Arts & Entertainment

The award-winning, visual music journey Mesmerica has returned to the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Reichert Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with showings each week on Fridays and Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The hour-long show features 360-degree projections and stunning 7.1 surround sound.

The program brings the music of James Hood, an award-winning composer and percussionist, together with visually hypnotic, animated 3D art curated from artists around the world. Mesmerica is designed to transcend time, relax, and soothe while simultaneously stimulating the senses.

“The power of immersive music and art is like no other art form,” Hood said. “It has the ability to create unique moods and brain states. The result is an experience that is simultaneously an epic immersive visual journey and an opportunity to de-stress.” The soundtrack, taken from Hood’s album Mesmerica, is based around the sound of a uniquely soothing percussion instrument called the “Hang.”

James Hood is renowned as a vital and versatile musical pioneer. His lengthy and varied musical resume includes playing drums in The Pretenders; an ongoing two-decades-plus run as mastermind of the visionary ambient/electronica act Moodswings; and an expansive array of production and soundtrack projects. His album Ceremony reached number one on World and New Age charts in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the UK in 2014, then repeated that success with the release of Pure Ceremony in 2015.

Tickets can be purchased directly through Hood’s Mesmerica site: PURCHASE TICKETS

Joe Jencks

The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook welcomes the return of the WUSB Sunday Street Series in the Gillespie Room of the Carriage Museum on Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. with a concert by  Joe Jencks and Rod MacDonald.

Joe Jencks

Joe Jencks is a 22-year veteran of the international Folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter and a celebrated vocalist based in the Chicago area. He is known for his performances of musical beauty, social consciousness and spiritual exploration. Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove, and grit. Co-founder of the harmony trio Brother Sun, Jencks has penned several #1 Folksongs including the ever-relevant Lady of The Harbor. His 2022 release, ’ The Coming of the Years’ has become a favorite of critics. www.joejencks.com

Rod MacDonald

Rod MacDonald began singing professionally in New York City, where he became a headliner in Greenwich Village clubs in the 1980s and recorded 21 songs now in the Smithsonian Folkways collection. He has 13 solo CDs, with 2014’s “Later That Night” making the top ten on national independent music charts, and three CDs with Big Brass Bed, which New Times named “Best Folk Band” in 2016. He is also Music Americana instructor with Osher Lifelong Learning at Florida Atlantic University, and was named Distinguished Faculty Member in 2012. Rod has been a regular in our annual Bob Dylan birthday celebrations.www.rodmacdonald.net

Tickets are $ 25.00 advance sale until February 17th at www.sundaystreet.org. Tickets at the door (cash only) are $30.

These concerts are a collaboration of WUSB’s Sunday Street Series, The Long Island Museum, and The Greater Port Jefferson Art’s Council.

Photo courtesy of Humane Long Island

Humane Long Island is donating vegan gift bags to every person who adopts a dog, cat, or other fuzzy, finned, or feathered friend from participating animal shelters across Long Island for the next 30 days to both promote adoption and kindness to all animals in the New Year.

“Veganuary” gift bags will include vegan food items such as Beyond Jerky, Hippeas, and Vego candy bars from Cindysnacks vegan market in Huntington – which has just been named Humane Long Island’s 2022 Business of the Year – as well as coupons, literature, stickers, and activity books that make it easy to pursue a healthy, vegan lifestyle.

Participating shelters include Babylon Animal Shelter, Brookhaven Animal Shelter, Cove Animal Rescue in Glen Cove, Kent Animal Shelter in Riverhead, Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter in Port Jefferson Station, Smithtown Animal Shelter, Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, Town of Huntington Cat Shelter Operated by Little Shelter, and Humane Long Island’s Riverhead Aviary.

John Di Leonardo, anthrozoologist and president of Humane Long Island, says “Whether you’re looking to adopt a fuzzy, finned, or feathered friend this year, Humane Long Island would like to say thank you by offering healthy, cruelty-free gift bags to everyone who rescues a homeless animal during the month of January! We hope these delicious vegan samples will encourage adopters to save 200 more animals each year by simply leaving animals off their plate and out of their wardrobe.”

