Volume 88, Issue 6 by The New Paltz Oracle

NEW PALTZ ORACLE THE

RENOVATION

Volume 88, Issue VI

PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Thursday, October 22, 2015

RENEWAL

Sojourner Truth Library Renovations Will Not Be Completed Until The Spring Semester STORY ON PAGE 3 | EDITORIAL ON PAGE 9

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE

•Potential Increase To Elting Memorial Library Budget ........Pg 4 •UPD Precautious After Umpqua Campus Shooting ..............Pg 5

•Park Point Project Ofﬁcially Dismissed .........................Pg 6 •Student Senate Exams Future Campus Renovations ....Pg 7

Kristen Warﬁeld EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nate Sheidlower

NEW PALTZ ORACLE THE

MANAGING EDITOR _________________

Melanie Zerah NEWS EDITOR

Karl Evers-Hillstrom FEATURES EDITOR

Russell Hartman

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Melissa Kramer SPORTS EDITOR

_________________

Holly Lipka David Khorassani PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS

Stefanie Diers CARTOONIST

_________________

Amanda Copkov Sam Manzella Jess Napp Jack O’Brien Anthony Orza Rachael Purtell Michael Rosen Monique Tranchina Kintura Williams COPY EDITORS

_________________

Jackie Quaranto WEB CHIEF

_________________

Emma Savic

BUSINESS MANAGER _________________

Marisa Losciale

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER _________________

STAFF

FEATURES

P G. 2 B

About The New Paltz Oracle

A&E

The New Paltz Oracle is the official student newspaper of SUNY New Paltz. Our circulation is 2,500. The New Paltz Oracle is sponsored by the Student Association and partially funded by the student activity fee. The New Paltz Oracle is located in the Student Union (SU) Room 417. Deadline for all submissions is 5 p.m. on Sundays in The New Paltz Oracle office and by email at oracle@hawkmail. newpaltz.edu. All advertisements must be turned in by 5 p.m. on Fridays, unless otherwise specified by the business manager. Community announcements are published gratuitously, but are subject to restriction due to space limitations.There is no guarantee of publication. Contents of this paper cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. The New Paltz Oracle is published weekly throughout the fall and spring semesters on Thursdays. It is available in all residence halls and academic buildings, in the New Paltz community and online at oracle.newpaltz.edu. For more information, call 845-257-3030. The fax line is 845-257-3031.

Volume 88 Issue VI Index NEWS THE DEEP END

OP-ED

EDITORIAL

COLUMN Kristen Warﬁeld

SPORTS

10 11-15

FOLLOW THE ORACLE

Sage Higgins

Incident: Drugs Date: 10/8 Location: Dubois Hall Drugs and paraphernalia found. Matter referred to campus judicial. Incident: Petit Larceny of a Bike Date: 10/17 Location: Southside Loop Rental bicycle reported stolen. Bike found and returned to rental location. SUNY New Paltz University Police Department Emergencies: 845-257-2222

@NewPaltzOracle

Five-Day Forecast Thursday, October 22 Mostly Cloudy High: 75 Low: 42

Friday, October 23 Sunny High: 57 Low: 31

Saturday, October 24 Partly Cloudy High: 57 Low: 46

Sunday, October 25 Mostly Sunny High: 60 Low: 37

WANT TO WRITE FOR THE ORACLE?

PG. 11

oracle.newpaltz.edu

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

1B-8B

SPORTS

VISIT “THE ORACLE” ONLINE:

University Police Blotter 3-8

THE GUNK

PG. 6B

Monday, October 26 Sunny High: 58 Low: 34

News

The New Paltz Oracle

oracle.newpaltz.edu

College Council Tours STL; Renovations Newly Delayed

PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI Newely renovated main floor of Soujourner Truth Library.

By Melanie Zerah

News Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The SUNY New Paltz College Council went on a tour of the newly-renovated first floor of the Sojourner Truth Library (STL) on Thursday, Oct. 15. Although the library was tentatively set to open up after Thanksgiving break, its opening has now been pushed back to Spring 2016, according to Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management John Shupe. “It appears that we will be relocating the circulation desk and finishing up the final project elements during the semester break and will have the library open when students return to campus for the spring semester,” Shupe said. Shupe said there are a few main factors behind the delay. Not all the furniture will be on site, completion of some construction activities are delayed and more time is needed to relocate the circulation desk. The main floor of the library has been renvated to be more spacious, according

to Shupe and Director of Facilities Design & Construction John McEnrue. Reference books are currently housed in movable shelving on the ground floor. The movable shelving on the ground floor allows for a large number of books to be stored in a relatively small space. Additional tables have been added to the new-found space made from removing the reference stacks from the area. Secluded study rooms, which remain in their original location at the back of the main floor study area, have been modified to prevent the noise from conversation in the study rooms from escaping to the main floor study area. These study rooms are often used for group projects or group study sessions in order to keep the main floor at “low buzz” of conversation, according to SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian. Eight of the 10 group study rooms will have touchscreen enabled digital displays. These retina-display monitors will have the ability to be hooked up to a students’ laptop

via HDMI chord for streaming purposes, presentation purposes, etc. These monitors will also have a touch-screen function with internet access. According to Mark Colvson, dean of the Sojourner Truth Library, there will be widespread access to technology in all spaces in the renovation. This includes the latenight study, group study rooms, main information commons, conference room, Digital Arts Humanities and Science Lab, as well as portable/lendable technology such as laptops and iPads, which will all have internet access. Although functioning primarily on campus Wi-Fi, these laptops will have a back-up internet hardwired in case of Wi-Fi failure. The faculty study rooms will also be expanded, which were only slightly larger than a telephone booth, according to McEnrue. “This is a transformational project where we took an antiquated space and turned it into a modern, student centered li-

Thursday, October 22, 2015

brary that will meet their educational needs for many years to come,” Shupe said. The main lobby where the Starbucks counter originally was will be renovated into a Peet’s Coffee Café area. However, this area remains a hard-hat area. “There are a few reasons for not opening the first floor of the library until after finals including: not all the furniture will be on site, completion of some construction activities and having adequate time available to relocate the circulation desk,” Shupe said. According to McEnrue, once the main floor is complete construction will be moving some of the library staff upstairs which will allow for the completion of work that remains for Special Collections and the future faculty study rooms on the second, concourse level of the library. All major campus projects work with a planning committee. Each committee has at least one student involved so that committees can gain a student’s perspective.

4 oracle.newpaltz.edu

NEWS BRIEFS WORLD

News

The New Paltz Oracle

Elting Library May Receive Increased Budget

ASSAD-PUTIN MEETING SIGNALS PUSH TO END SYRIA CRISIS Bashar Assad’s surprise meeting with Vladimir Putin could signal that Russia ultimately seeks a political settlement after weeks of heavy airstrikes in Syria. But the terms of such an arrangement are uncertain, and questions remain about whether Moscow will seek the departure of its longtime ally or try for a power-sharing agreement. In a further sign that a diplomatic push might be underway to end the four-year crisis. THE LATEST: UN CHIEF ‘PESSIMISTIC’ ON ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS A British diplomat says U.N. Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon offered the Security Council a grim assessment of prospects for defusing the violence between Israel and the Palestinians. British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft says council members were “struck by the pessimistic tone” Ban took during the closed video briefing. CANADA ELECTS RECORD NUMBER OF ABORIGINALS TO PARLIAMENT Justin Trudeau was not the only winner in Canada’s election this week: The country’s aboriginal community saw a record 10 indigenous members elected to Parliament - up from seven in 2011 - in a victory for a community that said it was neglected throughout nearly a decade of Conservative rule. The election also saw a record-breaking 54 First Nations candidates run for office. MOHAMMED’S JOURNEY: A SYRIAN’S LONG QUEST FOR A NORMAL LIFE At the edge of a Balkan vineyard, Mohammed al-Haj lay down under a tree to collect his thoughts. Come nightfall, he and the other Syrians with him would make a run for it, past the fence of chain-link and barbed wire being built along the Hungarian border to keep them out, past the armed border guards. In the last few hours, he’d cased the border, planning how they would make their dash through the fields from Serbia into Hungary. Compiled from the AP Newswire

PHOTO COURTESY OF DECKERJOURNEY.COM Front view of New Paltz Elting Library.

By Jack O’Brien

Copy Editor | Obrienj2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The battle of the books has begun. On Nov. 3, New Paltz voters will head to the polls to decide the fate of the proposed budget for the Elting Memorial Library (EML). The EML board has requested a $70,000 increase from their $396,000 budget for the 2015 fiscal year, totaling $466,000 for the 2016 fiscal year. The 17.6 percent increase is the most significant request in funding since EML held their first vote for public assistance in 2009. EML board president Richard Heyl de Ortiz said a series of necessary renovations to the building, including repairs to the roof and heating system, were among the reasons for the request for an increased budget. “This is not something we always want to do,” Heyl de Ortiz said. “There are some libraries that do this every year and require a vote. We’re requesting an increase in the budget so we can be on-par with other libraries in our district.” EML is an association library, a type of public library that operates under the direction of a board of trustees, and “may receive appropriation from units of government,” according to nysed.gov. Unlike other public libraries that may rely solely on a budget provided by the town government or voted on each year by voters, association libraries typically operate as pri-

vate not-for-profits. Most of EML’s funds come from fundraising and contributions, though a portion of the budget is provided by the town government. “Our board has done more to fundraise than several other library boards in our district,” Heyl de Ortiz said. “We’re asking for additional assistance to our fundraising. If we receive this public money, we will still continue with our fundraising efforts.” According to Chapter 414 of New York state law, public libraries have the “ability to place a funding proposition on a municipal ballot.” The upcoming vote was allowed after a New Paltz town board meeting on Sept. 24 gave the EML board the opportunity to place their budget proposal on the ballot. The measure passed by a 3-1 vote, with the lone vote of opposition coming from Town Councilman Kevin Barry. “They don’t want to relinquish their public status but they can still emulate the process of public entities,” Barry said. “They need to be held to the same standard as anyone who receives taxpayer money.” Barry said he was concerned by the lack of specifics provided by the EML board in their proposal to the town board. In addition to their website lacking a comprehensive list of their financials at the time of the meeting, Barry said their budget did not include the traditional line-by-

Thursday, October 22, 2015

line detail of other budgets he had seen. “They owe it to the taxpayers to familiarize themselves with the requirements,” Barry said. “The town board has kept [property] taxes down to low single digits in the past few years. Instead of asking for public money, they should be looking at their overhead and aiming to reduce it.” The effect on residents of New Paltz has been a main critique of the proposal. The tax rate is set to rise if the proposal is passed, and some have questioned the immediacy of supplying EML with additional funds. Local businessman Jon Cohen objected to the proposed budget, arguing that the money could be allocated more efficiently. “As it stands our community supplies close to approximately $400,000 in funding,” Cohen said. “We need to find the dollars to repair broken fire-hydrants before we add additional funding to the library.” Should the measure fail at the ballot box, the impact would be sizable on EML, Heyl de Ortiz said. Though EML plans to use the additional funding to cover the costs of the repairs of building operations, they are also concerned with providing their employees with health care options. “Without the additional funding, our ability to sustain and purchase new material would be drastically impacted,” Heyl de Ortiz said. “We only have $260,000 in reserves. This funding would help us bolster

The New Paltz Oracle

NEWS

Umpqua Shooting Prompts Increased Campus Police Caution

oracle.newpaltz.edu

NEWS BRIEFS NATIONAL

2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE SPECIAL JOE SAYS NO BIDEN WON’T RUN, A BOOST FOR CLINTON After months of tortured indecision, Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday he won’t be a candidate in the 2016 White House campaign, solidifying Hillary Rodham Clinton’s status as the Democratic frontrunner and the party’s likely heir to President Barack Obama’s legacy. Biden’s decision puts to rest the uncertainty hanging over the Democratic primary. The race now will likely settle into a two-person contest between Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has energized the party’s liberal base but lacks Clinton’s campaign infrastructure and support from party leaders. NEW TESTIMONY SHOWS CLINTON ‘DEVASTATED’ BY BENGHAZI ATTACK

PHOTO COURTESY OF KWT.COM

By Melanie Zerah

News Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

In wake of the recent mass shooting tragedy at Umpqua Community College where nine people were killed and nine injured, university police departments around the nation have been catalyzed to reevaluate and review their campus emergency response plans. “It is heartbreaking, and it is sad that this is becoming more and more common place. It’s a national issue,” said University Police Chief David Dugaktin. “Answers are beyond anything I can even fathom as to how to ﬁx all of this in our country.” Every SUNY is mandated by New York State to put an emergency response plan in place. This plan encompasses faculty, student and staff. According to Dugaktin, there are separate plans written for each of those three groups on campus that he encourages all to read annually. These plans can be found on the school website at newpaltz.edu. Along with these written procedures, Dugaktin said that the University Police Department (UPD) is very well trained and practices quite frequently in dealing with active shooting scenarios.

