Issue 5

Faculty, staff mental health neglected

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA

Editor

SUNY Plattsburgh spent $339,666 on mental health resources for students this academic year. But the mental health of faculty and staff does not get the same support.

Kim McCoy Coleman, the coordinator of the employee assistance pro gram and assistant pro fessor of social work, said the college’s administra tion has done “very well” trying to create a campus culture of well-being for a while, but noted that well-being was different than mental health.

Some ways the campus cares about its employ ees’ well-being are service recognition programs such as the Cardinal Care honorees that have been announced every month for at least seven years, newsletters like Presi dent Alexander Enyedi’s acknowledgement of Na tional Custodian Appre ciation Day sent out Sept. 30 and spaces like the faculty and staff lounge at Feinberg 335.

“I think that the scope of who will be recognized will be broader and more inclu sive to let people know that they’re doing a good job,” McCoy Coleman said. “Be cause that matters.”

However, the campus’ approach to its employees’ mental health is different.

“Talking specifically about the mental health of faculty and staff and profes sionals, I don’t think anyone does a good job anywhere, not just on our campus,” McCoy Coleman said.

Campus employees face a lot of stress. Professors Julia Davis and Michelle Ouellette shared that there is a high amount of work generally expected from faculty: performing college service, publishing papers and conducting research.

Furthermore, much of the faculty’s “housework” — months of searching for

potential faculty to join the university, reviewing documents, filing reports, addressing department issues — falls on women, Davis said.

“I think if you look at women both at home and at work, we’ve been kind of trained to be the ones who notice,” Ouellette said. “Someone spills

Enyedi sends email thanking custodians

BY JESSICA LANDMAN Staff Writer

SUNY Plattsburgh Pres ident Alexander Enyedi, as well as the student body and faculty mem bers, acknowledged Na tional Custodian Appre ciation Day Sept. 30.

Enyedi sent an email to everyone on campus to in form the community about National Custodian Appre ciation Day and encouraged people to go out of their way to thank the custodial staff at SUNY Plattsburgh:

“Today, on National Cus todian Appreciation Day, I encourage you to join me in acknowledging the dedication and hard work of those who keep our classrooms, workspaces and public facilities clean and maintained. Their es sential work impacts ev ery part of campus health and safety. And their daily efforts ensure that SUNY Plattsburgh remains a beautiful, functional cam

pus for students, faculty, staff and visitors, includ ing prospective students and their families.”

It was especially impor tant to Enyedi, after the pandemic, that the cus todians are appreciated.

During the pandemic, the custodians were still on campus cleaning the buildings to ensure that every student and staff member was safe during those uncertain times.

They showed up every day to help make the lives of everyone else on this campus better.

“Throughout the pan demic, our custodial staff reported to campus each day to maintain and clean our buildings,” Enyedi’s email stated. “Our return to in-person instruction has truly highlighted the importance of their work and their ongoing dedica tion to provide the highest quality service.”

There are 67 cleaners, janitors and supervisors

on campus. One employee, Kristie Daniels, works as a cleaner in Hood Hall.

Before working on cam pus, Daniels worked at a nursing home, but decided to leave that job and come to

SUNY Plattsburgh.

“My husband worked here before me, so I ap plied when they had open ings,” Daniels said.

She has now been em ployed at SUNY Platts burgh for seven years.

“We clean everything, like literally everything,” Daniels said. “Summers we do all the bedrooms, top to bottom. Everything gets disinfected. Everyday, cleaning bathrooms, floors, toilets, sinks, you know, all that stuff that you have to clean. There’s other stuff that we have to do. We get pulled to go do tarps for special events in Hawkins and stuff like that, but oth er than that, it’s just like normal cleaning.”

goop on the stove. Who in the household cleans up the goop? It’s probably not the man.” Davis and Ouellette said their students’ stress af fects them as well. Davis and Ouellette are busy “rooting for everyone” and trying to ensure their stu dents’ success academi cally and otherwise.

A campus employee who requested to remain anonymous “for fear of ret ribution” said “kind of ev erything” stresses him out about his job. He faces rig id deadlines, high expecta tions and a lack of support for what he needs. Al though he will eventually be able to access a vehicle or purchase parts he needs

for a project, it comes with a delay. He doesn’t always have the tools he needs. Sometimes, he buys parts out of pocket because he cannot afford to wait for the purchase to be ap proved, or buys the wrong part because he is un able to get the right one through the college.

“There’s really nobody that asks me what it is I need, so it’s up to the employee to find a way to solve all their own issues,” the employee said. “I often feel like I’m doing my job in spite of the college, not because of the college.”

McCoy Coleman tries her best to promote the em ployee assistance program, where campus employees can be informed, assessed and referred to appropri ate resources within the community for “any kind of problem.” McCoy Cole man also plans to work on programs encouraging mindfulness, healthy eat ing, self-care and resilience to help protect employees from stress.

“I’m trying to promote EAP because I think it’s a resource that’s under utilized, that the admin istration and labor [de partment] provides to our employees,” McCoy Cole man said.

Another option is tele health services, which come as part of employ ees’ health benefits. McCoy Coleman said telehealth may not be ev eryone’s first choice, but can be just as effective and more convenient as in-person counseling.

Market brings local businesses to campus

BY KENNEDY TAVARES Staff Writer

“Fall Festi-Ful” brought local businesses to campus in front of the Angell College Center at SUNY Plattsburgh Thursday Oct. 6.

“Fall Festi-Ful” is the largest collegiate farm ers market in the coun

try. Over 300 universities across the nation partici pate simultaneously in attempts to inform stu dents about the impor tance of agriculture and local farming.

Local vendors from around the state sold goods, dished out samples and provided information

to students about their businesses.

North Country Co-Op in Downtown Plattsburgh gave out samples of a tofu treat and a representative discussed the perks of join ing the Co-Op.

OLIVIA BOUSQUET/Cardinal Points

OLIVIA DAVIS/Cardinal Points

The campus bakery displays its baked goods at the Fall Festi-Ful farmers market.

Sept. 23

Broken eggs were reported on vehicles in Lot 18.

Sept. 28

Housing & Community Living reported fire ex tinguisher spray on furniture on the fifth floor of Moffitt Hall. Similar damage was found on the third floor as well. Investigation is still pending.

Sept. 30

A locksmith reported a lock core removed, po tentially stolen, from a door in Feinberg Library.

Oct. 8

University Police stopped a car with its head lights off. They discovered the person had been driving with a suspended license. The driver was ticketed and released.

Oct. 11

A student’s bicycle was stolen from Mason Hall. Investigation is still pending.

Weekly Memes

THANKS

Enyedi closed his email by writing, “Even beyond today, I ask that we contin ue to acknowledge these colleagues for their daily efforts in our classrooms, laboratories, academic buildings, residence halls, office spaces, study spac es, dining areas and pub lic facilities.

SUNY Platts

burgh’s custodial team is critical to our shared mis sion and our shared suc cess here at the college.”

Showing appreciation for those on and off cam pus who work to help im prove the quality of life and experiences for oth ers can go a long way in enhancing the environ ment for everyone at SUNY Plattsburgh and beyond.

Email JESSICA LANDMAN cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

CP

MARKET

Nelson’s Flower Shop sold single roses and bouquets, Blend from Clifton Park sold acai bowls and smoothies, as well as hot chocolate bombs.

Chartwells sold baked goods and gave out slices of pumpkin bread.

The Garden Club gave out vegetables like garlic and kale and gave out samples of kale chips made by Chartwells staff.

Jordan Shupe, the president of the Garden Club, be lieves the Garden Club’s involvement in the event is nec essary for students.

“The Garden Club is here today so students can be aware of us and take notice of the work we do on cam pus,” Shupe said. “Everything that we’re giving away to day was made fresh in our garden and a lot of students don’t know that.”

Kelsey Hulbert, the Chartwells market manager, was just one person who brought the event together, along with other Chartwells.

“It’s important for students to know where their food is coming from,” Hulbert said. “On our campus a lot of our food is local. A lot of students don’t know that.”

Another group that attended Fall Festi-Ful was Chart

wells Student Dining Ambassadors.

The student ambassadors are a new group established this semester that liaisons connections between the stu dents and the dining halls. Grace Ewing and Mckenna Braize are two students part of the student ambassadors program who attended the Fall Festi-Ful.

“We’re here to do social media and connect with stu dents and see if they like it and what foods they should try out,” Ewing said.

The student ambassadors aim to collect feedback from students in order to improve campus dining.

“Sometimes dining isn’t it, but it’s not for lack of try ing that’s part of this program, they’re trying to make sure students are getting what they want and that they feel heard,” Braize said.

