Spring'17 issue 02

THE

Hudsonian

Volume 71, Issue 2 Jan. 25 - Feb. 1 www.thehudsonian.org FREE | Extra Copies, 25 cents

OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PHOTO BY ZOE DENO | HUDSONIAN

Men and women from across the country travelled to Washington D.C. Saturday to protest for womens’ equality.

Women’s March on Washington The evening after the inauguration the streets of Washington DC were alive with the cheers of Trump supporters. They roamed the dusk streets, traveling in small packs and waving American flags.

The morning after the election, the streets were no less electric. Beneath the grey sky, one united army of more than a million pink-clad demonstrators shut the city down. Men, women and children marched together waving signs in protest of the Trump administration in what is being

called DC’s largest protest to date.

Many traveled from across the country just to attend the several hour-long walk across the city; myself included. I didn’t drive to protest out of a righteous passion; I drove the 382 miles out of an innate curiosity to see the aftermath of the inauguration.

The Women’s March on Washington came from a Facebook event that went viral after the results of the election were released. It began at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Independence

By: Zoe Deno Staff Writer CREATIVE

Avenue and Third Street SW, two streets that sit in the shadow of the US Capitol.

While different sources suggest different attendee numbers ranging as high as over one million, we can say conclusively that as of 4pm the Metro announced

that it’s ridership for the day had been 597,000.

During the inauguration itself, a small group of protesters threw rocks at police and set a vehicle on fire, leading to 94 arrests.

“It was a very small minority of protesters that are taking up a

very large majority of media coverage,” said Laura Hoge, a women who traveled with her family from New Jersey to “voice her dissent.”

As I walked among the crowds at the Women’s March, I remember distinctly seeing a

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New track and field coach ready for spring 2018 SPORTS

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PHOTO BY DYLAN HAUGEN | HUDSONIAN

NEWS

POSTER FROM “CHASING THE DRAGON”

Life of an Opium Addict screening draws in diverse crowd

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ARE OUR PROFESSORS EVIL?

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PHOTO BY MIKE SCHAEFER | HUDSONIAN

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January 25, 2017

NEWS

This Week’s Events

Wed 25

ITS continues to progress on technology issues

Recruiter on Campus: Valet Park of America 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, First Floor Lobby Women’s Golf Preseason Meeting 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm McDonough Sports Complex, Room 202

Thurs Recruiter on Campus: A New 26 England Nanny

10:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, First Floor Lobby

Fri 27 Sat 28 Mon 30

Spring Sports Challenge 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Siek Campus Center Lobby Recruiter on Campus: Lowe’s 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, First Floor Lobby Community Sports Day 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm McDonough Sports Complex Recruiter on Campus: Air Force Reserve 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, First Floor Lobby Animal Outreach Club Meeting 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Brahan Hall, Room 214

Tues 31

LEAD at HVCC: Title IX VAWA 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Siek Campus Center, Room 150 Recruiter on Campus: US Air National Guard 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, First Floor Lobby Mindfulness Meditation 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm Siek Campus Center, room 220 (Interfaith Prayer Room)

Weather WEDNESDAY

By: Setodzi Avoke Staff Writer NEWS Operating system changes and power issues challenged the campus’ Information Technology Services last semester.

The Blackboard hosting server was migrated from the campus to the Blackboard site itself in order to avoid some of the higher costs that come with hosting servers and the specialized maintenance of Blackboard’s in-house staff, prior to the beginning of last semester.

The difficulties that come with every major technology shift have settled at the beginning of this semester.

Jonathan Brennan, chief information officer, explained that the first issues came as a result of changes on Blackboard’s end that weren’t tested with the network load that comes with an active semester.

“The version we’d been testing with was not the same as the version we started the semester with, so that caused significant issues with how our files, which contain our users, classes, and information on enrollment, were being fed to Blackboard, that process broke,” said Brennan.

As last semester progressed, Brennan’s office addressed many of the issues, but problems big and small still persisted for students and faculty. For some Blackboard-heavy classes, the delay in functionality upgraded the annoyance to serious disruption.

Psychology professor, Sonja Miller Douzal’s class was handicapped as it began.

