News

Mumps outbreak spreads at Syracuse University

By Jamie Aranoff

SYRACUSE, N.Y.– Syracuse University reported that there are now 22 confirmed cases of mumps on the campus. According to the Onondaga County Health Department, another 19 probable cases were reported since the outbreak began in September.

The Centers for Disease Control states that symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite and swollen tender and salivary glands under the ears or along the jaws. It is contracted through saliva and respiratory sections and has been showing up across college campuses nationwide.

The University has quarantined students who have been diagnosed and who are suspected to have the disease. to attempt to contain the illness. Several of the students were put up in local hotels by the University. Many of the confirmed cases are coming from the Men’s Lacrosse, and Women’s Lacrosse teams. As a result both lacrosse teams have been shut down for the Fall semester.

According to the CDC, Mumps can be contracted even if patients were previously vaccinated. The University reported that a majority of the infected students had been vaccinated.

For more information about the Mumps outbreak at Syracuse University, visit http://health.syr.edu/news/mumps-and-vaccinations-.html

Lakers Fall to Geneseo by a Pair of Late Goals

The Oswego men’s soccer team lost to Geneseo by a final score of 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in their final game of Homecoming Weekend. The Lakers’ record drops to 6-8-1 and 1-7-0 in conference while the Knights improves to 7-5-2 with a 3-3-1 in conference record.

At 27:52, junior Jason Siracuse was all alone in front of the goal and made no mistake, putting the Lakers up 1-0. Senior midfielder Connor Lunduski tallied an assist on Siracuse’s goal; giving him the team-lead in helpers with seven.

Lakers’ goaltender Evan Bogucki was perfect for the first 70 minutes until Nick Keneally found the back of the net to tie the game at 1. Less than two minutes later Joey Vucic scored the game winning goal for the Knights.

The Lakers’ host Cortland on Saturday at 4 p.m. for Senior Day which is their final game of the regular season.

Men’s Soccer Drops Double-OT Thriller to Brockport

The Oswego State men’s soccer team fell to Brockport in double overtime by a final score of 1-0 on Friday. The Lakers now have a 6-7-1 record with a 1-6-0 in conference record. The Golden Eagles improve to 8-3-3 with an in conference record of 3-2-1.

After 106 scoreless minutes, Brockport’s Chris Aherne beat Lakers’ net-minder Evan Bogucki for the game winning goal. Bogucki stopped five of the Golden Eagles’ six shots on goal.

Oswego tallied nine shots in total with four reaching the goal. Hassan Musa’s three shots were a team high for the Lakers.

Oswego is back in action on Saturday when they host Geneseo at 1 p.m.

Glynn’s First Career Goal Not Enough For Lakers

The Oswego State field hockey team fell to Cortland by a score of 7-2 for their first loss in SUNYAC play. With the loss, the Lakers drop to 5-4 on the season while the Red Dragons move to 10-3.

Cortland opened the scoring in the first half thanks to goals from four different Red Dragons. They would take that lead into halftime and added two additional scores early in the second half including Jess Gibaldi’s second of the game. It was not until the 68th minute that Oswego would get on the board. However, for freshman Theresa Glynn, it will be one that she remembers as it was the first of her career. Kathleen Little would also put one in the back of the net for the Lakers to go along with her assist.

Oswego will look to get back into the win column on Saturday when they travel to Geneseo to take on the Knights in another SUNYAC matchup.

Oswego State Volleyball Splits SUNYAC Doubleheader

The Oswego State volleyball team split a doubleheader at Max Ziel Gymnasium this afternoon as they defeated Oneonta 3-1 and then fell to Fredonia by the same score. After today’s games, Oswego is now 9-11 on the season and 3-3 in conference play. Conference foe, Oneonta, falls to 8-14 overall and 2-3 in the SUNYAC with Fredonia moving to 13-7 and 5-1 in the conference.

Against Oneonta, Allison Sullivan and Lauren Fie each had seven kills by the end of the second set to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. While they struggled in the third set, largely due to a 10-2 run by the Red Dragons, Oswego regained their rhythm to win the contest. Leading the Lakers on the court were Alison Berger with 15 assists and Sarah Braddon with 15 digs on defense.