The student ambassadors aside from being student liaisons to the dining halls also connect with incoming students to ask any question they might have about col lege life and what it takes to be successful academically.

“The faculty is amazing and they really just want to reach as many people as possible and make the food that we want. They love the students and just want to reach everyone. So this is one of their newer programs to help reach out to students,” Ewing said.

Email KENNEDY TAVARES cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

SA welcomes two new clubs

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News Editor

The Student Association Senate granted Fuerza: Black and Latinx Student Union an additional $429 to light up its annual His panic Heritage Banquet and approved two new clubs Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Senator Dineshreddy Channapareddy ex plained on behalf of Fuer za, the representatives of which were unable to at tend the meeting on time, that “due to a mixup” Event Management staff charged the club $679 for the use of sound and lighting equipment. The additional funds would make up the difference between the billed cost, which was slightly more than Fuerza had expect ed, and the $250 already in the club’s budget. The request for funding was unanimously approved.

Fuerza’s funding appli cation shows the club ini tially requested $450, not $429. While the amount the SA granted is not the same as Fuerza requested, it sufficiently covers the cost. The goal of the event, as described in the appli cation, is to celebrate the independence of Hispanic

countries “with a night to dress up and have a great time with Fuerza.”

The next items on the agenda were the approval of the Real Estate Invest ment Club and Her Campus for provisional club status.

The Real Estate Invest ment Club President Shane Westphelan said the club is for students interested in learning how to invest in real estate from guest speakers, simulation of purchases and books. Westphelan said the club would operate “like a book club,” with a book to read every month. The club’s constitution states the club is “strictly educational” and teaches the impor tance of real estate invest ing, as well as helps build connections with local real estate agents.

“We don’t actually buy real estate,” Westphelan said.

The club aims to have weekly meetings with high attendance. Westphelan said attendance was im portant to the club and will be taken at meetings.

“An official meeting will not take place unless the Executive Committee, as a whole, are in attendance, as well as at least 50% of the voting members,” the

club’s constitution states.

Westphelan said 50 peo ple have shown interest in the club at the involve ment fairs at the begin ning of the semester, and five people have shown interest through the daily Student Digest.

The SA unanimously granted Real Estate In vestment Club provisional club status.

Her Campus is an online publication operating in 11 countries and over 400 col lege campuses. In order to establish a chapter of Her Campus at SUNY Platts burgh, Aissatou Lo, chap ter president and also an SA senator, said she had to go through a process of interviews and acquiring 100 signatures from inter ested students. Lo said she received positive feedback from students.

Members of Her Campus are required to write at least one article per week to con tribute to the website. If a member does not fulfill their duties, they will be removed from the club. However, they may be added again in the future. Students may also receive one credit for their work for Her Campus as a practicum. Lo said Her Campus is different from Cardinal Points because it

does not focus on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus.

Her Campus was origi nally aimed at women in college, but has since ex panded its audience to in clude men as well. Lo said the club will not state “em power college women” as its mission.

Her Campus was ap proved for provisional club status in a vote of 13-0-1. Lo abstained from voting.

Next, the SA Senate ap proved Michael Casey as a member of the legislative review board. Casey spoke of his “many roles in stu dent government,” includ ing SUNY Adirondack and SUNY Student Assembly. Casey said he had experi ence writing legislation, including an opportunity to write New York State’s legislation. Casey was unanimously approved.

Provided by Jordan Shupe

Sarah Fabi, the treasurer of the Gardening Club, stands at the club’s table showcasing homegrown produce.

Fishing ethics in North Country

BY ROCCO GOLDEN

Fishing on the lake runs year-round, with ice fishing being prominent during the winter. Fishing is most popular dur ing the summer with many fishing tour naments taking place.

Among a smaller amount of people, there is a bit of controversy surrounding the fishing tournaments of Lake Cham plain. To most people there doesn’t seem to be any problems, it’s only when look ing behind the curtain when one might uncover the issues.

Now, like all things in life, there are pros and cons to the fishing tourna ments. There is certainly a lot of good that comes along to the area. Tourna ments are always good for local busi ness. It’s a great cultural event, and it demonstrates the lake’s superiority over many other places in the country. Lake Champlain has historically been one of the best places for fishing in the United States.

While there are a lot of pros to the fish ing tournaments, there are an equal, if not greater, amount of cons. First off, is expanded tourism really worth it?

It’s no surprise the North Country of New York, as well as the Vermont side of the lake, are not the most populous areas. With that being said though, the lake def initely gets its fair share of visitors every year. The lake sees fishermen from just about every state in the country, from Cal ifornia, Texas, Louisiana to New Jersey. Many Canadians also partake in fishing. This really begs the question of whether tourism is worth it. As a local resident and a frequent enjoyer of the lake for al most two decades, it’s easy to say the fish ers that come north for the tournaments are not exactly the best. If you’ve been a local fisher, or even a resident, the sud den influx of people during the summer can be a bit of a pain, especially if one is trying to enjoy some time on the lake.

A lot of locals have come to form some negative, but truthful, opinions on the matter of the fishing tournaments. Ethan Tisdale, a local resident of the lake and

now a student at St. Lawrence Universi ty, has come to have what seems to be a minority opinion on the topic.

“I’ve personally come to resent the bass tournaments of Lake Champlain,” Tisdale said. “The tournaments in late spring target breeding smallmouth who make nests that they will not leave. Fishermen will locate specific, big fish and will mark down the exact location. Lots of these fish die from accumulated stress.”

While not the worst thing in the world for the lake, extensive fishing during breeding seasons is not good for the fish population or the locals who may be robbed of a great season. According to a research article by the American Fisher ies Society, angling pressure during the spawning season can have negative ef

fects on the reproductive success of large mouth bass. About 90% of the bass aban doned their nest after being captured multiple times. Research was conducted regarding largemouth bass and how fish ing affects their spawning season.

On the topic of Lake Champlain, it’s important to realize that not all great things last forever. Extensive fishing will not be the best for the long term. There should be some more restrictions regard ing foreign fishermen that come in dur ing the summer. It really ends up hurt ing locals. The lake would be better off from an environmental standpoint, and without all the extra fishing or tourists during peak spawning seasons.

“I would not allow their tournaments to occur during the spawning season of the

fish,” Tisdale said about the tournaments.

“I would also lower the amount of boats allowed in the tournaments. There is no need for 100 or more boats to be fishing the lake competitively for two to three days several times a summer.”

This opinion of such a cultural staple of the lake may seem like a hot take, but in reality it’s going to end up gaining popu larity in the future. If the lake consistently gets overfished in the years to come, it won’t be good for local sentiment or opin ion. If you’ve loved the lake and the re gion as long as some, it may seem like a good idea to support some conservation of the resources and of the culture.

Email ROCCO GOLDEN cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

Dream unveils face, internet responds

BY BRYN FAWN

Dream, one of the largest Minecraft YouTubers of our lifetime, unveiled his appearance for the first time Oct. 2. Amassing 31 million subscribers as of yesterday, this event was history for the platform, on the same level as their yearly “rewinds.” It is unheard of for such large creators to have no face as sociated with them.

Dream had humble beginnings, up loading Minecraft videos for fun, until he blew up in 2020. He had even gained recognition by the platform YouTube, titling him with the number one “break out” creator of the year.

Dream grew popular with his “man hunt” videos, where his friends chased him down in the video game, in an at tempt to kill him, while he attempted to beat the game. It originally began with his friend GeorgeNotFound, but his cir cle of friends grew to include the likes of the late Technoblade, TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot and MrBeast.

Dream, along with GeorgeNotFound, began a Survival Multiplayer server in April 2020. The SMP was not just a serv er for friends to join in and play, how ever, as soon members began to create personas of themselves and roleplay, telling a story for their viewers as they streamed. This drew thousands of eyes to his content, especially those younger and in the tween demographic. The fan dom quickly exploded, creating fanart, fanfiction and animatics.

Yet, before his explosion into popu larity, Dream was a speedrunner. Speed running is the process of which one com pletes a video game as quickly as pos sible. There can be conditions applied, which creates categories for each video game. Dream was known for his Minecraft speedruns, claiming to hold the world re cord for the 1.14 edition of Minecraft.

In 2021, it then was news that Dream had cheated. Dream used a mod in his more recent speedrun, fudging the probability and chances of him obtain ing essential items. His fans were out raged and flocked to defend Dream. This is Dream’s hubris. Many online consider Dream’s fanbase to be toxic, and with many of them being younger,

their immaturity and lack of life expe riences leads them to make less-thanideal choices.

