DOES OUR GENERATION READ? A4
NIGHT OWLS HAVE INCREASED RISK OF DEATH B5
SOFTBALL COACH CONROY EARNS 200TH VICTORY B1
Friday, April 27, 2018 • Volume 98, Issue 10 • cardinalpointsonline.com • 50 cents
Workshops aim to unite campus and city By Kody Mashtare staff writer
The Plattsburgh State Title IX Office hosted its Community Collaboration Workshops in Hawkins Hall last Saturday, intending to bring students and Plattsburgh-area residents together to learn about issues such as mental illness, domestic violence, diversity and sexuality. “It’s to raise awareness for them and us,” said Miles Guzman, Title IX workshop intern. “But I think it’s more important for [Plattsburgh-area residents] so they know what’s going on inside our campus.” However, fewer than 10 people from outside the campus community attended, according to Guzman. “We’re living in their town, so they should see the issues we have to go through,” he said. Guzman first got involved by attending peer-led workshops for a gender and women’s studies weekend course more than a year ago. “At first, it was just for a credit, but then it ended up changing a lot of the ways I think about certain things,” he said. “I realized a lot of the things I did were problematic.” The course allowed him to become a peer educator and run his own work-
shops during the community collaboration event. “I went home, and I was telling all my friends, ‘Don’t do this, and don’t do that.’ I felt very passionate about it.” This is Guzman’s third semester as a peer educator. Besides helping organize this year’s Community Collaboration Workshops as an intern, he also lead a workshop with 2017 PSUC alumnus Marco DiGirolomo about sex positivity. Participants could choose to attend four of the more than 20 total workshops offered. Monica Latrell, a nurse at the campus health center, led a workshop on anxiety and depression, which covered the symptoms and effects of these illnesses, discussed possible treatments and addressed self harm. Since last August, 607 people went to the health center for depression, making it one of the leading reasons for visits, according to Latrell. “Depression is just as real as cancer,” she said. She thinks statistics that show women having higher rates of depression than men may be somewhat skewed. Men might not seek help as often and are more likely to use drugs and alcohol to cope,
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
Participants in last week’s Community Collaboration Workshops gathered outside Hawkins Hall Saturday afternoon for a group photo. she noted. “The stigma needs to be dropped.” The number one reason for health center PSUC student Omar Raddaoui attended visits was anxiety with 978 since August. Latrell’s workshop. He thought the inforSymptoms of anxiety can include rest- mation was accurate, but it felt more like lessness, irritability, lack of sleep, chest a presentation. pain and fatigue, Latrell said. “It’s tearing your body down.” And she stressed the importance of not See SHOPS, A6 feeling ashamed or embarrassed to seek help.
Campus handles sexual assault reports: ‘Is it enough?’ By Fernando Alba associate sports editor
The Center for Womyn’s Concerns continued its longstanding tradition of hosting Plattsburgh State’s Take Back the Night, part of an annual world-wide protest against sexual violence Saturday in Angell College Center’s Warren Ballrooms. Informational booths lined the back walls, where students could learn about resources available to them if ever needed. In addition to Title IX, students can reach out to STOP Domestic Violence, a 24-hour program that assists victims of domestic violence through their hotline, its campus location in Beaumont Hall 302A open on Wednesday mornings or Planned Parenthood’s clinic at 66 Brinkerhoff St. The night’s events included a “Speak Out,” which provided sexual assault victims and allies a chance to share their stories anonymously. “There’s a lack of awareness,” said Megan Rea, CWC president. “Even when we tell people [about sexual assault], it’s a lot of statistics. Take Back the Night is important because it gives a voice to those statistics we shout at everyone.” Although every 98 seconds someone in America is sexually assaulted, two of three of them are unreported,
a 2014 study by the Department of Justice said. The “Speak Out” began after organizers turned off the ballroom’s lights and drew the blinds, allowing only candles as the room’s light source. More than a dozen victims used the two microphones that flanked either side of the room to share their own experiences of sexual assault, some of which occured on the university’s campus. CWC secretary and sophomore environmental studies major Ashley Rivera believes experiences like this are commonplace for victims in PSUC and feels as though the campus administration, and Vice President of Student Affairs Bryan Hartman in particular, aren’t serving survivors. “The administration doesn’t care at all about sexual assault survivors,” she said. “When victims of sexual assault go and report what happened to [Hartman], it’s disregarded.” Last December, copies of a note written by an anonymous student were hung throughout campus detailing her own experience with sexual assault in PSUC and how she felt the adjudication board failed her. “I was gang raped on campus in my residence hall,” the note read. “My rapists took photos and recorded themselves violating me. I had a hearing regarding my assault, and my rapists were found not responsible. I’m f-ing scared to be here. I’m traumatized, I feel disgusting.”
Hartman disagrees with Rivera, saying the administration is thoroughly following reports of sexual assault. “I don’t believe that to be true, but it’s a different perspective,” he said. “Sometimes the adjudication board, the student conduct board, will either find someone responsible or not. Someone is going to walk away from that process dissatisfied. Sometimes the evidence isn’t as crystal clear as someone hopes or thinks.” However, Hartman acknowledges there is room to improve. “I’ll accept the criticism,” Hartman said. “I have helped create the current structure and find the resources for what we currently have regarding a response to Title IX. Is it enough? No, I would agree with that. If we could hire 20 more people to educate and do investigations, that would make a difference. I don’t have the resources.” As the final part of Take Back the Night, students organized a march starting at the ACC. Marchers cut through campus briefly before marching through Brinkerhoff Street then through downtown, before returning to the ACC after moving along Broad and Rugar streets chanting: “We have the power. We have the right. The streets are ours. Take back the night.” Email Fernando Alba at news@cardinalpointsonline.com
Physics professor researches beginnings and ends By Sage Lewandowski staff writer
George Flynn is a physics professor at Plattsburgh State, who spends his spare time studying the origins of life on Earth and how to avoid a potentially catastrophic asteroid if it were to hurdle right for us. “Much of what I do is either physics or asteroid chemistry,” Flynn said. His research focuses on this question: “Are these elements, which are raining down all the time from space, in the right form to be incorporated into organic compounds and to be useful as insight into the start of life on this planet?” “Most extra-terrestrial material comes to Earth in the form of very small particles,” Flynn said. As an asteroid-chemist, Flynn studies and analyzes these particles, of which seven could fit across the width of a human hair. “There are 30,000 tons of this material that Cardinal Points/Max Traa rains onto the Earth every year,” Flynn said. Flynn frequently travels to Brookhaven George Flynn, professor of physics, has devoted his time at PSUC to researching National Laboratory in Long Island, where comets, asteroids and the origins of the universe.
Weather Index
Friday Rainy High: 63 Low: 51
Saturday Partly Cloudy High: 71 Low: 43
Sunday
Partly Cloudy High:57 Low: 42
News Briefs ......................... SA Soundoff ....................... Opinions ........................ Editorial..............................
A2 A3 A4 A5
he and other scientists analyze the composition of this raining space dust with new and cutting-edge technology. “They have a new instrument, which allows us to take measurements never before possible,” Flynn said. Brookhaven boasts the next generation of a powerful electron storage ring known as the National Synchrotron Light Source II. This system, which Flynn states takes around 15 minutes to circle its perimeter, was completed in 2015 with a price tag of $912,000,000. The state-of-the-art machine, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, allows scientists such as Flynn to look at the particles collected from space at a view of one micron — a human hair is about 70 microns wide — in order to scan and characterize the material. This past week marked Flynn’s most recent visit to Brookhaven, during which he collected data from space particles in hopes of shedding light on the “great phosphorus problem”. See FLYNN, A2 Sports ................................... B1 Scoreboard ........................... B2 FUSE..................................... B6 Cardinal Watch.................... B4
A2
▪
news editor rebecca natale
PSUC News Poetry reading from PSUC professor Professor Aimee Baker will read from her awardwinning poetry collection, “Doe,” which won the 2016 Akron Poetry Prize, May 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Champlain Valley Hall Commons. The event is open to the public, and refreshments will be served.
Community bonfire tonight
The Community Bonfire will “share the light” tonight from 7 to 10 p.m. on Memorial Field. There will be free snacks, hot cocoa and music.
Ceremony to honor anniversary of Kent and Jackson State shootings The Student Association will host the 48th commemorative ceremony honoring Kent State and Jackson State on May 3 at 12:30 p.m. on the front lawn of the Kehoe Administration Building. The ceremony commemorates the universities’ students who were protesting U.S. war efforts in Cambodia and killed by police in May of 1970. Dr. Gary Kroll and SA President Jessica Falace will be speaking while the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir will perform to honor the students who lost their lives.
National Association for Black Accountants prepares for third annual Banquet NABA will hold its third annual banquet tonight at 6 p.m. in the ballrooms of the Angell College Center. This year’s banquet features a fashion show in collaboration with Women in Leadership. Students will showcase different styles of professionalism from various categories such as business professional and business casual. Tickets can be purchased online for $5.
