Cardinal Points Issue 3 Spring 2024

Reel-ly good cinema with Andy MacDougall

Platts to host two hockey Finals Saturday

Forces toward sustainability on campus

Students clog Draper Ave. for parking

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News + Managing Editor

Students have resorted to desperate measures in an attempt to secure a parking spot close to class.

“I feel like there’s not much parking, especially once you get here later on in the day,” said Olivia Montello, a first-year who arrives to class early, in part due to the state of campus parking.

When the off-campus student parking lot next to Au Sable, Hawkins and Ward halls filled up, students started parking on both sides of Draper Avenue. Cars on both sides reduced the normally two-way traffic on the street along Ward and Au Sable to one lane.

Sometimes, students block driveways. Plattsburgh City Police received three complaints about parking

on Draper Avenue since Jan. 29 and issued 31 parking tickets on the street since Jan. 22.

“It happens every semester,” City Police Lt. Joshua Pond said. “People are new to the campus or they forget where they can park appropriately.”

Some students don’t understand how parking on campus works. Montello, majoring in early childhood and special education, said parking on campus was “complicated.”

“It’s not really clear where students can park,” Montello said.

First-year biomedical sciences major Alexandra Webb described parking as “difficult, depending on the day.” Montello and Webb both live off-campus.

Webb prefers the lot next to Au Sable and Hawkins because it is close to her classes.

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Perspective: Shooting club makes mark in Boston contest

BY LARAIB ASIM Contributor

Editor’s Note: Laraib Asim reports on the Marksmanship Club’s participation in the Mid-Atlantic Conference as a competitor.

While SUNY Plattsburgh students were catching up on sleep after an exhausting week, the Marksmanship Club’s top five competitors were on the road to Boston at 5:30 am on a Saturday to compete against three National Collegiate Athletic Association rifle teams at MIT’s range.

This is the club’s 10th year competing in the Mid-

Atlantic Rifle Conference (MAC) Championships.

Headed by Coach Peter Visconti, the team of fairly new members was in high spirits as they shot with a .22 caliber and an air rifle.

While they placed fourth in both competitions, they left the range beaming as the team had achieved a personal high score in the air rifle match. All the shooters scored more than 500 points out of 600, amounting to 3,995 points.

“You guys were fucking phenomenal,” Assistant Coach Timothy Peters said.

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WARP Radio back on air

BY BRIONNE THOMPSON Staff Writer

WARP Radio studio is alive with activity again — students are working on their computers in order to pre-record the station so it’s able to run 24/7.

WARP Radio is a student-run radio station hosted by SUNY Plattsburgh, and it’s now a course being offered for journalism and communication students. It’s taught by Bruce Carlin, a friendly and passionate lecturer.

“If you have a radio station, you want it to feel like you’re listening to music with a friend,” Carlin said. “You want your audience to know you and you need to be consistent and be live 24/7.”

The students who are taking this course — CMM209 — work six to eight hours a week and one to two hours a day, from Wednesday to Friday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Students learn things like how to go live on air and how radio stations

run. There aren’t many radio stations without automated systems and just real people, and that’s what WARP sets up in Plattsburgh. Carlin is passionate about teaching the class. He said that knowing his students will make their mark on the world is a 180-degree change from his past job, and he’s not complaining.

“I have four kids. It really helps my teaching and how I communicate with them,” Carlin said. Carlin studied at SUNY Plattsburgh. He later had his own business agency in radio doing advertisements and playing music for about 30 years. He also managed Plattsburgh’s Air Force Base’s public relations and communicated the base’s closing to the public and what activities the base would be up to now. Teaching CMM2209 is a complete change for Carlin.

“I’ve had four kids and put them through college. It’s expensive. I want these students to be prepared

for their careers and get their money’s worth,” Carlin said.

SUNY Plattsburgh has had several radio stations over the years, according to Carlin. First, when he was a student, the school put in a transmitter in the Kehoe Administration Building and used antennas to blast the radio through the dorms on campus.

After a while, it changed into WQKE from 1981 until 2022. WQKE shut down because of COVID-19 and now exists as a club funded by the Student Association as opposed to a department-owned radio station.

The difficulty of this course shouldn’t be students’ first worry, according to James Kheller, a teaching assistant for this course.

“The editing can be a bit tricky and take some time getting used to, but everyone learns at different paces and it’s a fun experience,” Kheller said.

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Cars towed after Rugar accident

Two cars collided on Rugar Street Wednesday afternoon.

The collision was a “simple following too-closely accident,” University Police Chief Patrick Rascoe wrote in an email.

Both cars were towed due to the severity of the damage.

One car headed in the downtown direction stopped to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk. Another car, following closely, failed to stop and hit the first car from behind.

No one was injured.

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

A University Police officer stands by one of the cars damaged in the accident on Rugar Street around 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28.

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

Jeremy Gundrum tinkers with equipment while live in WARP Radio’s studio in Yokum Hall.

Wake and Bake

University Police reported cannabis possession at 8:30 a.m. at Memorial Field Saturday, Feb. 24. The incident was closed by investigation.

Feb. 25

UP received a report of damaged property in the Center for the Study of Canada, located on 133 Court St. Investigation is still pending.

Feb. 26

Restroom door signs got stolen from the Myers Fine Arts Building around 4 p.m. A report with UP didn’t get filed until the next morning. Investigation is still pending.

Feb. 27

UP reported a grand larceny at Memorial Hall, meaning something of a value of $1,000 or more got stolen. Investigation is still pending.

Weekly Meme

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

CP Corrections

NEWS:

1) The article “Title IX hiring students for physical office,” incorrectly quoted Title IX Coordinator Kimberly Irland throughout. It also contains some factual errors.

Irland’s previously worked not only as a diversity officer, but also as the dean of students and Title IX coordinator at North Country Community College.

Title IX specializes in preventing and responding to gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment on campus. The departments responding to hate crimes are SUNY Plattsburgh’s bias-harassment response team.

The story mentions an ongoing campus climate survey administered by the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and mistakenly connects it with the SUNY system-wide campus climate survey.

SPORTS:

1) Jaden Wilson’s name was misspelled in the article “Cards reflect on 2023-24 season.”

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

Student Association

SA Senate approves three clubs for provisional status

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News + Managing Editor

The Student Association Senate approved three clubs for provisional status Feb. 20.

The first club to be approved for provisional status is the Write Club, a revival of the former Creative Writing Club.

Write Club President

Aidan Stickles explained that the club serves as a place for students to have their writing, fiction or nonfiction, reviewed by peers. Students don’t have to bring a writing sample in order to attend meetings. The club was unanimously approved.

Stickles also presented a case for the Social Work Student Association, the second club to be approved, as its treasurer. The goal of the Social Work Student Association is to connect social work students with peers outside of their year group. Stickles said “cohorts don’t mesh” and as a result, social work students have little interaction

with students outside of their year group. The Social Work Student Association would also engage with the community and identify issues that students can work to solve. Stickles named handicap accessibility as an example, which the club will work on together with Student Support Services.

SA Senate Adviser Steve Matthews stepped in to note that social work is one of SUNY Plattsburgh’s fastest-growing majors.

“You’re going to see an explosion of social work students,” Matthews said.

The last club to be approved for provisional status is the Business Administration Club. Almost all of its officers were present: President Mansi Mandanka, Secretary Matthew St. Hilaire, Treasurer Emem Okoko and Public Relations Chair Charmi Asodariya.

Similar clubs, such as the Accounting & Finance Association, focus on their own disciplines, while the Business Administration club serves students with a general interest in business

and all kinds of business majors. It will offer events like professional photoshoots and guest speakers.

The Senate also approved Denise Green, Jadalyse Medina, Joshua Severino and Justin Thomas as members of the Activities Coordination Board. They all qualified for membership because they fulfilled the requirement of attending three board meetings.

Continuing the theme of diversifying the Stu-

dent Association, Senator Arshita Pandey noted the SA needs to “do better” at advertising boards to students. Besides the ACB, there are also Academic Affairs, Art Acquisition, Finance, Legislative Review, Student Diversity and Student Affairs boards, all of which meet weekly.

Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Seven new programs in works

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News + Managing Editor

SUNY Plattsburgh is implementing seven new programs, informed by a report commissioned from a data analytics and strategy consulting firm.

