AS
CELEBRATING 101 YEARS
1916 -
2017
™
SPORTS:
FOOTBALL
HEATING
UP FOR
FALL
PAGE 9
OPINION:
SOTOMAYOR
EMPOWERED
ME
PAGE 5
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
SCIENCE LIBRARY STUDY
SPOT COULD BE NO MORE
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017 ISSUE 9 ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET
| SEFCU ARENA
Big Sean
By TYLER A. MCNEIL
A Science Library study hub could be
uprooted as early as summer.
Facilities Management has vetted the
building’ s second floor -- home to study
rooms, desks, tables, and periodicals -- to
house potential space for Advisement
Services and the Writing Center.
Although undecided, Facilities Man-
agement has considered opening up study
space in the current Student Association
office. University Libraries, in coordina-
tion with administration, plans to review
other potential sites.
“While the second floor space may be
converted to office space for other Uni-
versity staff, the Libraries’ goal is to make
sure that we do not have a decrease in
student seating,” said Rebecca Mugridge,
dean of University Libraries in an email.
Plans also include relocating periodicals
to the basement floor, a move intended to
modemize library services. Over the last
seven academic years, Science Library
loans have dropped 38 percent.
“This is why housing them in compact
shelving makes sense,” said Mugridge.
“They're still accessible to our students
and faculty, but not taking up as much
space.”
For months, the shift took some push
A view from the walkway connecting the Science Library and Campus Center.
Tops
ParkFest
Bill
By LINDSEY RIBACK
Big Sean will be headlining ParkFest
this spring, University at Albany’s Stu-
dent Association announced A pril 14.
Along with Big Sean, A Boogie
Wit da Hoodie and Cheat Codes, will
be taking the stage
on Sunday Apr. 30
at the Sefcu Arena.
This year tickets were
distributed online for
students, as opposed
to having them lineup
outside the Campus
BIG SEAN Center like in the past.
Beginning Monday at noon, UAlbany
students were able to begin reserving
their tickets via ualbany universitytick-
ets.com. Ticket prices were $10 for
students and $20 for guests.
Please see BIG SEAN page 2
Tyler A. McNeil / Albany Student Press
back. This semester, some library faculty
distributed an undated notice urging those
who frequent the space to contact Mu-
gridge.
They hoped that student input could
help sway plans: “Although it appears that
the plans are moving forward, there may
be some room to compromise to save some
or all of the second floor for students to
study and collaborate.”
“Tt was a collective effort, but I’d
Please see STUDY SPACE page 2
| SUNY
Free
Tuition
Scored In
Budget
Deal
By LINDSEY RIBACK
Tuition will become free for University
at Albany students whose households meet
a specific income beginning in Fall 2017,
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday.
Beginning with the next academic year,
all CUNY and SUNY students whose
families make less than $100,000 will
become eligible for free tuition. Ideas for the
plan were first announced on Jan. 3 during
Cuomo’s first state of the state address at
LaGuardia Community College in Queens.
The plan was confirmed A pril 7 as part of
the long dwelled upon state budget, which
was supposed be passed on March 31.
“Today, college is what high school
was— it should always be an option even if
you can’t afford it,” Cuomo said in a state-
ment. “The Excelsior Scholarship will make
college accessible to thousands of working
and middle class students and shows the dif-
ference that government can make.”
Currently, SUNY tuition is $6,470, and
many students must also bear additional
costs such as student fees, and room and
board. For University at Albany students,
based on the 2016-2017 academic year,
these additional costs can still amount to
$15,735. At UA lbany, an estimated 80
percent of undergraduate students receive
financial aid.
The budget agreement has made New
Y ork the first in the nation to enact a free
tuition plan, according to Cuomo.
SUNY Student Assembly President and
UAlbany alum, Marc Cohen also welcomed
the budget agreement.
“This will work to alleviate the enormous
Please see TUITION page 2
| CLASS GIFT
Monument to HonorAlums Slain in
9/11 Attacks
By MAC BULLOCK
these figures to rise, as the semester
comes to a close and commence-
ment approaches.
“We're looking forward to sup-
porting the 9/11 Memorial Project
as it progresses, and continuing to
search for more giving initiatives in
the future that our students can get
excited about,” he said.
Student A ssociation Senator Con-
ner Dunleavy, who first suggested
the memorial, is satisfied to see his
work come to fruition.
“T have been lobbying for the
creation of a permanent September
Please see MEMORIAL page 3
The University at Albany's Class
of 2017 in conjunction with the
UAlbany Fund is collecting dona-
tions for a pwwermanent memorial
on campus to honor the 19 alumni
who lost their lives in the September
11th terrorist attacks.
More than 200 students and par-
ents have donated roughly $7,500 in
support of this year’s gift, according
to Ed McGlone, who manages the
UAlbany Fund’s senior class gift
program.
McGlone said that he expects
Tyler A. McNeil / Albany Student Press
Senators Conner Dunleavy (right), Andrew Cutrone
(center), and Brandon Holdridge.
| GREEK LIFE
Campus Frat Raises A wareness
for Sickle Cell Anemia
By JONATHAN PETERS while members of the orga-
x nization gave presentations
Brothers from the Philota about the history, symptoms,
eri cs eee Alpha fratemity held a Sick- and treatment of the geneti-
said le Cell Awareness Brunch on cally transferred disease.
Friday in honor of a member According to the National
who died in 2002. Heart, Lung, and Blood
The Campus Center Pa- Institute, sickle cell disease
troon Room was filled with (SCD) describes a group
supporters of the University _ of red blood cell disorders
at Albany’s Phi Iota Alpha inherited from parents to
chapter's efforts to revivea children. People with SCD
tradition that they holddear have abnormal hemoglobin,
to them. Roughly 50 students called hemoglobin S or
and alumni attended the “sickle hemoglobin,” in their
organization's Sickle Cell red blood cells, which causes
Jonathan Peters / Albany Student Press a nemia Awareness Brunch, —_red blood cells to form an
Members of Phi Alpha lota at a sickle cell awareness brunch.
where from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00
p.m. students ate chicken
parmesan and lasagna
PRINTED BY THE TIMES UNION, ALBANY, NEW YORK — A HEARST CORPORATION NEWSPAPER
abnormal crescent moon
shape rather than a normal
Please see SICKLE page 3
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
@ SPOTLIGHT PROFILE
NEWS
EDITOR: STEFAN LEMBO-STOLBA
THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM
3
Janitor Sweeps Barriers Far From Home
By ELISE COOMBS
Almost 5,000 miles and five years sepa-
rate an Albanian cleaner for the Humanities
building from his fiancé.
