Women’s field hockey starts with close loss

Field hockey at Geneseo has come alive once again. Players reported back to campus on Aug. 19 only to have practice commence the next morning, a stark contrast to the majority of Geneseo students who usually sleep through their last few days of summer. Head coach Jess Seren made sure that the team had a tedious preseason schedule, which began Aug. 20 and ended Aug. 28. The team had two practice sessions every day, both of which were typically held in the morning and then later on in the afternoon. In addition to the routine field hockey drills, the team incorporated lifting time in the gym and yoga into their training.

Seren exudes confidence in the 2016-17 team, and this year marks her ninth year as head coach of the Geneseo field hockey team. Despite the loss of many important contributors, there still remains a talented core of returning players, including the entire starting midfield—not including all of the new skill from first year players.

“The first year players are working hard and are doing well adjusting to the team and our style of play,” Seren said.

There are also no concerns over how well all the players will mesh as a team. While there’s always the chance that different players coming in will lead to conflicting personalities and viewpoints about the game—which can lead to problems on and off the field—that isn’t a problem for this team. The freshmen, including forwards Erin Nolan and Elisa Arcara, are already looking to make a difference for the Knights in the upcoming season.

The field hockey team opened the season up in the first round of the Betty Richey Tournament at Vassar College. Despite the narrow loss for the Knights—as the team only lost by one goal—the long road trip created an excellent opportunity to bond. Two hundred eighty miles proved to have an invaluable benefit for connecting as a team.

“Expectations are to continue to improve with each practice and after every game … that’s how we measure success on our team,” Seren said.

This mentality—a staple of both Seren’s field hockey team and Geneseo as an institution—establishes a theme of constant progress and improvement. That doesn’t mean, however, that the team doesn’t give it their all right from the start.

“We put together a strong schedule to start the season off [against] our non-league competitors—it allows us to look at every game that much more critically, which we hope leads to a strong showing among our SUNYAC competition,” Seren said.

The Knights’ home opener this season was on Wednesday Sept. 7, where they had a 3-1 loss against William Smith

This was only the beginning of the Knights’ season, as the team will play seven home games throughout the fall.

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Faceoff: World Series preseason predictions

The Toronto Blue Jays went a spectacular 48-23 after the All-Star break last season, going from a team just below .500 to one that topped the American League East by season's end and came close to the World Series. Much of that success was due to midseason acquisition and star pitcher David Price, who recently signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox. But despite the loss of Price, the Blue Jays still have the league's best offense and a relatively easy path to the World Series.

For Toronto, it's all about their offense. Third baseman Josh Donaldson, right fielder and third baseman José Bautista and first baseman Edwin Encarnación combined for 120 home runs last season—a number unheard of in an era of baseball routinely dominated by pitchers. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was added at the All-Star break and although he was not spectacular in his two months with Toronto, he remains a top-five shortstop in baseball.

The only thing that could halt the Jays' momentum is their starting pitching. Price is now with Boston and pitcher Mark Buehrle—who went 15-8 with a 3.81 ERA—may retire. An injury-free season from 24-year-old pitcher Marcus Stroman could help fill that hole, however, and the team also retained reliable pitchers such as 32-year-old Marco Estrada and 41-year-old R.A. Dickey. They also took a flier on J.A. Happ—who pitched for Toronto from 2012-2014 with limited success—and traded for pitcher Drew Storen to bolster the bullpen. But overall, there are far too many question marks in the Jays' rotation to ensure a successful 2016 campaign.

The Jays' league-best offense should be enough to carry them to the playoffs. If they get there, not having to deal with National League powerhouses such as the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs could give them an easy path to the World Series.

At this point in the year, it’s a little impractical to try and predict who will be in the playoffs come October, let alone predict who will win the World Series. A popular opinion among sports fans, however, is that the Chicago Cubs are primed to win their first title in over a century.

The Cubs had a big year at the plate in 2015, with a good chunk of their players hovering around a .250 batting average. This year, fans can look for the team to lean on big performances from third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Starlin Castro. In order for the Cubs to have a good year offensively, they need to have another great season.

