Issue 9

SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent student newspaper since 1997

SA announces 61st legislation elects

The Student Association held general elections for its 61st legislation Tuesday, April 18, to hold office in the next academic year, 2023-24. The student body could vote through a Google Form sent in a campuswide email by Steve Matthews at 8 a.m. Most candidates were running uncontested. The only competition was between Saanvi Moryani and Alex Finkey, for the position of coordinator of arts. Finkey won with 67.5% of votes.

SA ELECTION RESULTS SA ELECTION RESULTS

Carter Mosher

President President

Sumeet Vishwakarma

Jakira Barrett

Sean Abarca

Vice President Vice President

Coordinator for Academics Coordinator for Academics

Coordinator for Student Coordinator for Student Affairs and Diversity Affairs and Diversity

Alex Finkey (67.5%)

SENATE SENATE

Amanuel Gazahegn Adefris

Sandesh Poudel

Dhir Jain

Dipekshya Karki

Miranda Pabon

Dhruv Shah

Ankita Mane

Coordinator of Arts Coordinator of Arts

Arshita Pandey

Jonanthony Tarlen

Mansi Mandanka

Ayush Neupane

Anushri Rao

Manush Patel

Aryan Rabjbhandary

GEO shares love for retiring director

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News & Managing Editor

Those who know Jacqueline “Jackie” Vogl, director of the Global Education Office, call her a friend, a mentor and a leader like no other. Vogl will retire after almost 33 years at SUNY Plattsburgh, 25 of which she spent growing international student enrollment.

Amanda Suriel, now an international student adviser for GEO, met Vogl in 2017 while working in Human Resources. Suriel started working with Vogl at the fall 2019 international student orientation, while still a graduate student.

Suriel found Vogl intimidating at first.

“All I knew was that Jackie was this powerhouse: She’s traveled the world, and she’s put Plattsburgh on the map. I knew all of these great things about her, which made it so intimidating for me as a new person on campus,” Suriel said. “Just, like, ‘Oh my god, it’s Jackie Vogl.’ It was very intimidating.”

However, there was a time when Jackie hadn’t ventured outside of the country at all, besides a 1989 trip to the Netherlands.

Vogl started working at SUNY Plattsburgh in 1990, performing all work pertaining to domestic admissions. Her area of recruitment was Buffalo, New York. Occasionally, an application or inquiry letter from a prospective student overseas would get into her hands.

“Back in the day, we didn’t actually actively recruit international students. I have absolutely no idea how they found us,” Vogl said. “I mean, this is in the early days of email and no web.”

In 1998, the college decided it was interested in attracting international students. However, Vogl canceled her first recruitment trip abroad because she was pregnant with her second son, Aidan, so the college hired someone else for the role.

Many staff members resigned under the replacement hire. When the position went to Vogl in 2003, it was just her, a graduate assistant and a secretary. The office now has eight full-time professional staff members, three graduate assistants and eight student employees, in large part due to Vogl’s leadership. Those who know her say she is too humble to admit it. Vogl’s direct supervisor, Interim Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success Cori Jackson, called GEO “Jackie’s creation, her baby.”

Most of Vogl’s recent work has been focused on ensuring a smooth transition to a new director. This includes establishing standard operating procedures that ensure her successor has “crumbs to follow” and extending some of her own global connections — around 5,000 contacts — to the GEO staff who will stay after she retires.

Study Away Coordinator Brooke Layhee said that when she travels to conferences with Vogl, they don’t make it to any of the sessions because their days are filled with seven to eight meetings with some of the partners Vogl has cultivated over the years.

Layhee recalled once establishing a new connection for a study abroad program, but she couldn’t introduce her contact to Jackie, because they already knew each other.

“That was so funny, when we’re like, ‘I should have known better. Of course Jackie already knows who this is,’” Layhee said.

At any conference GEO staff attends, evoking Vogl’s name stands testament to her reputation and influence, which GEO Assistant Director Michelle St. Onge calls “global gravitas.”

“Every conference, every tour, every EducationUSA college fair circuit — anywhere where more than a few university representatives are gathered, you’ll meet a bunch of people you don’t know but you know they do your job,” St. Onge said. “And you say, ‘Hi, I’m Michelle, I’m from Plattsburgh.’ ‘Oh, you know Jackie, you must work with Jackie. She’s great, she’s tremendous, I love Jackie’ — everywhere I go.”

Through her work, Vogl has elevated SUNY Plattsburgh’s prestige, Jackson said. Two years in a row — 2011 and 2012 — SUNY Plattsburgh was ranked by

the International Student Barometer as no. 1 in overall international student satisfaction among 13 participating American universities, including Northeastern University. In 2012, SUNY Plattsburgh ranked no. 2 out of 208 universities across the world, and the year prior it ranked no. 3 out of 203 universities. GEO might still be winning such honors today, but SUNY Plattsburgh hasn’t participated in the survey since due to high costs.

The Council of International Schools, an organization committed to international education and representing more than 1450 schools and universities in 121 countries, presented Vogl with its T. Michael Maybury award in 2017. The award recognizes recipients’ contributions to

international education at their institutions.

“At one point, I was able to say I work for the best international education office in the world, which I do say, but there was actually some data,” Friedrich said.

Layhee described Jackie as the “busiest woman ever.” Vogl’s “backoffice” work includes managing the office’s budget, hiring, strategic planning, creating calendars, fixing what’s broken and supporting her staff. Vogl said one of her greatest strengths and strongest loves is data mining, which helps her in her projects. When Vogl develops her projects, she looks at the international student “life cycle” as a whole, with the goal of enrolling students who will fit Plattsburgh for the long term.

“It’s like candy for me, when people give me a question or hypothesis and I have to pull the data to respond, I’m like, ‘Oooh!’” Vogl said.

Vogl’s ability to pull and analyze data allowed GEO to come up with student recruitment strategies that are “ahead of the curve” and become one of the first American universities to arrive in some countries’ markets for education.

“Now, when I look at literature, the countries people are pointing to as the growth markets, we identified 10 years ago, so we’ve been there, done that,” Vogl said. “That’s what brings a smile to my face. The only issue is we get there too soon in some cases.”

ROLDNARDY NORELUS/Cardinal Points

SYDNEY HAKES/Cardinal Points

JACKIE > 3

Photo provided by Amanda Suriel

Jackie Vogl is said to have “put Plattsburgh on the map” by recruiting students abroad.

April 7

A ticket writer reported graffiti on a dumpster in Parking Lot 3, at Au Sable Hall.

April 8

An underage student was found in possession of alcohol at Wilson Hall.

April 12

A student was arrested after a report of a domestic dispute.

April 13

A student was busted for having cannabis after it triggered the fire alarm at Whiteface Hall.

April 13

Graffiti was reported outside Little Al's in Algonquin Hall, a dining hall not currently in use. Investigation is still pending.

April 14

A student reported identity theft. Investigation is still pending.

April 14

The manager of Kent Cafe reported stolen food.

April 18

University Police officers responded to a physical and verbal fight between two to four individuals at Mason Hall. Investigation is still pending.

Weekly Meme

Student Association Coverage SA approves Eid funding

BY HAYDEN SADLER Staff Writer

Two clubs requested status changes from the Student Association at its Senate meeting April 12, and the Muslim Student Association requested additional financial allocations for its upcoming Eid al-Fitr event.

Female Excellence in Science and Technology requested provisional club status. The club aims to provide an inclusive environment to discuss women’s workplace issues. The request received unanimous approval from the SA.

The Real Estate Investment Club sought permanent club status. The group focuses on educating interested members about investing in realty. At general meetings, the club runs simulations on property investments and analyzes properties. The Real Estate Investment Club was unanimously approved for permanent club status.

MSA was in attendance regarding additional allocations for the

CP Corrections

NEWS:

1) In the previous issue's article "Meet the two running for SA president, VP: Carter Mosher and Sumeet Vishwakarma," Mosher was said to have been "appointed coordinator of activities." While Mosher did serve on the Activities Coordination Board and was responsible for planning student trips, he was not the coordinator.

ARTS & CULTURE:

1) In the issue 7 article "Pageant returns to campus," '18 alumnus Osayame Uzamere is mistakenly identified as "alumna."

2) In the previous issue's article "Duprey hosts Language Swap on campus," David Duprey's title is mistakenly stated as "English Language Support Therapist." Duprey's actual title is English Language Learner Support Specialist.

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

Contact the news editor at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com.

upcoming Eid event. Although the initial request was for $1,500, the MSA wanted to increase the allocations to $2,000 as a result of other sources denying funding. With only $1,500, the club may have to cut certain aspects of the event, such as the DJ. Settling for $1,500, the request was unanimously approved.

The Senate also had various announcements to share. Senator Endalkachew Abebe announced his

registration for the Cardinal Sustainability Summit today, April 21. Although brief, the Senate meeting saw the approval of two club status requests as well as the MSA’s request for additional funding.

Borisenok joins ranks of distinguished alumni

BY JESSE TAYLOR Staff Writer

Walter S. Borisenok was no academic weapon when he graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1979. Borisenok graduated with a 2.01 GPA, yet, almost 45 years later, was invited to speak at a Distinguished Visiting Alumnus presentation. This is because Borisenok went on to found a multimillion-dollar global company.

Borisenok’s company — Fortitech — creates custom nutrient blends that companies put into their products. Companies such as Nestle and Bolthouse Farms commission Fortitech to create nutrient blends for anything from juice to medicine.