Three of the new programs have already been implemented: master’s degrees in data analytics, offered online, and in natural resources and ecology, as well as a bachelor’s in computer security, offered at SUNY Plattsburgh’s branch campus in Queensbury, New York.

A master’s in social work is anticipated to start being offered this fall, though it is still pending further approvals, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Brent Carbajal wrote in an email.

A certificate in cannabinoid chemistry is nearing readiness. A bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity management is undergoing review and an accelerated undergraduate nursing program is in its early planning stage.

Carbajal wrote that there are talks about more new programs, but didn’t share details.

“I’m not confident that I even know all the good planning work going on,” Carbajal wrote.

Depending on the number of certifications, accreditation and approval required, programs can take from one to three years from the start of planning to accepting students, Carbajal wrote. None of the new programs will require other programs to be cut, though the university may

need to hire new faculty in order to teach the programs in accordance with accreditation requirements.

The university and Academic Affairs hired the consulting firm Gray Associates to “help us rethink our academic portfolio” in April 2023, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Meg Pearson wrote in an email.

The analysis involved a workshop with 25 participants, including the deans of all three schools, then-Provost Anne Herzog, President Alexander Enyedi, along with select faculty and senior staff. As part of the workshop, participants brainstormed ideas for 45 programs and voted on those they thought would be most in demand and “not too new or unusual,” according to the report. Each participant could vote for five programs.

Six programs received votes from at least one third of the participants,

some of which were reflected in the programs now being implemented. A bachelor’s program in digital arts received nine votes, but scored low in regional market demand.

Other program suggestions were a graduate certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion leadership as well as bachelor’s degrees in climate change adaptation, disinformation intelligence, forensic psychology, esports and cartography. They all received two votes from workshop members or fewer.

Carbajal wrote that the most important takeaway from the report was data on student demand, density of programming in New York and employment needs estimates.

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

From left to right, senators Khushi Patil, Manush Patel, Arshita Pandey, Ayush Neupane, Shahad Monir and Ankita Mane clap, celebrating the Student Association Senate’s unanimous decision to approve a club.

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points Aidan Stickles, president of the Write Club and treasurer of the Social Work Student Association, explains the purpose of both clubs to the SA Senate.

CAMERON GREAVES/Cardinal Points

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Kheller is double majoring in TV-video production and audio-radio production and loves action-drama shows.

Students edit the recordings while in this class, but the studio also has a small room with microphones and a set up for someone to go live and be on air. WARP Radio doesn’t experience issues common at other radio stations, such as paying all the staff or getting enough funding or advertisements to keep the station running.

However, that doesn’t mean students won’t be encouraged to leave their comfort zone.

“If you’re nervous going into a closed room where no one is, this may not be a great job fit for you,” Carlin said. “You need to be confident and know that you are reaching people.”

Listeners can access WARP Radio from anywhere at http://player. warpradio.com/BRGY-IN/ index.php?t=longtail.

Email BRIONNE THOMPSON cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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nition provided after a safety rundown.

“Students have the option to participate competitively as part of its team or participate recreationally, attending without the stress of competition,” Visconti said.

“It’s great that you guys just started shooting and got to go to MIT and shoot against NCAA teams.”

The MAC Championship takes place every semester and is one of the most anticipated competitions for the Plattsburgh team. Only four colleges qualified to compete this semester: MIT, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Norwich and SUNY Plattsburgh. In the past, the Cardinals have brought awards from the championship and Visconti was awarded Coach of the Year in 2017-18.

“The club has been very successful and competes against NCAA-level competition with both assistant coaches, including myself, having prior NCAA-level shooting experience,” Visconti said.

Five miles away from Plattsburgh’s campus next to Woodruff Pond lies the Plattsburgh Rod and Gun Club. This club is open to everyone and is reserved for college students on Monday evenings to shoot free of cost with guns and ammu-

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If it’s full, she has to park farther away at Feinberg Library’s lot and walk, which is harder in cold weather.

Georgia Belrose, a firstyear adolescence history education major who lives off-campus, said parking is “confusing,” particularly the parking lot between Feinberg and Champlain Valley Hall. Technically, that space is two parking lots — one for faculty and staff and one for offcampus students.

The closest parking lot for on-campus students is beside Moffitt and Sibley halls, which Belrose thinks is unfair.

“I feel like (the space near CVH) should be more accessible to on-campus students,” Belrose said. “I feel like some of the aspects of balancing the off-campus parking and the on-campus parking are kind of wishy-washy.”

Belrose also said the parking lot at Au Sable, Hawkins and Ward is “terrible” because it isn’t large enough to accommodate all the traffic three classroom buildings attract. Belrose and Montello suggested making more parking spaces as a solution, whether that’s building new ones or allowing students to use part of the staff and faculty parking lots.

Captain and President of the Marksmanship Club Nick Alkobi first heard about this club through an involvement fair in 2021. He said the key to improving is staying consistent and patient while considering the gun safety rules.

“It’s going to wear you out if you are not using the right methods and tactics,” Alkobi said. “It’s important to have a good time too.”

The Marksmanship Club actively promotes the club’s activities at student fairs, the Angell College Center and the club’s Facebook page run by Visconti.

“Many of our members have never fired a rifle before. It’s an excellent way for those in the criminal justice field to learn the skills necessary to help them in any law enforcement academy.” Visconti said.

Peters talked about the club’s longterm goals. He would like to form a core team that goes out to shoot competitively and is selected for PSU’s team based

on their level of experience.

“Ultimately, I would like to do more practices and some more formal training where students get the chance to shoot prone all day,” Peters said.

Peters wants to ensure students practice well before the upcoming matches.

“I feel like a lot of faculty and staff parking lots should be open to students more,” Montello said. “Not all of them, but I feel like they’re never actually full, where the students’ parking lots are normally always full.”

Some of New York parking violations include parking in a traffic lane, angled parking

and parking a vehicle facing the wrong way, which may apply to parking on Draper Avenue.

“(Draper Avenue) is one of the problematic areas in the city for parking complaints,”

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

Jeremy Gundrum sits at the computer inside WARP Radio’s studio under the supervision of Randy Hamlett (left) and Ella Neese (right) live on air.

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/

The team submits weekly scores for the National Rifle League, which Visconti has been the director of since 2017.

Via SUNY Plattsburgh Marksmanship Club on Facebook From left to right: Coach Peter Visconti, Ebtisam Mohammed, Laraib Asim, Makenna Szary, Nick Alkobi, Tori Ramos, Assistant Coach Timothy Peters, Kyle Smith and University Police Officer Erich Flanz pose at the Mid-Atlantic Conference in Boston Feb. 24.

BY CINARA MARQUIS Arts & Culture Editor

For more than 50 years, film preservationist Andy MacDougall has been hosting 16 mm movie screenings.

Ever since his college days in the 70s at SUNY Plattsburgh, the movie buff has been sharing his reel collection with residents in local and touring pub lic, outdoor and home screenings.

Over those five de cades, much changed. Technology devel oped exponential ly, and film became lighter and more compact. Even VHS tapes and CDs have been made archaic, with the ease and quality of on line streaming dominating the world.

He projected “The Magic Box” in his home Feb. 24. The film was released in 1951 and chronicles the life of British inventor William Friese-

departed from the scene.”

He mentioned the naturalistic form of acting that one can often find only in foreign films, the directorial techniques like fade-ins and irises and the retired form of Technicolor

To MacDougall, though, 16-millimeter films are still paramount.

priate than this one,” MacDougall explained. “We got to see a kind of filmmaking that has long

“It can almost be described as a stained glass look,” MacDou-

Not only does the visual beauty of celluloid film capture MacDougall and his guests, but the impactful stories that they tell.

Curiosity coupled with nostalgia unites viewers even through generational gaps and differing values.

Provided by Andy McDougall Andy MacDougall shows off his movie collection.

“There’s a peacefulness and a placidity to it all. And being a communal experience, it’s a source of pride for me that I was able to provide that,” MacDougall said.

A regular at MacDougalls’ screenings, James Reubol explained why he loves the medium: “When you see a little scratch and everything, that’s evidence that somebody else has seen that, perhaps decades in the past.”

