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May 2024 Volume 121 #5
The Ofcial
Newspaper of
Alfred University
FIAT LUX
NEWS
Supporting Access to Free Press
3
Alfred observes
sexual assault
awareness month
9
A night of
inspiration:
Hornell’s Sports
Night empowers
Special Olympics
4
The history of Hot
Dog Day
7
Understanding
Haiti
12
What has salt beef
done? A history
2NEWS
Editor-in-Chief:
Alyra Rain
Managing Editor:
Samantha Sage
Copy Editors:
Ashton Julian
Abby Sexsmith
F r i e n d H o l l e y
Staff Photographer:
Jason Crocker
Layout Designers:
Yelyzaveta Shevchuk
Jo Sage
Staff Writers:
Claire Squicciarini
Sophia Carter
Reagan Rought
Isis Hamilton
Cameron Begue
Jack TenEyck-Johnson
Noémie Polverini
KJ Allison
Staff Illustrators:
Franmy Mateo-Tapia
Ali Fuller
Our Staff
Positions for staff writers,
photographers, editors, and more
are available.
Email us at au atlux@gmail.com
with questions or come to our
weekly meetings on Thursdays at
6 p.m. in the Prunty-Russo Media
Lab, Powell Campus Center to get
involved.
Membership
Submissions
For those interested in submitting
Letters to the Editor, questions for our
upcoming satirical answer column, or
guest articles are encouraged to reach
out to us at:
Instagram: @FiatLuxNews
Mail: 2227 Powell Campus Center,
Alfred, NY 14802
Outlook Email: FiatLux@alfred.edu
Gmail: AuFiatLux@gmail.com
Letters from the Editor-in-Chief
to the Editor-in-Chief
Rain,
The rst rule of the
Fiat Lux News is to
take names, and take
no shit. We’ve weath-
ered some weird
storms together, but
I’m sure you’ll navi-
gate rougher seas
with ease! You will do
incredible things with
the time you have left
at Alfred University.
Take a breath, kick
ass, and you’ll
already be doing
what I did!
I’ve come to think
of you as my younger
sibling, so don’t ex-
pect to be left in the
lurch when it comes
to the FLN, Alfred, or
anything else. I won’t
cryptically send
letters to the editor
once I graduate (...
maybe), but I’ll still be
around to help out
or be an ear to your
grievances.
I bow down to your
English major, and I
can only hope that
you’ll bring the FLN to
newer heights that I
hadn’t even thought
about! Or burn it to
the ground, honestly
either works.
All of the best, and
until we meet again,
Samantha Sage,
former Editor-in-Chief
(2022-2024)
Samantha Sage, Managing Editor
At my rst Fiat
Lux meeting, my rst
thought upon seeing
Sam Sage was, “wow,
that person seems
really cool.” My
second thought
was, “wow, they re-
ally have it together!”
Despite what Sam
may say, I think both
of my rst impressions
were 100% correct–
they are really, really
cool, and, though
they claim otherwise,
they’ve run the paper
with complete
success and
impressive
organization for the
last two years. I know
I could never make
a Google Drive that
neat!
All jokes aside, Sam
has contributed an
incredible amount
of time, effort,
dedication, and
talent to the Fiat Lux
News. Their articles
are always on point,
they never forget to
send a pre-meeting
reminder email, and
they’ve handled the
occasional angry
administrator with
poise and
professionalism.
They make the
daunting job of
Editor-in-Chief look
easy, and though I
know now that it isn’t,
their example still
assures me that it
can be done.
As Sam has taken
me under their wing,
they’ve taught me so
much about
leadership, teamwork,
journalism, and Micro-
soft Outlook. While I’m
never
going to feel ready
to ll their shoes as
Editor-in-Chief, their
guidance has been
invaluable in making
me as ready as I’ll
ever be. I’m so
grateful to them not
only for their
newspaper skills, but
their kindness, caring,
and mentorship as
well. Sam, I couldn’t
do this without having
learned from you. The
entire Fiat Lux News
team loves you, and
we congratulate
you on both
your impending
graduation and your
successful tenure as
Editor-in-Chief.
Sam isn’t the only
graduating senior
we at the Fiat Lux will
miss. To Jo, our
wonderful layout
designer and
occasional writer,
and Ash, staff editor
and puzzle maker
extraordinaire,
we also extend
congratulations and
well wishes. You’ve
both contributed so
much to the paper,
and it’s been a
pleasure to be your
friends. We wish all of
our seniors truly
dazzling amounts of
post-graduation
success in every
conceivable
endeavor.
– Alyra Rain,
incoming
Editor-in-Chief
Alyra Rain, Editor-in-Chief
3 - Mediahub.alfred.edu/ atlux
Wolfbat Wearable Sculpture Workshop
April is Sexual Assault Aware-
ness and Prevention Month. This
is not just a highlighted month
within the year, but it is a
recognition of a movement
stemming from as far back as
the 40s and even earlier. Efforts
can be traced back to so many
individuals, especially women
of color. Rosa Parks, who many
know from refusing her seat to
a white man, also worked to
advocate for race and gender
violence. This was highlighted by
Kimberle Crenshaw, who
rst coined the term
“intersectionality.”
The Rape Crisis Center, the rst
of its kind, was created in 1971 in
San Francisco. In the years and
decades later, survivors and
advocates called for legislation
and funding to support
survivors; this can be shown by
the Violence Against Women
Act of 1993. This act, while
necessary, showed how many
further efforts needed to be
made. Change could no longer
be asked for, but demanded.
This month wasn’t
nationally observed until 2001,
but the movement has been
ongoing and strong. In an
effort for more talks and action
surrounding prevention in 2001,
the National Sexual Violence
Resource Center and Resource
Sharing Project, along with other
coalitions determined the
symbol, color, and month
designated for Sexual Assault
Awareness and Prevention. The
symbol became a teal ribbon.
It is so important to highlight
not just this month, but the fact
that this is not just a month for
so many survivors– it is a lifetime.
What should be noted is that
anyone, no matter their race,
gender, sexuality, or religion, can
fall victim to this cruel act. Over
half of women, and almost 1 in 3
men, have experienced sexual
violence involving physical
contact during their lifetimes
according to the Center for
Disease Control.
This affects millions of people,
but the numbers cannot be
calculated accurately due to
unreported cases. This can be
due to many factors such as
shame, embarrassment, safety
concerns and many other
reasons. It is important to
understand that survivors need
to be given the space to share
their stories if they want, but to
also keep them private. Not
every survivor wants to tell their
story, nor should they be forced
to. It should be noted that
women and racial and ethnic
minorities experience a higher
level of sexual violence.
Assault can lead to a lot of
consequences for survivors, such
as pregnancy, transmitted
diseases, depression, anxiety
and many more lifetime effects.
This is a reality so many people
suffer through, and this is why
this month is so important to talk
about. The rst step to learning
is to have conversations about
hard topics. Some possible
solutions proposed by the CDC
are promoting social norms that
protect against violence,
creating a protective
environment like improving
safety measures in workplaces,
schools, homes as well as
supporting survivors. It is
important to not blame a
survivor; it is and will never be
their fault. Blaming a survivor will
only increase the stigma
surrounding sexual violence.
With this being said, in
awareness of this month, Alfred
is hosting an event to honor and
support survivors, with the help
of the Wellness Center, Judson
Leadership Center, Institute for
Cultural Unity, and the Alfred
University Libraries. This is an
opportunity to learn more, ask
questions and learn about
support systems around campus
and within the area. More
importantly this is an event to
make your voice heard whether
you are a survivor, advocate
and or supporter if you want
change on this campus this is the
time to make it.
This event takes place on
Thursday, April 18th, from 2:00pm
to 6:00pm. It is located at the
Powell Campus Center Knight
Club, and all are welcome to
join.
NEWS
Alfred observes sexual assault awareness month
Sophia Carter,
Staff Writer
Jack Ten-Eyck Johnson, Staff Writer
Students and faculty have
been busy with artist Dennis
McNett in his two-week
wearable-sculpture workshop.
McNett has been instructing on
how to design and create full
head coverings, all leading up to
a procession of the artist’s
costumes and twelve-foot tall
puppets during Hot Dog Day.