Dream, however, defends his fan base. He has made it known he is well aware that a diehard fandom of his size is extremely powerful. Dream also has made it known that he is aware that parasocial relationships, those where

someone views their idol as a friend in stead of a distant figure, are dangerous.

Dream still goes on to defend his fans’ behavior, and coddle them often.

This resulted in chaos when his face was unveiled.

ROLDNARDY NORELUS/Cardinal Points

Exercising your right to vote

The deadline for voter registration is today, Oct. 14, whether by mail, inperson or online. Those of age and of legal citizenship status should register as soon as possible if they have not yet registered. For New York residents, they can register online at the state’s website. It is simple and only takes a few minutes to fill out.

Midterm season is approaching, and voters can fill out their ballot Nov. 8 this year. This election, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 out of 100 seats in the Senate are up for elec tion. In New York, the position of state governor is also available. Kathy Hochul, who assumed governor after Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, is running for a full term. Hochul’s opposition is Lee Zeldin, a Republican.

Those who cannot vote should encour age their friends that are able to vote. Those who can vote should research possible candidates, their beliefs and what policies they plan to put into ac tion. SUNY Plattsburgh’s Department of Political Science held a panel Oct. 13 to discuss and provide information on the midterm election.

After the election of 2020, mail-in vot

ing grew in popularity. Mail-in ballots are available again this election season. To receive a mail-in ballot, a voter must request one by Oct. 24 and have it post marked or submitted in person by Nov. 8.

It is crucial that citizens of the United States exercise their right to vote. It is one of the few ways that we as people can take control of the policies put into place. We elect those who then elect Su preme Court Justices, but we cannot vote on Supreme Court Justices. It is integral to vote for ideal candidates and create a better future.

Many of-age and registered voters did not use their right in the presidential election of 2016. This led to the election of President Donald Trump. In the pro ceeding election, 17 million more peo ple filled their ballot, according to the government census. The 2020 election had voters realize the power they held, and made it evident that they no longer wanted Trump as a leader of their nation.

President Joe Biden’s win in 2020 was not solely a result of his campaigning or his prospected policies. It was due to mil lions of Americans realizing the power they held, and the new generation of able-voters. Sixty-six point eight percent

of registered voters voted in 2020, the highest turn out in the last two decades, according to the government census.

Vote for your future, your familys’ fu ture, your friends and everyone you care about. This is one of the few times where you can make an impact on politics, lo cal or federal. This is where your silence is broken. This is where you stand up for and support your peers who are unable to vote, whatever the circumstance may be. This is the time of year where you can be incredibly involved in your commu nity and even change it.

Remembering Indigenous history

BY BRYN FAWN Opinions Editor

Last weekend, many Platts burgh students eagerly migrat ed home for the long awaited Indigenous Peoples’ break. Many teachers canceled class es on Friday as well, permitting students to extend their break. Instagram, Facebook and Twit ter were filled with posts of stu dents’ time away and their fun activities. But, how does this relate to Indigenous people of the Americas at all?

The break took place, of ficially, from Oct. 8 to Oct. 11. Before the break, there was no email sent about the holiday. No message from President Enyedi and nothing in the stu dent digest. The closest was a schedule for the food venues on campus during break, most being closed aside from Clin ton Dining Hall.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day was originally denominated as Columbus Day, sharing the history of how the Ameri cas were “discovered.” His tory has been twisted over the years, clouding the truth. In actuality, it was more likely vikings who originally “dis covered” the Americas, but even then there were still In digenous people. There is still discussion and theorizing on how those indigenous people and their ancestors originally arrived to the Americas.

Gary Chambers, a Democrat running for United States’ Sen ate in the state of Louisiana, released a TikTok over the holiday weekend titled “His tory Repeats Itself.” The TikTok has a Black child sharing how Christopher Columbus is his hero, and then goes on to share facts like how Columbus killed thousands with disease and stole land from its people. The TikTok, while blunt in its mes

sage, has a lot of visual irony. A white teacher encourages the student, while the child him self is a minority well-known to have suffered at the hands of white people.

Chambers gives a small monologue at the end, stress ing how children need to be taught the truth or we run the risk of repeating history, cre ating more tragedies. There is comfort in naivety, but there is strength in truth.

SUNY Plattsburgh did spread awareness for Black Solidar ity Day. However, posters were hung in the Angell College Cen ter and many billboards along campus. A student digest was released Oct. 5 that gave infor mation on the event. It is the first of a hopefully yearly event, occurring on the first Monday in November.

“This is a day to meditate on

the meaning of social justice and civic engagement in what could be a multi-racial democ racy.” was mentioned in the section of the student digest.

While there was no discus sion for Indigenous people in America, it is not a competi tion to compare oppression for these minorities. It is great that campus is moving in this pro gressive direction and giving space for discussions such as these each year.

With a major highlight on Black students, it leads some to question the attitude to ward other minorities and how their events, good and bad, are swept under the rug. Of course campus has organizations such as Title IX for bigoted ac tions, but it is rather ridiculous to require an act of hate to start a discussion.

The break, of course, should

to have a problem with that.” This user is dragging previous scandals back to the limelight to justify the ridicule of Dream’s looks.

have been relaxing and joyful, but as Chambers made evi dent: history will repeat itself if we allow it to. We cannot turn a blind eye to the misdeeds of the past, and allow space and cre ate one if we must for discus sion. Give the microphone to these affected minorities, allow them to share their thoughts.

Bureau of Indian Affairs stat ed on their page regarding the murders and disappearances of Indigneous people: “Sta tistics show us that approxi mately 1,500 American Indian and Alaska Native missing persons have been entered into the National Crime Informa tion Center throughout the U.S. and approximately 2,700 cases of Murder and Nonnegligent Homicide Offenses have been reported to the Federal Govern ment’s Uniform Crime Report ing Program. In total, there are approximately 4,200 missing and murdered cases that have gone unsolved.”

Four thousand two hundred voices left silenced, and many more to be discovered. Disap pearances are a shockingly scary common occurrence, with police left twiddling their thumbs and leaving these cas es to fall cold. Women are the common demographic target ed as well.

Next Indigenous Peoples’ Day, it would be wise to take time to remember why it ever became a holiday in the first place, and who it is truly meant to celebrate. Spend time with family, enjoy a break from studies and exams but don’t forget where this nation started, who’s home this con tinent used to be and what we can do to make the world bet ter day by day.

Award

Dream uploaded a video titled “hi, I’m Dream.” Oct. 2. The video originally premiered, meaning those who tuned in could not skip to the fateful moment when Dream lowered the mask. At 1 minute and 18 seconds, his face was re vealed. His appearance was nothing out of the ordinary. Dream is a white man with curly brown hair and hazel eyes. He has a pronounced chin and cheeks, but nothing beyond ordinary. No one would pick him out of a crowd of people.

Twitter exploded.

The hashtag “HESUGLY” blew up on Twitter, with thousands of people mocking Dream’s appearance. Memes overflowed from users’ dashes. Many compared Dream to popular horror char acters or fictional characters with unap pealing appearances.

User aqua tweeted “‘u guys r so mean for calling him ugly’ hes more than just ‘mean’ for being racist, ableist and a pedophile but u definitely dont seem

Dream is not a saint, nor has he a clean history, but it is not an excuse to ridicule a man. It takes a lot to reveal your appearance to the internet, and it’s an action not easily undone, espe cially a creator of his size. There has to have been a reason Dream hid behind a smiley face for so long, and to receive never ending jokes and dissections of his face does not bode well for his men tality going forward.

Dream has not made any posts since Oct. 2, on his YouTube channel nor his Twitter. The last tweet he posted is pictures of him with his friends. The ridicule is deafening. Another trending hashtag is “PutTheMaskBackOn” with countless memes and insults of Dream’s appearance instead of his character.

Dream is not a stand-up individual, nor is he one to idolize or make one’s hero, with a history of using his platform to attack his detractors, or kindling a toxic parasocial relationship with his young fans, but needless to say all this discus sion dissolves to playground bullying be

considered genuinely

does not

Spring 2018, four Marks of Distinction

Spring 2016, five Marks of Distinction

Spring 2014, four Marks of Distinction

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Spring 2011, four Marks of Distinction

Fall 2010, five Marks of Distinction

Fall 2009, four Marks of Distinction

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Fall 2002, four Marks of Distinction

four Marks

Fall

ACP

There is sometimes a long waitlist to see professionals in the North Country region.

The anonymous employee said he started working with EAP 6 months ago and has been utilizing tele health services through the school-provided insurance UnitedHealthcare once a week for at least 18 months.

“Not to be too much of a salesperson, but there’s not even a copay,” the employee said. “It’s fantastic.”

