Harborfields Central School District Board of Education met Wednesday, Sept. 18 to address a wide-ranging number of agenda items.
Superintendent Rory Manning and President Susan Broderick at the Harborfields Central School District Board of Education meeting. –Photo courtesy the Harborfields Central School District livestream
First, the board was presented with a capital bond update detailing a number of projects the district has planned through the summer of 2026. The plan, broken up into three phases, began in January with the design phase, which will continue in this period until May.
Construction in this first phase includes roof replacement and repair and replacement of the outdoor track at Harborfields High School, alongside a number of similar changes made across the district around October. Construction will continue through the summer of 2025.
Phase 2 will run from June 2024 to spring 2026, and Phase 3 from October 2024 to summer 2026. These projects include air conditioning installation at the high school, repairs to outdoor facilities such as basketball and tennis courts, and “general classroom enhancements” across the district.
Beyond this presentation, the board approved a variety of financial documentation and human resources work. The board also elected its voting delegate to the New York State School Boards Association convention, namely BOE member — and Suffolk County Legislature candidate — Dr. Eve Meltzer-Krief.
Finally, the board approved the implementation of two new educational programs: Individualized Education Programming and the Marketing Pathway Career and Technical Education program.
The board will meet again Oct. 16 at 7:45 p.m. at Oldfield Middle School.
United in Division, 2024, acrylic on canvas, by Edward Acosta is currently on view at the Heckscher Museum
'Rabbit 3 Moon' by Kelynn Zena Adler
From now through Jan. 19, 2025, The Heckscher Museum of Art will present the The Body Politic: Long Island Biennial, a prestigious juried exhibition featuring works by contemporary artists from across Long Island. The Museum received 762 artwork submissions from 313 artists. For this year’s edition, the applicants were tasked with submitting work that engaged with contemporary social, cultural, or political issues. The result is a compelling museum-wide exhibition that features seventy-nine works of art accepted by 60 artists.The artists chosen represents the breadth of communities across Suffolk and Nassau counties stretching from Floral Park to Montauk.
The exhibition encompasses a remarkable variety of media, with styles spanning abstraction to hyperrealism, including sculpture, painting, photography and more. “We remain committed to sharing inspiring and thought-provoking new art with our visitors.” said Heather Arnet, Executive Director & CEO. “The Body Politic will resonate with the entire community given the diversity in artists and the universality of the important themes in their work.”
Now in its eighth edition, the 2024 Long Island Biennial is curated by Meredith A. Brown, consulting curator of Contemporary Art at the Museum. The art was selected by jurors Ian Alteveer, Beal Family Chair of the Department of Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Patricia Cronin, sculptor, Artistic Director of the LGBTQ+ VR Museum and Distinguished Professor of Art, Brooklyn College; and Grace Hong, Assistant Director, Galerie Lelong & Co.
“There was artwork submitted addressing every theme you could think of: homelessness, addiction, immigration, global warming, voting rights, civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and different on-going war,” said Cronin. “It was impressive and inspiring to learn how deeply Long Island artists really care about the world right now and express it in their art.”
“I was very impressed with quality of submissions, the artistic formal quality and passionate commitment to various social issues. I always love being a juror. You get to take the real pulse of an artistic community. What is important to the artists at any given time is usually the bellwether for society at large. Artists tend to focus on issues sooner than the general population,” said Cronin.
“I was impressed by the breadth of subjects and media presented in the submissions and had an enjoyable time reviewing them. Politics and systems of power on both an international and domestic level stood out to me, as did personal and often humorous takes on American politics. The Heckscher Museum of Art’s commitment to its community celebrates the people it serves while allowing a rare glimpse for art lovers everywhere into the practice and perspective of a living artist based in the region,” said Hong.
“It is so important to have a Long Island Biennial so the general population can come to the museum and be inspired about the world they live in. Art has the capacity to inspire reflection, thought, feeling, and dreams about the human condition, ones we are already living or the potential for the future,” added Cronin.