CP Corrections There are no previous errors to report. If you see an error in Cardinal Points, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
CP News
news@cardinalpointsonline.com
▪
friday, april 27, 2018
Choir to host annual GospelFest By Emma Vallelunga associate news editor
In the Myers Fine Arts Building, sophomore Michael Hudlin drums a beat on the lid of an old grand piano. More than 30 students and Plattsburgh community members from the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir sway to the cadence, rehearsing for the university’s 27th annual GospelFest tomorrow. As a gospel song with a pinch of calypso, Hudlin is directing “Sayamanda” by Trinidad and Tobago musician Andre Tanker for this year’s performance. “This song is a story,” Hudlin said as he walked the choir through their choreography. Along with a performance from PSUC’s praise team, step team and praise dancers, the gospel choir will also be singing with the Voices of Victory Gospel Choir from SUNY Potsdam from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow night. “I grew up in church, and I grew up singing in church,” said Christina Bastien, junior biomedical sciences major and head of public relations for the choir. “This was just something I wanted to do.” When professor Dexter Criss isn’t teaching organic chemistry, he is the Gospel Choir’s music and artistic director, along with choir director and PSUC alumna Andrea Ogle. During rehearsals, Criss and Ogle encourage the choir to practice the way they perform and work together to create soulful music for the audience. “We must sing together, and we
must dance together,” Ogle said to the choir as they worked on their number. Members of the choir’s executive board members admire Criss and Ogle not only for their instruction, but for their personalities. “All of us are friends outside of choir, even with Dexter and Andrea,” said Abayomi Edwards-Dyer, junior Spanish and Latin American studies major and Gospel Choir social chair. “What separates choir from a lot of other activities on campus [is] the bond we have with our instructors.” Freshman criminal justice and sociology major Dominique Burke joined the choir last semester and sits on the executive board as vice president. “The passion that [the instructors] bring is the passion they ignite in the rest of the choir,” Burke said, despite a hectic rehearsal schedule. “That’s what turned us into a real family, and that’s why we love it so much.” Bastien has performed in last year’s GospelFest and remembers the performance’s feeling. “[In] any practice, we’re just trying to get the notes together, but the day of, everybody is out doing their thing and just laughing,” Bastien said. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s like you’re in church again.” Burke expressed his love and passion for gospel music and his excitement for his first GospelFest. “We’ve worked so hard, and when the moment finally comes, it’s like ‘Alright, it’s time,’” Burke said. The Gospel Choir will sing works
by Mississippi Mass, Beyonce, Mary Mary, Vincent Bohanan, Raymond Wise and Yolanda Adams. Student tickets are $8 online and $10 at the door, while general admission tickets are $15 and $20 at the door in Giltz Auditorium in Hawkins Hall. The choir’s second major event of the year is when they host “A Soulful Christmas Celebration,” but Edwards-Dyer said GospelFest is the choir’s most exciting out of the two. “[It’s about] the anticipation and the expectation,” Edwards-Dyer said. “We wait for GospelFest.” Burke’s favorite number to perform in this year’s GospelFest is “I Hear the Sound (of Victory)” by American gospel musician Maurette Brown Clark. “You’re singing, and then people are dancing, clapping, screaming,” Burke said. “You can’t really explain what you feel in the moment of that song. That’s how powerful it is.” Senior biology major and president of the Gospel Choir, Luis Popoca, feels bittersweet about performing in his last GospelFest. “Saying goodbye is tough, but I know I’m leaving an amazing group,” Popoca said. “I know [GospelFest] is going to be on campus for a long time.” Email Emma Vallelunga at news@cardinalpointsonline.com
FLYNN: Professor studies our origins From Page One “The great phosphorous problem” is a scientific conundrum that has puzzled scientists studying the origins of the universe. Phosphorous is an element needed to create life; yet, all samples of phosphorus taken from Earth are not useful in biological compounds. “The phosphorus found on Earth is not soluble in water and cannot be absorbed into particles,” Flynn said. “This planet got hot enough when it formed to melt rock, and any carbon-based compounds needed to create life were destroyed.” If phosphorus is needed for organisms to thrive, and all samples of this element from our planet cannot be incorporated into molecules, then the question arises: how did life originate? “People have suggested that when the Earth was forming, there was this continuous planet-wide rain of dust particles and bigger meteorites from space,” Flynn said.
These particles, Flynn theorizes, could have quite possibly transmitted life-creating elements to Earth in “bioavailable form”, which means they can pass through biological material. Flynn stated that the results of these tests could be useless, or they could offer profound insight into the origins of beings and life on this planet. “Most of the particles I work on you can’t see, which makes things challenging,” Flynn said. “But it’s rewarding because these [particles] are the best-preserved samples of what went on when the original dust of our solar system was forming.” Samples taken of meteorites have been compromised by heat and water, Flynn said. The dust particles have had little outside interference and are a great window into viewing the history of this planet and the universe. Flynn studied mathematics before receiving degrees in physics and astro-
chemistry. “I think people frequently fall into what they do rather than having a clear plan,” Flynn said. Flynn always shown interest in the space program. “When I attended MIT, I was the editor of an engineering magazine there,” Flynn said. “I got to cover the Apollo launch.” Flynn also reported for the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina. His favorite assignment while there was covering the canning jar crisis that had struck the area one summer. “I spoke to a lady with a huge tomato crop and no canning-jar lids,” Flynn said. “After the article came out, someone with canningjar lids and nothing to can sent them to her doorstep.” The turnaround for the data analysis at Brookhaven is fast, and Flynn expects to have results by at least next week. In the meantime, Flynn could be found teaching at PSUC, collecting meteorites from the campus garden, and photographing his favorite
butterfly, the blue morphe. The work Flynn has accomplished has extended into many regions. He was the team leader of chemical analysts for NASA’s Project Stardust, which involved studying samples of a comet with 200 international scientists. He also performed experiments concerning the recoil of potentially hazardous asteroids, much like the one that came closer to the Earth than the moon is on April 15, in which he shot at meteorites to analyze how large celestial bodies would behave, and how to best break them up into little pieces which would burn up in our atmosphere. “You get a nice sky show,” Flynn said, “but no one would get killed.” Email Sage Lewandowski at news@cardinalpointsonline.com
+
0 1c3 ourses
Summer Session • Catch up or get ahead • Online and on-campus courses • Three different sessions to choose from • Meet Excelsior Scholarship credit requirements • $164* per credit
518-381-1348 sunysccc.edu/summer * $164 per credit, New York state residents, Summer 2018
friday, april. 27, 2018
▪
CP News
news@cardinalpointsonline.com
news editor rebecca natale
▪
A3
In Loving Memory of Kyla Relaford Dearest Kyla, My very first memory of you begins with the phone interview that altered my life forever. Coming from a bad neighborhood and damaged school system, my hopes to get into a good university were very low. After speaking to you I gained hope. Arriving to EOP Summer in 2014 was a blessing I never thought I would receive, I owed it all to you for believing in my potential. From the first moment we met, throughout the entire month of EOP, it was evident that we, as well as other students, were a priority you never let go of. The selflessness in your actions, the ability to be there for any student who asked for you and the drive to pass down your knowledge is what I keep with me when I think of you. There is a certain energy that always radiated from you that will forever be missed on this campus. I truly hope to inspire others the way you have inspired us all through your personality and work. Like me, hundreds of other EOP students owe their college careers to you. You are our miracle. We gained a mentor, friend and now an angel. My prayers go out to your family and everyone else affected by this tragedy. Kyla is a spirit that should never be forgotten and through our work as an EOP community we shall continue to make her proud. Sleep in peace Queen. -Christy M Hernandez, EOP student ,class of 2018
Photo provided by the Educational Opportunity Office
Kyla Relaford was the director of PSUC’s Educational Opportunity Office. These letters were sent to Cardinal Points by those who knew her well.
