Albany Student Press, Issue 3, 2017 February 14

CELEBRATING 101 YEARS
1916—2017

ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

Sports:

And the Danes
Go Marching

Danes
Down

In Binghamton

PAGE 5

PAGE 10

TUESDAY,

Milo Votava / Albany Student Press
Michael Sam, the first openly gay man drafted in the NFL, spoke

of perseverance, former
NFL player, Michael Sam,
shared his emotional life

took the Campus Center
Ballroom stage Tuesday
night to discuss how he

remains positive despite

to over 400 students as part of the University's Sexuality Month
TTT TOELEM LEELA COM LOOCUEE OOP EMUCOOCUOROOEOOEECULOO LUO E UO OOO LUO OO OOOO CUE OO CUOCUMEE OO POCULOO CUO UE OO POC ULC UEEOE LOOTED OO

| WINTER

FEBRUARY 14, 2017

pursuing football more
fervently in high school
when he discovered that

came out as a gay football
player. That's not true

at all,” Sam said to an
audience of over 400

ISSUE 3

By ILLENE ROTHMAN the adversity he has faced individuals.
—_____________~_ both on and off the football During his presentation
Strapped with a message _ field. Sam, 27, started Sam shared the tragedy

of his childhood, his
experiences with publicly
coming out as gay before

story during the University football couldbe away out —_ the 2014 NFL draft, and

at Albany’s Sexuality of his hometown. reflected on his life since

Month. “A lot of people think being released from the
The Texas native my story began when I NFL.

Sam was born in
Galveston, Texas and
during his presentation, “I
am Michael Sam,” he

ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET

NFL Trailblazer Takes Campus

intimately shared details of
the abuse he faced from his
older brothers during his
childhood.

Once in high school,
Sam began to find solace
on the football field from
his unstable home life.

He went on to play
college football at the
University of Missouri,
where he began to further
exploring his sexuality.

Please see NFL page 3

UALBANY’S fi
WILD WEATHER |,

By MILO VOTAVA

The weather in Albany this
past week may seem like a direct
effect of climate change, but it
may not adequately explain why
the Capital region is experiencing
unusual weather patterns this
year, according to a University at
Albany professor.

Please see WEATHER page 3

Christopher Pounds / Albany Student Press

| BUDGET

Budget in
Jeopardy
Pending

Fee Vote

By TYLER MCNEIL

Should the student activity fee
become optional with next month's
referendum, the Student Association
at the University at Albany is
prepared to slash over half of its
budget.

Passed on Wednesday, the first
ever contingency plan would be a
$1.9 million budget reduction from
this year, the largest budget drop
in recent history. Under the plan,
most SA expenses -- notably student
group budgets -- would be scrapped.

The only expenses met are bylaw
mandated. This includes providing
one cent for every SA recognized
student group in one fund; in total,
this would be less than $2.

Out of the $541,000 plan, the
bulk of funds would come from next
year’s student activity fee. However,
the bill’s sponsor, Austin Ostro,
senate vice chair, expects SA to
muster much fewer from the fee than
estimated.

“It's not pretty,” Ostro told the
senate last week. “It’s not fun.”

Ostro said that he plans to
shock officers into supporting the
mandatory vote at Tuesday's budget
town hall with the contingency plan.

Officers for Middle Earth, the
second highest budgeted student

Please see BUDGET page 3

| MUSLIM BAN

Students, Faculty Feel
Brunt of Chilling Order

By LINDSEY RIBACK

On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals
upheld the decision to prevent President Donald
Trump’s executive order to temporarily restrict
immigration from seven Muslim-majority
countries, yet students and faculty at the
University at Albany are still grappling with the
order s intentions.

Just a week after taking office on Jan. 20,
Trump issued an executive order temporarily

banning immigration from seven countries: Iran,

Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya.

Individuals in the U.S. with visas who under

regular circumstances would be able to travel

to their home country and retum to the United

States were also banned from re-entering.
Additionally, under what has been coined

as the “Muslin ban,” refugees would not be

admitted into the United States for 90 days and
all Syrian refugees would be banned indefinitely.

AtUAlbany, there are 35 international
students and several faculty members who come
from the countries included in the ban, and
although none of the students were abroad while
the ban was issued, it had and continues to have a
lasting effect on the UAlbany community.

Ali Alaei, a visiting scholar, encountered
trouble when he tried returning to the U.S. with
aJ1 scholar’s visa on Feb. 11. He was retuming
from a visit to his father in his home country of
Iran. His brothers Arash and Kamiar A laei are
both faculty members at UA lbany where they
also serve as co-directors for the Global Institute
of Health and Human Rights.

Ali, an associate dean at Kermanshah
University’s School of Architecture, was

Please see BAN page 2

PRINTED BY THE TIMES UNION, ALBANY, NEW YORK

Free Tuition Proposal

By LINDSEY RIBACK

Free tuition may become
a reality for University at
Albany students if Gov.
Andrew Cuomo’s proposed
Excelsior Scholarship is
passed.

The plan was first
announced on Jan. 3 during
Cuomo’s first state of the
state address at LaGuardia
Community College in
Queens, and the campaign
began Tuesday at Buffalo
State College. If the plan
is approved, by the fall
of 2019, all college-aged
children whose households
make under $125,000 will
be eligible for free tuition at

Please see CUOMO page 2

Tyler McNeil / Albany Student Press

A HEARST CORPORATION NEWSPAPER
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017

ALBANY STUDENT PRESS.

EDITOR: STEFAN LEMBO-STOLBA
THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM

NEWS

_ ON CAMPUS

Mideast Expert Decries US Foreign
Policy at Campus Discussion

By ARIAH EMILLE problems.

The director said that it would still
be a problem if we are only concemed
about people in our own country and not
about the rest of the world, being that
we are by far one of the most wealthiest
countries.

Additionally, there is a global war
on terror that hasn’t changed. President
George W. Bush gave that name to
the war that he was waging after 9/11.
However, what changed the world and
the United States was not 9/11, accord-
ing to Bennis. Instead it was the day
after the attack when the president an-
nounced that the response to this crime
would be to take the world to war.

Although the wars changed during
former President Barack Obama’s term
and were no longer based on deploying
thousands of troops, but on using air
drones, air strips, and small numbers
of Special Forces instead, they were
no less deadly for the people in those
countries.

Asa result of the US -NATO war,
Libya is also a complete catastrophe,
according to Bennis. Libya has three
competing governments, none of whom.
are recognized by anybody in Libya,

and “the good guys” have largely been
defeated, killed, arrested, and driven
into exile.

A similarissue can be seen in Syria
where ISIS still is in control of large
amounts of territories. Those who were
once involved in the heroic popular
uprising of people against a repressive
regime have now been taken over by
intemational sectarian religious forces,
Bennis said.

“This notion that the U.S. is support-
ing the good guys against the terrible
govemment simply isn’t true,” she said.

The director hopes that people will
get rid of the mentality that ISIS is a
lesser evil; there will always be more
people facing those challenges, and that
way we'd never get rid of them. Bennis
said one last action would be to stop
the wars that create refugees.

“Refugees don’t just happen; no-
body gets up and leaves their country
for a terrifying two, three years in a
refugee camp without running water,
electricity, snowstorms with no real
protection, unless they are desperate,”
she said. “We must slash the military
budget and end wars.”

University at Albany students filed
into the Campus Center on Wednesday
fora discussion on ISIS led by an expert
from at the Institute for Policy Studies.

During her 60 minute address,
Phyllis Bennis, the director of the new
intemationalism project at the D.C.
institute, displayed her knowledge on
understanding the Islamic State of Iraq
and Syria, the war on terror, and the
issues that this “very different political
moment” could bring to the Albany
community to 35 students.

“The notion of reclaiming that name
as a slogan or this presidency is a rather
problematic notion, it implies a kind of
pull-back from political engagement,
economical engagement, and especially
diplomatic engagement; what it doesn’t
include is military pull-back,” said Ben-
nis, referring to the World War II slogan
of “America First.”

Although details are still unknown
about what the Trump foreign policy
is going to look like, according to Ben-
nis, itis clear that it will not take up
the question of how to deal with what
are widely understood to be global

Ariah Emille / Albany Student Press

Continued from Page 1

retuming to the U.S. as a visiting
scholar to lecture at UAlbany,
specifically on the influence
of Persian architecture on the
architecture of the university’s
uptown campus, according to his
brother Kamiar.

With the help of UAlbany,
Albany Law School, and local
congress members, Kamiar said
that the A laei family was able to
“highlight how important it is to
have Ali back based on national
interest,” and the younger brother
was able to retum Jan. 7.

The fear that the A laei brothers
had of being unable to reunite with
their younger brother, has been a
similar concem for students and
other faculty members from those
countries as well.

One Iranian student, who is
majoring in urban and regional
planning and spoke with the
Albany Student Press on the
condition of anonymity, expressed
worry about being reunited with
her family.