Uljan Berberi or Uli, as people call him,
came alone to the United States in Novem-
ber 2012 for a better life.
But Uli is still waiting for that better life
because his fiancé, Esjola, and parents are
still in Albania.
“It's more better to come with her, but
alone is very hard here,” Uli said referring
to Esjola
In the meantime, Uli works the night
shift sweeping our golden Lindt chocolate
wrappers through the halls of the Hu-
manities building and greeting late-staying
students and faculty as they pass by.
Taking a break from his shift, Uli
reminisced about his time with Esjola in
Albania as he looked at photos of them on
his camera roll.
“I did everything with her, but now I am.
alone like five years,” Uli said.
For Uli, this isn’t the same as being
with Esjola in person. His current means
of keeping in touch with her are through
Skype, messaging, and Facebook.
They first met at the school Gjergj Pek-
mezi in Uli’s home city, Pogradec. When
Uli first tried to pursue Esjola, she turned
him down. Nonetheless, they went out for
coffee and Esjola told Uli she would have
to talk to him more.
From there, “I talked with her more, and
more, and more, and she say yes,” he said.
They became engaged, and their four-
year engagement will tum into a marriage
this summer.
In June, Uli will travel back to Albania
to marry Esjola, but in July he will return to
Albany alone.
This is because Esjola does not yet have
a green card, or permanent resident card
that would enable her to live lawfully in
the US.
Uli is in the process of obtaining the
proper paperwork for Esjola, but he noted
that becoming a citizen would make the
process easier.
Since this November will mark five
years that Uli has been in the U.S., he
will be able to apply and test for citizen-
ship. As a potential citizen or in his cur-
rent status as a permanent resident, Uli
is dealing with an immigration form—
Form I-130— that would establish his
marital relation to Esjola. It would
allow her to obtain a green card, but she
would have to wait for an available visa
number before receiving it.
In addition to bringing Esjola to
Albany, Uli hopes to bring his parents
over.
“I going to take care of my family for
coming here,” Uli said.
Back in Albania, his parents work
making wedding cakes. However, Uli
came to Albany because there are “no
jobs in Pogradec. It’s like for retired
people.”
Uli ties Pogradec to Albany by com-
paring the beauty of Pogradec’s Lake
Ohrid to the nearby Lake George.
Another thing Uli finds beautiful is
the sunset. Looking out a third-floor
Humanities window, Uli glimpsed the
sunset and said, “I love it. It’s beauti-
ful.”
Turning back to his work, Uli said
that his day consists of “work home,
work home, home work.”
As Ulialso works to become a
citizen and bring his family to Albany,
it comes down to passing the naturaliza-
tion test.
The test consists of an English test
and a civics test, which Uli has been
studying for with an app on his phone.
Pulling up the app, Uli tested himself
on civics questions such as how long
people in the House of Representatives
serve. With each question, the screen
flashed green— he got every question right.
Uli said, “Every day I try, try, try. For
November I try, try, try.”
However, a person spoke the questions
in the app. For his November test, Uli said
if “somebody not, it’s very hard for me.”
In other words, Uli hasn’t leamed how
to read and write English, though he works
within the Humanities building.
Elise Coombs / Albany Student Press
Uli Berberi mopping up the third floor of the Humanities Building .
In the almost five years Uli has been
here, he learned to speak English solely by
listening to other people like students and
faculty.
A challenge for Uli will be the reading
and writing portion of the naturalization
test. They require that people read and
write one of three sentences correctly.
If Uli can’t read and write by then, he
could fail the test and be denied citizenship.
The University at Albany offers an
Intensive English Language Program for
non-native speakers, but the course costs
$6,500 and it is not free for UAlbany’s
maintenance employees like Uli.
In terms of his residency in the U.S., Uli
said, “For everything better coming here,
I love it here,” but that his family is still
waiting for him to become a citizen and
bring them here.
SICKLE CELL
Continued from Page 1
abnormal crescent moon shape rather
than a normal circular shape.
The highlight of the aftemoon was
their guest speaker, Hamid Beltre, a 2003
graduate of the university and member of
the fraternity from Washington Heights in
New Y ork City whose brother Luis Beltre
died from complications of the disease in
2002.
“Tt was a very troubling time for me
when that happened,” said Beltre about
receiving the phone call when his brother
had passed. “He was my role model. Ev-
erything I did I modeled myself after him.
So much so I even pledged the frat.”
Beltre pledged in the fraternity on A pril
21, 2001 and celebrated his 16th anniversa-
ry with the fraternity being a guest speaker
in honor of his brother.
After Luis’ death, the brothers of Phi
Tota Alpha at both Union College and UAI-
bany banded together to make Sickle Cell
Anemia their philanthropy. This included
holding an annual banquet where they col-
lected funds to donate towards research of
the disease and treatment for patients.
Many of the brothers are proud to see
where the new members stand in their
attempt to bring back a tradition with sig-
nificant meaning to the organization.
“My ultimate goal was to leave this
campus with individuals whom I can trust
will lead the chapter and will make sure to
uphold the ideas that we want to uphold;
one of many of them being to make sure
to continue on our Sickle Cell awareness
tradition,” Abreu said.
Beltre is hopeful that the brunch did a
good job at spreading awareness of sickle
cell and will allow more people to help oth-
ers. He also seeks to empower those living
with the disease to never give up.
“Don’t let it get in the way of anything
you can do,” Beltre said. “Look at it as
secondary and just keep pushing forward...
Don’t look at this as a disability ora sick-
ness, but look at it as something that makes
you stronger.”
Jonathan Peters / Albany Student Press
Students, mostly from Phi lota Alpha, gather in the Patroon Room for a Sickle Cell
awareness brunch.
| DIPPIKILL
‘No Immediate Plans’ for
Potential $73k Purchase
By TYLER A. MCNEIL
What would happen to
roughly 140 acres of land if
added to Camp Dippikill?
New trails and lodges could
cover some of the property in
the future. But as of yet, there
are “no immediate plans,”
Casey Crandall, Dippikill
Board chair said.
Crandall expects staff to take
a “break” from development
as the five-year construction of
Julie’s Lodge edges closer to
completion. Like the Lodge, he
said the new land would take
years to develop.
