Starting Thursday, Aug. 19, Stony Brook University students can come Down Port to shop, eat and enjoy what the village has to offer.
Created in 2019 as a partnership between the Port Jefferson Parking and Mobility Department, the university’s office of Community Relations and the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District, the program had to stop in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Kevin Wood, the village’s parking and mobility administrator.
Now, nearly a year and a half later, students can take advantage of it again.
“When Stony Brook came back from remote learning, it signaled to me that we should bring the bus back,” Wood said. “The university is looking at Port Jefferson as its downtown, so the bus makes it a direct link there now.”
Photo from Kevin Wood
The shuttle is free to students and runs four days a week — Thursdays through Sundays. It starts at the university’s SAC circle and then moves to the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, SBU’s Chapin Apartments, Stop and Shop East Setauket, Arden Place in the village and ends at the LIRR before heading back to the campus.
“Stony Brook University is proud to partner with Port Jefferson and the Business Improvement District to provide the student shuttle service for shopping, dining and entertainment in the village,” said SBU Community Relations Director Joan Dickinson.
Wood added that the shuttle is a 19-passenger vehicle and is ADA compliant.
“Anytime we can bring visitors who spend money to the village without having to park is a win,” he said.
Mayor Margot Garant said the village welcomes all SBU students, staff and residents.
“The shuttle is important to connect the Brook to Port Jeff Village, and to ensure the student body are welcome and have safe, easy access to our shops and restaurants,” she said. “We encourage them to sit back and enjoy the ride!”
On Saturday, Aug. 14 cars from the last century geared up to tackle the ascent on East Broadway in Port Jefferson village to commemorate the 1910 hill climb.
Sponsored by the Port Jefferson Harbor Education & Arts Conservancy, in partnership with the village, the event allows vintage car enthusiasts to retrace the original hill climb course as spectators cheer them throughout this historic tribute.
According to the event chair, Bob Laravie, this was the seventh recreation of the climb – its original, as the name states, being in 1910.
“We’re celebrating right where the original cars ran,” he said. “We had every decade starting from 1909 up to one car from 1980.”
The conservancy decided to bring back the hill climb in 2010, with the plan to run again every five years. After a successful 2015 run, the pandemic halted the 2020 event.
So, the 2021 hill climb was highly anticipated for people who love old cars. While many drivers were local to Port Jefferson and its surrounding communities, others came from across Long Island — as far as Queens and Montauk. One couple brought their 1911 Hupmobile Model 20 roadster across the Sound on the ferry to participate.
Laravie said there were about 60 vehicles at the start of the climb, parked outside the Village Center.
“We’ve done this every five years since the 100th anniversary and we look forward to doing it again in four years,” said Lisa Perry, president of the conservancy.
Mayor Margot Garant said the event speaks about the village’s role in the automobile industry which many people are not fully aware of. She noted that after the building — which is now the Village Center — was no longer used for making boats, car engines were created inside its walls.
Some of the early 20th-century cars at the event very well could have had their engines made in Port Jefferson.
“It’s great to see the turnout today,” Garant said at the event. “And, more importantly, to celebrate the history of the village in another dimension.”
Chelsea Gomez, left, is a former employee who says Pentimento's owner has properly taken care of the septic system at the restaurant. Photo by Kimberly Brown
Residents who have banded together to save Pentimento Restaurant in Stony Brook Village Center, before taking to the village streets Sunday to protest, started a Facebook page and petition earlier this month.
The petition on Change.org, started by Patricia Kirchner, has received almost 3,300 signatures as of Aug. 18. It states that the restaurant has been refused a lease renewal by The Ward Melville Heritage Organization.
Eagle Realty Holdings is the owner of the Stony Brook Village Center storefronts, which selects tenants, collects rent and maintains the shopping center property. Net proceeds are distributed to WMHO. According to Gloria Rocchio, president of Eagle Realty Holdings and WMHO, the realty company pays more than $725,000 in real estate taxes a year.
Rocchio added the WMHO board of trustees are non-salaried volunteers.
