DRESS TO IMPRESS EMPLOYERS A5
LACROSSE LOSES TO CORTLAND IN SUNYAC FINAL B1
GUITAR ENSEMBLE COVERS THE GREATS B5
Friday, May 11, 2018 • Volume 98, Issue 12 • cardinalpointsonline.com • 50 cents
Power outage doesn’t stop Autism Alliance Walk
Cardinal Points/Ben Watson The annual Autism Awareness Walk, sponsored by the Autism Alliance of Northeastern New York, wasn’t stopped by power outages across the North Country last weekend. Roughly 750 people turned out for a day of food, live entertainment and support of a good cause last Saturday at the Clinton County Fairgrounds.
By Emma Vallelunga associate news editor
A windstorm struck down trees and power lines across the North Country last Friday night, but that didn’t stop the Autism Alliance of Northeastern New York from hosting its 13th annual Autism Awareness Walk at the Clinton County Fairgrounds the next day. By 9:30 a.m., 18 large and local businesses were already tabling, advertising their companies and entertaining children before the walk took place. Kids bounced around inflatable houses, snacked on free ice cream and competed in lawn games. Program coordinator Jessica Perry said the organization was founded by a small planning committee for the Autism Awareness Walk in 2005 and became a non-profit in 2011. Perry said the walk
is one of the organization’s biggest fundraising events of the year. The planning committee arranged for a local upstate band, Flame, to perform at this year’s Autism Awareness Walk. Flame is a 10-person cover band from Gloversville, New York, which has been performing state and nationwide since 2003. Each band member has a disability, such as autism, Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, blindness, paralysis and Asperger’s. After booking the band for concerts at the Strand Theatre in downtown Plattsburgh in previous years, Perry believed the band would bring their good energy to the annual walk. “We just wanted to give them a bigger audience,” Perry said. “To us, they deserve to reach more people in the North Country.” Due to last week’s power outage, Perry and other board members rented a generator so Flame could still perform for the
expected crowd of roughly 750. The Autism Alliance of Northeastern New York’s website states that this year’s walk had raised a total of $21,262. With all proceeds going toward the organization, walkers were encouraged to create, join or donate to teams inspired by community members with autism and their families. Team Lucas was announced as the winner, raising the most money out of 40 other teams with $3,970. Thirty to 40 volunteers, some Plattsburgh State students, attended the walk Saturday. Sophomore nursing majors Kacie Lavalley and Sierra Barrett watched kids as they played inside two large red, blue and yellow bounce houses. “We got here at 8 to help set up,” Lavalley said. “We started with balloons, and when they [blew up] the bounce houses, we just came over.” Lavalley has volunteered for the walk
A small white church on Palmer Street, adorned with stained glass windows and an LGBT pride flag, is the home of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which, along with Plattsburgh Cares and I Am an Ally, hosted a Black Lives Matter potluck for community members and students last Sunday. “Essentially, this luncheon aims to bridge a certain gap between community members and students,” said Taylor Cardinal Points/Sage Lewandowski Richardson, public relaAbout 70 people attended the Black Lives Matter potluck on Saturday, hosted at the Unitarian Univer- tions major and member salist Fellowship, located at 4 Palmer St. in Plattsburgh. of I Am an Ally. “Students especially might feel like
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See WALK, A2
Black Lives Matter potluck builds bridges By Sage Lewandowski staff writer
Weather & Index
for three years. She currently works for Residential Resources in Plattsburgh, an organization that works to better the quality of life for people with developmental and acquired disabilities through community engagement. “I’ve grown up working with kids on the spectrum in every way,” Lavalley said. Barrett is a member of the PSUC chapter of Alpha Phi Sorority, but she volunteered for the walk on her own. While this is only her second time volunteering for Autism Awareness, she also works with March of Dimes, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the health of mothers and their babies. “It’s nice to see [the kids] as the main focus [as they] play together and feel included,” Barrett said. Lavalley also appreciates the organization for all the work they put into their walk.
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there’s a disconnect or a stigma held against them that they’re just here to trash things and party.” The grand room of the fellowship was replete with conversation and music styles from salsa to jazz as guests filled their plates with homemade and classic store-bought foods. Pizza, salads, baked ziti and sushi filled the buffet tables along with takeout from KFC and Taco Bell. The UU Fellowship is a unique place of worship that doesn’t require parish members to recognize any specific deity. Rather, the focus of the fellowship is finding one’s self through spirituality, whatever that may be, and finding love and peace
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through other people and respect for the environment. “You may have noticed each of our windows has a different religious symbol in it,” said Michelle Ouellette, assistant professor of public relations at PSUC and founding member of Plattsburgh Cares. The fellowship does not follow a holy book, but abides by the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism, which promote positive behaviors and thoughts but has the consistent theme of “justice, equity and compassion in human relations”. See BLM, A6
Sports ................................... B1 Scoreboard ........................... B2 Cardinal Watch.................... B4 FUSE .................................... B6
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news editor rebecca natale
PSUC News JazzFest 2018 tonight Tonight, the music department will host JazzFest 2018, a MamboCombo performance, at 7:30 p.m. in the Giltz Auditorium in Hawkins Hall. This event is cosponsored in part by the Student Association and the music department. For ticket information, visit: tickets.plattsburgh.edu.
AmeriCORPS Vista positions available North Country AmeriCorps VISTA invites PSUC students to apply to its year-long and summer positions. AmeriCORPS Vista is a federal program that aims to alleviate poverty across the U.S. and its territories. For the first time, AmeriCORPS Vista members are working in the area, alongside North Country THRIVE, to address the needs of low income residents. Contact Mike Betz at mbetz001@plattsburgh.edu with questions.
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friday, may 11, 2018
College’s financial footing still shaky By Kody Mashtare staff writer
The Plattsburgh State Academic Affairs division has secured its permanent salary cuts for fiscal year 2018-2019 as required by the college’s financial stability plan but still faces $650,000 to cut for the 20192020 fiscal year. In an email to the PSUC faculty sent out the last week of April, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Michael Morgan, who declined interview requests, said retirements were the main factor in achieving permanent salary cuts for 2018-2019. If the college does not achieve significant reductions through retirements for fiscal year 2019-2020, other cuts — including
an increase in contract non-renewals — may likely result, his email said. Retirement savings for fiscal year 2018-2019 totaled $465,943. Permanent salary cuts at PSUC are scheduled by the financial stability plan to continue through fiscal year 2021-2022, with total reduction targets of $1.3 million for 2019-2020, $608,000 for 2020-2021 and another $608,000 for 2021-2022. Morgan said he is not at liberty to discuss personnel issues. About the same time Morgan sent the email, PSUC’s Human Resources department sent an email to faculty containing information about the Voluntary Reduction of Work Schedule program, which provides faculty the option to take a reduced workload and a salary cut. The Voluntary Phased
Separation Program, which is modeled after the Voluntary Reduction of Work Schedule Program, is also available, Morgan said in his email. A number of faculty have utilized those programs for fiscal year 20182019 and will retire at the end of that year, he added. Vice President of Administration and Finance, Josee Larochelle, who oversees the financial stability plan, said she is confident the college will achieve budget reductions necessary to meet the plan. Larochelle was out of her office until Thursday and unavailable for an interview. Email Kody Mashtare at news@cardinalpointsonline.com
Windstorm tears up North Country
Annual residence hall rummage sale to benefit interfaith food shelf The Center for Student Involvement, Housing and Residence Life and College Auxiliary Services will hold their annual Residence Hall Rummage Sale Tuesday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Algonquin Dining Hall. Over the six years since its start, the sale has generated more than $12,000 for the Plattsburgh Interfaith Food Shelf. For more information, contact Jackson at 518-5644830 or email jacksoc@plattsburgh.edu.
Angell College Center Finals Week Building Hours Wednesday 5/16: 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. (Desk: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.) Thursday 5/17: 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. (Desk: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.) Friday 5/18: 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Desk: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) Saturday 5/19: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Desk: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) Sunday 5/20: CLOSED
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
A fallen tree rests on the banks of the Saranac River behind Memorial Hall, following last weekend’s windstorm that caused thousands of dollars of damage across the region and left many without power.
