SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent student newspaper since 1997
FRIDAY, NOV. 6, 2020
CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM
VOLUME 103 - ISSUE 10
Quarantine buddies lend helping hand SUNY Plattsburgh faculty volunteer to connect with quarantined students BY DREW WEMPLE Staff Writer
AUDREY LAPINSKI/Cardinal Points Photo Illustration
Commencement moves online BY EMMA VALLELUNGA News Editor
The entire SUNY Plattsburgh class of 2020 will not have the opportunity to walk across a stage, reach for a diploma or turn over a tassel. Just like their May counterparts, seniors graduating this December have mixed feelings about their commencement moving online due to COVID-19. President Alexander Enyedi announced the decision Oct. 26 via email, explaining December’s graduation ceremony will become virtual and air live Dec.12 at 10 a.m. “The ongoing challenges associated with COVID-19 are simply too great. We waited as long as we could, but circumstances have dictated this outcome,” Enyedi
wrote. “This is a difficult decision as it was for our May graduates. I know how important this day is to all graduates and their families, as well as so many of you who have invested in their lives. As a first-generation college student, I especially recognize how important a milestone this is. We are looking at ways we can make this ceremony special to them and their families.” Although disappointed, most graduating seniors understood why the decision had to be made, as COVID-19 cases on campus and in Plattsburgh began to rise last month. Senior human development and family relations major Willa Whittmore said she was impartial to
the decision. “I’m really just over everything when it comes to the pandemic in itself,” Whittmore said. “I feel like it’s gone on so long that it was almost expected. I kind of saw it coming. I guess with all the restrictions that we would’ve had to have in place anyway, it’s probably just for the better.” Despite the pandemic, senior Ethan King was hoping things would’ve gotten better by the time graduation came around, but ultimately, the reality of an actual ceremony wasn’t in the cards. “It just didn’t happen for us, and things just didn’t get any better, so we have to unfortunately live with that,” King said. “To me, it’s not the biggest deal in the
world. I’ll still have the satisfaction of being a graduate and an alumni and getting my diploma, but it still kind of stinks that we weren’t able to have that full graduation experience that past classes had.” Although they understood why, some seniors like Milissa Dame expressed frustration with how the college expressed the decision and wished there could’ve been more of a discussion between the administration and the students about other options. Dame even considered starting a petition but said she didn’t want to seem ungrateful to the college for trying to do something special for graduating seniors. GRADUATE l A2
This semester, SUNY Plattsburgh faculty are helping students in more ways than usual. With COVID-19 cases on-campus, some have volunteered to assist students. They’re called quarantine buddies, and they’re advisers, directors of various departments and other campus coordinators who took the time to provide isolated or quarantined students a resource for important information and a friendly connection. “The planning of the quarantine buddies program started back in early April,” Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Special Programs Michele Carpentier said, “and we activated in late August once students returned.” The idea was for a faculty or staff member to form a relationship with quarantined students and give them someone to talk to, according to Carpentier. Some of the buddies opened up about why they volunteered to be a part of this program and what their experience has been like. “My job is already so student-oriented, plus I was missing interac-
tion after working from home,” quarantine buddy and Coordinator of Extended Time Testing for Student Accessibility Services Laura Cronk said. Cronk has had three buddies so far this semester since August. “My first buddy had come in two weeks early to quarantine,” Cronk said. “I maintained normal contact, reaching out through email and text. I’d ask them how’s it going [or] if they needed anything.” Cronk has taken on a different type of role compared to her first. “They’ll contact me and ask me to get stuff from the mail center,” Cronk said. “After I checked with Michele to make sure I could pick up packages, I’ll pick them up and drop them off at the front desk attendant.” Even though Cronk, like most of the buddies, hasn’t met her buddy in person, she still found a way to establish a personal connection with her latest buddy. Cronk will add handwritten notes to the packages she delivers that read, “You’re doing great!” or “Hang in there!” “I want to make everyone feel welcome and comforted,” Cronk said. BUDDY l A2
SA Students buy finalizes bus tickets for spring end of semester budget, fees BY ASHLEY ST. JOHN Staff Writer
BY ADEEB CHOWDHURY Staff Writer
The Student Association Senate meeting Oct. 29 saw significant revisions of the SA budget for the upcoming spring semester. Most of these adjustments stemmed from the need to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, in particular the decline in club activity and the strain on students’ personal finances. Newly SA treasurer Saugat Gautam presented the revised budget, projecting a spring expenditure of $402,864 — a drop from the fall expenditure of $426,564.
Many SUNY Plattsburgh students rely on the school-provided bus transportation each semester to travel home and back. Regular travel companies such as Greyhound and Amtrak are not providing transportation like usual due to COVID-19 concerns, but SUNY Plattsburgh will be providing a few charter buses to give students an option to get home if they need it. Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Special Programs Michele Carpentier sent out a notice in the Student Digest that any student who needs a ticket should reach out to her to get a count of how many people are interested. Carpentier said about
100 students are registered for the buses so far this semester. “We’ve had very little response from the Student Digest,” Carpentier said. “Even though we put it in there twice.” The busing system will be a bit different than past years. The $110 ticket for this semester that went on sale Oct. 30 is only a one-way ticket, rather than a round-trip one. “We’re really discouraging people to come back,” Carpentier said. “We urge them to go home and stay home [to prevent the spread of COVID-19].” Carpentier also said the buses will be making five stops on their way downstate; Penn Station with a stop in Newburgh, Junior’s Restaurant in Brooklyn, Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Walt
ZOE NGUYEN/Cardinal Points
Whitman Mall in Huntington and Roosevelt Fields Mall in Garden City. The buses that usually seat 56 people are now limited to 26 people each, so an extra bus is being added in anticipation the buses will fill quicker. Carpentier said they usually have four full buses, which would hold about 200 students, to
travel down to bring students home. While on the bus, students can take off their masks while seated, but if they choose to get up out of their seat, they must wear their mask. There are some mixed feelings in students with the idea of riding in a bus for such a long time. Senior Cole Charette used these charter buses as
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a way home and back to Plattsburgh during his first two years at SUNY Plattsburgh. “I think they’re doing a pretty good job planning out the safest ways to get kids home,” Charette said. “Some students don’t have the privilege of having their own car, so this is their best option.”
