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OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Volume 72, Issue 04
September 27, 2017
www.thehudsonian.org
New driving policy requires students’ signatures OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE PHOTO BY KIMBERLY EASLICK | HUDSONIAN
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PHOTO BY DYLAN HAUGEN | HUDSONIAN
While surrounded by opposing players, women’s soccer athlete juggles the ball to the opponent’s goal.
By: Hunter Wallace News Editor
cided, on the recommendation of our insurance company, to amend the policy to cover all drivers and personal vehicles.” Courter explained that any student wishing to travel in their own personal vehicle to an FSA-sponsored event, both Student Activities and Athletics, must complete a Motor Vehicle Report request and sign the driver policy, which indicates they have read and will obey its requirements. Forms must be completed once every semester. “Students will not be required to complete the forms for each event, Courter said. “Unless there has been a change in driving record, we will only need one form on file for each semester, and it is up to the student to notify the appropriate department if there has been a change in their driving record.” The new form also includes
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Women’s soccer scores an impressive week winning 3-4 By: Brian Dengler Staff Writer
The women’s soccer team won a very close shootout with Mohawk Valley in a tough away game this past Wednesday. To kick off the game, sophomore individual studies major Susannah Frisch scored the first goal of the game with only 2 minutes, 22 seconds into the first half. 37 minutes, 44 seconds into the game, Mohawk Valley tied up the score 1-1, sending them into the second half. Not too long into the second half, sophomore Anna Colarusso, an individual studies major,
scored the next goal, giving Hudson Valley a 2-1 lead. It didn’t take long for Mohawk to score again, as they tied the game 2-2. Freshman Sydney Metzold, also an individual studies major, gave Hudson Valley the lead again, as she scored and moved the game to 3-2. The shoot-out had yet to slow down, as Mohawk tied it up once again, making the score 3-3. Finally, to close out the game, Metzold scored her second goal with 14 minutes, 5 seconds left in the game. Hudson Valley secured the win, 4-3.
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Are you attending a school sponsored event this semester? If you plan to drive yourself, you will have to fill out a Vehicle Use Agreement. The policy was passed by the Faculty Student Association this summer requiring that students who drive to school events complete the form. The policy, which builds upon an existing rule, was implemented because of a recommendation from the college’s insurance company, Marshall & Sterling Upstate, Inc. “The FSA had leased vehicles in the past for which the policy was created, but only club advisors and athletic coaches were allowed to drive the vans, and the policy primarily was created for them,” said FSA Executive Director Alycia Courter. “With the increase in students driving personal vehicles to events, we recently de-
During the semi-annual All College Meeting held last week, President Drew Matonak addressed students and faculty on the state of the college, revealing ideas past and present. The meeting began with Matonak welcoming Student Senate President Nathanael Savasta and Vice President Thomas Nevins to the stage, where they spoke about
By: Zoe Deno Staff Writer
PHOTO BY VINCENT GIORDANO
President Matonak appointed several upcoming plans involving the improvement of Hudson Valley over the course of the following years.
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their responsibilities, why they like Hudson Valley and what they plan to do during their terms. Matonak then began sharing information with the audience. SUNY “First, this spring, the SUNY Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Kristina Johnson as the system’s 13th Chancellor. Dr. Johnson is a former Johns Hopkins University Provost, Duke University Dean of
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Viking’s soccer player recognized by the NCJAA
Hudson Valley freshman soccer player Garrett Axtmann was named men’s soccer NJCAA Division III Player of the Week. “It was pretty unexpected,” said Axtmann. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, though,” he said. Axtmann was unaware that he had won the award until he got onto the team’s bus to go to the Mohawk Valley game and was congratulated by his teammates. Axtmann, a business major, had not made a goal for the first few games of the season. “This year, I was actually really struggling to find my confidence and soccer is a game of confidence,” Axtmann explained. He said he was scared to take the ball in the beginning of the season. Soccer at Hudson Valley was not what Axtmann had expected. He thought that since he was not playing for a DI or DII soccer team, it would be like playing for his high school team, the Maple
All College Meeting addressed college’s efforts By: Hunter Wallace News Editor
Garrett Axtmann, men’s soccer player, was unexpectedly commended by the NJCAA for his ingame performance.
