1. family and parenting
2. children

The
Delphian
The Voice of the Students
March 14, 2014
VOLUME 69 ISSUE 9
SAB Announces 2014 Spring Concert
By John Franklin
Pop star Jason Derulo will headline the
Student Activities Board (SAB) annual Spring
Concert with opening act Timeflies on Apr. 12.
Each year SAB gives the Adelphi
student body the chance to see a major artist
perform in the UC Ballroom. Well-known acts
such as Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Taking Back
Sunday, Big Sean, Meek Mill, Circa Survive,
Yellowcard and Fabolous have performed on
Adelphi’s stage. After two years of rap concerts,
SAB is switching back to pop music with Jason
Derulo and Timeflies, an up-and-coming pop
duo with a cult following.
“We wanted pop artists that would not
only draw a crowd, but also be a fun show to
experience,” said Julianna Claase, SAB media
director. “Also we focused this year on surveying students through a Google doc on our Facebook page and he was a top suggestion. It feels
good to know we were able to listen to students’
suggestions and get great feedback after announcing it.”
There will be another opening act as
well. The winner of Battle of the Bands com-
By: Alexandra Wurglics
petition on Mar. 28 will receive a $1,000 grand
prize as well as the chance to open for each artist. (See p. 4 for more deails.)
Derulo is a pop singer and dancer
known for his hits such as “Whatcha Say,” “In
My Head,” “Ridin’ Solo” and his recent mega
hit with rapper 2 Chainz “Talk Dirty.” His career
took off in 2009 after writing and producing for
several years. Derulo has become a household
name in the pop industry.
Timeflies was formed in 2010 and incorporate aspects of pop, electro, dubstep and rock
in their music.
“Timeflies is a pop duo that started off
blogging their music online,” said Christina
Lucci, SAB president. “Every Tuesday they post
new music on their YouTube channel.”
Lucci said she see that “ the future of
the spring concerts heading in a very bright direction,” said Lucci. “It’s hard to say whether or
not the artists will be bigger because we’ll still
be limited to the budget that we have. But we’ve
recently begun communicating with these artists
without using a middle agent, so I really don’t
know what will happen in the years to come, but
I’m excited to find out.”
The spring concert will take place on
Apr. 12 in the UC Ballroom. Tickets went on
sale Mar. 4 at the Panthertainment booth.
Relay for Life Returns
Adelphi University will be hosting
its annual Relay for Life again this spring
and preparations are well under way for the
April 5 event. This event, which was started
in 1986, helps raise money for the American
Cancer Society, which helps fund cancer
research in the hope of “Celebrating more
birthdays.” The American Cancer Society
is the second highest donator to cancer research and treatment, next to the government.
This year, Adelphi’s goal is to raise
$50,000 and would like to have even more
participants than last year. There are already over 400 people signed up and 58
teams have formed. Last year, over $46,000
was raised by 69 teams who honored and
remembered family members and friends who
have survived or passed away from cancer.
They will all be participating this year for the
same cause.
When asked about the greater meaning
of Relay and how it brings the school community together, Beth Ann Balalaos, one of Adelphi
Relay’s chair members, responded: “The
greater meaning of Relay is to celebrate
those who have won and lost their battle
against cancer and to make sure no one
hears the words `you have cancer’ again.
It is also meant to bring us together as a
community and have us work towards a
common goal of finishing the fight against
cancer as one of the biggest events on campus.”
Many students will see tables in the UC
with teams selling food or other things to
raise money for the event. Every donation counts for such a great cause. There
will also be purple feet all around campus.
Pay $1, write the name of the loved one on
it, and help decorate campus in purple. It
is wonderful to see so many people in the
community coming together for such a
higher cause. Event by event, dollar by dollar, cancer will be beaten and every
person at Adelphi can help.
Page 2
Vacation All We Ever Wanted
It’s hard to believe that the mid-way point of the spring
semester has quickly approached. With spring break just around
the corner, the campus is already buzzing with the end-of-theyear jitters. It’s the most hectic time of the year for many as midterms are coming or the stress of mid-terms have just passed
and the oncoming burden of a 40-page final paper is starting to
become a reality.
For the Delphian staff, it is our job to inform you about
what can make the last two months of the semester the best
they can be. As Jason Derulo has been announced as the headliner for the spring concert, the campus is already ready for his
April arrival. While much of the campus can enjoy themselves
with that annual tradition, other students can also begin signing
up for Relay for Life to give back and help the battle to eradicate cancer across the world. More information about these two
Adelphi staples can be found on our cover page.
The past three weeks have also brought about other exciting Adelphi news. In women’s basketball, Jessica Kityrs made
history by breaking the all-time Adelphi scoring record. Kappa
Sigma also represented Adelphi for the eighth year in a row by
breaking their own SuperHungerfest food record. Like Relay
for Life, the SuperHungerfest is another event that emphasizes
how Adelphi students give back to the community around them.
The theme of giving back fits in with Adelphi in the month of
March, which for the past few years has been known as Adelphi Gives Back Month. Initiatives during the month for Adelphi
Gives Back Month have included fundraising events, the Polar
Plunge, Pay It Forward, Pledge to end the R word, Save the
Music fund raising concert, Senior Citizens program at Holly
Paterson, Off Campus Service trips and much more. For more
information about the events remaining for Adelphi Gives Back
month please visit, http://students.adelphi.edu/sa/csi/volunteer/
adelphi-gives-back-month.php.
By the time we return from spring back, the Garden City
campus will officially be in spring mode. As the flowers of the
campus grow back and the green grass is finally snow-free, we
can only hope April brings as much entertainment for the campus and opportunities for the campus to give back. Until then,
we hope all our readers enjoy spring break. Happy spring.
