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Advice: How to avoid the back pack blues

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We live in an era when technology and the internet are gradually replacing actual books. However, textbooks are still prevalent and with them, book bags.

The heavy textbooks, laptop and loads of paper, all shoved into one backpack weighing on your back all day can make for an exhausting experience and cause pain.

Hilbert freshman Heather Gerken said she endures back pain on a daily basis.

She has started to visit a chiropractor due to back pain caused by the backpack she carries throughout the day.

“Backpacks hurt your shoulders,” Gerken said. “I feel like I’m very hunched. I feel like I slouch, but I also feel like I’m hunched all the time. It’s just heavy and it just like pulls your shoulders down.”

Gerken said that she had to carry a backpack in high school also, but not as much as she does now.

“For college I was like no way am I spending like $60 on a nice backpack,” she said. “I’ve had this since like sophomore year and actually it’s okay, but oh my god it’s really thin and it pulls on you.”

Gerken said she wishes she spent more money on a better backpack.

“I would definitely try some stretches at home to prevent my pain,” she added.

Lauren Orynawka, who has earned her doctorate in physical therapy, said backpacks cause problems for many of her patients.

“A heavy backpack pushes down on the shoulders and shoulder blades putting them in an incorrect postural position that can lead to scapular winging, spine curve known as thoracic kyphosis and the improper use of certain musculature,” Orynawka said.

The cause of this pain is the poor posture students have as a result, she added.

“Poor posture leads to the tendons, muscles and ligaments to be overused causing pain,” Orynawka said.

Orynawka treats patients with back pain almost every day and knows exactly how to prevent and treat it.

“A person who is suffering from back pain needs to learn how to properly stretch and strengthen,” she said. “Modifying how often you carry the backpack or even the weight of it can decrease back pain.”

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Jezioro: AFC East Predictions

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With NFL free agency underway, the focus now shifts to the NFL Draft taking place in April. The Buffalo Bills have already made some moves signing free agents, but the biggest acquisition they made was trading for wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings. The following day was even better when Bills killer Tom Brady left the New England Patriots after 20 years of dominance, signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Besides Brady, the Patriots lost some key pieces on defense, but the mastermind of Bill Belichick is still there. The head coach is without Brady for the first time in two decades, giving the Bills a realistic chance to take over as division winners. However, there are a couple of things that need to happen in order for them to accomplish that goal.

First up is better play from quarterback Josh Allen. Last season, Allen showed some signs of being a good quarterback, but he struggled in some situations. It’s expected to have a second year player to struggle. It’s going to happen. However, there were times where Allen was just awful. This year, he needs to step it up. Buffalo’s passing offense was not good last season, despite having some good receivers (John Brown and Cole Beasley). Now that Diggs is a Bill, there are hopes that the passing offense will be top ten in the league. No excuses, Allen needs to take it to the next level this upcoming season.

Next up is the offensive line. They need to protect Allen better so he doesn’t have to escape the pocket every single play. If they can give him good protection for a good part of each game, then Allen will be successful. They can’t be perfect every play but for the majority of each game will be ideal. A good example is the game against the Dallas Cowboys last season on Thanksgiving. There was a play where the offensive line blocked so well that Allen just stood perfectly still like a statue for two or three seconds, but it seemed like ten seconds. That’s how much time Allen had to find an open receiver and throw the ball. If they can play good consistently, then it will be really good for the team and Allen.

Lastly, sophomore running back Devin Singletary needs to do a better job of protecting the ball. As a rookie he dropped the ball four times. He has the speed to be a good running back but if he can just fix up his ball handling, then he’s all set to go.

Staying healthy and winning the most games in the AFC East also needs to happen but that’s common sense. The most important thing is Allen improving, that’s the number one thing in my opinion. There are other scenarios that need to happen but it is critical that Josh gets better. With the improvements made in the offseason, it is very possible the Bills could win the AFC East for the first time in a long time.

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Withdrawal Date Extended

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Hilbert College has announced that they will be extending the withdrawal date for courses until April 3rd in light of “recent hardships” students could be facing as a result of the shift to online learning.

In an email to students, registrar Katelyn Letiza stressed the importance for students to still go through the proper withdrawal process, albeit online.

“Students are still required to work with their advisor or the Director of Student Success and Retention to understand their options and implications of withdrawal,” said Letiza. “All withdrawals will be processed online through e-mail request, with approval from both the student and the advisor/Director of Student Success and Retention being sent to studentrecords@hilbert.edu.”

Hilbert President Dr. Michael Brophy said the administration will continue to evaluate changes that need to be made to help students adjust to distance learning measures.

“The recent changes are meant to help students navigate the online learning environment that we all have been thrust into.” Brophy said. “They provide more time to make decisions about withdrawing and pass or fail grades.”

The school is committed to helping students who are planning on continuing their education at Hilbert College in the Fall, Brophy said. “We put in place $1,000 scholarships for students who register for the fall by Wednesday April 15th.”

The original deadline to withdraw without penalty was March 23rd.

Rosalie Constable contributed to this report.

