Cardinal Points Issue 11 Spring 2024

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Back in black-and-white: printing again

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance it’s on a piece of paper.

Cardinal Points has dutifully served the SUNY Plattsburgh community since 1969. The independent student-run newspaper has aimed to keep students, faculty and alumni up to date with Plattsburgh State-related happenings.

For decades, anyone could pick up a paper around campus or the surrounding community and read about Student Association affairs, the score of last week’s hockey game or a review of a recent theatrical performance.

Incoming SA president, VP discuss goals

Student votes yielded a new president and vice president for the upcoming academic year the general Student Association election held April 25.

Kalema Gooding, currently serving as vice president, was elected president of the SA, receiving 52% of votes against competitors Chaun’J Ramos and Jonanthony Tarlen. Senator Sandesh Poudel is the incoming vice president, winning against Senator Naomi Adebayo with 59% of votes.

Last year, most candidates ran uncontested, including those running for president and vice president.

Gooding and Poudel have worked together in the SA for the past year and outlined goals to forge stronger bonds between the SA and the student body.

PRESIDENT

Gooding is a rising senior majoring in theater and minoring in gender and women’s studies. She is from Brooklyn, New York, with roots in

Trinidad and St. Vincent. Gooding is also part of the modeling club House of Divinity and works at the Learning Center as a front desk attendant.

Gooding began her involvement in the SA in the 2022-23 academic year by joining the Clubs and Organizations Affairs Board. She anticipated to run for SA Senate but missed the registration deadline by a day, so she seized the opportunity to fill in the vacant vice president position.

When Gooding entered her position as vice president at the beginning of the academic year, she had a lot to learn as she went — which won’t be the case in the coming year, she said.

She said she would like all incoming SA members to get used to their roles in advance.

“When I first came in, as a legislation, we were really behind, which is why I’m so proud of where we’ve come,” Gooding said. “We came with everything being so behind, and I want to be able to help prevent that next year.”

The print era of Cardinal Points came to an end in 2022, after 53 years, when our budget no longer permitted mass production of physical copies. Now, after a two-year hiatus, Cardinal Points print is back.

I anticipate regular printing next semester. As editor in chief, I am beyond proud of this accomplishment.

The Cardinal Points editorial board has dedicated countless hours to keep the publication up and running as a bastion of student voices.

When the paper announced its intentions to go digital, I was

disappointed. While I knew new opportunities would come out of a web-based paper, the prospect of not having something I could hold felt wrong. Publications around the world have been forced to make this change because of reduced budgets and waning staff numbers.

I hope that seeing Cardinal Points back on newspaper racks inspires you. Preserving the future of objectivity, accountability and accuracy on campus

is vital to protect your rights. When you know what’s happening, why it’s happening and what will happen, you’re better off. Cardinal Points plans on distributing these papers in buildings across campus and various local businesses. Take a copy, tell your friends and read Cardinal Points. Thank you.

Campus stretches legs for suicide prevention cause

Much of the SUNY Plattsburgh community joined together to help stop suicide by partaking in the Out of Darkness walk as part the second annual Self-Care Summit on Friday, April 26.

The Out of Darkness walk, hosted in collaboration with the American

Foundation for Suicide Prevention, rounded out a series of lectures, workshops, discussions and an anonymous letter reading on the topic of self-care. The Self-Care Summit was hosted by #HealWithIt, a student campaign for mental health and wellness awareness.

Kaliyah Green, a public relations major and member of #HealWithIt, explained that it is a campaign ori-

ented in combating the term “deal with it,” often heard in conversations about mental health.

#HealWithIt raises awareness for the Eight Dimensions of Wellness are physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, environmental, vocational and financial wellness.

SUNY honorees reflect on journeys

Two SUNY Plattsburgh seniors received the highest honor SUNY can bestow. One spread her wings spending five years away from home, and another flourished in her hometown.

The SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence recognized Kara Oatman, an adolescence education major with a concentration in biology, and Christine Parmeter, a psychology major mi-

noring in business and neurobiology. They are among the 193 students from 62 SUNY campuses selected this year.

The Chancellor’s Award, given to well-rounded student leaders, encourages Oatman to reflect on what she was able to accomplish in her college career — something she forgets to do, she said.

“I think it’s a reminder of how important it is to recognize the effort and the energy that you put into your craft. It’s been a way for me to reflect on my past five years,” Oatman said. “For me, this

award has been that moment that I’ve been able to slow down and give myself enough credit.” Parmeter submitted a six-page-long personal statement for consideration for the award, and receiving it validated her hard work as a first-generation college student.

“I’m not afraid to grow — in fact, I’m motivated by it,” Parmeter said. “That’s what that award reflected, that the girl who went in fall 2020 is now a woman who has accomplished a lot, and I’ve grown a lot, and I found a new appreciation for life.”

OATMAN College marked the first time Oatman was away from her home of Honeoye Falls, New York. She began her studies at SUNY Plattsburgh in 2019. Oatman was initially attracted by the opportunity to play basketball for Plattsburgh State and receive both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in teaching within five years. She stayed for the breadth of experiences that opened up to her.

A&C Stage production raises sexual assault awareness SPORTS Police plays in basketball tournament OPINION Mental health discussions necessary SPRING 2024 | ISSUE 10 FRIDAY, MAY 3 WHAT’S INSIDE:
COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com ELECT > 3
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COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points Out of Darkness walk participants wear colorful beads. Teal signifies support for suicide prevention, while other colors can honor a partner, relative or a friend lost to suicide. Beads can also signal the wearer’s own struggle with suicide.
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Provided by Kalema Gooding
62nd legislation of the Student Association.
Kalema Gooding was elected president of the

This week in photos: Jazz Ensemble

PHOTO SPREAD ▪ Friday, May 3, 2024 ▪ Photography Editor Jayne Smith 2
Keith Shult joins the ensemble on stage to sing “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Moondance.” Guest saxophonist Jerry Weldon plays a solo during “Ernie’s Romp.” Drummer Luke Gerhardt backs up “Better Git Hit in Your Soul.” Guitarist Craig Hurwitz strums along to “Better Git Hit in Your Soul.”

May 1

University Police referred a sex offense to Title IX. The incident occurred at Macdonough Hall at about 11 a.m. April 2.

Weekly Meme

Cardinal Points

To advertise with Cardinal Points, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

CP Corrections

NEWS:

1) The photo illustrating the article “SA, BSU debate $866” was taken by Kamiko Chamble.

SPORTS:

1) Noah Lederman’s status was misidentified. He is a Plattsburgh State rugby alum. 2) The scoreboard showed incorrect numbers. Men’s lacrosse had a record of 0-5 in conference play.

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

Student Association

SA Senate belatedly approves 5 clubs for permanent status

The Student Association Senate approved five clubs for permanent status at its meeting April 23, months overdue.

The five clubs approved were the Hospitality Management Club, the Cooking Club, the Environmental Club, Female Excellence in Science and Technology and a chapter of the human rights organization Amnesty International. All decisions were unanimous.

The Hospitality Management Club engages students interested in business in discussion, alumni panels, and experts and leaders in the field. The club has plans to host tours to hospitality establishments, such as breweries, restaurants and ski resorts, a club representative said.

The club was due for permanent status Oct. 9, 2023, Senator Sandesh Poudel said at the meeting. He also voiced his support, noting he had seen the club be consistently active.

Zaniah Smalls, president of the Cooking Club, entered the Alumni Conference Room just as the Senate was considering tabling the club’s approval to a later meeting. Smalls said she sees potential to con-

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nect students and foster collaboration between other clubs through cooking.

“One thing I know that could connect everybody is food. Everybody loves food,” Smalls said. “You can’t go wrong with food. I really feel that the Cooking Club will be 100% beneficial to campus if you guys give me a chance to prove to you that it will be great.”

Senator Arshita Pandey endorsed the Cooking Club, saying it is “very active.” The club was

It did take Gooding some convincing to run for president, though.

“It’s a big position. It’s a lot to handle with a lot of other things going on in my life, but I said I’ll take a shot at it,” Gooding said. “If I get it, it was meant for me, it’s God’s plan. If not, then that’s OK, I’ll be fine, and somehow, I got it.”

The responsibility of presiding over the Senate’s meetings will go to Poudel, but Gooding might attend its meetings if her schedule allows it.

“I am going to miss being part of Senate,” Gooding said. “I do enjoy the people there, I enjoy talking to them and learning their opinions.”

To Gooding, being part of the SA means finding people she enjoys talking and working with, as well as a source of emotional support.

“It can be stressful, as any other job, but I do enjoy it and, more importantly, I gained friends from it,” Gooding said. “It’s really nice working with people who have respect for you, and you share the same respect for them as well. … I made such great friends in SA that they’re able to help me pull out of my slumps or days when I’m just not feeling it.”

Poudel said he has confidence in Gooding, whom he will be assisting in his position as vice president.

“I know she’ll be a good president,” Poudel said. “She’s doing a great job as a VP now.”

VICE PRESIDENT

Contact the news editor at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com.

Poudel will be a senior majoring in computer science, with minors in math and finance. An international student from Pokhara, Nepal, Poudel founded the club Nepalese at Plattsburgh and serves as its president. He has also been a community advocate since January 2023.

Poudel learned a lot about the SA in the process of founding his club, and it drew him in — especially event planning. He joined

which participants write emails, letters, social media posts and petitions to politicians, demanding the release of jailed or detained activists.

Senator Tasmayee Jagtap said she attended and enjoyed the club’s most recent event centered on reproductive rights.

The goal of Female Excellence in Science and Technology, also known as FEST, is to create student interest in science and especially highlight women’s contributions, a club representative said. The club started in the spring 2023 semester and was due for permanent status Oct. 16, 2023.

due for permanent status Aug. 28, 2023.

The next club to be approved was a chapter of Amnesty International, due for permanent status Oct. 9, 2023. Both the international organization and its SUNY Plattsburgh chapter bring attention to human rights violations worldwide, a club representative said.

The club hosts discussions about human rights and participates in the organization’s Write for Rights campaign, in

the Activities Coordination Board in spring 2023 and was elected senator in fall 2023. This year, Poudel decided he wanted to take on a higher position.

“At first I ran for Senate because I wanted personal growth and leadership skills. I didn’t fully get what I was looking for,” Poudel said. “I decided, I’ve already been in Senate — I have to take a leap.”

As a senator, Poudel noticed some glaring problems he now aims to address as vice president.

“What I see is that clubs and the SA are not getting to connect well, so (my goal is) to fix that gap,” Poudel said.

Poudel mentioned student support for the SA as expressed through participation in the recent elections and SA fee referendum.

