The New Paltz Oracle, Volume 82, Issue 1

NEW PALTZ ORACLE THE

OPEN AT LAST

Volume 82, Issue I

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Atrium accessible to the public See Story on Page 3 Editorial on Page 9

INSIDE THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE

• CAS experiences Hawk Dollar glitch......Pg 5 • SA E-Board finance position vacant.......Pg 6 • New Paltz buys preservation lands........Pg 6

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWPALTZ.EDU

PHOTO BY FELICE BERNABO

Provost Donald Christian assumes interim presidency after Poskanzer’s departure Story on Page 7

Julie Mansmann Editor-in-Chief

Pierce Lydon Managing Editor _________________

Justin McCarthy News Editor

Zan Strumfeld Features Editor

Maxim Alter

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Andrew Wyrich Sports Editor _________________

Laura Luengas Photography Editor

Derek Zimmermann Cartoonist

_________________

Sunya Bhutta Ryan Patrick Hanrahan Pete Thompson Pamela Vivanco Samantha Huertas Copy Editors _________________

Elizabeth Damiano Business Manager _________________

Patrick Martz Kathryn Smith Distribution Managers Andrew Carden, Emily Canty, Kaitlyn Day, Sarah Fine, Elexis Goldberg, Sarah Hurd, Michelle S. Kramisen, Emily Kurland, Chelsea LaDue, Becky Longley, Jessica Mingoia, Danielle Quitoni, Michelle Ravit, Regina Rivers, Shawn Rubenfeld, Jordan Siwek, Alex Silverberg, Alison Stevens, Emily Sussell, Ashley Thompson, Chris Thurston, Nekaiya Trotman, Jennifer Von Willer, Harris Wichard, Kelly Young

Staff

University Police Blotter

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

Incident: Drugs Date: 09/10/10 Location: EH RA reported an odor of marijuana. PO detected an odor, but origin could not be determined.

Incident: Petit Larceny Bike Date: 09/11/10

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 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 Student Union room 418. Articles, photographs and illustrations are assigned to the pool of staff and contributors.

Location: W. ENTRANCE, HDH F/s reported that her unsecured bicycle was stolen by P/P’s unknown from the bicycle rack outside to west entrance to HDH. Incident: Reckless Endanger Date: 09/14/10 Location: SOUTHSIDE LOOP

Volume 82 Issue I

M/N/S arrested for unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, obstruct governmental administration and reckless endangerment.

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

Five Day Forecast Friday, Sept. 17

Index

News............................................... 3 - 7 Community Calendar.......................... 8 Editorial.............................................. 9 Columns............................................. 10 Pierce Lydon........................ 10

Julie Mansmann//...................10 The Gunk................................ 1B - 12B The Deep End.................................. 12B Sports.......................................... 11- 16

Partly Cloudy High: 70 Low: 54 Saturday, Sept. 18

Partly Cloudy High: 71 Low: 57 Sunday, Sept. 19

Partly Cloudy High: 68 Low: 50 Monday, Sept. 20

Sunny High: 63 Low: 50 Tuesday, Sept. 21

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

Sunny High: 66 Low: 59

The New Paltz Oracle

NEWS

PHOTOS BY LAURA LUENGAS

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PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN ROSS

Atrium Opening Offers On-Campus Recreation

By Pamela Vivanco

Copy Editor | Pvivanco57@newpaltz.edu

The $13.4 million, 15,000 square foot addition to the Student Union, also known as the Atrium, officially opened its glass doors to the public on Monday, Sept. 13, but has been open to the campus community for use since Aug. 20.

State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz received funding for the Student Union addition five years ago, after administrators presented their vision to Assemblyman Kevin Cahill and State Sen. John Bonacic, Vice President for Student Affairs L. David Rooney said. Cahill and Bonacic recognized the limitations of the old Student Union and sponsored a member item in the legislature that made the first expansion to the Student Union after 40 years possible.

According to Director of Student Activities and Union Services Mike Patterson, the specific architectural design of the building is directly related to the regional outlook over the Shawangunk Mountain Ridge. The addition also features environmentally friendly design techniques such as reduced energy consumption, water reducing plumbing fixtures and solar shading.

Expanding the Student Union also called

for new security measures. Security cameras have been installed throughout the buildings, which weren’t put in place before the addition was built.

Construction of the space also aimed to make the bookstore and other offices more accessible. The bookstore entrance is now visible and available in the lower level of the Atrium next to the Entertainment Commons.

Food venues, a gaming area, locker rentals, a student lounge space and student conference rooms have been made available in an effort to create a comfortable and friendly space for students, Patterson said.

“It was really a social mechanism that we wanted to achieve with this space in terms of a place for students to meet up with each other and to gather and figure out where they need to go from there,” Patterson said.

Patterson said retaining student support was a challenge for the school during the construction phase. The school gave hard hat tours of the space last spring.

“I think that students really struggled with understanding what this space was,” he said.

Now that the Atrium is open, however, many of the students who were less enthusiastic about the project in its early stages now acknowledge the benefits of the new facility.

Third-year international relations major Juliet Beato thought the construction of a “glass structure” seemed less important in comparison to the renovation of residence halls and other buildings on campus. But with the Atrium now open for student use, Beato sees the Atrium as a beneficial addition to the Student Union.

“I feel like it’s turned out to be positive because everybody comes here everyday and they hang out, study or do work,” she said, while holding a book and sitting on one of the many brightly colored chairs in the gaming lounge with her friends.

However, some students simply view the new addition as a decorative piece for the campus. Alex Wertheim, a fourth-year physics major, thinks the Student Union is now a lot more accessible than it used to be. But he said he’s not entirely convinced the addition will actually be a place where students hang out.

“It’s really purely aesthetic . . . it really is,” Wertheim said. “Yeah, it’s very modern looking.

But as far as functionality, it’s just going to be a sit-and-eat place.”

Christopher J. Dickel, a third-year business management student who is transferring at the end of the semester, enjoys the architecture on campus and now feels a little remorseful about leaving SUNY New Paltz.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

“There’s a little more that I look forward to at New Paltz where last year it was just like I would only come to the ‘SUB’ to eat and that’s it . . . nobody hung out here. It wasn’t as engaging,” he said. But now, “it’s finally something that is worthwhile.”

Patterson and Director of Facilities Design and Construction John McEnrue agree that the additional spaces do seem to fit the numerous needs of students throughout SUNY New Paltz, those living both on and off campus.

“Student Unions have a programmatic need to have spaces where students can play pool, watch television, eat with a variety of dining options and meet in either formal meeting rooms or informal gathering spaces,” McEnrue said.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept.

13, Student Association President Jennifer Sanchez spoke to the student body in front of the new addition.

“Let’s take advantage of the space we’ve been given. Let’s embrace it and use it to its maximum potential,” she said. “As we learn and get accustomed to the space, let’s take the opportunity to continue to enhance and make the Student Union your living room on campus.

After all, it is the Student Union, so it’s up to us to make the best of it.”

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NEWS

News Briefs National Authorities say 171 animals were seized from an Arizona trailer home that had no running water or litter boxes. Authorities say a couple and their two teenage children were living in the home with the 152 cats and 19 dogs. The Pinal County Animal Care and Control director says there were layers of feces on the floor throughout the trailer in the Hidden Valley community just south of Maricopa.

With help from the sheriff’s department, the animals were taken in a horse trailer to an Animal Care and Control facility.

On Tuesday, the owners signed all of the animals over to the agency.

Authorities say the healthy animals will be put up for adoption. ***** A Pittsburgh woman has agreed to remain in detention while awaiting trial on allegations she defrauded advertisers and exhibitors out of thousands of dollars with a fake bridal show in Boston.

Federal authorities say Karen Tucker and an uncharged co-conspirator posed as representatives of a business known as The Boston 411, which promoted a nonexistent home and bridal show at the Hynes Convention Center in March. Tucker and the other person are accused of conducting similar scams in Ohio, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and Texas.

On Wednesday, Tucker agreed to voluntary detention on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.

International Briefs on Page 5

The New Paltz Oracle

Student Senate Confirms Nominees

By Pamela Vivanco

Copy Editor | Pvivanco57@newpaltz.edu

The 50th student senate appointed new members to the Budget and Finance Committee (BFC), the Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) Board and Parking Committee during its first meeting of the year on Tuesday, Aug. 31 in the Student Union.

Before nominations, Senate Chair Terrell Coakley began the meeting by introducing himself and sharing an embarrassing moment with the student senate as a way to create a more comfortable environment. Each of the new senators then introduced themselves too.

Student Association President Jennifer Sanchez, Executive Vice President Eve Stern, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Governance Caitlin Ryan and Vice President of Programming Anthony Lino also welcomed the new student senate.

Aside from being the current Vice President of Programming, Lino has been responsible for certain duties normally allocated to the Vice President of Finance this semester since the unexpected departure of the elected Vice President of Finance. Nominees for the vacant seat will be presented before the legislative body at next week’s senate meeting.

Shortly after reports from the executive board, the legislative body voted on nominees for the BFC. After four attempts last semester, Sen. Rose Faber gained a seat on the BFC alongside Juliet Beato, who sat on the BFC from fall 2009 to spring 2010. Senators from last semester expressed their admiration toward

Faber’s dedication to keep trying.

Sen. Megan Grieco nominated former senator Jonathan Freifeld for the alternate position in the Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) board and the senate confirmed the nomination. Freifeld will be required to attend CAS board meetings in the event that Sanchez or Stern cannot make them.

First-time Sen. Dimitri Kirlew and Sen. Samantha Kossin ran for the vice chair position.

The vice chair fills in if the senate chair is ab-

“She was one of the most active members on the committee, doing things outside of the committee” ­— Sen. Kondwani Jackson

sent or has to leave the room for whatever reason. After a brief discussion, Kossin was elected to the position.

Sen. Megan Grieco was elected to fill the only student seat on the Parking Committee after being nominated by Sanchez. The Parking Committee deals with any issues related to parking on campus such as the number of park-

ing spaces, classification of lots, lighting, and the designation of parking spaces for persons with disabilities.

The 50th student senate confirmed another seat on the BFC, University Police Committee and two seats in the Judicial Board at their second meeting on Sept. 14 in the Student Union.

Sen. Kirlew was confirmed to a position on the BFC, and said he wants to learn more about where money is allocated.

Sen. Max Susky and fourth-year psychology major Hope Dobrzynski appeared before the senate for positions on the Judicial Board.

The legislative body appointed both Susky and Dobrzynski to the seats.

Third-year sociology major Liz Rubel ran for a seat in the University Police Department Committee (UPDC) after being a member last year. Rubel expressed to the senate that she wanted to improve the relationship between the UPD and students. Sen. Kondwani Jackson recognized Rubel’s work as a member of UPDC. “She was one of the most active members on the committee, doing things outside of the committee,” Jackson said.

Rubel was confirmed to a position on the UPDC. During her senate report, Sanchez announced that she is looking for nominees to chair the Senior Week Committee. Members of the Senior Week Committee would be responsible for organizing events geared toward graduating students. Nominees don’t have to be fourth-year students.

The next general meeting of the student senate will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

Committee Seats Filled at Council

By Pete Thompson

Copy Editor | Pthompson51@newpaltz.edu

Several club representatives were confirmed to Student Association (SA) committees at the second Council of Organizations meeting of the semester on Tuesday, Sept. 14.

At the beginning of the meeting, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Governance Caitlin Ryan was the first to address the council, informing everyone of a number of groups to get involved in for the new academic year. Ryan encouraged all to attend the academic senate meetings. The first was held on the same day, where she said “the student’s perspective” was frequently mentioned. However, only two students were present.

Once Ryan was finished, SA President Jennifer Sanchez addressed the council with a brief announcement regarding more available positions. SA is still looking for nominees to

the judicial board and, due to “requests to start it up again,” Sanchez said they’re looking for students to join the Senior Week Committee.

SA Executive Vice President Eve Stern was next to take the floor, and said the New Paltz Police Department will have officers patrolling backstreets as well.

Stern also said that she attended the fire department’s hearing for going district on Monday, Sept. 13. Representatives of the department attended the first council meeting, asking that everyone be in attendance for the hearing.

Having attended the hearing, Stern said she’d try and inform everyone as best she could.

“I might type up a list of the pros and cons,” she said, “but I encourage you all to find out what is going on.” For more information on the subject check, www.newpaltzfire. org/districtFAQ.php.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Before the meeting’s end, elections were held and a number of seats on various committees were filled.

Two of the five available spots on the Budget and Finance Committee were filled by Lissette Espinal and Jesse Solotoff, and Kenneth Baggs, Kristine Rose and Espinal were then confirmed to the Constitution and Rules Committee.

