Arts & Entertainment

Stony Brook University: Fall on the Academic Mall. Photo by John Griffin/SBU

Stony Brook University has been named a “Tree Campus Higher Education Institution” for the eleventh consecutive year, recognizing the university’s efforts conducted during the 2023 calendar year, according to a press release on March 20. 

Tree Campus Higher Education, the national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors colleges and universities, and their leaders, for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.

To obtain this distinction, Stony Brook University met the five core standards for effective campus forest management, including establishing a tree advisory committee, creating a campus tree care plan, dedicating annual expenditures for that campus tree program, observing Arbor Day, and sponsoring student-service learning projects. Last year, members of the Campus Operations & Maintenance team partnered with the Stony Brook Child Care Services Center to plant a seven-foot Ginkgo Biloba ‘The President’ tree.

Alaina Claeson, Horticulturist/Landscape Coordinator at Stony Brook University commented, “This recognition is owed to the support and hard work of our Campus Operations & Maintenance (COM) team and our student organizations across campus. Faculty, staff and students have all played an instrumental role in helping beautify many corners of our campuses this year. From the student-led vegetable garden behind the Student Activities Center to new plantings at the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, our communal efforts towards sustainability and maintaining green spaces have provided our Seawolf community with spaces to relax, unwind and connect with nature.”

Since 2009, Stony Brook has planted hundreds of trees on campus — most of which were cultivated in the University’s own greenhouses — through a robust planting program designed to manage the University’s tree care and beautify the campus. In addition to planting trees each year, the horticultural team grows an average of 10,000-15,000 annual plants that help adorn the campus from commencement through the fall season. The COM staff also helps plant and maintain all landscapes across Stony Brook’s campuses throughout the year. 

METRO photo

By Nancy Marr

Food is one of the more important factors in our lives. Food insecurity troubles many Americans, but for low-income consumers, especially, factors beyond their control affect their nutrition. Many low-income consumers can find lower prices, but consumers with very low incomes may not be able to get to stores that offer these low prices or fresh foods. 

Here in Suffolk County, both school and summer feeding programs funded by the Department of Agriculture are making a difference by providing nutritious food for children from homes with food insecurity.  

School lunch in America dates back to the late 19th century, when the passage of compulsory education laws and child-labor bans led to more kids in school for more hours per day than ever before. Health screenings in schools gave rise to concerns about malnutrition, which in turn sparked privately funded nutritious school meal programs in many cities. The programs were popular, but most were wiped out by the Great Depression. 

In 1946, the federal government passed the National School Lunch Act which provided a way for the USDA to purchase surplus agricultural commodities for use by the schools in the feeding programs they agreed to fund.

The act created a three-tiered system: children in poverty received a free lunch, children whose families were above the poverty line but earning less than 130% of the federal poverty line got a price reduction, and everyone else paid full price. Millions of children have participated in the program. 

The Federal USDA now funds the following child nutrition programs: the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, and After-School Snacks and Meals, using the same distribution system.

During the recent pandemic, when schools closed, the federal government funding made it possible for schools to continue the lunch program and changed it to one that served all the children at no charge. Schools arranged for the pick-up of lunches by the students. The USDA pandemic funding ended in June 2022, with an extension through the summer of 2022. 

Schools and summer lunch providers then returned to the payment schedule that divided the children. The universal offering of free meals to all students had raised the level of participation by removing the stigma often associated with means-tested school meals and opened the program to children from families who would have struggled to pay the reduced-price copayment. 

But so far, there’s no momentum in Congress to bring the free meals back, except for the CEP Program (Community Eligibility Provision) which provides breakfast and lunch free of charge to all the students who are enrolled. Eligible for CEP is any district or school with 25 percent of students who have been identified as in need, and children who are certified for free meals without an application because they are homeless, migrant, enrolled in Head Start, or in foster care.