Defense is another thing that is essential to winning and the Cubs certainly have it. Led by pitcher Jake Arrieta, the Cubs have a lot of depth in their bullpen. Arrieta had a great season last year with a 1.77 earned run average and winning 22 games. Other than their pitching, the Cubs outfield—consisting of leftfielder Chris Coghlan, centerfielder Dexter Fowler and rightfielder Jorge Soler—needs to consistently make big plays.

I think that with this combination of great pitching and defense—as well as all around very consistent hitting by the Cubs—Chicago has a very good chance of winning it all this year.

Ice Knights return to SUNYAC Championship for second time in three years

For the second time in three years, the Ice Knights will return to the SUNYAC Championship, seeking a bid for the NCAA Tournament. This was brought about starting with the Feb. 24 4-1 quarterfinal victory over the SUNY Potsdam Bears and the 6-1 semifinal blowout of the Buffalo State College Bengals.

Barely missing out on capturing the second seed in the SUNYAC Tournament—which came with a quarterfinal round bye—the Knights fell into third with a respectable 9-2-5 in-conference record. Although this meant they had to play an extra game, the Knights were able to play at the Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena to host six seed Potsdam.

Four Ice Knights each scored a goal during the heated contest, starting with junior forward RJ Burns 11:38 into the first period. Two minutes later, senior defenseman Matt Solomon tallied one of his own to put the Knights up 2-0 heading into the second. Sophomore defenseman Pat Condon made it a 3-0 lead 32 seconds into the period while senior forward David Ripple brought it up to 4-0 lead with 10:57 left. Potsdam would find their first and only tally when junior forward Logan Brown got the Bears on the board with 7:10 remaining in regulation.

The Bears out-shot the Knights 45-38 in the contest, but first-year goaltender Devin McDonald was credited with a career-high 44 saves to put the Ice Knights into the semifinals. After two losses to Buffalo State earlier in the year, the Knights came ready to play against the only SUNYAC team to put notches in their loss column.

The game started a bit rough for Geneseo. Buffalo State managed to take the lead first with senior forward Cory Gurski putting the Bengals up 1-0 in the first period. Ripple tied things up halfway through the second period on a power play goal to leave the third period as the decider.

As the puck dropped in the third period, it was all Ice Knights for the rest of the contest, starting with point leader junior forward Stephen Collins scoring on the first shift just 40 seconds in.  Five minutes later, disaster would strike the Bengals as point leader junior forward Taylor Pryce was thrown out of the game for a contact to the head hit on Condon. The Ice Knights took full advantage of a five-minute major power play that saw two goals from the sticks of Ripple and junior forward Trevor Hills—Hills now has 11 power play goals on the season.

Facing a 4-1 deficit, the Bengals sensed their season slipping through their grasp and pulled junior goaltender Mike DeLaVergne with 8:55 remaining to try for a miracle. Senior forward AJ Sgaraglio and first-year forward Arthur Gordon had a different plan in mind. Each scored on the empty net to seal the deal for the Ice Knights, sending them to the finals with a remarkable 6-1 victory. McDonald had 24 saves on the night and continues to put up strong performances in net.

Geneseo now looks forward to Saturday March 5, when the SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinals will host the SUNYAC Championship. Plattsburgh made the finals by defeating their long-time rival SUNY Oswego in overtime for the third time this year.

With Plattsburgh taking an energizing thriller win over Oswego and Geneseo blowing out a team that has beaten them twice, both teams are heading into the weekend with huge momentum. The Knights have gone 1-0-1 against the Cardinals this season, but with a NCAA spot on the line, both teams will come onto the ice flying.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. on Saturday March 5 at Plattsburgh.

New Politics to headline spring concert in April

Geneseo Campus Activities Board announced on Thursday Feb. 25 that the band New Politics will headline this year’s spring concert on April 24. Doors open at 7 p.m. in  Kuhl Gymnasium, where local Geneseo band Ponder the Giraffe will open the concert. According to GCAB concerts coordinator senior Gannon Andrews, approximately 2,700 tickets will be available starting on Saturday Feb. 27. Andrews added that each student is permitted one free ticket with their student ID and the first 100 tickets distributed will be VIP tickets.

