Cardinal Points Issue 5 Spring 2024

A&C

One little slipknot: Sammy’s crochet creations

SPORTS

Pitch perfect: Baseball off to hot start

OPINION

‘The Blackening’ gives dimensional representation

Provided by Sophia Sabatini

‘No complaint’: 8 volunteer for transformative spring break

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News + Managing Editor

Eight SUNY Plattsburgh students found community and purpose while away on a spring break unlike any they’ve had before.

Annabella Arriola and Jenna Garcia of Theta Phi Alpha, Rohan Nasare and Robert Snekser of Delta Sigma Phi, Jayden Neptune of Theta Gamma, Kristyn Penera and Stella Saarinen of Theta Alpha Lambda and Sophia Sabatini of Alpha Epsilon Phi stayed and worked at the Shack Neighborhood, a community center in Morgantown, West Virginia. A one-way trip, including stops, took them about 12 hours.

“It’s a place where we could all see we were making an impact,” Sabatini, one of the group leaders, said. “The people on the trip were just so dedicated to making a difference. These individuals who knew nothing about the community worked tirelessly day and night with no complaint.”

This year was the 17th time SUNY Plattsburgh Greek life members traveled to the Shack, and the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They left Plattsburgh Saturday, March 16 and returned Friday, March 22.

THE SHACK

The first thing the group did was help the Shack with a rummage sale. When they noticed the place was empty, they made signs and stood by the road, attracting visitors.

Provided by Sophia Sabatini

SA Senate funds trips, discusses funding equity

The Student Association Senate approved a temporary change to its finance policy and approved funding for four clubs to go on trips at its meeting March 5.

The updated finance policy will not allow clubs to request more than $5,000 in additional allocations in a fiscal year, which lasts from July 1 to June 31. This measure will be in place until the end of the semester and clubs with $1,500 or less left in additional allocations requests have been notified.

By the end of the meeting, the SA had $8,110 left in additional allocations to last until the end of the school year.

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News + Managing Editor SENATE > 2

Students interning at NYS Assembly

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News + Managing Editor

Your friend or classmate might be helping New York make new laws.

Three SUNY Plattsburgh students are spending the semester as legislative interns at the New York State Assembly.

What the group didn’t do was catch up on sleep. The students woke up early and left the Shack by 6:30 a.m. to make it to its school-based child care programs. The programs are also offered after school, so the group spent time with the children in the afternoon, too.

“Those were the most enjoyable moments for me, at least,” Nasare said. “I met a lot of kids, played a lot of soccer, football, basketball, running tag, freeze tag — whatever they had in mind.”

Arriola, who has several permanent tattoos, invited children to draw temporary tattoos on her with marker. Arriola, a junior psychology major, said she loves working with children — something she hopes to

The students pushed themselves to their full potential in remodeling the Shack to fit a 90s arcade theme. They made gnome toys to be distributed in community homes to promote the Shack’s programs. They checked paint cans, reorganized books, built shelves and moved furniture. They painted murals — Pacman, Pokemon, Mario, a huge octopus and Dory from “Finding Nemo” on a door.

do professionally as a mental health counselor.

Nasare said the hosts at the Shack were willing to get supplies and groceries for the group when it needed them and treated the group to Olive Garden for its hard work. The trip expanded students’ view of community service — a pillar in Greek life.

“This trip showed us that community service doesn’t just mean going to a random park and raking leaves,” Nasare said. “This is us providing to that community, and they provided a lot back to us.”

THE GROUP

Besides connecting with the community, the students connected with each other. They cooked family-style dinners together. They slept at the Shack, either in cots or sleeping bags that they brought with them.

“It was pretty much us sleeping wherever we found a place,” Nasare said. They’d known each other by name, but now they feel a special connection.

“The bonds were so authentic, so unmatched,” Sabatini said.

Since the beginning of the Alternative Spring Break trips, the groups have kept a journal where they wrote reflections and shared their experiences, and this year’s group added to it. The Fraternity & Sorority Life office also frames group photos with students’ notes on the margins, labeling the year.

“The eight of us being able to experience this all together, I think that was also one of my favorite things that I’m never going to really forget,” Arriola said. “It was nice having that sense of connection and I would say family, in a sense.”

“This is the first time in quite a while where we’ve had any students who applied to, much less were accepted by, this program,” Daniel Lake, associate professor of political science and chair of the department, wrote in an email. “It’s one of the top-notch internship programs.”

Political science major Mariana Dickson, double major in public relations and journalism Johanna Weeks and environmental studies major Kay Breen were one of up to 150 interns selected for the State Assembly’s internship. The program is competitive because students not only participate in legislative processes, but also get paid a stipend of $8,800 and receive 15 academic credits. Dickson, a junior, said students interested in applying to the internship should research members they would like to work with.

Left to right: Jayden Neptune, Kristyn Penera and Rohan Nasare paint the walls in the Shack Neighborhood House, a community center in Morgantown, West Virginia. The group of students lived and did volunteer work at the Shack throughout spring break.

Sophia Sabatini takes a selfie with (left to right) Penera, Stella Saarinen, Neptune, Jenna Garcia, Annabella Arriola, Robert Snekser and Nasare outside their van in a SUNY Plattsburgh parking lot.

March 4

University Police received a report of reckless endangerment at Yokum Hall. A warrant was issued.

March 9

Public

To buy a raffle ticket, email Coach Kelsea Healis at kheal005@plattsburgh.edu.

Student Association SA prepares for elections

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News + Managing Editor

The Student Association Senate approved a new chair of elections at its meeting March 12 in preparation for the SA fee referendum and elections for the 62nd legislation in April.

The SA Senate unanimously approved Shunya Okazaki, a junior computer security major who has served on the Board of Elections for more than a year. The Senate also approved Anshika Sharma and Krisha Borda as Board of Elections members. Sharma and Borda fulfilled all membership requirements and received Okazaki’s endorsement.

Okazaki said he is “confident” that the SA fee will pass, and his team will work to promote both the SA fee referendum and entice people to run for general elections to be held April 25.

Every two years, the student body votes on whether the SA should keep the SA fee mandatory. The SA fee supports all SA activities and initiatives, including the shuttle, campus events, club funding and additional allocations, extended library hours for midterms and finals.

In the previous vote in April 2022, the student body voted down the fee due to a lack of promotion and awareness campaigns. The SA held a revote with permission from SUNY, but may not be able to host another if the vote fails this year.

SENATE

Continued from Page 1

Okazaki also presented the most recent version of the SA’s election policy, which adjusts and enforces the number of signatures students need to gather from their peers in order to run for SA as well as establishes deadlines for this election cycle.

In order to run for Executive Council positions, such as president, vice president and coordinators, students need to gather 75 signatures from their peers. To run for Senate, students need 15 signatures. Candidates can drop out of the race up to two days before elections.

Election packets will be available from April 1 and must be turned in by noon April 15.

In other business, the Senate unanimously approved $1,200 for the club Learning and Experiencing God, known as LEGO. The club is hosting its an-

nual Easter celebration with performers, including a short play, the Gospel Choir and guest speakers.

LEGO requested additional allocations in order to use its budget to fund celebrations of other Christian holidays spanning March through May, such as Good Friday and the end of the 40-day fasting period of Lent.

The Senate also unanimously approved $860 for Black Onyx: the Black Student Union to host its ninth annual Mr. and Mrs. BSU pageant, with Senator Naomi Adebayo abstaining from the vote as a Black Onyx member. Other costs associated with the event are covered by the club’s budget and the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Adebayo commented on the recent trend of clubs looking for other sources of funding in her report.

hamed Gaber, pay for the networking dinner out of pocket.

STOCK EXCHANGE TRIP

Two clubs — the Accounting and Finance Association and the Student Managed Investment Fund — requested $2,000 each to help fund their joint trip to the New York Stock Exchange in New York City.

The 24 students will spend two nights in the city and attend workshops at accounting and finance firms. The trip also features a networking dinner with SUNY Plattsburgh alumni who have found success in their fields as corporate directors and vice presidents, as well as Bob Airo, ’81 alumnus who served as the director of the Intercontinental Exchange from 2014 to 2020.

Senator Naomi Adebayo proposed to cut the allocations to $1,500 so there is money left for non-academic clubs on campus to host their annual events like annual pageants, celebrations and fashion shows. Adebayo said funding is especially important for cultural clubs.

“I feel like people tend to downplay the use of these events on campus,” Adebayo said. “I understand that this is an event that’s trying to get you guys networking opportunities and the connections that you guys need to make it in this life — that’s only for a select group.