Patricia Deshong, Executive Director of the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, says “Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is proud to save the lives of animals with the goal of finding them their forever homes. Animals are friends, not food! We thank our friend and fellow rescue partner Humane Long Island for taking the lead on promoting a vegan/plant-based lifestyle and fully support this initiative.”

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Few individuals in American history have made an impact as sizable as Martin Luther King, Jr. King wore many hats throughout his tragically short life, from minister to activist to scholar, leaving behind a legacy that is worthy of celebration. Though King was assassinated before he even reached his fortieth birthday, his life was filled with many notable events. Many of those events positively affected, and continue to affect, the lives of millions of others. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University notes that the following are some of the major events of King’s life.

• January 15, 1929: Now commemorated annually as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (in 2023, the holiday is observed on Monday, January 16), January 15 marks the day King was born in 1929. King was born in Atlanta, where his father was a pastor at the Ebenezer church.

• September 20, 1944: Despite being only 15 years old, King begins his freshman year at Morehouse College. King was only a high school junior in 1944, but he was admitted to Morehouse, where his father studied for his ministerial degree, after passing the school’s entrance exam.

• August 6, 1946: King’s letter to the editor of The Atlanta Constitution is published. The letter reflects King’s belief that Black Americans are entitled to the same rights and opportunities as White Americans. King’s father later admitted this letter was the first time he and his wife recognized their son’s “developing greatness.”

• February 25, 1948: Following in his father’s footsteps, King is ordained and appointed assistant pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in his hometown of Atlanta.

• June 8, 1948: King earns his bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Morehouse College.

• May 6-8, 1951: King graduates from Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. He delivers the valedictory address during the graduation ceremony.

• June 18, 1953: King marries Coretta Scott near the bride’s family home in Marion, Alabama. Coretta Scott King would also become a vocal activist, advocating for peace and gay rights and expressing her opposition to apartheid in the 1980s. She would not remarry after her husband’s assassination.

• June 5, 1955: King ears his doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University.

• December 5, 1955: King becomes president of the Montgomery Improvement Association after the organization is formed at the Holt Street Baptist Church. MIA is formed in response to the arrest of Rosa Parks five days earlier after she refused to vacate her seat for a white passenger.

• January 27, 1956: A threatening phone call late in the evening inspires King to carry on with his activism.

• January 30, 1956: King’s home is bombed while he is elsewhere delivering a speech. His wife and daughter are not injured in the blast.

• January 10-11, 1957: King is named chairman of what becomes the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which was an organization of southern black ministers working together to combat segregation.

• June 23, 1958: King and other leaders meet with U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Washington, D.C.

• September 17, 1958: Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story is published. It is King’s first book.

• September 20, 1958: King survives a stabbing during a book signing in Harlem, New York. During a surgery after the stabbing, doctors remove a seven-inch letter opener from King’s chest.

• April 16, 1963: King writes his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in response to criticisms of the Birmingham Campaign, a collective effort on the part of the SCLC and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) to combat segregation in the Alabama city. The letter becomes one of King’s most famous writings.

• August 28, 1963: King delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

• January 3, 1964: King is named “Man of the Year” by Time magazine.

December 10, 1964: King receives the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

• March 17-25, 1965: King helps to lead civil rights marchers from Selma to Montgomery.

• June 7, 1966: King and other leaders resume James Meredith’s “March Against Fear” from Memphis to Jackson, Mississippi. Meredith was unable to continue after he was shot and wounded.

• April 3, 1968: King delivers his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” as he returns to Memphis to lead a peaceful march of striking sanitation workers.

• April 4, 1968: King is shot and killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. He is buried in Atlanta five days later.

Nicole Zuraitis is one of four performers coming to the Jazz Loft next month in the intimate “Acoustic in the Main Room” series. Photo from The Jazz Loft
The Jazz Loft Presents ‘Acoustic in the Main Room’ Series in February 2023

Featuring duos/trios in intimate setting with local wines

 Don’t like big crowds? Who does these days? Then the Jazz Loft’s Acoustic in the Main Room series is your ticket to paradise. This jazz music series showcases small duos/trios in the Loft’s main performance room which will be set up to resemble an intimate living room, with spaced out seating. The concerts are conversational, engaging and intimate and a very special window into the heart and mind of the artists.

