Albany Student Press, Issue 3, 2017 September 19

SINCE 1916

BIN THE MAN BEHIND CHECKING IN WITH
\ WW THE ‘SHACK’ Pc. 3 MOFOR 6.10

ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

OPINION: Should SA get
involved in politics? PG. 4

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:
Storm the ‘Bastille’ PG. 7

LIFESTYLE: Rihanna brings
diversity to beauty PG. 7

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 ISSUE 3 ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET

FACILITIES UNIVERSITY HALL

rent. =~ ANOTHER BEGINNING

Pipe Havidan Rodriguez Starts as 4th University Leader in 5 Years

Tune-up
Rankles
Students

By JOE HOFFMAN

Upgrade work on a water line
underneath a parking lot in the
Harriman State Office campus
temporarily reduced water pres-
sure on the uptown campus last
Monday, postponing experiments
and causing some confusion for
low-rise residents.

‘A construction worker at the
site reported that new, larger
pipes were being installed to
increase water flow, but was not
aware that the installation had
any effect on the college. The
construction site is on the edge of
Harriman parking lots H and G.

New York States’ Office of
General Services confirmed
through email that, since the col-

See WATER page 2

TYLER A. MCNEIL / ASP
Havidan Rodrieguez speaking before the SUNY Board of Trustees in June upon the announcement of his
selection as UAlbany’s 20th president.

By ELISE COOMBS

st of University at Alba-
ny’s presidents, Havidan Rodriguez
assumed his position on Friday.

t of University at Alba-
ny’s presidents, Havidan Rodriguez,
assumed his position last Friday.

Rodriguez’s position as the 20th
president of the university follows
from a summer of traveling between
his post at a Texas university and
Albany.

In June, Rodriguez was an-
nounced to fill this position at a
SUNY Board of Trustees meeting.
He toured the university over the
summer and spoke at convocation in
August.

At convocation, Rodriguez joked
in an interview that the first thing on
his agenda is expressing his relief:
“I’m so happy we’ve finished with
this back-and-forth!”

The new president expressed that,
as he settles into his position, he'll
be receptive to university and com-
munity concerns as well as plans for
development.

“The first few months is getting

See HAVIDAN page 2

FOOTBALL ELECTIONS

DANES THROW Berroa Sails to Victory in
HAWKS BACK sUniversity Council Battle

IN NEST nyse wn

Alondra Berroa on Friday was
elected to represent over 13,000 un-
dergraduate students on the University
Council, a 12-member board which
oversees campus operations.

“Oh my God, I won by 715 votes,”
said Berroa, responding to election
results posted on the Student Associa-
tion office window.

From Wednesday to Friday, Berroa
faced off against Alexander O'Leary,
a former Indian Quad senator, and
Amanda Demma, a Business &
Management Division senator. With

vote lead over both candidates.

TYLER A. MCNEIL / ASP
44 percent of the vote, she held a cushy Alondra Berroa embraces Senate Chair Jarrett Altilio after her win.

Berroa will succeed Jarius Jemmott, a
former SA President, who beat then-
assistant to the vice president Anna Agnes last fall

Throughout the week, Berroa won the endorse-

ment of Jemmott along with a handfull of SA
leaders: former President Felix Abreu, Senate Chair
by a landslide to take the seat. Jarrett Altilio, Vice President Madeeha Khan, and

See BERROA page 2

DALIA YAN / ASP
The UAlbany Danes sack the Monmouth Hawks during the first home
game.
By JOHN C. LONGTON III only incomplete pass coming on
a mental error when he care-
ALBANY — The UAlbany lessly threw the ball in a crowded
football team was firing on all middle of the field into the hands
cylinders in their 28-14 victory of a Hawks defender.
over Monmouth in their home “There were really loading up
opener at Casey Stadium on the box to try and stop our run-
Saturday. ning game,” said UAlbany Head

There was a fireworks show at Coach Greg Gattuso. “That’s why
halftime, but the 6,384 fans that it’s important that we have good
were in attendance didn’t have to quarterback play and I thought
wait until the break to see an air both quarterbacks played well.”

display. Backup quarterback Neven
Great Dane quarterback Sussman started things off when
recorded his best game of the he ran up the gut for a 4-yard

season hitting 17 of his 25 targets _ score. This put the Danes up 7-0
for 196 yards and a touchdown. 3:31 into the game. That set the
Brunson added a 20-yard rushing tempo from there and Monmouth
score to his stat sheet with just couldn’t ever get anything going.
over two minutes to play in the The UAlbany defense played

first half giving his team a22-7 out of their minds and made key SOAKING UP THE FOUNTAIN

lead heading into the locker room. _ stops throughout the length of

‘i =

TYLER A. MCNEIL / ASP

At that point in the game the contest. The Hawks came in Sarah Notis, a UAlbany transfer student, soaks in the campus fountain on Thursday.

Brunson was 14-15 with 148
yards and a touchdown with his See FOOTBALL page 10

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2

SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

WATER

Continued from Page 1

-lege’s domestic water supply is provided
via Harriman Campus, the pressure drop oc-
curred when workers took a water line out
of service last weekend.

“A lot of that infrastructure on Harriman
dates back from the ‘50s, so you had to go
in there and replace pipes that are decay-
ing and fittings and things like that,” said
John Giarrusso, associate vice president of
Facilities Management.

Though unsure of the problem, Giarrusso
said possible culprits could be design flaws,
broken valves, or construction errors. OGS
did not expect the pressure to drop, and told
the college there wouldn’t be any more is-
sues with the project.

Over the last I years, there have been
over four water pressure problems.

UAlbany staff were alerted to the
problem on Monday afternoon via an
email instructing them to conserve water.
The memo also stated that “ornamental
fountains and chiller/cooling units will be
curtailed.”

The university’s police department
alerted students approximately six and a
half hours later, at 6:50 p.m. The email in-
structed low-rise residential students to stop
using 2nd and 3rd floor restrooms.

Adrianna Reitman, a freshman living in
State Quad’s Fulton Hall low-rise, said the
problem was poorly communicated with
students.

“L feel like not everybody checks their
email, so it just would have been nice if our
RA would have told everyone.”

Students, like Reitman, in upper-level
floors had to walk down the stairs to the
first floor to use the bathroom, and weren’t
able to shower until the following day.

According to Giarrusso, if a majority of
students hadn’t followed UPD’s directions,
toilets may have been locked in endless
cycles of running without flushing, and
water pressure would have been further
reduced.

Several graduate students reported that
the pressure decrease did not substantially
interfere with their research, though they
were told to hold off on performing certain
reactions Monday night; unstable water
pressure might have caused certain pieces
of equipment to break or explode.

Zheng Zhou, a chemistry graduate stu-

i) i
JOE HOFFMAN / ASP

The site of pipeline upgrades of the Harriman Campus.

dent, identified a piece of equipment called
an evaporator which was put off-limits
Monday in order to prevent damage.

Lisa Donahue, director of the Office
of Environmental Health and Safety,
confirmed that certain experiments were
postponed as a result of the pressure drop,
and that some equipment was affected be-
cause of fluctuating pressure. They alerted
chemistry department staff and students
of the problem to ensure safety and curtail
water usage.

In a separate situation, State Quad, Indian
Quad, and some academic buildings will

be without hot water for approximately 36
hours next week in order to facilitate main-
tenance, according to Facilities Manage-
ment.

Administration learned that the college’s
high-temperature hot water system was
in need of repair at the beginning of the
month, and the exact date of the mainte-
nance has not been determined. Students
impacted will be notified when a date is
decided upon.

“The first few
months is getting me

HAVIDAN

Continued from Page 1

to know the university

constituent groups,
external constituent

groups, and getting to

know me as well,” Rodriguez said.
The plan Rodriguez indicated for this is a listening

campaign, which he said he was looking into at the time of

convocation.

‘Among the university community, one concern is park-
ing. During the convocation interview, the new president
said, “Parking is an issue every place you go.”

As the university grows, there is the concern for an

adequate amount of parking spaces. For instance, there are
less than 80 parking spots on Alumni Quad, which housed
over 800 students last year.

Drawn to growth, Rodriguez talked of his interest in the
opportunity for growth and expansion in interviews at the
BOT meeting in June.

Before coming to UAlbany, Rodriguez helped merge two
Texas universities into the University of Texas Rio Grande
Valley, where he was founding provost and executive vice
president for academic affairs.

UTRGV has over 27,500 students while UAlbany has

just over 17,000.

UAlbany has expanded in previous years with the Col-
lege of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Col-

lege of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and
Cybersecurity.

This year, CEAS added a new environmental department,
which is being developed and will need state approval.

