The New Paltz Oracle, Volume 81 Issue XII

NEW PALTZ ORACLE THE

NEW PALTZ

Volume 81, Issue XII

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Thursday, February 11, 2010

SAYS

NO!

Voters came out in record numbers against proposed middle school renovation See Story on Page 3 PHOTO BY FELICE BERNABO

Paterson proposes Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act

INSIDE THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE • Newburgh Mayor calls for 9/11 trials.....Pg 5 • Endowment in honor of Wade-Lewis......Pg 7 • SUB begins closing at midnight...............Pg 7 • New Paltz named ‘Top Value College’...Pg 8

Story on Page 6 Editorial on Page 10 PHOTO COURTESY OF HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

The New Paltz Oracle

University Police Blotter

Disclaimer: This is only a partial listing. For all incidents, please visit the University Police Department. had been recovered.

established 1938

Pierce Lydon EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Julie Mansmann MANAGING EDITOR _________________

James Leggate NEWS EDITOR

Justin McCarthy FEATURES EDITOR

Zan Strumfeld

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Pete Thompson SPORTS EDITOR _________________

Felice Bernabo PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Alec Horowitz

ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Jon Aiello

CARTOONIST _________________

Maxim Alter Sunya Bhutta Pamela Vivanco Andrew Wyrich COPY EDITORS _________________

Elizabeth Damiano BUSINESS MANAGER _________________

Kathryn Smith DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Steve Arenius, Allie Bernhard, Jeffrey Canino, Emily Canty, Sarah Fine, Aramis Grant, Elexis Goldberg, Sarah Hurd, Michelle S. Kramisen, Emily Kurland, Chelsea LaDue, Becky Longley, Jessica Mingoia, Jesse Ordansky, Jessica Ostrow, James Petrich, Casey Quinlan, Danielle Quitoni, Michelle Ravit, Regina Rivers, Shawn Rubenfeld, Jordan Siwek, Alex Silverberg, Sam Speer, Alison Stevens, Emily Sussell, Ashley Thompson, Harris Wichard, Kelly Young

STAFF

Corrections

Spot any errors? Let us know at oracle@newpaltz.edu

Incident: Petit Larceny Date: 02/04/10 Location: BH Custodian reported that perpetrators unknown stole a mop and bucket with squeegee from the basement storage room.

02/05/10 - UPD received a call from custodial staff reporting that property

About The New Paltz Oracle The New Paltz Oracle is the official student newspaper of SUNY New Paltz. Our circulation is 3,000.

The New Paltz Oracle is sponsored by the Student Association and partially funded by the student activity fee.

The New Paltz Oracle is located in the Student Union Building, room 417. Deadline for all submissions is 5 p.m. on Fridays in The New Paltz Oracle office and by e-mail at oracle@newpaltz.edu.

All advertisements must be turned in by 5 p.m. on Fridays, unless otherwise specified by the business manager. Community announcements are published gratuitously, but are subject to restriction due to space limitations.

There is no guarantee of publication. Contents of this paper cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the editor-in-chief.

The New Paltz Oracle is published weekly throughout the Fall and Spring semesters on Thursday.

It is available in all residence halls and academic buildings, in the New Paltz community and online at oracle.newpaltz.edu. For more information, call (845) 257-3030. The fax line is (845) 257-3031.

The New Paltz Oracle holds assignment meetings every Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Building, room 418. Articles, photographs and illustrations are assigned to the pool of staff and contributors.

na present. The origin of the odor could not be determined.

Incident: Drugs Date: 02/04/10 Location: CH RA reported an odor of marijuana. PO confirmed odor but source could not be found.

Incident: DWI Date: 02/05/10 Location: RT. 208/ VFW LOT Male non-student arrested for DWI.

Incident: Stalking Date: 02/05/10 Location: VAN DEN BERG HALL Male student was arrested for stalking and harassing a female student.

Incident: Burglary Date: 02/05/10 Location: SUB Room 211 Employee reported that perpetrators unknown removed cash from a safe in his office. No other items taken; no forced entry.

Incident: Drugs Date: 02/05/10 Location: GH RA reported an odor of marijuana. PO checked area. Strong aroma of marijua-

Volume 81 Issue XII

SUNY New Paltz University Police Department Emergencies: 845-257-2222 www.newpaltz.edu/police

Five Day Forecast Friday, February 12

Index

News............................................... 3 - 8 Community Calendar........................ 9 Editorial.............................................. 10 Letters.............................................. 11 Columns............................................. 11 Justin McCarthy................... 11 The Gunk................................ 1B - 12B The Deep End.................................. 12B Sports.......................................... 12- 16

Mostly Sunny High: 30 Low: 15 Saturday, February 13

Partly Cloudy High: 31 Low: 18 Sunday, February 14

Don’t Be Shy!

Partly Cloudy High: 31 Low: 17 Monday, February 15

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www.oracle. newpaltz.edu Everyone is entitled to take one free copy of The New Paltz Oracle.

If you need additional copies, please contact the editor-in-chief at x3030 or at oracle@newpaltz.edu

Mostly Cloudy High: 29 Low: 19 Tuesday, February 16

Few Snow Showers High: 31 Low: 19

The New Paltz Oracle

NEWS

Pg 3

New Paltz Voters Say “No” to Renovations

By James Leggate News Editor | Leggat06@newpaltz.edu

Voters decided not to spend $49.8 million to renovate the New Paltz Middle School Tuesday.

Though public support had initially favored the renovation, concerns about finances led the opposition to victory with a result of 2,561 votes against the plan and only 983 for it. The decision followed weeks of debate among residents who put up signs, wrote letters and set up Web sites promoting their positions.

Opponents to the plan cited the high cost of the project and the current economy as a major problem.

“This is a really bad economic time to be doing this project,” said Tanya Marquette, of Gardiner. “The community is struggling.”

Supporters of the plan said that the financial impact of the project would have been minor. The state had agreed to pay approximately $20 million plus interest toward the project.

If the plan had passed, officials said the average tax increase for home owners would have been under $14 per month.

However, opponents like Marquette worried that the state would have backed out.

“The state is virtually bankrupt,”

Marquette said. “We could end up losing that money.”

Including current debt and added interest, the school district could have ended up with over $100 million in debt from the project, if the state had backed out.

Mayor Terry Dungan acknowledged the fears of tax payers.

“New Paltz is an expensive place to live because we don’t have a lot of industry in the way other places do,” Dungan said, “so property owners hold the burden.”

However, there may now be problems for students at the school. Recently, a part of the school’s ceiling was damaged by water leaking through the roof.

Mayor Dungan expressed concern over the school’s electric wiring, part of which was installed in the 1930s. According to former Deputy Mayor Rebecca Rotzler, the current electric system cannot handle the needs of a modern classroom.

“It’s not adequate for technology of this century by any means. You’re talking about a 50 year-old building and an 80 year-old building, so in terms of technology, the entire electrical system needs to be revamped. They don’t have what they need to bring it up to par with our

other school buildings, and certainly with other school districts, so they can’t have the amount of computers that you would hope for them to have.”

Also, the school does not meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act because the wheelchair ramps are too steep and can make access to some areas of the building difficult.

Another proposed improvement for the school was to add solar electric and thermal systems. The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), a nonprofit group for renewable power, proposed to get another $470,000 for the project. If renovated, the school would have been certified as

Costs of the Plan Base...........$49.8 mill. plus Interest.......$26.8 mill. minus State Aid......$30.8 mill. equals Total............$45.8 mill.

Average Cost Per Family: $13.55/month

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

According to former Deputy Mayor Rotzler, the school is not currently energy efficient.

“They have to run at an excessive temperature for the heat to dissipate throughout the entire building,” Rotzler said. “A lot of the classrooms have to be too hot because it’s such an antiquated system.”

However, the work of TSEC and supporters may have ended up hurting their own cause, as mailings sent out connected Congressman Maurice Hinchey to their plan. On Monday, Hinchey denied any involvement in the plan and said he thought it should be up to New Paltz voters to decide, so he had no opinion on the renovation.

Now, problems like the roof leak will have to be taken care of as they come.

Opponents say that this will be cheaper than going through the entire renovation.

“They’re trying to depict it as being a decrepit old building that’s about to fall on the kids,” Marquette said. “Some people don’t like old buildings. They want everything to be new, and to get credit for it... It’s like having a taste for champagne with a beer bottle budget.”

PHOTO BY FELICE BERNABO

Some voters had to wait in line for hours to cast their votes at the high school on Tuesday.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Pg 4

NEWS

News Briefs National The space shuttle Endeavour has arrived at the International Space Station and the two crews have teamed up to prepare for final construction work. ***** Google Inc. plans to build a handful of experimental, ultra-fast Internet networks around the U.S. to ensure that tomorrow’s systems can keep up with online video and other advanced applications that the search company wants to deliver. ***** Military divers are being pulled off a project to clean up an artificial reef off the coast of Florida that turned into an environmental disaster. Hundreds of thousands were sunk there in 1972 in hopes they would turn into a coral reef. But nothing grew and they became scattered across the ocean floor, damaging real coral reefs. ***** Americans backed off from holiday spending in January, but retail sales rose for a third month in a row compared with a year earlier, largely because of gas price hikes, according to figures released Wednesday by a key data service. ***** The Federal Aviation Administration is close to wrapping up a two-year investigation of safety violations at American Airlines that could result in one of the largest fines in the agency’s history, according to government and industry officials familiar with the investigation. ***** Four conservative activists accused of trying to tamper with a senator’s phones were just trying to record embarrassing undercover video of the senator’s staff ignoring phone calls from constituents, one of their attorneys said Thurday.

World Briefs, pg. 5

The New Paltz Oracle

Committee Seats Filled

By Julie Mansmann

Managing Editor | Jmansmann60@newpaltz.edu

At the last meeting of the 49th student senate, members of the body confirmed nominees to both the Student Association (SA) Productions board and the Academic Affairs Committee.

Not long after Vice President of Programming Kevin Purcell announced that bids were sent to Gym Class Heroes and Fabolous for the group’s spring concert, Monica Hertz and Adam Shanks appeared before the senate to make their case to join SA Productions. The media management and journalism majors, respectively, said they wanted to become more involved with event planning on campus.

After brief discussion, the senators confirmed both students to the board. They will join other members of SA Productions in organizing the concert this spring.

Kathryn Kosmider, a second-year Spanish education major, was next in line to come before the senate, vying to fill a seat for the School of Education on the Academic Affairs Committee. Kosmider said she heard from a friend that Vice President of Academic Affairs and Governance Brenna Fearey was searching for students representatives for multiple academic committees, so she met with Fearey to discuss available positions.

Sen. Caitlin Ryan and other members of the body said they admired Kosmider’s interest and confirmed her to the board. Fearey announced that she was still looking for senators and other students to sit on academic committees, and those interested should contact her as soon as possible.

In her formal report to the senate, Fearey informed the senators of a topic being discussed by the Academic Affairs Committee.

She said the idea to move toward a “more secular” calendar in 2013-2014. The way Jewish holidays fall on the calendar that year, students and faculty would have a full week off directly after the first week of classes.

PHOTO BY FELICE BERNABO

Senators elected new members to committees and discussed the proposed Higher Ed. Act. Fearey said faculty members were concerned about how this would disrupt work flow. The matter will continue to be discussed at committee meetings.

Executive Vice President Abe Uchitelle announced that the police commission met last week and they are developing plans for a “know your rights” card. This card would provide information to students on how to deal with police officers. The group will also work with sociology classes, who are working on a project about student and University Police relations.

Uchitelle also said he has been involved in talks with representatives from Facilities Management about plans to offer a gender neutral housing option on campus. Discussions will continue as the semester persists.

After telling the senators that the Senior

Committee has begun planning their events for this spring, SA President Stephanie Samuel encouraged students to attend the Feb. 22 meeting of the Council of Organizations. At the meeting, Vice President for Finance and Administration Jacqueline DiStefano will give a presentation about the school’s budget.

Budget matters were the topic of discussion at the end of the senate meeting when representatives from NYPIRG, SA E-board members and others explained their stance on Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act. However, the senators said they did not want to put forth a formal opinion as a body until they had the chance to do their own research about Gov. David Paterson’s legislation.

The next general meeting of the student senate will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Council Views New Mascot Graphics

By Maxim Alter Copy Editor | Malter42@newpaltz.edu

On Monday, Feb. 8, members of the Council of Organizations had a guest-speaker introduce SUNY New Paltz’s new graphics and athletic marks to the student organizations.

Mary Kastner, Director of Design, Print and Mail Services kicked off the meeting with a brief Power Point presentation explaining the evolution of SUNY New Paltz’s graphics.

After what Kastner described as “a process of a lot of research,” her and a team created new athletic marks and recently unveiled a new mascot at Friday’s

basketball game.

“What is important about branding is what you say about yourself and how you look,” Kastner said. “If it is consistent, you get a sense of stability, you get a sense of quality, and that’s what we’re looking for here.”

Following Kastner’s presentation, SA President, Stephanie Samuel, let students know about upcoming activities that they should be looking forward to. Many events were brought up, including a visit from the Peace Corps some time next month and a fashion show on March 25. However, one activity really got students excited.

“We are looking to do a car-

Thursday, February 11, 2010

nival. It will be a campus wide event,” Samuel said. “It’s the idea that no matter where you are on campus, there’s an event going on. There’s music playing, there’s the bouncy balls. Each week is going to be themed. The goal date for that is May 1.”