“We’re making it free to push the idea that mandatory student activity fees are what pays for this,” Andrews said. “I think a lot of students don’t understand where the budget comes from and so they think that if mandatory student activity fees pay for the concert, why do they have to pay again.”

Andrews expressed his belief that unlike last year’s two smaller concerts, which appealed to smaller segments of the student population, this concert will attract a larger group of Geneseo students.

“With one big concert, it’s nice because we don’t split the budget in half, so we can grab an artist that is a little higher up on the scale; a little better-known,” he said.

Andrews added that GCAB’s budget increased a small amount from last year’s and was allotted approximately $40,000 to spend on the concert. Due to budget increases, the concert has been moved back to Kuhl Gym.

According to Andrews, planning for the concert has involved holding meetings with school staff and officials in the community—including Geneseo’s police and fire department—to ensure student safety. Based on the 2,000 student survey responses in the fall semester, Andrews stated that students were most interested in the alternative-rock genre.

Senior Coordinator of Student Programs and Activities Tiffany Brodner explained that planning the concert involved working with the middle agent Concert Ideas, who advises GCAB on a price the artist is likely to accept. After the artist accepts the bid, they send GCAB a contract which goes through the Student Association and Director of Student Life Chip Matthews.

According to Andrews, the contract process finished last week and Student Activities could not make an announcement until all parties officially approved the contract. Andrews added that choosing an artist can be a challenging process, citing last year’s Mary Lambert spring concert as an example.

“It’s really difficult to pick an artist because you can pick someone who has a large following, such as Mary Lambert. She does have a big following, but not specifically with Geneseo students—which we found out by trial and error,” he said. “You can’t run every single artist by every single student because that’s just impossible. So, you’ve got to pick somebody who you think has a large following specifically at Geneseo.”

Andrews predicted that due to the concert being free and the band’s greater popularity, there will likely be a larger audience than at Lambert’s performance.

“I think New Politics is more popular. Just with the concert being free, I think the turn out will be higher,” he said. “For Mary Lambert the turnout was about 120, which was very small … It was obviously not an artist that students on campus were interested in. So I think that New Politics will have way more of a draw.”

Brodner expressed the same optimism in regards to turnout. “We’re hopeful that since it’s free, it’s going to be a good turnout. You’re paying nothing for the ticket, so come out and just check it out,” she said. “You’re going to have a good time because they’re going to put on a good show. We’re just hoping people will actual go ahead and pick up that ticket and come through to try and enjoy it, especially because we worked so hard to try and get it for free.”

New Politics has three albums out including their 2010 album New Politics, 2013’s A Bad Girl in Harlem and 2015’s Vikings. They are best known for their songs “Harlem,” “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” and “Tonight You’re Perfect.”

Finding fun on V-Day, your way

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It’s time for candy hearts, Valentine’s Day cards, roses and sappy movies. For some, this is also a time for being with the one they love. For others living the single life, this holiday may be somewhat dreaded. Single individuals can feel a mixture of loneliness or pressure to compensate for not having someone special during this day of love.

With all the romance movies on Netflix, gaudy love-drenched displays in stores and endless Valentine’s-themed advertisements and television specials, February 14 can seem daunting to the average single person. It’s understandable to feel the need to fill this desire for love, but can casual sex on Valentine’s Day actually fill that void?

Many students hookup out of pressure to find a sexual partner because of social media’s inevitable influence, they feel left out by their peers who are in relationships or simply because they are lonely. Some do so under the influence—sometimes not even remembering the sexual encounter—and are likely left to deal with an awkward morning-after experience. Students may also find that they were left feeling insecure or ashamed after the one-night stand—not to mention the chance of having an awkward run-in with past partners later on. 

Don’t expect too much from casual sex. It can be fun, but having a one-night stand on Valentine’s Day doesn’t necessarily make it more special than any other hookup. Even though there’s a possible chance that this could result into something more, those with past experience would most likely recommend not to expect anything going into it. You might have fun or catch feelings on Valentine’s Day, but that does not mean that your partner sees it as anything more than just sex.

