Times of Smithtown

Precision Pilates

Amy Hirsch, founder and owner of Precision Pilates and Wellness, LLC, a boutique Pilates Studio, invites the community to celebrate the grand opening of their new location at 110 Lake Avenue South, Suite #45, Nesconset on April 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The newly renovated Precision Pilates and Wellness is located in the Lake Industrial Park at 110 Lake Ave South, Suite #45, Nesconset. 

The studio will be offering tours, unveiling new equipment and fitness amenities. Attendees will enjoy refreshments and nibbles, along with raffles, giveaways, and sale of up to 20% off fitness wear and more. Special discounts on intro packages and individual Pilates sessions will also be offered at the event.

“We are thrilled to introduce and share our new state of the art Pilates Health and Wellness Facility,” said Hirsch. 

“For the past 9 years, we have truly enjoyed helping our clients energize their lives and improve their overall health and wellness, strength, posture, and flexibility by offering affordable, personalized Classical Pilates instruction. Now with our expansion and the opening of Precision Pilates, we are excited to offer many mor class options, beyond Reformer Pilates, including Tower, Equipment, Mat and Privates based on the original work of Joseph Pilates.”

The event is FREE to the public and all ages and fitness levels are welcome. Attendees are encouraged to wear fitness attire and be ready to try out the new space. RSVP via email at [email protected] or visit https://smithtownpilates.com/open-house/ to schedule a tour. For more information, class schedules, or to reserve classes online visit www.SmithtownPilates.com.

By Melissa Arnold

Over the past few generations, hardworking and determined women from all walks of life have fought to be heard and seen. Their efforts laid the groundwork for today’s women to break all sorts of glass ceilings.

In the late 19th century, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe was the richest woman around thanks to her family’s inheritance of the famed Lorillard Tobacco Company. Wolfe was generous with her fortune, doing whatever she could to support education, the arts and museums.

Portrait of Catharine Lorillard Wolfe, 1876,
by Alexandre Cabanel

One major recipient of that generosity was Grace Church on Broadway in New York, where Wolfe was a parishioner. Among her final wishes was a request that the church use her financial gift for some sort of “women’s work.”

In response, the church founded the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club (CLWAC) in 1896 to provide counsel and support for female art students in the city. This year, the club is marking its 125th anniversary with a series of special exhibits around the tri-state area, including a juried satellite exhibit at Deepwells Mansion in Saint James. from April 10 to 30, and will culminate with a national juried exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan from June 20 to July 1.

“The goal was always to support women artists in particular. Cooper Union [a college focused on arts, architecture and engineering] was in the area, so there were plenty of women who needed a place to go to relax, have lunch, and exhibit their work,” said Karene Infranco, president of the CLWAC. 

The club has boasted a number of famous artists in its lifetime, including sculptors Anna Hyatt Huntington and Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, to name a few. By paying modest dues, any woman can become an Associate Member and participate in select shows and events, but the requirements for full membership are rigorous.

“In order to become a Juried Member, you have to be selected to exhibit your work in at least two of our open shows within a five-year period — shows that are just for Associates don’t count, as the competition for the open shows is on a much higher level, with many more people entering,” Infranco explained. 

Entrants can exhibit in five categories: pastel, oil and acrylic, watercolor, graphics (pencil and printmaking), and sculpture. Selections are made by a committee of five artists, and then each competition is judged for prizes by a three-person jury of curators, critics and fellow artists that are well-known in their field. A computerized system allows jurors to score each piece by objective criteria. Those who make the cut twice are then invited to join the club as a full, lifetime member.

Member artists range in age from their 20s to their 80s, with wide-ranging careers and art interests. Infranco owned a healthcare advertising agency and, in 2013, decided to sharpen her skills in drawing and painting by taking classes at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. She eventually began exhibiting her work at the national level with numerous groups, including CLWAC, and currently serves as a docent for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan.

“When the Met was incorporated in 1870, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe contributed $2500 of her funds and became the only woman founder,” Infranco said. “The club stands out to me because of its long history, that unique relationship with the museum, and the fact that it caters specifically to women. While there are other women-focused organizations out there, Catharine was such a savvy, interesting and influential person with spot-on taste for art and the ability to carve her own path in life. That’s a big attraction for all of us.”