--Stephen Levine, Editor-In-Chief
Volume 69, Issue 9
March 14, 2014
HOW TO REACH US
Main Office: 516-877-6935
E-mail: [email protected]
Meet the
Delphian Staff:
Stephen Levine- Editor-In-Chief
John Franklin- Senior Editor
Catherine Grover- News Editor
Alexa Savino- Co-Editorials Editor
Mahnoor Misbah- Co-Editorials Editor
Alexandra Wurglics- Features Editor
Rachel Voorhees- Entertainment Editor
Victoria Chiesa- Sports Editor
Erica White- Production Editor
Staff Writers:
Michelle Gagnon, Bryan Grilli, Alex Lavelle,
Jennifer Lin, Nicolette Lodato, Amanda Mullen,
Sade Ortuzar, Danny Perrotto, Jake Pisani,
Sebastian Souchet, Leora Waltuch
Production Artist:
Amanda Spiciarch and Nicole Fusco
Join the Delphian Staff:
Meetings on Monday at 1:00 p.m. in the
Earle Hall Media Center
Earle Hall Media Center
One South Avenue
Garden City, NY 11530
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news
page 3
By John Franklin
Kappa Sigma Breaks “Super Hungerfest”
Food Record for Eighth Year
As reported in the Feb. 10 issue of the
Delphian, each year Kappa Sigma fraternity at
Adelphi fasts and raises money for Island Harvest, Long Island’s largest hunger relief organization. This year the fraternity raised $2,518
and 2,895 pounds of food for charity. While
that fell short of last year’s monetary donation
of $3,695, they had an
increase in the amount
of food by over 1,000
pounds.
“Despite not
breaking the monetary
record from last year,
it’s still great to know
that we’ve made a
huge difference in the
fight against hunger
on Long Island,” said
senior Joe Weiss, Kappa Sigma vice president.
“I’m confident that the brothers next year will
lead yet another successful campaign in cooperation with Island Harvest.”
The “Super Hungerfest” kickoff took
place Feb. 1. On Feb. 25, Kappa Sigma brought
their donations to the Long Island Harvest
headquarters in Mineola for an official weigh in
to discover they beat their food donation record
by 1,045 pounds.
“I can’t help but be proud of the effort
put in by the chapter,” said Weiss. “It’s not
every day that a group of college men choose to
pool their energy towards tackling such a large,
sweeping issue such
as hunger. I’m always
proud to be a Kappa
Sigma, but never more
than during this time
of the year.”
All the money
and food raised by
Kappa Sigma went
directly to Island
Harvest. To donate to
Island Harvest, visit
islandharvest.org.
The Winds of Change Are Coming to Blodgett Hall
By Danny Perrotto
“To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often.” This quote by Winston
Churchill exemplifies that change is necessary
for things to get better. In the Communications
Department in Blodgett Hall, administrators
have taken plain, white walls on the first floor
of the building and converted
them into an artistic statement. A Gallery Wall outside
the office and classrooms
displays works from students and teachers. Whether
it is pictures, art or movies this wall celebrates the
achievements by those who
are in the Communications
Department. For instance,
one featured professor was
an assistant producer to the
“Addam’s Family” movie.
The work is separated into
students’ and teachers’ works
and in the middle there are
the three legs of communications: journalism, media arts
and production.
On the other side is
a double-sided picture on the
ConArt Wall that is split up
into panels, and depending
the angle at which you look, they form different pictures. On one side are the pictures of the
front pages of the “New York Times” that start
with the JFK assassination in 1963 and end with
the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center
on 9/11. On the other side is an iconic picture of
Spiderman landing in the streets of New York
City. Not only is this an incredible piece of art
involving a clever illusion. Professor Paul Thaler, chair of the Communications Department,
says that these blank walls were “converted into
a great space that speaks to
the creative and academic
strength of the program.”
There is also a classroom
that at one point contained a
TV studio. The room number is 108 and it was called
Studio 108. Professor Thaler
says that they are trying to
bring back a TV production
class along with arts and entertainment. The class would
be called Social Media and
Animation.
In recent years many
changes have been made to
Blodgett Hall and there will
be more to come. The progress in Blodgett is in keeping with many of the other
ongoing improvements to the
Garden City campus.
Page 4
news
Student Musicians Battle to
Become Opening Act
By Rachel Voorhees
While contending with busy class and work schedules, keeping track of all the events happening on campus can be difficult.
However, the one event everyone always remembers is the spring
concert. This year, the Student Activities Board (SAB) and the Center for Student Involvement has selected pop artists, Time Flies and
Jason Derulo to headline the show.
However, the lineup still needs an opening act. To choose
this performer, SAB decided to get creative and give the students a
chance to be the stars. Battle of the Bands, a free musical competition among Adelphi students, will be held on Friday, Mar. 28 in the
University Center Ballroom at 8 p.m.
About 15 acts have signed up to perform, but due to time
and space restrictions, the executive board plans to narrow it down
to seven.
“I expect the event to go over well. I didn’t even think that
this many performers would be interested in competing, so that’s
already a good sign,” says SAB president, Christina Lucci, who
is overseeing the event. “And then not only will they bring their
friends and families to the event, but I’m sure that the student body
would be interested in a free concert because who wouldn’t be?”
Though many talented acts have signed up to perform, only
one will be given the chance to open for Timeflies and Jason Derulo. The winning performer will also receive a $1,000 cash prize.
In order to choose the winner, there will be a panel of student and faculty judges, as well as a vote from the audience.