“We didn’t have access to Blackboard for a period of time that was crucial to starting this semester. The students didn’t have access to Blackboard, or they had problems submitting assign-

THURSDAY

High/Low 43/33 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.

High/Low 42/30 Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Jordan Managing Editor Jenny Caulfield Business Manager Tyler Betzwieser Copy Editor Shelby Collins Layout Editor Isabella Kokoszko

ments,” said Miller Douzal.

Miller Douzal attributes to the Blackboard issues a delay of two weeks in keeping up with the curriculum.

Sometimes classes would be able to open Blackboard and still be unable to logon. A ‘too many users’ error would appear, which Douzal never encountered in previous semesters.

Through some technical quirk, business administration major Kenneth Marbot was registered as a professor for the first month of last semester.

“I had to get my account switched to a student’s and I lost half of my things [in the process],” said Marbot.

The technological battle went beyond catching up with current issues to ensure resolved problems don’t happen again. Brennan said that there are improvements to the system that have gone into effect this semester, including changes that will directly address login and startup time issues that have left some computers with 15 minute startups, crippling computer science and design classes in particular.

“When students started coming on and we started seeing the

FRIDAY High/Low 40/27 News Editor Anthony O’Connell Creative Editor Julio Rodriguez Sports Editor Skylar Blankenship Photo Editor Mikey Bryant Junior Editors Dylan Haugen

full load on the system, it was too much, and the system couldn’t handle it,” said Brennan.

The ITS office is currently maintaining the upgrades to the physical infrastructure of it’s system, namely the installation of solid state drives.

Hard Disk Drives incorporate a spinning disk to its design, that reads and writes data, at a speed relative to its rotations per minute. The Solid State Drives are a newer technology that won’t be limited by mechanical wearing and can instead perform writing and reading functions using an embedded processor. SSD technology offers faster startup times and have been dropping in price and rising in storage capacity, the two main points that limit the technology’s adoption.

Although issues persist, the ITS department’s efforts solved their problems in a timely manner.

Individual studies major Bryan Oliver saw his issues begin and end with the within the start of the semester.

SATURDAY High/Low 38/24 Staff Writers Zoe Deno Setodzi Avoke Staff Photographers Zoe Deno Mike Schaefer Faculty Adviser Rachel Bornn

“Initially, when the [last] semester started, I couldn’t log into Blackboard at all. Since then, about a week after it cleared up for me and I haven’t had any issues since,” said Oliver.

As the ITS department continues fixing issues and planning for upcoming improvements to the technology infrastructure of the campus, Brennan mentioned his department is appreciative of the continued support and patience of the faculty and students.

The thanks and consideration they received as they worked is appreciated.

Brennan said, “I know that this was an extremely frustrating time for everybody. You can rest assured that ITS staff were right in that frustration with you guys and we were working very hard to get all those issues solved.”

SUNDAY High/Low 37/21 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.

MONDAY High/Low 33/19

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January 25, 2017 By: Setodzi Avoke Staff Writer NEWS

The Department of Public Safety maintains a camera surveillance system and is in the process of installing Alertus emergency beacons across campus.

Director of Public Safety, Fred Aliberti oversees campus security, often times personally monitoring the footage that enters his office.

“We’ve got a few hundred cameras around campus,” said Aliberti.

“I’ve been very happy here [given] that college administration has been supportive in maintaining and [supplying] us with new cameras, almost on a yearly basis,” said Aliberti.

In the event of an incident,

NEWS many of the cameras installed are capable of recalling days of footage. For data storage reasons, a rolling feed, where new footage is taken in as older footage is deleted, demands that students and faculty are prompt when requesting help.

Maintaining coverage of campus security has a cost attached. The initial cost of installation is up into the thousands, while the price of maintaining a system once it’s in place is far smaller. It is, however, representative of some cost attached to keeping the campus secure.

The mix of older and newer cameras can be expected to tilt toward newer, if campus administration maintains its support for updating security systems, which will become possible as the newer technology becomes cheaper.

Modern IP address systems

which are in use alongside older analog models, stand to offer higher resolution recording resulting in clearer images and built-in encryption.

