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

photoplays@thesmith.org.

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: boxoffice@thesmith.org

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 dramaclub@alfredstate.edu 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!