After these confirmations, elections for the SA Programming Board were held. The members elected included Cindy Ip, Kevin Kleeman, Brad Gorfein, Natalie Felsenfeld and Kristine Rose. Immediately before the meeting’s end, Rose Faber was confirmed as the Vice Chair of the Council of Organizations.

The next meeting of the Council of Organizations will be held on Monday, Sept. 27 in Student Union 62/63.

The New Paltz Oracle

NEWS

Hawk Dollar Issue Rectified

By Maxim Alter

A&E Editor | Malter42@newpaltz.edu

The Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) has recently had to deal with problems with the Hawk Dollar System after students were unable to use the payment method properly at select stores in the town or knowledge.

According to Steven Deutsch, the executive director of CAS, the problems initially arose after the Hawk Dollar processing service was outsourced to Blackboard, the same company that provides State University of New York at New Paltz’s online educational tool. Instead of contracting directly with CAS to sign up and get the terminals that process hawk dollars like credit cards, merchants were required to do it with BB1, a division of Blackboard.

“We went to this conversion at the beginning of the summer,” Deutsch said. “For students, it should have been invisible because you put hawk dollars on your card the same way CAS processes it. But the problems became visible when the students came back and started to use their hawk dollars and they weren’t working.”

The main problem, Deutsch said, was that although all of the vendors were able to switch to

the new company and fill out the appropriate paperwork, many neglected to do so. After the conversion was made, CAS went from having about 30 vendors on the Hawk Dollar system to 17.

“The merchants didn’t realize that this change was happening and didn’t react to it in a speedy fashion,” Deutsch said.

Denise Angelucci, a third-year early childhood education major who works at LaBella Pizza Bistro on Main Street said that the Hawk dollar system in the restaurant was not working in the beginning of the school year. However, after LaBella was made aware of the company change, the problem was fixed.

“They didn’t have the new system up and running in time for the new semester,” said Angelucci. “It started working again about a week or two into school.”

BB1 also experienced technical problems with the system, causing Hawk Dollars to not ring through properly at the point of purchase.

According to Deutsch, the various software systems required to function with each other for the Hawk Dollar processing “were not speaking,” which resulted in students not being able to make payment.

Ashley Altman, a third-year organizational

communication major, experienced an issue with her Hawk Dollars when she tried to make a purchase at both ShopRite and LaBella in the beginning of the school year.

Altman said the Hawk Dollar system at ShopRite is still not working properly, causing her to fall behind on her food shopping.

“I was pissed at first, since school had already started and [my Hawk Dollars] weren’t working yet,” Altman said. “My parents give me a certain amount of Hawk Dollars each week that I am supposed to use to buy groceries and I have not been able to do so yet.”

According to Deutsch, all of the processing system communication problems have now been rectified and BB1 is actively soliciting merchants to better prepare them for the switch and to put them on the Hawk Dollar program.

Deutsch said any problems that occurred with the system only occurred because of a company changeover, and students shouldn’t worry.

“The company changed some of the technology because they were processing it instead of us processing it,” Deutsch said. “We’re hoping to get a lot more [shops] on the program, and I think all of the technological glitches are all squared away.”

Calendar Vote Causes Debate on Campus

By Justin McCarthy

News Editor | Jmccarthy46@newpaltz.edu

After a decision was made last semester to alter the principles and guidelines used to develop academic calendars, some students at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz were left unhappy with the results.

At a faculty meeting at the tail end of the spring 2010 semester, members voted in a movement that resulted in changes made to the days in which students have off from classes and excluded Jewish holidays from those days, leaving students who wish to celebrate Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah with the burden of missing class for religious purposes.

“The result of the calendar change will be that the school will close in the fall semester for a “fall break,” which will occur sometime during the mid-point of the semester,” said chemistry Professor Pamela St. John, who is Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.

As of 2013, St. John said SUNY New Paltz’s fall academic calendar will have a more concentrated mid-semester break in order to avoid a scattered break schedule, which are “disruptive” and “difficult to follow.”

Some students still felt that excluding Jewish holidays from SUNY New Paltz’s scheduled days

off denies a particular group of students the convenience enjoyed by others who celebrate holidays that are outside of the academic class schedules.

“Even now, we have to take off some days of class because we don’t get off on all of the holidays,” said Rose Faber, president of Hillel, who thinks SUNY’s policy that allows students to take off for religious purposes still doesn’t allow students to comfortably celebrate their holidays on days when school is in session. “On Yom Kippur, you’re in temple the entire day, so you don’t think about food. But when you’re on campus, it’s in your face. Even though you have the option to take off class, it’s really hard because you’re going to miss it and you’re liable to make up all of the work.”

Others questioned the legitimacy of the faculty meeting itself. Emily Sobel, a fourth-year Asian Studies major, attended the faculty meeting but felt students weren’t given an opportunity to voice their opinions about the decision.

According to Sobel, only four comments were taken before a vote was held. And some who attended the meeting declared that the manner in which the decision was reached went against “parliamentary rule,” she said.

Sobel also felt the moderator lacked sensitivity to the issue that troubled so many students, and even claimed the moderator acknowledged the

meeting wasn’t being conducted along parliamentary rule.

Simin Mozayeni, presiding officer of academic and professional faculty contends that both student and faculty were polled before any decision was reached.

Professor St. John said she “can’t comment on why people are upset by changes,” but still argues that the faculty produced the outcome solely for the purpose of creating a neater, more easily followed academic calendar.

“This year, we had a week off from school after only two weeks of classes. This is disruptive for both instructors and students since routines . . . are being established during these first two weeks,” St. John said. “If the students are off for a week, the routine is likely to break down and another two weeks would be necessary to re-establish it.”

Some students, however, are more concerned with exclusion of the observance of Jewish holidays and will be upset regardless of the reasoning behind the faculty’s decision.

Sobel feels it reflects poorly on SUNY New Paltz.

“There was nothing fair about this process, and there are many people on campus who are very angry about it,” said Sobel. “It was a disgrace to the school and the faculty board, much less the students.”

Thursday, September 16, 2010

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World Briefs International An airport security officer found a newborn baby in a garbage bag apparently unloaded from an airplane that landed in the Philippines on Sunday from the Middle East, officials said.

Security officials brought the boy, who was covered in blood and wrapped in tissue paper, to an airport clinic, where doctors and nurses examined him and cleaned him, wrapped him in cloth and gave him a bottle of milk, airport officials said.

A security officer noticed something moving in a garbage bag that was reportedly unloaded from a Gulf Air plane that arrived from Bahrain and found the baby inside, an airport statement said. The baby was later turned over to social workers posted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. ***** A German man’s habit of taking naked walks to reduce his stress levels backfired when his latest escapade triggered a police search and closed down a rail line.

Police in the western city of Solingen said Friday that a woman out walking her dog saw the man, who jumped onto the train tracks and fled. She found his clothes nearby.

Police closed the rail line for 1 1/2 hours and sent up a helicopter to try and locate the man. He eventually turned himself in, saying he panicked after being seen and fled home.

The 42-year-old told officers he often took naked walks because it helped him combat stress.

Compiled from the AP Newswire

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NEWS

The New Paltz Oracle

SA Reviews Nominees After Loss of VP of Finance

By Julie Mansmann

Editor-in-Chief | Jmansmann60@newpaltz.edu

Although the members of fall 2010 Student Association (SA) executive board were elected last spring, one seat has been vacant since the semester began. With the departure of the incumbent Yasmin El Jamal, the SA EBoard was left to find a new vice president of finance for the academic year.

The E-board was notified this summer that El Jamal, who was elected as vice president of finance in May, would not be returning to the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz for graduate school. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree through an Englishlanguage program in Amman, Jordan in Islamic Studies with a minor in Islamic law.

The constitutional duties of El Jamal’s former position include providing authorized signatures for SA’s financial disbursements and monitoring all approved allocations of SA funds to ensure that all expenditures are consistent with available funds and adhere to the SUNY Board of Trustees Regulations. She said

that although she cannot return to the E-board this academic year, her experience with SA was valuable to her.

“I really wish I came back to New Paltz and the Student Association, but it is time for me to advance and do something for myself and my future,” El Jamal said. “The Student Association has helped me develop into the person I have become today.”

According to SA President Jennifer Sanchez, the executive board began working together to complete several projects over the summer that El Jamal was still working on after all members were notified about her decision.

Sanchez said she and other E-board members will miss El Jamal.

“My initial reaction was a little bit of a panic because the [vice president] of finance is a really important position,” she said. “I was also saddened to see Yasmin leave because I worked with her last year and I was really looking forward to having her here again because she is really good at what she does.”

Since the semester began, the residing Eboard members have assumed certain duties

allocated to the vice president of finance. Vice President of Programming Anthony Lino has been in charge of approving program funding requests made by various organizations, with Sanchez’s assistance. In lieu of a vice president of finance, Sanchez has been signing off on financial paperwork including SA employee time sheets, checks and line item fund requests made by various groups. E-board members have also been responsible for coordinating financial decisions with SA Disbursing Agent Linda Lendvay.

Although she said she has not personally received any complaints, Sanchez said that during this time there has been a one case in which programs were approved before the SA lawyer reviewed them, causing students to have to go back for approval again. However, Sanchez said that invalid approval of programs has not been a common occurrence over the past two weeks, and that the E-board is doing the best it can to review all requests.

Article V, section 3, statement 2 of the SA constitution states that the E-board has the power to set forth nominees to fill any vacant

New Paltz Buys 62 Acres

By Andrew Wyrich

Sports Editor | Andrew.wyrich63@newpaltz.edu

The Town of New Paltz recently announced the acquisition of 62 acres of woodlands, wetlands and streams just east of the Duzine Elementary School on Sunset Ridge Road.

The acreage, which was purchased for $550,000, will be utilized as a key component of the Mill Brook Preserve, which, will contain “walking paths similar to the Rail Trail that will be through this and adjoining properties,” Town Supervisor Toni Hokanson said.

The purchased area includes wetlands that are sensitive to wildlife and contains Tributary 13, a stream which feeds into the Wallkill River.

The land is also adjacent to a protected portion of the Woodland Pond retirement community, which when combined with the recently purchased land, will create over 100 acres of protected land.

Village Environmental Conservation Commission Co-Chair Rachel Lagodka believed the purchase was an intelligent investment for the town of New Paltz. “[The purchased land] is a dream come true for many dedicated community members who have worked hard to protect open space in New Paltz,” she said.

Lagodka also said the purchase was a good investment for New Paltz and should help the town in the future.

“[The land] improves property values since protecting open space is far less expensive than the costs of government services like the school system, water, fire and police. And a house near a park is more valuable than a house near a development,” she said.

According to Lagodka, several committees and neighborhood groups have been working hard to finalize the purchase, and Hokanson said the town received “overwhelming” support for the land purchase from the New Paltz community.

Lagodka was “ecstatic” the land will be preserved, and said it could serve as an excellent location for students to hike and study ecology. “[It] contains a crucial part of the watershed of the Mill Brook where an old beaver pond is transitioning into a beaver meadow,” she said.

A report will be made by a professional consultant that will include proposed trails and environmental features that will be shown at a meeting, said Lagodka. State University of New York student research from the last five years will also be referenced in the report. Although a date for the meeting has yet to be set, Lagodka said the report will be made soon.

According to Hokanson, the purchased land will be financed using a one-year bond anticipation note with 1.28 percent interest, which will be converted to a 30-year bond at the end of the year.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

position to the student senate for approval. Two candidates have submitted resumes in hopes of winning a nomination for the vice president of finance seat, with a third expected to submit his or her information by the end of the week. The E-board’s nominees will be presented at the next student senate meeting on Tuesday, Sept.

21.

During the question-and-answer period with the nominees, Sanchez said she hopes returning senators will bring attention to problems the vice president of finance has dealt with in the past that they may also face in the future.

The E-board plans to send forth two candidates who have experience in student government, in studying finance or both. Their possible time commitment will also be heavily evaluated.

“I think we have a very approachable Eboard now. We are talking about ways that we can get our faces out because we really want to be available to students,” she said. “We don’t want a [vice president] of finance who is going to have a lot of attitude, or not be helpful to the students. This should be a go-to person for them.”

NEWS

The New Paltz Oracle

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Christian Leads College as Search Continues

By Justin McCarthy

News Editor | Jmccarthy46@newpaltz.edu

As an external search committee continues to seek out candidates for the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz presidency, Interim President Donald Christian said he looks forward to his year during the university’s transitional phase.

Having come from the position of SUNY New Paltz provost, Christian views SUNY’s decision to look internally for an interim president as a positive sign of the college’s success in recent years. He said with high application rates and the recent honor of being among the top 10 of U.S. News and World Report’s 2011 Best Regional Universities in the North, this is very much a “golden age” for SUNY New Paltz.