Visitors will also be treated to a diverse program of events to coincide with the exhibition. Several Long Island Biennial artists will be in the galleries on select Sundays throughout the exhibition, as well as participating in the Huntington Art Walk, Lunar New Year, and other cultural and community events. Visit Heckscher.org for the full schedule.
A hilarious comedy based on the movie and board game comes to life in Northport
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Christina DeCicco, Patrick Harvey, Ken King, Michael Keyloun, Lauren Weinberg, Arianna Davidow, Danny Rothman, Thursday Farrar in a scene from 'Clue'. Photo courtesy of The John W. Engeman Theater
Christina DeCicco, Ken King, Thursday Farrar, Michael Keyloun, Patrick Harvey, Lauren Weinberg, Danny Rothman in a scene from 'Clue'. Photo courtesy of The John W. Engeman Theater
Arianne Davidow as Yvette
Thursday Farrar, Patrick Harvey, Ken King, Lauren Weinberg, Danny Rothman, Christina DeCicco, Arianne Davidow in a scene from 'Clue'. Photo courtesy of The John W. Engeman Theater
Michael Keyloun as Wadsworth
Ken King as Prof. Plum
Christina DeCicco as Mrs. White
Lauren Weinberg, Patrick Harvey, Christina DeCicco, Thursday Farrar, Ken King, Danny Rothman in a scene from 'Clue'. Photo courtesy of The John W. Engeman Theater
Thursday Farrar as Mrs. Peacock
Patrick Harvey as Mr. Green
Cody Gerszewski as Mr. Boddy
Lauren Weinberg as Miss Scarlet. Photo courtesy of The John W. Engeman Theater
Danny Rothman as Col. Mustard. Photo courtesy of The John W. Engeman
Thursday Farrar, Christina DeCicco, Patrick Harvey, Ken King, Michael Keyloun, Arianne Davidow, Danny Rothman, Lauren Weinberg in a scene from 'Clue'. Photo courtesy of The John W. Engeman Theater
Michael Keyloun, Ken King, Danny Rothman, Thursday Farrar, Christina DeCicco, Lauren Weinberg, Patrick Harvey in a scene from 'Clue'. Photo courtesy of The John W. Engeman Theater
By Julianne Mosher
Not sure what to do next weekend? Well, here’s a clue.
The John W. Engeman Theater’s latest production of CLUE is a witty murder mystery filled with twists and turns all based on the 1985 film starring Tim Curry that was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game.
It begins in 1954 at the Boddy Manor, an eerie, isolated mansion where six random guests are invited under unusual circumstances to a dinner party. Welcomed by the butler, Wadsworth (Michael Keyloun) and Yvette, the maid (Arianne Davidow), each guest comes to the door unsure as to why they were invited by the mansion’s owner, Mr. Boddy (Cody Gerszewski).
Each guest is called by a pseudonym for confidentiality: Colonel Mustard (Danny Rothman), Mrs. White (Christina DeCicco), Mrs. Peacock (Thursday Farrar), Mr. Green (Patrick Harvey), Professor Plum (Ken King) and Miss Scarlet (Lauren Weinberg). All from different backgrounds (for example, Mrs. Peacock is wife to a high-profile senator, Mrs. White’s three husbands mysteriously died and Miss Scarlet is a popular Washington D.C. madam), they share one thing — a secret.
At the start of the evening, the cook of the mansion (Suzanne Mason) brings out dinner and the guests discover they all hold government influence in one form or another. When Mr. Boddy finally arrives, he explains that he is blackmailing the group. Wadsworth is told to call the police and Boddy hands the guests six weapons as “gifts” to kill the butler in order to protect their secrets; a candlestick, rope, lead pipe, wrench, revolver and dagger.
The theater’s lights go out and a there’s a loud gunshot. Mr. Boddy is dead on the floor. But who did it?
To figure out who the killer of the group is, they split up and while walking through the mansion are met with all different shenanigans. They’re met with visits from outsiders who are somehow related to people in the house — like the motorist (Gerszewski), a telegram girl (Mason) and a cop (Jeremy McClelland). They end up dead, too.
In just 90 minutes, the board game comes to life on stage with colorful characters leaving the audience wondering who, where and with what.