Amid the growth in CEAS and CEHC, Rodriguez men-
tioned UAlbany’s other colleges, saying they are essential
to the university’s growth and development.

Ina Twitter video posted on his first day, Rodriguez
said, “Together, collaboratively, we can write the next few
chapters in this great institution.”

FOLLOW ELISE:
@Elise_Coombs

ELECTIONS

Continued from Page 1

President Jerlisa Fontaine.

“She has served us well and I’m mean, there is no
reason why she doesn’t deserve this position,” said
Fontaine.

Last year, Berroa served as a special assistant
to Abreu. During that time, she was appointed as a
student representative to the University Auxiliary
Services board. She was re-appointed by the Senate
two weeks back.

Beyond appointments, Berroa has attempted to
grasp an undergraduate-wide elected seat prior to the
Council race. Last February, she lost an eight-way
special election for senator-at-large to Cristal Mar-
rero by 22 votes.

At the time, O’ Leary, who lost to Berroa by 221
votes this election, won a seat for Indian Quad. Un-
like Marrero, he didn’t run again in the SA general
election.

He’s the only Council candidate without an elect-
ed seat. Going forward, O° Leary plans on running for
Senate or SUNY Student Assembly representative.

“I’m okay,” he said. “I didn’t really expect to win.
I did much better than I thought I would.”

While O’ Leary looks for another run, Demma
hopes to bring her current role in the Senate to
push pieces of her campaign agenda. She ran on
a platform which included Maintenance of Effort
and food insecurity, reflective of her role in the
SUNY Student Assembly as an undergraduate representa-
tive for doctoral granting institutions.

Demma emphasized her platform on social media. In
a campaign post on Facebook, Demma wrote: “So vote
for someone who believes in realistic change not vague
promises.” She later told the Albany Student Press that the
remark was not an attack on O’Leary and Berroa, but a
swipe at SA election campaigns.

TYLER A. MCNEIL / ASP
Students, including University Council candidate Alexander O’Leary view the results of the 2017 undergraduate election

“I’m not promising perseverance,” she said in a Wednes-
day interview. “I’m not promising accountability. I’m
promising real set goals.”

Despite the advocacy push, she fell the farthest behind
with 361 votes.

Voter turnout altogether slumped from 2016. Nearly 400
fewer students cast a ballot in this year’s race, falling out of
line with last fall’s record-breaking numbers.

Additionally, the number of students competing on the

down ballot dipped. Despite an uptick in University Coun-
cil bids, some 25 percent fewer students competed in the
Senate race.

“Maybe last year was just an exception to the rule that it
was just oddly higher than normal,” said Altilio.

FOLLOW TYLER:
@TylerAMcNeil

CRIME BLOTTER

CRIMINAL NUISANCE

9/8/2017

Indian Quad- 1Q Grounds

Report of two underage male stu-
dents in possession of alcohol, mari-
juana and marijuana paraphernalia.
Referrals were made for both.

PETIT LARCENY

9/8/2017

Colonial Quad- Zenger Hall
Report of a stolen skate board.

CRISIS INTERVENTION

9/12/2017
Podium- Arts and Sciences
Report of a female student threat-
ening to harm herself. Transported to
hospital by 5 Quad.

MEDICAL INCIDENT

9/12/2017

Report of a female student with a cut
finger. A band aid was given. No further
medical treatment.

PETIT LARCENY
9/13/2017
PE Complex- SEFCU Arena

Report of toilet paper dispensers
broken and toilet paper rolls stolen

DRUG COMPLAINT
9/13/2017

Indian Quad- Mohawk Tower
Report of odor of marihuana.
Referrals were made.

MEDICAL INCIDENT

9/14/2017

PE Complex- PE Building

Report of male student with injury to
knee while playing basketball. 5
Quad on scene, providing service and

HAVE A NEWS TIP? EMAIL US AT THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM

transported student to hospital.

911/BLUE LIGHT HANG-UP

9/15/2017

Dutch Quad- Stuvyesnt Tower

Report of a person trapped in eleva-
tor. Nothing found.

ACCIDENT-PROPERTY DAMAGE
9/15/2017

Empire Commons- EC F Cluster
Assisted person in motor vehicle
accident property damage.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

NEWS

EDITOR: ELISE COOMBS
THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM

3

FOOD

Entrepreneurial Alumnus
Lives Life to the Falafel-est

By JASMINE MILLNER

“T took a shot in the dark,” said 28-year-old owner of The
Halal Shack, Jamal Rasoully.

The recently opened Halal Shack is a New York City
street food inspired restaurant, conveniently located in
the newly renovated Campus Center at the University at
Albany. The Halal Shack serves a combination of Middle
Eastern and Mediterranean food, while also being certified
halal.

Rasoully is a 2011 alum from the University at Albany,
with a degree in accounting. After graduation, he went on
to earn his MBA from Union College. From there, he cre-
ated his own condiment company called Spin Sauce, which
has been sold at the University at Albany. In fact, some of
his original sauce ideas grew while attending the university.

“[ actually used to make white sauce on campus and give
it to friends,” said Rasoully

Steve Pearse, executive director of auxiliary services at
the university, originally approved Rasoully’s request to
sell his sauces on campus, but also offered Rasoully much
more than that. With the Campus Center’s renovation in

the works, Pearse offered Rasoully a spot for his restaurant.
Rasoully gladly accepted the offer.

“I'd been working on this idea for almost two years,”
said Rasoully. “They gave me an opportunity and I was
lucky enough to open it.”

‘The Halal Shack offers five different options: Rice
bowls, lettuce bowls, naan rolls, naanadillas (a creative
twist on the classic quesadilla), and zoodles. From there,
students customize their choice with options of chicken,
beef, falafel, hummus, or a mix. Students can then choose
other toppings and most importantly, their favorite sauce.
Sauces include white, hot white, tahini, hot, BBQ, and
green.

Rasoully described The Halal Shack as, “a Mediterra-
nean Moe’s or Chipotle,” in that it is customizable and fast,
but still high quality. Since it is a fast-style food business,
Rasoully thought it’d be a great fit for busy college stu-
dents, but says that his food is for everyone.

“I’m looking to unite people and cuiture through food,”
said Rasoully. “My demographic is anyone who’s hungry.”

Rasoully grew up eating halal food and his love for food
primarily began because of his family. His family has been
in the restaurant business for over 30 years.

Rasoully said that the quality of his food, the taste, and
his special sauces are what help to separate him from his
competitors. In reflecting about his journey to where he is
now, Rasoully recalls his hardships, as well as his many
opportunities.

“You have to get really good at being comfortable with
being uncomfortable,” said Rasoully. “You need resilience.
Don’t worry about what you're going to do in life, worry
about your attitude.”

Outside of The Halal Shack, Rasoully currently works
in a management and strategy consulting firm, owns a real-
estate development and investment company, and owns
multiple restaurants, all by the age of 28.

Rasoully said he never thought he’d open up restaurants.
He recalled that many people did not initially believe his
business would be successful, but said that he knew it
would be because of his determination.

“If you believe in your vision, nothing else matters,” said
Rasoully.

FOLLOW JASMINE:
@jsmiliner

BEAYANKA KELLYMAN / ASP

JAMAL ROSUALLY, OWNER OF HALAL SHACK AND UALBANY ALUMNUS.

CITY HALL

Campus Ties: Sheehan Wins Primary

By TYLER A. MCNEIL

Kathy Sheehan will continue working with the Univer-
sity at Albany as the city mayor should heavy Democratic
enrollment signal a November victory.

After her primary win against Frank Commisso Jr. and
Carolyn McLaughlin in the city’s Democratic primary,
Sheehan said Tuesday that she hopes to build on partner-
ships with the university during a second-term.

Sheehan during the campaign touted overhauling a half-
century-plus zoning code, a change which allows the uni-
versity to redevelop its downtown properties. This includes
the $60 million Schuyler Building renovation to house of
the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences within
five to seven years..

Last August, she and former UAlbany President Robert
Jones announced a city-university study aimed at finding
ways to revitalize the downtown corridor neighborhood.

“I know that a lot of times in a lot of the rhetoric in
this campaign focused on the non-for-profits and the fac
that they don’t pay their fair share in property taxes,” said
Sheehan. “But I think that we also have to recognize that
UA\bany is an asset and that the students represent a strong
consumer force here in the City of Albany.”

At $600 million, UAlbany is the city’s fourth highest
valued tax-exempt property, according to data collected by
The Times Union. Commisso, a Common Council member,
campaigned on auditing all tax-exempt nonprofits to find
potential areas of revenue growth.

The Albany Student Press reached out to the Commisso

campaign for comment, but received no response at press
time.

