The New Paltz Oracle

NEW PALTZ ORACLE THE

Volume 87, Issue XIII

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Thursday, February 5, 2015

SNOW DAYS Winter Storm Juno Spares Region

STORY ON PAGE 4

OUT THE DOOR

SCHOOL FUND Bond Proposal Vote Postponed

STORY ON PAGE 5

IN FOUR

PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY USER BPHOTOART

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR USER BENSON KUA

SUNY Chancellor To Institute Four-Year Graduation Guarantee

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

STORY ON PAGE 3, EDITORIAL ON PAGE 9

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE

• Blizzard Bust Closes New Paltz Campus.......................Pg 4 • Zimet Accepts Director Position At Advocacy Group...............Pg 6 • Professor Of Chemistry Receives Grant......................Pg 5 • Senate Hosts First Spring 2015 Meeting...................Pg 7

Abbott Brant EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kristen Warfield MANAGING EDITOR

NEW PALTZ ORACLE THE

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Anthony DeRosa NEWS EDITOR

Jennifer Newman FEATURES EDITOR

Russell Hartman

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Melissa Kramer SPORTS EDITOR

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Maxwell Reide Lizzie Nimetz

Theresa Mattia PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS

Mike Sheinkopf CARTOONIST

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Nate Sheidlower Sam Manzella Karl Evers-Hillstrom Melanie Zerah Amya Pinka Michael Rosen Amanda Copkov

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STAFF April Castillo, Nick Fodera, Sally Moran, Eileen Liebler, Jahna Romano, Kaycia Sailsman, Dana Schmerzler, Shelby Seip, Kelly Seiz, Jack Sommer, Ryan Walz, Sage Higgins

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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.

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Volume 86 Issue XIII NEWS

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THE DEEP END EDITORIAL

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COLUMN & OP-ED MELANIE ZERAH

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Incident: Criminal Mischief Date: 1/31/15 Location: Old Main Circle PO observed suspect intentially break gate. Suspect issued appearence ticket for New Paltz Town Court.

Incident: Drugs Date: 2/2/15 Location: Bouton Hall Responded to a report for an odor of marijuana. Origin of odor appeared to be dorm room. No marijuana found.

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

Five-Day Forecast Thursday, Feb. 5

AM Snow Showers/Wind High: 26 Low: -7

Friday, Feb. 6

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SUNY Program Promises Four-Year Graduation Guarantee PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNY.EDU

By Kristen Warfield

Managing Editor | Warfielk1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

At the 2015 State of the University Address last month, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher announced plans to implement a statewide program that guarantees incoming first-year students complete their undergraduate degrees on time.

The proposed four-year graduation guarantee, “Finish in Four,” situates incoming first-year students with a trained adviser who monitors their progress in classes, helps them schedule courses each semester and keeps them on track with required credits for their major. The end goal is to ensure that students stay on track with their work and ultimately graduate with their degree in four years time.

According to Zimpher, three SUNY schools currently provide a program of this design: Buffalo’s “Finish in Four,” Oswego’s “Oswego Guarantee” and Fredonia’s “Fredonia in Four” — but said she would like to offer it at all 64 SUNY campuses statewide.

“This is the kind of program we need to take to scale,” Zimpher said. “Starting today, we will work to ensure that Finish in Four programs are available to all students, system wide. We want to take best practices from campuses across the system to the broadest possible scale, but it will require better, smarter investment from the state and philanthropic partners and continued relationships with our local businesses and industry partners.”

Finish in Four programs are voluntary for incoming first-year students to pledge into and are available at no extra cost, but do come with set expectations, according to advising.buffalo.edu. Students who pledge are expected to keep up their grades, be a full-time student, attend monthly advising meetings and remain in contact with their adviser throughout their duration in the program, which includes contacting them if they encounter any academic concerns.

In all three of the existing programs, if a pledged student is unable to get into a course that is required for their degree, their college will pay for the course to be taken when it is available, free of tuition costs or fees, Zimpher said.

“The deal is, students, if the course you need isn’t ready when you are, that’s on us — SUNY picks up the tab,” Zimpher said.

Finish in Four was implemented in 2012

by SUNY Buffalo and has since increased the college’s first to second-year retention

rate to 88 percent compared to the national public four-year average of 74 percent, according to buffalo.edu. Fredonia’s similar program, Fredonia in Four, was launched in 1998 and currently garners an 81 percent retention rate in first-years.

According to fredonia.edu, Fredonia’s four-year program plan requires that incoming freshman declare their major at the time of their admission or by the end of their first year if they decide to pursue a liberal arts degree. In turn, should a student change their major, the four-year guarantee may not be applicable.

Fourth-year English and creative writing major, Jericho King said he believes the program has the potential to help a lot of students at SUNY New Paltz, but could also hinder the explorative experience of a student finding the right major due to the pressure of picking one on schedule.

“People need exploration to figure out what their major may be and sometimes that may not be within the parameters of the schedule that is created for them,” King said. “[Finish in Four] will be conducive to people

who are good with structure and know what they want to do, but for the people who are not as structured, they will not be as apt to pledge to it.”

In addition to the statewide Finish in Four initiative, Zimpher also discussed a goal focused toward preparing high school students for college admissions processes.

To enhance the advisement provided to high school students pursuing college, Zimpher said she aims to place a SUNY college adviser in every school district in the state that can then partner with guidance counselors to provide the information that students need to “set goals, explore options and make plans” toward their college careers.

“We know that guidance counselors are stretched thin, in some cases just one counselor for 500, 600 or 700 students,” Zimpher said. “We know that many school districts don’t have the resources to target college advisement to every student.”

In addition to providing early advisement, Zimpher said she also wants to provide a user-friendly online course that teaches high school upperclassmen and their fami-

Thursday, February 5, 2015

lies about the many processes required by college admissions.

“This introductory course will be specifically designed to help students complete college admission requirements, build career skills, seek grants and scholarships and understand financing,” Zimpher said. “[It] will be the first of its kind anywhere because it speaks to every aspect of college readiness.”

Looking forward, SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian said that administration is eager to learn more as to how they could implement Zimpher’s prospective plans here on the New Paltz campus.

“Many of the goals addressed by the proposals Chancellor Zimpher spoke about in her State of the University Address align well with challenges New Paltz identified in our strategic plan as well as the many issues in higher education that I write frequently about in my monthly reports to the campus community,” Christian said in a statement to The Oracle. “We are excited to learn more in the coming weeks as presidents meet with the chancellor and hear more details about these proposals.”

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NEWS BRIEFS WORLD

News

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Snow Scare Causes Class Cancellations

JORDAN SAYS IT CAN BE DEFEATED; UPROAR OVER BURN VIDEO Jordan called Wednesday for a decisive battle against the Islamic State group, declaring “this evil can and should be defeated,” after the militants burned a Jordanian pilot to death in a cage and gleefully broadcast the horrific images on outdoor screens in their stronghold.

In mosques, streets and coffee shops, Muslims denounced the militants’ brutality and distanced themselves from their violent version of Islam.

DEATH TOLL HITS 31 IN TAIWAN PLANE CRASH, WITH 12 MISSING Rescuers were searching for 12 people Thursday morning after using a crane to hoist the fuselage of a wrecked TransAsia Airways plane from a shallow river in Taiwan’s capital following a crash that killed at least 31 others. Flight 235 with 58 people aboard banked sharply on its side Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Taipei.

ROCKET FIRE KILLS AT LEAST 5 NEAR HOSPITAL IN DONETSK Rocket salvoes hit a previously safe section of Ukraine’s rebel stronghold of Donetsk on Wednesday, killing at least five people and damaging a hospital, and five kindergartens, rebels said. The fighting between Russiabacked separatists and government troops escalated sharply in January with more than 220 civilians killed.

REPORTER STRUGGLED TO LEAVE JAILED COLLEAGUES For more than a year, the three jailed Al-Jazeera journalists did their best to prepare for the unsettling possibility that one of them would be released from the Egyptian prison, while the others were forced to stay. But when that day actually came, journalist Peter Greste struggled to leave behind the men who had become his brothers.

Compiled from the AP Newswire

Inclement weather has resulted in multiple class cancellations at SUNY New Paltz.

By Sam Manzella

Copy Editor | Manzells1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Winter Storm Juno slammed coastal areas of the northeast region early last week, resulting in significant snow buildup, hazardous blizzard conditions and widespread winter storm warnings. Snow accumulation in Maine, Rhode Island and Massachusetts ranged from 19.1 to 34.5 inches, breaking multiple precipitation records, according to theweatherchannel.com.

Prior to its onset, Juno gained massive attention across the northeast and New England regions. Predictions for Juno’s effects from The Weather Channel labelled the storm potentially “historic … [a term] meteorologists reserve for weather events of exceptional strength or magnitude.” Warnings from major news sources called for individuals in at-risk areas to perform blizzard safety protocols and prepare for hazardous conditions.

The Village of New Paltz was among the list of local regions advised to prepare for winter storm conditions; on Monday night, theweatherchannel.com anticipated at least a foot of snow in the area, with the majority of snowfall occurring Monday evening into Tuesday afternoon. At 12:10 p.m. last Monday, students, faculty and administrators received a campuswide NPALERT stating that classes after 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26 and all classes on Tuesday, Jan. 27 had been canceled due to inclement

weather.

Predictions for Juno’s impact brought back memories of winter storms and dangerous weather events regionally in previous years.

Life-long New Paltz resident Debbie Nemerofsky spoke on how dramatic winter weather had affected her in the past.