Catharine Lorillard Wolfe ultimately bequeathed her personal collection of 140 paintings, along with an endowment for its maintenance, to the Met. Her endowment was the Museum’s first, and her donated paintings formed the beginning of the museum’s European painting collection.

Today, the club still meets in person at Grace Church, and its ranks are growing with 410 club members located throughout the country. There is a sizable Long Island contingent in the group, and many of the local women have known each other for years.

Flo Kemp of Setauket and Eleanor Meier of Centerport became friends after spending time together at many of the area’s drawing clubs and classes. Kemp has devoted herself to marketing her oil paintings and etchings for years, and Meier pursued her own art style after a long career as a high school art teacher.

“I entered shows with CLWAC intermittently over the years until I was eventually invited to become a member,” Kemp said. “It’s a great encouragement and inspiration to be around so many excellent artists through the club. It has deep roots, and it’s an honor to be a part of that history.”

While she works with oils, Kemp specializes in soft ground etchings that have a “painterly” effect. Her inspirations are land and sea scapes which she enjoys for the calming, serene way they draw the viewer in, she said. Her submissions for the exhibit are two etchings: one of Flax Pond, and another of West Meadow Beach.

Meier first heard about the club at a luncheon for the National League of American Pen Women, a professional organization for female writers, artists and composers. She was intrigued by the club’s mission as well as the opportunity to learn from others, and was invited to join them around 1990.

“Being a member of the club has given me an opportunity to meet artists from all over, people I never would have met otherwise, which is always exciting,” she said.

Meier prefers to focus on detailed still life drawings of simple items she finds around the house, saying that they’re easy to set up and fun to create. Her two submissions to the exhibit are watercolor paintings: one of stacked cups, and the other of a Mason jar filled with hydrangeas. 

“For all the years I was teaching, the art projects that I did were for the classroom. It wasn’t until after retirement that I had the chance to work on and develop my own personal style,” Meier said. “I’ve been showing at Deepwells with [a local group] for several years now … it’s a classic building and Suffolk County has put a lot of work into it. There’s so much history and gravitas there.”

Indeed, Deepwells Mansion, located at 2 Taylor Lane in St. James, is the perfect venue for such a prestigious show. Dating back to 1845, it is in the Greek revival style built for Joel L.G. Smith — one of the family for whom the Smithtown Township is named. Its most famous owner was W.J. Gaynor, mayor of New York City from 1910 to 1913. In 1989 the house became the property of the Town of Smithtown and is now managed by the Deepwells Farm Historical Society.

The Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club exhibit will be on display at Deepwells from April 10 to 30. Gallery hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (closed April 17).

The exhibit will feature 45 works of art from 41 artists, including a small collection of oil and pastel pieces by the late Jeanette Dick of Belle Terre, a past president of the CLWAC who passed away in January of this year. Many of the included artists will act as docents for the exhibit, guiding guests through the gallery and sharing their personal insights.  All artwork on display is available for sale. An awards ceremony will be held on April 30 at 2 p.m. For more information about the CLWAC, visit www.clwac.org.

Female Cowbird. Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

A huge fan of our avian neighbors, I have collected numerous anecdotes during my travels on Long Island and around the world. As we delve deeper into the spring, I’d like to share a few.

The brood parasite: Many years ago, OK, decades, I did some research on the brown-headed cowbird. This bird, whose scientific name is Molothrus ater, which means “black vagabond,” shares a lifestyle with the cuckoo. You see, the cowbird, which spends considerable time eating food near farms or settled lands, doesn’t build nests. It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds and contributes nothing to the parenting of its young.

When I was in college, I wondered how these birds knew they were cowbirds and didn’t form attachments to the numerous other species who unwittingly contribute to its success. Their hosts raise these aggressive young that sometimes outcompete their own chicks for food. Speaking with people who lived in Mammoth Lakes, California, where I performed my research, I met several people who were in their early 20s, who listened attentively to the story of my research. When I finished, one of them smiled and said, “Wow, what terrible parents. They must only live in California, right?”