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INSIDE NEWS: Students discuss the impact of the Excelsior Scholarship
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INSIDE CREATIVE: Fall TV offers up some binge-worthy options this year
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INSIDE SPORTS: Vikings volleyball triumphs at Corning tournament
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September 27, 2017
NEWS
This Week’s Events
Wed 27
Transfer Information Table: Southern Vermont College 10:00 am – 12:30 pm Siek Campus Center, first floor lobby Wellness Fair 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Siek Campus Center, First Floor Transfer Information Table: Hartwick College 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm Siek Campus Center, first floor lobby Community Policing: New Programs and Changing Ideas 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium Academic Advisement/ Community Outreach 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Albany Public Library’s Washington Ave. Branch (161 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY), Second Floor
Thurs Transfer Advisor Visit: The Sage 28 Colleges
10:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, Room 290
Fri 29
Sat 30
Mindfulness Meditation 11:00 am – 11:30 am Wellness Center, Siek Campus Center Suite 270 Fall Retreat Christ the King Spiritual Life Center, 575 Burton Rd, Greenwich, NY 12834, USA
PHOTO BY VINCENT GIORDANO
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COLLEGE
the Pratt School of Engineering and U.S. Under Secretary of Energy, as well as a member of both the National Academy of Engineers and the Inventors Hall of Fame. She [also] helped create the technology behind 3D glasses!” Matonak added that Dr. Johnson began her new career earlier this month, so Hudson Valley will soon see how she influences the SUNY system. Presidential Search “To recap, our search firm, Isaacson Miller, held meetings with members of the campus community in May to solicit input from faculty, staff and students. More than one hundred individuals participated in those meetings, and I thank you for taking part and sharing your feedback on the college and the leadership attributes you expect in a new president. At this point, I understand that the process is going smoothly, and I expect [that] we will hear more from Chairman Kelleher in the coming months.” Excelsior Scholarship The president continued by talking about the Excelsior Scholarship, the recently debuted state-funded program that allows students from families earning less than $100,000 per year to attend a SUNY college, free of charge. “To date, 395 Hudson Valley students have received the award, and we expect to see that number rise as more individuals learn of the scholarship and have more time to apply. Also, family income eligibility will rise in coming years, increasing to $110,000 in 2018 and reaching $125,000 in 2019.” College Suites Matonak then addressed the College Suites at Hudson Valley.
Doug Baxter briefs the college on future initiatives.
“The $24 million student housing community at the top of Morrison Avenue now has more than 250 student tenants from across New York, and also from Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and even international students from Africa and Europe.” New Programs The next topic discussed was the new degree programs and their impact on the college. “In academics, this year we launched new degree and certificate programs in Cybersecurity and Community Health Navigation,” Matonak said. “These new programs were created and implemented to fill a workforce demand in information technology, criminal justice and healthcare in our region. With their addition, I’m proud to say that Hudson Valley now offers 86 academic programs, 24 of which are offered in an online format.”
UAlbany Transfer Agreement and SUNY Cobleskill B.B.A. Matonak later mentioned that as of last spring, Hudson Valley nows offers a comprehensive transfer agreement with the University at Albany, one of Hudson Valley’s more than 250 national transfer agreements. It accounts for 34 programs and Matonak emphasized that it is Hudson Valley’s primary transfer destination. Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAMS) The president continued by speaking about the planned CAMS building. “Fundraising continues for the Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills, our new $14.5 million workforce training facility planned along South Road. When completed, CAMS will allow us to double enrollment in the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology program and address the shortage of PHOTO BY VINCENT GIORDANO
STEP AFRIKA! 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Maureen Stapleton Theatre, Siek Campus Center Transfer Information Table: Pace University 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Siek Campus Center, first floor lobby NYC Day Trip
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skilled craftspeople in that industry.” Matonak added that, to date, the college Foundation has secured nearly $3 million and continues to pursue additional support from the state and federal government. It has also applied for $3 million in Upstate Revitalization funding through the Capital Region Economic Development Council. On Oct. 20, the Foundation will host its annual gala at the Franklin Plaza to raise funds for CAMS. The college hopes to break ground with more resources next spring. New Website and Technology Matonak stated that coding on the backend of the college’s new mobile-responsive website is beginning, and the finished design should be complete after the New Year. The school will also be working on several projects, including upgrading the campus Wi-Fi network, installing new computers that use Windows 10 and Office 2016 and the implementation of self-service password resets. Closing Matonak concluded the meeting by expressing his gratitude for the efforts of all members of the Hudson Valley community. “In closing, I want to extend my thanks to the entire college community for the work you do every day; your devotion to this college and our students is evident in our classrooms and labs, our hallways and study areas, our offices and advisement centers and, indeed, all around campus.”
President Matonak gives a warm welcome as the semi-annual All College meeting begins.
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The Hudsonian Hudson Valley Community College 80 Vandenburgh Ave. Troy, NY 12180 Phone: 518-629-7568 Email: hudsonian@hvcc.edu Editorial Policy All views expressed in this paper are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the The Hudsonian or the College.
