Sunday, April 21

Pollywogg Holler Clean Up

10 am-1 pm, Pollywogg Holler (6240 South Rd.  Belmont, NY)

Help with spring cleaning around the Pollywogg Holler property. Tasks will include cleaning up downed trees and branches, trail maintenance, debris removal, freshening up gardens & more. Wear weather-appropriate clothes, boots, and work gloves.  All volunteers will receive a free pizza.  Please RSPV at goo.gl/MX4D7

Hike and Picnic under Wind Turbines

11 am-2 pm

Join a hike on the Finger Lakes Trail to see the Howard wind turbines up close!  Hikers will bring their own food and picnic under the turbines. Meet at Alfred State’s Huntington Administration Building parking lot OR AU’s Ade Hall at 10:30 to offer or find a ride. RSVP to stantoca@alfredstate.edu or adm2@alfred.edu.

Showing of the film My Name is Allegany County

7-8:30 pm Cappedonia Auditorium in Alfred State’s Orvis Building

Alfred State’s Sustainability Club will show My Name is Allegany County, the inspiring story of how county residents successfully stopped the construction of a nuclear waste facility in Allegany County.

Monday, April 22 (Earth Day)

ACES Celebrates Earth Day

All day

Alfred State’s Auxiliary Campus Enterprises and Services, Inc. (ACES) is celebrating Earth Day all day.  It will be serving up a variety of meatless treats at their Grill Station and will introduce a new locally produced pizza crust.  ACES will help minimize waste by distributing reusable water bottles at lunch and providing plastic to-go bags only upon request at Friendly’s, Taco Bell, 10 Elm and Exit West.

Showing of the film Living Downstream

7 pm, Alfred Village Hall

This event is a screening of the film “Living Downstream”.  This poetic documentary follows ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber as she travels and tries to bring attention to the environmental links of cancer.

Tuesday, April 23

Water taste test

11 am-2 pm, outside Alfred State’s Central Dining Hall

Alfred State’s Sustainability Club will be promoting tap water with a fun challenge that asks students to see if they can tell the difference between bottled water and tap water.   

Stuff swap

3-6 pm, Alfred University’s Davis Gym

Come and trade items you no longer need for items owned by your peers!  Excess stuff will be donated to Opp Shop (located in Alfred Seventh Day Baptist Parish House) afterward.

Showing of the film Thin Ice: the Inside Story of Climate Science

7-8:30 pm Cappedonia Auditorium in Alfred State’s Orvis Building

Alfred State’s Sustainability Club will show Thin Ice: the Inside Story of Climate Science, a new movie that introduces the global community of climate scientists and examines popular critiques of their work.

Wednesday, April 24

Creek Clean Up

4-5:30 pm, footbridge behind Community Bank on Main Street

Join Alfred State’s Outdoor Recreation Club to clean up the small creek that goes through Alfred. Wear waterproof boots and clothes that are okay to get dirty.

Alfred State Sustainability Club Meeting

5-6 pm, Physical & Health Sciences Building conference room (Rm 102)

Get involved in sustainability on campus by attending this regularly scheduled meeting of Alfred State’s student Sustainability Club.

Allegany sustainability networking at Pollywogg Holler Eco-Resort

6:30 pm, Pollywogg Holler (6240 South Rd.  Belmont, NY)

Join other sustainability-minded people in and around Allegany County for live music and delicious pizza from a wood-fired oven. The goal of this event is to strengthen the sustainability community in Allegany county and create opportunities for area sustainability advocates to collaborate. Bring a friend! Carpools from Alfred will leave at 6 pm from the Alfred State’s Huntington Administration Building. There is a $5 entrance fee.

Thursday, April 25

Mountain Biking

4-7 pm, meet at the gazebo in front of Alfred State’s Orvis Building

Join Alfred State’s Outdoor Recreation Club on a mountain biking trip.  Participants must bring their own bike, helmet, and safety equipment.  

The Green Party: Time for Something Entirely Different

5-5:50 pm, Alfred Village Hall

Virginia Rasmussen will introduce the Green Party and lead a discussion.

Friday, April 26

Tour of Sustainability Innovations at Alfred State’s Wellsville Campus

11 am, Zero Energy Home (2530 River Road, Wellsville)

Take a guided tour of the sustainability projects at Alfred State’s School of Applied Technology, including a Zero Energy Home, multiple renewable energy installations, and a constructed wetland that filters contaminants out of water.

