Cortland's Counting Crows

THURSDAY INSIDE december 2, 2010 The benefits of News..........1-3 Black Friday Opinions......4-6 OPINIONS, PAGE 5 Lifestyles..7-9 INDEX Interview with musician Sports.....10-12 Pamela Means Vol. LXXXVIII No. 10 LIFESTYLES, PAGE 7 State University of New York College at Cortland Cortland’s Counting Crows The city and campus has chased a portable wailer for $2,000 that can be loaned out fallen prey to massive to residential areas at the dis- flocks of crows this year cretion of the city alderman. Without access to such de- By Dan Harding Jr. vices, students have had to Editor-in-Chief get creative in their attempts to get rid of the nuisance. “I’ve tried throwing rocks, When senior Phil Wiltshire blasting the horn of my car, drove down the street two weeks even shooting at them with my ago, nearly every head would bb gun,” says senior Clayton turn to catch a glimpse of his Avenue resident Jon Walsh. car. His ‘93 Chevy Lumina has “They just keep coming back.” no outstanding features that nor- Pest control experts all agree mally attract attention. It doesn’t that crows are one of the most have a hemi, spinning rims, or a common pests they receive com- booming bass, but what he does plaints about, and are also the have is a car covered license plate most difficult to get rid of because to license plate in crow feces. of their high level of intelligence. “I’ve washed my car four “Crows happen to be very times since I’ve been back,” persistent and extraordinarily says Wiltshire slouching on his stubborn,” says “How to Get Rid way to the car wash. “I don’t of Things” author, Eric Ronning. get it - I’ll wash my car one day “Keeping this in mind, the best and it’ll be covered the next.” thing you can do to get rid of Any Cortland resident crows is to be even more persistent who has parked their car under and more stubborn than they are.” a tree, which is likely in cen- Ronning explains that tral New York, has probably most crows that linger around fallen victim to the same fate. a certain area do so because It was embarassing to drive there is a food source nearby. my car around Cortland,” said se- “Remove all things that nior Matt Iano. “I must have done photo provided by Flickr.com crows might find edible includ- something to the crows in my past ing bird feeders/baths and dog life because everyday I would An unfortunate car outside of Dowd which has seen first-hand the impact of the Cortland crows and cat kibble and water dish- find my car totally covered.” es,” says Ronning. “You will The Cortland City Govern- on the town and has even taken been equipped with a wailer that to deter the crows from landing steps toward warding them off. emits the sounds of hawks and ea- within five acres of their premises. ment has been aware of the bur- See CROWS , page3 den the migrating birds have had The County Courthouse has gles between 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. In 2008, the city pur- Thanksgiving Food Drive Phi Iota Alpha Four Cortland students members learned about different cultures along with their own. bring new Latino They developed many goals they Fraternity to campus had for the organization, with their first goal focused on becoming a chapter. Sororities and Fraterni- By Becky Greenland ties need to be active for at least a News Editor year and have ten members in or- der to be recognized as a chapter. They also agreed that they want to spread awareness about During the week of No- Latin American culture in Cort- vember 8th, four students be- land and create a unity between came the founding fathers of cultures. Valdez is the colony’s the Cortland colony of Phi Iota president and a Business Eco- Alpha fraternity, the oldest La- nomics major from the Bronx. tino fraternity in existence. He said, “I wanted to be a part Sophomore Jonathan Ro- of something that is bigger than driguez, and Juniors Gustavo myself and that will help Cort- Santiago, Jose Valdez and land become more diverse.” Omar Vivas banded together The fraternity’s primary phi- to create the colony, whose or- photo by Becky Greenland lanthropies are the Icla Da Silva ganization branches back to Members of the Field Hockey team delivered Thanksgiving meals to needy families in Cortland County Foundation, which helps people 1931 at Rensselaer Polytech- with leukemia, and St. Jude Chil- nic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. pumpkin pies, boxes of mashed who finds families in need. dren’s Research Hospitals, which Sports teams deliver The fraternity’s main mission helps children with cancer. They potatoes, stuffing, and the all im- Overall, about 30 athletes is to develop leaders and create Thanksgiving meals to portant Thanksgiving turkey to from ten different teams were are also working