CONT: ISSUES AT HOME-
COMING PG. 3
MEN’S LAX PRIMED FOR
OPINION: SA needs a more
diverse Parkfest lineup PG. 5
POSTSEASON PG. 10
MAY 1, 2018
ISSUE 10
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:
Ariana Grande’s Got ‘No Tears
Left to Cry’ PG. 7
LIFESTYLE: Stay sane during
finals week PG. 8
ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET
UNIVERSITY POLICE
UNION
STAFF
By ELISE COOMBS
Following a series of claimed ongoing
issues, the union representing police of-
ficers at the University at Albany contends
that their relationship with leadership in
the University Police Department and the
university is broken.
The Police Benevolent Association has
raised its concern with issues including the
*s handling of timely alerts for
urity at homecoming, ac-
tive shooter training, and repairs for police
vehicle:
Thes ues, the PBA claims, have either
been denied or covered up by command
staff and the university administration.
Referring to the areas of concern, PBA
Executive Director and Counsel Daniel De
Federicis said, “Command staff is doing the
university’s bidding to protect the image.”
This statement on command staff follows
a survey the PBA released last summer
taken by its members who work at UPD. In
the survey, respondents put forth a vote of
no confidence against command staff—in-
cluding Chief J. Frank Wiley and Assistant
Chief Aran Mull.
Overwhelmingly, respondents indicated
that they felt senior management in UPD
is not interested in employee opinions and
ideas.
With many respondents indicating that
they are searching for other employment, a
clear majority also conveyed that they felt
the university has an inappropriate amount
of influence over the department.
When asked for an interview, Wiley
referred to Director of Media & Community
Relations Jordan Carleo-Evangelist and
Mull did not respond.
The university responded in a statement
provided by Carleo-Evangelist, who wrote,
“The members of the UPD command staff
among them have six decades of service to
the UAlbany community, and they come to
work each day with the safety and well-
being of students, faculty, staff and their fel-
low officers foremost in their minds.”
Seeking to address the concerns revealed
in the survey, the PBA met with UAlbany’s
Office of Human Resources several times.
The PBA has since discontinued formal
SAYS UPD COMMAND
IS ‘DYSFUNCTIONAL’
JOE HOFFMAN / ASP
The PBA, representing officers in UPD, is calling for a union meeting with President Rodriguez to address their concerns with command staff and
labor/management meetings, where Hu-
man Resources would address the union’s
concerns with command staff among other
issues
‘arleo-Evangelist wrote that the uni-
versity is willing to meet with the PBA in
formal labor/management meetings when
the union is ready to resume meeting.
However, the PBA is now calling for a
meeting with President Rodriguez because
they believe that Human Resources is un-
able to effectuate change.
Referring to such meetings through Hu-
man Resources, De Federi id, “Why
would we continue to meet at a level that
that we do not have valid complain
The university has declined meetings the
PBA has requested with President Rodri-
guez.
Rodriguez has visited UPD to meet offi-
cers twice in his time at the university, once
in November and once at the beginning of
April.
De Federicis described Rodriguez as
“engaged” and “genuinely concerned” in
the president’s April meeting with officers,
but said, “The relationship between the
PBA and the leadership there at the police
department and higher is still broken.”
either refuses to effectuate change or tells us
their handling of issues.
CLERY TIMELY ALERTS
In several serious criminal incidents
on campus in recent years, the university
waited hours to issue an alert to the campus
community.
Based on officers’ concern that the
university is violating federal law requiring
univer 's to issue timely alerts for such
crimes, the PBA filed a complaint with the
Department of Education last December.
In the complaint, De Federicis claimed
that nine incidents violated the Jeanne Clery
Act since UAlbany either didn’t issue an
See UPD page 2
TOBACCO POLICY
University to Implement
Tobacco Ban in January
By JOE HOFFMAN
‘The University at Albany announced
Tuesday that a complete ban on tobacco
products on campus will be implemented
in January 2019 — an initiative funded by
a $20,000 grant.
PRINTED BY THE TIMES UNION, ALBANY,
JOE HOFFMAN / ASP
The tobacco ban the university will implement in January includes Juuls.
CVS Health, in partnership with the
American Cancer Society and The Truth
Initiative, granted the University at Alba-
ny Foundation $20,000 last fall as part of
CVS’ “Tobacco-Free Generation Campus
Initiative,” a campaign to encourage col-
lege campuses to ban tobacco products.
NEW YORK
Much of UAlbany’s tobacco-free ini-
tiative will be focused on marketing and
informing the campus of the new policy.
How exactly the ban on cigarettes,
vapes, hookahs and more might be en-
forced is still to be determined, according
to co-chair of the Tobacco-Free Steering
Committee Dr. Dolores M. Cimini.
UAlbany communications specialist
Kelsey Butz said Friday that none of the
grant money has been spent, but that the
university expects to use it for putting
up signs, raising awareness, and funding
resources to help students and employees
quit smoking.
Two weeks ago at a Student Asso-
ciation meeting, Dr. Cimini, her fellow
co-chair Estela Rivero, and Middle Earth
President Nicole Bulanchuk presented
several reasons why the campus should
ban tobacco.
“Smoking isn’t good for you, let’s not
beat around the bush,” said Bulanchuk.
“So the fact that we’re saying ‘UAlbany
you are now tobacco-free,’ what does
that mean for the tobacco user? It means
that maybe you should work on being
tobacco-free too.”
Bulanchuk cited a 2015 study pub-
See SMOKING page 3
SA FINANCES
Auditors
State $9.6K
Missing
from SA
By CHAD ARNOLD
An unaccounted-for withdrawal of $9,600
was discovered during a financial review
of Student Association finances — just one
of several deficiencies highlighted by the
organization’s independent auditors this past
week,
The withdrawal from an investment ac-
count came to light in January 2018 during
an audit of the 2017 fiscal year by UHY, an
independent auditing company hired by SA
to review its finances.
SA’s fiscal year spans from July | and
ends June 30 the following year.
The withdrawal was discovered the same
time a grand larceny in the third degree in-
volving missing funds from SA was reported
to UPD.
“When testing the investment balance,
we noted a discrepancy and when we noted
that discrepancy we informed management,
who turned it over to the University Police
See AUDIT page 2
A HEARST CORPORATION NEWSPAPER
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
NEWS
EDITORS: JOE HOFFMAN AND CHAD ARNOLD
THEASPNEWS@GMAIL.COM
UPD
Continued from Page 1
alert immediately or didn’t issue one at
all.
De Federicis wrote in the letter that he
believes the university didn’t issue noti-
fications out of concern for protecting its
image.
The Clery Act requires universities
participating in federal aid programs to
issue timely alerts to the campus commu-
nity when the institution confirms that an
immediate and ongoing dangerous situation
exists.
In the case of a reported rape on Dutch
Quad in October 2016, the university took
over eight hours to issue an alert. The sus-
pect was arrested around 10 hours after the
incident occurred.
Following his December complaint to the
DOE, De Federicis wrote to Rodriguez in
January that he doesn’t believe the univer-
sity can properly investigate the claimed
failings of UPD’s command staff.
Command staff, who are not members of
the PBA, make the decision to issue an alert
along with university officials.
Rodriguez responded to the letter reject-
ing that the university took part in any
“systematic effort” to violate the Clery
Act, writing that safety and well-being of
the campus community is the university’s
“foremost concern.”
