SA approves next years budget
BY SIERRA BABBIE AND GRANT TERWILLIGER Staff writers
The Student Association approved their 2026 to 2027 budget May 6, after the budget was turned down April 29 over disagreements on the arts block grant and travel funds.
Senate meeting April 29
The Student Association currently expects approximately $775,000 in funding for the next two semesters, based on how many students are estimated to pay the SA fee and their current revenue. The annual budget drafted by the Finance Board determines what amount of this funding will be allocated to clubs, SA activities and other campus amenities such as the shuttle. The arts block grant has historically been given to the arts departments to fund on-campus events sponsored by the music, art and theatre departments. In recent years, the amount of funding the arts department has received has been reduced, and the amount pro -
posed in next year’s budget is $40,000, a 25% reduction from last year.
However, the primary issue that senators addressed regarding the grant was that other departments on campus do not receive a comparable amount of SA funding.
“Maybe if this budget had come across our desks a few weeks ago, we could do something about it, could have a more in-depth conversation, but I don’t think it’s fair to cut the arts because it’s so late,” Senator Ava Lavine said. “They’re relying on this to put on shows in the fall and the spring.”
Jade Rosario Peralta, a double major in accounting and business, said that the SA funding currently reserved for the arts grant should be distributed across departments, such as the School of Business and Economics future trips to New York City and Boston.
“It’s really hard for us to pay out of cost to go on these trips,” Peralta said. “You know, it really does benefit us as a whole. We go on these trips to network with alumni that have many other connections that land us jobs.”
Finance board meeting May 4
The two options that the finance board presented were to fund travel grants through College Auxiliary Services or to fund travel grants through the finance board. The board decided to fund travel grants through the finance board and the decision was then passed on to the senate to vote May 6.
Funding the travel grants through the finance board will allow $5,000 to be put into secondary additional allocations. Requests of over $300 for travel will have to be approved by the senate. Clubs and organizations will still be able to get $2000 from CAS and about $3000 from the SA for travel. Travel grant funding is available to all organizations and clubs.
Senate meeting May 6
After a week of deliberating over the arts and travel grant the SA decided to keep the arts grant at $40,000 and to move the travel grant to secondary additional allocations. The SA approved the 2026 to 2027 budget unanimously.
“We all worked tirelessly for the past week coming to a compromise and today we passed a budget that allows for funding for student travel without taking away from the arts,” Senator Sami Goodman said. “Art is for community and passion and love and heartache. Art is for all of us here at SUNY Plattsburgh, and if that’s not worth 5% of our budget I don’t know what is.”
Members of the student arts community voiced their concerns regarding the lack of funding for the arts department, leading to several senators expressing the importance of student voice.
“I appreciate everyone who spoke in the gallery today and as a senator next year your words will not be forgotten or ignored,” Lavine said.
The SA passed Executive By-law #4 to reorganize the Legislative Review Board. The goal of the bylaw is to create a Legislative index that includes all legislation that is in effect to increase the efficiency of the SA. The Legislative Review Board will include Vice Presi-
Three student speakers reflect on college
BY GERIANNE DOWNS Contributor
More than 1,000 SUNY Plattsburgh master’s and bachelor’s degree students are eligible to cross the stage at the university’s spring 2026 commencement being held Saturday, May 16 at the field house with President Alexander Enyedi presiding and conferring degrees.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Marcus Tye will present students earning their masters and bachelors’ degrees who are graduating from the schools of arts and sciences, business and economics, and education, health and human services at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m., respectively.
And as is custom, student speakers representing each of the three schools will address their classmates before being
welcomed into the Alumni Association as new SUNY Plattsburgh graduates. This year’s student speakers are Amanuel Adefris, finance and economics major from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Eden McFarren, a social work major from South Glens Falls, N.Y.; and Olivia Powers, computer security major from Ticonderoga, N.Y.
Amanuel Gezahegan Adefris
Adefris said he chose SUNY Plattsburgh because he had family members and friends who attended before him, “and they had amazing things to say about it,” he said.
table experiences.”
A student in the School of Business and Economics, Adefris gave a shout-out to two of its luminaries — Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting Mohamed Gaber and Distinguished Service Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship Emeritus Nancy Church, who “had special impact on me in developing my career and providing extracurricular experiences that have truly been pivotal to where I’m going,” he said.
Eden McFarren
McFarren’s path to SUNY Plattsburgh was not what she had originally expected to take, she said.
“I had initially planned to attend Syracuse University, but after my mother became ill, I made the decision to stay closer to home. At the time, it felt like a disappointment, but looking back, it became one of the most meaningful re-directions of my life,” McFarren said.
