Issue 4

SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent student newspaper since 1997

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022

VOLUME 106 - ISSUE 4

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Club hosts period drive

BY LARAIB ASIM Staff Writer

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Ryley Duffy stands outside of the Angell College Center with a sign in support of Ukraine March 1. Cars honked passing by him to show support.

War affects students, mental health

BY OLIVIA BOUSQUET News & Managing Editor

On February 24, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. According to the New York Times, Russia’s active military size is eight times larger than Ukraine’s — 900,000 members compared to 170,000. Ukraine left the Soviet Union in 1991 and declared independence.

The small country, which is slightly smaller than Texas, borders Russia.

Russian troops are gaining ground along the Rus-

sian and Belarusian borders, pushing toward the Capitol, Kyiv.

While the United States refuses to get the military involved and citizens here are affected by increased gasoline prices instead of bombings, some students at SUNY Plattsburgh are worried about their friends and families near the war.

Anna Khojashvilli, an international student from Georgia, which borders Russia and the Black Sea, noticed the parallels from the invasion of Ukraine to the invasion of her home

country. Her mother is a refugee, whose city was annexed by Russia in 2008. Her mother, father, brother and grandmother are currently living in Georgia, which is under 20% Russian occupation, and could become a target after Ukraine.

“The least I can do is just spread awareness, so the same thing doesn’t happen,” Khojashvilli said.

“Because in Georgia, that cost us a lot of territory and a lot of people and a lot of lives. I just don’t want to see that repeat

for Ukraine. We’ve always been friends with Ukraine.

I have friends in Ukraine, who are currently suffering from all this.”

Khojashvilli missed classes since the start of the invasion. She attempted to go once, but had a panic attack during it. She is checking her phone constantly on updates of the war and messages from friends and family. While she tries to spread awareness through Instagram posts and fliers, she feels “alienated” and “exhausted” from SUNY Platts-

burgh’s environment.

“It’s so much to go out of that space because I’m only digitally present in those spaces [talking with friends and loved ones directly affected by the war], and when I go out of there and go to class and see people talking about bullshit like ‘Oh my god, Euphoria season two finale,’” Khojashvilli said.

“How are you so out of touch with this? This is affecting every single part of my life right now.”

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In the U.S. alone, 16.9 million people who menstruate live in poverty.

As SUNY Plattsburgh celebrates Women’s History month, the Women In Leadership club turned its focus toward the people who do not have access to proper menstrual hygiene products, because they can’t afford them, by placing donation boxes all around the campus for the month.

The donation boxes are located in the residential halls and the H.U.B., which is accessible for students living off campus. The H.U.B which stands for Honoring, Unifying and Belonging is located in the Angell College Center and is a part of the Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It is open to everyone from students, staff, alumni as well as the local community.

Paolo Alba Jimenez, the president of the Women in Leadership club, spoke on behalf of all members of the club stating that the club aims to give back to our community in a meaningful way.

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Insurance contradicts SUNY mission

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA AND BRYN FAWN Staff Writer and Contributor

UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of the SUNY system’s partner insurance, UnitedHealthcare, shared on its website and Twitter account that it donated $1 million Friday, March 4, to support relief efforts for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. According to TransparencyUSA, an organization keeping record of donations to political candidates at all levels in 11 U.S. states, UnitedHealth Group also donated $50,000 directly to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the current election cycle. The donation raised concerns for the values of LGBTQ support that UnitedHealthcare, the SUNY system and SUNY Plattsburgh claim to uphold, as DeSantis is an active supporter of a controversial bill. The donations also raise a larger question of whether the money that corporations donate speaks for their values.

The bill in question that DeSantis supports is “HB

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1557: Parental Rights in Education.” It is colloquially known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, as part of the bill limits the discussion of LGBTQ identities in classroom settings: “Classroom instruction by school personnel or

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third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

Rep. Joe Harding proposed HB 1557 Tuesday, Feb. 8. The bill passed in Florida’s House Thursday, Feb. 24, and through the state’s Senate Tuesday, March 8. If signed, the bill would take effect July 1.

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On the same day the bill was proposed, the White House tweeted, “Today, conservative politicians in Florida advanced legislation designed to attack LGBTQI+ kids.” In response, President Joe

@CardPointsNews

Biden tweeted, “I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are.”

LGBTQ activists, such as Equality Florida, have criticized the bill for its vague language: what is considered “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate?” What are “state standards,” and who decides what they are? The legislation does not directly indicate what “manner” of instruction is inappropriate in a classroom setting. This inclusion would allow parents to sue academic institutions that speak on LGBTQ matters not just from kindergarten to third grade, but all grade levels.

With the potentially harmful implications the bill has for the LGBTQ community, the donation to DeSantis raised questions as to whether UnitedHealth Group, SUNY and SUNY Plattsburgh are upholding their values of inclusivity and LGBTQ support.

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@CardinalPoints

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NEWS

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

Friday, March 11, 2022

CEO approved as SA club

BY OLIVIA BOUSQUET News & Managing Editor

Feb. 27 A student was found in possession of an open container at Mason Hall on a public way. The case was closed and appropriate student conduct charges were filed.

Weekly Meme

The CEO club, which stands for collegiate entrepreneurship organization, was unanimously approved to be a Student Association provisional club at the senate meeting March 2.

Vladamiere Perry spoke of the club’s success so far. Recently, the club made a trip to Norsk Titanium, which is a high deposition rate manufacturing company in Plattsburgh.

While the membership meeting had roughly 35 students in attendance, it averages 18 students each meeting.

There are four potential business competitions for the club to attend, along with annual summits. CEO has enough members for three to five teams to attend the competitions.

The club welcomes all majors to join. The chapter membership costs $300 annually, but Perry mentioned a grant the club received to help cover costs.

Three students were unanimously voted into new positions for the SA. Freshman Will Donlon became a voting member of the Student Association’s Clubs and Organizations Affairs Board (COAB). Donlon said he “gives freshman insight” to promoting clubs and organizations on campus. Kate Davis became the chair of the Board of Elections to fill the spot after a resignation. She was unable to attend in-person because

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Campus COVID-19 Tracker Number of positive COVID-19 cases within SUNY Plattsburgh community:

15 CP Corrections There are no errors to report this week.

If you see an error in Cardinal Points, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

“We decided to collect hygiene products for the people that menstruation so that we can donate it to a shelter or anybody that needs it,” Jimenez said.

They are urging college students to help fellow people who require menstrual products which includes a wide array of things such as pads, tampons and new underwear. Only nine out of 50 U.S. states do not tax menstrual products, which makes it difficult to afford the basic hygiene necessities, especially for those living in poverty.

“Products for people’s menstrual cycle is way over taxed. If condoms are freely available at the health center, why aren’t pads [available for free]?” asked Chitra Thomas, a social work major.

The club took care to create an inclusive environment for all those who

she works Wednesday nights; however, SA President Ahmed Metwaly read a message on her behalf. Dhruv Shah became a voting member on the Legislative Review Board.

A piece of legislation was proposed

by Senator Mac-Olivier LaLanne which reworked some of the current duties of members on the Legislative Review Board. However, the piece failed in the senate voting because the Board had not officially met to discuss the potential new bylaw.

