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Volume 53, Issue 38 • Monday, March 8, 2010
FRIENDS GATHER AT VIGIL TO REMEMBER YANIQUE By Frank Posillico News Editor
EZRA MARGONO / THE STATESMAN
About 200 students gathered in the Student Activities Center Ballroom B on Wednesday to remember a friend.
Hospital and Aetna Terminate Contract By Jeanine Rescigno Contributing Writer
IN THIS ISSUE
Negotiations between Stony Brook University Medical Center and Aetna over the hospital remaining an in-network medical provider have failed for reasons unknown, resulting in the termination of their contract with each other as of Feb. 15, but with the stipulation that the Student Health Insurance Plan, known as SHIP, will not be affected. According to Lauren Sheprow, a university spokeswoman, SHIP benefits were definitely part of negotiations and it was agreed to by Aetna to keep
students in network but details of the negotiations are not known. Aetna, who supplies approximately 4,500 students with health insurance through the university, will no longer include the hospital as an in-network provider. The stipulation considers the hospital in-network for purposes of SHIP until Aug. 16, and out-ofnetwork for all other Aetna plans. Aetna members not enrolled in SHIP can expect higher out-of-pocket costs of 30 percent in some cases for certain hospital services such as room and board, anesthesia, x-rays, and certain psychological services. Those with plans
that do not have out-ofnetwork benefits could pay even more. Students are required to have coverage to register for classes; those who aren’t covered under a parent’s or employer’s plan must sign up for insurance through the university, which costs between $400 and $600 per semester. According to Leta Edelson, the student health insurance office manager, the SHIP plan will go out for bid and a new plan will be put in place before the August expiration date. The university insurance office is expecting competitive bids to come in by the end of this month, but they have no idea what premiums will be offered by
bidders, or what the final agreement will be, Edelson said. The new contract will include a clause that protects students if a similar issue should arise in the future. In a letter posted on the university medical center Web site, Steven L. Strongwater, the chief executive officer of the center, urged those affected to help apply pressure to Aetna and insist the hospital remain innetwork. “After extended negotiations and despite our best efforts, as of Feb. 4 at 5 p.m., we have been unable to conclude what See AETNA on 8
Yanique Bailey was not just another face in the crowd. Even in death, images of her and her friends were projected onto the large screen in the Student Activities Center, Wednesday night, where almost 200 people came to remember a friend. Two weeks ago she was fatally shot along with her mother Dionne, and 14-yearold sister Yolanne in their Queens home. There were friends, teachers and people who only met her once. In the front sat Yanique’s friends who organized the vigil. They draped the room with purple – Yanique’s favorite color. In front of the crowd her friends recited a line of a prayer and then lit one of the 19 candles. And in the back of the room was a table set up where her friends could write messages on postcards to be given to her family and doves that will be hung in her dorm building. But just a short walk away was her real home, the library. “She lived in that library,” said Brittany Greaney as she went to do a reading at the vigil. “We were there until they kicked us out.” They would spend hours there. Sometimes doing work and others just talking about anything and everything. “Our last conversation was for two hours in the library,” Christina Samuel said. “We jumped from topic to topic. It
was the day before a midterm but there we were.” Karishma Rana and Ashu Kapoor last said goodbye to their friend in the library two weeks ago before she went home. They talked for hours. Yanique went on about everything from how great she did on her organic chemistry test to how she was going to miss her train, and even a boy. She left her calculator there and said she would pick it up Monday. “But what do I hear on Monday?” Karishma said. “The worst news I could ever hear.” Everyone mentioned her smile. She always had a smile on her face and would greet everyone as a friend. She would just walk up to random people around campus and say hello. She knew everyone and could always put a smile on your face. She was part of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and choreographer for Jawani De Nakhre, a new dance group on campus. She loved rock music. She used to write the lyrics to her favorite songs on her binders when she was bored. Lacrosse was her game and she was See VIGIL on 3
Correction: Writer Katherine Gonzalez's name was incorrectly spelled in the March 1 issue.
Where has all the good music gone?
Young artist is YouTube sensation
INDEX
Every generation has a great sound. In the '50s they had swing, the '60s hailed classic rock greats such as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and The Doors. In the '70s , Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and other amazing
It was in 2006 when the now 24-year-old, Meghan Tonjes started posting videos on YouTube and soon became a sensation on the site. Today, her videos have collectively received over two million
News....................3 Opinion...............5 Arts.....................6 Sports...............12
bands captivated millions. In the '80s the greats like Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins made amazing music with new technology... See MUSIC on 5
views. She even caught the attention of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton who is known to further the careers of up and coming artists, as he did for... See YOUTUBE on 6