fall 15 tor echo issue 5
DESCRIPTION
Tor Echo is the student newspaper of Alfred State SUNY College of Technology.TRANSCRIPT
Tor Echo Newspaper of the Pioneers
Alfred State student Natalia Sytch
and her mother, Vera Sytch, met
with members of Alfred State’s
Honors Program and their guests
Thursday, Nov. 5 for a presenta-
tion on their lengthy travels this
past summer in Cambodia, China,
and India.
Natalia, a Rochester native
with a double major in agricultural
technology and veterinary tech-
nology, and Vera, a photographer,
spent their time working with
people in extreme poverty, teach-
ing and ministering, including work
in Calcutta Mercy Hospital. Ac-
cording to Vera, “Americans Mark
and Huldah Buntain founded the
hospital in 1977, and have devoted
their lives to this service.”
Vera’s involvement with the
hospital changed suddenly when
she contracted a virus in Calcutta
and spent 10 days as a patient
there. Their trip, which was to
include similar volunteer work in
Liberia, was cut short when Vera’s
illness forced their early return to
Rochester. Natalia said when she
graduates in May, her goal is “to
use the knowledge gained in my
studies at Alfred State to improve
the lives of some of the hard-
working, but impoverished people
I met this summer.”
ASC Student, mother discuss volunteer
work with Honors Program members
(From left) Farhan Alshammari, mechanical engineering technology; Emily Lestrange, veterinary technology; Jacob Marcy, liberal
arts and sciences: math and science; Natalia Sytch; Vera Sytch; Hannah Vuozzo, architecture; Shannon Fay, architecture; Kristen
Williams, liberal arts and sciences: humanities; Cassandra Ryan, mechanical engineering technology.
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Tor Echo
Report, Encourage, Engage
Issue 5, Fall 2015
Editor-in-Chief: Daniel C. David / Managing Editor: Kevin Shrestha / Treasurer / Student Senate Representative: Daniel David
Reporters: Karla Chun, Heather Cromwell, Shannon Fay, Grace Franklin, Tara Goldsbury, Rachel Haines, Blue Jay,
Yvonne Payne, Breanna Smith, Emily K. Smith.
Dr. Brian Quinn, Adviser
© Tor Echo, 2015
In the Dreary Month of November
As of November 9th, students in the many Greek organizations are officially done with pledging, meaning that those specific students can get back
to their regular college life. When I asked students I meet how they are feeling, many reply that they wish that the semester was over already. It
seems to be a common cycle for most college students every semester. Meaning, before the semester begins college students are extremely deter-
mined, then after midterms many people are exhausted and their enthusiasm is diminished. Also I’ve noticed that the majority of those people are
from New York City, maybe because it is such a long commute from Alfred to New York City. So in case anyone reading this editorial feels the
same way, just keep in mind you’re not the only one.
— Daniel David
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In 2001, the Actors Theatre of Louis-
ville gave a group of playwrights a
copy of Lee Friedlander's photograph
'Mount Rushmore, South Dako-
ta, 1969,' and challenged them to
write a play. The re-
sult was Snapshot, a collection of fasci-
nating, funny, (and a little bit bizarre)
plays by some of today's
best playwrights. The Smith Center
for the Arts will present “Finger Lakes
Photo/Plays: 24 Hour Theatre,” draw-
ing on the model set up by the Actors
Theatre using a local photograph by
a local photographer and local professi
onal and community theatre artists.
There is one
twist, however: all of this
will happen in 24
hours. Finger Lakes Pho-
to /Plays: 24 Hour Thea-
tre will be pro-
duced December 4-5,
2015 as a fundraiser for
the Smith Center for Arts.
All stages of the event will
be held within the Smith
Opera House in Geneva.
Local photographer
Jan Regan will select one
photograph from her collection that
features people at a local site. This
photo will be the inspiration
for Finger Lakes Photo/Plays: 24 Hour
Theatre. The Smith Opera House is
thrilled to also announce that two
special guest professional theatre art-
ists will participate in this
event. Award-winning ac-
tor Tyrone Mitchell Henderson and
award-winning play-
wright Charlotte Rahn-Lee, both for-
merly of Geneva, will work alongside
current community artists to create
original work inspired by Regan’s pho-
tograph. Community members inter-
ested in participating may sign up to
be placed on a team. Each team will
include a writer, director, and a set of
actors. No theatre experience is nec-
essary.
