Issue 3

SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent student newspaper since 1997

FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2022

VOLUME 106 - ISSUE 3

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Enyedi reveals 3-year plan BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA

Staff Writer

Photo provided by Michael Brockway

Aislyn McDonough walking away from breaking SUNY Plattsburgh’s school record for the 600-meter race. She beat the record from 1983.

McDonough breaks school record BY OLIVIA BOUSQUET News & Managing Editor

After 39 years, Aislyn McDonough broke SUNY Plattsburgh’s school record for the 600 meter event with a 1:38.86 time. The track and field team traveled to St. Lawrence University Feb. 18, which is when McDonough beat Amy Pagani’s record time of 1:41.78 in 1983. “I was kind of in shock, definitely,” McDonough said about her reaction after realizing she broke the record. “And then my

teammates came over, and they were hugging me. And I was just very grateful for the opportunity to be able to do that again, and it’s really exciting.” McDonough, a senior captain on the team, rarely competes in this event because it’s offered only twice a year. The reason is because it’s a nontraditional distance. Head Coach Andrew Krug said it’s not offered at SUNYAC Championships, regionals or national competitions. Yet earlier in the season, McDonough came

one second close to beating the record at Middlebury after Krug told her. She had no idea she was so close to beating the record and “begged him for another chance.” After Krug asked the St. Lawrence staff to add it, they did, but couldn’t promise any entries. Only one other athlete from the University of Vermont competed against McDonough in the 600 meter race. But her ability to break the record did not come as a surprise. “Aislyn is a very talent-

ed athlete that was very capable of breaking that school record, and she did so in a kind of commanding fashion,” Krug said. “I’m so very happy for her. It’s been on her mind for 3 weeks, and so for her to be able to accomplish that and put her name in our team’s history is great.” The night before the race, McDonough called her brother Liam to talk about the race. She regularly calls him before and after meets to keep him in the loop of what happens. “I am her No. 1 fan as far

as athletics goes,” Liam McDonough, a former college baseball and hockey player, said. “And it doesn’t matter what sport, I’ve always been a full supporter of hers. She also played college soccer for the University of Maine, so I’ve always been a big fan of Aislyn’s.” As she prepared herself at the starting mark and the gun went off, she ran about 25 meters before being told there was a false start. RECORDS l A2

The Plattsburgh Next Steering Committee presented a strategic plan to guide the development of the SUNY Plattsburgh campus for the next three years — in a webinar Tuesday, Feb. 22. The plan is also available online on the SUNY Plattsburgh website in PDF format. The Steering Committee consists of 31 members across faculty, staff and the student population, including the three presenters: President Dr. Alexander Enyedi, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Anne Herzog and Dr. Gary Kroll, former chair of the Faculty Senate and now a history professor. The plan is based on data from 47 focus groups and 177 survey respondents, which the Plattsburgh Next Steering Committee collected within the first month of the Spring semester. The data was analyzed using SOAR, an alternative for the SWOT analysis model, standing for Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations and Results. The webinar opened with a moment of silence for Elizabeth Howell, a music education student at SUNY Potsdam who lost her life at the hands of a shooter Feb. 18, the previous Friday.

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SA takes students to Burlington BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA

Staff Writer

For its first trip this semester, the Student Association took 94 students to Burlington, Vermont, Saturday, Feb. 26. The two buses left Plattsburgh at 10:30 a.m., reached Burlington by noon, and returned by 6 p.m. Tickets cost $5. Initially, the SA only reserved one bus for the trip, but with the tickets completely selling out within a day, upgraded to two. Tickets for the second bus sold out after two days — 98 spots in total. Incomplete attendance is a rare occurrence on SA trips, according to Carter Mosher, the SA’s senator for PR and co-chair of F.E.N.T. (Film, Entertainment, Novelties and Trips) on the SA activities board. “The only reason maybe was that it was a Saturday, and I know students like to party on Friday nights,” he said.

Mosher chose Burlington as the destination because it is an hour away from Plattsburgh. “I wanted to stay closer to Plattsburgh and I figured, you know, everyone loves Burlington,” Mosher said. Unlike the trip to Salem, Massachusetts, last October, the SA did not plan a sightseeing program. In the allotted time, students were free to explore Church Street and the surrounding area as they wished, indulging in shopping and dining experiences unavailable at Plattsburgh. “Essentially, I just wanted everyone to go have fun, shop, eat, explore the city of Burlington,” Mosher said. Logistically, the trip went smoothly. Despite the large number of attendees, the return bus was delayed by no more than 10 minutes.

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Randall Horton performs his poetry as his band Radical Reversal plays music for the community Feb. 24.

Poet educates community BY LARAIB ASIM Staff Writer

As the night grew colder, the community’s excitement grew as well, for Dr. Randall Horton’s recent memoir “Dead Weight” and his first performance with the new band “Radical Reversal” Thursday, Feb. 24 at the Alumni Conference room at the Angell College Center. The event was arranged by Dr. Anna Battigelli, the professor and chair of

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the English department. “I first found out about Dr. Horton [when] listening to interviews on the radio, and I started to read his work, and so I emailed his agent and before long he responded,” Battigelli said. “We started talking, [after a while] we got him invited, and I got more and more interested in his work and I have just been enthralled.” Horton is an award winning memoirist, poet and an associate professor at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. His recent book,

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“Dead Weight: A Memoir in Essays,” is about his personal life story from a drug dealer with seven felony convictions to a tenured professor. “When Anna came forward with an opportunity, I was up for it. At first it was not supposed to have the Radical band play, I was just going to read,” Horton said. “Anna graciously combined what we wanted to do, to make it all work, it was a definite effort.”

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NEWS

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

Friday, March 4, 2022

SA approves budget changes BY OLIVIA BOUSQUET News & Managing Editor

Detective Burghy has nothing to report this week.

Weekly Meme

The Coordinator of Activities, Laman Hanifayeva, asked the Student Association Senate for money in the Activities Coordination Board entertainment budget to be moved around for better activities. The first vote unanimously passed to move $925 of the ACB budget from films to entertainment. Hanifayeva said movie nights were not getting enough student turnout. The $925 will be used for more giveaways and game nights. The second vote unanimously passed to move $7,600 of the ACB budget from concerts to trips. Two potential trips would be bringing students snow tubing and white water rafting. Students would still need to pay a fee to attend the trips. “We don’t have enough money in concerts to get someone relevant people want to see,” Senator Carter Mosher said. By moving the money to trips, she thinks students will get more out of experiences. President Ahmed Metwaly also said he “received emails from students asking for trips” and expects a better turnout from the student population. Another financial request was from the American Marketing Association. President of AMA Pilar Balader, who is also coordinator of the arts, requested $1,400 for travel expenses to a conference in Chicago. The conference is back in-person after a hiatus from the pandemic.

Seven students will be attending the conference, and the $1,400 would help give $200 per person attending. Balader noted that attendees would still pay $200 to $300 out of pocket. The SA unanimously passed the $1,400 request. In other SA news, Osamuyimen Omorogbe-Akpata was elected to the SA senate. She filled the 16th and final position on the senate. Omorogbe-Akpata was recommended for the position because she works on the finance board. She was unanimously voted in, and Metwaly swore her in afterward. Tsion Assefa was unanimously voted into the secretary position for the Academic Affairs Board. While Assefa couldn’t attend the meeting, Senator Belle Morley said they needed the position filled. A brief public relations presentation was discussed surrounding social media. The SA’s social media sites, mainly Instagram, will post up to three times a day and promote an event once a day on its story. The presentation also noted that posters should be requested a week before the event. Another point of discussion was the reconstruction of ACB which was presented by Senator Lisette Linares proposed for the approval of Student Bill #3, which reconstructed the Activities Coordination Board. Linares said ACB liked the legislation and informally voted on it, and it passed. The bill passed in the senate with one abstention. For senator reports and announce-

ments, Senator Mac-Olivier Lalanne reported that Black Solidarity Day is officially on the school calendar. Linares announced that the SA hosted a game night in the H.U.B. Feb. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. Morley mentioned that the Academic Affairs Board met

to discuss pop-up stress events for midterms and finals. A few senators reported they attended other club events; however, the majority of senators had nothing to report. SA Advisor Jacob Avery concluded the meeting by addressing the large amount of “no reports” from senators. “What are you doing?” Avery asked. “What are you doing to help the student body? What does the student body think of the SA?”