“My priority was to have a good education and also opportunities outside of school that will help me develop my skills. SUNY Plattsburgh perfectly fit that description,” Adefris said. “In four years, Plattsburgh has felt like home and provided me with immense opportunities to grow.”
Calling his four years at SUNY Plattsburgh the most transformational of his life, he said SUNY Plattsburgh also gave him many “lifelong friendships and had unforget-
“Their efforts to provide opportunities for students outside of the classroom is one of the reasons my time in this university has been great.” Adefris will be joining IBM as a financial analyst after graduation where he said he hopes “to use the skills I’ve gained in SUNY Plattsburgh on the big stage.”
That wasn’t the only career path that diverged from McFarren’s original concept. The social work major started out as a mortuary science major at Hudson Valley Community College “before realizing that while I was drawn to people in pain, I was far more passionate about helping the living
ANYA KERN/Cardinal Points
The Student Association senate celebrates the approval of the 2026 to 2027 academic year budget.
AMANUEL GEZAHEGAN ADEFRIS
Commencement
Continued from page one
than with working with the loss after the fact.”
McFarren said that SUNY Plattsburgh “has become far more than simply the school I chose; it became the place that helped me discover who I am, what I value, and what I am capable of.”
“It gave me not only an education but also confidence, resilience and a stronger belief in my ability to create meaningful change,” she said.
‘Full-circle Moment’
McFarren experienced what she called a “full-circle moment” after having connected with Maureen Rotondi, who had served as an adjunct at Hudson Valley and was an associate professor in social work at the now-shuttered College of Saint Rose in Albany. Rotondi is now associate professor in social work at SUNY Plattsburgh, teaching out of its Queensbury campus.
“(Rotondi) helped me understand the depth and breadth of social work as a profession,” McFarren said. “Her mentorship opened my eyes to the field, and when the College of Saint Rose closed, seeing her and much of that incredible department continue their work at SUNY Plattsburgh felt like a remarkable full-circle moment.”
Two other faculty members who joined SUNY Plattsburgh after Saint Rose’s closure in 2024 at the Queensbury site and who made a difference in McFarren’s life are Dr. Donna Van Alst, associate professor of social work, “who encouraged my
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passion for policy and research,” McFarren said, and social work assistant professor, Dr. Joseph Twumasi-Ankrah, “whose research methods course challenged me deeply while also inspiring a genuine love for research.”
She said the future is an open door, whether she remains in the South Glens Falls area or elsewhere.
“I now carry something invaluable within me: The confidence that I can make a difference through compassion, advocacy and dedication to helping others,” she said. “Wherever life takes me next, SUNY Plattsburgh has prepared me to meet it with purpose.”
Olivia Powers
Legacy played a role in Powers attending SUNY Plattsburgh: Her parents met
dent Andre, two senators and one speaker of the senate.
Advisor Tyler Hargraves will be moving on from SUNY Plattsburgh, after four years working as the Student Association Liaison.
“That’s what life is all about, taking chances. I never thought I’d be working for the college that I went to college at,” Hargraves said. “It’s been a pleasure working with all of you this year. It’s been a pleasure working for the Senate.”
Email SIERRA BABBIE AND GRANT TERWILLIGER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
as students here. But that wasn’t the only reason the computer security major traveled north from Ticonderoga.
“I was really intrigued by the program here as well as the campus atmosphere,” she said. “It looked like a really good place to make new friends. It was also close to home, so I knew if I needed something, my family could always come see me.”
Powers said that SUNY Plattsburgh lived up to her expectations in so many ways.
“Not only was I able to complete my degree in three years thanks to the classes offered, my program requirements, etc., (but) I have also met so many people,” she said. “When I first came to Plattsburgh, it was like a fresh start. I didn’t have many friends at home. So I was really excited to meet all these new people — and I did meet a lot.
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“It’s so nice to walk around campus and see people you know and smile at each other,” Powers said. “My time at Plattsburgh has meant to much to me. I learned what it was like to be an adult and be independent, and I was able to finally fulfill my figure skating dreams since there was no rink where I’m from.”
She credited Cristian Balan, lecturer, Center for Cybersecurity, for helping her in her academic career.
“He saw my potential and pushed me to attend the Center for Cybersecurity on campus and appointed me our chapter president for Women in Cybersecurity,” Powers said. “This semester, I have been one of the interns at the CCT, which has been an amazing learning opportunity.”
As a result, she was recommended for a job as a security analyst for Vertek Corporation in Colchester, Vt.