As of now, the purchase
remains up in the air as price
negotiations continue between
board of finance officials and
sellers, Crandall expects a deci-
sion before semester's end.
Forty thousand dollars were
fit into the SA intemal budget
fora potential purchase. Should
the purchase go through, the
BOF expects to pay a final in-
stallment of $33,000 next year.
The BOF decision to include
property funds in the Dippikill
development line met little re-
sistance on the SA senate floor.
Critics argued that the money
should go to student groups
or lowering the price of cabin
rentals instead.
“There's this small little land
piece that they can build on
-- that’s fantastic,” said Dillon
Asmus, senator, who voted to
cut out $40,000 from Dippikill
funding. “They don’t have any
plans or ideas on how to build
on it.”
Four acres are considered
adequate for cabin develop-
ment. Remaining space has
been long sought to bridge the
divide between Lyon’s Den
Lodge and Dippikill Rd.. Lack-
ing roadway accessibility, said
Dale Henderson, director of
Dippikill Outreach and Sustain-
ability, has been a factor in the
site’s low occupancy rate
Beyond occupancy concems,
Dippikill officials maintain that
the purchase would potential
buyers from threatening its
sustainability mission.
With sellers unlikely to ex-
tend an offer, the BOF jumped
to snag the land, following ad-
vice from the Dippikill board.
“Tn the midst of these
negotiations we discovered
quite quickly that it was either
now or never,” said Michael
Spellane, BOF chair. “The sell-
ers -- they wanted the property
gone.”
Talks over buying the
land has been up in the air over
the last three years. Before,
discussion between the land’ s
previous owners, Sophia and
Craig Lyons and SA had been
ongoing for over a decade.
HAVE A NEWS TIP? EMAIL US AT THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM
MEMORIAL
Continued from Page 1
11th memorial on our campus since
Fall 2014,” Dunleavy said. “This year
T again picked up efforts to create the
memorial, and reached out to the UAI-
bany Fund to work on the creation of the
senior gift idea.”
Dunleavy was first inspired to build
the monument upon reading a list of the
19 UAlbany alumni killed on 9/11, and
realizing there was nothing on campus to
commemorate their loss.
“I hope that we can reach out to their
families and bring them into this process
- to remind every Great Dane that they
will never be forgotten,” Dunleavy said.
The memorial was one of three class
gift options presented by the Student Phi-
lanthropy Council to graduating seniors.
The other options included donating the
funds raised to the on-campus Cancer
Research Center, or to the Living Leam-
ing Communities program in residence
NEWS EDITOR: LINDSEY RIBACK
THEASPNEWS@GMAIL.COM
2
| | SEXUAL ASSAULT
NEWS
Bystander Program Y et
To Meet Training Goals
By KASSONDRA GONZALEZ
The University at Albany’s Empowered
Bystander Training Program has yet to
reach the intended goal of training a quarter
of the student population by the end of the
academic year, according to a university
official.
Carol Stenger, director of the university’ s
Advocacy Center for Sexual Violence,
stated that as of the end of the fall semester,
61 separate training programs were offered
and the tumout was close to 2,500 people
in total, but as of now they have not yet met
their goal to train one-fourth of UAlbany
students in bystander intervention.
“I know we will likely not meet the goal
since it is more difficult to get people to
attend in the spring semester, so we’ re hav-
ing some issues with that,” she said. “If we
don’t meet the goal, we will look at ways to
meet it for next year.”
Title IX Coordinator Chantelle Cleary
said they are, “very close,” to the goal.
The Empowered Bystander Training pro-
gram, run by Stenger and Cleary through
the university’s Sexual Violence Prevention
Project, is a series of 90-minute training
sessions where facilitators teach students
how to recognize sexual violence and safely
intervene in sexually violent situations.
Despite not meeting their first year goal,
Stenger said the program will continue to
run on a regular basis due to the difference
it makes in terms of reducing the number of
sexual violence cases.
“One of the only means or methods that
has been proven or shown to make changes
in a campus culture, or rape culture if you
will, has been training bystanders,” she
said.
Cleary said she has also seen a difference
since the start of the program.
“We've noticed an increase in students
engaging as positive bystanders,” she
said. “Part of my job is to track all known
instances of sexual violence on the campus.
As I receive these reports, I’m noticing that
our students are intervening more frequent-
ly than I have noticed in the past couple of
years.”
According to the UAlbany website, the
training sessions are sponsored by the uni-
versity’s Just Ask Campaign, a campaign,
“designed to raise awareness about sexual
violence... as well as facilitate a campus-
wide conversation about this critical issue
affecting college campuses nationwide.”
The training is voluntary with the excep-
tion of all student athletes, fraternity and
sorority members, and other student leaders
who are required to be trained under the
Enough is Enough Law, a legislation signed
into law in July 2015 to combat sexual as-
sault on SUNY campuses.
Changes made to the training program
for Spring 2017 conceming the training
exercises and time management were small
and not significant, according to Stenger
However, the program allows attendees
to provide feedback for improvement and
the fall semester evaluations that were sent
out received a good response rate, she said.
“We're about to do that for the spring
semester for attendees, so we’ re getting
good feedback,” she said. “Once we get that
feedback, we will sit down and ask what we
think is going well, what the attendees think
is going well, what the criticisms are, how
can we make it better.”
The program will be offered four more
times this semester between A pril 13 and
May 5.
STUDY SPACE
Continued from Page 1
really rather not talk about it because I
think it really doesn’t serve any purpose
at this point. Because this thing is going to
happen no matter what.”
Jose Reyes, a communications junior,
leamed about potential changes after a
friend shared the notice with him a month
back. Reyes claims to use the study space
five days a week.
“I feel like it’s quieter here,” said Reyes,
describing differences between Science
Library and University Library collabora-
tive spaces.
Concemed about the change, some
pledges for Theta Tau, a professional
engineering fraternity, emailed University
Libraries. Pledges regularly use the Science
Library to fulfill mandated library hours.
“It's not like we can do physics home-
work in the main library and actually con-
centrate,” said Sarah Adams, a sophomore
Theta Tau pledge. “I’m so mad about this
issue. I hate talking about it.”
Facilities Management originally con-
sidered repurposing the third-floor of the
University Library to make space.
According to John Giarrusso, associate
vice president of finance & administration,
University Library stacks are less mobile,
one key reason for swaying towards the sec-
ond floor of the Science Library for space.
