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By Britteny L. Monahan
Today I was able to enjoy a friendly chat with the new president of our college, Skip Sullivan, in the
Tor Echo suite in SLC. While we had scheduled an interview for the newspaper, we kept the conver-
sation informal and comfortable. Relaxed in one of our suites armchairs our president was all smiles
as I asked my questions. I asked him how he liked the campus so far, including the beautiful weather
we'd been having, said with all intended sarcasm. He laughed, and said he'd lived in Michigan for
some time and was used to cold weather and icy walkways, but sadly disclosed we would not be hav-
ing a snow day in the near future. I asked what he'd been doing since he'd been hired and he went
through his schedule, booked with meetings and events which he would attend. "I am very interested
in getting to know the students..." he said, "Without the students there would be no reason for me to
be here! They are the determining factor of a college campus." Although he is very new to Alfred,
President Sullivan is well aware of the current struggle with the village and the new zoning laws they
are attempting to pass, and agreed the students should become more involved if they wish to see
change or be heard. He went on to say that his intention was to get to know as many people on cam-
pus as he could. He has frequently been going to dinner at the Terrace with students and faculty in the
hopes of getting to know the student body better as well as learn more about the campus itself and the
many activities we host. His schedule is full of events such as Tunnel of Oppression, faculty senate,
the Greek community and even upcoming sports events for our school's athletics department. "It's
good to know where the school stands before we can go forward," he stated. I asked if there were any
future plans he had in mind for our campus, and while he could not admit to any such goals he did
warn of a possible '"Storm front" in the works. President Sullivan has also been in regular meetings
and contact with Student Senate's president, Josh Altemoos, in regards to keeping up with the work-
ings of the students and organizations. Overall my talk with our new president was a pleasant one,
and I even learned about his favorite kinds of music, which he calls the three C's: County, Classical
and Classic Rock!
President Sullivan Outlines His Vision for the
Future of Alfred State College of Technology
President Skip Sullivan
2
Tor Echo / Spring 2014
3
RA Spotlight!
Aaliyah Seelall
AALIYAH SEELALL is a second year accounting major and Resi-
dent Assistant in Mackenzie East. Aaliyah hails from Brooklyn, NY,
and loves dancing, singing, drawing, playing tennis, and is proud of
her African American and Indian heritage. When asked to disclose a
fun fact about herself, Aaliyah says she has two baby teeth that will
never fall out!
What her RD says…
“Aaliyah designs creative and engaging bulletin boards, as well as acts
a mentor to the Track I RAs. The area where she really shines is in her
community building and interactions with residents. She is trusted and
respected by her residents and creates programs based on their wants
and needs. Aaliyah is an excellent role model, both for RAs and her
fellow staff members.”
Why she became an RA…
“I personally felt that being an RA would help me "come out of my
shell". It wasn't just a great opportunity but a life changing event that I
personally believe has helped me in many aspects of my daily life.”
What she has gained from the RA experience…
“I have been able to gain confidence and step out of my comfort zone.
Being an RA has shown me responsibility, yet has helped me embrace
college life and show my residents all that there is to enjoy. It has al-
lowed me to show more sympathy to others when I have not previous-
ly understood their circumstances, and has taught me many valuable
lessons such as how to help and direct those around me while creating
friendships.”
Her most memorable experience…
“One time some students completely destroyed my lounge. The posters
were ripped down, garbage was thrown everywhere and furniture was
flipped upside down. I felt very overwhelmed and no janitors were
available to clean it up. My residents had come to me and told me that
they had found the mess and before even telling me, cleaned it up. It
was so generous, kind, thoughtful (I'm sure I could use many adjec-
tives) but the only word that truly felt correct for the situation was
community.”