“There wasn’t anything glaring or anything learned from this recent tragedy where somebody said ‘oh boy, we have to change what we do,’” Dugaktin said. “However, it always trains more awareness and causes us to look over things and review them. There are always lessons that are learned from these tragedies.” According to Dugaktin, this winter UPD, the New Paltz Police Department (NPPD) and the New Paltz Rescue Squad (NPRS) will be involved in joint operation where members will undergo series of intense training sessions to further prepare if a tragedy such as this were to ensue. UPD, NPPD and NPRS would all be involved if there were to be a situation such as this on campus. On May 11, 2013, SUNY New Paltz, among many other campuses around the nation, joined the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus. SUNY New Paltz, however, was a gun-free campus even before joining this. According to The Huffington Post, Umpqua does have policies prohibiting guns on campus. However, Huffington Post reporters were told by a college official that they “would not apply to those

with valid concealed weapon permits pursuant to Oregon law.” In regards to the email Dugaktin sent out on Oct. 6 concerning a male in the library acting in a “suspicious manner,” Dugaktin said that this individual was interviewed twice by UPD. UPD was then able to determine that there was no real threat made by this individual who was a student of the college, according to Dugaktin. “I understand confusion that email may have caused,” Dugaktin said. “We received several reports from students and faculty saying that there was a male acting in a suspicious manner, staring at people and making a gun like motion with his hands.” Dugaktin disclosed that the report which indicated that the student was making “gun-like” gestures was received thirdhand. The student who witnessed these gestures did not come forward. “Since I’ve been here, this is the ﬁrst time in four years that something of this nature got to the level where an email was sent out of caution,” Dugaktin said. “I wish it wasn’t necessary, but the world in which we live in errs that we need to live on the

Thursday, October 22, 2015

A “devastated” Hillary Rodham Clinton worked late into the night on Sept. 11, 2012, trying to protect her people caught in an attack on a diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, that ultimately killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans, a close Clinton aide said in testimony released Wednesday. But the former secretary of state was “deeply engaged” in ensuring the others made it home, added Cheryl Mills, Clinton’s former chief of staff, who spoke to the GOP-led House Benghazi committee last month. Democrats on the committee released the full, 307-page transcript of Mills’ remarks a day ahead of Clinton’s appearance before the panel, saying Republicans were making out-ofcontext and misleading leaks. BOOKENDED BY TRAGEDY, BIDEN’S STORIED CAREER NEARS THE END Joe Biden’s storied political career will come to an end much the way it started nearly half a century ago: shaped by crushing personal tragedy that shook his deep-seated conﬁdence in his own ability to lead. In deciding not to run for president, Biden turned away from months of intensive preparations and countless hours that had put him on the verge of a third presidential campaign. Compiled from the AP Newswire

NEWS

6 oracle.newpaltz.edu

The New Paltz Oracle

Green Expo Looks To Inform Sutdents Park Point Scrapped For Good By Melanie Zerah

News Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Green Expo at SUNY New Paltz.

By Kintura Williams

Copy Editor | n02684069@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

New Paltz continued its green streak as the Hudson Valley

Green Expo returned to campus last Wednesday, Oct. 14. Hosted by the the Hudson Valley branch of the Upstate New York Chapter U.S. Green Building Council, the fourth annual event was held in the Student Union Building. It drew various groups from the local political, business, and environmental communities. Rick Alfandre, owner of Sustainable Alfandre Architecture and the current chair of the Upstate New York chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, founded the expo in 2011, though he initially started a Green Lighting expo. After discovering the various green material manufacturers and service providers in the area, he decided to expand the lighting expo to include all green materials and services. By 2013, Alfandre, a New Paltz alumni, had partnered up with Dr. Gerald Benjamin and Kathleen Tobin, directors of the Benjamin Center, formerly known as CRREO, and brought the expo to campus. It’s proximity to the thruway and shared support of sustain-

ability initiatives made SUNY the perfect location. “The idea is to bring as many local and regional manufacturers together with each other but also with potential buyers,” said Alfandre. “Trying to get as many people in the SUB as possible to talk and learn from each other. To grow and encourage collaboration.” With around 300 people in attendance the Multipurpose Room held over 30 different booths housing the exhibitioning green materials and services, including solar paneling, ﬁreproof walls that help retain the heat in your home and specially modiﬁed concrete that decrease rainwater runoff. The event also drew innovative manufacturers, like Excelsior Wood Products, who had returned for its second year at the expo. According to the company’s product specialist Christina Sauer the expo allowed her a platform to inform people about their lumber industry recycled wood, but also a place to make friends and acquire business contacts. “Gathering like-minded people that are all here to be responsible citizens of the earth just makes this expo so unique,”

Sauer said. Like minded people like Solar Solutions LLC specialist Kevin O’Neill, who attended the event as a representative for his company, one of the many sponsors of the expo. Others included the Ulster County Economic Development and The Williams Lake Project. All of whom share the common goals of successful sustainability and growing the green economy. According to O’Neill, new technology has changed the approach to solar paneling. They now employ a new component that places a small computer into each individual panel instead of just one for all of the panels, making the system run more smoothly and energy efﬁciently. With the turnout growing every year, Alfandre hopes to continue expanding the expo.The event is always free to all students and even personally invited the masters level business sustainability students to attend and engage this year.

“People are interested in earning a living and doing the right thing,” Alfandre said “It gives people a multifaceted opportunity to learn a little bit about a lot of things.”

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Wilmorite Incorporated’s proposed $60 million Park Point housing project for SUNY New Paltz has ofﬁcially been dismissed. The lawsuit began when the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) granted Wilmorite a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement for their plans to build the dormitory at Park Point — prompting the New Paltz Town Planning Board to reject the plan on the basis that the tax-break the PILOT allowed was unfair to the town. The court ruling made on March 17, 2015 by New York State Supreme Court of Ulster County Justice Michael Melkonian originally rejected the proposal. However, there was talk of revisitation of the

issue by SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian. A press release was posted on the college website on Oct. 13, which was a joint statement from SUNY New Paltz Foundation Executive Director Erica Marks and SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian. “Given the continued delays and no clear path to completion, the SUNY New Paltz Foundation has decided to no longer pursue this project with Wilmorite,” the press release said. Christian said in the release that the college appreciates the town board and planning board’s repeated acknowledgment during the review process of the college’s need for housing. SUNY New Paltz now must evaluate other options to address its still pressing housing needs.

Offer valid in New Paltz location only. One coupon per customer. Can not be duplicated. Can not be combined with any other offer. Expires 12/31/15

NEWS

The New Paltz Oracle

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Your Student Senate Brief By Sarah Eames

Contributing Writer | Eamess1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The 60th Student Senate met on Wednesday to discuss updates on the campus and within the academic community. Student Association (SA) President Rookie Reynoso met with President Donald Christian and members of his cabinet last week. In light of the recent announcement that the Park Point project has been dropped by Wilmorite, its corporate developer, the school is looking into alternatives for building off-campus student apartments. Other SUNY campuses, including Binghamton and Albany, provide a similar means of off-campus housing sponsored by the school. The future of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) was also discussed at the cabinet meeting. The program announced that it will be ac-

cepting an additional 25 students every year for the next four years, raising the current capacity from 125 students to 225. EOP will also be moving to its new, larger ofﬁce space in Records and Registration to accommodate for the program’s expansion. Reynoso elaborated on the updates she received on the numerous construction projects on the New Paltz campus. The Wooster Science Building and the New Science Building are both scheduled to open for the Fall semester of 2016, and Bevier, the next of the residence halls scheduled to undergo renovation, is slated for completion in the Fall of 2017. Many of the recent and upcoming construction projects are ﬁnanced through a grant under the SUNY 2020 initiative, which seeks to update cam-

pus facilities across the state by the year 2020. According to Reynoso, projects range from “renovations to the academic buildings to replacing the tiles outside the library.” The Elting Gym is also scheduled to undergo renovation as part of this initiative. Though still in the developing stages, plans are in place to rebuild the gymnasium in the lower part of the building, where the pool is currently located. In turn, the pool area will be moved to the current gym space in order to accommodate its expansion to regulation size. Vice President of Academic Affairs and Governance Nicole Striffolino met with Interim Provost Stella Deen to discuss the changes being made in the Black Studies Department. A search committee is being formed by Dr. Ma-

jor Coleman, the chair of the department, in order to find new faculty to fill the vacancies left in the past year. According to Striffolino, the new faculty hires will be determined in accordance with the proposed updates to the Black Studies curriculum. The committee is looking to first hire someone with an expertise in history or literature. Senator Zachary Grossman also discussed the future of the Black Studies department in his report. Grossman reported that the Academic Affairs committee was administering “combined student and faculty effort to strengthen the Black Studies department.” The committee has invited anyone who is knowledgeable on the issues to join the discussion at the next Academic Affairs meeting, to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 3:30 p.m. in Old Main 1907.

Want to write for the Oracle?

WIG, BEAUTY, COSTUME SHOP

Attend a story meeting in SU 417 on Mondays at 7 p.m.!

WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE FOR HALLOWEEN? THE HALLOWEEN HEADQUARTERS OF THE HUDSON VALLEY

Costumes for sale or rent, theater makeup, prosthetic applications, wigs, hats, gloves and more!! A HUGE VARIETY of accessories for your costume needs!

Not sure what to dress as this Halloween? Our costume professionals can help you! 66 North Front Street Kingston, NY 12401 845-339-4996

Columbiacostumes.com

email oracle@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu for more information Thursday, October 22, 2015

8 oracle.newpaltz.edu

Opinion

Student Voice

The New Paltz Oracle

New Paltz Oracle The

“Your opinion loud and clear!”

It’s official: Vice President Joe Biden will not run for president in 2016. In an announcement made Oct. 21—eight days after the first Democratic primary debate— Vice President Biden announced his intention, and cited the grieving process of the passing of his eldest son, Beau. “It may very well be that process, by the time we get through it, closes the window on mounting a realistic campaign for President” said Biden. “I’ve concluded, it has closed.” Thus ends the three months of indecision in the Biden camp. Rumors circulated during those three months of super PAC money, and potential staff hiring for a Biden campaign. Media organizations including NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, and the Pew Research Center hosted polls that projected outcomes if Biden were to run. Many predicted that if Biden entered the race his campaign would eat into former senator Hillary Clinton’s already weakening rating among voters. An article published Oct. 21 by Reuters called Biden “one of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s biggest potential obstacles to the party’s nomination.” Said Democratic strategist Bud Jackson, “Most polls reflect that without Biden in the race, it’s more beneficial to [Clinton].” So, with consideration to Biden’s decision, how is Clinton’s strongest competitor, Senator Bernie Sanders, fairing in the

presidential race? On Sept. 4 the polling organization Gallup reported Clinton’s favorability rating among Democrats to be one of her worst, while Sanders’ rating had increased from 39 percent in Gallup’s July 8-21 poll to 46 percent. This, unsurprisingly, led many journalists to speculate that Sanders had won over Clinton supporters—the result of Sanders’ growing recognition among the electorate. Despite these gains, some claim Sanders’ appeal is limited to the overwhelming, white progressive left of the Democratic Party. This discrepancy is corroborated by the Washington Post-ABC News National Poll published in May that asked Democratic and Democraticleaning registered voters to “cast” their vote for president. Fourteen percent of voters that identified as white voted for Sander (56 percent voted for Clinton). That percentage dropped to 5 percent among voters who identified as non-white (72 percent voted for Clinton). Limited or not, the habits of his voter base may play into Sanders’ favor. An article published on Oct. 14 by Salon claimed online polls tend to “favor those candidates with active and impassioned fans—something that Bernie’s fundraising numbers and campaign crowds suggest he clearly has in spades.” If millennials are said to favor Sanders over

other Democratic candidates—a demographic that, according to a Time article, 90 percent are social media users compared to 76 percent of Gen Xers and 59 percent of baby boomers—then the notion that online polls are skewed isn’t hard to conceive. Sanders place in the 2016 presidential race is further complicated by the results of the Democratic debate on Oct. 13. Social media went abuzz with support for Clinton and Sanders after the debate—no love for Democratic hopefuls O’Malley, Chafee and Webb—and many found Clinton to have won the debate. A faction of Sanders supporters cheapened the Clinton victory, according to a Salon article published October 16, calling it a conspiracy born from journalist’s awestruck impression of Clinton’s performance. Despite the clear preference of Clinton among journalists—her feistiness was a big draw—polls by CNN and Slate, the same polls that are susceptible to bias, indicated Sanders’ won the debate. Some journalists have pointed out the absurdity of winners and losers in debates. Two weeks ago, one of the most trusted organizations in polling, Gallup, announced it will no longer cover national primary polls on the primary candidates. “Such polls are a waste of resources,” said Frank Newport, editorin-chief at Gallup, in an interview with On The Media’s Bob Gar-

