CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
1916—2016
New exhibit
opens at
University
Museum
What helps
student-athletes
balance
hectic lives?
PAGE 6
PAGE 9
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
ISSUE 15
ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET
LABOR
UALBANY AND UUP REPORTS BEGIN TO
FIGHT RELIANCE ON CONTINGENT LABOR
By MADELINE ST. AMOUR
R
eliance on contingent faculty and staff
has become a trend not only at the
University at Albany, but in higher
education at large in the United States.
In the fall 2013 semester, UAlbany appointed 535 new faculty members. The
majority, 87 percent, were given part-time
positions, and 73 percent got a job for one
semester.
Contingent faculty are people who
aren’t employed on a permanent
or continuing basis - for example,
a full-time lecturer who gets a
contract for one year.
Provost James Stellar led
a panel which looked into
contingent staff at our school.
The panel’s report, which was
sent to President Robert J. Jones
in October of 2015 and released
online in November, includes
many distressing figures, but also
a few upshots and proposals to
make things better. Unfortunately,
Stellar couldn’t be reached for
comment before deadline.
Smoke Signals
The number of lecturers (parttime and full-time) employed by
UAlbany went from 376 to 535
over four years, according to a
dataset the panel received from
Human Resources. Lecturers
with 10-plus years of experience
jumped from 98 to 181.
More classes and students are
taught by contingent faculty.
According to the same data, in
the fall of 2014 more than half
of lecture and seminar courses
were taught by contingent faculty,
which means 61 percent of all
seats the university offered
to students were taught by
contingents.
The Albany Chapter of United
University Professions had
similar findings in its report on
contingent labor, “Woven Into Its
Very Fabric,” using a mixture of
UAlbany data and data from the
Modern Language Association
(MLA). Tenure-line faculty teach
36.5 percent of students, while
non-tenure-line faculty teach
63.5 percent, it said. It also
found that most academic
contingents are part-time - 26.6
percent versus 8 percent.
Why is this a problem?
Contingent faculty usually
receive much less pay than
tenure-line faculty and less
stable paths to health insurance.
Source: UUP
Beyond material concerns,
Graphics from UUP’s report show the dramatic increase in use of
many contingent faculty
contingents over the past 20 years.
and staff members feel less
livable salary - it comes out to
5. Longer contracts based
welcomed by the university
$11,200, which means they’d
on length of service (35
and are often less informed about
qualify for SNAP, New York’s
percent)
the university than their tenured
food stamp program.
counterparts.
Many adjuncts travel between
Salary is important because the
In UUP’s report, contingent
campuses to work around the class
minimum pay rate at UAlbany is
faculty listed their top job
limit. Rebekah Tolley, a fine arts
$2,800 for a three-credit course,
concerns. The majority (76
professor at UAlbany, traveled
and that hasn’t changed in over a
percent) marked “raising the perbetween the Capital Region and
decade. The national average is
course minimum salary” as top
$2,987, reported by The Chronicle SUNY Oneonta last year working
priority. Here are the top five:
of Higher Education in 2013 using as an adjunct.
UUP surveyed contingents in
data from its data website, “The
1. Raising the per-course
November and December of 2014.
Adjunct Project.” The project
minimum salary (76
From a pool of 496 people, a total
also shows the wide variation in
percent)
of 38.5 percent responded. Using
pay for adjuncts - some adjuncts
2. Regular salary increases
these responses, UUP estimated
reported making $1,000, while
based on length of service
how many hours contingents work
those at Harvard University make
(44 percent)
and thus their hourly pay.
an average of $11,037.
3. Ability to move into
The survey used self-reporting,
Adjuncts at UAlbany can only
a position that has the
really the only way to track hours
teach two classes. If they’re given
possibility of tenure (40
for professors, so a completely
two, they qualify for healthcare.
percent)
accurate record isn’t possible.
Two classes per semester at
4. Ensuring health benefits
$2,800 doesn’t make a very
(35 percent)
Please see CONTINGENTS page 2
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
WRITERS INSTITUTE
The Campus Center’s
expanding, adding a
surprise for students
Science author talks
relationships - animal
and human
By JANIE FRANK
By LINDSEY RIBACK
Some changes are being made to the
original campus center reconstruction plan.
In an area near the 518 Market, around
where Cusato’s Pizzeria and the H2O Zone
used to be before construction began, a
Starbucks will be added.
Stephen Pearse, director of Auxiliary
Services at the University at Albany, said
the decision to add a Starbucks is relatively
new.
“Originally we didn’t know what this was
going to be” he said, “It was going to be
more of a generic coffee station.”
Scott Birge, the director of Campus
Center Management, said that Starbucks
could affect other eateries on campus.
“We may or may not keep Jazzman’s,”
Birge said.
Bathrooms will be added near that
location as well, including a women’s,
men’s and family bathroom.
The area that was originally supposed to
be a two-story fitness center will now be
made into something else entirely.
“The top part is now going to be a
meeting room that will be a little larger than
the Assembly Hall,” Birge said. “The bottom
portion of it is going to be… a lounge.”
Birge explained that the lounge will have
an open front. He hopes that there will be a
bookshelf, board games, a television and a
fake fireplace.
The end date for the project has been
extended. It was originally supposed to be
finished by early 2017, but the expected
completion date has now been pushed back a
few months.
“That got pushed back a little bit because
of some of the changes that went on,” Birge
said.
The project is still expected to be finished
in 2017.
“That might be as early as January or it
might be as late as the summertime,” Birge
said. “The key is once the construction is
complete, then there’s a whole lot of fitting
out to do.”
He was referring to furnishing the new
area, preparing the kitchen and making sure
everything is ready for the grand opening.
According to Pearse, once the building is
ready the process of opening could take two
to three months.
The new addition will have a special place
for ethnic food. Southeast Asian cuisine
company Star Ginger has been confirmed
for this location. There will be three separate
styles of food.
“It’s got Thai cuisine, it’s got a noodle
bowl and it’s got your more typical Asian
- beef teriyaki, General Tso, that kind of
stuff,” Pearse said.
The budget for the entire project, both
reconstructing the original Campus Center
and expanding it, is $62 million, which
includes design, equipment, and asbestos
removal costs.. The process is on budget
according to John Giarrusso, associate
vice president of finance for Facilities
Management.
Smithsonian magazine, but the steps
she had to take to get to where she is
now.
Just in time for Sexuality Month,
Verdolin began by telling the room
University at Albany seniors
of 10 students that she made the
gathered in their honors journalism
decision to drop out of high school
class on Thursday for an exclusive
at the age of 16 after realizing she
opportunity to not only hear about,
was not learning about the things
but also discuss the most recent work
she cared about. She began taking
of Jennifer Verdolin, a behavioral
biology courses at a community
scientist.
college and after seeing a program on
Verdolin is the author of “Wild
National Geographic about mountain
Connection,” published in 2014,
gorillas, she decided that she wanted
about dating and mating in the animal
to study something she has always
world and what it can tell us about
been interested in: animals.
our relationships. Despite a delayed
With her passion for primates
flight into Albany, she managed to
in mind, Verdolin called as many
have enough time to not only discuss
scientists studying primates that
her work, which has been featured
she could before she received the
on BBC, National Geographic and in
opportunity to study capuchin
monkeys in Argentina.
“I get to Argentina. I was
like, this is really nice to visit,
but I do not want to follow
monkeys around for 10 hours a
day with 30 pound of bananas
on my back,” the behavioral
scientist said.
Not a big fan of tropical
rainforests, Verdolin decided
to return to studying prairie
dogs like she previously did
for her master’s degree at
Source: jenniferverdolin.com Northern Arizona University.
Verdolin dropped out of high school at 16
and started to pursue her love of animals.
Please see VERDOLIN page 2
PRINTED BY THE TIMES UNION, ALBANY, NEW YORK — A HEARST CORPORATION NEWSPAPER
2
NEWS
EDITOR: KASSIE PARISI
THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM
VERDOLIN
Continued from Page 1
Upon completing her Ph.D., she looked for a way to not
only combine her interest in writing with her passion
for science, but to also steer away from the technical
and non-personal writing that scientific works typically
entail.
