Spring16issue5 by The Hudsonian

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Volume 69, Issue 5

Feburary 16th, 2016

#NATIONALS

THE VIKING’S HOCKEY TEAM WITH A STRONG PUSH IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON HAS THEM FEELING GOOD HEADING INTO NATIONALS. SEE NATIONALS PAGE 11 Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN

Car part confused for gun by student By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor

“

It’s easy for someone to imagine a handgun, especially with all of the gun violence going on. Dave Powell

criminal justice student

A rear-view mirror under repair was mistaken for a handgun in the parking garage last Thursday. Around 12:30 p.m., a female student reported a handgun sighting on the first level of the east side of the parking garage to Public Safety. “It’s easy for someone to imagine a handgun, especially with all of the gun violence going on,” said Dave Powell, criminal justice student. Working with three North Greenbush Police Department officers, Public Safety held an investigation of the area until about 1 p.m.. “It’s good that they’re being cautious about it,” said Alexandra Rojas, dental hygiene student, about Public Safety’s response to the situation. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” The person repairing their vehicle was a non-student, who was at Hudson Valley for an appointment at the dental hygiene clinic. No weapons were found in the area. “We searched [his car] and found that there was no gun or anything like that, so we were satisfied,” said Fred Aliberti,

director of Public Safety. “It was a good intention call from the person who thought that the person maybe had a gun in their hand, which they didn’t,” said North Greenbush Police Department Chief Robert Durivage. He said that the subject in his car cooperated with Public Safety and police. “There have been a lot of cases of mass shootings on campuses, so thank god it wasn’t an actual gun,” said Anthony Ramos, business administration student, who parks in the parking garage regularly. This incident was the first reported firearm sighting on campus since October, when Jordan Laurie, 27, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon after leaving a .22 caliber Mossberg rifle in the backseat of his car, parked in the H Lot. Max Cadman, nursing student, first heard about this incident over Yik Yak. “The only thing I saw was ‘there are 12 cops in the parking garage’ and I didn’t know if it was true,” said Cadman. There were only three officers on the scene according to Public Safety and the North Greenbush Police Department.

“

There have been a lot of cases of mass shootings on campuses, so thank god it wasn’t an actual gun. Anthony Ramos

business administration student

SEE GUN PAGE 3

Inside News Stock madness

Inside Features Molly Durnin

Inside Sports Sean Spohr

Investment Club event takes off.

Singer-songwriter with campus beginnings.

Ranked #5 in the nation for goal, Spohr Page 12 scores big.

Page 4

Page 7

February 16th, 2016

NEWS

The Hudsonian Hudson Valley Community College 80 Vandenburgh Ave. Troy, NY 12180 Phone: 518-629-7568 Email: hudsonian@hvcc.edu Editor-in-Chief Matt Whalen Managing Editor Tyler McNeil Business Manager Durgin McCue News Editor Rebecca Jordan Creative Editor Jenny Caulﬁeld Sports Editor John C. Longton III Photo Editor Marison Topinio Copy Editor Dae-Jin Yuk Web Editor Richard Bonomo Staff Writers Brandon Hladik Emily VanLeuvan Evette Linendoll Neimra Coulibaly Oksana Pawlush Sophia Jamil Staff Photographers Anisul Tony Mikey Bryant Stephanie Saddlemire Faculty Adviser Rachel Bornn Letters to the Editor Letters can be delivered to CTR 291 or emailed to hudsonian@hvcc. edu. Readers may have their letters published anonymously as long as their identity can be veriﬁed. Letters will be edited for grammar, style, libel and length. Editorial Policy All views expressed in this paper are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the The Hudsonian or the College. The Hudsonian is the exclusive student newspaper of Hudson Valley Community College. It is published every week. To join The Hudsonian, attend our weekly meeting on Mondays at 2 p.m. in ADM 107.

Weather TUESDAY High/Low 43/33 WEDNESDAY High/Low 56/42

All College Meeting addresses Hudson Valley’s future By: Rebecca Jordan News Editor During the All College Meeting last Monday, President Andrew Matonak brought the audience of professors, faculty, and staff up-to-date on the college’s successes and areas needing improvement. “[The All College Meeting] is our one time during the semester – twice a year – where I’m able to tell the faculty about a lot of these different things,” said Matonak in an interview after the meeting. “We have a lot of vehicles to be able to communicate [during the regular semester], but so much is being thrown at us that we just don’t grasp it.” Student Senate president Everett McNair was the first to address the audience. He spoke about the current generation of college students and its faults, and asked those listening to help their students to “become the best generation we can be.” “I would like to ask you to help us overcome our weaknesses because so much of the time you’re told or asked to come to understand my generation and understand what makes us tick and to come down to our level,” McNair requested. “I would like to ask you to bring us up, take our weaknesses and teach us to overcome them.” Sarah S. Retersdorf, chair of the Academic Senate, spoke next, followed by professor Gregory Sausville, president of the Faculty Association. Both officers updated the attendees on the achievements and doings of their respective organizations and asked people to get involved. Matonak started his address by welcoming and directing listeners to the programs received upon entering the auditorium. He recognized those who received awards, earned tenure, retired, and were appointed to new positions,

such as new department chairs and employees. Accreditation was next on the agenda, and Matonak affirmed that the college’s accreditation through the Middle States Commission was once again secure, though the Commission requested a monitoring report to be submitted by Mar. 1 of this year. There will be a small team visiting the college after the submission to assure Middle States that everything is still in order. Technology was a big part of All College this year. According to Matonak, there has been a lot of work put into improving technology at Hudson Valley because, “We want to make sure that the technology is as good as the people we have.” The college is looking to have a new Chief Information Officer to oversee these changes by the end of this semester. Four new programs will be available in the fall 2016 semester in addition to the over 80 different programs the college currently offers: Clean Energy Management, Early Childhood Education, Health and Wellness Studies, and Exercise Sciences. Matonak touched on the opportunities for high school students that Hudson Valley offers. According to Matonak, these new programs are, in part, an attempt to bolster declining enrollment at the college, which has taken a 3.2 percent hit this current semester. He encouraged faculty to do everything in their power to help recruit and retain students both for the regular school semesters and also for the summer classes. The lack of additional funding in the State Budget for community colleges is also a concern because of the decline in enrollment and the corresponding decline in tuition revenue. SUNY has several new initiatives that Matonak

