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Thursday, April 23, 2015

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VILLAGE OF NEW PALTZ MAYORAL CANDIDATES HOLD FORUM: STORY ON PAGE 3 | EDITORIAL ON PAGE 9 PHOTO VIA YOUTUBE

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE • Community Raises Money In Honor of Student’s Passing.......Pg 4 • SUNY Budget For 2015-2016 Released.........................Pg 5 • Harassment Suit Filed Between Town Board Members...........Pg 5 • Solar Panels Installed Outside Engineering Hall..........Pg 6

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Incident: Petite Larceny Date: 4/16/15 Location: Smiley Art Building Report of stolen cell phones from art display case.

Incident: Criminal Mischief Date: 4/19/15 Location: Old Main Quad Subject intentially breaks gate at Old Main entrance. Subject processed at UPD and issued an appearance ticket at New Paltz Town Court.

SUNY New Paltz University Police Department Emergencies: 845-257-2222

Five-Day Forecast Thursday, April 23 Partly Cloudy High: 53 Low: 32

Friday, April 24 Partly Cloudy High: 53 : 33

Saturday, April 25 Mostly Sunny High: 60 Low: 35

Sunday, April 26 Partly Cloudy High: 62 Low: 37

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The New Paltz Oracle is the official student newspaper of SUNY New Paltz. Our circulation is 2,500. The New Paltz Oracle is sponsored by the Student Association and partially funded by the student activity fee.

The New Paltz Oracle is located in the Student Union (SU) Room 417. Deadline for all submissions is 5 p.m. on Sundays in The New Paltz Oracle office and by email at oracle@hawkmail. newpaltz.edu.

All advertisements must be turned in by 5 p.m. on Fridays, unless otherwise specified by the business manager. Community announcements are published gratuitously, but are subject to restriction due to space limitations.There is no guarantee of publication. Contents of this paper cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

The New Paltz Oracle is published weekly throughout the fall and spring semesters on Thursdays. It is available in all residence halls and academic buildings, in the New Paltz community and online at oracle.newpaltz.edu. For more information, call 845-257-3030. The fax line is 845-257-3031.

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2015 Village Mayoral Candidates Address Local Issues At Public Forum

By Melanie Zerah

Copy Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Monday, April 20, Village of New Paltz mayoral candidates Tim Rogers, Jason West, Sally Rhoads and Amy Cohen assembled at village hall to speak on issues and questions proposed by the audience. Moderating the event was Laura Walls, former Supervisor of Gardiner, NY. The forum was sponsored by the New York Public Interest Group (NYPIRG) and the SUNY New Paltz political science and international relations departments.

The forum began with opening statements from each candidate outlining their experience and aspirations for the village.

Amy Cohen drew attention to her business experience and communication skills, along with her successfully branded business which started on Main Street. Cohen said she has also served as New Paltz Police Commissioner and currently serves on the New Paltz Town Planning Board.

Sally Rhoads made it clear that she has “no axes to grind” in her pursuit of the mayoral position, with her intentions being to address and solve the issues of the community collectively. Rhoads said she has served the community for over 40 years.

First elected as village mayor in 2003 at the age of 25, Jason West said that he has spent most of his adult life as an activist in the community of New Paltz. West has run for New York State Assembly as a Green party candidate to address issues that would otherwise not be addressed. Two main concerns for West include the cost of living in New Paltz and pressing environmental issues, he said.

Tim Rogers indicated that his 40-plus year perspective growing up in New Paltz gives him a unique quality. Rogers is a parttime landlord in New Paltz, which adds to his broad perspective on New Paltz living, along with having two children in the New Paltz school system, he said.

Discussion on the changed definition of “family” in the village housing code served as the second question prompt.

According to West, the revised definition of family in the village code, which was added in 2013, is a “terrible definition” that should not have gotten past the village board.

“With a village of 75 percent renters and 25 percent homeowners, to define a ‘family’ that narrowly would be damaging to the housing stock,” West said.

West, Rhoads, the village attorney and building inspectors have been meeting since December to rework that definition of family

to more accurately reflect what the realities are in the village while avoiding overcrowding, West said.

Rogers said that the definition of family prior to the change provided a broad and flexible definition and should have remained as such.

“I don’t understand what the intent was,” Rogers said. “When we make legislative changes we have to be mindful of the unintended consequences. It was unfortunate and unnecessarily confusing to end up with a impractical definition of family for the village of New Paltz.”

Rhoads drew attention to the major housing shortage in New Paltz and how it has evolved into the landlords’ market where rents can be very high. She said that her interests on housing are in the safety and quality of living conditions that are provided. Rhoads wants to address the communicative relationship between the building department and college housing department so that renters, whether student or not, are subject to receiving aid and have a place where their problems can be solved.

Although the college is in the village, the relationship between the administering bodies is not what it could be, according to West.

West said that the local village government and the college are not communicating to the best of their ability.

In terms of infrastructure and services, SUNY New Paltz pays for water and sewage which is, according to West, a large help because it would be extremely unaffordable for the village to provide these services to the college for free.

“There has been some small movement in this in the state legislature to have the college pay the host municipality more directly for their impacts,” West said. “There is no argument that SUNY brings hundreds of millions of dollars to the regional economy. To the village economy it can cause more problems than benefits sometimes.”

West explained that the village board recently introduced a bill which would have SUNY pay money to the host municipality for some of the services that they use. According to West, if SUNY paid taxes at the same rate as those in the village, the village tax rate would be considerably lower than it is currently.

Agreeing with West’s statement, Rogers said that a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) paid for by the college would be a “fantastic solution” that would mitigate some of the expenses that is absorbed by the village as part

of the community.

“I know that other communities that have colleges have benefited from such a PILOT,” Rogers said. “We are used to thinking about PILOTs that spur economic development, but this is actually a PILOT that would be paid for a user of our local emergency services.”

Rogers said that what concerned him most in regards to the Park Point project was not that the college felt they needed to increase the percentage of on campus students to come more in line with other SUNYs, but that the college felt it was part of a larger initiative where public education was being defunded instead of Albany paying for housing via New York State residence hall authority.

“I am in much more in favor of our tax dollars that go up to Albany pay for public education broadly,” Rogers said.

As a municipality, Rogers believes that the village can communicate this sentiment with SUNY and Albany while working in collaboration with other municipalities and other SUNYs. Cohen also voiced a desire to charge the college for village services.

“I’d like to see an appeal to college students’ parents asking for donations to the fire department,” Cohen said. “If the college cannot make it its business to communicate with us and give us checks for the services they need, I would suggest an appeal to SUNY New Paltz parents and alumni.”

According to Cohen, most of the $5.4 million New Paltz Police Department’s services are utilized for late night patrol of the downtown village making sure bar-goers and pedestrians are not “out of control.” The University Police Department is not allowed by law to come patrol into the village, Cohen said. Cohen also said that she felt that college President Donald Christian should meet more often with village government.

Rhoads similarly spoke on ideas relating to improving communication with the college.

“I believe I am the only candidate running who has concrete proposals on our platform regarding our relationship with SUNY New Paltz,” Rhoads said. “One thing that I am proposing is an association of SUNY communities.”

The association would consist of a group of college representatives, community representatives and the village board, Rhoads said.

The main objective is directed toward talking about problems of which each of the represented communities all have in common and therefore finding solutions that will work for

Thursday, April 23, 2015

everyone involved.

“Communication with each other is often the solution to these problems. I already talked about wanting to strengthen the relationship between the building department and the tenant landlord,” Rhoads said. “The college is a major factor and a major contributor and I think the college is willing to help us where they can.”

Candidates reiterated their platforms and what they intend to achieve as village mayor in their closing statements.

Rhoads expressed once again that she believes in the community of New Paltz and that it is the duty of the local government to serve the community. She explained that she has been known by those who work with her that she always carries out her jobs with integrity, honesty and the community in mind.

“You have to be able to focus on the small details. The constituent letters that come in, the potholes people tell you about, the bent street signs that need replacement, that is part of the role of village government.” West said.

“It’s the combination of the small detain and the big picture that makes this job so exciting.

I would look forward to serving a third time, and seeing these projects through.”

West also cited the importance of works projects such as public power utility, cleaning the Wallkill River, replacing street lights with solar power and other initiatives geared towards improving the quality of life in New Paltz even in the far future.

“I believe I am uniquely qualified in that I have the right blend of skills and values — values that are shared by many of us in the community,” Rogers said. “I have an identifiable track record of seeing things through to the end. However, I do not take this responsibility lightly. I think that being the mayor of this village is a difficult job.”

Rogers said that he believes that municipal law is often unintuitive. He believes that it is important to be able to work collaboratively with village staff, board members, the town board and members of the community.

Cohen in her closing statement, read from a letter from a supporter that called Cohen “egalitarian, that without prejudice she has an embracive outlook on the well-being of the village.” The letter also stated that Cohen “has the ability to lift New Paltz out of the device of a negative state and into better harmony, and better vibes.”

The village mayoral election is set to take place on May 5. All residents, including students who are registered to vote in New Paltz, are encouraged to vote.

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NEWS BRIEFS WORLD

The New Paltz Oracle

$20k Raised In Honor Of Student’s Passing

ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING BILL PASSES SENATE The Senate unanimously passed legislation Wednesday to help the victims of human trafficking, ending a tortuous partisan standoff over abortion that also delayed confirmation of President Barack Obama’s attorney general nominee. The vote was 99-0 to approve the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which expands law enforcement tools to target sex traffickers and creates a new fund to help victims.

NEW PENTAGON STRATEGY WARNS OF CYBERWAR CAPABILITIES A new Pentagon cybersecurity strategy lays out for the first time publicly that the U.S. military plans to use cyberwarfare as an option in conflicts with enemies. The 33-page strategy says the Defense Department “should be able to use cyber operations to disrupt an adversary’s command and control networks, military-related critical infrastructure and weapons capabilities.”

HOUSE PANEL IS TOLD OF SLAVERY IN THAI SEAFOOD INDUSTRY Modern-day slavery persists around the world, including the abuse of fishermen in the Thai seafood industry whose catch can end up in U.S. markets, a congressional panel was told Wednesday.

OBAMA TRADE AGENDA WINS SENATE ROUND, BUT HOUSE FIGHTS LOOM President Barack Obama’s trade agenda narrowly passed an initial Senate test late Wednesday, but many fellow Democrats hope to trip him in the House. The Senate Finance Committee endorsed Obama’s request for “fast track” legislation, which would renew presidential authority to present trade deals that Congress can endorse or reject but not amend.

Compiled from the AP Newswire

Klein’s story featured in Social Pioneering Monthly.

By Kristen Warfield

Managing Editor | Warfielk1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Second-year SUNY New Paltz student Daniel “Danny” Klein passed away last week, as shared in a campus-wide email from college president Donald Christian on Friday, April 17.

Investigators from the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department have found no evidence of foul play at the off-campus scene.