It was when a newly single Verdolin thought to
herself, “Oh my gosh, I study social structure and mating
systems in animals and I ended up making the worst
choice. How is that possible?”
She explained that she took her experiences, both
personal and professional, to Scientific American with
the hopes of changing society’s way of thinking about
animals from “this is how animals are like us to actually,
this is why we are like them.”
Having read some of Verdolin’s articles on
Psychology Today, senior Francesca McGuire asked her
what aspect of animal relationships she enjoys writing
about the most.
Verdolin noted that when it comes to relationships
we should be grateful to be human as opposed to other
animals, “At least you’re not a praying mantis. Your
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
head doesn’t get cut off.”
She ended her discussion explaining how amazing
it is to her that the human species prides itself on its
sophistication, yet it lacks the ability to effectively
communicate in relationships, be them romantic or
platonic.
“If they [animals] are not communicating well they
take a break,” she said. “They don’t keep beating the
dead horse with a stick until everyone hates each other.”
Later that night, Verdolin re-shared her work and
experiences with the rest of the UAlbany community at a
free and public reading in the Campus Center. The New
York State Writer’s Institute sponsored this event for
their Visiting Writers Series in conjunction with Middle
Earth Peer Assistance Program, University Counseling,
and Psychological Services as part of Sexuality Month.
More information on the university’s Sexuality Month
can be found by scanning the QR code below.
Do you love
photography? THEN
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THE ASP!
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are handed out weekly.
Email photo editor Brittany
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CRIME BLOTTER
Physical Contact
Harassment
1/29/2016
Empire Commons
Report of a male and
a female involved in an
altercation. The student
was referred
Motor Vehicle
Registration
Suspended
1/29/2016
Roadways
Report of a male
student operating a
motor vehicle with a
suspended license. An
arrest was made.
Unlawful Possession
of Marijuana
1/29/2016
East Campus
A male student was
found in possession
of marijuana and was
referred for the same.
Aggravated
Unlicensed Operation
of a Motor Vehicle
1/30/2016
Roadways
Report of a male
student operating a
motor vehicle with a
suspended license. An
arrest was made.
Criminal Possession
of Marijuana
1/30/2016
Alumni Quad
A male student
was found to be
in possession of
marijuana. An arrest
was made.
Money Forgery
1/30/2016
Empire Commons
Report of a food
delivery order that was
paid with counterfeit
money.
CONTINGENTS
Continued from Page 1
Bret Benjamin, president of UAlbany’s UUP
chapter, said the number of hours “look a
little high” to him, but the report notes that
the results show “that contingent faculty
subjectively feel themselves overworked,
or to be working more than the 10-hour per
week per course calculation that has been
used to determine the percentage of their
appointment.”
With that in mind, the median result shows
that a lecturer estimates 268 hours of work
per course per semester (about 14 hours per
week when class is in session, and 11 hours
for the weeks before and after) and has a
median pay rate of $3,215. At this rate, a lecturer is making a median
of $12 per hour. The full range is listed as
$12 to $16 per hour.
“The point is that there’s real and
valuable conversations about $15 an hour
minimum wage everywhere and effectively
we’re looking at people with Ph.Ds
teaching at universities who are right at
that point,” Benjamin said, “and that seems
disproportionate and out of line with what we
understand minimum wage work to be.”
Beyond the pay
Contingent faculty also feel less included
in the university environment. UUP’s
report highlights the lack of education and
orientation given to contingents when they
start at the university. Eighteen percent of
part-time contingents did not know if they
taught a General Education course or not,
according to the report. Of the surveyed
contingents, almost 40 percent didn’t know if
they could get health benefits and 15 percent
didn’t know if they had service obligations.
“I think it’s just the ad hoc way that
adjuncts are hired and utilized,” Benjamin
said.
The contingency committee’s report
also looked at workplace environment
issues, surveying faculty and dividing
them into subgroups of faculty versus staff
and part-time versus full-time. The report
found variability among answers, with
generally positive reviews from faculty
(although it noted there is “ample room for
improvement”).
“Those other things… have to be
addressed, but they’re secondary as far as I’m
concerned,” Benjamin said.
The solutions
The provost-led committee’s report lists
14 recommendations. Regarding pay, it
Unlawful Possession
of Marijuana
1/30/2016
Dutch Quad
Two male students
were found to be
in possession of
marijuana. One male
student was arrested.
Criminal Possession
of Marijuana
1/30/2016
Indian Quad
Two male students
were found to be
in possession of
marijuana. One of the
students was found to
be in possession of
a forged ID and was
referred for the same.
Grand Larceny
1/31/2016
Podium
Report of a stolen
MacBook and credit
card by an unknown
subject.
Motor Vehicle
Registration
Suspended
2/1/2016
Roadways
Report of a male
subject operating a
motor vehicle without a
registration. An arrest
was made, vehicle was
towed.
Petit Larceny
2/2/2016
PE Complex
Report of a stolen cell
phone.
recommends raising the minimum per course
rate to $5,000 over the next two to three
years.
When asked if he thought $5,000 per
course is enough, Roberto J. Vives, the
director of track and field who was on
Stellar’s committee, said it isn’t, but “it is a
move in the right direction.”
The report also recommends asking deans
and department chairs to try to assign two
courses to contingents, so that they can get
healthcare. Other recommendations include
creating integration policies for contingents,
creating a single place of information for
contingents, providing a framework for
longer-term employment, and establishing a
Task Force to continue the committee’s work
now that the report is published.
“What is very important in the report is
job security and moving those who have
several years of good service to multiyear appointments,” Vives said. “This
illustrates confidence in your workforce and
significantly improves the environment.”
The report recommends that contingent
faculty and staff shouldn’t be given a
position for less than one year when possible,
and encourages giving contingents with
good records multi-year commitments. It
also says that part-time faculty should get
appointments of increasing length and two
courses per semester so they can receive
healthcare, whenever it’s possible. Full-time
non-tenure track faculty (FTNTT) “should
be appointed for three years following three
years of satisfactory service” if funding
permits. Finally, the report says that FTNTT
faculty should be able to “progress to
permanence” after three years of “satisfactory
service.” It is unclear where the funds for
these paths to greater permanence would
come from.
Stephen North, a distinguished teaching
professor in the English department and a
member of the committee, said the committee
framed it as an “issue of social justice.”
“From my perspective, [calling it social
justice meant] it trumped all the other
priorities the university had,” he said. “If you
say, ‘We are currently treating our employees
unjustly and we admit it,’ you can’t keep
continuing on in that way.”
Julie Novkov, chair of the department of
political science, said the report “highlights
the committee’s belief that developing fairer,
more transparent, and more respectful ways
of hiring, managing, and supporting our
contingent faculty and staff is both a matter
of simple justice and a critical step forward
in creating a better learning environment for
our students. I hope the report will enable
UAlbany to become a leader on these issues.”
So far $400,000 has been allocated in the
compact budget for 2015-16 to go toward
Unlawful Possession
of Marijuana
2/2/2016
Podium
Report of a package
containing marijuana
addressed to a female
student. The student
was referred.
Unlawful Possession
of Marijuana
2/2/2016
Dutch Quad
Two male students
were found to be
in possession of
marijuana and were
referred for the same.
Taken Into Custody
2/2/2016
Indian Quad
Report of a male
student found to
be having possible
mental health issues.
Transported to hospital
by 5 Quad.
Medical Incident
2/3/2016
Alumni Quad
Report of a female
student suffering from a
migraine. Transported to
hospital by 5 Quad.
Forcible Theft
2/2/2016
Alumni Quad
Report of an armed
robbery. A male student
displayed a knife.
Check a Subject
2/3/2016
Podium
Report of a person
that matched robbery
subject.
Persons Annoying
2/3/2016
Podium
Reports of person
skateboarding in
tunnels, subjects
advised.
Possession of a
Forged Instrument
2/4/2016
Indian Quad
A male student
was found to be
in possession of
marijuana and a forged
ID, referred for the
same.
Harassment
2/4/2016
State Quad
Report of a female
student harassing
another female student.