“I think the SUNY central administration had enough confidence in the way things were going here at New Paltz that they felt very comfortable looking internally for an interim leader than going external, which sometimes they do,” said Christian.

“That, we should all take as a real vote of confidence internally.”

Additionally, Christian’s familiarity with the campus and previous experience at three other public university systems and “three administrative positions of increasing responsibility” made him the right person in SUNY’s view to assist New Paltz through the changeover in leadership. Former SUNY New Paltz President Steven Poskanzer even approached Christian about the interim president position.

“After my initial shock that it was too early in my time here to do that, he encouraged me,” said Christian. “And I thought about, it and let it be known that I would be interested in serving [as interim president of SUNY New Paltz], if that were the decision the chancellor wanted to make.”

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher decided Christian was the perfect fit for the role. As interim president, Christian has some key initiatives he’s working on this year.

“One of the things that I’m committed to doing is keeping us moving ahead as a campus,” he said. “There’s that old saying that ‘if you stand still, you fall behind.’ And that’s true for public colleges and universities in this day and age. We just can’t stand still.”

Among the many projects he’s overseeing before handing over the keys to the president’s office are the 10-year accredita-

tion process, a series of construction projects that include renovations to Wooster Science Building and the Sojourner Truth Library, and a number of academic initiatives including an “expansion and refinement” of the honors program and working on the early stages of a plan to revise the general education program.

Additionally, he’ll be coordinating with the central SUNY administration by finding ways to “align the priorities” of Zimpher’s “Power of SUNY” strategic plan with the priorities of SUNY New Paltz, and also by doing everything he can to “help the presidential search be successful.”

With everything Christian has on his plate, he feels confident, especially with the assistance of his cabinet and staff.

“I just have an awesome staff,” he said.

“I have the best staff that I could imagine and a great group of vice presidents, each of whom provides great leadership for their areas of responsibility. But also, we work together wonderfully as a cabinet. They offer good support, good advice, good council.

So, those are very key resources to moving

the campus ahead successfully.”

Many among Christian’s staff speak of him as highly as he speaks of them.

“I find him to be very thoughtful and community-oriented, and I think he was a great choice,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Linda Eaton. “It’s kind of nice to have someone we’re all familiar with.”

Eaton was equally as pleased with the process SUNY New Paltz has employed to find the next university president. As a staff member who has been present for three presidents in her 17 years at New Paltz, Eaton believes SUNY will make a decision that is best for the campus and appreciates the input the school has taken from members of various facets of the community.

Eaton said she looks forward to Christian’s year at New Paltz, but sees the school’s budgetary issues as a hamper for everyone at SUNY New Paltz. “[New Paltz is] enjoying this great time.

We’re getting great students, we’re popular,” said Eaton. “You would hate to see the budget sort of get in the way of our progress.”

The budget, Christian admits, will be

one of his toughest challenges as interim president. He said that SUNY New Paltz’s current revenue is “out of balance” from the spending plan it anticipated by about $2.6 million.

“So, we have to undertake the work this year of adjusting our economy downward so that our spending plan next year and the years after that match our revenue,” Christian said. “That, no doubt, will occupy a fair amount of my time.”

Aside from the major initiatives his office hopes to work on this year, Christian has made several efforts to interact with students. He’s spoken at the freshman convocation and at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Student Union addition. He’s also judged some first-year student lip-syncing contests and even helped some students moved in.

His time in the president’s office may be limited, but Christian said he has high hopes for the coming semesters.

“I’m excited to be here,” he said.

“We’ve got a lot of great things going and I’m looking forward to the year.”

Decibel Readings Taken Downtown

By Andrew Wyrich

Sports Editor | Andrew.Wyrich62@newpaltz.edu

Officials said several decibel meter readings have been taken around the Village of New Paltz in order to ensure a clear and enforceable noise law. There has been concern raised by homeowners, students and police that the current law is too vague and subjective, lending itself to inconsistent enforcement. The law is currently in the process of being amended.

On Aug. 14, Chief of Police Joseph Snyder and a group of officials took sound level readings in the downtown business district. Snyder recommended that an A weighted decibel (dBA) reading of 65 at night and 75 during the day was a reasonable approach. Ambient noise was 60 dBA in the downtown district area and 45 dBA at Village Hall.

Loud conversation from 75 feet away was 57 dBA, according to Mayor Terry Dungan.

The locations that were checked included McGillicuddy’s, P&G’s, Cabaloosa’s, Oasis, Snug’s, Murphy’s,

the parking lot at Chase Bank and the front of the Village TeaRoom. All the bars had their doors open, which is not allowed under the current law, said Dungan. Having the doors closed significantly reduces the noise. McGillicuddy’s was at 98 dBA inside and 65 dBA 50 feet away with the doors closed.

Kevin Mueller, fifth-year math education major, said he does not see why the bars need to keep their doors closed.

“I feel like it’s asking too much of the bouncers and…would make it take so much longer for lines of people to get into the bar which in turn would result in people being loud outside,” he said.

Dungan said there are many misconceptions about the law because of inaccurate or misleading information.

He said that it is important for people to realize that without a fair and precise local noise law the only recourse would be arrest for disorderly conduct under New York State penal code.

Since most complaints come from music at the bars and garbage trucks being too loud in the morning, Dun-

Thursday, September 16, 2010

gan said he does not believe it will noticeably affect students who live off campus.

“Most people don’t realize there is a noise law because it doesn’t affect their lives…the point of the amendment is to make the law more fair, more objective and more consistent in its enforcement,” he said.

Kristen Geigenberger, fourth-year art education major, lives off campus and said she agrees with the amendment being made in the noise law, because she does not like being woken up by the garbage trucks so early in the morning.

“Having garbage trucks come at a later time would be more sufficient,” she said.

Dungan said there has been a lot of input from the public. Last year there was a public hearing where more than 80 people attended, including SUNY New Paltz students, where all could give their opinions.

“The village is a great place to live and when students live off campus they really value it,” said Dungan.

The8New Paltz Oracle Pg

The New Paltz Oracle

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS “TRANSFORMATION: The Life and Legacy of Werner Erhard” September 16 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Kingston Film presented by the Kingston Landmark Community. Admission is free.

Great early bird special from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dinner for two with a bottle of wine for $26. The showing will be at Hillside Manor in Kingston, For more information, contact 845-331-4336.

“Water Flowing By,” September 17 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sterling Forest Visitor’s Center Tuxedo, N.Y. A workshop for land use officials and professionals on the true nature of water. Will guide hands-on scientific and art experimentation and highlight Orange County’s water resources. For more information, contact Atticus Lanigan at 845-615-3853 or alanigan@ orangecountygov.com Performance Marcy B. Freedman, The Go Between September 19 12:00 p.m to 3:00 p.m.

The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art Freedman engages visitors and offers to deliver a message to another person, interrupting the typical solitude of the museum experience, and forcing an acknowledgment that the museum is a social space–and encouraging the notion that art has a social dimension. Admission is free. For more information, contact 845-257-3844.

Landlord/Tenant Council Presentation September 20 7:00 p.m.

Village Hall The New Paltz Village Landlord/Tenant Council is sponsoring a presentation by the assistant attoreny general on tenant and landlord rights. All are welcome.

Village Hall is located at 25 Platekill Ave. New Paltz, N.Y.

Faculty Showcase September 28 8:00 p.m.

McKenna Theater An evening of musical delights featuring the diverse talents of the Music Department faculty. Admission is $8, $6 or $3 at the door. For more information, contact 845-257-2700.

Pine Hill Folk Festival October 2 Second Annual Volunteer Fair 11 a.m to 11 p.m.

September 24 Performances by the Saturday Night 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Bluegrass Band (Bill Keith on Lecture Center North and South Banjo!), Mike and Ruthy and others, Lobbies and the Humanities 105 along with a special Folk Musics Lobby of the Catskills presentation and an eveDo you love to volunteer but don’t know ning contra danceeCome for the day or where to start? Do you already volunteer for a part. Affordable and family but would like to explore additional opfriendly.Work scholarships available, portunities? Here’s your chance. Don’t especially for Pine Hill residents. miss the Second Annual Volunteer Fair!

Stop by and speak with representatives The Annual Michael R. Kelly Chili from over 50 local, national, and interCook-Off national organizations. Opportunities October 23 are available for all majors! Bring a 1:00 p.m. to 4 p.m. friend! This evetnt is sponsored by the Pine Hill Community Career Resource Center.

Center Celebrate National Chili Month, and see “Andy Warhol: Private and Public live music. Admission is in 151 Photographs” free, prices for chili TBA. Through September 26, 2010 Sara Bedrick Gallery “Hudson Valley Artists 2010: ConSamuel Dorsky Museum of Art temporary Art and Praxis” Elements of the public and privates Through November 14, 2010 lives of Andy Warhol and members of Alice and Horace Chandler Gallery his circle. Images explore the interconSamuel Dorsky Museum of Art nections between the public and private, The exhibition presents the work of and the personal and social, as seen in a over twenty artists and artist collectives large group of Polaroid and black-and- living and working in the Hudson River white photographs made from 1972 to Valley who demonstrate how creative 1986. practice can operate in service of theory to effect changes in the real world.

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, September 16, 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 845834-2213.

Facilities Management Having facilities related issues?

Please call x3301.

The GUNK Thursday, September 16, 2010

SUNY New Paltz screenwriting professor debuts his newest play,

THE AWESOME DANCE Story on page 6B

PLUS...

THE WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL Celebrating its 11th year with more films and events than ever

HIROSHIMA SPEAKS Historical exhibition comes to Sojourner Truth Library Get the low down on the newest pizza place in town

STAY TRUE PALTZ! Music event entertains

AND MORE!

Photo by Corey Torpie

GRIMALDI’S PIZZERIA

2B | Features

The New Paltz Oracle

FOOD REVIEW

No Slices, No Problem Grimaldi’s Menu GRIMALDI’S PIZZA: A RETURN TO FAMILY VALUES

To-Go: 845-255-3800

PIZZA: Small Large Small Large

Regular Regular White White

By Pamela Vivanco

(6 (8 (6 (8

Slices) Slices) Slices) Slices)

$12 $14 $14 $16

CALZONE:

Small (16”)

Large (18”)

$10 $14

TOPPINGS:

(Same price for 1/2 or whole pizza) Artichoke Hearts Grilled Chicken Pesto Jalapenos Oven Roasted Sweet Peppers Ricotta Cheese Pepperoni Sun Dried Tomatoes Onions Fresh Garlic Fresh Sliced Tomatoes Kalamata Anchovies Italian Sausage Mushrooms Ham Extra Mozarella Cheese Extra Grimaldi’s Famous Sauce Extra Basil Extra Grated Cheese Antipasto Caesar Salad Caprese

Grimaldi’s House Salad

$2

No need to wait on line anymore, city kids, Grimaldi’s pizza has come to New Paltz!

Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria opened on Aug. 2 at 119 Main St., joining all the other pizzerias that calm those pizza-craving tummies. Known for its classic coal fired brickoven pizza, Grimaldi’s is no Fat Bob’s.

With 24 locations nationwide, Grimaldi’s classic, crispy, smoky pizza first cooked beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in 1905 and still stands at that very location attracting New York City residents and curious tourists from all over the world.

Although tasty, the other pizzerias in town are much different than Grimaldi’s.

The co-owner of the New Paltz Grimaldi’s, Adam Monteverde said that aside from their pizza being coal fired brickoven, they also make their own

cheese and only use local produce and fresh local ingredients.

Grimaldi’s has a limited but traditional menu that offers regular and white pizza pies with 20 topping choices, salads, Italian desserts, antipasto and calzones. Unfortunately, Grimaldi’s does not sell by the slice, but their small, classic margarita pies are fresh and bigger than expected.

Aside from the traditional pizzeria menu, the restaurant does offer a $5 burger and french fries special and $5 macaroni with marinara special, perfect for the average college students. Four dollar glasses of wine are also available for the pensive New Paltz students that are 21 and older.

Grimaldi’s does not take reservations or credit cards and does not deliver, but they have the cheapest ATM in town for $1.

Monteverde said that al-

though Grimaldi’s is fancier than other pizzerias in town, he tries to give people what they pay for.

“We want to be just like the neighborhood pizzeria where everybody knows to go for the good, classic pie,” he said.

Although it might not be the perfect pizzeria for sloppy, drunk kids after happy hour, Grimaldi’s is definitely a great, spacious spot with friendly service to go to with your loved ones.