“I’ll be starting my career shortly after graduation,” Powers said. Her eyes are still on that figure skating dream as well.
“I want to pass my pre-preliminary skating test and, much farther down the line, become a coach,” she said.
Honorary Doctorate
The order of exercises for the 9 a.m. arts and sciences ceremony will also include the conferring of an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the State University of New York to Larry Unrein ’79, head of private equity and hedge funds, J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
While Spring Commencement is a ticketed event, all three ceremonies will be livestreamed.
Email GERIANNE DOWNS downsg@plattsburgh.edu
EDEN MCFARREN
OLIVIA POWERS
Cardinal Creatives: Kate LaPoint
LaPoint recycles discarded items to create vibrant works of art
BY ADAM BLANCHARD Arts and Culture Editor
Kate LaPoint from Altona, New York, uses recycled materials to create extraordinary canvases, statues and sculptures. Surrounded by arts and crafts growing up, LaPoint has matured her skillset into something professional.
Now a senior at SUNY Plattsburgh, LaPoint majors in art with a concentration in painting, and has taken advanced classes in ceramics and sculpture.
LaPoint’s work displayed in the 2026 B.A. Art and Design Senior Show focuses on flora and fauna. With
guidance from Assistant Professor of Art Bright Kontor Osei, Lapoint decided to use reclaimed materials found in nature in her pieces for her current painting series. She uses these materials as her canvases, with “Lost in the Meadow” being painted on a bike tire.
“He suggested that we focus more on concentrating on what we’re painting on, and how we can relate that to our practice,” LaPoint said. “It kind of went along with my themes of flora and fauna, and environmental issues, using repurposed materials like a bike tire.”
LaPoint maintains a simple, consistent creative pro-
cess across each medium. She starts with a sketch, then finds discarded items in nature to use as a canvas.
Finally she picks the color palette. LaPoint said she sticks with a vibrant color palette to represent nature reclaiming the materials she uses. This practice enabled LaPoint to get her piece, “Tiger Lily Moth,” in the Best of SUNY student art exhibition show.
After college, LaPoint plans to attend graduate school and get a masters degree in art education to work as an elementary school art teacher. Lapoint said she had great teachers throughout all of her
schooling, allowing her to want to nurture the younger generation’s creativity.
Having grown up with art from a young age, LaPoint sees the world from an artist’s perspective. She thinks critically about the texture and color of plants, wondering how she can translate it into her media.
“I like how it makes me look at the world through an artist’s eye,” LaPoint said. “I notice things differently the more I do with art.”
BY GRANT HOCHMUTH Staff Writer
SUNY Plattsburgh’s acappella group Minor Adjustments held its final concert of the semester on April 30, as the student group showcased months of preparation.
According to Minor Adjustments member Abigail McCauley, the student-run group dedicates significant time to preparation.
“We meet twice a week for two hours, so every day we were rehearsing, trying to make sure we had our songs memorized and perfected,” McCauley said.
Performing without instrumental backing was challenging for McCauley. She said staying composed on stage was one of the most difficult aspects of the night.
One of the evening’s sections featured Mad-
elynne Solan, who performed a duet rendition of “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron. Solan and her duet partner selected the song after careful consideration.
“We kept going through songs and singing them together, and we got it to that one,” Solan said. “The harmo -
nies are just so gorgeous for tonight.”
The performance also carried added significance to the group as music director Ngozi Permaul is graduating. McCauley said his absence will leave a noticeable gap in the group.
“He’s our music director, so he really made our
Grant Hochmuth/Cardinal Points
music just one,” McCauley said. “We’re going to miss him.”
Solan also spoke on Permaul graduating.
“He’s so talented and so charismatic. He’s a big part of the group, and we’re really going to feel it next year,” Solan said.
ADJUSTMENTS > 4
Collection Spotlight: Hurricane Katrina Honors class curates exhibit in Feinberg
BY NATHAN ALEXANDER Contributor
“In Hurricane Katrina’s Wake: Photography” is an exhibition of work by Josh Williams from the Plattsburgh State Art Museum collection on exhibit in the Feinberg Library lobby through May 18. The photographs on display were curated by students in Associate Professor of Art Dr. Michaela Rife’s honors seminar, Photography and the Environment. Williams’ photographs of the immediate aftermath capture the wake of destruction as well as the government’s inadequate response efforts to aid trapped residents of New Orleans. Williams, a graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh, gained experience as a photo editor for Cardinal Points.
After graduating college, Williams became a freelance photographer, gaining practical experience embedded with the American military in Iraq. The ability to photograph in precarious environments carried over to the photographs in New Orleans.
