3 16 2021CAYUGA COLLEGIAN VOL. 67 ISSUE 19

Cayuga Community College Auburn & Fulton, New York

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VOL. 67 ISSUE 19 MARCH 16, 2021

CAYUGA EMBRACES TRANSGENDER ATHLETES

CAYUGABRIEFS

CAMPUS COVID-19 UPDATE

By Patrick Mahunik, Jr., staff writer

This week we conducted 449 COVID19 tests, with none of the pools returning a positive result for COVID-19. Please schedule your next test for Auburn or Fulton, and remember you can schedule your testing appointments for the rest of the semester.

Please continue following our health and safety protocols. If you are experiencing any symptoms associated with COVID-19, please avoid accessing campus. Thank you for your continued commitment to the health and safety of our campus community.

— Cathy J. Dotterer, Ed.D. Dean of Students

In a revolutionary and daring move by CCC sports, CCC Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs Dr. Robert Cantor says the college administration decided to knock out Title IX for women by allowing transgender athletes to play the opposite of their biological gender.

Patrick Mahunik Jr. STAFF WRITER

NEW YORK STATE ENDS DOMESTIC TRAVEL QUARANTINE

PHOTO BY CORINNE STEVENS

Starting April 1, quarantine for domestic travel to New York will no longer be required. Mandatory quarantine will remain for international travelers. The Department of Health still recommends quarantine as an added precaution and all travelers must complete the Traveler Health Form.

Governor Cuomo in a written statement says “in the past seven days, more than 1.12 million (vaccination) doses have been administered and as of (last week), New Yorkers who are 60 and up can schedule an appointment.

Beginning March 17, eligibility will expand again, allowing public-facing essential workers from governmental and nonprofit entities to get the vaccine. This expansion also includes public-facing essential building services workers.

A FULL TEXAS STADIUM

By Caleb Roden, staff writer Despite the country’s current COVID condition, Texas lawmakers recently decided to fully open the state to 100% capacity.

Now the Texas Rangers vow to open their stadium 100%, (or at capacity), for opening day of this year’s Major League Baseball season. The Rangers have a new baseball stadium named “Globe life Park.” It will be the first time fans will grace the seats. According to the Texas Rangers’ organization, face masks will still be required at all times unless a fan is eating or drinking in a ticketed seat.

As of now, the Texas Rangers are the only MLB team to announce the full opening of their stadiums for the April games.

HAVE YOU NOTICED THE DECORATED TREE IN THE LOBBY ON THE AUBURN CAMPUS?

By Corinne Stevens, staff writer The custodial staff at Cayuga Community College say they aren’t going to let a pandemic crush their spirit for the holidays. They say they decided to keep spreading joy, cheer, and Cayuga spirit by decorating a tree in the main lobby on the Auburn campus to mark each festive day.

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At the beginning of December, the night custodians on the Auburn campus say they placed and decorated a Christmas tree in honor of the holiday. When Christmas was over, the custodians say they decided not to take the tree down, but instead leave it up and celebrate every holiday with a new tradition of decorating it throughout the year.

Days before Valentine’s Day, the Christmas tree shed its Christmas decorations and was adorned with red hearts and lights. Now that St. Patrick’s Day is near, the tree is now

blooming four leaf clovers and dazzling white lights. Each time, the custodians bring their own decorations for the tree in the hopes of brightening the spirits of students and staff during these challenging times.

“I noticed the Christmas tree wasn’t down after Christmas, I took a closer look and realized the tree has been decorated for all special holidays,” said CCC Telcom instructor and engineer Doug Brill. “It is a nice look for the Cayuga lobby.” “(It’s a) nice greeting to the student and staff who still work and learn on campus,” said Cayuga Auburn campus student Josh Hart. “I noticed the tree has been decorated with all sorts of clovers and hearts, depending on the holiday. I think it looks very nice.”

“Honestly, I enjoy the smiles that it brings students, faculty, and staff here. A little something to brighten our day and keep us hopeful,” said Dr. Jerimy Blowers.

