News
How to be safe this Halloween
With Halloween fast approaching, it is important to consider safety measures to help ensure events remain fun and safe for everyone. In college communities there are often many gatherings the weekend before the holiday. While the Geneseo campus is a relatively safe place, there are measures that can be taken in order to encourage safe practices.
The importance of composting on campus
Composting is a healthy and eco-friendly way to recycle organic materials such as food scraps and leaves. The result is a fertilizer that will enrich soil and improve the health of plants. Not only is the return worth the minimal effort it takes, but by composting, there is a decrease in greenhouse gasses, pesticides, and more. Composting has been practiced in some capacity for thousands of years but is still overlooked by many people.
U.S. the only country to oppose call for ceasefire in United Nations conference
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, the United States was the only country to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution that would call for a ceasefire in the conflict between Palestine and Israel so that humanitarian aid may be provided to Gaza. According to Reuters, the United States vetoed the ceasefire under the precedent of Israel’s right to self-defense and the need for more diplomacy time.
The Israel-Hamas War
On Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas—an anti-Israeli Palestinian militant group that has resided in the Gaza Strip since 2007—engaged in an assault on several small Israel-controlled villages located outside the Gaza Strip blockade during the celebration of Shemini Atzeret. This assault, which consisted of the reported use of around 2,200 missiles, killed roughly 1,400 Israeli citizens and took more as hostages. The attack resulted in a near-instantaneous counterattack carried out by Israel, with them declaring war, a complete siege, on the area enclosed within the Gaza Strip, which continues to this day. The motives of Hamas are being called into question, seeming to be about retaliation and vengeance. In contrast, Israel’s motives seem to be self-defense, protecting their homeland from anyone deemed a threat. Yet, reportedly, according to AP World News, the leader of Hamas, Mohammad Deif’s reasoning was “...the assault was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza, Israeli raids inside West Bank cities over the past year, violence at Al Aqsa—the disputed Jerusalem holy site sacred to Jews as the Temple Mount—increasing attacks by settlers on Palestinians and the growth of settlements.”
Libya flooding illuminates systematic flaws
Over one month ago, on Sept. 11, 2023, the city of Derna, Libya, alongside adjacent towns, experienced the full frontal effects of “Tropical Storm Daniel” in a way that no one saw coming: an area-wide mass flood. This flood resulted from two central dams’ infrastructure failing, not built to withstand the force it was experiencing and broke under the weight, sending over 24 million tonnes of water hurtling toward several unevacuated, densely populated areas, leaving over 4,000 dead and 10,000 missing to this day.
SUNY Geneseo’s research-based advocacy program
In late September, SUNY Geneseo announced what directed study student-teacher groups were selected for further research at the undergraduate level, with the ultimate goal of the program being used to cause societal change through hard-hitting research. This is the college’s second-year of being involved in the program and the number of participants has only grown. The first year there were two students (Gaetan Jean Louis and Yarold ‘Yaro’ Bautista Martinez) with a different faculty advisor for each (Dr. Kodjo Adabra and Dr. Olaocha Nwabara). This year, the program has four students: Nora Whorton, Seynha Jean Coute, Arianna Whittaker, and Genesis Flores, with three different faculty advisors: Dr. Kodjo Adabra, Dr, Olaocha Nwabara, and Dr. Jessica Gilbert-Overland.
Dysautonomia Awareness Month
October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month. Dysautonomia International states that dysautonomia “impact[s] over 70 million people around the world.”
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers found in women in America. The month of October highlights the issue of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women in America. Awareness and prevention is encouraged for early detection and may increase the survival rates if detected early enough.
Disabled Student Alliance destroying biases
Among the many clubs on campus, Disabled Student Alliance (DSA) stands out for its consistent encouragement of inclusivity. DSA specializes in supporting students with disabilities and helping others become better allies. There have already been several notable advancements in the club since its founding last semester.
Narcan added to AED boxes on campus
Students in SUNY Geneseo should take notice of the automated external defibrillator (AED) boxes located in the buildings on campus. After fighting a nine-month battle for approval, Pamela Kosmowski, the Addiction Counseling and Prevention Program Coordinator, has succeeded in shaping a safer campus: Starting on Oct. 13, every AED box on campus will include Narcan.
Squirrels befriending students
For years, squirrels have freely roamed around the SUNY Geneseo campus: running up and down the trees, patrolling the sidewalk, or rummaging through trash cans, the furry friends have become a Geneseo staple. Students are often seen taking pictures of them, but this dynamic has now become problematic.
History department unveils new master’s program
In September 2023, the New York State SUNY System approved a new Master of Arts program in history to be implemented at Geneseo. The program will begin to accept applications on a rolling basis for the Fall 2024 academic year. According to Dr. Justin Behrend, professor of history and the department’s graduate program coordinator, the program started in response to a recorded increase in history majors at Geneseo.
Ecological backlash acknowledged: Formation of the End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative (EPPIC)
On Sept. 20, 2023, during a United Nations (UN) general assembly meeting, representatives voted and launched a 15-million dollar initiative led by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to minimize the long-term effects of plastic on organic life, even that which we cannot see on a microscopic level, and the unsteady route we are traveling down as a result.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the Native history of Geneseo
On Oct. 8, 2021, Joe Biden, President of the United States, became the first President in history to acknowledge and recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day in substitution for the day that had been previously known solely as Columbus Day. The original movement to enact the substitution dates back to 1977. This was done through a proclamation put out by the White House affirming the pivotal role Natives have played in the modern-day, with references to the high percentages of work in public service fields along with contributions to the arts, as well the vital importance of observing the land that Americans live on which belonged to the Natives’ ancestors long before any other person stood on this country’s soil.
Mandatory fire safety drills on the Geneseo campus
Students on the SUNY Geneseo campus may have noticed the recent commencement of the annual fire safety drills. Fire drills are mandated throughout the state of New York to ensure the safety of the building’s occupants.
Safe Zone program looking for facilitators
There are multiple organizations on campus that strive to make a more inclusive campus community. One of which is through Safe Zone training, a student-led organization that hosts workshops for anyone who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community who wants to become a better ally. There are currently several openings for workshop facilitators.
Asbestos on our campus
From the common cold to STIs, the Covid-19 Pandemic and the dreaded “frat flu,” maintaining your health as a college student can feel impossible. Asbestos is just the cherry on top to the list of health risks you want to avoid while at school. You may have seen a notice sign in your dorm or in one of the academic buildings informing us of the presence of asbestos in that building. Geneseo’s Environmental Health and Safety Specialist, Frank Blasioli, answered many questions that have been troubling college students about living and going to class in buildings with asbestos in them.
MOSAIC closure
The Multicultural Organization Space for Activities, Inclusion, and Collaboration (MOSAIC) is an area where multiple campus groups keep supplies and inventory, as well as a common space for students to meet for academic, extracurricular, and recreational purposes. This area recently endured unforeseen piping and flooding issues, leading to an indefinite closure.
SUNY Geneseo Clubs and Activities
SUNY Geneseo is home to 180 clubs and organizations with a wide variety of categories: academia, club sports, volunteer-based clubs, and many more.
Students grapple with the new construction on campus
Construction on campus: everyone has seen it, and everyone has heard it but has anyone stopped to question what exactly is happening on our campus? There are three main construction projects currently underway: the College Infrastructure Project, the Milne Library Renovation, and the Sturges Hall Renovation. All of these projects will eventually provide much-needed changes to areas of campus that have gone relatively unchanged for decades.