Source: UUP
raising contingent faculty pay. While it may
be divided differently, assuming there are
the same number of contingents the next two
semesters as this (about 500), that comes out
to $400 per person per semester. Another
amount was put aside for graduate student
assistantships.
“I don’t think, at that level of funding, they
get to their $5,000 in two to three years,”
Benjamin said.
“A lot will depend upon the state’s
willingness to fulfill its civic obligation to
support public education,” Novkov said.
The Modern Language Association
recommends a minimum per course rate of
$7,000.
UUP’s report recommends a pro-rated
salary portion of full-time Writing and
Critical Inquiry lecturers, which comes out to
$5,700 per course. To get 335 people at this
rate, it would cost the university $1,215,576
per semester, according to the report. The
report puts this number in the context of the
compensation costs for the 75 Management
Confidential employees (the president, deans,
provost, etc.), who made $12.2 million in
2015. During the same year, 360 part-time
HAVE A NEWS TIP? EMAIL US AT THEASP.EIC@GMAIL.COM
lecturers collectively made $4.1 million.
UUP recommends a pro-rated number
because it wants the university to stop
depending on adjuncts, Benjamin said. If
the university is spending the same on an
adjunct as it would on a full-time, tenuretrack professor, then the system might switch
back to pre-contingent reliance levels. UUP
sees tenure as the solution to this problem,
and wants to move back to the era when
69.3 percent of faculty were tenure-line and
only 30.7 percent were contingent (these
percentages are from 1995 - now contingents
make up 54.7 percent).
“The committee’s report is far more
substantive” than past reports, though,
Benjamin said. “I think they see it’s in the
university’s interest for a lot of reasons.”
Members of the committee feel hopeful
about the report, as well, but they also feel a
sense of urgency.
“I hope to see that if it’s not absolutely
number one [on the list], that it’s in the top
three on the list of priorities,” North said. “To
me, it’s like a cancer. It will just erode this
university from the inside out.”
NEWS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
EDITOR: RUSSELL J. OLIVER
THEASPNEWS@GMAIL.COM
3
CAMPUS LIFE
ResLife introduces changes to housing process
By JANIE FRANK
The Department of Residential Life at
the University at Albany recently made
some changes to the on-campus housing
policy.
Freshman will still be expected to live
on campus for the first year on either State
Quad or Indian Quad. Now, students who
were admitted as freshmen to UAlbany
will also be expected to stay on campus
their second year. These students will
always be given a room on either Dutch
Quad or Colonial Quad, but some
sophomores will be able to stay on Empire
Commons, Liberty Terrace, Freedom
Apartments, or Alumni Quad, according to
a spokesperson for ResLife.
“It works out that Colonial and Dutch
Quads have just enough space to provide
our current freshmen to be housed as
sophomores,” ResLife said in an email
correspondence.
After current freshman sign up for
housing, upperclassmen can also live on
Colonial and Dutch quads, according to
UAlbany Director of Media Relations Karl
Luntta.
These changes to freshmen and
sophomore housing do not affect students
who commute.
“The policy is that if you live within
50 miles of campus, you have the option
of living at home and attending,” ResLife
said.
Alumni Quad will now be available to
more students.
“We have added Alumni Quad to the
choices this year for upper class housing
selection,” Res Life said and later added,
“Alumni Quad will still be used to house
transfer and international students, there
are no changes there.”
The changes are being made in order
to make sure there is enough space for
everyone on campus.
“When we have had a shortage of
space in the past, this has impacted the
new student areas,” ResLife said. “More
so the freshmen quads, as we have had
to increase rooms and occupy temporary
areas.”
Upperclassman housing signup begins
Feb. 22nd. Current freshmen may sign up
beginning Feb. 29.
Brittany Gregory / Albany Student
Press
Policy changes in univeristy
housing are switching up who
can live in Empire Commons and
Alumni Quad.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
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The Albany Student
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Source : Albany Student Press archives
A news story in the ASP, then called State College News, from Feb. 8, 1929.
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4
OPINIONS
EDITOR: KEVIN MERCADO
OPINIONS.ASP@GMAIL.COM
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
IN THE NEWS
INCARCERATION EDUCATION
By DANIEL PINZON
A
n individual fresh out of prison
really has nowhere to turn to.
Prisoners have negative
connotations slapped on them by
society. An ex-prisoner has to go around
and remind themselves and others that they
have been incarcerated, so employers see
someone who is not worthy of employment.
The Second Chance Pell Program was
established in 2015 to give incarcerated
individuals, who are due to be released
in the next five years, grants for a college
education starting this year.
Because society gives prisoners little
to no value post-prison, it is fair that a
criminal have access to basically a free
college education.
It should be noted that the majority
of people who are incarcerated have
committed drug offenses. According to
BOP.gov, 46.5 percent (86,080) of inmates
committed drug offenses last year. Drug
offenses consist of possession for personal
use, which is the majority of drug offenses,
or intent to sell. These are relatively minor
offenses to other criminal acts.
In reality, we are giving people who
had a little too much weed a second chance.
“Statistically speaking, most people
that go to prison are from low-income
neighborhoods and are in there for minor
drug crimes, and to give them an education
gives them a second chance [at] life,”
Laura Evelyn said, a criminal justice major
at University at Albany. “I’d rather have
somebody come out educated and have a
better shot [at] life than to come out and
commit more crimes.”
We must remind ourselves that a
potential reason why criminals resort to
crime in the first place is due to a lack of
education, hence seeing crime as their only
outlet to survive.
The most an individual can get from
this grant is $5,775, which is to be strictly
spent on things required for the education
program.
Whether we want to or not, Americans,
as taxpayers, send taxes to the criminal
justice system. So instead of paying to
encourage incarceration as the only way
to prevent crime, which doesn’t do so as
effectively as we think, we might as well try
and reform these criminals.
Incarceration doesn’t always prevent
crime, which is what people want. We
can put away as many law violators as we
want in prison cells. It stops crime for that
second, but will not necessarily stop crime
in the future. Incarceration isn’t the only
perceived crime prevention method.
Incarceration isn’t even the right
correction method for some prisoners. Some
are mentally ill, some are driven to crime
as a last resort and some are convicted for
some stupid act society deems as criminal
activity.
The United States is known as the
land of new beginnings and we should
give prisoners the opportunity to reinvent
themselves. If anything, this is something
that can pull them away from doing crime.
“America is a nation of second chances,
giving people who have made mistakes in
their lives a chance to get back on track and
become contributing members of society is
fundamental to who we are,” former U.S.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said to
PBS.org.
With the voice of society constantly
reminding students that education unfolds
opportunities, ex-prisoners are the citizens
who need opportunities the most. A person
pursuing education wants to be successful anything other than being a convict.
Source : Wikimedia.org
Self portrait of Olivier Cippa.
ART
Source: Wikimedia.org
Rapper B.o.B. challenges the idea that the Earth is round, saying that it is actually flat. Expressing his idea
on his twitter account, the rapper was confronted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.
SOCIAL MEDIA
‘Flat-earthers’
A symptom of a greater problem
By ROSE SCHNEIDER
I
’m so glad we live in a world
where we’ve backtracked to
denying proven science in
favor of religion, celebrities and
capitalism.
Last month, rapper B.o.B.
launched into a Twitter rant, saying
that the Earth is flat and, in an
even more bizarre turn of events,
the “Airplanes” rapper released
a song called “Flatline,” dissing
astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson,
who had tweeted at B.o.B. that he
was, in fact, wrong.
Tyson responded to the diss
with a track of his own that he
collaborated on with his nephew,
and continued the dispute beyond
Twitter when he freestyled on the
late night talk show “The Nightly
Show.”
On the show, Tyson said that
calculus and geometry prove that
small objects on large curved
objects will see those large objects
as flat, which is why B.o.B. could
not see the curvature of the horizon,
which he had stated was proof the
Earth was flat.
But there are ways to figure out
the Earth is round. Some very
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
1916—2016
obvious reasons include the ability
to circumnavigate the globe,
time zone differences and the
disappearance of objects traveling
over the horizon line. But I really
don’t need to explain this to college
students, the majority of whom
have more scientific knowledge
than I do.