But Borisenok didn’t start his company immediately after graduation. It wouldn’t be until 1986 when that part of his journey would begin.

Instead, Borisenok found a job in Plattsburgh after graduating college, working as a microbiologist at a laboratory. During this time, he worked in both the quality control and research and development sections. Eventually, he was hired as a

manager of quality assurance after the company was bought out by a larger German company.

Borisenok said he was excited to start as a manager, because he was told his new role would be working in a startup. He recognized how much it helped to work in the industry first before owning a piece of it.

“I think I was very interested in it because I always kind of wanted to start a business,” Borisenok said.

While working for the company, he came up with the idea for Fortitech. He saw that there were large companies that would make custom nutrient blends, and when they did, they would make them only one at a time.

“What you had to do was buy them separately,” Borisenok said.

Borisenok and his partner eventually developed a preservative system that prevents antacid bottles from going bad if customers put the bottles up to their mouths to take the medicine. They received an award for their efforts. Borisenok believed that they would receive a bonus or be given a ceremony of some kind in their honor. Instead, all they received

was a plastic pen.

Borisenok explained that when he was looking at the pen, he had an epiphany. In response to a $1.5 million idea, he got a “59-cent pen.”

“Ah, this is it, this is what the corporate world is,” Borisenok said.

Coming up with the idea for Fortitech was easy, but finding a way to bankroll it was a whole other problem. To bankroll the start-up of his company, Borisenok took out five credit cards.

“I used to pay the minimum so I could keep it going. They were looking for me,” Borisenok said.

After writing a business plan and presenting it to the Schenectady Economic Development Corporation, Borisenok was awarded $40,000 to fund his business. After that, he received some more money and brought his former boss, who was about to lose his job, on board. But he still needed a “sales guy.”

He called up his friend Samuel Sylvetsky, but he and his wife needed some convincing. Borisenok went to their home and gave them a little speech. He pointed out to them

what he thought “Mr. and Mrs. Normal” were.

“You basically go to school, graduate, get a job, you buy a house, you have kids, you work for 30 years and you retire, and that’s a good life,” Borisenok said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. But I said that’s what normal people were doing and you know, Sam, I’m looking to do something else.”

Sylvetsky joined up with Borisenok and his former boss and they got the business going. Slowly but surely they began to get more orders and more credibility.

Eventually, they expanded the business globally and in 2013, they sold the company for $634 million.

Borisenok now has another company called Old Tavern Farms in which he raises horses that race across the country. After telling his story and receiving questions from the audience, Borisenok received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from SUNY Plattsburgh President Alexander Enyedi.

Email JESSE TAYLOR cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

SYDNEY HAKES/Cardinal Points

Photo provided by Amanda Suriel

friends"

Vogl has also taught some of her staff, like Administrative Assistant Rebecca “Beckie” Greenhaw, these skills.

“It would blow your mind if you watched her, in a day, being able to run a query in Microsoft Access and pull all these different pieces together,” Greenhaw said.

Vogl is a “workaholic,” Suriel said. Vogl doesn’t talk about work-life balance, but instead “work-life integration.” She doesn’t work the normal 40 hours a week, and instead said she works 50 to 60 hours a week, coming into the office Sundays to prepare for the week ahead. She doesn’t take days off the way “normal people” take them off, either, Greenhaw said..

“I’m actually very surprised that she’s been taking Fridays off,” Greenhaw said. “She’s been known in the past to put time off on her schedule and then not really take time off — she’ll come in anyway or still work part of the day.”

If Vogl is traveling for work or taking time off, she will still be there for her staff if they need her help. Suriel recalled an instance when the team decided against asking Jackie for help “because we know if we do, she’s going to respond.”

“Even things that are not urgent, I’ve never not felt comfortable reaching out to her with something,” Suriel said.

St. Onge described Vogl as a “servant leader,” always putting her team and the students she works with first. Her passion for her job and serving students is key to her work: Most international students’ unique needs fall outside of the 9 to 5, especially before they arrive in the United States. International Admissions Adviser Katherine Friedrich highlighted that international students, usually the farthest from home among the student body, need a support network the most.

The high level of service that Jackie’s GEO provides is one of the reasons Friedrich stayed after she joined the office as a graduate assistant. She said Vogl’s leadership is not only effective, but ethical, with students’ best interests at the forefront.

Jackie pushes for international scholarship funding, student support services and programming to engage international students with the Plattsburgh community — showing the campus “there’s so much value for us to be able to have international students here,” Layhee said. Vogl works so closely with students that she can recall even those who graduated decades ago.

“I feel like, definitely, students don’t know, they don’t see it, and I don’t think we really speak to it as often as we should, but she’s just been a fierce advocate for global education,” Suriel said. “She keeps Plattsburgh relevant. I think that sometimes, we get

into the weeds of nickels and dimes and how much it costs, but there really is no dollar value to what she’s built.”

Vogl never asks her staff to do anything she wouldn’t do or go anywhere she hasn’t been herself. While traveling for work, Vogl has had armed escorts and ridden in bulletproof vehicles provided by U.S. embassies.

“When I was younger and I had young children, frankly, I did worry about [safety abroad.] But as I got older, I thought, this is where the students are, this is where I want to be,” Vogl said.

Many of GEO’s current professional staff started as graduate assistants, interns or other smaller positions, and have not just moved up the ranks, but stayed with Jackie.

“It’s a true testament to Jackie’s style that her staff come and stay and rise to the challenges she presents them,” St. Onge said. “People say, people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. Jackie’s people don’t leave because she does such a good job.”

Vogl sees her staff’s full potential and works to bring it out. With a colleague’s strengths and weaknesses in mind, she invites them to try their hand at new areas and trusts them to do more than their job description suggests.

Jackie is the reason Layhee rerouted her career from teaching high schoolers math and chemistry to global education. This quality of Vogl’s is what brought St. Onge from an eighthours-a-week job connecting international students with local families to her current full-time position of assistant director. It’s how Greenhaw got to supervise not just student employees, but fellow professionals.

“Some people think, ‘Oh, she’s just a secretary,’ but Jackie makes sure to take my skill set and make me the best version of what I can do, which I appreciate, because not everybody as a supervisor will do that,” Greenhaw said.

As Suriel transitions to a position with more responsibilities — International Student Services coordinator — she looks to Vogl as an example of leadership. Suriel recalls being invited to the conversation and asked her opinion even as a graduate student.

“As a woman in a leadership role, I was just inspired that she had that approach with everyone, from grad students up to her assistant director,” Suriel said. “She’s very organized,

very structured, very coordinated — so many of the things I aspire to be and, quite frankly, a lot of the ways I model how I work now and how I want to be as a leader myself.”

From the start, staff are taken seriously and involved in decision-making under Jackie’s leadership, and it serves as a catalyst for their professional development. One of Vogl’s mentees, Catrillia “Cat” Young, now works at Pace University in Manhattan as the director of Kaplan International Pathways, a company that guides students to universities abroad. Young recalled hearing from Jackie early on in their work together, “One day, we’re going to have a difference of opinion about how things should go in the office, and that’s when you’re going to go run your own office.” Years later, she was right.

Young met Vogl in 2006 at a NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference in Montreal. Immediately, there was a connection between them, but they bonded while “glued” to each other in a bus trying to scale a “tiny road” on its way to a school in India. At the time, Young worked at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, but a few months later, Jackie “poached” her into working for GEO. Young worked at WIT for no more than 18 months, but stayed at GEO for seven and a half years, surpassing her own expectations.

“I think ultimately, what I imagined was that I was going to be there for three years, but my career just kept happening,” Young said.

When they inevitably had a difference in opinion, Young had to gather data and present it to explain her reasoning. After a lengthy discussion, they reached a compromise. Young said that in conversations with Jackie, both parties feel as if they won.

“I knew [Jackie] was wellestablished in Plattsburgh, so if I was going to make a name for myself, I had to go somewhere else to do that. For me, I knew that there was that moment when I wanted what she had, but I didn’t want to outshine her because I didn’t think I could do that,” Young said. “I knew I had to go out and do it by myself, but that’s because I had so many years of having her with me that I felt confident enough to do that.”

Vogl’s staff appreciates the organization and structure she brings to the office. The

groundwork that Vogl has laid is likely to ensure efficiency in GEO’s work after she retires. Although the GEO staff will miss Vogl, she has prepared them for a new director’s arrival.

“I’m just a hopeful and optimistic person. So will I get a Jackie? Probably not, but I’m grateful for all she’s taught us, I’m grateful for her legacy and I know that whoever inherits this office is going to inherit a team that’s been so well prepared because of Jackie’s leadership,” Suriel said. “Whoever gets us is lucky because they’re going to have so much to look forward to in what she’s left behind.”

Layhee likes to think other departments at the college look up to Vogl’s leadership model. Whenever Friedrich interviewed for other institutions’ admissions offices as a graduate student, she found out they knew Vogl and wanted to “learn Jackie’s secrets.”

After orientation, GEO has “disorientation,” where the team unwinds with drinks. They do dinners together and celebrate each other’s birthdays. Every first Friday of the month, GEO staff members meet for coffee. Young recalls spending “many a Friday or Saturday night enjoying wine and conversation.”

Vogl coaches a women’s running group called Sole Sisters with eight to 10 members now training for a half-marathon, which St. Onge is part of. In winter of last year, GEO started Soup Club, where staff members take turns providing the team with soup, also extending the offer to domestic admissions. This year, with the arrival of warm weather, Soup Club transitioned into Salad Society.