“I remember there was a night when I was sick [and working in town] and I couldn’t get home,” Nemerofsky said. “You know, in town, there’s nowhere to park, and if there’s more than two inches of snow [on the ground], they’re going to tow your car. Even if you have a spot to park, you can’t get into it. Driving and getting to work is hazardous, if you can get there. If you live in the village, they expect you to walk [to work]. And if you’re in the service industry, not many people are out, and some of the smaller businesses close. So it really has a huge financial impact for people working in the village.”

However, snow accumulation in New Paltz fell short of meteorologists’ predictions for Juno. According to The Weather Channel’s archives, New Paltz received a total of .06 inches of precipitation in the 96 hour span from Sunday, Jan. 25 to Wednesday, Jan. 28.

Despite this discrepancy, first-year student Juliet Wilde ten Broeke said she agreed with the school administrators’ decision to cancel classes.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

PHOTO BY THERESA MATTIOSCHO

“I heard a lot of people complaining about the lack of snow, and how it was ‘stupid’ to close school, but if the storm had not veered off its path, we could have been involved in something dangerous,” ten Broeke said. “I don’t understand how people can blame the school or weather men, because weather is absolutely unpredictable. So yes, the school made the right decision with what we were given as a forecast.”

Although Juno was “downgraded to a dusting,” third-year accounting major Rachel Schiff also agreed with the decision.

“We weren’t sure about how serious the storm would have been,” Schiff said. “After all, New York was in a state of emergency, and most roadways were getting closed down after 11 p.m. However, I think it would have been better if we had kept classes open for the afternoon once the storm was downgraded.”

Schiff said that the storm greatly affected her plans.

“I was supposed to go to a concert Tuesday night in the city, but the impending storm made the bands cancel the date, and I had to get a refund on my bus and concert tickets,” she said.

However, Schiff said she made the most of the situation. When describing her snow day itinerary, she said, “I mainly stayed in bed, watched Netflix and did homework that was pre-assigned by professors for the storm.”

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News

“Capitol Project” Bond Vote Rescheduled Amidst Controversy

By Nathaniel Sheidlower

Copy Editor | Sheidlon1@hawkmaiil.newpaltz.edu

The New Paltz Central School District’s Board of Education has rescheduled the “Capitol Project” bond vote, which was set to be held Tuesday, Jan. 27, after it was cancelled because of the winter storm.

The board voted during a special meeting the night of Wednesday Jan. 28 to have the new Capitol Project vote on Tuesday, March 24, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at New Paltz High School at 130 S. Putt Corners Road.

The bond proposal itself is the same $52.9 million plan that the voters rejected last October.

The bond money would be divided into multiple renovation projects aimed to improve the educational environment of the students, according to Board of Education Vice President Ruth Quinn.

“We looked for a solution that would satisfy the needs of all the students, the taxpayers and the town,” Quinn said.

Once fully paid back — with interest — the bond will amount to $72.6 million. Part of this would be paid with state aid, part with

reserves and the majority with a tax levy that would increase the current levy by one percent.

This bond proposal is one of four that were considered by the board during initial deliberation prior to the October vote. According to literature on the board’s webpage, the bond is cheaper than the other three, all of which involved the consolidation of school buildings as opposed to renovating each building individually.

The October bond vote was rejected by a margin of only 150 votes, just less than six percent of votes cast.

Quinn cited three reasons for why the proposal was not changed: the school buildings still have issues that need repair, the cost of the various projects will rise if their start is delayed and because — it is believed — some votes against the project were due to voter misunderstanding of the plan due to a lack of information.

An anonymous letter received by many community members, dated Oct. 22, 2014, presented information about the bond and its impacts on the community both physically and financially, some of which critics allege were

inaccurate. Much of the community feedback surrounding the October vote noted this letter as a reason why some voted against the bond.

A second, similar document was sent out to the community again prior to the scheduled date of the January vote.

School board member Tim Rogers said the author(s) of the letter confused the state aid rate with the school district’s borrowing cost estimate which “is greater than current borrowing costs and was used to offer a buffer while projecting the tax impact for the community because bonds will not be secured until after the segments of the plan they’re financing are completed.”

Rogers said this may have resulted in miscalculations but is hopeful voters will approve of the bond proposal come March 24.

The second letter’s author(s) also made direct criticism of the proposal.

“This plan is still a bad plan,” the January letter reads. “Significant infrastructure repairs will be left undone, thereby assuring an additional bond vote in a few short years. Merely repairing aging infrastructure will not give our children and teachers the healthy and modern learning environment they deserve.”

Grant Winning Professor Discusses Latest Project

By Melanie Zerah

Copy Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Frantz Folmer-Andersen has received a $17,500 grant from Trixogenesis, LLC, for his project titled, “Investigations of Active Components of Drimia Maritima.” In addition to the project grant, Folmer-Andersen is currently working on other chemistry-based academic projects.

Folmer-Andersen’s current project is focused on molecular recognition, which involves the synthesis of new “host” molecules that are complimentary in shape to other “guest” molecules. Due to their molecular shapes, the host molecules are capable of binding to guest molecules in preference to other molecules that may be present in a sample and this property can be useful in the creation of new sensors or catalysts that have practical applications.

According to Folmer-Andersen, these applications include improving the efficiency of the production of pharmaceuticals and the detection of environmental pollutants.

“A large amount of the effort that goes into synthesizing many drugs is not actually

in connecting the atoms, but rather in obtaining the drug molecule in the absence of its own mirror image; because the two mirror image forms can have identical physical properties but very different biological properties,” Folmer-Andersen said. “One isomer could be therapeutic, the other could be toxic.”

The project is something of an extension of Folmer-Andersen’s Ph.D. studies. FolmerAndersen said the project used sensors that would change color visually in the pretense of a left-handed or right-handed molecule. In this project, Folmer-Andersen was using very straightforward, simple substances to begin focus on getting larger color changes. According to Folmer-Andersen, his current efforts are more involved in terms of the synthesis of the molecule and trying to find molecules that have a high tendency to bond to the mirror image form of the other.

“A good analogy would be a hand that fits well into the right hand glove and fits poorly into the left hand glove,” Folmer-Andersen said. “We’re really trying to maximize that difference.”

According to Folmer-Andersen, many undergraduate students are involved in the re-

search and trained throughout the process. After having taken a semester of organic chemistry, usually one or two students a year begin working in Folmer-Andersen’s lab and for the most part, work on the synthesis of the molecules through classical synthetic techniques.

“A student’s experience doing independent research is typically very different from that of the standard laboratory coursework,” Folmer-Andersen said. “In the lab courses, student do experiments that are designed to work and help students hone their skills but the actual process of doing research is often something of an emotional roller coaster.

Many research experiments fail the first time they are attempted, and students are then confronted with what to do next; they get an opportunity to look into the literature independently to find ways to solve their problems.”

Folmer-Andersen said that he and his students have created several new host molecules in recent years and have published their work in several international chemistry journals. His students also regularly present their work at American Chemical Society conferences, including a national meeting in San Diego in 2012.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

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NEWS BRIEFS NATIONAL

DRIVER’S BEHAVIOR UNDER SCRUTINY IN DEADLY CRASH Federal investigators looking into a fiery commuter train wreck that killed six people zeroed in Wednesday on what they called the big question on everyone’s mind: Why was the driver of an SUV stopped on the tracks, between the lowered crossing gates?

DISNEYLAND MEASLES OUTBREAK ISN’T LARGEST IN RECENT MEMORY The largest U.S. measles outbreak in recent history isn’t the one that started in December at Disneyland.

It happened months earlier in Ohio’s Amish country, where 383 people fell ill after unvaccinated Amish missionaries traveled to the Philippines and returned with the virus.

NO FAST OR SLOW LANES FOR INTERNET? NEW RULES PROPOSED

Declaring the Internet critical for the nation, a top U.S. regulator on Wednesday proposed an unprecedented expansion of federal power to ensure providers don’t block or slow web traffic for America’s countless users. The proposal by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler was a victory for advocates of “net neutrality.”

AMID ‘MOCKINGBIRD’ SEQUEL BUZZ, WORRIES ABOUT LEE’S WISHES Hometown friends and fans of “To Kill A Mockingbird” author Harper Lee are struggling to reconcile a publisher’s sensational announcement - that her decades-old manuscript for a sequel had been rediscovered and will be released - with the image of the elderly writer at her sister’s recent funeral.

Compiled from the AP Newswire

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Zimet Accepts Additional Job With Advocacy Group

By Anthony DeRosa

News Editor | N02385288@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

New Paltz Town Supervisor Susan Zimet has accepted a new job as the executive director of the Albany-based Hunger Action Network of New York State (HANNY), but will not be stepping down as supervisor despite public outcry from some demanding she do so, following an insensitive comment Zimet made at a town board meeting on Jan. 15.

The Hunger Action Network is a statewide membership organization of emergency food providers, advocates, faith groups and low-income New Yorkers whose goal is to end hunger and its root causes — including poverty — in New York, according to a press release.

Zimet said she was first introduced to the organization seven years ago through New Paltz activist Michelle Riddell while working on a project to protect overseas soldiers from harmful exposure to depleted uranium during her time as

an Ulster County legislator before her current term as town supervisor.

“It was on that phone call that Michelle first said ‘they need you!’ Michelle then proceeded to talk to me about the growing hunger crisis — an issue that was already of great concern to me — constantly saying that the cause needed me,” Zimet said. “Now, years later, the longstanding Executive Director of HANNY, Mark Dunlea, wanted to move on to work on climate change. And so the search for a new executive director began. I was called and asked to apply.

I went through a process of interviews along with others and was offered the position.”

Zimet said she has been working sporadically with HANNY the past few weeks but only officially started last week. She said she is not worried about having difficulty balancing the responsibilities of both this job and the town supervisor position simultaneously; in fact, she said, there is the potential for

beneficial overlap.