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NEWS
News Editor Emma Vallelunga
Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
GRADUATE Continued from page one
Oct. 18 Residence Life staff in Wilson Hall reported a loud party to University Police. Six students were referred to Student Conduct for violating housing regulations and possessing alcohol.
Oct. 28
Residence Life staff in Adirondack Hall reported alcohol violations to UP. Four students under the age of 21 were found in possession of alcohol and referred to Student Conduct.
Oct. 29 UP received a report of a party in Macdonough Hall. Five students were referred to Student Conduct for violating COVID-19 masking regulations and possessing alcohol.
Nov. 3 UP received a report of underage drinking in Wilson. Four students were referred to Student Conduct for violating housing regulations and possessing alcohol.
Weekly Cartoon
“I would never hate on the school or tell incoming people not to come to the school because of it,” Dame said. “It’s something I’ve accepted, but I just feel like they had a lot of time to come up with an alternative, and they didn’t. Obviously, I understand that there’s still a pandemic going on, so I don’t want to seem selfish, but I know a lot of people are upset. We put a lot of money and time into this school, and it seems kind of like just a virtual roll-call of sorts.” Other seniors thought holding an in-person ceremony wouldn’t be realistic. Senior public relations major with a journalism minor Dominique Lewis said if the May graduates and their families — who were also supposed to be honored during the December ceremony if it were held inperson — were planning to return to Plattsburgh, too many people in one place would cause a health and safety issue. Even holding a ceremony in May would not have been possible either with how the pandemic has continued. “I can understand why [May graduates] were upset, but then I also think we were and still are in a pandemic, and the way that numbers rose from when we left campus when we left last semester up until now, I don’t think it would’ve been a good
SAREEM JABBAR/Cardinal Poin
idea,” Lewis said. “Having thousands of people in the Field House would be really unsafe, and I feel like on the college’s part, it would be irresponsible to try and host commencement.” Some students knew they would still celebrate their graduation from SUNY Plattsburgh regardless of whether a ceremony was held in-person or not. Senior criminal justice major with a sociology minor Dominique Burke said he would attend the virtual ceremony and celebrate at home with his family and a few close friends as best as he can. “I’ll have my cap, and [even] if it’s going to be online, I’m going to sit there in my living room, or wherever I’m watching it, and when they call my name, I’m going to turn my tassel,” Burke said. “It won’t be a big celebration, but there will still be some recognition of me graduating and moving to another
chapter of my life.” Other seniors wondered whether attending the ceremony would be worth it. Senior history major Caroline Steinbuch moved out of her dorm room in Kent Hall and went home early because of the increase in cases. While she expects her parents will want her to attend, Steinbuch said she had mixed feelings about Zooming in when she still plans on celebrating her graduation in her own way. “I’m going to [attend] because I should, and I want to experience it, but I don’t think it’s that necessary,” Steinbuch said. “I think it’s going to be memorable because I graduated in COVID, and we had to do it over Zoom, and that’s crazy, but walking across the stage would definitely be nice.” More details about the ceremony will be shared later this month, according to Enyedi’s email. Facilitated by the Honors Center, the Office of the President
is currently looking for graduating seniors interested in preparing a speech for the ceremony. Although a virtual ceremony wasn’t what seniors had in mind when they imagined graduating from college, King said graduating at all during a pandemic was historic on its own. “It’ll be memorable but not for the right reasons,” King said. “It’s just a different experience. When we’re 15 or 20 years older, we’ll be able to tell our kids we had graduation over the internet. In the next couple years, if the virus disappears and it’s a thing of the past, the future generations are going to have no idea about that unless we tell them. I think this is a very historical moment — a very unfortunate historical moment.”
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Campus COVID-19 Tracker
Total number of cumulative COVID-19 cases within SUNY Plattsburgh community:
Number of recovered COVID-19 cases within the SUNY Plattsburgh community:
43 36
Number of COVID-19 cases in quarantine oncampus and within SUNY Plattsburgh community:
28
Number of COVID-19 cases in quarantine offcampus and within SUNY Plattsburgh community:
29
CP Corrections There are no errors to report. If you see an error in Cardinal Points, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
FERNANDO ALBA/Cardinal Points Photo Illustration
BUDDY Continued from page one The typical time frame for a quarantine buddy is 14 days, and they do have particular requirements they must fulfill. “We are required to have daily contact without adding unneeded stress,” Director of the Learning Center and two-time buddy Karin Killough said. Killough volunteered herself to be a part of this program for the main reason of wanting to support the campus community. “Neither individual has had any specific requests, but it’s good for them to know that someone is in their
corner,” Killough said. Quarantine buddy and Assistant Director for Student Involvement Jacob Avery didn’t originally volunteer himself but was referred to the list by Carpentier herself for a very particular reason. “I had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 29. I was one of the first cases in Clinton County,” Avery said. “For that Michele thought I would be a good person for the role. I’m being an advocate as well as a comforter.” Some buddies make a more personal connection with their assigned student than others. It is all about the quarantined student’s preferences. Sandra Layhee, coordinator of note taking services for Student Accessibil-
ity Services, was able to not only be a support system for both of her two buddies but also was able to build a connection with her first. “It started as me explaining who I was and my role and him asking me if he could walk around the fenced off outdoor area, designated for international students, to get fresh air,” Layhee said. “We wound up then being able to carry on conversations about sports since I have grandsons in sports. We were able to connect through that.”
Email DREW WEMPLE
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News Editor Emma Vallelunga
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NEWS
Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
Path to 270
SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD/via White House Photostream
President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One at Rochester International Airport in Rochester, Minnesota. Friday, Oct. 30 en route to Joint Base Andrews.