“Our Acoustic in the Main Room series is a unique opportunity to hear some of the most talented singers and musicians that perform regularly at the Loft in a relaxed setting, reminiscent of the New York City Loft scene of the 1950’s which inspired the Jazz Loft’s name,” said Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel. “If you don’t know any Jazz performers personally to invite into your own living room, then this is the next best thing.”

Tickets will be limited to just 85 people and start at 7 p.m., and feature two sets with a brief intermission. Each concert will have a different theme and be paired with local regional wines which are available for sale. Tickets for all performances are $40 and start at 7 p.m. and can be purchased at https://www.thejazzloft.org.

The Acoustic in the Main Room series calendar:

February 9-Featuring Mala Waldron on piano and vocals; with Mike Hall on bass; and Tom Manuel on cornet.

February 10-Houston Person on tenor saxophone; Steve Salerno on guitar and Tom Manuel on cornet.

February 24- Buddy Merriam on mandolin; Steve Salerno on guitar and Tom Manuel on cornet

February 25- Grammy-nominated singer Nicole Zuraitis, with Steve Salerno on guitar and Tom Manuel on cornet

All performances are hosted by Tom Manuel and Laura Landor.

The Jazz Loft is located at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook. For more information, call 631-751-1895.

In order to be aware of potentially adverse events, you have to be your own best advocate and read labels. METRO photo
Recently updated FDA warnings highlight risks

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Dr. David Dunaief

What’s in your medicine cabinet?

Many of us keep a supply of over-the-counter medications for pain relief, fever and inflammation. This could include acetaminophen and a variety of NSDAIDs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium and diclofenac sodium.

“NSAIDs” is shorthand for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are available by prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) at your local pharmacy or at any newsstand. Familiar NSAID brand names include Advil, Motrin, Aleve and Voltaren.

Americans consume more than 30 billion doses of NSAIDs a year, including both prescription and OTC use (1). As for acetaminophen, also known by the brand name, Tylenol, one quarter of Americans take it weekly. 

Perhaps because they’re so easy to access and take, many think of these drugs as low risk. According to a poll of regular OTC NSAID users, 60 percent of them were not aware that they can have dangerous side effects (2).

They are so commonplace that most of my patients don’t even include them in a list of medications they take. I need to specifically ask about them.

Why be concerned about NSAIDs?

Unfortunately, NSAIDs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are responsible for 7,600 deaths annually and 10 times that number in hospitalizations (3). 

NSAIDs increase the risk of several maladies, including heart attacks, gastrointestinal bleeding, stroke, exacerbation of diverticular disease, chronic arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) and erectile dysfunction. In some instances, the cardiovascular effects can be fatal.

These risks prompted the FDA to strengthen the warning labels on non-aspirin NSAID labels in 2015, advising that those taking NSAIDs should immediately seek medical attention if they experience chest pain, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, weakness in one part or side of their body, or slurred speech (4).

As recently as late 2020, the FDA added a warning label to non-aspirin NSAIDs about the potential for fetal kidney damage and pregnancy complications beginning around week 20 of a pregnancy (4).

Research on NSAID complications

In a case control study using the UK Primary Care Database, chronic users of NSAIDs between ages 40 and 89 had a significantly increased risk of a serious arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat) called atrial fibrillation (5).

Interestingly, chronic users were defined as patients who took NSAIDs for more than 30 days. Those patients who used NSAIDs more than 30 days had a 57 percent increased risk of atrial fibrillation. A Danish study reinforces these results after the first month of use (6). This is not very long to have such a substantial risk. For patients who used NSAIDs longer than one year, the risk increased to 80 percent. 

Atrial fibrillation is not an easy disease to treat.

NSAIDs also increase the risk of mortality in chronic users. Older patients who have heart disease or hypertension (high blood pressure) and are chronic NSAIDs users are at increased risk of death, according to an observational study (7). Compared to those who never or infrequently used them over about 2.5 years, chronic users had a greater than twofold increase in death due to cardiovascular causes. High blood pressure was not a factor, since the chronic users actually had lower blood pressure. Yet I have seen with my patients that NSAID use can increase blood pressure. 

Is acetaminophen better than NSAIDs?

