Log Off For Love

New Paltz Students Don't Embrace Dating Through the Internet



America is bombarded with advertisements on how to meet one’s mate over the Internet. Match.com promises, "We’re so sure you’ll meet someone special within six months, that if you don’t, we’ll give you six months free," and even Dr. Phil ends the commercial by telling you that "it’s OK to look." eHarmony commercials show happy couples dancing to the lyrics "this will be an ever-lasting love." As strange as it may be to some people, online dating services are a lucrative industry that Americans spend over $500 million on a year, according to the Online Publishers Association.

Even though popular movies like “Must Love Dogs” and “You’ve Got Mail” seem to have popularized meeting people through the Internet for those who are middle-aged, SUNY New Paltz students are not convinced that online dating services and meeting people over the Internet is a method that they want to explore to find a romantic partner.

Online dating services are a lucrative industry that Americans spend over $500 million a year on.

Some students felt that online dating services were only for the lonely and the desperate.

“It’s for people who have no real social skills and lack self confidence because they think they can’t find someone in real life,” said Andrew Latini, a senior art education major. “They’re insecure.”

But for many students, particularly females, the main concern about finding love and romance on the Internet is possible danger. Sophomore biology major, Sharon Mangat, is convinced that the Internet is simply not safe for meeting people.

“It’s a little scary because at least when you meet someone in person you have a better shot at reading them. You can sense things from one’s body language, tone of voice and so forth that you would never be able to get from an online chat,” Mangat said.

“One guy wasn’t who he said he was. He used a fake picture, and it went on for over a year."

Mandi Palmer, a junior psychology major, admitted that dating online had never occurred to her as an option, “maybe because of how protective my mom was in warning me of how dangerous it was. You are much more susceptible to people who lie about who they are.”

Palmer knew someone who learned this the hard way.

“I had a friend in high school who had two experiences with online dating, and neither were good," Palmer said. “One guy wasn’t who he said he was. He used a fake picture, and it went on for over a year. Eventually he felt bad and fessed-up about it.”

However, even if the people one meets online are who they say they are, there is still a risk for danger.

“I had a friend who met a guy online just to hook-up with him and he ended up giving her HPV,” said Courtney Gerken, a junior communications disorders major.

But Nick Hall, a senior journalism major and frequent online gamer believes that though meeting people over the Internet can be tricky, it’s possible. Hall has gamed online for years, and as a result, has formed strong friendships that have lasted over a decade with some of the people he has gamed with. Hall said that while he would never use the Internet to find a romantic partner, he believes it’s the only option for some people.

“It does have its virtues because there are some people who have no hope of meeting people outside the Internet,” Hall said. “It’s also not easy to meet someone when you live in the middle of no where.”

However, Hall does not believe that people should go through online dating services such as Match.com or eHarmony if they are interested in meeting someone over the Internet.

“The problem is that you go there with high expectations. It’s also not how would normally meet the person. The only thing you really have in common is the use of the Internet,” Hall said.

Palmer agreed. “When you meet someone offline, you form an initial connection right away in your interest of where you are, what you’re doing, the same college you’re attending, whereas you wouldn’t have that online,” she said.

It seems that New Paltz students will be sticking with the traditional method of meeting people in person to find dates and a potential love interest.

“I think it’s just a personal choice that anyone could opt for,” Mangat said. “I have seen it work for other people, but it’s just not for me.”

Local Restaurants Veggie Friendly

Vegetarian, vegan, organic galore!

If you are a vegetarian, vegan or enjoy organic selections and are looking for a wide range of restaurants to stop and eat, New Paltz is the place for you. Located right in town are numerous places that serve beverages, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Village Tea Room, located on Plattekill Ave, has a variety of organic breakfast options and prices that are a steal for college students, ranging from $4 to $7. A few choices would be the organic cheddar cheese and smoked ham frittata for $7, or there is the hot organic oatmeal and pure maple syrup for $4. There is also organic granola and fresh fruit for $5. The Village Tea Room is closed on Mondays. They open at 8 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on the weekends and close at 10 p.m.

If you'd like to try a place that uses locally grown organic
ingredients Morning Brew natural foods cafe is a small and cozy place to
go.

If your mouth is dying of thirst and only something exciting will crave it, the place to go is Karma Road, a vegetarian deli, smoothie and juice bar. Here everything on the menu is from fresh organic ingredients. Located on 11 main St. they are open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are interested in having wheatgrass juice to get you going in the morning prices range from $1.99 to $7.29. There are also hot organic drinks, for example, a regular or decaf coffee, prices start at $1.29 and range up to $1.99. An espresso ranges from $1.90 to $3.60. A chai latte is between $3.69 and $4.09. Prices vary with size. Or if it is an organic smoothie you’re interested in, you may have a hard time deciding. There is a variety of delicious drinks ranging in price from $4.89 to $5.89. Some of these drinks are the mango stinger, the chocolate in my peanut butter, the cherry vanilla, the tropical, the strawberry banana, the turning violet, or there is the young coconut shake.