Immediately afterward, Student Association Executive Vice President Abe Uchitelle announced that the police commission is currently in the process of working on a “know your rights card,” that he said students can have with them that is meant to inform them of how to go about an encounter with the police officials. According to Uchitelle, this card will help

students know “how to protect themselves, how not to step on the feet of the police, and how to not let the police step on your feet.”

Vice President for Academic Affairs Brenna Fearey closed the meeting by giving students the opportunity to join a few committees, including the Constitution for Rules Committee that, which Fearey said serves as “an outlet to talk about solutions and propose legislation for the SA to approve or deny.”

The next meeting of the Council of Organizations meetings will take place on Monday, Feb. 22 at 8:00 p.m. in Student Union 100.

The New Paltz Oracle

Pg 5

NEWS

Newburgh Mayor Supports 9/11 Trial

By Julie Mansmann Managing Editor | Jmansmann60@newpaltz.edu

Newburgh Mayor Nick Valentine said he originally had no intention of advocating that the trials of five suspected terrorists be held in his city. However, when the question about possibly hosting the trials was posed directly by a reporter from the New York Post, he said he answered instinctively.

“I said I would host the trials here if offered the opportunity because I am looking out for the City of Newburgh,” he said. “This is a poor and struggling community right now, and maybe once in a while you grasp at a straw and watch where the chips fall.”

Since Valentine publicly stated that he would support moving the terrorists’ trials to Newburgh’s new courthouse, residents and others in the surrounding area have debated the benefits and security risks the city would encounter if this were to become a reality.

Discussion of the trials’ location, including that of the professed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, intensified after President Barrack Obama’s administration was faced with strong objections by New York City officials to hold them in lower Manhattan. Valentine is one of the many against having the trials so close to the World Trade Center site, also citing logistical reasons why a city like Newburgh would serve as a better host.

“It would have been horrendous if these trials were in lower Manhattan,” he said. “There are so many infrastructural differences between New York and Newburgh – it’s like night and day.”

After he made his statement regarding the trials, Valentine contacted Newburgh Police Chief Eric Paolilli to discuss the practicality of this idea. Paolilli said if he and his staff were PHOTO BY CITYOFNEWBURGH-NY.GOV given the right resources, security assistance and funding that Mayor Nick Valentine said he would host the trial of Khalid Sheikh. he would “be able to keep Newburgh safe” in spite of security risks. cal colleges such as Mount St. Mary and residents saying that The Obama administration has previously proposed to they would like to see the city be brought in a positive light by grant $200 million for security costs to the city that hosts the assisting in the democratic process. trials.

If federal officials decided to bring the trials to the Orange “This could not cost the City of Newburgh a dime,” ValenCounty city, Newburgh would also play host to hundreds of tine said. “However, if all safety, security and financial condimedia and security personnel, whose potential spending could tions were met, we would be up to this challenge.” raise revenue for the local economy.

However, Valentine said that many “Not to make light of the situation, have questioned his willingness to bring but putting the city’s name out there the suspected terrorists to court in the and housing thousands of visitors could city. Tiffany Niles, a fourth-year student have major effects,” Valentine said. at SUNY New Paltz from the neighbor“Media and security officials would be ing town of New Windsor, said she is entrenched here for months at a time, concerned about the currently high crime and they are going to spend money.” rate in the area. Although law enforceHowever, Valentine said he did not ment officials said the increased police want his offer to come off as a sales presence would curb crime, Niles said it pitch, citing that respect for people in would be “ridiculous” to introduce furthe area affected by the Sept. 11 attacks — Nick Valentine, ther security risks. and the safety of citizens is of utmost “Honestly, what would make the Mayor of Newburgh importance. government choose to hold the trials in Consequently, the mayor will not Newburgh?” she said. “Those who have be contacting officials in Washington managed to hide from the crime are now to push for the trial to be held in the going to be subjected to the possibility of $22 million courthouse on the corner of fatal terrorism.”

Robinson Ave. and Broadway. Valentine said he does not want Tracy Younes, a third-year New Paltz student out of Newto appear as though he is grandstanding and will leave it to the burgh, also cited concerns she had about raising the terror federal government to make a decision. threat in the area. However, Younes said she would not be op“Unless I hear something, I am not going to say anything posed to the trials being held in the city. more,” he said.

“Because it is a terrorist trial that would be so close to the According to SUNY New Paltz Director of Media RelaStewart Air Force Base, I feel this could be a target,” she said. tions Eric Gullickson, the college would take precautions to “But the trials have to be held somewhere, so why not here? maximize safety of students using the protocol outlined in the Newburgh has political history and there’s no reason that it emergency communications plan, which includes addressing can’t have a political future.” parent and student concerns. Those interested in reading the According to Valentine, 90 percent of the feedback he has plan can access it online at newpaltz.edu/emergency/commureceived has been positive, with city officials, students at lonications.

“It would have been horrendous if these trials were in lower Manhattan”

Thursday, February 11, 2010

News Briefs World Bulgarian authorities say 13 suspected members of a racketeering ring have been arrested in a police operation against organized crime. Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov on Wednesday said the suspects were allegedly involved in racketeering, drug trafficking and money laundering and that the suspects include a former senior officer of Bulgaria’s State National Security Agency. ***** A British court has convicted a woman of killing her former lover by poisoning his curry. The Central Criminal Court found 45-year-old Lakhvir Singh guilty of murdering 39-yearold Lakhvinder Cheema and causing grievous bodily harm to his fiancee by mixing Indian aconite into their dinner in January 2009. ***** A South African orphanage director died a hero, rescuing nine children as their rural home burned, local media reported Wednesday. ***** Two gangsters have been sentenced to death and six others have been given suspended death sentences amid a sweeping crackdown on organized crime in China’s sprawling southwestern city of Chongqing, state media said. ***** Iraq has ordered hundreds of private security guards linked to Blackwater Worldwide to leave the country within seven days or face possible arrest on visa violations, the interior minister said Wednesday. The order comes in the wake of a U.S. judge dismissing criminal charges against five Blackwater guards who were accused in the September 2007 shooting deaths of 17 Iraqis in Baghdad.

Compiled from the AP Newswire

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NEWS

The New Paltz Oracle

Paterson Proposes Public Higher Ed. Act

By Pamela Vivanco Copy Editor | Pvivanco57@newpaltz.edu

SUNY chancellor Nancy Zimpher is asking members of the SUNY and CUNY systems to support the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act, but some SUNY New Paltz students and faculty have expressed concern that the legislation would only lead to increase of tuition and privatization of SUNY schools.

Governor Paterson proposed The Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act as part of his 2010-2011 Executive Budget. The act would remove financial power from the legislature and would make SUNY and CUNY responsible for the price of tuition, the prices for different academic programs and overall academic finances.

President Steven Poskanzer sent an e-mail to students with reasons why they should support the legislation.

“This Act would give all of New York’s public universities the long-needed ability to set their own destiny with regard to tuition levels and the best use of those resources,” said Poskanzer. “The legislation would provide SUNY and CUNY with greater operational independence consistent with their missions so that they can adapt and thrive in the 21st century.”

Director of Media Relations Eric Gullikson and Poskanzer both agree that the current process makes it difficult for students and their families to accurately budget for college. President Poskanzer and SUNY Trustees have been advocating for

more of a “regular tuition indexing rather than unpredictable spikes in tuition that according to them are often dictated by the political cycle and state budgets.”

Gullikson added that if this legislation is passed, the tuition increase would be linked to a Higher Education Price Index.

“Instead of large, lumpy and unfairly targeted increases, we would have smaller year over year increases that would be more wisely tied to inflation,” he said.

Sociology professor Peter Kaufman said that, although the legislation does seem appealing on paper, he does not like the idea of the state reducing their commitment to higher education. Like some students, Kaufman is concerned that this proposal would lead SUNY and CUNY down a permanent path toward privatization.

Kaufman also believes that the state is just looking for a way to keep the fault of tuition increases out of their hands.

“In these times of economic distress the government should not be curtailing their support of public services such as higher education; rather, they should be increasing their support,” he said.

When second-year student Kate Jordan, heard about the legislation, she was hesitant about saying whether or not she supported it. Jordan said that if the school itself had complete control over tuition and other money related issues, then there is a possibility administrators might address the desires of New Paltz students and faculty. “However, there is something comforting about the fact that university affairs are so closely managed by a neutral party,” she said.

“It ensures that all SUNY and CUNY, New York State and City publicly supported schools, are funded as equally as possible.”

Like Jordan, NYPIRG also understands the possible benefits of Governor Paterson’s proposal. But, they also recognize what they believe are the bigger issues that supporting the legislation might create and do not support the proposal. NYPIRG project coordinator, Ariana Basco, reported the social inequalities that might result among the SUNY system in this week’s student senate meeting.

“TAP will reduce $75 a person and 400,000 students will be affected,” said Basco. If this legislation passes, the de-

“I fear that this act could potentially push up tuition”

— Peter Kaufman

Photojournalist Coming to New Paltz

By Andrew Wyrich Copy Editor | Andrew.wyrich63@newpaltz.edu

Renee Byer, the winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in photojournalism, has recently been announced as the ninth visiting James H. Ottaway Sr. Professor of Journalism at SUNY New Paltz.

Byer is currently a senior photojournalist at The Sacramento Bee in California, but grew up in Rosendale, New York.

Byer will be SUNY New Paltz’s first Ottaway professor with local roots, as well as the first photojournalist to be chosen for the position.

Director of the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, Sarah Pasti, called Byer’s work “brilliant” and “moving.” Noting that as a photojournalist, Byer takes her photos “to bring things into the public view that aren’t normally seen or talked about.”

Much of Byer’s work can currently be seen on campus in the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art. Included in the museum are what Pasti calls “two themes.” The

first theme is entitled “A Mothers Journey,” which highlights the struggle her son faced with his year long battle with cancer. According to Pasti, “people feel a range of emotions” when they see the exhibit and that “the photographs have been so moving that people have been crying.”

“A Mother’s Journey” has won the Pulitzer Prize, a World Understanding Award, as well as the Society of Professional Journalist’s Sigma Delta Chi Award for feature photography. Pasti believed that Byer wanted viewers to see how “heroic” her son was, and how “moving and beautiful the human spirit is” through the series of photographs.

The other theme, “Selected Photographs,” highlights other work Byer has completed in the past, which will act as a contrast to “A Mother’s Journey,” according to Sarah Pasti.

Byer’s artwork will be on display in the SDMA until April 11, and will also be PHOTO BY SUNYULSTER.EDU at a Gallery Talk at the SDMA on April 13.

Renee Byer is a Pulitzer Prize winner.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

crease of Tuition Assistance Program funding would decrease by $74.3 million.

Second-year student Jonathan Freifeld said, “I think any cuts of financial aid are terrible. I already know people who don’t receive financial aid and can’t afford to go to school.”

Basco supported Freifeld’s statement.

“Scholarships go to students who come from higher income families and whose parents can afford to get them tutors or Kaplan SAT classes. Students of low income families are the ones left out in the dust,” she said.

The legislation will also allow for differential tuition by campus or program.

Kaufman’s interpretation of this suggests that this legislation allows administrators to allocate more money toward majors that contain more general prestige, like engineering or medicine. As a result, students of lower income families probably won’t be able to pursue a career they want to pursue because they won’t be able to afford it.

“I fear that this act could potentially push up tuition for certain schools and certain programs and subsequently push out lower income students from these schools and programs,” he said.

This possibility, some students argue, defeats the original purpose of the SUNY schools system, which was to give students of all incomes and backgrounds an equal opportunity for education.

But Chancellor Zimpher promises to make all the programs affordable. According to the act, the SUNY board plans to adopt a tuition policy “that is fair, equitable and responsible that includes guidelines for across the board tuition adjustments, differential tuition and tuition planning.”

Although NYPIRG does not support the legislation, Basco is asking students to do their research and analyze this legislation in order to determine whether or not they agree with the legislation, or parts of it.

Kaufman proposed that this act basically frees the State of New York from supporting public higher education.

“We’ve already experienced severe budget cuts; this act seems to me to be a way to put a further burden on students and families under the promise of greater freedom and autonomy for the campuses,” said Kaufman. He encourages the SUNY and CUNY community to ask themselves: “More freedom and autonomy at what cost?”

Gullickson said that the success of the legislation is too early to speculate. The Legislative leaders and the Governor begin budget negotiations during February and March with the plan to adopt the State budget on April 1.

There will be a Council of Organizations meeting on Feb. 22 where the legislation will be further discussed.

The New Paltz Oracle

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NEWS

Late Night WFNP Canceled

By Julie Mansmann News Editor | Jmansmann60@newpaltz.edu

New Paltz night owls across campus and the village won’t be able to listen to live broadcasts on WFNP’s former 3 to 5 a.m. timeslot, as “The Edge” staff no longer have access to the Student Union Building after hours and will begin playing automated content at midnight.

Adjustments were made to the late pass privilege policy after multiple DJs brought security concerns to Bill Clark, the director of the Campus Media Center. Female staff members reportedly received what they felt were threatening phone calls while on-air during the early morning hours, with some saying they felt they were being followed after exiting the building.

WFNP Production Director Jon Oswalt said that threats were mainly reported by female DJs on the shift that he used to enjoy working.

“I loved the 3 to 5 a.m. slot when I had it, but you do get some colorful characters calling in late at night, to say the least,” he said. “There should have been some sort of SAM (Student Activities Manager) around in the building.”

