Albany Student Press, Issue 2, 2016 September 13

Online content

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CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
1916-2016

Kosher
kitchen

Indian
PAGE 3

ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

schleps to

X

2

=

Schneider
milestone
not enough

as Danes fall
PAGE 5

TEE
2016

FACULTY

A new dean and a new
dawn for Honors College

By ILENE ROTHMAN

As President Robert J. Jones
prepares to assume the role of
Chancellor of the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Dr. Hui-Ching Chang, who
received her doctorate in speech
communication from the very

same Urbana-Champaign campus

and served as Associate Dean of

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13,

Academic Affairs forthe Univer. change.
sity of Illinois at Chicago, Honors + What is your educational back-
College, is welcomed as the new ground?

dean of the Honors College at the
University at Albany.

While the Honors College
serves as an exclusive home for
the top five percent of UAlbany’s

I grew up in Taiwan, if you
asked my high school classmates
they would not believe that I’m
working with the Honors College
because I was very shy as a child.

undergraduate population, it also When I was in undergrad I studied
has less than a 30 percent reten-
tion rate, something she hopes to Please see DEAN page 2

ISSUE 2

llene Rothman / Albany Student Press
Dr. Hui-Ching Chang, originally from Taiwan, assumes role as dean of

ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET

Honors College.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:
FREE ONLINE COURSES

Ment
students

share
skills

By LINDSEY RIBACK

The launch of University at
Albany’s Merit Program en-
courages students to share their
experiences with the greater
community.

First introduced over the
summer to freshmen and sopho-
mores, the program officially
begun on Sept. 7., as a joint part-
nership between the Provost's
Office, Student A ffairs and the
Office of Communications and
Marketing. Similar to digital
badges, this online system al-
lows both undergraduate and
graduate students to share their
skills and experiences online.

“Merit is another tool that
allows our students to showcase
their achievements in and out
of the classroom in a contem-
porary and interactive format.
In speaking with students,
they're excited by the prospect
of sharing their achievements
at UA lbany with prospective
employers and grad schools,
family and friends,” Vice Presi-
dent for Student A ffairs Michael
Christakis said.

The university will provide
students with Merit badges
from various categories. Once

Please see MERIT page 2

Source: UAlbanyphotos.com

Brothers and professors Arash and Kamiar Alaei are creating free online medical courses for Syrian refugees.

By LINDSEY RIBACK professors and brothers Arash
and Kamiar A laei partnered with
other professors to create free
online medical courses for Syrian
refugees.

“The responsibility of society
is to support them [students] so
this was the reason we were moti-

Medical school is challeng-
ing enough, but attempting to
complete courses while lacking
a physical place to leam and
call home and fleeing a war-tom
country certainly does not help.

This is why University atAlbany vated to help them,” K. Alaei said.

“T believe academic institutions, in
addition to contributing to science,
have a more important responsi-
bility to make the environment
safe for the next generation so that
they can continue to contribute to

which were developed by UAI-
bany professors and intems at the
Global Institute for Health and
Human Rights, GIHHR, an on-
campus institution co-founded by
the brothers in 2013. The courses

society.” are taught by professors in English
Currently, 320 refugee students —_and then translated into Arabic,
are enrolled in these courses, Please see BROTHERS page 8

DORMS

Overcrowding result of housing shortage

By TYLER MCNEIL

Due to a housing shortage,
over 400 incoming University
at Albany students are living
in triple bedrooms and lounge
spaces.

“We managed to get accus-
tomed to this, but almost every
triple [bedroom] I've seen is so
crowded,” said Anva Konda-
kciu, a freshman majoring in
computer science who lives in
an assigned triple bedroom on.
State Quad. “Nothing is even
ready because they [her room-
mates] plan on moving out.”

As of last week, Residential
Life reported 427 incoming
students are living with three or

more roommates on Indian
Quad and State Quad.
Sophia Biasotti, a pre-law
freshman living on State
Quad, is among students
waiting for space to open up
for double bedrooms over
the semester. Since mov-
ing in, Biasotti has grown
uncomfortable with her triple
bedroom living space.
“We're always on top of
each other and it’s kind of
hot, so we need to have fans
and that takes up more floor

space that we don’t already
have,” Biasotti said.
While the majority of stu- Tyler McNeil / Albany Student Press
dents denied double bedrooms Housing shortages lead to cramped dorms
Please see HOUSING page 3 and crowded common areas.

PRINTED BY THE TIMES UNION, ALBANY, NEW YORK

REDESIGN

Glitches
with BB

By TYLER MCNEIL

Blackboard Lear re-
ceived a makeover over the
summer to halt increasingly
common glitches in the
system.

“In staying with the cur-
rent theme, it is more likely
to ensure that the functional
capabilities of the theme
will be in line with how
they designed their most up-
to-date theme,” said Chris
Moore, course management
& instructional technology

A HEARST CORPORATION NEWSPAPER

gone
update

developer.

Technical issues with the
system have been reported
more frequently by ITS
since 2012. Asa result of
not updating the theme,
students and faculty have
often reported glitches with
tests and quizzes, according
to Information Technology
System.

Over the last four years,
ITS had regularly custom-
ized the theme to keep up
the glitches. Over time,

Please see ONLINE page 8
EDITOR: STEFAN LEMBO-STOLBA
THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM

| MARTIAL ARTS

NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS.

UAlbany MMA club still kicking, punching

By MILO VOTAVA =

Mixed Martial Arts fights are
now legal in New Y ork, but the
University at Albany’s MMA Club
will not stray from their motto
“This is not a fight club!!”

The combative matches
themselves were banned state-
wide in 1997 by Gov. George
Pataki, although practicing it
recreationally remained legal.
New Y ork is now the last state
in the country to legalize the
sport and lawmakers hope the
legalization will reduce the amount
of illegal fight clubs.

“The underground era is over.
One UCL show, and that’s it,”
Peter Storm, the leader of the
illegal underground fighting
league, Underground Combat
League said to CNN. Since the
legalization he has only scheduled
only one match for his club.

Unlike the underground clubs,
UAlbany’s MMA Club has not
been doing anything illegal as
expected with any student club.
They focus mainly on the tactics
leamed in Mui Thai, Boxing,
Wrestling, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, and
Tae Kwon Do, stressing a focus
on self-defense over fighting,
but are open to suggestions from

any members if they want to

leam something else. Anyone,
regardless of skill level is welcome
to join, and Jamie Dolan, the
club’s president, ensure that the
club is a good place for beginners
to get used to MMA without being

as well.

Milo Votava / Albany Student Press
MMA Club President Jamie Dolan, Secretary Amanda Knipfing,
Treasurer Jacob Gelfman

pressured or overwhelmed, while
also letting the more advanced
members practice and be engaged

“If you have an ego, a chip on
your shoulder, you need to leave it
at the door,” Matt Surface, second

in command at the club said.
“Y ou can’t come in here and think
you're better than everyone else.”

In fact, even though MMA
matches being legalized is a big
deal to some of the members, the
MMA club will not change its
practices as a result of the law in
any way.

New this semester however,
is the division of classes
between beginner members and
intermediate or more advanced
participants. Practice between the
two groups will occur separately,
but simultaneously, allowing
beginners to leam the skills safely
while still permitting the more
advanced members to remain.
engaged. Another change is that
sparring, a more striking-focused
kind of practice, and grappling
will be joined by feet-to-floor
practices as well. This allows for
more wrestling and takedown style
moves to be practiced.

Though the club is focused on
fighting, all the members are made
quite aware of the fact that safety
and self-defense is the main goal.
The first sentence on the club's
MyInvolvement page is, “This is
nota ‘Fight Club!!!’”

During their first informational
meeting, one of the main points

that was made was what protective
gear was required: mouth guards
for all members and cups for

the members that can use them.
Additional protective gear such as
boxing or Mui Thai gloves that are
at least 16 ounces and shin guards
are recommended, but the club

has a few extras they can loan out.
People are also welcome to bring
elbow and knee pads if they want.

The club might sound very
serious, with its strict rules on
respect and safety, but those are
necessary for an active club that
also focuses on having a good
time and building friendships and
confidence.

Dolan started attending the
club as a way to workout with
his friends, and it grew into
something he loved coming back
to and would love to continue after
college.