“I happen to know the Leprechauns who did this. They do it for the sheer reason to bring a little happiness here.”

Thanks to the custodians at Cayuga Community College Auburn campus, the lobby now has a new way of decorating for all holidays. Some stars, hearts, and clovers in the hands of Cayuga custodians prove doing something nice for others can have a big effect.

“Society is changing all the time and historically, colleges are often at the forefront of these changes. Colleges like Cayuga are committed to creating opportunities for all students, and we value a welcoming atmosphere that supports the academic, athletic and career paths prized by our students.”

Dr. Cantor said.

The college’s policy now means transgender athletes here at CCC are able to play a sport under the gender they identify as. Turning Title IX now prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or any activity receiving federal funds including sports, Dr, Ron Cantor as well as ensuring men CCC Provost and women athletes equitable opportunities to play sports as well as scholarships.

Along with many CCC officials, Dr. Cantor says he believes in creating a welcoming atmosphere for student athletes here at CCC, but more importantly, every student at CCC is able to succeed.

“What could be more important than helping society move forward in ways that give people freedom and support as they expand horizons and learn from each other?”

Cantor continued.

But like many rule changes nowadays, it’s not going to be liked by everyone especially athletes on basketball and lacrosse teams.

Dr. Cantor says the worry of athletes being uncomfortable with the rule change has always been a thought in the heads of CCC’s administrators, but they believe that teams will actually become stronger through the rule change.

“A strong team respects and values each of its individual members. We’ll do everything we can to create team and community environments that maximize appreciation for every individual,” Cantor said. “We can’t guarantee that the athletes will all right with it right away, however, the hope is over time that these teams will adapt and help each other out as a team.”

Dr. Cantor stressed that education can only occur when everyone feels comfortable enough to push beyond their different comfort zones.

“As an inclusive college committed to equity and diversity, Cayuga welcomes this opportunity to support students’ choices regarding gender. We also welcome this opportunity to support students’ broad range of aspirations in terms of athletics, academics, career, and more,” said Dr. Cantor.

Dr. Cantor says society is always changing and CCC truly wants to be there for their students to make sure very little to nothing prevents a student from succeeding.

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THE COVID SHOT AND WHY I AM NOT AFRAID TO GET IT

OPINIONS

We have been in this pandemic for over a year now. We now have a few new vaccines coming out. Some people say they are too new, they are not a one and done shot, and too many people are getting sick from them.

However, when you get the flu shot you also get it once a year. Its not just the flu shot though; it’s all vaccinations. They are not one and done. I think the COVID vaccine is a great idea.

HOW I SEE IT...

JUSTICE FOR ALL

Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Recently in the UK, a 33-year-old woman, Sarah Everard, was murdered while walking home. The man accused of the crime is a member of the London Metropolitan Police force. Per Kara Fox at CNN: “On Saturday March 13th a series of evening vigils from organizers had been planned Saturday across the UK. The main event, was cancelled after the Met (Metropolitan Police) said they couldn’t go ahead, citing coronavirus restrictions. The organizers asked people to shine a light on their doorstep instead for Everard. But by nightfall, peaceful mourners gathered for the socially distanced event. Less than an hour after the gathering began, officers moved in to inform people that they were breaching Covid-19 regulations and had to leave. Then, a cluster of officers moved in, using containment and corralling techniques -- where officers surround demonstrators to keep them in a particular place, making social-distancing impossible -- ordering people to leave, or face arrest and fines. As police officers forcibly removed women from the bandstand and dropped others face down to the floor in arrest, attendees chanted ‘Shame on you,’ ‘Arrest your own,’ and ‘Who do you protect?’”

This is a woman being detained by the Met Police Saturday.

