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THE
Hudsonian ELECTION 2Hud. 0 1 7 RESULTS
Volume 71, Issue 11 May 3- May 10 www.thehudsonian.org
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OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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President,
Vice President, PHOTO BY OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OFMORAND HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ZOE DENO Nathanael Savasta Thomas Nevins PHOTO BY MAX
HUDSONIAN
Hudsonian Senior Class President,
THE
Treasurer, Max Morand
Secretary, Kyle Hudson
Ezra Anderson
PHOTO BY MIKEY BRYANT HUDSONIAN
PHOTO BY EZRA ANDERSON
PHOTO BY MICHAEL SCHAEFER | HUDSONIAN
By: Jenny Caulfield Editor-in-Cheif Nathanael Savasta defeated Brendan Caluneo for Student Senate president last week by 69 votes and Student Trustee by 37 votes, leaving the Representation party controlling next year’s executive board. Savasta’s win was his second consecutive victory after winning Freshman Class President in the fall. “I’m feeling very excited, happy and grateful for winning my student senate position,” said Savasta about his presidential win. “I am grateful that the students at HVCC chose me and I’m excited to be a part of senate through this position next year,” he said. Savasta feels he will bring positive change to campus life as a result of his presidency. “I imagine student senate doing whatever it can to encourage more students to be involved in the extracurriculars here on
campus,” said Savasta. The Representation Party are feeling the excitement of their win and look forward to working together regularly next year. “Since I have won to be the next VP, it feels really great, especially since I get to share the office with Nathaniel, Kyle, Max and Ezra,” said Student Senate Vice President elect Thomas Nevins. Nevins won with 173 votes running unopposed. “This victory will help me be able to lead different events throughout the HVCC campus and the surrounding community,” he said. “Over the next year, there is a variety of different tasks that our team would like to accomplish in order to succeed. I personally plan on meeting as many students as possible and to get involved in all the events on campus,” said Nevins. “It feels great and it’s a relief to know my constituents believe in my ability to re-
tain the power associated with such a position,” said Student Senate Secretary elect Kyle Hudson about his win. Hudson won with 162 votes also running unopposed. “At this point, the team, including myself, is looking to create [or] re-establish committees that will benefit all students, with the goal of enhancing student engagement in mind,” he said. One of Hudson’s many goals as Secretary is similar to that of his executive board with increasing the amount of student activity on and off of campus. “In one year, it’s my goal to increase student participation as much as possible and encourage students to become involved on and off campus,” he said. Hudson has high hopes moving forward as secretary with the Representation party by his side. “It was a great honor to be a part of this campaign and this amazing team,” said Hudson.
“Everybody has worked very hard and has been putting quality time into everything. I would also like to say that our current leadership did a great job making sure the election went smoothly and I wish them best in their future endeavors,” he said. Student Senate Treasurer elect Max Morand won unopposed with 165 votes, and shares a similar goal to Hudson. “I imagine that in one year we, as an Executive board and Senate, would be able to affect change on the campus and to get the students of this college more involved,” said Morand. Morand feels this is one of many ideas he has for the college, and has hopes for what him and the Representation party will accomplish in their leadership positions. “This [win] will allow all of us, including myself, to change and shape this college
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INSIDE NEWS:
Student art exhibit gets the ‘pulse’ pounding
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NEWS
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INSIDE CREATIVE:
65-year-old student ‘welcomes’ himself back to education
PHOTO BY MICHAEL SCHAEFER | HUDSONIAN
PHOTO BY MICHAEL SCHAEFER | HUDSONIAN
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INSIDE SPORTS:
Vikings continue their season
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May 3, 2017
NEWS
This Week’s Events
Wed 03
Spring Fest offers fun under the sun