In other SA news, Metwaly announced the upcoming SA election date for April 15. On the SA’s Instagram page, a breakdown of the elected roles in the association was posted. The roles up for election candidates are president, vice president, treasurer, senator, coordinator for the arts, coordinator for the academics, coordinator for the activities, coordinator for the clubs and organizations and coordinator for the student affairs and diversity.

Metwaly also hoped to plan a solidarity stand with Ukraine. However, nothing tangible was in progress at the time.

In regards to senator reports, several senators attended various club meetings and events. Senator Aysun Akhundlu met with the garden club and they discussed the need for composting on campus. She plans to keep up with their plans and help accomplish this goal. Senators Omar and Oscar Salvidar attended

menstruate including women, non-binary people and transgender people. They plan on donating to the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Women’s Mental Health Shelter in NYC and are encouraging students to use the products if they are in need of it and cannot afford it.

“I think it is extremely effective because the college campus is so big that there are so many people who are willing to donate,” Chitra said about the project. “The people that are organizing this have the connections to give these products to people who genuinely need it.”

Chitra has contributed to Women In Leadership’s drive by donating pads and tampons.

“We are actively recruiting and contacting other clubs and organizations such as fraternities and sororities to involve them in our activities. We have contacted the student involvement as well as the H.U.B.,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez is optimistic

UKRAINE Continued from page A1 She said people can be “insensitive” to the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladamir Putin posted on Instagram March 2 a picture with French President Emmanuel Macron. One of the most liked comments posted by @claudiarain_ read, “vladdy daddy this isn’t like you.” Khojashvilli wants people to realize how insensitive it is to joke about an issue affecting so many people, and because of this, it’s been “really hard to communicate this with anyone in here.”

Khojashvilli wished the school would do more in support of Ukraine. She mentioned friends on other campuses that participated in solidarity walks and donation drives for the people of Ukraine.

On the day of the invasion at 2:48 p.m., President Alexander Enyedi sent an email out to students, saying that the campus’ thoughts are with Ukraine. “Consistent with our core values, SUNY Plattsburgh will always prioritize and enforce the fundamental human and civil rights of all on our campus,” the email stated.

It also mentioned contacting counseling services or the Global Education Office (GEO) for support.

Director of GEO Jacqueline Girard Vogl said the staff in GEO engage one-on-one with international students during crisis situations, and they have reached out to current Russian students to see how the situ-

the SUNY Plattsburgh Association of Black Journalists (PABJ) gala Feb. 26.

Senator Lisette Linares reported the Activities Coordination Board (ACB) plans to do more giveaway events for students. Senator Belle Morley discussed the online Zoom study session for students from 6 to 11 p.m. Students were able to come in and out of the session as they pleased. Senator Carter Mosher mentioned the license plate DIY March 3 in the Angell College Center Lobby, which came back from high demand from students.

Mosher also reported the need for more finance board members. Senator Mary Stockman met with the daycare center, where it requested for reports from University Police on robberies or lockdowns to keep the kids safe inside the building.

Senator Ryan Ferguson reported his resignation from the SA senate as of 9 a.m. Friday, March 4. While elected this semester for the senate, Ferguson served as a senate previously. He said his resignation has nothing to do with the Student Association, but for personal reasons he wished to keep private. Ferguson concluded the meeting with a message not as a senator, but as a member of the student body. He hoped the senate would “implore a resolution in support of Ukraine.”

Email OLIVIA BOUSQUET cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

A donation box in the H.U.B. about the turnover of the donated products. The club makes rounds at the end of each week to collect donations and to ensure there is space for future donations. So far they have received over 20 individual pads and 15 boxes of pads.

“Everybody has the whole month to put their donations in since we are celebrating Women’s History Month for the whole month, and we are also going to be very involved on campus with events and other activi-

ation has affected them.

“We do not have any international students from Ukraine at this time, but I and other members of my staff have been in touch with colleagues and former students in and from Ukraine. Their fear and disbelief about the current situation are heartbreaking,” Vogl said.

This past week, March 7 at 4:36 p.m., students received another email from Enyedi regarding SUNY Plattsburgh standing in solidarity with Ukraine. The email stated that for the month of March Hawkins Hall would be illuminated in blue and yellow “to represent the colors of the Ukrainian flag and serve as a continual reminder of the humanitarian crisis being created by the unprovoked attack by Russia.” Enyedi encouraged the campus community to visit the lights and to remember those suffering.

Another student affected by the war in Ukraine is Maria Barinova, a graduate student studying clinical mental health counseling. She was born in Ukraine, but is ethnically Russian and Jewish. She has lived in the United States since she was 2 years old, but has family in Russia and Ukraine.

Her family in Odessa, Ukraine, has experienced some bombings outside of the city, but she expects more since Odessa is the third largest city in Ukraine and borders the Black Sea. Some of her family were able to flee the country, but men ages 18 to 60 are not allowed to leave.

“When I spoke to them, they had an air siren,” Barinova said. An air siren is used to inform people of potential bombs that may go off. “But they didn’t go down into the bun-

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ties,” Jimenez said.

The club has hosted different events such as “Breaking the Glass Ceiling Panel” and spreading awareness regarding the achievements of women over the years. On March 8, they collaborated with Fuerza: The Black and Latinx Student Union, and invited all students to wear purple as a sign of unity and love on Women’s Day.

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ker, I think, but they were a little worried. Right now, it’s really just like a waiting game. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but they’re not going to leave.”

Barinova has kept in contact with her family. As a CD in Harrington Hall, her CAs have been supportive and got her a care package. She mainly uses her studies to stay “distracted” right now.

Another student worried about the effects of the war is Riley Clune, a freshman majoring in English writing arts. Her maternal grandparents immigrated from Austria. She grew up in a neighborhood with a large Eastern European immigrant population. One of her friends lives in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Clune texts her every morning at 5:30 to check in.

“I didn’t fully process it until a couple days later. That’s when I had to email my professors. But it’s something that I’m constantly thinking about. It eats me out from the inside,” Clune said about the emotional impact of the war. “And it’s something we don’t talk about in my classes — we don’t. It feels like it’s not being acknowledged at all, anywhere except for, every once in a while I’ll pass a door that has a Ukrainian flag printed out on it.”

For students or faculty looking for more resources, Khojashvilli implores individuals to visit howto-help-ukraine-now.super.site for information on how to donate, read news sources, sign petitions and more to aid Ukrainians.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022

Black women feel unsafe on campus

BY DANIELA RAYMOND Staff Writer

After finishing a long night of class and making your way back to the dorms to relax, safety should not be the first thing on your mind. Unfortunately, college campuses have become hot spots for criminal activity. One in five women and 6% of men will face sexual assault on college campuses. Staying alert and aware of your surroundings is something that minority women on college campuses are always concerned about.

The movement that has brought about women’s safety on college campuses has often left out the experiences of Black women, and rarely addresses the complexities of gender and race as experienced at a predominately white institution. As a whole, many efforts to address sexual assault on campus have been scarce. This is even more true for Black undergraduate women, who are repeatedly faced with the pressure to endure these traumatic events and stay silent.

SUNY Plattsburgh upholds Title IX stating on the schools website, “Title IX addresses how this institution must respond to reports of misconduct falling within that definition of sexual harassment, and mandates a grievance process that this institution must follow to comply with the law in these specific covered cases before issu-

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ing a disciplinary sanction against a person accused of sexual harassment.”