Moreover, if you do spend your Valentine’s Day having a casual hookup, remember to keep it safe—especially if you do not know about your partner’s past sexual history. Always make sure to use protection. The worst Valentine’s Day gifts to give or receive are sexually transmitted infections.

Additionally, remember that there are others things to do on Valentine’s Day—don’t feel as if you absolutely have to get laid or you’ll feel like a lonely loser. You could find some other single friends and have a movie or video game marathon. Maybe you and your friends could even take out some stress with an interactive activity like laser tag or bowling. Another good option is to have a “treat yo self” day by doing something you love or catching up on some much needed sleep that you missed out on earlier in the weekend.

Whatever you choose to do this Valentine’s Day, remember to be safe and to do what you feel most comfortable with—even if your peers don’t do the same.

Off the field issues hinder on field success

Most people will never know what it’s like to play a professional. Many dream of it, but very few are able to achieve it—and even when it is achieved, the athlete’s work isn’t over. Professional sports are a business and in order to compete, you need to be on top. For some athletes, this is just not possible. Even the slightest mistake—on the field or off—can determine one’s career.

Many people who watch the National Football League know who Wes Welker is. The five-time Pro Bowler had a very successful career at wide receiver with the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos. What many people don’t know is that Welker signed as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers and was subsequently cut from the team for being too short.

“Of all the players I've been involved in releasing, the decision to release [Welker] was the biggest mistake ever made,” former Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer said. It’s hard to know for sure, but it’s likely that this fueled Welker to work hard to be “the best in the business.” Perhaps getting cut from a team was what he needed to put in the work and be at the top of his game.

Another thing to consider when talking about professional sports and its inclination toward being a business is politics and personal issues. The best example of this is the formation of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team—better known as “The Dream Team.” Many people thought that Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas was a lock in for a spot. Michael Jordan and Thomas had some issues, however, and Jordan spoke out to head coach Chuck Daly about not including him on the team. In the end, Thomas was cut. It is still one of the most controversial and widely debated decisions in sports to this day—and with good reason. Personal politics have no place in professional sports. They are there, however, and they are very prevalent.

The last issues that find their way into the realm of professional sports are off the field. Many players’ actions off the field get them into trouble on the field. The biggest instance of this in recent memory is former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. After being recorded getting into a heated argument with his fiancé—now wife—Rice struck her and knocked her unconscious. The Ravens decided to cut Rice from the team.

This is a decision that was widely debated: should off the field issues allow a team to cut a player? Should we even be paying attention to these issues? Coming back to the business analogy of professional sports, what Rice did was a bad move for the Ravens’ reputation. They did not want a stain on their organization, so they cut him. This seems logical enough, but why are players like the Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy—who both have committed similar offenses—not cut from their respective teams?

Getting cut from a professional sports team can be from lack of talent, but it can also come from a variety of other reasons. The question of the validity of these reasons is widely discussed in the sports world—and most likely will be for years to come.

Volleyball sweeps Keuka College in first home match

The Geneseo volleyball team had an impressive outing in their first home match on Tuesday Sept. 15, shutting out Keuka College 3-0. The Knights seemed to be in control the whole time, the closest sets being 25-14 in the first and third games. This game is definitely a great stepping-stone for the team as they head into conference play. Head coach Amber Dunn is confident that this is the start of something great. “I like home matches, as they bring a different aura to the team. I like how there are different emotions associated with playing in your own gym in front of your friends and family and that can help you out a lot,” she said. “Even with this being the first home game of the season, we still are treating it just like every other game and I fully expect our girls to be ready to give it their all.”

Geneseo got major contributions from seniors Paige Pendleton and Paige O’Connor. Pendleton had a game high of 12 kills—leading both teams—while O’Connor added 11 kills of her own. Other impressive statistics of the night came from junior Danielle Sayler—who had 14 digs—while senior outside hitter Lizzy Morton contributed 12 digs. Together, Sayler and Morton had to 26 of the Knights’ 48 digs.