Throughout the primary, the three candidates butted
heads on taxes, budgeting, poverty, and safety.

Emily Vaculik, a senior political science student, has
been involved in the race since the beginning. Vaculik has
supported Commisso since he announced his mayoral run
in March.

Vaculik, who has lived
in Pine Hills since her junior
year, is concerned with
urban decay. Last year, she
skipped renting one of her
top apartment picks because
it was located next to an
abandoned building. There.
are roughly 1,000 aban-
doned buildings in Albany.

“T’ve been living in Al-
bany for the last four years
and I’ve seen the crime in
my own neighborhood [for the SHEEHAN
last two years],” she said. “I’ve
just seen abandoned buildings
all over town and those are just two examples of things I
knew needed to change.”

Albany has received a recent surge in crime, especially
gun violence, within the last year. For the first half of 2017,
shootings have risen in comparison to the same time in last
year.

Sheehan, Commisso, and McLaughlin sparred over

issues such as crime during the three debates, one of which
was at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy on
Sep. 6.

“You could tell by the back-and-forth that she clearly
was the most qualified,” said Michaela Pickett, president of
Kappa Alpha Pi pre-law fraternity. “She knew what she was
talking about.”

Pickett interned in the mayor’s office over the summer,
and much of her fraternity has kept close ties with Sheehan.
Over the last two weeks, Pickett canvassed across the city
for Sheehan’s re-election campaign.

Unlike Vaculik, Pickett believes that Sheehan’s re-elec-
tion will benefit off campus students, especially those living
in out-of-code apartments. Sheehan plans to revamp the
Department of Buildings & Regulatory Compliance, a task
aimed at pushing residents to report code violations.

Beyond off-campus commuters, pending city decisions
could impact Alumni Quad students. With the downtown
corridor study ongoing, potential solutions to reduce park-
ing constraints remain unclear. With less than 80 spaces on
Alumni Quad, parking is at max capacity most weeknights.

Sheehan hopes to push public transportation, such as
bike-sharing and ride-sharing rather than opening up an
additional lot.

“[ would say: as we explore options for increasing park-
ing around Alumni [Quad], the two things we’re going to
take into serious consideration are what can be done that
the City does and doesn’t want to see,” said Jordan Carleo
Evangelist, UAlbany director of Community Relations.

FOLLOW TYLER:

@TylerAMcNeil

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EDITOR: DANIEL RUSSELL
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

4

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

EXPRESSION

Fashion Gets Political, Highlights Social Justice

By CLAIRE MCCULLEY

Politics and the things that we wear have long over-
lapped. The Women’s Liberation Movement of the late
1960s brought with it a slew of feminist shirts, buttons,
pins, and other wearable messages. The same applies to the
origins of the modern Gay Rights Movement — pins that
have messages like “We Are Everywhere,” “Our Body,
Our Choice,” “L n Feminist Witch,” and many other
messages that are satirical, sardonic, genuine, and political-
ly rebellious, cropped up in our collective consciousness.
Today, the messages have expanded to encompass even
broader reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ issues including
transgender and nonbinary discrimination, racial injustice
and Black Lives Matter, immigration reform, and envi-
ronmental issues. All of the above have been affected by
Donald Trump’s presidential election. Since his inaugura-
tion, I have seen people wear shirts and bags that say “Not
My President,” and “F--- Trump,” as well as clothing with
statements and prints like “#BlackLivesMatter,” the Amer-
ican flag but with rainbow stripes to show allyship to the
LGBTQ community, and shirts with coat hangers overlaid
with a huge red X to signify support of women’s reproduc-
tive choice. There has also been a massive outpouring of
popular clothing stores like H&M, Forever21, and Rue 21
with shirts that say “GRL POWER,” “Girl Gang,” “Not
Your Baby,” “Girls Supporting Girls,” and “EMPOWER
WOME:
Why is clothing so relevant to our current political
climate, and what power does it have? For one, it is highly
visible. Briana Wright, a 20-year-old UAlIbany student,
said, “To use fashion, which is something literally on our

bodies, is so powerful during these times because it is
forcing something to be seen. Saying ‘Black Lives Matter’
or ‘Women deserve basic human rights’ is one thing when
it’s being said, but another when it’s something that is in
your face because it’s on a t-shirt or book bag. It can’t as
easily be ignored.” This is accurate larly use my
necklace of two women’s symbols connected, to signify to
people I interact with that I am gay. I also wear shirts and
buttons that have femii ging on them frequently,
for the same purpose Wright spoke of. Once something is
on your body, it is hard to ignore.

Raven Evans, a 19-year-old sociology and women’s and
gender studies major, spoke about how they use style and
aesthetic to express themselves as a queer, nonbinary per-
son. “I grew up in a roman catholic conservative town as a
queer Jewish person,” Evans said, “and that made merely
existing there difficult. One of the first times I made my
own statement shirt was in 10th grade and id ‘Not a
girl, Not a boy’ on the front and ‘Nothing in-between on
the back.” Evans showed me with a photo of themselves in
an oversized, DIY denim jacket with a large patch on the
back that says, “Queer Liberation.” It is eye-catching and
unmistakable. “That was the year I discovered my identity
as an agender person,” said Evans, “and I guess I was tired
of hiding and being treated like a girl. Society may expect
me to have long hair and wear feminine clothing but that’s
just not how I roll. I’m gonna have a green mohawk and
‘wear a crop top and cargo shorts if | want to.”

The power and politics of style run deep. “There is
something so strong and impactful about using fashion to
spread messages of equality and love,” said 18-year-old
student Isabella Gomes Dias, a psychology major and

talented photogra-
pher. “Since fashion is
something so visible
and present in our daily
lives, it becomes a great
tool that should be used

'o share their
Gomes Dias

message.”
also uses body hair to
promote respect for
women free of misogy-
nistic beauty standards.
She does not shave her

armpit hair, and enjoys
wearing shirts that show
her natural hair, “instead of hurting my body constantly.”

Social justice is a blend of law, policy, grassroots orga-
nizing, and individual voices, but what happens on a col-
lege campus or on the stre important
as what is going on in Congr nate right now. It
says so much about our country’s political psyche. Young
people are speaking, and we are speaking with the way we
present ourselves to the public. A simple button with “Not
My President” or a Planned Parenthood shirt, or a hoodie
that says “Hands Up Don’t Shoot,” or a hat that says “Bet
You Didn’t Know I was a Lesbian” are all forms of social
protes

“Fashion is how we tell the world what we want them to
know about us,” said Evans. The political messages coded
in clothing are visible and brave and meaningful, even if
they are not stated out loud.

CLAIRE MCCULLEY / ASP

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

OPINIONS

EDITOR: DANIEL RUSSELL
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

5

DEBATE

Should the Student Association Take
a Stance on National Political Issues?

YES

By MATTHEW MIRRO

On Tuesday, Sept. 5, the office of Attorney
General Jeff Sessions announced the repeal
of Deferred Action for Child Arrivals
(DACA), a federal government created by
the Barack Obama Administration which
allowed undocumented immigrant children
to remain in the country with protection from
deportation. Applicants had to have arrived
in the United States before their 16th birthday
and would be permitted to live and work
in the country, having only to renew their
eligibility every two years.

Largely, America has responded with a
collective roar of opposition against Sessions
and President Donald Trump. The repeal, or
“wind-down” as the administration would
prefer to call it, represents another example
in a continuing line of xenophobic policies
passed by the currently Republican controlled
government.

“Trump is literally erasing everything
that has helped people who need it most,”
tweeted Student
ssociation President
Jersila Fontaine. “If
you are/were a Trump
supporter, you are to
blame for this!”

Some believe that the
Student Association and
its members should, at
least publicly, remain
wholly impartial
instead of taking
sides with either the
proverbial Right or Left.
Fontaine’s decision to
condemn the repeal
of DACA is controversial, especially as
the president of a public group elected to
represent the entirety of the student body,
regardless of political affiliation. However,
the current administration’s policies and
thetoric has forced them to forfeit any right to
impartiality or respect.

While it is true that the Student
i 's as a representative for
all on campus, any silence regarding this
issue would have been equal to condoning
the actions taken by Sessions and Trump.

In a community as diverse as UAlbany, the
student body’s elected representatives cannot
afford to sit silent while a great number of
students on campus are marginalized by the
White House. More accurately, no American
can remain silent in these times that

ide the nation and its people.
‘k and tired of this
administration’s antics and persistently
hateful rhetoric. According to a recent Gallup
Poll, Trump’s approval rating has quickly
plummeted to 36 percent, the lowest of any
president in history at this point in their term.