The photographs taken by Williams express the toll Hurricane Katrina had on the New Orleans community. One photo depicts a survivor being provided with medical aid, while others show survivors waiting days to be moved out of the flood zone. The ethical implications of displaying photographs of disaster victims in their most vulnerable moments was debated by students curating the display. The class weighed the importance of showcasing the inadequacies of the response to the disaster against concerns of presenting exploitative imagery.
With these considerations in mind, the class decided to tell the full story of the disaster with the photographs on display. Starting with rising flood waters trapping people and pets within their homes followed by many being transported to the superdome where inadequacies in supplies, threatening guards and cramped conditions were normal. It is from the whole of these experiences on the ground that the true impact of Hurricane Katrina can be understood through Williams’ photographs.
Photo by Josh Williams
Josh Williams, “A man flashes the peace sign while his family is evacuated from the Superdome to the Astrodome in Houston.” 2005, printed later, inkjet print on paper, Gift of the artist, PSAM collection 2006.1.17
ADAM BLANCHARD/Cardinal Points
Senior Kate LaPoint beside two of her paintings in the Myers Fine Arts Building painting studio. The painting on the left uses a window panel as the canvas.
Senior Ngozi Permaul leads Minor Adjustments during their final show of the semester.
Creations from LaPoint
Artwork by Kate Lapoint
Adjustments
Deepest wishes and desires may soon be fulfilled; there is success, triumph, and everything you hope for on the horizon.
You will receive unexpected help with a problem.
A successful partnership or love affair will soon appear. If you recently have had a dispute with a lover or a friend, now is the time to make up.
There will be happiness in a secure family life with bouts of joy and love.
Success, celebration, and abundance will soon arrive, and you may feel as if you are moving out of a mental fog where you can see more clearly.
A time of sorrow and misfortune will be followed by a period of peaceful rest and recovery.
An unforeseen obstacle or opposition may suddenly appear in your path.
Look closely to your plan; there is something that is not to your benefit.
BY GRYPHON AKRIDGE-PHILLIPS STAFF WRITER
An old flame may re-enter your life, and a gathering could put you in connection with people from your past.
Your financial situation will change for the better.
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Despite the upcoming transition, McCauley emphasized that Minor Adjustments continues to welcome new performers of all experience levels.
“They should definitely join if they love singing, even if they’re not comfortable singing by themselves,” McCauley said.
For many performers, the event stood out because of the connection they all shared on stage.
You may have a friend who is kind yet unreliable.
When faced with a situation, you may become so deeply involved with someone that you cannot see clearly.
This is a good time to take action on financial and business plans. Involvement in social events will brighten your life.
Email GRANT HOCHMUTH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
“My favorite part was seeing the audience love it,” McCauley said. “And just having fun with my group on stage.” GOT A NEWS TIP?
Contact the editors at cp@cardinalpointsonline. com.
Aries (March 21 –April 19)
Cancer (June 21 –July 22)
Taurus (April 20 –May 20)
Gemini (May 21 –June 20)
Leo (July 23 –Aug. 22)
Libra (Sept. 23 –Oct. 22)
Scorpio (Oct. 23 –Nov. 21)
Virgo (Aug. 23 –Sept. 22)
Pisces (Feb. 19 –March 20)
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)
Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)
Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)
“Tiger Lily Moth,” Cotton and bamboo yarn, fabric, and embroidery floss.
“Barn Owl Moth,” wool, floss, denim and recycled fabric.
“Marshy Mugs,” stoneware and glaze.
“Lost in the Meadow,” oil on linen, bike tire.
SUNY Plattsburgh presents a melodic Choralfest
By Kimora DeCoteau
Professor Dexter Criss pulling in the audience.
Ruby Volzer singing a solo.
Aren Nessler performing a solo with Minor Adjustments.
Permaul recieves a graduation gift.
Ngozi Permaul serenades the audience with a solo.
Plattsburgh state rugby lights up TnT Tournament
Photos By: Anya Kern
Alejandro Sosa evading Hunter McCarthy.
Quinn Jolicoeur passing the ball to their teammate.
Tristan Eversley-Hernandez avoiding a tackle.
Quinn Taegen en route to the try zone to score.
Gracie LaLone trying to break free of a tackle.
The Plattsburgh state men’s and women’s rugby clubs face off against teams from around New York state in the 28 annual TnT Rugby Tournament. Paul Smith’s, Potsdam, Hamilton College and Clarkson competed against the current men’s and women’s teams. All of the proceeds go towards the Anthony Santandrea Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of two Plattsburgh state students and ruggers, Anthony Santandrea and Trevor Green.