The referendum, held every two years, decides whether the SA fee, which funds key aspects of campus life, such as clubs and organizations, the shuttle, trips, campus events, extended library hours and peer tutoring. A total of 671 students voted, 84% in favor of keeping the SA fee mandatory.

“Many students showed trust in us and voted yes, so we have to keep the momentum,” Poudel said. “I want to make sure that students know what SA is without reading our emails, posters and all those.”

Poudel credited the election’s success to the SA’s campaigning efforts. By the end of his term, however, he wants students to know what the SA is without reminders, laying the groundwork for the legislation after him.

“I really like to be a part of the SA,” Poudel said. “It helps me, in a way, and I can give back to the community, as well.”

Gooding said she will support Poudel in his new role.

“He really knows, being part of the Senate and everything, the most about the position already,” Gooding said. “I know it’ll be stressful at times, but I have faith in him. I believe that he’ll do well … and I’ll always be there for any pointers or advice.”

“A lot of female accomplishments go unrecognized still. It’s crazy, but they still do,” the representative said. “The goal of our club is to bring female scientists’ contributions to light and to show everyone that we are capable of big things, just like men are.”

Senator Ankita Mane said she attended a few of FEST’s meetings.

“There are not a lot of clubs related to science and females, so I’d say, definitely, great job,” Mane said. The last club to be approved for permanent status was the Environmental Club.

BUDGET CHALLENGE

Despite the SA fee being raised to $125, the SA anticipates a tighter budget next year as a result of declining overall enrollment and an increase in online students, who don’t pay the SA fee.

The limited budget may pose challenges for maintaining the services the fee pays for and engaging the student population. This semester, clubs have turned to alternative sources of funding for major events — such as College Auxiliary Services and the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, more frequently — rather than relying fully on SA additional allocations.

Senators have expressed concerns at Senate meetings about the relationship between the SA and student clubs, suggesting that clubs are less trusting of the SA unless it approves generous additional allocations.

“The SA’s had lower budgets before, and they always made it through,” Gooding said.

Cardinal Points reports on the Student Association’s activity through weekly coverage of Senate meetings.

NEWS 3 ▪ Friday, May 3, 2024 ▪ News Editor Aleksandra Sidorova
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ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/ ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points Cooking Club President Zaniah Smalls addresses the SA Senate, explaining the club’s purpose.
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Provided by Sandesh Poudel Sandesh Poudel was elected vice president for the 62nd SA legislation.

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The walk began at the Amitie Plaza outside of the Angell College Center, continued down Rugar Street and wrapped around the Saranac River Trail, ultimately looping back to Amitie. Event organizer and community member Bonnie Black opened the event with a speech about suicide prevention and mental health.

Black said she hopes that the conversation of mental health continues past the event.

“We hope this conversation continues not just today, but for a lifetime,” Black said.

Student volunteers, especially those from Greek life organizations, aided in tabling, handing out bead necklaces and registering people for the walk. Either through community service or showing activism by partaking in the walk, students took part in supporting the movement to stop suicide — at a larger scale than the campus saw a year ago.

“This year’s total was at least triple from last year, and we hope it continues to grow,” Black said.

A major aspect of the message of this event was delivered

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Oatman was initially attracted by the opportunity to play basketball for Plattsburgh State and receive both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in teaching within five years. She stayed for the breadth of experiences that opened up to her.

“It was the slow buildup of seeing what is being offered and trying to get a little bit of experience in all the different aspects of the college,” Oatman said.

Oatman set out to try everything — an attitude she developed in high school. Connecting with others was a pillar in Oatman’s college career, allowing her to learn and grow beyond her concentration in her five years at Plattsburgh.

“You sign up for one specific program and you end up getting so much more,” Oatman said.

Oatman joined the Plant-Powered Club, a club dedicated to plantbased diets that is no longer active, because she is a vegetarian, and expanded her knowledge about nutrition. Her honor society, Kappa Delta Pi, allowed her to learn from her peers concentrating in elementary education. She is part of the Honors Student Association.

“Through all of the different classes, you meet such a variety of people who bring different personalities, and you get a chance to meet people from different backgrounds,” Oatman said.

She got involved with Shine On!, an organization instilling character strengths and life skills in schoolchildren and especially elementary-aged girls, and supported middle school athletes

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through the use of different colored beads — each represents support to someone who may struggle with suicide.

Missy Stolfi, the area director for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, stressed the importance of these beads to the cause.

“At our walks we wear honor beads in a variety of colors,” Stolfi said. “Each color represents our connection to the cause. It could be a relationship with someone

who died of suicide or supporting someone who struggles with it.”

White beads are worn for the loss of a child. Red beads represent the loss of a spouse or partner. Gold shows the loss of a parent, and orange shows the loss of a sibling. Purple represents the loss of a relative or friend. Silver is the loss of a first responder or military personnel. Green represents personal struggle with suicide, and teal supports someone else

through Plattsburgh State Athletics’ mentoring program. She babysat for some families in the area.

Oatman works at Memorial Hall’s recreation center and spends most of her days student teaching at Plattsburgh High School. She said she’d like to tell her own future students to try their hand at many things, like she did in the journey that helped her grow from someone who is shy to someone who has valuable interactions every day.

“There’s never a day that I don’t have some sort of beautiful conversation with somebody that makes me realize how important that human connection is,” Oatman said.

Oatman said she will look back on everyday interactions she shared with her peers, but won’t miss Plattsburgh’s windy, frigid winters.

The club was restarted in spring 2023, President Samuel Lubell said. The Environmental Club was previously known as the Environmental Studies Club and was renamed to invite students outside of the environmental studies major. It was due for permanent status Oct. 26, 2023. The Environmental Club’s recent activities were a trip to the Montreal

“Having little moments of studying in the library or waiting for a class to start or doing a science lab together — I think it was through all of those different experiences that really helped build a sense of support and of joy and of community that I don’t think you get when you don’t get an opportunity like this to meet a lot of people,” Oatman said.

Upon graduation, Oatman is returning home with hopes of teaching biology or science at a school in her region.

“It would be nice to be able to go back and reconnect to the place that I grew up, and after that, who knows?” Oatman said.

PARMETER

Parmeter, a senior psychology major with business and neurobiology minors, grew up in Plattsburgh, and plans to stay.

Biodome and Insectarium in collaboration with the Botany Club on April 13 as well as a community clean up Saturday, April 27. “We don’t get a lot of opportunities to go outside,” another Environmental Club representative said.

who struggles or has attempted suicide. Blue shows overall support for suicide prevention, and the rainbow beads honor the LGBTQ+ community.

The beads allow a level of vulnerability to the cause as it puts into perspective what others have gone through.

“It’s cool because it shows how people go through similar situations, and you really just wear your heart on your sleeve,” Stolfi said.

The plaza was packed with individuals and organizations from all areas of college life — Fraternity and Sorority Life, Plattsburgh State Athletics and academics. The initiative also invited the outside community.

“It’s really a campus-community event,” Black said.

“I’m a family-oriented person through and through,” Parmeter said.

As Parmeter delved deeper into psychology, she discovered a passion for other disciplines. Business grew her charisma while giving her a reason to visit buildings she otherwise wouldn’t, such as Au Sable Hall. Neurobiology gave Parmeter a new perspective on the brain.

“Mind, spirit, body — it all melts together,” Parmeter said. “At least throughout all the courses I’ve taken, I feel like I have a more complete picture of the human experience, even though they’re all diverse and unique.”

If Parmeter focused only on her major, she could have graduated in three years, but she chose to nurture all her interests, both academic and creative.

She found herself asking questions and doing the

The Senate approved the club, but suggested strategies for it to grow its presence on campus and online.

Poudel said the SA discovered the clubs were due for permanent status when it was finalizing club budgets for the

work to answer them by engaging in research. One moment she wondered whether the typefaces and fonts used in an essay made an impression on the reader — the next, she was presenting a fleshed-out paper at a conference in Washington, D.C.

Since she started college in fall 2020, she has seized every opportunity to socialize and meet like-minded people, whether virtually or in-person, and found herself drawn to the College Theater Association and Womxn in Leadership clubs.

Parmeter also took English classes for fun, exploring creative writing. Although Parmeter has an extensive background in scientific research, she said it’s important for her to balance her academic rigor with creativity.

“That’s the balance I try to keep — for every-

thing academic, try to do something fun and social,” Parmeter said.

“I would suggest any student go out there and try something a little outside of their realm, because you’ll surprise yourself.”

Parmeter served as the vice president of the Honors Student Association for two years and was a peer mentor. The Redcay Honors Center in Hawkins Hall is one of her favorite places on campus, she said.

“I have to admit, the Honors Center is kind of, as cliche as it is, my second home on campus,” Parmeter said. “I just find myself loitering in there a lot.”

Parmeter was also inducted into the Psi Chi honor society for psychology, and served as both secretary and president of SUNY Plattsburgh’s chapter. Through her internship with STOP Domestic Violence, she offered support to community members reaching out for help.

“It reminds me I’m in the right field,” Parmeter said. Parmeter had considered colleges farther from home and attended a few open house events, but felt “uninspired.” SUNY Plattsburgh drew her in with its strong psychology and mental health counseling programs, passionate professors and opportunities to grow while staying home.

“I came for a lot of reasons, but I stayed for all of them,” Parmeter said. “I didn’t change those opinions over time. If anything, I only grew to love it more. In that case, I’m very fortunate to have chosen what I did.”

upcoming fiscal and academic years. Changes in professional and student SA staff and at the beginning of the academic year caused the SA to lose track of club status requests. Additionally, the Clubs and Organizations Affairs Board had difficulty coordinating its members’ schedules to set meeting times, settling for hybrid meetings.

NEWS 4 ▪ Friday, May 3, 2024 ▪ News Editor Aleksandra Sidorova
WALK
Email KOLIN KRINER
cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
JAYNE SMITH/Cardinal Points Student athletes and members of Greek life organizations walk down Rugar Street, holding signs raising awareness for suicide. They walked from the front of the Angell College Center, along Rugar Street, around the Saranac River Trail and back to the ACC. Provided by Kara Oatman Kara Oatman stands outside Hawkins Hall. She received SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Provided by Christine Parmeter
Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Christine Parmeter holds her SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence certificate in Albany, New York.

Students spread sexual assault, harrasment awareness with play

At a small-town high school in northeast Georgia, a group of teenagers navigate their complicated lives. It’s 2013, and the characters of “John Proctor is the Villain” are in their spring semester of junior year. They face scandals, young love, sex education and lots of pop music.