Events by these (non-academic) clubs are to bring out all of us, especially the students of color, in order to celebrate them and they know they’re not alone. …

The clubs have been taking these trips for at least 30 years, and 40 students have expressed interest this year. AFA representative Laraib Asim said these trips help students get jobs and internships. Members of the American Marketing Association chapter, who attended to make a case for their own trip to New Orleans, also spoke in support of AFA and SMIF.

The total cost for AFA and SMIF to afford transportation and lodging for the trip is $7,139. In addition to the SA funds, the clubs will receive a $1,500 grant from College Auxiliary Services. The clubs’ advisers, professor of economics and finance Robert Christopherson and distinguished service professor of accounting Mo-

What happens to the students who are not interested in finance? What happens when these clubs no longer exist? What do students have to look forward to while they’re in Plattsburgh for months at a time, missing home? These events are meant to be that — that little piece of home that we don’t have in Plattsburgh.”

After an hour of back-and-forth discussion about how to distribute money most equitably between academic and cultural clubs, the SA settled on $1,850 each, under the condition that the clubs make it clear to students that funding came from the SA.

OTHER TRIPS

AMA requested $1,600 for a eight-person trip for four nights to the American Marketing Associa-

“Some of the clubs haven’t really been feeling supported on campus,” Adebayo said. “They feel like they can’t even rely on SA anymore — that’s why a lot of them are trying to get money from other departments like DEI. Especially because the (SA fee) referendum is coming up, we want clubs to be able to share what we’re trying to push out to the public, work with them and make them our allies.”

Vote in the SA general election and the SA fee referendum through the link in your email, which will be sent at 8 a.m. April 25.

Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

tion Intercollegiate Conference in New Orleans. At the conference, the club will compete with about 350 other chapters.

The request was unanimously approved. The funds will help the club afford lodging, conference registration and airfare, but students would still pay $200 out of pocket.

The Botany Club requested $600 to take 26 students to the Montreal Biodome and Insectarium. The funds cover tickets, transportation and bus parking.

The Senate lowered the amount to $550, slightly increasing the outof-pocket cost for students, and unanimously approved the request.

OTHER NEWS

Additionally, the Senate unanimously approved Senator Arshita Pandey, who was absent from the meeting, as a voting member of the finance board. Pandey met the requirement of attending at least three board meetings.

Senator Tasmayee Jagtap said in her report she was “scared” for the upcoming SA fee referendum, in which students vote every two years whether to keep the SA fee mandatory to support SA activities.

Jagtap said she had seen posts on YikYak, a social media app that allows users to make anonymous posts and see posts from other users in their vicinity, criticizing the SA and telling students to vote “no” in the referendum.

Student Activities Coordinator Sarah McCarty announced she will be replacing Dean of Students Steve Matthews as SA Senate adviser and will be attending their meetings from then on.

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points Shunya Okazaki, whom the Student Association Senate approved as the chair of elections, announces updates to the SA’s elections policy.

SHACK

Continued from Page 1

THE SELVES

The group made a collective promise to stay off their phones, especially when interacting with children during the beforeand after-school programs.

“I barely spoke to my best friend for the entire week,” Arriola said. “It was so nice to not be on my phone the entire week — it felt so good because I didn’t have to worry about anything like what was going on in the social media world. It was just being present and in the moment with everybody and all the kids and all the staff.”

Despite all the work they did, day and night, it still felt like a break.

“We were just playing music, having fun and working all together. Everyone just wanted to make sure that we left the place better than we found,” Nasare said. “At least for me, it didn’t feel like work.”

Arriola said she would have otherwise spent the break at home, working.

NYS

Continued from Page 1

“I feel like I don’t do anything during spring break — I just sit in my own selfpity and I wallow,” Arriola said. “It was definitely a change of pace not doing that for this semester and going to West Virginia. … Even though it’s not, oh, I went to another country and got to be by the beach and stuff like that, I still went away and I still got to do rewarding and fun things — that’s my vision of a break, no matter where I was. I think this is my favorite spring break ever. It felt so good giving back to a community I can’t describe it. It just felt so good giving back.”

AGAIN?

The Alternative Spring Break stay was cut short by a day, when they started receiving alerts about an intense snowstorm hitting the Northeast that weekend. They arrived at that decision Thursday evening, meaning they never got to say goodbye to the children whom they had promised one more day together.

“Those were really sweet kids, and the fact that we couldn’t say goodbye to them on Friday, it kind of

The interns work 9 to 5 from Monday to Friday. They also attend supplementary classes that acquaint them with State Assembly operations and relevant issues in the state. In a typical week, interns schedule meetings for their Assembly member, meet with lobbyists, research policy and write memos, review and sign bills together with their Assembly member and sit in on State Assembly sessions.

“It’s really not hard to manage at all, at least for me,” Dickson said. “I like it a lot more than my days on campus, just because it always feels like I’m doing something. I feel like in classes, sometimes you feel like, OK, you’re just reading and writing, whereas with this internship, you’re doing the real-life aspects. You can see what you’re going to do in your job and learning the basics of it.”

Dickson works for Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther — a Democrat, chair of the Assembly Mental Health Committee since 2013 and a mental health advocate.

got to everyone in a way,” Nasare said. “Everyone felt so sad because we kind of made a connection with them in the four days, seeing them in the morning and afternoon, playing with them for four to five hours a day. My God, my legs were so tired.”

Cutting their trip short motivated the group to accomplish as much as they could in the time they had left. Nasare, who anticipated dedicating the Friday to finishing his Tetris-themed wall mural, pulled an all-nighter instead, finishing about 15 minutes before the group left for Plattsburgh.

“Once I started that wall, I outlined it perfectly and everything, so I was like, now that I’ve done this, I can’t leave it undone,” Nasare said.

Some of the participants already want to go back.

“I hope I can go back and see (the children) again, apologize for not saying bye,” Nasare said.

SERVICE FOR EVERYONE

Alternative Spring Break is available only to

members of Greek life organizations. There is an application process, with a maximum of 11 students that the van can accommodate. Each selected participant puts $100 toward the trip and engages in fundraising by selling candy — usually during winter break, Sabatini said.

Fraternity & Sorority Life hopes to see more students interested in joining Greek life organizations, but volunteering opportunities are available through Project Help, based in the Fraternity & Sorority Life office and available locally to all students.

“When I got to college, I remember I always told myself I was never going to be a part of Greek life,” Arriola said. “Being a part of Greek life has definitely given me a lot of opportunities, at least in community service. It’s very rewarding being a part of Greek life and having community service as a structure, part of us.”

See more photos from

Weeks works for Assemblyman Lester Chang, a Republican and veteran whose work focuses on fighting crime and homelessness while supporting veterans and those returning to society after incarceration. Weeks said her work engages her in the challenge of representing someone’s views without letting her own get in the way.

“What I really love about my field is it’s such a necessity in every field,” Weeks said. “I think right now, being in politics and government would tie into communications in the way that you learn a lot of in-

terpersonal skills because a lot of it is relaying his (Chang’s) opinions and his views. It’s really taking that step back and taking out the bias, which we learn a lot in journalism, to be able to effectively relay someone’s message.”

Dickson, who is originally from Troy, New York, 15 miles from Albany, lives at home. She said it’s a nice change of pace

from Plattsburgh because being at home makes it easier to take care of herself and the puppy she got last semester.

“I’m liking it a little bit more than Plattsburgh because I can come home and relax and not have to do adulting too much, like with my own apartment,” Dickson said.

“For me, this was just a way to push back going into the real world,” Weeks said. “I’m ready to graduate.”

For Weeks, who fulfilled her graduation requirements in December, the internship helps the transition into the workforce. Originally from Saugerties, New York, she stays at a friend’s house.

Provided by Mariana Dickson

Mariana Dickson sits in the front row, fourth from the right, at a mock budget hearing with fellow interns at the New York State Assembly.

Dickson is one of more than 100 interns accepted into the competitive internship program.

Provided by Sophia Sabatini

The Alternative Spring Break group poses for a customary photo in the Shack’s gym. The photo will be framed and displayed in the Fraternity & Sorority Life office alongside photos from past trips.

Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Provided by Sophia Sabatini Snekser stands on his tiptoes to reach the top of the wall he is painting.

the Alternative Spring Break trip on Page 7.

Students embrace Ramadan with inclusivity, spirituality

BY PHILO YUNRUI WANG Contributor

Kent Hall’s first floor kitchen has become a bustling hub of activity as students gather to cook food and pray to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, lasting until April 12. For many students, like Shahed Islam, this communal experience is a new and cherished aspect of their college journey.

“This is something I never ex perienced until college. I only did this with my family before. The fact that there was a space for all of us to gather communally every single night was really important as we set about doing the spiritu al journey for 30 days. We feel the sweetness of spending Ramadan among Muslim friends rather than doing it alone,” Islam said.

