SMOKE- FREE ZONE IN PLATTS- REFLECTING ON RELATIONSHIPS ON BURGH HOUSING AUTHORITY A2 VALENTINE’S DAY A6
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TAKES ON NEW PALTZ AND ONEONTA B3
Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 • Volume 96, Issue 3 • cardinalpointsonline.com • 50 cents
CARDINAL WATCH
PSUC STUDENT USES LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR GREEK LIFE B4
Map of sanctuary schools provided by CNN
PSUC strives for sanctuary status By Kavita Singh editor in chief
President Donald Trump’s immigration ban might be halted, but Plattsburgh State is still taking action to protect students. During last week’s PSUC Student Association meeting, a resolution was unanimously passed to make the campus a sanctuary school. Student Association President Vrinda Kumar was approached by Plattsburgh Town Superviser Michael Cashman as he introduced the idea to her. “It’s basically the ability to keep all information about Muslim students and undocumented students confidential,” she said. “So if there is an executive order, and if the federal government tries to get this information, the school doesn’t have to follow that. That way, the students studying here can stay safe.” Kumar said that she was surprised when the executive order was passed in
the first place, which was why she felt the SUNY system needed to take action. She said even though the ban might be halted for now, students should still be aware. “We didn’t expect anyone to release an order about the seven countries,” she said. “So just because it’s halted right now doesn’t mean it can’t happen again because right now, you really don’t know what’s going to happen.” Trump still has several options to reinstate the executive order to ban all refugees from entering the country, such as appealing the Supreme Court, fighting the case in the district court or by simply rewriting the order, according to an article in The Atlantic. “So I guess this was really needed to make sure that if it does happen, and if the ban is brought back, and more countries are included for some reason, then students still remain safe because there was a lot of talk about more countries being included on the list.”
CDC to host carnival themed career event By Ezra Kachaturian news & sports editor
The career development center is hosting its first annual Career Carnival Wednesday, Feb. 22 in the ACC ballrooms to help students build up their professionalism in order to prepare for life after university. Julia Overton-Healy, who is the director of the career development center, wanted to organize an event that is fun for the students. The purpose of the event is to help students that may be unsure about what their future holds with the major they chose. “We wanted to do something that would combine
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education about careers, while also having some fun,” Overton-Healy said. “The whole point of it is, careers shouldn’t feel scary. We want people to feel like they can come to the career center, come to our events, have some fun and learn something.” She also said how a lot of students feel intimidated by choosing a career because they are under the impression that it is something they will have to do for the rest of their lives. “We want people to get over that fear of, ‘oh, it’s the rest of my life,’ – no it isn’t,” Overton-Healy said. “It’s some choices that you’re going to make for the next couple years, and
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then we’re going to figure out what’s next for you.” From working with first year students through alumni, Overton-Healy seemingly has all the answers for whatever questions a student may have about their major, job or passion. “We get a lot of students that come in here that are anxious about making a decision about their careers,” Overton-Healy said. “We can help you with career exploration, how to get ready for a job interview and how to connect with other people with the same job interest.” See JOB , A3
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Kumar said that even though the SA passed the resolution, they have to wait until the Board of Trustees pass the resolution for the campus to be considered sanctuary. She said she hopes it does get passed because there are students who are concerned with what will be next for the country. Trump also recently signed an executive order to enhance public safety by striping federal grant money to so-called sanctuary cities, according to an article in NBC News. Kumar said she will be meeting with SA presidents to discuss the next step toward making the campus sanctuary. In the meantime, Kumar said students can still take action. She said going to the GEO office is the best resource on campus for international students. GEO International Student Adviser Amelia Lushia said the office hasn’t been too chaotic since the ban has been halted.
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She said many international students’ parents are encouraging them to stay in the United States over the summertime. “The scariest part for families from countries you’d never think make the list is that it happened so fast,” she said. “Usually in immigration, it takes months before there’s a change like that. There’s a lot of time for public comment. Because it happened so quick, people are worried.” Besides striving to make PSUC a sanctuary campus, students are also encouraged to continue to show up to the PSUC forums that are designed for an open discussion. “There’s been a lot of support from the community from other students who stood up at that event. At the first forum, students were saying to international students that they can come with them and stay at their house,” she said. “I thought that the outpouring of support was really amazing.” See GEO, A2
Illustration by Chelsea Sorreno
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friday, feb. 17, 2017
PSUC News Enjoy public skating at Plattsburgh Field House
The Plattsburgh State Field House will offer public skating Sunday, Feb. 19 from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Admission is $3 for the public and $2 for SUNY Plattsburgh students, faculty and staff with ID. Skate rentals are available at the same rates.
Sigma Theta Tau brings discussion about violence in Costa Rica
Gamma Delta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau presents “No More Tears: Addressing Violence in La Carpio, Costa Rica,” which will be a discussion on Global Public Health in action. There will be six Public Health nursing students, along with Anne Bongiorno RN, Ph.D. The discussion will share the challenges that women face from being victims of trauma and abuse. Light refreshments will also be served.