Rodriguez wrote that UAlbany would ad-
dress the PBA’s allegations with whatever
process the DOE requires.
After the PBA released to the public its
complaint to the DOE, the university issued
a statement saying they were in compliance
with the Clery Act.
The university referenced this statement
when it declined the Albany Student Press’
interview requests with officials, includ-
ing Rodriguez, Chief Wiley, and Assistant
Chief Mull, citing that they do not have
anything to add.
The decision to issue the statement,
Carleo-Evangelist explained, was made
collaboratively between the President’s Of-
fice and the Office of Communications and
Marketing.
Issuing an alert, according to the state-
ment, involves “close collaboration among
University Police Department command
staff, the Office of Equity and Compliance
and, when appropriate, other senior Univer-
sity leadership.”
In the statement, the university iterated
its commitment to safety and transparency,
stating that the university’s actions are
consistent with the federal law.
Referencing the university’s statement,
De Federicis said, “They’re publicly deny-
ing it, but they have to realize there’s a
problem and I have to believe that they’re
going to examine their procedures and
change them.”
At the end of February, there was an
armed robbery at the Mobil on Western
Ave., called the “Campus Mobile.”
‘The two suspects displaying handguns
ran onto University Drive in an unknown
direction.
The Albany Police Department alerted
UPD of this incident. The incident report,
clarifying that the type of incident was
assisting another police department, stated
that the APD investigation was ongoing at
the time.
Though the incident occurred around
1:40 a.m., UAlbany didn’t send out an alert
until over two hours later.
De Federicis claims that this was not a
timely alert because APD notified the uni-
versity police department immediately.
The Clery Act handbook states, “A warn-
ing should be issued as soon as pertinent
information is available.”
De Federicis sent details of this incident
to the DOE in March as an addendum to his
original Clery Act complaint.
In the addendum, De Federicis wrote,
“Perhaps what is most disconcerting about
the University at Albany’s most recent fail-
ure to issue a timely warning is the fact that
this occurred even after the PBA provided
SUNY Albany President Rodriguez a copy
of our complaint to your agency.”
The DOE neither confirms Clery Act
reviews or investigations nor discusses the
status of cases. Once the DOE completes a
review, it issues a Final Program Review
Determination, which details the depart-
ment’s finding:
De Federicis said he hopes the investiga-
tion is completed in a matter of months.
HOMECOMING
At homecoming in October 2017, a
retired police officer and her 21-year-old
daughter spent nearly half an hour navigat-
ing through crowds of young people in the
Dutch Quad parking lot. After missing a
significant portion of the game, Kim Zara
and her daughter, Maria, returned to their
car to find people sitting on the hood of her
2017 Lexus with their drinks.
Disturbed by this, Zara asked them to get
off her car. They were unresponsive until
she got inside and moved slowly out of the
parking lot, when they followed her and
made comments.
Zara detailed these instances in an
emailed complaint to UPD on Oct. 23.,
which was included in a Freedom of Infor-
mation Law request the PBA filed.
In an interview last week, Zara explained
her concern with a lack of security staffing:
“There needed to be more police presence,
much more security, much more visibility
because that was not there.”
Staffing for the event noticeably in-
ELISE COOMBS / ASP
A group convened by President Rodriguez in response to homecoming complaints last year set
forth a recommendation to have tailgating conclude before the game begins.
creased from 2016 to 2017. There was a
six-fold increase in UPD staffing for the
Dutch lot pre-game, and a 60 percent post-
game increase.
However, De Federicis wrote to the chief
at the Albany Police Department the day
before homecoming to ask for help.
In his Oct. 20 request, De Federicis asked
APD Chief Robert Sears to assign person-
nel to patrol parking lots during and after
the game or to have patrols at the ready,
citing his concern with staffing from fights
that erupted the year before.
Earlier that day, De Federicis had spoken
to UPD’s Chief Wiley, whom he described
as “unaware” and “non-committal” on ask-
ing outside agencies for assistance.
Responding on Wiley’s behalf to a
question of whether he contacted outside
agencies, Carleo-Evangelist wrote, “UPD
did not request, nor did it require, any as-
sistance from outside police agencies on
homecoming weekend.”
Sears confirmed last week that APD was
not asked to send in help, though the agency
was aware of homecoming.
After homecoming last October, univer-
sity administration received a number of
complaints.
One person wrote a letter to President
Rodriguez detailing that when they left the
game to go back to their car, a crowd of
young people was congregated on the hood
of their vehicle smoking and drinking.
For several minutes, the person was
unable to move the vehicle because the stu-
dents would not leave. A young man helped
the distressed person since police officers
were addressing other situations.
Describing their experience, the person
wrote, “Being completely surrounded by
drunk and high young individuals was a
situation that could have been avoided if
proper security was put in place.”
Addressing a separate situation, Carleo-
Evangelist sent an emailed follow-up to
someone who had called about repairing
vehicle damage.
Carleo-Evangelist wrote that the attendee
could be reimbursed for repair costs if they
sent an estimate and final bill.
According to a Freedom of Information
Law document obtained by the PBA, the
estimate totaled nearly $700.
Carleo-Evangelist indicated that no state
funds were used to pay for the car’s dam-
age.
When pressed on where the money came
from, Carleo-Evangelist wrote that the
University at Albany Foundation “paid two
claims totaling less than $2,500,” indicating
that no donor money was used.
Administration responded to the com-
plaints and request for reparation saying
that President Rodriguez had convened a
team to conduct a complete review of the
events in the Dutch Quad parking lot.
One of the group’s recommendations is
to change the tailgating policy such that
tailgating would end when the game began.
Senior university leadership has been
made aware of the team’s recommenda-
tions, who are expected to consider them
before the fall season begins.
See UPD page 3
CRIME BLOTTER
Theft of Services Petit Larceny
4/26/2018 4/25/2018
Alumni Quad — AQ Other Other — UPD
Report of a female student
refusing to pay for food. A
referral was made.
4/25/2018
Report of stolen property.
Title IX Referral
Grand Larceny 4 - Value
Property Grater Than
$1,000
4/24/2018
Other — UAB
Report of a missing package.
Other — Off-campus
Title IX referral.
Unlawful Possession of
Enter/Remain Unlawfully Marijuana
in Dwelling Take into Custody Men- 4/23/2018
4/26/2018 tally Ill Person Likely to Colonial Quad — Delancey
Indian Quad - Mohawk Tower Harm Someone Hall
Report of a male student 4/24/2018 Report of two male students
trespassing on campus. An
arrest was made. Hall
Colonial Quad —
Hamilton in possession of marijuana.
Referrals were made.
Medial Assistance.
Contact
4/22/2018
Public Lewdness ~ Expos-
es Ones Private Parts ina
Public Area
4/23/2018
Empire Commons — EC A
Cluster
Report of public lewdness.
Grand Larceny 3rd Degree:
Property Value Exceeds
4/21/2018
$3,000
4/22/2018
Dutch Quad ~ Ten Broeck
Hall in Court After Summons
Report of stolen property. Served
Harassment 2nd—Physical 4/21/2018
Indian Quad — 1Q Grounds
Report of an altercation.
Criminal Mischief 3rd:
Damage Another's Prop-
erty - Amount > $250
Indian Quad ~ Oneida Hall
Report of property damage. West
Defendant Fails to Appear
Roadways — UAB/MSC Lot
A male student was arrested
for an active Bench Warrant
with Albany City Court.