“Interestingly, the HANNY job has already opened doors for the town.

Through this job I have access to very high-level state commissioners. In a recent meeting with the Governor’s Budget Director on budget issues relative to HANNY’s, we had conversations that impact the town. I brought up the need for Industrial Development Agency (IDA) reform and learned about plans in the works for just that,” Zimet said. “I was able to lend my strong support for the areas that would make a major difference on the impact of IDAs in the town.”

Zimet said that the need to travel to Albany for the new job will vary depending on the time of year and that any absence from New Paltz will not affect nor create additional work for town hall staff members.

“Right now is a critical time while the Legislature is in session and the state budget is being worked on. Advocating [as part of HANNY] to make sure that

the budget allocates resources to address the issue of hunger adequately is of top priority,” Zimet said.

Zimet said taking the job will be “a good move for me,” allowing her to distance herself from the “negative noise overtaking civility” that has developed during her time as town supervisor.

However, others have chastised Zimet taking on the new role.

Butch Dener, long-time political opponent of Zimet, said, “She can’t serve two masters — she’s barely able to do the job now, and what she’s done has been bad.”

Zimet rebutted.

“The same people who criticize me [for my words and actions] are the same ones who criticize me day, noon and night. Their attacks are personal, not political. This has been going on for as long as I’ve been supervisor,” she said. “You hear much of the negative appeals, but there are just as many who have come to me in support as well.”

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PHOTO BY LIIZZIE NIMETZ

Senate Outlines Spring Semester Goals

By Melanie Zerah

Copy Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The 59th Student Senate met for its first official meeting of the spring 2015 semester on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The meeting began with new rules to be implemented at weekly meetings for smoother flow and greater progress, going over rules of making motions, order of businesses and quorum, the minimum number of members to be present for a meeting were included.

“Anyone who works here should have self-determination,” said Student Association (SA) Executive Vice President Jesse Ginsberg. “There needs to be greater emphasis on campus with organizing students to advocate for what they want.”

In order to begin strongly and focused, each senator was allowed to individually voice their goals for this coming semester.

These issues which many senators wish to address this semester include dining plans, creating a better social climate in the college, enhancing student relations with senate, increasing action concerning envi-

ronmental issues, rape and sexual assault policies, drug policies and most prominently, enhancing transparency of senate activities to students and administration.

“It would be really great to see New Paltz on a local level legalize industrial hemp to move away from petroleum plastics,” Sen. Brienna Parsons said.

The senate report brought discussion to the topic of the women’s studies department downsizing for the salary of new professors which is cutting down the amount of adjunct professors.

“The amount of money that’s being put towards one professor is being taken away from others,” Sen. Zach Grossman said. “If class sizes don’t get bigger, you are losing the content of the major.”

Senate then moved to elections for Interim Judicial Board Seat, RHSA Liaison, Research Board, University Police Department Committee, Constitutional Rules Committee and Sustainability Committee.

Following elections, SA Vice President of Academic Affairs and Governance

Jordan Taylor expressed his concerns of election guidelines. In the past senate has experienced what was described as “ugly” campaigns where actions such as voter intimidation and vandalism on other candidates’ flyers were taken by some candidates running last spring. According to Taylor, anyone who is found responsible for taking actions such as these are immediately taken off the race. Senators then began to make suggestions for the most fair race possible to take place this year.

“Stipulate a certain amount of money in the print shop, therefore no one would be at a disadvantage if everyone had the same amount of money,” Sen. Paul Brown said.

Senators mainly discussed the issue of money in campaigns. Some students having the advantage of spending money on separate campaign promotions such as apparel may be unfair to students who do not have these resources and question of the possibility of money spending regulations for candidates was discussed. Sen. Adriana Dulmage said that social media,

Thursday, February 5, 2015

however, should never be regulated as all students have access to school computers where they can create Facebook or Twitter accounts to promote themselves for senate.

An article from The Huffington Post which named SUNY New Paltz No. 1 for most drug-related on campus arrests then sparked conversation.

“We are having students being brought to these hearings for minuscule drugs,” Parsons said. “We are students with voices, minds and mistakes.”

According to Taylor, Ray Schwartz, former associate vice president at SUNY New Paltz, said that he would not change the drug policy as long as he was in office.

Taylor then brought up that Linda Eaton is the new associate vice president at SUNY New Paltz, therefore, students should strive to make changes by being active in the issue.

“The fact that it is easier for a student to get kicked out of this school for marijuana use than it is for a student to get expelled for rape is ridiculous,” Dulmage said.

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MechanicaL Masterpieces Story on page 6B

PHOTO BY STEVE GERBERICH

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FEATURES Rabbit Season, Duck Season, Flu Season

flu vaccine proves ineffective in outbreak

New Paltz deals with flu outbreak.

By Amanda Copkov Copy Editor | Copkova1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Did you get your flu shot this year?

A recent study performed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that this year’s flu vaccination only delivered about 23 to 25 percent in vaccination effectiveness (VE).

Stated in a press release from the CDC, one factor that determines how well a flu vaccine works is the similarity between the flu viruses used in vaccine production and the flu viruses that are actually circulating — which was this flu season’s biggest problem.

The CDC considers this flu season to be a “moderately severe season,” but as for SUNY New Paltz students, “it hasn’t been too bad — knock on wood,” said Dr. Richard Ordway, M.D. and Director of Student Health Services on campus.

Ordway said that the big issues this year were that the mutation of the influenza A, H3N2, wasn’t a fit with the vaccine and that this strain of the flu was giving worse illnesses than that of other flu types.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF US ARMY CORPS AND FLICKR USER ITSV

Ordway said he is vaccinated and suggests that students be vaccinated each year.

“Do I believe in it enough to be vaccinated? Yes,” he said. “It really does help.”

Over the summer, the CDC picks strains that they think are going to be around, produces the vaccine and hopes they are right, according to Ordway.

“Unfortunately, once they make the wrong decision they really can’t reverse things and get a new vaccine done quick enough based on the new strains,” he said.

This is the key factor as to why nearly 75 percent of those vaccinated were still affected by the mutated version of the H3N2 strain of the virus.

Fourth-year sociology major Andy Lawson and fourth-year photography major Casey Robertson were both affected by this year’s strain, just in time to ring in the new year.

Both complained of fever, nausea and body aches. However, Lawson felt sick for about a week and a half, while Robertson was bed-ridden for about five to six days.

“The second and third days of hav-

ing the flu were the worst,” Robertson said. “[The flu] is an ever-evolving virus and a vaccine can only do so much. Everyone’s reaction is different, and there’s not much to do if it’s a sickness that is constantly changing all the time.”

Lawson said that he was vaccinated this year, as he is every year, and this was the first time he has been sick since he was in middle school.

While sick in his hometown of Warwick, New York, Lawson was prescribed Tamiflu — an antiviral medication that the H3N2 strain is particularly sensitive to, according to Ordway.

Because this season’s vaccine offers reduced protection against the virus, it underscores the need for extra precaution, according to a report published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Ordway suggests that people sick with the flu should try their best to limit their contact with people for at least five days, for that is how long victims of the flu remain contagious, whether or not they start to feel better.

“The biggest reasons [students in col-

Thursday, February 5, 2015

lege are so prone to getting the flu] are because they have class every day, they live in dorms or they’re in close living arrangements off campus, and if somebody gets it, their neighbor might pass it on to somebody else,” Ordway said. “It’s not inherent in the age group, it’s just the circumstances of living around a lot of other people.”

So far this year the SUNY New Paltz Student Health Center has given out 800 vaccinations, according to Ordway, and there are currently 42 vaccinations left at the center.

“It’s been a bad season just because it’s something that the flu vaccine isn’t protecting people against,” Ordway said. “Usually with the flu, we figure that there are two seasons: one as you’re going into the winter in December and extends into January, and one when you’re coming out of winter which is in the beginning of March. It’s still worthwhile getting flu shots if people desire them.”

For more information on the flu, anyone can visit the Student Health Center’s website at Newpaltz.edu/healthcenter under the Resource tab and Flu Information.

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An Insightful Journey To Jerusalem GRAD STUDENTS EARN A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON CRISIS

By Nathaniel Sheidlower Copy Editor | Sheidlon1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Three days of exchanging ideas and learning about a foreign culture was the perfect end to an exciting and activity packed trip to the State of Israel.

Every January since 2009, James Halpern, psychology professor and director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz, has journeyed to Beer Sheva, Isreal to teach a course on crisis counseling at Ben Gurion University.

But this year was special.

This year, Halpern brought along seven New Paltz graduate students for the weeklong trip from Jan. 2-9. They spent three days touring the country and speaking with leaders and social workers about life in an area of the world where crisis and emergency are a daily occurrence.

Day one was spent in Jerusalem, visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, the old city, the Church of the Holy Sephulchre and the Wailing Wall.

The second day was full of fun as students climbed Mount Masada, ventured to the Dead Sea and settled down at a Negev Desert student housing complex, Ayalim Di-

New Paltz students enjoy a meal together abroad.

mona, with their hosts, Israeli students, to a homemade poykee dinner of chicken and traditional regional spices.

On their third day came the Gaza Border and the surrounding communities that are severely impacted by the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

One such community was the Kibbutz Nir Am. The Kibbutz’s spokesperson, Ofer Lieberman, spoke with the group about how the community copes with the struggle of

Fresh Paltz

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES HALPERN

daily violence. He referred to life in the Kibbutz as “dealing with routine emergency.”

“That quote is very pointing because in the United States there is no such thing … if it is an emergency, how can it be routine,” Halpern said. “But that’s the way they live near the [Gaza] border.”