Editor-in-Chief Julio Rodriguez Copy Editor Emmy Farstad Layout Editor Isabella Kokoszko News Editor Hunter Wallace Sports Editor Skylar Blankenship
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Photo Editor Dylan Haugen Staff Writers Tea’ Claus Brian Dengler Zoe Deno Nick Fisk Trisha O’Connell
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September 27, 2017
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Helpful or hurtful: Students discuss the impact of the Excelsior Scholarship By: Julio Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief “I’m using [the Excelsior Scholarship] right now and it’s definitely reduced so much of the cost,” said Individual Studies student Morgan Trotta. “I know that going to school isn’t going to put me in further debt that I won’t be able to pay off.” Trotta is among the SUNY and CUNY students that accepted the newly introduced Excelsior Scholarship. The scholarship, in combination with other student financial aid programs, allows students to attend a SUNY or CUNY college, tuition-free. The tuition assistance program is unlike any other in the country. According to ny.gov, under this groundbreaking program, more than 940,000 middle-class families and individuals making up to $125,000 per year will qualify to attend college tuition-free at all CUNY and SUNY two- and four-year colleges in N.Y.
The program makes a college education accessible to students unable to pay the high cost of tuition. However, the scholarship is not absolutely “free” for everyone in N.Y. Students who accept the scholarship must take 30 credits per calendar year (including January and Summer sessions). Additionally, recipients must also plan to live and work in N.Y., following graduation, for the length of time they participate in the scholarship program. “I think that the requirements are fair,” said Biotechnology Student Brianna Isby. “The state is willing to give you enough money to send you to college for free.” Isby continued, “It should be known that you have to put in the amount of work that they want you to put in. If you
don’t, then the state is just giving away money to people who don’t want to do anything in the state.” While Isby supports these requirements, others have raised questions about the scholarship’s actual intent to “help” middle class families send their children to college. “I thought the scholarship was for everyone, but it’s really not,” said Nursing Student Jessica Miguel. Miguel continued, “Some students have a lot of responsibilities. They’re working and they have kids. [The state government] should redesign the scholarship so that part-time students can benefit from the program.” Miguel acknowledges the hardships that many part-time students face on a day-to-day basis. “Some students aren’t full time. It’s hard for them to make the 30 credits in one year. I didn’t know about the requirements, but now I know I think I’d like to ap-
ply,” Miguel said. Miguel was unaware of the scholarship’s additional requirements prior to her arrival at Hudson Valley. “I heard about it in a different way. Nobody explained it to me or anything. The way that it was explained to me was that students could go to college four years for free, but no one ever told me about the requirements,” Miguel said. Isby, on the other hand, believes the required 30 credit hours and expectation to live in N.Y. after attaining the degree is a fair deal for the scholarship. “It sounds like a really good idea, but I don’t know if it would work for everybody. It does sound like it would be a good idea to get people moving to a different school after Hudson Valley, which is what a lot of people plan on doing anyway, and if they can get financial aid for that it would be really good to help them along,” Trotta said.
Trotta encountered some concerning problems after her completion of the application. “Initially, it didn’t go through the right away, so I had to pay the regular tuition rate,” Trotta said. “So, I’m just now getting back the money I should have paid. I paid extra so that I could keep my classes and everything intact, and they send you money after the fact. Trotta continued, “I got all stressed out and had to call out of work to come [to Hudson Valley] because my tuition rate was reading higher than it should have. That part of it was pretty stressful. I thought, ‘Oh my god, they’re going to drop all of my classes.’” It’s obvious that the program is new and the state is still trying to repair some flaws in their system. However, the end result was worth the trouble for Trotta. “Being stress-free in that sense is such a nice feeling to have. Some people come out of college and they have all of this debt afterwards,” Trotta said.
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DRIVING a Driver Acceptability Matrix, which determines whether students are deemed “acceptable” or “not acceptable” by the insurance company and ultimately decides if they can drive to FSA-sponsored events. The criteria for this system takes into account a student’s history of moving violations, accidents and DUIs or DWIs within the past five years. “If the student is aware that there are points on their license and fall in a borderline or prohibited category, they will know up front [that] they will not be [deemed] an acceptable driver,” Courter said. “The only way to remove the ‘not acceptable’ status is to run another MVR and have it come back acceptable.” Courter added that, at the recommendation of the insurance broker, students under the age of 18 may not drive a personal vehicle to an FSA-sponsored event off-campus, but may attend if they have other means of transportation. However, any event held on-campus does not require the form, and any driver that is not a
Hudson Valley student may drive to any FSA-sponsored event, regardless of the passenger’s age. Courter noted that this policy was updated to better serve the student body. “The intention of this amended policy is not to hinder student participation in FSA-sponsored activities; the members that met to discuss the amended policy were adamant that we don’t discourage student participation in
events. The college experience should be enjoyable for students and we amended the policy in a way that will best allow the student to have fun and be safe at the same time.” For more information, visit the FSA website at http://www. hvcc.edu/fsa/ or contact Student Activities by phone at (518) 6297348, email at studentactivities@ hvcc.edu or in person at Siek Campus Center, Room 210.