“MMA club is open to all, we
want it to be open to everyone as
a great place to make friends and
lear overall good skills (in self-
defense),” he said.

The club meets Mondays and
Wednesdays from 9 to 11 p.m.
and Saturdays 12 to 2 p.m. in
the martial arts room located
in the basement of the Physical
Education building.

| CRIME BLOTTER

DRIVING WHILE IN-

CRIMINAL POSSES-

Report of two male

State Quad- Anthony

Liberty Terrace- LT Quad.

Report of a male stu-

TOXICATED SION CONTROL SUB- _ students in possession _Hall Grounds dent vomiting. Trans-
09/02/2016 STANCE of marijuana and mari —_-Report of stolen sneak-_ Report of a male DOMESTIC INCIDENT _ported to hospital by
Roadways -DQ Lot 09/03/2016 juana paraphernalia. ers. subject trespassing on 09/05/2016 5 Quad.
Report of a male Roadways I-90 Entrance One in possession of a campus. Indian Quad Grounds
subject driving while Report of a male forged drivers license. | CRIMINAL POSSES- Assisted subjects ina PETIT LARCENY
intoxicated. An arrest _student driving with an__Referral was made. SION OF MARUUANA — MEDICAL INCIDENT domestic dispute. 09/07/2016
was made and vehicle expired registration and 09/05/2016 09/02/2016 AGGRAVATED UNLI-
was towed. under the influence of | COERCION: 2ND DE- Indian Pond Indian Quad- Onondaga CENSED OPERATION ‘ian Quad Lot

a controlled substance GREE Report of four male stu- Hall 09/06/2016 Report of stolen car
UNLAWFUL POSSES- 2 in possession of 09/04/2016 dent smoking marijuana Report of a female stu. Roadways- Western Ave __ Stereo by unknown
SION OF MARIJUANA Same. An arrest was State Quad- Eastman in public. A referral was dent with injured toe. A male student was person.
09/02/2016 made and vehicle was Tower made. Report of some- arrested for an active
Roadways- SQ Lot towed. Report of a male stu- one flying a drone with © MEDICAL INCIDENT Bench Warrant with Ak PETIT LARCENY
Report of a ral ub dent being harrassed by _ no one in area upon 09/04/2016 bany Police Department 99/08/2016
ject driving with illegat POSSESSION FORGED social media. arrival. Colonial Quad- Zenger Colonial Guad Siiihe
plates and in posses. «INSTRUMENT Hall MEDICAL INCIDENT an
tion of matiubna, 09/03/2016 BURGLARY 2ND DE- _— CRIMINAL TRESS- Report of an intoxicated 09/06/2016 Reparsoh aietclen
sh aotiae Indian Quad- Oneida GREE PASSING male student. Trans- Colonial Quad: Hamilton Report ©

7 Hall 09/04/2016 09/05/2016 ported to hospital by5 Hall .
TOME LUOET LOCC LOCO TUCO TUCO COOMERA CC UUOCOORLOTO MCCUE COORLOCe COCO EC OCC
law and
DEAN itwas a Do you think the 4.0 is necessary at this
5 very packed stage? = =

Continued from Page 4 (strict) I think 4.0 is an interesting concept... Co) yo u | @ | Ss

program, so
I took a bunch of weird classes in anthro-
pology, English, sociology, and classical
music to open up my perspective . . . After
that I said I’m going to America to study
something different . . . I stumbled into

a program called Speech Communica-

tion and I applied and went. I’m a serious
student, but I take a lighthearted attitude
because I think seriousness and being play-
ful are two sides of the same coin, from the
way I see it.

The Honors College is one of the least di-
verse groups in the campus community. Do
you have any reasoning as to why that is or
do you want to correct that somehow?

When I was interviewed for the job
that’s the one thing they [the interviewing
committee] talked to me about. That’s one
thing I really need to do a more detailed
analysis on, in terms of knowing about
the history, the ways in which we invite
the students to apply, and so on. I think
there are a lot of well-qualified minority
students; the question is do we make the
information known to them?

How are you looking to solve the low reten-
tion rate?

That's one of the things I'm going to
work on. I want to create a new culture so
there’s a supportive system among students.
I want the younger students to be able to
socialize with the junior and senior honors
students; currently there is no opportunity
for that.

I think I would make a point to say that
students who didn’t get a 4.0 are equally
important. I kind of make fun of myself
because I was never a 4.0 student. A lot

of students come to talk to me and say, “I
didn’t get a 4.0. I only have one B in my
whole transcript.” Y ou know what I usually
tell them, “It’s good you have one B.” That
means you've leamed and you can improve
from there.

Would you want to reincorporate students
who dropped the Honors College recently?

Absolutely. I actually wanted to reach
out to those students, especially the juniors
because I heard that juniors drop the most.
I think that the metaphor that students are
then sent back to their department once they
finish sophomore year is wrong. I don’t send
students back, this should be your home and
there’s no conflict. Y ou can still belong to
your own discipline, but you can also belong
to the Honors College. I am so Taiwanese
in that aspect. I always say that you can
combine things, jou don’t have to pick and
choose; you can have both.

Chang is no stranger to new adventures;
she studied law in Taiwan, Speech Com-
munication in America, spent a semester at
sea, and was a Fulbright Scholar in Ukraine.
She is eager to hear from students and she
wants the focal point of the transformation
of the Honors College to stem from in-
creased communication, hoping to the sense
of community the Honors College at times
lacks. Chang lives in the newly renovated
apartment located in Steinmetz Hall of State
Quad with her two cats.

these badges
MERIT si
Continued from Page 1 Gens wea ive
to the new badge

and their own Merit page.

As of Friday there were 11 achieve-
ments granted and there was a 74 percent
engagement rate among UA lbany students,
according to Kristin Marshall the director
of strategic communication in the Office of
Communications and Marketing.

Not only will students have the ability to
share their achievements over social media,
the university can share these accomplish-
ments with the students’ hometown newspa-
pers, legislators and high schools, according

to a statement from the Office of Communi-
cation and Marketing.

Unlike many social media sites that allows
users to list their academic and work ac-
complishments, and LinkedIn, which allows
for users to list various skills that other users
can endorse, the achievements on Merit
are granted and verified by the university,
appearing more official to the visitors of an
individual’ s page.

“The university adopted the Merit system
because we wanted to build a tool kit for
students to prepare for future careers while
also showcasing all of the incredible things
our students do,” Marshall said.

Great Danes are encouraged to utilize their
account on http://ualbany.meritpages.com/

ad?

Do you want to
help us get better
ads?

Do you want
to get paid for
managing our

ads?

Email: theasp.
eic@gmail.
com for more
information.

HAVE A NEWS TIP? EMAIL US AT THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

NEWS

EDITOR: LINDSEY RIBACK
THEASPNEWS@GMAIL.COM

3

Name: Monye Ingram
Major: Human Biology
Year: Sophmore
Competing for Dutch Quad

DANES SAY WHAT?

This week, we asked students:

Do you plan on going to Clash of the Quads this Saturday? Why or why not?

Name: Paul Chambers

Major: Sociology

Year: Sophomore

Competing for Colonial Quad

“Y eah, it was fun playing last year. I got
a State T-Shirt! This year I’m going to be
with Colonial.”

Name: Bethany VanPelt

Major: Forensics or Psychology
Year: Freshman

Competing for Indian Quad

“I do! It sounds like a lot of fun

Name: Derek Tawiah

Major: Sociology

Year: Junior

Competing for Alumni Quad

“T do, it sounds like a good social
environment to meet new people. I
haven't heard much about it, but I love
playing sports so I’m looking forward to
the competitive aspect of it.”

“Y es because it’s a fun activity set up

for the students. This is my second year
going. Last year I represented Indian and

this year I’m competing for Dutch.”

for Indian!

and I’ve never heard about it before
coming to the school. I’ll be playing

Compiled by: Milo Votava and J onathan Peters

EE 2X

KOSHER KITCHEN MOVES TO INDIAN QUAD
AMID CLOSURE OF DUTCH DINING HALL

By ELISE COOMBS

Due to the upcoming closure of
Dutch Quad dining hall in sum-
mer 2017, the Kosher Kitchen has
moved to Indian Quad this fall.