He said the services have been “really helpful.”

“Is it enough? No,” he said. “I don’t know what is enough.”

However, he credits his union, United University Pro fessionals, for providing him with the resources to man age his mental health, and not the college.

“The college is not giving me this, this is something that I think is a result of my union,” the employee said. “I could be wrong.”

The employee also said the resources available to him do not actually make his job easier.

“Ultimately what these resources do is make me more resilient so I can put up with all the crap,” he said. “But in the end, it’s still crap, so it doesn’t actually make my life any better.”

What would fundamentally change the way he feels on the job, he said, is realistic expectations and com munication with employees in order to make manage able goals. Without realistic expectations and achiev able goals, he ends his days “feeling further in a hole, every day, than at the beginning of the day.”

“Here’s the big thing: it won’t cost anything,” he said.

Realistic expectations paired with the proper tools and equipment would help provide solutions to the problems the employee faces on his job, especially in his interactions with students.

“For me, since I work with students, that’s a priority, and it’s a part of my job that I really enjoy,” he said. “So that there’s always a balance between trying to achieve a specific goal and trying to educate students.”

McCoy Coleman said “it makes sense” that the col lege puts its focus on students’ mental health: “Stu dents are the focus of why we’re all here.”

Davis and Ouellette said they have a supportive community of faculty and women on campus to help tackle problems. Ouellette spoke of finding things about her work that bring her joy, as well as finding a balance between home and work life. Davis and Ouel lette also listed some of their hobbies that help them relieve stress: reading, pilates and yoga.

McCoy Coleman has many initiatives planned, includ ing mobile self-care events appearing in various spots on campus still in the works. Confirmed upcoming EAP events include an open house at Beaumont 410 from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19 and a week later, a virtual and in-person discussion about faculty and staff mental health called “The Elephant in the (Class)room”

from noon to 12:45 p.m. McCoy Coleman is also work ing on establishing a campus well-being committee “to focus on generating well-being on our campus amongst employees” to meet quarterly starting November.

McCoy Coleman’s goal is to fight the stigma associ ated with the discussion of mental health. To contrib ute to the campus conversation on mental health, she talks about her struggles with depression and anxiety when appropriate.

“Stigma is real,” McCoy Coleman said. “It doesn’t feel great to talk about [mental health] with other people. There’s a lot of shame involved.”

Davis and Ouellette said they start classroom dis cussions about both their and students’ mental health “as a way to model.” Davis said she asks her graduatelevel students to call her out when she agrees to some thing that would be to her detriment so they can learn from her mistakes.

“I am pretty famous for an inability to say no, and there are a lot of us that we know each other because we show up. We say yes, and sometimes it’s to our own detriment because we may not have any more bandwidth to play with, but will still say yes,” Davis said. “I do point that out to my students and I say, ‘Call me on it. Point out when you see me at too many things. You call me on it, and I will call you on it.’”

However, to some, speaking out about issues they face at their job can result in losing it.

“I was pretty, I think, vocal about being stressed out at work, and I still am, but I was a little tempered by reading about some places that were firing people who seemed to have mental health problems. I guess it wasn’t really that I expected that here, but on the other hand, I don’t know,” the anonymous employee said. “I need this job. So in the end, whatever hap pens, I don’t feel like I have a lot of options but to just suck it up.”

He said the work culture on campus is not geared toward opening up about mental health and instead “geared toward silence.”

“We call it efficiency, we have all these names for it, but really what it is is ‘get in line, stay in line, do what you’re told, get it done,’” the employee said. “We’ve created a whole mythology around that: if you’re a per son who can get it done, you’re a hero. You strive for those things, but at what expense? I think it’s slowly turning around to where there’s a knowledge that we’re allowed to have lives outside of work, and I may be speaking more of my own personal journey here.”

Another problem with the mental health of college staff is that there is close to no research on it.

“You could just type in ‘student mental health’ and you’ll be bombarded with research, but there’s not much for faculty and practically nothing for staff mental health,” McCoy Coleman said.

Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

SA

When it came time for her report, SA President Taiba Azeem compliment ed the Senate on their new 60th legislation polos. Almost all senators at the meeting were wearing the uniform, a black polo shirt with the words “60th Leg islation” embroidered on the chest area to the wear er’s right and an SA logo to the wearer’s left.

Azeem summarized the SA’s activity for the week, focusing on goals in stu dent involvement and engagement, encourag ing students to attend the Black Solidarity Day teachin Nov. 7 and reestablishing a Title IX office on campus.

Azeem said she attended the Faculty Senate meeting that Tuesday. While profes sors were encouraged to be lenient on their students and offer extra credit for Black Solidarity Day, there was “no sign” of canceling classes for the day.

As for Title IX, Azeem said the college is in the process of hiring a Title IX officer.

The SA Executive Coun cil and senators collec tively spend 88 hours a week working “just for the SA,” Azeem calculat ed. She spoke of holding the SA accountable and “making sure those are productive hours.”

Many senators did not have a report to share at that meeting. Those who did brought up issues of environmental sustainabil ity and class participation.

Senator Endalkachew Abebe said he was working on environmental projects that could be implemented on campus and the City of Plattsburgh. Abebe said he is working with clubs and considering reaching out to other schools.

Channapareddy said the finance board is looking for more members.

Senator Munashe Chi kukwa said he spoke with Raymond Carman, Faculty Senate chair and political science professor, and un covered several issues pro fessors are facing. Carman reported low attendance and participation in class, whether due to sickness or “something benign,” which was something Chi kukwa said he will be ad dressing. Students are also not fully utilizing campus resources such as office hours and the Learning Center, Chikukwa said.

Senator Djeneba Sy gave an update on her idea to use TikTok as a platform for the SA. She said a TikTok was made last year, but never used. A week later, the SA has already posted its first video on @saplattsburgh.

This Week in Photos: Navratri

Above: A shrine to the goddess Durga.

Above: Mansi Mandanka, Alexander and Andrea Enyedi and Dhir Jain pose in front of the shrine.

To the left: Students stood barefoot around the shrine in prayer.

Club International celebrated Navratri, an annual Hindu festival marking the triumph of good over evil, Oct. 6.

Anyone, regardless of ethnicity, was encouraged to join the lively dancing.

Photos by Aleksandra Sidorova

Men’s hockey previews new season

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH & LIAM SAMPLE Associate & Sports Editor

The Plattsburgh Cardinals men’s ice hockey team begins its 2022-23 campaign with an exhibition game Oct. 15 against the Castleton Spartans at home. Another exhibition game will be played Oct. 21 in Colchester, Vermont, against the Saint Michael’s Purple Knights. The team begins its of ficial season Oct. 28, and the team has high expectations going into this year.

“Expectations for this year are, for sure, No. 1 is a national champion ship, a SUNYAC Championship,” se nior captain Mitchell Hale said. “But I think as a group we’ve just got to take it one game, one weekend at a time.”

The 2021-22 Cardinals, who fin ished with a 15-8-3 overall record, had its season come to a sudden and disappointing end. Platts burgh came into the SUNYAC play offs on a five-game win streak, finishing 11-4-1 in the conference, good for the third seed.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Cardinals hosted the No. 6 Brockport Golden Eagles (14-11-2). Plattsburgh quickly recovered from a 1-3 deficit, scoring five goals in the second period to take a 6-3 lead. Brockport respond ed with three unanswered goals in the third period to send the game to over time. The Golden Eagles secured the win eight minutes into extra time.

“We, for sure, have a lot of com

petitors on the team and I know that loss did not sit well with a lot of us. I know a bunch of us sat in the locker room after that game for a good hour and didn’t even get undressed, just trying to think of what went wrong,” Hale said. “We can only look forward from here and it definitely puts a chip on our shoulder.”

The offseason brought change for the Cardinals’ roster. The team gradu ated three players and lost multiple players to the transfer portal. The most notable of which was junior Joey Mancuso, who tied to lead the team in points last season with 28 from 13 goals and 15 assists. Junior Anthony Del Tufo, the team’s most-played goal tender, transferred as well.

Plattsburgh welcomed nine new players, including seven first-year stu dents and two transfers. Junior Ryan Butler joins the Cardinals from reign ing Division III Champion Adrian Col lege, where he recorded 12 points in 27 games played in his final season as a Bulldog. The other transfer, graduate student Kyle Alaverdy, comes from Castleton University where he led the team in minutes in the net.

“We expect, how we recruit, is our guys to come in and make an impact. It’s the question, is it an immediate im pact or is it an impact down the line? Is it next semester, is it next year?’” Head Coach Steve Moffat said. “When do they make that impact? That’s really up to them and how they can adapt to college hockey.”