Criminal Possession Mari-
juana ~ 4th: Weight More
Than Two Ounces
4/20/2018
Roadways — University Drive
Report of a male subject in
possession of marijuana and
marijuana paraphaernalia. An
arrest was made.
AUDIT
Continued from Page 1
Department,” said Michael Zo-
vistoski, one of UHY’s auditors,
who explained that management
included the SA president and
University Auxiliary Services who
took custodianship of SA finances
on July 1, 2017.
UPD declined to comment, cit-
ing an ongoing investigation into
the missing funds.
Jordan Carleo-Evangelist,
university director of media and
community relations, confirmed
the general timeline of events.
SA President Jerlisa Fontaine
did not respond to multiple re-
quests for comment.
The unaccounted-for trans-
action was just one of several
deficiencies discovered by UHY
during the 2017 fiscal year.
A majority of bank reconcili-
ations for the year went unper-
formed, credit card approval
requests were not always made
available to support card usage,
and several significant expendi-
tures were not formally approved
through SA’s required approval
CHAD ARNOLD / ASP
UHY auditors informed senators of
a $9.6k unaccounted for withdrawal.
process. Numerous checks and
wire transfers were also written
and conducted without proper
approval.
According to SA’s Treasurer
Handbook, all purchase requests
and credit card usage must be ap-
proved in advance by the comp-
troller’s office and any receipts
must be submitted to the office
before a student group is reim-
bursed for any expenditure,
Not following this process, ac-
cording to the auditors, could lead
to inappropriate expenditures.
In addition, auditors discoy-
ered old outstanding checks that
continue to be carried on the
books and no formal approval and
review process for tracking vaca-
tion times and accruals for staff
members.
“We've been told for a long
time that this is the reality,” said
Jarrett Altilio, senate chair. “But
seeing it on paper delivered to us
is a whole other story.”
After failing to keep up with the
reconciliation process throughout
the year, which led to delays in
the auditing process, UAS took
custodianship over SA’s finances
this past summer.
“The University fully agrees
that students have a right to know
how their money is being spent,”
said Carleo-Evangelist in a state-
ment. “That is why the University
strongly advocated for the inclu-
sion of University Auxiliary Ser-
vices in this process as SA’s fiscal
agent, and we are confident that
the 2017-18 SA audit will reflect
HAVE A NEWS TIP? EMAIL US AT THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM
this more robust oversight.”
According to Patrick Carroll,
SA deputy comptroller, problems
with the reconciliation process
stem from a lack of staff in the
comptroller’s office. Carroll is just
one of three full-time employees
who works in the office.
“This office has always been
short staffed,” said Carroll who
explained overseeing a $2.6
million budget is a lot to man-
age for the small staff made up
of full-time students. “I think the
resources this office is getting
doesn’t always reflect the work
that is required from this office.”
UHY auditors recommended
hiring a full-time financial
manager to create a better sense
of continuity within the organiza-
tion from year-to-year, an idea
proposed by Carroll during his
failed SA vice-presidential bid
earlier this year and since echoed
by Alltilio.
“I think a lot of the problem has
been solved by us using UAS,”
said Altilio. “But that doesn’t
negate the fact that there could
be merit or benefit to having...
that consistency of somebody
who is working there and has the
knowledge.”
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
EDITOR: ELISE COOMBS
THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM
UPD
Continued from Page 2
ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS
Though the PBA has claimed issues with
student safety, it also claims that command
staff and the university have violated the
article of their collective bargaining agree-
ment that concerns safe working conditions
for employees.
In a grievance last year, the PBA
presented its stance that current active
shooter training constitutes unsafe working
conditions for UPD employees. The union
asserts that it is unsafe for officers to not
have trained with outside agencies and in
the most likely location an active shooter
would attack.
The grievance cited that in true active
shooter situations, multiple police agencies
respond.
The PBA’s statement of facts on the
grievance also indicates that the yearly
active shooter training is typically not on
the Podium—the center of campus where
the union says an incident is most likely to
occur.
An incident in 1994 involved a shooter,
Ralph Tortorici, who took students hostage
in a Lecture Center hall on the Podium.
Command staff said that training location
so the probability is that training
happens on the Podium once every three or
four years.
Human Resources denied the grievance
last December, reasoning that the PBA
failed to provide its claim through docu-
ments showing that the current training
creates unsafe working conditions.
The denial of the grievance shows com-
mand staff’s claim that it contacts outside
agencies to participate in active shooter
training sessions.
Carleo-Evangelist wrote in an email,
“Invitations like these are often conveyed
verbally during the frequent conversations
that members of the UPD command staff
have with their counterparts in nearby
police agencies.”
Acting Chief Robert Sears at the Albany
Police Department indicated that the agency
does not train at UAlbany.
Sears said that it could be beneficial for
APD to train on campus, though he was
unaware of UPD’s protocol in an active
shooter situation.
“We're never going to be able to train
everywhere,” Sears said. “We would be
open to it.”
The other agency that De Federicis
claimed would respond at UAlbany in the
case of an active shooter situation is the
Guilderland Police Department.
Deputy Chief Curt Cox at Guilderland
was unsure if the department trained at
UA\lbany, but indicated, “Familiarity with
any place is beneficial.”
VEHICLE GRIEVANCES
Advancing their concerns with officer
safety, the PBA alleges that the university
again violates the safety provision of the
collective bargaining agreement with the
JOE HOFFMAN / ASP
Human Resources, housed in the University Administration Building, denied grievances the PBA brought forth claiming that command staff and
the university have violated a safety provision in the collective bargaining agreement.
condition of police vehicles.
In January 2017, the PBA filed a griev-
ance claiming that UAlbany had failed
to replace vehicles that had issues with
stalling, balding tires, and malfunctioning
brakes. The PBA also cited vehicles having
high mileage and dashboard warning lights
that turned on.
The PBA wrote in the grievance that
these conditions placed the safety of of-
ficers at risk and created the situation where
an officer could be injured or killed.
In their response to the grievance, Human
Resources cited that this claim was specula-
tive, saying, “To-date no civilian or police
grave injuries or fatalities have occurred.”
Human Resources denied the grievance,
reasoning that vehicles are taken out of ser-
vice and repaired when issues are reported
to command staff.
A report of vehicle outstanding services
shows that an officer reported a vehicle
needed new windshield wipers in Sep-
tember 2016. Two months later, the same
officer reported that the vehicle still needed
wipers and that it is unsafe to drive in the
rain.
In their response to the grievance, Hu-
man Resources also indicated that manage-
ment purchased two new vehicles in 2016
and received funding to purchase two more
in 2017.
The university’s administrative review
through Human Resources is the first step
in the grievance process.
De Federicis took the second step and
sent a grievance appeal to the SUNY diree-
tor of employee relations in March 2017 a
couple weeks after the university denied the
PBA’s initial grievance.
SUNY acknowledged receipt of the ap-
peal and later contacted the PBA to agree
to a review that included a hearing of PBA
grievances in October.
De Federicis indicated that there were
some improvements to vehicles after the
grievances, such as more purchases and
better repairs.
Referring to the grievance, De Federi-
cis said, “They denied it, but we believe
it was effective in calling their attention
to the problem and the fact that this was a
safety issue and they did improve the fleet
notably.”