mentioned. The first phase of DegreeWorks, an online tool that allows students to create semesterby-semester degree completion plans, is slated to go live with the registration opening. Also, SUNY is creating a new database that will match employers to student interns throughout the state. Three new on-campus building projects are in the works, including the new athletic complex to be built on the site of the current fields. Second, the Physical Plant is in the process of tying the campus back into National Grid, a project which should be completed by the upcoming fall semester to stabilize the power. The third project, which is in the planning stage, will be a 40,000-square-foot addition to Lang Hall to double enrollment for the advanced manufacturing program. Matonak brought up the student housing initiative, which should be completed by the United Group for fall 2017. Measures are being taken to tighten up campus safety through the Emergency Response Committee. Tests on the existing PA system, new technology, installation of an external PA system and more detailed crisis management plans are all part of this initiative. “We hope nothing ever happens,” Matonak said, “but we want to make sure we are prepared if it does.” The president also touched on scholarship opportunities, changes in new student orientation, and several other aspects of college performance and activity. He closed on a positive note: “This college does some very great things every day. In order to help each other, our students, community, and friends to see the benefit of our work, let’s make sure that we do everything we can to tell the story about Hudson Valley, internally and externally.”

Calendar of Events February

Tue 16

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

Yoga 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm Siek Campus Center, Suite 270

Wed 17

Soothing Sound Chamber and Labyrinth Walk 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Siek Campus Center, Room 204

Intramural Sports: Jump Rope Challenge 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm In the Siek Campus Center

Marketing Competition 2:00 pm Science Center, Room 120

Thu 18

Carnival Traditions in The Caribbean, South America and North America 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, Room 150

Twelfth Night 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Maureen Stapleton Theatre (located in the Siek Campus Center)

THURSDAY High/Low 44/28

Give or Get Lost 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium and Meeting Rooms

FRIDAY High/Low 38/27 SATURDAY High/Low 45/30 SUNDAY High/Low 36/23

Stephanie Saddlemire | THE HUDSONIAN President Drew Matonak discusses the future of student housing at the All College meeting.

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The Hudsonian’s next publication will be Tuesday February 23rd.

February 16th, 2016

NEWS

Expert teaches students dining etiquette By: Rebecca Jordan News Editor Did you know that you have probably been eating incorrectly your entire life? “There’s a street in Washington called Embassy Row, and think about every night what happens in all of those embassies at dinner. Think about all of the conversations that keep the world together and keep world peace,” said presenter John Mellon, aka “Dr. John Etiquette”, about the importance of proper etiquette. Mellon taught two workshops last week titled “Fine Dining Etiquette” to inform students about the proper ways to present themselves in a formal setting. He spoke first about the history of etiquette before diving into the proper place setting and which utensils to use for certain courses. The main plate and utensils in the center are for the main course, the smaller plate and knife in the left hand corner are for appetizers or bread, the utensils placed above the dinner plate are for desert, and the stemware always sits to the right of the setting. In addition to the proper setting, students learned how to

place their silverware to signal to wait staff that they were finished with their meals, shake hands, hold out and push in a chair for another guest, and help someone put on his or her jacket. “I thought it was interesting, and my nanna recommended it because she thought that etiquette skills for dining would be

helpful,” said Danielle Sodergren, individual studies student. Even in today’s world of informalities, Mellon still believes that etiquette is important to the average college student. “[Etiquette] brings an amount of civility to environments, and it really is important to make people feel comfortable,” he said.

There were refreshments available to students, and the names of all attendees were put into a drawing for free movie tickets. The college has a list on its website of the free workshops available to students on selected Mondays from 3 to 4 p.m. throughout the semester.

Marison Topinio | THE HUDSONIAN Dr. Mellon discusses setting the table at a formal setting.

FROM PAGE 1

GUN PART Over four hours after the Thursday incident, a mass email was sent out to all students. Madison Davis, engineering science student, believes the college’s mass email was unnecessary in the wake of recent mass shootings, such as the Umpqua Community College shooting in October. “There are actually dangerous things going on now so you shouldn’t just throw the words ‘handgun’, ‘danger’ and ‘college’ around,” she said. Nora Yousef, human services student, considers the college’s mass emails difficult to reach all students in situations like last Thursday’s incident. She believes a text alert system would be more beneficial for all students. “People check texts more than email,” said Yousef. Over recent months, the college’s emergency preparedness committee has been in the process of exploring text alert systems communications and software vendors. “We’re planning on moving forward with some sort of crisis communication system,” said Dennis Kennedy, director of communications and marketing. He mentioned that a new text alert system would not be mandatory for students.

Financial aid oﬃce challenges student loan defaults By: Evette Linendoll Staff Writer Despite the many resources available to help prevent students from defaulting on their loans, some students still end up becoming a statistic. When accepting a loan, the borrower signs an agreement that sets up a payment plan. If students fail to make payments on their student loans as scheduled, they have defaulted on those loans and have therefore broken that signed legal agreement. Though there is usually a grace period before legal action is taken, defaulting is a serious issue. Defaulting on a student loan can ruin your credit, which has serious negative impacts on future automobile and home purchases. Bad credit also makes it harder to open new credit card accounts and can result in higher interest rates.