On the Save Pentimento Facebook page, which has more than 400 followers, the administrators have requested that, in addition to members calling and emailing WMHO’s office and Rocchio, they also contact trustees and have listed the board members’ phone numbers and email addresses.
In a phone interview Aug. 16, Rocchio said she believes many community members are acting on misinformation.
“They don’t have all the facts,” she said. “They only have one side of the story.”
Rocchio added that it’s not standard protocol to discuss where a tenant stands as far as a lease, rent or any other interactions between the landlord and business.
Earlier this month, Pentimento owner Dennis Young told TBR News Media that last year he was required to request an extension of the lease, which expires at the end of September. He said while trying to keep the restaurant afloat during the pandemic, renewing slipped his mind.
While Young is thinking about retiring in the near future, he said friends were interested in buying the business and keeping Pentimento as it is.
Rocchio said in addition to not providing notice of an interest to renew the lease last year, the tenant failed “to comply with the requirement to maintain the septic system” which is described in the lease. She added the new owners that were recommended by Young were interviewed as well as other candidates.
Young said he has maintained the property during his 27 years of ownership.
Restaurant manager Lisa Cusumano in a phone interview said she and Young have not been part of any of the planning of the petition or the rally and have been too busy running the business to keep up with the comments on the Save Pentimento Facebook page.
“The community is taking it in their own hands, and it has a life of its own,” she said.
In an Aug. 6 post to the Pentimento Restaurant Facebook page, residents were asked to remember that the business isn’t a separate entity but is part of Stony Brook Village Center. Patrons were encouraged to support all the businesses in the shopping center.
“The community outpouring has been overwhelming and it’s touching, but we don’t want people to go against the village center because that’s our home, and they’re all our neighbors — those businesses are just like us,” Cusumano said.
Not only have Young and her been overwhelmed by the community’s response via social media and the Aug. 15 rally, they said customers come in every day asking why they are closing.
“There isn’t a customer that does not walk in our restaurant every day and says, ‘What is going on, why is this happening?’” Cusumano said.
According to Rocchio, no final decision has been made as far as a future tenant.
Residents rally in front of Pentimento. Photo by Kimberly Brown
Residents gathered outside Pentimento on Sunday to show support for the restaurant, which is set to close its doors on Sept. 30. The business has been a staple in Stony Brook Village Center for 27 years.
Julia Lopinto, of Setauket, shows support for Pentimento Sunday. Photo by Kimberly Brown
Standing at the entrance of the restaurant with pizza boxes, cardboard strips and homemade picket signs reading “Save Penti!” and “Good Neighbors Deserve Better Treatment!” a few dozen locals made sure to exhibit their concerns for the struggling business.
“I loved watching them grow,” said Sharon Goetchius, of Stony Brook. “It is such a warm place, and the food is amazing. It’s got everything, and the way this is all going down is really unfortunate.”
On July 29, Pentimento posted on its Facebook page that it was unable to extend the term of its lease and will be looking to relocate in or around the Three Village area.
Disappointed that Eagle Realty Holdings didn’t negotiate a new lease for the long-standing restaurant, locals are hoping to garner support throughout the community, making sure their voices are heard and the restaurant stays.
“They should turn this around and extend their lease, that is the ethically right thing to do,” Goetchius said.
“Because of all the COVID madness, the renewing of the lease kind of slipped through the cracks, although they always intended to renew.” said Lisa Blake, of St. James. “Rather than extending some kindness and neighborliness, the landlord is saying, ‘No, you missed that little window, so you’re out of here.’”
According to Gloria Rocchio, president of Eagle Realty Holdings, along with not renewing the lease in time, the business also failed to comply with the maintenance of its septic system. However, Chelsea Gomez, a former employee of 15 years at Pentimento, said she highly disagrees with this statement.
“I have firsthand knowledge of how often we had to pump the septic system, so I know that the owners were doing everything they could to maintain it,” Gomez said. “This is not a case of neglect or that they didn’t want to spend the money to fix it. They’ve always done everything they can to maintain not only the septic system but everything about this restaurant, too.”
