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Volume 72, Issue 12
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Former student comes forward with allegations By: Julio Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief & Zoe Deno Staff Writer
A former Hudson Valley student claims the college mishandled her reports of sexual harassment that had escalated over the course of three semesters. The student requested to have her name omitted from the article. M. said, “The incidents were ongoing from fall 2015 to spring 2016. [The harassment] was not one isolated event. It happened on a weekly basis. I was routinely catcalled and harassed by a group of guys throughout the year.” According to M., public safety caught several of the students who were harassing her in March of 2016 and wrote them up. After the events on campus, M. turned to public safety to re-
port the incidents. Public safety referred M. to the former Vice President of Enrollment and Student Development, Dr. Popovics. “[Dr. Popovics] could not meet with me for over a week. I walked into his office a few weeks later and was confronted by a group of about five-to-seven school officials,” she said. M. said she had to share what happened to the room of faculty members at the college. “It felt like I was being forced to stand trial against them. They were not supportive at all. They kept trying to poke holes in my story and triv-
ializing what happened,” M. said. The newly appointed Vice President of Enrollment and Student Development, Vance Valerio, outlined the initial meeting a student has with campus officials after a report is filed with the school. “During an initial meeting with a student making a report of sexual harassment or violence, a college judicial officer, licensed mental health counselor, physical healthcare practitioner and/or public safety personnel may at-
SEE STUDENT PAGE 5
“Students may trust that their safety, health and well-being is and always will be our highest priority.” Interim Vice President of Enrollment and Student Development, Vance Valerio
SPIRIT DAY IN REVIEW Students exhibit their Vikings pride
By: Nick Fisk Staff Writer Hudson Valley students received free gifts, food and information as they demonstrated their school spirit during Spirit Day in the Siek Campus Center last Wednesday. With the end of the semester just around the corner, students had a chance to relax with friends and enjoy free pizza, snacks and live music. “It gets busy real quick,” system administration major Michael Hughes said. “This is a good
chance to slow down.” Students were also able to get free stickers and Viking helmets, among other things, in the various booths while they were available. In addition, Hudson Valley-branded merchandise was available at 20 percent off at the bookstore, encouraging students to “Get your green on, give a little and show your college spirit!” In addition to other events, college staff were running a canned food event. If students brought in a non-perishable food
SEE SPIRIT PAGE 5
PHOTO BY RICHARD DECKER | HUDSONIAN
Spirit Day was host to a DJ.
December 13, 2017
Hudson Valley alumni drop their first hip-hop record
PHOTO BY THOMAS MARRA | HUDSONIAN
Pictured from left to right: Former Hudsonian Editor-in-Chief, Zach Hitt and former Managing Editor, Themba “Mr. Everyday” Knowles.
By: Richard Decker Staff Writer What started as a chance encounter between a continuing education student and a freshman at Hudson Valley quickly turned into a lifelong friendship, and now, a major album release. Themba Knowles, better known as Mr. Every Day, and Zach Hitt are two Hudson Valley Community College and Hudsonian alumni, who after only five short years are prepared to release their debut album, Plug Me In: Vol. 1. The pair became close-knit shortly after Hitt joined the the Hudsonian, and tried to track down the man he thought to be the advisor for the paper so he could throw his name in for an editorial position at an interest meeting. The “man in the suit,” however, was not the advisor he suspected, but Mr. Every Day, the current managing editor. Unbeknownst to either Hitt or Knowles, this encounter would lead to five years of collaboration, new beginnings and the release of their first record.
Hitt came to Hudson Valley out of high school and was unsure of where to start. “I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do other than business and communication, but I knew Hudson Valley would have a bunch of great connections,” he said. One of those first connections he made was with Every Day. The story of Plug Me In. Vol. 1 began with Knowles, a.k.a. Mr. Every Day, and his aspiration to follow in the footsteps of his legendary godfather, the American soul and jazz poet, musician and author Gil Scott-Heron. Scott-Heron’s spoken word performances influenced music genres such as hip hop and neo soul and is widely recognized as one of the first rappers and MC’s. Every Day was able to experience the creation of hip-hop as it unfolded, even touring with his godfather and Stevie Wonder. During his formative years, Knowles would develop as a break-dancer, singer and rapper. He went on tour with Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest, and later joined two rap
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December 13, 2017
NEWS
Gaming and anime unite with new club
This Week’s Events
Wed 13
Fri 15
Mon 18 Tues 19 Fri 22 Mon 25 Tues 26 Fri 29 Mon 01 Fri 05 Tues 09
Instant Admission Day 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Guenther Enrollment Services Center, Room 223 Transfer Information Table: Grand Canyon University 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, first floor lobby Meet Adipose: The Therapy Dog 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Marvin Library Learning Commons, Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Atrium (library cafe) Fall 2017 Last day of Instruction Transfer Information Table: College of Mount Saint Vincent 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, first floor lobby Fall 2017 Final Grades Due 10:00 am Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Guenther Board Room Holiday – College Closed Holiday – College Closed Merry Christmas from The Hudsonian! Intersession 2017 Classes Begin
By: Hunter Wallace News Editor Are you interested in gaming, anime or just meeting new people? If so, then the Gaming/ Anime Club might be just what you’re looking for. The club meets Mondays from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 3 p.m to 5:30 p.m. in BTC 211. The purpose of this club, which has about 18 club members, two advisors and four different roles filled, is to introduce students to different types of anime and video games. “I started this club so that people can be together,” said Isaac Letchford, second-year Computer Information Systems major and Gaming/Anime Club founder. “The vision that I have for this club is that it expands beyond recognition and that it gets all sorts of people involved.” Letchford thought of the idea for this club after coming to Hudson Valley from the University of Tasmania. At U-Tas, he became involved with a small gaming club and an anime club. Upon his arrival at Hudson Valley he was surprised to learn that a similar group did not exist. “I didn’t realize how much of an absence there was until I really looked for it,” Letchford said. “I mean, there’s a cosplay club at Hudson Valley, yet no club that brought gamers and anime
Holiday- College Closed
Holiday- College Closed Happy New Year from The Hudsonian! Intersession 2017 Last day to withdraw
PHOTO COURTESY OF GAMING/ANIME CLUB
The Gaming and Anime club members posed for a photo at their 2p.m. Monday meeting in BTC 211.