As for the returning personnel, sev en defenders from last year’s squad remain with the team. The defensive unit now consists of sophomore Jag ger Benson, senior Jacob Modry, firstyear Spencer Bellina, junior Kevin Weaver-Vitale, graduate student captain Matt Araujo, senior assistant captain Ryan Hogg, sophomore Jack Ring, first-year Brannon Butler and junior Cory Doney.

Modry led the defenders in points with 18 and earned a spot on the AllSUNYAC Third Team. Araujo, who also served as captain last season, was named to the All-SUNYAC Second Team. Plattsburgh looks to improve on last season’s 3.06 goals allowed per game. Araujo said the defensive core has looked good early on and hopes they can “pull it all together and get the ball rolling” to start the season.

The offensive core boasts 16 for wards this season, with 11 returning players to five newcomers. Players currently on the roster include ju nior Thomas Maia, first-year Joshua Belgrave, first-year Ryan Bonfield, junior Trey Thomas, junior assistant captain Bennett Stockdale, Butler, first-year Colin Callanan, senior Brendan Young, senior assistant captain Adam Tretowicz, junior Paul Bryer, Hale, first-year Ryan Suther land, junior Carson Gallagher, soph omore Luk Jirousek, sophomore Jake Lanyi and senior Marcus Mitchell.

MHKY

Women’s soccer graduates drive conference wins

BY LIAM SAMPLE Sports Editor

The Plattsburgh Cardi nals women’s soccer team (8-5-1) continued to climb out of the poor start to the conference season last weekend. Its deadly duo of graduate students Allison Seidman and Kirsten Vil lemaire stayed hot, as they continued to offensively punish other teams in the SUNYAC Conference.

The Cardinals started conference play 0-3-1, which has turned the re maining games on the SU NYAC schedule into must wins. After going on the road to beat Brockport 2-0 Oct. 1 for its first confer ence win, a game where Se idman scored both goals, the team returned home to take on the rival Oswego State Lakers (7-4-2) Oct. 8. Oswego sat above Platts burgh in the conference standings, which made the three points earned with a win crucial for both sides.

“We came in knowing what we had to do. I mean every game’s kind of like a championship game at this point,” Villemaire said. She was later named SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Week.

Plattsburgh started the game with different per sonnel on the field. Ju nior Nora Fitzgerald was moved to offense, her first time playing up top in her collegiate career, while ju nior Zoe Rice played on the defensive wing. Rice was making her first collegiate start after getting incon sistent time on the field to begin her career.

“I had my coaches meet ing with [Whitney Frary] and she said ‘always be prepared to be on the field,’ and then the next day we get the start ing lineup and I’m on it,” Rice said. “I was very, very nervous, but I knew what to do. I just had to go out there and prove that I should be out there basically.”

Rice said the team was supportive throughout her transition into a starter, and have consistently “hyped her up.” Rice played alongside juniors Kayla Myers, Katie Steven son, and Casey Granger, who are the top three play ers minute-getters for the Cardinals this season and have contributed to the team’s 1.08 average goals allowed per game.

Oswego came into this game off a 0-0 to the Gen eseo Knights and was looking to get the offense back on the track. Howev er, it was Plattsburgh who struck first.

Men’s soccer takes rivalry win

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH

Sports Editor

Nothing is sweeter than taking down your biggest rival on its home turf, ex cept for doing so with a playoff berth on the line.

The Plattsburgh Cardi nals men’s soccer team (6-4-2) beat the Oswego Lakers (4-6-2) 2-1 Oct. 8.

Senior Juan Velez, who is tied for the team’s sec ond most goals, missed

the match because of un specified family matters.

The absence was brief, as he was back for Platts burgh’s game the next week. The win ended a recent 0-2-1 slide and pre vented the Lakers from jumping the Cardinals in the SUNYAC standings.

Plattsburgh now stands at fourth in the confer ence, accumulating eight points from a 2-2-2 record.

The Cardinals’ last three games included a 1-1 tie on

the road against the Pots dam Bears (4-4-4), which came off the momentum of 2-0 home victory against the Geneseo Knights (7-42), and a 1-2 loss at home against the Brockport Golden Eagles (8-1-4).

Headed into this past weekend, the Cardinals knew that the Lakers were the win that it need ed to revitalize its season.

Plattsburgh has an extensive history with Oswego on every field

the schools compete on. This win extends the Cardinals’ men’s soc cer undefeated streak to 11 straight seasons with no losses to the Lakers. The two teams’ all-time record is now 33-15-5 in Plattsburgh’s favor.

The victory last Satur day was especially sour, as it kept Oswego from earning its first home win of this season.

After the 17-minute mark, sophomore Perri Anderson misplayed a goal kick that Villemaire intercepted in the air and dribbled into the far cor ner. She sent a cross into the goal box and graduate student Allison Seidman rushed to the ball, deflect ing it past Anderson to put Plattsburgh up 1-0.

“I think it was just all about timing. I started my run a little bit before, but I wasn’t sure where the cross was going to land,” Seid man said. “Fortunately, it was the perfect timing where I just ran into it and kind of stomached it into the goal. It was pretty sick.

This was Seidman’s

fifth goal of the season, which is the team lead, and third in the last two conference games. Ville maire tallied her fifth assist on the year.

The teams ended the half with the same score and the Cardinals leading 7-3 in shots.

Into the second half, Oswego did battle, record ing two chances after the 10-minute mark, but it was again Plattsburgh who set the tone.

Graduate student Sam Spear started the play by stealing a lateral pass from Oswego in midfield.

She passed it to Ville maire, who sent it deep into the offensive zone.

Seidman chased after the ball, with Oswego trying to play it in the air, but the graduate student pres sured the Lakers to send another pass backward. Villemaire charged hard, picked off the opposing pass, and made her way into the penalty area. She made a last-minute cut to make a Laker defender fall and shot it into the left side of the goal for her sec ond goal in two games.

“I have been trying to take it more towards the middle, toward the net,” Villemaire said. “Instead of just shooting from a distance, trying to dribble more into the net and tak ing my shot closer to the goal. It finally worked.”

Now with a two goal lead, Plattsburgh’s defense along with sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Haley held down the Lakers to win the game in an important conference win. Oswego took only six shots, with Haley mak ing three saves in her third straight shutout.

“I definitely didn’t expect us to have a shutout, but I’m really proud of us and we worked hard,” Seidman said. “I think we all knew that we needed that out come and that’s why we got it because we just put it all out there.”

For the team’s graduate students and seniors who are graduating, pending playoffs, this could be their last matchup versus Oswe go. Seidman said that she scored or assisted in every game she played against the Lakers and continuing that trend into this game was “pretty cool.” Against a significant rival, she said it was important that she could contribute in all of her career matchups.

The next day, the team had an afternoon non con ference game against No. 5 Williams Smith Herons (9-12.) This game represented a homecoming for Spear and Frary. Spear played for Wil liam Smith for three seasons and Frary played four years there, graduating in 2013 before pursuing a coaching career that eventually led her to Plattsburgh.

Against such a strong op ponent, the defense was pressured right from the first possession. Senior for ward Julia Dimenna scored two in 20 minutes. In dra matic fashion, Spear scored off a corner kick to cut the deficit down to one for her second of the season. The Herons tallied one more with 90 seconds left in the half to take a 3-1 lead.

RYAN NISTA/Cardinal Points

Junior Paul Bryer (25) and sophomore Luk Jirousek (29) participate in a drill during the team’s first practices.

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Brian Coughlan (14) passes from inside the arc. Coughlan is tied for second in the conference for assists with seven.

Schedule/Results

Men’s Soccer Tennis

Women’s Soccer Volleyball

Country

Cardinal Stats

Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer

Standings

School SUNYAC Record

Brockport 6-0-1 8-1-5

Cortland 4-0-2 10-3-2

Oneonta 3-2-1 8-2-2

New Paltz 3-2-1 6-4-3

Plattsburgh 2-3-2 6-5-2

Oswego 2-3-2 5-6-2

Geneseo 1-2-3 7-4-3

Fredonia 1-4-2 2-8-3

Buffalo State 1-4-1 3-6-4

Potsdam 0-3-3 5-4-4

Women’s Soccer

School SUNYAC Record

Cortland 5-0-1 9-1-3

Geneseo 5-0-1 8-3-2

New Paltz 5-2-0 8-3-1

Plattsburgh 3-3-1 8-5-1

Brockport 3-3-1 4-6-3

Oswego 2-2-2 7-4-3

Potsdam 2-4-1 6-7-1

Buffalo State 1-3-2 6-4-3

Fredonia 0-4-2 2-6-4

Oneonta 0-5-1 2-8-1

Tennis

School SUNYAC Record

New Paltz 7-0 7-1

Oneonta 6-1 7-2

Cortland 4-2 6-3

Geneseo 4-3 4-5 Plattsburgh 3-4 2-5

Brockport 2-5 2-8

Oswego 1-6 1-8

Fredonia 0-6

MHKY

“I think we’re go ing to be pretty fast. I think that’s been the trend, in the last few years we’ve gotten faster. I think we have some offensive ability, so that’s always excit ing. It is always fun to know that you can get the run sup port, so to speak, ” Moffat said. “I hope if we’re having this conversation, that at the end of the year I can tell you that it was our team defense, not our [individual] defen semen or our [indi vidual] goalies, and making sure we got better there.”