Food policy councils, appointed by local government or organized independently of government, have proven to be effective in educating community members about local food and nutrition, as well as other issues related to health, such as walkability. 

The funding during the pandemic showed how universal feeding encouraged children to participate in a nutritionally sound breakfast and lunch program which provided free food for all children. Federal or New York State funding would make that possible. For more information, go to www.schoolnutrition.org.

And write to Governor Hochul and your State Senator and Assemblyperson, and our United States senators, Senator Charles Schumer and  Kirsten Gillibrand. 

Nancy Marr is Vice-President of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, visit my.lwv.org/new-york/suffolk-county or call 631-862-6860.

Anthony Hopkins stars as Sir Nicholas Winton in 'One Life'. Photo courtesy of See-Saw Films

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Early in One Life, twenty-nine-year-old London stockbroker Nicholas Winton (Johnny Flynn) visits a makeshift camp in the center of Prague in 1938. Here, the mostly Jewish displaced families from Germany and Austria who fled the Nazi regime live in homeless squalor and starvation. 

Encountering child after child, he produces a half-eaten chocolate bar, which he proceeds to divvy among the starving children. Of course, there is not enough. In this moment, director James Hawes brilliantly shows Winton’s tacit epiphany: he must rescue these young victims. 

Above, Johnny Flynn as the young Nicholas Winton. Photo courtesy of See-Saw Films

Over the next ninety minutes, the brisk, brutal, and beautiful film alternates between young Winton and the seventy-nine-year-old Winton (Anthony Hopkins) struggling with divesting remnants of his mammoth undertaking, symbolized by the briefcase given to him when he committed to helping the refugees’ plight. The briefcase is home to a scrapbook chronicling the entire undertaking.

While the film shifts in time, each section proceeds in a simple, linear fashion. The narrative is clear, with the story focusing on the action played out under the shadow of the encroaching Nazi invasion. Winton takes on the British government, negotiating immigration. Additionally, he finds hundreds of foster families. One Life makes paperwork and red tape a visceral issue of life and death. The scenes in Prague are vivid and harsh and truly haunting, calling to mind equally difficult images of current events. 

Winton becomes an active member of the Prague office of the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia (BCRC), headed by the formidable Doreen Warriner (Romola Garai). Devastating scenes of parents sending their children away and of sibling separation contrast with the cold British offices. 

Winton managed to get eight trains, with six hundred and sixty-nine children, from Czechoslovakia to London. The Nazi invasion of Poland stopped the ninth train, which contained three hundred and fifty children. Their fate, like so many, would be the Nazi death camps.

Anthony Hopkins plays the older Winton.
Photo courtesy of See-Saw Films

One Life is about faith in regular people, a tribute—as Winton declares of their coterie—to “an army of the ordinary.” Quiet but adamantly dogged in his pursuit of humanitarian aid, Winton is joined by his mother, Babi (Helena Bonham Carter). Babi is a Jewish-German immigrant who converted to the Church of England. Both sensitive and a voice of reason, she reminds Winton, “You cannot save them all. You must forgive yourself that.”

The 1988 section of the film shows Winton trying to decide what to do with the final remnants of these historical records. His internal struggle leads to his appearance on the crass but popular television show That’s Life. The recreation of his two appearances highlights the contemporary portion, allowing Winton to reconnect to the lives he saved. (The actual footage of the real Winton is available online and featured in the documentary The Power of Good: Nicholas Winton.)

Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake thoughtfully crafted a tight, taut screenplay from daughter Barbara Winton’s account of her father, If It’s Not Impossible … The Life of Nicholas Winton. James Hawes’ powerful direction is matched by Zac Nicholson’s stark, desaturated cinematography and perfectly complemented by Lucia Zucchetti’s sharp editing.  

The ensemble cast is uniformly strong. Hopkins, one of the greatest actors of our time, offers nuance, introspection, and pain, presented with subtlety and sensitivity. He is the rare actor that you can watch think. Flynn is his equal as his contemplative, anxious, younger self.