Letchford has graduated. Professors John Thompson and Joseph Stenard have both agreed to act as club advisers, and they helped move the process along, including student recruitment, filling positions and submitting a club charter. The club is now awaiting confirmation of approval from Student Activities. The club invites anyone who wishes to attend, and stresses that no knowledge of video games or anime is required. Rather, students with open minds can come and learn from one another, Letchford said. Letchford offered final words on those who wish to form clubs
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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.
at Hudson Valley in the future. “To those who want to start their own clubs in the future, I say go for it,” he said. “The sky is the limit, and the only person that’s stopping [you] from really doing anything is you. There’s a quote that I like to remember from the song ‘7 Years’ by Lucas Graham [and is] also the motto of the company my co-founder and I are co-founding: ‘I only see my goals. I don’t believe in failure ‘cause I know the smallest voices. They can make it major.’ There are many different possibilities for different clubs, just like there are many different places in the world.”
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watchers together. I went to the campus center [one day] and saw a group of three people playing “Mario Kart” on a Wii on one of the televisions there. I was wondering, ‘If this was possible, why hasn’t anyone picked this up, and why isn’t there a club for this?’” Letchford believes this club helps with stress management and social interaction. “This club isn’t there just for people to say they needed another club to be started up,” he said. “This club is for anyone that feels like the world is just against them and want to connect with people that have the same interest and want to try different things. It’s always good to try different things.” Any students who comes to this club will benefit by making friends with like minded people, which creates an enjoyable time for everyone involved, Letchford said. “In the club, we have consoles, card games, watching anime and healthy competitions like ‘Super Smash Bros.,’” he said. “We have a discord server that you join for the club, and from there you can hear about information for the club and just let loose with memes and discussion topics. This is where people can come to relax.” The Gaming/Anime Club is nearly official. Letchford is president of the club, followed by Chris Lashwa as vice president, who will take over next semester after
Editor-in-Chief Julio Rodriguez Copy Editor Emmy Farstad Layout Editor Isabella Kokoszko News Editor Hunter Wallace Creative Editor Grace Sgambettera
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Sports Editor Brian Dengler Staff Writers Richard Decker Zoe Deno Nick Fisk Staff Photographers Richard Decker Zoe Deno Thomas Marra
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December 13, 2017
NEWS
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Holiday festivities and chemistry combine in contest
PHOTO BY ZOE DENO | HUDSONIAN
By: Zoe Deno Staff Writer Chemistry students are invited to showcase their creative side and celebrate the holidays in the Chemistry Club’s annual ornament contest. “I’m glad I can be a judge each year students bring such creative spins on chemistry,” said Danica Nowosielski, professor of chemistry at Hudson Valley and co-host to the contest. “It always amazes me is that each year we always get very unique submissions.” The only rules of the contest are that ornaments must be chemistry-themed and non-perishable. One year, a student made a felt mad scientist tree topper holding a Santa Claus hat full of calculators for his students. Another year a student submitted a cubed-shaped ornament made of Holmium’s atomic symbol, ‘Ho,’ so the cube reads, “Ho, Ho, Ho,” Nowosielski stated. “Even if the students have the same sort of idea for an ornament in terms of the chemistry, I am always surprised at how they execute it in a different way,” Nowosielski said. This year Ben Duell, an environmental science major won. He submitted an ornament that looked like a small booklet. Its pages were open and they read, “The 12 days of Chemistry.” The idea for the contest came about when Hudson Valley chemistry professor and co-host Dr. Elena Keesee saw another school hosting a similar contest. Both Keesee and Nowosielski wanted to bring something new to the Chemistry Club, so Keesee made the suggestion to start the orna-
Environmental science student Ben Duell won with his ornament designed as a book which read, “The 12 days of Chemistry.”
ment contest. Nowosielski liked the idea, so the first contest was held in 2013. Participation in the contest varies dramatically from year-toyear. The first year the contest was hosted, there were only two participants. Last year, there were 10 entries. This year, only six people chose to submit ornaments. Originally, the winner was decided by a popular vote at the last Chemistry Club meeting of the semester. It was more of a popularity contest that depended heavily on who showed up, so the club decided to start using judges
three years ago. “Each judge has some kind of background in chemistry, and they all bring their own perspective to the contest,” Nowosielski said. Current chemistry professors are not allowed to be judges because all of their students are eligible to enter the contest, which is open to any student who is taking a chemistry class that fall. It doesn’t matter who the professor is or what level class students take, so both Nowoselski and Keesee worried about the risk of bias. The club decided to have five
judges to avoid ties. The chair of the Biology, Chemistry and Physics department, Peter Schaefer, Ph.D., will be judging this year’s contest, along with Beth Ernest, a professor of engineering and Sue Genier of Technical Services who supplies chemicals for the chemistry labs. The hosts also reached out to two retired chemists to be judges: Rose Dorr, who used to be a professor of chemistry at Hudson Valley, and Farid Khouri, who is a retired General Electric chemist. Both accepted the invitation. When the rankings are sub-
mitted, Nowoselski and Keesee tally them up to see which ornament has the most points, and will then announce the winner on the last Monday of the semester at a Chemistry Club meeting. As would be expected, the prizes are chemistry-themed. The first place winner receives a periodic table blanket and the second place winner gets a beaker mug. The ornament contest is a great way for chemistry students to have some fun during a stressful part of the semester while testing their creativity and knowledge of chemistry.