The Alertus system, which is not yet fully functional, is expected to offer Hudson Valley a campus-wide alert system that is cheaper than older public address speaker systems while running at one-sixth the wattage of a fluorescent bulb, offers multi-channel redundancy and more.

Aliberti said, “At this time there’s a secondary hardware installation going on. [We’re] putting speakers in strategic areas of the campus that will be part of the Alertus system.”

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Secuirty cameras are always watching

Gene Haas foundation to manufacturing program

By: Shelby Collins Copy Editor NEWS

The Gene Haas foundation donated $30,000 to Hudson Valley’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology degree program.

“The funds will be used to purchase the equipment needed for enrollment in machining programs… What we will be doing is we will be providing equipment tool kits to our incoming freshman class. That’s a huge expense for our students,” said Regina LaGatta, interim executive director of Hudson Valley Community College Foundation.

The College Foundation acts as the recipient for donations on behalf of the college, such as the recent one from the Gene Haas Foundation. The Gene Haas Foundation works with Hudson Valley’s College Foundation to meet the needs of the students in the manufacturing programs.

Kathy Looman, the foundation administrator at the Gene Haas Foundation, said, “Hudson Valley’s Machine Technology program is a very strong program and has an excellent reputation throughout the manufacturing industry.”

“We [believe] that it is important to train the future workforce with modern technology.

Additionally, [the staff] have been very committed to our HTEC (Haas Technical Education Centers), a support group of educators for educators that really support and mentor other programs,” Looman continued.

There is a high demand for skilled employees in the man-

ufacturing industry. Most students currently enrolled in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology degree program are already employed, or have secure employment awaiting them after graduation. GE is a major recruiter in the capital region for skilled machinists.

Department chair of the automotive, manufacturing, and electrical engineering technologies department Anthony Kossman said, “The manufacturing gap is a problem, not only here but in the whole United States…

The employers are starved for young machinists to keep their businesses going.”

“For every engineer that is in a company they need four to five advanced manufacturing technicians to be able to do their job.

That is the gap that Gene Haas is trying to fix across the country. I think, we don’t think we realize the amount of manpower or women-power that goes into manufacturing,” said LaGatta.

In the past, the Gene Haas Foundation has also provided funding for updating equipment, scholarships and special projects.

They also provide training for any equipment they provide to Hudson Valley. Their donations are not limited to higher education, as the foundation also supports FIRST Robotics programs in high schools across the country.

“They also provide training for the machines. They’ll send someone here and do two weeks of training for faculty members,

COURTESY OF HVCC.EDU

The Gene Haas Foundation donated $30,000 in order for Hudson Valley to purchase equipment for machining programs.

so they know how to run the machines. Most of them do know how to, but it’s just to update them on anything new,” said Kossman.

Kossman continued, “Haas’s cooperation with us has been nothing but a good thing for the program. It has allowed us to, in this time of tight budgets for the school, keep things at pretty high standards of accomplishment in the labs. It lets us do what we want to do instead of saying ‘Well, we can’t, because we don’t have the money.’”

The College Foundation’s role as recipient is to ensure that the funds are used as outlined by the donor. Hudson Valley was the recipient of a $1 million donation

by Gene Haas which provided updated equipment and scholarships for students interested in the manufacturing programs.

“It’s huge. We ask them for it, but they’re always willing to help-out. They have an educational foundation which is kind of amazing. This is a company that’s a for-profit company, and they’re

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giving money away to education,” said Kossman.

Looman has high hopes for the future of Hudson Valley’s Manufacturing programs, “We are looking forward to the construction of the New Manufacturing Center, and believe it will be a strong support for manufacturing in the region.”

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January 25, 2017

NEWS

COURTESY OF HVCC.EDU

Cultural events such as a visit from author Tobias Wolff, The 8th annual Shakespeare & Company residency, and a deconstruction of Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band by Scott Freiman.

The Cultural Affairs program hosts a wide range of events each semester which have included a lecture from poet and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree, Maya Angelou, in 2003.

Tobias Wolff, author of acclaimed novel The Barracks Thief is set to appear on campus this semester, on March 10.