Hale also said that speed is a strength of this team and that the offense is “loaded.”

Stockdale tied Mancuso last sea son in total points, recording 28 from 14 goals and 14 assists on 101 shots. Among returning play ers, Gallagher and Thomas tied in shot percentage at .263. Plattsburgh ranked second in the con ference in goals per game, with 4.31 and 112 overall.

Araujo and Hale said that Stockdale and Gallagher, who played on the same line together dur ing last season, have looked strong in practice. Both of them also praised Butler in his first sessions with the team. Hale added that Bryer, who was left off the lineup in the team’s playoff game last season, has been staying on the ice after his teammates to work on his game.

The Cardinals are carrying three goal tenders on its roster this season, includ

ing Alaverdy, firstyear Eli Shiller and sophomore Jacob Hearne.

“I really think the three [goalies], they’ve shown a lot of good chemis try with each other and pushing each other and good ca maraderie there,” Moffat said. “The challenge [is] who’s going to be the num ber one guy? If we have a number one guy, maybe we have three number ones.”

Hearne, the only returning goal tender, started six games last season and played in eight, allowing 19 total goals and record ing a save percent age of .890. Hearne took over the start ing job late in the season, starting his first game with less than a month until playoffs. He went on to win five straight games, before reg istering his first loss against Brockport in the playoffs.

During his senior season, Alaverdy al lowed 49 goals in 15 games played for a save percentage of .913, while averag ing over 34 saves a game. The gradu ate student played in the tough New England Hockey Conference, which contained six of the top 20 teams nation ally, according to the Pairwise Rank ing from Feb. 27.

Araujo said the team feels “tighter” this year as the team is beginning to get closer. Three of the team’s captains, Tretowicz, Hale and Araujo lived togeth er over the summer.

“I’m feeling old. I’m just kidding,” Araujo said. “I feel good, we worked out all summer, kind of pushing each other all sum mer to get better, get stronger in the gym [and] on ice. We worked hard

all summer so it’s looking good for us, we’re in shape and we’re ready to go. It’s just a matter of translating it to these younger guys and throwing them into the ropes.”

Hale also said he feels “good” and “healthy” going into the season. He said that the roommates ate well during the summer, as Arau jo’s mother cooked meals for them.

The current SU NYAC Champi ons, the Geneseo Knights, are the team to beat this season. It finished as runner-ups in the Division III Playoffs and currently rank at No. 2 nationally in the United States College Hockey On line preseason poll.

The SUNYAC Pre season Poll ranked Plattsburgh No. 3, above Cortland and behind Geneseo and Oswego.

The Cardinals first hit the ice Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. for its annual two 10 minute period Red/White scrim mage for its alumni weekend. For the first time, it will be hosting a skills challenge prior to the game. Players will compete to de termine the fast est skater, hardest shooter, best puck handler and best breakaway player.

Significant com petitors include Gallagher in fastest skater, Araujo in hardest shot, Ring in puck control, and Stockdale in best breakaway.

Plattsburgh will then play exhibi tion and non-con ference games until the SUNYAC season begins Nov. 4 in Os wego. The team has its first home con ference game Nov. 11 against Brock port.

“When that game [against Brockport]

does come, we’re definitely going to be ready and want some revenge,” Hale said. “[The team is] just hoping to get some fans in the stadium. I know we’re trying to get more students to go to the games. I know all the people in the town and the older fans are excited. We’re just looking forward to seeing everybody and pro ducing for them.”

The Cardinals will participate in two tournaments during the season. It visits Northfield, Vermont, Nov. 25 to compete in the FirstLight Shoot out and are sched uled to play the Middlebury Pan thers. It will then play either the Nor wich Cadets or the Aurora Spartans.

Plattsburgh will then host the Car dinal Winter Clas sic Jan. 6, where it is scheduled to play the Wen tworth Leopards and then one of the Potsdam Bears or the Oswego Lakers.

The Cardinals’ regular season con cludes Feb. 15 and the SUNYAC tour nament begins Feb. 22. Plattsburgh, who last won the SU NYAC in 2017, aims to improve on last year’s finish.

“We’re a team that’s built around having four really good lines. We’re not a one kind of trick pony or a one line team. We have four,” Moffat said. “We have high ex pectations coming into the season. Everybody’s obvi ously excited. Ev erybody has high expectations.”

Volleyball

Tennis

Volleyball

School SUNYAC Record

Cortland 7-0 13-4

Brockport 4-1 14-5 New Paltz 4-1 15-2

Buffalo State 3-2 10-6 Oswego 4-3 15-8

Fredonia 2-3 4-14

Geneseo

7-6 Oneonta 1-4

Potsdam 1-5 10-8 Plattsburgh

4-11

WSOC

With under a minute left and the team on another corner kick, Rice created some magic of her own. Rice took the corner and the ball was immediately redirected out of the goal box, where Myers passed it back to Rice, who took a shot from deep outside the penalty area that ma jestically went into the net. This was Rice’s first collegiate goal and put the Cardinals back into the game.

“That’s a shot that [is] my sweet spot. In high school, I got three goals from that exact same shot,” Rice said. “I knew there was a minute left, so I was just like, ‘shoot it.’ I saw it go in, I was just so shocked.”

The second half was a different story, as Platts burgh let up four straight to eventually lose 2-6.

“We knew going in that it was going to be a hard game. I mean, they’re ranked fifth, it was more of, looking back at it now, a learning experience. That’s what Coach [Frary] said too” Villemaire said. “We played pretty well and then we got to the point where they were just ping ing the passes around us.”

Plattsburgh then trav eled to Oneonta Oct. 12 to take on the Red Dragons.

Despite the midweek road game, the Cardinals ral lied, scoring two goals in the 80th and 82nd min ute. Fitzgerald opened the scoring, stunning the goal keeper off a penalty kick for her first goal since tran siting to forward.

“Nora [Fitzgerald] is a beast wherever she is. Hav ing the three of us up there, I feel like it is going to be unstoppable,” Villemaire said. “I like when she’s up there because she just works, she’s a work-horse.”

Rice scored her second in two games, again off an im probable shot from outside

the penalty area. Platts burgh went on to win 2-0, Haley, who made the start, picked up her fourth shut out in five games to build a 6-2-1 record in nine starts. With this conference win, the Cardinals move back to .500 in the confer ence with a 3-3-1 record. It sits tied for fourth place with Brockport, both teams have 10 points.

The Cardinals stay on the road, as the team plays Fredonia Oct. 15. Fredonia is near the bot tom of the conference standings and is an op portunity for Plattsburgh to continue to rise the SU NYAC Standings.

“We just have to stay fo cused. It’s all about stay ing focused because the second you lose that fo cus, something can hap pen,” Seidman said. “Es pecially right now since we’re fighting for that spot, we just got to do what we got to do.”

RYAN NISTA/Cardinal Points

Bennett Stockdale (15) skates during practice. He lead the team in goals last season.

RYAN NISTA/Cardinal Points

Kirsten Villemaire (13) moves laterally across the field. She has five assists on the year.

Tennis wins two of three, misses playoffs

BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH & LIAM SAMPLE Associate & Sport Editor

The Plattsburgh wom en’s tennis team traveled to the Binghamton Ten nis Center to play its last three conference games of the season, taking on three opponents in three days from Oct. 6 to Oct 8.

The stretch of games would determine the re sult of its SUNYAC sea son. The Cardinals (6-5) won two matches, but fell to the Geneseo Knights (4-5) by one game Oct. 7.

Plattsburgh finished the weekend eliminated from the playoffs, just shy of a postseason berth. For the second straight season, Plattsburgh finished fifth in the SUNYAC standings, one spot out of qualifying.

“We really were just ex cited. We wanted to show ourselves, wanted to prove ourselves and we were so close to getting the SUNY AC [playoffs] at that point,” senior Cydney Bond said.