Update: Newspapers stolen on campus By: Hunter Wallace News Editor The Hudsonian’s issue 9 was stolen from stands after an article was published that a student disagreed with. On Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 5 p.m., Creative Editor Grace Sgambettera stocked Hudsonian newspapers around campus. When Sgambettera returned the next morning at 8:30 a.m., she saw that many issues were missing from newspaper racks in the Parking Garage, Siek Campus Center and Administration building. On Nov. 16, Public Officer Steven Denio reviewed second floor CTR video and found a white male on Nov. 15 at 6:08 p.m. walk up to the rack, take every copy, walk down the stairs and stop to put the newspapers inside
his backpack and then walk away. On Nov. 21 at 2:30 p.m., Denio identified and interviewed male student John M. Karner, who stated he took all of the newspapers because “it (sex assault incidents) was all over social media, the news and other sources.” Karner also apologized. “It was very frantic and unexpected because I’m not here on Friday, and as editor-in-chief I should have been the one to go down and file the report,” Rodriguez said. “[Sgambettera and I] were texting feverishly, just trying to figure out how to solve this.” In addition to the legal aspect of this incident, the theft also affects the paper’s finances. “This [theft] does not compensate for how much those papers are,” Rodriguez stated. “The newspapers are expensive. They’re
probably ballpark $300 every single time we publish. I think people might not be aware of that, but publishing a newspaper is very expensive, and that comes from the Records and Activities Fee, so students are basically paying for this newspaper that a student stole from our stands.” Sgambettera commented on how this unlawful act speaks to the greater pressures the media industry faces. “I feel like we have a problem with the way the media is perceived and the way journalists are treated,” Sgambettera said. “On a smaller level, this kind of reflects the attitude toward the media and toward journalists throughout the country and the world that we are not getting the platform we legally have a right to.” Sgambettera continued,
“We’re not given the respect of just letting us exercise our own free speech and our own freedom of the press and then responding on your own with an email, a letter or showing up at our office and having a heated conversation, if you must. I think it just shows a lack of understanding of what our jobs are and a lack of respect to us to do them.” The theft affected more than just preventing the dissemination of news to students. “We suspected that we might get some comments from the campus,” Rodriguez said. “I never assumed that someone would steal copies from the stands. As a result of this, there were definitely some hurt feelings from staff members who were wondering why the newspapers where their work was featured had been sto-
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len by another student.” Going forward, both Rodriguez and Sgambettera stress the importance of open communication in times when students may disagree with certain coverage. “We really want feedback from our readers because we want to listen to [them],” Rodriguez said. “Talk to us. We have mandated office hours. We [also] have Monday meetings at 2 p.m. in ADM 107.” “If you’re not comfortable meeting face to face, send us an email,” Sgambettera said. “We’re not going to really consider what your perspective is unless you tell us. People should talk to us.” At this time, The Hudsonian is considering pressing charges, but no official decision has been made.
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December 13, 2017
NEWS
U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act affects students INFOGRAPHIC BY JULIO RODRIGUEZ | HUDSONIAN
By: Richard Decker Staff Writer The U.S. Senate passed its version of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act last week, which would lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. The new act could potentially add up to a trillion dollars to the federal deficit over the next ten years, according to an analysis by Congress’s Joint Committee on Taxation, a nonpartisan scorekeeper for national tax law. Analyzing the 470-plus pages of the bill, the passing of the finalized US Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as written by a conference committee between the two chambers of Congress, could result in significant consequences for students, not just at Hudson Valley, but nationwide. “At a time when our economy is demanding more education for more of our citizens, we cannot erect new barriers for the millions of Americans who need affordable higher education,” wrote Margaret Spellings, president of the University of North Carolina system and a former education secretary, under President George W. Bush. Specifically, the bill repeals the student loan interest deduction, which allows for student loan borrowers of any age to lower their taxable income if they make less than $65,000 per year. “Currently, over 44 million Americans hold a total of $1.4 trillion in student loan debt. It takes the average student debt borrower 20 years to pay off their loans, and over 3,000 people default on their federal student loans every day,” said Abigail Hess of CNBC. This has significant impacts
for both current students and younger children of lower-income families. The ban would prevent parents from depositing $2,000 per-beneficiary per-Coverdell Savings account per-year that can later be withdrawn taxfree if used for qualifying education expenses, such as private grade school and college tuitions. The tax bill expands the use of similar 529 plans. Additionally, under the Senate bill, tax law would no longer allow people repaying their student loans to reduce their tax burden by up to $2,500 per year. Employers who cover portions of college tuition would also begin to see that money become taxable. The possible passing of a fi-
nal bill has sparked discussion of the bill’s potential outcomes, both negative and positive. “One thing I did like [about the bill] was the lower interest rate when you’re taking your money back, as that’s more money that can go into the country’s circulation instead of overseas,” said Jake Loiselle, sophomore business administration major. “However, the rest of the bill, honestly, what the hell? It could stop people who are on the margin from going to college, and we definitely should not let that happen.” Alongside the many ramifications for students alone, the House bill repeals the interest deduction on various types of bonds. The most notable of these
repeals is that of the private activity bonds which municipalities often utilize to finance hospitals, housing and other projects. “Right now, bond interests are being kept artificially low so that allows them to float to where they should be,” said Kyle MacMillan, sophomore business administration major. “So, essentially, you can make more money [to fund these projects], but it’s a double-edged sword.” With the proposed legislation advancing to its final stages, local governments are worried this aspect of the bill will impede their ability to finance major infrastructure project, specifically affordable housing for families. The nearly five-hundred-
page document includes several questionable clauses. Among the most intriguing are the possibility of college savings for the unborn in the House version of the bill, tax cuts for beer, wine and distillers and a provision allowing for private jet-owners to avoid a special excise tax. The bill prevents taxes from being imposed on aircraft owners for money spent on “services related to maintenance and support of the aircraft owner’s aircraft or flights on the aircraft owner’s aircraft.” “Private jet owners are getting more tax exemptions than I do as a student,” Loiselle said. “I think the best way to go about this is not pass [the final bill] and then figure it out from there.”
