THE SLATE

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 MARCH 2019

Champions! Women’s Basketball Win

Their First Ever
Postseason Championship
 THE SLATE
Team
Kevin Horton Faculty Advisor
Amanda Hinds Editor In Chief
Joy Ahmed Layout Editor
Robbie Callaghan Managing Editor

Writers
Mateo Alarcon
Brandon Alberto
Francisco Caldas
Jean Daniel Kehyayan
Erick Merz
Philmore Parkes
Jared Smith

New York Institute of Technology Editor In Chief:

Old Westbury, NY 11568 Amanda Hinds
Contact Us: ahinds01@nyit.edu
slate@nyit.edu (516) 686-7646 Faculty Advisor:
Kevin Horton
khorton@nyit.edu
Copyright © 2019 The Campus Slate.
All Campus Slate articles, photographs, and graphics
are the property of The Campus Slate unless where
credit is given and may not be reproduced without
expressed written consent.

2 APRIL 2019 | THE SLATE

THE SLATE MARCH 2019
VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

All-tourney selection Ketsia Athias

cuts off a piece of the net during
the ECC championship celebration.

Gordon Schmidt Hired as Dean

5 11 Amazon Breaks Up with New York
of School of Health Professions

6 International Students Guide on the OPT 13 The World’s Largest, Most Elaborate Fan Club

Python and Blockchain Applications in Business: NYIT to Discontinue Volleyball,

7 15
SOM’s Two Newest Courses Men’s & Women’s Tennis

Solange: When I Get Home Album Review Moises Robles & Dean Fazah Toss Combined
9 16
No-Hitter in Opening Weekend

Women’s Basketball Captures First Ever

10 MLB Offseason Review 17
ECC Postseason Title

COVER PHOTO - ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE 3

THIS PAGE - ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS
 Letter from The Campus Slate Team
The Fall 2019 Semester is in full swing! Before you realize, the class of 2019 will be
walking at graduation, accepting their diplomas and it’ll be time to start going to the
beach and spend all the time outdoors! Until then, our team is looking forward to
delivering you content throughout the semester, printing a total of four issues including
a special graduation issue to cap it off! We appreciate your readership to The Slate and
are working hard to continue the great tradition of the student-run publication here
on the Long Island Campus, giving you the latest on news, sports, events and culture
around NYIT and the world! Make sure you give our Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
accounts a follow @nyitcampusslate!
The Slate is also recruiting. If you have an interest in writing, photography, and
illustration, contact slate@nyit.edu or our faculty advisor Kevin Horton at khorton@
nyit.edu!