Reubol travels 20 miles to come to every movie event that MacDougall hosts. “I think that one of the things that really appeals to me is that it’s an artifact with a history, as opposed to a digital file that’s perfect and sterile and shows no trace– the organic thing that it has absorbed in its life and travels.” Reubol said.

MacDougall shared the thought.

“It is a historical relic that should be preserved.”

He recalled his first experience with cinema in 1964 when he was two and a half. He went to the movies with his mom and saw his very first movie: Disney’s the original Mary Poppins.

“It basically bewitched me. I was never the same after that.” MacDougall explained.

He also helps the senior population around Plattsburgh by bringing individuals out of their homes to connect with others through film.

Viewer Cynthia Nadeau told PBS that MacDougall’s eclectic films allow her to experience new things: “It’s always something different, something that you wouldn’t have chosen on your own.

Winter carnival committee holds debrief

BY AARON MARBONE Press-Republican Writer

The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee met on Tuesday for a debrief on what members called an overall overwhelmingly successful event, which brought in huge numbers of visitors, provided many events and caused an influx of money into local businesses and organizations.

As members spoke about the positives and negatives they saw throughout the 10-day event, many felt it was unfortunate that their celebration of the success was marred slightly by controversies at the Gala Parade, which many people wanted to weigh in on throughout the meeting.

PARADE DEBATE

Two entries in the Gala Parade lineup sparked outrage — a monster truck with its hood wrapped in the Confederate flag design and signs calling for a ceasefire in Gaza carried by musicians and dancers. These symbols led to division and fierce debate in town this week, as well as a confrontation between the musicians and dancers and a parade organizer on parade day.

This was Rob Russell’s first year as the Winter Carnival Committee chair, who took over for Jeff Branch after Branch was chair for seven years.

FUERZA game show unites students

BY VICTORIA CAMPBELL Staff Writer

From electric games to impassioned speeches and performances SUNY Plattsburgh students found joy in a unifying game show.

The Cardinal Love Game Show took place on Feb. 24 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. in the Warren Ballroom and was hosted by Fuerza: The BIPOC Student Union. The club strives to abolish ignorance, racism, and prejudice against African and Latin Americans in the Plattsburgh community.

Isabella Rodriguez, president of Fuerza, was excited and determined to make an impact on students through the event.

“These events bring everyone together,” Rodriguez said. “We want people to let loose and have fun.”

With that, the beginning of the event was all about introductions and social-

izing, allowing students to participate in activities like free professional photos throughout the 3.5-hour event. Attendants of the game show were not forced to participate. Many came to the event with their friends to socialize and be entertained. Then attendants played the game “Guess the song.” Among a variety of songs were some classics like Beyoncé’s “Naughty Girl” and “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake.

with a Diva,” where the audience learned more about Fuerza and its mission.

“These types of events are to unite everyone,” Rodriguez said.

The next event was a relay race, where four couplets transported M&Ms from one side of the room to the other. Then participants played “Spend a Day

Over 20 people participated in “Who knows who best?” which had two opponents sitting back to back in chairs and determining who was more

likely to do a certain thing. These events allow people to loosen up, have fun, and accomplish Fuerza’s mission of creating a safe space on campus for BIPOC students.

Kaliyah Green, who is involved with the club, expressed that this event was one of her favorite events on campus.

“That’s why we promote it so much. It is a great time and people are missing out,” said Green. The Cardinal Love Game Show has been around for eight years, and typically expects a show out of more than 50 people to attend and a $7 dollar entry fee for SUNY Plattsburgh students. Food and drink

are always provided and game winners have the opportunity to win prizes like gift cards.

Nekaybaw Ross, event planner for Fuerza, expressed that the club aims to create a safe space for students and faculty to enjoy themselves and company.

“This is one of my favorite events,” Ross said.

This year Fuerza featured High Voltage, a SUNY Plattsburgh dance group. Encouraging people to attend events is much more complicated than it used to be, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic Ross explained. Still, the club had a fantastic turnout and several attendees participated in the game. Rodriguez expressed the event went well and that she was proud of her team for their great work.

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VICTORIA CAMPBELL/Cardinal Points Students dance together at the game show.

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Jodi Gunther thanked Russell for being their “fearless leader” and “taking it on the chin.”

LOOKING AHEAD

After Carnival ended, not all the letters Russell received were congratulatory, which saddened him greatly. But he teared up, not when he was talking about the negatives, but when he spoke about the positives — seeing a child full of the Carnival spirit by participating in a game or after seeing snow and ice for the first time. This nearly left him speechless.

Russell said Carnival organizers will be looking at all areas of Carnival while preparing for the 2025 celebration. and they are anticipating some changes. These won’t happen next month, he said. The process of crafting the next Carnival will be long and will go right up until next year’s Coronation.

Winter Carnival Committee Secretary Nancy LaBombard also sits on the executive committee.

“I, too … look forward to addressing some of the problems that were

pointed out to us this year,” she said.

‘AN AWESOME, AWESOME CARNIVAL’

LaBombard said they will move forward and learn from their mistakes.

“We don’t diss the whole thing because it was an awesome, awesome Carnival this year,” she added.

A consensus among a large portion of the committee was that the unwritten rules of Carnival — especially for the parade, which contributed to the drama — should be put into writing.

UNWRITTEN RULES

There has long been an unwritten “no politics” rule of the Gala Parade, but it is not part of the guideline sheet marchers get for their floats.

“I would suggest to the executive committee — no unwritten rules,” Kathy Dyer said. “Write them down. Make them ironclad.”

Phil LeBlanc, who helped organize the parade, agreed that unwritten rules need to be written, but he wondered how they would enforce them. If someone has a motive and an urge to do something political, it’s going to be hard to stop them, he said.

“We have to put something in place that gives us some protection,” LeBlanc said.

Dyer said she didn’t hear anyone complain until after parade day when the photos hit social media. Sam Baker said he did.

“You didn’t hear anything about them. Maybe

you were lucky,” Baker said. “Everybody I bumped into did have something to say.”

He said this was mostly Saranac Lake natives who live out of town and were returning for Carnival.

“The younger people who come back for Carnival, it seemed to resonate a little more with them,” he said.

KINDNESS AND SENSITIVITY

Marty Rowley said the committee has handled it well.

“We’ve all figured out that we should do the right thing,” Marty Rowley said. “We’ve all figured out that means we have to be sensitive to everybody. We have to be respectful to everybody. and we all do that. … We just show kindness and sensitivity.”

Chrissie Wais said these sorts of things are part of putting on a big event.

“We’re not the only entity to face these kinds of questions and these controversies,” Wais said.

“Make the rules as clear as possible,” Wais said, adding that the executive committee should consider consulting with sponsors and community groups when crafting the rules.

Official Carnival photographer Meachele Manchester saw practically all of Carnival. She brought her camera to all but three events throughout the 10 days. She said she saw the fruits of all the work people put into Carnival, adding that some people work every single day for a month to make it happen, and others organize around the year.

Manchester also helps run the Carnival Facebook page. She said she hides negative comments on their posts — not just to protect Carnival’s image, but to protect the committee from toxic online chatter.

They put so much into the event and she doesn’t think they deserve to see that.

“I don’t want any of you to ever feel like one or two

people sitting behind a keyboard have a right to put down an entire group, thousands and thousands of hours, passion, spirit,” Manchester said.

Of course there’s room to improve, she said.

“We’re gonna be fine,” Manchester added.

“Complainers will complain,” Chris Grimone said. “We shouldn’t let the negatives rain on our wide-ranging success.”

Joe Plumb said Grimone should have said “rain on our parade.”

WORLDWIDE ATTENTION

Another through-line in the meeting was that Carnival is growing and reaching a scale it has not seen in years.

LeBlanc said it is reaching a new high capacity and experiencing “growing pains.”

Committee members said they need to be able to adapt to the throngs of people coming in from around the region, the northeast, U.S. and the world, putting strain on the village’s limited parking, food, safety, bathrooms and cell service.

Beryl Szwed worked in the Carnival History Hut throughout the week, where she said 1,430 people signed the guest book — including folks from 10 countries and 27

states, including Hawaii.

Mary Brown pointed out that the Weather Channel featured the Ice Palace several times in the lead-up to Carnival. The fact that so many people are learning about Carnival and coming to town, she said, needs to be a thread in their planning for next year.