His government has created an atmosphere
of hate and fear as it works to systematically
steal away the rights of the many, in order

to give them solely to the privileged few.

The masses are exhausted of the Trump
presidency after only eight months, but
instead of slowing their crusade for change,
the people have continuously ramped up their
ideological war a st the White House.

Because of Fontaine’s high ranking
affiliation with the Student Association,
speaking out against the DACA repeal is
a welcome sight for a politically apathetic
American public that is constantly being
criticized for being disinterested in the
important issues of the day. UAlbany expects
its students to demonstrate the qualities
of a good citizen, to respect our fellow
humans regardless of race, ethnicity or
religion. America is a nation of nations and
UAlbany is a microcosm of that philosophy,
a philosophy that Trump and his colleagues
in the Republican controlled government so
painfully disregard. If UAlbany expects all
of us to embrace the American ideal
that all men truly are created equal,
then it should certainly applaud a
student government leader for calling
out an administration that fails to live
up to that standard.

If the Student Association indeed
exists to represent the student
populace, then Fontaine has done so
toa tee. UAlbany, along with rest
of the country, felt the collective
national shock last November when
Trump defeated Hillary Clinton,
and that wound has continued to
fester ever since. When the head
of the Student Association speaks
out against the exclusionary policies of the
president, she speaks for us all. We don’t
support hate speech, Islamaphobia, or the
demonization of immigrants. If more of us
stood up like Fontaine has, we can ensure that
a vicious demagogue like Trump never again
leads the Free World.

Democracy can only be sustained when
the people are willing to fight for it, and
despite Trump’s best efforts, America is
still a democracy. It is the responsibility of
every American to defend the ideals and
principles that this country has claimed to
uphold since its founding. Now is not the
time for impartiality or passive adherence to
the proclamations of a government that does
not represent our true interests. A leader must
speak for the people regardless of expected
objectivity. A leader must act for what they
believe in, and that’s exactly what Jersila
Fontaine did for us in UAlbany and for all
those who have been hurt by the continuously
un-American policies of an out-of-touch
administration. Keep fighting and make your
voice heard!

NO

By MATTHEW NOYES

Imagine you are at school and there is a
controversial political issue all over the news.
You feel strongly about it one way, but do not
want to think about it while you go to class
so you can focus on school work. Then, you
receive an email from Student Association
(SA) saying they support the other side of
the issue. Not only that, but they make a
statement belittling your opinion on the issue.
You would want SA to stay out of it, after all,
their job is to serve students, not to promote
certain political opinions.
What if the Student Association supported
a policy you disagree with? This may not
be the case with their recent condemnation
of the Trump Administration’s decision to
repeal the Consideration of Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). What if
there was a pro-Trump majority in SA? Them
taking a position on any issue is a problem for
several reasons. There is no guarantee that the
SA will always support
the side you agree with;
taking a political stance
inhibits them from
being representative
of all students, and
they must remain
impartial to represent
all students. In doing
so, they foster a diverse
environment in the
pursuit of broadening
students’ education.
According to the
Student Association
website, “Student
Association is
representative of,
and responsible to,
all student activity
fee paying students.”
Every student paying
for tuition at UAlbany pays a student activity
fee to fund SA, student groups, Dippikill and
other student services. There are roughly
17,000 undergraduate and graduate students
here at UAlbany. Unless every single one
of those 17,000 students paying the student
activity fee agrees on a policy, SA does not
have the consent of the students to take a
stand on any political issue. They cannot
represent every student if they become
politically partisan. SA takes school funds
and is in charge of funding student groups
ina fair impartial manner. However, taking
stances on political issues of any kind may
reveal bias when funding student groups. If
the SA president was pro-life, it would be
wrong of them to use SA as a platform to
promote pro-life causes and withhold funding
for pro-choice student groups. The same
would be true no matter what ideology the

president has
UAlbany, as well as the Student
Association, are committed to student’s
education and promoting diversity.
SA’s mission statement reads: “Student
Association strives to include and accept
a diverse community and is committed
to enriching the student experience with
recreation, education and fun.” College is
supposed to be a place in which individuals
can exchange ideas freely and learn from
a diverse amount of opinions. By taking a
stance on political issues, SA is in effect
promoting singularized thinking and being
anti-diversity. Diversity of culture and
opinion are vital to a successful campus.
However, UAlbany is not a place of diverse
opinions. It is no secret that UAlbany is
politically left leaning, and it’s rare for
students to hear anyone’s opinion who is to
the right of Bernie Sanders. I have spoken to
countless individuals who tell me they are
afraid to voice their opinion because they fear
backlash from
the university
and their peers.
SA should
take the lead
in promoting
impartiality, and
an environment
where students
can express
their opinion
without having
to worry about
the university
and SA
disagreeing with
them and being
ostracized.
Individuals
have the right
to and should
take a stand on
issues. SA is there to serve everyone, and
when they take a stance, it limits the students
it serves. No one wants SA to support
something they feel strongly against. They
may support what you do now, but that may
not always be the case. SA should remain
impartial and let students make up their own
minds about politics. When only one side
of an issue is presented, it is the students’
loss because they are not being exposed to
different ideologies and views. SA performs
so many important roles on campus, and
being politically biased is not one of them. It
detracts from the other duties they have. SA
should prioritize their goals of representing
every student, distributing activity funds,
and fostering a diverse campus environment
conducive to education while staying out of
politi

CLIMATE

Trump is Destroying Our Planet for Profit

By RAYMOND STRAWN III

President Donald Trump knows humans are causing global
warming, and he only denies climate change to protect his
and other businesses financial gain. It is expensive to battle
climate change and it is a “smart” business move for Trump
to deny the existence of climate change.

There is overwhelming data and research supporting
climate change exists. According to NASA, 97% of climate
scientists agree that the climate-warming is most likely due
to humans. Hard to argue with those numbers, so why does
Trump say, “I don’t believe in man-made global warming”
during an interview in 2015? Simple: Money.

In 2016, Trump compared climate change to an expensive
tax. He’s right, it’s expensive for businesses to stay clean
for the environment. According to a report in 2003 done
by Property and Environment Research Center (PERC),
“businesses spend almost 30 billion a year to comply with
environmental regulations.” It would be cheaper to ignore
climate change and before Trump became President, he was a
businessman. So, Trump knows all about increasing profits by
reducing costs. As Trump said in 2013 about global warming,
it’s an “expensive hoax.”

Now if Trump knows that humans are causing global
warming, wouldn’t he be concerned? Ask yourself this:
are smokers concern about getting cancer from cigarette
Maybe some are, if not the majority. But there is always that
small group who thinks, “won't happen to me” or “we alll die
anyways.” This is Trump in terms of climate change. These
problems and issues won’t happen when he is around, and if
his policies are damaging the planet, we all die anyways.

That sounds extremely harsh and cold. How can anyone
disregard human life like that? World Health Organization has

a document written by tobacco industries which admitted they
knew the cancer-causing effects in cigarettes since the 1950s.
Internal documents from asbestos manufacturers stated that
they knew of the dangers of asbestos since 1934, according to
Environmental Working Group.

In 1966, an asbestos manufacturing company, Bendix
Corporation, released a letter stating, “...if you have enjoyed
a good life while working with asbestos products, why not
die from it.” Another asbestos manufacturing company, W.R.
Grace sent out an internal memo in 1972 stating, “...to tell
no one anything, no visitors, or discussion of our operations,
period.”

In 2005, Dr. Bennet Omalu published his research on
chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE among football
players playing in the NFL. The NFL denied the claims of the
research and it wasn’t until 2016 when the NFL admitted to
the cause of CTE. Businesses will hide, deny, and even lie to
ensure profits continue and like I stated earlier, Trump was a
businessman first.

There is still hope for us and the climate. We can still do
our part in helping the environment. We can lobby to our
legislatures, volunteer in cleanups, and limit our waste and
green gases. If the President wants to deny the problem, that
doesn’t mean we should. We can spread awareness about
global warming and help, since our President won’t.

Trump is acting more like a businessman, ignoring climate
change for an economical gain. He is protecting businesses
and possibly his own interests by stopping expensive
environmental regulations, which are essential to slow down
and reverse the effects of climate change. What Trump is
doing to the environment for profit is cold-hearted and cruel,
but we can continue doing our part to battle the damage being
done to our environment.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @ALBSTUDENTPRESS

Our President might not be willing to save our planet,
but there are plenty of people out there who are. Just like
businesses before Trump and businesses after, sometimes
they deny the truth, to keep the profits up. Even if it sadly
means, destroying our planet.

Headshots taken by Brittany Gregory / ASP

EDITOR: DIEGO CAGARA
ARTSENT.ASP@GMAIL.COM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS.