The Writer These folks will take
Jan Regan’s photograph on Friday
evening and craft a short play (ten
minutes or so) inspired by the photo,
bearing in mind the actors in their
group.
The Director On Saturday
morning, the Writers hand their
scripts to their Directors who spend
the early morning figuring out their
directorial concept for the play. Then,
the Director goes into rehearsal with
the actors.
The Actors How fast can you
memorize? Actors will get their
scripts Saturday morning and be taking
their curtain call Saturday night!
The Timeline: 24 hours of the-
atrical alchemy culminating in a public
performance for the local community.
The Reveal Friday December 4,
2015 at 6:45 p.m. Participants will
gather in the lobby of the Smith
Opera House to meet their team, find
out where they are rehearsing, and
get the first glimpse of Jan’s chosen
photo. Each writer will borrow a print
of the photograph to use as inspira-
tion while they write. The Reveal on
Friday night will be held in conjunction
with December 2015 Geneva Night
Out and will be free and open to the
public.
• Saturday 7:30 p.m.—
Opening (and closing!) Night! We'll
reconvene for a 7:30 p.m. perfor-
mance on the stage of the Opera
House.
The performance will be open to
the public with a suggested donation
of $5.00 to go directly to the Smith
Center for the Arts. Additional-
ly, audience members and partici-
pants will have an opportunity
to purchase prints of the photograph
that inspired the event. Proceeds from
the sales of these images will also be
donated to
the Smith Center for the
Arts.
To participate
in Finger Lakes Photos
Plays: 24 Hour Thea-
tre, visit thesmith.org/event
-calendar/ and fill out the
online form by noon on
Wednesday, December
2. Finger Lakes Photo Plays:
24 Hour Theatre is also
looking for volunteers to
participate as stage manag-
ers. Please note: Photo/Plays may not
be suitable for young audiences
or participants. Given the possibility of
strong language and adult situations,
anyone under the age of 18 will need
parental permission to participate. For
more information please connect to
The Smith Opera House is located
at 82 Seneca Street, Geneva. Box Of-
fice Hours are Monday through Friday,
10am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to
2pm Phone: 315-781-5483.
Email: [email protected]
For event listing and more infor-
mation about The Smith and The
Smith Center For The Arts, visit our
website thesmith.org
Smith Opera Houses seeking
writers, directors, & actors
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The State University of New York College of Technology
at Alfred announced today that it has been designated a
2016 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, the lead-
er in successfully connecting the military and civilian
worlds, and publisher of G.I. Jobs®, STEM JobsSM and Mili-
tary Spouse. Now in its seventh year, the original, prem-
ier Military Friendly® Schools designation provides service
members and their families with transparent, data-driven
ratings about post-military education and career opportu-
nities. Institutions competed for the elite Military Friend-
ly® School title by completing a survey of more than 100
questions covering 10 categories, including military sup-
port on campus, graduation and employment outcomes,
and military spouse policies. Survey responses were
scored against benchmarks across these key indicators of
success. In addition, data was independently tested by EY
(Ernst & Young) based upon the weightings and methodol-
ogy established by Victory Media with guidance from an
independent advisory board of higher education and re-
cruiting professionals. A full list of board members can be
found at www.militaryfriendly.com/advisory-board. The
Military Friendly® Schools designation is awarded to the
top colleges, universities, community colleges and trade
schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace
military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure
their success both in the classroom and after graduation.
The methodology used for making the Military Friendly®
Schools list has changed the student veteran landscape to
one much more transparent, and has played a significant
role over the past seven years in capturing and advancing
best practices to support military students across the
country. Dr. Skip Sullivan, president of Alfred State, said,
“We are proud to be named a Military Friendly® School
for the sixth consecutive year, and are extremely grateful
for the courage and sacrifice of our country’s servicemen
and women. Veterans will always be welcomed into the
Alfred State family.” “Post-secondary institutions earning
the 2016 Military Friendly® School award have exception-
ally strong programs for transitioning service members
and spouses,” said Daniel Nichols, chief product officer of
Victory Media and Navy Reserve veteran. “Our Military
Friendly® Schools are truly aligning their military programs
and services with employers to help students translate
military experience, skills and training into successful ca-
reers after graduation.” Alfred State will be showcased
along with other 2016 Military Friendly® Schools in the
annual Guide to Military Friendly® Schools, special educa-
tion issues of G.I. Jobs® and Military Spouse Magazine, and
on MilitaryFriendly.com.
