Issue 4

SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent student newspaper since 1997

VOLUME 105 - ISSUE 4

FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021

CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM

University rep. approved

BY KATIE KALLAMNI Staff Writer

In the Student Association Senate meeting Sept.

27, Michael Casey, University Representative candidate, joined via Zoom to speak on his behalf to get approved for the spot as University College Representative of SUNY Student Assembly.

Casey is a junior at the SUNY Plattsburgh branch in Queensbury. Casey plans to “move SA forward by giving resources to campuses.” After the discussion, Casey was asked to return on Zoom for the senate Student Association meeting held on Wednesday, Sept.

29. Casey spoke passionately about his efforts with “encouraging students to be involved, specifically through social media.”

While Casey is stationed at the Queensbury branch campus, he made it clear that he will, when needed, be at the main campus and as available as possible. When Casey spoke again Wednesday, he answered all questions and concerns raised by the Student Association Board. Senators voted on his approval and with the majority, and he was elected as University College Representative.

ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points

Freshman social work major Bryn Fawn decorating a heart at a tent for the 6th annual pride event in downtown Plattsburgh.

Platts hosts annual pride event

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA Contributor

The Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance (ANCGA) hosted its sixth annual LGBTQI+ Pride event Saturday, Oct. 2 at Trinity Park. The event featured live music, tents set up by the event sponsors, raffles and a drag show.

The event opened with a performance by local band, Magnificent Desolation. It was followed by speeches from Kelly Metzgar, cofounder of ANCGA and host of the event, SUNY Plattsburgh Senior Kathleen Watt, Plattsburgh City Mayor Christopher Rosenquest and New York State employees Owen Gilbo and Ron Zacchi.

The speeches addressed the cancellation of the highly anticipated Pride March from the Kehoe parking lot, on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus, to Trinity ELECT l A2 Park. City Council and ANCGA

were unable to reach a favorable agreement on the use of the city streets, despite both mayoral candidates pledging to ensure ANCGA could host the march, a year prior.

“Next year, we will continue to support [the work ANGCA does],” Rosenquest said in his speech.

“But I also want to remind you that as much as we can celebrate, Pride is protest.”

Some visitors were unhappy with this response.

“Give us the streets!” a protester called out.

Metzgar also addressed the backlash the City Council and Rosenquest faced for the decision.

“What happened was unfortunate — yes, it was,” Metzgar said in a speech. “We have to do some things a little better next year — yes, we do, — but I fully support [the Mayor] and the work he did on our behalf.”

The issue was addressed indepth in a post made on ANCGA’s Facebook page Oct. 1, the day before the event. In the post, ANCGA wrote that it would have cost the organization $4,000 paid to City Council to close the city roads and have eight police officers supervise the route. Because the organization had no such funding available, it made the decision to cancel the march, and instead limit the event to its traditional festival portion.

“ANCGA will not go back to using the sidewalks,” the post read. “This is an absolute embarrassment for the City of Plattsburgh & ANCGA!” Other speakers, like Gilbo, shared their stories of coming out, struggle and acceptance.

“I’m 57 now, and I’m proud of that, because I didn’t think I would get to be 57, and I certainly didn’t think that I’d be a man

at 57 with a really cool goatee,” Gilbo said in his speech. “I think it’s important for us to be visible though, because all the trans boys out there need to know we’re here, and you can get to be old, too.”

In her speech, Watt shared the story of her 14-year-old brother Kyle, who, a year ago, still wore bikinis to the beach. She emphasized the importance of respecting gender identities and supporting LGBTQIA+ youth.

“It’s not our job to fully understand, because some may never will, but we have to respect it,” she said. “It’s not our job to fully understand, because some may never will, but we have to respect it,” she said. “And I will do everything in my power to make my brother feel as happy and comfortable in this life as I can. So no, mom, this is not a phase, this is who they are.”

PRIDE l A5

Vaccination rates continue to rise

BY MIA MORGILLO Associate News Editor

This academic year, students were required to be vaccinated to return to school. However, exemptions were taken into consideration for those who would be fully remote and for health or religious purposes. Although uncommon, with a student vaccination rate of about 96%, unvaccinated students have been approved for the semester.

Evaluated by Student Support Services, not every request is approved.

“If you are on campus and you’ve been given an exception, it is mandatory that you attend weekly testing,” said President Alexander Enyedi.

Unlike last year, this year only those who are unvaccinated require regular testing.

For those who are vaccinated, but have been in contact with someone who is positive, it is no longer necessary to quarantine. However, students must get tested if they notice symptoms.

Last year, a vaccine for COVID-19 was something hoped and wished for by many students on campus. Cases dipped and spiked throughout last fall semester, with over 85 students testing positive over a two week period at one point.

Now, over a month into the semester, positivity rates have stayed significantly

facebook.com/ cardinalpts

lower in comparison to last year’s trends.

While being vaccinated does provide greater protection from the virus, it does not give complete immunity.

COVID-19 policies have been created by a team of campus staff and faculty.

This includes the vice presidents of academic affairs and student and enrollment success, as well as the academic deans, Dr. Kathleen Camelo, Chief Patrick Rascoe, and the emergency health and safety group.

Vaccinated or not, the health center is available for testing.

“If you come to the Health Center for any type of illness, COVID-19 is ruled out first, even if you think you just have an ear infection,” Health Center nurse Monica Lattrell said.

However, if a student is nonsymptomatic, they cannot take a rapid test. Fortunately, there are many available options for testing in Plattsburgh outside of the Health Center. For free tests, students can go to Clinton County Health Department, Kinney Drugs and Walgreens, but Champlain Family Health will bill your insurance or expenses out of pocket.

One student, senior nursing major Darcy Doelger, did not have an easy time obtaining her COVID-19 test.

OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points

SUNY Plattsburgh senior Rebecca Block proudly shows her COVID-19 vaccination VACCINE l A2 status on her phone case.

@cardinalpointsnews

@CardPointsNews

@CardinalPoints

A2 ▪

▪

NEWS

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

CEES dept. chilling with chili

BY MATTHEW WENDLER Contributor

Sept. 26 A resident life staff reported a sign placed on a door room door without permission in Moffitt Hall. The investigation is closed.

Oct. 2 A caller reported to University Police of missing laundry in Harrington Hall. The investigation is still pending.

Oct. 3 The pull box on the second floor of Moffitt Hall was tampered with, resulting in a false fire alarm.

The investigation is pending.

Weekly Meme

On Oct. 1, Dr. Ed Romanowicz, the director of the Center for Earth and Environmental Science department as well as an associate professor of geology, organized an event with the department in which professors presented free chilli, apple cider, corn bread and other treats to students.

“It’s an opportunity to get our students together and meet the faculty outside the classroom setting and to get to know the faculty personally,” Romanowicz said.

The event took place next to Hawkins Pond on Friday at 4:30 p.m. A table was set up with a variety of choices of things to eat, including many different types of chilli. Some of the chilli contained meat while others were vegan. Students loaded their plates or bowls with the food of their desire.

They mingled around and engaged in conversations with each other or the faculty members present. Romanowicz provided some insight on why chilli was chosen to be served as the main dish for the event.

“Chilli is very easy to make for different diets,”

JOEL GARCIA/Cardinal Points

Students and faculty gather around Hawkins Pond for chili and chatting.

Romanowicz said. “You have chilli with meat. You have vegan chilli. You have vegetarian chilli. You have gluten-free chilli. So, it’s very easy to accommodate different diet restrictions.”

This event acted as a replacement for an annual trip from previous years in which freshman students were taken to Twin Valley. With this trip, students would have stayed overnight in the area. They would have hiked, eaten dinner and had a morning breakfast before they re-

turned. Due to their fears regarding COVID-19, the department decided not to go through with the trip this year and instead came up with a new idea.

“We thought this was a good alternative,” Romanowicz said. “A little more approachable for students because it’s right on campus as opposed to having to take everyone down to Twin Valley.”