“I think many students don’t realize the severity of neglecting to repay student loans,” said Dennis Kennedy, director of communications and marketing via email. “They don’t realize that it only takes a conversation with their servicer to work something out.” The easiest way students can avoid defaulting is by keeping up on their payments. In the past few years, the college has started to offer free access to Iontuition, an online portal that allows borrowers to view their finances and keep an eye on payment due dates. While attending Hudson Valley, students are also encouraged to attend financial aid workshops, seek loan counseling, and use the numerous resources on the college’s website. “There are many resources available at the college to help students understand student loans and their repayment responsibilities. Our Financial

Aid counselors are always willing to help, we offer a series of informative online videos known as Financial Aid TV and we provide access to Iontuition,” Kennedy said. The aid students receive to help keep track of their payments does not end once they graduate. “After a student leaves school, we prompt them to complete online exit counseling, which provides them with in-depth information regarding the terms of their loans and repayment options,” said Kennedy in an email. There is also a third-party, known as the i3 Group, who will reach out to student borrowers to help them communicate with their loan providers in order to keep their student loans in good standing. According to Kennedy, there are many options available if a student can’t make a payment on time, such as postponements and deferments. These options are

Anisul Tony | THE HUDSONIAN Student approaches faculty at the financial aid office in Guenther hall

only available, however, if students take the steps to seek them out. “Ask questions and don’t be afraid to ask for help,” said Kennedy.

“And please don’t borrow more than what you need.”

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February 16th, 2016

NEWS

Stock Madness competition reaches Pepsi and Gap faceoﬀ By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor Bracketology started early for the Investment Club in an effort to prevent membership elimination throughout the semester. Stock Madness, a March Madness-inspired game, uses companies instead of teams played by four groups of students. The group with a higher stock wins. “To tie [finance] in with pop culture or with something fun, it gets people interested and they almost learn accidently,” said Investment Club president Josiah Dillon. This year, Dillon pushed the competition early in the semester in an effort to keep members engaged. “You’ll see me for the next couple of weeks continuing to push this club incredibly hard to not keep members, but replace members the members that will drop off because it’s inevitable,”

he said. Throughout the month, Dillon is looking to After two weeks in the single-elimination tournament, two groups representing Gap and Pepsi will face off. The winner of the competition will receive two movie tickets and a $25 bookstore gift card. “It’s not really about [the gift card], it’s more about thinking about industry and the stock market,” said Darsheen Brown, CIS student. After the competition, club members in good-standing will have a vote to invest in the winning company. Every year, the club gets $10,000 for investments provided to them by the Hudson Valley Community College Alumni Foundation. The tournament was divided into four “regional” conferences (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest). Each group included club officers to help new members choose companies to invest in. “We try to have board

Tyler McNeil | THE HUDSONIAN Josiah Dillion and Canaan Santiago, senior Investment Club members help newcomers in the tournament. members within each group so they can educate people and tell them what they look for in a company and how they make decisions,” said Brody O’Connor, Investment Club vice president. The competition was put together last year by former club president Brandon Combs and vice president Nikolas Strom. This year, Investment club treasurer

Alex Shannon believes the competition is better organized. “We’re getting a lot more input from all the members and the board of directors,” he said. In the final four round of the tournament, the eastern and western companies merged, creating debate among both groups. “I just want to learn as much as I can, and I just felt

as though if I embrace what is happening, I learn more and understand their arguments better,” said Tyler Betzwieser, business administration student, about debating over Pallo Allo and Pepsi.

Recruiters target students from healthcare to military By: Evette Linendoll Staff Writer The busiest days on campus are the most likely for students to spot recruiters. Monday through Thursday from between 10 a.m and 2 p.m is the time when some students are most likely to see a recruiter on campus. “We recommend the days that are the busiest on campus, for both student and

employer benefits,” said Gayle Healy, director of the Center for Career and Transfer. “You want the students to be able to access them, but you want the employers to make the most of their time too” said Healy. Recruiting for retail, military, financial sales and healthcare are just a few of the jobs that are being offered through recruiters. “We advertise on the campuses main page, the events page when recruiters are coming to campus,”

said Healy. Recruiters have found a majority of their success through the college’s job fairs. Recruiters are only supposed to recruit from their tables, but find it a successful method. “We would like to emphasize to students that employers are coming here that day to start the hiring process,” said Healy. Healy advises Hudson Valley students to attend the job fair as a method of updating their resumes.

“We are happy to help students with resume development and critique as well as how to prepare for a job fair,” Said Healy. Job descriptions and requirements are posted in Hudson Valley’s job bank. “We have our own job bank that is accessible through our website where students and alumni can register and search for jobs,” said Healy. “[Recruiters] are coming here

because they want our students that are trained, they want the skills that the students are leaving here with” said Healy. There is a community job fair on Apr. 5 from 10 a.m to 3 p.m in the McDonough Field House. Some of the companies that will be there are Alpine Refrigeration Inc., Center for Disability Services and Global Foundries.

Spring 2016

TRANSFER FAIR Wednesday, March 9, 2016 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Hudson Valley Community College Siek Campus Center

For more information, contact the Center for Careers and Transfer (518) 629-7326 Be bold. Be a Viking.

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www.hvcc.edu/transfer

February 16th, 2016

NEWS

Student Activities budget eight percent higher next fall despite low enrollment By: Durgin McCue Business Manager The 2016-17 budget passed at the Student Senate’s Feb. 8 meeting will be eight percent higher than last year’s despite declining enrollment. The budget assumes over $900,000 in revenue, all of which will be spent before the end of the 2016-17 academic year. The largest share of the money, $376,700, will go towards programs such as Springfest, Commencement, and discounted movie tickets. The remainder will be divided among accounts that fund clubs on campus and provide salaries for student activities office employees. The Senate’s ability to increase the budget is due mainly to a projected increase in revenue for next year. The budget distributed at the meeting predicts an eight percent increase in revenue from student fees alone. The increase in revenue will allow for over $50,000 in new spending. Salaries and benefits will increase, while contractual expenditures, such as telephone services, will be cut five percent. Three of the four largest contractual expenditures will be cut at least 10 percent, each helping to lower the required amount by about $4,500. At the same time, expenses, which include programming, clubs and

travel, will grow 10 percent. Under the programing heading, the most significant expenditures are spent on the Student Senate’s many events. Next fall’s welcome back barbecue is budgeted at $56,000, with another half-a-dozen events budgeted at over $20,000. “We try as much as possible to focus on the things that students love the most, like the movie tickets and barbeques,” said Student Senate treasurer Josiah Dillon. Student workers will also see over $4,000 in new funding in next year’s budget. The 19 percent increase is higher than any other increase made to salaries for the 2016-2017 budget. Due to a larger decrease in enrollment this semester than was calculated when the 2015-2016 budget was passed, some cuts will have to be made for the current semester. According Dillon, there was some concern that the Student Activities Office would have to cut as much as $40,000 from the current operating budget. However, after further examination, it was discovered that less than $10,000 would have to be eliminated. “We are trying to look for things to cut within the Student Senate,” said Dillon. “We don’t want to affect the student body too much. If there is something we can do personally to cut back, we want to do that first.”

