The Chronicle
December 10th, 2013
The weekly student newspaper of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York www.strosechronicle.com - @strosechronicle
Volume LXXXII Issue 16
The Calm Before the Storm Students Prepare for Finals Week
KELLY PFEISTER
Student Asia Ewart plays with Gabriel, a therapy dog, at the Stress-Free Zone last Thursday. See page A2 for more photos.
Homicide in the Pine Hills Stopping Crime: Bystander Intervention By LAUREN HALLIGAN News Editor and JACKSON WANG Executive Editor Just steps from the Saint Rose campus, a 27-year-old man found dead in his Western Avenue apartment on Wednesday as part of a
burglary investigation may have been murdered, according to Albany police. Police were investigating a reported broken window at 326 Western, one building east of the Saint Rose Security Department Continued on page A4
News & Features
By AMAL TLAIGE Contributing Writer Joseph Jackson, 20, a sophomore at University at Albany is now being called a hero for intervening in the attempted abduction of a State University at Albany international student.
Arts & Opinion
“I’m not a hero. That’s what anyone should have done,” said Jackson, who is majoring in chemistry during his first semester at UAlbany. On Friday, Oct. 4, at 7:55 a.m., 54-year-old Anthony Collins attempted to abduct a University at Albany female student at the
SUNY Albany bus stop on Western Ave. near Waterbury Hall. This is the first of two attempts that day. Collins placed a knife to the student’s back, when another student, Joseph Jackson, verbally intervened.
Sports
Crowded Fitness Center Creates Potential Discord. See pages A4
An Alternative Best Christmas Movies List. See pages B15
Canó Goes to Seattle. See page D22
Senior Profiles. See pages A13 & A14
The Worst and Best of 2013. See page C20 & C21
Athlete Profiles. See page D23 & D24
Continued on page A6 & A7
News Turning a Passion for English into a Career
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The Chronicle
By LAUREN SEARS Staff Writer For someone who has always had a passion for reading and writing, becoming a writer would be the natural career choice. However, one gentleman here at The College of Saint Rose has decided to take a different path: to teach English to the future children of America. Kevin Noonan, a senior here at Saint Rose, decided to become a secondary education English teacher because he wanted to continue his passion for reading and writing full time. “I just have always been very nerdy and want to be able to be a nerd all the time,” said Noonan. Noonan is extremely humorous, always joking around with his friends and family. He said his favorite part about teaching is, “that [it’s] an opportunity to put on a show every single day. My brother, who is also studentteaching, has said he loves teaching because he was too afraid to try stand-up comedy. I love being able to joke around and come up with fun ways to engage the students.” Thanks to the accessibility of e-books, more students are becoming engaged in the classroom. According to Noonan, it’s easy for students to find anything they are looking for within a few clicks. “As long as kids are reading, I don't care what medium it's presented in. I had a student reading on her iPhone in class the other day, and she was just as engaged as any other student in the class,” said Noonan. Not only does Noonan want his students engaged in what they are learning, he also hopes that his students realize why communicating their ideas to the world are so important. “English is incredibly important, because at its core, it is all about communication of ideas. Yes, strong grammar and mechanics are important, but really, it's the deeper meanings in life that are the most important. Students need to be able to recog-
nize these deeper meanings, and use them to better our world.” He also is inspired by his favorite book, The Alchemist, by Paolo Coehlo. “It is very simply written, almost like a fable but it’s very inspiring and deals with a lot of deeper themes. Definitely inspiring for work in the classroom, as the book is about being the best person you can be,” Noonan said. Being the best teacher and person he can be requires a strong support system, especially during his demanding student teaching placements. Since Noonan lives at home, he credits the support of his family and friends to help him get through student teaching. “It definitely has been tough, but living at home has helped me get through it. My family has been very supportive, and I still get to see my girlfriend and friends every weekend, which is always a good motivator to make it through the week.” There is another factor to the reason why he has been able to get through student teaching: the schools which he is teaching at. “I feel that I have been very lucky in both of my placements at Duanesburg and Mechanicville, so I mostly have been having tons of fun,” Noonan said. Noonan has had to face some challenges during student teaching, but it mainly has been dealing with the workload of student teaching. He said that, “It was definitely tough getting used to the amount of planning it requires. The actual teaching comes easily to me, as I love being in front of a room and I get along great with the students.” Noonan will soon be graduating from Saint Rose. Post-graduation, he plans on substitute teaching and working part time as a director of an afterschool program in Schenectady. He also wants to teach abroad soon, and go to graduate school after that. Noonan has some advice for those who may want to go into teaching. “The best piece of advice I can give to someone going into teach-
December 10th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 16
LAUREN SEARS
Kevin Noonan, an English education student, will soon be graduating from Saint Rose. ing is to ensure they are a genuine ‘people-person,’” said Noonan. “A person can know everything there is to know about a subject, but if he or she can't come up with fun ways to share that
information, he or she will not be an effective teacher. Connecting with kids is the most important aspect of teaching, because if they respect you they will at least make an effort to try in your
class. You also need to be incredibly passionate in everything that you teach. “Overall, if someone is a positive, caring person, he or she will be a fantastic teacher.”
Advertise with Us! Is your business looking to corner the college market? Perhaps advertising in The Chronicle would help you do that? Contact Advertising Manager Shawn Dixon at dixons@mail.strose.edu for rates and publication schedule.
December 10th, 2013
News
Volume 82 Issue 16
In Brief College Presidential Search Update
Students were updated via email Thursday on the College’s presidential search by Dan Nolan and Judy Calogero, co-chairs on the presidential search committee. This was the fourth update since former College President David Szczerbacki stepped down last summer. The job was advertised in the latest print edition of the Chroni-
cle of Higher Education as well as online through Inside Higher Education, Academic Keys, Women in Higher Education, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Hispanic Outlook, and the American Conference of Academic Deans. From inquiries received, the College’s partners at Korn Ferry International are working to build the pool of qualified candidates
for the job. The board asks that students, faculty or staff members who know of an individual possessing the professional experience and leadership characteristics outlined to recommend them by contacting Korn Ferry International at strose-president@kornferry. com.
After 25 years of service to The College of Saint Rose, Bettie Ternent, associate director of financial aid, will be retiring after Jan. 10. Steve Dwire, assistant vice president of the College’s Financial Aid office, said in an email to faculty, “Bettie has been an important member of the Saint Rose Office of Financial Aid staff. She has witnessed countless changes to Saint Rose and even more to financial aid processing and ser-
vice.” Dwire said that Bettie has quietly and effectively served students and their families with consummate skill and kind support over the years while acting as a mentor to the financial staff. He went on to say that Ternent has been a leader in providing excellent, gracious customer service to students and families. She is the first one in the office and the last to leave with a smile on her face each day.
“Bettie is passionate about service to students and the care and attention she provides to them is second-to-none,” Dwire said. Her dedication and tireless devotion to insuring students understand the financial aid process is nothing short of remarkable. An official farewell and thanks for Ternent will take place at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12th in Saint Joseph’s Hall 3rd floor atrium.
Staff Member Retires After 25 Years
Arrest Made in Black Friday Robbery Albany detectives arrested a 32-year-old city resident in connection with a robbery that occurred at 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 29. on Sheridan Avenue. Officers responded to the rear of 99 Washington Ave. for a report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, a 62-year-old female victim reported that a male approached her from behind and
The Chronicle
Executive Editor Jackson Wang ‘14 wangj847@strose.edu
placed his hand on her shoulder. The woman’s scream caused him to flee the scene. The victim was unharmed during the incident. Shortly after, Dontell Davis, 32, was located by responding officers near the scene. Police linked Davis to this call and a similar early morning incident a week prior in their investigation.
Features Editor Conor Shea ‘15 sheac613@strose.edu
On Nov. 20, 2013, Davis approached a woman inside the parking garage located on Sheridan Ave. armed with what appeared to be a knife and demanded money. The 41-year-old female victim complied and emerged unharmed. Davis was charged with robbery and placed in Albany County Jail.
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 Katelyn Doherty Asia Ewart Andy Gilchrist Katie Klimacek Kevin Jacob Vanessa Langdon Alex Pecha Lauren Sears M. William Smith
Staff Photographer Anthony Chapin Chris Alvarado
The Chronicle
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Calendar of Events Tuesday, December 10th All Day- Last Day of Classes 4 p.m. MAPS ALB 109 7 p.m. G4G (Girls For God) Sanctuary 7 p.m. Spectrum St. Joseph’s Hall 8 p.m. Outside the [Box] Albertus 216 8 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary Wednesday, December 11th All Day- Finals Begin 2:40 p.m. Natural Science Association Science Center Room 352 4:30 p.m. Student Association Meeting Standish 5 p.m. Mid-Week Mass Sanctuary 7:30 p.m. BASIC Sanctuary 8 p.m. Colleges Against Cancer Meeting Albertus Room 210 10 p.m. Karate Club Practice EAC Room 110 Thursday, December 12th 4:15 p.m. Adventure Club Lima Basement 5:30 p.m. SEB Meeting St. Joseph’s Hall 7:30 p.m. Identity Main Lounge Friday, December 13th All Day- Finals End
Saturday, December 14th 1:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs American International Nolan Gym 3:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs American International Nolan Gym If you have an upcoming event you would like to see in our weekly Calendar of Events, please e-mail chronicle@strose.edu.
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The Chronicle is currently seeking individuals to fill open positions for the 2013-14 academic year. Individuals interested in the position(s) of News Editor or Assistant Layout Editor are encouraged to apply. If interested send an e-mail with your resume and two writing or design samples attached (or linked) to Executive Editor Jackson Wang at wangj847@strose.edu. If you would like more information about what the responsibilities of each position entail, send an e-mail to chronicle@strose.edu. All positions are stipended. Interviews will be scheduled upon receipt of application.
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The Chronicle
Western Avenue Homicide Continued from front page
building, when they found a man who died from injuries sustained in a physical altercation. Albany Police spokesman Ptl. Steve Smith said he did not know if weapons were used in the alleged homicide. The victim’s name has not been released while the police are still investigating. Hours after the police responded and investigated the situation, they arrested Oscar Valcarcel, 41, of Albany and charged him with burglary and petty larceny. Valcarcel’s involvement in the death of the victim remains under investigation, Smith said. It has not been determined if Valcarcel will be charged with homicide. Valcarcel is the only suspect in custody and is being held at the Albany County Jail. According to his Facebook page, Valcarcel is a student at the University at Albany studying religion, but officials at the University have no record of Valcarcel’s enrollment. A forensics investigation unit determined that the death was a homicide.
Information was not released on who reported the broken window to police. A basement door labeled as apartment nine on the east side of the building closest to Western Avenue was boarded with wood, as well as a basement window on the opposite side of the apartment complex facing the Saint Rose security office. No one responded when a reporter from The Chronicle rang the doorbell for the apartment. The 326 Western Ave. building is owned by Hyjinks LLC, according to city records. Representatives of the company could not be reached for a comment. Two Saint Rose students are tenants inside the 10-unit apartment complex, said Ben Marvin, director of media relations for the College. One of those students, who declined to be identified, said that she only knew what information was relayed to all students through an email sent from Steve Stella, director of the Department of Safety and Security. “The College has reached out to them to ensure that they’re okay and we will continue to work with them to help ensure
LAUREN HALLIGAN
The 10-apartment complex is feet away from the Saint Rose campus.
News their welfare,” Marvin said. Stella was unaware that any Saint Rose students were residents in the building, which is adjacent to the campus security headquarters, until Friday afternoon. Neighbor Sifat Anwar, a University at Albany student, was in his home at the time of the incident next door, but was unaware of any problems at the brick apartment building. He later learned that the incident occurred Wednesday morning. Anwar, who has lived in the apartment for nearly a year, said that this semester has been strange, with two serious crimes occurring near his home. “After this I actually thought that maybe I should move next semester,” he said. In October, Anthony Collins was arrested and charged with kidnapping and possession of a weapon after attempting to abduct a female college student at the corner of Western Avenue and O’Leary Boulevard, directly across from 326 Western Ave. “I spoke to a few friends and they said this house in general is sketchy,” said Anwar, who believes Collins was a former resident at 326 Western Ave. However, Smith, Stella, and the University at Albany police could not confirm whether or not Collins had lived at 326 Western Ave. Stella said that he didn’t consider putting the college on lock down in connection with the event because Albany police said there was no clear and present danger to the University at Albany or Saint Rose communities. While the Security Department is not required to report what happens off campus, especially because the incident occurred indoors, information was sent to the entire student body on Thursday evening. The University at Albany did the same. Stella urged students to use the escort services and always stay aware of their surroundings to ensure their safety. Albany Police Department asks anyone with information to call the detective division at 4628039.