Near a playground, and all throughout the Kibbutz, the group found reinforced concrete bomb shelters. According to Halpern, once the bomb siren begins community

members have only seven seconds to get to one of these shelters before bombs begin to fall.

Throughout the day, they spoke with other community leaders who all gave a unique insight into the very trying situations they and the locals deal with every day. As his voice quivered, Halpern noted how all of the speakers cried for the loss of innocent life on both sides of the border.

For the last three days of the trip, the group joined 25 Israeli students and went to class.

Halpern said he loved being able to provide the New Paltz students and Israeli students the opportunity to work together and learn from each other.

These last few days were the most enjoyable for students as well.

Gillian Hammond is a second-year graduate student studying mental health counseling. She had never been to Israel before, but after this trip she said she definitely wants to go back.

“The course would not have been the same if we hadn’t gone to Israel,” Hammond said. “Interacting with the [Israeli] students was the best part of the trip.”

FRESH PALTZ’s mission is to document what some stylish peopleSeptember 15, 2011 Thursday, are wearing around the campus of SUNY New Paltz. #FreshPaltz Name: Paola Rodriguez Year: Third-year

Major: Sociology Hometown: The Bronx

Paola is dressed in her semi-formal attire for tabling at the club and involvement fair. Her blue blazer is highlighted by a simple white blouse, and accented with light olive pants just enough where it does not clash. She brings her whole outfit together with her white scarf and brown boots. Paola said she doesn’t have a specific style and is not into trends, but does like to wear big sweaters and scarves when it is cold. “The way I dress is determined by my mood. If I’m stressed, I wear sweats.” Her favorite place to shop for cute finds is H&M and said she can find everything there. She is quite the fashionista which caught our eye. Even her nails match her blazer!

By Jennifer Newman, Jnewman46@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

INTERESTED IN SEEING MORE OF “FRESH PALTZ?”

CHECK OUT oracle.newpaltz.edu TO SEE MORE OF WHAT NEW PALTZ IS WEARING! Thursday, February 5, 2015

Paola Rodriguez

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Cow Or Corvette?

A Meaty Topic SPEAKER DISCUSSES ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF MEAT

By Amanda Copkov Copy Editor | Copkova1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu While many people believe that vehicle and factory pollution are the main contributors to green house gas emissions, guest speaker Gidon Eshel, a research professor from Bard College, refuted this belief in his seminar entitled, “Feeding 9 Billion People: New Insights from the U.S. on the Role of Individual Choices.”

In his talk, given on Feb. 3 in the Coykendall Science Building auditorium, Eshel explained the detrimental effects that feeding and maintaining livestock — specifically cows — have on our planet.

The amount of water and grain that farmers need to feed and maintain their cattle have poor effects on the already impoverished people living across the globe, according to Eshel. People living in poverty do not have the means of eating much — let alone beef — while the beef itself consumes more calories than they would on an average day.

According to a recent study from online British publication, The Guardian, “agriculture is a significant driver of global warming and causes 15 percent of all emissions,” half of which are from livestock.

Since cattle need such a large amount

of grain and water to be raised, researchers, including Eshel, are concerned with feeding an extra two billion people by the year 2050 (the projected global population increase).

In an interview with The Guardian, Eshel explains that beef is “dramatically impactful” in comparison to other meats, such as poultry and pork.

During his talk, Eshel also explained that even grass-fed cattle have a much more harmful effect on our planet than that of other livestock because they are ruminants, meaning that they make “far less efficient use of their feed.”

“Only a minute fraction of the food consumed by cattle goes into the bloodstream, so the bulk of energy is lost,” Eshel said in the interview with The Guardian.

Though it seems unlikely and steers away from a traditional American diet, Eshel suggested switching from eating beef to eggs.

During the seminar, Eshel said that even the least efficient car having 10 miles to the gallon would have less of an impact on the Earth than that of a human diet consisting of beef consumption.

Peter and Anne Muller, two New Paltz locals and animal rights activists, attended Eshel’s seminar.

The couple co-founded an animal rights

organization called Wildlife Watch and Peter stated that he has been a vegan for 35 years.

“People who are on a plant-based diet are usually much healthier and live much longer, and most people like to live longer,” Peter Muller said. “If you eat a hamburger a day and ride your bicycle every place, and I drive a polluting car on a plant-based diet, I’d do much more for the environment than you do by not eating [beef].”

His wife agreed and added that consuming all meats, especially beef, is not just an animal rights issue, but a planet issue as well.

In the couple’s newsletter, The Wildlife Watch Binocular for Fall/Winter 20142015, they advertise a documentary by intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen entitled, “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret.”

The Mullers explain that animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution, is responsible for more green house gases than the transportation industry and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean “dead zones” and many other environmental ills — all of which Eshel explained in his talk.

“It is truly emphatic,” Eshel said. “It is

beef versus everything else. Their rumination is an issue. They have long gestation, small liters and require five times more dry matter than [fully-grown female pigs].”

Eshel explained that when compared to dairy cows, beef cows can be considered “couch potatoes” while dairy cows are “endurance athletes.”

This comparison exemplifies the detriments that go along with raising beef cows compared with any other meat product within the United States and around the globe.

In a study done at the University of Oxford, researchers found that meat-rich diets consisting of 100 grams of meat per day resulted in 7.2 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, while vegetarian and fisheating diets cause only about 3.8 kilograms of CO2 per day and vegan diets produced a mere 2.9 kilograms.

Tim Benton, a professor of population ecology at the University of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, explained in an interview with The Guardian that the biggest intervention people could make towards reducing their carbon footprints would not be to abandon cars, but to eat significantly less red meat.

“In terms of an environmental impact, beef should be avoided whenever possible,” Eshel said.

Future Planning One Week At A Time CAREER RESOURCE CENTER WORKSHOPS PREP STUDENTS

By Jennifer Newman Features Editor | Jnewman46@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Each Wednesday is another opportunity for students to learn about topics aimed to help them succeed after graduation.

The Career Resource Center is in its third year running Wednesday Workshops and despite the weekly emails from the Career Resource Center Internship Coordinator Beth King, many students do not take advantage of this resource.

“They don’t have to go it alone in their career search,” King said. “The workshop [gives information on] what students need.”

Topics range from internships, social media, grad school prep, networking, resumes and general career help, according to the schedule. Each workshop is instructed by

different career counselors and King’s colleagues on campus, a concept in itself she said demonstrates first-hand the importance of networking, one of the workshop topics.

Fourth-year math major Brad Miro attended several of last semester’s workshops and said he found each one helpful. He said the ones he found particularly helpful were about prepping for the career fair and job searches.

“If the topic of an upcoming workshop [is] interesting to someone I would definitely recommend going,” he said.

Wednesday Workshops are held every week at 12:30 p.m. in Humanities 115, except the workshop on April 22, which will be held in the library. King said she chose Wednesday because those tend to be lighter

class days for students, although she said she knows there is no perfect time.

“We were trying to find something that was consistent every week that our students could depend upon,” King said.

She said she has tried to include the most relevant career related topics which were chosen based upon advice from her colleges and what the instructors were interested in addressing.

According to King, attendance for these workshops has ranged from a handful of students to 50 and is something recent graduate Matthew Krien, a former peer career assistant at New Paltz, encouraged during his time in Residence Life.

“I used to always recommend my residents to check out the Wednesday Work-

Thursday, February 5, 2015

shops,” he said. “There was always something different going on that if the topic didn’t fit them one week, it would probably fit them the next.”

If the timing of the workshops does not work for students, people from the Career Resource Center are available for drop-in hours Tuesday-Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings, or by appointment at 845-2573265, according to King. Students can also offer suggestions on workshop ideas, she said.

The next workshop on Feb. 11 will be about co-curricular transcripts, held by Director of Student Activities Michael Patterson. On Feb. 18 there will be a brand new workshop held by King about leadership skills.

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ARTS ENTERTAINMENT & A Tale of Two Composers oracle.newpaltz.edu

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CLASSICAL SMACKDOWN TAKES OVER MCKENNA THEATER

By Russell Hartman

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

Sergei Prokofiev and Claude DeBussy. Two composers who crafted elegant and beautiful music in their time but now brought together for... a fight?

That’s the idea behind Frederic Chiu’s “Classical Smackdown.”

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, SUNY New Paltz’ McKenna Theater was host to a “Classical Smackdown.” World renowned pianist Frederic Chiu played famous works from both Prokofiev and DeBussy. Chiu, as written in the program for the “Smackdown,” is devoted to enhancing the live concert experience for diverse audiences. Also according to the program, Chiu has played with such musicians as Joshua Bell, Pierre Amoyal and Gary Hoffman as well as with the St. Lawrence String Quartet and Jazz Pianist Bob James.

The results of the “Classical Smackdown” were determined after Chiu completed each “round” of pieces. The audience was asked to vote on which set of pieces they liked more and thus which composer they liked more. Audience members voted three times during the show and a final time at the end for an overall winner of the “Classical Smackdown.”

After audience members had taken their seats inside McKenna Theater, Dr. Alex Peh, piano professor at SUNY New Paltz, took the stage to speak to the audience briefly about Chiu and his work. Before playing the “Smackdown” that night, Chiu had taught a piano master class to students earlier in the day.

Once the brief introduction was finished, Chiu took the stage and had some words for the audience. He spoke about how excited he was to be at New Paltz and share his “Classical Smackdown” creation with everyone there. He said the idea came from him imagining what a show like “American Idol,” “The Voice” or any of the famous music reality shows would have looked like over 100 years ago.

The first round of pieces was ex-

tremely enjoyable and Chiu included very notable works of each composer.