PSUC’s SA Diversity Committee recruiting new members
The Student Association Diversity Committee is currently looking for new students to join their committee. They will be formulating plans to bring action to the school and looking for people with different backgrounds with different outlooks on life. Meetings will be Tuesdays at 6p.m. in Meeting Room 3.
Join the PSUC Food Group Club
The Food Group will be hosting their general meetings on a bi-weekly basis Tuesdays in meeting room 5. They will be making dinner tables greener through crafts, preparing food, videos, discussions, community and home gardening.
Infographic by Ashley Spraker
Local housing goes smoke free By Whitney Leonardo staff writer
Plattsburgh Housing Authority apartments will now be a smoke free zone. They are putting a stop to indoor smoking and making it a requirement to be 25 feet from low rise buildings and 40 feet away from high rise buildings. The new policy is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s plan to keep smoking out of housing . This past Tuesday, Plattsburgh’s Housing Authority held a town hall meeting to discuss the smoking ban. Residents had the opportunity to converse and ask questions about the plan. “This is not a policy that says you can’t smoke. It’s a policy that says you can only smoke in certain areas,” Mark Hamilton the Executive Director of Plattsburgh Housing Authority.“This mandate was instituted for several reasons, health concerns for the individual smoking as well as those around them that get exposed, as
well as the cost to the housing authority in repairs and maintenance after a family moves out.” Tobacco is the known cause of many health issues. It even affects people who don’t take part in it with second and third hand smoke. It can also be hazardous indoors because of its high chance of causing a fire. “Smoking is the act of inhaling, exhaling, breathing, burning, carrying, possessing or disposing of any lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, water pipe or bong, hookah or other tobacco product or similar lightened product in any manner or in any form.” According to the No-Smoking Policy draft by Housing Authority. Partaking in any form of smoking in or near apartments will result in either a fine, charge or possibly even an eviction. The Housing Authority going smoke free was a surprise to some residents. Some believe the policy is unfair because getting off of tobacco is a challenge, and some don’t find interest in quitting. Some residents
favor the policy and agree that it will benefit housing. Yet, others oppose it and think it’s unfair they can’t smoke in their own homes. In the midst of the town hall meeting talk of a gazebo over the areas smoking is allowed started. Which proposed some understanding with smokers who reside in the apartments. Plattsburgh housing would consider adding amenities to the areas, if enough people requested it. “Bringing in a pavilion would be a great compromise and let us know they understand that we smoke. Then they can still enforce their policy.” said one of the residents, James Jackson. With the changes in weather, a gazebo could make it more bearable in rain or snow. New signs and rules will be put up in apartments to ensure everyone starts to follow the policy. It does not officially become effective until July 30, 2018, so residents have time to adjust and find new places to smoke or possibly quit it all together. The Housing Authority understands
this might be a challenge to some, but they are offering help with an onsite tobacco cessation specialist. The specialist will be there to assist the residents hoping to end their smoking habits. Any student who lives on campus will not be affected, but those who live in the Housing Authority apartments will. Students who live on campus are already familiar with the school’s own smoking policy. Tobacco use is prohibited in all buildings, vehicles and grounds except for a limited number of designated areas, such as certain parking lots. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s policy is similar to PSCU, so it shouldn’t be anything new to off-campus students. The Housing Authority is accessible if anyone has question or concerns about the policy. They are also available to help anyone who is interested in quitting tobacco. Email Whitney Leonardo at news@cardinal pointsonline.com
GEO: Faculty propose actions Trump’s promise to bring ban back worries students From Page One
CP Corrections In Issue 2, the bottom right graphic on A1 was Chelsea Sereno’s, not Ashley Spraker’s. If you see an error in Cardinal Points, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
During the second forum, students were encouraged to brainstorm a list of actions to be taken to help promote a safe space for PSUC. “I think it went well. Both faculty and staff members went to the second forum,” said GEO Staff Assistant Laura Scott. Scott also said that there will be emails sent to faculty and students regarding the different actions that can be taken to move forward. Lushia said these types of open discussions on campus promote an educational moment because there are students who aren’t concerned with the ban as well. “I do think it’s a privilege. It’s being in a privileged position where you don’t have to put yourself in
someone else’s shoes to be an international student here in the U.S.,” she said. Lushia said she received emails recently from prospective students in Japan and Jamaica who had concerns about what was happening with immigration. “In Jamaica, there was some misinformation about what was going on here. Jamaica would never be on the list,” Lushia said. “The fear is even bigger than just someone in the Middle East. There’s people in Jamaica and Japan that are worried about this.” Scott said that this type of privilege goes beyond someone’s inconvenience. She said she knows a lot of American students who are friends with international students, but she also knows a lot of international
students tend to connect with one another. “Regardless of what country they’re from, they can empathize with each other on another level. There are lives and safety issues at stake, so it’s possible that a lot of Americans aren’t thinking too much about that,” Scott said. “They just hear what’s in the news and aren’t connecting with it on a strong level.” “All of us live in our own bubbles sometimes. I hope this raised awareness that their classmates sitting next to them, depending on their immigration status have a different perspective,” Lushia said. Email Kavita Singh at cp@cardinal pointsonline.com
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SA approves WQKE radio funding By Kyle Welling contributing writer
The President of WQKE Natalie Gramegna presented her appeal before the Senate for the allocation of $9846.27 for the purposes of purchasing updated equipment. The Senate voted in favor of Gramegna’s proposal allowing for the acquisition of various technical equipment necessary for the functioning the WQKE’s radio broadcast. The funds requested will be provided on behalf of the SA’s stabilization fund. Specifically and Audioarts D-76 network console, as well as an SP-76 duel phone input module with each costing $8,956.44 and $739.05 respectively. These prices had been negotiated down from the original list price of $10,076.00, and $776 enabling a savings of $1,088.72. The Chief Engineer for WQKE, Gordy Burdo, explains within a memo, which was provided to the Senate the necessity for such a purpose; “I recommend replacing the Impulse audio mixer in the master control room. That board was purchased during the 2003/2004 school year and is 13 years old. The normal life span of a broadcast board such as this is 10 to 12 years, and it was very reliable for the first 12 years, but has been failing at a much higher rate this year.” The memo continued by
Cardinal Points/ Minh Hang Vu
The Student Association discusses the PSUC radio station’s, WQKE 93.9 fm, request to provide funding for new equipment. detailing the consequences concerning the expiration of insurance formerly provided, “Since Pacific Resources and Harris no longer provide support for it, we can no longer get parts to fix it when it breaks. As you know some of the functions in that board no longer works and it is only a matter of time before it is completely unusable.”