“T will not have my family
around me for my graduation
ceremony in May and I did not
know how to tell my mom that she
cannot visit me anymore,” she said.
“This was the first effect.”

In the weeks following the
announcement of the ban, she
began feeling scared and noticed
how the ban was affecting her daily
life.

“Treally could not focus on my
courses or on my job; I spent a lot
of time following the news... I feel
like I am experiencing a completely
different country in just three
weeks.”

The inability to focus was also a
concem of an Iraqi student who is
pursuing his Ph.D. in literature at
UAlbany.

“Whether international students

leave the US or not in fear of being
banned from re-entering, it has a
psychological impact on them and
itmakes them wormed about their
future,” Miaad Mahmood said.

Upon Trump's announcement of
the ban, UAlbany’s Intemational
Employee services advised one
Iranian professor to postpone any
travel abroad until things have been
settled with the ban. Despite having
a green card, the professor, who
requested to remain anonymous,
cancelled his summer trip to Iran
and his plans to visit Europe in the
fall as a visiting scholar as a safety
precaution.

He also acknowledged the
implications the ban would have
for his family and colleagues.

“On my parents’ and family’s
side, they used to make regular
US. trips to visit me on visitor
visas, but with the ban, they would
not be able to do so... I also feel
bad for all my Iranian colleagues in
Canada and Europe who regularly
attended the conferences we went
to annually, and they will not be
able to come to the U.S. for those
conferences anymore,” he said.

The ban posed several
professional implications for the
Alaei brothers as well.

AtGIHHR, Arash and Kamiar
partner with universities across
the world, specifically in the

UAlbany Photos

Middle East, to improve access
to healthcare. Their institute aims
to bridge the gap between health
and human rights throughout the
world.

Their research, which focuses
on HIV/AIDs prevention and
substance use, and preexisting
partnerships are particularly
important in this region because
there are not many scholars doing
research on these topics in the
Middle East.

Kamiar noted that while
the immigration ban has been
suspended, there has been talk of
another ban being implemented,
raising more concems for the
brothers and their work.

“We don’t want those scholars
in the Middle East to havea
misunderstanding that academies
in the U.S. are closing their doors
to them,” Kamiar said. “We are
independent and want to open the
door for them because those young
scholars are the ones who change
the future in their own country.”

A similar concem for the future
of intemational collaborations was
shared by Kamiar’s older brother
Arash.

“How can we say that these
countries can improve our
programs and be a part of the
worldwide network when we
discriminate against them?” he
asked.

CUOMO

Continued from Page 1

any of the state’s SUNY
or CUNY’s two- or four-year
programs.

“Tn New Y ork, education
was always the great equalizer,
but today, far too many young
people have been deprived of the
advanced degree they need to
get ahead, compete in the global
economy, and secure the jobs
of tomorrow,” Cuomo said in
astatement. “The Empire State
is sending a message loud and
clear that under the Excelsior
Scholarship program, students’
dreams of higher education will
be realized no matter how much
money is in their pocket or the
neighborhood they come from.”

At UAlbany, where an
estimated 80 percent of
undergraduate students receive
financial aid, the proposed
changes are welcomed by faculty
and students alike.

Following Cuomo’s early
January announcement of the
proposal, UA lbany’s Interim
President, James Stellar, issued a
statement of support.

“The govemor’s plan to
provide free tuition to thousands
of SUNY and CUNY students is
a powerful endorsement of higher
education in New Y ork State,”
he said.

A similar response was found
among the student body.

“| think it’s a good solution to a
problem [rising student debt] that
we don’t need to be dealing with,”
Zack Cuzo said.

Paying off already accumulated
loans is a concem for Cuzo,
who will be graduating from the
school’s journalism program at
the end of the fall 2017 semester.

The first phase of the Excelsior
Scholarship would begin next
fall and would he available to
students whose households make

$100,000 or less a year. In the
fall of 2018, the program will
expand to include those whose
families make $110,000 annually,
before reaching $125,000 at

the beginning of the fall 2019
semester.

UAlbany junior, Rachel
Eager, also supports the proposed
changes, but remains skeptical.

“T think free college is
extremely important for giving
all students opportunities,” the
biochemistry and molecular
biology major said. “I am justa
little worried about its execution
and how the government will be
paying forit.”

This concem is understandable.

Cuomo’s office predicts the
plan will cost $163 million per
year once it is fully phased in, but
the cost will combine the state’ s
preexisting $1 billion Tuition
Assistance Program with federal
grant funding, and then fills
whatever is left over.

Another concem that has been
raised is what implications this
may have for families whose
children are enrolled in the
state’ s private schools. Private
universities may be forced to
lower their tuition in hopes of
retaining students who may be
incentivized to attend a public
university in the state once tuition
is covered.

But the govemor’s office
does not foresee this as being a
problem, and neither do some
students.

“Although I am not personally
affected by this, | commend the
govemor s efforts to make higher
education affordable to more
families,” Andrew Pames, a
senior at nearby Union College,
said.

Since 2011 the state has
provided more than $2.4 billion
to private schools and roughly
90,000 students receive state
grants to help pay for their
tuition, according to Cuomo’s
office.

| CRIME BLOTTER

Report of intoxicated
students in the tun-

IDENTITY THEFT 3
Dutch Quad-
Stuyvesant Tower
2/3/2017

Report of a stolen PER:
TD Bank Debit Card.

nels.

CRIMINAL NUI-

EXPOSURE OF A
‘SON

2/4/2017
Roadways- Bus stop
Report of a male

ferrals were made

CRIMINAL Pos-
SESSION CON-
TROLLED SUB-
STANCE
2/4/2017

dack Hall

E a domestic dispute.

Indian Quad- Adiron-

Report of an under-
age male student

UNLAWFUL POS-

GRAND LARCENY

CRIMINAL POS- in possession of SESSION OF MARI- 2/8/2017
SESSION CON- alcohol and marijua- JUANA Podium- Social Sci-
TROLLED SUB- na paraphernalia. A 2/7/2017 ence

STANCE referral was made. Colonial Quad- Liv- Report of a stolen
2/6/2017 ingston Tower laptop.

Freedom Quad FQ
D-Lazarus Hall

UNLAWFUL POS-
SESSION OF MARI-

Report of two male
students in posses-

UNLAWFUL POS-

SANCE 2 student urinating Report of a male Report of a male JUANA sion of marijuana SESSION OF MARI-
2/3/2017 in public. A referral student in posses- student in posses- 2/7/2017 and marijuana para- JUANA

Indian Quad- Oneida was made. sion of marijuana, sion of marijuana, Dutch Quad- phernalia. Referrals 2/9/2017

Hall marijuana parapher- marijuana parapher- Stuyvesant Tower were made. State Quad- East-
Report of a male UNLAWFUL POS- nalia and a con- nalia and a con- Report of a male man Tower

student leaving a SESSION OF ALCO- trolled substance. A __ trolled substance. student with a MEDICAL INCIDENT Report of a male
leaving a burning HOL referral was made. An arrest was made. forged ID and in 2/7/2017 student in posses-
hookah pipe in his 2/4/2017 possession of mari- | Podium- Chemistry sion of marijuana
room. Indian Pond DOMESTIC INCI- juana and marijuana _—_ Building and marijuana para-

Report of two under-
age male students
ING in possession of
alcohol, forged IDs
and marijuana. Re-

PERSONS ANNOY-

2/3/2017
Podium Tunnels

DENT CRIMINAL NUI-
2/4/2017 SANCE

Alumni Quad- Water. 2/6/2017

bury Hall Empire Commons- B
Assisted subjects in Cluster

paraphernalia. A
referral was made.

Report of a female
student with a burn

phernalia. Referral
was made.

from a chemical.
Transported to hos-
pital by 5 Quad.

HAVE A NEWS TIP? EMAIL US AT THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

NEWS

EDITOR: LINDSEY RIBACK
THEASPNEWS@GMAIL.COM

3

BUDGET

Continued from Page 1

group this year, are already
alarmed by the coming vote. Much
of Middle Earth’s funding goes
toward intem compensation and
programming. Lacking SA support,
Danielle Haft, Middle Earth’s
equity and diversity chair, said
that the program would likely be
unsustainable.

“Without SA, none of [our
programs] would be possible,” said
Haft. “We really, really need this
funding.”

The Jamaican Student
Association mirrors a similar
sentiment. Along with
programming losses, Shenelle
Minto, JAMSA president, worries

that a voluntary vote would bar the

organization's dance team from
competition.

“If you don’t get [SA funds] then
you have to fundraise more,” said
Waithe. “This is $2,000, whichis a
lot to get.”

Beyond student groups, most
SA intemal operations (97 percent
of the contingency budget) would
come to a halt. The possibility of
a Dippikill purchase -- now under
legal review -- would reach a halt.
Programming such as Parkfest
would likely be stalled for the next
two years.