With a small cast, each actor embodies the characters of the game and movie with perfection. Keyloun’s portrayal of the butler (made famous by Tim Curry in the film) has the audience belly laugh with his wit and expressive skill as he moves across the stage. Other standout performances include Davidow, Rothman, DeCicco, Farrar, Harvey, King, Weinberg, Gerszewski, Mason and McClelland who are hysterical in their own ways; whether it’s Miss Scarlet’s seductive humor or Mr. Green’s silly clumsiness, there was always a smile in the crowd.
Based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin, the Engeman’s production is directed by Marc Tumminelli. The costume design from Dustin Cross is representative of the characters we’ve seen on the board games’ cards with a 1950s fashionable flair that colors the eerie stage set (designed by Kyle Dixon).
The stage set as the manor is an impressive one. Not only does one feel like they’re in the foyer of the house, but when they need to be in the parlor, the dining room or the den, the stage has doors that open and pull out to the room where the characters are inside. The doors are used often and usually in a campy way.
So, was it Professor Plum with the revolver in the parlor? Or maybe it was Colonel Mustard with the wrench in the hall? One thing is for sure … it should be you with a ticket in hand parked in a seat to watch this fantastic show.
The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents CLUE through Oct. 27. The season continues with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from Nov. 14 to Dec. 29. Tickets range from $80 to $100 with free valet parking. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
Grand Marshal, Mikey Brannigan, posing for his photo op. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
2024 Cow Harbor Day parade in Northport. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson
Sunny skies greeted the residents of Northport and elsewhere as they celebrated the annual Cow Harbor Day Sunday, Sept. 22.
The event, which has been running for more than 50 years, celebrates the history of Northport whose original name, Cow Harbor, stems from the cows who “used to graze on the fields along the harbor which are now two lovely parks,” according to the village website.
Sunday’s festivities began at noon, with community members participating in a parade down Main Street which saw community members participating, including Grand Marshal Mikey Brannigan, a Northport High School alumni who recently won a bronze medal in the men’s 1500-meter T20 race at the Paris Paralympics.
Other activities included live music performances, carnival rides and games, and a boat race.
Northport Mayor Donna Koch discussed how the festival was started in 1973 as a way to boost local businesses and morale, and has successfully continued ever since.
“I’m amazed at the turnout today,” Koch said in an interview. “I don’t think I’ve seen a crowd this big in a long time.”
Also in attendance was the East Northport Civic Association, which was recently formed in response to the potential selling of three Northport-East Northport school district buildings, which ended up not coming into fruition, instead being leased.
John Scherer, president of the civic association, was happy to be a part of an event that was very meaningful to Northport, with whom East Northport shares the aforementioned school district.
“It’s a neighboring community, but we’re for all purposes one greater community … but it’s very important to us to be part of a very big celebration with the greater Northport community,” he said.
The Great Cow Harbor Weekend started Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with a 10K race followed in the evening by a lighted boat display at the Village Dock and a concert at Northport Village Park.
Number 28, Jake Kramer, getting stopped by Northport defense. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Northport vs. West Islip. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Number 72, Gio Valenti, puts clamps on quarterback T.J. Sonnenberg. Photo by Steve Zaitz
Luke Loiacono looking for a crease. Photo by Steve Zaitz
By Steve Zaitz
Northport running back Luke Loiacono rushed for all four Tiger touchdowns — one in each quarter — Northport’s 28-14 win at West Islip, on Friday Night.
The junior Loiacono, who is also a prolific scorer for the Tiger lacrosse team, finished with 168 yards on only 13 carries, as Northport improved to 2-0. West Islip falls to 0-2.
On the Tigers’ second offensive possession, Loiacono ran around left end for a 20-yard score that gave Northport a 7-0 lead. Loiacono and the Tiger rushing attack continued to exploit left-side runs for the entire game, amassing 314 yards on the ground. Senior Asher Levine had 92 yards on 8 carries, as Northport averaged 8.3 yards per rushing attempt.
Loiacono’s second touchdown was a 12-yarder in which he broke a tackle at the five-yard line, ran to the right sideline, and waltzed into the end zone with just under two minutes to go in the first half.