Production manager Dan Walker summarized the audio mixer’s purpose, “Basically the audio mixer is what we use to send out our radio shows, and music to the Plattsburgh area. We also stream online. If our mixer goes down, we can’t transmit,” Walker said. “The mixer is honestly really old and the company that made it is no longer in business. So we
really can’t fix it.” WQKE, The Quake, is PSUC’s student run radio station, their website describes themselves as: “The Quake is the college’s student-run and operated, Class D FCC designated on-air broadcast radio facility. The Quake’s alternative college-radio format broadcasts 10,000 milliwatts of power to both a campus-wide and a local
community audience on 93.9 FM. WQKE also reaches out through the Internet with its music, talk shows and sports programming” Gramegna included within her presentation several elements that are enabled through this equipment such as the broadcast of our hockey games as well as the ability to take calls on the air. Gramegna concluded her
presentation adamantly reinforcing the necessity for this equipment describing it as, “. . . investment for the next 10 to 12 years that will be regularly used.” as well as, “[the equipment] will be a great investment that will really help.” Email Kyle Welling at news@cardinal pointsonline.com
JOB: Faculty help students plan future
The Career Development Center to host an event to help students find career paths From Page One Overton-Healy hopes to have a big turnout for the event, not only for the students, but also for the collaborators that helped put the event together. “This team (of peer career assistants) came up with this project and conceptualized it from the beginning,” Overton-Healy said. “They were able to find collaborating student group partners (ALPFA and PRSSA), so it is a full-cycle project management experience. Not only is it great for the campus, but it is great for them as well. As far as what we hope to walk in the door, a couple hundred would be great.” At the carnival, there will be various different games, raffles, prizes and free food. Overton-Healy has noticed the overwhelming amount of students who have no idea what they want to do after college, let alone, what they are able to do with their respective major when they graduate. This event helps those students get a grasp on the professional world, by
helping them with résumés, creating a LinkedIn profile and how to use the networking website, as well as other various career-building activities. “This is an opportunity for somebody to practice some initiative,” she said. “Employers want to see initiative. We want people to come to this event who normally wouldn’t think to, and start to expand their network.” In this day-in-age, it is all about networking and who you know, which is something Overton-Healy emphasizes the importance of doing while in college. “We also have our annual career fair coming up in March, which a lot of people think is for only seniors,” she said. “A lot of students miss that opportunity to network. A lot of our employers want to see you year-after-year, from when you first get to college to when you are ready to graduate.” This event would not be made possible without the combined efforts from all of the Peer Career Assistants (PCAs). Juniors Gisette Paez and Janelle Burgos
are two of the six PCAs that helped organize the Career Carnival, and has been a work in progress ever since last semester. “We held an event last spring, but we didn’t have a large turnout like we wanted,” Paez said. “What we did differently this semester is we reached out to other clubs that may be interested in collaborating with us, as well as reaching out to the international students who sometimes may feel left out from these events.” This event is made for anyone and everyone, no matter if you are confident on your major or have no idea what you want to major in, or have thoughts of switching majors. The Career Carnival will help diffuse any questions one would have regarding a career choice. “Coming into college, I thought a career was permanent. That’s an idea a lot of students have,” Paez said. “Knowing what I know now, I don’t think it’s a straight line, but more of a circle. I see a career on a wider spectrum now, instead of a tunnel vision straight line decision.” PCAs have nothing but positive things
to say about their experience working inside the career development center. It has given them the opportunity to have a better idea of the different career paths that are related to their major. “I have grown as a professional as well as a student,” Burgos said. “I’ve been able to expand my boundaries with what I can do with my skills in the major that I have.” The career development center fully encourages the entire student body to attend this event from 7-9 p.m., Wednesday Feb. 22 in the ACC ballrooms. “This event is really important, especially for students who are undeclared. We have a lot of great opportunities that will open doors for them,” Burgos said. “It’s a fun event and everybody should come out, and it’s all free to students.” Email Ezra Kachaturian at news@cardinal pointsonline.com
A4 • Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 • cardinalpointsonline.com/opinions • opinions editor laura schmidt
Graphic by Ashley Spraker
Trump education pick faces disapproval By Steve Levy staff writer