New major joins curriculum: robotics By Abby Talcott staff writer
Plattsburgh State students now have the option to join the new robotics major in time for the 2018 fall semester. A press release on the school’s website states there are only 19 robotics programs in the nation, making PSUC’s the only one in the SUNY system so far. “We started the robotics minor in collaboration with the physics department two or three years ago,” said Delbert Hart, PSUC professor of computer science. “That was going well, and they had started offering Intro to Robotics, and that led us into looking to create a robotics major.” They stketched out the program’s feasibility over the last fall semester, then
put together and submitted a proposal. In the proposal, the group suggested nine new classes to be required for the major and utilized some already in the curriculum. Most robotics classes are math and science intensive and require a lot of prerequisites in programming and physics before a student can take them. “Once they get through the programming and physics, they can take the Intro to Robotics course and then an embedded systems course and [then a class] where they work on a team,” Hart said. “For their senior project, they propose their own robotics project and then they work on it and that should be a lot of fun.” With the robotics major so fresh to campus, Hart
doesn’t believe many students will join the major in the fall. “The major was only officially approved at the end of February, so we missed this admission cycle,” Hart said. “There aren’t many students signed up right now, but there is a huge amount of interest in robotics at the high school, so this potentially could have many students in the future.” Because the major requires such rigorous prerequisite classes in physics and programming, it’s also difficult for students to switch into if they didn’t come specifically for it, though Hart said at least one computer science student is already planning to enroll in the new program. Less than a mile from campus, Plattsburgh Senior High School offers two classes in
robotics to students. One of the classes offered at PHS works with the same equipment the college’s Intro to Robotics class uses, Arduino, which allows students to learn and experiment with coding and engineering. The addition of the robotics major on campus could attract more local graduates interested in robotics who might have gone elsewhere, possibly across the country for their desired program. “We may not have many joining the program this upcoming semester, but this program has the potential to attract many new students to Plattsburgh,” Hart said. Email Abby Talcott at news@cardinalpointsonline. com
WALK: Students take joy in volunteering From Page One
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“I think it’s great that all these kids can come out and have a day that’s catered to them,” Lavalley said. Inside a covered pavilion, 14 differently themed raffle baskets lined the wall, alongside shoe boxes wrapped in white paper, decorated in blue puzzle pieces and filled with raffle tickets. PSUC rising senior and childhood and special education major Alicia Bedard sold roughly 250 raffle tickets in just two hours since she started volunteering at 8:30 a.m. that morning. Bedard first volunteered for the walk during her freshman year. Last
year, Bedard said $1,300 was raised on raffle tickets alone. “I work with a young boy who has autism through Respite with New York State,” Bedard said. “He’s not here today, but I’ll be thinking of him.” While studying education, Bedard has the opportunity to substitute teach kindergarten through second grade at Peru Primary School. Even though she usually remembers working with a few other volunteers at the raffle booth during past walks, Bedard was alone Saturday morning, selling tickets: one for $1, five for $5, 10 for $10 and 25 for $20—a whole five extra tickets for
paying the highest amount. As a Morrisonville resident, Bedard hopes to further her education working with children by continuing to volunteer for events like the Autism Awareness Walk for as long as she can. “[The feeling is] amazing,” Bedard said. “I love to babysit and volunteer, anything with kids. I want to work with kids who have autism. That’s [the] reason I’m here.” Email Emma Vallelunga at news@ cardinalpointsonline.com
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Cardinal Points/Mataeo Smith
The Student Association held their final meeting of the semester Wednesday. This semester has been one of the busiest of recent memory for the SA, with the organization voting no confidence in PSUC President John Ettling during the racist Snapchat scandal this past February, among other notworthy decisions.
SA wraps up semester with resolutions By Mataeo Smith associate news editor
The Plattsburgh State Student Association held its final meeting of the semester in the Cardinal Lounge of the Angell College Center at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday. PSUC senior Chelsea Green presented the “Green Index” which is a rewritten version of the Legislation Index penned by the 47th legislation’s Executive Vice President Steven Heath. Heath wrote, documented and organized all of the legislation from the first legislation to the 47th. “My job was to pick up where he left off,” Green said. “I am going to rewrite the current index for the 54th [legislation] onward and setting the foundation for the future legislations. It will highlight where we are as a student association.” The SA passed a summer budget proposal by PSUC Finance Board Vice President Shiyiheeim Nartey-Tokoli. The budget pertains to summer allocations of student activity that decreases the current budget from $28,938.80 to $28,935.00. The SA approved Student Bill #4, which calls for the
elimination of executive bylaws, student bills and other bylaws before the beginning of the 54th legislation. The bill will become effective when signed by the speaker of the senate. Student Bill #5 was approved by the SA senate. The bill calls for a new phone/video meeting policy for the SA. This bill stemmed from a problem faced this semester, of having to call important last-minute meetings but inability to reach quorum. With the new policy, meetings over the phone will allow the SA to conduct important meetings more efficiently. The SA approved Resolution #5, a call to honor and recognize Keith Tyo, director of communications and President John Ettling’s chief of staff, who annnounced his retirement this semester. “On behalf of the students of this institution who have studied here throughout the time Keith Tyo served as the director of communications and chief of staff, we are forever indebted to him and his 22 years of service to our college,” the resolution said, written by SA President Jessica Falace and Executive Vice President Kristin Berkey . The SA also approved Resolution #6, which will simi-
larly honor University Police Chief Jerry Lottie, who also announced his retirement. “Students have appreciated his dedication and service to the college,” Falace said. In other closing events, Active Minds was approved for permanent status as an organization on campus. Active Minds is a club for those who have been affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts. The Young Democratic Socialists of America was approved for permanent status. YDSA President Gwen Sagliocca said the club was planning to hold collaboration events with groups like Black Onyx: The Black Student Union and the National Association for Black Accountants. The Literature Club was approved for up to $120 for new books to discuss. Their next book will be “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline. The SA will resume meetings in the fall. Email Mataeo Smith at news@cardinalpointsonline.com
A4 • Friday, May 11, 2018 • cardinalpointsonline.com/opinions • opinions editor hilly nguyen
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
Dressing for the job you want By Tess Acierno staff writer
Every college student has been there — waking up at 8:55 a.m. for a 9 a.m. class, throwing on sweats and a baggy T-shirt and walking out the door. Clothing says a lot about a person, and unfortunately for those who take comfort to the extreme, sweatshirts and moccasins usually won’t impress post-graduation. Knowing how to dress well can give a person the confidence to walk into an interview and land the job they’d been hoping for. There’s no need to be a fashion expert or to break the bank in order to look professional walking into a job interview. For those who enjoy comfort, look to the likes of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. One thing these men aren’t known for is their style. Men like them can wear ill-fitting sweaters and jeans every day because they’ve achieved their goals and are no longer trying to advance their careers. In the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology fea-
tured in The New York Times, scientists studied a phenomenon known as “enclothed cognition.” This phenomenon studies the ways clothing can affect people’s behavior and cognitive function. According to some of the studiy, women who dress in a masculine fashion during a job interview are more likely to get the job, and teaching assistants who wear formal clothing are seen as more intelligent than those who don’t dress up. Although these experiments aren’t totally conclusive and don’t tell us why clothing affects our behavior, it does show a valid point: dressing for the job you want could be the answer to getting hired or promoted. Dressing for the job you want doesn’t necessarily mean dull pant-suits and ugly kitten heels every day. As new business and work-from-home jobs are created, the possibilities for work fashion have become endless. Some jobs require a suit, others jeans and a T-shirt, but every job requires some element of style in the employee’s clothing. Most corporate jobs will require a more professional style, but there are ways to make the somewhat boring
traditional look pop. For men, the best work investment possible is a few nicely fitted suits. These suits don’t have to be Armani or cost $1,000, but they do have to fit correctly. A relatively inexpensive suit can be made to look so much more professional if it’s fitted by a tailor. Dress a suit up with a nice tie, belt and watch (if you’re a watch kind of guy) and voilà: instant professional. Nowadays, women have much more leeway in dressing for work. In the past, women were expected to dress more masculine in shoulderpads and slacks, but now a lot more women have a wide array of clothes to choose from. Bright colors, shiny jewelry and stilettos are slowly being accepted into the corporate workday. Dressing for the job you want works. It’s undeniable that when someone looks good, they feel good and can gain the confidence to achieve their goals.