Thursday, October 22, 2015

field. What this means—as anyone could tell from the turbulent ratings of the Democratic nominees—is the pre-primary campaigns are far less consequential than they appear. According to Garfield, despite the influence of polls on the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, historically high audiences watched the Republican debates, and CNN broke their previous record of viewership of a Democratic debate. While journalists across the web guide readers through the murky principles of democratic socialism—a label Sanders fulfills and defies—it is possible that Sanders’ low name recognition be his undoing. Not his policy. This notion is compounded by the popularity of polls and surveys that inundate newsfeeds, but say little of the current state of the presidential election. Nick Tantillo

Third-year, Journalism

Tantilln1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The views expressed in op-eds are solely those of the student who wrote and submitted it. They do not necessarily reflect those of The New Paltz Oracle, its staff members, the campus and university or the Town or Village of New Paltz.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Reading Is NOT SO RUFF Story on page 2B

N e w P a lt z C h i l d r e n Read To Service Dogs PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI

The New Paltz Oracle

oracle.newpaltz.edu

FEATURES

Man’s Best Teacher LIBRARY PROGRAM PROMOTES READING TO DOGS By Amanda Copkov Copy Editor | Copkova1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu We all know dogs can’t read. That’s why children at New Paltz’s Elting Memorial Library (EML) read to them. This is part of a nationwide effort to improve the literacy skills of children. EML’s independent, non-research-based program is called the Reading to Dogs program – and SUNY New Paltz’s very own Augie the Border Collie is lucky enough to have been a part of this program since its inception in the summer of 2012. When SUNY New Paltz Environmental Health & Safety Director Michael Malloy got Augie from Big Ben Farms in Virginia, his only intentions for the dog were for him to get rid of the geese on campus. Augie didn’t get involved in the Reading to Dogs program until years later. Malloy said Augie has been a part of the program for about four years and is the longestparticipating dog at EML. “Augie is the perfect match for children’s reading,” he said. “He is the gentlest, most tolerable dog I’ve ever met. He has a good temperament and I’ve never seen him get aggressive with humans.” Malloy said Augie looks at the children while they’re reading to him, nuzzles himself against them, puts his paws on them, puts his head against their shoulders or in their lap and comforts them. “Children feel they are able to express themselves to a warm, friendly object [like a dog] that will not give them negative feedback,” he said. “That way they can make mistakes, they can hear themselves read and they feel more comfortable. This dog exudes comfort.” Several New Paltz children between the ages of four and eight go to the library to read to Augie or one of the other trained service dogs. Currently, however, Augie is the only service dog at EML. One dog recently retired, and the library is in the process of hiring another. Not only are the children more comfortable reading to the dogs than adults, but the dogs appear to be interested in the reading. Malloy said the book that Augie responds most to is “Augie Goes to College” written by Rachel Rigolino, a lecturer in the English

Augie the Border Collie taking a break from homework

department at SUNY New Paltz. “Augie loves to hear his name,” Malloy said. “And he loves the attention from the kids.” During the fall, the program takes place on one Saturday in October and November, in the spring on one Saturday during March, April and May and during the summer the program runs for seven weeks straight. Malloy remembered one 5-year-old reader in particular, Matei Jirka. When he started reading to the dogs a year ago, he was already a beginning reader; but in Russian, not English. He struggled with knowing when to pause at the end of a sentence or when starting a new paragraph. Malloy and Jirka’s mother decided to try a play on words to help him. Every time a sentence would end, he would touch Augie’s paw to pause. Whenever an entire paragraph would end, he would touch both of his paws to signify a longer pause. Through this program, Jirka transitioned

into an English-speaking reader from merely telling stories to the dogs in Russian based on pictures. Since Malloy and Augie joined the Reading to Dogs program, they have seen many children improve. He said that some of the kids who were beginner readers four years ago are helping to run the program now as part of the 5-6-7 Advisory Group and Teen Advisory Group. Linda Welles, the vice president of the Board of Trustees at the EML, said that this program helps create a sense of responsibility for the older children and teens. Often times, before the beginner readers read with the dogs, the advisory groups will read with them to give them more practice and to help them feel more comfortable. When the children are done reading to the dogs, the advisory groups create paper dog bones with the child’s name written on it, including

Thursday, October 22, 2015

PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI

which dog they read to. This shows the steps that the children have taken toward becoming better readers as well as their progress. At the end of the reading sessions, the children give the dogs a piece of a dog treat to show their appreciation for sitting and listening. A study from the University of California at Davis reported that young readers who took part in a 10-week reading program with dogs improved their reading skills by 12 percent. On the contrary, children in the same program who didn’t read to dogs showed no improvement. “This program gives children a comfortable, nonjudgmental environment to read in,” Welles said. “The dogs don’t care if the kids read slow or make up the story.” The next Reading to Dogs program is scheduled for this coming Saturday, Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Augie will definitely be there.

The New Paltz Oracle

Features

oracle.newpaltz.edu

The Gunks’ Glory Through The Years BOOK REVIEW: THE GUNKS THROUGH TIME By Karl Evers-Hillstrom Features Editor | N02541514@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Whenever I explore The Gunks (Shawangunk Mountains), whether I’m hiking on the Mohonk Preserve or biking to Wallkill, I’m always amazed by the abundance of natural beauty. Somehow after centuries of human settlement, this area of New York is pretty undeveloped and hasn’t changed much, or so I thought. “The Gunks (Shawangunk Mountains) Ridge and Valley Towns Through Time” by Ronald G. Knapp and Michael Neil O’Donnell provides a rich written and visual history of The Gunks and its surrounding towns. O’Donnell, a landscape photographer, handled the 192 photos in the book which show how The Gunks have changed from before and through the 20th century. Knapp, a cultural-historical geographer and SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus at SUNY New Paltz where he taught from 19682001, wrote the context for these photos and a detailed history of Ulster County. After reading through the book and seeing old vs. new comparisons of areas in The Gunks and surrounding towns, I found that I was right. After a century, it seems like not much has changed after all. That’s a good thing. The Mohonk Mountain House (that place you can’t afford to stay at but are welcome to cool down at after hours of hiking) was completed in 1910. One-hundred and five years later, it looks incredibly similar. Outside of a few paved roads instead of dirt roads meant for horsecarriages, it’s hard to tell what has changed. Areas of natural beauty are as gorgeous today as they were a century ago. Water still plummets down the Awosting Falls in Rochester and Eagle Cliff is even more densely populated with trees. You can thank the Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park Preserve for this. They’ve done

an amazing job of conserving The Gunks. When you consider the many failings to protect natural landscapes across the U.S. in the last century, The Gunks’ near-pristine state is practically miraculous. And it doesn’t seem like conservation efforts will cease anytime soon. The Mohonk Preserve is New York State’s largest non-profit nature preserve with an estimated 165,000 visitors every year. The Minnewaska State Park Preserve has actually expanded in size over the last decade. Not only does this book document natural landscapes, but also the history of the town of New Paltz. I’m sure you didn’t know that New Paltz was founded in 1677 when 12 French Huguenot settlers bought rights to the land from a Lenape tribe known as the Esopus for “40 kettles, 40 axes and lots of wampum.” I don’t know exactly how much wampum was exchanged but I’m gonna call that a deal for the Huguenots. I bet you didn’t know that P&G’s (yes, the same bar you get trashed at every Thursday) was constructed in 1900 as an open summertime venue for music, dance and relaxing. The building didn’t become a bar until 1947, when it was purchased by Pat Cafferty and George Jayne, who named it Pat and George’s. Or that Old Main, built in 1909, is the oldest building on campus ... alright you probably could’ve guessed that. While this book is comprehensive, it doesn’t feel daunting or overwhelming. At 96 pages long it feels just right, like a 10-person fantasy football league or October New Paltz weather. Strange analogies aside, I can’t do the photos in this book justice. It’s just incredible to see direct comparisons of Main Street or Lake Minnewaska with their 19th century counterparts. Knapp did a great job of keeping the writing interesting. I never thought I’d be so interested in reading about

the history of places I’ve never even been to, like the town of Gardiner. “The Gunks (Shawangunk Mountains) Ridge and Valley Towns Through Time” directly benefits its subject material as all proceeds from the book go to the Mohonk Preserve. I recommend it for anyone who is remotely interested in The Gunks or the history of Ulster County. Or if you just really like pretty pictures.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

New Paltz students can find the book at Rock & Snow, Dedricks Pharmacy

Gifts,

Shapers,

Inquiring Minds Bookstore, Barner Books, Handmade & More and The Treehouse. For more information about the book and a sample of some of its incredible photographs, visit gunksthroughtime.com.

4B oracle.newpaltz.edu

Features

Understanding Pain LECTURE EXPLORES REMEMBRANCE OF TRAUMA

said at the beginning of her By Nate Sheidlower Managing Editor | Shiedlon1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu talk. Every crisis may be different but they all produce victims. If we remember crises in an attempt to not repeat them, what should be remembered: the crisis itself or the victims? Museums, memorials, artwork and history lessons are a few of the ways that memories of crisis are passed on from generation to generation or from culture to culture. So if those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it, how can memory be used to prevent more suffering? Marianne Hirsch came to speak in the SUNY New Paltz Coykendall Science Auditorium about the way that the medium of history can inﬂuence memory. In her Oct. 8 talk titled “Small Acts: Mobilizing Memory Across Borders,” Hirsch looked at different museums and memorials around the globe and compared their memory arousal to that of select works of art, with similar intent. She is William Peterﬁeld Trent, professor of English and comparative literature and professor in the Institute or Research on Women and Gender at Columbia University, as well as vice president of the Modern Language Association of America. Her lecture was the keynote address of the two-day Translating Memory and Remembrance Across the Disciplines Conference, hosted by SUNY New Paltz’s Conversations in the Disciplines Program. “We can use memory as a nationalist endeavor,” Hirsch

She explained that memories of crisis could be used to spark movements and how art acting as theoretical objects can bring about that memory for good. Hirsch first showed a vertical, cryptic etching by Mirta Kupferminc that was turned into a nine minute animated film called “En Camino” or “On the Way.” Kupferminc is an Argentinian artist and teacher with exhibits all over the world, many of which are a memorial of some sort. This etching depicts people walking on uneven ground holding large trees or many belongings, symbolizing the very heavy burden left on immigrants forced from their home. This work of art is emblematic of a pain and a weight that no person should be forced to possess. The trees rise up so tall just as their past towers over them, but they are walking towards a new life nonetheless. In regards to Kupferminc’s work, Hirsch said, “[Kupferminc] is able to find ways to move forward and give a new future without escaping the past.” The next artist Hirsch introduced was Silvina DerMeguerditchian, a descendant of an Armenian genocide survivor and also a native Argentinian. The work Hirsch chose is called “The Texture of Identity.” It is not one single work but many all made with the same method; pictures that those in a crisis carried with them or pictures of items they had are blown up on

translucent material and then woven into a wool tapestry which is hung. The artist’s webpage describing these works says, “Silvina Der-Meguerditchian deals with the trauma of expulsion by calling it by name and making it the focus of her art. She does not accuse, she experiences no hatred, on the contrary. Being to finally define what once happened gives her a way of building a bridge from the victims to the perpetrators over an impossible gulf.” Hirsch ended off her lecture by sharing her experience when she visited the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Built on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto, where thousands of Jews were forced to live during the Nazi occupation of Poland, the museum chronicles 1,000 years of history. She said that while other memorial museums recuperate the past, this one is different because it stood as a reminder of all the bad and a reinforcement of the good. She said she was surprised to find all the exhibits in Warsaw truly moved her and were a good resemblance of the history — and the memories they created stuck with her. Memory is a powerful entity and can be mobilized for good if the medium is right. Art is a universal language unlike any other that can penetrate one’s memory and their empathy no matter their nationality.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