With SUNYAC play right around the corner, Geneseo will look to continue their success on the road—they do not have another home game until Oct. 21. This means a lot of games on the road. The Knights have only had a record of 3-6 at neutral or away matches this season. Dunn said that this stretch will do the team good and will help with their intensity and determination to win.

“These next few weeks will be a great test for us to see where we stand … I think we have a chance to make some strides during this time and really show other teams that we can be competitive,” Dunn said. “We have been playing well together and if we can pull these pieces together, we can really do something special come tournament time.”

With the injury to junior outside hitter Tricia Baxley, other players have been forced to step up and contribute. Dunn emphasized the idea that this team can easily overcome adversity when it is needed.

“Our biggest key to success this season is the pass and serve game. We plan on doing that often, but we will not use it all the time. Different teams require a different strategy and from the scouting I have done so far, that is very clear,” she said. “Our team has a strong ‘next man up’ mentality, so when injuries occur and players go down, we know that other people will step up and provide us with the skills necessary to win.”

The Knights play on Friday Sept. 18 against Nazareth College at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Field Hockey preps for repeat run at SUNYAC Title game

The Geneseo field hockey team is off to another great start, having played their first game at the New College Stadium. The turf stadium just opened this semester and teams—especially field hockey—are excited to get on it. Head coach Jess Seren explained that her team could not be more ecstatic about being on the new surface. “We knew going into the year we would be the first Geneseo field hockey team to play on this field, so we have been working hard to give people a glimpse of what they can expect from us,” she said. “We are blessed to have the opportunity to be on the field and with the talent our team possesses, I am excited to see what we can do.”

The new season also brings together a new team. The common goal, however, stays the same. The Knights were able to make it to the SUNYAC Tournament Championship last year, but came up short, losing to SUNY New Paltz 4-0. Seren noted that the team’s success will rely a lot on the energy that the underclassmen possess.

“Our underclassmen make up 17 of our 26 players this season, so we feed off their energy and enthusiasm every day in practice and that definitely translates over into the games,” she said. “The upperclassmen have done a great job of making sure these young players know what we are trying to accomplish and making sure everyone is on the same page. They provide the glue to our program and they really help behind the scenes to make sure everyone is coming together as one.”

The expectations for conference play this season seem to be just as high as last. Last year’s Knights’ team finished with a 9-12 record, but the team won six of their last 10 games—earning them a spot in the SUNYAC Championship.

“We designed our schedule this season to set us up for a tougher conference schedule that we know we are bound to face. We play a few nationally-ranked teams this year and they will really push us to bring our best,” Seren said. “If we can take one game at a time and keep fixing our mistakes and improve on them, then we can put ourselves to be in a position to successful just like we have done in previous years.”

Geneseo is looking for major contributions from senior goalie Dayna Mercer, who just became the school’s number one leader in saves Sunday Sept. 6 against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. They will also look to junior defender Liz Doherty and sophomore forward Cara Stafford to have major contributions this season. Although there are new members to this team, the tradition, value and commitment to winning are permanent, guiding principles. Seren expressed her optimism regarding her new team’s work ethic and talent.

“We established from the start that each practice and game is a learning process, and that if we do not focus on the wins and losses, then we can improve as a whole on the field and peak at the right time,” Seren said. “The team is very talented, so we need to focus on putting these talents together, and the outcome should be equal to last season.”

Cross country season ends at national meet

Although the Geneseo men’s and women’s cross country teams did not achieve their ultimate goal of being on the podium at the NCAA meet, the Knights’ season was by no means a failure. Winning the SUNYAC Tournaments, earning an automatic qualifying bid to the national races—these events made the Knights’ season very successful by any measure. Throughout the season, individual athletes rose above the level of the competition on multiple occasions. Senior Cassie Goodman held an excellent form for the entire season, as well as fellow senior Cohen Miles-Rath who also ran extremely well.

“Our seniors did a great job the whole year,” outgoing head coach Mike Woods said. “Cohen, Cassie, [senior] Alyssa [Knott], they did a real good job providing leadership.”

The leadership from those seniors and more led to the Knights being a very cohesive unit, allowing them to be able to run better as a whole. By being able to gel as a unit, the Knights performed well beyond their peers for the entire season.