Joe Biden victory in sight 253
213 Former Vice President Joe Biden has positioned himself for a win in the 2020 presidential election with 253 electoral votes to President Donald Trump’s 213. Trump’s lead in Pennsylvania, which could de-
liver Biden the White House, has been narrowing since Tuesday. But Biden could also get to 270 electoral votes with wins in Nevada and Arizona, where he holds a lead as of Thursday night. Biden also
leads in Georgia where a Democrat hasn’t won in a presidentia race since Bil Clinton in 1992. Trump’s path to reelection requires a win in Pennsylvania
DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points
Spectators watch election updates and results on key states such as Arizona and Georgia in the Angell College Center Thursday.
Local results
Elise Stefanik holds onto House seat Representative Elise Stefanik won a fourth term in the House of Representatives over Democratic challenger Tedra Cobb Tuesday. Stefanik pulled more than $11 million dollars in donations for her fourth campaign in New York’s 21st congressional district, a benefit of her
rising star as a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, especially during his impeachment hearings. Despite being thought of as a tighter race potentially, Stefanik is poised to beat Cobb by a wider margin than their 2018 contest, where Stefanik won 56% of the vote.
FERNANDO ALBA/Cardinal Points
Elise Stefanik poses for photos with supporters during a rally Oct. 10 at the US Oval.
Too close to call in Plattsburgh mayor race
Scott Beebie leads Democratic opponent Chris Rosenquest by 290 votes.
Republican Scott Beebie leads Democrat Chris Rosenquest by 290 votes as of Thursday night. The race hangs in the balance as more than 2,500 absentee ballots, or about 30% of the votes, have yet to be counted. They are expected to be counted starting next week. Chris Rosenquest beat
current Mayor Colin Read in the Democratic primary in June. Rosenquest expects the absentee votes to favor him. “That’s why we’re hesitant to call or concede any election,” he told WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Chris Rosenquest beat current Mayor Colin Read in the Democratic primary over the summer.
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BUDGET Continued from page one Although SA spending for the spring semester is usually higher than the fall, the changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic rendered this year an exception. “We’ve seen club activities and campus events being decreased due to COVID,” Gautam explained. “That reduces SA spending by quite a lot.” Part of the budget cuts came from the newly approved Student Bill 19, which lowers the SA fee to $55 for the spring semester. The spring 2020 budget, which preceded the coronavirus outbreak, had a semester charge of $105, which was then reduced to $85 later in the year to address
student financial strains resulting from the pandemic. This fee was brought down on Thursday yet again and reduced the SA income by about $100,000, according to Treasurer Gautam. During the meeting, Adviser Cori Jackson recommended the SA make sure the student body understands the nature and reasoning behind this fee decrease and what it means for the future. She emphasized that students should be aware that services such as the shuttle and Learning Center will not be affected. In addition, students should not expect this decrease will be permanent, as it will likely be reinstated to the original amount once the situation improves. Earlier this semester, Student Bill 11 created the Ad-
TICKETS Continued from page one Even though Charette thinks the school is doing a good job with keeping students safe during these times, he also explained how the buses not having the same amount of people on them might create a bit of an issue.
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NEWS
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hoc Additional Allocations Committee, which reviewed requests by clubs to obtain additional funds. However, Thursday’s meeting saw the approval of Student Bill 20, which repealed Bill 11 and effectively dismantled the committee. “The Additional Allocation Committee’s roles will be taken over by the Finance Board,” Guatam said. “I’d like to assure all clubs and organizations that if they come up with any events for the spring semester and think they need more funds to get it done, then they can petition the Finance Board for additional allocations, and we will definitely consider their request.” The meeting also resolved the approval to recognize and acknowledge Transgender Day
of Remembrance every Nov. 20. This commemoration was started by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor her friend Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in 1998 in Allston, Massachusetts, and remember those of the transgender community who were lost to violence that year. The resolution outlines the SA’s commitment to “promoting, collaborating with and supporting events that spread awareness and recognition of the transgender community.” Executive Vice President Jennifer Stanton presented the Green Fee, an optional $3 fee that students have the ability to select each semester. This fee will be used for a grant to help make the campus more sustainable and environment-
Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
friendly, in a process overseen by the Campus Committee for Environmental Responsibility. Previous accomplishments made possible by the Green Fee include on-campus bike fixing stations, funding compost coalition workers, and supplies for the campus garden. Senators also approved Lucy Allen as a voting member of the Legislative Review Board, thereby officially rendering the board active. Stanton voiced gratitude and excitement at the approval, citing Allen’s enthusiasm and previous contributions.