The beak smackers: When I attended Gelinas Junior High School, I learned about the Galapagos Islands. I couldn’t wait to visit a place where sea lions barely budged when people walked near them. I finally traveled to these wonderful islands, made famous by Charles Darwin’s trip where he posited the theory of evolution. As I hiked with my family on a tour, our guide stopped and told us to listen. Smacking sounds, as if people were sword fighting with whiffle ball bats, came from just over a ridge. When we reached the top, we saw albatrosses engaged in extended beak smacking.

Once pairs of these white birds finished their ritualistic and individualized pattern, they started again. Closing my eyes, I could imagine the rhythm of several of these courtship routines becoming the percussion section of a song.

Seeing red: When I studied birds in college, I recalled hearing about the dominance hierarchies of the red-winged blackbird, which occupies marshy areas all around Long Island. With red stripes on their shoulders, these birds are also distinctive for their loud and extended squeaks. The size of the red color reflects the dominance of the birds. Without the bright red indicating the equivalent of a social rank, even the most dominant bird loses his status and preferred spot in a habitat.

Foul play: The black cormorants, which sit low in the water, are excellent divers. They are not, however, particularly well-suited for their watery lifestyle. Their feathers are not waterproof, the way a duck’s are. After they get sufficiently waterlogged, they stand on docks or pilings with their wings outstretched, as if they were holding their feathers on a drying line. They use the wind to dry themselves out. It seems especially cruel and maladaptive for a bird that lives in the water to endure extended periods of being waterlogged.

You want a coke with that? My family was enjoying a meal in Miami after a morning in the sun. Sitting outside, where we had an unobstructed view of the beach and where the wind provided welcome relief from the hot sun, we ordered burgers and fries. I picked up a French fry and lifted it near my head to make a point. Accustomed to human patterns, a seagull saw the opening, grabbed the fry without touching my hand, and flew off to consume his prize.

Pixabay photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Just as we are trying to decide whether to get the second COVID booster of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna that is now authorized by the FDA for those over 50, the color-coding system that tracks the rate of contagion has turned from green to yellow in New York City, indicating an increase in cases. We know that what happens in the city eventually spreads to Long Island, so that would encourage us to get that fourth shot, yes?

To further complicate the decision, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine Tuesday suggests that “additional boosters are likely to provide fleeting protection against omicron infections in older recipients, and are consistent with evidence that vaccine effectiveness against infection wanes faster than against severe disease,” according to The New York Times.

I say, what?

Let’s consider this carefully. The results of the large new study from Israel are telling us that a second booster shot does provide protection against omicron infections and severe illness among older adults. It is also saying that such protection against infection is short-term and wanes after four weeks, then almost disappears after eight weeks. 

That doesn’t sound so good, right?

But hold on. Protection against severe illness-—again, severe illness— did not lessen in the six weeks after receiving the second booster, but the follow-up period has been too short to know if that second shot continues to offer better protection against severity. By the way, the study involved those ages 60 and older, with nothing on younger populations. So “vaccine effectiveness against infection wanes faster than against severe disease,” concludes The Times. And a previous study from Israel that has not yet been published in a scientific journal, according to The Times, “found that older adults who received a second booster were 78% less likely to die of COVID-19 than those who had received just one booster shot.” The methodology of that study has been criticized, however, with scientists pointing out that those who have received one booster are already likely to be protected from severe illness and death. 

In the new study of 1.2 million adults, “the rate of confirmed infections was twice as high in the three-dose group as in the four-dose group. By eight weeks after the fourth shot, the additional protection against infection had almost disappeared, the researchers found. However, “rates of severe illness were 3.5 times higher in the three-dose group than the four-dose group four weeks after the booster shot. That protection did not appear to wane and actually ticked up slightly by the sixth week after the shot, when rates of severe disease were 4.3 times higher in the three-dose group.”

Still don’t know what to do?

Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, said on Tuesday that her agency “really would encourage people who are over 50 who have underlying medical conditions and those over the age of 65” to get a second booster shot.

There is controversy among immunologists and vaccine experts over whether to recommend that fourth shot, at least for those under age 65. Twenty million people 65 or older are now eligible and 10 million between 50-64, according to the CDC.

So if you have decided to get the second booster, which would you get?

Dr. Peter Marks of the FDA suggested in a podcast that there was “a little bit of data” that switching vaccines may provide better protection, but “probably the more important thing is just to get boosted with whatever vaccine you can get.”