Cardinal Points has tried to reach out to the Title IX office for a personal statement over the last week, but have heard nothing back.

On average, nationally one in five college women have experienced sexual assault. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the primary statistical agency of the Department of Justice reported, “ for every one rape reported by an African American woman, 15 go unreported.” Black women have continuously been subject to violence without ample protection from insti-

tutions or the government.

Dating back to chattel slavery into current times, Black women are put under horrific acts of sexual violence which have been amplified

by White supremacy, navigating racist stereotypes that over sexualize them from a young age.

Everyone deserves an education free from harm and hate.

“Most nights as a black woman I don’t feel safe walking on or around campus especially knowing the racist history of the town.”

Jakira Barrett, a Sophomore and early childhood education major, said.

College is a time to learn

and grow, but if colleges do not take the step to keep Black women’s safety a priority they will always feel marginalized. The more that hate speech and violence are not punished the less it will be reported.

This is why the college should be taking steps to listen to the minority women on this campus.

While the college has taken some steps to make students feel safer, such as implementing Title IX training, the Black experience is a unique one on this campus.

“With the numerous events on campus that have occurred, I have realized

that I am not safe on this campus,” Kayla Lissade, a Senior chemistry major, said. “There is no reason why I should be scared to call for help because in the back of my head I am scared that I will be discriminated against because I am a Black woman.”

In 2019 the college participated in the University-wide Biennial SUNY Uniform Campus Climate survey, and they found that the 152 students identified as women and 10 students who identified as men reported that they were subject to verbal sexual harassment.

This does not include

the number of assaults that go unreported at the college. These numbers have unfortunately not declined and without the proper attention students voices may go unheard.

At SUNY Plattsburgh, Title IX has been implemented to help students feel safer. “Ensuring that SUNY Plattsburgh is stopping, preventing and remedying gender discrimination, sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence and sexual assault in an immediate equitable manner.”

Email DANIELA RAYMOND cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Kanye West debuts ‘DONDA 2’

BY JEREMY BINNING Staff Writer

Kanye West has been driving fans crazy, in both a good and bad way. As if the popular song by rapper Lil Durk “Kanye Krazy” was any indication, Kanye has been on a very interesting, and somewhat disturbing, rant on Instagram. Mainly aimed at his previous partner Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend, Pete Davidson, Kanye has posted numerous posts with captions aimed at Davidson, most notably calling him “Skete.” Now Kanye, legally known as “Ye” since Oct. 18, 2021, isn’t new to making headlines of this sort, from taking the microphone from Taylor Swift as she accepted an award in 2009 to publicly announcing that he will be running for president in 2020. However, this time things seem more personal.

It’s widely known that Kanye and Kardashian have publicly split and are in the stages of finalizing their divorce. Kardashian clearly seems like she’s done with Kanye and his antics, and has moved on. Meanwhile Kanye hasn’t been taking it lightly. With the announcement of DONDA, released Aug. 29, 2021, his 10th studio album, Kanye had made his return to the public eye since his failed political campaign of 2020.

Around that time, the beginning of summer 2021, Drake also announced he too was releasing an album later that summer, Certified Lover Boy. Kanye and Drake’s feud had been public well before both announced their albums, stemming from a situation between Drake and one of Kanye’s artists, Pusha-T. The two have since overlooked this incident and are now good friends, recently doing a joint-

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show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles this past December.

This incident was just the first domino to fall. After the release of DONDA, Kanye and Kardashian began a very aggressive custody battle over their four children. Once Pete Davidson came into the scene and began dating

Kardashian, Kanye didn’t take it too lightly. Constantly bashing Davidson online and even sending physical threats at him like in his song “Eazy.” This caused his fans to join in as well, which got so bad to the point where he deactivated his Instagram account.

“I think Kanye did a lot by

posting all that stuff,” Justice Hall, a junior majoring in broadcast journalism, said.

“He even started messing with a girl who looks just like Kim — he’s going out bad.”

To add on to his legal troubles, he’s currently under investigation with the Los Angeles Police

Department for an incident in which a photographer was assaulted. Kanye allegedly attacked the photographer in early January after leaving a studio session.

He’s being charged with battery and could face 6-months in prison if convicted according to TMZ. Many believe Kanye’s acting out this way to promote his new album DONDA 2. Much like the build-up to the first one, he hosted a live listening event to play songs from the album. What separates this from the last album is you need a stem player, specifically designed by West, to listen to the album. The stem player is on sale for $200. However, it costs this much because of the features it has. The stem player allows a user to remix the downloaded songs and change it up to how they like it. A user could listen to the album as it is, or remix it by changing up the bass, drums, and vocals. Many aren’t too enthusiastic about the stem player, feeling it’s too much money for just one album.

With the recent release of DONDA 2 Feb. 23, it will be interesting to see if Kanye continues his public display of anger at anyone who steps in his way or tries to stop him. Kanye has still made recent headlines with the announcement of his recent break-up with actress Julia Fox after just getting together this last December. However, things between him and Kardashian have seemed to have reconciled in some way as the divorce was finalized in early March and both are officially single, according to Billboard. One thing is for certain, Kanye will never shy away from trying to expand his brand by any means.

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▪ Friday, March 11, 2022

CARDINAL VOICE

Opinions Editor Jess Johnson

Editorial

Bill passes through Senate Disclaimer: There is strong language and subject material in this article.

After more than 200 failed attempts of the U.S. government to pass one of the most important legislations toward righteousness, the Senate finally passed a bill March 7, that criminalizes lynching and makes the act punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

The bill is named the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, after a 14-year-old African American boy, was brutally murdered while visiting his family in Mississippi in 1955.

He was accused of allegedly flirting with a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, four days before his death, while at the counter in a store. It was clear in his brutal murder that it was an extreme act of racism and hate. However, in his murder trial, the all-white jury deliberated for less than an hour before issuing a verdict of “not guilty,” making the argument that the state could not prove the identity of the body. This caused nation-

al outrage, as it should have, largely being cited as showing the brutality of Jim Crow Era segregation in the South and became an early push toward the Civil Rights Movement.

“Lynching is a long standing and uniquely American weapon of racial terror that has for decades been used to maintain the white hierarchy,” Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., long time sponsor of the legislation, said. “Unanimous Senate passage of the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act sends a clear and emphatic message that our nation will no longer ignore this shameful chapter of our history and that the full force of the U.S. federal government will always be brought to bear against those who commit this heinous act.”

The legislation has been sent to President Joe Biden to sign, after passing through both Chambers of Congress. This time, there was virtually no opposition after 100 years of trying to pass the legislation.

Introduced in 1900 by Rep. George Henry White of North Carolina, the body’s only Black lawmaker at that time, was the first anti-lynching legislation.

His bill failed to advance out of committee, and in 2005, the Senate publicly expressed remorse for failing to pass antilynching legislation.

However, under the new bill, the crime can only be prosecuted as lynching when a hate crime results in death or injury; when even the act of trying to lynch someone, which historically has been extremely aimed at Black people over hundreds of years, is morally and sickeningly wrong. The amount of time in prison one may get as a consequence is not enough.

This a small step, in a sea of wrongs that still occur every day in a white-supremacy based government system.

