Cardinal Points Issue 6 Fall 2024

FRIDAY, OCT. 11

WHAT’S INSIDE:

FALL 2024 | ISSUE 6

A&C

SPORTS

OPINION

Students work on annual Rocky Horror Show

Tennis makes SUNYAC playoffs

From canceling to constructive conversations

College connects to job search app for int’l students

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News + Managing Editor

JAYNE SMITH/Cardinal Points

Long lines and wait times has been one of the most common complaints students have for campus dining.

CAS forum welcomes student feedback on campus dining

BY PHILO YUNRUI WANG Associate Arts & Culture Editor

As students at SUNY Plattsburgh adapt to a semester of adjustments in on-campus dining, they have faced initial frustrations with long wait times and limited food options.

Despite a rough start, the administration has taken steps to address student concerns and improve the dining experience.

This summer, the Sundowner closed for renovations with plans to reopen as the Cardinal Nest, but not until spring 2025. This closure has placed a strain on the remaining dining facilities dealing with an influx of students. Additionally, the campus Boost mobile ordering app, designed to streamline dining services, was offline for the beginning weeks of the semester.

‘YOU SPOKE, WE LISTENED’

College Auxiliary Services has initiated a series of updates in response to the dining concerns under the banner “You Spoke, We Listened.” This initiative includes several key improvements aimed

at enhancing the dining experience for students.

CAS introduced a hot entree, side and beverage special available for purchase with meal swipes or dining dollars at Cardinal Market and Starbucks Cafe. This initiative provides an additional affordable meal option beyond the dining venues’ standard offerings.

In response to the need for flexibility, students can now request to-go containers at Clinton Dining Hall, enabling them to take meals with them as needed. While these containers will continue to be available in the future, the supply will be limited to one large box, one small box, one bowl and one cup per request.

A new deli sandwich station has been added to Clinton, allowing students to customize their sandwiches and enjoy greater menu variety. The effort also relieves the strain on Kent Cafe, the go-to sandwich spot on campus.

This semester introduced a new dining option called Ghost Kitchen — students can place orders on Boost for a weekly special menu, including vegetarian and aller-

gen-free options, then pick them up at the self-pickup lockers in the centrally located Cardinal Market.

Through social media polls, students now have the opportunity to influence Ghost Kitchen’s weekly menu offerings, helping to ensure that their preferences are reflected.

There are also new late-night options. Halal Shack features “Jamal’s Chicken” — a fresh chicken tender and mozzarella stick concept — and “Baba’s Pizza,” a personal pizza concept, rotating in Halal Shack from 8 to 10 p.m.

In addition to meal offerings, CAS has hosted events aimed at boosting student morale, featuring wellness resources, boba tea, therapy donkeys and giveaways, demonstrating a broader commitment to student well-being.

One of the most challenging aspects of international students’ college journey — searching for a job — could become easier with the Career Development Center’s newest tool, Interstride.

About 4% of SUNY Plattsburgh students are international, according to the university profile published on the college website. International students engage in campus life through clubs, such as Club International, Desi Club, the Japanese Cultural Association at Plattsburgh and Nepalese at Plattsburgh. Many also hold jobs on-campus. Ten of 16 members of the Student Association Senate are international as well.

“International students have a tougher time finding both internships and full-time work because so many employers will say, ‘We won’t employ anybody or hire anyone who might need sponsorship in the future,’” said CDC Director Tobi Hay. Interstride is a platform that allows students to search for jobs at companies that have filed petitions for work visas.

When an international student graduates from university in the United States, they are eligible for one year of work called Optional Practical Training. For some STEM majors, the authorization can be extended to up to three years.

“But even then, a lot of employers won’t open up their minds,” Hay said.

JOB > 2

STUDENT FEEDBACK, ONGOING STRUGGLES

While CAS has made improvements, students continue to share feedback on the challenges they face with the current dining services. via Adobe Stock

DINING > 3

International students are often at a disadvantage when looking for jobs compared to their U.S. peers.

Karen McGrath: In pursuit of student wellbeing

BY KAMIKO CHAMBLE Staff Writer

A year in, the vice president of Enrollment and Student Success found family in the community and a focus in student wellbeing and mental health.

McGrath said the people at SUNY Plattsburgh were warm and welcoming to her — they made her feel accepted, like she was part of the campus and the community.

Even before she took the job, she felt at home.

“A headhunter reached out to me and showed me this opportunity at Plattsburgh.

I read it and it was like looking at myself in the mirror — what the role and Plattsburgh was all about,” McGrath said. “I was like, ‘Wow, that’s in alignment with who I am as a person.”

Plattsburgh appealed to McGrath even more because

her mother lives 45 minutes away, on the other side of Lake Champlain in Vermont.

She not only saw the move as a professional opportunity, but it a personal one, too, bringing her from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, back around her immediate family.

McGrath is driven by the idea that students perform better and participate in the community more if they are taken care of.

“Healthy students are stronger students,” McGrath said. “Health is not just the absence of disease, it’s about students having overall well-being.”

McGrath played a role in establishing the Cardinals Thrive fundraising campaign to help student wellbeing.

A portion of the $2 million raised went to 125 red Adirondack chairs and picnic tables by Hawkins Hall and behind Memorial Hall. The

purpose of the chairs was to get students outside.

“Fresh air and being out in natural sunlight helps bring up students’ positivity,” McGrath said.

The funds helped hire another counselor for the Student Health and Counseling Center to give students more support, and they are developing a peer counseling program. McGrath has made donations to SUNY Plattsburgh herself, investing $5,000 in the Cardinals Thrive campaign.

“I donate to SUNY Plattsburgh and the College Foundation because I believe in our students and I believe in what we’re doing,” McGrath said.

“My philanthropy needs to follow my values, and Plattsburgh follows my values, so my dollars follow it as well.”

Email KAMIKO CHAMBLE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Provided by Karen McGrath

Karen McGrath came to SUNY Plattsburgh in July 2023 from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York.

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▪ News Editor Aleksandra Sidorova

▪

NEWS

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

Student Association

Oct. 2 UP caught someone with a broken tail light, suspended registration and expired insurance at Olivetti Place around 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 4

University Police arrested someone for trespassing in Sibley Hall at 1:23 a.m.

Oct. 5

UP is investigating an incident of harassment in Mason Hall.

UP reported a burglary in Macdonough Hall. The case was closed by investigation.

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

A Student Managed Investment Fund representative addresses the SA Senate on Sept. 25.

SA Senate shuts down request for extra $1K toward club trip

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News + Managing Editor

Weekly Meme

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

Advertise with Cardinal Points To learn more, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com.

Two clubs that received $2,000 on Sept. 25 for a joint trip to Boston asked for another $1,000 at the Student Association Senate meeting Oct. 2.

The Student Managed Investment Fund and the Accounting and Finance Association each requested $500 to fund their networking dinner, a cornerstone of their semesterly trips that for years had been paid for by AFA’s adviser Mohamed Gaber, distinguished service professor of accounting.

“He’s been doing this for a long time,” a SMIF representative said.

“It is very expensive usually, because we go to a very nice restaurant with nice food to meet everyone. It’s very important to him.”

The club representative explained that the dinner feeds the 22 students and six faculty members on the trip as well as at least 10 alumni. The trip’s itinerary also notes the networking dinner is sponsored by the Plattsburgh Alumni Association and alumni based in the Boston area.

Several senators said they were not as inclined to provide the clubs with an additional combined $1,000 because the request showed a lack of planning or unnecessary expenses that did not support student needs.

If the clubs were not awarded the full amount, they may downgrade the restaurant. Senator Mrudangi Trivedi suggested that students contribute to the dinner by paying more out of pocket for their tickets.

Senator Tasmayee Jagtap pointed out that upon reviewing the list of students who will be attending the trip, she saw several acquain-

CP Corrections JOB

ARTS & CULTURE: 1) The previous issue’s article “Poet Alesa Bernat breaks decade-long silence with poetry book” misstates which of Bernat’s family members had bipolar disorder — it was her paternal grandmother.

2) The same article misquoted Bernat twice. She said, “It was a place that fostered creativity, passion, being kind, leaning to work together with other people.”

If you see an error in Cardinal Points, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com.

GOT A NEWS TIP? Reach our editors at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com.

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

Senator Mrudangi Trivedi suggested to deny SMIF and AFA any of the additional $1,000 they requested. tances who had attended once or twice before.

“If you’re going again and again, that just means that the money is just going nowhere, is what I feel,” Jagtap said.

The representative explained that the repeat trips are an opportunity to connect with alumni students missed the previous time.

After some deliberation, the Senate unanimously decided to reduce the combined amount for SMIF and AFA to $400.

The Senate was prepared to entertain another request — from the CEO club to attend their parent organization’s conference in Tampa, Florida, at the end of the month — but tabled the decision to the Senate’s next meeting because SA Senate Adviser Tyler Hargraves said he forgot to invite club representatives.

Another order of the Senate’s business was approving the SA rules and procedures policy, effec-

tive through the academic year. The new policy states that members of the Executive Council and Senate may see their pay cut, be impeached or asked to resign if they miss three meetings or office hours.

All but Senator John Carguello voted in favor of the policy.

The Senate approved students Hassani St. John, Matthew Wendler and Jonanthony Tarlen as members of the Activities Coordination Board. Senator William Donlon, who chairs the board, said the students attend meetings bringing ideas and take notes.

The Senate also approved Drew Goerlitz, associate professor of art, as adviser to the Arts Acquisition Board and Hargraves as adviser to the Public Relations Board.

Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Continued from page 1

To work in the U.S. for longer, graduates need their employers to sponsor them for an H-1B visa, and Interstride can help find employers who have done so in the past.

The U.S. government issues a limited number of H-1B visas, however. It is up to a lottery whether someone is approved for the visa, unless they are applying to work for a non-profit organization or a higher education institution, such as a university, in which case there is no limit, or “cap.”

Interstride has filters for such cap-exempt employers, too.

Students can also use Interstride to search for jobs in their home country or elsewhere.

Similar to social media, the app has a news feed

CAMERON GREAVES/Cardinal Points

and tools to network with international students and graduates. Interstride compiles up-to-date resources for questions related to job searches, whether in the U.S. or other countries, which could interest domestic students, too.

Examples of resources include a calculator for how quickly a student can expect to be approved for

OPT, a guide for employers willing to employ an international student and a guide to working in another country.

Interstride is listed on the CDC’s page on the SUNY Plattsburgh website under “career tools” and “identitybased resources.”