A couple weeks after the PBA filed the
grievance, UPD issued a policy that placed
mileage caps on how far officers could
drive in a given shift.
De Fedricis said that, given the timing
the caps were instituted, command staff
was retaliating against the PBA’s vehicle
grievance.
Chief Wiley told the Times Union last
summer that the caps were intended to in-
crease foot patrol and help with community
policing.
In February 2017, the caps for driving
on the main campus and downtown campus
were 15 miles per shift and 20 miles per
shift, respectively.
Last May, the caps increased to 25 miles
and 30 miles.
IDE CONSULTAN'
OU
‘The PBA claims that the university
has made signs of initial effort to address
these issues, but that their relationship with
command staff and the university remains
broken.
“We think the leadership of the police
department is dysfunctional right now,” De
Federicis said.
Consequently, the PBA is looking for the
university to bring in an outside consul-
tant to examine the claimed issues in UPD
that extend beyond the DOE investigation
regarding timely alerts.
Last year, SUNY New Paltz’s UPD
brought in an outside consultant to address
issues within their department.
The consulting firm D. Stafford & As-
sociates conducted a three-day assessment
of the safety and security practices within
New Paltz’s UPD.
DSA returned a couple months later to
hold a workshop that would help the UPD
go forth and implement its objectives.
A planning committee formed by SUNY
New Paltz’s university police then came up
with short-term, midterm, and long-term
projects to improve its transparency to the
campus and its commitment to safety.
De Federicis believes that bringing in an
objective, outside consultant to review UPD
is a start to repair the “broken relationship”
between command staff and officers.
“T view the command staff's harmful
effects on the police department and the
police officers individually as the death of
a thousand cuts,” De Federicis said. “You
may not see it immediately. It may take a
few years, but it’s happening.”
Editor’s Note:
Additional reporting from Joe
Hoffman
Additional documents can be
found online:
albanystudentpress.net
JOE HOFFMAN / ASP
Provost James Stellar and Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Christakis bear purple and gold umbrellas as they enter University Hall during last Friday's rain showers.
SMOKING
Continued from Page 1
ished by the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention in
which 68 percent of adult smokers
reported that they wanted to quit.
January’s tobacco ban, Bulanchuk
and the initiative steering commit-
tee argue, will give UAlbany stu-
dents and employees who smoke
that extra push to quit.
Rich Sargent, a student ac-
counts employee who has been
smoking for 30 years, said he
disagrees with the policy.
“T don’t know really; I un-
derstand where they’re coming
from, but they’re taking rights
away from people that are legal to
smoke,” he sai
Sargent had tried to quit in the
past, such as when his daughter
was born, but he eventually al-
ways turned back to smoking.
“I’ve been thinking about quit-
ting before I heard about it,” said
Sargent, referring to the tobacco
ban. “I definitely am gonna try,
it will give me a reason to do it
more.”
Brenda Seckerson, direc-
tor of the Employee Assistance
Program, said she is working on
developing an on-campus support
group for employees who wish to
quit or manage cravings.
Dr. Cimini, who directs Middle
Earth’s parent center, Behavioral
Health and Applied Research,
said that a tentative plan is to use
Middle Earth members as ambas-
sadors for the tobacco ban.
If these students saw someone
using tobacco on campus, they
would approach them, inform
them of the new policy, and direct
them to cessation services if they
desired them.
“Enforcement is actually very
small part of a policy that supports
a tobacco free campus,” said Dr.
Cimini.
A study of UAlbany students
and employees set to be released
a month from now is expected to
bolster the campaign.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of
e-cigarettes and vaping in the
ban has caused some controversy
among students.
HAVE A NEWS TIP? EMAIL US AT THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM
Ryley Scott, a psychology
sophomore, uses the popular vape
product called Juul. While she
said she doesn’t see complying
with the ban next year being too
hard for her, she disagrees with
that part of the ban.
“I don’t even know if you
should have to ban Juuls or vape
products because they’re not
really what is the issue,” said
Scott. “I feel like the real issue is
cigarettes.”
EDITOR: DANIEL RUSSELL
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM
4
OPINIONS
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS.
REBUTTAL
Political Correctness Doesn’t Infringe
on People’s Right to Free Speech
By COLLIN O’CONNOR
Politically correct (PC) is
a pejorative term. It is used
negatively throughout conservative
news media to demonstrate the
“oppressive” nature of the far-
left. In fact, Matthew Noyes, the
president of SUNY Albany’
Turning Point USA chapter states,
“It’s a threat to free speech and
freedom and must be fought.” For
Turning Point USA, “freedom”
is their calling card. This is why
I found it so intriguing that their
president does not know what free
speech actually
Free speech is being able to sa
what you want when you want,
as long as it does not cause clear
ent danger. Turning Point
every right to say what
they wish, PC or not, courtesy of
our First Amendment Rights. This
is why our police officers protect
KKK members and neo-Nazis at
public rallies
you, but you can still say what you
want. That is free speech.
If anything, attempting to stop
political correctness as the norm
is the opposite of freedom. Being
PC prevents the marginalization of
minority groups and individuals.
Being PC also prevents
minority individuals from being
homogenized into the majority.
Being anti-PC is the very definition
of ethnocentrism, something that
America cannot allow to continue.
Every publicly educated child
should have been told that America
is a melting pot of different races,
cultures, gender identities
orientations, religion:
Being PC allows thos
Someone may correct
to blend together, while still
acknowledging them for what
they are. Forcing an individual
to adhere to your norms simply
because you are too lazy to lear
word differences is dangerous and
anti-freedom.
In Matthew Noyes’ article, he
states that PC culture shuts down
free speech and is exemplified
by the numerous riots that have
occurred when a conservative
figure comes to speak on a college
campus. His logic fails to recognize
that being PC has nothing to do
with the riots on college campuses
and is a separate issue all together.
Rioting occurs bec: individual
do not want to listen to conservative
talking heads.
I can understand not wanting
gridlock is through compromise.
Compromise must include listening
to the opposite side of the political
spectrum. Violence is not okay,
and the inability to communicate
with political adversaries i:
counterintuitive, but it has nothing
to do with being politically correct.
Political correctne: something
that should be celebrated. As
American citizens we should want
to adhere to the correct way to
describe a person, regardless of
what group they fall into. The PC
mindset does not come without
challenges, as most people make
mistakes regarding pronouns
Personally, I am guilty of using
the term “guys” to describe all
people, and it is something that I
am working on. Someone who uses
the term, “man up” in an opinion
piece is ignorant of the situation all
‘CONNOR
together. So please, don’t be lazy.
Learn from your mistakes. Being
politically correct is synonymous
to being correct, and the rhetoric of
the ignorant should not convince
anyone otherwise.
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TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
OPINIONS
EDITOR: DANIEL RUSSELL
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM
NOISE FROM NOYES
Campus
Met my
Criteria
By MATTHEW NOYES
The University at Albany surpassed
my expectations in the quality of
education, extra-curricular opportunities,
and the friends I’ve made. At the same
time, the university is dominated by
leftist bias and lacks a diversity of
opinion.
Thad two criteria in mind when
looking for a university to transfer to
after community college. A strong
political science and Japanese program.
UAlbany had both, which is what drove
me to go out of state to Albany. Both
departments impressed and challenged
me academically. Professors Chris
Clary and Susanna Fessler deepened my
understanding of Political Science and
Japanese, respectively, and pushed me to
my full potential.