“We laugh hard, we eat a lot and we love coffee,” St. Onge said. “It’s the best office to work for on campus.”

Layhee feels there is a healthy relationship between the GEO staff members, and many current and former staff members feel “blessed” and “lucky” to have known and worked with Jackie.

Carolina De la Rosa Bustamante, the director of the Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages and International Relations at Pomona College in California, feels “so lucky” to have worked for GEO as her first job after graduate school. Friedrich feels “blessed” to have experienced a few “satisfactory” offices for international education before arriving at GEO and having the “best boss you’ll ever have.”

Vogl takes care of her staff. Greenhaw has never had a boss who would tell her to get up and stretch. Vogl’s staff successfully avoids burnout — none of the GEO staff members ever mention the phenomenon. Friedrich said longevity is important in supporting international students, and St. Onge said the consistency of the staff is what allowed the office to “build relationships around the world.”

“GEO’s a fantastic place to work, really. It always has been and I think it always will be,” St. Onge said. “Jackie’s been a big part of that, and it’s now the challenge passed to all of us to maintain that amazing work environment with a new leader, or without Jackie, whichever way you want to put that.”

Family connects GEO staff. St. Onge met Vogl in 2006, and their children have grown up together. Greenhaw, who has known Vogl since 2010, talks with her about the struggles of raising two teenage daughters. When Friedrich became a parent, Vogl taught her how to do “high-quality work” while being a “high-quality parent.” Vogl knew Suriel’s family are Yankees fans and gifted them an old baseball cap with the team’s logo she had. Many refer to GEO as a “family,” and nobody sees their relationship with Jackie ending when she retires.

Jackie’s own family — her husband, Steve, and Aidan and Sean, two of their three sons — are involved with GEO’s activities and the international student community. Most recently, they donated a 25-pound bag of rice for students to make into stress balls or cook for iftar, dinner during Ramadan. Steve, who Jackie joked is a “GEO staff member by marriage,” and Aidan have driven orientation vans. The family has hosted international students at their home and baked brownies and muffins for them.

Recognizing her contributions to the campus, Steve said he wants to start a scholarship in Jackie’s name.

While Jackie would love to continue to be involved, like driving the orientation van, showing students around the city and hosting them for dinner at her house, she struggles with the boundary she must maintain with the new GEO director.

“It’s very hard for me to step away, and yet I don’t want to be intrusive,” Vogl said. “I want to still do some of the things that I find fun.”

Vogl’s retirement evokes bittersweet feelings. Those who know her agree it is well-deserved, but will miss her deeply.

“When she leaves campus, she could just leave quietly, but I feel like there will be a big gap in GEO,” St. Onge said.

Vogl’s last day in the office is May 26. She will have packed up her collection of gifts from the students she’s made an impact on, some of whom graduated 20 years ago, and stowed away her collection of hats from all around the world.

Jackie met Steve while volunteering for Vermont Public Radio in 1994, and they went biking for their first few dates. Almost 30 years later, they continue volunteering and biking. After retiring, Vogl hopes she can travel at a “leisurely pace,” either returning to her favorite international destinations or exploring more of the United States, by visiting her extensive “family of friends” — connections she made through her work.

“There are things that bring tears to my eyes, and one of those things is missing students and missing my staff,” Vogl said. “[The office will] definitely have a different flavor with a different director, and that’s how it should be. I just hope they love it as much as I do.”

Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Photo provided by Amanda Suriel Jackie collects hats and earrings from her travels.

Photos provided by Amanda Suriel

Jackie Vogl has worked with many different people throughout her 32-year career. Everyone she has worked with remembers her fondly.

Photo provided by Cat Young Cat Young and Jackie Vogl fly to India, 2006. During that trip, Jackie persuaded Cat to join GEO.

Dungeons & Dragons enchants audiences

BY BRYN FAWN Opinions Editor & PR Chair

Wizard of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying game created in 1974 has seen many iterations and has been beloved by fans of several generations. Gen Z and Millennials have taken a large interest in the game, to the extent that Paramount Pictures created a film based on the game.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” released March 31. To craft a film or story based on a franchise where the players make the story as they go along is no simple feat, which is why this movie feels more like a chapter of a much larger story with a broad cast of characters.

The movie follows the story of Edgin Darvis, played by Chris Pine, and Holga Kilgore, played by Michelle Rodriguez.

Darvis began his life as a paladin, a warrior who is gifted with divine magic and swears an oath to a god. However, due to his hubris, he loses his wife and his home, breaking his oath by turning his back on his duty as a paladin. He becomes a humble bard instead and steals from those in power with excess wealth. He finds family in his group of thieves and stresses that no one is to come to harm in their heists.

Darvis lives more comfortably, providing his daughter, Kira, a wonderful home and life as Kilgore assumes the mother figure in his Kira’s life. Yet, one thing continues to gnaw away at

Darvis: the loss of his wife. Darvis blames himself for the incident due to his greed and desire to provide more for his family.

The group of hapless heroes is soon approached by a mysterious woman cloaked in black. She requests their help to steal from the Harpers, or the clan of paladins Darvis once belonged to. Darvis is hesitant at first, but once he learns of a tablet that can revive his wife, he agrees.

The heist doesn’t go as planned, not for Darvis and Kilgore, at least. They’re captured and imprisoned for two years, whereupon they’re given a council in an attempt to reduce or nullify their sentence. They burst through a window, using an Aarakocra, a bird-person, as a makeshift parachute, and their adventure begins.

Darvis and Kilgore find that Kira has been taken care of by their former partner-in-crime Forge Fitzwilliam, who is now a lord. Kira has everything she could ever want, but there is something brewing as that mysterious woman in black is still around, and it turns out she’s an incredibly powerful wizard.

Darvis and Kilgore then go off to locate their old partners, and form new bonds. Doric, a tiefling druid, and Simon Aumar, a sorcerer, join the party and round out the cast. Another powerful paladin, Xenk Yendar, joins briefly to help expand the worldbuilding on the Harpers and Kilgore’s clan.

The world building of this film is awe-inspiring. The world feels fleshed out and

real, yet Dungeons & Dragons fans will easily notice the little Easter eggs and details of love like mentioning of monsters, spells and game mechanics the filmmakers left behind.

Knowing terminology, such as Aarakocra, may give away plot beats, but it feels like the viewer is at the table, listening to the dungeon master, and witnessing the players formulate plans in their heads.

Furthermore, the movie uses an art form that has been recently cast to the wayside: practical effects. While it is noticeable that creatures such as the Tabaxi — catpeople — or Dragonborn are puppets, they feel alive. They feel as if they belong in the world of humans and magic and have for the entirety of their existence. Practical effects have become less commonplace as computer-based imaging or animation, has boomed in popularity. CGI is cheaper than practical effects and less “risky” as if a prop breaks, it needs to be remade. An animation error can be fixed from a computer, or things can be edited and changed post-production.

Hopefully “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” can begin to push other blockbuster movies to lean back into

‘The Hate U Give’ sheds light on police brutality

BY ALEXA DUMAS Web Editor

“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”

Starr Carter was dividing her time between two places and two personalities: the Black side of Garden Heights where she lived, and the white side of Williamson where she attended school.

Starr created two versions of herself to mask whichever place she was, mostly for her safety.

One night after a high school party, Starr and her childhood friend Khalil were driving home, reconnecting from their time apart. Suddenly, lights started to flash and Khalil was asked to pull over.

After an encounter with Officer One-Fifteen, a white police officer, Khalil was fatally shot.

Angie Thomas’ 2017 young adult novel, “The Hate U Give,” shows how the death of an unarmed Black teenager can spark discourse within a tightknit community.

While Garden Heights tries to protest the mur-

der of Khalil, Williamson seems to defend Officer One-Fifteen, as Khalil is portrayed as a drug-dealing member of a gang. To Starr, she doesn’t seem to understand why there is such a debate: her friend’s life mattered.

Witnessing Khalil’s death unleashes something within Starr, as she must come to terms with the two sides of herself. Should she stay quiet about being a witness to Khalil’s murder, or should

she speak out and stand up for her friend who died due to police brutality?

Starr is timid throughout most of the novel, as she feels like her voice will make her even more ostracized at school.

Her peers at Williamson stage a walk-out as a way to protest Khalil’s death, but Starr sees it as shallow: their only goal is to skip class.

our roots of practical effects.

Despite the addition of practical effects for the non-human characters and creatures, the main cast looks awfully human. Aumar is half elf, but the only change in his appearance is pointy ears. Doric is a Tiefling, but looks like a human woman with two stubby horns and a tail. Doric is the most startling

for Dungeons & Dragons fans, as the base game sets guidelines for a Tiefling appearance. Doric has blue eyes, a fair skin tone and short red hair. Her tail is not seen often and is plot relevant once — which was a delight for Tiefling fans.

School shooter shares Plattsburgh origin

BY BRYN FAWN Opinions Editor & PR Chair

Schools are a place of learning, where children make long-lasting friendships and are molded into the adults they will soon become. As the years come to pass, however, schools have become a war zone, and children learn how to treat bullet wounds rather than mathematics.

The Columbine massacre was 24 years ago, yet the nation still sees mass shootings every day. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 2020 was the year Americans saw the most gun-related injuries to date.

Yet, Columbine has ties to the small upstate city of Plattsburgh. Eric Harris, one of the two infamous shooters, lived in Plattsburgh for some time. His father was an air force pilot, which forced his family to move around the country often.