Klein, 20, was a Suffern, New York native and an advocate for those diagnosed with behavioral disorders — particularly for Asperger’s syndrome, a condition on the autism spectrum that causes difficulties in communicating and socializing with others, which he himself was diagnosed with at age four.

In February, a narrative Klein wrote of personal challenges with the disorder and also critiquing the nation’s mental health system was published in an on-campus magazine, Social Pioneering Monthly, in which he shared

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIAL PIONEERING MONTHLY

his personal experiences and offered solace for those who feel they may be grappling with mental health-related difficulties.

“My brain is physically wired differently than that of someone’s who is neurologically typical,” Klein wrote.

“Throughout all these differences, though, I’m still a regular kid who can very much relate to those that are neurologically typical, which is, believe it or not, most of you reading this. I attend college classes on a regular basis.

I still engage in activities that kids my age do such as snowboarding, playing video games, guitar (though I play lefty), watching Netflix and reading.

Socially, I have made more friends attending college here at SUNY New Paltz than anywhere else in my life.”

In light of his passing, Klein’s friends shared their memories as posts on his Facebook page — among them, a link to an online donation page created in his honor. According to the

Thursday, April 23, 2015

gofundme.com page, Klein had been saving up money to donate to Jawonio; a Hudson Valley lifespan service provider for those with developmental disabilities, behavioral health challenges and chronic medical conditions.

Since the page’s creation on April 18, more than $20,000 has been donated to the fund in his honor.

“Danny understood what it was like to be different and it was important to him to support other people who faced obstacles in their lives,” the page reads. “Please help us honor Danny’s memory and his desire to serve others.”

The Counseling Center staff encourages any student seeking help, in personal feelings of loss or otherwise, to contact their office at 845-257-2920.

For professors and staff who are interested in speaking with someone, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available at 845-257-2886.

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News

2015-2016 SUNY Budget Totals $726 Million

By Melanie Zerah

Copy Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

A net increase of $10.4 million in general state support was awarded to SUNY by Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the 2015-16 budget for a total of $726 million.

As part of SUNY’s rational tuition increase, undergraduate instate students’ tuition will increase by $300 per year for the next five years.

Each time there is an increase in tuition, the college provides support to any students who receives aid from the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Any student that is eligible for a full-time TAP award pays a tuition fee of about $5,800.

Students who are awarded a full-time TAP, pay a tuition fee around $5,000.

In terms of the budget resulting in possible decreases, last year there was a $7.6 million addition for salary increases according to SUNY New Paltz Vice President of Finance Michele Halestead. This year, that figure was reduced to $4.7 million.

“It isn’t really detrimental in any way,” Halestead. “It only is slightly because we had discretionary salary awards for one of the unions on campus; the United University Professions (UUP) union.”

According to Halestead, last year UUP was awarded a 0.5 percent discretionary salary award — a one time lump sum. The campus total for discretionary salary awards was about

$250,000. Part of last year’s $7.6 million covered the cost, so this year the same 0.5 percent award can again be awarded; however now the state is only going to cover half that amount.

Halstead said SUNY received no new money from the state, although SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher has requested it on a reoccurring basis.

Contractual salary increases with the two biggest unions, the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) and UUP have been negotiated for this year and subsequent years, according to SUNY New Paltz Vice President of Enrollment David Eaton.

A one-time increase of $18 million for performance based funding for SUNY was proposed. In January, the governor’s first proposal said that he wanted to give one SUNY $18 million for performance based funding. According to Eaton, this did not come to fruition because the $18 million was to be awarded to a deserving SUNY and it could not be discerned what qualities would entitle a SUNY for such an award.

Growing concern over the possibility of the budget affecting certain programs that could result in cut-backs were also addressed.

“We don’t anticipate at this point in time cutting any programs,” Eaton said. “For new students, current students and graduating students, they are concerned with getting a job.”

Eaton explained that students will gravitate

towards programs that are vocational and have lucrative job markets. The education department, for example, has lost a number of student enrollments because the current education job market is very problematic. As a result, the programs which do not have as high of an enrollment rate will have less faculty, due to the lessening of students, but will not be premaritally cut by any means, Eaton said.

Any cutting which occurs in a program happens very slowly, according to Eaton. If more professors are working in an area than there are students, in addition to retirements and resignations, then these resources can be reallocated. According to Eaton, if a major is on the smaller, less popular side, there will be less personnel in that major.

“Right now we’re probably in one of the most dynamic times of change in terms of what students are looking for in terms of majors,” Eaton said. “There’s a huge increase in STEM majors, business majors. Fine and performing arts has a few less students but a pretty steady state.”

Along with this money given directly to SUNY, new programs which will be aiding SUNY and CUNY have been implemented such as “Get On Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program.” The program allows New York residents who have graduated from college to withhold paying their student debt for their first two years out of school, should they be unable to pay it.

Torres Files Harassment Complaint Against Logan

By Anthony DeRosa

News Editor | N02385288@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

New Paltz Town Councilman Dan Torres has filed harassment charges against fellow town board member and former running mate New Paltz Town Deputy Supervisor Jeff Logan following a “direct threat” from Logan after a difference of opinion over a town proposal.

The charges mark the most recent case of controversy between Torres and other town board members, who in the past have publicly chastised him during board meetings for his opposition to siting a sewer treatment plant next to the high school. New Paltz Town Supervisor Susan Zimet has previously stated publicly that she does not share documents with Torres that other board members receive for review.

According to court documents, Torres told state police that prior to a New Paltz Town Board meeting on March 26 at the New Paltz Community Center, Logan asked Torres pri-

vately if he would back the proposed site of an alternate village water source on Plains Road — where Logan lives — to be used when the Catskill Aqueduct is shut down for repairs by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection in 2016. Torres told Logan that he had not yet made a decision on the issue which has created concern among homeowners as far back as May of 2014.

According to an article in the New Paltz Times, in the exchange, which Torres recorded, Logan can be heard repeatedly uttering the same expletive, with other voices in the background. Then, in a low voice, he says, “You little [expletive] puke, I could end you so [expletive] fast,” which is consistent with the wording used in the filed complaint. According to the complaint, Logan’s actions “did alarm the complainant putting him in fear of his safety.” In the Times article, Logan said that the context of the conversation is made clear in the complaint — a political disagreement.

The complaint was given to state police

from Highland on March 28 after New Paltz town police thought the case to be a possible conflict of interest because of the town board’s joint function as the town police commission after the dissolution of the separate police commission. Neither of the town’s judges would accept the case for similar conflict of interest reasoning, resulting in a request to government administrators in Albany to find a justice who would. Marlborough town court Judge Michael Kraiza took the complaint and issued the criminal summons to Logan, charging him with second-degree harassment — a violation with penalties that range up to as much as 15 days in jail. The plaintiff in the case will be the State of New York since Logan was acting in capacity as a town official at the time of the incident.

The case arraignment was scheduled for Tuesday, April 21. At the time of print, a transcript or audio-log of the court hearing was unavailable for release without a registered legal transcriber.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

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NEWS BRIEFS NATIONAL

IN LIBYA, MIGRANT SMUGGLING A BOOMING TRADE Libya’s chaos has turned it into a lucrative magnet attracting migrants desperate to make the dangerous sea voyage to Europe. With no central authority to stop it, business is booming, with smugglers charging ever more as demand goes up, then using the profits to buy larger boats and heavier weapons to ensure no one dare touch them.

GIRL WRONGLY SENT TO US RETURNS TO CELEBRATION A 14-year-old Mexican girl who was taken by authorities and sent screaming to live in the United States was returned home Wednesday after DNA tests showed she is not the daughter of the Houston woman who claimed her.

The case of Alondra Luna Nunez drew international attention after a video of the distraught girl being forced into a police vehicle last week circulated in media and on social networks.

NEW AIRSTRIKES IN YEMEN AFTER SAUDIS SAY OPERATION OVER

Hours after Saudi Arabia declared an end to its coalition’s nearly monthlong air campaign in Yemen, new airstrikes Wednesday hit Iran-backed militants and their allies in two cities, and the rebels said they would welcome U.N.led peace talks in the conflict that has killed more than 900 people.

EXTREMIST’S MISFIRE FOILED ATTACK ON PARIS CHURCH Italy pressed the EU on Wednesday to devise robust steps to stop the deadly tide of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, including considering military intervention against smugglers and boosting U.N. refugee offices in countries bordering Libya. “We know where the smugglers keep their boats, where they gather,” said Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti.

Compiled from the AP Newswire

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Solar Panels Installed Outside Resnick Hall; Powers Building

The new solar panels outside of Resnick Engineering Hall.

By Sam Manzella

Copy Editor | Manzells1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

SUNY New Paltz recently installed new sets of solar panels outside of Resnick Engineering Hall to power the building, which is home to the university’s electrical and computer engineering programs. The building is attached to Wooster Science Building, which is scheduled to open in the coming Fall 2015 semester.

The new solar panels power Resnick Engineering Hall, New Paltz Energy Management Coordinator Brian Pine said. According to Pine, the installation was funded by materials leftover from other projects, as well as assistance from the university’s Facilities Operations team. Dean of Science and Engineering Daniel Freedman and

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management John Shupe collaborated to choose the location. “[It is] a very observable, sunny spot,” Pine said.

According to newpaltz.edu, the new solar panels will generate about three kilowatts (kW) of power, which increases the campus’ current total accumulation of solar energy power to approximately 70 kW. In this news release, Pine said that he hopes students take notice of these new solar panels and are inspired by the university’s efforts to “go green.”

Campus Sustainability Coordinator Lisa Mitten praised the new solar panels alongside Pine, also citing their visibility as a major gain for the campus.

“The new array [of solar panels] on

the ground next to Resnick is a great conversation starter,” Mitten said. “I hope that it’s kickstarting dialogue across campus about renewable energy.”

These new solar panels are part of New Paltz’s award-winning ongoing sustainable energy initiative, including previous installations of electric vehicle charging stations in the Elting Gym and Route 32 parking lots as well as solar panels on the roof of the university’s Athletic and Wellness Center.

Mitten elaborated on the university’s other efforts to initiate sustainable practices. She said New Paltz’s sustainability efforts consist of three objectives: energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Her office works primarily on dialing

Thursday, April 23, 2015

back energy usage during the colder months, as well as scheduling lighting and air conditioning systems to eliminate wasteful cooling and lighting.

According to Mitten, the best strategy she and other sustainability experts on campus can employ to institute environmentally friendly policies is simple: to listen to faculty and students. This is a huge part of Mitten’s ongoing goals.

“Then, [we can] work with them on how to turn their own ideas into reality,” Mitten said. “What is needed to turn a seed idea into a reality? Who can the person reach out to on campus and off campus to support this interest? I strive to listen to what people are interested in and grow from there, rather than tell people what they should focus on.”

