Cardinal Cupboard provides Ramadan kits for students.
Women pop stars criticized unfairly at BRIT awards.
Clubs compete in culinary competition
BY CHRISTIAN TUFINO Staff Writer
Members of two student clubs, Fuerza and Her Campus, went head to head at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Cardinal Cook-Off on March 5.
This lighthearted and flavor-filled event hosted by Cardinal Cupboard Manager Hakima Bachar allowed for a fun way for students to showcase their cooking abilities in a club vs club cookoff inside Clinton Dining Hall.
The winner’s dish would become available to all students through the rotating menu at Clinton Dining Hall.
The two teams were given a set list of
ingredients before the event that they must make a dish from. Both teams consist of four to five people from the club who must make a dish within a short time limit.
The challenge was to see who could make the better dish based on a scale of presentation, use of the mystery ingredients, cleanliness and taste.
The mystery ingredient was, as the name implies, a surprise to the competitors as well as the spectators. Participants had different reactions when told they had to cook with chickpeas.
Kayla Alonzo, Fuerza club member, felt that she dealt with the surprise chickpeas very well.
“I’m Dominican and we always have a vinegar salad, so I saw the chickpeas and thought ‘that’s just a vegetable, I can just make it into a salad,’” Alonzo said.
Bachar hosted this event with the goal to give students a stress free environment to spend time with their friends two weeks before midterms.
“I just wanted to do something fun, not academics focused or skills based, just something fun to do with clubs and get students involved,” Bachar said.
With the help of Laura Rathbun, Clinton Dining Hall executive chef, and the rest of Clinton Dining Hall’s staff, the two clubs cooked for an intense hour and a half. Fuerza made fried chick-
Student activist arrested by ICE at Columbia University
BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press
A prominent Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University’s student encampment movement was arrested Saturday night by federal immigration authorities who claimed they were acting on a State Department order to revoke his green card, according to his attorney.
Mahmoud Khalil was at his university-owned apartment blocks from Columbia’s Manhattan campus when several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered the building and took him into custody, his attorney, Amy Greer, told The Associated Press.
One of the agents told Greer by phone that they were executing a State Department order to revoke Khalil’s student visa. Informed by the attorney that Khalil, who graduated in December, was in the United States as a permanent resident with a green card, the agent said they were revoking that too, according to the lawyer.
The arrest comes as President Donald Trump vows to deport foreign students and imprison “agitators” involved in protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. The administration has placed particular scrutiny on Columbia, announcing Friday that it would be cutting $400 million in grants and contracts because of what the government describes as the Ivy League school’s failure to squelch antisemitism on campus.
en with mac and cheese, with a side of chickpea salad.
Her Campus made a fiesta bowl with rice, grilled peppers, chickpeas and chicken paired with a side of chips and dip.
Sarah Tansey, Her Campus member, pulled from familiar places for the club’s dish.
“Every time I go home my mom would always make tacos, so when I saw the ingredients list my immediate thought was to recreate what she makes at home,” Tansey said.
CHRISTIAN TUFINO/Cardinal Points
Gabby Wrisley grilling chicken for the Her Campus team at the Cardinal Cook-Off at Clinton Dining Hall on March 5.
EMMA DEO/Cardinal Points Burghy mimes a basketball shot at Memorial Hall.
TED SHAFFREY/Associated Press File Photo Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University campus in New York at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment April 29, 2024.
March 8
UP handled six separate incidents on St. Platty’s day. Incidents included a fight in Harrington Hall, a violation of local public urination laws and two ABC violations.
March 9
UP investigated a case of harassment. The case was closed by investigation.
March 10
University Police looked into a case of criminal mischief in lot 4. The case was closed by investigation.
March 11
UP investigated a judicial referral of illegal possession of cannabis in Moffitt Hall. The case was closed by investigation.
March 12
University Police investigated a judicial referral of illegal possession of cannabis in Whiteface Hall. The case was closed by investigation.
Weekly Meme
Reach our editors at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com.
CP Corrections
There are no errors to report this week.
If you see an error in Cardinal Points, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com.
Student Association
SA OKs 2 funds for 1 trip
BY ABIGAIL PASSAFIUME Staff writer
The Student Association approved $1,000 in funding to the American Finance Association and $1,000 to the Student Managed Investment Fund for their annual joint educational trip to New York City over April 10 to 12.
The three day trip allows up to 24 students to visit and experience what it’s like working in accounting and Wall Street financial firms and is rich with professional experience and networking opportunities.
The American Finance Association and Student Managed Investment Fund, although partnering on this trip, asked for two separate funding proposals to cover as much of the trip as possible.
Arshita Pandey, president of the American Finance Association was able to discuss the benefits of attending the trip along with the club’s secretary, Heidi Yanqui.
“We get to talk with alumni from the college and connect with them. We also get to talk with other people not associated with SUNY Plattsburgh and make a lasting impression on them,” Pandey said.
The trip will include group workshops, tours of different firms in New York City such as Clearbridge and Templeton Investments, and the opportunity
to explore the World Trade Center.
There will also be time for career advice with SUNY Plattsburgh alumni and other professionals
“For many of us, these experiences are unique opportunities that could decisively shape our future careers,” said Yanqui.
The trip is offered to all majors and years, not just students in business and finance. There are currently over 30 students interested in attending the trip that range in class from first-year to senior.
Although the club plans extensively for the trip, it is not their only focus. The American Finance Association also holds presentations, fundraisers and interactive meetings for the entire student body to attend. Some examples of this have been teaching credit card responsibility and how to dress appropriately, yet still fashionably in the corporate world.
“We’ve done fundraisers for the trip because I understand that the SA is running low on funds for student clubs, we are also doing events like Jeopardy and other interactive things like that,” Pandey said.
Although so many students are interested in this trip, in the future it might be necessary to lower the number of attendees to lower the price due to minimal funding.
“It’s historically a tradition for us to go with 22 or 24 students,
but having said that it’s definitely something we can consider in the future because that would obviously bring down the cost a lot,” Pandey said.
The American Finance Association was approved for $1,000 in funding towards the New York City trip.
The Student Managed Investment Fund President, Keaton Fox, also had the opportunity to explain why this trip is so important to the club as well as our student body.
“Connecting with alumni, getting new contacts, receiving information about interviewing and hearing how people got started in their careers is definitely helpful,” Fox said.
Fox also highlights the value of the trip being in New York City.
“It’s really important to go on trips like this to really be immersed in the culture. Going to the New York Stock Exchange is not something a lot of people get to do and if you are considering working there, what better way to figure out what you want to do than getting to visit in person,”
The Student Managed Investment Fund was approved for an additional $1,000 in funding towards the New York City trip.
Email ABIGAIL PASSAFIUME cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
International Working Women’s day
The Gender and Women’s Studies department hosted a forum presentation for International Working Women’s day in the Angel College Center on March 6. The panel discussed the past, present and future of women’s rights and women’s health.
The panel also aimed to highlight varied perspectives on womanhood and identify critical issues that face women and movements that aim to protect women.
for more
MICHAEL PURTELL/Cardinal Points
ABIGAIL PASSAFIUME/Cardinal Points
The Student Managed Investment Fund President Keaton Fox speaks to the Student Association Senate on March 5.