Wolff ’s work appears regularly in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s Magazine and literary journals. Wolff received a National Medal of the Arts from President Obama in Sept. 2015.

Other awards include the PEN/ Malamud Award and the Rea Award, both for excellence in the short story, the Los Angeles

Times Book Prize and the PEN/ Faulkner Award.

“Mr. Wolff will meet with a small group of students familiar with his work prior to the main event in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium, followed by a book signing and reception. This program allows students to meet and interact with authors whose works they are studying,” said Maria Zemantauski, coordinator of cultural affairs.

This event is co-sponsored by the Cultural Affairs Program and the English, Foreign Languages and English as a Second Language Department.

Cosponsored by the Theater Arts Program, the 8th annual

Shakespeare & Company residency will take place Feb. 20 through Feb. 24. Workshops are held throughout the week and are open to all members of the Hudson Valley community.

“They’re active, physical and super fun. This year the touring production will be “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” performed on Thursday, Feb. 23 at noon in the Maureen Stapleton Theater. During this week, our theater students have the opportunity to learn from the professional actors while gaining a new appreciation for the works of Shakespeare,” said Zemantauski.

Expert on the English rock/

Looking for something to do? Check out the Cultural Affairs calender

By: Anthony O’Connell News Editor NEWS

pop band, The Beatles, Scott Freiman will present a two-hour program entitled “Deconstructing Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band” on May 4.

Zemantauski mentions that the most important approach to booking events is to never be afraid to ask or hear “no.” The first step is to inquire about an artist, performer or speaker’s fee. Once that information is received, preliminary details are discussed. The final step is to present the idea to the Cultural Affairs committee for their input and approval.

“Quite honestly, all of these events were easy to book because the Cultural Affairs Program is

highly regarded within the artistic community by both artists and agents. We have a seller reputation for both our support of the arts and the hospitality we extend to our guests,” said Zemantauski.

Any students who are interested in volunteering at a Cultural Affairs event should get in contact with the department via email.

Zemantauski said, “Volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to meet professional actors, musicians, dancers, speakers, authors, etc. It also gives a student a behind the scenes look at event production.”

Life of an Opium Addict screening draws in diverse crowd

PHOTO BY MIKEY BRYANT | HUDSONIAN

By: Zoe Deno Staff Writer NEWS

Eric Dryer (Shown above) spoke about his path of Recovery and urged any attending users to seek help through The Rensselear Area Drug Awareness Reality Coalition.

The two-part event of the showing of Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict brings the community together to talk about addiction.

“Being addicted to opium is like chasing the dragon. You are constantly seeking that high, but what is going to happen when you catch it?” The words that opened the documentary highlight the struggles of not only opium addicts but their families too. Every seat in the auditorium was full for the presentation, leaving quite a few people standing in the back.

The event featured the screening of Chasing the Dragon which was followed by a discussion with Eric Dryer, who was a former addict himself and spoke about his path to recovery. The event attracted a diverse crowd.

A women by the name of Susan, who did not wish to give

her last name, attended with the intention of seeing how help for addicts has progressed since the 90’s when her son was addicted.

“It’s so public now,” said Susan, “20 years ago when you had a kid who was addicted, it wasn’t something you talked about.”

“I went to the bottom of the barrel, and that still wasn’t enough. I know that if I had not gotten clean and sober my family would have buried me,” said Kimberly Allen, a former addict, was one of the many who attended.

“I’ve lost 11 friends in the past 17 months to heroin overdose. I believe that if I can do it, anyone can do it. I’m here to support those who are currently addicted and those who are looking to stay in recovery,” said Allen.

The audience included members affected by the addiction and others who were only looking to be educated on the topic. Sarah Donlon brought her children to the event.

“We are here because knowledge is power, and I think it’s important for my kids to be aware of the situation that’s going on around them,” said Donlon.

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The recreational use of opioids has become an increasing problem. In 80 percent of cases of opioid abuse in the 1960’s, heroin was the first drug used. In 75 percent of cases in the 2000’s, prescription opioids were the first used. Over 10 million people older than 12 in the U.S. have reported nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Each day, 44 people in the U.S. die from an overdose of prescription painkillers.