The kosher program has been
at the University at Albany for
the past 40 years, according
to Rabbi Moshe Bomzer, the
supervising rabbi for the Vaad
Hakashrut, the Capital Region's
kosher certification body. As the
supervising rabbi, he ensures that
all the food preparation is “being
performed in the best way and
with the highest standard,” by
overseeing a staff of inspectors.
Under his guidance, the Kosher
Kitchen serves food that meets
the Biblical laws of kashrut,
which outline dietary restrictions.
People keeping kosher follow
these laws.

The switch in locations before
Dutch’s closure is due to its “an-
tiquated” dining hall, according
to Steve Pearse, the Executive Di-
rector of the University Auxiliary
Services.

Certain qualities of Indian
Quad allow the Kosher Kitchen
to meet the standards of kashrut
law, such as the hood system
which prevents the potential for
cross contamination from any
non-kosher food. It is vital for
food to remain kosher because of
the strict laws of kashrut.

Another way the Kosher
Kitchen is able to prevent con-
taminating the kosher food is by
using disposable plates. To keep
kosher, all utensils and equip-
ment must remain separate from
that used for non-kosher food. If
the Kosher Kitchen used wash-
able plates like the rest of Indian

Quad dining, it would run the
risk of contaminating plates with
non-kosher elements, rendering
the food served on those plates
non-kosher.

Although Pearse acknowledges
this may not be the most environ-
mentally effective decision, he
said using disposable plates was
“the best way to ensure we didn’t
have any cross contamination,”
assuring people keeping kosher
that their food meets the laws of
kashrut.

Freshman Molly Bayewitz is
a Jewish student who is on the
kosher meal plan.

“T can't have dairy, so the way
they separate meat and dairy is

Stefan Lembo-Stolba / Albany Student Press
Indian Quad dining hall, new home of the kosher kitchen.

Kosher
foods,
after being
certified,
are often
marked
for re-sale
with this
universally
accepted
logo.

really nice,” Bayewitz said.
She likes how the Kosher
Kitchen has variety, but still

allows her to keep kosher away

from home and while eating with

friends. Despite living on State

Quad, which does not provide
kosher food, Bayewitz does not
mind the walk to Indian Quad be-
cause it is directly across campus.

The kosher meal plan is $100
more than the regular meal plan.
Pearse provided two options for
paying this extra cost: students
can either add $100 to the total
cost of their meal plan and keep
the allotted Munch Money or
they can pay the cost of a regular
meal plan and subtract $100 from
their Munch Money.

However, students do not have
to be on the kosher meal plan to
eat a kosher meal. Students can
pay $3.50 upon entering Indian
Quad dining and there are also
kosher products sold at Jazzman’s
and the 518 Market.

There are approximately 3,500
undergraduate Jewish students at
UAlbany, according to UAlbany
Hillel.

Bomzer, in addition to his in-
volvement with the Kosher Kitch-
en, works with Hillel, Chabad,
AISH, and all the Jewish student
groups, “to promote Jewish life
on SUNY A’s campus.”

Out of the 3,500 Jewish
students at UA lbany, there are
roughly 70 signed up for the
kosher meal plan, according to
Pearse.

With the goal of opening up
the Kosher Kitchen to more
students, Bomzer said, “We
will continue to do all we can to
promote the program and we can-
not thank the Sodexo and UAS
for providing this extraordinary
resource for our Jewish students,
all students, our faculty and com-
munity.”

HOUSING

Continued from Page 1

were assigned to live in triple
bedrooms, 68 students were ini-
tially placed in converted study
lounges, the number is now
down to 64. Converted study
lounges are not listed by the uni-
versity under rooming options.

On Indian Quad, Leo Iddrisu,
a freshman business major,
was assigned to live with four
roommates after being denied a
double bedroom space. Now, in
his current living assignment,
resident assistants occasionally
visit the space and roommates
frequent the lounge, he said.

“I was trying to think of a time
where there has been a private
moment, but there’s no privacy,”
Iddrisu said.

Jimmy Goldblatt, also a fresh-
man business major and friend of
Iddrisu, had his double bedroom

Source: UAlbanyphotos.com
Students forced to live in temporary spaces are given 20 percent
discounts on their housing costs.

housing request accepted. Visit-
ing Iddrisu for the first time at
Cayuga Lounge, Goldblatt no-

ticed stark differences between
the converted living space and
his room at Mohawk Tower.

“L walked into his room and
thought, ‘How do you guys live
like this?,’” Goldblatt said.

Unlike triple bedrooms, some
lounges lack the same accom-
modations as dorm rooms.
Francesca Esposito, a fresh-
man journalism major, has light
switches installed on the outside
of her dorm room and her door
only locks from the hallway.

“[My roommates and I] were
sleeping and suddenly the light
went on and someone from the
outside turned it on,” she said.

While students such as
Esposito grow discontent over
living in temporary assign-
ments, fewer students have
been living in triple bedrooms
and lounge spaces since late

August. Triple bedrooms have
decreased from 137 to 121,
while four less students reside
in lounge spaces.

Karl Luntta, the director of
media relations, expects the
number of incoming students in
temporary housing to decrease
throughout the semester.

“We know from experience
that many students change their
living arrangements during the
fall semester and we've already
begun the process of decreasing
the number of tripled rooms,”
Luntta said in an email.

As the university expects
spaces to open up, students.
receive a 20 percent discount on
housing for each week they re-
main in temporary assignments.
When students decline a new
space or occupancy reaches 100
percent, they become ineligible
for the discount.
EDITOR: DANIEL PINZON
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

| GOING VIRAL

SOLD OUT: YOUTUBE CAVES TO
ADVERTISERS WITH NEW RULES

By DANIEL PINZON

The world has lost track over
what should be considered inap-
propriate material. We are becom-
ing too sensitive to minor things
being said nowadays. We are
overreacting towards the wrong
things.

Y ouTube has started to imple-
ment strict guidelines that catego-
rize some videos as not “adver-
tiser-friendly.” This presents a
problem for many “professional”
Y ouTubers.

Being a Y ouTuber is now
considered a valid career option
as people can draw an income
from uploading videos. Compa-
nies would use popular videos to
play their commercials, paying
the Y ouTuber who uploaded the
video. However, with the harsher
guidelines, videos have been.
deemed too inappropriate for
advertisement. With no advertise-
ments, the video is stripped of one
way to get income.

The video isn’t removed for
being inappropriate, it just doesn’t

brunt of YouTube’s change in policy.

Source: camknows/Flickr
YouTube sensation PewDiePie. With 50 million subscribers to his channel dedicated to video games,
he undoubtedly one of the most successful professional YouTubers. Smaller channels will suffer the

“advertiser friendly.”

Y ouTuber’s such as Boo-
gie2988 have had videos demon-
etize even though he is explaining
his experience with anxiety and
other mental illnesses. Philip De-
Franco, a news reporting Y ouTu-
ber has also come into difficulty as
well. “... by covering the real raw
news stories and like not watering
it down I got in trouble... if that’s
also the case, how the hell am I
supposed to talk about news.”

Y ouTube is trying to encourage
and convey a PG world, unfor-
tunately this isn’t a PG world.
Nevertheless, Y ouTube is going
to be run how Y ouTube intends to.

And if the Y ouTuber’s dealt
their cards right, this demonetiz-
ing situation shouldn't interfere
immensely. Y ouTuber’s have built
their own businesses, they sell
their own merchandise, and have
their own fan base. No ad is just
a minor hit to their own personal
business. But that doesn’t make it
easy for aspiring Y ouTubers who
are still trying to build themselves.