This is not a pressing issue,
and bringing attention to it will
probably only make it worse. But,
what is worrisome is what this
dispute signifies.
“There’s a growing antiintellectual strain in this country,”
Tyson said before his mic drop. “It
may be the beginning of the end of
our informed democracy.”
We all are entitled to free
speech. But Tyson may be right
about anti-intellectualism being
on the rise. It’s not just “flatearthers” like B.o.B. and television
personality Tila Tequila - our
society allows those with some
degree of power to make a
scientific decision for us, even
when they have no scientific
authority.
In the past few years, laws have
been passed in some states so that
schools may teach Creationism,
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which is not a proven science. It,
however, is a teaching that those
certain religious groups are more
comfortable with than a scientific
fact that the Earth was not created
in seven days.
Presidential candidates and other
politicians have denied the fact that
climate change is real and stems
from burning fossil fuels. Think
tanks and propaganda machines
have been created in order to deny
that fossil fuels are, in any way,
harmful in order to allow gas and
oil companies to keep making
more money. These people are
not scientists. They have made
these statements because it is more
convenient and profitable.
Somehow, politicians and
celebrities are getting the go ahead
to make their own decision on how
geography, meteorology, biology
and physics work, and people are
listening more to them than to what
they were taught in school.
Scientists do not have the fan
base of celebrities or the political
and financial support of politicians.
But someone who studies and does
research to discover something
deserves a little more support.
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Straight celebs
as gay couples
By MILO VOTAVA
F
rench artist Olivier Ciappa decided that he wanted
to portray homosexuality in a positive way. With
his new photography exhibit, “Imaginary Couples,”
or alternatively, “Couples of the Republic,” Ciappa
takes heterosexual celebrities and has them pose as if they
were in a homosexual relationship. This exhibit is already
out in Paris and Lima, Peru, and is scheduled to come to the
United States in the summer of 2016.
It is clear that Ciappas’ intentions are not harmful,
and that he is trying to portray “peace and unity” in these
couples. While Ciappa did capture photographs of some
real homosexual couples, many of the photos are of French
and American heterosexual celebrities, posing with others
of the same gender. The exhibit helps bring positive
publicity and combats the negative associations with
homosexuality. However, if all of the couples who posed as
homosexuals were indeed homosexual, the message would
have been better.
It’s not as if there’s a lack of homosexual celebrities.
Many have their own partners or families and could have
posed for this series of photographs.
Screenwriter Francois Ozon and novelist Yasmina
Bouraoui are both homosexual celebrities in France who
could have easily sat for these photos. Yet this exhibit
highlights straight celebrities, like actresses Eva Longoria
and Alice David. It is taking the recognition for the LGBT
cause away from the members of the LGBT community.
There is no reason for Ciappa to have used mostly
heterosexual celebrities for this project.
The pictures themselves are odd. While some of
them portray loving, candid shots of families, others look
downright uncomfortable. The models were in unnatural
poses or staged in front of bright lights.
“The celebrities that I shot are heterosexual, but it was
essential to me that you would believe these imaginary
couples and families they portray were real,” Ciappa said to
the Huffington Post.
These staged photographs do not portray real families,
and come across as nothing more than art pieces. This
is completely the opposite of what Ciappa was trying
to portray, and it could have been easily avoided by
using actual gay people. It undermines what Ciappa says
about the idea behind his exhibit: to portray real, loving
relationships.
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OPINIONS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
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5
Source: Denis Bocquet
Tinder is a very popular dating app, however it was criticized for enabling the spread of STD among its users. It is now featuring a link to the site, Healthvana, which
includes a free STD testing site locator for it’s users.
HEALTH
A LINK BETWEEN DATING AND DISEASES
Tinder providing STD testing locator to the app
By KEVIN MERCADO
T
inder, a popular dating app used mostly for casual
hookups, has added a new feature to ease the minds
of those worried about spreading more than just
love.
Due to recommendations from the AIDS Healthcare
Foundation (AHV), Tinder has included a link to a
healthcare site to provide its user with the option to locate
free STD testing sites.
Public relations agency, CWR, distributed a press
release explaining that Healthvana, the healthcare site
now linked to Tinder, “is a cloud-based technology
platform that improves communication between
healthcare providers and their patients – leading to more
efficient staff and happier patients.”
AHV found a correlation between the app and a
spike in STDs, and thus blamed the app for the increase
and pushed for additional preventative information.
“In many ways, location-based mobile dating apps
are becoming a digital bathhouse for millennials wherein
the next sexual encounter can literally just be a few feet
away — as well as the next STD,” AHV Public Health
Division Senior Director Whitney Engeran-Cordova said,
according to a CNSNews report.
The report also stated that “the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) reported that STDs were on the rise.
According to the CDC’s data, cases of chlamydia,
gonorrhea and syphilis had increased for the first time
since 2006.” Tinder has about 50 million users according
to a report from The New York Times.
It’s good that Tinder has responded so positively
to these accusations and it’s just as good that they have
added these new features to ensure that its users are as
safe as Tinder can allow them to feel. It is important
that apps like Tinder provide the necessary resources to
ensure safe sex because, strictly speaking, it is generally
used for fast sex and easy hookups.
“Staying healthy in today’s dating world means
getting tested regularly, practicing safe sex and having
honest conversations about your HIV and STD status,”
according to a Businesswire.com article, Healthvana
CEO Ramin Bastani said. “Healthvana empowers people
with actionable health information at their fingertips so
they can make better decisions.”
Healthvana seems to want to take a proactive
approach in the spreading of information, as opposed to
the spreading of disease. While this seems appealing, I
have one question: Is this enough?
It is a huge step for Tinder to allow outside
information to be made readily available, but AHV seems
to think that Tinder perpetuates an image that promotes
careless sex, without second thought of the repercussions.
This thought was capitalized in the billboard
advertisements that AHV plastered all across Los
Angeles during the initial protests over Tinder. CBS
News, among other news outlets, reported, “Billboards
show a silhouette of a man labeled ‘Tinder’ face-to-
face with a woman’s silhouette labeled ‘chlamydia.’
A silhouette of a man labeled ‘Grindr’ faces a male
silhouette labeled ‘gonorrhea.’”
While I do not necessarily believe that there is a
direct correlation between the app and STD increase, I
do firmly believe that if there is a complaint that is easily
repairable, then decisions should be made to take care
of the problem. AHV had enough of a problem with the
app to broadcast negative campaigns against Tinder and
its homosexual equivalent, Grindr. That should be, and
clearly seems to be, enough for Tinder to develop the
necessary plans to solve the issue.
With an issue like STDs, Tinder needed to act
fast. However, Healthvana simply isn’t enough. Tinder
needs an entire marketing makeover and must cease to
align itself with the idea that “dating” is equivalent to
“hooking up” as well as the idea that being careless is
O.K. In-house promotions that subconsciously promote
safer sex could be an asset for the app as well as more
information regarding safer sex practices. Letting people
know about STD testing locations only helps, more so,
after the act of unsafe sex has been committed. Tinder
must approach safer sex practices prior to the action or
require background checks in the form of STD diagnosis
history or STD testing history (which, of course, may be
too extreme) so that partners know exactly what they are
agreeing to.
Healthvana is a small step for Tinder, but it’s not
enough.
POLITICS
Donald Trump’s not-so-winning streak
By LOUIS SMITH
A
s the sun rose on Feb. 2, it brought
with it great news for any lover
of freedom, common sense and
liberty: Donald Trump had not won
the 2016 Republican Iowa Caucus.
However, it was also a reminder that it
was time to face the grim reality that this
dog-and-pony-show of an election was
officially underway.
This stunning ballot result comes
after the bold statements made by Trump
on Jan. 31 to a crowd of supporters who
had gathered in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
“We’re going to win, we’re going
to win… we’re leading everywhere,”
Trump said.
Even with his rock-solid, yet simple,
words of confidence, Trump couldn’t
manage to coalesce the voters of Iowa,
and instead, the Buckeye state chose
slick-talking Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as
the winner, who earned eight delegates.
Trump finished second and earned seven
delegates along with bright-eyed Florida
Sen. Marco Rubio.