BY THE NUMBERS $900,000 The amount that the 201617 student senate budget will contain.

8 percent increase $376,700 Will go towards programs such as Springfest, Commencement, and discounted movie tickets.

$50,000 The increased amount in the budget from previous year.

$4,500

10 percent increase in programming, clubs and travel

Eastimated savings from cuts from contractual expenditures.

$56,000 Estimated expense for next fall’s welcome back barbecue

$20,000 Estimated expenses for other evens during the year.

$4,000

19 percent increase

Increase in funding for the student workers next year.

Does college forum help students? By: Oksana Pawlush Staff Writer College forum is course offered by Hudson Valley to help students adjust to college life, but is it helping or hindering the students who take it? College forum is required for students during their first semester. It’s a course that’s meant help new students learn the buildings and services offered on campus, but is it necessary? Advisors on campus say that college forum is a great way to smooth over the transition to college for high school students or people who don’t have any experience with college. “It introduces students to the college, campus and services offered by the college,” said Mollie DeFont, an advising specialist. “It gets the students ready to take college level coursework in combination with classes they are taking their first semester,” said DeFont. Many students who have taken college forum didn’t see any benefits to the class. Garrett Cardinal, a liberal arts major, thinks that the class was in no way beneficial for him. “The class was more of a burden rather than helpful because it was time I

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could have spent studying or doing work for another class,” said Cardinal. Cardinal reflected on some of the projects the students in the class had to complete, including a sort of “treasure hunt”, where students had to go to each building on campus, find the spot marked on their assignment and write about their experience and the building. Students also said that the information that they were taught in the class was information that they learned either from their friends, advisors or from the internet. “You don’t really find any useful information that you could have learned yourself by going to college here,” said business major Justin Hunts. Hunts feels that is you have any questions or concerns about college, you should just directly approach your adviser. “That’s what advisors are for, to advise,” he said. Students that took college forum feel like it did teach them one or two useful tidbits of information, but it wasn’t worth the time or money needed to take the course. Students think that college forum should be a recommended course rather than a required course, as they already knew most of the information, or could have accessed it via the Internet or asking friends.

NEWS

February 16th, 2016

IN THIS PLACE

Mikey Bryant | THE HUDSONIAN Monika Sosnowski discusses her work in the BTC.

Mikey Bryant | THE HUDSONIAN Students looks at works by both artists in the teaching gallery.

SOSNOWSKI AND DE MOLA PHOTOS DISPLAYED IN THE TEACHING GALLERY By: Rebecca Jordan News Editor “In This Place” opened to the public on Thursday with free food and a chance for students to talk to visiting artists Monika Sosnowski and Carlos Loret de Mola. Students went to the gallery opening for the free food, but also for the experience. “I’m a photographer, so I’m here getting to know what other people are taking pictures of, how they’re taking pictures, and to get tips on how to become better,” Emily Searles, fine arts student, said. Samantha Caruso, fine arts student, said, “I’m not really into photography as much, but it’s interesting to me to see how people go about it and how they perceive the world.” Though both artists are photographers,

their work is very different. Sosnowski’s work is located on the first floor of the Teaching Gallery, and she has many more individual prints on display than Loret de Mola, including objects from her life scattered throughout the exhibit. Many of her pieces have portions that are out-offocus, and they have more of a whimsical feel to them. “Over the past year, I started getting very kind of irked by how typical exhibitions are shown, not just photography, but you go to most galleries, especially with twodimensional works, and there is usually kind of a standard way of displaying the work. It’s typically framed, it’s typically in a row, and I’ve been wanting to do other things,” said Sosnowski about the nonlinear arrangement of her works in the gallery. The unique display appealed to fine arts student Mariah Day. “I like the whole

setup of Monika’s pictures downstairs because you’re not looking at one picture at a time, you’re looking at them all at once. In a sense, they kind of make their own picture as they come together as a whole,” she said. Loret de Mola, on the other hand, describes his work as “more disjointed at times and not necessarily a direct message.” His work, on display on the gallery’s second floor, focuses more on the real, tangible “now” of life, and music was a huge inspiration for the pieces he chose for this particular exhibit. His photographs are much larger than Sosnowski’s and are displayed in the traditional, linear format. “I didn’t want it to look overly photographic, and that’s why [my prints] are big and almost poster-like,” said Loret de Mola about “In This Place.” “I didn’t want it to get too polished. I wanted it to

stay a little bit raw but still have some sort of impact.” There are common themes in both artist’s work, according to Tara Fracalossi, gallery manager. “Both of these artists share a connection through their formative years or their family’s histories that involves movement or displacement and resulted in work that explores their own sense of place and identity.” Loret de Mola agrees that despite the obvious differences between his work and Sosnowski’s, there is one commonality: “If nothing else, we both play with photography as a medium of recording memories and thoughts.” Loret de Mola will be giving his artist’s talk in the BTC Auditorium on Mar. 15 from 3 to 4 p.m. “In This Place” will be on display in the Teaching Gallery from Feb. 11 to Mar. 19.

Mikey Bryant | THE HUDSONIAN Olivia Deep, theatre art student, looks at photos by both artists.

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February 16th, 2016

FEATURES

Alumna uses notes outside of classroom for career By: Jenny Caulfield Creative Editor “What’s the cost of my happiness? What’s the cost of my passion?” said alternative singersongwriter and Hudson Valley alumna Molly Durnin. “I consider myself a professional musician,” said Durnin. After attending Hudson Valley over the course of five years, Durnin never thought she would end up being a musician. “Never in a million years did I think I would end up doing this,” she said. Durnin found herself settling at Hudson Valley into the early admissions program at 16. “I was struggling really hard in high school, it wasn’t the right environment for me and getting out of there really kept me in academia,” she said. Entering Hudson Valley in individual studies, Durnin switched between majors like environmental science and criminal justice, but graduated with a civil engineering tech degree. “It was just the smarter choice. I have no college debt right now and not a lot of people can say that,” said Durnin. Although Durnin didn’t start playing shows until college, she has a long history with music. After being put into piano lessons at eight years old, Durnin discovered her musical abilities. Around high school, Durnin started to compose her own pieces of music. “When my brother was in high school I started composing music for these videos because he’s a videographer, and that was really when I started to realize that I could write music,” she said.

