The Chronicle The weekly student newspaper of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York www.strosechronicle.com - @strosechronicle
November 19th, 2013
Volume LXXXII Issue 14
KELLY PFEISTER
Students write why they relay on stars Wednesday night, during the Relay Kick Off. See more photos from around campus on page A11.
Sexual Assault on College Campuses: National Philanthropy Day Fosters the Giving Spirit Reporting and Justice By LOLITA AVILA Contributing Writer, LAUREN HALLIGAN News Editor, CONNOR HOWARD Contributing Writer, and SAMUEL MAXWELL Contributing Writer In the traumatic state of just being victimized in a sexual as-
sault, many victims are unsure whether or not they should report the crime. Often uneducated on the subject, some victims don’t know their options regarding the situation. “Sexual violence is one of the most underreported crimes, more so on college campuses,” said Joe Farrell, director of training for the New York State Coalition Against
News & Features
Sexual Assault. A number of experts on the subject of sexual assault told students in Journalism II that victims must decide for themselves whether or not to file a report. Victims nearly always turn to a friend first, said Kevin Flynn, a detective for the Children and Continued on Page A6
Arts & Opinion
By CHRIS SURPRENANT Managing Editor This past Thursday, Nov. 14, the College sponsored its third annual National Philanthropy Day event in the Main Lounge. Students were encouraged to take a few minutes out of their busy schedules to sit down and write notes of gratitude to alumni who
have made contributions to the College’s scholarship fund. Held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the event ran all day in hopes of getting as many notes as possible written. Last year, the event drew about 175 students, according to Cristina Hayden, associate director of annual giving. This year, Continued on Page A2
Sports
Geek Culture Podcast from Saint Rose Alum. See pages A9
Frequency North: Sparrow. See pages B12
College Basketball’s Big Return. See page D19
City Dining Cards Coupon Program. See pages A10
Asinine JFK Assassination Theories. See page C17
Senior Bio: Jessica Gerski. See page D20
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National Philanthropy Day Continued from front page
the goal was raised to 200 students. Making the day a little more interesting, the staff running the event sponsored several raffles, giveaways, and food such as cider and donuts. Students had the chance to win t-shirts, Starbucks gift cards, and the biggest prize: a Kindle Fire HD.
“It basically educates students on the importance of giving back. Hopefully one day they’ll start their own tradition of giving so that future students can have the same Saint Rose experience.” Cristina Hayden
For every 5 thank-you cards students wrote, they earned increasing amounts of tickets to be entered into the raffle. Wearing Saint Rose attire, or anything related to the College, also furthered chances of winning the Kindle. The event also made use of social media as a way to spread the word. Tweeting about the event allowed students yet another opportunity to win, all for taking a moment to say thank you. In this day and age, however, writing a thank-you note might not be as common as it once was. The Office of Annual Giving made it a little easier for students to express their thanks, creating sample notes that students could follow. Though the day was focused on thanking those who have given back to the College over the years, it served the dual purpose of teaching students the importance of philanthropy. “It basically educates students on the importance of giving back. Hopefully one day they’ll start their own tradition of giving so
that future students can have the same Saint Rose experience,” Hayden said. As an institution with deep roots in giving and service, Board of Trustees member Tonita McKone issued a challenge to all alumni donors. From Oct. 15 to Nov. 14, McKone said that she would match any donation made to the College up to $10,000. According the Hayden, the challenge gave alumni the opportunity to help out immediately, allowing the College to put the donations to good use to further educational programs. Student volunteers were feeling the spirit of the day. “I think it’s a great idea. It’s a great way for students to thank donors. A lot of kids are on scholarships, and it makes a difference when it comes to higher education,” said Dan Speranza, a sophomore here at the College. Furthering the idea of giving back, the sponsors of the National Philanthropy Day event gave out free t-shirts to the first 200 students to write thank-you notes with the slogan “I’ve got the attitude for gratitude” printed on the front, summing up the entire mood of the day. This year’s National Philanthropy Day came on the heels of the largest estate gift donated to the College by the estate of Charles and Stephanie Lisowski and Pankiewicz—a sum of $1.2 million dollars that will be used to support three student scholarships. Stephanie Pankiewicz and her sister, Marge Lisowski, were graduates of the College, earning their degrees in 1945 and 1941, respectively. The importance of learning has not been lost on the current generation of Saint Rose students. For junior Katie Bennett, it’s important to give back to those who make her education, as well as the education of many others, possible. Others, like senior Brittney DeVoe, realize what it means to express a simple thank you to those who support the College. “It’s nice to give back. We appreciate what they do,” DeVoe said.
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November 19th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 14
KELLY PFEISTER
Students had the opportunity to write thank-you notes to benefactors of the College.
KELLY PFEISTER
Students enjoyed free ice cream provided by Stewart's at National Philanthropy day on Thursday.
November 19th, 2013
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Volume 82 Issue 14
In Brief Tech Problems Throughout Semester
Yet another apology for network issues came via email on Thursday when problems with school computers arose once again. “We are experiencing a series of separate issues with a variety of causes,” John R. Ellis, executive director of Information Technology Services said. Several network shutdowns have occurred in the past few weeks, including issues with the College’s Wi-Fi. Each time, it takes about three hours to bring all systems back up, the email said. “Then we usually have lingering issues for several days or
more,” Ellis added. Increased network bandwidth cost the school $13,000. The College said that Netflix and Youtube were the reasons behind the problems. “It is interesting to note that Netflix and Youtube usage consume about half of internet bandwidth,” Ellis said in the email. The email also noted that in September, the College was the target of distributed denial-ofservice attacks from an outside entity. The Banner and Cisco systems have also been experiencing troubles. There have been additional is-
sues with Time Warner Cable regarding televisions on campus as well, to which the company was only “fairly responsive,” according to Ellis. “We understand that the expectation of students is to resolve issues much more quickly,” he added. The College did admit blame for one issue, the Nov. 4 network core switch incident. Ellis said that instead of just throwing money at the problems, the College plans to provide an appropriate level of service without incurring unreasonable costs for the school.
Jazzy Christmas Concert with The Peanut Gallery The College of Saint Rose is presenting the third annual holiday concert, “It’s a Jazzy Christmas! A Celebration of Vince Guaraldi’s Holiday Jazz Music.” This family-friendly and interactive event features the signature style of jazz music made famous in the Peanuts animated holiday
specials, performed by the Peanut Gallery Jazz Trio. The concert will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 on the D'Arcy-Brady Stage in the Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall at Massry Center for the Arts. A milk and cookies reception sponsored by Liberty Mutual
will follow the concert. Tickets cost $20 for general admission, and $10 for students. Admission is free for anyone under the age of 5.
The College will be presenting the Saint Rose Drama Program [title of show] this Thursday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 24. The musical comedy will be showed at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday in the Campus Theatre (996A Madison Ave). Admission will be $10, or $5 with a valid
Saint Rose I.D., and there will be no reservations. This “one act musical romp” follows two writers in New York City, and their struggle to submit a work for an upcoming play festival. Saint Rose students Dan Rushton and Conor Donovan play the lead roles of Jeff and Hunter, re-
spectively. Jessica Lamoureaux and Melissa Narusky fill the roles of Susan and Hedi, the recruits that Jeff and Hunter pick up along the way.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www. massrycenter.org.
[title of show] to be Performed This Week
The Chronicle
Executive Editor Jackson Wang ‘14 wangj847@strose.edu
Features Editor Conor Shea ‘15 sheac613@strose.edu
For more information, email ledforda@strose.edu, or call 518454-5242.
Business Manager Shawn Dixon dixons@strose.edu
Managing Editor Opinion Editor Chris Surprenant ‘14 Zachary Olsavicky surprenantc572@strose.edu olsavickyz977@strose.edu
Advertising Manager Shawn Dixon dixons@strose.edu
News Editor Lauren Halligan halliganl567@strose.edu
Arts Editor Rachel Bolton ‘15 boltonr413@strose.edu
Web Editor Christopher Lovell ‘15 lovellc083@strose.edu
Layout Editor / Videographer John Janitz ‘14 janitzj140@strose.edu
Sports Editor Joshua Natoli ‘14 natolij477@strose.edu
Head Photographer Kelly Pfeister ‘14 pfeisterk953@strose.edu
Assistant Layout Editor Jennifer O’Connor ‘16 oconnorj984@strose.edu
Copy Editor Jenessa Matis ‘14 matisj311@strose.edu
Faculty Adviser Cailin Brown
Staff Writers Tori Addison Katherine Bakaitis Blaise Bryant Katelyn Doherty Asia Ewart Andy Gilchrist Tariq Kendall Katie Klimacek Kevin Jacob Lauren Klose Vanessa Langdon Alex Pecha Lauren Sears Michael Smith M. William Smith Staff Photographer Anthony Chapin
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Calendar of Events
Tuesday, November 19th 4 p.m. MAPS ALB 109 7 p.m. G4G (Girls For God) Sanctuary 7 p.m. Spectrum St. Joseph’s Hall 7 p.m. Knights Club Bru St. Rose Room 8 p.m. Outside the [Box] Albertus Room 216 8 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary 8:30 p.m. Knights of Service Club Meeting Albertus Room 202
Wednesday, November 20th 2:40 p.m. Natural Science Association Science Center Room 352 3:30 p.m. Adventure Series with Joan Horgan and Dennis McDonald: Student Adventures and Inspirations Hubbard Library 4:30 p.m. Chronicle Staff Meeting CCIM Room 121 4:30 p.m. Student Association Meeting Standish 5 p.m. Mid-Week Mass Sanctuary 5:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs Pace Nolan Gym 6 p.m. BASIC: Tour Around the World Main Lounge 7 p.m. The Struggle Against Racism, Sexism and Homophobia, in Cuba: Achievements, Setbacks and Challenges Touhey Forum 7:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs Pace Nolan Gym 8 p.m. Colleges Against Cancer Meeting Albertus Room 210 10 p.m. Karate Club Practice EAC Room 110 Thursday, November 21st 4:15 p.m. Adventure Club Lima Basement 5:30 p.m. SEB Meeting St. Joseph’s Hall 7 p.m. [Title of show] Campus Theatre 7:30 p.m. Identity Main Lounge Friday, November 22nd 7 p.m. [Title of show] Campus Theatre Saturday, November 23rd 1:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs LeMoyne Nolan Gym 3:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. LeMoyne Nolan Gym 7 p.m. [Title of show] Campus Theatre Sunday, November 24th 2 p.m. [Title of show] Campus Theatre Monday, November 25th 3 p.m. Environmental Club Meeting Community Service Office 5:15 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary 8:30 p.m. CEC Lima Basement
If you have an upcoming event you would like to see in our weekly Calendar of Events, please e-mail chronicle@strose.edu. ANY student can join The Saint Rose Chronicle The Chronicle is published weekly on Tuesdays during the academic year and once during the summer months. The Chronicle is published at the facilities of New England Newspapers in Pittsfield, M.A.