The New Paltz Oracle

ESK D Y COP KOFF: COO

A Quality Cup Of Coffee By Nate Sheidlower Shiedlon1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

One of the members of The Oracle shares their culinary chops with you. Bon appetit! Yesterday, one of our neighbors asked another what to take to stay up all night without getting tired. She did so loudly just as I happened to be walking down the hall. I promptly passed by their door a moment later and answered, “espresso.” Now we as college students can easily dig through our rapidly expanding brains and pull up plenty of excuses to stay up all night without getting tired and unless you drink it all day every day, I guarantee you coffee, especially espresso, will do the trick. The best coffee is sold in a shop called Peet’s. So you should probably whip out to California and pick up some of that when you get the chance, or you could score some at the Peet’s that will be in the Sojourner Truth Library, if it ever opens. But some people don’t like espresso or don’t know good ways to prepare and enjoy it. If you don’t like coffee, black tea works better anyway so you can swap that in, just don’t brew it in a coffee pot or it’s gonna taste pretty weird. If you don’t know a good way to produce a delicious and potent cup o’ joe, read on. First, simple espresso. Espresso is coffee that is ground very fine and then tightly compressed in an espresso machine. Either in an electric or traditional stove-top, boiling water is pushed through the soft brown hockey puck and smooth caffeine filled goodness drips out. Best to start out with one shot, I recommend drinking it black with one sugar and a lemon peel that you rub along the edge of the cup. It’s classy and tastes damn good. Regular coffee will aid in your all-nighter efforts as well and you don’t have to go spend $5 on one cup at Starbucks, you can make it fine on your own. A drip coffee machine is simple enough to use, and of course Keurig cups exist, so there’s that. If the beans are of high quality then however you take it, be it black, or with cream, sugar or whiskey is good enough. If you want something a little sweeter, a mocha can be made by mixing sugar, cream and cocoa powder or Nesquik at the bottom of the mug before adding your coffee and then stirring thoroughly afterward. Always remember that however you drink it, coffee is always a better tool for staying up than crystal meth.

The New Paltz Oracle

Features

oracle.newpaltz.edu

College Dining On A Dime DELICIOUS DEALS AT BEACON FOOD TRUCK By Sage Higgins Staff Writer | Higginss1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Looking for delicious food outside the restaurant setting? The Beacon Bite, located at 416 Main Street in Beacon, is a seasonal food truck that serves eats with bold, delicious flavors. Coowner, Dalton Edwards and co-owner/chef, Josh Venne are the masterminds behind the operation. They gave me the inside scoop of the inner workings of mobile dining. Venne and Edwards, both graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, wanted to bring the concept of the food truck to Beacon. “Both of us have backgrounds in Austin, Texas,” Venn said. “There are a couple different concepts that are really big in the south and southwest that have just not made it up to the northeast and foods truck and trailers are one of them. That just made the most sense for us to do.” What makes this eatery even more unique is its rotating menu. The menu changes every week or more. Even with the changes, The Beacon Bite keeps some items on the menu constant, like their scallion flatbread pork wrap, wedge fries with peruvian mayonnaise and cabbage tempeh finger wraps. The Beacon Bite places a high importance on sustainability. Almost all of their products are biodegradable. The Beacon Bite participates in a composting program called Zero To Go. Accord-

ing to the Zero To Go website, “Zero To Go offers services like zero-waste event services, consulting services for everything related to waste in commercial and residential settings, compost pickup, and the sale of compostable products (cups, plates, etc.).” The Beacon Bite had various delicious options for cheap eats. For $9, The Beacon Bite offers the cabbage tempeh finger wraps which are three leaves of Napa cabbage, toasted chili mayo, pickles, peanuts, slaw, ginger sesame vinaigrette and soy glazed tempeh. To be honest, I thought I was going to miss the traditional tortilla wrap. But one bite into these cabbage wraps made me turn on my previous views. A tortilla wrap would have been a disadvantage to these flavors. The cabbage was crisp and light. It allowed the tempeh and the ginger sesame vinaigrette to steal the show. Another under-$10 item are the tripled fried wedge fries with peruvian mayonnaise ($6) which are triple fried skin-on russet potatoes and mayo with sour cream, lime juice, queso fresco and ají amarillo. I feel as if I am a self proclaimed french fry enthusiast and triple fried french fries made all the difference, especially paired with the mayo. Leave the ketchup behind because this peruvian mayo is perfect and decadent to these indulgent fries. I had to get two orders and believe me, I wouldn’t share. The Beacon Bite can be found on Facebook (Facebook.com/BeaconBite), InsPHOTO BY SAGE HIGGINS tagram (@thebeaconbite) and Twitter (@TheBiteBeacon).

Controversy In The Classics LECTURE EXPLORES ANTI-SEMITISM IN SHAKESPEARE

By Monique Tranchina Copy Editor | Tranchim1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu On Oct. 7, guest lecturer Edna Nashon presented “Jewish Responses to the Merchant of Venice,” outlining a cultural stereotype defined by Shakespeare within his character Shylock. Nashon said that within Shylock’s name, we have created a word and image of a businessperson who is a scoundrel. “Shylock” has also come to label people who are alien, victim, greedy or vindictive, especially of Jewish heritage. Her lecture did not center on cultural advocacy for the Jewish; it approached historical events tied into the literary artwork and explored different time periods of the play’s popularity, often in sync with a rise and fall of cultural ignorance. Jewish immigrants to America in the 1850’s were often rabbis and were well acquainted with the “Merchant of Venice”; as it was a required part of their study. Thus, rabbi intellectuals were sensitive to the image of the Jew in Gentile society. Similarly, Nashon states, Shakespeare was “familiar with the Jewish custom: a sense of suffering. How much he

knew, and where did he get it from, is hard to know.” Nashon went on to relate World War II effects upon the image of the Jewish population. During the 1940’s, many theater productions and renditions of “The Merchant of Venice” included allusions to the Holocaust. However, before WWII, a common issue American theaters faced was the prejudice the play reflected onto Jews; therefore, performances of the play were avoided. In 1962, producer Joe Pap radically promised to open an ampitheater with a performance of the “Merchant of Venice”, with George C. Scott as Shylock. Nashon said he “did not fear the role,” and “Pap did not consider the play anti-semitic.” Though his action to counteract popular notion of anti-semitism in “The Merchant of Venice”, Nashon said that “Shylock has returned to a major position of discussion,” and the label has made its way into the Israel/Palestine debate to victimize those in opposition. At one point an audience member asked, “Is Shakespeare anti-semitic?” “Every age rewrites the old masterpieces as an art

Thursday, October 22, 2015

of interpretation,” Nashon said. “What Shakespeare said is not as important as what his writing might mean to us.” Gorard Sorin, audience member and director, stated that the perpetuation of the Jewish stereotype may have significance. “I learned that it is possible to see this play as Shakespeare attempting to portray sympathetic Jews,” he said. “What an explosive idea, that the play is not anti-semitic, but it portrays sympathy to Jews.” Nashon’s intellectual take on harsh stereotypes further explains that Shakespeare may have believed the “Jew was the ultimate other ... the play was a service to all kinds of tall tales. You don’t need Jews for anti-semitism.” As Shakespeare states in Romeo and Juliet, “What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” perhaps the Jewish culture owns a stereotype that may well relate to individuals rather than groups. They are pinned with a name: Shylock, that does not serve the population justice.

6B oracle.newpaltz.edu

Features

The New Paltz Oracle

The Cider Craze Commences ANGRY ORCHARD ARRIVES IN HUDSON VALLEY By Russell Hartman A&E Editor | Rhartman@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Since 2012, the Angry Orchard Cider Company has had control over the hard cider market in the United States. Originally consisting of only three flavors of hard cider, Crisp Apple, Traditional Dry and Apple Ginger, the company has expanded its line of ciders to include flavors such as Cinnful Apple, Hop’n Mad Apple and Stone Dry. They’ve even released a higher end line of drinks, known as the Cider House Collection, which includes flavors known as Strawman, Iceman and The Muse. This year, the Cincinnati, Ohio-based company has opened up a new cidery in Walden, New York., located only 20 minutes from the SUNY New Paltz campus. “For some time we had been looking to establish a home for our cider research, and this orchard [in Walden] is perfect for us,” Head Cider Maker Ryan Burk said. “Not only does the orchard itself have a great history, but the Hudson Valley has such a vibrant group of apple growers and craft cider makers.” Burk said despite the commercialization, the old owners will still be involved with the orchard. “The Angry Orchard itself was previously owned by the Crist family – they have a long history of growing apples in the region – and the family will continue to cultivate the Orchard. It’s this long standing tradition of family business, apple growing and strong sense of community that really drew us to the area and to this orchard.” Burk, who grew up in Williamson, New York, has been interested and involved with cider making throughout most of his life. “I was an avid homebrewer/cider maker throughout college. But, it didn’t occur to me to make my cider making hobby a full time career until I moved to Chicago in 2007 for law school,” Burk said. Burk continued about his experience in Chicago and spoke about what it means to him to be back doing what he loves in his home state. “The city had a great homebrewing and craft beer scene, and I ended up putting law school on hold to help out with a local start up cidery,” he said. “That was a launching pad to my time at Siebel Institute, where I received a certificate in fermentation sciences

Angry Orchard Cidery in Walden, New York.

and moved forward as a professional cider maker. Now, I’m back in my home state and excited to be leading research and development for Angry Orchard in Walden.” According to Burk, when businesses or organizations move to a new area, there is an opposition to them being there and it takes people some time to warm up to them. In Angry Orchard’s case, this couldn’t be farther from the truth, as Burk said the community response to the new cidery has been great. “The community has been incredibly welcoming,” Burk said. “The Hudson Valley has such a rich tradition of apple growing, and there are so many great apple growers and cider makers in the area to be inspired by. Also, the state and local government was very supportive and worked with us as we developed our plans.”

Since the cidery will devote many of its resources to cider research and development, Burk said that they will be experimenting with a lot of new ﬂavors and combinations to fuel new Angry Orchard drinks in the future. Luckily for Hudson Valley residents, they just might be able to try some of the new combinations before anyone else in the nation. “The Orchard is truly our home for research and development – we’ll be experimenting with new recipes and crafting unique ciders for drinkers to try in our tasting room. We’re thinking of our cider house as a homebase for all of our innovation, where we’ll come up with new recipes that could someday make their way to drinkers nationwide.” Along with the new cidery, Angry Orchard is seeking to help build the cider

Thursday, October 22, 2015

PHOTO BY KRISTEN WARFIELD

community even more upstate as well. Burk said that they are seeking to become more involved in the cider community as well as looking to support other local cider makers. He continued and said how they are working to grow the Hudson Valley Cider Trail, which will include their cider making neighbors as well, which will “showcase all our region has offer” in the cider business. The new cidery looks to be a promising new addition to the Hudson Valley as well as its residents. The enthusiasm Burk and the Angry Orchard team are bringing to cider making in the Hudson Valley will be beneﬁcial for community and the support they have for other local cideries is not to be downplayed. Angry Orchard is here is to stay and provide the Hudson Valley with a quality and caring business that takes pride in its craft.

oracle.newpaltz.edu

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Charm Of The Toy Piano The New Paltz Oracle

PHYLLIS CHEN HOSTS WORKSHOP IN SHEPARD RECITAL HALL

By Sam Manzella Copy Editor |

Manzells1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Pianist Phyllis Chen ran an experimental music workshop on campus, showcasing her musical instrument of choice: the toy piano, a smaller version of the traditional piano with a smaller musical range. Chen is the current Davenport Artist-in-Residence at SUNY New Paltz. A classically-trained pianist who began playing at the age of five, the musician is well-regarded among her peers. Many people first encounter the toy piano in their youth. But Chen did not come across a toy piano until her 20s, when she heard one played at a puppet theater and fell in love with the whimsical sound. Since then, Chen dedicated much of her time and practice to composing and playing music on the tiny instrument. The musician is now regarded as a world-renowned toy pianist and she’s extended her passion for toy pianos to others. Chen founded UnCaged Toy Piano, an annual composition contest and festival celebrating the instrument. Over 50 students, faculty and guests met in the Shepard Recital Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 7 to learn and hear Chen play. Sitting cross-legged in front of her apple-red toy piano, Chen opened the workshop with “Carousels,” an original composition for both the toy piano and a wind-up music box. Chen said she purchased the paper for the music box in Germany. The resourceful musician used both sides of the paper in her composition, punching holes for half of the song on one side and the remaining half on the other. True to Chen’s word, the instrument gave off a magical, whimsical sound. The composition was masterfully layered and absolutely beau-

tiful to hear. Chen played her toy piano with elegance and grace and as the song faded out, the audience remained still, enchanted by Chen’s composition. The pianist used “Carousels” as a starting point to discuss influential American experimental and avantgarde musicians. She played a variety of songs, including pianist John Cage’s famous song “4’33”,” alternatively known as the silent piece. Cage coined the term experimental music. Unlike his peers, Chen said, Cage was not concerned with meaning or feeling; he wanted to know what made music, music. To play the song, Chen needed an audience member to sit silently with her beside a traditional piece for exactly four minutes and 33