4NEWS
If you look up Hot Dog Day
online, the rst thing that comes
up is a Wikipedia page on Hot
Dog Days. The rst event on the
list of notable Hot Dog Days is
the small town of Alfred NY’s
festival. Not only do Hot Dog
Days warrant a Wiki page, but
Alfred is winning in it.
Hot Dog Day is something
many people in the area look
forward to each year. From
the legendary hot dog stands,
music, parties, and countless
activities, it has become one of
the dening events of the Alfred
community. But how did it get
its start? And what is the deal
with the hot dogs?
In the spirit of the coming
Alfred holiday, I sat down with
school archivist Laurie
Lounsberry Meehan to get the
facts. She, being the person
most knowledgeable in Alfred
history, and having lived in
Alfred for many years, had a lot
to share on the topic. Hot Dog
Day was rst started in 1972 by
students Eric Vaughn and Mark
O’Meara, along with other AU
and Alfred State students. They
went to the Student Senate
and requested $750 ($5,568.05
in today’s money) for startup
funds to host a charity event on
that Parent’s Weekend, April 29,
1972. The plan was for a
carnival, sales, and lots of fun
activities in order to raise money
for local charities. Their plan
for the theme of the event
changed when their order for
2,500 hot dogs (hot dogs
being the perfect college food:
cheap and pre-cooked) got
mistakenly changed into 5,000.
In a hurry, the students rushed
to buy 2,500 more hotdog buns
from around the area, rushing
through the surrounding towns’
grocery stores. They were
successful though, and with
their hope to sell all of the hot
dogs, Hot Dog Day was born.
The rst Hot Dog Day was
very successful. It was described
as afliates from both institutions
(AU and A State) being present,
“all imbued with the spirit of
the occasion and the benign
weather of an early spring day.”
Present students, staff, and
townspeople set out to have
a good day. An article from
the Alfred Reporter released in
June 1972 described the scene:
“Main Street was closed to
trafc during the afternoon, and
the downtown section became
the setting for a gala block
party. Among the midway type
attractions were a penny
carnival, a pie eating contest,
a Lions club auction, student
sponsored rummage sale,
kissing booth, palm reader, and
at the center of it all, a stand
dispensing hot dogs and Coke.”
As was said in a Fiat Lux article
by the Hot Dog Day founders
from the same year, the rst Hot
Dog Day raked in $4200 (about
$30,989.27 today!), an insane
prot. In the article they thank
everyone who helped, saying
“You gave Alfred something it
won’t soon forget, a party.”
Through the years, many
events have come and gone,
including mud olympics and
the Delta 500 (an unofcial
race held by a frat house where
students raced anything with
wheels). However, Hot Dog Day
has only grown throughout the
years, especially after Alfred
stopped hosting the St.
Patrick’s Day celebration.
Today, the event includes
weiner dog races and the
Oscar Meyer Wienermobile
even drove in the parade one
year.
The event is a great way to
welcome spring with the
community. This year, it is going
to be on Saturday, April 20th.
This year can be expected
to have the vendor fair, a 5K,
weiner dog race, parade, ice
cream social, live music
(including the AU jazz band
performing at the Terracotta at
1pm!), zip line, dunk tank,
carnival, and a Paint and
Powder Party. Honoring
tradition, all proceeds will be
beneting local charities.
So come check out Hot Dog
Day! Have fun, make good
choices, and help the
community welcome spring
and celebrate the end of the
semester. This will be the 52nd
Hot Dog Day, and may there be
52 more.
For more information on this
history and the full interview of
Laurie Meehan, tune in to the
King Alfred’s Diary podcast on
Spotify and Amazon Music for
the newest episode, “Hot Dog
Day History.”
Abby Sexsmith,
Staff Writer
The history of Hot Dog Day
The death of Saltanat
Nukenova, the wife of
Kazakhstan’s former Minister
of National Economy, not only
shocked the public with its
brutality, but also highlighted
deep-rooted problems of
gender-based violence,
particularly in the context of
Muslim societies. The case has
drawn considerable attention to
women’s rights and their
protection from domestic
violence.
Saltanat Nukenova died
at the hands of her husband,
Kuandyk Bishimbayev, in
November 2023, during an
argument in a restaurant where
he severely beat her. The
incident was recorded by video
surveillance cameras, which
allowed the investigation to
bring charges. However, the
case received publicity not only
because of its brutality, but also
because of the attempts of the
Kazakh state to hide the truth
and “get” the inuential man
out of prison. The trial was
covered in the media and on
various platforms, including
TikTok, where users actively
discussed the details and
expressed their outrage over the
circumstances of the case. The
defendant pleaded not guilty
and asked for a jury trial, where
he has openly lied so far.
Bishimbayev beat her
throughout the night. The rst
time was in the bathroom of his
cousin’s restaurant. The accused
claims that in the bathroom,
Nukenova accidentally injured
herself, and he gave her only
two slaps. The second beating
of Nukenova took place around
07:00 in the morning in the lobby
of the restaurant, as evidenced
by video surveillance footage.
The defendant did not deny
the beating, and stated that he
tried to hit not important organs.
After that, Bishimbayev dragged
Nukenova by her hair to the VIP
cabin of the restaurant, where
there are no video surveillance
cameras. What happened there
is unknown. Saltanat did not
come out of there alive.
Bishimbayev claims that she fell
asleep in the booth and did not
wake up.
Saltanat tried to leave
Bishimbayev several times. A
couple of months before the
murder, the defendant even
rented an apartment. During the
trial, it became known that she
was afraid to leave her
husband because he
blackmailed her with intimate
videos. Saltanat’s friend
testied in court that
Bishimbayev manipulated her
into making the video, promising
that after that they would break
up: “He said that he would not
let her go, like my family had
photos of beatings and like we
would blackmail him... And he
asked to make a video of me
naked so that he would also
have leverage on me, and that
he guaranteed that no one
would blackmail him.”
In the end, it was this video
that made Saltanat a hostage
of Bishimbayev - he allegedly
threatened to post the
recording on the Internet. “In
Kazakhstan, great attention is
paid to honor and dignity, to the
purity of a woman’s reputation.
If she is seen in intimate videos,
she will be subjected to pressure
and censure,” a human rights
activist explains.
The murder also sparked
public outcry and controversy
over the protection of women
from domestic violence in
Kazakhstan. Human rights
defenders and activists have
used the case to raise questions
about the need for stronger
legislation and assistance to
victims of gender-based
violence. In the context of
Middle Eastern countries, where
the Islamic religion is not always
interpreted correctly, and where
traditional attitudes about the
role of women are still strong,
cases of domestic violence
often go unnoticed or are not
sufciently prosecuted.
Here’s what an Alfred
University student who has
experienced the prejudices
associated with outdated
customs thinks about it:
“Unfortunately, there are a lot
of cases and fates similar to Sal-
tanat’s around the world,
especially in the places where
the religion is interpreted wrong.
It is heartbreaking to realize that
in this century, women are still
being told to dress a certain
way, talk, and behave in a
certain way. They are judged
based on every step and every
word.
Growing up in the area where
these cases still happen, I know
women are taught to dress
appropriately; be obedient; not
be in a relationship with men
until marriage, act normally in
public, not show their feelings,
and stay patient when they are
insulted by men. The concept
of reputation can sometimes be
more important than women’s
lives.
If a woman is in a bad
relationship with her husband, all
she is taught to do is tolerate it,
as getting divorced would bring
her reputation down. If a
woman is raped/sexually
assaulted, they say it is because
she was dressed inappropriately;
she was in the wrong place at
the wrong time.
They say control your
daughter, don’t let her be
where she is not supposed to be,
but they don’t say raise your son
well. They say if your husband
beats you up, it means he loves
you. If your boyfriend controls
your every step, it means he is
protective. Women are always
expected to be within a certain
frame that society created for
them. Some of them need to
study hard to be a doctor just
because their parents want
them to, and some are not
allowed to study because their
parents want them to get
married.I know of a woman
who was beaten up during
pregnancy, but avoided divorce
because of the fear of being
judged. I saw my classmate
being forced to get married at
the age of 17. I know of
teenage girls who committed
suicide because their families
found out they were dating.The
good thing is that it is getting
better. More and more people
are respecting women and
ghting for their rights, but the
fact that it is still happening is
very heartbreaking. Women
should not be the property of
men.”