I will be getting the second booster this week. My thinking is that in the face of newly rising infection rates, even eight weeks could provide a substantial barrier against falling ill and then having the additional worry of incurring long-haul Covid. But reaction across the country is mixed.

With limited data, we are left on our own.

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Kings Park High School. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Karen Lessler

On April 5, Kings Park Central School District Superintendent of Schools Timothy Eagen notified students, parents and guardians that earlier in the day the district was informed of the passing of Karen Lessler, Kings Park High School’s principal.

“This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns and questions for our entire school, especially our students,” he wrote in a letter posted to the district’s website.

The high school made its Crisis Intervention Team available to students, parents and school personnel Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We are tremendously saddened by the loss to our school community and will make every effort to help you and your child as needed” Eagen wrote.

According to her obituary on the St. James Funeral Home website, Lessler passed away on April 4  after a battle with pancreatic cancer, just a few days after her 65th birthday.

She recently retired as the board of education president in the Middle Country Central School District.

“She was a dynamic leader and friend to all,” according to a post on the district’s website.

In a May 2021 TBR News Media article, Lessler said she lived in the Middle Country school district for almost 40 years, leaving Northport to settle with her family in Centereach. She has two adult sons with children of their own. 

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After canceling the St. James St. Patrick’s Day for two years in a row due to COVID-19, the parade had to be postponed from March 12 to April 2 due to inclement weather.

The sun was bright and the temperatures were mild this time around. On April 2, St. James residents were joined by their neighbors from surrounding towns and hamlets to celebrate the return of the parade. Hundreds lined the streets and put on some green to celebrate the tradition.

State Sen. Mario Mattera and Kerry Reilly DeJesus shared the honor of grand marshal. The parade also included bagpipes, Irish step dancers, firefighters from St. James and surrounding areas, representatives from various civic associations, businesses, and more.

Although the Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River never trailed, they had their hands full holding off the Bulls of Smithtown West in a Division-II matchup at home at the Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field. Trading goals most of the way the Wildcats edged the Bulls, 11-9, April 2.

Senior midfielder Fransisco Cortes led the way for the Wildcats with four goals and three assists, and teammate Alec Gregorek netted four goals and one assist. Alec’s younger brother Liam Gregorek scored as did Tommy Palumbo and Steven Cain.

Smithtown West junior Will Fitzsimmons had two goals and two assists, Owen Ellick had an assist and three goals, and Ryan Trebing netted three.

The win lifts Shoreham-Wading River to 2-0 in the early going and Smithtown West is 1-1, 3-1 overall. 

Both teams retake the field April 5 when the Wildcats hit the road with a game against Harborfields as Smithtown West travels to West Babylon. Both games face off at 5 p.m.

The following incidents have been reported by the Suffolk County Police:

Centereach

■ A 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 worth approximately $30,000 was stolen from the front of a residence on Ruland Road in Centereach on March 23.

■ Walmart on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported a shoplifter on March 22. A man allegedly stole basketball gaming cards worth approximately $300.

Commack

■ Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack reported a shoplifter on March 23. A man allegedly stole an LG Soundbar worth $129.

■ Home Depot on Crooked Hill Road in Commack reported that a man allegedly stole 8 items of 250” electrical wire and other items worth $1320 on March 25.

■ Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on March 25 called the police to report a shoplifter. A man allegedly stole an iRobot vacuum worth $219 and a Samsung stick vacuum worth $199.

■ Famous Footwear on Jericho Turnpike in Commack reported a shoplifter on March 21. A woman allegedly stole 4 pairs of Nike sneakers and assorted merchandise valued at over $400.

Farmingville

■ The Burlington Store on North Ocean Avenue in Farmingville reported a shoplifter on March 24. A woman allegedly stole 26 pieces of assorted clothing, a handbag and toys. The merchandise was valued at approximately $340.

Hauppauge

■ A resident on Devonshire Road in Hauppauge called the police after an Amazon package that was reported delivered was not found by the homeowner. A porch pirate was suspected.

Huntington Station

■ A man allegedly stole three Ember Mugs from a Target on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station on March 25. The total value of the merchandise was $429.

■ Target on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station reported a shoplifter on March 22. A man allegedly put 7 massage guns worth $1134 in a duffel bag and walked out of the store without paying.

