Issue 9

SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent student newspaper since 1997

VOLUME 105 - ISSUE 9

FRIDAY, NOV. 19, 2021

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Provided by SUNY Plattsburgh

SUNY Plattsburgh’s last full attendance in-person graduation ceremony in the Field House. Students were able to invite as many family members and friends as they wanted prior to COVID-19.

Seniors prepare for December graduation

BY SYDNEY HAKES Staff Writer

December graduation is fast approaching for seniors in their final semester at SUNY Plattsburgh. COVID-19 restrictions and precautions have changed the approach to the past three graduations, Winter 2021 will also be looking different.

Dr. Kathleen Camelo, director of the student health and counseling center, said that for the first time in three semesters, students will be able to bring

SA approves Shuttle budget

BY KATIE KALLAMNI Staff Writer

After concerns and frustration were raised with the Student Associations shuttle service and its inconsistent time, the $6,065 new budget was in-

troduced and passed. The goal is to increase wages to hire more drivers. The SA council said for a three month period, one day out of the week drivers were missing. This new deal would start drivers at a $16.50 per hour wage.

“We found the drivers are less interested in benefits and are looking for more money,” Ahmed Metwaly, president of SA, said.

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guests to their graduation.

Each student is permitted two guest tickets, a link for which was sent out Nov. 16 to graduating students’ email accounts.

“There will be virtual tickets for the guests, and the graduates will be given bracelets.

They can pick these up a week before graduation at a precheck-in at the ACC,” Camelo said. More details specific to the pre-check-in will be released closer to the event.

Students and their guests will need to be vaccinated or have a

negative test 72 hours prior to commencement.

There will be two separate commencements Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Students can choose which time they would prefer when receiving their tickets up until Dec. 3.

The in-person commencements will take place in the E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium in Hawkins Hall.

All information stated above and additional details can be found under the commencement section of the SUNY

Plattsburgh website.

Olivia Metchick, a senior majoring in marketing with a minor in public relations, has conflicting feelings about her upcoming graduation.

“I’m ready to graduate. I was in the middle of my sophomore year when the pandemic began, and I think it put a lot of us in a mind-set to just want to move on from all of this,” Metchick said.

While she is understanding of the regulations, and wants to remain as safe as possible

herself, some of the drawbacks were still disappointing. “[I’m] glad that my parents can be there in person, but it’s sad that more of my family can’t be there,” Metchick said about the guest limitations. “I understand the precautions surrounding COVID, but I think about how my brother and I are the only grandchildren of my one grandmother, and it’s just really unfortunate that she can’t be there.”

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Annual holiday parade welcomes CEES

BY MIA MORGILLO Associate News Editor

The annual Holiday Parade has been a tradition in Plattsburgh for the past six years, and this year, for the first time ever, the Center for Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES) department will be included. This year’s theme is “Superheroes Celebrate the Holidays.”

While some may think of household names like Superman and Spider-Man, the CEES department will be creating a float featuring Swamp Thing, or as Associate Professor Mary Alfred calls it “protector of the green.” Assistant Professors Aldred and Mark Lesser are behind the idea. As repeat parade goers, they saw an opportunity to get the department involved in the community, and jumped at the chance.

Downtown Plattsburgh will be hosting the holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony Dec. 4.

“CEES students are always good about stepping up to do these kinds of things,” Aldred said.

“Whether they have the time or not, if it’s something worth doing they’ll

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put the effort in to make it happen.”

She describes Swamp Thing as “green, gruff and red eyed.” Lesser explains that he envisions the truck to be “decked out like a swamp, but with a Christmas tree,” with the Thing relaxing in its habitat. Students will not only be involved in the creation of the float, but also participate in the parade itself. Dressed for

the field, they will walk alongside the truck and pass out candy to parade audience members.

The CEES department prides itself in carrying a special energy in and of itself.

“When I came here, the collaborative energy and the positive energy that we all give to each other is just unique to here,” Aldred said.

From chili cook offs, to

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jumping to get students involved in research, and even hosting dinners at their homes, the faculty aim to put in extra effort that goes above and beyond the typical professor-student experience.

“The students really want to get involved — they’re here because they want to do something related to environmental science, and it shows,” Alfred said.

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Lesser said he feels outgoing and involved in trying to do outreach events with the students and the larger community. The department aims to set a high standard for the rest of the school and demonstrates how an invested professor produces invested students.

Community Engagement Director for the City of Plattsburgh, Courtney Meisenheimer, specifically noticed the department’s application for the parade float.

“I’m excited for everybody to come back together in the spirit of the holidays and celebrate our community,” Meisenheimer said.

After not having many in-person events last year, it’s a good opportunity for students to get involved with the holidays this year.

“We always want SUNY students to feel really welcome downtown, and participate in events in our community,” Meisenheimer said. She also encourages students to get involved in the parade if they wish, noting it’s free of cost.

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NEWS

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Detective Burghy has nothing to report this week.

BRYN FAWN/Cardinal Points

Weekly Meme Pre-med hosts de-stressing event Students relax for an evening of painting sponsored by the Pre-med and Pre-health Association Nov. 14.

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA Contributor

ALEXA DUMAS/Cardinal Points

Campus COVID-19 Tracker

In awareness of breast cancer, the Pre-Med/Pre-Health Association hosted its first ever fundraising event, “Glow in the Dark Paint and Sip,” Nov. 14. The proceeds from the ticket sales will go to Susan G. Komen, an organization that invests in breast cancer research, community health and outreach.

Throughout the event, students enjoyed beverages and used paint supplies, as well as colorful glow sticks and ribbons that they took home. What attracted students most about the event was that they could also return to their dorms with a new decoration — their paintings.

“This seemed like the most fun out of all the events that I saw going on,” Undeclared freshman Hannah McLain said. “You also have a little souvenir to bring with you.”

According to club president Alexa Cariello, association aimed for a relaxed event to get students together, as COVID-19 made it difficult to host such an event.

“I came here to finally get out of my room, because I’ve been in my room for the most part, all day,” Freshman art major Kayla Lester said. “It’s already hard to do activi-

9 CP Corrections In Issue 8, the article “False Fire Alarms: A Burning Issue,” Macdonough Hall was misspelled.

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

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Students de-stress with art.

same kind of experience, and we can rely on each other,” Cariello said.

The event was organized by a team of five: Vice President Noemi Alonzo, Treasurer Melody Cristian, Secretary Sophia Augustyn, Public Relations Chair Mallory Brownell and Cariello. When planning the event, they focused on combining the main goal of the event — to raise money for charity — with an activity that students would find interesting

and relaxing, with finals approaching in just a few weeks.

Lester said: “Being an art major, I’m always messing with paint and stuff, but it was nice to do something [not related to coursework], have freedom with it. And I was able to do that with my friends, so it was a nice experience.”

Cariello said the club anticipated a maximum of 50 students, but the tickets sold out on the day of the event, and even more students showed up at the doors of the Warren Ballroom. In the future, the Pre-Med/Pre-Health Association hopes to attract a wider audience to their events, as the majority of students that came to “Glow in the Dark Paint and Sip” were women.

“We’re probably going to have another fundraising event next semester,” Cariello said. “We’re going to try and make it more genderequal. [The event] is for everyone, we just have to make that known.”

Cariello considers the event a success.

“I’m very glad with how it turned out,” she said. “It turned out a lot better than I thought it would have.”

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there will also be a Super Santa 5K Relay and Elf Dash at 3:00 p.m., Nancy Langlois School of Dance and Antwon Levee & Dust will perform at 5:00 p.m.. Afterward, Center Stage Dance Studio and local acapella Continued from page A1 group Fermata Nowhere will perform. A tree lighting will be held at the Strand Center for the Arts, followed The city is looking for some helping hands for all of by a showing of Home Alone at 25 Brinkerhoff. the festivities.