After these safety concerns were made known, Clark and Vice President for Student Affairs Ray Schwarz involved Director of Student Activities and Union Services Michael Patterson in their conversations focused on finding solutions for alleviating safety concerns. Other SUNY schools were contacted and asked about their policies for allowing campus media access to the Student Union once building managers have left and it has been closed to the public for the night.

Patterson said because the DJs had been in the building later than anyone else and in small groups of perhaps two people, they were put in a more dangerous situation and a change had to be made.

“We weren’t necessarily picking on the radio, but they were in the building very late nearly every day, putting them at the highest security risk,” he said. “This group had alternatives and they were the most unprotected, so this seemed

PHOTO BY FELICE BERNABO

DJs will no longer be able to have live shows from 3 to 5 a.m. Instead, automated content will play. like the prudent, right thing to do.”

Although to 3 to 5 a.m. slot has been a regular part of the WFNP schedule at SUNY New Paltz, SUNYs such as Oswego and Brockport already play automated content after hours. Other schools, such as Plattsburgh and Oneonta, do allow special after-hour access to radio DJs, though campus police sign students in and/or check the building.

Scheduling of radio shows has been altered because

Scholarship Named for Dr. Wade-Lewis

By James Leggate News Editor | Leggat06@newpaltz.edu

Following the death of Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis, SUNY New Paltz has renamed the Minority Recruitment Program (MRP) Scholarship Endowment Fund in her memory.

Dr. Wade-Lewis, who was chairwoman of the Black Studies Department, taught at SUNY New Paltz for 36 years, beginning in the early days of the Black Studies Department. She was also the director of the MRP and the founder of the Scholar’s Mentorship Program (SMP), which aims to draw students of diverse ethnic backgrounds and assist them with their education.

Wade-Lewis’s work gained her the respect and admiration of her colleagues. “She worked diligently and without complain,” said Manisha Ford-Thomas, coordinator of the SMP. “Changing the scholarship name to the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis MRP Endowment Fund is absolutely fitting.”

According to Eileen Bastien of the SUNY New Paltz Foundation, the MRP scholarship has raised $130,000, partly due to the New York State Empire Matching Fund. This is still only a portion of the $1 million goal set in 2000.

However, students are hoping to help increase the

size of the fund. Student Association President Stephanie Samuel said that she is planning several events to raise money for the scholarship. Though the plans are still in early stages, Samuel said she hopes to organize a letter writing campaign, charge a small donation for students to participate in certain programs and performances as well as run raffles.

Samuel said she learned about fundraising by volunteering for Up ‘til Dawn, an organization which raises money for St. Jude’s Children’s Reasearch Hospital.

By using the techniques she has learned, Samuel hopes to spread the memory of Dr. Wade-Lewis in her fundraising. She also hopes to inspire donors for the MRP. Ford-Thomas said she also wants to keep the work and memory of Wade-Lewis going.

“Dr. Wade-Lewis’s kind heart and commitment to excellence have forever changed the SUNY New Paltz campus at large,” Ford-Thomas said. “She is sorely missed and her legacy will serve as motivation to the many lives she touched including my own.”

Anyone who wants to donate can call 845-2573239 or download a form at www.newpaltz.edu/ blackstudies/mrpscholarships.pdf.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

the members of the station are no longer allowed access to the building after midnight, with the latest time slots lasting from 8 to 10 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Oswalt said that while the change is forcing the station to make technological advances needed to play automated content and pre-recorded shows, the cut down on live programming is disheartening, “This is kind of getting us in line with everyone else who is already automated after hours by making us move forward technologically,” he said. “But, it also essentially eliminates half of our live programming and a lot of DJs are really turned off by that.”

One of them is WFNP Production Assistant Felix Ramirez, who lost a live show as a result of the change. He said he is disappointed that DJs like himself are losing their shows and hopes the policy will be revaluated in the future.

“A lot of us tried to resist this as much as we could.

It’s kind of like a stab in the back,” he said. “I hope we can eventually get our late pass back.”

While Oswalt said having night security in the Student Union would have been a welcomed addition, Patterson said it would not be financially responsible for his office to hire someone to stay late in the current fiscal climate when midnight automation serves as a free alternative. He said he is not aware of the University Police Department was made aware of the past security concerns in the building.

According to Patterson, because the radio station presented a suitable way to avoid staying past hours themselves that this policy adjustment seemed like a logical choice. The Office of Student Activities will also examine any possible alternatives for groups that still hold a late pass, such as the Student Association government, in the future.

“Of course people will be saddened by this decision, but in the grand scope, we had to act on the side of safety,” he said. “Who knows what goes on in this building when it is unsupervised? I wholeheartedly believe this was the right thing to do to maintain a sense of safety and security.”

Pg 8

NEWS

The New Paltz Oracle

New Paltz Ranks 53rd in Kiplinger’s

By Pete Thompson Sports Editor | Pthompson51@newpaltz.edu

SUNY New Paltz was recently recognized as one of the Top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges by Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine. Placing 53rd on the list, the university represented the SUNY system along with Binghamton (5th), Geneseo (9th) Buffalo (70th), Oneonta (81st) and Albany (84th).

Improving greatly on last year’s 78th place in-state rank, New Paltz has been gaining more and more popularity in recent years. With accolades such as this and Kaplan/Newsweek’s “Hottest Small State School,” administration has been more than pleased with the school’s showing.

“It’s great,” said Vice President of Enrollment Management David Eaton of receiving such honors. With research methodology that “must be very solid,” being recognized by such esteemed institutions as these “makes us more competitive,” said Eaton. “I like publications like this because they give us visibility.”

With an admission rate of 39 percent, 84 percent freshmen retention rate and student/faculty ratio of 15, New Paltz is doing a fine job of making itself more visible. An excellent choice for in-state students, the school also earned itself an exceptional ranking of 35 on the out-ofstate list. The institution has had a very promising past decade, with applications nearly doubling.

“We’re very fortunate being on an upward trajectory,” Eaton said. He even went as far to say that this rise has been gradually occurring throughout the past 10 to 30 years.

However, it was made known that New Paltz is not for everyone. As with any college, “It has its own characteris-

PHOTO BY ALEC HOROWITZ

SUNY New Paltz ranks 53rd, up from 78th last year. Five other SUNY schools made the list. tics, feelings and fit,” said Eaton. “We don’t want to encourage people it’s not fit for.” People say that the New Paltz “fit,” embodied by a unique town, community and overall vibe, is often understood upon immediate arrival into the village.

Entrancing to some, it is a place simply far too eccentric for many.

“Not just the campus, but the town as a whole puts me at ease and increases my quality of life,” said second-year psychology major Madeleine Munson.

Aside from benefitting prospective students, such renown is an asset to current students as well by making a diploma more recognizable and more valuable.

Such popularity does have its pitfalls nonetheless. “There are certain pressures to keep moving upward,” said Eaton. “You never want to go down on the list.” Thankfully, this is something fairly small scale in the entire scheme of things.

“Kiplinger, Newsweek, Kaplan, Barons and Princeton are grossly ineffective

marketing tools when compared to what our students say when they go home,” said Eaton. It’s the opinions of those attending rather than those observing and analyzing that really grasp the interest of others.

“I didn’t even know New Paltz was chosen [for the best value list] and it probably wouldn’t have made a difference to me,” said first-year Christina Taufan, an undeclared student. “My friends in high school told me about the school.”

State Assemblymen Discuss Constitutional Convention

By Pierce Lydon Editor-in-Chief | Lydon47@newpaltz.edu

The United States is a democracy in which officials are elected by the people to speak for the people and provide guidance, care and oversight. Former Village of New Paltz Trustee Pete Healey wants to keep it that way.

On Tuesday, Feb. 2, Healey and the Proportional Representation Party hosted an event called “Serious Reform or Just More Shadows? A Civil Conversation about Constitutional Convention.”

The event featured NYS Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-129th), Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D-92nd) and Kathleen Tobin-Flusser, appearing on behalf of Gerald Benjamin, Director of the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO) who has co-authored a number of pro-convention editorials with former NYS Governor Mario Cuomo in The Wall Street Journal and Albany Times-Union. Discussion revolved around Kolb’s recently introduced legis-

lation to allow for a statewide referendum on a constitutional convention this November instead of 2017 as currently permitted.

“Our Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Comptroller and one of our US Senators were not elected to those positions by voters in NYS. There are serious constitutional issues surrounding these appointed, rather than elected, officials,” said Healey. “The legislature elected this November will decide on the districts for all state legislators and our congressional delegation for the next 10 years. This legislature ought not be entrusted with that responsibility without a serious reconsideration of our dysfunctional constitution.”

The current state constitution was drafted in 1938 with the most recent amendment having been made in 2002. The last constitutional convention was in 1967 but all changes were rejected. Constitutional conventions are allowed only every 20 years.

“The interest in constitutional change has grown in the last months, and other colleagues have joined the effort by introducing bills that call for specific changes

Thursday, February 11, 2010

and for the calling of a convention. That kind of interest and action is all to the good,” said Brodsky. “It’s time we began to take the next steps. There is much of real value in the constitution that exists today, including a true bill of rights, protection for working people, elevation of education to a constitutional value and many other important policies. It is a social contract and we must understand and protect it.”

Brodsky has introduced similar legislation to Kolb except that Kolb’s would also prohibit sitting members of the state legislature (politicians and lobbyists) from serving as delegates to the convention.

“Tonight’s forum was an example of the non-partisan, grassroots appeal for convening a people’s constitutional convention. Fixing our broken state government begins and ends with the people taking an active role and demanding real reform,” said Kolb. “We need to follow up tonight’s event with similar grassroots forums and town hall meetings to keep building support for a people’s convention.”

Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Gunk

The Changing Tide of Activism Story on Page 4B

PHOTO COURTESY OF STUDENTS FOR FRESH WATER

Preview 10 Upcoming Spring Movies including “Iron Man 2,” “Shutter Island” and more on pages 8B and 9B! PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

2B | FEATURES

The New Paltz Oracle

A Decade of Change in New Paltz LOOKING BACK ON 10 YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

By Justin McCarthy Features Editor | Jmccarthy46@newpaltz.edu

The end of the first decade of the new millennium is a special marker for SUNY New Paltz, allowing for a reflection on the changes and accomplishments it has achieved in the past 10 years. So, what’s different? How are students at New Paltz better off than those who were enrolled 10 years ago?

“The last decade . . . is fertile ground for review because many powerful and profound changes have taken place in this time-span,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management David Eaton, who began his tenure at New Paltz in 1981.

Eaton cited first-year retention rates and graduation rates as the “two commonly accepted standards for determining institutional effectiveness,” and accredited the increases in both rates to the changes that occurred within the academic quality of the student body, the increase in fulltime faculty and the changes and additions made to the physical campus.

Since 2000, the number of applicants to SUNY New Paltz has almost doubled, and despite its increased popularity, the university has not increased its enrollments. This has resulted in higher competition amongst applicants and an increase in the academic standing of all entering freshmen and transfer students, Eaton said.

“The mean SAT (verbal and math) for the class of 2000 was 1100 and for the class of 2009 was 1170; the mean high school average for 2000 and 2009 was 87 and 91, respectively. During this same period of time, the mean transfer grade point average changed from 2.8 to 3.2,” said Eaton. In addition to the change in the student body, New Paltz increased its full-time faculty from 270 to 340 in the last ten years.

The SUNY New Paltz campus has also made significant changes and additions since the new millennium arrived.

Vice President of Student Affairs L. David Rooney, said administrators implemented alterations and additions to the campus with “mindfulness of the quality and residential experience and our attention to the physical environment.” He claimed the university had made improvements to the residence halls in the past decade by building new roofs and windows, and replacing carpets.

David Eaton noted that some of the biggest improvements the college has made to the campus have been “the construction of Lenape Hall, the Athletic and Wellness Center, the outdoor running track and turf field,” as well as the renovation of Vandenberg Hall. He noted that “less glamorous but important projects” were “new high temperature hot water lines and air conditioning for the Humanities building.”

“In all, over $100 million was invested in the campus and its infrastructure during the decade, improving the functionality, service, ambiance, and aesthetic quality of the campus,” Eaton.

Rooney also noted other changes such as the expansion of staff for the Student Activities Office and disabled student resources.

As for making first-year students feel included and aware of their community, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Raymond Schwarz said the First Year Initiative program is an important element to retaining entering freshmen because it gives them “a sense of belonging and ownership.”

And what about the future? How does New Paltz envision itself in 2020?

Some things that current students can look forward to are the renovation of the Old Main Building and the completion of the Student Union Building (SUB) addition. However, some students wonder if some of these efforts will actually benefit those who are enrolled in the future.

“Although it’s aesthetically pleasing, I question how useful the SUB addition will be to the student body,” said Paul Ferndandes, a third-year business major.

New Paltz administrators have done a lot of planning for new ways to improve student life on campus. According to L. David Rooney, residence halls will undergo major renovation next year “with

According to Vice President for Enrollment Management David Eaton, $100 million was invested in the campus and its infrastructure.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

CLASS COMPARISON Mean SAT Score (Verbal and Math) 2000: 1100 2009: 1170 Mean High School Average 2000: 87 2009: 91 Mean Transfer GPA 2000: 2.8 2009: 3.2 Statistics Provided by David Eaton

an eye toward brightening them up and modernizing them.” The renovation will increase wireless internet access, lighting, and additional electric outlets to accommodate the increasingly technology savvy generations of students that come in.