WHERE IS FINALS WEEK? Unlike other colleges, Hudson Valley lacks the helpful tool
By: Zoe Deno Staff Writer This is Hudson Valley’s second year without a finals week and students still have a lot to say about it. “A lot of the time, because finals are given in [the last week of instruction], students are still learning new information while they are trying to review for the final exam,” said Taylor Greklek, a business administration major. “Students have the problem of learning new concepts with finals hanging over their heads.” In 2015, the Faculty Student Association voted on a new contract that included the cutting of finals week. This aspect of the contract was heavily debated, but ultimately passed. Hudson Valley is the only college in the Capital Region that does not include a week specifically for finals. Dennis Kennedy, Director
of Communications at the college, said that the board voted to eliminate finals week because students were upset they did not have a spring break. Snow days have also pushed back final exams so that they were too close to the holidays. The college did not get rid of final exams. The final exams are simply given during the last week of classes, instead of having a week devoted entirely to taking the tests. “Not having a finals week makes things more [unorganized] among the student body. You are having finals and final unit exams within two weeks of each other,” said nursing student Valentina Savola. “It really affects my grade badly, I feel like I have to focus on everything at once,” she said. Greklek, who has taken classes at UAlbany, said that he has had 3 finals in one day at Hudson Valley. At UAlbany, if a student has
three finals scheduled in one day they are instructed to reschedule one with an instructor. The instructor is required to allow them to do this. “You could know the material you are being tested on, but if you have three two-hour tests in one day, there is no way you will do well on all of them,” he said. Florence Parmelee attended Hudson Valley Community college twice. She graduated with an associates in Human Services in 2010 when there was still a finals week. She graduated again in 2017 with an Environmental Science Degree and is currently taking some classes she needs for graduate program without a finals week. “The necessity of having a final exam week definitely depends on the major. When I was a Human Services major, we did not need a finals week,” Parmelee said. When Parmelee was a hu-
man services major, she had a class that concluded with a final project. The last two weeks of classes were devoted to finals. She presented her project on the first day and her teacher told her she had completed the course and no longer had to come to class. “Now, as a science major, not having final exam week means cramming our material into one less week and doing things like we are doing where we have a last unit test after the final,” Parmelee said. “The final is supposed to be just that: final.” “In my previous major, one less week might have cramped a tiny bit, but in the sciences we are cutting material out,” Parmelee said. She worries it will affect the transferability of her credits. Lennox DeGrasse, a computer information systems major, also attended Hudson Valley while there was still a finals week. “Hudson Valley’s need for a fi-
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nals week depends of what a student is studying. I remembered it helped out a lot with studying.” He doesn’t feel like it would benefit him this semester, though, because his classes are easier. DeGrasse thinks it would be nice if the college had a finals week, but not at the expense of spring break. “I need that time to chill,” he said. “I’m happy I don’t have to stay at school another week,” Mercedes Barnes, a Digital Media student, said. Barnes said that instructors are only losing between 3 and 4 hours of instruction. She says it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. It is not guaranteed that Hudson Valley will never have a finals week again. The faculty will reevaluate the contract in 2020. Until then, students will have one less week of instruction.
December 13, 2017 FROM PAGE ONE
STUDENT
tend in order to provide immediate help, support and protections to the student,” wrote Valerio in an email correspondence. Valerio noted the members present in the room are there to provide support and protection to the student. Additionally, staff present in the meeting depends on a case-by-case basis. “The staff present depends on the nature of the case and where it is reported. We also provide the reporting student with access to off-campus resources for support while implementing immediate protections and accommodations on campus (such as class schedule alterations, counseling and per-
FROM PAGE ONE
SPIRIT
item, they were able to receive a Hudson Valley shirt in their size for free. In this area, pictures were taken of students who showcased their spirit with Vikings gear. The event ran from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., which some students argued could’ve been longer. However, most of the influx of traffic came from approximately 11:50 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. when classes let out. The increase in attendance to the event may be coincidence, as Hughes tells us how he learned of Spirit Day. “I walked in here to get lunch, and, coincidentally, Spirit Day was going on. So, I figured, ‘Why not? It doesn’t happen very often,’” Hughes said. Some students used Spirit Day as an opportunity to focus on their remaining work. “The food was great, then I just did my homework,” said Sachin Arjune, engineering science student. Slowing down for a minute also gave students the opportunity to reflect on their semester at Hudson Valley.