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Volume 82 Issue 14
November 19th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 14
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Just Another Stone In The Wall By LAUREN DARMAN Contributing Writer
His name may be commonplace, but Mike Smith’s front yard stands out from all the rest in the Pine Hills neighborhood as an individual creation of strong beauty. Stroll down West Lawrence Street from Madison Avenue, and after the hemlock hedges and the well-cared-for square lawns, you will pass what at first looks like a pile of rocks, as if God himself plunged his fist into the ground. Smith’s stone installation, for it is much more than a dry stone retaining wall, may be seen in all its in-progress chaos and glory. It is one man’s project, drawn on a piece of paper and built from the ground up. It is a modern man’s foray back to the Stone Age. Smith bought his house in the Pine Hills when the Madison Theatre was still the Norma Jean, Price Chopper had a gas station in the parking lot, and Clapp’s Stationary store was just going out of business. His home came with a two-foot New York State bluestone wall, built by his neighbor, and former house owner, Laura Cataldo’s father. It separated the postage-stamp size lawn from the sidewalk. Smith works as an IT manager at Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company in Glenmont; he has been there for 22 years after attending Hudson Valley Community College and graduating from University at Albany with a degree in computer science. He works with technology all day – he is in the ether world of computer programming, cables and connections, managing three teams of people who help connect the main office to its branches and users. It is an invisible world of intangibles, problems solved with the click of a mouse or a line or two of code. In his domestic life, Smith had a more concrete problem after a contractor dug up his front lawn to lay down new sewer lines. He
LAUREN DARMAN
Corner rock construction that’s going on at Mike Smith’s front yard on West Lawrence Street. could have reseeded his lawn and rebuilt the stone hedge, but this is a guy who sanded his own wood floors during his spare time. Smith “never does anything small,” according to his neighbor from across the street, Tom Vaughan. Smith’s a hiker in the Adirondacks (He’s climbed 18 peaks so far), though he is not quite a mountain man in demeanor or appearance. He felt he could rebuild the wall bigger and better, starting from left to right. Smith ordered his stone from the Alcove Quarry near his hometown of Coxsackie, and had it cut at Adam Ross in North Albany. In retrospect, Smith wishes he “was younger and faster.” It has been four years since he began this mid-life project. Smith’s end of West Lawrence is still mainly single-family homes, but around the corner, there are plenty of rentals for Saint Rose and University at Albany students. Though his house doesn’t have a driveway or a garage, Smith said he never has a problem finding a parking spot and hasn’t had a “problem with vandalism or graffiti,” though his neighbor said that Smith lost a
few of his stones, possibly due to students building an impromptu fire pit. Young professionals as well as retired people live on the street, and Smith knows most of his neighbors. Vaughan said that Smith has become “an amazing icon in this neighborhood” for the work he is doing outside on his home. Everyone talks to him as they walk by his garden of stone. It takes a special person to face a pallet of stone at a time – approximately one-and-a-half tons – for a total of 40 tons. Smith then sorts the stones by shape and color, using the original bluestone as a base, as he works intently from left to right in the yard on his igneous Jenga-like puzzle. “All of a sudden it fits,” Smith said. He figured he could do it all himself, on the nights and weekends, in a year or two, but he didn’t plan on hurting his back or a small gas leak which temporarily shut down the re-construction. Friends and neighbors helped him lift the heavier flat pieces that serve as steps. Smith did his homework on his craftsman-like house– checking the Polk directory for the origi-
nal owner’s name and origin, researching the history of the house, and learning that you do not need a work permit from the city if the project is landscaping less than four feet tall. This is a guy who knows how to find information, yet knew nothing about landscaping nor did any research on building rock walls, but he was confident in his abilities after doing a small installation in his backyard
first. Though not inspired by personal history or ethnic background, Smith’s face becomes animated as he discusses the way in which the walls are constructed, how the edges are cut, and how he has figured out how to make the inner and outer curves “work on friction,” using his two hands and four fingers as measuring tools. Working at night and on weekends, this endeavor is a far cry from his day job looking at a computer screen in a climatecontrolled environment. It‘s a difficult and lengthy project, still unfinished, but Smith says he will persevere until the light fades early in December. Smith isn’t done with his dream house– he plans a water-feature installation in his backyard and replacement of the hundred-yearold front porch. Since the dawn of time, man has used rock to create shelter for himself and his family. Though he may not be a man for all seasons or in dire need of shelter, Smith’s creation in his front yard reminds one of druids and cairns, something ancient being remade in 21st century Pine Hills by a modern man with a primitive urge.
The rock construction is near completion.
LAUREN DARMAN
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Sexual Assault Continued From Front Page
Family Services Unit of the Albany Police Department. This friend, whomever it may be, is essentially the first responder, and can have a great deal of impact on the victim’s response. “I never put pressure on the victim to report a crime,” said Flynn. Joe Farrell echoed his thoughts in saying victims should do what they feel most comfortable doing. Victims sometimes question whether they have the emotional strength to tell an authority figure. Some victims even question if they have their story straight. “It’s just the nature of trauma,” said Karen Ziegler, director of the Albany County Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center. Ziegler suggested that victims leave 24 hours before reporting to organize their thoughts. She warns respondents such as campus security personnel not to doubt a victim’s jumbled story, since the wrong response could have a negative effect on the victim. Ziegler also said that believing the victim is the first step. Victims of sexual violence often feel as though it is their fault. College of Saint Rose graduate student Amanda Daley spoke about her personal experience with sexual assault during her sophomore year. She was forced to perform oral sex on a young male she had just met. Daley met her aggressor at a friend’s house and initially thought he was attractive. However, she was not looking to engage in any sexual activity. After the incident occurred, Daley said “I had a lot of guilt.” She thought it was her fault. She also told how people accused her of being dramatic and lying about the assault. Oftentimes, victims fall prey to slut shaming. This is a misconception when people judge a woman’s revealing clothes and determine that “she’s asking for
it,” Ziegler said. Victims tend to be hesitant about reporting because they are unsure of what happened or they’re receiving pressure from friends, and even law enforcement not to report. Most acts of sexual violence, especially on a college campus, occur between acquaintances. In fact, most perpetrators are people the victim knows, said Flynn, not “the guys who jumped out of the bush.” When the victim knows their attacker, loyalty becomes an issue. Victims do not want to be known as a tease or the person who ruined someone’s life by reporting the crime. It can be especially hard to report when the perpetrator is seen as a model student. The victims feel too embarrassed and sometimes second guess themselves. Many recent campaigns use the slogan “No means no.” In sexual intercourse, consent must be given by both parties and can be revoked at the person’s leisure. Underreporting of sexual assaults protects the perpetrator and encourages him to continue to commit further assaults, Farrell said. Most professionals recommend victims go to the hospital and undergo a rape kit. One precautionary measure that should be taken immediately, regardless of the intent to report, is getting a rape kit done. Rape kits are sexual assault forensic exams, designed to detect physical evidence on a victim’s body. Trained sexual assault nurse examiners perform this procedure and provide comprehensive care to victims. These professionals conduct a forensic exam and may provide expert testimony if a case goes to trial. “The physical evidence is extremely important,” Flynn said. Victims should not shower before going to the hospital, because the DNA of the aggressor could wash away, he added.
Rape kit findings are held at the hospital in a refrigerator for approximately 30 days, he said. During this time, the rape kit is available to use as evidence in a court case, should a victim decide to report. While more victims are having forensic rape exams done, the number of police reports made is not increasing, Ziegler said. Victims have three options: reporting to the police, reporting to the college, or both. Different agencies have different methods for pursuing a sexual assault report. If a victim files criminal charges against an attacker, the case may go to court. In this instance, the prosecution needs to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused committed the crime. On the other hand, if the victim chooses to report to college officials, those officials must rely on preponderance of evidence to make their decision about a course of action, said Dennis McDonald, vice president of student affairs for the College of Saint Rose.