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RECORDS Continued from page A1

ALEXA DUMAS/Cardinal Points

Campus COVID-19 Tracker Number of positive COVID-19 cases within SUNY Plattsburgh community:

44 CP Corrections There are no errors to report this week. If you see an error in Cardinal Points, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

“During the false start — which wasn’t even a false start, it was just a timing mishap — My heart sank, because that can be a lot on an athlete’s adrenaline to have it up and then be taken away,” said fellow captain and friend Kristen Boerke. “But she took it like a champ, obviously, I don’t even think it truly affected her. She just took off.” While McDonough may have looked collected on the track, her nerves were high. She felt everyone’s eyes on her as she started again. A 600 meter race on an indoor NCAA track is three laps. In order to beat the record, McDonough had to run an average of 33 seconds each lap. McDonough needed to focus intensely during those laps to hold the new record. “While I was doing it, I was just thinking about how badly I wanted it and how much I wanted my name on that board with all the other incredible athletes that Plattsburgh has had in the past,” McDonough said. One minute and 38 seconds racing on the track went by quickly, but McDonough practiced relentlessly leading up to the SLU meet.

Aislyn McDonough begins the 600-meter race. McDonough is a student teacher during the day so she mainly practices on her own time. She built her endurance base though cross country in the fall semester, and she’s been focusing on her fast twitch muscles for indoor. This means smaller sprints, but with a shorter recovery time and a lot of repetition. She’s able to build endurance, but focus more on speed than longevity. To those that know her, McDonough’s commitment to the sport is seen on and

POETRY Continued from page A1 During the first half of the event, the audience listened to Horton recite a memoir from his book. Time slowed down as the audience quieted, contently absorbing every word that Horton passionately read. When the band played, people in the audience were tapping their feet in sync with the music and nodding along with the beat of the music as Horton stood at the middle of the platform in a dazzling, metallic red and black blazer, dancing along as he sang, his hips and feet moving in rhythm with the band. “He finds the beauty in everything and it’s almost mystical how he’s able to do that and [how] he brings you into his world and allows you to see it. That’s what great writers do,” Battigelli said. “He creates beauty out of chaos.” For the second half of the event, the band, which won the 2022 Creative Capital Award, consisted of Horton, Devin Brahja Waldman, Melanie Dyer and Tchester Holmes, played wonderfully. “It’s the debut of a project we worked together on back and forth during the pandemic lockdown. Randall Horton’s work is very important,” Melanie Dyer, an experienced violinist playing for almost 52 years said about the band. “His ability to understand the social constructs that we deal with in day to day life and articulate those in ways

Photo provided by Michael Brockway

off the track. “She is the most driven, motivated and hardworking teammate I think I’ve ever had,” Boerke said. “She just has this passion for the sport that I’ve never seen before. She’s obviously a great captain. She’s very supportive, but I think her best quality is her passion and dedication to the team. She pushes herself to the limits every day.” After breaking the record, McDonough was SUNYAC women’s indoor track athlete of the week. From Feb. 25 to Feb. 26, McDonough

competed at SUNY Brockport for SUNYAC Championships. She placed second in the women’s 800-meter finals with a 2:19.62 time, and placed fourth in the women’s 4x400-meter relay with a 4:16.87 time. McDonough will travel to Nazareth college March 4-5 to compete in the 800-meter run for All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference (AARTFC) Indoor Championships. Email OLIVIA BOUSQUET cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

that many of us don’t have the words for [is amazing].” Mrudangi Trivedi, a SUNY Plattsburgh freshman business major, said she was expecting something simple, but was pleasantly surprised. She even got a selfie with Horton and said he was “down to Earth.” “As the event went ahead, it took on a positive hype, and I really enjoyed the way the band played, especially the drums,” Trivedi said. About 100 people attended the event in person and more tuned in via Zoom from across the country. Battigelli said people were commenting that they had attended school with Horton. While Horton said going to large cities like Chicago is beneficial, he said it’s “important for us to go to communities that are not easily accessible,” like Plattsburgh. Not only did students and faculty have the opportunity to learn about his experiences, but families and community members attended as well. “It was a great opportunity to come here and do something different. This was the first time we performed this project [the band], because she (Anna) was so gracious and sincere about the work in terms of social justice and the scope of what she wanted to do [to make this possible],” Horton said. Horton expressed gratitude towards the success of the event as it was better than expected. He hoped that the audience took the time to understand the message he conveyed in his readings.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2022

Shuttle bus important to students BY JEREMY BINNING Staff Writer

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of changes in our daily lives. For students living both on or close to campus and without a car, the shuttle bus services are a necessity in their daily lives. Whether it’s a trip to Walmart for groceries or a visit to the mall for new clothes, the shuttle which has been in service since 2006, has been a reliable source of transportation, part of tuition fees being $95 per semester. The iconic red-colored car can be seen driving around campus and town, and is available Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. until midnight. Starting at the top of the hour, the shuttle meets in the front of the Angell College Center, or ACC. The bus then begins its route to Consumer Square, stopping in front of Walmart. The next stop on the shuttle is in front of the mall. Followed after, the shuttle makes its way

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back to campus, stopping in front of Family Dollar, with the last stop on the route being Plattsburgh Plaza that houses such stores as Big Lots and Save A Lot. The shuttle isn’t just for students without cars. Sometimes the snow is too heavy or one simply just doesn’t want to lose their parking space. Skylar Ebalarosa, a junior majoring in criminal justice, explains how she utilizes

the CAS’s small shuttle. “I have a car but sometimes I don’t feel like cleaning the snow off just to run and get a few small things,” Ebalarosa said. “I take the shuttle sometimes like when there’s a snow storm or bad weather because I don’t have the best eyesight. I’d rather keep my car parked and use the shuttle.” Students like Ebalarosa use the shuttle for their benefits and find it as an eas-

ily accessible way to move around campus. But who gets all the credit for keeping things afloat? Ohemaa Owusu-Poku, coordinator of student affairs and diversity, aids the shuttle services by helping with the funds aspect. “Drivers create their own schedule based on their availability,” OwusuPoku said. Owusu-Poku started working within the shuttle

services back in fall semester 2020, during the height of the pandemic. “I started the same time the pandemic began, so I don’t know how things were before then. Since being here, I feel the shuttles have been good for students who need them.” However, the shuttle services now have less seating due to the social-distancing rules. Therefore, less students are able to ride at a

time – a main downfall of pandemic restrictions. Though, on the upside, the shuttle has saved a lot of people from that dreadful walk in the cold back to campus from wherever they were coming from. “I remember one time I had taken a cab to the mall and bought a lot of stuff. When I checked to see if I had enough money to buy a cab back, I realized I didn’t have any more cash.” Kiyanna Noel, a junior majoring in magazine journalism, said. “I was stressed and annoyed that I had to walk back and just as I was about to get up off the bench and start walking, I saw the red car pulling up. I was relieved that I had a ride.” The shuttle is a very reliable source of transportation and a big part of campus life. With great thanks to both Owusu-Poku and the drivers of the shuttle bus, the campus is grateful for the source of transportation to all in the campus community. Email JEREMY BINNING cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Disturbing deaths remain mystery BY MATTHEW WENDLER Contributor

Mikhail Sharavin and Boris Slobtsov trudged the surface of the Northern Ural Mountains in the Soviet Union Feb. 26, 1959. The two young men were students at the Ural Polytechnical Institute, assisting in a search for nine hikers that didn’t return from an expedition. They were on the eastern slope of an area called Height 1079, known as Kholat Syakhl by the local Mansi tribe. In English, this translates to Dead Mountain. During the search, the students stumbled upon a tent, partially standing and covered in light snowfall. Inside were the missing hikers’ belongings. Large holes had been cut into the tent’s side. The hikers were nowhere to be found. The missing hikers consisted of seven men and two women. They were led by a radio engineering student named Igor Dyatlov. He assembled the group to lead on an expedition through the Northern Urals. Completing this expedition would allow for the participants to receive their Grade III hiker certification. Their goal was to reach Otorten Mountain. The group departed from Sverdlovsk by train Jan. 23, 1959. They reached the town of Serov Jan. 24 and took another train to Ivdel, where they arrived Jan. 25. From there, the group went further north by truck to the village of Vizhay. On Jan. 26, they spent the night in an area named Sector 41. The next morning, they began their hike and reached an abandoned geological site known as the 2nd Northern. On the morning of Jan. 28, one of the group members, Yuri Yudin, made the decision to turn back. He had chronic rheumatism and conditions were agitating his illnesses. It would be the last time he saw his friends. The group continued on for four more days, documenting their hike with photographs and journal entries. It is believed a blizzard caused the group to deviate from their planned course Feb. 1. As a result, the decision was made to set up camp for the night and wait for the conditions to subside. They planned to return from their trip Feb. 12, 1959; however, Dyatlov mentioned to Yudin that they may take a few additional days. Families and friends of the group members became worried af-