Email ADEEB CHOWDHURY cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
“There’s a possibility that a large group of stu- a ride home. Whether it’s an extra bus or another dents aren’t going to have a way home because they form of transportation, they want to make sure sturely on the transportation provided by the school,” dents are able to get home in time for the holidays. Charette said, “Since people are also thinking about their own safety, they might not want to take the bus.” If bus tickets sell out, and a student is not able to Email ASHLEY ST. JOHN purchase one, Carpentier mentioned the school is cp@cardinalpointsonline.com encouraging students to let them know they need
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Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM
FRIDAY, NOV. 6, 2020
Graduates miss out on milestone SUNY Plattsburgh cancels in-person winter ceremony, disappoints alumni BY OLIVIA BOUSQUET Staff Writer
Four years of late night studying. Four years of tests, homework and essays. Four years of memories with lifelong friends. Four dedicated years gone by just to sit in front of a computer screen to see your name scroll through with countless others. Congratulations. You graduated. Unfortunately, you graduated during a pandemic. Hopeful May and December 2020 SUNY Plattsburgh graduates were waiting anxiously to walk across stage to receive their diplomas. Students who worked tirelessly to receive a diploma want a graduation to remember. However, masks and socially distancing are clearly not enough to give the recent graduates an in-person celebration. Back in May, the school did try their hardest to give the spring graduates a ceremony, while combating the new and unforeseeable changes COVID-19 would bring to everyone’s life. However, SUNY Plattsburgh promised the May graduates a chance to come back for winter graduation, giving them the chance to physically walk across the stage. Unfortunately, there will be no in-person graduation again. SUNY Plattsburgh President Alexander Enyedi sent out an email Oct. 26 announcing a new plan for graduation, less than two months before the Dec. 12 winter graduation. Enyedi stated the new plan will be a “virtual program that will air live at 10 a.m.” during the intended time for graduation, similar to the May plan. Further details will be released in November. The spike in COVID-19 cases is surely a correlation to the long waited de-
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cision from the college. On Nov. 1 there were 29 cases within the campus community, but that makes up the majority within Clinton County, which counts 34 active cases on the Clinton County Health Department’s website. Forty students and 10 employees are currently in mandatory or precautionary quarantine. “We already got a graduation. What was missing from that was the walking part, and it was expressed to us that you can come back in December and you are free to walk. To be honest, I didn’t think that was ever going to happen,” recently graduated SUNY Plattsburgh alumna Nyela Graham said. “I just thought that it was kind
of a really weak promise to make because no one had any idea of how this pandemic is going to go, and they should have just known that by December, things were probably not going to be that good.” Graham wasn’t planning on coming up to walk after the increase in positive COVID-19 cases and the terrible weather that surrounds the winter months. She already has her diploma and enjoyed the virtual ceremony, despite not having an inperson graduation. “It would feel odd to come back to Plattsburgh and walk after closing this door,” Graham said. However, she didn’t know about the change until she saw it on Twit-
ter, and then heard from a friend that the college emailed her old school account the updated graduation information. “Honestly, I find the email a slap in the face. I’m not gonna lie because it’s kinda worded like ‘Well, you’re never gonna get the chance to walk, good luck — also you’re a part of the Alumni Association now, so give us money,’” Graham said. The Alumni Association is known for asking SUNY Plattsburgh graduates for donations, which can be hard for anyone during the current economic climate due to COVID-19. College students rack up debt that will take them years of their life to pay off, and the college is
already asking for more money. But, Graham understands SUNY Plattsburgh’s reasoning during this time. “I think it’s really hard for colleges at the moment to navigate this because there is so much uncertainty. Obviously, they make money from students being in class and they’re losing money because of [COVID-19],” Graham said. “So. you do have to give colleges credit in the sense that they’re navigating this the same way we all are — going day by day, making plans and maybe it doesn’t happen. So in that sense, I have sympathy there.” With December graduation coming up, families planning on watch-
ing their loved ones walk across the stage are going to have to find refunds for booked hotel rooms. Thirty-six days from graduation and SUNY Plattsburgh has just decided an in-person graduation isn’t feasible. Hopefully, all the May and December graduates didn’t have their hopes too high. Every decision since March has been an uncertain and hasty one — students should have expected a similar decision to May’s graduation. The country has not gotten better at handling COVID-19, so the unfortunate reality of a virtual graduation was expected. But, not this late in the semester. For Emily Malone, a May 2020 SUNY Plattsburgh graduate, her family learned about the new graduation plan while scrolling through Facebook, which is an upsetting way to relive the disappointments from earlier in the year. There was no inkling to a cancelation, Malone said. Her family had hotel rooms booked and were expecting a visit to Plattsburgh to see Malone walk. “[An in-person graduation] puts the community at risk because there would be people traveling up to Plattsburgh with their families from places where COVID is a lot more prevalent, so I understand and respect that decision,” Malone said. “It’s just more about the president passing it to the side and not really trying to make a plan for next summer or something. We graduated; we all should still get the chance to walk.” COVID-19 has been an enigma since March. Our country did not seem to know how to keep positive cases low and still does not.
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Close contact in dining halls raises concern BY MATAEO SMITH Web Editor
The Center for Disease Control allows restaurant patrons to remove their masks upon seating to allow for eating. It seems like a legitimate way to reduce risk for COVID-19, but I’m not sure if it’s effective for every kind of restaurant. Clinton Dining hall is doing no wrong by continuing to allow students to dine within the building, but the lightly enforced social distancing rules create risks for the elderly staff despite screens separating students from them. Posters throughout Clinton remind visitors that a face covering is required. There’s no poster reminding visitors to stay six feet apart. The entrance of the dining hall becomes crowded when the dinner rush hits in the evening, and there isn’t a definitive capacity threshold in place. The entire dining hall could be a cesspool for the virus during the dinner times, considering students are still in close proximity to eachother. Especially within the drinks line. Since the reopening of campus, Chartwells, a food company working in conjunction with College Auxillary Services, has completely
closed the beverage line off to students. It’s safe to say almost everyone who enters the dining hall will want a drink with their food, so the line can sometimes grow to outrageous lengths, with barely any social distancing. Clinton has been sanitizing tables as students leave, but sometimes new students take their place before a worker has time to properly disinfect. Some workers at Clinton were relocated to the Kent Hall Cafe when it opened last month. The worker assigned to dining room cleaning duties could suffer the most from these flimsy rules that aren’t really enforced. From what I’ve seen, no worker or supervisor has broken up a crowd exceeding 10 students or turned one away because too many students occupy the premises. As long as the students wear masks, they are free to enjoy their meal. It’s not like Clinton hasn’t prepared for the arrival of students amid this pandemic, however. Every station has a glass shield installed, Chartwells stopped serving students buffet-style and required food, plates and utensils to be touched only by workers. A few brave souls don’t even ask a worker for a fork or ketchup and
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just reach under the shield for it. Workers are still not satisfied with Clinton’s precautions given the arrival of blue-card students. A student carrying a blue card has technically been somewhat exposed to COVID-19 but is still free to roam around campus. They are allowed to eat only at Clinton, which is required to be a take-out order. Workers with fam-