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Student Senate Addresses Budget Appeals

By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Wednesday, April 22 the 59th Student Senate met to discuss a number of topics, including many budget appeals.

Student Association President Osato Okundaye began the meeting by asking for a moment of silence in memory of Daniel Klein, who passed away last week. He announced that he has talked to Director of Student Activities and Union Services Mike Patterson about holding a memorial for Klein.

A service will be held on Monday, April 27 outside of Bouton Hall, where Klein resided.

This was the last meeting of the semester where the senate could budget appeals for clubs for next semester. As a result, a discussion took place concerning the budget appeal of eight different clubs.

First was the New Paltz cheerleading team. The club originally applied for $22,000 and were approved for less than that. They asked for an extra $5,000 to be added to what they received and but were denied this request.

Next, the Extreme Croquet team requested for a $2,000 increase to their budget from last semester, thus bumping their budget up to $8,000. They called attention to their old equipment and the issue that the locations where they can practice are very limited since croquet is a sport that will tear

up a field. Their request was denied.

Afterwards came the Gaming Society. They do not currently have a budget set in place for next semester. They asked for $2,000 for their annual New Paltz Convention and $5,000 for the Gaming Society overall. However, they failed to get their paper work in on time and thus their request was denied.

The Undergraduate Music Student Association asked for more money than they were originally granted. They cited the poor conditions of College Hall, where the music program is stationed. However, the board of trustee’s guidelines do not allow for them to pay for improvements to College Hall, since they are a club supporting an academic space. The Senate agreed to increase their budget from what they were originally improved.

Then Culture Shock, who normally has a budget around $6,500, asked for an increase to $7,000 next semester. Their request was denied. The Hillel club then stated that they were not approved for a budget since they did not hand in their budget on time.

Their request for money for food for their dinners was denied.

TBA Improv originally asked for $6,500 and were denied all of it. Their request for a budget was denied since they handed in a sheet that listed what they would be spend-

ing their money on and not an actual budget.

Envied Fashion then asked for a $3,000 increase to their current $10,000 budget.

They use their money to put on a fashion show that acts as a charity event for an organization in Haiti which funds schools.

They were originally denied this request since $5,000 of their budget was being spent to rent from a private vendor. Senate agreed to not honor this request, and have the club charge money for the show at the door.

The last organization, the Caribbean Club, requested for an $8,000 budget that they had last year. They were originally denied this request since they handed in a list of things that they would spending their money on and not a budget. Senate voted to deny their request. The money they did not spend this year, $6,093, will be placed in their budget for next semester.

The Senate then discussed the possibility of non-SA clubs who are asking for funds from the non-SA account to go through the same process as other clubs. These clubs must fill out a supplementary form. This law was passed. In the event that a request is more than half the cap, the organization must present to the Programming Board. The Senate then voted in favor of raising the amount that a single non-SA organization can get for a semester to $750 instead of $500.

Lastly, the Senate discussed duties of

Senate positions for next semester. The Executive Vice President will have nominating a chair of Alumni Affairs Committee as a new official responsibility. They will also nominate a co-chair for UPD Committee needing majority vote from committee to confirm and attend all Town Board and Village Board meetings as a duty of their position. It will now be required for Senators to vocally contribute at every meeting, and the Senate Chair will now serve as the Chair of Student Concerns Committee. Senators will now be allowed three unexcused absences.

Arriving late to a meeting or leaving before the meeting is adjourned will count as half an absence. Senators will also be required to inform someone that they will be arriving late or be absent. **In the previous issue of The New Paltz Oracle, it was reported in an article titled “Senate Speaks At State Of Campus Address” that there will be a vote this semester to approve the student association activity fee. The vote will actually take place next spring semester and if less than 10 percent of the student body approves the fee, it will cease to be mandatory and students will have the option of opting out. If this fee becomes optional there is a chance that club and event funding will be cut.

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THE GUNK Th ursday, April 2, 2015

Shakespearian comedy hits

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The Make Up Of Break Ups lecture discusses social evolutionary psychology

By Amanda Copkov Copy Editor | Copkova1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Social stereotypes may say that women are the ones who spend late nights crying and soothing their woes with ice cream after a breakup, but psychological research says otherwise.

On Monday, April 20 in the Lecture Center, the Evolutionary Studies Program hosted Joel Wade of the department of psychology at Bucknell University. Wade gave a talk entitled, “The Evolutionary Psychology of Breaking Up and Making Up,” which focused on the evolutionary theory of breaking up and making up as well as how emotional commitment, emotional access and sexual access affect reconciliation decisions during relationships.

According to Wade, 90 percent of relationships are ended by women, and it is men who suffer more once relationships are over.

During six years of research, he discovered that men are three times more likely to commit suicide after a breakup than women. Wade said that men and women have different coping methods, while men deal with their heartache on their own time and often turn to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain.

“Women seek more social support, whether it be through therapy or venting to friends,” Wade said. “There’s a cultural taboo against doing that for men, so they turn to more non-effective coping strategies.”

Though men tend to only be 10 percent of relationship terminators, Wade’s research found that breakups are not biased toward the pain that both parties feel once a relationship has ended.

“Brain scans find that breakups are as painful as getting a punch in the face from someone very strong,” he said.

“It’s no wonder people are hurting afterward.”

Wade also found that the two main causes for breakups were emotional turmoil – not sharing one’s feelings with their respective partner – and sex-

ual turmoil – a difference in the desired frequency of sex in the relationship.

Considering these two main factors, Wade also found that men generally choose mates based on fertility, reproductive potential and sexual access, while women tend to focus on a strong future, parental potential and emotional access.

Though emotional access tends to be a more common factor among women, this is not always the case. According to Wade’s studies, people who have previously been in sexual relationships are more likely to end a relationship based on a lack of emotional access.

Wade found this to be the most common cause of breakups.

Tying into the main factors of breaking up, Wade also studied fighting and violence among couples. He found that young, insecurely attached men as well as men who are more accepting of violence toward women tend to be the more violent partner in the relationship.

Wade said that often times, fighting and violence in a relationship are caused by sexual jealousy and proprietorial tendencies as well as the fear of losing one’s mate.

During the lecture, Wade also delved into the most common actions for both sexes when making up after a breakup.

When reconciling with women, men tend to use emotional and commitment related tactics such as giving gifts and other nice gestures. Women tend to take a more sexual route when reconciling with men, but also tend to give gifts, apologize, be more affectionate and communicate more with their partner.

Contrary to societal belief, Wade also found that men say “I love you” a good six months before women do in relationships. He found that women are happier when men say “I love you” after having sex for the first time, while men are happier when women say “I love you” before.

Wade said he has always had an

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SUNY NEW PALTZ EVOLUTIONARY STUDIES PROGRAM

interest in attraction and mate preferences. He originally started researching self-esteem and attractiveness and from there had the desire to learn what it was about attractiveness that made it so important.

“People think that mate preference and attractiveness are socially conditioned, but biology plays a strong role,” Wade said. “We look for long term possibilities and tend to find people who are most reproductively fit most appealing.”

Glenn Geher, the director of evolutionary studies and a professor of psychology at SUNY New Paltz, said he felt breaking up and making up was a great topic to be discussed among a college age crowd.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

“The issue of mating is central for college students,” Geher said. “Dr. Wade talked about things that young adults think about quite a bit. Relationships going up and down as well as thoughts of both short and long term relationships are highly relevant.”

Nicole Wedberg, assistant of the evolutionary studies program and a graduate student of psychology at New Paltz, agreed with Geher and said that she thought the topic was good for people of any age.

“It’s an important topic,” she said.

“Evolutionary theory provides a simple explanation for phenomena and gives insight into our own being. It always makes sense, and it isn’t ridiculously abstract.”

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DOCUMENTARY EXPOSES THE WATER BOTTLING INDUSTRY

By Nathaniel Sheidlower Copy Editor | Sheidlon1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu It is one of the simplest organic compounds. It is used everywhere, all the time. It is in just about everything.

It is water and it is disappearing.

This point was hammered home by the documentary “Tapped,” which screened in SUNY New Paltz’s Lecture Center on the cloudy night of April 20.

Directed and produced by Stephanie Soechtig, president of Atlas Films and producer of ABC’s “Planet Earth” and other works, this documentary opened up the issue of our nations decreasing water supply.

While water is a precious and diminishing commodity all over the world, this film focused mostly on the United States water supply and the negative impacts of big bottling corporations.

Companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Nestle have large bottling plants all over the country that suck the water out of the ground, bottle it and then sell it back to the people. Many of these plants, like the ones that fill Aquafina, Pepsi’s bottled water brand, take their water directly from the municipal “tap” water source, as indicated on the bottles themselves.

The companies come into rural towns and receive permits to draw out the town’s water, which would otherwise be used by the citizens, at no cost and then sell it at a profit.

The film presented startling statistics about bottled water. It costs 1900 times what tap water costs. By 2030, two-thirds of the world will not have access to clean drinking water. Additionally 35 states experienced a drought in 2007.

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Although these bottling plants pump hundreds of thousands of gallons of water a day out of the ground, contributing to the decrease in supply, there are other health risks associated with the bottled water industry, according to the screening.

The plastic of the bottles itself, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) chemicals that are taken from refining crude oil and have been linked to cancer and birth defects.

In the film, an oil refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas was found to be emitting this toxic agent into the area.

Cases of cancer and birth defect rates rose in the local community after this plant opened. The study cited by the film found that the number of people born with a defect in Corpus Christi was 84 percent higher than the state average.

Corporations continue to argue that their products are safe and pure which, the film mentioned, implies that tap water is somehow unsafe or impure. Municipal tap water is tested at filtration plants multiple times a day and is heavily regulated by the FDA, unlike bottled water which has few to no regulations.

When the film finished, two members of the Kingston Citizens, founder Rebecca Martin and Rachel Marco-Havens, opened Q&A. Kingston Citizens is a community based group founded in 2007 that lead a campaign to successfully prevent the bottling company Niagara take up a stake in their town.

Martin stressed, “We are all affected,” as she urged students not to give in to these corporations and protect the water supply for themselves, their children and their children’s children.

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A Truly Burning Issue DOCTOR LECTURES ON ACID REFLUX DISEASE

By Monique Tranchina

Contributing Writer | N02603338@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The pain rivals that of the worst heartburn. Anything from tomato sauce to coffee can set it off.

But there is a way to prevent acid reflux disease.

Dr. Jonathan E. Aviv, MD, FACS, presented “Hard to Swallow: The Sweet and Sour of Acid Reflux Disease,” on April 16, which explained how to prevent acid reflux with “food as medicine,” as well as how this common medical condition has became an epidemic since the 1970s.

Approximately seven million Americans have acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which can lead to various cancers over time. Many medical professionals are aware of this issue and believe being aware of the problems caused by acid reflux is important.

