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By Karla Chun

There are certain times in our lives where things just get too over-

whelming for us to handle on our own. But we are not on our own.

There are several people that are there to help us. From family

members to friends, there is someone there that will listen. Howev-

er, sometimes talking to your family and friends isn’t the best op-

tion. There are more people on campus that are willing to listen

and help you through anything. Alfred State offers various options

for counseling. These services are free and completely confiden-

tial. Students can visit the Health and Wellness Center at Parish

Hall, phone number: X-4200, for mental health and drug/alcohol

counseling. If students would prefer to get services that are off

campus, they can possibly contact the following:

Wellsville Counseling Center located in Wellsville, NY, phone

number: 585-593-6300 Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse located

in Wellsville, NY, phone number: 585-593-6738 Steuben County Mental Health located in Hornell, NY, phone

number: 607-324-2483 Milestone Psychological and Psychiatric Services located in

Hornell, NY, phone number: 607-324-9240 Alfred Counseling Associates located in Alfred, NY, phone

number: 607-587-8390 If you are in need or know someone in need of these services, do

not hesitate to contact any of the listed places. The counselors

there are professionally trained listeners. They will work with you

to help you through anything you are going through. They will be

there to listen to what you have to say, no matter what. You

are not alone.

If You Need to be Heard…

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Tor Echo / Fall 2013

UUP opens scholarship application

process

SUNY students can now apply for annual scholarships of $3,000 offered by United University Professions

(UUP), the union that represents academic and professional faculty of the State University of New York. The

scholarships are funded by contributions from UUP members and their families.

The UUP College Scholarship Fund annually awards scholarships to a maximum of four SUNY undergraduates

who have demonstrated their dedication to the goals and ideals of the labor movement and who excel academical-

ly. In order to qualify, applicants must be full-time undergraduates enrolled at a SUNY state-operated campus and

possess a minimum grade-point average of 3.75.

Full-time graduate or professional SUNY students are eligible to apply for UUP’s William Scheuerman Post Bac-

calaureate Scholarship. Applicants must have a course load of at least nine credits, have completed at least nine

credits, and hold a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.95. Law and health science students must have

completed at least one full semester. Eligible applicants must also exhibit dedication to the goals and ideals of the

labor union movement. This annual $3,000 scholarship is named in honor of former UUP president William

Scheuerman.

For both scholarships, students must also demonstrate personal and academic achievement, and display a strong

record of community service. UUP awards the scholarships to students on a one-time basis, but there is no limit

on how many times a student may apply. The application deadline is Feb. 28, 2014.

“UUP is proud to offer these scholarships to the best and brightest students attending SUNY,” said UUP President

Frederick E. Kowal. “In addition to their academic achievements, what will set the winners apart is their involve-

ment in social issues and community activities.”

The union has awarded 82 scholarships since UUP began its scholarship program in 1988.

Three of the UUP undergraduate scholarships are given in honor of former UUP members and their families who

generously contributed their time and money to the scholarship fund. The scholarships honor the late Eugene Link

of SUNY Plattsburgh; the late Robert Carter of SUNY Oswego and his wife, Katherine; and the late Gertrude

Butera of SUNY Alfred.

Students may obtain and complete scholarship applications online through UUP’s website at http://

www.uupinfo.org/scholarships/scholarship.php. For more information, contact the UUP Administrative Office in

Albany toll-free at (800) 342-4206.

CONTACT: Denyce Duncan Lacy or

Don Feldstein at (518) 640-6600 Lacy’s cell number is (518) 265-3114 UUP represents 35,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 New York state-operated campuses, including

SUNY’s public teaching hospitals and health science centers in Brooklyn, Long Island and Syracuse. It is an affil-

iate of NYSUT, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the AFL-CIO.

A Night with Bonnie Mann

By Lynette Lockwood

Women’s boxing started in London in the 1720’s. In the 1950’s boxers such as Barbra Buttrick,

JoAnn Hagen, and Phyllis Kugler staged professional fights. In the 1970’s many states lifted the

ban on women to fight, issuing boxing licenses and approving more than four rounds bouts.

