the slate

VOLUME 54 ISSUE 3 DECEMBER 2018

Election
Coverage
P.12
New York Institute of Technology
Old Westbury, NY 11568
Contact Us: Meet The Team
slate@nyit.edu (516) 686-7646

Editor In Chief:
Amanda Hinds Kevin Horton Amanda Hinds Joy Ahmed
ahinds01@nyit.edu
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Faculty Advisor:
Kevin Horton
khorton@nyit.edu

The Campus Slate is published

monthly throughout the academic
year by students of New York
Institute of Technology’s Old
Westbury Campus. Our Office is
Brandon Mariana Robbie Callaghan Mateo Alarcon
located opposite Balding House.
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The Campus Slate retains the
rights to edit content/ information
that does not meet the standards
for publication in a student run
college newspaper. The Campus
Slate also retains the right to
withold publication of articles, Brandon Alberto Erick Merz Jessica Parkes
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Copyright © 2018
The Campus Slate.
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may not be reproduced without Writer Writer
expressed written consent.

2 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE

CONTENTS
DECEMBER 2018
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 3

4 Letter from the Editor 16 REVIEW: British R&B Sensation Ella Mai’s Self-Titled Debut LP

6 NYIT Town Hall Meeting a Success 18 New York Knicks Chalk Talk with MSG Reporter Alan Hahn

9 Abeetza Pizza REVIEW 20 Player Profile - Baseball’s EJ Cumbo and His Return to the Field

11 College Students vs. the Art of Deception 21 LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn to Merge Athletic Programs

12 The Midterm Election 23 Volleyball’s Tiffany Verni Player Profile

14 East Atlanta Love Letter - 6LACK TOUR

PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 3

 Letter from the Editor
Dear Campus Slate Readers,

Welcome to our last issue of the Fall 2018 semester.

I hope this semester was a good one for you all. As
always, it was a pleasure to deliver all NYIT news to our
readers. I would like to thank you all for your continued
readership. My staff and I will continue to bring you all
the information you need regarding campus life here at
NYIT in the Spring 2019. In this issue we feature stories
about NYIT Athletics, politics, and entertainment. Make
sure to check out our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
pages - NYIT Campus Slate. Also, if you have stories you
would like to share with us please email me at
ahinds01@nyit.edu. I would like to wish you all a very
happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous New Year!

Best,

Amanda Hinds
Editor In Chief

4 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE

 NYIT Town Hall
Meeting a Success
BY Darnell Smith & Robbie Callaghan

NYIT Student Services held its first ever Town Hall meeting
courtesy of the Student Government Association (SGA), and it
was a success. To explain what exactly a Town Hall meeting is,
it’s when the SGA Executive Board invites multiple departments
all over campus to speak about the new changes they plan to
execute in order to make NYIT overall a better experience for
all students, as well as answering any questions or concerns
students or faculty may have.
Departments such as campus dining, student employment,
career services, campus housing, facilities and operations,
academic advising, bursar, registrar, international education,
counseling and wellness, and the library all spoke on the panel
on November 15th inside a packed Harry J. Schure Hall. At the
end of the meeting, the students had the opportunity to voice
their opinions and suggestions on what they feel the campus can
do to make their college experience the best it could be.
Several individuals were also in attendance: NYIT President
Hank Foley, SGA President Vaseeharen Sukumaran, SGA Vice
President Layla Elkoulily, Vice President of Public Affairs Kelly
Infante, and SGA Secretary Lena Rampersaud, as well as many
others.
“We, the undergraduate students of New York Institute of
Technology, Old Westbury exist to promote positive change for
the general welfare of the undergraduate student body.” SGA said
in a statement. “We, the undergraduate Student Government
Association, shall work closely with the administration to
respond and resolve to the best of its ability those issues or
concerns presented by the Student Body. We, the undergraduate
Student Government, shall provide leadership that will ensure
the undergraduate students’ voices will be heard and considered
at New York Institute of Technology.”
The Campus Slate strongly advises all NYIT students to join
in and participate in all of the Town Hall meetings. Just like
every vote counts in an election, every voice heard matters here
at NYIT.

