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SBU campus. File photo

By Daniel Dunaief

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.

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Computer error message. Pixabay photo

By Toni-Elena Gallo

On July 19, a “routine” Microsoft software update left the world in chaos.

The cloud-based, cyber security firm, CrowdStrike, which is utilized by Microsoft, released a defective, antivirus security update, pertaining to the firm’s Falcon Sensor. The system is installed in approximately 70-80% of global PCs and numerous company servers,

Microsoft Windows operating system’s omnipresence, across major industrial hubs, affected crucial infrastructure, such as airlines, the London Stock Exchange, banks and other forms of commerce, to temporarily halt service. 

Some companies, including Delta, are still facing major delays, as of July 22. Many small businesses are continuing to play catch-up, as their computers slowly return to normal.

“Small businesses rely on third parties for this not to happen and instead, it became a ‘code red’ situation. … The ripple effects from this could be felt for days and weeks ahead,” said Dan Ives, Wedbush Securities tech analyst.

This problem led to widespread disruptions and caused the ‘blue screen of death’ to appear on Windows PCs.

CrowdStrike has fixed the mishap, but said that it could take “some time” for all systems to be back up and running, while Microsoft has stated that over 8 million devices have been affected by, what they are calling, the “largest IT outage in history.”

Here on Long Island, DMVs were unable to process transactions, the LIRR experienced scheduling issues and numerous Starbucks’ ordering-ahead options were disabled, forcing people to pay in cash.

“I went to order my morning coffee on the Starbucks app, as I do each morning, and was prompted with an error message,” said Samantha Rutt, a Stony Brook resident.

“Instead of preordering, I went into the store and there was a line longer than I have ever seen. The baristas looked as if they had a long morning at just 9 a.m. Just before my turn, the store manager started comping everyone’s orders.”

Northwell Health implemented “standard emergency response procedures,” where needed, as it experienced “sporadic” technology failures. Stony Brook Medicine officials confirmed that their operations were uninterrupted.

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) was quick to assure New York state residents that there was “no indication this [was] a hack or a cybersecurity threat.”

According to Markus Rauschecker, a cybersecurity expert with the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security, industries should view this episode as a wake-up call, of sorts.

“The bottom line is every organization, every kind of entity, needs to have a plan in place because the question is not if something like this is going to happen again, but when. And when another incident happens, you have to be prepared,” he said.

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The Rocky Point Starbucks is up and running, though one local business owner said the drive through line can be a little much. Photo by Kyle Barr

After more than a year of planning, Starbucks has officially opened in Rocky Point. 

Last year, architects and lawyers presented to the Town of Brookhaven a plan to turn the former KFC at 25A and Hallock Landing Road into a Starbucks. 

After it closed earlier this year, construction began on the space, renovating it from a former fried chicken eatery into a coffee serving powerhouse. The building’s footprint hasn’t changed, though the inside and outside exhibit the typical Starbucks look.

And what hasn’t changed is this new Starbucks’ neighbors — which includes two bagel stores minutes away. 

Although the new edition to the community can be considered competition to the mom and pop bagel shops, Jennifer Bell, manager at Fresh & Hot Bagels, said that they haven’t seen too much of a change. 

“It got a little bit slower, but it hasn’t affected us too much,” she said. “We’re different … we sell egg sandwiches and bigger breakfasts — things they don’t sell.”

Anthony Post, the owner Brooklyn Bagels & Café Inc. in Rocky Point just across from the new Starbucks, said they are doing just fine even with the early morning giant on their doorstep.

“I mean, if they want to go in there and spend $7, $8, $9 bucks on a cup of coffee that’s what they’re going to do,” Post said. “They know when they come here, they can get something else.”

The only complaint he has is with the traffic in the parking lot, especially line that now forms in the early morning at the Starbucks drive-thru. That line, he said, can sometimes wrap around in front of his shop, with cars backed up almost into Hallock Landing Road.

Additional reporting by Kyle Barr

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A recipient of Stony Brook University Hospital's Starbucks give-back. Photo by Patti Kozlowski

Cup of Cheer

In an effort to give back to the healthcare heroes working around the clock to battle COVID-19, the community has raised more than $18,000 in donations to supply complimentary coffee to all Stony Brook University Hospital staff.

Headed by community members Holly Smugala, Patti Kozlowski, Nicole Volpini and Stefanie Devery, the group started when Volpini’s sister, a healthcare worker at the Hospital, snapped a photo of the Hospital’s Starbucks, which is adorned with photos and positive messages. Instead, said Smugala, something else jumped out at them. 