The play brings a contemporary view to the American classic, “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, a story about the Salem Witch trials. Through the lens of “The Crucible,” the main cast discovers their agency, and, as events unfold at the high school, their power, rage and hope.

The coming of age story is authentic, delivering painful themes in a comedic way reminiscent of youth.

John Proctor highlights #MeToo, a social movement based in spreading awareness against sexual abuse, sexual harassment and rape culture. Started by Tarana

Burke in 2006, the movement saw individuals publicize their experience of sexual abuse and sexual harrasment in solidarity with others by sharing the hashtag #MeToo.

“As a feminist director, all my artistic work is shaped and guided by a deep-seated belief and advocacy for gender equality and the issues that reside within feminism, from reproductive justice and equal pay to sexual harassment and sexual violence,”

Director Shawna Kelty wrote in an email.

Both the theater department and Kelty intentionally selected John Proctor as this spring’s play because of its themes and representation of issues, taking into account the showtime being in April, Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

“SAAM and the #MeToo movement played a large role in my proposal for directing Kimberly Belflower’s play as part of this year’s season.

#MeToo isn’t over — the overturning of Weinstein’s con-

viction last week is the most obvious national example of that,” Kelty wrote.

The disgraced Hollywood director Harvey Weinstein has been convicted on multiple counts of sexual assault and sexual harrassment. He was convicted in 2020 for sexual assault, this conviction was overturned by the New York County Supreme Court April 25. It was announced May 1 that prosecutors will be aiming for a retrial in fall.

The pivotal moment of Weinstein’s trial overturning has the potential to change the legal systems views on sexual assault.

“The sheer number of productions of ‘John Proctor Is the Villain’ on college campuses is a clear sign that the conversation around sexual assault is still relevant and necessary,” Kelty wrote. “We need to continue to trouble the culture we live in, a culture that continues to privilege predators and marginalize and retraumatize survivors.”

The play offers audiences a window into how far society has come in these issues, and what work still has to be done.

THE STAGE

Suzanne Tracy reflected on her time as stage manager for the play in an email.

“It was a great experience for me to be a first time stage manager,” Tracy said. “The actors and their choices onstage created an environment that was safe to learn in with every different aspect from my stage managing to the real world issues that many women have faced.”

At first Tracy was in the background of the show, taking notes and relaying them to respective members, but as the show went on she began helping actors with lines. In the final week of the show, she called the booth, where stage managers communicate between different elements during the play.

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Student fest crafts creative connections

The arts are taking the center stage May 4 at SUNY Plattsburgh in the Cardinal Creative Arts Festival, an entirely student-run event highlighting the talent and skill of student visionaries.

In spring 2023 two students, Mirren Guzzio and Luke Gerhardt came up with the idea for an arts festival after their Cardinal Foundation Seminar.

The course “Building Thriving Communities,” was aimed at exploring the principles and practices which are essential in fostering inclusive and engaged neighborhoods.

“One of the things that we talked about in that class was: if you’re in your community and there’s something lacking from your community that you really want, instead of trying to find that somewhere else, how can you build it in a place that you’re in?” Guzzio said.

Both Guzzio and Gerhardt are involved in the arts; the two musicians felt that there were not enough non-academic opportunities at SUNY Plattsburgh for students to showcase their creativity.

Fashion gala showcases student work Hidden histories unveiled inside landscape paintings

Students gathered in the Warren Ballrooms dressed in formal attire to watch innovative student designers advertise their prod ucts. House of Divinity, the modeling club at SUNY Plattsburgh, held its second annual fashion show in the evening of April 27.

The theme for the event was the Met Gala.

The show was opened by HOD host and Event Planner Deasha Gilmore. She rallied the crowd together for the first designer, Jaysean Isaac. His designs are from his self-made brand, SMYLS. Gilmore’s work includes custom headpieces like durags and knitwear.

The second part of the show included a series of games such as “Bring me a...” where the hosts ask for an item of clothing or accessory to have members bring up from the audience.

Additionally, the women of HOD performed a dance show for the audience, including attendees in their dance by allowing them on stage, too.

The guests participated in the modeling show, taking photos at

the photo booth and networking with other fashion lovers at the show.

“They really did their thing this year,” Samara Simmons said. “They always show out and make everyone happy.”

Simmons was a contestant on “Who’s Best Dressed?” where attendees voted on who followed the theme of the show.

The members of the board participated in the event too, coming together as a team to perform for the campus community.

“All of my friends came here tonight and I’m really grateful they showed up in support of my club and I,” said Hassani St. John, HOD club member.

Some students who were heavily involved in the backstage planning of the fashion show came in support this evening.

“I think we are building a great legacy for this club and it’s always nice working with my club members of HOD,” said Storme Hutton, founder of HOD.

Rahshad Nicholas, the president of HOD, said he had a great experience with the models in the club and found it fulfilling to create the show.

“The models worked so hard putting this show on, they really made the show,” Nicholas said.

Jakira Barrett, the vice president of HOD, said she overcame the stresses of putting on such an event on campus.

“It was definitely a process I had to be patient with, but all in all I enjoyed this night and I hope the legacy of House of Divinity lives on well,” Barrett said.

The show ended with one last walk of all the models and designers, with thanks to the audience for the pleasant night.

Email CINARA MARQUIS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Landscape paintings throughout history have been admired from vast mountain peaks to cozy cottages on the river and gorgeous grassland plateaus. However, a beautiful painting can harbor an ugly history.

Art historian Caroline Gillespie visited SUNY Plattsburgh as a featured artist as a part of the Visual Artist Series, which brings artists of all mediums to speak in public lectures, workshops, demos and critiques.

The Visual Artist Series aims at bringing visual art to campus. Typically, seven to nine artists visit and speak every year. It is made possible by both the Student Association and the art department.

Gillespie discussed her dissertation, “Delicious

Libation: The Art of the Coffee Trade from Brazil to the United States, 17971888.” Her exposition focused on the erasure of enslaved laborers in paintings of the time. She is the assistant curator of American Art at the Brooklyn Museum, where she stewards the collection of historic American art from the colonial period through 1960. She was the last featured artist lecture of the year. In addition to her curatorial work, she has taught art history courses in the CUNY system and at the Pratt Institute. Her May 25 talk was an examination of the paintings and culture of 19th century coffee harvesting primarily delving into the oppressive practices of Brazilian coffee plantations.

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2024
Provided by Suzanne Tracy “John Proctor is the Villain” cast act on stage in the Hartman theatre in the Myers Fine Arts Building. BRIONNE THOMPSON/Cardinal Points Jakira Barrett speaks at the gala.
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Provided by Mirren Guzzio
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“Calling the show from the booth the last week was definitely something that I enjoyed the most and will have fond memories of because that is when my hard work was becoming a very happy reality,” Tracy wrote.

The play was a safe environment for her to practice using her voice and build up confidence in her abilities.

Taniya Jarrett, who played Shelby, faced a different situation.

In John Proctor, Shelby is a bright character, but her intelligence is often overlooked due to her frank personality.

Shelby is groomed by her English teacher, Carter Smith, a beloved teacher, husband, soonto-be father and Christian community member. Nobody expected him to do anything like that, and when he is found out, he faces few repercussions.

“Working as Shelby, I had to think a lot about how I was at her age. Since I heavily resonated with her in the degree of being blunt about things and just wanting peo ple to see her, it was almost natu ral,” Jarrett wrote in an email. “I hadn’t ever experi enced what she went through, so it was kind of hard to put myself into shoes that didn’t really fit me person ally, but to be vocal about it is what I natu rally stand for, and portraying that in a character like Shelby helps me understand, and hopefully others.”

even give her the time of day. She wanted to be heard but instead was always silenced with the implication that she’s crazy and will always be,” Jarrett wrote.

In the end, Shelby’s connections with her friends brings her hope, a hope that she is not alone and that perseverance is possible. She dances in the face of those who have hurt her, and her friends do the same, just like Abigail in “The Crucible.”

Shelby took hiatus after the incidences of grooming, sexual harrassment and sexual assault at the hands of Smith. Everybody in the small town believes that she left because of mental health issues. She later comes back to the high school and speaks her story.

“You can see how the plot builds in the sense of Shelby coming back and trying to continue on her life as best as she can, knowing that someone whom she trusted used her and couldn’t

COFFEE

Continued from page 5

Historical paintings of these Brazilian coffee plantations, called fazendas, were commissioned by the plantation owners. Intended to represent the estates in a positive light, artists were tasked with making their paintings look to be productive, clean and ideal, Gillespie said in her lecture.

Artists could communicate these elements through clear weather conditions, vast mountainous landscapes and well-organized architecture. The pieces are reminiscent of naturalistic hudson river school pieces, popular American landscape paintings of the same era.

Alongside their beauty the hudson river school works convey themes of imperialism and Manifest Destiny, too.

Visual elements like this can be found in fazenda paintings, too. Gillespie combined close examinations of fazenda paintings with the study of archival sources such as estate records to understand more about the individuals who were enslaved and their lived experiences.

She noted, however, that these documents were produced by white European artists, fazenda owners and government officials.

CAST AND CREW

John Proctor is a play by Kimberly Belflower.

Smith was played by Will Quilla; Shelby was played by Jarrett; Beth was played by Katelynn Kruger; Nell was played by Shahsha Montgomery; Ivy was played by Sydney Wise; Raelynn was played by Ninah Keliihananui; Mason was played by Matthew Leone; Lee was played by Walker Moore; and Bailey was played by Lydya Felix.

The director was Kelty; dramaturg was Rose Bullard; assistant director and choreographer was

Felix; stage manager was Tracy; costume shop manager was Erika Guay; production manager and lighting designer was Margaret Swick; technical director was Ben Wright; sound designer was Emily Fagan; costume and makeup designer was Leo Greer; props designer was Dani Anzola Perozo; assistant scenic designer was Quilla; assistant lighter designer was Kaitlyn Rivera; assistant master electrician was Alyssa Vasquez; and assistant stage manager was Charles Marcheski. Other cast members who helped in the lighting, painting and construction of the set included Adele Daniels; Alex Rudnick; Claire Ragusa; Jack Byrnes; Kyle Magowan; Styx Williams; Sydney Wise; Emma Baker; James Braxton; Michelle DeFina; Tyler DeLuca; Ivonne Diaz; Evan Field Hoffman; Mirren Guzzio; Maddy Hamel; Evie Hatch; Olivia Montello; Jayden Neptune; Cole Potter; Isaiah Ritter; Brionne Thompson; Alyssia Grant; Kaleb Pecoraro; Benjamin Anderson; Tyler Dodson; Angel Espinal; and Isabella Bratchie.

Keep up to date with the theatre department at https://rb.gy/6ttugf.