Monetization is a privilege to

There was no monetary gain, just and just like the entertainment not “advertiser-friendly.” Espe-
ive ae were to reach a severe _ the gain of notoriety. Yet, You- business, no one is going to put cially when dealing with these those wha abide by ne ies ot
level of inappropriateness, then it Tube has grown into this business _in their all unless they see the topics, they can serve to educate, ‘ ve il ane ae ae igal ‘i
would be removed, however, this  '2Which people can gain money —_ money. even though they can make people "© follow the rules, but if you do,

grey zone of inappropriate content
is controversial. Even though the

from it. People were making
money from Y ouTube and now

Instinctively, when we hear
that inappropriate content is not

feel uncomfortable.
According to Y ouTube help

you get benefits, which makes
sense. Nevertheless, Y ouTube has
overlooked the idea that entertain-

18 gH * ; they have that taken away from “advertiser-friendly,” most people —_ on support.google.com, content rage
ides ts erm will out chav them. think, “that makes sense, no dub.” that is “Controversial or sensitive  ™ent Bane in peerent types and
to the uploader as it could be. And although having no ads But there are certain things that subjects and events, including forehle " en hee aw ONE
‘At first, YouTube used to be may seem as “nota big deal,” that shouldn't be considered inap- subjects related to war, political lorable, Ald that's Okay..No'

conflicts, natural disasters and

all good entertainment is clean

changes the approach of many
YouTubers. As YouTube is like
any other entertainment platform

propriate content. For instance,
videos talking about suicide, rape,
and sexuality have been flagged as

a website in which people would
upload for the sake of uploading.

tragedies, even if graphic imagery entertainment.

is not shown” is considered as

| CINEMA

A director s past should not
detract from a film’s message

By JON MILLER

When “The Birth of a Nation”

made its world premiere at the
2016 Sundance Film Festival, the
picture was almost immediately
proclaimed as a contemporary
masterpiece in both a techni-

cal filmmaking scope as well as
a history lesson for one of the
most least- talked about historical
events. Director Nate Parker's
new film depicts the 1831 Nat
Tumer slave rebellion. The rebel-
lion itself only lasted two days
and resulted in the deaths of over
50 slave owners as well as over
a 100 enslaved and free A frican
Americans.

The film made such an effec-
tive impact at the Sundance Film
Festival that it received a standing
ovation before being sold for the-
atrical distribution to Fox Search-
light Pictures for a record $17.5
million. Fox Searchlight, the indie
film division of 21st Century Fox,
has high expectations for the film
and it is expected to contend for
Golden Globes and Academy
Awards.

Parker, who wrote the film and
plays Tumer,, said in an interview
at Sundance, “Usually, we leam
about slavery through the context
of endurance or resilience but
never through resistance or de-
termination.” Not much is known
about Nat Tuer before the rebel-
lion and even the information we

know of him afterwards is scant.
Such an absorbingly relevant kind
of story deserves a big screen
interpretation. A film about Nat
Tumer is bound to be controver-
sial in its own right but the roll-
out of “The Birth of a Nation”

has been further complicated by
alleged sexaul misconduct com-
mited by Parker while a student.

Both of “The Birth of the Na-
tion” Writers, Parker and Jean
McGianni Celestin were Penn
State students when they were
involved in a rape investigation in
1999. Celestin was later charged
for the incident and sentenced to
six months while Parker’ s charges
were dropped entirely after a pre-
vious relationship with the victim
was brought to light. Eventually
Celestin’s charges were dropped
as well in 2005 after the victim
refused to testify again on appeal.

The incident has cast a huge
shadow over the film. Some film
critics have said they will not
review the film and indeed with
join with activists in protesting
the film’s release.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, in con-
trast to some of the other vocal
critics, has blamed the media for
the sudden upstage. This was a
known part of Parker's history at
the very beginning of his acting
career— even being on his Wiki-
pedia page.

According to Sharpton, “Now,

all of a sudden, they rediscover
what they already knew. The way
you kill the message is to try to
smear the messenger.” Which
brings light another question: Can
we separate one’s personal life
with one’s professional career?
The truth of the matter is that

the story of Nat Tuner is way

too significant to be defined by
Parker’ s troubled past. The “Birth
of a Nation” co-star Gabrielle
Union, a victim of sexual violence
herself, has been vocal of the
actions of the film’s director and
lead actor, but has gone on to
praise the powerful message of
the film— not the filmmakers.

That’s why I can be an avid
fan of the film career of Roman
Polanski. I admire his filmmak-
ing because I can separate what
he has accomplished behind the
camera versus what he has been
going through in his personal life.
Polanski has been a fugitive of the
United States following a sexual
abuse scandal in 1977. We can all
afford to distinguish a fundamen-
tal difference between what an
individual has done in their past
and how that does not elucidate
what they produce on a profes-
sional level.

Even Parker, a devout Christian
who, just like Nat Tumer, preach-
es at many masses, has stated
that he is no longer the same man
he was back in his Penn State
days. Something that many of

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Nate Parker, director, writer and star of “Birth of a Nation.” A
1999 rape allegation has resurfaced as buzz around the film and

its director have grown.

his friends and colleagues have
verified— depicting him as an art-
ist who is now married with four
daughters.

I’m very much looking forward
to “The Birth of a Nation” when
itis eventually released next
month. I’m looking forward to the
film not only as the history and
film devotee that I am, but also

because the film promotes a dis-
cussion about race and injustice of
all ethnicities— not about college
campus violence— that warrants
another conversation entirely.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS

Hil 1916-2016
| ' : =
| ol
ALBANY

STUDENT PRESS

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ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

OPINIONS

EDITOR: DANIEL PINZON
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

LIFESTYLE

Keeping the freshman fifteen at bay

By SUNNY TSAO

Everyone talks about the
“freshman 15” but when
you 're third-year deep and
realize you're about to be-
come obese, it’s a trepidating
feeling. Eating clean is hard
in college when there’s fruity
and bubbly drinks all around
you, late-night takeout, mini-
mal dining hall selections,
and a tight budget. Here’s
a daily food routine that’s
healthy and doesn’t take a lot
of prep time!

Breakfast

u Two eggs scrambled in

olive oil

= Handful of walnuts
dipped in almond
butter

= One celery stalk

a Cup of hot water with
lemon wedge

Olive oil contains healthy fat,
making it the ideal substitute
for pam, butter, or canola oil.
Almond butter and peanut butter
are basically nutritional equals,
but almond butter has been
linked to increased metabolism.
It's also super sweet, but doesn’t
have anywhere close to the
amount of calories as a Hershey
bar. One stalk of celery is only
six calories and is packed with a
bunch of health benefits, people
don’t call it “crunchy water”
for nothing! If you're someone
who must start the day with
coffee, then do as you please;
but hot water every moming
has detoxification qualities. The
added lemon juice in the wedge
contains pectin, a soluble fiber
that has been shown to aid in
weight-loss efforts.

Lunch

= One baked potato

Don’t knock potatoes just
cause they’ re starchy! People
think they’ re fattening because
they only see them in the form
of french fries and under a
blanket of gravy. Plain pota-
toes reap health benefits such
as being packed with vitamin
C. One medium potato is only
110 calories. All you have to
do is put it in the microwave,
add some salt and pepper, and
enjoy.

= One cup of brown rice

= Optional: sriracha,
consomme, soy sauce

White rice doesn’t have as
many benefits than brown. A
really cheap rice cooker costs
around only $25, and all you
need to do is add water and
push the button! Plain rice is
pretty boring to eat, but you
could add seasoning or sauces.

fl IU |

Wikimedia Commons

Anutritious, healthy diet is attainable for even the most lazy and

carb-craving undergraduate.

Snacks

= Fruit
= Plain nuts

Stay away from chips or candy.
Drink water or green tea throughout
the day. If you don't have time to
incorporate as much exercise as
you'd like, then try to maintain a
caloric deficit through whatever
you eat! That means no ordering
Chicken Joe’s or Golden Grain at
lam.

CLASH OF THE QUADS

Above: Zorb Soccer drew the largest crowd of spectators and competitors - Jonathan
Peters / Albany Student Press; Below: Source - Milo Votava / Albany Student Press;

Left: Jonathan Peters / Albany Student Press

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @ALBSTUDENTPRESS

EDITOR: ELI ENIS
ARTSENT.ASP@GMAIL.COM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

TATE EEE

a NEW TELEVISION

STRANGER THINGS ALREADY
BECOMING A CULT CLASSIC

By CLAIRE MCCULLEY

While it was just released in mid-July of this year,
Stranger Things has already attained cult-like status with
millions of viewers. This isn’t by accident. Not only does
the series convey unimaginable horror, but is also rife
with emotion, outstanding characters and cast members,
a superb plot, and a quality that echoes original 80s films
like Alien, E.T., The Thing, and Altered States.

