by Danielle Tomaka

Looking for some cheap eats? The local authentic Mexican restaurant Coyote Café, located on Main Street in Hamburg, is one local business offering discounts to Hilbert students every day except Tuesdays. The discounts, which are offered only to Hilbert students, include 15% off your bill when you show your Hilbert ID. Taco Tuesdays offer featured tacos for only $1.

Every Wednesday night is Ladies Night at the Café until November 28^th. They offer drink specials, free select appetizers and $3 margaritas. The  jalapeño margarita and chimichangas are top sellers.

You can enjoy an authentic Mexican meal in the dining area or you can sit at the bar and enjoy some of their featured appetizers and drinks. There is a banquet hall available to hold parties or events upon request. You can also find the Coyote Café food truck around Buffalo.

Coyote Café owner, Jeff Givino; said he gives Hilbert students discounts opposed to other colleges because he wants to give back to the local school, “I want to help the kids because I know they are struggling with money these days,” Givino said. “We are happy to do that for Hilbert College. They are local, my son goes to Hilbert and it’s a good school. It will bring in students to come in to eat and as they get older, they’ll remember their experience and they’ll come when they have kids.”

The Coyote Café has been open since August 1993. His dream is to be a professional race car driver but in the meantime, he is focusing on his restaurant. Stop in and take advantage of this great student discount that is only offered to Hilbert students.

by Kaitlyn Halper

Hilbert College held its sixth annual Hilbert Reads even on Tuesday, October 16. The book chosen, The Lightless Sky, follows author Gulwali Passerlay on a twelve-month, 12,000-mile journey as a refugee, traveling from his home in Afghanistan to England to escape death. I had the opportunity to join the book committee in welcoming Passerlay to Hilbert, and was able to sit in on a round table discussion and dinner with him, before the actual event.

Passerlay’s visit to Hilbert began with a round table discussion on “small acts of kindness”, a huge theme throughout his book. Passerlay discussed how people throughout the book gave him “small things that went a long way.” He spoke about the media today and how it is not positive. He urged those in attendance to “not underestimate kindness” saying it was an “important tool.” He continued by saying we have a “moral duty to help” and that “love is the key.” He pointed out that “language is a barrier”, but “kindness is a universal language.” He also spoke about learning and how “learning is easy, unlearning is difficult.” Dr. Amy Smith, who is on the committee that picked the book, told the group a story about a homeless person she met while on a service trip to Washington D.C. Someone asked him “How can I help?” to which he said, “acknowledge me and act like I’m a person.” Jeff Papia, of campus ministry, connected small acts of kindness to St. Francis, recounting with the story of the leper saying the lepers “ugliness was skin deep, not soul deep.” Students shared personal stories of their past problems, and how small acts of kindness has helped them. Dr. Smith ended the discussion with the quote a “comfort zone is a great place, but nothing grows there.

Next was a dinner with Passerlay, his wife, and the committee. Passerlay told us about getting stuck in customs and getting a boot put on his car while in New York City. He asked the committee about the process to pick the Hilbert Reads book and commented on how good the food was (it was delicious). He also spoke about his book being published in six languages, saying that in France it is tilted “I Am Gulwali”. It is published by the same company that published “I am Malala.”

Lastly, Passerlay spoke to in Swan Auditorium at the Hilbert Reads event itself. He told the story to the room, mentioning that he had not seen his mom in twelve years, and that he “missed her very much.” After there was a short question and answer period where participants could write a question on an index card to be asked to Passerlay, followed by a book signing and photo opt in West Herr Atrium.

After the event I spoke with Dr. Amy Smith, on what she thought about the event and Passerlay.

The Scribe: How many books were in this year’s finalists?

Amy Smith: I think the committee read five different books. So the way that it works to give you the big picture stuff, each committee member reads books that they believe would be appropriate to include. Then we have a meeting and people bring their suggestions to the meeting, normally we end up with more then we can actually read so based on descriptions of the books and what the person who brought it forward says about it we then try to narrow it down to four or five books where we all read them. Then we do another vote where we pick the final book.

TS: How many people are on the board that picks the book?

AS: So, it has fluctuated a lot between last year and this year because many people on the committee have left. It used to be a fairly small committee, but now it has grown due to more people interested. Right now, there are nine people on the committee.

TS: Why was The Lightless Sky chosen?

AS: The story is a relevant issue, although when we picked the book it was not as big of a topic as it is in the United States, so we actually selected a book over a year ago. That was before all the things at the border, before the separation of children from their families. I think people liked the book because it talked about an important issue and we like to have books of first-person perspective, although that is not a requirement. The refugee issue may not be something students can personally relate to, some of the other themes having to do with family, connections to the Franciscan values, remaining hopeful, and the connection of Franciscan to Islam with Francis meeting the Sultan, we thought it would be interesting for students to learn about Islam as well. And it’s a good story.