Ramadan holds significant spir itual importance for Muslims, serving as a time of introspection and observance of one’s mental and emotional processes.

From sunrise to sundown throughout the month, Muslims engage in fasting, or abstaining from food and drink. This practice serves as a reminder of human frailty and dependence on God for sustenance while also fostering compassion and empathy for those in need.

with tasks, there’s little opportunity to dwell on feelings of hunger. However, I recognize the challenges some Muslim students face balancing academic commitments and

madan. The MSA and the university have been instrumental in providing the necessary resources and support,” Islam said.

“While I’m accustomed to the feelings experienced during Ramadan, particularly when occupied

“There are other students who will do fasting with us even though they are not Muslim to accompany us or as a means to engage with Ra-

Ramadan is celebrated worldwide, taking place on the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and ending with the crescent moon. It can mean different things to everyone, Islam explains,““Ramadan, for me, is about cleansing all the inevitable mistakes made throughout the year. We are human, we make mistakes because that’s how the world is. But fasting teaches me to confront myself, confront the world and earnestly seek forgiveness.”

Laraib Asim, another Muslim student participating in organizing the Ramadan celebration, emphasized the broader significance of Ramadan, highlighting its role in developing time management, patience and spiritual connections.

“The fasting is to redistribute food to those who truly lack it, and each day’s iftar makes us respect and cherish food even more. It’s a time to appreciate dining with friends and the moments of gratitude,” Asim said.

MSA > 5

New peer leaders aim to help people manage chronic disease

BY ROBIN CAUDELL Press-Republican

The Get Healthy North Country Community Integrated Health Network expands in the region.

It is a network of medical and behavioral healthcare providers, public health units, area offices of aging, social care agencies, and other chronic disease prevention program stakeholders that collaborate to offer coordinated, comprehensive evidence-based products and services designed to reduce the burden of chronic disease, according to a press release.

A key aspect of the coalition’s work is developing capacity in communities to help individuals take control of their health.

“When a person is looking to address something as complex and challenging as a chronic health condition, a tried and true approach is to learn from their peers,” Anne-Marie Snell, executive director of The Health Initiative, which facilitates Get Healthy North

Country along with The Heart Network, said.

“Our newest cohort of peer leaders will work with organizations and individuals across the North Country to lower the prevalence of chronic disease in our communities. These are people who live in our communities and help others understand how to “how to recognize the signs and symptoms often associated with chronic conditions.”

A total of 16 new peer leaders are now placed with eight regional organizations, including Clinton County Office for the Aging, Essex County Prevention Team, Oswego County Health Department, St. Lawrence Health System, Warren County Offices for the Aging, JCEO, The Heart Network, and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center.

This cohort includes Karoline Kelly, Meredith LaPoint, Stephanie Richards, Shannon Rock,

HELP > 5

Pressing forward: Kathy Kuehn on community

BY CINARA MARQUIS Arts & Culture Editor

From works on nature to individuality and activism Kathy Kuehn, printmaker has been forging community through collaboration her whole career.

On March 26 she gave a presentation on her work at SUNY Plattsburgh. She is the second presenter of the spring semester’s Visual Artist Series, where artists from all media give public lectures, workshops, demos and critiques. Funded through the Campus Arts Council, the Visual Artist Series typically hosts seven to nine artists every year on campus. It is a collaborative effort organized and hosted by students and faculty.

Kuehn is a printmaker and book artist who has spent much of her career in collaboration with educators, artists, printers, printmakers, authors and poets. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in art in her home state at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“As an undergraduate, I fell in love with letterpress printing and all the steps that go into making limited edition handmade books,” Kuehn said. “Making books allowed me to explore page layouts, book structures and bindings. Making books by hand takes time, and with each step the book tells you how to proceed.”

PHILO YUNRUI WANG/Cardinal Points

Students pray together during Ramadan on prayer mats outside of Kent Hall’s kitchen on March 26.

CINARA MARQUIS/Cardinal Points

Students gather in Hudson Hall to watch Kathy Kuehn’s Presentation.

Continued from page 4

Kristin Wheatley, Susan Barber, Ronwyn Kneller, Joi Larucci, Julie M. Stalker, Dan Sweet, Mary Anny McCarthy, Sarah Cotton, Maxwell Sunday, Amelia DeMento, Autumn Thompson and Lori Messing.

“We already had two peer leaders and we trained four more of our staff to be peer leaders,” Darleen Collins, director of the Clinton County Office for the Aging, said.

“We trained four more this time to have flexibility to be able to offer workshops throughout the year. We do it year round, so this way it gives us a chance to be able to offer more workshops in Clinton County. It’s a really great evidence-based wellness program.”

Provided by Get Healthy

“Peer leaders work to empower individuals to take control of their health and lead fuller lives,” Ann Morgan, The Heart Network’s executive director, said. “This dynamic group of individuals has hit the ground running: they’re already working with Get Healthy North Country to plan and implement chronic disease self-management programs across northern New York.”

Get Healthy North Country’s website — gethealthynoco.org — offers an array of in-person, virtual and telephonic workshops tailored for people living

with chronic conditions, including diabetes, cancer, pain and more. Each program aims to provide participants with the tools and strategies to get and stay healthy. All workshops are grant-funded and offered at no cost to the individual.

To learn more about the Get Healthy North Country Community Integrated Health Network, contact Ann Morgan at amorgan@heartnetwork.org or Anne Marie Snell at anne@ gethealthyslc.org.

Email

BY CINARA MARQUIS Arts & Culture Editor

For more than 35 years North Star, SUNY Plattsburgh’s student-run literary magazine has given students a space to share their work.

North Star Advisor Tracie Guzzio explained over email, “From the conceptual beginnings to the final product students are in charge.”

At the start of the year students vote for staff editors. They also decide what the year’s theme will be including the publication criteria and overall design and later, which submissions. The magazine is published at the end of the semester and a launch party where artists can share their work.

North Star accepts poetry, fiction, plays, non-fiction essays, pod-

casts, visual art, photography and this year it is also accepting music.

“It’s a wonderful way to share your art with the campus and add something to your resume,” Guzzio wrote.

The magazine encourages all students to submit their work.

The theme this year is “The Art of Resistance.” From political opposition to institutional unconformity and cultural rebellion, students at the magazine welcome a broad variety of ideas.

North Star will also be tabling in the Cardinal Creative Arts Festival on May 4. Editors will be sharing and reading from the magazine.

“As a young writer, I had poetry and fiction published in the literary magazine at my school. It gave me such confidence

to see my name in print and to have people come up and tell me that they enjoyed my work,” Guzzio wrote. “I support anything that gives students that opportunity.”

To contribute, email northstarlitmag2024@ gmail.com. Learn more by contacting Tracie Guzzio at guzziotc@ plattsburgh.edu.

Read North Star at https://northstarmagazinecom.wordpress. com/.

The dead line for sub missions is April 5.

Sammy’s crafty crochet

BY NADIA PASCHAL Opinions Editor

One of the most wonderful things about art is that there are many ways to express oneself. Fiber arts is an area that may not be that well known, but is a unique form of self expression. Samantha Ward, a psychology major at SUNY Plattsburgh, has found herself drawn to the craft, specifically crochet.

Ward picked up her crochet hooks and started this hobby right before the COVID-19 pandemic began and continued all through lockdown as she had nothing but free time on her hands. Watching YouTube tutorials and finding ideas on Pinterest, she pushed herself and experi mented with different projects.

“When you’re doing your craft, you want it to be somewhat challenging, because that’s where the reward comes from,” Ward said.

tiny pumpkins. Ward loves how versatile working with fiber can be and wants others to know it’s much more than just blankets and sweaters. She also enjoys the end result being something tangible, feeling a sense of accomplishment from that.

“I love having something that I can hold in my hands and show to people and I can wear and say: ‘I made this. This is all mine. This is hours of work that I put in,’” Ward said.

Ward has made numerous pieces and completed several different projects such as coasters, scarves, hats, tops and hair bows. Some more unique pieces she’s made have been jewelry holders, airpod cases and household decorations like

PRESS

Continued from page 4

Kuehn and her artist peers would sell their books through book dealers and at book fairs. She was later employed by her professors to work alongside them on books published by artist, printer and poet Walter Hamedy.

After 10 years in Madison, Wisconsin she moved to New York City and worked with paper maker Joe Wilbur. The studio space would later become Pace Prints, a collaborative printing house that Kuehn worked in for nearly 20 years.

“Each project is unique with the artists often asked on the printers to undertake something they have never

Ward gets much of her inspiration from those in the community, looking at what they post online. Despite finding inspiration through the work of others, her pieces still reflect her own self. Much like a person having their own unique handwriting or thumbprint, the stitches and how someone holds their hook varies, resulting in different styles.