closely with innovative ways to unite the Lati- UNICEF, the United Nations In- the needy in Cortland needy families in Cortland county. involved in the drive, which de- no community. They will provide The team members were tak- livered food to 20 homes the ternational Children’s Emergency cultural programs geared toward Fund, and recently hosted “Pie By Becky Greenland ing part in the annual Thanks- Sunday before thanksgiving. the appreciation, promotion and giving Food Drive sponsored by The students started by gath- for a Cause” in Corey Union. News Editor preservation of the Latin Ameri- Phi Iota Alpha teamed up the Student Athletic Advisory ering at Park Center to put togeth- can culture. The fraternity sup- Committee (SAAC) and Loaves er bags of food. After getting di- with Omega Phi Beta, Lamda ports and promotes Pan-Ameri- Upsilom Lamda and the VOICE and Fishes, a soup kitchen in rections from Michael Discenza, canism, which seeks to promote Cortland. This is third year Assistant Director of Athletics, office to receive pies in the face Crunching over fallen Au- relationships and cooperation be- for donations. The fraternity tumn leaves, six girls from the the drive has been made pos- the groups headed out to one of the tween North and South America. Cortland field hockey team de- sible with the help from Loaves During the intake process to livered canned corn, apple and and Fish’s director, Kim Hill, See THANKSGIVING , page 3 create a colony at Cortland, the See FRATERNITY, page 3 2 December 2, 2010 The Dragon Chronicle NEWS What’s Going On? Calendar of Events: December 2-8 Moot Court Competition The Moot Court team Today: takes on various schools in regional competition 7 p.m. Learn about the advantages, disadvatages and potiential impact on the news in the program, “The Future of News Media.” By Christopher Latimer Located in Park Center, room D 242. Contributing Writer 7 p.m. The Eastern European Film Series presents the cult favorite East German film, “The Legend of Paul and Paula,” in Sperry 305. On Friday, November 19, ten students from Cortland travelled to Fitchburg State University located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts Friday: to compete in the Eastern Re- 11:30 The 41st Annual Service Awards Ceremony which honors gional Moot Court competition. a.m. employees who have worked 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years at Moot Court involves student photo by Christopher Latimer participants who compete in a Cortland. Located in the Corey Union Function Room. simulated legal case before a hy- The Cortland Moot Court team at their competition at Fitchburg pothetical appellate court. The appellate court panel consists of Saturday: two or three judges who are usu- University, the College of the the Director of Judicial Affairs 6 p.m. Join a team and help support cancer research at Relay for Life, ally practicing attorneys, law fac- Holy Cross, Merrimack Col- Nanette Pasquarello, the Dean located in the Park Field House. ulty, and judges from Massachu- lege, Fitchburg State University, of Arts and Sciences Bruce Mat- setts and the federal court system. Patrick Henry College, Princ- tingly, the Assistant Vice Presi- Teams of two draw from a eton University, Bridgewater dent of Research and Sponsored narrow list of actual Supreme State University, Bentley Col- Programs Amy Henderson-Harr, Court decisions to support their lege and College of New Jersey. the Department of Political Sci- Sunday: arguments. Students partici- Each team was given the op- ence, the Political Science Asso- pating in Moot Court sharpen portunity to argue two prelimi- ciation and a Grant from the Fac- 1 p.m. Come watch the Panhellenic Dodgeball Tournament and sup- their critical thinking skills, nary rounds as both petitioner and ulty Development Committee. port the local soup kitchen, Loaves and Fishes. $3 at the door, gain experience with interpre- respondent. Before the third pre- Without this support, they would located in the Park Center Gymnasium. tation of the law and consider liminary round, a coin toss would not have been able to compete. complex constitutional issues. determine which side the teams The teams performed well The 2010-2011 problem would represent. At the end of the at the competition and improved involved questions concern- day on Friday, half of the partici- their standings from last year. ing the Commerce Clause, a pating teams would be eliminated Three of the five teams made it Monday: federal law requiring an indi- and half would move on to the through to Saturday and two of vidual to purchase health insur- elimination rounds on Saturday. those teams made it to round 16 Last day for in class examinations.

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