Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace promotes purchasing nonviolent toys

The Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace held its annual “Don’t Buy War Toys” demonstration on Saturday Dec. 3 near the entrance of the Genesee Valley Shopping Center. GVCP describes itself as “a nonviolent activist group ... [that is] committed to working actively for a world of peace, justice and freedom,” according to their website. As a result, the aim of the event was to convince consumers to refrain from purchasing toys that promote violence or war.

GVCP member Patrick McCormick ‘15 spoke about the benefits of purchasing toys that promote creativity.

“We do this annual event to remind people around the holidays to purchase toys that don’t promote violence, but that promote creativity, thoughtfulness and caring,” he said. “The idea is basically to encourage people to think about what they’re buying for kids and the message they’re sending. Peace doesn’t start at the highest level of things, but it starts at home with how you treat people and the way you think about interacting with people.”

The organization also hopes that the demonstration will raise awareness about the harmful effects of providing children with violent toys, GVCP member Hank Stone said.

“I see what we’re doing here not as protesting, but as witnessing,” he said. “We’re raising up a point of view that is not really publicized in the commercial media.”

At the demonstration, GVCP showcased certain toys that they felt were better alternatives to violent toys, such as stuffed animals and musical instruments.

GVCP member Dr. Arnold Matlin said that he believes the popularization of certain “war” toys prevents people from seeing negative impacts of war.

“Video games are a perfect example. Drones are controlled by people who use video games, basically,” he said. “Somebody who spent his life playing computer games that destroys things just pushes a button and off goes a drone in Afghanistan that kills somebody. It’s just another video game as far as the person controlling the drone is concerned—they don’t see the death and destruction that it causes.”

GVCP has operated in the county for 44 years and has organized this event annually, according to Matlin. GVCP is also affiliated with other organizations, according to McCormick.

“GVCP is part of a larger organization known as Peace Action New York State,” McCormick said. “There’s a student chapter at Geneseo called Peace Action Geneseo, so usually those students are here, but it depends on what their schedule is like.”

McCormick explained that GVCP members have a variety of opinions as to which specific toys are potentially harmful.

“Different members of our group are on a sort of spectrum as to how they see this and which toys they find to have a negative impact,” he said. “For me, it’s more about contextualizing and not normalizing violence.”

The objective of the demonstration was to convey to members of the community that individuals can promote peace in their homes, according to GVCP member Suzanne Blackburn.

“I think it’s very important for this community in this part of New York to know that there are people around here who believe that peace is possible and that our officials should work for peaceful solutions to conflict,” she said. “Sometimes it seems like everybody here has one point of view, but there are multiple points of view in our community.”

News editor Annie Renaud contributed reporting to this article.

MLB player pitches, plumbs in offseason

The 2016 baseball season witnessed the emergence of a young superstar by the name of Michael Fulmer. A right-hand pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, Fulmer posted numbers that blew away fans, coaches and fellow major leaguers; his impressive season was rewarded with the American League Rookie of the Year Award. With a rookie season capped off by 11 wins, a 3.06 earned run average, 132 strikeouts and 159 innings pitched, many would expect the Rookie of the Year to enjoy an offseason filled with rest, golf with his teammates and a luxurious lifestyle in a newly purchased mansion. Yet, one who makes this assumption would be incorrect; Fulmer works for the Cyrus Wright Plumbing Company in Yukon, Oklahoma.

Fulmer is involved with the physical work for the company, such as using jackhammers and digging deep ditches. Fulmer has mentioned that a benefit of working as a plumber is the physical aspect of it. The physical work helps him to stay in shape before baseball-related offseason workouts begin.

What makes this situation even more peculiar is that in addition to his new Rookie of the Year hardware, Fulmer earned a rookie salary of $507,500, the league minimum. With a sizeable income like this, it is surprising to hear that Fulmer is still taking on his plumbing job.

In the previous years, one cannot blame Fulmer for working as a plumber during the offseason. As of this past year, players at the lowest level of the minor leagues only earn $1,100 a month and players at the highest level of affiliate ball earn $2,150 a month, according to CNN.

These salaries make minor leaguers among the lowest paid athletes in all of sports, therefore making a second job in the offseason understandable. This is especially the case for those minor leaguers who have to support families, since players of all ages can play in the minor leagues.

On the other hand, major league salaries have blown up over the years. The minimum salary for a major leaguer was $12,000 in 1970, which was not nearly enough money to support a family for a whole year.

Because of this, many major leaguers took on second jobs in the offseason. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan—arguably the greatest pitcher of all time—supposedly worked as a gas station employee in the offseason when he was young. Had he been a player in today’s game, Ryan working a second job would be an irrational thought.

The base salary of $12,000 increased and became $30,000 by 1980, jumped to $100,000 by 1990, increased to $200,000 by the turn of the century and currently stands at $507,500. While the minimum salary stands at over a half a million, the average annual salary for a MLB player in general sits at $4,250,000 today.

It should also be taken into account that massive deals have been handed to the game’s superstars in recent years, citing Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw’s $35 million annual salary and Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signing a 13-year, $325 million deal.

Fulmer’s decision to work as a plumber during the offseason perplexes many; they should recognize, however, that it demonstrates his character and his work ethic. Instead of living a lavish lifestyle as a major league award-winner, he chooses to keep himself busy and in shape by taking on this job in between seasons.

Despite odds, field hockey takes SUNYAC title

After overcoming a poor start to the season, the Geneseo field hockey team won the 2016 SUNYAC Championship title. This is the second time the Knights have taken home the trophy since 2010. The Knights had a disheartening start to the season, only winning one out of their nine matches in the month of September. About half way through the season, however, the women seemed to find their groove, winning eight of their last nine matches in the month of October.

After clinching a playoff berth and the No. 3 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament, the Knights were matched against the No. 2 seed SUNY New Paltz. Geneseo and the New Paltz Hawks squared off earlier in the season, which resulted in a home upset for the Knights. This time around, however, New Paltz faced a completely different Geneseo field hockey team. The Hawks had been looking for their fifth consecutive conference title, only to fall 1-0 to the Knights at New Paltz.

At the beginning of the year, a victory against New Paltz seemed to be very far-fetched, but seeing the Knights’ recent success, the victory wasn’t much of a surprise.

“We improved a lot as a team throughout the season,” freshman midfielder Ariana Walczyk said.