Although it’s different, the event proved to be a success among students. Many students showed up and

gathered around the area to take part in it. Some of the students who showed up just came for the food, but others stuck around and tried to get to know some of the people there.

“It has a great turn out,” Amelie Przedwiecki, a freshman environmental science major, said. “A bunch of people are here, meeting new people and we’re seeing people without their masks on.”

As opposed to last year, the current semester has had more events available for students to attend.

Many more like this are expected to come as the year progresses. This includes public meet-ups hosted by different clubs, departments and organizations on campus. Students should keep an eye out for any news relating to one that’s upcoming as it might catch their interests. Even simple things such as food and conversation can be appealing.

“I like how food brings people together,” Raena Burke, a sophomore environmental science major, said. “You can never go wrong with chili.”

Email MATTHEW WENDLER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

VACCINE Continued from page A1

ALEXA DUMAS/Cardinal Points

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

8 CP Corrections There are no corrections to report this week.

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

When Doelger began feeling ill, she wanted to get tested in order to keep others safe. After calling the Health Center and confirming her ability to get rapid tested, she went in and was told that “everyone is coming in with these symptoms and to take an allergy pack.” After asking for a rapid test yet again, she was assured that there had been no positive tests for a few days.

“I wasn’t sure why that was important but I took the allergy pack and left,” Doelger said.

Symptomatic with a cough, runny nose, sinus pressure and watery eyes, getting a test should have been the first step according to the Health Center’s previously stated protocol. Later that day, when Doelger was eating at Panera, she realized her smell and taste were also gone.

Before going back to the Health Center, Doeleger checked pharmacies in Plattsburgh for an appointment and even considered traveling over two hours to get a rapid, “but why would I do that when the health center of my school gives them,” Doeleger said.

Returning to the Health Center and explaining the new development, she was again told it could be because she was congested.

“Maybe you’re right, but give me a rapid and you can say I told you so,” Doleger said to the nurse. The test was negative.

Doleger was not left with a good impression of the Health Center.

“It felt more that they didn’t want me to be a positive, not because they were worried for me, but because it would be another number to report to the

ELECT Continued from page A2 Ahmed Metwaly, the president of the SA, reached out with Dana Kellerman, a executive director of the CAS, regarding shuttles, oncampus facilities and dining options. This was after concerns were raised by the Board of Directors.

The coordinator of activities, Laman Hanifayeva, is working to get shuttles from the ACC to the fieldhouse. In hopes to make it more accessible for Plattsburgh students to attend games. Athletic Director Mike Howard supported this notion.

However, with a scarcity of drivers, this notion remains unlikely.

There have also been concerns raised by students with a lack of security cameras on campus. The SA is looking to talk with University Police to get more cameras es-

OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points

All nonvaccinated students are required to participate in weekly pool testing.

State,” she said.

Enyedi expressed that “I have not heard of anyone being denied,” as that is not the standard protocol at the time. This aligns with statements from the health center, as Latrell made mention that there has been an uptick in testing requests.

“We are testing a lot because there are a lot of colds going around currently, but not many positives,” Latrell said.

pecially in the parking lots, as that was the main concern.

Night of Nations is set in motion, and more information will be expressed accordingly. Night of Nations is SUNY Plattsburgh’s celebration of culture and diversity on campus.

Students perform ethnic shows and display their cultural diversity.

The finance board, arts and public relations boards are looking for new members.

The trip to Salem, Massachusetts will take place Sunday, Oct. 17.

Tickets are $30 for students, and 50 tickets are up for grabs.

Schuylar Clark was unanimously approved as a voting member of the Academic Affairs Board. She attended the meeting and seemed eager to get started. Cynthia Martinez was also unanimously voted in as the Secretary of the Academic Affairs Board.

The SA approved $1,285 for Fuerzas Hispanic Heritage Banquet.

Email MIA MORGILLO cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

The money will go toward food, lighting and a sound system. The banquet will be held on Thursday, Oct. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for nonstudents. Hispanic Heritage month takes place from Sept. 15-Oct. 15.

“We have a banquet every fall semester to highlight that month and Hispanic culture.” Charlin Deguero, President of Fuerza Black and Latinx Union, said. “Our theme for the banquet is solidarity, being that there’s so many issues going on in the world.”

The banquet will have a Bachata contest, Hispanic food, games and lots of music.

Senator Perry also spoke with the mayor and discussed ideas for a Plattsburgh city bike program and the security measures at Plattsburgh’s Pride Parade Oct. 3.

Email KATIE KALLAMNI

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM

FRIDAY, OCT. 8, 2021

New beginning for #FreeBritney

BY CARLY NEWTON Associate Opinions Editor

Unable to make financial decisions for herself, not allowed to hire her own lawyer or staff, forced to take certain medications against her will and admitted into a psychiatric facility — no, this is not a horror movie. This was Britney Spears’ life for the past 13 years.

In 2019, a movement called #FreeBritney started trending online among fans of Spears after they had become concerned for her well-being. Not many people took this movement seriously at first, but it gained more support as time went on.

In the new documentary on Netflix, “Britney vs. Spears,” the saddening details of the conservatorship that Spears was forced into in 2008 were revealed to the public. Created by journalist Jenny Eliscu and filmmaker Erin Lee Carr, “Britney vs. Spears” dove into Spears’ career and personal life.

According to the Judicial Branch of California, where Spears’ court case was held, the definition of a conservatorship is explained, as a court case where a judge appoints a responsible person or organization (called the “conservator”) to care for another adult (called the “conservatee”) who cannot care for himself or herself or manage his or her own finances.

In Spears’ case, her father, Jamie Spears, was the conservator who believed she was unfit to take care of herself. Spears was the unfortunate conservatee who was always at the mercy of her father. In “Britney vs. Spears,” a scene was depicted where Spears had been out with her boyfriend Adnan, when her father called and wanted her to come back home. Her boyfriend had no choice, but to listen to him because in the eyes of

the law, Jamie Spears was also Britney Spears. This meant that Jamie Spears could have accused Adnan of kidnapping his daughter even though Britney

Jamie Spears would routinely threaten to take his daughter’s children away from her if she refused to comply.

Financially, Britney had to rely on her father for any money she may have needed. Jamie Spears was in control of her entire estate. In “Britney vs.

Spears,” a graphic showed that during Britney’s “Piece of Me” tour, she earned $2.1 million in tour revenues, but her father would only pay her $8,000 a month in allowance. No father should ever want a life like this for their daughter, but he cared more about her money than her mental health. Jamie Spears is a terrible person and will hopefully face consequences of his actions.

The fact that he was granted this much control over a woman, who was sane enough to take care of herself, was disheartening and sickening. This was one example of the justice system failing to bring justice to those who need it.

Thankfully for Spears, it looks like there is an end in sight.

In July, Spears was allowed to hire a new lawyer, Mathew Rosengart. He was going to do what her previous lawyer did not — fight for her. And fight he did.

On Sept. 29, Jamie Spears was suspended as conservator of Britney’s estate. This is the first step toward eliminating the conservatorship altogether.

This is great news to hear. At 39 years old, Spears will finally be able to be her own woman again. She won’t be told what to spend her money on, how much time she gets with her children, she will work if she wants and she will see who she wants.

ZOE NGUYEN /Cardinal Points Britney is finally free. was with him under her own power.

It was disturbing to watch a grown Email CARLY NEWTON woman have her rights stripped away. cp@cardinalpointsonline.com Over the course of the conservatorship,

‘Many Saints of Newark’ caters to fans

BY CAMERON KAERCHER Contribtor

The Primetime Emmy Awards were not wrong 21 times. Each award handed out to the cast and crew behind David Chase’s “The Sopranos,” was more than earned. The HBO crime drama rode the wave that was started by “Oz” that brought darker themes to mainstream cable TV. It would provide a new pathway for television protagonists in the form of Tony Soprano. Played without flaw by James Gandolfini, the gangster who sought psychiatric help, pushed audiences to understand how someone so evil could function. The show is less about the mob killings and more about what happens during the funerals of these characters.