Around 19 years old, Durnin picked up the guitar and decided to teach herself to play. After discovering her talents, she started to write her own pieces, and had her first ever show in Troy’s Revolution Hall. Durnin was asked to open for Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins, and the show helped her realize her passion for music. “It was insanely eye opening for me that this feels right and I could do this -- that was when I was bitten by the music bug and was addicted,” she said. Although Durnin graduated Hudson Valley with intentions of

using her civil engineering tech degree, after discovering music her second year into the program, her ideals shifted. “I needed another way to make some sort of money while being in college so I started to play shows,” she said. Within the year of performing, Durnin decided that she would ditch her plans of using her degree and strictly pursue music. Being a self-taught musician, Durnin feels that her music is mainly experimental. “It just kind of unravels itself, it’s not something I necessarily aimed for,” she said.

Durnin’s lyrics are just as experimental. “I feel like i’m influenced by some exterior spirit or something that’s just using me as a voice because sometimes it feels like I’m not even in control of what I’m saying,” said Durnin. Although Durnin had success in the Capital Region, she found herself moving to get a new change of pace as well as putting extra cash in her pocket. Living in a tourist town in South Carolina, Durnin has found that she can maintain her lifestyle further away from home. “I can work six or seven shows a week in the summertime and that’s just

Courtesy of Molly Durnin Molly Durnin graduated from Hudson Valley in 2012 with a civil engineering degree.

not something I can find in New York,” she said. Last month, Durnin did a tour of the East Coast and stopped back in Troy for a home show at The Hanger. “When I come back home I can’t believe the draw that I’m getting as a solo artist,” she said. Durnin attributes her success to the support of the Capital Region, partially why she comes home once a year to play shows. “I give my musical success almost 100 percent to the support of everybody there. I don’t think I would have followed my passion to this extent without everybody’s support,” said Durnin. Durnin self-released her first album, Run, in 2012 during her last semester of college. “I remember trying to record my album during finals week and it was a nightmare,” she said. Durnin recorded the album with 14 local musicians and the record became a collaborative effort of musicians in the 518. Although Durnin had planned to release a follow-up to Run, she pulled the plug last minute on the project. “I pulled the plug because I wanted to take some time and find somebody to work with who could help me have a marketing plan and have some kind of idea of what I’m going to do with this album that’s going to help me get to the next level,” she said. Durnin felt it was better to hold off on giving her fans new music until she had a firm marketing plan for herself. “I don’t ever want to be one of those people who rush a process just to have a product,” she said. Durnin plans to have a finished product out within the next year.

Trip to MSG for New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons Game

NEW YORK KNICKS

WHEN: SATURDAY MARCH 5 Student Price: $65 Guest Price: $85

DETROIT PISTONS

Price includes roundtrip transportation and a ticket to the 7 p.m. game. Bus will leave in front of McDonough Sports Complex at 9 a.m. and will leave Madison Square Garden at 10 p.m. Ticket Information On sale: Monday, Feb. 8 - Thursday, Feb. 25

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FEATURES

February 16th, 2016

Student grips cane for musical support By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor Alex Hutchins has found carrying a musical cane to be ‘instrumental’ in finding comfort. “I will always wear what I want to wear and I will treat people in the way that I feel they should be treated, not in the way society or the people around me think should happen,” he said. For less than two years now, 22-year-old able-bodied Hutchins has carried a cane daily to learn music. At Albany’s Tulip Fest in 2014, Hutchins bought a cane at $60 for its dual function as a flute. “I don’t have the time or inclination to sit down for hours a day and practice, but by carrying it with me all of the time, I’ll find a spare five or ten minutes to give it a little practice,” he said. Using his cane every day, Hutchins sometimes feels uncomfortable walking without artificial support. “I’m used to that sensation of that little leg I have when I’m walking,” said Hutchins. Over time, Hutchins has made an effort to bring his cane wherever he goes. Working shifts at Starbucks, he manages to keep his cane close-by, in his car. “I’ve always just brought it with me and assumed that if somebody had a

problem with it, that they would say something and I could put it in my car or leave it outside,” he said. Aside from working, Hutchins has had few barriers preventing him from sporting his cane. He looked into the legality of carrying the object from class to class, prior to using the cane in public. “I’ve had people ask ‘Why are you carrying it? Is it a weapon?’ and I say ‘No, it’s a flute and I’m carrying it because I’m learning to play the flute’,” said Hutchins. Getting into 1960s British rock band Jethro Tull whose leader singer plays the flute, compelled Hutchins to buy the wind instrument cane at Tulip Fest. Having no formal music training, Hutchins considers himself ‘mildly successful’ at playing the flute. Prior to Tulip Fest, Hutchins’ fascination with canes carried from an early interest in swordplay. As a child, being unable to handle a sword, Hutchins went from fencing twigs in his yard to using walking sticks. Although Hutchins owns five canes, prior to purchasing his most recent cane, he rarely brought his walking sticks in public. “Because this is flute, there’s just that added level of security in people’s heads,” he said. Growing up with Asperger

Syndrome, Hutchins avoided following social norms in public and chose comfort over conformity. At Greenville High School, he would regularly wear a cloak to school. “I really just stood out,” he said. Over the last four years, Hutchins made alterations to his style. Much of Hutchins’ current attire is centered around medieval trends. “I frankly don’t give a damn about contemporary

fashion statements or any fashion statements at all, for that matter,” said Hutchins. He explained, his hat, which he bought at a renaissance festival, protects his from sun exposure, rain and keeps glare out of his eyes. His shoes, replica sixteenth century leather boots, were chosen primarily due to their endurance and historical value. “To me these are beautiful by virtue of them being functional,”

he said. Looking ahead, Hutchins does not envision his future without a cane. “Whenever I’m going out with friends, whenever I’m driving to the grocery store and wherever I go -- this cane comes with me and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.” said Hutchins.