To wrap up the semester the theatre department is hosting Ringing Down the Curtain, a collection of acting, dance and guitar performances on May 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. in the Hartman Theatre in the John Myers building.

ARTS

Continued from page 5

“Our main objective when we came up with the idea was to give students the opportunity to showcase different kinds of artwork that they’ve created outside of a classroom setting,” Guzzio said. “People can’t really see where your heart is and what your interests are, when it’s something that someone else told you to make.”

Guzzio and Gerhardt began putting together a team in fall 2023.

Alexander Finkey was one of those team members who became involved early on, as Coordinator of Arts and PR Chair for the Student Association, but also as a friend for Guzzio and Gerhardt.

“I had never seen an event centered around the arts on this large of a scale on campus, and it has only grown since the beginning of planning it out,” Finkey wrote in an email.

Each major group within the art department will be included in the CCAF in it’s own six-hour time slot across campus. From noon to 6 p.m., attendees can expect a variety of events.

The Plattsburgh Association of the Visual Arts will have a curated CCAF Art Show in the Alumni Conference Room in the Angell College Community Center, as well

there will be a live music festival featuring different student performers of various genres. The College Theatre Association and Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society will be hosting theater showcases and workshops in the Hartman and Black Box theatre in the Myers Fine Arts Building. North Star Magazine will be reading through their latest issue in the Cardinal Lounge in the ACC.

SUNY Plattsburgh students will be selling their creative works in downtown Plattsburgh at Koffee Kat from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Guzzio’s team curated the event like this on purpose, “It’s designed so that students can pop from room to room and discover different kinds of artwork that’s like happening in their school communities.” Guzzio said.

Map pamphlets will be provided to attendees.

Guzzio’s team is also making stamps for attendees to collect from different events, “There will be a special stamp if you attend all events and collect all the stamps,” Finkey wrote. “We wanted a fun incentive to give to people to try new things, even if they are a little uncomfortable with getting started or interested in exploring new avenues of creativity.”

Email CINARA MARQUIS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com Email

“They were not intended to preserve or uplift the individual experiences or even the humanity of the enslaved population,” Gillespie said. Learning about marginalized individuals when historical resources were meant to diminish them is complicated. Scholars working in these fields often face the challenge of even finding information when the populations were purposefully obscured.

landscapes often suggest tranquility and prosperity, and that they omit allusions to colonial violence against the land and humans,” Gillespie said.

too, Gillespie interpreted. The manor houses often had a 360-degree view of the whole estate, in which enslaved laborers could always be viewed.

even still it remains, Gillespie said.

Often the whipping post is in a public communal area.

“Some art historians have noted that tropical plantation

The detailed, geometric organization of the architecture not only makes the viewer believe that the estate is well-organized but it shows the truth of the rigorous surveillance of the fazenda,

In addition to constant surveillance, there are other suggestions of violence that still exist in these paintings, such as the presence of whipping posts. Often artists make the post inconspicuous, but

“It’s a form of psychological torture and a reminder of physical punishment. It was a continual reminder and affirmation of the enslaver’s dominance,” Gillespie said.

6 Friday, May 3, 2024 Arts & Culture Editor Cinara Marquis ▪ ▪
ARTS & CULTURE
cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
CINARA MARQUIS Provided by Suzanne Tracy “John Proctor is the Villain” cast dance in the final number. via Adobe Stock via Wikimedia Commons
COFFEE > 7
“Fazenda Santo Antonio” by Henrique Manzo, 1870, from the Museu Paulista collection.

COFFEE

Continued from page 6

The romanticized depictions also obscure the devastating impacts that the industry had on the environment. Because of the planting and harvesting practices of the fazenda, the soil deteriorated and a monoculture was created, which consequently led to deforestation and local climate change.

The common compositions of these pieces idealize the truth, showcasing the fazendas’ prestige through successful business.

“In other words, representing power was essential to reproducing domination,” Gillespie said.

Another issue with these works is that they do not depict the population correctly. Often hundreds of people were enslaved at these fazendas, but only a small percentage could be found in the paintings.

These individuals were also depicted in leisure, playing up the benevolence of the estate owner. With the hills remaining devoid of human presence, there is also a feeling of orderliness.

“There is a purposeful erasure of the instilled population from the hillside, divorcing their labor from a successful growing crop,” Gillespie said.

Children sometimes were included in these paintings, too.

“The artist’s inclusion of children in this painting, particularly in this area where people seem to be socializing — he instills this feeling that there is some happy community of laborers here and also a future growing labor force,” Gillespie said.

The children, too, remind the viewer that the reproduction of slavery benefited enslavers. After the abolition of the Brazilian slave trade in 1850, biological reproduction built even more benefit.

After enslaved people were no longer transported from Africa enslavers, relied on biological reproduction to maintain the labor population.

Children born after the 1871 Law of the Free Womb were granted freedom from slavery. There were ways to get around the law, though. Children were required to receive financial compensation, and one of the legal ways to provide that was through enslaved labor until the individual turned 21 years old.

“So it’s really kind of ambiguous in terms of freedom, right?”

Gillespie said. “They’re technically free when they’re born after 1871, but they have to stay on the fazenda with their mother until they’re 21 years old.”

The abolition of slavery is slow in Brazil and across the globe.

As a sign of hope, and a marker for what work has been done, and what is yet to be done

Gillespie highlighted contemporary Brazilian artist Tiago Gualberto during her lecture.

In 2005, Gualberto installed 100 woodcut prints, carvings in wood, printed on paper coffee filters, at the Museu Afro Brasil, in São Paulo.

Half of the filters were printed with unique portraits of Black people’s faces, the other half with racialized phrases. The portraits are embedded in the coffee filters with text, branding the faces with these common expressions.

“Welberto’s artistic practice often considers memory and historical erasure, particularly of Afro-Brazilian people,” Gillespie said.

Visitors to the Museu Afro Brasil were allowed to touch and move the coffee filters.

“One might slide the portraits in and out of the filters printed with textual phrases that are affixed to the wall, allowing for closer and more intimate connection with those represented,” Gillespie said.

“The creation of detailed, specific,

expressive, but yet still anonymous portraits of Black people that may be hidden away speaks to the omission or erasure of black individuals from historical memory, and the ongoing usage of language influenced by racialized and racist thought that contributes to the ongoing subjugation of Afro-Brazilians.”

The words printed on the coffee filters incorporate the words “black” or “white” to imply the dichotomy of good and bad.

Phrases such as “gigi branco,” translating to “white day” were used, it means “busy day” or “productive day.” The opposite is “black day” meaning “lazy day.”

“It connects black, the word black, with feelings of discomfort or even fear or dread,” Gillespie said. “Embedded within this language are constructed ideas about race, including negative connotations about Blackness as that.”

Through his work, Welberto called viewers to examine the implications racism has on society, especially through language.

Gillespie was inspired by his work.

“I was struck by the visual impact of these half-kitted portraits, and I learned more about the implications of systemic racism in Brazil that Welberto was asking the viewer to consider. But within the context of my own research on historic coffee plantations, I was also really compelled by the artist’s use of coffee filters as a medium,” Gillespie said.

The history of Brazilian coffee plantations, fazendas has always been exploitative — the only images left of them being picturesque omissions of what really happened there.

“Welberto’s work calls on viewers to reconsider that omission or erasure from historical memory,” Gillespie said.

Email CINARA MARQUIS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

CARDINAL CALENDAR: May 6 to

Monday, May 6

Lecture on the Holocaust

Dr. Andrew Buchanan will present his lecture “The Holocaust and the ‘Long’ World War II, 1933-1948.”

Feinberg Library Gallery 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 8

Coffeehouse Weekly Open Mic

Students are welcome to perform in a variety of ways. Refreshments are provided.

Burghy’s Den 8 to 10 p.m.

Friday, May 10

CEES Seminar

Emily Reinhardt: Social Impacts of Mountain Biking Across the Northeastern Forest Region

May 11

Tuesday, May 7

Active Minds Stress Relief Seminar

In preperation of finals, find your study style and learn about how to manage stress.

ACC Meeting Room 4 7 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, May 9

Trip to the Tropics Workshop

L earn about gathering coconuts and using the husks to make trinkets. Enjoy traditional Caribbean snacks.

Burghy’s Den 6 to 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 11

Aries (Mar. 21 – Apr. 19)

The Ace of Wands card signifies optimism. This is the perfect time to pursue your dreams. You have always had great potential, so take initiative and make progress in your ambitions.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

The Empress card represents fruitfulness. Your creativity is flourishing this week — be certain to utilize it to empower yourself and others.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)

The King of Cups card is about balance. Your hard work has brought you intimate knowledge about yourself and your emotions. Align yourself to what you are doing today, step up and speak up for those who may not have the means to.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)

The Magician card refers to strong will. This card encourages you to take time to be clear about what you want to manifest in your life. Use your resources and wisdom to do this, there is a lot of potential to capture.

Taurus (Apr. 20 – May 20)

The Ten of Pentacles card entails success. Achievement and stability will manifest this week. Wise investments and strong community ties bring you lasting prosperity — if not of money, thanof fulfillment.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)

The Moon card signifies intuition. Trust your instincts and be especially mindful of deception this week. You are equipped now to face your fears, so let yourself face them if necessary.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

The Judgement card depicts destiny. Now may be the appropriate time to take decisive action in your life. Listen to your instincts and be sincere. Without it what you have learned will have been learned in vain.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)

The Six of Wands card refers to recognition. This week your hard work is paying off, embrace the spotlight and don’t be afraid to share your achievements with enthusiasm — you deserve it.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

The reversed Nine of Wands card refers to struggle. You may be fighting an arduous battle, but do not do it alone. Let your guard down and let yourself be vulnerable.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)

The reversed Hierophant card refers to unfaithfulness.

Challenge beliefs and question everything this week. Be honest with yourself and adamant in your own values. You can create your own tradition.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)

The World card entails fulfillment. Keep doing what you are doing. Your motivations are powerful so tune into what you value most and take the necessary steps forward to success.

End of the year picnic, award ceremony and announcing of next years theater performances.

Hudson 106 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. College Theatre Assoc. Spammies

Point Au Roche Noon to 3 p.m.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – Mar. 20)

The reversed Eight of Pentacles card signifies perfectionism. It may be rough this week, all work and no play, but keep at it. This card encourages you to continue your hard work as it will lead to success.

ARTS & CULTURE 7 Friday, May 3, 2024 Arts & Culture Editor Cinara Marquis

SOFTBALL

Continued from page 14

Facteau reached out to police departments first, and “a large group” of officers showed their interest, officer Cameron Garceau said.