TS: What was your favorite book from the past six years? Why?

AS: This is a tough one. I’ve liked them all. I think they’ve all been good choices but for different reasons so I’m not sure I can say my favorite, but I will say one of my favorites was the book by Jerry McGill, Dear Marcus. I just think it is a really good story about forgiveness, about coming to terms with your life and what could be very substantial changes to your life. I also like the way it was written, him writing letters to the person who shot him.

TS: What did you think of Passerlay in person?

AS: I thought he was neat. He is a very outgoing guy, which I had a sense from email exchanges. Its hard for me, he is still a really young guy compared to other people and that is hard to remember when he is speaking and what he has been through. I think it is always a neat experience to meet the author and see if they fit the picture in your head.

TS: What was your favorite presentation from the past six years?

AS: I thought the one last year, the Picking Cotton authors was a very powerful presentation. I did not like a lot of it, particularly her, was a retelling of the book but she did it in such a dramatic way that it was really captivating. The very first Hilbert Read author, Conor Grennan was very personable and friendly and easygoing, so I liked his as well.

TS: You get to know these people personally, which author did you like the best personality wise?

AS: So Conor Grennan we did not do a dinner with him, so I did not have a lot of interaction with him. Neil White who was our second author we didn’t do a dinner with him, but then the other ones we did. I liked Jerry McGill, he was a neat guy and has interesting stories to tell. And I think Gulwali was very engaging as well. He was very open about his personal life and his marriage, which was nice.

TS: I know you can’t give book titles, but can you give any hints about next years finalists?

AS: I guess I can say that we are considering novel which would be new, we haven’t done that before. We are also considering a book in which the story that is told is not from the person that wrote it, so it’s not an autobiography. All of them deal with themes and issues that are significant and fit or work with the majors here at Hilbert, or some of the issues that college students are facing.

by Kaitlyn Halper

Do you like animals? Well, students in Don Vincent’s Persuasive Campaigns class need your help! A group of students haschosen to help HEART, a not-for-profit animal shelter located in Hamburg. From November 12^th to the 15^th donation boxes will be in West Herr Atrium, Bogel front foyer, Campus Center (downstairs), and Fran Hall lobby. The donations collected will be delivered to HEART for use with the animals they get in their shelter. A list of what they need includes:

Gift Cards (Tops, Wegmans, Walmart, PetSmart, OfficeMax, Tractor Supply, Jo-Ann Fabrics)

Paper Towels

Trash Bags (33 gallon or tall kitchen)

Hand Sanitizer

KMR Brand Kitten Milk Replacement

New Kitten Baby Bottles

Purina One Dry Kitten Food

Purina One Dry Adult Chicken Cat Food

Cat Litter (one of our biggest needs – Arm & Hammer Multi-Cat Clumping Litter)

New Litter Boxes & Litter Scoops

New Cardboard Cat Scratchers or Sisal Rope Scratchers

New Pet Beds (cat)

New Pet Carriers (small/medium/large)

New Dog Crates (medium or large)

New Fold Down 2-Story Wire Cat Condos

So in this upcoming season of giving, please consider helping HEART with either event.

Hilbert College hosted its annual Wellness Fair last week.  Several vendors attended the event from Orchard Fresh to Blue Cross and Blue Shield. There were even free foot massages. To see photos of who was at the event check out this photo gallery below.  (Photos by Mary Kate Wirfel)

by Mary Kate Wirfel

Hilbert College celebrated Halloween by dressing up in creative and scary Halloween costumes. Tanya Moreta, head of Diversity inclusion, hosted an event where students were able to paint sugar skulls and make creative Halloween cookies. Sugar Skulls are traditional in Hispanic culture for their Halloween celebration Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). To see photos from all the Halloween events check out this photo gallery below. (Photos by Mary Kate Wirfel).

by Michael Goodberry

With the Fall baseball season comes to an end Hilbert College played their yearly scrimmage against the junior college powerhouse Niagara County Community College at Washuta Park in Lewiston, New York. Last season both the Hawks and the Thunder Wolves each had outstanding seasons. The Hilbert Hawks made the playoffs for the second time since joining the Allegany Mountain Collegiate Conference. The Thunder Wolves once again made a deep run in the NJCAA regionals.

Drew Fittry, the team’s head coach, said he was proud of the way the team performed against an accomplished team.

“The NCCC game was yet another example of the direction our program is headed,” Fittry said. “We were able to go toe to toe with a program that was in the National Championship two seasons ago and we nearly came out with a win. A game like that is great experience for our players and a reminder to them that if we work hard, we can accomplish anything.”

