Bombers Season Ends in Playoff Opener

Mike Polak has had a monopoly on Bombers Football reports lately. After freezing on the sidelines of today's snowy NCAA playoff game, I thought I'd insert one of my own.

The Ithaca College football team saw its season end today at Butterfield Stadium at the hands of the Curry College Colonels.

Brian Grastorf's second start at quarterback was not as prolific as his first as the Bombers were upset at home by Curry by a 26-21 score. The Bombers held the lead late into the fourth quarter, only to see the Colonels seize the lead with 32 seconds remaining.

The Empire 8 Conference champions season ends with a 9-2 record while Curry advances to face NJAC champion Cortland State in the second round of the NCAA playoffs.

--Nate March

Speaker presents on The Sullivan-Clinton Expedition of 1779.

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, Ithaca College's anthropology department has hosted a number of events on Indian issues and history. Last night the department hosted Dr. Robert Spiegelman, creator of the website SullivanClinton.com, to give a presentation on the genocide against the Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee Indians, ordered by General George Washington in 1779.

“By United Nations definitions, it is genocide,” Speigelman said about the Sullivan Campaign. “When you go and attack the very infrastructure of survival of a people…The ability of Haudenosaunee people to have endured everything, you know, when you see the backdrop of Sullivan-Clinton, is an extraordinary testimony to the Haudenosaunee people.”

The aim of the campaign was to eradicate the Indians, who were mostly allied with the British, and to use their land for political, economic, and strategic gains in war. One of the uses of the gained land was as a reward to unpaid Rebel soldiers. George Washington sent two men, Generals Sullivan and Clinton, to complete the job.

Smiegelman emphasized the absence of this enormously important historic event in the public mind, blaming the New York State school curriculum for glossing over it in classes--if it is even mentioned at all.

"It's bascially not in the textbooks," Spiegelman said. "It's pretty much off the radar."

IC anthropology professors Brooke Hansen and Jack Rossen are working to change that, speaking in elementary schools to fill in what they see as gaps in the curriculum for the students.

With greater knowledge of injustices committed against Indians during and after the war, Hansen and Rossen hope future generations will be motivated to educate others and better understand their Indian neighbors.

"We're planting the seeds," Hansen said.


Photo courtesy of SullivanClinton.com.

--Eric Raue

New Director at Hanger Theatre

- Michelle Skowronek

Hanger Theatre introduced its new Artistic Director, Peter Flynn,  last week.  This will be Flynn's first season with the theatre and Hanger's 35th. 

Flynn plans to bring  three plays and two musicals to the stage this upcoming season.  In the mix, he has scheduled performances by New York City Broadway actors, such as Nathan Lane in November.  

Flynn said the theatre's appeal depends on its interactions with the audience.

"These plays wouldn't work as well if they were movies," he said. "They require two living bodies in a room."

Flynn was referring to the relationship between the actors and the audience.

Also, Flynn is bringing for the first time ever to the Hanger Theatre stage Betrayal.  Written by Harold Printer, the play utilizes 20th century drama by telling the story of a love triangle in reverse.  

Flynn said his main goals are to bring diversity and cleverness to the stage.  He hopes to combine new and traditional programs.

Flynn told Tompkins Weekly that he is "astonished by the Hanger audiences' capacity for listening and being adventurous."

Hopefully, the Hanger Theatre will continue its success with the help of its new Artistic Director.

Story and quotes courtesy of Tompkins Weekly.

WICB Shows Off It's "Wood" Tonight

That's right, WICB-FM (91.7) in Ithaca will be receiving the mtvU Woodie Award for Best College Radio Station tonight. The show will air tonight at 8 PM on mtvU and mtvU.com.

In its fifth year of existence, the Woodie award recognizes several different categories of music and video success. However, this was the first year the station chose to give out an award for the Best College Radio Station. Voting was done online, and WICB had to beat out 19 other schools to earn the award. Ithaca College's FM radio station, known as "The Station for Innovation," beat out stations from schools such as Emerson College, Seton Hall, and Stony Brook in the first round before topping stations at Auburn University, DePauw University, and Sacramento State to win.

Students at Ithaca College will be hosting a viewing party for the awards show on campus this evening. All students are invited to Textor Hall Room 103 at 8:00 for all the festivities.

For more information about WICB winning the award, you can read this article in today's Ithaca Journal. You can also find out more about WICB-FM by visiting their website. And here's a link to the mtvU Woodie Awards page.

--Michael Polak

IC Women's Soccer Advances to Round of 16

The Ithaca College Women's Soccer team won the regional hosted on the South Hill. The Bombers defeated Westfield State and Roger Williams in shutout fashion, 6-0 and 2-0 respectively. Ithaca completed an undefeated home record for the season with the victories.

Up next for the Bombers is Sectional competition hosted by nationally top-ranked Williams College in Massachusetts. The Bombers will face national number three Lynchburg to open sectional play. 

The Bombers record currently stands at 16-2-2. (Picture courtesy of bombers.ithaca.edu)

-Nate March 

Adult Spelling Bee Held at IHS

The Tenth Annual Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) Adult Spelling Bee was held on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Ithaca High School. The Spelling Bee consisted of 24 teams of three who participated in four preliminary rounds. The winning team from each round moved on to the final round. The teams were sponsored by a community organization with the entrance fee set at $375, and featured team names such as the South Hill Spellicans, the All-turn-at-if-Spellurz of the Lehman Alternative School, and the Fall Creek Stingers. Proceeds from the day will be used to fund the IPEI Teacher Grant Program. After tackling words such as dolcissimo, sycophant, and perpetuity, the Spelling Hellions from eCornell took home the trophy.

-By: Maura Gladys

Bombers Playoff Bound

(Photos: Courtesy Ithaca Journal)

I was ready to do a wrap-up from the Cortaca Jug game on Saturday but figured I'd wait until Ithaca's playoff opponent was chosen. That took place on Sunday at a little after 3 PM when the Division III Selection Committee elected to give the Bombers the #2 seed in the East Region bracket and a match-up with Curry College at home this coming Saturday.

First, let's recap a bit from the Cortaca Jug. If up until game time, and literally up until the 4th quarter, you told me that the Bombers defense wouldn't give up a single touchdown, in the 50th annual Jug game, at SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex, against an undefeated Red Dragons team, I would've thought you were crazy. But that's just what happened. Ithaca's D shut down one of the best offenses in the 7th ranked Red Dragons, especially in the 2nd half when they forced 4 interceptions and a lost fumble.

If you also told me the final score would have been 35-13 Ithaca, I would've given you a strange look because these two offenses are so high powered that 70 points combined would've been low in my mind. I guess that's the product of a strong defensive effort.

On the offensive side of the ball, all the credit has to go to junior quarterback Brian Grastorf. He became the first Ithaca QB to make his first career start in the Cortaca Jug, and he could not have played much better. Grastorf was 19 for 28 through the air, throwing for 273 yards and 3 touchdowns, along with rushing for 2. His decision making was fantastic, and aside from one poor throw on a deep, off-balanced pass to Kyle Crandall that was intercepted, he was near perfect. The funniest thing was that he completed pass after pass despite throwing balls that were far from a perfect spiral. However, the receivers adjusted, made the catches despite a driving rain, and scored points. It all comes back to Grastorf's leadership which was clearly strong in this game.