December 10th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 16
Crowded Fitness Center Creates Potential Discord By JOURNALISM I Students looking to get in shape in the New Year will likely have to compete for a chance to use the campus fitness center. No changes are planned there, but with the onslaught of New Year’s resolutions, imminent users may need to look elsewhere for adequate fitness center facilities. The modest space on the third floor of the Events and Athletics Center averages about 350 visits a day now. The facility is available not only to the entire student body, an estimated 3,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students, but to staff and alumni as well At certain times, due to the limited amount of space, access to equipment becomes problematic. The College has no plans to renovate the fitness center in the near future, according to Dennis McDonald, the vice president of Student Affairs. The fitness center equipment is updated annually and repaired when necessary. Since so many students, student-athletes, employees and alumni share the space, competition for equipment is sometimes fierce during peak periods in the day. Many people often have to wait in lines just to use certain equipment because it will be packed so tightly during certain times of the day. The equipment is mainly up to date, but with such a small space, there just is not enough of it. Although the fitness center is small in size, it uses the amount of available space well. It is equipped with cardio machines, assisted weight machines, free weights, yoga mats, and medicine balls. Specifically, there are five treadmills in addition to one recumbent exercise bike, three upright exercise bikes, and three elliptical machines if people are interested in doing cardio workouts.
Along with the cardio machines, there is also one leg press, two squat racks, and four free weight benches with a variety of free weights ranging from 5 to 100 pounds. Fitness center users do have a variety of options to choose from when working out, but there is just not enough of it for the amount of visitors. For the 36-player men’s lacrosse team, the space at the fitness center is not adequate to accommodate the entire team. With the lacking of space and equipment in the fitness center, certain student-athletes at the College of Saint Rose have expressed dissatisfaction. Having high standards set for team cohesion and performance, some students feel frustrated because the campus fitness facility is not large enough for a team workout. “Saint Rose has a good gym and equipment but it may benefit from having two separate gyms, one for students and one for athletes,” said Mark Cometti, the Saint Rose lacrosse coach. “We currently do not use the Saint Rose gym at all.” Student-athletes are required to spend a certain number of hours at the fitness center weekly, meaning they must compete for access to equipment with students who are not athletes, faculty, and alumni who want to use the fitness center. The College of Saint Rose currently has approximately 300 student athletes, 20 of whom play on multiple sports teams. Because athletes must fulfill certain requirements each week, they are limiting the use of many of the machines that other gym users may have wanted to use. The men’s lacrosse team’s need for lifting equipment has not been met at the Saint Rose fitness center, forcing them to workout at Albany Strength on Central Ave. to meet their weightlifting requirements. Continued on page A5
December 10th, 2013 Continued from page A4 Albany Strength is a gym and supplement business located at 330 Central Avenue. It is open to anyone over the age of 16 and the “equipment is geared to strength training, size building and rehabilitation.” The gym is open 365 days a year with varying hours. Monday to Friday they are open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are several options for payment: $5 a workout, $35 per month, $75 for 3 months, or $135 a year. In stark contrast to Albany Strength, Saint Rose’s hours range better for the average college student. Open Monday through Thursday 6 a.m. to midnight, Friday 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and both Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., students are able to workout at their own convenience. Locally, the college and university-rich Albany area supports a wide array of schools with different athletic designations by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Looking at Saint Rose (Division II) and the surrounding colleges such as Sage College (Division III), University at Albany (Division I), and Siena College (Division I), it is easy to make comparisons between what Saint Rose has and also what it lacks as a college fitness center. Siena College is equipped with more up-to-date fitness center facilities overall. Siena has a field house with four basketball courts and a surrounding indoor track. They also have two different weight rooms to work out in, just as Sage also has. In addition to their fitness centers where there are mainly cardio machines and free weights, all three surrounding colleges have group fitness classes, such as yoga and Zumba that students can join if they prefer engaging in those for physical activity. Unless taken as a gym class, many of these types of fitness activities are not offered at Saint Rose. At each fitness center, including Siena, Sage and UAlbany, it is easy to get memberships for students, faculty, alumni and even
Volume 82 Issue 16 community members. With UAlbany having the greatest number of students locally, the estimation of students that use the gym daily is around 1,000, according to Peter Kay, associate director of campus recreation. Sage College averages about 100 at their Albany location, and about 500 at their Troy location, according to Jill Gerbert, director of recreation and fitness. Siena averages around 200 students, according to Kevin Borden, athletic facilities manager. The female to male ratio in each gym is about equal. The busiest time for the Siena College fitness center is between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., while at UAlbany, it is primarily between 4 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. At Siena, the busiest hours are between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., but both Sage and Siena tend to get heavily populated at lunchtime crowd also. All three fitness centers are located on each of the colleges’ campuses and are easy for students and other members to access. “We need to figure out a way to obtain an additional gym that is larger. One can be used for athletes and the other for students,” one Saint Rose student wrote. In a recent poll of 71 Saint Rose students, 44 of them do not use the gym facilities on campus. With 49 female students and 22 male students, 23 of them currently pay anywhere between 10 and 45 dollars a month to work out at an off-campus gym. When asked if the students were happy with the Saint Rose gym, 32 said “no,” 19 had no response, and 20 said “yes.” Another student wrote, “I feel that athletes should have a separate gym and that the gym should be able to support the amount of students on campus. By having such a small gym, they are not promoting healthy living.” Only four of the 71 students in the poll were student-athletes. “The space is really small, so I run outdoors or visit SUNY (Albany) with my other friends,” said one student, who is not happy with the space or equipment the Saint Rose gym provides. Over half the students that responded to the survey agree that the gym is too
News
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KATELYN DOHERTY
The smaller fitness center at The College of Saint Rose cannot always easily accommodate patrons. small for the amount of people on campus. “We do use weights from the gym, but because of limited size, we can’t workout there as a team,” said Casey Bergeron, a sophomore lacrosse player at Saint Rose. “A lot of people on my team work out by themselves in their house, doing cross-fit exercises. I know of many people who would rather workout in their house than go to the Saint Rose gym.” Nick Longo, a senior lacrosse player at Saint Rose, wants to be able to use the gym for rehabilitation of his ACL, yet finding a certain machine he needs to use can be difficult at times. “I use the Saint Rose fitness center because it is right on campus. However, it is discouraging when I go to the gym to use one of the 3 bicycles and they are all being occupied, especially because recently I tore my ACL and the bicycle is one of the best ways to strengthen my leg before surgery,” said Longo. “Saint Rose highly focuses on academics and I feel like the overall health of the students is disregarded.” The Saint Rose baseball team uses the college’s fitness center about two or three times a week, and also occasionally visits Albany Strength.
“We have the same machines available to us at school,” said Bryan Carr, junior baseball player. It is just tougher to get access to the equipment because “the gym at Saint Rose is just smaller” and has a decreased amount of machines when compared to other gyms and fitness centers. The Saint Rose women’s softball team feels that the fitness center is fine but it is just too small. Many people use the gym on a regular basis, making it hard for student-athletes to utilize the fitness center how they want to. “I workout in the school gym for my softball workouts and then personal workouts. The gym is not nearly big enough for a team to workout with students there as well,” said Anna Carey, softball player and student. “I think there should be a gym specifically for athletes so over-crowding is not an issue.” The student population alone at Saint Rose is enough to make the space in the fitness center limited, but when employees are factored into the equation as well, the math just does not add up for the square footage offered by the fitness center. Staff, professors, and administration at The College of Saint Rose all have access to the fitness center. This even includes adjunct
professors at the school, who do not hold permanent positions. This accounts for over 1,000 faculty and staff who are able to swipe in to the fitness center in addition all students. Along with employees, alumni also have the opportunity to purchase access to the fitness center. Pam Chrysler, program assistant at the alumni office, said that alumni would gain gym access after a donation to the college. A donation of $100 or more gives alumni the privilege of free use to many campus facilities. These members are then provided with an identification card, much like the student IDs, that allow them to use these facilities. Chrysler said that the number of people with accessibility is unavailable, so the contribution to gym traffic by alumni is hard to track, but it is still adding more people to the equation. Expansion of the fitness center in the future could create a change in atmosphere for all who use this facility on a daily basis. The lack of space hinders on the potential of the gym and impacts many students around campus. With subtle improvements over the years, many students will feel pride in their school, both through academia and the athletic facilities.
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The Chronicle
Bystander Intervention
Continued from front page
It was just like any other day for Jackson, who was waiting at the UAlbany bus stop, when he noticed Collins, who seemed out of place. “He didn’t fit in... he clearly had some mental issues,” said Jackson. He watched as Collins walked toward Ontario Street. “I also thought that was weird, because no buses go that way. That just... it bothered me.” Jackson saw Collins leading a young girl with his hand to her back. “It looked like he was moving her at first...but then they came up to my right…and she looked over at me as they walked by. She gave me a look like ‘help me’ and I knew she was scared,” he said. That’s when Jackson noticed the metal knife Collins was holding to the student’s back. He then took matters into his own hands by calling out to the girl. “I was like, ‘Are you okay? What’s going on? Are you okay?’” Both Collins and the woman turned around, and the woman started walking toward Jackson. “[Collins] just kind of blankly stared at me. I didn’t want to aggravate him. I didn’t want him to like, start slashing people. I had a one track mind: Get her out of there safely,” said Jackson. The female student moved toward Jackson, who helped usher her onto the bus. At this point, Jackson lost sight of Collins. Jackson asked the girl if she was okay, and she said she was scared. The girl’s friends came over and Jackson let them take over as they comforted her. Jackson was in disbelief. “I couldn’t believe what had just happened. The incident happened in like 15 seconds. So I was like, ‘This didn’t happen, I had some weird dream,’ but I knew it really did.” After making it safely onto the bus, Jackson and the international student did not speak to each other about the incident, and did not call 911. At the time, he was in the process of emailing his residential director and knew she could be of help. He emailed her explaining the incident; she then
contacted the University Police Department and Albany Police Department who requested to speak to him. As previously reported from WTEN, the second abduction occurred the same day around 8:30 a.m. The woman who Collins allegedly attempted to abduct was able to get away, but has not come forward. The victim from the first attempted abduction at the SUNY bus stop has come forward, which allowed Collins to be charged with kidnapping. On Oct. 7, Jackson gave the police his description of Collins, which turned out to be inaccurate. “I gave my deposition and it was pretty awful. I said he was in a green and plaid jacket with white sweat pants and white shoes. But he was wearing black running pants with black shoes and a Christmas sweater.” Jackson filed his incident report and description of Collins. Due to the city’s security cameras, the police were able to pull an image of Collins from the footage. The police administered Jackson a colored photo of who they thought the suspect was. He looked at the photos and confirmed the suspect to be Collins. Jackson filed criminal menacing charges and weapon charges against Collins, which caused police to keep Collins in custody. While in custody, he admitted it was him in the photo. Aran Mull, inspector of New York State University Police and University at Albany, received the email about the attempted abduction and worked with Albany Crime Analysis to investigate the incident. Mull said UAlbany wanted to get a notice about the incident publicized, but at the time, Collins was not in police custody, and police feared that Collins would either run because he was afraid of being caught, or he would hurt others. “We don’t want to announce to the world, or to him that we’re looking into this because we don’t want to poison the investigation,” said Mull. University Police Department flooded the area where the crime took place
News
December 10th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 16
AMAL TLAIGE
Joseph Jackson, the man who intervened during the attempted abduction at the UAlbany bus stop. with plain-clothed officers. “We wanted police in there. We wanted to make sure people were safe, but we didn’t want to make an announcement.” Mull worked with the Albany Crime Analysis Center and reviewed all the footage to find out the details of the crime. At this point, the victim still had not come forward, so UAlbany sent out an email notice and canvassed the area with uniformed officers. Mull and UPD went in front of cameras to notify the media. An hour after they started airing, the victim who was held at knifepoint came forward and told police what happened. Mull said, “The first instance was a bonafide kidnapping case...he took control of her. She was in fear for her life. He removed her from the location she was at.” This incident raises the question of how safe the UAlbany
campus is. “It’s just such a rare incident,” said Jackson. Other UAlbany students are more shaken up about the crime. “It's made me consider commuting from home instead of living close to school,” said Alyssa Pyle, 22, a business major at UAlbany. She has lived in Albany for a year and is questioning the safety of the neighborhood she lives in. “It definitely makes me uncomfortable, being a female and not feeling safe in my neighborhood,” she said. Growing up, Pyle had always been taught to never walk alone at night, but the fact that this occurred in the morning is quite unsettling for her. “The attempted kidnapping ...is terrifying to me. That bus stop is about two blocks from my apartment, and it makes me wonder how safe my neighborhood is, when something like this takes place during
broad daylight.” Pyle said that before the incident occurred, she generally felt safe, but the attempted abduction opened her eyes to the dangers of living closer to the downtown campus. While she receives emails from her school about crimes against students in the downtown area, Pyle believes law enforcement and school security should have been able to do something else to prevent the situation. “I think it's unfortunate that it took an attempted abduction at knifepoint for the school to begin taking action to prevent and protect against downtown crimes,” she said. After the incident, Albany police and the University at Albany Police Department are putting additional security at the UAlbany bus stop as well as Continued on Next Page
December 10th, 2013 Continued from previous page around the UAlbany college campus. Students at UAlbany were emailed about the incident, and the email encouraged students to intervene if they saw a situation like this occur. “If not for another student intervention, the female student might have been abducted. I would rather have increased security on the school’s part than have to intervene in a violent crime,” said Pyle. She also said that the downtown campus is not as well supervised as the uptown campus and security at the downtown campus should be increased. Other students at UAlbany generally feel safe. “Never felt unsafe, one reason being that SUNY bus stops almost always have multiple people there. You're almost never alone, which is reassuring,” said Tyler Baron, 22, an English major at UAlbany. For a period of time, Baron took the bus for two semesters twice a week. He especially feels safe because of campus security, “They do an excellent job of being very accessible and quickly responsive,” he said. However, Mull states that kidnappings are very rare, particularly on the UAlbany campus. “We are in the city of Albany, an urban environment. However, this campus is 9.7 times safer, so this campus is much safer than the average community.” Mull said that he does not see violent crime on campus often, and if he does, it’s usually larceny or domestic violence issues. “Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week we have police officers assigned downtown,” said Mull. He also said that the security risks for downtown are higher than the security risks for uptown, but the safety level on downtown campus is the same safety level on the main campus. The issue is that once a person steps off the downtown campus, they are in the city of Albany. “The city of Albany is an urban environment. It has all the wonderful opportunities that an urban environment presents, it has all of the negatives that an urban envi-
Volume 82 Issue 16 ronment presents,” said Mull. When Mull and the Albany Crime Analysis Center reviewed the footage, they discovered that Jackson was not the only one to witness the incident. “There were a bunch of other people watching it as well. People had cell phones [and] they didn’t call us. That’s disappointing.” The footage also showed one woman who saw Collins leading the internation-
“Pay attention to your instincts when something doesn’t feel right. Believe in yourself. Beyond that, we don’t want you to be afraid to go out. We want you aware and prepared.” Cindy Forte al student. The woman walked across the street and turned around to watch, but did not take any action. Jackson believes that the international student thought quickly and smartly in her situation. “She did the right thing—she made eye contact. Sometimes yelling out could aggravate him. Just try to get someone’s attention, I guess.” As a bystander, Jackson recommends people to always be street smart, by staying observant. “A bystander intervening is the most effective way to stop bad things from happening,” said Mull. A person is less likely to commit a crime if they know someone else is watching or willing to intervene. “I am very happy that Joe Jackson was willing to take a stand against it ...I’m very hesitant as a police officer to recommend anyone put themselves physically in danger,” said Mull. However, he thinks Jackson made the right call in this situation. He did not go overboard when intervening and he did what was necessary to help the situation, said Mull.