CINEMA

Stephen King’s ‘It’ Attracts
Crowds, Profits and Nostalgia

By KATHRYN DARA

Actor Bill Skarsgard, above, as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

Source: eltribuno.info

Although it was
coincidental, the emergence of
these clowns created a revived
fear which acted as the be:
marketing “It” could possibly
have.

Nostalgia also played a role.
Many adults now remember
watching the 1990 miniseries
starring Tim Curry. For many,
it was the first horror event
they were exposed to. Despite
this, many critics said the film
wasn’t scary enough. The book
is much more in-depth and is
richer in disturbing deta:
Many of these details were cut
from the film, and rightfully
so—the novel is 1,138 pages
long.

There were still small
nods to both the novel
and miniseries sprinkled
throughout the movie. For
example, It has been haunting
the town of Derry, Maine for
ates and
s to go ona killing-
every 27 years.
The miniseries premiered
27 years ago, making the

The adaptation of Stephen King’s horrifying novel,
“It,” has dominated the box office for its opening
weekend.

The film has already raked in $117 million in the
United States and another $62 million overseas.
It is estimated that approximately 6 percent of its
potential revenue was lost due to Hurricane Irma
and Harvey complications, yet the gross is still
impressive. “It” also set the record for the largest
September opening weekend ever, and surpassed
2011’s “Paranormal Activity 3” for the larges
opening day of an R-rated horror film. In addition,
it is the most financially successful Stephen King
adaptation ever.

“It” was overall a good film. The art of horror
was mastered. Bill Skarsgard gives a fantastic
performance as It, aka Pennywise the Dancing
Clown, effectively instilling fear in the characters
and audience alike. The 1980s setting also created a
vibe similar to Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” complete
with one of the series’ cast members (Finn Wolfhard)
appearing as Richie here.

There were some moments that were more
confusing than scary though. The characters
med to have misguided motivations leading to
unintelligent decisions. Characters making stupid
decisions in horror films is a common trend. Still,
very often, the group of kids (known as the Losers

Club) would walk
right into danger with no clear plan of how to defeat
“Tt.”

Pennywise the Clown himself had an unclear set
of powers and weaknesses. There is a moment where
the protagonist, Bill, encounters Pennywise in his
basement, only to evade him by running up the stairs.
It seems that Pennywise could have easily killed Bill

is moment but chose not to for some reason.

with more realistic horror

only treated as side stories within the main narrative,
and they feel oddly placed. Despite everything, it
sy to recognize the film as a good scare
and an excellent adaptation of King’s novel.

The question is, why is “It” so successful?

genual A a
that eats children.

ault, pedaphilia and ad inmortal clown

“It” is something straight out of a nightmare.

Last year’s phenomena of creepy clowns wandering
around the United States certainly made this

movie seem topical—killer clowns are appearing
everywhere now, even making an appearance among
the political commentary on this year’s “American
Horror Story.”

release of the film even more
clever. It certainly didn’t delve into the mystical
origins of It.

In the novel, Stephen King created an expanded

se in which Pennywise’s enemy is the peaceful
a giant turtle which carries the world on its
t, “It” ties into a universe that contains a
majority of Stephen King’s books, all of which make
references that suggest they are part of the same
world. This is too bizarre and complicated to really
include, but fans did notice a few blink-or-miss
references to Maturin the turtle throughout the film.

Also, the sadistic teenager Henry who torments the
Losers Club presumably plummets to his death in the
movie. However, he confesses to murdering the kids
killed by Pennywise in the book.

Most noticeably, the movie ends about halfway
through the book, which is why the ending title
screen reads “It: Chapter One.” While the first two
incarnations of the story took place in the late 1950s,
this film occurs in the 1980s. This makes the movie
take place when the second half of the book does, but
it also ensures that the sequel will take place in our
present day.

This and the roaring success of the film guarantees
a sequel in the works and there is no doubt that
audiences will flock to the theater again to see
“Chapter Two.”

NETFLIX

‘BoJack’ returns with mixed results

By ZOE HICKS

First debuting on Netflix in 2014,
“BoJack Horseman” appeared to be
little more than an underwhelming
attempt at hitching a ride on the
present renaissance of adult animation.

It’s not that the early episodes—
playing on the irreverence of
celebrities and heavily dotted with
light humor about dark subjects like
alcoholism and depression—weren’t
funny, but it failed to stand out in a
slew of comedies about crude men who
hate themselves despite having it all.

But somewhere along the way, the
show succeeded in finding its place,
unlike its titular character. Though
marketed as a comedy, it’s the emotion
of “BoJack Horseman” that has kept
fans’ rapt attention. It’s unique for
a show whose dialogue plays like
comedic gunfire, with witty and self-
aware Jokes being fired off at rapid

particularly dark finale for the show
known for its black comedy. After the
death of Sarah Lynne, who had played
BoJack’s adopted child in the glory
days of his sitcom stardom, BoJack
contemplates suicide before running
off and abandoning his Hollywood life.
But the new season opens ona
much brighter place. Everyone
to be doing just fine and BoJack i
conspicuously missing for the whole
premiere. Perhaps the only one who
seems to miss him is Diane, whose
own self-destructive tendencies have

ems

always left her as a kindred spirit of
sorts.

When the next episode returns focus
to our protagonist, unsurprisingly we
find him doing considerably less well
than his cohorts. There is no multi-
episode plot of getting him back on
his feet and returning to his old life.

In perhaps the season’s best episode,
“The Old Sugarman Place,” time

pa apidly in both the present and
the past, as visions of his mother’s
history coincide with time leaps that
detail BoJack’s year away.

The real story soon begins with
introduction, BoJack’s
umed illegitimate daughter who
on three finale.
pable of taking c:
never appeared the

of himself, has
fatherly type.
However, he doesn’t shy away from
ationship with Hollyhock
as might be expected. But thi
ret child” plot to revitalize
, and Hollyhock doesn’t

a dying ser
need a new dad, having been r
a group of eight devoted polyamorous
gay fathers. But the meat of the

fourth season is a mystery: who is
Hollyhock’s mother?

Season four succeeds because it
refuses to get caught in the cycle
of previous ones. BoJack remains
a self-loathing narcissist brimming
with si stic quips about pop culture
and current events, but the very real
danger of derivativeness and monotony
is avoided because a year later, he
no longer is the same, and the other

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characters don’t
stay stagnant
either.

We see
fewer character
interactions this
season, as the
others’ lives have
moved on in
BoJack’s absence.

BoJACK
FORSEMA

Yet while
the divided
storytelling may make in terms
of character development, it also
s one of the n’s biggest
ses. Chara s like Todd and
ruggle to remain captivating
or relevant. A well-meaning are about
Todd’s struggle to come to terms with
his own asexuality feels clunky. While
character’s inclusion is good for
and fits Todd, it’s his only
1 storyline and reads as if deposited
into relevant episodes only to check a
box labelled “Todd is asexual,” instead
of adding to the overall story.

Much of the well-needed wackine:
of the season is found as we follow
Mr. Peanutbutter’s gubernatorial
campaign. But while many of the best
side characters and riffs on pop culture
(the recurrence of his ex-wife Jessica
Biel is among the season’s best cameo
work) are found in this are, Mr. PB and
Diane’s struggling marriage is as tiring
a dance for the viewer to watch as it
has been for them to experience.

Of the side characters, it’s Princess
Carolyn’s story that shines the
brightest in its poignancy and craft.

an
the

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Her focus episode, “Ruthie,” is one

of the season’s best, but her storyline
seems to not only fill but overflow the
small void of depressing content that
the hopeful note in BoJack’s own story
has left vacant.

The fourth season does more than
simply keep “BoJack Horseman”
afloat. It proves that there
left to be told about an aging, has
horse.

Though not without its flaws, the
humor and emotions ai
While most
their nature
and charm redeem <n and celebrity
and an ever-growing A-list
keep the fun and make the overall
digestible.
of tragedy are
explored, so that the audience isn’t
afforded the opportunity to build
emotional callu: and ultimately
proving that it may not yet have even
hit its peak.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

CONCERT

Bastille Lacks the Impact of
‘Pompell’ at Palace Theatre

By ZOE HICKS

In 2013, British rock band, Bastille
released their first studio album, “Bad
Blood.”

It didn’t take long for the album’s
fourth single “Pompeii” to become an
inescapable hit, dominating the airwaves
of every major radio station and finding
its way into television shows and
department store playlists. The track
topped the charts globally, and though
it only peaked at number five in the
US, the solid 96 weeks it lasted on the
Billboard Top 200 set a record at the
time. It was even sung by the cast in the
season 5 finale of “Glee.”

