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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.
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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
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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!”
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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
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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
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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!