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ter not receiving any telegrams, resulting in a search team to be formed Feb. 20. Their tent was found six days later. Sharavin and Slobtsov brought the remainder of the search party to the site of the tent. Forensic tests later revealed that the tent was cut open with a knife from the inside. The footprints of all nine hikers were found leading down the slope. They weren’t sporadic, but instead showed the missing hikers had walked at a normal pace in single file order. The prints indicated most of them were either barefoot or only wearing sock. The search team rested for the night and followed the prints downhill the

next morning. It led them to a tree line about 1.5 kilometers from the tent, where the remains of a make-shift campfire were found next to a cedar tree. Branches from this tree were broken up to five meters up the trunk, indicating someone had attempted to climb it. The bodies of Yuri Doroshenko and Yuri Krivonischenko were found at the base of the tree. Both men wore little clothing and it appeared something rolled them over after their deaths. Doroshenko, age 21, was covered in many scrapes and bruises. His upper lip had internal bleeding and his head was covered in burn marks. Blood covered

parts of his face and a strange gray fluid was seeping out of his mouth. Krivonischenko, age 23, was found with minor burns and bruising around his body, as well as bleeding in his right temple. The tip of his nose was missing and a chunk of his own knuckle was found inside his mouth. The cause of death for both men was later determined to be hypothermia. On the same day, two more bodies were discovered lying within the range between the tent and the treeline. THEORY l A4

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CARDINAL VOICE

Opinions Editor Jess Johnson

Editorial

We stand with Ukraine

We are in a time of extreme uncertainty and fear. Ukraine has now been fighting every day to protect their land from Russia, which is being bombed and destroyed during the most aggressive attack since World War ll. Ukraine became independent, a sovereign state after the fall of the Soviet Union Dec. 1, 1991. In late 1994, The Budapest Memorandum was signed following the agreement that Ukraine would transfer all nuclear weapons to the Russian Federation, as Ukraine had physical possession of the third largest nuclear stockpile during the Cold War. It was agreed upon that all who signed would honor Ukraine’s sovereignty, including the U.S., U.K., and Russia. Emphasis on Russia. However, Russia was not too fond of Ukraine trying to join NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In April 2008, there was a summit about extending a Membership Action Plan to Ukraine, in order to gain membership amongst the 28 European countries and 2 North American countries. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, who honestly wants control of all the areas around Russia and sees NATO as his own worst enemy, began to publicly say that Ukraine is “not even a real-nation state.”

Ukraine wasn’t offered a MAP. Fast forwarding to April 21, 2019, when Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected into the presidency in Ukraine. One of the goals of his campaign was to end the war with Russia, as Russia had previously seized Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula with a mostly Russian population, in 2014, due to the ousting of a Russian aligned president. This only increased tensions, as Putin this past December began to deploy a large amount of Russian troops on the border Russia shares with Ukraine in — 190,000 of them. In December of 2019, Putin demanded NATO and the U.S. that Ukraine should not join. U.S. President Joe Biden however, did not back down. Ukraine needed help. Especially now. Russia launched a full scale attack on Ukraine Feb. 24, only weeks ago, directly onto Donbas. Zelenskyy declared martial law in Ukraine and officially broke diplomatic ties with Russia. Many countries across the world have been condemning Putin for his actions, as honestly — he’s throwing a fit until he gets what he wants: Ukraine not joining the military alliance, NATO. Quite simply, he feels threatened. However, Ukraine is not a member of NATO, yet. Putin resents the success of NATO, and condemns the fall of the USSR.

THEORY Continued from page A3 One of these bodies was Dyatlov. The 23 year old was found only a short distance from the tree. His body was lying face up in the snow with clenched fists. His face and limbs were covered with cuts and bruises, and a part of his jaw was missing. Once again, the official cause of death was hypothermia. Zinaida Kolomogorova, age 22, was found further up the slope from Dyatlov. The young woman’s body, like the others, was covered in many cuts and bruises. A long bright red graze wound was found on the right side of her torso, as if she was hit by a batton. The cause of death was again determined to be hypothermia. The body of Rustem Slobodin was discovered Mar. 5, 1959. Slobodin, age 23, was found lying in the distance between Dyatlov and Kolomogorova. He had cuts and bruises like the rest, as well as a large skull fracture. He was also determined to have died of hypothermia. Two months later, a Mansi tribesman found a man-made shelter after following a trail of cut branches. Pieces of the missing hikers’ clothing were found on the trail leading to this structure. The remaining four bodies were discovered in a nearby ravine May 5, 1959. Lyudmila Dubinina, age 20, was found on her knees against a small ledge. She was missing her eyes, lips, tongue, and chunks of her face. Her body was destroyed, having suffered 10 broken ribs and severe heart damage. Officials determined her death to be caused by internal bleeding.

He is a dictator, and treats his people as he wants. He wants control over Ukraine, and to end their independence. But in turn, he’s literally only made NATO stronger, as many countries disapprove of his aggressive actions. U.S. troops are not being sent into Ukraine. Biden, though, has announced sanctions against Russian financial institutions, as did the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson targets Russian banks. Again, we are now in a time of uncertainty. As more and more countries place sanctions on Putin, it will become increasingly difficult for the Russian army to continue their attacks. However, that does not mean that it does not bring fear and worry into many of us. And seeing the videos of Ukrainian people losing their lives, their homes and their land, while citizens are having to arm and defend themselves, is only instilling that fear more. But we, as a united front, are strong. At any time, it is possible Russia could attack us; specifically, hitting spots such as New York first. Governor Kathy Hochul is on high alert in NYC, due to the possibility of a widespread cyber attack, as NYC is a large target due to financial centers and energy grids. There has recently been an intensified assault on

Semyon Zolotaryov, age 37, was found with five broken ribs. His eyes were missing and there was also a deep gash on the back of his head. The gash was so deep that it exposed his skull. The official cause of death was internal bleeding. Alexander Kolevatov, age 24, was found lying on top of Zolotaryov. He was missing his eyebrows and the soft tissue around them. He had a broken nose, a deformed neck, and an open wound behind his right ear. His death was determined to be due to hypothermia. Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle, age 23, was found next to Zolotaryov and Kolevatov with his skull fractured. He was also covered in gashes and abrasions. It was believed that his head injury was the cause of death. Trace amounts of radiation were detected on some of the victim’s clothing. It is unknown as to where the radiation came from, or why officials were testing for it. Another hiking group close to the area reported seeing mysterious orange lights in the sky on the night of Feb. 1, 1959. The lead investigator of the case claimed years later that he was ordered to classify these sightings and keep them out of the official report. Many theories were developed to try and explain the group’s demise. One prominent theory believed by many is that an avalanche caused the group to flee their tent in panic, but certain aspects of this idea doesn’t make sense. The tent wasn’t covered in much snow when it was found and the footprints of the hiker’s were not covered over. In addition, the slope they were on, sitting at an angle less than 30 degrees, wasn’t steep enough for one to occur. It also doesn’t explain much about their injuries. Another theory is that the Soviet mili-

bank infrastructure, seemingly after the sanctions against Russia were announced. Although it may not be a physical attack, we must remain vigilant. In a time like this, it is important to remember that there are people right now fighting for their lives on the front lines, and although dark humor on social media may be funny sometimes, this is not something morally to make a joke about. Many social media users have been making Tik Toks about Putin and his actions, using dark humor as an outlet for coping with our fears and anxieties. The same thing has been happening on Twitter and Instagram. While our generation has done this with many topics, this is drawing a line. Now is the time for support, and to stand with those affected. Biden has released up to $350,000,000 worth of weaponry from U.S. stocks through the State Department Feb. 24, in order for civilians to arm and defend themselves. One million have fled their homeland to neighboring countries. Cardinal Points offers solidarity with the more than 350 Ukrainian civilian lives lost already. We are here for Ukraine, we offer hope and love, and we respect those who are fighting to survive.

tary deployed mine explosives in the area by parachute for tests, something they’ve been known to do previously there. The effects of the mine could have spooked them and made them flee. This could also explain the radiation and mysterious lights. There were; however, no traces of any impact zones. This also doesn’t explain the injuries the hikers sustained. Ideas also surfaced that the hikers were killed by KGB agents or Russian Special Forces. This was a strong belief held by Yudin, the hiker who left the expedition early. Some people hold the belief that infrasound was generated by the wind in the area. Infrasound is ultra low frequency sound waves that could result in nausea, panic attacks, and hallucinations. When it comes to the psychological effects from natural phenomena, people react in different ways. It wouldn’t make sense for all nine hikers to succumb to the same effects and leave the tent. One final theory is that katabatic winds formed and forced the group away from their tent. While it seems to be a likely scenario, the footprints indicated they walked calmly down the slope. It also doesn’t explain why nine experienced hikers would trudge down the snowy slopes of the mountain without even grabbing their shoes. The case was closed by the Sverdlovsk Region prosecutor’s office May 28, 1959 due to the absence of a guilty party. The official investigation concluded that the hikers had died as the result of an overwhelming force they were unable to overcome. The documents of the case weren’t released to the public until the 1990s.

