By Adam Heftka

Hamburg, NY – Last Friday, April 8, Hilbert College’s athletes and club leaders were required to attend a mandatory diversity training seminar. The students listened to Linda Williams-Moore, Director of Student Life at the University of Pittsburg. She led the discussion on diversity at Hilbert College.

Before the event, many athletes complained about being forced to attend. Afterwards, though, students reacted positively.

The discussion focused on being a diverse college. But diversity, Williams-Moore said, refers to more than just race or skin color. She talked about how schools are segregated by clubs and sports. Adding that people in the student government don’t socialize with athletes and vice-versa.

Hilbert College has the problem that its students stay within their group of friends. Williams-Moore said it was important to be inclusive in choosing whom we let in. Just because one person runs a club on campus doesn’t mean they couldn’t also be an athlete.

Kelly Starchok, Hilbert’s NCAA Compliance and Student Services Coordinator and women’s soccer coach said, “This is a great opportunity for our student leaders and student athletes to come together to address a very important topic in today’s world and society to unite our campus.”

This diversity training was implemented due to “the request of students following student Listening Sessions held by President Zane” said  Matt Heidt, Hilbert’s spokesman.

Heidt also stated “student feedback will be an important part of this training.” Until the feedback is released it is unsure how the students reacted overall.

By Evan James

Professor Chris Gallant’s Digital Film Editing students are ready to show off the fruits of their labor on April 22 as the first Hilbert College Student Film Festival is set to take place in Bogel Hall 101. The idea, which was suggested by senior Danielle Lutz, will be the culmination of a semester’s worth of work, and for some even two semester’s worth of work.

“Most of us have been there since last fall, that was Digital Filmmaking,” says senior Nick Miller referring to the class that preceded this semester. The films vary in subject matter and genre, from comedy to dramas. Miller also says that at the end of the festival will be the debut of another film that is set to be submitted to a national contest.

This event will be free for all to attend and starts at 7pm.

By Evan James

After a few months’ hiatus, professor Don Vincent held a meeting in the library to discuss the future of Hilbert’s student radio, HAWK Radio. After Live 365, the streaming service HAWK was using, shut down in January, the school was left with no radio.
Students who had either worked with the radio in the past, or expressed desire to in the future, met and weighed the pros and cons of what to do going forward, such as whether it was better to find a new streaming service provider or change the whole service and implement a podcast type model.
While a definitive decision has yet to be reached, the group of students and faculty who attended agreed that regular meetings are the most effective way to make sure that HAWK can get back on track. Wednesdays are the tentative date that meetings will take place, and while that is subject to change, any students who are interested in being a part of the radio’s future are encouraged to talk to Vincent some time in the upcoming weeks.

By Mary Kate Wirfel

Now that Immaculata Academy is set to close in June, we asked if Hilbert College had any interest in purchasing its next-door neighbor’s building and grounds.
Hilbert Spokesman Matt Heidt released a statement from Hilbert President Cynthia Zane:
“ Since the Immaculata Academy property is not currently for sale, we have not yet had an opportunity to seriously consider the possibility. Our focus, quite frankly, has been on supporting the Sisters Faculty, Students and their families during this difficult time. Sister Ann Marie was quoted as saying that no decisions have been made regarding the property. However, if the time comes when they are interested in selling it, we will investigate the possibility.”

The First-Ever Name Draft

Hilbert Athletics’ Newest Hire

Hilbert College has introduced a new Strength and Conditioning Coach to its Athletics program on February 9, 2016: Matthew Diegelman becomes the first person to hold this new position, which the college said is another resource for its athletic teams to use throughout the year.

Diegelman has served as Niagara University’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for nearly ten years before coming to Hilbert. At Niagara, he designed programs for Division I athletes to complete, worked individually with each teams’ coaches to find areas of improvement for their teams, and oversaw intern and volunteer strength and conditioning coaches.

In addition to Niagara University, Diegelman was a Fitness Trainer at Prism Health and Fitness, where he worked with individuals to reach their own personal goals and fitness desires.

Diegelman has a master’s degree in health and human performance from Canisuis College and a bachelor’s degree in health and wellness from Buffalo State College.

Diegelman is looking to make his mark at Hilbert College. Only being here for less than a month he has already made slight changes to the weight room and its staff. He is looking to create more space for team workouts in the weight room while also maintaining a balance for the rest of the student body on campus.

Furthermore, Diegelman is hoping for more involvement from the students here. In the past Diegelman was able to communicate with coaches and mandate workouts. But, working with a Division III school, he cannot do this. It is up the students to come and reach out to him.

Diegelman’s new office is located in Hafner Recreation Center across from the gym. He is always open to students asking him questions about anything relating to fitness. For him to do this students have to make the first step and reach out to him by face-to-face contact or by e-mail at mdiegelman@hilbert.edu.