The game under the lights started with an energetic top of the first. The Hawks bench atmosphere was electric, as they got on the board first, scoring a run. In the bottom of the first, the Thunder Wolves answered back with two quick runs of their own. The Hawks were kept scoreless for the next few innings as the Thunder Wolves created one run in both the second and third inning. In the fourth inning, the Thunder Wolves struck with full force with three huge runs lifting the score to 7-1 in favor of the Thunder Wolves. When all hopes seemed lost, the Hawks stormed back with help from Griff DeMayo, Austin O’Shei, and an important two-run homerun from Ian Moran. By the end of the 7^th inning, the Hawks lead the Thunder Wolves 8-7. In the eighth inning, the Hawks were left scoreless as the Thunderwolves blasted a backbreaking two-run homerun, immediately followed by a few well-timed base hits and a wild pitch from the Hawks pitcher to put the Thunder wolves up 10-8. The ninth inning was left scoreless to end the game.

After the game ended and the teams shook hands over home plate, both teams had their separate team meetings down the base lines. The Hawks coaching staff praised their players for being down by so much and battling back in a highly competitive game. However, the coaching staff had to address how there was nine errors in the game and in order to compete in the regular season the defense needs to be better.

“Out of the six Fall Ball games I’ve been a part of, this one is definitely the most fun,” catchers coach Ryan Bonafede said “I’m proud of our guy for digging deep and fighting back when we were down early. I am excited for this upcoming year. The offense looked great the pitching looked great and the defense is only going to get better.” Due to the weather the inter squad scrimmage was canceled. With that the Hawks Fall baseball season is over and the team will start preparing for the regular season this spring.

Chevy has put out a lot of cars over the years. From 1969–1987, then 1994-2007 the story of the Chevy Monte Carlo is a vast one. This 2-door car has been iconic at the drag strip, tearing up tires with a V8 and is now a blast from the past. With 6 generations of this car, we will be looking into the very last years this car saw production.

At the beginning of the 2000’s, the Monte Carlo came out with a total redesign. Completely leaving behind the outdated 90’s look and becoming a great, sporty looking car. It was not just any sport car though. For a while this car was used  by NASCAR drivers. Even though this car was something every kid who wanted a fast car should start out with, that what it was in the end. GM soon saw a decline in sales of the car and in 2007, discontinued the model. The last one produced was sent off to GM’s Heritage Center collection. But with this, the Chevy Camaro saw a big comeback.

Ryan Zunner, a senior here at Hilbert College, has a 2006 Monte Carlo SS. He bought it a few years ago from a car dealer. He didn’t have a lot of money but wanted a sporty car nonetheless. The Monte Carlo wasn’t even his first choice. He was looking at a few Ford Mustangs but ultimately when it came down to it, went with the SS.

His car has a 5.3 LS 4 V8, leather seats, remote starter, sun roof, and a Triple Edge Performance Transmission. Ryan says he’d rather have a Corvette or a Challenger, but for now it’s “just a fun car to have.” On top of being fun, it’s also a smooth drive, handles well, and has lots of Horsepower. Ryan recommends if you’re looking into buying one for yourself, check out the transmission because chances are it’s probably not the original, and if it is the original, expect it to blow any minute because they don’t last long.

Ryan’s main regret with this car is his speeding ticket. With a fast car comes the high possibility that it’s going to get you pulled over. When he’s not tearing the streets though, Ryan is at the tracks racing it. His most memorable moment with it was when he took it racing the first time. “It’s a cool experience and was a good bonding moment with my dad.” So until next time readers.

by Brandon Zicari

Rapper J.Cole’s KOD tour made its way to Buffalo late last month, taking over First Niagara Center, the downtown arena where the Buffalo Sabers play. The stadium started to fill up as it was getting closer to the time J. Cole took the stage. Since he is more mainstream than Earthgang, a lot of people in the crowd were familiar with his music. Fans were jumping around to songs like “Pick up the phone” and “Digits”. Young Thug demonstrated his range however when his hit song “Relationship” came on, with the crowd raising their phones in the air as if they were lighters.