Loyal customers reflected on their fond memories of Pentimento Restaurant, from celebrating weddings, anniversaries, birthdays to just a simple night out to dinner — it seems the business has played a part in every customer’s life.
“I’ve come here throughout my childhood, and it’s such an integral part of the community that I don’t want it to go away,” said Julia Lopinto, a Setauket resident. “It’s a quaint, homey place that has strong roots in this community, and us being here today is evidence of how willing we are to defend it.”
As we continue to battle against the coronavirus and approach flu season, it’s imperative that we know the facts about the vax. This Tuesday, August 17, join experts from Stony Brook Medicine as they discuss the importance of and science behind vaccines during a LIVE virtual event. Our experts will dispel misconceptions and address concerns surrounding key vaccinations, including those for COVID-19, the flu, and human papillomavirus (HPV).
The ongoing pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for healthcare providers and patients. A recent study showed a 71% drop in healthcare visits for 7 to 17-year-olds, when critical vaccines like Tdap, HPV, and meningitis are given. The HPV vaccine is recommended for boys and girls at age 11 or 12 because it works best when given before exposure to HPV. It can be given as early as age nine, and through age 26 for both men and women, if they did not get vaccinated when they were younger. The vaccine is safe with more than 270 million doses having been given worldwide since 2006. Even though the HPV vaccine can prevent many cancers caused by HPV infection, nearly half of adolescents in New York State are not getting the vaccine as recommended.
Every year in New York, nearly 2,600 people are diagnosed with cancer caused by HPV. To help educate those across Long Island about the importance of HPV vaccination for cancer prevention in adolescents, the Stony Brook University Cancer Center received a grant funded by the New York State Department of Health and Health Research Inc. This allows Stony Brook, the first and only institution on Long Island to be part of the Cancer Prevention in Action (CPIA) program, an opportunity to further promote the importance of the HPV vaccine as cancer prevention.
Sharon Nachman, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Dean for Research at the Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University & Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital
PANELISTS:
Jill Cioffi, MD, FAAP, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University and Medical Director of Ambulatory Primary Care Pediatrics, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital
Lauren Ng, DO, FAAP, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University and Primary Care Pediatrics, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital
This program is supported with funding from the State of New York. The views expressed in this educational event and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the State.
In order to ensure sufficient electrical supply at a time of sustained extreme heat and humidity and the successive failures of third-party owned supply systems, PSEG Long Island is following established procedures to address resource capacity concerns. Based on current system conditions, PSEGLong Island is now urging all customers on Long Island and in the Rockaways to reduce electric use as much as possible during the peak hours of 3 and 7 p.m. today.
In addition to the typical demand challenges faced during high heat, PSEG Long Island has been working with the third-party owners of two interconnections that provide electricity to the service area and currently require repairs.
While PSEG Long Island has taken emergency measures to bring additional capacity online and will continue to implement available options in accordance with established contingency plans, today’s peak demand is at risk of exceeding the available energy supply. Reductions in customer energy use are also required to reduce demand.
PSEG Long Island urges customers to:
Eliminate ALL nonessential electric use.
Run air conditioners only if needed for health reasons.
Use fans instead of air conditioners when possible.
If air conditioning is needed, set home thermostats or air conditioner units to 78 degrees.
Only run nonessential home appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and pool pumps in the morning or late evening to avoid the peak demand hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Do not cool an empty house. Set your thermostat higher when you are away, or use a smart thermostat to control the temperature in your home. Customers can receive an incentive on qualifying thermostats for enrolling in PSEG Long Island’s Smart Savers Thermostat program, which can be used to control usage during peak summer days. Visit https://www.psegliny.com/smartsavers for more details.
Close blinds and draperies facing the sun to keep out the sun’s heat.
Set your ceiling fan to spin quickly, counterclockwise to push air downward toward the floor
Businesses should reduce lighting use to a minimum
Commercial buildings should set air conditioners to maximum efficiency and raise the thermostat setting
PSEG Long Island will also ask its Major Accounts customers, the largest in the service area, to voluntarily curtail their electric consumption.
