The Chronicle The weekly student newspaper of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York www.strosechronicle.com - @strosechronicle
December 2nd, 2014
Volume lxxxiii issue 16
Sierra Leone Relief Fund at Saint Rose By KenYa FraZier Contributing Writer The Sierra Leone Relief Fund at The College of Saint Rose has raised $3,000 so far in efforts to aid families affected by Ebola in dire need in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The Sierra Leone Relief Fund was started by Marda Mustapha, May Chan, and Rev. Christopher
ALEXAnDER PECHA
One of the ribbons LuAnn Trapatsos handed out in the EAC on Monday, nov. 24 in remembrance of her son, Connor.
Remembering Connor Trapatsos By VaneSSa langDon Staff Writer Freshman student Connor Trapatsos was missing for one month before his body was found in Coeymans by the Hudson River. now his mother, friends, and community members are mourning the loss of the 17-year-old whose smile they will not forget. Trapatsos’s mother, LuAnn,
was on the Saint Rose Campus Monday, nov. 24 handing out red ribbons in her son’s memory. She sat at a table outside the Camelot Room on campus interacting with students who came to pay their respects and get a ribbon to honor their classmate. Trapatsos handed out the red ribbons because it was her son’s favorite time of year. “He celebrated red ribbon week every
News & Features
day. Most high schools in our area celebrate it for one week in October.” Red ribbon week is a celebration of loving yourself and being drug free. The Trapatsos family is remaining strong during this very difficult time.“It was very devastating but when we remember him it brings a smile to our face and we laugh remembering what Continued on Page A4
Arts & Opinion
Degiovine at the beginning of the semester, in the hopes to help the struggling families who are threatened by starvation as a result from Ebola in Sierra Leone. Institutional advancement will stop collecting funds in the first week of December; however the goal is to raise $6000 so there will be enough money to feed some people in Sierra Leone. AccordContinued on Page A6
527 Western Ave. and So Much More By Paige DeSorBo Staff Writer The house at 527 Western Ave. on the corner of north Allen Street now houses Sage – Femme Midwifery. The shop that moved west 6 blocks from 706 Madison Ave. now houses what some would characterize as a historical building and home to a woman who lived there more than 71 years ago. Sage- Femme, meaning “Wise Woman” in French has been at its new location since June 19, 2013. The owner of Sage-Femme, Kel-
ly McDermott, has been a midwife for 27 years. Sage-Femme offers a variety of classes, at most three nights a week. The most recent class was held on nov. 20 for Life Cycles in Balance-Fertility Consultations and Pregnancy/ Postpartum Embodiment Sessions. SageFemme’s holiday party is December 20. Sage-Femme moved from 706 Madison Ave. to Western Avenue, still staying in the Pine Hills area because it loves the location. In
Sports
Protected Bike Lanes on Madison Avenue See page A7
Star Worries See page B10
Porreca’s Picks See page D14
A Woman With a True Legacy See page A5
Holding on to Your Integrity See page C12
Who Ya Got? nBA Top Five See page D15
Continued on Page A5
A2
News
The Chronicle
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
The Weekly Wrap-Up Your Top 5 Stories from Friday to Sunday *Source: BBC News
ray rice wins appeal nFL player Ray Rice has won his appeal against the indefinite suspension against playing football and is able to play again immediately. Rice, 27, was given this after a video surfaced of him hitting his then fiancée in the face. He was released by the Baltimore Ravens, and can play for another team.
Darren wilson Quits Police After the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson has resigned. This comes after a grand jury chose not to indict him in the shooting. Wilson says that resigning was the hardest thing he has done. However, the Justice Department has started an investigation into the shooting.
Missing atlanta Boy Found A boy who went missing four years ago has been found. The 13-year-old was imprisoned behind a false wall in a house in an Atlantic suburb. The child has been reunited with his mother, and his father and a woman have been charged with cruelty to children and false imprisonment.
obama Daughters offered apology Communication Director for Congressman Stephen Fincher, Elizabeth Lauten has apologized to Malia and Sasha Obama after she criticized the girls about their appearance during President Obama’s turkey pardoning. The comments were deleted from Lauten’s facebook page after she received backlash for them.
germany Mourns woman who Defended Teens Hundreds are expected to attend a vigil for student Tugce Albayrak who died defending two teenage girls from being harassed by a group of men. The German President has called Albayrak a role model for her actions. An 18-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the attack.
Pics of the Week
The Stuff the Van donations being dropped off at the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless.
C.J. Joseph competing in a game of dodgeball at Flight Trampoline Park.
COURTESY OF SA
CHRIS ALVARADO
*InFORMATIOn PROVIDED BY WEATHER.COM
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Hi: 30° Lo: 26°
Hi: 44° Lo: 31°
Hi: 38° Lo: 27°
Hi: 35° Lo: 26°
Hi: 37° Lo: 33°
Mostly Sunny
Mostly Sunny
Partly Cloudy
Mostly Sunny
Rain
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
In Brief
News
Police Investigate Commercial Robberies
The Albany Police Department is responding to two commercial robberies that occurred days apart. On Nov. 22, 2014, officers responded to Empire Grocery and news on 10 Delaware Ave. at 8:35 p.m. after a robbery report. The clerk told officers that an unknown male armed with a handgun demanded money and fled
the scene after receiving the cash. no injuries have been reported during the incident. The suspect is described as a 30-year-old black male, 5’8” in height. Two days later on nov. 24, 2014, officers responded to Quail Street News on 122 Quail St. after a robbery. The clerk told officers that two black males entered the store with a handgun and de-
manded cash. One suspect struck the clerk in the face before both suspects fled the scene. The clerk sustained minor injuries to the face during the robbery. Both robberies remain under investigation. It is not known if they are related.
Reason for Gutheil Suspension Released As announced in an email to the student body on Wednesday, head women’s soccer coach Laurie Darling Gutheil is suspended for the remainder of the season. After what Athletic Director Catherine Cummins Haker referred to as “a thorough investigation,” The College of Saint Rose Athletics Department has
found that Darling Gutheil, who was initially suspended on nov. 14, made penicillin available to players who complained of oncoming illness. As stated in the email, “Four players took one pill each and then followed up by either going to Urgent Care or deciding to take over-the-counter cold medicine.”
St. Rose submitted a written report to both the nCAA and the northeast-10 Conference on nov. 17. The team will continue its nCAA Tournament run under the direction of assistant coach Jim Lennox on Dec. 4 against Grand Valley State in the Division II national semifinals.
A3
Calendar of Events Tuesday, December 2nd 6:00 p.m. MAPS Weekly Meeting AH 109 7:00 p.m. Saint Rose Lay Academy Hubbard Library 7:30 p.m. Spectrum General Board Meeting SCR A & B 7:30 p.m Saint Rose Knight Club Bru; Saint Rose Room 8:15 p.m Golden Knights Dance Practice EAC Rm 110 8:00 p.m Yoga for Students Hubbard Sanctuary wednesday, December 3rd 6:00 p.m SA Meeting SCR A & B 6:30 p.m. BASIC Weekly Meeting Hubbard Sanctuary 7:00 p.m Board Game Club Meeting Albertus 103 7:30 p.m Saint Rose Knight Club Bru; Saint Rose Room 7:30 p.m CDAEYC General Meeting Albertus 301 9:00 p.m Karate Club Practice Lima Conf. Room Thursday, December 4th 4:30 p.m. Film Enthusiast’s Club Meeting Hearst Center Rm 121L 5:30 p.m SEB Meeting St Joseph’s Auditorium 8:30 p.m Identity Meeting Lima Conf. Room 9:15 p.m. Knightz in Motion Dance Practice EAC Rm 110 9:30 p.m ALAnA Steppers Practice Lima Conf. Room Friday, December 5th 3:00 p.m Knightz in Motion Practice EAC Room 110 7:00 p.m Saint Rose Knights Club Bru; Saint Rose Room Saturday, December 6th 7:30 p.m Saint Rose Knight Club Bru; Saint Rose Room Sunday, December 7th 9:00 a.m. Karate Club Practice EAC Rm 110
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
If you have an upcoming event you would like to see in our weekly Calendar of Events, please e-mail chronicle@strose.edu.
We post weekly updates from our social media accounts
The Chronicle
The Chronicle
Executive Editor Conor Shea ‘15 sheac613@strose.edu
Features Editor Alexander Wheeler ‘16 wheelera982@strose.edu
Business Manager Ashley Sweet ‘15 sweeta984@strose.edu
Managing Editor Rachel Bolton ‘15 boltonr413@strose.edu
Opinion Editor Katie Klimacek‘17 klimacekk546@strose.edu
Advertising Manager Ashley Sweet ‘15 sweeta984@strose.edu
Alyssa Haddad
News Editor Lauren Sears ‘15 searsl534@strose.edu
Arts Editor Alexander Pecha ‘17 pechaa188@strose.edu
Web Editor Christopher Lovell ‘14 lovellc083@strose.edu
Matt Woods
Layout Editor Jennifer O’Connor ‘16 oconnorj984@strose.edu
Sports Editor Victoria Addison ‘17 addisonv653@strose.edu
Head Photographer Chris Alvarado‘15 alvaradoc822@strose.edu
Jacob Barkman
Assistant Layout Editor Whitney Dobladillo ‘15 dobladillow942@strose.edu
Copy Editor Jenessa Matis ‘14 matisj311@strose.edu
Faculty Adviser Cailin Brown
Staff Writers
ANY student can join The Saint Rose Chronicle
Katherine Bakaitis Kaylynn Day Vanessa Langdon nicholas negron nicole Baker Alex Horton Adriana Rosales Staff Photographers Adriana Rosales nina Buonarota
The Chronicle is published weekly on Tuesdays during the academic year and once during the summer months. The Chronicle is published at the facilities of New England Newspapers in Pittsfield, M.A.