Sonic Meditations. The Meditations are designed to make participants hyper-aware of all noise and sounds around them, Chen explained. Since many of the pieces only involve using one’s body to make sound, anyone can and should participate; Oliveros designed these pieces as a “tuning of the mind and body.” “Music is just a byproduct,” Chen said. One Meditation involved attendees repeating noises they were forbidden to make during childhood. Another called for attendees to walk around the room and “fish for sound,” a request Chen described as catching a sound and repeating it back to the group. Participants took Chen’s request to heart, flooding the recital hall with a cacophony of humming and strange sounds. Chen also played “Nothing Is Real,” a unique composition by experimental musician Alvin Lucier. To perform “Nothing Is Real,” Chen played the melody of The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” on a traditional piano, recorded it, and played the recording back through a teapot afterward. The specific teapot was a hot topic of debate between Chen and her mentor, who sampled the piece through teapot after teapot to find the one with the perfect sound. Their ideal teapot came from a random market in New York City’s Chinatown. At the end of her workshop, Chen opened up about her passion for the toy piano. She shared details about her quest to find old toy pianos on Ebay, since contemporary toy pianos are not made with the same degree of craftsmanship as older models, she said. Many of these older toy pianos come with their own unique flaws and blemishes, but these random, low-tech qualities are part of the toy PHOTO BY SAM MANZELLA piano’s appeal.

seconds. “Anyone want to do this with me?” she asked, and was promptly greeted with silence. “No?” The audience chuckled. Afterward, Chen’s reluctant audience volunteer expressed his discomfort during those four minutes and 33 seconds. Chen herself agreed that the piece was uncomfortable, both from the musician and the audience member’s point of view. “The [noise from the] environment is put on stage for us to hear,” Chen said about the song. “I’m much less comfortable with silence. I’d rather be playing.” After another experimental song, Chen invited her audience to participate in musician Pauline Oliveros’

Thursday, October 22, 2015

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Arts & Entertainment

The New Paltz Oracle

A New Adventure In The Wasteland FALLOUT 4 PRIMED TO BE GAME OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE

By Otto Kratky

Contributing Writer | Kratkyp1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Fallout 4, the seventh iteration in the Fallout series is finally slated for a Nov. 10 release date and brings enormous changes to the series. This follows precedence for Fallout developer Bethesda, whose Fallout 3 changed the Fallout series completely from a top-down role-playing game (RPG) into a three dimensional first person shooter RPG. These changes received mixed reviews with many longtime fans worrying that the series is becoming more “casual,” while others welcome the new approach for the post-apocalyptic RPG. One of the most hotly debated topics when it comes to the changes between Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, is an overhaul of the perk and trademark SPECIAL system. The selective perk and SPECIAL systems have both been staples of the Fallout series since Fallout 1 released in 1997. The SPECIAL system, which determines stats

such as your strength, perception, agility and luck, never had an extreme importance or heavily affected your character unless you specifically meant for it to. Now in Fallout 4, the SPECIAL system will determine which perks your character will be able to unlock to a much greater extent than it had in previous games. This is because the perks are no longer freely listed, but are now in a perk-tree style akin to Skyrim, also developed by Bethesda. Each tree is devoted to one of the seven SPECIAL skills and depending on how many points are put into a skill, you will have more or less options in which perks you can get. Ever since first person shooting was introduced in Fallout 3, fans have complained that it was clunky and inaccurate to say the least. The development team at Bethesda seems to have listened to the community and learned. The shooting mechanics in the game will now be much

more like your modern first-person shooter, introducing the ability to aim down the sights of your gun, dynamic crosshairs to show how accurate your shooting is, and a grenade hotkey, allowing players to quickly toss explosives without having to go into their inventories first. VATS has always been a defining mechanic in the Fallout series and in Fallout 4 it receives an enormous series of changes. VATS mode is a shooting mechanic that allows players to slow down time and carefully aim at any part of an enemy and shoot there specifically, be it their arms, legs, torso, or even their gun for a chance to knock it out of their hands. In Fallout 4, the VATS system no longer slows time down completely, putting a rush on the player to attack quickly, before their target has a chance to move behind cover or attack first. Random critical hits have also been done away with and are now replaced by a critical hit bar, which is filled

up slowly and can be activated to make a shot hit critically. Fallout 4 boasts a new iteration of Bethesda’s Creation Engine, the software used to graphically design the game, or in simpler terms make it look pretty. Dynamic lighting, shading and coloring are all features that hold great potential to bring life to the lifeless, monotone settings of the previous Fallout games. However, best of all might be the engines’ ability to create non-playable-characters in the game world, all of whom look stunning, something that Bethesda has been infamously terrible at. Fallout 4 is set to be a contender for 2015’s game of the year and whether or not you are a fan of the series, it’s a smart idea to look out for it. Fallout 4 releases this upcoming Nov. 10 on PS4, Xbox One and PC. Have fun out there wastelanders, and remember to keep an eye on your Geiger counters.

The Music Of Béla Bartók

ALEX PEH AND FRIENDS PUT ON GREAT SHOW AT STUDLEY THEATRE By Rosalba Corrao

Contributing Writer | Corraor1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Alex Peh and Friends filled the auditorium at Studley Theatre kicking off the Kenneth Davenport Residency for New American Music. The evening consisted of percussionists, Christopher Clarino and Christopher Howard, and pianists, Wenyin Chan, alongside Alex Peh, who performed the American works by Steve Reich and Mark Applebaum. “It really started with Christopher Clarino contacting me and wanting to do this Bartók Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. It was a piece that I had always wanted to play, but we never had the chance. So I thought finally now I could put this program together,” said Alex Peh, the Assistant Professor of Piano at SUNY New Paltz. According to Peh, the music for the concert

was chosen on behalf of new American music that was experimental in nature. The first performance was “Aphasia,” a piece by Mark Applebaum, performed by Christopher Clarino. The second performance was “Marimba Phase,” a piece by Steve Reich, performed by Christopher Clarino and Christopher Howard. The last performance was the “Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion” by Béla Bartók, performed by all. “This is the first time we are doing it, but I think because everyone is so trained and everyone is so good, they just put things together like that,” said Peh. Although putting everything together was a challenging feat, Christopher Clarino, a secondyear doctorial student at University of California San Diego, said it was a lot of fun and they had a great time in the process. “I really enjoyed working with Alex, We-

nyin and Chris on the Bartók.” Audience member Leslie Gerber, a music critic for The Woodstock Times, found the contemporary music interesting. “Watching that guy on stage before he started his coordination with the electronic piece was amazing! Their coordination was really excellent and the balance was really excellent - you could hear everything. I was very happy with this concert,” Gerber said. Aside from the concert performed in Studley Theatre, the performance was also held in Wallkill Senior High School, an event organized by both Peh and Clarino. “Chris originally went to Wallkill Senior High School so he wanted to do an educational outreach there. It is part of the strategic plan here at SUNY to be doing outreach programs for the community and Wallkill being the local high school, we thought that would be nice,” Peh

Thursday, October 22, 2015

said. Alex Peh is credited for his participation in the Aspen Music Festival and the Banff Centre Keyboard Festival. Wenyin Chan is known for her solo activities and various awards that have brought her national recognition. Christopher Clarino is the co-founder of Volta Trio and Proactive Percussion, a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering the public’s love for percussion music. Christopher Howard is known for his versatile background that has allowed him to experiment with various musical genres. The next concert in the series of the Davenport Residency for New American Music is on Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. in Parker Theatre. Phyllis Chen, students and faculty, will collaborate to perform her newest works: “Columba” (with a piano), “Mobius” (with two music boxes) and “Lighting the Dark” (with music boxes, clavichord, accordion and electronics).

The New Paltz Oracle

COME JAM WITH SAM! By Sam Manzella Manzells1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

CHVRCHES (churches), a popular electro-synth pop group from Scotland, released their sophomore studio album on Sept. 25 of this year. “Every Open Eye” is the group’s follow-up to their 2013 debut “The Bones of What You Believe.” Singles like “The Mother We Share,” “Lies” and “Recover” gained international acclaim quickly, with “The Mother We Share” ranking number 51 on The Huffington Post’s list of the Top 52 Songs of 2012. The band even performed at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in 2013, where they won Inaugural Grulke Prize for Developing Non-US Act, according to the band’s Wikipedia page. The band’s unique brand of electronic, synth-heavy pop music is fun and infectiously lively. Lead singer Lauren Mayberry has a truly one-of-a-kind voice, with a natural fluctuation of tones and pitches that pairs perfectly with background synth tracks. 2013 hits like “Gun” and “The Mother We Share” snuck up on me; although I’m not typically a fan of electronic music, CHVRCHES’ singles stood out as catchy, upbeat and utterly exciting tunes. A solid dance session — whether you’re alone in your room or in a dance club with friends — is almost obligatory as soon as this group’s hits blare through your speakers. “Every Open Eye” maintains the same CHVRCHES sound fans have come to know and love, with a bit more attitude and bitterness behind Mayberry’s lyrics. Songs like “Never Ending Circles” have a bitter, post-break up edge, with lyrics like, “You give me everything I never deserved / This time / You know I’ll leave.” These tracks lighten the mood with fast, upbeat paces and lively background tracks, propelling the album forward. “Keep You On My Side” drags on a bit too long, and the melodramatic chorus and intense repetition feel out of place in the album. “Make Them Gold” and “Clearest Blue,” however, offer more hopeful lyrics and uplifting vibes, a necessity at the midway point in the album. The latter stands out as a phenomenally catchy and, for lack of a better word, dance-able,track. “Clearest Blue” conveys Mayberry’s passion in a manner reminiscent of CHVRCHES’ older tracks — and reminds me why I fell in love with the band in the first place. “High Enough to Carry You Over” is a surefire hit; this track features vocals from an unfamiliar male singer, which surprised me upon first hearing the song. Yet the singer’s smooth vocals fit well with CHVRCHES’

Arts & Entertainment

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Every Open Eye sound and provide a nice break in the album. Unfortunately, this track is a poor transition to “Empty Threat,” a fast-paced pop track with too much going on at once. From the remainder of the album’s tracks, “Bury It” and “Afterglow” stand out. “Bury It” is another classic CHVRCHES hit, with the same electronic-heavy pop sound I’ve come to expect from this band. “Afterglow” stands out to me for an entirely different reason: the song is complex and layered and almost sounds like two or three tracks in one. Its airy, ethereal sound brings to mind a church hymn — and I mean that in the best way possible. The track is sophisticated in a surprising and appealing way. With the exception of a few tracks that fell ﬂat, “Every Eye Open” impressed me. I’ll certainly continue to follow CHVRCHES’ music in the future. If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to have a solo dance party in my dorm to “Never Ending Circles” and “Bury It.”