In a statement on Sunday morning, the Met Police said they “absolutely did not want to be in a position where enforcement action was necessary,” but that “we were placed in this position because of the overriding need to protect people’s safety.” Several UK leaders across party divides have agreed that the police CONTINUED BACK PAGE

Don’t you want the pandemic to end? Why I think you should get the vaccine is so the pandemic can end, so we can go back to living our normal lives, and can protect our families.

We will also be protecting other people too.

I know, who cares about them, right? But if they are sick and you happen to walk by them or other friends or family, then boom they are sick and so are you. Shouldn’t we want to protect everyone from this instead of saying who cares? Instead of being an anti-vaccine person you should get the vaccine. This doesn’t just affect you; it affects everyone on getting sick.

If you get the vaccine you might feel sick for a couple days. Isn’t it worth the risk? A lot of the hype against people getting sick is because they are already sick, or they have an underlying heart condition. I think it’s mainly hysteria. People talk themselves into being sick or they see one person gets sick and then they are sick. It is one of the side

MEET TWO OF THE TUTORS BEHIND THE CENTER FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS Remarkably, it has been a full year since we have been doing distance learning. A whole year of not being in the classroom and getting to be on campus. Despite this challenging year, we have only become stronger and more resilient.

The Center for Academic Success is still here for our students. Even though it can be difficult to find the positives in such a dire situation, there is always something good that can come out of this. Two tutors that have shown resilience during this distance learning and pandemic are

Kaeleigh Sciria CONTRIBUTING WRITER Laura Armstrong and Gabriella Scharett. These two tutors shared with me their experiences during this time as well as advice.

It may be hard to find an advantage of this remote learning, but Gabriella shared an interesting piece of advice. Gabriella said, “Covid remote learning enhanced my learning because I was able to learn independently, which forced me to remain motivated to do well.” Even though she isn’t learning in the classroom, she has taken this as an opportunity to enhance herself. Laura also shared her take on this explaining that she also found this way of learning beneficial since being on Zoom eliminates the amount of distracting noises.

However, there have been some disadvantages for these tutors. It has been a struggle dealing with technology, which is something Laura shared with me. She continued saying that Blackboard can have glitches that prohibit her from submitting assignments, which may affect her success. Many of us can relate to this struggle because our technology isn’t as reliable as we wish that it was. Since classes are either conducted over Zoom or are strictly online, it can also be a challenge to ask questions. Gabriella

shared that it has been a struggle for her to be online to have the opportunity to ask a question.

It can be hard right now with the feeling of being alone, but the tutors at the CAS are always here to lend a hand. Motivation is a major issue right now since many of us are at home where there are distractions that will lead us off course.

Laura and Gabriella both shared that they’re motivated by looking forward to the future and envisioning what their plans will be. Laura said she keeps herself motivated by staying organized, which is so important. Gabriella shared that she rewards herself with relaxation time after her work is done. It’s wonderful to hear that even though motivation can be hard to find, these two tutors are working so hard.

These two tutors at the CAS are dedicated to helping all students and they also strive to motivate others. I was lucky enough to receive some information on how they approach motivating others. Gabriella shared that to stay motivated, you need to find a balance in your day between schoolwork and something enjoyable to you.

This is useful because it is something to look forward to and hopefully be a way to decrease procrastination The main point that Laura emphasized to keep you motivated is the importance of organization. Whether that be having an agenda or using an app to organize your assignments, prioritizing organization will help keep your motivation up.

It was a pleasure getting to chat with these two talented tutors who also shared their future plans. Laura is returning in the Fall of 2021 to continue her second year at CCC. She shared that she hopes the campus is open which will lessen her technical issues. Laura isn’t graduating this year, so she will continue to be a wonderful asset to our team. After she graduates she plans on becoming a preschool teacher.

Gabriella is planning on graduating in December of 2021 and hopes to pursue engineering. She has a few ideas on where she’d like to go next.

It was a pleasure getting to interview Laura and Gabriella. All of us at the CAS are hoping that the campus will be open this fall so we can continue to help our students.

— Kaeleigh Sciria works as a tutor with the Center for Academic Success.