Harris lived in Plattsburgh for much of his childhood, having gone to the local elementary school. Harris played little league in Plattsburgh. Harris attended a local middle school, and his former classmates, Abi Tene-

baum and Jessica Sapel, have been interviewed by Youth Journalism.

“It was the hardest moving from Plattsburgh. I have the most memories from there,” Harris wrote in an English assignment. “When I left my friends I felt alone, lost and even agitated that I had spent so much time with them and now I have to go because of something I can’t stop.”

Harris began his schooling at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado in 1995. He blamed his father for having to

move around so much and the instability in his life. He lashed out at others, seeking the attention he craved.

In a notable incident Harris faked his suicide to lash out at his ex-girlfriend for breaking up with him. He had covered himself in blood and she screamed for help, which then prompted him and his friends to point and laugh.

ALEXA DUMAS/Cardinal Points

BRYN FAWN/Cardinal Points

ROLDNARDY NORELUS/Cardinal Points

TikTok faces federal ban

TikTok is one of the most popular social media applications today in the world. Yet, its origins in China have American lawmakers on edge concerns about data collection.

The Pew Research Center has determined that the number of adults using TikTok has nearly tripled in the past year, growing from 3% to about 10%. They also reported that adults regularly get their news from the social media platform.

Ever since Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, appeared before the Senate in 2018, Americans have been more aware of how companies collect personal data to sell to advertisers. Legislation has passed to help consumers better understand where their data is going and to give them more control over their data.

However, these laws do not apply overseas. China and the U.S. have had a tumultuous relationship as of late, especially as China inches toward invading neighboring nations and stifling protests in Hong

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It would have been far more exciting to see Doric look more demonic and less human, with solid eyes and sharp teeth.

The reason Doric was “human-washed” was clear: marketing. It is

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Kong. China’s ideas of freedom wildly differ from the U.S., which is why legislators are alarmed that the nation could be stealing data, especially in an attempt to gain information on the U.S. TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, appeared in court in March and was bombarded with questions from lawmakers. Chew explained that there is a plan and structure in place that is like a “firewall” to prevent China from being able to access American data. Chew also explained that despite being owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based corporate owner that must answer to Chinese law, TikTok has no intention of infringing on Americans’ freedom.

“The bottom line is this: American data stored on American soil, by an American company, overseen by American personnel,” Chew wrote in a testimony that was later released by the House committee.

The reasoning behind this is that if the data is kept on American soil, China has no legislation to be able to ac-

far easier to market and merchandise a human character based on an actress, and it was far less makeup and hassle for on-set filming. Most characters that were not close to human-like in appearance were used in one scene, often not given a name, or even just fodder to be slain.

Doric is still an amazing character, and a

Starr learns this lesson as she is the main witness in Officer One-Fifteen’s trial and is featured anonymously on a television program about the case. Although this gives Starr anxiety, she knows it is the right thing to do in order to give Khalil the justice he deserves. As the novel progresses, Starr gains her voice and learns how to speak up for Khalil and for her community.

Influenced by the death of

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Dylan Klebold, the other shooter in the massacre, was born and raised in Colorado. Klebold was raised with family traditions to keep his Jewish heritage alive.

The two met in 1998, and that was when they began to plan their attack on their school.

The boys kept journals to express their feelings and thoughts, which soon spiraled into their plot against Columbine High School. Harris even planned to escape to a foreign country after, steal an aircraft and then crash it into New York City. Harris also expressed a desire to dismember and consume the body of a woman after sleeping with her.

Klebold had kept a journal since 1997, before meeting Harris, which described several violent fantasies. He delved into his desires of mass killing sprees and taking another person’s life. He even described what clothing he’d wear for his attack.

The two boys let their violent fantasies leak into their creative writing assignments in school. Harris wrote a poem about a school shooting from the perspective

cess said data.

This fight to ban TikTok has sent users into a frenzy. Some creators rely on the application as a source of income, similar to those who use YouTube as a platform of work. It has had some Americans question their freedom of speech: If TikTok, an avenue of free speech, is banned, what other forms or platforms may be next on the chopping block? Gina Raimondo, U.S. secretary of commerce, told Bloomberg, “The politician in me thinks you’re gonna literally lose every voter under 35, forever.”

Legislators are also panicked in relation to how TikTok may influence future generations, as most young people use the application. Chew has stressed that ByteDance and TikTok have no intention of swaying the future generations one way or another.

“TikTok will remain a platform for free expression and will not be manipulated by any government,” Chew wrote in his statement. “We will keep

personal favorite of mine. Her wildshape scenes are adrenalinepumping and steal the show. The use of CGI is thoughtful and wellutilized, as watching an Owlbear destroy a red mage is satisfying, or the battle of Auman and the red mage with just their hands, one made of flesh and the other of pebbles, is captivating.

Oscar Grant in 2009, Thomas wrote “The Hate U Give” as a response to the murders of unarmed Black individuals at the hands of police within the United States. Thomas’ writing references the victims of police brutality at the conclusion of the novel, as it pays homage to the lives lost within the Black community.

Thomas’ novel has been frequently banned and challenged across the United States due to themes of racism, being anti-police, depicting police brutality and violence, while including expletives. “The Hate U Give” has been featured on the

of a bullet and Klebold wrote a story where a man killed several students. Klebold’s story was alarming enough to have his teacher notify his mother.

“Killing enemies, blowing up stuff, killing cops!! My wrath for January’s incident will be godlike. Not to mention our revenge in the [school cafeteria,]”

Klebold wrote in Harris’s yearbook in 1998.

The boys did not only write in journals, but they recorded video and audio. Using school equipment, five tapes were created, but only two and a part of the third were released for the general public to see.

The videos were recorded in Harris’s basement, which gave them the moniker “The Basement Tapes.” These videos divulged their plan and how they had hidden their weapons, and their final video, 30 minutes prior to the shooting, was the two apologizing to their friends and family for what’s to come.

A video was later released in 2003 showing Harris and Klebold at a shooting range, using the firearms they later used in their attack.

Harris left a tape in his home labeled “Nixon.” In it, he explains it is nine hours before the attack.

safety — particularly for teenagers — a top priority.”

However, a ban has already taken place. Montana already has banned TikTok on any and all government-issued and government-owned devices. While not federal, as that is unlikely, the state of Montana has passed a bill to be potentially signed by the Governor Greg Gianforte that would ban the application. If signed, the ban will take effect in January.

There has been pushback to the bill, with opposition claiming that it is censorship. TikTok has hinted at legal pushback against the bill, but has not clearly stated one way or the other whether there are plans to sue.

If TikTok is to be banned, then there are no limits on what other forms of speech can be taken away next. There is a future where Twitter is banned and instead of sending out a small thought you have to fight Parler and its terms of service instead, which will send the U.S. into an echo chamber.

There is a scene with a wonderfully portrayed dwarf, but he is soon slain by a Displacer. Other fan-favorite monsters such as a Mimic or Gelatinous Cube make an appearance, but the mimic is seen in the background and the cube has a small plotrelevant moment.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among

American Library Association’s top 10 banned books in the years 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021. By banning the novel, it proves that hate and prejudice are still alive in the United States, and issues around police brutality are still prevalent.

“The Hate U Give” allows readers of all races to see into the struggles that many African Americans have with police systematically, but it also shows the struggles of Black adolescent teens, as police brutality affects growing up. They learn about puberty, while also learning how to act around the po -

“People will die because of me,” Harris said on the tape. “It will be a day that will be remembered forever.”

The date selected was April 20, Adolf Hitler’s birthday. The duo were obsessed with Nazis and Hitler, having written several pieces for their English classes on the Nazis in a positive light. Their notes had Nazi dogwhistles and the boys had drawn swastikas, “KKK” and other fascist symbols.

Harris and Klebold brought duffle bags filled with propane bombs into the cafeteria, which were planned to go off during lunch to kill hundreds of students. Two backpacks filled with pipe bombs, aerosol canisters and small propane bombs were also placed in a field about 3 miles south of the school in an attempt to diffuse first-responders and spread thin resources. Only one pipe bomb and one aerosol canister went off, causing a small fire.

The boys then changed clothes and returned to school, parking separately.

Harris ran into a classmate, Brooks Brown. Brown recalled smoking a cigarette and being surprised to

Thieves” is a delight for all audiences, from those who are “rules lawyers,” or someone who just wants to waste an afternoon. Hopefully, the movie and the franchise expands our future movie-going experiences.

lice, which is something that Starr’s friends at Williamson don’t have to face.

Thomas’ novel is a true young adult classic, and should be used within classrooms around the nation. Readers of “The Hate U Give” learn so much from the novel about experiences that may not be like their own. This diverse material and novel should be utilized, not censored in the United States.

see Harris, as he had missed a test that day. According to Brown, that was unheard of for Harris.

Harris told him: “It doesn’t matter anymore. Brooks, I like you now. Get out of here. Go home.”

Harris and Klebold then armed themselves, and the bombs failed to detonate. If they had, it’s estimated 488 students could have died.

Gunfire began to ring out at 11:19 a.m. Harris and Klebold entered the school, tossing pipe bombs and opening fire on anyone they came across. Students thought it was a senior prank.

This was before schools practiced lockdowns or felt the threat of shootings. The duo moved from the cafeteria to the library, shooting anyone in their way.

By 12:08 p.m. the attack ceased as the two boys shot themselves. There are differing accounts as to the why, how and when.

SWAT arrived at the high school at noon, but the damage had already been done. Harris and Klebold killed 12 people. Eleven of these were students and one was a teacher.