ilies are particularly concerned because the virus could follow them home. With the amount of cases growing each week, students have seemed to distance themselves from the dining hall since early October. The last few weeks have been incredibly slow at Clinton with very few herds of students entering compared to the first
week. Clinton should take the regulations more seriously in terms of enforcing CDC guidelines. At the very least, an occupancy capacity should be put into place despite the acute decrease in student meal swipes. Email MATAEO SMITH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
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CARDINAL VOICE
Opinions Editor Jess Johnson
Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
U.S. relies too heavily on fossil fuels BY JESSICA JOHNSON Opinions Editor
It has been an obvious issue within the United States that we have been in a state of climate turmoil, and the Trump Administration has consistently made this worse by rolling back on environmental legislation, and even threatening to pull out of the Paris Agreement in 2017, essentially making the U.S. an embarrassment compared to other countries — once again. His actions were finalized Nov. 4, along with an existential feeling of suffocating doom. In December 2015, The Paris Agreement was formed in a need to address the global response to the threat of climate change, and set a goal to keep a global temperature rise this century well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Additionally, “the agreement aims to increase the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change, builds upon the Convention and – for the first time – brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so,” the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s website states. The group also wishes to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future; however, with the Trump Administration involvement within rolling back 72 regulations, as well as 27 of the 99 of them being in current progress; the future looks bleak and frankly — unhealthily scary. Even though there was an agreement signed by Barack Obama during his 2012 term, the treaty only came into force Nov. 4, 2016. No country could give notice to leave the agreement until three years after that ratification; therefore, Nov. 4, 2019 was the earliest possible day under the United Nations rules that a country could begin the withdrawal process. After Trump’s announcement in 2017 that the U.S. would be leaving the agreement, businesses and states have begun to pledge on cutting back on carbon on a local level, considering no one is doing anything to combat climate change on a federal one. As the concentration of carbon dioxide and other green-
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house gases increase in the atmosphere, so does the amount of heat they trap, causing an influx in global temperatures, which can cause the balance of ecosystems to be thrown off as well as glacial melting (the Arctic), an increase in ocean temperatures, drought, wildfires and more. The second warmest year on record was 2019, and it closed out the hottest recorded decade, according to The New York Times. Why does it matter? Well the problem is, Trump isn’t listening. Regardless of who wins the 2020 presidential election, what Trump has done will have a huge effect within the coming years — as it already has.
Apparently, U.S. energyrelated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decreased in 2019 by 2.8%, or 150 million metric tons when compared with 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. However, that isn’t much of a decrease. If Trump stopped focusing so much on economic prosperity for the higher class and mass incarceration of minorities, and delegated more federal funding toward implementing environmental policy, he could even save the country thousands in trying to fix environmental degradation by implementing renewable sources such as wind power or solar
power now. It’s better to save our environment now than wait until the effects of human nonrenewable energy consumption are irreversible. Some countries however, have the right idea. On October 26, Japan leaders announced the country’s plans on being carbon neutral by 2050, as the prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, claims achieving the goal “will be good not only for the world, but also for Japan’s economy and global standing.” The country, highly dependent on carbon-dioxide producing fossil fuels and is also in the top 10 world emitters, plans to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050, and now joins the world’s largest polluter, China, in combat-
ing the rapid deterioration of our ecosystems. As Japan has felt the consequences of climate change such as deadly heat waves and typhoons last year, Japan is also considering an increase in wind and solar power — something maybe Trump should have take a lesson from previously, if he does not serve another term. Japan, by itself, will not be enough to stop or slow global warming. It needs to be a joint effort and that includes the U.S. “The Trump Administration has done everything they can to deny the science and degenerate scientists,” former head of the Environmental Protection agency Gina McCarthy said in an interview with BBC News. “They have really done everything humanly possible to try to convince people that what they see and feel and taste just isn’t happening in front of them.” Trump believes global warming is a hoax, and giving federal funding and time toward fighting global warming is “job killing” and “would punish the American people while enriching foreign polluters.” Progress on reducing any emissions 28% below 2005 levels by 2025 has now halted, and unless Joe Biden is elected in the current Presidential race; we won’t be getting back into the program anytime soon. Trump has made this country into an absolute embarrassment, as of the 195 countries that signed the Paris Agreement, 189 went on to formally adopt the accord. In 2018, we were the second largest emitter of carbon emissions; therefore, we need to adopt it. “The world needs U.S. leadership and innovation on the climate stage,” founder and executive director of the Environmental Voter Project Nathaniel Stinnett, said in an interview to Newsweek. If Biden is elected, he has pledged that he will recommit the U.S. to the Paris Agreement on Inauguration Day Jan. 20, sending a letter to the United Nations notifying them of America rejoining, and would take only a month. Biden also announced a $2 trillion dollar plan for clean energy and environmental justice, as well as creating jobs by utilizing manufacturing resources for renewable energy. In this sense, he has shown he is a better leading presence than Trump. “The decision to leave the Paris Agreement was wrong when it was announced and it is still wrong today,” Helen Mountford, a World Resources Institute representative, said to BBC News.
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‘Borat 2’ documents difficult reality of American politics BY CAMERON KAERCHER Staff Writer
When the mockumentary ”Borat,” starring Sacha Baron Cohen, released in 2006, it set the world on fire. It appeared on many film critic’s lists of best movies of the year, and Michael Hirschorn of The Atlantic said it “may be the funniest film in a decade.” When it came to awards season, it was even nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. For those who may not know who Borat is, he is a fake journalist, played by Baron Cohen, who comes to America from Kazakhstan to learn about our culture. The 2006 film itself was framed as a documentary, made up of Baron Cohen interacting with real, unscripted people. An example of this is when his character goes to a patriotic rodeo and speaks to the crowd before the event begins, providing his tongue in cheek support for the “war of terror.” In “Borat Subsequent MoviefHANNAH DOWNS/Cardinal Points ilm,” the titular character returns to
America in hopes of bettering the relations between our country and his own. This time he is accompanied by his daughter Tutar, played by Maria Bakalova, who he hopes to hand over to someone close to the White House. This plot line sets up the idea of glorifying and idolizing the Trump family, as Tutar aspires to be just like Melania — someone else’s wife, rather than living for herself. Tutar’s character arc of realizing that there is more to life than following stereotypes is the paper-thin plot that allows the film to exist. The real engine of “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” is the undercover pranks and stunts. One scene shows a moment when Baron Cohen broke into last February’s Conservative Political Action Conference, while wearing a Klu Klux Klan robe and headpiece. After a quick Superman-like costume change in the bathrooms, he comes out looking like Donald Trump. The most viral situations surrounding the film involves former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, in a compromising position with Bakalova.