Customers participating in the Direct Load Control – Smart Savers Thermostat Program will have their temperature increased by 4 degrees on home central air conditioning units via the internet between the hours of 3 and 7 p.m. today. Approximately 31,000 PSEG Long Island customers island-wide participate in Smart Savers. Commercial customers participating in Demand Response programs will receive financial incentives for committing to reduce their electric use during peak periods. Activating these programs can save about 45 MWs of electrical demand.
Long Island and the Rockaways may also experience outages due to excessive heat and the potential loss of supply. PSEG Long Island has mobilized extra repair crews, who are working 16-hour shifts around the clock to restore outages safely and as quickly as possible. Customers who experience an outage should call 1-800-490-0075.
State, city, and county emergency management authorities, and local elected officials have been notified by PSEG Long Island.
The safety of PSEG Long Island’s customers and employees is the company’s top priority.
PSEG Long Island wants to make sure customers who rely on electric life support equipment are aware of this event so that they can make arrangements in case they do lose power. PSEG Long Island urges customers to be prepared and to stay safe during this event. In the event of a medical emergency please call 911.
During extreme heat conditions, PSEG Long Island encourages all customers to:
Seek out air-conditioned spaces (if safe) if their homes become too warm.
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.
Avoid wearing dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays.
Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles.
Avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day, which is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Greg Ferguson is the new president of the Frank Melville Memorial Foundation which oversees Frank Melville Memorial Park. Photo by Robert Reuter
The Frank Melville Memorial Foundation’s new president is a familiar name to many in the Three Village area.
Greg Ferguson replaced Robert Reuter as president of FMMF earlier this year. Reuter said after nine years in the role it was time to make room for someone new. The former president, now trustee, said it was a unanimous decision for Ferguson to take on the role. He described him as having strong management skills as well as getting along with everybody.
“He’s shown himself to be very enthusiastic about the full range of projects in the park,” Reuter said. “He initiated movie nights. He’s been a strong supporter of all the programs, and I think he’s an excellent person to lead the park in our challenging post-COVID times.”
Ferguson is the founder of Brookhaven Bike Co-op, which haslocations in St. James and Manorville. The Setauket resident and attorney also runs the Ferguson Foundation with his brother Chris. The foundation strives to find organizations where its philanthropic investments will have an ongoing impact on the beneficiaries.
Ferguson, who has lived in Setauket for more than 18 years with his wife Rena and children Hugh, Sophie and Ella, said he lives a short walk from Frank Melville Memorial Park. He became involved with the foundation as a trustee more than four years ago and said it’s been fun being involved. When asked to join the board, Ferguson said he “happily and humbly agreed.”
“It’s a great organization, and the park is a beautiful place,” he said. “There’s a ton of stuff going on, too, so it’s not a museum or static type of thing. It has programs and initiatives and efforts.”
Ferguson said while the foundation may be smaller than other nonprofits, it is well run by its board members.
“We have financial people, lawyers, scientists and naturalists, so it’s really a fantastic variety of skill sets that the board brings to the place,” he said.
As far as his skill sets, in addition to being an attorney, the Setauket resident has also been a writer with his work published in U.S. News & World Report. The opportunity came about while he was in college and an exchange student in China during the time of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. He said people were needed to report on what was happening during the incident.
“I had no fear for my safety,” he said. “It was pretty much confined to one area.”
Today Ferguson and the board members deal with the issues that COVID-19 has brought to the area.
During the pandemic, the new foundation president said the park has become more popular and events have been even more well received than before. He said that it’s due to many other recreational places being shut down, while the park was only closed for a short time toward the beginning of the pandemic. He added that the increased interest in the park is wonderful, but it also means that the foundation board has had to enhance security.
Ferguson said the board members have long-term goals and are currently waiting for a permit to dredge the ponds. He said the park staff is tackling invasive plants and drainage issues, too. A cutting-edge septic system will also be installed on the property for one of the homes.