Friday, March 4, 2022

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Alana Penny News Editor Olivia Bousquet

Managing Editors Olivia Bousquet & Jess Johnson Opinions Editor Jess Johnson

Sports Editor Garrett Collins Graphics Editor Zoe Nguyen

FUSE Editor Sydney Hakes Photo Editor Olga Muka

Web Editor Alexa Dumas Public Relations Chair Erica Haley Faculty Adviser Shawn Murphy

Contact CP: Editorial Board: 518.564.2174 Advertising: 518.564.3173 Fax: 518.564.6397 118 Ward Hall SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY 12901 cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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Taken from 100 participants Award Winning

Cardinal Points has received the following awards from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP): ACP Hall of Fame Inducted in Fall 2010 All American Spring 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 Pacemaker Recognition Fall 2010, Honorable Mention 2006-2007, Newspaper Finalist

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WARNING: CARDINAL POINTS NEWS IS FLAMMABLE

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NEWS

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

TRIP Continued from page A1 “Getting 94 people in the same spot is crazy, but [the students] did really well,” Mosher said. Aysun Akhundlu, a junior biomedical sciences major who attended the trip, liked that it was scheduled for the weekend and offered tickets at a low price. She also liked the freedom to choose her own activities. “[The organizers] didn’t make any rules that we need to stick together,” Akhundlu said. “We’re adults. It’s better if we just do our own thing.”

To her, the seats on the bus were uncomfortable. If possible, she would have paid more for a ticket for more comfortable seating. Akhundlu visited her favorite bookstore, Crow Bookshop, bought snacks from a Japanese supermarket, “explored coffee shops” and had Turkish food at Istanbul Kebab House. For her, the trip to Burlington was an opportunity to get a taste of home. “I’m Azerbaijani, and we kind of eat Turkish food all the time. I’m halfTurkish, so I missed it a lot,” Akhundlu said. Akhundlu noted that most of the students on the trip were international and may choose to travel for similar reasons as her.

PLAN Continued from page A1 “Elizabeth’s death not only impacts us today, but it will impact many K-12 students who will never experience her talents and contributions in the classroom,” Enyedi said in the presentation. Enyedi also acknowledged the impact of COVID-19 on SUNY Plattsburgh, and how the pandemic shaped the needs of both students and faculty as it continues for the fifth consecutive semester. Transitioning to the roadmap, Enyedi gave an overview of its four “pillars” — areas that the college aims to improve in. They are: enrollment, student success, equity and inclusion, and involvement in the North Country region. The largest problem that the plan tackles is decreased enrollment. Enrollment has been in steady decline over the last 10 years, dropping by 19.7% across all SUNY campuses. SUNY Plattsburgh alone saw a decline by 1,541 students — 24.3%, as Kroll shared in his presentation. The “dramatic demographic cliff,” as Kroll calls it, is predicted to affect the enrollment of all colleges in the U.S., not just New York. The primary reason for the phenomenon is the country’s declining birth rate, although the COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted many students’ decisions to postpone en-

▪ Friday, March 4, 2022

Some students, like Mary Stockman, a sophomore double majoring in criminal justice and law and justice, travel to take a break from the routine of campus life. “I feel like I’ve been really stuck on campus the last few weeks, so, when this trip was announced, I was kind of like, ‘Great, Somewhere else. Let’s go somewhere else,’” Stockman said. Mosher said the SA is planning two more trips for this semester, but has not revealed details yet. It is also possible that there will be an overnight SA trip next semester. Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

tering higher education. “While it is true that COVID has been difficult over the past two years, demography has been even more difficult over the past five years,” Kroll said in the presentation. “COVID will go away. The problem of demography will not go away.” The strategic plan set a goal to stabilize enrollment at 4,800 students by 2025. “[2025] is the year when the decline in enrollment becomes a kind of chasm,” Kroll said. “We have to be ready for that chasm. I firmly believe that this is a plan that will make us prepared to take care of that in 2025.” The efforts to boost enrollment rates include the expansion of SUNY Plattsburgh’s applicant pool beyond the state of New York, with 67,000 emails already sent to prospective out-of-state students. Enyedi also highlighted the “I’ve Been Admitted to College” (IBAC) program, which invites local 8th grade students to tour the campus. Participants receive a certificate that would grant them admission to the college if they meet admissions criteria. Without intervention, enrollment for Fall 2025 is expected to be at 4,400. In the presentation, Kroll said: “If you have doubts about this plan, if you have reservations, it’s completely understandable. But I would ask you to think about judging the plan in a year. The proof is going to be in the pudding: it’s going to be in the implementation and showing that we’re making progress.” The plan also aims to improve student retention and graduation rates by increas-

Photo provided by Yuri Chikuda

Photo provided by Yuri Chikuda

Students viewed a historical Students visited Ben & Jerry’s for some ice cream. church on Church Street. ing student financial support, revising the school’s budget and finding additional means of “resource generation initiatives.” The next point in the plan is student success, which involves strengthening students’ sense of belonging by improving school facilities and student support services, such as mental health resources and accessibility. The plan also proposes to strengthen the college’s academics, with a particular focus on graduate programs and responding to the “career needs” of New York state. Regarding equity and inclusion, the plan aims to “significantly” reduce equity gaps in education and employment, including the expansion of financial aid. “Our priorities will be to be more intentional and deliberate about financial aid, and to develop need-based scholarships that span four years of attendance,” Enyedi said in the presentation. The roadmap also promises an increase in “student-facing programming” at the Center for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation as well as the Institute for Ethics in Public Life to increase student involvement in social justice. SUNY Plattsburgh’s reaffirmed values highlight “environmental sustainability and social responsibility” and recognize its importance in the North Country community. “We will continue to strive to be the preeminent public higher education institution in the North Country,” Enyedi said in the presentation. “We will be the academic

and cultural center of the North Country.” To involve itself more in the North Country, SUNY Plattsburgh will provide more opportunities for students, faculty and staff to explore the region with programming from Greek Life, and Housing and Community Living. Additionally, the college plans to “directly support” local schools, government and businesses. In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, the school will establish a “Green Campus” initiative and participate in a “New York State Energy Master Plan.” “The energy master plan will include an energy audit of our facilities and be used to develop a long range plan to reduce our footprint and reach NY State energy goals for 2025 and 2030,” the document reads. To hold itself accountable for implementing the plan, the Steering Committee will assemble a team of “Accountability Partners” to “meet regularly with the President’s Cabinet.” “This may sound cliche, but with respect to strategic plans, two things either happen to them: they sit on a shelf and they gather dust, or they get used,” Enyedi said in the presentation. “And for me, there are three important outcomes of any effective strategic planning process. I’ll share those with you right now: implementation, implementation and implementation.”

Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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News Editor Olivia Bousquet

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NEWS

Friday, March 4, 2022

This Week in Photos: PABJ Gala Photos By Olga Muka

Above: Melanie Lanza and Assita Kamate smile before the event. Below: Jaherah Seales and Deonte Osborne pose in their fresh suits.

Above: Abieyuwa Uzamere and Shannon Brown sit for the PABJ gala.

Read more about PABJ’s Gala on B4.

Below: Uzamere, Brown, Erolyn Leitch and Princess Danso watch an artist organize their pop-up art exhibit.

CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM

FRIDAY, March. 4, 2022

DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points

The Plattsburgh men’s laccrosse team is looking forward to playing their first full season in two years. The team opens their season with a home game versus Canton.