When it comes to category, Stranger Things cannot
be pinned down. It is an electrifying overlap of
psychological horror, supernatural elements, throwback
science-fiction, and nostalgic 1980s appeal. To the
inexperienced viewer, this might sound chaotic, but the
show masterfully works its themes and genres into a
story of breath-catching suspense. Directed by Matt and
Ross Duffer and produced by Shawn Levy, Stranger
Things orbits the disappearance of twelve-year-old Will
Byers from his rural hometown of Hawkins, Indiana.

His mother, Joyce Byer (Winona Ryder), is terrified
and perplexed. She and the town sheriff (John Harbour),
launch a full-blown search for the missing boy, which
leads to both horrifying consequences and wondrous
phenomena.

Fans of the 1980s classic, Stand By Me, will especially
appreciate the dynamic between Will Byer’s best friends,
who begin an investigation parallel to the adults. Mike,
Lucas, and Dustin are nerdy, raw, hilarious and incredibly
real, with infinite amounts of loyalty to one another. On
one hand, they are the epitome of the ‘proverbial geeks
playing Dungeons and Dragons in a basement for twelve
hours. Literally. But on the other, they call each other out
when necessary, skewer one another with affectionate
teasing and profanity, could one-up a NASCAR driver
with their biking skills, and would lay down their lives for
each other in an instant.

The bond that unfolds between the boys and a
disturbed, telekinetic girl is equally captivating. Millie
Bobby Brown is eerily phenomenal in her breakout
role as Eleven, or El, as the boys call her later on. She
has few lines, but her aura is sad and omniscient in a
stunningly adult manner. She conveys through facial
expression and presence what few professional actors
can. As she struggles to maintain control over her powers
in the aftermath of a traumatic past, she discovers ways
to communicate with the missing. And the missing

TOE

| ART EXHIBIT

HH

Source: Wikepedia.org

Only just released in mid-July of this year, Stranger Things has already attained cultJike status with millions of viewers.

find ways to communicate with those who are still
safe. Y oung Will Byers begins to speak through simple
electricity, using walkie-talkies and Christmas lights to
send messages and wamings alike.

There may be one distinct monster in the Stranger
Things universe, but monsters of many kinds appear
throughout the series’ eight episodes. The show writers
want viewers to understand the nuances of what ‘monster’
really means. It can be a gruesome creature eating carnage
in the woods, seemingly untouchable high schoolers at
the popular table, biological warfare driven by humans-
which was especially relevant in the Cold War-era
setting-or what exists in the shadows and our own minds,
and the doubt that forever eats at them.

Despite its quirks and horrors, Stranger Things is
TTC

ULV T

ULTTITEHE

deeply relatable. It is about much more than catastrophe,
delving bravely into human behavior and relationships
under such pressure. The episodes ache with a certain
kind of longing, as each character is, at some point or
another, confronted with overwhelming loss. Y et the
show stays with its audience, because it is really about
imperfect redemption, family, tremendous courage, geeks
saving each other’s lives and, ultimately, love.

Whether or not Stranger Things pursues another
season, it lives on. Viewers will continue to wish that
they, too, could coast along on a bicycle after dusk
with wistful bursts of 80s synth, comic book under one
arm and walkie-talkie under the other, off to look for
monsters.

ULE UTE TEE TEeEe

University Art Gallery featured artist
Colin Boyd talks his post-human
earth, stop-motion film “Galleon”

By MILO VOTAVA

Most artists consider their studio space to be something
personal, where they create art that can hold great
meaning to them. Artist Colin Boyd, however, has given
the Art Museum at the University at Albany a unique
exhibit: he has moved his work studio into the museum.
Actively working in his stop motion film Galleon, which
“presents an imagined post-human earth” as reported on
the University Museum’s website, Colin presented a talk
on the first Tuesday of September on the inspirations of
Galleon and what this post-human world meant to him.

The University Art Museum is a small gallery space,
located in the Fine Arts building on the Podium. Home
to numerous exhibits besides Galleon, the space set aside
for the working studio is small, but not cramped. As Boyd
said, “One of the first thoughts I had when the University
Art Museum offered me this chance was that I could free
up some space in my apartment.” The exhibit inherently
draws attention, and before the event there were many

people examining the small figures lit by the studio hot-
lights in front of green screen backgrounds.

Anthropocene is a concept in not only art, but science
as well, defined as a possible era of human- driven
geological destruction. Galleon, as well as the other
projects in the University Museum’ s Future Perfect
exhibit, exemplifies this idea.

Boyd was greatly influenced by the environmental
scares of the 1980s, and mentioned the extinction of
the California Condor, which he said has a greater
direct impact on his exhibit in the Albany Airport,
Cormorants and the Whale. Of a greater impact to
Galleon thematically was his childhood trip to Custer
State Park in South Dakota. As Boyd said, “It was the
first time I had really seen sprawling plains like that.” The
Needles Highway in south Dakota, with its towering rock
spires, also greatly influenced the design of Galleon’s
landscapes.

Galleon tells the tale of creatures in a post-human
world. These creatures are purposely designed to look
as far from humans and mammals as possible, with their

mechanical armatures visible through the soft fur, and no
heads on their hollow bodies. Trial and error brought out
a completely nonhuman being, that while mechanical in
appearance, is astonishingly expressive and life-like in
the film.

The concept for Galleon began as a short science
fiction story, with a focus on a Noah’s Ark-type ship
called the Flagship Galleon strapped with a harpoon gun.
It ended as a non-narrative piece that was eventually
worked into the story for the film Galleon. Non-narrative
and nonlinear pieces are a theme enjoyed by Boyd. He
said in the talk that “he enjoyed starting a project in the
middle, because it gave you room to work both backwards
and forwards.” While galleon looks at the future after
humans, it doesn’t give us much of a middle, of what
happens to cause our downfall and the rise of such
strange, nonhuman creatures. Boyd said, “most of the
interaction and creation of Galleon is done from impulse”,
so there is hope that further on in creation we might see a
glimpse into our future, and Galleon’ s past.

ARE YOU INTO FILM? MUSIC? ART?
YEAH YOU PROBABLY ARE....

So you should write for the Arts & Entertainment section of the Albany Student Press!
Really! Y ou should! Email artsent.asp@ gmail.com for more information. Do it!

MISS THE SHOW? READ ABOUT IT ONLINE AT ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

EDITOR: ELI ENIS
ARTSENT.ASP@GMAIL.COM

ROCK SHOW

Legendary pop-punk band Blink-182

mia’ to New Y ork

bring sunny ‘Califo

Ta

Jim Gilbert / NYS MUSIC.

This is Blink-182’s first tour without founding guitarist/ songwriter Tom Delonge, who was replaced by Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba earlier in the year. Bassist Mark
Hoppus and longtime drummer Travis Barker (both pictured above) have continued to carry the band throughout all of the drama regarding Delonge’s departure.

By ALLEN ENRIQUEZ

Iconic pop-punk band Blink-182 performed Sunday
night, Sept. 4, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center,
as part of their California Tour. Artists DJ Spider, All
Time Low, and A Day To Remember also accompanied
the band.

The tour started on July 22 in San Diego, CA and
has made its way across the United States throughout
the summer. It marks the band’s first tour with former
Alkaline Trio singer, Matt Skiba, who replaced
longtime singer and founder Tom Delonge. Skiba
contributed to Blink-182’s newest album, “California,”
which was released this past summer.

DJ Spider kicked off the night at 7 p.m. with a half-
hour set consisting of EDM remixes to songs such as
“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by the Backstreet
Boys, and "The Next Episode” by Snoop Dogg and Dr.
Dre. As every opening act does, DJ Spider warmed up
the crowd to set the tone for the rest of the night.

All Time Low took the stage next, starting with
their song “Lost in the Stereo.” Alex Gaskarth, the
lead singer of the band, then took the time to thank
Blink- 182 for letting them tag along for the tour. “We
grew up on these guys,” Gaskarth announced to the
crowd.

The band also played relatively new songs, “A Love
Like War” and “Dancing with a Wolf,” along with
“Missing Y ou,” a more soft: spoken song that kept
the crowd calm. The band ended their set by tuning

back the clock and playing better-known songs like
“Weightless” and “Dear Maria Count Me In.” Gaskarth
also announced that Saratoga Springs was the last stop
for the band as they are taking some time off from the
tour.
Shortly after, A Day To Remember took the stage
with beach balls and toilet paper rolls being thrown
into the crowd. ADTR opened up with their rock-heavy
songs “The Downfall of Us All” and “I’m Made of
Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?” Laser lights and
visuals of animated cartoons of the band accompanied
each song on the screens on stage.