NEWS
sonal security where appropriate).” “[The college] assured me that they would handle it, but clearly they didn’t, because less than a week later, one of the perpetrators approached me,” M. said. M. said she returned to public safety and told them she was still being harassed. “The campus police officer tried to shut me down. He said that they didn’t mean harm and that they didn’t know it wasn’t okay to come up to me again.” According to M., public safety allegedly told her that because the individuals had not contacted her, followed her or stalked her on social media that they had officially left her alone by the college’s
definition. They did not offer her further assistance. “It was horrible. I was afraid to go back to campus because I felt like I had a target on my head and the school didn’t care about me. They wanted to shut me up. They wanted to keep me from drawing attention to it. I was so isolated and scared to even walk to different buildings between classes, and no one took me seriously,” M. said. Valerio will look at reviewing judicial procedures at the college to ensure that all members of the community feel supported. Valerio said, “As the new vice president overseeing all matters related to student conduct, I am thoroughly reviewing Hudson Valley’s judicial procedures, in-
5 cluding those related to sexual harassment and assault. Our goal is to ensure that every one of our
students, faculty, staff and visitors feel safe and fully supported by the college.”
“I was afraid to go back to campus because I felt like I had a target on my head, and the school didn’t care about me.” Former Hudson Valley student, M
“It was my first semester, and it [was] way harder than high school,” Arjune stated, surprised by the changes he experienced. “Everything is way harder. You’re responsible for everything.” “I feel it’s a good college that’s underrated,” second year engineering science student Karran Bansi commented. Bansi learned about Spirit Day through one of the school club he participates in. “It’s a nice social event,” Bansi said. “You get to meet new people. It’s a nice chance to relax because you’ve got final exams coming up.” Students say they would like to see more events like this over the course of every academic semester and year. “There has to be a lot of activities,” Arjune said. “There has to be fun stuff, entertaining stuff, engaging stuff.” Bansi got slightly more specific, sharing how he wanted to see “a sports day kind of thing. Kind of like a carnival maybe, that’d be kind of cool.” Regardless of future events, Hudson Valley’s Spirit Day successfully drenched the campus atmosphere in a haze of green and gold.
PHOTO BY RICHARD DECKER | HUDSONIAN
Students in attendance received free t-shirts at the event. PHOTO BY RICHARD DECKER | HUDSONIAN
PHOTO BY RICHARD DECKER | HUDSONIAN
The community came together to show their Viking pride.
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Students grabbed food from the lower level of the campus center.
Best of the
6
Written and Designed by:
Julio Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief
&
Isabella Kokoszko Layout Editor
INVESTMENT CLUB’S TOUR OF THE STOCK EXCHANGE PHOTO BY JOSEPH STENARD
THE HUDSONIAN AWARDED A NATIONAL TITLE
PHOTO BY VINNY CROCE | HUDSONIAN
On Oct. 27, Hudson Valley’s Investment Club was one of the first two-year colleges to tour the New York Stock Exchange since 9/11. A total of 53 students and faculty from Hudson Valley took a ride down to the NYSE and toured the floor. Peter T. Costa, governor with the New York Stock Exchange, president of Empire Executions Inc. and CNBC market analyst, led the group on the tour and spent hours with the club members answering their questions.
The newspaper won third in the nation at the College Media Association’s National conference in NYC on March 14, 2017. This third place win marked the highest award The Hudsonian has won in recent history. “Weeks of writing, editing, photography and more went into our competition issue and we are proud to be the staff that has played such a part in Hudson Valley history.” - Jenny Caulfield, in a letter from the editor published on April 12, 2017.
BEST GRAPHIC: DACA STIRS UP TALK ACROSS THE NATION
GRAPHIC BY ALANA MUELLER | HUDSONIAN
FAVORITE QUOTE OF FALL 2017: Student Katie Harrigan said she probably visits Dunkin Donuts for coffee as often as twice a day. “If Dunkin didn’t exist, I would probably be rich,” said Harrigan.
HOUSING AT THE VALLEY: COLLEGE SUITES APARTMENTS COMPLETED FOR FALL 2017 Spring 2016 Fall 2016 Spring 2017 Fall 2017 PHOTO BY MATT WHALEN | HUDSONIAN
The former ‘Rosenblum’ building still stood on the site now occupied by the apartments.
PHOTO BY MIKEY BRYANT | HUDSONIAN
Construction began on the project.
PHOTO BY DYLAN HAUGEN | HUDSONIAN
The building started taking shape and applications began to flow in for the upcoming semester.
COURTESY OF CAPITAL REGION CHAMBER
The College Suites apartments opened their doors to the student body population at Hudson Valley.
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Valley 2017
THE HUDSONIAN’S FEATURE OF THE YEAR: ALUMNUS REDEFINES ‘SIMPLE EXISTENCE’ ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: GARRETT AXTMAN BY JENNY CAULFIELD PHOTO BY JENN CURTIS
PHOTO BY KIMBERLY EASLICK | HUDSONIAN
Founder of State Champs, Tyler Szalkowki has stormed the pop-punk scene and created a presence that’s grown in popularity since the band’s beginnings in Albany. Szalkowki detailed the band’s struggle between choosing between higher-ed and the music. Ultimately, the band members left school to focus on the future success of the band. State Champ’s 2017 European tour included sold out dates in Madrid, Spain and Vienna, Austria. The former individual studied student followed his dream and encourages any students considering a future in music to follow that aspiration.
NAME OF THE NEW PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED: DR. ROGER RAMSAMMY
COURTESY OF HVCC.EDU
Freshman forward and business student Garrett Axtman played a strong season and proved to be a formidable force on the field. Axtman was named The Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year, NJCAA Region III Player of the Week on two occasions as well as NJCAA Division III Player of the Week twice. Axtman played 15 games during the season. He accumulated a team-high 27 points on 11 goals and five assists. After a vote by coaches throughout Region III, Axtman earned the NJCAA Region III All-Region Honorable Mention.