News Bystander intervention does not mean someone has to physically get involved if a crime is occurring, said Cindy Forte, Albany County RAD (Rape, Aggression, Defense) coordinator. The course teaches students how to mentally and physically respond to assault scenarios. Bystander intervention can be verbal, and subtle. Forte uses party scenarios in her class and said that if a female friend appears to have had too many drinks and she’s talking to a male who is trying to get her alone, you can intervene by saying something such as, “Hey, I have to work early and we really need to get going now,” said Forte. The goal in mind is, “separate her and leave.” Calling the police is also a great way for someone to intervene, Mull said. Even if the witness does not completely know that a crime is occurring, it is better to be safe than sorry. “The police would much rather prefer getting a phone call that they don’t have to do anything with, but respond to,” said Mull. Police simply respond to the incident which is better than receiving a phone call after a crime has occurred. He insists to call so police can get to the scene before someone gets hurt. Intervening in a crime is based on the bystander’s comfort level. “That’s a personal decision to make,” said Steve Stella, director of Department of Safety and Security at Saint Rose. Stella advises students to become familiar with what college security offers and use escort services to avoid assault scenarios. Some dangerous situations are unavoidable and the key is to maintain awareness at all times, said Forte. “Pay attention to your instincts when something doesn’t feel right. Believe in yourself. Beyond that, we don’t want you to be afraid to go out. We want you aware and prepared.” Mull suggests that one way to be prepared is to never allow someone to walk up behind you. If you find yourself in a situation where someone is physically hurting you, use force to scare the offender away. “Everybody wants to say violence doesn’t solve anything. Well, no, it actually does.
The Chronicle Violence stops violence. It’s usually the only thing that will,” he said. Thinking fast is also critical when put in dangerous situations. Inspector Mull used to teach the RAD program, and one of the terms he taught students was, “Fight, flight, or freeze.” Many people tend to freeze during dangerous scenarios. “They stop thinking, they can’t get past what’s happening to develop a response to what’s happening,” said Mull. He also told students, “The best place to be during an assault is not there.” If someone is held at knifepoint, maybe the best answer is to run. “Don’t wait, or waste time. If someone grabs your purse...maybe the right answer is to not struggle with that purse, but let them take it.” It flabbergasts Mull when people do not respond to crimes occurring right in front of them. “They probably lock up and can’t think of what to do,” he said. Mull advises his police to think through different shocking scenarios and how they would respond to it, so if it does occur they’re not mentally responding to it for the first time. Some other reasons why bystanders do not intervene may be because they do not want to get involved with the
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police, or they do not want to get hurt if they physically intervene. The College of Saint Rose is offering a sociology course next semester and one component of the course is bystander intervention. “I talk about it because it links well with a famous case... the Kitty Genovese case, a woman who was stabbed to death in a Queen’s neighborhood in 1964. Many people heard the attack and nobody called the police,” said Stephanie Bennett, associate professor of sociology. Bennett said this course ties well into the topics covered in sociology, and by focusing on bystander effects, it will provide students with skills that can empower them. A lesson that Bennett wants all students to take away from this course is that, “Everyone can make a difference, whether directly or indirectly,” she said. Whether it’s speaking up for a stranger or calling the police, it is people working together that keep everyone safe. “Being a member of society means taking some steps to help that society maintain,” Mull said. “Morally, if you see another person in danger, you can take reasonable steps to mitigate that danger. I think morally, we’re all obligated to do something.”
COURTESY ALBANY POLICE DEPT.
54-year-old Anthony Collins attempted to abduct two young women back in early October.
News A8 Albany’s Number One Fish Fry Is Here to Stay The Chronicle
By LOLITA AVILA Contributing Writer The owners of Bob & Ron's Fish Fry on Central Avenue are looking for investors to revamp the 65-year-old business. The restaurant is best known for its fresh seafood and tasty fish fries. Dan and Christine Zonca hope to sell the property and lease the business from a new owner. The Zoncas also plan to expand their franchise to other parts of the Capital District. Dave Zonca said his original plan has always included creating additional locations for growth. The 1007 Central Ave property is on the market for $699,000 with listing agent NAI Platform. “The advertisement has been
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up for only about 10 days,” said Don Cepiel, real estate agent for NAI Platform. Cepiel said he is in the process of contacting developers and nearby neighbors to inform them of the sale. “Yes, I have had financial problems,” said Dan Zonca. He said there are many factors that affect the success of a business. “The taxes in Albany are not sustainable,” he said. Zonca said the taxes last year were up 12 percent, and as a stand-alone business, it is his responsibility to shoulder the cost and provide sufficient wages for his employees. “The taxes are more per month than I should be paying in a lease,” said Zonca. Minimizing the tax is a priority for the Zoncas. The vision is to have a buyer
Outside of Albany’s original famous Bob and Rob’s Fish Fry at 1007 Central Ave.
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Dan Zonca, owner of Bob and Ron’s Fish Fry
who will modernize the location. They want to remodel the fish fry while still maintaining the quality of the food. Approximately 250 customers visit the restaurant daily, except Fridays when a whopping 500 make their way to dine at the fish fry. The business emphasizes the freshness of their seafood. Everyday a boat is sent out, and within 12 to 14 hours, the food is served. Customers not only rave about their seafood, but also their delicious macaroni salad, tartar and cocktail sauces. Bob and Ron’s Fish Fry opened in June of 1948 and was well-established before Zonca purchased it on May 26, 2009. With a background in insurance risk management, it was a difficult transition for Dave Zonca. “I probably bought the place in
the worst economy since the depression,” he said. However, in the last five years, the fish fry has developed a new slogan and logo for their T-shirts. A larger selection of grilled seafood was added to the menu as a healthier choice. Also, the business was named the number one fish fry in the Capital District by the Times Union. “The number of loyal customers that come here is astronomical,” said Donny Nedeau, general manager at Bob and Ron’s Fish Fry. Nedeau works as Zonca’s right-hand man and fully supports the expansion. He says he is excited and thinks the business will thrive. The fish fry prides itself on the care of customers and values their opinions. The Zoncas are launching the “Help us grow” campaign,
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which will give customers a voice in the business. They are in the process of making 2,000 surveys that provide location choices of Colonie, Delmar, Niskayuna, and Guilderland. There will also be an “other” option where consumers can suggest a different region. The Zoncas plan to keep the fish fry a family-owned business. Their two oldest children currently work as part-time employees. While placing their property for sale may have caused confusion, Dave Zonca makes it clear that Bob and Ron’s Fish Fry is not shutting down. “We are in expansion mode,” he said. The Zoncas plan to hire an interior designer to present the fish fry with a more nautical style. “The quality that happens at Bob and Ron’s Fish Fry must and will be replicated in the other locations.”
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Islamic Classes in the Pine Hills By MOUZAWAR CHAMI Contributing Writer
Mujetaba Suddiqui, 10, is an American from Pakistani parents. He is in the 5th grade at the Sheridan Public School in Albany. He started attending the Arabic and Islamic studies program two years ago. He is now in the 3rd level of the program. ‘‘I can read almost correctly in Arabic right now. So I started memorizing the small chapters of the holy book,’’ he proudly said. Islamic classes are an educational program of the mosque Masjid As- Salam, located on Central Avenue in Albany. According to the imam of the mosque, the goal of this program is to allow students to achieve a greater understanding of the Islamic faith and a way of life. The program includes reading, recitation, memorization and comprehension of the holy Koran. The text and booklets used are published by IQRA (read in Arabic) Book Center in Chicago, IL. ‘‘My course consists of reading the Koran, the biography of the prophet and special sayings from him,’’ said Hisham Hassan, the instructor of the fifth level of the Islamic classes. Hassan, 38, lives on Washington Avenue and works as a volunteer for the educational program of the mosque. He is an international student from Egypt and is preparing to earn a Master of Atmospheric Science degree at the State University of New York at Albany. He is the parent of two kids: Ali, 5, and Mustapha, 2. His son Ali attends the first level class in the second floor of the building. ‘‘My class includes kids, youth, and adults who were not born Muslims,’’ Hassan said. Hafez Khan is from India. He is the principal of the educational program held every evening from 6 to 8 p.m. According to Khan, there are two training programs during the year, except during the holy month of Ramadan. A weekend curriculum costs $70 per person for the whole year.
A 3rd level classroom. Faruq, the instructor is the third on the left. Regarding the weekday program, it costs $50 per month and is opened to people who have flexible working hours. There are seven classrooms from the first to the fifth level, located on the first and second floors of the mosque. Umur Faruq, 27, is a graduate of the Empire State College at Saratoga with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He teaches the 2nd and 3rd level combined. ‘‘In the 2nd level, students learn Arabic pronunciation, reading whole sentences, some poems and the basic prayer,’’ he said. In Faruq’s classroom, students sit at their desks writing and reading, whereas in the other classes, students sit on the floor like in the traditional Arabic and Islamic schools. ‘‘Courses and tests in the 3rd level consist of reading the Koran, memorizing and prayer practices. However, we don’t explain the meaning of the Koran in this level,’’ he said. The Islamic classes are gender-segregated and students are placed according to their levels. Classrooms for girls are located
in the first floor and are separated by pairs of curtains from the other classrooms. Asma Abdullah, 21, is an undergraduate student from Sudan. She is the instructor
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of the 1st level for boys. ‘‘Arabic alphabet consists of 28 letters and 3 vowels. Students have to repeat the letters of the alphabet in a first step. In a second step, they com-
bine vowels and letters to make and repeat simple words. They also learn how to make ablutions (get washed before praying),’’ she said. Parents usually come to pray at 8 p.m. and pick up their kids. Ahmad Saberi, 36, is from Afghanistan and has two sons who attend the classes: Talha, 9, and Awad, 6 years old. ‘‘I send my kids here in order to acquire the basic knowledge of the Islamic religion and practice it accordingly,’’ he said. Sofyan Hoflhi is a parent from Yemen and has a little daughter in the program. He seems to agree with Saberi. ‘‘I would say the same thing: these Islamic classes are important for the education of our children,’’ he said. Hamid Seraj, who came from Afghanistan, is the father of daughter Wafa, 4. He was enthusiastic to give more details. ‘‘Our kids learn the Western culture in the American public schools, but it’s not sufficient for us. They need to know the culture of their parents. Islamic culture is our identity and when our kids come here, they interact with each other, and hence they learn to have a double culture,’’ he said.
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Reading and memorization exercise at the 4th level. Salahuddin Muhiddin, the instructor, is on the right.
