FRIDAY, APRIL 18
SPRING 2025 | ISSUE 8
WHAT’S INSIDE:
A&C
SPORTS
Plattsburgh artist shares manga inspirations, art
OPINION
MLAX wins first A star’s trip to the SUNYAC game in stars sends the over 700 days wrong message.
Illustration by JAYNE SMITH/Cardinal Points
International student’s visa revoked BY MICHAEL PURTELL Editor in Chief
A SUNY Plattsburgh student is facing sudden deportation due to recent changes to federal legislation by President Donald Trump. The federal government has made changes to the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System, leading to students nationwide losing access to their visas. An unidentified Plattsburgh student had their visa revoked, and has been given a date to leave the United States. The student will need to reapply for their student visa in order to reenter the country. “My concern is for the student that’s been impacted,” SUNY Plattsburgh President Dr. Alexander Enyedi said. “Our focus has been 100% on supporting that student, providing them the best possible guidance and advice, but also providing them follow-up care on campus and pointing them in the direction of how they can actually resolve and figure out what their next steps are. We will work on this one student at a time.” Reports of unexpected changes to student visas have come from colleges and universities across the nation. SUNY
Chancellor John B. King Jr. said the cases have SUNY “very concerned.” “We have had students have their visas revoked across the student system,” King said. “This is something you’re seeing across higher ed institutions around the country. The real worry is that the United States has had this incredible asset of a higher education system that attracts the best talent from around the world, and it has helped to drive innovation in our economy. It’s helped to build many of the great companies of today who benefited from the academic work and research done on our campuses by students who are international students. So it’s very worrisome that we’re seeing this backsliding from our commitment to serving international students.” Plattsburgh is currently the host of around 80 international students, according to King. The school wrote in a campus-wide email that it is currently helping students on visas assess their individual needs, and is working with the New York State Office for New Americans to keep information for students up to date and offer legal counsel. This support system is available across SUNY campuses and includes personal support as well as legal, King said. “Yeah, so we’re working closely with
the students to provide them with support in various ways. For some students, it’s mental health support because this is a very traumatic disruption to their vision for their own education. It’s academic support to help them figure out how to navigate given their changed immigration status,” King said. “it’s very difficult for students, and I’m very worried for the students who are experiencing these disruptions, and again, worried about the impact this will have on the American higher education sector and the American economy.” Future students may also be impacted by the changes to SEVIS, and may be pushed to reconsider pursuing their studies in America. “We want to be the place where people around the world want to come to contribute to research and innovation economy, and we don’t want them to feel discouraged. I’m worried about potential decline in applications from international students, which would be a shame. It would reduce the quality of academic experience for all students.” The changes to SEVIS come alongside the federal government’s crackdown on DEI programs, defined as “forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs,” by the whitehouse.gov website.
SUNY remains steadfast in its support of its DEI offices, King said. “It’s in our enabling statute. More than 75 years ago when SUNY was created, it was created with the intention to serve all New Yorkers, all segments of New York and to provide, in the words of the statute, ‘the broadest possible access.’ The very principles of diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded in our enabling statute. We’re committed to that,” King said. “We also comply with all laws and court orders, and we’ll continue to do so. You know, there’s litigation happening now around some of the directives that have been issued by the administration, we’re very confident that everything we’re doing at SUNY is consistent with the law.” While SUNY’s hands are tied by federal law, trust is placed in the judicial and legislative branches to aid universities. “I hope that the courts will step in,” King said. “I also hope Congress will step in to ensure that the United States can continue to be a beacon of higher education for the world.” Email MICHAEL PURTELL cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Chancellor visits to celebrate CCC move BY MICHAEL PURTELL Editor in Chief
The historic move of Clinton Community College onto SUNY Plattsburgh’s campus reached a new milestone. SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. joined SUNY Plattsburgh President Alexander Enyedi, Administrator in Charge of Clinton Community College Ken Knelly and President and COO at CVPH Michelle LeBeau to sign ceremonial agreements to mark the move as official April 16. “The finances have been stabilized, a new building has been identified and prepared for the Fall, the work of the accreditors who really saved the accreditation of that campus,” King said. “So today is really a celebration, an opportunity to say thank you to all the community leaders who stepped up, and we’re very excited that this fall we’re going to see a new, revitalized Clinton Community College here on the Plattsburgh campus.” The first-of-its-kind move will redefine the relationship SUNY schools have with their local community colleges,
MICHAEL PURTELL/Cardinal Points
SUNY Plattsburgh President Alexander Enyedi,SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., Administrator in Charge of Clinton Community College Ken Knelly and President and COO at CVPH Michelle LeBeau pose with their signed agreements at the press conference April 15. strengthening the already strong bonds usually shared by the schools. “This will be the first time that we have a community college physically located on the campus at one of our four year institutions, but close collaboration is not uncommon,” King said. “And in fact, Plattsburgh has a very close partnership
with Adirondack Community College, for example.” The new bond between Plattsburgh and Clinton will help both institutions support their student bodies in a revolutionary way. “This is a model of saying we’re going to put students first. We’re going to make sure that we take the steps
necessary to protect the student experience,” King said. “Students at Clinton Community College are going to have access to more resources and more opportunities because of this move.” Knelly said he believes the move will be good for the greater Plattsburgh community as well. Most CCC students
are commuters as the college hosts no dorms, so bringing them closer to the city will benefit both parties. “I think it’s going to be real positive for the community too, because you’re adding all those employees, you’re adding all those students who are going to be circling in the community, whether it’s going down to Zuke’s, downtown, or something like that,” Knelly said. “ It’s just going to help bring that life on campus aspect.” The move will also help bolster the local CVPH hospital, as Knelly and LeBeau discussed how CVPH will welcome in the nursing students of CCC as a part of the move. “The nursing program has a long history in this community,” Knelly said. “It’s critical to the community, the pipeline of nurses.” Plattsburgh’s is not anticipating any strain on existing structure, namely dining and residential, that incoming CCC students may rely on, due to the commuter nature of most current CCC students, Enyedi said.
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