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Hilbert Moves to Online Instruction

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Hilbert College announced a suspension of all academic, residential, and student life/athletic programing effective March 15 as a result of the growing COVID-19 health pandemic affecting countries around the world. Hilbert will start their transition to online and virtual instruction until at least March 30.

“This was not an easy decision,” Hilbert President Michael Brophy said in a press release.  “We realize this will create some challenges for our Hilbert campus community. However, we are taking this action in a proactive effort to safeguard the health and wellness of our students, faculty and staff, as well as the entire Western New York community.”

Residential students will be required to move off-campus by March 14 at 5 p.m. and are instructed to bring any critical items with them, including personal effects. School organizations who have events planned with external speakers or groups between March 10 and March 30 will need to postpone, cancel or conduct virtual versions of those events, according to the release.

Students who have specific accessibility needs on campus during the break should work with academic affairs, academic services or student life to resolve those issues, Hilbert’s executive director of marketing and communications Matt Heidt said in an email to the Scribe.

More details on residential life, campus events and student expenses related to the developments will be forthcoming, he added.

As athletic programs, including all practices and workouts, are suspended, Hilbert’s baseball, softball, and lacrosse teams futures remain uncertain for the 2020 spring season.

As far as business operations at Hilbert, those are expected to continue, as the campus will remain open in an administrative capacity, with updated work-from-home policies forthcoming.

So far there are no confirmed cases of new-coronavirus in Western New York, but in downstate cities like New Rochelle the virus is spreading quickly. The area has become the largest epicenter of the virus in the United States, according to the New York Times. State officials there have designated a one-mile zone as a “containment area,” where health officials say the outbreak in the Westchester County city may have started.

The Hilbert announcement comes on the heels of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement to close down normal operations of all SUNY and CUNY institutions, which are also shifting to distance learning starting March 19.

Hilbert community members can check this website for updates.

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Q&A: The Bandits’ Chase Fraser

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Chase Fraser, the third-year forward for the National Lacrosse League’s Buffalo Bandits, is having a great season. In only eight games played this season, Fraser has 16 goals and 10 assists. The Bandits are looking to win it all this year after losing to the Calgary Roughnecks. At this moment, the Bandits are currently sitting in second place in the North Division and have the second-best record in their division (7-4). With a very lethal offense, the team has a great chance to get back into the finals this season. Recently, the Scribe’s Zach Jezioro had a chance to interview the star forward.

The Scribe: What made you want to become a lacrosse player?

Chase Fraser: I was watching a game and I saw a huge brawl break out. I said to myself “I want to be in that.” Also, my brother plays lacrosse as well

TS: Who inspires you the most?

CF: My uncle.

TS: Why did you choose the number 95?

CF: It was the year I was born.

TS: After a disappointing finish last season, what’s motivating the team to win it all this year?

CF: Having a gritty attitude and also having a stronger mentality.

TS: Is there any atmosphere like Banditland?

CF: Not even close, nothing compares to it.

TS: What do you hope to achieve by the end of your career?

CF: Winning a championship with whatever team I play for, finishing top ten in points, and winning the MVP.

TS: What’s it like playing with this group of players?

CF: It’s great. We always make sure we’re on the same page and we always motivate each other.

TS: What’s it like playing for John Tavares?

CF: It’s awesome, he brings so much knowledge and it really benefits me and the rest of the team.

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Journalists Visit Hilbert

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Hilbert College students heard from a panel of three journalists this week, part of the school’s annual communications career week.

Kyle Mackie of WBFO, Caitlin Dewey of The Buffalo News and Casey Bortnick of Spectrum News covered a wide range of topics during the talk, offering insights into the challenges of rewards of pursuing a career in journalism.

: Bortnick, who discovered his passion for journalism at SUNY Brockport after being recruited to play football for the school, said he believes there will always be an opportunity for journalists, even as the business model has made for a challenging professional environment.

Is there a direct quote from him we can use here?

Mackie, who has worked internationally for major news outlets like the New York Times and WNYC, described the many challenges she has faced in her career despite having a master’s degree in journalism and clips in highly regarded publications.

“If you want to make it into this industry you have to believe in yourself,” she said.

Dewey, whose employer faces new uncertainties after it was announced that The Buffalo News will be sold to a newspaper conglomerate, acknowledged the many challenges that students should consider when deciding to pursue journalism, but also talked about how much she loves the work.

“It’s the Purest form of mental desire with working with words and massaging words and coming up with the best way to frame or to tell a story is ultimately the best way,” she said.

Then something fun to close: The panelists all offered some of their most interesting or exciting experiences to close, describing how rewarding the profession can be. Mackie recounted a lunch with a Palestinian family outside of Nazareth. Dewey described a trip to Wisconsin to help a dairy farmer with his daily work. And Bortnick talked about his experiences chasing Ralph “Bucky” Phillips, the escaped convict who spent the summer of 2006 on the run in Chautauqua County.

Bortnick got a little too close to the action once, being told by officers in pursuit of Phillips to duck behind the engine block of his car as the sound of gunfire rang out, he said.