“We wanted to give any talent a fair chance to perform as
well as give students a voice in deciding who will open for spring
concert,” said Monica Robles, vice president of SAB.
To promote the event, SAB has been putting up fliers on
campus and posting on social media accounts. Concert ticket sales
began on Mar. 4.
“We are
hoping this won’t
just be any old
event, but a campus experience,”
said Robles.
Be sure
to check out this
free event, support your peers
and be a part of
choosing who
will open for this
year’s spring
concert. For more
information,
please contact
SAB at sab@
adelphi.edu.
Editorials
Page 5
A Preschool Teacher’s Thoughts on Education
By Michelle Gagnon
Editors Note: Michelle Gagnon is a student at
Adelphi University studying accounting.
As an assistant preschool teacher to
4-year-old children, I am constantly hearing
about the New York State Common Core curriculum that has dominated the news during
these past few months. Parents of these preschoolers are often not pleased about the implementation of these standards. Some have older
children who are experiencing difficulty with
the new standards, so they are very vocal about
the progress of their children in our class. However, preschool teachers, try as we might, are
not miracle workers. We work extremely hard
preparing lesson plans, crafts and fun activities
for these children, and our hard work often is
criticized for not being good enough. We can
only accomplish so much in the two and half
hours that we see them on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There is so much jam-packed
into these few short hours that we get to spend
with the students. What the parents don’t realize
is that most of the intellectual growth in the early
years of childhood goes on at home. Counting
Cheerios during breakfast time, doing alphabet
puzzles and being read to are all critical aspects
of a child’s growth that take place outside of the
classroom.
There are certain standards by which the
teachers determine which children are properly
prepared for kindergarten. They must be able to
write their names, recognize colors, shapes, letters, numbers and be able to follow consecutive
directions when asked, among numerous other
things. Interestingly enough, the children who do
poorly on these assessments have parents who
are often “too busy” to work with them. When
asked, “Johnny, does Mommy or Daddy work on
letters with you at home?” the reply is always,
“No, she/he doesn’t have time.” That is the problem and it is very apparent. Parents don’t do their
job at home and expect us to teach their kids everything they need to know before kindergarten.
There is definitely a strong correlation between
the temperament and involvement of the parent
and the child’s performance in the classroom.
I strongly feel that the work ethic of the
parents and American society in general is why
parents and children are having so much trouble
with these standards. Some, though not all, of
the parents would rather give their kids an iPad
to keep them busy than help them practice their
letters and numbers. Perhaps I am being too
critical, but I truly feel that the work ethic of
Americans is severely lacking and that is why
these common core standards seem so daunting
to the parents. America has fallen significantly
behind other countries in terms of proficiency
in math and science. And as much as we don’t
want to believe it, American culture is partly to
blame. Modern students view homework and
studying as a “bother” because it gets in the
way of playing video games. Education does
not receive the emphasis that it should. There is
nothing more powerful than knowledge, and we
have to make these young minds appreciate the
beauty of learning and reading. And it all begins
with their parents. Very young children are like
sponges and as they are growing up, they should
be consistently presented with new and creative
ways of learning. Parents need to become more
involved in the intellectual development of their
children so they do not become dominated by the
technology that we have become so dependent
on. We should be conditioning these children to
take pride and enjoyment in learning, and eventually, being held to a higher standard will be
seen as a challenge rather than an unfair punishment.
This is definitely something that is going
to take a significant amount of time. American
attitudes towards learning and education will
not change overnight; it will require the additional effort of parents to undo the damage that
has already been done to these children. A little
extra hard work in education by both parents and
children will definitely reap great benefits for our
nation.
The Debate on Online College Classes
By Mahnoor Misbah
As the cost of college tuition rises,
and the value of traditional colleges becomes
fiercely debated, more and more students are
switching over to online college courses as
a way to save money and time. These online
courses are typically cheaper than a traditional
four-year college program would cost tuitionwise, and additionally, extra expenses such as
housing fees aren’t applicable. Students who
opt for these online courses often cite flexibility as a key factor in their decision-making
process. Online classes allow you to work from
home, and often, students can create their own
schedules in terms of when they want to participate in class activities and discussions. Also,
lectures are often taped and class material is
usually readily available, which allows students
to work at their own pace. It seems like there
are several advantages to online classes, and for
some people, this is the option that makes the
most sense. If you have a full-time job or other
commitments that take priority in your life, online classes are a great way to get your degree.
However, how about the rest of us? For the average college student, are online classes a good
choice?
I think it’s a tough call. While I personally know how difficult it is to pay insane
amounts of money for tuition, I don’t think I
could have ever learned as much as I did in
college without being physically present in a
classroom. For students, being able to discuss
assignments in class with their classmates
and professors is a crucial part of the learning
process. From the professor’s standpoint, being
able to see their students’ facial expressions and
read their body language is often an important
way of determining whether what they’re teaching is actually making sense to students. There
have been several times when I’ve been in class
and my professor has had to slow things down,
or explain something more thoroughly, because
he or she looks out to see a bunch of confused
faces. By that same token, there have also been
several moments when a class gets very animated and excited about a particular topic, which
signals to professors that the students are eager
to learn about it.
Although these things might seem like soft
factors when it comes to education, I think
they’re incredibly important. Learning is all
about engagement. When you’re in a classroom
with a great professor who is able to make the
class engaging, a beautiful thing occurs. You
find yourself becoming interested in a topic you
had never previously thought about, you start
contributing to class discussion; you begin to
feel a connection. Engagement and connection
are two critical factors in learning, and I don’t
know if it’s possible to recreate them in online
classes. It might be possible, but much more
difficult to do so in such a setting.