With momentum from their last match on their side, Oswego jumped out to a 1-0 lead against Fredonia. That would be the only set that they would come out on top in though, as crucial runs by the Blue Devils led to wins by scores of 25-12, 25-23, and 25-17. On the offensive side, Allison Sullivan and Laura Finn led the Lakers with eight kills apiece while Julia Flohr contributed eighteen assists as well as six digs on defense.

Oswego’s will be back in action in Canton next Saturday for a doubleheader where they will take on the ‘Roos and Maine Fort-Kent.

 

Lunduski Scores Lone Goal in Loss to Buffalo State

The Oswego State men’s soccer team fell to Buffalo State by a score of 2-1 Friday. The Lakers’ record drops to 6-5-1 and the Bengals improve to 9-1-2 overall.

Oswego midfielder Connor Lunduski scored the Lakers’ lone goal in the 81st minute thanks to a pass from Jason Siracuse. That is Siracuse’s fifth assist this season and Lunduski’s fifth goal. Despite outshooting the Bengals 8-4 in the second half of the game, they were unable to tie the match in 90 minutes.

Oswego’s next game is in Fredonia on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Oswego Vollyball Defeats Potsdam in SUNYAC Round Robin Play

A career-high 15 kills from sophomore Lauren Fie led Oswego to a victory over Potsdam. The scores for the match were 24-26, 25-18, 25-21, and 25-22. Oswego’s record improves to 8-10 with a 2-2 in conference record while Potsdam drops to 9-9 with a SUNYAC record of 1-3.

Fie, Alison Sullivan, and Shauna O’Flaherty all had double digits in kills and Sullivan’s five blocks were a match high. Junior Alison Berger earned a career-best in assists with 29 and digs with 12. Senior Rina Qelaj led the team in digs with 17.

The Lakers play again Saturday when they host Oneonta at 12 p.m. and Fredonia at 2:30 p.m.

Field Hockey Falls to #20 William Smith

The Oswego State field hockey team’s four game winning streak came to an end after a 5-1 loss to William Smith.

The Herons opened the scoring with two goals early in the first half to give themselves a 2-0 lead going into halftime. In the 40th minute, the Lakers were able to get on the board thanks to Katie Reynolds’ team leading seventh goal of the season. That would be all for Oswego though as William Smith responded with three more scores.

Lakers goalkeeper Sarita Charap made 11 stops after playing the entire game with her teammate, Brianna Ciganek also contributing two defensive saves. Emily King played a majority of the game at the goalkeeping position for the Herons, notching three saves.

Oswego, now 4-3, will go on the road to face conference foe, Brockport, on Saturday.

Women’s Soccer Suffers Tough Loss

 

The Oswego State women’s soccer team suffered a tough 1-0 loss against Potsdam on Saturday. With the defeat, the Lakers drop to 4-4-1 on the season while the Bears are now 8-2-2.

Both teams were held scoreless in the first half but not before Oswego had their chances to score. Within the 41st minute alone, the Lakers took three shots including a header by Taylor Harrington. They would go on to outshoot Potsdam in the half 9-3, and 17-5 in total. The Bears scored the game’s lone goal early in the second half.

The Lakers will look to end their three-game losing streak when they face Buffalo State on Friday at 3 pm.

Men’s Soccer Falls to Rival Plattsburgh

The Oswego State men’s soccer team lost a close match to rival Plattsburgh by a final score of 4-3 on Friday. After the loss, the Lakers record is now 6-3-1 while the Cardinals move to 8-2-0 this season.

Early into the game senior midfielder Connor Lunduski gave the Lakers an early lead on the road. Later in the match, with the Cardinals up 2-1, Jason Siracuse was able to tie the game with his fourth goal of the season. Plattsburgh would answer back with two more goals and with Caleb Asamoah’s seventh of the year at the end of the match, the final score would read 4-3 in favor of the Cardinals.

The Lakers are back in action on Saturday in Potsdam at 1 p.m.