CASDA College Fair McDonough Sports Complex Commencement Cap, Gown and Ticket Pickup Siek Campus Center, Room 204 Class Ring Sale 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Siek Campus Center, Second Floor Recruiter on Campus: Valet Park of America 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, First Floor Lobby Presidential Search Open Forums 1:15 pm – 4:15 pm Siek Campus Center, Room 150 Academic Advisement/ Community Outreach 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Albany Public Library’s Washington Ave. Branch (161 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY), Second Floor History, Philosophy and Social Sciences Academic Award Ceremony 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium
Ring Sale Thurs Class 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Campus Center, 04 Siek Second Floor Recruiter on Campus: College Suites at Hudson Valley 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Siek Campus Center, First Floor Lobby
By: Hunter Wallace News Editor Students at Hudson Valley enjoyed free food, giveaways, balloons and more during Spring Fest last Thursday. Spring Fest is an annual event at Hudson Valley traditionally held during the end of April. The event offers students a chance to celebrate and socialize before the spring semester’s conclusion. “[Spring Fest] is typically held in mid-April because the weather is usually warmer and we’re out of the winter freeze, so it seems like a good time to organize this type of event,” said Dennis Kennedy, executive director of communications and marketing. “We try to stagger some of the larger events of the semester, such as spring break, the days surrounding Easter and commencement, and we work within the confines of the time left in the semester,” he said. From free food, shirts and sunglasses, to caricatures and balloons, Spring Fest provided several attractions for students. “Providing opportunities for students to come together and get to know one another is one of the missions of the college,” said Kennedy. “[Spring Fest] is really an opportunity for students to
destress, socialize and get to know one another,” he said. “Students have always loved the free food,” said Vice President Stephen Pelletier. “They also like that their campus puts on such a nice event for them and they can relax, spend time with friends and have a good time overall,” he said. Students generally enjoy the activities offered by Spring Fest. “It was pretty lit,” said computer information systems student DeShawn Hayes. “There was free food, balloons and sunglasses—you can’t argue with that. Everything was free, and that was lit,” he said. “It’s a nice break from all the work, or at least as much fun as you can have on campus,” said Cody DiNicola, liberal arts major. Spring Fest, as well as student activities in general, rises to the challenge of catering to a diverse student body. “We struggle with the fact that we are a community campus, meaning students may be enrolled part-time or full-time, but may have other commitments that take them away from campus, such as jobs, public transportation and children,” said Director of Student Life Louis Coplin. Student criticism offers a path for how future events may better appeal to students and po-
PHOTO BY MICHAEL SCHAEFER | HUDSONIAN
While Spring Fest served as a fun attraction, it also provided informational services for students.
tentially improve Spring Fest. “There should some sort of competition, like a sack race or a volleyball game,” said DiNicola. “[Spring Fest] could have been scheduled a little earlier and it should have been more announced; If I hadn’t heard from my professor, I would never have known when it was,” said Hayes. “Also, there could have been a volleyball game where people could organize teams and compete for prizes,” said Hayes. Kennedy commented on the mission of Hudson Valley to offer students various activities and
PHOTO BY MICHAEL SCHAEFER | HUDSONIAN
events. “Even though the college is a commuter college and we do not have on-campus housing, we try to create events that will bring students together and provide opportunities to socialize, build friendships and enjoy the overall campus community,” said Kennedy.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL SCHAEFER | HUDSONIAN
Scott Freiman: Deconstructing Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium Faculty / Staff Honors Convocation 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Maureen Stapleton Theatre
Weather WEDNESDAY
Spring Fest was a pleasant relief from students’ studies.
THURSDAY
High/Low 56/40 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 62/44 Editor-in-Chief Jenny Caulfield Managing Editor Mikey Bryant Business Manager Tyler Betzwieser Copy Editor Setodzi Avoke Layout Editor Isabella Kokoszko
FRIDAY High/Low 56/49 News Editor Hunter Wallace Creative Editor Julio Rodriguez Sports Editor Skylar Blankenship Photo Editor Vinny Croce Junior Editors Dylan Haugen Mike Schaefer
SATURDAY High/Low 60/45 Staff Photographers Zoe Deno Isaac Kautz Staff Writers Franchesca Finelli Tea’ Claus Faculty Adviser Rachel Bornn
Various free items were distributed during the event.
SUNDAY High/Low 60/45 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.