The motive for this massacre is still unknown, even to this day. There are only specu-

lation and theories as to why these two boys wanted to kill more than 400 of their peers.

Klebold’s mom, Sue Klebold, has been very vocal and outspoken about her son’s actions. Sue has since published a novel on her son titled “A Mother’s Reckoning.” She claims she thinks about the victims every day of her life and plays out possible ways she could have saved those 12 lives.

Harris’s family never made a statement nor claimed his body after the shooting. The family has chosen to remain distant from the entire catastrophe.

Columbine is one of, if not the, most infamous school shootings in the entirety of U.S. history, yet it is still relevant today. Mass shootings occur daily, as even in 2015 The New York Times reported mass shootings occur more than one a day, and the rate of these killings has increased as the years have gone by, according to The Pew Research Center. Children now must go to school in fear of becoming the next name in a news headline.

Spring

Spring

Fall

Spring

Cards come alive, sweep Hawks

Conference series wins reignite playoff hopes

BY MIKAI BRUCE Staff Writer

The SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinals faced off in some pivotal games against the SUNY New Paltz Hawks this past weekend. These three games were pivotal for the Cardinals, because they were its first at-home conference games. It won all three games against New Paltz and improved their SUNYAC conference record to 3-6. The Cardinals stepped up in a big way when it was most needed.

The first of three games was played April 14 and was a dramatic one. Things started off great for the Cardinals, who managed to score three runs late in the first inning. This included Conner Gonzalski hitting a double, which led to two runs batted in. The Cardinals were in control early thanks to the savvy pitching of Sean Malamud and stellar outfield play. Malamud wasn’t giving up a lot of hits, but when he did give one up, the outfielders were quick to make sure they got the out.

The Cardinals held the Hawks scoreless for four innings, until the fifth inning when the Hawks began to rally. The Cardinals gave up four hits, leading to three runs by the Hawks. Things appeared to be coming apart for Plattsburgh after it was in control for so long.

Cardinals see silver linings in tough week

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Sports Editor

Plattsburgh Cardinals lacrosse walks away from this past week 0-3. The women’s team was officially eliminated from playoff contention and the men’s team faces an important three-game stretch to steal a playoff berth. Though they may not be where they want to be in the standings, both teams are focusing on the positives of the season.

WOMEN

Last week, the women’s lacrosse team (5-8, SUNYAC 1-6) fell to the Oswego Lakers (11-3, SUNYAC 6-1), a top-three team in the conference, by a score of 6-17. This past Wednesday, the Cardinals lost to the Oneonta Red Dragons (5-8, SUNYAC 4-3) in overtime, 11-12, in what might have been its bestplayed game all season.

Plattsburgh held the upper hand at the end of the second and third quarters and had a lead by as many as six goals. Midfielder Lindsay Guzzetta and attacker Cynthia Barnosky tied careerhighs with five points each. Guzzetta and Barnosky traded points in Plattsburgh’s most important quarter, when it scored seven goals in the second, holding Oneonta to one.

“This shows we can do it. If we stay together, work together the entire time, we can do it,” Barnosky said. “We’re underdogs, people look at us, but we got it.”

The young program continues to make history. Guzzetta, who broke the program’s career goal and draw controls records earlier this season, tied the single-season goal mark at 28, a record that has stood for four years.

Goalie Lilla Nease set the single-game saves record at 16, breaking her own record of 15.

After six innings, things were knotted at four. In the seventh inning, the Cardinals regained control of the game after scoring three runs. Again, Gonzalski got two runs batted in to bring his total to four for the game and help secure the win for Plattsburgh. Toward the end of the game, Malamud exited the game. Chris Santic and Andrew Veit entered the game and closed it out for the Cardinals.

“Massive game, massive. We needed to take two out of three from these guys,” Conner Gonzalski said. “Huge win, huge win, we just gotta

keep rolling over as a team and just do whatever we did today and keep it rolling.”

The Cardinals have been in many close games this season and it’s encouraging that it was finally on the right side of one of these nail-biters.

Games two and three of the series were played April 15 and the Cardinals played two more great games. Game two had a final score of 4-3 and game three was high scoring with a final score of 10-7. Recently, the batting from the Cardinals has been strong and has perked up at a crucial point in the season. Slow starts are

a normal thing in sports, but the Cardinals have proved it can bounce back from those slumps. The pitching has been strong all season, making the Cardinals tough to beat in the upcoming weeks. They’re ready to showcase that talent.

“The overall competitiveness has definitely improved over the course of the season,” Head Coach Sam QuinnLoeb said.

Email MIKAI BRUCE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Plattsburgh undefeated at Saratoga

BY NICHOLAS COUSINS Contributor

It was a beautiful weekend for the Plattsburgh men’s rugby team as they stormed into the Saratoga 7’s tournament. The team did not disappoint as they left with a perfect 5-0 record, playing with confidence and cohesiveness as they represented the North Country.

There were many great performances as the team swept their

competition. Captain Mike Barbagallo led the team by example, playing through his foot injury, giving them the spark they needed. Barbagallo was proud of the team’s performance and their resiliency.

“We made outstanding comebacks against Binghamton and Brown University, being down 17-0 at halftime against Brown and winning 1917,” Barbagallo said.

“We really played as a team and we all bring

something integral to the table. We all stepped up and proved who we are. This event proved to everybody what we can do and that we never quit.”

Barbagallo spoke to the confidence that his teammates carry into each competition, acknowledging their respective abilities. It is one thing to play the game, but it is another thing to play with the feeling that you can win. President Kevin Graber reflected on

that drive and confidence that led the team to the win.

“We played great and didn’t let up until the whistle blew,” Graber said. “Three out of the five games we were behind at half and came back to win. When we play to our potential we can hang with any team.”

It was easy to see how much confidence was instilled in each of the players. Noah Lederman showed his leadership on the

field, scoring numerous tries throughout the tournament with electric energy all day long.

Lederman spoke about his takeaways from the event and echoed the team’s confidence heading into TnT, the annual alumni tournament April 22. Held at memorial field, the event will feature current and former men’s and women’s rugby players head-to-head.

The Cardinals lost control at the end of the third and the fourth, allowing the Red Dragons to score six consecutive goals and catch up. Oneonta delivered the winning goal in overtime. The Red Dragons were awarded five free position shots in the last five minutes of regulation and overtime, scoring on three. Head Coach Kelly Wall wasn’t happy with the calls, vocalizing her disagreement from the sidelines.

Wall was proud of her team’s effort, giving a playoff team a run for its money. She credited their effort and teamwork the whole game. Oneonta Head Coach Brandi Lusk credited Wall and Plattsburgh for the challenge it gave the Red Dragons.

“They worked hard from beginning to end, they never gave up. They worked together from beginning to end,” Wall said. “[Oneonta] capitalized on the opportunities that they had.”

Plattsburgh makes one last road trip April 22, to play the Fredonia Blue Devils (6-9, SUNYAC 1-6). The Cardinals round out its season playing at home April 26 against the Potsdam Bears (2-11, SUNYAC 0-7), where it will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

MEN

The men’s team (2-10, SUNYAC 0-4) also faced Oneonta (7-4, SUNYAC 3-1), losing 9-17. The game was Head Coach Darry Thornton’s first contest against his alma mater, where he once played goalie. The loss puts the team in a position where it now has to win out to have a chance at making the playoffs.

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Alex Kornblau (8) celebrates his go-ahead run in the seventh inning in game one with Jack Defayette (1) and Mike Rasquin (left).

JAYNE SMITH/Cardinal Points

Christian Ott (left) congratulates teammate Jack Defayette (right) in game three of the series.

MRC

BASEBALL

Five different Cardinals recorded multiple points.

Attacker John Eiseman and midfielders Owen Lorenzetti and Donald Woods each scored twice.

Goalie Dan Clements has matched his career-high single-game total in saves for the third game in a row with 20.

At one point, Oneonta made the decision to rest its starters, claiming the win.

Plattsburgh didn’t quit and forced the Red Dragons to make the switch back to its first team.

SOFTBALL

“I liked that, as a team, especially these last couple of games, we stay together and never get down on ourselves,” midfielder Logan Jones said. “Obviously, the scores haven’t been going our way the last couple of ones. It’s easy for the guys to give up late in games and stop caring.”

The Cardinals aren’t a team SUNYAC opponents think of as an easy win. Third and fourth quarter runs all year have kept

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MEN'S LAX

games competitive, and the team is especially proud of it. Jones credited this year’s team as having a stronger bond in the past, playing for each other.

“Everyone’s just trying to have as much fun as we can in these last few games of practice and these last few games,” Jones said.

In games like Oswego, Plattsburgh has gained momentum late in games. The Cards scored four straight goals to pull within two points in the fourth quarter of that game. Against Geneseo, the top team in the conference, Plattsburgh, despite being down 13, went on a 6-1 run in the fourth quarter.

Thornton has worked hard to ensure a positive team culture, putting players before results — and the players have felt it. Excitement has turned toward Senior Day next week, April 29, against the

“I think the team played great. There were a lot of quality teams in Saratoga, but we knew that we had something to prove,” Lederman said. “There’s a couple more tournaments to end the season. Nobody is going to want to miss our 25th Annual TnT Alumni tournament.”

Cortland Red Dragons (9-4, SUNYAC 3-1). Cortland has been the SUNYAC’s big bad wolf and the Cardinals are up for the challenge. The players are looking forward to being rewarded for their hard work and dedication to the team, as previous years had lackluster senior days.