Ferguson said he’s looking forward to the board’s future work.
“Over the years I’ve been involved in a bunch of different nonprofits and this is by far the best run I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “It’s definitely wonderful to be involved.”
For years, Dee Earle Browning of Wading River had trouble sleeping. She tried changing mattresses, medications and used over-the-counter products to get a good night’s rest.
But she hated doing that and knew that taking NyQuil wasn’t the best option for her body. That’s when she delved deep into the world of CBD.
Dee Earle Browning inside her store. Photo by Julianne Mosher
It wasn’t her first time using cannabidiol — an oil that derives from the hemp plant. Browning said for years, she used CBD on her skin — which kept her face glowing and clear. After having back surgery and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she began researching the oil for medicinal and pain-relieving purposes. She and her husband, Lee Browning Jr., wanted to try more holistic approaches to physical, mental and emotional health. She fell in love.
She said that our bodies accept the cannabinoids in CBD products, and in her sleeping situation, the oil has a natural sleep aid that makes her relax at night.
“I learned that CBD is best anywhere on you because we have an endocannabinoid system, we have receptors in our body specifically built for cannabinoids,” she said. “So, I found that once I started doing tinctures, and the topical along with that, there was a lot of relief.”
Browning, who worked in the hospitality industry for two decades with chains like Hilton, Marriott and Holiday Inn, said that during the pandemic, she decided to make a career change that she knew could help other people.
“I always looked at hospitality as an industry of people taking care of people,” she said, “And then COVID happened and our industry got rocked.”
Browning and her husband began researching Your CBD Store, an international franchise that sells products made by SunMed. The company prides itself on using a CO2 extraction process, which eliminates the need for chemical solvents and produces a high-quality, full-spectrum CBD. For their zero-THC broad-spectrum products, the CBD is processed again to remove all traces of THC. Your CBD Store is the retailer that distributes these products.
“I found that those products were made in the USA — from seed soil, soil to oil — it’s all done here,” Browning said.
She added that the Your CBD Store franchise has third-party testing for its products.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
“There were so many positives about this company, and I was like, ‘this is what I want to do,’” she said. “I already have a background of being in the industry of taking care of people, but this also feeds my passion for health and wellness.”
Based in Florida, the chain has over 600 affiliates in the U.S. and U.K. There was not one Your CBD Store in Suffolk County. The closest location is currently in Long Beach, along with 22 across the Long Island Sound in Connecticut.
“They’re beautiful stores, and they’re all about educating people about CBD, which was so important to dispel the myths out there,” she added. “I was using it myself and finding results, and the more I read about it, I knew I wanted to be part of the community that dispels some myths and shows that there are some alternative options for health and wellness.”
Browning’s job, not only as the owner of the shop, is to educate each and every customer that walks through her doors. She said people have come in with all different types of ailments — pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression. Some parents use the products to help their children with ADHD or autism. SunMed even has a pet line to help out stressed cats and dogs.
She takes the time to talk to each person and figure out what the best regimen would be.
“You have receptors in your body specifically for cannabinoids, it’s just figuring out you know how to best produce those cannabinoids,” she said. “It’s also trying out and figuring out what your body actually needs … And making sure you’re taking it in a way that your body is going to absorb it, and it’s going to stay in your system longer.”
Founded by owner Rachel Quinn, Browning was intrigued by the company because it was owned by a woman who sought out pain relief herself.
“I wanted to bring this to the masses, and I really want people to see how much it has helped me,” she said. “It was great because it was founded by a woman in pain and then her desire to share it with everyone. That for me, was so empowering being a woman and a woman of color to have the opportunity to follow in her footsteps and help other people.”
The Port Jefferson Station location opened up on July 12, with an official ribbon cutting hosted by the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce on July 23. The store is located at 590 Patchogue Road (Route 112) across from Moloney Funeral Home in what was once the former location of a Jack in the Box restaurant.
Browning said that her husband bought the property a few years ago, and nothing had moved into the first-floor storefront. A developer, he helped give the space a facelift, painting and redoing it to give it a beachy spa vibe.