He began by playing Suite Bergamasque (1890-1905) by Claude DeBussy. Included in the suite are the movements Prelude, Menuet, (the most famous section) Clair de Lune and Passepied. After the conclusion of DeBussy’s suite, Chiu played his first Prokofiev selections of the night, Romance, Kije’s Wedding and Troika which were three pieces from the famous Lieutenant Kije Suite (1933).

Once the audience had selected the winner of round one on their ballots, Chiu moved one to the second and, as he put it, “nitty, gritty round,” featuring lesser known but equally as powerful compositions by Prokofiev and Debussy. The second round began with two of Prokofiev’s Vision Fugitives (1915-17) along with further works of his including Sarcasme (1912) and Diabolic Suggestions (1908). Diabolic Suggestions was easily one of my favorite piece of the night. After Prokofiev was done throwing punches in round two, it was DeBussy who went on the attack.

Chiu played two DeBussy selections in the second round which included Cloches à travers les fueilles from Images (1907) and Jardins sous le pluie from Estampes (1903).

As the “Smackdown” was heating up and heading into round three, both composers had gotten their hits in. DeBussy was first to try to land the fatal blow in round three when Chiu played Rêverie (1890). DeBussy had put up a good fight but it was now Prokofiev’s turn to hit the knockout. Chiu played Prokofiev’s Toccata (1912) to end the performance. Both composers had put up a hell of a fight.

So who won the “Classical Smackdown?” Sergei Prokofiev. On ClassicalSmackdown.com, all the results are listed after the shows’ conclusion and the audience members at SUNY New Paltz heavily voted in Prokofiev’s favor with him getting a whopping 59 percent of the vote overall. DeBussy earned 39

Photo Courtesy of The Department of Music and School of Fine and Peforming Arts

percent of the vote with two percent being undecided and tying the two composers at the end. The age demographic of the voting was interesting as well.

Prokofiev won almost every age groups votes except for audience members 61 years and older. 65 percent of them preferred DeBussy.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Following the event, Chiu posted on the “Classical Smackdown” website that his first performance at SUNY New Paltz was a success.

“Despite over 20 years visiting New Paltz, I had never visited the SUNY campus. The turnout was great, and the response was enthusiastic,” Chiu said.

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6B

Everyday Objects Come To Life

BROOKLYN ARTIST STEVE GERBERICH SHOWS OFF HIS WORK ON CAMPUS

By Amya Pinka

Copy Editor | Pinkaa1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Wednesday, Feb. 4 Steve Gerberich, a sculptor of all things entertaining, visited SUNY New Paltz in Lecture Center 102 to discuss how he creates interactive artwork out of everyday objects.

Gerberich is an interactive sculptor who creates pieces that bring imagination to life. He has been on shows such as CBS Sunday Morning and the NBC Today Show and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times and The New Yorker, among many others. Whether he uses a plastic dinosaur or a lampshade, Gerberich is constantly searching for new possibilities. He creates his artwork out of objects like cardboard, pieces from bicycles or license plates and connects those objects to simple machines to make them come to life.

Originally from Iowa, Gerberich made his way to New York in the 1980s.

“A self taught art mechanic,” as Gerberich described himself, started installing window installations in a department store. He wanted to make things more interesting, so when he had a window installation in SoHo, he made the intallations come to life.

“Science and art need each other,” Gerberich said. He added that there is always something to be learned. Afterward he spoke about his exhibition in Vancouver, Canada at Science World, titled “Spring, Sprockets & Pulleys.”

Gerberich discussed many of his pieces featured in the exhibition, such as “Catnip Choir,” which is solely made out of kitchen gadgets and the “Cash Cow,” a wooden mechanical cow made from parts of a bicycle that has hooves in converse sneakers.

During his presentation, Gerberich also showed videos along with pictures of his lively artwork to show the audience just what he means by bringing everyday objects to life.

One video he showed was a piece he titled, “Gerb’s Grand Orchestra.” At the push of a button, a fully sculpted band started to play drums, the trumpet, guitar and piano facing a sculpted conductor.

“Almost all my shows are interactive,” Gerberich said. “I can transform 120-RPM motor to do a lot of things using pulleys and other machines.”

Ben Lemovitz, a fourth-year BFA painting major, enjoyed Gerberich’s presentation.

“He is just playing, his artwork is light and not serious,” Lemovitz said.

“My favorite thing he said was he has been reduced to using glitter because I really liked all of his glitter artwork.”

“The thing about having artwork all over is I get to travel - I got to go to SUNY New Paltz,” Gerberich said. His other traveling shows, such as “Holiday Springs & Sprockets,” are displayed all across the country in states such as Washington, Baltimore, Vermont, North Carolina and more.

He has created “The Flying Reindeer,” a wooden display of moving reindeer by 120-RPM motors using pulleys and “Object Treeve,” a Christmas tree made out of all types of household objects including license plates and books.

Gerberich’s artwork has also brought him overseas to France, where he started his NOEL series. In this series, he spells the word out by using objects that match his surroundings.

For example, in France he spelled the name by using French baguettes, and in Iowa by using 26 pickup trucks.

Arielle Ponder, second-year visual arts major, described Gerberich’s work as beautiful and playful.

“I liked how the art was interactive and available to all different levels of people from children to adults.”

“Science has an automatic role in the artwork that I make,” Gerberich said. He added that he always tries to challenge himself to create new installations in his exhibits.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Photo Courtesy of Maxwell Reide

Photo Courtesy of Gerbomatic.com

Photo Courtesy of Gerbomatic.com

The New Paltz Oracle

Arts & Entertainment

Grim Fandango Dances Again CLASSIC ADVENTURE GAME RELEASED FOR NEW GENERATION

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MUSICIAN OF THE WEEK: Maxwell Reide

By Karl Evers-Hillstrom

Copy Editor | Kevershillstrom@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The original Grim Fandango came out for Windows in 1998. Developed by LucasArts, this dark, comedic adventure game received universal praise and was regarded as one of the most innovative games ever. Flash forward to 2014, most had forgotten the game even existed. That was until creator Tim Schafer announced at E3 2014 that it would be remastered for PS4, PS Vita and Steam with the help of developer Double Fine.

Grim Fandango takes place in the Land of the Dead, inhabited by souls of the dead who all act like their living counterparts, except that they are skeletons modeled off of Mexican calaca figures. It follows the story of Manuel “Manny” Calavera, a travel agent at the Department of Death whose job is to help the newly deceased across the Land of the Dead to their place of eternal rest. He is forced to work off debt until he can go to the Ninth Underworld, which is basically heaven for departed souls.

The player controls Manny on his quest to save Mercedes “Meche” Colomar and make his way to the Ninth Underworld. The story takes place over four years, each new year representing a new chapter.

It is by far the most stylized game I’ve ever experienced, both in art style, plot and overall design. It is very reminiscent of an older filmnoir such as Casablanca, with its dark plot, character designs and heavy references to gambling, smoking and drinking.

Many of the characters, including Manny, speak with a Latin accent, and the soundtrack mixes elements of South American folk music, jazz and big band music to create a unique experience.

Games like Grim Fandango simply aren’t made any more. There are no fighting or action scenes for the most part. Manny can only walk around, use items and interact with people.

Grim Fandango is enjoyed for its characters, atmosphere and most of all, story. It is extremely dialogue heavy and will have the player speaking with every soul in every town in order to find out what to do and where to go.

Thankfully, the dialogue is fantastic. Every conversation you have with anyone can go many different ways thanks to multiple dialogue options, which means that conversations feel very real. The voice acting is the best I have ever heard to this day. Every character has their own personality, an aspect I greatly enjoyed. Many of the conversations are hilarious. The creators clearly had a great sense of humor.

YEAR: Senior MAJOR: Digital Media Production/ Asian Studies

HOMETOWN: New York, N.Y.

WHAT’S YOUR INSTRUMENT OF CHOICE?

Drums!

WHAT ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH MUSICALLY?

Sativa Cult, Palávér WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES?

Christopher Bear, Darren King, Keith Moon, Dave Grohl WHO HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO LATELY?

Picture Courtesy of Deviant Art User HarryBana

The player must go through with many complex puzzles in order to advance in the story.

Unfortunately, many of the puzzles seem to defy logic, and force the player to look up the solution online. Oftentimes, the game does not give the player sufficient hints on what to do, which can leave the player lost and confused.

Many of the solutions to puzzles don’t make any sense at all.

For the remastered version, I don’t think Double Fine did as well as they could have.

Included in the remaster are improved graphics, lighting and orchestral score. However, the graphics are not really that much better than they were 17 years ago. Despite many improvements, it still doesn’t look like it belongs in the 21st century, especially since the frame rate is often rather poor. They did not optimize the game to look good on modern widescreen TVs, nor did they change the cutscenes at all -- a major oversight. It is hardly worthy of being called a remaster.

Along with this, I found some problems while playing the PS4 version of Grim Fandango Remastered. Multiple error codes came up while trying to save and the frame rate dipped to

low levels during certain events.

I wish the developers had done a better job with the remaster, but at the very least the release of Grim Fandango Remastered means that a new generation of gamers can finally play the game. Previously, it was almost impossible to find a copy.

Even with all of its problems, Grim Fandango Remastered is still worth playing for the original game’s unique story and ambience. I have a feeling that many modern gamers won’t enjoy Grim Fandango Remastered, as its idiosyncratic puzzles and major emphasis on dialogue will turn people off. It isn’t for everyone, but if you can get past the logic-defying puzzles and poor graphical performance, Grim Fandango Remastered is worth playing for its incredible narrative alone.