6 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE FROM TOP: COURTESY GLOBESVILLE; NYIT STUDENT GOVERNMENT
 Program Director
Music Director
Show Producer
On-Air DJ and Talent
Talk Show Host
Coordinator
Sports Commentator
Remote Event Producer
Web and App Designer
Public Relations Specialist
Outreach Director
Station Manager
Abeetza
Pizza
REVIEW
BY Mateo Alarcon

Let’s all be serious. Who doesn’t enjoy a slice
or two of pizza? No matter the time of the day,
pizza will always hit the spot.
You know what’s better than pizza hitting
the spot? Pizza that’s local and rated highly by
your neighbors. Abeetza Pizza is rated 4.4 on
Google, with pizza and garlic knots that will
leave your mouth watering for more.
With reasonable prices you may not even
need to water over it, just grab yourself another slice. Abeetza
Pizza is a family owned restaurant and the employees are super
friendly to all their customers.
Make sure to grab yourself a slice of pizza or order delivery
especially if you dorm!. Show your NYIT student ID for a
discount!
Go give it a try at 82 Glen Cove Road in Greenvale, NY!

COURTESY NEWSDAY DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 9

516-484-3123
 College Students vs. the Art of Deception
BY Erick Merz
S
cams. They’re all around us. But do you know
how to spot them? The FBI found that college
students are the second most susceptible
demographic next to the elderly. Here’s how you can
help prevent yourself from making a bad decision
based on deception.
Scholarship Scams
The FBI warns that many “scholarship sites” are an
easy way for students to fall victim and ruin any
chance of buying a house or having a stable credit
score. These so-called “scholarship sites” will have
students enter an email and load it full of spam or steal
personal information, according to the FBI. Many
of these sites are really traps to retain as much of the
student’s personal information as possible, including
credit cards and home addresses. The US Department
of Education advises students to always use university
resources from the Bursar’s office, Athletics program
and authorized scholarship providers such as the
National Society of Leadership and Success. You
should never pay for a scholarship as they are awards.
Research what award you are getting and who/where
you are getting it from.
Social Media
This is a breeding ground for scammers and hackers,
according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The
DOJ reports that users who do not keep their personal
details are susceptible to identity theft, ransomware
and blackmail if their information gets in the wrong
hands. The DOJ recommends friending people that
you have met in person and know enough about
and not random people in the suggestions section
unless you have met them through mutual friends.
It was recently found that some sites redirected
from Facebook like Meaww, Nametests and others
are actually siphoning your personal information
upon agreeing to their “terms and conditions.” Users
should also verify that the page for the organization
is authentic particularly for organizations that you
provide your personal information to by looking for
a blue checkmark next to the organization’s name, the
DOJ warns.
Credit Cards and Bank Accounts
This is the area where students fall into the most traps
according to the US Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau (CFPB). Always research what financial
institution you are opening an account with (including
prepaid debit cards), the US CFPB says. Students that
are looking for accounts should meet with a banker
in person to go over what the account entails. The US
CFPB advises those looking to sign up for a credit card
to avoid lenders with a 25% APR or a $30 annual fee.
DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 11
BY Brandon Mariana
The Midter
After a closely watched midterm election, The
Financial Times reports that the Democratic
party gained 40 seats in the House of
Representatives, shifting the House into
Democratic hands. Meanwhile, the Senate
race saw Republicans gain two more seats
to create a 53 to 47 split (47 includes two
independents who caucus with Democrats),
strengthening Republican control in
the Senate. Flipping the House breaks
Republican control of both the Legislative
and Judicial branches of government, giving
the Democratic party a stronger say and
Republicans Hold the Senate
2 Seats Lost
12 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE
negotiating power in the government. A stronger Republican
Senate gives the party greater say in judicial and possible
Supreme Court nominations.
President Trump held a press conference following the
midterms where he emphasised a desire for both parties to find
common ground for the betterment of the nation. According
to a whitehouse.gov transcription, he told the media “Now
is the time for members of both parties to join together, put
partisanship aside, and keep the American economic miracle
going strong. It is a miracle. We’re doing so well.” And that
“We must all work together to protect our military — I have
to do that — to support out [sic] law enforcement, secure
our borders, and advance really great policy, including
2 Seats Gained
FROM TOP: COURTESY REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE; POLITICO
rm Election
environmental policy.”
However during the conference the President
also made it clear he would not tolerate Democratic
attempts to subpoena him or the Russian investigation,
saying “Then you’re going to — if that happens, then
we’re going to do the same thing and government
comes to a halt. And I would blame them because
they now are going to be coming up with policy.
They’re the majority in the House.” In comparison,
The Washington Post reports that Rep. Elijah
Cummings, who appears next in line to take over the
House Oversight Committee, intends to investigate.
Cummings told the Post “We want to figure out if the
Democrats Take the House
40 Seats Gained
FROM TOP: COURTESY DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITEE; POLITICO
president is acting in the interests of the American
people or in his own financial interest. I would consid-
er it legislative malpractice not to do it.”
The perceived stakes in this midterm election led to
a record breaking voter turnout. The Associated Press
reports that an estimated 113 million Americans voted
this election, million more than the 2014 election. This
increase saw a surge from youth voters as well, with
The Associated Press reporting around 31% of eligible
youth voting, a 10% increase since 2014. For those
NYIT students who went out to vote we at the Slate
thank you for participating in our democracy.
40 Seats Lost
DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 13
EAST ATLANTA LOVE LETTER
- 6LACK TOUR
singles from her EP Whack World. Whack World received
a lot of attention considering it was also a visual album
comprised of 15 tracks, each a minute long. With upbeat
BY Jessica Parkes
tempos, quick rhymes and a funny sense of humor, she had us
I first stumbled on 6LACK’s music between dying with laughter and intrigued with her energy in
after watching the identical twin duo, Les her performance.
Twins, perform an edit to the single “Free,” 6LACK finally comes on stage, and he accompanies his
on an episode of World of Dance 2017. The songs with visuals behind him, having you entrapped in not
single was from his his debut studio album only his words but in feelings. With a calm and soft voice,
Free 6LACK, released November 18, 2016.
Unenlightened at the time I was pronouncing
his name literally as “six lack ” instead of
“black.” Ashamed of my past ignorance,
there is most due credit to put on his name,
especially after seeing him in concert at
the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC, on his
“From East Atlanta with Love” tour.
The Atlanta native singer, songwriter,
and rapper 6LACK released his sophomore
album, East Atlanta Love Letter September
14, 2018. In need of a girls day, my friends
and I decided that going to his concert
would be a good reason to link up, and be
accompanied by some good music and a nice
vibe.
It worked out perfectly considering the
New York dates fell exactly two months after
his album release, giving us enough time to
get all the lyrics down pack.
The day comes and reunited again, we
were not ready to be put in our feelings that
night.
First artist opening for 6LACK was R&B
artist Summer Walker who is also an Atlanta
native. Fairly new to the scene, she is often
compared to artists like SZA AND H.E.R.
She set the tone for the night with her sweet
and sultry vocals performing singles from her
first major debut album Last Day of Summer.
It features my personal favorites and what I
call female anthems, “CPR” and “Girls Need
Love.”
Tierra Whack performs shortly after, but
first has her DJ pump up the crowd a bit.
Artist and rapper from North Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, Whack is a unique, witty and
unusual artist. Full of energy accompanied
by an unconventional style, she performed