The debate about education needs to
shift from questioning the value of college to
questioning how it can become even more valuable. For most people, there is an innate benefit
of going to college, and even questioning this
seems silly. However, that doesn’t mean that
there isn’t room for massive improvements.
Instead of shifting the problems already present in college to another forum (online college
courses), we need to get to the heart of the
matter. We need to find better ways of connecting and engaging students and professors. In
a hyper-technological world where attention
spans seem almost non-existent, focusing on
being physically and mentally present are now
more important than ever before.
Page 6
Editorials
The Debate on Videogames: A Gamer’s Perspective
By Jake Pisani
Are videogames a benefit or detriment to society? A 2010 Yale University study found that overall, boys who played videogames were found to have
higher grades than those who do not. The study also acknowledged, however,
that videogames can be harmful if played excessively. If videogames get in the
way of social development, there is an issue. This study also pointed out that
5 percent of those studied exhibited addictive tendencies towards videogames.
However, those people also exhibited addictive tendencies in
other aspects of their lives. This suggests that overall the effects of videogames depend on how the player uses the game.
A study at the University of Rochester found that
videogames can actually help people give more accurate
and correct responses on exams. The military has even used
videogames in exercises so they can train soldiers to become
more responsive. It has also been suggested that videogames
improve hand-eye coordination, help people develop a sense of agency in their
lives, and release their frustration as a form of catharsis. On the other hand, we
have studies that highlight a relationship between videogames and violence,
suggesting that they encourage delinquent behavior. However, it is often hard
for these studies to draw a direct link between violence and videogames.
Another complaint levied against videogames is that they perpetuate
gender stereotypes and demean women. On one hand, taking a look at a lot of
videogames (such as Tomb Raider, Soulcalibur, Dead or Alive, GTA and even
Mario games), I can see this as being true. However, I would say this is a prob-
lem not specific to videogames and is one that exists in various forms of media.
Full disclosure here: I am a gamer. The way I see it, there’s not really
much that separates videogames from other forms of media. What separates the
bloody scenes in the Gears of War franchise from the bloody scenes in “Robocop” (the original, not the remake)? What separates Halo from “Independence
Day” or “War of the Worlds?” We have placed an undue burden on videogames.
If we want to criticize them, we must treat all media with the same scrutiny. It
may be that videogames are scrutinized so much because they
have only recently become big on the world stage as a form of
media. In the days of yore, there was an adage that “TV is bad
for you.” Even certain books have been considered damaging to people’s minds. We must also keep in mind that not all
videogames are gore-fests( like Mini Ninjas, Need for Speed,
Peggle, Angry Birds, Fez and the Portal franchise.) Portal is
such a poster child for non-violent games, because it is an
example of a profitable game that did not rely on bloodshed.
Videogames offer more than just violence. If you’re not a gamer, please
pick up “The Walking Dead” videogame (the one that does not say Survival
Instinct) and you will see an example of a videogame that relies more on its narrative story-telling techniques. Or, pick up a copy of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for
your computer, and visit a well-rendered, well-written fantasyland and absorb
the souls of some dragons. You’ll have a great time.
Justice Sotomayor’s Beautiful World:
An Education for Every Curious Young Mind
By Jennifer Lin
“For a kid who entered college not knowing
how to write an entire sentence in proper English,
this book means a lot to me,” said Supreme Court
Associate Chief Justice Sonia Sotomayor of her experience writing her “New York Times” bestselling
memoir, “My Beautiful World.” During a visit this
past November to the City College of New York as
part of the Rudin Visiting Scholars Lecture Series,
Justice Sotomayor demonstrated just why she is
the most charismatic public advocate for education
today. Her appeal was limitless and the lines for admittance to hear her lecture snaked around the City
College campus, attracting CCNY students, faculty,
alumni and even nonstudents like me.
As the first Latina Justice appointed to the
US Supreme Court and only the third woman to join
those storied ranks, Justice Sotomayor’s appearance
at City College was particularly symbolic. Located
in the heart of Harlem, the venue drew a large audience of prospective law students interested in her
work with the Supreme Court, while also attracting
many first- generation college students from neighborhoods much like her own. Justice Sotomayor
grew up in the South Bronx, a segment of New York
City where even today more than half of the residents live below the poverty line. Just one in three
adults there graduate from high school and even
fewer go on to college. She explained that in such
an environment, “I studied hard because I knew I
had nothing else. Life is not about how smart you
are; it’s about how hard you work.”
Her hard work led to a full scholarship to
Princeton University after graduating valedictorian
of her high school. After earning her bachelor’s
degree and graduating summa cum laude, she went
on to Yale Law School. Leaving behind her closeknit Puerto Rican family, she was one of a handful
of Latina students at Princeton when she arrived
and had a similar experience at Yale. But despite
the constant assumptions that she dealt with from
peers about “her differences or [any] deficiencies in
her background,” she never regretted leaving home
for her Ivy League education. In fact, at one point
in her lecture she mentioned that she is the “poster
child” for the success of affirmative action in higher
education. She placed a special emphasis on education, arguing that “the road out of poverty is education” and it would be the best way to solve the many
social ills America faces today.
But she does not push for just any type
of education. Justice Sotomayor stresses that the
priorities of education need to be reformed, pointing to the recent overemphasis on testing as being
problematic; in her view, it has led to the majority of
students being “driven to study to get good grades,”
rather than to “enjoy learning.” She explained that
“an elevated quality of education at the very beginning” stimulates “an appetite for learning.” Good
grades would then follow a student’s drive to learn
due to curiosity. She also advised students in the
audience to “take courses in areas you know nothing about,” giving the example of pre-law students
exploring different fields such as business. Most
importantly, she told students on the pre-law track to
remember that the essence of being an attorney is a
“passion for serving others.”