As Babi, the terrific Bonham Carter is a matriarchal force of nature, balancing raw honesty and wry humor. Garai brings depth and pain to the no-nonsense Warriner. As Winton’s wife, Grete, Lena Olin provides a luminous grounding, showing her deep love for the conflicted Winton. Jonathan Pryce is warm and knowing as Martin Blake, the older version of one of the BCRC members. Samuel Finzi’s scene as the Prague Rabbi Hertz presents a poignant meditation on complicated fears in the Czech Jewish community. 

But the performances that resonate above all are the children who play the refugees: they transcend the screen to create a heartbreaking reality.

According to the film, twenty-six thousand Jewish Czechoslovakian children were interred in concentration camps. Fewer than two hundred and fifty survived. Sir Nicholas Winton died at age one hundred and six, a man who never wanted the work to be about him. His legacy is some six thousand descendants because of the rescue mission. One Life is a genuine, gut-wrenching, but ultimately uplifting account of the ability of one person to make a difference.

Rated PG, the film is now playing in local theaters.

Double Lemon Cheesecake Bars

By Heidi Sutton

Still on the fence of what to make for Easter dessert? Try this recipe for Double Lemon Cheesecake Bars or add the rich flavor of caramel to your dessert table with a recipe like this No Bake Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake for a tempting, tasty treat.

Double Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Double Lemon Cheesecake Bars

YIELD: Makes 16 servings

INGREDIENTS:

52 vanilla wafers, finely crushed (about 2 cups)

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

4 eggs, divided

4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons), divided

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS: 

Heat oven to 325°F. Line 13-by-9-inch pan with parchment paper, with ends of paper extending over sides. Mix wafer crumbs and butter until blended; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. 

Separate 1 egg; refrigerate yolk until ready to use. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add egg white and remaining 3 whole eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each until just blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate 4 hours. Mix cornstarch and remaining sugar in medium saucepan; gradually stir in water and remaining lemon juice until blended. Bring just to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir until clear and thickened. Lightly beat reserved egg yolk in small bowl with fork until blended; stir in 2 tablespoons of hot cornstarch mixture.

Return to remaining cornstarch mixture in saucepan; stir until blended. Cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Spoon lemon glaze over cheesecake. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Garnish with 1/2 cup blueberries, lemon peel and fresh mint leaves. Use parchment handles to remove cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

No Bake Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

No Bake Chocolate Caramel Cheescake

YIELD: Makes 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

10  graham crackers, crumbled

7 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

caramel sauce, divided

16 ounces cream cheese

7 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 cup whipping cream

chocolate covered caramels like Rolo

DIRECTIONS: 

Place graham crackers in re-sealable plastic bag. Using rolling pin or soup can, roll graham crackers into fine crumbs.  

In medium bowl, add cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and cinnamon; stir until combined. Press into bottom of pie plate. Drizzle caramel sauce over crust; set aside.

In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and whipping cream. Pour over graham cracker crust. Refrigerate 24 hours. Place chocolate caramel candy pieces around pie. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

METRO photo
There are alternatives to sealing yourself indoors

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Dr. David Dunaief

It is officially Spring! Locally, trees are budding, and flowers are beginning to bloom in full force.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies – also known as allergic rhinitis or hay fever – going for a walk is probably a little less enjoyable.

Roughly 25 percent of U.S. adults and 18.9 percent of children were diagnosed with seasonal allergies in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1).

There are quite a few triggers for seasonal allergies. They include pollen from leafy trees and shrubs, grass and flowering plants, as well as weeds, with the majority from ragweed (mostly in the fall) and fungus (summer and fall) (2).

What causes allergic reactions? Seasonal allergy sufferers experience a chain reaction when they inhale allergens (pollen, in this case). The pollen interacts with immunoglobulin E (IgE), antibodies that are part of our immune system and causes mast cells in the body’s tissues to degrade and release inflammatory mediators. These include histamines, leukotrienes, and eosinophils in those who are susceptible. In other words, it is an allergic inflammatory response.