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The Fixer: Neighborhood Cop
By MARK ADAM Contributing Writer A familiar face along the streets, police officer Joe Acquaviva, Jr. stops into businesses and attends his share of neighborhood meetings. He is the Pine Hills’ very own beat cop. As a member of the Neighborhood Engagement Unit, the police department’s community policing effort, Acquaviva walks or bikes the neighborhood Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight, but has the flexibility to change his normal shift. He gets to know the people in his neighborhood and helps solve longterm problems like a disruptive tenant or a dilapidated house irking neighbors. The result is usually a solution for the neighborhood and freed patrol cars. Acquaviva, 46, submits weekly reports on his work, attends community meetings, and gives presentations on safety and security. In the first five months this year, he attended 68 meetings, including those hosted by the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association and the Beautify Upper Madison Project, he said. Acquaviva will be at the advisory committee on safety meeting at Albany Medical College on Monday. Acquaviva bid for Beat 16, which covers half of the Pine Hills from Manning Boulevard to Partridge Street, when the Albany Police Department re-instituted community policing back in January 2011. He enjoys working in a diverse neighborhood comprised of residents, students and businesses. “I’m gonna go to a neighborhood that is saveable, one that’s not really lost yet, ‘cause a lot of our neighborhoods are and that’s just the raw truth. There’s probably a lot of people that don’t want to admit it,” he said. A 16-year veteran on the Albany police force, Acquaviva spent 11 years patrolling Arbor Hill. Prior to that, he served six years with the Albany County Sheriff’s
Police officer Joe Acquaviva outside his office at the Pastoral Center at 40 N. Main St. Department. Eighteen of the city’s 33 zones have a walking beat officer like Acquaviva. His commander, Lt. Michael Tremblay, said the focus is to address quality of life issues, build relationships with community members, and improve the communication process. When the Madison Theatre was vandalized with graffiti, Acquaviva contacted the owner of the CVS next door, figuring the perpetrator was accessing its lower roof, said Virginia Hammer, president of the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association. Acquaviva got permission to post a “No Trespassing” sign so that anyone caught on the roof could be arrested. “He takes a very active role in what goes on in the neighborhood. I see him around all the
time,” Hammer said. Acquaviva makes it a point to stop in businesses and see how things are going. Rachel Lainhart, a manager at Bruegger’s Bagels on the corner of Madison Avenue and South Allen Street, sees him regularly. Although there’s never been an incident that required his assistance, Lainhart has his business card and feels like she could call him if needed, she said. Even elected officials go to Acquaviva to fix community issues. Leah Golby, councilwoman for the 10th Ward, which falls in Pine Hills, said that she calls Acquaviva even if it is not police-related because he finds solutions. “I see him as a partner in helping to make the community better,” Golby said. Originally from West Islip on Long Island, Acquaviva decided
to become a police officer in high school after a local cop spoke in his constitutional law class. He joined the Albany Police Department in 1997. “He was one of my all-stars,” said Steve Stella, former district commander in the Albany Police Department and current director of security at The College of Saint Rose. Acquaviva has accompanied Saint Rose security officers to off-campus houses on numerous occasions to do a “knock and talk,” where they respond to complaints of parties and loud music. Acquaviva “lays the law down,” but at the same time, makes it a teachable moment, Stella said. For the past year-and-a-half, Acquaviva’s office has been housed at the Pastoral Center at 40 N. Main St., the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. He was
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offered an office in the building by simply stopping in one day as he was walking his beat. Like the rest of the Neighborhood Engagement Unit, Acquaviva has received specialized training in problem-oriented policing. He visits Pine Hills Elementary School to train fifth graders in gang resistance education and training, and works in the Albany Police Department’s cadet program, putting high school students through a modified police training program during the summer. Acquaviva’s become such a presence in Pine Hills that his former commander hopes he considers college security when he hangs up his holster. “He’d have a home here,” Stella said.
News A11 Building Relationships, One Cut at a Time
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By JOSE ROMERO Contributing Writer Looking past the spotless decal-labeled windows of 807 Madison Ave., one might notice the 50” flat screen television mounted on the wall, or maybe even the steel, leather-trimmed barber chairs looking as if they were pulled straight out of a 1920’s barbershop. Outside, the last of the autumn leaves roll by as customers pass in and out of the doorway. The holiday season draws near, the busiest time for Duke’s Barbershop. Venture inside the shop and meet the man behind it all, Michael Duker, 28. Sporting the latest fashion trends and a neatly trimmed beard, he’s often spotted with either a pair of clippers or his signature straight razor. The Selkirk-born barber, whose father is an electrician and owns student apartments in Albany, and whose mother works for the state, has deep roots in the Albany area. He knows the ins and outs of the city, which was helpful when choosing the right location for his barbershop. “I wanted to purchase a building rather than rent, and Madison Avenue has better traffic and is more populated than most other places in the area,” he said. Duker received his associate in business and marketing degree from Hudson Valley Community College in 2005 before he decided to go to school for barbering at Austin Beauty School on Central Avenue, where he earned a degree in barbering in 2007. He later went on to teach at the school before launching his own barbershop on Delaware Avenue. That spot, though, did not attract enough foot traffic, so in 2009, he closed the shop and reopened on Madison Avenue. He started with two other barbers and the shop quickly grew in popularity. The barbershop attracts students from The College of Saint Rose, the University at Albany, and several other neighboring schools, as well as many
Duker outside of the shop after a long day. older men who pass on their daily commute. At $15 per cut, Duker’s prices are comparable to that of other barbershops in the neighborhood. He also offers student and senior discounts and even has a clothing line. Much of his success, however, is attributed to the classic style and feel of the shop. Vintage pictures hang across all of the walls alongside many antique barbering tools which he has collected over time. His father taught him the value of old school products and services. “People envision a barbershop a certain way and I want to keep it that way,” he said. “Our barbers each bring something different to the table. Doug skateboards and most of his clients are skateboarders, Rocco was a boxer and a lot of his clients are boxers, Freddy is into horses and the track and most of my clients are into either sports or are into
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fashion like me,” said Duker. He wants people to feel comfortable and relax and feel a sense of community inside. “We try to build relationships with people,” Duker said. “When you sit in my chair, I don’t want you just talking to me. I want to get the whole shop involved.” On any given day, the shop is likely to be filled with people conversing with each of the barbers about sports, television and the latest trends. A key selling point is the shop’s ability to engage the community and customers. “Duke builds relationships with his clients, he talks to them about sports, sneakers, and fashion…I would say that 95 percent of his customers are clientele and 5 percent are walk-ins,” said Rocco Archina, 30, a former Marine of nine years and current barber at Duke’s Barbershop. Duker displays a passion for
his profession and this is evident to those around him. “Duke has wanted to be a barber for as long as I can remember,” said Mike Zanchelli. “He caters to each client, makes them feel comfortable, he asks how they’re doing and looks for shared interests,” Mike said. Sometimes, Duker is challenged to find a common interest with some of his newer clients. “Younger guys who come in are sometimes too caught up in social media or busy on their phones and would rather be texting than having a conversation,” he said. “Sometimes it gets distracting. They’ve got their arms out and head facing down staring at their phone and I have to tell them, ‘hey man, you gotta turn your head so I can cut your hair.’” Social media and smartphones have also been a huge asset for Duker. A lot of the traffic that the shop receives is due to its presence on social media. Currently, Duke’s Barbershop is on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The free publicity from these social networks proves invaluable when seeking new clients. “I try to maintain a presence on social media. We use Instagram a lot and we try to post constantly throughout the day so when you go on there, it’s one of those things that’s always in the back of your head,” said the Madison barber.
Even Duker’s business cards aren’t the average paper cards with a name, phone number and address. The cards are designed with minimal text, small printed phone numbers and on the back, they’re filled with social media information. From Instagram and Twitter, to Facebook and even a website, they serve as a medium for connecting with clients socially. “Being that we’re in a college neighborhood, students have every form of social media. I feel like, especially in this generation, people aren’t apt to try new things and just walk in a place.” As for himself, Duker prefers to obtain new information the old-fashioned way, relying on clients and friends for the latest news about what’s going on in the community. “I meet new people every day. That’s why I like what I do. I might meet someone who could put me on to something new… I hardly look up things, I hear about most places through word -of-mouth,” he said. Duker aims at bringing together people from all walks of life, all interested in a common goal: a haircut and possibly a good conversation. “A barbershop is a melting pot of the community… wherever you go, you find a doctor, place to eat, and a barber,” Duker said.
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Michael Duker, giving one of his famous straight razor shaves.
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Stress-Free Zone 2013 By Kelly Pfeister
Tiffany Ramos, student, and Nurse Michelle Goss represented Health Services by offering students smoothies and healthy snacks.
Jillian Daigneault takes time out to color at the Stress-Free Zone.
Students were given many options of stress relief - one way was to shred their dread.
Coloring books and crafts were available for stressed college students.
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A Journalist by Nature By JACKSON WANG Executive Editor
Lauren Halligan, a senior communications major at The College of Saint Rose, is usually the person asking the questions in an interview, not the one answering them. So when she agreed to be the subject of an interview for a senior profile, a nervous Halligan asked, “Can I do this in writing?” With a print journalist mindset, opening a Microsoft Word document and putting words on the screen is something Halligan is used to, and truly enjoys doing. It’s a passion that started in middle school, where she reviewed a Fall Out Boy concert for the school’s newspaper. “Basically, I wanted to tell everyone how much I loved the concert, so that’s still the route I’m going with for journalism,” said Halligan, looking a little more comfortable in the interview. With a passion for music and a love for writing, Halligan would learn at an early age which profession she wanted to pursue. “Journalism was a way to go to concerts, sometimes for free, and do what I like,” Halligan said. “But the other thing I like is writing, so music and writing just fit together for me.” And it’s a passion that she gets paid for today by working for The Saratogian, an opportunity that she picked up on after working as the editor of The Scene over the summer. That was also her first experience of working in a professional newsroom environment. “I got to do a lot of cool things,” a smiling Halligan said. “I got to cover music, fashion, and arts. It was everything I loved. That was honestly the perfect summer job for me.” Along with working in Saratoga, Halligan also writes for the Sacandaga Magazine, where she does business features. “That was my first endeavor
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Lauren Halligan, right, interviewing former Saint Rose president David Szczerbacki, left, at last March’s B.B. King concert in the Massry Center for the Arts. into advertising writing for me,” Halligan said. After graduating from Galway High School in 2010, Halligan began her college education at Schenectady County Community College (SCCC), majoring in humanities and social sciences because the institution didn’t have a journalism program. But, she still had an opportunity to write for a campus publication at SCCC called the Binnekill. “I covered a lot of cool things,” said Halligan, who interviewed Chuck D and Richard Marx for stories for the publication. After spending three semesters at SCCC, she transferred to Saint
Rose, where she took her first ever journalism course taught by Cailin Brown. “(Brown) really helped me dive right into it,” Halligan said. “She told me when The Chronicle meeting was and I came to the first one and I never left.” “(Halligan) is a journalist by nature,” Brown said. “And she had an inquisitive mind from the start.” Halligan first joined the student-run newspaper as a staff writer, covering a variety of stories, which included campus events, profiles, and music. She first impressed Brown when she wrote a story about milk delivery
in the Pine Hills. “She woke up at about four in the morning and rode around in a milk truck with the Meadow Brooks delivery people,” Brown said. “And it takes a certain student to do that and it takes somebody who is motivated and has initiative and (Halligan) did a good job with that.” And by the end of her first semester at Saint Rose, she was asked to be features editor. “I was very happy to be asked to be features editor,” Halligan said, who also received a scholarship from Women’s Press Club of New York State that summer. “I really felt like I was part of it all.”
After serving the role of features editor for one year, she entered her final semester of college as the news editor of The Chronicle. “News is kind of a switch for me, but it was a challenge for me,” Halligan said. “You have to stay in tune with all your news outlets and know what’s going on in the world, which is good for anyone to do, but it’s especially important for the news editor to be on top of it.” Managing Editor Chris Surprenant, who has known Halligan for two years, said she does a lot of the hard work in terms of stories. “She covers a lot of really important things that other people don’t want to,” Surprenant said. “She does the hard work that a lot of other people won’t be because she’s very dedicated to the business.” That dedication to journalism will help Halligan, who graduates this week, be very employable, said Brown. Halligan said that after she finishes college, she plans on continuing to work for Sacandaga Magazine and The Saratogian. She said she’ll soon start to apply for jobs in the Capital Region. “I would love to stay local,” said Halligan, who looked more at ease now than at the beginning of the interview. “It’s just what I’ve grown up with and I know most.” In five years, Halligan said she would love to be working fulltime at The Saratogian. She said her dream job would be writing for Rolling Stone. But wherever she works, Halligan said she will be doing journalism. “I’ve learned that the journalism field is right for me,” Halligan said. “I’m going to miss laughing with her. I’m going to miss going out for Chronicle Happy Hour with her, and I’m going to miss Lauren Halligan in general,” Surprenant said.