HAVE AN OPINION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? Send your qualified submission to cayugacollegian@gmail.com.

The Cayuga Collegian welcomes letters from its readers. Submissions must be from a ‘cayuga-cc.edu’ email domain. Contact us at cayugacollegian@gmail.com.

Submissions must include your name, address and daytime phone number. All letters to the editor do not reflect the viewpoint of the Collegian office, its staff or advisor. All letters are simply the opinions of the writers themselves.

All letters may be edited for content or length. We reserve the right NOT to PUBLISH.

Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joshua Hart STAFF WRITER Patrick Mahunik STAFF WRITER Caleb Roden STAFF WRITER Corinne Stevens STAFF WRITER MaryJo Solazzo STAFF WRITER Samantha Brodeur STAFF WRITER Mary G. Merritt FACULTY ADVISOR We are looking for more staff members!

PAGE TWO MARCH 16, 2021

effects. Just because it is a side effect that does not mean it will affect you. Don’t the benefits outweigh the risks?

What do you miss since this pandemic has hit? I miss seeing my family, friend and going out. I miss parties, concerts, and festivals. I want to travel and explore the world, don’t you? Don’t you need a vacation? I know I do. I miss living my life to the fullest and I can’t right now. It’s like we are all turning into someone we’re not because we can’t be our true selves.

I think everyone should get the COVID vaccine. This is all very important to me because I want to protect my family and self, for you to protect your family and self. Let’s all get the vaccine so we can go back to our normal lives. Don’t you miss it? I sure do!

— Ashley Calkins CCC student

Your submission must include the writer’s full name, college year, area of study, phone number, and hometown.

All submissions must have an email domain of ‘cayuga-cc.edu’ to be published.

Anonymous letters and letters written under pseudonyms will not be published.

For verification purposes, submissions must also include the writer’s home address.

The staff of The Cayuga Collegian reserves the right NOT TO PUBLISH without an explanation.

ADVENTURES OF

GUINEA PIGS

Some people think Guinea pigs are not good pets because they are messy and noisy.

They think that Guinea pigs need a lot of time with you and don’t want to clean their cage or stand the smell of it. Another reason why people think Guinea pigs are the worst is because they squeal too much. People just don’t want to make time for them or don’t have energy for them. However, I argue Guinea pigs are good pets because they’re loving and caring and won’t bite you unless they’re handled the wrong way.

Cats, dogs, and many more lifelong animals can be expensive also depending on the breed you get. For example, any kind of breed of dog can be super expensive especially if you’re taking them to the vet because some go by the breed and their weight. Dog food right now is almost 20 dollars a bag. Guinea pig food is about 9-10 dollars a bag. Guinea pigs make less mess and are way cheaper than having any other animal.

Guinea pigs are amazing at using the bathroom when it is needed. Just don’t scare them or they will poop or pee on your bed but that’s an easy clean up. When I let my guinea pigs out they like to roam freely and snuggle in my blankets, maybe nap also. Maintaining their clean environment isn’t that hard. You should clean their cage at least once or twice a week.

Don’t pull a me and wait longer than a week because trust me they will be a little stinky and so will your room. They love to have baths so they can feel clean and refreshed and I usually spray them with some good body cleaner (animal store approved). Make sure their nails are cut and trimmed so that they don’t cut themselves in the eye or anywhere else.

Guinea pigs and fruit! Let me tell you they love it. My Guinea pig Daisy loves cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes, but I want to explore more in food and see what else she might enjoy. I swear they can hear me from a mile away when I bring food upstairs. Some say only give them small portions so they don’t get sick or anything else. I’ll be eating a strawberry and I’ll feed them one and we just chew together like a big happy family. That’s what creates a bond between a human and an animal and their companionship gets so much better.