So now, with the Cortaca Jug still in Ithaca's hands, the Bombers return to the playoffs for a second-straight season and face a much easier opponent. The Curry Colonels, out of Milton, Massachusetts, went 9-1 on year, earning an at-large bid as Plymouth State, the only team they lost to, earned the New England Football Conference's automatic bid at 10-1. However, the NEFC is a much weaker conference than the Empire 8, and it shows in strength of schedule. Ithaca's is ranked 9th, Curry is 149th. The fact that the game is at Butterfield Stadium helps too. Either way, keep your eyes posted for a preview of the game later this week.

Here are some links to important information regarding the Cortaca Jug and Playoffs. You can find a recap of the Jug game from the Bombers website here, from Cortland's website here, and from the Ithaca Journal here. For information on Ithaca's playoff game vs. Curry, you can read this. For a downloadable and printable bracket, visit this site (it is a pdf file). To see the rankings for strength of schedule, you can see this page. And finally, for pictures from the Cortaca Jug game, you can go here.

--Michael Polak

SUNY Cortland Grad Becomes First Female 4-Star General

A 1975 graduate of SUNY Cortland is in the national spotlight after becoming the country's first female four-star Army general.

55-year old Ann Dunwoody received the historic nomination from President George W. Bush in June, and graduated Cortland expecting to someday work in physical education. Instead she stayed in the Army, ascended the ranks, and at her promotion ceremony said she was "humbled" when President Bush gave her the nomination.

Dunwoody was sworn in as commander of the Army Materiel Command on Friday.



Photograph from the Associated Press.


--Eric Raue

Cortaca Jug '08: Live Updates

We're live here at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex on what is a rainy, sloppy, perfect November day in Central New York. Some of the players are out on the field getting warmed up and beyond the field, there are tons, and I mean TONS, of people tailgating and getting set for what is sure to be a great game!

As a special treat to our loyal Tracking Tompkins County readers, I will be doing my best to provide live updates from today's contest. It will be hard to do as I will also be calling the game on WICB Radio, but I'm up for the challenge.

The game can also be viewed on Time Warner Cable Channel 26 and will also be webcast by Cortland. You can get a preview of the game from my previous post here.

Should be a great game, I will be back right around kick-off for the contest. Enjoy the Game! It is one of if not the best match-ups in Division III football!

UPDATES:
10 minutes to Kickoff: The stands are packed, the Cortland Seniors are being introduced to the crowd, a great environment here at SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. We'll be back in the first quarter for an update. Enjoy it everyone, this is what D-III football's all about!

Coin Toss: Dick Carmean and Tom Decker are on the field for the coin toss. These were the two captains back in 1959 who bought the Cortaca Jug and decided to play for it. Very nice to have the back here for the game today. The Bombers have won the toss and they elect to receive. Let's get this thing started!!

9:44 Left in 1st Q: Brian Grastorf, who is making his first career start, hits Kyle Crandall in the back corner of the end zone on a fade rout to give the Bombers a 7-0 lead. The 14-yard catch capped a 10 play, 78-yard drive. Excellent decision making from Grastorf and a big start for the Bombers.

End of First Q: Bombers lead 7-0 in what has turned into a defensive battle. IC gets a big stop on defense on fourth down as the Red Dragons tried to convert. Then, Ithaca was helped by a personal foul penalty on Cortland but the drive stalled out when Grastorf fumbled the snap on 3rd and 2. He recovered, but the Bombers had to punt.Cortland starts at their own 36 yard line in the 2nd Quarter.

10:51 Left in 2nd Q: Jeffrey Lang comes on to kick a 39-yard Field Goal to cut the Bombers lead to 7-3. It capped an 8 play 42-yard drive which was fueled by a couple good runs from Andrew Giuliano. Bombers defense did a good job on 3rd down to force an incomplete pass and prevent a touchdown.

9:00 Left in 2nd Q: After the Bombers go 3 and out, Cody Allen blocks the Toporoff punt and Bill Smith returns it for a TD. Cortland lead 10-7. Bad special teams mistake for Ithaca.

1:26 Left in 2nd Q: Bombers defense forces a Cortland punt after a nice drive and on the first offensive play, Brian Grastorf and Kyle Crandall hook up for an 80-yard TD pass. It was a short 15-yarder over the middle but Crandall got great blocking and broke down the left sideline for a score. The two have had such a good connection over the last 3 games.

HALFTIME: Ithaca Bombers 14 - Cortland State Red Dragons 10
The Bombers forced the Red Dragons to punt after putting pressure on QB Ray Miles three straight plays, and then just ran out the half. So the Bombers lead at the half which is exactly what they wanted against the #7 team in the nation. Kyle Crandall has been the big playmaker for IC with 4 catches for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Typical numbers for him. Brian Grastorf has done a good job in his first career start, going 10-16 for 177 yards and 2 scores in the first half. As for Cortland, Andrew Giuliano has ran well on the ground and totaled 81 yards on 12 carries. The biggest thing is that Ithaca's defense has yet to allow a touchdown, in what was supposed to be an offensive showcase. The D has stepped up when needed and that's why the Bombers are in front. I expect a great shootout in the second half. Cortland gets the ball first so the Bombers need to make the first key stop. Don't go anywhere, this will be a good one!

11:31 in 3rd Q: Jason Chier comes up with a big pass break up on 3rd and 4 from the 5 and forces the Red Dragons to settle for a 22 yard field goal from Jeffrey Lang. Bombers still in front by just 1 and now it's up to the offense to get the points and momentum back.

6:50 left in 3rd Q: The Bombers have arguably their best drive of the game as they go 71 yards on 10 plays and cap it with a 32 yard touchdown pass to Dan Ruggiero. Grastorf was under pressure, rolled out to his right, then dumped a pass to the sophomore who got great blocks and found the end zone. Bomber fans are pumped up and they should be.

In addition, Alfred is leading St. John Fisher 23-14 with 3 minutes left in the 2nd quarter so great news for the Bombers if they want to get in via the Automatic Bid.

12:22 Left: Brian Grastorf rushes it in from 1 yard out to give the Bombers a 28-13 lead. A great drive again by the Bombers goes for 10 plays and 80 yards for the score. Ithaca is in a great spot right now and a couple more stops by the defense could give Ithaca the lead.
Also, 23-14 Alfred at the half. Good news as well for Ithaca!

6:07 Left: Another fantastic drive for the Bombers ends in a 1 yard score from QB Brian Grastorf who has 3 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing. A tremendous day from him in his first career start and in the Cortaca Jug no less! Unless Cortland can get a score quickly, the Jug will be going back to Ithaca. The drive was just 35 yards, but last 8 plays and killed 4:37 of game clock.