14 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE COURTESY 6LACK

 it was uncanny witnessing the energy between him With no holding back from putting you in your
and the crowd. Personally, his music is perfect for feelings, towards the end of the concert, he helped
getting out suppressed emotions and when you feel a fan propose to his fiancé after performing “Pretty
like cursing your ex’s name. His music takes you on Little Fears.” With my friends and I both being single,
an emotional roller-coasters, where you experience we went from feeling like over-emotional girls rooting
growth, acceptance and maturity. for love to feeling like this is setting to bar too high.
Matured from his previous album Free 6LACK,
he explained at the concert, his first album was a If you are ready to be put in your feelings 6LACK is
reflection of his life at the time, while East Atlanta definitely the artist for you.
Love Letter is more of a reflection of progression.
Evidently so his debut album expressed his pain East Atlanta Love Letter is now streaming on your
and struggles, especially from personal relationships favorite platforms.
as well as business, from his account of his past record
deal keeping him trapped for years. In an interview
with Billboard he describes his first album by stating
“I wanted to make a statement that I’m free from
my older relationships and I’m free from all ways of
thinking and my old feelings.”
East Atlanta Love Letter, with features from Future,
J.Cole, Offset and Khalid, still hits on emotions of
the pain that comes with love, but also growth in
exploring love and loving yourself. He especially
highlights his love for his craft, and the unconditional
love and motivation since the birth of his daughter,
who is featured on the cover.