Tyler McNeil | THE HUDSONIAN Hutchins walks in front of the Campus Center with a cane, renaissance boots and a medieval hat.

From classrooms to bathroom ﬂoors: volunteer spreads community service work nationwide By: Sophia Jamil Staff Writer Andrew Poitras lived in a bathroom and on a shed for two months while doing community service in Arizona.

Poitras, a liberal arts major, joined AmeriCorps at 17. “I was homeschooled all my life, and after graduating high school, I had no idea which direction to go in with my life -- I hadn’t quite found myself yet,” said Poitras. Intrigued by the work done

by AmeriCorps, Poitras felt urged to become a part of the organization. “I ended up doing a little more research, and I knew that it was my calling,” he said. Andy left the comfort of his home in Albany and flew to Colorado where he and his fellow

Mikey Bryant | THE HUDSONIAN Andrew Poitras hopes to become the CEO of a non-profit organization.

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volunteers were put into a team and sent to different states. Poitras and his group of volunteers were sent for their first trip to Arizona to clean up the state’s national park. Months into his trip, Poitras soon found himself struggling with AmeriCorps. “[What] I didn’t know was how tough it would actually be,” he said. With limited funding for the program, Poitras and his volunteers were struggling for basic items like places to sleep. “We had to work with anything we had available to us, which was the reason why I was living in a bathroom on a shed in Arizona for two months,” said Poitras. After the hardship in Arizona, Poitras spent the rest of the year traveling across the United States. He traveled to states like Washington, Kansas and Texas doing service. “I worked an insane variety of jobs from cleaning up state parks in different states, to helping save

endangered species of plants in Washington,” he said. Poitras was even given the opportunity to teach ESL to children in Texas. Poitras also found himself leaving the program with his certificate in firefighting. Coming up on a year of service, Poitras took a two month break to come back to his hometown in Albany. “I came back to Albany, but my heart was still with all the people I had helped,” he said. Being captivated by his work with AmeriCorps, Poitras decided to go back for another ten months. After completing his second round of ten months with AmeriCorps, Poitras decided to return to Albany and attend Hudson Valley to get a degree towards his passion for helping others. Inspired by his time at AmeriCorps, Poitras is determined to one day become the CEO of his own organization that’s main purpose would be to help those in need.

February 16th, 2016

FEATURES

COMMENTARY

Eating disorders are not a choice, but awareness is

By: Tyler McNeil Managing Editor If eating disorders were a choice, I certainly wasn’t informed. For the sake of attention seeking, I would rather pursue an act that came without an undying food-obsessed nightmare. Hearing “put some meat on those bones” by friends and family wasn’t enough to “change my

mind” when I was underweight. To this day, suggestions to “eat normally” have been unsuccessful. Eating disorders aren’t a choice, but learning about them is. Coming to Hudson Valley in fall 2013, I was feeble, underweight and tormented by stigma. My mind was constantly thinking of new ways to burn calories without attracting attention towards my illness. I was never diagnosed with ‘manorexia’ nervosa, but ‘manorexia’ seemed to be the

only condition I had whenever I walked out the door. Knowing that I might appear “vain” or “attention-seeking”, I kept my condition hidden from new classmates and friends. Wanting to start over from high school, I didn’t want to seem weak during my first semester. Being at a stable weight, my regressive eating habits have calmed down significantly, but they still haunt me. Scales, BMI charts and calorie labels are still horrifying, but they’ve failed to destroy me. I’m fortunate that my story is able to continue because anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The only benefit from living with an eating disorder has been developing a level of understanding about the brutality of shame. Being one of 30 million Americans who have suffered from eating disorders, beating the stigma against eating disorders is obligatory. An alarming 57 percent of students believe eating disorders are optional depending on the person, according to a Hudsonian survey last week. Even worse,

Transfer student avoids ‘tracking back’ by heading to Hudson Valley By: Neimra Coulibaly Staff Writer The goal for most Hudson Valley students is to transfer into a four-year school, but some students end up tracking back to Hudson Valley. Kamanzi Rama-Monroe is one of these students who took a step back from his plans to attend Hudson Valley. In 2015, Rama-Monroe transferred to Hudson Valley after spending two semesters at SUNY Potsdam. “You are more independent and more inclined to do better,” said Rama-Monroe about Potsdam. Rama-Monroe found that he was extra motivated to do well in his studies at Potsdam, which is something he doesn’t feel as much at Hudson Valley. Rama-Monroe also misses his ability to make friends from SUNY Potsdam. “People were more inclined to spark up a random conversation, while here people already have their groups of friends that they are familiar with and don’t feel the need to branch out,” he said. Entering Potsdam as a biology major towards a career in medicine, Rama-Monroe left the four-year institution, switching his major to computer science. After meeting with his academic

advisor at Potsdam, he discovered he didn’t have the prerequisites for a degree in computer science. With guidance from his father, Rama-Monroe decided going to Hudson Valley was more suitable than spending an extra two semesters at Potsdam to fulfill his requirements. “I would’ve had to spend more money just to start over,” he said. “It feels like tracking back,” said Rama-Monroe. Although, Monroe was

disappointed at first, he learned to understand that Hudson Valley was only a temporary stage in his life. “Don’t compare a four-year school to a two-year -- those two years goes by fast and you won’t be here forever,” he said. Understanding that Hudson Valley isn’t permanent for him works as his motivation to really focus in his studies and push forward with his goals in obtaining his computer science degree.

Stephanie Saddlemire | THE HUDSONIAN Kamanzi Rama-Monroe sits in the Student Civic Engagement Corner in the Campus Center.