The Knights then went on to face the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons in the 2016 SUNYAC Championship game. Geneseo put on a thriller for the home crowd, winning the game 3-2 in overtime.

The star of the game was junior forward Giovanna Fasanello, who scored all three goals against Oneonta including the eventual game-winning goal in overtime. The hard fought game secured the Knights their first SUNYAC title since 2010 and a spot in the 2016 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament.

“It was so exciting; there was a lot of adrenalin. Coach [Jess] Seren was extremely happy,” Walczyk said. “I’ve never really been on a winning team, so this feels great.”

Geneseo made its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in franchise history. Back in 2010, the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks eliminated the Knights in the first round. This year, the Knights traveled to Keene State, where their season ended in a 3-1 defeat against the Owls.

Keene State put up impressive numbers this year, going 17-3 during the regular season and winning their fourth consecutive Little East Conference Championship. The Owls were also in an arguably more challenging conference for field hockey.

Although the Knights made it to the NCAA Tournament, perhaps the bigger story is their impressive turn around this season. Many players have boasted about how far this team has come, starting as a dysfunctional group of talented players and ending as a solid, high performing field hockey team. The team didn’t even have the utmost expectations, especially after the first part of this season.

“We lost a lot of really good seniors last year, so we weren’t necessarily expecting to make it this far,” Walczyk said.

Looking forward, the Knights can feel confident in their successful season. They hope to continue their momentum into next year’s season.

Field hockey to host SUNYAC finals

Following a rollercoaster of a season filled with mountainous ups and ugly downs, the Geneseo field hockey team entered the SUNYAC playoffs on a high note on Wednesday Nov. 2. In the semifinal matchup against SUNY New Paltz, the Knights won 1-0. The team will face SUNY Oneonta on Saturday Nov. 5 in the tournament finals.

The Knights have had an impressive second half of the season, winning eight of their nine matches played in the month of October. This momentous second half of the season stands in stark contrast to the rough first half of the season. The team had a disappointing 1-8 record for the duration of September. In addition to a poor record, the chances of a playoff berth were bleak.

The team seems to have adapted a completely new vibe, outscoring their opponents 38 to six in their last 10 games. As a matter of fact, the Knights went on a rare eight-game winning streak during October—the second longest streak in Geneseo field hockey history.

“Once we started feeling how it felt to win, we really turned on the jets,” freshman forward Elisa Arcara said. “We started to get more focused.”

Despite having an impressive record in October, the Knights lost their last regular season game to the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets 3-2. The Yellow Jackets are currently ranked No. 4 in the North Atlantic Division of the NCAA Division III regional rankings. The Knights gave them a run for their money, however, as the close game ended in a stroke, which is a penalty resulting in a shoot-out.

Moving into the SUNYAC Tournament, though, Geneseo was prepared for a fight. The Knights had already faced New Paltz once this season in a game where the outcome was not good. After giving up five goals, the Knights took a 5-1 loss on their home turf, contributing to and extending the winning drought the women faced in September.

In a hard fought game, the Knights pulled off the victory against New Paltz thanks to a goal at the 30-minute mark by junior midfielder Diana Ruggiero on a penalty corner. The best performance of the game, however, went to junior goalie Nicole Gregg, who sealed the Knights’ sixth and most important shutout of the season. Gregg had matched her season-high of 11 saves. She carried out her heroic performance despite the Knights getting outshot 21-9.

In the 2015 SUNYAC Tournament semifinals, the Knights were in a very similar situation against New Paltz, as Geneseo lost 2-1 to them. This time around, however, the Knights aim to win the final in what looks to be an intense SUNYAC Tournament final against Oneonta on Saturday Nov. 5 at Geneseo.

Following a win in the championship game, Geneseo can claim a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

History, trends of Halloween costumes

Originating with the Samhain Celtic festival, Halloween—previously called All Hallows’ Eve—falls on the evening before All Saints’ Day, which Pope Gregory III designated as a day commemorating martyrs and saints. The holiday is meant to highlight Samhain traditions, but over the years has evolved into a community event.

Throughout the world, Halloween celebrations feature family-centered activities like trick-or-treating, which provide the means for transitioning into the winter season with remnants of the holiday’s religious roots: costumes, gatherings and communally shared sweets.

Characterizing the modern American Halloween, the tradition of trick-or-treating got its start in England, with early All Souls’ Day parades. These parades included impoverished citizens petitioning their rich neighbors for food, which was then provided to them in the form of pastries called “soul cakes.” In exchange for a soul cake, the beggars promised to pray for the giver’s deceased relatives.

To shift from the ancient tradition of providing food and wine for wandering spirits, the church encouraged a similar distribution of food. Children eventually adopted the concept of “begging for food,” and they began circling their neighborhoods and accepting offers of money and treats.

In addition to trick-or-treating, the second hallmark of the American Halloween—which is dressing in costume—has its roots in both European and Celtic tradition. Wearing costumes on Halloween stems from a period when winter carried connotations of uncertainty and fear, fostered by dwindling food supplies and decreasing sunlight.

With the belief that ghosts reentered and roamed the mortal world on Halloween, people feared encountering these spirits when they left their homes. Wearing a mask, however, allowed Halloween celebrants to avoid recognition, and the ghosts would perceive them as fellow spirits and leave them alone.

During the Victorian Era, the rise of Darwin’s research in evolution and the rapid change catalyzed by the Industrial Revolution encouraged the desire for simpler folklore and a reestablished connection to nature. This nostalgia inspired the popularization of Halloween costumes, notably worn to 20th century masquerade parties and social clubs.

Today, Halloween costumes derive inspiration not only from nature, but also from pop culture and ancient belief in ghosts, witches and monsters.

Memorializing the year’s most notable events and spectacles, popular costumes for Halloween 2016 will surely appear stolen right from the headlines of newspapers and magazines. This year, costumes are guaranteed to pay homage to the presidential election, the Summer Olympics, the app-sensation Pokémon Go, Beyoncé’s groundbreaking visual album and the year’s biggest blockbusters that will lend themselves to group costumes, including depictions of Suicide Squad, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the female-led remake of Ghostbusters.