NEWS5 - Mediahub.alfred.edu/atlux
Dr. Mauro gives Scholes lecture
Today’s symbol of the ght against gender-based violence
Alyra Rain,
Editor-in-Chief
On April 4th, Dr. John C.
Mauro gave the annual Samuel
R. Scholes Memorial Lecture in
glass science. Prior to the
lecture, Dean Gabrielle
Gaustad of the Inamori School
of Engineering memorialized
Dr. Scholes, whom the lecture
honors. Dr. Scholes essentially
created Alfred’s glass science
program, in addition to
founding the Scholes Library,
which was rst located in
h i s h o u s e o n M a i n S t r e e t .
Dean Gaustad also honored this
year’s Scholes Scholar award
recipient, glass engineering
student Elene Taniashvili.
Dr. Mauro, an Alfred alumnus
and current professor at Penn
State, began the lecture by
reviewing his education in glass
science, and thanked many
of his professors for their help
in shaping his career. He then
discussed the usefulness,
commonality, and beauty of
glass, with examples like
centuries-old stained glass
windows in Paris, and the glass
of Westminster Abbey (he did
not steal any windows from said
abbey, he claried, but simply
recreated its glass).
While the topic is very
technical, Dr. Mauro did not
bog down his lecture with
detailed information about
glass structure and physics. He
showed diagrams and discussed
mathematical principles, but the
presentation remained
accessible, and sometimes
humorous, to a general
audience. Overall, the lecture
was interesting for everyone in
attendance, no matter their
level of experience with glass
science. The annual Samuel R.
Scholes Memorial Lecture is a
prestigious Alfred tradition, and
Dr. Mauro’s presentation this
year was no exception to that
history of excellence.
Liza Shevchuk,
Layout Designer
6NEWS
Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is a modern
fashion phenomenon that has
had a huge impact on the
textile industry and consumer
culture in general. Companies
such as Zara, H&M, and Forever
21 have developed a business
model that allows them to
release new collections every
few weeks. This has led to
fashion trends changing at
an incredible rate and
consumers being able to
update their closets frequently.
According to research,
between 2000 and 2014, global
clothing production doubled,
and the number of clothing
purchases per person increased
by 60%. However, this pattern
has serious consequences for
both the environment and
society.Fast fashion is one
of the major polluters of the
environment. The industry
is the second largest
waterpolluter after petroleum
rening, contributing
signicantly to global pollution.
Industrial efuents
containing toxic dyes and
nishes are discharged directly
into rivers, damaging aquatic
ecosystems. The textile industry
consumes about 93 billion cubic
meters of water annually,
comparable to the water
consumption of countries like
France and Italy combined. The
production of a single cotton
T-shirt requires about 2,700 liters
of water, which is equal to the
amount of water the average
person consumes in three years.
The fast fashion industry also
contributes to carbon dioxide
emissions. Each year, the textile
industry emits more than 1.2
billion tons of carbon dioxide,
more than the total emissions
from the world's aviation and
maritime transport. This is
accompanied by the
production of approximately 92
million tons of waste per year,
comparable in weight to the
Great Pyramid at Giza. Much of
this waste is either incinerated
or sent to landlls, adding to air
and soil pollution problems.
In developed economies
like the United States, about
10.5 million tons of clothing is
thrown away each year, and
only about 15% of that amount
is recycled. The remaining 85%
becomes municipal waste,
putting signicant pressure on
recycling and landll systems.
This not only harms the
environment, but also leads to
inefcient use of resources.
But the most problematic
aspect of this situation is the
exploitation of labor in fast
fashion. This represents a serious
problem, especially in
emerging economies. Apparel
production often moves to
countries with low labor costs
such as Bangladesh, India,
Cambodia, and Vietnam. In
these countries, workers face
many challenges that include
inhumane working conditions,
low wages, and long hours of
work without adequate safety
or social security measures.
Many workers in the textile
industry are paid wages
that barely cover the
minimum necessities of life. In
Bangladesh, for example, the
minimum wage for a garment
factory worker is about $95 per
month, well below the cost of
living. These wages force many
workers to work overtime in an
attempt to earn enough to
support their families. Working
hours in fast fashion factories are
often irregular, and can be as
long as 14-16 hours a day, seven
days a week, especially
during peak periods of
production cycles. Working
conditions are often dangerous:
inadequate ventilation
equipment, poor lighting, and
lack of personal protective
equipment make the workplace
extremely unsafe. Examples of
this lack of safety include events
such as the collapse of the
Rana Plaza factory in
Bangladesh in 2013, which killed
more than 1,100 people and
was one of the biggest disasters
in the history of the textile
industry. Most workers in the fast
fashion industry have no social
protection, health insurance, or
compensation for workplace
injuries. Women, who make up
the majority of the workforce in
textile factories, are particularly
vulnerable in this regard. They
often face discrimination, sexual
harassment, and other forms of
rights violations.
Consumer awareness and
active participation in product
choice can have a signicant
impact on workers' working
conditions. Supporting brands
that provide fair working
conditions and are committed
to sustainable production
promotes positive practices
in the industry. This includes
choosing products from
companies with transparent
production chains and
supporting small businesses that
are committed to sustainability.
For example, Adidas and
Nike are actively adopting
technologies to recycle
materials and reduce waste,
and companies like Patagonia
and Levi's are promoting the
idea of repairing and reusing
clothing by offering exchange
and return programs to
recycle worn-out clothing.
These changes in the fashion
industry reect a growing
realization that sustainable
production and consumption of
clothing can not only
reduce the negative impact on
the planet, but also improve the
lives of millions of people
employed in the textile
industry, while supporting
economic development and
social justice around the world.
Liza Shevchuk,
Layout Designer
7 - Mediahub.alfred.edu/atlux OPINION
Lily Janik,
Staff Writer
Does the UN lack the power or will to respond to Israel?
Thirty years ago, when the
Rwandan genocide happened,
the world turned their backs.
Now, the world is failing Gaza as
well. Whether or not you
believe Israel has the right to
defend itself, the Geneva
Convention is being violated by
the Israeli Defense Forces, and
who is going to enforce
repercussions to these
violations? The International
Court of Justice is pursuing a
lawsuit against Israel, but the
results will take years to come
out. What will be left of Gaza
by then? The UN declared a
ceasere, but Israel is not
complying, and who is going to
enforce that ceasere?
The only thing we can do
is sanction Israel, but, even
though the United States
allowed this declaration of a
ceasere to be ratied, we are
still providing aid to Israel. The
UN’s peacekeeping force is not
heavily armed, and the UN can
never really agree on what to
do in these situations. This makes
the UN’s enforcement powers
limited, and shows that morale
to enforce humanitarian laws is
low. It has taken until just
recently, after nearly seven
months of collective punishment
on Palestinians, for the UN to
take a position on the war.
Even with that position,
nothing is being done. When
the UN was in Rwanda and the
conict started to escalate,
all foreign forces and citizens
evacuated, leaving 800,000
Tutsis to die in a matter of a
hundred days. Despite having
reports of these numbers and
clear understanding of the tar-
geting of these killings, Washing-
ton did not consider what was
happening to be a genocide
until after the fact.
Today, Israel is denying
Gaza aid, bringing hundreds of
thousands of people to
starvation. According to various
news sources, the IDF has killed
more than double the amount
of civilians than Hamas terrorists,
and are evidently targeting
hospitals, schools, places of
refuge and aid deliveries.
Despite the clear intent of these
actions, Washington again
turns their backs– hopefully not
for much longer. If you are
hesitant to use the word
genocide, consider what Israel
would do differently if Hamas
was in Israel amidst Isrealis.
There is plenty of
complexity when it comes to
understanding what’s going
on in Haiti, and the mainstream
media doesn’t always help us to
understand it. This is why I spoke
with a Haitian student on
campus, to understand her
family’s story, but also to see
how what I was hearing from
them compared to what I was
seeing on the news. I was
bafed to nd out that the
gangs overtaking Haiti are very
politically afliated, and, from
a young age, some members
were recruited by the
government and given
weapons and money to do
the government’s dirty work.