SUNY Plattsburgh connected to the platform Sept. 23 and notified stu-

dents via a mass email.

The connection is possible thanks to funding from SUNY Central aimed at supporting applied learning opportunities in schools across the state.

Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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▪

DINING

▪

NEWS

News Editor Aleksandra Sidorova

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

enced delays with orders not being ready, resulting in missed class time.

Continued from page 1

Students went into detail about issues they are experiencing during the focus group meeting Oct. 2 with CAS representatives Angie Greene-Hick, Chartwells regional marketing director, and Alicia Guerra from the same department.

Students have noted a shortage of vegetarian varieties.

Additionally, sushi cannot be purchased with a meal swipe, which leads students to run out of dining dollars quickly.

Many students noted a lack of substantial breakfast choices.

“Beyond pastries and cereal, we want to see other options, like avocado toast,” student Jana Bar said.

Students have called for a more diverse range of international foods, particularly, more authentic Asian cuisine.

“We have always wanted to work with dining services to share authentic Japanese sushi with everyone,” said Taichi Komai, president of the Japanese Cultural Association at Plattsburgh.

Students also expressed frustration over inconsistent menu options, with some items appearing one day only to be unavailable the next, without prior notice.

Those with food allergies or dietary restrictions reported that alternatives, such as gluten-free and dairy-free items, often run out quickly or are unavailable.

Even when the Boost app was operational, students experi-

EMPLOYEE CONDITIONS

Students also noticed employees walking back and forth between Clinton Dining Hall and the Cardinal Market with take-out orders at the start of the semester.

“I was talking to one of the dining staff and realized that all Ghost Kitchen food is currently prepared in Clinton Dining Hall,” said Isabella Johnston, a senior ecology major. “Moreover, the self-pickup lockers even haven’t been in use yet. If that’s the case, why not just keep the pickup point at Clinton?”

Greene-Hick confirmed the situation at the Oct. 2 focus meeting.

“Originally, the Ghost Kitchen’s location was set to be in the Cardinal Nest, but due to incomplete renovations it can only be prepared in Clinton, which allows open flames. The lockers are set up at the Market because it’s centrally located for student convenience,” Greene-Hick said.

Ghost Kitchen employees said they’re generally satisfied with the job, though they find the frequent trips back and forth tiring. Initially, they were hopeful this setup was temporary.

However, the administration has confirmed that the Cardinal Nest would not be opening this semester, which means those employees will continue this workload for now.

Students from the focus group meeting also said that for many who live near Clinton,

PHILO YUNRUI WANG/Cardinal Points

Employees deliver orders to Cardinal Market from Clinton Dining Hall by foot or on a golf cart. going to the Market for pickup isn’t convenient.

“We have equipped delivery staff with a golf cart, and we will continue gathering student feedback to decide whether to shift the pickup point to Clinton for Ghost Kitchen orders,” Greene-Hick said at the meeting.

As CAS continues to implement these changes, the administration’s efforts to listen and respond to student feedback show a commitment to enhancing dining services.

The effectiveness of these changes will become clearer over time, as the adjustments aim to provide a better dining experience and improve working conditions for everyone involved.

Email PHILO YUNRUI WANG cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

PHILO YUNRUI WANG/Cardinal Points

Students fill takeout boxes at Clinton Dining Hall.

More Amtrak delays expected downstate

BY JOE LOTEMPLIO Press-Republican

More delays are expected on Amtrak’s Adirondack Line service as improvements on tracks downstate are made.

The news is not welcome for North Country travelers who have dealt with several Amtrak delays and interruptions of service in recent years.

President Garry Douglas, president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, did not mince words when addressing the latest situation involving Amtrak delays.

“If there were a conspiracy to undermine New York-Montreal passenger service, it couldn’t be more effective or more frustrating,” Douglas said. “We are joined with the Empire State Passengers Association in calling for less impactful options, and it would be good for the new President, whoever that may be, to clean house at Amtrak. Their serial mismanagement over a four-year period reeks of incompetence and remains no way to run a railroad.”

EAST RIVER REPAIRS

The latest delay news involves Am-

trak service being delayed due to upcoming East River tunnel repairs in New York City.

Beginning Nov. 11, there will be reductions in service to Upstate and the Hudson Valley. Northbound trains to the North Country and Plattsburgh will be delayed longer, according to the Empire State Passengers Association, an advocacy group working for faster, more frequent and more reliable intercity passenger rail service.

According to ESPA, the Hudson Valley schedule will drop an early morning train, a late evening train, a second morning northbound train from the combination move and an evening southbound train from the combination action.

The sequential closing of one of the four tunnels under the East River is driving the need to reduce the number of trains traveling between Penn Station/Moynihan Train Hall and Sunnyside Yards in Queens, ESPA said.

In addition to the service frequency reductions, Amtrak intends to turn some Northeast Corridor and Empire Corridor trains on the platforms in Penn Station to reduce East River tunnel use.

LENGTHY HOLDS

ESPA particularly objects to the plan to hold the northbound Adirondack train in Albany-Rensselaer for almost two hours and the southbound Maple Leaf there for 95 minutes.

ESPA said that in lieu of these holds, Amtrak and New York State Department of Transportation should operate the northbound Adirondack on an earlier schedule from Albany and move the layover, if necessary, to a station further north on the route.

Similarly, the Maple Leaf could leave Niagara Falls later in order to reduce the layover time.

‘PARTIAL MITIGATION’

An Amtrak official said that customers traveling north from Albany to Plattsburgh and on to Montreal will see no impact.

“Customers traveling from points south of Albany will see increased travel time as a result of the Line 2 improvement project,” said Jason Abrams, senior public relations manager of Amtrak.

ESPA President Gary Prophet said in a statement that Amtrak’s New York Hudson Valley service already sells out every

Friday and Sunday and frequently on Thursdays and Saturdays.

“It is imperative that Amtrak lengthen the remaining trains as partial mitigation for the frequency reductions,” he said.

ESPA Executive Director Steve Strauss said: “Amtrak and (New York State Department of Transportation) need to end their radio silence on this significant reduction in Hudson Valley service and explain why these riders are bearing such a large portion of the burden of the East River Tunnel work. … We also need to know how long these reductions will be in place.”

North Country Amtrak travelers were hampered by a shutdown of the Adirondack Line last year and again this year due to track maintenance in Canada. Those delays came after nearly three years of no service to Montreal due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closed border.

Email JOE LOTEMPLIO news@pressrepublican.com

via Adobe Stock

FRIDAY, OCT. 11, 2024

The Rocky Horror Show Pride Fest celebration connects students, alumni held for

BY GRANT TERWILLIGER Staff Writer

The Adirondack Regional Theatre is presenting “The Rocky Horror Show” originally written by Richard O’Brien and directed by Autumn Bright and Neil Battinelli at the Strand Center on Oct. 25, 26 and 31.

Olivia Storms, a student at SUNY Plattsburgh, plays one of the phantoms in The Rocky Horror Show, marking her third year in the production. In her first production of the musical, she played the lead role of Janet. Storms said she is thrilled to be in another performance.

“On opening night, I’m looking for-

ward to the crowd and the energy they bring,” Storms said. “Rocky is a cult classic and this area looks forward to it each year, so I’m excited for that experience again. It’s always so fun.”

Cam Lincoln, a recent graduate from SUNY Plattsburgh, plays the character of Brad Majors in the upcoming musical, it

is his third time participating in the show as well. In the two prior years he worked as a crew member. Lincoln said that the show is unique, and different from the original Rocky Horror Show.

“People should come watch this show because it’s not your typical show. It’s a clear expression of queer joy, which isn’t something we see often,” Lincoln said.

The musical has allowed cast and crew members to build important bonds, connecting current SUNY Plattsburgh students to alumni and community members.

“Some of us worked together in school and we still get to see and work with each other now,” Storms said. “I also think working with alumni while I’m in school helps create a relationship that will continue on after school.”

ROCKY > 5

9th year

BY LUCA GROSS Press-Republican

Trinity Park welcomed the community Saturday afternoon for the ninth annual Pride Fest hosted by the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance with live music, games, food, a drag show and more.

According to Kelly Metzgar, co-founder and executive director at the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance, this event closes out the Pride season just in time to kick off Pride History Month, and National Coming Out Day which takes place Oct. 11.

While the parade did not return this year, the community did along with local organizations and agencies collaborated to offer a variety of information, resources games and prizes.

The celebration offered both the SUNY Plattsburgh campus community and greater Plattsburgh community a way to come together.

GROWN OVER THE YEARS

According to Metzgar, the event is held in October, not June, unlike other Pride celebrations to accommodate when the SUNY Plattsburgh students are back in the city.

“We have always done it a week before Indigenous Peoples Day, because that is when all the SUNY students head home,” she said.

For nine years, Adirondack North Country Pride has been held in Trinity Park.

“This event has really grown over the years,” Metzgar said.

The cast for The Rocky Horror Show pose together for a promotional photo.

Provided by the Adirondack Regional Theatre

PRIDE > 5

Title IX brings solidarity to campus through shirts

BY CINARA MARQUIS

For more information about the Clothesline Project visit theclotheslineproject.org. Learn more about Title IX at rb.gy/yz26t3.

More information on the events surrounding Domestic Violence Awareness Month can be found in the Student-Digest and on Cardinal Link.

Arts & Culture Editor

During the Vietnam War, 58,000 soldiers died, and during that same time period, 51,000 women across the globe were killed in domestic violence cases — this statistic sparked the “Clothesline Project” campaign.

“The initial idea was to create a visual display that could really amplify the voices of victims and survivors of domestic violence,” said Kim Irland, Title IX coordinator who organized the Clothesline Project at SUNY Plattsburgh “I really like it because I think the shirts visually humanize the behaviors, the impacts and the harm that people have lived and survived through.”

In the summer of 1990, an alliance of women’s organizations in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, decided to create an educational program that would raise awareness of the problem of violence against women. Many women in this alliance had experienced some form of violence in their lives and called for a provacative campaign that would allow for healing and collectivity, one of these women was visual artist Rachel Carey-Harper.

Inspired by the 1985 AIDS Memorial Quilt, Carey-Harper envisoned a clothesline as a vehicle for spreading awareness. Doing

CINARA MARQUIS/Cardinal Points

Shirts painted with important messages are hung on the staircases around the Angell College Center.

the laundry was considered women’s work and a clothesline could send the message of a person’s life — what clothes somebody wears can tell about their job, hobbies and activities.