“We noticed all the staff waiting online for coffee and wanted to do something to give back to them,” she said. 

The women began a social media donation page dedicated to the cause shortly after. The funds donated go towards purchasing Starbucks gift cards at the hospital location, which can be used by any hospital employee that is working during the pandemic, from doctors and nurses to custodians and administrative staff. 

In order to enable healthcare workers of all shifts to be able to enjoy the benefit, the group worked out a plan with Starbucks in which $250 gift cards are used at different intervals during the day to pay for the drinks of any staff member that comes in. 

“We set an initial goal of $1,000, but we reached that in about an hour. Now, we just want to see how much it will grow. We don’t know how long this is going to go on and we don’t want to stop until it stops,” said Smugala. 

Those who are interested in donating to the cause can visit the group’s Facebook page, Starbucks for Stony Brook Superstars. 

“We are so thankful to be able to give back, because [this hospital] has touched all of our lives in one way or another. We are very thankful for everyone at Stony Brook,” Smugala added. 

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The New Starbucks will be located at the corner of Route 25A and Hallock Landing Road. Photos by Kyle Barr

It’s official, Rocky Point will join the rest of the world in having a Starbucks within walking distance.

The New Starbucks will be located at the corner of Route 25A and Hallock Landing Road. Photos by Kyle Barr

Architects and lawyers for Starbucks presented to Town of Brookhaven Aug. 8 the intent to turn the KFC located at the corner of Route 25A and Hallock Landing Road, into a Starbucks. The applicants were granted amendments on two restrictive covenants on the property by the town board, one requiring the parcel to be a KFC, the other modifying landscaping buffers on the property.

Tulio Bertoli, the town’s planning commissioner, said the plans for the 0.554-acre parcel are consistent with the land use plan for the area originally designed in 2012.

Judith Veglucci, the project manager at Melville-based Catapano Engineering who presented project plans to the board, said the total footprint for the building is remaining the same, and the only changes will be exterior facade changes to turn it from a KFC into a Starbucks.

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This year's event will feature samplings from Danfords Wave Seafood & Steak

Save the date! The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Dan’s Papers, will host its 11th annual The Taste @ Port Jefferson at the Village Center, 101-A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson overlooking the Harborfront Park and harbor on Saturday, Oct. 20 from 6 to 10 p.m.

This year’s event will feature  samplings from Kilwins. 

In celebration, the chamber has reached out to the greater Port Jefferson restaurant community and will highlight over 20 restaurants and purveyors offering top-quality food tastings and desserts as well as samples of premium liquors, wines and beers. The event, for ages 21 and over, will feature musical entertainment by the popular band 1 Step Ahead. 

As of press time, participating businesses include Barito’s, Bliss Restaurant, C’est Cheese, Costco, Danfords Wave Seafood & Steak, Dos MexiCuban Cantina, Kilwins, Flying Pig Cafe, Haikara Sake, Twin Stills Moonshine, L.I. Pour House Bar & Grill, Locals Cafe, Manhattan Beer, MELTology Mount Sinai, PJ Brewing Co., Port Jefferson Frigate, PJ Lobster House, Slurp Ramen, Starbucks, The Steam Room, St. Charles Hospital, Tuscany Gourmet Market, Uncle Giuseppe’s and The Waterview at Port Jefferson Country Club.

Sponsors this year include St. Charles Hospital, Paraco Gas, Harbor Hot Tubs, Haikara, TGIF Rentals and Fenelon Landscapes. BNB Bank is this year’s VIP Lounge Sponsor Dan’s Papers is the media sponsor.

Tickets, which may be purchased online at www.tasteatportjeff.com, are $70 per person for general admission starting at 7 p.m. and $99 for VIP guests at 6 p.m., which includes early access by one hour, a special VIP lounge with a private seating area, speciality spirits, dishes, wine pours and more. For further details, call 631-473-1414.