“If I’m a senior, I’m going to want a senior day,” Lo-

Lederman knows that Plattsburgh is a lesser-known team, but takes that underdog title with pride.

“What I took away from the tournament is that our intangibles set us apart from other teams,” Lederman said. “Most tournaments we participate in, nobody knows who we are, but that hasn’t changed the boys' mindset going into each game. We are the kind of team to run through a brick wall and ask questions later.”

renzetti said. “It’s also for the young guys. The young guys want to have it when they’re a senior, they want to have a senior day too.

It’s a nice little change."

In years past, Lorenzetti was disappointed with the lack of huzzah surrounding the annual celebration. Win or lose, senior players have given four years of their lives to the team.

He also recognized the dedication of their coaches, Sean Morgan and Doug Ferris, saying that the team wouldn’t be where they are today without them. Looking to the future, the team hopes it can make this kind of success a constant.

The club anticipates another successful TnT tournament this year.

ASK AN ATHLETE:

“He’s made it clear, like obviously we’re not going to have balloons and flyers, you know, it’s been a tough year,” Lorenzetti said. “But he wants to recognize us and our families for the hard work we’ve put in over the years.”

WOMEN'S

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

John Eiseman (52) and Head Coach Darry Thornton (right) share a laugh while playing Geneseo.

IN THE CARDS

Cardinal athletes practice Ramadan

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Sports Editor

One of athletes’ most important resources is their energy. The strength and stamina gained through nutrients, like a paper cup of gatorade or a pre-game banana, are essential to playing at one’s highest ability. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, most adult Muslim participants fast from dawn until sunset, and there aren’t exceptions for athletes. For Plattsburgh’s Muslim athletes, observing their faith while playing the sport they love comes with a set of unique challenges.

Abigail Jarrett is from Richmond Hill, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens surrounded by Muslim friends and family. She now plays for the Plattsburgh Cardinals tennis team, fasting through spring practices and games. Islam is something she’s known her whole life, but after her first year and another Ramadan, she has a greater understanding of what her religion means to her.

In high school, Jarrett was used to having a greater presence of peers observing Ramadan. Now, she finds encouragement in the Muslim Student Association. She meets with the MSA after the sun goes down to break fast together, where she feels “kind of at home.” The MSA has become a home for many students, including Cardinals athletes.

“Our mission is to have

everybody who is of the religion or wants to discover the religion to feel a sense of belonging and a sense of welcoming to an area where we’re not as represented as we should,” MSA President Saran Kaba said. “We’re all in a different journey of spirituality.”

Jarrett said her time at Plattsburgh has made fasting almost easier than it was at home. Missing meals for classes is something she’s used to, and the Sundowner in the Angell College Center offers food on campus after sunset. Practices sometimes go into the night, meaning she breaks fast later than she usually does, but her head coach, Kelci Henn, has been accommodating with necessary rest. Both practices and classes can interfere with Jarrett’s five daily prayers.

“Professors are really lenient, they’re really nice about it too,” Jarrett said. “I had to miss class for a prayer once. Because it was the first prayer of the month

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Sports Editor

SOFTBALL

The Plattsburgh Cardinals softball team (16-4, SUNYAC 5-1) continues to wreak havoc on its schedule. After dropping its first SUNYAC game this season to the Potsdam Bears (6-18, SUNYAC 2-4) 3-4 April 15, it beat the Bears in the second game of the doubleheader 9-5. Four days later, April 19, the Cardinals beat the Canton Kangaroos (2-16) twice in a doubleheader, by scores of 15-0 and 11-0.

Pitcher Kristina Maggiacomo had the game of her lifetime, becoming the sixth Cardinal ever to record a no-hitter. In the first game against the Kangaroos, Maggiacomo struck out 15 of 16 batters. No Cardinal has no-hit an opposing team since 2009.

In the second game, pitcher Julia Golino struck out 16 batters, allowing just one hit to the ‘Roos. Outfielder Michelle Gonzales had a strong week, recording seven runs batted in in four games. Gonzales and catcher Rebecca Diller scored five runs each.

The Cardinals look to maintain its status in the SUNYAC, playing two conference doubleheaders this weekend. Plattsburgh will host the Fredonia Blue Devils (2-20, SUNYAC 1-5) today, April 21. A bigger test comes tomorrow, April 22, when the Cardinals welcome the Buffalo State Bengals (16-8, SUNYAC 5-1) to town.

TRACK AND FIELD

Cardinals outdoor track and field competed in two meets on consecutive days last weekend. A small portion of the distance squad participated in the RPI Under the Lights Invitational in Troy, New York, and a larger group went to the Southern

of Ramadan, it’s a really big deal. He was really supportive. He didn’t make me make up any work.”

Ramadan isn’t just about fasting — followers of Islam commit to the holy month for the ultimate goal of becoming more devout to the religion and Allah. Participants do more charitable deeds and refrain from sinful acts, consume tobacco or have sexual relations. Jarrett listens to clean artists like Taylor Swift, which is halal, or permissible in Islamic law, during Ramadan.

“To me, it means gaining a closer relationship to Allah and cleaning my

New Hampshire Penman Relays in Hooksett. Sprinters Brexton Montville and Janyll Barber were scheduled to run in the Larry Ellis Invitational in Princeton, New Jersey, but the meet was canceled due to thunder and lightning.

Five Cardinals recorded times at RPI facing Division II and III competition. Aislyn McDonough was the only participant from the women’s team. She won the 800m with a time of 2:21.34 — more than three seconds faster than the runner up — and qualified for the SUNYAC Championships. From the men’s team, Noah Bonesteel was named an AARTFC Championships qualifier for his 1500m run (4:00.48).

Two other Cardinals qualified for SUNYACs: Logan Van Buren in the 800m run (1:58.44) and Erik Kucera in the 1500m run (4:05.04).

At Southern New Hampshire, six qualifying times were posted by Cardinals. Charles Cypress placed second in the 200m dash (22.15) and qualified for the AARTFC Championships. Bonesteel was the runner-up in the 800m dash (1:57.24) and qualified for SUNYACs. Other SUNYAC qualifiers included Aiden Masten in long jump (6.28m), Aiden Tous in shot put (12.69m), Jorge Cabrera in hammer throw (38.53m) and Spencer Trudo in hammer throw (37.24).

Plattsburgh competes in its secondto-last regular season meet tomorrow, April 22. The Cards will travel to Middlebury, Vermont to compete in the Middlebury Outdoor Invitational. Playoffs begin May 5 and 6 with the SUNYAC Championships.

TENNIS

Plattsburgh tennis finished its spring slate of games this past week.

deen [soul],” Jarrett wrote in a text.

Mussa Kone is from the Bronx in New York City, where he also grew up in a Muslim family. He started practicing Ramadan as a young teenager and found solidarity in his AAU basketball teammates, many of whom were Muslim.

Kone now competes for Plattsburgh’s outdoor track and field team, which is currently inseason. This factor creates the added challenge of competitively sprinting and jumping on an empty stomach. His diet changes during Ramadan, too. For suhur, the pre-sunrise meal, he eats more carbo

CARDINAL CLIPS

In the previous two seasons, the Cardinals played conference games in the spring, but this year, Plattsburgh participated in friendly matches.

The Cards hosted a doubles tournament, competing against the Russell Sage Gators, the Northern Vermont University - Johnson Badgers and the Castleton Spartans. Head Coach Kelci Henn hopes to make the tournament an annual event. NVU, Castleton and Vermont Technical College will be merging to form Vermont State University in July, meaning the event would feature the new university moving forward.

Russell Sage’s doubles team of Tirzah Spivey and Emma Nuzzi won first place, scoring the highest through nine rounds of matches. The duo was awarded a prize by Henn that included a Starbucks gift card. Plattsburgh had three duos compete in the tournament: Nicole and Samantha Svantner; Sarah Benowitz and Sophia Gottschall; and Jackie Svantner and Hallie Hurwitz.

After completing its spring games, tennis wraps up the spring semester with a tennis clinic available for the Plattsburgh community. Hosted tomorrow, April 22, at the McDonough Hall Tennis Courts, participants can learn tennis skills and play with the team. Session one, for attendees ages 5 through 12, will run from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and session two, for attendees ages 13 through 17, will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration is $40 per session and the link can be found at gocardinalsports.com/ sports/womens-tennis.

hydrates, protein and fruit — nutrients he tries to preserve for game time. Kone’s team has been there for him.

“When I was fasting this past weekend, my team knew, so when they had food, they would save it for me. That was pretty nice of them,” Kone said. “At night, when I had to eat, my roommates all understood I had to wake up and eat and they respect me praying.” There’s no place like home. Though Kone has had assistance in his experience, it’s different from committing to Ramadan with his family. Kone’s cousin, Hassan Diarra, just won a national championship for the University of Connecticut’s men’s basketball team while fasting.

“Here, it’s a little different, because at home, when I break my fast, I do it with family. It’s like a big thing. So here, I’m kind of alone in that sense,” Kone said. “Not really lonely, there’s obviously Muslims around here, but I’m not really as close to them.”

Kone says Ramadan is about becoming “a better Muslim and a better per-

son.” His commitment to the challenges the month presents keeps him “connected to God” and “positive things.” Restricting himself makes him “mentally stronger.”

Kone referenced Cardinals basketball player Sheriff Conteh, who also practices Ramadan, as someone he can connect with. Conteh is also from the Bronx, but his family is originally from the Gambia, a western African country with a majorityMuslim population.