Tor Echo / Spring 2014
4
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 Q. Moore, Stephanie Pembleton, Angel Torres. Advisor: Dr. Brian Quinn
Copyright Tor Echo 2014
Editorial
THIS IS OUR VILLAGE, TOO
For all of our faithful readers and for all of the students of Alfred State, I hope you read this and I
hope you take this matter to heart. For some time now the Village of Alfred has been trying to pass
zoning laws making it impossible for students to live in certain areas in town: students who cannot
afford to live on campus or students who wish for privacy and independence. Even students who have
been living off campus for years are in danger of losing their homes due to the zoning laws and their
restrictions. As a college town it is a well-known fact that the town thrives on the income the students
provide for local businesses, and without the students there would be no town, or at least the town
would not be as successful as it is currently. The Students also provide services that benefit the vil-
lage, such as cleaning and community service. Local fairs and festivals sponsored by the college and
the students also provide entertainment for the local residents and their families. While it has not been
said out loud, it must be said here within this paper, the village of Alfred's residents are attempting to
segregate its residential students, forcing them into pre-determined zones, taking away their right to
choose where they are able to live. There is no true reason why there should be such a law, which vi-
olates our civil rights, and the village board has yet to give a satisfactory reason for the law. The vil-
lage has tried to placate us, the students, with the promise of twenty available houses for the student
residents to reside; however, it was recently revealed by a local landowner that only six of these
houses are suitable to live in. The students of Alfred State College have always had a hard time find-
ing a way to live off of campus, having to go through paperwork and strict regulations. Many stu-
dents do this in order to afford both school and living expenses, since they do not earn enough in stu-
dent loans to pay off the expenses of living on campus and in the dormitories. Unfortunately, many
students remain unaware of the current situation regarding the new zoning laws, and while a handful
of student organizations have attempted to get the word out and rally student support, the struggle has
been hard and our future remains uncertain. Jason Rodd, a former student of Alfred University, has
helped lead the fight against the village board and the new zoning laws since 2013 and while his in-
formation and passion for the cause is solid, it is up to the students to stand up and take charge. We
cannot remain silent while others take up our fight, because it us, the student who are affected and
who should take responsibility and raise our voice in objection to these unjust motions against our
rights as fellow residents of Alfred.
—Britteny Monahan, Editor-in-Chief
CELEBRATION OF SERVICE
On January 23rd, 2014 in Alfred's Village Hall, a group of five individuals were awarded the
Spirit of Service for their excellent service to the community. Following in Martin Luther King
Jr's footsteps these students, faculty members and members of the community of Alfred have
gone above and beyond to serve others and their causes, encouraging equality, social justice,
community and service. Tor Echo congratulates these compassionate individuals for their self-
lessness and hopes that their acts of kindness have paved a road for others to follow in their
footsteps, for the future benefit of the community and all of Alfred.
Winners of the Fourth Annual Alfred Spirit of Services Awards were Miguel Torres De Le-
on, Alfred University student; Nancy Kohler, Alfred University Equestrian Center Director;
John Ninos, owner of the Jet and Terra Cotta in Alfred village; Dr. Brian Quinn, Alfred State
College; and Josh Stellrecht, a student at Alfred State SUNY College of Technology.
The Spirit of Service Award recognizes and celebrates those in the greater Alfred community
that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving others. This award is intended to honor those
who are actively living out the principles that Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for including
equality, social justice, community, and service. Eligible nominees include students, faculty,
and staff at Alfred State and Alfred University as well as community members.
5
Editor’s Note: With Tunnel of Oppression starting this week, it seemed like a
good time to re-visit a proposal submitted by the Commuter Council last se-
mester.
Help the Homeless Here!
By Stephanie Pembleton
Head of the Emergency Homeless Assistance Plan
For many college students, the rising cost of tuition and the
tough economy have rendered students helpless as they struggle
every semester when the college bills come in. For students who
are stressed financially, this time becomes even more difficult, as
they struggle with hunger and sometimes homelessness. With
this being said, there are not very many places available for stu-
dents who are homeless or may become homeless at some point
throughout the school year.
For students, it is very hard to find housing in a rural com-
munity such as Alfred. Students who cannot afford off-campus
housing or do not have the requirements to get a housing waiver
from the school are stuck with an unfair decision. Unless they
can get loans or grants, they are forced to come up with the mon-
ey to live in the residential halls. There is no option for a student
who cannot pay this fee or may be listed as a commuter and
needs a place to stay, even if it is only for a couple nights at a
time.