The parade will begin at 5:30 p.m., starting down Brinkerhoff Street, and ending at the intersection of Email MIA MORGILLO Margaret and Broad Street. Prior to the parade itself, cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

PARADE

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

ties as is, because of the pandemic, so having this was nice.”

Bringing students together also aligns with the values of the PreMed/Pre-Health Association.

“Our main goal for our club, more so for pre-med students, is to make sure everyone knows we’re in the

Continued from page A1 In other SA news, the Black Onyx Wild N’ Out comedy show recreation event was financially supported for $791.00. The red team is going against the black team Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. in the ACC Ballroom. The Wild’ N Out event will be using a series of games presented from the show. Some examples include “bail me out,” “do dat dance” and “plead the fifth.” The Black Onyx organization’s goal is to give students the opportunity to show their talents and

to bond with each other. The club looks to provide an engaging and entertaining space while welcoming all students on campus.

The Black Onyx Fashion Show event takes place Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. in the ACC Ballroom. The event was unanimously financially approved for $4,528.00. The fashion show will have 18 to 20 models, and they will be professionally dressed with hair and makeup done. There are four designers receiving $500 each; Bytiannaosbourne, Midao, Kuchuments LLC and Straight Out the Motherland. The photographer is receiving $300 and $520 for tech (lights and sound). Catering expenses are

$1408.00, which will be feeding people sandwiches, drinks and snacks.

Each event ticket is $9 for students and $10 for the general public. With the package deal, for one $12 ticket you can attend the Wild N’ Out remake and fashion show.

Lastly SA notes, SUNY Plattsburgh starting the spring 2022 semester no longer requires that students need an SAT score for admission. Also, the art committee is finalizing their decisions for new art pieces on campus.

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FRIDAY, NOV. 19, 2021

‘The French Dispatch’ tributes journalists

BY CAMERON KAERCHER Contributor

The cinema of Wes Anderson can be a divisive one and an alienating one, but also a deeply emotional experience. Anderson’s emphasis on symmetrical framing is an essential part of his storytelling.

His films feel like storybooks or dreams sometimes. It isn’t realistic, it is better than realism. It is a personal vision that has been parodied, paid homage to but never recreated perfectly.

Anderson’s latest feature is “The French Dispatch.” The title refers to the American magazine covering the politics, culture and revolutions of the fictional French town, Ennui-sur-Blasé. This translates to “Boredom-upon-Apathy.”

The story itself is divided into four articles written for the dispatch. Owen Wilson as Herbsaint Sazerac writes the introductory, “The Cycling Reporter,” as he briefly introduces the town. Tilda Swinton as J.K.L. Berensen tells the story of “The Concrete Masterpiece,” an art installation created by a violent convict played by Benicio Del Toro.

In “Revisions to a Manifesto,” Lucinda Krementz, played by Frances McDormand, profiles a student revolutionary played by Timothee Chalamet. Finally, Jeffrey Wright as Roebuck Wright recounts a tumultuous dinner he shared with Ennui’s commissaire of police, played by Mathieu Amalric, in “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner.”

Clearly, there are a lot of stories to get through. Anderson’s plotting is as swift as ever. Through his usually meticulous direction, each shot has so many details and expressions that not everything needs to be spelled out. Working with four-time collaborating editor Andrew Weisblum, Anderson keeps the pacing high for this less than two-hour film.

The film was also shot on 35mm by another Anderson regular, Robert D.

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Yeoman. Every frame looks gorgeous with the pastel colors Anderson uses regularly. The unpaved streets of Ennui are also gritty and lend some grounding to this fanciful story.

For the first time, aside from his short films, Anderson shoots in black and white and the results are gorgeous. Each chapter of the story is lucky enough to get a scene in black and white which fuels the theme of looking back in time, even if these events are fictional.

The lighting is gorgeous and never obeys any strict rules of when to use black and white and when to use full color. All

creative choices are fueled by emotion and what makes sense for the shot, not even the scene as a whole.

Previous films from Wes Anderson have been about nostalgia and some of its dangerous trappings. “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” had a protagonist who had fallen out of the limelight and was trying to capture fame again. “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Anderson’s previous live-action film, had multiple layers of narration. Each narrator would be trying to recollect the now-defunct and titular hotel. “The French Dispatch” may not live up to “Grand Budapest,” but the film is

great all the same.

For anyone interested in Wes Anderson’s career, this may be a fine film to start off on. It contains all the director’s hallmarks, he has definitely not given up his style to chase mainstream success.

If the style feels alienating at first, stick with it, because getting to the end of a Wes Anderson film will always deliver an emotional climax, and “The French Dispatch” does that exquisitely.

Email CAMERON KAERCHER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Las Vegas Raiders struggle with scandals

BY CARLY NEWTON Associate Opinions Editor

An alarming number of NFL players are continuing to get in trouble with the law and sometimes ruining their careers in the process.

One team in particular, the Las Vegas Raiders, has experienced this problem with two of their young players most recently.

The past month has been tough for the Raiders and their fans, and it’s not because their team is playing poorly.

What started out as a promising start to the season for the Raiders, ultimately went downhill due to off-the-field issues with their head coach and their players.

After Head Coach Jon Gruden resigned in early October, the team seemed to be bouncing back from the bad publicity and focusing their attention on winning football games, but unfortunately that did not last long.

In the early morning hours Nov. 2, now former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. He was driving 156 miles per hour when he struck another vehicle at a red light in Las Vegas, killing a woman and her dog. The woman in the car, Tina Tintor, was only

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23 years old.

According to CNN, Tintor’s family released a statement following the accident.

“Tina’s tragic loss has devastated her family beyond a grief they could ever comprehend. Family was everything to Tina, and she was the light of her

parents’ life. Tina lived in Las Vegas since she was a baby. She loved her 3-yearold Golden Retriever, Max, who passed alongside her Tuesday morning,” the statement said.

Ruggs, who is only 22 years old, could face up to 20 years in prison.

Whether or not he’ll get

the full 20 years has yet to be determined, but considering he took someone’s life, he deserves to get the full sentence.

Two young lives are now forever ruined because of Ruggs’ stupid decision to drink and drive.

There is no logical reason that anyone should be

getting behind the wheel while intoxicated — there are so many options at anyone’s disposal to prevent this from happening in today’s age.

Ruggs could have gotten an Uber, a Lyft or even hired his own personal driver with all the money he has made from

playing football.

It is heartbreaking that this preventable situation happened, and hopefully the families for both Tintor and Ruggs can find peace and heal from this tragedy.

Damon Arnette was the other Raiders player who caused a controversy for the team.

Just a few days after the Ruggs incident, a video surfaced of Arnette swinging a firearm around in a video while issuing death threats.

Both incidents happening within a few days of each other was not a good look for the Raiders, who just moved their team to Las Vegas last year. A city known for partying was probably not the best place to relocate an NFL franchise to.

Despite the bad timing of Arnette’s video being released, the Raiders handled the situation as best as they could given the circumstances — both Ruggs and Arnette were rightfully released from the team following each incident.

Hopefully, young players around the NFL learn from both of these sad situations and become more responsible because of it.

Email CARLY NEWTON

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Opinions Editor Alexa Dumas

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CARDINAL VOICE

Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Editorial

Have a safe and healthy Thanksgiving break, Cards As the fall semester starts to dwindle down, Thanksgiving is less than a week away. With the holiday season sneaking up, students are getting excited for time with their family and friends.

The fall semester saw a wanted return to normalcy. With the mandate of the COVID-19 vaccine for students living on campus, cases remained in the single-digits throughout the semester.

Students couldn’t be happier about the end of the semester.