“There really isn’t enough food downtown,” Katie Fischer said.

After the parade, she said every place had at least an hour waitlist. If people weren’t early, they couldn’t even get an eggroll, she said. She proposed getting food trucks downtown.

PARKING, SERVICE

Multiple people said they need to work on handicap parking.

Dave Rockefeller said parking has always been a problem and will likely always be a problem, adding that handicap parking for the Ice Palace is important but a hard solution to find. They could allow handicap parking at the state boat launch next to the site, but they would need to have volunteers there to “police” that.

Plumb said there’s previously been talk about closing one lane on River Street along the lake side, turning the three-lake road into a two-lane road with no center turn lane.

BEN ROWE/Press-Republican

“It seems like that’s a solutions but it doesn’t seem like it’s an easy one,” he said.

Cell service was also very slow at times of high use, especially during events on the weekends.

Grimone said Verizon has “boosters” they could use to meet the high demand.

Rowley was frustrated the state Department of Environmental Conservation does not open the bathrooms it built with hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money at the boat launch next to the Ice Palace during the winter, and that the committee needs to pay for outhouses there.

The weather, though, is completely out of their control. Milt Adams proposed planning coniferous trees along the shore to shade the backside of the Palace. The sun decimated the back wall in the warm temperatures this year.

The Winter Carnival Committee’s next public meeting will be the theme-pitching meeting on March 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Elk’s Lodge.

Stitching success: Kaliyah Green

her passion and success in 2020 by making and selling handbags. Since elementary school, Green has been captivated by fashion.

According to Green, she wanted to create a brand that represented her love for art, fashion and design.

She knew that she had a skill for sewing, so when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and she had more free time, she got her first sewing machine.

Designing a line of handbags that appealed to professional women was essential to Green. She aimed to make something functional and practical for women.

“The bags are all made with high-quality fabric, leather, and hardware,” said Green. “No matter your age, you can wear my bags with anything.”

After the success of her account, Green’s business, K.Minitotes, started to expand and she opened a second service, tailoring.

and classmates. Green is excited to expand her services and looks forward to experimenting with more designs. She enjoys using different textures, patterns and shapes to create her one-of-akind purse and handbag pieces and tailoring.

Cardinal Creatives is a biweekly column that celebrates creators in Plattsburgh, present and past.

our community in all forms, the column is a window into Plattsburgh’s art scene.

Kaliyah Green, a junior at SUNY Plattsburgh, found

She immediately began sharing her work on Instagram, quickly amassing more than 1,200 followers and various local and national buyers.

Email

VICTORIA CAMPBELL cp@cardinalpointsonline.com Visit K.Minitotes online at https://www.kminitotes.com/ and on Instagram at @K.minitotes.

Attendees of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival gather within the walls of this year’s ice castle.

BEN ROWE/Press-Republican

Email AARON MARBONE news@pressrepublican.com

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So you go and see it just for curiosity’s sake and when you do you go, ‘Well, that was a really good movie.’”

MacDougall recalled another time of praise when an attendant came up to him and thanked him for sharing the movie.

“They said that they enjoyed hearing the gentle clicking of the film through the projector, much like how they enjoy listening to the crackles of vinyl when they put on a record,” MacDougall said.

Hosting these events are a personal quest for MacDougall; Through his traditional 16 mm screenings, he wants to share the joy, drama, horror, musicality, creativity, and splendor of these long-forgotten and underappreciated films.

The French coming-of-age drama ‘Les Quatre Cents Coups’ or ‘The 400 Blows,’ from 1959 will be played Saturday, March 16. The 16 mm black-and-white film will be shown twice that evening, in its original language and then the dubbed English version. The upcoming event will be free and held at 107 Maryland Rd., 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

You can find more information about the event by contacting Andy MacDougall and joining his newsletter at serious_61@ yahoo.com. Watch the Mountain Lake PBS story about MacDougall’s work with senior isolation at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiDIRk8B8wM.

Email CINARA MARQUIS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

CARDINAL CALENDAR:

Feb. 23 - March 1

Friday, March 1 Monday, March 4 Tuesday, March 5

Quake’s Karaoke

Sing your favorite songs and take pictures with bejewled costume pieces.

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Burghy’s Den

Sapphire Ball

Compete for the title of Theta Phi Cutie Pie with a talent of your own and on their knowledge of Theta Phi

7 to 8 p.m. in the Warren Ballrooms

Wednesday, March 6 Thursday, March 7

International Women’s Day Forum

Hear from guest speakers, Amy Godine and Amy Robinson.

11 a.m. in the Alumni Conference Room

Aries (Mar. 21 – Apr. 19)

The

Cancer (Jun. 21 – Jul. 22)

The reversed Eight of Swords card represents negativity. Do not get caught in the trap of your own judgements.

Libra (Sep. 23 – Oct. 22)

The reversed Five of Swords entails forgiveness. After a period of conflict you are now ready to make amends and positive changes.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Ja. 19)

The Lovers card refers to (you guessed it) love. Possible romantic partnerships are blooming this week. Harmony will follow you.

Black Women Under Attack

Join Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.in a presentation that aims to spread awareness about gender-based violence.

8 to 9 p.m. in the Alumni Conference Room

Create your own first-aid kits

Bring your friends and make your own first-aid kit with SNAPS.

6 to 7 p.m. at the Alumni Conference Room

Friday, March 8

CEES Seminar

Dr. Tim Mihuc from the Lake Champlain Research Institute and SUNY Plattsburgh will present about invasive species in Lake Champlain.

3:30 p.m. in Hudson 106

Taurus (Apr. 20 – May 20)

The King of Pentacles card is about abundance. Your determination has led to success.

Leo (Jul. 23 – Aug. 22)

The reversed Six of Swords card is about change. It is easier to do with the flow than work against it.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

The reversed Knight of Swords indicates haste. Refrain from impulsivity this week by being mindful and decisive about your decisions.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Fe. 18)

The Page of Cups card symbolizes renewal. Rediscover joy this week when utilizing your imagination and empowered creativity.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun. 20)

The Nine of Wands card signifies stamina. Have courage in your values and remain steadfast against adversity.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sep. 22)

The reversed Ace of Cups card refers to connection. You may be experiencing an emotional blockage. Open your heart to love others and yourself too.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – De. 21)

The Four of Cups card refers to meditation. You may feel that life has become stagnant. Reevaluate your attitude.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – Mar. 20)

The reversed World card signifies delays.

week may not go how

Provided by Andy MacDougall

Andy MacDougall screening outdoors in 2013. Photo by Luke T. Bush.

Abby Guasconi (left) and Caitlin Nash (right) cheer on their teammates.

Erica Dickinson makes a play on the offense, looking for a cutting teammate to pass to.

Cynthia Barnosky (20) and Erica Dickinson share an embrace after Barnosky’s second goal of the game. She finished with four goals and five assists for nine points.

Head Coach Kelly Wall addresses her team during the halftime break.

Maddy Garcia collects a ground ball on the offensive end. Garcia also recorded three goals.

ADAM TRETOWICZ (left) scored the first goal for the Cardinals in the team’s last regular season trip to Cortland the Cardinals won 5-4.

CIARA WALL (right) has 10 goals on the season and 15 assists on the season. She scored her 10th goal and recorded her 15th assist against Morrisville in the Semifinals last Saturday.

CARDINALS SET TO HOST DOUBLE FINALS

Masotta lifts Cardinals to win Cards overcome Lakers in OT

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Editor in Chief

After winning last season’s SUNYAC Championship, the Plattsburgh Cardinals men’s hockey team set a goal to host this year’s Final.

They were disappointed to have to play the Semifinal on the road.

Two wins later, they’re back at the Ronnie B.

Third-seeded Plattsburgh (20-4-2, 123-1) defeated the secondseeded Oswego Lakers (16-9-4, 12-4) 3-2 in overtime in the SUNYAC Championship Semifinal at Deborah F. Stanley Arena in Oswego, New

Track

York, Saturday, Feb. 24. The game was a rematch of last year’s SUNYAC Championship Final at Oswego, when Plattsburgh won 2-1 March 4, 2023. Plattsburgh will now host its first Final since 2016 7 p.m. Saturday, March 2. following the women’s SUNYAC Championship Final against Cortland at 3 p.m at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.