FINAL: BOMBERS WIN 35-13
Ithaca shuts the door and routs the Red Dragons at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. A tremendous performance all around by the Bombers against a very good Red Dragons team. Ithaca improves to 9-1 on the year, almost certainly will get a playoff game, and could even get a 1 or 2 seed. Here are my players of the game:

Offensively: QB Brian Grastorf- In his first career start, he completes 19 of 28 passes for 273 yards and 3 passing touchdowns. He also ran for two scores in the game. To put up those numbers in a first career start, on the road, in the Cortaca Jug, is just unbelievable.

Defensively: CB Jason Chier- The senior did a fantastic job leading his troops and made a statement. He had 3 interceptions, all of which were in the second half, and broke up a couple of passes to go along with 7 tackles. The defense had been criticized all year long and Chier did a great job along with the whole defense in not allowing Cortland a single touchdown.

So the Bombers win Cortaca for the second year in a row and retain possession of the Jug. Ithaca will find out who they will play in the playoffs tomorrow afternoon, and it is likely they could get a home game in the first round. We'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading the blog today, and we hope you enjoyed another memorable Cortaca Jug match-up!

--Michael Polak

These Are the Moments We Live For

And so it all comes down to this. The 50th Annual Cortaca Jug takes place on Saturday afternoon from the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex and this year's match-up could not be any better.

The Ithaca Bombers come into the game 8-1 on the year and off a thrilling 43-35 win at Empire 8 rival Alfred last week to clinch a share of the conference title. As for the Cortland State Red Dragons, they come in unbeaten at 9-0, looking to put the capper on a perfect regular season. Something will have to give.

Last year's meeting featured a tremendous all-around effort from the Bombers as they steamrolled the Red Dragons 40-17 at Butterfield Stadium to regain the Jug after 2 straight overtime wins by their Route 13 counterparts. Ithaca quarterback Dan Juvan had a great game, completing 12 of 16 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran in for a score on a beautiful 35-yard carry. It was a great day for Bomber fans and helped secure the team a playoff spot.

This year's game features postseason implications as well. While Cortland has already earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament via an automatic bid for winning the NJAC title, the Bombers are still fighting for a berth. This game could prove meaningless for just a spot in the postseason if Alfred beats St. John Fisher, which would leave the Bombers with the best conference record at 5-1 and the automatic bid. However, if Fisher is to win, then they would get the bid and Ithaca would need to hope for an at-large berth. And that is where Ithaca's performance could become a major factor.

As for this year's game, I expect to see an absolute shoot-out between the two squads. Both have very dynamic, high-scoring offenses. Ithaca has outscored its opponents 344-203 while Cortland has dominated 313-178. Both have great runningbacks who have compiled over 1200 yards rushing this season and over 20 touchdowns a piece!! Finally, both have great receivers as well as quarterbacks who are capable of hitting them with accuracy.

On the other side of the ball, both defenses have shown strength on the front line but weaknesses in the secondary. Both run a 4-3 set, with the front four combining for a total of 35 sacks this year (15 for IC, 20 for Cortland). However, both secondaries are still very young and have given up several long pass plays throughout the season. It is without a doubt both teams biggest weakness.

So when it comes down to it, it really is just not clear who will come out on top. The Red Dragons are ranked 7th in the nation; the Bombers 17th. Clearly, Cortland has had the better season record-wise, but they have yet to face a team like Ithaca's. Both teams are very similar on paper. Cortland's at home, so that goes to their advantage. Ithaca has more to play for, so that's a positive on their side. When it comes down to it, the defense that makes the fewest mistakes will come out on top in this game. The way I see it...

**Ithaca Bombers 37 - Cortland State Red Dragons 31**
-And don't be surprised if we get a rematch in the postseason!

If you are looking to see or listen to the game, it will be televised on Time Warner Cable Channel 26 in the Central New York area. You can also listen to the game on Ithaca's radio station WICB at 91.7 FM or Online. In addition, Cortland will be webcasting the game here

Below, I have included a map showing how close the two schools are. If you zoom in, I have also labeled both teams' home stadiums.


View Larger Map

ENJOY THE GAME EVERYONE!!

-Michael Polak

College Theater in Tompkins County

With the biting cold finally starting to kick in next week, fighting the winter blues is just a little easier with the theatrical offerings of Ithaca College, Cornell University, and SUNY Cortland.

At Ithaca College, "The Wild Party" continues performances in IC's Dillingham Center , with one tonight at 8 PM, and another tomorrow at the same time. There will also be a matinee tomorrow at 2 PM. Keep your eyes open next month for "Metamorphoses," which will preview December 2nd at 8 PM.
For tickets call 607-274-3224 or you can buy them at the Dillingham ticket office.

At Cornell, performances of William Shakespeare's comedy Love's Labor's Lost will show November 20-22 at 7:30 PM, December 4-6 at 7:30 PM and December 6 at 2 PM.
For a light, kid-friendly show, check out Willard Straight Theatre tomorrow at 2 PM, where a screening of "Eyeball Eddie" will show for $3 adults and $2 kids 12 and under. Cornell alum Bill Gilman, who did the special effects for the film, will be giving a talk about his work aimed at the 7 and up crowd.

Cortland Colleges' Choral Union will be holding a concert November 18th at 8PM in the Dowd Fine Arts Concert Hall. Also, December 2 at 8 PM, Cortland will be hosting another Holiday Concert. Both events feature free admission.

Image courtesy of cortlandchoral.com

Top image courtesy of aikenperformingartsgroup.org






--Eric Raue

ID Access Implemented

As I reported earlier here on Tracking Tompkins County, Ithaca College has begun piloting their identification access system for residence halls.

As a resident of Garden 25, I have been using the ID access for almost two weeks. From a convenience standpoint, I find it highly useful. No more fumbling with keys while standing in the cold outside of the building.

Below I have posted a video of the ID access scanner outside of Garden 25.

--Nate March

Pressure Is On For Cortaca Jug!

- Michelle Skowronek

This past weekend clarified the need for a Bomber victory over the Red Dragons this weekend.  Assistant Running Back Coach, Brian Horner, said that due to the Bomber's 8-1 regular season record, the Bombers will need to win this Saturday in order to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

"If we win this weekend, we will get a spot in the playoffs," he said.  "If St. John Fisher loses this weekend, we should also get a chance."

Coach Horner said that because Ithaca College lost to St. John Fisher earlier this season, if both teams come out with the same record things could get sticky.

"Because Fisher beat us head-to-head, they would get the seed if we came out with the same overall record," he said.

According to Coach Horner, the Ithaca College website's most recent post about Bomber football is incorrect.

"After this weekend we will know if we 'clinched a share' of the Empire 8 title," he said.  "As of right now we have not."

Coach Horner recalls playing in the Cortaca Jug two years ago.  He said it was an indescribable event, but hopes this year turns out better than the last away game at Cortland State.

"Playing in the Cortaca Jug is like nothing else," Horner said.  "There is nothing else like it, but the last time we were at Cortland we lost on a ridiculous call by the ref.  I hope this year's officiating doesn't cost us the game."

Cortland beat Ithaca by a field goal in overtime in 2006.  According to Ithaca College fans, the Ithaca College defense snagged the ball out of a Cortland State offensive player's hands before being tackled.  The defense then picked up the football and ran for a touchdown.  Officials ruled that the Cortland player was down before the loss of the ball; therefore, the Red Dragons still had possession.  From there, Cortland went on to kick a field goal, devastating the Bombers.