“I feel remarkably alone,but I will carry this torch for as a long as I have to.” Kyla shared this with me during the time of the student protests in the aftermath of a racist incident. As a fellow Higher Education administrator who has specialized in Multicultural Affairs for 10 years, I am very familiar with the personal sacrifices we endure for our students. During this time it was important to check-in on her as she would have done the same for me. Kyla and I met in 2007 when I assumed the role as the director of the Summer EOP program at SUNY Plattsburgh. I was in my 2nd year in my graduate studies at Plattsburgh, and served as the Macomb Hall Director. I had taken on this additional role because I wanted to give back to the program that gave me so much. Kyla was not an employee of EOP at the time, however she immediately took me under her wing grooming me for my c areer in Student Affairs. We consulted often and spoke about what this work meant for us;in particular what it meant as women of color. It meant an exceptional amount of investment and time, hearing stories, sharing our own, validation and support, late nights and weekends. It meant meeting with a student to remind them that they would succeed in this system that far too often pushed them to the margins. When I finally left PSU after 8 years, Kyla remained in my life often serving as a reference for employment, providing suggestions on how to navigate higher ed politics, and writing letters for my PhD applications. Most recently she celebrated the birth of my son and bought him SUNY Plattsburgh gear. My son was just a few months younger than hers, so we bonded over being first time moms sharing stories of sleep deprivation, feeding schedules, changing diapers and this renewed sense of purpose on this earth. We both loved being new moms! What I miss about Kyla is her unwavering commitment to studentsand her colleagues. She was humbleyet fierce, bold and unapologetic.The minute I heard she had passed, I sat at my kitchen table and sobbed for what felt like hours. My partner and my son moved around me in silence to let me grieve. I spoke with friends via text and scanned her Facebook page wishing this was a nightmare. We make assumptions about those who are expected to pass away - the sick, elderly, and those who live their lives in risk. However, we don’t expect new mothers of small children to pass away. Advocates don’t pass away. sHEROs don’t pass away - or at least they’re not supposed to. The next few days, weeks and months will be hard for many of us. Kyla was an exceptional colleague, mentor and advocate for higher education. Kyla carried the torch for many of us through thick and thin. She advocated behind closed doors for things to happen. It is now our job and duty to carry this torch and continue the work that she has just begun. -Sherlene Ayala, former EOP student, admitted to EOP in 1999
She was a force. She lit up a room. She made us all better people just by knowing her. She was larger than life. She was my beautiful friend. The most important thing to her was family. And now we will pray for her family, our EOP family and all that knew her, loved her and looked up to her.. Rest in peace, Kyla . You have left an undeniable mark on each and every one of us and we will never forget you! -Christine Landry , Secretary 1 Educational Opportunity Program
A4 • Friday, April 27, 2018 • cardinalpointsonline.com/opinions • opinions editor hilly nguyen
Graphic by Windsor Burkland
Does our generation still read? By Tracey Fox staff writer
Richard Steele, a famous author in the 17th century once said, “Reading is to the mind is what exercise is to the body.” But is that true today? It seems like fewer kids are reading. I haven’t read a book fully through since early high school. After asking 50 students on Plattsburgh campus if they still read, 85 percent said no. When asked why they don’t read one student, Bryan Kilpatrick told me that it’s because he can’t focus on reading long enough to enjoy the book. I think that is due to technology. Technology was introduced to us as children and is prominent in our society. All of this technology has caused us to lose our attention span for reading books. Another reason our generation might not be reading is that we don’t have many important figures telling us that reading is important. For example, Donald Trump is the first president who doesn’t actively read. He hasn’t read the previous autobiog-
raphy’s of old presidents that new presidents read to understand what is going to be like as the leader of our country. Even though Donald Trump might not be the most popular president, we are supposed to look up to him, and he does impacts us even if he doesn’t realize it. It’s not just our president. Celebrities are too focused on promoting their social media status to care about other important things like reading and education. Out of all people, they should be the ones to advocate for reading because half of them write books about themselves anyway. Our society has put reading on the back burner. In an article in The Conversation, the author, Debra Kachel, talks about how libraries in schools are disappearing. “The number of school libraries in New York City has dropped from nearly 1,500 to 2005 to around 700 in 2014,” Kachel said. Another mind-blowing statistic mentioned in the article was the 1 to 7,000 librarians-to-students ratio in California. This is the lowest ratio in America. Urban areas are where we need libraries the most. There is a larger population in these areas and when you take basic
Last Friday, J. Cole dropped a new album, KOD. He tweeted, “KOD. Three meanings. Kids on drugs, king overdosed and kill our demons.” Cole explained that the album is not meant to glorify addiction, and it’s even written on the album cover. It’s merely to spread awareness of addiction and to get listeners to choose wisely. The song after the intro titled “KOD” is a great way to give us a feel for what the album will be like. The chorus talks about drugs and cars, which is a stereotype associated with rappers. In the song, Cole responds to people who ask him why he doesn’t have feature rappers on his albums by saying they’re not worthy enough to be on his tracks. The song ends with a list of what people can be addicted to such as power, fame, drugs and the strongest drug of all, love. The next song “Photograph” refers to dating in the digital age. The song talks about falling in love through a photograph and wondering if the person would even follow him back on the social medium. Some listeners said the song reminded them of a flow that Ski Mask the
Slump God uses in his songs sometimes. The refrain in the song does remind me of “Babywipe” by Ski Mask; however, Cole added his own switch up to it. Another song on the album titled, “ATM” has a nice message at the beginning relating to the theme of the album. Cole wrote, “Life can bring much pain. There are many ways to deal with this pain. Choose wisely.” It’s a nice reminder that there are other options you can turn to when times get hard. This song talks about how people let money control their lives. He raps, “can’t take it when you die, but you can’t live without it.” The video to the song is also a deeper depiction of how money can take over your life. ATM is a song with a faster beat and something catchy that anyone can bop to. “ATM’s” rhythm flows perfectly into the next song, “Motiv8.” One of my personal favorites and another catchy tune. This is a song that I listen to when I need to get to class on time, and I’m running late. The beat makes me put some pep in my step. The refrain gives me thoughts of someone who is addicted to pills and takes them to feel alive, which touches on the aspect of raising awareness for addiction. The only complaint I have about this song would be that I wish it was longer.
Email Tracey Fox at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
“Is this what J. Cole has become?”
Review: J.Cole’s ‘KOD’ By Tamiyha Carter associate fuse and opinions editor
things away from children like the right to read, they are getting set up for failure. People always seem to target our generation for things like not reading and being on our phones too much, but it’s not our fault. We are all reading in our own way. A lot of people are age read summarized news articles. Snapchat even features The Washington Post and The Daily Mail in their discovery page where they let users read shortened articles. With all this, it’s evident that we need to change our morals and reestablish the importance of reading to children. We need influential people to shine a light on reading and we need our government to stop cutting libraries from our schools. It’s also time for us as millennials to prove people wrong. If people think that reading is what makes up smart, then it’s our job to stay educated even if we aren’t reading.
“Kevin’s Heart” is a song about someone who is in love with their significant other but still has thoughts of stepping out on the relationship. He explains that drugs and prescription pills are used to suppress the pain and temptation. The video actually has comedian Kevin Hart as the star, and the song correlates to Hart’s past before he had his son. Hart also relates to Cole because they both recently has children, and are in the video tussling with strollers in two aisles next to each other. The meaning behind the song added something light and nice to the album. A song that everyone who pays taxes should listen to because it will force you to as real questions about our society is “BRACKETS.” Cole raps about paying so many taxes and he wonders where his money goes. He believes it goes to road and schools, but children in his state barely graduate because they are not equipped with the tools. Instead, the money is used to hire teachers who don’t look like the students he or she teaches. He also talk about not having a say in where your tax money goes if this country is supposed to be considered a democracy. This song makes me question things I’ve learned in school and how much tax money comes out of my paycheck.
The last song on the album is titled, “1985.” This song is a response for a new rapper called Lil Pump. Pump made a diss song for Cole, and Cole has some wise words for Pump. Instead of dissing him and bringing him down, he says, “and plus, you’re having fun, and I respect that. But have you ever thought about your impact?” Cole expressed that he is not impressed by what the newest rappers in the game rap about, but he loves to see them get paid. He also responded and advised Lil Pump and younger rappers to use their money wisely because it won’t last forever. A time will come when the money stops flowing, and you bought many cars but never bought a house and now you have nothing. KOD is an album with a great message and can have a great impact on listeners. It was definitely a wise idea and great topic to form the album around. Using a major issue and using music to make listeners aware of real life issues. Advising people to choose wisely and not meditate instead of medicating. KOD holds the title for Spotify’s most first-day albums streams with over 36.6 million. This album might be the best album of the year, and it’s only April. Email Tamiyha Carter at cp@cardinalpointsonline.
By Fernando Alba associate sports editor
“KOD” is a disappointing unfocused clutter that I’m thankful was only 12 tracks instead of the 20-plus projects trap artists, who Cole tries really hard to emulate, drops. The album’s opening track has listeners sit through a narrator warn about how “life can bring much pain,” and how “there are many ways to deal with this pain”, so you better “choose wisely.” Is this what J. Cole has become? I guess 33 is ancient in rap years, but I didn’t imagine hearing J. Cole become some old head lecturing the youngsters on how to behave so soon. But I guess we should’ve seen it coming the moment we saw him use a Canon 310xl in that “4 Your Eyez Only” documentary (that thing used film, what a hipster.) The album’s message is nice and timely and all, especially with Lil Peep’s fairly recent passing from overdosing on Xanax and fentanyl, and in all honesty, an album like this had to be made eventually. An album highlighting the prevalence of self medication and how up-and-comers in rap freely endorse it in their music is something I can get behind. But instead what you listen to, at times, is an unfocused Cole who doesn’t really deliver a message clearly enough. Take the title track for an a example. An album Cole has defined as “Kids On Drugs,” you probably expect him to tackle that whole drug thing in the title track, instead, Cole dedicates it to stroking his overinflated ego and trudging up old narratives about how he has no features on his albums with lines like, “How ‘bout you just get the f- off my d-? How ‘bout you listen and never forget? Only gon’ say this one time, then I’ll dip. N-s ain’t worthy to be on my s-.” Which is cool and all, that’s actually a part of one of my favorite verses on the entire album, besides there’s plenty of room in rap for that kind of chest-pounding, so long as the artist is able to leave the studio and actually acknowledge his shortcomings. Except Cole doesn’t. He probably thinks he’s the best there is and he just simply isn’t. Unfortunately, Cole’s bloated sense of confidence has robbed listeners of great collaborations through features. In fact, he hasn’t had any features on a studio album since 2013’s Born Sinner. The rest of the tracklist is pretty forgettable with a couple exceptions like “Kevin’s Heart.” Some real low points include “Motiv8, which features Cole saying “motivate” like 200 times. Neat. The album ends with what is presumably the first song of his next album, which is titled “1985 (Intro to the ‘Fall Off’) .“ Will I listen to it the minute it drops? Yeah. Will I be disappointed again? Probably. Email Fernando Alba at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
friday, april 27, 2018
▪ opinions@cardinalpointsonline.com
Editorial
CP Opinions
A salute to The Daily Orange The power of investigative reporting on a college level is just as important as at any professional news outlet. Cardinal Points displayed this fact last semester, and, more recently, Syracuse University’s The Daily Orange did as well. News editor Rebecca Natale’s story on the Pi Alpha Nu hazing from last fall showed what is possible
when writing is well reported and investigated. It showed it so well that the New York State Press Association decided to award it first place in the news story category of the college division. More recently, Syracuse University’s independent student newspaper, The Daily Orange, was able to obtain video evidence of the university’s chapter of
Theta Tau fraternity saying racial and anti-semitic slurs in a skit. The paper’s subsequent reporting lead to the expulsion of the chapter from the school. We at Cardinal Points would like to salute the staff of The Daily Orange on their dedication to bringing the truth to light.