“The Sopranos” is capped off with one of the most chilling final hours in television history.

After so much foreshadowing towards the death and comeuppance of Tony Soprano, an ambiguous cut to black left everyone begging for more. This year, creator David Chase is returning to the world of the Sopranos in a new prequel film.

“The Many Saints of Newark” takes place in the titular city of New Jersey, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The historical race riots of 1967, which were spurred on by the beating and arrest of taxi driver John William Smith, is the background of the first half. In the second half of the story, Tony Soprano, played by Michael Gandolfini, is coming of age in high school. His relationship with Richard “Dickie” Moltisanti, played by Alessandro Nivola, threatens to pull him into the amoral but seductive world

NGHI TO /Cardinal Points

of crime and the mafia.

Those two sides to crime stories are always the painful point of discourse when discussing films like “Goodfellas” or “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and “The Sopranos.” Most critics try to deride these as “glamourizing” violence and the lives of excess.

Clearly, they don’t pay attention to the last act of the stories in which they pay the price for their selfishness and cruelty.

Director Martin Scorsese put it best when promoting “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Maybe if we were born under differ-

ent circumstances, maybe we would have made the same mistakes and choices.”

That ability to level with the characters and not look down at them to just point the finger at what goes wrong is also at the core of “Many Saints.” The familial relationships of the story are well-rounded by each performance. Vera Farmiga plays Livia Soprano, mother to Tony, and her fed-up attitude with any inconvenience is a perfect evocation of Nancy Marchand’s performance as the same character in the television series.

Special mentions should also be made for Billy Magnussen as Paulie Walnuts and John Magaro as Silvio Dante. Each captures that tough-guy swagger that may feel cool in their twenties and thirties, but becomes laughable when they are of a much older age in the television series.

The overall plot is sadly leadfooted, and the film does feel like a fan’s only experience.

There are a few story culs-desac that start to drag, even for a two-hour-long film, that might only be resonant for fans of the original show.

The story of Tony Soprano ended in 2007 with an abrupt cut to black, with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” on the jukebox. Oddly enough, returning to this story in a prequel format feels outdated now. The mainstream has caught up in character development where “The Sopranos” used to feel it was breaking new ground. It is the biggest disappointment to say that “Many Saints of Newark” is only par for the course.

Email CAMERON KAERCHER

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

A4 ▪

▪

CARDINAL VOICE

Opinions Editor Alexa Dumas

Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

Editorial

Stand up for your rights Show up, stand up and speak up. These attributes can be associated with fighting for the rights of not only yourself, but the rights of others. Since the passing of the Texas law that prohibited abortions past the detection of a heartbeat, women’s rights activists have taken to the streets to protest.

A fight for reproductive freedom is ensuing.

On Oct. 2, activists in hundreds of cities across the country marched in the 5th Women’s March to fight for abortion justice. Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles were all a part of the event, and so was Plattsburgh.

The stationary demonstration for women’s rights was a small event downtown that included students, community members and even some from out of town. Representatives from local government, the SUNY Plattsburgh political science department and Planned Parenthood all spoke out against Texas’ ruling. They

rights in daily life? In the United Nations “Stand Up for Someone’s Rights” campaign created by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, there are five steps in speaking out for others. Implementing human rights projects on campus or in the community, informing yourself and others why human rights matter, supporting human rights in everyday life, taking digital action and calling on leaders to uphold human rights are crucial to speaking out for others.

Voting in local, state and national elections is the most important step in standing up for the rights of others. Without government support, human rights will not be implemented into laws.

Standing up empowers others to join and fight for a comZAHWA SHAMIR AHMED /Cardinal Points mon cause. The greater good of our society and country comes urged the crowd to vote in lo- only lasted a few hours. from its citizens. Let’s create cal elections to protect womNow the question must be a better society for the future en’s fundamental rights. While asked, how does one contin- generations, one of unity and it was an empowering event, it ue to stand up for someone’s not division.

‘Sonic Adventure 2’ is easy game for beginners

BY JONAS WARD Staff Writer

“Sonic Adventure 2” was the final game developed by Sonic Team USA for the original SEGA DreamCast in 2001, and is the second produced in the “Adventure” series. SEGA sadly decided to discontinue producing home video game systems after the release of “Sonic Adventure 2,” which was a major success.

This remarkable video game set the standard for what an action-adventure game should be in the new millennium.

“Sonic Adventure 2” has a plot that is fit for a movie. This video game has two campaigns, a good and a dark campaign. Playing both campaigns will give players two different viewpoints of the plot. During the good campaign, players play as Sonic and his friends who are trying to save the world. When players start the dark campaign, they play as the evil Dr. Robotnik, also known as Eggman who tries to take over the world working with a lifeform named Shadow, who is the evil doppelganger of Sonic.

Sonic is the fastest hedgehog on Earth, with the ability to run faster than the speed of light under certain circumstances. Shadow is a lifeform that roughly resembles Sonic. He was created by Dr. Robotnik’s grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. Shadow is also incredibly fast and his main purpose is to defeat Sonic while helping Dr. Robotnik take over the world. Dr. Robotnik is an evil genius and a master of devising robotic beings to do his bidding.

In the beginning, Sonic was accidentally mistaken for Shadow by the military and was captured. Simultaneously, Dr. Robotnik infiltrated a floating military base which housed Shadow with the in-

ROLDARDY NORELUS/Cardinal Points

tention of bartering with him. Since Sonic was captured, this gave Dr. Robotnik enough time to release Shadow.

For the rest of the plot, Dr. Robotnik encourages Shadow to help him attain a massive secret government weapon called the “Eclipse Cannon.” Dr. Robotnik’s end goal is to threaten the people of earth with this cannon so he can achieve world domination. While threatening the whole world, he accidently blows up

half the moon. Sonic later frees himself and fights with his friends to stop Dr. Robotnik during the story.

For a 20-years-old game, “Sonic Adventure 2” truly has one of the best devised plots in a vintage video game. It has a story that takes over 10 hours to complete. Players learn about multiple characters who have unique roles in the plot like Tails, Rouge and Knuckles. The story offers many viewpoints within the good and dark campaigns, which helps players stay glued to their controllers.

The graphics in “Sonic Adventure 2” are not mind blowing and are a step below what Nintendo had to offer back in 2001. That doesn’t hinder the execution that the developers used when designing this game. The game’s levels are incredibly fast-paced, so players mostly focus on where they are running, fighting and not the background. This makes the slightly lower graphic quality nearly unnoticeable. The controls for this game are easy to understand. Characters are easy to move across the maps and fighting is usually only used with two controller buttons.

This makes the game easy to play without any learning curve. The gameplay is very engaging and it does offer a good challenge keeping the play experience fresh.

“Sonic Adventure 2” is a fantastic addition to any SEGA fans video game library. Not only does it introduce players to the awesome world of Sonic the Hedgehog, but the game offers a great story that anyone can enjoy if they like classic video games. “Sonic Adventure 2” is a vintage gem that really shows players what it’s like to go fast.

Taken from 100 participants

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Alana Penny

Managing Editor Olivia Bousquet

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

Opinions Editor Alexa Dumas

Sports Editor Garrett Collins

FUSE Editor Adeeb Chowdhury

Graphics Editor Nghi To

Photo Editor Olga Muka

Associate News Editor Mia Morgillo

Associate Opinions Editor Carly Newton

Associate Graphics Editor Zoe Nguyen

Web Editor Alexa Dumas

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

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

Award Winning

Cardinal Points has received the following awards from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP):

Email JONAS WARD cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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

Remember past decades with care

BY HALES PASSINO Staff Writer

It’s a common occurrence for people to wish they grew up or lived in another decade. They wish to travel back to a time they were unable to originally experience. Some find themselves longing for a different time instead of living in the present.

People crave nostalgia, but is it worth remembering?