Another consideration: Renovation of the
second floor of the Science Library would
also include fewer logistical constraints
weighing down other pending projects.
Meanwhile, Advisement Services has
spotted the space to meet rising operational
demands. Either way, the office is expected
to move out with Lecture Center renovation
in the distance.
The Writing Center has sought a second
location in the Science Library to serve
non-traditional students during the current
office's after hours.
“T think the more time that there is avail-
able, the more useful the resources become
because it meets more of the total student
population of people who can access us
during their own schedules,” said Steve
Madore, assistant director of the Writing
Center.
Tyler A. McNeil / Albany Student Press
Students use group study space on the second floor of the Science Library late last
week.
BIG SEAN
Continued from Page 1
Performers for this year were selected.
based off of data from a MyInvolvement
survey that students were encouraged to
fill out. The survey was we created with
the University’s Department of Student
Learning & Assessment, according to Joey
Fambrini, the director of Programming for
SA.
The decision to have students vote on a
genre rather than last year’s method of giv-
ing students the option to choose between
performers, was that this led to many stu-
dents predicting who the headliner would
be before the lineup was announced.
“This is a problem because it kills
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
the anticipation of the lineup reveal and
because deals can fall through with artists
that we are negotiating with if prior to us
fully executing a contract, it becomes pub-
lic knowledge that we are in the process of
booking them,” Fambrini said.
For the future, SA plans to release a
more extensive survey allowing them to
select artists that can best accommodate
the interests of the student body, while still
being able to guarantee the most anticipa-
tion as possible for students.
This year’s budget for ParkFest was
$280,000, and in the future SA hopes they
will be able to bring back FallFest.
“We are always trying to provide as
many events as possible for students and
we're currently in the process of exploring
all options that next year’s budget allows,”
Fambrini said.
TUITION
Continued from Page 1
burden of college tuition on hundreds of
thousands of middle class families in our
state and we’ re thrilled for that,” Cohen said
ina statement. “... This year was nothing
short of a resounding and historic victory
for students in the State University of New
York.”
This is just the first phase of Cuomo’s Ex-
celsior Scholarship. When he introduced the
plan in January, the second stage included an
expansion of the program in the fall of 2018
to include families who make $110,000
annually, before reaching $125,000 at the
beginning of the fall 2019 semester.
“There is no child who will go to sleep
tonight and say, I have great dreams, but
I don’t believe I'll be able to get a college
education because parents can’t afford it,”
Cuomo said. “With this program, every child
will have the opportunity that education
provides.”
The Excelsior Scholarship has been made
possible through the approval of $7.5 billion
in the state budget for higher education, a
$448 million, 6.3 percent, increase over last
year, according to Cuomo’s office.
Besides for the victory of free tuition,
Cohen promised students that SUNY SA.
will continue to develop “a comprehensive
platform and a powerful grassroots cam-
paign to make sure that public higher educa-
tion is accessible and affordable to anyone
who wishes to leam regardless of their race,
sexual orientation, or their socio-economic
status.”
The main caveat to the plan, however, is
that students must continue to live and work
in New Y ork for up to four years after they
graduate, otherwise they may be required to
pay back the cost of tuition.
Additionally, the free tuition plan only
applies to New Y ork residents who are
enrolled in at least 12 credits per term and.
who complete at least 30 credits an academic
year. In order for students to qualify as state
residents, they must have resided in New
Y ork for at least 12 continuous months prior
to when they apply for free tuition.
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KICK SOME ASP
Want to keep transparency alive at UAlbany?
Join the Albany Student Press
Seeking fall 2017 reporters to cover SA, graduate student affairs,
administration, facilties/renovation, dining, Residential Life, greek life,
and crime.
Email us at production.asp@ gmail.com
| CRIME BLOTTER
DRIVING WHILE IN- driving while intoxicated = DRUG COMPLAINT Dutch Quad- Van Rens- CRIMINAL NUISANCE of marijuana, marijuana
TOXICATED and with a suspended 4/16/2017 selaer Hall 4/18/2017 DRUG COMPLAINT paraphernalia and alco-
4/14/2017 registration. An arrest Empire Commons- A Report of a female stu. Empire Commons D 4/19/2017 hol. A referral was made.
Liberty Lane was made and vehicle Cluster dent being assaulted. Cluster Dutch Quad- Bleeker Hall
Report of a male subject was towed. Report of people smok- Report of feces in hall Report of odor of mari: STALKING
driving while intoxicated. ing marijuana in public. CRIMINAL POSSES- way of a dorm. huana. 4/20/2017
An arrest was made. UNLAWFUL POSSES- Nothing found. SION OF MARIJUANA UPD
SION OF MARIJUANA 4/17/2017 FIRE ALARM GRAND LARCENY Report of a male stu-
DRUG COMPLAINT 4/16/2017 CRIMINAL NUISANCE _State Quad- Whitman 4/18/2017 4/19/2017 dent being stalked.
4/14/2017 Freedom QuadNorthrup 4/17/2017 Hall Alumni Quad- Waterbury Colonial Quad Cafeteria
Alumni Quad- Alden Hall Hall State Quad- Anthony Hall Report of two female Hall Report of a stolen SUNY CRISIS INTERVENTION
Report of odor of mari- Report of two male stu» Welfare check on a students and a male Caused by burnt pop- Card. 4/20/2017
juana. Nothing found. dents and one female male student. Student _ student in possession corn. Downtown Campus Haw-
student in possession found safe however be- _of marijuana, marijuana UNLAWFUL POSSES- ley Library
DRIVING WHILE IN- of marijuana, marijuana —_ing referred for odor of _~—_ paraphernalia and a PETIT LARCENY SION OF MARIJUANA —_—Report of a male subject
TOXICATED paraphernalia and a sto- marijuana in room. forged ID. Referrals were 4/19/2017 4/20/2017 having ingested a bottle
4/15/2017 len sign. Referrals were made for all and one State Quad- Melville Hall Colonial Quad Grounds —_of medication.
Western Avenue made for all.
Report of a male subject
RAPE
4/17/2017
arrest was made.
Report of wireless ac-
cess points stolen.
Report of a female
student in possession
EDITOR: ILENE ROTHMAN
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM
4
ol SPEAKER SERIES
OPINION
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS.