Thursday, October 22, 2015

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLICKR USER SAM HOWZIT

10B oracle.newpaltz.edu

Arts & Entertainment

The New Paltz Oracle

They Are “Yours, Dreamily” THE ARCS DEBUT ALBUM IMPRESSES

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Accompanied by haunting circus music, the introduction states, “The only thing for you to do is to do absolutely nothing” — except listen to the new psychedelic rock release. This is the beginning to “Yours, Dreamily,” the debut album of the newlyformed band, The Arcs, released on Sept. 4 The Arcs is a collaborative project featuring The Black Keys’ singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach and longtime musical friends Richard Swift, Leon Michels, Homer Steinweiss and Nick Movshon, along with guests Kenny Vaughan and New York-based all-female mariachi group Mariachi Flor de Toloache. Swift, the touring bassist and backup vocalist for The Black Keys since April 2014, said the new band formed accidentally. “It seems like maybe a couple of years ago we started working on different tracks here and there,” Swift said. “Some of the stuff was written already. There were some ideas that Dan had been working on. Then it started to morph into this other thing where we would show up with no material and we all have little demo sketches and song ideas and little scraps and stuff on our phones. It became way more of a collaborative sort of thing, as opposed to Dan coming with a fully-finished song or something. It just kind of evolved out of getting together over a couple of weekends here and there and just putting our heads down and getting the work done.” Now, Swift mans the drums, keyboards, backing vocals and even more with The Arcs. After the intro, the rigid “Outta My Mind” begins which includes an Auerbach-esque blues-sounding fuzzy guitar riff. This is just the beginning of several riffs throughout the debut album. The sixth song on the record, “Stay In My Corner” was released as a single in conjunction with the Floyd Mayweather Jr. / Manny Pacquiao fight in May 2015. The catchy chorus includes the lines “I will fight for you / if you fight for me,

too.” When the song transitions into the bridge, the piano melody creeps in as Auerbach sings in a falsetto range “We’ll sit together / forever / by the color of TV,” putting listeners in this transported dreamland of sitting with legs crossed in front of a television set back in the day. As the album progresses, “The Arc” brings the sound of a perfect road trip backing. Another highlight of the album is the tenth track, “Velvet Ditch,” which Swift said includes a “really special” moment between Auerbach, Michels and himself while recording the track at Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton’s studio in Los Angeles, California. “Being in The Arcs is really, really fun,” Swift said. “There’s something that happens when we play together, that’s a lot more powerful than anything I’ve ex-

perienced in a band. We laugh a lot when we’re not playing.” All members of the band share songwriting credit for the album. In addition, the all-female mariachi band Mariachi Flor de Toloache performs backing vocals on several album tracks and lead vocals on “Chains of Love.” They add a flair to the album with their harmonies. The unique mixture of trumpet and violin which they add to the songs blends in to create a sound rarely heard before. Swift said the idea to include Mariachi Flor de Toloache into the mix came when thinking about throwing a party at his house and wanting to hire a mariachi band, as opposed to putting on a mixtape that they would normally do when the group of musicians had a community meal. From there, Auerbach wanted to include a mariachi sound into some of the

PHOTO COURTESY OF thearcs.com

Thursday, October 22, 2015

tracks. Michels made a phone call and the all-girl band arrived and displayed their talents. “Now, as far as I’m concerned, they’re part of the band,” Swift said. “I don’t know what we’d do without them live. They’re all just incredibly talented. They can sing their hearts out, and they’re really, really good players. We’re constantly changing arrangements of songs and they’re right there with us, it’s really great.” As a whole, the album has a groovy feel to it. Between the buzz of the guitar riffs and blend of the brass, it sounds like something straight out of the 1970s with a bunch of soul. With its hazy vibes, “Yours, Dreamily,” also delves into setting a jazzy, 1920s club feel during the 12th track “Come and Go.” The closing track, “Searching the Blue” is backed by a gentle, piano melody. With the blend of Auerbach’s falsetto lead vocals and Swift’s strong backing vocals, this is the ultimate concluding track. With over 70 tracks recorded, the band is almost finished with a second album. As The Arcs prepare to hit the road for a two-month tour in November and December, Swift said. Despite having a sense of anxiety while on the road, he is looking forward to how the band will perform live in front of an audience. “I always kind of go into tour with a certain amount of anxiety because I really don’t like traveling,” Swift said. “I don’t like planes, I don’t like being stuck on a bus. I don’t like that part of traveling. For me, the thing that I’m looking forward to is how do we pull this off in front of a bunch of people. Our Boyle Heights gig was really great, it felt great. Like I said, I’m just kind of excited to finally play this music for other people.” The Arcs played the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on Sept. 26. They will tour Europe from Nov. 5 to Nov. 16. After that, they will return to the United States to play around the country from Dec. 1 to Dec. 20, including another New York show at Terminal 5 on Dec. 9.

oracle.newpaltz.edu

The New Paltz Oracle

Thursday, October 22, 2015

11B

The Deep End

oracle.newpaltz.edu

The New Paltz Oracle

THIS WEEK IN

THE DEEP END M A T T H E W

G R A N D Y

Major: Photography

Year: Fourth

Inspriation: Pablo Picasso, Edward Weston, Jackson Pollack, Jill Greenberg “I submitted some work that’s fine art, some work thats documentary and studio work. With the pinhole pictures, I take the lens off a digital camera I’ve had for a while, put a black piece of paper over the camera and poke a hole in it. I photograph the human form first, then in post processing I overlay the image with a texture-like stone or rust”

Photos courtesy of Matthew Grandy | Captioning by David Khorassani

The New Paltz Oracle

Editorial

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Share The Sojourner Truth

CARTOON BY STEFANIE DIERS

Deadlines are important. We, as journalists, know this firsthand. But regardless of your area of study, turning in assignments late in college is often unacceptable. While renovating a building obviously incurs more work than most homework, a deadline is a deadline. We at The New Paltz Oracle are disappointed to inform our readers that the Sojourner Truth Library at SUNY New Paltz will not be open until the spring semester. Library operations are set to be fully restored by the spring semester, according to Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management John Shupe. We are equally concerned that we, as students, were not alerted of this news in a campuswide announcement. This follows suit to a lack of transparency already seen this semester concerning the library project. Last semester, Library Dean Mark Colvson posted helpful and frequent updates to his blog to keep the campus community informed of the work

being done. This semester, however, there have been no updates. The last post on this blog that indicated progress was posted on May 12. In a post on May 7, we were loosely promised a new, spacious and light-filled library before this semesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final exams, if all went as planned. As of this moment, it seems that this semesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finals week will mark the fifth major exam period in a row that students have not had access to a full library. The fact that these updates surrounding the renovations have stopped is concerning. Unexpected delays happen in construction and sometimes there is nothing that can be done but push back the completion date if the work is to be done properly. We also understand that the building must be built to code and all safety precautions should be followed, which of course takes time. That being said, the community should be kept informed in a timely manner about changes to the schedule or the project itself either through the deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blog or

emails from administration. Despite this, the problems that students face due to limited space in the library is a current and ongoing reality. Many students go to the library for a quiet place to study. If they are not involved in a club with an office or have difficulty studying in their dorm, the library is the go-to place for these students. The space currently available next to the stacks is quite small when you consider the size of the student population. Furthermore, when people use this space for group work, the silence is broken. The College Terrace was opened around finals last semester for late night studying, but students need and expect a quiet area at anytime in the semester and not just when everyone else is looking for one too. We feel that if the Terrace is not being used for other purposes, it should be made available for quiet studying throughout the semester. The problems posed from limited space in the

Thursday, October 22, 2015

library are ultimately not going to be solved until the library is fully accessible once again. From speaking with our peers, we can say that this is a shared frustration. Students have been anticipating the new, well-lit and spacious library since the new features were announced a year ago. Computerized group study rooms and an updated layout will be beneficial to all (who are still here when it opens). Although the tentative opening date for the library has been pushed to next semester, we hope that construction will finish a few weeks early and the promise made last semester to have it open by finals week can be kept. 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.

10 oracle.newpaltz.edu

KRISTEN WARFIELD Editor-In-Chief

Warﬁelk1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was the pilot who flew the Enola Gay over Hiroshima Japan on Aug. 6, 1945, dropping the first of two atomic bombs that prompted Japan to surrender World War II. American socialite Bessie Wallis Warfield captured the heart of Prince Edward VIII of Wales in 1934, continuing a two-year relationship as he became King of England in 1936. Knowing their marriage would not be accepted by the Church of England because Wallis had been divorced, Edward stepped down from the throne not even a year into his reign to propose to her. The two were married on June 3, 1937 and given the title of Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Dr. Charles Alexander Warfield was a leader of the the Whig Club at the beginning of the American Revolution, donning his members with hats inscribed “Liberty and Independence, or the Death in pursuit of it.” On October 19, 1774, he led a torching of a vessel that had arrived in an Annapolis, Maryland harbor with a shipment of British tea just 10 months after the Boston Tea Party. If you couldn’t tell from our shared last name, these people are my relatives. For the longest time, I had learned very little about the Warfield family his-

OPINION

The New Paltz Oracle

COLUMN

Family Treasures, Rediscovered tory outside of what my grandfather told me as a kid. I knew that we were English, I knew that we sprang up in Baltimore, Maryland and I knew that there’s many of us. What I didn’t know, however, was that there’s a long line of famous and interesting people up the branches of my family tree. I lived 20 years before discovering much of anything about those that came before me – but what I have found leaves me feeling so humbled to have descended from people that have left such an imprint on history. When my grandfather, Marshall Warﬁeld, passed away in 2008, boxes of old family photographs were carelessly set on ﬁre by his widower – my step-grandmother. She blatantly told my sister and I over the phone that she had burnt many of our grandfather’s possessions. At 13 years old, I understood that these were countless memories I would have loved to have seen. Photos from my pop-pop’s childhood; snapshots of his mother of whom is said to be the one I inherited my lankiness from; memories from his colorful life and of those that came before him. I felt robbed. I loved my grandfather more than the world, and knowing that the pieces

of him that still remained after his death were selfishly destroyed, destroyed a little piece of me as well. Last Christmas, I received an Ancestry.com membership and found myself immersed for days over just how much I could track down about my family. A year later, I’m still uncovering surprising finds that no amount of hatred and selfishness would be able to touch. The gift of knowing where I come from is indescribable. Learning of these people – my family – has helped heal the bitter feelings I once had for never being able to lay eyes on those boxes of photos that were at my grandfather’s home. I like to think that I am doing good by him, never faltering my desire to follow up on these stories that he told me as a child. I hope one day I can share with him what I have learned. Researching my family history has been one of the most rewarding and humbling experiences of my life. Looking at the interesting lives my family has led leaves me hoping that I, too, will leave a mark on history one day – but even if I don’t, they have left a mark on me that will remain. I will always remember the stories my grandfather told me about Bessie

Wallis Warfield – how we were technically related to English royalty, how people in Maryland know our last name as one of the founding surnames of Maryland, and how being a Warfield means you are strong, generous, a natural-born leader – and stubborn as a doornail. From learning about the people who came before me, I feel that I can understand myself as a person a bit better. By tracking down the first ever Warfield to immigrate to America from England in 1659, I was able to trace back so many family members throughout history – and I’m still searching. In my journey I’ve even stumbled upon how F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of “The Great Gatsby,” had a great-grandmother on the Warfield side. I knew there had to be a writer in the woodpile somewhere. So, do you know where you come from? If you don’t, I suggest you start looking. You never know what you’ll find. Kristen is a third-year journalism major that is a low-key historian on the side. Along with being a dogmom to her poodle, Ruby, she enjoys friez and studying Kris-tory.

DO YOU WANT TO WRITE FOR THE ORACLE? EMAIL US AT ORACLE@HAWKMAIL.NEWPALTZ.EDU FOR MORE INFORMATION! Thursday, October 22, 2015

The New Paltz Oracle

SPORTS

oracle.newpaltz.edu

The New Paltz Oracle

KILLIN’ IT

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

The Women’s volleyball team has won ﬁve of their last six matches.