It’s fine to idolize decades of the past, but only to a certain extent. For example, musical breakthroughs, expansive style evolution and timeless films produced in the 1960s were compelling and captivating without a doubt. Events like The Beatles’ debut on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 began a frenzy of crazed fans known as Beatlemania.

The shocking divide in Bob Dylan’s fanbase when he went electric for the first time at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 shattered the glass ceiling in terms of making a statement

and branching out of genres.

Johnny Cash, also known as “The Man in Black,” had two live performances at Folsom Prison in 1968. This was bold as hell and fitting with the outlaw image he carried as he performed for what he considered to be his most enthusiastic audience.

Female musicians, like Janis Joplin and Grace Slick, opened a door of opportunities for women pursuing classic rock with their strikingly different vocals and powerhouse performances, especially in venues crucial during the height of the counterculture movement like The Hollywood Bowl and The Avalon Ballroom.

Meanwhile, quotes and references from classics like “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Bonnie and Clyde” still surely make their rounds. Fashion trends ranging from bell-bottom pants and tiedye t-shirts to Twiggy eye makeup and the posh mod London look are on the rise again thanks to social media apps like TikTok and Pinterest. These themes never seem to die out, and they

couldn’t if they tried. The trends simply recirculate with each generation carrying the torch, easily being romanticized.

The sixties might have been the self-proclaimed wonder years for some, but certainly not for everyone. They had their fair share of issues and were incredibly problematic, which opens the door for an honest conversation. Injustices and inequality infiltrated that whole decade.

There was an extreme lack of understanding and acceptance within the LGBTQ+ community.

Uncertainty, fear and death totals were on the rise with gruesome acts of the Vietnam War. People of the time were enraged by the injustices facing the war and social issues of the time.

Sadly, it took until 1964 for the Civil Rights Act to finally be passed, prohibiting discrimination. Even then, that didn’t stop it from happening. Racism and poverty couldn’t be eliminated overnight, as these issues are still being faced today.

More militant approaches were

NGHI TO /Cardinal Points

taken by student activists and young women, in order to make a difference and be heard.

This decade was a time of trauma and tremendous societal turmoil. The moral of the story here is it’s absolutely acceptable to adore and admire aspects

of it, but not the decade as a whole. Take those rose-colored glasses off and realize the sixties were not all peace, hugs and a summer of love.

Email HALES PASSINO

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

A5 ▪

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

▪

NEWS

PRIDE Continued from page A1

ROHAN NASARE/Cardinal Points

The Queensbury branch will be hosting a climate change conference, both virtually and in person, at the end of October.

Upcoming climate change conference

BY SYDNEY HAKES

Staff Writer

The North Country Climate organization will be hosting their annual climate conference on Oct. 21 to discuss effective climate action in a polarized world.

The conference is from 3 to 5 p.m. and will have two keynote speakers, Katharine Hayhoe and Bill McKibben. There will be an introduction by Dean Stephen Danna and a panel moderated by Bill Throop.

The conference will take place at the SUNY Plattsburgh Queensbury campus at the Northwest Bay Conference Center and have a virtual option over Zoom.

North Country Climate was founded by Danna and Michelle Howland after conversations about their shared interest in environmental activism.

“We learned that we had a shared passion for the environment,” Howland said.

“Born from one of our conversations was the need to take action and the desire to take action locally.”

North Country Climate holds annual conferences at the Queensbury campus, along with smaller meet-

ings where community members share ideas and plans of action to combat climate issues.

The conference on Oct. 21, Bridging Differences on the Razor’s Edge, will be two hours long, with two keynote speakers followed by individual panels and a panel discussion.

Hayhoe is climate and atmospheric scientist, and among dozens of other titles and accolades, joined the Nature Conservancy as Chief Scientist this past year.

Her new book “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World” launched in September 2021. Hayhoe, an evangelical Christian, “approaches the divide between faith and science.”

“Sometimes people think science and religion can’t live together in the same household, but they certainly do in hers. It gives her a unique perspective in order to make those difficult conversations possible,” Howland said.

McKibben is an author and environmentalist who has authored a dozen books. He founded the climate campaign group 350.org in 2008 with the

goal of ending fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy.

His book “The End of Nature,” is often considered the first book that’s intended for a casual audience about climate change, with simplified explanations of the issue and a call to action.

Dyllon Leather, an assistant project manager for Airtek Environmental, looks back at interactions with professionals during graduate school influencing his career path. He grew up in upstate New York, but wasn’t sure what avenue to pursue environmentalism until being able to ask questions to professionals who already worked in the field.

“It’s important for college students, who are traditionally younger, to hear from those who have been working in the field of climate solutions about the realities of the work they do,” Leather said.

Environmental Science major Hadar Pepperstone was already planning on attending the conference.

Being involved in the department, she knew about the event, but considered the value of attending if

you’re not an environmental science student.

“It’s a unique opportunity to learn outside of your own research,” Pepperstone said. “Whether or not we have acknowledged it or internalized it, we all have a stake in the climate.”

As the student co-chair for the campus committee for environmental responsibility, member of Late Night for the Planet and environmental action committee, Pepperstone recognizes the value of local environmental events as a call to action.

“In a classroom setting you can learn so much, but it’s also a different type of learning, with the goal of a grade in mind,” Pepperstone said. “Being able to ask questions and engage with experts who aren’t just your professor is the benefit of this type of event over other forms of learning.”

The conference is free for all SUNY students.

Register on northcountryclimate.org with a student email address.

Email SYDNEY HAKES cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

The sponsor tents provided guests with freebies like pins with pride flags and pronouns, stress toys, lip balm and first-aid kits, as well as resources for education, health and emotional support services.

Some event sponsors were Planned Parenthood, Clinton County Mental Health & Addictions and the health insurance company CDPHP. The booth set up by the Plattsburgh branch of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) — the UU Fellowship of Plattsburgh — invited guests to participate in a craft by coloring a wooden heart with symbolism of their choice. “[The Unitarian Universalists] are a community of people who have different spiritual beliefs that come together to support each other and bring in more love into the world,” Reverend Nicoline Guerrier said.

“The thing that connects us is that we believe that we were meant to bring love into action, express acceptance of one another, and that all people, together, are one community.”

The UUA has been expressing support for samesex marriage as early as the 1970s.

“We have been advocating for gender justice for a long time, so that’s why we’re here at Pride,” Guerrier said.

Pride means different things to different people.

A guest named Rain, who came from Milton, Vermont, said, “I go to pretty much every Pride event that’s close enough for me to go to, because there are only so many.”

They have attended five Pride events in the past year.

“It’s a place where I can express myself and look however I want, and it’s just normal here. I can meet people like me,” they said.

Metzgar arranged the first

Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

ever Pride event in Plattsburgh in 2015, together with a friend, in only six weeks.

The original event consisted of eight to 10 organizations tabling, and the list expanded every year since. Over the years, the event has grown to include a more diverse list of sponsors, music, raffles and even a drag show.

“Every year, we try to do something a little different, make it a little better, one way or another, and I think we’ve done that,” Metzgar said. “It’s grown with the planning. It’s grown with the complications, and certainly COVID threw a lot of issues in there too.”

ANCGA was able to host a Pride event last year, despite the pandemic. The solution was a “rolling pride,” where participants drove vehicles decorated with LGBT pride symbolism along the city streets in celebration. Outside of their vehicles, they were encouraged to maintain a distance of 10 feet from each other and wear masks.

This year, while the state’s regulations allowed for a stationary festival to be held, participants were highly encouraged to wear masks as a safety precaution. And most of the guests — over 200 in total, as Metzgar estimated — followed that rule.

She revealed that next year, the ANCGA plans to host the Pride event in the Tri-Lakes area, however, Plattsburgh continues to be the area that is most accessible to guests, many of whom are high school and college students. This is part of the choice to host the event in October. The month of October is also celebrated as LGBT History Month.

Another reason for hosting Pride in October, highlighted by Gilbo, is protest and visibility.

“Many believe that Pride takes place every year in June, but we know that Pride is 24/7/365,” Gilbo said.

Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

A6 ▪

News Editor Olivia Bousquet

NEWS

▪

Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

This Week in Photos: Pride Photos By Bryn Fawn

Above: Protesters hold signs about the Stonewall Riot and demands City Hall to be active for the community.

Above: Drag queen Vannessica rocks some moves.

Below: SUNY Plattsburgh students Aleksandra Sidorova and Bryn Fawn pose with drag queen Delores Clitorezz (left), Misty Knights (middle) and Amber Sky (right).

Below: SUNY Plattsburgh students Lillian Bernhardt (left) and Andrew Payro (right) smiling and embracing at this year’s Pride event in downtown Plattsburgh Saturday Oct. 2.

CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM

FRIDAY, OCT. 8, 2021

DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points

Plattsburgh men”s soccer team takes on SUNY Buffalo State on Oct. 8.

Men’s soccer loses at home

BYDREW WEMPLE Staff Writer

The Cardinals Men’s Soccer team (3-41) suffered a heartbreaking loss at home Sept. 25 versus the Cortland Red Dragons (8-1-1) by a 2-1 score. It was a beautiful day on the home pitch yet was soured by a late-game penalty in the box on Plattsburgh that led to the penalty-kick goal that decided the match.

Fresh off the heels of a grueling 1-1 2 OT tie in Oswego to open SUNYAC play, the Cardinals had to turn around and head back north for their home game the next day versus the Red Dragons.

The bleachers were packed on a sunny, 75 degree Saturday afternoon. The energy and buzz coming from fans of both sides could be felt. Yet it was the visiting Red Dragons, and their fans who got to enjoy the victory.

“There was just a little lack of physicality in the game, because we were tired from the game before,” Senior forward Yusif Okine said, “It was just a tough game, physically we were down a little bit because we were tired from the 90 minute, plus double overtime game we played before.”

That possible fatigue showed early as

Cortland came out strong in the first half.

The Red Dragon’s senior midfielder Mikey Lanzetta subbed on and then scored the opener at the 30 - minute mark.

“It was off a corner [kick]. They broke down our defense pretty easily, which was our mistake. It was a lack of communication,” First-year goalie Teddy Healy said. “They shot a pretty good shot to the far post, just a couple yards outside the box.”

But as much as Cortland tried to keep the ball on the Cardinal’s side of the field, the counterattacks and long possessions were frequently available and taken advantage of by Plattsburgh.

“They’re a very, very talented team and probably the strongest team in the conference so we knew they’d have a little more of the ball than we are used to,” Plattsburgh Head Coach Chris Taylor said.

“But we planned to be really aggressive without the ball. We knew that when we wanted to, we could hit space quickly.”

However, the Cardinals weren’t able to put one in the back of the net in the first 45 minutes. Okine and Healy mentioned that the rallying message of sticking to their game plan and having the mindset that they were the more physically dominant team was what led to the Cardinals’

quick start to the second half. Within just the first 10 minutes, substitute first year midfielder Brian Coughlan was able to punch one in, at the 53 minute mark, to tie the score at one apiece.

“He’s a great asset to the team because he provides that goal-scoring aspect and just brings the confidence out of people that are around him,” Okine said. “What he brought for us was very key because it just made us keep going.”

The game stayed in a deadlock of 1-1 for the next 20-or-so minutes, before Plattsburgh’s sophomore midfielder Jack Healy committed a questionable penalty in the box.

“I didn’t think it was a penalty. I thought the defender did a good job shielding and the two players kind of tripped over each other’s legs,” Healy said. “The ref gave them a controversial penalty kick in the last 10 minutes.”

This wasn’t the first time the officials had been a subject of attention in the game either. There were potential missed calls at crucial moments that affected both sides, yet other cautions were issued for seemingly more minor infractions; in total there were three penalties of Cortland, and two on Plattsburgh. However, Cortland’s Blake Aronson took and con-

verted on the PK attempt to put the Dragons up 2-1 with little time remaining.

“It’s really hard for players to adjust when things are allowed on one-end but not the other, and that’s just where we got a little frustrated,” Coach Taylor said.

“But decisions happen in games and you’ve got to respect them. I’d rather we stop the ball from coming into the box in the first place.”

Plattsburgh would make a late push to try and even the score, but it was too little, too late. The Cortland players stormed the field in celebration of their victory while heads hung low on Plattsburgh’s end. Yet, there are still practically all of their SUNYAC games remaining, and spirits are still high after just a 0-1-1 start to conference play.

“People are kind of looking down on us right now so it’ll be a good feeling if we beat these teams it’ll be, ‘Oh, watch out for these guys,’ and we know we can do that so we’re confident in our abilities,” Healy said.

Email DREW WEMPLE

cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Rugby teams return to pitch BYGARRETT COLLINS Sports Editor

seen teams taking the field once again, and has added excitement to campus and it’s safe to say that Plattsburgh Sports are back.

For the men’s and women’s rugby team, they look to return to the pitch and create a new winning culture for both teams.

The men’s team played a scrimmage versus Paul Smith’s College and is traveling to Middlebury on Saturday. The team that last made the playoffs in 2017 and made it all the way to the state semifinals where they lost a heartbreaker on the last play of the game. They haven’t made it back since. Since then the team has seen so many players come and go it almost seemed like that playoff run was a distant

OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points

With a new and imporver roster the wome’s rugby team is looking to win some big games this season memory.

One remaining player from that team, Marc Domery, or as his team-

mates call him Mac Truck, leadership because of the has become one of the experience he brings. leaders that the younger “I got here the year afplayers have looked to for ter the championship

team my freshman year we made it to the state semi finals.” Mac Truck said. “I am very happy to

get back on the pitch and get the rugby ball moving again.”

After COVID they lost 25% of their team, Mac Truck said that recruiting is important especially during the pandemic “COVID was a bump in life everyone had to figure out but our rugby team took a big hit on recruiting so it’s good to get new people on the pitch,” Mac Truck also wants the tradition of the sport to continue being a brotherhood and a good friend group for freshmen.

“Rugby is a game of tradition and it’s important to always get new players into the culture,” he said.

Email

GARRETT COLLINS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

B2 ▪

▪

CARDINAL SPORTS

Sports Word Search Sports Editor Garrett Collins

Men’s Soccer Fri. v.s. Cortland @ 4p.m.

Sat. @ New Paltz @ 4p.m.

Tennis Fri.. vs Northern Vermont-Johnson @ 3 Sat. v.s. New Paltz @ 12p.m

Women’s Soccer Fri. v.s. Oneonta @4 p.m Sat v.s. New Paltz@ 1 p.m

Volleyball Fri. v.s. Fredonia @ 6,p.m.

Sat v.s. Buffalo State@1.pm

Friday, Oct.8, 2021

Men’s Soccer School Cortland Oneonta New Paltz Oswego

Record SUNYAC 10-1-1 4-0 8-1-1 4-0 9-2-0 4-0-0 4-2-4 3-0-1 Buffalo State 8-3-0 1-2-0 Geneseo 4-4-2 1-2 Plattshburgh 3-6-1 0-3-1 Brockport 4-4-1 0-3 Fredonia 5-6-0 0-3 Potsdam 2-7-2 0-4

Women’s Soccer

Men’s Soccer Goals

Brian Coughlan Dylan Shalvey Yusif Okine

Assists Brian Coughlan Dylan Shalvey kevin abbondanza

School Geneseo Cortland

Women’s Soccer Goals

5 3 2

Emiy Frodyma Avery Durgan Allison Seidman

Assists Emily Frodyma Kristen Villemaire Nora Fitzereld

4 3 3

Save Percentage teddy Healy .567

4 4 3

Words to Find

Payton Zophy Jenn Braun Meghan O’Brien

Assists

SOCCER SPORTS TENNIS CARDINALS SCORE

GOAL RUGBY BALL WINNER LOSE

Emma Rivers Olga Muka Alexys Hawks

106 100 96

198 115 43

Tennis

4 2 2

Save Percentage Julia Ennis .818

Volleyball Kills

Record SUNYAC 8-2-0 3-0 5-4-1 3-1 Plattsburgh 6-2-2 3-1 Oswego 5-2-0 2-0 Geneseo 4-1-0 0-0 New Paltz 1-2-1 0-0 Oneonta 0-4-0 0-0 Oswego 2-0-0 0-0 Plattsburgh 2-1-2 0-0 Potsdam 4-2-0 0-0