The revved up immune system then responds with sneezing; red, itchy and watery eyes; scratchy throat; congestion; sinus headaches; postnasal drip; runny nose; diminished taste and smell; and even coughing (3). Basically, it feels like a common cold, but without the virus. If you have symptoms that last more than 10 days and are recurrent, then it is more likely you have allergies than a virus.

If your allergic rhinitis is not treated properly, you can experience complications like ear infections, sinusitis, irritated throat, insomnia, chronic fatigue, headaches and even asthma (4).

Do medications really help with allergies? The best way to treat allergy attacks is to prevent them, but this means sealing yourself inside. You will need to close the windows, use your air conditioning and, when you do go out, use the recycling vents in your car.

On the medication side, we have intranasal glucocorticoids (steroids), oral antihistamines, allergy shots, decongestants, antihistamine and decongestant eye drops.

The guidelines for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis with medications suggest that you use intranasal corticosteroids (steroids) when your quality of life is affected (5). Two well-known inhaled steroids are triamcinolone (Nasacort) and fluticasone propionate (Flonase). While inhaled steroids are probably most effective in treating and preventing symptoms, they need to be used every day and can have side effects, like headaches.

If you experience itchiness and sneezing, then second-generation oral antihistamines may be appropriate. These can be taken on an as-needed basis. Second-generation antihistamines, such as loratadine (Claritin), cetirizine (Zyrtec) and fexofenadine (Allegra), have less sleepiness as a side effect than first-generation antihistamines, like Benadryl, but they don’t work for everyone.

Are there alternative treatments for allergies? Butterbur (Petasites hybridus), an herb, has several small studies that indicate its efficacy in treating hay fever. In one randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 131 patients, results showed that butterbur was as effective as cetirizine (Zyrtec) (6).

In another RCT, results showed that high doses of butterbur — 1 tablet given three times a day for two weeks — was significantly more effective than placebo (7). Researchers used butterbur Ze339 (carbon dioxide extract from the leaves of Petasites hybridus L., 8 mg petasines per tablet) in the trial.

A post-marketing follow-up study of 580 patients showed that, with butterbur Ze339, symptoms improved in 90 percent of patients with allergic rhinitis over a two-week period (8). Gastrointestinal upset occurred as the most common side effect in 3.8 percent of the population.

There are several caveats about the use of butterbur. First, the studies’ durations were short. Second, the leaf extract used in these studies was free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). This is very important, since PAs may not be safe. Also, the dose was well-measured, which may not be the case with over-the-counter extracts. Finally, there are interactions with some prescription medications.

Can you treat seasonal allergies with diet? While there are no significant studies on diet, there is one review of literature that suggests that a plant-based diet may reduce symptoms of allergies in teens, specifically rhinoconjunctivitis, affecting the nose and eyes, as well as eczema and asthma (9). In my clinical practice, many patients with seasonal allergies have improved and even reversed the course of allergies over time with a vegetable-rich, plant-based diet. This might be due to its anti-inflammatory effects. Analogously, some physicians suggest that their patients have improved after removing dairy from their diets.

While allergies can make you miserable, there are a significant number of over-the-counter and prescription options to help. Diet may play a role by reducing inflammation, although there are no formal studies. There does seem to be promise with some herbs, like butterbur, although there are caveats. Always consult your doctor before starting any supplements, herbs or over-the-counter medications.

References: (1) CDC.gov. (2) acaai.org/allergies/types/pollen-allergy. (3) J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003 Dec;112(6):1021-31.. (4) J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Jan;125(1):16-29.. (5) Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 Feb;2:197-206. (6) BMJ 2002;324:144. (7) Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004 Dec;130(12):1381-6. (8) Adv Ther. Mar-Apr 2006;23(2):373-84. (9) Eur Respir J. 2001;17(3):436-443. 