Betsy Devos, our new Secretary of Education with no previous experience working in education, has been the center of criticism and outrage after being confirmed by Vice President Mike Pence’s unprecedented tie-breaking vote in the Senate’s 51-50 vote. Every Democrat voted “no” to her confirmation, as well as two Republicans and both Independents. The Plattsburgh City School Board even voiced their disapproval of Devos as secretary of education and voted unanimously in favor of adopting a resolution opposed to Devos’ confirmation. As reported by the Press Republican, School Board member Rod Sherman said, “This lady has a horrible history in Michigan for trying to put vouchers in place, which take money away from public schools, and we as a School Board have an obligation to make sure our finances are stable.” The resolution added that Devos has demonstrated a long history of support for the elimination of local school boards and unregulated for-profit charter schools. Charter schools are public schools that operate independent of school districts through contracts between state education officials and community leaders. They’re funded by local, state and federal tax dollars. Because they choose how they’re managed, some 13 percent are run by for-profit companies. They’re overseen
by “authorizers,” which are entities approved by state legislature to bring charter schools into existence. Once a school is approved, authorizers are responsible for monitoring their performance, including academic results, financial well-being and appropriate use of public funds. According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, there are more than 6,800 public charter schools open across 42 states and the District of Columbia, educating nearly three million students. Devos also supports school voucher programs, which can redirect public funding and use it for private and religious schools. Proponents argue vouchers improve public education by introducing competition. Or, as best said by Ohio Governor John Kasich: “We will improve the public schools if there’s a sense of competition. Just like a pizza shop in the town, if there’s only one and there’s not much pepperoni on it, you can call ‘til you’re blue in the face. But the best way to get more pepperoni on that pizza is to open up a second pizza shop, and that’s what’s going to improve our public schools.” Now, if schools are to be treated as businesses, then surely some are going to fail, right? Well, a 2015 investigation by Naples Daily News found that 119 Florida charter schools had closed since 2008, 14 of which had never finished their first school year due to failures by school operators and cracks in Florida law. Those closures
displaced an estimated 14,000 students, many of whom had to shuffle back into public schools. A yearlong investigation by the Detroit Free Press revealed that 38 percent of Michigan charter schools that received state academic rankings during the 201213 school year fell below the 25th percentile, while only 23 percent of traditional public schools fell below the 25th percentile. Yet, Michigan taxpayers contribute nearly $1 billion a year into charter schools, which aren’t often held accountable in how they spend taxpayer dollars. In their investigation, the Free Press reported: Wasteful spending and double-dipping as well as board members, school founders and employees steering lucrative deals to themselves or insiders. Schools were allowed to operate for years despite poor academic records and there were no state standards for who operates charter schools or how to oversee them. Devos, a billionaire, comes from a wealthy family who have donated generous sums of money to the GOP for decades. When Senator Bernie Sanders asked Devos during her confirmation hearing whether it was accurate that her family had contributed nearly $200 million to the Republican party over the years, she replied, “Between my entire family? That’s possible.” Some of the senators who voted Devos into office are the same people who have received thousands of dollars from her and her family, which raises the question:
Did she buy her way in? Well, sort of. Devos’ donations to the Republicans who voted for her are actually quite small when compared to the total of contributions they received. Devos’ family’s contributions have, however, helped build a strong relationship with the Republican party. Her confirmation can arguably be considered nothing more than stubborn partisan allegiance. Senator Al Franken, D-Mn., asked his peers before the vote, “If we cannot set aside party loyalty long enough to perform the essential duty of vetting the president’s nominees, what are we even doing here?” Through all the opposition Devos faced leading up to her confirmation, she still squeezed her way into office, though I wouldn’t count on the opposition to dissipate. On the morning of Feb. 10, her first public school visit was spoiled by protestors who wouldn’t allow her inside. What you can, however, count on is the number of charter school openings, as well as the number of charter school closures. There’s looming risk for public schools and their funding. Devos’ inexperience and firm belief in charter schools may mean the continuation of students receiving poor quality education, while those in charge face little accountability. Email Steve Levy at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Stress glorified throughout college students By Laura Schmidt opinions & fuse editor
In college, it’s natural to be competitive. However, there seems to be some unspoken competition among students to determine who can be the busiest and most stressed all the time. Students glorify the idea of always being occupied with something, and if you’re not smothered with work all day, every day, you’re lazy. The American Psychological Association conducted a study on stress levels in American adults. When asked to rate their stress on a scale from one to 10, nearly a third of adults rated themselves at a nine or 10, which is extreme stress. Stress is often linked to a fear of some kind. On college campuses, stress may stem from a fear of uncertainty or doubt. Students are afraid that all their hard work at a small, liberal arts school isn’t going to be recognized after they graduate and get thrown in with the other thousands of recent graduates.