Email Tess Acierno at opinions@cardinalpointsonline.com
How to de-stress during finals week By Tamiyha Carter fuse & opinions editor
As the semester comes to an end and finals begin, we often stress ourselves out with studying and cramming a semester’s worth of work into one night. Finals week can be a tough time for some students, but there are ways to tame the stress that comes with finals week. Unlike some students, I’m not usually stressed out during finals week. What works best for me is to take everything one thing at a time. Making time for certain assignments every day helps with the workload. You’re not forcing yourself to memorize weeks worth of information for a class right after the other. Prioritizing will keep you afloat when trying to finish a bunch of work in a week or sometimes a day. If you’re a procrastinator, which most of us are, start with the assignment that is most demanding or due first.
“I study for whatever work is most pressing,” President of Uke-a-dooks, Jacob Elsbree said.“Then I move down the list.” Once you’ve completed it, you’ll feel accomplished and everything should get easier after. Or, just don’t procrastinate. It only hurts you in the long run. Creating a specific study time every day can alleviate some stress. You get into the habit of studying during that specific time, so you don’t forget and it becomes a routine. This can also give you time to sit down and think about which final you want to study for and when. Some people like to work out more during finals week to keep the stress at ease or to just take their mind off of things. This can be a good way to finally start your New Year’s resolution or to just feel good about yourself. When you look good, you feel good, and a good feeling leads to a good attitude which is necessary for finals week.
A healthy, hearty diet is something students should think about not only during finals week, but all the time. In my experience, eating healthier foods during finals week keeps me awake and alert. I’m not slouched in class, tired or bloated. I feel light and like I can conquer the world. Sleep. Don’t forget to do this. Many students pull all-nighters for two and three nights in a row during finals week. This is not good considering everyone should get at least eight hours of sleep. My motto is: If I don’t know it at midnight, I’m not going to know it at 3 a.m. Try again in the morning. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Some professors and/or teaching assistants are more than willing to give extra help. Asking for help during office hours or by appointment can benefit you during your finals. Even study groups can be beneficial. Study groups often let us know that we’re not alone. We’re not the only person in the class who does not understand
the material. It can be a time to hear many different voices and ways they help themselves understand the material. You can maybe apply those techniques to your study habits and it can help you understand. Finals week may be a breeze for some, but for others it may be the worst week of their lives. Taking things one step at a time, organizing and making time for specific things can help one keep a level head during a crucial time. Just remember to keep up with the basic duties everyone must do to stay alive. Finals week is not life or death, so be sure it doesn’t turn you into a zombie. Email Tamiyha Carter at opinions@ cardinalpointsonline.com
friday, may 11, 2018
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CP Opinions
Another semester gone
Another finals week approaching and another semester gone. This time, though, it feels different. It’s likely been years since Plattsburgh State has seen a period quite as draining as this spring semester has been. A time marked by protest, anger, budget cuts
and tragedy. It was a semester that showed us all what our student body is capable of when even just a part of it unites behind a cause. Students protest after February’s racist Snapchat incident put PSUC’s administration on watch, and you haven’t let it become com-
fortable again. Budget cuts have seen the non-renewals of numerous professors and lecturers across all departments. The Educational Opportunity Program suffered a devastating loss when its director Kyla Relaford suddenly passed away a few weeks ago. Through it all,
we at Cardinal Points have had the privilege of covering everything for you. We hope we’ve done you proud, and we’ll continue to do our best at bringing you all the best coverage of our campus possible. As the summer approaches, it would be easy to take a rest and
let all of this fall to the back of our minds. We can’t let that happen, though; we need to stay critical and always push for better from our college. Enjoy your summer. We know we will, but stay vocal, and be ready to keep pushing PSUC forward next year.
Being called “intimidating” By Hilly Nguyen opinions editor
What is it like to be an “intimidating woman?” What is an “intimidating woman” made of? Well, being an intimidating woman is not really that easy, at least in my opinion. It is hard to actually intimidate someone. When a woman is called intimidating, it might be because of the way she acts or carries herself. Being called intimidating is not a criticism. In fact, it’s a compliment. To all the ladies out there, trust me, you must have done something right in your life in order to be called that. Staying true to yourself is not something you should feel sorry for. Being liked is not something I’m look-
ing for. All I care about is if I am feeling good in my own skin and being proud of who I am right now. Nobody should stop you from doing what you want to do. That’s why women like Hillary Clinton, Audrey Hepburn and Emma Watson are always my role models. They are all successful, hard-working, graceful and strong. They might be intimidating to some people. However, I aspire to be like them. I aspire to be that intimidating. A woman is capable of everything. If she wants to do something, she will do it regardless of others’ opinions. If anyone has ever watched “Gossip Girl”, Blair Waldorf is one of the most feminist females on screen I’ve ever seen in my
life. She is beautiful. She is smart. She is successful. What she said that all of us can learn from are: “I’m not a stop along the way. I’m a destination.” “Destiny is for losers. It’s just a stupid excuse to wait for things to happen instead of making them happen.” “You can’t make people love you, but you can make them fear you.” “I don’t need a boyfriend to be fulfilled.” “When and if we end up together, it has to be as equals.” “If you really want something, you don’t stop for anyone or anything until you get it.” And the list goes on and on. Of course, Blair might appear intimidating to many people. She is too
perfect. She can do something that not everyone can. She works hard and fights for whatever she believes in. Of course, people don’t like her. However, at the end of the day, she succeeds and gets whatever she wants in life. That’s all that matters. Remember, ladies. Next time, if someone calls you intimidating for some reason, take it as a compliment. I aspire to be a strong and independent woman. If that’s what it takes to be intimidating, I would love to be one.
opinions editor hilly nguyen
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By The Numbers
ago New York Yankees trade 28 DaveyearsWinfield to Angels for Mike Witt. 52 ropeyearsCupagoI. Real Madrid won 11th Eucamera 69 soldyears$89.95agointheNewfirstYorkPolaroid City. ago Minnesota was admitted 160 asyears the 32nd U.S. State. years ago Glacier National Park in 108 Montana was established. Academy of Motion Pic91 tureyearsArtsagoandtheSciences was founded. years ago Siam changed its name to 69 Thailand. ago Pulitzer Prize was 94 years awarded to Robert Frost.