If you’d like to try a place that uses locally grown organic ingredients Morning Brew natural foods café is a small and cozy place to go. Local artist work is hung and sold within the restaurant. With reasonable prices and good portions, you can order an egg and cheese on a roll for only $1.85. Or two eggs, any style with home fries and toast for $2.99. A tofu scramble is $6.99. Their breakfast and vegan burrito is $6. They are open Wednesday thru Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Morning Brew is located on 62 main St.

If it’s lunch your tummy is roaring for, Bacchus on 4 South Chestnut is sure to have something to satisfy your appetite. Their oriental veggie burger is $7.95. Or the Bacchus veggie burger is $6.95. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If this doesn’t quiet your stomach, a nice little place to enjoy a sandwich from locally grown ingredients is The Bakery. A few examples from their wide ranging menu are, the vegetarian Ruben wrap, or the vegetarian fat-free ham or turkey, or their vegetarian chili. Prices depend on what other sides you put on your sandwich. The bakery is located on 13A North Front St. Their hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

If it is a hummus taboule wrap your craving, for a fairly reasonable price, Wrapsody Grill has one for $5.99. Located on 25 North Chestnut St with walls painted in olive, green and pumpkins colors, this palette creates an inviting atmosphere. They can also serve you a veggie burger for $6.99, a veggie burrito for $5.39 or a garden veggie wrap for $5.49. Their hours are, Monday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tommy C’s Deli is a place with a lot of space and every newspaper imaginable as well as a couple of vegetarian delights. The grilled vegetable wrap is $5.35; the veggie burger is $4. Open Monday thru Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This deli can be found at 138 Main St.

Besides offering a wide variety of drinks and breakfast ideas, Karma Road also serves lunch. For examples, the veggie burger or tofu love sandwich is only $5.49.

Maybe it is dinner your taste buds are craving. The Village Tea Room has an organic whole wheat penne paste for $15. Or you can try Bacchus; they have a veggie penne for $15.95. They also have a veggie burger platter for $11.95.

If these options are not quit hitting the spot, the Locust Tree on 215 Huguenot St has vegetarian lasagna for $16. Their hours are Wednesday thru Sunday, dinner starting at 5 p.m. They are closed Monday and Tuesday.

Whether you live on campus or right in town there is a restaurant for you. And if you enjoy taking a nice stroll through town any of these places are not out of your reach.

Chicago: They Had it Coming

“What you are about to see is the musical exploration of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery, all those things that we hold dear to our hearts.”


What Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly forgot to mention was amazingly incredible singing, acting, and dancing.

Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart (Michelle DeJean), the housewife who dreams of making it big in show biz, and instead gains her fame by killing her boyfriend (Fred Casey played by Dan LoBuono). The story shows how Roxie invents her defense and manipulates everyone from her husband to the media and the public.

Chicago which was written by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse with music by John Kander, is one of Broadway’s most popular musicals, and has been running for over a decade. It is the winner of 6 Tony Awards, and features hit songs such as “All that Jazz” and “Razzle Dazzle,” as well as tantalizing dancing choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse.

Chicago is quite different from other Broadway musicals, for starters the orchestra is part of the show and performs on stage, and the actors then perform around them. There are several scenes where the conductor is even stopped by the performers and is, in a way, forced into the show. Many of the scenes in Chicago featured actors sitting along on the side of the stage to frame the action. As far as props go, everything from feathered fans to chairs are used in the dance numbers, in a true vaudeville fashion. There was a somewhat racy feel to the sets, staging, choreography, and lyrics. Shades of black and red, tinsel, glitter, silver, and amazing lighting effects gave the show’s songs, jazz, and dance routines an underground style and overall sexy ambiance.

Contrary to what the song would have you believe, the dancing was more than “all that jazz.” Chicago included all styles of dance from ballet to lyrical and even tap. Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly danced in solos and duets, legs straight in the air, swiveling their hips, creating provocative poses, in a Modern Jazz style.

The show opens with “All That Jazz”, in an intense routine with actors running around the stage and dancing to their own beat at times, then getting together in prefect choreography as female dancers are lifted by their male counterparts. The song ends as Roxie shoots her boyfriend, Fred Casely. “Funny Honey” the follow up to “All that Jazz” in which Roxie convinces her husband to take the blame for Fred’s murder, was a more relaxed number with soulful vocals and Roxie scaling a wall ladder.