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May 3, 2017
NEWS
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Excelsior scholarship details revealed By: Tea’ Claus Staff Writer On April 10, 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the creation of the Excelsior Scholarship, allowing for families earning less than $125,000 a year to receive free tuition to all SUNY and CUNY schools. The scholarship will not include those whose families make less than $125,000 until 2019, as the scholarship is being implemented in steps. It begins at $100,000 in 2017, increases to $110,000 in 2018 and finally ends at $125,000 in 2019. New York is the first state to implement this type of program, which is meant to help with the different forms of financial assistance New York already has in place. The program is expected to help 940,000 families in New York who have children enrolled
in a SUNY or CUNY school. The program, however, does not cover tuition to graduate schools. “By making college at our world-class public universities tuition-free, we have established a national model for access to higher education and achieved another New York first,” said Cuomo. The program doesn’t include housing, food, transportation, textbooks and more. The scholarship program does, however, include a portion for bonuses like e-books. Certain requirements must be met for students to receive free tuition. Requirements mandate that students must be a full time students, must average around 30 credits per year and must maintain a certain GPA. The scholarship also accommodates students taking classes online, so long as they meet the same requirements set for on-campus students. One of the biggest require-
ments for this program is that the student must live and work in New York for the same amount of time you received the scholarship. If a student moves out of the state before their time is complete, the scholarship turns into a student loan. The program was also made to be paused and restarted by students. A student who has a hardship, or takes less credits in a semester than they would in another can restart the program to receive their free tuition. The scholarship does not cover pay for students looking to obtain another associate or bachelor’s degree after already completing one. According to the HESC website, students with an associate degree pursuing a bachelor’s degree can receive the scholarship. Students can transfer to another SUNY school and still receive the scholarship. According to the HESC website, “A student
who transferred between colleges is eligible for an Excelsior Scholarship if they are on track to complete on time, based on the number of credits accepted by their
current college.” Students can start applying for this scholarship in late May, and the program should begin in the fall.
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Excelsior Scholarship presents future challenges to community colleges.
Student art exhibit gets the ‘pulse’ pounding By: Hunter Wallace News Editor Hudson Valley showcased various student art entries to the public during the Pulse 2 Annual Digital Media Student Art Exhibit last Friday. Entries were submitted by students from Digital Imaging I, Digital Imaging II, Animation, Video Art, Drawing, 2D, Web Art, Photography and Interactive Media classes, each of which was unique to its creator. “I put in a collage of shorts for Digital Media class, called “Rick James,” said individual studies student Daniel Conway. “I like to take an album and make a background; for this one, I took a bunch of random stuff from home that I thought would make a good background image, and then I took other albums to see what would go well with the background,” said Conway. “Both of my pieces—”Medium” and “Exhale”—were photography, specifically inkjet skins,” said Remington Friedlander, digital media major. “For one of them, I was emulating a professional photographer named Sally Mann, and my other piece was created because we were told to use books in our set pieces, and I got this idea that
I wanted to burn a book because they’re supposed to be sacred and whatnot, and burning books is something you’re not supposed to do,” said Mann. Professors attending the event described its history. “This is the second year at HVCC,” said Kyra Garrigue, instructor. “Three years ago, we had our first show at Fulton Street Galleria in Troy; after that, we’ve been having them here,” she said. “Initially, we were just having the shows together with the fine art, and I think with the increase in enrollment, we had too many students to have a combined show,” said Benjamin Gleeksman, digital media faculty. “We just needed to give our students more space,” he said. The process for students to submit work into this event are not unlike professional processes. “Students have to make deadlines, go through a traditional submission procedure as you would if you were applying to a gallery and get their work presentation ready, which is really good experience,” said Garrigue. “I think it’s wonderful to show off your work publicly and to have your family and friends come in and to show them what you’re doing,” she said. Garrigue also expressed her
thoughts on the exhibit in general. “I think it’s a really good experience for the students and I’m glad that so many submit,” said Garrigue. “I also think it’s a great way for the whole Hudson Valley community to see what they’re doing,” she said. Congratulations to the students who won the following awards: Drawing I Award in Excellence: Camaryn Franchi, Ethan
Hayes Photography I Award in Excellence: Dakota Brown (fall), Gina Capece (fall), James Perry (fall), Simon Murray (fall), Tony Shufon (fall), Dustyn Leonard (fall), Katelyn Pohlmann (fall), Jonah Browing (fall), Logan Hicks (fall), Katerherine Murphy (fall), Keivonta Graham (fall), Michael Schaefer (fall), Isaac Kautz (fall), Ethan Babirad (fall), Gregory Ramirez (fall), Kenneth D. Al-
varez-Moya (fall), Meggie M. Parascandola (fall), Michele D. Pasquariello (fall), Luke Maxwell (fall), Jonah Brown (fall), Rebecca Lambertsen (fall), James Perry (fall), Kaitlin Meissner (fall), Brianna Cancilla (fall), Rezart Bushati (fall), La-Shon Pringle (fall), Tyler Smith (fall), Sarah Lamp (fall), Mathew Nalli (fall), Rebecca Rem (fall), Ember Sheffer (spring)
PHOTO BY VINNY CROCE | HUDSONIAN
Digital Media students showcase artwork from the 2016-2017 school year.