When discussing this topic with Commuter Council, we dis-
cover an amazing opportunity and a new cause. I attended
D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York before coming to Al-
fred State College and they had a concept fairly similar to ours.
Every semester, the college has extra rooms that are not being
used by students. On Alfred State College’s website, the cost of
Room and Board with an 18 meal-plan is $11,580 per year. This
means that per day, students with this plan pay less than $60 a
day for these services.
If we implemented some method in which the school could
rent out the extra rooms throughout the residential halls for rea-
sonable prices, we might be helping out some of our fellow peers
who have nowhere to turn to. In addition, Allegany County is
one of the poorest counties in the state of New York. At Alfred
State, we pride ourselves on our community service and leader-
ship activity and this could be the next step forward!
Tor Echo / Spring 2014
6
Whether it be the act of trying to connect to the lists of
possibilities of things that could be going on on cam-
pus to simply trying to find the time to see it and keep
interest, Student Announce seems to be at the center of
the student disposition when it comes to figuring
things out. Having been here for a few years, I've
come across this message in my student inbox multi-
ple times, more so than I can count personally, and
have found myself contemplating the list of possibili-
ties as I tried to iron out what my weekend was going
to be. But as the years began to pile up on top of each
other and my stay in Alfred has become more and
more lengthy and event filled, I found myself drifting
away from what used to be a haven for my event op-
portunities, finding myself acting on a whim and play-
ing it by ear.
To check the issue of Student Announce, I per-
formed a survey that took my adventure to the voices
of the students who use the Student Announce email.
Time and time again, I found that the perspective view
of the students was that Student Announce wasn't
something that they would use primarily to get a grip
on events that go on on campus. Ultimately, people
have expressed that there is a bunch of glitches and
knick knacks that come with using Student Announce,
ranging from their inability to keep interest in the re-
petitive source of information to simply not being in-
terested in using the alternative means, finding it bor-
ing, not quite so eye catching, and a range of other
thoughts about the email. There are some people who
even stated that they click the email to get it out of
their Inbox Active Messages, and in that, they never
even look at the list.
It goes unsaid that the idea of Student Announce
has the potential to be the greatest means of infor-
mation to be given to the students of Alfred State Col-
lege, but how it is executed is serving as a hindrance
to its growth. Of the people I surveyed, many of them
expressed views and ideas of how they could make
Student Announce better for the campus as a whole.
One perspective was that Student Announce should be
shifted to social media sites, like Facebook and Twit-
ter, where instead of receiving the seemingly repetitive
emails, you would receive a post or update about an
event that is coming up in a timely manner, and could
make it more exciting or interesting to use. With this
perspective you could advertise digitally with the ut-
most efficiency, using pictures and video in your
events as well. Another perspective that was put forth
for the enhancement of Student Announce is to liven
up the email in and of itself. The way that it stands at
the moment, every student receives a list in bold blue
lettering over a plain white screen, which isn't eye
catching, and to a few people who were surveyed it
hurt to read. If the designers of the email made the ac-
tual email stand out from a design standpoint, people
may be more inclined to actually use the email.
All in all, Student Announce is our campus' way of
getting out its information. Organizations across the
campus utilize this means in hopes of bringing people
into their events. But without consideration of people's
response to the email, how can we truly use this email
to its greatest potential. And so, I pose this analogy:
“Why travel a thousand miles on a bicycle when you
could have the same journey in a car?”
A Student Takes a Serious
Look at Student Announce
By Ali Q. Moore
Tor Echo / Spring 2014
7
Tor Echo / Spring 2014
Counselors Say Communication Is the Key to a Solid
Relationship
Valentine’s Day is
coming faster than
you realize. And how
much do you really
know about that spe-
cial someone in your
life? How will you be
able woo and win him
or her without know-
ing more than “Nice
smile.”
Come to the Small
Event Space in SLC
and learn all about
what makes her/him
tick (or tick you off!)