Official E-mail Address Chronicle@strose.edu
Submissions
Mailing Address The Saint Rose Chronicle 432 Western Avenue Albany, nY 12203
Advertising
Meetings
Policies
Meetings are held every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the CCIM 119.
All articles, advertisements and Letters to the Editor are due by midnight the Friday prior to publication.
All advertising inquiries should be sent to Advertising Ashley Sweet at sweeta984@strose.edu. The Chronicle offers free black and white 5-by-3 in. ads to student-run organizations.
The Chronicle accepts Letters to the Editor from any party. We recommend that submissions not exceed 1000 words. Letters, columns, and cartoons published in this newspaper represent the opinion of the author, not necessarily that of The Chronicle.
A4
News
The Chronicle
The Cellar Seeking to Provide Healthier Food Choices By Daniel Kirwan Contributing Writer The Cellar, a small salad bar and deli that specializes in fruit and vegetable smoothies has set up shop on a block dominated by pizza and Chinese food. The Cellar aims at providing healthier options for the residents of the Pine Hills neighborhood. The Cellar, owned by A.J. and Jessica St. John, sits below street level inbetween Shun’s Kitchen and The Pub on Madison Avenue. The Cellar opened last week with little fanfare, but this small family restaurant hopes to become a staple of Pine Hills. Owners Jessica and A.J. St. John, who have two children, ages seven
and eight, decided that now was so they understand the dynamics the perfect time to finally open a of the neighborhood and hope to reach a wide audifamily restaurant of ence and not just their own. “I think having a college students. Jessica was a “We just want teacher for nine health alternative in the years while her neighborhood will be to be a part of the neighborhusband has worked in the great, you can only eat hood,” said A.J. Their menu restaurant busipizza and fried food features create ness for 15 years for so long before you your own salads managing and as well as a vagrow tired of it.” cooking behind riety of paninis the line. Mike Aurrichio and other sand“I miss wiches. They [teaching] but also have a wide I wanted to try selection of beversomething new,” said Jessica. The St. Johns live in ages that includes a long list of the neighborhood and their chil- hot teas, smoothies, and coffees. “I think having a health alterdren go to Pine Hills Elementary native in the neighborhood will be great, you can only eat pizza and fried food for so long before you grow tired of it,” said student Mike Aurrichio. The lilac and light-green painted walls accompanied by the warm service provide a very friendly and cozy atmosphere. The Cellar is online on GrubHub, Twitter, and Facebook, and they plan to use social media to let their customers know the specials of the day and any other special events that are going on with the restaurant. The Cellar is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In the future the St. Johns plan to one day expand to the upstairs of the building so that they can incorporate a grill and a fryer to further bolster their menu. “I want to be here for a long time,” said Jessica St. John.
Daniel Kirwan
Jessica and A.J. St. John in their new restaurant, The Cellar.
Want to write for News? Contact News Editor Lauren Sears at searsl534@strose.edu
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
Remembering Connor Trapatsos Continued From Page A1 he did and we’re lucky to be a part of his family,” said Trapatsos. The Trapatsos family will be keeping Connor’s ashes at home surrounded by his favorite things. A monkey poster that he had in his dorm, which matches his little sister’s; a red ribbon week t-shirt; and a wax hand that he made at Family Weekend at the College shaped like the Vulcon hand sign, which means live long and prosper, will all be placed with his ashes in the family’s home. Trapatsos urged those mourning her son’s death to live as he did: doing what made him happy every day. “I just want students to know it’s their life and what they can learn from Connor is to do what makes you happy. Don’t live it for anyone else,” said Trapatsos. According to his mother, Connor was a funny, confident kid who was arrogant, but not a jerk. He loved the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and would rewatch them over and over. His sisters will be acting out his favorite scenes and the video will be posted on the “FindTrapper” Facebook page. He was very particular about what he liked. Connor loved Burt’s Bees, Lindt chocolate truffles, and his hair wax imported
from England because that’s what the lead singer of Muse wore. Connor was a chocolate fanatic who spent his $50 souvenir budget on his senior trip entirely on chocolate. While he died young he achieved many of his goals. “He really met them. His goals were to graduate, go to college, have a girlfriend, have a pet and go to concerts,” said Trapatsos. He was a fan of alternative rock and had 48 favorite bands but 21 Pilots stands out from the rest, according to his mom. His iPod had 2,000 songs on it and he listened to all of them. Friends and community members have been posting messages of love on his Facebook wall since his disappearance on Oct. 15. A friend, Julia Scott, wrote a song in his honor titled “What do I do-Song for Connor.” Saint Rose student Kaitlyn Burch wrote about meeting Trapatsos during the Week of Welcome. “We weren’t too close, but we did know each other and get really close for a night or two. I’m so glad I met you.” The Saint Rose community lost a bright star and he will be missed. “He wasn’t meant to grow old here on Earth,” said Trapatsos. “It’s hard to say in words, words don’t capture him, the memories do.”
Vanessa Langdon
LuAnn Trapatsos stationed at a table in the EAC on Monday, Nov. 24 to pass out ribbons in remembrance of her son, Connor.
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
527 Western Avenue and So Much More Continued From Page A1 addition to Sage-Femme there is also a massage therapist and chiropractor. Sage-Femme has also added two new assistants. Midwives were outlawed to practice alone and were only allowed to practice in a hospital with a doctor present. Once that law changed in 2010, McDermott started her own practice. McDermott has increased the number of babies she delivers each year by 10. She has up to six mothers give birth per month. Part of that increase she said has to do with “having a midwife is becoming more popular,” said McDermott. Sage-Femme moved west from Madison because it wanted a more “calming” atmosphere for its expecting mothers and clients. “It was a more central location with more space,” said McDermott. The old location had been shared with an anger management therapist. Midwife assistant and registered nurse Kristen Klein, who is studying online to become a midwife, has worked for SageFemme for more than two years.
Her midwife schooling will take up to three years from Frontier Nursing in Kentucky. Having a midwife means a more intimate setting when giving birth. In 2013 Sage-Femme delivered six babies in the hospital and so far in 2014 every child was born in a home setting. Birthing time frames can be anywhere from 45 minutes to three days. In 2013 Sage-Femme participated in delivering 73 babies and so far in 2014 has delivered 92. McDermott describes having a midwife as “everything that is the opposite when giving birth in a hospital,” McDermott said. Expecting mothers are allowed to move around, eat when they feel like, and set up wherever in their house they choose to give birth. “I’ve had people do it everywhere, bed, bathroom, kitchen,” said McDermott. Sage-Femme has no plans of slowing down in the near future and will continue to birth babies because McDermott feels as though that is her true calling. “No one will let me retire,” McDermott said.
News
The Chronicle
A Woman With a True Legacy: Eileen Amodeo
By Paige DeSorbo Staff Writer An Albany native who grew up, raised a family, and worked in the Pine Hills has left a lasting mark in her hometown. Eileen Amodeo, 88, still lives in Albany and doesn’t have to go far to see any of her 11 children, or 28 grandchildren. A pillar of the community has really made a legacy of 52 immediate family members. The word matriarch has a whole new meaning when it comes to Eileen Amodeo. With 9 of Amodeo’s children and 19 grandchildren still living in the Albany area it makes for a busy holiday season with everyone running all around. Amodeo still keeps up with her family, though. “I never miss an awards ceremony or a recital, and I would never want to,” Amodeo said. She plays bridge every Tuesday from 12:00 to 4:30 with women she went to grade school with. Amodeo says she is always busy talking on the phone and bragging about her 52 wonderful family members, especially her youngest grandchild, 3-year-old Louisa. I can’t tell you how many
strangers I’ve met claiming to know my grandmother,” said Elise Amodeo, the 14th of 28 grandchildren. The 22-year-old plans to stay in the Albany area because she doesn’t know what she would do without her big family. Elise Amodeo’s father, Patrick, the second of 11 children says his mother used to always say “her most important responsibility was to make sure the souls of her children were returned to heaven.” He always plays that back in his head now that he is the father of four of his own children also all living in the Albany area. To the 11 children it was normal to have so many siblings. “To hold them in my arms after they were born was beautiful,” Eileen Amodeo said. Eileen Amodeo was born on March 17, 1926 in Cohoes to John Patrick Hines and Ella Hines. Amodeo grew up in Albany at the still-standing Victorian home on 527 Western Ave. The mutlifamily house at the intersection of Western Avenue and North Allen Street was the starting ground for one of Albany's most well-known families and matriarchs. Eileen Hines was just 2 years old when her family moved to the Pine
Paige DeSorbo
The house at 527 Western Ave. on the corner of North Allen Street now houses Sage–Femme Midwifery.
A5
Paige DeSorbo
Eileen Amodeo at her home.