“We want to be the best undergraduate education in SUNY with even more talented and diverse students,” said President of SUNY New Paltz Steven Poskanzer. “We want a richer faculty-to-student ratio, new and better teaching/learning, student life and housing facilities and wider recognition of just how good New Paltz is.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWPALTZ.EDU

FEATURES | 3B

The New Paltz Oracle

Hooked on Yarn

By Kaitlyn Day

Contributing Writer | N02212829@newpaltz.edu

Did you ever want to know how to make a hat, a scarf or even a blanket?

Now you can learn how by following these steps.

This week, I’ll show you how to make a slipknot and a chain, which are the foundations you’ll need to begin crocheting.

All you need to start is a crochet hook (size 8/H is a good start but a slightly smaller or larger hook will work too) and a skein (ball) of yarn.

Step 1: Make a slipknot by starting to make a basic knot without pulling the end of the yarn through the loop.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNY NEW PALTZ SLAM TEAM

The SUNY New Paltz Slam Team’s upcoming Wade-Lewis Poetry Slam invitational will be the second largest poetry slam in the nation.

Slam Team Takes “Dorms by Storm” POETS STIR EMOTIONS DURING ON-CAMPUS TOUR

By Pamela Vivanco Copy Editor | Pvivanco57@newpaltz.edu

In the midst of snaps and claps was a poem for tree-hugging hippies, Cosmohating women and procrastinating college students. Three members of the nationally ranked SUNY New Paltz Slam Team made the uncomfortably hot main lounge of Bliss Hall worth sitting in on the night of Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Slam Team poets Ben Golden and Mike Bunin opened up the second showing of the Slam Team’s on-campus tour, “Taking the Dorm by Storm,” with what they humorously and enthusiastically categorized as “a stupid poem about pot.” The laughter died down when poet Grace McDermott stood up and asked, “What will we tell our children when they ask what a tree was?” Each passionately recited poem produced a new sense of energy in the room. Sometimes it was laughter. Sometimes it was confusion.

Sometimes it was a sense of awareness.

Approximately seven poems were recited.

“I never really knew what slam poetry was and it was really moving and entertaining all at the same time,” said undeclared second-year student Catherine Ball. “They wrote and spoke about things that actually mattered.”

McDermott, Golden and Bunin offered

a taste of what to expect on Feb. 26 and 27 when the New Paltz Slam Team will compete against nine other schools at the WadeLewis Slam Poetry Slam Invitational.

The upcoming Wade-Lewis Poetry Slam Invitational is the second largest poetry slam in the United States. It is also one the largest competitions to be held on the SUNY New Paltz campus.

“There is going to be heavy competition at the Wade-Lewis Slam, but I have a lot of confidence in every member of my team,” said Bunin. “We all work hard and dedicate our time to each other and the team in order to prepare every single poem we use for competition.”

Slam Team President and 2007 Grand Slam champion, Megan Falley is encouraging students to attend the competition in hopes that it will bring the student body together, outside of just people who listen to poetry.

“We have noticed cliques in the school, racial divides, and other binaries that we would like to heal with something the school can unite behind,” said Falley.

“The Wade-Lewis Poetry Slam Invitational, which we hope to be an annual competition, is our first step for that change.”

According to Falley, the late Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis was the reason many

of the Slam Team members have fallen in love with slam poetry.

“We thought that naming the competition after her would be a fitting tribute for how tremendously she touched our lives,” Falley said.

The SUNY New Paltz Slam Team will be competing against nine universities including SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Geneseo, Yale, Berklee College of Music and University of Pennsylvania who is currently ranked number one in the nation. “We are very confident in our team this year.

UPenn definitely has an incredible resume, but this current team is the strongest we have had in years,” said Falley.

The Slam Team will continue taking the “dorms by storm” until Feb. 24.

Step 2: Insert hook into the loop and pull loop tight, but not too tight, around the hook.

Step 3: While holding onto the knot, wrap the yarn around the hook from back to front.

Step 4: Catch the yarn with the hook and pull the yarn through the loop.

Show Times and Dates: Thursday, Feb. 11 at 9 p.m. in Lenape Hall Monday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. in Crispell Hall Thursday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. in Scudder Hall

”Dorm Storm” Finale Week-Invitational Pre-game: Monday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. in Esopus Hall Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. in Bouton Hall Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. in Collango Hall Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 10 p.m. in Gage Hall Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 9 p.m. in Bevier Hall

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Step 5: Make sure you leave the yarn in the loop and repeat until you’ve reached your desired length.

Next week, I’ll continue with single crochet. But if you want a head start, come to Le Knitty Gritty at 4:30 p.m. on Mondays in the foyer of the library.

4B | FEATURES

The New Paltz Oracle

New Club Making Waves

CAMPUS GROUP LAUNCHES WATER CONSERVATION AGENDA

By John Brandi Features Editor | Jbrandi02@newpaltz.edu

PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Currently, 1.4 billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. Water is a crucial component in sustaining life on Earth.

According to Mayo Clinic, “every system in your body depends on water.

[It] flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.”

Students for Fresh Water in Developing Nations at SUNY New Paltz is a relatively new club with a respectable agenda.

It donates all proceeds to charitywater. org and also aids in the construction and maintenance of water wells in developing countries.

According to Vice President Arielle Lindstrom, a second-year English major, “money made [through charitable means] is from people within the New Paltz community.”

The club was birthed out of inspiration. President Nicholas DePalma, a thirdyear sociology major, learned about charitywater.org at his former college.

“I felt compelled, and from there, started to get in touch with others,” he said.

They held organizational meetings, and from there it grew in both dedication and number.

“We currently have 12-13 people per meeting,” he said. “We now have a concert coordinator, a demonstrations coordinator.

We want people to feel worthwhile,” he said.

They urge people in the club to explore what they enjoy, “On a spiritual basis, if people are happy with what they are doing, it’ll build,” said Lindstrom.

Students for Fresh Water in Developing Nations is devoted to their charity work with 100 percent of all proceeds going to charitywater.org. It was founded by Scott Harrison, a former nightclub owner who raised awareness for the Developing Countries’ water dilemma by utilizing multimedia outlets.

“Desperately unhappy, I needed to change. [I was] faced with spiritual bank-

ruptcy,” said Harrison.

The club mirrors charitywater.org’s goals with the water wells.

“This is a perfect example of a man with means who had a change of heart,” said Lindstrom.

In the past three years, charitywater. org has helped over one million people and about1,200 villages (as of 2009). They currently have a water reconstruction plan in development for Haiti, which was struck by a 7.0 earthquake this year.

The idea of the water well being located locally reduces the rate of violence and suffering. Women and children face the threat of being taken, raped or murdered because most middle ground between of water retrieval is in unstable, volatile regions.

“Collectors’ have to carry jerry cans, or former oil cans, which weigh 50-100 lbs., over many miles,” said DePalma.

According to their Facebook group page, this can cause severe bone deformities.

“With wells in the towns, members of the community can focus on education and governmental positions,” said Depalma.

If the collectors’ are fortunate enough to reach the water, Lindstrom said it is stagnant and contaminated with human and animal bacteria. This can cause disease to spread more quickly within these small communities.

The club wants more students and community members to become aware of this dilemma.

“We want people to join the events,” said DePalma.

Since they wish to build up their reputation, they are trying to focus on staying local for now. However, they would like to one day offer assistance to likeminded clubs.

“To help another culture, we must appeal to our own,” said Lindstrom.

For more information on how to get involved, attend their semiweekly meetings, the first being Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in SUB 414, and the second Thursday at 6:15 p.m. in Humanities 309. Additionally, there is going to be a Sweet Hearts Dance for Water at Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church on Feb. 26. Doors open at 6 p.m.

“I felt compelled, and from there, started to get in touch with others” Nicholas DePalma, president of Students for Fresh Water in Developing Nations

Fresh Water Facts: • • • • •

The average American uses about 150 gallons of water per day. In a developing nation, an average person struggles to obtain five gallons of water per day to survive.

Half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from water-borne diseases.

Manufacturing your car used 39,000 gallons of water. That’s enough water to keep one person alive for nearly 54 years, which is 10 years longer than the average lifespan in Africa.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, a baby’s chance of dying from a case of diarrhea is almost 520 times greater than in the U.S..

Our planet is 70 percent water, of which 97.5 percent is saltwater. This means only 2.5 percent is available for the 6 billion people on the planet today. In other words, if all of the world’s water were represented by one bathtub, about a teaspoon would be the amount that is available for human use.

SOURCE: CHARITYWATER.ORG

One in eight people on the planet don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water.

SOURCE: CHARITYWATER.ORG

PHOTO COURTESY OF STUDENTS FOR FRESH WATER IN DEVELOPING NATIONS

Thursday, February 11, 2010

FEATURES | 5B

The New Paltz Oracle

Remembering Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis STUDENTS AND FACULTY WORK TO PRESERVE “MAMA LEWIS’” LEGACY

By Jenn Von Willer Contributing Writer | Jvonwiller76@newpaltz.edu

A pioneer that was warm, genuine, kind — are just some of the many truths said about the late Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis.

Wade-Lewis, who worked at the State University of New York at New Paltz for 36 years, passed away on Dec. 30, 2009, but her spirit remains alive in the hearts of many students and faculty members.

A few organizations, including the Black Student Union, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and the African Women’s Alliance, banded together in celebration of her life on Monday night at 8 p.m. in the basement of Shango Hall. There were murals displaying campus-wide organizations that Wade-Lewis personally contributed her time and leadership toward over the last three decades. Besides working with EOP and the Scholar’s Mentorship Program, she helped with the New Day Theater and contributed to the efforts of the African Women’s Alliance and Black Student Union.

According to her Hudson Valley Press obituary, which was read aloud, she was raised in Haskell, Okla. Throughout her early life, she excelled in writing, literature,

speaking and dramatic interpretation. She was said to have cherished her parents and enjoyed growing up in a large family. When she was eight years old, she was baptized by her father, the late Rev. J. E. Williams.

After graduating from the Booker T. Washington High School with honors and completing her undergraduate and graduate studies at Langston University in Langston, Okla., she became a member of the New Paltz community. There, she met and married David Lewis. For many years, her and her husband strived to provide a welcoming home for children who needed loving parents on a short- or long-term basis.

She was the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Linguistics from New York University in 1988. In 1974, Wade-Lewis started out as an assistant professor in Black Studies and Linguistics. She soon became the co-founder and director of the Scholar’s Mentorship Program, a networking initiative for students of all ethnic backgrounds, in addition to chairperson of the Black Studies department. From her hospital bed, she was still writing feedback on her students’ research papers.

She taught favorable courses including Black English, Contemporary Black Literature, Black Poetry and Drama and Africana

Culture. She was expected to teach Contemporary Blacks in Literature this semester.

Despite her title, she was fond of her nicknames—Mama Wade or Mama Lewis— given to her by her fellow students and club advisees.

About 30 students showed up for the event and shared their experiences and memories together. There was laughter and at times, heated debates regarding the strict policy guidelines set by the SUNY Board of Trustees in order to rename college buildings.

According to President Steven Poskanzer, renaming College Hall to Wade Hall would cost $5 million. However, the action to continue in the professor’s footsteps and encourage other alumni and current students to further progress what she stood for was very important in the discussion.

Some “baby step” plans include unifying the Black and Latino organizations, and for college president Steven Poskanzer to keep her memory alive in her scholarship, her work and continue to preserve the murals of Shango Hall. Most importantly, students want to permanently preserve her name by informing new students about Wade-Lewis’ legacy.

She was a beloved sister, wife, mother,

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWPALTZ.EDU

Margaret Wade-Lewis of the Black Studies Department died of cancer on Dec. 30, 2009.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

devout Baptist, keynote speaker, adviser, thesis adviser, mentor, conference organizer, but those who knew her said she was a positive role model that never complained and easily made you smile no matter what type of day you were having.

For more information on donations to the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Scholarship, please contact the Black Studies Department in the Faculty Office Building West 2 located by the Student Union Building and behind the Coykendall Science Building. Or call 845-257-2760.

“I really feel like the meeting helped form a dialogue about how important she was to us and how we should exemplify what she has taught us in our lives,” said fourth-year organizational communication and Black Studies double major Anthony Lino, who was one of the organizers of the event.

“After this meeting, it really unified us.

There’s so much we’d like to do but we don’t know how. Those students that do know those policies, they’ll talk to us and make us understand everything,” said third-year Black Studies and sociology double major Latosha Belton, who shared “Libate,” a heartfelt poem dedicated to Dr. Wade-Lewis.

6B | FEATURES

The New Paltz Oracle

SOAPBOX: We asked SUNY New Paltz students and professors what they thought about the plan for higher education reform outlined

by President Obama in his State of the Union address.

“I agree and disagree with parts of his speech. I think that in order for more students to enroll in college, state schools across the country need to become more appealing for students. I think it should be up to the states to decide how to make this happen because our federal government is spending enough money elsewhere, while going deeper into debt. I agree that boosting community colleges would definitely raise enrollment rates. Obama saying that all debt will be forgiven after 20 years sounds like rhetoric to me. If that actually becomes law, I only see problems arising. I do not have too much faith in this plan, but Obama’s priorities are on the right track for the most part.”

Devon Lee Pope, third-year journalism major

“I would support Obama’s proposals. I am not sure at what point we have to stop increasing the federal budget and deficit, but I would not draw the line here. Getting more people to enroll may not be my idea of how to proceed. I’d like to see more training in other important things, like vocational skills and health-related jobs. We have serious needs for workers and a liberal arts education is not the panacea to our jobs problem.”

Rob Miraldi, Ph.D. Professor of Journalism

“Obama’s plans for education reform seem to be on the right track.