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For more information, stop by the Hudsonian office in the Campus Center (CTR291),or email us at hudsonian@hvcc.edu Students who wish to attend Faculty Student Association events are now required to sign a Motor Vehicle Report.
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September 27, 2017
NEWS
New Chaplain aims to collaborate with the student body COURTESY OF HVCC CAMPUS MINISTRY
PHOTO BY KIM EASLICK | HUDSONIAN
Meditation groups are held every Thursday in the Wellness Center (room 270) at 11a.m.
Michelle Thivierge, our new campus chaplain, looks forward to combining the faculty departments with students.
By: Julio Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief New campus Chaplain, Michelle Thivierge, seeks to establish collaboration with both the college and the student body. Thivierge grew up Catholic. However, she realized her calling to work in ministry after she studied English in college and developed a sensitivity toward social justice. “In college, I started taking a lot of classes that focused on social justice issues, equality and rights issues,” Thivierge said. “It was through that experience that I started to see the true message of the gospel, which is social justice and equality. Everybody has enough and nobody has too much — I started to see that in a real concrete way.” After college, Thivierge worked at a volunteer program that assisted the homeless and mentally and physically disabled in California. After that experience, Thivierge realized her calling. “There were people who had every reason to say that life sucked and they [had] faith,” Thivierge said. “They were the most hopeful.” Thivierge continued, “That really inspired me to say that I wanted to study Theology. I wanted to say, ‘How can I be with a person in any walk of life and walk that walk with them?’ I really wanted to do that.” Since then, Thivierge has worked with America’s youth to
help them develop their own ability to pursue social justice in their own micro-environment. “I’ve been working with youth and young adults to give them that same experience that I had,” Thivierge said. “How do you incorporate, whatever your faith is — even if you don’t have a faith — how do you incorporate the lense in which you look through the world into the bigger picture?” Thivierge continued her thought. “It’s a part of all of us, and we can’t compartmentalize it,” Thivierge said. “I think it runs through everything that we do. That is why I wanted to do [ministry].” Thivierge joins Hudson Valley after previously serving as campus minister at both Siena and Maria Colleges. After spending 10 months looking for a position, Thivierge discovered Hudson Valley’s online posting. “I am really happy to be here; the minute I walked down the Hudson Valley campus, I said, ‘Wow, for a commuter school it has such a communal feeling, as if everyone is living here,’” Thivierge said. “It has a very welcoming vibe, and I really liked that the moment I walked on to campus.” Thivierge’s agenda includes a goal to help link community engagement with learning done in the classroom. “I really believe, and this is my 13th year of doing this work, that collaboration across departments is really important,” Thivierge said.
“I would love to branch out into some of the academic departments and see what we might be able to work on together, whether it’s a speaker series, a documentary or a movie with an important message on social justice,” Thiv-
ierge said. “So, that way, it rounds out the academic experience.” This fall, the campus ministry at Hudson Valley is hosting a variety of events and activities open to students. “On Thursdays, I’m doing COURTESY OF HVCC CAMPUS MINISTRY
The Office of Campus Ministry
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Sign up to help families with sick children. Ronald McDonald House keeps families close together and is their "home away from home". Volunteers needed to prepare and serve breakfast on 10/14 from 7:00-9:00AM and dinner on 10/28 from 3:00-5:00PM
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Students are encouraged to volunteer for help with preparing and serving breakfast/dinner at the Ronald McDonald House on 10/14 and 10/28.
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weekly meditation with the Wellness center,” Thivierge said. “I have lots of programming opportunities for students. We [also] have a fall retreat coming up Sept. 29 through Oct. 1.” The retreat will host students from Hudson Valley, Russell Sage, SUNY Albany, SUNY Oneonta and Union College. “It’s a nice chance to meet students from other college campuses, and it’s off campus, obviously,” Thivierge said. “[Specifically,] it’s in the mountains of Greenwich, N.Y.” Thivierge encourages students to reach out and engage with the campus ministry at Hudson Valley. A student’s relationship with spirituality and religion should not keep them from visiting the campus ministry. “When people see me, or they see the word chaplain, or they see campus ministry, if it’s not something they’re initially comfortable with, they don’t know how to engage,” Thivierge said. “It can make people say, ‘Oh I don’t know if I would fit in there or if that’s for me.’” “So, I think it’s really important to be out on campus and do a variety of things so people get a sense of understanding,” said Thivierge. “The lense in which we look through things and how we connect all of the dots in our worlds is important. I think as a minister and a campus chaplain, I can help facilitate that sort of work.”