PS4/PS VITA/STEAM 7.5 GOOD

Thursday, February 5, 2015

The Unicorns, Asleep in the Sea, The Band, The XX, Jeff Rosenstock WHAT’S YOUR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE?

Keep playing drums!

ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MUSICIANS?

Have fun!

CHECK OUT MAXWELL REIDE 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

8B

THE DEEP END

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THIS WEEK IN

THE DEEP END NIRVANA SANTOS

Major: Sculpture BFA Year: Fourth Inspiration: James Turrell, The Kardashians, Rene Magritte, 99 cent stores. “

”

Photos courtesy of Nirvana Santos | Captioning by Maxwell Reide

The New Paltz Oracle

Editorial

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9

Graduation Numbers Game

CARTOON BY MIKE SHEINKOPF

In her State of the University Address, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher said she wants to increase graduation rates 60 percent from 93,000 to 150,000 by the year 2020. In part of this goal, she wishes to institute Finish in Four, a program thats main objective is to have incoming first-years graduate in four years.

We at The New Paltz Oracle applaud Chancellor Zimpher for proposing ways in which to alleviate the burdens students face while trying to finish their degree in a timely manner. However, addressing this issue with a fancy alliterative name as a building block to create 57,000 more graduates each year undermines the severity of a problem that has been going on for years within the SUNY system.

Yes, many students find it difficult to finish their undergraduate degree within a four year time frame. Yet while the overall purpose of the program works to benefit SUNY students, the ways in which it is implemented should be carefully considered; ideas that look good on paper may mask any foreseeable faults.

The foundation of the proposed Finish in Four plan is to have advisers assigned to guide each student through the process of completing a required program for career aptitude, finding a major, registering for the

correct courses and maintaining a close relationship with the student throughout their time at the college, keeping them on track.

That sounds eerily similar to what our current advisers are meant to do, but often fail to accomplish. Many times advisers will not be available to speak, authorize class choices that are not conducive for the student’s time or academic success and offer little guidance on what classes should be taken and when. We hope that some form of training or protocol is done when selecting these advisers to ensure that they have the students’ best interests in mind and act accordingly.

Chancellor Zimpher’s plan also promises that SUNY will pay for classes that are unavailable to a student at the time in which they need to take it, leading to a free class but the posibility of falling off the four year path.

Instead of SUNY sending out what are essentially “I’m Sorry” notes in the form of free classes, taking a closer look at major requirements and the availability of corresponding classes seems like a more worthy cause. If this is meant to deter SUNY schools from lacking the sufficient amount of classes for each major each semester, there is probably a much more cost efficient way to do so.

In an adjacent plant, Chancellor Zimpher also calls for SUNY advisers to be placed in high schools in conjunction with current guidance counselors to assist with college advising, beginning in low income school districts and eventually becoming a staple in every New York State high school.

These advisers, along with an online course that explains to families application processes like admission requirements and financial aid, will help high school students explore options and make plans for their futures. For students who fear the price of higher education or are perhaps the first in their families to attend college, these additions are key to expanding options, increasing enrollment and ultimately increasing graduation rates.

But whether the watchful eye of Finish in Four begins for a student in high school or as they enter their freshman year of college, the student may feel the structure and requirements that must be upheld are too much. College is a time of exploration, and expecting 17 and 18-year-olds to create an unwavering plan of action to ensure a graduation date based on a career they may not even be sure about does not seem reasonable.

Each student has a unique idea of what they want from their academic col-

Thursday, February 5, 2015

lege experience. While some students will undoubtedly enjoy having the structure and reassurance that they can obtain a degree of their choosing in four years so long as they adhere to the Finish in Four plan, others may feel overwhelmed and trapped. Why require General Education (GE) courses if not to expand our interests and spark curiosity?

Insisting that an undergraduate student finish their GE’s and decide their major within their first few semesters in order to ensure they will graduate on time is unrealistic.

If Finish in Four comes to fruition on our campus, we hope that the program is not simply seen as a stepping stone to obtaining higher graduation rates, but as a program with purpose in and of itself that will better the college experience of future students who choose to attend a SUNY school.

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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MELANIE ZERAH Copy Editor

Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Turning the corner of a dark, quiet hallway of an empty house, the coast seems to be clear. Although what sounds like lightning, thunder and an overly dramatic rain pitter patter are the only real sounds interrupting the silence, the perception of a presence unknown rattles all rationale.

Turning the next corner, you once again release a sigh of relief. A calm feeling starts to soothe anxieties until suddenly you are met face to face with an all too familiar hockey mask and red dripping blade as screams of terror fill the air.

And then of course, this well mimicked Jason from the Friday the 13th series runs away to scare another wellpaying customer, as he can’t actually touch you. That would most likely turn into something of a horrifying lawsuit.

Reaching the end of a haunted house is always a weirdly satisfying feeling. When you’ve reached the end, it can be reflected as a fun and harmless enterprise, but during, you were scared for your life to put it plainly, although you were aware that this was not an actual life threatening situation. Immediately after screaming bloody murder, most remember where they are and find themselves laughing nervously and smiling in relief.

Our community thrives because of our unique mix of families, SUNY students, young professionals and longtime residents. Code enforcement is imperative to maintaining this balance that so many of us cherish in New Paltz.

The public hearing on the housing complex at 2 Mohonk Ave. will continue Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at Village Hall. We are concerned this project has numerous violations in its design and execution resulting in buildings that

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The Satisfaction Of Fear But as you pass the fake bloodcovered dry walls and papier-mâché decapitated heads with sweaty palms and a fast-paced heart, you ask yourself, “Why the hell am I enjoying this?”

Feeling fear is an extremely visceral emotion, as it functions as a trigger to tell the brain that we are in danger and need to experience the fight or flight adrenaline rush to survival. Even though you as the adventurer of said haunted house are completely and consciously aware that you are not in real danger, emphasized by a lighter feeling in your wallet from the overpriced entrance fee, your brain cannot process that this Freddy Kruger impersonator is “not a real” threat.

Getting a bit scientific for a moment, our brains are lightning fast at processing the presence of a threat, and reacting in a physical way that will ensure survival. This process is so quick that it’s speed cannot be matched by any rational thought that could soothe the instinctual adrenaline rush implemented by a fearful brain.

This same principle goes for the viewing of a horror film. Despite the fact that people of our generation and younger have been raised in a world of technology, our “old brain” which governs our reactions still does not under-

stand the existence of fraudulent danger.

Our inability to process the immediate difference between a real threat and fake threat is what lingering effects of watching a horror movie can be accredited to.

It is suspected that the brain stores the memories of fear in order to sustain the ability to react in a more prepared way, should the same threat present itself in the future. Finding yourself with a certain jumpiness or “on-edge” feeling in a darkness you deem similar to the peril of one of Jack Torrance’s victims is caused by your brain’s ability to regenerate emotions and reactions that would help you escape a hazardous situation.

Returning to the question of why we enjoy putting ourselves through these lovely, morbid escapades, the ability to experience the adrenaline rush and excitement that comes with reactions of horror without any actual consequence is what draws our thrill seeking spirits to. Of course, some people enjoy scary experiences much more than others.

One of the main hormones released when watching horror movies or taking a stroll into a haunted house is dopamine. For some people, their dopamine release and re-uptake rate is more active than others, which makes the experience more enjoyable for individuals

OP-ED

risk New Paltz’ financial position, as well as, the lives of students living at the complex and our Fire Department.

-- How do fire trucks access the buildings at 2 Mohonk Ave.?

-- Why do these buildings not have sprinkler systems to comply with NYS Fire Code considering their height and stick-frame construction?

-- Who pays for a lawsuit if someone dies at a housing complex that appears to have been constructed in viola-

tion of various state and local laws?

-- What happens to an R-2 zoned neighborhood when an R-3 sized housing complex is jammed in requiring outsized police attention and potentially compromising neighborhood character and area property values?

New Paltz must insist that all development abide by our existing laws or we run substantial risk of permanent, adverse effects to our community, neighborhoods and residents’ safety.

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such as these.

Our extremely human and extremely irrational hunger for thrilling adventure can be temporarily satiated by anything from an amusing, exhilarating roller coaster at Disney World to a flickering screen displaying chilling murders and blood curdling screams. We allow our imaginations to run wild with possible solutions for what happens in the unknown realm of death, and this causes our peaked interest in these fictional, eerie activities.

Humans tend to have an obsession with death and the supernatural, and fabricated situations of terror allow us to explore this perception in the form of a comfy chair a safe distance away from the movie screen or a haunted house among brave friends. Our curiosity heightens as we attempt to see each frightening escapade we invest in to its conclusion … although curiosity did kill the cat, sorry to ruin the ending.

Melanie Zerah is a first-year journalism major who enjoys being scared shitless.

She also likes frolicing in the snow and running on the track, mostly to prepare for the risk of ever getting invloved in a high-speed chase with a rogue haunted house worker.

These provisions were established to preserve and protect while responsibly allowing for and anticipating growth.

Please join us and share any concerns during public comment at Village Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Sincerely, Theresa Fall & Tim Rogers

The New Paltz Oracle

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The New Paltz Oracle

HOMESTAND

The Women’s basketball team is tied for second place in the SUNYAC standings.

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The Women’s basketball team has won three out of five home games on their current homestand.

As of Thursday, Feb. 5, the Hawks are tied for second place with SUNY Cortland in the SUNYAC standings.

On Friday, Jan. 30, the Hawks defeated the Oswego Lakers 57-50. Going into halftime, the Lakers took a 23-22 lead. Rebounds were on the Hawks side as they held a 33-16 advantage on the glass going into the second half. Second-year guard/forward Kit Small led the team in points, scoring 13. She grabbed six rebounds, added two assists and one block on the evening. First-year guard Sydney Pinn tallied 12 points coming off the bench. First-year guard/forward Laura Stuart led the team in rebounds with 12.