Saturday, April 27

Tree Planting in Andover

8:45 am, meet at Andover Central School

Join the Upper Genesee chapter of Trout Unlimited to plant trees around Dyke Creek in Andover.  Bring gloves and boots.

Hot Dog Day Fair

Noon-5pm, Main Street in Alfred

Several Earth Week activities are happening in conjunction with Hot Dog Day. Alfred Community Garden will host a table to recruit new gardeners and provide some hands-on seed planting activities for the kids.  In addition, tofu dogs will be sold at the Hillel Club stand by the bus stop. Volunteers are also need to help collect recyclables generated by Hot Dog Day. Please sign up to help with recycling collection at goo.gl/u2tWv.

Sunday, April 28

Hot Dog Day Clean-up, Shift 1

8 am, meet in the parking lot of Community Bank on Main Street

Help clean up any litter left over from Hot Dog Day. Alfred State will provide materials. Wear clothing that can get dirty.  Please sign up in advance at goo.gl/U415C

Hot Dog Day Clean-up, Shift 2

12:30 pm, meet in front of Alfred University’s Kanakadea Hall

Garbage bags and plastic gloves will be provided. Wear clothing that can get dirty.

Unlike their namesake, The Icarus Account, the band comprised of twin brothers Ty and Trey Turner from the west coast, aimed low at their performance at Alfred University this past Saturday. There was a modest crowd of roughly 25 people (even some local high school students swung by) to watch the acoustic duo, but they did little to draw in any people who might be passing in the hallways. Daring to perform barefoot on a cold Alfred Saturday, they strummed their guitar and banged their tambourines to repetitive, cliché lyrics and melodies. Sure, they sounded nice, but they never did anything remotely ambitious. They hyped up every song (and I mean literally every song) with long personal anecdotes that, although funny at times, were unnecessary and took away from their music. The show was roughly an hour long and half of that was spent storytelling. Although they interacted well with the audience and had a somewhat engaging stage presence, I wasn’t hooked by any of their music. The twin brother duo played well together, and I encourage them to try and push each other more, try something different than melodramatic coffeehouse music. Hopefully, in the future, they’ll learn to aim higher as musicians.

Friday March 22, Alfred University faculty and students presented Eve Ensler’s episodic play The Vagina Monologues.

The show was interesting to watch, intriguing to listen to but a little disappointing to be an audience member for. The Vagina Monologues were written by Eve Ensler and premiered on Broadway in 1996 originally starring Ensler and has gained international acclaim.

Friday’s show didn’t exactly live up to the expectations, granted that this was a project of passion and sending a very clear message but felt a more like an M. Night Shyamalan movie, and I’m not talking about the Sixth Sense.

The Vagina Monologues progressed slowly and had a number of highlights that brought the show back from the brink and ended the performance on a strong foot.

The highlights, in no particular order:

·     Kyrie Gentilcore’s performance of “My Vagina Workshop” was a breath of fresh air providing a sultry innocence, while giving off a profound allure. It had me drawn in and my ears perked at every syllable.

·     “My Angry Vagina” performed by Julia Houk had charisma pouring from her…ahem, mouth. Every word, “fuck” and sentence got the message of “anger and injustice toward the vagina” crystal clear.

·     “Reclaiming Cunt” performed by Katelyn Charles was fast, loud, clear, funny and had the audience feeding off of her energy the entire time with harsh but enjoyable magnetism.

·     “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy” performed by Sabrina Metter had a certain charm about it, starting off a little slow but ending on a high note.

·     “I Was There in The Room” read by AU Professor Cecilia Beach was accompanied by clear diction, was well said, fast and drew me in at every breath.

My honorable mention was Pam Schu’s reading of “The Flood.” What it lacked in flow, it made up in with shear likability and poise, with a small slip up but a quick recovery a pleasant performance.“Six Year Old Girl” read by Katlyn Baughman and Abra Gabrielle Smith; both performers were just plain likeable, they brought a smile to the audience and kept the energy going.

The rest of the show provided a resonating and powerful message of empowerment but it lost me with bland readings. Each performer had charm but in the end, justice wasn’t done to the powerful writing of The Vagina Monologues.