Best,

THE SLATE
4 MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE NYIT.EDU
 Gordon Schmidt
Hired as Dean
of School of
Health Professions
BY Mateo Alarcon
Gordon Schmidt has been the interim dean of the school
for the last six months. Dean Schmidt news position is to
provide “leadership, guidance, and continuity in matters
dealing with accreditation and compliance with national
standards; curriculum oversight; faculty mentorship including
new faculty development; and administration of operations
including enrollment, retention, and budget; strategic
planning; and thought leadership. Undergraduate and/or
graduate programs in the School include Clinical Nutrition,
Health & Wellness, Health Sciences, Nursing, Occupational
Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies.”
He will also be continuing the development of the eSports-
NYIT
related degree programs. Applying exercise and
wellness as an integral part of our campus life.
Coming from William Paterson University,
where he was chairman, graduate program
director and professor in the Kinesiology
department for 16 years definitely shows his
qualifications for another position in higher
education. As a teacher and researcher in
muscular capacity, body composition, metabolic
diseases, and coronary risk analysis. He was
capable to a develop a novel undergraduate
curriculum and programming in Singapore
with a research emphasis on physical health,
intergenerational family dynamics as they
relate to bone mineral density, and nutritional
behaviors.
Dean Schmidt is a Fellow of the American
College of Sports Medicine and certified as
a Health Fitness Director. He received his
undergraduate training at McGill University
and completed his M.S. and Ph.D. in exercise
physiology and anatomy at Indiana University.
He has published 38 refereed journal papers, 44
conference papers, 26 occasional papers, 5 books
and book chapters, and received 14 research
funded grants.
MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE 5
 International
Students Guide
on the OPT
BY Jean Daniel Kehyayan
Are you an international student that wants
to find work in the United States after you
graduate? If your answer for this question is yes,
you are on the right place. This article will guide
you through all the process of applying for your
Optional Practical Training (OPT) and prepare
you so that you can take the best decisions when
the time comes.
For those of you that don’t know, the OPT
is an employment benefit for F-1 students
who have maintained their status. There are
3 types of OPT: The Pre-Completion OPT;
Post-Completion OPT; and 24 Month STEM
Extension. In this article, we’ll be talking about
the Post-Completion OPT only, as it is the most
common. When applying for the OPT, you are
not required to have a job, as you are only asking
for the card that will give you work authorization
for one year upon graduating. Also, when
working under the OPT, your job must be related
to your field of study.
To be eligible, you must have completed at
least one academic year, have a passing GPA
6 MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE
(3.0 or higher) and applied for graduation for the current
semester. If you are not sure that you will get the required
grade to graduate, it is advised to hold off on applying. That is
so because at the moment you apply, your record as a student
ends. You can apply up to 90 days prior to the end of classes,
and the processing time usually takes between 75-90 days.
When you apply, you also must enter the date that you will
be allowed to start working. This year, the earliest possible
start date is May 19, 2019 and the latest possible start date is
July 17, 2019. You are not allowed to leave the country during
this period. And from the date you have picked, you are only
allowed to be unemployed for a total of 3 months. For example,
imagine you picked May 19 as your start date. If you do not
have a job until August 17, 2019 (that is 90 days after the day
you picked), you will be required to leave the U.S., as your visa
will be expired. But also, if you have picked a late date, such
as July 17 for example, and you get a job offer for early June,
you will be forced to tell your employer that you will only be
allowed to start working at July 17, and this can cost the job.
With that said, there are many things to think about, such
as the date in which you are applying, how long it may take
to get your card and how much of a waiting period you may
have to get a job. There is no right answer regarding the date
that you should pick. It all depends on each person’s individual
circumstances.
There are also many things to consider when filling the
application, as there are many details that if not taken care of
correctly, may cause your application to be denied. For more
information about filling your application or about the OPT
in general, go to the Office of International Education, that is
located on the third floor at the SAC. Everything related to the
OPT must be done there.
NYIT.EDU
Python and Blockchain
Applications in
Business: SOM’s Two
Newest Courses
BY Francisco Caldas
The Dean of the NYIT School of Management, Jess
Boronico, has announced the launch of two new courses
available for students to enroll in.
Python and Blockchain Applications in Business are the
newest classes to be available to SOM students. In efforts to
promote these new subjects, Boronico has offered a $1,000
scholarship to the first five students that sign up for the
courses.
The move by NYIT to introduce these two subjects is a
great decision because these are very competitive skills to
have in the job market. Python is a general-purpose language,
which means it can be used to build just about
anything, which will be made easy with the right
tools and teaching. Professionally, Python is great
for backend web development, data analysis,
artificial intelligence, and scientific computing.
On the other hand, Blockchain is a quickly
emerging technology that is taking over several
different markets and sectors. Blockchain is
the technology the underpins digital currency
like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum. The tech
allows digital information to be distributed, but
not copied. Each individual piece of data can