Email Hilly Nguyen at opinions@cardinalpointsonline.com
Food on campus: yum or yuck? By Tracey Fox staff writer
Let’s be honest, our oncampus food sucks. Since living off campus, I’ve been able to establish much healthier eating habits because I’m finally not restricted to just on-campus dining services. At Plattsburgh State, freshmen are required to eat on campus with the Anytime Dining + $125 meal plan. This allows you to eat anytime at Clinton, Algonquin and Lil Al’s with an additional 30 Express dollars and 95 dining dollars. However, with those, you are pretty much forced to eat at the dining halls. The dining halls are where the freshman-15 comes from. Even though Clinton may look prettier then it did last year, healthy
food options still aren’t a priority. Every day the wonderful smell of double cheeseburgers, pizza and French fries fill the air, and it’s hard to say no. I think that our school should do a better job at making these options hard to find. In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Education and Behavior, 600 college students, mostly freshman, were asked about their eating habits. It was determined that most of them weren’t eating even one serving of fruits or vegetables a day. Vegetables and healthy food choices should be the first thing college students should see when walking into dining halls. My favorite place to eat on campus is Little Al’s. Even though it’s similar to Subway, the meat is
healthier and less processed. Also, when you go to Subway with the freshman meal plan you have to choose from their retail meals, so it’s restrictive. At Lil Al’s, you can get a different artisan sandwich every day. It counts as unlimited dining, and the sandwiches are delicious. Getting your sandwich toasted may be the best part. The melted cheese makes every sandwich mouthwatering. If you are sick of swiping at dining halls thankfully the freshman meal plan offers you $30 for Express and 95 dining dollars to last you the whole semester. That was sarcasm of course. Thirty dollars at Express can buy you about two packs of water and maybe a pack of gum. 95 dining dollars can actually last you for a while
if you’re smart about it. I used to just get little items like breakfast sandwiches or coffee from Tim Hortons, Griddles or Einsteins a couple times a week to make my money last. My best advice for anyone who’s sick of on-campus dining and not a freshman is choose the cheapest meal plan. When you do that take the extra money that you would’ve spent on a meal plan and load up your Cardinal Cash. With Cardinal Cash, you can eat off campus at places like Olive Ridleys, 20 Below Deli and Sawatdee (my favorite restaurant in town.) Email Tracey Fox at opinions@cardinalpointsonline. com
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News Editor Rebecca Natale
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Sports Editor Nathanael LePage
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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
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BLM: Potluck feels ‘like coming home.’ From Page One “We take the ‘inherent worth and dignity of every individual’ principle very seriously,” Ouellette said. She and other members of the fellowship, also members of Plattsburgh Cares, helped establish the potluck with the help of students and organizations on campus. “What Michelle is always consciously doing is making sure the community and the college have a correspondence and see each other,” Richardson said. “She creates events that kind of push you to be approachable and establish connections.” The group believes these connections are imperative after this turbulent semester on campus. “[This potluck] is in response to the unrest on campus,” said Kathy Sajor, president of Plattsburgh Cares and a member of the UU Fellowship. “We went from this group of women, just wanting to help, to this huge coalition of activist groups, individuals and the interfaith community working together to make this happen.” Sajor, along with Ouellette, Joelle Lamica, and several others started Plattsburgh Cares about a year ago, and have worked tirelessly to provide humanitarian services to the disenfranchised, including offering their support to Muslim refugees who crossed the Canadian border after President Trump’s inauguration. “We want everyone to know that there are caring people in this community,” Sajor said. “No matter if you’re black, white, American or not, queer, transgender, we
will receive you and welcome you and celebrate who you are and the many gifts you might bring.” Breanne Johnson is a public relations major and marketing minor at PSUC who helped market the potluck through social media. “As part of PR, we learn that social media is a primary way that we can get a lot of students, especially on campus, to attend events,” Johnson said. About 50 chairs were set up in circles to create an open and friendly atmosphere. About 70 students and community members attended. “We’re so happy with the turnout. We’re seeing so many different faculty members and students connecting,” Johnson said. Age was not a limiting factor at this potluck. College students talked in depth with long-time Plattsburgh residents. Children weaved through the diverse crowd. “There are a lot of members [of the Fellowship] that I didn’t even know teach at Plattsburgh,” Johnson said. “Being a part of the SUNY Plattsburgh community gave us all an instant connection,” Johnson said. The UU Fellowship offered a safe haven for students wanting to relax off campus and gave community members the opportunity to bond and find common ground with the youth sweeping through this college town. “We are a welcoming congregation,” Sajor said. “We are always on the forefront of celebrating people. It’s like coming home.” Email Sage Lewandowski at news@cardinalpointsonline.com
news editor rebecca natale
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Chris Taylor
Athlete takes same mentality both in class and on track Page B3
PSUC coach’s journey from Liverpool to Plattsburgh Page B3
Scoreboard
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In the Cards
Friday, May 11, 2018
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Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
PSUC junior short stop Kaitlyn Preiss pulls down a pass from catcher Anna Fisher to catch Oneonta catcher Selena Ruiz stealing on April 28. The Cardinals split the final SUNYAC doubleheader of the regular season, earning the fifth seed in the SUNYAC Championship, where they were eliminated by a pair of losses to SUNY Cortland.
Cards end season, look to retool By Fernando Alba associate sports editor
The Plattsburgh State softball team recorded another strong season, posting a 10-8 SUNYAC Conference record that qualified the team for the SUNYAC tournament where the Cards were eliminated in the third day to Cortland. “They needed to focus on winning one game at a time,” said Stephanie Conroy, head coach,
about the team’s focus going into the tournament. “Every game we played, we put ourselves in a position to win, that’s really all I could ask for. They stayed together as a team, they picked each other up, they represented the program well.” The fifth-seeded Cards played their last game in the tournament over the course of two days. PSUC ended day one trailing the Cortland Red Dragons 3-1 in the bottom of
Outdoor Track and Field
the sixth inning before rain prevented any further play. With three outs remaining, the Cards entered the game the next day determined to the extend their season. The seniors stepped up with the season on the line as outfielder Dominique Zummo and first baseman Kelsey Gage provided the offense to extend the game to extra innings. PSUC survived two consecutive innings with bases loaded by the Red Dragons before Senior
first baseman Skyler Hoyt hit a single and RBI, winning the game for Cortland in walk-off fashion. Conroy was pleased with how the team played over the two days despite being eliminated. “We were given an inning, and we ended up playing four.” she said. “Whatever the situation was, we were going to fight no matter what. When we did play, we definitely took advantage of that opportunity.”
Conroy felt the team was missing a timely hit; something she thought the team was in need of all season. “That’s the one thing we needed all season.” Conroy said. “Every loss we had, we left people on base. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do to control that, no matter how much positive attitude or effort you put into it, there’s nothing else you can do.” See SOFT, B2
Men’s Lacrosse
PSUC ready for Atlantic Regional meet in Brockport By Nate Mundt staff writer
Plattsburgh State’s track and field team will have many athletes competing at the upcoming All-Atlantic Regional Tournament at the College at Brockport Wednesday and Thursday, according to head coach Nick Jones. The Cardinals have one simple goal in mind when they compete. “To win,” said Brian Fabian, junior sprinter. “To score as many points as we can for our team.” Not everyone who qualified for the All-Atlantic regionals will be making the trip to Brockport because of the tournament conflicting with finals week for students. Athletes’ health and the weather are two factors that will play an important role for PSUC at the All-Atlantic regionals. “We just need to stay healthy,” Jones said. “We finally got some nice weather at SUNYAC’s, so that’s why we saw a huge jump in performances for everybody.” The Cards finished in third place for women’s and in eighth place for men’s in total team points at the SUNYAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which was held May 4-5 at SUNY Geneseo. PSUC jumped 99 spots in the Division III national rankings to 54th place. Junior distance runner Matt Jenkins received the SUNYAC Elite 20 award for his fourth time, which celebrates high academic and athletic achievement in the SUNYAC conference. Jenkins, a physics major, has a 4.0 grade point average. Jenkins was also inducted into PSUC’s Chi Alpha Sigma chapter Monday, which is a college athlete honor society. Jones was happy for Jenkins upon hearing the news. “Track kids get it done in the classroom,” Jones said. “He’s doing tremendously.” See TRACK, B3
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
PSUC senior defenseman Sean Hayes tracks the ball carrier in the defensive end as PSUC goalie Donald Tesoriero sets up to make a save. PSUC lost in the SUNY Championship 22-12.
Cards’ rebound season falls short By Nathanael LePage sports editor
Following Plattsburgh State’s men’s lacrosse team’s loss to SUNY Cortland 22-12 in the SUNYAC Championship game Saturday, the team will look ahead to 2019 while reflecting on a 2018 season in which they rebounded from a 1-8 start to make it to the conference finals. The rematch of last
year’s title game with Cortland began poorly for the Cardinals (7-9, 5-1), as the Red Dragons (12-6, 5-1) took a 5-0 lead within the first six minutes. “We couldn’t quite weather the storm,” said Joe May, PSUC head coach. “We let mistakes compound and roll into bigger ones, and that got us into a little bit of a hole that unfortunately we weren’t about to climb out of.”