It left me smiling but not moved,  the show felt as though the potential was there but it couldn’t tap into it nearly enough. With a few performances feeling like it was first reading by the performer.

But unfortunately strong, passionate messages were lost to mistakes and jumbled diction and mumbled words. With quivering lips and poorly coordinated entrances and exits, The Vagina Monologues wasn’t the place to be but was good show that was missed.

The incredible message was sent out but wasn’t thrown in my face, good writing with less than stellar performances was the last nail in the coffin for this year’s performance of The Vagina Monologues.

            Sunday February 24th, at 10:00 AM, the Men’s Varsity Soccer Team hosted a 3v3 mini tournament in McLane Gym. The tournament was sponsored by Grassroots Soccer foundation, an organization whose sole purpose is to help African youth fight HIV and AIDS. Members of the AU community, as well as members from neighboring villages and towns, turned up to show their support. This was not the first time AU has hosted the tournament with it being previously hosted in 2009.

            By dividing McLane Gymnasium floor into two indoor fields, the teams involved were able to play against one another in hopes of making their way to the championship match. Each team was given the opportunity to play three ten minute games.  The tournament used a group stage format to organize the teams; there was never a moment in McLane where a game was not going on. With twenty-four teams participating, and each with a fifteen dollar admissions fee, the Men’s Soccer Team raised a little over one-thousand eight hundred dollars through registration fees, donations, and sponsorships to donate to Grassroots Soccer foundation.

            Omar Mohammed, a freshmen business major, who spearheaded the tournament, spoke fondly of the tournament. Mohammed also credits his fellow teammates for the immense amount of support he received from them.

 “I’m very thankful for all the help my teammates gave me. Without them I would have never been able to make the tournament as successful as it was.”

            When Mohammed was asked how he got involved with Grassroots Soccer, he explained how he previously saw the tournament run in his hometown of Rochester, and believed the tournament could be a success at Alfred.

         “When I saw the tournament in Rochester I was amazed with the turnout. I thought to myself I could run a similar tournament here in Alfred and do just as well. It’s a great fundraiser” said Mohammed.

            Together, the Alfred communities, as well as neighboring communities, were able to help Grassroots Soccer towards reaching their goal of educating one million young people on how to live Aids-free.

            To learn more about Grassroots Soccer and what they stand for, visit www.grassrootsoccer.org

We at the Fiat Lux are excited to bring you our 100th anniversary masquerade formal this Friday at 10pm in Howell Hall. The tickets are only $5 for delicious desserts, DJ’s and dancing galore! 

We first and foremost want to celebrate with all our supporters and peers and we also hope to raise enough funds to print an end of the year issue. Tickets will be sold tomorrow and Friday in Powell starting at 12pm till about 1:00-1:30. You can also buy them at the door.

Hope to see you all there!

Fiat Staff

On Friday in the Knight Club S.A.B. brought us Tan Vampires, an indie-alternative rock band from Dover New Hampshire. They “killed” the majority of their songs, despite a few technical difficulties early on; they also made a fashion statement through their hip, yet somewhat questionable attire. With each member of the band possessing a thick beard and the lead singer’s jet black mustache, it was hard at times to focus on their musical performance rather than appearance.

The band’s usage of electronic loops, long guitar rifts, as well as their vintage keyboard, made their sound very similar to bands like Modest Mouse, Death Cab For Cutie, and Radiohead.

Jake Mehrmann, lead singer for the band, stood out due to his liveliness and seriousness. Although not very sociable, the audience gravitated towards the stage lured in by the mixture of Mehrmann’s diligent voice and unique use of instruments.

The most impressing part of the performance was the way Tan Vampires would transition from one song to another. When one song would end on a softer note, within seconds, an amplified guitar rift, or quick hit of the drums entered to quickly draw the attention of the audience back towards the stage.

For example their fifth song ended on a darker note and chills ran down my back. That feeling quickly disappeared when the following song started with a sound resembling an early 90’s hip-hop beat. In a matter of seconds I had gone from feeling uncomfortable, to bobbing my head and vibing out with the rest of the audience.

To sum it up the quality of Tan Vampires’ performance increased as the show went on. Despite a somewhat of a rocky start with their first song, as well as following technical difficulties after the third song, the Tan Vampires were quick to make immense improvements from their early errors, and turn the rest of the performance into a quality, well run show.

 Check out their facebook here.