The U.S Attorney’s Office, The Rensselaer County Heroine Correlation, The Troy Drug-Free Community Coalition, and the Rensselaer Area Drug Awareness Reality Coalition hosted the event.

Davia Colinton of the Drug Free Coalition said that this wasn’t the first time they hosted an event here and that they liked the venue so much, they decided that they would return.

Colinton said, “I’m all about prevention. I want to provide information, communicate to people and to convene the community to come here together to address the problem.”

CREATIVE

January 25, 2017

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PHOTO BY ZOE DENO | HUDSONIAN

The innauguration of President Donald Trump at the Capital Building (pictured above) Friday spurred protests across the country.

FROM MARCH PAGE 1 sign with the demand “Impeach Trump,” only to see a sign almost directly behind it with a disfigured representation of Trump’s VP or replacement, Mike Pence.

It was then that I began to wonder exactly what the goal of the protest was, so I did the only logical thing I could do to answer my question: I asked them.

The more I spoke to people, the more I realized that there was no universal end goal to the protest beyond making sure the world was aware that they were not happy with Trump.

While many simply shrugged when asked the seemingly simple question, several individuals had interesting answers to share.

“The fact that Hillary won the popular vote gives us cause to replace Trump with her. We have to get rid of him,” said a woman who identified herself as Nicole.

She seemed to think that our government is set up so that even if Congress decided there wasn’t a need for the Electoral College there is no possible way for Hil-

lary to become president.

Lizzie Mcdonough, who traveled from Mississippi, said she wanted to put pressure on the Trump Administration to protect women’s rights and thought that this was the opportunity to do that.

Regardless of the divisions in the end goals of the march, the fact that hundreds of thousands more people attended the protest than the mere 30,000 that attended the inauguration itself gives us an insight into the mentality of our country.

I made what proved to be the foolish decision of mentioning that after weighing the odds, I had cast my ballot for Trump to a man who was talking about his disapproval of Hillary. “I didn’t like Hillary, but I bit the bullet and voted for her because I think her administration would be better for my daughters.”

This wasn’t an easy decision for anyone. Nobody was happy about what they did. I actually ended up voting for Trump. Both

Democrats and Republicans hate him, I really don’t think he will accomplish much because of that.

In my defense, the man had seemed completely reasonable up to this point. I don’t recall what he yelled, I just remember being shocked as what had been an engaging conversation turned into three people screaming at me. A girl who had been standing by us actually reached out to shove me as I ducked away aided by the thick crowd that was engaged with the words of a speaker.

The Women’s March on Washington held the same “us versus them” mentality that polarizes our current political climate. Only 9 percent of the American population voted for Trump or Hillary during the primaries. I think it’s safe to say that most people were simply voting for who they perceived to be the lesser of the two evils,though even if a person worshiped the ground their political candidate we can’t allow ourselves to be divided by diversity of thought or opinion.

PHOTO BY ZOE DENO | HUDSONIAN

The protests Saturday in Washington ranged from advocating for equal rights to eco-friendliness.

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January 25, 2017

CREATIVE

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Are our professors evil?

By: Setodzi Avoke Staff Writer CREATIVE

Teachers are often constrained by department, federal and state standards, but individual teaching styles can often make the difference between a passing or failing grade, even within the same course with a different professor.

General grading leniency, extra credit offerings, adherence to stated lesson planning, whether or not they reveal what they desire in an assignment submission, as well as the degree to which they’re personally invested in an individual student’s grade are some of the factors that might easily shift a final grade.

Whether lenient or challenging, a professor’s approach to their classroom is a result of years of long experience with students and their subjects. In that time, tendencies that influence their approach to their role as a teacher develop, differentiating them from other professors.

Part-time professor of history, philosophy and social sciences, E. R. Rugenstein considers himself in-between lenient and strict professors.

“I try to look at the student and the type of work they’ve put into [ the class],” said Rugenstein.

Ultimately, it’s the final result of their effort he’ll be grading, but he takes into consideration that at Hudson Valley, he’ll usually be dealing with undergraduate students.