This was the only way that kids
could get off the street.
Weapons used by gangs are
also mainly being imported from
the United States, according to
The Guardian. There has long
been a political divide amongst
the gangs, but recently, they
have unied against the
government. They state that
they are tired of being used
with no benets, and they want
education, democracy, and
freedom. Many people in Haiti
acknowledge the gangs’
violent methodology is
harmful. However, Haiti has
known violence for many
years, so, in some of their eyes,
a little more violence to create
change, for better or worse, is
normal.
So what should be done?
Well, in Haiti, people just want to
be left alone. Jimmy
Chérizier, known as Barbecue,
is the leader of the now unied
gangs in Haiti. He has said that
he just wants fair elections,
corruption to go away, and
foreign inuence removed
from their politics. The people I
spoke with shared these views.
I think that we should respect
these wants– we are incredibly
responsible for Haiti’s current
state, and historical attempts to
inuence Haiti have not worked,
so why would it work now?
These attempts include the
United States and France
occupying Haiti, and the French
demanding reparations after
their occupation. They also
include, according to scholars,
the more recent allegations of
rigging elections for our own
interests, causing Haitians to
suffer. If we truly want what’s
best for Haiti, we can stop the
importation of guns to Haiti,
and provide humanitarian aid if
need be.
It’s also important to note
that when I interviewed this
student about her experience
in Haiti, she spoke about how
she loves her beautiful country.
She, and I think she can speak
for many Haitians when she says
this, wants to restore the peace
so people can truly enjoy Haiti’s
beauty.
Understanding Haiti
Lily Janik, Staff Writer
Cloudy with a chance of totality: A western New York experience
April 8th, 2024 found New
York in the path of totality
for the total solar eclipse.
Luckily for all of us, we didn’t
need eclipse glasses because
the eclipse was nearly
unseeable thanks to cloud
cover. The alumni-networking
event held at Braeburn Country
Club in Dansville was successful,
though, in terms of food
choices, alcohol, Canadian
geese, and corn hole.
All jokes aside, being within
the path of totality was a very
unique experience. At 3:21pm,
for those of us in New York, we
were at peak darkness.
Although it took a little over
an hour for this darkness to
encroach, the several
minutes before totality went by
in a snap. Students at
Braeburn Country Club
celebrated totality alongside
faculty and alumni, cheering as
the darkness overtook the golf
course.
Some, like Professor Paul
Buttereld, took full advantage
of the cloudy moment and
gazed at the changing
skyscape. Others, like Dr.
Michele Lowry, stood for the
show long enough to consider
an encore (without clouds) but
generally took a good-natured
approach to the experience.
Those of us in New York
who don’t want to travel
have likely experienced a
once-in-a-lifetime event.
Some of the lucky few know
what a total solar eclipse looks
like without cloud cover, but
I’m sure most of us are just
excited we didn’t have to
wear the glasses! Samantha Sage, Managing Editor
8
Opinion: Does “the buck stops here” apply at Alfred? No.
Johnny Molyneaux,
Staff Writer
OPINION
This article originally started
as a piece to cover the
University's Blue Light system, or
lack thereof, as an update to
the February 13, 2022 article.
However it was very difcult to
get any information from the
University, and I had to jump
through all kinds of hoops to
get the limited information that
I do have. This is, in my opinion,
not an isolated incident; it is
a symptom of a much larger
and underlying issue within the
University.
The story of the Blue Light
system starts in the 2021-2022
academic year, when the
University hired a third party to
evaluate risks on campus.
On the University side, this
evaluation was being
overseen by Tamara Kenney,
who at that time was the dean
of student wellbeing. In
February 13, 2022, Fiat Lux
wrote an article covering the
Blue Light system, in which they
dened the Blue Light system as
“a series of emergency alarm
stations placed across
campus to provide assistance
to anyone in distress. When
the alarm station is activated,
an ofcer or emergency team
member will be dispatched to
the location.”
For the risk assessment, the
members of the Student Senate
were interviewed to include
student perspective. Over a
month later, the members of
Student Senate asked Tamara
when we would be able
to read a copy of the
evaluation. She responded
with a comment about
not having received it yet. I
personally remember asking
several times, and I have an
email to her requesting an
update on February 15, 2022
stating “[we] had spoken with
him around late September,
early October.”
More than two years after
the fact, we still do not have a
Blue Light system. So, earlier this
semester, before the
midterm break, I reached out
to Amy DeKay, the VP of
Student Experience, who
said that the University had
just submitted a request for a
grant and gave me the name
of Scott Richardson, director
of Public Safety, who I could
reach out to for more
information.A couple of hours
later, I saw that the meeting I
had scheduled with Amy
DeKay for after the break was
canceled, so I went back to
try and reschedule a meeting.
Barbara Freeland, the secretary
for Public Safety, intercepted
me, and did not let me talk to
Emma McDowell,
executive assistant to Amy
Dekay, to reschedule a meet-
ing, insisting that I talk to Scott
Richardson, because he can
answer my questions.
I sent him an email asking
for a time to meet. After about
a month and a half with no
response, I sent him a follow
up email, and then followed
up in person. He came off as
dismissive, and told me that he
did not know what was going
on, and to reach out to Jaimie
Babcock, head of Facilities,
because this wasn't Public
Safety’s area, this was
Facilities’s area. At this point, I
was getting frustrated, and was
concerned that I would
continue to be bumped
around. I followed up with
Amy DeKay, expressing my
frustration. To her credit, she
showed an eagerness to
answer my questions, and
I sent her an email.
A couple of days later, I got
a response from Mark Danes,
vice president of Marketing
and Communications. Most
answers to my questions were
non-committal or initially did
not answer the question. Some
of the questions and responses
are as follows:
Who is heading the committee
for the installation of Blue Light
& other security systems on
campus? Who are the different
members of this committee?
There is not a standing
committee. Rather, the
university takes a collaborative
approach to determine the
best people to assign to an
issue for an expedient
resolution.
Who are the people,
or departments you have
identied as "the best people to
assign to an issue for an
expedient resolution?”
It can be a variety of peo-
ple depending on the project.
They can draw from several
departments depending on the
subject matter.
My reason for highlighting
this question specically is
because this is one of the
questions that I initially asked
Scott Richardson, which he
then tried to direct to Jaimie
Babcock. As a recap, I was
blocked from scheduling a
meeting with Amy, and the
meeting with Amy was then
canceled, because I was told
to meet with Scott instead.
So, I went to reschedule a
meeting with Amy, before
being blocked by Barbara
again, because she insisted
that Scott had the answers.
Then I waited a month and a
half to be told by Scott that he
didn't have the answers, that
there was a committee, and
I was redirected to Jaimie. I
then reached back out to Amy,
who redirected me to Mark,
who told me that the University
did not have a committee, but
instead had a collaborative
group who worked together to
nd solutions.
Confused? So am I, which
gets me to my point: Every
time I tried to get information,
especially about
accountability, the blame
got pushed off to somebody
else. When I asked when
information would be made
available, we were told that
the University hasn't received
it yet. When I asked who is in
charge of overseeing the Blue
Light system, I was told that a
committee is in charge of it, but
given no answers as to who is in
charge of or part of the
committee. When I asked both
Amy DeKay and Mark Danes
about the report conducted
by Tamara, they both asked
me for more information about
it, making it sound like this was
their rst time hearing about
such a report.
This is possible, but I don't
know if it's worse that no
administrator is willing to take
responsibility for the University’s
failures out of self-preservation,
or that no administrator is
taking responsibility because
the University left no one in
charge of it. Mark Danes made
a fair point that it was not Amy
DeKay’s fault, because the
University’s lack of progress in
installing a Blue Light system
existed before she even began
working here, but then who’s to
blame?
In my opinion, incompeten-
cy doesn’t just happen, it hap-
pens when people allow it to
happen. The term “The Buck
stops here” is an idiom “used
to say that one accepts a
responsibility and will not try
to give it to someone else”
(Webster Dictionary). Does
“The Buck stops here” apply
at Alfred University? The simple
answer is no.