Policies like No Child Left Behind were only a hindrance in any type of progress for education in America. It would be nice to see more money and attention given to education rather than our military budget. The loan/debt help is a smart move and hopefully would offer people who have to work right out of school a better chance at college. I think it to be more beneficial to improve our elementary, middle and high schools. I think at the heart of my views and ideas, more money toward our education, socialized health plan and other such programs would be far more beneficial than the money wasted in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Joseph Poulos, third-year creative writing major

“I think that it’s great that finally someone is taking initiative to promote higher education with our youth. So many people are not fortunate enough to go to college and think that they’ll be in debt no matter what so it’s not worth it. I think that this plan sounds promising and I hope that it is successful but at least it’s a step in the right direction.”

Tina Warren, third-year communication and media major

Thursday, February 11, 2010

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 7B

The New Paltz Oracle

FansABCFind Answers in Final Season PROVIDES HIGH HOPES FOR HIT SERIES “LOST”

By Maxim Alter Copy Editor | Malter42@newpaltz.edu

For the past six years, there has been a phenomenon growing in our television screens, whether you have realized it or not. If you are in the latter category, then you might be really confused by what you’re about to read, so hold on tight.

About a week ago, “Lost” began its final 17-episode series culmination, and for a lot of fans, that means one thing: answers. Since 2004, fans of the series “Lost” have been dealing with flashbacks, time travel, flash-forwards, and now – flash-sideways?

That’s right; Lost has done it again and blown the lid off what is expected of contemporary television by including a new narrative device: a parallel reality.

When season five ended in May of 2009, fans were left hanging by one hell of a cliff (that’s another way of saying cliff hanger.) I don’t want to spoil anything for those of you who haven’t been able to keep up with the show, but I will say that it ended with a bang, literally.

Ok, so that kind of gave it away, but it’s your fault for not watching what is, in my opinion, one of the greatest television shows of the last decade, if not the most ambitious.

What makes “Lost” so good, you ask? Well, let me lay it on you like this. Currently in the series, there are about – give or take a death here and there – 11

main characters. Yes, I agree with you, that’s a lot.

However, each character is handled with so much care and finesse that you forget you’re watching an hourlong television program. For example, there is Jack Shephard. Jack is a doctor and when the series first begins, he is our hero. The survivors of flight 815 look to him for guidance. He heals the wounded and makes all the hard decisions. Still, what makes Jack such an interesting character is that he isn’t perfect. He is selfloathing and could never make his father proud or his marriage work. Then, there is John Locke. When we first meet John, he is a hunter. He is a man with no fear and enough knowledge to fill an encyclopedia.

What we soon find out, however, is that before his flight crashed down on this mysterious island, which I currently consider to be the twelfth main character in the series, he was paralyzed from the waist down and was bound to a wheelchair. The cast of characters also include a femme fatale with a heart, a soldier with a dark past, a lottery winner with a curse, and a con man with a mission. The list goes on, and I promise you, each character’s story will play with your heartstrings and pull you in deeper than you could ever imagine.

But just when you think you’ve got them all figured out, a new piece of information is given to you and your perceptions are blown out the window, especially when you start to learn that these strangers are more connected than you think.

Season six is finally here, and the writers have promised that we will get all the answers our hearts desire. With the series coming to its melancholy conclusion, executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will finally be able to give us the ending they have planned for three years now. This is where it may get confusing for those of you who aren’t “Lost” fanatics like myself. By using the previously mentioned parallel reality, or flash-sideways, they have created two separate timelines in the series. One of which is a reality where Oceanic flight 815 never crashed on the island and the other is the opposite. At this point in the season, we are left wondering where the hell they are going with this crazy turn of events. Are these two timelines going to connect? Are they going to co-exist? Are they going to cross? Does one prove to be more important than the other? Then, there are all those unanswered questions from the last five seasons.

What do the numbers mean? Where the hell is Claire?

Why does Richard Alpert never age? Where did Jacob come from? Trust me when I say that if I wrote out all the questions this series has left me with, they could fill this whole paper and then some. Thankfully, since episode one of the final season, we’ve already gotten a taste of these answers. I am proud to say that I know what the smoke monster is, or should I say, who it is.

“LOST” SEASON 6 PREMIERE TRIVIA •

Boone is sitting in the same row as Locke. This was not the case in the original flight.

•

In Jack’s flashback in the pilot episode he tells Rose “it’s normal” after turbulences hit. This time it’s her saying it to Jack.

•

In the pilot, the flight attendant hands Jack two bottles of vodka when he comments about his drink not being strong. He sticks one in his pocket which Kate uses to sterilize her hands and Jack’s wound after the crash on the island. In this episode, the flight attendant only gives Jack one bottle.

•

When Desmond sits down next to Jack, row number 23 is visible behind him. 23 being one of “The Numbers.”

•

When Sawyer finds Juliet at the Swan site, her hands move into various positions between shots, though she is obviously unconscious at the time.

•

As of this episode, Jack and Kate are the only character to appear in every season premier of the series.

•

Sayid’s passport, shown at LAX, is an Iranian passport instead of being Iraqi.

•

The flashback “whoosh” is different this season. It is similar to the time flashes of Season 5.

Source: TV.COM

Thursday, February 11, 2010

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAEMONSTV.COM

8B | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The New Paltz Oracle

Movie Season Comes In Like A Lion:

By Andrew Carden

‘ALICE IN WONDERLAND,’ ‘SHUTTER ISLAND’ AND ‘DATE NIGHT’

Contributing Writer| N01790806@newpaltz.edu

2009 was a remarkable year in film.

Between box-office blockbusters like “The Hangover” and “Star Trek,” Oscar-bound sleepers like “The Hurt Locker” and “Precious,” and the record-breaking juggernaut that was “Avatar,” it’s probably hard to argue that 2009 was anything less than an incredibly memorable year for movies. It was the year in which the seemingly insurmountable box-office record of “Titanic” was finally broken, where Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep ruled with a string of surprise hits, and where cute little rodents drew the kiddies and their unenthused parents to “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” and “GForce.” (Okay, maybe that last part wasn’t such a good thing.)

Despite the high bar set last year, there appears to be more than enough to look forward to in 2010. Just take the next few months alone into consideration, the latewinter/spring film offerings to come are jampacked with movies that look promising, and, perhaps as expected, a bunch that look completely unbearable at first sight. (Odds are, it would take more than just one Oracle article to effectively preview every upcoming film, both awesome and atrocious-looking,) and so, without further adieu, here are 10 soon-tobe-released films which I think look destined to deliver.

“Iron Man 2”

“Hot Tub Time Machine”

For my money, if there is any one movie this spring which seems a surefire bet to deliver the goods, it’s the upcoming sequel to 2008’s blockbuster, “Iron Man.” With the original director and leading man back for the ride, not to mention the new additions of Rourke (as villain Ivan “Whiplash” Vanco) and Scarlet Johansson (as Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff, an undercover spy), “Iron Man 2” will hopefully prove to be as rip-roaring, effects-packed, and supremelyentertaining as the first.

Here’s my pick for the “sleeper hit” of the spring season. It’s one of those concepts that seems completely hit-or-miss on paper a bunch of old friends reunite at the ski resort where they used to party, hop in the Jacuzzi they used to chill in, and wind up going back in time to their days of youth, circa-1986. For all I know, this could be a complete disaster, but the previews look uproarious, and with Robinson (“The Office”) and Rob Corddry (“The Daily Show”) involved, it would be stunning if this didn’t deliver at least a few solid laughs. Plus, Chevy Chase is in it. Yes, THE Chevy Chase.

Director: Jon Favreau Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke Release Date: May 7

*****

“Alice in Wonderland”

Director: Tim Burton Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Release Date: March 5 Tim Burton’s long-awaited take on the classic Lewis Carroll novel finally takes to the big screen this March. Incorporating a filming technique which combines live action with motion capture, Burton’s adaptation looks to be a feast for the eyes, and perhaps a bizarre feast at that. Taking on the role of the Mad Hatter, Depp is sure to be back in ultraeccentric mode. Let’s see if he can possibly top the insanity that was his Willy Wonka.

Director: Steve Pink Cast: John Cusack, Craig Robinson Release Date: March 19

*****

“Shutter Island”

Director: Martin Scorsese Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo Release date: Feb. 19 Here’s one of those projects that sounds like a surefire winner on paper – director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, reuniting for the first time since “The Departed,” with a thriller about the eerie happenings at a hospital for the criminally insane in the 1950s. To boot, DiCaprio is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast, including Ben King-

sley (Oscar-winner for “Gandhi”), Max von Sydow (who played title role in “The Exorcist”), and Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill in “The Silence of the Lambs”). One note of caution, “Shutter Island” was actually originally slated for release last winter, but ended up pulled from its studio’s Christmas schedule after some test screenings of it reportedly yielded lukewarm audience reception. Hopefully, the bugs have been worked out since then, and it’ll wind up a worthy addition to the Scorsese canon.

*****

“Machete”

Director: Robert Rodriguez Cast: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba Release Date: April 16 Okay, perhaps this selection is a bit obscure to really make a Top 5 of anything, but I can’t lie, of all the movies to come over the next few months, this is the one I’m probably most psyched about. Here’s the ultimate film for anyone who preferred the fake “Grindhouse” movie trailers to the two actual “Grindhouse” movies themselves. It’s a tale of betrayal and revenge (and probably has some gratuitous sex and violence), from the director of “Sin City.” It also fulfills the wishes of anyone who’s dreamed about Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, and Cheech Marin (as a rifle-wielding priest!) sharing the same screen.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

Thursday, February 11, 2010

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 9B

The New Paltz Oracle

10 Films to Light Up Silver Screen ARE JUST A FEW TO LOOK OUT FOR THAT SHOULD NOT DISAPPOINT “I Love You, Phillip Morris”

“The Wolfman”

Director: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann Release Date: March 26

Director: Joe Johnston Cast: Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt Release Date: Feb. 12

Jim Carrey has taken on his fair share of oddball roles in the past – most notably, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Man on the Moon” – but here is probably the most against-type character Carrey has played to date. In this upcoming comedy-drama, Carrey portrays a police officer who decides to pursue a new course in life following a near-fatal car accident. On this journey, Carrey realizes that he’s gay, gets thrown in jail for fraud, and winds up falling in love with a fellow inmate, played by Ewan McGregor. The concept of “I Love You, Phillip Morris” would probably be a huge stretch for any actor, but it’s definitely got some “sleeper” potential.

Believe it or not, 2010 marks the first-ever remake of the original 1941 horror classic. Benicio del Toro is arguably the perfect candidate in taking on that infamous title role, and it probably can’t hurt having Anthony Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs”) around to add some flavor. Unfortunately, despite a terrific trailer, “The Wolfman” has been through postproduction hell, originally slated for release last November, and pushed back over dissatisfaction with the final cut. Nonetheless, there should be some good stuff to salvage here, especially with director Johnston (“Jumanji,” “Jurassic Park 3”), who’s made a career out of bad-but-fun movies, at the helm.

*****

*****

“Date Night”

“A Nightmare on Elm Street”

Director: Shawn Levy Cast: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg Release Date: April 9

Director: Samuel Bayer Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Connie Britton Release date: April 30

Also known as “How Steve Carell and Tina Fey fare outside of Thursday nights on NBC.” Carell and Fey are the comic dream team to portray on-screen spouses, and here, they play just that – a bored New York couple who wind up drawn into an evening of danger after “stealing” someone’s identity at a restaurant. The comedic talents of its’ leads should make “Date Night” at least a watchable affair, although fans craving the savvy, sarcastic humor of “30 Rock” and “The Office” may not necessarily strike gold here as Levy is known for more mild, kid-targeted fare like “Cheaper By the Dozen” and “Night at the Museum.”

Right off-the-bat, I must admit that I’m usually not too keen on horror movie remakes. Once in a while, there’s a decent one (“Dawn of the Dead” and “The Hills Have Eyes” come to mind), but more often than not, I believe they end up paling miserably in comparison to the original films. That being said, I actually have some faith in this one. For one, this remake abides by my golden rule when it comes to making remakes in the first place – don’t do it unless you can add something new and exciting to the proceedings; a shot-byshot, nothing-new remake is the epitome of pointless and lazy filmmaking. Here, at least judging from the creepy trailer, it

Thursday, February 11, 2010

looks like director Samuel Bayer is taking Freddy Kruger in a darker, more sinister direction. My problem with the “Nightmare” series was that it all too often bordered on camp. If this film is aiming for more dramatic territory, I’m all for it.

*****

“Green Zone”

Director: Paul Greengrass Cast: Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan Release date: March 12 Matt Damon may no longer be filling out the shoes of Jason Bourne, but he’s still running amok in foreign territory in the latest picture from the director of the last two “Bourne” movies. In “Green Zone,” Damon portrays a U.S. Army officer who goes on the hunt for weapons of mass destruction after discovering covert and faulty intelligence. Greengrass has yet to make a film which didn’t deliver the goods (he also directed “United 93”), and he and Damon are working with a script by Brian Helgeland, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “L.A. Confidential” and “Mystic River.” This should be a winner, although it doesn’t seem to have even half the hype of the “Bourne” franchise.

***** For all I know, I’m overlooking a handful of upcoming films which may wind up making a splash at the box-office.

After all, there are dozens upon dozens of movies set for release over the next few months, and more often than not, some high-profile films wind up tanking with critics and audiences, while some low-budget indie fare comes out of left-field to sweep mainstream America off its’ feet.