The 2008 Cortaca Jug is this Saturday, Nov. 15 at Cortland State!

Veteran's Day in Ithaca

Ithaca College will be holding another Veteran's Day celebration this year. At 1:00 PM in Ford Hall in the Whalen Center for Music, guest speaker David West will be making his presentation. West is the director of the Bath VA Medical Center.

IC Quilters will be presenting West with a quilt for a patient at his hospital. There will also be a book for writing notes of appreciation to the veterans.

For off-campus visitors, a shuttle will be running from the IC visitor's parking lot to the Whalen center.

Cornell's Veteran's Day celebration will be held at 11:00 AM in the West Campus courtyard. James Nault, a retired Captain in the US Navy, will be presenting a speech on veterans from the Cornell University community. There will be music and a post-speech luncheon.

--Eric Raue

Election Day '08

By: Tracey A. Casseus

Ithaca College was brimming with several Election Day events designed to help members of the campus community vote, celebrate the election, and watch the results on a day destined to be in the history books.

Throughout the day,9 a.m.–5 p.m, school sponsered Voter Vans shuttled students to and from the Ithaca College Circle Apartments Community polling place.

To get students really into the voting spirit there was a "Parade to the Polls" that took place at around 12:15 p.m. starting at Free Speech Rock infront of Campus Center and ending at the Circle Apartments Community center. The student group Fifes and Drums of Ithaca, along with President Tom Rochon, led voters through the academic quad to get voters excited about going to the polls.


At 4 p.m. in the Handwerker Gallery, associate professor and chair of the Department of Strategic Communications, Steven Seidman, lead a discussion on political marketing and the 2008 presidential election entitled "Political Marketing and the 2008 Campaign." Seidman is the author of “Posters, Propaganda, and Persuasion in Election Campaigns around the World and through History.”

The Tuesday Salon is a Handwerker Gallery program aimed at providing students, faculty, staff and members of the local community with a forum outside of the classroom for intellectual discussion and debate.

To cap the festivities there was an "Election Results Viewing Party" from 9 p.m.– Midnight held at IC Square in Campus Center. There all was welcomes to watch the election results on CNN, ICTV, and WICB

Natural Beauty Campaign

- Michelle Skowronek

The IC Feminists are hosting a Natural Beauty Campaign this Thursday, Nov. 13.  From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the club will be discussing the affects of cosmetics on our environment and our personal psyche in the Clark Lounge. 

Along with IC Feminists, the event is sponsored by the IC Environmental Society and Colleges Against Cancer.  

This event should bring more awareness among students, faculty, and staff at Ithaca College.  Beauty products have a commanding role in our society.  Advertisements tell us that we smell bad, look ugly, and can't take care of ourselves in our natural state. 

The Natural Beauty Campaign hopes to expose the campus to organic make up, chemical free hair dye, and environmentally conscious beauty supplements. 

For more information check out the Ithaca College website.

The event should be a great way to discuss how beauty products control the lives of women and should offer some new insight for beating out cosmetic companies.

Ithaca College's Club Field Hockey Takes Second In The State

By Kaitlyn Rich

This Sunday Ithaca College's Club Field Hockey team left campus early to compete in the playoffs for the New York State Club Field Hockey League held at Cortland. The playoffs featured the top seven teams in the New York area. Teams attending the playoffs this Sunday were Cortland, LeMoyne, Cornell, Buffalo, Syracuse, Binghamton and Ithaca. 

Ithaca College came into the playoffs first in the division and easily beat their first opponent Buffalo four to nothing. The win which sent them to the championship game against Binghamton was the teams third final appearance in the past four years. Binghamton, the only team to beat IC in regular season play, however took the championship three to one. The win caps a three year championship win streak for Binghamton, IC being the last team to have one the championship in 2005. 

America Recycles Day

By Kaitlyn Rich

This Saturday the Ithaca Mall (formerly the Pyramid Mall) hosted an important environmental event- America Recycles Day. The mall invited area volunteers, ranging from Ithaca College's REMP to the ASPCA. The event which featured dozens of stands was part of the National Recycling Coalition. The actual national event is on November 15 but the mall chose to hold theirs slightly earlier an organizer said. 

The stands offered those in attendance recycling bins, tips on composting, and even a couple furry friends who needed to find a new home.

For more information on the national America Recycles Day check out this link.

Students Remember the Lost One

- Michelle Skowronek

This Thursday, Nov. 13, Ithaca College will be hosting a memorial service for Willie Jacobson. Even though the Jacobson family did not practice a specific religion, they wanted to hold the service at the Ithaca College Chapel.

Last spring, a freshman went missing after what seemed to be a normal weekend. Ithaca College students, faculty, staff, Campus Safety and the Ithaca Police department searched for Willie Jacobson, the missing freshman, for three days. Eventually, they found him at the bottom of the pond between the Park School of Communications and the Public Safety Office.

Within a day, majority of the campus fled to the Chapel to mourn the death of the lost classmate. Now, about seven months later, the campus continues to remember Willie's memory. Last year's service chimed on Willie's short-lived yet meaningful contributions to the Ithaca College Campus. Friends, professors, and those who did not even know Billy had words to share. This year's service hopes to bring comfort to those still dealing with the unimaginable loss of a fellow peer.

All regularly scheduled Thursday events in the Chapel will be cancelled, and all are encouraged to come a celebrate the remembrance of Willie.

For more information, read the Ithacan article that helped uncover the mysterious death.

New Heights in Keeping Ithaca "Gorges"

By Kaitlyn Rich


View Larger Map

Lately Ithaca's gorges have not been looking so gorgeous. In particular Cascadilla Gorge has seen an accumulation of trash over the years. Many initiatives have been taken by volunteers from Cornell and the surrounding area to keep the campus pristine. But areas such as the north side of the gorge behind the Chi Phi chapter house, with its over 200 foot cliff have made cleaning "A bit out of the means of most," according to Todd Bittner Cornell Plantations Natural Areas Director.

That is why fraternity brothers from Chi Phi along with the Cornell Inter-fraternal Council, Cornell Outdoor Education and the Cornell Plantations grabbed their harnesses and repelled into the gorge next to Stewart Avenue on Saturday to clean up trash and debris.

"Well we're the ones that should be doing it. We made the mess so it's on us to do this," said Chi Phi president Micheal Brenner. The clean up happened this weekend after months of planning and pressure from the Inter-fraternal Council on the fraternity to clean up their garbage. The fraternity has made attempts in the past, and needed the assistance of professionals on Saturday for insurance purposes said Bittner.

"One time the police stopped by and stopped us from repelling down into the gorge. So yeah we're trying to help as much as we can because it's our problem, it's our mess, it's our house, and it's our responsibility to keep it clean," said Brenner.

Empire 8 Soccer Title for Ithaca Women

I had the pleasure of broadcasting the Empire 8 Women's Soccer Championship game Sunday at Ithaca's Carp Wood Field. The game pitted Empire 8 powers Ithaca and Nazareth against each other in a battle for an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

There was none of the usual drama that a match up between these two teams usually brings. The Bombers sprinted out to a 4-0 half-time lead and never looked back, winning 5-0. Ithaca will learn their NCAA pairing on Monday.