We are all entitled to our political and moral standings because of the First Amendment, freedom of speech, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

However, the act of target-

ing a specific marginalized, oppressed group of individuals is not free speech — it simply is discrimination, racism, bigotry and hate. Not recognizing that we live in a system based in white supremacy is exercising ignorance and implementing legislation like this is needed. But even this legislation isn’t enough. The U.S. Senate needs to continue to implement more to protect those who haven’t felt safe in a long time.

As there have been several efforts made by the government to enact legislation to protect those who are targeted by hate and discrimination, it will never be enough. Unless we continue to move forward, continue to examine the rooted bigotry in the institutions around us, examine policing and fight against police brutality, and continue educating ourselves of the horrific history of how marginalized groups were and continue to be treated, nothing will ever change enough to make oppressed groups feel safe — being able to just live in their own skin without fear of their life being taken.

Guitarist gains strange fame

BY MATTHEW WENDLER Contributor

Robert Johnson stood alone at a crossroads with his guitar. It was a cold night in Mississippi and the full moon was beating down overhead.

Midnight was approaching and Johnson was feeling anxious, knowing it was almost time. Suddenly, Johnson felt a presence. Gravel crushed in the distance and emerging from the shadows of the crossroads was a tall dark figure. The man stood before him in silence.

Without saying a word, Johnson held his battered black guitar up to the figure, who quickly snatched it from his hands. The figure started tuning Johnson’s guitar, the strings now making soothing sounds Johnson had never once heard before. Before he knew what was happening, Johnson was alone again with the guitar back in his hands. He looked around, questioning if the entity he met was even real, and stared down at his old six-string. After taking a moment to adjust himself, he began to strum.

Johnson was now a master at the blues, all at the cost of his eternal soul.

Johnson was born May 8, 1911, in Hazelnut, Mississippi. He developed a big interest in music at a young age and learned the basics of guitar from one of his brothers.

Johnson favored the blues, which was widely regarded as devil’s music at the time.

His interests resulted in a conflict with his step-father, who wanted Johnson to drop the music act and work on the family’s plantation.

At the age of 19, Johnson married a woman named Virginia Travis. It was at this point when he mostly put away his passion for music to focus on his wife and their unborn child. Unfortunately, Travis and their child both died while she was giving birth April 10, 1930. Her family blamed Johnson, claiming it was his doing for playing

devil’s music. It wasn’t until after their death that he dedicated his life fully to music.

Johnson began performing on street corners in different towns. He was eventually given the opportunity to play on stage at a juke joint for a show set up by blues artists Son House and Willie Brown in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

House allowed Johnson to play during one of their show’s intermissions. At this time, Johnson was considered greatly untalented. People would come up to House and ask him to make Johnson stop playing.

Johnson then disappeared one day. No one knew where he went or what became of him. He wouldn’t be seen for nearly a year and a half later.

Between 1931 and 1932, House and Brown were playing at another juke joint located in Robinsonville, Mississippi. To their surprise, they spotted Johnson walking through the entrance, carrying his guitar. Johnson went up to House and asked him for a chance to perform. With reluctance, House decided to give Johnson a shot.

“He was so good, when he finished, all our mouths were standing open,” House stated.

Johnson began traveling by train to different towns throughout the country, performing at any place he could. He moved to Texas in November of 1936 and started to have his songs recorded.

A total of 29 songs were produced between two different studios. Johnson returned to Mississippi in 1937 and went on to continue playing at bars and nightclubs.

Johnson died Aug. 16, 1938 at the age of 27. His death remained largely unheard of until his death certificate was found in 1967. The cause of his death wasn’t listed.

The legend goes that Johnson sold his soul to the devil during his absence in exchange for being skillful with the guitar and that his early death was the result of effects that came from the transaction.

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Alana Penny News Editor Olivia Bousquet

Managing Editors Olivia Bousquet & Jess Johnson Opinions Editor Jess Johnson

Sports Editor Garrett Collins Graphics Editor Zoe Nguyen

FUSE Editor Sydney Hakes Photo Editor Olga Muka

Web Editor Alexa Dumas Public Relations Chair Erica Haley Faculty Adviser Shawn Murphy

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One reason this legend may have spawned is because much of his music appears to relate to this tale, including Hellhound on My Trail, Me and the Devil Blues, and Cross Road Blues. Many of these songs, however, appear to have a different meaning. Cross Road Blues, for example, is not about a soul exchange, but rather a hitchhiker begging for a ride. In addition, many other artists at the time performed songs of related themes.

Another reason this legend may have formed was due to his long absence from town and for how fast he mastered the guitar. During the time of his disappearance, Johnson actually met another blues artist named Ike Zimmerman, who took Johnson under his wing. Allegedly, Zimmerman would take Johnson to graveyards at night and give him lessons there due to how quiet it was.

The tale itself seems to have actually come from an earlier blues artist named Tommy Johnson, who has no relation to Robert. Tommy’s brother, LeDell Johnson, claimed in 1966 that Tommy told him the only reason he played as good as he did was because he made a bargain with the devil at a section of crossroads. Robert’s name seems to have become attached with the story over time.

As for Johnson’s death,

a friend of Johnson named David “Honeyboy” Edward claimed he was poisoned after flirting with the wife of another man. This man worked at one of the bars he frequently played in. Edward claimed Johnson fell ill after drinking a bottle of whiskey served by this man and died three days later.

The details revolving around the story suggests Johnson most likely didn’t sell his soul. Tales of bargains with the devil have been told for centuries and are often prevalent in folklore and urban legend. There are; however, people who still hold to the belief that the story is true due to the vague and mysterious details known about Johnson’s life.

Johnson gained great notoriety in 1961 after Columbia Records released his complete collection of songs on an album called King of the Delta Blues Singers. He was also inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. To this day, there are only two known verified photographs of Johnson.

Allegedly, his last recorded words were handwritten right before his death. They were stated as follows: “Jesus of Nazarath. King of Jerusalem. I know that my redeemer liveth and that he will call me from the grave.”

Email MATTHEW WENDLER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Spring 2018, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2016, five Marks of Distinction Spring 2014, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2012, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2011, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2010, five Marks of Distinction Fall 2009, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2009, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2008, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2005, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2004, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2003, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2002, four Marks of Distinction Pacemaker Recognition Fall 2010, Honorable Mention 2006-2007, Newspaper Finalist

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News Editor Olivia Bousquet

LGBTQ Continued from page A1 UnitedHealth Group responded to a comment on Twitter from user @ warrior_4_good containing a graphic alleging that the company donated $200,000 in direct support of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill: “It’s important to note that the company did not take a position on the legislation referenced.” This response has been replaced with a link to the company’s sustainability report, the most recent of which states, “We invest in the LGBTQ community to ensure everyone feels supported and is well served.”

SUNY, as a system, claims to support the LGBTQ community as well.

“At SUNY, we pride ourself on providing a safe and equitable living, learning, and working environment for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and other communities,” the SUNY website reads.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are also core values for SUNY Plattsburgh — one of the four “pillars” of the three-year strategic plan announced Tuesday, Feb. 22.

However, SUNY does not partner with UnitedHealth Group directly.

Instead, the partnership is secured through the in-

surance broker company Haylor, Freyer & Coon.