Although avid celebrants begin planning their Halloween costumes months in advance, others might enjoy the following cheap, do-it-yourself, last minute ideas:

• Error 404 Page: “Error 404: Costume Not Found” written on a plain white shirt
• Kid on Christmas: Donning pajamas, pigtails and a stuffed animal.
• Classic Ghost: Made by cutting holes in a bed sheet.
• Static Cling: Socks and dryer sheets pinned to any outfit—complete with messy hair.

Volleyball prepares for tough competition

A crucial week awaits the Geneseo volleyball team, as the playoff season quickly approaches. The Knights, who ended their conference play with a 5-4 record, have clinched the fifth seed in the SUNYAC Tournament. This will be the first time the Knights have made the playoffs under head coach Amber Dun, who is on her second year. Following a disappointing 16-18 season with no playoff appearance last year, Dunn made sure to make improvements on the court this year. “I set off to find players that could bring us to that level—the playoffs,” Dunn said.

Despite clinching the fifth seed in the SUNYAC Tournament, the Knights still have a few more out-of-conference games—none of which are an easy feat. “I purposely tried to schedule tricky non-conference games in the week leading up to the playoffs to better prepare ourselves if we got in,” Dunn said.

The team will be traveling to Saratoga on Friday Oct. 28 for the Skidmore Invitational. There, they will face Union College, Skidmore College and Ithaca College to end the regular season. Geneseo is looking sharp heading into the invitational, having won four of its last five games. “Right now, we are doing really well,” Dunn said. “We are peaking at a great time in the season.”

As the fifth seed, the Knights will take on the SUNY Fredonia Blue Devils. These two teams faced off earlier this season, resulting in a 3-1 loss for Geneseo. It is, however, important to note that some of the key players for the Knights were unable to play due to sustained injuries at this match. Furthermore, since the beginning of the season, the team has improved their overall dynamic and has become much stronger in doing so.

“Fredonia can expect to see a completely different team,” Dunn said.

Certain college sports, including volleyball, tend to play most of their games on the road due to tournament and invitational style events. Although the away game at Fredonia will continue this trend, Dunn does not think that this will play a large impact in the game, as the Knights have a great amount of experience playing on the road.

In addition, Dunn noted that there is always the added pressure to win when playing in front of the home crowd, which the Knights will not have to face for the SUNYAC Tournament or Skidmore Invitational. Regardless of where the game is played, this matchup is sure to be a good one and is vital for both teams.

The Knights will face the Blue Devils in Fredonia on Tuesday Nov. 1 at 6 p.m.

Tennis earns top seed in SUNYAC play

The Geneseo women’s tennis team is exuding confidence after defeating rival SUNY Fredonia with a score of 9-0 on Sept. 14. With this convincing victory, the Knights clinched the top seed in the Western Division of the SUNYAC Tournament, which is from Oct. 8-9. Since securing the top seed in the upcoming Conference Championship Tournament, the women have continued to dominate with victories against SUNY Brockport and SUNY New Paltz, winning 8-1 and 5-4, respectively.

Junior Anika Pornpitaksuk was one of five athletes on the team to conquer in both single and double matches, helping the squad overcome the visiting Brockport Golden Eagles. Then, against New Paltz the Knights came up big in two of the three double sets before claiming the victory with three straight wins in single play.

The team competed in the Northeast Region Championships at William Smith College on Saturday Sept. 24 and Sunday Sept. 25. The players competed hard, highlighted by performances from Pornpitaksuk, sophomore Vanessa Lam-Tran and junior Lauren Salzano. With this flawless performance, the team prevailed in the tournament.

“There is so much depth on this team with no drop off,” junior captain Rachel Ollis said.   “Each woman is a good player and we complement each other well. Lauren [Salzano] is particularly good at singles.”

Ollis believes that chemistry is a key factor in all sports, but especially for this Knights team. Due to the fact that there are few on the tennis team—there are only eight players—it’s hard to not grow close.

“I think it’s because everyone is so dedicated to the craft. We hone our strengths and try to improve on our weaknesses,” Ollis said.

In fact, Ollis said the team “gels” very well together. For instance, when Ollis got injured, her teammates brought her cards and food to ensure that she was feeling better. “It is very touching when a teammate is always watching your match, cheering you on,” Ollis said.

Another vital key to this team’s success has been head coach Jason Stephens. “He always makes time for us and is devoted to the sport,” Ollis said. “I was down 3-7 in a tournament match and came up victorious because of his incredible coaching. He never talks about the past, but looks to the future. He is very optimistic and a truly great coach.”

With the SUNYAC Tournament beginning on Saturday Oct. 8, the women look to come out on top in their final matches against SUNY Cortland on Friday Sept. 30 and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday Oct. 1.

Ollis believes that the team will perform well at the tournament. This cannot be achieved, however, without the hard work, dedication and skill the women have shown this season.

Men’s soccer develops competitive edge

The men’s soccer team suffered a tough 2-1 overtime loss to SUNYAC rival Buffalo State on Friday Sept. 23. It left the team at 3-3-1, but the very next day they went out and had a resounding win over SUNY Fredonia, winning 6-1. Head coach Dominic Oliveri has faith in the men and believes that they will be successful throughout the remainder of the season. “We have played a difficult schedule and got some decent results. When we can dictate play, we can play some quality soccer,” Oliveri said.

When they play as Oliveri said, the team can do serious damage, as seen in their convincing 5-0 win over Rosemont College and their win over Fredonia. Regardless, the team has a very tough schedule so far, and the 2-1 overtime loss to Buffalo was extremely difficult.

“I was a little worried about how we would respond after a very emotional loss to Buff[alo] State the day before,” Oliveri said. He made some changes to the lineup, however, for the match against Fredonia, and from the looks of the result, it clicked.

“We played really well against Fredonia. The first half against them was our best half of soccer as far as execution goes all year,” he said.

Oliveri explained that the injured players are what have had a negative impact on the team. “We will not use that as an excuse, though. We still need to execute and make proper decisions with the ball,” he said.

Sadly, injuries are synonymous with sports, but that doesn’t make it easier. Over the weekend, the team lost senior midfielder Alex Clar for the season. Through six games, Clar was a crucial part of this team, contributing one goal and three assists.

Oliveri pointed to production from his seniors as a big part of the team’s success. The team’s top three leaders in points are all seniors: Ethan Gunty with 14, Matt D’Amico with 9 and Clar with 5. “Gunty and D’Amico are our leaders right now from a production standpoint, but more importantly from an emotional standpoint,” Oliveri said. This is something they will need now more than ever after losing Clar for the season.