“We want a space that really is welcoming, inviting and makes people feel comfortable to share the challenges that they’re working through,” she said.
Compared to other CBD retailers, Your CBD Store says it all — it’s there for you.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
“Your CBD Store is a company that is all about community. It is all about education. It is all about high-quality products. It is all about health and wellness,” she said. “We focus on getting to know our consumers as they come in, so that we can help them make the right choice for them … That’s important.”
Browning said their goal is to educate people and see if CBD can help change their lives the way it did for Browning and her family.
“If you’ve never had any CBD products, here’s an opportunity to come in and try something,” she said. “Whether it’s a topical for pain, water soluble, a tincture or gummy, all of these are set up every day, so that people can at least try it and see if it gives you some of the relief that you’re looking for.”
You can check out the Port Jefferson Station store by following their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Stony Brook University's played in the summer Olympics with Team Puerto Rico's women's basketball team. Photo from India Pagan
Stony Brook University’s India Pagan, competing in the Olympics for Puerto Rico, took several shots against China in the preliminary round of the basketball tournament, but none of them went in.
India Pagan at the summer Olympics opening ceremony. Photo from India Pagan
Against Belgium, the 6-foot-1-inch forward finally put the ball through the hoop, something she’d done so frequently at Stony Brook that she scored over 1,000 points as a Seawolf.
“I remember the first one I made” at the Olympics, said Pagan. “I didn’t have to stress anymore. I couldn’t stop smiling.”
Pagan, who was on Puerto Rico’s first women’s Olympic basketball team, scored two baskets and sank two free throws, scoring six points in that game.
Despite the challenges and restrictions created by the Delta variant of COVID-19 and the three losses the Puerto Rican team had in games against China, Belgium and Australia, Pagan had plenty of reasons to smile as she enjoyed everything from the opening ceremonies to taking selfies with some of the best athletes in the world to some limited sightseeing.
After a lengthy journey to the other side of the world, Pagan cheered her way through an opening ceremony full of familiar pageantry, but devoid of its customary shouting spectators.
“It was surreal to me,” Pagan said. “I watched this on TV a couple of years ago. Walking with the flag, with the whole delegation of Puerto Rico, seeing the stage, the torch, the dances, the acts of music, everything, it was just so beautiful.”
Pagan said she cried three or four times during the ceremonies.
Behind the scenes, Pagan said the time spent waiting for the ceremonies to begin and the hours on their feet amid the excitement took their toll.
“By the end of the night, all of our backs hurt, our feet hurt,” she laughed. “Thankfully, we didn’t have practice the next day, so we had a little time to recover.”
Around the games, Pagan soaked in the atmosphere and reveled in the moment on one of the world’s largest, albeit emptiest, athletic stages.
One of the big stories to come out of the Olympics involved American gymnast Simone Biles, who pulled out of most of the competition amid concerns about her mental health and her ability to get her bearings while flying and twisting through the air.
“We understood the mental health aspects” of Biles’s decision, Pagan said. “She’s got to do what’s best for her. We did feel for her.”
Pagan said the Puerto Rican basketball team met with their coach, who told them they could speak with a doctor or a psychologist if they needed support.
Pagan missed her family and friends but didn’t need those mental health services during her time in Tokyo.
Pagan was thrilled to run into several superstars in their sports, taking selfies with National Basketball Association star Jayson Tatum from the Boston Celtics, and with Spanish basketball sensations Marc Gasol, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and his brother Pau, who retired from the NBA in 2019 after an 18-year career. She also ran into Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic.
“Seeing those people was cool for me,” Pagan said.
Pagan takes a photo with Spanish basketball sensation Pau Gasol. Photo from India Pagan
Everyone had to wear face shields in the dining hall which made conversations, even among teammates, challenging.
“It was tough to interact” while she was eating, Pagan said.
She did, however, have the opportunity to speak and play games with other masked athletes in a recreational area. Pagan and teammates Jada Stinson and Jacqueline Benitez visited with athletes from the South African soccer and track teams, and several teams from Ireland, Italy and Iran while playing table tennis, pool and darts.