The broker offers SUNY several “bids” from insurance companies, and SUNY selects the insurance that provides students with “the best coverage at the lowest price,” Jacqueline Vogl, director of the Global Education Office, said. Because political donations are not considered in the “procurement process,” it is unlikely that the company’s political donations will influence SUNY’s decision of whether to renew the contract.

“The SUNY System Administration will be requesting “bids” from insurance brokers (like HFC) this summer,” Vogl wrote in an email. “So there are a couple of layers of separation between SUNY Plattsburgh and United Health Group.”

Adeeb Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi sophomore majoring in economics and minoring in political science and business, said it is common for companies to donate to both ends of the political spectrum.

UnitedHealth Group is no exception. According to OpenSecrets, a non-profit organization for tracking corporate political donations, in the 2020 election cycle, 63% of UnitedHealth Group’s donations to federal candidates — $415,784 — was to democrats, and the remaining 37%, amounting to $244,044, was to republicans. There

▪ Friday, March 11, 2022

NEWS is no data available for the 2022 election cycle.

“It’s an investment, really, because [companies] want to make sure that no matter who’s in power, they always have someone who’s going to be friendly with them,” Chowdhury said. “I think that kind of shows that their donations don’t represent their moral or political values, but at the same time, there is this feeling of discomfort that I have of being covered by an insurance organization that is so supportive of agendas that are so contrary to what I believe and what I stand for.”

How do the $50,000 donated to DeSantis compare to the $1 million donation to Ukraine?

Are both of them “investments,” or are they both self-standing reflections of the company’s values?

Andrew Payro, a domestic student who identifies as queer, believes donations are indicative of corporate values, but not the values of people who work for or support the corporations.

“That’s like claiming that the young, gay teenager who had to get a job at Chic-Fil-A because they had no other choice, is homophobic, or had direct say in donation — that doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “But on a company-wide level, yes, I don’t think you can say that your company supports the LGBTQ community and then donate to something that

directly harms the LGBTQ community.”

UnitedHealthcare provides services that it calls “gender dysphoria treatment” aimed at transgender clients. However, Payro said many services commonly associated with transgender people, such as hormone replacement therapy or breast surgery, are also performed for cisgender people — people who identify with the gender associated with their sex.

“I would actually go as far as to say that whether or not this company provides gender-affirming care, it does not necessarily make them transgender advocates,” Payro said.

All SUNY Plattsburgh students, domestic and international, must have health insurance to attend the college, and go on UnitedHealthcare unless they sign a waiver.

Domestic students usually waive the school’s insurance because they already have insurance, for example, through their parents’ work benefits. International students usually do not.

“There is a waiver process for international students to pursue a waiver of their health insurance, but they must show that the insurance they want to use is comparable in every way to the insurance that’s mandated by SUNY,” Vogl said. “Our coverage is extraordinary, so it’s rare — almost never — that a student presents insurance

that is comparable. And if it’s not comparable, we, as an institution, are not allowed to waive it.”

If international students disagree with UnitedHealth Group’s donations, switching to a different insurance is an option, albeit a difficult one.

However, some students, like Chowdhury, may choose not to switch regardless of whether the corporation’s donations match their personal beliefs, because many other insurance companies make donations similar to UnitedHealth Group.

“There’s not much you can do about it,” Chowdhury said. “If you’re not comfortable with UnitedHealth’s donations, then whatever insurance company you go for, it’s a pretty safe bet they’ve done similar things.”

Chowdhury also noted that other insurance providers may charge their customers more money and “put a financial burden” on him and his family.

“I don’t want to put my family and myself in a much more difficult position just to be able to say that I’m not supporting this organization,” he said. “There’s no good options here: we have to choose between standing up for our beliefs, our values, versus doing what’s best for me personally and my family.”

Payro noted that there is little that someone who uses the insurance can do

as an individual, due to how necessary the service is.

“It’s hard because these companies hold so much power. There’s very little that we, as the people, can do,” he said. “We, as the people, live in this system that we can’t really fight our way out of — you can’t really fist fight your insurance into supporting you, unfortunately.”

Despite that, Chowdhury thinks SUNY can allow its students more freedom and opportunities to engage in activism.

He said: “I definitely think that the student body should be as involved as possible in political activism to whatever extent they’re comfortable with, or to whatever extent they’re capable of. And I think the SUNY system should do what’s best to accommodate political activism and political speech.”

Payro agreed, hoping that the SUNY Plattsburgh campus would be able to start a conversation and “continue to non-performatively strive to take care of their LGBT students” by educating its community on the subtle ways that everyday things, such as the school’s choice of insurance, can affect its students.

Email ALEKSDANRA SIDOROVA AND BRYN FAWN

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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News Editor Olivia Bousquet

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NEWS

Friday, March 11, 2022

This Week in Photos: Women’s Hockey Photos By Dakota Gilbert

Above: Sierra Benjamin holds the 2022 Champions trophy.

Above: Taylor Whitney smiles with another win.

Read more about women’s hockey on B1.

Below: The Plattsburgh women’s hockey team won their fourth consecutive NEWHL title March 1 against Cortland.

CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022

Championship appearance for Cards

BY LIAM SAMPLE Staff Writer

The No. 2 SUNY Plattsburgh women’s hockey team began their North Eastern Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) playoffs with a statement 8-0 win in the semi-finals over the fourth seeded Potsdam Bears at Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena March 1.

The Cardinals are attempting to win their fourth consecutive NEWHL title, since the league has only existed since 2017,so they are trying to make it nine straight conference titles. Because the 2020 and 2021 National Tournament were canceled due to COVID-19, Plattsburgh is still the reigning national champion, winning the chip in 2019.

With this win, Plattsburgh extended their winning streak to seven and have not lost since Nov. 28, having a 18-game unbeaten streak. Potsdam finished the season with a 9-15-1 record and struggled tremendously from the first puck-drop.

After the starting faceoff, junior forward Ivy Boric left the puck for graduate student forward Annie Katonka, who charged forward with senior forward Sara Krauseneck on a two on one. Katonka sent a long pass to Krauseneck in the slot, who shot it over the opposing goalie’s left pad only 22 seconds into the game.

Two and a half minutes later, the Cardinals were set up in Potsdam’s zone. Graduate student defender Erin McArdle shot it from the point that was saved and played into the near corner.

Boric chased after it, skating it over the red line and taking an accurate shot top shelf to put her team up 2-0 less than three minutes into the game. She finished the game with three points. This goal came on the power play, expanding on the team’s nationalbest .356 percentage.

Plattsburgh continued their early goal push with another one less than a minute later. Again in the offensive zone, Katonka made a steal in the corner. She took advantage of open ice near the net, skating the puck into the close red circle and firing a top shelf shot to put the Cards up three under four minutes into the game. Katonka, who was awarded NEWHL Player of the Year for the second straight season, leads all of Division III in goals and tallied another.

“It was a good first game, but we need to be better defensively

OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points

Riley Calhoun (10) has four goals and six assists in her first season with the Cardinals. If the Cardinals beat Cortland they will move on to the NCAA tournament. moving forward.” Katonka said.

“I thought it was good to get a lead and protect it.”

For the Bears, sophomore goaltender Ellie Zurfluh made the start. After boasting a career high 56 saves against Plattsburgh Feb. 12, she saved 43 in this one while allowing eight.

She finished her first collegiate season with a 7-10-1 record.