Roger A. Ramsammy was appointed the seventh president of Hudson Valley on Nov 15 by the SUNY Board of Trustees. Ramsammy joins Hudson Valley after most recently serving as president of Miami Dade’s West Campus, which serves 165,000 students. Ramsammy will start work as the seventh president in Aug. 2018.
NEWLY ANNOUNCED BUILDING: NEW $14.5 MILLION MANUFACTURING BUILDING IS SET TO ARRIVE IN 2019 The Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills (CAMS) is set to double enrollment in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.). Once completed, the center will double enrollment in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) and help meet a growing workforce demand for skilled employees. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2020, more than 200,000 new positions are expected to be available for machinists and industrial mainte-
COURTESY OF HVCC.EDU
nance technicians nationwide. The 37,000 square foot building is set to be completed in the summer of 2019. The new building was imagined to support industry training and employee recruitment. It is predicted that the building will connect the college to outside partners more than ever before. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are approximately 900,000 more manufacturing jobs today than in 2010, yet the country’s manufacturing companies are struggling to hire qualified employees necessary for business and economic growth.
Exterior Rendering - North
BEST ATHLETIC TEAM: WOMEN’S SOCCER COURTESY OF ATHLETICS.HVCC.EDU
The Vikings women’s soccer team is our team of the year. The team finished the season with an overall record of 12-5. The women made it to the Region III Tournament Quarterfinals and received a win against Corning. The team moved on to the Region IIIA women’s soccer Championship against Herkimer. After a successful season, the team succumbed to Herkimer at the Championship game on Oct. 29.
BEST PHOTO: STUDENTS GAIN A GLIMPSE OF ‘VISIÓN’
PHOTO BY GRACE SGAMBETTERA | HUDSONIAN
FEATURES
8
December 13, 2017
Put the brakes on “fast fashion” this season GRAPHIC BY JULIO RODRIGUEZ | HUDSONIAN
Thrift stores such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army sell affordable clothes without the wasteful tendencies associated with “fast fashion” industries like H&M and Forever 21.
By: Hannah Stumbaugh Guest Contributor Would you still enjoy wearing your trendy jacket or low-cost tank top if you had to sit down with the penniless person responsible for its creation or see the mounds of wasted fabric that were disposed of during its manufacturing? According to the EPA, nearly 13.1 million tons of textiles are thrown away every year. Sustainable fashion stores, such as thrift shops, are attempting to put an end to wasteful and harmful fashion. “Fast fashion” is the term for the cheap clothing that’s produced very quickly by big retailers to keep up with the latest trends. It’s meant to be bought, worn and discarded. Although sustainable stores are not the norm, the number of thrift sales has rapidly increased within the past 10 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, thrift and consignment store sales have increased by 50 percent since 2007. While fast fashion has consumed malls, thrift stores have held their own in towns all over the United States. According to their website, there are over 1,497 Salvation Army locations across America. The Salvation Army and Goodwill are two thrift stores that sell clothing, home goods, books and toys, among other things.
These stores take donations from citizens and resell them. Prices tend to be extremely low in these stores, which is very appealing to customers on a budget. According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, resale businesses, like secondhand and vintage clothing stores, are the fastest growing segment of the retail industry. Constantly evolving fashion trends are a major contributor to waste production in the fashion industry. Because trends are always changing, popular clothing chain stores must bring in new styles every season to keep their products in demand. As many as 18 collections are released annually by stores like Forever21 and H&M. This quick turnover results in landfills being packed with countless “out-ofstyle” garments. Many online stores produce clothing ethically, both by process and payment of workers. One clothing brand, Reformation, is becoming increasingly popular, with celebrities like Taylor Swift and Alexa Chung voicing their support. Other similar brands are hugely impacting the takedown of wasteful fashion. The brands impacting the wasteful fashion movement include Alternative Apparel, Everlane and Pact. With every sale and endorsement, these brands are working to slowly change the fashion industry.
When Americans change their wardrobes to keep up with new collections, they throw away, on average, 82 pounds of textiles every year. Purchasing clothing and goods that have been gently used would greatly impact our environment. About 1.47 million hectares of land are used to produce cotton each year, and cotton is used in 40 percent of current clothing. A
hectare is equal to two acres. Huge dangers have been linked to the production of cheaply made fabrics, such as polyester and nylon. The production of these fabrics causes 300 times more damage to the ozone layer than carbon dioxide. When these fibers break off from clothing in the washing machine, they end up in the ocean. Fish eat these microplastics
and then the fibers get ingested by humans when the fish who have consumed them are harvested for food. Not only is the Earth being affected by these practices, but humans are consuming the byproducts of these textiles. As the industry’s wasteful and destructive processes are exposed, more and more people are making the conscious decision to purchase wisely.
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December 13, 2017
9
OPINION
Chicken Joe’s is a flock above the rest PHOTO BY JULIO RODRIGUEZ | HUDSONIAN
By: Julio Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief Healthy, delicious and cost-effective chicken is only a three-minute drive from campus. Chicken Joe’s Troy location at 506 Campbell Ave. offers an assortment of delicious and affordable chicken cuisine while also keeping their recipes of the highest quality. The local restaurant chain’s goal is to provide their customers with an experience in which food can be fun. The restaurant and its staff always aim to cultivate an energetic and genuine atmosphere. The restaurant’s award-winning wings come in both boneless and bone-in options. The small boneless costs $6.99 and the large is priced at $12.49. The bonein option comes in six ($5.99), 10 ($9.99), 20 ($18.99) and 40 ($38.99) -piece installments. The wings come in honey BBQ, BBQ, sweet & sour, mild, korean BBQ, Joe’s Special and sweet ranch for the medium options. The mild wing options are spicy BBQ, hot honey, hot, super hot and ‘DBC’. The Dane wrap, pictured above, is a chicken lover’s dream. It comes with chicken, melted mozzarella, bacon, lettuce, tomato and ranch. The melted mozzarella, bacon and ranch work together to make the wrap a truly delicious experience. It is certain to remain in your mind for days. The Dane, as well as all other signature wraps and subs, are priced at $7.99. Another staple of the restaurant are their hand-cut nugget
The Dane wrap comes with chicken, melted mozzerella, bacon, lettuce, tomato and ranch.