This time last year, COVID cases were soaring. Once students tested negative, emails were sent out saying to pack up and go home as soon as possible. The last few weeks of classes were delivered remotely and some students didn’t return in the spring.

Last year’s holiday season was celebrated separately. This year, people can finally see loved ones. Although students must return to campus after Thanksgiving break, this time it feels normal.

Even though the vaccine makes it safer to see family members, still take caution. If you aren’t feeling well, keep your distance from family members who are at risk.

Staying safe and healthy should be a priority for the break. Take a mental health break and relax from the stressful semester. Even though it’s not over yet, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

With the return to normalcy, enjoy being around loved ones and celebrate what you are thankful for. Take a break for yourself and think of the positives in your life.

Have a good break, Cardinals. You deserve it.

ZAHWA SHAMIR AHMED /Cardinal Points

‘God of War’ is biblical

BY JONAS WARD Staff Writer

Produced by Sony Santa Monica and published by Sony Entertainment in 2005, “God of War” introduced players to one of the most powerful characters in video game history Kratos. Selling more than 4.6 million copies worldwide, “God of War” set the standard for action packed fighting games for years to come.

“God of War” is roughly based on Greek mythology.

The main protagonist in the game is named Kratos, a Spartan leader who had a rough childhood, but found himself through fighting. Nearly dying in battle, he made a deal with the Greek gods to spare his life by bonding himself with the Ghosts of Sparta and the Blades of Chaos.

After the settlement, Kratos became a god granted with extreme strength, magical powers and the Blades of Chaos. Due to the fact that Kratos was bound with the Ghosts of Sparta, he started to see horrific visions that tormented him. He was unhappy with the outcome and set out to kill the god Ares.

Kratos travels across vast lands to hunt down Ares and kill anyone who gets in his way. He was furious and decided to find Pandora’s Box in hopes of defeating Ares with its contents. The story of “God of War” is entertaining for players. Its full of action, suspense and hardcore fighting. Players will thoroughly enjoy the story.

The gameplay of “God of War” is what makes the game spectacular. One of the best

person camera angle which can be a little difficult to get used to for players. It displays the heads up display with Kratos’ health and energy. Unlockables in the form of chests will reward players throughout the game and help them on their journey. The gameplay alone is worth it for anyone looking for a great action packed fighting experience in a video game.

The graphics for “God of War” were good for 2005, but they don’t blow any game out of the water today. Remastered for the PlayStation 3, the game gained reworked graphics that made it look more up to date for it being a vintage game.

Characters have little facial expressions except for in-game cutscenes. The landscape is better, shows good colors and has movable scenery like water, trees, wind, sand and other characters. When players play this game, it will definitely evoke a vintage feel when it comes to the graphics.

“God of War” was one of the most successful PlayStation 2 games of all time. It was deemed the 14th best selling game of all time for the PlayStation 2, promoting seven sequels to be produced which makes it a huge series beloved by fans. A successful novel based on the game was written by Matthew Stover and Robert E. Vardeman, published in 2010. “God of ROLDNARDY NORELUS /Cardinal Points War” is a must play for anyone who loves gritty combobased fighting video games combo and fighting systems the more they learn. Differwith a taste of revenge. was devised for this game. ent abilities for Kratos are Fighting is detailed and full unlocked later in the story, of opportunities in the game. which makes him more powEmail JONAS WARD Players will learn a set of erful against his enemies. cp@cardinalpointsonline.com combos that only get better “God of War” has a fixed third

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Taken from 100 participants

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Alana Penny

Managing Editor Olivia Bousquet

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

Opinions Editor Alexa Dumas

Sports Editor Garrett Collins

FUSE Editor Adeeb Chowdhury

Graphics Editor Nghi To

Photo Editor Olga Muka

Associate News Editor Mia Morgillo

Associate Opinions Editor Carly Newton

Associate Graphics Editor Zoe Nguyen

Web Editor Alexa Dumas

Public Relations Chair Erica Haley Faculty Adviser Shawn Murphy Advertising Manager Cody Bostinto

Contact CP: Editorial Board: 518.564.2174 Advertising: 518.564.3173 Fax: 518.564.6397 118 Ward Hall SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY 12901 cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Award Winning

Cardinal Points has received the following awards from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP): ACP Hall of Fame Inducted in Fall 2010 All American 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

GRADS

NEWS

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Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Continued from page A1 There will be a livestream of the event available on the college website for those who cannot attend. A recording of both commencements will also be archived on the college website. Lily Alvarado, who will be graduating a semester early with a dual major in English literature and gender and women’s studies, chose the 10 a.m. commencement and will have her parents attending as her two guests.

“I’m really happy with the decision of allowing those who aren’t vaccinated to still attend with a negative test,” Alvarado said. “My mother has a history of blood clots, so she’s not vaccinated. I would ideally like to have more of my loved ones there, but I’m really grateful that at least her and my dad can see me graduate in person.”

Both Metchick and Alvarado understand the safety protocols. There is just an air of disappointment not being able to share such a large milestone in their lives with all their loved ones.

Alvarado also noted the inconvenience for her family, and likely others, that her younger sibling needed to find a place to stay while her parents drove to Plattsburgh from New York City.

The extravagant, bleacher packed graduations that existed long before COVID are now only a hope for students anticipating graduation.

Email SYDNEY HAKES cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Cardinal Points Archives

Last spring was the first in-person graduation commencement since COVID-19 began.

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NEWS

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

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Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

This Week in Photos: Our Town Photos Provided By Trevor Eichler

Last weekend, the Theatre Department put on a showing of “Our Town,” a play by Thornton Wilder.

Director Julia Devine found the play more touching because of COVID-19. This was the first in-person play since the start of the pandemic.

Read more about “Our Town” on B5.

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FRIDAY, NOV. 19, 2021

Women’s basketball continues streak

BY GARRETT COLLINS Sports Editor

The Plattsburgh Cardinals women’s basketball team welcomed the Norwich Cadets, the SUNY Cobleskill Tigers and the SUNY Potsdam Bears for the Cardinal Classic, Nov. 12 and 13. The Cardinals entered the weekend with a record of 1-1, where they lost to the Kangaroos and the Badgers. The Cardinals loss to start the season has now turned into a distant memory as the Cardinals went 2-0 vs SUNY Cobleskill and Norwich University. The Cardinals would take care of business in a big way, winning both games by over ten points.

The first game of the weekend matched the Cardinals up versus the Tigers.

The first quarter saw the Cardinals and the Tigers go back and forth exchanging the lead seven times. The Cardinals as a whole in the first quarter fell into a rut in the shooting percentage category going 3-14 and shot 1-8 from downtown.

By the end of the first quarter the Cardinals found themselves down by six by a score of 21-15. The beginning of the second quarter of the game saw the Tigers go on a 8-0 run that put the Cardinals on the ropes down by 12. The Cardinals still had trouble finding their footing for the remainder of the second half closing the first half down by 7 36-29. The Cardinals shooting slump from the first quarter continued into the second half shooting 4-20 from the field.

The team, however, was able to cash out from three point range going 2-5 from the three-point line. The Tigers had a close grip on the lead, not allowing the Cardinals to recapture the lead since 2:40 left in the first quarter. If the Cardinals were to mount a comeback, they would need to get their scoring percentage up and break their slump.

The third quarter saw

Photo provided by Brian Savard

Center, Kelly Degnen reads the floor in the Cardinal Classic where the Cardinals went 2-0. the Cardinals do just that as Mya Smith shrank the lead down to four points when she drained a three pointer to open up the scoring in the second half.

Another layup from Smith and two jump shots from Brinley Inglee allowed the Cardinals to scrape back into striking distance to retake the lead, down by one by a score of 43-42. With 3:06 left in the quarter the Cardinals broke the ice and retook the lead 47-45 after a layup by Smith. After the Cardinals took the lead in the third quarter they never let it go. Scoring another nine points to finish off the quarter by a score of 50-45.