“Sometimes it’s the very first time they’ve been in college,” said Rugenstein. As a cultural history professor,Rugenstein is aware that a student, potentially entering a college course for the first time, may require patience to adjust someone to proper research and citation methods while getting across the significance of plagiarism in higher learning.

On extra credit, Rugenstein is aware of the many learning methods a student could be better adapted to that aren’t always demonstrated in a typical classroom setting. His extra credit offerings reflect this, allowing students to analyze course-relevant films from a prepared list and/or visit a selected museum exhibit to submit an impression of the experience.

Rugenstein follows his syllabus closely, spending class time reviewing each section and having his expectations for each assignment available, as well as providing a schedule for the entire

course. Rugenstein goes as far as to subject any change to the syllabus to a class vote.

Part-time professor of history, philosophy and social sciences, Wesley Nishiyama does not consider himself a lenient professor, maintaining the same expectations for Hudson Valley students as he does for the fouryear colleges and New York State Assembly Internship Program he also instructs.

On extra credit, professor Nishiyama feels that any student, doing only what is asked and recalling what is explained to them, will pass. “The idea is that if students do their work, there should be no problems getting an A, although it is a lot of work.”

“If [students] come to class, if they read all the assignments I assign and they study using my study guides, they shouldn’t need extra credit,” said Nishiyama.

Nishiyama’s adherence to his syllabus changes depending on the nature of the class he’s teaching.

“In a philosophy class, it goes according to what students are interested in. I try to cover things, but often we get into discussion...I don’t want to stop a discussion

that’s going well and students are interested in,” said Nishiyama.

While his political science class might also lend itself to a student led tilt, as a mathematics educated professor, he also heads courses with more rigid structure.

“I have a personal interest in students’ learning, and if a student learns, they’ll usually get a good grade. If a student has a particular problem, even [if] the student doesn’t [qualify] for a disability consideration, I do offer a student or the whole class alternative assignments. My focus is that the student learns, not so much the grade, which is an outcome of student’s learning,” said Nishiyama.

Freshman electrical engineering major, Rick Giglao, feels that so far his professors have been fair graders. He made sure that each class he scheduled was backed with the advice of other students on ratemyprofessor.com, where students can anonymously

Female minorities triumph in Hidden Figures

grade their professors by tagging their profile with labels that show their best or worst traits.

Rugenstein doesn’t check ratemyprofessor.com currently, though he did at one time. “I find sometimes that if you did well in a class, you’re gonna say ‘the professor is pretty good’ and if you didn’t do well in a class, you’re not gonna give him a high rating.”

Nishiyama never checks ratemyprofessor.com, “I check the evaluations that my classes give, but I think there are problems with ratemyprofessor.com.”

Individual studies major Jared Goronkn uses ratemyprofessor occasionally, but finds the same issues in it as professors Nishiyama and Rugenstein.

Goronkn said, “It’s generally pretty good to figure out if your teacher is exceptionally good... you’ll usually find people who are mad at the professor for giving them bad grades when it could’ve been their fault.”

POSTER FROM “HIDDEN FIGURES”

By: Julio Rodriguez Creative Editor OPINION

Hidden Figures depicts the journey of three African-American women employed by the oppressive, misogynistic and white-dominated NASA of the 1960s.

The women, Kathryn Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) worked in the segregated West Area Computers division for the Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. The West Area Computing Unit was an all African-American group of mathematicians who made calculations prior to the invention of electronic computers.

Colored computers worked in a separate building, despite that fact that they were just as qualified as their white counterparts.

At the start of the film, Johnson and Jackson are reassigned to work with the white office. The women use their knowledge of mathematics and engineering to help send astronaut John Glenn into orbit around Earth in 1962.

Johnson was assigned to be a computer for the division responsible for the mathematics behind the launch.

With her aptitude for advanced mathematics, Johnson proves to be a vital part of the NASA team. She breaks barriers which previously seemed impossible to penetrate.

Jackson, on the other hand, was tasked with helping to figure out how to build a capsule which would withstand the flight around Earth’s orbit.