The Food & Drug Administration announced in 2011 that acetaminophen should not exceed 325 mg every four to six hours when used as a prescription combination pain reliever (4). The goal is to reduce and avoid severe injury to the liver, which can cause liver failure. 

There is an intriguing paradox with acetaminophen: Hospitals typically dispense regular-strength 325-mg doses of the drug, whereas OTC doses frequently are found in extra-strength 500-mg tablets, and often the suggested dose is two tablets, or 1 gram. At the FDA’s request, Tylenol lowered its recommended daily dosage for extra strength Tylenol to no more than 3 grams a day to lower the risk of liver damage.

I have patients who have exceeded this, thinking that, because it is OTC, this is “safe.” Unfortunately, this is not true and can be dangerous.

One study that showed acute liver failure was due primarily to unintentional overdoses of acetaminophen (8). Accidental overdosing is more likely to occur when taking acetaminophen at the same time as a combination sinus, cough or cold remedy that also contains acetaminophen. OTC and prescription cold medications can contain acetaminophen.

Of course, if you already suffer from liver damage or disease, you should consult with your physician before taking any medications.

In order to be aware of potentially adverse events, you have to be your own best advocate and read labels. Remember to tell your physician if you are taking any OTC medications.

If you are a chronic user of NSAIDs or acetaminophen because of underlying inflammation, you may find an anti-inflammatory diet is an effective alternative.

References:

(1) Medscape.com, 2021 Oct 21 (emedicine.medscape.com/article/816117-overview). (2) J Rheumatol. 2005;32;2218-2224. (3) Annals of Internal Medicine, 1997;127:429-438. (4) fda.gov (5) Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(16):1450-1455. (6) BMJ 2011;343:d3450. (7) Am J Med. 2011 Jul;124(7):614-620. (8) Am J Gastroenterol. 2007;102:2459-2463.

Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.

Nandita Kumari at the 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Woodlands, Texas in March of 2022. Photo by Delia Enriquez Draper from the Lunar and Planetary Institute

By Daniel Dunaief

Some day in the not too distant future, an astronaut may approach rocks on the moon and, with a handheld instrument, determine within minutes whether the rock might have value as a natural resource or as a source of historical information.

That’s the vision Nandita Kumari, a fourth-year graduate student in the Department of Geosciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University, has.

In the meantime, Kumari was part of a multi-institutional team that recommended two landing sites in the moon’s south polar region for future Artemis missions. 

Nandita Kumari at a San Francisco Volcanic Field, where she was doing stress and strain measurements of cinders. Photo by Saurabh Subham.

The group, which included students from the University of Arizona, the University of California Los Angeles, and the University of Buffalo, used several criteria to recommend these two sites.

They looked at the resources that might be available, such as water and rocks, at how long the areas are in sunlight and at how the features of the land, from the slope of hills to the size of boulders, affects the sites accessibility.

“These two sites ended up fulfilling all these criteria,” Kumari said. Models suggest water might be present and the regions are in sunlight more than 80 percent of the time, which is critical for solar-powered devices.

The group used high-resolution data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to create a map of all the rocks and to model the geological diversity of the site. They used infrared images to gather data from areas when they were dark. They also added temperature readings.

To the delight of the team, NASA selected both of the sites as part of a total of 13 potential landing locations.

Planetary scientist David Kring advised the group during the process. Kring has trained astronauts and worked on samples brought back from the Apollo missions.

At the end of the first year of her PhD, Kumari received encouragement to apply for the virtual internship with Kring from Stony Brook Geosciences Professor Tim Glotch, who runs the lab where she has conducted her PhD work.

Putting a number on it

Kumari said her thesis is about using machine learning to understand the composition of resources on the moon. She would like to use artificial intelligence to delve deeply into the wealth of data moon missions and observations have been collecting to use local geology as a future resource.

“Instead of saying something has a ‘little’ or a ‘lot’” of a particular type of rock that might have specific properties, she would like to put a specific numerical value on it.

An engineer by training, Kumari said she is a “very big fan of crunching numbers.”

Since joining the lab, Kumari has become “our go-to source for any type of statistical analysis me or one of my other students might want to conduct,” Glotch explained.