Is high maintenence that bad? By Teresa Acierno staff writer
We all know the stereotypical “high maintenance” woman. She’s picky. She spends too long getting ready. She has to have her nails done, and all her clothes have to be designer. But is having a high standard of living and happiness really all that bad? As a woman who has been accused of being high maintenance, I have a lot of thoughts on this matter. There is no one definition of being high maintenance. What seems completely over-the-top ridiculous to one person could be totally reasonable to another. Some people might categorize me as high maintenance, but I love to pamper myself. I’m infatuated with shoes. I spend at least two hours getting ready, and I love designer handbags. These
traits don’t define my entire personality, but they are things I enjoy. There are plenty of girls out there who enjoy the same “girly” things like me. The idea of being high maintenance is almost exclusively applied to women, and it is usually associated with negative connotations. Simply Google “high maintenance woman”, and a slew of articles appear with titles like “10 Signs She’s Too High Maintenance” and “15 Signs You’re a High Maintenance Woman.” These women are associated with “princess-like” behavior and thinking they’re above other people. In these articles, some of the traits are “she’s consumed by her appearance,” and “she doesn’t stop complaining.” These traits are undoubtedly annoying, but they don’t necessarily make a person high maintenance.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t some people who are downright unpleasant, and have annoying personalities and behavior, but someone’s bad attitude shouldn’t automatically assign them a high maintenance title. In these articles, a consistent hallmark of high maintenance women is extreme vanity and an obsession with their appearance. Fifty-six percent of women are dissatisfied with their looks, according to a study from Psychology Today. The average woman spends $300,000 on beauty products, according to Allure magazine. Women are under constant pressure to look a certain way, so many women turn to spending lots of money on beauty products, clothing and accessories. Having the traits of a “high maintenance” woman can be emblematic of deeper
problems with body image and self esteem. There are few women (and men) who have never suffered from insecurity and in a society that often judges women almost entirely on outer beauty. Therefore, it’s no surprise that some women become obsessed with looking perfect. Some people are “high maintenance” but that’s not horrible. There are much worse traits a person can have than having high standards and many traits a person can possess that are worse than being high maintenance. Email Teresa Acierno at opinions@cardinalpointsonline.com
Everyday, there are challenges to face involving honesty and integrity where you will have to choose if you want to be who others want you to be or if you want to be true to yourself. As an artist, you learn that if you change your art to impress others, then you lose the reason for why you are an artist, along with the heart of any pieces you’re working on. I choose to live my life by those words. Being in college has helped me realize that there will always be people I won’t be able to impress by just being who I am. I could change myself and become someone that those people want me to
be, but then another group would not like me. There is no way to impress everyone, so the person you need to impress the most is yourself. Many people try to hide whom they are and be someone different, whether it’s doing something they don’t want to do like playing a sport or going to a college because of their parents or hiding their sexuality. No matter who they are, once they come clean and stop betraying who they really are, they feel so much better. College is the perfect time for you to institute this change in your life and be who you actually need to be. It’s never too late to join a new club or try some classes that sound interesting. If you are enrolled in col-
lege for a major that you don’t feel driven or passionate for, then you do not need to stay with it and be someone you are not. If you hate what you are doing, you will probably still hate it when you’re celebrating your 20th anniversary at your job. No matter how important you think it is to impress someone, your happiness and comfort in what you’re doing should be your top priority. The people who love you should accept you for who you really are. If your friends are what’s holding you back because you’re too afraid to risk losing them, then I’m sorry, but you need new friends. Friends should be there for you and be the people that you can express your feelings to and
enjoy activities with. The idea of being yourself and making drastic changes to your life might seem terrifying. If you lose some of your friends in the process of transitioning into who you are, then they aren’t really your friends, and you will make new friends that you can actually connect with. You are the only you, and that should always be celebrated instead of being resisted, no matter what challenges you have to face. Email Abby Talcott at opinions@cardinalpointsonline. com
▪
A5
By The Numbers
years ago the Second Republic was 73 founded in Austria.
ago the United Kingdom grant57 edyears Sierra Leone independence.
in Montreal, Prime Min51 isteryearsLesterago Pearson lighted a flame to open Expo 67. ago student protesters took 29 overyearsTiananmen Square in Beijing.
Weekly Cardtoon Submit your own cartoon at opinions@cardinalpointsonline.com Cartoon by Ashley Spraker
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Ben Watson Fuse Editor Windsor Burkland
News Editor Rebecca Natale
Opinions Editor Hilly Nguyen
Sports Editor Nathanael LePage
Associate Sports Editor Fernando Alba
Associate News Editor Emma Vallelunga
Associate FUSE and Opinions Editor Tamiyha Carter Online Editor Max Traa Advertising Manager Julissa Vera
Stay true to your authentic self By Abby Talcott staff writer
opinions editor hilly nguyen
Associate News Editor Mataeo Smith
Photo Editor Max Traa Associate Photo Editor Nathanael LePage
Faculty Adviser Luke Cyphers
Contact CP
118 Ward Hall Plattsburgh State Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Editorial Board: 518.564.2174 Advertising: 518.564.3173 Fax: 518.564.6397
cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Award Winning
Cardinal Points has received the following awards from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP): ACP Hall of Fame Inducted in Fall 2010 All American Spring 2016, five Marks of Distinction Spring 2014, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2012, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2011, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2010, five Marks of Distinction Fall 2009, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2009, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2008, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2005, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2004, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2003, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2002, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2001, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2001, four Marks of Distinction Pacemaker Recognition Fall 2010, Honorable Mention 2006-2007, Newspaper Finalist
friday, april 27, 2018
▪
news@cardinalpointsonline.com
CP News
news editor rebecca natale
▪
A6
SA ticks off tasks SHOPS: Address stigma to tackle before semester’s close, moves forward From Page One
By Rebecca Natale news editor
The length of the Plattsburgh State Student Association’s 11th session was short, but its to-do list is not. Senator Lily Crosman is working with College Auxiliary Services to improve campus food options and encourage recycling on campus and will participate in today’s Waste Warriors campaign at Clinton Dining Hall. Though this year’s project rebranded from its former title, Project Clean Plate, the premise is the same. “We do it every semester in Clinton to cut down on the waste in dining halls because a lot is thrown out,” Crosman said. “All the scraps [from the day] are put into trash bags and weighed at the end of the day.” Crosman added that next semester, students could see an even greater variety of diet options from changes to existing menus to the addition of a halal street food-esque location. Last night, the executive council held a special meeting in the Amnesty Room of the Angell College Center to discuss budget concerns and the idea of forming a concert committee, following bubbling interest from students in bringing a major artist to campus.
SA President Jessica Falace said the SUNY Board of Trustees will meet later this week to vote on the resolution she and Executive Vice President Kristin Berkey presented at the SUNY SA Conference on April 7. The resolution, if passed, would amend the SUNY Display of the Flag Policy to allow the hoistings of flags meaningful to individual campuses across the state. Falace is also a member of the newly formed PSUC Social Justice Task Force, which held its second meeting last night. “We’re trying to form the idea of, ‘What is social justice?’” Falace said. The members of the team are now figuring out how to deal with the sudden death of Educational Opportunity Program Director Kyla Relaford, who was an integral voice during the string of protests and sparks of activism that ignited the PSUC campus earlier this year. “She pushed forward so much with social justice and so much positivity that it’s a huge loss for us,” Falace said. Email Rebecca Natale at news@cardinalpointsonline.com
“When it comes to workshops, it would have to get a little bit more involved. If you’re not interested, you’re not going to understand it.” But he felt it was useful to show the number of people who visited the health center this year for anxiety and depression. “It does encourage a lot of people.” Down the hall from Latrell’s room, LGBTQ+ Student Union President, Aris Alonzo, led “Queer 101,” which focused on heterosexual privilege as well as the complex spectrum of identities within the LGBTQ+ community. “Identity can be confusing, because you can be a little of each.” She noted that heterosexual privilege is not widely recognized and understood.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community may have a harder time getting legally married, finding a job and adopting children. Alonzo also addressed the issue of gender dysphoria, the mental distress experienced by people whose assigned sex and gender does not match the sex and gender with which they personally identify. She was more than happy to be involved with the Community Collaboration Workshops, she said. “I think a lot of students aren’t really educated in basic queer knowledge. I wish there was more participation, but I think it’s something nice to do.” Email Kody Mashtare at news@cardinalpointsonline.com
Youth Lacrosse
Rugby, Page B3
Page B2
B
section
PSUC hosts Youth Appreciation Day Page B2
Scoreboard
In the Cards Pitcher rallies after adversity Page B3
cardinalpointsonline.com
Friday, April 27, 2018
Cards qualify in 4x100 relay By Ben Watson editor in chief
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
Senior midfielder Billy Moller celebrates after scoring against Brockport Saturday. The Cards defeated Brockport and Oneonta en route to clinching at least second place in the SUNYAC.