“It’s very uncomfortable to live with and it can have serious health consequences,” Nina Jecker Byrne of SUNY New Paltz Communication Disorders Department said. “At worst, if it goes unnoticed and untreated, it can place the individual at risk of developing esophageal cancer, the fastest growing cancer in America.”

Many of the foods we eat regularly have a large impact on our digestive system as well as esophagus and larynx, which connected to swallowing, according to Aviv. Therefore, there are certain foods to avoid as much as possible; these include fast food and sodas, which are about as acidic as food can get. Other foods that have higher

Dr. Jonathan Aviv talks about effects of acidic foods.

levels of acid include bottled iced tea, white wine, citrus, tomatoes, vinegar and yogurts packaged with fruits.

Though consuming acidic foods is not always avoidable, people can portion meals and snacks to ingest minimal amounts of acid as possible. Aviv also recommended the Acid Watcher Diet to help prevent acid reflux disease and acid consumption as much as possible.

However, he emphasized those with alarming symptoms such as fre-

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

quent throat clearing, chronic cough, hoarseness or a lump-like sensation in the throat, may have acid reflux. He said if caught early, acid reflux can be treated and stopped before it does significant damage to the stomach and esophageal lining.

In his advocacy of healthier eating, Aviv warns against canned foods, which are also highly acidic.

FDA regulation Title 21 mandates that canned foods contain levels of acid in them to help prevent food poi-

soning and botulism. Also significant within major food industries include the use of high fructose corn syrup instead of the more expensive cane sugar. High fructose corn syrup, found within sodas and many snacks, contain unhealthy amounts of acid levels and over time can damage our digestive system.

A community member who attended the event, Joanna Caroly, said after hearing the presentation, her perspective changed on the FDA and food industry.

“We have to rally together to be honest with the American public,” Caroly said. “I learned quite a bit about GERD treatment regarding diet modification and better management about GERD for myself and patients.”

To improve her personal health, Caroly said she plans on implementing some recommended diet changes into her bad lifestyle to take care of her own esophagus and GI system.

Sarah Arnold, another audience member, said she hopes to focus on making her own food in the future due to a lack of trust in the prepared and packaged food industry. She also said she is in favor of organic foods, which usually contain less acid.

Aviv further relayed more important lifestyle changes to help decrease chances of acquiring acid reflux, such as hydrating with water throughout the day, closing the kitchen at 7:30 p.m. to aid stomach digestion, refraining from smoking any substance and avoiding laying down within three hours of eating.

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Much Ado About Something ACCLAIMED SHAKESPERIAN COMEDY HITS MCKENNA

By Karl Evers-Hillstrom

Copy Editor | Kevershillstrom@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

William Shakespeare’s classic comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” features archaic language and a 16th century setting, but its themes of deception, yearning and communication breakdown still hold strong relevance today.

From April 16­-19, New Paltz students, under the direction of Associate Professor Frank Trezza, put on a series of four incredible performances on the main stage at McKenna Theatre.

The story of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy can be explained by its title. “Much Ado” is the struggles faced by the main characters, and “Nothing” is the gossip, lies and rumors that cause the problems.

The story takes place in the Italian town of Messina. A nobleman named Leonato, played by theatre major David Inge, lives with his daughter Hero, played by third­-year theatre major Analise Rios, and niece Beatrice, played by fourth-­year theatre major Jessica Contino.

At the start of the play, Leonato welcomes friends home from war. The group includes his close friend Prince Don Pedro, played by theatre major Elijah Dederick, the upbeat nobleman Claudio, played by theatre major Dean Mahoney and Benedick, a witty soldier played by fourth-­year theatre major Scott Phillips. Also accompanying the troop is the mysterious Don John, played by fourth­ year theatre major Jeremy Sapadin.

Claudio is set to marry Hero, but Don John and his two conspirators frame Hero by making her appear to cheat on Claudio in front of him on the night before their wedding.

Claudio falls for the trap and believes what he saw. He spurns Hero on their wedding day while telling everyone that she was unfaithful. One fake death and a whole lot of problem solving later, and everything is sorted out. Of course it was: otherwise this play wouldn’t be a comedy, but a tragedy after all.

The love story between Beatrice and Benedick is what really makes “Much Ado

A scene from “Much Ado About Nothing”

About Nothing” a classic. Both Beatrice and Benedick appear publicly to despise each other, but are in fact in love with one another.

Due to their stubborn personalities, they will never admit their true feelings to one another.

Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato design a plot to let Benedick know of Beatrice’s love for him by speaking of it in public while Benedick listens while hiding behind a tree, thinking they don’t know he is there.

Hero and her two waiting­gentlewomen Ursula and Margaret, played by fourth­-year theatre major Iris Fine and second­-year theatre major Jessica Lyke respectively, do the same routine for Beatrice.

Both scenes are absolutely hilarious.

Beatrice and Benedick truly believe that they are hidden, even though they are clearly in plain sight, and the exaggerated endorsements given to Beatrice and Benedick make the audience feel like they are in on the joke.

The precise timing exhibited by the actors in these scenes was as impressive as their ability to keep their composure even as massive roars of laughter erupted from the crowd.

Chemistry is required between the actors playing Beatrice and Benedick, and Con-

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN WADE

tino and Phillips completely delivered on that front. Contino duplicates Beatrice’s headstrong, cynical and witty demeanor effortlessly, and Phillips seems completely comfortable characterizing Benedick’s demonstrative and whimsical behavior. Put them together and their efforts yield a back­-and-­forth like nothing else I’ve ever seen in a play.

Fourth­-year theater arts major Rob Gagnon played Dogberry, the comical constable in charge of the unorganized Messina night watch. They were responsible for arresting Don John’s henchmen, played by theatre majors John Cooper Mulderry and Jacob Dabby, for framing Hero.

Gagnon perfectly characterized Dogberry’s arrogance and general incompetence, and would have made Shakespeare proud with his artful execution of Dogberry’s silly malapropisms.

The stumbling, incapable nightwatchmen were played by Michael Hussey, Anthony Leiner and Sean Orman. Dogberry’s assistant Verges was played by Sophia Beratta, an inept ally that made even Dogberry look authoritative.

Also included in the performance were

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Anna Heacock as Bellissima, Vin Craig as Antonio, Ryan Christopher Thomas as the Friar and Courtney Gerou as the Sexton.

The complex yet intuitive set, designed

by Jared Rutherford, served the performance perfectly, allowing for a diverse series of settings. The costumes, designed by Andrea Varga, felt right out of the 16th century.

Director Frank Trezza has directed Shakespearian plays before, but this was his first time working on “Much Ado About Nothing.” Trezza felt that he learned much more about the play by directing it as opposed to simply reading the script.

“When you work on a play like this and put it on its feet and explore it with actors, you understand it in a different kind of way,” Trezza said.

Trezza quickly understood that the play’s themes were more applicable to our modern society than some of Shakespeare’s other works.

“At first I saw it as a patriarchal play, but the more I worked on it the more I realized that the men in the play were critiqued, and made mistakes that they had to learn from,” Trezza said. “So I have a deeper affection for the play now that I’ve worked on it.”

Despite the difficult language of Shakespeare’s comedy, Trezza was able to make the lines accessible for the actors and the audience.

“The biggest challenge is getting the company and the audience to understand the language,” Trezza said. “That’s always the challenge with Shakespeare, to hold on to the sense of formality and language, but still let people in and do a good job conveying the story and characters.”

“Much Ado About Nothing” will continue with four more performances from April 23­-26 at McKenna Theatre.

Trezza believes the final series of shows will be even better than the opening acts.

“I always tell my students that the opening night is just the beginning,” Trezza said.

“I saw the performance grow during the first week, and I think it’s going to get stronger and stronger during the second week.”

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Masterpieces and Meditations LOCAL NEW PALTZ YOGA STUDIO HOSTS ART SHOW

By Amya Pinka

Copy Editor | Pinkaa1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Saturday, April 11 at 7 p.m. people of all ages went to NP (New Paltz) Rock Yoga at 125 Main St. for the studio’s first art show, which displayed works from various local artists.

“All of the artists were our students and members of the New Paltz community,” NP Rock Yoga manager Amanda Blair said. “We really wanted the focus to be local because it is important to us to be creating a space that benefits the community around us.”

Standing true to the studio’s rules, it was required that people take off their shoes immediately before entering the studio where the art was displayed. This set the mood of the show immediately – a warm and cozy place to enjoy art.

“We wanted people to come to the art show to see beautiful art, mingle with like minded souls and make real life connections,” Blair said. “It was a night surrounded by beauty and love.”

According to Blair, the inspiration behind holding this event was to highlight the talented souls they run across everyday. NP Rock Yoga wanted to provide a space for the community to talk.

“We thought a night of art, community and a little wine was a recipe for a good time,” Blair said.

Jorge Rodas, 57, of Gardiner, heard about the show from his girlfriend who lives in New Paltz and used to be an artist. He said that he particularly enjoyed the variety of artwork the show displayed.

The show featured works of Julia Murray, Mary Leary, Les Castellanos,

THINK

The Kunz Family, Paul Coughlin, Ryan Murray, Patty Tyrol, Kraig with K and Karen Abramson.

Abramson had a unique and fun take on her work. At the show, she had a stand where children and adults could step into her shoes and try what she masters, called Zentangle.

Abramson is a certified Zentangle teacher. She became interested in Zentangle when she was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw a drawing on a pharaoh’s tomb as well as on the tomb walls. She was fascinated to learn that what looked like a complex drawing was actually just a configuration of straight lines.

She was in love with this type of art and wanted to not only learn it, but teach it as well.

According to Abramson, the Zentangle method is a meditative draw-

ing technique that uses repetitive pattern to create a beautiful design. Tangle patterns are simply a combination of five elemental strokes. If you can draw a stick figure, you’re on your way to succeed with Zentangle, Abramson said.

Zentangle simply requires a black pen and paper. Pen is the preferred tool rather than pencil because there is no eraser, just as there is no eraser in life.

“You can only move forward from where you are,” Abramson said. “All that matters is the stroke you are making. The stroke before it can only guide you to where you will go next.”

The evening was the first of its kind for the studio and according to Blair, will certainly not be the last.

“We had such a great turnout and support. We cannot wait to host another night like it,” Blair said.

Visiting students welcome!

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Nude Modeling Exposed A PERSPECTIVE OPPOSITE THAT OF THE ARTISTS’

By Melanie Zerah

Copy Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The vulnerability of an exposed human body when captured in a sketch created by the gentle glide of pencil on paper is a delicate and beautiful expression which cannot only be attested to the artists themselves who forge the piece of art, but also the art themselves. These nude models are the physical art form of tangible beauty.

Nude modeling often receives a false connotation of sexualization because of the exposure of the human body. Rebekah Zink, a third-year public relations major and art minor explained that perspectives from both sides as an artist and model, have shown her that it is not a sexualized situation at all and that a body is simply a body.