Using the clothesline concept, Carey-Harper could share individuals unique stories through words or artwork on a shirt. The shirt would hang beside other shirts with similar messages offering solidarity and healing to survivors who literally turn their backs on their experiences and walk away.

After the original Clothesline Project displayed in October 1990, the campaign became international with hundreds of projects and an estimated 50,000 shirts on display.

The color of each shirt is representational of a harm.

White is for individuals who died due to violence.

Yellow or beige is for individuals who have been battered or assaulted.

Red, pink and orange represent survivors of rape and sexual assault.

Blue or green is for survivors of incest and sexual abuse.

Purple represents individuals attacked due to their sexual orientation.

Brown and grey is for survivors of emotional, verbal or spiritual abuse.

Black is for individuals assaulted for political reasons or those disabled as a result of an attack or assaulted because of a disability.

Irland arranged the clotheslines around the Angell College Center staircases, where many pass every day.

“I think this particular campaign is very powerful because you can set it up in a way that causes people to walk through an experience and have, hope-

fully, an emotional response that helps them to think more deeply about these issues,” Irland said.

This year, participants can write a message or make artwork on a paper T-shirt, which is hung on the second floor of the ACC above a table with information on the Clothesline Project and Title IX. The table is accessible at any time for the week of Oct. 7 to Oct. 11.

“I’ve seen people engage with the table, even when we couldn’t staff it, and this morning I came in and there were three more paper shirts filled out so I hung those up and people have been taking resources,” Irland said. “I think it’s a

nice way to very quietly make the information available.”

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Title IX has planned various programs, such as guest speakers, healing circles and workshops for the month. Upcoming events, such as the launch of a student support group focused on empowering healthy masculinity and a panel discussion about domestic violence will happen later in the month.

Email CINARA MARQUIS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

5

▪ Arts & Culture Editor Cinara Marquis

▪

ARTS & CULTURE

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

“Cardinal Creatives” is a weekly column that celebrates creators in Plattsburgh, both present and past. By spotlighting diverse talents throughout our community in all forms, we create a window into Plattsburgh’s art scene.

Lauren Mueller’s chords of compassion

BY CINARA MARQUIS Arts & Culture Editor

Everyone has heard of “the power of music,” at least once in their life. To Lauren Mueller, SUNY Plattsburgh 2019 alumna, that power is palpable.

“It’s not just a mystical saying — it’s real,” Mueller said.

As a child, Mueller adored music and dreamed of doing it her whole life — but when she was unable to succeed in auditioning for Kidz Bop, American Idol and Nickelodeon, her dreams shattered. But at 12, she realized that her dreams of becoming a rockstar may be a little bit unrealistic, so instead she embraced the thoughts of

becoming a generalist therapist or a children’s book author, they still didn’t feel right.

“I wanted music every single day in my life,” Mueller said. “If I couldn’t find a profession to do music or the arts, I would feel entirely lost.”

At 16, Mueller discovered music therapy and knew that sharing the power of music was for her.

The people around her did not share this enthusiasm and were skeptical about Mueller’s choice.

“I was met with lots of strange attitudes,” Mueller

said. “I just had to stay stubborn and keep my head up.”

Despite what the people around her were saying, the music therapy field was growing. Mueller could do a lot with music therapy, from working in recreation and research to schools and clinics. She said that with the United States aging out and geriatric care coming to the forefront, these kinds of therapies are finding their way into common practice.

Mueller graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2019 with a bachelor of science in music and a minor in psychology.

She went straight on to her masters for music therapy at SUNY New Paltz and graduated in 2023.

Mueller is now a board-certified music therapist and is on her way to becoming licensed in creative arts

therapy. She finds that the career has deepened her relationship and admiration for all of the aspects of music.

According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy employs musical interventions to help clients reach individualized goals in a supportive environment.

There are four methods of music therapy: recreation, when a client or therapist plays or sings something; improvisation, which is improvised singing, playing and rhythm work; compositional, in which the client and therapist write a song; and receptive, where individuals simply listen to music.

She said people don’t see the power of music until they are in the room.

“It’s spooky when you see it for the first time. The folks in hospice knew that music was just nice until they saw their client finally fall asleep, or until their client was going from erratic breathing to finally an even respira-

tion,” Mueller said. “What a gift that we have.”

Mueller deals primarily with quality of life and practices a humanistic, person-centered therapy in which empowerment is the main goal. She works in end-of-life care in hospice as well as in a private mental health practice. This year marks her first full year of employment.

“You do not have to give up when you are looking towards the end. It’s just the end in a physical space, but the body is capable of anything you set your mind to. It’s more powerful than you think,” Mueller said.

The work isn’t easy — Mueller is working with people who are on their deathbed. She said that it’s intense but critical to her.

“The work that I do is important, even when it’s sad,” Mueller said. “I feel called to do it.”

Email CINARA MARQUIS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

(Up) via Adobe Stock (Left) provided by Lauren Mueller

ROCKY Continued from page 4

According to Lincoln, it is a “canon event” for many Plattsburgh College Theatre Association members to join the Adirondack Regional Theatre after graduation.

Cast and crew of The Rocky Horror Show have been rehearsing and preparing for the production four to five nights a week.

“My preparation for this show looks different than my normal prep because I’m wearing a binder to play Brad and heels in the floor show,” Lincoln said. “So my preparation is learning my lines, practicing singing with my binder on and jogging in my heels.”

Storms preparation for the musical is also very different from prior years. She said she feels as though it takes a lot

of preparation for the music and dance scenes.

“To prepare for the show this year it’s just a lot of practice. So just practicing with the music and dances because it’s very different this time, good different though,” Storms said.

Storms said she has had a great time with The Rocky Horror Show this year and thinks that it’s a fun group of people to work with.

The Rocky Horror Show will take place Oct. 25, 26 and 31 at 7 p.m. each night. Oct. 26 will have a midnight show at the Strand Center for the Arts. Get tickets at the Strand Center for the Arts website at https://www. strandcenter.org/theatre-events.

LUCA GROSS/Press-Republican

Trinity Park was the site of the Pride Fest hosted by the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance.

PRIDE Continued from page 4

Email GRANT TERWILLIGER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Starting in 2015, the event had only 12 to 13 vendors and community organizations in total, no tents and less entertainment.

“I was just reminiscing how, about nine years ago, when I had just come back from gender surgery and I bumped into (a fellow organizer) and I said ‘It’d be fun to put something together for us here,’ just as like an idea,” Metzgar said. “And we only had six weeks, but he did it.”

Over the course of the better part of a decade, the event has grown to reach the capacity of the park.

“We cannot fit one more tent, or add any more groups.”

Metzgar said.

NO PARADE THIS YEAR

Provided by the Adirondack Regional Theatre

In previous years, the event included a Pride parade along City Hall Place, but due to the cost of Plattsburgh Police Department and City of Platts-

burgh Department of Public Works services, a parade could not be held this year.

“The only thing I am disappointed by this year is no parade,” Metzgar said. “The city requires police and DPW by contract and they have a four hour minimum, it comes out to about $4,200. For two years, we paid for it ourselves, and that’s over $8,000, we just can’t afford it, but I would say it has been very successful without the parade.”

Throughout the event, pride attendees enjoyed live music, food, games and activities such as balloon animals and face painting.

According to Metzgar, Pride is the perfect opportunity for the community to come together in celebration and support of love and one another.

A diverse group of local organizations and agencies at the event offered the support, information and resources available to the community through a variety of programs.

TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

The

Adirondack

North

Country Gender Alliance is planning a commemorative event in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance, also known as TDOR, observed on Nov. 20.

“Trans Day of Remembrance is a solemn day in the community,” Metzgar said.

“TDOR commemorates those who have been viciously and brutally murdered, just for being themselves. It is heartbreaking, but their stories need to be heard and their names need to be remembered.”

There has been no date announced, but an in-person event will be held at the SUNY Plattsburgh Campus, and virtually streamed to New York City.

For more information visit https://adkncga.org/, or the NCGA Facebook at ADKNCGA.

Email LUCA GROSS news@pressrepublican.com

6

▪ Arts & Culture Editor Cinara Marquis

▪

ARTS & CULTURE

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

Collection Spotlight: Oct. 14 to Oct. 20 The Artist Susie Brandt

CARDINAL CALENDAR MONDAY 10/14 Slow Flow and Release at Sangha Studio In this combination Yin/Yang class slowly center yourself in movement and connect with your breath.

36 Clinton, St. from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY 10/15 Girl’s Night Out In celebration of women’s health and humor join the Strand Center for the Arts and CVPH for a comedy performance and speech on cancer prevention.

The Strand Theatre at 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY 10/16 Visual Artist Series: Melissa Schulenberg

THURSDAY 10/17 Black Poetry Day reading

Come listen to printmaker, Melissa Schulenberg lecture about her journey in the arts.

Join award-winning poet and novelist Phillip Williams for poetry readings.

Yokum 205 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Krinovitz Hall at 7 p.m.

FRIDAY 10/18 Stand in the Statistics

SATURDAY 10/19 Brat Fall Party

Come to this lecture series presented by Planned Parenthood, Title IX and #LetitbeHeard.

Join Quake Productions in this party celebrating Charli xcx’s album ‘Brat.’

Burghy’s Den from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Mofitt Hall lounge from 5 to 7 p.m.

SUNDAY 10/20 Frontier Sax In this free event, come listen to the expressive sounds of the Frontier Saxophone Quartet.

Krinovitz Recital Hall at 2 p.m.

In collaboration with Plattsburgh State Art Museum Collections Manager, Kara Jefts, we are highlighting artworks currently displayed in the Myers 232 display cases.

BY MADISON LYON Nina Winkel Intern Plattsburgh State Art Museum

Students attending SUNY Plattsburgh are familiar with the Adirondack region and can look to contemporary artist Susie Brandt for finding inspiration in our everyday surroundings.

Based in both Portland, Maine, and the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York, Brandt’s work explores color, functionality, landscape and human’s relationship with nature. She is commonly known for her interest in textile art, such as weaving, rug hooking and stitching using repurposed fabric.

Although Brandt always had a talented hand in art, she decided to further her skills by attending Philadelphia College of Art where she received her bachelor of fine arts in 1984, and then received her masters of fine arts from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1987.

Since her graduation, Brandt has become an established artist with permanent collections in Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe and the Albany Institute of History and Art. Throughout the past 10 years she has also had solo exhibitions in Portland, Maine, Maryland, Seoul and Albany, New York.