PSUC clinches home field By Nathanael LePage sports editor
In a short season like NCAA lacrosse, early-season struggles can turn around quickly. This is something Plattsburgh State’s men’s lacrosse team knows well. The Cardinals (5-8, 4-1) clinched at least a second-place finish in the SUNYAC with a 14-2 victory over SUNY Oneonta (4-9, 1-4) Wednesday, following a 7-4 Saturday victory against the
College at Brockport (5-7, 3-2). PSUC will find out Saturday whom they will host in a semifinal next Wednesday, marking the Cards’ seventh consecutive trip to the playoffs and third time in the last four years hosting the first round. Before PSUC can focus on playoffs, one final regular-season game at SUNY Geneseo (7-6, 2-3) remains, Saturday at 1p.m. While a win is not necessary for home field, the team is prepared to fight for pride and to keep momentum going
into the postseason PSUC head coach Joe May said the game will be further complicated by the distance to Geneseo After a normal practice Thursday afternoon, the Cards will practice at 7 a.m. today before taking a bus to Rochester. May said the team will spend the night in the hotel before Saturday’s game and immediately return home. See MLAX, B2
A heptathlete, a decathlete and the relay teams headlined a meet full of strong finishes by the Plattsburgh State track and field team at the two-day Cortland Classic last weekend. “It was a great meet all-around, which I think was partly due to the weather, but we had a lot of really good performances. I’m really happy with how it went,” said Nicholas Jones, head coach. Day one saw the relay teams for both the men and women dominated the weekend overall, with the 4x400-meter and 4x100-meter teams finishing within the top five all around. “Having everyone healthy and having better weather helped a lot,” Jones said about the relay teams’ success. “Having a higher level of competition and seeing some more SUNYAC teams definitely helped us to do a bit better this weekend.” The women’s 4x100 team of State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) female track athlete of the week and sophomore Elisabeth Plympton, sophmore Marissa Jones, freshman Janyll Barber and senior Ashlee Estes took second place at the meet qualifying for the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference meet with a 49.99-second time, while the 4x400 team of Barber, Marissa Jones, sophomore Taylor Canet and senior Stephanie Boucher won with 4:05.68 time. “I always love relays,” Boucher said. “It was cool that all of us could come together and do really well.” Boucher also won the 800-meter event with a 2:15.88 time and third place in the 1500-meter run with a 4:52.20 time while Plympton won the 100-meter dash with a personal record 12.22 seconds. See TRACK, B2
Softball coach, player hit milestones
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
Jennifer Groat’s 38 consecutive games with a hit is second alltime in NCAA DIII history.
Groat’s bid for record streak falls six short Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
PSUC’s junior third baseman Amy Glashoff throws the ball to first baseman Jennifer Groat for an out Monday. The Cards swept a doubleheader against Potsdam.
Cards get Conroy’s 200th victory By Fernando Alba associate sports editor
Four wins and losses have kept the Plattsburgh State softball team afloat with a SUNYAC tournament-qualifying sixth seed and a 8-6 conference record. The Cardinals began their 900 mile road trip after a 10-day gap in live-game action, which head coach Stephanie Conroy believes contributed to the team’s lackluster showing of four losses and two wins on the road. “The offtime got to the team,” Conroy said. “It took a little time to warm up against live pitching again.” While PSUC struggled away from home, the team regrouped in its first doubleheader back in Plattsburgh against Potsdam Tuesday with a comeback win in the first game, followed by an 8-0 rout. Conroy won her 200th game as head coach for the Cardinals after the team’s first win against Potsdam. “It’s always a proud moment as a coach to reach a milestone,” Conroy said. “I’m just happy the team is doing well. If you’re competitive and like to win, then it’s something you expect to happen.” Under Conroy’s tenure as head coach, the Cards appeared in a NCAA Division III World Series, captured a
SUNYAC championship and earned a multitude of conference honors for its players. Unaware of her impending milestone, Conroy was surprised with the game ball and a ceremonial picture with her team. The Cards scored early and often in game one against the Bears with four runs in the second inning before surrendering the lead to Potsdam the following inning with five runs, three of which were unearned. The game didn’t see another run scored until the final inning where PSUC still trailed by one run. With one out remaining and bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, junior second basemen and catcher Anna Fisher singled to center field, allowing the go-ahead run to score. As the the season enters its final stretch, the Cards cannot afford to suffer many more losses as five spots in the SUNYAC tournament remain with six teams in good position to claim a postseason spot. Email Fernando Alba at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
By Fernando Alba associate sports editor
Junior catcher Jennifer Groat has been abusing pitchers for Plattsburgh State’s softball team. Groat entered Cortland Monday with a 38-game hitting streak. While the Cardinals won the first game of the doubleheader 5-1, Groat couldn’t extend the streak any further, leaving the junior with the second-longest hitting streak in NCAA Division III softball, behind Heather Bortz’s record of 44. The Moravian College alumna set the record during the 2003 and 2004 seasos while propelling the Greyhounds to a 40-6 record and the program’s first trip to the NCAA Division III World Series. “I’m honored that I was able to go on a streak like that,” Groat said. “I’m just disappointed it’s over, but I know no matter what, I have to keep doing what I can for the team.” Groat’s disappointment was contrasted by Conroy’s pride in her.
“It’s a huge accomplishment. We’re proud of her,” Stephanie Conroy, head coach said. “She’s someone who expects greatness from herself, and I expect greatness from her as her coach.” Groat is currently batting a .505 average, good for second in the SUNYAC conference, and also leads the conference with an impressive .733 slugging percentage. The junior catcher also leads the team in runs, hits, doubles, on-base percentage and fewest strikeouts. “She works hard every day making sure the team is successful,” Jackie Decker, senior third baseman said. Although Groat said she won’t be actively pursuing the hitting streak, Wednesday’s Potsdam doubleheader marked the beginning of a new streak for the catcher with a hit in each game. Email Fernando Alba at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
B2
▪
CP Sports
sports editor nathanael lepage
sports@cardinalpointsonline.com
Lacrosse Sat at Geneseo @ 1 p.m. SUNYAC Tournament Wed vs TBA
Cardinal Points/John Peralta
Softball Fri vs New Paltz @ 3, 5 p.m. Sat vs Oneonta @ noon, 2 p.m. Sun vs RIT @ 1, 3 p.m.
Baseball Fri at Fredonia @ 3 p.m. Sat at Fredonia @ noon, 3 p.m. Mon at Canton @ 2:30, 5 p.m. Tue vs Canton @ 2:30, 5 p.m. Wed vs Middlebury @3:30 p.m. Track and Field Sat at Canton Saints Twilight Invitational
Lacrosse
Softball
Goals
Batting Avg. (min. 10 AB)
The K-2 team of the Plattsburgh Lacrosse Club played a scrimmage at a PSUC men’s lacrosse game Wednesday for Youth Lacrosse Appreciation Day.
Youth lacrosse recognized By Nathanael LePage sports editor
Members of the Plattsburgh Lacrosse Club’s K-2 team played a brief scrimmage during halftime of the Plattsburgh State men’s lacrosse game against Oneonta Wednesday. The scrimmage, played on a game advertised as “Youth Lacrosse Appreciation Day,” was part of a larger cooperation between the Cardinals and the youth program, in which the college athletes meet with the young players twice each month to work on skill development. “They love being around the college kids,” said Joe May, PSUC head coach. The team on the field Wednesday featured a co-ed group of young athletes. Rolla Parker Jr., who coaches the thirdand fourth-grade team for PLC, said that the program begins to separate the genders at the 12-year-old level. Parker said that the K-2 team has approximately 30 players, while 40 children play in the grade 3-4 level. Parker said that the program has seen a huge increase in participation over the last two years. “Having the college team definitely helps,” Parker said. “We’re definitely getting the team out there using social media.” During the PSUC game, dozens of PLC members enjoyed practicing lacrosse
outside the fence around the field, including many children older than the K-2 players who participated in the halftime scrimmage. The kids were seen smiling and laughing throughout the game, despite the rainy conditions. “Hopefully, some parents saw how much fun those kids were having and how much fun lacrosse can be,” May said. “Any way that I can help grow the game in the North Country, I’m pretty happy with.” The Cards were just as happy as their coach to see the recognition given to the local youth program. “Youth lacrosse, for me, was everything,” said Nick Della Ratta, PSUC’s junior captain. “You develop your skills when you’re young. When you’re growing, I think it’s big to be around the game daily. It really sets you up for a bright future.” With the increases in participation PLC has already seen, along with efforts, like Wednesday’s scrimmage, to increase awareness of the program, there is confidence that the future of lacrosse in Plattsburgh is bright. “It’s going to be huge,” Parker said. Email Nathanael LePage at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
Ryan Hubbard Billy Moller Kevin Litchauer Kane Stephen
37 22 14 6
Jake Carroll Billy Moller Stephen Kane Ryan Hubbard
Jennifer Groat Amanda Tantillo Dominque Zummo
Ground Balls Travis Mauro Kyle Smith Ryan Hubbard Sean Hayes
Save Percentage Donald Tesoriero Austin Graham Kyle Dodge
Taylor Smith Katie Pitkin Rhea Pitkin
11 8 6 5
ERA (min. 10 innings) Jacob Stein Alec Fauvell Connor Lyons
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
Eliminated, PSUC seeks to knock off Blue Devils The Plattsburgh State baseball team’s postseason hopes have come to an end as they have been eliminated from the SUNYAC playoff contention. The Cardinals (9-21, 1-14) were swept in a three-game series by No. 21/24 SUNY Oswego (21-9, 12-3) Saturday and Sunday. “Obviously,” said Kris Doorey, PSUC head coach, “it’s very disheartening to be eliminated from the playoffs. We’re in year two of a rebuilding phase, and we’ve definitely taken some steps forward, but I think the conference is extremely tough.” Doorey acknowledged that being a team mostly made of sophomores was a key disadvantage for the Cards. “We’re definitely the youngest team in the conference,” Doorey said, “so, we have to learn from it and get better.” PSUC only had four seniors this season but will
Record SUNYAC 9-6 4-1 5-8 4-1 5-7 3-2 10-4 3-3 7-6 2-3 4-9 1-4 4-10 1-4
School Record SUNYAC Geneseo 25-5 25-5 Cortland 16-17 9-5 Oneonta 17-11 9-5 Buffalo State 10-13 8-4 Oswego 16-12 8-6 Plattsburgh 16-15 8-6 New Paltz 12-17-1 6-8 Brockport 13-17 3-11 Fredonia 10-21-1 3-11 Potsdam 5-21 2-10
Baseball
Keller Kowalowski Patrick Bryant Jon Craft
.594 .500 .500
School Cortland Plattsburgh Brockport Oswego Geneseo Oneonta Potsdam
.400 .397 .344
3.48 3.97 4.50
School Record SUNYAC Cortland 28-8 13-2 Oswego 21-9 12-3 Brockport 16-16 9-8 New Paltz 14-14 7-7 Fredonia 15-12 5-9 Oneonta 10-20 5-9 Plattsburgh 9-21 1-14
“Youth lacrosse, for me, was everything. You develop your skills when you’re young.”