Then, people start viewing their classmates as competition and begin undermining other people’s accomplishments and try to make themselves seem busier and more successful. Why does being exhausted mean you’re doing well? Why do we glorify having no time for ourselves? It seems like most times I try to make plans with my roommates, they’re too busy with school work. I always try to make it a priority to see my friends and take a break from work every day. It can be hard though. I find that when I’m stressed, I don’t focus on taking care of my body as much as I should. I usually neglect eating when I’m stressed
because I think I need to finish an article or reading before I can move on to my kitchen and cook up something. I’ve acknowledged this bad habit and have been trying to focus on myself more this semester. So far, I’m way more relaxed and really don’t get overwhelmed as easily as I used to. By constantly competing to be the most stressed out, we inadvertently send the message that self-care and proper rest are not important. This is so far from the truth. We need rest and decompression after or during long, hard days. Take a break whenever it feels necessary, not just when you think you can allow yourself the time.
Just because someone practices self-care, doesn’t mean that person is not a hard worker. Everyone works in different ways and paces. Some people push all their work to Sunday evenings and still do well. Others need strict schedules and to-do lists in order to feel on track and accomplished. When we don’t take care of ourselves, things fall apart. We need to stop focusing on how stressed we are and start looking into ways to relieve stress instead. Being healthy mentally, emotionally and spiritually is most important, and most things are easier to achieve when you’re in the right state of mind.
To start taking better care of yourself, set aside at least an hour every day for yourself. Some of the most common ways people alleviate stress are walking, listening to music, watching television or movies, playing around on the internet or taking a nap, according to the American Psychological Association. Naps between 20 and 40 minutes can improve performance by 34 percent, according to a study by NASA. Mostly everyone can set aside at least 20 minutes every day for themselves. If you can’t, maybe consider switching majors. Thinking about life after college is stressful, but focusing on only the future distracts from your present needs. Taking time for ourselves makes us feel better prepared for anything life throws at us. It also reminds us that there are more important and better things in life to worry about. Email Laura Schmidt at opinions@cardinalpoints online.com
friday, feb. 17, 2017
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Editorial
CP Opinions
opinions editor laura schmidt
Subconscious competition 54
When it comes to school, we’re all busy. Everyone always complains about how tired they are, almost as if their life is more successful because they have no time for anything else. That’s when excuses come in. You’re too busy for friends. You’re too busy to eat well. You become so busy that you neglect other aspects of your life. While it’s important to remain busy with interests and school work, there is much more to life than just being busy all the time. In Laura Schmidt’s opinion article “Stress glorified throughout college students,” she said there is a sense of competition among students. For some reason, we pride ourselves on being busy all the time. The busier you are, the more successful you might think you are. But there’s something to
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years ago, the Beatles released “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields”.
Weekly Cardtoon Cartoon by Ashley Spraker
be said about having some breathing room in your schedule for a little fun. First off, there are friends. If you do end up becoming a successful person, what good is success if you have no one to share that success with. When you’re con-
stantly stressed out, isn’t it nice to have friends that allow you to forget about all the work you have to do? There’s also the alone time you have to yourself. Take a little time out of your day to relax, whether that means having a little Netflix break or going
to get food with your friends. Being busy all the time is overrated. Make sure you’re taking the time for friends, family and fun as well. Don’t let your future cloud your present, and don’t forget to live in the moment.
