season as the they finished the season with an 9-5-2 record. On the outside it looks really good, but it was a tale of two halves for the club. The team got off to a very hot start in the regular season as the Vikings had a stretch early in the season when they had a record of 8-2-2 and were dominating before they hit a skid late in the season. Part of the reason why the team was so successful early in the regular
season was because freshman forward Elisabeth Morehouse had a great regular season. She had 23 goals, which was fifth best in the country. Even though Morehouse led the way in goals, she was just one reason why the Vikings got off to a fast start. “(We had) two big scorers up front and strong center halves that we never really had. We have had strong center halves but we never had the combination of both the forwards and the centers. Every asset we have had has been strong.” said Women’s Soccer coach Jay Pokines. However, the rest of the season would be a struggle for the women as they lost their final three regular season games and got outscored 8-0 in those games right before regionals. “We lost three games in a row at the end that we were hoping to at least get one, possibly two wins out of that.” said Pokines on losing the last three regular season games. The Vikings went on to win their first regional match against Onondaga 5-0 thanks to freshman goalie Teller Wood and a hat trick by freshman forward Danielle Sloan. However, the Vikings would lose in their second regional game on the road against Broome Community College 3-0 to end their season. While the Women’s Soccer team had a great regular season, nothing was different with the Men’s Soccer team. The Men’s Soccer team finished the regular season with an overall record of 11-5-1 and were ranked in the top ten in the country throughout most of the regular season. Men’s Soccer Just like the Women’s Soccer team, the Men’s team got off to a very hot start then hit a bump in the road toward the end of the season. After losing their first regular season game against Brookdale 2-1, the Vikings went on a run where the team won 11 of their next 12 games, and the one game they didn’t win was a 1-1 tie against Mohawk Valley. “It feels great getting into the rankings there” said Men’s Soccer coach, Travis Cooke. However, after going 11-1-1 in their first 13 games, it was all downhill from there as the Vikings went on to lose their final three regular season games and getting outscored 4-0 in those three games combined. But things only got worse for the Vikings going into regionals. After winning their first regionals game the team received terrible news from the administration. The NJCAA would have suspended the Vikings from the regionals, but Hudson Valley self imposed a post-season ban. As mid terms came out just after their first regional game against Niagara, the administration made the decision to pull the team from regional play. It was a heart-breaking way to end what was a fantastic regular season for the Men’s Soccer team. All of the Vikings fall sports teams had a great season and worked really hard all season long to try and reach their goals. Now that almost all of the fall sports are over with at Hudson Valley, it is time for Winter Sports to start and see what our winter athletes are capable of doing.
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 10th, 2015
SPORTS
10
Largest club on campus plans to attract paddlers around the region By: Durgin McCue News Editor Table Tennis Club President Adam LaBombard estimates that over a hundred students visit the tables set up in the Campus Center on a good day. “A lot of students try to find something to do with their friends as a hobby and I think our club is the largest place on campus for friends to hang out and have some fun at the same time,” said LaBombard. On Nov. 22, the club will host a tournament hoping to involve more of the student body. The tournament will have two levels, advanced and elite. The advanced level will be for newer players and hobbyists, while the elite level will be for the most committed of table tennis players. According to LaBombard, the majority of the club’s funding is going towards purchasing food for the tournament, and prizes for the top three winners. Prizes will include paddles, t-shirts and table tennis accessories. “We want to create a general sense of community. We try to get new members all the time. Sometimes we try to help people become better players if they want that,” said club vice president Joshua Bedell. LaBombard hopes that the club may eventually be able to host a tournament that is not just for Hudson Valley students. “I wanted to see if we could have an Open for the RPI students. They have the US Open for tennis - we would have the Hudson Valley Open for colleges around the
Durgin McCue | THE HUDSONIAN Table Tennis players hit the Campus Center day, night and even on weekends. area,” he said. During the academic year, tables are always open so anybody can use them at any time of day, but only members of the club are allowed on the leaderboard. “It’s kind of a friendly competition that we keep going, and it gets a lot of people to come by,” said LaBombard. The club has no plans to purchase more tables despite often having tables at full capaci-
ty. “This semester I have noticed we’ve been kind of tight on tables because of the large amount of people who have been showing up, but usually we don’t have a big problem,” said LaBombard. He said the area’s busiest times are from 10:30 a.m. to noon. In an effort to combat limited table space, the club often plays “around the world” (a game in which players circle the table - can allow about forty people to play at
the four tables at once). “When we start a game of around the world, we get people from upstairs and we get people from the Naked Pear Cafe,” said LaBombard. LaBombard tries to make the club as welcoming and inclusive an environment as possible, and many members have taken notice. “Anybody can walk in and play, it’s a really friendly environment, it’s really easy to just jump in. People of all skill levels come here
and play, this is where I found my friends,” said Mike Krajeski, fine arts student. For many members, the social element of the club is the main attraction. “The first semester I came here for the ping pong, but then I started to meet people here that I really liked. Now I come because this is where I feel most comfortable,” said Dante Carr, electrical engineering student.