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Officials at the college analyzing the evidence need to be at least 51 percent sure that the accused is guilty in order to administer a punishment. Hypothetically, if a conviction cannot be made for criminal charges due to lack of proof of evidence, the accused could still be punished by the college if it seems likely that he or she committed the crime, said McDonald. When an act of sexual violence is reported on campus, the report eventually arrives on McDonald’s desk. He reviews the report, and if he deems it a Title IX violation, it is then handed over to a Title IX investigator for the college. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sexual harassment amongst students. McDonald then meets with the investigator about how to proceed with the investigation. In terms of the investigation itself, the college is obligated to carry out an investigation once there is a report. Once the investigation is over, the investigator writes up a report based on the findings, and makes a recommendation on how to proceed. After that, Saint Rose and all other colleges are required to report the number of incidents that occur on their campuses each
year under the Clery Act. If a victim chooses to report or if a victim prefers confidentiality, he or she may contact the offices of spiritual life, the counseling center, and health services. Individuals in these departments may only keep the incident confidential if they are in their designated offices when they are told of the incident. If a student tells someone from spiritual life about an attack while that person is outside their office, that person is obligated to report it to the college. If they are told about the attack in their office, the decision of whether to report to the college lies with the victim. After the school makes a finding and notifies the attacker, that individual may do three things: accept the findings and the punishment, accept the findings but disagree with the punishment, or disagree with the findings and the punishment. The route is different when a sexual assault case is reported to the police. In cases where there is not enough physical evidence to proceed, or the district attorney deems that there is no hope of a conviction, the case could be dropped. Continued on Next Page
ARIANA WILSON
Joe Farrell, director of training for the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault, speaking to a journalism class at The College of Saint Rose.
November 19th, 2013 Continued From Previous Page If there is no physical evidence, in most instances, there is no case, Flynn said. Because the prosecutor has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime, it makes it much more difficult than using preponderance of evidence. If the victim suspects that he or she was drugged, then a test is administered to determine the presence of drugs. The test costs about $1,000, and usually takes between six to eight weeks for results. In order to make a case that the victim was a part of a drug-facilitated rape, it is crucial for the test to show that there were drugs in his or her system. Once a detective has a suspect, and obtains a photo of that suspect, the victim may be asked to look at a photo array. The array includes a picture of the suspect, and is used to determine if the victim can identify the attacker, Flynn said. A second detective administers the test. The detective has no knowledge about the case or what the suspect looks like. This ensures there is no tampering with the identification, and that the identification is legitimate, Flynn said. Back on campus, many schools have a specific set of protocols which they adhere to when an act of sexual violence occurs. The University at Albany stresses its non-tolerance of sexual assault on their campuses. Each year, every freshman student has to attend a mandatory orientation where various aspects of sexual assault are discussed. They are informed on ways of how to reduce the likelihood of being attacked and are given campus resources such as the contact information for the University Police Department, which is a 24-hour hotline. If an incident is reported to the University Police Department, they become heavily involved in the investigation, but it does not have to proceed to any legal criminal charges. Joyce Dewitt-Parker, coordinator for Sexual Assault Prevention, said, “What we stress with our
Volume 82 Issue 14 students is, even if they do not report it to the outside authorities, to report to faculty or staff and then they can get the services they need.” The University provides victims with counseling both on and off-campus, where students can speak confidentially about their assault. Parker also said that reporting to law enforcement may not be the best choice for everyone. The University wants the student to heal first. “We are always empowering the students on the decision they feel comfortable with,” Parker said. Another college institution that has a similar method of handling sexual assault cases as University at Albany is the University of Hartford. Hartford also allows students to privately report incidents to their Public Safety Department. The University also works closely with the Hartford Police Department in the event of an incident on a higher scale. Siena College, which reported a sexual assault on their campus in September, has not provided anymore updates on the status of the incident. However, the college does provide their students with information on their sexual assault webpage regarding sexual violence, dating, and stalking. There is a checklist included to help students distinguish whether or not they are in a healthy relationship. Siena has established a Welfare of the Community Policy, which applies to a situation where sexual violence has been reported while drugs or alcohol have been consumed. Welfare of the Community weighs the positive impact of reporting a situation against the negative impacts of the conduct violation. The policy was created to protect victims. Siena emphasizes that the safety of their students is their highest priority. All of these colleges and universities recognize sexual violence as high concern and are taking the appropriate steps to prevent these types of incidents. This is the third of four sexual assault stories that are being produced by the Journalism II class at The College of Saint Rose.
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On The Avenue: New Convenience Store By MICHELE MOREHOUSE
Contributing Writer
A vacant storefront at 870 Madison Ave. may soon be converted to again house a convenience store under a proposal before the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals. The board voted 6 - 0 Wednesday to hold a public hearing on a plan presented by Hina Farhan to open the first floor of the empty storefront as a convenience store. David Swyer, who represented business owner Farhan at the zoning meeting, requested a special use permit for the business to operate late weekend nights in the blended commercial and residential neighborhood. The convenience store is expected to sell tobacco, alcoholic beverages and grocery items, Swyer said. The proposed hours of operation are from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. The storefront has been vacant
for three years, according to Swyer, and the site would have available customer parking through a lease deal Farhan has with property owner Fitzroy Collins. Board members Joe Ray and Glenn Viele had reservations about the proposal. “Why call it a grocery store when no produce or grocery items will be sold?” Ray asked. Farhan proposed selling tobacco, alcohol and grocery items, but no produce. Swyer told the board there are no convenience stores in the vicinity and that this location would offer service to students from both the State University at Albany and The College of Saint Rose. Two convenience stores are located within three or four blocks, including Campus Convenient at 143 Western Ave., and Speedy Mart at 213 Quail St. A representative of the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association spoke in favor of the Farhan proposal. The Association requested the weekend closing time
be pushed to midnight from the proposed 2 a.m. Meeting participants also discussed permitting a six-month trial run on the 2 a.m. closing time. In addition to the Madison Avenue proposal, the board also fielded a request from Bradley Brooks to rehab a former hair salon at 1110 Broadway, downtown, and turn it into a barbershop. Glenn Smith represented Brooks. Originally, the space years ago was designated as commercial, but has been vacant for years. Brooks hopes to revive the commercial status. The business would provide five barber chairs in a 700-squarefoot space. The building is located in a one and two-family medium density residential district that is not currently a permitted use. The board approved the variance request in a six to zero vote. The proposal suggested there are no nearby barber shops. The closest competition is Alex’s Barber Shop at 322 Northern Blvd.
MICHELE MOREHOUSE
The vacant 870 Madison Ave. building will soon become a convenience store.
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Science Students Consider Career Paths By MICHAEL HIDINGER Staff Writer
College of Saint Rose alumna Rachael McCormick and research scientist Dr. Ellen Braun-Howland spoke to students at the Natural Science Association meeting on Wednesday about career possibilities and options for furthering their educations after graduating from Saint Rose. McCormick is working at Saint Peter’s Hospital as a technician in the Emergency Room department and is in the process of applying to physician assistant schools. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and graduated with the Class of 2012. She said that she had been considering going to medical school but working at Saint Peter’s had changed her mind. The physician assistants seemed much happier than the doctors, she said. “They get to have a life outside of work,” she said. She backed up this observation by pointing out a CNN study on “The Best Jobs in America” that ranked physician assistant as the second best occupation in the country. The process of applying to physician assistant schools and medical schools is similar and includes steps not found in applying for other programs of study. For example, both use a centralized application service and potential students must manually enter their own grades exactly from official transcripts. Applicants to physician assistant schools use the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants to enter all their application information. Once finished, the applications are sent out to individual schools. The American Medical College Application System is the medical school equivalent. The requirements for becoming a physician assistant are a bachelor’s degree, a master’s of science degree in physician assistant studies, and certification obtained by passing the Physician
MICHAEL HIDINGER
tory Accreditation Program and the Environmental Laboratory Approval Program, which is also part of the Wadsworth Center. An example of the work the lab does is microscopical analysis of water samples for bottled waters and water treatment plants. The analysis of water is used to search for health risks such as pathogenic protozoa and harmful algal blooms. She noted one case in particular where a dialysis unit at a kidney treatment center was contaminated with harmful algae. The Environmental Laboratory Approval Program handles around 3,500 samples semiannually and contracts tests out to 200 laboratories in the state, BraunHowland said. These laboratories must demonstrate their analysis proficiency semiannually or lose their lab license. Braun-Howland has a doctorate in biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has had postdoctoral training both at RPI and the University of Oslo in Norway. She told students to accept any opportunities to study abroad. “If you ever get a chance to live in Europe, do it before you have kids,” she said.