A lot of transfers would be better off
living on campus instead of Alumni
Quad. It reduced the quality of my first
semester experience. The commute, the
lack of parking, and the cleanliness left
a lot to be desired. Not living on campus
your first semester takes away from the
sense of community. The worst aspect of
the dorm was that neither the faculty nor
students had any respect for the building.
Every day the bathroom and facilities
were neglected and filthy.
The worst thing about UAlbany, and
most colleges in the U.S. is the bias.
The illiberal left on campus purports
to support tolerance and inclusion
but, they’re often the most bigoted.
Both faculty and students have created
an environment that suppresses free
thought. By pushing social justice
and political correctness, people who
believe in liberty are labeled all sorts of
nasty things. I can’t count the number
of students that have come to me and
said they’re afraid to raise their hand in
class because their opinion is different
than the profe . This is the reason
why groups like Turing Point USA
are flourishing. TPUSA gives a voice to
Conservative and Libertarian students
by encouraging them to speak out
against bias. You can’t have productive
academic discourse if everyone thinks
the same way.
Despite the near leftist monopoly over
discourse, there are many students and
professors that treat others with kindness
and respect regardless of political
orientation. One student, Subha Tasnim
and one professor Victor Asal, come
to mind. I debated Subha and others on
whether UAlbany should be a sanctuary
campus. Afterwards, I was overwhelmed
with thanks and kindness from her and
those on her side. Professor Asal showed
respect and encouragement to students
who don’t fit the left-leaning narrative.
That’s how things should work.
I can’t count the times the opposite
has happened, when professors
have shut down students who think
differently. Our campus community can
only get stronger if we look at others for
who they are instead of their ideologies.
A disagreement on politics is no barrier
to friendship unless you choose to make
it one.
I’m proud to be a Great Dane because
of the strong academics, opportunities,
and people at UAlbany. My only regret
is that I didn’t come here for my whole
undergraduate career. If you want to get
the most from your time in university do
three things. Join a student organization.
You'll gain experience that translates
into professional skills while having
fun and becoming part of a community.
Make friends and spend as much time
with them as possible. Friendship
gift from God that fills every day with
joy. Lastly, go to class and study hard.
You can achieve anything through hard
work, no matter what anyone says.
NOYES
PARKFEST
SA Needs to Diversify the
Music Lineup for Parkfest
By DANIEL RUSSELL
Parkfest 2018 was last
weekend, and was once again
dominated by hip-hop/rap
acts. This has been the case
for almost a decade; the last
time that the event had a genre
besides that was in 2008 when
Phantom Planet played, and
in 2007, which had Cartel and
Augustana. But since then,
and for all four years of my
University at Albany experience,
it’s primarily been hip-hop or
rap. I'd argue that Whetan — the
19-year-old electronic DJ that
played this year’s concert — i
the most diverse act they’ve had
since then. I’m sick of it, and
the Student Association should
diversify the lineup once in
awhile.
This isn’t simply a personal
e of bias. Pll admit that ’m
a huge fan of alternative/indie
music, but I like hip-hop and rap
as well. This is an issue of just
repeating the same concert over
and over again, to the point that
having a non-rap artist would
be a surprise. If SA announced
that a group like Arctic Monkeys
playing Parkfest, I'd be
flabbergasted. It’s to the point
now where Parkfest has the
connotation of being a rap
concert rather than anything else.
Italso
doesn’t help
that this concert
thrown together
at the last
minute as well.
This year, it
announced
less than two.
weeks before
it was being
held, and that’s
usually how it’s
been the past
few years. Half
my friends didn’t even know
when Parkfest was, let alone
who was playing it. And once
the lineup was announced, most
of them were as sick of the same
genre as I was, and they didn’t
go either.
It would also be nice if
students had some input into who
gets selected to play the concert.
Two years ago, | remember
being emailed a survey from SA
that contained choices for who I
wanted to see play Parkfest that
ar, We got no such email:
year or this
year, which
seems to
indicate that
SA really
doesn’t
care what
students
think about
who they
get to play.
This would
make sense
they also
RUSSELL Gon’t seem
to care about
following their own bylaws
or keeping track of their own
money in an efficient way.
I’m not saying that Parkfest
needs an entire transformation,
but it does need a slight one.
For example, maybe having a
different genre of music every
year. If one year is dominated
by hip-hop, have the next year
be devoted to a different one. Or
perhaps have multiple genres
within one show. In 2016,
Binghamton University had
T-Pain and Walk the Moon
headline their spring concert,
and that’s an interesting, diverse
concert I'd definitely attend. But
until then, it looks like we'll be
stuck with the hip-hop trend for
years to come.
I’m graduating in May, and
I'll be doing so without having
attended a single Parkfest in
my four years here. The lineup
simply never appealed to me,
and I threw away the idea of
going almost every year once the
concert’s acts were announced.
And honestly, I don’t really have
any regrets about not going.
What’s the point in going to
a concert to see acts that I’m
not interested in? The point of
going to a concert is to see a
performance by an artist that
you know you'll like, and you
shouldn’t have to be bribed to
go. Perhaps if there was a bit
more diversity in the lineup, I
would’ve gone.
STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE
SA Should Scale the Activity Fee
Based on People’s Circumstances
By RAYMOND E. STRAWN
I don’t agree with the scaling
of the student activity fee. The
fee in 2017-2018 was $110 (per
semester?) for students taking
12 or more credits, $82.50 for
9-11 credits, and $55.00 for 6-8
credits. The student activity fee
funds groups, clubs, programs,
and other activities of the Student
Association.Full-time commuter,
off-campus, or non-traditional
students, who pay the full
amount, have less free time to
engage and participate in these
clubs, groups, and program:
Therefore, they should pay less
in student activity fees.
Full-time commuters, off-
campus, and non-traditional
students do not attend or
participate in many clubs,
programs, or groups anyways
Meeting usually run late at night;
some start at 6:30 p.m and others
late as 8:00 p.m. A full-time
student like myself who lives
an hour away, I won’t get home
until 10 p.m. And for a full-time
student like myself who has
children, participating in a club
or group is not doable.
In an article written on
December 7, 2016, Austin
Ostro pointed out that there
were issues among tickets for
Parkfest and acquiring “higher
quality and more diverse artists
to campus” and that is one reason
why he supported an increase
2016. But how
many full-time
commuters,
off-campus, or
non-traditional
students
with children
come to the
campus on
the weekend?
If these
students are
not attending
these events,
then why are
they paying
the entire amount of student
activity fees?
The major concern with
proposing a pay scale for full-
time commuters, off-campr
and non-traditional students
is the impact on funding for
groups, clubs, and programs. In
2016, a vote passed to increase
the student activity fees from
$100 to $110. Ostro explained in
the same article that there were
alot of complaints from student
group leaders about cuts because
there was not enough funding.
However, the ASP reported
this April
that SA has
a $600,000
surplus and
that SA
has $1,500
allocated
for t-shirts
using student
activity fees.
It appear:
the SA is
receiving
adequate
funding and
STRAWN proposing
a pay scale
for full-time
only reasonable but feasible and
achievable.