Guinea pigs are good emotional support animals because they are fun and playful, easy to house and to care for. They have unique personalities, and they are not destructive like most other animals. They are a little bigger than a fun-sized animal but they always love to cuddle and lick you. Guinea pigs don’t just randomly attack you unlike some other animals like dogs or cats. They are low maintenance so you don’t have to constantly keep cleaning up after them which is good because most animals are high maintenance and it’s terrible.

Guinea pigs are good support animals because they are low maintenance, easy to care for, and great companions because when the hard day comes they are there.

— Bailey Gauger CCC student

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CAYUGA RESUMING THREE SPORTS PROGRAMS DURING SPRING SEMESTER Spectators will not be allowed at contests at Falcon Park

SPORTS

Another player crossing the plate last spring at the new Falcon Park.

With appropriate health and safety measures in place, three athletic programs at Cayuga Community College will resume competition during the Spring 2021 semester.

Cayuga’s Baseball, Softball and Men’s Soccer programs start practicing this month, with student-athletes and coaches participating in the College’s COVID-19 health measures and additional safety protocols prior to scheduled contests. Games will start in late March for the Baseball and Softball programs, and early April for Men’s Soccer. All three teams will play home contests at Falcon Park in the City of Auburn.

“We’re excited our student-athletes will have the chance to safely resume competition this spring at Falcon Park. Obviously, the health of our student-athletes and coaches is of the utmost importance, and will be the primary factor in all decisions as we navigate our seasons amid the pandemic,” said Cayuga President Dr. Brian

SAVAR has an advocate available to work with CCC students.

Just call 315-253-9795, ext 314 and ask for Tracy.

You can also call their hotline at 315-252-2112.

Durant. “We wish our student-athletes a safe, successful season as they return to the field.”

Upon resuming on-campus operations in the summer of 2020, Cayuga instituted rigorous safety protocols to ensure the health of its campus community. Studentathletes and coaches will adhere to these health measures, which include weekly COVID-19 testing. They will also participate in health screening and COVID-19 rapid testing before all contests and health and temperature screenings before practices.

Baseball Coach T.J. Gamba said he was excited his Spartans had the opportunity to start Cayuga’s spring seasons with their home opener, scheduled for noon March 20 against Corning Community College.

“After the past year, it feels like getting back on the field has been a long time coming, so we’re definitely excited. Our energy is visible, and we’re confident about this group of players and the character they’ve showed throughout the off-season,” said Gamba. “We can’t wait for the first game to get started.”

The first Cayuga Softball contests come on the road with a doubleheader at SUNY Adirondack on March 27. The first game for Men’s Soccer is also a road contest, scheduled for Friday, April 9, at Monroe Community College.

Spectators will not be allowed at contests at Falcon Park. College leaders will re-evaluate this policy throughout the semester, with the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, and Falcon Park staff as the primary points of consideration.

SPEAKER ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO BE EMPOWERED IN HONOR OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

By Josh Hart, staff writer CCC female students and alumni say the Women’s Rights Movement has been stalled and there are still many barriers and issues based around sex.

“I feel like a lot of the sexism issues that existed 50 something years ago, are still present in the workforce and other areas today,” said CCC Student Trustee Alaina Bates.

“There is still a lot that needs to be improved overall.”

Joshua D. Hart STAFF WRITER Bates made her comments after a Zoom presentation offered to the campus community for Women’s History Month by Dr. Jodi Merriday, a respected diversity speaker from Atlanta. The hour-long session was the final installment of a series of Diversity-themed presentations offered by the college.

“While a legal standing is indeed there, there is a lot more that will still need to be done to help with the cause of equity,” Dr. Merriday said in response to Bates’ comments.

Dr. Merriday’s speech partially focused on helping women empower themselves.

She encouraged women Dr. Jodi Merriday to do things like, put part of all their earnings toward a savings account, become a mother ONLY when they’re 100% ready, emotionally

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and financially, and try to make a career out of what they enjoy doing the most.

“Empowerment can occur in many ways,” Dr. Merriday said in her speech. “Do what you feel is best for you, and never stop trying to succeed in what you enjoy doing.”