From Book to Life: Justice Sotomayor Brings Life
Experiences to Students, Engages Audience
By JHOANNA HARO
Imagine being diagnosed with Type 1
Diabetes, but worse, being told you'll die
young because of it? In the 1960's, this was
the case for 7 year-old Sonia Sotomayor.
It was my Los Latinos en Estados Uni-
dos (Latinos in the United States) class,
where Professor Carmen Serrano pulled out
a box full of new books; introducing us to
the memoir of U.S. Supreme Court Justice,
Sonia Sotomayor, “My Beloved World.”
Another book I thought, but at least it was
free.
After reading the book, I understand who
Sotomayor is and where she came from.
A Bronx native who, although she came
from a poor neighborhood where drugs
and crime was common, became the first
Hispanic and third woman appointed to
the U.S. Supreme Court Justice. I decided
to attend the Speaker Series on April 4th ,
2017 as she was the guest speaker.
She walked in the arena surrounded by
tall and muscular guards while the audi-
ence stood up clapping and whistling out
of emotion. The language from her memoir
was capturing but I was more excited to
hear it from Justice Sotomayor herself.
A short dark curly hair and fair skinned
woman with glasses, wearing a knee high
black coat and white pants stood up from
her seat on stage and decided to walk
around the arena. Referring to the audience
in a comical matter, she asked people not to
get up because her security guards would
feel as if she was threatened and would
have to bring her back on stage— which
she did not want.
Justice Sotomayor stuck out her hand
and shook hands with the audience. Every-
one became ecstatic; what other Supreme
Court Justice has done that? I felt humbled.
She showed she truly cares about the
people she serves.
Surprisingly, she revealed instances
where she too faced discrimination for be-
ing a woman, saying this is a male domi-
nated world and that it’s going to take time
for things to change.
“Most of the workforce is still male
dominated and even when women reach
high positions, we don’t know how they
would do or what they would do.” Y et,
there is no magic formula for how you deal
with discrimination, Sotomayor said.
“Every situation requires a different
response, because you have to look at
people’s motives and look at why they’ re
doing things. But what you do have to do is
think about what response is appropriate,”
she advised the audience.
Many may not understand why this was
important. Not only for me, but for every
source: ualbanyphotos.com
Justice Sotomayor stood up to walk around the SEFCU arena to shake hands with audience
members.
Latino/a that attends UA Ibany as well as
for women aspiring a dream whether it be
Jaw or any other career.
The simple fact is we are minorities and
Sotomayor is an example of the accom-
plishments we can achieve. As a matter
of fact, Latinos are a fast growing demo-
graphic and studies show there are women
outnumbering men in college.
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UNITY
By BRAD HERSHENSON
The Excelsior Scholarship has historic
potential to provide students across the state
with a quality public education. More stu-
dents will gain access to an education at the
University at Albany, among other SUNY
and CUNY schools, tuition free. However,
in order to fully grasp the implications of this
program, a series of points must be consid-
ered.
Under current law, students are expected
to fit into a set of financial and academic
conditions to qualify for free tuition. The
guidelines require students to come from a
family with an income of $100,000 or less,
soon to increase to $125,000. Students must
complete their degree by taking 30 credits
per year - a feat that may not he ideal for all
SUNY students, including those with work
responsibilities.
Additionally, students must reside within
the state for the same duration in which they
receive the tuition scholarship. The applica-
tion will require students to sign a promissory
note with a residency requirement for New
Y ork, which could limit the types of oppor-
tunities that are made available to students if
employment or other opportunities lie outside
of the state. If a student fails to meet the
conditions of the scholarship then the funds
awarded will tum into a loan. The program.
does, however, allow a student to diverge
from the academic conditions presented
under certain circumstances. Any student
facing hardship is able to pause or restart the
program, or take fewer credits one semester.
Graduating on time is a praiseworthy ac-
complishment.
source: ualbanyphotos.com
UA\lbany reported that approximately 56
percent of matriculated full-time freshmen
from the fall 2011 entering class received
a baccalaureate degree within four years of
study.
If the Excelsior Scholarship helps more
students graduate on a timely basis then that
is a positive development. However, is this
policy adequate for our students? There are
currently many programs that provide tuition
assistance for SUNY students. Those must be
exhausted before the excelsior scholarship is
allowed. If a significant amount of students
may not be able to conform to these specific
guidelines, a different policy may be needed
to aid the growing costs of higher education.
Govemment assistance in the form of
room and board, books and supplies, and
student fees may provide a more adequate
solution to the growing costs associated
with higher education at institutions such as
UAlbany.
Housing fees are one of the costs that have
consistently increased in recent years at the
university.
Additionally the university has expanded
its academic outreach and opportunities as
well as increased retention rates of students,
thus impacting student housing on campus as
well as in the Albany area.
The university continues to offer expansive
opportunities as a major research institution.
For many students the scholarship program
puts the world within reach. While aiding
some students of New Y ork itis a first step
towards a more accessible and well-rounded
access program for students to benefit from a
high quality higher education.
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
Troy Farkas
Bll toi ante Stefan Lembo-Stolba Sports Editor
Editor-in-Chief sports.asp@gmail.com
= “\ theasp.eic@gmail.com
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= 4 Patrick Day Tine lifestyle.asp@gmail.com
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Eli Enis
production.asp@gmail.com EM EMIS.
BB artsent.asp@gmail.com
Lindsey Riback Daniel Pinzon and Ilene
ALBANY News Editor Rothman
STUDENT PRESS
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opinions.asp@gmail.com
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ARTSENT.ASP@GMAIL.COM ARTS & ENTERTAI N M ENT ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
TATE EEE
SUMMER FILM GUIDE
Christopher Nolan's first war film, Dunkirk, is shaping up to be the premiere Oscar bait of the Summer. Source: tvovermind.com
By ANDREW GALLA again, this film is unlikely to disappoint —_ to see though; I loved those books as a Age of Ultron.
many. child.