Without debate, the contingency

budget sailed through the senate,
24-4-0.

“That's like worst case scenario

in case the vote goes voluntary,
but I’m more than confident in

the student body's judgement that

they'll make it mandatory again,”

said Brandon Holdridge, senator-
at-large.

However, the student body has
not made the fee mandatory on
the first vote in four years. While
the fee is rarely waived under
referenda throughout the SUNY
system, it was voted voluntary
two years ago. SA later called for
are-vote, stating that the original
vote was invalid, a decision that
fell under question.

SA again fell under scrutiny
after passing a $10 fee increase,
with faulty communication
between student groups and
university officials late last
semester. The fee was later moved
to fall after SA leaders leamed
that the spring push failed to
comply with SUNY and university
policy.

Inan effort to bridge

L =
Tyler Mcneil / Albany Student Press
Senate Vice Chair Austin Ostro
presents the 2017-18 contingency
budget at last Wednesday's meeting

communication with students
before the referendum, SA
assembled a student activity

fee task force last semester.
Currently, the task force has only
met informally.

“We're just going to hear out
the student's needs and if we
don’t think mandatory is the way
to go, we won't go that route,”
said Kelvin Collazo, first year
senator-at-large and member of
the student activity fee task force.

For some students, such as Paul
Otty, freshman computer science
major, the fee is burdensome
fornon-involved students. He
believes that the fee should be
mandatory for students involved
in groups and activities covered

by the student activity fee.

“Why do I pay for this if I'm not
doing any of these activities?” he
said.

WEATHER

Continued from Page 1

Wednesday experienced
ahigh of 44 degrees and
then roughly a foot of snow
accumulated by late aftemoon
on Thursday, the first actual
snow storm of the season.
Last winter was the warmest,
winter A lbany has had on
record since 1932, with an
average of over 13 degrees,
according to the National
Weather Service. This change
is conceming, as the global
temperature has only risen

on average 1 degree annually _ the globe that can last for
since the 1950's, according to _years afterwards.
NASA calculations. But what both El

This change is concerning,
as many local farms as well

as the maple syrup industry in weather pattems
are already having to adapt themselves.

to the changes in weather Although Roundy
pattems. Winters have been and other scientists
becoming cold much later have not figured out

in the season, as late as
January, and warmer spring
temperatures have also been

happening earlier in the year, —_ global climate change
before becoming very cold and El Nino increasing
again. the unpredictability of

This fluctuation in weather
and seasonal onset has led

to differences in the times increase.
that maple syrup and other For winter weather,
agricultural products can Roundy said that Albany

be grown and expected to
flourish. Maple syrup can
now be harvested as much
as three weeks earlier than
it has been able to be in past
years, but this leads to a far
lower grade of syrup later in
the year.

And many flower crops as

well as fruit trees, two other future.”

important agricultural exports Roundy also wishes

of New Y ork, flourish in the that both scientists and

short period of springtime people that do not believe

weather, only to die when the __ that climate change would

cold reappears, leaving that “be honest with each other

year’s crop much lower. about what we know.”
Paul Roundy, professor While climate change

of atmospheric and
environmental sciences at
UAlbany, said that while
climate change is a concem, it
is not the cause of the unusual
winter weather patterns that
Albany has been experiencing
over the last few years.

While last year had the

warmest winter weather
in recent history, and this
year’s weather seems
to follow that trend, the
blame is not on climate
change, but the El Niiio
system that occurred last
year, according to Roundy,
who studies atmospheric
waves.

The El Nifio system
is a naturally occurring,
periodic warming of
the Pacific Ocean that
occurs and raises the
temperature to many
degrees above average,
sending out disturbances
in the atmosphere around

Nino and climate change
increase is the variability

the exact reason why,
there is evidence that
backs up the claims of

weather patterns on a
whole as their effects

will “more likely
experience warmer
winters going forward, but
that the El Nifo variance
is not certain enough to
say that there will be no
more cold winters, just
enough to suggest more
warmer winters in the

has real and measurable
effects, it is also
something that “affects the
climate with incredibly
small impacts in many
places, not something that
could bring about the end
of the world in a matter of
years,” Roundy said.

Chripstopher Pounds / Albany Student Press

NFL

Continued from Page 1

Prior to the start of his
sophomore year, Sam had
confirmed to himself that he
was different than most of his
teammates. He was attracted to
men.

“T was so scared because I
didn’t know what to do now.
Should I come out? Should I tell
someone?” he said.

Originally the football player

decided the best thing to do would

be to wait to come out until he
was done playing football like

other former NFL players such as

David Kopay or Wade Davis.
However, Sam then began
dating a fellow Mizzou athlete,

Vito Cammisano. His decision to
remain closeted put tremendous

stress on their relationship.
Prior to breaking up,
Cammisano asked Sam who he

saw when he looked in the mirror.

“T thought the person that
looked back at me was just
a pretender, just someone
pretending to be Michael Sam,”
relayed Sam.

Sam then took steps to
becoming more comfortable
with himself. In the summer of

2013, he attended Pride St. Louis,

where he found that the LGBTQ
community was accepting of him
and did not care about his football
player status.

With a newfound confidence,
Sam had the courage to come out
to his teammates at the start of his
senior year of college. Ever since
then Sam has worm a rainbow
silicone bracelet that is imprinted
with MU Pride on it.

“Tt was the first time I truly was
Michael Sam,” he said.

On Feb. 9, 2014, Sam publicly
addressed his sexuality to the
sports world. His announcement
came just months before the 2014
NFL Draft.

Sam was drafted by the St.

Louis Rams in the 7th round.
The rookie player experienced
an extreme amount of media
attention due to his sexuality and
status as a professional football
player. Even former President
Barack Obama released a
statement congratulating Sam.

Yet, despite all of this media
attention, Sam’s NFL career was
short-lived.

Sam made sure to clarify to the
audience that he is not bitter over
the abrupt end to his NFL career.

“T owe everything to football;
football gave me an education,
it taught me about discipline, it
taught me how to be a man, and
it opened a lot of doors for me,”

Sam said. “It saved my life; I owe
everything to football.”

Sam concluded his presentation
by going over his healing process.
He started by forgiving those who
had wronged him in the past.

“T don’t know if my purpose
was ever actually meant to play
football, even though I want to,”
he said. “But maybe it’s not
meant to play football, maybe it’s
to help others.”

That desire to help others was
displayed at the end of the night.
After the presentation, Sam
remained in the ballroom until
every student who asked him fora
photo or to autograph an item had
their request granted.

Good at drawing? Have something to say? The ASP

is looking for a political cartoonist.

Email: photos.asp@gmail.com for more info.

EDITOR: ILENE ROTHMAN
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

4

| SCIENCE

OPINION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS.

Michael Sam Comes With Message of Hope

By ILENE ROTHMAN

LGBT football player, Michael Sam,
addressed the University at Albany com-
munity on Tuesday night with a message of
perseverance.

Over 400 students attended Sam’s key-
note speech during the 34th annual UA1-
bany Sexuality Month. By the end of Sam’s
presentation students had various opinions
on his short-lived NFL career, his status as
an icon in the LGBT community, and his
positive outlook on life.

Prior to the start of Sam’s speech, he
allowed members of UA lbany’s student me-
dia to interview him.

Troy Farkas, a junior history major at the
university and the current Albany Student
Press sports editor, had the chance to inter-
view Sam prior to the presentation. Farkas
thinks that the attention the media gave Sam
on his decision to publicly come out as gay
in college altered his career in the NFL.

“The media ruined his NFL career by
talking about him all the time and making
his sexuality a bigger deal than it actually
was,” said Farkas.

Sam was drafted in the 7th round of the
2014 NFL draft. During his speech Sam
revealed that he thought he would be picked
earlier in the draft instead of being the
249th pick.

“T was the sack leader that year and SEC
Defensive Player of the year. So I thought
with my stats alone I would get late 2nd or
early 3rd,” said Sam during his presenta-
tion.

Sam was cut from two NFL teams, the
St. Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys
during 2014.

Despite Sam’s dream of playing in the
NFL coming to an end, the positivity that
Sam regards his future with resonated
among UA lbany students.

Student A ssociation President Felix
Abreu, who introduced Michael Sam prior
to the start of the presentation, found Sam’s
life story extremely motivational.

“Y ou can see that despite having to over-
come obstacles, Sam continued to pursue
his dream and not only that, he continued
believing in himself, something I hope
everyone that attended the event was able to
takeaway. It’s all about personal perception
and Sam exemplified what it means to be
true to yourself,” said Abreu.

When Sam was speaking of his difficult
childhood he became emotional when he re-
vealed the abuse he suffered from the hands
of his older brothers, the impact that his
father abandoning his family had, and how
he became the second child out of his eight
siblings to graduate from high school.