ZIAIRE FARRELL/Cardinal Points
Special guest Linda LaHart-Johnston (left) shares a laugh with presenter Dr. Akanksha Misra at the International Working Women’s day panel March 6.
Student reflects on woke culture on campus
BY MICHAEL PURTELL Editor in Chief
Plattsburgh State’s campus became the subject of scrutiny at a recent discussion, as students and faculty gathered to view campuses and the political affiliations therein on a national scale.
The Institute for Ethics in Public Life hosted a discussion titled “Did Universities Get Too Woke” last Wednesday, inviting members of campus to discuss the meaning of the word and its effect on political conversation, college life and whether or not the ideas associated with being woke were harmful to the college experience.
Two special guests attended the unstructured discussion. Plattsburgh alumni Matt Veitch, who currently serves as the Saratoga County supervisor, and David R. DeCancio, the senior advisor to New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
Professor Daniel Lake, the director for the Institute for Ethics in Public Life, briefly introduced the discussion topic and started the conversation by asking the group to come to concretely define what it means to be woke.
“Their thoughts were in alignment with mine on the issue, which is that calling universities “woke” is mainly symbolic,” Lake wrote in an email. “By that I mean it isn’t that this is really about policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion so much as that universities have been defined as the enemy in a struggle over American society and labeling them as ‘woke’ is mainly signaling that they are bad.”
Plattsburgh senior Cooper Scherer was one of the students in attendance. She left the conversation with the understanding that there is no one identity to what is woke.
“It’s not a coherent ideology. It’s more symbolic for what the right views as wrong,” Scherer said.
The conversation continued from there, leaving students feeling like the answer to the titular question is that “universities are not woke enough,” Scherer said.
The conversation also covered the role of universities in political conversations. The relationship with producing political thinkers makes them an important piece in politics. This makes their relationship with the targeted messaging associated with the woke label more im-
portant, and not unique to the current political landscape, Scherer said.
“They are always on the front lines of places to be attacked. I mean, any cultural movement usually goes after the intellectuals,” Scherer said. “You can go back as far as you want, and you’ll find that universities were always interested in acquiring diversity, because the goal was knowledge and discussion, and having as many diverse points of view helps develop these. In that way, universities have always been woke.”
Scherer applied what was discussed to the current state of campus. Her conclusion that Universities are not woke enough led her to trying to identify ways Plattsburgh’s campus can greater spread ideas about diversity and inclusion.
She found her dissatisfaction with campus came mostly from the general student body, as the campus boasts “fantastic” ARO and DEI offices.
“I had a friend who was involved in trying to de-gender the bathrooms — I thought it was a pretty good motion — and the campus reacted a little harshly to that,” Scherer said. “As someone who’s
transgender, most of my peers seem to be accepting and most of the staff seems to be accepting, but it also seems to be that the students themselves are not.”
Scherer said that more student engagement with discussions like last Wednesday’s would benefit the student body in becoming more inclusive, as they promote constructive dialogue.
“I wish more people would come to these things. Dr. Lake and the Ethics Institute put in a lot of work to organize them, and I think it’s worthwhile to have these conversations,” Scherer said. “I know I learned a lot and I met people I otherwise would not have met.”
Ironically, there is a lack of true inclusivity at the discussions, Scherer pointed out. Not all viewpoints are represented, with the discussion mainly appealing to center-left individuals. The discussion noticeably lacked far-left and politically right leaning voices, and that came up during the conversation.
The lack of varied voices is the result of a flaw inherent to advertised and organized events being difficult to encourage new people to attend and participate.
COOK
Continued from page 1
Brenda Gabriel, Fuerza club member, wanted to share and help others relate to her background through her food.
“We (Fuerza club) all come from a similar background, being city kids, so when we come up here we feel like there’s not enough comfort food. That’s why we went the comfort food route,” Gabriel said.
Although the competition was strong, the decision was unanimous in favor of Her Campus and their fiesta bowl.
“The two teams were very different, personality wise, but they put together some amazing, amazing food, and it was very hard to judge,” Bachar said.
Her Campus won the hard fought competition, meaning students can now find their fiesta bowl in the Clinton Dining hall menu rotation.
Bachar wants to make this a recurring activity for students to engage in after seeing how successful the Cook-Off was.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to do this every spring semester,” Bachar said.
“It’s a top down motivation, you’re seeking out people who would already engage rather than encourage general acceptance between people, in my opinion,” Scherer said.
The discussion group concluded the only way to fix the lack of engagement and appeal to the student body is to have more difficult and time consuming oneon-one conversations outside of the organized spaces, Scherer said.
“The whole thing is that they’re afraid of the unknown,” Scherer said. “If you can be known to them, then they have nothing to be afraid of.”
The difficulty of having these conversations with people with differing opinions comes from the polarization of the current political world, especially around identity-politics.
“I really wish it wasn’t that way,” Scherer said.
Continued from page 1
The authorities declined to tell Khalil’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, why he was being detained, Greer said. Khalil has since been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
“We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,” Greer told The AP. “This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.”
A spokesperson for Columbia said law enforcement agents must produce a warrant before entering university property. The spokesperson declined to say if the school had received a warrant for Khalil’s arrest. Messages seeking comment were left with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.
Khalil had become one of the most visible faces of the pro-Palestinian movement at Columbia. As Columbia students erected tents on campus last spring, Khalil was picked to serve as a negotiator on behalf of students and met frequently with university administrators.
When classes resumed in September, he told The Associated Press that the protests would continue: “As long as Columbia continues to invest and to benefit from Israeli apartheid, the students will continue to resist.”
Contact the ASSOCIATED PRESS apnews.com/contact-us
To learn more, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com.
JAYNE SMITH/Cardinal Points
Violet Knights performs at Plattsburgh State on March 6. Campus hosted a drag show alongside karaoke night.
CHRISTIAN TUFINO/Cardinal Points
Campus Executive Chef Laura Rathbun (Left), Vice President of Enrollment and Student Success Karen McGrath (Middle) and Director of Access & Opportunity Programs Shatawndra Lister taste the finished meals at the Cardinal Cook-Off in Clinton Dining Hall on March 5.
Cardinal Cupboard offers Ramadan kits
BY GRANT TERWILLIGER Arts and Culture Editor
The Cardinal Cupboard supplies students with meal kits to celebrate the end of Ramadan and helps students on campus get the basic supplies they need.
The idea for the Ramadan meal kits originated from the Student Outreach and Support Coordinator Hakima Bachar’s own experience with fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
“We have a large number of students that celebrate Ramadan and are Muslim, so I thought that it would be a good idea since we also do spring holiday meal kits,” Bachar said.
Unlike normal meal kits, which are prepared meals, the Ramadan meal kit was created so that you can create a meal yourself. Fasting for Ramadan ends on a Saturday, so students can pick up their meal kits on Friday in order to make a meal for either themselves or others on Saturday.
Ramadan is a religious celebration for the Muslim community. It is a month of reflecting, fasting, worship, prayer, community and giving. The month of Ramadan began with the appearance of a crescent moon on February 28th and ends with the appearance of a crescent moon on March 29. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, in which the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the prophet Mohammad by God.
“When I was fasting, I would have to wait till like 8:30 p.m. or 9:00 p.m.. So it gets hard, if you’re fasting from sunrise to sunset the whole day. It’s just nice to recognize that group of students,” Bachar said.