only have one owner. A block is record of a new
transaction and when a block is completed, it’s
added to the chain.
Both of these courses will be running as a
Cycle D class, meaning it will only start in the
middle of the semester, but they still account for
3 credits each. If you’re a student that still has
business elective credits to complete make sure to
consider signing up for these classes as it will give
you a competitive edge when searching for a job.
Contact jboronic@nyit.edu for more
information and to enroll!
MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE 7
8 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE COURTESY NEWSDAY
Solange:
When I Get Home
Album Review
Solange’s fourth studio album, When I Get Home, is
finally here. The album was released on March 1st and
features nineteen songs, totaling thirty-nine minutes.
The LP features artists Gucci Mane, Playboi Carti,
Sampha, Standing on the Corner, and The Dream, with
additional vocals from Cassie, Devin The Dude and
Scarface. Producers Pharrell Williams, Panda Bear,
Metro Boomin, Tyler The Creator, Devonte Hynes and
Steve Lacy all produced the rhythm and blues album.
When I Get Home is sultry, exploratory, jazzy and has
a smooth southern flare from Solange’s Houston roots.
On “Almeda” is an unlikely trio. This is the first time
singer, producer and songwriter The Dream, Solange,
and Playboi Carti have ever worked together. Solange
sings about her heritage and upbringing in Texas. She
proudly sings about having black skin, blackberries,
black braids, brown sugar and black molasses. Playboi
Carti raps about diamonds shining in the dark and being
a young man. “My Skin My Logo” is jazzy and features
Gucci Mane. The two sing about what each other like.
Solo’s love for her Houston roots is deep. “Way To
the Show” she sings about candy paint, which is a type
of paint associated with the flashy slab (slab meaning
SAINT RECORDS
BY Amanda Hinds
“slow, loud and banging”) scene which originated with
the black community in Houston. Additional vocals can
be heard by singer Cassie. On “Beltway” she asks, “don’t
you love me?” It is unclear the significance of the title of
the song, but many have guessed it’s a road around the
city of Houston.
The acoustics on “Time (Is)” are beautiful. Solo
teamed up with Sampha to deliver a sensual song about
love. The two sing about love without restraint and fear.
A theme similar in “Jerrod”. “Dreams” is a song about
pursuing your dreams and being patient. Solange turns
it up a notch on “Stay Flo” and “Binz”. The singer talks
about having a good time with drinks and dancing.
The album also features several interludes. She
concludes with “I’m a Witness”, a song in which she
sings about not stopping until she gets it right. My
personal favorites are “Almeda”, “Way To The Show”,
“My Skin My Logo”, “Jerrod”, “Stay Flo” and “Binz”.
Solange is not just “Beyonce’s sister”, she has certainly
made a name for herself. Her style, her voice, her music
and her creativity are far from mainstream rhythm and
blues. It’s acoustic, groovy, calming and has its own
mystique. I love the album. Congratulations Solange!
MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE 9
 MLB Offseason
Erick Merz
Review
BY
The Two Biggest Offseason Aquisitions: Manny Machado & Bryce Harper. Machado signed a 10-year $300 million deal with the San Diego
Padres, and Bryce Harper signed a 13-year $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
It was a long, cold offseason, but Spring Training
is completed and baseball is here! With the dust
from hot stove settling, you’ll find some familiar
faces in new places. Several big name players
have found new homes and there are still all-star
players on the market up for grabs.
Of course, the biggest two of the offseason
were Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. Some
interested teams were forced to walk away when
the two players named their terms. Machado
ended up signing the largest contract first with
a 10-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego
Padres. Bryce Harper then signed a record-
breaking contract with the Philadelphia Phillies
for 13 years and $330 Million. Harper’s deal was
the biggest in Major League Baseball history until
the Los Angeles Angels extended Mike Trout’s
contract and signed him for 12 years and $430
million.
For New York’s offseasons, the Yankees biggest
additions were signing Adam Ottavino to replace
David Robertson, and trading top pitching
prospect Justus Sheffield for Seattle Mariners ace
James Paxton to strengthen the rotation. They
also added Troy Tulowitzki and DJ LeMahieu to
10 MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE
fill in for an injured Didi Gregorius and resigned pitchers C.C.
Sabathia, Zack Britton and J.A. Happ.
The Mets hired new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen
in late October, and he has already made his mark. In efforts to
compete with a tough NL East, especially when the Nationals,
Phillies and Braves all made some big moves themselves, they
traded for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz for Jay Bruce,
Anthony Swarzak and prospects Gerson Bautista, Jarred
Kelenic and Justin Dunn. They also signed former closer
Jeurys Familia, among others in Wilson Ramos, Jed Lowrie and
Justin Wilson.
The Phillies easily won the offseason. They landed the
biggest fish in the pond. It was even reported Citizens
Bank Park Majestic team stores sold out of all of Harper’s
merchandise within 24 hours after the news broke. The team’s
ticket office sold over 100,000 tickets after the announcement.
In addition to Harper, the Phillies acquired star players
J.T. Realmuto, David Robertson, Jean Segura and Andrew
McCutchen. They should be the favorites in what can be
considered the best division in the MLB.
The start of the season is here, and warm weather is around
the corner, but the wait for top players to sign isn’t over yet. A
couple names still on the board in Dallas Keuchel and Craig
Kimbrel, who will both surely get contracts from a team at one
point this season.
JOE CAMPOREALE/USA TODAY SPORTS; KIM KLEMENT/USA TODAY SPORTS
 Amazon Breaks Up critics, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-
Cortez, called the companies change in decision