“That is the closest I will ever get to a war zone,” Bortnick said.

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Tea Leaf Cafe Continues to Impress

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Tea Leaf Café, one of Buffalo’s favorite cafes, resides right here in Blasdell, just minutes from Hilbert College. Well known for their bubble tea with over 25 different flavors and endless possibilities, the Tea Leaf Café is a great place to study and get some work done while enjoying a delicious beverage.

The Scribe asked a customer at the Amherst location, what they think about Tea Leaf Café.

“I started coming here because my friend brought me to try a bubble tea; and now I’m hooked. We have a class together at ECC and started coming here to study and work on our homework. This is my favorite place to get work done when I’m tired of sitting at home doing it.” Kendall said. “My favorite drink is the strawberry bubble tea smoothie with the passion fruit boba.”

The dining area in the café has plenty of room to come in with a group of friends to just hang out or even have a study group. The café has a positive atmosphere with friendly staff that are extremely helpful with answering any questions you have about their menu.

They are open until 11 PM every day and 1AM on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate your late night crave. They have two locations, one near the McKinley Mall in Blasdell and the other is in Amherst near the AMC theater.

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Podcast as Promotion

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David Schaub is a Western New York Entrepreneur who uses podcasts to grow his business. You may be wondering, “ What exactly does Schaub do?” Schaub is a motivational speaker and often talks to college students. Schaub’s ultimate goal is to connect people and give people opportunities. He works for N2 Publishing, which provides local businesses connections to people in the area. He also creates podcasts and connects with local Western New Yorkers to find out what they do. Normally, he creates podcasts with his clients. Schaub has many connections and is able to bring a lot of people together. He focuses a lot on leadership and entrepreneurship. There are so many great entrepreneurs in our hometown, so he said it would be intriguing to “learn from people that do well in Buffalo.”

Schaub uses podcasts to fuel his business essentially. He started making podcasts in April and has made over 50 of them. “You have to find something you love doing and be selective about it”, he says. He plans to hold events, build his following, learn about what people do in each field, and have speakers in each field. “I plan to have high end entrepreneurs to teach you and find connections”, Schaub says. Schaub says, “You have to be unique or different, passionate, and solve a problem that people want to be solved. That’s what will set you apart from other people. “ He also stated, “There’s nothing like this in Buffalo, Why can’t I do it? I want to do this.”

Schaub says, “I’m connecting people with people they might not have had the chance to.” By gaining followers on social media, he is able to publicize himself and reach out to the community to connect people with other people, providing people with opportunities that may have never had.

You can follow David Schaub on Instagram at wnyentrepreneurpodcast.

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Hawks Edge Keuka

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Hilbert college men’s basketball team won a nail-biter over Keuka College earlier this month, by the score 98-97.

The game was an extremely exciting contest for the fans as it went back and forth all afternoon long with the Hawks holding on after Keuka had a chance to win the game with the game’s final possession.

Hilbert started the game on fire being up as many as 13 points at one point in the first half, before going down early in the second half. However, they closed out the game strong and ended up winning the game by one point.

Any fan who bought a ticket was definitely entertained, but these games can be tough for the coaching staff to watch. Head coach Rob deGrandpre was happy that his team managed to hold on to the game and get the win, but not overly pleased with how they played.

“I like our start, I don’t like the fact that we give up a lot of points,” deGrandpre said. “It puts a lot of pressure on us to rally. I’m sure the people who bought a ticket tonight got their money’s worth but that’s not how we draw it up,”

One key to the high score was the amount fouls taken by Hilbert’s defense. To start the second half the hawks had seven defensive fouls in the first five minutes. That’s a lot of free points to be handing out to the opposing team.

“Usually in practice we certainly harp on defending without fouling,” deGrandpre said regarding the Hawks’ foul troubles. “It really comes back to being fundamental. You’ve got to be a disciplined team if you want to have success. And while we try to take advantage that when other teams do it, we can’t do that and expect to win games”.

A huge positive in Saturday’s win was the way bench stepped up for the Hawks, scoring 39 points. deGrandpre pointed out, “The good news for us is we have other guys that can step up and contribute and they did for us tonight. One of the keys going into the game was for the bench to contribute and give us a lift.”

One of those bench players that provided the team a huge lift was Kyreese Fisher who had five points in the Hawks win Saturday afternoon. He provided a spark on defense and was trusted to be on the floor in the final minute with the hawks protecting a lead.

“Coming off the bench I just try to focus on my defense because I need to ty and bring energy to the game,” Fisher said. “The easiest way for me to do that is being up on defense and pressuring the opponent.”

Another Hawk who really brought his game was senior Alex Karamanos, who played 27 minutes for the hawks and scored 24 points in the contest. He was very energetic and physical all night long being hard to handle for Keuka.

“We’re all really close and we all trust each other that any five of us can make a shot and I think that’s how we keep our composer and it worked out pretty well,” Karamanos said.

The Hawks are now 4-1 on the season and will play their next game on Tuesday November 26th at 6:00pm in University of Pittsburgh Bradford.