On the other side, junior Chloe Beaubien stood tall for Plattsburgh. She had 25 saves for her third straight shutout. She is a perfect 10-0-0 this season.

The Cardinals would get back onto the scoresheet in the second period. On the 2-on-1, Boric sent a centering pass to Krauseneck, who found the back of the net for her second of the day.

Krauseneck is second on the team in points with 51, good for the fourth highest in the country.

She was announced to be NEWHL All Conference First-Team, along with Katonka, McArdle, and Senior Defender Sierra Benjamin. For The Second Team, senior forward Nicole Unsworth

made a spot. The Cardinals had the most all conference players with five total, Cortland was in second with four.

Only forty seconds after Krauseneck’s second, Unsworth would get her own. After graduate student Kaitlin Drew-Mead took the puck over the line, she made a pass to sophomore Mae Olshansky, who tried a one-timer. The puck found its way to the other side of the crease, where Unsworth buried it to put Plattsburgh up 5-0.

The Cardinals scored one more before the end of the second. In neutral ice, junior defender Kendall Wasik played the puck off the board into the Bear’s Zone.

Katonka took the puck to the net where she got another beautiful shot on the upper half of the net past Zurfluh. This was her 31st score of the season.

Plattsburgh put the finishing touches on the game in the third, adding another two more scores. At the 11:06 mark, Unsworth attempted a pass that bounced off a stick and into the

air. After going off of multiple bodies, the puck landed and trickled to Zurfluh’s right, where Drew-Mead put it home for her eleventh goal of the year.

“It is officially playoff hockey, so we know we are going to get every team’s best effort,” DrewMead said. “With that being said, we came out strong against Potsdam, scoring the first goal and keeping the momentum going throughout the entire game.”

With less than two minutes remaining, Benjamin took the puck on the far-side and put it on net. After it went off of the opposing goalie, junior forward Tatem Cheney came around the net to send the rebound five-hole. This was her fifth of the year and was the final strike for Plattsburgh.

The Cardinals finished the game leading 51 to 25 shots.

They killed off both of The Bear’s power plays and were one for two on their own. They moved to a perfect 34-0 against Potsdam since they began playing them in 2008, including four wins just this season.

“Not too much to say after a game like that. I think we’re just focused on the next game now.”Senior Ashley Davis said.

“It’s important to take each game at a time.”

Plattsburgh will go on to play the third seeded Cortland Red Dragons in the NEWHL Finals Saturday, March 5 at Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. Cortland is 18-5-1 with a 12-5-1 conference record. They took down The Oswego State Lakers 1-0 in overtime behind junior Dany Donegan’s game winning goal to move on to this game. Historically, the Cards are 49-0-1 against the Red Dragons, including being 2-0-1 this season. The tie came back Feb. 4 in Cortland.

“Cortland is definitely not a team to take lightly” Davis said.

“Going to have to keep focusing on the little things and clean up in some areas and we should be ready for Saturday.”

Email LIAM SAMPLE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Women’s lax falls short in season opener

BY JESSICA LANDMAN Staff Writer

The women’s lacrosse team kicked off their 2022 spring season March 2 with their first game against SUNY Canton. After a close four quarters, the Canton Kangaroos won with a final score of 8-16.

The women’s lacrosse team was founded only four years ago so they face many struggles that come with being such a new program.

“I think our attitude and our outlook on what we can be as a team and what we will be because we are such a new program,” junior Emma McLaughlin said.

“Programs have been here for years, yes it was hard to adjust to that without knowing each other and how we play.”

Canton won the first draw control giving them possession and the first goal-scoring opportunity. A shot

by Samantha Dayter from Canton went just wide of the post and was picked up by her teammate. Just 30 seconds later, a goal scored by the Kangaroos put Plattsburgh behind by one with 13:33 remaining in the quarter. Three quick shots made by Canton were all stopped

by Plattsburgh’s goalie Johannah Malone. A shot taken

by McLaughlin was saved by the Canton goalie and followed by another two shots from the Kangaroos. Then, with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter, McLaughlin made the team’s first season goal off an assist by Emily Caoili. Not two minutes later, Canton responded with their second goal of the game scored

ton led to a goal against the Cardinals just 20 seconds into the quarter. After both teams made a few shots to no avail, Canton finally scored again with 9:20 remaining in the second quarter. This was quickly followed up by a Plattsburgh goal by first-year Caitlin Nash, earning her first collegiate goal. The Kangaroos responded not even a minute later with another goal to bring the score up to 2-5 with Canton in the lead. Approximately three minutes later Canton brought in three goals in under 30 seconds, two which were scored by Dayter and one from Maddy Caron. Then with 30 seconds remaining in the half Canton scores another two but Plattsburgh has the final goal of the half scored by Kate Kennedy with a mere seven seconds on the clock bringing the score to 3-10.

“We all came to the conclusion that we had to stop playing someone else’s game, we had to play our game and through that we would hopefully get to where we need to be.” Nash said at halftime.

The third quarter started with draw control from Canton but quickly turn over with a ground ball pickup by Sam Lombardi. A shot taken from Canton went wide to the right and was followed by a turnover caused by Lombardi and the groundball picked up by Rachel LaDAKOTA GILBERT /Cardinal Points Mar. 10 minutes of back and forth play ensued before Nikki Scioscia (19) picked up 3 ground balls in Canton. Canton scored, making the overall score 3-11. This was followed by another Canton goal scored with 3:48 reby Lindsey Wunder. The quarter ended after even field maining in the quarter. The quarter concluded with a play with a score of 1-2. free position goal for Nash. The quarter ended with a The second quarter started with possession by the final score of 4-12.

Kangaroos. Canton’s EllaRose LeMay made a shot which WLAX l B3 was saved by Malone. A ground ball picked up by Can-

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CARDINAL SPORTS

Sports Editor Garrett Collins

Friday, March 11, 2022

DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points

Stephen Kane (11) scored five goals in the teams opener vs Canton.

OLGA MUKA /Cardinal Points

OLGA MUKA /Cardinal Points

Men’s lacrosse currently was a record of 1-2.

Stephen Kane (11) has scored multiple goals in the first three games of the season. He currently has nine goals in the early season.

Men’s lax start season right, beats Canton

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUNCH Staff Writer

There’s no sweeter way to start an anticipated season than with a win. And the Cardinals men’s lacrosse did just that.

On Wednesday, Plattsburgh (1-0) beat the SUNY Canton Kangaroos (0-3) by a score of 18-6 in what was SUNY Plattsburgh’s season and home opener.

The Cards are back and scoring with no-holdsbarred. The 18 points scored are the most they have netted in a game since March 7, 2020 — al-

most two years ago. Leading the team in points is first-time captain Stephen Kane with five, closely followed by John Eiseman with three. Just behind them are Zach Gill, Michael Swift, and Matt Trypaluk with two each.

Gill dominated in assists with seven, and no one else had more than two.

“Yeah, we expected it.

[Kane] over here, definitely puts up numbers,” Eiseman said.

“We finally got [Eiseman] on the board, so he’s gonna start flowing now,” Kane said.

Plattsburgh totaled 33 shots on goal, more than

doubling Canton’s 14.

Despite winning comfortably, the teams were almost dead-even on turnovers with PSU having 24 to Canton’s 25. For the ‘Roos’, Alex Jacobs was the only multi-point scorer with three and Hunter Olsen was the lone multiassister, also with three.