Like their menu, the atmosphere of Grimaldi’s is classy and traditional. Red and white checkered table cloths, a big picture of the New York City skyline at night hanging on the walls neighboring a fancy fullliquor bar, and classic voices like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday playing in the background makes Grimaldi’s an expressive family restaurant that truly captures the old-soul of New York City.

$1

Small $8 Large $12 Small $6 Large $8

$8 Small $6 Large $8

Add Sopressata or Fresh Mozzarella Add Grilled Chicken

DESSERT:

$4

Copy Editor | Pvivanco57@newpaltz.edu

Homemade Cannoli

$2 $4

$3.50 PHOTO BY LAURA LUENGAS

Grimaldi’s is a family-based restaurant with a selection of pizzas and 20 different choices of toppings.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Features | 3B

The New Paltz Oracle FOOD COLUMN

By Zan Strumfeld

Features Editor Sstrumfeld34@newpaltz.edu I’m going to start this with a really simple recipe. It’s basically something that every college kid I know makes (probably at least twice a week or so).

It’s a pretty filling and fun concoction to make, especially with friends. And it’s with the simplest ingredient ever… pasta.

I like to call it Pasta Party Time. I just made that up right now, but I’ll stick with it.

Okay, here’s what you’ll need (I’m going to put what I used, but you can use any general product basically): A box of pasta (whatever kind you’d like. I prefer whole wheat, but that’s only because whole wheat prevails over everything. Always.)

A red sauce (I have Barilla Marinara Sauce because it was on sale at Stop ‘n Shop, but it doesn’t really matter. They all taste the same, really.)

A clove or two of garlic, depending on your preference.

Olive Oil (Extra Virgin) Spices: Parsley, Basil, Salt, Ground Black Pepper (these are the essentials that should always fill up your spice rack).

Vegetables! I used: Onions, Spinach, Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, Banana Peppers, Mushrooms.

You’ll also need: A pot to boil the pasta in, a skillet for the veggies, a cutting board for the veggies, a skillet and a badass sharp knife. Also, have spatulas for mixing, but if you didn’t know that maybe you should stop reading.

Hot Off the Frying Zan Living off-campus is tough.There’s no one telling you what to do. You have plenty of room to throw your stuff everywhere. You can wake up at three in the morning hungry and have a fridge full of food to entertain yourself with.

Yeah, I’d say it’s a pretty difficult lifestyle.

But in all seriousness, one of the scariest things about living off-campus is the idea that I can no longer just swipe my card and have food handed to me. Oh no. I’ve got to shop for food. Place it in the appropriate spot (fridge, cabinet, freezer, etc.) and, you know, cook it.

These thoughts keep me up at night.

So, this summer, I cringed when I turned on Julie & Julia, a Meryl Streep/Amy Adams

film about Julia Child’s creating the “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” cookbook and a modern Julie Powell, who decides to cook all 524 recipes and blog about it. I cringed even more when I (don’t tell anyone) enjoyed the movie. What became of this? Well, it’s my first time living off-campus, in a real apartment, as a real person. And I never cooked at home for some reason, so I was throwing myself into a whole other dimension, what you may refer to as “The Kitchen.”

After watching the movie, I figured it’d be a great idea to steal the idea. But, like shown in the movie, blogs are tedious and annoying, and I already have two that I don’t keep up. Instead,

+

BEFORE YOU START COOKING: You must first select proper cooking music. This differs from dinner music (like Chet Baker or some light jazz like Django). That’s for relaxing and eating. But no, if you’re cooking, you’ve got to get in the mood. Something like The Pixies or Squirrel Nut Zippers (Haven’t heard of them? You have to check them out!)

OKAY! Now you’re ready to become a master chef.

Start boiling the water for the pasta.

Watch the pot until it boils because whoever said “A watched pot never boils” is lying.

It always boils. Heat the skillet on another burner and throw some olive oil on it. Not too much but not too little, you know? Chop up the clove of garlic and sprinkle it around the skillet along with small pieces of the onion. (HINT: While slicing an onion, wear sunglasses, preferably Aviators, to protect

I’m going to try to turn the idea into a more college-friendly style.

With that being said, I will propose one recipe every issue, with a step-by-step how to perform this task and a “if it’s worth it or not” response. I’m scared, so you should be too. I’m going to call my parents and do some research to find semi-quick and potentially great-tasting recipes for your tongue pleasure. I know I’m not alone in this whole “cooking for the first time” ordeal, so hopefully this will benefit someone.

Please enjoy and try for yourself. If you have any recipes you’d like me to try, e-mail me them and I’ll do my best.

=

your eyes). Grab your spices and trickle them around the skillet. This all really depends on your taste buds so you have to decide for yourself how much you’d like.

Has the water boiled yet? Probably not.

Start slicing up all your vegetables. Throw in the mushrooms and some peppers into the skillet and start mixing them around, make sure they get cooked on all sides. Is the water boiled now? Okay! Throw in the pasta.

You can start mixing the pasta around a bit, but it’s not really necessary in the beginning of the cooking process. Continue stirring around your veggies and throw in the rest of the peppers. You might need to add some more olive oil, but no worries! Stir the pasta.

Stir the veggies. Repeat. Try the pasta; is it how you like it? I like mine al dente, sort of hard, sort of soft. If it’s not quite ready, good! Throw in the spinach into the final mix and continue to stir. After it starts to get

shriveley and the onions look a little brown, grab your sauce and pour it into the skillet.

Probably pour about a quarter to half of the jar of sauce, depending on how many people you have, how many vegetables, how much pasta and how much you like sauce. Mix everything around together for a few minutes and check your pasta. By now it’s probably finished, so turn the stove off and grab your strainer. Strain the pasta in the sink. By now the veggies and sauce should be ready as well. Turn the stove off (don’t burn your place down).

Grab your bowls or plates, pour the pasta and then the veggies with sauce on top.

Switch to your dinner music and grab your drinks. This dish is best served with white wine but if you’re not 21, try some OJ or water.

Hopefully this was easy to follow and you’ll enjoy the meal. If not, uhhhhhh.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FREE-EXTRAS.COM, 1FREEADVERTISING.COM, TEAMSUGAR.COM

Thursday, September 16, 2010

4B | FEATURES

The New Paltz Oracle

PROFILE

Mummy Class Has Student Body All Wrapped Up THIS SEMESTER’S MUMMY STUDIES DIGS UP THE DIRT ON THE DEAD

By Pete Thompson

Copy Editor | Pthompson51@newpaltz.edu

Dead Heads of a different caliber can now rejoice at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz with this semester’s offering of a Mummy Studies course. It’s more than skeletal subject matter that spans across the globe, aiming to enlighten students on both the physical and spiritual aspects of this ancient practice.

According to the course syllabus it “begins with an introduction to the theoretical foundations of Mummy Studies, to the study of death and the mortuary context…[ranging] all over the continents, examining where and when mummies are

BOOKS REVIEW

found.”

Areas covered include anatomy and decomposition, natural and artificial mummification methods and DNA analysis, along with methods and meaning.

“My research deals with mummified remains in an attempt to reconstruct behavior through bones,” said course instructor Dr. Kenneth Nystrom.

Engaging topics aside, the course’s instructor has a wealth of personal experience to contribute as well.

Since Dr. Kenneth Nystrom received his PhD from the University of New Mexico in 2005, he has trekked to tombs around the world, in countries ranging from Chile and Bolivia to Italy and Greece.

“I use specific tools from natural sciences molded with the more humanistic side,” Nystrom said of incorporating experience into the information he teaches and using the bodies as “an avenue regarding the afterlife.”

The biological archaeologist was actually selected by Discovery Channel to contribute as a reporter/investigator for both its “Mummy Autopsy” special, where he travelled to the Valley of Tombs to flesh out new findings, and “Egypt Uncovered,” where he investigated the tomb of King Tut. Currently listed as ANT393, the course is only one of the selected anthropology topics, but it may not be so in the near future. This is the second time Mummy Studies is running; a course must run three

times for it to be made official.

Nystrom, however, is glad to have this experimental period.

“It gives me time to work out any kinks,” he said.

Nystrom said he has been receiving an overall positive reception from students. Every seat has been filled each time, and it’s not meant to interest anthropology majors exclusively. The roster currently includes a number of history majors and undeclared students as well.

“I like [the course] a lot. Where else can you learn about mummies around the world,” said secondyear history major Isaac Getlan. “It’s only the fourth week in, but I’d definitely recommend the class.”

Recommendations don’t even seem necessary to spark interest in the afterlife amongst the student body.

“I wish I knew about it sooner,” said third-year organizational communication major Claire Kinnell.

“I’ve always found mummification to be interesting, and it’d be great to see how it varies around the world, so I’d definitely be interested in a class like that.”

If all goes well and it goes for one more semester, kids like Kinnell may not have to worry about catching Mummy Studies at the right time, since it could be instated as an official course at SUNY New Paltz.

The Last Good Book I Read PHOTO C0URTESY OF TOWER.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA LUENGAS

“Everything Matters” by Ron Currie Jr.

By Pierce Lydon

Managing Editor | Lydon47@newpaltz.edu

This week on TLGBIR, I bring you an absolute gift, Ron Currie Junior’s “Everything Matters.” The premise is simple: what if you knew the exact day the world would end since the very first moment you had your own thoughts because a voice told you? This is what our protagonist, Junior, must struggle with.

Junior is a genius. His older brother is the best baseball play-

Thursday, September 16, 2010

er the world has ever known. Once Junior loses a chance at the one girl he’s ever loved because he tells her the world will end, he dedicates his life to finding a way to stop it to get her back.

If that’s not a grand romantic gesture then I don’t know what is.

Currie takes us through Junior’s entire life and then, despite all of his accomplishments, the Voice gives Junior a choice. He’s allowed to go back and change any one moment in time because as the Voice puts it “with infinite choices comes the potential for infinite happiness.” Now this might strike you as some sort of dimestore attempt at philosophy but I assure you there is more to it. Despite following Junior for his entire life, we occasionally get glimpses into the point of view of the other characters. We get to see how they react to their environment when the world seems to be figuratively coming down around them. It’s a device that makes the big words of the Voice feel less shallow and instead paints them in a much more relatable light.

Currie’s title is an answer. It is the answer to the questions that everyone has at some point. Does anything I do matter? Yes. Everything matters.

Ad | 5B

The New Paltz Oracle

Thursday, September 16, 2010

6B | Arts & Entertainment

The New Paltz Oracle

THEATRE FEATURE

The Awesome Dance Hits the City Stage SUNY PROFESSOR NICK STARR EXPLORES SHARED EXPERIENCES WITH NEW PLAY

By Maxim Alter

A&E Editor | Malter42@newpaltz.edu

In a single lifetime, there is a brief period where a group of souls can be eternally connected through tragedy or through triumph. There is a moment where everything either falls together or falls apart. This is the premise of “The Awesome Dance,” a new play by State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz screenwriting professor Nick Starr.

Starr’s production follows the progress of four souls through multiple lives in an examination of how one life can bleed into another and how the consequences of a single action can create an everlasting effect.

“So much happens so quickly,” Starr said. “You laugh, you cry, you scream, you’re totally confused, you’re completely delighted – and that’s attributed to the work that the actors are doing in the play.”

Featuring the New York theatre debut of Starr’s longtime friend Dileep Rao (“Drag Me To Hell,” “Avatar,” “Inception”), “The Awesome Dance” was written under advisorship at The New School for Drama where it had its

PHOTO BY MAXIM ALTER

initial workshop and Starr received his Master of Fine Arts in playwriting. The production also stars Caitlin Talbot, as well as fellow New School graduates Julie Cavaliere and Rachel Cornish.

In the opening scene, the characters Julie and Heather, played by Cornish and Talbot, are introduced sitting in the waiting room of a self-help guru’s sanctuary. As the conversation builds between the two characters, Starr’s writing ranges from bits of dark humor to emotional outbursts that reveal new information about the scene and the characters’ intentions.

“You have to listen to [your characters],” Starr said.

“Maybe you have an idea about where you’re going, but the first thing you need to do is listen to the people who are talking in the room… Wait for the story to reveal itself to you.”

As the scene continues and two more characters are introduced, a twist is revealed, changing everything and leading toward a karma-induced tumble through multiple generations. The three scenes that follow each represent a separate lifetime. The characters change, yet the same four souls remain.

PHOTOS BY COREY TORPIE

Thursday, September 16, 2010

When the production was first introduced to Rao, the actor’s instinct went beyond just supporting one of his good friends. Rao became enamored by the initial production, and pleaded Starr to be a part of it.

“The hair on the back of my neck just stood up and I thought, my friend isn’t only just my friend and a good writer, he’s an artist,” Rao said. “He has the talent and the ability to do stuff only the playwrights I’ve worked with that I respect and like the most can do, and that is to use language and thought to startle us in space, which is what theatre is about.”