Northport’s defense also had a strong game as they limited the Lions to 194 yards of total offense. Eighty-one of those yards came in semi-garbage time when West Islip wide receiver Nils Haugen caught a short pass from quarterback T.J. Sonnenberg in the right flat, spun out of a tackle and raced 82 yards to make the score 28-14 with ten minutes remaining in the game.
The Lions recovered a Loiacono fumble with six minutes left, but the Tiger defense got a turnover on downs when Sonnenberg threw an incompletion on 4th down and 5 with four minutes remaining.The Lions never possessed the ball again.
Northport meets their old friend, Bellport, next Saturday, September 28. The Clippers are 1-1 after their 20-15 loss to highly-ranked North Babylon. Northport and Bellport met at Stony Brook in the 2022 Suffolk County Championship, with Bellport winning 35-14.
On Monday, Sept. 23, County Executive Ed Romaine (R) held a virtual press conference, which explained the key points of his 2025 Suffolk County Recommended Operating Budget.
One of the first things Romaine mentioned is that he has ensured that this budget complies with tax caps “and all other requirements for both the county and the state.”
He added that the proposal allows for $4 billion dollars, which is an increase from last year’s budget of $3.9 billion.
Speaking more specifically on what he wishes to increase spending on, Romaine expressed a strong desire to further secure our communities’ safety.
The budget “will add 200 [police officers, also] deputy sheriffs, corrections officers and detectives,” Romaine said.
“We feel that the police department needs to be adequately staffed, to address any safety issues in all, including the discouragement of illegal activities, such as gangs, drugs, etc., and to prevent any increase in crime,” he added.
Romaine has increased law enforcement staffing, particularly in the District Attorney’s Office to aid in the Gilgo Beach investigation.
Another issue the County Executive intends to tackle is the diminished sales tax revenue, from this year to last, which has contributed to Suffolk slightly raising the property tax for 2025. Homeowners in Brookhaven, Smithtown and Huntington will see an increase of about $49 per year.
“Sales tax came in at about $50 million less this year than what was projected, pension costs went up by about $43 million and health care costs went up by $66 million, which accounts for the increase in the county budget,” Romaine explained.
“So while there is a small increase, it, nevertheless, is a solid budget, which will allow the county to deliver services and provide what is needed.”
As to why we have seen such a significant decrease in sales tax, Romaine chalks it up to residents’ reduced spending, as prices for items, such as gasoline, increased.
“People are tightening their wallets. This is a difficult time, an inflationary time. For example, gasoline sales, for the first six months of 2024, went down by 9.6 percent, to give you an estimate, and we do include sales tax on gasoline,” Romaine said.
“That is an indication that the economy is debating its future. But we’ll see what happens. A lot will depend on the national election.”
Romaine’s budget proposal refers to his intention to improve Suffolk’s infrastructure, improve emergency service efficiency, by making changes including the reduction of 311 wait time to under five minutes and to continue support for veterans, as well as to increase staffing in underfunded departments like Child Protective Services and the Department of Social Services.
It also points to the allocation of funds for a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and virtual CISO, following the 2022 cyber-attack. It will modernize the county’s IT infrastructure, to enhance security.
Additionally, Romaine wrapped up the press conference with a future initiative he hopes to see come to fruition.
“Once this budget is adopted, and once we see the revenues coming in in 2025, I am hoping to propose a reduction in the sales tax on home heating fuel. That’s propane, natural gas and, obviously, home heating oil. I find this tax regressive.”
The county Legislature must adopt the budget by Nov. 6.
An open letter to the residents of Port Jefferson Station and Terryville
Many local residents are aware that there is a planned redevelopment at the Jefferson Plaza Shopping Center. However, not all our neighbors necessarily know the specific details which will shape the face of our community along the major thoroughfare of Route 112. This large-scale proposal may allow for up to 280 apartments and 49,000-plus square feet of commercial space on that 10-acre parcel. This intensive use has presented us all with an opportunity to see growth and revitalization of our area, but also the challenge to address potential negative impacts to the existing neighborhood.