Summer is a time when A merican film Dunkirk: July 21
studios are able to flex their monetary Wonder Women: J une 2 The Beguiled: J une 30 Director: Christopher Nolan
muscles and chum out some big-budget Director: Patty Jenkins Director: Sofia Coppola Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, and Cillian
productions. We’ re all familiar with the _ Murphy star in Chris Nolan’s first war
summertime blockbuster, and with the
end of the year quickly approaching,
let's take a look at the biggest movies to
watch for this summer.
film, specifically on the miracle in
Dunkirk during world war two. Nolan
has described the film as very close
to his heart as a survival story that is
somewhat British legend, “one of the
greatest stories in human history” as
he puts it. He has described the film
as a “highly visceral experience” with
very little dialogue. It is more about
placing the audience “in the story”
and experiencing the tension of the
situation. “This is a story that needs
Source: cinefish.bg to carry you through and make you
feel you are there.” The low-dialogue/
Wamer Bros long awaited final Justice Oscar winner Sofia Coppola writes and _high-tension atmosphere of the film
League setup film. With many fans still directs a talented cast featuring Nicole sounds perfect to fit Chris Nolan’s
Guardians of the Galaxy: May 4
Director: James Gunn
Source: cinema.everyeye..it
waiting for Warmer bros to match the Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, strengths as a writer. The film will
success of the Marvel film universe, this and Colin Farrell. The story is about a be screened selectively to watch in
film offers a possibly more charming school of southern girls during the civil 70mm imax film, arguably the highest
experience than that of the grueling war taking a wounded Union soldier quality of film available, and will use
Soursahn lorielats ueLGari'be Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, __ into their care. His presence creates real naval destroyers instead of CGI. It
_ — and at the very least should still feature sexual tension and rivalry among the may be the biggest and best film of the
The gang is back for another adventure. some high-production eye candy. Still, girls as they turn on each other and summer.
The second installment of Guardians it’s hard to get high hopes for this film, eventually on him. A remake of a 1971
will have high expectations after the especially with unproven director Patty _ film starring Mel Gibson, it seems to The Dark Tower: August 4
success of the first, and fans are not Jenkins at the helm. She’s a TV director have potential as a tense period piece. Director: Nicolaj Arcel
very worried, as the film isasimple but best known for doing two episodes of
flawless formula of action and fun; the both The Killing and Entourage and Spiderman: Homecoming: J uly 7
two things marvel does best. one episode of Arrested Development. Director: Jon Watts
This film could make or break both her
Alien: Covenant: May 19 career and the Justice League Universe
Director: Ridley Scott itself.
Captain Underpants: J une 2
Director: David Soren
Source: sinemia.com
~ Based on the Stephen King series
Source: bento.de Starring Idris Elba, Matthew
McConaughey, Abby Lee, and Jackie
The newest Spiderman installment is Earle Haley, the film will likely be hit-
Source: matinecinetv.com.br hoped by many to be the most true to or-miss. It sounds very interesting but
the comic, at least in terms of Tom it also sounds like the type of film you
Technically this gang is also back. Sy = Holland’s portrayal of the iconic aread a review for before you go and
Somewhat a part of the Alien film Source: animationsfilme.ch | Character. Michael Keaton also stands see it, because it may just be another
world, this is another picture that will to be a strong villain. The film will passable Stephen King adaption.
have big expectations as a sequel to a The childhood favorite boasts a strong have to live up to the success of the
mostly successful Prometheus. Though __ cast of comedians with Nick Kroll, other Marvel films, and will be trying
they have lost Charlize Theron, the Jordan Peele, Ed Helms, Kevin Hart, to be even more successful then the Honorable Mentions:
film still boasts an impressive cast Kristen Shaal, and Thomas Middleditch Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire Baby Driver (Edgar Wright, June 28)
with Michael Fassbender, Katherine from Silicon Valley. The film will versions that are still fresh in ourminds. War For the Planet of the Apes (Matt
Waterston James Franco, Naoomi doubtlessly offer some cheap laughs The trailer promises action and classic Reeves, July14)
Rapace, Billy Crudup, Guy Pearce, but will likely only be remembered as marvel goofiness but Marvel films Transformers the Last Knight
and Danny McBride. With legendary a film for children and those who are always have alow ceiling. Wecan only (Michael Bay, June 23)
director Ridley Scott at the helm once desperate for nostalgia. It is tempting hope it is not a dud like Avengers 2: Tulip Fever (Justin Chadwick, August 25)
TEE
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| PLAYER PROFILE
SPORTS
Star Lacrosse
Player Shares
Rituals and Likes
By ALLEN ENRIQUEZ
University at Albany men’s lacrosse
player Connor Fields has been making
aname for himself since his freshman
season. Fields, a junior attackman,
draws comparisons to UAlbany alum
Lyle Thompson because of his knack
for scoring and finding open teammates
around the goal. With the 2017 lacrosse
season almost at its end, the ASP’s
Allen Enriquez caught up with the two-
time America East all-conference player
to find out more about him on and off of
the field.
How old were you when you first
started playing lacrosse and how did
you get started?
I was six years old when I started
playing lacrosse. I looked up to my
brother growing up, so whatever he
did I wanted to do, and he decided to
play lacrosse. In Canada, they play box
lacrosse so | just watched him practice
and I got signed up a couple weeks
later.
What were your goals going into
the season both individually and asa
team?
Individually, I just wanted to play
to the best of my abilities. As a team,
I think our first goal is to definitely
get the regular season conference title.
Then we want to get to the America
East in the postseason and we want to
win that. Then, we go on from there and
hopefully win a national championship.
You've been named to the America
East all-conference first team for the
past two seasons. What do those types
of awards mean to you?
It’s definitely a team thing--
obviously I can’t do anything out there
without my team. My teammates are
always looking for me and always
helping me out and it’s fun to play with
them. To get named to that is cool, but
it’s definitely a team award.
It’s game day. What’s playing in
Connor Fields’ pregame playlist?
I play all different kind of things.
I'll go from Lil Uzi Vert, maybe some
Chief Keef, Migos--something that'll
get me going.
Any pre-game rituals you like to do
with the team or individually?
Every night before game day, me and
a couple of the other guys will go to
eat and then go to either Kurver Kreme
or Cold Stone and get some ice cream.
Game day, I do the same routine. I get
there, tape my stick before every game,
come out to the field before everyone
else, stretch before everyone else, sit on
the field and visualize how the game is
going to be and then go from there.
You said you looked up to your
older brother when you were
younger. Would you consider him as
iS yr ) il / i
This summer catch up with |
* your friends and your future...
at Columbia-Greene.
a role model both on and off the field?
Definitely. I always looked up to
him and | always looked up to Lyle
[Thompson] too growing up and seeing
him play at Albany and seeing all the
things that he was doing.
Do you have a second favorite
sport? If so, who is your favorite team
and player?
I like hockey. I played hockey
growing up too. The Montreal
Canadiens are my favorite team and
Kemny Price is my favorite hockey
player.