At this point, it is tough to determine
whether Trump’s stunt of skipping out
on the final Iowa debate attributed to the
loss. After watching the debate, it was
interesting to see how the candidates
responded to having their statements and
platforms scrutinized in real-time and
watch them work to answer point-blank
inquiries. This gave us voters a look at
the real animals behind the masks of the
presidential candidates and we caught
Gage Skidmore / Wikipedia.org
Ted Cruz won the Iowa caucus, against a non-present Donald Trump.
development on the Republican trail was
glimpses of pure human emotions when
the document distributed internally on
they were questioned. The debate even
caucus day inside the Cruz campaign
showed Rubio and Cruz videos that show
that read: “Breaking News. The press is
them supporting conflicting messages.
reporting that Dr. Ben Carson is taking
In short, the seventh Republican
time off from the campaign trail after
Debate discussed topics of foreign
Iowa and making a big announcement
policy, Medicaid, border security,
next week. Please inform any Carson
radical Islam, and Obamacare. And to
caucus goers of this news and urge them
no one’s surprise, a little headway was
to caucus for Ted Cruz.”
made without the giant man-child Trump
Carson went public on Feb. 3 to
on stage making strange faces and
voice his side of the story. The New
lukewarm statements to eager viewers.
York Times reported that he had been
An interesting, yet not surprising
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planning on returning to Florida the next
day after the caucus to retrieve clean
clothes.
Carson then went on to add, “It’s
clear that there were people who tried to
take advantage of a situation and tried to
distort information.”
Dirty tricks aside, America
watches on as the GOP continues to
sluggishly trudge ahead, with no signs
of unification on the horizon. Rand Paul,
Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee
have dropped their bid, which still
leaves a bloated nine-candidate ticket
for the voters of New Hampshire, and
potentially South Carolina, to deal with.
On the opposite side of the fence,
Hillary Clinton barely edged out the
always haggard-looking Bernie Sanders
by a fraction of a percent. Clinton
received 49.9 percent whereas Sanders
received 49.6 percent of the votes. As
compared to the disorganized GOP
ticket, it is quite depressing that the
Democrats don’t have better qualified
candidates than an aging Environmental
Hawk who’s also a self-proclaimed
Socialist and a crooked former faux-New
York State Senator.
Even though late-night talk show
hosts and comedians would have people
believe all this political uncertainty
and shadiness is entertaining, those of
us who are gravely concerned with the
future welfare of this great nation see
this upcoming election as one of pinnacle
importance.
6
EDITOR: JULIA DAY
ARTSENT.ASP@GMAIL.COM
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
EXHIBIT
GERARD AND KELLY SHOWCASED
AT THE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM
Milo Votava / Albany Student Press
The works of Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly are on display until April 2.
By ELIOR MOSKOWITZ
The University Art Museum opened its new exhibit,
“Gerard & Kelly,” last Tuesday, Feb. 2, hosting
acclaimed artists Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly,
whose multidisciplinary works address questions of
“sexuality, collective memory, and the formation of queer
consciousness.”
The presentation given on Thursday, Feb. 4 by Gerard
and Kelly commenced with a live demonstration of their
piece, “Timelining,” which was first presented as part of a
solo exhibition at The Kitchen, New York, and later as part
of an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York
City in 2015. The piece consisted of the two artists circling
the room in seemingly candid circles, simultaneously
discussing personal events that converged only with the
prepositional phrase “in front of.”
The piece examined the binding force of memory
both to one’s own narrative and to one another, while
also exploring the elastic nature of time in its often nonchronological patterns that weave in and out of one’s life.
Themes of desire for belonging and kinship relations were
directly investigated and leveraged through the instrumental
featuring of performers who fell on all spectrums of
intimacy.
Their subsequently presented pieces, “Kiss Solo”
(2011) and “Reusable Parts/Endless Love” (2012) were
created in the image of Tino Sehgal’s work, “Kiss” (2010),
displayed at the Guggenheim Museum in 2010. These
pieces inquisitively deconstruct the heteronormative nature
of Sehgal’s piece. In the former, a single actor performs the
choreography described from Sehgal’s work, shifting and
combining pronouns in response to the text, retelling the
intimate steps of the kiss in his own voice.
The latter piece includes the swapping of partners,
moving the construction and focus of the piece beyond that
of individual identities through its procedural, minimalist
approach. The artists affirm that their goal was not to create
a spectacle, but instead to question representations of love
in how they are produced, narrated and consumed.
These pieces were just a select few of the artists’
provocative repertoire, including other works such as
“P.O.L.E. (People, Objects, Language, Exchange)” (2014),
“Two Brothers” (2014), “Reverberations” (2015) and
“Transcripts” (2014), which raise social commentary
regarding our interactions with history, subjectivity and
resistance.
The politics of intimacy were a pervading theme of the
artists’ work, examined in multidimensional contexts. The
artists describe the effects on the ego in relation to intimate
exchange to be of particular interest to them, as well as the
ironic implications of distance and discomfort that intimate
acts can forge for a person.
Gerard and Kelly’s expressive and innovative works
present stirring commentary regarding identity, personal
narrative, and relations of objectivity and subjectivity that
underlie and universally pertain to the human experience.
The performance installation, “Reusable Parts/Endless
Love,” will be presented on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. at the
UAlbany Performing Arts Center after a reception from
5-7 p.m. at the University Art Museum. A video exhibition
displaying the artists’ work over the past five years will
be screened as a single-channel video projection at the
University Art Museum until April 2.
TELEVISION
Grease: Live is still the word in 2016!
By LAMYA ZIKRY
Fox’s much anticipated “Grease: LIVE!” which aired on
Jan. 31, was exceptionally good. It was Broadway meets
Hollywood: a combination of the original 1971 musical
“Grease” and its Paramount Pictures’ 1978 film adaptation,
although it was more cinematic than theatric.
There is no comparison to the original, but it should
not be seen as a remake. Even with rain trying to get in
the way and a technical sound error, the live performance
was still a hit. It reintroduced and re-imagined the classic
musical numbers as well as including a few original
numbers.
New girl Sandy and bad boy Danny Zuko were played
by Julianne Hough and Aaron Tveit. Hough is known for
her roles in “Footloose,” “Rock of Ages” and as a judge
on “Dancing with the Stars” and Tveit for his roles in “Les
Miserables” and “Graceland.”
The production opened with Jessie J singing “Grease (Is
the Word)” throughout the soundstage and then out into the
rain. Boyz II Men were also in the opening, performing in
the background. They later returned for their rendition of
“Beauty School Dropout,” a song I no longer feel the need
to fast forward through. The set and the costumes were
perfect and stayed true to the ’50s era setting.
Hough was a good fit for Sandy - some would say she
even looks like Olivia Newton John. She used her dancing
roots to nail the dance numbers. Hough also honed her
singing skills and gave a great rendition of “Hopelessly
Devoted to You.”
Tveit channeled his inner John Travolta and nailed
the Danny Zuko facial expressions and his “Greased
Lightning” performance. Tveit may not have had the
strongest voice but he knew how to play the part. Although
Source: POPSUGAR
Actress Vanessa Hudgens (right), playing the role
of Rizzo, performed hours after the death of her
father.
there wasn’t that much intimacy between the two, their
dance number was a hit until ChaCha (Yvette GonzalezNacer) steals Danny for the rest of the dance.
The Pink Ladies were led by Vanessa Hudgens, who
played the role of bad girl Rizzo. Hudgens is known for her
roles in “Gigi” on Broadway, “Spring Breakers” and “High
School Musical.” Keke Palmer, from “Scream Queens”
and “Akeelah and the Bee,” played the role of the sassy
flirtatious Marty Maraschino. Carly Rae Jepsen, known
for her hit song “Call Me Maybe” played the beautician
wannabe, Frenchy. Kether Donohue from “Pitch Perfect”
played Jan.
Hudgens stole the show - there was no performance
quite like hers. Her father had just died the night before
from stage-four cancer, so she dedicated her performance
to him. She was both remarkable and memorable. She’s a
very talented actress and performer, and you could feel the
passion in her performance of “There Are Worse Things I
Could Do.” Ironically enough, the original song performed
by Stockard Channing wasn’t a favorite, while Hudgen’s
version certainly is.