■ Ulta Beauty on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station called the police on March 24 to report that two men entered the store, allegedly placed 92 perfume bottles in bags, and fled. The merchandise was valued at over $9000.

■ Gucci on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported a shoplifter on March 21. A woman allegedly took a Padlock Gucci bag off of the shelf, put it under her jacked and walked out of the store without paying. The handbag was valued at $1950.

Kings Park

■ A resident on Springmeadow Road in Kings Park reported that two men stole his unlocked vehicle, a 2013 BMW 328i worth $15,000, on March 25. The keys had been left inside the vehicle.

Lake Grove

■ Ulta Beauty on Middle Country Road in Lake Grove reported a grand larceny on March 25. Two men allegedly stole assorted fragrances worth $1500.

■ The Perfume Spot, a kiosk at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, reported the theft of 5 Creed fragrances on March 21. The perfumes were valued at $2175.

Miller Place

■ An unknown person broke into and stole items from at least five vehicles in the Miller Place and Mt. Sinai areas between March 26 and March 27. Most of the incidents took place between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.

Mount Sinai

■ A woman visiting Heritage Park on Mount Sinai Coram Road in Mount Sinai called the police on March 25 after returning to her car and noticing that her purse was missing. Her vehicle had been unlocked.

Port Jefferson Station

■ Asphalt Supply on LI on Comsewogue Road in Port Jefferson Station was the victim of a grand larceny on March 23. Video captured a man stealing a S650 Bobcat loader worth $60,000 from the yard.

Rocky Point

■ The police were called to Kohls on Route 25A in Rocky Point after a man and a woman allegedly stole assorted clothing worth $1044 on March 21.

■ A resident on Laurel Road in Rocky Point reported that someone stole an iPhone and a wallet containing credit cards from his unlocked car in the driveway on March 18.

Selden

■ Target on Middle Country in Selden called the police on March 22 to report that a man allegedly stole a stand mixer worth $380 and a coffeemaker worth $190.

■ Target on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a shoplifter on March 24. A man allegedly stole a KitchenAid worth $380, a Keurig worth $130 and a microwave valued at $80.

■ Home Depot on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a shoplifter on March 21. A man allegedly stole a Milwaukee chainsaw worth $269.

South Setauket

■ Home Depot on Pond Path in South Setauket reported a petit larceny on March 25. A man allegedly stole three assorted tools valued at $950.

Stony Brook

■ Lowes on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook called the police on March 26 to report the theft of merchandise. A man allegedly stole a Bosch Laser Level worth $650, 3 Lithium Ion power tool batteries worth $510 and a Metabo power tool combo kit worth $300.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

 

Pixabay photo

“Propaganda begins when dialogue ends.” — Jacques Ellul

Democracy cannot flourish without a well-informed, enlightened public.

Many miles away from Long Island, against a backdrop of a momentous war in Ukraine, there is another war for the public consciousness of people everywhere. It is a war against a free and independent press, against openness and transparency with the public, and against truth itself. In moments of greatest agitation, those who most fear the truth will do whatever it takes to bury it. 

During a teach-in last week at Stony Brook University, Distinguished Professor Leonie Huddy of the Department of Political Science, said, “We are also in a propaganda war.” 

The Committee to Protect Journalists is a nonprofit that promotes independent journalism and defends press freedom worldwide. According to the CPJ website, five journalists have already been killed since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. With abhorrent regularity, journalists are now being targeted and killed. 

Aware of the risks, Louise Callaghan, a Middle East correspondent for The Sunday Times of London and virtual panelist at the SBU teach-in, told the audience that she will return to the warzone to report the situation in Ukraine on the ground.

From the bomb shelters of devastated Mariupol to the Long Island North Shore, journalists have incredible responsibility. The Founding Fathers wrote freedom of the press into the First Amendment of the Constitution because they understood journalism was a necessary deterrent to unchecked power. Journalists shine light upon those who hide behind the shadows of deception, whose greatest weapons are disinformation and fear, as not even their nukes can topple what is true.

Right now, dictators and their propagandists are waging a war of ideas, seeking the total annihilation of reason and free thought. Journalists, such as Callaghan, are among our last lines of defense. Whether one is a local reporter on Long Island or a foreign correspondent in Ukraine, the principle remains. So long as journalists are there to shine light on the powerful and the wicked, to distill fact-driven, unfiltered information to the public, then autocrats and their propagandists will never prevail.