Before you know it, it’ll be the summer movie season, and what does that entail? Two words: Buzz Lightyear.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

10B | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The New Paltz Oracle

‘Up in the Air’ Soars Beyond Expectations CLOONEY AND CAST CONVEY AN UPLIFTING EMOTIONAL TALE

By Alec Horowitz Assistant Photo Editor |

N01877795@newpaltz.edu

“Up In The Air” is a character study, commentary on capitalism and romantic comedy all in one.

A movie for the times, George Clooney is perfect for the role as a cool salesman for hire whose job is to fire employees from different companies. He passes off commitment and relationships as nonsense, and at times, seems uncaring.

As the movie unveils, we see more and more that there actually is a human being in him who is caring and good hearted. Early on we see young college graduate Natalie (Anna Kendrick) try to make her first big break in the business world by pitching firing by computer.

Ryan (George Clooney) is not amused and says to his boss (an unshaven Jason Bateman) that he isn’t up to firing people over a computer. He says that firing people should have some dignity attached to it. So, thus begins Ryan taking the young up and comer on a coming of age journey. This trip becomes emotional for him, as he starts to reconsider the choice of lifestyle he made. He’s a man who goes from airport to airport without considering what emotional connections he might have made if he chose another line of work.

In the scene where Ryan is at his sister’s wedding, he asks if he can give her away, because their father isn’t there. His sister says that her fiance’s uncle has been very supportive and he will do the honor. It’s a scene where he isn’t too hurt but is reflective of his on-the-road lifestyle, and how he has lost connection with his own family. Natalie still believes in true love, and often gets angry with the way Ryan views the world. She keeps storming off, as she starts to rethink if she wants this to

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM “Up in the Air” is a story about how everyone needs to feel something sometimes.

Reitman’s emerging talbe her future. ent seems to be creating quirky character studies, with The romance of the film is between Ryan and the his fi rst fi lm “Thank You for Smoking” being a charachigh-powered corporate woman he is constantly bumpter study of a slimy lobbyist for the tobacco industry. ing into, Alex (Vera Farmiga). Right away, they take out His second fi lm, ‘Juno’ is a character study of a pregnant all their credit cards and airports passes and throw them on a table to compare what and how they are both rack- teenage girl and how she copes with her situation and ing up points. This racking up points at car rentals and now the oddball cast of characters around her react. His airports is a fetish they share. “Up In the Air” is a sweet third film is a character study about a corporate hit man and light comedy of corporate people, it’s not about whose job is to fire good people so the employers don’t greedy corporations or a straight indictment of capital- have to be bothered with it themselves. All of his films involve us getting to know a character as opposed to a ism.

Director Jason Reitman wisely keeps his scenes simple plot.

“Up in the Air” is a story of how everyone, even short, which makes them more powerful. For the most those married to their job, need to feel something once part, “Up in the Air” is an oddball romance. in a while.

WHO’S BONNAROO-ING THIS YEAR? DAVE MATTHEWS BAND • KINGS OF LEON • STEVIE WONDER • JAY-Z • TENACIOUS D • WEEZER • THE FLAMING LIPS WITH STARDEATH AND WHITE DWARFS PERFORM “DARK SIDE OF THE MOON” • THE DEAD WEATHER • DAMIAN MARLEY & NAS • PHOENIX • NORAH JONES • MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD • JOHN FOGERTY • REGINA SPEKTOR • JIMMY CLIFF • LCD SOUNDSYSTEM • THE AVETT BROTHERS • THIEVERY CORPORATION • RISE AGAINST • TORI AMOS • THE NATIONAL • ZAC BROWN BAND • LES CLAYPOOL • JOHN PRINE • THE BLACK KEYS • STEVE MARTIN & THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS • JEFF BECK • DROPKICK MURPHYS • SHE & HIM • AGAINST ME! • THE DISCO BISCUITS • DARYL HALL & CHROMEO • JAMEY JOHNSON • CLUTCH • BASSNECTAR • KID CUDI • BAABA MAAL • KRIS KRISTOFFERSON • MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD • THE XX • GWAR • DAN DEACON ENSEMBLE • TINARIWEN • WALE • DEADMAU5 • THE MELVINS • GASLIGHT ANTHEM • MIIKE SNOW • THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND • DR. DOG • THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS • PUNCH BROTHERS • ISIS • BLITZEN TRAPPER • BLUES TRAVELER • MIRANDA LAMBERT • CALEXICO • OK GO • TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE • MARTIN SEXTON • LOTUS • BARONESS • DAVE RAWLINGS MACHINE • MAYER HAWTHORNE AND THE COUNTY • JAPANDROIDS • JAY ELECTRONICA • EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS • INGRID MICHAELSON • THE DODOS • MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA • THE TEMPER TRAP • CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED • BIG SAM’S FUNKY NATION • CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS • NEEDTOBREATHE • TOKYO POLICE CLUB • THE ENTRANCE BAND • LOCAL NATIVES • BRANDI CARLILE • MUMFORD & SONS • REBELUTION • DIANE BIRCH • MONTE MONTGOMERY • JULIA NUNES • THE POSTELLES • LUCERO • HERE WE GO MAGIC • HOT RIZE • NEON INDIAN • B.O.B

Thursday, February 11, 2010

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT |11B

The New Paltz Oracle

Spring Into Some New Music Making AS THE WEATHER WARMS UP, SO DOES THE MUSIC SCENE

By Sunya Bhutta

Copy Editor | Sunya.bhutta94@newpaltz.edu

She & Him will release their second album following Volume One which is appropriately titled Volume Two. The album will feature new original material by singer/actress Zooey Deschanel and will remain produced by indie-folk singer M. Ward. “The dark shades that were on the last record are maybe a little bit darker on the new record, and the brighter shades on the last record are a little bit brighter on the new record,” M. Ward said to Paste Magazine.

Earlier this winter they released their single “In the Sun,” which is smooth and happy with a more radiant beat than most of the songs on Volume One. She & Him writes songs for an “eternal springtime” and Volume Two promises to bring cheery and thoughtful melodies as the warm season arrives. It will be released on March 23 and hopefully next spring we can expect a Volume Three.

MGMT is set to release their second album Congratulations this April. “It’s mixed and mastered, and now we’re just working on presenting it to the world,” said band member Andrew Van Wyngarden to Spin Magazine. Their first album Oracular Spectacular was a massive hit with the electrifying singles “Time to Pretend” and “Kids.” But don’t expect to hear anything before April.

The duo has decided not to release any singles. Ben Goldwasser also explained to NME that this album will have more of an emphasis on the album as a whole with a body of songs to avoid standout singles. “We’ve been talking about ways to make sure people hear the album as an album in order and not just figure out what are the best three tracks, download those and not listen to the rest of it” said Goldwasser. The official release is April 13.

Music History

Arcade Fire is currently working on their third album which is expected to be released this May. A single is definitely coming out within the next couple months or possibly sooner.

The husband and wife fronted Montreal Lil Wayne was supposed to begin his based band has had tremendous success year-long prison stay on Feb. 9. And now come from their previous albums he will not begin his term until March 2 Funeral and Neon Bible. Their single because he has a cracked tooth and needs “Wake Up” is the well-known song from dental surgery. the trailer of the Spike Jonze film “Where the Wild Things Are.” Although there is not a lot of information surrounding the new album, the speculation is enough to cause enormous hype from fans. Arcade Conrad Murray, personal physician for Fire will tour the U.S. this summer after Michael Jackson at the time of the star’s a short hiatus. The last gig they played death, has been charged with involuntary was for Obama’s staffers in Washington, manslaughter in Los Angeles. If he’s D.C in January. They will most likley convicted, he could face a maximum fourappear at one of the North American year prison term. music festivals. Make sure to keep your ears open for a new single very soon.

::

::

Ringo Starr was honored at the Capitol Records Tower with the unveiling of his star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

:: MTV will no longer include the words “Music Television” under its iconic logo.

Following the cancellation of “TRL” and the success of “Jersey Shore” and “The Hills,” music is no longer MTV’s main priority.

:: How does Taylor Swift celebrate winning four Grammys? By dropping one… and breaking it.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BREAKTHRURADIO.COM, PASTEMAGAZINE.COM AND BLOG.BRIMUR.COM

Conor & The Llama’s Top 10 Picks of the Week

1. “Bang on the Drum All Day” - Todd Rundgren 2. “Born to Run” - Bruce Springsteen 3. “Eldorado Finale” - Electric Light Orchestra 4. “White Sky” - Vampire Weekend 5. “People Who Died” - The Jim Carroll Band

6. “Floating Vibes” - Surfer Blood 7. “Queen of Hearts” - Juice Newton 8. “Graze” - Animal Collective 9. “Ring My Bell” - Anita Ward 10. “Who Threw That Ham at Me?” - The Superions

List compiled by DJ Conor and DJ The Llama.

Their show is every Friday night from 10 to midnight.

Only on “The Edge!”

Thursday, February 11, 2010

:: Artists like She & Him, Fiona Apple, Dum Dum Girls, Crystal Antlers, Tim and Eric and Cold War Kids cover songs written by kids in 826LA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching creative writing to kids.

:: Thom Yorke announced that he’ll play a “low key solo thing” at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England on Feb. 25. The show will serve as a benefit for the Green Party.

All information derived from Rollingstone.com, Pitchfork.com and Spin.com.

12B | THE DEEP END

The New Paltz Oracle

This Week in the Deep End:

Lisa Perrin

NAME: Lisa Perrin ART: Painter/illustrator/generally crafty person YEAR: Fourth MAJOR: BFA Drawing and Painting, BA English INSPIRATION: All things odd, historical, decorative, lovely, ironic and dark FAVORITE ARTIST: Edward Gorey DREAM: To be a working artist, author/illustrator, and teacher, as well as not being a crazy cat lady.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LISA PERRIN, CAPTION BY FELICE BERNABO

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Pg 8New Paltz Oracle The

The New Paltz Oracle Pg 9

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Meeting of “Middle East Crisis Response” February 11 7 – 8:30 p.m. at Woodstock Public Library The Middle East Crisis Response is a group of Hudson Valley residents joined together to promote peace and human rights.

Community, Cocoa, Cookies and Kids February 12 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Pine Hill Community Center Valentines Special Parent Celebration!

Your Lil’ Chefs’ plan, prepare, and serve a delicious dinner for YOU! Candlelight moment with music & laughter. A Valentine treat from your lil’ chefs. This event is free.

Two Hundred Years of Ice Yachting on the Hudson River with Brian Read February 12 7 p.m. at the Beacon Sloop Club This talk will cover the beginnings of ice boating on the Hudson in the early 1800s through current times, touching on major figures and centers of ice boating, the thrilling races for silver trophies and where one can come and get a sail this winter. Old slides, race photos and short videos will be shown. This event is free.

For more information, call 845-476-6674 or visit beaconsloopclub.org.

Northeast Facilitator Training For “Awakening The Dreamer Changing The Dream” Symposium February 12-14 6 p.m. in Lifebridge Sanctuary in Rosendale Bringing about an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on the planet.

Training for the newly launched global version. www.awakeningthedreamer.org For information and registration, go to tonymetrofeb2010.eventbrite.com “Positive Thinking: Make Your Mind Your Best Friend” February 13

2 – 4 p.m. at Peace Village Learning & Retreat Center This workshop explores how the mind works and the nature of thinking. We will also define what positivity is and how it can be a reality in today’s world. Live Powerfully! To register, call 518-5895000 or e-mail peace-village@bkwsu.org.

Washington’s Headquarters Celebrates George Washington’s Birthday February 13, 14, 15 12 – 4:30 p.m. at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh On Saturday, February 13, the 5th New York will present a history of their unit and uniforms in the Museum. A drill outside and a troop inspection by General Washington will follow. The talented musical duo of Erik Lichak and Melanie Zanakis will perform 18th Century selections in the historic headquarters. Enjoy birthday cake donated by Mary’s Cheesecake Headquarters, Newburgh. Sunday, February 14, in the Museum, Lamb’s Artillery will talk about their duties, followed by a cannon demonstration outside. Richard Lahey, of the Mid-Hudson Drivers Association, will speak about “Sleighs of the Hudson Valley” and display a cutter and sleighing equipment. Thaddeus MacGregor, 19th Century song stylist, will play and sing in the headquarters. The birthday cake will be donated by Alexis Diner, Newburgh.Monday, February 15, the Continental Army, represented by reenactors, will muster in front of the General’s headquarters. In the Museum, Historic Interpreter Johanna Porr will offer a presentation on “The Struggle for Final Victory.” Thaddeus MacGregor will continue to provide musical entertainment throughout the day. The birthday cake will be donated by Hannaford’s Supermarket, in New Windsor Future Visions and Resistance Cinema Film Screening and Discussion February 14 1:15 p.m. at 28 E. 35th Street in Manhattan “TAPPED” (76 minutes) examines the big business of bottled water. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.

Sponsored by The Green Sanctuary Committee and Resistance Cinema (russellbranca.com/AriaAperta/Projects/ ResistanceCinema.html) of the Community Church, TriState Food Not Lawns (tristatefoodnotlawns.org), Sierra Club NYC and others.

“Discipline

Is Not A Dirty Word” February 16 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie A three-session program designed for grandparents and other relative caregivers who are in a parenting role. Learn about the seven basic principles of discipline. This event is free. For more information, contact Nina at 845-677-8223 or nm62@cornell.edu.

Trillion Dollar Payday or Bust?