September 27, 2017
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Fall TV: A binge-worthy line up By: Jacob Pitts Staff Writer There are plenty of new and returning shows to fulfill students’ binge-watching needs during the upcoming season of spooks and scares. Halloween is only one month away, and 2017’s roster of fall shows contain varying degrees of the creep factor, which means something for brave souls and scaredy-cats alike. One of this fall’s most hotly-anticipated shows, “American Horror Story”, is back for its seventh season. Subtitled “Cult”, the new batch of episodes tackles social issues, such as race relations in the wake of last fall’s presidential election. It also features the return of the murderous Twisty the Clown. Evan Peters and the Emmy Award-winning Sarah Paulson reprise their ever-changing, starring roles; this year as Kai, a smug Trump supporter, and Ally, an anxiety-ridden restaurant owner with a fear of clowns, respectively. Also in a lead role is Billie Lourd, playing Kai’s sister, Winter, a Hillary Clinton campaigner. The show is backed by a large list of celebrity guest actors, including Billy Eichner, Colton Haynes, Emma Roberts and Lena Dunham. AHS: Cult blends horror with political satire, and can be caught on Tuesdays at 10:00p.m. on FX. One of last year’s biggest breakout hits was “Stranger Things,” a Netflix original series about a mother’s search for her missing son in an Indiana town plagued by mysterious occur-
rences. Having taken inspiration from “The Goonies,” Steven Spielberg films and Stephen King novels of the 1980s, “Stranger Things” put Winona Ryder back on the map and was also recently nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards. The new season is set to be available for streaming on October 27th, and since the first season is only eight episodes, it shouldn’t take long at all for newbies to catch up before then. While an official release date still has yet to be announced, fans of “Black Mirror” will be excited to hear that the sci-fi anthology’s fourth season has been filmed and is waiting in the wings. Initially having aired overseas in Britain, “Black Mirror” became a Netflix original starting with its third season, which blew up and produced the critically acclaimed episodes “Nosedive” and “San Junipero.” Much like a modern-day successor to “The Twilight Zone”, each episode has its own self-contained story, which usually deals with chilling scenarios brought on by up-and-coming technologies. It might seem far-fetched upon first viewing, but the more one dwells on it, the more it seems within the realm of possibility. For those who prefer their post-homework viewing lighter on the frights, “Star Trek: Discovery” is coming to CBS. After the success of J.J. Abrams’s film trilogy reboot of the original series, Discovery marks the first time a new Star Trek series has been on TV since the cancellation of En-
GRAPHIC BY DYLAN HAUGEN | HUDSONIAN
terprise in 2005. Only the premiere will be on the airwaves, though, since the rest of Discovery is exclusively available on CBS’s on-demand streaming service, CBS All Access. The show stars “The Walking Dead” actress Sonequa Martin-Green, who plays Michael Burnham, officer of the USS Discovery, who is taken in by Spock’s father, Sarek. The cast is rounded out by Jason Isaacs, iconic Bond girl Michelle Yeoh and “The Office’s” Rainn Wilson. While Discovery’s premiere comes over 50 years after that of the original series, it takes place a decade before its events. Other lighter offerings can
be found on The CW, home to DC Comics’ “Arrowverse.” The Arrowverse is made up of four other superhero shows: Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl. The plots of all four are interconnected, and the cast of each one also makes guest appearances on the others. They all return on the week of October 9th, with “Supergirl” first on Monday, “The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow” on Tuesday and “Arrow” on
Thursday, following “Supernatural.” Later on in the year, a gigantic four-way crossover is planned between the shows, which is sure to be action-packed and game-changing for the Arrowverse. Regardless of your prefered method of viewing or your personal fright-level, this year delivers an endless variety of viewing material to get students in the groove for Halloween.
Superfruit sticks true to their aesthetic with newest releases By: Trisha O’Connell Staff Writer The pop band Superfruit released their happy-go-lucky albums, titled “Future Friends” and “Future Friends, Pt. 2”, on Sept. 15. Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi are the masterminds behind the feel-good pop album, which contains a combined 14 songs. If the name Superfruit doesn’t ring a bell, you may recognize the two lead singers from the grammy award-winning group Pentatonix. The two are in no way newcomers to the music world, as they have been producing with Pentatonix and releasing their own covers for over 6 years now. They have also gained quite an impressive following on their YouTube channel, racking up over 2.4 million subscribers. Posts on their channel often poke fun at hilarious YouTube
trends and typically showcase Scott and Mitch goofing around. The channel is also home to their music videos. The album aesthetic is in tune with a sort of “happy-go-lucky” sound. However, some songs are a little deeper than the cheery tune might initially seem. One song titled “Heartthrob” has a very ‘90s feel to it. The upbeat tempo and lyrics take the listener back to an era of Smacker’s lipstick and hamburger phones. Another song titled “How You Feeling?” has a very upbeat tempo, but the lyrics are much more serious than they first sound. Some interpret this song and it’s lyrics as a depiction of how depression feels for someone in the limelight. The album is accompanied by 10 music videos, but there are more to come. The videos are all well put together and the cinematography makes them all the more intriguing and eye catching.
