WHAT’S INSIDE:
FRIDAY, NOV. 13
Fall 2026 | ISSUE 9
A&C
Opinion
Photo Page
Cardinal Creative: Avalisa Peters
‘Wicker’ Review
Mens Soccer
Women’s Volleyball season ends BY DAWNISHA FRANKLIN Athletic Communications
Coming off their upset over fifth-seeded Alfred State, the eighth-seeded Plattsburgh State women’s volleyball team traveled to fourth-seeded Morrisville for a State University of New York Athletic Conference, SUNYAC, Tournament second-round matchup Thursday night. The Cardinals took the opening set before the Mustangs responded by winning the next two. Plattsburgh battled back to force a fifth set, but Morrisville ultimately secured a 3-2 victory, bringing the Cardinals’ season to a close. Senior outside hitter Liya Girma paced Plattsburgh with 14 kills and 10 digs for a double-double, along with three service aces. The Cardinals finished with a 9-7 advantage in service aces. Senior opposite hitter Darby Collyear followed with nine kills, 10 digs and four blocks as Plattsburgh held a 9-6 edge at the net. Sophomore Emily O’Brien directed the offense with a game-high 33 assists and added 10 digs for a double-double. Senior libero KC Burke contributed eight digs and three service aces. For the Mustangs, Isabelle Eskierka led all players with a
game-high 28 kills, while Keely Shearer recorded a game-high 25 assists. Kylie Hutchinson anchored the defense with a game-high 18 digs as Morrisville finished with a 63-48 advantage in the category. Despite Morrisville scoring the first points, Plattsburgh quickly took control with a 4-0 burst led by Collyear, who contributed three points to give the Cardinals a 6-3 lead. The offense continued to find its rhythm, adding three unanswered points capped by a Burke service ace to extend the advantage to 15-10. An Anderson kill pushed Plattsburgh ahead 19-12, but Morrisville battled back to cut the deficit to 23-21. The Cardinals answered by scoring the next two points, with a combined block from Brooke Anderson and Girma sealing the 25-21 set win. Plattsburgh had a slower start in the second set, trailing 16-8 after a Girma kill off an O’Brien assist. The Cardinals were unable to string together a scoring run, and a 5-0 Morrisville surge put the set out of reach at 22-9. The Mustangs went on to take the set, 25-11. Morrisville held an early lead in the third set before a 3-0 Plattsburgh burst, featur-
Photo by Emma Deo
Women’s volleyball huddles during their last match Nov. 12. ing two O’Brien kills, gave the Cardinals their first advantage at 11-10. The teams continued to trade points, staying within one of each other until the Mustangs pulled ahead 24-21. Augustina White delivered a kill to halt Morrisville’s momentum, but the Mustangs scored the next point to close out the set, 25-22. The fourth set featured several momentum swings as Plattsburgh fought to extend the match. The Cardinals jumped out to a 10-4 lead following a 3-0 surge sparked by a Girma kill. A White kill followed by a Burke service ace helped extend the advantage to 17-11. Morrisville responded with a strong push of its own, eventually taking a 20-19 lead. The teams continued to battle, reaching a 26-26 deadlock after
another Girma kill. Plattsburgh then scored the next two points to claim the set, 28-26, and force a deciding fifth set. Morrisville controlled the start of the fifth set, building a 6-4 lead after a Girma kill. Plattsburgh rallied to pull within one at 8-7, but the Mustangs answered by extending their advantage to 11-7. The Cardinals couldn’t put together another scoring run, and although Collyear added a late kill, Morrisville closed out the set, 15-10, to secure the match victory. With the loss, Plattsburgh concludes its season with a 14-15 overall record, marking the program’s best finish since 2013. Email DAWNISHA FRANKLIN dfran027@plattsburgh.edu
‘Wicker’ a strange bundle of love and jealousy BY CHRISTIAN TUFINO Staff Writer
Rom-coms have a reputation of being grossly tied to perpetuating patriarchal narratives of love and dating. “The Wicker” looks these standards and social norms in the face and shows a love that transcends barriers and transforms people, for better or worse. Synopsis The film is set in a non-specific 17 century town where everyone is identified with their trade as opposed to their names. We follow Olivia Colman as the Fisherwoman, a widowed, middle-aged, fiercely independent woman who asks the Basket Weaver, played by Peter Dinklage, to make her a husband. Dinklage’s character laughs at the idea of marriage, despite the importance people of the village have toward it, but regardless makes him. The Wicker Husband, played by Alexander Skarsgård, is brought into the world to serve as the Fisherwoman’s wife, but learns what love is through her love for him. This tender and compassionate love juxtaposes the toxic, heavily patriarchal marriages that are normal and celebrated in the village. While the Fisherwomans’ and Wicker Husbands’ love grows, the sight of what could be leaves many of the wives of the villages looking for more out of their unfulfilling relationships. The husbands of the disgruntled wives become resentful of the Wicker Husband for raising the standard. Through a series of rumors
Via TMDB “Wicker” movie poster.
and festering relationship issues, the villagers begin to unravel from the idealized versions of themselves and their relationships. Review Directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson come together again to present a both raunchy fantasy and a beautiful social commentary regarding social roles, dating and marriage. Colman and Skarsgård take these unnamed characters with few lines of background and turn them into aspects of ourselves. They’re able to capture the tenderness, vulnerability, passion
and even ridiculousness of love in every scene they’re in together. Dinklage brings his witty and snarky personality into this role as he always does and serves as a refreshing checkpoint whenever he appears in the film. Elizabeth Debicki as the Tailor’s Wife plays the ultra-conservative antagonist well and embraces her character’s hypocritical and absurd traits. Debicki’s marriage is characterized by her husband’s constant undermining of her contributions to their joint business. She is constantly praised for her beauty that people strive for but isn’t acknowledged for any of her other qualities. This unhappiness paired with her attempt to try and keep up the status quo of the good wife slowly starts to unmask the calm and high-strung persona she’s kept up. This film also breaks away from the grand-gesture trope that most rom-coms abide by. The small gestures of care and genuine consideration the characters have for each other breaks the patriarchal and fantasized standards of love in rom-coms. The symbolism and subtle but intentional writing decisions turn this romcom into a wonderfully clever and raunchy social critique that I’d give a four and a half to five stars.