The Cardinals were able to clean up their shooting percentage shooting an exceptional 9-16 and going 50% from three, only making one of two. Just like the run the Tigers had in the final quarter in the first half,

the Cardinals had a run of their own, going 11-2 in the opening minutes of the final quarter. The Tigers scored four points back to back and would close the Cardinals lead to ten points with just 4:15 left in the game. By 2:10 left in the game the Tigers were forced to make the Cardinals take free throws that they were able to drain.

The Cardinals were able to comeback and finish the second half by a score of 71-60. The main attribute to the Cardinals comeback came from their ability to make shots, especially in the third quarter. The weekend was not over for the Cardinals, however, as they took on the Norwich Cadets Saturday.

Going into the Cardinals last game of the weekend versus the Norwich University Cadets. A day earlier they avoided a col-

lapse rallying back vs the Cobleskill Tigers winning the game 71-60.

The opening quarter saw the Cadets starting fast on a 7-2 run that ran until 6:11 left in the first quarter.

A lay up and a free throw made by breakout player Payton Couture helped the Cardinals keep the game close, closing the run with a score of 7-5 between the two teams. Not much scoring happened between the two sides setting the stage for a low scoring affair, The final score of the first quarter the score was 14-10 in favor of the Cadets.

The Cardinals for the first quarter shot 3-14 from the field and 1-8 from three point range. The second quarter opened with the Cards immediately cutting into the four point deficit with a three pointer from Kanesha Strider. A jumper from Brittani Campell

gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game. The two teams traded scores for the remaining seven minutes of the first half, with a score of 20-19 Cardinals. Plattsburghs first half shooting, once again was not a strong suit of the team shooting a mere 4-20 from the field and 2-8 from three-point line.

Just as the Cardinals did in the earlier game they went on a run to open up the second half. This however was the one that crushed the spirit of the Cadets early in the second half, with the Cardinals going on a massive 20-2 run to put the Cardinals up 19 by a score of 40-21 with 3:08 left to go in the third quarter. The Cadets, hurt by the run, were only able to tally 4 points in the final 3 minutes of the game and that left the Cadets down 49-25. The Cardinals

once again bounced back from a bad first half shooting slump, jumping up to 10-16 from the field and a great stat line from three making 5-8 from the three point line. After that third quarter run the Cadets seemed like they weren’t able to recover, The Cardinals would hold onto a 24 point lead for the entirety of the final quarter and the Cardinals would cap off their weekend with a three-game winning streak.

The Cardinals threegame winning streak was tested in their next Matchup when they took a trip west to St. Lawrence to take on the Saints.

Email GARRETT COLLINS

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Men’s hockey goes on tough road trip

BY DREW WEMPLE Staff Writer

Dropping points in collegiate hockey is never ideal. Dropping points in conference play is even less ideal. The SUNY Plattsburgh men’s hockey team experienced that the hard way this past weekend, as they dropped two games on the road, and now fall behind six points in the standings.

It must’ve been a daunting road trip for the Cardinals, as Friday they took on the n ranked Division-III team, the Geneseo Knights and Saturday they turned around to play the undefeated Brockport Golden Eagles. The Cardinals would fall just short Friday, losing 3-2 before Saturday suffering their worst loss of the season, 7-3.

“We’re going every weekend wanting to win. You know, in our mind, we were more than capable of winning both of those games,” junior forward Joe Kile said. “It’s still early so you don’t know how good we can be or how good some of these other teams can be. So I think we just have to go into every game with kind of an open mind thinking we can definitely win this game.”

Getting as many wins as possible is always the goal for Plattsburgh Hockey, especially in conference play. But they

DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points

Number 33 Anthony Del Tufo made a combined 39 saves over the road trip had to start their weekend with the No. 1 ranked Knights.

In the first period, Geneseo came out strong, giving examples why they were ranked as high as they are. The Knights scored the first goal of the match, just before the eight minute mark. They would

then score again on a power play opportunity, 11 minutes in, to extend their lead to 2-0 in the first.

In fact, the penalties were abundant in the first frame, and there were power play opportunities everywhere. The Cardinals were called for six penalties in the first

period, and Geneseo was called for four of their own.

“I’m not saying they were bad calls, good calls or indifferent; We were just in the box too much...You know, it kind of put us back on our heels a little bit,” Head Coach Stephen Moffat said. “Even though we were down 2-0, I think five on five we were playing pretty well. We were generating some chances and then were slowly able to chip away a little bit.”

Chip away they did, as with just under a minute to go in the first period, sophomore forward Carson Gallagher was able to find the back of the net, off assists from Bennett Stockdale and Jacob Modry, to cut the score to 2-1. Down just one goal, but with two periods remaining the battle was still uphill.

“We wanted to move our feet and defend with our feet, not so much with our sticks, and to just keep doing what we’re doing; stay the course and keep plugging away, getting one shot at a time, one goal at a time,” Moffat said.

In the second period, the game tightened up, as both sides scrapped to either pull away, or pull to even. After the end of the second period, the score was still deadlocked at 2-1, with one period to play.

MHKY l B3

B2 ▪

Sports Editor Garrett Collins

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CARDINAL SPORTS

Men’s Basketball Tue. Nov. 19 @ 1p.m vs.

Skidmore College 7:30p.m.

Tue. Nov. 23 @ 6 p.m. vs.

Skidmore College .

Women’s Basketball Tue. Nov. 30 @ 5:30 p.m. vs.

SUNY Potsdam

Men’s Hockey Fir. Nov. 19 @7 p.m. at SUNY Genesseo Sat. Nov. 20@ 7 p.m. at SUNY Fredonia Women’s Hockey Fri. Vov.19 SUNY Morrisville

Friday, Nov. 19. 2021

Men’s Hockey

School Record SUNYAC Cortland 2-1-0 1-1 Oswego 1-2-1 1-0-1 Plattsburgh 2-1-1 1-0-1 Brockport 3-0-0 3-0-0 Buffalo State 2-1-0 1-0-0 Geneseo 3-0-0 1-0-0 Fredonia 2-2-0 0-0-0 Morrisville 0-4-0 0-3-0 Potsdam 0-2-0 0-2-0

Women’s Hockey

Men’s Basketball Points (avg.)

BRIAN SAVARD/Cardinal Points

First year student, Derrren Wirte dribbles out of trouble versus Buffalo State.

Men’s basketball takes loss in Canton

BY DREW WEMPLE Staff Writer

It’s nights like Tuesday, that will provide a good ball club with lessons to be learned and opportunities to grow. That’s what the SUNY Plattsburgh men’s basketball team has gained after suffering a tough loss on the road versus the St. Lawrence University Saints, in Canton.

After a back-and-forth first half, it seemed as if this game would head down to the wire. The Saints used a second half surge to top the Cardinals 85-70. With that win, St. Lawrence continues its undefeated, 3-0 start to their season while the Cardinals will drop to 1-2 in their early goings of the year.

In the game, Plattsburgh was led by guard Axel Rodriguez who contributed 19 points in the effort; forward Erik Salo had 13 points and guard Kevin Tabb had 12. While those were the only players for Plattsburgh to score in double-figures, St. Lawrence had five players in double-digits and the Saints relentless offense became too much for the Cardinals.

The first 20 minutes of the game were tumultu-

ous. St. Lawrence came out in a hybrid 2-3 zonedefense that forced the Cardinals into seven first half turnovers. While the turnovers proved costly, as the Saints scored five points off turnovers in the half, the foul trouble for the Cardinals proved to be detrimental in the first period as well.