The restrictions

Ramadan presents gives him “structure.” Conteh can’t load up on protein for a workout, sip a water bottle or have a snack to recoup after a pickup game. He gets the energy can before the sun comes up and has learned how to preserve it throughout the day.

“Ramadan helps you condition,” Conteh said. “All that training you’re doing, you’re conditioning your body to play through the fourth quarter.”

Conteh, echoing Jarrett and Kone, said Ramadan helps him become closer to Allah and a “better Muslim.” It gives him a chance to “recuperate” and “repent” for Allah’s forgiveness.

“It’s really all mental. At the end of the day, yeah, you’re going to be starving. If you feel like you’re going to fail, you’re not going to be able to fast,” Conteh said. “Once you have your mental right, fasting could be so easy.”

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Head Coach Kelci Henn talks with her players

15.

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Sarah Benowitz and Sophia Gotschall high-five April

Jackie Svantner

JAYNE SMITH/Cardinal Points

Abigail Jarrett plays tennis in the sun, not having eaten or drunk since before dawn.

Contestants doing their introduction performance for the judges and audience after the film.

King and Queen of Africa crowned

BY KIYANNA NOEL Arts & Culture Editor

Kings and queens representing different countries in Africa attended African Unity: The African Student Association’s 11th annual pageant April 15.

Four contestants have a chance to be named King or Queen of Africa based on performance, presentation and how they answer the questions given to them by the three judges Osayame Uzamere, Liz Sesay and Travis Gorham.

The contestants who ran for the title of King of Africa were Kevinne Ngokana representing Congo and Medex Assemba rep -

resenting Gabon.

The contestants who ran for the title ofQueen of Africa were Khouriya Deh representing Mauritania and Dayanara Martinez representing Uganda.

The pageant started with intern Vania Nyarko and Naomi Adebayo introducing the judges, followed by a small video presentation introducing the contestants to the Hunger Games inspired event. Not only was the Hunger Games referenced in flyers, but it was also referenced by having contestants place their name in a bowl.

After the video, the contestants approached the

dance floor and began a rehearsed dance routine. The crowd was very receptive to the performance, students took videos of their friends and cheered them on as they had their own individual solos.

After the performance, the contestants were brought back on stage to share with the judges and the audience who they are and give their reasons why they chose to represent their country. Each started by speaking a different language, as well as explaining their future endeavors after graduation.

PAGEANT > 10

Brooklyn wins Battle of the Boroughs

BY KIYANNA NOEL Arts &

Editor

Everyone thinks their team is the best only to find out that the defending champions are undefeated for a reason. For the second year in a row, Brooklyn takes home the win in Fuerza: the BIPOC Student Union’s seventh annual Battle of the Boroughs basketball tournament.

In the recreational gym of Memorial Hall April 14, five teams faced off against each other to determine which is the best borough in New York City, as well as who will have bragging rights until next year.

The teams that played were the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. The gym was packed with students and staff repping their boroughs and screaming for their friends, some yelling “miss” in order to sabotage the other team. Each team rostered players from the SUNY Plattsburgh basketball team.

The first round was Staten Island vs. Queens. President Shelby Disla was coach of the Queens team, which had two basket-

ball players, Erik Salo and Franklin Infante. Coach of the Staten Island team, Fuerza’s event coordinator Christopher Navarro also had two basketball players on their team, Ladan Graves and Levi Delaney. Queens won the first round with an eight-point difference and scored 34-26.

The second round was Bronx vs. Manhattan. Coach for the Bronx was Fuerza’s historian Jeidy Aloi, whose team had two players from the school’s team, Justin Blanchett and Sheriff Conteh. Manhattan’s coaches were Fuerza’s treasurer Glendaliz Espinal and public relations chair Nekaybaw Ross. They had two basketball players on their team, Darren Wright and Willard Anderson Jr. The team also had player Jonah Baker-Flora, who made the final layup, making the Bronx beat Manhattan with a score of 45-29.

“It was amazing. I had to just get those shots up and I knew I’m about to be in there ballin’. It’s my first time playing and I’m blessed. I’m blessed to have this opportunity for Fuerza,” Baker-Flora said after his teammates supported him before he made the final two shots for the Bronx.

Although she had no basketball experience prior to this, Aloi was happy with how her team performed and knew each win would be an easy win.

“I knew it would happen. I’m really confident in my team, they’re really playing well and they listen to me, which is most important,” Aloi said. “Next, we play Queens, which is another easy dub.”

The third game was between Manhattan and Staten Island. This game was to determine who would be eliminated from the semifinal to face off against the Brooklyn team. The Brooklyn team was allowed to skip a round of competition because of last year’s win. Manhattan was eliminated with a score of 32-35.

The fourth game was the Bronx vs. Queens. This game was in place to determine who would be going to the final round. The Bronx won with a score of 40-32.

“We’re still winners for sure. I think our playing definitely had to do with the break between our games. My team had a little bit of time, like an hour and some change ,of not playing, so I think that definitely had something to do with it. It was

still a great game. They still did an amazing job,” said Disla, who in a previous interview, was very confident in Queens winning the tournament.

The semifinal game was between Staten Island and Brooklyn. Event Coordinator Lauren Seales was the coach for Brooklyn with three players from the team, Anthony Williams Jr., Kevin Tabb and Matthew KoneBradshaw. The game was cut short in order to minimize the embarrassment because the score was 22-2, with Brooklyn going to the finals against the Bronx.

The final game between the Bronx and Brooklyn had all students and staff watching intensely. The score was close for the entire game, as each team never allowed the other to be ahead for longer than a few seconds.

Ultimately, Brooklyn won with a score of 42-31, continuing its undefeated winning streak.

KIYANNA NOEL/Cardinal Points

Contestants dressed in clothes representing their countries before results.

KIYANNA NOEL/Cardinal Points

Culture

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Fuerza: the BIPOC Student Union poses with the winning basketball team, Brooklyn, at the end of the tournament.

Wake and Bake with BSU

BY KIYANNA NOEL Arts & Culture Editor

Black Onyx: Black Student Union and the Cooking Club hosted a Wake and Bake event April 19 allowing students to go to the H.U.B. and create recipes to make at home. Wake and bake is a term used to represent waking up and consuming marijuana to start your day.

While the students did not make marijuana-infused foods, the event was to make cookie dough for after students get the “munchies”, a term used to describe the feeling of hunger after ingesting cannabis.

The students created a cookie dough using different toppings and the basic ingredients like eggs, flour, butter, chocolate chips, peanut M&M’s and sprinkles.

Members of the BSU e-board lead the students in the steps to create the cookie dough. Public Relations Chair Phardia Desir, secretary Fatim Haidara and intern Zanaeja Dandy helped students gather ingredients that were laid out on a table.

The event had a big turnout despite other events happening at the same time, such as Fuerza: The BIPOC Student Union’s Feud, a game inspired

by the show Family Feud. Crafts For a Cause’s DIY Keychain event was also happening at this time.

“We had over 30 people in the H.U.B. for the event,” treasurer of BSU Angelina Briggs said. “We had members APOSA [Apostolic Students and Associates] and AU [African Unity] attend and even some from Fuerza. It was a good event that we would consider doing again.”

Students sat at round tables with friends and followed the instructions by the BSU members until other board members came to each table and informed them of events happening during the upcoming week.

C4 Week is a week of events about educating students about the resources available to them on campus. C4 stands for the acronym Challenging College Culture Campaign.

The first event is Cops and Kids at 7 p.m. in Yokum 205 April 24. Students will be allowed to ask questions to police officers about things they’ve always wondered as well as acknowledge the lack of communication between students and officers.

The second event is Does It Glow at 7 p.m. in Yokum 205 April 25. Students will be talking about having safe sex and ways to keep yourself protected.

The third event is Power of the

Negus at 8 p.m. in Yokum 205 April 26. The open discussion will be addressing the history behind the nword, as well who can use it and who can’t.

The fourth event is Boogie with BSU at 7 p.m. in the H.U.B. April 27. The event will be a collaboration with PSU Spicy Island Tings. Assistant Choreographer Tai’jah Neil will be creating a dance for attendees to perform.

The fifth and final event for C4 week is Freaknik at 3 p.m. in the Amitie Plaza April 28. The event is inspired by the annual spring break Freaknik event that occurs in Atlanta. It will have barbeque, free shirts and music from DJ Ciroc.

After going through the list of detailed events for C4 Week students were given plastic containers to put their cookie dough in and were encouraged to bake the cookies later.

Isabella Perez, who made a Twix and chocolate chip cookie, baked hers when she went home.

“My cookies were so good. I didn’t make it marijuana infused,” Perez said. “But I did eat them after for the munchies.”

PAGEANT

Continued from page 9

Entrepreneurship Business administration and international business major Deh chose Mauritania because of her family. Deh explained how she is grateful for Mauritania and all it has taught her, but acknowledged the ongoing crimes happening in Mauritania. She hoped to shed a light on the history of Mauritania.

“Mauritania was the last country in the entire world to abolish slavery in 1981. Less than half a decade ago slavery was still a thing and it was not criminalized until 2008. Unfortunately it is still practiced today and even the parts where it isn’t colorism plays a huge role in oppressing Black people,” Deh said. “Although my family is mixed, a large part has fought to bring equality to all Mauritanians regardless of their skin color. This has motivated me to choose a career path that will help bring my country and many others similar to it a more

stable and advanced place to call home.”