This specific piece was one of 100 slices that were commissioned by the Lake George Arts Project. The intent behind the project was to help people become confident in buying pieces Provided by Kara Jefts from living artists to help start their Susie Brandt, Adirondack Slice, 1992, Prismacolor pencil on wood, own art collection. The curator of the Plattsburgh State Art Museum Collection, X1992.1.7. project chose four artists to create 100 pieces of any media. Brandt decided to create the Adirondack Slice, careThis and other artworks relating to the environment are currently on disfully applying colored pencil to each play in the Myers Building, room 232. If you are interested in learning more wood cross-section, varying in color about the Plattsburgh State Art Museum collection, please contact Kara and size.

Jefts at kara.jefts@plattsburgh.edu for information on how to set up a visit, Looking throughout Brandt’s caevent, or class. reer, wood is not her typical medium, making this piece unique. Brandt’s residency in rural Upstate New York Email MADISON LYON is greatly reflected in not only this mlyon010@plattsburgh.edu piece, but much of her artwork.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) The Trial card signifies

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)

The High Priestess card signifies intuition. Trust your instincts and dig deeper to access wisdom within and outside of yourself. Ask questions, especially about what you find uncomfortable.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) The Fool card represents Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) The Death card indicates renewal. This card urges you to embrace new beginnings by taking a leap of faith. Have faith in the future, even when you do not know what to expect.

transformation. Embrace change by detaching from old, unfinished business that may be holding you back.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)

The Temperance card depicts moderation. Have patience with whatever you are facing now; balance will come with time and distance.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

The Judgement card de- Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) picts destiny. Now may be the appropriate time to take decisive action in your life. Listen to your instincts and be sincere with those around you.

The Hierophant card refers to guidance. Seek the wisdom of a trusted mentor who will help you prioritize stability and security.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

The reversed Strength card entails fragility. This card implores you to be brave and have more confidence in yourself. Take some time to reflect on how far you have come to get where you are today.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

The reversed Star card entails doubt. It may feel like everything is turning against you, like all of your hopes are gone — it is only pessimism. Take time to nurture yourself.

patience. Things may feel uncertain or stagnant this week; this card suggests that you step back and take a break. Time will bring new clarity.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

The World card entails fulfillment. Keep doing what you are doing. Your motivations empower you to continue striving for success — it is nearly in your hands.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20)

The reversed Empress card is about smothering. You may be feeling a sense of burnout this week stemming from insecurity.

You cannot pour from an empty cup, so take some time to nurture yourself.

The Chariot card signifies willpower. You are overcoming obstacles with your powerful ambition. Keep your determination, as triumph is on the horizon.

7

▪ Photography Editor Jayne Smith

▪

PHOTO SPREAD

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

The Water Station Photos by Cinara Marquis

Aaron Reneau (left) and Nicholas Alkobi (right) fight over water as it drips from the water station.

Arisa Izumi holds a black parasol, symbolizing her character’s deceased relatives, as she approaches the water station.

Alkobi kneels and prays by the water station to give thanks for the water, mirroring the Nina Winkel sculpture behind him.

Owl Merle digs through a pile of trashed shoes.

Jessica Rigby pushes the prop corpse of her character’s husband in a shopping cart.

INSIDE: Hockey rosters announced

FRIDAY, OCT. 11, 2024

CARDS CLINCH PLAYOFFS

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Jacklin Mitchell (left) and Ava Carey (right) share a laugh at the team’s win over Oneonta at home Sept. 2. Mitchell secured the playoff spot with a singles win on Saturday.

Tennis earns first playoff berth in six seasons

BY MICHAEL PURTELL Sports Editor

Cardinal tennis ended last year at the Binghamton Tennis Complex, when the team was bounced from playoff competition in the final match of its season.

This year, the eight returning athletes will experience the joys of a spring season after taking a win

over conference rival Fredonia for the fourth and final playoff spot. It’s the first time the team has qualified for the tournament since 2017.

“Coming back this year, we were just so hungry for it,” head coach Kelci Henn said.

The end-of-season stretch of SUNYAC matches took place over a three-day stretch last week. Plattsburgh (7-4, 2-3) faced conference rivals Oswego (12-1, 4-1) on

Wednesday, Oct. 3; Cortland (6-4, 3-2) on Thursday, Oct 4; and Fredonia (4-7, 1-4) on Friday, Oct. 5. The Cardinals lost the first two games 1-6 and defeated Fredonia 4-3.

“I’ve been dreaming about this all four years since I’ve been here,” senior Hallie Hurwitz said. “It’s a dream come true.”

TEN > 10

Men’s soccer

Cardinals rebound, top Oneonta

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Editor in Chief

With its back against the wall, Plattsburgh State men’s soccer delivered its signature win of the season. The Cardinals (7-1-3, 2-1-1) defeated the No. 20 Oneonta Red Dragons (72-3, 3-1) 2-0 at home Oct. 9 for the first time since 2015.

Plattsburgh was 0-1-1 in its most recent SUNYAC games — tying Morrisville (3-4-4) 0-0 on Sept. 28 and losing to No. 14 Cortland (8-3-3, 2-1-1) 0-4 on Oct. 5.

Oneonta was undefeated in conference play, most notably defeating Cortland 4-0 on Oct. 2.

“That’s why we love the league,” head coach Chris Taylor said. “This is an NCAA game.”

Assessing VB talent, teams

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Editor in Chief

Having reported on SUNYAC sports for three years now, I want the sports section to expand beyond Plattsburgh. In this column, I will explore membership issues, rivals’ seasons and the conference the Cardinals call home.

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Senior Brian Coughlan roars in celebration after scoring the game-winning goal MSOC > 11 against Oneonta at the Plattsburgh State Field House on Oct. 9.

RESULTS Friday, Oct. 11

Saturday, Oct. 5

Wednesday, Oct. 9

TEN vs. Cortland (@ Binghamton) *SUNYAC* L 1-6

TEN vs. Fredonia (@ Binghamton) *SUNYAC* W 4-3

WSOC @ Oneonta L 1-0

VB @ Fredonia L 0-3

MSOC @ Cortland *SUNYAC* L 0-4 WSOC @ Cortland *SUNYAC* L 0-2 VB @ Buffalo St. L 0-3

MSOC vs. Oneonta W 2-0

UPCOMING

SUNYAC volleyball’s 2024 season opened Oct. 2, and the games were a surprising statement as to the parity of the league — seven out of nine games ended in a sweep.

SUNYAC > 11

Friday, Oct. 11

Saturday, Oct. 12

Wednesday, Oct. 16

VB vs. Cortland *SUNYAC* 6 p.m.

MSOC @ Buffalo St. *SUNYAC* 11 a.m.

WSOC @ New Paltz *SUNYAC* 3 p.m.

WSOC vs. Buffalo St. *SUNYAC*

MSOC vs. New Paltz *SUNYAC* 3 p.m.

VB vs. Morrisville *SUNYAC* 1 p.m.

▪ Sports Editor Michael Purtell

9

▪

SPORTS

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

Volleyball

Cards fall in SUNYAC openers

BY EMMA DEO Staff Writer

As of Oct. 10

STANDINGS M. SOCCER

W. SOCCER

TEAM

SUNYAC

OVERALL

TEAM

SUNYAC

OVERALL

1- Buffalo St.

4-0-0

11-0-1

1-New Paltz

3-0-1

8-2-2

2-New Paltz

3-0-1

7-4-1

2-Cortland

3-0-1

5-2-4

3-Oneonta

3-1-0

7-2-3

3-Buffalo St.

3-1-0

6-6-0

4-Plattsburgh 2-1-1

7-1-3

4-Oneonta

3-1-0

3-6-1

5-Cortland

2-1-1

8-3-3

5-Fredonia

2-2-0

7-5-0

6-Oswego

1-2-1

6-2-3

6-Oneonta

2-1-0

6-5-0

7-Fredonia

1-3-0

6-6-2

7-Plattsburgh

2-2-0

3-9-0

8-Potsdam

1-3-0

5-5-2

8-Potsdam

1-3-0

3-9-0

9-Morrisville

0-2-2

3-4-4

9-Canton

0-4-0

1-9-2

10-Canton

0-4-0

3-10-1

10-Morrisville

0-4-0

0-8-2

TENNIS

VOLLEYBALL

TEAM

SUNYAC

OVERALL

TEAM

SUNYAC

OVERALL

1-New Paltz

5-0

7-0

1-Cortland

2-0

13-5

2-Oswego

4-1

12-1

2-Morrisville

2-0

10-6

3-Cortland

3-2

6-4

3-Buffalo St.

2-0

10-8

4-Plattsburgh

2-3

7-4

4-New Paltz

1-0

8-8

E-Fredonia

1-4

6-6

5-Potsdam

1-1

8-4

E-Oneonta

0-5

3-5

6-Fredonia

1-1

8-12

7-Oswego

1-2

10-10

8-Canton

0-1

7-11

9-Oneonta

0-1

7-11

10-Plattsburgh

0-2

3-13

STATISTICS M. SOCCER GOALS

#

ASSISTS

#

POINTS

#

J. Hayes, M

8

X. Kamba, F

4

J. Hayes, M

18

X. Kamba, F

4

Six players

2

X. Kamba, F

12

T.wo Players

3

B. Coughlan, D

8

#

SOG

#

SAVE %

#

MINUTES

J. Hayes, M

19

T. Healy

.710

B. Coughlan, D 968

X. Kamba, F

11

GAA

#

J. Murphy, D

944

M. Badjie, F

9

T. Healy

0.84

R. Ashong, D

900

GOALS

#

ASSISTS

#

POINTS

#

C. Bottjer, F

2

M. Bolton, F

2

C. Bottjer, F

4

A. Brown, F

2

B. Lafountain, M

2

A. Brown, F

4

J. Mare, M

2

Three players

1

J. Mare, M

4

SOG

#

SAVE %

#

MINUTES

#

M. Bolton, F

6

L. Haley

.709

C. Granger, D

1023

K. Peterson-Ross, M

5

GAA

#

A. Crowley, D

990

Three players

4

L. Haley

2.38

K. Peterson-Ross 937

W. SOCCER

VOLLEYBALL POINTS

#

KILLS

#

ASSISTS

#

L. Girma, OH

172.5

L. Girma, OH

143

K. Ganz, S

183

D. Collyear, RS

117.5

D. Collyear, RS

102

A. Almeida, S

156

I. Mulvey, RS

117.5

I. Mulvey, RS

86

B. Ryan, DS

26

HITTING %

#

DIGS

#

BLOCKS

#

B. Perrone, DS

.167

L. Girma, OH

146

K. Salphine, MB

25

I. Mulvey, RS

.156

B. Ryan, DS

135

D. Collyear, RS

30

L. Girma, OH

.121

K. Burke, DS

105

K. Ganz, S

16

TENNIS SINGLES

#

DBLS TEAMS #

DOUBLES

#

J. Mitchell

8-3

Carey & Mitchell

A. Carey

7-4

S. Gottschall

7-4

Hurwitz & Cantwell 5-4

S. Gottschall

7-4

K. Cantwell

7-3

Phelps & Gottschall 5-4

J. Mitchell

7-4

GAME OF THE WEEK

7-4

Tennis finished its regular season campaign in dramatic fashion, clinching a spot in the SUNYAC playoffs with a 4-3 win over Fredonia at the Binghamton Tennis Complex.