9- Mediahub.alfred.edu/atlux SPORTS
A night of inspiration: Hornell’s Sports Night empowers
Special Olympics
The 48th Annual Hornell
Sports Night event took place
the evening of April 13th at
The Main Place in Hornell, NY.
Hornell Sports Night is truly a
special night; the event allows
the community to interact with
nationally known sports icons
and some of Hornell’s greatest
athletes, all to support The
Special Olympics and Hornell
youth activities.
This year’s event featured a
unique group of legends. The
lineup included former
Heisman Trophy nalist Ryan
Leaf, four-time World Series
champion Chuck Knoblauch,
WWE world champion Kelly
Kelly, and current Buffalo Bills
starting defensive end Greg
Rousseau.The event started with
a meet and greet;
each athlete had their own
section, where they signed
autographs and talked with
those in attendance. Each
athlete engaged with over
400 people in attendance,
providing a convivial
environment. In a room with
many Bills super fans, Greg
Rousseau had an enormous
line of fans eager to meet the
Bills’ young defensive end. After
about two hours of
interactions between the
athletes and the Hornell
community, the program
would begin.
Mike Brewer (sports night
committee member)
welcomed everyone before
passing the mic along to Emmy
Award-winning journalist Andy
Malnoske, who would be the
Master of Ceremonies for the
night. Malnoske led the awards
presentation, which started
with recognizing athletes of the
year, achievement awards,
and the sportsperson of the
year. Genarro Picco and Beau
Zeh were co-recipients of the
male athlete of the year. Picco,
a trio-sport athlete since the
9th grade, recently nished his
high school career as Hornell’s
all-time leading scorer with over
1,600 points scored; Genarro
plans to continue his academic
and athletic career at Alfred
University. The other recipient,
Beau Zeh was the 2023
Section 5 Defensive Player of
the Year in football, while also
setting the
Canisteo-Greenwood school
record for pins on the wrestling
mat. Beau recently
committed to Cortland State,
where he plans to study biology
and compete on the wrestling
team.
The female athlete of the
year was also shared- Kadience
Gollnitz and Lillian Mullen were
the co-athletes of the year.
Kadience is very active in
the community and as an
athlete. She is the president
of the National Honor Society
while having competed in 6
varsity sports throughout her
career at Hornell. Kadience
has won two sectional
championships on the
basketball team- including
the rst sectional title in Hornell
women’s basketball history.
Gollinitz plans to attend a
university where she can
major in one of the sciences
and pursue her passion to
become a surgeon. Lillian, the
other female athlete of the
year, was also a trio-sport
athlete. Entering her senior year
she had totaled 1,784 points,
but she would be
sidelined for the whole season
due to an ACL injury. Mullen
was also the MVP on the
Canisteo-Greenwood ag
football and soccer team.
Mullen is currently rehabbing,
with plans to play ag football
this spring and then continue
her basketball career at Keuka
College.
Two achievement awards
were given to two great
athletes with great personalities.
The rst achievement award
was won by Talan Schwartz.
Talan has been a participant
in the Special Olympics since
the 3rd grade. He is a standout
performer in the race walk, an
event that he won last year.
Just from his speech after
winning the award, you can
tell how his high energy and
kindness makes him a great
person to be around, and
the perfect person to win this
award. Talan has hopes of
one day working in fashion,
specically for Betsey Johnson.
Conrad Meyer was also given
the achievement award.
Conrad has been a Special
Olympics track and eld
champion at Alfred State for
years, while also being known
as a staple for the Revolution
Dance Studio, and being a
member of the Hornell
Drumming Circle. Out of all the
speeches throughout the night,
Conrad had the most iconic
and touching one, and only
needed a few seconds to leave
his mark on the annual event.
To cap off the awards, Greg
Connors was awarded the
sportsman of the year.
Connors’ impact on the Hornell
community goes back to his
playing days at Hornell, where
he was a vital part of the
undefeated 1987 football team
that won the rst Section 5 title
in Hornell history. Connors would
later play four years of football
at Alfred University.
Today, Greg is at the front of
legal advocacy for the rights of
injured workers. He has
been a member of the Alfred
University Board of Trustees
since 2007. During his speech at
Sports Night, he claimed that his
ultimate goal was to one day
play for the Bills; although those
goals weren’t met, he is more
proud to be a sponsor for the
Bills, and he’s been recognized
for having a positive impact on
society as a whole.
There was a fantastic dinner,
prepared by the Main Place,
before the fun began. There
was a rafe and an electric
auction to follow.
(Continued on next page)
SPORTS
10
March Madness: A month of red-up fans and record-breaking athletes
Claire Squicciarini,
Staff Writer
It was March, you know what
that means, time for madness. In
this year of March Madness, two
signicant stars rose from within
women’s college basketball:
Caitlin Clark at Iowa University,
and Angel Reese at Louisiana
State University.
Unlike other sports, college
basketball starts their
tournament with 64 teams,
only cutting out 4. The remaining
continue through the
tournament all through March
and a bit of April. This has
created the March Madness
we all know and love. People
make brackets, throw parties for
the games, and watch as the
teams slowly get down to the
nal two.
Although there were many
impressive characters in this
league, these two stood out
drastically by talent and
attitude. Caitlin Clark is a 6 foot,
22-year-old point guard on the
Iowa University team. She
impressed audiences with her
31.6 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.4
rebound average per game.
Fans loved her competitive
attitude and incredible skills.
Soon TikTok for-you-pages were
full of Caitlin Clark, whether they
were basketball fans or not.
Angel Reese is a 6-foot-3,
21-year-old forward for
Louisiana State University. This
athlete also has impressive
stats from this last season, with
18.6 points, 2.3 assists, and 13.4
rebounds per game. Although
these stats are not the same
as other athletes’, fans were
impressed with Reese’s talent
and erce attitude.
Both athletes are talented,
but what makes them stand out
this year is their rivalry. Last year,
LSU won the NCAA
tournament, taking the win
from Iowa. The match between
these two players was electric.
The viewers were at an all-time
high, with 12.6 million watching
at its peak. Both women have
a ery competitiveness that
carried over to the 2024 tourna-
ment.
During their championship
game against each other,
Reese was seen making the
“you can’t see me” gesture to
Clark. Following this she also
pointed at her ring nger,
taunting them about their
previous win. Fans erupted, with
this competitiveness adding to
the craze that is March
Madness. Clark is also seen in
this game, and others, making
the “you can’t see me” gesture.
Clark, overall, has the
competitive attitude in every
celebration, play, and call
made.
Fans started taking sides and
becoming much more involved
in the tournament and watching
games. The two athletes have
claried multiple times to press
that competitiveness is all in
good fun. Although they might
not have true anger at each
other, their competitive nature
and amazing talent made this
March Madness like no other.
On April 1st, LSU lost to Iowa in
the Elite Eight: 87 to 94.
Iowa went on to the nals, losing
to South Carolina (75 to 97) on
April 7th. Clark did not get the
ring, but she did have an
amazing season. She set the
new NCAA division one-time
scoring record, with 3,569 career
points. In the February game
against Michigan, she had a
career high, and set the Iowa
singles scoring women’s game
record with 49 points.
Clark and Reese were the
faces of college basketball and
displayed amazing athleticism
and elevated levels of friendly
competitiveness. The audiences
could not get enough of these
women, making for a March
Madness that will go down in
the history books.
The rafe and auction
consisted of various sporting
collectibles, from signed jerseys
to a very large poster of Kelly
Kelly- which was auctioned for
a long time. All proceeds will
go to the Special Olympics and
Hornell youth activities. To end
the night, each athlete spoke a
little about themselves, their
career, and where they are
today. Chuck Knoblauch
unfortunately had to leave
early, so those present couldn’t
hear from him, but it was
inspiring to hear the
perspectives of the others on
how they’ve been able to
become who they are today.