Canton was also behind in faceoffs, losing 17-9.

“Starting off 1-0 is definitely great but we got a lot to work on, that was not the prettiest game known to man, but again it was good to start off 1-0,” Coach Andrew Hauk said after the game.

The scoring started for

Plattsburgh less than a minute into the match.

Another few quick goals put the score at 2-2 midway through the first quarter. It never got close again. At the half, the Cardinals were up 8-2 after scoring every few minutes and the Roos only had three shots total. Canton only had one goal in the third quarter to Plattsburgh’s seven.

The rest of Canton’s goals came in garbage time.

“Probably the biggest takeaway is just playing together as a team for the whole 60 minutes and not getting in super low lows, we can’t get too low we

can’t get too high, we just got to stay even the whole game and cruise through it to the dub,” Kane said.

Eiseman agreed with a resounding, “Hell yeah.”

Wednesday’s win is the first in a full slate of games to be played this year. Last week, both coach and players expressed their excitement to be on the field in full capacity again. The fans are back, too — and the players noticed.

“It feels great honestly to be back with full team full energy, no masks and stuff, feels great to be back,” Kane said.

Eisaman also said it’s

awesome to finally have an audience to support them.

Plattsburgh’s next game comes on Saturday, March 5 in Vermont to face the Norwich Cadets (1-0), and look to carry the momentum into another win.

“It’s just coming out tomorrow whether we’re outside because of the cold weather policy or whether we’re inside in the film room, it’s just our guys realizing, ‘Alright, after tonight, we’re 0-0,’” Hauk said.

Email COLLIN BOLEBRUNCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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FUSE

FUSE Editor Sydney Hakes

Friday, March 11, 2022

Ski, snowboard hits the slopes

BY ELLA BARD Contributor

In northern New York, nestled between the Adirondack mountains and Lake Champlain, sits Plattsburgh. Known for its cold, snowy winters that last most of the school year, one club on campus has taken full advantage of these conditions.

The Ski and Snowboard club has been active at SUNY Plattsburgh for almost as long as the campus has stood. Described as “a campus community dedicated to skiers, snowboarders and winter enthusiasts,” the club has been one of the more popular on campus in the past.

President Nick Lawler has been a part of the club since 2018 and encourages potential members to join whether they’re “learning how to ski or board, a die hard shredder or anything in between.”

The club takes regular trips to local mountains and has a variety of events throughout the year to stay active even when snow isn’t on the ground.

“Ski and Snowboard club is a great way to meet new people with similar interests as you. We also offer a discounted season pass for Whiteface, Gore and Belleayre in the fall semester.

It’s a crazy good deal and we highly recommend taking advantage of it,” Treasurer Stephanie Kozloski, said.

The club will host its first Adventure Film Festival at the end of April.

“This event will showcase all the cool outdoor activities students are up to. Students can send in videos of them skiing,

sentations.

“Last semester we had a backcountry safety presentation by Expeditionary Studies Professor Casey Henley,” Kozloski said.

Johnah Gray, a first year member, attended the presentation and found the information helpful for accessing the backcountry.

The Ski and Snowboard Club also hosted a Beginner’s Day at Titus Mountain. This year it was held Feb. 12.

“It was great to see everyone bond and enjoy trying something new that can be scary and intimidating,” Kozloski said. “Titus gives us discount lift tickets that include a lesson and rentals that can be purchased as well.

It’s a great way to try something new and maybe find a new passion. You don’t have to be a beginner to attend either, everyone is welcome whether it’s your first time or thousandth time.”

The club is always welcoming in new members regardless of their experience level. Currently the club has around 40 members and is always looking for more.

“I knew a few people that I would go out snowboarding with, but the club has really expanded my community,” Gray said.

Photo provided by the Ski and Snowboard club For anyone hoping to meet Kerri Murphy, Nick Carp, Lucas Spiridilozzi, Stephanie Kozloski and Nick Lawler pose on the mountain. new people, explore new regions snowboarding, hiking, rock “Rail Jam.” Truckloads of snow get to show off their skills on of the North Country or wanting to just hit the slopes, reach out climbing, kayaking, slackline are brought in and spread out on park elements,” Kozloski said. and any other cool adventures Memorial Hill and club members Rail Jam was not able to hap- to the email listed above, or on they’ve been on,” Lawler said. volunteer time to smooth out a pen due to logistical issues this their Instagram @psu.ssc.

Submissions can be sent to course and craft jumps. On the past fall. However, plans are bepsuskiandsnowboard@gmail. day of the event, Plattsburgh stu- ing laid out to host it again this dents come to compete. com. upcoming school year.

Email ELLA BARD “It’s a super fun event where In the fall before winter starts, The Ski and Snowboarding cp@cardinalpointsonline.com the club hosts an event titled skiers and riders compete and club also hosts informative pre-

PANEL Continued from page B6 There were three panelist speakers that work on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus.

Dr. Amy Ryan, an assistant professor and researcher of biomedical sciences; Dr. Connie Oxford, the department chair of gender and women’s studies and Jessica Facteau, a University Police investigator.

The club prepared several in depth questions for the speakers about leadership styles, their motivation and inspirations and other experiences.

This panel was an opportunity for young women of the college community to hear about real life experiences from women in these fields. It was also an opportunity for the panelists to share their best advice.

The audience, students and future women of the workplace were also given the chance to ask their own questions to the panelists or share experiences.

Some of the difficulties women face in the workforce discussed included stereotypes and misconceptions, discrimination, sexual harassment, wage gaps and overall lack of support.

“One of the biggest things discussed is sexual harassment in the workplace and what its like to be terrified going to work,” Dr. Oxford said. “Some women end up just leaving that job because they are afraid and that results in a lost job opportunity.”

The panelists gave their best advice on navigating some of these issues from their own experiences.

“I did my job, I never let the guys do my job for me,” Facteau said. “I held myself to a high standard. Ultimately those same guys who didn’t want me around. I was a young woman so I guess they saw me as this fragile girl, were eventually the same guys asking me to work in their blocks and when I left a lot were devastated to see me leave.”

Other topics discussed had to do with women often having to balance their lives, many choosing to become mothers at some point in their career. This will sometimes require a shift of focus from the profession to taking care of their family.

“In my field, you need to do certain things to get promoted like publicizing research and it takes a lot of time,” Ryan said. “I don’t want to play the kid card, but if you have a family and have to take care of your kids and you’re competing with a man who may not have a family, no children, not married whatever, there is a major difference in how much time you can spend on it. You might feel like you are constantly having to play catch up to keep family and professional life balanced. It’s hard, I’m not going to lie.”

The Women in Leadership club is a student-run organization on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus. The goal of this club is to bring to light the injustices of women and other marginalized groups when enOLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points tering and navigating the workforce.

The Breaking the Glass Ceiling panel took place in the Cardinal Lounge.

The club is run by President Paola Jimenez and an executive board.

“The reason that we wanted to host this event was because we wanted to bring in women from our college community and shed light on their merits throughout their careers,” Jimenez said.

“Having them come and speak about their experiences and struggles can help inspire other women that are just starting their journey.”

The club hosts weekly meetings on Wednesdays offering support, networking, workshops and an overall safe space for women to share their own experiences.