Email CHRISTIAN TUFINO cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
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News Editor Grant Terwilliger
OPINION
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
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Connections By Anya Kern
Answers on Back page
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FRIDAY, NOV. 13, 2026
Cardinal Creative: Avalisa Peters
Peters transforms family bonds into creative masterpieces BY ADAM BLANCHARD Managing Editor
SUNY Plattsburgh Art Major Avalisa Peters expresses her love for her family through her paintings and photographs. Growing up in Crown Point, New York, her art journey began casual, but became more serious in college. Peters picked up photography, her concentration, as a hobby at first, snapping pictures with her phone. After playing with the medium more, she began looking at subjects closer and taking photos that captured smaller details. “Having the ability to do it without being taught kind of drove me towards doing that in college,” Peters said. Peters said she has always been interested in film photography, something she was excited about at SUNY Plattsburgh. Peters leans toward portraiture when choosing subjects in both photography and painting. She often leaves little background around the subject in her work in an effort to draw more attention to the subject itself. “I think people are fascinating enough that they don’t need to be surrounded by anything to really explain them,” Peters said. Peters’ current series in both painting
Adam Blanchard/Cardinal Points Avalisa Peters beside her film photo, “The Cello Player” in the Myers Lobby Gallery.
and photography focuses on her family. Peters said she made the choice because she is family oriented and has a large family that makes for easy subjects. Her photography series is aimed toward her grandparents and parents, capturing their interests and personalities. Peters’ painting series follows the same gist, but excludes family mem-
bers that are already being done in her photography series. When creating photos, Peters does little to prepare. After getting her ideas down on paper, Peters finds an appropriate scene, poses her subjects and takes a photo. Peters prefers to make her photos black and white during the post-processing phase. When working
▪ Arts & Culture Editor Adam Blanchard outside of black and white, Peters tries to limit herself to two hues. Peters considers her painting methods unorthodox. Once she figures out a subject she’s painting, Peters puts a base sketch down on her canvas. Next, she starts underpainting, a process where dark values are applied where shadows will be seen in the finished image. Then, Peters adds words onto the canvas in or-
ARTS & CULTURE der to give herself some guidance in how she wants the piece to turn out. This semester, Peters has two art pieces in the Myers Lobby Gallery. Peters has a self-portrait painting in the lobby and a film photo titled, “The Cello Player,” which was also submitted to the Best of SUNY exhibition. After graduating next fall, Peters hopes to attend Russell Sage College
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
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in Troy for a master’s degree in art education. Peters said she would like to become a high school art teacher in the future.
Email ADAM BLANCHARD cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
BY GRYPHON AKRIDGE-PHILLIPS STAFF WRITER
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
A meeting or confrontation may require you to use subtle intuition to sort truth from lies. Your financial situation is changing for the better. Material well-being and safety build a strong base.
Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)
Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)
Libra (Sept. 23 – Gemini (May 21 Important news Oct. 22) – June 20) may be coming your way, this is a time of rapid movement.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
You are balancing many things at once. If needed, step back and gain perspective on the load you are carrying, it may be overburdening.
Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)
There may be news of a new job, location or experience you will gain on the way. A new home, job or relationship may come to fruition. You may receive unexpected help with a problem.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)
Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)
Past efforts directed towards change may allow you to don a new role.
You may have control over a difficult situation now, however this control could quickly disappear. There is a call for discretion and diplomacy.
Good news concern- Aquarius (Jan. 20 Take action in – Feb. 18) ing money is on the putting ideas and way. Pay attention to plans into motion, messages from your ventures may be dreams. more successful than previously hoped. An important message will soon come to you in a dream or an unexpected event. Courage is needed to win through opposition.
Pisces (Feb. 19 – Hard work will bring March 20) you satisfaction.
6 ▪ Photography Editor Anya Kern
PHOTOSPREAD
Friday, Nov. 13 2026
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Cardinals upset Red Dragons in SUNYAC Photos by Anya Kern
Cardinals celebrate with the SUNYAC Championship trophy on Nov. 7. Plattsburgh State Men’s Soccer gained their first SUNYAC championship win since 2013. The Cardinals ended the regular season with a 3-2 victory in a penalty shootout. The Cardinals will continue further into the postseason facing Denison University at Hamilton College on Nov. 14.
▪ Photography Editor Anya Kern
PHOTOSPREAD
Forward Tristan Laundree tries to regain the ball.
Head Coach Chris Taylor gives a pep talk to the team.
Friday, Nov. 13 2026
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Junior Jack Murphy celebrates after being selected for the SUNYAC All-Tournament team.
Midfielder Jacob McGowan attempts to score.
Editorial Board Editor in Chief Grant Terwilliger
Managing Editor Adam Blanchard
News Editor Grant Terwilliger
Arts & Culture Editor
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