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Port Jefferson Fire Department battles a blaze at Starbucks on Main Street May 5. Photo by Dennis Whittam
Port Jefferson Fire Department battles a blaze at Starbucks on Main Street May 5. Photo by Dennis Whittam
Port Jefferson Fire Department battles a blaze at Starbucks on Main Street May 5. Photo by Dennis Whittam
Port Jefferson Fire Department battles a blaze at Starbucks on Main Street May 5. Photo by Dennis Whittam
Port Jefferson Fire Department battles a blaze at Starbucks on Main Street May 5. Photo by Dennis Whittam
Port Jefferson Fire Department battles a blaze at Starbucks on Main Street May 5. Photo by Dennis Whittam

A fire broke out at 201 Main Street in Port Jefferson during the early morning hours May 5, putting a serious crimp in plans for caffeine addicts far and wide.

The location, which houses Starbucks on the ground floor and Barito Tacos & Cocktails on the second floor, caught fire early Saturday morning, according to an 8:30 a.m. May 5 Facebook post by Port Jefferson Fire Department Chief Brennan Holmes’ office.

“A good stop was made and damage to the building was minimal with little extension,” the post said.

The department was aided by members of the Terryville Fire Department. Starbucks was open as of Monday morning, May 7.

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Rabbi Aaron Benson from the North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jeff Station is drawing guests every Thursday for coffee and free advice. File photo

By Alex Petroski

Outlets for negative feedback are bountiful in 2017 America. One need not look far to find someone willing to tear down or criticize, but for residents in the Port Jefferson, Setauket and Stony Brook areas, finding a friendly face who’s ready to listen and provide constructive advice is as easy as buying a cup of coffee.

Rabbi Aaron Benson of the North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jeff Station began hosting regular “office hours” at Starbucks on Route 25A in Setauket earlier this year, or gatherings to discuss ideas in a comfortable, informal setting which have been dubbed Benson’s “Starbucks Schmooze.” Every Thursday, members of the NSJC congregation, or anyone else with something on their mind, are invited to the coffee shop to visit with Benson between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.

“I always liked the idea, when I was a kid, I really had this in mind, when I would see one of my teachers outside of the classroom it was always like a special treat,” Benson said during his schmooze Aug. 31. “Like, ‘Oh my goodness, they let them out of the box.’ And so I thought in today’s day and age, it would be a nice thing to be able to interact with people not inside the synagogue, to be out there and perhaps interact with people that I don’t know, and the success of it is really just if I meet a few people and connect a few people.”

Benson said typically he has between two and four visitors during a session, though he’s had as many as six guests actively engaged in conversation, and the discussion ranges from politics to relationship advice to current events and everything in between. He said the idea emerged organically because it fit in perfectly with his normal Thursday routine, which always includes a stop at The Rolling Pin, a kosher bakery, in the same shopping center as Starbucks where the rabbi supervises to ensure traditional processes and requirements are followed for the kosher designation. After that he would go to Starbucks for his caramel macchiato, then heads to St. Charles and Mather hospitals, where he volunteers as a chaplin. He decided to work the hour-long schmooze into the routine in January and hasn’t looked back since.

“If I can bounce an idea off one of those vital life questions for somebody then I am happy to help with that.”

— Rabbi Aaron Benson

JoAnne Shapiro, a regular attendee and member of the NSJC congregation, said it’s refreshing to have a personal relationship with the rabbi at her synagogue.

“I think when you think of the term rabbi, even in this day and age, people view the rabbi up there [on a pedestal],” Shapiro said. “And it just makes our rabbi much more approachable … I think the neat thing about this is that you never know what’s going to come out of the visit. It’s neat, it’s sort of like a nice way to start the day.”

Linda Miller, another member of Benson’s congregation, was attending her first schmooze Aug. 31, though she said before she left she planned on sending her husband for advice the following week. She said the visit was worthwhile not only for the advice she got from Benson regarding upcoming Jewish holidays, but also because she had a lengthy conversation with Shapiro, who she said she’d known in passing for years but couldn’t recall the last time, if ever, they had conversed for so long.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Miller said.

Benson said some of the more rewarding sessions are the ones that feature conversations which require very little of his own input. He recalled one schmooze when two attendees spent much of the hour bonding over the watch one was wearing.

The rabbi offered perspective on the importance of seeking help and guidance in challenging times, be it religious advice or otherwise.

“I can’t tell you to believe in particular stories, but everybody in the world has to have a set of stories that tells them about how you decide on priorities in life,” he said. “What do you do when you fall in love? What do you do when you fail? What do you do when you lose someone important? Religion provides those stories for you, but everyone has those sorts of questions. Everyone confronts those sorts of issues and everyone needs help with that. So if I can bounce an idea off one of those vital life questions for somebody then I am happy to help with that.”

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