Digs

Payton Zophy Shannon Fitzpatrick Maddy Zophy

Aces

Emma Rivers Meghan O’Brian Payton Zophy

School Record SUNYAC New Paltz 2-1 2-0 Cortland 3-1 3-1 Plattsburgh 1-1 1-3 Oswego 1-2 1-2 Brockport 0-1 0-1 Fredonia 0-2 0-3 Geneso 0-0 1-0 Oneonta 0-0 2-0

Volleyball

192 130 93

30 26 19

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

Record SUNYAC6-2 1-0 3-5 1-0 4-5 1-0 5-3 1-0 8-2 0-1 2-4 0-0 3-4 0-0 1-6 0-1 4-5 0-1 2-3 0-1

Plattsburgh tennis on a roll

BY GARRETT COLLINS Sports Editor

This week saw the SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinals women’s Tennis team face the Northern Vermont University- Lyndon Hornets on Tuesday sept. 28 in Plattsburgh. They were able to get the job done just a week before when they shutout the Castleton Spartans 9-0. It was much of the same story as the Cardinals wiped the Hornets out scoring another shutout victory 9-0. Later in the week on Friday Oct. 1 the Cardinals would welcome the Northern Vermont University-Johnson Badgers, where once again they would pitch an easy 9-0 shutout.

The Cardinals would open up their slate of matches with a visit from the Hornets. The match opened up just the way the Cardinals wanted to with an 8-1 victory from Sarah Hoffner and Cydney Bond versus Saleena Porter and Renee Chaples. This would be the duo’s third win and their second in a row.

The next match saw the Svantner Sisters, who have been having a great last couple games win their match with a score of 8-0 over the pair of Lexi Foley and Rebekah Delgato. This win extends their win total to four on the season and extends their winning streak to three. Jaqueline, the third of the Svantner sisters, got her piece of the action with doubles partner Bri Miller who got the win over Hailey Demers and Samantha Howe. This win marks Svantner’s sixth win of the year and Miller’s fifth doubles win of the season Plattsburgh would sweep the doubles giving them a solid lead of 3 nothing going into the set of singles matches. The Hornets were able to muster only 1 point throughout the whole slate of doubles matches and would be an indication of things to come

GABE DICKENS/Cardinal Points

Plattsburgh looks to make a push for the post season after going 3-0 in their last games

in singles play. The first match saw Bond facing Porter. The match would end in a two set sweep with Bond winning her first set 6-0 and winning the second one a convincing 6-1.

This is her second singles win in a row and her third of the season.

The second singles match of the slate saw Alyana Leandry sweep Rebekah Delgado for her second win in a row. Hoffner continued the Cardinals Dominance with a decisive win over her opponent Devon Kibbey won both sets earning

her fourth singles win of the year. Samantha Svantner shut out Renee Chaplesin two sets, Earning her fourth on the year and her third in a row. Her sister, Nicole followed that performance up with another shutout victory, this time it was against Lexi Foley. This would be her fourth singles win of the season and her second in a row.

The day ended with Sophia Gottschall earning her third win on the season, beating Samantha Howe.

The Plattsburgh Cardinals would look to continue their

winning ways and extend their streak to 3 wins as they would welcome the Northern Vermont University-Johnson Bobcats on Friday Oct.1 where they would look to continue their dominating ways after shutting out the Northern Vermont UniversityLyndon Hornets 9-0 earlier that week. The Cardinals would prove that their winning streak is not a fluke as they would shut out their opponent for the third time in a row.

The day started with a slate of doubles matches and the Cardinals picked up from where they

left off earlier this week with a convincing win from Hoffner and Bond over Mason Lores and Rebecca Simon by a score of 8-2. The second set of doubles games were won by Plattsburgh in a forfeit. The third set of doubles matches came from the electric duo of Bri Miller and Jacqueline Svantner picking up their sixth win overall winning by a score of 8-3. The duo’s record overall has moved to an astonishing 6-1.

After a sweep of doubles the Cardinals were ready to finish off the Bobcats once and for all once the singles came around.

Leandry won her first set 6-0 and in the second set of the contest due to a forfeit. This extends Leandry’s win streak to three.

Hoffner continued her great play from the last match, winning the two sets 6-4. This win over Simon continues her streak now to three singles wins in a row. The Svantner sisters, Nicole and Samantha both continued to push the issue sweeping both sets.

Just as the game earlier this week ended with a convincing singles victory from Gottschall, she was able to deliver again with a dominating win over Faith Mead adding to her winning streak total now to 3.

The Cardinals women’s tennis team had some rough spots in the beginning of the season dropping to 1-5 after losing 5 straight. Now the Cardinals have seemed to find a turnaround winning their last 3 in shutout fashion and with some of their top players playing their best, the Cardinals are looking to spice things up in this postseason play.

Email GARRETT COLLINS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

B3 ▪

Sports Editor Garrett Collins

▪

SPORTS

Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

Seidman looks to shine in final year BYGARRETT COLLINS Sports Editor

SUNY Plattsburgh women’s soccer team currently has a record of 6-2-2 and are 3-1 in the conference. One big part of the team’s success has been midfielder Allison Seidman.

Seidman has been a strong member of this soccer team since her arrival as a freshman in 2018. In that year, she was named SUNYAC rookie of the year and all SUNYAC first team and put in 18 starts for the team. Playing all those minutes and experiencing those moments as just a first year college student has given Seidman a chance to really see and understand the game at a high level.

“Being blessed to be able to start since freshman year has helped me get a better understanding of the game and how different college ball is.” Seidman

said. “It’s also helped me grow up in a way and lead the underclassmen.”

Seidman’s quick success on the can be attributed to how self - motivated Seidman is. She challenges herself every day to get better.

“Honestly, I wasn’t the best player all my life, but I worked hard to be the player I am now,” Seidman said. “I didn’t really have much inspiration to look up to, but definitely challenged myself.”

Seidman has always had a love for the game after being put into it by her parents when she was younger.

“My parents put me into soccer like any other little kid, and I loved and stuck with it until now,” she said During her sophomore year, the whole sports community experienced something that has never happened before in recent memory. A shut down or a break in play due to a pandemic that ravaged the planet. To Seidman, the team has fi-

nally returned to competitive play this season, and she feels like they haven’t skipped a beat.

“It feels good to be back playing competitively with the team. It ‘s been awhile, but our love for the game hasn’t changed,” Seidman said. “During COVID we kept in touch through Zoom and group chats mostly. It was difficult, but it doesn’t even feel like COVID separated communication wise.”

Returning to competitive play means traveling to away games and getting to spend time with teammates again.

For Seidman, those are where the best memories are created on the team.

“I have so many memories on this team. Away trips, dance-offs, locker room pregame talks and winning games together,” She said As a senior, Seidman’s time as a Cardinal is starting to come to an end and even with all the accolades for

the team that she has earned she still feels like there is something more that she wants to leave the team with when she finally ends her illustrious career as a Cardinal.

“If I can impact this program in any way before I leave it would be helping us win the SUNYAC championship this year,” Seidman said With the team sitting four games above .500 the final stretch of the season, it has become more and more important that they can win some big conference games in the future as the team looks to go deep in the playoffs this year.

Email GARRETT COLLINS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

RUGBY Continued from page B1 The women’s team on the other hand, may not have the resume of the men’s team, but under new leadership they are really looking forward to creating a new story for a team looking to compete at the next level. They have recruited really well this past semester and their numbers rival that of the men’s team, which historically has been the opposite story. For president of the club, Shannon Tracy, they know that with all these new players on the team this year is all about buildProvided By Alex Cresanti ing a good roster.