Bonnie Mann is a professional boxer. She was struggling with shoulder problems. She was offered

a job interview and she got the offer to work with a pro boxer for 20 minutes. She tried it and was

hooked. She went on to become professional and win two world titles. She said that went she first

started boxing she didn’t win a lot of bouts. She even lost her first professional fight but that didn’t

stop her from continuing to try. One of her favorite quotes is that “If you fail once doesn’t mean

you will fail at everything”. The first step to achieve your goals in life is to believe in yourself. If

you don’t believe in yourself then nothing really can be really accomplished. Nobody or nothing

can really stop you if you believe. You are responsible for your own happiness. If you don’t like

what your life is then change it. You have to live by your values and principles daily and learn

from new experiences. How do you know what you really love if you don’t first try. You are able

to overcome obstacles in your life if you try. But you have to be willing to make short term sacri-

fices. Others may see you as an inspiration and motivation. This program was put on by the Alfred

State Defensive Boxing Club. They meet Sunday 2 to 4, Tuesday 7 to 9, Thursdays 7 to 9. For

more information contact Daniel Turkewitz the boxing club president.

3

By Britteny L. Monahan

Who knows better than our fellow students how maddening stressful the final weeks of

classes are? As we prepare for our finals, pulling our hair, ingesting insane amounts of

caffeine, neglecting our mental and physical wellness in favor of last minute cram ses-

sions in the hopes of passing our last

exams with flying colors we all need a

moment, a saving grace, that helps

bring us back to Earth and our friends

in a pure moment of joy and relaxation.

For Alfred State this moment has al-

ways been humbly presented to us in

the form our annual Stress Free Night,

granting the weary and academically

strained a night of no expectations and

happiness. Once again Stress Free

Night was a major success, with an

amazing turnout of students basking in

the pampering hands of expert masseurs

and manicurists, and regressing to a

simpler state of mind with fun games

such as coloring and playing with sand

as they made their own stress-free ball-

balloons. One last blowout before fi-

nals, complete with music provided by

WETD, a movie, “The Internship” starring the wonderfully talented Owen Wilson and

Vince Vaughn and plenty of chocolate drizzled delights to make your mouth water.

“Having worked the event as an intern, I went around to a bunch of people, asking

them of their thoughts on the event as a whole. There was an overwhelming response

of how great the event was, how great they felt, and how it aided them, ultimately, in

their mission to de-stress and detox their everyday tasks to relax, if only for a night.

For anyone who missed the event, fear not, for though it is annual, with each year it

will be ever growing and even more exciting,” said Ali Moore, Tor Echo Reporter.

The Quiet before

the Storm

For the past 24 years, top design and construction students from schools across the North-

east and Mid-Atlantic have gathered to prove their worth to potential future employers at

the annual Associated Schools of Construction Region 1 Student Competition. This year,

17 schools and more than 200 bright minds vied for placement, and Alfred State students

walked away with honors in three categories—a second place in design-build, a fourth

place in heavy-civil construction, and a fifth place in commercial building. “Our students

made an impressive showing,” says Tim Piotrowski, of Jamestown, an assistant professor

of Civil Engineering Technology at Alfred State who accompanied them on their trip.

“These were real-world simulations with real-world deadlines and all the associated

stress. But our students excel at those types of challenges.” Alfred State students traveled to Morristown, NJ, for the two-day event from Nov. 15 to

16, with teams entering each of the competition categories; design-build, heavy-civil con-

struction, and commercial building. The design-build team included Steven Hickey

(Penfield), Alex Bragg (Canandaigua), Carley Youngman (Spencerport), Kristin Szkolnik

(Syracuse), Zack Kohler (Babylon), and Ryan Grace (Syracuse). The heavy-civil con-

struction team was comprised of Joe Triscuit (Busti), Nate Silsbee (Bath), Clinton Brewer

(Olean), Jay Burdin (Corning), Andrew Hydock (Lyndonville), and William Engel

(Brunswick). The commercial building team included David Radloff (Glen Falls), Geron-

imo Rosario (Utica), Richard McCall (Miltown, NJ), Chris Drazan (Bethlehem), Tom

Parmenter (Pavilion), and Nick Antonioli (Wellsville). On Nov. 15, teams were provided with actual contract documents and given 15 hours to

create a cost estimate, construction schedule, site-specific safety plan, logistical plan for

using the site, and a strategy to execute the project. The following day, each team gave a

30-minute oral presentation to the judges, describing their proposal and why they were

the best team to build the project. Teams were then judged on the quality of both their

proposal and oral presentation. “This is a capstone to our students’ educational careers.