Unlike NBC musicals, they weren’t trying to hide that it
was a live performance. Viewers could see the cast zipping
from stage to stage on golf carts and running around
backstage. The drag race at the end was created using
smoke and light trucks and several different camera angles,
which made for a somewhat convincing scene.
Palmer’s “Freddy, My Love,” a song added to the
production from the original Broadway hit, stunned
viewers and transformed Palmer into an absolute star. A
strong number with a quick and simple costume change
gave the viewers a little more insight into who Marty was.
While Frenchy’s song “All I Need Is An Angel” was not
what viewers expected, she still gave a good performance.
“Grease: LIVE!” was in production for more than six
months and involved more than 300 people. The teasers on
social media made the production look easier than it truly
was. But when you watch it, it shows just how much time
and effort were put into making it all look effortless. With
the final scenes and the “We Go Together” performance,
the excitement and energy is not just acted - it’s real.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
COMEDY
EDITOR: ELI ENIS
ARTSENT.ASP@GMAIL.COM
7
PREMIERE
DAVE COULIER TICKLES
ALBANY’S FUNNY BONE
By JULIA DAY
“Cut. It. Out!”
If you’re familiar with the widely popular ‘90s sitcom
“Full House,” you’ll know whose famous catchphrase that
is. Comedian and actor Dave Coulier, known for his role
as Joey Gladstone, visited Albany on Friday, Feb. 5 to
perform stand-up to a sold out crowd at The Funny Bone.
From awkward airport encounters to bizarre bathroom
mishaps, Coulier dished it all during his performance.
Although best known for his role on “Full House,”
Coulier has had a long and varied career. Born in Michigan,
Coulier grew up with a love for comedy and developed a
skill for impersonations. Coulier also played on his varsity
hockey team in high school.
“I was always the funny guy in the locker room and
when you get 20 guys sitting around, you have a captive
audience,” Coulier said in a Buzzfeed interview.
At the age of 19 Coulier moved to California to pursue
his comedy career. While discussing his start as a comic,
Coulier referred to himself as a “professional copycat”
during the show, banking on his ability to do hilariously
impeccable impersonations. His voice talents scored him
various roles in the ‘80s, doing voice work for cartoons
including “Ghostbusters,” “Muppet Babies,” “Scooby and
Scrappy-Doo” and “The Jetsons.”
Coulier got his big break when he auditioned for “Full
House” in 1987. Little did he know the show would go on
to have eight seasons from 1987 to 1995, accrue millions of
viewers, and attain worldwide syndication.
When describing the money he makes on “Full House”
residuals, Coulier joked, “I don’t want to brag, but it’s
enough to buy a T-shirt every week. Maybe even a long
sleeve.”
Since then, Coulier went on to host “America’s Funniest
People,” tour with comedy troupe Duck’s Breath Mystery
Theater and do voice acting for “Robot Chicken” and “Bob
& Doug.”
Flash forward to 2016, and Coulier has been touring the
country performing stand-up. Coulier previously performed
University at Albany students in October of 2014.
Performing on both Friday and Saturday night,
Crossgates Mall was packed with long lines of people
waiting to see Coulier’s performance. He didn’t disappoint.
“It was my first time at a comedy club and Coulier and his
warm up act really had me in tears the whole way through,”
UAlbany student Erik Scheltinga said.
As the opening act, comedian Nate Weatherup warmed
up the audience, opening his bit solemnly with, “I recently
lost my best friend…” following with “he got married.”
When describing his image as a child of the Underground
Railroad being an actual underground railroad with Harriet
Tubman acting as the conductor, Weatherup said “I’m not
sure which direction I was going with that joke… but it’s
probably north.”
Following Weatherup, Coulier stormed the stage,
wearing a Detroit Red Wings hockey jersey. His set
certainly did not disappoint. Coulier took the stage for
nearly an hour, jam-packed with jokes.
His impersonations ranged from SpongeBob
Squarepants, Patrick Star, Bill Clinton, Robin Williams and
Tom Hanks, among others. He joked that Scooby-Doo and
Shaggy would make good airport security guards, having a
keen nose for the scent of marijuana. At one point, Coulier
impersonated Matthew McConaughey’s Texas drawl,
saying “I’m Matthew McConaughey,” while pretending to
undo his shirt.
He told the audience of an awkward chili encounter he
had with Arnold Schwarzenegger at a picnic, where he
accidentally spilled chili on Schwarzenegger’s shirt while
laughing. Years later, he ran into Schwarzenegger in a hot
Tyler Henry:
New teenage
psychic shocks
Hollywood
By KARISHMA PERSAUD
Source: syracuse.com
Dave Coulier will reprise his role as Joey on “Fuller House,”
which premiers Feb. 26.
tub on vacation in Hawaii, and immediately thought, “The
Terminator’s here to kill me.” Referencing other celebrities,
Coulier commented on his friendship with Bruce Jenner,
saying “I knew Bruce Jenner… up until about eight months
ago.”
Coulier talked about his dad’s “prejudice” towards men
with long hair, and his assumption that they do drugs. He
also talked about his son’s ability to play Xbox games all
day, while the best he could do is Super Mario.
When an unsuspecting audience member got out of his
seat during the show, Coulier jumped at the opportunity
to make a joke. “That’s a poop walk,” said Coulier as he
headed to the bathroom.
Coulier talked about a recent “miracle” he experienced in
a Chicago bathroom, during which one of the people in the
bathroom farted so loudly that they set off the paper towel
dispenser.
“You can’t choose where your miracles happen to you,”
he said.
To conclude the show, Coulier played some blues beats
on his harmonica accompanied by funny inaudible vocals.
He also did his popular “water sprinkler” bit, where he spat
water onto the stage while turning full circle.
“I was pleasantly surprised when he pulled out a
harmonica towards the end of the act, and even more
surprised by how skillfully he played it,” said UAlbany
student Sarah Sabin. “It was certainly a memorable night.”
Coulier will be reprising his role as Joey in the Netflix
original series, “Fuller House,” which will premiere on
Feb. 26. His stand-up tour, along with his appearance on
the “Fuller House” spin-off, shows that Coulier is back and
better than ever.
Usually people between ages 18 and 20 are either
starting college, working or just going about their day
thinking what to do next. Not 20-year-old psychicmedium, Tyler Henry, who connects with spirits in his
new hit reality show, “Hollywood Medium,” which
aired Sunday, Jan. 24 on E! During the season premiere,
Henry performed reading sessions for NBA player John
Salley, TV Personality NeNe Leakes, and actresses Jaime
Pressly and Bella Thorne. The following week’s episode
shows Henry’s session with TV personality Snooki from
“Jersey Shore.”
Henry begins his sessions by either receiving
impressions from a personal object brought by the client
or through a spirit that just connects with him instantly.
Connections begin when the spirit shows him “random
images and symbols.” Using a notepad, Henry sketches
these symbols and writes down words and numbers to
effectively deliver the message from the spirit.
Henry first appeared on a “Keeping Up with the
Kardashians” episode before his season premiere aired.
He performed a reading for Khloe Kardashian while
Kendall Jenner witnessed him connect with Khloe’s
father, Robert Kardashian. Henry shocked Khloe and
Kendall when he brought up a significant date in July,
which turned out to be Robert’s anniversary with Kris
Jenner.
The season premiere opened with Henry’s mom
driving him to his appointment. Celebrities book
appointments through Henry’s manager, Ron, who
provides Henry with only an address – no names.
This prevents beforehand knowledge of the client and
eliminates skepticism. When Henry arrived to his first
location, actress Jaime Pressly welcomed him to begin
his session. He connected with Pressly’s grandmother by
referring to her as “talkative” and the name, “Mary.”
In a sense, being a medium is like putting a puzzle
piece together to reveal the final picture. Henry revealed
to John Salley that when he connects with the spirit, he
opens his mind to images and symbols, and “downloads
a bunch of information.” Henry said that he sets his
intentions to connect with the spirit and mentally receives
pieces of imagery to interpret. Once everything processes,
he delivers the message to the client to create meaning of
it all.