WTEN vs. Fredonia

Jacklin Mitchell was crucial in the tennis team’s playoffclinching win over Fredonia. Mitchell moves to 8-3 on the season in singles and 7-4 in doubles with partner Ava Carey.

Jacklin Mitchell vs.

Fredonia: Singles: 6-3, 6-3 Doubles (with Ava Carey): 7-5

After last year’s split — losing to Buffalo State but making a thrilling five-set senior day comeback against Fredonia — Plattsburgh State volleyball (3-13, 0-2) couldn’t find the same spark this season, losing both matches over their weekend out west.

Plattsburgh volleyball opened up SUNYAC play this weekend with two 0-3 losses to Fredonia (812, 1-1) and Buffalo State (10-8, 2-0).

Plattsburgh State began the weekend visiting Fredonia and falling in COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points straight sets 22-25, 15-25 Sanaia Estime (left) and Lexi Carfi (right) jump in Memorial Hall Sept. 21. and 22-25 on Friday, Oct. 4.

Although this series the Blue Devils took the 3-0 loss to Buffalo State. highlighted by kills from Collyear led the Cardinals Mulvey and junior outside did not produce any set opening set 25-22.

Fredonia opened again with five kills. hitter Maggie Lyon, but wins for the Cardinals, their growth as a team the second set on a 5-0 Mulvey and Girma each the Cardinals dropped set this season has not gone run, but two kills from notched four kills in the two 25-9.

Collyear and one from loss. Ryan led the team “Moving forward, we unrecognized. want to run our offense a “We’re executing in Girma brought the score with six digs.

“If anything, we just little more effectively to those moments that we to 8-4. Fredonia was able weren’t before. We’re to capitalize on some need to work on how long try and get around the big coming together a lot more Plattsburgh errors and we’re letting the other blocks,” Ryan said.

Buffalo State’s offense consistently now,” head won the second set 25-15. team be on offense,” The third set was back- Collyear said. produced 34 kills over coach Eimile O’Brien said. with both This weekend was the match, limiting the Sophomore right-side and-forth, hitter Darby Collyear led squads trading leads. special for O’Brien, as Cardinals to just 15.

The third set showcased the Cardinals with nine Plattsburgh went down 12- she was a three-year team kills, with sophomore 10, but kills from Mulvey captain for Buffalo State kills from Mulvey, Lyon outside hitter Liya Girma and Almeida highlighted and joined the team as and Girma, but this was following closely behind a four-point run for the an assistant coach in 2023 not enough as Buffalo State took the final set of with eight. Anabella Cardinals, putting them up before coming up north.

14-12. This was “I get to coach against the weekend 25-7.

Almeida, firstthe longest run the program that built “We at least expected year setter, had of the set for me,” O’Brien said. “I’m that we could go into 13 assists to lead the team. We’re execut- either team. looking forward to being this weekend with good Plattsburgh ing in those P l a t t s b u r g h back in the place that gave energy, picking each battled until me so much but with this other up and ensuring started the first set strong, moments that the end, but new, exciting perspective that we can compete with both of these teams,” opening the we weren’t F r e d o n i a that I have now.” ultimately took Buffalo State opened Collyear said. game with before. the third and the first set with a 9-2 Plattsburgh volleyball an 8-2 lead. final set 25-22. lead, but a three-point run comes home to Memorial Fredonia “I think highlighted by two kills Hall this weekend, battled back energy from Girma brought the taking on Cortland and to make it 9-6, Eimile O’Brien our really Cardinals within three. Morrisville on Oct. 11 and keeping the Head Coach was c o n s i s t e n t The Bengals offense took 12 respectively in two set close, but today, which charge for the rest of the more SUNYAC matchups.

Plattsburgh maintained its lead until is something we’ve been set, resulting in a 25-15 Fredonia went on a five- working on, and our de- loss for Plattsburgh State.

This trend continued point run to take the lead fense was pretty scrap21-20. The Cardinals kept py,” junior defensive spe- into the second set, with it close with a kill from cialist Bridget Ryan said. Plattsburgh State starting Email EMMA DEO The Cardinals finished off in a 16-2 deficit. sophomore right-side cp@cardinalpointsonline.com hitter Iris Mulvey, but their weekend trip with a Plattsburgh’s offense was

“

”

Ask an Athlete: Ginny Lucchetti, XC/TF

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Editor in Chief

Ginny Lucchetti is a junior member of Plattsburgh State cross country and track and field. A multi-time SUNYAC and Regional competitor, they specialize in distance, most notably posting a 1500-meter run time of 5:09.16.

Ginny was not just a runner through their youth, but also trained in karate for eight years.

In the classroom, Ginny studies art, and publicly shares their works on Instagram. Most of Ginny’s work includes digital drawings of people or anime characters.

Ginny and their teammatess have developed strong bonds, spending plenty of time together outside of their year-long meets via Plattsburgh State Athletics and practices.

Ginny Lucchetti runs in the 2024 Cardinal Classic Aug. 31.

Question: Where is your favorite place to practice and aren’t always good to express how I feel, but my art and running give why?

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Answer: My favorite place to run around is actually Hawkins Pond.

Currently Marissa Colvin and I are number two on the fastest lap around Hawkins Pond. Last semester, we set a personal record of 20 laps around Hawkins Pond, and this year we are planning on breaking it.

me that freedom where the limitation of my words fails. I got told during our last painting critique that I “paint like a runner” because of how energetic my work looks. Art and running are honestly very similar.

also become a lot with classes.

We have 6:30 a.m. practice for the first half of the week, so some of my days I go from practice to nine hours of classes, which is simultaneously fun and existentially dreadful — it’s a splendid time.

Even though it can be really rough sometimes, my college experience would be so drastically different without it. I personally wouldn’t enjoy it. I need something to constantly be happening and cross country and track and field gives me that.

Q: What belt did you receive in karate? What skills do you still use today?

A: I made it all the way to a black belt! Growing up as a girl in a sport dominated by boys, this sport gave me a lot of the confidence I needed growing up. I used to compete nationally and instead of competing against girls, my dad wanted me to learn to fight guys so he had me compete in the boys divisions.

My sparring gear was all pink to express my femininity because everyone else’s sparring gear was a variation of black, red, or white.

Because of that, I was called names like “pinky” by the referees and my fellow competitors.

Q: What are the pros and cons of being a year-round This question-and-answer was Q: Regarding art and sport, competitor? conducted with Ginny over email A: Being a year-long competitor compare and contrast the Oct. 8. definitely does come with a hefty ways each allows you to exlist of both cons and positives. press yourself.

Jacklin Mitchell

A: Both are outlets for me to For starters, sometimes it’s like be me. I have a hard time finding a constant “homesick” feeling of words most of the time so words missing the other sport that isn’t in-season at the moment. It can

Email COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

10 ▪ Sports Editor Michael Purtell

▪

SPORTS

Women’s soccer

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

TEN Continued from page 8

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Lia Parker (7), Lauren Haley (1) and Kelly Licita (31) fight to keep the Cortland offense at bay Sept. 18.

Cards lose twice, focus on scores

BY JUSTIN RUSHIA Associate Sports Editor

Plattsburgh State women’s soccer enjoyed a strong start to conference play with wins over Fredonia and Morrisville. Now, the Cardinals (3-8) fell in its SUNYAC home opener to the reigning SUNYAC champions: the Cortland Red Dragons (4-2-4).

After struggling to find their footing offensively to begin the season, the Cardinals looked to SUNYAC play as their shot at a fresh start. Plattsburgh scored six goals in its first two conference games — more than it had scored in its first six non-conference games combined.

“I think that some of our younger players are really stepping up into those roles they need to be in,” head coach Whitney Frary said. “It’s been exciting to see them having that kind of work ethic.”

After the loss, Plattsburgh fell three spots to fifth in the standings.

The Cards are still very much in the playoff race, with five other teams, including Cortland, winning two SUNYAC games.

In their last two head-to-head matchups, in 2022 and 2023, Plattsburgh and Cortland tied. The draw in 2023 contributed to the Cardinals’ six-game unbeaten streak to end the season going into the SUNYAC tournament.

The Red Dragons, projected to finish first in the SUNYAC pre-season polls, found themselves sitting in fourth place, trailing the Cardinals, who were ranked second before their matchup.

MHKY’s 2024-25 roster

As the 11 a.m. matchup kicked off, it was clear that Cortland looked to jump Plattsburgh in the rankings.

Plattsburgh’s defense, backed by reigning All-SUNYAC First Team goalie Lauren Haley and All-SUNYAC Third Team defender Casey Granger, was put to the test early and often by the Cortland attack. The Red Dragons registered five shots in the first 25 minutes of the game. The Cardinals managed one.

The Red Dragons’ relentless and high-pace attack breached the Cardinal defense, striking first in the 27th minute to gain the 1-0 advantage. This was Plattsburgh’s first time trailing in a SUNYAC game this season.

Plattsburgh conceded a goal approximately two minutes later after an unlucky Plattsburgh clearance allowed Cortland to knock another past Haley, giving it the 2-0 lead.

The Cardinal attack, which was averaging three goals per game in the SUNYAC, struggled against the tough Red Dragon defense.

“When we would try and transition into our attack, they did a good job at stopping it and used no-nonsense clearance to get it out so that we didn’t have a chance to build our offense much,” first-year attacker Leah Warren said.

Neither team was able to score in the remaining 15 minutes of the half, putting the Cards at a 0-2 disadvantage at the Field House.