with New York

a victory.
“Amazon’s decision to not come was a defeat
for Amazon’s corporate greed,” Cortez said. “It’s
worker exploitation and the power of the richest
BY Philmore Parkes man in the world.”

After almost two months of backlash from politicians,

activists and residents about the details of the deal, Amazon
once planned a partnership with New York City to create its
second headquarters. Those plans have been canceled.

Citizens rallied in Long Island City in celebration after Amazon

backed out of the deal.

Governor Andrew Cuomo, one of the main

supporters of the project, said Amazon’s removal
is“the greatest tragedy” that he has seen since
being in government He supports the political
debate regarding the project is ignorant. This
is due to the opposition of the project being
centered around the tax subsidies which some
Last year, Amazon launched a competition between twenty seemed to misunderstand.
cities to be the site of the companies second headquarters. New York was not offering Amazon $3 billion
In November, the company split the decision choosing two in cash, they were offering to lower future taxes,
winners for the competition. saving the company money. Although some
It was a duo between New York City and Northern see Amazon’s departure as a victory, there is no
Virginia, but on Valentine’s Day this year, Amazon abandoned objective answer yet to whether or not Amazons
the New York City destination, and all of its focus and withdrawal from New York was a good thing or a
attention would be set in Northern Virginia, the metropolitan bad thing.
area where the CEO of the company resides.
Amazon promised 25,000 jobs in New York and planned
to physically renew Long Island City’s neighborhood. It was
believed that the company’s withdrawal came when strong
political opposition from a number of elected officials and
activists when they found out about the $3 billion tax-
incentive package the company was set to receive from the
state and local government if the plan went through.
New Yorkers argued against the project because they
envisioned this will lead to gentrification and the rising of in
housing costs that unfairly harm low-income and minority
communities in the surrounding area.
Some say they always thought it was a bad deal and
celebrated Amazons change in plans. One of the well known

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM: DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES; SHANNON STAPLETON/REUTERS MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE 11
BACKGROUND PHOTO COURTESY GQ; 6LACK DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 12

The World’s Largest,
Most Elaborate
Fan Club
BY Jared Smith
Albin Johnson and Tom Crews, two residents of South
Carolina, made their own GeoCities page in 1997 to showcase
custom armor. Their “kits” were replications of the armor
worn by the Stormtroopers from Star Wars. Being as though
the original movies were going to be re-released on DVD,
the two fans wanted to undergo their own costume-oriented
nostalgia trip and showcase it to whoever was interested.
Johnson and Crews lucked out, because not only did this
small webpage peak some interest, it was enough to inspire
fans overseas to send in pics of their Stormtrooper armor.
Sure enough, this formed a group. The two fans needed a
menacing but original name, so they thought of the “501st
Legion” and the name stuck.
Fast forward to over twenty years later and we now
find that the Legion is comprised of over 13,000 members
worldwide in over 60 countries. It’s not just Stormtroopers
either; any recognizable “bad guy” that has ever appeared
in Star Wars, movies or otherwise, are part of the Legion’s
vast database of characters to choose from. There’s one
common goal of the 501st, however; be the bad guys but do
good. Members participate in charity events, visit sick kids
in the hospital, appear at Star Wars promotional events and
MARILÓ MEDINA
even partake in concerts from major pop acts
including No Doubt and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
My conclusion is that when the Empire
proclaimed they would conquer the galaxy, they
did not specify that this would involve very non-
evil actions and contribute to great causes.
My utmost opinion is that the 501st Legion
presents an array of opportunities, or just “good
times” in general if you were to join. First off, it’s
definitely a great bonding experience for a Star
Wars fan. As soon as you enlist in your nearest
garrison (501st terminology for a chapter), you
make instant friends with hundreds of like-
minded Star Wars enthusiasts, all of which are
unique in their own ways. When a member
“troops” and helps raise money for charity, they
could potentially save lives just by dressing up as
a Jawa for a couple of hours. This is something
I fancy as well. Bringing characters to life,
becoming someone else. It’s not only great for the
individual, but also everyone around you.
When the Empire
proclaimed they
would conquer the
galaxy, they did not
specify that this
would involve very
non-evil actions and
contribute to great
causes.
By simply cosplaying as a Star Wars character,
you end up putting smiles on the faces of so
many kids, ranging anywhere from five-year-olds
to kids at heart. There’s something about screen-
accurate costumes that just makes people’s day,
and that surely makes my own. Not to mention,
the 501st experience really is celebrity-like. While
I generally disdain the obnoxiousness of celebrity
culture, this kind of experience is nothing more
than just plain fun. When you’re a Star Wars
villain, face obscured, you draw in massive
crowds and everyone wants your photo. Once the
costume is off, you’re back to being an average
joe. And I, for one, would definitely prefer being
a celebrity for a few hours instead of a lifetime.
MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE 13
 SLATE