Greg Rousseau broke his leg
in his true freshman year at the
University of Miami. He said
during his speech that at the
time, he thought his career
would go downhill from there,
but realizes now that God had
a plan for him, and ultimately
helped the trajectory of his
career. Greg, being from the
Fort Lauderdale area, claims
he’s never seen a tight-knit
community like Hornell. He
commended the community
for the support they show to
the Bills, but even more
important the support for
each other in the Hornell
community.
Kelly Kelly was the youngest
female to be signed by the
WWE. At the age of 19, she
experienced life on her own for
the rst time. Kelly was super
appreciative of the fan support
shown in Hornell in 2024,
because she left the WWE over
10 years ago.
Ryan Leaf was expected to
be the next great quarterback
in the NFL, and after his
short-lived career ended, he
spent more than 2 years in jail.
Ryan is now an NFL analyst with
two kids. He completely turned
his life around, and gives credit
to the realization that everyone
is awed, but life’s about serving
and helping other people.
The 48th annual Hornell
Sports Night was one to
remember. Congrats to all
award winners. Special thanks
to Ryan Leaf,
Kelly Kelly, Greg Rousseau,
Chuck Knoblauch, and Andy
Molnaske for their time and
participation in the event. The
Sports Night Committee consists
of 10 people who work
extremely hard to put on this
event year after year and
deserve all the credit for this
event, and all they’re doing for
Hornell. For more information
regarding the tradition of this
event or information on future
Sports Night visit the Facebook
page: Hornell Sports Night.
A night of inspiration: Hornell’s Sports Night empowers
Special Olympics (Continued)
KJ Allison, Staff
Writer
11 - Mediahub.alfred.edu/atlux ENTERTAINMENT
The language of the high seas
Ahoy matey! Do you have
trouble understanding your
sailing brethren? Are you
missing the hype of sea-faring
slang? Then this one be for you!
Complete with all the slang and
words that us pirates put to use,
and examples on how to use
them in this newfangled realm!
Ahoy: This is a great way to
get people’s attention and
really stand out in a crowd! If
I do say, also a great way to
begin a conversation while
networking—they will never
forget you. Example: Ahoy, me
mates! Do you fellows have the
notes from class? Me hands
were tied with the calling of
treasure.
Swashbuckler: An individual
who goes on grand, daring
adventures with a heavy dose
of bravado. Example: No
swashbuckler but I will ever nd
my treasure! Even their bravery
will be nothing against the traps
I plan to lay!
Davey Jones’ Locker: This
place be slang for 6 feet under.
If you thought the lockers in the
gym stank like a dead salmon
on the sea, these lockers are
worse, being leagues of sunken
ships under a sea of gym sweat.
This phrase is best used as a
threat to your enemies.
Example: How was I supposed
to know I hid my treasure chest
on private property? You don’t
have any signs up! You’re
calling the police? Go to
Davey Jones’ Locker!
Bilge Rat: This is a name for
someone who has the look of
a rat and the smell of one
too. Or perhaps they just live
somewhere resembling the
inside of a ship, like Bartlett.
Example: I apologize, my matey
Dr. Professor, for missing class.
The seas were calling, and so
were the police, so I had to
dip from town for a bit. I be
sleeping in the creek and
smelling like a Bilge Rat.
Scallywag: A mischievous
rascal who gets up to trouble
regularly.
Example: You coppers will
never catch a scallywag like
me!
Arrg: This one is a great way
to express any emotion, though
namely frustration.
Ex: Arrg, foiled again! That nifty
legal system and its private
property laws! The ne took all
me treasure :(
Captain Ab, the
Seafaring Silver Scourge
of the Seas, Guest Writer
Movie reviews
Poor Things (2023) : 3 stars.
Emma Stone plays a woman
brought back to life by a crazy
scientist (Victor Frankenstein
style), runs off to Spain with
a lawyer, and ends up
prostituting herself in Paris
before coming back to
London, where she died and
was born again. Gorgeous
cinematography, but the movie
is quite obviously written by a
man, judging from the sheer
number of useless sex scenes.
Anatomy of a Fall (2023):
5 stars. One of the best movies
I’ve watched this year. The plot
is quite simple: Sandra (Sandra
Huller) is a German national
and she and her French
husband Samuel (Samuel Theis)
are writers, both intellectual,
living with their young visually
impaired son, Daniel, in a
chalet high up in the
picturesque French Alps, near
Grenoble. Samuel dies, and a
trial begins to decide whether
his wife killed him or if it was
suicide. The courtroom drama
serves as a backdrop for the
study of the characters, their
psychology and relationships.
Leave the World Behind
(2023): 3 stars. This thriller follows
a couple and their two children
who decide to spend a few
days’ vacation in an Airbnb on
the north shore of Long Island.
However, the owners of the
house decide to return home,
and although the family is
initially distrustful, they decide
to live together. Stranger and
stranger things happen– boats,
planes and cars crash, TV and
internet disappear... This is a
strange apocalyptic / disaster
movie that kept me on the
edge of my seat, but the
ending stunk.
Drive Away Dolls (2024): 4
stars. This is a lesbian comedy
following two women
deciding to take a
“drive-away” car down to
Tallahassee. Little do they
know, they got the wrong car,
and they nd a very valuable
briefcase in the trunk. Some
hilariously inept criminals start
chasing after them. The whole
movie is very silly (sometimes
bizarre), and although I
wouldn’t take my parents to
see it, I highly recommend it.
Damsel (2024): 1 star.
When will poor Milly Bobby
Brown be given a good lm
to work on? When will she be
released from the shackles of
Netix? The story is about a
damsel betrayed by her
family in law and sacriced to a
dragon. She is wearing
perfect 21st century
makeup from beginning to end,
and even if this movie
actually wasn’t bad, I will say
that if you’ve seen the trailer,
you’ve seen the entire lm.
Everything about it felt very
safe and elementary, and that
makes for a rather boring and
uneventful experience.
Noémie Bannerot,
Staff Writer
The Little Dog Laughed…in a bittersweet tone
Alfred University’s latest
theatre production was The
Little Dog Laughed, written by
Douglas Carter Beane, which
was playing at CD Smith III
Theatre from Thursday, April 4th
to Saturday, April 6th. This
production was directed by
Alfred University assistant
professor Kolton Bradley.
The cast was small,
compared to some other,
notable productions, though
that did not distract from the
narrative, acting skill, and
beautiful set design. Shirite
Westreich played Diane, a
no-holds-barred, ambitious
talent agent. Acting as one of
our main narrators throughout
the play, everything we
experience is truly through her
notes. We don’t see
anymore than she lets us, and
she doesn’t let anything come
out that isn’t meant to. Her
client, Mitchell Greene (Milton
Esliker), is a closeted gay
actor that is currently residing in
New York for an awards show.
It’s through his time in a hotel
in the city that we meet male
sex-worker Alex (Evan Davis)
and Alex’s “girlfriend,” party girl
Ellen (Izzy Rabiner). The way this
play ends likely isn’t what you’d
expect, unless you managed to
catch the showings!
Tristan St. James, who
did the set design for the fall
semester’s play, Marisol,
continues to dazzle audience
members with unique
construction and lighting -- a
thank you to, then, extend to
the spotlight operators, Tristan
Duhan and Shaun Wineld, as
well as the countless
stagehands, scene shop
workers, and faculty that
helped create a cohesive set.
Without delving too much
into the narrative, as this is a
play that relies on plot twists
and chaos, Westreich, Esliker,
Davis, and Rabiner did wonders
at creating hilarious,
complicated, but more
importantly, likable characters.
Between two acts, which went
by shockingly quick, the cast
took what could have easily
been caricatures and allowed
the audience into this wild,
fanction-y storyline without
fear.
Samantha Sage,
Staff Writer
12
What has salt beef done? A theory
ENTERTAINMENT
Late walk home
Abby Sexsmith,
Staff Writer
Our story opens in the
kitchen of a castle. The year is
1300-something, and an Irish
woman is very proud of what
she created. “This is it?” Her
butcher friend asks, not in
English, but in Irish Gaelic,
because the British haven’t
waged war on their language
yet. There is dried blood on his
apron from the beef he had
lugged on the table earlier. It
now lay on the same table in
front of them after being salted,
put on a spit over a re set for
325 degrees fahrenheit for a
time, and nely seasoned to
perfection.