Hills neighborhood and from there she would call Albany here home. The 527 Western Ave. building is now owned by Bruce Hunershafer. He has owned the building since 1982 and bought it back from Albany County. The building is a fully commercial building. “The building was run down,” said Hunershafer when he bought it. It had previously been boarded up for five years. Hunershafer loves the Pine Hills area and says he will keep the house the same and continue to rent out to business owners. Amodeo’s grandfather, Andrew Scanlon, owned the home during the Great Depression and rented out the upstairs as apartments to two other families. Just across the street was Hines Specialty Shop, owned by Amodeo’s mother on 1096 Madison Ave. She sold greeting cards, gifts, and baby clothes. Amodeo used to work and help out when she wasn’t playing with the children in the neighborhood. The shop is now Albany Massage Therapy Associates. “We played on the lawn, there wasn’t the traffic there is today it wasn’t as commercial, we would catch lighting bugs on the corner lot and play hide-and-goseek,”Amodeo said. She walked to Vincentian Grammar School all the way up to high school every day with her older brother, Gordon Hines. Western Avenue was home until her senior year of high school in 1943. Amodeo stayed in Albany with her family and moved less than one mile away to 722 Myrtle Ave., where she continued to always walk to school and church. After she graduated from The College of Saint Rose in 1947 she taught first grade where she would walk from her home on Continued on Next Page
A6
News
The Chronicle
A Woman With a True Legacy From Previous Page Myrtle Avenue to School 19 on new Scotland Avenue until she was 26 years old. Amodeo’s son David is now the principal of new Scotland Elementary, formally known as School 19. Amodeo was married to her husband Patrick in 1950 and once she became pregnant with their first child, Laura, in 1952 she stopped teaching. Amodeo and her husband lived at 285 West Lawrence St. while her family grew with all 11 children. The family realized they needed something bigger as soon as the last child, Maria, arrived. The Amodeos moved in 1970 to 458 Western Ave., which is still there today and is known as the building for Religious Studies and Philosophy Faculty for The College Saint Rose. It wasn’t until 1976, after her 11th child, Maria, was a toddler
when Amodeo started working for The College of Saint Rose as a supervisor of student teachers. She received her Masters at the College and stopped working in 1998. Amodeo is still living in Albany on Harding Street where she moved 18 years ago. She lives just across the street from her daughter Elaine and two grandsons. Amodeo said she never thought about leaving Albany--it is her home and growing up this is where all her friends and family were. Amodeo was emotional talking about how grateful that so many of her family members have stayed in Albany and are all so close to her. Eileen Amodeo is a true fabric of the Pine Hills and Albany area, who hopes to see great grandchild one day. “I love having 11 children. It is something I brag about,” said Amodeo.
“I love having 11 children. It is something I brag about.” Eileen Amodeo
PAIGE DESORBO
Eileen Amodeo pointing out her 11 children.
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
Sierra Leone Relief Fund Goes Beyond the Capital Region
Continued From Page A1 ing to Mustapha, if this goal is not met, only half will get fed and the other half will face famine. Conditions have gotten worse. Although Sierra Leone is a “breadbasket” region, or rich in agriculture, people aren’t able to gather their food. Families in Sierra Leone can not harvest crops because of the mandatory quarantine Mustapha explained. Many members of the College, including faculty and students, are striving to make an immediate impact and improve lives in Sierra Leone. The idea of the fundraiser initially began with Associate Professor of English, Chan, who was determined to help after seeing several pictures of families suffering from the disease. Chan instantly reached out to Mustapha, who is from Sierra Leone and has family living there. She then contacted Rev. Degiovine about the fundraiser, who sent
out an immediate email on Sept. 11, requesting for monetary donations for the Sierra Leone Relief Fundraiser. Mustapha, Chan and Rev. Degiovine, with the support of 23 other members from the Saint Rose community who are involved with the Ebola Fundraising Response Team, have made progress since the first formal meeting on Oct. 23. Colleagues and students came together and created numerous initiatives through various organizations on campus. The Music Department has been at the forefront of the cause and has raised several thousand dollars through its concerts that are ongoing, according to the Ebola Fundraising Response Team progress update report. The Student Events Board and the International Student Organization, with the help of Residence Life and other student clubs, have planned an upcoming fundraiser called Bring The Change, where
KEnYA FRAZIER
The Sierra Leone Relief Fund was started by Marda Mustapha (above), May Chan, and Rev. Christopher Degiovine.
the college community will be able to donate by dropping money in the canisters in several locations on campus: during events, in residence halls, offices, and other work spaces, according to Shai Butler. “We are living in a world without borders,” Butler said, who leads coordination of efforts. Proceeds from the MLK Jr. semi-formal on Jan. 25 for the president’s diversity awards for students will be donated to the Ebola effort; money will not be taken away from students. “I felt helpless,” Mustapha said, who is an associate professor of political science. Mustapha is from Sierra Leone and his family is currently quarantined in Kailahun. “The focus is to feed people, there are more people who don’t have Ebola but don’t have food.” Mustapha will go to Sierra Leone in December with the donations and buy food for the families who are in need. Mustapha will not enter the quarantined area of Sierra Leone; instead, he will stay in the city and have people take the food to those areas. He will not be able to see his family because they are in the separated areas. The purpose of the fundraiser is to feed those who are famished as well as raise awareness of Ebola. This disease can only be contracted through broken skin, with blood, secretions, organs or any other bodily fluids of infected people. “Media makes Ebola seem like Armageddon,” Mustapha said. “Because irrational fear of the unknown, we unknowingly stigmatize people from that region.” “This is a global problem, if you consider yourself part of the global community, then you should consider yourself helping people in emergencies in the global community,” Mustapha said. He hopes the fundraiser will be an ongoing event until there is actual relief in Sierra Leone.
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
News
The Chronicle
Making Protected Bike Lanes Part of Madison Avenue’s Diet
By williaM MaYer Contributing Writer Madison Avenue is going on a diet in 2015 with new designs that will be implemented over the next few years. The city plans to hire a contractor to develop the design early next year, said Leah Golby, 10th Ward Council member. The construction of the project will be divided into three phases. The first section will involve the stretch of Madison Avenue between South Allen Street and Partridge Street, the next phase between Partridge Street to South Lake Avenue and the final between South Lake Avenue to Lark Street. “My understanding is that once the design phase is complete, work on implementing the first third of the road diet will happen immediately — so hopefully the first third will be complete in the spring of 2016,” said Golby. Funding is only available for the first portion of the initial phase. To Golby’s knowledge the city officials are already seeking funding for the last two phases of the project so that by the time the first third of the operation is
complete they will begin the next phase. The plan calls for traffic lanes to be reduced from four lanes to two with one middle lane built for turning, according to the Madison Avenue Traffic Calming study by the new York State Department of Transportation. The funding for this project is primarily grant monies from the Capital District Transportation Committee and the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization. Golby said the Common Council authorized $550,000 in borrowing in April, 2014 that will be matched with 80 percent of federal funds coming through the CDTC. These funds will be programmed through the new York State Transportation Improvement Program. The total project cost of the 2014-2015 preliminary engineering, design, and construction is $505,000 and the city will be reimbursed with federal funds for 80 percent of the project cost. The estimated cost of the full road diet from South Allen Street to Lark Street will be about $1.5 million, said Golby. “The major cost driver is upgrading the traffic signals,” Golby said. They will be upgraded to timed traffic signals. The breakADVERTISEMEnT
down of funding can be found in the project’s TIP listing at: http:// www.cdtcmpo.org/tiplist13/ A549.HTM. A new draft study prepared for the city says it’s not only possible to reduce the traffic lanes but could help reduce accidents by as much as 55 percent. The draft is a traffic calming report that was conducted in February 2013 and is called “Madison Avenue Road Diet Feasibility Study.” In this draft it states that the goals of the study are to provide an assessment of the feasibility, benefits, and impacts of a road diet in the corridor by evaluating alternatives that consider bicycles, pedestrians, transit, parking, safety, and passenger vehicle operations. In the draft there are three options for a road diet on Madison Avenue. Option one is a shared travel lane for bicycles and vehicles. Option two is a shared parking lane in which there is a wide parking lane for bicycles and parked vehicles. Option three is an exclusive bike lane in which vehicles, bicycles, and parked vehicles each have delineated space. Some protected bike lanes use poles and physical barriers. As the city scales back Madison Avenue, there has been a
proposal of installing a protected bike lane on Madison Avenue by the Albany Bicycle Coalition. A “road diet” with a protected bike lane on Madison Avenue will be advantageous to the pedestrians, local businesses, and colleges and can make the area economically friendly and safer for its people and the environment. Once a design firm is hired for the project, meetings will be held by a public process to discuss the incorporation of a protected bike lane into the design. There will not be a formal vote by the Common Council, Golby said. The Albany Bicycle Coalition has been pushing for the design to include bike lanes and has spent a long time working on a design that would work best within Madison’s 57-foot width, said Virginia Hammer, president of the Pine Hills neighborhood Association. The design will use paint and street markers in its entirety. This would make the project more affordable and easier for snow removal. Protected bike lanes are being discussed and supported throughout the city by the Pine Hills neighborhood Association, the Park South neighborhood Association, the Protected Bike Lane Coalition, the DOT, the CDTA and more. However, some citizens still have concerns about the layout. The main concern is whether parking would still remain on both sides of the street. It would; however, the north side of the street would be shared but separated by a painted flat buffer with east and west bound bike lanes. “All the research shows that protected bike lanes make people feel safer so that there are more cyclists on the streets. Cyclists spend more money per month at local businesses, giving a boost not only to existing businesses, but attracting new businesses to the area,” said Hammer. She also said that protected bike lanes would have a big impact on local
A7
colleges like Saint Rose. “Saint Rose students will be able to expand their travel radius without having to rely on personal transportation. Protected bike lanes, along with Capital Car Share and CDTA’s bike/bus program will make it convenient, safe, and cheap to get around town. Also, they will be doing their part to reduce pollution and maintain a healthy lifestyle that reduces health care costs,” said Hammer. Protected bike lanes would also have an impact on UAlbany as well. UAlbany philosophy professor Jason D’Cruz is a regular bike commuter from Center Square to UAlbany. “I live with my wife,” said D’Cruz. “We are constantly on our bikes in and around Washington Park, Madison Avenue, and Pine Hills. We use Madison to get to Bread & Honey, the Point, and Tierra Café.” When they bike with their 2-year-old son, they usually use the sidewalk to shield him from cars. “This is not ideal, since it is an uneven surface for bikes, and inconvenient for pedestrians. If we had a protected bike lane on Madison, these problems would be solved,” said D’Cruz. Protected bike lanes have proven to be better for the environment as well as the economy. “More cyclists and fewer drivers mean cleaner air and less noise...both factors have an affect on Pine Hills property values,” said Hammer. She also said that it will benefit those who can’t afford cars because it allows residents to connect to major bus routes. Although protected bike lanes have not been finalized, the Albany Bicycle Coalition remains confident. “There is data from across the nation that shows that this is a successful idea,” said Lorenz Warden, the president of the Albany Bicycle Coalition.