specials. All specials include a sweet tea, water or a 12-ounce can of soda. The Baby Special is ¼ pound of chicken nuggets, french fries and one sauce, priced at $6.49. The High School Special is ½ pound of chicken nuggets, french fries and two sauces, priced at $7.99. The next two specials are on the heftier side. The Bad Boy special is ¾ chicken nuggets, fries and
three sauces, priced at $10.49. The Godfather special is one pound of chicken nuggets, fries and three sauces, priced at $13.49. If you’re just looking for a quick and filling option at the restaurant, you should consider the Grab Bag. The Grab Bag comes packed with three nuggets, three corn fritters, three potato cones, two mozzarella sticks and two mac-
and-cheese bites. The bag is fairly priced at $7.99. There is also all-day breakfast available. All breakfast sandwiches are served with double egg. The Bec, The Night Owl, The Hangover, St. Rose and Swag are the all-day breakfast sandwiches. They all come with egg, but each one has its own distinct and appealing qualities. All five sandwiches are priced
PHOTO BY JULIO RODRIGUEZ | HUDSONIAN
Chicken Joe’s buffalo mac & cheese drizzled with ranch.
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at $3.99. The fried chicken combos come in two ($5.99), three ($6.99), four ($8.49), eight ($15.99) and 12 ($23.99) pieces. Each combo comes with slaw and one additional side. The eight piece comes with an additional side and the 12-piece comes with an additional two sides.
FEATURES
10 FROM PAGE ONE
ALUMNI
groups, Poetic Justice & AZUR. This led him to a deal with California-based record label, Qwest Records. However, the deal fell through, leaving Knowles to pursue other options. Almost a decade later, Mr. Every Day began to recognize the rut he was falling into. As the industry was evolving, the significance of a formal education became apparent. “I started to hit a ceiling of respect…the entertainment business is always evolving, and I got to a point where all of my connections began losing their [chances at] positions without a proper education,” said Knowles. This is what brought him to Hudson Valley, where he met Hitt. Following graduation, Knowles and Hitt remained friends and have been working on their album ever since. Mr. Every Day moved on to become Founder and CEO of Past-Life Entertainment Group and eventually signed Hitt for Plug Me In. Vol. 1. The album is a combination
of mainly hip-hop and rap, with rock and other musical influences seeping through in tracks like “Eye Matter.” “I don’t think anybody can do what I do. Most of the guys from my era aren’t making music anymore and the ones that are have morphed into a behind-thescenes position,” said Knowles. Plug Me In. Vol. 1 features several different artists. Knowles describes the album as “a tour-deforce, a culmination of the greatest individual aspect of every one of us, the pinnacle. When you put your soul into something like this, only good can come out of it and that’s exposed through the music.” Plug Me In. Vol. 1 tells an emotionally-charged story that will leave listeners thinking.. “I want to find one person who needs their life to be changed, maybe they don’t even know it, but I want them to hear this album, and I want it to make them think more than it has made me think,” said Hitt. “I hope it leaves a deep impact on the world. If there’s one person whose life is changed by this album, that’s the biggest thing that matters.”
December 13, 2017 COURTESY OF PAST LIFE ENTERTAINMENT
Mr. Everyday founded “Past-Life Entertainment Group” and the debut album tells an emotional story.
“I hope it leaves a deep impact on the world. If there’s one person whose life is changed by this album, that’s the biggest thing that matters.” - Zach Hitt, former Editor-in-Chief of The Hudsonian PHOTO BY THOMAS MARRA | HUDSONIAN
Knowles and Hitt started work on their debut album titled “Plug Me In: Vol. 1” following their time at Hudson Valley and the finished product is set to be released on Dec. 21.
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December 13, 2017
Sports Schedule Wed. Dec 6 Women’s Basketball (Home) Springfield Technical @ 7 p.m.
Wed. Dec 27 Men’s Bowling Roto Grip Keystone Classic @ 10 a.m.
Thurs. Dec 28 Men’s Bowling Roto Grip Keystone Classic @ 9:45 a.m.
SPORTS
11
Men’s and women’s basketball fail to bring home a win By: Brian Dengler Sports Editor Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams came home empty handed from their matches against Onondaga Community College this past Wednesday.
Women’s Basketball
Coming off of a record-setting victory against Corning Community College, Hudson Valley couldn’t pull it together as they faced the well-rounded Onondaga team on Wednesday afternoon. The first quarter was closely contended, but Onondaga took it by four points 16-14. Hudson Valley couldn’t secure the second quarter, either,
this time by a bigger margin, with Onondaga taking it 26-16. Going into the second half, Onondaga had a 42-30 lead. In the third quarter, Hudson Valley fought back with their best effort, but it still wasn’t enough, and Onondaga continued to outscore Hudson Valley 16-14. Hudson Valley needed to put together a huge fourth quarter in order to snag yet another win in their impressive season, but ultimately fell short. In the end, Onondaga outpaced them 19-15, and walked away with the win 77-57. Freshman physical education major Taylor Engster (who is also the NJCAA Region III Player of the Week) scored a team-high 13 points. Freshman individual
studies major Hannah Kreiger also snagged 13 points. Hudson Valley is anticipating their next two match-ups against Tompkins Cortland Community College (12/10) and Springfield Technical Community College (12/13).