“Being exposed is often nerve racking in the beginning for models,” Zink said. “However if the atmosphere is professional, it is a comfortable environment.”

Zink began as an artist drawing nude models until she decided to go into modeling herself two years ago.

“I loved drawing the models and I thought it would be really interesting to be the model. To be

on one side drawing the model and then to be on the other side as the model, I can view the entire experience very objectively,” she said.

A meditation is naturally imposed upon the model, as they must remain still for up to 20 to 30 minutes. Relaxation of the body and a focus on keeping still causes a model to organically occupy their mind. Zink described her modeling sessions as times where she will often “people watch,” taking note of the expressions of artists as they draw. She said that it is fascinating to see the change in expression on an artist’s face as they work. Zink also said that she will drift off into writing poetry in her mind because of the creative environment in which she is placed.

Damon Lundy, a first-year art education major, explained his experience of preoccupation as allowing his thoughts to run wild. He said that he will either think critically about what he has to do for the rest of the day, or if it is a stormy day, he will simply think about the rain falling peacefully outside.

“It is a refreshing experience in a way because I rarely get time in the day to just let my mind do what it wants,” Lundy said. “It goes by surprisingly fast, and I often find myself tired af-

terwards.”

Self-worth found in models as a result of their experience is an important and often overlooked aspect of modeling. Artists pay attention to each curve of the body with equal focus and importance. Each body presented to artists is different, causing an appreciation for what each human body has to offer. Zink said that it is an empowering experience and has helped her self esteem.

“It really changes how you view yourself. I didn’t feel good about myself before doing it and then after even one time, I felt much more positive about my body,” Zink said. “I recommend to anyone who may feel insecure about themselves to give it a try.”

Lundy said that modeling in a talented classroom is extremely interesting as seeing drawings of himself is one of the greatest parts of modeling. It offers a perspective of the his body from the view of a stranger.

“If you are modeling naked in front of 30 people and you have to drop your robe right then and there, you can’t back out,” Zink said. “It is an extremely beautiful and introspective experience. I am a different person because of it.”

Symphony At SUNY THE SUNY NEW PALTZ SYMPHONIC BAND PRESENTS THEIR ANNUAL SPRING CONCERT

By Russell Hartman

A&E Editor | Rhartman@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Tuesday, April 21, the SUNY New Paltz Symphonic Band performed their annual spring concert at Studley Theater as part of the Department of Music’s concert series. The selection of pieces the band played was tasteful, varied and all around wonderful to listen to. SUNY New Paltz Professor Joel Evans conducted the Symphonic Band with the exception of one piece, which was conducted by guest conductor Vic Izzo, a professor at SUNY Ulster.

The concert consisted of six pieces, each by a different composer. “El Relicario (Paso Doble)” by Jose Padilla Sanchez was the first piece of the evening. This piece was a march with a Spanish flair and after the piece Evans explained that this piece was partly chosen due to the concerts timing (the Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo, is in just a few weeks).

The piece is also based on a song that is played when matadors enter into an arena to fight bulls. It was lively and spirited and was a fantastic way to open the concert and get everyone ready for the next hour

of music.

The next piece was “Elegy for a Young American” by Ronald LoPresti. Before the beginning of this piece, Evans explained how this piece was originally written for President John F. Kennedy and that it is now mainly played at ceremonial events in America.

Unlike the previous piece, which had a strong march feel to it, “Elegy” had a much more lyrical style to it and the change in pace was nice since it gave the concert variety.

Following “Elegy,” Evans spoke to the crowd about the next piece: “Sleep” by Eric Whitacre. Whitacre is one of the premier symphonic band and wind band composers of our generation and his pieces are highly praised and performed by many ensembles around the world. As a musician myself, I have played pieces by Whitacre before and they never disappoint. “Sleep,” based on a poem, was no exception, with great lyrical content and instrumentation driving it along it was easily one of my favorite pieces of the night. In certain parts of the song the band even has words to sing. It was a very cool piece.

Following “Sleep,” the band played a piece by Percy Grainger entitled, “Shepherd’s Hey.” Evans described the Australian-born Grainger as the “Beethoven of band music.” “Shepherd’s Hey” was a typical Grainger piece with beautiful melodies and instrumentation throughout. Selection from Symphonic Suite by Clifton Williams was next and was conducted by Professor Vic Izzo from SUNY Ulster.

This piece was the most orchestral piece of the evening, featuring three movements entitled “Intrada,” “Coral” and “March.”

There was then one final piece left to be played: “Gathering of the Ranks at Hebron” by David Holsinger. Holsinger, like Whiteacre, is one of my favorite composers and every one of his pieces that I’ve played or had the pleasure of hearing has been absolutely awesome. His pieces are challenging to play and feature very intricate instrumentation but once it’s rehearsed the end product is amazing. I hadn’t heard this particular Holsinger piece but it didn’t disappoint. Holsinger brilliantly captures a battle scene within the piece and the band played fantastically.

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MUSICIAN OF THE WEEK: John Walsh YEAR: Third Year MAJOR: Creative Writing HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, N.Y.

WHAT’S YOUR INSTRUMENT OF CHOICE? My voice. I can play a bunch of instruments but when I map out a song I tend to think of others who can reach certain timbres that I may strive for but can’t reach without their help. That applies to everything accept my voice. It’s my try fingerprint in my musicality.

WHAT ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH MUSICALLY? My main musical outlet is my band The Micks from back home but I’ve been dabling in a lot of solo ventures and group efforts with friends while up here in New Paltz.

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES? My biggest influences are those that I grew up playing music with. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing musicians from a young age and it’s created a competitive environment that pushes us all to create the best we possibly can.

WHO HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO LATELY? Kendrick’s new album blew me away. Been listening to the honors Phony Ppl for a while now, their new album “Yesterday’s Tomorrow” is something everyone should check out. I’ve also been into this girl Kali Uchis. She’s kinda like the contemporary Columbian Amy Winehouse.

WHAT’S YOUR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE?

I’m working for Rolling Stone this summer. Other than that, when I graduate I’m going back home to really put my strongest effort into creating the greatest music I can, all this stuff that’s bumpin in my head, but up here alone I don’t have the necessary tools to release.

ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MUSICIANS? Listen to everything and never skip a song too fast. Once you’ve heard enough, turn the music off and start making your own.

CHECK OUT JOHN WALSH PERFORMING BY SCANNING THIS CODE WITH ANY SMARTPHONE!

DO

YOU

WANT TO BE...

MUSICIAN OF THE WEEK? Contact Russell Hartman at Rhartman@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

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The Deep End

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THIS WEEK IN

THE DEEP END Tara Grzinic

Major: BFA Printmaking Year: Third Inspriation: Slavic folklore, old photographs/journals/postcards, glitter, kitschy souvenirs, everything that my Nona has ever said. “Most of my work deals with giving physicality to memories. I make pieces inspired by the stories and experiences of people I love. I take these memories out of the abstract realm of our minds and give them tangible qualities in the form of a print. They serve as surviving physical remnants of these memories. I do this as a way of trying to overcome our propensity to forget.�

Photos courtesy of Tara Grzinic | Captioning by Maxwell Reide

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Editorial

Voter Viligance

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CARTOON BY MIKE SHEINKOPF

There has been much talk in the Village Mayoral race about how SUNY New Paltz will play into each candidates vision of the future village. Just this week, we at The New Paltz Oracle received numerous letters to the editor encouraging Oracle readers to vote for a particular candidate, illustrating why students should back a candidate and how each of these candidates backs the students in their own way.

We at The Oracle question the authenticity of candidates’ concern for SUNY New Paltz students and campus community, especially in light of Monday’s debate.

When the question of the “family” definition and village housing came up, each candidate spoke about how the particular populations of renters in the village are being impacted. New Paltz students were clearly being referred to, but no candidate would come out and say the word “students.” It was 20 minutes before a candidate, Sally Rhoads, even recognized the

relationship between village and college housing.

The negative connotation of the word “student” and our role in the community within village government often comes off as humorous, considering 75 percent of village residents are renters. When you consider that there are approximately 6,750 undergraduate students who attend SUNY New Paltz, it can be assumed a vast majority of those renters are students. Not only is the university inside the village, but many students reside within the village.

When speaking about the student community – forever the village’s majority – they speak in terms of money. Only Rhoads cited the concerns of students as concerns of her own and expressed concrete proposals on platforms for a relationship with the university. Every other relationship between the village and the campus seems to be measured in dollar signs.

It was said in the debate that the col-

lege being within the village was more detrimental than positive, because the school doesn’t pay taxes.

It’s easier to create a rhetoric about the student body than to actively attempt to change university PILOT programs at it at the state level. In this situation, SUNY New Paltz can be any state institution, but an institution filled with rowdy 20 somethings who go out on Saturday night and give the police something to protect is seen as a hindrance; regardless of the thousands of dollars we pour into the village economy every year and the seven bars, more than 15 restaurants and multiple small businesses we help keep open.

The candidates’ PILOT problems, being the only SUNY New Paltz related issue addressed thoroughly, really seems to undermine the vast majority of the population of the village in which these people want to be mayor.

But at the end of the day, these people

Thursday, April 23, 2015

are still politicians. They are going to do what gets them elected. They will not care about the vast majority of the village if the vast majority does not vote. While each candidate offers extensive positive changes for the community’s environment, economy and communication between themselves and other members of the board, their platforms will lack focus on student concerns until students voice their power in the vote.

Editorials represent the views of the majority of the editorial board.

Columns, op-eds and letters, excluding editorials, are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The New Paltz Oracle, its staff members, the campus and university or the Town or Village of New Paltz.

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There’s something about New Paltz that’s instantly endearing to whoever strolls through our quaint village streets and shops, or gazes at the wonderful idyllic backdrop we call the Gunks. I’m proud to say that I’ve been fortunate enough to call New Paltz my home for just over twenty years. I’m also proud to say that I support Jason West for Mayor of New Paltz, and here’s why: Jason is an outstanding steward of village finances, keeping taxes low while maintaining essential services. He was even able to lower taxes for village residents in 2014! It was Jason’s forward thinking that saved the village money by daylighting the stream in Peace Park, while at the same time creating a beautiful landscape feature for all to enjoy. Jason was instrumental in getting solar panels installed on village hall, and his ideas for municipal trash collection and curbside composting offer even more ways for the village to save money and reduce our community’s environmental impact.

I support Jason West because he has integrity. He stood alone in voicing concerns about the proposed town/village consolidation, pointing out glaring misrepresentations in the savings projections trumpeted by consolidation advocates. He went right back to work after his salary was suddenly slashed by over 30 percent in retribution for his inquiries. He continued to fulfill his duties and responsibilities as Mayor of New Paltz because he cares about our community, and honors the oath he took when he was sworn into office. Who among us can honestly say they would have done the same?