B8
The Chronicle
Arts
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
Top of the Week For Nov. 24 - 29 Movies at the Box Office
TV Shows
1. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (121.9M) 2. Big Hero 6 (20.1M) 3. Interstellar (15.3M) 4. Dumb and Dumber To (14.1M) 5. Gone Girl (2.8M) 6. Beyond the Lights (2.6M) 7. St. Vincent (2.2M) 8. Fury (1.9M) 9. Birdman (1.9M) 10. The Theory of Everything (1.5M)
1. NBC Sunday Night Football 2. Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick 3. NCIS 4. NCIS: New Orleans 5. The Big Bang Theory 6. 60 Minutes 7. Dancing With The Stars 8. Football Night in America 9. Madam Secretary 10. The OT
*Source: RottenTomatoes.com
*Source: Nielsen.com
Books
Music
Fiction: 1. The Escape (David Baldacci) 2. Revival (Stephen King) 3. Gray Mountain (John Grisham) 4. The Mistletoe Promise (Richard Paul Evans) 5. The Burning Room (Michael Connelly) Non-Fiction: 1. 41 (George W. Bush) 2. Killing Patton (Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard) 3. Yes Please (Amy Poehler) 4. Being Mortal (Atul Gawande) 5. The Andy Cohen Diaries (Andy Cohen)
Albums: 1. FOUR (One Direction) 2. 1989 (Taylor Swift) 3. That’s Christmas To Me (Pentatonix) 4. No Fixed Address (Nickhelback) 5. Black Widow (In This Moment) Songs: 1. Blank Space (Taylor Swift) 2. All About That Bass (Meghan Trainor) 3. Take Me To Church (Hozier) 4. Animals (Maroon 5) 5. Shake It Off (Taylor Swift)
*Source: New York Times Best Sellers
*Source: Billboard.com
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
Arts
The Chronicle
B9
Award Great or Award Bait? J.K. Simmons Front-Runs Supporting Actor
Campus Playlist
which is a real feat. Simmons, as I mentioned earlier, is incredibly electric in the film. I have never seen him in such fine form and this is easily his greatest performance. He is absolutely terrifying and pushes himself to the point where his is almost unrecognizable; Simmons becomes the character of Terrence Fletcher. As Joseph mentioned in our look at Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler we might be looking at the creepiest list of Academy Award nominees this year.
This week The Chronicle asked students around campus what songs they are currently listening to and why
By Alexander Wheeler Features Editor and Joseph Conway Staff Writer Damien Chazelle’s music drama starring Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now, Rabbit Hole, That Awkward Moment) and J.K. Simmons ( Up in the Air, Burn After Reading), Whiplash is based off a 2013 short film after the same title which was done by Chazelle and starred Simmons. Alexander’s Opinion After hitting Sundance hard early in the year, Simmons has easily solidified his lead on the Supporting Actor race this year with his performance in Whiplash – a brutal and devastating vision of talent, excellence and mentorship. Miles Teller gives it his all here and plays a very formidable presence next to Simmons in the film and easily gives his best performance to date. Teller is vulnerable, charming and easy on the eye. I’m about to outline my predictions for this film because I firmly believe that this film will be the standout tribute from the Sundance circuit this year. There are four key categories at the Oscars in which this film has exceptional talent behind the aspects of the film, those being: Director (Chazelle), Supporting Actor (Simmons), Editing (Tom Cross) and ultimately Picture (Produced by Jason Reitman, Jason Blum). Chazelle, a musician himself, was able to instill so much insight and experience into this film that its ultimate conviction is spot-on. He turns what could have easily been a doldrums music drama into a thriller of sorts that has the theater sighing out of aggravation and distraught. Chazelle and crew had a vision in place when they put this film into production and it all seems to still be intact –
Whiplash does for music education and performance what Black Swan did for ballet. Cross, the editor, pieced this film together with the utmost precision. No edit or cut feels out of place and the whole film plays through without a hitch. This was easily the smoothest film I have seen in theaters this year and if it doesn’t get nominated for Editing, I may just cause an uproar. Typically, the nominees for Editing go hand in hand with the nominees for Picture. This is an odd aspect of the Academy Awards, however, statistically, along with Director, this is the category that is most synonymous with the Picture category. Simmons is essentially a guarantee for a nomination if not a win for Supporting Actor, so I believe that if this film gets a push for Editing it may just score Director and Picture as well. This may all be a fantasy to me, but the film is so solid and has quite the critical following currently that it could quietly sneak itself into this year’s race. Joseph’s Opinion Whiplash is a fantastic film
written and directed by 29 year old Damien Chazzelle. The film is anchored by the strong performances of Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. The film has gained praise from many critics, but will the film walk away with any gold come award season? Whiplash does for music education and performance what Black Swan did for ballet. The film shows what artists go through to become truly great. The film attempts to reveal what sacrifices it takes to be great. Of course, a film about a musician should feature fantastic music. Whiplash contains several great musical moments, but it truly stands out due to an astonishing drum solo done by Andrew during the climax of the film. Unlike the finale of Black Swan, nothing supernatural was present, but it certainly was superb. Andrew’s drum solo makes something we perhaps take for granted [drumming], seem truly precious. Come award season Whiplash will have a chance at some gold. When the red carpet is laid down early next year, expect J.K. Simmons’ name to be called soon after to claim his Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor. You should also expect Damien Chazzelle to gain a nomination for Best Director, but with stiff competition from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Birdman and David Fincher for Gone Girl, it seems unlikely that Chazzelle will be victorious. Overall We are pleased to award Whiplash with the title of Award Great and eagerly await J.K. Simmons’ win at this year’s Academy Awards. Alexander’s Predictions Supporting Actor, Editing (Maybe: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay) Joseph’s Predictions Picture, Director, Supporting Actor
1. “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon: “I like it because it has a good beat and it’s fun to dance to.” - Emily B. 2. “It Is What It Is” by Blood Orange: “It’s great background music.” - Conor W. 3. “I Don’t Dance” by Brice Lee: “It’s sweet and romantic and every time it comes on it makes me smile.” - Meghan O. 4. “F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X” by The Fall of Troy: “I like the idea of trying not to have regrets and trying to better yourself.” - Colin B. 5. “If Not For You” by Shakey Graves: “Shakey Graves has a really unique voice/style.” - Maria M. 6. “Life on Mars” by David Bowie: “Just kind of in a Bowie mood is all.” - Tyler F. 7. “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars: “It really makes me happy and gets me focused.” - Lindsay A.