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May 3, 2017
NEWS
Website design revealed on campus By: Hunter Wallace News Editor The new design for Hudson Valley’s website was officially unveiled during a town hall meeting last Tuesday. Over the past four months, Hudson Valley’s Offices of Communications and Marketing and Information Technology Services have worked alongside with Boston-based company iFactory to develop a new website for the college. “Now that we’ve got the design shown and approved, iFactory will be working on what they call ‘front-end HTML,’ which is scheduled to be delivered in July,” said Sandi Eyerman, web coordinator. “We’re also working with Hannon Hill, who have a product called Cascade, which is a content management system, so we’re going to be doing a lot of work, in terms of seeing what is going to
be moved, archived and deleted,” said Eyerman. Main features of the new website include changes to navigation, search engine optimization and support for mobile devices. “The new design gives us the opportunity to showcase student life and the facilities,” said Dennis Kennedy, executive director of communications and marketing. “It also provides a better way to organize content,” said Kennedy. “In addition to being mobile-friendly and showcasing the college in its best light, the new design gives us the chance to streamline and improve navigation, and it also helps us improve our overall content organization, so that content is easier to locate and access,” said Eyerman. Hudson Valley’s core team behind the new website design has participated in 19 weekly status call meetings, and the executive team has partaken in over 20 additional collaborative discus-
FOUR
EASY STEPS TO TRANSFER
sions with iFactory. The groups have also reviewed 12 preliminary design schemes and surveyed students and employees on three design concepts. “The website is truly the virtual face of the institution and we believe this is a very large and important project to work on,” said Eyerman. Hudson Valley also intends to retain compatibility across old-
er Internet browsers. “The other thing that’s really important to us with this project is that we keep our website compliant with ADA compliancy issues and that people using older technology will still be able to access the information,” said Eyerman. Campus faculty intend to maintain and amend the new website as the need arises.
“We view the site as a living, breathing document, and it is never truly complete,” said Eyerman. “We may go through an adjustment period, but we realize this will be a continuous process,” said Eyerman. The new Hudson Valley website design is scheduled to release in early January 2018.
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The new website design aimed for early January looks to ease navigation.
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The pinnacle of education: Are doctorate degrees worth it? By: Tea’ Claus Staff Writer A doctorate degree is the highest level of education a student can pursue, but are they worth the time and money? Professors at Hudson Valley don’t require a doctorate degree to teach at the college, but many who do have achieved one. Dr. Sonja Miller-Douzal is one of Hudson Valley’s doctorate holding professors. “I majored in psychology, and we had to chose our specialty our last two years of college with the bachelor of arts and mine was neuroscience,” said Miller-Douzal. Unlike Miller-Douzal, professor Jonathan Peabody, after achieving his master’s, decided to get into a classroom. “I went to school for english literature. For my undergrad degree, I majored in English and had a minor in education. About seven or eight years later I went back for my master’s degree, and got my master’s degree in American Literature,” he said. Some students are studying with plans to pursue a doctorate in the future, while others don’t feel the need or desire for extra
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schooling. Psychology student Monica Lascheid said, “I’m actually getting an M.D., and eventually I’m going to be a psychiatrist.” Business administration student Jake Loiselle only requires a bachelor’s degree to enter the field, so he has no plans to pursue a doctorate in the near future. “I thought I was gonna go all the way, get my master’s and eventually get my doctorate. When I was in grad school, I loved the scholarship behind it, but on the other side I loved teaching, so I wanted to get to the classroom as soon as possible,” said Peabody. Although Peabody has thought at times that he would go back to achieve his doctorate, he no longer wishes to pursue the degree. Miller-Douzal said that she does not regret her decision to receive her doctorate degree. “Students believe there are still others out there who want to go all the way to get the highest level of education,” said nursing student Karlvernaye Williams. “There are a lot of kids in my classes that want to be doctors.” Individual studies student Abraham Schlossberg thinks that there are still students going for a doctorate because of the resourc-
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es available in education. “I think I remember reading an article and more people are actually going towards grad school now that the option [is] out there,” said Schlossberg. Doctorate degrees are important to attain high paying jobs in certain fields of work. “It seems that more and more students are going to college. You’re going to need that extra in to stand out and be qualified for [positions in the field],” said Loiselle. Professor Peabody said that there are some fields of work where doctorates offer a clear advantages, but sometimes students aren’t prepared for the difficulties in a doctorate program and they may not need one for what they’re trying to do. “English is important, but I think sometimes people say when you get a doctorate in English, they don’t necessarily prepare you