Any thoughts on the Barstool
Sports article about your team
pictures?
We all get a laugh out of it and we
all get a joke out of it. I was thinking
about doing it this year and growing a
mustache. But I can’t really grow one
that well, so I was out of the picture.
Tell us one thing about yourself
that not a lot of people know.
I really like to play chess.
Bill Ziskin/UAlbany Athletics
Connor Fields looks for a path to the net.
Favorite place to eat in Albany?
Chipotle. I’m there every day.
What's one dream vacation spot
that you'd like to go to?
Hawaii, that sounds amazing. The
tropical weather will get me out of this
cold.
If you had a superpower, what
would it be and why?
I want to be able to fly so I could
get to the places I need to be instead of
walking.
What advice would you give toa
young lacrosse player?
Keep a stick in your hand and keep
playing. Get as many touches as you can
and get playing as much as you can.
UA |bany fans can catch Fields and
the rest of his team in action for the
America East Tournament, which will
take place at John Fallon Field. The
semifinals are slated for Thursday, May
4 and the championship will take place
on Saturday, May 6.
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May 11 + Starts July 10
Also, non-matriculated students can register weekdays.
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Route 23 | Hudson, NY | 518-828-4181 | MyCommunityCollege.com
[i /ColumbiaGreeneC¢ | FJ @ColGreeneCc | [&] /ColumbiaGreeneCC
OMORROW, TODAY.
| FOOTBALL
SPORTS EDITOR: TROY FARKAS:
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM
Scrimmage Casts
Doubt on Fall Season
By TROY FARKAS
It’s a good thing football season isn’t here
yet. Because if it were, the University at
Albany squad wouldn't be ready to compete.
In the annual spring game on Saturday at
Casey Stadium, the defense pummeled the
offense, winning 58-9 in a battle of a veteran-
laden defense and a young and inexperienced
offense.
“I’m very disappointed in the offense. It
was embarrassing,” head coach Greg Gattuso
said. “Our defense is good, but I don’t think
they’re that good.”
Ina scoring system that rewarded big
plays (two points for runs of 15+ yards and
two points for passes of 20+ yards), the
UAlbany first and second team offenses
struggled to move the ball. Redshirt
sophomore Will Brunson led the first team,
completing 11 of 17 passes for 113 yards.
Jake Thompson and Neven Sussman split
reps on the second team, going a combined
8-for-18 for 62 yards. Brunson and
Thompson each threw two interceptions.
The offense failed to score a touchdown
in the abbreviated game, which ended early
after Gattuso had seen enough following a
pick-six at the start of the fourth quarter. The
only offensive score came at the end of the
third quarter when kicker Ethan Stark nailed
a 32-yard field goal.
The young offensive line failed to get any
push against the strong defensive line, which
gave the quarterbacks little time to scan the
field. The quarterbacks mostly threw check
downs and short routes, which limited the
}| team’s ability to score points. The only
highlight play came in the fourth quarter
from senior wide receiver Jerod Diggs, a
JUCO transfer who will only play one season
at UAlbany. Brunson completed a 39-yard
pass to Diggs, who boxed out the defensive
back and made a juggling catch falling to the
ground.
Despite the offensive missteps, tight end
Brian Dolce is confident his offense will be
all right.
“They’re very talented. They’re young
and they’ ve just got to leam the system,”
Dolce said. “We hope to help them
throughout camp.”
The offense usually doesn’t fare well in
the spring game, because it doesn’t try to out-
execute the defense. The spring game simply
serves as an opportunity to put on pads ina
game-like situation in front of fans.
Based on the results, the fans likely think
the offense is in trouble and the defense will
be one of the best in the conference, which
is certainly a possibility given the amount of
experience on that end. Veteran playmakers
Julian Cox, Malachi Hoskins, Mason Gray,
and Jamal Robinson will retum in the fall,
along with Penn State transfer Antoine
White, who finished with three sacks and a
tackle on the aftemoon.
Gattuso isn’t concemed with the results
of the game. He doesn’t put much stock in
scrimmages nor did he want to keep score;
it's something the players wanted. Instead,
he is concemed the offense didn’t show any
resolve.
“My concem was that we didn’t fight
through some things more than anything.
Our heads went down quickly,” Gattuso
said. “We need more guys to step up and be
leaders.”
And on the field, leadership starts at
quarterback. It’s been an unstable position
for the Great Danes since Will Fiacchi last
played in 2014. Brunson came out with
the first team, but it certainly doesn’t mean
it will be his job come September 2 when
UAlbany travels to Old Dominion forthe
opening game.
Junior Neven Sussman, who opened the
2016 season under center for UA lbany, took
third string snaps on Saturday. And then
early in the first quarter, Sussman trotted out
on special teams.
The former starting quarterback is the
team’s starting punter, at least for now.
It was an interesting development in
agame that lacked excitement. But the
coaches never intended it to be exciting; they
just wanted to come out and get a feel fora
game-like atmosphere again and walk away
without any injuries.
So in that regard, the UAlbany spring
game can be considered a success.
2017-2018
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ALBANY.
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gg iy uasalbany
TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
ALUMNA UPDATE
SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR: TROY FARKAS.
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM
Catching up with Former University
at Albany Star Shereesha Richards
By ROBERT LEPELSTAT
Over the course of a four-year career
at the University at Albany, Shereesha
Richards, who didn’t arrive in the United
States until she was 16 years old, cemented
herself as arguably the greatest basketball
player in UA lbany history.
Richards moved to New Jersey at the age
of 16, leaving behind friends and family in
Rae Town, Jamaica to pursue her dream of
a basketball career at the highest level. She
attended the A tlantic Christian School-- a
small private high school in Egg Harbour
Township, N.J. where she quickly made a
name for herself as a basketball star. She
scored 1,147 points and averaged a double-
double during her two years as the heart
and soul of the Lady Cougars.
Richards, who graduated in May 2016,
left a mark on the UAlbany record books
that won't be matched for some time, if
ever. She is the school’s all-time lead-
ing scorer (men’s and women’s) and the
women’s all-time leader in rebounds. She
won four consecutive A merica East titles
and helped lead the Great Danes to their
first NCAA Tournament victory a year ago
when the No. 12 Danes upset No. 5 Florida.
She surprisingly went undrafted in the
2016 WNBA Draft. She then decided to
fulfill her dream of playing overseas.