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watches a lot of film, but does “When you make your own stuff not necessarily consider himself and start to critique it, especially a movie buff. Instead of focus- as time goes by, there are some ing on the narrative of a film, he things you look at and say, ‘I’m looks at what the visual impact of really proud of it,’ but it changes,” he said. the film can make. News Editor Lauren Halligan “When you look at a story or a movie, dialogue only does so has recognized his dedication and much for it. Most of the impact perfectionism. “John is a dedicomes from what you’re seeing. cated member of The Chronicle There’s so much emotion you can staff. He has a real talent with portray in one shot. If you don’t video and I’m sure he will do well get the shot right, you might not in his future,” Halligan said. Whatever his future holds, get the emotion,” Janitz said. One of Janitz’s more promi- Janitz is ready for it. Hoping to nent projects is the alumni video that plays in the vestibule of CCIM. While it looks polished and professional, it was not produced without difficulty. “It was almost a disaster, but we managed to pull through in the You’re growing up, and you need a bank that end,” Janitz said. will be there for you every step of the way. Janitz though, is his own worst as a part of our student banking program, enemy sometimes. Capital bank will help you with your checking No matter how and savings accounts and provide you with many times he edhandy tools such as Web banking, Mobile its a video, it never banking, and fee-free atM access. so stop fully satisfies him. on in and begin a relationship with us—it will be one that your parents will welcome and one that you will treasure for a lifetime.
get into television someday, he would love to edit comedy or adventure programs. However, if he could land any job, his ultimate dream is to put together pieces for the Discovery Channel. But such a goal cannot be achieved without hard work. “Professional quality work comes later in college,” Janitz said. “It takes a while to get to that point. You’re going to make a lot of crap before you make a lot of good stuff.”
John Janitz: A Point of View By CHRIS SURPRENANT Managing Editor
When you walk around campus, you have a good chance of seeing John Janitz armed with a camera, shooting footage for one of his many projects. Janitz, though, is no amateur videographer. A communications major at The College of Saint Rose, Janitz will be graduating with his degree at the semester’s end. Janitz, though fond of video, has always had an affinity for all sorts of technology ever since high school. In his spare time, he builds computers. He even built one specifically for editing his pieces for his communications coursework. However, this passion has evolved over time into something that blends both of his passions together. “It’s been something I’ve been passionate about and would enjoy doing for the rest of my life,” he said. “However, I did not want to be stuck behind a desk.” Currently, he is a member of The Chronicle, and has been since 2011. During his time there, he has worn a few different hats. He first met former Executive Editor Ian Benjamin at the Clubs and Activities Fair as a sophomore,
where Benjamin asked if he had any interest in creating videos for the publication. Initially, Janitz created small clips for The Chronicle’s YouTube channel, covering various events around campus, and eventually uploaded them directly to its website. After being the club’s official videographer, Janitz then transitioned to the position of Layout Editor. He had mentioned to editors Jackson Wang and Sunshine Osella that he had skills in Photoshop, a tool regularly used to produce the paper. Accepting the position, Janitz acquired the responsibility of finalizing the aesthetic feel of the paper, rearranging and tweaking articles and photographs to create visually pleasing pages. Jackson Wang, current Executive Editor of The Chronicle, knows first-hand how much Janitz means to the staff. “He’s a very hardworking student and we’re really going to miss him. When he comes in on Sunday and puts the finishing touches on it, it puts the paper on a pedestal to look at on Tuesday. I wish him the best,” Wang said. While Janitz spends a fair amount of time with print media, the visual arts are his passion. He
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Arts B15 An Alternative Best Christmas Movies List
December 10th, 2013
By ANDY GILCHRIST Staff Writer Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it’s time to start re-watching all the classic holiday films. The Hallmark Channel and ABC Family will air literally every Christmas TV movie ever made, while anticipation has already begun for TBS’s all day Christmas Day marathon of A Christmas Story. But what are you supposed to do if you get tired of the same old feel-good Christmas films? What if you just can’t take another viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, or Home Alone? Have the jokes from The Santa Clause, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and Elf gotten stale? If you agreed with that last sentence, seek counseling. But seriously, if you need an alternative list of holiday films this season, here is a list of films that barely qualify. None of the films on this list are centered on Christmas, but since they are somewhat Christmas-related, they count. Enjoy! 10. Iron Man 3 Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley Synopsis: It’s been six months since the destruction of New York City, and Tony Stark is still trying to move on. But while the rest of the world embraces the holiday spirit, Stark must face off with his most dangerous enemy yet: the terrorist known as The Mandarin. Simultaneously, former colleague Aldrich Killian resurfaces, causing Stark problems on the business side. As Stark tries to fight two battles, he realizes that something much more sinister is happening. 9. The Long Kiss Goodnight Starring: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Brian Cox, Yvonne Zima
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Synopsis: Eight years ago, Samantha Caine washed up pregnant on a New Jersey beach with amnesia. Ever since, she’s hired every private investigator she can afford to find out her story, but no results have ever turned up. One day, a holiday parade she participates in is broadcast in a prison and an inmate says he knows her; he says she’s CIA agent Charly Baltimore, who’s been missing for eight years. 8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen Synopsis: Harry Lockhart is a small-time crook who runs into an acting audition trying to get away from a botched robbery. Interpreting his frantic behavior as an actual audition, he is given a role in a film and begins shadowing a real P.I. to get into character. In the ensuing weeks, they encounter struggling actresses, dead bodies, hitmen, and all other sorts of Hollywood lowlifes. 7. Trading Places Starring: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Denholm Elliott Synopsis: In a modern day adaptation of Pygmalion and The Prince and the Pauper, stockbroker Louis Winthorpe III and street hustler Billy Ray Valentine switch places during the holiday season for the amusement of the two owners of the firm. When they meet and realize what is going on, they hatch a plan to manipulate the stock market and get revenge. 6. Die Hard 2 Starring: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Dennis Franz, Fred Thompson, William Sadler Synopsis: A year after the Nakatomi Plaza event, John McClane is waiting to pick up his wife, Holly, at Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport for a
Christmas vacation. But being the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time, McClane walks right into a terrorist plot to free a foreign dictator facing charges in America. With his wife’s plane running low on fuel and the airport being held hostage, McClane must jump into action to save the day. 5. Gremlins Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Howie Mandel, Frank Welker Synopsis: Struggling to come up with a present to buy his son for Christmas, Randall Peltzer buys a mysterious creature called a Mogwai in Chinatown. The Mogwai needs to follow three strict rules: never give it sunlight, water, or food after midnight. Naturally, Frank’s son, Billy, ignores these rules and chaos ensues.
as much as she is with revenge on her enemies. Amidst the bright lights of Christmas, Batman must fight these two villains, amongst others, in his greatest adventure yet. 2. Eyes Wide Shut Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Todd Field Synopsis: In Stanley Kubrick’s final film, Bill Harford’s life is turned upside-down when his wife admits to him, after a holiday party, that she fantasizes about other men. Bill takes a walk down New York’s red-and-greentinted streets, happening upon a cult meeting and a bizarre sexual ritual. In the days that follow, Bill
finds himself being followed and begins to fear for his and his family’s lives. 1. Die Hard Starring: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, William Atherton Synopsis: In the best action movie ever made, John McClane travels to Los Angeles to reconcile with his estranged wife, Holly. While meeting up with her at her office Christmas party, the building is taken over by terrorist Hans Gruber and his team. Alone and without shoes, McClane must battle a dozen heavily armed madmen, take back the building, and rescue his wife and everyone else in the building.
4. Lethal Weapon Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Mitchell Ryan, Gary Busey Synopsis: Martin Riggs is a cop on the edge of a nervous breakdown after the recent death of his wife. Roger Murtaugh is an aging homicide detective who always seems to be on the edge of retirement. Reluctantly paired together, they investigate a suicide that leads to the international drug trade and connections to both men’s pasts in Vietnam. 3. Batman Returns Starring: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny De Vito, Christopher Walken Synopsis: Nearly 15 years before Christian Bale growled through Gotham, Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight deals with The Penguin, a malevolent and deformed man infatuated with taking over the city by running for mayor. Simultaneously, the mysterious Catwoman appears, a burglar obsessed with Batman
Bruce Willis
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December 10th, 2013
Volume 82 Issue 16
Calling All Little Monsters, Lady Gaga Has Done it Again By KATIE KLIMACEK Staff Writer
It’s no surprise that Mother Monster has yet again been able to amaze her fans with her latest album, ARTPOP. Released on Nov. 11, this is Lady Gaga’s third studio album. As described by Gaga herself, this album is “a celebration and a poetic musical journey.” Mixing the sounds of pop and techno, ARTPOP is an experience like no other album Lady Gaga has produced before. Taking almost two years to complete, ARTPOP shows a happy ending to the artist’s difficult road to fame. In an interview, Lady Gaga said that her inspiration for this album was to show her fans more of her vulnerable side. She stood in front of a mirror and removed
the wigs, makeup, and outfits that made her Lady Gaga and put on a black bald cap and cat suit, saying “OK, now you need to show them you can be brilliant without that.” Each of Lady Gaga’s albums represents a chronological evolution of sound and meaning, with ARTPOP taking the cake as her most innovative masterwork. In her second album, Born This Way, she expressed a voice of pain in her music, representing her many insecurities and struggles. Using a new style of rock n’ roll, it is an album about acceptance as well as the painful price to pay just for being yourself. But with ARTPOP, Gaga steps out of this darkness in her life, producing a completely new and innovative form of pop music. In the end, it embodies who she is as a performer. I really enjoy this side of Gaga.
As much as her style and outrageous persona makes her who she is, it’s nice to see her simpler side. To me, it makes her even more relatable to her fans. Even though she shares her struggles as a person and an artist and is able to connect with fans through her music, she strips away the wigs and outfits in ARTPOP to show the world that she can leave behind what her career was built on and still be able to rock out and make great music. A perfect example of this transformation can be heard in her new song, “Dope.” You can just feel the real Lady Gaga, Stefani Germanotta, come through and show her struggles with drugs and alcohol. At a performance in London, Gaga took a moment to
express to her fans that giving up drugs and alcohol was one of the hardest things she has ever had to deal with. She even went so far as to say, “I don’t have to be high to be creative.” In the song, you hear, “I need you more than dope,” which leaves you with the feeling that she is talking directly to her fans, letting them know how much they mean to her. In several interviews, Lady Gaga explains that her fame came very quickly and made it hard for her to really plant her feet on who and what she was as an artist. Because of this, she used her creativity to hide the sadness that she felt as not only an artist, but as a person as well. ARTPOP is her happy place, where she feels that she doesn’t
have to be the crazy artist who wears outrageous outfits. With this new album, you see her in a more simplistic manner, more natural, and, in a sense, more real than before. Another great song from ARTPOP is “Applause,” the first single released from the album. For 7 months, Lady Gaga was unable to perform due to a broken hip, preventing her from finishing her tour and taking her away from her fans. “I live for the Applause,” Gaga said as she sat down with GMA. “What I mean is not that I live for the attention, but I live to make you (the fans) happy.” And that is exactly what Gaga was able to do with ARTPOP-- make her fans happy.
Campus Band Performs Fall Concert By ISABEL MORA Contributing Writer
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Lady Gaga has delivered another great album.
As the holiday season has arrived, so has the time for performances by talented College of Saint Rose musicians. On Dec. 3, The Saint Rose Campus Band performed its annual Fall Concert, held at the Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall. The audience was filled with family, friends, and members of the community who came to watch the band perform. The audience was almost full as it waited for the concert to begin. Band director, Dr. Charles D. Reader, enthusiastically led the band through the performance. The band performed five pieces, both old and new. First they performed “Prelude, Rondo, and Sicilliano,” and then “O Magnum Mysterium,” followed by “Strange Humors.” After that was “Sleigh Ride.” The evening was concluded with Symphonic Dance No.3, “Fiesta.” Reader said all of the pieces were performed “above and beyond expectations.” The oldest of the pieces was Sleigh Ride originally composed by Leroy Anderson. Some audi-
The Saint Rose Campus performing their Fall Concert. ence members were even dancing in their seats as the students performed the piece. Ann Marie Chiappinelli said “everybody loves Sleigh Bells” and that it was a pleasure to watch and enjoy the students perform. When the band performed O Magnum Mysterium, the audience was at the edge of their seats listening with great interest. This piece is the world’s most often performed and the Saint Rose Campus Band did very well performing it.
ISABEL MORA
The band consists of 58 Saint Rose students. They have been meeting for two hours once a week all semester practicing and preparing the pieces. When addressing the audience Reader said the group was filled with “motivated young musicians” and that he was impressed by their ability and drive even after a long day of classes. The concert concluded at about 8:45pm with a long and gracious applause from the audience.