It isn’t just the upper classman that Oliveri is impressed with, though. It is the freshman players, as well. “We landed a really strong freshman class in 2016, one of our best groups in years … each and every day I see continued improvement,” Oliveri said. He also discussed how he was impressed with how they have adapted, as the speed of play and physicality are the biggest differences between high school and college level soccer.

After the resounding win over Fredonia, Oliveri said that it had a positive impact on the team. “We must come out motivated—that is the key. There should be no excuse, especially in conference play,” he said.

This will be something that the team must do as they play rival SUNY Oneonta on Friday Sept. 30. The game will be one of the team’s biggest challenges this year, as Oneonta has won the conference championship the last two years.

Photo-sharing app allows user flexibility

Hundreds of United States college students joined the photo-sharing app Switness over the past two weeks. “Switness” means “to witness a story.” You may be wondering, why join Switness when you already use other photo-sharing apps? Unlike today’s popular photo apps, Switness users can keep a profile filled with high quality, full screen photos and videos, as well as maintain the ability to like and comment on others’ photographs.

You may ask yourself, how is this different from Snapchat or Instagram? Switness creators and co-founders Anthony Morgan, a software developer, and Rupali Renjen, a former merchandise planning manager—who met as students at Stony Brook University—describe their app as the first full-screen photosharing application that provides users a platform for both a story and a profile. Switness allows the user to pick and choose what photographs are shown on their profile, letting them keep a consistent theme, if they wish. Conversely, Switness users can also post photos to their stories for friends and followers to see, without displaying them on their profiles—unless they choose to do so.

Switness also includes the ability to friend other users, but that list of friends stays confidential, only for the individual user to see. Some of today’s popular photo apps do not allow users to have this kind of separation between friends and followers. This is great because it gives its users “special abilities” for interacting with friends. For instance, users can send photos or videos directly to specific friends, but not followers.

Similar to Snapchat, Switness includes a “story” feature in which the user can add photos or videos for all of their friends and followers to see. Stories shared by friends are prioritized on an individual’s story feed over stories shared by the people you follow.

Students from the University of North Texas said that Switness allows them to share their stories when they want and with whom they want—all on one platform. Other students said that they are already “obsessed” with the app and its features, claiming the privacy functions give Switness a unique edge that differs from other photo sharing apps. Texas students love that they can easily swipe back and forth through their story feed and that photos don’t auto advance to the next photo—the Switness app keeps you in control.

Morgan and Renjen intend to expand the app into Android systems in the near future. It is currently available for anyone in the U.S. with an iPhone to download for free in the App Store.

Indie rock band Local Natives excites fans with dynamic ensemble of instruments

In California, there is a little blue building that serves as the band Local Natives’ practice space. This is where they produced their indie rock album Hummingbird in 2013. Local Natives is an indie rock band that was formed back when the members were still in high school. Although the band is based out of Los Angeles, they released their first album, Gorilla Manor, in the United Kingdom in 2009, which came out in the United States in 2010. Local Natives has not only opened for bands such as Kings of Leon and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, but have also headlined at popular Chicago music festival, Lollapalooza.

Three years after the release of Hummingbird, Local Natives has finally released their third album Sunlit Youth. To celebrate, they held a surprise concert on the roof of that same little blue building.

Compared to their first album, Sunlit Youth is upbeat, with a style that excites the mind, as opposed to Hummingbird’s more somber and serious tone that causes one to reevaluate their life. Local Natives is the arsenal of musical instruments that bombard your eardrums with harmony. Their new album does this in spades.

As with their previous two albums, Sunlit Youth offers up 12 tracks. The album opens up with “Villainy,” a song with instrumentals reminiscent of fellow indie rock band Panama’s signature style. “Villainy” speaks about wanting to start fresh in a new place, but acknowledging how difficult that can be. The end of the song features a smooth transition that leads to a brief spoken word piece—an essence that feels similar to folk rock.

One popular song off the album, “Past Lives,” discusses our tendency to dream of endless possibilities, although in reality only one thing is certain. This song also pays homage to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles—reminding the band where they come from—in the verse, “Take me/To Dorothy Chandler tonight/And I’ll find you/Reflected 100 times.”

The pavilion was named after Dorothy Buffum Chandler, who was the frontrunner of a movement that worked toward establishing a proper music center in Local Natives’ hometown of Silver Lake in Los Angeles. A reflection pool—later replaced with a fountain—was built in her honor.

“Fountain of Youth” speaks to remembering one’s fleeting youth as they grow older, which is a track that will surely resonate with new students on campus who feel overwhelmed with the transition into college life. Listeners will learn that growing older does not mean you will lose the sense of wonder and joy once experienced in youth.

It’s uncertain to say where Local Natives will go next, but if the past five years are any indication of what’s to come—and if there really are endless possibilities as “Past Lives” ponders—then we’re in for a treat.

Rise of self-publishing lends authors creative freedom

There is nothing more satisfying than cracking open a good book and getting to the tender, juicy story inside. But how does a book get from the writer’s desk to the hungry reader’s lap? Lately, self-publishing has become a common answer to this question. The traditional approach to publishing a book is similar to any other entertainment industry. A writer first has to find an agent, and then they send their fledgling manuscript from publisher to publisher, all while hoping to convince one to consider publishing their work. Putting a book out for public consumption is, and always has been, a complicated process.

In addition to the actual construction and mass production of the book—including printing and binding—one also has to take into account marketing the book to potential audiences through paid reviews and advertising. In an attempt to bypass this cumbersome process for something simpler and more accessible, many authors have taken to self-publishing.

In essence, self-publishing is exactly what it sounds like: someone publishing their own book themselves. Several options exist for the aspiring self-publisher. These include traditional print publishing, publishing to e-book services—such as Amazon’s Kindle—and publishing to an audio-book service—such as Audible or Amazon’s Audiobook Creation Exchange.

In each case, authors can make their own decisions in regard to each step of the publishing process. To many, this is one of the great advantages the process holds over more traditional publishing methods. Authors who may have been turned away by big publishing companies or who are unwilling to alter their original manuscript still have the opportunity to publish their work.