A man-up goal by sophomore midfielder Kevin Litchauer and a strong individual play by senior attackman Ryan Hubbard to get behind the defense showed signs of life for PSUC in the first quarter, but the halftime score was 11-4 in favor of Cortland. May’s message to the Cards during the halftime break reinforced that they were better than their play in that first half. “In the first half, it was
evident everybody came slow,” said Travis Mauro, senior faceoff specialist. “We were hanging our heads, and Coach said, ‘Don’t show them that. You can’t show them that you’re ready to give up.’” Mauro, who won 20 of his 35 faceoffs on the afternoon, was one of three PSUC players who received all-tournament team honors after the game. See MLAX, B2
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sports editor nathanael lepage
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Taylor returns with experience By Ben Watson editor in chief
Plattsburgh State men’s soccer coach Chris Waterbury’s retirement last November left a massive hole for the athletic department, and PSUC filled it by giving an alumnus a chance for a homecoming. Chris Taylor, a 2011 graduate, will make his return to the school as the new men’s head coach this fall, but the path he took to get to this job has been unconventional. His soccer career had stops in Plattsburgh, Vassar College and Clarkson University, but it starts a far cry from the small North Country city: his hometown of Liverpool, England. “It’s the national sport, so everyone plays, and Liverpool is a pretty soccer-mad city,” Taylor said. “From as soon as I could go, in the back garden playing with my brother was just a normal thing every night.” Taylor grew up in this “soccer-mad” environment with the goal of going pro, not going to college. “In my high school, it wasn’t really valued to be smart; it was valued to be good at soccer,” Taylor said. From the ages of 16 to 18, Taylor bounced from club to club looking for a spot but could never find the right fit. “To be honest, I wasn’t
cut out to be a professional player there,” Taylor said. “I got to be 18, and I was thinking, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do here.’” Taylor then took the job that changed the course of his life. He heard from a friend living in the U.S. that New York City’s Major League Soccer team, the New York Red Bulls, was offering nine month contracts for “Player Development Officers,” a sort of community outreach coach that would travel around southern New York to help develop youth teams. Taylor took the job as a way to earn some money while figuring out where he wanted to go in life, while staying around the game he loves. Taylor played on a rec league team in Valhalla, New York, with numerous ex-college soccer players. PSUC alumnus Chris Beck, a former Cardinal soccer player on the Valhalla squad, sent word back to Waterbury. “Waterbury started to call me, and we started a dialogue, and he convinced me to come up here,” Taylor said. “I had never visited, he had never seen me play, and I came up here on a whim.” And without a clue. “I was on my own, and
I didn’t really know what to do or where to go. I didn’t have a cell phone,” Taylor said. “I didn’t know where the field was; I didn’t know anything.” Taylor learned quickly, scoring eight goals and notching 20 points as a midfielder. While his skills on the field quickly displayed themselves, his skills in the classroom were slower to manifest. He was the first in his family to attend college. “I’d never really pushed myself, and I had it in my mind that I wouldn’t try too hard because I wasn’t that smart,” Taylor said. “The stress of not doing well in school was starting to play on me while I was playing soccer. I wasn’t happy.” Taylor dedicated himself to turning his education around, and it allowed him to thrive on the field. He finished his career with 80 total points, as well as the program record for assists with 38. His career culminated in a SUNYAC championship win and NCAA championship berth in his senior year. The NCAA tournament defeat against Amherst seemed to spell the end of Taylor’s time in Plattsburgh, but after the loss, it became clear it was just the opposite. See COACH, B3
SOFT: Agans to return in 2019 From Page One
The Cards left the tournament with two Cardinals, juniors catcher Jennifer Groat and second baseman Anna Fisher, earning All-Tournament Team honors. PSUC will lose eight graduating players going into next season who include major pieces of the team, such as right-handed pitchers Katie Pitkin and Taylor Smith and outfielders Dominique Zummo and Amanda Tantillo. Conroy knows she’ll have to retool for next season but is confident her current upperclassman can take over. “It’s going to be a different looking program,” she said, “but I think we still have a good core of upperclassmen.” The Cards’ coaching staff has four incoming freshman committed to playing next season. Conroy is looking for flexibility across the board from her team, and that will extend to the rookies. She’s also looking for her incoming seniors to assume more of a leadership role. PSUC’s season began with an unexpected setback in reigning co-rookie of the year Ashley Agans’ left acl injury. The
catcher would ultimately miss the entire season, meaning the Cards would lose a .410 batter who had 50 hits, 42 RBIs and 7 home runs last season. Conroy is excited for Agans’ return to the batting line-up, believing she adds another offensive weapon alongside Groat. “She brings that timely hit,” Conroy said. “She’s a solid hitter for us. I think the one thing she’ll be able to bring back is she knows how it feels to not play, so hopefully she’ll be a bit more motivated to do everything she can and more.” Conroy’s looking forward to next season as her team will compete for a second SUNYAC title under her tenure, but will miss the graduating senior class. “[The senior class] is a great group of kids,” she said. “They played hard for me for four years. I’m looking forward to seeing what the upcoming senior class will do because they have the potential to do even more.” Email Fernando Alba at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
MLAX: Work starts for next year From Page One
“Trav stuck with it, persevered, stuck with it and won a bunch of faceoffs in the second half,” May said. Mauro acknowledged that he was personally doing a good job of getting the ball up the field and communicating with his team, but also put some of the blame on himself for the poor result. “I made a lot of mental errors,” Mauro said. “I turned it over a lot. I wasn’t giving my team good looks when they were wide open or calling for it. That’s on me for not listening and not being the team player that I should have been.” Despite the coach’s halftime message and Mauro’s better play in the second half, the Cards’ deficit widened in the third quarter, as Cortland outscored them 8-2, including four goals from junior attackman Terrence Haggerty in that stanza alone. Trailing 19-6 with only 15 minutes remaining, PSUC’s season chances looked slim, but the Cards made things interesting by scoring five unanswered goals in the first half of the final quarter. Senior defensive midfielder Brad Johnston, who will begin a law-enforcement career with a job as a Park Safety Rang-
er, said that there were a number of factors leading to this turnaround. “We were starting to figure out their defense, and they were starting to work in subs,” Johnston said. “We were all fired up that the game wasn’t going our way, so we wanted to make it look a little better on paper.” May said the biggest difference in the fourth quarter was that PSUC maintained possession of the ball better, and played better as a result. The Cards’ comeback attempt fell short, as the Red Dragons hoisted the trophy after holding on for a 22-12 victory. “It was disappointing,” Johnston said. “All good things have to come to an end, but at least we made it to the championship.” Eight members of the PSUC roster were represented on the All-SUNYAC teams, with Moller and Hubbard each earning first-team nods. Hubbard’s five goals in the game brought his final career total to 164 goals and 206 points. He was awarded the SUNYAC offensive player of the year award for the second straight season and the Senior Achievement Award at the PSUC Student-Athlete Recognition & Awards Ceremony.
Junior defensive midfielder Nick Della Ratta received the Elite 20 award as the player with the highest GPA in the game, while senior attackman Billy Moller and sophomore defenseman Kyle Smith joined Mauro on the All-Tournament Team. While Mauro and Moller will be graduating, Smith will be returning, and he is one player May is happy not to lose. “Kyle Smith is an unbelievable ground-ball machine,”May said. “He’s just a warrior. I’m glad he’s coming back to this team next year.” Mauro was happy to receive the individual award, but said he hopes it will tell his younger teammates, “If you work hard, that can be you.” While Mauro will not be returning as a player, he will return as an assistant coach during fall practices ahead of his anticipated December graduation. “Everything the coaches said was true,” Mauro said. “There are no more freshmen in that room. They’re all sophomores now, and all they can do is start working on next year and preparing for this game again.” Email Nathanael LePage at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
Track and Field All-Atlantic Region Championships Wed-Thurs at College at Brockport
Lacrosse School Record SUNYAC Cortland 12-7 5-1 Plattsburgh 7-9 5-1 Brockport 5-9 3-3 Oswego 10-5 3-3 Geneseo 7-7 2-4 Oneonta 5-9 2-4 Potsdam 4-11 1-5
Softball
Lacrosse
Softball
Goals
Batting Avg. (min. 10 AB)
Ryan Hubbard Billy Moller Kevin Litchauer Stephen Kane
Assists
Jake Carroll Billy Moller Ryan Hubbard Stephen Kane
Ground Balls Kyle Smith Travis Mauro Ryan Hubbard Sean Hayes
Save Percentage Donald Tesoriero Kyle Dodge Austin Graham
44 29 16 9
Jennifer Groat Kaitlyn Preiss Dominique Zummo
ERA (min. 10 innings) 15 8 7 6 72 71 44 35 .568 .500 .493
Katie Smith Taylor Smith Rhea Pitkin
.472 .350 .310
3.18 3.21 5.07
Baseball
ERA (min. 10 innings) Jacob Stein Connor Lyons Matt Fox
School Record SUNYAC Geneseo 30-7 13-3 Cortland 23-19 12-5 Oneonta 21-15 11-7 Oswego 19-15 11-7 Plattsburgh 19-19 10-8 Buffalo State 11-20 9-9 New Paltz 13-20-1 7-11 Brockport 15-19 5-13 Potsdam 8-22 3-11 Fredonia 11-23-1 4-13
Baseball
Batting Avg. (min. 10 AB) Keller Kowalowski Patrick Bryant Jon Craft
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.440 .412 .320
4.08 4.88 4.95
School Record SUNYAC Cortland 15-2 32-10 Oswego 12-5 26-12 New Paltz 9-8 17-18 Brockport 9-9 18-20 Fredonia 7-10 17-13 Oneonta 7-11 12-22 Plattsburgh 2-16 2-16
“It was miserable walking back in that locker room, but everything the coaches said was true. There are no more freshmen in that room. They’re all sophomores now, and all they can do is start working on next year.” - Senior faceoff specialist Travis Mauro providing his thoughts immediately after the Cardinals’ season ended in the SUNYAC championship game Saturday.