Plattsburgh men’s rugby looks foward to saturday after a great scrimage vs Paul “This year is definitely a Smiths College. building year,” with all the new players that have de-

cided to join us. ``We have a lot of hope for the future; Tracy said.

Since starting back up they have been looking for teams that are willing to play and give these new girls some much needed rugby action.

“Scheduling has been difficult because of covid restrictions, but we’re making the best of it.”

Tracy said, “We currently have games scheduled for Oct. 16 and the 23, so exposing our new players to a real match is very exciting for us.”

The women’s rugby team is confident that the Covid layover made the team better than ever.

“Despite the fact that Covid was ridding us of numbers I feel since we’ve been back we’re stronger than ever. This is [our] comeback season” Tracy Said With renewed team energy and a return to regular games around the corner, both the men’s and the women’s team are looking to reestablish their dominance in the North Country.

Email GARRETT COLLINS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

B4 ▪

FUSE

FUSE Editor Adeeb Chowdhury

▪

Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

Marksmanship Club teaches proper gun procedure

OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points

Members of the Marksmanship Club engage in target practice and learning proper shooting procedure.

BY FERNANDO DIAZ Contributor

Each student takes a deep breath. The butt of the .22 caliber rifle rests on the shoulder of their padded protective jacket. Squinting through the tiny lens on top of the gun, they curl their fingers slightly over the cold metal trigger. A series of bangs rings out, and the target -- a piece of paper with a series of concentric circles about 20 feet away -- is riddled with bullet holes.

For many of these students, this is the first day in their life they are shooting a gun. But it likely won’t be their last. Every Monday, the SUNY Plattsburgh Marksmanship Club drives excited participants to the Plattsburgh Rod and Gun Club. The trainers there then help students learn the basics of aiming and firing rifles, guiding them from the moment they insert the bullet into the gun to the split second when the bullet rips through the paper target.

“It really is a thrilling experience,” Senior Beenish Shahzad said. “The trainers really make sure you understand what you’re doing, and the entire process is fascinating.”

The SUNY Plattsburgh Marksmanship Club is sponsored by the SUNY Plattsburgh Club Sports Department. They compete in the Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference (MAC) against other universities such as SUNY Maritime, SUNY Stony Brook, Hofstra, Canisius, Yale, MIT, Wentworth, US Coast Guard and John Jay The club also competes in the National Rifle League and in rifle matches hosted by the Plattsburgh

FREEDOM Continued from B6 The Banned Books Read-Out has been organized by the library every year for about a decade. This year, it was co-sponsored by the fraternity Phi Iota Alpha. A number of students from the fraternity, joined by students from two classes that have been studying banned books as well as members of the Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, took turns reading five-minute excerpts from books that have sparked controversy and often been taken off the shelves.

Elin O’Hara-Gonya, the assistant library director, notes that there are countless books in a wide range of genres and reading levels that have elicited outrage from various communities nationwide as well as around the world.

“Every year, the American Library Association tracks challenges to books,” O’Hara-Gonya said. “They report hundreds of challenges annually, but there is speculation that the true number is much, much higher.”

She also made sure to distinguish between a challenge to a book, which is an objection raised by a community member toward the book, and the outright banning of it.

For three days before the actual event, the Feinberg Library hosted a table in the ACC dedicated to banned books. Arranged by intern Nydia Chisholm, the

table provided an opportunity for visitors to write a brief thank-you note to the author of a banned book “whose work is of personal significance to them”. The library then delivered the notes to the authors to recognize their contributions to the freedom to read.

“It was so fascinating and fun to be able to put together a table like this,” Chisholm said. “Our mission here is to promote a very basic freedom -- the freedom to read. Sadly that freedom has been challenged often, and it is our duty to defend it.”

Junior Alex Borodin emphasized how special it felt to be able to send a message to one of his favorite authors.

“It’s so unfortunate that some of my favorite writers have had their books be challenged and banned like this,” Borodin said. “But I want to reach out and express just how grateful I am for what they do.”

O’Hara-Gonya shredded a few pages from a copy of “Beloved” by Toni Morisson, a book that has been widely challenged. Any visitor who could guess what book it was from the shredded pages received a “swag bag” of materials related to banned books.

She also spoke on the deeper social roots of banning books.

“Banning books is unfortunately more common in communities that can be described as more socially conservative,” she said. “There are a lot of challenges to books that deal with promoting diverse viewpoints. For example, many parents

Rod and Gun Club.

According to the Plattsburgh Rod and Gun Club website: “The Cardinals have enjoyed some great success over the past four years, qualifying for the MAC Championships four years in a row, in both air rifle and smallbore, taking the championship in air rifle in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and in smallbore in 2019. Several of its students have been named to the All Academic Team for the MAC Conference.”

The club is coached by Peter C. Visconti, who was named head coach in 2017. Visconti was a member of four of St. John University’s NCAA championship invitations from 1984-87 and a member of four MAC championship teams. Visconti also earned individual all-conference honors and started his shooting career for NHP Memorial HS where he still holds the prone average record.

Jamal DorneLlian, a member of the Marksmanship Club who helps drive participants to the shooting range for practice, emphasizes the lessons one can learn from being in the club.

“I like that the club makes a person feel like it’s their second home or family,” Dornellian said. “Also I like that being around guns teaches you safety protocols and makes you understand the little things in life like being on your guard.”

Members practice indoors with .22 caliber or air rifles. New students are invited to join anytime. All equipment is provided for at no cost.

Email FERNANDO DIAZ cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

object to expressions of the lived experiences of the LGBQIA+ community.”

The topmost banned book this year was the young adult novel “George”, which tells the story of a young transgender girl named Melissa, who was previously a boy named George. Numerous objections were also raised against “And Tango Makes Three,” a children’s book about the true story of two male penguins raising a child together in Central Park Zoo. Another commonly challenged book was “The Hate U Give,” which deals with interactions between Black Americans and law enforcement. According to O’Hara-Gonya, the book was challenged because some people believed it would “create tension” between police officers and people of color.

“It’s very distressing, and I use that word intentionally,” she said. “It’s distressing to see how some people fight so hard to block others from telling their stories and sharing their experiences.”

O’Hara-Gonya pointed out that this is not a recent phenomenon, and it doesn’t only apply to recent books. In fact, some of the most commonly challenged books are classics published generations ago.

Examples include “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Catcher in the Rye” and “Of Mice and MeN,” all of which were written between the 1930s and ‘60s.

The Harry Potter series is also frequently challenged as it is perceived to promote witchcraft, which O’Hara-Gonya noted is particularly saddening, given how popular the series is and how it encouraged so

many children to take an interest in reading.

Novels by popular young adult author John Green, such as “Paper Towns” and “The Fault in Our Stars,” are also common victims of challenges and bans. The bestselling book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” makes the list as well, having sparked outrage because of its themes dealing with sex, drugs, and violence.

Books by Judy Blume have also been subject to objections and bans. Her works often dealt with “controversial topics of masturbation, menstruation, teen sex, birth control and death,” according to the American Library Association.

The 1922 book “Siddhartha” as well as the 2005 novel “The Glass Castle” were also on the list of books that were read out during the event.

“It’s OK if people don’t want to expose their children to particular themes,” O’Hara-Gonya said. “But don’t take away the rights of others to read that book and access that information.”

She recommended that students patronize the public library as much as possible, pointing out that they can use their student ID at the Plattsburgh Public Library. This support, she said, goes a long way to encourage reading and allows for public libraries to stay open, ultimately giving more people access to books.