“The fouling early on in the game, that’s really what killed us. We were having a tough time with our defensive rotations when a guy got beat,” Salo said. “They were so spread out that we just had a tough time getting over to the proper help position and were getting called for some tricky fouls, including myself.”

While the turnovers and foul calls contributed to putting the Cardinals behind early, Rodriguez’s shooting in the first half was a big factor in keeping the team in the ball game early. The junior hit three huge three-pointers in the first frame, and while that wasn’t the only thing that kept the team hanging close, those shots were monumental in the rally that left the Cardinals down just three points heading to the break.

“If we’re able to make threes, it forces the defense to stretch and play more honestly on the

perimeter. And then if that happens, that opens things up a little bit more on the inside where we should be able to attack in the paint,” said Head Coach Michael Blaine.

“Axel did a good job of stretching that defense for us in the first half.”

Although the team was able to tighten up the game at halftime they knew their work wasn’t done, heading to the locker room.

“Our coach was telling us at half time just to go out and run our stuff and stick to our stuff,” Salo said. “He was telling us from the beginning, not just at the half not to wait. By that he meant just go out and play aggressive. Make them play to our tempo, don’t play down to theirs.”

Coming out of the break, tempo proved to be a deciding factor of the game. Turnover problems reared its ugly head again, and six more giveaways allowed for the Saints to get out in transition and score 15 points off those turnovers. The strong shooting displays also faded for the Cardinals as the team went 0-9 from the three-point range in the second half, while St. Lawrence was seemingly on fire from deep, draining five from beyond the arc.

Kevin Tabb Axel Rodriguez Erik Salo

Assists (avg.)

Axel Rodriguez Marlon Todd Kevin Tabb

Women’s Basketball 16.7 14.3 13.7

4 3 1.7

Men’s Hockey Goals

Bennet Stockdale Joey Mancuso Carson Gallagher

Assists

Mitchell Hale Carson Gallagher Luk Jirousek

Payton Couture Mya Smith Brinley Inglee

Assists (avg.)

Kayla Doody My Smith Brittani Campell

14.8 12 9.6

5.6 2 1.6

Women’s Hockey 6 5 3

6 4 4

Points Mitchell Hale Joey Mancuso Carson Gallagher

Points (avg.)

8 8 7

Goals

Annie Kotonka Nicole Unsworth Sara Krauseneck

Assists

3 1 1

Erin McArdle Ivy Boric Sierra Bejamin

2 2 2

Points Annie Kotonka Erin McArdle Sara Krauseneck

8 8 4

“If shots fall then yes, the game is a lot closer but I also think that was not the main problem,” sophomore guard Joe Cassiano said. “It was a combination of that and the ball started to stick in people’s hands; people started the hunt shots instead of letting the game and our offense work.”

In the end, a dominant second half push from St. Lawrence left the Cardinals without an answer, as the team wasn’t able to contend and keep up.

When the final buzzer sounded in Canton, Plattsburgh was on the losing end, by a 15-point margin.

“We played a good first half and we were like, ‘these guys maybe aren’t as good as we thought.’ But instead we should say, ‘what can we do to win the second half? What can we do to be better?’’ Cassiano said.

The attention of the Cardinals now

School Oswewgo Morrisville Plattsburgh Potsdam Buffalo State Canton Cortland

Record NEWHL 3-0-1 1-0-1 2-1-0 1-0-0 2-0-0 1-0-0 1-2-1 0-1-1 0-0-3 0-1-0 2-0-0 0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0

Mens Basketball

School Record SUNYAC Brockport 1-1 0-0 Buffalo State 0-1 0-0 Cortland 0-0 0-0 Fredonia 0-1 0-0 Geneseo 0-1 0-0 New Paltz 0-0 0-0 Oneonta 1-0 0-0 Oswego 0-0 0-0 Plattsburgh 1-1 0-0 Potsdam 0-0 0-0

Women’s Basketball

School Plattsburgh Potsdam Buffalo State Oswego Oneonta Fredonia New Paltz Geneseo Brockport

Record SUNYAC 1-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-2 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

turns to their next matchup, Nov.19.

The Cardinals will host their first home game of the season, taking on another currently undefeated team, against Skidmore College. The team will hope this loss serves as a learning experience for their younger players as well as a teaching and growing moment for the veterans of the team.

“Our group has to understand that every single play, every single possession, every single action is vitally important for us to be sharp and engaged in doing what we’re supposed to do,” said Coach Blaine. “For us it’s going to be paramount that we learn to be mentally engaged at all times, phases, and possessions.”

Email DREW WEMPLE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Read us online at CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM

Women’s hockey wins two more

BY LIAM SAMPLE Contributor

The Plattsburgh women’s hockey team continued their overpowering ways this week, picking up two wins and bringing their record to 3-0. They also continue their home winning streak, bringing the total up to 42 straight.

The first win came at home on Nov. 10 in a non-conference nationally ranked matchup; with Plattsburgh being No.1 and taking on The No.7 Team in the nation, The Norwich University Cadets. This game saw high expectations from fans and drew a crowd of 545 fans to Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.

The start was surprising for the home crowd as Norwich struck first.

Sophomore forward Ally Lague took a quick shot from the right crease into the top left of the net for her first of the season just 1:37 into the game. The period ended with a 1-0 deficit for The Cardinals, despite outshooting the opposition 10-7.

Plattsburgh came out with vengeance in the second period. Just 4:50 in, first year defender Mattie Norton put a wrist shot

DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points

Captian Annie Kotonka, No. 47, continues her amazing season by scoring goals in both games. into a group of players, after a bounce, the puck found the back of the net.

This came on the powerplay and was her first collegiate goal, tying the game at one. Senior Sara Krauseneck and graduate student Erin McArdle recorded assists.

During a line change, senior forward Nicole Unsworth found some open

ice. After skating towards the net, she made a nifty move and backhanded the puck into the net for her second of the year. Senior Emma Killeen assisted the goal. This came at the 10:37 mark of the period and made the score 2-1.

After taking the lead, Plattsburgh never looked back. Just over six minutes later, junior forward

Ivy Boric made a pass to graduate student forward Annie Katonka. She took the puck from the Plattsburgh zone all the way to the front of the net, where she ripped a wrist shot over the glove of the goaltender. Boric and Norton both received assists on the goal.

With under nine minutes remaining in the

third, Norton tallied her second goal of the game.

Boric sent her the puck just in front of the blue line; after taking advantage of open ice, she took a long wrister that went top shelf. This one also came on the powerplay.

Senior Goaltender Ashley Davis made twenty saves and brings her win total up to two for this year.

Powered by Norton’s three point performance and four unanswered goals, Plattsburgh took down their seeded opponent 4-0. Overall, The offense came to play, with seven players recording points and the team outshooting The Cadets 41-21.

Norwich recorded their first loss this year and moved to a 2-1-0 record on the season.

On Nov. 12, The Cardinals traveled to Buffalo to take on The Buffalo State Bengals in a Northeastern Women’s Hockey League game. They hoped to carry the momentum from the last game and looked for their second conference win.

This game was a full team effort from the Cardinals and ended with domination on the scoresheet.

In the first period, Katonka and Krauseneck both scored under four minutes apart, and picked

up assists on each other’s goal. Boric was also credited with an assist on the first Katonka score.

These two goals set the tone for the rest of the game, as the Cardinals went on to score five more.

The second period saw three of these with the remaining two coming in the third.

First year forwards Lily Stumm and Tes Hurd scored their first of their collegiate careers; Krauseneck tallied one more and Boric scored two to make the final score 7-0.

Plattsburgh recorded a season high seventy two shots, compared to the Bengals sixteen. Nine different Cardinals had points in this game, and Boric had four herself.

This loss brings Buffalo State to 0-4-0 on the season.