Trump administration announces new Title IX guidelines

Written by Erin Meyer

OSWEGO, N.Y– The Trump administration has announced new guidelines for colleges on how to comply with the Title IX program. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced her intention to rescind the Obama-era program, which protects people from sex-based discrimination in education programs or activities which receive Federal financial assistance, last week.

“This interim guidance will help schools as they work to combat sexual misconduct and will treat all students fairly,” DeVos said in a written statement. “Schools must continue to confront these horrific crimes and behaviors head-on. There will be no more sweeping them under the rug. But the process also must be fair and impartial, giving everyone more confidence in its outcomes.”

DeVos overturned past guidelines issued by the Obama administration in 2011 and 2014, including guarantees that assault victims are not denied access to education, and issued new guidelines for dealing with cases of sexual misconduct.

The announcement has been met with criticism from advocates for survivors of sexual assault. “It’s On Us,” an initiative to stop sexual assault on college campuses created by President Barack Obama in 2014, has created a petition to maintain current Title IX regulations.

It is currently unclear how these changes will affect the implementation of Title IX at SUNY Oswego, if at all. The campus branch has not yet commented on the announcement, though its page on the school’s website still reflects the standards put in place under the Obama administration.

For more information on Title IX and SUNY Oswego’s sexual harassment policies, visit https://www.oswego.edu/title-ix/.

 

Men’s Soccer losses to No. 7/8 Oneonta

The Oswego Men’s Soccer team lost their second game of the season at home against No. 7/8 Oneonta on Saturday by a final score of 3-1. Caleb Asamoah scored his sixth goal of the year during the 26th minute. The sophomore is now second in goals on the team behind Hassan Musa.

The Lakers registered 11 total shots with three reaching the net. The Red Dragons combined for 21 shots with 5 being on goal. Oswego net-minder Brian Terra stopped two of the five shots while Nicholas Giordano allowed one goal on three shots for Oneonta.

The Lakers’ next game is this Friday at 3 p.m. in Plattsburgh

Men’s Soccer Wins SUNYAC Opener

The Oswego State men’s soccer team opened up SUNYAC play with a 1-0 win over New Paltz. Oswego’s victory marked the first time since this day in 2006 that the program won its conference opener.

The first and only score of the game came in the 59th minute as Lakers’ forward, Hassan Musa, netted his team-leading seventh goal of the season.

On the defensive side of the ball, Oswego held the Hawks to just three shots on goal. Goalkeeper, Brian Terra, improved his record to 4-1-0 after notching his second consecutive shutout.

Oswego, now 6-1-1 on the season will look to extend their winning streak to three games as they take on Oneonta tomorrow at 1:00 pm at Laker Turf Stadium.

WTOP Fall Sign Ups

Crew Sign Up closes Sunday, September 24th! Please email taylor.ksiazek@wtop10.com for any questions about signing up for crew. 

Men’s Soccer Endures First Loss of the Season

The Oswego State men’s soccer team’s five game undefeated streak has come to an end. St. Lawrence defeated the Lakers by a score of 2-0 on Friday at Laker Turf Stadium. Oswego’s record is now 4-1-1 while St. Lawrence’s improves to 2-2-1.

The first score of the game came in the fifteenth minute when the Laker’s goaltender was given a red card and St. Lawrence tallied their penalty kick.

The next and final goal came during the 64th minute when Brendan McNamee scored from in tight to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

The Lakers are back in action on Saturday in Morrisville to face the Mustangs at 4 p.m.

Lakers Sweep First Day of Tourney

The Oswego State volleyball team performed a clean sweep of its opponents at Max Ziel Gymnasium on Friday night.

In their opening game, the Lakers dominated the Hilbert Hawks in every major statistical category. They would go on to win three sets to none by scores of 25-5, 25-10 and 25-12. Laura Finn starred for Oswego State, finishing with eleven digs, seven kills and two aces while Julia Flohr contributed 28 assists.

Against SUNY Canton, Oswego State won by narrower margins, 25-18, 25-20 and 26-24. Alison Sullivan was a force to be reckoned with on both the offensive and defensive ends for the Lakers as she had eight kills and a team-leading seven blocks. Also contributing was Shauna O’Flaherty with 17 digs and two aces.

Oswego, now 4-6 on the year, will face Utica College at 11 a.m tomorrow followed by Elmira College at 1 p.m.