PSUC junior lacrosse captain Nick Della Ratta explaining the importance of Youth Lacrosse Appreciation Day.
TRACK: Chapman captures third
PSUC junior Patrick Bryant unsuccessfully slides into third base against Oswego. The Lakers swept the Cards in the weekend’s three-game series.
have eight seniors next year. The Cards are focused on winning the rest of their scheduled games to end their season. They began that with two victories from a double-header against Division II’s Saint Michael’s College (6-26) Tuesday. “[Tuesday] was probably the first day that we had everybody healthy,” Doorey said. “We had three of our top relief pitchers go down early in the year, and that put us in a bind right off the bat, where we’re putting freshman in games to pitch against Cortland, Oswego and teams of that nature.” Further, Doorey cited being able to put players in the lineup that haven’t played since March when PSUC went to Florida. “It’s been a hectic year,” Doorey said, “with the weather and the injuries and the way the schedule fell for us.” The Cards will compete at SUNY Fredonia (15-12, 5-9) today at 3 p.m. followed by a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon. The team
2.71 3.06 5.25
Batting Avg. (min. 10 AB)
From Page One
By Lexus Gomez staff writer
.505 .317 .314
Baseball
50 50 39 30
Lacrosse
Softball
ERA (min. 10 innings)
Assists
▪ friday, april 27, 2018
swept Fredonia last year, and Doorey remains confident today. “They have the same issue we have,” Doorey said. “It’s the longest trip in the conference and a haul to get out there, but the guys are excited.” While PSUC hasn’t had the best year, Doorey believes timing was just another thing stacked against the team. “It’s not that they played terribly all season long,” Doorey said. “It’s that they played terrible in spurts and at the wrong moments.” PSUC will use their conference games at Fredonia as fuel to win their last few contests. “We got three more conference games to possibly eliminate them from the playoffs,” Doorey said. “That’s what we’ll use to as motivation.” Email Lexus Gomez at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
For the men, seniors Sobaan Ayub and Zach Grandy, junior Brian Fabian and freshman Michael Warchol ran a 3:26.57 time in the 4x400-meter relay to win, while Fabian and Ayub were joined by freshman Jordan Kane and sophomore Anthony Ciccarelli in finishing fifth in the 4x100-meter event. Warchol also ran a second-place finish in the 800-meters with a 1:57.38 time. Junior Matt Jenkins ran a 32-second personal record en route to finishing second in the 10,000-meters with a 32:52.00 time. Day two’s standouts for the Cardinals were Ciccarelli and freshman Mikayla Rossier. Ciccarelli finished his weekend of decathlon events with a final score of 5609 points — good enough to earn himself third place and an AARTFC regional qualification, while Rossier finished her heptathlon events with a final score of 3208 points, which was good enough for a SUNYAC conference championship meet qualification. Also on the women’s side of things, senior Heather Chapman threw 39.04 meters in the discus finals, good for third place and a personal record. Chapman, a veteran of the team, was happy that this performance finally came around. “It was duly waited for,” Chapman said regarding her personal best. “I’ve been here for four years, and I’ve never thrown that far. I’m pretty excited to go into St. Lawrence this
weekend, and of course SUNYACs and Regionals now that I’ve qualified.” Chapman went on to elaborate on how the improving weather helped at Cortland, and will continue to help as the season continues. “When you live up here, it’s cold pretty much all year-round,” Chapman said. “We finally see some sun, our mood perks up and, in the same breath, our muscles get firing and everyone runs better, throws better. With the implements, you’re not holding cold metal against your skin. Everything just goes a lot smoother when the sun’s out.” Now PSUC will head on the road one last time before SUNYACs to the Saints Twilight Invitational at St. Lawrence University this Saturday. For athletes who have already qualified for conference and regional meets, it will mark a chance for a rest. For those still on the outside looking in, it marks one final meet to get it right. “Those who have already qualified [for conference, regionals] will be trying to get those who haven’t to qualify,” Chapman said. “It’s really a team effort going into this last chance. We’re trying to get as many people on that SUNYAC bus as we can.” Email Ben Watson at cp@cardinal pointsonline.com
MLAX: Force excels in return From Page One
Because it comes near the end of the semester, when academic responsibilities can quickly pile up on a student, May is glad to have home field on Wednesday. “That’s why it was really important to get a win to get a home game on Wednesday,” May said. “We can make somebody travel to us.” One goal the Cards will aim for Saturday is an individual milestone: senior attackman Ryan Hubbard needs only three more points to reach the 200 mark in his career. “He’s a spectacular man to watch play lacrosse,” said David Force, junior faceoff specialist. May said the Plattsburgh’s schedule each season makes Hubbard’s achievements more impressive. “How good he is the result of how much time he spends in the gym, how much extra time he spends shooting and
how much time he works on his game,” May said. The Cards’ playoff security was earned by two SUNYAC wins at home. They knocked off Brockport in a tight game in which senior goalie Donald Tesoriero’s 13 saves were the difference. “Every one counts,” Tesoriero said. “It’s one or two saves that turns a good game to a great game.” Tesoriero, who earned SUNYAC Goalie of the Week honors, credited the team’s defense for clearing the ball more efficiently, an area he says has been a struggle this season. PSUC was 15-for-17 in each of the last two games on clearing attempts. After the win, the Cards hosted Oneonta. One key contributor to the win was Force, who was 7-for-12 at the faceoff in his first game this season, having torn his meniscus two months ago. Force stepped in after starting faceoff spe-
cialist, senior Travis Mauro, struggled early in the game. “One of the best things about Dave is he provides really good competition for Trav,” May said. Despite Mauro being replaced in the game by Force, May was confident the senior will bounce back. “Trav is still our guys, for sure,” May said. “We still have a lot of faith and confidence in him. As the Cards look to Saturday’s contest at Geneseo for momentum, the team is motivated to potentially eliminate the Knights from playoff contention, even if it is May’s alma mater. “I really enjoyed my time at Geneseo, and I have a lot of respect for that school and that program,” May said. “But I want to beat them.” Email Nathanael LePage at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
friday, april 27, 2018
▪
CP Sports
sports@cardinalpointsonline.com
sports editor nathanael lepage
▪
B3
Pitcher overcomes poor start with resilience By Jasely Molina staff writer
After a difficult start to her collegiate softball career, Plattsburgh State’s righthanded pitcher Rhea Pitkin has defeated her mental obstacles to embrace her role with the Cardinals. The sophomore childhood education/special education major joined the softball team during her freshman year and played as one of the three pitchers, alongside her sister, fellow right-handed pitcher Katie Pitkin. “I was thrown in there so quickly,” Rhea Pitkin said. “I thought as a freshman I wouldn’t be playing as big of a role. But when I got it and we started playing double headers everyday, I panicked. I didn’t think I could do it.” Rhea Pitkin’s struggles came to light when the team played in Florida last spring. “I actually forgot how to pitch,” Pitkin said. “I didn’t do very well because my nerves got the best of me.” During her first game against Gustavus Adolphus, Rhea Pitkin allowed eight hits and seven earned runs in six innings. Later against Skidmore, she only pitched 3.2 innings, walking seven batters on her way to an 8-0 loss. Her weakest performance came when the team faced the Rochester Institute of Technology, a game in which Pitkin allowed seven hits and walked 15 batters en route to a 12-1 loss. Pitkin returned to Plattsburgh feeling defeated. “I didn’t want to be part of the team,”
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
Sophomore pitcher Rhea Pitkin approaches her game with intensity and focus, but is known for a “bubbly” personality and dedication to academics off the field. Pitkin said. “I lost the love for softball because I did so bad.” At her lowest point, she looked for ways to recollect herself and rebuild her confidence. “I realized I’ve been [playing softball] for a really long time and for starting as a high school junior pitching I can work through anything,” she said. “I tried to think of all the positives in life.” Pitkin’s teammates and coaches were also there to support her. “She was put on the mound because ev-
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
PSUC’s Grace Duffy attempts to avoid an oncoming Clarkson tackler during Saturday’s first match at the TNT Tournament.