For the film, Bakalova poses as a right-leaning journalist to interview Giuliani. After the interview is done, they move to a private room where hidden cameras are installed for the production. Bakalova takes his microphone off, and as he goes to readjust his shirt, his hand stays inside of his pants. While it is impossible to say definitively whether any gross misconduct would have transpired, as Baron Cohen comes in to interrupt the two of them, the moment is hard to forget and it does not look nice. Since the scene surfaced online, Guiliani tweeted Oct. 21 in response that “The Borat video is a complete fabrication. I was tucking in my shirt after taking off the recording equipment.” To which Baron Cohen responded on Oct. 23 on Good Morning America, “...if he sees that as appropriate, then heaven knows what he’s intended to do with other women in hotel rooms with a glass of whiskey in his hand.” So, what is the point?
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Opinions Editor Jess Johnson
Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
Editorial
We need to unite in U.S., not divide The build up of this election has truly been the most tiring process of 2020. From outrageous behavior during a presidential debate to the confirmation of a far-right Supreme Court justice promising to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Despite enduring one of the most emotionally draining elections to date, it’s been great to see new voters jump into politics and exercise their constitutional right. Hopefully, the voter turnout for the 2024 election is the same. It’s important to acknowledge, however, the outcome may not be what we hope for, but it’s OK. It’s important we stay as united as we were on election day voting Donald Trump out of the Oval Office. Human rights are at stake here. Some are watching this election without a care in the world while others can’t sleep without the outcome being announced. If we are successful in electing Biden into the White House, there’s a lot of SAREEM JABBAR/Cardinal Points work to be done while we sit out the rest of the pandemic. Not to on if he doesn’t take back the country once we stick together to into 2020 and there’s no chance last few months. The end doesn’t mention Trump will still have his White House. The voter turnout is block out the hate and misinfor- this unfortunate year will break seem to be near just yet, as long as die-hard constituents to fall back proof of how powerful we are as a mation. We’ve all made it this far the solidarity built during these we continue to make change.
VIRTUAL Continued from page six Despite New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s best attempts to keep New Yorkers safe, a graduation would cause an influx of cases in Clinton County, which hasn’t been severely affected. Spring graduations are typically larger than winter ones, so adding more people from both events into a closed room would not work. But, it’s unfortunate the college is not attempting to find a future time for the 2020 graduates to walk at all. Last semester, students were kicked off campus unexpectedly in March before the start of spring break. Seniors were cut off from an exciting last semester. There would be no final parties, final friend hang outs and no typical graduation. “I didn’t get to say goodbye to anybody. It was just ‘all right we’re closing,’ and half of my friends went home, and I’m probably never going to see them again. It’s disappointing that now, when we all thought that we were going to be able to graduate in December, [SUNY Plattsburgh] wasn’t taking the right precautions to make sure that was going to be doable,” Malone said. “I understand why they had to cancel graduation, but the fact that they’re just going to move it to virtual and hope for the best for the next round of students is s—y.” Many students are first-generation graduates and are missing out on a monumental event. While the safety of the community comes first, SUNY Plattsburgh should have more time allotted to prepare for another virtual graduation. After promising a walk to the May 2020 graduates, they will need to make this one more special. Liam Mullings, a SUNY Plattsburgh May 2020 graduate, is an international first-generation college graduate, which is an important accomplishment for him and his family. Now living back home in London, Mullings will not get to the
FUTURE Continued from page seven Everything Trump has done to combat improving environmental sustainability has negatively affected the lives of many for years to come. He continuously places climate-change skeptics in high profile positions such as the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and refuses to push any climate legislation. Another four years of Trump would lock in the use of fossil fuels for decades to come. Oil and gas production
chance to celebrate graduating with friends and family. He intended on coming back to Plattsburgh in December, but he expected the college to cancel the in-person graduation after SUNY Plattsburgh announced its cancelation of spring break for spring 2021. “I feel like that would have been an appropriate time to address it rather than just ignore it until November,” Mullings said. His mom was more upset about the cancelation than him, as his family was going to turn graduation into a vacation in the U.S. “It was quite abrupt,” Mullings said about everyone unexpectedly leaving campus last semester due to the pandemic. “Seeing my friends was one of the things I was looking forward to at graduation as well. It was an excuse to go back and see everyone ‘cause I didn’t really get to say goodbye. It was spring break at the time, so a lot of people didn’t even come back after that. So it was just like, ‘well that’s it then.’” For international students, like Mullings, graduation was the last opportunity to say goodbye to their friends and close an important part of their life. Mullings only chance to have a graduation ceremony is now. He has completed the schooling he needs, but Mullings doesn’t feel like he’s accomplished it yet. First-generation graduates need to be given an opportunity to celebrate a massive accomplishment, even if it’s after the pandemic calms down. Students work hard to earn their degrees. They should be given more than a virtual ceremony to watch their name slide by on a black screen. Graduates are not another name to check off in the alumni book to hand over money. They deserve better.
Email OLIVIA BOUSQUET cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
would only secure its infrastructure in the American economy again, as Trump believes this is more beneficial. “Trump is convinced that climate change is a culture war issue that ignites the resentment of his far right base,” adviser to the Democrat think tank, Progressive Policy Institute, Paul Bledsoe said. This should not be a partisan issue, siding with the right or left side; this is an issue that affects everyone globally, and we must unite as a country to protest and fight it together, not divide. This is not an attack against him personally — of liberals and Democrats trying to undermine his authority as
CORRUPT Continued from page seven “Borat” (2006) served as a satire on the ultra-nationalism that rose under the presidency of George W. Bush. But can satire function in these times? In the era of a political, post-truth America and “fake news,” it does not matter what crazy scenarios are filmed because anything can be written off as fake or altered. The pranks and unscripted moments ring hollow because the American public no longer trusts what we see on television or in a movie. Baron Cohen and Bakalova are fearless as performers who do genuinely shocking things that shouldn’t be disclosed in a newspaper article. In an op-ed piece for Time Magazine, Baron Cohen even admits that he had to wear a bulletproof vest while attending a gun-rights rally because he feared for his life.