 

Oz Speaks: Taking a Knee opens discussion on racial inequality

Written by Stefanie Sciolaro and Abbey Buttacavoli

OSWEGO, N.Y.– Almost all 150 seats in SUNY Oswego’s Marano Campus Center auditorium were filled Wednesday for the first Oz Speaks event of the fall semester. The event was a panel discussion talking about 49ers starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem before a game last year. Oswego professor, Brian Moritz, moderated the panel which included SUNY Oswego professors, Bonita Hampton,  Kenneth Marshall and ESPN Radio Syracuse’s Brent Axe.

Each panelist gave information on the historical roots involving racial inequality in America. In regards to Kaepernick taking a knee, Dr. Kenneth Marshall said, “about time. From 1619 to 1865 when lincoln signed the paper freeing black people. 3.5 million black people who worked for free, America had 246 years as a nation of oppression and approximately 152 years as a nation of liberation, so we are better at oppression than liberation, that’s who we are.”

Axe said that he has talked to people who feel that football Sunday is no time for political statements, but people react one of two ways. Either they immediately are angered, or they think that maybe it is something they should listen to. 

Bonita Hampton said for students to educate themselves that that they can  fight racial inequality in America.

Axe explained that Kaepernick had taken a knee before, and no one had noticed. However, once the cameras captured an image of him down on one knee, there was proof, and it took hold. Axe concluding by telling the audience to “never underestimate the power of a powerful image.” 

Other Oz Speaks topics this semester include freedom of speech and social awareness. Dates are still being determined.

Free legal aid clinic offered to DACA recipients

Written by Anthony Russo


OSWEGO, N.Y.– A free legal aid clinic is being offered to individuals being protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The clinic will be held Sunday September 24th from 11:00am to 2:00pm at 221 South Warren Street in Syracuse.

The clinic is being spearheaded by Herve Comeau who works at the Volunteer Lawyer Project of Onondaga County. Comeau said he wants to help the approximately 20,000 upstate New Yorkers who have been enrolled in DACA since it was enacted in 2012.

The clinic will assist DACA recipients in renewing their benefits, giving DACA related information, as well as answering questions about DACA and actions that individuals can take.

President Trump announced on September 5th that he would be ending the DACA program established by President Obama in 2012 that gave protections to undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. He also said that he would be giving Congress six months to pass legislation to replace DACA.

If you or someone you know would like more information on the clinic or would like to receive transportation to the clinic, Herve Comeau can be reached at his email address hcomeau@onvlp.org or his phone number 315-579-0178.

Lakers Earn First Win Against Elmira

The Oswego State field hockey team gave Heather Moore her first win as the head coach after defeating Elmira College by a score of 5-4.

Playing on their home turf, the Lakers were the first to get on the board, courtesy of a goal by Jordan Sheehy. After the Soaring Eagles tied it up just over ten minutes later, Monica Harvey scored her first goal for Oswego. Elmira would score again to send the game into a 2-2 tie at the half.

In the second half, Elmira scored quickly to give themselves a one point lead. That would not remain for long though as Harvey connected with Katie Reynolds to even the game. Harvey finished the night with a career-best seven points including two goals and three assists. Her last point came in the 63rd minute on what turned out to be the game-winning goal by Kendra Walker.

Lakers goalie Sarita Charap stopped 22 shots in the full 70 minutes with her defense also stopping three shots. Julie Hockenberger finished with five saves for the Soaring Eagles.

Oswego, now 1-2, will look to continue their winning ways on the road against Wells College on Saturday.

 

 

 

Lakers Drop Home Opener to St. Lawrence

The Oswego State field hockey team is still searching for their first win of the season after falling to St. Lawrence University Friday night by a final score of 5-1. Due to inclement weather, the first game at Laker Turf Stadium this year was pushed from 7 p.m. to 8:40 p.m.

The Saints opened the scoring thanks to Jackie Reiss’s first goal of the season. That led the way for four more goals from the away team. One from Sonya Sandhu and three from Tori Shaffer. Finally in the 64th minute the Lakers were able to break through with Riley Mallet’s first goal of the season.