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Bang Your Head with Brendan By BRENDAN TENAN Staff Writer Welcome back to another edition of “Bang Your Head with Brendan,” the only column in The Chronicle that celebrates, critiques, and assesses everything that rocks. Last week’s column focused on a few of the bands who comprise the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, or NWOAHM. This week’s column will be a little more eclectic, as I’ll take a look at some of the latest offerings from the metal and rock world. In addition to an even broader offering of subgenres in this week’s column, we will also see a mix of albums featuring original music and a couple covers albums as well. With that introduction out of the way, let’s get to it.
meet the lofty standard the band has set with Infestissumam. While their stripped-down version of Rory Erickson’s “If You Have Ghosts” and the fairly faithful rendition of ABBA’s “I’m a Marionette” are both strong efforts, the live version of new single “Secular Haze” and their cover of Depeche Mode’s “Waiting for the Night” miss the mark. That being said, it’s always fun to listen to albums like these. As a fan, it allows you to see who your favorite artists were influenced by, further expanding your own musical horizons. If You Have Ghost is not a must have, but it’s definitely a fun listen and gives fans some unique insight into one of the hottest, most enigmatic bands in metal today. 7.5/10
Halestorm, ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP: Halestorm Ghost B.C., If You Have have quickly gained a large folGhost – EP: A number of new bands have hit the scene in a big way recently, but one band who seems to have taken the metal world by storm is Ghost B.C., whose major label debut, Infestissumam, will likely be found on many “Best Metal Albums of 2013” lists. The Swedish outfit seems to defy categorization in many ways. Their appearance and the subject matter of their lyrics suggests some form of black or doom metal, but the composition and sound of their music is well beyond these narrow subgenres. Ghost B.C. combines vivid, satanic imagery in their lyrics with the sensibilities of classic rock and even pop music. They blend distorted, often down-tuned guitars with a keyboard and the smooth, clean vocals from lead singer Papa Emeritus II. Their latest album is an EP of cover songs, titled If You Have Ghost. This is a solid covers album, and shows how diverse and eclectic the band’s personal tastes are. However, it does not seem to
lowing comprised of both rock and metal fans thanks to two solid studio albums, constant touring, and the great vocal abilities of lead singer Lizzy Hale. The band released their second EP of cover songs back in October, entitled ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVeRs eP. Much like their first cover album in 2011, ReAniMate 2.0 features a mix of classic rock and metal, with at least one pop song that seems to come completely out of left field. The results are impressive. The band boldly starts with the classic Judas Priest song “Dissident Aggressor.” As respected as Judas Priest is in the rock and metal community, not too many bands cover “the metal gods.” This is largely because of the daunting challenge the lead singer faces in having to emulate the vocal range of Rob Halford. While she doesn’t try to completely mimic Halford’s voice and delivery, Hale is capable of singing in his range with authority and delivers
a strong performance. Songs like AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill” and Pat Benatar’s “Hell is for Children” are somewhat predictable choices but are still performed well by the band. The most surprising cover, both because of its departure in style and its immense popularity this year, is the Daft Punk song “Get Lucky.” Halestorm decided to take a different approach to this song and made it sound more like a heavy rock song. This was a wise move on their part. The song has been seen and heard everywhere this year, making it more important for Halestorm to do the song in a different way that sets their version apart from the original. The end result is a cover that keeps the catchy-as-hell hooks heard in the original Daft Punk version while getting a little bit heavier for their audience, and it works well. 8.5/10 Calabrese, Born With a Scorpion’s Touch: Those of
you who read my first column may recall my mentioning Calabrese. The trio of brothers from Phoenix, Arizona have given themselves the title of “World’s Greatest Horror Rock Band,” and have put out excellent music over the last decade that allows them to back up that grand claim. Their latest effort, Born With a Scorpion’s Touch, features a bit of a sonic departure for the band. While their overall song structures and horror movieinfluenced lyrics have generally remained the same, the tone and pacing of their songs are mark-
edly different on this album from the first four albums they’ve released. Fortunately for their fans, this change is not a bad thing. The band has successfully managed to expand their sound and approach to songwriting while staying true to the early rock ‘n roll/punk blend they’ve been known for their whole career. A few songs, like the title track and “I Wanna Be a Vigilante” show more pop tendencies than the band has previously shown, while “Loner at Heart,” “Mindwarp,” and “I Ride Alone” harken back to the earlier musical template that Calabrese first became known for. Some songs, like “Ride With the Living Dead” and “There Is an Evil Inside,” whether it’s because of effects used or decisions when mixing the tracks, sound like they belong in a cheesy B-grade horror movie from the 60s and 70s. That’s not exactly a bad thing, as I think it was a deliberate choice made by the band to make the songs have a bit of a sleazy sound to them. Whether it’s deliberate or not, they are still great rock songs that are great to listen to for any reason you can think of. 9/10 The Creepshow, Life After Death: Another band I men-
tioned in my very first column is Burlington, Ontario’s The Creepshow. The Creepshow are among the better psychobilly acts out there, combining the early rockabilly swing with a punk rock structure and lyrics playing on themes and characters seen in horror films and literature. As I said in my first column, “For
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those wondering what (psychobilly) is, picture an early rocker like Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis singing songs about zombies, vampires, and serial killers instead of a nervous first crush and partying in a jailhouse.” The band has seen many changes in its lineup in recent years, most notably with the introduction of their third lead singer, Kenda “Twisted” Legaspi. Despite the re-shuffling of the lineup, the band has managed to keep their signature sound, with Legaspi and new drummer Sandro Sanchioni and guitarist Daniel Flamm settling nicely into their positions’ established roles within the band. The album’s title certainly seems to be a tongue in cheek reference to the significant changes the band’s undergone since they debuted less than ten years ago. If this album is any indication, then there truly is Life After Death for The Creepshow, which is welcome news for their fans. Legaspi in particular is a more than suitable replacement for their previous lead singers, and the band has been able to maintain their signature swing, especially on songs like “The Devil’s Son,” “Born to Lose,” and “Take It Away.” 8.5/10 That’s all for this week my fellow punks, metalheads, and rockers. Be sure to check out my next column, as I’ll count down the best albums from 2013. Questions? Comments? Requests for a specific album to review? Email me at tenanb400@ strose.edu
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Volume 82 Issue 16
Kickin’ It With KJ: Concert Review Edition – Yeezus at MSG By KEVIN JACOB Staff Writer
Welcome all to another edition of Kickin’ It With KJ. I apologize for my absence as it’s been that dreadful time of the year: Finals. Taking care of final papers and cramming away for useless tests that can’t even determine what you’ve actually learned. But I digress. I’ve been quiet on the music reviewing and haven’t had a whole lot of time to dedicate to the column this year. Since this is the last edition before break (and New Year’s), my resolution will be to keep the column more on a weekly basis next semester. But now on to my review. A few short weeks ago, I and The Chronicle’s own Jackson Wang went to go see Yeezus Christ himself, Kanye West, at what is considered one of the best venues in America: Madison Square Garden. Kendrick Lamar was also set to open for him, so it was a great two-for-one deal. I’m a big fan of both artists, so saying that I was heavily anticipating the show was an understatement. And at about StubHub’s retail value price of $100 for barely decent seats, I was hoping that the show would at least be worth the price that we had spent on our tickets. Before Kendrick opened up, we noticed that we wouldn’t be able to see the ginormous screen over the stage for when Kanye eventually came on. For some reason, it was tilted and if you were in the higher up sections on either side, chance was that you wouldn’t be able to see it. There were many smaller video screens of what was going on around us, but it wasn’t the same and I was a little pissed off. I brushed it off and Kendrick Lamar came on. Kendrick had an accompanying band with him and had three screens at the back of the stage showing various videos of his hometown Compton while he performed. It was pretty awesome to see and it really complimented his set well. Kendrick came out to “Money Trees,” and my heart was practically in the
back of my throat, as the bass was at deafening levels. This wasn’t a huge problem, but with the bass and the sound system, which was off for some reason, it was incredibly hard to hear him. This basically ruined Kendrick’s set for me and made it very disappointing. He did perform a lot of his hits and he even performed the rare first verse off of “Sing About Me.” Jackson and I were praying that Kanye’s sound was better because if it wasn’t, we knew we would be going home furious. Thankfully, Yeezus came on and then s*** got real. A bunch of scantily clad models walked out with what looked like pantyhose masks on their faces. And then they walked to this huge mountain that was set up and stand around it. KANYE HAD A MOUNTAIN IN THE ARENA. A MOUNTAIN. Who else could do something like that? And then Kanye came running out onto the stage and performed “On Sight” while wearing one of his many Margiela masks that he wore for about 90% of the show. Yeezy then went on to kill songs such as “New Slaves,” “Blood on The Leaves,” “Send It Up,” “I’m In It,” “Through the Wire,” and “Diamonds.” One of the highlights for me during the show was that when performing “Cold,” a.k.a. “Theraflu,” towards the end of the song, the sound guy messed up and the instrumental stopped playing. Kanye just looked towards where the sound guys were and you could tell that somebody was definitely going to lose their job. But then Kanye started doing the last verse of “Theraflu” ACAPELLA. The crowd was going crazy and Kanye showed that he is a great performer. He demands your attention. His presence alone had people going nuts. Before the concert, I had been seeing online that during almost every Yeezus tour stop, Kanye would rant about whatever was on his mind. This show was no different and although some rants were bored, I thought it was amazing as he talked about wanting to just be himself and
to create things. He compared himself to Walt Disney and Steve Jobs. Yeezy showed his frustration with NIKE and blamed their CEO for not having the Red October’s coming out on time. “HE SAID THEY STILL HAVEN’T RELEASED THE OCTOBERS OR THE YEEZY TWO’S. I HAD GAVE THEM THE IDEA FOR THE YEEZY TWO’S FIVE YEARS AGO”. He said that Google’s Eric Schmidt was in the house and that he wanted him to invest in DONDA, Kanye’s creative company. I’m not incredibly sure what they do, but it sounded dope regardless. Ye kept
Kanye West
saying “WHO THINKS ERIC SCHMIDT SHOULD INVEST IN DONDA?! GIVE ME A CHANCE”. Then he got so fired up that at the end of the rant, he literally ripped off his mask and kept ranting. He then put it back on and continued the show. In the end, Kanye performed all of Yeezus and then had bits of songs from every single album but Late Registration for some reason. “Through The Wire” had to be one of the best songs of the night as everyone was throwing up the ROC sign with it. Finishing the night with “Bound 2” was pretty sick as well. This dude
literally had snow, fire, some crazy demon looking thing on the mountain, White Jesus coming out, fireworks going off INSIDE, and had near naked models carrying him at one point as he performed. The Yeezus tour was definitely one of the best shows that I’ve ever been to and it was also one of the most artistic that I’ve ever seen. This definitely made up for not being able to see him in the 10th grade for The Glow In The Dark Tour. All Hail Yeezus Christ. Rating: 10/10
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A Farewell From Lauren M. Halligan Saint Rose,
I've reached the end. The end of my college career, that is. At this transitional point in my life, I will do what I best know how and write about it. Somehow I've been lucky enough to have the big things in life quite naturally fall into place for me. I consider myself especially lucky that this wonderful fate brought me to The College of Saint Rose. I came be a part of this institution as a transfer student in January 2012. I had finished my associate degree program at Schenectady County Community College and I was ready for the next step. Within the Capital City I found my new home at Saint Rose, and have never looked back since. Coming from a small farm town up north, Albany was
a big change for me. Nonetheless I embraced it fully and came to enjoy the city life. As a communications major concentrating in journalism, my next natural step was to write for The Chronicle. Newspapers have always been my preferred writing medium, and his new, exciting campus and city offered an endless bounty of stories to write. I started off on the staff in a natural role as features editor, before moving to a more challenging position this semester as news editor. Each of my four semesters spent at the College I've been fortunate enough to be a pupil of journalism professor Cailin Brown. Aside from burning into my brain all of the journalistic rules I shall never forget, she has opened my eyes to the reality that stories are everywhere. From the
A Farewell From John P. Janitz, Jr. After three and a half years, my adventure filled, ramen fueled joyride comes to an end. As my fingers rattle on my keyboard, I find it difficult to describe what I’m feeling right now. It seems like college has passed so quickly and I wish it wasn’t time to move on. I’ve enjoyed this “part-time adult” stage of life, but it’s time
to look to the future. If you don’t know who I am, my name is John Janitz Jr and I’m the soon-to-be-former layout editor. My responsibly has been to make sure that The Chronicle is neat and pretty prior to its printing. Ever wonder why everything fits so well on the page; you’re welcome.
Opinion milkman to the midwife to the new bar on the corner, I had the opportunity to cover some truly amazing stories for The Chronicle and The Pine Hills Blog. My journey as a Saint Rose student has also brought trials and tribulations more difficult than I'd ever experienced before, but I am emerging a smarter and more sensible person. To my fellow editors and writers at The Chronicle, I wish you the best of luck as you finish out the year. I know the paper will continue to thrive under your direction. The friends I've made as a part of this hardworking club have proved to be the truest I've met at Saint Rose. We're an eclectic bunch, but it works. The Chronicle is somewhat of its own little Breakfast Club, locked up in the office together on the weekends laying out the newspaper, and I'm so happy to have been a part of it. All my best, Lauren Halligan Outgoing News Editor I started my glamorous career at the chronicle during my sophomore year as head videographer. I would go around and shoot footage of campus events for short news pieces. Initially, we had some issues integrating the concept of video into the paper. After many sleepless nights for our top physicists, we settled with putting the videos on The Chronicle website. I continued this work until my junior year when I was asked to take on the position of layout editor. Now, for a little more about who I am.
A Look Back in Time... The Chronicle is starting “A Look Back at Albany.” If you have any pictures of Albany or of saint rose from ten years ago or before, send them in with the location and date to chronicle@strose.edu!