“Cell Block Tango,” followed at a much faster pace. The female prisoners sing their twisted tales of woe and revenge while sitting in rows, and casually gyrating their hips or throwing their legs up in the air. I found it interesting how in this song the dancers used their movements to emphasize what they were saying. The first girl sat in her chair using her hands to talk, meanwhile the next did the same while adding a few leg splits. The third prisoner stood and danced on her chair and swung around on it as well, all in a manner better suited for an adult show, (the kind you bring lots of singles to). When it came to the Hungarian girl’s turn to sing her story of how she ended up in jail, her performance was more lyrical and far more graceful than that of the other girls. Her dancing and poetic movements looked kind and innocent, and although you couldn’t understand what she was saying, you could tell by her movements and expression that she was trying to explain her innocence; this was further clarified in her cry of “not guilty.”

“When You’re Good to Momma” and “Class” starring theMatron "Mama" Morton (Adriane Lenox) could have used more dancing in them to make them more exciting. During these numbers Lenox simply sat in the center of the stage and sang, which brought disappointment to one of the show’s better known songs. This was especially true to those who saw the movie version of Chicago. In the movie, “When You’re Good to Momma” is given a much flashier presentation. However this is understandable since it is easier to portray certain things in movies, than live on stage.

Numbers such as “We Both Reached for the Gun,” “I Can’t Do It Alone,” “When Velma Takes the Stand,” and “Razzle Dazzle” were so thrilling in their dance routines that you didn’t know where on stage to look. During these numbers there were people doing cartwheels, men twirling, and women leaping. “It was almost like watching a circus” said Peter Blondi.

All in all Chicago was a great show and a true delight for everyone. After the show, Michael Keaveny raved “I didn’t think I’d be able to stay awake when I first came in, now I can’t wait to see it again!” R. Lowe, who plays Mary Sunshine, stood by the theater entrance with his fellow cast members collecting donations for the Broadway Cares charity. Several fans seemed impressed with R. Lowe and others, including a young boy overheard saying to his parents “I can’t believe that lady was really a dude,” were doubtful as to how he portrayed a woman so well. Rather than defend himself with words, R. Lowe sang for the crowd, hitting some unbelievable high notes, giving the fans much more than what they had originally paid for!

The “Sacred” Secret on Church Street

Good news, snowboarders: A new board shop is in town.

Just around the corner from Rhino records in New Paltz lies a small, fully stocked snowboard shop, called Sacred. This hip-hop inspired shop is jam-packed with top notch snow board gear from dozens of well known companies like Neff, Capita, Zoo York, GNU, Tech 9, Signal, Endeavor, Feral, Spacecraft, Nikita, and much more.
Store owner and operator, Clifford Glover of Hyde Park, known by most as Cliff, has been snowboarding for over 21 years. Most of his life has been dedicated to snowboarding, so he puts a lot of expertise into the way he runs his board shop.

"His objective is to give Sacred an artistic, “home-grown, locally based” vibe, and that it is."

There is always good hip hop music playing, and all day long customers are coming in and out to check out Sacred’s newest gear.
Frequent customers, like Matt Soranno, Chris Pendergast, and Tristan Waldvogel also help out with advertising, and in doing so, have become close friends with Glover. Glover treats his customers like family members. It is not out of character for him to give away free hats or sweatshirts to his customers, simply for “advertising purposes.”
Apparently Glover’s promotional advertising is working, because tourists and locals come in everyday between noon and 6 P.M. to check out his merchandise. “It was my first time in there, and I loved it,” said Joelle Vonbischoffshausen of New Jersey. “My boyfriend and I are going back to take advantage of the 50 percent off gloves.”
Speaking of 50 percent off, Sacred has sales almost every week, so stock up on winter gear now, and save some money. Not only is the merchandise unique, but it’s durable and affordable as well. This year-old board shop has been a hit so far and slowly but surely, more people are getting the hint.
Yea, Sacred has a lot of quality snowboard gear, but at the same time the shop gives local artists a chance to display and sell their work. All over the brightly painted walls hang interesting drawings by artists like Mike Horn, Jeff Meyer and Ryan Williams. In addition, Glover sells products from these local artists’ clothing lines. Whether its Meyer’s graphic t-shirts, Williams’ logo designs, or Horn’s hand-painted, one-of-a-kind sneakers and snowboards, at Sacred, there’s always something unique and stylish to get your hands on.
Sacred’s comfortable atmosphere allows for an enjoyable shopping experience. There’s a soft, black leather couch set up in front of a flat screen TV, in case you’d like to preview some of the DVDs for sale. Also, in the back of the store there’s a hand-me-down foosball table for anyone to play with. So whether you spend $200 or even $25, Sacred is definitely an interesting place to hang out.
Besides setting a friendly, artistic vibe for his customers Glover spends most of his days working at the shop, and planning video premier parties. His latest party took place on Oct. 19th at Cabaloosas in New Paltz. Boarders from Plattsburgh, Massachusetts, Vermont, and even Long Island came to dance, party and watch the newly released “Blurred Tour” video, and “First Kiss” by Capita. Everyone who attended was given the chance to win a variety of cool prizes, like snowboards, jackets, hoodies, tees, hats etc. Tons of free stickers and key chains were piled on the bar, for anyone to grab. Just like Sacred Board Shop, Glover’s party was a hit.
If you’re into snowboarding, art, or underground Hip Hop and you’d like to check this place out, it is located at 11 Church Street in downtown New Paltz. Whether you are looking for a new snowboard, some cool accessories, or you just want to meet people, hang out and play foosball, Sacred Board Shop is the place to go.