Jackson works to become an engineer at NASA, which leads her down a path to challenge the government of Virginia, and Vaughan fights to make certain that her women at the West Area Computing Unit are protected.

Each of the women prove throughout the film that they’re not only qualified, but that they can outperform their white coworkers, making them invaluable assets.

The story inspires viewers to pursue goals, despite the odds. A story about educated, eloquent and driven black women who strive to contribute to society is not one that is heavily present in today’s society. It’s not everyday that a movie depicts the struggles of educated black women in the work force.

Henson, Spencer and Monáe

delivered inspiring and convincing performances. Henson is well known for her role as the wildly outrageous Cookie Lyon on the Fox drama Empire.

However, Henson’s depiction of Johnson could lead one to believe that the actress was a totally different person. Henson seamlessly delivered the language of an advanced mathematician without any hesitation or falter.

Spencer delivered a comical, but convincing performance of Vaughan, and Monáe shocked me with a flirtatious and graceful performance as Jackson.

The cast was also present with seasoned and well known actors and actresses. Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons and Mahershala Ali were also among the star-studded cast.

The soundtrack for the film was an album full of color and character. It features hip hop and R&B performances that are reminiscent of the 60’s. Musicians who appeared on the soundtrack include Monáe, Pharrell Williams, Mary J. Blige, Lalah Hathaway and Kim Burrell.

The events of Hidden Figures occurred during a drastically different time in history, but the

problems the women had to face in the film have lasted well into 2017. After a presidential election fraught with racist rhetoric, it’s more important than ever to highlight African-American culture.

Walking out of the film, one may feel deep respect and empathy for black women in all professional fields of work. Black women are faced with the status of being a double minority in male dominated fields, and that can be a daunting challenge to face.

The women in Hidden Figures worked, and proved to

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be worthy of their positions at NASA. The powerful message of the film should be present to show all young black girls that they can break the status quo.

I encourage all to watch this film, and I especially recommend it to women of African-American heritage. Black women are often depicted as less than exemplary people in the media, television and movies. It’s time that the face of black women in the United States is praised instead of degraded, and Hidden Figures is a winning film on this end.

January 25, 2017

SPORTS

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Sporting events coming this January PHOTO BY MIKEY BRYANT | HUDSONIAN

The women’s basketball team lost during last year’s community sports day, can they turn around their recent loss streak this year?

As January comes to a close Hudson Valley is hosting a variety of team and campus-wide events.

Women’s golf pre-season meeting is Jan. 25 in the McDonough Sports Complex.

The meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m. in room 202. Alyssa Ruggiero, who led last season’s team to a final record of 1-0, will be the head coach again this season..

The Spring Sports Challenge begins Jan. 26 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the Campus Center.

Interested students meet and compete every consecutive Thursday through the end of the semester. Events and activities are held in the first floor of the Campus Center.

Community Sports Day is being hosted on Jan. 28 in McDonough.

From 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. students can enjoy three home games, including the men’s and women’s basketball games against Herkimer County Community

By: Shelby Collins Copy Editor SPORTS College and one of the Vikings final hockey games against Broome Community College. There will be food, festivities and prizes.

The women’s basketball team has had a losing streak this sports season with a record of 3-11. In past years, the Vikings have beaten Herkimer by a comfortable margin. Last season, Herkimer had the upper hand and won both games.

The men’s basketball team currently has a 10-7 record. In past years, they’ve struggled against Herkimer, losing most games since the 2008-2009 season.

The men’s ice hockey team currently has a record of 6-10-1.

In past years, the Vikings have defeated Broome by a wide margin. This season, the hockey team has won all three games against Broome.

The Viking’s final stretch on the ice is melting away By: Skylar Blankenship Sports Editor SPORTS The final season for the Vikings ice hockey team is ending within the next month.

The termination of the ice hockey team will mainly affect the decisions of this year’s freshmen and future students to stay at or come to Hudson Valley.

Jimmy Morrison, a freshman forward, conveyed how the situation “sucked”. He does, however, plan on finishing his two years at Hudson Valley, even though he will no longer be able to represent the school in ice hockey. Morrison also said he might look into playing hockey somewhere else, such as on a club team.