“The job’s not done yet,” goaltender Jacob Hearne said. “I think it’s going to be absolutely crazy. I think the Stafford arena is going to be absolutely nuts.”

BY MICHAEL PURTELL Sports Editor

In life, three things are constant. Death, taxes and the Cardinals hosting the conference finals.

The Cardinals’ 5-1 SUNYAC Semifinal win over the Morrisville Mustangs Saturday, Feb 24 has it set to face off against Cortland in the SUNYAC finals. Plattsburgh has hosted every ECAC West, NEWHL and SUNYAC Final since 2014.

Plattsburgh has won every title since 2013.

Cortland handed Plattsburgh its first and only conference loss of

the NEWHL’s existence. Ever since, the matchups between the two have been highly competitive.

Cortland was one of just three teams to take a game off of the Cardinals this season when it won the final regular matchup 2-3 Feb. 17. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s something I think both teams look forward to,” forward Emma McLean said. “They’re a great team, they’re fast, and we know every time we play them, everyone is giving it all. It’s a little more than just a game, it’s a rivalry at this point.”

and field succeeds at SUNYAC Championships

BY JUSTIN RUSHIA Staff Writer

The Cardinals went to the conference championship and brought home qualifying times, personal bests and a broken school record… again.

The Plattsburgh State track and field team took a trip to Brockport for the SUNYAC championships Friday, Feb 23, and Saturday, Feb 24.

With the SUNYAC becoming more competitive every year, placing high in the meet is becoming ever more challenging. The meet had multiple sprinters run close to under seven seconds in the 60-meter dash and under 23 seconds in the 200-meter

dash, feats that have not been seen in past seasons in the SUNYAC.

“It’s definitely different than any other meet,” Cypress said. “It’s a lot more intense.”

Cypress flourished under the bright lights of the meet, breaking his own school record in the 200.

Cypress flew around the track in 22.20 seconds, beating his previous time of 22.24 seconds.

He earned the bronze medal for the event.

“I put on the gas at the 100-meter mark since I knew nobody was with me,” Cypress said. “It was just push and pray.”

Distance runner Noah

Bonesteel reached a qualifying mark in the mile and the 800-meter run. Bonesteel ran a

time of 4:14.99 in the mile race and a time of 1.57.29 in the 800.

Bonesteel was decorated with the Elite 20 award, an honor modeled after the NCAA ELITE 90 program. The Elite 20 recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in their sport while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers.

Brexton Montville, a fifth-year graduate student, also had an impressive day, earning a bronze SUNYAC medal in the 60 to add to his growing collection.

MHKY

Continued from page 8

The Cardinals broke strong precedent after losing both regular season matchups against the Lakers — first, as No. 1, 3-5 at home Dec. 2, 2023 and second, 3-4 on the road to lose a tiebreaker for a first round bye Feb. 10.

Defenseman Ryan Hogg scored two goals, including the game winner. Hogg scored just a single goal during the regular season. Fellow blueliner Jack Ring accounted for the other score — his only on the year.

Goaltender Jacob Hearne started his firstever game at the Stanley, saving 35 pucks.

“I love going into another team’s arena and having that environment of being the villain,” Hearne said. “It’s really exciting and makes the game even more enjoyable.”

Forward and captain Adam Tretowicz missed the game after being assessed a 10-minute misconduct penalty against Potsdam in the First Round Wednesday, Feb. 21.

Oswego out shot Plattsburgh 37 to 25 over the course of the game.

power play over the next half hour of game time.

Oswego forward Cam Symons took the lead with eight minutes left in the period. After rampant celebration, the goal was waved off due to a crease violation.

Weaver-Vitale sent the puck across the ice to Hogg, waiting between the blue line and left faceoff circle. Hogg collected the puck and put it directly through the five-hole.

Moffat has stressed recovery after these contests, and they’ll need it before facing the Cortland Red Dragons.

24

Plattsburgh struggled on power plays, failing to score on all six opportunities — falling to zero of 14 on power plays over its last three games. The Cards also floundered on penalty kills, allowing the Lakers to convert on two of three tries.

The Cardinals fell into trouble early when defenseman Brannon Butler earned a two minute penalty for interference at the 8:58 mark.

Oswego won two faceoffs and shot four times before scoring with just a second left before Butler returned to play.

Plattsburgh shot three times over the next four minutes before a power play opportunity of its own. Starting at the 15:04 mark, Plattsburgh shot just once before resuming five-on-five play two minutes later.

The Cardinals ended the period in a seven to nine shot deficit.

Plattsburgh righted the ship just over three minutes into the second period. Ring, against the wall and with an Oswego skater in his face, fired the puck from the blue line to the back of the net over Cal Schell’s left glove.

The Lakers turned up the heat, leading shots 18 to nine and killing a

T&F

Continued from page 8

He ran seven seconds flat in the event.

Montville has been one of the highest scorers in every meet the Cardinals go to. As he prepares for AARTFC, the sprinter hopes to continue his impressive form in his final indoor season. To do this, he must reach a time to qualify for the NCAA National Championships.

“I want to help out the younger guys because they’re the future of the program, and we want to leave this program better than how we found it,” Montville said.

The men’s team finished sixth place, scoring 28.3 points, and had five individuals reach regionals. This list includes Brexton Montville and Jordan Williams in the 60, Charles Cypress in the 60 and the 200, Noah Bonesteel in the mile and the 800, and wild card entry Aidan Masten in the long jump. Plattsburgh will also send the 4x200meter relay team consisting of Montville, Cypress, Williams and Ryan Beltran to regionals.

The game remained tied for most of the rest of the third period. Hogg ended the deliberation with a rocket from the left faceoff circle off a pass from defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale. The team raced to celebrate with the bench.

Hogg, with three and a half minutes remaining, took out an Oswego skater and was sent to the box for interference.

Hearne saved three shots while man-down, but eventually, forward Shane Bull nailed a one-timer from the left circle. The crowd of 2,122 exploded.

Regulation ended without incident.

Between the third period and overtime, the Cardinals learned fourth-seeded Cortland beat first-seeded Geneseo on the road, setting the stage for a home Final in the event of a win. The opportunity to play in Cardinal Country was an added incentive.

“That’s a lot of motivation, to be able to host the SUNYAC Final at home,” Hearne said. “We used that to fuel the fire.”

Moffat delivered a speech in the locker room that Hearne called “pretty awesome.”

“He was just motivating us, maybe said some words I can’t say on the radio,” Hearne said.

It worked. Three minutes into the period,

The women’s team finished eighth place with 18 points. Three individuals captured the AARTFC time, qualifying them for regionals. These athletes include Marissa Colvin in the 5000-meter run, Marissa LeDuc in the pentathlon and Michaela Schaffer in the triple jump.

Along with the three individual qualifiers, the women’s team is sending their distance medley relay consisting of Ginny Lucchetti, Sophia Gambino, Lillian Moran and Sarah Smith. Plattsburgh is also sending a 4x200 team consisting of Michaela Schaffer, Morgan Thompson, Grace Estus, LeDuc and Deanna Zoch to the event.

With regionals and the possibility of NCAAs on the horizon, the Cardinals are gearing up for its largest competitions of the year. Regionals will take place Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2.

“I’m just trying to be more in the moment and enjoy my time,” Montville said. “This is the last dance, as everyone calls it nowadays.”

Hogg sprinted toward center ice, dropping to his knees. As his teammates hit the ice, he drew a heart with his gloves and punched a hole in the middle, emulating NHLer Patrick Kane. He was swallowed by Hearne and the Cards.

“Scoring the overtime winner was surreal,” Hogg wrote in a text. “I’ve been wanting to pull off the heartbreaker celebration ever since Kaner did it back in 2013.”

Oswego was the only SUNYAC team Plattsburgh did not defeat in the regular season. The second loss, though, was important for the team. Head Coach Steve Moffat said they have essentially been playing playoff games for weeks now, and experiencing the Stanley atmosphere earlier helped them win when it really mattered.

“It’s so loud, there’s so much energy, they play with so much emotion,” Moffat said. “It’s a different game from when they play here.”

The win is the team’s third-straight to be decided in overtime.