Although neither cross country team ended up on the podium, their prospects heading into next season seem to be very bright. Some seniors who played an integral part in this season’s success will be graduating in the spring, but many of the underclassmen are poised to be as good as—if not better than—than many of those runners.

With runners like sophomore Alfredo Mazzuca––who only improved as the season went along––freshman Kristen Homeyer––who finished 84th at the NCAA Championships for the women’s team at the nationals––and freshman Isaac Garcia-Cassani––who finished 203rd for the men at nationals––the Knights should be greatly improved by next season.

One thing that the Knights excelled at during this season and in seasons past has been group identity.

“There’s a real sense of community within the teams,” senior team manager Ben Wach said. “They go out there and they support the other runners and it’s really great to watch.” Geneseo is always one of the teams at meets with the most supporters, something that I believe is a true marker of how cohesive our teams and our school is.

“We pretty much always have the most supports out there out of any team,” Woods said. “The other coaches are always asking me how I do it, and I tell them that it’s just a part of our school.”

Being able to go out there and support their fellow teammates is something that just comes naturally to the runners on both teams. With a solid team foundation and a strong class filled with talented, supportive runners coming up, the future looks extremely bright for the Knights.

$1.2 million offered to future STEM teachers

The National Science Foundation recently awarded Geneseo with a five-year, $1.2 million grant that will provide scholarships to future science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers. The award, which is Geneseo’s largest ever single grant, will benefit students planning to teach physics or other STEM disciplines in struggling high schools after obtaining a New York State education degree. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program will award substantial scholarships to 35 STEM majors at Geneseo. The program mainly seeks to attract Geneseo physics majors into the education field.

“The Geneseo grant is especially focused on physics teaching, but math and other science majors can participate also,” program director and distinguished teaching professor of physics Kurt Fletcher said. Each student awarded the scholarship will receive up to two years of support during their junior and senior years, with physics majors receiving $12,000 per year and non-physics majors receiving $10,000 scholarships.

Internships and scholarship support will also be provided for students in the STEM field who plan on teaching their subjects at a high school level after they graduate.

Since there is a shortage of physics teachers in underserved high schools compared to other subjects such as English and history, the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program was designed in an effort to enable those interested in teaching physics to meet their full potential.

The program also seeks to attract Geneseo physics majors into the education field by providing them with an incentive to enter a fulfilling career path.

“The primary objectives of the Noyce Scholarship program is to encourage talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors and professionals to become K-12 mathematics and science teachers,” Fletcher said. “We’re going to offer early teaching experiences for undergraduates to get a taste of what teaching is like early in their academic careers, when it is still possible for them to enter the certification process through our School of Education.”

Scholars commit to teach two years as a mathematics or science teacher in an underserved school district for each year of scholarship support.

The award program––with a period extending to Aug. 31, 2019––consists of several different components. The Build-it, Leave-it, Teach-it program enables physics majors to design and construct physics-related demonstrations as well as prepare lessons and present them to students at local high schools. They are also encouraged to donate their physics equipment to the participating teacher’s classroom.

The second component is a summer program that includes a field school and an internship, geared to provide students with their first teaching experiences. The students will also be mentored by physics teachers and will attend a national conference of STEM education.

In addition to providing a stipend for the summer internship and tuition support for the summer physics teacher field school, the grant provides travel support for scholars, funds for materials and supplies for classroom demonstrations, and other necessities.

Fletcher has high hopes for the scholarship program.

“I hope that science and math majors who have the talent and expertise to become outstanding teachers will be encouraged to enter the teaching profession,” he said.

Midseason victories bode well for tennis

The Geneseo tennis team finished off on Oct. 3 and Saturday Oct. 4 with dominating wins over SUNY Cortland and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Geneseo was clearly a stronger team than Cortland, but appeared fairly evenly-matched with RPI. “It was important to see us play against Cortland,” head coach Jim Chen said. Chen made an adjustment with how he played his doubles teams.