“The proudest moment in my life was
when I was walking across that stage and
J looked in the stands and I saw my mom
in my tears,” said Sam about receiving his
high school diploma.

Also in the audience that night was An-
thony Castro, a junior computer engineering
major. Castro was surprised that Sam was
able to work past his childhood struggles.

“Dealing with the kinds of tragedy he
dealt with at home is alone a difficult task,
and it is impressive that he was able to rise
out of hardship and become the first of his
family to attend college,” said Castro.

As far as his status as an LGBT icon,
students who attended the presentation

admired his courage for being an openly
gay athlete.

Claire McCulley, a sophomore major-
ing in Public Policy and Management
and minoring in Women’s, Gender, and
Sexuality Studies, feels that it is crucial for
queer athletes to be open about their sexual
orientation.

“I'm gay but I'm also white, so the
privileges I have are very different from the
privileges given to queer people of color. At
least I can see people like me represented
in media in a somewhat positive light, but
LGBT people of color are constantly erased
and eclipsed from mainstream media in
favor of white people. For Michael Sam to
be black, gay, an athlete, and out, is remark-
able and moving. These are identities that
don’t typically mesh well in our society, so
I love him for embracing his intersectional-
ity and encouraging others to do the same,”
said McCulley.

Robert Lepelstat, a sophomore journal-
ism major, is looking forward to the impact
that Sam will have on the sports world. Sam
was already awarded the Arthur A she Cour-
age Award at the 2014 ESPY awards.

“Michael has singlehandedly opened the
door for so many other professional athletes
to follow in his footsteps and I think when
we ultimately look back at Michael Sam
and this decision in the future, hopefully
we'll be confused as to why his coming out
was such a big deal,” said Lepelstat.

Michael Sam’s honesty to share his iden-
tity with the world makes him a trailblazer
in both the sports world and the LGBT
community. Sam’s confidence in who he
is and his positivity towards life despite all
of the suffering he has faced makes him

Milo Votava / Albany Student Press

avaluable icon. It is exciting to speculate
on Sam’s future career, whether it be in
sports, motivational speaking, or something
entirely new.

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MARCHING

OPINIONS

TATE eee

EDITOR: DANIEL PINZON
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

5

And the Danes go Marching in

By TESSA SCHAAL

For years the University at Albany has had
a pep band, but recently added to the many
classes was marching band, known as, the
UAlbany Marching Great Danes. Being a
senior and founding member myself, I can
easily say that if I hadn’t joined marching
band, my college experience wouldn't have
been as exciting as itis. The people I’ve met
and the relationships that have been created
are one’s that I’ll cherish forever, but more
importantly, I have found my second family.

When interviewing members of the
marching band, | asked them why they
joined. Joe Riccardi, baritone player and
a senior at UA lbany, said that the reason
why he joined was to “keep marching.” Joe
marched for five years in high school and has
been an active member of the Fusion Core
in Drum Corps Associates for the past three
years, and this past summer was his first time
marching with the Sunrisers, also in DCA.
Justice Belton, who is also a senior and does
color guard, said, “I did marching band in
high school . . . 1 was looking fora school
that had a marching band.”

Music is something that these students
care about and wanted to continue after high
school, and UAlbany was one of the many
schools that made that opportunity continue.

Many students who are an active member
in marching band also do pep band. Just like
any class, there are difficult obstacles that one
has to overcome.

“For me, have you ever seen a tuba? That
thing's heavy. The hardest thing in general is
the limited rehearsal time we have to perfect
our craft.” Robert Houle, a student at the
University at Albany, said, when asked what
the hardest part about marching/pep band
was.

Marching band, which is during
football season, rehearses Monday’s and
Wednesday’s from 5:45 p.m. to 7:05 p.m;
that’s only the amount of time the class is
given on an academic schedule. Outside
of that, on game days marching band will
rehearse anywhere starting from 8 or 9
a.m. until the game starts. But despite that,
with hard work, working as a team, and
dedication, the UAlbany Marching Great

PLO LOCOCO

RESPONSE

Rebuttal:

Danes are able to create something that is
well worth the hard work.

T also interviewed two recently graduated
members of marching and pep band, Emily
Schlierer and Dennis Szymanski. I asked
them that now that they have graduated, what
the one thing is that they miss the most about

Emily Schlierer, who now attends
graduate school at George Washington
University in Washington D.C., says, “I
miss the friendships. I met people who have
became my family in band and I know I
wouldn't have found that if I never joined...
don’t regret not joining another pep band
or marching band because I had such an
amazing experience at UA, that I feel like I
would be just comparing and it wouldn't live
up to my expectations.”

Dennis Szymanski, graduate student at
North Carolina State University, said, “I
miss the spirit, the fact that everyone cared
so much about one thing all at the same time.
It’s a feeling | really don’t think I could get
anywhere else, even another pep band.”

Being a part of these bands not only
shows how much these students care about
their school, but how much fun itis and the
relationships that are made are one’s that
have made college worth remembering.
These students wouldn’t have been able to
find that at another college.

When asking fellow band members what.
their favorite memory was, many of them
said that it was when we had the honor of
traveling to the NCAA not once, but three
years in a row, or Peter Hooley’s buzzer-
beating shot that advanced Albany into the
first round of the NCAA and a four-time title
as America East Champions.

Houle however, said that his favorite
memory was, “Probably hearing my name
on the PA system the first time we marched
out the Star Wars show...my entire life’s
dream is to be a composer.” The University at
Albany’s marching band and pep band made
one student's dream closer to being reached.
That's something you wouldn't be able to say
anywhere else.

Like all classes, marching and pep band
has taught every student something that he
or she will take away. Leadership skills,

PLU ULC LOCO

We

Must Foster a
Culture of Life

By NAOMI MCPETERS

Ina powerful pro-life speech, abortion
survivor Gianna Jessen testifies before
Parliament in Victoria, Australia, saying: “If
abortion is merely about women’s rights, then
what were mine?”

We, as women, are given the great
responsibility and privilege of being
the bearers of children. Y et, if our own
empowerment is based off the destruction
of another human life that could happen
to be a woman as well, then what sort of
empowerment is that? Would we destroy
another human being because our life has
been inconvenienced? Having the ability
to choose does not mean having the right
to choose. If we claim to fight for the
marginalized and oppressed of society, then
we must include the unborn lives in our
definition of this. Otherwise, we are simply
removing a human being’s right to choose
anything at all.

One of the arguments you make is that
sometimes pregnancy is unplanned. Y ou
state: “Is it fair to place this enormous
responsibility on someone because they
weren't prepared enough? Is it fair to place
this responsibility on someone who made
amistake, who didn’t plan on getting
pregnant?” Y ou state that “a woman also has
aright to do what she wants to her body.” To
this I would say, is it fair to place the penalty
of someone's mistake on a developing human
being who has as much of a right to live as
the woman (and man) who created them?
What about rape? To this I say the same,
but with the deepest compassion for those
who have undergone such an unacceptable
violation. Is it fair to continue the cycle
of violence and impose it on the separate,
distinct, innocent life growing inside that
woman's body?

How can we talk about human rights
and leave out entire segments of society
simply by refusing to call them human?
Hasn't that been the rhetoric of injustice

towards marginalized groups throughout the
centuries? With this in mind, let us consider
some little known, or overlooked facts about
abortion.

Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned
Parenthood and self-proclaimed eugenicist,
wrote in the October 1921 edition of The
Birth Control Review, that “the most
urgent problem today is how to limit and
discourage the over-fertility of the mentally
and physically defective” (NY U.edu),
especially targeting the black population
living in poverty-stricken areas. Considering
this today, black women have a higher rate
of abortion than white women and women,
of other races. Over 30% of all abortions are
performed on black women (cdc.gov), and
abortion kills more black lives (363,705)
(Guttmacher Institute) than all other causes of
death combined (285,522) (cdc.gov). Where
is the outcry over this?

Lastly, you note the inadequacy of the
foster care and adoption systems in A merica
to take care of all the children that need to
be raised in a loving family. All I can say to
that is this: as one of four adopted children,
Tam thankful that rather than taking my
choice of life from me, my biological mother
chose to put me up for adoption. I am sure
it would have been more convenient for
her to choose abortion, but I am thankful
she allowed me to live. Because that’s what
this is really about, isn’t it? Jessen says it
much more powerfully than I can: “It has
been an argument for so long in this human.
place that we live, that the stronger should
dominate the weaker, should determine who
lives or dies” (generationsforlife.org). | am
thankful that my biological mother did not
determine that my life was not worth it. I feel
that gratitude every time I remember that for
over 59 million unbom babies since Roe v.
Wade (numberofabortions.com), the most
fundamental human right of all—the right to
life— has been taken from them, in the name
of women’s rights.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:

The marching band in full regalia.

Source: Kevin Champagne

working together as a team, and confidence
are just a few examples of what student’s
gain from their experience.