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four percent of students believe eating disorders are a choice. These statistics illustrate how frightening the disillusionment is with eating disorders among students. Only nine percent of students said that they knew Eating Disorder Awareness Week is next week. Every year, I’ve been disappointed by the lack of awareness across campus for Eating Disorder Awareness Week. While I applaud efforts for having an eating disorder awareness table in the Campus Center, pamphlets are still not enough to fight the stigma of eating disorders. There needs to be an additional effort to spread awareness through studenttargeted engagement. Looking at the calendar of events, there isn’t any event listed ahead specifically centered around promoting eating disorder awareness. Once every semester, there needs to be a conjoined effort across campus, from the athletic department to all college forum classes to educate students about what eating disorders are. I’m not hoping for everything to be dropped for eating disorders, but I’m always hopeful that

educational environments such as Hudson Valley can make a stronger effort to expel ignorance. Stigma will not be completely erased by a Powerpoint or guest speakers, but in order for stigma to rot away, students need to speak out against harmful misinformation about eating disorders among family and friends. It’s important to fight against toxic fallacies which label people with eating disorders as “attention seekers” or “superficial.” In the company of loved ones suffering from eating disorders, telling them to “eat” isn’t going to change anything. Do not criticize their eating habits or comment on their body image, even if it is complimentary. Placing guilt or blame on a person suffering from an eating disorder will only make them feel horrible, not better. People suffering or recovering from eating disorders shouldn’t have to deal with the additional stress of shame in their everyday lives. From campus to home, any time one less person is free from the stigma against eating disorders -- it’s a good day.

Vikings Sports Schedule

Women’s Basketball

Wednesday 02/10/16 vs. Fulton-Montgomery @ 5p.m. (Home)

Men’s Basketball

Wednesday 02/10/16 vs. Fulton-Montgomery @ 7p.m. (Home)

Men’s Ice Hockey Saturday 02/13/16 vs. Albany Club @ 9p.m. (Away)

Vikings Scoreboard Men’s Ice Hockey

WIN TIE

February 16th, 2016

SPORTS

Feb. 13 HVCC v. Siena Club 5-4 Feb. 14 HVCC v. Cortland Club 2-2

Road to regionals By: Brandon Hladik Staff Writer The Hudson Valley Vikings basketball team is on a red hot streak. They’ve won 8 of their last 9 and are on a blazing road to regionals. Their back to back campaign against North Country was no easy feat for Hudson Valley. The first being a five point victory and he second being even closer in a four point final advantage. The team was forced to battle and contend the entire way through. Since they twice defeated the hardest opponent they’ve faced since Herkimer the team is feeling extra upbeat moving forward. With added input and constructive criticism from the coach this team has been pushing the limit lately, particularly into the Columbia-Greene Twins game. It was a lead alternating game with the first half concluding in a 5 point lead for the Vikings. The second half was the story of Jordan Nelson. In entirety he dropped 31 points but 23 of those came in the second half. His transition offense off of fast breaks is what really got his count. In a quick Q and A after the game Jordan Nelson talked about his opinions on the play of the team as of late. Q: You dropped 31 today, something the coach said or any specific inspiration for stepping up your game the last few nights? A: The past few days coach has really been getting on us about just playing with intensity every play. And with regionals coming up this is the time when we really have to step it up.

Feb. 8 HVCC v. N. Country 37-56

LOSS

Feb. 13 HVCC v. Mohawk Val. 30-77

Men’s Basketball Feb. 10 HVCC v. WIN Columbia-Gr. 85-67 Feb. 13 HVCC v. LOSS Mohawk Val. 82-90

Marison Topinio | THE HUDSONIAN Top: Jordan Nelson led the Vikings with 20 points against North Country Monday night.

FINAL GAME OF THE SEASON WEDNESDAY VS. FULTON-MONTGOMERY @ 7P.M.

Women’s Basketball

LOSS

Q: What do you personally feel is the biggest challenge for your team and what can you guys do to manage this challenge? A: I honestly believe the only thing standing in our way is ourselves. Our biggest challenge is just making sure we don’t get away from playing our style of basketball. When everyone is active on defense and we can get out and run the floor we’re a hard team to beat. Q: You’ve got MontgomeryFulton and Mohawk Valley to finish off the season. Two teams you lost to the last meeting. What can you or your team do differently this time around to get the W? A: Well with us all of our energy starts on the defensive end. The first time around both times we pretty much let them do what they wanted instead of dictating them to do what we wanted. If we can come out of the gate strong defensively that should work heavily in our favor. Unfortunately after this tremendous streak the Vikings came to a fall. Mohawk-Valley got the best of the team for yet another meeting. The game was deemed a blow out by half time with Mohawk Valley taking a 15 point lead. Regardless of a late surge at the end the Vikings just couldn’t pull it off. The team has one last game against Fulton Montgomery this coming Wednesday. A team in which the met last got the best of them. Let’s just hope it’s not another de ja vu as it was with Mohawk Valley. With hard work and luck this team can finish off with a 20-9 win loss record.

HOME (MCDONOUGH SPORTS COMPLEX)

Lady vikings fall short By: Emily VanLeuvan Staff Writer The Hudson Valley women’s basketball team (1-22) fell to North Country Community College (16-10) on Monday 5637. Playing a very tough and difficult three-two defense was not enough to hold the North Country team back from another win. Leading the optimistic team

with 11 points, senior Deirdre Werner from Tamarac kept the team positive and fighting to the end of each quarter. She successfully executed each play and kept the team in high spirits. With every tough loss, she is always cheering her teammates on. Following these actions, Hope Rebeor added another 10 more points during the Vikings loss. Rebeor as well stays focused in the game no matter what the

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score is, and each teammate follows her lead. Closing this week’s game, the Vikings traveled to Mohawk Valley on chilly Saturday afternoon. With only a handful of games left, the Vikings women’s basketball team put their best efforts out yet lost this game against Mohawk Valley as well with the score of 77-30. The team as a whole keeps pushing and trying their hardest to win. With only six eligible

players it is tough for the team to stay healthy and strong with maximum effort. This week on Wednesday, the 17th, at 5 p.m., the Vikings will take on Fulton-Montgomery at home on the Vikings court for the last opportunity to grab their last home win of the season. Even though the results haven’t been favorable, the effort has always been there.