for certain fields, they prepare you to study literature,” said Peabody. “So then when you go out into the public sphere. You’re supposed to teach that subject. There isn’t really any other occupation that goes along with that,” said Peabody. Students and teachers both seem to understand the difficulties in achieving a Ph.D—neither appear to take the pursuit lightly. “A lot of determination and focus is required because it’s a lot of work,” said Loiselle about obtaining the degree. Professor Peabody said it depends on the person. “I think you do have to have a mindset about education, you have to really care about school. If you are not passionate about education, learning and scholarship then maybe you shouldn’t,” said Peabody. “Otherwise if you know that you’re passionate about your field
and potentially want to work in it, or teach in it, I say yes,” said Peabody. Professor Miller Douzal had some advice for anyone who is considering going to for their doctorate. “If you’re considering it, I would say, follow that dream,” said Douzal. “You do along the way have milestones, and after reaching one of those milestones, if you want to stop for a little while you can. I did that between the bachelor of arts and the masters and then the Ph.D.” She said that she had gone back to grad school ten years after getting her bachelor’s degree in college. A doctorate is not an easy program to get through. They require a lot of work, but if you’re passionate about your field, professors at Hudson Valley believe you should follow your passion.
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FROM PAGE ONE in many ways,” said Morand. “We will be focusing on the students as that is the platform we ran on and I cannot wait to be able to affect change on our community,” he said. “I just want everyone to know that they are in good hands,” said Senior Class President elect Ezra Anderson. Anderson won unopposed with 55 votes, and plans to make a student’s time at Hudson Valley positive under his party’s
leadership. “The students are my top priority [and] I want to make their years at HVCC some of the best of their life,” he said. Morand thanks everyone for taking part in their elections, and hopes students address concerns with the executive board next year. “I would like to encourage any student to direct his or her concerns and issues on campus toward either myself or any of the Executive Board elects or any of the student senators,” he said.
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May 3, 2017
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65-year-old student ‘welcomes’ himself back to education By: Julio Rodriguez Creative Editor 65-year-old chemical dependency student William Welcome returned to school to earn his GED and gain the qualifications to help those struggling with substance abuse. “I never completed high school, but after I realized what my goals are, I decided to return to school at 65,” said Welcome. Welcome’s return to education began with a desire to pursue his life’s aspirations. “When I used to see job listings, I was denied even though I knew the job. That was all because I didn’t have a GED,” he said. “Now it is time to get all of my credentials together. I’m trying and I’m feeling good,” said Welcome. Williams took an interest in studying substance abuse after growing up in Albany. Welcome recalls conversations with friends who struggled to deal with life after incarceration. After Hudson Valley, Welcome aims to help newly released inmates struggling with substance abuse. “[I want to] help people learn
to survive once they come out of incarceration,” said Welcome. “There are a lot of people who don’t give themselves a chance to survive. They’re out and then they’re back in. I have a lot of friends that have experienced that because they don’t give themselves a chance,” he said. Welcome believes that sometimes people feel more important behind bars than they do in public. “They say they feel more ‘important’ inside than they do outside because no one on the outside is listening to them. They can’t take it because they’re used to people looking up to them. I feel I can help them stand free,” he said. Welcome would like to receive a bachelor’s degree in order to assist addicts that are suffering from addiction. “Addiction goes a long way; It isn’t just about drugs,” said Welcome. Additionally, Welcome returned to school to set an example for his great-great grandchildren. “I feel good because I take [one of my grandchildren] to school every morning and I tell
him, ‘I gotta go to school too.’ That makes me feel good and it motivates me,” said Welcome. Welcome recently received his GED from Bryant and Stratton College. Initially, Welcome attended Schenectady County Community College to receive a degree in chemical dependency, but the campus’ atmosphere turned him off from continuing his education there. “Once I got my GED I went to a few different schools. Hudson Valley’s reception is very pleasant and a red flag went up for the other two schools,” he said. “When I came to Hudson Valley, I got such a warm welcome. I felt comfortable and I immediately started right there,” he said. Welcome’s returned to school forced him to confront new and unfamiliar pressures, but having acclimated, his outlook has changed and he’s motivated to finish strong. “When I first started, I had to face a lot of stigma. People saying, ‘You’re too old.’ It was sinking in for a long time until I realized you’re never too old to learn. So, I decided to go to school and get all
of my papers before I pass,” said Welcome. Welcome faced new hardships in the form of college level academics. Welcome has been utilizing the resources available to students at the Marvin Library’s Writing Lab. “I’m doing a research paper and I get so involved in my work
that I lose track of time when I’m in the library. I spend a lot of time in the writing lab because I’m new at this. I’m learning and I forget about time. It’s like I’m the only one there and I don’t look at the time,” said Welcome. Welcome is a living testament to the phrase, “you’re never too old to learn.”