In this game, Junior goaltender Lilla Nease got her first start of the year, She stopped every shot she faced and helped Plattsburgh get their first shutout in the 2021-2022 campaign.

The Cardinals end this stretch 3-0-0 overall and 2-0-0 in conference play.

They totaled an incredible eleven goals and 113 shots through both games.

Email LIAM SAMPLE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

B3 ▪

Sports Editor Garrett Collins

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SPORTS

Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Del Tufo plays to regain glory

BY GARRETT COLLINS Sports Editor

The Plattsburgh men’s hockey team is looking to find their footing after starting their season 2-3-1. At this point of the season, they find themselves right in the thick of things in the SUNYAC conference sitting just one point behind No. 4 Cortland and just three points behind rival Oswego. Although the consistency of winning is something the team can figure out, one player who has been consistently in the net is the current SUNYAC leader in games and minutes played and ranked 4th in total saves made, goalie Anthony Del Tufo. Tufo’s SUNYAC ranking was a shock to him at first.

“It’s a team sport, a lot of it has to do with who’s in front of me,” Del Tufo said.

“We get a lot of guys who can block shots, probably as many as I’ve seen ever.”

Having the protection from defense and senior players has helped the sophomore goalie get used to his new role in Plattsburgh, playing in his first collegiate season after losing his first year due to COVID-19.

“Being able to practice a bit was nice, some of those older guys helped me make the transition into playing,” Del Tufo said. “I think our coaching staff does such a good job preparing us for games, and we have organized and hard fought practices. I think we are doing all the right things to breed success.”

The transition from juniors to college is definitely noticeable, but Del Tufo trusts the team around him to make plays when they have to.

“Compared to juniors it’s definitely faster, a lot more physical. They are not afraid to hit,” Del Tufo said. “We got some big guys, every other team has some big guys. being a smaller guy I definitely got to keep my head on a swivel. It’s been really exciting. I think we have a really special team.”

During the pandemic shutdown, the young goalie moved into the weight room “I was definitely focused on getting into the gym as much as I possibly could,” Del Tufo said. “ [I watched] a lot of film from when I was playing Junior Hockey and watching film from the team 2 years ago just to see what the SUNYAC and the hockey programs were about.”

For Del Tufo, hockey isn’t just a game that he plays, it’s a family business.

“My dad played college hockey as a goalie,” Del Tufo said. “I grew up right around where the New Jersey Devils play, so as I was growing up around the rink I saw the Devils practice and play. I fell in

Photo provided by Anthony Del Tufo

Anthony Del Tufo ranks first in games and minutes played in the SUNYAC. love with the game, I was thrown in the net and haven’t turned back since.”

Growing up watching all that pro action gave some players for Del Tufo to look toward.

Right now my favorite player is Marc Andre-Fleury, he’s the goalie I’ve tried to play like my entire life,” Del Tufo said.

“He’s Canadian which hurts a bit, but he’s someone who has fun with the game and everywhere he goes he makes an impact on the team and on the community, someone I’d like to model my game around.”

Like his favorite player, Del Tufo already feels a connection to the town of Plattsburgh in just his first season with the team.

“Plattsburgh is a hidden gem, that’s what I like to tell people,” Del Tufo said.

“I actually was not even supposed to play my second year of juniors, I was supposed to go to another school,” Del Tufo said.

“It ended up falling through because they had a kid transfer back for Division 1, and I emailed Coach Moffat about three of four times during the year. Coach Moffat reached out to me and asked me to come up for a tour,” Del Tufo said. “I did my homework, got into school and got a call in the middle of may that said that they wanted me to be a Cardinal.”

Coach Steve Moffat could see the commitment from the young player from the beginning.

“Anthony is a hockey player, not someone who just plays hockey,” Moffat

said. “He loves the sport. He is passionate about playing goalie and passionate about Plattsburgh State Hockey. He is a great kid, the team loves him and he is a competitor. He battles for every puck and every shot.”

The love he has for the program is shown in the way that he talks about the community and the fans of Cardinal hockey around the area and performing well for that base is important.

“It’s pretty surreal. The red white game had a pretty big following, just for an intersquad game,” Del Tufo said. “Being able to start my first game and seeing 1,800 to 2,000 people that all bleed Cardinal hockey was pretty special. There’s not alot of words, I caught myself looking around the rink and just taking it all in.”

Many athletes have a lot of superstitions and things they do every time before a game, Del Tufo is no different.

“I definitely play Shoeer, which is like keeping up with a soccer ball with the team,” Del Tufo said. “I listen to two songs that my dad listened to when he played, ‘Little in Love’ by Cliff Richards and ‘Out of Touch’ by Hall and Oates. I

always listen to those songs before games to keep me relaxed. I don’t like to be too up or to down before a game so it keeps me very focused.”

Focus is something that Del Tufo is going to have to do as they face Buffalo State in their next matchup which is shaping up to be a big SUNYAC matchup for both squads as both teams are placed five and six respectfully, in the SUNYAC Standings.

“We’re built to play very physically and to be a very fast team,” Del Tufo said. “I think if we can beat them with our speed to the outside I think we can get pucks to the net and drive guys to the net with a purpose, that’s our game if we stick to it i know we can find success,” Del Tufo said.“I know Buffalo State is usually pretty physical so if we can play smart and stay out of the box and stick to our game plan I think we should be fine.”

Already in his first season, Del Tufo has already had games that will stick in his memory.

“Our overtime win in Cortland. That was really special, at least for me it was my first win in college and we came back from two goals three different times that game so it showed a lot of character and a lot of playing against adversity and just being able to get down the ice after scoring and just hearing the roar of the field house.” Del Tufo said. “Even my coach said he hadn’t heard it this loud ever. Him saying that was pretty cool.”

As a student athlete, Del Tufo doesn’t just have to focus on hockey. And his goals for being here in Cardinal country goes farther from just winning a championship.

“I take school pretty seriously, get my degree, get my masters, I’m here for five years, so I signed up for it,” Del Tufo said. “Athletically, I would like to lead our team to a SUNYAC Championship, we haven’t won one since 2017, so it would be really cool to put us back in the win column like that. Ultimately, win a National Championship and bring glory back to Plattsburgh.”

Email GARRETT COLLINS

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

MHKY Continued from page B2 “I think we kind of figured them out a little bit and realized that we could definitely skate with these guys and play with these guys and that it was going to be a close game,” Kile said, “it was kind of just back and forth that second period and I think we kind of picked up our physicality a little bit, and that’s when we realized like, ‘we’re right here, we’re right in this game.”

However, it wouldn’t take long into the third period before Geneseo tried to pull away again; at five minutes in, the Knights scored again to extend the lead to 3-1.

However a two-goal lead in hockey is sometimes considered the most dangerous lead in sports and the Cardinals tried to put that to the test.

With just seven minutes to go, Kile scored on a power play, assisted by Luk Jirousek and Jack King, for Plattsburgh to bring the difference back down to one goal. However that late push wouldn’t be enough and Plattsburgh would lose by a final of 3-2.

“They’re another one of our rivals and we hate losing to them, like I know personally I can’t stand losing to them at all. It really bugs me, especially one goal games like that when they’re the number one team in the country,” Kile said, “it shows how close we really are and it’s frustrating.”

Saturday, the team would have their chance to rebound from the night before, yet facing another undefeated team in SUNY Brockport. In the first period, a similar trend followed from the night before, as Plattsburgh took four more first period penalties, one of which led to Brockport’s game opening goal.However, sophomore forward Joey Mancuso proved responsive as he scored late in the first to tie the game, off assists from Mitchell Hale and Jacob Modry.

The opening period would end in a 1-1 tie, and from the bench, the Plattsburgh coaching staff stressed decreasing penalties and pushing for more offensive output.