Geneseo may have been expected to advance, but Cortland winning wasn’t an upset, according to Moffat.

“They are so offensive. They don’t care if they get scored on. They have good goaltending and their forwards are some of the best in the league,” Moffat said. “It shows you how deep the conference is.”

The Cardinals beat the Dragons twice this season — 6-1 at home Dec. 1, 2023 and 5-4 on the road Feb. 9. Moffat will now have hosted the Final with the Cardinals as a player in 1999, as an assistant coach in 2011 and now as a head coach in 2024.

Tickets for seating reportedly sold out within 10 minutes, according to those present. Additional standing room tickets will become available inperson at the Field House 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Student section seating is first come first serve, and Plattsburgh State Athletics is encouraging audience members to wear white for both games.

SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS

Deanna Zoch

Grace Estus

Morgan Thompson

Lillian Moran

Sarah Smith

Marissa

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points Brannon Butler skates against a Cortland Red Dragon at Ronald B. Stafford Dec. 1.

WHKY

Continued from page 8

In the Semifinals win, Masotta scored four goals. The mark is tied for the second most goals scored in Plattsburgh women’s hockey history and is the program’s record for most goals in a playoff game, according to Plattsburgh State’s athletic website.

“I’m just excited about the win and to be able to keep playing hockey, but it does feel good,”

Masotta said. “I’ve been in a bit of a two-goal slump my entire career, so it’s definitely a bit of confidence there. It’s a good accomplishment.”

Masotta had never scored more than two goals in a single college game.

Plattsburgh grabbed its first lead just four minutes and 20 seconds into the game. McLean put a shot on net that was blocked by Mustang Emma Thompson, but McLean and forward Ciara Wall worked the rebound to Masotta, who drove it past the goaltender for her first of the night.

Plattsburgh won the battle of the penalties, keeping its skaters out of the box for 55 minutes to open the game. Morrisville generated four shots on goal during forward Riley Calhoun’s penalty for hooking with five minutes left and scored its only goal of the night.

LAST 5 GAMES

In contrast, Morrisville picked up six penalties. Plattsburgh used the skater advantage to generate 10 shots, including two goals.

PLATTSBURGH 6-22 on PP 46 shots on PP 9-12 penalty kills

Morrisville goaltender Maggie Jones dropped low to block a shot by forward Ava Mattaliano six minutes later. The blocked shot was corralled by the Cardinals yet again as Mattaliano and forward Aizah Thompson found Masotta in position to put the biscuit into the top shelf of the net for the game winner.

CORTLAND 5-18 on PP 37 shots on PP 10-12 penalty kills

The Cardinals scored the second power play goal skating five on three at the end of the second period, where Morrisville picked up two penalties. Plattsburgh forward Mattie Norton shot on goal, retrieved the blocked shot and got the puck to Masotta who scored by blasting the puck straight over Jones with one second on the clock.

forwards have missed games in the closing weeks of the season.

Plattsburgh solidified its lines against Morrisville before heading into the championship against Cortland.

McLean started the playoff game in the extra forward position, an unusual tactic for the team as McLean doesn’t usually play on the first line. It paid off for the Cards, as McLean was plustwo and recorded two assists.

“We’ve had a bit of sickness going around, including myself.

I think Emma has done a good job with where she’s been put,” forward Ivy Boric said. “Not a lot of time to get adjusted to that spot, but I think she’s done well and I think the team as a whole has adjusted accordingly.”

Cortland is a team neither Plattsburgh hockey team can shake. The men’s team will be hosting the Red Dragons for the SUNYAC Championship Final immediately after the conclusion of the women’s game.

14

WHKY - The Cardinals have more all-time wins over Morrisville, 14, than Morrisville has goals against Plattsburgh, 12. 3

MHKY - The #3 seed Cardinals have played three consecutive overtime games. The team scored three goals in the last two.

1

MBB - Kevin Tabb leads the SUNYAC in steals per game with 2.2. He is one of three players with two or more a game.

22.2

MT&F - Charles Cypress broke Plattsburgh’s school record a second time by running a 22.2 second 200 meter dash.

ASK AN ATHLETE

Masotta matched her collegiate career high in the first period alone.

Morrisville gave up its first power play of the night in the second period, when Thompson was called for hooking. Wall ended the power play early when she banked her shot into the net off of the back of Jones’ leg pads. The goal puts Wall in double digits for goals this season with 10 and marked her second playoff goal as a Cardinal.

When the Mustangs went to a new tender, Elizabeth Timby, Masotta was undeterred. McLean caught the puck in the neutral zone and found Masotta alone with a nice touch pass. Masotta had Timby on an island. Masotta hit Timby with a deke and chipped the puck in on the ground, bringing the game to 5-1.

“Emma (McLean) made a great play, so that’s a huge credit to her,” Masotta said.

The Cardinals faced uncertainty within their skating lines as various

The women’s SUNYAC Championship Final will be hosted in Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m.

“We have the best coaching staff in Division III in my opinion,” Masotta said. “You know, they’ve got a great coaching staff too. So it’s gonna be a good game.”

Email MICHAEL PURTELL cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Cards win opening night

Score all-time mark against Gators

The Plattsburgh State Cardinals women’s lacrosse team began its season with a home win against Russell Sage College Tuesday, Feb 27.

The final score of 18-5 marks a strong offensive start to the season. The mark is good for fourth most goals in a game all time.

The opening performance comes after the Cardinals ended the 2023 season with 19 goals scored on Potsdam, the 3rd highest mark in the program’s history.

Sophomore Cynthia Barnosky lead the team in scoring with four goals and five assists.

Senior Fiona Fitzgerald and junior Maddy Garcia added three goals each. Fitzgerald paired the goals with three assists.

The Cardinals look to improve on last years record of 7-8, 3-6.

For more photos of the opening game, see Page 7.

Head

LUK JIROUSEK Hockey, Forward

Whats the most important thing hockey has provided for you?

“The most important thing it’s provided for me is opportunity... to live all over North America and meet some amazing people.”

What’s something you’ve practiced that Moff absolutely wouldn’t let you try in a game?

“...everything we do in practice for the most part is pretty practical. One thing I’d like to do is a between the legs pass on two-on-ones.”

Do Americans have any misconceptions about Canadians?

“So many... I’ve had teammates ask me about Canada’s ‘president...’ The main misconception I get is that people think we all live in the Arctic with polar bears.”

What’s the secret to winning a faceoff?

“A lot more goes into a faceoff than people think.... I find the most success comes from being lower than your opponent...”

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Julia Masotta celebrates in the high five line after her fourth goal during the semifinals win over Morrisville Feb. 24.

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Emma McLean (9) takes the puck while Ciara Wall (34) blocks two Mustangs.

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Coach Kelly Wall speaks in the team huddle during halftime Tuesday, Feb 27.

Kolesar overcomes injuries for hoop dreams

BY KAMIKO CHAMBLE Staff Writer

Caitlin Kolesar is a senior attending Plattsburgh State university majoring in psychology, Kolesar is also the women’s basketball team manager. But really, who is Caitlin?

Coming to Plattsburgh from Hillsborough, New Jersey, Caitlin was a basketball player her whole life. She started playing the sport when she was 5 years old.

“She played multiple sports at a young age, but she gave them all up because she loved basketball so much,” John Kolesar, Caitlin’s father said.

When Caitlin was in high school, she experienced a tragedy. During a game against Franklin High School in her junior year, she suffered a concussion mid-game.

Mary Kolesar, Caitlin’s mother, described watching the injury as “the worst feeling as a mom.” It left her feeling “hopeless.”

“I recorded the concussion and how it happened and my heart stopped. She got a fist to the jaw, then the ball came down and hit her in the head, then she got another hit and she went down,” Mary said. “As a parent, you can’t move, you can’t do anything, you’re not allowed to go out to the court. My husband was standing next to me holding me.”

After Caitlin went down she sat out of the game for a short time, but eventually continued

playing. At the moment, no one noticed the severity of the injury. She needed to go see a neurosurgeon.

Caitlin was diagnosed with a conversion insufficiency as a result of her concussion and couldn’t handle harsh light. She was unable to finish her junior season, and the doctor said she wouldn’t be able to go back to school, much less play basketball again. She studied from home, and needed to wear a baseball cap and sunglasses as protection from light, Mary said.

