FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023
VOLUME 108 | ISSUE 1
SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent student newspaper since 1997
ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points
Intern Lily Robson plays with a child at SUNY Plattsburgh’s child care center. Robson, a sophomore, is in the childhood education and special education combined program.
SUNY extends paid internship program
BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA
News & Managing Editor
The year-long paid internship program at child care centers at 15 SUNY campuses was meant to end when 2022 did, but will now continue until the end of the spring semester. SUNY Plattsburgh’s child care center received $14,537 of the $183,000 sum SUNY provided for 13 SUNY campuses to continue the pro-
gram. Two had enough funding left over from the previous year to sustain the program during the spring semester. Child Care Center Director Sally Girard said there are currently five student interns, of which one continued from the fall semester, one previously worked as a temporary service employee and three are completely new to the center. All students
are part of the education department, although students in the human development and family relations department are welcome to apply as well. They work from 12 to 20 hours a week, earning $14.20 an hour, a $1 increase in state minimum wage since last year. Girard started asking Maureen Maillard, SUNY’s manager of child care services, about pos-
sibly extending the program mid-fall, unaware that the child care centers at other SUNY campuses were asking the same. Maillard said a major reason for extending the program was its success, which she measured in the almost complete use of initial funds granted in January 2022 and overwhelmingly positive feedback she received from both center directors and interns.
The feedback showed the paid interns gained valuable experience in their field, showed an increased investment in their job and sometimes continued to work at the center full-time after graduation. Centers also named children’s exposure to different adults as a benefit. The only challenges cited in adopting the program were a quick start and the
processing of interns’ paperwork. Initially, interns were required to work at least 20 hours a week, which proved difficult for some students. Occasionally, interns realized from their real world experience that they do not like working with young children, but that can also be seen as a benefit, Maillard said.
INTERNS > 3
Queensbury receives $49k Writing by ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News & Managing Editor
ROLDNARDY NORELUS/Cardinal Points
Will SAP continue in fall? BY JESSE TAYLOR Staff Writer
If students are having mental, legal or financial issues, the Student Assistance Program is here to help. SAP launched Nov. 14, 2022. It is a service that students have access to which allows them to connect with counselors and seek aid in the areas of mental health, financial and legal concerns. The program is run by
Business Health Services, a company based out of Maryland that provides for many different colleges. As an example, if a student is suffering from depression or anxiety, has a landlord who isn’t keeping up with repairs, or recently moved off campus and is struggling with keeping to a budget — SAP could help. SAP was launched using money provided to SUNY Plattsburgh by the Higher
Education Emergency Relief Fund. Since the program launched, 1.6% of SUNY Plattsburgh students have taken advantage of the program. Christy Minck, the assistant director of counseling services, said this number is “an amazing start.” BHS set a goal of 2% student utilization by the end of the year. If the goal is not reached, then SAP will not be able to continue being a counseling option for students.
However, Stephen Matthews, the dean of students, wanted to clarify that the school still does not know exactly what “1.6%” means. Has the program been seeing 1.6% of students, or have 1.6% of students at some point in time contacted SAP? Matthews said that these are the kinds of questions that the school will be asking when considering the future of the program. SAP > 2
The first Chromebooks have begun to arrive at SUNY Plattsburgh’s branch campus at Queensbury, New York, as part of two county grants aimed to support students. SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury is a branch campus 100 miles south of Plattsburgh, adjacent to SUNY Adirondack, a community college. It offers degrees in criminal justice, psychology and computer security with plans to add a human development and family relations program. According to Emma Bartscherer, director of SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury, the campus educates “approximately 300 students annually.” Bartscherer worked with Assistant Director Michelle Howland and the Office of Sponsored Research to draft three grant proposals to Warren county,
Reporting by JACOB KENT Staff Writer
where SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury is located. The county received $12.6 million from the $2.2 billion allocated to New York state through President Joe Biden’s America Rescue Plan Act. “Over the last six months, Warren County has reviewed dozens if not hundreds of worthy requests for funding,” Bartscherer said. “We are extremely grateful to the county for recognizing the positive impact of awarding not just one, but two grants to SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury.” Two of these proposals have been granted — a total of $49,189. Warren County granted SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury $32,335 to award 100 students with Chromebooks and have 20 Chromebooks on loan, approved Oct. 7, 2022.
QBURY > 2
OPINION ”This One Summer” review
SPORTS Rock the red, white and blue
ARTS & CULTURE Mystic Night preview
THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS “Sew” in Love
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