PHOTO BY MICHAEL SCHAEFER | HUDSONIAN
Age isn’t stopping Welcome from reaching his goal of assisting those who struggle with substance abuse.
The mind behind the artist: Makenna Ashley By: Setodzi Avoke Copy Editor Fine arts major Makenna Ashley enjoys telling stories surrounding forgotten moments. “Before I was a little worried [about] making statements—controversy or offending somebody— but at a certain point you have to let that go. I would definitely say that I work with aesthetics that have a message,” said Ashley. Her most recent piece was displayed in the Fine Arts Students End-of-Year Exhibit, and captured the iconic moment in sports history of Muhammad Ali’s fight against Floyd Patterson. “The movements that went into it—climactic movements— the physical aspect of it and also the emotional aspect of it…the psychological aspect of what those moments mean and the emptiness that’s left after,” she said. On a more contemporary front, Ashley made a piece called “Opportunities Through Broken Dreams” capturing broken shards of glass from a vandalized shop window following the election of Donald Trump. “The feelings of both sides, whoever won, both felt a little shattered and broken after, so I investigated those moments,” said
Ashley. For Ashley, confronting current issues and concerns make her work personal. “I’ve dealt with police brutality and how it’s hit close to home for me because my father is a retired police officer—he was my hero growing up my entire life and then now it’s almost like you don’t want to say that’s what his occupation was, or, [make sure to say] he devoted his entire life to helping other people,” said Ashley. “Focusing on these moments has been emotional for me because of the controversy that has been surrounding them. [Policing in America] and everything that has been going on with social media…,” said Ashley. Due to the extreme political and social climate, Ashley takes a headstrong approach in capturing these emotions and opinions within her work. “Nobody does the research to find what happened before and after. Everyone thinks that because there’s a 30-second clip on the internet, then that’s true.” Ashley hopes to show through her work the current context of events as well as the underlying tones of these events to the observer. “The black and white, you have to read it for what it is.
There’s no color distracting it, there’s nothing distracting it except for what’s there,” said Ashley. “I think that’s perfect—that deep contrast is what I like,” said Ashley. “In working in black and white, you get to find each of those [climactic] moments throughout my charcoal drawings...it makes you look a bit harder I think,” said Ashley. Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. “I’ve fought with myself a lot [regarding aesthetics versus meaning] because I really wanted to make something beautiful and as I started getting a little bit deeper and investigating what I was looking at, I knew that I could say something with the process that I would go through,” said Ashley. As Ashley expanded her style through exploring beauty through current events, she names a piece of hers which she felt had more impact on increasing her skills as not just an artist, but a story-teller. “I did an AK-47, a gun, shooting a bullet. I first thought about that being its climactic mo-
ment, but then I thought about it a little more...the bullet on its own—what happens once it’s met its climactic moment,” said Ashley. Following that line of thinking, Ashley began to question the gun alone. “If it doesn’t have the bullet, then the gun doesn’t represent anything anymore—then it’s just a hollow barrel. You can hit someone with it, but it doesn’t really represent what it’s intended for.” Another piece of hers titled “Hollow” took the concept of took the concept of objects interacting with one another and applies it to boxing. “They no longer have the same meaning when there’s no fighter behind [them],” said Ashley. “They’re just items and things again,” said Ashley. A major influence to Ashley
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is the work of Robert Longo, who also worked with charcoal. “He has a long history [in art]. He takes these powerful moments and makes them huge. He brings you in and captures you with his realism, realistic drawing and style that he has—technique that he has,” said Ashley. Ashley’s overall goal when someone views her work is that the viewer opens themselves up to looking at their own life as critically as her pieces. “If people listened to their own journey instead of all the noise that’s around them all the time, I think things would be more organic—things would happen more organically instead of this facade people put up...what they can bring in a positive way... just let go of the noise,” said Ashley.