Before J. Cole came on stage – Earthgang and Young Thug were the opening acts – a large black banner was placed in front of the stage saying “Kids On Drugs King Overdose Kill Our Demons.” All of these sayings are from the name of J.Cole’s most recent album KOD. As the concert would progress, he would explain each term and what it meant to him. When the stage was set and the stadium was filled, the lights went out and the chorus to the song “Window Pain” started to play. As soon as the instrumentals started to pick up, J. Cole came out and everyone in the crowd got to their feet. One aspect that stood out was his appearance. Unlike the performers before him, J. Cole was not in any fancy or brand name clothes. He kept it simple wearing a baggy shirt with shorts. Although he did not look the part of a big name rapper, he performed like one. “Window Pain” is a very emotional song describing from a young girl who witnessed her cousin get shot. This is the opening track on KOD and it introduces the listener to the theme of the album. J. Cole would follow this song up with “A Tale of 2 Citiez” and “G.O.M.D.” from his most famous album 2014 Forrest Hills Drive. These tracks are lot more upbeat which got the audience screaming the lyrics and jumping around with J. Cole. Over his career he has created six albums which gave him a lot content to choose from. J. Cole would continue to perform a variety of songs from each of his albums, switching up the pace and keeping the stadium on its toes. Another aspect of the J. Cole concert that was different from others was that he did not bring out a hype man. Since rap songs are very fast paced an artist usually brings out another person to bridge each line so that the main artist can regain his or her breath. J. Cole however did not do this; he came out alone and kept his band hidden. All eyes and attention were on him which overall is his main goal. As time was becoming limited J. Cole ended the night with his two biggest songs “No Role Modelz” and “1985 – Intro to “The Fall Off.” With the crowd realizing the concert was coming to an end they gave all their energy to J. Cole as he did to them.

The concert started with Earthgang preforming first. They brought out good energy, preforming their hit songs such as “Meditate” and “Mama told me”. The Atlanta based rappers had the crowd on their feet and drew a very positive reaction, finishing their performance with “Missed Calls” and “Can’t call it”. The next person that was set to preform was Jaden Smith. Son of the famous Will Smith, Jaden has a few hit singles but for some unknown reason was not present at the concert. Since there was no second act, the stage crew got the place ready for the third act which was the one before J.Cole. While they were getting everything ready the DJ played music from J.Cole’s Dreamville label.

Over the years J. Cole has proven himself to be one of the most influential artist of our generation. He came on the scene in 2009 when he was signed to Jay Z’s label, when started to produce his albums. Now in 2018 he has shown that he has what it takes to be an A-list celebrity. The KOD tour has thirty six shows planned all through the United States. After the concert in Buffalo the crowd left with a message. Unlike other rappers, J. Cole uses his platform to speak about real issues like poverty and depression. His lyrics reflect his troubles and problems that other people have. This is why he gathers such a large fan base; he relates to so many and uses his lyrical prowess to really convey a theme of a song. People that attended the concert left just as happy as they came in.  

by Danielle Tomaka

Photos by Jalen Arvin

As a student that commutes to Hilbert every day, I live a busy lifestyle. I work full time and I am a full time student. I only come on campus when I need to for my classes. It is difficult for someone like me, with a busy schedule, to attend campus events. I don’t often hear about them and I certainly don’t know where to look for them. This is my junior year here at Hilbert College and I would like to be more involved with our school, as I think it’s important to get people more engaged in the school events.

I have heard other students on campus complain about the lack of promotion for these campus events. So are they really being promoted well enough? I asked Student Government Association President, Angelica Reyna. She runs the show from behind the scenes for the campus events. Reyna said that there are a variety of places that students, especially commuters, can look to see what’s happening on campus. “Events are posted on Blackboard, the school website, the school calendar, and around campus,” Reyna said.

While Hilbert College has a student body of about 900 students, Reyna said that roughly 50 students attend  events on average. Does she thinks that these events are being promoted well enough?  “Yes, we try to promote them, but it takes initiation on them as well,” Reyna said.

Still, the SGA is constantly working on improving their outreach efforts, Reyna said. “If people don’t see events posted enough, they could tell us,” she added. Reyna also said that she has not heard from commuters complaining about the lack of promotion for campus events. “Nothing has been reported yet,” Reyna said. “I would like to hear from (commuters) if they have not seen promotion around campus. That would be lovely.”

Reyna said she has been trying her best to promote these campus events. Based on her responses it seems like she is trying to promote the events he best she can, and she is right- it does take initiation on the students to come to the events. So if you are like me and you would like to participate in the events, now you now know where to find them.

by Mary Kate Wirfel

In early October Hawk Radio participated in College Radio day. Each year all college radio stations represent there school by broadcasting for 24 hours, raising money and receiving donations for charities. Hawk Radio once again teamed up with Compass House, an organization that helps run away and troubled teens here in the grater Buffalo area. Hawk Radios goal was to receive over 200 donations to help the organization. The 24-hour broadcast included a visit by a representative from Compass house and a surprise visit from singer songwriter Steve Noonan. Students had the opportunity to play board games and other games, including a pop up arcade centipede game, giant Jenga and a live on air bingo game. There were also free drinks and snacks provided. (Photos by Mary Kate Wirfel)