Rugby teams honor alumni By Ken Bates staff writer
Teams across New York gathered for the annual TnT Memorial Tournament Saturday for a day of memorial, reflection and rugby. Paul Smith’s College, Clarkson University, the Saranac Lake Mountaineers and SUNY Potsdam sent both men’s and women’s teams, along with SUNY Oswego’s men’s team. The tournament got off to a rocky start when Clarkson University arrived with only seven men—eight short of a full team. The tournament switched from a bracket to pool play at the last moment, according to tournament director Chuck Gordon “There were some hiccups,” Gordon said. “After that, it went pretty well. All the teams seemed to have a good time.” Ahead of the anticipated Plattsburgh State vs. Alumni contest, the teams and fans all gathered around the three pine trees at the far end of the rugby pitch for a moment of silence for fallen rugby players. The tournament, held every spring to remember deceased former ruggers Trevor Santandrea, Trevor Green and Billy Erwin, raised nearly $300 through food and bracelet donations for the Tony Santandrea Memorial Scholarship. Additional donations, gathered through team entry fees, merchandise sales and jacket raffles, will go to the scholarship, which is awarded annually to an environmental student. For the current team, there were many
familiar faces on the alumni side—recent graduates who returned. Experience won out in the end as the alumni defeated the current roster three tries to two. Halfway through the tournament, men’s head coach Sean Morgan gathered the team and alumni for a ceremony to dedicate the team’s new scrum sled, a product of several weeks of fundraising by the team, alumni and the SUNY Plattsburgh Alumni Association. Morgan and the team named the sled “Jaybird” after the younger brother of alumnus Joe Spilka. Jaybird, the team’s proclaimed “number one fan”, was too ill to attend the tournament but goes to all the games in western New York. “Sorry I couldn’t make it but, my brother showed me a video and it made me so happy and proud to have my name on your scrum sled,” he said to the team through his brother on Facebook after the tournament. At the end of the day, with the pitch long turned to a muddy mess despite a sunny outing, both the Saranac Lake men’s and women’s teams hoisted championship plaques. Forrest Morgan, one of several Mountaineers to have also played rugby at Plattsburgh State, took home tournament MVP. Email Ken Bates at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
eryone knew she was capable,” Katie Pitkin said. “Having everyone’s support and telling her that we believed in her truly helped her.” It wasn’t long before Rhea Pitkin began pitching again—this time with more resilience and determination. She finished her freshman season with a 3.97 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 116 innings. Off the field, Rhea Pitkin is known for being friendly and bubbly. Katie Pitkin describes her sister as a person who al-
ways looks to make everyone laugh. “She is one of the best people to have as a friend,” Katie Pitkin said. “She is very entertaining and sings a great rendition of “Redneck Woman” by Gretchen Wilson. But when Rhea Pitkin steps on the mound, she gets down to business. “I turn everything off,” Rhea Pitkin said. “When I’m actually pitching, I actually do not think about anything. I just look at the glove, aim and have faith in myself that the ball is going to hit the spot that I need it to.” When she’s not playing games, Rhea Pitkin can be found working on her class assignments. She believes time management is key to balancing softball with school. “Academics is my number one priority,” Rhea Pitkin said. “I have practice two hours a day, six days a week, so I make sure that after practice I’m getting my work done. I go see a tutor if I’ve missed classes.” PSUC softball head coach Stephanie Conroy knew Rhea Pitkin had the potential to be a great player ever since she first saw the pitcher play softball in high school. “She always had a fire in her,” Conroy said. “She seemed to really want to make an impact for her team, and she always wanted to win.” Rhea Pitkin attributes her success to being perseverant and viewing her losses as lessons. “Even when you’re getting down on yourself or you’re losing the love for the game, keep pushing through,” she said. Email Jasely Molina at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
B4
▪
CP Fuse
fuse editor windsor burkland
fuse@cardinalpointsonline.com
▪ friday, april 27, 2018
Art history major wins Chancellor’s Award By Nate Mundt staff writer
Growing up in the North Country, near Plattsburgh, Samantha Johnson thought she knew Plattsburgh State’s campus well. If it wasn’t for her mom encouraging her to apply to PSUC, Samantha’s life would have gone down a different path. “I came for a tour of the school [PSUC], even though I grew up here,” Johnson said. “It gave me a completely different perspective on the school.” Johnson, a senior art history major with three minors in french, studio art and history, was amazed by the works of art located throughout campus. She realized after visiting other college campuses that Plattsburgh State was the right fit for her. Another deciding factor for Johnson enrolling was when she received the Presidential Scholarship, which gives free tuition to recipients and invites them to join the Honors program. Johnson’s decision to pursue art history as a major can be traced back to her love for history in high school. She decided that if she wanted to work in a museum as her occupation, art history seemed like a viable option. “I really liked writing, so I wanted something where I could write a lot and tell stories,” Johnson said. Johnson chose architecture as her focus within the art history major. She has from a young age been amazed by the appearance and structure of buildings. Her love and passion for art history and architecture has led to many internships and research opportunities. Johnson traveled to the Republic of Georgia with her boyfriend in May 2017 to visit his family for two weeks, where she landed an unexpected internship excavating
Cardinal Points/Max Traa
Senior art history major Samantha Johnson reeps the benefits of hard work before graduation. a fourth century palace complex. “They already had excavated this sight once in the 80s, but they didn’t really have a way to preserve it yet, so they covered it back up to keep it protected,” Johnson said. A few weeks later, Johnson interned at Eastern Townships Resource Center, a nonprofit historical society, located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, that preserves ancient documents that were found in the Eastern Townships of the province. Johnson organized documents and ran social media ac-
counts at the archives. Johnson’s success doesn’t go unnoticed by her peers. Skylar Hunyadi, a friend who met Johnson in an English class at PSUC, attributes her success to her work ethic. “She is very organized and a timely person,” Hunyadi said. “She has the ability to foresee her semester and chunk it up to get her work done.” Hunyadi and Johnson worked together in the PSUC Art Museum. Through this connection, Hunyadi has noticed how passionate John-
son is about learning and accepting she is of people from different backgrounds. Johnson’s ability to connect with others, Hunyadi said, will get her far in life. Art department Chair and Professor Karen Blough had Johnson as a student, and agrees with Hunyadi about Johnson’s unique ability to learn. “Samantha came in with immense academic and intellectual gifts and these have progressed very much,” Blough said. “The projects she has worked on have become increasingly sophisticated.”
Blough praised Johnson’s writing ability and believes she is prepared for graduate school through her extensive internships and academic rigor. Because of her academic success and leadership experience, Johnson was awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award. The award was created in 1997 to recognize students who combine academic success with campus involvement. Johnson was nominated for the award by one of her professors. “I called my mom and she was surprised, but knew I could do it at the same time,” Johnson said with a smile. When Johnson isn’t busy with schoolwork or internships, she spends her time reading, dancing and knitting. Johnson is attending the University of Vermont as a graduate student next semester pursuing a master’s degree in historic preservation. She envisions herself restoring historic buildings once she receives her masters. Amidst all her success, Johnson said completing her 30-page senior thesis has been her greatest academic achievement. “That was a huge project,” Johnson said. “That was the most challenging and rewarding thing I’ve done at Plattsburgh.” Johnson wanted to focus on architecture, so she wrote about churches located in the Republic of Georgia. Learning about Georgian history and culture, Johnson said, was a driving factor behind her deciding her topic. “To be successful and finish it made it really worth all the hard work,” Johnson said. Email Nate Mundt at fuse@ cardinalpointsonline.com
Club Spotlight: The Oratory Society By Lexus Gomez staff writer
Roughly three out of four individuals are affected by glossophobia, or fear of public speaking, according to The National Institute of Mental Health who reported that 73 percent of people suffer from this social anxiety disorder. Formed this semester, the Plattsburgh State Oratory Society is dedicated to helping students transcend this fear in order to improve their public speaking skills. PSUC freshman marketing major Hanh Nguyen, club president, founded the society because of her desire to overcome her own anxiety and strengthen her public speaking skills. On the other hand, PSUC sophomore Munya Chimanye, vice president, recognized his liking and talent for speaking publicly back home in Zimbabwe. Chimanye, a double major in journalism and political science, shared that his journalism professor Nora Montanaro also recognized this in him and suggested
he join the Oratory Society to help other students learn to love public speaking as he does. “I felt it would be a waste to not try to get better at what I already do,” Chimanye said. Despite the differences in why they joined, both members want to provide students the space and resources to increase their confidence and skill in public speaking. “We just want to make the conversation of public speaking more approachable,” Chimanye said. A Columbia University study revealed that social phobia has a 10 percent impairment on a college student’s chance at graduating, a 10 percent impairment on wages and a 15 percent impairment on promotions to managerial positions. Nguyen shared another reason she started the club was because she understands that communication classes that mandate public speaking in the classroom can be stressful for students and wants to provide them a more interactive
Cardinal Points/Photo provided by The Oratory Society
The Oratory Society prepares for their Reading from Manuscript showcase on May 10. and relaxed environment. “I think if I create an environment for people to improve together, I will learn a lot from them,” Nguyen said. The club held its first meeting April 16 where they practiced presentations, impromptu speeches and other speaking activities. There was a strong turnout where Nguyen reported that 22 students attended.