the country’s leader, or even undermine his personal beliefs. This is proven science, and if we don’t do something now, Gen Z and generations after will not have a future. As toxic as Trump is, the fumes we’ll be breathing in and sweltering heat we will experience in the coming years, will be even more toxic to our bodies. As Moutford says, “Simply put, the U.S. should stay with the other 189 parties to the agreement, not go out alone.” Email JESSICA JOHNSON cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
However, the film’s main goal seems to be muddled. In a time where each political side of the spectrum is so entrenched in their beliefs, will a man speaking in a silly voice and talking about his “charm” really sway anyone to vote for a different candidate? How would going to an ultra-conservative southern hospital and telling the doctor that Borat had impregnated his daughter change anything? The awkward interactions between the doctor and characters are chuckle worthy, but there is no sense of confrontation. The clear and strong argument that men do not have the right to tell women what they can or cannot do with their bodies is never brought up. They say that film is a mirror to reality with a filter over it. “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” is able to reflect reality, but reality might be too distasteful to be reflected on for a comedy.
Email CAMERON KAERCHER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Fernando Alba
Managing Editor Jess Johnson
Opinions Editor Jess Johnson
News Editor Emma Vallelunga
Graphics Editor Nghi To
FUSE Editor Alana Penny
Multimedia Editor Sareem Jabbar
Photo Editor Audrey Lapinski
Web Editor Mataeo Smith Faculty Adviser Shawn Murphy Advertising: Maureen Provost Peter Taylor Luka Tsiklauri
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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FUSE Editor Alana Penny
Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
Photo provided by Kyleigh DeCanio
Kiersten Decanio studies criminal justice at the Queensbury branch. She hopes to use her degree to get a government job like the FBI, CIA or U.S. Marshal.
Decanio juggles leadership positions, studies BY NATALIE ST. DENIS Staff Writer
Kiersten Decanio is a senior at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Queensbury branch, located on the SUNY Adirondack campus. She graduated high school from Lake George High School. After attending a college in New Jersey for a semester, she realized it wasn’t the right fit. Decanio then decided to attend SUNY Adirondack and got her associate’s degree in criminal justice. She began to further her education at the Plattsburgh branch in Queensbury because of how close it was to home. Decanio describes her freshman self as “a lost little puppy.” She said she had no idea what she was going to do with herself in the workforce. But once she began taking criminal justice classes, she knew that was what she wanted to pursue. Rachel Seeber, a professor of Decanio’s, had her in five of her classes. Seeber said Decanio told her that her
courses have allowed her to see criminal justice through a new lens. Many students think criminal justice entails being a law enforcement officer or attorney, but Decanio, like others, realized there are many more opportunities available. Decanio started getting heavily involved in extracurriculars her third semester. She has been a representative on the College Activity Board for two years and is also its vice president. She is a board member of the Faculty Student Association for SUNY Adirondack and the chair of the Community Involvement Committee. Additionally, Decanio is a student ambassador for the admission office on-campus. She has held two separate positions in the student senate at SUNY Adirondack. Decanio’s academic adviser, Emma Bartscherer, first met her as the lead adviser overseeing the Plattsburgh Activities Committee. PAC is governed by the SUNY Adirondack senate. Bartscherer observed Decanio mentor a new student filling a vacancy in a
position for PAC. “Kiersten is a joy to work with,” Bartscherer said. “She’s down to earth, passionate about serving the campus community. She’s a student leader, and I would say a gogetter.” Seeber said Decanio motivates others to get involved, and you don’t always see that level of commitment and care from students. “She definitely has gone above and beyond to represent not only her school but her community,” Seeber said. Decanio has benefited from networking opportunities through the different positions she’s held. She has met many students, faculty, administrators on-campus, legislatures and law enforcement off campus. Decanio has met many friends through her involvements, which feeds her extroverted personality. Her hard work in her leadership positions has paid off. Decanio earned the Campus Impact Award this past academic year. Additionally, she earned the Senator of the Year Award.
Decanio’s involvement goes beyond the campus community. She organized a fundraiser event called Festival of Hope for Tri-County United Way. Tri-County United Way is a non-profit organization that works with agencies and charitable organizations to fundraise and provide support. The event started with a car show featuring about 40 cars that participants paid to bring. Later there were arcade games, prizes and bounce houses. More than $2,400 was raised for Tri-County United Way. The organization then distributes the money to smaller organizations in the community. SUNY’s Got Your Back is a volunteer program Decanio also participated in. Volunteers pack bags of toiletries and hygiene items to donate to local domestic violence survivors. Bartscherer mentioned she has discussed with Decanio the delicate juggling act required to be a successful student leader and academic student, but she has seen her exercise time management to
achieve that balance. “A general challenge that many students face when they’re actively involved in multiple leadership roles is that life gets busy as a college student,” Bartscherer said. Decanio applied for a selective internship for the summer. She hopes to use her degree in a government job like the FBI, CIA, or U.S. Marshal. “I know that it’s not going to be easy to get there, but I’m willing to put the effort forward and the work forward because I know that it’s going to be worth it,” Decanio said. Seeber sees her determination and has no doubts about her success in the future. “She will be not only an excellent alumni from our Plattsburgh Queensbury Program, but I think more importantly just an incredible human being who cares about those individuals that she’ll be working with and for,” Seeber said.
Email NATALIE ST. DENIS
cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
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FUSE Editor Alana Penny
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Student Art Spotlight
Bella Friedman Senior digital media
major with a minor in graphic design “I am a senior digital media major with a minor in graphic design. I started off by studying fashion merchandising at Marist College, where I was introduced to the graphics field through digital fashion design.”