Justice Sotomayor also warned students to
never choose an occupation based on salary or
marketability, saying
that “once you allow the
job you are pursuing”
to be defined by “how
much money you want
to make, you lose sight
of the purpose.” This
logic resonates in a very
personal way for every college student today. In a
stagnant economy still struggling with a recession,
every American college student is being asked to
justify why they study subjects such as Medieval
political theory, classical poetry, Impressionist art
and jazz history. The better question is, why not?
If all we do as students is prepare to enter the work
force, how will we even know what types of jobs
will satisfy us when we have to spend 40-plus hours
a week trying to earn a living wage?
As Justice Sotomayor said, “The value of a
liberal arts education is not in training for a vocation
but in learning to think as a human being.” Without
exploring a vast array of topics, we will never know
what inspires us and makes us happy.
At the end of the day, our greatest concern
should not be the number of bills in our wallets or
the black figure at the bottom of our bank accounts.
Part of the human experience is growth and helping others. So when you go to sleep at night ask
yourself, “What did I learn today?” and “What did
I do to help someone today?” If you cannot answer,
Justice Sotomayor says, “don’t go to sleep; your day
is not yet over.”
page 7
features
Page 8
Students Wow Audience
With Spring Recital
By Bryan Grilli
Eight Adelphi students demonstrated their musical talents to
an audience of about 50 on Mar. 2 in the recital hall of the Performing
Arts Center. Michael Hume, the program and recruitment coordinator,
said he was quite pleased by the turn out as well as the student performances.
“The number one reason for having our recitals is so our
students get experience performing, especially since some of them
haven’t had much chance to,” Hume said. “But number two is being
able to showcase the talent we have at Adelphi to the community and
our overall music program.”
The vocalists at the recital included Alyssa-Mae DeGuzman,
Stephanie McKenna, Egla Ochoa-Madrid, Dalton Ackley, Carrie McKenna and Heather Barnes. The violinist was Kelly Brandstadter and the
flutist was Erica Mumford.
DeGuzman, a sophomore, sang “Bel Piacere” by George Frideric Handel to open up the show.
Next, McKenna, a junior music education major, performed
a soprano vocal, Franz Schubert’s “An die Nachtigall” and Robert
Schumann’s “Widmung.”
“I was nervous and excited before I started singing. I performed the song before and knew that I wanted to make it better than
the last time,” McKenna said of her third recital performance. “I was
pleased with it and how it all turned out.”
Ochoa-Madrid, a freshman music education major, was performing
for the second time since she started Adelphi. She sang “Mira” by Bob
Merill in soprano.
Ochoa-Madrid said this song had emotional value to her. “I
liked this song because it has to deal with looking back on a time
where everyone knew your name and I thought about high school. So
that was the connection I had with it.”
Ackley, a junior music education major, took on Johannes
Brahms’ “Feldeinsamkeit” and Giacomo Puccini’s “Vecchia Zimarra”
in his first recital performance.
“I wasn’t overly nervous about it besides having to stand up
alone in the front of the recital hall,” said Ackley. He added that he will
be involved in the upcoming opera at Adelphi, “Hansel and Gretel.”
Barnes, a senior music education major concentrating in voice,
gave the final vocal performance. She sang Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Vendrai Carino” and George and Ira Gershwin’s “Someone to
Watch Over Me.”
“I’ve participated in at least eight to 12 student recitals, but I
still get a little nervous, anxious and excited,” Barnes said, reflecting
on her musical academic career at Adelphi. “I had a reason for selecting both of the pieces. The first piece happens to be the same one I’m
using to audition for graduate school and the second has been a piece
I’ve loved since my childhood.”
All of the musical performances went over well, receiving
positive reception from the guests. Jason Schaefer, an Adelphi alumnus
said, “I really enjoy coming back to Adelphi and seeing all the talent
shine through during these student recitals.”
Hume said he enjoys seeing so many people turn out for the recitals. “It’s a nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon. It’s free and I get
a lot of people tell me how they attend every recital because of how
entertaining they are.”
Spring Breakers Dream of
Warmer Weather
By Sade Ortuzar
What are your plans for spring break next week? For some students
it’s a time of relaxation; a time to get your mind off many school assignments. For others, it’s an opportunity to better themselves by volunteering at
various institutions.
When it comes to vacationing, top destinations for college spring
breakers are Miami, Mexico, Las Vegas and Punta Cana.
Next week I will be enjoying the exotic, breathtaking and unforgettable scenery of Cancun, Mexico. I’m excited to spend countless hours tanning on the beautiful beaches, visiting ancient monuments of the lost Mayan
civilization, and falling into a trance while enjoying the astonishing and
evanescent moments of the trip right before snapping back to reality.
Junior Aja McCormick will spend her spring break discovering the
culture and traditions of Ireland, visiting the original Guinness factory, one
of the best known beers in the world. Lucky for her, in Ireland Saints Patrick’s Day is celebrated for a whole week instead of one day, so the timing is
perfect.
“No one looks forward to midterm week, but spring break makes all
the hard work worth it,” said Samantha Alcus, a freshman. Alcus and her
boyfriend Jason Arasmo, a junior, are going to Santa Monica, CA. She said
she cannot wait to wear shorts again.
Arasmo said he is looking forward to temperatures in the seventies,
palm trees and a change of scenery. “I am tired of the snow and excited to
have a week without it,” he said. “I always wanted to move to California, so
to experience the lifestyle for a week is an exhilarating feeling.”