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.

MEET BETTY BOOP!

Break out the tissue box because we are determined to change Betty Boop’s fate. This couch hippo (approximately twelve year-young Female pibble mix) has spent FIVE years at the Smithtown Animal Shelter and deserves to wake up one day snuggled up next to YOU! She is a low-key, affectionate, wiggle monster, who aside from snoring and passing gas at will, just wants a couch, Netflix marathons and a human to call her person.

Betty loves to dip her feet in the kiddie pools and fancies herself a magician…  She can turn stuffed animals into snow. If you give her a treat and a belly rub, she’ll be your friend for life. Seriously… this velcro couch seal will cling on to human connection at first boop. Betty suffers from significant arthritis in her hips and knees and will need a home that can manage daily medications. Betty Boop would be best suited as the only pet in a mellow adult-only home. Easter is this weekend and all Betty Boop is wishing for from the Easter Bunny is for one very special someone to step up to either adopt or “Forever Foster” her. Will you be her miracle?

If you are interested in meeting Betty Book, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with her in a domestic setting.

The Town of Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.

Additional Foster Opportunity:

If you have no other pets or young children at home, and are looking for a way to serve your community, please consider signing up to be a foster. Foster parents provide temporary care for cats, kittens, and dogs in their own homes. Some animals need as little as two weeks of care, while others may need care for extended periods of time. The shelter provides: food, litter, litter box, large crate, bedding, all veterinary care and medicine for foster animals, foster training and plenty of continuing support to foster parent volunteers.

Download the Foster Application at:

https://www.smithtownny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4325/Foster-Application

Bunny Butt Cake

(Culinary.net) Warmer days at the start of spring mean Easter is almost here, and the big bunny himself will be hopping around in no time delivering goodies.

This Easter, celebrate with your loved ones with a delicious and colorful Easter Bunny Butt Cake. It can bring smiles and laughter while putting everyone in a light, joyful mood.

This cake is fun and bright with a fluffy, moist interior. Complete with chocolate candy eggs, shredded coconut and chocolate chips for little bunny toes, this recipe goes all out to paint a picture of the Easter bunny. This cake is worth every step. It’s delicious and as cute as can be, plus it’s perfect for dessert after a big Easter dinner.

Easter Bunny Butt Cake

Yield: Servings: 10-12

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

2 eggs, plus 4 egg whites, at room temperature

3/4 cup cream of coconut

1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

2 teaspoons coconut extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

 

Buttercream Frosting:

3  cups powdered sugar

2   sticks unsalted butter, softened

3   tablespoons milk

1   teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2  teaspoon coconut extract

 

4 thin pretzel sticks

1 bag (10 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut

8 drops green food coloring

2 large round chocolate candy melts

6 chocolate chips

mini candy-coated chocolate eggs, for garnish

 

Directions

Heat oven to 325 F.

Line muffin pan with four paper liners. Spray oven-safe glass bowl with nonstick cooking spray.

In large bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites, cream of coconut, pineapple, coconut extract and vanilla extract until combined.

In food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until combined. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Pulse until combined. Add remaining butter. Pulse until coarse meal forms.

In large mixing bowl, add coarse flour butter meal. Add half of egg mixture. Beat 1-2 minutes. Add remaining egg mixture; beat until combined.

Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until done. Cool completely.

Pour remaining batter into prepared oven-safe bowl. Bake 1 hour, 40 minutes, or until done. Cool completely.

To make buttercream frosting: In large bowl, add powdered sugar and butter; beat until fluffy. Add milk, vanilla extract and coconut extract; beat until creamy.

Turn bowl upside-down on cake stand until cake removes from bowl. If cake needs leveled, turn cake over and trim to flatten. Frost cake.

Remove wrappers from cupcakes. Using two pretzel sticks, press into base of cupcakes

and anchor to bottom rim of bowl cake to create bunny feet. Frost feet.