Amy Scheffer, pictured above (courtesy of bombers.ithaca.edu) was named tournament MVP after scoring twice in the semifinals and registering three assists against Nazareth.

-Nate March

Another Pedestrian Struck

Following the incident that Maura reported on Friday night where a pedestrian and police officer were struck on Route 96B, another pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on Route 17 in Elmira on Saturday night. The person later died from the collision.

The accident took place at 9:00 PM on Saturday night. The pedestrian was on the eastbound lane of state Route 17 when struck by the vehicle. Investigators closed down the eastbound lane but allowed westbound traffic to go through.

No further information was provided as to the identity of the pedestrian or the person operating the vehicle. Here's a map showing the area where the accident occurred on Route 17 in Elmira.


View Larger Map

--Michael Polak

Bombers Prevail Over Injuries, Alfred

*photo courtesy of the Ithaca Bombers Website*

If there has been one thing that’s plagued the Ithaca Bombers all season long, it’s been injury bug. However, great teams find ways to win despite injuries, and that’s what the Bombers did this weekend.

Ithaca triumphed over Empire 8-rival Alfred 43-35, clinching themselves at least a share of the 2008 Empire 8 championship. Not only did the Bombers win, but they basically did so without the likes of senior starting quarterback Dan Juvan or junior starting running back Thomas Bergerstock.

Both players went down with injuries early in the second quarter and had their shoes filled nicely by junior quarterback Brian Grastorf and sophomore running back Dan Ruggiero. Grastorf closed out the game going 9 of 16 passing for 161 yards and a 76-yard touchdown strike to Kyle Crandall. The real shining star was Ruggiero who ran for 192 yards on the ground and 4 touchdowns, becoming the second Bomber this year to run for as many scores in a game this season. Ruggiero averaged close to eight yards per carry in the win.

While Alfred had standout performances of their own – 220 receiving yards by Trevor Bork and three rushing scores from Vinson Hendrix – the Bombers were just a bit better but were better even with some back-ups playing. It was one of those games that any football fan would’ve loved to watch. There was great offense on both sides, lots of controversial calls, and excitement all-around.

Now, the Bombers can move on to next Saturday’s match-up with the Cortland Red Dragons in the 50th Annual Cortaca Jug. Not only are bragging rights on the line, but a potential playoff spot is as well for the Bombers. A win for Ithaca would leave them at 9-1 on the year, almost certainly guaranteeing them a playoff spot considering they would have beaten a Cortland team ranked 7th in the country before this weekend’s win over Brockport. However, many eyes will be on the game between Alfred and St. John Fisher. If Alfred can defeat the Cardinals, it would secure the Bombers the outright conference title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Sure poses for some great college football!!

For more on the game, you can read this article. Here are the updated Empire 8 standings:

1st: Ithaca, 5-1 in Empire 8, 8-1 Overall
2nd: St. John Fisher, 4-1 in Empire 8, 6-3 Overall
3rd: Hartwick, 3-2 in Empire 8, 6-2 Overall
3rd: Alfred, 3-2 in Empire 8, 6-3 Overall
5th: Utica, 2-3 in Empire 8, 3-6 Overall
6th: Springfield, 1-4 in Empire 8, 3-6 Overall
7th: Norwich, 0-5 in Empire 8, 2-7 Overall

--Michael Polak

Accident on Route 96B

-By: Maura Gladys

A pedestrian and a law enforcement officer were involved in back to back accidents on Route 96 B last night according to the Ithaca Journal. A car allegedly struck an Ithaca College student that was walking on 96B around 11:45 p.m. last night. While the victim was being tended to, another car struck a law enforcement officer that was directing traffic at the scene. The two victims were then transported to the Ithaca College football practice field where two helicopters airlifted the victims. One was taken to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA, while the other one was flown to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. Little else is known about the accidents, and anyone with information is asked to call the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office at 607-257-1345.

WICB Wins Wood!!!

Ithaca College's FM radio station 92 WICB has been recognized as the top college radio station in the nation by MTVU. The station has won the MTVU Woodie award for Best College Radio station.

For an earlier story about the hunt for the Woodie Award check here.

--Nate March

State Street's Second Name

The Ithacan and the Ithaca Journal reported today that a Wednesday Board of Public Works meeting showed strong support to give State Street a second name--Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. The change would be a "dual naming," meaning that the Martin Luther King, Jr. Street designation would be an addition, not a replacement. The image below is of a similarly dually-named street in Manhattan, courtesy of http://publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com/.


Support of the dual naming seems to have been influenced by the election of Barack Obama as America's next president. As the Journal's article reported,
"Many of those who spoke in favor referenced Tuesday's election of Barack Obama as evidence that America and Ithaca want change and a more inclusive society."

The board is set to vote in City Hall Wednesday, November 12th at 4:45 PM. All board meetings are open to members of the public.

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--Eric Raue

Cats in the Spotlight

Two recent stories have been reported recently, one in Tompkins County and one in Syracuse. What do they have in common? Both involved a cat.

On Sunday, a cat was abandoned along Freese Road in the Town of Dryden. According to a witness report, a car driving along the road pulled over and placed an object on the side of the road and then drove off. The object was later discovered to be a cat.

The SPCA in Tompkins County is currently investigating the situation and requests that anyone with information place a call to their Humane Investigator at (607) 319-5067. Here's a picture of the male cat, which was described to be "a bit cranky," but in good health by the SPCA's Medical Director. (Picture is courtesy of the Tompkins County SPCA, from an Ithaca Journal article).



I have also included here a map of where Freese Road is located in the Town of Dryden.


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The following day, a man in Syracuse was electrocuted trying to rescue a cat from a tree. The man, who was later identified as Robert Crossman, was trying to balance a ladder on a tree to go grab the cat. However, the metal ladder struck an electrical wire, causing the 29-year old to collapse. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Luckily for the cat, it ended up coming down on its own just fine.

--Michael Polak

Young Voters: Apathetic You Say?

--Aly Dixon

For a long time now, young voters have been labeled apathetic, too lazy to care about voting, about the issues that plague our country. However, it seems that with the election of Obama this is obviously not true. But not only that, despite who you voted for, it's hard to deny that we, the generation that needs to live with the mistakes made by our previous leaders, are doing something to ensure we have a fighting chance.

Last night, many Obama supporters stormed the campus. As one student played his bagpipe, others cried with hope of what this election meant. McCain supporters took the defeat in stride and realized that despite being blue or red, our country needs to stand united. The scene outside of Textor last night was incredible. Hundreds of students, if not thousands, stood together exclaiming their excitement for the future to come.



(view from ground)


"YES WE CAN!" They shouted.




(view from on top of Textor)

Whether you were one of the unlucky ones awakened by the overwhelming display, one of the students peering through the library windows in awe, one of the students atop the Music School balcony banging their symbols, or even one of the angry McCain supporters frustrated by defeat, it's hard to deny that no matter what anyone says, we, as the future generation are anything but apathetic, and if you don't believe that, spend a day on the Ithaca College campus.