The Cardinal Cupboard has an important role in the community on campus to help students get the necessary basic items they need. The Cardinal Cupboard has an Instagram account where they are working to share events they are holding, as well as provide students with an outlet if they are going through hard financial times. The cupboard also provides menstrual products, winter accessories, and cookware.
“They have this information and know about it. So when it does come time, if they ever did need to use it, they know where to go and what to look for. So we’re just trying to share our resources to students, to help them,” Bachar said.
Emily Urgiles, a senior at SUNY Plattsburgh, has been an intern at the Cardinal Cupboard since the fall semester and volunteered in her freshman year at the cupboard in the H.U.B every Friday.
Late Night for the Planet brings farm folks to stage
BY GRANT TERWILLIGER Arts and Culture Editor
Late Night for the Planet addressed the ethicality of livestock agriculture and the benefits that animals can have on farms in conjunction with Emily Murdock of Miners Institute and Alex Caskey of Barred Owl Brook Farm.
Olive Ridley’s Taphouse and Grill hosted student-run game show Late Night for the Planet, a monthly talk show about the environment hosted by the environmental club. This month’s show was titled “Late Night at the Barn.”
Caskey is the owner of Barred Owl Brook Farm, a sheep and tree crop farm. He grew up in the Indiana-Ohio area where his grandparents on both sides owned and ran farms.
Caskey bought 60 acres of land in Westport, N.Y. in 2019. It had been fallowed for 10 to 25 years. The focus of Barred Owl Brook Farm is on silvopasture, the practice of integrating trees and foraging into the grazing of livestock.
“Silvopasture falls under a bigger umbrella of agroforestry, so just generally, incorporating trees and forests into agricultural production, so perennials are really at the core of everything we do, from the pasture itself to the trees,” Caskey said.
25% of the farm is wooded and 35% of the farm is open grazing field. Caskey seeks to identify different plants growing in his field before he can cut the grass on his property. He is searching for plants to use in his agroforestry production. He found three or four different species of willow and has
brought in 12 to 15 species of native willow to his farm.
“I’m really trying to find a willow that both has an ecological function and value, but then also can be grazed by the sheep repeatedly,” Caskey said. “Our focus on solo pasture, which is integrating trees with grazing, root livestock and pasture, sets us apart.” Caskey feels that one of the flaws of Modern agriculture is separating animals from the production of the feed. During the Green Revolution in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s farmers started focusing on feed crop production and separating the production from the animals. The animals provide ex-
tra nutrients and can close the nutrient cycle in production.
This separation of feed crop production and animals has occurred over time for efficiency, but Caskey thinks that not being able to close the nutrient cycle has negative ramifications on the environment and practices.
Caskey’s background is in conservation biology and land management. He has always been fascinated with the way in which wildlife shape their surroundings and how humans have used wildlife to shape their surroundings.
Craft therapy offered prior to midterms
BY GUILIANNA LAURAIN Staff Writer
Crafts for a Cause provided students with a creative sanctuary during their stitch therapy event on Thursday, March 6. The gathering welcomed both seasoned crafters and curious beginners seeking respite from academic pressures.
“We’re an on-campus club that serves as an outlet for students to de-stress,” Secretary Samantha Ward said.
The event had a thoughtful approach to inclusivity. Experienced crafters brought ongoing projects and beginners explored new creative avenues using supplies provided by the club. Those less interested in fiber arts could opt for adult coloring books, offering a similarly meditative experience.
The event was free of charge, with registration available through Cardinal Link.
Provided by The Cardinal Cupboard
The Cardinal Cupboard accepts a donation.
GRANT TERWILLIGER/Cardinal Points
Audience members play Poke-a-cup at Late Night for the Planet.
RAMADAN > 5
CRAFT > 5
ROOM & DOOM
BY GUILIANNA LAURAIN Staff Writer
FARM
Continued from page 4
Caskey has ducks that are employed in the tree nursery for natural slug and snail control. He also has two hogs that he uses to turn up pastures that need some renovation. His three great Pyrenees dogs have one of the most important jobs on the farm — protecting the sheep.
Murdock from Miners Institute grew up in Vermont on a dairy farm that her grandfather had bought and raised her dad on. Her grandfather started a fertilizer and feed business that is still in operation today in New England and Northern New York.
Murdock always asked questions about agriculture and realized that she could answer her questions through research. She had the opportunity to do a semester at the Miner Institute as an undergraduate and decided that she wanted to continue in the world of research.
Miners Institute is part of the FARMS initiative which stands for farmers assuring responsible management. These are guidelines that farmers have to follow to uphold animal care, environmental stewardship, as well as workforce development. 99% of the milk on the market is part of the FARMS program.
“The overarching goal of Miners research is to improve practices in a way that are socially, environmentally and economically responsible, and to ensure that we have a sustainable food supply for our future,” Murdock said.
CRAFT
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To enhance the welcoming atmosphere, the club provided complimentary pizza, allowing students to enjoy refreshments while they crafted in a communal setting. The combination of creativity, comfort food and community created an ideal environment for stress relief.
Stitch therapy represents just one facet of the club’s diverse programming. Throughout the semester, Crafts for a Cause has organized various creative gatherings. These gatherings include vision board workshops
where students visualize their goals through collage-style art, and sessions teaching embroidery techniques through bookmark creation. These initiatives recognize a crucial truth about student wellness. The relentless demands of coursework, deadlines and exams makes breaks for self-care and creative expression not luxuries but necessities. By providing both the physical space and supportive community for creative exploration, Crafts for a Cause helps students maintain balance during the most challenging periods of the academic calendar. For many participants, the simple act of working
This week you may be feeling more balanced and aligned with your goals. Appreciate the wonder of life.
This week you may be feeling resistance. Embrace it, it’s a sign that you need to make a change. More doors will open to you.
You may be feeling present in the moment. Make sure to take time to do the things that matter the most to you. Experiencing life is more important than
This week you may be feeling a sense of peace and enlightenment. Be creative and enjoy the atmosphere.
“The goal of our research questions is always to improve the cow’s way of life in some way, shape or form.”
Miners Institute takes pride in the community and is open to touring and hosts community events throughout the year.
Although it may seem like farms have industrialized, the practice of farming has remained in the heart of the communities in which they are involved.
“97% of the farms in the US are family owned. So these farmers that you drive by, they are members of your community,” Murdock said. “They’re your firefighters, they’re on your school board, they’re your local police, they’re first responders and they will do anything to take care of their animals.”
with their hands–whether knitting, crocheting, or coloring–offered a therapeutic counterpoint to the primarily digital and theoretical work of their studies, making stitch therapy a timely and valuable campus resource. With the demands of coursework, deadlines, and exams, opportunities to de-stress can be invaluable. Events like stitch therapy remind students that taking time for themselves is just as important as their academic responsibilities.
Email GUILIANNA LAURAIN cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
RAMADAN
Continued from page 4
Urgiles works to provide more outreach for the Cardinal Cupboard, and is also working to collaborate with other clubs on campus and make the cupboard more accessible to students with dietary restrictions.