“I fell in love with graphic design and media and decided to transfer to SUNY Plattsburgh to pursue a major and minor in that field instead of fashion. I’ve been granted so many fun opportunities within this field, such as interning with Cudos Music and crafting all of their artwork for their upcoming Ep Perspectives. “Take it Slow” is currently out now on Spotify, and it is just so cool seeing your artwork on such a large platform where literally anyone can see it.”
“I also created their EP cover art, which I designed to encompass aspects of each cover art for each individual song. That was probably the most complex yet rewarding piece I have done thus far. Additionally, I have included some of my favorite pieces I have made for Cardinal Points this semester. I feel as though the showcase my developing design style accurately.”
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FILM Continued from page twelve Kelsey Harland is an intern for Title IX and a senior in the social work program. She said that even though she works in the department, she wanted to go to the event because she is a violence prevention peer educator, and the topic of discussion at the event is important to her. Elizabeth Mautz, a junior double majoring in psychology and adolescence education said she attended the showing because of her sorority, Theta Alpha Lambda, whose philanthropy is Clinton County’s Stop Domestic Violence, a program that assists victims of domestic violence. Nadler said this particular movie was shown because of how relevant it is to today. Also, because of domestic violence awareness month, it is important to have conversations about all forms of violence. This includes sexual violence and the forms of bullying the girls in the documentary experienced. “A lot of our students, and people in general use and rely on social media for communication and sometimes use it in a negative way. So, we wanted to make sure we were having a conversation about social media’s impact,” Nadler said. Recognizing cyberbullying and sexual assault was another focus for showing the documentary, Harland said. She said sexual assault is a subcategory of domestic violence, and these topics aren’t discussed by younger generations. Audrie commits suicide when the charges are dropped against her assailant. Daisy also committed suicide last August. “We wanted to make sure that we talked about the impacts and effects, long term effects, that any form of violence can have on a person,” Nadler said. Mautz said the documentary helped her understand why SUNY Plattsburgh has an office like Title IX. She said the documentary helped her put what Title IX stands for into a real world perspective and be able to help apply it in her life. Janhvi Bhingardive, a freshman, majoring in psychology said she was attracted to the event because it was
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a movie screening, and she wanted to be a part of the discussion on the topic. She said these conversations can be very controversial, and many people experience victim blaming and wanted to learn more about it. Mautz said she enjoyed the event and the documentary, even though it was difficult to watch at certain points. She said her experience was good, and although it evoked some negative emotions, it taught her valuable lessons. Two students, plus Harland, attended the screening. Nadler said the turnout was expected. “The conversation was still really great, and that’s why it is important to still maintain these events even if it isn’t a large turnout,” Nadler said. Bhingardive said it was a great experience and liked how she had the ability to speak her mind after the documentary was over and felt it was a safe space. She also said in the discussion they talked about how badly these types of experiences can affect the victims, and their families as well. However, she said she would have liked to have more student participants to hear their differing opinions and felt the discussion was limited because of it. Nadler said the conversation after the showing consisted of what they could do differently in a situation like that, aspects of the movie and points that could be upsetting and troubling to get through. Harland said the conversation was also a check in to see how the participants were feeling. Nadler asked questions like if the internet made the situation worse for the girls in the documentary. Harland said it did because it got more people involved than was necessary. Mautz said in the conversation following the documentary, she had the opportunity to say how she was feeling and talk about the process for charging someone for violence is not as easy as it seems. “It was really good just to be validated in the emotions I had, and to feel that I was not alone,” Mautz said. Nadler explained that Netflix allows for movies and documentaries to be shown for educational purposes, and there are certain movies that have flexibilities for copyrights. Mautz said even though the event was through Zoom, the important messages still came across. Bhingardive said it was good to have this event through Zoom because of the serious topic of discussion.
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Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
She said people could have the video of their faces on or off and had the choice to speak or not. Nadler said she recommends students who did not come to the event to watch the documentary. She said being able to understand the challenges someone is put through if they experience violence is very important. “I think it’s very relatable,” Nadler said. “It’s real, it’s real lives, real stories being told, and if an individual themselves has not experienced some form of violence in their life, statistically they know someone who has. So, knowing the different struggles someone has went through can help people in order to build empathy.” Bhingardive said she thought the documentary was well done and also feels students that did not participate should watch it. “I would recommend people to watch it not because I want people to see how these girls suffered, but it is more that I want people to see that harm is not just caused by some random stranger. It may be a friend of yours, an acquaintance who you see regularly at school, or even someone you see at family gatherings,” Bhingardive said. Nadler said that a similar event to this would be held in April because it is sexual assault awareness month, as well as many other events and initiatives. Their biggest event months are October and April. “This was the first event I attended, but I would like to attend more events from Title IX,” Bhingardive said. “It is a problem more people face than we’d like to admit,” Mautz said. “I feel they are trying to bring these dark topics out of the shadows to kind of make them not more acceptable, but able to be talked about more freely.” “These kinds of events, initiatives and film screenings help us to navigate conversations, help us to continue conversations, and we want to make sure people know violence prevention is ongoing. It is not something you learn once, and you’re good to go,” Nadler said.
Email NiICKIE HAYES cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Burke Gallery reopens, shows BFA work
ISIAH REED/Cardinal Points
The Burke Gallery, which has been closed due to COVID-19 precautions, reopened Oct. 27. It is only open to students, faculty and staff and has a limited capacity. It currently has the class of 2020 bachelor of fine arts exhibit on display.
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Domestic Violence Awareness Month concluded with film screening BY NICKIE HAYES
The Title IX office at SUNY Plattsburgh held events all October., recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To end the month, Title IX showed the documentary “Audrie & Daisy,” as an event for students to learn more about what encompasses violence. Zyaijah Nadler, the violence prevention education and outreach coordinator for Title IX, organized the documentary showing. They watched the film on Netflix through Zoom. “Audrie & Daisy” was chosen because of the circumstances the girls in the film were in at the time. At that point they were young girls in high school who were sexually assaulted. They were then harshly bullied through social media, with pictures taken of them during the assault. The documentary also shows other young women who had their own stories to tell about sexual assault and bullying. FILM l A11
Nghi To/Cardinal Points