Towards the end of the set, lead singer Jeremy
McKinnon asked the crowd to bring out their phones
and shine their flashlights as if they were candles.
McKinnon then continued to take the stage by himself
and sang an acoustic version of “If It Means A Lot To
You,” asking the crowd to sing along to this slow paced
song. ADTR ended their set with more mainstream
songs like “All I Want” and “All Signs Point to
Lauderdale.”

After a long night of people swarming the general
admission section and seats continuously filling up in
the amphitheater, Blink-182 finally took the stage. The
crowd couldn’ t contain their excitement as the band
played their first song, “Feeling This” and had the
whole venue singing along.

Their set was filled with both of the band’s “oldies”
and a couple of songs from their newest album,
“California.” They continued their set with classics

that most Blink fans would know, including “The Rock
Show,” “What's My Age Again,” and “First Date.”
Lead singer Mark Hoppus imitated what McKinnon did
with the crowd's cell phones, asking them to shine their
flashlights during the middle of the set while the band
performed a teary-eyed version of arguably their most
popular song, “I Miss Y ou.”

If there’s one thing that can be taken away from the
concert, it’s that the crowd certainly missed DeLonge.
Throughout the set, whispers of “where is Tom?” were
heard throughout the whole crowd. DeLonge missing
from the band didn’t seem to bother Hoppus and
drummer Travis Barker though.

Hoppus made the transition of having Skiba by his
side very smoothly, even giving him cues such as “take
it away Matt,” on their newer songs like “Bored to
Death,” “Cynical,” and “San Diego.” Skiba also took
on the verses that would have been Delonge’s on songs
like “Stay Together For The Kids,” “Not Now,” and
“Violence.”

Barker, Skiba and Hoppus all left the stage without
saying anything when what seemed to be their last
song, “Los Angeles,” was over. After 10 minutes or so
of the fans chanting “Blink-182” the trio took the stage

racefully for their encore. They rocked the venue with

eir smash hit “All The Small Things,” and ended
their show with tons of confetti falling after playing
“Dammit.”

The tour will continue throughout the U.S. until Oct.
1.

MUSIC REVIEW

Gaga takes an experimental approach on new
single ‘Perfect Illusion.’ But does it work?

By JED SHATTUCK

Lady Gaga released her new single “Perfect Illusion”
Friday, her first solo project since the release of the
polarizing album “Artpop.” Hailed as a “dancefloor
anthem” and “rock heavy” song, fans were ready
to have their minds shattered and their expectations
exceeded. To many, it appears this wasn’t the case.

When Lady Gaga announces a single, her “little
monsters” get nostalgic. For many of us, the
promotional duties surrounding the release of new
music is just as important as the music itself. From the
outfits to the interviews, the process and the spectacle
is what we appreciate and it’s what we’ ve been used to.
However the feeling in the air is that the same girl who
once said it was her desire to “shock” isn’t as interested
in spectacle as her fans wish her to be.

It’s hard to tell how aware Gaga is of her fans wants
and needs. When she worked with Tony Bennett on
2014’s Cheek to Cheek many monsters felt her pop
career was over and some even took this as a betrayal.
Two seasons of American Horror Story and a follow-up
album with Mr. Bennett reaffirmed some fans’ worst
fear - that not only was Gaga’s pop career “over,” but
that she was entirely fine with it.

Many fans want commercial success but not at the
sacrifice of the outlandish costumes and familiar floor-
thumping beats. When Gaga announced in 2015 that
she was reuniting with old friend and producer RedOne
(responsible for “Pokerface,” “Just Dance,” and “Bad
Romance”) media outlets and fans alike were elated.
Sadly, their high hopes for the retum of The Fame

Monster didn’t last forever.

After months of silence, rumors went around that
Mark Ronson was starting his work with Gaga on her
new record... a record he would be executive producing.
Starting? But we waited months? And what did this
mean about her RedOne songs? Doesn’t she care about
her career?

What these fans don’t seem to understand is that
they have conflated their ambitions and aspiriations
with what they perceive hers to be. Songs like “Bad
Romance” and “Pokerface,” however catchy they were,
did little to showcase Gaga’s artistry. The only people
that knew she could sing were people who knew to
search further, not casual fans.

Running at just over three minutes the song is over
as quickly as it starts - and boy does it start quickly. By
the time the pre-chonus rolls around, you realize that it’s
actually the only chorus. A fter that, the song doesn’t
offer much more. Just as the song gets its footing it
reaches its conclusion, leaving fans to want more.

With “Perfect Illusion,” Gaga feels like she is trying
to please her pop-oriented fans while proving to music
fans (and more importantly herself) that she can put
out music that is both catchy and reflective of her
capabilities. What worries some fans is that this is a
sign that the best she has to offer is behind us. What
worries me is that Gaga might continue trying to
bridge the gap instead of fully letting go of her fans’
expectations.

I would be lying if I didn’t say it feels like the song
is missing something - that secret component that takes
a song from being good to being something special.

~ Source: wikipedia.org
Lady Gaga released her new single “Perfect Illusion”
this past Friday.

Does Gaga have it in her to produce something special
anymore? Her still-untitled studio album is scheduled
fora 2016 release, so fans will have to wait just a bit
longer for that killer pop chorus we all know she’s
capable of.

MISS THE SHOW? READ ABOUT IT ONLINE AT ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET
EDITOR: PATRICK DAY TINE
PRODUCTION.ASP@GMAIL.COM

8
ONLINE

Continued from Page 1

occasional
updates would
reset the theme
back to the
2008 version.
One system update typically occurs every
month.

“We would kind of put a bandaid on it
to try and fix it all of the while know that,
‘Gee, if we update the theme, we won't
have this problem and other potential prob-
lems,” Moore said.

Changes to the system were discussed
between student workers at the ITS help
desk and faculty over the summer. Taking

suggestions for the system over six months,

ITS made changes to Blackboard on Aug.
22.

“Faculty felt that it was cleaner, newer,
updated-looking,” said Julie Slichko, in-
struction developer about faculty reactions
to the new system in a focus group.

The updated theme was also designed
to bring the university's colors into the
system, according to Slichko. Over the
summer, ITS worked with the Department
of Communications to bring the UAlbany
branding into the system.

The old theme featured a dark purple,
inconsistent with university branding, and
gray. The update includes colors used by

NEWS

UNIVERSITY ATALBANY
Soon Lanta

Announcements

CANCELED - 2/19 Blackboard Outage

Source: Stefan Lembo-Stolba
Blackboard is the online interface through
which professors communicate with their
students.

the Department of Communications and
Marketing, and customizable backgrounds
aimed for help instructors to differentiate
between courses.

“Tt looked like you were in a tunnel,”
said Slichko of Blackboard appearance
prior to the update.

Arabic,
BROTH ER the official
Continued from Page 1 a

“When

we wanted to start, we had a survey and
found that 85% of our target group doesn’t
have access to computers, personal comput-
ers, or laptops because of their situation as
a displaced and refugee student,” A. Alaei
said. “We then had another survey where
we found that 97% of them had a smart-
phone, a different generation, but at least
they have a smartphone.”

The two collaborated with their col-
leagues in the computer science department
at UAlbany to develop a platform that
would be accessible to all Syrian refugees
with a smartphone.

The brothers have worked for over two
years to create a program that would help
Syrian refugees, and in three months they
successfully recorded, translated, and
created the courses. They have received
financial support from UA lbany’s Office
of the Provost, the Center for International
Education and Global Strategy, the Inten-
sive English Language Program, and the
UAlbany Foundation. In need of additional
funding in order to expand the program,
they have received a $25,000 challenge
grant, meaning that if they can find another
organization to match the grant they will
receive that money as well, resulting in
$50,000 for the project.

Besides fundraising, they have many
aspirations for the program. One hope is to
include courses that teach life skills.

“We want to provide mental health or
social entrepreneurship courses,” K. Alaei
said. He explained that as a refugee, some
students experience a cultural shock after
relocating.