Krysten Harris, a senior and international student, is eager for the
weather in Austin, TX. Since she left her home in Trinidad to attend Adelphi
for four years, she said she still does not like the winter in New York. Therefore, going to warm-weather Texas for the week to visit her cousin is almost
like going home to Trinidad.
“This will be my first time at Austin, TX,” she said. “My cousin
will be showing me around town. I will be relaxing and enjoying the warm
breeze.”
What are you doing for spring break? Whether you decide to go on
an exotic vacation or volunteer to help out the community, the key to happiness is the enjoyment of all those exciting and memorable moments
From left: Jason Arasmo, Samantha Alcus, Krysten Harris, and Aja McCormick
Page 9
Entertainment
“Late Night” Handed to Seth Meyers
By Danny Perrotto
The torch at the Olympics wasn’t the
only one passed recently. In February, late night
talk show host Jimmy Fallon passed along his
show “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” to “Saturday Night Live (SNL)” comedian, Seth Meyers.
Jimmy Fallon went on to replace Jay Leno as
the host of “The Tonight Show.”
“Late Night with Seth
Meyers” debuted Feb. 24 after
the Olympics and there was only
one thing that was changed about
the set…everything. Since Jimmy
Fallon brought The Roots and
Steve Higgins to his show, Seth
Meyers needed some replacements. He asked Fred Armisen
and the 8G Band to provide the
music.
The debut episode includ-
ed “SNL” alumnus Amy Poehler, rapper Kanye
West and Vice President Joe Biden.
Meyers reminisced about “SNL” with
Poehler and talked about her show “Parks and
Recreation.” He talked to Kanye about his
Yeezus tour and how he’s branching out into
fashion. Also, Biden might have been hinting at
something on the show that concerns the year
2016.
Meyers was made for this talk show due
to his role as “SNL” writing supervisor and cohost to Poehler in the Weekend Update. From
2006 until Feb. 1 of this year, Meyers co-hosted
and hosted the Weekend Update. Sometimes hosts have a
hard time giving interviews and
he seemed so composed and calm
behind his desk.
According to the ratings, which
tied with Jimmy Kimmel’s, fans
are enjoying the new “Late Night
with Seth Meyers.” He’s got
some big shoes to fill, but eventually he’ll grow into them. It
airs weeknights at 12:35 a.m. on
NBC.
“The Tonight Show” Gets a New Host:
Jimmy Fallon’s First Episode Recap
By Nicolette Lodato
On Feb. 17 Jimmy
Fallon began what is being
called a new era for latenight TV as he started his
first week as the new host
of “The Tonight Show.”
Fallon moved from his
previous gig as the host of
“Late Night With Jimmy
Fallon” to the host of “The
Tonight Show With Jimmy
Fallon.” This is a big step
for the 39-year-old comedian and entertainer as he
follows in the footsteps
of Steve Allen, Conan
O’Brien, Jay Leno and other historical talk
show hosts.
Possibly the best decision that Fallon
made is that he brought “The Tonight Show”
back to New York for the first time in 42 years.
The New York City backdrop, as well as many
of Jimmy’s New York friends made his first
night special and memorable.
Fallon began the show by humbly
introducing himself to his new audience. He
spoke of the small town he came from and of
his years starting off on “Saturday Night Live.”
He thanked his wife, daughter and his parents
for their support, wishing that he would make
them proud. He also introduced his “sidekick,”
Steve Higgins, as well as his band, The Roots
from Philadelphia, both of whom Fallon said he
is very proud to have on the show with him.
Fallon continued the episode by mentioning that he had made a bet with a friend that
he would someday be the host of “The Tonight
Show” and now that particular friend owes
him $100. This comment was followed up by
a number of Fallon’s friends giving him $100
bills including Robert De Niro, Lady Gaga,
Kim Kardashian, Mike Tyson and Joe Namath.
This bit proved to America just how friendly
and diverse Fallon is.
Fallon also did hilarious
“Tonight Show Superlatives”
on the Sochi Winter Olympics and spoke with special
guests Smith and U2. The
first episode was not simply
all talk. Will Smith and U2
helped break in the show.
Fallon and Smith performed
a bit called, “The History of
Hip Hop Dances,” and U2
sang on Top of the Rock at
sunset, which blew the audience away.
The first episode was
a hit, as it was entertaining, informative and hilarious. Most importantly, it led the audience to
want more Jimmy Fallon. His first week guests
included Justin Timberlake, Will Ferrell, Arcade
Fire, Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, Tim McGraw, Jerry Seinfeld and Bradley Cooper.
Fallon closed his first opening monologue by saying that his goal was to put everyone to sleep smiling. Then he joked that,
“If you guys let me stick around long enough,
maybe I’ll get the hang of it.” So if you want
to go to sleep smiling like the other 11 million
people who watched the first episode, check out
“The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, weeknights at 11:30 on NBC.
Entertainment
page 10
“Game of
Thrones:” Season
Four Is Coming
By Amanda Mullen
The much anticipated fourth
season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones”
will premiere on Apr. 6. After the exciting events of the previous season, particularly the infamous “Red Wedding,”
fans have been dying to know what
the show has in store for us next. If the
season follows the latter half of George
R.R. Martin’s “A Storm of Swords,”
fans should be in for an action packed
few months.
Will Daenerys Targaryen and
her dragons invade Westoros and take
back the iron throne? Will Jon Snow
be able to prevent the wildlings from
ransacking Westoros? And most importantly, will somebody please take King
Joffrey’s head already?
HBO has released two trailers for the
fourth season recently, both of which
hint that the season will live up to
George R.R. Martin’s legacy. The first
gives us a look into which major characters the season will focus on, and the
second shows fans a little more of the
possible chain of events.