It’s an interesting phenomenon that
when a group of men make music
featuring guitars and drums, the default
seems to be to label them “indie” or
“alternative” rock.

A band whose only two studio albums
ranked 11th and 4th respectively on the
Billboard Top 200 doesn’t seem to quite
fit the label of “alt.”

And even now, a cursory glance at
Bastille’s Wikipedia page would find
them described as an “indie band”
despite having been signed to Virgin
Records, a decidedly non-independent
label, a full two years before their debut
album propelled them into the pop
sensation they have since become.

However, there’s no shame in making
good pop music. While it may be bad
to deem Bastille an alternative or indie
band, that certainly doesn’t equate to
them being a bad band. 2016's “Wild
World” may not have had any singles
quite as record-setting as “Pompeii”
was, but it did reach number four on the
Billboard Top 200, so surely Bastille

must be doing something right.

However, any magic that the
band makes must be confined
solely to the studio, as their
performance last Tuesday, Sept.

12, at the Palace Theatre in Albany
lacked any and all enchantment.
Between a violent lightshow and
flat stage presence, there was no
redeeming the dullness of the music
itself.

The bill was well crafted.

Despite possessing an out-
of-place folk note to it, opener
FRENSHIP’s synth-pop sound
would be a dream for any music
supervisor picking the post-fight
montage soundtrack for a TV
drama or rom-com, and it led into
Bastille well. However, the pair
were perhaps too well-matched
as the opening act perfectly
mirrored the lack of excitement that
would be the biggest flaw in Bastille’s
performance.

Frontman Dan Smith’s presence
captivated only through confusion, as he
seemed to alternate between presenting
as the lone member of a "90s era boy
band and failing to engage at all.

The songs blended together enough
that no discernable difference in tone
or mood seemed to account for the
way in which Smith would stand still,
occasionally bouncing in one place, for
certain songs, and shift to wildly jumping
around on amps and strolling through the
crowd for others.

Perhaps most baffling were the
random intervals in which he would bang
a few drums on a sparse kit set up for
him at the front and then quickly move
on.

Behind the odd display was a

definitive attempt at blinding the
audience. During an early song, a
dramatic strobe light flared intensely
towards the audience, and created an
inexplicably eerie haunted house-like
vibe as it caught on a strange silver
mannequin that remained sitting on
the edge of the drummer’s platform
throughout the show.

The remainder of the lightshow was
so distracting that, even in his animated
moments, it diverted attention away from
Smith.

However erratic the exhibition was,
its dullness ultimately overwhelmed
it. The electronic and synth sounds so
present in most of Bastille’s repertoi
were woefully underserved by the sound
system.

Every sample or pre-recorded element
rang out too loud, and the synth drowned
out Smith’s vocals at every turn. Though
the talent of the band did shine through

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bastille, above, performing in Paris in 2016.

the guitarwork and drumming, the
acoustics kept it so only the ballads felt
palatable and like more than just noise.
Despite all this, the majority of the
audience seemed to be engaged.
The devoted fan base responsible
for some of the eight million records
that Bastille has sold worldwide were
certainly present and seemed unphased
by any flaws in the performance. Instead
of waving hands or lighters, the audience
formed triangles over their heads,
mimicking the symbol used for the ‘A’ in
the Bastille logo, as they swayed to the

seems true fans could actually
determine the difference between tracks.
However, for the casual listeners, they all
sounded the same.

THEATER

Oak, Mandy, and the Great Disaster of 2017

By KATHRYN DARA

On Aug. 8, the theater community
received the news it had been
dreading—the award-winning
“Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet
of 1812” would close its curtains on
Sept. 3.

The show’s recent casting
controversy and slump in ticket sales
caused a few turbulent weeks which
forced the show to close.

Four months ago, it was the most
talked-about show of the season,
holding nominations for 12 Tony
Awards including “Best Musical.”

The production was revolutionary.
It began off-Broadway in a 60-person
Ars Nova theater in 2012, later moving
to a tent in Kazino, to Massachusetts”
American Repertory Theater and then
to the Broadway stage.

After five years, the sung-through
immersive electropop opera, based
on Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,”
became the “little show that could.”

It challenged what theater could be
and redefined how a story could be
told. Actors continuously interacted
with the audience, whether they were
sitting in the back row or on stage.
Many fans saw the show multiple
times.

Yet, it lasted just shy of a year on
Broadway. So how did this happen?

First and foremost, everything is
about money. Broadway is a business.

The show was grossing rather
highly with Josh Groban in the leading
role. After he left, the produces
had a seemingly solid plan—to cast
Okieriete Onaodowan of “Hamilton”
in the role of Pie: This original cast
member of last year’s hit musical w
expected to attract fans and maintain
high ticket sales.

Unfortunately, the show still took
a $500,000 hit after Groban’s exit.
Despite the show taking in $1.5
million per week with 98 percent ticket
capacity sold, the high running costs
of $700,000 per week made finances
difficult to maintain.

The advanced sales were suffering,
and the producers had only received
20 percent of their original $14 million
investment. It was evident Onaodowan

dave malloy ®
@dave_malloy

a

12:17 PM - 28 Jul 2017

387 Ret

ects 2,010 Likes GD GD Gh EY GH 4

( Fo1ow ) v

hey all. bit of a devastating last 24 hours. so
sorry for how everything went down. nothing
but love and artistic awe for @OakSmash 1/

nes

on Broadway is absurd. 2 weeks
to boost your ticket sales?

Before replacing with a white
established actor?”

The controversy was so intense
that Patinkin withdrew from the
production.

The show’s creator, Dave Malloy,
so took to Twitter: “hey all...

so sorry for how everything went
down... the show was in desperate
shape... I’m not sure it has a future
now.” He also apologized for
missing the “racial optics” of the
decision.

That did more harm than good
though, bringing the poor financial
situation to light.

It is also obvious to anyone who

dave malloy @
@dave_malloy

“

Replying to @dave_malloy @OakSmash

12:17 PM - 28 Jul 2017

(_Fotow )) v

the show was in desperate shape; sales after
ingrid leaving Aug 13 were catastrophically
low. show would have closed 2/

100 Retweets 867 Likes ee 8 ee” & @ g

en “The Great Comet” that
ue. Nearly
half of the 35-member company,
including leading roles, were actors
of color.

It prided itself on its commitment
to diversity in the arts and even
received some awards for that exact
reason.

Still, the production became toxic
and no actor wanted to go near the
role of Pierre after all of that.

With the death of “The Great
Comet,” it is important to examine
the power of words. The emergence
of social media has allowed every
voice to be heard, for better or for
worse.

In this case, people contributed to

was not as much of a draw as he was
expected to be.

The producers scrambled, and found
a lifeline: Mandy Patinkin, who had
expressed interest in joining the cast
several months earliér. This Broadway
legend hence took over as Pierre for
a limited time, which increased ticket
s

One question hung in the air: what
about Oak?

In order to work around his
“Homeland” filming schedule, Patinkin
could only come in in the middle of
August. This required Onaodowan to
leave early.

The concern that arose was the
motivation behind the cast change.

MISS THE SHOW? READ ABOUT IT ONLINE AT ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET

Source: Twitter

Show creator Dave Malloy addressed the
show's decline on Twitter.

With the financial reasons not evident
to the public yet, it appeared that a
black actor was being replaced with a
white one for a cash grab.

People took social media by storm,
accusing the production of having
racist motives for the decision. Even
celebrities began speaking out.

Rafael Casal, an actor and friend
of Onaodowan’s, led a Twitter
tirade bashing the show. He wrote,
“The demands for actors of color

the narrative without knowing the
full story.

Cast member Celia Mei Rubin
summed it up best, “We have this
special thing in this country called
Freedom of Speech and with that
comes great responsibility... Words
like “racist” should be reserved for
those who truly are that, or the word
loses weight...for when it’s really

has taught a lesson: our
digital voices are especially powerful.
They can elect a leader, or shut down a
Broadway show.

So next time, before you hit “post,”
think.
EDITOR: GIANLUCA RUSSO
LIFESTYLE.ASP@GMAIL.COM

LIFESTYLE

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

DIVERSITY

Rihanna’s Makeup Line
Includes Choices for All

By CLAIRE MCCULLEY

Rihanna’s much awaited
makeup line, Fenty Beauty,
dropped on Sept. 7 this year,
stunning those eager to try her
new products. The makeup
line comes with several
groundbreaking features, like 40
different shades of foundation, a
brush-on highlighter that can be
seen from Neptune, and multi-
use magnetic, hexagonal makeup
sticks that fit together in the
shape of human DNA—a nod to
Rihanna’s plight to create more
ethnic inclusion in her beauty
products. Customer reviews have
been undeniable. This line i
unlike any other with its quality
and its variety of makeup is
unparalleled.