“This was also a safe space for women to share their past struggles and accomplishments as they build their careers” Jimenez said.

Email LUCA GROSS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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FUSE

FUSE Editor Sydney Hakes

Friday, March 11, 2022

Book raffle spreads inspiration

BY SYDNEY HAKES FUSE Editor

Two students were awarded limited edition copies of two of Rockwell Kent’s books this past weekend at the Celebration of the Spirit of Rockwell Kent symposium.

The books, “Salamina” and “Rockwell Kent: An Anthology of his Works” were donated by local Kent scholars to be raffled off to two SUNY Plattsburgh students.

Museum Director Tonya Cribb has been tirelessly working to provide new events and opportunities to all Plattsburgh students and surrounding community. She hopes even small giveaways like these will catch the attention of students of all majors.

“Salamina,” first published in 1935, detailed Kent’s second trip to Greenland. Along with his identifiable black and white illustrations, Kent tells of his time in vignettes, eventually focusing on his indigenous housekeeper, for which the book is named after.

The book was donated by Kent scholar Scott Ferris, an alumni from SUNY Plattsburgh who catalogs and consults about Kent’s work.

“As a graduate from SUNY Plattsburgh and as someone who helped catalog the Kent collection in the Feinberg Library, I want to stress the value of

Penny Amero flips through her prize: “Rockwell Kent: An Anthology of his Work.”

Kent’s work to students,” Ferris said.

Ferris said “Salamina” is a look into who Kent was, from his experiences to his personal thoughts, all influencing his art.

Psychology major Cellan Hogan was the winner of “Salamina.” She was checking out Denis Defibaugh’s “North by Nuuk” exhibit and saw the raffle box.

“I came to Plattsburgh to pursue psychology, but the art community on campus was also a huge plus for me,” Hogan said.

“I’m always impressed with all forms of art. It’s something that I’ve al-

ways had a passion for whether it was music or viewing paintings.”

Hogan went on to say she thinks the art in Plattsburgh is underappreciated.

“It’s one of the reasons Plattsburgh is special, especially for a smaller campus,” Hogan said. “I’m not any type of art major or minor, but I know art helps me get out of my own mind and probably would for others. There are so many mediums and styles, anyone can relate to something.”

Knowing a fair amount about Kent and his work, Hogan is looking forward

to learning more about him from his own account.

Like Hogan, the winner of the second book, “Rockwell Kent: An Anthology of his Works,” is not an art major. Penny Amero is currently a history major hoping to transfer into the criminal justice program.

She first learned of Rockwell Kent during an art class at Clinton Community College when she had to recreate one of his landscape paintings.

Since then, she has felt inspiration specifically from his depictions of the natural world.

She was “over the moon”

OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points

when she heard she had won the raffle, and specifically the anthology.

“Rockwell Kent: An Anthology” was a match made for Amero. With over 350 pages, the book is filled with detailed and vibrant photographs of Kent’s work. It was donated by Connie Erdelac, whose father was a collector of Kent’s work.

Her and Ferris both donated hoping to expand the interests and curiosities of Plattsburgh students. Something as simple as a book or a giveaway can spark that.

“Books like this open another window into the

art world,” Amero said. “I can see some of his work online or at the gallery in Feinberg, but this is something I can take home and divulge in. It’s priceless.”

With such a positive reaction for the winners, Cribb is motivated to continue events like these. In the wake of the total shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, any event to get students into the galleries and involved with the arts is a valuable endeavor.

“I know the art department is putting on these great events, but the reach is only so far,” Amero said. “No one really wants to venture outside of their discipline. People don’t realize there is some form of art for everyone. Not only that, but there’s an artist within everyone.”

Amero speaks with passion and conviction, not hesitating to give her thoughts on the college’s benefits and drawbacks, from involvement of the arts to supporting athletics.

At the end of the day, she hopes that more students and community members will use their free time to enrich their lives through art.

To stay up to date on events held by the art department and museum, visit the SUNY Plattsburgh website.

Email SYDNEY HAKES

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

By Jess Johnson

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

LEO

Something unfair has been happening, and has unfolded into a struggle to achieve outer and inner balance.

Look internally, and figure out how to shift the energy of the situation.

Focus on that imbalance, and use the power of the mind to solve the problem.

SAGITTARIUS

Use careful consideration before making a hasty decision based on emotion. Slow down, evaluate a situation or person, and clear the mind. Do not just act on romantic feelings quickly, and take things slow as you may enjoy a new romance.

VIRGO

There is a lot of tension around you, and this is leaving you feeling destabilized and out of tune. Identify where you got off track, and realize that everyone experiences challenges. There may be an emotional upheaval inside you, but do not spend any more money as a coping outlet.

CAPRICORN

You are caught up in nostalgia, as you may be having an unhealthy attachment to the past. There are new possibilities in front of you, but you can not embrace them without embracing the present.

Lean back on family or friend support.

Make time for joy and playfulness.

Live in the moment and be present with the life around. You don’t always need to take things so seriously, and it’s okay to fully express yourself without feeling guilty. However, confront the perception others may have of you; are you being insensitive to their feelings?

LIBRA

The fulfillment of your dreams and efforts is quickly approaching.

You’ve come a long way and a large abundance follows. Prosperity, good health and happiness is or will be flowing through your soul.

Spread positivity and generosity will come back to you.

AQUARIUS

Stop resisting change, even though it may be a scary and confusing experience. The Universe has much more in store; you need to learn to trust it. Stop clinging to the past, as a cycle of change needs to begin. At every end, there is always a new beginning.

Trust your intuition, and do not let others thoughts and opinions fog the mind — they are weighing you down. Rip down that blockage, tune into yourself, and re-align your values and morality. Do not let the fear of pain keep you from moving forward. Watch out for manipulation.

SCORPIO

PISCES

You may feel a bit exhausted from your journey, but do not give up. You are so close to reaching a goal, but it may be yourself preventing a cycle from completing to get there. One can only control themselves, not the actions of others around them.

There may be a delay currently in reaching success. Perhaps a roadblock keeping you from reaching a goal.

Continue to work diligently, and know that this is all apart of the process. Use enthusiasm for work to lift your spirits and to move forward.

Begin to be patient and listen to your heart. You can turn any situation around. If there is an obstacle between yourself and your relationships, do a deep reflection. There may be a disconnect now, but find a way to connect back to your soul, and what you truly need.

July 23 - August 22

August 23 September 22

September 23 October 22

October 23 November 21

Do not push down pain. You must self-reflect, release your emotion, cleanse yourself and face the truth to conquer it. One cannot heal, without letting go of what they can not change. There may be something better suited to your path coming your way. Make room for it.

November 22 - December 21

December 22 January 19

January 20 February 18

February 19 March 20

These readings are done with a cleansed tarot deck, by meticulous reading and analysis, using charged crystals and House of Tarot incense (Luna - Sage, Sweetgrass and Lavender) to guide predictions.

CLUB SPOTLIGHT B4

ZOE NGUYEN/Cardinal Points

Panel highlights women’s challenges

BY LUCA GROSS Staff Writer

To kick off Women’s History Month, the Women in Leadership club hosted “Breaking the Glass Ceiling,” a Q&A panel about being women in male dominated fields Wednesday, March 2.

PANEL l B4