Rachael McCormick, a Saint Rose alumna, is currently working at Saint Peter’s Hospital as a technician. Assistant National Certifying spoke about her career in a sci- proving the health of New YorkExam. entific field to students at the ers through laboratory analysis, McCormick told students that meeting. She is the director of the investigations and research, as one of the greatest resources she Laboratory of Environmental Bi- well as laboratory certification has used in the application pro- ology at the Wadsworth Center of and educational programs.” cess have been the forums on the New York State Department The Laboratory of EnvironThe Student Doctor Network, of Health. mental Biology is a reference which describes itself as “a nonThe Wadsworth Center’s mis- laboratory that tests drinking waprofit organization of thousands sion statement describes itself ter for New York State, the Enviof pre-health, health professional as “a science-based community ronmental Protection Agency, the students and practicing doctors committed to protecting and im- National Environmental Laborafrom across the United States and Canada.” McCormick’s main message to students was to study, a point she emphasized with a personal example. INFORMATION TABLES “I goofed around my freshman year and messed up my grades,” she said. She also had advice for those considering a career in the health Multiple Part-time Multiple Opportunities Internship Opportunities care field: try it to see if you like and Full-time positions Wednesday, November 20 Tuesday, November 19 it. “Get a job at a hospital, beMonday, November 18 11am–2pm | EAC 11am–2pm | EAC cause you don’t know what it’s 11am–2pm | EAC like until you do it.” She said that there are lots of entry level jobs available for college students at hospitals and she CAREER Monday—Wednesday 8:30am–6pm told students that she wished she CENTER Thursday—Friday 8:30am–4:30pm had worked in a medically relatHOURS Walk-ins: Monday—Thursday 12– 4pm ed job during her years at Saint Rose. McCormick said that she used to deliver pizza as an undergrad student. career@strose.edu | 518.454.5141 Ellen Braun-Howland also @CSRCareerCenter | facebook.com/StRoseCareerCenter | www.linkedin.com “Saint Rose Career Center”
CAREER CENTER CORNER
CAREER CENTER |
News
A9 Saint Rose Alum Brings Out the Geek in All of Us
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The Chronicle
By VANESSA LANGDON Staff Writer The podcast is all the rage and Tom DeCicco, a graduate of the Saint Rose class of 2009, is using this medium to revel in all things geek! DeCicco majored in music industry during his tenure at Saint Rose, and while the podcast business is only a side hobby at the moment, he noted that the major has helped him in the development of the podcast and the ‘backbone,’ including the technological aspects, the business side, and follow-through. The idea for the podcasts originated through DeCicco’s own boredom with the music on his iPod that caused him to turn to podcasts, then realize that he himself could create podcasts
“They have taken from two weeks to 20 minutes to come up with material, nothing is scripted.” Tom DeCicco and could create them better than those he was currently listening to. The podcasts are posted bi-weekly to www.geekculturepodcast.com. DeCicco explains that this is as frequently as can be achieved with “5 dudes that work full time to schedule a beer drinking, [expletive] session on a weeknight.” This beer drinking and hanging out is the creative process for DeCicco and the other four men on his team: CJ, Eric, Hennessey, and Pat. The podcasts have evolved from DeCicco’s original vision of covering ‘geeky’ stuff like “movies, comics, videogames, toys, TV, etc.,” but has now morphed into more of a pop culture show. As explained by DeCicco, it is “an explicit pop-culture show... focused on nerdy topics...while drinking some beers with some close friends.” The evolution of the podcast themselves is shown through the progression and
COURTESY OF TOM DECICCO
Tom DeCicco and his team, who helps run The Geek Culture Podcast. growth of the teams familiarity and comfort with being on the air. DeCicco would not talk about the very first podcast and would not advise anyone to look it up, although it is archived on the site. Currently, the podcasts are being recorded in DeCicco’s home, but he is hopeful that “maybe someday we will be in a studio... or at least a professional basement.” The creative process is a rather quick one for DeCicco and his team. “They have taken from two weeks to 20 minutes to come up with material; nothing is scripted,” he said. “We get together, and the magic happens
within two hours. It usually takes me a few hours to edit and postproduce our shows.” DeCicco is equally proud of all of their podcast ventures thus far, saying that he is his own biggest fan. “I love doing it and I’m mostly glad I can use my music and business background in such a non-pressuring niche.” He cites the additional benefits of the podcast medium, “because me and my friends swear like a bunch of sailors and I own it. No one can tell me what to do. I have complete creative control. And as an artist and business person, that’s the most important.”
The traffic for the site DeCicco explains has been good, “for being as new as we are, we are becoming very popular.” This can be attributed to the fact that “from the beginning, I was emailing PR (public relations) companies for products, sponsors, and affiliate giveaways.” Some of these companies were Funko, Kontrol Freek, and DK Publishing. In addition to reaching out to the public relations firms, Geek Cult. ure has been using social media outlets like Twitter to publicize their product. One of his goals for the future is to one day have a certified Twitter account. The
Geek Cult.ure team was also at Albany Comic Con this past Sunday, where they had a live podcast, contests and giveaways, and networked. The Geek Cult.ure podcasts are free to listen to and support an alum of Saint Rose, helping him reach his goal. “As long as we can just keep the interest with listeners, I would love to eventually get paid to do this kind of broadcasting,” DeCicco said. Hopefully, all past, present, and future College of Saint Rose grads will be able to turn their hobbies and passions into a side job, and someday a career.
News City Dining Cards: The Deal Is In Your Hand A10
The Chronicle
By LAUREN HALLIGAN News Editor Cards aren’t just for playing anymore. Now, with the right deck, any hand is a winner. City Dining Cards are decks of 50 discount coupons to locally owned restaurants in the Capital Region, with a bonus of two wild cards. Each card is good for $10 off $30 or more spent at the restaurant, excluding alcohol, tax, and tip. The offers have no blackout dates and are valid through Dec. 31, 2014. Albany restaurants included in the deck are Shogun, Tierra Coffee Roasters, The Merry Monk, Legends, Bombers Burrito Bar, Pinto and Hobbs, The Ginger Man and many more. Certain restaurants in Latham, Colonie, Schenectady, and Clifton Park are included as well. City Dining Cards founder Patrick Finan is the one who got the ball rolling on this project a few years ago. Finan is founder and principal of Block Club, a branding and marketing agency based in Buffalo. While working on another pro-local and pro-small business project, Finan and his partners came up with the idea for City Dining Cards and launched their first edition in Buffalo in 2010. Much more convenient than a clunky book of coupons, City Dining Cards are designed just like a deck of playing cards that fit perfectly in pockets or purses. Finan and his team were racking their brains for interesting and innovative ways to package their product, and the idea for the deck was born. “From the onset, we've been insistent that the product is tangible or that at the very least, there is always a tangible version of the discount cards,” Finan said. However, keeping up with the times, City Dining Cards will begin the process of going digital in January. After only 3 years since the program’s inception, City Dining
Cards are now in 13 cities worldwide. Finan said the success of the project has many factors. “Customers love the participating restaurants and appreciate the offer. Restaurants appreciate the consistency of the discount and we work hand-in-hand with restaurateurs to make sure they understand how City Dining Cards works. “We give back to the communities we serve,” he said. Lastly, he mentioned the importance of utilizing local restaurants, local food, and local retailers. As for the future of City Dining Cards, they’ve just launched Drink Decks in a few cities, featuring buy one get one drink specials, and have introduced additional products that are fun and city-centric in many of their cities and territories, Finan said. Some of those products include Fridge Phrases word magnets and a new line of paper and home goods manufactured with reclaimed materials and made in the Rust Belt, a heavily industrialized area of the U.S. containing older marginally profitable factories. Block Club’s ultimate goal is to bring the company into as many pro-local cities and communities as possible, Finan said, and City Dining Cards is a perfect example. When you eat at a locally-owned restaurant, four times more money stays in that community compared to eating at a chain restaurant, Finan explained. “That, in turn, helps build stronger local economies, and having a strong local economy in cities like Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and other cities that have seen brighter days,” he said. City Dining Cards works to bring resilience and self-reliance to these kinds of cities. “It's real economic recovery on a grassroots level.” In addition to supporting the local economy, five percent of the sales from each deck goes directly to the local food bank in each respective city. The company also has a program where non-profits can use City Dining Cards to fun-
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LAUREN HALLIGAN
City Dining Cards are available for purchase at many area locations, including Tierra Coffee Roasters. draise and keep half of the sales revenue for their organization. City Dining Cards gives locally-owned restaurants a platform to market themselves and drive customers into their establishments. Local restaurant owner Minerva Martinez of Barcelona Restaurant, located at 1192 Western Ave., thinks City Dining Cards is a great program. She was first disappointed that she didn’t see many coupons coming in, but lately the restaurant has been seeing more and more. “It’s something new that we’re doing,” she said. “It’s working slowly, but it is working.” Martinez is hopeful that more
people will soon learn about the program. “I’m sure in the future it’s going to do great. It’s just something new.” As opposed to the expensive price tag of advertising costs, becoming involved with City Dining Cards didn’t cost Martinez a dime out-of-pocket. With almost no risk factor in signing up, “It’s awesome,” Martinez said. “I’m more than happy to honor the cards.” University at Albany graduate student Greg Back agreed that the dining cards are a brilliant idea. Although the $10 off at each outing won’t exactly save his finances, “that's not really the point,” Back said. “I'm probably
going out anyway, so I find myself guided by the deck, looking to work my way through it to see what hidden gems I can find in Albany and beyond.” Back likes that the cards encourage patronizing locallyowned businesses, as opposed to spending money at any number of the over-abundant chains in the area, he said. “Any avenue to accomplish that goal I consider worthy.” For more information, visit www.citydiningcards.com. City Dining Cards are available at many locations in the area, including Tierra Coffee Roasters in the Pine Hills neighborhood.
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News
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The Chronicle
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Photos Around Campus This Week
KELLY PFEISTER
Sarah Abelson greets guests during the Relay Kick Off on Wednesday.
KELLY PFEISTER
The College honored veterans this past Monday, Nov. 11 at a special ceremony dedicated to their service to the United States.