“Maybe for crochet, the difference is not so much in the finished product, but it’s more so how they get there, how they get to the finished product,” Ward said.

As Ward’s skills advanced, she decided she wanted to share the work that she was proud of and be more involved in the community. Last semester, she made an Instagram page @sammy_crochets and began to sell some of the stuff she made.

done before,” Kuehn said. “The collaboration can be exhilarating, and often a communal brain is at work.”

She moved to Portland, Oregon in 2014 and continues to print for Jim Dine, an artist, printmaker and poet. They collaborate on projects like making botanical prints to accompany his poetry, a complex multifaceted project which included 1,080 prints.

“The project was a nail biter,” Kuehn said.

Another complex project was one with Marie Watt where 100 local community college students made rubbings or sewed or sewed letters and designs onto cardstock paper. Using pressure printing, she connected them all together.

“The composite highlights the individual voice of each artist that becomes a record of a specific communal activity,” Kuehn said. She has recently found herself

“There’s always a point for most artists where you ask yourself, ‘Should I start selling my projects?’” Ward said. “It’s a tough question to answer, because you don’t want your hobby and what you really love to do to become a chore.”

ple years of crocheting is being able to solve a problem that two years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to solve.”

Ward continues to receive support, both online and in person, with her work being viewed and liked by larger fiber artists. She feels lucky to be a part of such a welcoming and helpful community. However, she wishes that there was a club or group on campus that could meet and be able to discuss and do fiber arts together.

other students like as well. She also ensures that these pieces are affordable and accessible.

“A lot of people in my generation really appreciate supporting small businesses and giving back to smaller communities,” Ward said.

Although Ward hasn’t sold too many items, it still gives her a sense of satisfaction seeing that people have liked, saved and shared her posts. She has also received support from other kinds of artists on campus.

“It’s really heartwarming to see somebody else supporting me the way they would want to be supported,” Ward said.

Ward’s favorite part of having made her own page is being able to document and see the progress she’s made over time.

“One of my favorite things after a cou-

shifting focus to the community.

“Equity in the art market is improving, and I am grateful to see this change in my lifetime. I find myself prioritizing that movement,” Kuehn said. She has always had a love for printing and adores seeing works fresh off the press. “It leaves the hand of the printer and goes into the hands of others– it has the power to gather and to form its own community.” Kuehn said.

Now when Kuehn prints she thinks about who will be seeing her work and what connections it will build.

“I feel as though I can now express things that I am uncertain how to express but that I have always known and I have always felt deeply,” Kuehn said.

MSA

“There isn’t as much of a community yet, and I would like to see more of one,” Ward said.

Find Ward on Instagram at @ sammy_creations and visit her Etsy at crochetingbysammy.etsy.com

Email

Provided by Samantha Ward

Continued from page 4

Expressing gratitude for the resources provided by the university to facilitate daily iftar meals, the fast-breaking evening meals, during Ramadan, Jana Bar, the vice president of MSA, expressed hope for additional support regarding halal food options on campus.

“I think the school helps us a lot with resources to be able to make iftar every day. I hope

the school assists us in the future by not only helping MSA but to helping Muslims with their diet, as we are only allowed to eat halal food. There are not many options on campus for halal food except Halal Shack. I’m very grateful for it, but eating it a lot gets tiring,” Bar said.

As the university community continues to celebrate Ramadan, the spirit of unity and support among students remains palpable. All are welcome to share food, prayer and help foster an environment of inclusivity and understanding.

CARDINAL CALENDAR: March 29 - April 5

Tuesday, Apr. 2

Coffee Chronicles: Women’s History Month

Join DEI and Title IX to discuss what Women’s History Month means to you. Coffee and hot cocoa provided.

Flynt Commons fireplace from noon to 1 a.m.

Wednesday, Apr. 3

Teal the Quad

In support of sexual assault survivors, DEI and Title IX are running awareness activities and helpful resources. A Chartwells food truck will be present.

Amitie Plaza from noon to 3 p.m.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

The Page of Pentacles card is about ambition. Stay enthusiastically dedicated and your work will reflect that. Do not forget to have patience with yourself.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

The Three of Cups card represents celebration. You may gather in community this week–cherish it and share your joy.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)

The Knight of Pentacles is about diligence. Just because something may be slow-moving does not mean it is not steady. Responsibility and patience will allow you to achieve your goal.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)

The reversed Lovers card represents disharmony. Relationship issues may arise this week due to misalignment of values or a lack of desire. This card may also be related to issues within the self. Mindfully communicate and reassess your values.

‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller

Come read Madeline Miller’s ‘Circe’ with the Literature Club.

Redcay Honors Center from 7 to 8 p.m.

Children’s Storytime at Plattsburgh Public Library

Volunteers are needed to help with children’s story time at the Public Library. This includes cleaning and interaction with children.

Plattsburgh Public Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday, Apr. 4

this is how we walk on the moon

Directed and conceived by Julia Devine and co-created with students the original theatre piece is theatrically tied to the April 8 eclipse.

Black Box Studio Theatre at 7 p.m.

Friday, Apr. 5

BurghyZone: Sports Merchandise Upcycling

Bring old Plattsburgh merchandise and DIY them into new fits with the Student Association.

Amnesty Room from 6 to 7 p.m.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

The reversed Four of Cups card entails retreat. At this time you may be withdrawn due to your reluctance to open up. It is OK to take time for yourself but be mindful of how this isolation could affect you and others.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

The reversed Temperance card depicts imbalance. You may be making reckless, rushed decisions within your life and struggling with stability. Take control of your impulsive behavior and have moderation.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

The Two of Cups signifies partnership. Look for connections within your life, whether romantic, platonic or work-related, this is a time to build deep, impactful relationships.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)

The reversed Five of Cups card depicts acceptance. Move on from the things that hold you back from peace. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

The Nine of Pentacles card refers to abundance. Your journey to self-reliance and financial independence is finally being rewarded. Treat yourself this week and (mindfully) splurge.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)

The Ten of Cups card symbolizes comfort. Take a moment this week to shed gratitude for all that you have been given, and to yourself for all that you have worked for. Enjoy emotional satisfaction, harmony and joy.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)

The reversed King of Pentacles card refers to greed. The card suggests that you may be becoming obsessed with your status and finances. Quit bragging and have self-discipline with your money, not everything has to be so serious.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20)

The Eight of Wands card entails action. Be decisive and make a move on your longterm goals.

This Week in Photos: Alternative Spring Break

Photos provided by Sophia Sabatini

Fraternity and Sorority Life resumed its Alternative Spring Break program after the COVID-19 pandemic. This year marked the 17th time SUNY Plattsburgh students traveled to the Shack, a community center in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Read more about the eight Greek life members’ community service trip on Page 1.

Theta Gamma brother Jayden Neptune and Nasare sit on the shelves they built under the guidance of Theta Alpha Lambda sister Kristyn Penera, demonstrating their strength.

Delta Sigma Phi brother Rohan Nasare loads his brush with paint.

Penera and Theta Phi Alpha sister Annabella Arriola steady the ladder for Nasare as he prepares to work on the roof.

Arriola, Delta Sigma Phi brother Robert Snekser and Theta Alpha Lambda sister Stella Saarinen sort objects for the Shack’s rummage sale held on the day of the group’s arrival.

Men’s Hockey

Cardinals reflect on season success

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Editor in Chief

Plattsburgh hockey fans have a lot to be excited about. The team is the best it’s been in years, and it has the numbers to back it up.

The Plattsburgh Cardinals men’s hockey team faced a filled Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena — a recorded 2,188 attendees — when it lost to the Cortland Red Dragons 2-3 in overtime of the SUNYAC Championship Final on March 2.

The attendance from that game is the highest total Plattsburgh State has tallied since 2016, when Bob Emery was still head coach.

“It puts into perspective what we’ve been able to do over the last two years,” graduate student forward and captain Adam Tretowicz said.

“That Cortland game is probably the best home atmosphere we’ve ever had since I’ve been here.”

When Steve Moffat was promoted to the position in 2019, he inherited a team that won just 13 games in

back-to-back seasons — the least in a single campaign since 1976-1977, the program’s second season. Moffat’s first season, 2019-20, ended with 10.

Since the canceled 2020-21 season, the Cardinals have amassed a total record of 56-19-7. Plattsburgh won 20 games in 2022-2023 and took home the SUNYAC Championship for the first time since 2017.

This past season, Plattsburgh won 21 games and came just one goal shy of a SUNYAC title and an NCAA tournament berth. In November 2023, the team came in at No. 1 in USCHO.com’s weekly poll.