Overall, they are binge-worthy entertainment. To add to the feel-good factor, the physical copy of the CD is scratch and sniff! I personally
took myself to Barnes and Nobles to get a whiff of the obscure album idea firsthand. The album smells like pineapples, which I found oddly endearing. GRAPHIC BY TRISHA O’CONNELL
Superfruit’s released two new albums on September 15th entitled “Future Friends” and “Future Friends Pt. 2.”
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Many artists or groups have a specific sound that they follow throughout their album; some even follow the same sound throughout their entire career. Since this is Superfruit’s first album, it is hard to say if they will keep up with the happy-go-lucky brand their entire careers. Over the course of the past week, I have listened to these albums and nothing else. Doing so has caused me to hear all of the songs at different points of my day and taken me through a multitude of different emotions. This type of album has a little bit of everything. The music might even make listeners feel as if they’re in a music video. I personally had one of those moments listening to this album and walking around campus. I have to think that Superfruit’s newest releases is just the right kind of music to launch anyone into a real-life music video.
September 27, 2017
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Emotional Support Animals at the Valley: A detriment or a benefit? By: Tea’ Claus Staff Writer The newest method of relaxation is the use of Emotional Support Animals on college campuses. However, do they have a place at Hudson Valley? According to Jan Hoffman of the NY Times, “The calming effect of some domesticated animals has become so widely accepted that many schools bring in trained therapy dogs to play with stressed students during exam periods.” The National Service Animal Registry states that Emotional Support Animals can include a wide variety of dog breeds, and sometimes even breeds of miniature horses or guinea pigs are acceptable. Hudson Valley students had varying thoughts about the appearance of furry friends on campus. Malachi Montgomery, an individual studies major, said that while it may not benefit him, there are students that could find relief in a support animal. “It depends on the person, like, it wouldn’t benefit me, but if it helps another person, by all means go ahead and do it,” said Montgomery.
Shelby Johnson, a psychology major, said, “I think they would be beneficial for students because they can really de-stress with the animals around, and they might be able to calm down before tests.” Johnson also said that her high school had an Emotional Support Animal on site for students. “We just got one last year, and it went through therapy sessions. I think it’s a good idea.” Tyler Lee, a paramedic student, said that he thinks it could be helpful having the animals on campus. “I
think it would be helpful because you could bring stress levels down a little bit, but not crazy amounts.” Tylor Alexopoulos agrees.“It would be helpful because people’s heads start racing during finals week and they can’t really comprehend anything they need to. Allowing them to play with a dog or a cat could slow down the pressure and allow them to relax,” he said. While there are potential issues that could arise from having animals on campus, students don’t seem to think they would cause major problems. Gabriella Racana, a liberal arts major, was concerned that animals on campus would
merely distract students. Additionally, Montgomery believes a possible problem could arise for students suffering from allergies. He also feels that students could potentially take advantage of the situation. “People could abuse the power of it to try and get out of studying or something,” said Montgomery. A number of scientific studies have been performed in order to gain insight into whether or not Emotional Support Animals are actually effective. According to an article from Psychology Today, the use of animals for psychological reasons has increased astronomically in the last decade. The article echoed the concerns of Montgomery, in that the practice of Emotional Support Animals has been widely abused. However, there does seem to be some validity as far as stress-re-
lief. Anxiety.org, a commonly visited site for those seeking coping skills, states that, coupled with additional therapy tools, Emotional Support Animals can be quite effective. If they were allowed on campus, though, students think that there should be rules in place, “I feel like maybe it should be limited to just dogs because I think they are the most well known as Emotional Support Animals,” said one student. Montgomery added, “There should be a time limit on how much time you should have with [the Emotional Support Animal], depending on what [the animal] is. More information on Service and Emotional Support animals can be found on The ADA National Network’s website.