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The Women’s volleyball team has won five of their last six matches heading into State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Pool Play at New Paltz. After playing three SUNYAC matches in less than 48 hours, the Hawks came away with a trio of 3-1 wins in Pool Play at Plattsburgh. Head Coach Matt Giufre said the team played for pretty long stretches of time, which included some of the best volleyball they have played this year. “We played well when we needed to,” he said. “Each match we had one game where we just underperformed. We’re still trying to be a bit more consistent. But the bright spot was, we maintained a high level of play for a longer period of time and we looked really good for long stretches of time. We’re starting to play at a higher level more frequently, which is exciting for sure.” In the first match of Pool Play on Friday, Oct. 9, the Hawks defeated SUNY Oswego 3-1 (25-18, 2517, 14-25, 25-21). The Hawks had the upper hand in hitting percentage (.154-.129) and blocks (11-6), while the Lakers posted seven service aces to the Hawks’ five. Third-year middle hitter Morgan Roessler led

the New Paltz attack with 13 kills, while fourth-year outside hitter Becca Borquist posted a double-double with 11 kills and 17 digs. Hawks second-year setter Maddie Zwickl completed a double-double as well, tallying 45 assists and defending 10 digs. Hawks third-year liberos Anna Paulik, Rachel Pierson and Meg Kinee contributed 21, 20 and 13 digs, respectively. The next morning, the Hawks started their day off with another conference win, this time against host SUNY Plattsburgh 3-1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-12, 25-20). As a team, New Paltz led in the blocks category (15-3). Individually, Roessler compiled six total blocks (four solo, two assist). On the offensive side, Borquist recorded another double-double, notching 17 kills and 18 digs. Later that day, the Hawks took their third and ﬁnal match of Pool Play at Plattsburgh with a 3-1 victory against Buffalo State (25-23, 22-25, 25-21, 25-17). The Hawks ﬁnished with the upper hand in hitting percentage (.142-.115) and service aces (7-3), Borquist along with Zwickl also registered double-doubles with 16 and 11 digs, respectively. Pierson defended a career-high 34 digs. The Hawks have now won 24 consecutive SUNYAC matches dating back to the implementation of

the non-divisional conference schedule in 2013. The Hawks are just one of two undefeated teams remaining in the conference, as The College at Brockport is also 6-0. Kinee said it feels like the team is improving on both its mental and physical game as a unit and they are seeing the results. “I think we have learned something new about ourselves both as individual players and as a team every tournament weekend,” she said. “We’re excited to take all of that into this weekend against three more tough SUNYAC matches.” Less than a week later, the Hawks took two of three nonconference matches while participating in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Tournament in Cambridge, Massachusetts. On Friday, Oct. 16, the Hawks swept Western New England University 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-17). New Paltz rallied from an 18-14 deﬁcit in the ﬁrst set and ended up edging the Golden Bears by a 25-23 margin in the frame. Roessler led the match with four blocks. Paulik and Pierson tied for the match-high in digs with eight each. The following morning another straight-set win was earned by New Paltz against St. Lawrence University 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-17).

Thursday, October 22, 2015

A few hours later, No. 23 Massachusetts Institute of Technology handed the Hawks their first loss and snapped their five-match winning streak 3-1 (2225, 25-19, 25-16, 25-15). Despite taking the first set, 25-22, and holding a 19-17 lead in the second, the Hawks were unable to bounce back. Borquist recorded her fourth doubledouble in six matches. Kinee held up the back row defensively with 15 digs. For their efforts throughout the weekend, Kinee and Paulik were named to the All-Tournament Team. Next for the Hawks will be three conference matches at home during Pool Play at New Paltz. The Hawks, who have already clinched a 2015 SUNYAC Tournament playoff berth, will take on SUNY Cortland on Friday, Oct. 23, at 5 p.m. at the Hawk Center. The next day, the Hawks will match up against SUNY Oneonta (10 a.m.) and fellow undefeated conference counterparts The College at Brockport (12:30 p.m.). With an overall record of 16-8 and conference tally of 6-0, Giufre said it is a good thing to see the team playing at level of success that they knew they could be playing at all season. “It’s good that it’s a lot of our good plays happening now and I think more is in front of us, too,” he said.

12 oracle.newpaltz.edu

Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

Field Hockey Closes Conference Play By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The field hockey team finished State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play with a pair of wins against SUNYAC opponents after losing a nonconference game. On Saturday, Oct. 10 the Hawks lost to No. 7 William Smith College by a score of 4-1 in a nonconference matchup. Second-year forward Hannah Wood scored all four goals for the Herons, a singlegame career-high for Wood. New Paltz held a 15-13 advantage in shots and a 6-2 cushion in penalty corners in a losing effort. Second-year forward Sam Eberle scored the lone goal for the Hawks and third-year forward Kayla McKeveny was credited with an assist on the goal. Fourth-year goalkeeper Alayna Wageman and second-year goalkeeper Megan Gangewere combined for four saves in the loss for the Hawks. Hawks Head Coach Shanna Vitale believes that the loss wasn’t because William Smith College was the better team, but because of some costly errors by the Hawks. “They took away [from the loss] the importance of being aware of the entire field during the match and to make sure that they’re communicating

to each other about the shifts that need to be done defensively to making sure that they are aware of their marks,” Vitale said. “They also took away that we were more than capable of playing a much better game and we’re able to play at that level no matter what. Even though we did lose it was because of some errors, not because William Smith was a better team than us.” On Wednesday, Oct. 14 the Hawks notched a 4-0 Catskill Cup Victory over SUNY Oneonta. This was a rematch of last year’s SUNYAC Tournament semifinal round, which the Hawks won 3-2 on Nov. 5, 2014. The win improved the team’s home record to 7-0 for the season. Hawks fourth-year co-Captain Dani Ackerman led the offense as she notched a match-high seven shots, all of which were on goal and one reached the back of the net. Hawks fourth-year coCaptain Jessica Caruana fired off six shots, scored a goal, was credited with an assist on a goal by third-year forward Erin Landy and tallied a defensive save in the win. Second-year forward Justine O’Reilly also scored a goal for the Hawks. Wageman notched three saves and recorded her third shutout of the season. “The win against Oneonta was huge,” Ackerman said. “We needed to win that game in order to

secure a higher seed in the SUNYAC Tournament. This is another team we could see in the postseason, so we must be prepared to beat them again. Oneonta has always been a tough competitor for us, so it felt awesome to dominate against them and really capitalize on our strengths as a team.” On Saturday, Oct. 17 the Hawks defeated Morrisville State in their final SUNYAC game of the season by a score of 5-0. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 5-1 record in conference play and have clinched the No. 2 seed in the conference. McKeveny scored three goals in the victory, marking a single-game career-high. It also is tied for the fourth-most goals scored in a single game in program history. O’Reilly and first-year forward Rachel McLaughlin each scored a goal for the Hawks as well. Wageman and Gangewere notched two saves in the win. On Monday, Oct. 19 Wageman was named SUNYAC Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week and McKeveny was named SUNYAC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, Oct. 18. This is the fourth time this season, and the sixth time in her career that Wageman has received this honor. This marks the second time that McKeveny has received this honor, her

first time coming on Nov. 11, 2013 following the SUNYAC Tournament. Following the game against Morrisville State, Ackerman had 94 points in her collegiate career, which was just one point behind Danielle Conklin for the program record. Earlier this season, Ackerman passed Conklin to become the program’s alltime leader in goals scored. “I try not to think about breaking the record too much,” Ackerman said. “What is important is playing my game and doing everything in my power to help get my team to where we need to be. The way I see it is, if I play hard and do the simple things right, I will reach this achievement. I try to keep a level head, sometimes coming up with that big tackle or making that crucial pass are just as instrumental as putting the ball in the goal.” On Wednesday, Oct. 21 the Hawks lost to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by a score of 2-1, dropping their overall record to 12-4. This is the first game the Hawks have lost at home this season. Ackerman scored the lone goal for the Hawks, passing Conklin as the program’s all-time leader in points. The Hawks’ next game will be their last home game of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. on the North Turf Field against Kean University.

Tennis Falls In Conference Finals By Rachael Purtell

Assistant Copy Editor | Purtellr1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The tennis team fell in the final round of the 2015 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament held at the Binghamton Tennis Center to SUNY Geneseo who captured their fifth-straight conference title — remaining undefeated with a record of 11-0. The Hawks completed their fall season with an overall record of 6-3. Although the Hawks were unable to capture a conference title, Head Coach Rob Bruley said the team performed to the best of their ability. “If this was a cross-country meet, every girl got a personal best,” he said. “Every single one of them gave everything they had.” In the SUNYAC quarterfinals on Friday, Oct. 9, the Hawks swept SUNY Fredonia 5-0. In doubles action, Hawks second-years Brittany Grandville and Carol Tyson defeated Blue Devils first-year Olivia Miller and third-year Chloe Cohen 8-0. In flight two, Hawks fourth-year co-captain Laura Tierney and third-year Olivia Ammirati defeated Cohen and Blue Devils Halee Dickinson 8-1. Finally in flight three, Hawks fourth-year cocaptain Allie Starke and first-year Lindsay Haley bested the tandem of third-years Leanne Hofstead

and Phoebe Langdon with a score of 8-1. In singles flights two and three Grandville and Tyson won their matches 6-0, 6-0, and 6-0, 6-1, respectively. The next day, the Hawks continued their SUNYAC sweep by defeating SUNY Brockport 5-0 in the semifinals of the SUNYAC Tournament. Bruley said he was the most concerned about this round of the tournament. “I get more nervous during the semifinal. That’s the one stage of the tournament you don’t want to get knocked out on because nobody remembers who was in the semifinals,” he said. The pair of Grandville and Tyson defeated Golden Eagles fourth-years Dilara Kumbul and Natasha Hale 8-1 in doubles flight one. In flight two, Tierney and Ammirati defeated third-year Elizabeth O’Rourke and fourth-year Iyanna Sinclair with a score of 8-0. In flight three Hawks third-years Maryann Badura and Liz Palmer won their match 8-1 against first-year Kelsey Shanahan and thirdyear Sam Malak. Grandville also won her singles match against Kumbul 6-2, 6-0 and Tyson defeated Malak in singles action 6-0, 6-1. Before the final round of the tournament, Bruley said all he asked of his players was that they leave it all out on the court.

“The only thing I asked from the team before we started the final is you’ve got to give it 100 percent, blood, sweat and tears, and walk off with your head held high knowing you’ve done exactly that,” he said. The Hawks were also pleased to be the underdog in their matchup against Geneseo, Bruley said. He said when the team is not expected to win, it is a lot easier for them to play their best. “You’re relaxed, you’re not nervous, you know you’re the underdog and you’re not supposed to win and you can play a little bit more freely and hit the ball a little bit harder and swing for it,” he said. The Hawks’ streak came to an end when they fell 5-0 to the SUNY Geneseo Knights in the championship round of the 2015 SUNYAC Tournament. Although the team did not come out on top, Bruley said that he and the girls have no regrets. “I don’t think we could have done or tried anything different,” he said. “Player for player they [Geneseo] were just a little bit stronger,” he said. In doubles action, Grandville and Tyson fell to fourth-years Cat Crummey and Marylen Santos 8-1. In flight two, Tierney and Ammirati were defeated 8-0 by first-year Mako Tanaka and fourth-year Mai Hashimoto. Palmer and Badura were fell in flight three to third-year Maggie Hale and second-year Lauren Salzano with a score of 8-1.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

In singles flight one, Ammirati fell to Tanaka 6-4, 6-2. In flight four Hawks second-year Emi Lewis was defeated by Salzano with a score of 6-1, 6-2. “I think personally, I performed really well, especially during our final match,” Ammirati said. “Although I lost, I put everything I had into that match. The girl I played was an amazing player and I gave her a run for her money.” Bruley said the fall season was satisfying, and the team is looking forward to the spring. During the offseason, the girls are expected to work out and get stronger in preparation for the upcoming matches. “I noticed already that there are girls in the gym working out,” Bruley said. “It’s time for us to take our program to the next level and hopefully bring in some strong recruits, but all in all, we’re very satisfied, very happy with the way the fall went and looking forward to the spring.” With her last season approaching, Tierney hopes to improve personally and bring her teammates along for the ride. “Looking forward, I will just be working in the gym getting in shape for my next, and sadly last season,” she said. “It is my last chance, personally, to make an impact on the team and I will do anything I can to make a positive one.”

Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Men’s Soccer Honors Fallen Comrade With Win

PHOTO BY IAN HART

Men’s soccer donned camouflage jerseys to honor former Hawk and marine.

