The job of a corrections officer is not an easy one. Maybe that’s why the number of people working in corrections has dropped significantly over the past 20 years.

According to the current fact sheet found on the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision website, the number of Corrections Officers in December 1999 was 22,112. As of November 1st 2019 the population has dropped to 19,040. That is a 13.9% decrease.

It may seem like only a small percentage but people working in the field say it’s an issue much bigger than that.

“Our prisons are short staffed.” corrections officer Sean McKiben said. “There’s not enough people to cover shifts. Many people are forced to work eight more hours after already working 16 hours. Also the inmate population is not decreasing. We absolutely need more people to take the exams.”

One of the exams McKiben is referring to is the Civil Service Exam. The DOCCS recently announced they would no longer require applicants to take this exam, in hopes that one less hoop to jump through might attract more applicants.

“The process is long and hard.” corrections officer Don Thorton said. “There’s still a physical you must pass, a fitness exam, a very thorough background check and a 1,600 question psych exam which, on average, 30 percent of people don’t pass.”

People seeking to become corrections officers then go to the New York State Correctional Services Training Academy for about eight weeks of training.

“Most either quit halfway through the academy or after a year of working in the prisons.” Thorton said. “Just getting through training is a stressful and demanding process. Maybe that is what makes people un-attracted to the job.”

Once you get the job, it’s not very glamorous either.

“It’s a thankless job.” said McKiben, “People look down on COs. They think we don’t do anything worthwhile.”

Thorton agreed saying, “You get little recognition. The public sees you as the bad guy.”

So if it’s not so great, then why should people want to do the job?

“I knew I wanted to serve the community and this job is the best way for me to help keep society safe.” explained Thorton. “The benefits are great too. You get great Health insurance, an awesome retirement plan and very generous time off which is important for your mental health.”

McKiben agreed.

“Stepping through those prison gates every day is not an easy thing to do,” he said. “This job is stressful and dangerous and it will change you.”

McKiben said that while the job is difficult it can also be rewarding.

“If you want a brotherhood that will always have your back and a decent paying job that you’re guaranteed work, then this is the job for you.”

Still, anyone looking to get into the field should consider all the challenges, Thorton said.

McKiben and Thorton agree that being a Corrections Officer is not an easy job but it is something you can be proud of. So why should you consider this job?

“It gives you the opportunity to serve your community and help keep people safe,” Thorton said. “Even if you don’t get publicly recognized for it, what more thanks do you need than knowing you’ve had a hand in protecting your community.”

St. Mary of the Lake parish community hosted their Seventh semi-annual meat raffle.

If you have ever been to a meat raffle before, you know they can get very crazy, very fast. As soon as the first game began, c

Every meat raffle works a little differently but this one was fairly simple.

“Each game costs either one or three dollars per ticket, which will give you several chances to win one of the meat items within that game.” explained Kenneth Constable, one of the event coordinators, “After five games there was an intermission during which we raffled off some door prizes including a freezer chest stuffed with a variety of meat. Then we played more games followed by the grand finale. If your ticket number is called during the finale you have to compete with the other winners to get the first pick of whatever meat you want. This goes on until we run out of meat. People get pretty wild during the finale.”

When you mix competition over meat with large amounts of alcohol, it’s no wonder people get wild at these things.

“We went through almost all four kegs of beer before intermission.” said Amanda Mituzas, a volunteer working in the bar. “We were worried we would run out of beer. Fortunately the last keg was just enough to last the rest of the evening.”

According to the pastor of St. Mary of the Lake, Father Ted Jost, this particular meat raffle was much bigger than any the parish had hosted before, “We hit a new record,” Jost said, “Over 300 people came out which meant we were pretty much at capacity. There wasn’t even an extra chair in the building.”

After the meat raffle concluded, and the crowd trickled out, the money was counted. Elizabeth Constable has been volunteering to handle the money raised at every meat raffle since her parents started running it three years ago. “We still have to pay the meat bill.” said Elizabeth, “But I can confidently say that, even after the bill is paid, we will have raised at least five thousand dollars.”

According to the meat raffle hosts, Ken and Therese Constable, all the money raised will go to the parish.

“The money raised during the meat raffle is a huge help to the parish,” said Jost, “We need it to pay heat bills, electric bills, repairs, and so many other things. That being said, I don’t think we will ever stop doing the meat raffle. It’s a fast and fun way to raise money to benefit the parish community. Plus everyone gets to come out and have a good time with fellow parishioners, friends, and family.”

Jost encouraged anyone and everyone to come out to the next meat raffle at St. Mary of the Lake. “We love the outstanding attendance we saw tonight, however we could definitely use more volunteers,” Jost said. “So please help out next time if you can.”

The next meat raffle will be held on Friday, May 22nd 2020. All are welcome to attend and volunteer. More information on how to get involved can be found at smolparish.org.