“We just needed to win, it was right there. We were just pumped up. We want ed to show everyone what we have and don’t under estimate Plattsburgh.”

The Cardinals began its trip by taking on the Brock port Golden Eagles (2-8), who sat below Plattsburgh in the SUNYAC standings. Both teams were in desper ate need of a win in a tight race for a playoff bid.

“Once [the team] real ized how close we were to playoffs, there was defi nitely a shift in energy,” Head Coach Kelci Henn said. “It really lit the fire under them and the en ergy was very apparent. We were hungry during practices, to put it lightly. It was definitely much more of a competitive edge that they had. They were ready to go, they were more active on their feet, they were kind of re ally taking in everything we said, every criticism.”

Plattsburgh wasted no time setting a precedent and winning two of its doubles matches. Bond and junior Sara Benowitz, who were paired together for the first time this sea son after junior Hallie Hurwitz missed games because of illness, fell to Brockport’s top duo.

The Cardinals respond ed by taking the next dou bles match, with senior

Alyana Leandry and junior Jackie Svantner picking up their second straight win together. Junior sisters Ni cole and Samantha Svant ner put together a shutout, winning 8-0.

In singles, Plattsburgh kept its momentum. Af ter Bond dropped her match to Brockport junior Eliza Gonzalez, the team won the next five singles matches and capped it off with Leandry winning the tiebreaker third set against first-year Golden Eagle Olivia Raschiatore.

The Cardinals took the match 8-2 and were just one game behind .500 in conference play. The next match was the biggest of its season. It took on Gen eseo, who occupied the fi nal playoff spot with a 3-2 record. A Plattsburgh win would have tied the teams in the SUNYAC stand ings with one conference game left each.

Plattsburgh started with a win over the Knights, when Nicole and Samantha Svantner beat Geneseo’s third doubles pair 8-1, an other big win by the pair. The Cardinals dropped the next two doubles matches to make the score 1-2.

The Cardinals began to fight back when Jackie Svantner won her singles game to tie the match. The Knights turned the tides quickly, winning the next three straight singles matches. Despite a close fi nal set, Geneseo senior Ky lie Seiler edged out Lean dry to clinch the match for the Knights. Benowitz and Nicole Svantner won their singles match to make the overall score a 4-5 loss. Last season, Geneseo beat Plattsburgh 9-0.

“It was really cool to see the progression. It’s hard in tennis to see, ‘alright, are we getting better?’ The scores show. That was probably my favorite mo ment,” Bond said.

Plattsburgh didn’t only lose the game, but also a chance to compete in the playoffs. The Cardinals kept its head high as they took on the Fredonia Blue Devils (0-12) the next day.

Plattsburgh started the day with yet another win from Nicole and Saman tha Svantner, who were undefeated in doubles in the weekend. Leandry and Jackie Svantner picked up a win of their own. Bond and Benowitz dropped

their match in nip and tuck fashion, losing 6-8.

In singles, Plattsburgh controlled play. Benowitz, Nicole Svantner and Jack ie Svantner, all won their matches to go undefeated in singles play throughout the weekend.

“[Henn] said she was so proud of us,” Benowitz said. “We aren’t normally allowed to have sweets the day before a match and we were able to get milkshakes at the one place we wanted to.”

For her efforts, Benowitz was awarded as one of two “Cardinals of the Week” by the SUNY Plattsburgh Athletic Department.

“I like to look up who I’m playing,” Benowitz said. “Hitting up with a better player helps me get into that mindset of ‘you can do this’ and heading with big people who hit bigger. I was learning how to read the ball well.”

Bond got her first sin gles win of the weekend against Fredonia’s top sin gles player, senior Bella Surma. Leandry and Bond are the team’s only seniors and finish with 3-4 and 2-4 singles conference re cords, respectively.

“The last couple of matches, they all rushed the court every time one of their teammates won,” Henn said. “The team spirit was just felt by all of them and we got compliments across the board from all the other coaches about how we carried ourselves.”

The Cardinals finished its conference season with a 3-4 record, iden tical to last season. The team came home and beat the Russell Sage Ga tors (5-8) by a score of 5-4 Oct. 12. Plattsburgh takes on Saint Michael’s Purple Knights (0-7) Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. in its final match of the season.

“I think from last year to this year, we’ve made so many improvements and it’s really clear. I can tell the girls put the work in over the sum mer,” Henn said. “We’re just getting smarter, we’re getting faster and I’m very excited to see what we can do next year.”

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Graduate student Trey Ekert and sophomore John Hayes, both assisted by sophomore Brian Coughlan, scored Platts burgh’s points. Haye’s goal ties him with Velez for second-most on the team, and Coughlan ex tends his lead in assists with seven. Sophomore Teddy Healy saved three goals in addition to the one he allowed.

The win didn’t come easy. For the first half of the game, the Cardinals were searching for a spark on offense. By the half, Os wego held a 1-0 lead despite be ing outshot by Plattsburgh 4-6.

Five different Cardinals took shots, but only one was on tar get. The lone shot on goal was taken by senior Cole Weiner and saved by Oswego first-year Andre Bourjolly.

Plattsburgh’s lack of scoring was reminiscent of last week’s

stretch of games. Allowing a goal to Laker senior Ryan Young put the Cardinals in a familiar deficit.

“You’re down 1-0, we saw this game as a cup final a little bit with our backs against the wall.

To be honest, I think three or four guys said, ‘we’re not los ing today,’” Head Coach Coach Taylor said. “We talked at half time, we needed shots. We were in shooting positions in the first half, and we didn’t take them.”

The Cards were determined to not let history repeat itself. Just over two minutes into the sec ond half, Plattsburgh was back to taking shots.

Before the Cardinals could score, though, Weiner reag gravated an injury from earlier in the game. An Oswego slide caused him to hit the ground, and he hesitated to stand up.

Trainers met him on the turf and he was walked off the pitch. He was replaced by Ekert.

Ten minutes later, Ekert scored a Cardinal goal to erase the defi cit. Coughlan’s shot was saved

and sent back his way, prompt ing him to put the ball in front of an advancing Ekert, who put the ball in the net.

“Everyone is willing to step in and do their job where we need ed to,” Coughlan said.

Soon after, Plattsburgh lost an other starter after senior Christian Garner was involved in a collision near the goal. A header attempt connected with a Laker, leaving Garner on the pitch. Garner ex ited the game and first-year Tony Kochelev substituted in.

The loss of players is not for eign to this year’s Cardinals. Healy, Hayes and Velez, key starters, all missed time over the previous two weeks. Plattsburgh has had to make adjustments be tween games and adapt to these challenging circumstances.

“We didn’t even speak about [Juan’s absence] because again, I think there’s guys who get hungry for a chance,” Taylor said. “When you lose, there’s some fingers get ting pointed all around, and we just needed more from everyone.

We’ve got a good squad.”

Plattsburgh took the lead just over 10 minutes after its first goal. Coughlan sent a corner kick toward the goal box that was put in with a header by Hayes. With under 15 minutes left, all the Cards needed to do was hold on.

“We remembered last year and how we missed the playoffs,” Hayes said. “This was a crucial game for us to win and make the playoffs, so we said, ‘this wasn’t going to happen again.’ We fought hard.”

Over the course of the rest of the game, Plattsburgh recorded three shots and took three corner kicks. The game, already chippy, started to intensify. Six yellow cards were handed out in a five minute period, joining three oth ers assigned earlier in the game. Shoves were exchanged between players during some of the more intense exchanges.

The end of the game was met with celebration and a speech by Taylor. The win acts to rejuve nate a Cardinals season marred

by a recent difficult stretch of games. Plattsburgh knew that it needed to win this game, and it wasn’t going to be denied by one of its biggest rivals.

“[The win] is huge for us. The environment here is great. Hopefully we keep this going into next week and we stay roll ing,” Hayes said.

Plattsburgh came back home to face the Oneonta Red Drag ons (8-2-2), who stand just one spot behind the Cardinals in the SUNYAC standings, with seven total points to Platts burgh’s eight. Oneonta won 1-0, and Plattsburgh now sits at fifth in the conference.

The Cardinals play the Fredo nia Blue Devils (2-8-3) Oct. 15 at home for its Senior Day.

“We needed [the win]. We needed it badly,” Taylor said. “I think we’re a program that’s always thrived with our backs against the wall.”

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

First-year Danny Perry (21) and sophomore John Hayes (11) are in disbelief after first-year Andrew Bourjolly (0) makes a diving stop. Hayes scored the game winner against Oswego.

COLLIN BOLEBRUCH/Cardinal Points

Junior Nicole Svantner (left) and senior Cydney Bond (right) set up serves during singles play. Both players traveled to Binghamton and appeared in all three of the matches.