“I wanted to help people in their last moments and
comfort them, and then my medium career took off,” said
Henry.
During his reading for Nene Leakes, Henry
experienced “Medical Mediumship” which is when he
goes through the process of someone’s death and takes on
their physical symptoms. Things got super intense when
Henry connected with Leakes’ mother.
Henry’s sessions almost always provide his clients
with comfort and closure. He reassures that their loved
ones are at peace and are watching over them. It’s pretty
clear that Henry touches the lives of these celebrities
when a few sessions ended with tears of joy.
“Hollywood Medium” leaves audiences amused by his
peculiar talent. Although it’s unknown whether Henry’s
connection with spirits is genuine, the suspense is worth
feeling. Skeptics may question whether Henry and these
celebrities are paid to put on a show, but it’s up to the
audience to decide if he’s the real deal.
MOVIES
A bloody 19th century romance hits big screen
By DIEGO CAGARA
Zombies have become a commercial plot device in
today’s pop culture. Because they typically appear in
contemporary contexts, it can be startling to imagine them
wreaking havoc in a historical time period instead. But
that happens with Burs Steers’ directorial effort, “Pride
and Prejudice and Zombies.” Viewers are treated to an
unusual juxtaposition of gore, romance, period drama and
comedy - which surprisingly works.
Adapted from Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2009 book
of the same name which was based on Jane Austen’s
1813 classic, “Pride and Prejudice,” the movie is set in
early 19th century London where a mysterious virus,
revealed to have arrived at England’s shores via ships,
has caused people to turn into brain-hungry zombies.
The film centers on Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) who
simultaneously struggles with her growing feelings
for Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) and surviving the zombie
apocalypse. While some may perceive the film as a
corruption of Austen’s literary work, the injection of
zombies into the lives of England’s landed gentry is
certainly intriguing yet comical.
Having both become proficient zombie slayers,
Mr. Darcy’s cold, judgmental and walled-up exterior
immediately clashes with Bennet’s more lighthearted
and hopeless romantic nature. Even in a universe where
young women are trained to wield swords, guns and their
bare fists to defend themselves, the light of feminism
is not that bright yet as women are still expected to be
married off to bachelors, something Bennet disagrees
with. She would
find herself in a kind
of love rectangle
as she rejects three
men’s consecutive
proposals, including
Mr. Darcy, because
she feels like she has
not quite found the
one yet.
While Bennet
inadvertently falls
for Mr. Darcy by
the end, she and her
Source: Screen Gems
sisters, Jane (Bella
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” made over $5 million in its opening weekend.
Heathcote), Kitty
(Suki Waterhouse),
Lydia (Ellie Bamber)
acclaimed book, but it is just strong enough to stand on
and Mary (Millie Brady) mostly have no trouble fending
its own. As someone who has never read either Austen’s
off the undead. There is a brilliant scene near the film’s
or Grahame-Smith’s books, I was still able to understand
introduction where Bennet and her sisters are walking
what was going on, thanks to the characters’ sharp wit
down an infested hallway, chopping off, slicing, stabbing
and exhilarating action sequences.
and basically dismembering zombies around them, all in a
However, it felt a little rushed as all at once zombies
Charlie’s Angels-esque slow-motion sequence.
flooded the big screen, Bennet and Mr. Darcy struggled
The fight scenes throughout look almost nonsensical
to express themselves, and Bennet, a hardcore zombie
and erratic yet it proves how Steers’ direction helps
repellent, simply settled down for marriage. Nevertheless,
the film skate just comfortably between carnage and
the film exceeded my low expectations as I had assumed
comedy. With blood and brains often splattering while
that a movie that juggles romance, gore and the undead
staining dresses and breeches, one can’t help but feel a
would just result in a mess. It may not be the most
sense of adrenaline. The film is not meant to be taken too
thought-provoking film of the year, but it certainly is
seriously since its source material is a parody of Austen’s
entertaining.
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8
EDITOR: MADELINE ST. AMOUR
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FROM THE COVER
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
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SPORTS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
SPORTS EDITOR: CELIA BALF
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM
9
STUDENT LIFE
UAlbany’s SAAC works to develop well-rounded student-athletes
By KELSEY LUKE
The life of a studentathlete is hectic, leaving
little time to focus on
anything other than sports
and schoolwork. The
Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee (SAAC) is an
organization that each year
tries to alleviate this stress
on student athletes. It also
tries to help them become
positive and well-rounded
individuals, both on and
off the field.
The committee serves
as the voice of all studentathletes and representatives
receive encouragement
to “provide insight on the
student-athlete experience
and offer input on the
rules, regulations and
policies that affect studentathletes’ lives on campus,”
according to NCAA.com.
SAAC is an NCAAaffiliated committee
comprised of only studentathletes. At the nationwide
Division-I level—which
the University at Albany
participates in—one
student-athlete from every
school in the 32 athletic
conferences is selected
to represent his or her
respective school.
In addition to sending
one of its own studentathletes to SAAC to
represent the school at the
national level, UAlbany
is one of many across the
nation who has its own
SAAC branch made up
of only UAlbany studentathletes.
This year, more so than
in the past, UAlbany’s
SAAC affiliate is focused
on ensuring a fulfilling
college experience for all
student-athletes.
“A role [SAAC]
plays here at Albany is
promoting a positive
image of student-athletes
in the community and
Capital Region with
different community
service initiatives, events
or projects,” said Justin
Berger, senior lacrosse
player and president of
UAlbany’s SAAC.
The group has
participated in multiple
community service projects
and plans to continue
to do so in the future.
From toiletry drives to
conference-wide food
drives, UAlbany’s SAAC
works to show that studentathletes can be leaders and
helpful members in the
community outside of their
sport.
“When we go out and
donate a ton of toiletries
to a homeless shelter
downtown, we hope people
see it and say, ‘Those
kids stand for something
good,’” said Berger.
On a national level,
SAAC’s primary
COLGATE
discussion centers around
the time demands on
the lives of studentathletes. Student SAAC
representatives throughout
the country are pressing
for policies that will give
student-athletes more
time outside of class and
practice so they can help in
the community, receive a
sufficient amount of sleep,
and have a balanced social
life.
“It’s about making
sure that it is a healthy
relationship between
athletics, studying, and
everything in-between,”
Laini Leindecker, UAlbany
volleyball player and
SAAC vice president, said.
D-I athletes spend
approximately 40 hours a
week completing school
work and going to class.
An additional 40 - more or
less - are spent on activities
related to their sports.
This leaves little time for
any activities outside of
academics and athletics.
“SAAC is trying to
find time for our studentathletes to be students,”
said Carl Anderson,
associate athletic director
for Student Services at
UAlbany.
The student-athletes at
the D-I level collectively
decided that strict time
demands need to be looked
at further, via a survey
administered by the NCAA
that had approximately
28,000 responses.
The NCAA is listening
to the student-athletes of
SAAC.
“When we walked
in, and the people that
matter actually listened
and actually cared about
what we had to say, was
incredibly inspiring,”
Berger, who represented
UAlbany earlier this
year at the 2016 NCAA
Convention, said. “The
SAAC is driving the
conversation. When
change goes into effect
next year, it’s going to be
because SAAC did all of
the legwork and all of the
brainwork, which will be
a really cool thing to be
proud of.”
Berger is proud of the
strides SAAC has made
this year. He believes as
long as the nation has
student-athletes committed
to the group—like
he knows there are at
UAlbany—it “can only get
bigger and better.”
SAAC’s next event is
scheduled for Feb. 25,
where it will help promote
the “You Can Play” project
at the women’s basketball
game. The project works
to ensure that all studentathletes receive equal
respect and treatment,
regardless of their sexual
orientation.
senior
captain
Blaze
Continued from Page 10
Riorden
said, “We
took a couple penalties, which is never
good, but I was pleased with the way we
handled adversity. No one got rattled and
we kept plugging away.”
Riorden also added, “And I’m really
hung-over, put that in there.”