The fun begins at
11:00 pm on Friday,
February 7.
8
Local Students Earn High Honors
in
the
Tor Echo / Spring 2014
9
Tor Echo / Spring 2014
ALFRED, Jan. 17, 2014
- November of 2013,
marked the celebration
of a 75th anniversary of
the most recognizable
fraternity at Alfred
State College. Recently,
this Greek organization
was on the brink of ex-
tinction and mired in
troubles. However,
from the tireless hours,
days, months and years
of hard work put forth
by many brothers, this
Fraternity was able to
change its fate. The 75th
celebration was a cul-
mination of years of
hard work by many and
enjoyed by all that at-
tended.
Psi Delta Omega
Fraternity owns a home
at 10 West University
Street in Alfred, which
is a stunning 7,252
square feet. In 2011,
due to several benefac-
tors, the Fraternity in-
vested well over
$100,000, into the sec-
ond and third floors of
the house, completely
renovating those floors
of the house. The Fra-
ternity is currently fi-
nalizing plans to invest
another $150,000 on a
state-of-the-art first
floor. This will include
heated floors and a
completely transformed
front entrance.
In addition to the
house going through a
transition, so too did the
Fraternity. The active
brothers of Psi Delta
Omega Fraternity par-
ticipate in well over 400
hours of community
service per semester
while still maintaining a
cumulative GPA of a
3.0. With multiple
brothers in recent years
that have earned a per-
fect 4.0, “We’re really
proud of how the few
generations of active
brothers have embraced
the new Psi-D and are
putting in a great effort
to elevate the stand-
ards” Said Tom Tortora
Alumni Active Presi-
dent.
Psi Delta Omega
held their 75th anniver-
sary at the Pearl Street
Brewery in Buffalo,
NY. There were nearly
150 brothers and ABX
sisters in attendance,
with involvement da-
ting back to the 1970’s!
“This was a great op-
portunity for the active
brothers to see brothers
from all over the coun-
try re-united with old
friends from many dif-
ferent decades. It really
gave me an understand-
ing of the bonds that
were forged before
me,” said Ryan Dontoh,
Active President.
Psi Delta Omega
Fraternity works dili-
gently in trying to
change its reputation by
staying true to hard-
work, philanthropic ef-
forts, pride, and most
importantly brother-
hood. 75 years of broth-
ers helping brothers
both with direction, em-
ployment and even their
personal lives is impres-
sive. The focus now is
greater than it’s ever
been, when helping
young gentlemen be-
come very successful
leaders. With an active-
ly involved alumni base
of nearly 1000, spanned
across the country, Psi
Delta Omega has an
immense amount of
support, knowledge and
history. With no inten-
tion of slowing down,
this almost extinct Fra-
ternity will most cer-
tainly be going strong
in another 75 years.
Psi Delta Omega
would like to personally
thank Alfred State Col-
lege, especially, Dr.
Steven Tyrell for his
vision of what the
Greek society could be-
come. He worked dili-
gently with our Alumni
in forming the relation-
ship and providing us
direction, as well as,
expectations of his vi-
sion. His job has been
transitioned to Spencer
Peavey, and we’re
thankful to Spencer as
well for his efforts,
guidance and leader-
ship.
If you have any
questions or would like
more information
please go to
www.psideltaomega.co
Psi Delta Omega Fraternity Celebrates 75 strong years of
Brotherhood, Academics, Philanthropy & Leadership
10
Speaking of
Outdoor Sports…
A few comments heard about
Super Bowl XLVIII
“That was pathetic.”
“Not only were the commer-
cials better than the game,
the Muppets could have
beaten the Broncos.”
“Okay, so you go into
halftime losing badly. It’s
time to man up and play a
solid second half. And the
Broncos allow an 87-yard
touchdown run on the sec-
ond half kickoff???”
“The worst Super Bowl ev-
er.”
“When did the NFL decide
it was okay to let a Pop
Warner team play in the
Super Bowl?”
“How much is XLVIII?”
Tor Echo / Spring 2014