This is something that the
readers of the books have been looking forward to for some time. It seems
likely that this season will contain the
battle between the wildlings and the
Knight’s Watch as well, something that
the third season was building up to. The
previews also suggest that the Lannisters
may finally be facing some difficulties
this upcoming season. Tyrion appears
in shackles in the previews, meaning
that everyone’s beloved imp may find
himself in a bit of trouble with the king.
It is unclear exactly how much
of the books the new season will cover,
but it should definitely encompass the
majority of the third book. The Game of
Thrones Wiki, however, writes that portions of the fourth and fifth novels in the
“A Song of Ice and Fire” series may also
appear. If so, it leaves us to wonder what
the big finale for season four will be. I’m
still hoping it’s the same twist that occurs at the end of “A Storm of Swords.”
As the season approaches, fans
can only hope that all the answers will
be given to us soon. In the meantime,
we’ll be counting down until our favorite show is back.
The First Look at Marvel’s
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
By Alex Lavelle
The world got its first look on Feb. 18 at Marvel’s
newest super team: the “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The movie,
starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Batista, Bradley Cooper
and Vin Diesel, showed its first trailer on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,”
with Pratt guest starring (no doubt a way for ABC to steal some
ratings from NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.”)
“Guardians of the Galaxy” had been announced over a
year and a half prior, and still the biggest question was: Who?
After all, the Guardians weren’t exactly Marvel’s most wellknown team (to be fair, “The Avengers” probably weren’t either).
But as the morning of Feb. 19 arrived, and the reviews came in,
the general reaction was one word: awesome.
The trailer easily played off the general confusion of
the public, and showed the team in a police lineup, with John C.
Reilly reading off the team and their individual crimes. This was
a good idea because, in all honesty, how else do you explain a
talking alien raccoon with machine guns and a giant alien treemonster?
No doubt, though, the star of the trailer was Pratt’s Peter
Quill, aka Star Lord. Pratt shows off the same humor that made
him famous on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.” When he says
he’s Star Lord, and the other character asks who, Pratt says:
“Star-Lord, man. Legendary outlaw? Forget it.”
The trailer then hits its climax with a blitz of action
scenes, all set to Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling.” It ends
with Reilly saying, “They call themselves the Guardians of the
Galaxy,” to which his partner says, “What a bunch of a-holes.”
Director James Gunn showed a lot of this trailer for
last year’s San Diego Comi-Con and the fans there showed the
same amount of excitement as when it hit officially. The trailer
shows plenty of comedy and action (see: alien raccoon with
machine gun), and while it didn’t show either of the big baddies,
Lee Pace’s Ronan the Accuser, or Thanos are these characters
or movies?, the purple guy at the end of “The Avengers,” it
did show one of the villains in Karen Gillan’s (“Doctor Who”)
Nebula.
The trailer gave a sense of famous movies from the past,
such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Star Wars,” along with
“Avengers’” director Joss Whedon’s cult hit TV-show, “Firefly.”
On the business side of things, the trailer showed a bit
of the difference between Marvel and DC. With DC, they have
struggled in recent years to branch beyond their one-two punch
of “Batman” and “Superman,” often with horrific results. Ryan
Reynolds’ “Green Lantern” was supposed to be the start of the
DC Universe, but because the movie flopped both critically and
financially, they had to start over with “Man of Steel.”
With Marvel, they have been able to take these risks like
“Guardians,” because they have done so well with movies like
“Iron Man,” “Thor” and “Captain America.” If it fails, Marvel
can let it roll off their backs and announce “Iron Man 4.”
No doubt, Disney hit a home run
with the first official trailer of
“Guardians of the Galaxy.” Now,
they need to maintain the momentum
and ensure they can get a majority
of the viewing audience psyched
for this movie. If they can do that,
then Marvel’s Cinematic Universe
is going to get really weird. “Guardians of the Galaxy” opens in theaters
Aug. 1.
The Last Pseason of
Psych…….. Psever!
By Danny Perrotto
That’s right Pysch-ics. The hit
USA Network show is in its eighth and
final season. The show will release its
last five episodes until its season finale
on Mar. 26. From its series debut on July
7, 2006 Shawn Spencer (James Roday)
and Burton “Gus” Guster (Dule Hill)
have given us so much laughter, entertainment and many memories.
From the time Shawn first used
his hyper observation skill, or psychic
ability, to call in tips to the Santa Barbara Police Station just to make a few
bucks to opening “Psych” with best
friend Gus to eventually going out with
his love interest Juliet O’Hara (Maggie
Lawson).
Throughout the series Shawn
has been struggling to keep somewhat
of a relationship with his father, Henry
Spencer, while trying to keep Detective
Lasseter aka “Lassie” off his back and
prove to the doubters that he has a gift.
Also, throughout the series there
have been many guest appearances by
celebrities such as Jane Lynch, Stacy
Kiebler, Ralph Macchio, Freddie Prinze
Jr., Carl Weathers, Wayne Brady, Mike
“The Miz” Miznan, The Big Show,
Corbin Bleu and Christopher Lloyd.
Great Scott! That’s a lot of people.
“Psych” stretched the dramedy it is depicted as and made its first ever musical
episode rightfully named “Psych: The
Musical.”
In season eight, however, there
are some big changes such as: Shawn is
finally going out with Juliet and things
are looking pretty serious and Gus has a
newfound confidence that took him only
eight seasons to find. Chief Vick is back,
Lassie might get the promotion he thinks
he deserves and we’ll see more of Gus’s
tears. That’s not really anything new.