Although Starr teaches students in New Paltz how to write for the screen, theatre has been a huge part of both his career and life.

As a teenager visiting his aunt in London, Starr was taken to a production of “Volpone” at the Royal National Theatre. In that instant, his life was changed.

“I don’t even know if I really followed the whole thing, but I just remember it being so hilarious,” he said. “I had never had an experience like that. That was a really big moment.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 7B

The New Paltz Oracle Since then, Starr won a 2004 LA Weekly award for his play “The Songs of Forgettance” and is now in mid production of “The Awesome Dance,” which will have its final show on Sept. 25 at the Cherry Pit Theatre in New York City.

Through all of his experiences, Starr has met a lot of close friends. With their help, he has realized many of his personal projects.

“If you’re a writer, the most important thing is to just have allies,” he said. “I have a network of people that I’ve worked with through graduate school that have really been my allies and then I have friends like Dileep.

You should surround yourself with people who support your work and people whose work that you really admire.”

Besides hosting a fundraising party to finance the production, Starr and his allies used the website Kickstarter.com. From Kickstarter alone, they managed to gather $5,300 from 105 backers.

“You really have to hustle,” Starr said. “This is a play in a 99-seat theater, which is small, but it’s still ex-

pensive to do.”

For Rao, the experience of coming back to theatre after working on large-scale, blockbuster projects like “Inception” and “Avatar” has allowed him to return to the medium where he originally learned his craft.

As “The Awesome Dance” reaches its midway point this week, Rao described working with Starr and all of the cast and crew from the production as a moment in life where everything has fallen together.

“You can work with collaborators that you respect and that’s great and you can work with friends and not be sure what that’s going to be like,” Rao said. “To have both those things during this experience has been one of the great treats of this life.”

Q&A

WITH DILEEP RAO

You may know Dileep Rao from two of the biggest movies of the last decade: “Avatar” and “Inception.”

Now starring in Nick Starr’s “The Awesome Dance,” we ask him a few questions.

What made you want to become an actor?

The most honest answer is that I didn’t feel normal doing anything else. I was studying to be a doctor and I thought I would have made a pretty good one.

I’m pretty scientifically oriented as a person. There was a certain part of me, though, that was not feeling expressed at all. The older I got the more it felt like there was a burden inside of me that I couldn’t deal with and I needed an art form to do that. I chose this particular art form because it is the art of self. Most people think it’s about putting on a costume. It’s really about revealing yourself and the human truth of what you know. It’s a profession but it’s also a very personal connection to who I am.

Are plays something that you’re always going to come back to no matter how many big films you make?

Definitely, I didn’t learn how to act on sets. I learned it in theaters. I need to be in front of an audience kind of regularly to tune my instrument. Theatre has been around for a very long time and I think that the literature for it is very rich. Movies are far larger enterprises and you don’t know what it’s going to be like until its shot, edited and completed. There’s this process in theatre that I couldn’t live without that goes beyond a camera.

If you could pick one reason why someone should see “The Awesome Dance,” what would it be?

A lot happens in a very short period, and the actors, the writer and the director have decided to make this play incredibly challenging. This play is like sprinting a mile and then laying down and going to sleep immediately. It’s like you have to do some things that are almost counterintuitive back to back to back. You get to see some really strong actors in very demanding work.

It’s the most startling and absorptive play, minute for minute, that you’ll probably see.

“The Awesome Dance” at the Cherry Pit Theatre in NYC provided by Corey Torpie. Q&A photo courtesy of imdb.com.

For more information about “The Awesome Dance” or to purchase tickets, visit theawesomedance.com.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

8B | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The New Paltz Oracle

TELEVISION REVIEW

WITH “LOST” AT AN END, WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST SHOWS TO FILL THAT EMPTY HATCH IN YOUR HEART On May 23, “Lost” came to an end. The Man in Black was defeated, the island was protected and the stories surrounding our favorite castaways concluded. So for fans, when the screen went black for that final time, a wave of pain was felt universally. Sure, it’s just a television show, but it was also like losing a friend – a life sucking, melodramatic friend that told you to shut up every time you asked a question – but a friend nonetheless. In the end, Jack went from a man of science to a man of faith. Locke went from a man of faith to a man of… smoke. And a story that lasted six years came full circle in the most beautiful way possible. Since the first season, Jack has always needed to fix things. He wasn’t able to give up, and when he took his final breath and closed his eyes for the last time, he had succeeded in his destiny. He saved his friends, he saved the island and he learned to let go. Now it’s time for us to do the same, and what better way to do that than watch another show? So from The Oracle to you, here are the best shows, new or old, to help you move on and get obsessed all over again.

- Maxim Alter Clockwise from top left: Number Six and Gaius Baltar (Battlestar Galactica); Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton (True Blood); Don Draper (Mad Men); Dexter Morgan (Dexter). All photos courtesy of imdb.com

Battlestar Galactica

By Maxim Alter

By Sunya Bhutta

By Ryan Patrick Hanrahan

By Zan Strumfeld

When a race of machines wipes out mankind, only a group of about 40,000 survive.

In a plot focused on their effort to find a mysterious planet called Earth known only in legend, “Battlestar Galactica” is hands down one of the greatest replacements to “Lost,” ever. It may be over, but there are still plenty of ways to watch it, and trust me, it’s worth buying the DVDs. Unfortunatley, “Battlestar” is the kind of show that didn’t get all of the attention it deserved. The name alone usually turns down those who aren’t attracted to science fiction. But don’t let that deter you. “Lost” is just as sci-fi, if not more. “Battlestar,” like “Lost,” has an incredible musical score, and similar themes that delve into the existence of destiny, a larger purpose and the will to survive. The characters are extremely engaging and the acting is top-notch. From the moment the story gets going, it’s a non-stop, edge of your seat ride that will blow your mind.

If you’ve never heard of “True Blood” – because you either live in complete isolation or you associate vampires with the piece of crap that is “Twilight” – let me give you a few reasons why this show is worth watching. First, both Losties and Trubies enjoy jaw-dropping plot revelations and supernatural themes. While “Lost” has twists, “True Blood” is seriously twisted. By that I mean its content is not suitable for children or anyone who is squeamish. The storyline, in short, is about a telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) who falls in love with vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) in a world where humans and the undead coexist. The supernatural that is present in “True Blood” goes beyond just blood suckers. There are werewolves, shapeshifters and even a strange creature called a maenad. This is a vampire story that actually doesn’t suck. It’s fang-tastic.

A glass of fine scotch in one hand, a slowly burning cigarette in the other. Calm and in control. This is Don Draper. This is “Mad Men.” Set in the 1960s at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City, “Mad Men” is the story of Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm. Draper is the creative director at the agency and king of a world where men are men, infidelity runs rampant and dark secrets are as hidden behind glamour as the products the agency advertises. “Mad Men” is a story of human nature breaking free from the bonds of an oppresive society. If you’re looking for a “Lost” replacement that is a sexy, visually authentic and beautifully done commentary on early 60s society, watch “Mad Men.” You’ll see how far we’ve come, and yet, how much we’ve stayed the same.

Also, Christina Hendricks is the very definition of Va-Va-Va-Voom, just saying.

I’m sick of vampires, and zombies are a little gross. But serial killers, yeah, they’re the new thing. They’re hot, and Michael C. Hall’s character, Dexter Morgan, is the hottest. Showtime’s “Dexter” is starting its fifth season in September and it’s going to be the strangest season yet. Blood splatter analyst by day, husband and dad by evening and knife-slicing psychopath by night, Dexter goes after the rapists and murderers that get away with their crimes. Each season is crawling with tension, dark comedy and usually one main serial killer rival, all while taking place along the beaches of Miami.

Although I can’t give much away, I’m nervous about the upcoming season. I have absolutely no idea where the show is going, especially after leaving the last season with such an unpredictable twist. So if you’re still crying over “Lost,” spend the next few weeks watching “Dexter” and you’ll be so glad he wasn’t on the island too.

A&E Editor | Malter42@newpaltz.edu

Copy Editor | Sunya.bhutta94@newpaltz.edu

Copy Editor | RHanrahan13@newpaltz.edu

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Features Editor | Sstrumfeld34@newpaltz.edu

Arts & Entertainment | 9B

The New Paltz Oracle MUSIC REVIEW

Rants and Chants at This Year’s Stay True Paltz PAUL BARIBEAU TRASHES PURCHASE COLLEGE, CHRISTIANITY AND CELL PHONES

By Zan Strumfeld

Features Editor | Sstrumfeld34@newpaltz.edu

“This is Stay True Paltz!? No one tells me anything,” said folk-punk musician Paul Baribeau. After playing a set at Main Street’s Elting Library on Saturday, Sept. 11, Baribeau reflected on his past times in New Paltz and how it’s such a “weird, little place.”

Unlike the traditional show held outside, like last year at Hasbrouck Park with a day full of bands, this year’s show was in a small room in the library with a short set of five acts.

“I haven’t played a library before, but I always wanted to. But there are a lot of lights,” said Baribeau.

It was a strange sight – plaid-wearing, bushy-bearded kids sitting cross-legged, almost ready for reading time in a room wall papered by elementary school dioramas of Henry Hudson (who looked a lot like Baribeau now that I think about it) and other historical figures.

After a a few artists played, Hudson, NY, native Liv Carroll jumped the stage.

Wearing a rainbow plaid shirt and sporting a blue guitar, Carroll’s set consisted of sometimes whimsical and often immature songs, one about baby-making by cracking eggs and baking cakes. Both Carol and Morrie were deceptively good guitar players who just happen to play punk music.

Next, Dean Engle, second-year English education major grabbed his ukulele for his Minor Constellations set, a band name he said he regrets making at 17. The crowd loved Engle, most of them singing along to his short, witty songs like “Ten Chances” and “Tattoos are Dangerous.” With very catchy and cute lyrics, Engle’s own quirkiness worked very well toward his stage presence.

After Engle’s short set, Baribeau’s band began setting up. Called Busman’s Holiday, the band consists of two brothers. One brother sat with a snare drum, a high hat and a bass made out of a suitcase while the other stood tall, holding an acoustic guitar. With a sound mixing Fleet Foxes, CSNY and Keane, the two immediately silenced the crowds with their heartbreaking harmonies and beautiful

folk ballads.

When Baribeau finally went to play, the entire crowd stood up and surrounded him like one giant hipster hug. He stood on an amp and with a thick brown beard, centered the crowd like Jesus. Ironically enough, this mere fact would hurt him later in the set.

He started off with some well-known songs like “Strawberry” and “Christmas Lights,” yet in the middle of a song, a cell phone went off and Baribeau stopped playing. He glared at the cell phone holder and began to get angry.

During a number of songs, Baribeau had to stop playing when he forgot the lyrics.

The few mistakes that Baribeau made during his set were filled with the fans knowing his songs better than he did. When a cell phone went off again, he continued his banter.

“We played in (SUNY) Purchase last night,” Baribeau said that after they played, a “bro-dawg” band performed, telling the girls to take their shirts off. When they did, Baribeau remembered why he didn’t want to be a part of that scene anymore. He then told the

audience not to do what anyone tells them to do. Too much irony in that statement alone.

“It’s just a reminder that the world is painfully disgusting.”

Baribeau ended his set with “Last Time” where he stopped in the middle of the song and said, “I’m done.”

Later, while fans hugged and smiled at Baribeau by the merchandise table, he said he was in a “distracted kinda of mood.” He said his Christian rant is a “weird debate I’ve been trying to work out. But the punk side of me says screw everybody.”

He was a nice guy to talk to, no doubt, but like Barbibeau said, “I should’ve just not even gone there. I just get really mad but then I write love songs.”

The fourth Stay True Paltz! was strange and somehow satisfying. The crowd still enjoyed themselves, regardless of a bit of awkward ranting and preaching on Baribeau’s part, but the solid sets could make up for anything he said. Hopefully, the Stay True Paltz tradition will continue and more performers can spread their love around New Paltz.

ART FEATURE

Remembering a Day of Tragedy

A VISUAL HISTORY OF HIROSHIMA COMES TO SOJOURNER TRUTH LIBRARY

By Sunya Bhutta

Copy Editor | Sunya.bhutta94@newpaltz.edu

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that in this world there is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence, the choice is nonviolence or nonexistence. That is precisely the message sent by the “Hiroshima Speaks” exhibition at the Sojourner Truth Library.

The display of photographs and information are meant to give viewers a deeper understanding about the horrifying events that took place in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. There are images of the billowing mushroom cloud, the destruction of the city and the damage done to human bodies from burns and radiation.