Men’s lax to return this semester BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Staff Writer

Cardinals men’s lacrosse saw their seasons shortened in the last two years. Head Coach Andrew Hauk, hired just last year, hasn’t experienced a full slate of games yet in his career at the position. Neither have the team’s freshmen, sophomores, or juniors. They’re ready for the challenge. The team’s 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19 after playing just four

games. The Cardinals were off to a decent start, splitting their games for a record of 2-2. On March 13, the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announced that all spring athletic seasons would be canceled, coming a few days after an 8–30 loss for SUNY Plattsburgh. In 2021, Plattsburgh saw their schedule cut in half, playing just eight contests after two cancellations. The 2021 Cardinals tied the 2020 Cardinals in wins, despite playing four more games. PSU ended the year at 2-6 with little or no fans at each game

as SUNY recovered from COVID-19. During the 2021 season, Plattsburgh was outscored by opponents 74-103, out-assisted 44-56, and out-shot 295-377 ━ the only statistic it led in was turnovers and penalties. Playing post-COVID-19 was a major adjustment last season, and it still hasn’t been fully realized. In the face of the disappointing season, the Cardinals, both players and coach alike, took it as a learning opportunity. “The season was extremely, you know, cut short, extremely so really more just trying to get acclimated with the guys and the

guys trying to get acclimated not only our coaching style and like our program, but on the field work just on how we play on offense, how we play on defense.” Hauk, a former Cardinal goalie said of his first season. Multiple Cardinals have been with the team longer than Hauk and have played at least one full season. Among these veterans is senior midfielder Zach Gill, who played 13 games in 2019. He also had an introspective look back on last season. MLAX l A3

Top ten finishes for men and women BY JESSICA LANDMAN Staff Writer

The mens and womens track and field team traveled to SUNY Brockport to compete in the SUNYAC track and field championship. Also attending the meet was Geneseo, Cortland, Oswego, Brockport, Buffalo State, Oneonta, and Fredonia. The men’s team finished seventh overall with a score of 15 tying with SUNY Oswego. The overall winner for the men’s track teams was SUNY Geneseo with a score of 237, the runner up being SUNY Cortland with 152 points. The women’s team finished fourth overall with a score of 33, overtaking fifth place Oneonta by just one point. SUNY Geneseo women’s team placed first overall as well with 337 points. Second place went to SUNY Brockport finishing with a score of 156 points. The competition began on Friday February 25 in the triple jump pit. Sophomore Micheala Schaffer qualified for triple jump finals after three preliminary jumps. In finals, she jumped 10.94 meters earning her a spot at the AllAtlantic Region Track and Field Conference championships. She finished the event in 6th place receiving three points. Both men’s and wom-

en’s shotput Throwing began at 3:30 with three Plattsburgh throwers. Sophomore Journey Myricks threw 11.14 meters landing her in seventh place earning the cardinals two points. Junior Kaitlyn Bjelko threw 10.58 meters and finished in 13th place. Close behind was Bliss Rhoads who threw 10.24 meters and came in 14th place. Then at 6:00, Aiden Tous represented Plattsburgh’s mens throwers in the shot put as well. He finished in 10th place after throwing 12.67 meters. Beginning on the track at 5:45 was the women’s 400 meter dash preliminary trials. Two athletes competed in this event. Jessica Landman finished in 14th place with a time of 62.37 seconds. Senior Janyll Barber came in sixth place clocking in at 60.29 seconds, qualifying for the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference Championships. She placed sixth also earning her a spot in the 400 meter finals that took place on Saturday. Also running the 400 meter for the men’s team was Cody Monnat who ran a 52:20 second and finished in 13th place. Brexton Montville ran in the 200 meter preliminary race earning second place finishing in 7.01 seconds. In the 800 meter prelims was junior Aislyn

DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points

A runner for the Cardinals lines up for a race to qualify for the next rounnd of the playoffs. McDonough who came in second place with a time of 2:20.07. She also qualified for the 800 meter finals as well as the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference championships. Rebecca Block represented Plattsburgh in the 5,000 meter finals placing sixth with a time of 19:41:99 and earning the team three points. Michael Brockway also ran the 5k and he finished in 15:50.93 and placed 13th overall. The final individual event for

Friday’s competition was the men’s 200 meter prelims. Montville ran in 22.74 seconds earning him fifth place and a spot in the 200 meter finals on Saturday. Ending Friday’s competition for the cardinals was both the mens and womens distance medley relays. For the women’s team Skylar Misiaszek ran the 1200 meter, Deanna Zoch ran the 400 meter, Natalia Castro ran the 800 meter and Sarah Smith ran the mile. They

finished with an overall time of 14:00.31 placing them in sixth earning three points. For the men, Noah Bonesteel ran the 1200 meter, Levi Sochia ran the 400 meter, Liam Gildea ran the 800 meter and Logan Van Buren ran the mile. Ending in fifth place with a final time of 11:04.14. Saturday started in the field with women’s long jump. Schaffer jumped 4.70 landing her in 15th place. The field contin-

ued with the women’s weight throw. In eighth place was Bjlko throwing 13.30 meters and earning one point for the team. Also throwing weight was Myricks with a distance of 11.55 meters and Rhoads with 11.14 meters. The final field event for the cardinals was men’s long jump with Aiden Masten jumping 6.09 meters finishing in 10th place.

TRACK l B2

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Sports Editor Garrett Collins

TRACK

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CARDINAL SPORTS

Friday, March 4, 2022

Continued from page B1 On the track, Block began with the 1600 meter finals finishing in fourth with a time of 5:24.90. Bonesteel followed in his own mile run placing 13th overall with a time of 4:31.16. Barber ran in the 400 meter finals finishing sixth overall clocking a time of 1:00.21. This was followed by Montville’s second 60 meter race. In the 60 meter finals, he finished in third place with a time of 7.06 seconds. McDonough raced in her 800 meter final finishing in second place overall with a time of 2:19.62 earning Plattsburgh eight points. Montville also ran in the 200 meter finals with a time of 22.75 seconds and ended in sixth place and received three points. The final individual event of the SUNYAC championships was the 3,00 meter race. Smith finished her race in 12th place with a time of 11:11.33. The final track event of the competition was the 4x400 meter relay. The women’s team, which consisted of Barber, Landman, McDonough, and Morgan Thompson, ended with a time of 4:16.87 earning the team fourth place. The men’s team composed of Nicholas Anderson, Sochia, Cameron Giuliano, and Monnat finished seventh overall with a final time of 3:40.27. Even though track and field is considered an individual sport, the team’s support is still extremely important in helping the athletes compete to the best of their abilities. Schaffer said, “When I look down the runway, I see them and I know their routing for me and even if I do bad, they’re still going to support me no matter what.” Four athletes from both the mens and womens track and field teams qualified for the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference championship including Montville, Mcdonough, Schaffer, and Barber. Monville said, “Going into regionals, I expect a lot of good competition, a lot of good energy and that everyone there is there for a reason.” For the rest of the team who are not attending regionals, they are looking forward to the upcoming spring season of outdoor track. “We are looking to get a few athletes returning from injuries to be back with us,” head coach Krug said, “maintaining the women’s placing outdoors and for the men, to improve their team placing from indoor SUNYACs and getting a few more athletes qualified for SUNYACs, a few athletes qualified for the regional championship and hoping to get some national championship presence.”

Men’s Track -AARTC championships TBA March 4

Men’s Lax Women’s Hockey At Norwich University March 5 -vs Cortland 3 p.m. 3 p.m. March 5 Women’s Lax -vs Norwich University March 8 4 p.m.

Men’s Hockey

School SUNYAC Oswego 11-0-2-1 Plattsburgh 11-2-4-1 Genesseo 10-0-2-1 Cortland 7-1-5-2 Fredonia 7-0-0-0 Brockport 6-7-1-2 Potsdam 3-0-11 Buffalo State 3-1-10 Morrisville 2-1-12

Record 16-5-1 15-7-3 18-3-1 12-9-2 9-9-1 13-9-2 4-16-1 5-16 7-14-12

Women’s Hockey

Men’s Hockey Goals

Bennet Stockdale Joey Mancuso Carson Gallagher

Assists

Women’s Hockey 14 13 9

Bennet Stockdale Joey Mancuso Jacob Modry

14 14 14

Save Percentage Jacob Hearne

.905

Men’s Lax Goals -

Assists

Email JESSICA LANDMAN

Women’s Track -AARTC championships TBA March 4

-

Goals

Annie katonka Nicole Unsworth Sara Krauseneck

Assists

27 15 14

Sara Krauseneck Ivy Boric Erin McArdle

27 22 20

Save Percentage Lilla Neace

.951

Women’s Lax 0 0 0

0 0 0

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Goals -

Assists -

School NEWHL RecordPlattsburgh 15-0-1 20-2-1 Cortland 11-4-1 16-4-1 Oswego 11-4-1 14-7-1 Potsdam 6-10-1 8-14-1 Canton 6-9-1 12-9-1 Morrisville 4-11-1 6-14-1 Buffalo State 0-15-0 1-20-1

Men’s Lax

School SUNYAC Record New Paltz 0-0 0-0 Cortland 0-0 0-0 Plattsburgh 0-0 0-0 Oswego 0-0 0-0 Brockport 0-0 0-0 Fredonia 0-0 0-0 Geneso 0-0 0-0 Oneonta 0-0 0-0

Women’s Lax

0 0 0

0 0 0

School Cortland Geneseo New Paltz Plattsburgh Brockport Buffalo State Fredonia Oneonta Oswego Potsdam

Record SUNYAC0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

OLGA MUKA /Cardinal Points

Jacob Hearne (31) had not lost a game since his first start of the season on Jan 29. The team was holding on to a five game winning streak entering the playoffs.