BACKGROUND PHOTO COURTESY GQ; 6LACK DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 15

 REVIEW: British R&B Sensation
Ella Mai’s Self-Titled Debut LP
British singer Ella Mai’s commercial debut single
“Boo’d Up” took the Billboard Hot 100 charts by
storm. The single which was written by Mai, DJ
Mustard, Joelle James and Larrance Dopson peaked
number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for several
weeks. The song is a beautiful love song that talks
about being in love with someone that you cannot live
without.
Mai recently performed at The Soul Train Awards,
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and The
American Music Awards, recently sat down with
The Breakfast Club on New York’s Power 105.1.
She discussed how she was discovered by popular
California DJ and Record Executive DJ Mustard in
2015. Mai said “I started on Instagram, I was doing
covers for about three years now and I didn’t put them
on YouTube or anything, just Instagram. DJ Mustard
found one of my videos. It was the Tupac keep your
head up music video and he direct messaged me. He
was like what’s your situation? I really didn’t have a
situation. I was just in my bedroom singing. I was
16 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE
BY Amanda Hinds
working in retail.”
In Ella’s debut LP Ella Mai dropped this fall and
throughout the album she takes her listeners through
a series of emotions. Her voice is sultry and reminds
me of R&B duo Floetry mixed with a little bit of
India Arie. The album begins with Mai uttering the
definition of Emotion. “E: Emotion. A natural instinct
of state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances.
Mood or relationship with others. A rollercoaster.” She
then gives us a journey of her life. The album is self-
reflective, up-tempo, sensual and certainly meant for
R&B lovers.
The first few songs (“Good Bad,” “Dangerous,”
“Sauce,” and “Cheap Shot”) detail failed relationships
where she must cut ties with those who hurt her.
“Naked”, “Close”, “Own it” are all sensual songs about
love. “Shot Clock” details how fast a man must make
an attempt to try to approach her. Clever concept from
the game of basketball, with the shot clock being 24
seconds. “Easy” is an emotional song where she talks
about her perspective on love. She sings, “Love is easy,
easy, easy. So don’t you make it hard”. Her follow up
single to “Trip” is an up-tempo love song. She seems
to be battling her own feelings of trusting love.
Her collaborations are impressive. She teams up
with John Legend on a song called “Everything”.
The two sing about giving their everything to love.
“Whatchamacallit” features R&B crooner Chris
Brown. The two sing about being intoxicated and
cheating on their spouses. “Gut Feeling” featuring
H.E.R. signals the beginning of a relationship, where
the butterflies are all over the place and there’s nothing
one can do but enjoy the moment and see where
things progress with that person.
Mai has certainly come a long way since singing
covers on Instagram. She will be going on her own
tour next year in the Spring. She has a few dates in
the United States, The UK, Germany, France and The
Netherlands. She is only 24 and in the initial stages of
her career but with her debut albums success, there is
no limit to what this young lady will do. R&B lovers,
this is certainly an album you should listen to.
COURTESY ELLA MAI
BACKGROUND PHOTO COURTESY GQ; 6LACK DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 17
 New York Knicks Chalk Talk
with MSG Reporter Alan Hahn
BY Amanda Hinds
On November 20th I was
invited to attend a private event
hosted by The New York Knicks at
Madison Square Garden. The event
“New York Knicks Chalk Talk”
was hosted by New York Knicks
Reporter Alan Hahn. The event
was exclusive to select fans and
Madison Square Garden employees.
Hahn sat down for a one on one
interview with Knicks President
Steve Mills to discuss the future of
the franchise.
With The Knicks in last place
of the Atlantic division standings,
many fans are wondering what the
future of the franchise will hold.
Playoff contention seems to be
dwindling as the season goes on.
Knicks power forward Kristaps
Porzingis is still out from a torn
ACL he sustained earlier this year.
His rehabilitation is still a mystery
with no word on when he will
return.
President Steve Mills is very
optimistic about rebuilding the
team and making New York a
desirable destination for college
students, international athletes and
current NBA players. Hahn asked
Mills a series of questions regarding
the rebuilding process for the
Knicks, the NBA Draft, the current
Knicks and what his vision is for
the franchise. Mills said “Were
focused on bringing some greatness
back to this franchise. Were really
focused on doing this the right way
and not skipping any steps. We
have to remain consistent in what
we do as an organization. We want
to make this a more attractive place
18 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE
Above: Amanda Hinds and Alan Hahn
Below: Knicks President Steve Mills
FROM TOP: AMANDA HINDS/THE SLATE; COURTESY LEADERS MAGAZINE
for college students entering the
draft.”
New York is the biggest market
in sports and entertainment. Mills
stressed how important the current
Knicks roster is to attracting talent.
With many free agents in the NBA
set to be looking for new teams in
the summer, he’s hoping to land
some big names. He also talked
about the front office and how the
organization is shifting its focus
in one aspect by treating their
players better. He wants to ensure
the team is tight knit and believes
that will be key in their success. He
talked about his relationship with
Knicks Owner Jim Dolan. They are
trusting each other and wants to
show that they are changing as an
organization by changing the way
they treat each other internally.
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, John
Wall, Kahwi Leonard and Kemba
Walker are some top players the
Knicks are hoping to speak with
next year. Point Guard Kyrie Irving
has publicly stated that he hopes
to sign a long term contract with
the Celtics but until the deal is
solidified, he will more than likely
enter the free-agent market.
Sitting up front and listening
to Steve Mills optimistically speak
about the Knicks gave me some
hope as a Knicks fan. Mills made
it clear there will be growing pains
but wants everyone to remain
patient and trust him. Time will
tell what the future holds. After all,
the Knicks haven’t won an NBA
championship since 1973. Let’s keep
hope alive!
 SETTLED OR NOT?
Steve Mills and the Knicks want to attract big name free agents to New
York in summer 2019. Will they be able to get players like
Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, and John Wall? Can they make a splash
and sign a superstar like Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard? Or are these
upcoming free agents settled where they are?