“It went very well,” Chimanye said. “It was very interactive. People were able to get up and be comfortable speaking.” Nguyen attributes the first meeting’s success to their proactive and relentless promoting of the club’s meeting and their various mechanisms of reaching the campus community. “We went around campus and spoke to a lot of people,” Nguyen said. “We invited
our friends and told them to invite their friends. We also tabled and sent emails out through the student digest for the whole week.” Chimanye added there was a lot of effort in making sure everyone was well-informed about the details of the event. Nguyen and Chimanye hope to increase their public speaking skills to eventually compete in
speaking competitions next semester. The Reading from Manuscript showcase will be the club’s final event of the semester on May 10 in Hawkins 031B. Email Lexus Gomez at fuse@cardinalpointsonline. com
friday, april 27, 2018
▪
fuse@cardinalpointsonline.com
CP Fuse
fuse editor windsor burkland
▪
B5
“Night Owls” have higher chance of dying By Ben Watson editor in chief
Early to bed, early to rise and the early bird gets the worm. Everyone has heard the cliches, but according to a new study by Northwestern University and the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, late-night habits may be more deadly than many of us think. Science Daily recently released an article based on the study, detailing how “night owls” have a higher chance of dying than morning people who go to bed early. The study, conducted on 500,000 people over six-and-a-half years, found that night owls who have to get up early for work or other responsibilities have a 10 percent higher chance of dying than their early to bed, early to rise counterparts. “We know that there’s a lot of negative effects from sleep deprivation,” said Doc Sheehan, a biological sciences lecturer at Plattsburgh State. “So if you don’t sleep at night, but you still have to get up at seven o’clock in the morning, you’re not only living on an altered schedule, you’re living with sleep deprivation on a regular basis.” Previous studies around this topic already discovered correlations between being a night person and metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular disease, but this was the first to examine the relationship with mortality rates. PSUC junior and TV-video production and digital media production double major Mike Campbell knows the struggle of being a night owl in a morning person’s world well. Between his schoolwork, his workout requirements related to being on
Graphic by Windsor Burkland
the PSUC track and field team and his job at Lowe’s Home Improvement, Campbell regularly stays up late and gets up early. “I usually wake up with a headache that doesn’t really go away unless I take painkillers,” Campbell said. “I start my day off with a nice glass of water with a couple ibuprofens.” In contrast, senior business administration major Nicholas Ashline is a selfproclaimed morning person.
He mentioned that while this trait helps him throughout the day, it sometimes comes back to bite him at night. “It helps me as I go through my day, but then it also takes longer to fall asleep,” Ashline said. The article also suggested that some people may simply be genetically predisposed to having a biological clock that makes them stay up later, a sentiment Sheehan acknowledged as plausible, and
RAP: Competition brings advancement within genre From Page Six The golden age of female rap reached a plateau in the mid-2000s. Lauryn Hill disappeared. Left Eye passed away. Foxy Brown temporarily lost her hearing. Queen Latifah pursued acting while Missy Elliot worked behind the scenes as a music producer. What about Lil Kim? She was serving time in 2005 for perjury. The absence of these rappers left fans wondering who would be next in line for the throne. The answer: Onika Tanya Maraj—better known as Nicki Minaj. Minaj released her first mixtape, “Playtime is Over” in 2007. Her Barbie persona mixed with her gritty bars caught the attention of Lil Wayne who signed Minaj to his label in 2009. Prior to releasing her debut album, “Pink Friday,” Minaj built her credibility by collaborating with rappers, such as Gucci Mane, Drake and Ludacris. Her appearance on Kanye West’s 2010 single “Monster” featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z changed the game, jump started her career and established her place in the rap industry. Minaj outperformed the hip-hop heavyweights with her clever wordplay, versatile flow and eccentric vocal changes, ranging from a pretty princess to a relentless monster out for blood, or in her case, the crown. In her verse, she chewed up her haters and sent a clear message to her male counterparts: “You can be the king, but watch the queen conquer.” Eight years later, Minaj holds the title of the most awarded female rapper, surpassing Missy Elliott who won 189 awards. Minaj is also the only female rapper to win the BET Best Female Hip-Hop artist award seven years in a row. However, the streak ended in 2017 after Remy Ma released “SHEther,” a Nas-sampled diss track aimed at Minaj. Despite Minaj’s rap tenure, history repeated itself. It was once again time for someone new to step up and claim the number one slot. Remy Ma tried, but she lost momentum after a few months. Fans were curious to know who would be next. The answer: Belcalis Almanzar, a selfdescribed “regular-degular-shmegular girl from the Bronx.” Call her Cardi B for short. Cardi first rose to the spotlight through Instagram. Known for her “tell it as it is” attitude, exotic dancing past and hilarious rants, she won the hearts of millions of followers. She was casted in the VH1 reality show “Love and Hip Hop: New York” in 2016. After a season, she left the show to focus on rapping, a passion she kept hidden from the public since she was a teenager. Within the next two years, Cardi B recorded two mixtapes and signed to Atlan-
tic Records. She surprised the rap world with her debut single, “Bodak Yellow,” which topped the Hot 100 without any features surpassing Lauryn Hill’s record. As a newcomer to the game, Cardi B had to deal with critics comparing her to the most relevant woman in modern rap, Nicki Minaj. “Anytime I think of a female rapper, I think of her rival,” said Dimas Sanfiorenzo. “That doesn’t really happen with men. Even though there’s Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole then everyone else, there’s a healthy environment where there’s a Future fan or a Gucci fan. We can do a better job embracing women rappers and their different flavors.” Nicki Minaj and Cardi B went to toe-totoe on Migos’ 2018 single “Motorsport.” Listeners accused Minaj indirectly dissing Cardi. Minaj also did not appear on the set of the “Motorsport” video with Cardi B, which only heightened the rumors of their beef. “I do think there’s a bit of the fanbase and media hyping this thing up, but when ‘Bodak Yellow’ dropped last year, Nicki’s ears went up.” Sanfiorenzo said. Once again, two powerful women were being pinned against each other. “Men do not fear other men who are reaching for the top because there’s enough space for all of them at the top,” said Shailyn Ulloa PSUC senior finance business administration major. “Female rappers do not feel that comfort due to the limited space. Nicki may not support Cardi B because she fears the loss of her supporters and fame.” Down the line, Sanfiorenzo sees rap music evolving and developing an innovative sound. “Something new is gonna come along, and it’s going to be what hip-hop was in the 80s,” Sanfiorenzo said. “But, I have a feeling the starting point is going to be from hip-hop.” Female rappers may have the upperhand deck. Just like diamonds are made under pressure, quality music is created through competition. Women aspiring to reach the top will be motivated to release their best material. Although society and the rap industry has placed its limit on how many women can rise to the top, female rappers will find a way to break this barrier— the same way MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Roxanne Shante and many others have. Email Jasely Molina at fuse@cardinalpointsonline.com
that our society may feed into it. “It’s certainly a possibility, and the article makes good suggestions about things [to help deal with it] like limiting light,” Sheehan said. “Once upon a time, we lived in a society when as we evolved, there was light during the day and dark at night. Now, we’re exposed to electric lights, electronic devices that feed into our eyes, feed into our brain, and give us an artificial sense of what day is.” Sheehan went on to suggest that people may select jobs based on what kind of person they are, referring to his and his wife’s experience working in restaurants in the past. “You tend to work really late, you finish your shift and you’re very energized,” Sheehan said. “You tend to want to hang around with the people you’re energized with, which may involve behaviors that aren’t necessarily supportive of health. There’s a lot of confounding possibilities in the study.” Finally, the study brought up the possibility of society adjusting to allow night people to start work later, though suggesting the change and actually implementing are different stories. It’s something that Sheehan thinks we shouldn’t dismiss out of hand. “It’s something we should take note of and say, ‘Is there anything we can do for folks like this that would make it easier for them?’” Email Ben Watson at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
VIDEOS ONLINE
cardinalpointsonline.com
Plans for next year? Why not complete the Clarkson MBA? Even if you’ve never taken a business course, you can get your MBA in less than a year. And since your school is a Clarkson partner, you’re automatically eligible for a 4+1 Fellowship: • $10,000 Tuition Scholarship • $4,000 Travel Scholarship • Guaranteed graduate assistantship that lets you earn up to $3,000 Streamlined application: Candidates with a GMAT score of 550 or higher and a GPA of 3.0 or greater are automatically accepted. No essays, no recommendation letters, no application fees – just send your official test scores and transcript and you’re in.
Ready to learn more? To apply, go to www.clarkson.edu/mba.
By Jasely Molina staff writer
N
icki Minaj and Cardi B are indisputably the top two female rappers in 2018, but in the history of hip-hop, a female rapper is either number one or nonexistent.
From making shady remarks during interviews to throwing lyrical jabs at each other, Minaj and Cardi have made headlines for their ongoing beef. Fans are now wondering whose side to pick, and most importantly, who will be the next rap queen. But don’t be fooled. This isn’t the first time female rappers have competed for the coveted number one slot. This won’t be the last time either.
Hip-hop was not created for women to relate to or participate in; yet, emcees such as Roxanne Shante, Queen Latifah and MC Lyte established a space for the female perspective in rap and paved the way for future artists.
“The misconception in hip-hop is that only men have something to get off their chest,” said Plattsburgh State alumna Yesenia Reynoso. “Because men were expected to be tough, grimey and borderline disrespectful, rap was shaped by the people who were delivering the music.”
Female emcees ushered in a golden age throughout the the early 80s and late 90s. Roxanne Shante created the first diss track. MC Lyte became the first female rapper to release a full album, and Lauryn Hill was the first solo female rapper to release a single that reached No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100. “Women are the roses that grew from concrete in hip-hop,” said Plattsburgh State TV and radio production major and rapper Kai Pascuali. “They grew from the cement and made beautiful music that resonated with the community. Queens like Lauryn Hill, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah and Lil Kim were able to stand strong in a male-dominated art.” Lil Kim’s “Ladies Night (Not Tonight)” remix highlighted another pivotal moment in hip-hop history. The single, featuring Missy Elliott, Da Brat, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and radio personality Angie Martinez, went platinum and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This collaboration proved female emcees could coexist and share the same platform. For a brief moment, women were individually acknowledged for their contributions in hip-hop, and competition was not a priority. However, with a limited space for women to shine, competition rose and the female rap space slowly diminished. A female rapper’s credibility was now based on her spot on the charts rather than her talent. “People couldn’t fathom a woman being assertive and delivering a message the same way a man can,” Reynoso said. “The rap industry thought ‘there’s no way women can dominate this rough genre,’ so what they did was give one woman a few crumbs, but left the rest of the bar to themselves.”
See RAP, B5
Illustration by Windsor Burkland