Men’s Basketball
Hudson Valley’s men’s basketball was also unable to clinch the W against Onondaga Community College on Wednesday night. The first half was nearly a one-sided blowout, with Onondaga outpacing Hudson Valley 41-25. Hudson Valley didn’t want to let go of the game without a fight, and their effort was appar-
ent. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t enough. Onondaga dropped 47 points on Hudson Valley while the Vikings were able to score 41. The final score was 88-66, in favor of Onondaga. Hudson Valley’s leading scorer that night was freshman business major Sean Degraffenreid, who raked in 10 points. Among the other Vikings scorers were sophomore business administration major Sean Webb, 9 points, and freshman individual studies major Brandon Degrasse with 8. Hudson Valley’s men’s basketball team’s next game will be against Tompkins Cortland Community College (12/10). COURTESY OF ATHLETICS.HVCC.EDU
Fri. Dec 29 Men’s Bowling
Lehigh Valley Collegiate Classic @ 9:45 a.m.
Vikings Scoreboard Men’s Basketball Wed. Dec 6
HVCC v. Onondaga
66-86
Sun. Dec 10
HVCC v. Tompkins Cortland
66-73
Women’s Basketball
The team fell to Corning last Wednesday. COURTESY OF ATHLETICS.HVCC.EDU
Wed. Dec 6
HVCC v. Onondaga
57-77
Sun. Dec 10
HVCC v. Tompkins Cortland
68-75
For more information, visit athletics.hvcc.edu
Men’s basketball fought a strong game, but ultimately lost to Onondaga.
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December 13, 2017
SPORTS
12
40 YEARS SERVING AS ‘COACH’ A closer look at Hudson Valley’s Mike Long
COURTESY OF ATHLETICS.HVCC.EDU
Men’s basketball coach, Mike Long.
By: William Reed Guest Contributor With more than 40 years of coaching experience under his belt, Mike Long still loves basketball as much as he did on day one. Long was born and raised right here in the capital region. After changing schools as a second grader, he found roots in the sport that would later become the basis for his career. “They had this sport called basketball, which I had no idea
about,” he said. He started playing basketball on a regular basis and quickly found a passion for the game. Long attributes his initial love of sports to one of his childhood physical education teachers. “His whole outlook on sports, in general, I thought was really good, and that kind of influenced me in terms of my love of sports,” Long said. From there, he continued to play basketball throughout elementary and middle school. He got his first real taste of organized basketball playing for a Catholic Youth Organization team in eighth grade. He was motivated by the drive of his fellow players and began to carefully hone his own skills to match theirs. His practice paid off when he made the freshman team. He continued to work hard and eventually made Varsity during his junior year of high school, becoming a starting player the following year. After graduating, he joined the freshman team at Siena College, where he earned a starting spot on the varsity team and was appointed as co-captain his senior year.
A couple years later, a familiar coach offered him his first chance to be a head coach. “The guy who had been my freshman coach at Siena had been appointed the varsity coach, and he called me and asked me if I’d be interesting in coaching the JV team,” Long said. He accepted the job, just like that, a coach was born. After two years at Siena, Long was approached with yet another new opportunity, this time at the College of Saint Rose. He was reluctant at first because he knew it was a developing program was just developing and would require a lot of time and effort. More importantly, though, he knew he wanted to coach, so he accepted the job. “When I started, I look back on it now, I really didn’t know what I was doing,” he said. “[I had to] try to build a program where there wasn’t anything. [I] was trying to establish a good reputation,” he added. At first, this new position was very taxing and Long found himself handling any and all basketball-related issues. However, with time and experience, he found success and grew right alongside
the Saint Rose program. After winning multiple regional championships, the program was accepted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Coach Long ended his tenure after thirteen years, remembered as “the father of Saint Rose basketball.” Long’s next step was at the Junior College of Albany, now Sage College. He began as an assistant coach and became head coach in 1990. As usual, Long thrived in a basketball setting, ultimately spending thirteen years there, going 220-143 and being named NJCAA Region III Division II Coach of the Year at the end of the 2001-2002 season. From the end of the athletic program at Junior College in 2003, until 2013, he continued to coach at an assistant level, with stints at the Christian Brothers Academy and Saint Rose. In 2013, he was approached by Hudson Valley Community College to be the new men’s basketball head coach. At 66, he was more than happy to accept the job and was very grateful for one more shot at being head coach. Throughout Mike Long’s
PHOTO BY DYLAN HAUGEN | HUDSONIAN
MEN’S BASKETBALL
accomplished career, he has achieved impressive milestones, but one thing still remains. “I’d love to win a championship,” he says, adding that a chance to go to the national championship is the one great achievement left on his to-do list. Regardless, he feels that his championship dreams are fulfilled through his individual players. “I always feel that my ‘championships’ are the individual players that I coached over the years who I’ve maintained relationships with over all this time. [When they] come back and look me up or ask me how I’m doing, I find out how they’re doing, and that they’re married, they’ve got a good job, they’ve got a couple of kids and they’re doing well. Those are always what I call my championships.” When you take into account each of these individual championships, his success rate speaks volumes about his impact, both on and off the court. As far as Mike Long is concerned, that’s what matters most.
PHOTO BY VINNY CROCE | HUDSONIAN
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Sun. Dec 10
Sun. Dec 10
HVCC v. Tompkins Cortland
HVCC v. Tompkins Cortland
66-73
68-75
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