Take third cupcake and cut muffin top off. Cut muffin top in half. Using one pretzel stick, anchor one muffin top half at bottom of full cupcake to form toes. Repeat with second muffin top half for other foot. Frost toes.

Attach final cupcake with remaining pretzel stick to butt area of cake to make tail. Frost tail.

Apply 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut all over cake. Press chocolate candy melts into bottoms of bunny feet to resemble foot pads. Add chocolate chips to resemble pads for toes.

Place remaining coconut in plastic bag. Add green food coloring. Toss in bag until coconut is colored. Spread around base of cake for grass. Decorate grass with chocolate eggs.

Tips: Spoon flour into dry measuring cup and level off excess. Scooping directly from bag compacts flour, resulting in dry baked goods. Add 1 tablespoon additional milk if frosting is too stiff. Keep adding until desired consistency.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

No. 14 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse scored the game’s first 16 goals en route to a dominating 21-3 victory over Campbell at LaValle Stadium on March 24.

 The Seawolves moved to 8-2 (3-0 CAA) in their first 10 games while Campbell dropped to 3-7 (0-3 CAA).

 Stony Brook was led Kailyn Hart with five goals, and the graduate student added two assists for seven points. Classmate Alex Finn set a career high with eight assists, while graduate student Jolie Creo added three. Classmates Morgan Mitchell and Charlotte Verhulst each had hat tricks while senior Jaden Hampel and sophomore Alexandra Fusco each scored twice.

 The defense was led by graduate student Kira Accettella and junior Avery Hines with two caused turnovers, while five others caused one. Stony Brook got two ground balls each from Hines, Verhulst and senior Clare Levy. Four different goalkeepers played on the afternoon, with senior Aaliyah Jones making four saves without a goal against in her first career start. Sophomore Francesca Viteritti also made four stops on the afternoon while freshman Hannah Hudson made two saves.

In the draw circle, Stony Brook was led by Levy with five draw controls, while Charlotte Verhulst added four and Hampel and freshman Isabella Caporuscio each added two.

Lexi Goff scored twice for the Camels while Mattie Riter added the other tally.

The Seawolves scored all 10 goals in the first quarter, with three coming from Mitchell and two each from Fusco and Verhulst. Finn dished out five assists in the first quarter alone. Hart scored four of Stony Brook’s five goals in the second quarter, extending the lead to 15-0 at halftime. Aaliyah Jones kept the game scoreless with two saves in each of the first and second quarters. Hampel and Millen each scored in the third, as Stony Brook carried a 17-2 lead into the fourth. Viteritti made four saves in the third period on a .667 save percentage.

Four different players scored in the fourth, with three goals coming from freshmen, as Stony Brook extended the lead as big as 21-2.

Up next, the team wraps up the month with a matchup at Monmouth on March 29, with first draw against the Hawks scheduled for 1 p.m. on FloLive. 

Catcher Chris Leone congratulates pitcher JT Raab after Sunday's game. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Junior Matt Miceli racked up four hits to help power the Stony Brook Seawolves baseball team over the William & Mary Tribe 12-3 on March 24, earning their first CAA victory of the season. 

Junior JT Raab (1-0) started on the mound and picked up the win for Stony Brook (10-12, 1-2 CAA). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up three runs, all of them earned, on seven hits, allowing one walk and striking out seven. Junior Colton Book also made an impact on the mound for the Seawolves, throwing two shutout innings while allowing no hits, with two walks and two strikeouts.

In addition to his four hits, Miceli had four RBI to lead the Seawolves. Senior Cam Santerre compiled a noteworthy performance at the plate as well, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and two RBI. Senior Matt Brown-Eiring also contributed for Stony Brook, putting together two hits in six trips to the plate while adding a double and an RBI.

The Seawolves got on the board immediately, starting their scoring in the top of the first inning. Stony Brook scored two runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Santerre. 