PHOTO BY VINNY CROCE | HUDSONIAN
Fine arts student Makenna Ashley shares alternative perspectives of well-known events through her artwork.
May 3, 2017
SPORTS
Students aims to become golfing MVP
By: Tea’ Claus Staff Writer Women’s golf athlete Trisha Thomas works toward future PGA participation and dreams of being an MVP. “It’s all about your score, your average,” said Thomas, “What I’m aiming for right now is trying to be MVP of the team,” she said. In Thomas’ recent match at the SUNY Adirondack College Invitational at the Hiland Park Country Club she scored a 46 (9 holes) backdropped against an approximate average of 57. Thomas’ passion for golf be-
gan at an early age and was only increased after managing a pro shop for two years at 16-years-old with her sister. “I always had it in me to play golf [and it] was always a sport I loved. I enjoyed when I played,” said Thomas. “Trisha is a hard working player. She is always looking to improve her game,” said Alyssa Ruggiero, women’s head golf coach in regards to one of her players. Coach Ruggiero adds that Thomas was always practicing, even when the weather didn’t permit outside practice.
In addition to golf, Thomas tried out for softball and basketball last year, but said that golf took “most of her energy.” Thomas said she loves golf because of the intellect involved in the sport. “To hit a ball and see the ball 200 yards, to feel that power, to connect with the ball, to see it rise in the air and see the distance of how much your ball has gone,” said Thomas. “The effect it gives you, the power you feel - you don’t have to be a mathematician to love the game, but if you love math, it’s one of those sports,” she said.
Thomas said that her role model in golf is Tiger Woods after growing up watching him play. “When I was four, I used to go to my grandmother’s house and I used to watch tv and she would have the game on. I remember saying ‘Man, I want to play golf like that.’” Thomas has the goal to go all the way to the Professional Golfers Association, or PGA. She hopes that when she gets to SUNY Brockport, she’ll be able to continue playing golf. Thomas is also looking into playing more than one sport, but her main focus will always be making it to the
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PGA Tour. Thomas is currently majoring in Physical Education at Hudson Valley, studying to become a physical education teacher after she graduates. Her instructional focus is on teaching within the kindergarten through fifth grade range. Before Thomas came to Hudson Valley after graduating from Washingtonville high school, she learned to be a massage therapist, earning straight A’s in the process of doing so.
Hudson Valley offers youth athletic programs By: Skylar Blankenship Sports Editor Younger students will take their place on campus’ fields after spring athletes score the final points of their season. Each summer, the Community and Professional Education Department sponsors camps for children in the community. This year there will be three full and 11 half-day athletic camps with options for boys and girls between the ages of 6-16. The purpose of the athletic camps is to help campers grow as athletes by nurturing their interest and knowledge of sports, familiarizing young people with how to play and improving pre-existing skills. Campers will be divided into groups in each camp based on their age and ability. Some head coaches from the Athletics Department coach summer classes as well, offering students college level instruction within the program. Kelsey Wilson, women’s vol-
leyball head coach, will be coaching the half-day volleyball camp for ages 9-15. Travis Cooke, men’s soccer head coach, will be coaching the full-day soccer camp for ages 6-16. Mike Muehling, men’s football head coach and athletic academic coordinator, will be coaching the half-day football camp for ages 7-12. “The youth football camp is
July 10-14. It’s a great opportunity for kids ages 7-12 to learn the basic fundamentals of all positions,” said Muehling. Other full-day camps include all-sports in which campers will participate in wiffle-ball, badminton, a basketball camp for ages 7-16 and more. The half-day camps include a dodgeball camp, where campers ages 10-14 will end the week
with a tournament and a track and field camp where campers age 8-12 will learn more about the sport through different activities. Athletic camps usually run one week at a time and will be available between June 26 and Aug 4 costing between $90 and $165. Before and after care is also available for an extra fee.