After garnering support among officers, Facteau approached the BSU because she knew the organization had tried to host a similar event in the fall. From there, they decided to co-host the tournament.

UP went all out for the event, providing custom T-shirts, pizza and fruit cups while also organizing the donation pool, which paid for the grand prizes of the tournament. Prizes included new namebrand basketballs and gift cards.

BSU was in charge of garnering student interest in the event. In total, nine student teams competed against the UP squad and the State Trooper team.

“Honestly, University Police did a lot of hard work and heavy lifting when it came to putting this event together, “ Black

Onyx Historian Sydney Wise said. “BSU did all of the tabling, so that means we tabled in the ACC telling everyone to sign up and come play.”

UP and BSU created a fun environment for everyone in attendance.

“I do think this tournament strengthened our relationship with the college community because we get to see people, interact with them, laugh — I feel like we really laughed a lot. It’s just always good to have a good relationship with the students,” Garceau said.

Plattsburgh single-season assist record, finishing with 16.

Continued from page 14

With the young squad, the Cardinals turned to its underclassmen in hopes of finding players who could fill the shoes of the departed seniors and make meaningful contributions to the team’s success.

Sophomore attacker Cynthia Barnosky found herself taking on the biggest role as she led the team in points with 51. The mark was the second highest in program history.

The next highest total this season was 16.

Coming into college sports as an underclassman can be a difficult transition because of increased physicality and skill compared to the high school level. One thing the young Cardinals had to learn was how to play with confidence.

“(At the beginning of the season) a lot of them would get the ball, freak out and look to pass it away immediately,” Adams said.

After a few games, the young Cardinals grew comfortable and realized they were recruited for a reason and could make more impactful plays, Adams said.

celebrated its seniors by giving them a memorable graduation gift of an 11-10 win over SUNYAC competitor Fredonia. This win also snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Cardinals, which had not won since its first game of the season against Russell Sage.

“After a tough start to the season, it was great to see them pull it together that day for the seniors and teammates,” Wall said.

Even though Plattsburgh struggled to execute as it wanted to on the field, its team spirit and morality were never deterred. Throughout the season, the team stayed positive and had a good time together.

LACROSSE

“It was a mental game for sure,” Barnosky said. “It was a big adjustment to take the heat that you receive on the field.”

Barnosky was ready to fill the shoes of her former teammates.

After placing third on the team in total points in the 2023 season with 32, Barnosky led the way for Plattsburgh this season. She racked up 35 goals, scoring in all but two games, and also tied the

A big part of the increased confidence can be credited to the returning experienced players.

“Having amazing upperclassmen has really helped because they created a welcoming environment for us and always helped us navigate being freshman athletes here,” firstyear defender Sloane Carr said.

The team’s love for the seniors led to a highlight of the season with a win on senior day. Plattsburgh

“No matter if we won or lost a game, we would celebrate the things that we did well together. There was never any pointing fingers, we just looked to the next game to make things better,” Barnosky said.

The team chemistry has been a strong source of support for the team, and it will only improve with time.

“We are all friends off the field which helps us to be good teammates while we’re on the field,” Carr said.

Geneseo and Brockport’s departure from the conference will give Plattsburgh more opportunities to make the playoff push it has been seeking for the last six seasons.

Next season, the underclassmen will return with one more year of experience under their belts. The team will continue to hunt for a playoff appearance for the first time in the program’s existence.

“We are going to try hard every single day and set a higher standard for practice going forward,” Wall said.

Email JUSTIN RUSHIA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

IOWA

Continued from page 14

“I realized that if I don’t give this childhood dream a turn, I will regret it for the rest of my life because I know I want to try,” Sample said.

Sample graduated from Beekmantown High School early and enrolled in SUNY Plattsburgh’s broadcast journalism program for the fall of 2021.

In his first semester, Sample reached out to the department for any experience and he was quickly brought on.

Sample started calling hockey in January 2022, and he’s picked up most other sports along the way. Along the way, he’s broadcasted at Dartmouth, Middlebury and St. Michael’s.

This academic year, the Plattsburgh State Athletics brought Sample on as athletic communications student lead for broadcasting and creative content. On top of his

broadcast duties, Sample edits videos, manages streaming equipment and takes photos.

“A lot of jobs in the playby-play industry require you to wear different hats,” Sample said. “There’s some play-by-play announcers that do ticket operations for teams. That’s just how you get your foot in the door for a job.”

Sample, preparing for graduation, applied for 24 play-by-play internships across the country. After interviewing for a few different teams, he was accepted by the Bees, a collegiate summer baseball team 1,000 miles away.

“I’ve never moved before,” Sample said. “It’d be the first time I’ve ever lived away from home, regardless of being 18 hours away. So I am a little nervous.”

Sample is next in line of a series of Plattsburgh State Athletics sports information department members to land professional gigs in recent years. Last summer,

students Ryan Nista and Julia Ennis were hired by the NFL and Buffalo Sabers respectively.

In 2022, baseball pitcher and digital media production major Ryan Nista took initiative and gave his team a media day, complete with photos and videos for the upcoming season.

The department noticed and offered Nista to shoot media days across Plattsburgh State. Eventually, Nista landed a role as sports media associate.

“It was really exciting because I wanted to do more than just baseball,” Nista said. “I just tried to build my portfolio as much as I could and take as many photos at sporting events as I could.”

Nista’s portfolio with the department and his work with Plattsburgh State TV were significant in him landing a seasonal position as the NFL’s live digital media specialist.

Nista collaborated with Ennis that season to produce content for

Plattsburgh State. Ennis, a soccer player and digital media production major, was brought on as student leader of creative content and social media manager.

“Being able to say that I did work closely in college with a collegiate athletic department definitely, definitely helped,” Ennis said. Ennis now serves as a game presentation assistant for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL.

Sample’s experience with Plattsburgh State will be instrumental for any sports information job he applies for. Just like he did, anyone can give it a try.

“The Plattsburgh State Athletics department does a good job of encapsulating the philosophy of wanting to give everybody opportunities,” Sample said. “They’re willing, for pretty much anyone who reaches out to give them an opportunity.”

SPORTS 8 ▪ Friday, May 3, 2024 ▪ Sports Editor Michael Purtell Regular season as of 5/2 STANDINGS BASEBALL TEAM SUNYAC OVERALL 1-Cortland X-Oswego X-Plattsburgh New Paltz Brockport E-Oneonta E-Fredonia 13-2 10-5 10-8 8-7 6-9 4-11 3-12 22-10-1 22-12 23-13 13-13 19-16 15-20 13-20
TEAM SUNYAC OVERALL X-New Paltz X-Geneseo X-Cortland X-Oneonta Buffalo State Fredonia Potsdam Plattsburgh Brockport Oswego 14-0 12-2 11-3 10-4 8-8 6-10 4-10 3-11 2-12 2-12 28-4 19-15 21-7 18-14 15-16 13-21 13-17 11-21 8-24 7-21 M. LACROSSE TEAM SUNYAC OVERALL 1-Cortland 2-Geneseo 3-Oswego 4-Potsdam 5-Oneonta 6-Brockport E-New Paltz E-Plattsburgh 7-0 6-1 5-2 4-3 3-4 2-5 1-6 0-7 11-5 12-6 10-6 10-5 7-8 4-11 5-10 4-12 W. LACROSSE TEAM SUNYAC OVERALL 1-Cortland 2-Geneseo 3-New Paltz 4-Brockport 5-Oswego 6-Oneonta E-Plattsburgh E-Buffalo State E-Fredonia E-Potsdam 9-0 8-1 6-3 6-3 6-3 3-6 3-6 2-7 1-8 1-8 13-4 14-3 14-4 10-7 9-7 5-12 4-11 6-9 5-11 4-10
MEN’S LACROSSE # J. Eiseman, A D. Woods, A C. Morin, M GOALS 33 20 15 # D. Woods, A T. Keenan, M J. Eiseman, A ASSISTS 18 17 10 # J. Eiseman, A D. Woods, A T. Keenan, M POINTS 43 38 27 # F. Whitlock, D J. Eiseman, A K. Ruland, D GB 55 48 41 # J. Farrelly, M J. Duval Lapaix, M D. Zambito, M FO% .413 .411 .159 # D. Clements, G SAVE% .481 WOMEN’S
# C. Barnosky, A M. Garcia, A Dickinson, Nash GOALS 35 15 10 # C. Barnosky, A F. Fitzgerald, A LaMar, Nash ASSISTS 16 12 4 # C. Barnosky, A F. Fitzgerald, A M. Garcia, A POINTS 51 16 16 # S. Carr, D L. Gilroy, D S. Lombardi, D GB 26 25 23 # L. Gilroy, D J. Adams, D C. Nash, M DC 60 32 28 # L. Nease, G H. Lowder, G J. Loch, G SAVE% .381 .366 .333 BASEBALL # C. Palmer, INF J. Golino, P/INF G. Noll, C AVG .400 .346 .341 # C. Palmer, INF G. Noll, C S. Isaacs, INF OPS .917 .885 .883 # S. Isaacs, INF J. Golino, P/INF G. Noll, C RBI 25 24 13 # A. Veit, SS/RHP K. Mordecki, RHP C. Santic, LHP ERA 2.73 4.66 7.35 # A. Veit, SS/RHP K. Mordecki, RHP C. Santic, LHP WHIP 1.37 1.49 1.99 # A. Veit, SS/RHP K. Mordecki, RHP C. Santic, LHP IP 52.2 46.1 45.1 SOFTBALL # J. Defayette, OF A. Kornblau, INF A. Diltz, UTL AVG .375 .372 .370 # A. Kornblau, INF C. Gonzalski, OF J. Defayette, OF OPS 1.113 .966 .945 # K. Cremin, 1B A. Diltz, UTL A. Kornblau, INF RBI 35 27 26 # M. Ormerod, P J. Golino, P/INF S. Milyko, P ERA 2.77 4.68 5.25 # M. Ormerod P S. Milyko, P J. Golino, P/INF WHIP 1.27 1.56 1.63 # M. Ormerod, P J. Golino, P/INF S. Milyko, P IP 83.1 58.1 34.2 ATHLETE OF THE WEEK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK GAME OF THE WEEK GAME OF THE WEEK BREXTON MONTVILLE BASE vs. BROCKPORT Alex Kornblau sent a homer over the fence against Brockport on April 27. It was his seventh of the season, the highest mark of any Cardinal in a single season. Kornblau also holds the career home run record. The Cardinals cameback from an early 0-4 deficit to help secure its ninth conference win this season inching closer to the playoffs. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Final 0 0 0 5 0 3 2 0 X 10 1 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 7 PSU Alex Kornblau in the last week: At-bats: 15 Hits: 5 RBI: 2 Record-setting HR BSU (FINAL)
STATISTICS
3V3
Email
CHAMBLE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
KAMIKO
MICHAEL PURTELL/Cardinal Points Team University Police competes in an elimination game April 27.
Email COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points Head Coach Kelly Wall breaks a team huddle against Fredonia on March 13.
WLAX
(FINAL)

Ask an Athlete: Grace Yarkosky

Grace Yarkosky, a Plattsburgh State women’s hockey player and nursing student, decided she didn’t have enough on her plate — so she joined the track & field team.

