FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
SPRING 2026 | ISSUE 3 WHAT’S INSIDE:
Arts and Culture Cardinal Creative
Photo Page
Opinion
Weekend at Burghy’s
Student Involvement
Student Association
Kimora Decuteau/Cardinal Points
The Student Association meets on Feb.11 in the Angell College Center.
SA approves temporary vice president BY SIERRA BABBIE Staff Writer
Dominick Andre was approved as a temporary vice president, and the positions of coordinator of public relations and board of elections chair were filled during the Student Association meeting on Feb. 18. Jack Sweet, the previous vice president of the Student Association, unexpectedly resigned last week, leaving an open position in the SA. A temporary vice president was needed to fulfill the duties of the role until the upcoming special election. The SA holds two types of elections; special and general. A special election occurs whenever an elected official leaves their position before
the end of their term, while a general election is planned far ahead of time and takes place in regular intervals. The next special election is expected to take place sometime before spring break, although the exact date isn’t yet known. During the meeting, Dominick Andre, the current speaker of the student senate, was approved for the temporary position of vice president. Soon after, Senator Jadalyse Medina proposed that her experience managing PR for both House of Divinity and K.I.N.K.S. qualified her to be the coordinator of public relations for the SA. Medina said her interest in technology and experience managing the social media of other organizations helped to suit her for the position, which would primarily
include using software such as Canva and social media to maintain student engagement. “In my house, I’m known as the IT person. My parents are not from this generation, so I’m used to adjusting stuff and learning about new software, because at home, they don’t really know,” Medina said. With a unanimous vote, the SA approved Medina for her new role within the association. Yvonne Carroll, a first-year psychology major, spoke about her interest in becoming the board of elections chair for the SA — a position which, with the special and general elections approaching, is soon to be crucial. Carroll explained that she has gained throughout college the interpersonal skills needed to
be effective at helping the SA through the election process. She is the vice president of Active Minds, a club which seeks to increase campus awareness of mental health issues, and has experience working in an assisted living home. “I’m very into teamwork, and I listen to other’s opinions, not just mine. I feel that I would do really good collaborating with everybody,” Carroll said. Carroll was approved for her respective position with a unanimous vote. The two were then led through a joint oath by the President of the Student Association, Charlotte Feliz. The SA is still in search of members for the Board of Elections, which will need to be composed by the next special election for the new vice president.
“We need to find people who are interested in this board. Anybody that you can find who would be interested, send them our way,” Andre said. “Anything you can do to make people aware that this is something that needs to happen. Twenty-five days from now at the latest, there needs to be a special election for my position.”
Email SIERRA BABBIE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Lake Champlain freezes for first time in 7 years BY LOHR MCKINSTRY Press-Republican
Lake Champlain has completely frozen over for the first time since 2019, according to National Weather Service officials. The lake has full ice coverage, said meteorologist Seth Kutikoff with NWS in Burlington. The weather service declared the lake totally frozen Feb. 14, using high-resolution satellite imagery and aerial photography. It’s become increasingly rare for Lake Champlain to freeze over, due to warmer winters and climate change. When it does, it’s usually in February of early March, Kutikoff said. In 2019, the lake was declared frozen March 8. Extended below-zero temperatures in January probably contributed to the total freeze, Kutikoff said. “(It’s) a rough idea of how cold each winter season was, based on not only the frequency of it closing, but also how early
bay and near the Champlain Bridge between Crown Point and Chimney Point, Vermont. The lake used to freeze every year, and ice festivals and other events were held on its frozen surface. “The climatology of the lake closing shows most, but not all, years in the 1960s and 1970s saw Lake Champlain become fully ice covered, based on observations at the time,” Kutikoff said. There were once wooden ice shanty cities around Port Henry, where ice anglers hunkered inside over holes drilled in the ice, hoping to pull in a few perch. But those have LOHR MCKINSTRY/P-R PHOTO been replaced by pop-up shelters, sold at places like Tractor Looking from Moriah’s Bulwagga Bay to the Vermont shore, Lake Champlain’s surface has frozen Supply Co., that fishermen can totally this year. No ice fishermen have been seen recently due to low temperatures and thin ice. carry on and off the ice daily. in the winter it closed,” he said. caution and use proper safety vations are that the lake is total“It’s a new world out there,” The ice could still be very measures. Stay off the ice if un- ly frozen around Bulwagga Bay, Jaquish said. “A lot of people thin, he said, especially in the sure of its integrity, and never where the marina is located. miss the clumps of ice shanties middle of the lake where it’s venture beyond where there’s a “It’s frozen at the marina, on the frozen lake. It was scenic.” deeper, so people should stay quick return to shore possible. but I don’t know about north,” At Bridgeview Harbour Ma- Jaquish said. “I’ve heard 99% is off the ice for their own safety. Anyone who wants to ex- rina in Port Henry, which is considered totally frozen.” Email LOHR MCKINSTRY plore the ice near the shore- closed for the season, co-owner A few ice fishermen have lohrm@icloud.com line should practice extreme Donald Jaquish said their obser- been seen on the lake in the