As the second half commenced, the Plattsburgh defense adjusted to Cortland’s fast pace of play and kept the ball out of its goal for the rest of the match.

Plattsburgh State men’s hockey posted its 2024-25 roster this week ahead of the season opener less than a month away.

The forwards group of 16 features six first-years and a transfer, and saw six departures.

Rookies include Shane Bondy and Patrick Cole from the OJHL, Blake Hall from the GOJHL, Brody Spencer-Ha from the AJHL, William Jasmin from the NCDC and Tyler Ramm from the NAHL. The Cardinals also landed a former Division I player in Jake Sacratini, a junior from American International College.

Nine returners round out the forwards: sophomores Tio D’Addario and Aaron Catrion; juniors Joshua Belgrave, Ryan Bonfield, Colin Callanan and Riley Sutherland; and seniors Jagger Benson, Luk Jirousek, captain, and Jake Lanyi, captain.

Graduates not returning are Thomas Maia, Trey Thomas, Bennett Stockdale, Ryan Butler, Adam Tretowicz and Paul Bryer.

The defenseman group of nine features one first-year and one departure.

The lone rookie is Nick Recupero from the Northeast Generals, the same team as Ramm in the NAHL. Eight players will return to the blueline: sophomores Simon Singher and Sam D’Amico; juniors Spencer Bellina, captain, Lonan Bulger and Brannon Butler; seniors Jack Ring and

Haley is having a remarkable campaign so far this season, already making 61 saves in 11 games for an average of 5.5 saves per game.

“We spent the whole practice beforehand just working on the defensive aspect and making sure we lock them down because they’re quick,” Warren said. “I think that we had a really good defensive game, especially in the second half, regardless of the score.”

Plattsburgh finished the game with three shots — two of them on goal — compared to Cortland’s 15 shots, five of them on goal, all in the first half.

Haley finished with three saves, all coming in the first half, and the Cortland keeper finished with two.

This matchup marked the team’s annual Morgan’s Message game. The chapter strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics.

A moment of silence was observed and teal ribbons were worn by athletes to represent Morgan’s Message.

Plattsburgh will continue its run of conference games to end the season with its breast cancer awareness game against Buffalo State on Saturday, Oct 12.

“I think that we have all the pieces.

It’s just a matter of putting it together,” Warren said. “We’re still figuring it out, but it definitely just takes a lot of positivity and understanding that we’ll get there.”

Ryan Poorman; and the team’s lone graduate student Kevin Weaver-Vitale, captain.

Ryan Hogg graduated.

The unchanged goaltender room of three is sophomore Dominik Bovan, junior Eli Shiller and senior Jacob Hearne.

Assistant coach Reid Lesswing will be replaced with Neil Mulcahy, the captain of the 1987 NCAA Champion Cardinals.

Plattsburgh sets off to reclaim the SUNYAC crown Oct. 26, in an exhibition against future SUNYAC member Skidmore on the road before the official start Nov. 1 on the road against Vermont State University-Castleton.

A Nov. 9 home exhibition against Simon Fraser University holds the fans over until the official home opener on Nov. 22, facing Cortland in a SUNYAC Championship rematch.

The Cardinals are ranked No. 9 nationally — above any other SUNYAC team — by a D-III Hockey News poll, as voted on by media, coaches and administrators in Division III on Oct. 8.

WHKY’s 2024-25 roster

Plattsburgh State women’s hockey released its 2024-25 roster this week with just over a week to go before its opener.

The forwards group of 16 has seven firstyears and nine departures.

The seven rookies include: Julia and Emma Holmes, two triplets from Worcester Academy in Worcester, Mas-

In the first match, the Cardinals’ lone point came from sophomore Jacklin Mitchell in singles #4 where she won 7-5, 6-1. Against Cortland, it was Hurwitz who notched a point for Plattsburgh at #2 singles with a 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 tiebreaker win.

Last year it was the Cardinal’s 4-5 loss to the Fredonia Blue Devils which cost them their fall season. It was the program’s second loss ever to Fredonia. Ending this season with the same matchup, the Cardinals took the win in a dramatic reversal of roles.

All three doubles matches fell in favor of the Cardinals. In singles, Mitchell won #3 singles 6-3, 6-3; senior Sophia Gottschall won #4 singles 6-0, 6-4; and junior Kristy Cantwell took #5 singles 6-3, 6-3.

The stakes of the games established an environment unlike any other this season, but the Cardinals had prepared for that.

“Quoting Billie Jean King, ‘Pressure is privilege,’” Henn said. “We feel the pressure now because we’re so close to making the final four, but we are able to feel that privilege because we’ve played so well.”

Both Henn and multiple members of the team credit the SUNYAC achievement in-part to an improved mental toughness built throughout the season by working with Plattsburgh Hall of Famer Gina (Rosenbaum) Trombley. Trombley is a mental health counselor with a specialization in sports psychology. An alumna of Plattsburgh’s women’s soccer program, Trombley knows how to build the mentality of a winner.

Henn reached out to Trombley after hearing good reviews of her work from Plattsburgh’s softball and women’s soccer staffs.

“It takes a village to build a program,” Henn said. “We wouldn’t be where we are without help from Gina.”

The Cardinals will now enjoy a well-deserved break from conference play, but that doesn’t mean the team will sit on its laurels until April.

“We’re going to be right back into it,” Cantwell said. “We’re really going to practice hard and treat it similar to our fall season.”

That work is the reward for a successful season, especially to the team’s seniors.

“We wanted to win, we wanted to make it into the final four so badly because we love tennis so much and we want to keep playing,” Hurwitz said.

“Having achieved that goal means we get to spend more time together and play more tennis, so the team vibe is really good.”

The team is looking into building its spring schedule with out-of-conference matches, keeping the team well-prepared for its debut in the fourteam tournament, Henn said. At the behest of her athletes, Henn is targeting high-profile programs such as Skidmore or Union in order to understand how these strong teams have earned their reputation.

“Seeing them all band together through everything that they’ve all experienced is something that I’ve just been really proud of, and they all pushed each other to get to where we are today,” Henn said. “While we’re an individual sport, this was for sure a team effort.”

Email JUSTIN RUSHIA

Email MICHAEL PURTELL

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sachusetts; Kayson Ruegge from the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers in West Chester, Pennsylvania; Ashley O’Hara from the Syracuse Valley Eagles in Syracuse, New York; Ella Procyk from Lovell Academy in Rockland, Massachusetts; Kate Conlon from Little Caesars in Farmington, Michigan and Tessa Morris from Rome Girl’s Hockey in Rome, New York.

Nine returners round out the group: sophomores Sydnee Francis, Ava Mattaliano and Emily Kasprzak; juniors Emma McLean, Ella Fesette and Molly Riggi; senior Bridget Orr; and fifth-years Mae Olshansky and Ciara Wall.

Not returning are Lilli Bills; Riley Calhoun, who transferred to Division III Utica; Dani Longuemare, who transferred to DIII Wilkes; Grace Yarkosky; Zsófia Pázmándi, who transferred to DI Lindenwood University; and the graduated Julia Masotta, Tatem Cheney and Ivy Boric.

The defensive unit of seven will welcome two first-years as two departed.

The first-year blueliners are Yoo Seoyoung from the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall, Ontario and Marina McCann from the St. Louis Lady Blues in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

Five defensemen return: sophomores Adriana Urban and Maeghan Forsyth; juniors Taya Balfour and Su-An Cho; and senior Mattie Norton.

Two of last year’s defensemen are not

on the roster: Kendall Wasik graduated and Aizah Thompson transferred to Cornell University, playing ACHA hockey.

The goaltender group will look different with three: first-years Ava Varecka from Nichols School in Buffalo, New York and Maddy Stetson from Little Caesars; and sophomore Chloe Lewis.

Lilla Nease, last year’s starter, graduated.

Assistant coach Julia Duquette is not returning, and will be replaced by Emma Killeen, who won the 2019 NCAA Championship with Duquette as players.

The Cardinals look to return to the NCAA Playoffs for the 12th consecutive season at home Nov. 2 against Norwich.

Before the official opener, Plattsburgh will host two exhibitions against the Ottawa Lady 67’s Intermediate AA team Oct. 20 and Trinity College (Conn.) on Oct. 27.

The Cardinals are ranked No. 5 nationally, the highest of any SUNYAC team, by a D-III Hockey News poll, as voted on by media, coaches and administrators in Division III on Oct. 7.

Women’s rugby ranked No. 20

Plattsburgh club women’s rugby was ranked No. 20 in a National Collegiate Rugby women’s Division III coaches poll. Plattsburgh is undefeated with an upcoming home game Oct. 19 to determine the site of its Oct. 26 playoff game.

If it wins it will host and if it loses the game will be on the road.

11 ▪ Sports Editor Michael Purtell

▪

SPORTS

MSOC Continued from page 8

In each of this week’s Cortland and Oneonta games, Plattsburgh shot 12 times and five times on goal — but produced different results.

CORTLAND

The Cardinals entered its SUNYAC road opener against the Red Dragons undefeated after a hiccup tie against Morrisville. The game looked like a chance for the Cards to assert itself in the standings.

The matchup was the first with a long week of practice in almost a month, with no Wednesday game. After a frustrating game, it was difficult to stretch enthusiasm over seven days.

“There was definitely an energy lull,” forward Tristan Laundree said. “It was nothing to what we had in preseason, which I wish we could get back to.”

Taylor addressed it before the game.

“We were excited to have no midweek games the last two weeks, but I don’t think it helped us,” Taylor said.

“I think it created too much of a relaxed attitude.”

Plattsburgh faced major setbacks in terms of personnel, with two starters unavailable — center back Randall Ashong was ruled out with a hamstring injury and midfielder Jake McGowan was suspended for a red card the game prior.

In Ashong’s place was Tony Kochelev, a junior starting his first game.

Thomas O’Neill, a transfer, filled in for McGowan for his third start of the year.

“We tried to be as on-brand as possible, but I think we found it difficult to be that,” Taylor said. “The guys who stepped in actually did a really good job and I don’t think they could have done any more.”

Cortland’s lineup consists of mostly upperclassmen. Plattsburgh’s team is much younger, and as the game went on, Taylor was forced to pull deeper from the bench. The Cardinals played 12 reserves, equaling the Morrisville and Fredonia games combined.

Eight of the substitutes were underclassmen who gained valuable experience in limited minutes.

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Jake McGowan (left) and Randall Ashong (right) maintain possession of the ball Oct. 9.

