The Statesman

Though Gay Rights movement gains ground, there is still work to be done

Michael Newcomer • February 26, 2015

Gays finally have something to celebrate: as of this article, 37 U.S. states and the District of Columbia now grant same-sex marriage licenses.

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2 a.m. vs. 2 p.m.

Michael Newcomer • February 10, 2015

Pick your poison: Tinder, Grindr, OKCupid, Facebook even, for the desperately old fashioned.

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Black friday taking over Thanksgiving

Michael Newcomer • November 24, 2014

Set aside the fact that Thanksgiving as we view it in modernity, with Charlie Brown specials and poorly documented peaceful Pilgrim-Native American cooperation, is a sham.

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Behind the Kardasshian success

Michael Newcomer • November 18, 2014

People like to throw shade at the Kardashians for just about everything. We deconstruct the things they do daily. We even do this to things they did not say or did not do.

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Amazon’s introduction of Echo delivers potential fear to the masses

Michael Newcomer • November 11, 2014

This week, Amazon put out a four-minute online video advertisement to scare the masses featuring their newest piece of smart technology, Echo.

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Title IX training an easy way out for the university

Michael Newcomer • September 30, 2014

Last Thursday, the campus received an email from President Stanley with the subject "Know Your Rights: Discrimination and Sexual Violence Required Training."

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Celebrities are not innocent in nude photo scandals

Michael Newcomer • September 11, 2014

It is painful to acknowledge, but there are people out there who will at some point or another in our lives try to hurt us. That does not mean it is okay that people become victims of crime.

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Joan River’s recent antics are no laughing matter

Michael Newcomer • April 29, 2014

Nobody expects Joan Rivers to be quiet. Throughout her decades-long career, the off-color comedienne has been no stranger to controversy. This year's behavior may be her most questionable.

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Brookfest selection begets unnecessary conflict

Michael Newcomer • April 15, 2014

While the overall tone from the Stony Brook community was excitement when it was announced that Childish Gambino and Diplo would be the artists coming to the Brookfest Spring Concert on April 23, I noticed more than a few naysayers around campus critical of USG's selection of musical artists.

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Amanda Knox and the case that would not die

Michael Newcomer • February 27, 2014

Last week, an Italian appeals court found Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito guilty of the November 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, with whom Knox shared a residency while they were both exchange students. This decision overturned a 2011 appeal that cleared Knox of the murder, which overturned an original guilty conviction that was handed down in 2009. Lawyers of both Knox and Sollecito have announced plans to appeal to the Italian Supreme Court, a move which may take two or three years to complete.

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Comments from the peanut gallery: on George Zimmerman

Michael Newcomer • February 6, 2014

If there is one thing I have learned from growing up in Florida, it is that crazy people are alive and well in this world. I also recently discovered that snow is not just a myth from the spooky white men of the north, and icicles are not something exclusive from the hardware store to decorate your house at Christmastime, but I digress. It seems that every news outlet has a “bizarre Florida stories” page. We have it too, but it’s just the community section. If you thought that your local news stories were insane, a little known fact is that our local news station doubles as the Maury Povich show.

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On Bieber’s bad behavior

Michael Newcomer • January 28, 2014

Dear Mr. Bieber (Can I call you Justin?), Being an entitled jerk can be fun. Trust me, I vaguely remember being two. That whole “mine” phase, I am sure, was enthralling. You are not responsible for much at that age, mostly trying to stop going to the bathroom in public, which at 19 you are still trying to master (remember the bucket incident, because we all do). Fortunately for us, we have all grown out of our entitled phase because it really is not endearing.

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