Overtime heartbreaker for Cards BY LIAM SAMPLE Staff Writer

The Plattsburgh State men’s ice hockey team’s season concluded on a sour note in the first round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference Playoffs Feb. 26 at Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. The wild back and forth battle resulted in a 7-6 loss coming at the hands of The SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles, who completed a four goal comeback to move on to the semi-finals. Plattsburgh entered the playoffs as the three seed in the conference and were matched against the sixth seeded Brockport. The SUNYAC Playoffs’ games are win or go home, meaning The Golden Eagles will travel to take on The No. 3 team in the country, The Geneseo Knights on March 2nd at The Ira S.Wilson Ice Arena. “Where do I even start?” Brockport Head Coach Brian Dickinson said, describing the game, “What an amazing game to be a part of. The roller coaster of emotions was unreal.” The Golden Eagles struck first, with first-year Jacob King sending a pass to sophomore Connor Galloway, who skated into the red circle and shot the puck into the top of the net through traffic. This goal came only 4:49 into the game. Plattsburgh was able to respond in a chaotic sequence. After sophomore forward Trey Thomas was wide open in the slot, he took a shot that forced the opposing goaltender to drop low to make the save. Brockport graduate student defender Casey Winn dove in to clear the loose puck, only for Cardinal’s junior defender Ryan Hogg to intercept it and take advantage of the open upper half of the net to tie the game. This is his third goal of the season, scoring in each of the team’s final three games of the season. Less than two minutes later, Galloway tallied another on a similar play. Sophomore defender Jake Mendeszoon dumped the puck into the offensive zone. King got to

it first in the corner and sent a horizontal pass across the ice to Galloway, who sneaked through the defense and one - timed it home to take a 2-1 lead. This was King’s second assist of the game, he finished with four points. “We talked about getting off to a quick start, winning the special teams battle and getting pucks to the net and winning the net front battles,” Dickinson said. “We accomplished all of those goals. We felt if we had the lead after the first we’d be in great shape.” After a charging penalty from Thomas as time expired in the first, Brockport capitalized on their power play to start the next period. Following back to back shots from The Golden Eagles, sophomore Andrew Harley took advantage of a rebound in the crease to take a two goal advantage. Plattsburgh, now needing a momentum shift, found a way to turn the game around quickly. After intercepting a Brockport clear, junior forward Adam Tretowicz split two Golden Eagles, taking the puck from near the blue line to the front of the net. He sent a backhand dish over to graduate student forward Christian Difelice, who found the goal to lower the deficit to one. 45 seconds later, sophomore defenseman Cory Doney dumped the puck into The Golden Eagles’ Zone, targeting the near corner. Brockport senior goaltender Nolan Egbert, expecting the puck to wrap around the boards, went behind the net to field it. To his dismay, the puck bounced off the corner to the front of the net, where sophomore forward Carson Gallagher came gliding in to play the lucky bounce into the open goal. This was his tenth score of the season, which finishes him tied for the third most on the team. Egbert, who made 31 saves in his last appearance versus Plattsburgh in a 4-3 loss on Jan 29, finished the game with a season high 46 saves. For the cardinals, first year goalie Jacob Hearne made the start after winning the last five consecutive games of the season. He finished with a career high fourty stops, while allowing seven. Following the game tying goal, Plattsburgh kept their foot on the gas. After controlling the puck on his stick,

Egbert attempted to send a long pass out of the zone, which sophomore forward Trey Thomas picked off. After his first wrist shot was saved, he found his own rebound and ripped past the diving goaltender. This brought Thomas’ goal total up to ten on the season. He scored a comparable goal on Feb. 4 against Buffalo State, where he intercepted the goalie’s pass and fired it into the goal for the game winner. At the 13:43 mark, The Cardinals took advantage of a vast opportunity. From neutral ice, Gallagher sent a beautiful pass up to sophomore forward Thomas Maia, who was wide open entering a breakaway. From behind him, Galloway hooked his stick onto Maia’s waist, slowing him down and interfering with the play. This caused the refs to call a penalty shot. Maia stayed patient with the puck, waiting for the goalie to move. After this happened, the sophomore shifted to the backhand and put the puck five-hole for the goal. He finished his first collegiate season with 19 points, the fourth most on the team. Plattsburgh capped off their second period onslaught, scoring their fifth unanswered with a little over three minutes left in the period. First year forward Luk Jirousek sent a shot over the net, which bounced off the glass to the front of the net. Graduate student Mike Falanga, who was originally attempting to screen the goalie, passed the puck to Difelice on the edge of the near red circle. Difelice one-timed it top shelf for his second of the game to put the home team up 6-3. These two teams have created recent history, with this game being their third straight first round playoff meeting. On February 20th, 2019, Plattsburgh knocked out Brockport, with a 3-1 home victory. They followed that the next year on February 26th, 2020, with a 3-2 double overtime win on the road. In that game, Difelice scored the first two goals of the game, which brings the graduate student playoff goal total against The Golden Eagles to four.

MHCKY l B3

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MLAX Continued from page A1 “We went through a lot of stuff last year with the COVID year and everything so I mean just push, push through it, I think is a big, big aspect that our team had to deal with,”Gill said. This season is planned with a full schedule. There’s a lot of inexperience on the team and younger guys have to step up. Midfield senior Stephen Kane was named captain for the first time this year, and he’s confidently stepping into the leadership role. “Coming into this season, we knew we were going to have to deal with a lot of diversity and stuff and getting younger guys who brought into the whole system and stuff and I think we’ve done a pretty good job with that overall.” Kane said. Gill agreed with the sentiment of guiding the younger players. “I think it’s going to be harder on some of the younger guys, you know,

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CARDINAL SPORTS

Sports Editor Garrett Collins just getting through it, because it’s always harder when it’s a longer season.” With a complete schedule comes complete crowd attendance, fans k in the crowds. With spectators being a nonfactor last season, the Cardinals are excited to have them back. “Having the fans there is just another atmosphere you know, like it’s funny last year we’d score a goal and we wouldn’t hear anything. You really had to bring your own type of energy and whatever energy the other team brought on the field, but the fans really do create the momentum in games,” Hauk said. The season opener at Russell Sage this past Saturday was postponed due to inclement weather to April 12th, meaning Plattsburgh’s new season opener comes Wednesday, March 2nd at home against SUNY Canton. This will be the teams’ first matchup against each other in history. The Cardinals look to put their full effort into this season.

Email COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

MHCKY Continued from page B2 “Game plan definitely wasn’t to give up five straight in the second but kudos to Plattsburgh for capitalizing on a great break and then on the momentum” Dickinson said. “They’ve always been a quick strike team who scores goals in bunches and we didn’t handle the adversity very well in the second period.” Brockport did just that on the powerplay under four minutes into the final period. Junior defender Anthony Hora sent a pass to Galloway on the far side, which he one-timed to the net. After Hearne made the save, King buried the rebound to cut the deficit to two. This was his 11th goal of the season, tying him for second most amongst forwards on the team. With only 1:32 remaining and with an empty net, Hora skated into the offensive zone and onetimed a Galloway pass through Hearne’s legs to bring Brockport within a single goal. “When we scored the fifth goal and still had over a minute left we were able to call timeout and keep our group on the ice” Dickinson said. “We talked about Hearne’s inexperience and that he had to be very nervous at that point so the plan was to shoot from everywhere.” Following the timeout, Brockport dumped the puck into Plattsburgh’s zone off the faceoff. An

extended battle on the boards pursued, which allowed King to send the puck to Galloway in the left red circle. He shot the puck on the far side to complete the hat trick and tie the game. He finished the game with five points. The goal only came 15 seconds after the previous. This became the second straight playoff game between the opponents to go to overtime, with the 2020 game being ended by current senior defenseman and captain Matt Araujo’s goal. Plattsburgh nearly ended the game with 14:18 remaining in the overtime period. Araujo took a long attempt, after Egbert failed to control it, he attempted to dive on the puck and missed. In the following chaos in front of the goal, Thomas found the puck and missed on the mostly open net. Less than three minutes later, Harley skated the puck into the offensive zone and tried a wrist shot. Hearne made a shoulder save and the sophomore wrapped his own rebound around the net and put it on the goalie’s right pad. Junior forward Scott Ramaekers was standing in front of the net and tucked the puck into the wide open half of the net to end Plattsburgh’s season. “Scoring shortly after Plattsburgh’s miss was definitely big to not allow them to gain any momentum,” Dickinson said.“I felt it was a game between two evenly matched teams and it ended up being just that. A fun game to be a part of and getting a little redemption from the

Friday, March 4, 2022

double OT loss in 2020 made it all the better.” Plattsburgh has one graduate student, Mike Falanga, who is not able to return. They also have four seniors: Araujo, Difelice, forward Rhett Kingston, and Goalie Brandon Wells. Seniors have an extra year of eligibility due to the cancellation of the 2020-2021 season. With a combined sixteen first year and sophomore players, the future does look bright for The Cardinal’s men’s hockey program. “I’m still digesting the outcome,” Cory Doney said. “It’s definitely very upsetting. The passion and determination that was in that locker from day in and day out was unmatched.” “I do not believe we deserved that outcome but I think it’s going to shape a future of Plattsburgh Hockey that is near unbeatable for years to come, especially with the young talent we have on our team, along with the chemistry that was built between the returning players.”