“The SUNYAC is a pretty physical conference,” O’Neill said. “That’s definitely an adjustment for the younger guys.”

Taylor said the game was a good lesson for players with little or no conference experience, providing an experience that could last the season or even their careers.

“I think some of them saw that it’s a lot bigger, a lot stronger and a lot faster,” Taylor said.

The rotation was also a good example to remind the down-the-bench guys of their worth, and that they could be called on at any time.

Cortland scored twice in the first half, picking apart the Plattsburgh defense and capitalizing on mistakes.

Some starters have accumulated multiple yellow cards, and are approaching the five-card threshold before suspension. The threat didn’t allow the backline to defend in a way it wanted to.

O’Neill attributed the second-half goals to the Cardinals moving away from their game, trying to win.

“We don’t want to learn in SUNYAC games, but we did,” Taylor said.

“We saw some really good moments throughout the game that we want to try and harness and get more out of.”

ONEONTA

Through its last 11 matchups, Plattsburgh was 0-9-2 against Oneonta. The Red Dragons have been a wall the Cards have been unable to scale, and posed a serious trial Wednesday.

“I think they’re the best team we’ve played by far,” Taylor said.

The Cardinals returned Ashong and McGowan, but some changes remained — Kochelev replaced Lucas Arbaelez and McGowan came off the bench. Forward Modou Badjie came off the bench for just the second time across two seasons.

Plattsburgh pulled five from the bench, and McGowan outplayed O’Neill in minutes.

The rivals remained in lockstep through the first half, shooting seven times each, with the Cardinals holding a two to one shots on goal advantage. Plattsburgh was unable to convert on some ideal looks.

“We should have scored three, four maybe,” Taylor said.

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

With a shorter practice window between games, the Cardinals had a goal in the early week.

“It keeps the focus,” Taylor said.

“You can’t keep the guys locked in for five games. This gives us a short-term goal. I prefer it this way.”

The 0-0 tie persisted through 76 minutes, with possession and shots remaining relatively square.

During the Cortland game, Plattsburgh struggled to score partly because of a lack of numbers in the box, and a failure to connect across the field.

Center back Brian Coughlan, with 15 minutes remaining against Oneonta, learned from that deficiency. From outside the right corner of the penalty area, he fired a crosser to Badjie in the box. Badjie pulled back and the ball went through the defender’s legs into the bottom left corner of the goal.

“It was a bit of a clever one,” Taylor said.

The bench exploded, running to celebrate with Coughlan. They remained on their feet for the rest of the game.

Less than two minutes later, Badjie took a lob pass entering the penalty area. He handled it, dribbling to the outside left corner of the goal box past the defender. A low shot went past the goalkeeper in the bottom right corner.

Badjie, benched following some lackluster starts, needed the score “badly,” Taylor said.

The dagger extended the lead and Plattsburgh held Oneonta without a shot on goal for the rest of the game.

Plattsburgh now stands fourth in the conference with five games to go, including just two teams with positive records. Those tests — visiting Buffalo State (10-0-1, 3-0-0) tomorrow and hosting New Paltz (7-4-1, 3-0-1) on Wednesday — creates a two-week gauntlet pushing the limits of the team.

“The guys have it in them. We’ve been talking for several years now about winning the big games,” Taylor said. “Hopefully that’s a breakthrough. I’ve known it the whole time, but I think the guys needed to prove it to themselves.”

Email COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

198

11

2

The tennis team will have to wait

Plattsburgh State will host the NCAA

Two tennis athletes were named

198 days until April 25, when

Division III Women’s Ice Hockey

Cardinal of the Week by the

it competes in the SUNYAC

Championships in 2027, an 11-year

Athletics Department (Ava Carey

Tournament Semifinals.

gap since the last time Plattsburgh

and Jacklin Mitchell)

hosted in 2016

SUNYAC Continued from page 8

When Geneseo and Brockport — who finished a combined 13-5 last season — left the conference, two of six playoff spots opened up. Plattsburgh came out on top of a tight race for the sixth spot, at 3-6, winning a tiebreaker and finishing over two 2-7 teams.

The scramble for the bottom of the playoff picture will be exciting, and come down to the final games. In November, the tournament teams will be the ones which don’t drop bad games and win tiebreakers against competition.

CONTENDER

Far and away, the league’s best team and favorite is Cortland (13-5, 2-0).

The Red Dragons seriously impressed in out-of-conference play, winning 37 sets and losing 16, against strong competition. Cortland hung around with two top-10 teams, Trinity (TX) and Johns Hopkins, in two out-of-state tournaments this year.

The Red Dragons have won both conference games so far, defeating Oswego and Canton in 3-0 sweeps, allowing 12 or less points in five of six sets.

When looking at last season’s final four, Geneseo and Brockport are out of the picture, and New Paltz is sitting at .500. At the moment, and I take no pride in saying this, the conference looks to be for Cortland’s taking. Different sport, same stuff.

PLAYOFF SQUADS Morrisville (10-6, 2-0), Buffalo State (10-8, 2-0) and New Paltz (8-8, 1-0) will likely fill out the next three playoff spots.

So far, and moving forward, it has and will be hard to consider Morrisville teams as playoff caliber in its new leagues — but so far, volleyball seems to be the outlier.

I knew the Mustangs would be hard to count out, after winning the NAC and losing just two conference games in 2023, but I didn’t think they’d be 10-6 and sweep both Oswego and Canton. If the Mustangs can continue to hang athletically, and not drop bad games, they’ll finish with a top-4 playoff seed.

New Paltz is a good contender to return to the playoffs this season. The Hawks had a rough go in non-conference games, going 7-8, but they’ve played quality teams to prepare for SUNYACs. In its first game, New Paltz swept a below-average One-

onta. With a foot in the door, I think the Hawks have what it takes to stay on their feet through the regular season and find a nice seed in the playoffs.

Buffalo State, the fifth seed last year, has shown this season why it can associate with the best of the SUNYAC. In the early non-conference games, the Bengals defeated Geneseo 3-2 and split games with Brockport 2-3 and 3-0.

In the two games so far, Buffalo State defeated Potsdam 3-1 and Plattsburgh 3-0 and denied the Cardinals at least 10 points in two sets.

The Bengals have shown they’re legit and should cruise to a SUNYAC playoff berth.

ON THE BUBBLE

Potsdam (8-4, 1-1), Fredonia (8-12, 1-1) and Oswego (1010, 1-2) all look frisky to take the last two playoff spots.

After finishing 0-9 in-conference last season, I was ready to count Potsdam out. But after an 8-4 start, including three sweeps, the Bears have soundly entered the playoff picture.

Potsdam has been the only team to play four games against conference opponents, with just two counting as SUNYAC games. In the early games, the Bears defeated Plattsburgh 3-1 and lost to Canton 1-3. The Bears split again last weekend, opening SUNYACs losing to Buffalo State 1-3 and beating Fredonia 3-2.

If Potsdam can avoid losing to worse teams, it could have a place in the playoffs.

Fredonia has played an interesting non-conference schedule, playing 12 of 19 games in Pennsylvania. If the Blue Devils split from the SUNYAC, at least we know where they’ll defect to.

Those games offered diverse competition, and Fredonia went 7-11, including a 1-3 loss to Geneseo.

In conference games so far, Fredonia defeated Plattsburgh 3-0 and lost to Potsdam 2-3. If the Blue Devils can flip tight contests, they could see the playoffs.

Oswego might have the best chances of these three to make the postseason.

The Lakers posted a 9-8 record through challenging non-conference play, winning 31 sets to 28 losses. Oswego faced Geneseo, sweeping last year’s third seed — indicating it could be in good standing in the conference.

In its first two conference games, the Lakers have been swept twice by Cortland and Morrisville — not exactly easy pickings. The loss to the Mustangs was close, losing sets by five, four and two points. Oswego then picked up a close five-set win against Canton.

If Oswego fares well against Buffalo State or New Paltz, it could enter the next tier.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN Canton (8-9, 0-3), Oneonta (7-11, 0-1) and Plattsburgh (3-13, 0-2) are the odd teams out, with a steep climb for a playoff berth.

Canton had a reasonably impressive non-conference stretch, winning against losing teams and losing to winning teams — good for a first-year head coach. Canton lost to Brockport, last year’s fourth seed, in a sweep and beat Potsdam in five.

In conference games, Canton was swept by Cortland and Morrisville in two of its worst offensive games of the season. Its loss to Oswego was hopeful, but if it can’t turn those games, Canton is stuck in this tier. The only path the Kangaroos have to the playoffs is turning wins over other teams of its caliber with a surprise win or two.

Oneonta may be the best of the teams in this category, but just hasn’t gotten much opportunity to prove itself.

The Red Dragons exited non-conference play without any impressive wins, but kept its conference loss to New Paltz competitive.

If Oneonta plays perfectly, it could leap Potsdam and Fredonia for a playoff spot.

Plattsburgh earned its first playoff bid in a decade last season. Over the offseason, its top player, Payton Zophy, graduated and its head coach, Kelsea Healis, resigned.

With a new leader, Eimile O’Brien, and no senior class, the Cardinals seem to be rebuilding. Establishing a culture and developing underclassmen is a great sign for the future, but it’s hard to see it turn into quality wins this season.

Plattsburgh was swept seven times before SUNYACs and lost to Potsdam 1-3 in the opening tournament.

Sweeps from Fredonia and Buffalo State since shows an upward battle to the playoffs.

But, after losing two sets by three points against the Blue Devils, it shows the Cardinals can be feisty.

WEEK AHEAD

This week features a few opportunities to really gauge talent — Cortland faces Potsdam, Morrisville faces Plattsburgh, Buffalo State faces Oneonta and Fredonia faces New Paltz.

It is still early, and the picture is not clear whatsoever, but the playoff seeding will come down to matchups of teams in the same tier. Last season, Plattsburgh’s appearance came down to an early season win against Oswego — maybe we’ve already seen that tiebreaker.

Email COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

FRIDAY, OCT. 11, 2024

Cancel culture silences free speech right

BY PHILO YUNRUI WANG Associate Arts & Culture Editor

“Of course, we all have the right to criticize—and in fact to do so in profoundly unproductive, unreasonable, and yes, cruel ways.” Emma Camp wrote in her article “Why My NYT Article Inspired So Much Fury.”

Emma Camp, an alumna of University of Virginia, found herself at the center of a heated public debate after publishing her piece “I Came to College Eager to Debate. I Found Self-Censorship Instead” in the New York Times.