KELLY PFEISTER
Each guest at Friday’s semi-formal was given a pair of sunglasses-a big hit even on the dance floor
KELLY PFEISTER
David Mellan and Daniela Cunsolo spent their time dancing the night away at the Gatsby-themed semiformal this past Friday night.
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The Chronicle
Arts
November 19th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 14
Sparrow Speaks at Saint Rose By LEAH CHAMBERLIN Contributing Writer
A bearded man dressed in a checkered sweater, denim jacket, grey wool cap, red Nike sneakers, and jeans entered room 100 in the Huether School of Business Building at The College of Saint Rose. He took off his brown and pink camouflage backpack, cap, and shoes, revealing black socks. After a reading of his poetry and prose, some 50 who attended the event cheered enthusiastically on Friday night. The author and teacher uttered not a word through his reading. Instead, the man, Sparrow, let the audience and his students run the show. Born Michael Daniel Gorelick, Sparrow is the second visiting writer to hold a public reading sponsored by The College of Saint Rose’s MFA in Creative Writing Program. Daniel Nester, a Saint Rose English professor who coordinates Saint Rose’s Frequency North visiting writer series, said that the event falls under the umbrella of Frequency North. Sparrow is teaching a nonfiction graduate class on Tuesdays at Saint Rose. He takes a bus each week from his home in the hamlet of Phoenicia in the Catskill Mountain region because he doesn’t have a car and doesn’t drive. Nester and Sparrow have known each other for a long time. “Probably longer than most people,” said Nester. Nester and Sparrow both lived in New York City and are signed to the same publishing company, Soft Skull Press. Nester first saw Sparrow on stage in New York City at the Nuyorican Poets Café, where Sparrow was performing slam poetry. “I thought, ‘who is this guy?’” Nester said. Nester met with his fellow Saint Rose professors in EnglishHollis Seamon, Barbara Ungar, and Rone Shavers- and decided
to invite Sparrow to do a public reading. Sparrow will be staying with Nester and his family for the evening following the public reading. Nester described Sparrow to his two young daughters as a man with a “Santa Claus beard who sleeps until noon.” “He has a very rigorous meditation schedule,” Nester said of Sparrow.
“He played with communication in a way that made it absurd and indistinguishable from conventional ways of communicating.” Kristy Castellano The classroom-sized room was packed. Students retrieved chairs from other parts of the building for additional seating, while some sat on the floor. Sparrow took an unconventional approach to giving a public reading. He used a name tag that said “Sparrow” on it that was passed between three graduate students in Sparrow’s class, which he referred to at the end of the reading as his “alter egos.” The three took turns reading as if they were Sparrow. The room erupted in laughter after nearly every one of Sparrow’s short poems and works of prose. Most of the pieces that were read were no more than one sentence. One of the many notable examples of his one-lined poetry includes the poem, “Secret,” which reads, “My wife says I wink in my sleep.” Sparrow used nods, thumbsups, the “A-ok” symbol, high fives, and bows to communicate with everyone. He did, however, laugh along with the rest of the listeners. At one point during the reading, Sparrow performed an interpretive dance, titled “Spend-
LEAH CHAMBERLIN
Sparrow non-verbally converses with two graduate students during the reading last Friday night. ing,” in which he skidded slowly across the wooden floor in his socks, took imaginary money out of his pocket, and pretended to throw it in the air. If it had not been for his graduate students, one of the graduate students said, the reading would have been “one long interpretive dance.” Sparrow’s graduate students, acting as Sparrow, directed the audience to write a six-word phrase in a minute-and-a-half. After time was up, the attendees had the chance to go up and take the microphone to read their phrases. “He played with communica-
tion in a way that made it absurd and indistinguishable from conventional ways of communicating," said Kristy Castellano, a senior at Saint Rose. "I thought it was very funny and clever." One line from a work of Sparrow’s prose reads, “My prose has no meaning whatsoever.” After the reading, Sparrow answered questions. However, he still didn’t utter a word and the answers were pre-written and had no connection to the questions. More laughter ensued. At the end of the evening, Sparrow used hand gestures to convey to Nester that he was selling his book, but
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he only had two copies, resulting in more laughter from the audience. “The audience reacted with humor because they didn’t know how else to react,” said Castellano, whose laughter could be audibly heard throughout the reading. Nester hopes that students will take something away from the experience of listening to Sparrow’s reading. He said, “I want them to be freaked out. I hope they don’t know what happened.” After a pause, he added, “I hope they think they don’t understand what happened because the world needs more Dada.”
November 19th, 2013
Arts B13 Bang Your Head with Brendan
By BRENDAN TENAN Staff Writer
Hello, fellow headbangers, and welcome back to another edition of “Bang Your Head with Brendan.” This is a (relatively) new column in The Chronicle, dedicated to all music that rocks, be it classic rock, pop, arena, alternative, garage, indie, punk, or metal. A few weeks ago marked the premiere of this column, as I counted down my favorite songs to play for Halloween. This week, I’ve got a set of new albums to share with you and give my thoughts on. The fall months are typically an important time of the year in the music industry, as many major artists customarily release their latest efforts just in time for fans to pick up or download for the holidays. The worlds of rock and metal music are no different. Both new artists and road-tested, veteran bands have been unleashing brand new music on our eardrums. But are these new albums worth your time, and, more importantly, your hard-earned money? That’s where I come in, to try and help you determine what you should check out and what you should skip altogether. This week’s column features some of the veteran acts I’ve been listening to. All of these bands have been making music for 25 years or more, but do they still have the same magic that brought them fame and fortune to begin with? Pearl Jam, Lightning Bolt: One of the most influential and popular bands to come out of the Seattle grunge movement during the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has been making music and touring for over two decades. Their latest offering, Lightning Bolt, is an eclectic mix of the fuzzed distortion and hard-rocking tracks we’ve come to expect from the band (such as “Getaway,” and “Mind Your Manners”) as well as songs that are more mellow and contemplative (“Sleeping By Myself,” “Pendulum”). Perhaps
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this is due to the collaborative writing process that took place with this album. Regardless of what the reason is, there’s no denying the end result: an album that doesn’t sound overly produced and mixed, almost as if they were practicing and recording in garages again. Lightning Bolt showcases plenty of the hard rocking sound we expect from Eddie Vedder and Co., only without the heavy lyrical content. Personally, I find this to be a welcome change. I love the moody Pearl Jam classics as much as the next person, but sometimes it’s nice to just liven things up a bit and be, dare I say it, happy. 8.5/10
Motorhead, Aftershock: With a catalog spanning across five different decades, Motorhead is not only the longest tenured band featured in this weeks column, it’s arguably the most prolific. Aftershock marks the band’s 21st studio album in just under 40 years of existence, and the guys show few signs of slowing down. Over the last four decades, the godfathers of thrash metal have crafted a sound that is all their own, and fans have come to expect a certain mix of heaviness, speed, and groove in every album that they put out. Fortunately, the guys don’t disappoint, providing 14 songs in the classic Motorhead template. Lead singer Lemmy Kilmister’s snarling voice and thunderous bass guitar are as powerful as ever; guitarist Phil Campbell shreds solos as well as almost anyone in the business; and Mikkey Dee pounds away on the drums in a sort of controlled frenzy. Listen to tracks like the riff-tastic “Heartbreaker” and straightforward rocker “Queen of the Damned,” to understand why so many metal bands name Motorhead as an influence. If you want to hear something a little bit out of left field from them, check out “Lost Woman Blues.” 9/10 Death Angel, The Dream Calls for Blood: Speaking of thrash metal, Death Angel is among the origi-
nal thrash metal bands that first burst onto the scene in the early and mid-1980s. Their latest album, The Dream Calls for Blood, marks in many ways a return to the original sound of the San Francisco Bay natives. Anchored by the band’s remaining founding members, singer Mark Osegueda and guitarist Rob Cavestany, Death Angel has created an album full of fast and exciting riffs, strong lyrics, and powerful vocal melodies. Osegueda sounds particularly strong, changing his delivery and approach at different points in the album. The occasional use of group or “gang” vocals in certain choruses adds more energy to the album, while Cavestany and fellow guitarist Ted Aguilar utilize acoustic guitars to help change the dynamics of songs like “Execution” and “Territorial Instinct/Bloodlust.” Other standout songs include the title track, “Left for Dead,” a strong opener played in the classic thrash template, and the slightly slower, more rhythm focused “Son of the Morning.” 8.5/10 Dream Theater, Dream Theater: In a sub-genre that prides itself on musical prowess and complex orchestrations, few prog (short for progressive) metal bands have had the track record of combining great musicianship with catchy, crowd-pleasing riffs and melodies like Boston’s Dream Theater. Their latest album, which is eponymously titled, showcases the immense skills each member of the band has from the very beginning. Opening number “False Awakening Suite,” with its three distinct movements, sets the tone early and feels cinematic in its scope and grandeur. (Think of a classic John Williams score played by guitars and a synthesizer instead of an orchestra.) The rest of the album, from first single, “The Enemy Inside,” to “The Looking Glass,” and “Behind the Veil” is filled with great riff structures, wailing solos from John Petrucci, frequent (but not
unnecessary) changes in the time signature, and singer James LaBrie’s emphatic but smooth, clean vocals. And, in true Dream Theater fashion, the album features one truly epic song: the 22 minute long album closer, “Illumination Theory.” In short, everything Dream Theater fans have loved about the band for over 25 years. 9/10
GWAR, Battle Maximus: To quote Monty Python, “And now for something completely different.” From the intricate guitar riffs, soaring vocal melodies, and change in time signatures seen with Dream Theater, we now turn to the band of “intergalactic space warrior scumdogs” known as GWAR. Battle Maximus marks the band’s first album since the tragic death of guitarist Cory Smoot, better known to fans as Flattus Maximus. GWAR has since recruited former Cannibal Corpse guitarist Brent Purgason, aka Pustulus Maximus, to fill the void. If there were any concerns about how the band would carry
on following the loss of Flattus, rest assured that the future looks bright for our favorite scumdogs. “Madness at the Core of Time” harkens back to the earlier sounds of GWAR, which had more punk tendencies. While not used often, the occasional utilization of melody by lead front-thing Oderus Urungus helps give variety to the album as a whole, especially on the tribute to their fallen band mate, “Fly Now.” Overall, Battle Maximus is another strong effort put out by GWAR. Hopefully the band will continue to grow and find more success after having to deal with losing a beloved member of the band. 8/10 That’s all for this week, folks. Be sure to check back in a week or two, as I’ll be giving my two cents on the latest albums from some newer, more popular bands. If you want me to review a specific album or song, email me your idea at tenanb400@strose. edu. Until then, throw up those horns and keep rocking out to your favorite artists!