Lakers goalkeeper Sarita Charap stopped nine shots in the full 70 minutes while Lexi Oskam and Sophie Cardenali split time and combined for three saves for the Saints.

Oswego, now 0-2, will play their next game on Wednesday at home against Elmira College.

SUNY Oswego leaders send call to action to Congress

Some leaders of the SUNY Oswego community are urging congress to pass legislation in response to President Trump’s decision to end the Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

 SUNY Oswego president, Deborah F. Stanley, Faculty Assembly Chair, Lisa Glidden and Student Association President, Dalton Bisson composed a call to action to send to the NYS Congressional Delegation on Thursday.  

According to US Citizenship and Immigration services, the DACA program was announced by the Secretary of Homeland Security on June 15, 2012. It stated that “certain people who came to the United States as children and meet several guidelines may request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years”. Under DACA they could could also renew this deferred action and it also made them eligible for work authorization.

Ending the DACA program would impact “nearly 80,000 individuals in our nation [who] now face devastating alteration to their lives and aspirations and do not deserve the fate unfairly placed upon them” Stanley, Glidden, and Bisson wrote in the call to action. The call to action was emailed to SUNY Oswego staff and students Thursday morning.

The email illustrated how much Stanley, Glidden, and Bisson value members of the DACA program, called “Dreamers”, at SUNY Oswego and across the country. “We, as Americans, must be willing to shoulder the responsibility to assure that our nation’s laws reflect highly moral and deeply ethical positions. To refuse to do so in this instance would seriously debase our heritage as a nation of immigrants and hope” Stanley, Glidden, and Bisson wrote.

For more information on the DACA program and to read the full announcement please visit  https://www.uscis.gov/archive/consideration-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca#previousdacaupdates

 

Voices of Diversity: Quindell Williams

OSWEGO, N.Y. – Students and faculty gathered Monday to hear about the professional journalism experiences of Oswego State alumnus Quindell Williams (‘11) in the Marano Campus Center Auditorium.

Williams works for Syracuse based TV station CNYCentral as a photojournalist and video editor. During his five years at the station, he was part of the team that won a regional Emmy award for best Daytime Newscast. Williams also holds other awards from the Syracuse Press Club and New York State Associated Press.

“I love what I do, I love my job,” he said.

His motivation in life comes from his child. “Every time I look at my son I have to do better, doesn’t matter what it is,” he said.

Williams began his career in broadcasting at CNYCentral as a master control operator for one year, a job he got right out of college. A career fair at Oswego State presented him with the opportunity. He did work to get himself to the point of getting hired as master control.

“Things I did (in college) helped mold and shape me to what I am now,” Williams said.

He spoke to the audience about his time in college, at both Oswego State and Onondaga County Community College. He was involved with several clubs on campus at Oswego State such as the Black Student Union, African Latino Asian and Native Americans (ALANA), WNYO 88.9 FM, and WTOP-TV.

His advice for students, was simple. “Be prepared to seize the moment,” Williams said. “Try to surround yourself with people trying to reach the next level.”
The program was put on by Voices of Diversity, currently in their sixth year of holding events like this one to encourage diversity.

The Iron Pour

by Reggie Debrah

Oswego, NY- Oswego State had their annual Iron Pour on Apr. 14. Iron Pour is an event that takes place once a semester by students in Oswego State’s Technology 205 (Materials Precision Production) course. The event took place in the pit behind Tyler Hall.

Professors and students collected recycled pieces of metal from around campus and heated it up to 3000 degrees. After the metal has melted, it is poured into plastic molds in order to create iron molds.

The event was organized by professor Benjamin Entner and other Technology 205 professors. Entner says the event is a spectacle.

“Everyone likes fire,” he said. “There’s an element of danger although it’s quite safe. It’s a unique experience not every college campus does.”

Students in the course were excited because of how much they prepared for this event throughout the semester. Those who came to watch were allowed to design plastics molds and have iron poured into it. After waiting for the iron to cool, everyone who carved out a mold was allowed to leave with the iron plate that they designed.

Oswego State student Lawrence Chiappone is currently in the Technology 205 class and says the Iron Pour is a great event for people to get involved with.