February 17 7 p.m. at the Nott Memorial in Schenectady Grassroots Activism Versus Marcellus Shale Gas with Walter Hang, President of Toxics Targeting, an environmental database firm in Ithaca. How Toxics Targeting, an environmental data firm in Ithaca, is shaping the future of the largest natural gas reservoir in the nation.

Community Playback Theatre March 5 8 p.m. at Boughton Place Community Playback Theatre presents Improvisations of Audience Stories. For more information call Toni Horvatin at 845-691-7795.

The “Suit Yourself” Stipend Program Are you a senior interviewing for an internship, student teaching placement, or full-time employment opportunity?

Apply today to win one of 30 “clothing awards” of $200 to purchase professional attire for your interviews. For an application, go to www.newpaltz.edu/careers The application deadline is February 26, 2010. For further information, contact the Career Resource Center in HUM 105 at 845-257-3265.

To submit an announcement write down the name of the club/event, date, time and location. Then e-mail it to oracle@newpaltz.edu. All submissions are due by Sunday at 5 p.m. Submissions are printed at the discretion of the editor-in-chief.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

OASIS OASIS is a student-staffed counseling and crisis intervention center and telephone hotline. OASIS volunteers are trained and supervised by the Psychological Counseling Center to respond to anonymous telephone calls and walk-in requests for support, information and referral. Peer crisis intervention is provided in college-related areas such as academic stress, loneliness, sexual orientation, suicide, drug and alcohol-related problems, relationship and family conflicts.

OASIS, located in the Deyo Hall basement, room G13C, is open from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. while classes are in session, and the extension is x4945.

HAVEN HAVEN of OASIS is the studentstaffed hotline and walk-in center, supervised by the Psychological Counseling Center. HAVEN volunteers provide support, information and referral for students who have been the target of rape, attempted rape or any unwanted sexual experience.

HAVEN is located in the Deyo Hall basement, room G13c and is open from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. while classes are in session, and the extension is x4930.

Call or stop in when classes are in session. The 24-hour HAVEN beeper is 845-455-6093.

Campus Escort Call x3338 for an escort from anywhere on campus to anywhere on campus. 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. every night. Not a taxi service — for safety, not for the lazy!

Safe Rider Need a ride home from the bars?

We provide FREE rides home or back to campus please give me a call at 845-834-2213.

Facilities Management Having facilities related issues?

Please call x3301.

Pg 10

OPINIONS

The New Paltz Oracle

EDITORIAL

TAKING THE PUBLIC OUT OF PUBLIC ED. After months and months of struggling with our nearsighted governor over his consistent attacks to New York State’s Higher Education budget, you have suddenly changed your tune as Paterson’s proposed Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act looks to hammer the final nail in the coffin of public higher education in New York.

This Empowerment Act has some benefits. Allowing schools to directly collect the funds they receive from tuition, as opposed to filtering them through the State’s higher education budget, will allow for faster improvements to be made on campuses across the state. Also, gradual, regular tuition increases that are based upon the Higher Education Pricing Index can allow for students and their families to plan for the cost of their college experience more effectively. But do the benefits outweigh the cost?

Affordable higher education is a musthave especially in these times of economic recession. And although Paterson’s plan looks like a new lease on life for public universities, it is not the “no-cost solution” that SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher believes it is. By supporting this plan, you are supporting the further ghettoization of low income students.

SUNY exists to provide a quality, low-cost alternative to private colleges and universities.

The Public High Education Empowerment and Innovation Act will turn this expectation on its head, especially with Paterson’s more recent proposal to remove $74.3 million from Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) apending.

SUNY administrators will be empowered to charge different rates for intensive programs, such as engineering and pre-med, which could force low-income students out despite their potential interest. The cut in TAP would mean $75 less in rewards for those who qualify. But that $75 will be sorely missed by students who will be met with differential tuitions and regular increases from year-to-year.

With this Act, Paterson is essentially proclaiming that public education has failed. That could not be farther from the truth. In reality, he has failed to manage a budget effectively

CARTOON BY JON AIELLO

and do right by his constituents.

But in the event that this does pass, we must be prepared. We must expect our administration to be fair and responsible. We cannot just trust them to make the right decisisons.

We must tell them what decisions need to be made.

SUNY schools set their own standards for financial aid. In order to make sure that low-income students are not marginalized

by the proposed independence of the public higher education system from the tethers of the state budget, we must demand that SUNY schools adjust their financial aid brackets to cover more students.

This is a call to action. Students, you must be vigilant. You must be informed. You must speak up and let our legislators know that we will not stand for this. Write letters. Go to rallies. Be loud. We, as a generation, cannot let

an affordable public education option be taken away from us and if it is, we must demand that our financial needs are taken care of.

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.

Do you think this proposed legislation will make SUNY schools unaffordable? Are you concerned about its effect on financial aid?

Letters to the editor can be submitted to oracle@newpaltz.edu or via mail to SUB 417 by Sundays at 5 p.m.

We ask that letters are no more than 250 words, for spacial limitation issues.

We reserve the right to edit letters for length and letters may not be printed if they are slanderous or offensive. Letters are printed at the discretion of the editor-in-chief.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

The New Paltz Oracle

OPINIONS

Pg 11

COLUMNS My Koopa Killing Obsession I should clarify that I am not a video game junkie. I find it difficult to retain interest in a video game for a long period of time and haven’t even touched a controller of any of the latest game systems. My parents raised me to believe that video games were evil, so it took some serious begging for me to get that Super Nintendo which was all the rage in the early ‘90s. That’s when I discovered the only video game I’ve ever truly liked: “Super Mario World.”

Something about “Super Mario World” is so addicting. Never before have Italian plumbers been so celebrated. I love the idea of two brothers, donned in brightly colored overalls, fending off carnivorous plants, ghosts, fish, and even football players in their quest to save a damsel in distress who has been kidnapped by a hideous dragon. They make their way through tubes, fences, haunted houses, over lava, under water and in caves as they dodge or duel every creature that comes their way. Every creature except for Yoshi, that is. With the help of this hungry companion, Mario and his lanky brother, Luigi, can watch as their dinosaur friend eats just about anything from bombs to bats.

The main thing I like about the game is that there aren’t too many buttons to confuse me. It reminds me of the simplicity of the technology of my childhood before PlayStation and a number of other game systems started improving their graphics. I personally refuse to play a video game that you don’t have to blow into in order to make it work.

So when one of my housemates revealed

the gray box with light purple switches upon our moving in, I was nostalgic and ecstatic. I yearned to ride Yoshi like a horse and make him stick his tongue out long enough to consume all of my enemies. But because of my heavy work load (cough, The New Paltz Oracle), I didn’t get around to playing the game until the very end of last semester when everyone in my house was snowed in and bored.

It all started because Paul kept talking shit as I struggled to make my way through the Forest of Illusion. So, I tossed him a controller and challenged him to do better. It turned out he really sucked. It felt so good to finally find something I could beat him at. Level after level, I (Mario) would come out on top as the hero who would advance us to the next part of the game.

Paul (Luigi) couldn’t stand it. He continuously heckled me as I would play. But that wouldn’t stop me from winning. Had he been playing alone, he’d still be trying to get that stupid dinosaur egg out of Ludwig’s Castle.

We vowed to beat the game before we had to move out in May, even joking that we’d refuse to leave our house until the game was complete (Imagine me trying to explain that to our landlord). So, when we reached the final level the other day, we were shocked at how quickly we’d sped through the game. But the final level was so long and complicated that we wondered if either of us would ever prevail.

Hours passed as we repeatedly attempted to finally kill that asshole, Bowser, as he taunts you from a smiley-faced helicopter. Eventually, I had to leave for work, leaving Paul with an

Dear Editor, Last year, the insurance companies gutted health care, the banks walked off with a trillion dollars in bailouts, and the oil, coal, and nuclear lobbyists hijacked the clean energy jobs bill.

And that was before the Supreme Court last month repealed all limits on corporate political spending. The good news is that something can be done to prevent a wholesale take-over of our democracy by big money. Want to help? Read on!

Everyone knows that it costs millions of dollars to run for political office. The 2008 election cost over $5 billion. And a seat in the US Senate can cost upwards of $50 million. Where does this money come from? Unfortunately,

huge donations come from corporations like Goldman Sachs, Exxon and Halliburton, and our elected officials have become dependent on these millions.

Politically, young people are frustrated because our concerns aren’t being listened to by politicians indebted to their big campaign funders. We worry about the fact that tuition keeps rising, grants and loans for college cost more and are harder to get, our parents are struggling through the worst recession since the Great Depression, and good jobs are harder and harder to find. But no one seems to be listening.

But despite all this, we CAN change things. Democracy Matters at SUNY New Paltz is fighting back, and we need YOUR help.

Many members of Congress are finally realizing that something has to be done. To get real change, we need bold action – a new system of funding campaigns that will allow ordinary Americans to run for office, will make politicians accountable to voters not funders, and will restore faith in our political system. We need a public funding option for candidates similar to the successful systems now working in Maine, Connecticut, Arizona and other states and cities. Congress needs to adopt legislation now that will allow Congressional candidates to use a public option as well.

No matter what cause or issue you care about, you have a right to be heard. But today corporations are using their millions to speak

so loudly that our voices are silenced. We need to join together to declare that democracy is not about corporate political power, but about ordinary Americans – including young people. Help us to change the way elections are funded and free our political system from the stranglehold of big money. Contact Nicholas DePalma (ndepal56@gmail.com) and Adam Garfield (garfie84@newpaltz.edu) and join the thousands of students fighting to make a difference. Meetings will be held every Wednesday in the Student Union Building room 414 at 6 p.m.

Help organize, or simply sign a petition or write a letter to our local Congressmen.

Dear Editor, It has come to my attention that the United States Supreme Court has become an object of tyranny. Its most recent ruling gave federal corporations too much power. If this ruling is not reversed, progress in areas such as LGBT civil rights, womens’ rights, and the rights of

the disabled will be reversed. This will mean the definite defeat of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, same-sex marriage, equal pay between men and women on the job, and rampant discrimination against people with disabilities.

Ever since George W. Bush took of-

fice in 2000, the justices have always struck down progressive ideas, and the issue mentioned above is just the latest example. What must be done to end this tyranny is to have a law passed that will place limits on how long members of the Supreme Court can serve (there is already a new movement that is trying to do just

this). I strongly urge all of you who read this to join this struggle. Spread the word with your friends, and tell them to tell others as well. Also, call your local and state congressmen and senators.

Justin McCarthy Features Editor Jmccarthy46@newpaltz.edu I was totally pissed when I found out Paul had stolen my victory. I was at work when I got the text message from him.

“I saved Princess Peach!” he wrote.

After two months of stomping on the heads of a variety of colored Koopas and beating him at every level in “Super Mario World,” it didn’t matter anymore. Paul was now the winner in yet another one of our competitions.

Although I’d held my own in our frequent games of Spit (also known as Slaps), he served me in a Sudoku showdown. And in a very close race around the New Paltz track, the shoelaces of one of my shoes came undone, giving my roommate another victory in our endless battle for bragging rights.

Now, he had stolen my woman. I didn’t care if he was the heterosexual one. Princess Peach was mine!

LETTERS

Thursday, February 11, 2010

open shot at completing the game without me. I was confident, however, that without my skills, he would never win.

So you can imagine the frustration and feelings of great loss I experienced when he surprised me with the terrible news of his twodimensional triumph. It hurt.

What’s worse is the anticlimactic ending to the game. Upon killing Bowser, Paul informed me, the screen reads, “Mario’s adventure is over. Mario, the Princess, Yoshi, and all his friends are going to take a vacation.”

What kind of ending is that? After wasting an obscene amount of hours of one’s life, a winner of “Super Mario World” is given no praise for his commendable work, but instead, news that Mario and Princess Peach will be spending a week or two in the Poconos drinking margaritas by the pool.

Although I’ve gotten over my latest loss to Paul, he continues to rub it in my face. But it’s not over! Fortunately, my housemate has a special Super Nintendo cartridge with numerous “Super Mario World” games. Although I cannot undo the stinging defeat I experienced in my favorite version, I swear I will beat him in this next one.

Justin McCarthy is a fourth-year journalism major. This is his second semester on The New Paltz Oracle. He was raised on Barry’s Irish Tea and if you don’t capitalize the second “c” in his last name, you’ve spelled it wrong. His siblings are gingers and fortunately, he is not.

Nicholas DePalma

Thank You Very Much, David Zornetsky

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SPORTS

The New Paltz Oracle

Hawk Pride Shines at Logo Reveal

By Pete Thompson Sports Editor | Pthompson51@newpaltz.edu

Friday, Feb. 5 was an exciting day for the campus community, as the face of SUNY New Paltz received an overhaul.

The Hawk Pride Event took place in the Elting Gym between the Men’s and Women’s Basketball games against SUNY Brockport, where the university’s updated logo and hawk mascot were unveiled.

Excitement was in the air with students, faculty and families bustling fervently throughout the lobby and gymnasium. The building was saturated with school spirit as everyone anticipated the big moment.

A big entrance was prepared for the An entirely revamped logo and mascot that evening. The audience collectively found seats on the bleachers, and were immediately greeted by the baseball team that ran onto the court and showed its school spirit by opting for blue and orange paint and wigs instead of shirts.

They then continued to drag the old hawk out into the hallway so that the new one could make his debut; it was out with the brown and in with the blue (and orange).

Pandemonium ensued as the team threw around t-shirts embedded with the fresh logo, and the hawk danced around and did his thing.

“It was awesome,” said Special Assistant to the Athletic Director Liam Welsh of the enthusiasm and whole entrance.