They were judged by the very industry professionals who built the projects used in the

competition,” Tim says. Although the competition was fierce, students who attended had an unprecedented oppor-

tunity to network with their peers and potential future employers during the accompany-

ing job fair, and employers received access to 35 teams of self-motivated students from

top programs. “It was a real, first-hand look at the construction industry for our students.

They got to experience the level of effort it takes to be successful.”

Local Students Earn High Honors

in the Annual Associated Schools of

Construction Competition

4

Tor Echo / Fall 2013

RA Spotlight!

Beverly Coat

B everly Coats is a Resident Assistant in Mackenzie West. This is Beverly’s third year

at Alfred State. She has successfully completed the Culinary Arts program and is now

working on a degree in Technology Management. Beverly hopes to one day become an Ex-

ecutive Chef and open her own restaurant (she has even cooked for celebrities back home in

NYC!). She loves to shop, dance, exercise, travel, and spend time with loved ones. One of

seven children, Beverly hopes to have her own family to cook for one day.

Why did you become an RA?

“I decided to apply for the RA position because I was going through some personal

issues, and felt like I needed to become more involved with the school and the students if I

wanted to stay for 3 more years. I wanted to transfer because I felt alone and couldn't adjust

to the environment. It helped me break out of my shell, and meet a lot of different people.”

What her RD says…

“She is always working to build a strong community and getting all of her residents

involved.”

What have you gained from being an RA?

“My favorite part of being a RA is being looked at as a student leader, a resource,

and a friend.”

Any advice for future RAs?

“Stay at peace with yourself when making tough decisions, and turn to your staff if

you need help. That is why there are so many different personalities on a staff!”

5

By Ali Moore

A project that took all semester to plan, craft, construct, and display finally made it to the eyes of the students of Alfred State College, de-

buting on December 10th of 2013. The project was called ICE, and it was a piece that drew attention in all levels of ways, whether it was a

simple glance from a passer by to people playing music along the sides of the construct. As a group member, I watched, theorized, and aid-

ed in the execution of the project. All of the work put forth over the months prior in a day became more real than that of which we could

have anticipated. Within the SLC, we set up the circular bar and placed all of the necessary pieces together. The subsequent day, we al-

lowed the ice to melt itself, documenting it's progression in the form of pictures that will be put into sequence. At first we believed that this

would be a hassle, but when the piece began, we were captivated in how relaxing the piece's nature actually was. The sounds of water in it's

true nature was one of the most spiritually soothing sounds that I think I may have experienced, and in the beauty of it all, can honestly say

that I do not stand alone beside. Most importantly, however, I feel it necessary to note the feedback that we received for the project. Each

and every person had something different to say about the idea, and what it meant to them. To quote one of the most innovative ideas craft-

ed, a student looked into the ice structure, claiming that it reminded him of volcanoes and volcanic lightning. This description was so far

beyond our project that it was an honor to hear, giving comfort in the idea that someone was thinking about it so far outside of the box. The

piece ran for multiple hours throughout the day, receiving the appreciation throughout it's time and granting us the gift of being able to put

forth an installation piece. The greatest experience of all, from the standpoint of one of the 7 artists on the project, including Josiah Putnam,

Joshua Peraldo, Anthony Grande, Anthony Lowenfeld, Tom Frew, and Michael Joel, was seeing the actual piece come to life. It was re-

warding beyond words, and something that I would love to experience again.