Turnovers were a crucial part of the game, as the Hawks forced 28 Oswego turnovers and scored 20 points off those mistakes.

The following day, the Hawks defeated SUNY Cortland 75-65.

Fourth-year co-Captain Shannan Walker scored a game-high and career milestone 22 points, as she drained a career-high six threepointers. Walker was one three-pointer away

HYPE

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

from tying the Hawk Center record set by guard Caitlin Irwin of New Paltz in 2008.

In addition to Walker, three other Hawks finished the game in double figures including Small, who tallied 14 points as well as secondyear forward Courtney Irby and third-year guard/forward Colleen Ames, who each scored 11 points. Both Small and Irby recorded double-doubles as they grabbed 10 rebounds each.

Turnovers were key to the Hawks weekend wins as they converted 19 Red Dragons turnovers into 30 points throughout the matchup.

The Hawks briefly trailed at the beginning of the game, but took the lead with a gamehigh 17 points with 12 minutes remaining in the game..

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, the Hawks took down SUNY Oneonta 59-54. With the win, the Hawks swept the regular season series against the Red Dragons, the first occurance under ninth-year head coach Jamie Seward.

Small and fourth-year co-Captain Ashley Riefenhauser both tied a Hawks team-high in points scoring 11 each. Irby grabbed a gamehigh 11 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end.

Seward said every game can make a big difference in the team’s playoff positioning,

whether a team gets in and who they are going to be matched up against. Playing well at home is an important part of a team’s success, he said.

“Every one is important, and it was much more important to be able to hold serve at home and do what we needed to do and get those wins at home,” he said.

To prepare for upcoming games, Walker said the team is really focusing on how to keep improving themselves, instead of trying to figure out how to beat opponents.

“We want to be the most aggressive and tough team in the conference so we continue to work on things like our press and rebounding that utilizes our athleticism and quickness against other teams,” she said.

Seward credits the leadership of the team’s seniors and captains to their success as a whole.

“They just really set a tone and aren’t willing to allow us to settle for anything less than what we’re capable of,” he said. “We feel like we haven’t even approached anywhere near that level yet, so we’re trying to still build towards it.”

With a record of 8-3 in SUNYAC play and 12-6 overall record, the Hawks finish out their five-game homestand with two more games

Thursday, February 5, 2015

against SUNYAC opponents. The Hawks next take on SUNY Potsdam on Friday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and the following day face SUNY Plattsburgh at 4 p.m.

The Hawks have previously played their two upcoming opponents in early December.

New Paltz took the loss to SUNY Plattsburgh in their first SUNYAC matchup of the season 71-65 on Friday, Dec. 5. The following day, the Hawks beat SUNY Potsdam 71-51.

Walker said it is difficult to win on the road in the league. Winning during the fivegame homestand is extremely important, she said.

“We love winning on our home court and we’re not planning on letting another SUNYAC team win here besides us,” she said.

Seward said the team knows it is going to be a very difficult task and they are not really looking at where they rank in the standings.

“We better have a good couple of days of practice heading into these upcoming games and be both physically and mentally prepared to continue to move forward and try to get towards that peaking level in another three-tofour weeks,” he said. “We could be somewhere completely different in just a week from today or three weeks from today, so there is a lot of basketball left to play.”

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Men’s Basketball Remains Hopeful

The Men’s basketball team has lost two out of three games during their five-game homestand.

By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The Men’s basketball team lost two out of three home games against SUNYAC opponents and are now tied for the eighth seed in the conference standings.

The team first defeated SUNY Oswego on Friday, Jan. 30 by a score of 80-71 in overtime. Oswego currently stands at the top of the SUNYAC conference, in a tie with SUNY Plattsburgh.

“They are at the top of the league and the way the league is playing out this year and the fact that we’re all bunched together, it will come into play once those tiebreakers come into play,” Head Coach Mike Rejniak said.

“Obviously right now we’re two games out of first, so it’s big. It was big to close the gap.”

Fourth-year co-Captain R.J. Rosa led the team with 21 points. Other standouts included third-year co-Captain Kevin Roach with 14 points and fourth-year co-Captain Taylor So-

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

wah with 11 points. Third-year guard Keegan Donovan scored 10 points off the bench for the Hawks.

The Hawks were up by one point in the second half with two seconds remaining on the clock before Oswego second-year guard Brian Sortino tied the game up on a free throw, sending the game into overtime.

The Hawks never let the Oswego Lakers hold a lead in overtime play, as they outscored them 14-5. After Oswego tied the game at 68 apiece with 3:44 left in overtime, Rosa scored a three-pointer, Sowah netted a layup and Donovan scored two free throws to give the Hawks a seven-point lead with 1:23 remaining on the clock.

The following day, the Hawks lost to SUNY Cortland by a score of 57-48.

The Hawks shot just 29.2 percent (19of-65) from the floor. Despite the tough loss, Rejniak looked at the positives that his team displayed against Cortland.

“The defense was very good, and we didn’t play our best basketball so the fact that we were still in the game at the end was a positive,” he said. “Defensively we were great, offensively not so great.”

Sowah led the team in points with 11 and Rosa was right behind him with 10. This was Sowah’s eighth double-double of the season.

At halftime, the Hawks led by a score of 2317, but were outscored 40-25 in the second half.

Rosa gave the Hawks a two-point lead with 2:32 left on the clock. Cortland third-year guard Blair Estarfaa tied the game with two free throws and the Red Dragons did not let the Hawks lead for the rest of the game.

Then on Tuesday, Feb. 3 the Hawks fell to SUNY Oneonta by a score of 98-72. The team lost to Oneonta earlier in the season last month, and they lost on Thursday, Jan. 15 by a score of 84-63.

“Oneonta for whatever reason this year

Thursday, February 5, 2015

has had our number,” Rejniak said. “They are a very talented senior-laden team. They’re fighting to get up the ladder, we just didn’t showcase our best game by any stretch of the imagination.”

Sowah again lead the team in points with 14 and second-year center Taylor Mulvey was just behind him with 12 points off the bench.

Oneonta never trailed in the game and had a shooting percentage of 50.8 (31-of-61) from the floor. The loss dropped the team’s record to 8-10 overall and 6-5 record in conference play.

The team will finish off their homestand this weekend, as they will face SUNY Potsdam, whom they beat earlier this season, on Friday, Feb. 6 at 5:30 p.m. The Hawks will then face SUNY Plattsburgh on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. The Hawks lost to the Plattsburgh Cardinals earlier this season by a score of 81-69 on Friday, Dec. 5 in their first SUNYAC matchup of the season.

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Swimming Teams Gear Up For SUNYACs

Both swimming teams prepare for postseason play in three weeks.

By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The Men’s and Women’s swim teams each ended their regular season schedules with losses against defending SUNYAC champion SUNY Geneseo on Saturday, Jan. 31.

The Hawks Men’s team was defeated by a score of 152-101, while the Women’s team lost by a margin of 151-103. For the Women’s team, it was their first loss of the season.

“We knew that Geneseo was very good and we expected great competition,” Head Coach Scott Whitbeck said. “I think we had some good races, but we also had some we can improve on.”

For the Men’s team, third-year coCaptain Ryan Lindgren and third-year Will Koenig each placed first in individual events. Lindgren earned first place for the Hawks in the 100 yard breaststroke

PHOTOS BY THERESA MATTIA

(1:03.96) and Koenig was victorious in the 50 yard freestyle (22.11).

The 200 yard freestyle relay team of first-year Caleb Treadwell, third-year Brandon Finn and third-year co-Captain Ethan Cooke scored first-place points after Geneseo’s entries were tagged as exhibitions. The relay team combined for a time of 1:29.20. Geneseo’s 200 yard freestyle relay “A” time was 1:29.03, but was marked as exhibition.

“Going into the meet we knew that there would be stiff competition,” fourthyear co-Captain Jack Spader said. “So while they may have dominated the races, I’m confident we gave them a run for their money. They may have beaten us this weekend, but we won’t go down at SUNYACs without a fight.”

Spader posted the lone true runner-up finish for the Hawks at the meet, finishing second in the 500 freestyle (5:03.41).

The Men’s team finished the season

with a 4-3 record in dual meets. At home, the team’s record was 2-1 and a 2-2 finish on the road. They will next compete in the SUNYAC Championships from Thursday, Feb. 19 to Saturday, Feb. 21 at Erie Community College’s Burt Flickinger Aquatic Center in Buffalo, New York. Finishing sixth out of nine teams in last season’s SUNYAC Championships, they did not advance to the NCAA Div. III Swimming and Diving Championships.

On the Women’s side, third-year Cassidy Griger and third-year co-Captain Maggie Heaton each won individual events against Geneseo. Griger won the gold in the 100 yard freestyle (55.18), while Heaton won the 100 yard butterfly with an event-best time of 1:02.17.

Griger also placed second in the 200 yard freestyle (1:59.84). Other secondplace finishers for the Hawks include fourth-year co-Captain Samantha Granan with a time of 1:10.80 in the 100 yard

Thursday, February 5, 2015

breaststroke and third-year Kim Kallansrude in the 200 yard butterfly (2:18.50).

The first loss of the season brings the Women’s team’s final record to 6-1 in dual meets for the season. They finished with an undefeated home record of 3-0 and a 3-1 record on the road. Along with the Men’s team, they will travel to Buffalo to compete in the SUNYAC Championships.