The exhibit includes pictures of burnt tricycles and scorched lunch boxes belonging to children who died during the

bombing. The exhibition sparks a discussion on nuclear weapons, igniting complex questions about why they are used against humanity. It also informs viewers of how choosing violence instead of peace causes devastation and destruction for everyone.

The story of Sadako Sasaki shows the effects of nuclear bombs years after exposure. Sasaki was two years old at the time of the bombing. She was hospitalized 10 years later and diagnosed with leukemia.

Sasaki believed that if she made 1,000 paper cranes her illness could be cured.

She died after eight months of living with the disease, never completing her goal. A monument, displayed in a photo at the exhibition, was erected in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to honor her memory and spirit. There is also a display filled with

dozens of colorful paper cranes made by students, staff, faculty and passersby in the library.

The idea for the exhibition came from John Kares Smith, chair of the communication studies department at State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego, and his colleague Dr. Alok Kumar, chair of the physics department, who assisted in getting the campus resources. Smith is a personal friend to the Mayor of Hiroshima, Tadatoshi Akiba, who has made efforts in ridding the world of nuclear weapons.

“This exhibition is not at all about blame or recriminations; it is time to learn, to meditate, to re-commit ourselves to the road of peace,” said Smith. “After all, wars never decide who is right, they decide who is left.”

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Kosuke Kisaka, alumni of SUNY Oswego, was involved in the original exhibition at Penfield Library in spring 2009.

It was his idea to fold 1,000 paper cranes and send them to the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima Memorial Park.

Kisaka was born and raised in Hiroshima, and two of his family members were victims of the atomic bomb.

He hopes the exhibit will give people an awareness of the lethal effects of nuclear weapons.

“This exhibit means a lot to me,” Kisaka said. “So many who otherwise wouldn’t have been informed and exposed to these images and the reality of the A-bomb now have a chance to look at it, and maybe this experience will affect those who see the exhibit to think about the A-bomb and its awfulness.”

10B | Arts & Entertainment

The New Paltz Oracle

FILM FEATURE

Celebrating Cinema in the Hudson Valley

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL REELS IN TALENT FOR 11TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT BASH

By Maxim Alter

A&E Editor | Malter42@newpaltz.edu

For Meira Blaustein, co-founder and executive director of the Woodstock Film Festival, the slogan “fiercely independent” means more than just film made at a low budget. It stands for spirit and professionalism, and it means engaging with talented and passionate filmmakers in an annual celebration.

“It’s such a casual event,” Blaustein said. “It’s the way everyone is treated here. It’s very relaxed, friendly and nurturing, but it’s also very high quality.”

Now in its 11th year, the Woodstock Film Festival, kicking-off Wednesday, Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 3, will showcase more than 150 films, panels, performances and special events, holding true to their goal to deliver the best of the best in the independent film community.

With over 1,500 submissions this year from around the world, the festival has continued to expand by supplying participants with more venues and films than ever before. The line-up includes a record 60 premieres, the highest number since the festival began, consisting of 11 world premieres, two North American premieres, 20 U.S. premieres, 14 East Coast premieres and 13 New York premieres.

“The festival has definitely grown and is constantly growing,” Blaustein said. “The selection process was very difficult, but we were able to select a lot of great films. It ended up being chock-full of great programming in the line-up.”

Ranging from young, emerging filmmakers to award-winning directors and industry professionals, participants of this year’s festival come from every corner of the world and will be arriving in a record number.

Some A-list attendees include Edie Falco, Adrian Grenier, Danny Glover, Edward Burns, Vincent D’Onofrio and Keanu Reeves, who will be receiving an Excellence in Acting Award at the festival’s Maverick Awards Ceremony, while his film, “Henry’s Crime,” co-starring Vera Farmiga, will have its U.S. premiere at the festival.

Farmiga will also be in attendance.

Despite the fact that budgetary difficulties have kept the festival from covering transportation costs for participants, Blaustein said that 95 percent of the selected films will be attended by their filmmakers this year.

“Some filmmakers are flying in from Paris and Greenland and they’re going into debt just so they can

be here for the premiere of their film,” Blaustein said.

“They’re so excited about it. They really want to be part of the festival and many of them have gone above and beyond to make an effort to come here.”

In addition to Woodstock, events and screenings will take place in the neighboring towns of Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Kingston and, for the first time, Mount Tremper in the Emerson Resort and Spa.

“ It’s such a casual event. It’s the way everyone is treated here.

It’s very relaxed, friendly and nurturing, but it’s also very high quality.”

- MEIRA BLAUSTEIN The festival is currently developing a partnership with the Emerson Resort, which has allowed them to expand programming, said Blaustein.

“We can now present some special events that will combine the Emerson style, class and ability to present really top notch events, along with our programming and our attendees,” Blaustein said. “Together, it’s going to be something really quite spectacular.”

Also this year, the festival, in partnership with its sis-

ter organization, The Hudson Valley Film Commission (HVFC), has launched a Capital Campaign to purchase a building located on 11-13 Rock City Road, which is currently serving as a box office.

According to Laurent Rejto, co-founder of the festival and HVFC director, with the help of donations, securing this building as a year round film center would greatly increase HVFC’s productivity by not only serving as an office for staff, but for productions shooting in the area.

“The film center will enhance our ability to continue creating, assisting and promoting sustainable, clean, economic development by bringing jobs, educational opportunities and revenue to the community via film, video and media production,” said Rejto in a press release. “We provide those services for free and with state and county grants falling by more than forty percent, financial support is critical to our continued success.”

Some recent Hudson Valley productions have included “Higher Ground,” directed by and starring Academy Award nominee and Hudson Valley resident Farmiga, as well as the film “Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding,” starring Jane Fonda and Catherine Keener, and directed by two-time Academy Award nominated director Bruce Beresford (“Tender Mercies,” “Driving Miss Daisy”).

SUNY New Paltz Professor Gregory Bray, who has served as a videographer for the film festival and has brought production students to the event to take part in annual coverage, described the festival and it’s status in the Hudson Valley as a place where students who are interested in film could learn from professionals in the industry.

“Today, students are going to have careers that depend more and more on them being entrepreneurs, and creating their own opportunities—whether it is online, in television, film, etcetera, and this festival is a celebration of that entrepreneurship,” said Bray. “The Woodstock Film Festival and HVFC are wonderful groups to be involved with, and I think it’s important to make connections in our community that we can foster and grow with.”

According to Blaustein, the festival’s solid reputation and success can be attributed to the talented filmmakers in attendance and the immersive, educational and inspiring films being shown – solidifying the “fiercely independent” status.

TICKET INFORMATION To purchase tickets to an event or film and to see the entire line-up, visit the official Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) website at woodstockfilmfestival.com.

Beginning Sept. 27, the Box Office at 13 Rock City Road will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through the end of the festival. Ticket prices for WFF events range from $8-$75.

Panels range in price from $15 to $20. For more information contact the Box Office at 845-810-0131.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 11B

The New Paltz Oracle

STANDOUT SELECTIONS

Photos and descriptions provided by the festival

CHERRY

THE SINGULARITY IS NEAR

DON’T QUIT YOUR DAYDREAM Directed by Clark Stiles and Merritt Lear

Directed by Jeffrey Fine

This doc celebrates futurist Ray Kurzweil, who, along with emminent colleagues, present their visions of the approaching ‘singularity’ where artificial intelligence begins to surpass our own, changing the face of how the human race lives and interacts. While also delving into the potential dangers on a philosophical and technological level, Kurzweil delivers an outlook of the future that is both insightful and bewildering; and imaginative and hopeful. Ray Kurzweil will be in attendance for the Q & A. The film screens on Thursday, Sept. 30, at 1 p.m. in Bearsville Theater, followed by a Singularity panel discussion at 4 p.m. in Utopia Studios.

A musical adventure featuring director Stiles and his band The Good Listeners, as they embark on a last ditch, cross country, album-recording extravaganza to save their musical identity and hopefully their careers. They collaborate with mostly local, unknown and eclectic talent across the USA, to create a diverse new album, featuring a compilation of talented musicians and songs. Adrian Grenier (“Entourage”) will be attending the Woodstock Film Festival as a producer of the film as well as a performer during a musical performance by The Good Listeners at the Bearsville Theater on Thursday night, Sept. 30, following the screening of the film at 8:15 p.m.

Arriving at an Ivy League school at the tender age of 17, Aaron feels out of place. Looking to settle down and escape the bonds of his overbearing mother, Aaron’s quiet life is quickly disrupted by the vivacious Linda and her feisty young daughter Beth. So begins an unlikely love triangle in which everyone loves someone, but no one loves the right one. As the relationships between the three grow, splits emerge that threaten to ruin valuable friendships. Screening Friday, Oct. 1 at 10 p.m. at Upstate Films in Woodstock for the film’s New York premiere and Sunday, Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck.

NICE GUY JOHNNY

INUK

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MCKINLEY NOLAN

Directed by Anthony Waller and Ray Kurzweil

Directed by Edward Burns

Directed by Mike Magidson

Johnny Rizzo is forced to travel from the Bay Area to New York by his overbearing fiancée to discuss a mundane job with her father that would put an end to his dream of sports casting. His life is soon disrupted by Brooke, a spirited young tennis instructor. With his uncle Terry pushing him to have one last wild time before his upcoming marriage, Johnny must decide whether he’ll continue to be the person who always pleases others, or whether he’ll make himself happy. Writer and Director Edward Burns is a participant in this year’s festival. Screening begins Friday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. at Upstate Films in Woodstock and Saturday, Oct. 2 at 9:15 p.m. at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck.

Featuring an all Inuit cast (several of whom will be in attendance for a Q&A, including adult lead actor Ole Jorgen Hammeken) and part of the Woodstock Film Festival’s environmental programming, “Inuk” tells the story of a 16-year-old boy placed in a home for troubled youth located in a small village in freezing North Greenland. Given the opportunity to go out and hunt seal with one of the local hunters, Inuk embarks on a dangerous journey into the wilderness and in doing so, confronts his troubled past. Screenings for the U.S. premiere of “Inuk” are on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck and Sunday, Oct. 3 at the Bearsville Theater.

Directed by Henry Corra

At the height of the Vietnam War, Pvt. McKinley Nolan mysteriously disappeared on the Cambodian boarder, assumed to be killed, captured or even defected. Forty years later, a Vietnam veteran, returning from a visit to Vietnam, claims to have seen the missing McKinley Nolan. An investigation begins that will unearth more than just the secrets behind one missing soldier.

Executive Producer Danny Glover will attend the Q & A. The documentary’s New York premiere screens on Friday, Oct. 1 at 6:45 p.m. at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 at at Upstate Films in Woodstock.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

CLOSING NIGHT FILM:

STONE (New York Premiere)

Directed by John Curran In this drama from the director of “We Don’t Live Here Anymore” and “The Painted Veil,” the lives of a seasoned corrections official and a scheming inmate become dangerously intertwined. As parole officer Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro) counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald “Stone” Creeson (Edward Norton), in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. Director Curran will attend the Q & A following the film.

Sunday, Oct. 3, 6:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Upstate Films, Woodstock.

SPOTLIGHT FILMS:

HENRY’S CRIME (U.S. Premiere) Directed by Malcolm Venville Sleepwalking his way through life, Henry (Keanu Reeves) gets an unexpected wake-up call when he becomes an unwitting participant in a bank heist. Rather than give up the names of the real culprits, he takes the fall and, having done the time, Henry reasons he may as well do the crime. Discovering a forgotten tunnel connecting the bank to a nearby theater, he recruits his old cellmate Max (James Caan) to aid in a robbery, all the while playing the lead in the theater’s production where he falls for his leading lady, Julie (Vera Farmiga). Keanu Reeves co-produced and will be in attendance for the Q & A following the film, along with Vera Farmiga.

Saturday, Oct. 2, 4 p.m., Upstate Films, Woodstock and Sunday, Oct. 3, 3 p.m., Rosendale Theater

INHALE (North American Premiere)

Directed by Baltasar Kormakur Every day, rising Santa Fe District Attorney Paul Chaney and his wife, Diane, wait for word that there’s a lung donor for their daughter, Chloe, who suffers from a rare degenerative condition. When Paul learns of a doctor who performs transplants in Mexico, he heads south in a frantic search for the only man who may be able to save Chloe. He soon realizes the doctor’s medical ring runs deep into a criminal underworld where his patients aren’t donors –they’re victims. The cast features Dermot Mulroney, Diane Kruger, Sam Shepard, Vincent Perez, Rosanna Arquette and Jordi Molla.

Director Baltasar Kormakur will be in attendance for the Q & A following the film.