“Currently, we don’t have any products that are vegan or gluten free, as we rely on donations. After the donations I go to a department or up to a staff member, and I’ll let them know that this is what we’re looking for, and it is because we don’t receive those products regularly every week,” Urgiles said.
Urgiles is working to have more options in the Cardinal Cupboard every week by next semester. The Cardinal Cupboard is making progress to help a wider range of students.
This week you may be feeling a sense of balance in your life. You may feel a sense of catharsis and peace. All is well.
You may be over thinking or worrying this week. Take a moment to breathe and realize that it’s all in your head.
You may be asking yourself a lot of questions this week. You will figure things out in proper time. Questions help you learn about yourself.
This week the universe is helping you out. Pay attention to the world around you, fate will guide the way.
Email GRANT TERWILLIGER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
The Cardinal Cupboard has evolved in the last couple of years from being in a closet in the H.U.B to having a designated location in Burghy’s Den. Urgiles looks forward to seeing how the cupboard will grow moving forward.
“I’m very proud of how much the cupboard has grown. I think it’s really exciting every time a student tells us that they’re very grateful and thankful that they discovered the cupboard,” Urgiles said. “I’m excited to see how it’s going to be next year.”
Email GRANT TERWILLIGER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
This week you may be feeling socially drained. Set some social boundaries and make sure that you are giving yourself time to rest.
Life is not a straight path but a crooked trail. The universe is giving you movement towards your destiny.
This week you may have a difficult time. Try your best to stay positive. All things must pass.
You may be feeling blessed this week, look at all of the beauty and wonder around you.
Aries (March 21 –April 19)
Cancer (June 21 –July 22)
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Gemini (May 21 –June 20)
Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)
Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)
Scorpio (Oct. 23 –Nov. 21)
Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)
Pisces (Feb. 19 –March 20)
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 –Dec. 21)
Capricorn (Dec. 22 –Jan. 19)
Aquarius (Jan. 20 –Feb. 18)
GRANT TERWILLIGER/Cardinal Points
Charades at Late Night for the Planet.
Queens slay Krinovitz down
Photos by Jayne Smith and Hiram Cowhey
All three queens performed together during the final number. The drag show was held by Quake Production on March 6 in Krinovitz Recital Hall in Hawkins Hall.
Mhisty Knights werks the stage, dancing to “So What” by Pink.
Mhisty Knights serves face. The event was preceded by karaoke.
Shenita Lyfe looks sassily over her shoulder.
Violet Knights whips her hair while dancing to “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga.
Cards win SUNYAC Championship
BY EMMA DEO
Associate Sports Editor
Defense was the key for Plattsburgh State women’s hockey as they shutout the Oswego Lakers 2-0 to capture their 13th conference championship.
Plattsburgh (20-6-1, 14-3-1) shipped off to play the first-seeded, nationally fifth-ranked Oswego Lakers (22-3-2, 15-1-2) on Oswego’s home ice. The Cardinals dominated, skating away with their first SUNYAC championship in their second season in the conference.
Sophomore goaltender Chloe Lewis was named SUNYAC tournament MVP, while senior defender Mattie Norton, junior forward Molly Riggi and firstyear forward Tessa Morris were
also named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament team.
“I think for us to use the energy and momentum that we did to have two really great weekends and then earn a way to play back at home again was huge for us. It taught us a lot about ourselves, we faced a little bit of adversity there. It was just huge,” Norton said.
The Cardinals were in the driver’s seat right away, outshooting the Lakers 14-2 in the first period.
Oswego committed one minor penalty 15 minutes into the game, but Plattsburgh did not capitalize on the power play.
The Plattsburgh State defense stood tall, and the Cards went into the first intermission with all the momentum.
Baseball looks to make statement in 2025 season
BY EMMA DEO
Sports Editor
The Plattsburgh State Cardinals’ baseball team is hungry to make another SUNYAC postseason appearance after having one of their best seasons in program history in 2024.
The Cards finished with a 24-16 overall record, finishing 10-8 in conference games. Plattsburgh finished the year ranked fourth in the SUNYAC, falling to Cortland and Oswego in the playoffs.
Their 24 wins were the most overall wins for the program since 2010, matching the record set in 2010. Plattsburgh’s 10 conference wins were also its most since 2010.
The Cards were picked to finish fifth in the SUNYAC preseason poll.
“We have a great group of returners who set the example for the new guys. We also have an important group of transfers and freshmen who are hungry and push the returners every day to not be satisfied. That creates a great team dynamic,” senior pitcher Kolby Mordecki wrote in a text.
Graduate student shortstop Alex Kornblau had a fantastic 2024 season in the field and in the batter’s box. Kornblau was named SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year, setting the single-season records at Plattsburgh State in home runs (8), runs scored (52) and total bases (91). Kornblau also shattered the program record in career home runs with 14.
Oswego evened out the second period with a few shots on goal, but Lewis stopped everything that came her way.
“We shut down a good team that scores offensive goals and gets gritty goals out front. I think we covered the net well, and our goaltender was obviously on and stood on her head for us,” Norton said.
With just over a minute left in the second period, the Cards finally found the back of the net. Riggi blocked a pass, corralled the puck and skated toward the Oswego goalkeeper. She lost her footing, but still got a shot off from her knees and lit the lamp unassisted to put the Cards up 1-0.
“They’ve shut us out in the past, so I think our mentality has
been more focused on getting pucks on the net from anywhere on the ice. We know they lead to second and third opportunities, which is where we score a lot of our goals,” Morris wrote in a text.
The Plattsburgh State defense held strong to end the period, and the Cards headed to the locker room with the advantage.
“Our defense was just as good as the Cortland game the week before. They only had eight shots going into the third period. It was just awesome to see the lockdown defense that we had,” Lewis said.
Morris said the Cards knew they needed to score at least two goals to take down Oswego, and in the third period the Lakers put pressure on the Cardinal defense. Plattsburgh committed
back-to-back penalties, with the first one coming 12 minutes into the period and the second just eight seconds later.
“I was kind of anxious at that point. I was just recovering from the first one, and then I saw the ref, and I was like, great, another one, but honestly, we didn’t give them that many opportunities on the kill,” Lewis said.
After the penalties, sophomore forward Emily Kasprzak found Morris with a pass, and Morris took a shot at the Oswego goaltender which was initially blocked. Morris got the puck between the pipes on the second attempt.
Lakers drown Cards in championship
BY JUSTIN RUSHIA Sports Editor
The Plattsburgh State men’s hockey team’s wild playoff run came to an end in the SUNYAC championship game, where the Cards fell to the Oswego Lakers by a score of 5-2.
“We didn’t feel out of it despite the score,” senior forward Jagger Benson said. “I’d say 90% of that game we felt like we were in it and we had a chance.”
The Lakers (16-8-3, 9-4-1) came out firing, scoring a mere one minute and 32 seconds into the first period. Just 39 seconds later,
Plattsburgh (16-11-1, 8-6) conceded its second goal of the game.
Oswego played a very fast style of hockey, trying to put constant pressure on its opponents. The Cardinals did their best to try and match the energy and speed of the Lakers.
“They always start hot in their rink. Every time we played them in Oswego, we tend to kind of get down early or have a quick one. It’s been a trend since I’ve been here, at least,” Benson said. “So our plan was to match their energy, if not come out even faster than them. Honestly, despite the score, I thought we did a good job of that.”