Stony Brook kept the pressure on by tallying two runs in the next inning. Senior Matt Brown-Eiring tallied an RBI double, while graduate Brett Paulsen had an RBI-knock.

After stranding two runners in the first inning, W&M scored two runs in the second inning off Raab to push the score to 4-2.

The squad scored two runs in the third and and one in the fourth, taking a 7-2 advantage. Freshman Eric Paulsen and Miceli knocked in the runs for the Seawolves. The Tribe answered back in the fifth inning by scoring a run on a sac-fly. 

After Miceli reached on a fielder’s-choice that brought home Nicholas Solorzano in the sixth, Raab sat down the Tribe in order for the sixth inning. 

The Seawovles tallied another run in the seventh and two in the ninth to secure the 12-3 victory. Brown-Eiring would score on an error in the seventh, while Carson and Miceli had RBI-knocks in the ninth inning. 

Book finished the final 2.0 innings of the game by striking out two batters and not allowing a hit. 

Up next, the team hosts College of St. Charleston on March 29 at Joe Nathan Field. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.

Catch a screening of 'Muppets From Space' at the Cinema Arts Centre on March 31.

PROGRAMS

First Steps Into Nature 

Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown presents First Steps Into Nature: Clever Creatures on March 29 at 9:30 a.m. Children ages 2 to 4 years of age will learn about the wonders of the natural world through hands-on activities, live animals, crafts, and much more. $20 per child. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org.

Eclipse Exploration

The Long Island Explorium, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson presents a Solar Eclipse Exploration workshop for grades 2 to 6 on April 1 from 9 a.m. to noon. In this exciting exploration, kids will embark on a journey to discover the science behind solar eclipses and unravel the mysteries of why they occur. $40 per child. To register, visit www.longislandexplorium.org. 631-331-3277

Story & Craft with Nana Carol

The Next Chapter bookstore, 204 New York Ave., Huntington hosts a Story and Craft event with Nana Carol on April 1 at 10:30 a.m. No registration required. Appropriate for ages 0-4 (sometimes older siblings join as well). 631-482-5008

THEATER

Disney’s ‘Descendants’

Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents Disney’s Descendants The Musical  from March 16 to 30. Imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost, the teenaged children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella De Vil have never ventured off the island… until now. When the four are sent to attend prep school alongside the children of beloved Disney heroes, they have a difficult choice to make: should they follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or learn to be good? Tickets are $18 per person. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

‘Alice in Wonderland’

Up next for the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport is Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland from March 23 to April 28. Alice takes a tumble down an enchanted rabbit hole to an off-kilter world of mock turtles, dancing flora, punctual rabbits, and mad tea parties. Will Alice be able to find her footing in this bizarre place? ill she ever figure out how to get home? All seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘The Adventures of Peter Rabbit’

Join Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson for a perennial favorite, The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, from April 13  to 27. “Over the hill and through the garden …” That mischievous rabbit Peter just can’t stay out of the McGregors’ garden! With help of his sisters—Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-Tail—and his cousin, Benjamin Bunny, Peter learns the power of sharing and caring. Tickets are $12. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

FILM

‘Hop’ Aboard the Bunny Express

Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce invites the community to a screening of Hop in the Chamber Train Car, southeast corner of Route 112 and Nesconset Highway, Port Jefferson Station on March 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. $20 per person includes movie, water, popcorn, and cookie with a visit from the Easter Bunny at the end. To reserve your seat, visit www.pjstchamber.com or call 631-821-1313. 

‘Muppets From Space’

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Cinema for Kids! series with a screening of Muppets From Space on March 31 at noon. The Muppets embark on a hilarious extraterrestrial adventure in hopes of finding out about Gonzo’s past, and discover that Gonzo’s family members are aliens from a distant planet. Gonzo then gets a message that his relatives are coming for a visit from outer space! Tickets are $13 adults, $5 children 12 and under. www.cinemaartscentre.org.