Follow us:
Visit us at hudsonian.org facebook.com/hudsonian
@HudsonianHVCC
HUDSONIAN.ORG
@thehudsonian
November 10th, 2015
SPORTS
11
Vikings wait on a call for bowl game 2014 Salt City Bowl
2015...? By: John C. Longton III Sports Editor A year removed from going to their first bowl game in over a decade, the football team is patiently waiting for the phone to ring. After the season got underway, it seemed apparent that head coach Mike Muehling and his staff won the offseason with a great recruiting class. The Vikings opened the season with a 58-13 win against the Utica JV team and prepared for a Lackawanna team that would finish the season ranked 5th in the nation. They soon realized that they had a lot to work on and were outscored 40-14. The following week wasn’t a walk in the park either as the Vikings got blown out for the second time in as many weeks by a margin of 38-14 against Dean. Hudson Valley took Dean and Lackawanna off its schedule last year because in the two years prior the the teams combined to outscore the Vikings 191 to 12. But, with the combination of going to a bowl game and having a successful recruiting class the program felt as if they were ready to face the two teams and compete. They were proven wrong and the Vikings got off to a 1-2 start. The season seemed to be slipping away just as fast as it started and if the players and coaches wanted to salvage it, they had to come together and put out a better product. That is exactly what they did. “We didn’t start necessarily the way we wanted. Obviously we played two good
teams early,” said Muehling. “Once we were sitting at 1-2 and we were looking at a five game stretch with some pretty good teams I thought we responded the way we wanted to and certainly got stronger as the season went on.” After that rough start, the team went on the road to face a 2-0 Erie squad that could have put the Viking’s season away, but with their back against the ropes, Hudson Valley came out swinging. They beat the Kats 31-21 and started to build the momentum that they would carry with them for the rest of the season. In that game, second year quarterback Rafael Hidalgo found his footing and threw for two scores, one of which came in the 4th quarter and sealed the win for his team. “This year, it took us a little time to get together as a team. And then once we had the concept of playing together as a team and had team chemistry, we started clicking,” said Hidalgo. After they got back to .500 the team would not look back. The game vs Erie would be the closest contest they would play in for the remainder of the season and it wasn’t even close. The next two games they cruised by East Coast Prep 34-13 then beat Monroe 45-21. It set the stage for a game against a team that Mike Muehling and his coaching staff had never beat ASA. The ASA Avengers have been a perennial powerhouse within the NJCAA and have been for quite some time. They’ve used the Vikings as a doormat and a record booster for several years. The teams did not
play each other in the past two years, but the last time they squared off, the Avengers blanked the Vikings 40-0. Some thought Muehling and his program were crazy for scheduling to play them, but he had faith in his team and added the game anyway. Not only did the Vikings beat ASA, but they avenged the losses of all the past teams and scored 41 unanswered points in the game. They went on to win the contest 41-7 and put their name back on the map and in bowl game conversations. In the game, the Vikings imposed their will, dominating both sides of the ball. Second year defensive back Chandler Foster, from Stamford, CT, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass in the blowout win. ”That’s a top program and we beat them real good,” said Foster. It gave the team the confidence they needed at the beginning of the season. “It says that we can play with anyone in the country.” They would host that “anyone” two weeks later in the season finale. Just like ASA, Mike Muehling had never beaten Navy Prep and that was the game that they would end their season on. And just like against ASA, everyone counted the Vikings out except themselves. Last year, the Vikings also concluded their regular season with a game against Navy Prep. Heading into that game the Hudson Valley was 8-0 and had high hopes. They lost 27-0, but still received a call to go to the Salt City Bowl. This year, the game was played on Halloween and Hudson Valley tricked Navy Prep into into thinking the Vikings were a lesser team. The Vikings
HUDSONIAN.ORG
then treated themselves to a 43-9 win. In that game, freshman running back Jaylen McIntyre, a CBA graduate, had 121 yards on 28 carries. “Going into that game we had a mindset to get revenge on Navy after last season,” said McIntyre. “Beating them brought a special feeling to all of us, and to end the regular season on a good note was very special.” They ended this year’s season season on a five game win streak and righted a Viking ship that looked as if it were sinking just three weeks into the season. “I was pleased with how things went and I was certainly pleased with how things finished,” said Muehling. This Viking team finished the season defeating two teams they never beat by a combined score of 84-16. Their backs were against the wall, and they responded in a way that only championship teams do. They leaned on each other and got the job done. Last season was a great season, but they didn’t play the same quality teams that this year’s squad did. Mike Muehling and this football program took a risk of strengthening their schedule to make them better, and it could have backfired. Instead, it put Hudson Valley on the map and should be rewarded with a bowl berth. McIntyre said, “I hope we did enough to clinch a bowl game appearance. We have proven to every person we are better than our two losses show. We just need one more chance to prove ourselves.”