It was the first time since 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons the Cardinals had back-to-back 20-win seasons and the first time since 2015 the team was ranked no. 1.

In short terms, the program is on the upswing.

“Guys get used to winning. They want to win. Winning becomes a habit,” Moffat said.

The team’s resurgence isn’t because of a major increase in

Softball

talent or a sweeping change in play calls. The 2024 Cardinals were successful because they were closer than ever before.

“I’ve seen it at its lowest and I’m in it at its highest,” senior defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale said. “Honestly, when I first got here, there were a lot of cliques. And this, and the past year, we’ve been super close. If we’re doing something, we’re doing it together.”

Moffat, when he feels the guys are ready, hands the team off to the players.

“The culture is built by the players,” Moffat said. “It’s the players’ team.”

Captains like Tretowicz choose to lead the team by example. They take practice seriously, don’t miss team events and do the right things on and off the ice.

“Our locker room just kind of handled everything. (Moffat) just kind of puts us in the right direction,” Tretowicz said. “I think we did a pretty good job.”

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Editor in Chief

Plattsburgh softball was the best show on campus last spring — it’s been a while since it’s been able to say that. With a drastically different roster, it’s hoping to keep that status.

Softball was the only spring sport to make the playoffs last year. The Cards finished 22-12, earning its best winning percentage, .647, since 2012, when it finished .761 and went to the College World Series.

“I’ve met with players and alumni that have been here, and I’ve heard about the great things

we’ve accomplished,” sophomore catcher Gwen Noll said. “I feel like we’re only on the uprise.”

The team was ultimately bounced in the SUNYAC playoffs in extra innings, 2-4 to Cortland and 2-3 to Oneonta in extra innings, but accomplished things the Cardinals haven’t in years.

During the regular season, Plattsburgh swept Cortland 2-0 for the second time ever and the first time in 17 years.

Last year’s squad also produced the most All-Conference selections, four, by a Plattsburgh team since 2017. Senior catcher Rebec-

Baseball

Cardinals open 2024 with winning streaks

BY JUSTIN RUSHIA Staff Writer

The Plattsburgh State Cardinals baseball team is off to a hot start this spring season and doesn’t look like it plans on cooling down. The Cardinals have won 11 out of its 15 games to open the 2024 campaign.

Coming off a season in which Plattsburgh State was 15-20 and 7-11 in conference games and was eliminated from playoff contention, the Cardinals were hungry for a postseason bid.

Despite postseason appearances in 2022 and 2012, the last time the Cardinals won a SUNYAC playoff game was in 2009.

“We have a great team this year and we have big expectations of making the SUNYAC tournament and going far,” junior pitcher Kolby Mordecki said.

The Cardinals have been getting it done on both sides of the diamond. Plattsburgh State’s offense is currently

ranked fourth in all Division III programs, averaging 11 runs per game. The Cardinals’ pitching and defense have also been on par this season, holding their opponents to under five runs or less eight times.

The Cardinals pitching staff features graduate student Andrew Veit, senior Chris Santic and junior Mordecki.

Mordecki has been throwing gas in the opening stretch, winning SUNYAC Pitcher of the Week March 18. Mordecki picked up his first win of the season, helping the Cardinals to a 9-2 win over The City College of New York on Saturday, March 16. The junior righthander went five scoreless innings for Plattsburgh and allowed just three batters to reach base while striking out seven. It lowered his season ERA to 4.50, as he registered the longest scoreless outing of his career.

ca Diller and sophomore shortstop Claire Palmer were named to the first team and senior outfielders Kristen Langdon and Kristina Maggiacomo were named to the second team.

To this Cardinals team, 2017 seems like a distant past. That’s because nowHead Coach Sam Van Dorn was still playing at Cortland when Plattsburgh last had significant conference recognition.

“When I first got here, things were a little rocky. But now we are implementing a lot of positivity,” Van Dorn said. “We’re really at a good place and where we want to be.”

Van Dorn now enters her fourth season at the helm, looking for her third consecutive playoff berth. Van Dorn will be joined by Jessica Miller, assistant coach, for the third-straight season. Assistant Coach Brad Marshall will not return to his post.

The Cardinals are presented with a challenge this season — its youth. Only one of last year’s conference selections, Palmer, will be returning this year. In fact, its seven first-years outweigh its returning upperclassmen total of six.

BB

SB

high five line mid-game at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.

JAYNE SMITH/Cardinal Points

Adam Wein (3) after a slide last season April 15, 2023.

SOFTBALL

Cards look to build after NCAA loss

BY MICHAEL PURTELL Sports Editor

A rare quarterfinals loss soured what was otherwise a successful season for the Plattsburgh State Cardinals, which finished the inaugural SUNYAC women’s hockey season with the top seed and a conference record of 16-2-0.

The Cardinals’ season came to its conclusion after a 0-5 loss in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals to Middlebury at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena on March 9.

Along with the conference best record, the Plattsburgh State’s women’s hockey program earned several postseason awards highlighting the team’s high level talent.

Plattsburgh State’s Head Coach Kevin Houle and his coaching staff received the SUNYAC’s Coaching Staff of the Year award for leading the Cardinals to the top of the conference.

“It’s a credit to the players – they make us look good,” Assistant Coach Julia Duquette said. “It’s a great honor, but it ultimately goes back to the players and their dedication to the program and hard work throughout the year.”

Graduate student Julia Masotta was recognized as one of the strongest offensive players in the nation, as she was named a finalist for 2023-24 Laura Hurd Award. Masotta finished at the top of the SUNYAC in points with 37, and assists with 24. Her per-game marks in both statistics were fantastic, with her ppg of 1.32 good for 10th and her apg of .86 being ranked at sixth nationally. In addition to her Laura Hurd bid, she was honored with SUNYAC Player of the Year, her second All-Conference selection and an American Hockey Coaches Association All-American first team selection.

The awards were not taken for granted, but Masotta was most proud of being able to play hockey at a high level with the Cardinals through the end of her career.

“A lot of those recognitions are an attribute to my teammates, my linemates and

Women’s hockey MOST

definitely the coaching staff,” Masotta said. “I was able to come to Plattsburgh and, in a way, achieve my dreams by making it to the final four last year and making the NCAA tournament this year.”

Graduate student Kendall Wasik’s excellence represented the nation’s best on the defensive end with her All-American first team selection as a defenseman. She recorded a career high in most counting statistics, including a SUNYACleading +22 plus-minus. Twenty-two was also the number of assists Wasik recorded this season,and she was nationally ranked 10th in assists per game with .79. Her two goals this year were both gamewinners, rounding out her point total on the season to 24. Along with her All-American honors Wasik was selected for the SUNYAC All-Conference

First Team.

“Especially after not being on a team last year, to go from that to the first team is a huge honor. I worked hard and I think my teammates and my coaches really pushed me to be able to reach it,” Wasik said.

Also showing out in her graduate year was Lilla Nease. In goal, Nease led the SUNYAC in win percentage with .771 and goals against average with 1.07. She was also second in the conference for save percentage with .947.

Graduate students Ivy Boric and Tatem Cheney round out the fifth year students leaving the team this year. Boric was awarded with an

All-SUNYAC First Team selection, recording six goals and 14 assists. Her plus-minus rating of +17 was tied for seventh best in the conference.

The graduate students have played their last games in a Cards sweater, leaving large shoes for the team to fill heading into next season, not just on the ice, but as a leader in the locker room as well.

Masotta has specifically been cited by coaches and skaters as a strong leader for this team. Her leading style is modeled after the Cardinals who led her in previous years –specifically 2023 graduate Sara Krauseneck, Masotta said.

Luckily, the team had nine first-years on the roster itching to contribute to winning looking towards their sophomore year.

“Those girls came in and did exactly what we needed them to do. They made an impact right away and the future certainly is bright for them,” Duquette said.

Headlining the Cardinals’ young skaters is first-year Zsofia Pázmándi. Pázmándi was recognized as the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year for her dominant offensive showing throughout the season. Pázmándi’s ROTY campaign was easy to see coming, as she earned five Rookie of the Week awards throughout the season, including a threepeat over the span of Nov. 13 to Nov. 27.

Pázmándi led the conference in goals with 15 and was fourth in total plus/minus with a rating

of +20. She had four games with two goals, and recorded a two-assist game against Buffalo State Jan. 20.

The Cardinals will need to stay sharp in the offseason to continue to compete at the high level the program has through the years. Many opposing programs have continued on their improvements from years passed, and the conference is the toughest it has ever been. This was punctuated by the end of the season, when Cortland was able to knock out the Cardinals for the program’s first NCAA tournament bid.