They also want to expand the program to
reach other refugees and displaced indi-
viduals across the world, as well as improve
their English proficiency so they can ad-
equately network on a global scale and take
courses from other universities.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

The two already have a head start on
minimizing the language barrier. Along
with the development of the online courses,
they have also established the Global Mul-
tilingual Online College, GMOC, with the
assistance of Harvey Charles, the dean and
vice provost for the Center for International
Education and Global Strategy. Now indi-
viduals who want to further their education
but were previously limited to just courses
in their native language, can do so.

“Technology gives us this opportunity so
that even if we are far from each other, we
can be close to each other,” A. Alaei said.
“When we deliver their academic courses
we are saying ‘we are with you, we don’t
forget you.’ Maybe their life will be easier
and maybe the hope and passion they had
will come back.”

Their desire to give back is rooted in
their past. The Iranian HIV/AIDS doctors
were imprisoned in Evin prison in Tehran,
Iran in June 2008, after being accused of
conspiring against the Iranian government.
Tt was not until December 2010 that Kamiar
was released and eight months later his
older brother was released in August 2011
During their detainment they implemented
treatment programs for prisoners with HIV/
AIDS as well as encouraging them to main-
tain a daily health regime.

“Thousands of people, doctors, and
faculty around the world supported us when
we were in prison,” A. Alaei said. “Now
this is our time, we are faculty members in
one of the biggest education systems in the
United States; as a member of SUNY this
is ourjob to help those people who need to
receive higher education.”

For the younger brother, it is all about
hope for the future that drives their work.

“Ttis not that we are doing something
special, I think that this is anybody’s job
to pay back,” K. Alaei said. “We are very
happy to help these medical students to
become the new generation of doctors ...
This is our hope, to have a better definition
for doctors who care about the society and
that is rewarding

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR: DIANA HYMOWITZ
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

| SOCCER

Schneider’s 16th Career Goal Not Enough as
Danes Lose 2-1 to Seton Hall, Fall to 2-5

UAlbany women’s soccer team lining up at the beginning of the game against Quinippiac.

By DIANA HYMOWITZ

For the second time in two home games, the Univer-
sity at Albany Women’s Soccer team (2-5) played into
overtime, however this time it ended with a 2-1 loss to
Seton Hall.

After a scoreless first half, UAlbany’s midfield-
er Alexa Schneider scored her third goal of the season
off of a corner kick by Caroline Kopp. Seton Hall did
not net the equalizing goal until 30 minutes later when
Lauren Hall scored from nine yards out. The winning
goal, scored by Siobhan McGovem, came just 2:47 into
overtime as a header inside the right post off of a comer
kick.

Caitlyn Paltasios led UAlbany with three shots,

one on goal. While Alana Olivieri made four saves while
taking the loss.

During an uneventful first 17 minutes of the
game, only one shot was taken, that by Seton Hall. The
shot came at 5:15 of the first half off of a penalty kick
due to a UAlbany foul. Olivieri made the save on the left
post.

The rest of the half saw UAlbany attempt two long
range shots, that were both blocked and cleared away,
four comer kicks by Seton Hall and a long range shot
saved by UA lbany’s Oliveri. The Great Danes did have
one great opportunity at minute 34, when they were rac-
ing downfield and a pass, for a header came for Alexa
Schneider, but went wide right. The first half ended in a
scoreless tie.

| VOLLEYBALL

UAlbany capitalized on their first opportunity coming
TUTTE

UA lbany volleyball splits
doubleheader at DePaul

CHICAGO - The UA |bany vol-
leyball team recovered after a four set
loss to DePaul (18-25, 25-21, 26-28,
14-25) to defeat South Florida 3-1
(25-21, 25-23, 14-25, 25-23) fora
doubleheader split to finish the DePaul
Invitational.

With the victory over USF, UAlba-
ny (3-6) took third place in the DePaul
Invitational in Chicago.

“We served offensively, kept USF
out of their serve receive offense for
much of the match and were more
disciplined with our block,” said
UAlbany coach MJ Engstrom. “There
are many lessons to learn from this
weekend, it will be productive based
on what sticks.”

Chloe Evering earned a spot on the
DePaul Invitational All-Tournament
Team after hitting .286 on Saturday
with 27 kills. In total, she hit .310
over the weekend with 41 kills and 10
digs.

Laini Leindecker also had 27 kills
on Saturday, adding 18 digs plus
picked up a double-double vs. USF
of 15 kills and 11 digs. Amanda
Dolan hit .260 with 21 kills and 10
total blocks while Mikala McCauley
finished with 61 assists and 20 digs.

DePaul (5-3) was led by Brittany
Maxwell, who hit .447 with 21 kills
while Caitlyn Coffey had 10 kills
and four blocks. For USF (6-3), Joli
Holland hit .467 with 15 kills and five
blocks while Denise Belcher tallied 18
kills and 12 digs.

Two Maxwell kills and two Coffey
blocks helped DePaul take an early 8-3
lead in the first set. At 10-4, two Lein-
decker kills and McCauley’s serving
helped UA lbany win four straight and
pull within two. DePaul got the next
three to rebuild the lead to five. Both
sides kept exchanging pairs of points,
but DePaul kept its lead. UAlbany
had some late blocks but fell in the set
25-18.

With UA lbany up 5-4 in the second
set, DePaul took the next four, includ-
ing three kills, to lead 8-5. Later, the

Blue Demons went up 15-11 with four
of five points. At 17-12, a service
error put Nicole Otero back to serve.
Otero led UAbany through a 6-0 run,
including Dolan notching two kills
and a block, to send the Great Danes
ahead 18-17. The exchanges resumed
until at 20-20, UAlbany won five of
the final six points, including kills
from Kelly Cameron and Leindecker,
to take the game 25-21 and even the
match.

UA bany picked up an early 3-0 run
off Cameron’s serving for a 5-3 lead
in set three. DePaul countered with
five in a row, capped by two Jame-
son MacPhie kills, to go up 8-5, later
leading 13-7 with another pair of kills.
An Evering kill sent back Gabrielle
Hansen, who put together a 6-0 run
for UAlbany to put the Great Danes
ahead. Off a couple of kills, DePaul
got its lead back to two at 19-17.
UAlbany responded with a 4-0 sprint,
capped by a Taylor Robinson-Chloe
Lamb combo block, to make it 21-19
Great Danes. UAlbany got set point at
25-24, and again at 26-25 with a Dolan
kill, but could not finish. Maxwell got
two kills and block in a final 3-0 De-
Paul run to give the Blue Demons the
set 28-26 and a 2-1 lead in the match.

Three early kills from Leindecker
sent UA lbany up 4-2 in the fourth.
After DePaul went up 5-4, Leinde-
cker served UA lbany back ahead to
7-5. DePaul got a 3-0 run, then after
a service error, won the next seven for
a 15-8 advantage. Dolan stopped the
tun with a kill, but another began next
point to push DePaul up 20-9. Dolan
picked up two more late kills but UAI-
bany could not close the gap and fell
25-14 to fall in four to DePaul.

McCauley’s serving and two Dolan
kills gave UAlbany an early 6-0 run
fora 10-3 to begin against USF.
Dolan, Evering and Lamb kept picking
up kills and blocks to keep UAlbany’s
advantage strong to 20-12. USF
eamed a couple of 3-0 runs, includ-
ing two Denise Belcher kills, to go to

Invitational

within two at 22-20. UAlbany stood
firm and won three of the final four
points, fueled by an Evering kill, to
take the set 25-21.

Anearly 3-0 spurt put USF up 4-1
in the second set. Three kills fueled
the first UAlbany 4-0 with the second
going on four USF errors. USF got its
own 4-0 run to tie the set at nine. At
10-10, the next 11 points were scored
on kills, with USF emerging ahead by
one. At 17-15, Evering sparked a 3-0
run to push UA lbany into the lead,
with the Great Danes later leading
20-18. USF got back ahead on Alex
Mendova’s serving for a 22-20 lead.
Evering again came through with a
kill, then Hansen served UAlbany up
to set point. At 24-23, Leindecker
delivered the kill fora UAlbany set
win and 2-0 lead.

Two combo blocks by Jodi Holland
and Priscilla Ehieze gave USF an early
5-2 lead in set three. Both sides kept
notching kills until at 10-8, a 4-0 USF
tun put the Bulls up six. Leindecker
ended the run, and Robinson ended
another, but UAlbany got not close
the gap in the game. Late Evering
kills were not enough as UA lbany fell
25-14, but retained a 2-1 lead in the
match.