Even if the SA does not have
enough funding to support all
the clubs, organizations, and
programs, then the SA officials
and student group leaders
need to learn better money
management and budgeting
skills. If budgeting is a problem,
then we need new officials in SA
and new student group leaders
who can get the job done. We the
students should focus more on
electing SA officials and student
group leaders who are qualified
and have the skills to manage
the budget rather than voting on
popularity. If we reduce wasteful
spending, increase transparency,
and manage our money more
efficiently, the SA budget is
more than sufficient to handle
the demands of the students with
anew pay scale.
Tf part-time students are
allowed a pay scale for their
student activity fees, then how
come full-time students who
live off-campus, commute,
or have children pay the full
amount of student activity fees?
There should be a pay scale for
full-time students that factors
how far away the student lives
by miles and if the student has
any children that determine the
amount of student activity fee
that student pays. It is fair and
makes sense to do it that way.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
TELEVISION
‘Scandal’ Finale Could’ve Been Explosive
By DIEGO CAGARA
After seven years which saw
the show's many peaks and fal
ndal” premiered i
finale, titled “Over a C fo on
April 19 on ABC
‘As one would expect from a
successful long-running show
that it’d be explosive, nostalgic
and provide closure, this finale
unfortunately felt underwhelming.
Warning: spoilers!
Led by main character
Olivia Pope (played by Kerry
Washington), showrunner Shonda
Rhimes was the creative mind
behind this political thriller TV
show which premiered back in
Pope was the Chief of Staff
of newly-appointed President
Melody “Mellie” Grant (Bellamy
Young) and was Command
of B613, a secret and dark
nization which ran under the
ite House.
The show’s final few episodes
dealt with Vice President Cyrus
Beene (Jeff Perry) wanting to
have President Grant impeached
so he can take the Oval Office
for himself, by framing her for
hijacking Air Force Two on which
ors
SA Director and B613 associate
Source: Twitter
The finale respectably drew 5.64 million viewers, roughly half of the series-high ratings of 11.96 million (season four
premiere).
Jake Ballard (Scott Foley) in his
nefarious plan.
What made ndal” an
intriguing show was that there
were no genuinely good or
bad characte ‘ast instead
often championed as a fierce and
empowering African-American
woman who exuded confidence
and style, she also literz
and killed a wheelchai
man with a chair (giving its
fifth season’s episode name:
“Thwack!”) and even alm
poisoning Beene with a drink.
e show also constantly made
use of murder, manipulation,
coercion, blackmail and
ransom in its storylines so that
characters can get their ways
and move forward.
Hence, for the finale, seeing
the majority of the characters
get a happy ending just felt off.
In “Over a Cliff,” Pope had
decided that telling the truth
will, almost sounding cliched,
set her and her team free,
even literally outing B613’s
ence to the world on
hocked virtually
everyone and Cyrus, desperate
for his plan to usurp the Oval,
decided to have Ballard kill
David Rosen (Joshua Malina),
the U.S. Attorney Gen
where Rosen ran into a gun-
wielding Ballard in a dark
parking lot, Rosen surprisingly
stood up for himself and
refused to be the victim, even
insulting Ballard by perceiving
him as always doing things on
behalf of his superiors like a
trained dog.
he finale earned its first
frustrating scene where Rosen
later naively met with Cyrus
who pretended he’d negotiate
for a plea deal, only for Rosen to
accept an apparently-poisoned
alcoholic beverage from him. His
predictable, also felt
the finale quickly moved on other
scenes, not giving the character
much closure, especially since
he’d been on the show since the
first season.
Second was when after Pope
and her team were finally free
and won’t be punished for their
crimes (which seemed too good
to be true), Quinn Perkins (Katie
Lowes) excitedly said that “[We]
The good guys won.”
As a loyal “Scandal” viewer,
seeing her and Pope’s team
as purely good guys was
questionable, given their criminal
and unethical pa
Thirdly, a defeated and
alcoholic Cyrus eventually agreed
to sign his resignation papers and
simply walle out of the Oval,
which felt unfair since he rightly
deserved far worse punishment
for all his despicable actions in the
show. Instead, Ballard took the
fall for all of Cyrus’ misdeeds and
led.
Finally, the show was often
remembered for Pope and former
lent Fitzgerald “Fitz” Grant
Tony Goldwyn) star-crossed
romance sinc 2012 debut,
and both characters have long
considered to relocate to Vermont,
literally make jam and live the rest
of their lives together happily
But in the finale, we’re never
given a single glimpse of that
hopeful-sounding future and it
ended still in Washington DC, not
Vermont.
With Fitz constantly
referencing Vermont, and Pope
even entertaining that idea several
times throughout th
would assume the fini
end with them finally living that
fantasy out for real.
But it never happened.
But judging from how Pope
confidently walked past the White
House, the Washington Memorial
and the National Museum of
African American History and
Culture, before meeting Fitz in
the show’s final three minutes, it
seemed that Shonda Rhimes and
Pope’s character both did their
best to conclude “Scandal” in a
satisfactory manner.
SUCCES
doesn't MIE
SUMM
Albany students, headed home for the summer break?
If so, enroll in Summer Session at Suffolk County Community College
and get a head start on next semester or even make up a course.
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with another five-week session starting July 9".
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Enroll in fall classes, too! Call 631-451-4111 or visit us online.
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albany.edu/summer
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TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
Ariana Grande’s Got “No Tears Left to Cry’
While Paying Tribute to Manchester Victims
By KASSONDRA GONZALEZ
Pop star Ariana Grande returned to the
music scene with the release of her first
single since 2016, “No Tears Left To Cry,”
last Friday and began her newest era with a
bang.
The song’s release shuts down any
rumors that the single would be an
emotional ballad.
Around the 20-second mark, the
soft angelic introduction builds up and
transforms into a dance-pop anthem of joy.
The electronic drums are reminiscent
of the 1990s, but the rest of the musical
elements, lyrics included, provide a fresh
pop hit straight out of the 21st century.
Although the beat certainly stands out,
Grande’s iconic and powerful vox re the
front-and-center star of “No Tears Left To
Cry,” as though the song had been crafted
to uniquely fit her voice.
The message is meant to uplift listeners
as it references Grande’s current state of
happiness, with the first few lyrics of the
chorus including: “Right
now, I’m ina state of
mind / I wanna be in,
like, all the time / Ain’t
got no tears left to cry.”
The lyrical relevance
is not lost on the general
public, considering
this is Grande’s first
official rel ince the
bombing at her concert
last May.
That attack had killed
23 people, including
the attacker, and injured
even more, many of them
being young children.
Source: fourzine.it
Grande’s overall image for the new era represents hope after tragedy, which she'd heavily teased on her social media, symbolizing moving forward.
Grande paid her respects two we
the terror attack by organizing a benefit
concert entitled, “One Love Manchester,”
to raise money for the victims and their
Source: YouTube
The Dave Meyers-directed music video evoked disorientation, which
Grande felt after the attack, the city backdrop referencing Manchester.
s after
families.
In an Instagram post about her new
single to her followers, Grande said,
“[ hope this song brings you light and
comfort but also makes you wanna dance
and live ya best life! Iam so excited for
this new chapter with you all.”
The strong optimistic energy that the
song encompasses clearly resonated with
the singer’s fans.
Within 24 hours of its release, “No
Tears Left To Cry” managed to reach
number one on iTunes in over 80
countries.
The music video that came out
simultaneously (an artistic effect-filled
take on a world that allows Grande to
defy gravity) garnered over 14 million
views within that same time period.