In the week after the vacation, the Vikings ice hockey team competed in three games, resulting in a record of 6-10-1 after a win and a loss against Erie Community College and a victory over SUNY Broome.

“I know the wins and losses are not quite where we want them right now, but we had a big week-

end and had good win...things are looking good for the second half [of the season],” said head coach Ken Lancto.

Hudson Valley won 3-1 against Erie. In the second period, Troy Bennett, sophomore forward and defenseman, scored the first point made for the Vikings.

During the third period, Kyle Constanty, sophomore forward, scored twice, one with an assist from Jordan Smith.

The next day, the team lost 3-1 with Sean Sphor, sophomore forward, scoring the only point.

Nate Muller, sophomore goalie, had 39 saves in the goal.

The Vikings’ victory against SUNY Broome was a shutout with a score of 16-0. Constanty scored five of the goals, Bennett scored three, Smith and Markus Salmiery, freshman forward, both scored two. Anthony DiGiorgio, freshman goalie, had 11 saves.

Mike Esposito, defenseman and exercise science major, said,

“Everyday we come out here and work very hard...everyday out there we are giving a 100 percent.”

Lancto is not sure of his plans are for next the season. His focus is making sure his team does well on and off the ice. The goal for the

second half of the season is consistency; for the team’s successes to carry from practices to games as well as game to game.

Hudson Valley will be keeping the Conway Ice Rink, and there has been discussion about

the formation of a ice hockey club.

Hudson Valley has had an ice hockey team since 1991. In 2001, the team were Conference Champions, Regional III Champions and went to the National Championship.

PHOTO BY MIKEY BRYANT | HUDSONIAN

After 25 years of operation, the Vikings hockey team is hanging up their helmets at the end of this season.

THEHUDSONIAN.ORG

January 25, 2017

SPORTS

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New track and field coach ready for spring 2018 By: Skylar Blankenship Sports Editor SPORTS Starting in the spring 2017 semester, Jeffrey York will be coaching the recently reestablished outdoor men’s and women’s track and field teams.

York already has plans for the team that will be joining the college’s 16 intercollegiate athletic programs. The goal for the first season is recruiting and getting good numbers: about 20 men and 20 women.

York has begun recruiting, and the newly-built Outdoor Sports Complex is a tool that will be used to attract athletes. York has already received word back from interested athletes.

“The kids that come are impressed with the facilities. If they see a nice track and all the things that come with that, it really does sells itself,” said York.

As for the future goals for the track and field teams York said, “Ultimately, I would like to build a decent program.”

In the upcoming year, York is looking forward to meeting all those already part of the Hudson Valley community and those who will be joining, but he is not looking forward to accommodating the unpredictable spring weather into the practice and meet schedules.

York has always been an athlete participating in football, baseball and basketball, but because it was in track and field that he excelled, that was the sport he decided to continue with. After graduating from Troy High School, York went on the compete in track and field at the University of Albany.

PHOTO BY DYLAN HAUGEN | HUDSONIAN

While at UAlbany, he set several records and won several awards and honors. York became the college’s first ever Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America when he ran the 55-meter high hurdles in 7.23 seconds. For the 1994-95 season, York earned the University Male Athlete of the Year Award. He also was inducted into the school’s Track and Field Wall of Fame and Athletics Hall of Fame.

York is a five-time NCAA champion with three titles in 110-meter high hurdles and two titles in the 55-meter high hurdles. He is also an eight-time All-American in the 110-meter high hurdles, 55-meter high hurdles, and 4-by-400-meter relay.

After college, York continued his track and field career, turning pro. He competed in several U.S. Olympic affiliated races, including the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival, where he placed fifth in the 110-meter high hurdles. In 1990 and 2001, York was the Penn Relay Olympic Development Champion for the 110-meter high hurdles.

While he was competing professionally, York coached at UAlbany under his old coach Roberto Vives, usually as a volunteer.

York said, “Coaching is fun for me, it is like teaching.”

Jeffrey York, head of both the men’s and women’s track and field teams, plans for the teams to join the college’s 16 intercollegiate athletic teams.

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