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The Best of Lauren Halligan As chosen by the author The Milkman - My first story I ever wrote at Saint Rose was about milk delivery in The Pine Hills. I rode along on the 5 a.m. delivery and got motion sickness. Nonetheless, the story was great. The Midwife - In doing a profile story on Kelly McDermott of Sage-femme Midwifery, I learned about something I had never been exposed to before. I heard the heartbeat of a baby through an ultrasound for the first time, and the mom even let me photograph her belly! The Homicide - In my next to last week at The Chronicle I dabbled in some serious crime coverage. Editor Jackson Wang and I did some hardcore digging to get the scoop on a homicide just outside the campus boundaries. B.B. King - This was my first gala, and it was a blast. I even had the opportunity to conduct a one question interview with the blues legend himself. I will never forget this story, and what it meant to me as an aspiring music journalist. I started attending the College of Saint Rose back in 2010 as a communications major. My dream was to have a career in television, shooting and editing TV shows and documentaries. I was interested in video work in high school, and I had made some awful work. I mean, some of it was truly terrible, but I did what I could on a child’s allowance. As the semesters passed, I could see my skills improve and felt closer and closer to achieving my goals. The professors really strived for excellence and pushed me to be successful.. They are truly some of the kindest people you will ever meet. By time I made it to my junior year I was creating video pieces I was really proud of. During my last semester, I got a chance to intern over at Time Warner Cable Sports Channel and got a true taste of the business. I traveled around the area with a professional production crew shooting live sports events. It was a wonderful experience. Throughout my time at Saint
Rose I’ve met some really fantastic people that I’m truly going to miss. I’ve had so many awesome experiences and opportunities that I probably would have never had if I didn’t go to Saint Rose. So, before I accept my award for best layout editor of the universe, I’ll say this: To my fellow seniors: Good luck in the future. To the juniors: keep up it up, your hard work will be worth it. To the sophomores: congrats on making it this far, you’re almost half way there. And to the freshman: enjoy college while you can, because this great experience won’t last forever. And to the grad students, I didn’t forget you guys. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me get to this point in my life. It’s been a wild ride and I will miss you all. Farewell! Best, John Janitz, Jr. Outgoing Layout Editor
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Opinion
The Chronicle
12. Coccadott’s Bakery I could stop and start at $30-adozen cupcakes. They’re delicious, but get real. I gave away a half-off coupon to a friend and she acted like it was a golden ticket from Willy Wonka—and I empathized completely. Overpriced desserts aren’t the problem, though. In a push for press before the Super Bowl, Coccadott’s releases a set of football-themed cupcakes. Among them: beer, chocolate-covered pretzel, and chicken wing. Sucker that I am, I gave the chicken wing cupcake a shot. I got through a bite and a bit of chewing, but that was it. Chicken wing cupcakes are near-Satanic in their gnashing together of flavors. I can no longer live my life without regrets thanks to Coccadott’s. 11. Ted Cruz Conservatives often chide the government for being wasteful and excessive. Tea Party members are often the loudest of the bunch in that regard. This just adds to the tantalizing irony of Ted Cruz’s 21-hour speech in opposition to the Affordable Care Act, in which he read from Dr. Seuss, praised White Castle hamburgers, drew inspiration from Duck Dynasty, and spoke briefly in a Darth Vader voice. Cruz is a real-life Michael Scott, minus the compassion. If that sounds too good to be true, consider that he’s a first-year senator in a state where his re-election is likely. Girder your loins, people—we’re in this for the long run. 10. Richie Incognito and Riley Cooper From the NFL, we have a tagteam of people who don’t seem to get that hate speech is a problem. Cooper was recorded saying that he would “fight every n----r here” over the summer at a Kenny Chesney concert. Incognito called teammate Jonathan Martin a “half-n----r” in a voicemail, also threatening to kill Martin’s parents. There’s a great conversation to be had about the n-word, but it isn’t on a year-end list. I do, however, think it’s safe to say that my
fellow white guys should really just not go there. 9. David Szczerbacki Last fall saw a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding David Szczerbacki’s inauguration as president of the College of Saint Rose. But less than a year later, the school is back to sending out presidential search update emails. We may not know what led to his departure, but his short tenure certainly casts a shadow over the school. 8. Healthcare.gov There’s a lot to like about the Affordable Care Act—staying on your parents’ plan until you reach age 26, efforts to curb rising health care costs, and coverage for all Americans. But it’s hard to enjoy those spoils when the website to sign up doesn’t even work. In the grand scheme of things, two months of a faulty website will not tarnish the law. But the problem could’ve been prevented with some basic efforts, and it’s frustrating to see other worthy news items lose attention because a website crashed. 7. UK Residents An estimated 70,000 people lined up outside Buckingham Palace to celebrate the birth of the royal baby. An estimated zero people lined up outside wherever Kim Kardashian lives to celebrate the birth of North West. Two families famous for being famous, two completely different reactions. If that doesn’t convince you America is the greatest nation in the world, this photo of a bald eagle will:
6. Rob Ford As a hockey fan, I’ve come to follow a number of Torontobased writers over the years. And for years, when they weren’t talking hockey, they were talking Rob Ford. The verbal gaffes, almost getting removed from office in 2012, running into cameras— incidents like these have been going on for years. Getting caught smoking crack is like a lifetime achievement award for this guy. Watching the story unfold on CNN and the nightly news was like watching an indie band make their big break. 5. Juror B37 It was frustrating enough to watch George Zimmerman get off scot-free for killing Trayvon Martin, but this juror took it to another level. Saying Zimmerman was just “guilty of not using good judgment,” Juror B37 excused every aggressive action against Zimmerman, as if killing a teenager is a mere accident. She referred to him in interviews as “George,” as if he was a pal. It’s the kind of actions that make people lose faith in the justice system. 4. Mike Jeffries My one encounter with an Abercrombie and Fitch store was unremarkable. The music was too loud, it smelled too strongly of body spray, and the lighting was too dim to see clothes. Yet the stores aren’t as dim as A&F CEO Mike Jeffries, who admitted in an interview that he doesn’t want to see overweight people in A&F clothing, saying they aren’t ‘cool enough’. The aftermath has seen the company’s stock fall 15 percent, so I guess Jeffries likes thin wallets, too. 3. Robin Thicke I wrote about Robin Thicke earlier this year, so I’ll keep it brief: stealing from Marvin Gaye and singing about rape is not cool. 3a. People who listen to Robin Thicke You could do so much better.
‘Murica.
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Volume 82 Issue 16
The Worst of 2013
WIKIEMEDIA COMMONS
2013 was a busy news year--and kind of a crummy one, too. The government shutdown meant a new nadir for political frustration, the Boston Marathon bombing left a city stunned, and we learned that the NSA knows where we are at all times. Join me as I look at some of the worst of the worst in politics, pop culture, and sports. —Zach Olsavicky 2. Don Lemon When you say Bill O’Reilly “doesn’t go far enough,” you’ve entered the Danger Zone. CNN anchor Don Lemon leapt across that line when talking about race in America after George Zimmerman was let off the hook. Casting away all evidence of structural racism, Lemon gets to the core of what he, and people like O’Reilly, think is the real problem: Black people themselves. Some of Lemon’s targets: High school dropouts! Littering! Droopy drawers! Droopy drawers! It’s like his only exposure to Black culture is a Lil’ Jon music video on loop. Instead of having a productive conversation about race in America, Lemon pulled out a bunch of outdated and inaccurate bogeymen. To fault dropouts without talking about the awful conditions of some high schools is flat-out ignorant. Lemon needs to take a big step back—the world doesn’t need more Bill O’Reillys.
1. Marco Rubio It was a State of the Union like any other—the president giving a speech that peps people up without making any bold statements. The Republican response garnered a good bit of media attention—the speaker was Marco Rubio, an up-and-coming Florida senator, who would deliver the response in both English and Spanish. But his signature move of the night transcended language barriers, as Rubio, noticeably parched, ducked off screen and sipped from a water bottle on national television. What’s most amazing was the video’s replay value—each viewing meant finding a new subtlety. Whether it was Rubio’s various lip smacks, the awkward placement of the table, or the gurgle of water cascading down his throat, all nuances culminated in a spectacular public burnout of a politician. It seems that Rubio’s thirst for power has evaporated his presidential hopes.
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The Best of 2013
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2013 was also a year with some outstanding examples of heroism, courage, and kindness. Whether seeing Boston police run towards a bombing, the city of San Francisco fulfilling a young cancer patient’s dream, or a new Pope making waves, there were many inspirational figures who graced the new. Here are some of the best. —Zach Olsavicky 11. The Unpaid Intern Thanks to a number of unpaid interns suing their former employers for back pay and unfair labor conditions, companies are slowly dropping unpaid intern programs. The programs unfairly benefit students who can afford to work for free, and young workers from low-income families are set further behind. The ethical implications of unpaid internships are too much for businesses to overcome, and their removal should be a cause for celebration among young people. The former interns leading the cause in court are commendable for using their privilege for a worthy cause. 10. Miley Cyrus It’s time we give Miley Cyrus a break. People have dog-piled criticism on her, more often than not for petty reasons. You can go on and on about her image all you want—the haircut, the bleached eyebrows—but disliking her style
doesn’t make her a bad person. And she’s smarter than most pop connoisseurs—in her September interview with Rolling Stone, Cyrus pointed out double standards in her VMA performance, where Robin Thicke avoided criticism, and in music industry racism, where whiteness is still looked at as an ideal standard. Cyrus knows what she’s doing— the same can’t be said for her critics. 9. Harry Reid Though it’s idealized as some chamber of grand dignity and elder statesmanship, the US Senate is really where progress goes to die. But senate Democrats finally made a bit of progress in ending filibusters for judicial appointments. Conservatives in the senate decried it as some destruction of tradidion and blah blah blah, all you really need to know is that racists like Strom Thurmond used it to block civil rights progress for
Opinion almost 100 years. Some tradition. 8. Andrew McCutchen As a long-suffering fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, I’ll allow myself a personal indulgence here. For years, I’ve watched and waited for the Pirates to turn the corner, and for years, I’ve been disappointed. Entering 2013, the team was on a 20-year streak of losing seasons, and fans were beginning to get antsy. But they broke through in a big way this past season, reaching the playoffs on the back of NL MVP Andrew McCutchen. His skill made the team watchable in the last few years of losing, and watching him blossom into the best all-around ballplayer not named Mike Trout has been a real treat. 7. UK Residents I don’t believe in sugarcoating someone’s legacy because they’ve died. (As if being frank when they were alive would somehow be more polite!) But I don’t think I’d go as far as UK residents did in the wake of exPrime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s death, where a few brave citizens pushed Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead to #2 on the UK singles chart. For most people, an act like this would be completely tasteless. But the song befits Thatcher, who blamed economic woes on blue-collar workers and destroyed social programs—all after growing up in a low-income family. If that’s not a sign of how deserving she is of that honor, consider that was the inspiration for Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter. So, um, congratulations (I think) on your frankness, UK—if nothing else, you know how to tramp the dirt down. 6. Lily Allen When Lily Allen went on hiatus in 2010, it looked to be a frustrating loss for music. She was only 27 years old and two albums into her career, and her political bend (Allen’s F--k You is far superior to Cee-Lo Green’s) made for a nice touch. But after taking time to start a family and
The Chronicle explore other creative outlets, Allen returned with Hard Out Here, a witty critique of double standards held against women. The music video for the track is also hilarious, with a balloon message that’ll make Robin Thicke eat his heart out. Welcome back, Lily, and cheers to more of your musical barbs. 5. Jennifer Lawrence It might seem a little tacky to praise an outspoken Hollywood actor or actress. Jennifer Lawrence isn’t like most actresses, however—she began acting in 2007 with no experience to speak of, and six years later, she’s an Academy Award winner. Her versatility as an actress is amazing— whether a drama like Winter’s Bone, a comedy like Silver Linings Playbook, or an action series like The Hunger Games, it’s only a question of how much higher she can climb. Her willingness to break down Hollywood norms like not losing weight for a role helps to destroy unrealistic body image standards. That will help audiences, too, who won’t feel pressured to take unhealthy steps to lose weight. 4. Pope Francis For an institution as stodgy and conservative as the Catholic Church, the words of Pope Francis have been a breath of fresh air. He’s keen to point out how the church’s focus on contraception and homosexuality have undermined the church, but his biggest leap forward has been a focus on poverty. His recent criticism of how the global economy creates income inequality is still making waves. There are some places where progress has yet to be made—for example, allowing women to become priests—but his presence has been positive overall. If nothing else, I can believe in Pope Francis. 3. Malala Yousafzai Like most 16-year-olds, Malala Yousafzai’s life revolves around school. Unlike most other people her age, however, Yousafzai is risking her life for access to education. At age twelve, she began
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blogging about life under Taliban rule in Pakistan for the BBC, and her public image rose greatly in the years that followed. An assassination attempt by the Taliban left her in critical condition in 2012, but she recovered and resumed speaking out for education rights, meeting with world leaders and speaking at the UN. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts and received numerous other awards. I know I wasn’t fond of school as a child, but Yousafzai’s experience—and that of thousands of students in Pakistan—is a reminder of how fortunate we are to have access to schools. 2. Make-A-Wish Bay Area Some kids wish to meet superheroes. Some kids wish to be superheroes. Not that beating cancer at age five isn’t heroic enough, but Tulelake, CA resident Miles Scott wasn’t finished. So with the help of the local chapter of the MakeA-Wish foundation, the city of San Francisco, and an incredibly 12,000 volunteers, downtown San Francisco was transformed into Gotham City. Scott traveled across town in a black Lamborghini, defeating The Riddler and rescuing Lou Seal, mascot of the Giants, from the clutches of The Penguin. Community service is a spectacular way to boost morale, and for San Franciscans and those watching the events unfold on Twitter, it was an unquestionably cool way to feel good about society. 1. Antoinette Tuff One of the loudest refrains in the wake of the Newtown shooting is that we would not let our children be harmed again. While there wasn’t much progress in terms of new laws, Tuff did more than any other individual to prevent a tragedy from occurring again. When faced with a shooter at the elementary school where she worked, Tuff coaxed the would-be shooter into surrendering, sharing stories of pain and loss in her own life. Her experience is a testament to the power of love and empathy, even in the face of fear and evil.