November 10th, 2015
SPORTS
12
Young basketball team has a lot to prove By: John C. Longton III Sports Editor The men’s basketball team is off to a 2-0 start and are looking to redeem a team that let the season slip away just a year ago. In the 2014-15 season, the men’s basketball team got off to a red hot 8-1 start. After that, they quickly cooled back off, posting the exact opposite record and going a mere 1-8. They finished the season 15-13, missed the regionals, and were left with many questions. This year, the team is loaded with freshmen and don’t have a single returning player, but head coach Mike Long is convinced they have the talent they need to have a successful season. “I think in a way we might be stronger at the guard position than we were last year,” said Long. Last year, the team lost its starting point guard midway through the season and were left searching for their identity the rest of the year. The 2015 team is fielding in a lot of depth at the guard position and were able to bring in a couple new recruits including Ericco Feaster. At Arlington High School near Poughkeepsie, NY, Feaster
Courtesy of hvcc.edu Men’s Basketball teams starts off 2-0 on the season. earned all conference honors and he’s bringing his talents to Hudson Valley where the team is looking for better guard play. This season, the team has to come together quickly and learn how to coexist. This is the first time this team will play with each other as that there are no returning players. When asked about his expectations for the season, Long said, “To win more than we lose.” I asked him this before the team had any games under their belt and the future looked uncertain.
Since then, they’ve played two games and have been coming together and getting better in multiple facets of the game. “I think we can be pretty good,” said Long. “So far from what I’ve seen the guys play very hard. The biggest thing is going to be scoring the basketball and rebounding.” Last year, the team averaged about 36 rebounds per game. They also averaged 70 points per contest and got to the line a decent amount. They were seventh
in the nation in free throw percentage and scored 17 points a game from the line. This year’s team may or may not resemble that, but they need to get same games under their belts to figure out their identity. The first game of the season was played on Nov. 5, where they won against SUNY Ulster in dominating fashion with a 40 point win, finishing 108-68. Seven Vikings scored in the double digits and turned a lot of heads. They opened the season with a
blowout and made a statement to the naysayers who thought this team was too inexperienced to have a successful season. The second game took place two days later and was a little closer, but the Vikings got the job done, beating Cayuga Community College 80-73. Brandon Palmer, from Columbia, led all scorers with 22 points. He went 5-7 behind the three point line and he’s stretched the court at the forward position. Kevin Lenehan, from Duanesburg, seems like he’s been the anchor to the Viking’s team thus far. In the first two games he’s scored 30 points and it looks as if he’s coming into his own transitioning to the college level. This team may be really young, but after the first two games look as if they can gel together and make a run at something special. As the season revs up, keep an eye out for an inexperienced team that had a lot to prove. The Vikings play their next game this Tuesday (Nov. 10) at Albany College of Pharmacy at 8 p.m. where they put their undefeated record on the line against the Panthers.
Get MORE from your college experience. MORE Choices
60 undergraduate programs on 2 campuses 25 graduate programs at 3 graduate schools 17 linked and accelerated programs
MORE Personal Attention 12:1 student-to faculty ratio Average class size of 18 Caring, accessible faculty
FOUR
EASY STEPS TO TRANSFER
MORE Opportunities
Internship placements for every student 60+ clubs and organizations 2 art galleries and 2 theatres on campus 13 NCAA Division III sports teams
MORE Results
99% of graduates are employed or in grad school within 6 months
1
FIND YOUR PROGRAM
Learn MORE (518) 292-1730 transfer@sage.edu sage.edu/transfer
HUDSONIAN.ORG
2
VISIT CAMPUS
3
APPLY ONLINE
4
TRANSFER YOUR CREDITS