Grace ran her first race March 30 — three weeks after the hockey season ended — and instantly became a star for the distance crew. The South Lyon, Michigan native will be one of two Cardinals to compete in the playoffs for two programs during the 2023-24 year.

Grace posted an AARTFCqualifying time when she finished the 800-meter run in two minutes and 19.10 seconds April 20. She’ll next hit the track in the SUNYAC Championships, competing in the 800 and the 4x400-meter relay.

This question and answer was conducted with Grace over text April 30.

Question: What went behind your decision to join the T&F team? Do you have experience running?

Answer: I chose to join the track and field team because running had became a side hobby of mine and I thought it would be fun to see what I could do in a competitive environment. Really the only running experience I had prior was hobby jogging and sprint conditioning for hockey, so I had and still have a lot of learning to do when it comes to the sport.

Q: Where do hockey and track overlap, skillset wise?

A: Hockey and track overlap in both the physical and mental aspects. Though you have to be

physically conditioned for both, they also both require great mental strength, discipline, and focus in order to succeed. Being able to push through the pain, focus on the race, game plan and achieve the final goals alongside your teammates is so important in both sports.

Q: Suicide drills on the ice or sprint drills on the track?

A: Suicide drills on the ice- I love to move fast on the track, but it’s such a unique feeling being in the rink, feeling the air move through your cage and your skates dig into the ice. You’ll inevitably be dog-tired by the end of either, but conditioning while skating is just a crazy (usually painful) thing I’ve always been able to have fun with.

Q: Being on two teams gives you two entirely different social circles — how has that benefited you?

A: The social side of both hockey and track have been more fulfilling than I could have ever asked for. Hockey specifically has pushed me to connect with and learn from incredibly smart and strong women from all over the country. And while I was anxious to insert myself on a new team this semester, the track team has welcomed me with open arms, especially the distance crew. I’m incredibly thankful for how supportive and kind my teammates and coaches have been, and could not ask for a better group of people to train with everyday. The social circles are definitely very different, but they both positively contribute to my time here on campus.

Email COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

T&F SUNYAC PARTICIPANTS

4x100m

Morgan Thompson, Michaela Schaffer, Deanna Zoch, Grace Estus, Mikayla Khadijah, Grace Dam

Charles Cypress, Brexton Montville, Justin Rushia, Jordan Williams, Ryan Williams, Aidan Masten, Evan Rando, Isaiah Ritter

4x400m

Moran Thompson, Grace Estus, Lillan Moran, Grace Yarkosky, Anya Sloth, Sarah Smith

Matt DeJulio, Zander Brown, Graham Richard, Nicholas Gelsomino, Noah Bonesteel, Ryan Williams, Charles Cypress

100-meter dash

Deanna Zoch, Morgan Thompson

Brexton Montville, Charles Cypress, Jordan Williams, Justin Rushia 200-meter dash

Deanna Zoch

Charles Cypress, Brexton Montville

400-meter dash

Morgan Thompson, Grace Estus 800-meter run

Grace Yarkosky, Lillian Moran, Anya Sloth 1500-meter run

Sarah Smith

Noah Bonesteel, Graham Richard

10000-meter run

Marissa Colvin

Michael Brockway

110-meter hurdles

Evan Rando

400-meter hurdles

Zander Brown

3000-meter steeplechase

Erik Kucera, Nathan Alexander High jump

Rebecca Christie, Grace Dam Evan Rando, Locke Gerken

Cardinal Clips is a bitesized look at Plattsburgh State Athletics and its programs.

MITCHELL

Plattsburgh State tennis’ Jacklin Mitchell was named SUNYAC Rookie of the Year by the conference May 1. Mitchell is the first Cardinal to ever win the award.

scores of 4-0 and 6-1 and the games against Clarkson finished 5-1 and 4-3.

Senior pitcher Julia Golino celebrated her senior day by pitching the team’s second shutout this season in the first game against the Golden Eagles. She allowed three hits in seven innings.

and Oswego and ahead of New Paltz — reflecting the current seeding of the conference.

In game one against Brockport, Plattsburgh erased a 0-4 deficit with a five-run fourth inning.

Brockport scored a whopping 17 runs in the fourth inning to bury Plattsburgh in game two.

The first year began her singles season 8-0, finishing with a teambest 10-1 solo record. She accomplished a 5-1 record in conference play. Mitchell played 13 doubles matches with Ava Carey, finishing 6-7. The duo finished the season 3-0 during the team’s conference finale trip to the Binghamton Tennis Center in Binghamton, New York.

The Plattsburgh native returns to a squad that was in reach of the playoffs headed into the final three games of the season in Binghamton. With five graduating players, Mitchell is expected to take on a larger role.

SOFT

The Plattsburgh State softball team sent off the seniors in style and swept Brockport in a twogame series on senior day April 27. The team carried its momentum into the doubleheader against Clarkson three days later and swept the Golden Knights in the last home games of the season.

Three of the four games were decided by four or more runs, with Plattsburgh’s pitching team allowing only five runs. The games against Brockport ended with

Sophomore pitcher Morgan Ormerod pitched the next 14 innings, allowing 11 hits and two runs. She threw 15 strikeouts over the two games.

Junior pitcher Sarah Milyko pitched the final game of the week, allowing just five hits over 27 at-bats.

Senior Alex Kornblau went yard in the first to claim the program singleseason home run record with seven.

Senior Andrew Veit pitched the entirety of game three, earning just two runs to secure the win.

The Cardinals will head into its final two series with a 11-21, 3-11 record. A flawless stretch of games would give the team a shot to make a postseason appearance.

BASE

The Plattsburgh State baseball team (23-13, 10-8) went 3-1 over the last week of play, securing a spot in the SUNYAC playoffs for the second time in three seasons after a 10-year playoff drought spanning from 2012 to 2022. The Cardinals also notched its most wins in a season since 2010.

Plattsburgh defeated Brockport in the season series, winning game one 10-7 on April 26, then splitting the doubleheader 2-19 and 6-3 on senior day April 27. Plattsburgh then beat Canton 8-1 on May 2. The Cardinals slotted fifth in Region III rankings by the NCAA behind SUNYAC rivals Cortland

Plattsburgh added two non-conference games to its schedule and is now set to face VSU-Castleton at home in a doubleheader May 4 with game one beginning at 1 p.m. and game two at 4 p.m.

SUNYAC playoffs begin May 9 with matchups to be determined by game results with weekend.

AWARDS

Plattsburgh State Athletics announced the nominees for its annual Student-Athlete Recognition & Awards Ceremony on May 1. The winners will be named at a closed ceremony May 6. The nominees for the Record-Breaking Performance Award include men’s track and field for breaking the 4x100-meter relay record at 42.04 seconds; baseball’s Alex Kornblau for topping the career home run record with 13; Allison Brown and women’s soccer for

scoring a goal 11 seconds into a game against Canton on October 24, 2023; baseball’s Conner Gonzalski for taking the career hit by pitch mark with 38; Charles Cypress of track and field for breaking the indoor 200-meter dash record at 22.24; men’s soccer for achieving its best start to a season in 20 years after going unbeaten through 11 games; women’s lacrosse’s Lillian Gilroy for breaking both the single-game and single-season draw control records at 13 and 60 respectively; Imani Walcott for achieving the program’s second known triple-double against Brockport on Jan. 27 with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 11 blocks; and volleyball’s Payton Zophy for holding both the single-season and career digs per set records at 512 and 4.61 respectively.

Long jump

Michaela Schaffer

Isaiah Ritter, Aidan Mastem

Triple jump

Michaela Schaffer

De’Andre Watson

Discus throw

Katie Rachwal

Hammer throw

Taygin Jump

Javelin throw

Taygin Jump, Bliss Rhoads, Mikayla Khadijah, Katie Rachwal, Grace Dam

Heptathalon

Marissa LeDuc, Katherine Bergé

Athletes up for the Female Senior Achievement Award are soccer’s Nora Fitzgerald, softball’s Claire Palmer, Zophy, tennis’ Nicole Svantner, lacrosse’s Janey Adams and hockey’s Kendall Wasik.

Those considered for the Male Senior Achievement Award include hockey’s Ryan Hogg, soccer’s Jack Healy, track and field’s Brexton Montville and Gonzalski.

Female Athlete of the Year finalists are lacrosse’s Cynthia Barnosky, Palmer, hockey’s Julia Masotta, Fitzgerald and Zophy.

For the Male Athlete of the Year award, nominees are lacrosse’s John Eiseman, basketball’s Kevin Tabb, cross country and track and field’s Noah Bonesteel, Kornblau, hockey’s Bennett Stockdale and soccer’s Brian Coughlan.

Decathalon

Faris Webber

The Cardinal Community Service & Leadership Award names include women’s lacrosse’s Rachel LaMar, men’s lacrosse’s Cam Morin, women’s soccer’s Amanda Cohen, volleyball’s Lily White and tennis’ Jenna Medina.

Five other honors round out the night: the Chi Alpha Sigma

induction; the Richard D. Semmler Awards for a male and female senior with the highest GPA; Cardinal Awards with one given to an athlete in each program; the Cardinal Team Community Service Award; and the Cardinal AD Recognition Award.

SPORTS 9 ▪ Friday, May 3, 2024 ▪ Sports Editor Michael Purtell
Photo illustration by Michael Purtell Grace Yarkosky competed in both track and field and hockey this year. JUSTIN RUSHIA/Cardinal Points Charles Cypress, Brexton Montville and Jordan Williams run a 100-meter dash at St. Lawrence on April 27. Jacklin Mitchell Julia Golino Morgan Ormerod Alex Kornblau
Email COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Andrew Veit Allison Brown Imani Walcott Rachel LaMar

Burghy: the face of Plattsburgh State

The 1980-81 Plattsburgh State Cardinals men’s ice hockey team blew the doors open for what the program would become.

That season, the team rostered two All-Americans — Doug Kimura and Gaetan D’Anjou — and finished as national runner-ups in the NCAA Division II National Championship. Though the team was successful in its results, the Cardinals still saw empty seats on game day.