International business major Ngokana expressed why he wanted to represent Congo and gave a few facts about what the country is known for. He also physically showed how people from Congo are known for their waistlines by showing his, resulting in an eruption of gasps and cheers from the crowd.

Accounting major Martinez explained why she is representing Uganda despite being from Honduras.

“The reason that I chose this beautiful land is because I was intrigued by the similarities of my country and Uganda from the drumming to the dancing,” Martinez said.

Biomedical science major Assemba explained his connection to Gabon and how grateful he is to it for making him the man he is today. He explained how he lived in Gabon for more than half his life and how it made a powerful impact on him despite knowing that not many people know it exists.

Following their introductions, a game of musical chairs was played and what started out in good fun ended in a

small altercation between two students. Two female students fought over the last chair, as one fell to the floor still pulling the metal arm rest of the chair while the other student was standing and doing the same. This led to the arm rest hitting the student on the floor’s tooth and causing her to bleed. The student did end up winning the prize money after their opponent was disqualified for unsportsmanlike behavior.

After this, models walked the runway wearing clothes by Uzamere’s clothing line OmoobaFashions. The types of clothes ranged from elegant floor length dresses to traditional African wear.

“I’ve been doing this for over 10 years now and eight of those years, the beginning the foundation was actually started right here in SUNY Plattsburgh out of my dorm room. I used to cut fabric, measure clients, you know, take all that right on the campus,” Uzamere said. “Fun fact, every year for the past eight years my clothing has been on this stage. So I’m just thankful to be here once again and I’m thankful for African Unity.”

The talent portion followed

shortly after this with each contestant showcasing their own talents and representing their country of choice.

Deh who performed a mix of spoken word and dance dedicated to Mauritania representing strength and power in unity and words. The second performer was Ngokana doing a dance routine with two women as back up dancers, making sure to incorporate his waistline.

The third performer was Martinez doing a step routine with a few African style moves with two women as back up dancers.

The last performance was a spoken letter to Gabon by Assemba apologizing for leaving to further his education while also expressing immense gratitude for all Gabon did to provide for him. Evans D’Pulpit played the piano while Assemba performed his talent.

After each contestant had a chance to perform, members of the AU board performed a dance routine which impressed the crowd. It is rare for the eboard to perform instead of African Unity Dance.

Following their performance, each contestant came back to the stage to answer questions

about how they relate to their country and what they believe that their country could improve on. The contestants came out wearing traditional clothes from their country while a prerecorded audio played explaining what the colors of their clothes represented and acknowledging the different garments and jewelry.

After the Q and A portion, an intermission took place while the judges deliberated the results. This also allowed students to vote for the People’s Choice using a QR code.

President of African Unity Abieyuwa Uzamere brought the contestants back on stage and reminded everyone that they “are all winners” even if they don’t win Queen or King of Africa. Miss Congeniality was given to Martinez. The People’s Choice award went to Assemba. The Queen of Africa was Deh and the King of Africa was Nkogana. Abieyuwa Uzamere thanked everyone who came and showed their support due to the lack of people in attendance.

Email

KIYANNA NOEL/Cardinal Points

Judges and the DJ pose for group photo with the King and Queen of Africa and the African Unity e-board.

SYDNEY HAKES/Cardinal Points

KIYANNA NOEL/Cardinal Points Medex Assemba performs his spoken letter to Gabon.

CALENDAR April 23 - 29

ALL WEEK: Conscientious Collectors exhibition - Myers Fine Arts Building

Origins: The Evolution of an Artist and His Craft exhibition - Rockwell Kent Gallery, Feinberg

BFA Senior Art Exhibit- Myers Fine Arts Building

SUNDAY 4/23

Group Exercise:

- 30MinSpin with Kristina

- Traditional Yoga with Saanvi

- 15MinMeditation with Saanvi

Algonquin Hall

6 - 7:45 p.m.

All group exercise classes will be held in Algonquin Hall. Please bring water; clean and sanitize any equipment prior to and after use. Cleaner and sanitizer will be provided. Registration required for all group exercise classes. To register, visit: www.IMLeagues.com/plattsburgh.

MONDAY 4/24

Group Exercise events:

- Bootcamp with Connie

- HIIT/Core with Lauren

- 30MinSpin with Jasmine

- Hardbody with Grace

- Zumba with Kaylynn

Algonquin Hall

noon - 8:45 p.m.

All group exercise classes will be held in Algonquin Hall. Please bring water; clean and sanitize any equipment prior to and after use. Cleaner and sanitizer will be provided. Registration required for all group exercise classes. To register, visit: www.IMLeagues.com/plattsburgh.

TUESDAY 4/25

John McKenna’s Plattsburgh

98 Ohio Avenue, Plattsburgh

5 p.m.

The Clinton County Historical Association is hosting a series of pictures of Plattsburgh throughout history through the eyes of John McKenna. For more information email director@clintoncountyhistorical.com.

WEDNESDAY 4/26

Group Exercise events:

- Kickboxing with Jillian

- Yoga with Nicole

- 30MinSpin with Dimitra

- Hardbody with Connie

- Zumba with Kaylynn

Algonquin Hall

noon - 8:45 p.m.

All group exercise classes will be held in Algonquin Hall. Please bring water; clean and sanitize any equipment prior to and after use. Cleaner and sanitizer will be provided. Registration required for all group exercise classes. To register, visit: www.IMLeagues.com/plattsburgh.

Take Back The Night Vigil and Pizza Party

Hawkins Pond

6 - 7 p.m.

This is an annual event to spread awareness on sexual assault.

THURSDAY 4/27

Group Exercise events:

- Yoga with Shawna

Algonquin Hall

noon - 7:45 p.m.

All group exercise classes will be held in Algonquin Hall. Please bring water; clean and sanitize any equipment prior to and after use. Cleaner and sanitizer will be provided. Registration required for all group exercise classes. To register, visit: www.IMLeagues.com/plattsburgh.

Greek Week Talent Show

Warren Ballrooms

5 - 7 p.m.

A talent show for members 0f sororites and fraternites. For more information contact apass005@plattsburgh.edu.

FRIDAY 4/28

Neuro Pride Space

Relaford Room ground level Macomb

12:30 - 2 p.m.

Take a break from the neuro-typical world in a space made by neurodivergent students for neurodivergent students.

Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir Rehearsals

300 Myers Fine Arts Building

5 - 6 p.m.

Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir rehearsals for spring semester. Open to students, faculty, staff and the public. Opportunities to perform with the band and Praise Dance and Step Team as well. For more information email gospelchoir@plattsburgh.edu.

Live Jazz and Tapas DEI Employee Event

Burghy’s Den

4 - 6 p.m.

The DEI hosted event is free and open to employees of SUNY Plattsburgh, Clinton Community College, CVPH Medical Center and the MLK Commission. A RSVP is required to attend at 518-5645410 or diversity@plattsburgh.edu.

SATURDAY 4/29

Two Dedications

10 a.m. Riverside Cemetery, Mooers, NY 2p.m. Riverside Cemetery, Plattsburgh NY

The Daughters of the American revolution Saranac Chapter is hosting a plaque and flag holders cemetery at the gravesites of Revolutionary War patriots. The event is free and open to the public. For more information call 518-599-5855.

Champlain Valley Regional Science Fair

Warren Ballrooms

9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

SUNY Plattsburgh hosts fair for seventh through twelfth graders. For more information, contact Ed Romanowicz at romanoea@plattsburgh.edu.

More information can be found on the SUNY Plattburgh Calendar of Events. To have an event featured, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

BY KIYANNA NOEL Arts

Culture Editor

&

CAPRICORN

December 22 - January 19

The Balance card represents having an adaptable mindset. Create a safe medium between actions and reactions to keep yourself at peace.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

The Woman of Crystals card represents guarding your being against negativity. Continue to be observant and selfaware to avoid being used.

VIRGO

August 23 - September 22

The Woman of Cups card represents enjoying the beauty of life. Allow yourself to be happy without restraint.

AQUARIUS January 20 - February 18

The Two of Worlds card represents taking a break to observe. Take some time to rest and reflect on your situation.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

The Four of Wands card represents working hard to overcome obstacles to reach your goals. Break through barriers that keep you from your aspirations.

LIBRA

September 23 - October 22

The Woman of Worlds card represents being a provider and a nurturer for yourself and those around you. Continue to carry yourself with respect and understanding.

PISCES

February 19 - March 20

The Four of Crystals card represents using logic to create structure. Don’t form connections based on delusions.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

The Child of Crystals card represents exploring new ideas. Try to understand new and old perspectives.

SCORPIO

October 23 - November 21

The Hermit card represents being independent and secure within yourself. Continue to connect with the best version of yourself.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

The Four of Worlds card represents going forward and moving on. Use this time to explore new things about yourself and be cautious with your new freedom.

LEO

July 23 - August 22

The Fool-Child card represents taking risks and remembering consequences. Try to remember that you have to learn from experiences in order to grow.

SAGITTARIUS

November 22 - December 21

The Ten of Crystals card represents creating delusions or imagining scenarios that may create conflict. Allow your imagination to run, but never forget the reality of things.

Club International and Nepalese at Plattsburgh organized a celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, love and spring, in front of Kent Hall Sunday, April 16.

Splashing water helps activate the water-based dyes, originally in the form of powder, to give Holi its signature vibrance.

BELOW: Students throw and smear colored powder on one another in the warm, 70 degree sun.

Photos by Michael Hlopko