Members of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association have worked diligently for the past two years to impress upon the Town of Brookhaven that we welcome this opportunity but that changes could help improve the project. In particular, we expressed a need for a comprehensive traffic study of the area which takes into account surrounding developments.
Others pointed out concerns about the unprecedented height of four-story buildings, voiced a desire for architectural design which could provide a sense of place, or questioned the need for full environmental review for a project which will nearly triple the density of any other multifamily developments in the town to date.
This entire proposal has its roots in a 2020 revision to the Town Code in the form of a Commercial Redevelopment District crafted and approved during the COVID-19 pandemic. This code, as written, seems vague and without any true metric on which to base a determination of the related density bonuses offered within the district. It is this CRD code which Staller Associates — owner of the Jefferson Shopping Center — is now pursuing for a precedent-setting change of zone on that property. It is my understanding that Brookhaven is prepared to vote on this motion and likely to approve it at its next Town Board meeting on Sept. 26 at Town Hall.
Last November, over 65 residents appeared at a public hearing to provide their input on what they wished to see for our community. Some of those comments have been incorporated by the developer into a few changes by the developer, at the urging and help of our Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook). However, much still appears unresolved in the areas of public benefits, clarity on the commitment to a comprehensive traffic study, developing consensus on architectural design and a decision on the ultimate level of density upon buildout. Some believe we should trust this all gets dealt with during the site plan review process. I am hopeful and have advocated that these issues should be addressed before the zoning change is approved in order to achieve the best, transparent outcome possible for all parties.
I solicit my neighbors, regardless of your viewpoint, to go to Town Hall this Thursday evening so that your voice is heard. More “eyes and ears” on this pivotal project will helpfully inform our local decision-makers what the public feels about how best to proceed to take pride in the place we call home. In any event, stay engaged and get involved.
Ira Costell, President
Port Jefferson Station/ Terryville Civic Association
Port Jefferson electrification stuck in the slow lane
There is no funding allocated in the MTA’s proposed $68 billion 2025-2029 Five Year Capital Plan, just released, for advancement of the proposed $3.1 billion LIRR Port Jefferson Branch electrification project. Critical initial funding was not provided to pay for planning, preliminary design, engineering and the National Environmental Policy Act review to start advancement of this project. The next opportunity for funding will be under the 2030-2034 Five Year Capital Plan. Following the federal NEPA process is necessary to preserve future Federal Transit Administration funding eligibility.
There is only a vague reference in the plan to “improvements” on the Port Jefferson Branch. Contrast this with a specific reference to “looking at the feasibility to extend electrification of the Ronkonkoma Branch east from Ronkonkoma to Yaphank.”
Riders east of Babylon to Patchogue and Speonk can also only count on a vague reference to “improvements” which doesn’t include electrification. No specific dollar figures, detailed scope of work or implementation schedule are attached to either Port Jefferson or Speonk Branch improvements.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber would have to request permission from the FTA to enter this project into the agency’s Capital Investment Grants (New Starts/Core Capacity) national discretionary competitive grant program.
Funding for final design and engineering, property easements, land acquisition and utility relocation could be allocated under the 2035-2039 Five Year Capital Plan. This would be followed by $1.6 billion — probably far more due to inflation — in local MTA funding included in the MTA 2040-2044 Five Year Capital Plan. These dollars are necessary to leverage FTA funding.
Based upon my past experiences on other FTA-MTA-LIRR projects, even if all goes well as I’ve outlined, Port Jefferson Branch electrification may not be completed until 2050. With inflation over time, the final project cost could easily grow to $4 billion and more.
The LIRR 1960s motto “Line of the Dashing Dan” should be changed to “Line of the Slow Moving Sloth” when it comes to completing LIRR Port Jefferson Branch electrification. The concept of electrification was first proposed back in the 1950s!
Larry Penner
Great Neck
WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL
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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate two women who allegedly used a stolen credit card in Huntington Station.
Two women allegedly used a stolen credit card at Saks Fifth Avenue, located at 230 Walt Whitman Road, on September 10 at approximately 4:05 p.m. They fled in a dark gray Range Rover with tinted windows and black rims.