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Sports
Canó, Don’t Ya Go By MATTHEW WOODS Contributing Writer
Former Yankees star second baseman, Robinson Cano, has officially left New York to join, of all teams, the Seattle Mariners. Cano has reportedly accepted a deal worth $240 million dollars over the next ten seasons. This deal ties Cano with L.A. Angels first baseman Albert Pujols for the third largest contract in MLB history, behind only Alex Rodriguez who has the two largest contracts at $252 and $275 million with the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees respectively. This blockbuster deal leaves two major questions: Is Cano worth that much money? And where do the Yankees move in filling the void left by Cano? When it comes to sports, every player believes they are worth a ridiculous amount of money, so we can’t really blame them for wanting a lot of money if a team is willing to pay. This is a clear case of a player leaving a team for money over winning. Cano is clearly not worth the money the Mariners just gave him, by far. If Cano had decided he wanted to stay in New York, it would be for a considerable amount less. During spring training the Yankees offered a contract for roughly $165 million over seven years, in which Cano declined, saying that he wanted $310 million over ten years. The teams were too far apart and decided to forgo contract negotiations until this offseason. The Yankees brought up there offer to $165 million for seven years, while Cano replied wanting $252 for ten years. This led the Yankees to offer Cano a deal one final time with a 7-8 year deal worth $175 million. Cano declined the offer and immediately agreed to a deal with the M’s. Cano and his representatives, which included Yankee fan Jay-Z, were not willing to accept the Yankees offer, given that the Yankees at the time were spend-
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start bidding. Tanaka has been highly rated as one of the best Japanese pitchers to possibly come to the states, and at 24 years old, has a long career ahead of him. The Yankees also may have another trick up their sleeve to fill the void of Cano. Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips has been rumored to be a trade target for the Yankees. The Reds are in a tough situation due to the amount of big contracts they’ve dealt to players like Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, and are looking around for a possible trade partner to deal Phillips too. The Yankees would most likely offer one of their multiple catching prospects who along with a player like center fielder Brett Gardner or infielder Eduardo Nunez, may be offered in a deal as well. The other option the Yankees may look to do is bolster a Mariano Rivera-less bullpen, who is in desperate need of some help. David Robertson had a brief stint as closer a few years ago when Rivera injured himself shagging fly
balls; during that time as closer Robertson was a bit shaky and really didn’t have his best stuff. So with Robertson a question mark, the Yankees need to strengthen the pen with quality arms to protect Robertson. It’s hard to think of the last time a player left the Yankees in the way Cano did. The first person that comes to mind is Yankee great Reggie Jackson who left the Yankees after the 1981 season to join the California Angels. But, like Reggie, the Yankees had Robinson Cano in the prime of his career and got a ring out of his stay. There is no doubt that Cano will be missed by the team. When you lose a sure-handed second baseman with perhaps the smoothest swing in the game since former Mariners great, Ken Griffey Jr., there is most likely going to be a bit of an adjustment period for the team, the organization, along with the fans. Even though the Yankees lost perhaps their next great lifetime Yankee player, the organization is focusing on the future, which looks very bright for Yankee fans.
Canó agreed to a 10 year, $240 million contract with the Mariners. ing a large amount of money on other free agents, and in some cases, over-paying them. Recent history has shown that players, who except major deals like Cano, don’t perform well; Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and Alex Rodriguez are prime examples of that. In Cano’s case, the Yankees were not willing to take the chance of shooting themselves in the foot by offering another gigantic contract to a player, only for the player not to perform. The Yankee organization has quickly learned from their prior mistakes. However, this deal may be the best move for the future of the Yankees. By not offering Cano a giant deal, they have more money to spend on other players, while remaining under the 189 million dollar salary cap limit that will allow the Yankees a boat load of freedom next offseason, when players like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Giancarlo Stanton will likely hit the free agent mar-
ket. The Yankees have already made some big free agent splashes this offseason, acquiring former Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann and frequently injured Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. After Cano had agreed to sign with the Mariners, the Yankees countered by re-signing pitcher Hiroki Kuroda followed by signing big-time free agent and former St. Louis Cardinal Carlos Beltran to a three year deal. And if you think the Yankees may stop there, you’re wrong. There are multiple reports that the Yankees will be very active during MLB’s winter meetings next week. A few players are on the Yankees agenda. First thing they need is pitching. Cano’s signing means that the Yankees will be even more active when it comes to acquiring Japanese pitching sensation Masahiro Tanaka, if his Japanese club posts an offer for teams to
WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Robinson Canó has one of the smoothest wings in the MLB.
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Sports
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The Chronicle
From New Kid to Standout By JOSHUA NATOLI Sports Edior
Being tossed head first into a new environment can be a daunting experience, especially as an adolescent. For children, the process simplifies itself. You show up to school, start playing with the other kids, and just like that you have a new best friend, perhaps for life. But, adolescents and preteens are brutal creatures. Most have already figured out who their friends are and that’s that. No new friends. So, how does one break this barrier? Just ask senior Emily Felter, now formerly of the Golden Knights Volleyball team. She was faced with the same situation upon transferring from the familiarity of her parochial school to a public middle school in seventh grade. In order to get acclimated with her new surroundings she baptized herself in fire and tried out for nearly every sport the school offered, “being the new kid and
wanting to make friends, playing sports would introduce me to many people,” says Felter. “So, in seventh grade I tried out for the girls modified volleyball team and made it. I had never played volleyball a day in my life before trying out, and now I am a senior finishing my college career.” What was initially a stab at trying to make new friends happened to turn into a rather life-changing decision. Upon Felter’s arrival at Auburn High School a decision had to be made between playing soccer, her first sports love, or volleyball, which, according to her, she wasn’t that great at. Even though Felter had been playing soccer for almost her whole life, she chose to play volleyball. After trying out for the team and achieving varsity status as a freshman, Felter became obsessed, “in my sophomore, junior, and senior years playing, I became very serious about the sport,” says Felter. “I would attend several camps each summer, set up a net in my yard and bugged my family into playing
GOLDEN KNIGHTS ATHLETICS
Felter began playing volleyball in seventh grade and has not stopped.
with me, and I taught my best friend how to play so we could practice and play together.” Felter took her talents to a club team, Xtreme Volleyball Club, during her junior year at Auburn, an experience she loved so much that she would travel an hour and fifteen minutes twice a week just to attend practice. New skills learned from Xtreme would be translated at Auburn, which paid off immensely. Felter was earning 10-15 kills a game, as well as most valuable player awards, and First Team All-League and AllCounty honors as a senior. Such success at Auburn combined with Felter’s height of 6’2 led to many looks from prospective colleges and universities from all levels of competition. Although interest came from all over the country, Felter felt the need to remain close to home, “Mom wanted me to stay closer to home, so I decided to stay within the Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany areas because it was closer to home and my parents would be able to come watch me play,” says Felter. “I didn’t want to play for a (NCAA Division I) school because they own you there. It was athletics then academics. Playing for a DII school would be the perfect balance of athletics and academics.” The desire to teach is what propelled Felter’s match with The College of Saint Rose. Head Coach Brian Goodale attended a tournament in which Felter was playing and spoke with her about taking a look at the school. The opportunities presented by the education program, the chemistry the volleyball teammates had, and the sense of community were all Felter needed to choose Saint Rose. If there was one thing Felter learned throughout her ten years of playing competitive volleyball it would be that nothing in life comes easy. Everything, every skill, has to be earned, “from starting out as a horrible little modified volleyball girl, work-
GOLDEN KNIGHTS ATHLETICS
Felter prides herself on supporting her teammates. ing my way through four years of varsity volleyball, two years of playing an on amazing club team, and finishing my four years of college volleyball, I am now a stronger, smarter, and better person and player,” says Felter. The most important aspect that has been honed in over the years for Felter has been her attitude. It’s not how many point you can earn the team, it’s supporting them and not dwelling on negativity. It’s the pep talks to get everyone on the same page before a game that mean more than any serve or spike. Although Felter is pursuing a career in either general or special education she also hopes volleyball will remain in her future. While teaching either ninth grade English, or second grade Felter would also love to coach a club or high school volleyball team. Talk about using your Saint Rose experience post-graduation.
Even though her Golden Knights career is over, Felter will never forget a game during senior weekend this season against top-ranked Bentley College. The intense game went all the way to a fourth set which instead of ending at 15, ended with a Golden Knight triumph of 20-18, “we worked together, proved to everyone that we were a great team, and started the senior weekend off on the right foot.” Felter feels as though her successful career wouldn’t be possible without the support of her family and the countless hours driving to tournaments, support at games and words of encouragement. “The amount of support that my family has given me throughout the years has meant so much to me, and without them I would not be the person I am today,” says Felter. “I am truly blessed to have such an amazing and supportive family.”
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The Chronicle
December 10th, 2013
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Welcome to Gagliano’s Block Party By TORI ADDISON Staff Writer When it comes to sports, there are none quite like volleyball for senior Alexandra Gagliano. “I love volleyball because it is so different from any other sport,” Gagliano said. “It is all about reaction time and speed. Playing volleyball keeps your mind running and there’s no time to stop and think.” Gagliano started playing volleyball in seventh grade after trying out for the modified team. She was instantly hooked, “I knew it was something that I would enjoy playing in the coming years.” Since then, she has been busy making a name for herself at Saint Rose. Of all the factors to consider when choosing a college, her decision was mainly based on location, class size, and proximity from home. Luckily, Saint Rose
met all her expectations. Not to mention, the girls who she spent time with during her overnight volleyball visit helped to make her decision a bit easier. “They are still some of my best friends”, she said. The transition into playing at the college level was not so simple for Gagliano, but it became easier over time. The biggest challenge for her was adjusting to the pace of play at the college level, which was a bit overwhelming at first. While freshman year was more of a learning experience, Gagliano felt that sophomore year was when she really started to settle into the fast paced level of competition. Throughout her collegiate volleyball career, she has become a huge blocking threat. She says, “My strengths are my blocking and hitting. As a middle hitter, blocking should be
ANTHONY CHAPIN
Gagliano has ranked fourth in the Northeast-10 Conference in blocks.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS ATHLETICS
Gagliano fell in love with the face pace of volleyball.
your main priority. I take pride in leading the front row defense and protecting the back row.” Over the past two seasons Gagliano has led the team and ranked fourth in the NE-10 with blocks per-set. She has also found that hitting angles to get around tough blockers to be strength of hers, which is something she loves to do. While it is hard for her to choose the most memorable moment she has had while playing at Saint Rose, she says that competing in the 2011 Northeat-10 Conference Championship is at the top of her list. Although the team did not win, the experience was great. Most importantly, volleyball has helped her develop into the player she is today. Gagliano thanks not only the team and coaches, but also her parents for helping her succeed as a player, “Our team pushes each other every day in practice. My
coaches have also never stopped pushing me with positive energy and encouraging thoughts. My family also plays a huge role in my volleyball life. My parents come to almost every game to cheer us on.” As far as school goes, Gagliano is use to juggling homework and volleyball. Not only is she a Dean’s List student, but she also has been named to the fall and spring semester NE-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll since her freshman year. The next step in her career is to attend graduate school to earn her Masters degree in education. While volleyball is an important part of her life, she also wants to focus on finding the perfect job after she earns her degrees. To her, playing at Saint Rose has helped her learn many things, most importantly, the need for accountability, “When each player on your team is held accountable
for their duties on the court, great things can happen,” she said, “I have learned that, especially in volleyball, energy and fun are two main components. Without that, the job does not get done.” As for upcoming players with dreams of playing at the college level, Gagliano offers a few words of advice. “I would definitely advise other athletes to make the most out of their college career,” Gagliano said. “Four years goes by in the blink of an eye and the last thing you want is to think ‘what if?’ Work as hard as you can in college because it may be the last time you that are a part of a team.” There is no doubt Gagliano has proven that nothing is impossible throughout her time at Saint Rose. It is not easy being a top notch competitor as well as a dedicated student, but she sure knows how to make it happen.