The same-sex marriages that Jason officiated in 2004 were a bold move and should never be overlooked or diminished because some might choose to lump them into the category of “yesterday’s news.” They are, and always will be, a landmark historic event, one in which we saw one of the youngest mayors ever elected put his livelihood on the line, because he chose to stand up not for himself, but for the benefit of those in our community who had been marginalized and discriminated against for far too long. It was this act of courage that designated the Village of New Paltz a civil rights historic site! This is what I mean when I speak of integrity.

Jason doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk, and I mean that quite literally. He initiated the popular neighborhood walks, where our mayor, along with other village officials and staff, walks the village streets and talks with village residents about issues that affect them. This fosters an environment of partnership and inclusion and allows village residents who may not have the time or the courage to voice their concerns in public forums an opportunity to be heard by bringing the conversation right to their door step.

Jason West has the knowledge, experience, focus and determination to get things done, as he has proven time and time again. His knack for creative problem solving and his vision make him an invaluable asset to our community, one we cannot afford to do without. To speak plainly, West stands head and shoulders above the rest. Make the smart choice on May 5 by re-electing Jason West for Mayor of New Paltz.

Mark Beaumont

Opinion

Op-Eds

The citizens of New Paltz are fortunate enough to have many thoughtful, caring neighbors who contribute their time and energy towards making this village a wonderful place to live. Our mayoral race this year is evidence that we have no shortage of intelligent and earnest individuals working on our behalf. That said, there is only one candidate on the ballot with the requisite background knowledge and proven track record to best serve our community moving forward. That candidate is Jason West.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Jason West for most of the eighteen years that I have called New Paltz my home. Having met so many years ago, my initial impressions of Jason were that he was young and perhaps overly optimistic about the future of our village, state and country. He proved me wrong shortly thereafter, when he made history by extending the right of marriage to all couples, right here in New Paltz. Jason stood with those couples at a time when few elected officials had the common sense and decency to do so. It is not this deed, but the foresight to make good decisions that has been the hallmark of Jason’s tenure as mayor.

It is fitting that a plaque now commemorates this historic occasion at Peace Park. From this location, one can see several of Jason’s accomplishments on full display.

On the DPW roof, a prominent solar array soaks in the sun, supplying green electricity

for the village. A recently daylighted stream babbles through the park, a forgotten relic from our historically rich past. Both of these features stem from the vision, determination and follow-through of Jason West. Jason understands where we have come from, where we are going and who we can be.

We have difficult challenges ahead of us that need immediate attention. Fortunately, Jason West is already working on many of them. Jason has spent countless hours navigating the complex issue of meeting New Paltz’s water needs. This time-sensitive issue requires someone with a thorough understanding of our unique geographic, environmental, and operational considerations, as well as a firm grasp of state law. Jason is the only mayoral candidate with the experience to lead this effort. As always, Jason has many projects underway to lead this village into the future. From reimagining the 32 corridor to examining issues of municipal waste, Jason’s visions portend great things to come. I would urge voters to elect the one candidate whose respect for our past, proven leadership, and vision for the future are not platitudes, but policy. Neighbors, vote for Jason West!

My admiration for Jason West began in 2004, when as a SUNY New Paltz graduate with a BA in Women’s Studies, I got a call letting me know that Mayor West would be performing a host of same-sex marriages right in our own backyard, the Peace Park. I still have the piece of paper that I jotted the details down on, and caught up in the excitement of the moment, I may not have even realized that it was a tangible piece of history in the making. Mayor West’s actions helped to inspire a beautiful domino effect that has led to a growing number of states in America giving people the right to marry the person that they love regardless of their gender. Over the years it’s proven to me that big change can start small, which is a truly reassuring fact in the world we live in.

Jason’s commitment to the environment is another facet of his personality that is very important to me. Rather than just throwing vague buzzwords around, he takes action.

Meaningful changes like the installment of solar panels at Village Hall, the creation of the

Environmental Policy Commission, which led to the village’s plastic bag ban, and the innovation of daylighting the stream at the aforementioned Peace Park all contribute to taking care of the planet on a local level. One can only hope that another beneficial domino effect could end up having a huge positive impact on how we care for the environment. Even before the rest of the world has a chance to run with what we’ve already done in the Village, I’m truly excited about Jason’s ideas for the village’s future. His interest in curbside composting, solar streetlamps and municipal trash and power are positive changes that needn’t be pipe dreams, they are truly within our reach.

One of the things that I truly love about New Paltz is that a vehicle isn’t necessary to get from point A to point B. The availability of reliable public transportation is great, but I’m a person who prefers to walk whenever possible and I treasure the fact that this is viable in New Paltz. If walking is your main mode of transportation, you quickly see how traffic and other

Sincerely, Gian Starr SUNY New Paltz Alum

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The New Paltz Oracle

I have lived in New Paltz for almost four years.

This May, I will have lived in the Village for two. I can speak honestly and say that New Paltz is now my home.

I came to this town pursuing a degree at SUNY, but I have stayed because of the community. Part of what makes SUNY New Paltz special is the opportunity to become part of the community of New Paltz, and to meet and work with passionate community members who care about the well being of this place. Often times, various projects pop up which may not be good for the Village or the broader community – for example – a tax abatement for private-sector housing at Park Point. On issues like these, I have stood firmly with the New Paltz community. Through learning and participating at local public hearings, and discussing issues with various people, no one has stood up for New Paltz and its taxpayers more than Tim Rogers. Additionally, Tim has worked on environmental issues such as speaking against the use of fracked-natural gas, advocated for safer off-campus student housing and stood up when needed for various other New Paltz issues. As a student who cares so deeply for this community, there is no one else I would rather vote for or trust to take on the position of village mayor.

I know from experience that Tim is extremely receptive to student concerns, and has even reached out to members of the student association to work together well before running for mayor. Tim is, and will as mayor, be an open ear to hear student concerns and actually do something about them.

Rebecca Berlin SUNY New Paltz Student

issues can make walking in certain areas of the village difficult, or even dangerous. Muttering about these problems amongst ourselves isn’t the way to get things done. I’m happy to say that Jason West has employed a great method for learning firsthand about streets that may need better lighting or sidewalks. He walks with villagers to view the problems himself in order to assess what needs to be done to improve our quality of life.

Jason understands something that his opponents perhaps have forgotten: the struggle renters face to meet the high cost of living in the Village of New Paltz. This is an issue that’s relevant to so many New Paltz residents, and we are lucky that safe and affordable housing already has our mayor’s attention.

Honest, and approachable, and an agent of positive change, I hope that you will join me in voting for Jason West on May 5.

Abby Chance Village of New Paltz

The New Paltz Oracle

Sports

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The New Paltz Oracle

TOURNEY Men’s volleyball has earmed their second-straight bid to the 2015 NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Tournament.

By Jack O’Brien

Copy Editor | Obrienj2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The SUNY New Paltz Men’s volleyball team defeated No. 6 Nazareth College in the UVC Tournament semifinals before losing to No. 1 Stevens Institute of Technology in the finals.

The hard-fought weekend provided the Hawks with a solid tune-up before the upcoming NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Tournament.

In their first match on Saturday, April 11, the Hawks completed a comeback after falling behind 2-0 to the Golden Flyers, ultimately winning the match by a score of 3-2, (19-25, 23-25, 25-20, 2520, 15-13).

Third-year middle blocker, United Volleyball Conference (UVC) FirstTeamer and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American Christopher Husmann led the Hawks, providing a .476 hitting percentage along with seven blocks. Second-year middle blocker and UVC Second-Teamer Steven Woessner contributed with six kills.

Fourth-year setter John Lutjen, who had nine kills, 26 assists, nine digs and five block assists, cemented the rally with a match-clinching ace.

For Husmann, this is his first AllAmerican selection. This makes him the fifth different player in program history to win AVCA All-American honors and is the third to be selected to the First Team.

Smith has now been named First Team All-American for two-straight years and is just the second player in Hawks’ history to earn All-American honors in multiple years.

Head Coach Radu Petrus spoke highly of his team’s resilience in the face of a two-set deficit against Nazareth.

“We lost the first two sets and thank goodness we didn’t lose the third set,” Petrus said. “We just changed up our combinations, and just tried to stop their offense.”

Third-year outside hitter Andy Fishman echoed his coach’s sentiments after the match.

TIME

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN WEINSTEIN

“The comeback that we made against Nazareth was a statement that we will never go down without a fight,” Fishman said. “We may have started off slow, but we gathered together as a team and came out with some fire in the third set.”

On Sunday, April 12, the Hawks fell to Stevens 3-1, (23-25, 25-21, 23-25, 24-26). The tight championship match resulted in the host team winning the automatic bid for the NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Tournament. SUNY New Paltz won an at-large bid.

The Hawks had a hitting percentage of .281 and had to play catch-up for most of the match. Third-year co-Captain and AVCA All-American Christian Smith had 12 kills, a .545 hitting percentage, seven digs, a block assist and 31 assists.

First-year outside hitter Anthony Bonilla finished with 11 kills and nine digs, while Fishman recorded 10 kills and five digs.

“Our service was off that day, and their defense was better than ours,” Petrus said. “But we still have room for improvement, and if our service game gets

Thursday, April 23, 2015

better then it will give us a chance to beat them.”

The Hawks currently sit at 26-5 and will play No. 5 Kean University in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Tournament. That match will be played on Friday, April 24, at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.

“We have had two weeks to prepare for the NCAA, and we have been really focused on our serving, as well as our blocking and defense,” Smith said.

“The serve is what has driven us so far this year and we need to execute from the line in order to be successful in this tournament” The last time the Hawks played Kean was at home in New Paltz on March 4, when they defeated the then No. 1 team by a score of 3-0.

“There are a lot of great teams at the upcoming NCAA Tournament and we are working to be the best of them all,” Fishman said. “We have not played our best yet.”

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Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

Softball Makes Playoff Push

By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The softball team faced a pair of State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) opponents as they played doubleheaders against Buffalo State on Friday, April 17 and then SUNY Fredonia the next day.

The Hawks lost both games against Buffalo State.

In the first game, the Hawks lost by a score of 8-0. First-year outfielder Danielle Bruno got the lone hit for the Hawks in the matchup. The Hawks committed five errors and the Bengals took advantage, as they scored four unearned runs.

The Hawks lost the second game by a score of 4-3. They were ahead, 3-1, in the third inning before the Bengals scored three runs and took the lead in the fourth inning. Hawks fourth-year outfielder Juliette Verso and second-year co-Captain Kiersten Carlomagno notched two hits and also knocked in a run.

Fourth-year co-Captain Meg Brewer and third-year outfielder Fallon Spriggs also contributed an RBI each for the Hawks.

All four runs were charged to Hawks fourth-year pitcher Erika Traina whose record now stands at 3-2. Second-year pitcher Taylor Corwin pitched two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, surrendering just three hits and striking out two batters.

The Hawks lost their first game against SUNY Fredonia on Saturday, April 18 by a score of 4-2.