Military Friendly
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The Executive Committee of the Student Assembly of the
State University of New York (SUNY SA) passed a reso-
lution requesting that the State University of New York
adopt a policy of increased gender inclusivity both in
physical facilities and in institutional language. The resolu-
tion was put forth to the Assembly’s Executive Commit-
tee and passed during the Committee’s business meeting
on Saturday, October 31. The resolution was presented
to the Executive Committee in order to support SUNY
students of the Marginalized Orientations, Gender Identi-
ties, and Intersex (MOGII) community who often are not
considered in general university policy and practices.
The resolution specifically calls upon SUNY to take
action in providing gender inclusive facilities, which would
include private bathrooms that can be used by any person
regardless of gender. It also asks SUNY to transition its
policies and institutional technologies to those which use
students’ primary names and preferred gender pronouns
rather than their birth names and pronouns. The resolu-
tion aims to generally eradicate policies and practices that
do not support gender inclusivity and seeks to begin the
process of offering educational training to faculty, staff,
and students on the importance of gender inclusivity.
Chrisel Martinez, Chair of the SUNY Student Assem-
bly’s Equity and Inclusion Committee and a senior at Uni-
versity at Albany, said“The approval of this resolution is a
proven step towards an equitable SUNY.”
Zachary Beaudoin, Chair of the Sustainability Com-
mittee for the SUNY Student Assembly and a senior at
SUNY Fredonia, commends the Executive Committee for
their swift action. He states, “This resolution seeks to
eliminate all barriers that members of the Marginalized
Orientations, Gender Identities, and Intersex community
may face. I'm proud and thankful that the Executive Com-
mittee has voted in favor of taking a strong step.”
SUNY Student Assembly President Thomas Mastro, a
senior at Binghamton University, views this resolution as
true progress toward the goal of safety and inclusivity for
the SUNY community. “A population of the students for
whom we advocate are members of the MOGII commu-
nity and struggle daily with policies at their universities
that do not support them. They, along with a staggering
number of our students who do not identify as members
of this community, view this as a major problem, and I
applaud the Executive Committee for working towards
fixing this problem. The passing of this resolution will
assist in ensuring equality and inclusivity for all members
of the campus community, both within and outside of
SUNY.” The Student Assembly of the State University of
New York (SUNY SA) is an organization comprised of
student leaders elected by their peers from across
SUNY’s 64 campuses.
SUNY Student Assembly Calls for More Gender Inclusivity
Students, faculty, staff, and community members listened to
retired US Army Brig. Gen. Arthur G. Austin Jr. speak at 8:30
a.m. Veterans’ Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the Alfred State
Student Activities Center gymnasium on the Wellsville campus.
Austin entered the Reserve Officer Training Corps
(ROTC) at Michigan State University in 1980, and was commis-
sioned in March 1982. He has held various positions of com-
mand and responsibility over his 37 years of service, retiring as
the deputy commanding general of the 46th Military Police
Command in Lansing, MI on Oct. 31, 2014.
While serving in the military, Austin mobilized during the
1980 Cuban Refugee Crisis, in December 1990 for Operations
Desert Shield and Desert Storm, in 2003 to Guantanamo Bay
in Cuba for Operation Enduring Freedom, in 2005 for Opera-
tion Katrina/Rita, and in 2008 for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Originally from Detroit, Austin lived in Southfield, MI, for
more than 25 years before moving to Cuba, NY, where he and
his wife, Karen, now call home.
Brig. General Arthur G. Austin, Jr. speaking in Wellville.