The global makeup market is
a complicated duality. On one
hand, beauty companies are
seemingly trying to expand their
range of skin shades. However,
companies like CoverGirl have
only seven shades of foundation,
where the darkest, “d7,” is
only a deep tan color, if that.
Women with paler skin have

much more to choose from when
shopping for makeup. While
stores like Sephora may have
racially diverse models on their
walls, their range of foundation,
concealer, and BB cream shades
do not necessarily reflect that
ideal.

Our favorite R&B pop
icon is aware of this lack
of representation in beauty
products and determined to
change it. Rihanna recently
posted a promotion video on her
Fenty Beauty website, where
she discusses Fenty’s origin and
what she hope its impact will
be. The video is shot in frenetic
pulses of footage, electronic
club synth underlying Rihanna’s
narrative.

“I want women to feel
included,” she says. “I want
teenage girls to fall in love with
it and I want it to be for women
of all colors, shapes, sizes.” The
video bounces between realistic
shots of Rihanna working with
her Fenty team and models of
every skin tone and ethnicity
posing radiantly in front of
different urban backdrops or

in a high-fashion modeling
greenroom.

The women are all beautiful,
but also strikingly different
from one another. Fenty can
truly fit skin ranging from the
palest of the pale to the deepest
of the deep. It is certainly
transformative for its wearers,
but still empowers users to feel
beautiful in an authentic way.
They are not hiding themselves
to be beautiful; rather, their
features are enhanced by
Rihanna’s makeup. “I have
always been obsessed with
makeup,” she said during her
promotional ad. “There are so
many looks you can do.”

Fenty Beauty truly offers
something for everyone.

It is contemporary, well-
formulated, diverse, daring, and
unapologetic, true to Rihanna’s
overall brand. Its message

is obvious—beauty lives in
diversity and differences. To
enhance that is to empower
women and girls while we reach
for our makeup bags and say
that our variety is worth being
reflected in the beauty market.

TAYLOR MURPHY/ASP

Rihanna's Fenty Beauty line promotes all skin colors with 40 different shades of foundation.

DATING

Post-Dating App
Awkwardness
on Campus

Source: UAlbany Photos

By KATIE GIBSON

Living in a world consumed by social media,
it’s only natural that our dating lives are on there

as well. Dating apps have changed the love scene
drastically, even on college campuses. A trip to

the Campus Center can often include a handful

of awkward run-ins with former matches. As you
walk on by, everyone seems to have a dating profile
floating over their head. It’s truly undeniable:
dating apps have become a part of college culture.

Michelle Gelda, a junior at UAlbany, joked,
“The dining hall is a dangerous place when you’re
hooking up with people on your quad. And I would
also see people I was talking to but hadn’t met up
with yet. Later they would creepily text ‘I saw you
earlier today.”

But it’s not all jokes, explains Gelda. Dating
apps remove a good deal of privacy. Many people
who don’t actually know you suddenly feel like
they do, just from the short description and picture
from your profile. She attributes the success of her
current relationship to living on a different quad
than her boyfriend. When discussing how she would
structure dates, Gelda added, “Whenever I would
hang out with someone, I would always do it at my
place so it would be on my terms. I didn’t want to
feel pressured.”

Michael Calderone, a sophomore, was also
weary about the boundaries crossed by dating
apps. He recalled a time when a date had made him
uncomfortable. With requests he did not wish to
fulfill, he had difficulty coming up with an excuse
to leave the girls room. Calderone resorted to
texting a friend and asking him to call and pretend
Calderone was late for an event.

But the need to take safety precautions does not
directly reflect the nature of dating apps. Meeting
people in real life comes with its risks as well.
Some students have had incredibly enriching dating
app experiences. Lauren Hospedales, a junior, said,
“You can meet a lot of people on campus and in
the community. I’ve heard a lot of success stories.
That’s not really me, but it’s great for making
friends.”

Good or bad, dating apps do expose students
to far more people than one would naturally run
into. If you’re regularly swiping right, make sure
that your safety is always ensured and that you’re
completely comfortable with whatever situation you
are in. And if you happen to walk past a previous
match on your way to class, duck your head and
walk the other way.

MAKEUP

New Beauty Products On-Demand for Quality

By TAYLOR MURPHY

As a makeup lover myself, I obviously had to get my hands on Rihanna’s
new line, Fenty Beauty. This line is particularly special because it focuses on
To see my shade of foundation sold out prior to this was
almost always unheard of. Since Fenty Beauty’s release, most of the darker
shades were sold out at Sephora’s.

all types of skin tones

I was very curious to see what the foundation would be like. Most

foundations at Sephora range from $32-$65. The price point for Fenty Beauty’s
$34, which is a steal. The coverage is medium to full and leaves
er is probably one of the most

foundation

a matte finish. The Trophy Wife Highlight
talked about products from the line, retailing at also $34, giving off a gold
fierce highlight that looks good on all
include an eyeshadow palette or any li

ticks, the focu:

about it.

highlight for all skin tones.

industry.

in tones. While Fenty Beauty does not
is on embracing your
skin, and that’s exactly what I love

A lot of times, celebrities will come
out with a product that will sell well,
mostly because of the name that is
attached to it. For me, Fenty Beauty
goes far beyond that. As far as quality,

I think this line goes beyond just being
a collector’s item. The makeup gives
amazing quality and coverage and is
well worth the money. I absolutely love
this line, and can’t wait to build up my
collection. After receiving such positive
reviews, I truly hope that Fenty Beauty
will continue to grow, expand and
bring even more diversity to the beauty

PHOTOS BY TAYLOR MURPHY/ASP
Fenty Beauty's Trophy Wife Highlighter, retailing at $34.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 SPORTS EDITOR: JOHN C. LONGTON III
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM

FIELD HOCKEY

Conference Play Brings Best Out of Danes

By JOHN C. LONGTON Ill

ALBANY, N.Y. — The UA\lbany field hockey team
defeated the University of New Hampshire 4-0 at home on
Saturday to open up their conference play.

Junior forward Camryn Dias scored the first and last goal
of the contest. She and her team played a complete game
and dominated the Wildcats.

“I think we came out pretty hard,” said Dias after the
game. “It was nice scoring for the first time before the other
team.”

Dias didn’t wait long to put the Danes on the board scor-
ing the first goal of the game 39 seconds into the contest.

“It was really just a cleared cut pass from Dayna (Bo-
zak),” said Dias. “I think that really set the pace.”

On the second goal Diaz did all but put the game away.
The goal came one a New Hampshire corner where goalie
Melissa Nealon made a diving stop and that’s when the
Danes brought the deflection to the other side of the field.
With the Dan dvancing and the Wildcats retreating Dias
received a pass and put the biscuit in the basket making it
4-0 UAlbany with 39 seconds left.

“The last goal we just really wanted to shut them down,”
said Dias. “The last two minutes is usually when teams
come back in conference play.”

The play was set up by Melissa Nealon, who recorded
her first shut-out of the season.

“T think we just needed it as a team,” said Nealon. “It’s
kind of nice to know that our defense can do it if we need
to.”

Nealon recorded 6 saves and was an anchor or this Dane
team that’s trying to get back to the Final Four.

“A big win for us today for sure. UNH is always a tough
conference game and I was very proud of our team’s effort
today,” said head coach Phil Sykes. “This was one of the
few games where we scored first and forced the opposition
to chase us.”

The Danes relinquished the first goal in every contest
this season including their last game against the number one
ranked Orange. In that game the Danes had a few opportu- |
nities to score, but fell 2-0 to a team that hasn’t surrendered JOHN C, LONGTON Ill / ASP
a goal all season.

That game is now behind them and the Danes have a
clean slate with a 1-0 conference record.

“Our offense is getting better and better with our pos-
sessions going forward. We scored some nice field goals

The women’s field hockey team has a 1-0 conference record.

Meee Cone Dincaleved vane well tatnn and ected two i8 the reigning national champions and have won their last show the nation that they belong and start their quest to get
Ta ak y six ina row. The second game the Danes will host North __back to the Final Four since their 2014 dream season.
The Dane ei Carolina on Sunday. The Tar Heels lost in the National

The Danes will go through the gauntlet this week as they
face murderers’ row. On Friday they will travel down to
Delaware and square off with the Blue Hens, a team that

Championship game last season to the Blue Hens. FOLLOW JOHN: @LongshotLongton
If the Danes can steel a win or two this week they can

WHAT'S MORE

IMPRESSIVE

THAN OUR STATS? OUR

GRADUATES.