This is not to say that the process doesn’t have its drawbacks. Despite the concept’s increasing popularity and the rise of Internet and digital printing, many within the literary world hold self-published books at a distance.

In her 2011 article “Options for Self-Publishing Proliferate, Easing the Bar to Entry,” New York Times’ Alina Tugend said, “I’m a snob … until recently, I turned up my nose at authors who published their own books.” The general consensus among serious readers has long been that self-published books are only self-published because they are not good enough to have been taken on by “real” publishers. The reality is that many authors choose to self-publish because it allows them greater control of their work both artistically and financially.

While all publishing contracts require some form of royalty for the publishing firm, companies that partner with self-publishers generally require much lower percentages of the book’s total earnings. For instance, Amazon’s Kindle offers 70 percent of all royalties earned to the authors who create the content on books priced between $2.99 and $9.99. This higher percentage of returning income allows lesser-known writers a greater chance to continue doing what they love: writing more books for starved bookworms across the globe.

The art of self-publishing is rapidly changing the way that writers get their work to the general public for consumption. The constant rise of the Internet and services such as those offered by Amazon have made it easier for inspired individuals to reach potential audiences than ever before.

So, who knows? Before long, a self-published author might just write that next great book you crack open on a rainy day.

Author examines American justice system during All-College Hour

Author and Widener University professor Jayne Thompson was the All-College Hour Speaker for Wednesday March 23 in the MacVittie College Union Ballroom. Her multimedia presentation was primarily based on her time teaching creative writing in prisons and her work with juvenile delinquents. The PowerPoint presentation that accompanied her speech was titled “Mercy’s ‘Richer Fruits’: Seeking Justice in A Maximum Security Prison.” Approximately 30 individuals attended the presentation.

Thompson was an editor for the book Letters to My Younger Self: An Anthology of Writings by Incarcerated Men at S.C.I Graterford and a Writing Workbook, published in 2014. The book features a series of essays from students in Thompson’s creative writing courses at a state correctional institute in southeastern Pennsylvania. During her presentation, she played some audio recordings of prisoners reading the pieces that they wrote for the book.

Professor of English and director of writing Rachel Hall introduced Thompson as “a writer, editor, teacher and activist … [who] describes how reading and writing create avenues to freedom.” After the brief introduction, Thompson began by answering a question that, according to her, she received often: “Why do you work with prisoners? Why are you here?” To help explain her commitment to incarcerated students, she told a story about an armed Ku Klux Klan attack on peaceful, anti-Klan protestors in her neighborhood when she was 12 years old.

“In 88 seconds, four men and one woman were dead and many others were badly hurt with gunshot wounds. Soon, these men should be brought to justice, as any 12-year-old could tell you—but none of those men were found guilty,” she said. “To watch as nothing happened afterward was heartbreaking and incredibly confusing for me at the time.” According to Thompson, this was the time when she first became cynical about the American justice system.

Thompson transitioned to talk about her time 30 years later when she began teaching juvenile delinquents at Chester High School. She spoke of specific students and their run-ins with the law. She listed the cases of students who were “expelled forever for putting a teacher in the hospital … arrested for selling drugs … arrested for carrying an unregistered handgun.” She concluded, “Some of these students fell down the rabbit hole … almost like a school to prison pipeline.”

Throughout her presentation, Thompson referenced various works of literature that she believed to be relevant to the system. Specifically, Thompson recited passages from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Wilfred Owen’s Out in the Dark. She also made multiple references to Richard Wright’s novel about race and justice in America, Native Son.

At the beginning of the presentation, Thompson used voice recordings that were originally aired on the radio program RadioTimes. One voice recording was of a 75-year-old inmate named James Taylor. Taylor performed a piece referencing abolitionist John Brown in relation to the penal system. At the end of her presentation, Thompson played two other recordings from men identified as Harun F. and Christopher R.W.M. These inmates wrote essays about betrayal from fellow inmates and about the barricades they felt in prison respectively.

According to Thompson, the time she spent teaching inmates and troubled students influenced her views on the state of the justice system and on race relations. She recalled a statement made by a student at Chester High School that had a major impact: “One day, one of the students told me, “You aren’t white,’” she said. “‘White people don’t like black people.’”

The presentation ended after approximately 90 minutes.

Geneseo ranked ninth for best dining halls

BestColleges.com recently ranked Geneseo’s dining halls as the ninth best in the country. Run through Campus Auxiliary Services, the dining halls were ranked ahead of schools like Yale University, the University of California – Los Angeles and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is the first time Geneseo has been ranked on this list.

The rankings were determined using a point system devised by BestColleges.com. These points were awarded for receiving National Association of College & University Food Services medals, being ranked by The Daily Meal and for placing in last year’s BestColleges.com Best Dining Halls rankings. The website also noted that, “Our rankings emphasize innovation in food sourcing, waste reduction and other sustainable practices. We consulted food industry sources to evaluate award-winning programs.”

CAS Marketing Manager Becky Stewart ’04 highlighted CAS’ commitment to using locally sourced food as one of its stronger qualities with regards to the ranking. “We actually have a very, very strong local purchasing program where we do as much local purchasing as possible and what we as a company define as ‘local’ is within 100 miles,” she said. “The other thing that they called out is our gluten-free ranking, where we have ranked as the number two gluten-free-friendly college nationwide for two years running.”

“I think they have been doing a much better job with it over the past few years,” CAS board Vice President and Student Association Director of Inter-Residence Affairs senior Tyler Sherman said. “I think, overall, we’re making moves toward it, but I don’t think that we are the best at it. But that’s coming from someone who’s not gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan.”

Junior Kimberly Harvey—who was an administrator on the Protest CAS Facebook page and spread information about the CAS forums—emphasized her displeasure and disbelief regarding the BestColleges.com ranking. “Clearly, they did not hear about Protest CAS or the large amount of forums that they were forced to hold because students were so upset and disappointed,” she said. “I don’t know how that happened, but that is a large mistake—unless the gluten-free factors truly pulled it up by some incredible number.”

Although Geneseo was ranked as the number two gluten-free college by NACUFS, Harvey noted that some people have had issues with gluten-free food. “I think that, on paper, they do a good job of offering it, but I’ve heard many, many testimonies that in execution, there are many mistakes,” she said. “I know one girl: her boyfriend had to go to the hospital because he ate something they said was gluten-free that wasn’t and it took nine emails before they admitted fault and apologized.”