Since 2010, “Psych” has been
nominated for two Emmy Awards and
one People’s Choice Award, which it
won this year.
It’s hard to come to terms with
the fact that the show that taught everyone that they have a gift is coming
to an end. All good things must come
to an end though. Don’t forget to watch
the series finale on Mar. 26 on the USA
Network. Just one last thing before this
ends: I just want to know: Should I slice
this up for the road? (Psych fans will get
it).
page 11
By Nicolette Lodato
Panther Baseball Season Preview
From left to right: Cliff Brantley, Brandon Stahl, Donato Signore
The Adelphi baseball team is setting the bar high for
themselves as they head into their spring season. With a
number of key returners as well as multiple freshmen and
transfer Cliff Brantley from Wagner College taking the field,
the team should be hard to beat this season. Last year, the
panthers ended their season with a 23-25-1 record, and fell
to top-seeded New Haven in the first round of the playoffs.
Although some of their key seniors were lost, freshmen are
stepping up.
According to coach Dom Scala, there will be three
freshmen pitchers in the rotation this season. The team also
has the key returning pitcher sophomore Jonathon Mulford
who totaled 34 strikeouts last season. Defense is important,
but hitting is an intricate part of winning in baseball, and the
Panthers have three key hitters returning to the field. Junior
Vincent Sharkey and seniors Richard Mejia and Brandon
Stahl will be leading the team’s offense.
Although this has been a rough winter, the Panthers
have not stopped working hard during their preseason. “The
guys have been very receptive to the indoor work, but we
are really looking forward to getting outside,” Scala said.
Scala’s goals are to win an NE-10 championship as
well as to make it to NCAA tournament play.
The Panthers opened their season on Feb. 24 against
Dowling College, and their first NE-10 game will be played
at home on Mar. 22 against Franklin Pierce.
Sports
Page 12
Jessica Kitrys
Sports
Breaks All-Time Adelphi Scoring Record
By Victoria Chiesa
While athletes from all over the
world were setting new records at the Sochi
Olympics this February, Jessica Kitrys, a
senior on the Adelphi women’s basketball
team, was busy rewriting history much
closer to home. On Feb. 22, Kitrys became
the all-time leading scorer in the history
of Adelphi women’s basketball during an
87-50 victory against Pace University at
the Center for Recreation and Sports. The
previous school record stood for nearly 30
years and was held by Margaret Pape who
donned a Panther uniform from 1981-‘84
and amassed a career total of 1,590 points.
“It’s an honor [to break the all-time
record],” Kitrys said. “I would have never
thought that I could achieve something so
great.”
While this is not Kitrys’ first foray
into the Adelphi record books, the achievement is certainly her most notable. As a
junior, she tied the single game record for
points when she recorded 36 points in a
game against American International College. She also appears in the history books
for single-season scoring average and threepoint field goal percentage, as well as in
career field-goal percentage and blocks.
The 6-foot forward from Parlin, N.J.,
came into the season with 1,113 points to
her name over three seasons. Since arriving in Garden City in 2010, Kitrys’ career
numbers have continued to grow. After
averaging 9.1 points per game as a freshman, Kitrys blossomed into the team’s leading scorer with 15.8 points per game in her
sophomore season and 17.2 points per game
as a junior. She has led the team in field goal
percentage each of her four years and in rebounding in three of those years. Her name
has also consistently ranked among the
leaders in the Northeast-10 Conference in
these categories, and she has been honored
with an All-Conference selection during
each of her seasons at Adelphi.
“My biggest strength is being an
offensive threat,” Kitrys said, when asked
to describe her playing style. “I have developed as a player by staying calm when I am
being double- or tripled-teamed and finding my open teammate. Another strength of
mine is being a leader on and off the court
Photos courtesy of Adelphi University
to be the best teammate and captain I can
be.”
Fourth-year head coach Heather Jacobs agreed with Kitrys’ assessment. “There
are not many centers around that have her
finesse and versatility,” Jacobs said. “Jess
started off as a force on the block and has
grown her game tremendously.”
As Kitrys has improved, the women’s
basketball team has also improved around
her. After going 17-35 in her first two seasons, Kitrys helped the Panthers to a 15-13
finish in 2012-‘13. The program’s highest
win total since the 2006-‘07 season also resulted in the team’s first postseason appearance as a member of the Northeast-10. With
the table set, the 2013-‘14 season has been a
revelation for Kitrys and the Panthers. With
her and fellow senior standout Sade Jackson at the helm, Adelphi amassed its first
20-plus win season since 2004, captured the
Northeast-10 Southwest Division title and
peaked at a ranking of No. 13 in the nation.
“We’ve become closer as a group and
have lots of chemistry on and off the court,”
Kitrys said of the team’s turnaround. “We
have one goal and it is very attainable.”
With Adelphi’s success this season,
Kitrys said that she wasn’t really aware of
her place in Adelphi history “until a few
friends starting making comments about
it.” Despite being the cornerstone player of
Adelphi’s offense over the past four years,
Kitrys remained low-key about her achievement and was quick to shift the spotlight off
herself, just as she does on the court.
“Honestly, I couldn’t have done it
without my teammates,” she said.
Jacobs agreed. “She broke the scoring record and carried the water bottles out
of the locker room soon after,” she said.
“Although that’s a small thing...it speaks
volumes of who she is as a person. She
is a humble and a truly great person to be
around.”
Although Kitrys will graduate in
May with her name permanently etched in
Adelphi history, what she’ll miss the most
about her time on campus is something
intangible.
“I’ll miss my team the most,” she
said. “I have shared so many memories with
my family that I will cherish forever.”