Hawk Radio took over the Student Activities Center in early October to celebrate National College Radio Day for the third consecutive year.

The 24-hour broadcast and party was full of events and the video game contest was a huge hit for everyone that attended.  Like with all live broadcasts and moving parties however, Murphy’s Law was in full effect.

On the day prior to the event, the station was informed that they would need to change their venue, as the main space in Franciscan Hall was needed for faculty purposes. With a few small changes to the plan, Hawk Radio managed to pull together and relocate their broadcast only a few feet away from their new studio in Franciscan Hall while making good use of time to transform the space. The broadcast day was scheduled to begin at 3pm, but the Shoutcast broadcasting service used by the station was not operating properly.

Station crew along with faculty advisor Don Vincent continued forward with everything they had planned related to the event while waiting for the servers to get back up and running.

“It was unfortunate, But I think it didn’t effect the event itself, if you were there you were still hearing the music and hearing people talk and stuff” Vincent said.

Sometime before 6 p.m. the station was fully operational and a new star was born. Nykeria Brockington, a new addition to the station proved that she truly has the gift of gab and is a natural broadcaster. Her shift involved over an hour straight of talk and laughter leading up to and a live music performance by the Midnight Ramblers. Program Manager, Rosalie Constable complimented the first year member of the station

“It was phenomenal,” she said

This was one of the best turnouts for a College Radio Day here at Hilbert and the video game tournaments helped to retain interest throughout the day.  Vincent earned a spot in the finals of one contest before suffering a crushing defeat.

“I thought the Mario Cart tournament was kind of like a fun way to wrap up the night,” Vincent said. “It was the last big event that we did.”

In the morning breakfast was served and the event was combined together with a farmers market along with a pet blessing ceremony. The station members expressed their gratitude toward all of those who attended and participated. By the time the microphones went cold, their new station was transformed from a blank walled room with a laptop on a metal desk, into a real radio studio that they are proud to show off.

Plans for next year’s event will start to take shape in the spring semester, but Constable was proud of the hard work that everyone put in along with the turnout from students and staff, she said.

“I think it was a huge success, I think it was the best one that I’ve seen yet,” Constable said.

Hilbert students have one or more classes each semester that require the purchase of course materials, whether it is digital or paperback copies. The Scribe sat down with the manager of the Hilbert bookstore Bill Herne to talk about the cost of text books and the shift to digital materials.

The Scribe:  According to professors’ class curriculum, which formats of books do the professors ask the Hilbert bookstore to stock preferably?

Bill Herne:  Twenty years ago, we thought digital books were going to replace paper books. But that did not happen. There were even some schools that would give students iPads when the students enroll at their college and the Professors would have the student’s course curriculum already downloaded on the iPad for the student. But you also have some professors that don’t want no electronic devices in in class, if the professor tells me that then I write down for that class “No Electronic device In class” which means that student will have to buy a paper copy of that teachers curriculum.      

TS: Which of the Formats costs the most to Purchase eBooks or paper back?

BH: That depends on the publisher, because with some publishers their ebooks cost less than their paper copies. For example, you have one publisher’s paperback book band new that is $195.00, and the ebook that is $199.00. But this publisher’s paperback book brand new is $286.25 and the ebook is $32.99. Most Publishers ebook formats are less expensive than the Paper book format. But there are a lot of students that buy the paperback book anyways because the it is hard to toggle between screen with ebooks.

This summer, the filming of A Quiet Place 2 took place in Akron, New York, a town with a population of less than 3,000. The filming stirred up quite a bit of talk throughout the peaceful, quiet village, a place that doesn’t often see much attention from the outside world. The Scribe spoke with Mike Cheasty, the proprietor of Freeman’s Sport Shop, on Main Street in Akron, a business right in the heart of the action a few months ago.

The Scribe: How did the filming seem to affect the town of Akron in General?

Mike Cheasty: The filming was actually very good for the town. It brought in a lot of money, publicity and business that everybody in the area seemed to benefit from.

TS: How did the filming of the movie affect your store specifically?

MC: Actually, my store was closed up throughout the filming, so I had no business. The film crew approached me when they were starting production and told me I could either operate my store through the back door during the week, or I could be paid to take a vacation until they were finished. I chose the second option, and they had me name my price.

TS: What did the film crew do to prepare you and other businesses for the filming?

MC: They sent people around to all of the businesses and asked us not to let anybody come in and out of the front of the store. Instead they would have to stay off of Main Street and use the alleyways to get around.

TS: Did the filming negatively affect you or your business in any way?

MC: Not at all. I got to take a paid vacation.

TS: Had you ever heard of the studio or the movie A Quiet Place and its sequel prior to their decision to film in Akron?