“This experience with this band has taught
me that the bond that musicians share when
they play together transcends everything
else,” Houle said. When you spend basically
every day together for an entire year, the
bond that is created is one that’s unbreakable.
Marching and pep band has created a family,
a family that is always looking more people
to be a part of and make that bond stronger.

Talso asked what advice current and
previous members would give to those who
are thinking of joining.

“Stick with it. I know that marching and
pep can take up a lot of time and sometimes
it’s super miserable, but it’s worth every
second,” Schlierer said.

Szymanski said, “To do it, because it
was the best decision of my college social
career. Not to mention awesome trips and
experiences.”
TIT

THT TLL

@ALBSTUDENTPRESS

TLL

“For starters, join. Two, get as many
people to join because the band will get
awesome the bigger we become,” said
Riccardi.

Marching band and pep band is directed by
Kevin Champagne, who when asked what it
is he loves the most about his job said, “I love
working with the college kids; they're fun
and they’ re good.”

Marching and pep band is always looking
for new members; you don’t even have to
play an instrument. If you want to be a part
of something that will change your life,
marching band and pep band is the path to
go. The people these members meet and
the experiences they share are all a part of
something to be proud of and each member
makes sure that our school knows that,
whether it’s at games, on social media, or
telling their friends. They are all proud to
be a part of something that has made their
college experience one worth remembering
and you should too.
HLTH

TTL
EDITOR: ELI ENIS
ARTSENT.ASP@GMAIL.COM

_ MUSIC REVIEW

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS.

Big Sean’s “I Decided” A Towering LP

By ZACH PERRY

I had two New Y ear’s Resolutions going
into this year. The first was to convince my
roommate that ‘La La Land’ is a dumpster
fire. The second was to convince him that
the new Big Sean album would be the best
album of the year. I’m hoping I'll have an
easier time with the latter.

The first prodigy of Kanye West
continues to live up to his title, with the
recent release of an inspiringly imperfect
project. Sean’s new album “I Decided”
represents the good, the bad, the ugly and
the beautiful of the hip hop scene, but most
importantly adds another distinguished
title to his high-caliber discography. Like
his contemporaries Wale and Big K.R.LT.,
Sean is drastically underrated and rarely
included on top 10 lists, which is reflected
in his stunted record sales and scant supply
of Grammy Nominations.

Before the age of 30, Sean’s career
has already spanned more than 10 years,
two facts that clearly pervade his music.
Many artists, like Joe Budden and Royce
da 5’9”, easily fall into obscurity at
that stage in their careers, but Sean has
consistently topped charts and continued
to stay relevant without totally conforming
to trends. His music still exudes the same
energy from his days in the mixtape circuit
and he carries a swagger lacked by rappers
half his age.

The album opens with a skit that begins
the loose story guiding the album, one
about Sean feeling as if he got a second
chance at life. “The Light” finds him
spitting confidently over a sparse, elegant
instrumental, recounting his trials and
glories both as an artist and a Detroit
native. Jeremih delivers a soulful chorus,
one of his many additions to the project.
“Bounce Back” could honestly have been
released by anyone with a “Lil” in their
name and a functional mic, so to this really
shows the influence that artists like Migos
and Future have had in the industry, and
not just on impressionable newcomers who
feel obligated to copy others in order to be
successful.

On “No Favors”, Sean turns in an
impressive verse on a dynamic and dark
beat, but the verdict for this track leans on
whether or not you have an acquired taste
for Eminem. Anyone remotely familiar

with his music knows that it can be off-
putting and offensive to some, so if that’s
the case, you' re better off skipping this
one. “Jump Out the Window”, a sobering
relationship story told through gloomy
chords and echoed 808’s, is decisively in
the top 3. Sean's strength at singing is what

has elevated many of his songs and the case

is the same here.

“Moves” belongs on a Drake mixtape,
or preferably in the Trash of someone’s
MacBook Air, which is where it currently
resides on mine. “Same Time Pt. 1” is
the latest of Sean's collaborations with
songstress Jhene Aiko, which are regularly
the highlights of their projects (see “I’m
Gonna Be” and “Déja Vu"). The song is
frustratingly short, but at the very least
it promises that “Pt. 2” will be worth the
wait.

The middle of the album brings two
great tracks, “Owe Me” and “Halfway Off
the Balcony”, with spacey arrangements
and reflective verses on Sean's past
failures. However, they are followed
by “Voice In My Head/Stick To the
Plan”, a song that never quite finds its
footing between beat changes and tempo
shifts.

Three tracks at the end stand out,
cementing Sean’s status as a lyrical talent
and a veteran storyteller. “Sunday Moming
Jetpack”, “Inspire Me” and “Bigger
Than Me” boast heavenly instrumentals,
weaving brutal drums and soaring piano
riffs to create a veritable symphony. Sean
touches on the best and worst times of
his life, moving from his deepest fears to
his love for his mother in between lines.
Sean has never been shy about featuring
his family on his songs (see “Nothing is
Stopping Y ou” and “One Man Can Change
the World”) and the wisdom given by his
mother is a moving way to end this story.

The features are near flawless, with the
Migos circus act leaving a solitary blemish
on an otherwise esteemed guest list. In
addition to Aiko, Sean enlists The-Dream,
a veteran singer who often steals the show
on songs (see “Ultralight Beam” and “The
Ride”). In solidarity with city of Flint,
Sean showcases the Flint Chozen Choir on
the final track, adding a powerful chorus
of voices to this emphatic ending. On the
bright side, no really quality beats were
harmed by Migos here, though the track
certainly weighs the back end of the album

BiG SEAN

down.

The influences on this album are
apparent, as most of them have inhabited
the charts for the past 18 months. “What
A Time to Be Alive” and “Purple Reign”,
from Olympic sellouts Drake and Future
respectively, brought “mumble-trap” to
new heights, mixing snappy 808 drums
with moody synth orchestrations. A rising
star in the genre, producer Metro Boomin,
gained fame for his work on these mixtapes
and in the past year has contributed to
several high-profile records, including
Kanye West's “Father Stretch My Hands
Pt. 1”. Metro has three credits on “I
Decided”, but many other songs bear the
mark of his style as well.

“Sunday Moming Jetpack” and “Bigger
Than Me” sound right at home next
to Chance the Rapper s gospel-laced
“Coloring Book” mixtape, which dropped
in May of last year. Sean and Chance have
collaborated twice before, on “Wanna Be
Cool” and “Living Single”.

“I Decided” isn’t Sean’s most ambitious,
consistent or exciting project, three titles
that will probably always go to his 2011

album “Finally Famous”. It lacks the
lyricism of “Detroit”, the depth of “Hall

of Fame”, the orchestral gravitas of “Dark
Sky Paradise” and the lavish production of
“TWENTY 88”. The quality of his projects
has very slowly declined ever since

his debut, perhaps due to the lessening
participation over time of legendary
producers No ID, Kanye West and Key
Wane, who have been replaced by the likes
of DJ Mustard and Y oung Chop.

Big Sean’s detractors will find
unoriginality and blandness in most of the
tracks. His fans will praise the growth he
shows and his ability to evolve his sound
without losing his essence. There are more
than a few standout beats and a number of
verses that make him a candidate for your
top 10 list. Inspiration bleeds out of every
track and more than a few moments will
give you the kind of chills you only get
after watching ‘It’s A Wonderful Life.’

But if none of that attracts you, then
come for the Trump diss, Harambe
reference and probably the only record that
Drake won't put his talentless hands on this
year.

| FILM REVIEW

“John Wick: Chapter 2”’ Shines as
Both an Action Film and a Sequel

By DANIEL RUSSELL

Almost two and a half years after the suc-
cess of the sleeper hit, “John Wick”, Keanu
Reeves is back as the titular assassin in the
follow-up, “John Wick: Chapter 2”. Picking
up right after the events of the first film,
“Chapter 2” finds John attempting to (once
again) put down his gun and retire, only to
be met with disastrous results. Because of
events that occurred both before and during
the first film, John finds himself needing
to complete a task for an Italian crime lord
named Santino D’ Antonio. What starts off
as a simple task escalates into a manhunt for
the head of John Wick, and we follow him
as he does whatever it takes to get revenge
on those trying to kill him. The final result
here is an action film with a healthy amount
of substance and style, even if it does falter
on occasion.

If the first film was just a hint at the
lore of the world portrayed here, “Chap-
ter 2” is a full-blown, and well-detailed
explanation. Much of the first half of the
two hour film details certain aspects of the
world; such as the armory where assassins
get their weapons, the tailors they go to for
their apparel, and the Continental, a hotel
where assassins stay, but no violence is al-
lowed. Initially apparent in New Y ork City,
we see these aspects carried over when,
John finds himself in international territory,
which gives a great sense of the scope of
vision here, that the assassin’ s organiza-
tion is worldwide. Despite the rich assassin

world here, suspension of disbelief with the
real world only becomes greater as the film
progresses forward, with John getting into
gunfights in many public situations. This
change in environment can be exciting at
times, but it really seems as if nobody in
the entire public acknowledges that men are
literally shooting each other dead here, and
it gets a little distracting each time it occurs.