By Adam Kowinsky

Kappa Sigma Epsilon is a brotherhood that looks to foster personal development

among its members. Their actions in the community represent a standing commitment not only

to the fraternity’s values and beliefs, but also to building good character. To that end, we look

for strong-willed individuals who possess leadership traits and would love to make a positive

impact on and off campus. Most recently, the brothers did community service for the Veterans

of Foreign Wars organization in Hornell, NY, and helped the organization give back to Veter-

ans for their service. The event was on November 23rd and the KSE brothers helped setup and

prepare a Thanksgiving meal for some the surrounding area’s Veterans. With such a heart-

warming atmosphere, everyone in attendance enjoyed the event and were extremely grateful to

share such a memorable time. These moments are what the members of Kappa Sigma Epsilon

live for and are just part of what led to the development of the Annual Student Leadership

Achievement Award. Additionally, this scholarship was designed to aid male freshmen with

making the transition High School to College. The award while still in its infancy, has a lot of

room for growth, but that starts with you! More participation will only help the program to

grow, allowing it to make a bigger impact on the freshman who enroll in the near future. As

per the award’s deadline which was November 26th, the recipient of the award was chosen.

Congratulations to Louis Tomassi, who is the second recipient of the award since its incep-

tion. Kappa Sigma Epsilon members encourage you to become positively involved in the com-

munity where ever you are. While you are here, however, utilize Alfred State’s many avenues

to civic engagement. Whether that be through Greek Life or via many of the college’s organi-

zations. The brothers of Kappa Sigma Epsilon wish you all the best of luck on your finals.

Kappa Gives Out Student Leadership Achievement Award

6

Tor Echo Staff Editor-in-Chief: Britteny L. Monahan

Treasurer: Karla Chun Reporters: Ingrid Amaya, Kaylie Cytrowski, Tyreek Davis, Tony Grande, Sarah Jastrzab, Lynette Lockwood, Ali Moore, Angel Torres

Advisor: Dr. Brian Quinn

By Ali Moore

To start this off, let me say that as a member of Drama Club and a returning

cast member time and time again, I had the pleasure of being on the outside

looking in, experiencing the audience member perspective of Drama Club's

production of Grease. Where do I begin? Could it be the great set? Or the

hopping music? Or the intricate dance moves? So much can be said about this

production, but I think there's one synonym that encompasses it all: Awe-

some! As an audience member I found myself captivated by the overwhelm-

ing amount of potential and energy put into the show. I've always said that a

successful musical is a musical that will make you want to dance and sing

along with the cast as they do their thing, and this musical did just that and

more. I could imagine the greasers cruising down the road in good old

“Grease Lightning,” picking up chicks as they act a fool, or Vince Fontane

joining the gang for their prom adventures, and the list goes on and on. Aside

from the set, the actors and actresses were spot on, and delivered the story

with the greatest capacity that I've ever seen. I could remember sitting in the

audience and hearing some of the actresses beginning their songs, and catch-

ing the chill of the song in my spine as I sank into my seat thinking to myself:

“Wow, I couldn't imagine singing like that.” I could feel the characters'

thoughts and emotions through their ability to execute the story, sending me

on a medley of emotions ranging from good feelings that I had with my crew

to the sadness of feeling sorry for another. All in all, it was a great show. Dra-

ma Club has come so far, and still have quite a ways to go. The mountain is

ever growing, but needless to say with the direction that the show was going

in, they're bound to reach the top.

GREASE: A Time Machine to the 1950sGREASE: A Time Machine to the 1950s

7

After a discouraging eight game losing streak to start the 2013/2014 season, the Al-

fred State men’s basketball team gained it’s first victory in thrilling fashion.

Charles Ingram (Harlem/Seward Park) hit two foul shots with 23 seconds remaining

to lift Alfred State to a 64-63 victory over Jamestown Olean. The Jaguars had three

shots in the final seconds but couldn't get one to fall.

The Pioneers led 31-24 at half but Jamestown-Olean went on a run to gain a 37-35

lead with just under 12 minutes remaining. The game was tied four more times in

the final minutes before Ingram hit the winning foul shots.

Tommy Hutson (Brooklyn/Susan McKinney) led the blue & gold with 18 points

while Ingram came off the bench and had 12. Adam Fezza(Southhampton) finished

with nine points and Tavon Moore(Syracuse/Bishop Grimes) chipped in seven.

The Pioneers shot 51.4% (19 for 37) from the field but was slowed down by 27 turn-

overs.

James Brown led JCC-Olean with 19 points while Malcolm Booker finished with

14. The Jaguars shot 34.5% (19 for 55) from the field .

Alfred State (1-8) hits the road on Saturday when they travel to Fredonia for a 4

p.m. battle with the Blue Devils.

Pioneers Come Through in the Clutch!