MC: No, never. I’m more partial to classic westerns than these new horror movies.

TS: Is there anything else you would like to add about the experience?

MC: It was really cool to see the whole town painted. They did a really good job, and Main street looks really nice.

With the conclusion of the MLB season, some big names could be on the move, with players like Mookie Betts, Kris Bryant and Francisco Lindor being discussed as possible targets.

The San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and the Philadelphia Phillies are all possible locations for the former AL MVP.

At least one player among the Mookie Betts/Francisco Lindor/Kris Bryant group will be traded this offseason, in the opinion of multiple @MLB team execs I’ve checked with over the last 24 hours. @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 11, 2019

Lindor still has a couple of years left on his deal but all signs point to him leaving Cleveland. The Indians tried to extend Lindor but he turned down the deal because he is looking for a lot more than $100 million, and rightfully so. RADIO.COM listed four potential destinations for Francisco and they include the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and the Texas Rangers. I think that he will end up with the Yankees and it makes sense, especially since they did not offer shortstop Didi Gregorius a qualifying offer. The Rangers could also end up acquiring Lindor. Yes they are are rebuilding team but if they could get him, it would be a huge boost to their roster.

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant could be on his way out of Chicago. Like Lindor, Bryant still has a couple of years left on his contract but he has filed a grievance against the Cubs.This article ranks all of the teams where Bryant can land.

You can make a case for these three players but I think Lindor will be on the one who will get traded first. It’s very possible that each player will get moved but you just never know. One thing is for sure though, it’s going to be an interesting offseason.

The highly-anticipated iPhone 11 Pro is billed as one of the best smart phones on the market. But what makes this iPhone any different from the iPhone 10? The Scribe visited the Apple store in the Walden Galleria Mall to ask an apple advisor why this version of the popular phone stands out.

The Scribe: What made Apple Decide on three cameras Instead of one?

Matthew: Now obviously I can’t speak on everything because I am not one of the engineers. By having the constant drive to want to offer more while some how fitting a camera in this same physical size phone. I would assume that every year Apple goes over what products they have, while going over the data they have of what people like to do with their products ergo the iPhone 11. Then Apple saw that the biggest thing that people like to do is take pictures with their iPhone’s, with the whole market-wide push for better camera’s, better photography. I think that Apple decided that this is what we would like to tackle especially with the technology at their disposal they threw on a third camera lens on a new iPhone and all the functionality people would gain with having that ultrawide lens. Whether it be with night mode, fusion core photography photos, which enhances the experience of taking a photo and can only be used with A13 Bionic processor which the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, only has. Then by giving the iPhone a longer battery life with being water resistance on top of a better camera the iPhone can now take pictures in such great detail and in places they could of never before taken.

TS: The A13 Bionic Chip is said to be the faster chip which is in the iPhone 11 compared to the A12 Bionic Chip that is in the iPhone 10. How much faster is the A13 Bionic Chip A12 Bionic Chip?

Matthew: The A12 Bionic Chip is 20% faster and consumes 15% less battery Power. While the A13 Bionic Chip is 20% faster and consumes 40% less battery Power.

TS: What are the top features of the iPhone 11?

Matthew. A new dual‑camera system that captures more of everything. The fastest 13A Bionic Chip ever in a smartphone. Longer battery life lets you do much more with less time to charge. It has the highest‑quality video in a smartphone, so your memories look better than they ever did before with more detail.

Since the age of four Hunter Martineau has been running up and down the courts shooting hoops and playing basketball. This passion is what brought Hunter to Hilbert College and a decorated career at the school, a chapter of his life that is coming to a close.

Martineau was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania before moving to Orlando, Florida at the age of 12. He has always been   other sports including soccer, football, tee-ball  Hunter attended

“I’m from Erie, Pennsylvania which is only an hour away where my grandparents still live and I am able to visit them on the weekends plus it’s a second home to me,” Martineau said.

Since Hunter’s freshmen year he has received numerous awards throughout his journey which include AMCC Newcomer of the Year Award, Hilbert’s athlete of the year (2017 & 2018), appeared 3 times in Division III national stats, earned the Most Valuable Player Award (2018), and much more.

“I plan to stay around sports in general, whether it be an athletic director, coaching, Martineau said. “I’ve had some interest in playing overseas in Spain but I’m not exactly the traveling type, even though I go to college 13 states away, but I still do have interest in being an athletic director or coach after college.”

Hunter’s journey since the age of 4 has driven him into a legacy left behind at both Timber Creek High School as well as Hilbert College. With plans to finish his final season strong with multiple accomplishments under his belt, there are high speculations for Hunter to find his future career path that will revolve around basketball. “My passion for basketball could not have happened without the love and support of my friends and family. It’s about staying committed and enjoying the things that you love which was basketball for me” said Martineau.