However, the action at the heart of
the movie is what keeps the film fresh and
exciting. Just like the first film, John Wick
gets into shootouts where he’s taking down
foes with pinpoint accuracy. As the film
progresses, Wick’s violent shootouts get
increasingly zanier, finding many differ-
ent weapons and tactics to take down those
who stand in his way. If you weren’t a fan
of the chaotic gunplay and hand-to-hand
combat found in the first film, you won't
find anything here to turn you over. But if
you did enjoy these aspects of the first film,
you'll find yourself right at home here, as
John Wick takes down foes in the same
brutal fashion that he’s done before.

Keanu Reeves is great here as John
Wick; putting on more of a visual perfor-
mance than a spoken one. A man of few
words, Wick expresses himself much more
visually and physically, but when he does
speak, it’s usually very important. lan Mc-
Shane and Laurence Fishbume shine here
as well, both in supporting roles as trusted
affiliates to Wick that help him throughout
his journey of vengeance.

One of the previous film’s weakest
aspects was its ending, and for a few mo-
ments, it looked as if “Chapter 2” was going
to fall into this hole as well. But in the last
couple moments, the rug gets pulled out
from under us, and what seems like a peace-
ful resolution tums into utter chaos as the
film comes to a close. It leaves the film very
open for the idea of another film, which has
already been confirmed to be in the works.
Whereas many sequels falter in the execu-
tion of progressing the storyline forward for

Source:filmmusicreporter.com

another film, “Chapter 2” does it very well,
and puts the potential for a third film in an
exciting place.

“John Wick: Chapter 2” succeeds
very well as not only an action film, but an
action film sequel as well. Through rich
world-building and idiosyncratic action
and violence, it doesn’t fall into the trap of
being more of the same as the first film, and
it'll be great to see where it goes from here.

SEEN A GOOD MOVIE LATELY? WANT TO WRITE A FILM REVIEW? WHAT ABOUT A REVIEW OF

A CONCERT OR A HOT NEW ALBUM.
THAT COULD BE YOUR BYLINE UP THERE. IMAGINE THAT. YOU COULD BE FAMOUS.

WRITE SOMETHING! EMAIL ARTSENT.ASP@GMAIL.COM TO GET STARTED.

MISS THE SHOW? READ ABOUT IT ONLINE AT ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

CINEMA

“Silence” Among
Scorsese’s Be

Arts & Entertainment

By ANDY GALLA

Martin Scorcese’s newest film, “Si-
lence” has likely been his least advertised
feature film in along time. None the less,
Scorcese fans have been waiting over forty
years for this adaption of the famous 1966
historical fiction novel by Shiisaku End,
and Marty himself has watched the film go
in and out development many times over
the decades. The cast of this movie has
changed many times too, Daniel Day-Lew-
is, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Benicio Del
Toro were posed to star, but were replaced
by Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield, and
Adam Driver. Either cast is stacked, and
with Scorcese at the helm, there were more
than enough people looking out for this
movie. This movie cost about $40,000,000
to makes, it’s made less than $7,000,000
so far, and only got one Oscar nomination,
so I suppose this is one of his flops. That is
information worth knowing, in my opinion.
To be sure, this was a very different film
for Scorsese. There’s no drugs, no mobster
butchering, no Muddy Waters music, no
Joe Pesci. This film is dead serious about
its themes, the morals of religion, how
long you can and should remain faithful.
So maybe it did get less attention than it
seemed like it would if it was good, but rest
assured, this is a very well-made movie.

The plot is interesting as it is based on
history. Back in the 1600s, the Catholic
church was finally able to spread their
religion through the Portuguese who had
cracked through Japanese isolationism

for trade rights. Naturally the Catholic
church saw this as an opportunity for
expansion, but the Japanese govemment
saw it as a threat. This is about where
the movie begins, with Japanese soldiers
torturing Christian priests. One of them,
Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson) is among
them, and wrote back to the church.
When his pupils Father Rodrigues
(Andrew Garfield) and Father Garupe
(Adam Driver) hear the news, they decide
to travel to Japan to rescue him, despite
desperate warnings from Father Valig-
nano (Ciaran Hinds). Fast forward to
their arrival, and they meet up with local
Japanese Christians, who are consistently
harassed by Government troops, and live
in fear because of it. Many are bumed

MUSIC

7

Squirrel Nut

Zippers?

By EVE BREWER

In the mid-1990s, in North Carolina, the
Squirrel Nut Zippers named themselves
after a caramel candy and started playing
music. Now, bandleader James “Jimbo”
Mathus and drummer Chris Phillips have
brought the band back with a brand-new
nine-piece lineup. Last November, they
brought their “revival tour” to the Egg to
celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album
Hot, which sold 1.5 million copies.

There were few empty seats in the room,
and few members of the audience not tap-
ping their feet or dancing in their seats.
Though the Zippers’ set included some of
their most energetic and danceable tunes,
and Mathus called for the audience to “Get
up and dance!” at one point and took a few
tums with an usher at another, fire safety
regulations limited the dancefloor to the
stairs next to rows of seats. It was nearly
impossible to dance without tripping, step-
ping on someone's toes, or falling through
a hidden door in the wall. Going to see a
swing band and not being able to swing
dance is somewhat disappointing.

By far, though, the band made up for it
with an outpouring of energy and theatrical-
ity. The stage was lit in red, changing to
blue during some of the slower numbers,
and decorated with papier-maché skulls and
votive candles. The band members dress
in an assortment of brightly colored thrift
store finds and vintage clothing, sequins
and gold trim in abundance. Mathus and
fiddler/banjo player/musical saw player

Justin “Dr. Sick” Carr both never stopped
moving, dancing frenetically and seam-
lessly switching between instruments. In
the background, Tamara Nicolai spun and
dipped her double bass like a dance partner
as she played, even bringing the huge
instrument forward at the climax of “The
Suits Are Picking Up the Bill” for Jimbo to
literally climb onto it and pose like a circus
ringmaster for a few seconds.

Since their beginnings, the Squirrel Nut
Zippers have gone through multiple lineup
changes, but their swinging sound has
stayed spectacular. They played old favor-
ites, with a focus on songs from Hot. New
chanteuse Ingrid Lucia has a powerful voice
and a wide vocal range, and she was given
plenty of opportunities to show it off. Dr.
Sick “saws the fiddle and fiddles the saw”
in Mathus’ words; his aggressive style of
playing brings a new feeling to the familiar
tunes. Bass, drums, brass and keyboard
round out the band’s lineup.

One of the youngest fans there was Isaac,
9, dancing in his seat in a plaid button-down
and straw trilby hat. He says his favorites
are the love songs. There were children
and grandparents in the audience, people
dressed in hoodies and jeans and people
wearing Cuban-heel stockings and flapper
dresses. “Everyone has been so kind and
joyful,” Jimbo said while taking pictures
with fans after the concert; he capped off
the concert by leading the audience out into
the lobby, where the band played a raucous
cover of the spiritual “Joshua Fit the Battle
of Jericho.” He hopes to bring the Squirrel
Nut Zippers back to Albany soon.

alive or drowned just for refusing to step on !IIIIIUUIIQ1INIIU11/1 0001011111 000001E11LU 100001101101 0000000011 L040 C0EUE EEA UOOU HEHE AUTAL

a picture of Jesus Christ. The main charac-
ters are forced to live in complete secrecy,
as it is obvious they are Christian, and this
makes them begin to lose sight of finding
Ferreira. It begins to rattle them until they
are discovered. That is when the real test
of faith begins, as Rodrigues and Garupe
are separated and tortured psychologically
and physically. That is when Herreira
comes hack into the picture, and that is
when the film begins to truly answer some
of the questions that it had been asking.

The entire cast was stellar in their perfor-
mance, Issei Ogata was especially great
as an old Samurai. But what truly made it
worthwhile was the mise-en-scene, or es-
sentially what's on the screen, specifically
the use of composition, but also the lighting
and the visual effects. This was also aided

by the fantastic Cinematography, but the
setting in general was simply breathtaking,
full of ominous, foggy swampland amongst
dank, mountainous forests. It feels as if
Scorsese is the one bringing it altogether
too, every scene is very precise with what
the camera is showing you, with longer
takes to give you time to really explore
each image and see things you might not
have noticed at first. The pacing of the
film might be a tad slow, it is patient to say
the least, but the quality is just undeniable,
the vast amount of craft and passion that
are shown off is just too delicious for any
film fan. The movie's use of silence as an
effective soundtrack was also extremely
enjoyable, with insect noises, wind, and
pounding waves more than making up for
the lack of noise.