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Dave Brockie, lead singer of GWAR (out of costume).
Arts B14 About Time for Another Captivating Love Story The Chronicle
By KATELYN DOHERTY Staff Writer Having the opportunity to travel back in time is something that numerous people dream of. Being able to correct past mistakes or to just experience a special event over again would be an incredible experience for many. In the new romantic comedy About Time, written and directed by Richard Curtis (Love Actually), Tim Lake, a redheaded English countryside boy, played by Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), finds out a family secret on his 21st birthday that changes his life forever: he has the ability to time travel. Bill Nighy, who previously worked with Curtis on Love Actually, plays Tim’s father, who tells him that this gift is hereditary and has been passed down to
Domhnall Gleeson stars as Tim.
every male in the family for generations. The formula to travel back in time is simple: find a dark place, close your eyes, clench your fists,
“The way Curtis directs this movie captivates audiences everywhere, bringing both tears of joy and sadness to viewers’ eyes.” Katelyn Doherty
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
and think about the moment you want to go back to. The only catch is that you cannot travel to the future. When Tim discovers that this actually works, he realizes what he must use it for: finding a girlfriend. This is where Tim meets Mary, an insecure bohemian-dressed beauty, played by Rachel McAdams (The Notebook). Once again, McAdams gets herself involved with a man who can time travel, but this time a much different story ensues. After their interesting “blind date,” he immediately realizes she is the girl of his dreams. But when he returns home, he finds out terrible news and decides that he must use his gift to help out his landlord Harry, played by Tom Hollander (Pirates of the Caribbean), to fix his epic failure of a play. Tim then discovers that by changing past events, he has caused Mary’s phone number to be erased from his contacts. Immediately he is devastated. Tim must now try to woo Mary once again by doing whatever it takes. Initially, it seems like the ultimate struggle but he eventually once again wins over her heart. The chemistry between Gleeson and McAdams is incredible. Although the film at first seems a little slow to get into, a believable love story begins to unfold. These two actors work really well together. The audience has the ability to connect with both characters throughout the movie and feel what each person is experiencing. The scenes of this movie are shot beautifully. The scenery throughout the film plays a big part in conveying the meaning of what the characters are feeling and it is done very well. Through the various close-up shots, it is easy to gain an understanding of each character’s emotions. Throughout the movie, Tim must make pertinent decisions regarding not only his relationship with Mary, but also his kooky and
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eccentric sister, played by Lydia Wilson, and his father relating to time travel. With each of these experiences, he more clearly discovers his own identity. He realizes that it is better to live in the moment than trying to travel back in time and fix the problems that arise. “Time catches up to all of us,” and it is important that we live life to the fullest and experience each day as if it was our last, because unlike Tim, we cannot go back and re-experience it. Life is a gift and it is our decision how we choose to live it. Celebrate the important things in life and do not live with regrets. The situations that arise throughout the movie are related to the average person’s everyday life, which allows people to easily connect with the plot and characters. The way Curtis directs this
movie captivates audiences everywhere, bringing both tears of joy and sadness to viewers’ eyes. No matter who you are, you will be touched in some way or another by this beautiful film. If you are a sucker for fun and romantic love stories, this should definitely be at the top of your list.
Rachel McAdams stars as Mary.
“...it is better to live in the moment than trying to travel back in time and fix the problems that arise.” Katelyn Doherty
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
November 19th, 2013
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Arts
The Chronicle
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Giving Thanksgiving Its Moment
By NICHOLAS NEGRON Staff Writer Thanksgiving in the 21st century is a holiday that consists of food, parades, dog shows, movies, football and traveling. It has become a supposed celebration of peace, thanks and family isolated to one day out of the year. Is Thanksgiving truly given the moment it deserves? Is the message of Thanksgiving obsolete to the holiday? Once November comes, malls begin decorating with bright multi-colored lights, red ribbons, green wreaths, ornamented trees, and other Christmas-related decorations. Sales begin. Hallmark is filled with different holiday trinkets to put around the house. Perhaps snow has fallen already. The preparation for the economic celebration that is the holiday season has begun. Black Friday will see Americans wait in line, freezing, for a store to open at midnight. Hopefully, they have finished their Thanksgiving dinner early enough. Fighting amongst customers will ensue. Unruly crowds of people become eager, so they will begin to push and shove. Only mere hours before, these were the same people celebrating peace and giving thanks. This is very unintentionally hypocritical. The message of peace, love, and
thanks meant for the holiday is not only meant for one day out of the year. Thanksgiving was established as a national holiday by Abraham Lincoln to commemorate the first harvest in the new world in 1621. The feast lasted three days with 90 Native Americans and 53 pilgrims attending.
This Thanksgiving, remember what you are celebrating. Keep celebrating it. Being thankful is not something that should occur once a year. Many also see this as a religious holiday. “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” said Lincoln on the holiday. Airports will be busier than ever. Millions will be commuting by plane or car to visit their loved ones. They will pay the price of a ticket or gas, increased on purpose for Thanksgiving. One of the other industries that benefits from Thanksgiving is the
MARJORY COLLINS/ FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Thanksgiving is an important, often overlooked holiday.
food industry. Supermarkets are stripped dry toward the end of November. The Food Network produces specials for the holidays with superstars such as Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, and Guy Fieri. Thanksgiving is the pinnacle event for the culinary capable. Holiday music is often playing in the kitchen while preparing Thanksgiving dinner. For many Americans, the day will not even include the staple dinner of turkey and the various fixings associated with the holiday. Instead, thousands will feast on hot dogs, chips, and beer at the various sporting events that will take place during the day. Hopefully, they have dinner waiting for them at home. If not, restaurants across America will be open with some sort of Thanksgiving special for the day. There is even an odd trend of having Chinese on Thanksgiving that has become popular with those not in the celebratory mood. Christmas music does not wait for Thanksgiving to begin playing, or even Halloween. Many artists release their holiday albums in October. Kelly Clarkson, Susan Boyle, Il Volo, the Duck Dynasty family, and more all released holiday albums this past October. Financially, it does not make sense to wait until after Thanksgiving to release a holiday album. The more weeks an album has to sell, the better. Radio stations also begin playing holiday music come November. Famous singers appear at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on floats to sing their hit songs, as well as classic holiday music. The parade ends with Santa Claus “officially” beginning the holiday season. The celebration will be in its 87th year come Nov. 28. The National Dog Show, shown directly after the parade, will be entering its 13th showcase. Christmas movies will have been in production for many months before the holiday season. Twelve new Hallmark Channel Christmas films are scheduled to debut throughout November
Cartoon produced by Dani Martinez. and December. Shockingly, a movie entitled The Thanksgiving House was made and debuted Nov. 2 on the network. The film is about a woman who buys a house in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and discovers that the very first Thanksgiving took place on the property. Holiday movies on the big screen this November include The Best Man Holiday, The Christmas Candle, Black Nativity, and the winter- themed animated Disney film, Frozen. Another Thanksgiving related film, Free Birds, was released on Nov. 1. The 3-D animated adventure follows time traveling turkeys aiming to take themselves off the Thanksgiving menu. Free Birds was expected to make most of its money over the Thanksgiving weekend, but a poor opening weekend gross
means it might not even be in theaters by then. Besides, are parents more likely to take their children to see a 3-D movie about turkeys or a quality Disney film about a snow queen? This Thanksgiving, remember what you are celebrating. Keep celebrating it. Being thankful is not something that should occur once a year. Remember your loved ones. Do not fight with the relatives you see once a year. Be happy you have the resources you have. Remember those who do not have as much as yourself. Perhaps donate to charity. Let the Thanksgiving table talk be meaningful. If you say grace before dinner, say grace daily. Do not tune the day out with electronics. Take the themes of Thanksgiving and cherish them in your mind and heart throughout the year.