The work Kumari has done provides “large improvements over traditional spectroscopic analysis techniques,” Glotch added.

In examining rocks for silicic properties, meaning those that contain silicon, most scientists describe a rock as being less or more silicic, Kumari said.

“It’s difficult to know whether 60 percent is high or 90 percent is high,” she added. Such a range can make an important difference, and provides information about history, formation and thermal state of the planet and about potential resources.

With machine learning that trains on data collected in the lab, the model is deployed on orbiter data.

The machine learning doesn’t stop with silica. It can also be extended to search for helium 3 and other atoms.

Understanding and using the available natural resources reduces the need to send similar raw materials to the moon from Earth.

“There has to be a point where we stop” transporting materials to the moon, said Kumari. “It’s high time we use modern practices and methods so we can go through really large chunks of data with limited error.”

The machine learning starts with a set of inputs and outputs, along with an algorithm to explain the connection. As it sorts through data, it compares the outputs against what it expects. When the data doesn’t match the algorithm, it adjusts the algorithm and compares that to additional data, refining and improving the model’s accuracy.

A love for puzzles

Kumari, who grew up in Biharsharif, India, a small town in the northern state of Bihar, said this work appeals to her because she “loves puzzles that are difficult to solve.” She also tries to find solutions in the “fastest way possible.”

Kumari was recently part of a field exploration team in Utah that was processing data. The team brought back data and manually compared the measurements to the library to see what rocks they had.

She wrote an algorithm that provided the top five matches to the spectroscopic measurements the researchers found. Her work suggested the presence of minerals the field team didn’t anticipate. What’s more, the machine provided the analysis in five minutes.

The same kind of analysis can be used on site to study lunar rocks.

“When astronauts go to the moon, we shouldn’t require geology experts to be there to find the best rocks” she said. While having a geologist is the best-case scenario, that is not always possible. “Anyone with a code in their instruments should be able to decide whether it is what they’re looking for.”

As for her interest in space travel, Kumari isn’t interested in trekking to the moon or Mars.

While she believes the moon and Mars should be a base for scientific experiments, she doesn’t think people should focus on colonizing either place.

Such colonization ideas may reduce the importance of working on the challenges humans have created on Earth, including climate change.

“You can’t move to Mars,” Kumari said. The litmus test for that occurred during Covid, when people had to isolate.

“If we couldn’t stay in our homes with all the comfort and everything, I do not see a future where this would be possible with stringent constraints on Mars,” she added.

An advocate for women in STEM fields, Kumari said women should pursue scientific careers even if someone else focuses on their mistakes or tries to break their confidence.

“The only way to stop this from happening is to have women in higher places,” she explained. “We should also be supportive of each other and grow together.”

Konstantin

Welcome to the 13th edition of Paw Prints, a monthly column for animal lovers dedicated to helping shelter pets find their furever home! 

Mia

Meet Mia

Mia is a spayed female pit or mastiff mix currently up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. Short and stout and built for play, Mia loves to self-entertain, throwing her toys all over the place and making people smile. She also loves snuggle time, going for walks and giving kisses. This lovely dog is a volunteer favorite with her goofy personality and fun-loving attitude. Mia grew up as a yard dog making her very distrustful of strangers so she needs a home that can manager proper introductions to new people until she is comfortable.  Once Mia accepts someone, it is forever. Call 631-360-7575 to set up a meet and greet.

Konstantin

Meet Konstantin

This handsome guy is Konstantin, a 5-year-old tabby cat at the Brookhaven Animal Shelter who is constantly purring and looking for love. Konstantin arrived at the shelter after being taken out of a bad situation for his own safety. He arrived flea infested and upon an examination with the doctor it was discovered that he has a heart murmur. An echocardiogram revealed that he has Tachycardia and now takes a 81mg aspirin once every three days. It was recommended that he have a follow up Echocardiogram in 9 months. He is doing fabulous and he is hoping to find his forever home very soon. Weighing in at 11.12 pounds, he up to date on vaccinations, micro-chipped and FELV/FIV negative. If you are in the market for a new furry family member, please consider opening your heart and home to Konstantin — you won’t regret it! Call 631-451-8696.