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Students share their experiences adjusting at HVCC By: Nick Fisk Staff Writer From the classes and teachers, to the new friends and lack of free time, first-year Hudson Valley students are noticing a drastic difference from high school. Freshman physical education major Garfield McDonald said, “It was an easy adjustment, [but] you gotta be willing to do the work.” McDonald also noted that “[HVCC] is a good school, the environment is smooth.” Similar sentiments were shared by freshman health and wellness student Kameron Walker. “High school you don’t really have to study, but in college you do have to.” Walker also said that he had a “smooth transition over to these classes.” While many students claim that classes and homework are harder in college, some students feel differently. Freshman individual studies student Larissa Engel-Flores doesn’t sense as much of a change in workload. “I feel like I had more homework in high school than in college.” However, Engel-Flores has noticed a shift in the class environment. “You definitely don’t have the same relationship with your teacher as in high school. You just really have to try here,” she explains. Even second-year Hudson Valley students feel the stress of a
high-demand class schedule. Sophomore political science major Enrique Lopez was able to sum up his experience so far in one word: “Stressful. Stressful would be the word.” However, Lopez also says that adjusting to classes became easier in his second year. “It’s almost a little boring. It’s pretty straightforward here,” he said. Sophomore mechanical engineering student Clyde Sisson agreed, saying that he had “way too much going on with way less time.” Unlike Lopez, however, Sis-
son feels that college work gets easier after your first semester. Students also find that social interactions change when they make the transition from high school, often discovering that they can simultaneously fall out of touch with old friends while making new ones. Sophomore entrepreneurship student Carlyle Kent believes the change in social habits is largely due to a change in the necessary effort.“The work ethic is different. You have to work more,” he said. On the other hand, some stu-
dents are able to find more time for socialization. Hudson Valley offers more available space for students, tutors and teachers to interact on a more personal level. For example, the Siek Campus Center and Dwight Marvin library are home to many different areas to meet the needs of all members of the Hudson Valley community. Even with an increase in responsibility, students are willing to spend more time on campus in order to participate in one of the many clubs or events offered
by Hudson Valley, often free of charge. Each student interviewed echoed the belief that Hudson Valley had met all of their expectations. “I think it’s a great place to decide what you want to do. It’s a great transitioning phase, and it’s also cheaper with less stress,” said Engles-Flores. Kent agreed, saying “[HVCC] is one of the best community colleges around.”
PHOTO BY THOMAS MARRA | HUDSONIAN
Students feel that the adjustment from high school to college was a smooth transition at Hudson Valley.
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September 27, 2017
Vikings Sports Schedule Fri. Sept 23 Women’s Soccer (Home) Jamestown @ 2:00 pm
Men’s Soccer (Home) Jamestown @4:00 pm
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Vikings volleyball triumphs at Corning tournament By: Skylar Blankenship Sports Editor Facing off against Broome, Corning and Tompkins-Cortland at the pod tournament hosted by Corning on Sat. 23rd, the women’s volleyball team went 2-1. Against SUNY Broome’s Hornets, the lady vikings went 3-2 (17-25, 35-23, 25-22, 16-25, 15-12). In their match versus Broome, the Vikings scored 28 kills on 28 assists and a total of 96 digs.
Sophomore libero Megan Woods, a digital media major, and freshman OS/DS Kristen Digs, a computer science major, contributed with 22 digs and 19 digs, respectively. Alayna Fredenburg, a sophomore individual studies major, added another 14 digs. Also contributing, with 13 digs each, was RS Olivia Fischer, a freshman business major, and setter/OH Danielle Pardo, a sophomore mechanical engineering in technology major. Hudson Valley went two for
three (27-25, 19-25, 15-25, 2517, 15-17) in their match against Corning Community College’s Red Barons. The Vikings had a total of 38 kills, 30 assists and 141 digs. Woods had a total of 46 digs. Fischer and Fredenburg added another 31 and 23 digs, respectively. Pardo also contributed 16 digs. In their last match of the day against Tompkins-Cortland Community College’s Panthers, the Vikings went 3-0 (25-13, 25-
Sat. Sept 24
12, 25-12) with a total of 25 kills. Fredenburg contributed 9 kills and 14 digs. Woods and Fischer also added 17 and 10 digs each. The tournament brought the team’s season record to 5-7. Hudson Valley’s women’s volleyball team also reached an average of 5.92 kills per set, 5.25 assists per set, 13.26 digs per set and a total of 904 attacks.
PHOTO BY DYLAN HAUGEN | HUDSONIAN
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country (Away) Herkimer Invitational @ 10:00 am
Men’s Football (Home) ASA College @ 2:00 pm
Wed. Oct 4 Women’s Volleyball (Away) Adirondack @ 7:00 pm
Vikings Scoreboard Women’s Volleyball Fri. Sept 15 HVCC v. North Country
3-0 Men’s Football Sat. Sept 16 HVCC v. Ithaca (JV)
10-7 Women’s Soccer Wed. Sept 20 HVCC v. Mohawk Valley
4-3 Men’s Soccer Wed. Sept 20 HVCC v. Mohawk Valley
4-2 Women’s Tennis Sat. Sept 23 HVCC v. Herkimer
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Women’s Volleyball won 2 games against Broome, Corning and Tompkins-Cortland at the Corning hosted tournament this past week.