Arts B10 Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Review The Chronicle
By RYAN GEEVER Staff Writer I had the pleasure of going to the midnight release for the new Pokémon titles, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. While they are two games, they are largely the same, with the key differences being exclusive Pokémon and minor story changes. I myself picked up Omega Ruby Version, but it is entirely possible for you to substitute Alpha Sapphire for the purpose of this review. To begin, Omega Ruby Version is a 3D remake of the 2002 title Pokémon Ruby. (Alpha Sapphire is a remake of the corresponding title.) As such, it shares the “Collect all eight gym badges and become a Pokémon Master!” kind of spiel we’re used to from the main series Pokémon titles, but it also incorporates the Mega Evolution concept first introduced in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y last year. New to Omega Ruby is the mechanic of Primal Reversion, used (as of this moment) exclusively with Groudon and Kyogre, the two legendary Pokémon featured on the box art. It is up to you, aspiring trainer, to put an end to the mischievous goals of Team Magma, who wish to re-awaken Groudon and return the world to its primal landmass. The story on the surface is Pokémon. If it needs any more explaining than that, you haven’t experienced much of Pokémon stories… but I did say only on the surface. Players who are observant of their surroundings, who also like reading into lore, will be interested to find that Game Freak leaves some really deep lore within the usually innocuous locations of its world of Hoenn. For example, at one point in the game you can travel to an abandoned ship named the Sea Mauville. Players normally
might just go through and obtain the scanner they need and leave and think nothing of it, but others who might stick around a bit longer may find, hidden in a cabinet, notes from the people who had been on the ship prior to its evacuation. I won’t go much deeper, because it really is for the player themselves to read and think about, but it is extra content like this that gives Pokémon such depth that some may not notice. After the completion of the main game, players are treated to a post-game story titled “Episode Delta,” and are also given the option to battle and capture nearly every legendary Pokémon from past titles, giving Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire one of the meatiest post games in a long while. The music is absolutely amazing. Every track from the original title was given new life and will be stuck in your head for hours. One track in particular, the song that plays during the inevitable showdown against Groudon, is one of the standout tracks. It merges the chiptune trumpets and synths of the original title with the new orchestrated bits, and it all works really well together. The music isn’t all remade from the 2002 game, as the Delta Episode features new tracks that are excellent as well as catchy. The gameplay is Pokémon. If you liked it before, you’ll most likely like it again. The new Experience Share functions how it did in X and Y, lessening the amount of grinding you have to do, and unlike in X and Y, the game is balanced around it, so you won’t be miles ahead of the AI by just going through the game. Extra things to do within the game include contests and secret bases, which return from the original game. Each are so addicting in their own right that it is hard not to get fully absorbed within
them. Online play is practically the same as it was in X and Y, only it is set up on its own server, so you won’t actually be playing with any players from X and Y, only other players who own Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. One of the downsides to these remakes is that it is not, in fact, a Pokemon Emerald remake. That might seem a bit redundant, but Emerald was superior to Ruby and Sapphire in almost every way. And in the fact that back when Heart Gold and Soul Silver were released a few years ago, they incorporated the important parts of Crystal into the gameplay and story. While some elements from Emerald were incorporated into the Delta Episode, the large improvement Emerald brought over, namely, the Battle Frontier is nowhere to be seen within Omega Ruby. In its place is the Battle Maison from X and Y. It is pretty much a copy/paste from X and Y, and if it weren’t for some NPC dialogue hinting at possible Battle Frontier DLC, it would be a straight-up ripoff for everything else that was changed. But at the time of this review, such a thing has not been announced, so it is currently a negative. I guess another thing that is negative to some people is that they removed trainer customization. Personally, I didn’t really care too much about that in X/Y, so I didn’t even really notice that it was gone. Pokémon Omega Ruby is a fantastic remake, and while a bit of the aftergame is plagued by copy/paste syndrome, it still has a nominal post game in the form of Episode Delta and all of the legendary Pokémon to catch. Pokémon Omega Ruby (and consequently Alpha Sapphire) get a 9/10 from me.
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
Star Worries
By ALEXANDER PECHA Arts Editor
But seriously, what could that Droid be useful for except pickup games of desert soccer? If you exist on the planet Earth, Then there are the people worthere’s a good chance you’ve seen ried about the new lightsaber the new trailer for the upcoming design. If you haven’t seen it movie Star Wars VII: The Force the new lightsaber used by the Awakens. Not much was shown presumably new villain, it now in the trailer except some brief has an energy crossguard instead scenes with the stars of the mov- of the straight design that most ie, some weird roly-poly droid, lightsabers have had in the Star some X-Wings, a black robed Wars setting. bad guy with a lightsaber, and of There are a lot of online argucourse, the Millennium Falcon in ments about how such a design its newfound glory. could ever be plausible, and how Naturally, people got excited, no one would create a laser sword myself included. People also re- like that because they could cut sponded with worry, however, themselves. I’m inclined to agree as they should after the pile of with Rooster Teeth founder and terribleness that was the prequel all around cool guy Burnie Burns series. Things crition the subject. On cized included the Nov. 28, he tweetuse of CGI, the We can’t expect any ed, “Hey guys roly-poly droid, there’s a new studio to honestly the new villains’ feature on the lightsaber, and, go back to doing all made-up space of course, the sword that miniatures for their laser fact that there might not be reships. was a black man alistically funcin Stormtrooper tional.” armor. Seriously, it’s The first thing to address would Star Wars, there’s nothing plaube the use of CGI. This is born sible about space monks moving from the complete overuse of things with their minds, but we CGI in the prequels that made ev- just sort of ignore that, don’t we? erything look like it was made out Finally, there are the people of plastic. Personally, however, I who are mad about a black man see the CGI as probably underap- being in Stormtrooper armor. My preciated. We can’t honestly ex- response to those people is thus: pect any studio to go back to us- Shut up, you’re an idiot. There’s ing all miniatures for their ships no reason they couldn’t clone and whatnot. At this point, that some dark-skinned individuals, would be more expensive than and on top of that, the actor in using CGI. That said, though, question is actually a star in the the CGI seems pretty fantastic to movie, so it’s more than likely he me, everything looks believable. pulled the same trick used by Han Well, except that droid, but we’re and Luke in Episode IV and used about to get to that. the armor to sneak around in ImThe next part that people seem perial territory. to be worried about is the droid, All this said, we still have a litsaying it looks overly goofy. I’m tle over a year before we can actuinclined to agree with this one. ally see Star Wars VII, though I’m The droids of the Star Wars uni- sure more trailers will be released verse have always been a source that will give us better glimpses of comedic relief, but I can’t even at the new movie. I’m also just begin to imagine what the pur- as sure people in the internet will pose of a droid that is literally a whine incessantly about every litball with a head could be. How- tle detail, because it’s the internet ever, I’ll try to withhold judg- we’re talking about. Whining is a ment until the movie is released. pastime there.
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
Opinion
The Chronicle
Community Service AreWe Responding to the Needs of Our Community? By JACOB BARKMAN Staff Writer Why do we do community service? What is the compelling force that leads us to serve? From the name of it, you can tell that community service relates directly to the community around us. So to be able to properly answer the question at hand, we need to define who our community is. Now, I believe that in the context of service, the definition of what your community is changes. When I register for a Relay For Life event, my community is the interconnected web of survivors and their caregivers, because I am also a caregiver. In the context of that service, by raising funds for cancer research, we are accurately responding to the needs of our community and trying to end cancer. When I buy a tree to be planted in Israel for a Jewish friend as a gift for some accomplishment, as a part of the Jewish community, I am responding accurately to the needs of my community by aiding the Jewish National Fund. Again, the type of response and degree relates to the community and service we are providing. And finally, when I collect food for donation, I need to respond with an accurate amount of time, effort and, most importantly, resources. The months of November, December, and January can stress families and individuals out for a plethora of reasons. Sometimes family stress is caused by worrying about who is visiting, or not visiting, for the holidays. Individual stresses can include things like seasonal depression. But the worst worries of this time period often include hunger and homelessness. These two specific stresses affect more than just an individual, they affect entire communities. They place stress on churches, temples, and mosques to respond with appro-
priate food bank and free meal services. They stress shelters with an influx of people who are hungry and cold because the weather is dropping. The College of Saint Rose is nestled right above downtown Albany in the Pine Hills residential area. Downtown Albany is the hub of a large amount of both homelessness as well as a large number of food pantries and homeless shelter programs. The question we have to ask ourselves is, do we accurately respond to the needs of the community we are a part of with our actions and service on campus? What do we do to aid the food banks, food pantries, and shelters? What kind of action do we take, as a campus community, in response to the needs of our Albany community? Let’s examine the steps we actually take. The Student Association leads the team with their PB&Jams event, an event which happened earlier this semester. During this event, students put together peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to be donated to local homeless shelters. This event has quickly become an annual event, and for good reason. There is an eminent need in our community for efforts like this, and so this does in fact respond to a need on the Albany community. However, how does it respond to that need? Well, in the last three years we have seen the number of sandwiches made throughout the course of the event increase to over 3,500. In what way does this correlate to the needs of Albany? To put it bluntly, there are too many sandwiches for not enough mouths. Every year, we increase that number, but it is not an accurate response. There are around 3,000 homeless people currently in the Albany area. That means we’ve made enough for almost everyone to get one sandwich. But not all of those people are in a position to receive that sandwich.