By Amanda Copkov

Copy Editor | Copkova1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

It isn’t every day that dozens of police cars, fire trucks and military tanks line up on SUNY New Paltz’s Alumni Field. But the day of Oct. 10 was different. This particular Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Men’s soccer team NCAA Atlantic Coast Regional championship win. It was also a day where the life of Heinz Ahlmeyer, who had played on the 1965 Men’s soccer team, was commemorated for his ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War. Ahlmeyer graduated in the spring of 1966. Less than a year later, he joined the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant. On the first day of his tour of duty — May 10, 1967 — his long-range patrol was put behind enemy lines, and Ahlmeyer was killed in action by the North Vietnamese Army. According to Private first class (Pfc.) Steve Lopez, only three men of Heinz’s team could be extracted by helicopter. After 12 hours and four attempted rescues, the helicopter was forced to leave behind Ahlmeyer and three other fallen comrades. Lopez was one of the three survivors of the mission. Fifteen members of the 1965 Men’s soccer team were in attendance and were honored in the middle of Alumni Field during halftime. There was also a Purple Heart ceremony recognizing two New

Paltz students who had been wounded in action. “It’s a challenge to be a combat soldier or airman or marine and then maybe a month after you’re on a battlefield, you’re on a college campus,” Coordinator of Veteran Services Jason Gilliland said. “This event helps integrate the veteran into the New Paltz community and campus and brings about awareness.” Ahlmeyer’s classmates also put together an award to honor his name: The Heinz Ahlmeyer Award. This athletic award, which is presented every spring by the Department of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation, recognizes the sole student athlete whose “dedication, perseverance and service beyond self” is an inspiration to both his/her teammates and fellow students. Former players from the 1965 Men’s soccer team, including right fullback Bill Doon, right fullback Keith Ashby, center fullback Gary Maasch, forward Rich Lotze and forward Gene Ventrigilia had nothing but noble things to say about Ahlmeyer. Lotze said Ahlmeyer said Ahlmeyer was the definition of a man’s man. “He had good character, he was a tough cookie, he worked hard and he played hard,” Lotze said. “He was the image that our coach wanted in a player.” Current Hawks Head Coach Ventrigilia re-

membered Ahlmeyer as a dear friend. He felt honored by the event’s turnout as well as how hard his boys played against the Potsdam Bears. “I think this game is very meaningful for the team because they know what it means to me,” Ventriglia said. “To honor [Ahlmeyer], they wanted to win the game. This game was very important and the team is very important to me. These are great kids and they play hard. You can’t ask for anything more.” At the end of a competitive game, the New Paltz Hawks defeated the Bears 4-3 in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play. During the first 30 minutes of gameplay, fourth-year forward Jason Gonzalez scored two goals to bring the Hawks up to a 2-0 advantage. In the 55th minute, third-year forward Tyler Lundgren scored a goal from a cross-pass made by third-year midfielder Tucker Stern. This increased the Hawks’ lead to 3-0. Bears fourth-year midfielder Johnny Zator scored a goal for Potsdam in the 59th minute to bring the score up to 3-1. Fourth-year co-Captain Ben Firlit scored off a rebound to raise the Bears’ score to 3-2. Though the second half of the game was more of a struggle for the Hawks, they managed to score

Thursday, October 22, 2015

another goal in the 73rd minute as fourth-year midfielder Jake Falk shot point-blank off of a double assist from second-year midfielder and forward Khalil Scott Ludewig and second-year midfielder and forward Gino Scardino. This increased the Hawks’ advantage to 4-2. Bears second-year defender Matthew Wagner was able to score one final goal for Potsdam, but the Hawks remained victorious by one goal when the final whistle blew. Gonzalez led the Hawks’ offense with four shots and two goals, while Falk notched two shots and one goal and Scardino notched two shots and two assists. Second-year goalkeeper John Guzzo made four stops in goal for the Hawks’ defense. Lundgren said that seeing the former soccer players watching from the sidelines motivated the team to play harder against the Bears. “This pushed everybody to know that this game could be your last game, this play could be your last play, so we had to push ourselves and give it our all,” he said. With an overall record of 10-6-1 and conference tally of 3-4-0, the Men’s soccer team goes up against Buffalo State in a SUNYAC conference game on Friday, Oct. 23 in Buffalo at 3 p.m. All proceeds from the Heinz Ahlmeyer game have been donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

14oracle.newpaltz.edu

Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

Women’s Soccer Remains A Contender By Anthony Mitthauer-Orza

Copy Editor | Mitthaua1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The Women’s soccer team began their final homestand of the season playing a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game against SUNY Oneonta on Saturday, Oct. 17 in hopes of making the playoffs within the last two games. The Hawks lost by a score of 2-0 to their SUNYAC and Catskill Cup rival after the Red Dragons had goals from fourth-year midfielder Avery Serfis and fourth-year forward Kayla Ceschini, who scored on a penalty kick. The Hawks were outshot 18-7 and the Red Dragons held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks. Although New Paltz’s defense stayed strong against a challenging Oneonta offense in the second half, Cescheni sealed the game in the 82nd minute with her penalty shot to give the Red Dragons the win. For the Hawks, fourth-year midfielder Chelsea Weir led the offense with three shots. Second-year defenders Monica Rouse and Alexa Appel, third-year midfielder Han-

nah Moran and second-year midfielder Danielle Grossi also contributed one shot apiece. Hawks third-year goalkeeper Mikaela Stiklickas notched eight saves for the Hawks. Hawks Head Coach Colleen Bruley said that the upcoming games are going to be tough, but it’s the effort the team puts in that will determine whether they make the playoffs. “I don’t know how confident I feel right now, it really depends on what team of ours shows up,” she said. “We have the talent, it’s just a matter of what kind of work ethic comes out these next few games.” Weir said the main goal for the players is to make the playoffs for the second time in her four years at the school. “Our goal for the rest of the season is to get into the playoffs,” Weir said. “The feeling is like no other and I want nothing more than for all the younger girls to experience what I got to four years ago. I will do whatever I can to help us get to this point.” The Hawks have not found the back of

the net since their 2-1 overtime loss against SUNY Plattsburgh on Friday, Oct. 9. In order to score, Bruley said the team needs to minimize turnovers and dominate possession of the ball. “We’re giving away the ball too much in the midfield,” Bruley said. “If we can keep the ball and switch the fields and get forward with the ball, we’re going to get many more opportunities.” The next two games will determine whether or not the Hawks have a chance for a berth in the 2015 SUNYAC Tournament. They have an overall record of 2-11-2 and 1-4-2 tally in conference play. The Hawks finish their last two games at home against Buffalo State on Friday, Oct. 23 and against SUNY Fredonia on Saturday, Oct. 24. “These next few games are going to prove how badly we want it,” Weir said. “They are going to show the amount of heart, passion and determination that this team has in order to make playoffs. Anything can happen, and no matter what, we will not give up without a fight.”

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

Cross-Country Sprints To Season Finish By Anthony Mitthauer-Orza

Copy Editor | Mitthaua1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Both cross-country teams competed in the Paul Short Run on Friday, Oct. 2 and the Rowan Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 17 in their final meets before the SUNYAC Championships. The men finished 31st out of 39 teams and the women finished 44th out of 45 teams at the Paul Short Run. For the Men’s team, third-year co-Captain Galo Vasquez had the fastest time for the Hawks at the Paul Short Run, clocking in at 25:41 in the 8K race. Hawks second-year co-Captain Nick Cruz followed up with a 153rd place finish and first-year Jack Wilson finished 197th for New Paltz. At the Rowan Invitational, the men’s team finished 17th out of 24 teams. Vasquez had the top finish for the Hawks again, placing 25th in the eight-kilometer race with a time of 25:21.99.

Hawks Head Coach Mike Trunkes said he was very pleased with how the teams ran in both competitions and believes the team can perform very well in the future. “At Rowan we had a lot of guys run well there,” Trunkes said. “Paul Short was our first big meet in terms of number of athletes to compete against and the amount of high-level competition, so that really gets the guys accustomed to that kind of situation.” The women’s team posted a total time of 2:01.46 at the Paul Short Run for the six-kilometer course, where Hawks third-year Rebecca Verrone and fourth-year co-Captain Danielle Halikias earned 212th and 218th finishes, respectively. At the Rowan Invitational, the Hawks women’s team wrapped up the regular season with a 19th place finish out of 24 teams. Verrone was the top finisher for the women again, placing 80th in the competition with

a time of 23:11.81. Hawks fourthyear Robyn Schaefer followed with a 121st place finish in a time of 23:52.98. Even though the men’s team may have performed exceptionally at these events, Trunkes said the women still have some work to do. “We just have to be positive,” Trunkes said. “I think at this stage in the season you have to be really positive and reinforce that we did a lot of good quality work. Regardless of prior race performances, you still have an opportunity to turn it around.” Vasquez said that health is a large factor in the overall performance of the teams. “Staying healthy is important,” Vasquez said. “We don’t have a large team where it’s okay if one guy isn’t feeling it and someone can fill their shoes. Sleep, eating well and maintaining physical health are all of the things the team needs to remind each other of on a day to day basis.”

Thursday, October 22, 2015

If the men’s team can stay healthy and take the right steps over the next few weeks, Cruz said the team can have an outstanding finish. “I believe this is the best team we’ve ever had,” Cruz said. “I expect this team will be able to place at least third in the SUNYAC tournament. This is a hard-working group of guys who have been putting in the necessary work since last year and as a team, our training has been great and I believe we’re ready to perform great at SUNYACs.” The Hawks begin SUNYAC Championship play on Saturday Oct. 31 in Plattsburgh, where Halikias said it comes down to heart and dedication. “The tournament is not going to be easy,” she said. “Each team that runs has their own fire and drive. Each team is so passionate, including ours and it is going to be a race of heart and dedication, not just talent and skill.”

The New Paltz Oracle

Home Isles Advantage Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

SPORTS

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Isles Open Season At New Home

After a slow start, the Islanders are back to last season’s form. With starting goaltender Jaroslav Halak injured for the first four games of the season, backup goalie Thomas Greiss showed strength between the pipes. Greiss is one of the few offseason additions to the Islanders roster. Greiss played for the third time this season on Thursday, Oct. 15 and had his thirdstraight strong outing, turning aside 44 shots in the Islanders’ 4-3 victory over the Predators. Greiss, 29, never made more than 25 appearances in any of his six previous NHL The Islanders opened their season with a 4-1-1 record. seasons. He guided the staple Kevin Poulin. Isles to a 2-0-1 record during HalAlong with the addition of Greak’s absence. iss, Islanders General Manager Halak returned to the lineup Garth Snow added a few experiand made his season debut against enced veterans in former New Jerthe San Jose Sharks on Saturday, sey Devils’ forward Steve Bernier Oct. 17. Halak set a franchise-re- and defenseman Marek Zidlicky. cord with 38 victories in net last This adds a bit of veteran experiseason. He continued where he left ence to a generally-young locker off last season, winning games — room. One of the biggest offseason with a 6-3 win over the Sharks. moves was the trade with the ToLast season, the Islanders goal- ronto Maple Leafs, which sent fortending tandem was skeptical. ward Michael Grabner to Canada Chad Johnson, now with the Buf- in exchange for five minor leagufalo Sabres, proved to be ineffec- ers. Unfortunately, Grabner was tive in his 19 games as an Island- plagued by injuries towards the end er. Johnson was brought in to be of his time in an Islanders uniform. Halak’s backup, but he was later Some thought the adjustment traded for Michal Neuvirth who to playing in a new building would took over the role. Neuvirth played affect the play of the orange and five games with the Isles and is blue. However, they have been now with the Philadelphia Flyers. proven wrong thus far. The Isles Going into training camp, the Isles currently have a record of 3-0-1 released longtime minor league

first six games. Another plus to this season is having forward Kyle Okposo healthy and back in the lineup to start the season. Despite their age, forwards Ryan Strome, Anders Lee and Brock Nelson are due to have breakout seasons this year. Strome and Lee have been on the wings alongside Tavares. Playing with Tavares is certainly a way to improve a playPHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR USER ADAM MOSS er’s game, as he at their new home, the Barclays is one of the best in the league. All Center. The overtime loss was at of these young-guns had successful the hands of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Black- seasons last year and can only conhawks. It does not matter where tinue to grow and learn the game. Another key to this season is they play, winning will continue. Especially with a young team like that Head Coach Jack Capuano the Islanders, more team chemistry changing up his lines from last seawill take place this season. Playing son. On each forward line, there is with an almost identical group can at least one veteran. Lee, Nelson and Strome were on a line togethonly help the team. One aspect of this year’s season er for a while last year, “The Kid will be the ability to advance be- Line” as those in Islanders land yond the first round of the playoffs. called it. This year, Nelson has Yes, they are only six games made the transition to a right-winginto the 82-game regular season, er, after playing left-wing and cenbut this is what the fanbase has ter for the majority of last season. Overall, besides these keys to their eyes on. the first week of the season, the IsIslanders Captain John Tavares and Hart Trophy candidate last landers are eager to finally accomyear is showing why he deserves plish more this season than they the Most Valuable Player award, did in last year’s appearance in the compiling eight points over the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Sports WINNING WAYS The New Paltz Oracle

WHAT’S INSIDE

Tennis Season Ends After Finals Loss

MAIN AND UPPER PHOTOS BY HOLLY LIPKA LOWER PHOTO BY IAN HART

PAGE 12

Men’s Soccer Honors Fallen Marine PAGE 13

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS LATEST SUNYAC POOL PLAY : PAGE 11