So, you might be thinking, so this movie
sounds great, looks great, has great acting,
directing, and a well-written deep story,
and it only got one nomination? To be fair,
the nomination, which was for Cinema-
tographer Rodrigo Paresto, was arguably
the one the film deserved most. But still,
Scorcese, Garfield, the production design
team, and the sound mixing team could
have totally notched a nomination, and best
film as well. This movie is excellent qual-
ity, I'd give it 5 stars and recommend it to
anybody moderately interested in it. It may
have gotten overshadowed by the Oscars,
but it will be appreciated over time as an-
other strong showing from a living legend.

h .
alc.
*

‘i Se AWE tt

>

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favorite pieces from their collection.

Title: Piazza San Marco Artist: Canaletto Year: 1720
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR: TROY FARKAS:
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

| FIELD HOCKEY

German Duo Setting NCAA RECOrts

By CONOR O’BRIEN

Current NCAA leader in career points and goals,

a three-time NFHCA All-American, and the 2014
NFHCA National Player of the Y ear.

A two-time NFHCA All-American and the record for
the most career shutouts and wins in program history

These accolades seem to be background noise
to Paula Heuser and Maxi Primus, two of the most
decorated athletes in the history of the University
at Albany’s field hockey team. In a joint sit-down
interview, the two women reflected on their careers at
UAlbany as well as what their futures hold in store.

Heuser and Primus, native Germans who are now
best friends after adapting to college life in the United
States, rarely mentioned the accomplishments of their
illustrious careers. When asked if they’ re still involved
with the team, Heuser said: “We are still involved
with the team and we go to all the practices we can
make. But maybe we will miss out on the occasional
lift though,” Heuser said with a smile. They both
turned to each other to share a good laugh, something
they always found time for despite drawing so much
attention and pressure the past four years. Primus then
added, “For international students, you don’t just get
to go home during the breaks, you end up staying with
your teammates and spend the holidays with them.
They end up becoming your family.” It’s no wonder
the two Germans still spend time around the team
despite the fact they’1l never suit up in the purple and
gold again. They aren't leaving a group of teammates
or friends at the end of the semester--they are leaving a
family.

Despite the individual accomplishments, Heuser and
Primus don’t define their success by them. The two
spent four years playing unselfishly, trying to propel
their team to victories rather than post record numbers.
“| definitely feel like a high point was getting to the
semifinals in the NCAA Tournament my sophomore
year. Also, repeating back-to-back appearances at the
NCAA Tournament.” Primus smiled again, and the two
appeared— for a moment-— to flashback to their past
triumphs.

The conversation developed as both Primus and
Heuser shared their goals for the future. Primus hopes
to return to Germany for graduate school but is yet to
decide on a school. As a psychology major, she has a
variety of options to choose from. While Heuser also
intends to move back to Germany, she hopes to find
an internship that complements her business major.
She also plans to enroll in graduate school. More so
than Primus, Heuser has a desire to further her athletic
career in Germany, where she will look to join a
local club team (there aren’t any professional teams
for women’s field hockey). It will be no simple task
as club field hockey in Germany will present stiffer
competition than what she faced as a Great Dane. As
for Primus, it’s not to say she won’ t ever get back in
the cage again, but is prioritizing her career first. She
said that if the opportunity presents itself to play more,
she will definitely take it.

But just because these two will never play for
UA lbany again, it doesn’t mean the field hockey
team isn’t set up well for the future. Head coach Phil
Sykes has deep connections overseas, which is how
he recruited Heuser and Primus in the first place.

And since UAlbany has been a national powerhouse
over the past few seasons, recruiting will certainly
not be as difficult as it once was. Heuser and Primus
are confident in the future of UAlbany field hockey,
and Primus even offered some words of advice for
future Great Danes. “Y ou have to control the energy,
be willing to work hard, and most of all, have fun,”
Primus said. She also emphasized the importance of not
allowing the stress that comes with being a Division I
athlete to carry over to the practice field or the weight
room sessions.

Although Heuser and Primus are optimistic about
their futures, it’s apparent it will be a challenge to leave
the place that welcomed them with open arms four
years ago. “No one really likes to make a big change,
itis definitely going to be hard.” Heuser said. They
clearly are excited about returning to Germany; it’s
their real home. It’s where they grew up. It’s where
their family is. But leaving the UAlbany community is
going to be, without a doubt, a bittersweet experience.

Source: ualbanyphotos.com

Top: Paula Heuser
Bottom: Maxi Primus

The Editar’ s Take:
By: Troy Farkas

Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to sit down with keynote speaker Michael Sam before he spoke
to UAlbany students in the Campus Center Ballroom. Along with another student reporter and student
photographers, we interviewed him and asked why he is now speaking at schools across the country, the
message he hopes to share, and some of the lessons he learned from his football career.

For those of you who didn’t see him speak or aren’ t familiar with his story, Michael Sam was se-
lected in the 2014 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He was the first openly gay man to get drafted.

He failed to make the roster at the end of the preseason and he continued to bounce around a bit, but he
never stuck anywhere. He officially hung up his cleats last year and he is now going around the country
speaking about his story, hoping to inspire young individuals that may be going through the self-identifi-
cation issues he experienced when he was in our shoes.

I could write an article about the event or share some of the quotes he gave me, but I feel that
wouldn't be right. It’s clear he dislikes the media after the way it portrayed him. He didn’t let the local
media talk to him before he spoke and then he shooed them away before his speech became personal. I
was really glad he decided to speak with some of the student reporters. A fter seeing how nice, genuine
and positive Sam is, I’ve decided not to write a story about the hardships he’s faced on and off the field.
I don’t want to throw any fuel to the fire and be a member of the media that made his story a distraction
during his playing days. Instead, I want to spread his message.

For all the times I’m not proud of attending the University at Albany, I was really proud on Tues-
day night. Student after student--gay, straight, black, white, it didn’t matter--went to the microphone and
shared a story, about family issues, self-identification issues, and other forms of adversity they’ ve faced.
These students weren't afraid to be themselves, just like Sam wasn’t. As a white male in these divisive
and discriminatory times we're living in, I was really proud to see students step up and show they’ re not
afraid to be comfortable in their own skin. Everyone in that room came together Tuesday night. And
that’s exactly what Michael Sam wants us to do. He wants us to coexist peacefully despite our differ-
ences in how we see the world. We need to put the hate aside, because life is short and you never know
when your last words to somebody may come. He preached acceptance and encouraged people to be
themselves despite what others think. As long as you're happy and proud to be who you are, then that’s
all that truly matters. Forgive those who have wronged you and don’t hold grudges. Be the bigger person
even if that’s not what you want to do. And most importantly, Sam urged us to be considerate of oth-
ers because you never know what a person may be going through. Y ou wouldn't know if Michael Sam
were gay by looking at him. And that’s the thing, you can never know what’s going on in someone’s life.
But we can make a person's day by giving him/her a smile or just asking how his/her day is going. It’s
the little things that can make all the difference in the world, and that’s what Sam wanted the students of
UAlbany to know.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SPORTS_ASP!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

SPORTS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR: JOHN C. LONGTON Ill
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

‘mat WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

On Snow Day, Hixson Dominates In
Seventeen Point Victory Over Bearcats

By OMAR NOUJOUM

With snow blanketing the University at
Albany campus, the Great Danes’ women’s
basketball team remained hot, notching its
sixth straight victory in an 80-63 win over
Binghamton on Thursday night.

UAlbany’s senior guard Imani Tate (19.7
PPG heading into the game) struggled for
most of the night. Luckily for the Danes,
senior Bailey Hixson picked up the slack
en route to scoring a career-high 20 points.
She added nine rebounds, two steals and
two blocks on the night.

“Tt was just a good night. I knew I had
to come out and shoot well.” Hixson said.
“Overall I think we did a good job shooting
the ball and moving the ball tonight.”

The battle between Imani Tate and Bing-
hamton guard Imani Watkins, the America
East's top two scorers, wasn’t quite as
high-octane as the first matchup in early
January. Watkins finished an underwhelm-
ing 3 of 19 from the field and Tate didn’t
get in any sort of rhythm until the fourth
quarter. In their previous meeting, the two
combined for 44 points.

Before tallying 10 points of her own in
the fourth quarter, Tate found ways to get
other Danes involved, matching freshman
guard Mackenzie Trpcic with a team-high
five assists. Tate was a pest inside, grab-
bing seven rebounds, including three on the
offensive end.

“It's always great when you can finish
out a game,” Tate said. “It was a team
effort, everybody came to play.” Tate and
Hixson shared a moment in which the two
attempted to recall when the Danes last lost
agame. A Jan. 22 slip-up against Maine
marks the last time UAlbany didn’t come
out on top.

UAlbany’s balanced approach on the
offensive end was a big success, with four

Danes reaching double-digit points.
With Hixson leading the way, Bing-
hamton was unable to capitalize on
holding Tate to just two points in the
first half.