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, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online
In the last 18 months, Stony Brook University has generated positive headlines for a host of wins, from receiving a record donation from the Simons Foundation to climbing academic rankings to winning the bidding for a climate solutions center on Governors Island.
This year, those gains not only helped attract a larger applicant pool, but also led to a record high enrollment for first-year students in the university’s 67 year history. The total number of undergraduates is also at a record high of 18,263, exceeding the previous high of 18,010 in the fall of 2010.
The downstate flagship university received about 55,000 applications for first year students, with an acceptance rate of about 49%.
“Stony Brook has now become a premier destination for so many students” in the state, country and world, said Richard Beatty, Senior Associate Provost for Enrollment Management. The increasing applicants and the largest ever class size of 4,024 students reflects the “fruit of all the work the campus has been doing.”
Stony Brook ranked 58th in the 2025 US News and World Report rankings this week, up from 93 in 2022. Stony Brook was also ranked the top public university in New York.
Just over half of the first-year students, or 50.5%, are women, while 49.5% are men. These statistics don’t include people who chose not to disclose their gender.
The university didn’t change its admissions standards to accept this larger class.
“We had the same academic quality as in previous years,” said Beatty, as each student has had high quality experience inside and outside the classroom.
Additionally, for the class entering its second year this fall, Stony Brook had a 90% retention rate, which is also an all-time high. The university typically loses 11 or 12% of students from the first to the second year.
“We want the student [who matriculate at Stony Brook] to graduate with us and we want them to graduate in a timely manner,” said Beatty.
New hires
Recognizing the increased interest in attending Stony Brook from in and out of state, the university started hiring additional staff to provide students with the same level of education and university services.
The ratio of faculty to students “didn’t change that much” because of the university’s staffing efforts, Beatty said. “We are keeping the educational quality the same even though we have a larger [freshman] class.”
The enrollment of students who identify as Black and LatinX also increased, even as universities such as Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have experienced a decline in such enrollments.
The first-year class at Stony Brook includes 433 people who identify as black, which is an increase of 19% over the total from the previous year and represents about 10.7% of the incoming class.
LatinX, meanwhile, rose 28% to 633 this year from 496 in the previous year.
SBU Interim President Richard McCormick. File photo
“Stony Brook today exemplifies dramatically all the most important developments in modern American higher education – a growing and highly diverse student body, an expanding research enterprise, and research achievements that are contributing mightily to the economy and society,” Interim President Richard L. McCormick said in a statement.
While the number of foreign students increased over last year, the total number has still not recovered to its 2019 level, prior to the pandemic.
Stony Brook leads the SUNY system in the highest number of Educational Opportunity Program applications. The state-funded program provides financial support to New York students who have financial and academic barriers, helping them attend and graduate from a SUNY college.
Storm challenges
At the same time that the university welcomed its largest ever first year class, the campus and the area endured a sudden and violent storm that not only damaged the historic Stony Brook Grist Mill, but also made some dormitories uninhabitable.
“It was an unbelievable concerted effort throughout campus” to find places for students amid the clean up, said Beatty. “The housing team came up with solutions” that included housing some students in hotels.
Two of the residence halls, Ammann and Gray, are still undergoing repairs, although the university has found places for its students.
The university has 52 sophomores who are living at an off-campus hotel, where they are expected to remain through the semester. They should be able to return to campus in the spring.
Expanded food services
The Starbucks in SBU’s Melville Library. Courtesy facebook.com/SBUDining
Amid higher enrollment, Stony Brook expanded the hours for dining facilities this year, compared with last year.
Starbucks opened at the Melville Library with expanded hours. The foods trucks have a consistent schedule Monday through Friday and Stony Brook added a Nathan’s Famous truck to the food truck fleet.
The university launched new franchises and dining concepts this fall, such as Popeyes, Carvel and Iron Waffles.
Academically, Stony Brook has had a wide range of potential interests from its incoming students. Beyond the typical strengths in physics and math, the university also experienced a growth in the numbers of students applying for journalism, political science and economics.
“We ended up not being over enrolled in any of our programs,” Beatty said.
McCormick suggested the increased interest in the school reflects recent higher visibility.