Third-year third baseman Nicole DeCosta was the lone Hawk with a multi-hit game, as she went 2-for-3 on the day.

First-year first baseman and pitcher Lauren Cappello and third-year co-Captain Jordan Fiore knocked in the Hawks’ two runs.

Brewer recorded just one out and let up three runs to the Blue Devils in the first inning. After the outing, Brewer’s ERA increased from 2.55 to 3.71. Thirdyear pitcher Katie Rutcofsky pitched five and two-thirds innings in relief, allowing just one run while striking out three.

Later that day, the Hawks concluded their weekend with a 13-6 victory against the Blue Devils. The win bumped the

team’s record up to 14-11 and 6-4 in conference play. The Hawks tallied 22 hits in the game.

Four Hawks recorded four hits in the game — Spriggs, Brewer, DeCosta and first-year outfielder Julia Perhacs.

DeCosta and fourth-year co-Captain Shayna Burgess led the team with three RBIs each. Rutcofsky picked up the win in relief and improved her record to 8-3.

Head Coach Brittany Robinson was very pleased with the way her team played this weekend.

“I believe that we hit extremely well in the last game against Fredonia, and we had some solid pitching performances even in our losses,” she said. “I believe that if we can continue to pitch well enough and our bats stay consistent we will be in good shape heading towards playoffs.”

On Tuesday, April 21, the Hawks won both games in a doubleheader against SUNY Oswego.

Game one saw the Hawks win 4-3 in 10 innings.

In the nightcap, the Hawks won 5-1.

The following day, April 22, the Hawks dropped both games in a doubleheader against SUNY Cortland.

In the first game, the Hawks fell 3-2.

The following game ended in a 5-1 Red Dragons win.

The Hawks currently sit as the sixth seed in the SUNYAC conference. The top six teams in the conference advance to the playoffs. They have a 16-13 overall record and 8-6 conference record.

Burgess said the Hawks would not only like to make the playoffs, but secure as high of a seed in the playoffs as possible.

“In order to reach the playoffs, we must jump on our competition early and often during our games,” Burgess said.

“It is essential for us to win this week and secure playoffs with a good placement. The higher the placement, the better.”

The Hawks will play six games at home to finish their regular season, starting with a doubleheader against SUNY Geneseo on Friday, April 24. Geneseo currently sits in second place among the SUNYAC conference.

Hawks stand in sixth place in the SUNYAC standings.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

PHOTO COURTESY OF ED DILLER PHOTOGRAPHY

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13

Baseball Goes The Distance

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The baseball team has a record of 4-6 in their last ten games played, four of those ending in extra innings.

On Saturday, April 11, the Hawks lost the first game in a three-game road series 7-3 in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game against SUNY Fredonia.

New Paltz cracked 10 hits but managed just three runs and left six runners stranded.

Third-year shortstop and pitcher Andrew DiNardo, fourth-year first baseman and pitcher Shaun Hansen, second-year first baseman and outfielder Anthony Diana and fourth-year coCaptain Richard Guido all notched two hits apiece for the Hawks. DiNardo drove in two runs while Guido accounted for the Hawks’ other RBI. The following day, the Hawks dropped the first game of a doubleheader to the Blue Devils 6-5.

Hansen earned the start and went five frames while allowing two earned runs and striking out five.

Offensively, New Paltz registered eight hits with the top of the order accounting for four base knocks. First-year outfielder and infielder Jake Williams finished 2-for-3 with a run while DiNardo went 2-for-3 as well knocking in two RBI and scored two runs.

Third-year catcher Tyler Bell, fourthyear co-Captain Mike Sparacino, Diana and first-year infielder Anthony Pantano accounted for the additional hits for the Hawks as Diana drove in the Hawks’ other run in game one.

In the second game, the Hawks took the victory 12-10. The Hawks scored their 12 runs on 11 hits.

Williams led the way with a 3-for-5 performance, scoring two runs and driving in another. Bell collected two hits and drove in a game-high four RBIs. Bell hit a basesclearing single in the fourth inning. DiNardo added two more hits and three RBIs. Diana and first-year infielder Chris Amato both added two hits apiece with Amato driving in two runs.

Fourth-year co-Captain Brian Soloman earned the win on the mound throwing eight innings, allowing five earned runs and striking out six. Soloman leads the Hawks pitching staff in strikeouts with 23.

Baseball will finish their season this weekend.

The Hawks began a four-game homestand at Cantine Park in Saugerties on Tuesday, April 14 in a 9-7 nonconference loss against Union College.

The Hawks sprinkled 11 hits on the evening but left 16 runners on base and were plagued by four errors. New Paltz was leading 6-3 entering the sixth inning when the lights at the stadium turned off at 10 p.m., causing a 15-minute delay.

Diana scored a game-high three runs while Hansen drove in two.

Less than 24 hours later, the Hawks lost a 4-3 game in 13 innings against SUNY Oneonta in a SUNYAC matchup.

This was the longest game for New Paltz since Feb. 25, 2006 when the Hawks defeated Maryville College 5-4 in 14 innings in Ashland, Virginia.

Hawks fourth-year pitcher Tyler Mitts earned the starting nod and threw a solid six innings of one-run baseball, scattering five hits and striking out two. For Mitts, this was the longest outing of his career.

On Friday, April 18, the Hawks began a three-game series against SUNY Plattsburgh.

In the first game, the Hawks took the 5-3 victory over the Cardinals.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ED DILLER PHOTOGRAPHY

DiNardo hit two home runs for the Hawks. He finished the contest 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. DiNardo earned the save on the mound as well.

Second-year pitcher Brett Wisner earned his first win of the year as he threw five frames, scattering four hits and striking out two.

The following day, the Hawks split a doubleheader with a 9-8 win in an eight-inning first game. They fell 10-5 in the second game.

In the first game, New Paltz came back from a 8-0 deficit, by scoring eight unanswered runs before producing a walk-off hit in the bottom of the eighth.

Hansen hit a grand-slam for the Hawks in the fifth inning to bring them to an 8-5 deficit. Later that inning, Williams hit a three-run triple to tie the game. Fourth-year co-Captain Richard Guido knocked in Hansen who crossed the plate with the game-winning run.

In continuation of their remaining schedule of only SUNYAC matchups, the Hawks split a doubleheader with SUNY Oneonta on Tuesday, April 21 in Oneonta.

The Hawks fell 2-1 in nine innings dur-

Thursday, April 23, 2015

ing the first game.

With his infield single in the sixth, Williams extended his hitting streak to nine games and has hit safely in 12 of the last 13 games.

In the nightcap, the Hawks took a 4-2 win in 12 innings.

Hansen hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning for the Hawks.

With the game tied at two, Sparacino led off the twelfth inning with a double down the left field line and was brought in to score by Pantano single to right. After Pantano stole second base, third-year catcher and outfielder Taylor Anderson came through with an insurance RBI single to right to give New Paltz the 4-2 victory.

Hansen said all of the extra inning games the team has played speaks volumes about their heart and fight.

“Especially since three out of the four games we’ve had to come from behind to tie the game causing extra innings,” Hansen said.

“We’ve developed more of a ‘never give up’ mentality something that we struggled with in the earlier parts of the season. Our pitchers have stepped up big time in the late innings being able to come in and shut down the opposing team allowing us a chance to keep the game alive.”

With an overall record of 7-19 and 4-11 standing in SUNYAC play, the Hawks will finish their regular season with a three-game conference series against The College at Brockport. The first game of that series will be on Friday, April 24 at 3 p.m. The next day, the Hawks will face the Golden Eagles in a doubleheader beginning at noon.

Head Coach Matt Righter said the Hawks are going to have to hit and execute their little plays.

“All of the little plays take a little bit of extra focus and discipline,” Righter said.

“Those are the things that are going to help us win these tough games coming up this weekend.”

Sparacino said their upcoming series against Brockport is extremely important for the team.

“One point of emphasis we have been placing on our preparation is to not get ahead of ourselves and keep a sense of urgency throughout every inning of all three games,” Sparacino said. “I believe this team is catching its stride at just the right time, and we are heading into this series with the most confidence we have had all year.”

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Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

Lacrosse Looks To Finish Strong

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The lacrosse team has lost four of their last five games.

These losses were against two nationallyranked Div. III teams.

On Saturday, April 11, the Hawks fell 7-5 against No. 17 SUNY Fredonia in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) matchup.

Hawks fourth-year co-Captain Jackie Ulanoff stopped a career-high 22 shots and recorded a .759 save percentage. Ulanoff’s 22 saves are tied for the third most in a single game in program history. She leads the SUNYAC conference in 11.85 saves per game.

Fourth-year attack Kelsey Healy led the Hawks with two goals, while third-year midfielder Alexa Vitale, fourth-year co-Captain Carissa Citro and fourth-year midfielder Lianne Valdivia each scored once. Valdivia helped New Paltz gain possession with five ground balls.

In their next game on Tuesday, April 14, New Paltz dropped a nonconference matchup to

Vassar College 12-8.

The Hawks were able to rally from a 4-0 deficit to start the game and tied the score three times.

Hawks fourth-year defender Julia Johnson and second-year attack Melissa Wagner each netted a pair of goals. Wagner led the team with six shots.

Two days later, the Hawks snapped their five-game losing streak against Mount Saint Mary College in a 23-13 win.

Citro netted career goal number 100, while tying a program-record seven goals in the game.

She became just the fourth New Paltz studentathlete to net at least 100 career goals.

Seven different Hawks found the back of the net in the contest.

Healy tallied six and Valdivia and Johnson each scored three. Fourth-year Jackie Wilkom scored a pair of goals. Fourth-year defender Fatima Ismail and second-year attack Sara Daly each netted their first goals of the season.

Ulanoff made 14 saves in the contest.

The Hawks faced another nationally-ranked

team in No. 4 SUNY Cortland in a SUNYAC matchup on Saturday, April 18 and suffered a 21-4 loss. This concluded the Hawks’ four-game homestand.

All Hawks goals were scored by four fourthyears yet again, Valdivia, Johnson and fellow attackers Jackie Wilkom and Healy.

On Tuesday, April 21, the Hawks took to the road in a SUNYAC matchup against SUNY Oneonta and lost 22-13.

Healy and Citro scored five and four goals, respectively. Citro controlled a game-high nine draws, while Healy scooped up three ground balls. Valdivia contributed with three goals and three assists. Wagner chipped in a goal for New Paltz.

Head Coach Liz Student said this year’s team was a good group, but their conference does not allow them to have an off day.

“Our conference does not allow for small mistakes, because small mistakes lead to goals,” Student said. “We’ve had a few too many mistakes, but we’ve worked hard. The senior class has done a lot for this program in general. They’ve

pushed us to this next step and then we just have to keep on pushing because you can’t be mediocre and do well here.”

Valdivia said losing at home is never easy for the team.