Email ADEEB CHOWDHURY cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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

Looonng story short: I’ve been in love with the same guy for about four years. We both had staggered relationships during that time, but I could never fully fall in love with anyone else. When we were both finally single, we started talking (again). Now…things are good :) idk what’s gonna happen…but I really missed him and I’m really happy. (Also yeah the sex is great 12/10) My favorite music to have on during sex include Daft Punk, Doja Cat, the Ramones, A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, Julian Casablancas, Nicki Minaj, the Rolling stones, and Dixie d’amelio. Other ppl pls post ur favorite music recommendations. I can make a public spotify playlist for all of us. oh and also pharrell williams Hey everyone, good hygiene isn’t just about showering. Pls brush your teeth before you hook up w someone. I was making out w this person and their breath was so bad it smelled like fish and chips. Complete turn-off. Pls brush your teeth and use mouthwash Had a girl over in my dorm while watching Squid Game. We got busy but the show was so good I told her I had to take a break. and then I watched two full episodes while she waited. She was hot but the show was too damn good.

B5 ▪

▪

FUSE

FUSE Editor Adeeb Chowdhury

Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

‘Explain the Asterisk’ aims for accountability for sexual abuse

Photo and graphic provided by Emily Stanley

Emily Stanley founded the Plattsburgh chapter of Explain the Asterisk with the goal of ensuring more transparency and accountability regarding sexual abuse.

BY SERENA GANESAN Contributor

“Explain The Asterisk” is a movement created by Syd Ovitt from the University of Vermont in 2018. Ever since then, chapters of the movement have sprouted up in various colleges nationwide. It primarily focuses on the issue where an asterisk on a student’s transcript is not annotated - meaning there is no distinction between being dismissed for bad grades or for sexual misconduct, stalking or dating/domestic violence. Emily Stanley, a freshman majoring in social work, is the managing director for the Plattsburgh chapter of Explain the Asterisk.

According to Stanley, one in four women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted.

However, in campuses, only less than 20% of reported perpetrators are found responsible and out of that 20%, only less than 5% will be dismissed. That 5% will still be able to get into other schools and find jobs without any mention of sexual misconduct on their record. The lack of an asterisk and/or annotation allows perpetrators on campus to exist freely without being held accountable and continue to be a threat for sexual assault.

“This is a huge issue, and there is definitely not enough recognition,” Stanley said.

“Especially with Explain The Asterisk, where the main goal is to have an annotation on transcripts. When people are dismissed from a college, it could be for any reason.

They can go to a different school without anyone knowing. So, I think it is important for people to be aware.”

The gap between the number of people prone to sexual assault, violence or stalking and the number of perpetrators held responsible, dismissed, and convicted is staggering. Yet, even the few who are held liable are made allowances by the system to continue living a life without any sort of accountability and assault more people.

“Pushing for legislation in other states to have a law requiring annotations when there is an asterisk on a student’s transcript is the main goal. Only New York and Virginia have laws requiring annotations while some states don’t even have an asterisk in the first place,” Stanley said, when talking about the long term goals for the chapters and the organization.

There are also issues in Greek life. Women in sororities are much more likely to be sexually assaulted and men in fraternities are more likely to commit sexual assault.

Stanley emphasized that the conversation about why that is happening and what can be done about it is necessary.

Stanley said she hopes to work with Title IX on campus and hold meetings where information about sexual assault is provided to students.

Students can get involved with Explain the Asterisk by following @ExplainAsterisk on Twitter and @explaintheasteriskplattsburgh on Instagram to get updates on upcoming meetings and events.

Email SERENA GANESAN cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

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

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

Temperance brings you a deeper sense of harmony and peace than you’re used to, fiery Aries. Things have been changing recently, and it’s left you a little unbalanced and out of sorts.

You’re just about caught up with it all now. Your emotions have processed the turmoil. You’re getting used to the new normal, and that makes you feel good.

Ready to start a new venture? Become a millionaire? Create something innovative and imaginative? Start your own business? Anything is possible this week, Taurus, with the creative, self-starting Magician card. The Magician is kinda like the patron saint of entrepreneurs, so it’s time for you to step up and get what you deserve, carve out your niche, and find (or create) the right role for you. Be led by your best hopes.

Transformation lies ahead, Gemini, but it’s a mixed bag. Some of this is action that you initiated, some of it is an aftereffect you didn’t anticipate, and some of it is comes out of nowhere. Don’t stress, though. Everything is an opportunity right now — that’s the mindset to take into this week. Be alert, flexible and optimistic. You could begin next week from a totally new and improved position.

Don’t give up, Cancer, don’t you dare!

You’re tired and this has already taken up so much time and energy, but you’re closer to the finish line than you think, and the rewards are all there waiting for you. One last push, and this can be in your rearview mirror while you celebrate your success. The Eight of Coins comes to bring you a boost of concentration and determination to see the job through. You’re almost there.

Keep going.

LEO

July 23 - Aug 22

Rest up, Leo, because you’ve been burning that candle at both ends and you could use some chill time. The Four of Swords is like a sick note from the universe (what higher authority do you need!) prescribing a week of rest and recuperation. Don’t let the FOMO get to you. Nothing is happening that won’t all still be happening next week. Just withdraw and take it easy.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

Don’t be sad, Sag! It’s okay, the worst is over, and you survived (and thrived). The Five of Coins is a cosmic nudge to get your head up and look towards the future, not the past. If we stare at the past too long, we get stuck there, and you don’t want that.

Review the memories, acknowledge the emotions, seek a life lesson and then go do something fun.

VIRGO

Virgo, the Queen of Swords — knowing, proud, shrewd, ambitious And independent. You like to do things for yourself, and you (secretly) believe you can do most things better than anyone else anyway. You’re probably right, Virgo. This week should suit you, because you need to focus on a solo project that is mentally challenging, and it’s something that only you can solve. Find what needs doing, make a plan of attack and do it. You know the drill.

CAPRICORN

You’re being drawn towards something that could yield major results. Something like a promotion, a bigger role, an entrepreneurial adventure, an inspiring trip, or a new lifestyle regime.

Whatever it is, the Queen of Wands brings you the motivation and determination to get started, and then keep going. Make bold plans this week, Cap, and know that you’ve got what it takes to fulfill them. Dream big, go bigger, and then fake it until you make it.

Something major is on the way.

LIBRA

Oh no, not the Two of Wands. This is the procrastination card, and for you, procrastination is an Olympic sport! The good news is that whatever you decide this week, it doesn’t really matter. It will all work out as it’s supposed to, and there are no wrong options. Don’t overthink this (probably too late!), and don’t delay. Just pick a side and act.

The longer you spending thinking, and not doing, the longer you’ll remain in a limbo.

AQUARIUS

Wanna go to a cosmic party? Good news. The Three of Cups is inviting you to let loose and party with the stars.

Sometimes we need to let off steam and just have fun. The Three of Cups is a reminder that we’re here for a good time, not a long time! Welcome in happy and carefree vibes to your corner of the world this week, Aquarius, and replenish your good spirits. You need a boost.

Aug 23 Sept 22

Sept 23 Oct 22

SCORPIO Oct 23 Nov 21

Whichever fool hurt you is in for a world of pain. The Three of Swords shows you’re getting your payback game on.

That doesn’t mean you’re doing anything shady or wrong (please don’t). It’s likely more of a withdrawal, an icing out of the person who has done you wrong. Remove the source of pain and stress from your life, Scorpio, and move on with your head high.

Dec 22 Jan 19

Jan 20 Feb 18

PISCES Feb 19 March 20

Sometimes you’re guilty of putting others before yourself and getting trampled on as a result. That won’t be the case this week, Pisces, because you’ve got the King of Wands walking beside you.

He brings bold, adventurous, even selfish energy your way, urging you to put yourself first. Take some big chances designed to lead you toward things (or people) you truly desire. This is a week to simply go for it. Be bold. You’ll be surprised at how far you can get when you make your desires known.

Marksmanship B4

Feinberg Library celebrates freedom to read

BY ADEEB CHOWDHURY FUSE Editor

The Feinberg Library hosted the annual Banned Books Read-Out event on Wednesday, Sept 29. Taking place virtually on Zoom, the event recognized a number of books that have been widely banned or challenged while promoting the freedom of reading and information. (continued on B4)

NGHI TO/Cardinal Points