15 - NYIT to Discontinue Volleyball, Men’s SPORTS

& Women’s Tennis

16 - Moises Robles & Dean Fazah Toss

Combined No-Hitter in Opening Weekend

17 - Women’s Basketball Captures First

Ever ECC Postseason Title

14 MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS

NYIT to Discontinue Volleyball,
Men’s & Women’s Tennis
BY Robbie
Athletic Director Dan Vélez was forced to make the
toughest decision during his tenure at NYIT. He called
in student-athletes from the men’s and women’s tennis
teams as well as volleyball for a mandatory meeting
to deliver the news that their programs are being
discontinued after the Spring 2019 semester.
“A lot of people were mad,” Jean Kehyayan of
men’s tennis said. “It choked me up to to hear that
the programs were being shut down. Tennis has
always been a sport with a lot of tradition and
great performance over the past years, it was very
disappointing. Everyone on the team works very hard
and loves this sport, making me feel very bad for them.
It must be especially difficult for the new guys and
girls, the ones who are international and only around
18 years old.”
The two programs have had consistent success,
especially in recent years.
LEFT & RIGHT: ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS, CENTER: OWEN KASSIMIR
Callaghan
Velez stated there are no plans to eliminate any other
varsity programs and added that the overall athletic
budget is not being diminished. The resources will
be redirected to NYIT’s 14 remaining varsity sports
programs to maximize their ability to compete and also
to the recreation and club programs. Affected student-
athletes will have their athletic scholarships honored
through the remainder of their four-year undergraduate
studies if they choose to remain at NYIT, according to
NYITBears.com.
“This was not an easy decision, and I am mindful of
the commitment and sacrifice that all NYIT student-
athletes make on a consistent basis, but I truly believe
this strategic decision will enable our student-athletes
to compete at the highest level.”
MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE 15
 Moises Robles
Moises Robles & Dean Fazah
Toss Combined No-Hitter in
Opening Weekend
BY Robbie
The NYIT Baseball team is well underway into their
2019 season. With former 14-year MLB veteran Frank
Catalanotto at the helm, the Bears were gearing to turn
the page on the last few seasons that have resulted in a
lot of losing.
In their opening weekend down at Myrtle Beach in
South Carolina, NYIT not only swept the competition,
but got off to its best start in franchise history (4-0).
To put the cherry on top, in the third game of the
four, two new freshmen in Moises Robles and Dean
Fazah shut down Franklin Pierce for a no-hitter.
“It was a little nerve-wracking,” said Fazah who
inherited the bases loaded and one out from Robles
with a 4-2 lead in the sixth after two walks and an error.
Fazah struck out a pair of batters looking with breaking
balls to strand all three. “It was my first time pitching
16 MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE
Dean Fazah
Callaghan
against competition like this. I just wanted to pound the
strike zone, especially with my offspeed. It was a recipe
for success.” The first inning included an error by left
fielder Joseph Pesce on a missed line drive as well as
two walks, two wild pitches and a balk, but from there
NYIT cruised to a 7-2 victory.
The funny part: “the scoreboard only displayed the
teams’ run totals, inning and count, no one on NYIT
knew it was a no-hitter until Catalanotto informed
them after the game,” according to Adam Rubin.
Fazah earned the NCBWA East Region Pitcher of
Week as well the East Coast Conference Co-Pitcher of
the Week honors with Robles.
The best start in team history resulted in its first-ever
appearance in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers
East Region poll for Division II at No. 5.
ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS
 Women’s Basketball
Captures First Ever ECC
Postseason Title BY Robbie
For the first time in program history, the NYIT
women’s basketball team has earned an East Coast
Conference Postseason championship.
The Bears ended the final Battle of the Boulevard
with an 80-60 victory over LIU Post to secure an
automatic NCAA Tournament bid. With LIU Brooklyn
and LIU Post campuses merging next season, LIU
Women’s Basketball will transition over to the Division
I Northeast Conference and be on the Brooklyn
Campus only, concluding the thirty-year-old rivalry.
Meg Knollmeyer was named the tournament MVP,
while Shalie Frierson and Ketsia Athias joined her on
the all-tournament team, according to NYITBears.com.
ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS
Callaghan
After a year full of injuries, including multiple games
where NYIT only suited up six players, the Bears still
managed to scratch out win after win to make another
NCAA tournament. Led by third year head coach
Kenny Parham, the Bears have clinched two NCAA
Tournament appearances in three seasons.
“I am so proud of these young ladies and their
dedication to the team and each other,” Parham said.
“Our chemistry has been awesome all year, which
helped us through all of the adversity with the injuries.
They played for each other every day. And, as a result,
they are the first women’s basketball team in NYIT
history to win a conference tournament. I’m very happy
that all of their hard work has paid off.”
MARCH 2019 | THE SLATE 17
PHOTOGRAPH BY JARED SMITH DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 18
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