Stewart emphasized that CAS was already planning on holding the forums and that the organization has consistently improved. “The forums had already been in our minds; we had planned on doing them prior to a lot of the comments that we had been seeing, it just helped to speed up the process and get us to focus more heavily on them,” Stewart said. “What was most disturbing from our end about that—and honestly most frustrating—was that all of these comments were coming through, but none of them were being sent directly to us … If you’re not happy, let us know.”

Sherman reiterated Stewart’s sentiment. “If you have issues, just please approach managers about it because nothing is going to happen if you don’t,” he said. “Ranting about it online is not going to do anything.”

Looking forward, Stewart noted that CAS is looking to implement new innovations in the coming months in order to maintain its position on NACUFS and BestColleges.com rankings. “We have a number of things that we’re currently working on including mobile ordering, something we’re very excited about,” she said. “There’s a lot of challenges doing it on campus, the biggest one being technology integration. If we were just accepting cash or credit, this would be done; this would be easy. But integrating with the campus meal card and the technology—the back end—into a program is a lot more difficult.”

Civil disobedience training session addresses protest tactics

Green Environmental Organization hosted a civil disobedience training session on March 6 in the Interfaith Center. Two defenders from We Are Seneca Lake spoke about their protests against the planned expansion of gas storage by the Texas-based energy company Crestwood Midstream in the salt mines underneath Seneca Lake.

After the session, students were considered trained and therefore permitted to volunteer at the organization’s protests.

Defender Doug Couchon began the session by introducing the organization and its members. Couchon stated that We Are Seneca Lake is composed of 700 trained individuals who have blockaded Crestwood’s gates 48 times and generated 480 arrests.

Following Couchon’s introduction, defender Mariah Plumlee spoke about the types of gas Crestwood plans to store. Currently, Crestwood stores 1.5 billion cubic feet of methane in the salt caverns and hopes to eventually store liquefied propane and butane as well. The courts are deciding whether liquefied petroleum gas storage will be permitted.

Plumlee added that Crestwood wants to store fracked gas in these caverns because they have an excess supply and are not making enough money selling it.

According to Plumlee, salt industries use a solution salt mining process to extract salt from the caverns. This process leaves shale with holes in it. When shale interacts with the methane, it can travel easily in the caverns, making them unstable.

We Are Seneca Lake originally focused on protesting methane storage because the issue can no longer be fought in the courts.

“Our only  left is civil disobedience because all the legal recourses have dried up and failed; talking to government, talking to industry, marching, peaceful protest, public fora—none of that has worked,” Couchon said. “The only thing left to citizens like us is peaceful nonviolent civil disobedience to make change.”

If an accident happens, Plumlee emphasized that Crestwood is not responsible for paying for the damages; the town of Reading, where Crestwood is located, is. By allowing Crestwood to work in Reading, Plumlee said that the town receives a small sum of money and eight full time jobs.

Couchon and Plumlee then discussed the nature of their blockades. They explained that if a confrontation occurs at a blockade, it is the job of the defenders to remove themselves from a potentially violent situation.

“If you’re up on site with us and somebody hangs out of their truck and gives you the finger and tells you to get a job—and you don’t do anything—it doesn’t feel like you’re acquiescing to their reality quite as much as it might in another situation. It’s because you’re standing with the most wonderful people that you’ll ever meet,” Plumlee said. “There’s something really special about the people who are brave enough to come out and stand up for Seneca Lake.”

The blockades consist of a team of people planning on getting arrested and a group of supporters. People who have been arrested have been charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct at the violation level.

Once arrested, protesters are given an arraignment date in which they are publicly read their charges and required to plead guilty or not guilty. If an individual pleads guilty, they will receive a maximum fine of $375.

Some defenders have refused to pay the fine, which, according to Plumlee, costs Skyler County a substantial amount of money. Currently, if an individual refuses to pay the fine, a black mark is placed on their credit.

As a result, most defenders plead not guilty. Plumlee explained that this cost the courts even more money and overwhelms them with paperwork. Plumlee added that this is the first time in New York State that defenders were dismissed in the interest of justice.

“Our lawyer made this incredibly elegant and beautiful argument pointing out that the people who had been arrested as a We Are Seneca Lake defender were actually the backbone of our community and that they were the people who helped when they were asked,” she said. “They were the people who stood up for things and who took care of people who needed to be taken care of.”

Junior Laura Brown attended the session and said she felt it was very informative.

“This is stuff I don’t really have a lot of knowledge about so I really wanted to be active and understand a lot of it and what I can do outside of the community of Geneseo,” she said. “A lot of the activities that I do are on campus, which is great, but I would like to start figuring out some things I can do outside of that.” 

Professor appointed as history fellow

Distinguished professor of history Michael Oberg was recently elected as a fellow of the New York Academy of History.

According to the NYAH website, the organization is a select group of distinguished “historians, independent scholars … museum curators and administrators, educators, archivists and others with a demonstrated record of achievement and publications.” The group is housed at Columbia University in Manhattan.

NYAH membership is only attained by invitation. It is a professional organization that is devoted to the study and teaching of the history of the state of New York. NYAH also advocates for preserving the state’s historical records.

“An organization that advocates for liberal arts, such as history, is important during a time when liberal arts have been under somewhat of an attack lately,” Oberg said.

Oberg’s latest book Peacemakers: The Iroquois, the United States, and the Treaty of Canandaigua, 1794—which is a history of the Treaty of Canandaigua—was published July 31, 2015 and serves as an example of what type of work the NYAH values.

A member of the Geneseo faculty since 1998, Oberg said he was surprised when he found out he had been elected as a fellow of the NYAH. He even added that he had little prior knowledge of the organization before being selected. Since becoming a member, however, Oberg noted that he is eager to find out more about the NYAH.

“It’s very pleasing to find out that what I am doing for a living is valued by my academic peers,” he said. “It’s very possible to write a book and never find out what people learned from it or if it matters, so this was a nice surprise.”

Being elected as a fellow to the NYAH is not Oberg’s only achievement. He also received a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2003, a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities in 2013 and was also named a SUNY distinguished professor in 2015.    