Sophomore attack Justin Reh added
a hat trick and in their first scrimmage
Source: UAlbany Athletics
Laini Leindecker, junior outside hitter, is the vice-president of the UAlbany SAAC chapter. Leindecker said that, as
a student-athlete, it’s important to find a balance between academics, athletics, and other aspects of college life.
Source: UAlbanysports.com
UAlbany lacrosse player Justin Berger is the president of the UAlbany SAAC chapter. He represented the America
East Conference at the NCAA Division I SAAC Conference at the 2016 NCAA Convention in January in San
Antonio.
of the year and men’s lacrosse defeated
Colgate 15-14. While it wasn’t flawless, it
certainly was a good outing and beginning
for the America East Conference defending
champion.
“For next game we will be focusing
on just improvement, I think we need to
work on just taking better care of the ball,”
Fields said.
The team will use this as a chance to
get better in preparation for their season
opener, a non-conference showdown at
Syracuse on Feb. 21.
Miss the game? We’ve got your back.
LACROSSE SCHEDULE
UPCOMING HOME GAMES
MEN’S
Princeton
Saturday, Feb. 13
Drexel
Saturday, Feb. 27
Cornell
Saturday, March 5
Stony Brook
Saturday, March. 19
Wednesday, March. 30 Harvard
Cornell
Saturday, Feb. 27
Villanova
Sunday, March. 13
Wagner
Saturday, March 19
Binghamton
Wednesday, April. 6
WOMEN’S
Check out www.albanystudentpress.net or follow us
@Sports_ASP to find game recaps and pictures!
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SPORTS_ASP!
SPORTS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
ALBANY STUDENT PRESS
EDITOR: CELIA BALF
SPORTS.ASP@GMAIL.COM
@SPORTS_ASP
10
BASKETBALL
LEGENDS AT THE BIG PURPLE GROWL
By TROY FARKAS
On a night that the
University at Albany
honored its men’s basketball
legends, a packed Big Purple
Growl crowd at SEFCU
Arena witnessed a vintage
performance from the Great
Danes’ current legends in the
making.
UAlbany squeaked by
Vermont Saturday night,
75-71, after fighting off a
lackluster first half behind
senior co-captains Peter
Hooley and Evan Singletary.
The win moved the Danes
– currently second in the
America East standings – to
19-6. The Danes are seeking
their fourth consecutive trip
to the NCAA Tournament.
The 2005-06 team
was honored in pre-game
festivities Saturday. That
squad nearly became the first
16th-seeded team to beat a
No. 1 seed in the tournament.
The team, which featured
Jamar Wilson -- the Great
Danes’ all-time leading
scorer -- started a trend,
becoming the first UAlbany
team to win the America East
tournament since jumping
to the Division I level in
1999. In 2006, the Danes led
top-seeded Connecticut by
as many as 12 points in the
second half, but eventually
fell 72-59.
Fast forward 10 years:
On Saturday, after a first half
that saw Vermont shoot 67
percent from the field, senior
guard Hooley was disgusted
with how the Danes played
after trailing 41-31 heading
into halftime.
Jonathan Peters / Albany Student Press
“At halftime we took a
Ray Sanders had 10 points, behind Peter Hooley and Evan Singletary’s 20-point night.
hard look at ourselves. We
“We battled in there. We
by seven points with 7:29 left, but
need similar performances from
He’s shown that he can in the last
were really disgraced with
played really well in the first
the Catamounts had other plans.
Singletary if the Danes hope to
year and a half.”
how we played,” Hooley said. “I
half,” said Vermont Head
Vermont, fourth place in the
“I was surprised when he came reach the NCAA tournament for
think we had no energy. In a game
Coach John Becker. “They’re a
America East, clawed its way
out and wasn’t aggressive and had the fourth consecutive year.
like this you really need to have
championship team. They had a
back to a 70-68 deficit after a
“We know what’s on the line
zero at the half,” Brown said of
energy.”
great crowd here tonight.”
three-pointer from Ernie Duncan,
in terms of standings. Good teams
Singletary. “You saw how good
Coach Will Brown took a
Hooley and Singletary agreed
who finished with a game-high
he was in the second half. And we win at home. Great teams find a
surprisingly calm approach to
it was the loudest they’ve ever
23 points. On the next possession
way to win on the road,” Hooley
needed that.”
motivating his team in the locker
following a Hooley missed lay-up, heard SEFCU Arena, besides the
said.
The purple and gold will
room.
victory over Stony Brook in the
the Catamounts regained the lead
“I think they expected me to
America East championship game
on an old-fashioned three-point
throw things off the wall, yell,
last March.
play from Cam Ward, who put
scream, threaten with practice
For Brown, this game also
the visitors ahead 71-70 with 1:48
at 6 a.m. tomorrow. But I said
was about putting on a strong
left.
to myself ‘Let’s see if I can fool
performance for the 2005-06 team
Four consecutive free throws
‘em,’” Brown said.
by Singletary put the Great Danes
that paved the way for all the
The Danes came out roaring in
in
front
by
three
points
with
45
success the UAlbany basketball
the second half behind the stellar
seconds left. Ward’s three-point
program has enjoyed in the past
play of Hooley and Singletary.
attempt on the next possession
decade. Brown said that when he
The duo finished the game with
missed
long,
and
UAlbany’s
Mike
addressed his team at halftime, he
20 points each. All of Singletary’s
Rowley grabbed the rebound
told them, “Guys, all I’m asking
came in the second half.
before passing to Hooley, who
you is to respect the 2005-2006
Hooley and Singletary
was
fouled.
He
missed
both
free
team that built this program. I
singlehandedly brought UAlbany
throws, but Vermont’s Duncan
need you to play the way they
back into the game. The two were
played.”
the only UAlbany players to score was unable to convert from deep
to
tie
the
game.
One
more
free
“Six turnovers, getting to the
in the first seven minutes of the
throw from Greig Stire sealed the
line 37 times, out-rebounding
second half, cutting the deficit to
win for the Danes, who remain
by eight -- that’s how you win
two points in the process.
undefeated
at
home
on
the
season.
games,” Brown said.
A Hooley three sent SEFCU
After a great first half for the
Singletary was also able to step
Arena into a frenzy with 11
up when the team needed him.
minutes left, which gave UAlbany Catamounts, Vermont was unable
to make the plays it needed to
“We were all struggling in the
its first lead since 7:47 remained
Jonathan Peters / Albany Student Press
upset the Great Danes in front of a first half,” Hooley said. “It’s the
in the first half. The Danes looked
The
Big
Purple
Growl
had
a
sold
out crowd on Saturday night.
SEFCU crowd of 4,538.
sign of a true leader to step up.
ready to pull away after going up
LACROSSE
Danes pull off close win in first scrimmage of the season
By MICHAEL TURAY
Brittany Gregory / Albany Student Press
Team defense is a focus for the team during their 2016 season.
The University at Albany men’s lacrosse
team kicked off its 2016 campaign by
hosting Colgate University in a preseason
tune up Saturday at John Fallon Field.
Despite cold conditions and a chronic wind
chill, fans were thrilled to get a chance
to cheer on their Great Danes who are
ranked 12th in this year’s preseason USILA
Coaches Poll.
The Danes are coming off yet another
successful year under the helm of Coach
Scott Marr who led the team to a record
of 16-3, including a third straight America
East Conference title. The Danes defeated
Cornell in their opening round game in
last years NCAA Tournament, only to fall
to No. 1 seed Notre Dame 14-10 in the
quarterfinals.
UAlbany started the game strong by
scoring four unanswered goals and taking a
commanding lead. The offense was spread
and many different players were getting
minutes. It looked as if the Great Danes
were going to effortlessly win this one, but
Colgate found their rhythm and came back.
Penalties costed the Great Danes and
Colgate was able to convert goals on
multiple man-down situations.
“I think something we need to work on
is not taking as many penalties, because
we went up 4-0 and then we took some
penalties that let them back in the game,”
said sophomore attack Connor Fields.
Fields scored two goals in the seesaw
affair. After some spotty first half defense,
the team looked sharp coming out of
halftime and held Colgate scoreless in the
third period.
“I think we played well as a team
yesterday. We set the tempo early going up
4-0 within four minutes, which is huge,”
Please see COLGATE page 9