“This historic enrollment of first-year students is a testament to Stony Brook University’s steadfast commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience and its rise in reputation as one of the nation’s most prominent public flagship research universities,” McCormick said in a statement.
The State University of New York schools have seen an increase overall in the number of applicants.
Stony Brook’s admissions process, which remains test optional for standardized tests like the SAT and the ACT, has become considerably more holistic.
The admissions committee looks beyond the grade point average or whatever test scores candidates submit, while weighing the student achievement in the context of the options available at their high schools.
The larger class size amid a greater interest in the school also has positive implications for the local economy and for the community.
More students shop at stores and restaurants and also contribute to extracurricular activities such as theatrical performances and to community service projects.
These students, who come from all over the world, add to the diversity of the area, start new clubs and present the findings of their own research while attending college, Beatty added.
As for future applications and class sizes, school officials anticipate greater numbers of interested students in the coming years.
“We expect applications to continue to rise,” said Beatty.
I’m getting messages every day and, often, several times a day. I must be really important.
As with snail mail, those messages could be delivering something extraordinary.
“We are writing to inform you that you’ve won a Pulitzer Prize, despite the fact that you haven’t entered anything and we haven’t yet created an extraordinarily average category.”
Or, perhaps, “we wanted to let you know that your cells are healthier than they’ve ever been and that you should keep up the good work. We’d like to study you to learn how your body is performing better than we’d expect for someone half your age.”
Then, of course, there are the realistic possibilities.
“Hey, want to go to dinner with us this weekend?”
That’s a nice message to receive from a friend or family member.
My son believes brevity is the soul of wit when it comes to messages so he’ll just write “Judge!!!!” or “Soto!!!!” or some combination of Yankee players who have performed well that day.
The most frequent messages I’m receiving are the ones from would-be political leaders, their pals, and other prominent supporters who not only want my vote, but also want me to contribute money.
I’d like to think these messages, with my name at the top, were written personally by these important people, who took the time out of their day to reach out to me.
“You know who I haven’t written to recently? Daniel Dunaief. I’ll just give him a holler to gauge his thoughts on one of the more important races.”
But, no, I know they’re not personal missives, just as I know Siri isn’t graciously saying “You’re welcome” even though she’s programmed to show appreciation in her chipper voice when I thank her.
Still, these messages have morphed from a nuisance into something else. In the frenzy and excitement of consequential races, these communiques are filled with fear and hope, often in that order. In a few short sentences, they tell me what’s at stake, what role I can play, and how these leaders will spend my money wisely.
Wouldn’t that be nice? If we donated to a campaign, wouldn’t it be great to see how our money, specifically, helped someone, as in, “this yard sign made possible by your moderately generous donation.”
If you’ve ever watched the show “Seinfeld,” George Costanza, played by Jason Alexander, suggests that he grows on people, the way ad jingles do. He is like an advertisement for Mennen deodorant. At first, you can’t stand the “byyyy Mennen” sound, but you find yourself singing it in the shower or humming it in the car.
Maybe, in some way, this unprecedented barrage of seemingly personal text messages has become like those jingles.
To be honest, I don’t read them carefully. I do, however, appreciate the earnestness with which someone sends them and I recognize that something consequential is about to happen.
Maybe it’s a bit like the December holidays. The anticipation of November 5th is exciting, even if the event itself might be lacking.
The reality of the election feels more like a gift certificate to a restaurant that serves a combination of my least favorite foods, all deep fried in a type of grease that triggers an allergic response. The election itself, as I see it, will likely have echoes from 2020, with lawyers and politicians exerting themselves, insisting that their candidate won for days or weeks after Nov. 5th.
An early riser, I grin when the message arrives an hour or so after I’ve gotten up and the person with the morning message apologizes for writing so early.
Really? Because you’re not actually sending the message and the machine that blasts them could pick any time in the day to release this particular text.
With all the money flowing into these campaigns, I wonder if the country invested all the cash both sides collected and put it in a certificate of deposit or a Treasury Bill and created scholarships, what kind of opportunities could we offer future students who one day might want to run for office.
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