Making The Votes Count

Polling Story

By Kaitlyn Rich

As many already know New York has already gone to Obama. But how are the millions of votes counted? And in particular what voting machinery and methods effect the Tompkins County vote? On Tuesday polling locations all over New York state used the old fashioned lever voters for the last time this year. At area voting locations such as the Museum of the Earth, the Ithaca Library and South Hill Elementary School election officials and voters alike were taking special measures to make sure every vote was counted.

"We have multiple ways of counting the ballots beside the machines," said Becky Booth, election official at the South Hill Elementary School site. Volunteers at all the sites tallied up each individual location's votes before turning them into the county board of locations, who in-turn forwards the totals to the state.

We've all been her since five in the morning," said Carol*, another South Hill Elementary School volunteer. "It's been a very long day," she added. Many polling workers have been manning their posts for over twelve hour shifts which begs the question - How accurate is the counting mechanisms? "Well there is old and there is new technology," said Carol, "Whatever the case we will be able to handle it."

Carol was hinting at the fact that by the next election the state will be outfitted with new handicap accessible voting machines. The current ones work "perfectly fine," as Booth says, they just are harder for the handicap to "use effectively." 

While the votes where steadily being counted, by both hand, machine, and registration records at all locations in the Tompkins County area yesterday the true historic importance of the event was something more than its accurate vote tally. 

"It is amazing to see the country, America, unite as it has in this election. To see the youth come out today and vote is amazing. America is really aware, it's awake," said Booth. Again while the overall numbers will take a few hours of speculation and ultimately days of scrutiny to finalize all the volunteers echoed that the youths' voting experience on Tuesday was the most memorable experience of the day. "We had a group of young girls come in and vote earlier today, one was celebrating her eighteenth birthday," said Sandra Reukaol, another South Hill volunteer, "And they came out with huge smiles on their faces and skipped out the door. I'll never forget it."

* Last names were withheld for privacy. 

Photo and video (from top to bottom): Volunteers help voters at the Museum of the Earth polling location; outside of the museum signs lead voters to where they can cast their ballots; and in the video Carol shows a first time voter how to use New York States older voting machines.

Ithaca Public Library Polling Place

Caitlin Noerenberg


The polling place at Ithaca’s Public Library, located on 101 E. Green Street, had a good turn out this Election Day. Janis Kelly, the Republican Poll Inspector, was kind enough to inform me on different things she experienced and had to deal with through out the day.

When they opened up the polling place at 6am, there was a line of voters ready to come in and get started. Early in the morning, they also came across two Chinese students that had the assignment of coming to witness how the voting system worked in the United States, since it works so well compared to other country’s voting systems. They stayed for several hours and simply observed the process.

There are 807 registered voters in the II-4 District, which come to the Ithaca Public Library to vote. By about 4:30pm, they had well over 450 voters come out. With the polls not closing until 9pm that evening, they were pretty happy with the amount of people that had come out so far.

Later in the evening, designated poll watchers were expected to come out asking to see the lists of names of people who had already voted. The poll watchers would then go through their own lists of the registered Democrats/Republicans in the district, and see if the registered Democrats/Republicans had already voted and if not they would call and in Kelly’s words “drag them away from the TV to come and vote.”

Kelly also went over how early voting was allowed for the first time this year in some states, and over 20% of American voters, voted early before Election Day, including her. Since she had to be at the Library from 5:30am-9:30pm, she was not going to be able to make it to her own district to vote, so she voted early the day before.

Voting early entails filling out an affidavit ballot, which people also have to fill out if they have moved and it hasn’t registered with the polling places. They had approximately 12 affidavit ballots by 4:30pm. In order for the affidavit ballot to count, the information is sworn in front of one of the election inspectors, and the ballot is not signed. It goes into an envelope that has the affidavit on the outside, all of those go into the Board of Elections and then they are all opened. From there the ballots are taken out, but are still folded so that the person taking them out does not know how they voted. After that, all of the affidavit votes are counted. This all takes place after the polls close on Election Day. One p

Theres a big report that has to be filled out, an election inspector of both parties have to sign a democratic inspector and a republican inspector and have them both sign it in order to verify that the vote is fair and honest and valid, and that’s part of what establishes the credibility. Trainging to go thorugh bc the voting regulations are very complicated, fat book of inspection manual regulations,

Another interesting fact Janis Kelly informed me about was the rule that a person can not show up within 100 feet of a polling place having anything political on their clothes, flyers, or on signs etc. Every polling place has very clearly marked limits.

So far it was going pretty smoothly for the Ithaca Public Library polling place. The only problem they ran into was a woman from Hawaii that had no registered in New York to vote and had not filled out an absentee ballot for Hawaii, so she was therefore not able to vote. Out of 450 people, only 1 person was not able to vote, the polling inspectors were happy.

Janis Kelly is the City Republican Party Chair and she loved being a polling inspector. She loved being able to watch the voting system in action, and will probably be there again next year.

Students need motivation to vote?

~ Samantha Allen

When Freud spoke about the group mentality, he probably didn’t consider how it could be involved in political voting.

At the Tompkins County voting center set up at Ithaca College’s Circles Community Building, many students came to vote but often in groups.

Linda McBride, Ithaca resident and election inspector, said she had seen a lot of students coming into the building in groups.
Sara Gurman, a freshman who voted for her first time here at the community building, said she wanted her friends to be there for support.

“We’re all sort of new to this, and without my friends this would be intimidating,” Gurman said. She was accompanied by two other freshman, one of whom had voted previously in an absentee ballot for New Jersey.

In this video, IC freshman Sara Gurman and Natasha Petersen:


To find out why students like Gurman thought they needed support for voting on IC's campus, check here.


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McBride said that people were very excited and she had seen a lot of first time voters, including students and immigrants, who wanted friends there to photograph their first time pulling the lever.

“I think people are excited to vote,” she said. “I only wish that kind of excitement stayed with people because, that’s what’s democracy is all about. And, as exciting as this is, I wish it was the norm. But it’s not.”



McBride who said she has been working at the polls since 2002 said she has never seen anything as remarkable as the turnout for this election. She said at 8:15 p.m. that night, 74 percent of the registered voters had cast their vote.

Local students helping out from TCCC, Tompkins County Community College, said they were impressed by the turnout too. Daniel Pine, a student and election coordinator who has been working at the polls for the past three elections, said many senior citizens had actually showed up, something he had not witnessed in the past.

Jake Biles, another TCCC student and election inspector, estimated that over 500 out of 700 registered senior citizens had showed up.

The Other Side of Election Day

Election Day is always one of the biggest days on the American calendar each year. The 2008 Election was no different. However, it was clear on this Tuesday in November that the Presidential election overshadowed anything else.

At South Hill Elementary School, one of several polling places around Tompkins County and specifically the city and town of Ithaca, that seemed to be the sentiment among voters. People who came to place their mark in history made it known that the fight between Barack Obama and John McCain was far more important than whoever was running for local offices.