This staff editorial is dedicated to the journalists who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of transparency and truth. 

Stony Brook University students and members of the media took part in the March 23 teach-in. Photo from SBU

During a teach-in at Stony Brook University March 23, a panel of professors gave their take on the invasion of Ukraine, including perspectives on the war, propaganda efforts and the impact on American public opinion.

Alexander Orlov 

Orlov is a professor of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. He is an expert on the parliament of the European Union and the government of the United Kingdom. According to him, who has many relatives still in Ukraine, a dangerous propaganda campaign has been waged by the Kremlin.

“There is one very hurtful part of the propaganda,” Orlov said. “Russians call Ukrainians Nazis. This is so offensive to the memory of the 7 million Ukrainians who died during World War II.”

According to Orlov, this is not the first time in Ukrainian history that Russians have bombarded Ukrainian territory. He also said Ukrainians are a freedom-loving people.

We live in a highly partisan, polarized context.

— Leonie Huddy

“I talked to my mom yesterday and asked her about her biggest fear,” he said. “She told me that the biggest fear she has is to be forgotten by the West because, at some point, you might get tired of the images of human suffering and stop paying attention.” Orlov added, “Ukrainians are like you. They want freedom and free enterprise, and they want to dream. Many of the Ukrainians that are fighting right now are the age of Stony Brook students and they’ve never held a rifle before in their lives.”

Leonie Huddy

Huddy, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, addressed the impact of the Ukrainian invasion on American public opinion. 

“There’s a very common effect in foreign policy attitudes when the U.S. engages in war, when it sends troops to other countries, and it’s called the rally effect,” Huddy said. “There hasn’t been any rally effect by any stretch of the imagination.”

According to her, Americans are so divided and the political culture is so partisan that Americans cannot even agree on the proper foreign policy approach to the war in Ukraine.

“We live in a highly partisan, polarized context,” she said. “I don’t think you can get much worse than this. Things are looking pretty bad in terms of just how divided we are.”

Huddy believes that the looming midterm elections will have a pronounced impact on how Americans address the war in Ukraine.

“One of the reasons for this is that we have congressional elections approaching,” she said. “I think the Republican Party is thinking there’s a potential for success so it’s very important not to give an inch to the Democrats right now. We have the heels dug in.”

John Frederick Bailyn

Bailyn is professor in the Linguistics Department and co-director of Virtual NYI Global Institute. According to him, the invasion of Ukraine prompted a massive effort by the Russian government to repress domestic opposition.

“February 24, 2022, was a day that has changed the course of Ukraine and also Russia forever,” Bailyn said. “Anything ‘fake’ about the war, which is entirely up to [the Kremlin], is punishable by up to 15 years in jail.”

According to Bailyn, there are plenty of Russians who support the invasion of Ukraine, but there is also a large exodus of people leaving the country.

“People have been leaving in droves,” he said. “People are all having to decide if they should leave everything they know — their entire lives. Many people are deciding to do that because this is just far beyond anything that they have seen before.”

Vladimir Putin grew up in postwar Leningrad, a city that had survived almost 900 days of siege.

— Jonathan Sanders

Jonathan Sanders

Sanders is associate professor in the School of Communication and Journalism and a former Moscow correspondent for CBS News. He has met the Russian president personally and described in vivid detail the psychology of the man coordinating the invasion effort.

“Vladimir Putin grew up in postwar Leningrad, a city that had survived almost 900 days of siege, a city in which his baby brother had died, a city in which rats were eating corpses and people were eating corpses,” Sanders said. “He was an individualist, an alienated, bad kid. He played with rats,” adding, “The rat is probably the best metaphor for him — not the nice little white rats that we see in the psychology labs, but really mean, vicious little rats, whose predecessors survived the second world war by eating people.”

Sanders said that the rebellious streak in Putin dates back to early childhood. According to the professor, it was highly unusual for Putin to reject the politics of his father but he did so as an act of individualism and revolt.

“Mr. Putin was an individualist,” Sanders said. “His father was a true believing Communist and young Vladimir did not join the Young Communist League, something extremely unusual.” Sanders added, “He was a hooligan, a street kid.”