Leindecker had another long serv-
ing run, capped by a kill and block by
Lamb, fora 5-2 UAlbany advantage
in set four. USF evened up the game
at 6-6. UAlbany countered with five
kills in the next six points as the Great
Danes went back up 11-7. Dakota
Hampton got a kill and served USF
back to a tie at 12-12, then Clara
Payne put it ahead 15-13. Back and
forth continued as UA lbany trailed
22-20. Leindecker got a kill to send
McCauley back to serve. The senior
got the Great Danes on a 4-0 run to set
up match point. At 24-23, Leindecker
finished it with a kill fora 25-23 set
win and a 3-1 match victory.

- Wire Reports

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SPORTS_ASP!

Dalia Yan / Albany Student Press

out of the half when Kopp took the corner kick, sent it to
Schneider for a header that she put right under the cross-
bar on the left post. Schneider’s goal was the 16th of
her collegiate career, tying her for fourth on UA lbany’s
Women’s Soccer all-time leading scorer list, with Anna
Courtney and Sara Rickard.

Although UA lbany controlled possession for nearly 22
minutes after they scored, Seton Hall tied the game in the
77th minutes off of a ground ball that Hall put into the
left post. UAlbany had two more corner kicks, but were
unable to capitalize on either one.

The teams went into overtime, however 2:47 into it,
Seton Hall got a comer kick that Maier sent as a header
to McGovem who put it into the back of the net by the
Tight post, winning the game for Seton Hall.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

SPORTS

EDITOR: DIANA HYMOWITZ
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

10

FOOTBALL

Ibitokun- Hanks unstoppable as Danes crush
University of Rhode Island, improve to 2-0

oH

oem

Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks barrels over a University of Rhode Island defender en-route to his third touchdown of the game.

By BRENDAN SMITH

Fresh off the program’s first ever defeat of an FBS
school, the UAlbany Great Danes and head coach Greg
Gattuso looked to continue their recent success as they
traveled to Kingston, Rhode Island to battle University
of Rhode Island Rams on Saturday afternoon. In the last
meeting between the two, Albany coasted to a 35-7 victory
at home. This time, the score was the same, just at a differ-
ent location, and with a different player leading the way.

Elijah Ibitokun-Hartis, a sophomore from Newark, NJ,
dominated the URI defense, gaining 178 yards on 27 car-
ries, and scoring three touchdowns, building on a strong
week one performance where he totaled 104 yards and 1
touchdown. His performance this week was much needed,
as Albany’s passing game was basically non-existent.
Sophomore Neven Sussman started the game, but was
pulled for redshirt-junior DJ Crook after the first half.
Sussman was just 2/9 for seven yards and also threw an in-
terception but did run the ball effectively, gaining 54 yards
on 9 carries. Crook was not much better, managing just 55
yards while completing 4 of his 7 passes in the second half.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to be, as Ibitokun-Hankswas
able to provide the necessary offensive firepower.

The game was scoreless for much of the first
quarter, with both teams punting and turning the ball over
in their first two possessions of the game. When Albany
got the ball for the third time in the quarter, with just under
seven minutes left, they proceeded to march down the field
for a nine play, 67 yard drive capped off by Ibitokun-Har-
ris’ six-yard touchdown run. That was all the scoring for
the first quarter, as both teams traded punts on their next
possessions. A fter forcing a three-and-out by Albany, the
Rams got the ball and proceeded to tie the game at 7.

That was the last time the game would be that close.
After a slow five minutes, Albany got the ball back with
just 3:09 before halftime, and once again scored on a Elijah
Ibitokun- Hanks touchdown run, this one on a 28-yard run
on 4th and 2, opting to go for it instead of kicking a field
goal. The decision paid off for Gattuso, as his team went to
the locker room with a 14-7 lead.

In the second half, the Great Danes defense took over,
forcing four tumovers, and scoring twice on intercep-
tion retums, while conceding just 104 yards to the Rams.
Ibitokun-Hanksalso scored his third touchdown of the
game in the third quarter, breaking off a 20-yard run to
make improve Albany’s lead to 21-7.

Redshirt-junior linebacker Michael Nicastro

7

Source: ualbanysports.com

continues his comeback tour, registering an 80-yard inter-
ception return for a touchdown, his second interception of
the year. Last year, Nicastro made just two tackles in the
season opener at Buffalo before sustaining a season-ending
knee injury. Nicastro’s health has played a key role in the
resurgence of the Great Danes’ defense, which has held op-
ponents to a paltry 23 points in two games this season. In
2014, the last year he was fully healthy, Nicastro was third
in the CAA conference with 120 tackles. Redshirt-senior
Rayshan Clark also added a 25-yard interception return for
a touchdown, while sophomore Mason Gray also picked
off sophomore Wesley McKoy. The Danes’ defense held
URI to just 296 total yards of offense on the aftemoon, and
allowed just 11 first downs, in a stifling defensive effort.

Redshirt-sophomore Ethan Stark was a perfect
5-5 on extra points, while redshirt-senior Jon Martin
punted the ball seven times fora 41.1 yard average, twice
pinning the Rams inside their own 20-yard line.

Albany (2-0, 1-0 CAA) host Holy Cross to Tom
and Mary Casey Stadium next Saturday at 7:00 pm for
their home opener, while URI (0-2, 0-1 CAA) will travel to
Harvard to face the Crimson next Friday night.

FIELD HOCKEY

FRUSTRATING WEEKEND ENDS WITH OVER-
TIME HEARTBREAKER FOR GREAT DANES

By DIANA HYMOWITZ

After beginning the season 3-0, the UAlbany Field
Hockey team has fallen to 3-3 after a pair of tough road
losses this past weekend.

The first defeat came on Friday at the hands of
#16 Princeton. Although being down 1-0 early in the sec-
ond half, the Great Danes were able to tie it up with a goal
from Paula Heuser off of a penalty corner. Less than four
minutes later, UAlbany grabbed the lead off of Heuser’ s
second goal from a penalty corner. Frederike Helmke and
Anna Bottino were credited with the assists on the goal,
respectively.

The Great Danes held the lead for the next 12 min-
utes, before a scramble in front of goalkeeper, Maxi Primus,
led to UAlbany kicking the ball into their own net. The
game tying goal was credit to Princeton’ s Sophia Tornetta.

UAlbany was able to respond with a few great
chances. The first was from Heuser, whose shot went high.
A few minutes later, Megan Ma passed to Heuser, off of
another corner, however this time the shot was blocked.

Princeton was able to counter UA lbany’s next
corner by gaining possession and running the field on a
breakaway. Princeton’ s Sophia Tometta passed to Lexi
Quirk, who put it in the back of the net for the game win-
ning goal in the 67th minute.

UAlbany was unable to get another shot off and
fell to 3-2 on the season.

After the game Head Coach Phil Sykes said, “We
played a solid game today and connected really well at
times. We just need to clean up the little details and we can
go in a really positive direction.”

The Great Danes, playing on the road for a third
straight game, suffered a similar fate in Sunday’s matchup
against Bucknell.

Inan incredibly physical game, which saw UAlbany
outshoot Bucknell 15 to 9, the Great Danes were able to
break a 1-1 tie early in the second half off of Dana Bozek’s
first collegiate goal.

Source: ualbanysports.com

UAlbany midfielder Paula Heuser goes for the ball in a losing effort against Bucknell.

UA bany held onto the lead for the next twenty minutes,
until Bucknell’s Nicole Rupnick scored an unassisted goal
in the 65th minute to tie it up. Melissa Nealon, making her
first collegiate start in goal, made the initial shot off of a
penalty corner, but Rupnick was able to put in the rebound.

The Great Danes had one final opportunity in regulation
off of a comer, but the shot was saved by Bucknell’s Emily
Finn, sending the game into overtime.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SPORTS_ASP!

In the first two minutes of overtime, Finn made another
save ona shot by Heuser. Bucknell was immediately able
to take the ball the other way and score the game winner on
another rebound shot.

After a week that saw lots of travel and two losses, UAI-
bany retums home for a matchup on September 17 against
Yale.

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Date Uploaded:
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