“For us, we fell short. We have to be somewhat disappointed that we didn’t finish where we wanted to,” Duquette said. “We want to be in contention for a national championship every year. Our goals are lofty here, but that’s our expectation.”

For the Cardinals, the NCAA loss is a motivating force. For a team as successful as Plattsburgh State, motivation may prove dangerous to teams looking to get in the way.

“Next year will be a new team that’s building off of what everyone did this year and building off of the coaches and their success rate,” Wasik said. “Last time we didn’t make the final four was 11 years ago I think, and Houle was the coach. He knows how to bounce back and push the team to be very successful next season.”

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Head Coach Kevin Houle and Assistant Coach Julia Duquette draw up a play for the team during a time out in the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena on Feb. 10.

SOFT

Continued from page 8

Only 10 players from the 2024 team were a Cardinal this time last year. Those seven rookies include infielder Sara Isaacs; catchers Emma Deo and Alyssa Hemingway; pitcher Calli Fitzwater; and outfielders Michelle DeFina, Aislyn Liberty and Leila Toomey.

Four sophomores make their return: infielder/pitcher Megan Pillus, pitcher Morgan Ormerod and catchers Meghan Cox and Noll.

Two juniors, Palmer and infielder Makayla Manalo, are consistent from last year’s team. The Cardinals also welcome two junior transfer pitchers, Carly Gemmett from Hudson Valley Community College and Sarah Milyko from Western Connecticut State University.

Three seniors offer their experience: infielder Kaitlin Smith and outfielders Dolly Garguilo and Dimitra Mouhteros.

Though a small class, this year’s seniors will have a big role in leading the underclassmen in the right direction.

“I am pleasantly surprised with how well they have stepped up to the plate,” Van Dorn said. “They’ve become very good leaders. They do a lot of behind the scenes leadership where I necessarily don’t have to do those things anymore.”

Returning for a fifth year on the diamond will be infielder/pitcher Julia Golino, who Van Dorn has put a lot of trust in.

Deciding to return came down to one thing for Golino: playing.

“I don’t think I was ready to give it up yet,” Golino said. “I still love my team.”

Golino is the last player remaining from her class, which joined the team the same year as Van Dorn’s promotion. Golino is expected to be a major leader while also being a top producer.

“She is our starting pitcher. She’s our go to. She’s our three hitter. She is probably going to be in every inning of every game,” Van Dorn said. “She is definitely an amazing role model.”

Golino has already rubbed off on the newcomers.

“We call her grandma. She’s kind of like everyone’s mom,” Noll said.

The first-years are expected to have roles this season, and they got a good first taste of action last week playing in THE Spring Games. The rookies combined for 68 of the team’s 223 at bats.

“The girls are really acclimating and meshing in really well,” Golino said.

Isaacs recorded six hits, four RBIs and two runs in her 25 trips to the plate. Hemingway, in just

BASE

Continued from page 8

“It felt great. With all the hard work put in during the off-season, it’s definitely a confidence booster going forward,” Mordecki said.

On the offensive end, 16 Cardinals are touting a batting average of over .300. Some of the biggest bats for Plattsburgh this season have been junior Joey Di Rocco, senior infielder Alex Kornblau, and junior Kyle Cremin.

Cremin was honored with a SUNYAC Player of the Week selection March 24. The honor came after Cremin exploded in Plattsburgh’s series against New Paltz.

During Plattsburgh’s spring road trip, Cremin had an incredibly productive performance facing the Hawks, which catapulted a series-opening win for Plattsburgh. In the first three games of the week, Cremin reached base six times and drove in six runs. His performance against the Hawks was

eight at bats, has four hits, a run and an RBI. Deo leads first-years in putouts with 15.

“It’s not easy. You’re going from high school to a whole different atmosphere,” Noll said. “They’re taking their roles seriously and doing a good job.”

Plattsburgh completed a slate of eight games in Clearwater, Florida, last week, returning home 2-6 overall.

The Cardinals defeated Washington and Jefferson College 4-1 on March 17 and Southern Virginia University 10-9 on March 19.

Plattsburgh lost to Framingham State 5-6 on March 17; No. 22 Millikin 0-3 on March 18; Hamilton 4-5 in extra innings March 18; Old Westbury 2-4 on March 19; Wisconsin Eau-Claire 3-4 on March 21 and Ramapo 5-11 on March 21.

Games against No. 14 Tufts and Western New England on March 22 were canceled due to inclement weather.

Noll earned SUNYAC Player of the Week on March 25, marking the team’s first selection since 2021.

Noll recorded 14 hits, five RBIs and eight runs

The week may not have turned out a positive record, but the team is finding positive takeaways from the trip. The Cardinals stayed in a single house in lieu of a hotel, meaning the team was around each other at all times.

“You’re with your teammates for nine days straight. You’re doing everything together,” Noll said. “It makes you have a closer relationship on and off the field.”

The team played significant outof-conference competition, facing ranked talent for the first time this season. With overall record not being a major contributing factor in the playoff picture, this week was a chance to play everyone and try things out.

“Our strength of schedule really brought out the best in them. We

outstanding, with seven hits in 13 at-bats, 10 RBIs and three home runs over three games. In the series rubber match, he homered twice, drove in seven runs, scored three times and even stole a base. Cremin’s performance in the series also marked his 100th career hit, making him the 20th member of the club in program history.

“I want to stay consistent and try to do my job as a hitter to help the team win games,” Cremin said.

The Cardinals also attributed great team chemistry to its earlyon success this season.

Being close on and off the field has allowed the Cardinals a great advantage on the diamond this year, as a majority of this year’s team was part of Plattsburgh’s playoff push in 2022.

“The dynamic this year is like a brotherhood or a family,” graduate student Conner Gonzalski said.

“We have been through a lot together and have only grown closer throughout the years.”

played a lot of strong competition and it enlightened them a little bit with how good they truly are,” Van Dorn said. “This week was definitely eye-opening. We are definitely better than we thought.

Plattsburgh plans to play six two-game out-of-conference doubleheaders this season: against Skidmore in Saratoga, New York, on March 30; Canton in Plattsburgh’s home opener April 2; St. Lawrence in Canton, New York, on April 9; VSU-Castleton, Vermont, on April 17; Saint Michael’s at home April 24 and Clarkson at home April 30.

The Cardinals will play a doubleheader against each SUNYAC team this season. This season will mark the final regular season series against Geneseo and Brockport, as both will depart for the Empire 8 after this academic year. Geneseo has won four of the last five SUNYAC Championships, including a current streak of three.

Canton and Morrisville will join the SUNYAC next season.

Whether this is its season to win it all or not, the program is headed in the right direction. Van Dorn and the Cardinals have set a precedent for playoffs and going toe-to-toe with the best. High standards are the result of high success.

“We want to be a team that gets to the top of the conference,” Van Dorn said. “We’ve done a lot of work over the last few years on building that and now we want that to be a recurring thing every single year.”

At the end of the day, it comes down to results on the diamond. When the players have bought into a coach, they play to their ceilings.

“Plattsburgh has always come from an underdog perspective. Being the team to look out for is really cool,” Golino said. “I’m really excited to compete with this new group of girls.”

Email COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

This season, Plattsburgh has a bigger freshman and transfer class than it is used to. Having the extra depth the Cardinals haven’t had in the past is a key element to the team’s success. Having extra depth has built motivation and allowed the players to sharpen their skills in practice by having more people challenge them for each position, Moredecki said.

The first step in achieving the Cardinals playoff goals is to obtain a top four seed in the SUNYAC conference. In order to make that happen, who will have to improve its record

against conference titans like Cortland, Oneonta and Brockport, which swept Plattsburgh last season.

“We came into this season with one plan: take home the SUNYAC trophy,” Gonzalski said.

Coming up next, the Cardinals will have a chance to prove themselves against one of their conference’s strongest opponents, Cortland. The three game series will take place Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30.

Email JUSTIN RUSHIA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

BB + SB - Softball graduate student Julia Golino and Baseball junior Kyle Cremin both surpassed the 100-hit mark recently.

26

WLAX - Cynthia Barnosky has 26 of the team’s 72 points. That’s more than onethird of the total points (36%).

3

MLAX - The 2OT loss to New England is the third overtime game since the canceled 2020 season. Cards are 0-3 since.

9

BB - Nine of the Cardinals’ 11 wins were by five or more runs, including three wins by at least double digits.

ASK AN ATHLETE 100

ANTHONY FABER lacrosse, attacker

From your perspective, how impactful was a coaching change on the dynamic of the team?

“In my opinion, the change in coaching only brought us closer as a group... we were fortunate enough to have a senior class last year whose main focus was to bring the team together.”