Both achievements broke Grande’s
personal records and the single debuted
atop the iTunes Worldwide Song Chart.
The day after its release, Grande made
a special guest appearance at the annual
music festival, Coachella, alongside
Norwegian DJ Kygo.
She performed “No Tears Left To
Cry” for the first time as well as a cover
of “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye,
wowing the tens of thousands in the
audience with her sudden arrival and
stunning live vocals.
According to TMZ, Grande was
apparently involved in the writing of
every song on her upcoming album,
which has been produced by American
artist and producer Pharrell Williams,
and Swedish songwriter and producer Max
Martin.
In an interview with “Today,” Williams
said, “I have work to do. Music to make.
And so many records... Ariana Grande’s
s set to take over The
Starring Jimmy Fallon
for a full hour on Tuesday, May 1, and
perform her new single.
The current success of “No Tears Left
To Cry” is sure to set the tone of Ariana
Grande’s future success with her fourth
studio album planned to arrive sometime
this year.
The lead single exudes pure bli
grows on the listener more with each
replay, and gives pop music lovers a new
feel-good banger to sing at the top of
their lungs just in time for the summer.
MUSIC
Tracing the Decades-Long Success of Country
Music Which Still Continues to Thrive Today
By DANI MARTINEZ
Country music is one of the genres that
you can either play all day long on your
radio or something that you switch the
channel from immediately.
According to Britannica, “Country music
became popular in the 1920s with artists
such as the Carter Family and Jimmie
Rogers being the pioneers.”
Country music generally is about
struggles in life, being raised in rural areas,
making it to the top and staying humble no
matter what.
Although country music was around for a
long time, it reached commercial success in
the 1960s, with hits by singers Patsy Cline,
Loretta Lynn and Charley Pride.
Instruments that were once widely used
in an older form of country music were
fiddles and steel guitars. However, in recent
years, electric guitars and drums have
grown in popularity.
Country music in the 21st century has
adapted into many genres such as country
pop, country rock, bro-country, Christian
country and country hip-hop.
For example, in the 1990s, the genre
known as country rock was adapted with
hits by Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson.
One of Garth Brooks’ songs, “Ain’t
Going Down Till the Sun Comes Up,” is a
mixture of a country sound and drums.
Most recently, Keith Urban has
continued the trend of country rock, who
has been inspired by pioneers such as John
Mellencamp.
Another artist inspired by Mellencamp is
Jake Owen who recently released the song,
“T was Jack (You Were Diane),” which
sampled Mellencamp’s original tune, “Jack
and Diane.”
An example of country pop would be
Taylor Swift’s earlier
songs with upbeat tempo
with a twang sound such
as “Love Story.”
In 2016, Demi
Lovato, who is known
for her various pop hits
collaborated with Brad
Paisley for the song,
“Without a Fight.”
Songs that display
the genre of bro-country
would be “Small
Town Throwdown”
(by Brantley Gilbert,
Thomas Rhett and Justin
Moore) and “Somewhere
ona Beach” (by Dierks
Bentley).
This genre is about
men getting together and
having a good time.
On the other hand,
Christian country is
a style of music that
caters to Christian
be Josh Turner’s “Me and
God,” Reba McEntire’s “Back to God”
Brandon Heath’s “ Jesus in Disguise.
In recent years, country music has
mixed with hip-hop and has proven to be
successful on the charts.
An example of country hip-hop would be
Florida Georgia Line.
According to Billboard.com, “The duo
was influenced by rap music, such as the
artist Lil’ Wayne.” After all, in their “This
is How We Roll” song, its lyrics said, “The
mixtape’s got a little Hank, little Drake.”
There have been collaborations such as
Tim McGraw and Nelly’s “Over and Over,”
and Jason Aldean and Ludacris’ “Dirt Road
AWARDS
1 Best Country Vest Mae, foe
17) weak “Te Garber (1979,
Cony of Koy Regent
AWARD
Laery Burl, producer af “The Gam”
"Comanche County" and sthernajoe
2itgby Kenny Rogers, received the 1979
Anthem.”
Most recently, Carrie Underwood
worked with Ludacris to create this year’s
Super Bowl anthem, “The Champion.”
Some controversies that surround these
genres include how they are perceived as
moving away from the traditional country
sound.
According to an Entertainment Weekly
article from October 2013, Jason Aldean
and Zac Brown got into an argument over
Brown’s criticism of fellow singer Luke
Bryan’s song, “That’s My Kind of Night.”
‘Also that year, Shelton criticized people
who liked the old style of country music;
this remark led Willie Nelson to change the
Source:
The Grammys continue to honor and respect key figures in country music, showcasing the genre's relevance today.
name of his tour.
The change in developing more genres
within country music can be perceived as
beneficial because it encourages people to
buy more records.
For example, without Mellencamp
inspiring various country artists today, he
wouldn’t have various songs dedicated to
him.
A future style within country music
would mostly likely be one that is mixed
with EDM (electronic dance m
Country music remains important
because with each year, it keeps changing
ists emerge and discovering more
styles requires active listeners.
mu
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
EDITOR: KATIE GIBSON
LIFESTYLE.ASP@GMAIL.COM
LIFESTYLE
ee
uring Finals
] i
ij \\ \\
By KATIE GIBSON
It’s that time of the
We’re piled under wor
struggling one coffe
Finals can be a drag, but it may
also be the last time you see
your friends for the next few
months. It’s important to keep
your priorities so that you can
maximize what title fi
you have. Here are some tips
etting through finals.
Breakfast
Start your di
lots ks
right wi ae
the most important meal of
will thank
ving
at two in the
hall for some eggs
skipping the bacon for more
nutritional food like bananas.
to a blender, get into the
habit of making smoothies the
night before so that you can
maximize your time.
Study in bursts
Our minds can only focus
for so long before th
to wander, so plan for short
breaks. Bring a fun book or a
game and rest your brain
CHURRASCARIA
The Festivities - |
And Your Meal:
ery twenty or thirty minutes
Netflix could work also wor
but it’s very tempting to
marathon shows when you’!
stressed. Si V for the
evening.
Plan Plan Plan
Get a planner and schedule
hedule so
r working
ht in the morning
ight at night. This
may sound extreme, but your
body needs time to and
recover. You probably won’t be
concentrating as well at night
anyway.
-Neve
and try to put all
your mind. Think of simple
things like friendship and your
favori' show. Remember
that the world is kind of a cool
place. This will put you in the
right headspace for the rest of
the day.
I'm not saying eat a whole
tray of cookies, but this is a
ful time and cooki
ju want a cook
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KATIE GIBSON / ASP
Finals begin on Friday, May 11.
Plan a picnic with your
hang around and
a few more
important,
but so our the relationships you
build. Don’t isolate
during finals; draw
from your f s
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR: JOHN C. LONGTON Ill
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM
9
BASEBALL
Blue Devils Sweep Danes at Home
yen LUROCS oak Fa
L~
By ROB LEP
After a home series sweep of
the first place Stony Brook Sea-
wolves followed by a road series
win versus preseason conference
favorite Binghamton and a win
over Fairleigh Dickinson sand-
wiched in between, the University
at Albany baseball team was rid-
ing nothing but positive momen-
tum going into their mid-week
clash with 2017 NEC Champion
Central Connecticut State Tuesday
afternoon at home in Albany.