“We had great teams,” said Patrick Kane, then vice president of student activities. “We just weren’t getting anybody.

Kane, determined to drum up local enthusiasm, traveled to opponent rinks looking for inspiration. He came back with an idea: a mascot.

ENGINEERING FEAT

Kane hit the road again, looking for estimates for a prospective cardinal costume. He visited the manufacturers of the Montreal Canadiens’ Youppi! and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Phillie Phanatic, receiving numbers around $12,000.

“At that point, it was just cost prohibitive,” Kane said.

Kane and the Plattsburgh State Athletics turned their attention to cheaper, local costume makers. When MyNBC5-WPTZ’s new peacock suit debuted in the fall of 1980, it caught the eyes of the cardinal search party.

Plattsburgh State contacted the peacock’s creator, Naomi Bradshaw, with the opportunity to create the first ever Burghy.

“They called me up and they said they wanted a cardinal and they had a cartoon image, which is what I worked from,” Bradshaw said.

The peacock was Bradshaw’s first mascot costume. She set out to use what she learned from the initial process — an “engineering feat” — to produce a cardinal.

Bradshaw faced a few bumps in the road over the design of Burghy — whether he’d be intimidating or approachable — and the added challenge of making the suit durable for on-ice action.

the trip to Vermont to purchase foam for Burghy’s beak.

“The beaks were all hand carved out of foam rubber. It’s very hard to duplicate that stuff,” Bradshaw said.

A hockey helmet sat on the wearer’s head and red pantyhose made up the suit’s legs.

When Plattsburgh State came to collect the suit, they were pleased with the results.

“The day that they came to pick it up and to look at (Burghy), they were all inspired. It was gorgeous,” Bradshaw said. “It was all new and shiny.”

LOCAL CELEBRITY

Burghy was set to debut at a Cardinals men’s hockey home game against Union on January 20, 1981. Before the new suit could hit the ice, the student prepared to wear the suit failed out of school, according to Kane.

The pieces of Burghy came from all over.

Bradshaw asked local businesses for scrap metal for the interior structure. She then made

Kane, unable to find a replacement, got into the suit himself.

“I was not originally the person that I was going to use for Burghy,” Kane said. “We kept (Burghy) a surprise. Nobody had seen it.”

During the game, Kane, as Burghy, busted out of a humansized birdhouse on the ice. The new mascot was an instant hit.

Burghy appeared in games throughout the season, exiting the birdhouse, skiing while being towed by the Zamboni and participating in a variety of onice stunts and gimmicks.

“The kids loved it. We tossed pucks, we brought kids out onto the ice. We had all these engaging things,” Kane said.

Burghy became more than an image for Plattsburgh State Athletics. The mascot made appearances at school events, birthday parties, nursing homes and other activities around the community.

“It’s so much fun to see people recognize you, interact with you and remember you,” Kane said. “It was never about me in the uniform, it was about the uniform itself.”

Kane claimed Burghy solved Plattsburgh State’s attendance problems since his initial appearance. The experience was one of a lifetime for Kane.

“If you walked into my house right now, you’d understand that Burghy has been with me forever,” Kane said. “I’ve got clocks that are Burghy, I’ve got hats, I’ve got button-down collared shirts with a Burghy logo over the pocket.”

Today, the role of Burghy at Plattsburgh State events is shared by a roster of Cardinal athletes, including volleyball’s Bridget Ryan.

Ryan served as Burghy for most hockey games this season, the 2023 Trunk or Treat and the Memorial Hall grand opening.

“You kind of feel like a local celebrity,” Ryan said. “Kids will run up to me and jump in my arms. Some lady made me take a picture with her baby.”

The sophomore stumbled upon the position after the Burghy set for the Trunk or Treat was injured. Ryan accepted some gigs as the mascot and hasn’t looked back.

“I feel way more involved in the community than I ever have, even if they don’t know who I am,” Ryan said.

Her colleagues like taking turns guessing who is in the suit, but children don’t seem to care.

“Little kids think I’m a boy,” Ryan said. “I love people not knowing who I am because then I can do whatever I want. I can do a stupid dance and not feel embarrassed about it.”

FUN-LOVING CARDINAL

Bradshaw made a few different Burghy costumes through the years.

After Bradshaw retired from Burghy-making, the torch was passed on. Throughout his 43 years of existence, Burghy has changed several times. For some time, Burghy’s beak had teeth.

“Burghy was supposed to be this tough guy and he had teeth,” Bradshaw said. “Come on, cardinals don’t have teeth.”

The current iteration of Burghy came alongside the creation of new logos for the Plattsburgh State Athletics office in 2017. The costume design and construction was outsourced to Maydwell Mascots, and was based specifically on the mark of Burghy running used by

the athletics department, said Brian Savard, assistant director of athletics.

The modern Burghy moved away from the tough guy persona, instead leaning into the image of a “fun-loving cardinal,” Savard said.

Young community members seem to approve of the change.

“There seem to be fewer kids that are scared of this Burghy, whereas other iterations of Burghy could be rather alarming for certain children,” Savard said. “The lack of the teeth now, I think, makes Burghy that much more approachable.”

Over the years Burghy became synonymous with Plattsburgh State Athletics through his public appearances and his growing ties to the department’s marketing. In a reversal of roles, the department showed its appreciation for the cardinal on his birthday Jan. 20. Burghy’s 43rd Birthday Celebration featured a cake donated from Chartwells, party favors and a crowd full of Plattsburgh State hockey fans belting out “Happy Birthday.” Kane dropped the opening puck for the women’s game against Buffalo State.

The display of affection repaid years of joy brought to Plattsburgh by the beloved bird.

“I’ve tried to say this to everyone that has ever put the suit on: It’s not about you,” Kane said. “Burghy is school spirit. It’s camaraderie. It’s enthusiasm. Who is in the suit makes no difference.”

SPORTS 10 ▪ Friday, May 3, 2024 ▪ Sports Editor Michael Purtell
COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points Naomi Bradshaw, the creator of the first Burghy, catches up with Burghy at her home May 1. via “Cardinal Yearbook Vol. 65” Burghy rides on the Field House ice resurfacer in 1981. via “Cardinal Yearbook Vol. 64”
Email COLLIN AND MICHAEL cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Burghy exits a big birdhouse on the ice during a Plattsburgh State hockey game in 1981.

April highlights ending sexual violence

April — Sexual Assault Awareness Month — is a time for survivors and those passionate about fighting the issue to come together and rally support for the cause.

Dedicating a whole month to the topic shines a brighter spotlight on the problem and allows for more time to discuss it.

SAAM has especially grown in importance on college campuses, and SUNY Plattsburgh is no different. There’s a significant risk of experiencing sexual violence that comes with being in college and immersed in the culture that comes with it.

While attending college, one in five women, and one in 16 men will experience sexual assault, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. It’s concerning to look at how high these numbers are and how prevalent sexual violence is.

However, young adults have been pushing back to lower the rates and fight the stigma around speaking on the issue.

Emily Stanley, a senior in the social work program, expresses how passionate she is about the issue. Spending her time this semester interning at a local organization dedicated to stopping and providing care for those affected by sexual assault, she has seen just how

important this movement is up close and personal.

“It’s very empowering as a survivor and for other survivors and victims of sexual assault and sexual violence,” Stanley said. “It also reminds me that the work we do in Sexual Assault Awareness Month and in April also needs to continue outside of the month because it doesn’t stop the rest of the year. It’s constantly happening. That’s why we need to continually work on the issue.”

SUNY Plattsburgh and its students have held and been involved in many events, not only during April, but throughout the year. Some prominent events that have happened this month include Teal the Quad, Denim Day and the Take Back the Night Walk. Stanley has also shown initiative in garnering student support for the cause. She started up the Plattsburgh chapter of Explain the Asterisk, which is unaffiliated with

the school. The goal of the group is to end sexual violence on college campuses by arguing for reform at all levels.

Although Stanley’s schedule does not allow her to hold meetings or events anymore, she organized two walkouts to bring attention to sexual violence during her time leading the group. She said she was grateful that it was a safe space, being student led and based, as they did not have to deal with

pressure from staff and administration. Sexual violence is not contained to one place, one group or one time of the year. However, there is a time of year when sexual violence on campus occurs the most, and it happens nowhere near April. Commonly referred to as The Red Zone, this period spans from the beginning of the fall semester to Thanksgiving break.

This is when more than 50% of sexual assault cases occur, and although

anyone can be affected, women entering their first year of college are at a higher risk than any other group, according to the Center for Women and families in Kentucky. First-years are typically not as familiar with the campus, its dynamic and this new social scene. They are also unaware of safety protocols set by the campus, as these precautions and resources may be hard to locate and not made explicitly clear.

Stanley recognizes that this is not just an issue centric to this school, but to college culture in general — especially Greek life and the party scene.

“It’s very easy for it to flourish and manifest, where there’s a culture of power and control and secrecy and dominance. It’s very easy for it to happen there,” Stanley said. More than 90% of survivors do not end up reporting the assault, also reported by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Oftentimes, they feel too intimidated to do so or believe that their case would be dismissed or mishandled.

Progress may seem slow and at times halted, but students all across the nation continue to fight to lower the number of people affected by sexual violence.

Stanley believes that education and prevention needs to focus on root cause and stopping rape culture. She pushes for students and staff to look to trauma informed models online that teach how to handle and discuss sexual violence with care and sensitivity.

Speaking out against mental health stigma

Mental health is a sensitive topic in our society. Some openly talk about it, some ignore it and some think struggling is a sign of weakness. Discomfort in speaking about mental health does have a connection to poor mental health.

College can be difficult, but thriving students show signs that they are more comfortable talking about one’s health. Some signs include a positive outlook on life, excelling in courses and overall being optimistic.

As a student, succeeding and earning good grades is a confidence and mental booster.

Franny Sevilla, a graduate student at SUNY Plattsburgh, has seen, heard and learned about the subject while studying clinical mental health counseling.

The mental health stigma can influence and create misinformation for students.

“I do believe mental health can be frowned upon,” Sevilla said.

The stigma impacts society, especially certain groups that already struggle to begin with. This includes groups who are new and immigrating to the United States, as well as the LGBTQ+ community.

Some may have trouble knowing how to respond re-

garding mental health.

“People do not know how to talk about emotions since they can be viewed as negative,” Sevilla said.

Students sometimes decide not to talk about their issues, instead hiding the issue deep within themselves.

It is more common than you might think, as 60% of college students struggle with at least one mental health issue, according to the American Psychological Association.

These mental health blocks do not just disappear, so it is essential to seek support and discuss these problems.

“When it comes to asking for help, it’s a hit or miss — a gray area,” Sevilla said.