If you could pitch anything to Shark Tank what would it be?

“My shark tank pitch would be ‘The Sock Chip.’ The sock chip would have a microchip that would allow you track your lost socks with an app on your phone.”

What’s your least favorite practice drill and why?

“In reality though, all the drills are my favorite because I’m given the opportunity to play the sport I love with my best friends for two hours everyday.”

If you woke up in a Freaky Friday situation with any other Plattsburgh state athlete, who would be the most fun to swap with?

“Kyle Ruland... He has the opportunity to not only lock kids down on defense, but also push the ball in transition and score goals for us on offense.”

Provided by Emma Deo

Claire Palmer participated in a fielding drill in Clearwater, Florida, March 16.

JAYNE SMITH/Cardinal Points

Kyle Cremin vs. the New Paltz Hawks April 11, 2023.

Club fishing’s senior duo is off the hook

BY JUSTIN RUSHIA Staff Writer

Plattsburgh State Athletics is typically defined by its thrilling ice hockey games and Division III matches.

What the average Plattsburgh State fan might not consider is the many club sports hosted on campus, such as the sport fishing team.

Plattsburgh State’s fishing team has just two active members this year: senior and team president Cody Peryea and senior Bennett Stockdale.

Peryea is from Altona, New York, about a 20-minute drive north of Plattsburgh. He first got into fishing when he was 3 years old. Peryea credits his dad for this early obsession with the sport.

“My dad is the biggest influence on me when it comes to anything outdoors,” Peryea said.

Peryea spent his first two years at Plattsburgh playing for the baseball team alongside the fishing team. However, Peryea couldn’t participate in any of the tournaments due to his baseball requirements and the overlap between baseball and fishing season in the fall. His passion for fishing was still there – he fished anywhere he could.

During his junior year, Peryea decided to stop playing baseball. The extra time allowed him to take fishing more seriously and give the team his full focus in the fall.

Being a full-time member of the club has

MHKY

Continued from page 8

led Peryea to take up a new responsibility.

Before Peryea’s senior year, the former club president needed to let someone else take over the club with graduation on the horizon. He saw Peryea’s talent and gave him the position.

Peryea was hesitant at first to accept the responsibility of being the club’s president. Not having much experience competing, he didn’t believe he was exactly ready to take up the role.

“I was like, OK, cool, dude, this is not really what I want to do. Like, I’ll be the president, whatever,” Peryea said.

Now comfortable with competing, Peryea has embraced his role as club president and hasn’t looked back since.

Stockdale was one of the best Plattsburgh State hockey team players, earning CCM/AHCA

Third Team All-American honors. The senior hockey player and fisherman even signed a professional contract with the Maine Mariners in the ECHL. Stockdale will finish out his degree at Plattsburgh while simultaneously playing for the Mariners.

Stockdale, the only other member signed up for the team this year, was raised a big fisherman himself. Growing up in Ottawa, Ontario, Stockdale started fishing at a young age. Similar to Peryea, his family were the ones who sparked his ambition. Stockdale and his family would go up to their family cottage

The tight-knit nature of the team has directly impacted success — guys communicate better on the ice, stand up for one another and push each other to do their best.

Tretowicz played his last game for Plattsburgh in the Championship Final. Both he and captain defenseman Ryan Hogg, graduate students, no longer have eligibility to return.

Senior forward Bennett Stockdale, CCM/AHCA All-American, forwent a graduate year in favor of signing with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL. Stockdale was an alternate captain and led the team in scoring with 19 goals, 17 assists and 36 total points.

The future is currently unclear for four senior forwards: alternate captain Paul Bryer, Ryan Butler, Thomas Maia and Trey Thomas.

The Cardinals got good news days after its season ended when WeaverVitale announced he would be returning for a graduate season. Extra continuity among upperclassmen will provide added structure for what is expected to be a larger incoming class.

“I remember being that kid. It feels like a couple weeks ago,” Weaver-Vitale said. “If you do get the pat on the shoulder to go out in a certain situation, run with it.”

Weaver-Vitale missed multiple games in January with an injury. His time on the bench gave him a new perspective on the game.

“I was helping my teammates in ways that were new to me,” Weaver-Vitale said. “I think that by coming back, and having one more year, we still have a chance to make a push.”

often, allowing them to have an ample amount of time fishing.

Every season, the fishing team participated in the New York – the Bass Fishing tournament qualifier trail and the Collegiate Challenge Cup, where they competed against some of the best schools in the nation for the chance to fish in the Cabela’s National Championship.

To prepare for the competitions, fishermen usually scout the area ahead of time to find the

Not accounting for any major shakeups, next year’s junior class will include forwards Jagger Benson, Luk Jirousek and Jake Lanyi; defensemen Ryan Poorman and Jack Ring; and goaltender Jacob Hearne.

“There’ll be a lot of good seniors next year,” Tretowicz said. “They’re in good hands. I think we’ve kind of shown them the way.”

Moffat said recruiting has focused on forwards, given the positional makeup of the departing seniors. The team is about halfway done with the process.

“We’re hopefully inching toward finalizing that class, but it’s certainly a big class,” Moffat said. “We might have a little bit different look, as far as a team, especially early on in the year.”

If last year’s class is any indication of this year’s, it’ll be promising.

The 2023 class contributed 39 of the team’s 300 points last season. The first-years were highlighted by forward Tio D’Addario, who took home SUNYAC Rookie of the Year with 10 goals and 13 assists.

The team also got two commits from other Division III schools — Lonan Bulger from Hobart and Ryan Poorman from Norwich. The defensemen combined for 17 points on the blue line.

The transfer portal could bring some needed experience from outside — something that’s been crucial in building the current core. Butler was a transfer from Adrian in 2022 and Stockdale came from Division I Alabama-Huntsville in 2021.

Conference rivals Geneseo and Brockport announced last August that the 2023-24 year would be their last in the SUNYAC.

All their sports will soon compete in the Empire 8, with the exception of men’s and women’s hockey, which are moving to the United College Hockey Conference. Canton will join the

best spots to be during the tournament. The tournament typically starts early, around 7 a.m. From here, the fishermen put their boats in the water and can fish until about 3 p.m. At the end of the tournament, each team weighs its five largest fish, and whichever team has the heaviest fish wins the competition, Peryea said. “Every time when I roll up to a tournament in the morning and they see me put in my boat, I want people to be like, oh shit,” Peryea said.

This past fall, the fishing team competed in the NYTBF collegiate qualifier tournament against some of the best collegiate fishing teams in the area. Peryea and Stockdale took a trip down to Lake George, put their boat in the water and started fishing.

Fishing means a lot to both members of the club, leaking into more aspects of their lives than just their on campus clubs.

Peryea stayed with a friend who lived on Lake George during the

summertime. Being on the water allowed him to scout and learn the areas where the best fish are on the lake.

Peryea’s scouting gave him and Stockdale an edge over their competitors, eventually leading them to win and qualify for the next tournament.

“We had a great day on the water. We were dominant,” Stockdale said.

SUNYAC in Geneseo and Brockport’s place.

These changes pose a challenge for Plattsburgh, as its conference strength of schedule will undoubtedly take a hit. Geneseo has been a staunch competitor, winning five of the last eight SUNYAC titles and giving Plattsburgh two ranked games last season.

The Cardinals played just two out-ofconference ranked games last year, both against Norwich. Plattsburgh will need to face strong non-conference opponents next year in respect to Pairwise ranking.

The timing of the SUNYAC changes and Plattsburgh’s location have made it difficult to work around other program’s set schedules and convince teams to travel to the North Country.

“You can’t be super picky,” Moffat said. “But we’re happy with the schedule we have.”

The Cardinals are slated to face Norwich just once, the University of New England,

Wentworth, Wilkes, Middlebury, Marian and Plymouth State.

No matter who the Cardinals play or who is on the roster, the program is just as hungry to win and prove itself as last season.

Cardinal Country is bigger than it has been in past years and it undoubtedly helped to make the 2024 SUNYAC Championship a classic.

“I appreciate all the fans we’ve had, from the college kids to the local fan base, especially during the last game,” Moffat said. “It was an amazing atmosphere and hopefully we can build on that and make that student presence an every night occurrence.”

Students and locals won’t be the only ones in the crowd.

“I look forward to coming back to watch them,” Tretowicz said.

Provided by Cody Peryea

Cody Peryea (left) and Bennett Stockdale (right) showing off their catches after the NYTBF event last year.

COLLIN

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Students share their EOP experiences

BY VICTORIA CAMPBELL Staff Writer

The transition into college can be difficult and overwhelming to some, as students leave home and begin to step into adulthood. This change may be more difficult for some students, who need more help navigating this new environment.