GRAPHIC BY ISAAC KAUTZ | HUDSONIAN
Over the summer, Hudson Valley offers sports camps for children.
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May 3, 2017
SPORTS
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Vikings continue their season By: Franchesca Finelli Staff Writer This week the Viking’s baseball team took on Schenectady County Community College (0-19), SUNY Adirondack (116) and Mohawk Valley (13-9), while lacrosse went against SUNY Broome (2-7), Finger Lakes (5-5) and Tompkins Cortland (7-5). On Tuesday afternoon, the baseball team won game one, 13-4 and then took game two, 12-4 against Schenectady. In game one, sophomore criminal justice major, Alex Koshgarian led the Vikings, going 4-5 at the plate with an RBI and two runs, while Brendan Haverty, freshman criminal justice major, contributed three RBIs to the win. In game two, sophomore business major Kyle Bestle went 3-3 at the plate contributing a double, two RBIs and a run to the victory. The following Thursday, freshman criminal justice major Jimmy Griffin recorded the winning RBI.
Joseph Warner, freshman individual studies major, scored in the fifth following sophomore criminal justice major, Nicolas Teitter’s double and two RBIs. In game two, freshman business major Danny Coleman led the team going 2-2 at the plate with two home runs and five RBIs, allowing the Vikings to completely sweep SCCC. On Saturday, the Vikings split the day with SUNY Adirondack. The Vikings lost game one 6-5 but came back to take game two 11-7. Even though the team recorded a loss, Coleman, middle infielder and pitcher, still came out strong going 2-3 at the plate, with one home run, a triple, a stolen base and one RBI. In game two, the Vikings were looking for revenge, as freshman catcher Dominick Herald went 3-3 at the plate with a double and two RBI’s. Coleman was strong once again as he smashed his eighth home run of the season putting him in first place for Region 3.
In day two against Adirondack, the Vikings split once again winning game one in 12-2 and losing game two 10-3. Freshman individual studies major Mike Graves shined in game one scoring a two-run home run. Freshman computer information systems major Jon Montesanti pulled through with an RBI to secure the win. In game two, we saw a strong performance from team catcher Montesanti, once again, as well as from Garrett Klahr, sophomore business major and first and third baseman and Haverty, even though the team fell short. In their final outing this week, the team split with Mohawk Valley on Thursday afternoon, losing game one, 5-4 and winning game two 2-1. Sophomore criminal justice major, Brandon Cellucci led Hudson Valley going 2-2 at the plate in game one, including a triple and one run followed by freshman business major Luuk Visser who also recorded two hits, with a double and two RBIs in the loss.
In the following game, we saw a forceful appearance on the mound by freshman business major Dan Yankowski who pitched all eight innings. He struck out seven, walked only one and had no earned runs. On Monday afternoon the Vikings lacrosse team defeated SUNY Broome Community College 12-6. Sophomore criminal justice major Chris Breault, freshman business marketing major Aaron Thorpe, freshman business major Josh Moseman and freshman engineering science major Mark Calicchia all recorded goals to aid in the win. Later in the game, freshman criminal justice major Cesar Lamb-Tavarez made a save and assisted defenseman business major Kyle Quinn who went end to end to seal the victory. On Wednesday a great performance came from Thorpe who led the Vikings with six goals in the win against Finger Lakes Community College. The winning score was 18-13
with notable goals from freshman electrical engineering major Austin Hinderliter and midfielder Calicchia. The lacrosse team lost to Monroe 8-7 on Saturday afternoon. Freshman individual studies major Neil Swingruber and Thorpe led the Vikings with two goals each. After receiving their seeding, the team headed to sub-regionals on Wednesday. Unfortunately the Vikings lost to Tompkins Cortland Community 13-12 in double-overtime on Wednesday evening. Throughout the game, fans were kept on their toes as the result came to last minute action. The Panthers scored the winning goal with 1:13 left in the second overtime to end the Vikings season. Leading for Hudson Valley were Swingruber and Hinderliter with four goals each. Goalie Jahn Skinner-Ligon a sophomore business major, recorded 21 saves with occurring in overtime.
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