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Jones relies on attitude, positivity for success By Nathanael LePage sports editor
Having transferred to Plattsburgh State for her sophomore year and anticipating an early graduation in 2019, the Cardinals’ track and field athlete Marissa Jones takes a positive attitude into her final season of collegiate athletics. Jones, a 19-year-old sophomore from Sauquoit, New York - a hamlet of about 4,700 located less than 10 miles from Utica - joined the PSUC cross country and track teams this year after spending her freshman year at Mohawk Valley Community College. “This is her first time away from home, but she did tremendous here adapting to a new team and a new coach,” said Nicholas Jones, PSUC head coach. One of the biggest draws for Jones was proximity to the Adirondacks. She loves outdoor activities, especially swimming, hiking and camping, scaling five of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks so far. “I’m three hours closer to the mountains than I would be if I’d stayed home,” Jones said. The Cards were a familiar team for Jones because her brother was 2017 graduate Kyle Jones. After transferring, Marissa Jones was surprised by the step up in class work at PSUC. The psychology major, recently elected as vice president of the Psychology Club, plans to graduate at the end of her junior year. She will take the GRE over the summer in anticipation of applying to Syracuse University and SUNY Albany. Jones is open to becoming either a Licensed Mental Health Coun-
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
PSUC sophomore transfer from Mohawk Valley Community College Marissa Jones takes a optimism and confidence into everything she does. Jones plans to graduate after her junior year and pursue a master’s. selor or a social worker and will intern in social work at the University of Vermont Health Network’s Champlain Valley Physicians’ Hospital in Plattsburgh. While getting control of her academics, Jones also succeeded on the track. At Saturday’s SUNYAC Championships, her time of 0:57.48 in the 400-meter dash tied a personal record and placed her second in the conference, despite some late-season obstacles. “It’s been pretty tough,” Jones said. “I got the flu a couple weeks ago, so that was a hit to my season. And then I got a little bit of a hamstring injury. It’s been as positive as it could be.”
TRACK: Track team thrives in sun at SUNYAC, Boucher wins 800-meter title From Page One Fabian qualified for the All-Atlantic regionals after he ran the 400-meter dash in 49.43 seconds, finishing fourth. Graduate student Stephanie Boucher won the 800-meter run after finishing with a time of 2:16.98, which is currently the fourth best time in Division III. Freshman Michael Hartlieb III finished fourth in the hammer throw with a distance 42.63 m. The women’s 4x100 relay team of sophomores Elisabeth Plympton and Marissa Jones, freshman Janyll Barber and senior Ashlee Estes broke the Cards’ previous record, finishing third with a time of 49.46 seconds. Estes believes communication was key to her relay team’s success. “Our communication was pretty good, especially having two newcomers on the team,” Estes said. PSUC struggled early on in the outdoor track and field season because of inclement weather and difficulties adjusting from indoor to outdoor track, according to Jones. “When we do fast stuff, it’s not ideal to be outside below 30 degree weather because we could potentially get hurt,” Nick Jones said. As the outdoor track and field season winds down, Jones stressed athletes staying conditioned during the off-season. “The thing they need to do is do the mileage over the summer,” Nick Jones said. “When we come back, we have about a week and a half before our actual first competition, so that’s not much time if you didn’t do the work over the summer.” Email Nate Mundt at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
Jones’ main goal for next season is to bring her personal record in the 400 under 57 seconds. Jones has chosen not to participate in the upcoming All-Atlantic Regional Conference Championships at SUNY Brockport in order to focus on her final exams. One person not surprised about Jones’ success is her father, Doug Jones. “She’s a pretty determined person,” Doug Jones said. Marissa Jones’ love for running started early, but almost ended as soon as it began. Doug Jones recalled his daughter’s first race, a quarter-mile kids’ run at the Utica Boilermaker road
race, in which she was accidentally placed with five year olds when she was actually seven. Despite winning by a significant margin, the experience nearly convinced the young runner to never race again. “She broke down crying because she was embarrassed,” Doug Jones said. Since that experience, Marissa Jones has become both comfortable and confident on the track. “She surprised her mother and I,” Doug Jones said. “She had played soccer all the way up through, and then she got to middle school and said ‘I’m going to do track.’ We never saw that coming.” She takes the same approach
to track that she does in the classroom: positivity. “I’ m really positive, and I like to encourage myself and others,” Jones said. “But I also don’t take anything from anyone. If you’re doing something to me or to others that I don’t like, I will tell you. I think my ability to be so confident in myself and to bring myself up when I’m not feeling confident works well in athletics and in academics.” The confidence is balanced by Marissa Jones’ self-described “laid-back” demeanor. When she is not outside, Jones is usually watching Netflix, most recently completing “Gossip Girl,” although she named another show as her favorite. “I love to have my time to sit in my room, watch ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ have a snack and just relax,” Jones said. Marissa Jones does not have much time for a job between track and school, but she plans to make up for it in the summer by returning to her job at a locally owned breakfast diner and ice cream shop near her home. From a seven-year-old girl who was embarrassed by winning her first race to a collegiate athlete exceling on the track and in the classroom, Marissa Jones has grown in many ways while maintaining a positive outlook along the way. “She really seems to have a built self-discipline,” Doug Jones said. “She has matured into an allaround quality young lady.” Email Nathanael LePage at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
COACH: Clarkson coach rejoins PSUC From Page Two
“Waterbury probably said the only serious thing he ever said to me in four years,” Taylor said. “He said, ‘You think this is the end, but it’s just the beginning. You’re going to be with us from now on.’ That was the first time he’d ever mentioned it.” And so began Taylor’s collegiate coaching career, with two seasons as an assistant coach at PSUC, a transition that posed its own challenges. “It’s usually an extraordinarily difficult transition if you stay at the same school because now you’re coaching people that you just played with,” Waterbury said. “His transition was easy because his maturity didn’t match up with his age. He was so much more mature, and the way he saw things was well beyond his age.” Waterbury viewed it as an opportunity to not only keep a familiar face around but also give Taylor a chance to learn before making his own way. The Cardinals went 30-8-3 while Taylor was an assistant and captured the regular season SUNYAC crown in 2012. Everything was going well, but after six seasons, Plattsburgh was feeling a little too familiar. “I was very comfortable here,” Taylor said. “I needed to leave at that point to experience something new.” “Something new” was Vassar College in Poughkeepsie. Taylor attributes his 18 months under Vassar head coach Andy Jennings as one of the best learning experiences in his career. “Andy is one of the most difficult people I’ve ever worked for or with, but it was what I needed,” Taylor said. “He would debate with me all the time, so it got to the point where I was studying what I was going to go tell him or what ideas I had.” Taylor credits Jennings with teaching him a lot of the broader aspects of coaching, especially how to mentor young players. “He’d have alumni games with 40 guys coming back from every different era, and they all hugged him like he was their dad,” Taylor said. “I was like, ‘I kind of want this, how do I get it?’” His first head coaching opportunity came when Clarkson University’s head
coach was fired in May 2014 after being charged with murder (he was later found not guilty), a scandal that left the program in shambles. Taylor’s friends and colleagues advised against taking the job, but he didn’t listen. “I’m pretty hard-headed,” Taylor said. An added draw was his wife, fellow former PSUC athlete Helen Giroux. Clarkson is only an hour and 45 minutes away from Plattsburgh, allowing
“I really didn’t give him any advice. I just said, ‘It’s your turn. He’ll have his work cut out for him, but he’s shown that he can build a program.’” -Retiring PSUC coach Chris Waterbury
Taylor to return to her on weekends. Taylor quickly turned Clarkson around, with the Golden Knights’ seven victories in the 2014 season being the team’s best since 2001. In his four seasons at Clarkson, Taylor coached the team to a 27-35-7 record, a major improvement from the 16-43-5 record of the previous four seasons. “There was no pressure,” Taylor said. “I had carte blanche, could do whatever I want, [could] change the program however I wanted.” His time at Clarkson finished with a Liberty League playoff berth in 2017, the first time the Golden Knights had made the tournament since 1998. “I loved seeing the players experience that,” Taylor said. Taylor also credits his time at Clarkson with teaching him the administrative side of being a head coach: budgeting, advising players, cutting players, planning road trips. His time spent coaching at three very different colleges around the state has given him a wide range of