Yet, just moments into the second frame, the Cardinals would pick up another penalty and be forced to play short handed again.

“I think we were pressing a little bit and trying too hard to score and they took advantage of some odd man rushes and they capitalized on their opportunities. We probably gave up more odd man rushes in the second period than we did all year. And they capitalized and a good team like Brockport is really tough to come back from,” Moffat said.

The Golden Eagle came out in the second period firing on all cylinders, as they scored four unanswered goals to start the period and take a 5-1 lead. The Cardinals would respond with a goal from Hunter Alden, assisted by Kile, to trail 5-2 at the break, with still a sizable deficit to overcome.

In the final period, Moffat stressed to his team just taking the game five minutes at a time. They would keep the frame scoreless until about the ten minute mark when Stockdale scored, off assists from Modry and Alden, to cut the lead to just two goals.

However, once again Plattsburgh’s late push wouldn’t be enough to overcome their deficit, especially after Brockport was able to tack on two more goals to end the game 7-3.

“A big thing both our captains and coaches were saying is that we’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror and kind of realize that we’re a good team, but we can’t have losses like that and this season goes fast,” Kile said, “you can’t soak on that for too long, you kind of just have to look forward to this weekend.”

This weekend Plattsburgh will be tested again, with yet another two conference road games coming up. The team has already started to prepare for and focus on their Friday matchup with Buffalo State, and then their Saturday faceoff versus Fredonia.

“These are our two last SUNYAC games for a couple of weeks and, you know, they’re kind of playoff games, even though they’re only in November,” said Moffat, “they’re almost playoff games and we have to attack them that way.”

Email DREW WEMPLE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

B4

FUSE

FUSE Editor Adeeb Chowdhury

▪

Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Professors discuss ethics of grades

BY ADEEB CHOWDHURY FUSE Editor

Countless times through their educational journey, every student has felt anxious about not getting the grade they want on a test, assignment, or project.

Everyone can recall the warm pride of receiving an A and the disappointment of seeing a D or F. But a deeper and more provocative question underlying the modern education system is this: are grades ethical at all?

This was the issue being explored in depth at the Ethics of Grading panel discussion hosted by the Center for Teaching Excellence and Institute for Ethics in Public Life at SUNY Plattsburgh. Hosted

by Associate Professor of Public Relations Michelle Ouellette and featuring a panel of speakers with a rich professional background in education, the discussion centered around the nature of grades and whether they truly belong in the future of teaching.

Dr. Jessamyn Neuhaus, professor of history and interim director of the Center for Teaching Excellence as well as the author of “Geeky Pedagogy”, focused on the true role and obligations of educators.

“Our first obligation is to help students do better, improve skills, and increase their knowledge,” Dr. Neuhaus said. “In what ways does the traditional system of grades help us meet these obligations? Or a more urgent question in what ways does it actually interfere with our obligations?”

Dr. Neuhaus commented that in many ways, grades are counterproductive towards such goals. She argued that they often make students passive, since grades represent an external motivator instead of an internal, intrinsic one. This removes the emphasis from actual learning and places it on attaining desirable grades.

“As educators, it is our special and ethical responsibility to confront these questions,” she said.

Dr. Young Yu, associate professor in teacher education, department chair for the B.S.Ed. Program and former pedagogy fellow at the Institute for Ethics in Public Life, concurred. She mentioned the book “Reading Smarter, Not Harder”, that provides intriguing insight into the issue of grading. Dr. Yu used the example of an assignment on which 20 percentage points is reduced for each day that a student turns it in late.

“This system is standard in class-

rooms at every level of education,” Dr. Yu said. “But here’s the issue -- if grades are supposed to reflect how much a student learned, then how does reducing it for late submission actually demonstrate learning? It doesn’t accomplish that goal at all.”

Regan Levitte, assistant director and writing specialist at the Claude J. Clark Learning Center, drew on her personal experiences as a student to illustrate her viewpoint on grades. When she was in graduate school and taking a course in critical theory in English, which wasn’t her area of expertise, she recalls receiving feedback from the chairperson of the department that was so harsh that it almost moved her to tears.

“Should receiving feedback from teachers really be something distressing for students?” Levitt said. “Should they really be emotionally damaged or scarred like that? I don’t think so.”

She cited a guiding principle of the Writing Center: to create better writers. If students are intimidated by feedback and deterred from participating because of it, improvement is impossible.

“If I had a nickel for each time a student came to me and said they were distressed by the grades and feedback they were getting from a particular teacher, I wouldn’t have student loans to pay off anymore,” Levitt said.

Dr. Maureen Squires, the department chair of the Master of Science for Teachers (M.S.T.) Graduate Program, focused on the responsibility of educators to explore the best and most effective ways to help their students grow.

“The ethical imperative is to develop critical reflective practitioners and generate interest to move from external to internal motivation,” she said. “Is that easy? No. But is it our responsibility? Absolutely.”

Dr. Heidi Schnackenberg, the department chair of the Master of Science in Education Graduate Program, challenged the audience to ask themselves if they really remember what grade they received on an English paper in 10th grade.

“At the end of the day, the grade we receive on any one assignment doesn’t represent anything,” she said.

Dr. Schnackenberg urged everyone to think of grades as markers, representing progress in a certain area. In the learning process, a bad marker can deter a student from making any further attempts at growth, which is fundamentally counterproductive.

Dr. Squire agreed, stating that students

Sex and the SUNY collects stories about funny, gross, and just plain memorable juicy experiences on campus. If you want your story to be featured, submit it anonymously at cardinalpointsonline.com.

So I saw someone submitted their sex playlist last week and I thought I’d maybe submit mine too....I think it’s pretty good.

Fly As Me - Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak I Want You Back - Jackson 5 Thriller, Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal - MJ L$D - A$AP Rocky Kiss and Make Up - Blackpink All I Do is Win - DJ Khaled Dior - Pop Smoke Toxic - Britney Spears Oops I Did It Again - Britney Spears

Hate Being Sober - Chief Keef Blinding Lights - Weeknd 1980s Horror Film - Wallows Ivy - Frank Ocean Hot Girl Bummer - Laplander Hard Times - Paramore Tongue Tied - Grouplove B.OB. - OutKast Redbone - Childish Gambino Mixed Personalities - YNW Melly Isn’t She Lovely - Stevie Wonder Cola - Lana Del Rey No Hands - Waka Flocka Flame

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OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points

often see the grade by itself and do not pay attention the more specific and helpful feedback they receive alongside the score.

“They see an 82 and base their entire assessment of themselves off of that one number,” she said. “The more useful feedback is discarded, even though that’s the most important part.”

Senior Sohayla Erroui agreed wholeheartedly.

“I see so many students, myself included, who stress too much about the one particular percentage or score that we get on an assessment, instead of our overall performance and where we can improve,” Erroui said.

Dr. Neuhaus also emphasized the importance of subjective and detailed feedback as opposed to a concrete, numerical grade.

“That makes it more like a conversation and less like you’re the sheriff in town,” she said.

One audience member resoundly agreed, citing his own educational ex-

perience at Empire State College, where grades were replaced by a more subjective, feedback-oriented system. Students would write a “learning contract” at the beginning of the semester outlining their goals for the course, and teachers would provide individualized feedback based on the contract. Dr. Yu commended such a system, emphasizing the importance of telling students how much progress they’re making towards their own particular goals.

Dr. Schnackenberg urged educators and students alike to discard the idea that grades represent intelligence.

“It’s been deeply ingrained to us that getting all A’s means you’re smart, and getting lesser grades means you’re not,” she said. “But that’s completely off base.

And we need to rethink the nature and purpose of grades if we’re ever going to make progress in the field of education.”