Right after the 13-minute mark of the game, Oswego scored two more goals within seven seconds, extending their lead to 4-0.
“One of our goals was to weather the first five minutes on them because we knew they’d come out strong,” junior forward Jake Sacratini said. “So it was kind of deflating, but I’m pretty proud of our group that we didn’t have any letdown when we did go down early.”
Provided by COLLIN BOLEBRUCH
The Cardinals celebrate with their devoted fans at the Deborah F. Stanley Arena in Oswego, New York after their 2-0 SUNYAC championship win March 8.
Provided by COLLIN BOLEBRUCH
Oswego men’s hockey celebrates their SUNYAC Championship win as the Cardinals skate off the ice.
Women’s hockey
Baseball
Men’s hockey
Associate
Softball looks to bounce back
BY ROSIE SCULCO Staff Writer
The Plattsburgh State softball team is ready for a fresh season with a familiar twist as they build on their past success to chase new victories.
Last year, the Cards ended with an 11-25 overall record and a 3-15 record in conference play.
“Going based off of a tougher season last year, we want to try to bounce back and get back to those numbers we put up in 2023 and do anything we can to get the program back to the successful ways that it once had,” head coach Jessica Miller said.
In the 2023 season, the Cards went 22-12 (11-7), making an appearance in the SUNYAC tournament, ultimately, they were eliminated by Cortland and Oneonta.
While the Cards showed resilience on defense last season, execution on offense remained a challenge.
“Last year offensively, we lacked the consistency piece. So, defensively we did what we had to do. We locked it down. We just couldn’t score the runs we needed when other teams put up,” Miller said.
As they prepare for this season, junior captain Megan Pillus said playing together is one of their top priorities.
“On our team there is a big focus on being a family and one unit. When one person fails, we all fail. We pick each other up and support each other through every challenge we may face,” Pillus wrote in a text.
fielder Claire Palmer and infielder Kaitlin Smith. Palmer and Golino both surpassed the 100-hit mark in their career.
“ We pick each other up and support each other through every challenge we may face
The Cards graduated five players from the 2024 roster, including outfielder Dolly Garguilo, pitcher/infielder Julia Golino, outfielder Dimitra Mouhteros, in-
The 2025 roster includes 19 players.
The Cardinals brought in six new recruits, including outfielders Lindsay Barnes, Gianna Montes and Mikayla Pappas and infielders Bella Toleman and Meghan Stork.
Seven sophomores returned for Plattsburgh.
Catcher Emma Deo, outfielder Michelle DeFina, infielder Sara Isaacs, catcher Alyssa Hemingway, pitcher Cadey Wheat, outfielder Leila Toomey and infielder Alex Whitson.
Four junior Cardinals will take the field this season, including catcher Meghan Cox, infielder/ pitcher Megan Pillus (captain), pitcher Morgan Ormerod (captain) and catcher/outfielder Gwen Noll.
Only three seniors return to the diamond: pitcher Carly Gemmett, utility player Mikayla Manalo and pitcher/infielder Sarah Milyko. Miller enters her first year as head coach after serving as the assistant coach for three seasons. Alongside her as the assistant coach is Brad Marshall, who is anything but new to Plattsburgh. Marshall’s daughters, Ashley and Brittany, each were student-athletes at Plattsburgh.
Ashley earned conference pitcher of the year honors in both 2012 and 2013. Brittany played for both the softball and basketball teams at Plattsburgh from 2012-2015,
where she was an all-conference level player for both teams.
Brad Marshall last coached with the team for the 2023 season with Miller.
“We’re very excited to have him back. He is a huge part of our success, from 2023 and what we were able to accomplish then. Our relationship has just continued to move in the right direction,” Miller said. “He is getting the girls prepared and us to be as successful as we can be this year,”
The Cards are scheduled to play 38 regular season games, including 20 non-conference and 18 conference matchups.
Ten of those non-conference games will be played in Clermont, Florida, starting March 16.
“It is the first time we get to play a game with each other this season and see what we can do as a team,” Pillus said. “Florida
WOMEN’S T&F
is just a week long sleepover with your best friends. It is a great time to build a lot of the team chemistry that carries us through the rest of the season,”
With a balanced mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen, chemistry is something that the team will use as its strength this year.
“We are always together. It’s just like a family. We go to each other for everything, no matter the age. Upperclassmen go to underclassmen for things, and vice versa. So it’s really great to have that close bond with every age,” Ormerod said. Additionally, Miller, having had similar experiences as the players, brings an understanding that strengthens the team’s bond.
MEN’S T&F
For the fourth time this season, junior Charles Cypress set a new program record in the 200-meter dash during the second day of the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference (AARTFC) Indoor Championships on Saturday. Cypress finished in fourth place with a time of 22.03 seconds, breaking his previous school record of 22.08 seconds. His performance earned five
points for Plattsburgh State, which concluded the championships in a tie for 29th place.
Rowan University won the team championship with a total of 94 points.
Plattsburgh State has wrapped up its indoor season for 2025 with the AARTFC Championships and will kick off its outdoor season on March 29 at 11 a.m. by competing in the SLU Ice Breaker Open Meet, hosted by St. Lawrence University.
Junior pentathlon athlete Marissa LeDuc and the women’s 4x400-meter team consisting of Isabella Scott, Emma Mahoney, Brianna Wise, and Grace Yarkosky represented the Plattsburgh State women’s track and field team at the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference (AARTFC) Indoor Championships on March 7.
LeDuc finished 10th in the pentathlon with a total score of 2,774 points. Her performance was highlighted by a second-place finish in the shot put, where she recorded a throw of 9.71 meters, just 0.01 meters shy of the top mark. She also secured sixth place in the long jump with a distance of 5.10 meters.
Fresh off winning the 4x400-meter conference title, the relay team consisting of Scott, Mahoney, Wise and Yarkosky finished 11th with a time of 4:06.67.
Yarkosky also competed in the 400m dash, where she finished 10th, posting a career-best mark of 58.47 seconds, just missing out on scoring points for Plattsburgh.
BASEBALL
The Plattsburgh State men’s baseball team won its first two non-conference games versus Penn State Berks.
The Plattsburgh State bats were on fire in the first game, winning 14-1, tallying 15 hits and drawing seven walks.
Graduate student outfielder Ben Catrambone had two hits, a double, and three RBIs in the win, while junior outfielder Collin Ross had two hits, which included a two-run blast to right field.
Senior outfielder Josh Foglia doubled, tripled, scored three runs, and walked. Sophomore Ian Warren finished two hits, three RBIs, and three runs.
Junior pitcher Kaelen Clarkson earned the win in his first career start with the Cards, allowing one run across four innings while striking out six.
In the second game, the Cardinals rallied back from a 6-0 deficit in the third inning, taking down the Nittany Lions 8-7.
Graduate-student utility player Aiden Diltz gave the Cards their first lead of the game in the sixth inning with an RBI single and junior outfielder Ryan Hart added one more insurance run after with an RBI single to center.
Diltz finished game two 3-3 at the plate, driving in two runs, scoring twice, walking once, and stealing a base. Senior outfielder TJ Beninati finished 3-4 with two runs scored at the top of the order, while Ross added two hits and two runs scored in game two.