Friday, Oct. 1, 7:15 p.m., Upstate Films, Woodstock and Saturday, Oct. 2, 3:30 p.m. at Rosendale Theater.

12B | The Deep End

The New Paltz Oracle

This Week in the Deep End:

Maggie Robins Major: Undeclared Year: First Concentration: Still life and portraiture

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAGGIE ROBINS CAPTION BY LAURA LUUENGAS

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The New Paltz Oracle

OPINION

A View of the Future

Pg 9

CARTOON BY DEREK ZIMMERMANN

This semester, the Student Union’s Atrium (that big, fancy pyramid like structure between the Student Union and the Haggerty Administration Building) is finally open to the public and we could not be happier. Yes, you read that right. We like the Atrium.

Let’s get one thing straight before you start heehawing about our position: the Atrium was not paid for by State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz. We repeat, it was NOT paid for by SUNY New Paltz.

It was paid for by the SUNY construction fund and private donations. You may think that there was a better way to spend $13.4 million, but the reality is that it has already been spent. This was not a knee-jerk decision. The New Paltz administration had to propose their plans years ago. So, quit complaining that it shouldn’t have been built and

examine the facts.

The Atrium provides SUNY New Paltz students with something that has been severely missing in the past: somewhere to hang out. Other SUNY schools, notably SUNY Purchase, have entire buildings dedicated to students and New Paltz never had that kind of space. Now we do. Sure it costs money to play pool, but at least now students have the option of playing pool In addition to being a space for students, the opening of the Atrium has provided students with updated facilities. Don’t like the coffee at Jazzman’s? Try Seattle’s Best. In the mood for Mexican? They have that too.

Need to use a computer to check your Email between classes but all the labs are full?

You’re in luck.

We realize that SUNY New Paltz’s

image overhaul has been a touchy subject recently. (We’re with you graphic design majors. You could definitely make a better logo.) But everyone needs to realize that it is a process. Yes, right now we have a weird pyramid-like building on our campus.

But wouldn’t you rather that than another Wooster Science Building?

Let’s face it: the buildings on this campus are not winning any modern architecture awards. But the Atrium has! The design of the Atrium has received a 2009 American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Metropolitan Arts Press. The Atrium is a modern addition to the campus that shows current and prospective students that New Paltz is always looking to the fu-

ture.

Here at The New Paltz Oracle, we believe that the Atrium offers opportunity for students to form a greater connection with their campus by actually doing more than just sleeping and going to class there. It also represents a new direction for the administration as they attempt to update the look of the campus.

This is good. This is progress. An institution cannot remain stagnant - it must be in constant flux to be able to serve its students.

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.

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

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

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Pg 10

OPINION

The New Paltz Oracle

Columns

Mostly Loathing on Lawn Guyland Julie Mansmann

Editor-in-Chief Jmansmann60@newpaltz.edu

Two weeks into the semester at State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz, we found ourselves on a weeklong vacation. Having no classes gave us the chance to attend awkward Labor Day barbeques with the family back home.

Have an obligatory conversation with your quiet uncle that will end in five exchanges. Watch your aunt scream hello and wave metal tongs in the direction of all who dare step past the backyard gate. Kiss each traumatized guest on the cheek. Turn to your brother two minutes later and ask who that person was. Finish the summer the right way.

Personally, I can add having my beliefs and values stomped on during drunken conversations over hot dogs and potato salad between my relatives and their card-carrying-AARP-memberfriends to that list. I usually swallow all of the garbage (it goes down easier with beer). I mean, you can only tell your 60-year-old uncle that President Barack Obama is in fact American so many

times. But I was truly put to the test two Sundays ago, when the target of attack was the institution that thankfully supports my college education at a lower cost – the SUNY system.

My opponent: a 50-something, nasally friend of an aunt who I had thankfully never had the misfortune of meeting before. Wife of a banker. Born and raised in the suburbs. Irish-Catholic, ready to damn the divorced young mothers and non-believers to hell.

The college discussion begins, and I feel the burger I just ate churning around in my stomach. My cousin is debating whether or not to go to Binghamton or Quinnipiac. Public vs. Private. As I am about to turn to my aunt to tell her what the latest SUNY tuition rates are, my new best friend throws this gem into the conversation: “Well, I never got involved with that SUNY thing. I only looked at small private schools for my boys.”

My face should not have burned the same shade of red that I often wore during my senior year of high school anytime the topic of where I went to school was breached. I live on Long Island - one would think I’d be used to the snobbery inbred in my ignorant, upper-middle class neighbors and classmates after 5 years. But when you constantly have to defend an institution that is hanging by a thread, it gets a bit frustrating.

Public higher education in the U.S. and New York is at a crossroads. States

continue to hack into institutional funding in the face of national recession, with the decisions handed down by the circus act known as the New York State Legislature serving as prime example of the sense of desperation. And yet, public university systems around the country are promoting initiatives and programs meant to boost graduation rates, especially among low-income and minority students.

The vicious cycle is painfully obvious, but apparently needs to be spelled out for our policy makers to understand – how is this possible? How can low-income students afford to even finish school with any sort of degree when their financial aid programs are being cut? How can it happen when they have to fight for every cent that the state is unwilling to give, forced to explain and verify and rehash painful circumstances that lended to their economic situation to get just one more loan? How can they finish school according to the four-year formula when the supposedly cheapest option is becoming too expensive?

What my lovely new friend fails to realize is that there are students fighting for what she considers a lowly choice.

Maybe SUNY New Paltz isn’t a place that Joe Six-Pack knows by name. Stephen Colbert will not be speaking at our commencement anytime soon. But this school, much like the hundreds of other state-funded campuses around the country, is supposed to offer a greater gift

than an overblown reputation and a cool name and logo on a sweatshirt: a college degree. Public higher education is about opportunity, a chance to make something out of little – all that stuff that Horatio Alger told us that America was about.

But those swere just stories, contrived from ideals that are clearly far from reality. If we public school students do not fight to change that reality by letting our lawmakers know that we’re an important part of the constituency and that our needs for affordable higher education should be heard, families who have money will be the only people with the power to help the next generation get a degree to make more of it.

Is this battle deserving of being associated with some sort of stigma that we SUNY students aren’t as good as our private school peers? Of course not. But it will always be there, and we can do nothing but keep calm and fight that too.

Even though “that SUNY thing” seems to be more hurtful than helpful as of late, we’ll have to see it through somehow if we want to keep the whining voices of the silver spoon suburbanites muted.

Julie is kind of a third-year, sort of a fourth-year journalism major. This is her fifth semester on The New Paltz Oracle.

She survived working in the news section, though that seems long ago. She is enjoying her role as editor-in-chief this semester. She also has an addiction to energy drinks and is seeking counseling.

Please, Take the Time to Get Informed Pierce Lydon

Managing Editor Lydon47@newpaltz.edu

I’m glad that the Atrium is done.

I’m glad that I get to see it and use it.

Despite this, I’m still not happy.

I’m not happy because I still keep hearing students who obviously paid no attention to our coverage of the construction saying that they can’t believe that the school would spend money on the Atrium when there are so many other problems.

Really?

I mean I understand that students

are unhappy about things; that’s the very reason I’m writing this. But seriously, if you see something you don’t like, why don’t you take the time to gather information about it? That’s the biggest problem on campus right now: the apathy of the student body. A handful of students control evertyhing (i.e. the Student Association) and the rest just complain about it.

This is very clearly evident in regards to on-campus concerts. Students

Thursday, September 16, 2010

say they want them and then no one goes because they don’t like the acts even though THEY COULD HAVE JOINED THE COMMITTEE THAT CHOSE THEM. So please, do me a favor. Take some time to get informed.

Pierce is very disappointed in you.

Seriously. You don’t even know.

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NEW HOPE PHOTO BY LAURA LUENGAS

Defender James Berbrick (left) chases down an advancing player. Berbrick will have to continue his strong defense in upcoming conference games if the Hawks hope to succeed.

By Julie Mansmann The Hawks will begin conference com“We have a lot of talent top to bottom,” win,” he said. “We can outplay any team Editor-in-Chief | Jmansmann60@newpaltz.edu petition against competitors in Oneonta, he said. “They are also a highly motivated that we have played so far.”

However, the squad recently suffered Cortland, Plattsburgh and elsewhere. This With veteran players filling out much group.”

The team came out on top in their sea- defeats against fourth ranked Williams Col- season the Hawks will face 11 teams who of the fall 2010 roster, the Men’s Soccer team at the State University of New York son opener, beating King’s College by a lege and No. 15 Stevens Institute of Tech- had records above .500 last year.

In spite of the competition that lies (SUNY) New Paltz is looking to develop score four goals. During the 5-1 victory, nology in non-conference matchups.

Watson said that an important chal- ahead, Watson said the squad’s ultimate the mental and physical toughness they feel forwards Michael Ackerman and David Gardiner had a goal and an assist, and third- lenge for this year’s group will be to come goal is to win a national championship. they need to make the SUNYAC playoffs.

“We aren’t here for moral victories,” he The only starter that the Hawks lost year Jimmy Altadonna also scored in transi- out on top in games against conference rivals. Last year, the Men’s Soccer team lost said. to graduation in 2009 was co-captain and tion with less than 10 minutes to play.

The team will take on SUNY Oneonta In their next non-conference matchup four games in conference in spite of the fact three-time MVP Anton Shipman. However, three first-year players now fill out the back at the start of the season, the Hawks over- that they began their season with a 4-1-1 on Saturday, Sept. 16 at home.

According to Gardiner, the team’s line. The newcomers will play alongside came Vassar College thanks to midfielder record.

The head coach feels that by stepping chemistry and experience will help them returning players on both offense and de- Tommy Garafola’s two goals. The crossfense, some who have been together for the river rivals have fallen to the Hawks in six up their play in big-game situations, the excel in all games moving forward. team can push through to the SUNYAC “In comparison to other teams that I past two or three years. of their last seven meetings.

Ackerman, who scored his first goal as playoffs slated for the end of October. have been on, this team is more like a famHead Coach Eric Watson said the vet“We believe we can do it, but we just ily,” he said. “This year we have a mature erans have stepped up and performed since a Hawk in the season opener, said the team haven’t,” Watson said. “We have to find a squad and we hope to use our experience to the season began, with the new members got off to a good start. our advantage.”

“Our confidence was high after that way to get over the conference games.” showing promise.

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SPORTS

The New Paltz Oracle

Gee Whiz, The Future Could Be Better!

Andrew Wyrich

Sports Editor Andrew.wyrich63@newpaltz.edu While the baseball season is far from over, as each day slowly passes my beloved Mets’ season comes closer to its merciful end. When I left New Paltz last semester, I preached of hope and optimism surrounding the Mets, and I even predicted the Mets being part of the playoff race.

And for a while I was right.

In May, the Metropolitans were in the thick of the playoff hunt and the team seemed as if they were running on all cylinders. On May 1, the Mets were in first place and by June 20 they were in second by only

two and a half games. Without their star centerfielder Carlos Beltran and with their big ticket free agent Jason Bay struggling, the Mets were overachieving and looked like a team that could be interesting. At the AllStar Break, the Mets were in second place and only trailed the Atlanta Braves by four games. The division was in reach, and a sense of ability was overcoming the Mets fan base.

Then Beltran came back.

For almost a year, the Mets had continued to tell their fan base that they didn’t need to spend more money on free agents or make a blockbuster trade because soon Beltran would make is triumphant return, free of the his various injuries that have plagued him.

To the Mets, getting Beltran back was like making a trade without having to mortgage the future or like signing a big name free agent without having to spend the money.

After the All-Star Break, the Mets were faced with a tough schedule where it was determined that it could make or break their season. Armed with confidence, determination and a sense of good things to come, the Mets embarked on their toughest challenge of the year.

Unfortunately, the Mets utterly failed during that stretch, and won two games out of the 11 they played. Beltran came back and decimated what little fluidness the lineup had, and the problems began to pile up. During that losing streak, the Mets’ season died, along with any optimism I had.

However, there is one bright spot with the Mets falling out of contention. With the current games being all but meaningless, the Mets are able to allow younger more promising players show off their skills and gain valuable major league experience.

For example, Dillon Gee, who went 13-8 for AAA Buffalo, has pitched two games for the Mets this season and currently has a 0.69 ERA. While Gee may not become a bonafide ace of the future (which something the Mets need) he could become an excellent supplementary piece that is something the have lacked since 2006. I could easily see Gee becoming a Rick Reed type of pitcher who fills out the back end of the Mets rotation for many years.