Strand Center hosts diverse events, classes

BY SYDNEY HAKES Managing/Arts & Culture Editor

As a college student living on cam pus, life can easily become centered around what’s happening only in that campus bubble. Campus and commu nity have the opportunity to intertwine at events like Fall Fest, happening Sat. Oct. 15 from noon to 6 p.m. at the Strand Center for the Arts.

Events will include various art demos, tours of the new printmaking studio and a pumpkin carving contest. Membership Engagement Coordinator Kailey Maher ex plained that the printmaking demo will in volve carved wooden blocks being pressed into paper or muslin with a two-ton roller.

The Strand’s mission is to host events and classes for the community’s enjoy ment while also showcasing their space and the education opportunities.

In a small city like Plattsburgh, the Strand Center is a hidden gem. Behind the walls of the once Federal Office Building are hallways of classrooms, studios and galleries.

“People think the Strand is just the theater, and while there are a lot of great events that go on there, it’s actu ally a very diverse campus,” Jerrod Ol sen, director of operations, said. “We have so many classes offered which can then lead to people using the studios on their own time.”

Built in 1924 as the Vaudeville The atre, many grants for programs and ren ovations have funded the Strand Cen ter. The most recent was the Downtown Revitalization Initiative launched by Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The City of Plattsburgh government website called it a “$100 million effort to improve the vitality of urban centers across New

York State.” Plattsburgh received $10 million of that grant. It was then split up between local businesses.

Money from grants like the DRI sup port the weekly classes and studio spac es at the Strand. Classes will require a fee, but their range of topics leads to classes filling up fast. One of their most popular studios is the clay studio.

Clay studio manager Mollie Ward, a Plattsburgh alumna, said her classes sell out quickly.

“The most popular is our Mud & Mer lot class. Those of age can drink wine and throw pottery on the wheel or hand build something. Those will sell out months in advance,” Ward said, el bow deep in a bucket of wet clay. “The Strand was originally only watercolor and clay, so it’s great to see the expan sion to so many other forms of art.”

Other studios include digital technol

ogies, a multimedia lab, music, visual arts and the upcoming prints studio.

Olsen said the Strand can supplement what the college may not be able to provide.

“Some people are interested in art without being on a BFA track for it,” Olsen said. “They don’t want to take a semester class on something, so they can come here occasionally and satisfy or explore that interest.”

While classes cost a fee that may be too much for a struggling college student to frequently attend, most events, like Fall Fest, are free to the public. There is a monthly rotating exhibition on the first floor, and a monthly artisan market showcasing local vendors. It’s a chance for students to explore what the Platts burgh community has to offer without going too far or spending too much.

Book signing by local professor

BY KIYANNA NOEL Staff Writer

The English Department at SUNY Plattsburgh hosted a book signing event for English pro fessor Christopher Locke’s book “Without Saints: Essays” Oct. 5 in Wilson Commons of Cham plain Valley Hall. He was intro duced by fellow English col league Dr. Anna Barrigelli to the audience of eight students and faculty. The book was published by Black Lawrence Press.

Locke, who is from New Hampshire and received his Master of Fine Arts at Goddard College, currently teaches at SUNY Plattsburgh and at North Country Community College. His book represents parts of his life throughout the years.

The blurb says, “‘Without Saints’ is a breathtaking journey to rediscover hope between the ruins: Poet Christopher Locke was baptized by Pentecostals, absolved by punk rock and nearly consumed by narcotics. Like Denis Johnson’s propulsive ‘Jesus’ Son,’ ‘Without Saints’ is a brief, muscular ride into the heart of American desolation and the love one finds waiting for them instead.”

The book travels through time to show different stages, chal lenges and happy endings.

He started the reading by thanking the audience for at tending and explaining the dif ference between chapter books and his memoir.

Locke read four different passages of his book starting off with the relationship between him and his family and ending with his teachings at a prison and his relationship with

the inmates over time.

“The first piece is called ‘Piec es’ and it’s kind of like a micro cosm of the book itself. It’s these small little snapshots of my mom and her story, and I thought I can’t really tell my story without first telling hers,” Locke said.

This piece shows the audience a peek into his home life and how it shaped his life today and the lessons he learned.

The second piece is called “Unforgettable,” and it refer ences the relationship between a father and his sons as well as how greed plays a role in mak ing hard earned money. The short essay shows how it can pay off to be honest and how greed can consume.

The third piece is called “Friction” and it references self harm during high school years. The story shows how Locke was always a rebellious kid and committed self-harm as a way to impress others.

The last one is called “Correc tions.” This piece is about his po sition at a federal prison to teach inmates about poetry and forms of literature.

The piece goes on to explain the rules while being in a federal prison and the in formation you can and can’t tell the inmates. However, this piece ends with Locke exposing his first name to one of the inmates he truly had a connection with.

The book signing ended with questions for the author about the title, and the cover art as well as a gracious “thank you” from the English Department.

SYDNEY HAKES/Cardinal Points

The Strand Center sits in the sun on Brinkerhoff Street. Director of Operations Jerrod Olsen said people still come in thinking it’s operating as the Federal Office Building.

Literature Club meets Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Wilson Commons in Cham plain Valley Hall. The comfy lounge en vironment heeds to relaxed conversa tions for the following hour.

With a four person e-board and fluc tuating attendance between semesters, the first few meetings are used to get to know one another, and specifically the genres everyone is interested in. They read short stories to determine the type of reading everyone may be interested in, and then throw out ideas for a book which will then be voted on.

Only one book is chosen for the se mester, which are then bought with funding from the Student Association.

“We would not survive with SA fund ing,” Nina Serafini said. “All we ask for is the price of 15 to 20 books, but that can really add up. It’s great they’ve chosen to financially support a club like ours.”

Serafini, a triple English major and the club secretary, joined the club in her first year at the insistence of her mom telling her to join a club. Now a senior, the Lit erature Club has been her constant.

She has seen the evolution of the club, from the low points of COVID-19 to an influx of about 20 members during her first semester as secretary.

Serafini said the book of the semester has already been chosen, and will be re vealed to the members in the near future. Missing the first meetings doesn’t mean students can’t join halfway into the se mester. Literature Club is always happy to welcome new members of all majors.

“Many of us aren’t even English majors,” Serafini said. “We’re just people who like

to read outside of academic obligations.”

Treasurer Abigail Landolf is a hospi tality and public relations major who joined the club in the fall of 2021. While her major isn’t related to reading or writing, she has always loved reading as a hobby.

“I read anything from murder mystery to cheesy rom-coms,” Landolf said. “We have done different books every semes ter, and I’ve gotten to read ones I nor mally wouldn’t on my own.”

Once the book comes in, the weekly meeting will be reserved for reading, dis cussing and socializing with other people.

“Literature club is a place to escape from all your school work and to read a story with friends who like to share and discuss it over,” Jillian DenDanto, vice president and double English major, said. “A meeting typically entails us as a group reading together and reflecting on what we read. Anything from likes to dislikes, questions and comments, we like to hear people’s thoughts.”

While they’re ready to welcome new members, they’ve also had many return ing members. Digital media production senior Natalia Quinones has been a part of Literature Club for three years. She had loved to read as a kid, but as she got older and busier, she found she wasn’t reading as much. She joined to reconnect to that thing she once loved.

“The club provides a chance to meet new people, read something interesting and have fun,” Quinones said. “The of ficers provide a welcoming and safe en vironment for everyone. I’m so grateful I found this club and hope others can feel the same.”

Email SYDNEY HAKES cp@cardinalpointsonline.com

STRAND

Continued from page B4

For the fall, classes include Knitting 101: Beanie Making, Intro to Watercolor, Intro to Resin 3D Printing, Musical Theatre Workshop, Intro to Afro-Caribbean Percussion and Dance and many more. A full list of classes and events can be found at strand center.org.

“This is a really unique space,” Maher said. “Most of us who work here are artists and even we’re excited by all the events the Strand provides. I hope people see these opportunities and take advantage of them.”

BY KIYANNA NOEL Staff Writer

GEMINI

CANCER

SAGITTARIUS

AQUARIUS

SCORPIO

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SYDNEY HAKES/Cardinal Points

A laser cut sign sits in the digital technologies studio.

SYDNEY HAKES/Cardinal Points Small characters sit next to one of the 3D printers in the multimedia lab.

Literature Club continues flipping pages

BY SYDNEY HAKES Managing/Arts & Culture Editor

For those with a passion for reading, the solitude of sitting down with a book can be an ideal break from the stresses of college life. Literature Club extends a hand into the solitary to invite book-lovers to a social and discussion-based meeting every week.