Trpcic had a sneakily productive
night herself, pitching in with 10
points and 5 assists. She accounted for
two of the nights’ best highlights. In
the third quarter, she fought through a
foul to make an acrobatic lay-up. In the
fourth, she dished out a snazzy pass to
sophomore forward Heather Forster
for another layup.

“The last time we lost, I feel like we
were all very disappointed in our-
selves. I think that we don’t want that
feeling anymore. I mean no one wants
that feeling,” said first-year head coach
Joanna Bemabei-Mcnamee.

Both teams came out of halftime
shooting the lights out from deep,
making a combined 6 of 11 3-point
attempts in the third quarter after a
lackluster 3-for-16 showing in the first
half. Hixson played the role of catalyst
from downtown, knocking down a
game-high four 3’s.

The win solidified the Danes’
second-place standing in the America
East with just four games remaining
on their regular season schedule. They
may not catch first-place New Hampshire
by season's end, but the Danes are catch-
ing fire at the perfect time.

Unlike the first matchup against Bing-
hamton-in which the Danes rallied in the
second half-UA lbany earned Thursday’s
victory with minimal worry. The Danes
never trailed.

UAlbany never could find an answer for
Binghamton’s Alyssa James, who bullied
her way into the paint all night to the tune
of a game-high 21 points. The junior cen-

ter, who leads the A merica East conference
in blocks, sent three UA lbany shots back in
the game

“Albany played very well. Give a lot of
credit to them. Their role players and their
secondary players came ready to play,” said
Binghamton head coach Linda Cimino. The
Bearcats had their modest two-game win

Max May / Albany Student Press
Imani Tate stupifies Binghamton defender in UAlbany's 17-point win on Thursday.

If it seems like the Danes never lose at
SEFCU Arena, it would be because they
don’t, at least not often. The win over
Binghamton on Thursday night moved
UAlbany to 11-1 at home in 2016-17and
36-3 since the 2012-13 season began.

Coming up next for the Danes is a road
contest against UMBC on Wednesday.

streak snapped Thursday night.

| FOOTBALL

Offseason
Grind for
Danes

By DARNELL BENT

“T personally find in season to be easier than off season,”
said Neil Morison, a senior linebacker from Marinar, Fla. for
the University at Albany football team.

The offseason is a rigorous grind for most athletes here at
UAlbany and especially for the football team, who finished
the 2016 season with a 7-4 record, which barely missed a
playoff berth. “There’s no real offseason. A fter the season
ends we get about two weeks off and then we're placed on
a workout schedule during winter break,” Morrison said.

He and the rest of the football team have to stay in shape
and prepare for the next season right away as they fine-tune
themselves and try to leam from their prior mistakes.

The team spends a lot of time in the weight room on the
second floor of the physical education building located on
the south end of campus. Led by new strength and condition-
ing coach Tony Tullock, the team grinds out early-moming
workouts several days a week. Tullock is in charge of train-
ing five of the school’s 18 athletic programs and he believes
UAlbany has a good system in keeping their players on task
during a time where there are no games to play.

“We have a pretty good team here,” Tullock said. “The
more people we have, the more organized we are, and that is
evident in the way that we run our department.” Tullock re-
cently became the football team’s strength and conditioning
coach after replacing Conor Hughes, who left UA Ibany in the
first week of February fora position at Army.

Tullock has a tough duty with only having about eight
hours a week per athlete to work with per NCAA regulations.
During the offseason the NCAA has ruled that athletes can
participate only eight hours a week on anything athletics-
related with their teams. This is so they can focus more on
their schoolwork to comply with being a student first and an
athlete second. Tullock and his staff make the best with what
they have and are very efficient in the way they train their
players.

“Tn the offseason we start training with our athletes early
in the moming,” Tullock said. “A typical day normally starts
with warm-ups for about 10 minutes, and then stretching
and core work, which then brings us into the actual strength
workouts in the weight room.”

“What most people don’t understand is that as an athlete
the work never stops. We have to balance going to class
and then being in practice during your free times in between
classes so we' re pretty much working all year round,” Mor-
rison said.

Morrison and his teammates believe that the offseason can
be just as if not more intense than the actual season itself.

There’ s no doubt that whatever the Danes did last offsea-
son worked. Since the move to the Colonial Athletic Associa-

| PROFILE

By ROBERT LEPELSTAT

Erin Coughlin was a four-time
America East Tournament champion
as a player for the University at Al-
bany. And as a co-captain a year ago,
she helped the Danes upset the Florida
Gators in the NCAA tournament, the
first win for the program at the Divi-
sion I level. But one year removed
from her dream-like senior season,
Coughlin craves another title.

Except for this one, she will have to
witness it from the sidelines.

Coughlin, who graduated in May
2016 with an English degree, is cur-
rently in her first season as a graduate
assistant with her former team. So far,
Coughlin is embracing every aspect
of her new role on the Great Danes’
coaching staff. “It’s a different role
being on the sidelines,” Coughlin said.
“I'm watching things more, I have to
see things and learn how to explain
them to people as opposed to being
able to do it myself. It’s definitely
a different role but I’m enjoying it.

I love being around the team and of
course the sport.”

Not only has Coughlin had to
adjust to the transition from player
to grad assistant, but also a different
system under a new coaching staff
highlighted by first-year head coach
Joanna Bernabei- McNamee (Coach
Mac), who joined the Great Danes
after three seasons as head coach at
the University of Pikeville, a private
liberal arts school in Kentucky that
competes in the National Association
of Intercollegiate A thletics (NAIA).

“Tt was a lot to lea but I feel like
you just have to take it one day ata
time. Mostly going from player to
G.A. Thad to make sure to tell our
teammates that we aren’t teammates
anymore,” Coughlin said. She added,
“We've still known each other for so
long so it’s different taking on that
role. My relationships with them, it’s
gone so smoothly we've all handled it
really well.”

“They’ re definitely different but
they both bring a lot of great things
to the table,” said Coughlin when
asked about the coaching styles of
former head coach Katie A braham-
Henderson and Coach Mac.“They
bring in the same fast-paced type of
game. They really want everyone to
score and are really trying to develop
shooters from players that may not
have shot as much in the past.

Despite the losses of Coach Abe,
who left for a head coaching gig at
the University of Central Florida,
and Shereesha Richards, UAlbany’s
all-time leading scorer now playing
professionally in Spain, some things
have stayed the same: the stellar play
of senior guard Imani Tate, one of
Coughlin’ s best friends on the team.

“Imani has always been someone

who leads by example. Imani is a win-

ner. Imani is a gamer. If I had to pick
anyone to be on my team, I would
always want Imani,” Coughlin said.

“Y ou can’t tell someone to be a leader

without having that drive and the way
she’s able to lead because you can
see every day she wants to win. She’s
going to put everything she has into
winning.”

Despite taking a step back due
to the departures of Coach Abe and
Richards, the Danes the Danes have
Coughlin believing they have what
it takes to qualify for the NCAA
Tournament for the sixth consecutive
season.

“I definitely think they can achieve
that goal. This team is so talented.
They are a wonderful group of
women. They work so hard in and out
of the gym,” Coughlin said.. “This
team knows how to win. The people
who have returned, they only know
winning. The seniors have three rings,
the juniors two, sophomores one, and
the freshman coming in- they can see
the drive. They can see what we've
built here as a program and they build
off that so I think this team can still
pull it off for sure.”

When she’s not on the basketball

Ex-Player A djusts to the Sidelines

court, Coughlin is working on earning
a master’s degree in secondary edu-
cation. She said she enjoys student-
teaching and working with students.
Regardless of what the future holds
for Coughlin, UAlbany and the sport
of basketball will always hold a spe-
cial place in her heart.

“T love the sport. I’ve been around
it my entire life and it’s brought me to
so many great places and produced so

ALBAN)

Source: albanysports.com

many great opportunities that I’m not
really ready to let it go completely,”
Coughlin said. “I have another year
left in my program so I’m hopefully
going to be around for a little bit and
we can see where it goes from there
but I hope basketball is in my future
some way or another. I don’t know

if I can just go cold turkey, that’s for
sure.”

Every year Coughlin has been a
member of the team, she’s won a
conference championship. So it’s fair
to suggest that UAlbany agrees and
hopes she can stick around a little
longer before moving on to the next
stage of her life.

tion and the hiring of head coach Greg Gattuso, UAlbany has
steadily improved each year. In the 2015 season the football
team had a 3-8 record and didn’t find much success. In 2016
they finished 7-4 and were ranked as high as 16th in the na-
tion at one point. UA lbany suffered a loss in a triple overtime

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SPORTS_ASP!

thriller to Richmond, who were ranked 6th in the nation at
the time. The football team is about six months away from
their 2017 season kicking off, but they are putting in the work
now to gain those extra yards to grind out the wins that will
hopefully lead to a playoff berth in 2017.