experience, something Waterbury thinks will help. “Rather than stay at Plattsburgh the whole time, he’s gone to different places, learned and expanded his techniques,” Waterbury said. When he first heard of Waterbury’s retirement from the man himself, the job opening wasn’t the first thing on Taylor’s mind. “I didn’t even think about it to be honest, because I was speechless that it was even happening,” Taylor said. Once the reality of Waterbury’s exit set in, Taylor was often asked whether this finally meant a return home. “Everywhere I went recruiting, people were asking, ‘Oh, you’re going for the job, right?’” Taylor said. Waterbury was one of them. “I can’t lie to you, the first person I called when I announced my retirement [was Taylor],” Waterbury said. Since his hiring in April, Taylor has been adjusting to taking over for a legend. Waterbury spent 33 years in Plattsburgh, winning eight SUNYAC championships and appearing in the NCAA Division III tournament 11 times. “The success speaks for itself, and I’ll never match that, but it means a lot to me that someone who’s been around so long, who’s coached so many people, who knows pretty much every coach in the country, wanted me to succeed him,” Taylor said. Waterbury is confident Taylor will prosper. “I really didn’t give him any advice. I just said, ‘It’s your turn,’” Waterbury said. “He’ll have his work cut out for him, but he’s shown that he can build a program.” In all his years away, Taylor never lost his attachment to the Cardinals, and now his homecoming provides the chance to take over the team that built him. “When I was at Clarkson and Vassar, when our games finished, I would do two things; I would look up scores in our league, and I would look up Plattsburgh’s score,” Taylor said. “There’s nothing like coaching at the program that you played in.” Email Ben Watson at cp@cardinal pointsonline.com
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Delacruz leaves behind legacy as leader By Mataeo Smith associate news editor
Plattsburgh State senior Antonellie “Nelly” Delacruz: better known as the orientation leader who played “Cotton Eye Joe” while anticipated freshman stood on line waiting to enter Whiteface Hall during summer orientation. Delacruz is best known as a smiling, extroverted leader who brings positivity to whomever she encounters. Delacruz, an international business, marketing and global supply chain management triple major, is free to expand her horizons. “I chose to declare international business because I wanted to expand on my cultural intelligence and aspire to meet different people with different perspectives,” Delacruz said. “It’s part of who I am because I love to travel and meet new people.” Delacruz will put her triple major to use at her internship in Manhattan working for Disney/ABC as their advertising sales intern this summer. Delacruz’s responsibilities include broadcasting sale pitches for Disney Channel, ABC and Freeform. In addition to updating business-to-business websites, talking to advertising clients and extensive researching to create a competitive advantage over other companies. “I’m really excited, and I’m hoping that lands a full-time job after graduation,” Delacruz said. “I see myself in the broadcast sales realm of the entertainment industry.” Delacruz recalls studying abroad in Australia as the spark of her interest in the marketing field. “That was definitely the root of my professional development, and also the beginning to my professional career as a future marketer,” Delacruz said. “I met so many people that had the same interests as me. Not just traveling, but improving themselves and trying to make themselves more applicable to future employers. It really exposed me to a different side of professionalism.” Delacruz is the president of the Marketing Association chapter
Cardinal Points/Max Traa
Delacruz will graduate this May as an international business, marketing and global supply chain management triple major. Delacruz started the “Women in Leadership” organization after experiencimg misogyny on campus in her sophomore year. at PSUC in addition to being a Community Advocate in Whiteface Hall and the creator of the Women in Leadership organization on campus. Delacruz created Women in Leadership in order to combat misogyny on campus after she experienced discrimination during her sophomore year while in a group with two male classmates. “He did not really acknowledge me,” Delacruz said. “He did not look me in the eye, but repeated what I just said to the other guy. At first I thought he was shy, but I later found out about his misogynistic reputation on campus.” Delacruz felt it was necessary to create an organization where women do not have to worry about being ignored.
“I created the Women in Leadership because I was involved on campus, and I was always put in a group of all guys,” Delacruz said. “Most of the time I would do most of the work, and they would take credit for it.” Delacruz wants her members to feel safe about sharing their stories like she did. Many assume Women in Leadership only allows female members, but males are more than welcome to attend any meeting they’d like. “I feel like my club has given everyone the opportunity to speak up for themselves and for male allies to take action on campus.” Delacruz said. “She is motivated, dedicated and hungry for success,” said Pat-
rick Bryans, a social work major at PSUC. “If she gets a taste for something she wants, she’s not going to stop until she gets it.” Delacruz was a former resident of Bryans when he was a CA for Wilson Hall. He said Delacruz was a great resident whom he described as being a “whirlwind” of positivity around the floor. “She basically did my job for me,” Bryans said. Delacruz’s spirit has touched many members of the PSUC community including Career Development Center Director Julia Overton-Healy. “This was a young woman who had herself together, and I knew she was going to go places,” Overton-Healy said after recalling her first impression of Delacruz. “She
had a very clear vision of who she is and what she stands for.” The word that Overton-Healy would use to describe Delacruz is “charismatic” because of her confidence and willingness to help others. “I will always think of Nelly as the young woman who walked through the hallway with this terrific sense of friendly confidence,” Overton-Healy said. “She is open and supportive of everybody that she met. I think that’s a really great way to start your professional life.” Email Mataeo Smith at fuse@ cardinalpointsonline.com
Club Spotlight: National Association of Black Accountants By Lexus Gomez staff writer
In December of 1969, nine African-American men met in New York City to discuss the challenges they faced in the profession of accounting. Out of 100,000 certified public accountants in the United States that year, only 136 of them were African-American, according to NABA’s site. Following this meeting, the National Association of Black Accountants was created to further people of color and their opportunities in the accounting, business and finance-related professions. Plattsburgh State’s NABA chapter was founded in 2014 to mentor other students and teach them business etiquette and the proper skills needed to succeed in their professional career. The organization just held its Annual Appreciation Banquet, a masquerade-themed fashion show created in collaboration with campus club Women in Leadership. PSUC NABA President Jennifer Kouffer, a senior accounting major, explained that this year, there was a large number of students inquiring about proper dress code for interviews. Different outfits were showcased to represent looks suitable, appropriate and stylish for a variety of professional and casual occasions from work to happy hour. “We know the transition from student to professional isn’t easy,” Kouffer said. “We wanted to show people this with a sense of flavor.” PSUC junior and NABA Vice President Raheem Garcia added that many members of NABA are firstgeneration college students, so the club provides these students with
Photo provided by the National Association of Black Accountants, PSUC Chapter
PSUC’s chapter of NABA focuses on helping African American students learn the finer points of working in finance realated professional fields. a place to obtain answers to questions many of them share. “Where I grew up there weren’t a lot of examples on what to wear,” Garcia said. “I only knew I had to wear a suit to church.” Garcia appreciates NABA for teaching him what professionalism means and helping him gain the skills he needs to succeed in his career. “Before, I would go to interviews and not understand why I wasn’t getting the jobs, and it’s because I
didn’t know I was unprofessional,” Garcia said. Sophomore Cheyenne Richards said it is very empowering to learn these skills from people who shareher identity as an African American woman. Richards recalled visiting a NABA panel for the first time her first freshman year, the year she joined NABA. Panel memebers discussed black women in the workplace, what it means for African-American women to look
professional and how to wear their hair and weaves. Most importantly for Richards, these were personal topics to her that weren’t spoken about at other clubs. “It was something I didn’t know how to handle before,” she said. The club is open to students of all majors and racial and ethnic backgrounds for free, but for $35 a year, students gain membership status and acquire a lot more opportunities .