Richards recently completed her first
season in Spain. She played with Club
Deportivo Zamarat of the Liga Femenina
de Baloncesto, the top women’s league
in Spain. Despite the new country and
transition to the pros, a change of scenery
is something Richards has dealt with her
entire life.
“T always think every year | transition to
something new, a new country or different
place, which for me it’s easy,” Richards
said. “I came here when I was 16. I have
been to other places. So for me, it’s basical-
ly like going to college all over again--but
in a different country.”
Richards prides herself on an aggressive
style of play, something that had made her
a dominant force during her time with the
Great Danes. As she looks back at her first
professional season, it wasn’t the change of
scenery that overwhelmed her, but rather
the different style of play overseas.
“The coaching and the style of play is
different for me over there than it is here
in the United States,” Richards said. “It’s
more finesse overseas than it is here. Here
it’s more aggressive, and I like aggressive.”
“Y ou just have to get used to it and
adjust to a new coaching style. But overall,
it was a great experience just being able
to play overseas and play for the coaching
staff that I did,” Richards added.
For Richards, who has done nothing in
her career but win, her first season over-
seas came with a unique set of challenges
she had never faced before. Besides her
teammatas and coaches, no one in the small
town of Zamora spoke English.
She also had to deal with another unfa-
miliar challenge: losing.
CD Zamarat finished 9-17 in Richards’
rookie year, failing to qualify for the post-
season. She never missed a postseason at
UA lbany.
The five-hour time difference between
Spain and New Y ork made it difficult for
Richards to watch the Great Danes live this
past season. However, she still followed
along and cheered for her former team-
mates and coaches throughout the season.
Despite the losses of Richards, two-
time team captain Erin Coughlin, and head
coach Katie A brahamson-Henderson,
Richards was not surprised by the contin-
ued success of UA Ibany in 2017. It was a
little over a month ago that UAlbany won
its sixth consecutive conference title.
“Overall, I wasn’t surprised that they
won,” Richards said. “It wasn’t going to
be easy with a new coaching staff and they
had a lot of new players and players that
didn’t really play a lot in the past. I knew it
was going to be hard, but I didn’t think that
they couldn’t win.”
Source: ualbanysports.com
As she looks toward her professional fu-
ture, Richards is only focused on one thing.
“The goal is to get better each and every
day and wherever basketball takes me,
that’s where I'll go. I’ll work hard and do
what I have to do,” Richards said.
For the woman who first mastered her
athletic skills playing netball in Jamaica,
Richards knows the possibilities for her
future are limitless.
LACROSSE
Laffin’s Last-Second Heroics Push UA Ibany
By TROY FARKAS
Mitch Laffin stood in front of the goal, waiting for his
chance. He wouldn't make a mistake this time.
With just over 34 seconds left, Bennett Drake passed the
ball to Laffin, who closed his eyes and let it go.
Eruption.
Laffin’s heroic goal put No. 5 University at Albany
(11-2, 5-0) ahead of No. 11 Yale (8-4, 5-0) for the first
time since the second quarter to give the Great Danes a
momentous victory over the Bulldogs Saturday night at
Casey Stadium in front of a crowd of 3,209 screaming fans
at the annual Spring Stomp.
“It was a relief,” Laffin said. “I scored my first big goal.
It was exhilarating.”
A relief, because with just over five minutes left and
UAlbany down one after trailing for most of the game,
Laffin scored to tie the game at 12.
Only he stepped in the crease. It didn’t count.
Laffin’s game-winning goal ended a run of five
unanswered goals by UAlbany, who was down 12-8
with 12:07 left in the game. The Great Danes could have
mailed it in and let Y ale, whose faceoff man outperformed
TD lerlan, and whose defense smothered Connor Fields
for most of the game, ride out of Albany with a win. But
staying true to character, Scott Marr’s team clawed its way
back, like it did against Maryland two weeks ago. Except
this time, UAlbany came out on top.
“We've been preaching sticking together and playing 60
minutes,” Marr said. “All that positive energy, and riding
the ‘energy bus’ and everybody rowing at the same time.
They believe in each other. We talk about belief all year.
And it came through tonight.”
lerlan and Fields, the nation’s top players at their
respective positions, were silenced during Y ale’s six-goal
stretch from the beginning of the second quarter until
midway through the third. Ierlan struggled mightily against
junior Conor Mackie, who won 16 of 29 faceoffs. UAlbany
couldn’ t get possession of
the ball, meaning Fields, the
leading point scorer in the
country, couldn’ t continue
making the plays he was in
the first quarter.
Despite their long lulls,
Terlan and Fields picked
themselves back up in the
fourth quarter to fuel the
Danes’ furious comeback.
Fields, who had been
hounded by Y ale’s Aidan
Hynes all evening, took it
upon himself to start the
charge. Falling to his left,
the junior attack launched
the ball past the stick of Phil
Huffard to cut the lead to 12-
9. Despite the stellar defense
against him, Fields still scored
five points in the game (three
goals, two assists).
Bennett Drake, who led
the team with four goals, scored two of the next three. Kyle
McClancy chipped in a goal before Laffin’s heroics sealed
the deal.
Everyone pitched in to get UA lbany a win it badly
needed. Troy Reh, the junior defenseman, also played an
integral role in the comeback by scooping up ground balls
and intercepting errant passes. From top to bottom, it was a
team effort.
“The boys had a lot of fun tonight. It was fun to have the
whole team going on all cylinders,” Drake said. “We were
never down on each other, even when we were down a
couple goals.”
The players rallied together to ear a win their team
badly needed. NCAA Toumament seedings were on the
line Saturday night. Both teams knew the winner would
day night.
Bill Ziskin/UAlbany Athletics
Number 12 Mitch Laffin celebrates his game-winning goal vs. Yale with 34.4 seconds left Satur-
likely eam a first round home game with a victory. And
Marr, who is in his 17th season as the head coach at
UAlbany, knows how important this win will be when the
selection committee sits down to form the bracket.
“This gives us a good quality win,” Marr said. “A loss
tonight would have put us in a position where we would
have to win our conference championship.”
Marr won't need to worry about winning the conference
championship, not just yet. UAlbany has one more date
with Hartford on April 29. Then, UA lbany will play host
to the America East Toumament, which starts on May 4.
UA bany has already locked up the overall No. 1 seed.
Should UA lbany lose in its conference toummament, it is
likely UA bany will earn an at-large berth for the second
straight year.
> —_
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