According to the SUNY website, the Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence are honors that are awarded in order to recognize consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

Oberg said he is  honored by his invitation into the NYAH. “There are some people in the New York Academy of History that I really look up to,” he said. “To know that other historians find value in my work is a great source of validation.”

While being elected to a society like the NYAH is an individual achievement, Oberg emphasized that he sees it as a victory for the entire Geneseo history department. Oberg is one of eight history professors at Geneseo to have won a Chancellor’s award.

“This is a nice reward. It’s good for the SUNY system to get involved with the NYAH, especially the Geneseo history department,” he said. “A lot of the work I’m able to do is due to my hardworking colleagues who help push me. While the department is small, I think it is—if not the best—one of the best undergraduate history departments in the SUNY system.”

Students elected to Geneseo Village Board of Trustees

For the first time in village history, Geneseo has elected two students to the Village Board of Trustees. Spanish major freshman Mary Rutigliano and political science and history double major junior Matthew Cook—who each ran under on an independent ticket—beat Republican Leslie Carson, incumbent Democrat Bob Wilcox and Democrat Phil Jones with votes totaling 685 and 553 respectively.

Political science major senior Sean Perry and biochemistry major junior Sam Larkin managed both campaigns alongside approximately eight student volunteers who acted as agents in distributing and collecting absentee ballot forms to students across campus. The March 15 election fell during Geneseo’s spring break, during which many students traveled away from campus.

“We successfully changed the electorate of who was going to vote in this election,” Perry said. “We knew exactly what we needed to win—we knew we needed to mobilize the student vote.”

The influx of absentee voter ballots pushed the student candidates to the top of the polls, but both received votes in person on Election Day as well. Rutigliano added 173 to her count and Cook received 55.

Although the campaigns catered largely to students, both Rutigliano and Cook went door-to-door throughout the Village, canvassing to townspeople directly in order to further connect with the community.

“Our whole idea was to bring together two parts of Geneseo. Geneseo has a high ceiling and we really want to make it the best that it can be,” Cook said. “Both parts separately are great, but when you put them together, who knows what could be done?”

A Geneseo native, Rutigliano emphasized that canvassing helped her and Cook address the concerns of the community regarding their commitment to the positions. Village Trustees serve four-year terms and both have said they plan on fulfilling those duties.

Mayor Richard Hatheway appeared to respond positively to the election of two Geneseo students. “These people were elected by the voters of Geneseo and we look forward to working with them,” he said in a phone interview.

Wilcox said he hopes it “doesn’t change anything at all,” although he noted that this election could potentially change the dynamic of local governments across the state where SUNY campuses could dominate those electorates.

“I have no idea how things will go,” he said in a phone interview. “But I hope the students stick with it. I hope it works out well.”

Rutigliano and Cook will be sworn into office on April 4.  Both plan to address issues regarding “brain drain” over the next few weeks, combating Geneseo’s consistent failure to attract new residents and keep recently graduated students in the Village. Cook also expressed a desire to continue a conversation regarding the Social Host Law and its potential danger to students without a Good Samaritan clause.

Wilcox expressed concern that the law dominated students’ reasoning behind their support for Rutigliano and Cook and that the vast majority “don’t care” about other aspects of the local government. His fear extends to the candidates’ motivations as well.

“I’m not mocking or against the students,” he said. “It just has to do with experience.”

Cook remarked that no matter the election result, four of the five people were going to be new at legislating.

“The only person without this problem would have been Bob Wilcox,” he said. “You don’t have to be an expert on everything, but you have to do your research, your homework and talk to people to see what they want. That’s how you make your decisions and move forwards.”

The concern regarding students’ incentive to vote sparked criticism from both Wilcox and residents of the Village. The Livingston County News reported that Judy Devries, a first-time voter as a Geneseo newcomer, questioned, “Do [the students who voted with absentee ballots] have the right to vote here? Most of them are probably on their parents’ tax return and they really should be registering where they live. I question the legality of their votes.”

Rutigliano addressed the concerns head on, explaining that students are a part of the community, spending as much time here as a senior citizen who winters in the west or Florida.

“[The students] spend their money here. They make their decisions here. They bring a lot to the Geneseo community,” she said. “I think that makes them just as legitimate as a member of the community [as a resident]. That’s the law and if you have a problem with the law, talk about that, not how students aren’t legitimate.”

Both Trustees acknowledged the importance of keeping students politically involved in the future, encouraging the establishment of a student voice in the local government. “Hopefully, in the long term, we can organize where voting locally is a thing that Geneseo students just do,” Rutigliano said.

Other election results include incumbent Republican Bradley Janson’s win against Bill Brennan for Village Justice. Johnson received 409 votes to Brennan’s 387.

Livingston Lanes hosts memorial fundraiser for Annese, Hutchinson

Livingston Lanes & Pub held a memorial fundraiser on Sunday Feb. 21 to raise money for the families of Kelsey Annese and Matthew Hutchinson. Coordinated by former men’s lacrosse midfielder junior Drew Madarasz, the event served not only as a fundraiser, but as a means for Geneseo community members to come together in solidarity.

The sound of bowling pins being struck down could be heard amongst waves of laughter echoing across the lanes. Hockey players, basketball lovers, swimmers, track stars and lacrosse players alike stood in half circles wearing bowling shoes, smiling, telling stories and making new friends. On a small table stood a cardboard donation box featuring pictures of Annese and Hutchinson on its front. Madarasz sat with the box and expressed his gratitude for donations.

“Being a student athlete at the time and seeing everyone being directly affected around you makes you want to do something,” Madarasz said.  “My position with Livingston Lanes made it easy for me to do something. We’d love to raise as much as we can, but bringing the Geneseo community together is just as important.”

Madarasz went on to explain that he was a member of Geneseo’s marketing club and a participant in their Adopt-a-Business program—the program through which he was able to coordinate the fundraiser with Livingston Lanes & Pub. “I’ve been in the program for a year,” he said. “I realized I had the opportunity to do some good and I’m glad they were receptive to the idea.”

“We have the facilities, so why not do something to help out?” Director of Sales and Marketing for Geneseo Hospitality Chelsea Johns added. Geneseo Hospitality owns the Hampton Inn and other Geneseo businesses. “It’s a fun activity for the community to come together over. At the Hampton Inn, we accommodate the parents of many Geneseo athletes and it’s been great to do something for them.”