Love yourself before others By Kavita Singh editor in chief
Valentine’s Day. A day that snuck up on me. I’ve been single most of my life and I would say a majority of people in college have, unless they’ve been dating someone since childhood. I think there’s a perception that single people don’t really have their life together. I might be the editor in chief for the campus newspaper, and I’ve got a decent handle on my classes and clubs, but there’s still a facet of my life that has a giant question mark on it. When I was in a relationship, my life felt a lot more figured out and complete. It felt like it was an aspect of my life that I didn’t have to stress about. At least for a while. Boy, was I wrong. Relationships take a lot of communication and hard work. But more than that, you have to devote a part of yourself as a priority for that person. Rather than being bitter about all the couples on Valentine’s Day, I give major props to them. As a member of the single club, you get to experience the simple pleasures of dating. Yes, dating can suck some-
times. However, there’s something kind of thrilling about navigating through the world of dating. Before this year, I was always pretty cynical about love and commitment. I didn’t think it was something for me. But after this past semester, I can honestly say it’s something I can see for myself. And it wasn’t one particular relationship that made me feel this way. It was a year of learning experiences and being vulnerable for the first time. So rather than be bitter, think about those little moments. We all know the excitement when you get a text from someone you’re into. Or the nerve-wracking moment before a first kiss. All those feelings are something we all go through whether it pays off and turns into a relationship or not. Rather than fixate on the blunders I’ve made in the past, I choose to celebrate. I think a lot of people start to think about their past breakups and rejections when Valentine’s Day comes around the corner. People are either completely in love or have to embrace the “forever alone” attitude. For me, I chose to spend my Valentine’s Day celebrating with some of my friends. I’m lucky to have friends that
have my back, so I decided to celebrate the day differently. If I reflect back on some of my most memorable moments in life, they’re all when I was single. You get to do whatever you want whenever you want without anyone holding you back. Being single isn’t half bad. You get lonely at times, but rather than waste your time trying to find someone to be with, maybe try filling that void. And no, not with chocolates. Try new things. Travel to different countries. Take on a new hobby. Make new friends. Write that book you keep saying you’re going to write. Get out of your comfort zones. Stop watching Netflix all the time. Maybe, you don’t have to anticipate the next episode of your favorite show. Maybe your life will start to feel so exciting that you start to anticipate the next chapter of your life. And then when you become the person you’ve always wanted to be, you’ll attract the right person — the person that is attracted to the best version of yourself. Email at Kavita Singh at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Audience upset over Grammy’s By Taylor Richardson contributing writer
This past Sunday, the Grammy Awards, like most major accolades ceremonies, got it wrong when singer Adele Adkins won “Album of the Year” over Beyoncé Knowles. It would be infallible to dismiss the massive sales and chart-topping success of Adele’s album, “25,” but as many artists were quick to note in the months leading up to the ceremony, the Grammys keep getting it wrong. For starters, it is important to recognize the Recording Academy, the voting members behind the Grammys, as a small fraction of the world, and their decisions on who to award a gold gramophone is subjective. There have been no shortages of outrage over winners leading up to this week’s ceremony. In 2014, online protests were sparked when rapper Macklemore beat out Kendrick Lamar for “Best New Artist.” Eyebrows were raised when Frank Ocean lost “Album of the Year” to Mumford and Sons in 2013. Equally as confusing
was last year’s ceremony when Taylor Swift’s album “1984” won “Album of the Year” over Kendrick Lamar. At first glance, the Grammy Awards upsets could just be a difference in the voting member’s palates, but music scholars like Mark Anthony Neal have said the Recording Academy may have a diversity problem. Last year, Neal said: “In the last 10 years, there have been 17 non-white artists nominated for the Grammy Award for album of the year. Of those 17, the only winner was Herbie Hancock in 2008. His album was a collection of covers of songs by white folk artist Joni Mitchell.” Only 10 black artist have ever won album of the year. The dilemma is not specific to the Grammy’s either, as the controversy surrounding diversity in the 2016 Academy Awards proved. All contenders in the top four categories were white, and individuals on Twitter responded by tagging post #OscarsSoWhite in the months leading up to the award show.
Neil Portnow, the president of the Recording Academy, was interviewed the day after this year’s ceremony and was quick to excuse the voting members from any bias. “I don’t think there’s a race problem at all” said Portnow “the (14,000 voting members) don’t listen to music based on gender or race or ethnicity.” As the outraged Twitter universe has declared vehemently following the awards, Beyoncé deserved the night’s highest honor because her album crossed at least four different genres, along with an hour-long film that was nominated for an Emmy. It was also deserving because it featured soul-bearing accounts of being marginalized and was accompanied by a sold-out world tour. Adele even felt so passionately about the Recording Academy’s mistake that she sobbed while splitting her award in half like Cady Heron from “Mean Girls.” Adele is not alone in her disapproval of the Grammy’s blind-eye to black talents. Album of the Year nominees Aubrey “Drake” Gra-
ham, Kanye West and Justin Bieber all issued statements that they were skipping the show because the show was not “relevant or representative.” Singer Frank Ocean and Macklemore did not submit their albums for consideration in an act of protest. Before giving up and deciding award ceremonies are pointless and impossible to change, consider what Chance the Rapper did. Before the 23-year-old graced the stage Sunday and won three awards, he had to petition even to be nominated. Chancellor Bennett’s three album catalog is all available for free on music streaming sites. The success of his most recent project, “Coloring Book,” won “Rap Album of the Year” after the board of voters levied their clause that only music for purchase was eligible. If the audience can make big enough waves, perhaps the Grammy awards will finally come around. Email Taylor Richardson at cp@cardinalpointsonline. com