Arts Kickin It With KJ: Back from Break Edition
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The Chronicle
By KEVIN JACOB Staff Writer Welcome all to another week of Kickin It with KJ. I know I’ve been absent the past couple of weeks but I’m back at it with some new reviews for everyone. This week I’ll be going over a couple of mixtapes, a few albums, and everything in between. Let’s get into it. Lil Durk - Signed To The Streets I’ve got a good friend of mine who’s pretty up on Chicago’s own Lil Durk. I like Lil Durk and he’s got some crazy songs such as “L’s Anthem” so I thought I would check it out after hearing “Don’t Understand Me,” which I heard at my boy’s house. The mixtape is pretty solid. Durk is one of the better Chicago rappers that’s been doing it recently and this mixtape shows a lot of growth and versatility from Durk. “Bang Bros” and “Traumatized” show Durk using a Singing/Rapping technique with vocoder. Most of the tracks are like this but on “52 Bars Part 2.” Durk has some of his best raps on the project. He’s
not very lyrical but if you’re trying to just turn up and let loose ,then Signed To The Streets is definitely for you. Rating: 7/10 Doley Bernays – Just in CaseI learned about up and coming Bronx rapper Doley Bernays scrolling through some internet article the other day. The article intrigued me so I thought I would check out his Just in Case EP. To my surprise I thought that the EP was probably one of the best projects I’ve heard all year. No lie. Doley raps with something that many of today’s artists lackpassion. You can hear the pain in this kid’s voice and it’s pretty gripping. With tales involving lust, drugs, violence, family problems, and more drugs, this project may sound a bit one dimensional but it’s far from it. What help’s Doley’s case is that he has fantastic production. Songs like “We belong here”, “Till We Fall”, and “Bad Guy,” all are well layered and they sound like they were created when a dream of yours turns into a nightmare. The best song on this project for me has to be “Raise Your Weapon”. Bernays
November 19th, 2013
spits a double time flow that is pretty fire and the vocal sample, which I’ve heard is a DeadMau5 sample fits the song and overall theme of the project great. Give this EP a chance. I’ve got a feeling about Doley Bernays in the future. Rating: 9.5/10 Eminem – Marshall Mathers LP 2 – Eminem is back with his new album MMPL2 and your boy thought that technically, it was amazing. Eminem is a rap icon and has proven time and time again that he can rap his a%$ off. “Rap God”, “Bad Guy” and even “So Much Better.” When it comes to rapping little, it can come close to Marshall Mathers. I’m not going to lie to you though. While there are some really great tracks on here there is some bull**** on here as well. “Monster” with Rhianna is a terrible song and other songs such as “Survival,” and “Stronger Then I was” aren’t much better. I don’t blame Eminem for making some songs like this because he has to, to appeal to the mainstream audiences who consume music like this (no dis-
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Lil Durk just releaed an album titled Signed to The Streets.
Volume 82 Issue 14
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Eminem’s new album features songs like “Rap God” and “Bad Guy.” respect to the mainstream music audience). Even on these tracks the rapping is good but a huge problem I’ve got with this album is the beats. I don’t even know where to start. Although “Rap God” is good at nearly six minutes long that sort of pop/techno beat gets old QUICK. Same thing happens on “So Far” which has a good idea of chopping “Life’s Been Good” by Joe Walsh but it’s done terribly and sounds completely out of place on this album. The one song that I heard has been getting a lot of hack off of this LP is “Love Game” featuring Kendrick Lamar and I have no idea why. Both Eminem and Kendrick spazz on this. Sure, is it the hardcore all out rap anthem that people were thinking of when they heard they were going to collaborate? No. But it serves as fun song that happens to include a lot of great rapping and storytell-
ing ability. “Love Game” might be my favorite song on the whole album. While on my first time listening I really didn’t like the album….. but after giving it a few spins it really does start to grow on you. Especially “Bezerk” which I had pure hatred for when it came out. I blame my increasing likeness of Bezerk in thanks to those ESPN Commercials. (Touché Disney). If you can get past some of the obvious crap that’s on here there are more then a couple songs on here that will remind you why Eminem is one of the best rappers to ever do it. Rating: 8/10 That’s all for this week of Kickin It with KJ. I’ll be back writing for at least a few more weeks as there is supposed to be a lot of quality music dropping. Keep listening.
November 19th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 14
Opinion
The Chronicle
Asinine Theories Surround JFK Assassination
By ZACHARY OLSAVICKY Opinion Editor
Conspiracy theories are, if nothing else, good for a laugh. Just this week, a website shared a NASA photo that purported to show an iguana on the surface of Mars. “To say its just a rock would be very close minded to the evidence at hand,” wrote, typos and all, author Scott Waring, who seems to not have at-hand information about the planet’s temperatures (a cool minus 67º on average) and oxygen content (nonexistent). Unfortunately, not all conspiracy theories are as lighthearted in nature. Some claim the Sep. 11 attacks were an inside job, created as a pretext for increased spying and war in the Middle East. Even the attack against the Boston Marathon drew its share of space cadets; one writer asked point-blank if the bombings were a “false flag” operation to curtail civil liberties. But the grandaddy of all conspiracy theories is making its presence felt again. Nov. 22 marks the 50th anniversary of the shocking assassination of John F. Kennedy, and a number of new books and television specials have arrived to cast doubt upon the circumstances surrounding the president’s death. The controversy surrounding Kennedy’s death is not surprising—when unbelievable events happen, people will explain it with anything. The communists, the mafia, the CIA, and Lyndon Johnson all have been accused of giving Oswald an assist in Ken-
nedy’s demise. Part of the appeal of conspiracy theories is that they fill gaps in the official story—people find flaws in the Warren Commission and use it as evidence of a conspiracy. The other major appeal is that it is high drama, the notion of a conspiracy to take out the president. Neither are appropriate, however. To entertain conspiracy theories because they make things seem more dramatic is a bit tasteless; it implies we should enjoy events like this. And to suggest gaps in the evidence prove a conspiracy theory is begging the question. Events like the Kennedy assassination and Sep. 11, complex and chaotic, are hard to explain; gaps will naturally exist in the stories. Still, the gaps in the official story of Kennedy’s demise aren’t as weak as the conspiracy theories surrounding them. Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev thought little of Kennedy as a statesman; assassinating him wouldn’t serve any political benefit, and news of a communist-backed plot would incite war. Mafia-centric theories rest on Kennedy’s prosecution of organized crime. But it was Robert Kennedy, the U.S. Attorney General, going after the mafia; his assassination would make far more sense. Accusations against the CIA rest on the idea that, with the prospect of improved U.S.-Soviet relations, the organization killed him to survive. Of course, news about the NSA spying on allied
Conspiracy theories about the assassination of JFK make less sense than any gaps found in official reports. They’re a waste of time and created in poor taste.
countries like Germany is a reminder that spying doesn’t stop in peacetime. And theories that Lyndon Johnson organized the killing lack any evidence. When discussing the assassination in his sprawling biography series on Lyndon Johnson, author Robert A. Caro says he has never seen a bit of evidence to suggest Johnson was involved. Even with the lack of credibility, the conspiracy theories flourish. It’s a grim form of an all-too-familiar part of the Kennedy legacy: attention for the sake of attention. Normally, this goes no further than the ‘Camelot’ aura surrounding the family; Kennedy’s media image is the top reason why he was elected president. While that narrative didn’t match the reality of his life—he was a notorious adulterer— using his death as a launching point for crackpot ideas about government corruption adds an unnecessary entertainment factor to his life. Unless a credible theory arises, every Kennedy conspiracy theory is a distraction from what could be a useful conversation about his political legacy. It’s no question that he was gifted as a campaigner,
but his lack of political achievements in Congress and the White House hollow out his legacy. His greatest success, bar none, is the handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis, yet a successful overthrow of Fidel Castro may have alleviated that problem before it existed. Kennedy was far from a bad president, but people’s insistence on putting him in the upper echelon is foolish. ADVERTISEMENT
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Then again, foolishness seems to surround Kennedy, whether in setting his legacy, his fooling around with other women, or the foolish ideas that his death was the result of a conspiracy. For some, it may be fun to play the ‘what-if?’ game about his death, but it’s a rather dark exercise. People who want to embrace conspiracy theories should stick to the sillier areas of nonsense.
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Opinion
The Chronicle
By DOMINIGA GLEASON-COOPER
Staff Writer
If you live on campus like I do, then you’ve probably been asking yourself the same question. What is going on in the dining hall? The belt that would normally whisk our food away has apparently stopped working, and we’ve had to put our dishes on a table that they set up. But that was about two weeks ago and the belt is still not working. This lack of belt has started to cause quite a build up, and it is beginning to look quite gross. Especially if you go during a prime dining time, it looks like a train wreck: dirty dish on top of dish, a tub of drinks that looks like puke, and napkins everywhere. Also, this is an added stress to the workers, who now are trying to constantly stay on top of the piles On top of dish return being gross, the so-called cleaned dishes have been coming out dirty as well. One day I had to go through five plates before I could find a clean one. As well as my friends and I have been finding dirty silverware. And now today, my friend found dried mustard on a plate, nowhere near the
mustard dispenser. I found myself at Camelot a lot these past two weeks in order to avoid the disaster that is the dining hall. Not sure what is going on, but I think it’s time it got fixed. Not just for the students who already go here, but also for the perspective students. What would they think if they saw that? If I had come to visit a school and saw such a messy dining hall, I wouldn’t go there. And for how expensive this school is, I think it’s time we start receiving better service. Hopefully, the dining hall will step up its game and soon the belt will be working again. I personally think they could shut down the dining hall for a day, maybe on a weekend when it’s kind of slow, and fix everything so it can go back to normal. And while they’re fixing the belt, the food itself could use some up lifting. Lately, the food that they have been putting out is very unappetizing. At the beginning of the year there were so many great options, and now there just seems to be food that is barley edible. On a scale of one to five, five being the best, I give the dining hall a big fat two. Step it up!