Unfortunately for the Danes,
despite taking a 1-0 lead off an
RBI double by Matt Codispoti,
they allowed four runs in the top
of the fifth inning, ultimately fall-
ing to CCSU 4-2 at Varsity Field.
The Danes had a runner on
second base with one out in the
bottom of the ninth down two, but
were unable to come away with
any runs.
‘After a leadoff single by junior
infielder Patrick Lagravinese and
a steal to put himself in scor-
ing position, junior catcher Matt
Codispoti hit an RBI double down
the left field line, driving in Lagra-
vinese from second to put the
Danes out to an early 1-0 lead in
the bottom of the first.
Four runs from CCSU with
four different players picking up
RBIs gave the Blue Devils a 4-1
lead in the top of the fifth. Senior
infielder Dean Lockery finished
the day with one hit and one RBI
in the win.
Lockery is the Blue Devils top
offensive player this year, batting
.320 with two home runs, 15 RBIs
and a .438 on-base percentage.
UAlbany scored one run in the
bottom of the eighth inning on an
RBI double by Connor Powers,
the Danes’ leader in home runs
and RBIs this season, to cut the
deficit to two runs. Powers has 22
RBIs in 2018 to go along with five
home runs as the Danes’ number
three hitter this season.
Redshirt senior pitcher JT
Genovese lasted 4.2 innings, let-
ting up four earned runs on four
hits with three strikeouts.
Connor Takacs was very strong
in relief, pitching 2.1 innings for
the Danes, allowing only two hits.
and striking out one.
-
Source: Jim Harrison / UAlbany Sports
On the other side, pitcher Matt
Shane came up big for Central
Connecticut State, going 4.2 in-
nings in relief while allowing just
one run on four hits to go along
with two strikeouts.
Overall, the Danes had trouble
getting anything going versus
Shane and killed the positive
momentum and hot bats they had
been riding coming into this game.
The Danes had won seven of
their last eight games going into
Tuesday’s non-conference clash,
after losing nine of their last ten
games before that.
CCSU lost two of their last
three coming in, falling in a home
series to LIU Brooklyn.
“We had limited opportunities
to score, and you have to credit
Above: Connor Powers is the Danes’ leader in home runs and RBis this season.
Central Connecticut St,” head
coach Jon Mueller said. “They
did a good job of limiting us of-
fensively. We'll just have to pack
it up and look forward to Iona
tomorrow.”
UAlbany was set to play Iona
on Wednesday, but the game
was canceled due to inclement
weather.
The Great Danes currently sit at
fifth in the America East confer-
ence standings with a 7-8 record
in conference play. They are 17-
17 overall this season.
CCSU improves to 4-10 on the
road this season.
Next up for the Purple and
Gold, they’Il take on Manhattan
Wednesday May 2 at 5 p.m. in
Wappingers Falls, NY.
\
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ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET
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TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2018
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR: JOHN C. LONGTON Ill
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM 1 0
MEN’S LACROSSE
Danes Primed for Postseason Run
Source: Greg Wall / UAlbany Sports
Jakob Patterson led the Great Danes with four goals in UAlbany’s win against Hartford on Saturday.
By JOHN C. LONGTON III
HARTFORD, CONN. — The No. 5 Uni-
versity at Albany men’s lacrosse team (12-
2, 5-1 AE) earned a share of the America
East regular season conference title and
the rights to host the AE tournament after
defeating Hartford (3-10, 0-6 AE) 16-6 on
Saturday.
The Danes bounced back in the win
column after losing to No. 5 Yale last week
14-6. In that contest the Danes were domi-
nated in every facet of the game and did not
resemble the No. | ranked team they were
in weeks prior.
Sophomore Jakob Patterson led the Great
Danes with four goals as freshman phenome
Tehoka Nanticoke recorded a hat trick as
the Dane Train rolled in the dominating win
over the Hawks.
UAlbany took an early 3-0 lead six min-
utes into the game when Nanticoke netted
his first goal of the contest. From there the
Danes were on cruise control and slowly
cushioned their lead.
“We wanted to walk away feeling
confident. We played really good defense
against a good offense,” said UAlbany head
coach Scott Marr. “To hold them to six
goals is great by our defense.”
The Great Dane defense set the tone early
in the game and held the Hawks to only
three shots in the first period. Senior JD
Colarusso also had a solid performance in
front of the net recording 11 saves.
Senior captain Connor Fields was back
in action coming off a nagging knee injury.
He finished with five points dished out
four assists and scored a goal. Fields has
been hampered by an ailing knee for the
better half of the season. With him back
in the lineup, the Danes appear to be a full
strength just as the postseason begins.
UAlbany hit a couple bumps in the road
as of late when they suffered losses to
UMBC and Yale in a span of two weeks.
Up to that point the Danes were a unani-
mously ranked No. | in the nation and had
a few program staple wins. Saturday they
were back to full strength and showed
flashes of that mid-season team.
UAlbany will host UMass Lowell at
Casey Stadium on Thursday for an America
East semifinal conference tournament game
that will start at 7 p.m.
Last year the Danes cruised through the
AE tournament and earned their way to
the NCAA tournament where they lost to
Maryland 18-9 in the elite eight. This year
the Danes beat the Terrapins and look to be
ready if they meet again in this postseason.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
Seawolves Hand Danes Reality Check
By JOHN C. LONGTON Ill
ALBANY, N.Y. — Despite
Emma Powlin’s five goal perfor-
mance, the University at Albany
women’s lacrosse team (8-8 6-1
AE) fell to No. | ranked Stony
Brook Seawolves (17-0 7-0 AE)
21-8 on Saturday in their regular
finale.
The loss snapped a seven game
win streak for the Danes and also
slotted them for the second seed
in the America East Tournament,
which begins next weekend.
The Seawolves were relentless
on the faceoffs and took a 4-0
lead three minutes into the game
without the Danes even touch-
ing the ball. UAlbany narrowed
the gap to 5-3 and their offense
showed signs of life as they
managed to muster six goals in
the first half. However, they also
surrendered 12.
“Stony Brook is the No. 1 team
in the country for a reason, and
they showed why today,” said
UAlbany interim head coach Jes-
sica Davos. “While we had some
bright spots, we simply made
too many mistakes. And they
were able to capitalize on those
miscues.”
There were a few bright spots
for the Danes. Powlin’s five goals
combined with Sam Tortora’s six
points was something that UAI-
bany can build off of heading into
the offseason. This was the fourth
time this season Powlin scored
four or more goals in a game and
she finished the regular season
out with 43 goals.
UAlbany started the season
out 0-7 and has come a long way.
Since then, the team has won
eight games in a row and heads
into conference play with a full
head of steam. The Danes look
like a different team than at the
season’s start and have had some
big wins in the past few weeks,
including knocking of No. 20
Notre Dame.
Stony Brook is the number one
team in the land and exposed the
Danes’ weaknesses, which they
can build off of heading into the
conference tournament. That tour
nament starts this weekend.
Last year the Danes’ lost in the
America East Tournament at the
hands of a No. 4 Stony Brook by
a score of 14-12. Despite the loss,
UAlbany still earned a selection
in the NCAA Tournament. This
year they look to get over that
Stony Brook hump, which has
grown.
Follow our sports
Twitter for updates on
games:
@Sports_ASP
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JOHN C. LONGTON III / ASP
Jordyn Marr with the ball in the Danes’ loss against the No. 1 ranked Stony Brook Seawolves on Saturday.