Retired Army Brigadier General Speaks on Veterans’ Day
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The Alfred State Drama Club will present “Seussical,” a musical
by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty that brings together characters
and places from more than 15 well-known Dr. Seuss books into an
imaginative, fun, colorful show for children of all ages. Performances,
which will take place in the Cappadonia Auditorium in the Orvis Ac-
tivities Center, are Nov. 19-21 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. Tick-
ets are $2 for students and children, and $7 for general admission.
They can be purchased through the Alfred State Campus Store at
607-587-4020 or at the door. Credit cards and campus accounts, as
well as cash and check, are accepted at the Campus Store. Payment
at the door is by cash or check only. In conjunction with the show,
the Alfred Box of Books, 1 W. University St., Alfred, is hosting Seuss
Month for the month of November. Members of the cast and crew
will be reading Dr. Seuss books at the Nov. 18 story-time event at
11 a.m. Seussical is presented through special arrangement with Mu-sic Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materi-
als are also supplied by MTI.
For more information, contact [email protected] or
607-587-4233.
November 19-21
Orvis Auditorium
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A balanced offensive attack and a solid defensive ef-
fort helped lead the Al-
fred State football team
to a 34-18 victory over
Maranatha Baptist (WI)
University on Saturday
afternoon. The Pioneer
offense gained 567 yards
and defense forced
three turnovers and rec-
orded six sacks. The
Sabercats got on the
board first when David
Fenton connected on a
24-yard field goal to ac-
count for the lone
points of the 1st quar-
ter. Alfred State took control of the game with a solid
2nd quarter. Ben Wilkerson connected with Dante Jor-
dan on a 10-yard pass with 14:04 remaining in the half
(PAT failed). With 3:12
left Wilkerson made it
12-3 when he scamp-
ered in from six yards
out (2-point conver-
sion failed). The turning
point of the game came
in the final minutes of
the half when Chris
Monteiro intercepted
a Sabercat pass in the
end zone with 1:28
remaining in the half.
The Pioneers raced 80-
yards on eight plays in
1:14 to add to their
lead. On the eighth
play of the drive,
Wilkerson rushed towards goal line and fumbled on the
1.Romiio Littlejohn recovered the ball in the end zone to
send the Pioneers into the break with a 18-3 lead (two
point conversion failed). Tanner Carrillo cut the lead to
18-10 on Maranatha Baptist's first drive of the 2nd half
when he connected on a 85-yard pass play to Jowan Wil-
liams with 10:19 remaining in the 3rd.Wilkerson con-
nected on a pair of touchdown passes in the Pioneers
next two drives to make it a three possession game.
Wilkerson hit Josh Ashley with a 40-yard pass and then
hit Khris Greggs on a 44-yard strike. Wilkerson ran in
for both 2-point conver-
sions. After a Pioneer
turnover early in the 4th
quarter Carrillo and Wil-
liams connected again on
a 95-yard touchdown
catch and run to make it
34-18 but could not get
any closer. The Sabercats
threatened to score again
but Donnell Scott inter-
cepted a pass in the end
zone. Wilkerson finished
the day 27 for 35 for 329
yards and three scores.
Ashley caught four passes
for 105 yards, Littlejohn had nine catches for 101, and
Greggs had eight catches for 83. Joshua Hinds recorded
his first 100-yard game finishing with 122 yards on 21
carries. The Pioneers
rushed for 238 yards on
54 carries. Carrillo was
17 for 37 for 354 yards
and two scores for Mara-
natha. He was slowed by
three interceptions (two
in the end zone) and six
sacks. Williams caught five
passes for 205 yards and
Clayton Morrison caught
six passes for 107. The
rushing attack was held to
-7 yards in the contest.
Monteiro led the Alfred
State defense with eight
tackles and two intercep-
tions. Akil Brown record-
ed three sacks while Sulaiman Aina collected two sacks.
Ben Schultz had 14 tackles for MBU while Joshua Hill
collected 13 and forced two fumbles. Alfred State col-
lected 31 first downs in the game and collected a season
high 567 yards (329 passing & 267). The team was also
11 of 18 on 3rd down conversions. The victory was the
first for Alfred State head coach Jarod Dodson. The blue
& gold wrap up the 2015 season next Saturday when
they host Morrisville State at 1 p.m. The Pioneer seniors
will be honored in pregame ceremonies.
Pioneers Win!