For instance, the Capital City Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in downtown Albany, can only really hand out between 100 and 250 sandwiches a day. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches only really last about one day before they go bad, and therefore, we should reevaluate how many sandwiches we make. Don’t get me wrong, the event and intentions of those in charge are completely right, and needed in the community, but our actual resources could be spent more ef-
The question we have to ask ourselves is, do we accurately respond to the needs of the community we are a part of with our actions and service on campus? fectively, such as decreasing the amount of sandwiches made, and possibly adding a toiletry kit, or maybe a snack bag to be made for afterschool programs so that we address child hunger and homelessness as well. We need to take a look at the situation, reevaluate, and spend our precious resources to get the most bang for our buck. Other than that, PB&Jams is an event that brings out the best in the Saint Rose community. It shows how much we care for our community and how, together, we can act to positively impact the world in large ways. There is one event that needs a total revamping, however, and that event is one that can impact the Albany area in a much more constant and ongoing way. Stuff the Van, the week-long event that usually occurs the week
before Thanksgiving, needs a total make-over from the Student Association. For the past three years, this event has recieved less and less attention, and that is a problem. This time of the year puts large strains on food pantries. They see more and more empty shelves as the number of families who live in their own homes but struggle to pay for food increases. The system doesn’t work. Late November in Albany, more often than not, resembles an early December in terms of weather. It gets rainy, windy, cold, and often times snowy this early. All of these weather components ruin any chance of tabling out on the quad this late in the semester. However, the Student Association insists this is the only way to run this event, and has not moved the collection of foods to an indoor table. We can still stuff the vans without having to be right next to them to do it. There is no reason that the weather should be blamed for a low collection. Also, we should take into account our own resources on campus again. We have a large base of faculty, staff, and administrators that have been here for more than four years. However generally speaking, every four years our entire student base changes. We need to start reaching out to those more permanent members of the Saint Rose community. Those are the people, aside from our community service-oriented clubs (of which there are plenty for the Student Association to partner with on this event), who are going to go out of their way to pick up some food and drop it off for the collection. But this year, that group of people wasn’t even contacted to help support this much-needed collection for local food pantries. The Student Association should know, more than anyone else, that advertising works. Have you seen
C11
any advertisements about Stuff the Van around campus? Neither have I, which again poses the problem of a broken system. A few flyers, maybe some sweeps, and especially having all clubs talk about it at general meetings would be hugely beneficial. Like any successful event, you cannot start marketing it a few days before. You have to give people the chance to prepare. There is no doubt that if we would like to be a college that cares about and responds properly to the needs of our community, then things have to change. A few weeks ago I wrote an article titled “A Community of Giants,” because that’s who we are, giants in community service. It’s time that we act unified as a campus and respond to the needs of the people we are trying to help with accurate amounts of resources and efforts. In that article, I talked about what made the prophets of the Hebrew Bible prophets. Among all others, these individuals spent their time, all of it, holding the leaders of their communities responsible for their actions. Here I stand, Jacob Barkman, holding our leaders accountable and responsible, and to the Student Association I have this to say: I believe you have one choice in this instance. Fix the system. Fix Stuff the Van week so that we respond to a very important and dire need in our community to fill food pantry shelves to help not just the homeless but also those, much like families I know very well, who have a roof, but nothing to put in their stomachs. The six leaders of our Student Association, which is our government, not just another club, have the opportunities and power to change and fix, so they are responsible for doing so. Empower yourselves, and by doing so empower all the student leaders to follow you down the right path. Lead us.
C12
The Chronicle
Holding on to Your Integrity
By Alexander Wheeler Features Editor ‘Tis the season. The holidays are here, and everyone and their mother are feasting, shopping and trying to stay alive during finals. Thanksgiving Break is such a tease of something greater that the two weeks left when we get back before Winter Break seems like hell. I don’t know about everyone else, but most of the huge assignments for my courses are due sometime later this week and that scares me. All of the work and the carefree holiday cheer may just make you want to not care about your work, or go at it from a strategic perspective. Even though these next two weeks may be the hardest of the semester for some, if not most, make sure you do your best to keep your integrity in check. What integrity am I talking about? Academic Integrity, of course. Integrity has two main definitions. One is “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.” The other is “the state of being whole and undivided.” Someone’s integrity is one of the most coveted and personal things that someone can have. If you are seen as a person of utmost integrity, then you must be doing something right. Who knows, if you’re a person of integrity and you’re having troubles with an assignment, a professor may be more lenient with you on the assignment. If you find yourself struggling to find the right source for a paper, or if you get too caught up with other projects to properly study for that final you have in the morning, take a deep breath and lean back for a second. Nobody wants to be the student that cheated on a test or plagiarized their paper – even if they think that they can get away with
it. If you’re rushing through all of your final assignments and do an honest job on all of them – even if you think your work looks like trash – at least it was your own work. If you’re having trouble with an assignment, or may not be sure whether or not the way you’re completing it is right – ask someone. As intimidating as it may be, ask your professor if the way you’re going about your work is okay. Maybe you’re writing a paper that deals with information that you may have written a similar paper on for another course. Maybe you feel like using some of that paper for this course. Maybe you want to use the majority of it. Maybe you feel like just turning in the paper you already wrote – nothing wrong with that, right? Some professors may let you use some of the information on your other paper for this new one, some may not. It is all subjective, but if you talk with your professor and see what you may be able to do, two things will occur. One – the professor will be pleased with you, and Two – you will successfully keep your integrity. Throughout the rest of the semester, The Royal Flush will be focusing on Academic Integrity, and will feature various scenarios about integrity that may not be as clear-cut as they seem. These scenarios will help set the stage for you in the last days of the semester as you attempt to keep your integrity in check. As I mentioned before, if you’re unsure during these final days of the semester if what you’re doing to get all of these final assignments done is in line with your Academic Integrity, ask someone. It’ll be the smartest decision you’ll make all year.
Opinion
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
The Answer You’ve Been Looking For By RACHEL DYMOND Contributing Writer I don’t know why I thought this would be easy to write. As a communications major and a former psychology major, I’ve done my fair share of writing, but this is challenging in a way I can’t quite explain. I’ll go ahead and give it the old college try. I’ve spent my last semester as an undergrad trying to live in the moment as much as possible and not think about the mysterious and often ominous future. Every time someone reminds me of how few days are left in the semester I mentally, emotionally, and physically cringe. When someone asks me what I’m doing after graduation, all I can do is laugh. When did it become commonplace to assume a 20-something knows exactly what they want to do, where they want to go, and who they want to be? I don’t know what the next hour of my life might bring, let alone the next year. To reiterate my point, I. Don’t. Know. Does anybody? This concept can either be terrifying or oddly comforting. You decide. I choose to embrace it as one thing in life I can control. It sounds backwards, but the idea of “just going with it” is a way of dictating how your life will go. College will teach you many things, but there’s one thing you’ll learn on your own: you don’t have all the answers. You don’t even have most of them, and some you never will. Whether you’re an eager freshman or a soon-to-be postgrad, try to embrace “I don’t know,” because sometimes it’s the only thing that makes sense. I remember, as a freshman, thinking how much older and wiser the seniors looked, like they had it all figured out. I can
now promise you that we don’t. There are so many things I wish I could go back and tell my freshman self, but that’s not how life works. More than anything, I’d tell myself to stop planning and stop having expectations for everything and everyone. There’s a quote I love, which says, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” As young adults, nothing ruins us more than thinking we need to have it all figured out. Now to one of my least-favorite phrases: “College is the best (four) years of your life.” Best is a strong word: it adds more expectation, anticipation, and pressure than excitement. The truth is that college is simply years of your life, just like any other stage. It’s the best, worst and everything in between. My first year of college was probably the worst and most confusing year of my life. I was at a school I grew to hate. I was miserable and I became someone even I didn’t want to be around. I learned from it, though. My expectations were too high and I thought I knew how it was all supposed to go. Sophomore year I came to Saint Rose, which ended up being the best decision I ever made. I could go through the process of how I tried out another school in between, and dabbled in three different majors, but I’ll spare you the details. Long story short, over time I learned to let go of expectations and control and just live. Fast forward to present day and here I am, a couple weeks shy of graduating college. I can genuinely say these last two years have been the best of my life. The journey wasn’t always easy, but it was absolutely worth it. I’ll let you in on a few things your textbooks won’t teach you: You decide every day if it’s going
to be a good or bad day. Even on the worst days there is always a silver lining; it’s up to you to find it. There will be times in your college career where every day feels like a new existential crisis. No one prepares you for those days, even though they’re just as important as the days you’re sitting in class and have an epiphany that makes everything make sense. It’s okay to have absolutely no idea what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. You’ll figure it out, and sometimes you won’t. That’s okay too. You’ll learn that there’s no foolproof formula for how life should be. Roll with the punches. You’ll wake up some days feeling motivated and inspired. Other days, you’ll wake up feeling confused, discouraged, and like a broken compass. But you’ll get where you need to go. You can read all the BuzzFeed lists and Thought Catalog articles out there about “21 things you should know by 21” and “How to have the best college experience ever!” but there’s one thing they all seem to leave out: there is no magical answer. Everything comes together when you stop trying to make everything come together. Let go of expectations and the desire to control and plan. Learn to live in the moment. How? Take risks, take opportunities, dream so big there’s no room for doubt, laugh, make friends, lose friends, succeed, be grateful, fail, be humble, learn, laugh some more, repeat. It wasn’t until I finished writing this that I realized I began the same way I’m going to end it. As a freshman, I didn’t have any answers, and as a senior I still don’t have a lot, but that’s okay. I’m doing just fine and I’m happy. So, fellow students, here is the magical answer to all of our questions: I don’t know.