During her stay in Tokyo, Pagan recalled the lives of two people she and her family recently lost. She wrote the names of Tatiana Mayas, one of her closest childhood friends, and Gloria Sotomayor, a friend of her mother’s, on a white ribbon and pinned them on a memorial tree.
While the athletes couldn’t explore Tokyo on their own or travel much outside the Olympic village, they took a bus tour to Mt. Fuji, which, at 12,380 feet, is the tallest mountain in Japan.
“If we got off the bus and the [International Olympic Committee] found out, they would have kicked us out of the Olympics,” Pagan said.
Pagan remained appreciative of an opportunity she didn’t take for granted, especially since she has no guarantee that she or the Puerto Rican team will return for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“I was ready for anything and I was grateful for anything,” Pagan said.
In addition to returning with a collection of memories, photos and selfies, Pagan brought back numerous souvenirs for herself and her family.
She purchased a letterman jacket that she said she “had to have,” because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
She also purchased shoes, shirts, key chains, umbrellas, pins and notebooks.
“It was like Christmas,” she laughed. The gifts were worth the money, as her family’s faces “lit up” when she produced their presents.
During her Olympics, she appreciated the outpouring of support for her and for the team.
“My phone has never blown up as much as it did when I was at the Olympics,” said Pagan, who is returning to Stony Brook to earn her master’s this fall and to use a fifth year of eligibility the National Collegiate Athletic Association granted to athletes amid the pandemic.
She left North America with 6,000 Instagram followers and returned with 11,000.
One of the first things she did when she returned, after sharing presents, crying and catching up with family, was to get behind the wheel.
“I couldn’t wait to drive my car and be free and go wherever I wanted to, instead of being restrained and told to stay in one place or being locked up in a room,” Pagan said.
She hopes the team will return to the next Olympics in Paris in 2024.
“Hopefully, we’ll be back,” she said. “This experience will definitely help us grow as a program. We’re on our way up.”
As for what’s next, she plans to rest and recover from the exhausting and exhilarating trip and to add the Olympic rings tattoo to her leg.
Pagan appreciates the opportunity to play a game she loves at the Olympic level.
A Commencement, double White Coat Ceremony and extended orientation to start the school year on the right foot
The COVID-19 Pandemic has taken many recognitions and rights of passage away from those who have worked hard to reach their goals. Case in point: Commencement for an entire graduating class was celebrated virtually, if at all. An entire class of first-year students were unable to begin their college experience on campus. And, other professional students were unable to mark their hard-earned accomplishments with the proper pomp and circumstance.
Stony Brook University is now ensuring that all of these students will be able to finally have the opportunity to throw their caps, get to know their campus and ceremoniously put on their white coats, marking a return to some normalcy on campus.
Photo from Stony Brook University
On August 15, The Renaissance School of Medicine At Stony Brook University will host two white coat ceremonies. One of these is for the students in the Class of 2021, who will start their medical school journey this fall. The other is for the students who make up the incoming Class of 2020, who were unable to experience this milestone occasion because of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Now these students can proudly participate in this right of passage by donning their white coats in front of friends, family, colleagues, faculty and staff. These ceremonies will take place in the Staller Center.
Stony Brook University will also be celebrating the graduating class of 2020, with an in-person Commencement ceremony. Taking place on Friday, September 10 at 4 p.m., this special commencement event will allow those students who were part of the 2020 graduating class a chance to create special memories with friends and family. Invitations were sent to more than 7,500 graduates and to date, more than 900 have indicated they will attend. More information will continue to be posted here.
As the Fall 2021 class of first-year students makes its way to campus, so will the 2020 class who did not have the opportunity to start their college experience off the way so many have done before them. To ensure everyone feels welcome and gets acclimated to the college campus, Stony Brook is kicking off New Seawolf Welcome Week. The week will kick off with move-in day on Monday, August 16 and the multi-day experience will be filled with workshops, meet-and-greets and more.
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