“This is it.” She wiped her
hands on her apron. “Salted
beef. It should last a while.”
The butcher leaned forward
and studied the grains of
blackened meat. “Is it just me,
or does it look menacing? Like
it’s up to something.”*
A posh man sits at a poker
table 500 years later in central
London. “Get me something
quick, some good food,” he
says to his servant. Of course,
good food wouldn’t be
invented for another 300
years when the rst Wegmans
touched ground, but his servant
found Salt Beef and added it to
bread. The 4th Earl of Sandwich
was so impressed that he could
eat something so delicious
without interrupting his
gambling addiction he gave
the food his name, having been
blessed with an edible name
(many, including me, weren’t!).
History will never know if he won
that game, but Salt Beef won
the honor of being
the rst sandwich. Was this
coincidence, or a part of its
plan?
*
One famous sandwich lover,
as the story goes, got into some
trouble while getting his go-to
lunch. And by trouble, I mean
assassinating ArchDuke
Ferdinand and starting World
War One. His name was Gavrilo
Princep and we are unaware of
the meat inside the sandwich
on that day. May it have been
Salt Beef? Salt Beef still had
copyright over the sandwich
from its invention. I have
gotten no comment from
Austria-Hungary.
*
By now, one might be
noticing the shy dealings of
Salt Beef. But the plot, much like
a good steak, is thicker than
that. And much juicier. And
goes with potatoes.
Because with WWI comes many
problems, and, when looking
beyond the obvious we see
the banning of 16% or above
liqueur in France. Tres mal! But
never fear, Paul Ricard saved
the day by breaking the law.
The French started brewing
their own homemade liqueurs
that were above the 16%, and
his used a star-anise mixture
that took off becoming the
brand Ricard! Though it got him
into some beef with the law,
it helped him bring home the
bacon and it became a great
drink for every occasion. But
one. And, oh boy, did one man
nd the wrong occasion.
*
Henri Paul was intoxicated,
having drunk a Ricard before
getting behind the wheel in
central Paris. But what
happened? You readers will
understand the dirt I’m ripping
up on Salt Beef as you’ve
followed me through the
sausage-links of time, and see
what it’s been cooking up
all along. That is the day that
Princess Diana died. Henri Paul
was the driver, Salt Beef was the
mind. The culmination of 700
years of planning from Salt Beef.
We still don’t know why Salt
Beef did this, or the cut it took
from this heinous crime.
Buckingham Palace and
Ireland have offered no
comment. Hush money was
offered, but I refused, because
I need this story to get out. I
broke three non-disclosure
agreements just pitching this
story.* Heed my warning and
beware of Salt Beef, we don’t
know all it’s done. Or what it’ll
do next.
*For legal reasons I am required
to say I did NOT break any
non-disclosure agreements
It’s nearing midnight as
Naomi walks down the sidewalk
from her night job, which ended
less than thirty minutes ago.
Jack had the audacity to slip
out of the building during
closing, saying that he had
somewhere important to be,
leaving her to close all by
herself. The last bus home left
without her, so now she’s
making her way somewhere—
she says she’s going straight to
her apartment, but deep down,
Naomi knows she’ll make a stop
at a corner store for a soda and
whatever else catches her eye.
It’s quiet, uncomfortably so.
The wind is absurdly silent for this
time of year and the only
ambience other than her
footsteps is a low buzzing from
certain street lamps. They’re
stretched far apart, and in the
middle of every dead space is
a patch of darkness. It reminds
her of scenes from old horror
games she saw her brothers
playing on PS2 when she was a
kid.
Her hands are tucked into
her pockets and, unseen, she’s
grasping her keys in between
her ngers, just for the added
security. A few people are
passing, but none of them seem
to look at her.
She sees someone, a
woman, up ahead, with
something in her hands and
whatever else she has spread
over the ground. Naomi
watches as two people change
the arc of their route to avoid
the woman’s situation. Naomi
considers doing the same, but
guilt is more powerful, and she
stops to help her pick up various
items, probably from a grocery
store. The bag lying next to
the items is torn at the bottom.
Naomi sees the woman more
clearly now, with big eyes and
black curls that go down to her
shoulders. She’s pretty, and the
streetlight above her atters her
features in a way that makes
her look like she’s posing for a
picture.
”Oh— thank you. You didn’t
have to do that,” The woman
mutters. She has a quiet voice,
both raspy and smooth. Naomi
smiles. “It’s no problem.”
The woman gazes past her,
watching the two people
continue to walk away, before
sighing and continuing to pack
her items in the one remaining
bag she has.
“I wish more people were
kind like you; last time this
happened, I ended up chasing
my things out into the road.”
”It’s happened before?”
”Too many times to count,
unfortunately. You’d think I’d
just buy the heavy-duty bags,
but at this point I’m just set in my
ways.”
Naomi chuckles, setting the
last item in the bag before get-
ting back on her feet.
(Continued on next page)
In honor of Alfred’s annual
Hot Dog Day, let’s look back on
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, a
powerful piece of
muckraking literature that
exposed the harsh realities of
the meatpacking industry in the
early 20th century. Through the
eyes of its immigrant narrator,
readers are given a rsthand
look at the dangerous working
conditions, exploitative labor
practices, and unsanitary food
production methods
prevalent in the industry at the
time. Sinclair’s detailed and
gritty descriptions shed light on
the injustices faced by the
workers and the unsanitary
practices that put the general
public at massive risk.
This groundbreaking novel
not only ignited public outrage,
and is credited with
inuencing the establishment
of the Pure Food and Drug Act
and the Meat Inspection Act,
it also serves as a reminder of
the importance of investigative
journalism in holding
powerful institutions
accountable. In a time where
fake news and misinformation
run rampant, The Jungle stands
as a testament to the power of
spreading awareness and the
impact that exposing
corruption and injustice can
have on society. This Hot Dog
Day, enjoy your hot dogs with
the knowledge that
activism from the past
successfully changed our world
for the better.
Jack Ten-Eyck Johnson,
Staff Writer
Upton Sinclair
13 - Mediahub.alfred.edu/ atlux ENTERTAINMENT
Reagan Rought,
Staff Writer
The woman follows, and
Naomi realizes that she must be
at least half a foot shorter than
her, strange for Naomi, as she’s
only 5’5”.
”Do you want help carrying
that?” Naomi asks, reaching her
hand out.
”No, no, that’s alright. I’ll be
ne once I get walking.”
”Where are you headed?”
”Oh, just up that way,” the
woman says, pointing in the
direction Naomi was already
headed. “I’m going to my
brother’s house.”
”I’m headed up that way
too, mind if I tag along?”
”No, not at all. It’ll make me
feel a little safer.”
Both women smile, before
setting off down the road. It’s
back to the same silence as
before, this time with an added
pair of footsteps. The pace is
slower than when Naomi was
alone, but she takes the time
to enjoy the night.After a while
of now-comfortable quiet, the
woman breaks it.
”Do you believe in karma?”
Naomi is taken aback.
”I mean… I guess. Do good,
get good in return, right?”
”That’s a simple way of put-
ting it,” the woman begins, “but
you’re not wrong.”
”Why do you ask?”
”I’m not sure.”
It’s silent again. Naomi feels
awkward about the situation as
a whole, and is afraid her body
language is showing it. The
woman shows no sign of
discomfort, continuing on as
she did before.
Up ahead, but far out of
sight, Naomi knows that her
favorite corner store is there.
She can use this as an
opportunity to leave, she thinks,
and says quietly, “I’ll have to
break off once we get up to
that store.”
The woman does not re-
spond, and together they
continue the walk towards it. As
they
approach, Naomi can hear
police sirens, and is beginning
to see ashing red and blue
lights. There is a small crowd of
maybe ten people
forming outside the corner
store, and beside the entryway,
an ambulance is sitting with
the back doors open. There is a
man, who Naomi recognizes as
the common clerk at this hour,
holding what looks to be an ice
pack against his head.
Naomi and the woman
approach one of the people
watching, asking what’s
happened, and the man whom
they’ve asked responds with a
simple “robbery”, never
breaking eye contact with
whatever else he’s looking at.