Fifth-year shortstop Alex Kornblau extended his on-base streak dating back to last season to 38 games, as he tripled and drove in two runs. Franke Kowal tied a program single-game record with three HBP.
Junior pitcher Isaiah Maines earned the win with three innings of one-run ball, striking out three batters in his Plattsburgh debut.
CP file photo
Sophomore Sara Isaacs celebrates with Coach Miller on first base at Cardinal Park.
JUSTIN RUSHIA/Cardinal Points
Junior pentathlete Marissa LeDuc long jumps at the SUNYAC Championship meet.
Ask an Athlete: Brook Lynn Da Silva, WSOC
Brook Lynn Da Silva is a sophomore goalkeeper on the Plattsburgh State women’s soccer team. She recorded her first career shutout in her freshman campaign against SUNY Canton. Da Silva is a broadcast journalism major who ran a successful TikTok account during high school where she was known as Brook Lynn on the Street. Her most popular video accumulated 3.5 million views and over 900,000 likes. Da Silva also manages the Cardinals women’s soccer Instagram page.
This question and answer was conducted with Brook Lynn over text March 12.
Question: What was your favorite memory from this past soccer season?
Answer: My favorite memory from this past soccer season was probably being able to practice with the late and great Geoff Spear. Looking back I really cherish everything he taught me as a keeper and I miss his incredible humor. He was the highlight of not only my practices everyday this past season but also my keeper pals Lily and Lauren. He never failed to make us laugh and make us look
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forward to practice.
Q: What’s your favorite part about running the WSOC instagram?
A: My favorite part of running the WSOC Instagram is being able to have creative freedom in editing commitment posts and being able to upload game day posts as well. I enjoy being able to show off what we are doing as a team and our collective accomplishments throughout the year.
“It felt great. I’m happy I was able to find the back of the net and help keep our season going,” Morris wrote. “Being a freshman, I’m grateful for the amount of ice time I get. I try to make the most of every shift and my line has really been clicking on the offensive zone recently, helping me get more opportunities in front of the net.”
Oswego pulled their goalie but couldn’t get a shot on goal even with the extra skater, and the
Q: If you could play any other sport at Plattsburgh State what would it be?
A: If I could play any other sport here at Plattsburgh it would definitely have to be Softball. I was supposed to be on the team here at Plattsburgh — but that’s a story for another time. I have played softball my whole life and it is truly a sport I miss dearly. I loved playing all the different positions, but I really loved
Cards clinched the championship shutout win, moving on to the NCAA tournament.
“It gave us all the momentum at the end of the game there. We were all super excited. Everyone was cheering on our teammates and as much as it could’ve been in their favor, it really worked out for us for the best,” Norton said.
Plattsburgh State is set to take on the Elmira College Soaring Eagles (20-7-1, 14-3-1) Saturday, March 15 at 3 p.m. at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena in Plattsburgh. Admission is free for all attendees, courtesy of SUNY Plattsburgh. The two teams have not met on the ice since Dec. 10, 2022
playing in the outfield and base running because I was great at sliding and diving because of soccer so it was great to have two sports THAT go hand in hand with each other. I also love being unapologetically loud and screaming out a good old chant from the dugout. Who knows, maybe next year I’ll make a guest appearance somewhere on their team, because I know I still got my softball skills coursing through my veins.
Q: You were TikTok famous in high school. Would you ever start your account up again?
A: Yes, I would love to start it up again and I have so many plans to do so. My trouble is finding a good camera person and having enough phone storage. I am very outgoing and nonchalant so some people here do not really appreciate that, I have big plans for the future for not only my own personal projects, but also for the WSOC social media. I loved making TikToks so much and I yearn to create more, so if anyone reading this is interested in being my camera person please let me know let’s get famous together! Here’s to Brook Lynn in the Burgh!
where the Cards earned a 3-2 overtime win. Historically, Plattsburgh is 37-23-3 against the Soaring Eagles, averaging 2.71 goals per game.
“Having the home ice advantage for these games where you never know where you’re going to play since it’s going to be out of conference. It’s awesome to have it going into this weekend and having the fans there as well. They always bring such a good atmosphere to the games,” Lewis said.
In the NCAA tournament, high level hockey is guaranteed. The Cards have the home ice advantage, but Elmira is not to be taken lightly.
Last season, the Soaring Eagles reached the NCAA tournament championship, knocking out SUNY Cortland, Amherst College and Middlebury College before falling to the University of Wisconsin - River Falls 1-4 in the championship.
“We know that they’re going to bring everything that they have, and we know that they have good offensive scoring abilities. They have a great goaltender in net. We’re going to respect both sides of it, but we’re going to keep continuing to do what we do,” Norton said. “We’re going to focus on what we’ve been doing and keep continuing to build off of that and use our momentum in every way possible.”
EMMA DEO/Cardinal Points Brook Lynn Da Silva resides from Smithtown, N.Y.
Continued from page 7
With less than a minute remaining in the period, Oswego added one more goal, bringing the score to 5-0 as they headed into the first intermission.
Despite the five-goal deficit, the Cardinals didn’t come out deflated in the second period.
Benson got one back for Plattsburgh twelve minutes into the second period. After the Oswego goalie made a save, the Cardinals fought to regain control of the puck in the crease. Junior forward Riley Sutherland cleared the puck out, allowing Benson to skate around from behind the net, knocking the puck off the right leg of the Oswego goalie and into the back of the net. This was Benson’s first goal of the season.
“For the first one, the message on the bench was, ‘Hey, one at a time. Let’s just keep going,’” Benson said. “I hadn’t scored a goal all regular season. So it showed it’s gonna take everyone and that anyone on this bench can contribute.”
With just 40 seconds left to play in the second period, Senior defenseman Jack Ring played a pass off the boards to Sutherland, who then found Benson skating across the midline into the Plattsburgh offensive zone. Benson blasted a shot that went past several Laker defenders and found the top shelf of the net, notching his second goal of the game.
The Cards showed, as they have all season, that they don’t have any quit in them.
In its first two rounds of the playoffs, Plattsburgh overcame a 3-0 deficit in both contests.
“Our team has been very resilient all year, and the attitude was great in the locker room,” head coach Steve Moffat said. “I told them we’re gonna have the best comeback in the history of hockey. Let’s just win this period, score two or three goals, and see what happens, and that’s what we did.”
Plattsburgh earned a power play early on into the third period, giving it another opportunity to score and chip away at the three-goal deficit. However, the team was not able to capitalize.
“It would have been nice if we just got one on the
power play 15 seconds into the third because is we get that, now we have a lot of momentum. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that goal,” Moffat said.
Oswego did its best to clear the puck and kill time at every opportunity to prevent the Cards from earning more looks.
The Cardinals outshot the Lakers 10-5 in the final period, but the Oswego goalkeeper stopped all 10 shots.
Plattsburgh emptied its net to add an extra skater for the final three minutes, but they were unable to close the gap, ultimately losing 5-2.
“We couldn’t capitalize on anything. They did a good job of locking it down, clearing the puck, and keeping us to the outside,” Moffat said.