In Camps’s article, she expressed disappointment over what she saw as a stifling environment for open dialogue on campus, where students were reluctant to express controversial or unpopular opinions for fear of backlash.

Following its publication, Camp faced a wave of online criticism, with reactions ranging from disagreements to personal attacks.

As Camp wrote, most of us will not doubt free speech to preserve open inquiry and freedom of expression.

Meanwhile, she mentions her psychological turmoil and diminished eagerness to participate in discussions after being publicly criticized​.

I believe many people also share this experience of feeling constrained and oppressed for what people say, whether in public settings or intimate relationships.

Over time, it’s inevitable that we validate our discomfort by isolating ourselves from the critics, including what they say and the way they say it, or by joining the censorship. Either choice is to inhibit dialogue.

Actually, there must be some of us who think curbing responses to protect the freedom of speech sounds like a paradox, and also have a sense that there is a subtle boundary around freedom. Yet not knowing what it is is also the cost of self-censorship. We never asked.

CAMERON GREAVES/Cardinal Points

Is it an exception? Is it a power? Is it a law? Or is it morality? Knowing so little about what leads us to feel affronted makes us very likely to be hostile about the whole thing and the whole person we are facing, fearfully.

“It is completely possible to uphold the value of a legal right while also

noting how the abuse of those rights can sometimes lead to undesirable results. If we want a culture that values free expression and open inquiry, we ought to refrain from our most vindictive impulses,” Camp wrote.

“Have I ever been vindictive?” When I asked myself this question, another

one came up: What is vindictive, specifically?

Vindictiveness is defined as having or showing a wish to harm someone because you think that they harmed you. It also implies an unwillingness to forgive.

SPEECH > 13

Via Adobe Stock

True crime ‘community’ has gone too far

BY NADIA PASCHAL Opinion Editor

As a constant consumer of all sorts of media, I have found myself particularly drawn to one specific genre over the years — true crime. I can’t exactly put into words why I’m so interested in this topic, but I don’t want to use the word fascinated. Words like that bother me and leave me feeling perturbed about the entire genre.

The true crime community, as it’s often referred to, has become widely exploitative and obsessive about the subjects it covers and claims to care about.

Even referring to it as a community feels inherently wrong.

Spaces that are dedicated to talking about and trying to solve these horrific crimes like they’re some kind of puzzle game to be beaten seem morally wrong. Amateur wannabe detectives gather online

making podcasts, posts and videos to discuss these cases flagrantly. They get so excited talking about cases that they are obsessed with.

This kind of attitude has made a resurgence as Netflix just released “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” Directed by Ryan Murphy, the series covers the Menendez brothers, who killed their parents after years of alleged abuse from them.

Whether you believe that their claims were true or not, the case is still incredibly tragic.

Looking at it from the angle of them telling the truth, they suffered from years of horrible abuse, with no way out, and have been in jail for their whole lives. If not, they murdered their parents for no reason.

I have not watched the series yet, but have heard the backlash it’s been receiving.

It seems that Murphy chose

not to lean into either side of the tragedy, instead opting to make it as dramatic as possible, including lies and false rumors about the case in his series. He portrayed the tragedy and the people involved into something vastly different than reality.

This sensationalism is not new, however. In 2021, Netflix released “Crime Scene: The vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.”

This series covered the supposedly mysterious death of Elisa Lam. Lam was a 22-year-old who was found dead in the water tank at the hotel she was staying at in 2013.

Even though it’s been over a decade since she passed, people are still scrutinizing every detail of the incident, trying to prove why their theory is the correct one.

The documentary only added fuel to the fire, as it did not

seem to want to portray the case in the most accurate sense, but rather the most exciting and dramatic way possible.

It must be noted that Lam was known to suffer from bipolar disorder and had been displaying strong symptoms days before her death. Even the toxicology report showed that she had not been taking her medication recently.

The most likely explanation for Lam’s passing is that she was experiencing a severe bipolar episode, climbed up on the roof of the hotel, entered the water tank and ultimately drowned.

Many still seem to think otherwise, hoping that something more gruesome happened, and there’s a more exciting and gruesome twist to this story.

I’ll say it simply: content creators and most studios do not care about the effects these cases had on the real people involved. They care only about

the ratings they receive and the number of viewers they have.

Every true crime movie in Hollywood starts with the words “based on a true story” because if it was truly accurate, it wouldn’t be profitable.

I’m not here to stop or judge anyone for what they watch, but I wish more people would be more ethical in their viewing of this kind of media.

Know who you’re supporting, what their goal is with their content and whether the facts are correct. Most importantly, please do not take it upon yourself to become a supersleuth and try to solve any case, because you won’t.

Everyone involved in true crime cases were real people, with lives and families just like you. Just listen, learn and do so respectfully Email NADIA PASCHAL cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

13 ▪ Opinion Editor Nadia Paschal

OPINION

Beetlejuice haunts once more

BY KOLIN KRINER Public Relations Chair

Coming after only 36 years since its predecessor, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” directed by Tim Burton, hit theaters earlier last month.

This movie is fun, yet leans heavily on nostalgia, only delivering a few new elements.

Although it isn’t a perfect film, it still holds success in having some of the same charm and flair the first film did.

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara reprise their original roles as Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz and Delia Deetz respectively. Past this, a majority of the cast are newcomers to the franchise, such as Jenna Ortega, who plays Astrid, Lydia’s daughter.

Keaton still delivers a role full of chaotic energy, crude humor and fourth-wall breaking. Ryder’s remains as odd and eccentric as she was in the first film, a nice continuity of her character.

She and Keaton continue to have strong chemistry.

There are various new members of the Deetz family who get introduced, and although some are entertaining, they don’t leave as strong an impression as the first films cast of characters.

Visually, this film is beautifully gothic, in line with Burton’s signature aesthetic. The sets are surreal while the effects are cartoonish, making the bizarre world of “Beetlejuice” one of his most imaginative ever.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” although visually spectacular, suffers in terms of the plot. The plot isn’t terrible, but it is quite scattered. This film jumps around from one outrageous scene to another and lacks focus.

Additionally, many of the subplots of the film are underdeveloped, and the movie as a whole at times

▪

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Collin Bolebruch

Managing Editor Aleksandra Sidorova

News Editor Aleksandra Sidorova

Arts & Culture Editor

Sports Editor Michael Purtell

Opinion Editor Nadia Paschal

Graphics Editor Cameron Greaves

Photography Editor Jayne Smith

Multimedia Editor Vacant

Sumeet Vishwakarma

Cinara Marquis

Web Editor

Public Relations Chair Kolin Kriner Faculty Adviser Jack Downs

Contact CP cp@cardinalpointsonline.com 118 Ward Hall SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY

Via IMP Awards

feels like it is too reliant on the first. Whereas the first film was simple, it was effective. The sequel was doing just a bit too much, which weakened the primary plot of the film as a whole.

All aspects of the film other than the plot’s shortcomings are spectacular. The humor, characters and visuals, in a sense, make up for where

SPEECH Continued from page 12

If we peel back the countless voices we hear every day, we find that our fear often lies not in dissent itself but in the potential for harm and the impulse to cause harm. This potential harm can be triggered by ignorance or reinforced by structures and cultures.

Of course, I have been vindictive.

I’ve felt this inner fear and ignorance in my everyday life.

Yet, vindictiveness in our interactions is not some mysterious evil embedded in human nature. Rather, it stems from a shared fear of losing basic rights, such as freedom of speech, before they are manipulated by systemic ideologies.

Acknowledging and discussing vindictiveness is the first step toward confronting it openly.

To put it simply, non-vindictive responses aim to encourage continued

it falls flat and the film is overall enjoyable.

I can’t decide whether it was worth the 36-year wait viewers had to endure to continue the story of the beloved Beetlejuice and the Deetz family, but in the end it’s better than waiting in purgatory for your number to get called.

It may be because the first film was so iconic, but this sequel pales in

dialogue. They aim to clarify misunderstandings without resorting to demeaning or hostile tactics.

Conversely, vindictive ones usually intend to inhibit dialogue and communication. They are often characterized by an intent to suppress or isolate someone, which can impact the dignity and reputation of individuals.

The more specific considerations include the motive, manner of expression and its impact.

When a response’s primary purpose is to harm, humiliate or punish the other party rather than to engage in constructive dialogue or express a differing opinion, it is seen as vindictive.

If the response is to clarify misunderstandings, provide critical feedback, or express a reasonable dissenting opinion without attacking or demeaning the other party, they are generally not seen as vindictive.

Using methods like public shaming or inciting a group attack is considered as vindictive. These methods of-

comparison. For that I give it four stars out of five, because even though the plot was weak, it was still overall enjoyable and visually beautiful.

Email KOLIN KRINER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

ten intend to make the other person feel isolated or suppressed.

On the contrary, expressing differing opinions through private communication, rational discussion or providing constructive suggestions are all good starts to practice a nonvindictive dialogue.

If the response has a significant negative impact on the other person, such as causing psychological stress, social exclusion, damage to reputation or making them feel unsafe to express their views, they are considered vindictive, even if the initial intent was not such.

It should be recognized that non-vindictive responses criticize but still maintain the openness and respect of the discussion, not causing the other party to fear expressing their views or feel excluded.

The vindictiveness will not breed in a place of open exchanges and vice versa, the place of free speech will not nourish vindictiveness. In other words, vindictiveness grows in restraint. Ignorance, the structure, systemic biases and unopened culture all can be the nutrition. They undermine the very essence of free speech by instilling fear and stifling exchange.

By maintaining a communicative environment where dissent is not only tolerated but encouraged, provided it does not cross into vindictiveness, society can ensure that free speech serves its true purpose: to enhance understanding and promote a well-informed populace.

This is the beginning for the dissent to find the consensus, rather than a battleground of fears and vendettas.

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Awards Cardinal Points has received the following awards from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP): ACP Hall of Fame Inducted in Fall 2010 All American Spring 2018, four Marks of Distinction 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 Fall 2000, four Marks of Distinction First Class Spring 2013, three Marks of Distinction Fall 2012, three Marks of Distinction Fall 2011, three Marks of Distinction Spring 2010, two Marks of Distinction Spring 2008, three Marks of Distinction Spring 2007, one Mark of Distinction Fall 2007, three Marks of Distinction Pacemaker Recognition Fall 2010, Honorable Mention 2006-2007, Newspaper Finalist