Email LIAM SAMPLE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Block running into final season

BY GARRETT COLLINS

Sports Editor

When some athletes enter college programs, it can take them some time to figure out the change in competition, not to mention the commitment and the strain that playing a college sport can have on your mental and physical health. For some athletes this can be a daunting challenge. For others the transition is easier. Senior human development and family relations and Latin American studies student, Rebecca Block is entering her spring season for the Cardinals track and field team. This past week she competed in the SUNYAC championship where she competed in two different events, the only runner on the Plattsburgh team to do so in the mile run in which she was seeded eighth and placed sixth and in the 5,000 meter she placed fourth in the mile. “I surprised myself, I thought this weekend I was going to have a good 5k, but the 5k wasn’t so hot,” Block said. “The mile was literally not even 10 hours later and I placed 4th and got a PR.” These finishes have not been new to Block, as she has consistently finished top ten in most of her races throughout her career and at her level these finishes are not a surprise as she

OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points

Senior Rebecca Block is looking foward to her last spring season as a Cardinal. Last week, she competed in the 5k and mile race. has consistently competed in the SUNYAC tournament. “It was definitely exciting being the only freshman at the time, that was

really the last time I was able to compete because last season didn’t count,” Block said. The last season that she

is referencing is the season that was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Inconsistent training, motivation wasn’t there,

just wasn’t as excited as past seasons,” Block said. With all the top ten finishes and highs as an athlete here in Cardinal Country she wasn’t always one to choose sports as her number one priority. “I actually was a theater kid in Highschool,’’ Block said. “I had to quit soccer for theater. And then I had to quit theater for track.” Block is entering her final season although she is keeping the door open for a return. “There’s potential for another one, but yea it’s my last one.” Block said. “Next semester I’m not officially graduating because I have an internship and I might take more classes because I have eligibility, and we are getting a new coach, so just to facilitate everything and stick around.” Block said. Looking back at her Cardinal career the first thing that comes to mind for her is the relationship she was able to build with her teammates. “For the distance events, if my friends are in a distance event,” Block said. “I just love cheering for them every lap, every straight away. Especially on the bus has been extra fun, On the bus ride home we have fun shouting everybody out and alot more comradery.” One of her teammates, Kristen Thomas describes that comradery that she has towards her teammates.

“Rebecca and I have been teammates since freshman year. She has always been a source of energy for both herself and her team. Rebecca has always worked to push herself at every meet, regardless of the circumstances, and has never given up on herself or our team. It has been a blast being one of her teammates for the past four years and we have made so many great memories to cherish.” The Comradery that the team has is something that is new to the group that wasn’t as prevalent on the team in past years. “I’m really happy it’s a new tradition me and the seniors left behind,”Block said. “I think [the seniors] did a good job keeping spirits up and just keeping the team together.” Post Cardinal career Rebecca looks to continue her life in the sport and maybe move into a level where she can teach others and help the next generation or runners find their way. “I’d like to run marathons and half marathons, but coaching would be a lot of fun,” Block said. “I like the sport more than competing so it would be fun.”

Email GARRETT COLLINS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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FUSE

FUSE Editor Sydney Hakes

Friday, March 4, 2022

First annual Black Excellence Gala BY SYDNEY HAKES FUSE Editor

The first annual Black Excellence Gala took place Feb. 26. ending Black History Month in a night of celebration and recognition for the Black community in Plattsburgh. The gala was created by Justice Hall, the president of the Plattsburgh Association of Black Journalists. She credits PABJ for taking initiative in leading discussion and action for Black and human rights issues. “When events happen like what occurred between a campus officer and a Black student last semester, we need to show the community and college that we are a united front,” Hall said. “It’s essential to do that, but events like these that highlight all of the positives are just as important.” Jaherah Seales, decked out in rimless sunglasses, a gold tie and a swagger of confidence, described the gala as “a recap of all the achievements of the Black community in Plattsburgh. We’re acknowledging all the people who contribute to the Black community by featuring performances, awards and recognition.” The gala featured Black artists of all disciplines, from dancing

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Daniela Raymond, Jaherah Seales and Thomeisha Belle stand outside the Warren Ballroom. to painting to a pianist. “It was important that we featured Black excellence in all forms,” Hall said. “Some of our speakers may seem out of the box for this type of event, like a model and a student who is graduating a year early. These are all students and community

SYMPOSIUM Continued from page B6 It’s free to the community and will include two lectures, an interactive “Wine Down” event, a tour of the Rockwell Kent Gallery and a tour of Asgaard Farm, where Kent had lived in the North Country. A detailed schedule can be found at alumni.plattsburgh.edu. Tonya Cribb, the museum director, had many motivations and goals when putting together the minisymposium. “There was a major symposium about 20 years ago, so it’s been in the back of my mind to do a similar event,” Cribb said. “I always want to get more students into the museum who don’t typically spend time here. Art should be something that is cross disciplinary.” Interdisciplinary is a concept that Cribb mentions frequently, describing the symposium as such. The topics of the two lectures display that idea, the first discussing the intersection of gender and Kent’s art and environmentalism within Greenland. The first lecture will take place in Yokum 200 at 3 p.m. by joint speakers Jetta Rygaard and Susan Vanek, titled “Pursuing Beauty in Bewilderment at Its Profusion: Reflections on Gender and Sexuality in Rockwell Kent’s Greenland Materials.” Vanek, who lives in Nuuk, Greenland, has been part of a research fellowship since 2012 as part of her studies as a Ph.D. student in sociocultural anthropology at SUNY Binghamton. During that time, she has worked with many of the speakers and artists featured at the symposium, specifically Rygaard, a Ph.D. professor at the University of Greenland. Instead of focusing on his artwork, Vanek and Rygaard analyzed Kent’s book, “Salamina,” and his

members we want to highlight.” A recent graduate from SUNY Plattsburgh, Winosha Steele, had her art featured in a pop-up gallery on the stage. “Although I’ve graduated, I’ve stayed in contact with the students here,” Steele said. “For minorities in a small community,

it’s important to be connected to one another.” Reflecting on the impact of her own artwork and the importance of events like the Black Excellence Gala, Steele had thoughts directed towards future students. “We need to let people know

portrayal of indigenous women in Greenland during his second visit to the country. Kent described the Greenlandic women as primitive, naive and hypersexualized, even saying they did not have the worries or weight of western women. “Many people regard Kent as a genius and a valued man for his art and writing, and while that’s true, it can also be recognized that he was a misogynist, among other things,” Vanek said. “Both of these things can coexist and they have to or we’d be ignoring history.” While none of the women who would have interacted with Kent are alive, Vanek and Rygaard wanted to look at the book through a critical lens. They cannot speak for the women, but they can point out the problematic writing. Vanek also points out that Kent’s books have never been translated into Greenlandic, only in Danish in a limited addition run, so many women who live in Greenland currently have never read his work. The second lecture by Erik Torm, “New Light on the Friendship Between Rockwell Kent and Knud Rasmussen,” will be later that night at 5 p.m. He will be speaking on the relationship between Kent and his good friend Rasmussen by looking at handwritten notes the two sent one another. Both lectures will be available as a webinar and can be accessed on the Plattsburgh website. The Rockwell Kent Gallery is located in the Feinberg Library and is “the most balanced and complete collection of Kent’s work in the United States,” according to the SUNY Plattsburgh website. Scott Ferris, a graduate from SUNY Plattsburgh, is titled as one of the leading Rockwell Kent scholars. It was a title he inadvertently acquired after being asked to catalog Kent’s work for the college when he was a student in the seventies. Since then, Ferris has gotten to know Kent on an intimate level for two people who have never met. He estimates that he has cataloged over a thousand of Kent’s

that there is diversity,” Steele said. “For students who aren’t here yet, they need to know that there will be a place for them and support for them if they choose to come to Plattsburgh.” Phi Beta Sigma and other Greek organizations attended the event and performed a dance. “We do stroll [dance] with our brother organization Phi Beta Sigma,” Thomeisha Belle said. “It’s a type of line dance that was created by Black people to show unity and strength.” Belle went on to point out the lack of spaces for Black individuals in a small town in upstate New York, specifically on the Plattsburgh campus. “To be a part of these organizations makes me feel privileged that we can hold an event like this and create that space for minorities,” Belle said. Hall hopes to see events like these continue all year long and keep the Black community in Plattsburgh thriving. She invites all students to be a part of that. “I want to emphasize that PABJ is for everyone, not just Black students,” Hall said. “We meet Thursdays in Yokum 202.”