Students, Stomachs Grumble Over Food

Campus food lacks healthy variety and convenient hours


Fresh out of the gym on a Saturday around noon, Samantha Holle, a junior secondary education major, wipes the sweat from her head as she walks to the Student Union Building food court. Opening the black doors of the SUB, Samantha can practically taste the sushi she has been anticipating all day. She hurriedly walks down the stairs, takes a left, then another left and then a final left into the sushi area, only to discover it is closed. What else is there? Sandellas, but it does not open until 1 p.m. She just wanted to eat healthy.

Holle is not alone in her complaint. Many students said that because most of the SUB food court is closed on weekends they are left with few options and have to spend extra money to eat off-campus

“As college students we can’t always afford to get food off-campus,” said Dave Vitone, a junior business major.

Students do not like an alternative to the SUB: Hasbrouck Dining Hall, which is open on weekends. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11a.m. until 3 p.m., extended brunch is from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. and dinner is served from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Although Hasbrouck is available for students on weekends they complain about it not having enough healthy options.

“The only thing I enjoy eating at Hasbrouck is brunch because I can get cereal,” said Holle. “Plus, if you go there after 3 p.m. nothing is left that I would ever consider eating.”

Representatives from Campus Dining Services said that until recently the SUB was not open on weekends, but they have taken measures in the last two years to try to change that. Renovations have been made in order to give students more options to get food.

“Two years ago we started by changing the SUB from having nothing open on the weekends to having Jazzman’s Café running from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on both Saturdays and Sundays,” said Michelle Chapin, SUB director. “Last year we added to that by opening Sandella’s from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. so that when Jazzman’s closes there will be another choice for students.”

Students said that despite the recent changes they have still had bad experiences with not being able to get food.

“After the gym a few Saturdays ago, I had a craving for sushi so I thought going to the SUB would be convenient,” said Alexandra Cocchiara, a junior elementary education major. “But I went into the SUB and nothing was open so I had to go to Subway and use cash instead of my pre-paid meal plan.”

Students said that although they have to spend money they would rather go off-campus to eat because the other options are not the best.

“I think it’s annoying because Hasbrouck does not have the best food and that is what we are left with besides Oscars, that opens at 7 p.m.,” said Holle. “I have to spend extra money in order to prevent myself from eating bad food.”

"They don’t care what we eat, or if we spend extra money off-campus."

Students said that the limited options for food on the weekends do not allow them to make use of their pre-paid meal plans.

“When Dining Services do not offer multiple choices for food on the weekends it makes me believe that they don’t care what we eat or if we spend extra money off-campus,” said Heather Ferreira, a sophomore.

Campus Dining Services said that students may be upset because they are unaware of their good intentions.

“We did it very discreetly so students may not notice our efforts but it’s a risk we have to take in order to keep a nice appearance,” said Ralph Perez-Rogers, general manager of Campus Dining Services.

Campus Dining Services said that the new design of the SUB—implemented by the renovations for fall 2006—has allowed them to open parts individually as opposed to having to operate all stations as a whole.

“If we had to just open up one section, such as the deli, we are able to do that because of the new gates and glass doors,” said Perez-Rogers.

Students said they understand that it would cost more financially to keep the SUB running on weekends. However, they do not know why CAS would make these renovations if they weren’t going to open it.

“Obviously it would cost a lot of money,” said Kevin Conlon,” a junior business major. “But why spend a lot of money building separate food sections if they are not serving their purpose?”

Students were recently encouraged to participate in the food service questionnaire to comment on the quality of CAS and the dining facilities. However, some students do not take this seriously.

“So we answer a few questions about the food and magically it gets fixed?” said Cocchiara. “Our comments will not lead to any change in the quality of the food, because I have made suggestions to Hasbrouck before and it is still the same.”