Many members of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee were present at the event, including president and senior men’s soccer back Brad Campion. Campion also spoke at Annese and Hutchinson’s Jan. 20 vigil and was commended by Geneseo community members and alum alike for his touching tribute to his fellow student athletes.

“I was just trying to capture what I was told about Matt and Kelsey. I went around and talked to the women’s basketball and men’s hockey team beforehand. It was mostly them speaking while I was up there,” Campion said. “We’ll never move on, but we have to move forward. We only grow closer and events like this just help us come together without directly reflecting.” 

In times of loss, catharsis may not be explicit; mourning does not always involve tears. At Livingston Lanes & Pub’s fundraiser, however, friends and student athlete’s alike celebrated life while also reflecting on a recent loss through an afternoon of bowling. Underneath the smiles and strikes, emotional stiches were sewn and the student athlete community was brought closer together. 

Senior reflections on debt, the liberal arts, personal growth

Thursday May 1, you arrived unexpectedly. Like Dumbledore said (and the Countdown to Commencement reminds us), “Time is making fools of us again.” But more importantly, we can’t forget about Benjamin Franklin and every economist who knows that, “Time is money.” College is expensive, even at a state school. I threw down the monetary equivalent of two new cars to come here because I thought it was the default, or else I would be jobless forever. There wasn’t a conversation about an alternative – I applied and went. And it’s worse for students at private universities and colleges who graduate with not only two cars, but a house worth of debt.

I was confident with my “decision” until I went to loan counseling this week, and was hit hard with the unsettling reality of debt; that money on which I’ve been riding since fall 2010. I avoided confrontation, probably irresponsibly, until now, a moment in which I was struck with my first pang of debt regret.

And so the argument goes: Is college – are the liberal arts – a worthwhile investment anymore, or are we a part of an inflated, frothy system that spits out worthless degrees faster than ever before? Is our college wrongly encouraging adolescents to take on debt to pursue its degree offerings?

On the one hand, Franklin is right: The opportunity cost of these four years might have been quite high, and some may even admit that their liberal arts degrees are useless, dated and unnecessary. The Federal Reserve released a study recently that found that many college graduates are working either part time or in low-wage jobs – especially those with degrees in the humanities.

A lot of us will graduate facing a still-slack labor market with possible structural unemployment issues at hand; some avoid this market by delving further into their higher education.

On the other hand, there are unquantifiable benefits of a liberal arts degree that outweigh those hefty five digits. You won’t find the real value of my four-year investment on my transcript or in my future salary. You can’t place a number on personal growth and interpersonal development like the lasting connections I’ve made with both students and faculty – I mean it.

I came to college and I grew, all the while becoming enthralled in my areas of research. I was able to explore my areas of interest and I am hopeful for a career in socially-good work due to a set of morals and ethics (gently) instilled in me during my time at Geneseo.

When it comes down to it, my most notable qualifications on my resume come from extracurricular and internship activities, rather than my coursework or those “skills” gained in professional development events. I have the School of Business not to thank for that last part.

Outside of the structured years of college, time is limitless – and we’re wealthy by those standards. I cannot tell you if choosing Geneseo will provide me with a “better” job or more “successful” career than my alternative paths might have. While I’ll be trapped in a 10-year payment plan like an indentured servant in the shackles of what’s become of higher education in the United States, my education here will continue through my 20s – consider this coming decade a free expansion pack.

Gallery curator comes to helm of school newspaper

Junior Chelsea Butkowski exudes a ridiculous aptitude and devotion for both art history and communication that led to her appointment as The Lamron’s editor-in-chief for the coming school year. Butkowski’s breadth of on-campus leadership positions include: president of Heard@Geneseo, Arts & Exhibits Coordinator at the Kinetic Gallery and Arts and Entertainment editor at The Lamron. This year, she worked as an assistant residence director in Ontario and Seneca Halls.

Furthermore, Butkowski is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, was nominated to be a Presidential Scholar and served as the Community Advocates Ambassador in Community Engagement, recognized by the Center for Inquiry, Discovery and Development. Through the ambassadorship, she created a magazine of the interviews that Heard@Geneseo collects in a documentation of stories from members of the Geneseo community.

She said that the Kinetic Gallery, Heard@Geneseo and The Lamron unite all of her interests and have given her a “sense of my interests and my own self and talents.”

“Before I came to Geneseo, I didn’t really think I was capable of doing half the things I did,” she said. “I think that I’ve just become way more of a developed person.”

A lot of students ask Butkowski how she manages – what’s her secret? We were sure she had a time turner; she proclaims to have a Google calendar and checks her email constantly. But what motivates her is what she calls being “hyper conscious of people.”

“I don’t like to leave anyone hanging, but I’m also passionate about it and at the same time I want to improve other people’s experience,” she said.

This summer, Butkowski is looking forward to an internship with the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City. It was a difficult decision; She chose the position over a magazine internship, reflecting her inner conflict between her major coursework.

“Obviously it’s not a defining moment in my entire life but for the next few years, it’s going to be a defining moment,” Butkowski said, adding that she chose the art history path after her experience in the Kinetic Gallery, a campus location that she calls her “baby, pride and joy.”

“I am truly passionate about programming there,” Butkowski said. “I put together the most ridiculously complicated exhibitions and spend hours installing them by myself just because I like it.” She notes that it’s been an interesting experience being a Geneseo gallery curator at a time when the arts are “taking a big hit.”

“My goal since I’ve started has been to make art accessible to students and not just pick things that I like and I feel like I’ve somewhat accomplished that,” she said.

Butkowski’s Lamron career has been similar, as she entered the position of assistant Knights’ Life editor with a mild understanding of journalism. Since then, she has written every week and for every section while helping to make arts and features writing more accessible for her staff.

“I think I became very determined to grow in The Lamron and I became determined to grow at Geneseo and take leading roles in things,” she said. “I didn’t do that so much in high school and I think it’s really just that working hard has paid off.”

As for next year, Butkowski is confident in The Lamron and its new and old members. She said she will apply what she’s taken from Residence Life, as “being editor-in-chief or managing editor is basically like being an RA.”

“Being on the The Lamron has taught me to go with the flow so much more and let things come and happen the way they’re going to happen,” she said. “Now I feel very well-established in The Lamron and I know the ins and outs. I’d say there’s no other organization that has the history that The Lamron has.”