A table was also set up in the lobby, where Marissa Magrkurth, Hannah Sliva and Brianne Venturella were handing out hawk tattoos and accepting entries for an iPod Touch raffle.

“It feels really great to be able to help and see everyone come out with such school spirit,” said Magrkurth.

In order for such a success to happen, administrators had to put a bit of planning into the event.

“This event was created as a joint effort between the Brand Marketing Taskforce, the Creative Services Team, and Athletics,” said Director of the Web and Welcome Center Rachel Reuben. “The goal was to build excitement about the new athletic identity, which included unveiling the new mascot uniform and kicking off the Name our Mascot Contest.”

Not only di the event require planning, but choosing the new logo and hawk costume became quite a process as well.

“The logo was developed by an outside firm the college contracted with over the last couple of years in a larger college-wide branding effort,” Reuben said. “Several focus groups were shown

“This will really help us shape our identity as we move into the future.”

— Brian Williams

various versions of the new logos last summer, and the Brand Marketing Taskforce and Athletics department ultimately approved them. The Athletics Department coordinated the purchase and customization of the new costume.”

Many felt the costume (of a blue hawk adorning an orange shirt and shorts) and logo add a new, more vibrant feel for SUNY New Paltz, but it’s a change that’s not meant to be too extreme.

“Our intent is not to change the face of New Paltz, but rather to better illustrate who New Paltz is, and give us a stronger identity,” said Reuben.

Community members have said that they embrace the change.

“I really like the new look and brand, said Associate Director of Athletics Brian Williams. “I think it is an improvement on what the college and department had previously. This will really help us shape our identity as we move into the future.”

An improved, sharper identity should be something good for the campus. “The logo is more intense,” said second-year organizational communications major Claire Kinnell, and intense athletes are precisely what we aim for.

Croquet Society Takes the Top Spot at Palm Beach Invitational

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW PALTZ EXTREME CROQUET SOCIETY

Three members of the New Paltz Extreme Croquet Society (pictured above) competed in the 42nd Annual Palm Beach Croquet Club Invitational at the National Croquet Center from Jan. 18-23. Co-President Justin Berbig took the top prize in the Second Flight, while Co-Vice President Dave Cohen came in first in the Third Flight. Fourth-year Randi Cudlitz, who competed in her first national croquet tournament, came in fifth in the Third Flight. Berbig also took the top prize in the in Second Flight Doubles.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

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SPORTS

The New Paltz Oracle

Hawks Players of the Week For the Week ending Jan. 31

Third-year swimmer Marissa Morris won all four events she took part in at the Cortland meet on Saturday. The Hawks fell to the Red Dragons 144-140. She won the 200 Yard Freestyle in 2:00.35, which was nearly two seconds faster than second place. In the 100 Yard Freestyle, she touched in at 55.50, one second faster than second place. She touched in at 2:17.79 in the 200 Yard IM, which was an outstanding seven seconds faster than second place. She was a part of the relay team that took first in the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay in 3:45.21, 13 seconds faster than second place.

Second-year guard Shereef Taylor led the Hawks to a 1-1 record on the week. Against nationally ranked Williams College, Tuesday night, Taylor scored a game-high 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting with three rebounds four assists and a steal. On Friday night, Taylor netted a game-high 23 points with seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. The Hawks ended a six-game losing streak to the Red Dragons and snapped an 11-game losing streak at the Alumni Field House (Dewar Arena) at Oneonta. On the week, Taylor averaged 22.5 points, five boards and three assists per game.

Wellness and Recreation Events and Activities Outdoor Pursuit Trips Rock Climbing: Saturday, April 10 - Top Rope Saturday, April 24 - Multi Pitch Horseback Riding: Saturday, April 17 Paintball: Sunday, April 18 Register for trips in room 220 in the Athletic and Wellness Center. Registration deadline is the Monday before each trip.

the following: body fat, weight, body size, flexibility, strength, blood pressure, cardiovascular, heart rate, nutrition, stress, lifestyle, disease risks and more.

It can produce an individual profile summary of yourself and e-mail it to you along with specific nutrition, wellness and workout recommendations.

Group Fitness Schedule Monday

Interested in Getting a Health Assessment?

If you want to know where you stand, health assessments are available using the Wellness and Recreation Center’s Polar BodyAge System.

It’s an assessment tool, which tells an individual how their chronological age compares with that of their “body age.”

The more healthy the lifestyle and the more fit you are, the lower the body age.

The Polar BodyAge System can assess

Tuesday

12 p.m.

Cycling with Corinna 3:30 p.m.

Absolute Abs with Bianca 6:30 p.m.

Vinyasa Yoga with Lana, Room 101 7:15 p.m.

Dance Groove with Elisa 7:30 p.m.

Cycling with Lauren N. 8:30 Belly Dance with Amy 4:30 p.m.

BOSU Strength with Corinna 5:30 p.m.

Zumba with Jen 6:00 p.m.

Vinyasa Yoga with Lana, Room 101 7 p.m.

Jujitsu with Lauren, Room 101 7:30 Willpower & Grace with Saara, Cycling with Starr 8:30 Hip Hop Cardio with Danit Wednesday 7 a.m.

Cycling with Corinna 5 p.m.

Vinyasa Yoga with Lana, Room 101, Boot Camp with Bianca 6 p.m.

Cycle Strength with Lauren Z. Belly Dance with Amy 7 p.m.

Cycling with Stephanie Thursday 12 p.m.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Friday

Cycling with Corinna 5 p.m.

Vinyasa Yoga with Lana, Room 101, Zumba with Corinna 5:30 p.m.

Cycling with Starr 7 p.m.

Willpower and Grace with Saara 7:30 Cycling with Jessica 8 p.m.

Hip Hop Cardio with Danit 2 p.m.

Dance Groove with Elisa 3 p.m.

Willpower and Grace with Shelbie 3:30 p.m.

Cycling with Starr 4 p.m.

Vinyasa Yoga with Lana, Room 101 4 p.m.

Boot Camp with Bianca

Pg 14

SPORTS

The New Paltz Oracle

Hawks Weekly Sports Update

By Andrew Wyrich Copy Editor | Andrew.wyrich63@newpaltz.edu

Men’s Basketball Feb. 6: The New Paltz Men’s Basketball team suffered a tough 63-61 loss to the Blue Knights of Geneseo on Saturday in the Hawk Center. Three players scored in the doublefigures, but it couldn’t keep them in the lead.

New Paltz fell to 11-10 overall and 7-7 in the SUNYAC. The team was lead by Jayquan Anderson with a game-high 20 points, and Shereef Taylor added 19 before having to leave the game with 13 minutes left because of an injury. Geneseo got some breathing room in the second half, which led to a 7-2 run and 38-31 lead. The Hawks called a timeout to build a play late in the game, but it unfortunately did not work out.

Feb. 5: The team pulled through with an 83-74 win against Brockport’s Golden Eagles.

Five Hawks scoring in double-figures and three players achieved double-doubles. Harris Wichard led the Hawks with 18 points, Shereef Taylor added 17 points, and Jayquan Anderson provided 14 more. Matt Devine and Nick Taldi each added 13 points, while Oppong Agyemang had a game-high seven assists despite having only 19 minutes of play.

Feb. 2: Second-year Shereef Taylor found fourth-year point guard Oppong Agyemang with two seconds to go for a quick pass. Agyemang scored off of a game-winning lay-up as the buzzer went off. The Hawks had a 68-67 victory over the Cortland Red Dragons, and swept their rival for the first time in school history.

Jan 30: Second-year guard Shereef Taylor scored the final 10 points for the Hawks and went 5-for-5 from the free throw line, leading the team to an 81-77 win over Plattsburgh. Taylor finished with 19 points, and 17 were added by Nick Taldi. Plattsburgh started the game off with a 10-3 run, but the Hawks fought for a 20-19 lead. The game continued to go back and forth, with Taylor bringing the Hawks to victory.

Women’s Basketball Feb.6: First-year Alexandra McCullough’s lay-up with two minutes, six seconds remaining gave the Hawks the lead at 46-44 as the Hawks held off the Geneseo Blue Knights 47-46. Nicole Sarcone and Carly Minehan both scored a game-high 12 points.

Maliqua Fisher scored seven points and McCullough and Kristen Caban each had six.

Feb. 5: The team defeated the visiting

Golden Eagles from Brockport, 69-53. The Hawks were led by Carly Minehan with 15 points. Caitlin Irwin netted 14 points, with eight coming from both Maliqua Fisher and Alexandra McCullough. The game was close until the last five minutes of the first half. The Hawks lead by 11 points at halftime and kept the streak going into the second half where they went on a 16-5 run. The Hawks improved to 11-9 overall and 8-5 in the league.

Feb. 2: The team suffered a 64-52 loss to the visiting Cortland Red Dragons. Kristen Caban led the Hawks with 14 points and three steals, while Carly Minehan, Maggie Farrell and Alexandra McCullough all netted nine points, with nine rebounds from Minehan as well. Farrell also finished with four assists and six rebounds. The Hawks cut the lead to 45-36 in the final period with about 12 minutes to go, but the Red Dragons scored five straight.

Jan. 30: The Hawks dominated Plattsburgh with a 72-58 victory, causing them to improve to 10-7 overall and 7-4 in the league.

The Hawks came out with an 11-3 run in the first six minutes, but Plattsburgh would cut the lead to 14-11. The Hawks scored quickly, however, to take control of the game. Fourthyear point guard Nicole Sarcone assisted on

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Carly Minehan’s jumper to tie the all-time SUNY New Paltz record in assists in the second half. Two minutes and 30 seconds later Sarcone’s pass to set-up Abbey DeRossi for a lay-up gave her the SUNY New Paltz all-time record with 430 assists.

Men’s Volleyball Feb. 3: The New Paltz Men’s Volleyball team cruised past the visiting Bard Raptors, 3-0 (30-21, 30-17, 30-25) and improved to 5-4 overall and 2-0 in the NECVA. The Hawks were led by Kevin Stross with 11 kills and Sean Foley added 10 more. The Raptors were handed their first lost of the year, making them 5-1 overall.

Jan. 30: The NECVA Metro season was started off right for the Hawks with a 2-0 record after defeating NYU-Poly Tech. The Hawks defeated the Blue Jays, 3-0 (30-20, 30-14, 30-12) to improve to 4-4 overall. Jake Moore led the team with eight kills, while Jonathan Van Dyke finished with seven.

Jan. 29: The New Paltz Men’s Volleyball team defeated the Gothic Knights from New Jersey City University, 3-1 (30-20, 30-22, 2430, 30-26) to improve to 3-4 overall and 1-0 in the NECVA Metro.

The New Paltz Oracle

Pg 15

SPORTS

Students “Outward Bound” to Costa Rica

By Andrew Wyrich Copy Editor | Andrew.wyrich63@newpaltz.edu

Director of Wellness and Recreation Keith Kenney and twelve SUNY New Paltz students will be embarking on a seven day “adventure trip” to Costa Rica over spring break.

Last summer Kenney was approached by Costa Rica Outward Bound which, according to its Web site, is an organization that sponsors “experiential education…designed to inspire and develop leadership, compassion, responsibility, respect for the environment and commitment to serve through adventurebased wilderness experiences in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.”

Kenney said he was intrigued by the program and decided to investigate it further.

“For the last three or four years we have been trying to do more outdoor trips,” Kenney said. “I thought this one went to the next level.”

Other trips were discussed for spring break, but Kenney said the Wellness and Recreation Committee “hands-down” picked Costa Rica Outward Bound’s program over the other options because according to Kenney, the trip was more “well-rounded” and offered more than just one theme. He said that

this trip was not “just another spring break trip” and offered a unique experience that the other options could not. Kenney said the students involved would “be doing things they haven’t done before while being engulfed by another culture.”

The trip will send twelve students to Costa Rica for seven days. Kenney said that upon arrival, the students will have their phones taken away and will be immediately sent off into the program. Over the course of the trip the students will be hiking through rainforests, camping, staying at a ranch owned by a citizen of Costa Rica, surfing, white water rafting, as well as participating in a community service project. He also said that much of what is said to them will be said in Spanish, allowing the students to further entrench themselves in the culture of Costa Rica.

Kenney believes that the trip will help students gain perspective on where they came from. He hopes the trip will “open their minds to what is in other countries” and could be changed by the trip. “You can go white water rafting anywhere. I felt like this trip could actually change someone’s perspective.”

While fifty-five people attended the general interest meeting last semester, only twelve people will be going on the trip. Ken-

PHOTO COURTESY OF WASHJEFF.EDU

Students will be pushed to the limit through a series of challenges while in Costa Rica. ney believes this low number was mostly due to the cost of the trip, which he hopes to lower in the future. If the trip is a success, Kenney

explained that he would like to try and lower the cost through various means and make the trip a future “tradition.”

Season End Approaching for the New Paltz Ice Hawks

PHOTO COURTESY OFMICHAEL OUIMET

Fans can come out to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie on Feb. 12 at 9:15 p.m. and support the Ice Hawks as they face off against Stevens in their final home game of the season. It will be Senior Night for Matt Mangus, Mike Dodds, Aron Eldridge and Mike Zupa. The team has thus far suffered losses at home and away against Maritime (6-3) and St. Thomas (8-1), respectively.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

SPORTS THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE

HAWK

PRIDE New athletic logo and mascot unveiled PHOTO BY VICTOR ORTIZ

See Story on Page 12

Kenney, Students Bound for Costa Rican Spring Adventure

Story on Page 15

PHOTO COURTESY OF CRROBS.ORG