Suzzie

Meet Suzzie

A self-proclaimed fan of “sweater weather,” this stylishly outfitted young lady is Suzzie, a two-year-old Shih Tzu mix waiting at Little Shelter in Huntington for her furever home. With her charming disposition and adventuresome spirit, she would fit perfectly into any household, upping the happiness quotient. Kind, social and just the right amount of silly, this adorable girl is hoping to find her forever home, knowing she possess all the qualifications of a best friend. She is fully grown, housebroken and gets along with other dogs and cats. Suzzie may just be the reason that the Shih Tzu is one of America’s the most popular dogs. Find out for yourself…stop by to meet her today! Call 631-368-8770, ext. 21.

Fergie

Meet Fergie

“Dear Diary. Here are some words to help you on the journey of your life. You’ll need a hero. And a good dog. Especially a good dog.” Meet Fergie, a gentle, well-mannered seven-year-old Pit mix and canine rock star up for adoption at Little Shelter in Huntington.! Hoping to find a home with her own spot on a comfy couch, limitless treats, and unconditional acceptance, this beauty promises everlasting friendship and devotion in return. The perfect partner for a leisurely stroll followed by popcorn and a movie, Fergie knows that the simple things in life are also the best. He is fully grown and housebroken and gets along well with other dogs and cats. Stop by Little Shelter and ask to meet an especially good dog….Fergie will be leading the pack! Call 631-368-8770, ext. 21.

Brie

Meet Brie

“Sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am I to diss a Brie?” A five-year-old Labrador mix who gets along with other dogs and cats, this ‘grate’ful  girl is hoping to find her forever home, ensuring a happy new beginning to 2023. Full of texture and complexity, she pairs perfectly with an active, adventurous family, and a Puppachino! Smart, affectionate, housebroken and a truly “Gouda” girl, stop by Little Shelter in Huntington soon to meet a smooth operator known as Brie! Call 631-368-8770, ext. 21.

Babs

Meet Babs

This is Babs, a stunning little lady who is spayed, up to date on vaccines, and ready to join a family that has a box for her to play with. Please consider coming down to Brookhaven Animal shelter and meeting this lovebug! No appointment necessary. Call 631-451-8696.

Check out the next Paw Prints in the issue of Feb. 8, 2023

Paw Prints is generously sponsored by Mark T. Freeley, Esq.

Tabu Boutique
Tabu Boutique

The results are in for the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce’s first window decorating contest in the Village of Port Jefferson. The popular contest ran from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2 with 22 businesses taking part. Shoppers voted by scanning the QR code on posters that hung at each participating business.

Third runner-up was Fame & Rebel while second runner-up was The Healing Center @ Port Jeff Salt Cave.

First place winner was Tabu Boutique which featured a Dickens Christmas-themed window in collaboration with The Victorian on Main, the Guzzetta family’s collection of antique clothing, furniture, and toys and a Christmas angel created by the owners. Tabu Boutique received a special plaque for the store and bragging rights for the next full year. Congratulations!

#14 Tyler Stephenson-Moore at Saturday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook men’s basketball team (6-10, 2-1 CAA) hosted the Towson Tigers (10-6, 2-1 CAA) on Jan. 7 and fell, 67-55, at Island Federal Arena.

Towson, who was picked first in the 2022-23 CAA Preseason Coaches Poll, led for the majority of the contest as it was paced by four student-athletes scoring in double figures. The Seawolves battled tough as they kept the game within striking distance. Stony Brook trailed 30-22 at halftime and were able to keep it at around that mark for the duration of the second half. 

With 17:44 remaining, graduate forward Frankie Policelli got inside the paint and fought through contact, draining a big bucket plus a foul to cut the Stony Brook deficit to single digits, 35-27. 

With 11:48 to play, graduate center Keenan Fitzmorris drained a long three-pointer to cut the deficit to 49-40. It was the fourth three-point make of the season for Fitzmorris.

The Tigers kept their pace throughout the rest of the second half and found themselves up 65-51 with under two minutes remaining. WIth 1:57 remaining in the contest, senior guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore stole the ball and dribbled down the floor in transition, which led to a massive left-handed slam dunk.

Stephenson-Moore provided the late spark for the Seawolves, but Towson left Long Island with a 12-point win.