Sacratini was named to the All-Tournament team after scoring two goals and providing two assists during Plattsburgh’s first two games. Alongside him was junior
BASE
Continued from page 7
Plattsburgh State returns the core of their lineup from last season, with Kornblau coming back for his fifth-year. Senior first baseman Kyle Cremin will also anchor the Cardinal lineup, as he is a three time All-SUNYAC selection in his career. Graduate student third baseman Aidan Diltz, who led the team with a .378 batting average in 2024, will also return for another year. Senior second baseman Joey Di Rocco will complete the middle infield for Plattsburgh State. Di Rocco posted a .258 batting average last season with three home runs and 23 RBI.
Sophomore first baseman Austin Caldwell made an impact in his 2024 freshman campaign, batting .343 in 67 at-bats.
Last season, Cremin missed ten games because of an ankle injury, but Caldwell was able to step up to the plate and start his freshman season strong.
“Missing those games was not fun, but I did everything I could to treat it, and our athletic trainers did a great job getting me back on the field,” Cremin wrote.
To round out the infield, the Cards return sophomores Michael Piccirillo, Nick Pace and Tyler Martin, with first-years Brody Burdo and Jacob Hayes joining them on the dirt.
The outfield will look different for the Cardinals this season, as they lost all three starters to
graduation last season. Contenders for the outfield this season include graduate student Ben Catrambone, senior Justice Suafoa, senior Zach Rainville and sophomores Frankie Kowal and Luciano Fiorello.
The Plattsburgh State outfield will also have five transfer students in the mix this season, adding senior Josh Foglia from NCAA Division II Saint Rose, senior TJ Beninati from Salem State, junior Colin Ross from NCAA Division II St. Thomas Aquinas, Ryan Hart from Whitworth and Jackson Pam from Hartford. First-years Ryan Fowler and Finn Gaklik will round out the outfield newcomers this season.
Behind the plate, senior Adam Wein will protect home for the Cards after appearing in 27 games last year, with sophomores Ian Warren and Jake Calkins, and transfer sophomore Dylan Lieberman gearing up behind the dish for Plattsburgh State as well.
The Cardinals have a lot of depth in the bullpen this year with 18 pitchers on the roster. Graduate student Tyler Kohn, seniors Nick Goldberg, Logan Avin, Mordecki and Christian Diaz, juniors Joe Tarantino, Isaiah Maines, Kaelen Clarkson, Kwintin Nurse and Bostyn Duquette, sophomores Ty Nelson, Jack Castillo, Justin Sargent, Drew Romesser and Hunter Eberhart, and firstyears Liam Suozzo, Richie Seebode and Liam Kenaley will be in contention to take the bump for Plattsburgh State this season.
defenseman Lonan Bulger, who recorded four points in the first-round win against Potsdam.
After capturing their first SUNYAC title since 2014, the Lakers will advance to the NCAA tournament where they will take on Trine University on Saturday.
Six Cardinals will graduate after this season: seniors Benson and Ring, goaltender Jacob Hearne, forward Jake Lanyi, defenseman Ryan Poorman, and graduate student defender Kevin Weaver-Vitale.
“We had a good group of guys come in here four years ago, and I think we changed the program,” Benson said. “We’ve made three SUNYAC finals in the past four years. That’s an accomplishment in itself, so I just don’t want that to go unnoticed.”
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Miller graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2021, where she played four seasons for the Red Dragon Softball team winning the SUNYAC championship in 2019 of her senior season.
After playing 10 games in Florida, the Cards will hit the field again on April 2 in a home opener double header against VTSU Castleton.
The team is focused on preaching game like situations in practice.
“We’ve definitely tried to throw all the situations out there, challenging them regularly and making them think all the time so when you play, you can trust that you know what you’re doing,” Miller said.
Like many other teams at Plattsburgh, the ultimate goal is to win the SUNYAC championship.
“I’ve been in the gym getting stronger and getting the reps needed on the mound to fix the things I need to improve on, mentally I’m not worrying about the past or thinking about what could go wrong but, just focusing on the good and trying to improve every day,” Mordecki wrote.
Plattsburgh opened their 2025 Season 2-0 with a double header sweep of Penn State Berks, winning 14-1 and 8-7. The Cardinals will migrate south for spring
The last time Plattsburgh won a SUNYAC title was in 2012 when the team made an NCAA tournament appearance as well as a College World Series appearance.
“We have started from day one with a championship mindset, knowing that we have the skills and talent to take it all the way this year,” Pillus wrote. “We are taking it series by series trying to build to our end goal one win at a time.”
break for the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, with eight non-conference games from March 15 to March 19.
SUNYAC play opens on March 21 as the Cards travel to Oneonta to take on the Oneonta Red Dragons in a three game conference series. Plattsburgh plays 18 conference games in total in 2025, bolstering their schedule with 20 non-conference contests.
“We know we have the guys to go out on the field and do
Email ROSIE SCULCO cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
their job to help the team win,” Cremin wrote. “Teams usually like to count us out, but they forget that we were ranked regionally last year and were in the same category as the best teams in New York.”
Additional reporting was done by Ziaire Ferrell.
Email EMMA DEO cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Provided by COLLIN BOLEBRUCH
Junior defender Brannon Butler looks up a the scoreboard in Plattsburgh’s 5-2 loss against Oswego.
Email JUSTIN RUSHIA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
CP file photo
Cardinal softball celebrates on the mound after ending an inning.
Provided by Gabe Dickens
Plattsburgh State baseball made it to the second round of the SUNYAC tournament last season.
Paramount did wrong by Shrek and it sucks
BY KOLIN KRINER Opinion Editor
Shrek doesn’t look like Shrek — and that’s a problem.
Dreamworks released the teaser trailer for “Shrek 5” this month, and to the surprise of many, they made Shrek look like a watered down version of himself.
TikTok turns the tide for musical artistry, virality
BY KALIYAH GREEN Staff Writer
TikTok has evolved music discovery, with its algorithmic approach. TikTok creates viral trends where snippets of songs can skyrocket to fame, often long before they hit traditional music charts. This phenomenon is not limited to mainstream artists. Many independent musicians and song writers have found an audience on TikTok through catchy
hooks and viral challenges. For instance, songs like “Say So,” by Doja Cat, gained popularity on TikTok through users creating dance routines.
The question of whether people are discovering music from artists themselves is more complex. Artists still play a significant role in promoting through social media, concerts and personal branding. Common strategies include using targeted hashtags,
launching challenges and contests, collaborating with influencers and creating content based on trending sounds and topics. With TikTok being a dominant force in music promotion, artists are increasingly pressured to create songs that are TikTok-friendly. This has led many artists and labels to prioritize engaging rhythms and viral potential over full-length storytelling and intricate production.
According to CareerHub, TikTok has the ability to get songs to the top of the Billboard 100 and Spotify 50 charts through viral snippets or dance reels. Data also shows that 67% of Tik-tok users are discovering new artists via TikTok.
Meghan Trainor is one of the many artists who have embraced the Tiktokification of music.
MUSIC > 12
I’m not entirely sure of their thought process for deciding to ruin the animation that they had for four movies prior, an animation style that worked, but for whatever reason they decided for this fifth movie to choose self-mutilation.
They also seem to have forgotten a few things from the other films.
Shrek has three kids, in theory, but the filmmakers seemed to forget that. Zendaya is joining the cast as his daughter — but where are his sons?