His strategy seemed to work, as the Knights dominated the Red Dragons 9-0. The Knights finished off Cortland as juniors Marylen Santos and Mai Hashimoto brought their games together in doubles, dominating their opponents 8-3. Junior Cat Crummey and senior Amanda Rosati won their doubles match 8-1, as the new duo put on a clinic against Cortland’s second team of doubles. Senior Minxuan Yuan and sophomore Maggie Hale also beat their competitors 8-4.

The Knights overpowered the Engineers as well—sweeping them in doubles play. Hashimoto and Santos paired up and played extremely well, topping their opponents 8-2. Pairs Rosati and Crummey and Yuan and Hale both defeated their respective opponents 8-2.

According to Chen, RPI is a strong team and usually matches up well with Geneseo. Chen said that this match would be a good prediction to how the Knights would play in the NCAA Tournament. Their domination of RPI is a promising sign that the Knights could play well in their postseason tournaments.

“We have to remain hungry bears, not happy campers,” Chen said. “We want to make it to the later rounds of the NCAA tournament.”

As with many other teams, the tennis team tries to focus on how they play as opposed to their record on the court.

“We need to stay relaxed and focused, focusing on concentration and execution,” Chen said. Having so much success brings added pressure to a team and Chen uses his philosophy of execution and communication to counteract the nerves that a seemingly predetermined fate could bring to his team.

With both confidence and levels of intensity higher than ever, the Knights are ready to continue dominating SUNYAC competition. Hopefully, they can improve upon last year and go even further—this is the deepest team Geneseo has had in a while. The Knights are looking for their third consecutive SUNYAC Championship, which would be their fourth in five years.

The SUNYAC Tournament begins on Friday Oct. 10 at the Binghamton Tennis Center against SUNY Plattsburgh.

Columbia University student calls out injustice with performance art

Columbia University senior Emma Sulkowicz has been carrying a twin-sized mattress around campus as her senior thesis in performance art to protest that her rapist is still studying at the college. She calls it “Mattress Performance” or “Carry That Weight.” Sulkowicz has made it part of her daily routine to take her mattress everywhere she goes in order to expose her institution’s flaws and inadequacy; specifically centered on their lack of action regarding her sexual assault case.

While it should definitely not take these types of measures to bring light to an issue as serious as rape, this is just the type of performance piece to receive the attention of the media, students, faculty and general public. It is a protest that clearly depicts the notion that actions speak louder than words.

The physical aspect is enough to pique the curiosity of those who simply walk by Sulkowicz. She has made her intentions clear: to carry the weight of her own tragedy without asking for help, but accepting it from those who offer it. It’s a very avant-garde approach to a social issue that faces schools nationwide.

Sexual assault in college often ends with little to no punishment for the crime committed. Universities try to save their reputation by quieting issues of sexual assault. The school judiciary system tends to care more about the prestige of the school rather than the victim’s life.

Being that Columbia is one of the top schools in the nation, it’s understandable as to why it would want to put sensitive cases like this aside. The issue of rape, however, cannot be silenced. Students attend a university with confidence that said institution will protect and guide them to new intellectual heights.

Just recently, students of Columbia laid out about a dozen mattresses on campus in order to protest the school’s lack of concern for sexual assault issues. If laying out mattresses in the middle of campus is what has to be done, then so be it. No one should feel uncomfortable at their own university; a place which is supposedly a safe community for students to positively express themselves and be around other individuals who share similar interests and goals.

I believe safety is one of the defining factors that go into choosing a school. If I can’t feel comfortable in my own living environment, I will not live there. The fact that Columbia deemed the assailant as “not responsible” in Sulkowicz’s case is preposterous.

Institutions need to look at these cases from a different viewpoint. Instead of closing sexual assault cases and ignoring the victims' cries, colleges and universities should bring justice for the victims involved and ensure their students that cases like this one are not to be ignored. Students should be reassured that their safety––not numbers or statistics––is what really matters.