On the local ballots, Maurice Hinchey was running again for a spot in the House of Representatives from the 22^nd district against George Phillips. Don Barber was vying for State Senate in the 51^st district against James Seward. Several other people were on ballots to be elected among the state assembly, town boards, and many other spots. However, all eyes were clearly on the Obama-McCain war.

I have no reason to take anything away from the Presidential election. After eight years of one man leading the country, it was important for America to go out and make a smart choice in electing a new leader. However, I think the one thing that is clear is that too many Americans are concerned more with the federal government and fail to notice the smaller, sometimes more important people that change our everyday lives.

As I write this article, Barack Obama has just been elected as the new President of the United States and people are celebrating outside my apartment. A new day will dawn on our nation and a lot of people will finally feel this country can turn around. This is monumental without question, and one of the biggest topics in question is education. It is time for the American people to start educating themselves more about local government and those leading them locally just as much as the national leaders.

Below, I have put together a video including some voters from South Hill Elementary School’s polling place. It shows how voters clearly did not show much interest regarding the local political races. For a complete list of the local representatives who were running in the 2008 Election, please visit this page on the Ithaca Journal website.

--Michael Polak

Poll-A-Palooza

Election Story
-Ursula Fox-Koor

Polling places across the country were filled today and Tompkins County was no exception. The city of Ithaca alone designated 12 locations for residents to cast their ballots and they were certainly put to good use.

South Hill Elementary School, one of the twelve polling places within the city, saw many voters come through the doors. “We’ve had over a 50 percent voter turn out, maybe even 60 percent,” said Becky Booth, a polling volunteer at the elementary school. Booth said that the turn out has never been this high and that this election season, Tompkins County has added more polling places as well as more staff and volunteers.

Booth credits the large number of students in the area for the increase in turn out. “We have two universities that make up a big population in Ithaca and with their big flexibility during the day, they are able to come in and vote on their time,” Booth said.

Carol*, one of the head polling staff at South Hill Elementary said the young people are also influencing bigger, national issues. “I think that people under 22 [years old] are more concerned with the national issues, but those over 22 are looking into the local election because they realize that concerns them more in terms of issues such as taxes and schools,” Carol* said.

Sandra Reukaol, another polling volunteer at the elementary school, said she was excited to see the young turn out. "It was delightful to see young people out and voting," she said. "There were three girls here earlier, all grinning, and were skipping up the ramp after the voted."

She said there was even a young girl who was celebrating her 18th birthday today and was voting for the first time. "It is great to see American engaged and awake," she said.

*Last name has been withheld due to person's request.

Below: Carol* instructs a new voter on what to do.



A map of South Hill Elementary School


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Something New to Count

- Michelle Skowronek

Polling Story

We count votes.  We count absentee ballots.  We Republicans. We count Democrats.  For the first time in election history, we are counting voters as they come in to the polling place.

Elle Schofield was in charge of checking in voters at the South Hill School today.  As she checked off voters' names  signifying they placed their votes, she also checked another number next to the specific hour in which voters showed up.

"This year we have to track the number of people by the hour," she said.  "It's a new system this year."

Typically in polls across America, the busiest times are right before the work day officially begins and right after it ends.

Schofield said she must count the number of voters from start to finish.

"The poll closes at 9 p.m., but if people show up at 9 we have to process them," she said.  "We could be here until 11 p.m. tonight."

The South Hill School, located on Hudson Street, was the local polling place for Ward 1 Districts 4 and 5.

Schofield said her work was cut out for her.

"There is 948 people between the two districts," she said.  "It's my responsibility to count all of them if they come in."

Each polling place was given a specific sheet to tally the number of voters.  Here is a video of Schofield explaining the system:

Behind the Scenes: Those Who Work to Keep Democracy Alive

Polling story
--Aly Dixon

Walking into the polling place at the Tompkins County Public Library located at 101 E. Green Street was a surreal experience. Having never voted in a general election in a polling place, I was giddy and excited for the events of the day to unfold. However, I wondered what actually allowed this process to work; how we can successfully hold elections in a way most countries can't. And although America's voting process has been deeply criticized, it seems it is also one of much envy. Democracy strives in this country, but it is not without the help of the many who are dedicated to the preservation of this very ideal without agenda or prejudice.

Throughout this 2008 campaign for president, we have seen the attention turn to figures with no influence on our ability to vote, from Bill Hiers to Reverend Wright to General Petraeus, to powerful corporations, to influential lobbyists. But we have not seen the real pioneers of democracy, those behind the scenes, those who sacrifice their time and dedication to make sure our democratic process is carried out in the fairest of manners. Election inspectors are examples of these people.



Essentially, the duty of the election inspector is to ensure that all elections are conducted in a fair and impartial manner. Specifically, that are responsible to ensure that all eligible voters are able to exercise their right to vote and that the election law is applied uniformly. For each polling place there is at least one republican, and one democrat election inspector to ensure fairness and stability.




As an election inspector, you must be at the specific polling place you are working at a half hour before it opens, in this case Begg and the other inspectors got to the Tompkins County Public Library at six-thirty in the morning. You are required to work the whole day as an inspector. In New York, the polls close at nine p.m., so Begg and the others expected to leave around nine thirty, a long day of work. To Begg's suprise, the wage for the day of service is $160. However, Begg claims the pay previously was below minimum wage.

To serve as an election inspector you must be a registered voter along which a resident of the county in which you wish to work at. You must not be a spouse, child, or parent of a candidate running in the district you will work, and you cannot hold any sort of public elective office or being running for office in the district you are working.

Begg and the other inspectors seemed happy at the outcome of the election during our interview. Begg claimed that well over half of all voters assigned to their polling place had voted by about 4:30 p.m., a statistic that satisfied all of the inspectors.

"We haven't had any real problems yet, and I hope that continues the rest of the day," Begg said.

As someone that prides herself on being politically informed, I was ashamed to realize I knew little to nothing about the duties and responsibilities of election inspectors. There jobs may seem small, insignifcant, or even easy, but the opposite seems true. These people took the time out to help others fulfill their constitutional right, while sacrificing most of their day. They could have been home watching the votes get tallied on CNN, scanning updated articles on the New York Times, despairingly watching Fox News cling to hope, or gleefully watching states become blue, but instead they helped the rest of us realize our own dreams of participating in a democracy that many don't have the privilege of realizing.

What's Your Issue?

            National elections often hinge on one critical issue. The 2008 Presidential Election and congressional elections have been driven by concerns for the economy. Sometimes the mass exposure of an issue like the economy can overshadow the truth that Americans have many issues on their mind when they go to the polls.

            The polling place at South Hill Elementary School in Ithaca was fairly quiet at 3:00 this afternoon. After navigating the multitude of signs meant to direct voters (and keep out electioneers, loiterers, and honest journalists), I set up shop 100 feet away from the polls to unearth the issues weighing on voters minds.

The few people casting their ballots at South Hill had a variety of issues they felt were the key to how they voted. Education, the environment, and foreign policy all joined the economy as the number one issue on people’s minds. The sample size may not have been large, but clearly the voters in this district don’t fall into the one-track mind of economy only politics. 

The video below summarizes my trip to the polling place and introduces some of the people who shared their number one political issue with me.          