This is where The Educational Opportunity Program at SUNY Plattsburgh comes in. They specialize in providing academic, financial and personal support to students in New York who have the potential to do well and earn a college degree.

EOP enables students to come to campus early, participate in the program and build those connections.

According to the SUNY Plattsburgh website, the program has been helping students reach their career and academic goals for more than 50 years.

EOP aims to encourage young students who may or may not have been admitted otherwise to start college.

EOP not only helps financially but also provides academic assistance when needed. It can also offer scholarships if one succeeds in the six-week summer program.

These six weeks are designed to help students in the program become acclimated to a college environment. It helps those involved become familiar with the campus, faculty and how college is structured.

The Educational Opportunity Program helps students receive academic, career and personal counseling and supplemental instruction. The program also helps with non-tuition expenses such as books and supplies.

Kaliyah Green, a junior at SUNY Plattsburgh, learned about EOP when applying for financial aid.

The chance to be a part of EOP depends on several factors.

“When applying for colleges, when you do financial aid, you find out if you qualify,” Green said. “Not everyone can just join.” Green however, did not have a typical EOP experience, and could not fully complete the six-week program in person.

“I did it during COVID, so the summer program was through Zoom, and I took some summer courses,” Green said.

Overall, Green sees the benefits and the helpful resources she continues to get through the EOP program. As a junior, she continues to get services and help when needed.

“While my experience was different due to COVID, anytime I needed help with a grade if it was incorrect or I needed to hand something in, EOP helps,” Green said.

Khalil Estime, a sophomore at SUNY Platts-

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

burgh, had the whole experience before the semester started and did the six-week program for EOP.

Estime found EOP through college counselors in high school, and the program was recommended to him, so he applied.

“I enjoyed EOP thoroughly, and it was a great experience and opportunity to make friends with people I’ll know for a lifetime,” Estime said.

College can be a nerve-wracking experience before coming, and for Estime, EOP helped expose him to college before the semester started.

“It was a very new yet welcoming environment, not only the school but also advisors and TCs, and how willing they were to make sure we knew what we needed to know,” Estime said.

Food for thought: Eating healthy in college

BY NADIA PASCHAL Opinions Editor

Students lead a busy life moving from one class to another and trying to balance all their academic responsibilities.

Add the stress of juggling their personal life, getting enough sleep and even working part time, students have a lot on their plates. But what is actually going on their plates?

With loaded schedules, many don’t have time to cook meals at home or eat a nutritious balanced meal. Students often turn to the several dining halls on campus, or will stop by a fast food restaurant on their way home.

Violet Mueller, a nutrition major who also has chemistry and personal training minors, puts a lot of thought into what she eats each day.

Mueller also serves as the social media manager for the Student Nutrition Association.

Mueller said she does turn to the dining halls quite a bit during the week, because they are quick and easy to access.

“It’s convenient. It’s also just the idea of not spending real money,” Mueller said.

Some students pay for the entirety of college out

of pocket, and the costs pile up quickly. According to Debt.org, college students collectively spend about $11 billion per year on snacks, beverages and fast food.

Although it may seem cheap in the moment and easy to wave away, the price of these meals can add up fast.

A study done at Baylor University found that about 49% of students ate fast food meals two to four times a week.

We all are aware of the effects that these kinds of restaurants have on our bodies and health, so students instead opt to go to dining halls.

With an already paid for meal plan and a seemingly large variety of items to choose from, many believe that this is the healthier choice.

“I feel like they try to (offer more nutritious meals). However, just being a small school we’re not going to get the universal experience of a (larger) DI school,” Mueller said. “For a smaller school, it’s enough.”

For those who do want to start eating in a way that is more budget friendly and sustainable, there are many stores to choose from in the area.

The movie “The Blackening” is a horror and comedy movie following a group of college friends returning for a reunion. This movie has gems like star of HBO’s “Insecure” Yvonne Orji and Dewayne Perkins, who originally created this comedy sketch.

It’s a play on how usually in predominantly white horror films, the first person to die is the movie’s only black character. The movie’s premise is literally “They Can’t All Die First,” which is honestly hilarious, coming from a Black woman.

The movie takes off in the forest with Morgan (Orji) and her boyfriend Shawn (Jay Pharoah) exploring the cabin they rented out for their friends. While exploring the basement of the cabin, they find a board game called “The Blackening” with a face in the middle wearing Blackface.

While Shawn and Morgan are uncomfortable by this, the game starts speaking to them and provoking them to play. The game revolves around figuring out who the “Blackest” person is, allowing them to win.

But when Shawn and Morgan can’t answer the first question fully-“Name a Black character who survived a horror movie.”-they end up being killed.

When the rest of the six friends arrive at the cabin, they search for Morgan and Shawn and come across the board game and decide to play.

The questions create a chaotic atmosphere, the main objective being to “eliminate the person you deem as ‘the most Black’ which begins to uncover all of the stereotypes and signifiers of being a Black person.

hell, but my legs work fine, I can run.”

This horror movie definitely has more jokes than jump scares. Personally, I think they crack a lot of fun with our modern-day horror movies. If a character gets stabbed in their arm, they’re automatically out of running and can’t walk the rest of the movie, leading them to be killed easily.

King (Melvin Gregg) gets shot in the shoulder with an arrow, twice.

And even when it’s time to do the legendarily-stupid “character-split-up,” he says “I got shot twice, in the same hole. It hurts like

Some of these were funny, like Perkins’ character explaining how he is exempt from the game because he’s going to need therapy after this traumatizing experience, and says: “Did you just hear what I said? Black people don’t do therapy!”

Between that and the overly-nosy police officer named Mr. White snooping around their cabin, this film uncovers how ludicrous some stereotypes can be.

This film almost has the same undertones as the show “The Boondocks” because it takes control of the narrative and owns it.

This film redefines characteristics and perspectives and doesn’t take away from the lighthearted fun during the movie.

Films like this are needed in the film industry. From when theaters became a thing, and acting in them

became a serious job, Black people usually aren’t given any huge roles, such as that of the main character. Usually if they are in a form of media, they die or don’t get that much development.

But it’s a very special thing that we are now developing horror, drama and philosophical movies with an all-Black cast, like “Candyman,” “Us,” or “The American Society of Magical Negroes.” It shows that we are multidimensional, and just as special to develop as other castmates and actors.

Estime knew it was somewhat limited, but the program still provides many more resources than the average student to get a headstart.

EOP can provide benefits not just in academics, but in one’s social life as well, and for Estime, he was able to make friendships that will last a lifetime.

“I can never be ungrateful for the experience, in general, things related to school: like comput-

ers, money tutoring, advising, and much more,” said Estime. EOP can help with all of those areas, and it was beneficial for him in that sense. Not only do EOP students experience the benefits or the weaknesses of the program, but so do the tutors and counselors, most being students themselves.

While some students such as Green completed those six weeks online, in person can be a different experience.

Addhyan Kohli, a former tutor and counselor at EOP, had an experience that shed light on the six-

week program. “My experience was pretty exhausting, the duties were vague and extremely time-consuming,” Kohli said. Grading, tutoring, tabling, tour guides, excursions and CA desk duties took up much of Kohli’s time.

“Out of the six weeks I worked, I worked roughly 36 to 40 hours a week,” Kohli said. “We were told about our jobs, but the additional duties were vague.”

The vague guidelines given and numerous responsibilities can become exhausting EOP is there to help benefit students, but

the experience was the complete opposite for some students and tutors.

“I would not recommend either. Being a tutor was mentally exhausting, it was extremely restrictive for students, and there was no limit to how much we had to work,” Kohli said. Students had limitations and a curfew, a false sense of reality in college.

“The experience of EOP gives an opposite perspective of what college is; college is not like that,” said Kohli.

“That is not normal and personal. College students are too old for that, and it can be belittling, especially at 17 or 18,” said Kohli.

SUNY Plattsburgh’s EOP program will continue to make a difference in students’ lives, regardless if students enjoy it or have a different view.

The experience and qualifications it can offer can make a difference.

Some of the jobs for coworkers were to watch students’ food portions and how much they had on their plates while eating.

Target, Walmart, Aldi and even the North Country Food Co-op downtown.

Although prices differ, the products are mostly the same. Students can choose according to their budgets and dietary needs, and save money by

buying products that can make multiple meals and last the whole week instead of just one sitting.

“Stick to the basics. Have a protein, have a carb and a healthy saturated fat... Just kind of fulfilling foods that can fuel us in our studies,” Mueller said.

Even if you cut down on fast food a few times a

week, it will make a difference on both your health and your wallet.

It may not be as easy, but it’s important to try to implement as many healthy habits as possible while in college.

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