November 19th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 14
Word Search: Thanksgiving Edition
Interested in writing for Opinion? Here are some questions that may spark some interest. Send them in to chronicle@strose.edu!
Stacks of plates, reminiscent of the dining hall.
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+Is there a teacher here that has had an impact on you? +Should Saint Rose have online classes? +Is there an item, such as the ipad, that you absolutely love or hate? We want to know about it! Give your thoughts on it and influence those Black Friday shoppers! +What are your steps to studying? +What are your ways to deal with stress? +What is your favorite holiday and why? +What is your favorite Saint Rose event? +What would you like the next word search to be about? +I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?
November 19th, 2013
Sports
Volume 82 Issue 14
The Chronicle
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College Basketball’s Big Return By TORI ADDISON Staff Writer The start of the college basketball season is, to me, better than Christmas. Well, that was a bit exaggerated, but you get the point. Many stories are already circulating regarding this year’s season, but a handful of them really stand out. 1. Coach Cal’s Dream Team As I preached before the season even started, I do not care how many talented recruits John Calipari wheeled in during the offseason; Kentucky is not the number one team in the nation. As the Wildcats proved when they played Michigan State last Tuesday, Julius Randle is the main component to their game right now. He scored 23 of his total 27 points in the second half and pretty much kept his team in the game. I do not think Kentucky will be able to contend with big-
name times like Duke or Kansas until they develop a strong sense of chemistry. As of right now, all the Kentucky fans’ chants of an undefeated season have already been diminished and the season just barely started. 2. Draft Battle between “Diaper Dandies”: It is no secret that this season is packed with superstar freshmen. Between Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, it is going to be nothing short of a battle for the top pick in the NBA Draft. Last week’s State Farm Championship Classic drew in 68 NBA scouts to scope out the hype surrounding all the big names being thrown around this season. Although it is obvious that both players will be one-and-dones, it is tough to tell which will be drafted first. Either way, I know I am not the only one who is dreading the ohso-familiar “diaper dandy” labels from Dick Vitale every time these
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Jabari Parker is one of the freshman to look for this season.
two play. 3. The ACC’s Rise to the Top: The addition of Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh to the ACC has created little more than a stacked conference. It has already been suggested that UNC, Duke, and Syracuse are all legit contenders for the Final Four. This is just the start of the hype surrounding the ACC. I can only imagine what it will be like when Louisville joins in on the fun next season. In short, don’t be surprised to see the ACC grow into one of the best conferences in college basketball over the next couple of years.
shall Henderson, then you must have been living under a rock all summer. Both players were involved with drug related incidents during the offseason. Luckily, both just landed suspensions and avoided jail time. Henderson is already set to miss three games, but Hairston has no idea when he will be able to suit up again. Roy Williams is standing firm on benching him while the NCAA comes up with a plan of action regarding his punishment. I am not entirely sure what is taking the NCAA so long, but they better hurry up and figure something out before UNC fans start to get angry.
4. Welcome to Tobacco Road: Speaking of Syracuse, I am not yet convinced that they will be able to keep up with the fastpaced game play that ACC teams abide by. The two biggest teams in the conference sit on Tobacco Road and it will be interesting to see how ‘Cuse does with their journey to visit both. All I know is other players besides CJ Fair better step it up if the Orange want to make it out of North Carolina alive.
7. Remember These Guys? Last season’s tournament was filled with many surprises, especially from two not-so-familiar teams. It is hard to forget about Florida Gulf Coast and Wichita State after the astonishing runs they made last year. Although I believe it will be harder to compete with this year’s talent, it is never too early to count out the unranked teams. Who knows, maybe one or both teams will have a repeat season.
5. Non-Conference Games to Look Out For: Most of the games I am looking forward to this season are not even between conference rivals. I am pretty excited to watch any game that pits two top ranked non-conference teams against one another. Nothing is better than watching opponents battle it out to move up in the rankings. Last week’s State Farm Championship Classic gave us a preview of what to expect this season between all the top teams and I am more than ready to watch more matchups of that caliber go down.
8. What about Everyone Else? Do not forget about other incoming players such as Aaron Gordon, any of Kentucky’s starting five, Noah Vonleh, and Isaiah Hicks. That is just naming a few.
6. Wait, What About Hairston and Henderson? If you have not heard about the incidents surrounding UNC’s PJ Hairston and Ole Misses’ Mar-
The talent of the freshmen class this season is incredible and it is wrong to let Wiggins and Parker take the spotlight. I highly suggest making it a point of watching other top ranked teams and their own superstar players battle it out. Who knows when an upset could happen? 9. UNC or Duke? It is impossible not to bring up the biggest rivalry in the history of college basketball, the Tar Heels versus the Blue Devils. UNC may not have the number two player in the nation on their side, but they do have a solid group of freshmen who seem to be working well with veteran players. Some of the best rivalry games have been played on Tobacco Road and this season will not fail to disappoint. 10. And the Championship Goes To…: The main thing I have noticed so far this season is the uncertainty of who really is the number one team in the nation. With all the talent circulating around the country, who knows who will end up on top once March rolls around. The possibilities are endless this season and the hype is enormous, placing lots of pressure on many teams. It is definitely going to be an interesting year and possibly one of the better tournaments fans have seen in awhile.
Have an idea for a story you would like to see in The Chronicle? E-mail Sports Editor Joshua Natoli at natolij477@strose.edu
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Sports
The Chronicle
November 19th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 14
Taking it One Save at a Time By JOSHUA NATOLI Sports Editor How would you feel standing in the middle of a net 24-feet wide and having soccer balls fired right at you? You also have to stop those balls from going past you, which often have you diving from side to side in order to protect the goal. When broken down, the position of goalie or keeper to you international football heads seems like a daunting task. Senior Golden Knights goalie Jessica Gerski for the Women’s Soccer team however, makes it look easy. The goalie’s history starts at just the age of five when Gerski played for her Lion Princesses in her native California, ironically at forward. Once Gerski started playing at the high school level, she began to start in the goal and
led her high school team, also the Golden Knights, to the state final her sophomore year. After high school, Gerski had chosen to go to California State University Los Angeles, but decided to transfer to The College of Saint Rose, which she calls a great choice. “The size of the school made it feel like home,” said Gerski. “I went to a small private high school and going to a big university was tough for me. Transferring to Saint Rose is one of the best decisions I have ever made.” If she had not made the decision, Gerski would not have become the national champion she is today. Gerski was in goal during the final moments of the championship game in 2012. “I'll never forget watching the clock count down 10 seconds. I just remember saying to myself,
JESSICA GERSKI
Jessica Gerski started playing soccer at five years old.
‘We did it. We won. We won.’ The next thing I knew I was crying and people were jumping on me. It was and is the best day of my life. I love walking by the trophy in the hallway. It still gives me the chills.” Gerski might be able to experience that feeling again this year, as the Golden Knights are a number one seed heading into this year’s NCAA Division II National Tournament. The Golden Knights are currently riding high from their recent Northeast-10 Conference championship triumph. Gerski says she and the team aren’t letting it get to their postseason game. “It feels good winning the NE-10 championship and it definitely pushes us to be better. Yes, we won the tournament, but we have tough opponents ahead and we need to take it one game at a time.” To go along with that mentality, Gerski is also prepping herself for the tournament with her typical pregame ritual, dinner at Chipotle followed by a stop at Cold Stone Creamery. Although the ritual might seem superstitious, Gerki’s approach on gameday isn’t. “I just play like every game is the National Championship. I play to win because I want to win and our team to win. Being a Saint Rose women's soccer player has taught me that losing is not in our vocabulary if you work hard and play with heart.” That same mentality helped the Golden Knights reach a milestone mark of 11 consecutive shutout games, which Gerski was obviously a big part of. Although it was a big achievement, Gerski was unaware of the fact until it was brought to her attention. “It means a lot to me though because my role model is Lauren Steinberg who used to play here and she told me she wants me to beat her records,” said Gerski. “I don't like getting scored on. I do whatever it takes to not get scored on.” Gerki’s goal keeping skills expand beyond the obvious use of
SAINT ROSE ATHLETICS
Gerski will be in the goal for the Golden Knights’ tournament run. hands and feet. “I literally never stop talking in goal,” said Gerski. “It helps my defense and keeps them aware of what's going on. If they don't hear my talking on the field, they know something is wrong. It’s something that my teammates look for and expect from me.” Although Gerski said her best skill is communication, her use of hands and kicking have gotten a lot better thanks to all the coaching she’s received from her coaches over the past three years as a Golden Knight. Coaching may have had a big role in developing Gerski’s skill, but her biggest inspiration comes from home. “My mom and brother have been there from the beginning and have supported me every step of the way,” said Gerski. “I love and thank them for
that every chance I get. We are a soccer family. My best friend, Ann, really influenced me to transfer and helped me make my decision to come to Saint Rose, as did my family. They have been my biggest fans and I love them so much.” Soccer may be fully on the brain now, but Gerski also has her eyes set on post-graduation plans which include working for public relations or advertising agency. Graduate school back in California hasn’t been ruled out, either. Although playing soccer professionally isn’t out of the realm of possibility, Gerski isn’t counting on it. “It would be awesome to play pro, but Hope Solo seems to have things taken care of.” Reach Joshua Natoli at natolij477@strose.edu.