Another issue Caitlin had to go through was that no one took what she was going through seriously.

“My coach wouldn’t give me the time of day because everyone thought that I was faking it. I barely got the chance to play my senior year, so it was rough,” Caitlin said. “That’s when SUNY Plattsburgh came in. They were recruiting me whether I was able to play or not because of my work ethic and determination. They still wanted me to be a part of the team because I still had something to offer.”

The struggle permeated more than just Caitlin’s basketball career.

“As her mom, my biggest issue was trying to get anyone to take it seriously,” Mary said. “They kept saying ‘Oh, she’ll be OK, oh, she’ll be OK,’ but she wasn’t OK.”

Caitlin continued to work

hard and strive back to where she needed to be. She went to her physical therapy and there was nothing that was going to stop her.

“One thing you have to understand about Caitlin is ever since she was young, nothing really ever stood in her way. If she came across a problem, she would find how to get straight through that road block,” John said. “Nothing ever stood in her way or stopped her from achieving what she wanted.”

Caitlin wasn’t only an athlete. She made sure to always be a student first. Academics is the most important thing to her.

When Caitlin was young, she’d said no to shooting hoops with her father when she knew she wouldn’t have time to study later in the week, John said.

“She just always had it all figured out,” John said.

Plattsburgh State recognized her potential for academics and basketball, which is why the school was committed to waiting for her to heal.

“Plattsburgh was the only school that stuck around. The other schools couldn’t wait for her to get better,” Mary said. “At the time Cheryl Cole was the coach. Cheryl wanted Caitlin. She admired the fact that Caitlin fought back on what she went through and she wanted her on the team.”

Caitlin’s drive has carried with her throughout her life.

“She makes me look good, I never had to ask her, ‘Is your homework done? Did you study for your test?’ She has always been focused on everything that mattered,” John said.

Caitlin averaged three points and 2.5 rebounds in a bench role with the 2021-22 Cardinals. She grabbed 10 rebounds in her career high vs New Paltz.

During her junior year, Caitlin suffered another concussion during practice.

“My very last hit was in my junior year of college. We were in practice and I stole the ball and I thought I was running down the court by myself. I was going up for a left-handed layup and my teammate came out of nowhere and kind of blocked the ball, but she ended up hitting me in the nose and I instantly knew something was wrong.”

Caitlin was taken to

the hospital, where they diagnosed her with another severe concussion. She had to go home to see her neurologist and they told her that she was lucky to be alive.

“When she got hurt again in college, I knew she was done. The neurologist said if she took another hit, there was no guarantee of anything, and we decided that it wasn’t good for her to play,” Mary said.

Caitlin’s struggles weighed heavily on her and everything happened to her fast.

“It was terrifying, I didn’t want to go through what I did. I just wasn’t human, I wasn’t myself. I just felt like a zombie,” Caitlin said.

Caitlin struggled with not being able to basketball anymore, her passion since childhood.

“It was hard as a parent because I knew that her dream was leaving her,” Mary said.

Her senior year, the team

asked her to be the team manager, allowing her to stay close to her basketball family.

This season, with Caitlin as the manager, the team reached double-digit wins for the first time since 2019.

“I’m very proud of my daughter,” Mary said.

Despite the hardships she faced, Caitlin has still striven to be great and worked to make the most out of her situation.

“Me being team manager really wasn’t in the plan, but I couldn’t say goodbye, so being the manager was me still being close to my teammates and me having the chance to enjoy it for one last time before it’s really all gone,” Caitlin said. “I’m thankful for my teammates and for my coach for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the team for one more year.”

Email

Cardinal Clips is a bite-sized, condensed look at Plattsburgh State Athletics and its programs.

MHKY

The State University of New York Athletic Conference named its men’s ice hockey AllConference and AllRookie teams for the 2023-24 regular season

Thursday, Feb. 22. The lists featured five Plattsburgh Cardinals.

Forward Tio D’Addario won Rookie of the Year, the SUNYAC announced

Thursday, Feb. 29.

Senior forward Bennett Stockdale was named to the All-Conference. The

selection is his third overall, taking second team in the last two seasons. Stockdale led the team with 19 goals, 16 assists and 35 total points and most recently scored the game winner against Potsdam in the first round of SUNYAC playoffs Feb. 21. He finished third in the SUNYAC in points.

Graduate student defenseman Ryan Hogg, senior defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale and junior goaltender Jacob Hearne received secondteam honors. Hogg and Weaver-Vitale bolster a strong defensive unit with a +20 and +14 plusminus rating and 27 and

25 blocks, respectively. Hearne recorded 1.73 goals against average and a .930 save percentage, third in the conference. Hearne also finished first in win percentage with .906.

D’Addario earned an All-Rookie selection.

D’Addario has been an immediate contributor to the team, notching 10 goals and 12 assists and a +15 plus-minus rating. He has consistently come up in big moments, scoring three game winners this season. D’Addario earned four Rookie of the Week awards throughout the season.

The inaugural women’s All-Conference and All-Rookie teams are

expected to be named soon to coincide with the end of the regular season.

WBB

Plattsburgh State women’s basketball received two selections to the The State University of New York Athletic Conference All-Conference team for the 2023-24 regular season when the honors were announced Wednesday, Feb. 28.

Junior forward Payton Couture was named to the third team, her first career All-Conference honors. Couture averaged 13 points per game, good for second on the team and 10th in the league, dropping 20 on three

separate occasions. She also added 6.7 rebounds and 2.6 assistants per game, serving as a true playmaker for the squad.

Sophomore center Imani Walcott was also named to the third team. Walcott was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 14, and finishing sixth in the conference. She anchored the paint all season, recording a teamhigh nine rebounds, fifth in the SUNYAC, 2.6 blocks, first in the SUNYAC, and 1.2 steals per game.

MBB

Plattsburgh State men’s basketball was mentioned when the State University

of New York Athletic Conference announced its All-Conference teams for the 2023-24 regular season, as one player received honors Tuesday, Feb. 27. Junior guard Kevin Tabb was named to the second team, building off last season’s third team selection. Tabb led the team in scoring and was second in the SUNYAC, with 15.7 points per game. He also held down the perimeter on defense, averaging 2.2 steals per game, leading both the team and the conference.

Tabb earned one Athlete of the Week honor this season in the final week of play.

JAYNE SMITH/Cardinal Points

Caitlin Kolesar served as the team’s manager in her senior year.

Provided by Caitlin Kolesar

Caitlin Kolesar during her sophomore year with the Cardinals.

Plattsburgh aims for greener campus

BY NADIA PASCHAL Opinions Editor

As the seasons start to change and the weather gets a little less frigid, it’s a refreshing sight to see students outside once more and the green grass peeking out through the thawing snow. However, this is also an important time to reflect on winter as a whole.

Climate change is still a daunting issue that citizens all around the world face, sometimes not even

noticing the changes that have occurred or how it affects them.

It seems to be an impossible task to tackle, but thankfully there are a few ways the average person can implement in their life to be more environmentally friendly. In fact, the campus has already implemented certain changes to make the school greener overall.

The Committee for Environmental Responsibility is an organization designed to lessen SUNY

Plattsburgh’s and its students’ overall impact on the environment. Comprised of professionals, faculty and students, one of the larger responsibilities the committee deals with is the Green Grant.

When going through the fees you have to pay before registering each semester, you may have noticed an optional green fee.

Although only $3, this small price to pay has a huge impact. This money gets pooled together and

is put toward the Green Grant, which in turn is used to fund projects that boost the eco-friendliness of the school.

The campus garden, dining hall composting and electric vehicle charging stations are just some of what this initiative has brought to life to spruce up campus.

One member of the committee is Emily Reinhardt, a graduate student in the natural resource and ecology program. She started as the student co chair,

which allowed her to vote on motions that benefited the environmental wellbeing of Plattsburgh.

Reinhardt always had an interest in joining the committee and finally got her chance when a professor asked her.

She mentions several projects that were designed with the environment in mind, one being the campus garden, which was originally started up using the Green Grant fund.

Unfortunately, some proposals do not make it

that far, whether that’s because students graduate, the grant is not approved or students simply are too busy to be involved.