The Frugal Foodie: Cheap eats for even the stingiest students

Are you tired of spending an exorbitant amount of money to eat that delicious (not) but healthy kale or the same old stir-fry from Fusion every week? With the prices of produce and healthy foods continually rising, it is hard to prepare nutritious and enjoyable meals while staying on a college-friendly budget. At less than $2 per serving, these healthy meals are both wallet and waistline-friendly. Also, unlike some healthy foods, these recipes don’t taste like cardboard or feature an ingredient that sounds like it’s probably meant to stay in the woods––always a plus. Migas, essentially Mexican frittatas, are a huge hit in my circle of friends. They are full of flavor and super easy to make. This recipe is healthy and vegetarian friendly. The cost per serving is only $0.78.

Recipe for Migas

6 eggs 1/4 cup of fat-free or low fat milk A pinch of salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips 1/4 green bell pepper, diced 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 medium tomato, diced 3 ounces grated pepper jack cheese

Directions: Whisk together eggs, milk and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortilla strips and cook, stirring occasionally, until strips begin to crisp. Once crisp, add pepper and onion and cook until softened. This should take about three minutes. Add whole garlic and clove and cook for about one minute longer. Add egg mixture, tomato and cheese to the skillet. Using a spatula, cook mixture for about three minutes, scraping up cooked eggs and allowing liquid to flow to bottom of pan. Once eggs are completely set, garnish the dish with some grated cheese and serve immediately.

Homemade Mexican pizza is not only delicious but approximately $0.97 per serving. Also, it only takes about 30 minutes to make which is a great time-saver for college students who would obviously rather be studying or learning how to solve all of the world’s problems.

Recipe for Homemade Mexican Pizza

Dough: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup warm water

Toppings: 1 cup black beans 1 large red or green bell pepper, diced 1 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes 1/2 pound ground turkey 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon hot sauce 1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese

Directions: For the dough: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Combine warm water, sugar and yeast and let sit until foamy. When yeast mixture is ready, add to flour mixture with oil and knead until elastic-type consistency is formed. Then cover and let sit while preparing pizza toppings. Once toppings are prepared, roll out to fit a 14-inch pizza pan.

For the toppings: In a large pan, sauté ground turkey in vegetable oil until just about halfway cooked. Add cumin, chili powder, hot sauce and diced tomatoes. Continue cooking until half of the liquid in the pan has been reduced. To assemble the pizza, spoon tomato/turkey mixture onto the base of the pizza. Top with black beans, cheese and diced bell peppers. Once assembled, bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

Album Review: My Everything

It is hard to believe how quickly Ariana Grande rose to fame, going from a Nickelodeon actress to bonafide pop star in just a matter of years. Since the release of her first record, Grande has put out hit after hit. Her new album My Everything, released on Aug. 25, has already skyrocketed to the top of the charts. My Everything is truly an evolution from her debut LP Yours Truly. Grande’s first album was proof that she had talent. It was evident, however, that her voice was not yet at its peak and many of the songs were quite similar. While it was a solid first offering, Yours Truly is nothing compared to her new album.

My Everything features a range of songs, from amazing dance tracks with EDM influences to fresh R&B tunes that you would never think she could pull off. Every track on this album is extremely catchy and will surely be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

The album is filled with some unlikely collaborations. The surprising diversity and uniqueness of the album is exactly what fans seem to love. My Everything features artists such as Childish Gambino, Zedd, Iggy Azalea and Big Sean. With an all-star lineup like that, who wouldn’t have high expectations for Grande?

Aside from the collaborations, My Everything also shows off Grande’s more vulnerable side, another reason for its popularity. Fans of Grande should be able to connect with the singer through many of the songs on this album––something every artist would want to achieve.

The ultimate highlight of the album, however, is Grande’s vocals. There is only one word to describe them: perfection. While Grande is known for her whistle tones (which have even been compared to those of Mariah Carey), she did not show them off as much as she has in the past. There are a lot more riffs and harmonies in this album. The fact that she is able to show off her lower register in My Everything shows how truly unique and wide her vocal range is. Grande’s voice soars with pure talent.

The songstress has yet again captured the hearts of millions, with My Everything debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, her second album to hit No. 1 in less than a year.

Considering that Grande is just 21 years old, the sky is the limit for the singer. This album is a game-changer for Grande and shows that the singer is not going to stop anytime soon.