Not only that, they gave her brown eyes despite the daughter in the previous films having blue eyes. They seem to have an impostor in the canon, or they are just doing away with all previous canon as a whole.
Remember when “Sonic” was getting a live action movie and we all collectively bullied Paramount into delaying the film and completely redesigning Sonic the Hedgehog? I think wholeheartedly it could benefit Shrek as well.
On a positive note, a swear word was used in the trailer, and I think that’s pretty cool. Shrek has always been on the line of PG-13 and I hope they lean into that a little more.
Whether they change the animation or not, I’m still going to see it. There is no way it will ever come close to the masterpiece that was “Shrek 2,” but I hope they do right by Shrek despite the animation feeling all wrong.
Email KOLIN KRINER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Awards
Cardinal Points has received the following awards from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP):
ACP Hall of Fame Inducted in Fall 2010
All American
Spring 2018, four Marks of Distinction
Spring 2016, five Marks of Distinction
Spring 2014, four Marks of Distinction
Spring 2012, four Marks of Distinction
Spring 2011, four Marks of Distinction
Fall 2010, five Marks of
Kolin Kriner
Graphic by Kolin Kriner
The modern vampire is right inside your pocket: social media and bedrotting
BY KOLIN KRINER Opinion Editor
As kids we learned about vampires — mythical entities that feast on the essence of living. However, as I have grown older I’ve realized that the true vampire of our day and age is social media. According to the American Psychological Association, the average teen spends 4.8 hours a day utilizing apps such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Additionally, 41% of teens who use social media the most had very poor mental health, in comparison to only 23% of people who used it the least.
This alone is just the tip of social media’s teeth. Where the draining of one’s life comes heavier into play is bedrotting. Health.com explains that bedrotting is the act of staying in bed for long periods of time, or all day. Where this ties into social media is what people are doing as they “rot:” scroll.
Laying in bed and swiping fingers across their screen, Gen Z has taken to this practice as a way for long-term self-care, when the reality of it is that it can only hold some benefit in the short term.
Courtney
DeAngelis, PsyD, a psychologist at Columbia Uni-
versity Irving Medical Center, explained to Health.com that it can aid in easing stress as fundamentally it is a form of relaxation. Where it starts absorbing your life, however, is the negative side effects of the practice.
According to Sleep Review Magazine, bedrotting can cause “withdrawal from social activities, changes in sleeping or eating patterns, irritability or expressions of sadness or isolation.”
Additionally, the act feeds into screen addiction, as
people spend their time while bedrotting binging social media feeds.
Once your life force has been sucked from you as you spend your day scrolling, avoiding responsibility, you start to become a vampire yourself — at least in terms of sleep anyways.
“When people lounge in their bed, their brains may associate their bed with things other than sleep,” DeAngelis said. “If you’re doing things like working or watching a show, it can
take longer to quiet the mind and drift off to sleep.”
We are essentially becoming creatures of the night. Eyes glued to our screens, we mess up our brain function resulting in issues with sleep. This is also in part with the fact that screen time suppresses our melatonin.
According to Ruth Hamilton at Tom’s Guide, research has suggested that staring at a screen a couple hours before bed time can throw off melatonin production, reduce REM
Sexism shadows success of female artists at BRIT awards
BY SOPHIA ALBERTIE Staff Writer
Charli XCX turned the BRIT Awards brat after bringing home several of the top awards of the night, including Song, Album and Artist of the year.
Surprisingly, however, one of the more pressing headlines to come out of this ceremony involved her racy sheer black dress, along with a lack of underwear.
The esteemed singer-songwriter donned Dilara Findikoglou, a designer known for her edgy, low cut visions.
“In the world of Turkish-British designer Dilara Findikoglou, less is never more,” Findikoglou’s website said.
This is ironic in context of the outfit Charli decided to go with. Her free spirited attitude received hundreds of complaints to Ofcom, the office of communications and regulation for the UK.
Sabrina Carpenter also received flack for her risque opening performance. Carpenter took home the Global Success award that night in spite of the turbulence.
It seems that female pop stars in particular have been shamed for their sexual openness all of history, especially in the con-
text of live performances and fashion choices. This remains prominent even when sex is responsible for a great percentage of their popularity; it does sell, after all. Miley Cyrus scandalously twerking on stage at the MTV awards back in 2013 practically cemented her reputation despite the success that followed.
There’s Britney Spears and Madonna, both need no introduction. Global superstars that spoke to their respective generations with themes of sexual liberation were undeniably smeared again and again.
“I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples.” Charli addressed during her acceptance speech for Artist of the Year. “I feel like we’re in the era of ‘free the nipple’ though, right?”
In many cases, she is correct. The number of viewer complaints Charli and Carpenter received were not huge by Ofcom’s standards and are leaning towards being overlooked or ruled not in breach of broadcasting rules.
Times have definitely evolved since the 2001 Super Bowl halftime show that forever tainted Janet Jackson’s career, where part of her bra was ripped off by
co-performer Justin Timberlake. Still, it is not a stretch to say that the disapproval of Charli’s outfit is placed in the same umbrella category of sexist ideology.
Carpenter’s raunchy performance was arguably tamer than the song she was actually singing. How can there be shock from the visual recreation of a song titled “Bed Chem?”
The fact that pop stars like Charli and Carpenter can still have their sexuality weaponized against them is disappointing. The fact that feedback on a sugges-
tive dress or performance can still make headlines ultimately distracts from celebrating the major wins these women experienced. There isn’t a lot to be done about the judgement of a viewer, but less attention should be given to the small number of critics that can’t seem to focus on the bigger picture.
Email SOPHIA ALBERTIE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
sleep and cause people to feel groggy in the morning.
Taking time to get self care doesn’t make someone a monster, but how they go about it can make them have a semblance of being one. Live life to the fullest and don’t let the modern vampire suck you dry.
MUSIC
Continued from page 11
Her approach to creating songs with the potential to go viral demonstrates a shift in focus toward platform-friendly content. Other artists like Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X have similarly navigated TikTok’s influence, leveraging the platform to build their brands and connect with audiences in innovative ways. The result is a new wave of music that blends strategic marketing with artistic expression.
During the pandemic in late 2021, Trainor noticed her old music was going viral, including “Title,” a previously unreleased song from her debut album. She created a dance reel to the song, which helped boost her exposure.
At the time she hired Chris Olsen, Tiktok celebrity and Trainor’s secret weapon, to post content days twice a month, during which they recorded 10 videos at a time.
According to a report from the Caroline Journal of Law & Technician, major record labels adapted to TikTok’s influence, but not always in ways that benefit artists. Labels now track TikTok engagement before signing new musicians, prioritizing those who already have a viral moment. This approach can give talented artists a disadvantage, as they may not fit the platform’s algorithmic engagement.
While TikTok can boost a song’s popularity overnight, the fame is often fleeting. Many viral hits experience a surge in streams but quickly fade into obscurity once a new trend takes over.
“I only know some songs because it went viral on TikTok and they were catchy,” sophomore social work student Gedeon Koko-Alogbleto said.
TikTok isn’t necessarily ruining the music industry, but it is reshaping it in ways that favor virality over the longevity of music. It provides artists with unprecedented exposure; it also changes how music is created, marketed and consumed.
Email KALIYAH GREEN cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Graphic by Kolin Kriner