“Not many colleges do an Iron Pour,” he said. “You have a chance to make a sculpture. I think the professors in the community are really good about it.”

Oswego State student Michael Gambro took the Technology 205 class last year and was excited to come back to see the work done to this year’s event.
“I think it’s a cool way to get people involved,” he said. “It seems like something a little bit different around campus.”

Excelsior Scholarship

by Ilyssa Weiner

OSWEGO, NY — Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recent Excelsior Scholarship is the first program in the United States to offer free tuition to four year public colleges. The program, however, has its setbacks, critics say.

SUNY Oswego Financial Aid Director Mark Humbert says the hard part for students who receive the scholarship will be keeping it.

“You have to successfully complete 30 credit hours per year and most of our students don’t do that,” he said.

SUNY Oswego currently has a 48% acceptance rate. Humbert says the Excelsior Scholarship will cause the rate of all SUNY schools to decrease.

“It’s going to make SUNY more selective, which in some way goes against our mission which is affordability and access,” he said.

The initial cap for students who qualify will be an annual family income of $100,000. By 2019, the cap will rise to $125,000. Humbert says many students will still need loans despite the qualification.

”The cost of college is more than just tuition,” he said. “The same students that might be eligible for this still are going to need their loans to help pay for room and board.”

Students eligible for the program must stay in New York State for four years after they graduate. If they move out, the free tuition turns into a loan.

SUNY Oswego student Asha Bey is a broadcasting major and is concerned if she ends up with a job outside of New York.

“I know there’s plenty of job opportunities in other states other than New York,” Bey said.

While she is hopeful about the scholarship, Bey believes the kinks need to be worked out.

“I just want a group of people to just go through it so we can see what is there or what we can expect,” she said.

The Excelsior Scholarship program will take effect Fall 2017.

New York: The First Tuition Free State in the Nation

by Stefanie Sciolaro

OSWEGO, NY- – On April 8th, Governor Cuomo announced that all public 2 and 4 year universities in the state of New York will offer a tuition free scholarship. The Excelsior Scholarship will allow middle class families, who qualify, to be exempt from paying for college tuition.

In order to qualify, a family’s adjusted gross income must be under $100,000 in 2017. By 2018 that number will go up to $110,000, and by 2019 the amount will increase to $125,000. These incomes will include all student, parent, or spouse incomes within the family.

Students must be enrolled full-time, already have 30 college credits, and continue to complete 30 credits per year, which includes summer sessions, while in college. Transfer students will be eligible if they, or once, they’ve met the 30 credit requirement. If the student loses the scholarship, for now, they will be unable to regain it, though there is an appeal process being put in place.

Once students who are receiving the scholarship graduate, they will be required to stay New York residents for the same amount of time they had received the scholarship in college. Christopher Britts, an education major at SUNY Oswego, is apprehensive of where the state’s getting the money to fund this and what the resident restriction entitles.

“Are my taxes or other college expenses going to go up?… Will they decrease the PELL or TAP grants we get? Because if so and I don’t qualify where does that leave me?… What if I get a job in Cali or Jersey, I have to say no? If so, I’d rather have the loans, then at least I’m free.” says Christopher.

Graduate students are not eligible for the scholarship, nor are students who have already completed an undergraduate degree and are pursuing a second.

Families will still be responsible for other expenses such as room and board, meal plans, and books, but the hope is for the Excelsior Scholarship to help relieve some of the burdens that families face in trying to pay for student’s college education. Financial aid will not be effected if a student receives the scholarship.

Christopher is also a team leader for Mentor Scholar, an after school program helping children with homework, and says this scholarship is good for younger children as well.

“Yes the scholarship needs adjustments and clarification but it really does give them a future to look forward to. Many of these kids come from low income families who before now, college was probably never an option…well now it is. As a future educator and current college student thats a beautiful thing to see.” Chris said.

This scholarship will go into effect and be available to students for the Fall 2017 semester. For more on the Excelsior Scholarship visit http://www.ny.gov, for SUNY (State University of New York) information visit https://www.suny.edu, and for CUNY (City University of New York) information visit http://www2.cuny.edu.

Scroll to top