Naomi looks at the woman,
who is blankly staring at the
shop. She turns to meet Naomi’s
gaze.
”I think karma worked out in
your favor today.”
Naomi walks away from the
shop, the woman following. The
situation has a growing sense
of discomfort, and Naomi isn’t
sure whether to be comforted
or confused.
”I’ll have to leave you here,”
the woman begins, “this is
where my brother’s house is.”
Naomi nods, exchanging
good-byes with the woman
before she continues off to-
wards her apartment. All of a
sudden, she turns around on a
whim.
”I’m… Naomi, by the way.”
The woman turns around.
“My friends call me Kismet.”
There is another awkward
silence.
”It was nice to meet you,
Kismet.”
”You too.”
Naomi watches as the wom-
an disappears off into the dark-
ness. She stands in silence for a
moment before hesitantly
turning back in her normal
direction, back into her normal
strides.
When she gets home,
Naomi checks her phone. Sure
enough, Jack has messaged
her, asking if she made it home
safe, apologizing for leaving so
early, and then a newer
message asks if she heard
about the robbery.
She responds before getting
ready for bed, and checks her
coat pockets for her wallet. She
nds a bag of candies, her
favorites, and realizes she
must’ve grabbed one of Kis-
met’s items by accident. She
cringes at herself, wondering
if Kismet knew, and that’s why
she was acting so odd.
Naomi goes to bed, trying to
guide the occurrences of the
evening into one nice,
completely explainable story.
Coincidence. That’s all it was.
In the morning, Naomi gets
ready for her day job, runs out
to the bus stop, and boards the
bus with plenty of time to spare.
She realizes the candies are still
in her pocket and pulls them
out, considering eating them
but still feeling a small sense
of guilt. The bus goes down
the path that she had taken
the night before, including the
place where she had last
spoken with Kismet.
Naomi blinks in confusion,
trying to make sure she wasn’t
imagining things.
There is no driveway, no
mailbox. No house at all.
Late walk home (Continued)
Why are we still talking
about this movie, you might be
wondering, it’s been months
now! Well, the movie came
out around Christmas, so we
just wanted to give you time to
watch it to avoid the spoilers.
Unless you’ve been living
under a rock, you’ve likely
heard about the movie
Saltburn. Love it or hate it,
Emerald Fennell’s creation has
left an indelible impression on
audiences worldwide. However,
what’s truly fascinating is not
just the movie itself, but the
unprecedented marketing
strategy that propelled it into
the stratosphere of pop culture.
With Saltburn-themed
videos on TikTok alone
amassing more than 4
billion views, it’s clear that
social media played a pivotal
role in the lm’s success. From
studio marketing to fan
activity, TikTok has become a
virtual stage where the most
controversial scenes were
replayed ad nauseam. It’s
almost as if the movie was
crafted with these shocking
moments in mind, designed to
create a buzz that transcends
traditional advertising.
Seeing this TikTok hype, I
couldn’t help but wonder:
has the product become
overshadowed by its own
popularity? The line between
genuine enjoyment and a
desire for belonging blurs as
viewers rush to Prime Video, not
just to watch the movie, but to
understand the viral sensation
ooding their “for you page.”
However, let’s not skirt
around the controversy. For
many, the graphic scenes
depicting gore, drinking dirty
water from a bathtub drain,
consuming period blood, and
even *the* grave scene were
not just shocking, but
downright scandalous.
Some unfortunate souls even
experienced the dread of
watching these scenes with
their parents, seeing your mom
cover her eyes and scream
while you were unphased,
which undoubtedly led to
awkward dinner table
conversations.
However, most people my
age to whom I spoke about this
lm did not nd it
shocking. What does this say
about us young people? Has
social media reshaped our
perception of entertainment?
We’ve grown up with
unfettered access to all sorts of
content, blurring the lines
between what’s acceptable
and what’s taboo.
Yet, despite the controversy
and shock value, there are
those like me who found
solace in the aesthetic
beauty of Saltburn. The
cinematography, with its
breathtaking shots and
meticulous attention to detail,
offered a visual feast for the
eyes.
The Saltburn sensation: a TikTok phenomenon
Noémie Bannerot,
Staff Writer
14 PUZZLE
Jack TenEyck-Johnson,
Staff Writer
15 - Mediahub.alfred.edu/atlux
Franmy Mateo-Tapia, Staff Illustrator
SATIRE AND COMICS
The rst hot dog was
invented during the Third
Crusade in 1191 by Godfrey
Hodtog of Sicily, when he
discovered you could force
assorted raw meats into a
cylinder before placing it into
bread. Godfrey used his
brilliant invention as rations
to feed his large army when
traveling. After a successful
raid, Godfrey was speared
through the chest by some
guy, seemingly by accident.
After Godfrey’s death, his
close friend and alleged lover
Henry the Dyslexic brought the
new invention back to Europe.
Henry spent the next thirty years
of his life working to rene the
hot dog into something more
closely resembling the ones we
eat today, consisting mostly of
pork and limiting the ingredient
of mystery meat to an amount
that seemed somewhat t for
consumption. Over the next
few centuries, the hot dog
would become a staple of the
European elite. The hot dog’s
raw and natural beauty
became one of the driving
forces behind the Renaissance.
By the 1600s, hot dogs
became dominant behind
the closed doors of European
affairs; wars were started and
ended by the bite of a hot dog,
and the masses had no idea.
Eventually, these hot dog wars
drove some enlightenment
thinkers away; these anti-hot
dogists went on to found the 13
colonies. The King of England
allowed these free thinkers to
continue their non-hot dog
related practices in exchange
for the natural resources of
the continent. This agreement
ended when George
Washington was handed a hot
dog during a dinner party with
George III. Months later, the
founding fathers banded
together to declare
independence from England to
escape the oppressive grip of
hot dogs.
After the war, the great
powers of Europe formed The
Great Hot Dog Council.
The United States remained
free from the inuence of hot
dogs for much of its history, and
the revolutionary anti-hot dog
spirit was slowly
forgotten by the nation’s
collective memory. While the
European powers continued to
ght over the meat
cylinder, America was free to
grow its industry. By the early
20th century, The Great Hot
Dog Council of Europe grew
wary of America’s growing
inuence and dispatched a
spy by the name of Nathan
Handwerker to bring the hot
dog back to the American
public.
In 1916, the rst Nathan’s
Famous Hot Dog stand opened
in Coney Island, sending
America into a hot dog
induced mania. Nearly 1
million children from 1916-1920
were given the rst name
“Hotdog”. Every nation in
Europe sent donations to
Handwerker to fund the
takeover of America’s many
baseball leagues. The new
leagues were only allowed to
sell hot dogs within their
stadiums, a rule which still
stands today. Although
Handwerker’s mission was
successful, The Great Hot Dog
Council of Europe was dis-
pleased with his work in getting
the United States to join
World War I, a war which was
fabricated to bring America
closer to the glory of the hot
dog. Disgruntled and now out
of a job, Handwerker’s
dying wish to his two sons
was to make sure hot dogs
became the driving force be-
hind American politics. His son
Hotdog Handwerker took over
Nathan’s Famous, turning it
into the number one lobbyist in
Congress.
Every president since
Ronald Reagan has been in
bed with Big Hotdog. Nathan
Handwerker’s younger son,
Joey “Big Bun” Handwerker,
traveled north to the small town
of Alfred, New York, where he
established a cult known
today as The Hog, which
stands for “Horse Organization
Gog.” Even today, historians
can’t agree on what Big Bun
meant by this, or even on what
a “gog” is. The Hog started
the rst Hot Dog Day in 1974 in
hopes of reigniting America’s
hot dog mania; instead, the
celebration induced a brief
weekend of hot dog induced
psychosis. In 1997, The Hog’s
compound was raided by
the FBI, leading to their
disbandment. Big Bun lived on
for another 6 months, until
accidentally being speared in
the chest by some guy.
Although The Hog no longer
exists today, the town of Alfred
still continues the tradition of
Hot Dog Day, possibly because
Nathan’s Famous is a major
nancial contributor to both
Alfred University and Alfred
State.
The hidden history of hot dogs
By Cameron
Begue, Staff Writer