Sports D13 Golden Knights Scoreboard and Standings
December 2nd, 2014
NE-10 Men’s Basketball
NE-10 Swimming and Diving
Northeast Division GP Record Saint Michael’s 4 3-1 0.750 Franklin Pierce 6 4-2 0.667 Saint Anselm 5 4-1 0.800 Stonehill 5 4-1 0.800 So. New Hampshire 4 3-1 0.750 Assumption 5 2-3 0.400 Merrimack 5 2-3 0.400 Bentley 6 2-4 0.333 Southwest Divison So. Connecticut Le Moyne American Int’l Saint Rose New Haven Pace Adelphi
The Chronicle
Volume 83 Issue 16
GP 6 7 5 6 3 7 5
Record 6-0 6-1 4-1 4-2 1-2 2-5 1-4
1.000 0.857 0.800 0.667 0.333 0.286 0.200
Scores: L 47-64 vs IUP
NE-10 Women’s Basketball Northeast Division GP Record Assumption 6 6-0 1.000 Stonehill 5 5-0 1.000 Franklin Pierce 6 4-2 0.667 Bentley 6 4-2 0.667 Saint Michael’s 6 4-2 0.667 Saint Anselm 5 3-2 0.600 Merrimack 6 3-3 0.500 So. New Hampshire 7 3-4 0.429 Southwest Division GP Record Adelphi 5 5-0 1.000 New Haven 6 5-1 0.833 Le Moyne 6 5-1 0.833 So. Connecticut 5 1-4 0.200 Saint Rose 5 2-3 0.400 Pace 6 2-4 0.333 American Int’l 5 2-3 0.400 Scores: L 59-76 vs Adelphi
Men: W 137-86 at Le Moyne Women: W 142-97 at Le Moyne
NE-10 Women’s Soccer GP Assumption 21 Saint Rose 24 Adelphi 21 So. Connecticut 19 Franklin Pierce 18 Le Moyne 19 Pace 21 Stonehill 18 Saint Anselm 16 New Haven 17 So. New Hampshire 18 Saint Michael’s 17 American Int’l 16 Merrimack 18 Bentley 17
Record 15-5-1 0.738 21-1-2 0.917 14-5-2 0.714 11-6-2 0.632 11-6-1 0.639 10-8-1 0.553 11-10 0.524 8-8-2 0.500 7-6-3 0.531 6-9-2 0.412 6-10-2 0.389 5-11-1 0.324 4-11-1 0.281 7-9-2 0.444 2-15 0.118
Scores: W 2-0 at Westchester
NE-10 Cross Country NCAA East Regionals Men: 9th/28 teams Women: 16th/27 teams
Saint Rose Basketball Teams Face Adelphi at Home
By VICTORIA ADDISON Sports Editor The College of Saint Rose men’s and women’s basketball teams recently faced Northeast-10 Conference member Adelphi. The men’s team won with a score of 79-65, and the women’s team suffered a loss of 59-76. The games, both of which were at home, took place on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Five different players on the men’s team scored in doubledigits, with freshman forward Jack Jones leading scoring with 16 points. The team shot 51.9 percent in the second half. A total of nine turnovers were committed throughout the entirety of the game. Saint Rose looks to defeat NE10 Conference member Southern Connecticut State at home on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. After suffering a loss of 56-65 to the University of Pittsburg at John-
stown this past Saturday, and a 47-64 loss to Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Sunday, the Golden Knights currently hold an overall record of 4-3. Despite the loss for the women’s team, senior center Mariah Lesure led the team in points and scored with a season-high 16. Lesure also contributed seven rebounds. Adelphi started the second half on a 10-0 run and went on to shoot 58.3 percent throughout the remainder of the period. The Panthers also outscored the Golden Knights from the foul line 13-6. With the win, Adelphi advanced to an overall record of 5-0. The women’s team will host two matchups at home this week as they face Goldey-Beacom College on Monday at 6:00 p.m and then Southern Connecticut State on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The Golden Knights currently have an overall record of 2-3.
Upcoming Games Men’s Basketball: Wed. vs So. Connecticut State
@ 7:30 p.m.
Women’s Basketball: Wed. vs So. Connecticut State
@ 5:30 p.m.
Women’s Soccer: Thu. vs Grand Valley State
@ 5:00 p.m.
D14
The Chronicle
Sports
December 2nd, 2014
Porreca’s Picks
Volume 83 Issue 16
ThisWeek’s Top Two NFL Headlines By Justin Porreca Staff Writer 1. Berry Placed on NonFootball Injury Reserve List After Mass Found in Chest The man who is well-known for his fear of horses now has something bigger to fear: cancer. Kansas City Chiefs star safety Eric Berry is believed to have a form of lymphoma. After the Chiefs’ Thursday night loss to the Raiders, Berry complained of chest pains. He went through a battery of tests to determine the cause of the pain. On Monday, Berry and the media were alerted that this pain could be a form of lymphoma. However, there is no definitive diagnosis yet and there will not be one until Monday or Tuesday of this week. Berry was alerted by doctors that they did not know how to attack the issue until they have the full assessment of the situation. On Tuesday, the Chiefs placed Berry on the non-football injury reserve list, likely ending his season.
Berry, 25, has made the Pro Bowl in three out of the four seasons he’s been in the league and was an 2013 All-Pro. Berry will more than likely miss the Pro Bowl this season, but that’s the least of his issues at this point. Even with the news of possibly having lymphoma, Berry has been in very good spirits. After receiving the bad news on Monday, Berry issued a message to fans, displaying his optimism and proclaiming, “I will be back!” Despite the fear of being diagnosed with lymphoma, Berry sent out a Facebook message on Thanksgiving wishing all of his fans a safe and enjoyable holiday. Included in his heart-warming public post was a statement telling fans, “Don’t Worry.” Even after being alerted that he could have lymphoma, Berry asked head coach Andy Reid if he could play Sunday night in the game versus division rival the Denver Broncos. Since the news about Berry was delivered to the eyes and ears of America on Monday, Berry has been in the thoughts and prayers
of all. On Wednesday after their daily practice, John Fox and Peyton Manning stepped to the podium and issued their respects toward Berry. Fox, who underwent heart surgery in November of 2013, said that Berry will be in his thoughts and prayers going forward. Manning, who was a former Tennessee Volunteer like Berry, said Wednesday that he reached out to Berry via text message and told him that a lot of people, including himself, are thinking about him and that he’s in their thoughts and prayers. With the diagnosis coming either Monday or Tuesday, the entire NFL fraternity and fans will be waiting to hear if Berry is okay. This will also include double leukemia patient Brice Eidson, whom Berry befriended last year. Eidson immediately reached out to Berry once he found out that his favorite player was going to see a specialist regarding the mass in his chest. With Berry in everyone’s thoughts and prayers, it’s certain that everyone in America is pushing for a diagnosis that is not lymphoma. There is only one thing that can be said as things go forward, and that is #BERRYSTRONG. 2. RG-BENCH: Griffin Revisits Bench, McCoy Starts
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Washington Redskins recently decided to bench quarterback Robert Griffin III.
The Robert Griffin III rollercoaster has been put on a hiatus for now due to pending repairs, and the return date is unknown. What looked like a bright future has now become a dark, cold nightmare. The lights shined bright after 2012, but now the lights have been switched off and no one is home. The decision came early Wednesday morning regarding Griffin’s benching in favor of Colt McCoy. Coming as a bit of a surprise to Redskins players, it came to no surprise of analysts, insiders, and fans. Griffin, 24, has been playing
abysmally this season. Griffin’s record as a starter in 2014 is 1-4. As for his stats, Griffin has 869 passing yards, two touchdowns to three interceptions, a 69 percent completion percentage, and a passer rating of 85.7. The stats are misleading, not to mention Griffin was injured in week two versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. Griffin missed six games this season with a dislocated ankle, and didn’t get anywhere close to his days in 2012, which have become a distant memory. After bringing home the Rookie of the Year award in 2012 and being elected to the Pro-Bowl, Griffin has been a shell of the player he was. Blame can be placed on his injured knee and his inability to stay healthy, but the majority of the blame falls on RG-III’s inability to grow mentally as a player. Griffin has all the physical tools and abilities, but to become a great, the mental aspect of the game has to be polished to perfection. Griffin has shown no strides in that area of his game, and now he’s falling to the back of the pack in his draft class. Reverting back to Griffin’s stats, despite the high completion percentage and relatively high passer rating, most of Griffin’s passes have been short, dump off routes. Diving deep into the film locker on Griffin this season, the tape shows serious regression and poor mechanics. Griffin fails to see the field, and the game looks like it’s going too fast for him to read the field and make the right throws. Griffin begins to panic and becomes frantic in the pocket and either checks the ball down to a running back or a receiver on a short out-route, takes a sack, or throws an interception. Lack of progression, poor reads, poor mechanics, and a lack of pocket presence have led to management, including Jay Gruden, deciding to pull the plug on RG-III instead of keeping him
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Eric Berry, safety for the Kansas City Chiefs, will most likely be out for the remainder of the season. on life support for the rest of the season. Now the Redskins have a chance to see what they have in McCoy, which might not be much since he’s only a game manager, but they can get an understanding of what he can bring to the table. Is McCoy the long-term solution in Washington? Possibly not, but is RG-III even the future of the organization and the franchise quarterback anymore? With RG-III’s days as a Redskin looking numbered, and his contract extension in May looming, it looks like it could be a stormy couple of months in the nation’s capital. With trade rumors being thrown around and the possibility of being cut in the off-season, RG-III doesn’t look like the franchise quarterback Washington has been scrambling to find since the mid 90s. What was once a meteoric rise is now a free-fall from the dazzling heights which Griffin ascended to in his rookie campaign.