Other players who have been gaining playing time include slugging outfielder Lucas Duda and Josh Thole. Duda has struggled mightily since getting his call up to the

majors, but his power numbers were extraordinary in AAA this year, and his raw power reminds me of Adam Dunn. Thole on the other hand has been exceptional since he was called up. He played so well, he forced free agent signing Rod Barajas out of a starting job, and now seems to be the Mets catcher of the future. I personally like Thole a lot, and see him becoming a perfect no.2 hitter like former Met catcher Paul LoDuca.

Overall, The Mets are in a strange state between rebuilding and contending. I hope that next year the Mets allow their young players to develop and become solid major league players. Over time, the Mets could create a home-grown core that could bring glory back to the orange and blue.

Check Out Next Week’s Column For Andrew’s Ideas About A Future New York Mets Manager!

Lady Hawks Kick Off 2010 Season

By Ryan Patrick Hanrahan

Copy Editor | Rhanrahan13@newpaltz.edu

The State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz Women’s Soccer season started on Sept. 1 with “the toughest start out schedule ever,” according to Head Coach Colleen Bruley.

Despite the difficult schedule, Bruley said the team is still full of confidence and she believes “other teams should be worried” about the current group of players taking the field this season.

With a record last season of 5-8-5, the team is in a frenzy to improve. Last year, the Hawks finished the year with 0.61 goals scored per game against a 0.91 they gave up. However, by giving up less

than one goal per game, the Hawks were able to build their team around what they felt was a strong defense. This year, the team hopes to continue to build on the foundation of their team. Coaches can look forward to the return of all 11 starters from last season.

Bruley said she believed some players could be key components in their success this year, including second-year students Shelby Kondelka and Emily Rokitowski.

Kondelka is a starter up top who Bruley described as “very dangerous,” and Rokitowski is a center midfielder who Bruley said has taken up a leadership role among the other midfielders. Bruley was particularly excited about first-

year center midfielder Jessica Bonczyk who she believes is “getting better and better every game.”

Second-year Sam Abravanel, a forward and leading scorer for the team last year is excited for the rest of the season, and while she knows the team still has much to work on, she strongly believes that the Hawks “can do some damage.”

The hopes of future success were almost dashed when the team suffered the early loss of fourth-year captain Emily Buckner to a debilitating broken collarbone which she received during a preseason scrimmage. Filling in for Buckner this year will be left midfielder Beth Bowling, who according to Bruley has “done a great job and is a strong asset on

Thursday, September 16, 2010

that side.”

The Hawks have started off the season 1-4-1, but are in the midst of a five-game road trip. The Hawks will hope to capitalize on their upcoming six-game home stand in early October against fellow SUNY schools Geneseo, Pottsdam and Plattsburgh, amongst others, with intentions of landing in the SUNYAC Tournament in November.

Bruley said she feels confident about this year’s team and believes “the team is stronger now” and that the new lineup is “starting to click.”

As for SUNYAC, Abravanel said that her hopes for the coming conference were to “Just do it, get there, and achieve it.”

The New Paltz Oracle

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Stross Strikes Gold As Hitting Percentage Champ

By Andrew Wyrich

Sports Editor | Andrew.wyrich63@newpaltz.edu

Over the summer, third-year middle blocker Kevin Stross of the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz’s Men’s Volleyball team was announced the NCAA Division III statistical champion in hitting percentage.

“It feels great to have finished with the best hitting percentage in Division III Volleyball,” Stross said. “I’m proud that my hard work paid off.”

Over the course of last season, Stross played constantly while focusing on staying healthy and performing to his potential. This attitude helped him consistently place in the top 10 for hitting percentage in Division III, but as the season came to a close, Stross realized that he may have had a shot at being ranked No 1.

“I looked on the list and I came to the conclusion that if I wanted a shot at

being number one, I had to minimize my hitting mistakes,” Stross said.

Stross decided to personally change the style of play he had in his first year to a more “controlled” technique this year.

This new controlled approach took less power from his spikes, but allowed Stross to place the ball strategically across the court, which he said was a large part of his success.

In the end, Stross’ work paid off, and he finished the season with a .467 hitting percentage and tallied 429 kills, which ranked him fourth

all-time in kills at SUNY New Paltz dating back to 1995. His performance also garnered him North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) First-Team AllMetro Division honors.

According to head coach Radu Petrus, Stross was “key” to the success of the team’s offensive attack. Petrus also commended Stross on his ability to work well with his teammates – something Stross credits to his success last year.

“To tell you the truth, I owe almost all the credit to my setter, Andrew

“Kevin plays a very important role on our Volleyball Team”

­— Radu Petrus

Croquet Conquers Regionals

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW PALTZ EXTREME CROQUET SOCIETY

The New Paltz Extreme Croquet Society played in the United States Croquet Assocation’s Mid-Atlantic/North East Regionals recently. At the tournament, Bob Lowery won second flight singles and doubles, Tom Casey won second flight doubles, Francis Palasieski was runner up in second flight doubles and singles, Len Lavalle was runner up in second flight doubles and Dave Cohen was runner up in first flight singles and doubles.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Cassius,” Stross said.

“Him and I have found a connection on the court that can’t be taught.

We trust each other and he knows where I am and where to put the ball, and I know where he is going to put the ball.”

Cassius ranked third in the nation with 1,406 assists, and currently ranks first under the all-time single season assist record.

“He did a spectacular job…last year and I owe my hitting percentage success to my setter and close friend,” Stross said.

As for the future, Stross and Petrus hope to improve upon his already potent attack.

“Kevin plays a very important role in our Volleyball Team,” Petrus said, “[he] did a great job in the past and I see him growing every year, he still has… potential to be a better volleyball player in the future.”

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The New Paltz Oracle

Hawks Players of the Week As Announced On Sept. 13

Tommy Garafola Men’s Soccer Garafola led the Hawks to a 2-0 record on the week, scoring three goals across two games. He found the back of the net once against Bard College on Tuesday, and versus cross-river rival Vassar College on Saturday, he netted both of New Paltz’s goals to propel the Hawks to a 2-0 victory. Garafola’s goal total on the week surpassed his 2009 output of two.

In addition, he is just one score away from equaling his career-best total for a single season, which he posted as a firstyear in 2008. His efforts helped the blue and orange improve to 3-2-0.

Alli Esposito Women’s Tennis Esposito and Paige Munroe went 4-0 at No. 3 doubles on the week, including a 3-0 mark in SUNYAC East Division Pool Play on Friday and Saturday in Cortland, N.Y. Esposito also posted a 4-0 record at No. 5 singles, defeating opponents from SUNY Oswego, SUNY Plattsburgh, SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Cortland. Esposito’s efforts have helped the Hawks start the season out 4-0, which is the program’s best start since 2007.

Wellness and Recreation Events and Activities Outdoor Pursuit Trips Flying Trapeze: Saturday, Sept. 25, 2– 5 p.m. $15 per student 20 Student Max Sign-up in room 220 in Athletic and Wellness Center Contact Keith Kenney for more info at kenneyk@newpaltz.edu Rock Climbing: Saturday, Oct. 2, 9 a.m- 5 p.m. $25 per student 20 student max Sign up in room 220 in Athletic and Wellness Center Contact Keith Kenney for more info at kenneyk@newpaltz.edu

Workshops Wellness 101 Workshop: Tuesday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m.

To sign-up e-mail Keith Kenney at kenneyk@newpaltz.edu

Costa Rica GI Meeting: General Interest Meeting Tuesday, Sept. 28 7 p.m.

Elting Gym Room 200 Interested in a different kind of Spring Break? Come to this general Interest meeting to find out about this amazing seven day multi-element course.

------------------------------------------------Group Fitness

MONDAY: 12 p.m. - Bosu Strength with Corinna 5:30 p.m. - Cycling with Starr (Room 107) Vinyasa Yoga with Lana (Room 101) 7 p.m. - Cycling with Lauren Z. (Room 107) 7:30 p.m. - Dance Groove with Elisa (Dance Studio) Yoga with Grace (Room 101) 8:30 p.m. - Hip Hop Cardio with Danit (Dance Studio)

TUESDAY: 10 a.m. - Yoga with Sara (Room 101) 12 p.m. - Cycling with Corinna 5:30 p.m. - Vinyasa Yoga with Lana (Room 101) Zumba with Amanda (Room 101) 6:30 p.m. - Cardio Strength with Jessica (Dance Studio) 7:30 p.m. - Cycling with Starr (Room 101) 8:30 p.m. - Absolute Abs with Soji (Dance Studio) WEDNESDAY: 11 a.m. - Vinyasa Yoga with Michelle C. (Room 101) 5:30 p.m. - Vinyasa Yoga with Lana (Room 101) 6:30 p.m. - Belly Dance with Amy (Dance Studio) 7:00 p.m. - Cycling with Courtney (Room 107) 7:30 p.m. - Willpower & grace with Michele H (Dance Studio) 8:30 p.m. - Hip Hop Cardio with Danit

Thursday, September 16, 2010

(Dance Studio)

THURSDAY: 8 a.m. - Cycling with Courtney (Room 107) 12 p.m. - Cycling with Corinna 4 p.m. - Belly Dance with Amy (Dance Studio) 5 p.m - Zumba with Corinna (Dance Studio) 5:30 p.m. - Cycling with Starr (Room 107) Vinyasa Yoga with Lana (Room 101) 6 p.m. - Cardio Martial Arts with Jessica (Dance Studio) 7:00 p.m. - Dance Groove with Elisa (Dance Studio) FRIDAY: 11 a.m. - Yoga with Sara (Room 101) 3:30 p.m. - Boot Camp with Cat (Dance Studio) 4:30 p.m. - Turbo Kick with Emily (Dance Studio)

SPORTS

The New Paltz Oracle

2010

By Andrew Wyrich

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Preview

Sports Editor | Andrew.wyrich63@newpaltz.edu

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The NFC East is arguably the NFL’s toughest division. Every team made roster changes that caught headlines and should bolster their everyday lineups. The biggest splash had to be the Eagles trade of Donovan McNabb to the Redskins, one that will ultimately cost them as they watch themselves drift into the bottom of the pack this year. The Giants added a new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell who should jumpstart the once dominant defense the Giants have been known for.

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The NFC North is pretty predictable. Aaron Rodgers continues to excel more and more every year, and should successfully solidify himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL this year. Brett Favre’s magic will run out for the Vikings this year; they simply cannot continue to rely on Mr. Retirement yet again. Eventually, even Brett Favre needs to run out of steam. In addition, the Vikings face an incredibly tough schedule full of strong defenses to start off the year.

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The Saints should continue their conquest of the NFC this year. They are simply too good to be stopped. Drew Brees is the real deal. However, should the Falcons continue to improve, they could be a real contender for the NFC South title next year as Matt Ryan continues to become a top-tier quarterback.

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The NFC West is truly the NFL’s worst division. The once exciting Cardinals currently do not have a quarterback who is worthy of starting on any team, which will make the West almost unbearably boring. The Seahawks brought former USC Cheater (I mean Coach) Pete Carroll to try and fix the team, but I don’t expect any change. In fact, I would not be shocked to see the winner of this division with a record below .500. Good God, these teams are awful.

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Finally, the much talked about AFC East comes into play. For much of the spring, we have been subjected to the boisterous Rex Ryan huffing and puffing about how the Jets are going to win the Super Bowl. Well, unfortunately Rex, your team is not that good.

While no one can argue that the Jets have the potential to be a great team, there are just too many question marks surrounding them. Especially with Mark Sanchez’s ability to avoid a sophomore slump.

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The AFC North is an interesting set of teams. The Ravens added high profile wide receiver Anquan Boldin, which coupled with outstanding young quarterback Joe Flacco, should provide the Ravens with a thriving passing game. The Bengals added Terrell Owens, which probably will do more harm than good when he is coupled with the only ego that is bigger than his in the NFL, Chad “Ocho-Cinco.” The Steelers will be solid, and if they can overcome Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension, could be a dangerous team.

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The Colts are the obvious choice in this division. However, the real story should be the Houston Texans. Every year I have always predicted the Texans having a big year, and this year I think that it might actually happen. Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub coupled with the solid Texans defense could lead to the team’s first playoff appearance.

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Different league, same results for the West. While these teams are not quite as horrific as their NFC counterparts, every team except for the Chargers is destined for a subpar year.

Phillip Rivers and the Chargers should have little to no trouble capturing another division crown. The only real story here is that the Raiders should win more than five games this year.

SUPERBOWL XLIV Thursday, September 16, 2010

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLICKR.COM

SPORTS THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE

KICKING INTO

HIGH GEAR Men’s Soccer seeks to excel in SUNYAC

PHOTO BY LAURA LUENGAS

With a New Season Underway, Teams Compete for Glory

NFL Preview on Page 15

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.COM

See Story on Page 11