  One note I feel that it is essential to mention, although it is not what I set out to discover. The election of a President this year was not the deciding factor for any voters coming out to vote at South Hill this afternoon. Voters answered that they always vote, regardless of the national election.         

--Nate March

No Campaigning at Polls

Today as Tompkins County residents enters each polling place, you might notice a sign posted outside:

New York is one of several states in the U.S. that has created a law so that voters do not wear campaign buttons, t-shirts, hats and signs within or near to polling places. Other states with this law include Nebraska and Virginia.  

Although the sign implies your vote may be at risk, State Board of Elections spokesman Bob Brehm said, "No one will be thrown in jail over a shirt at the polls," according to the Observer. 

Essentially the sign is asking voters to not wear campaign paraphernalia because they might be turned away from the polls. Polling officials do have the right to prevent someone from voting if they attempt to enter the polling place in such conditions.

Emily Metz, a polling place volunteer for the past thirty years stood out in her American flag sweater.

"I think that if someone is coming into vote and is undecided, their vote may be swayed because they see someone wearing a certain shirt," Metz said. "If they think that person looks 'good' or educated, it could easily determine their vote."

Metz said no one at the Ellis Hollow Apartments Polling Place had a problem following the law although it essentially violates the First Amendment. The amendment not only guarantees an American citizen to the freedom of speech, but also the freedom to petition.  Many online bloggers have said that the signs are an attempt to scare away voters, a phenomenon that is becoming more and more common in increasingly competitive elections. 

New York state does have a law that prohibits entering a polling place with campaigning gear or with children wearing campaign gear. Fortunately this did not seem to be major issue in Tompkins County this term.

Watch a video of the Ellis Hollow Apartment polling place below:

Story at the Polls-- Joy Kucinkas

Coffee and Economy on the Minds of Many Voters

By: Maura Gladys
(Polling story)



“On days like this, we always make sure we have a lot of coffee,” said a poll worker at the South Hill Elementary School polling location

The sky was still black and an early morning chill hung over the South Hill Elementary School early this morning, as voters lined up to cast their ballot in one of the most highly anticipated and historic elections in recent memory. It seemed as if coffee and the economy was on the mind of many voters.

Arlene*, one of the first voters at South Hill arrived at 6 a.m. in order to beat what is anticipated to be a heavy turnout. As soon as she was finished voting she headed straight for Starbucks, which was giving a free large coffee to anyone that presented an “I Voted Today” sticker.

“I really didn’t want to have to wait in line, and I decided 6 was the best. Now, I’m going to get a free cup of coffee from Starbucks,” she said.

Joseph LeCates, a Cornell graduate student, used voting, rather than coffee to calm his nerves.

“I want to feel like I’ve done everything I can. It’s the first time I’ve paid so much attention to an election. I came out early to calm my nerves.”

LeCates, like many others cited the economy as one of his primary issues when voting. Starbucks in downtown Ithaca was a hub of election excitement. Voters, fresh from the voting booths, cashed in on their free coffees and talked politics.

“It’s been a zoo, but it can only get better,” said Karen, the barista. “There have been a lot of new faces this morning.”

One woman, after receiving her free coffee, gushed about the excitement of voting.

“It’s just such a great feeling, to hear the machine when you pull the lever, and you just feel like you made a difference.”

Another man, a teacher on his way to work jovially summed up the morning. “This is such an Ithaca morning. Coffee and voting.”

*it was requested that her real name not be used.

Keeping the Polls Rolling

In order for Election Day to run smoothly, there is an important group of people who are responsible for making it happen: poll workers. Poll workers spend the day checking in voters, answering questions and managing the polling place at which they are assigned.

In order to become a poll worker in New York State, one must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the county or in New York City, a resident of the city; must be registered to vote in New York; and must complete a training course and exam. Students who are 16 or 17 years of age and are enrolled in high school may also be appointed as a poll worker.  





David Keifer, a poll worker in Ithaca, New York, spent the day at Ellis Hollow Apartments, located at 1028 Ellis Hollow Road in Ithaca. Keifer stood at the entrance to the polling place, helping voters to check in at the correct location. "It's certainly been busy all day long," Keifer said. "We had about 70 people waiting when we opened at 6:00 this morning."

Keifer began working at polling places six years ago while living in New Jersey, where there was a big need for poll workers. "It was a great experience," Keifer said. "I felt good about serving the community."



People who spend their time working at polling places find it very rewarding. Not only do they play a part in a historic election, but they also get a chance to see the community come out to vote. "[Working at the polls] gave me a chance to get to know some of my neighbors," Keifer said. "When I came up here to New York State, I looked into it. They were also in need, so here I am."

There is a sense of excitement amongst everyone who is involved in today's election. For the poll workers who began their day before the polls opened and who will end their night long after the polls have closed, we should all be thankful that they gave their time to help make the election a success, whatever the result.

-Emma Tanner

Polling Place Story

A Help or a Hassle?

"There hasn't been a lot of people yet, but the rush will come soon, you know, when everyone gets off of work," said German Interpreter/Translator/Tutor Elke Schofield at 4 pm today.  

Elke was standing by the entry way of the South Hill Elementary School polling place waiting to direct incoming voters to their District's voting area.  

As I was chatting with her about how I had never used a voting booth, asking if anyone had trouble, she said "Oh, no they are quite simple, no one has asked for help."

While she was explaining the process to me, I couldn't help but peak around the corner at a separate room just off of the voting lobby.  She must have caught my inquiring eye:  "But this one in here, this is a bit more complicated."  She led me into the room with a huge black machine that was hooked up to a computer.

This machine was one of the 43 ballot-marking devices (BMDs) from Sequoia - or electronic voting machines - that were placed in different polling areas of Tompkins County for this year's election.  (This is the last year for the old-fashioned lever-voting machines to be used in New York State).

"Voters get a maximum of 3 minutes when using those machines (pointed to lever machines) , but this electronic machine can take up to 15 to 20 minutes to cast a vote," exclaimed Schofield.

"We have to have one here because of the disabled persons that come to vote, but anyone is allowed to use this if they want to.  Thank God no one has, though," continued Schofield.

Schofield's frustration came from the intense 30 page manual that came with the machine. There were a series of steps within this manual telling her exactly how to operate the BMD, including how to punch in the series of codes.

She was one of the Tompkins County Board of Elections trainees that had 1 hour of training back in March to learn about the BMDs.  But it didn't seem like enough for her due to the long process it takes to set-up and use the machines. 

"I can't even imagine an elderly person or young person trying to figure this out let alone a disabled person," Schofield expressed her concern about the new voting machines.  

Earlier today, the Ithaca Journal had a brief blurb mentioning some unhappy voters with the new voting machines.  However, the October 27th issue of Tompkins Weekly gave several accounts of disabled voters who were more than happy with the BMDs.  

As I thanked Elke for her generosity of showing me around the polling area, she said "Come back next year and we will have all of those new machines."

I guess we'll have to wait and see what the future will bring of the electronic voting machines. So savor the feeling of pulling that lever, because next year it's out with old and in with the new.

Check out the process of the BMD machine described by Schofield and a brief video of the detailed manual:

-Jillian Rubin