At Quinnipiac University, our students are our main focus. It's why we offer graduate degrees in fields ranging from business to
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Education Health Sciences Nursing Arts & Sciences

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Secondary and Leadership Family Nurse Practitioner Law

Educational Leadership Biomedical Sciences Care of Populations* JD - Juris Doctor

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email graduate @qu.edu or visit QU.edu/gradprograms.

e e e
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UNIVERSITY
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PRINTED BY THE TIMES UNION, ALBANY, NEW YORK — A HEARST CORPORATION NEWSPAPER
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS

SPORTS

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

10

FOOTBALL

Continued from Page 1

with a top five rushing offence in
the nation averaging 263 yards in
their first two games thi

The Danes knew this coming in and]
that was a focus in their game plan
bottling up the Monmouth rushing
offense for only 63 yards. That’s
288 less yards than the Hawks had
on the ground last week versus
Lehigh.

“I thought we were very physi:

cal with them,” said Gattuso. “I
thought going into this week it was
imperative that we were physical
with them. I thought we did a great
job filling gaps and being physi-
cal.”

While the Danes were imposing
their will on both sides of the ball
they got one of their best playmak-
ers back out on the field since a
season ending ACL tear last year.
Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks got off to a
slow start, but help the Danes put
the game away late with his with
his 6-yard touchdown rush putting
the Danes up 28-14 all but sealing
the deal.

“The touchdown run was a really
spectacular run and it’s good to
have him back,” said Gattuso.
Ibitokun-Hanks was a game time
decision and there have been many
whispers that the all-conference
running back might not even play
this season.

“I knew I was ready to play last week

when we played Morgan State,” said
Ibitokun Hanks. “I stayed home and was

Ibitokun-Hanks adds another dynamic
to an offense that looks like it’s start-
ing to click. On the other hand wide
receiver Jerod Diggs had a coming out
parting with 5 receptions for 112 yards.
It seemed every time the Danes needed
a big play Brunson would find Diggs
and put the ball in his hands.

“Right now I’m not sure I can get any-
more comfortable,” said Diggs about
his role in the offense. “I feel like when
we're all clicking and on the same page
especially with EB (Ibitokun-Hanks)
back. It’s crazy.”

The Danes will have to duplicate their
performance from Saturday if they have
any chance at staying with #6 Villa-
nova, who they host next week at 7 p.m.
at Casey Stadium. Nova is coming off
a 59-0 performance against Lafayette
last week looked as nothing could stop
them.

Last year the Danes lost 24-13 to the
Wildcats, handing Albany their third
loss in row sending their season where
they opened up 4-0 into a tailspin.

This year the Danes are still finding
their footing and are hosting a much
improved ‘Nova team. If the Danes can
muster a win this coming weekend it
will show to the rest of the league that
they are playoff worthy.

DALIA YAN / ASP

Will Benson rushes 20 yards for a touchdown.

knee to get ready to play.”

going to do whatever I needed to do to my

FOLLOW JOHN: @LongshotLongton

MEN’S SOCCER

Boschen’s Late Goal Continues Home Streak

By ROBERT LEPELSTAT

When Kaz Boschen found the back of the net on a cross
from teammate Nico Solabarrieta, he was lost for words.

Over the course of a four year career for the redshirt
senior with the University at Albany men’s soccer team,
Boschen had never scored a goal.

Until Friday night with his team desperately holding on
toa 2-1 lead at home vs American University, Boschen
came off the bench and became the hero the Danes needed
to seal their fourth straight win at home.

After taking a 2-0 lead in the first half, UAlbany men’s
soccer held off a furious comeback by American University
to win 3-1 behind Boschen’s first career goal in the 88th
minute.

“There is no true feelings for scoring a goal,” said
Boschen, “and to get my first is just unbelievable. Credit to
Nico, it was an unbelievable ball he played across. But it’s
a great win, we stay undefeated at home so it feels great for
the team.”

In the 36th minute, junior midfielder Carlos Clark broke
the scoreless tie off a pass from teammate Daniel Krutzen
and ripped a shot in the top right comer of the net past the
American goalkeeper John Mino to give UAlbany a 1-0
lead.

‘The Danes would extend the lead to two on a long
through ball connection from sophomore Brynjar Steinpors-
son to redshirt freshman Owen Fingar right before the half.
Fingar collected the pass from Steinporsson, cut around the
goalkeeper Mino and tapped the ball into the goal for his
third goal off the bench this season.

UAlbany dominated the first half and outshot Ameri-
can 6-1 to go along with four corner kicks in the first 45
minutes.

American would come out in the second half extremely
aggressive and looking to find a way back into the match.

The Eagles would get their wish when they were granted
a penalty kick after a collision inside of the box.

Freshman midfielder Tim Neumann converted on the
PK opportunity blasting a shot past the outstretched arms
of Lucas Vallilo and into the top right corner of the net to
cut the Danes lead in half with 14 minutes remaining in the
match.

In the 88th minute with the score 2-1, Boschen would
seal the win for UAlbany off the cross from Solabarrieta
and over the head of Mino to find the back of the net.

Boschen was fired up, pumping his fist before he jumped
in the air and was mauled by his teammates on the right
sideline after his game-sealing goal for the Great Danes.

It was a choppy match between the two teams with three
yellow cards and 31 fouls called during the evening.

UAlbany has now played at home in four of its last six
matches and is still undefeated at home in 2017.

“American came in they were pretty physical, pretty
direct in their play up and down the field. It showed us that
we had the discipline to defend as a team well and attack
pretty well as a team,” senior defender Moosah Khanat
said. “We scored three goals- had three different players
scoring and three different players assist. It’s good that
we're having a team effort together.”

Next up for the Danes, UAlbany will play their next
two games on the road matching up against Lafayette and
Harvard before returning home on Saturday September 30th
to start America East conference play against preseason
conference favorite UMass Lowell at Tom & Mary Casey
Stadium.

Source: UAlbany Sports
Kaz Boschen scored his first career goal on Friday night.

FOLLOW ROBERT: @RobertLepelstat

PROFILE

Mofor the Money, Success as Starting Runningback

By CHRISTIAN SCHAEFER

Source: UAlbany Sports
Karl Mofor played as starting running back for the Great Danes.

If you were to keep up with UAI-
bany’s football program last season,
one offensive player should come to
mind first. Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks is
the starting running back for the Great
Danes and last year he put the team on
his back as he racked up 1,401 rushing
yards, most in the Colonial Athletic
‘Association conference. Along the
way Ibitokun-Hanks recorded sixteen
touchdowns, which was the second in
the CAA. These achievements earned
him a spot as an FCS Third Team All-
American and on the 2016 All-CAA.
Football First Team.

UAlbany’s main back was having
a season to remember until the final
game. In that game against Stony
Brook, Ibitokun-Hanks went down
with a torn ACL in his left knee on the
first possession of the game. Without
their star running back, the Danes
needed someone to fill his spot for the
2017 season.

Who the Danes found was, Karl Mo-
for. Since taking over the top spot on
the depth chart, the Greenbelt, Mary-
land native has rushed for 197 yards
and scored three times through the first
two games. He was poised to continue
his strong rushing efforts again on
Saturday at the home opener against
Monmouth.

As much success as he’s had, it

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SPORTS_ASP!

wasn’t always easy for Mofor.

“It was hard at first a little bit because it’s more time
and more energy — you have to work harder,” he said.
“But after a while, you just get into the flow of things;
you just get comfortable and then it’s all good from
ihere.”

The more Mofor gets comfortable in his position, the
better he and the rest of the offense is going to get. If
his strong running performances continue teams will be
forced to focus on shutting him down and causing less
pressure on Danes Quarterback Will Brunson, opening
up the pass.

“KJ (Kendall Rogers Jr) helped me a lot in learning
the playbook because he was there during the summer
workouts and he knew the routes. EB (Ibitokun-Hanks)
helped when he got here too,” said Mofor.

His teammates help him show his potential during the
first game of the season against Old Dominion. Though
the Danes lost that game, Mofor remained a bright spot
rushing for 98 yards and catching 2 passes for 29 yards
with a touchdown.

“For my first game, | just tried to stay as calm as
possible and just know my plays and know where I’m
supposed to be at all times. I just wanted to get in there
and help the team.”

As the season continues, Ibitokun-Hanks will assume
his starting role. But for Mofor, this isn’t a concern.

“My goals for the rest of the season are to just help my
team any way possible. Whether that be running the ball,
receiving, blocking, special teams, anything I do just
play the game basically. Get as many yards as possible
and give it 100%,” said Mofor.

The Danes will need that kind of spirit from everyone
on the team as they look to improve on last year’s 7-4
season.