February 16th, 2016

SPORTS

FROM PAGE 1

#Nationals

Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN Mark Woinicki led the Vikings with two goals in their final home game of the season on Saturday against Siena Club in a 5-4 win.

By: Matt Whalen Editor-in-Chief After starting off the season 5-6, the Viking’s coming back from winter break have been on a roll shooting a 5-2-1 record with one game left before Nationals. “We’re feeling great as we’re on a winning streak. I think the team has come a long way from the first game we’ve played,” said Freshman Sean Spohr. The team has played very well at home going 6-3, but 2-5-1 on the road. The team also has a

record of 2-0 on neutral ice which is big due to the fact that they will be playing on neutral ice in nationals. “I feel very confident going into nationals. We have developed so much as a team and every time we play we keep progressing for the better,” said Sophomore Mark Woinicki. At the start of the season, the team looked like they would have a repeat of last years rough season, but staying strong the team came together and made a strong push at making a bid for nationals. “Getting a bid to nationals

was our first goal. Now we’ve just have to go out there and out it all on the line,” said Spohr. The Vikings are currently ranked third in the region behind Dakota out of North Dakota and Erie who is in first place with a 19-4 record. In the past 10 years, the Vikings have made the National Tournament five times with a 0-5 record struggling against their opponents. Last year they did not make the tournament so this is a big chance for the sophomores to end their time at Hudson Valley

strong. “I feel like we have a special team and we can make a push for a national title,” said Spohr. With only this season and next year left before Hudson Valley hockey is no more, the Vikings only have two more chances to make a big statement. The team has many strong players helping the team. Spohr leads the team in goals with 19 and is currently ranked #5 in the nation. Both Hudson Valley goalies, Jeff Smith and Nate Muller are both ranked in the top five in the nation.

With the Vikings current winning streak, the team feels that they are on the right track to give them a boost towards nationals. “I feel like we’re really heating up at the right time right now and will play with confidence in the national tournament,” said Spohr. As the Vikings make one final push towards nationals, they have one more test against Albany Club this Friday away before they head to Binghamton the following week. “Nationals will be a test but I believe we are ready for it,” said Woinicki.

Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN The Vikings celebrate a win in their final home game of the season.

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February 16th, 2016

SPORTS

Foward gets ‘freshman 19’ By: Samantha Longton Staff Writer

Freshman Sean Spohr is turning heads with his 19 goals this season, which is fifth in the nation. Spohr picked up the game at a very young age and hasn’t looked back since putting on a pair of skates. “I was actually born in Germany and I was really into soccer,” said Spohr. He moved from Lohmar, Germany to Westfield, Mass. for his father’s job when he was around six years old. He wanted to get into soccer but he was too young to play anywhere. Spohr said that’s when his family decided to buy him a pair of skates and get him into hockey. “Ever since then, hockey became number one for me,” said Spohr. Spohr graduated from Westfield High School in 2013. There, he also played for their hockey team, the Westfield Bombers. “We won states my senior year,” said Spohr, who added that another Hudson Valley ice hockey player, Adam Hosmer, was on his high school team as well. After high school, he attended Hoosac Prep School in Hoosick Falls. After completing a postgraduate year there in 2014, Spohr decided to take a year off from school to play Junior Hockey for the Springfield Pics in West Springfield, Mass. Spohr also stood out while playing for the Springfield Pics with 29 goals and 38 assists during the 2014-15 season. It was actually through his coach for the Springfield Pics where Spohr first heard about Hudson Valley. His coach, Roger Westbrooks, knew Vikings head coach Matt Alvey. They created

the connection that lead Spohr to attend Hudson Valley in fall 2015. “I didn’t know how I was going to feel about [Hudson Valley] when I first came but it’s clicking pretty well and I’m liking it here,” said Spohr. Spohr gives a lot of credit to parents and his older brother, Daniel, for supporting his hockey career. “I was lucky to have parents that invested so much time and money into everything,” His father passed away five years ago. After his father’s passing, Spohr said his mother sold their house in Westfield and moved

towards central Whales in Massachusetts. He moved to the 518 to make an easier commute to Hudson Valley. When looking back on this season so far, Spohr believed that not only himself, but the team has progressed immensely. Spohr said that in the beginning of the season, the team took a little while trying to find lines that played well together. The team also suffered a few injuries in the beginning of the season that set them back as well. “It took a little while to get used to each other and get the chemistry to-

gether but once we did we started doing pretty well.” “I definitely started producing late in the year, I was having some trouble in the beginning,” said Spohr. “But once it sparked for me I just kept going from there.” Spohr said that he started to see himself progress during the first game between Hudson Valley played Siena Club team. He scored three of the four goals in the game, which ended in a 4-2 victory for the Vikings. With Nationals in just under two weeks, Spohr and the team

are planning on playing their hardest to bring home the big win for the Vikings. “We’re practicing really hard every day,” said Spohr. “We’re making sure we’re ready for anything at Nationals to make sure Erie doesn’t take control of us again,” says Spohr. Spohr says that before games the team warms up together and after they break off so everyone can do their own preparation. “Everybody warms up differently and everyone has their own routines,” said Spohr. He also said that a big part of preparation isn’t just the physical warm up, it’s mentally warming up. He believes that the way you go into a game, mentally, can really affect how you play. This was seen later in the season when Hudson Valley had a close call with playing Mohawk Valley after beating them one week prior 9-1. “We walked out thinking that game was going to be a walk in the park and it definitely wasn’t,” said Spohr. “We can’t let that happen at Nationals because we won’t be able to recover the way that we did.” The 2016 Nationals tournament will be held away in Binghamton at Broome on Feb. 27 and 28. Spohr plans on sticking around next year and playing hockey for the Vikings for their last season. “I feel like next year we’re going to have a pretty decent team as well,” said Spohr. After Hudson Valley, Spohr plans on attending a university to continue his passion for Hockey. “Not to sound corny but I feel like there are no limits on the ice,” said Spohr. “You can just do whatever you want. It’s the best game in the world and I just love every minute of it.”

Matt Whalen | THE HUDSONIAN Sean Spohr scored two goals in the final home game against Siena Club this past weekened and added another one agaisnt Cortland.

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