Submit your own cartoon at opinions@cardinalpointsonline.com Cartoon by Michael DeCoste
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Award Winning
Cardinal Points has received the following awards from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP): ACP Hall of Fame Inducted in Fall 2010 All American Spring 2016, five Marks of Distinction Spring 2014, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2012, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2011, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2010, five Marks of Distinction Fall 2009, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2009, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2008, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2005, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2004, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2003, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2002, four Marks of Distinction Fall 2001, four Marks of Distinction Spring 2001, four Marks of Distinction Pacemaker Recognition Fall 2010, Honorable Mention 2006-2007, Newspaper Finalist
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CP News
news editor ezra kachaturian
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Alumna inspires expeditionary students By Ezra Kachaturian news & sports editor
The expeditionary studies department has been awarded the Alumni in the Classroom Experience Grant (ACE grant), which allowed the department to bring in alumna Michelle Schonzeit, class of 2004, to talk about her life after Plattsburgh State. Schonzeit is the Acting Chief Ranger at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Having graduated with a degree in Individualized Studies: Environmental Science, National Park Service Law Enforcement and Expeditionary Studies, she was able to find her career path after a plethora of opportunities opened up for her. “I think the opportunities for growth and development within the expeditionary studies are phenomenal,” Schonzeit said. “I fell in love with the National Park Services (NPS) during my time here and I recognized the awesome opportunity to have a career in NPS.” The NPS is an agency of the United States federal government that manages all U.S. national parks, as well as many national monuments and other conservation and historical properties. Ever since becoming a permanent employee since 2004, Schonzeit has been able to work all over the country in various national parks, which
Cardinal Points/ Ezra Kachaturian
Alumna Michelle Schonzeit speaks to students in PSUC professor Dan Milz’s class to talk about her experiences. has been an opportunity in itself in building her career. “I’ve been in situations where I’ve been able to make an impact on people’s lives,” she said. “There have been so many amazing things that I’ve had a chance to do in my career.” During her visit, Schonzeit held a presentation for Daniel Milz’s environmental studies class Thursday morning, which engaged many of the students. “The key thing is that she is out doing cool things in the
world,” Milz said. “It shows that there is more to life after graduating.” Having alumni come back to campus to help teach, inspire and connect with current students could be all it takes in order to fuel someone’s passion by seeing what others are capable of doing with their degree. Sarah Henley, who is an expeditionary studies instructor as well as the coordinator of Odyssey, freshman adventure programs, helped coordinate Schonzeit’s visit
after receiving the ACE grant because she wanted to help students realize that this major is a credible, growing department. “The grant was provided by the alumni association’s office, and is available to every department on campus,” Henley said. “The point is to get her to interact with our current students, to bridge the gap between current and former students of PSUC.” Following Schonzeit’s inclass presentation, she held one-on-one meetings for
anyone who wanted to know more about the opportunities this program has to offer. Along with the one-on-ones and in-class presentation, she also held a presentation in Krinovitz Recital Hall to talk more specifically about her career path and what she has learned along the way. “Every year we have about 20 to 25 new students in this major, which is a lot compared to the beginning,” Henley said. “There are a lot of different jobs that our students have gone into, as well
as furthering and expanding their education.” What stood out most to both Milz and Henley during Schonzeit’s presentation is how serious her job actually is. Schonzeit was dressed in full uniform, which represented a form of authority. “It’s a different kind of authority than what a faculty has, or what a police officer has. You see a park ranger, and you see someone who is opening up the public trust while providing safety to the public, which creates an entirely different dynamic,” Milz said. “This is the kind of work that our students want to do. To have an alumni who has gone out and actually done it, and has been very successful in her work, it goes to show what opportunities are available.” Joining Schonzeit on her visit back to PSUC was her nine-month-old baby girl and her husband, who also works in the NPS. Bringing her family with her also demonstrates the success she has had since graduating in 2004. “It’s another opportunity for our students to see a professional alumni, and on top of that, being a woman who had a baby nine months ago while maintaining a professional career,” Henley said. “It’s cool how she felt comfortable to do that.” Email Ezra Kachaturian at news @cardinal pointsonline.com
In The Cards
Scoreboard
Frannie Merkel, women’s basketball. Page B3
Page B2
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Friday, Feb. 17, 2017
cardinalpointsonline.com
PLAYOFFS STILL IN REACH
Cards hopeful, battling for SUNYAC playoff spot
By Ezra Kachaturian news & sports editor
The circumstances are a lot different this year in comparison to last year for the Plattsburgh State men’s basketball team. Heading into its final
weekend matchups of the season, the Cardinals are sporting an 11-12 record (7-9 in conference) and are battling for a SUNYAC playoff spot. After losing to No. 10 Middlebury by doubledigits Tuesday, the Cards
will look to finish the season with a pair of victories against New Paltz and Oneonta, conference opponents.
See MBALL, B2
Cardinal Points/Jessie Smiley
Junior guard Eli Bryant dribbles the ball up the court while looking for his teammates in the Cardinals’ 90-71 loss at home to No. 10 Middlebury College Tues., Feb. 14.