Email SYDNEY HAKES

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

paintings, illustrations and prints. “Kent was one of the most important artists of his time,” Ferris said. “He was a household name all over the world. He did these beautiful paintings, but he also illustrated thousands of ads, he made greeting cards. He was everywhere you looked.” Besides his art, he also authored multiple books, travel journals and letters that are on display at the Kent Gallery. “The Kent Gallery is a rare resource and for students to not visit it or even know about it is a loss for them,” Ferris said. “Faculty should also be utilizing the various works for teaching. Kent is an interdisciplinary source whose works can be incorporated into any major. English classes can look at his writing, environmental classes can study climate change through his travel journals.” The weekend will conclude with a tour of Asgaad Farm in Ausable Forks, where Kent lived until his death in 1971. The tour will be Sat. March 5 at 10 a.m. Buses are provided by the Center for Earth and Environmental Science department for students who don’t have their own transportation. Seats can be reserved by emailing artmuseum@plattsburgh.edu. Ferris looks at the value of Asgaard Farm through the lens of the Greenland focus of his work. “Kent’s friend Arthur Allen visited the farm in 1928 and introduced Kent to his son who was planning a trip to Greenland,” Ferris said. “Without that farm there may not have been that meeting in which Kent would have planned to go to Greenland.” Cribb hopes the symposium will introduce students to Kent and the free resource that is available to them at the Kent Gallery at SUNY Plattsburgh.

Email SYDNEY HAKES

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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FUSE

FUSE Editor Sydney Hakes

Friday, March 4, 2022

Pecoraro spotlights Platts stages BY LUCA GROSS Staff Writer

SUNY Plattsburgh junior Kaleb Pecoraro is turning his dreams into a reality with the Theatrical Production & Technology Certificate program. Pecoraro has been doing theater production for about seven years, starting in his freshman year of high school. “In high school all my friends were in drama club, so I said I would join too,” Pecoraro said. “I did spotlight for my first year I was there and I loved it. It was really fun.” The summer after his first year working in theater production, he was suggested to the Adirondack Regional Theatre Group by his drama teacher. “In my sophomore year, I worked with the sound guy that we hired for the high school,” Pecoraro said. “I worked with him on the audio for my sophomore year’s production. Since then, I’ve just been hooked on it.” Pecoraro graduated from Clinton Community College with an associate degree in mechanical technology. He is incorporating the skills he acquired during his time there to elevate his work in the program here. Pecoraro is more focused on the technical aspects of theater production. The program allows him the opportunity to learn that more in depth. “Instead of being a full theater major, where I would have

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Kaleb Pecoraro is part of the Theatrical Production & Technology Certificate program. to take acting classes and stuff like that, it’s more focused on the technical side,” Pecoraro said. “So, I’m doing classes where I’m working in the shop, as well as working on all the productions. It’s more of a stripped down theater major, kind of, it’s focused on tech.” Pecoraro’s efforts in the program are centered around lighting and sound design, including making sure the equipment is set up and prepared for a show. Pecoraro has not designed any lighting for a show

just yet, however, Pecoraro will be designing the lighting for an upcoming show, “Nefarious,” a play by Kristen Ritter, about a superhero academy. In the fall of 2021, Pecoraro’s previous work on “Our Town,” a play by Thorton Wilder, has garnered him some recognition. He worked on the sound design for the show. “I came into the show pretty late,” Pecoraro said. “So I was kind of told what sound files were needed, but it was a pretty heavy show with the music and

stuff. Whenever they were introducing characters towards the beginning of the show, each character had a sitcom theme song that played along with it. One of the mothers, when she came on, ‘Good Times’ played. I don’t know what show it’s from, but it’s just the one that always sticks in my brain because it haunts my dreams.” Pecoraro’s work won him an award with the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. As Pecoraro said, “Our Town” was a very sound-intensive show.

This gave Pecoraro a very particular problem for which he designed a very particular solution. “The main highlight was that I created and 3D printed a little control box to control the software on the computer,” Pecoraro said. “The directors were just going to have Spotify open and click on the files as they needed it. But, I was worried about internet connections and what if Spotify messes up? What if something happens, and all of a sudden Spotify is asking if we want a break from the ads? I didn’t want that to happen.” Pecoraro took what he previously learned in his time with the Adirondack Regional Theatre Group, and what he had learned with his mechanical technology degree to create the control system for the music. “I was able to load in the sound files the directors wanted and easily control with this little control box I made, which just had four buttons, which were play, fade, stop and advance to the next song in the queue,” Pecoraro said. Pecoraro appreciates the work that he puts into the program as well as the productions thus far. A passion he has had for about seven years, he sees no end in sight. He wants to continue to learn and grow.

Email LUCA GROSS

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

By Jess Johnson

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

LEO

Utilize your inner power, and do not show fear. Be bold and passionate, but do not imbalance masculine energy by being too assertive or dominant. In the workplace, taking action in goals and inspiring others will help further a career right now.

SAGITTARIUS

Moving forward in many aspects, you have broken through the original perceived reality of a situation. You are healing and growing, and able to see acceptance in the distance. A new career or partnership is on the horizon.

VIRGO

Be careful to not destroy relationships in your path at the cost of winning. However, it may be time to walk away from things that aren’t serving you. Avoid toxicity, and reflect on feelings of anger and conflict. Work internally on emotion and where your energy should be dedicated.

CAPRICORN

The divine is offering awards while this cycle comes to a close, as you reap rewards for your hard work. Revel in what you have accomplished, and empower the journey your soul is embarking on. There is more yet to come.

Maybe you are feeling uneasy about certain paths you have chosen, and the decisions you made that led you there. However, do not stop trying, or let yourself be undervalued. In turn, make sure you are not burning yourself out. Trust the Universe and the intentions you are setting for the future.

LIBRA

Do not stay trapped in the current reality around you, and confront limiting restraints. Move forward with patience and resilience, and do not let feelings of not fitting in overwhelm you. Work on opening up to love, and expel fear of failure. Ask the divine for guidance, and trust the process.

AQUARIUS

Something has unraveled quickly, and the unfairness of it all is eating you up inside. Trust your intuition, and commit to your own sense of truth, no matter the outcome. Even if difficulties still arise, figure out how you can shift your energy in a positive way to shape a new solution.

Take that romantic connection and deepen it, as this partnership may be deeper than physical. Nurture this love and emotionally fulfill your mind, not just your body. Dive into a new hobby with someone special, and swim in the support loved ones are giving.

SCORPIO

PISCES

Begin to prioritize what is important. You may feel unbalanced, causing tension in relationships with others. However, there is a bigger tension within yourself. Identify what the issue is internally by meditating, and take small steps to realign your physical and spiritual self.

Avoid overspending or materialistic tendencies. You are overworking the mind and soul, and not giving time for self-care. Look internally where imbalance may lie, and begin to appreciate what’s inside more. Lately, you have been engulfed in self-doubt regarding things not exactly going your way, but do not give up. Look internally, and find a different outlet to keep going. Revitalize your energy, and bring it externally to the situations around you to increase positive outcomes.

July 23 - August 22

August 23 September 22

September 23 October 22

October 23 November 21

There is love surrounding you, if only you would open your eyes to see. Anxiety and worry may be covering up the reality of good relationships. If you have loss of sleep, try journaling, and communicate with others for help. Walk outside and breathe in the smell of nature.

November 22 - December 21

December 22 January 19

January 20 February 18

February 19 March 20

These readings are done with a cleansed tarot deck, by meticulous reading and analysis, using charged crystals and House of Tarot incense (Luna - Sage, Sweetgrass and Lavender) to guide predictions.

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ZOE NGUYEN/Cardinal Points

Platts anticipates weekendlong events BY SYDNEY HAKES FUSE Editor

The first weekend of March will be filled with Rockwell Kent, a familiar man to SUNY Plattsburgh. Celebrating the Spirit of Rockwell Kent mini-symposium will take place Fri. March 4 and Sat. March 5. SYMPOSIUM l B4