“I feel like we did a poor job of showing how much pride we really do have for our home turf,” Valdivia said. “The effort was there most games, but we just had trouble making the crucial plays down the stretch.”

The Hawks are officially eliminated from playoff contention. They have a record of 3-10 overall with a 1-6 SUNYAC record and will close out their regular season on Saturday, April 25 in a SUNYAC game against The College at Brockport at 1 p.m. on Old Turf Field.

With seven graduating seniors on the roster, Citro echoed Student and said the Hawks are going to play and work to win.

“In order to prepare we need to work on keeping possession of the ball and attacking the goal,” Citro said. “For some of us this is our last lacrosse game ever so we want to leave everything we have on the field.”

Tennis Looks To Bounce Back

By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Saturday, April 18 the tennis team lost on the road to St. Lawrence University by a score of 9-0.

Fourth-year co-Captain Jessica Schmidt nearly won the singles matchup against St. Lawrence fourth-year Samantha Miller at flight four. Schmidt lost by scores of 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 10-7. The Hawks closest victory in the doubles match came at flight three. Secondyear Olivia Ammirati and third-year Laura Tierney lost to the Saints duo of fourth-years Miller and Olivia Arroyo by a score of 8-5.

The loss dropped the Hawks record to 11-7. The victory for the St. Lawrence Saints, who are ranked No. 37 nationally and No. 14 regionally improved their record to 14-3.

Despite the loss, Schmidt believes the team played well against a tough opponent.

“St. Lawrence is a team that is both regionally and nationally ranked so getting to play them is always good for us,” she said.

“We played well against them, even if the final score does not reflect that.”

This was the Hawks first matchup since Friday, April 3 against Ithaca College. After that match, three straight matches were post-

Thursday, April 23, 2015

poned.

“The matches that were cancelled earlier this month were disappointing but I do not think it had a big impact on our play this past weekend,” Schmidt said. “It was unfortunate that we did not get to play Plattsburgh up in Canton because that was one less day of play to prepare before our St. Lawrence match. It was also a long trip for just that one match so it would have been nice to have played two.”

The Hawks next match will take place on Thursday, April 23 at home against Union College at 3:30 p.m. The Hawks were originally scheduled to face Union College on Saturday, April 4 but the game was rescheduled.

The Hawks will then conclude their regular season on Saturday, April 25 by participating in the New Paltz Tournament. The Hawks will get a chance to play doubles matches against many different schools. Fourth-year co-Captain Devin Tracy explained what the team is doing to prepare for the tournament.

“Our team is concentrating on doubles a lot this spring because it is what the match first starts out with and it is important to gain at least two of the three doubles matches,” she said. “This puts less pressure on the singles play because less people have to win.”

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The Road To The Stanley Cup The Oracle’s 2015 NHL Playoff Predictions

We are now over a week into the NHL playoffs and they have been nothing short of exciting. Here’s a recap of the series so far along with predictions with how they will end up. Let’s start off with the Western Conference.

Pacific 1 Anaheim Ducks vs Wild Card 2 Winnipeg Jets (Ducks Win 4-0) This series was closer than the record made it seem. Two of the three games were decided by one goal, and the other was only a two goal game.

The Jets have been holding their own against the “Mighty Ducks,” but in the end the Ducks were just too deep and too skilled of a team for the young Jets to handle. Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler were great in this series for the Ducks. The Ducks have advanced.

- Russell Hartman, A&E editor Pacific 2 Vancouver Canucks vs. Pacific 3 Calgary Flames (Calgary Leads 3-1) As a fan of a team that was on the brink of playoff contention for most of the last month of the season, this playoff series has been nothing less than the most pleasant surprise in years. Spurred on by the speedy efforts of potential Calder winner Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames have become the feisty young team to root for in the Western Conference. After eliminating the Kings from playoff contention on the last day of the season, the Saddledome faithful have seen the most exciting playoff experience from their

team since the days of Iginla and the Stanley Cup appearance in 2004. Assuming all goes to plan, I can’t wait for the next round. - Jack O’Brien, copy edior Central 1 St. Louis Blues vs. Wild Card 1 Minnesota Wild (2-2) The Wild have been running through the NHL since acquiring goaltender Devan Dubnyk a few months ago. Their defense is rock solid led by Ryan Suter and they have great offensive depth led by Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek. The Blues seem to not be able to turn it up during the playoffs, and they are looking like they might be eliminated in the first round again. For the Blues to have any chance this series they need utilize the talent they have and do it fast.

If they don’t it will soon be time for golfing in St. Louis. - Russell Hartman Central 2 Nashville Predators vs Central 3 Chicago Blackhawks (Blackhawks lead 3-1) The Predators were great all season. They had solid goaltending, they were scoring and they looked to be a threat in the postseason. Only problem is that they ran into the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round. The Blackhawks are one of the best postseason teams in the league and they know what it takes to win the Stanley Cup. They’ve won it twice in the past five years. Sorry Preds fans, this series is over.

The Blackhawks will advance.

-Russell Hartman

Metropolitan 1 New York Rangers vs. Wild Card 2 Pittsburgh Penguins (Rangers Lead 3-1) The New York Rangers know they will be judged on how they perform this postseason, and they are doing an awesome job so far. They are only one win away from the conference semi-finals with two games left in New York City. The Penguins will definitely make a push to win the series no doubt, and anything can happen in the playoffs but at this point, it’s the Rangers series to lose. -Russell Hartman Metropolitan 2 Washington Capitals vs.

Metropolitan 3 New York Islanders (Series tied 2-2) With their final season at the Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders are looking to make history on Long Island one last time. With the team on his back, Islanders Captain John Tavares sent the home crowd home happy scoring 15 seconds into overtime to win Game Three. The key for the Islanders is to keep Capitals Captain Alex Ovechkin in check. Ovechkin can shoot the puck from anywhere. As long as the Islanders can keep the forechecking and hustle up, they have a great chance to win the series and advance. Washington’s overtime goal by Nicklas Backstrom in Game Four to tie the series at two games apiece was crucial to the Capitals hopes of advancing alive. Any team going up three games to one is not a good situation for the trailing team. My

prediction is the Islanders will win in six games, if they can take the Capitals home crowd out of the game in Game Five.

- Melissa Kramer, sports editor Atlantic 1 Montreal Canadiens vs. Wild Card 1 Ottawa Senators (Canadiens lead 3-1) The Senators came into the playoffs as the hottest team in hockey. Sports Illustrated named them as one of the five best team’s in their pre-playoff power rankings. However, this series has been marked by the dominant play of the Habs, who have matched the energy and passion of Ottawa with an impressive defensive front. Carey Price and P.K. Subban, superstars in their own right, have not disappointed in the face of a team based on momentum.

While Ottawa might snag a close game here or there, Montreal has their eyes set on another deep run in this year’s playoffs. -Jack O’Brien Atlantic 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Atlantic 3 Detroit Red Wings (Red Wings lead 2-1) This matchup was intriguing from the very start with both teams solid in every area. Both have good defense, good goaltending and have forwards who can score. Although Detroit is up in the series at the moment, it is still anyones series so far. This is the one first round series that has a very very good chance of going all seven games. Since there has to be a prediction, here it is: Lightning in seven.

- Russell Hartman

The Road To The Larry O’Brien Trophy

By Karl Evers-Hillstrom

Copy Editor | N02541514@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The NBA playoffs are finally here. Here’s a short preview of what will happen in the first round, with only two games played within each series to go off of.

1 Golden State Warriors Vs. 8 New Orleans Pelicans (Warriors lead 2­-0) Nothing is stopping the Warriors this year, especially not the mediocre Pelicans. Stephen Curry is the best player in the NBA and the Warrior’s roster is deeper than the Pacific Ocean. Expect Golden State to sweep New Orleans, who just don’t have enough talent outside of Anthony Davis and aren’t organized enough to stand much of a chance.

2 Houston Rockets Vs. 7 Dallas Mavericks (Rockets lead 2­-0) Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made a bold statement recently, saying that the Rockets weren’t a very good team outside of James Harden. He’s already eating his words: the Mavs are down and just lost Rajon Rondo and Chandler Parsons for the

remainder of the series. The Rockets should win this series comfortably, unless the brilliant Rick Carlisle can make miracle changes fast.

3 Los Angeles Clippers Vs. 6 San Antonio Spurs (Series tied 1-1) As usual, the Spurs have come into the playoffs on fire, winning nine of their last 10 games.

The games so far have been extremely close. These teams are so evenly matched. This is the only series that is impossible for me to call. The Clippers have all the talent in the world, but the Spurs’ strategy and experience can never be doubted. This series could go either way; I expect it to go seven games.

4 Portland Trailblazers Vs. 5 Memphis Grizzlies (Memphis leads 2-0) It’s a shame one of these two incredible teams will be eliminated in the first round. The Grizzlies seem to be a bad matchup for the Blazers, as Memphis swept Portland in the regular season. It doesn’t help that Wesley Matthews is out and so is his replacement Arron Afflalo. The Grizzlies exterted their dominance through the first two games, beating the Blazers down with their powerful defense.

The Grizzlies look poised to take this series, but the Blazers will put up a fight and take a few games at home, where they seem to gain superpowers.

1 Atlanta Hawks Vs. 8 Brooklyn Nets (Atlanta leads 2-0) I’m still not sure how the Nets made the playoffs with a 38-­44 record, but it doesn’t really matter because the Hawks are going to make them their prey. Atlanta played terribly in the first game and still managed to win, which can’t be a good sign for Brooklyn. Game 2 was more of the same.

Atlanta shouldn’t be worried about the Nets, but they do need to fix some of their current problems if they want to fare well against their next opponent.

2 Cleveland Cavaliers Vs. 7 Boston Celtics (Cavaliers lead 2-­0) I was surprised to see the Celtics in the playoffs as well, but whatever, they’re going to get swept. This isn’t 2009; LeBron’s Cavaliers are completely loaded and have no reason to drop a game to a team with so little experience and depth.

3 Chicago Bulls Vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Thursday, April 23, 2015

(Bulls lead 2­-0) Game 2 between the Bulls and Bucks was ugly, with skirmishes erupting and poor shooting plaguing both teams. Don’t expect the Bucks to give the Bulls much of a challenge. Right now the Bulls are better than the Bucks in every single category. The young and inexperienced Bucks might be better in a couple years, but at this moment they are going to get thrashed. This is one of the more lopsided 6 vs. 3 seed matchups I’ve seen in a while.

4 Toronto Raptors Vs. 5 Washington Wizards (Wizards lead 2-­0) Toronto somehow managed to blow the first two games of the series at home, giving the Wizards complete control of the series. The Wizards have completely outrebounded the Raptors and John Wall is dominating Kyle Lowry. This has so far been a worst case scenario for the Raptors, they should not be down 2­-0 right now with how evenly matched both teams are. I’m confident the Raptors will regain their form during the series, but it likely won’t be enough with the Wizards already in such an advantageous position.

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