Last season, the Women’s team finished in third place out of nine teams and advanced to the next round: the Swimming and Diving Championships at IUPUI Natortorium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Although both teams suffered a loss to end their regular season, Spader is looking on the positive side in preparation for the SUNYAC Championships.

“I think that this meet has opened up our eyes to the kind of competition that we will see at the championships,” he said.

“That will give us the motivation to keep working hard these next three weeks.”

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Men’s Volleyball Prepares For Road Ahead

The Men’s volleyball team looks to add to their 2-0 record.

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The Men’s volleyball team will continue their season-opening four-game road trip as they take on two more nonconference teams, New York University and Sacred Heart University, on Thursday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 7 respectively.

The Hawks opened up their season with two wins last weekend in the Stevenson Tournament against opponents Rutgers-Newark and host No. 14 Stevenson University. Both wins were won by the Hawks in four sets in a final of three sets to one.

Last season, the Hawks shutout New York University in both matches played, including a win in the 2014 United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Tournament Final. This sent the Hawks to the 2014 NCAA Div. III Tournament.

Head Coach Radu Petrus said open-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN WEINSTEIN

ing up the season playing four straight road games allows the team to work on their chemistry, which is key this season.

The team changes their offensive and defensive plan a little bit during practice, depending on the opponent, he said.

“We play with a faster offense, so we need good chemistry and ball control,” he said. “Our older players have more experience with different teams and have the ability, as well as the new, younger players, who have been learning quickly.”

Last week, Hawks first-year outside hitter Anthony Bonilla was named UVC Co-Rookie of the Week and Corvias Eastern College Athletic Conference North Rookie of the Week.

Bonilla tallied a match-high 16 kills to go along with seven digs and a block against Rutgers-Newark. Against the Stevenson Mustangs, he notched 10 kills, six digs, three aces and two blocks.

To prepare for their upcoming matches, third-year co-Captain Christian Smith said the team is really focusing on serves and their coverage defense in order to keep rallies alive.

“The team is looking to just keep getting better each day as a unit and trying to really keep up the high intensity in practice that will translate to games,” he said. “It is definitely a good test for us to open up with four road games because it allows us to see how our team responds on the road in hostile environments.”

As of Thursday, Feb. 5, the Hawks remain ranked No. 4 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Men’s Coaches Top 15 Poll.

Petrus said he is satisfied with his team’s ranking, but can always improve with their upcoming matches.

“Hopefully we can go up a little bit and do not drop because this weekend we didn’t play,” Petrus said. “A lot of teams

Thursday, February 5, 2015

had a lot of games, maybe there will be some change, but not in the first four, hopefully.”

Even though the season is young, third-year co-Captain Kevin Nardone said the team is looking to workout and improve as a unit in the hopes of bringing New Paltz a national championship.

“We have been working hard as always and trying to have effective gameplans for tough conference opponents,” he said. “We look to use our depth to our advantage.”

The Hawks do not play their home opener until Wednesday, Feb. 11, against Ramapo College at the Hawk Center, but whether the team is home or on the road, there is always pressure, Petrus said.

“The pressure is coming because everyone wants to beat us,” Petrus said.

“Everyone wants to beat a good team like us. We have a good reputation and we have to keep that level.”

The New Paltz Oracle

BluEshirts Blueline Rhartman@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Madison Square Garden. The World’s Most Famous Arena. Since 1926, the New York Rangers have called some form of Madison Square Garden their home. The current garden, which sits between West 31 Street and West 33 Street in Manhattan, New York has had a number of defining moments over the years. From the Rangers run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1979, to the run to the finals in 1994 where the Rangers conquered the Vancouver Canucks in seven games to earn the franchise their fourth Stanley Cup and first in 54 years, to more current memories such as Dominic Moore scoring the lone goal in game six of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals, which ultimately sent the Rangers to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.

Stars such as Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert, Brad Park, Andy Bathgate, Ron Greschner, Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Adam Graves, Brian Leetch, Henrik Lundqvist and Rick Nash have all called the Garden home. All have worn the diagonal letters across their chest with pride.

There aren’t many organizations that can say they have such a storied and rich tradition as the Rangers do and that’s part of the reason why so many people worldwide love them as much as they do.

Writing a column about the team that I love is the job I’ve wanted since I got into journalism. Here’s the first step in my journey, thanks for reading and welcome to the inaugural column of the Blueshirts Blueline. Here’s some key storylines to take note of from the first half of the 2014-15 New York Rangers season and a look at the second half and playoff push.

The Resurgence of Rick Nash Rick Nash is a man on a mission. He is scoring at a historical rate and is now challenging for his second ever Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy. The last time Nash held that trophy he was 19 years old and just finished the second season of his career. Nash, now 30, has never looked better and seems hell-bent on getting the New York Rangers over that last hump and finally getting the Stanley Cup back to New York City.

After a playoff run that saw Nash score only three goals in 25 games, many people placed a huge part of the blame on Nash when the Rangers lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Kings.

It’s not that he wasn’t trying or wasn’t shooting.

Nash had the most shots of any forward in the

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Rangers Look to Keep Rolling 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs but the “puck luck” The Rangers were leading for most of the wasn’t there. Prior to this season, Nash, due to game but once again gave away a lead and the various injuries and ailments, wasn’t playing game against the Penguins ended tied. The game like the Nash everyone hoped the Rangers had entered overtime. The Rangers needed a hero. acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets. What They needed someone to step up for them and a difference a summer of intense training, being get that goal. The hero was none other then healthy and playing with confidence makes.

Kevin Klein, one of the Rangers most consistent No matter who his linemates have been players all season. The Rangers won the game this season, Nash has stepped up. Whether he 4-3. plays with Derick Brassard and Mats ZuccaThen the Rangers kept winning. And winrello or Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis, he ning. And winning. And, well you get my point. finds ways to score. He uses his immense frame They eventually built up their win streak to (6’4,” 220 lbs.) eight straight wins. to push his way It was the first time through defenders, a Rangers team had get to the net and won eight-straight score goals any games since the 1974way he can. Dur75 season. During the ing the 2014-15 streak they defeated season, Nash has the Penguins, Cabeen playing like nucks, Oilers, Flames, the player everyHurricanes (twice), one thought the Capitals and Devils.

Rangers were getThe team was clickting from the Blue ing, Henrik Lundqvist Jackets, and the and Cam Talbot were team is reaping the making the saves rewards. when called upon and Nash curconfidence was at an rently has 32 goals all-time high. on the season and After beating is on pace for the the Devils for their first 50 goal seaeighth straight win, son of his career. the Rangers traveled PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR USER JUSTIN YAMADA If Nash keeps his to Dallas, Texas to scoring pace up and doesn’t slow up when the take on the Dallas Stars. The Stars would end playoffs roll around, Rangers fans won’t have up beating the Rangers 3-2 in regulation but the him to blame if something else goes wrong. very next game, the Rangers began a five-game 13 of 14 winning streak. During this streak they defeated After an average first 24 games of the the Panthers, Sabres, Ducks, Kings and Sharks. season where the Rangers went 11-9-4, they They had won 13 of their last 14 games and had hoped to have a big game against the Detroit earned some much needed wins after their averRed Wings on Saturday, Dec. 6, to begin some age start to the year. Their record at the time sat type of streak in the right direction. The game at 24-11-4. They were beginning to look like the started off great with the Rangers up 2-0. The team fans envisioned them to be all season. game then spiraled out of control and the Red Despite Success, Faceoffs Remain an IsWings earned a 3-2 victory at Joe Louis Arena. sue It was one of the worst losses of the season, and At the time of publishing, the Rangers the Rangers dropped to 11-10-4. The following remain 29th in the league in faceoff wins only game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madi- beating the Buffalo Sabres. That’s not good and son Square Garden changed everything; it was could come to hurt them come playoff time. the beginning of something historic.

Derek Stepan and Derick Brassard, the Rangers

Thursday, February 5, 2015

top two centers have been mediocre on the draw.

Kevin Hayes, the Rangers third-line center, is statistically the worst faceoff man in the league.

Dominic Moore, the Rangers fourth-line center, is actually the best faceoff man on the team.

Whoever wins the faceoff controls the play and the Rangers definitely need someone who can step in and take an important draw. Enter the trade deadline: The Rangers need to acquire a center with some size and good faceoff skills.

Hayes would get moved back to the wing and the Rangers would earn some depth with their centers. Two players that come to mind are Martin Hanzal and Antoine Vermette of the Arizona Coyotes. Both rank in the top ten in faceoff win percentage. Both are available but it remains to be seen what price Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney requests for them.

The Second-Half of the Season and the Push for the Playoffs The Rangers record currently stands at 3015-4. In order to make the playoffs and possibly even win the division, the Rangers can’t take their foot off the pedal. The Islanders’ years of being irrelevant are finally paying off for them.

Their draft picks are working out and the key veteran’s they’ve added have only helped. The Islanders are currently on a three game losing streak and the Rangers need to take advantage.

The Penguins are always a regular season threat.

The Capitals keep on winning as well. It just doesn’t get easier as the weeks go by in the NHL. Over the last 32 games of the season the Rangers will play 18 games on the road and 14 at the Garden; winning road games is an absolute must, and the Rangers must take advantage of all the games they have left at home. Winning games and getting points is all that matters at this point in the season with every team fighting tooth and nail to grab a playoff spot. You never know what can happen once you get in. Just ask the Los Angeles Kings. They were the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference in 2012 and managed to win the Stanley Cup. Will the Rangers win the division?

As of right now my prediction is yes. They are only currently two points out of first place and have games in hand on every team in their division. If they keep playing at a high level, I don’t see any reason why they can’t win the Metropolitan Division title. The race to the playoffs is sure going to be fun to watch.

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