TOP: BRIAN BABINEAU/NBAE; KENT SMITH/NBAE; AMBER SEALS/USA TODAY SPORTS DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 19
BOTTOM: CHRIS NICOLL/USA TODAY SPORTS; COURTESY SLAM MAGAZINE
Player Profile - Baseball’s
EJ Cumbo and His Return
to the Field
BY BRANDON ALBERTO
NYIT Baseball’s EJ Cumbo had a highly
anticipated freshman season coming from
W.T. Clarke High School where he was a
three time all county selection and two time
all state selection. During his time at Clarke
he complied a .537 batting average, setting a
school record.
Coming into the 2018 season, Cumbo’s
freshman campaign, it was anticipated
that he was going to be the teams starting
center fielder and leadoff hitter with a game
centered around plus defense, very good
speed and surprising power from someone
who stands in only at 5’6”.
Unfortunately, Cumbo suffered a season
ending injury during the team’s trip to
Florida. On March 17 in a 5-0 win against
Southern Connecticut State, Cumbo tore
his hamstring, legging out a potential extra
base hit but pulled up limping after he had
rounded first base.
20 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE
This injury came only 7 games into the young season.
Cumbo, who owned a .217 average in the young season, was
just starting to find his stride for the season at the time of the
injury and was going to be heavily relied on to be the catalyst at
the top of the order for the Bears lineup.
Cumbo said “Calling last year’s injury disappointing is an
understatement. After years of being the star athlete on either
side of the diamond at all times, the injury became a reality
check that what you work for can be ripped away within
seconds. All the training, all the hours can’t prepare you for
an injury. I planned to be out there every single inning, every
game helping my team win games. Watching the team from the
bench without the ability to help them on the field was more
than disappointing.”
Coming into the 2019 season he will be relied upon to be
the catalyst at the top of the lineup for new head coach Frank
Catalanotto in a new era of NYIT Baseball. With the ability to
hit the ball all over the ballpark and use his speed to steal base.
Combo’s Redshirt Freshman season will be a big factor into the
team’s success this upcoming season.
Cumbo also said “I can’t wait to be healthy and be alongside
my teammates this season. We have a special team that can
make noise in the ECC. Along with the new staff, we’re looking
to this upcoming season.” The NYIT Baseball team begins
their season on February 22 with a trip to Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina against Concordia. Also playing Le Moyne, Franklin
Pierce and Stonehill during their trip to South Carolina.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS
 According to Newsday, LIU
football will move up to the
Northeast Conference
and will have the Bethpage
Federal Credit Union Stadium
upgraded.
LIU POST AND LIU BROOKLYN TO MERGE ATHLETIC
PROGRAMS IN 2019-2020
The historic Battle of the Boulevard rivalry between
NYIT and LIU Post that started back in 1981 will be
coming to an end.
Long Island University administration announced
it will combine its Division one and two programs
beginning with the 2019-20 academic year. The
combined teams will move up into competing in the
Division I Northeast Conference.
“The unification will be effective for competition
beginning in Fall 2019,” LIU Administration said in a
statement. “The university will elevate seven current
Post programs to Division I, including expanding its
membership in the Northeast Conference with men’s
cross country, men’s lacrosse and football, which
will make the transition to the Division I Football
Championship Subdivision.”
Teams that will compete at the Post campus are:
baseball, men’s and women’s cross country, equestrian,
field hockey, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s
and women’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, women’s rugby,
men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis and men’s
wrestling.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSH TALENTINO
BY ROBBIE CALLAGHAN
The Brooklyn campus will be home to: men’s
and women’s basketball, women’s bowling, women’s
fencing, women’s ice hockey, softball, women’s
swimming, men’s and women’s track and field,
women’s volleyball and women’s water polo.
NYIT Athletics could very well receive an increase
in the amount of student-athletes being recruited right
before the official launch due to one controversy:
Students at LIU are allowed to attend their
respective school if they wish to not lose a scholarship,
but if their respective sport moves to the opposite
campus, they must provide their own form of
transportation there.
With that being said, some students may find
it easier to stay in the area instead of making the
commute over to Brooklyn, as well as staying in the
East Coast Conference instead of trying to compete for
a Division one roster spot and risk playing time.
The last time a similar situation occurred, Dowling
College closed its doors for good, leading to launch of
the NYIT women’s lacrosse program.
DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 21
Volleyball’s Tiffany Verni
Player Profile
Tiffany Verni just completed her senior
season with the NYIT Women’s Volleyball
team. While the team missed the playoffs,
they had a great season filled with many
outstanding individual performances.
Verni, who appeared in all 31 matches,
led the team in several statistical categories.
Here is a brief summary of her awards this
year:
- Named East Coast Conference (ECC)
Player of the Year
- First-team All-ECC
- D2CCA First-team All-East Region
- ECC Weekly Honor Roll 9/4, 10/9, 10/15
- ECC Player of the Week 10/1, 10/24, 11/5
- ECC Preseason Player of the Year
22 DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE
BY NICK TEDESCO
Completed 3-year NYIT Volleyball career with:
• 1,586 attack-attempts (1st in single season program history)
• 503 kills (8th in single season program history)
• 4,367 attack attempts (3rd in program history)
• 1,508 kills (5th in program history)
• 281 total blocks (8th in program history)
Verni graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School
on Long Island where she played volleyball and competed in
track & field. She began her college career playing volleyball
at Dowling College. When Dowling closed, Verni transferred
to NYIT where she was selected NYIT Athletics Sophomore
Woman Athlete of the Year in her first season. Now that her
collegiate volleyball career is over, Verni has joined NYIT’s
newly created track & field program.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS

What inspired you to play volleyball?
“I tried out for the volleyball team in middle school
and immediately loved it. I had a natural talent for it as
well because of my training as a gymnast for 12 years
and although I wasn’t the tallest I could jump really
high. I continued playing volleyball each year for the
school teams along with a variety of other sports like
basketball, lacrosse, softball, and track. I didn’t join a
travel team for volleyball until I was a sophomore in
high school and that’s when I realized I wanted to play
at the next level.”
Can you tell me about your path to NYIT?
“My path to NYIT was unexpected. My freshman year
in college I went to Dowling College until it closed
right after the end of the spring semester. That was
tough and after that I didn’t know where I was going
to end up, especially with it being May and volleyball
season starts up in August. I didn’t know who would
still have scholarship money and if I would still be
able to be recruited that late. Turns out it was the
opposite and everyone heard about what happened to
Dowling and I was getting random calls from a bunch
of different coaches offering me a spot on their team
each day. I got a call from Coach Wasmus and being
PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM RUBIN/NYIT ATHLETICS
Verni holds records at Patchogue-Medford
High School in the long jump (17.575 feet)
and triple jump (36.2 feet).
in the same conference I already knew a lot about
NYIT. They had also just come off an appearance in
the NCAA Elite 8 and I knew I couldn’t pass up the
opportunity to play for such a great program.”
Looking back at your NYIT volleyball
career, why were you so successful?
“Looking back at my career I think I was successful
because I came in having a list of goals I wanted to
achieve and once I did, kept setting new ones. I looked
up to the older players and saw them succeed and
from that I set personal goals for myself to become
the best player I could be and how I could impact the
team in a positive way the best I could. I knew I could
hit the ball pretty hard but needed to work a lot more
on my defense if I wanted to be the best. I wanted to
lead the conference in kills amongst other categories,
and having accomplished that as a sophomore right
when I got here, I knew that I was on the right track.
From then on I kept working hard and putting in
extra work in the offseason, and even through the
summer coming to tech and setting up the net in the
gym by myself to get extra reps in as much as I could
to maintain my level of play and get even better. Each
year it paid off.”
DECEMBER 2018 | THE SLATE 23
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