GARRETT FROM PAGE ONE
Hill Wildcats; playing for Hudson Valley was much more serious. “I had to adjust. The players on these teams are college level athletes,” he said. Axtmann, a forward on the team, doesn’t think that community college soccer gets the recognition it deserves. “Everyone on these teams are serious, and everyone is trying to make it to the next level. They just didn’t get the chance right out of school.” Despite his rough start to the season, Axtmann’s teammates encouraged him to keep improving. Initially, his efforts didn’t seem to pay off. “I went three or four games scoreless. It was my lowest point and I felt like it wasn’t going to come to an end.” Axtmann believes his lowpoint came to an end when he had a conversation with his friend and teammate Ethan Samarija, a freshman defender. They were riding on the bus home after a soccer game and Samarija described the soccer field as “his second home.” Samarija’s words resonated with Axtmann, and he quickly adopted his friend’s perspective.
After the conversation, Axtmann started watching tapes of the games he had played and he learned what he was doing wrong. With the support of his coach and his teammates, he figured out what he was doing wrong and began to fix his style of playing. Axtmann’s hard work finally began to pay off over the course of the next three games, where he scored a collective total of 11 points. In their game against Corning, he also achieved a perfect hat trick. In soccer, a hat trick is when one soccer player scores three consecutive goals without any other goals being made in between. A hat trick is considered perfect when one goal is made with the left foot, another is made with the right foot and the last is made with the player’s head. When he was younger, Axtmann’s mother encouraged him to play travel soccer, and he did until the seventh grade, when he decided he wanted to be a threesport athlete. He was inspired by a lot of professional athletes playing more than one sport. “They said [to] do more than one sport because it just keeps you on your toes; you learn a lot more,” said Axmann. In high school, Axtmann ran
track and played basketball in addition to soccer, but he discovered that soccer is where his passion is. He wants to transfer out of Hudson Valley and hopefully play soccer at a more competitive school.
In order to transfer, Axtmann knows he will need to maintain his confidence as a player. “The sky’s the limit when I think I can compete with anybody. It is when I’m playing my best.” PHOTO BY KIMBERLY EASLICK | HUDSONIAN
Garrett Axtmann, men’s soccer player, had a dicey start to his season but was soon after commemorated by the NJCAA for his outstanding performance.
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September 27, 2017
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FROM PAGE ONE
SOCCER
Hudson Valley’s men’s soccer team also faced Mohawk Valley that same day, but it wasn’t as much of a shoot-out as the women’s soccer match. Exactly 15 minutes into the game, freshman Carl Kernochan, an architecture technology major, scored the first goal, giving Hudson Valley the lead, 1-0. Then, last week’s NJCAA Player of the Week, Garrett Axtmann, scored the next goal exactly 10 minutes after the first goal, moving the score up 2-0. Kernochan put another point on the board in the first half, 35 minutes in, moving this potential blowout up to 3-0, sending them into the second half. Mohawk scored near the beginning of the second half, finally putting themselves on the board, 3-1. Hudson Valley earned a penalty kick and gave the opportunity to sophomore liberal arts major Ryan Euell. He took full advantage of it, scored and moved Hudson Valley up 4-1. Mohawk scored the final goal of the game, handing the Vikings a 4-2 victory. This past Saturday, the men’s and women’s soccer teams also both went head to head with Erie Community College. While the men’s team had a devastating loss
Women’s soccer won against Suny Erie by a single point on Saturday, ending the game at 2-1.
of 3-2 in the final minutes, the women dominated the the nation’s top-ranked team 4-2. All three Viking goals were made in the first period of the two-hour game. Ethan Thomas sent a cross over the middle and Euell connected with a header, in addition to a conversion of a penalty kick by Axtmann.
Then, in the final minute, Erie scored with Justus Hoffmann sending a header from Collin O’Keefe’s free kick leaving, the Vikings no time to make a comeback. On the other hand, the women’s team was able to hold Erie to only one score from early in the first period. In goal for the Vi-
kings the entire game was freshman Kaitlin Nadeau, in individual studies major, with a total of 13 saves. Hudson Valley’s goals came from freshman radiology major, Madison Pinzer, who sent a cross pass to the middle of the box and Kerri VanAusdle, a freshman individual studies major, connected
with the header, tying the game in the first period. The Vikings broke the tie with just over 12 minutes remaining when Kats’ player Sydney Buhrke sent a pass that found Frisch.
All evening students and instructors are cordially invited to attend the
Evening Student Reception Wednesday, October 4, 7 - 8 p.m. Siek Campus Center (2nd Floor) Please plan to attend during your regularly scheduled class break. There will be a DJ, food and a chance to win gift certificates to the bookstore.
Be bold. Be a Viking. Sponsored by the Student Senate and the Office of Continuing Education, Summer Sessions, and Workforce Development.
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