Email ADEEB CHOWDHURY-

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

B5 ▪

▪

FUSE

FUSE Editor Adeeb Chowdhury

Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Our Town Continued from page B6

The director, Julia Devine was interested in directing the play after she did it with her Introduction to Acting class in Spring 2020. Due to COVID-19 and online classes, the play proved to be even more touching and significant than it originally had been. The play focuses on the fictional small town of Grover’s Corners and its residents from the years 1901 to 1913. It is a metatheatrical play consisting of three distinct acts: “Daily Life”,”Love and Marriage”, and “Death and Eternity.”

Devine came across a version of the play performed at Miami New Drama where the playwright Nilo Cruz had translated the Webb family’s lines into Spanish. She felt that this version would represent the campus community well as the Latinx population is the secondlargest ethnic group in the entire country.

“Every actor came from a home where one or both parents spoke Spanish,” Devine said. “I did have to get special permission from the Wilder estate to do this new version with just the Spanish translations. It was important to have our Grover’s Corners represent who we are here and who we are in many

Photo provided by Trevor Eichler

The cast and crew of “Our Town” pose for a picture following the play. multicultural and multilingual communities across the country.”

Devine said it was challenging to put the show together. Everyone was navigating their way postpandemic. The students were doing a live production after a while. Some students were acting in their first production.

Some of them were acting in Spanish for the first time, several were also singing in the play, some played multiple characters and one cast member was acting in her 4th language.

The cast and crew also worked with five faculty

members, Fuerza, the Black and Latinx Student Union, and members of the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir. Everyone came together to make this production successful.

This particular adaptation of “Our Town” was particularly intent on including their audience.

The stage managers encouraged the audience to dance during a wedding scene and there was cake for everyone to enjoy in the subsequent break that followed. What was especially powerful and touching was the idea of including a ballad version

of the song “1959” from the album ‘I Had a Dream that You Were Mine’ by artists Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam Batmanglij.

“The lyrics ‘One day I’ll stop to listen’ echo Emily’s sentiment of how human beings don’t realize life while they live it,” Devine said. “We don’t always stop. We don’t always listen. Songs usually appear in plays when the emotions are so big for the characters that they have to sing. For me, this was one of those moments. I wanted the audience to really stop and listen. A song can make you do that. Sev-

eral audience members were moved to tears.”

For others, the play was their introduction to American theatre.

“It was the first time I saw an American play, and it was truly amazing! I enjoyed the way music was combined with dancing, featuring acapella,” Alex, an international exchange student on campus, said.

“My most favorite actors were Mr. and Mrs. Webb who seemed one of the most charismatic actors to me.”

For some, it resonated on a different level.

“At the beginning of

the third act, I felt it was abrupt,” Yuri Chikuda, a junior, said. “But as the play came to a close, I realized that life ends abruptly too. The cast really turned something so melancholic into a beautiful goodbye.”

“Our Town” could not have been staged at a better time. Not only was it a perfect welcome back for the theatre culture in Plattsburgh but also for the community as well.

Email SERENA GANESAN cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

This week’s reading comes from the Good Karma Tarot deck created by Kerry Ward of Cosmopolitan Magazine.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

You’re working hard, seeing results, and making plans to work harder still. The Knight of Pentacles brings authentic rewards for your efforts this week, which just makes you want to put all the more in — and you should. Whether it’s your career, home improvements, money management, or healthy living, put your energy into it and you’ll see major changes.

LEO

July 23 - Aug 22

Truth: That is the theme of the week ahead, Taurus, and it means you’re likely to engage in some interesting convos. Be honest and express how you feel. Then, give the other person the respect they deserve and listen to their POV. There may be something you don’t realize or understand. Take time to absorb it, and then respond with compassion. Hopefully, it will lead to a positive move forwards. Truth is the key to progress this week.

VIRGO

It’s time to turn over a new leaf.

It’s something related to health, money, home, or work, and it’s a positive change — something you’re determined to stick with in the long term. Good for you Gemmy, because this new phase will lead to wonderful rewards. Nothing will happen overnight, but over time you’ll notice welcome improvements. It all starts right here.

LIBRA

It’s time to bring some adventure and travel ideas into your world, Cancer, because the wanderlust is igniting. You need to plan things to look forward to, something that will broaden your horizons. New landscapes equal new vibes and new opportunities. You are seeking an expansion of space and somewhere new to explore. Whatever your time, energy and budget will allow you to do — do it! You are ready to spread your wings.

Aug 23 Sept 22

Sept 23 Oct 22

SCORPIO Oct 23 Nov 21

Enjoy the journey, Leo, and don’t worry much about where you’re headed. The Two of Wands is a reassurance it will all turn out okay, so you don’t need to overthink things.

Go with the flow. Make decisions when you need to, but focus on keeping things moving. Sometimes we benefit from taking control, but sometimes it’s better to just see what happens and respond naturally in the moment.

Take a moment this week to reflect on how far you’ve come, how much you’ve achieved, and how much you’ve grown as a person this last year, Virgo. Truly, you’ve faced some big challenges, and overcome them all. The Four of Wands is a celebration card. It gives you permission to kick back and savor your success.

Mark the occasion, because this card signals to the universe that you’re ready for the next level. Rewards are on the way.

Betrayal is an ugly experience, whether you’re on the giving or receiving end. The Three of Swords signals that you’re reflecting on a betrayal and the sticky emotions that go along with it — be that sadness, anger, shame, guilt or doubt. It’s time to surgically remove the residue of this event from your psyche and start over with a clean slate. Sometimes you have to force yourself to let go and move on.

Thinking of taking on something new and inspiring? Yes? Thought so. The Ace of Wands brings fresh, interesting energy and ideas into your realm this week, Scorpio. This could relate to a new job (go for it), a new hobby (have fun), a new habit (it will have great results), or a vacation or move (now is the time). Have faith in yourself and make positive steps to manifesting whatever it is you’re dreaming of. You can do this.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

You’re typically a high-energy person, but not this week, Sag, and that’s okay. Sometimes your batteries run low and you need to take a time-out to recharge. The Four of Pentacles shows that the route back to your usual va-vavoom is to appreciate what you have. Feel gratitude for your gifts, and you’ll start to feel more like yourself again.

CAPRICORN

You’re trying to solve a puzzle, and actually, it’s pretty fun. You like working solo, so it’s likely we’ll see the best of you this week, Cap. The Queen of Swords nudges you to use your head over your heart, so be rational and objective as you work through this. Don’t let your emotions get involved — they won’t help. Be ruthless and direct, and you can come through this with an innovative solution.

AQUARIUS

The Nine of Wands reveals that you’re overthinking something. Stop it. This is actually not as big a deal as you think it is. Once you start acting vs. thinking, you’ll quickly realize you’ve got what it takes to overcome this. Action is the key this week, Aquarius. Stop thinking and start trying. Stop worrying and start working. Stop dwelling on it and start dealing with it.

Dec 22 Jan 19

Jan 20 Feb 18

PISCES Feb 19 March 20

Pisces, you love to retreat from the big, bad world and find a quiet sanctuary to sit in and rest. The Hermit brings you permission to do just that this week, because you’ve got things to think about. Some major life decisions are on your mind this week, and only you can work through what you want to do next.

Take a time-out to contemplate your options. Take this seriously. This is the week to make up your mind.

Haunted Maze B4 Ethics of Grading B5

‘Our Town’ offers life, love and death

BY SERENA GANESAN Contributor

Almost two years ago, the world was shut down. Human beings, collectively, began to realize how precious life was and how human connection had become a rarity. As the SUNY Plattsburgh community is slowly venturing back into offline campus life, it was necessary to be reminded of what it is like to be human — at its core. The Theatre Department’s production of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” did exactly that. (continued on B4)

NGHI TO/Cardinal Points