One of these is the ability to attend the Eastern Regional Student Conference, an annual meeting of professional and student NABA chapters to recognize each chapter’s commitment as well as provide a forum for interested and incoming members. Students are able to network with finance professionals, set up interviews and learn about scholarships. “Networking is key, and that’s what I really want everyone to know,” Kouferr said. “No matter what organization you join or the people you meet, networking will take you far.” Kouffer will intern this summer for a second time at KPMG, one of the four largest accounting firms in the world. Twenty-one students from PSUC’s chapter attended the ERSC conference this year and engaged in workshops that provided advice on how to maintain their chapter status, as well as participate in mock interview sessions. “It’s class outside of class,” Kouferr said. “You can relax and still learn and experience self-growth, which is the key to success.” Kouffer, Richards and Garcia all see each other as members of an unforeseen family and all identify deeply with NABA’s national motto, “Lifting as We Climb.” “Even when you’re falling, they’re there for you,” Garcia said. “Even when you’re doing something wrong, they’re not afraid to tell you because they don’t want to see you fall.” Email Lexus Gomez at fuse@ cardinalpointsonline.com
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Concert caps off semester for ensemble By Jasely Molina staff writer
The Plattsburgh State music department hosted its spring guitar ensemble and studio concert Wednesday. More than 130 members of the Plattsburgh community gathered at Krinovitz auditorium in Hawkins Hall to watch the student guitarists perform. The setlist comprised of 14 songs from a variety of musicians including Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Joe Satriani. The repertoire also featured an original piece created by one of the students. “I am excited to have the audience hear the culmination of what we’ve been working so hard on all semester long,” said Michael Fratino, PSUC guitar instructor. Guitarist Ruben Valenti opened the show with a warm and acoustic rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” As he delicately plucked his guitar strings, he sang in a low voice adding to the overall ambience. As students stepped on stage, they were met by Fratino who helped tune their guitars. Fratino would play a note and have the performer match the sound on their own guitar. Many of the performances were accompanied by Fratino, including Jared Ginley’s smooth cover of “Blue Bossa.” Several audience members snapped their fingers and tapped their feet to the beat of the bossa nova tune. Jason Cafone performed “Blues in A,” which was personally arranged by Fratino who played the background chords. Eric Steckler impressed the crowd with his finger-plucking skills on the guitar as he played “All of You” by Cole Porter. Halfway through the concert, Philip Perazzo grabbed his electric guitar, plugged it into his Marshall amp and performed Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing” with a backing track. A few songs later, PSUC senior Henry Steng performed an
Cardinal Points/Nathanael LePage
Chadayne Lynch-Frater and Michael Fratino perform Radiohead’s “Karma Police” at Wedensday’s Guitar Ensemble & Studio at Krinovitz Recital Hall. Fratino, director of the guitar ensemble, accompanied 10 individual performances. acoustic original piece followed by a folk cover of Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel’s “Those who wait.” “Personally, I’m most excited because it’s my last concert on campus, and I’m eager to do well,” Steng said. After his performance, Steng stayed on stage to perform “Bubble Dreams,” an intricate progressive rock song by the band Chon with Ben Caito. Some of the attendees head-banged
and swayed their bodies to the rhythmic chord progressions. The concert ended with a three-song set by the entire ensemble. The students gathered together and arranged their chairs in a semicircle facing the audience. Their cover of “Guadalajara,” a popular mariachi song by Mexican singer Pepe Guizar, had the crowd excitedly moving in their seats. Next on the list was was “Moliendo Cafe,” a Venezuelan salsa piece by Hugo Blanco.
The ensemble finished their set with a funky version of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” The audience cheered and loudly clapped as the performers bowed and exited the stage. PSUC sophomore music major Angelika Velez was pleased to see the guitarists having a good time and putting on a show for the community. “I have many friends that are in the ensemble, and I just wanted to support them and see how
much they’ve grown,” Velez said. For more information on upcoming events in the music department, contact Dwayne T Butchino, performing arts coordinator, via email at butc3332@ plattsburgh.edu or via phone at 518-564-2243. Email Jasely Molina at fuse@ cardinalpointsonline.com
HERO: Five movies in next three years for Marvel, DC From Page Six
“I feel like, for people who are fans of superhero movies, it gives them something to look forward to,” said Anthony Scalzo, vice president of Plattsburgh State’s Film Club. It begs the question: Will the cycle ever end? The short answer is probably not. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movies have made a total worldwide box office gross of more than $16 billion, with “Infinity War” still adding to that number, while the five DCEU movies have made a global gross of nearly $4 billion. “I think that it has become primarily a money-maker,” said Joe Lewis, president of the PSUC Film Club. “There’s an abundance of films with basically the same storyline.”
The often formulaic storylines of these blockbuster movies has led to some Hollywood actors to look down upon Marvel or DC actors for “selling out,” an issue that “Guardians of the Galaxy” actress Zoe Saldana confronted in a recent interview with UK magazine Net-A-Porter. “People in this industry look down at Marvel,” Saldana, who plays the greenskinned alien Gamora, said in the interview. “They think we’re selling out. They should be more cognizant about what a superhero means to a child.” Lewis echoed Saldana’s sentiment. “When ‘Black Panther’ came out, it’s amazing that a black kid can look up to T’Challa and want to be that person,” Lewis said. “It’s amazing that when ‘Captain Marvel’ comes out, there’s going to be little girls that look up to Captain Marvel.”
While the movies are almost always a guaranteed hefty deposit to the bank, critic’s responses have been mixed over time. Marvel has in general fared better in this regard, with an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 84 percent across its 19 titles, with DC averaging 48 percent across its five. Both have outliers, though, with “The Incredible Hulk” and “Thor: The Dark World,” scoring 67 and 66 percent respectively, while “Wonder Woman” snagged 92 percent. In Lewis’ mind, the critical aspect isn’t always the most important part, though it still plays into things. “When you watch a superhero movie, you’re like, ‘Ah, that was fun,’” Lewis said. “A lot of it is to get away from everyday life, and I think that’s changed
how people see movies, but it’s still an art form because you still have to tell the story well.” Studios certainly seem to think that the trend will continue to amuse audiences. Marvel and DC each have five more movies slated in the next three years alone, and though Scalzo isn’t a fan of the genre, he sees why those who are keep coming back. “Although superhero movies tend to be repetitive, that doesn’t take away from the characters in the film,” Scalzo said. “Good acting is good acting.” So whether it’s to watch the Earth’s mightiest heroes or the Justice League, as long as people keep flocking to theaters, studios likely won’t stop.
Email Ben Watson at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
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By Ben Watson editor in chief
ix of the top 20 highest-grossing films of all time have one thing in common: They’re superhero movies.
Marvel’s recently released “Avengers: Infinity War” looks like it will soon join that list, as a part of a long stream of superhero movies that has inundated pop culture over the last decade.
Nineteen Marvel movies since 2008’s “Iron Man” and five DC extended universe movies since 2013 have trained the average movie audience to expect at least a couple superhero movies every year.
Illustration by Windsor Burkland
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