Dr. Merriday’s presentation also traveled back through history naming notable female figures who risked everything as abolitionists and suffragettes, as well as women in recent history who managed to break gender barriers by achieving “firsts” like being elected to a political office.

Ellen Raff, a Criminal Justice student, said that she was especially excited about first Female Vice President Kamala Harris.

Raff said she feels that having a first ever Female Vice President is a sign that Women Empowerment is headed in the right direction.

Dr. Merriday concluded the presentation by reading a famous quote by New York Times Author Kris Carr. “A strong women stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for everyone else.”

At the end of the presentation, the lecture participants gave Dr. Merriday very positive feedback for her presentations on Diversity.

Kevin Stechuchak, a student participant, said he had learned a lot from Dr. Merriday’s lectures.

Gretchen Graf, another student participant, said he was even going to do research on some of the historical figures discussed in the presentations.

Merriday can be reached at: jodimerriday@hotmail.com

If you are looking for ‘hands on’ experience RIGHT NOW? TELCOM 204’s Assistant Professor Mary G. Merritt, a multi-media journalist with more than 35 years experience, will teach you all the skills you need to go out and find interesting stories to write about and be published. The world is waiting for you — become a better communicator and get the skills to meet its challenges head on.

MARCH 16, 2021 PAGE THREE

HOW I SEE IT... JUSTICE FOR ALL continued response was disproportionately harsh. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer called the scenes in Clapham “deeply disturbing.”

Here in the United States, we are no stranger to police abusing their power and wrongfully using unnecessary techniques during protests and in general. For anyone who has been living under a rock the past year, just Google George Floyd or Breonna Taylor. It is glaringly obvious that some form of change needs to occur, and not just here in the US. I could go on for days about this topic, but I had a few key points I wanted to make.

The police are meant to protect and serve, not harm. While I can understand why the Met police wanted protesters to go home due to COVID-19 restrictions, they could have done a much better job. For instance, they used “containment and corralling techniques” which forced protesters closer together, eliminating their ability to socially distance. Instead, why don’t they look at what our local police did during last year’s Black Lives Matter protests in Auburn, NY. Rather than try and force protesters to go home, Auburn Police marched in solidarity with a group of protesters after the murder of George Floyd. If the Met police used this tactic, it would’ve shown that yes, they do protect women in their community and stand in solidarity with them.

Another point I thought of due to the recent

storming of the US Capitol. After the Washington D.C. riots, many of the attendees were investigated by Federal Authorities. Per NPR: “Nearly 30 sworn police officers from a dozen departments attended the pro-Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol last week.” This is terrifying. We cannot have the men and women in our police forces storming the Capitol of our country in order to stop the Presidential election. Rather than trying to protect this country’s citizens, these officers chose to deliberately sabotage nation’s Capitol.

Last year, The Guardian wrote a story which detailed how an FBI report noted that over the years, police links to militias and white supremacist groups have been uncovered in states including Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

While I’m mostly highlighting police issues in the US, I could easily point to what is happening in Myanmar and events that have taken place in Hong Kong over the past year. The United States needs to clean up their act, but so does the rest of the world. The people are waking up and realizing the abuse of power. We are seeing officers and former military members emerge as members of extremist groups in droves. If you’re not concerned, you should be.

SOMETHING FUNNY 2020

— Michael Perry, editor-in-chief

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Did you know?

Q: Did you know you can thank a bug hunter for Daylight Savings Time?

ZOOM ID NUMBER 934 9197 6612 A: Credit for Daylight Savings Time often goes to Benjamin MUST HAVE A @CAYUGA-CC.EDU EMAIL DOMAIN TO PARTICIPATE!

Franklin, who first joked about “diminishing the cost of light” and by making better use of daylight hours. But the real credit for the modern concept goes to George Hudson, an entomologist from New Zealand, who proposed a twohour time shift so he’d have more time to hunt for bugs.

(Source: National Geographic/History.com)

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