“Some projects have been successful, and others over the years fizzle out. That’s something the committee wants to avoid, but it’s very hard when students are only here for four years,” Reinhardt said.

Trio SSS paves path for students’ growth

BY NADIA PASCHAL Opinions Editor

fered through them is extended test time.

vice needed.

Some are too intimidat-

There is so much more to be discovered, though. Counseling, career guidance, tutoring and financial assistance are just some of the areas students can receive help in through the office.

Johnston transferred to Plattsburgh from SUNY Delhi and found her way into this position after attending one of the events held by the office.

Oftentimes, when students think of Student Support Services, the only resource they know is of-

Senior Isabella Johnston works in Student Support Services, serving both as an office assistant and a peer mentor. In her position as a mentor, Johnston provides peers comfort and assists them with studying, offering any ad-

“I accidentally stumbled upon the peer mentoring event,” she said. “I’m a little too old for this… the whole purpose of the program is to help acclimate new students to the college.”

Despite being unaware of what she was getting herself into, Johnston found the guidance she

did not know she was searching for. Her own peer mentor at the time showed her all that the campus had to offer, including clubs and places to meet other students. Johnston believes that more students should seek out the opportunities the office has available and reflects on how these programs have helped her grow.

2024 fashion predictions: What’s next?

BY VICTORIA CAMPBELL Staff Writer

Fashion trends are coming in full force, including bows, flats, polos, suits, loose jeans, red bomber jackets and monochromatic looks.

With the rest of 2024 to look forward to, there are several good trends, but also some questionable ones. Two being sequined and see through clothing pieces.

The tailored outfits trending this year are giving off the impression of being put together, leaving behind the crop tops and skinny jeans that have been popular since the 1960s.

According to British Vogue, one of the top trends is quiet luxury, meaning fashion pieces that give the impression of being expensive but at a more affordable price.

While not everyone is a skinny jeans type of person, high-rise loose trousers are coming into style, giving a sense of being composed and incorporating that quiet luxury aesthetic.

High-rise loose trousers are often seen in magazines and social media styled with sneakers and tight shirts to dress it down, displaying a model

off duty look.

British Vogue also reports that pastel—colored puffy and sheer dresses are other top contenders for the upcoming seasons. Do you see yourself wearing them, or will you leave that trend behind?

Fall 2023 witnessed bows coming back in full swing, and becoming an excellent addition to an outfit, which is predicted to continue this year.

Several influencers on Tiktok are seen wearing bows in their hair, on dresses, shirts, bags and accessories, establishing itself as staple pieces in one’s closet.

One of the top 2023 fall trends of the year was flats with matching bomber jackets styled with loose jeans and a tight-fitted shirt, giving off the idea of being composed but comfortable. With flats and polos potentially coming back in full circle, we can expect to see them paired together.

As seen in recent fashion shows, designers like Gucci, Miu Miu, Etro and Chanel brought polo shirts back. Styling polos with skirts, funky pants, shorts and blazers can give one that quiet money look.

Miu Miu is slowly becoming one of the most influential fashion brands and continues to influence others with these pieces incorporated into their looks.

Speaking of Miu Miu, its runway show highly incorporates quiet luxury with stripes, blazers and a neo--preppy style, which is predicted to become a trend this year.

Cross—body bags were popular in 2023, but now in 2024, we may start to see extra large bags. Some popular ones being Tory Burch or Rebecca Minkoff.

Bling—bling style clothing and accessories are also going to be more common this year, according to the website Glamour, keeping the spirit of New Year’s Eve alive all year round.

With all these fashion trends coming in full force, the top trends I see being popular are blazers, flats and large bags.

I do not see sequined accessories and tops being popular because they are hard to style and can look overdressed in specific settings.

Provided

Students working in the campus garden which is located at the edge of campus by the parking lot outside Moffitt Hall.

BY KOLIN KRINER Staff Writer

Delivering a bizarre world of pure imagination, “Wonka” directed by Paul King, is an instant classic based on the timeless book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl.

Filled to the brim with charismatic characters, beautiful storytelling and wonderful musical performances, the film delivers a masterfully crafted twist on its source material.

The movie pays much homage to the musical and film. Through attention to detail, it serves as a dark prequel to the original 1971 classic “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

Timothèe Chalamet leads the cast of this thrill ride on an adventure. He beautifully crafts his own unique perspective of this shockingly deep character.

Chalamet magically embodied the character, going above and beyond to pay beautiful homage to the classic character, originally played by Gene Wilder.

All the other eccentric characters still shone, however. The

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honors original

Oompa Loompas, all played by Hugh Grant, deliver frivolous thrills and humor that aid in crafting the plot.

Noodle, played by Calah Lane, delivers an emotional story centered around the character’s roots as an or-

that benefit both the environment and students, the community can grow to be more lively and a sustainable community can be formed right here on campus.

Compared to other campuses, there is more Plattsburgh could be doing, especially in regards to outdoor spaces. Reinhardt shared her experience visiting a campus in Pennsylvania and described seeing Adirondack chairs placed all over the grounds.

“Every Adirondack chair was filled and (students) had their laptops out,” she said.

Reinhardt recommends more comfortable seating outside as well as wifi extenders so that students can utilize the outdoor spaces that are available.

By creating opportunities

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“It kind of helped me really put myself out there. I met a lot of my close friends that I do have now through this program,” Johnston said.

Anna Schinsing, another student, has found comfort in the services she’s received. After failing one of her courses, she was looking for both academic and personal support.

“I met with one of my counselors and she kind of helped me plan out my day to day schedule. She helps me set goals and stuff,” Schinsing said.

Schinsing and her counselor work together to tackle all areas, such as personal, financial and academic.

“That has just made a world of a difference in my life,” Schinsing said.

“Students definitely care, and they’re definitely interested in these topics. I’d like to think that there’s students with ideas,” Reinhardt said.

The Committee for Environmental Responsibility is not the only group on campus striving for change. The Environmental Club consists solely of students, but they work just as hard to spread awareness.

The club puts on events such as hikes and beach clean ups, and has plans for the eclipse that is taking place in April.

Samuel Lubell, the current

phan stuck in perilous circumstances. All the characters gave amazingly quirky performances to really ice the

president of the club, wants it to be clear that it is open for anyone to join.

“The idea is that we’re not a major-specific or department-specific club that is aiming to spread awareness and do fun activities about the environment and climate,” Lubell said.

Lubell offers solutions to improve the state of the campus. His ideas include putting in more native vegetation, reinforcing recycling habits, as well as offering information on how much of an effect students make by doing so.

“We have power to change the environment around us on campus,” Lubell said.

However, Lubell also pointed out that many dining halls do not offer the

layers on the cake that is this fascinating tale.

The score really drove into the emotions of each scene, with the cast delivering beautiful vocals. Balanced with a suspenseful backing that could bring tears to one’s eyes as this fascinating story unfolds.

The sets are handsdown one of the strongest components of the film. The setting is medieval, and Wonka delivers so much magic to each scene through his chocolate.

That chocolate is also a major driving force of this film, causing much of its chaos. Wonka begins selling it, and as competitors catch on to this, they kidnap him and Noodle, setting off the twisted events and imagery that will ensue.

This film is an instant musical classic, and without a doubt worth the watch.

As Wonka sang in the film, “Some people don’t and some people doodle,” and it’s definitely worth it to doodle.

Email KOLIN KRINER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

option of using your own refillable cup anymore, and believes that should be encouraged again.

“It’s definitely made some steps in the right direction recently which is good. I do think there is still a lot of work to be done,” Lubell said.

It’s important to remember that small steps can make a big difference in terms of helping the environment.

Change starts locally, and there is power in numbers. When students band together, that’s when the effects can truly start to be noticed.

“I can’t imagine my college experience not going to see her once a week.”

In regard to students being intimidated by reaching out for help, Schinsing offered some words of wisdom. She recom-

mended going with a friend at first, to just check out the space and survey who’s working there and what is offered.

“I feel like once you’re in there, you’ll find something that’s for you,” Schinsing

said. With so many services to choose from and trained staff members who have experience, Student Support Services is there for anyone and everyone no matter what issue you may

be going through. It’s important to reach out for help and guidance before reaching a breaking point.

Awards

Photos provided by Emily Urgiles

Students at a slime making event put on by Trio Student Support Services.