“First, I’m grateful to have been given this opportunity at Hilbert College and thankful to John Czarnecki and his staff for choosing me to lead this endeavor. It’s unbelievable to have found an opportunity like this in my own hometown,” Diegelman, a Hamburg native, said.

“I’m looking forward to helping our student athletes maximize their athletic potential through strength and conditioning, which will help give us that edge on our competition,” he said.

The Patron Saint of Ireland and his Feast Day, this week on Hawks On. Also, drinking.

by Kyle English

All too often there is a story in the news about how heroin claims another victim. The heroin epidemic that this country is facing and trying to combat is continuing to spread and is not showing signs of ceasing any time soon.
Erie County has been plagued with a particularly severe heroin problem. According to the Buffalo News, ten deaths in the county were linked to heroin in the first ten days of March.
Like many problems, it is important to recognize the causes of heroin use and get to the basis of the problem before it can be fixed.
The root of the problem stems from a failing society, according to Dr. Yvonne Downes, a criminology professor at Hilbert College. “We have failed to persuade our people that it will damage their lives and to provide them with the treatment needed to escape addiction.”
Many professionals agree that there are two routes to heroin use, youth and addiction to prescription painkillers. “Many young people are bored, miserable, and do not see good avenues for their future. This leads them to make disastrous mistakes, and the cheap and easy availability of illegal recreational substances helps them feel better in the short term,” said Downes.
Dr. Martin Floss, a Criminal Justice Professional and educator and Hilbert College agrees. “The addiction to legally prescribed pain-killers is at the heart of the most recent epidemic. Patients get drugs for pain and those pills are narcotics…and people like the drugs and turn to heroin or other forms of narcotics.”
“We need to stop treating these folks as criminals and make substance abuse treatment easily and cheaply available,” said Downes, who continues by saying that until that is established nothing can be done.
One temporary “solution” being applied is the use of NARCAN, a drug used on those people who overdose on heroin. This drug counteracts the effects and can save the lives of those who have overdosed.
“Narcan saves people who overdose,” said Floss, who favors its use, as many times as needed. He recognizes that using it multiple times on the same person contributes to the argument of a “crutch”, but it is not the first responder’s decision on who lives and who dies.
Downes shares a similar believe but points out that there needs to be restrictive sanctions when it comes to using NARCAN.
“Those receiving it must be subject to mandatory treatment in a residential placement for some period of time. People who are overdosing clearly have a problem beyond simple addiction and should be treated as suicidal,” says Downes.
Both Downes and Floss showed support for Svante Myrick, who wants supervised injection facilities to exist in his city.
Floss says that this follows Europe’s standard by viewing addictions as a health issue not a criminal issue. “By having such sites, we would be able to engage more addicts and try to convince more to get help, we would also be providing clean needles that do not infect others.
Dr. Downes added to Floss’s point by noting that the majority of heroin pose very little or no danger to society and do not show any signs of violence. “Getting the problem out into public view where they acquire and use the drug with relative safety will decrease other social problems and provide the best chance for them to survive and get better.”
Regardless of where the person is from or how he or she is, heroin is accessible to and used by a large variety of individuals. Until the people of society, government, and law enforcement change their views and policies on the problem of heroin, the issue will only continue to grow.

What are you doing next week? What would you rather be doing next week? What if you could do…anything?

By Amanda Snyder

Hilbert College held a Town Hall Forum panel discussion featuring four Hilbert faculty members in the Swan Auditorium on Tuesday, March 1.

The discussion centered on diversity and discourse on the “Politics of Hate.” Panelists included Yvonne Downes, Ph.D Professor of Criminal Justice, Kushnood Haq, Ph.D Professor of Business, Jeff Papia, MTA, Director of Mission Integration and Campus Ministry, and Megan Witzleben, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of English.

Dr. Christopher Holoman, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, opened up the meeting by stating Aristotle’s philosophy on man [and woman] is by nature, a social [political] animal.”

Papia introduced the theme of creating diversity through unity , the idea of turning many into one. Each faculty member spoke briefly on the lack of equality across many demographics. With the upcoming presidential election, inequality is perceived not only through race, as it is commonly noted, but also through economics, religion and politics, Papia said.

Hilbert student Luis Rodriguez agreed broadly with the idea that “diversity” cuts across more than just race. “There’s no change unless we make a change. It takes a group of people to make a difference,” said Rodriguez said. “Diversity is made of love, respect and amicability.”

Downes  said that inequality in this country will cause frustration to grow, a frustration that is on display on both ends of the political spectrum during this presidential election year. The panel concluded with a reminder for all eligible students and staff to register to vote for the upcoming primary election to be a voice that change inspire change.

The discussion was sponsored by the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Diversity.