Students will either hide it within themselves, which comes from unresolved trauma, or find a support system. Either way, identifying and finding support is crucial.

People tend to always want to be doing great. Therefore, owning and disclosing their mental health struggles when wanting to ask for help can be terrifying.

“They might be unaware of what is happening to them,” Sevilla said.

Confronting the issue and talking about it can be frightening due to the fear of judgment.

“I believe people might be

afraid of being judged due to their experiences and embarrassment, the feeling of being little or small,” Sevilla said.

According to Sevilla, it can also develop into an avoidant behavior. This can cause those with poor mental health to shy away from seeking out help or shutting down when asked if they’re doing alright.

“It can cause a feeling of not feeling like they’re enough,” Sevilla said.

With men specifically, there is a stigma that they always need to be strong and hide emotions or weaknesses, which is beyond false.

While mental health can be a sensitive topic, we need to welcome these discussions and concerns and grow into mental health advocates.

“As a society, being a human being, learning to know when to have these discussions, trusting people to go to, deep

conversations are important, making sure feelings are always validated,” Sevilla said. The first step is that we need to accept and continue to hear each other out, be open and transparent and trust that all are being supported and cared for, here especially.

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2024
Provided by Michelle Ouellette Students working to put together the mosaic on display in the Angell College Center.
Cardinal Points Archive
National Network
SAAM > 12 Email VICTORIA CAMPBELL cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Umbrella-decorating event held by the Plattsburgh State chapter of Rape, Abuse & Incest
(RAINN) in 2014 to protest sexual violence.

‘13 going on 30,’ 20 years later

“13 Going On 30,” directed by Gary Winick, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. With that, I wanted to take the opportunity to take a deep dive into the true theme hidden behind this fun and ditzy rom-com.

The story of this film is rather simple on paper. Jenna Rink, initially played by Christa B. Allen, wakes up one day in the body of her 29-year-old-self, played by Jennifer Garner.

The movie is packed with fun scenes, fashion and great characters that all revolve around Jenna’s struggles as a teenager in her older self’s body.

The movie, however, really has a much deeper undertone than that. The story means much more when you put yourself in Jenna’s position, because in reality what this film is, is a story about growing up into someone your future self would be proud of.

All of Jenna’s struggles contribute to this problem.

Being thrown into a successful career, you’d assume Jenna would be happy with where her life ended up, but as the story progresses, she realizes that she’s lost so many connections and personal values over the years.

Putting the film into that perspective rather than the rom-com on paper, it’s really teaching a lesson about staying true to yourself.

You can tell by Jenna’s interactions with other characters that her fun and childlike self are out of the ordinary for those around her. She got to look into the future and see how successful she was, while simulta-

neously realizing that everything she’d amount to would be at the demise of who she is and what she believes in.

I think this movie is brilliant through and through. It is overall such a fun watch and has aged incredibly well.

The lessons the movie teaches are still in effect today. As college students, we tend to look so much towards the future that we forget to have fun and be free in the brief moments we have to do so. Live in the present

and be true to yourself — that’s what I learned and I’m sure you will too.

Email KOLIN KRINER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Outside view on U.S. culture

Americans are stereotyped to be more selfish compared to other cultures. A reason for why Americans might be perceived this way is that they tend to be more individualistic, which causes the impression of selfishness.

The United States has a high international student count. There were more than a million international students during the 2022-2023 school year, according to Statista. SUNY Plattsburgh has more than 250 international students coming from more than 60 different

countries, according to the SUNY Plattsburgh website.

Mila Yuki, an international student from Japan and an alumna of SUNY Plattsburgh, has a different view of the stereotype of Americans being selfish.

“I don’t think Americans are more selfish,” Yuki said. “As long as I’m friendly and nice to them, they are not mean.”

There are a lot of international students in Plattsburgh, so many students are probably used to seeing and interacting with people from different cultures.

Most Americans mind their business and keep to themselves, which

could be why they could come off as selfish. However, Yuki likes how Americans are and does not think they are self-centered.

Cultures all have different social expectations, and while Americans are used to it, people with different backgrounds might not be used to American norms.

“I don’t think it’s a problem,” Yuki said. “It’s like them being them, and we feel like it’s somewhat cold or too less caring, but I feel like it’s just a culture thing, and I feel like communication solves it.”

From an outside perspective, people will always have opinions, but Yuki has not had a negative experience and enjoys how her American friends are and how they act. The selfish stereotype does not worry Yuki, as she said she has many good friends who are American.

As Americans, we have our values, habits, beliefs and expectations. While I don’t think most people are selfish, there will always be a small percentage who are.

If it was a significant issue, I do not think the connection and friendship between international students and Americans would be as strong as it is.

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

Continued from page 11

“If you’re just focusing on afterwards, the issue is still going to happen,” Stanley said.

Change starts locally and it starts with you. Whether you’re a survivor, know a survivor, or want to begin educating yourself on the cause, now is the time.

Local resources: Student Health Center: 518-564-2187

Planned Parenthood: 518-561-4430

Email NADIA PASCHAL cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Behavioral Health Services North: 1-518-563-6904

Awards
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 Editorial Board Editor in Chief Collin Bolebruch News Editor Aleksandra Sidorova Sports Editor Michael Purtell Graphics Editor Cameron Greaves Multimedia Editor Jacob Crawford Managing Editor Aleksandra Sidorova Arts & Culture Editor Cinara Marquis Opinion Editor Nadia Paschal Photography Editor Jayne Smith Web Editor Yuki Ouchi Contact CP cp@cardinalpointsonline.com 118 Ward Hall SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY Public Relations Chair Jacob Crawford Faculty Adviser Jack Downs OPINION Friday, May 3, 2024 ▪ 12 ▪ Opinion Editor Nadia Paschal
Via IMP Awards
Email VICTORIA CAMPBELL cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
“I’m sure there’s so many people who have been affected by it and it’s something that’s very close to their heart because of how prevalent it is,” Stanley said.
SAAM
CAMERON GREAVES/Cardinal Points
dealing
sexual violence,
available: National Resources: RAINN:
If you or someone you know is
with
there are resources
https://www.rainn.org/ National Sexual Violence Resource Center: https://www.nsvrc.org/

This week in photos: Dance Corps recitals

PHOTO SPREAD ▪ Friday, May 3, 2024 ▪ Photography Editor Jayne Smith 13
Kaylee Burke holds a pose during “Work Song.” Dakota Finley kicks in line with other dancers during “El Tango De Roxanne.” Erricia Weste dances on stage with a majority of Dance Corps during “Night Fever.” Sasha Baker hugs Brianna Cohen following the final performance. Hannah Thompson rises from the floor during “No Complaints.”

BSU, UP team up for hoops

Members of University Police ditched their uniforms and radios for jerseys and play calls as they faced off with students on the basketball court.

The University Police and Black Onyx: The Black Student Union co-hosted their 3v3 Basketball Tournament at Memorial Hall on Saturday, April 27. The goal of the event was to help foster a positive relationship between UP and the student body.

“We just wanted students to see us in a different light,” UP Investigator Jessica Facteau said.

The tournament fostered a positive environment which inspired competitors and onlookers alike to cheer, jeer and celebrate no matter who won or lost. A microphone was passed around, leading to playful commentary on the games which helped generate excitement throughout.

“The most exciting part of this event for me was the commentary. I feel like the commentary was what really made it fun and it just brought the vibe,” BSU Event Coordinator Zanaeja Dandy said.

The camaraderie was exactly what the organizers wanted the tournament to inspire.

“We wanted to bring the community together especially towards the end of the semester when it starts to get really hot and everybody’s outside,” BSU Vice President Angelina Briggs said.

This event was first hosted by UP in 2019 and was such a success that UP was hoping to host the event annually. That plan was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Facteau said.

“This year we decided to bring it back,” Facteau said.

To put this event together, Facteau had to find officers who would be interested in participating.

3V3 > 8

See page 10 for a look into the history of Burghy, Plattsburgh’s favorite red guy.

Student broadcaster lands gig in Iowa

Liam Sample is the teaching assistant for Cardinal Points, but does not contribute to the content of the publication.

Plattsburgh State fans are well-acquainted with the deep, excited voice of play-by-play commentator Liam Sample. The junior appears as the live broadcaster at every Cardinals game he can attend — especially his bread and butter, hockey. This summer, Sample will be known as the voice

of the Burlington Bees in Burlington, Iowa.

Sample wasn’t new to broadcasting before coming to SUNY Plattsburgh. The Plattsburgh native claimed he’s been calling games since he was a kid, walking around the house, commentating imaginary games, imitating the Yankees announcers he had grown to love. Originally, Sample planned on pursuing a career as a doctor. As college decision time grew nearer, he had a change of heart.

IOWA > 8

Cardinals look ahead

This season, the Plattsburgh State women’s lacrosse team fell short of the goal set six years ago when the program was founded: make the SUNYAC playoffs.

“After being close in the past two seasons, it felt within reach,” Head Coach Kelly Wall said. Plattsburgh completed its season with a total record of 4-11 and a conference record of 3-6.

“We set goals to beat teams that we’ve beaten in past years again,” senior defender/midfielder Janey Adams said.

The Cardinals matched its conference record from the 2023 season by defeating the same teams as last year: Buffalo State, Fredonia and Potsdam. Last season, Plattsburgh lost six seniors to graduation. This season, Plattsburgh had only three seniors and one graduate student.

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FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2024 RESULTS Saturday, April 27 Tuesday, April 30 Thursday, May 2 Friday, May 3 Saturday, May 4 Thursday, May 9 BASE vs Brockport G1: L 2-19 G2: W 6-3 SOFT vs Brockport G1: W 4-0 G2: W 6-1 MLAX @ Geneseo L 3-20 T&F @ St Lawrence SOFT vs Clarkson G1: W 5-1 G2: W 4-3 BASE vs Canton W 8-1 T&F @ Geneseo *SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHIPS* SOFT @ Oswego G1: 3 p.m. G2: 5 p.m. T&F @ Geneseo *SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHIPS* SOFT @ Cortland Noon BASE vs VSU Castleton G1: 1 p.m. G2: 4 p.m. SOFT vs TBA *SUNYAC TOURNAMENT* TBD BASE vs TBA *SUNYAC TOURNAMENT* TBD UPCOMING
Women’s lacrosse MICHAEL PURTELL/Cardinal Points Jeremy Love-Smith rises to block a layup in the semifinal game April 27. COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points Provided by Liam Sample Liam Sample calls a game in a broadcasting booth. COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points Cynthia Barnosky weaves around two Blue Devils on March 30. WLAX
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