December 2nd, 2014
Volume 83 Issue 16
Sports
The Chronicle
D15
Who Ya Got? NBA Top Five By ALEX HORTON Staff Writer So far in this NBA season, there have been a number of standout players that have not only shattered expectations, but have completely taken over the league. This week I am going to break it down for you by giving you my top player for each position. Let’s start with the point guard position. Stephen Curry, first round draft pick and college phenom from Davidson, has easily been one of the best point guards in the game ever since he stepped foot on the floor in a Golden State jersey. Before this season, Curry was known for being a deadly three point shooter and a player who had some of the best handles in the NBA. Last year Curry averaged 8.5 assists a game. This year he is averaging 7.7, not a very signif-
icant drop, but it is up from his first four seasons in the league. It is apparent that Curry is trying to significantly improve his game so that he can be known as a better all-around point guard rather than just a shooter. Curry is also improving on the defensive end of the floor. In his first five seasons in the NBA, Curry averaged only 1.6 steals a game. So far this season he is averaging 2.1. If you know basketball, two steals a game is pretty impressive, especially for someone who is not normally known for his defense. Not only is he improving in all aspects of his game, but he is averaging 24.2 points on 48.9 percent shooting, both numbers the highest in his career. If you ask me, this young point guard is going to be good for a very long time in the league. The shooting guard position in the NBA is kind of lacking. You
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, who was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in 2009.
really only have three or four guys who I would even consider taking. Now, I’m not going to be a homer here and take Jimmy Butler, even though he impresses me more and more each day. I am going to put some veteran leadership in this starting five of mine. Now, I wrote about this careerlong Laker and his preposterous ranking in this year’s NBA player rankings, and Kobe Bryant has proved all his haters at ESPN wrong. This man is well out of his prime and is still playing like the best shooting guard in the NBA. Some of you may say the reason he is averaging 26.4 points a game is because he is also shooting at an extremely low shooting percentage. As a matter of fact, he is shooting a career low and abysmal 37.9 percent. Here’s the thing, though. Bryant is 36 years old, scoring 26 points, recording five rebounds, and averaging four assists, all while playing a whopping 35 minutes a game. Now, if you think that any normal 36-year-old player can do that, then you are sadly mistaken. Not only is he 36 and doing this, but Bryant is coming off of a torn Achilles and a fractured knee. He also has no cartilage left in either of his knees and has had a number of surgeries to help combat that. Bryant is the definition of tough in the NBA. His heart and competitive nature drive him to be the best player on the court even at his old age. There are very few players like him in this league, he’s the last of his era, and he’s still at the top of his position. I would really like to put someone like Rudy Gay in the small forward position, but he just doesn’t match up, numbers wise, with LeBron James. James is averaging 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists a game. Now those are the top numbers of the position and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how good of an athlete he is. His only problem, similar to Kobe, is that
his team does not look good at the moment. Bryant’s team seems to be getting a little life with Nick Young returning to the roster, but the Cavaliers just look lost. James needs to figure it out before the playoffs roll around if he wants to bring the coveted finals trophy to Cleveland. This power forward is young, 21 to be specific. He has also been called the next big star by Kevin Durant. Anthony Davis was the numberone draft pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2012 NBA Draft. His first two seasons in the league were nothing to bat an eye at, as he was not really doing big things for a struggling Pelicans team. This year, however, is a different story. Davis is scoring an average 25 points a game with 11 rebounds and 3.2 block. Now, three blocks a game doesn’t seem like a lot, but in his first game this season he blocked nine shots, one away from a triple double. I have to say, when Durant first said that Davis was the next big thing, I was kind of skeptical and did not really believe him. But now, after seeing what this kid can really do, I pick him up just about every day for my Draft Kings roster. Lastly, we have probably the most fought-for position in the NBA. Now I would so much love
to put Joakim Noah at center because he has slowly but surely shown that he is one of the best in the league. Demarcus Cousins, who I will be referring to by his nickname because Boogie is just about the coolest nickname I have heard in the NBA other than Swaggy P, who is also known as Nick Young. Well see, Boogie showed everyone last year that he was going to be a force to reckon with and that he was done being criticized. So he played for Team USA and now he’s out there recording double doubles every night. Averaging 23.5 points a night with 12 and a half boards is just plain ridiculous, but he’s the real deal. Boogie plays defense, he is a great post presence on offense, and can even stretch other centers with a midrange jumper. Not only that, but he really wants to win. His emotion and passion are a huge part of his game. His game being elevated to such a level only elevates the Sacramento Kings even more, especially with players like Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore, who are putting in quality minutes and taking on the scoring load when they need to. Now these guys are here for right now, this is just who I think I would want on my team at the moment. Who Ya Got?
We’re Hiring! The Chronicle is currently seeking individuals to fill open positions for the 2015-16 academic year. Individuals interested in the position(s) 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 Conor Shea at sheac613@strose.edu.
D16
Sports Five for Five The Five Sports StoriesYou Need to Know The Chronicle
By MATTHEW WOODS Staff Writer 1. OBJ OMG New York Giants rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made one of the most unreal and athletic plays we may ever see. Even though the Giants lost to the Dallas Cowboys 31-28, the score was overshadowed by Beckham Jr.’s catch. It was the first play of the second quarter when Giants quarterback Eli Manning scurried to his right and heaved a high, arcing spiral toward Beckham Jr. As the ball was descending, Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr held and pushed Beckham Jr., but to no avail. Beckham Jr. broke out of Carr’s pass interference, leaped backward, raised his right hand, and using just three fingers, caught the football behind his head, beyond his range of sight, and fell to the ground while maintaining possession of the ball. The replay of Beckham Jr.’s catch was shown repeatedly during the Sunday Night Football broadcast and on stadium monitors throughout the game as the fans could be heard marveling over the spectacular catch. Twitter was blowing up as well, with over 70,000 tweets per minute referencing Beckham Jr.’s catch. Even LeBron James tweeted in awe. This catch was immediately compared to the catch made in Super Bowl XLII by David Tyree. If you take the significance away form Tyree’s catch, the conversation can be had as to which catch may be the best of all time. But, because Tyree’s occurred in the Super Bowl, keeping the Giants season and title hopes alive against the undefeated New England Patriots, it is clearly the overall better catch of the two. Needless to say, Beckham Jr. made one of the most difficult
and mind-blowing plays you’ll ever see, and is quickly becoming a star in the NFL. 2. Ray Rice Wins Appeal Troubled free agent and former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice won his appeal of the indefinite suspension handed down by the NFL. Rice is now eligible to sign with any team in the league. Judge Barbara Jones made the ruling in Rice’s favor, citing that the NFL was not “lied to, or mislead,” and that the NFL’s suspension of Rice was an “abuse of discretion.” The ruling detailed how the NFL showed a lack of consistency in handling the level of violence that Rice was involved in and that it was not Rice’s description, but the absence of understanding the seriousness of domestic violence. Rice’s wife, Janay, the victim of Rice’s actions and a strong supporter of her husband, testified as well and displayed her relief after the outcome was heard, saying, “It feels unbelievable.” The ruling comes a week after Peterson lost his appeal of a season-long suspension stemming from his child abuse case, which is being concluded. At some point, teams will show interest in signing Rice, it’s just a matter of who and when. There are a number of teams that could use a strong running back, including the Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, and Arizona Cardinals. But will any team take the chance of signing Rice, knowing there will be loads of backlash? We’ll have to wait and see, but either way, this unfortunate case has raised well-needed awareness for domestic violence. 3. Red Sox Ink Free Agent Duo The Boston Red Sox are apparently going all-out in free agency
December 2nd, 2014
this offseason. The team signed two of the most highly coveted free agents on the market: former Giants third basemen and threetime World Series champion Pablo Sandoval, and former Los Angeles Dodgers short stop and one-time Red Sox prospect, Hanley Ramirez. The Red Sox signed Sandoval to a five year, $95 million contract with a club option for a sixth year. Sandoval will immediately fill two needs for the Red Sox, being a third basemen and a lefthanded bat. Sandoval is coming off a stellar postseason in which he hit .366, leading the Giants to their third World Series title in the past five seasons. Ramirez was signed to a four year, $88 million deal and is expected to play left field for the team despite the overload among players in the outfield. Expect the Red Sox to make a trade involving one of their outfielders, perhaps to bolster a weak pitching staff. Recently acquired Yoenis Cespedes is most likely to be moved, and will attract many suitors. The Red Sox, with cap room available, seem to have their mind set on making an immediate run for a World Series title very soon. 4. Manziel’s Messy Situation It only took 13 weeks into Johnny Manziel’s NFL career for him to finally see some action; unfortunately, that action occurred during a fight at his hotel. The altercation happened at The Nine Hotel/Condo Building in Cleveland, where Chris Gonos, an intoxicated fan, approached Manziel, putting his hands on the quarterback and trying to hug him. At that time Manziel, who was with his girlfriend and his mother, felt unsafe and did not want to enter the same elevator as
Volume 83 Issue 16
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, who was recently involved in an altercation with a fan. the fan. The brief exchange led to a physical altercation, and Gonos went to the police afterward saying that Manziel and his “entourage” had assaulted him. Police say Manziel is not a suspect in the incident. If anything, this incident is just another story to put Manziel in the spotlight and from the looks of it, Gonos’ claims seem to be a little skewed and over-exaggerated. 5. Ohio State Football Player Found Dead The Ohio State Buckeyes have been working their way back up the ranks to get into the college football playoffs over the course of the last few weeks. After enduring numerous setbacks throughout the season, the team is having to deal with another off-the-field incident. The body of senior defensive tackle Kosta Karageorge was found in a dumpster not too far from the University with a
self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police identified the body through markings and tattoos. The 22-year-old was last seen at his apartment around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, directly after sending texts to his mother in which he seemed confused, saying that concussions suffered on the field were affecting his mental state. Karageorge experienced several concussions over the time he spent at Ohio State. He was originally a wrestler for the school, but made the switch to football this season, joining the team as a walk-on. Karageorge played in one game this season and was among the 24 seniors that were to be recognized in Saturday’s Senior Day game against rival Michigan. The school held a vigil for Karageorge on Sunday night, providing his friends and teammates a space to mourn.