Track & Field
PSUC continue strong meetings
Men’s Hockey
By Ben Watson associate sports editor
so it’s good to maintain a positive attitude and spread that to the rest of the team.” The Plattsburgh track Boucher was also part of and field team continued its the four-woman group that strong indoor season with ran the 4x400 meters that another great performance, just missed beating their this time at Boston Univer- season-best time, along with sity during the Valentine In- freshman Taylor Canet, juvitational. nior Ashlee Estes, and freshThe meet saw the men man Casey Keane. grab four ECAC qualificaOn top of all of this, Bouchtions, while there were two er was also named the SUNon the women’s side. YAC Women’s Indoor Track Coach Nick Jones was and Field Runner of the pleased with his team’s Week, and the ECAC Corvias overall perforWomen’s Divimance in Bossion III North ton. Track Athlete CARDINALS @ “I’m very hapPIONEER INVITA- of the Week. py we went out Jones was TIONAL to that meet,” also satisfied Jones said. “We with the vethad a lot of really good per- eran leadership he’s getting formances, so it was well out of his team. worth the trip. “ “It’s good to show the unOn the women’s side, se- derclassmen that if they put nior veterans Stephanie in the work, they’ll get the Boucher and Lauren Per- results,” Jones said. schetz picked up two ECAC Junior Lindsey Davenport qualifying times for the also had a commendable Cardinals. Perschetz got weekend. She only barely her qualifier with a 18:00.43 missed the ECAC qualifier time on a banked track for the 800 meters with her (which converts to 18:08.75 2:23.37 converted time, just on a flat track) to get 40th .27 seconds too high. overall. Boucher broke a On the men’s side, the PSUC program record in Cards picked up four ECAC the 800 meters to get a 17th qualifying marks, with overall finish out of 143 run- some veterans leading the ners with a converted time way too. of 2:13.57, which was .2 secSenior Ethan Vinson got onds better than the pro- his ECAC qualifying time in grams previous record. the 800 meters with a 39th Boucher herself has been overall finish out of 204 runquite happy with her own ners, while senior Kyle Jones performance, but also looks earned his with a 42nd overat her senior season as an all finish in the 400 meters. opportunity to be an exam- The standout of the weekple for the younger runners. end for the men, however, “For a lot of the older was sophomore Brian Fapeople on the team, we’re bian. just trying to work hard and show focus,” Boucher said. See TRACK, B2 “Running is mostly mental,
UP NEXT
Cardinal Points/Valerie Muiller-Tangelmann
Sophomore forward Pat Egan (no. 16) looks to pass the puck to a teammate in PSUC’s 4-3 victory over Cortland, Nov. 18. The Cards ended up defeating Cortland again 4-3, but on the road, Feb. 3.
Cards battle for home-ice advantage By Ben Watson associate sports editor
The Plattsburgh State men’s hockey team is skating into its last two games of the regular season with the boost of a nine-game unbeaten streak after its win against Potsdam last weekend. The Cardinals won a close 3-2 overtime game off of an overtime goal from sophomore defenseman Jakob Engvall. According to head coach Bob Emery, there’s nothing wrong with winning close games like that.
“It’s always good to win close, low-scoring games,” Emery said. “Those games begin and end with defense, and our defense has really tightened up in the last couple of weeks which I think shows in our win/ loss column.” The close contest saw PSUC outshoot the Bears 48 to 30, while Potsdam held a slim edge in the faceoff circle, winning 44 face-offs to the Cards’ 42. One very promising aspect of PSUC’s shots that did go in was that they came from three different scorers, with all five assists on those goals also com-
ing from different players, making for a night of very balanced scoring. In Emery’s eyes, that was just par for the course. “We’ve had pretty balanced scoring all year long,” Emery said. “If you look at our leading scorer and on down the list, there’s not a lot of difference.” It’s certainly helped as of late, as the Cards have gotten back on track in the second half of the season. By junior defenseman Ayrton Valente’s estimation, the team is confident and ready after the string of games they have brought together heading into play-
offs, but the focus is still primarily on the last two games of the season. “We still have to win these last two games before playoffs to try to get home ice,” Valente said. “I’m sure all the guys are confident heading into these two games, though, and hopefully we’ll win both to finish second.” Valente has had no small part in PSUC’s recent success, though. After being named to the D3hockey.com, See MHKY, B2
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CP Sports
sports editor ezra kachaturian
sports@cardinalpointsonline.com
Men’s Hockey Fri. vs SUNY Geneseo @7 p.m. Sat vs Brockport @ 4 p.m. Women’s Hockey Fri. vs Buff. State @ 7 p.m Sat. vs Buff. State @ 2 p.m. Men’s Basketball Fri. vs SUNY New Paltz @ 5:30 p.m. Sat. vs SUNY Oneonta @2 p.m.
Women’s Basketball Fri. vs SUNY New Paltz @ 7:30 p.m. Sat. vs SUNY Oneonta @4 p.m. Track and Field Sat @ Pioneer Invitational (hosted by Utica)
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friday, feb. 17, 2017
Men’s Hockey
School Record SUNYAC Oswego 18-4-1 11-2-1 Geneseo 15-5-3 9-4-1 Plattsburgh 14-8-1 9-4-1 Buffalo State 16-6-1 8-5-1 Fredonia 13-8-2 7-6-1 Cortland 9-12-2 5-8-0 Morrisville 5-16-4 5-9-0 Brockport 4-16-3 2-8-2 Potsdam 6-15-2 1-12-1
Women’s Hockey Cardinal Points/Valerie Muiller-Tangelmann
Sophomore forward Ashley Songin races the puck up ice against No. 4 Elmira College in PSUC’s 4-2 victory Sat. Feb. 11.
Cards staying focused By Ben Watson associate sports editor
The Plattsburgh State women’s hockey team saw its winning streak stretch to 16 games this past weekend, with two wins against No. 4 ranked Elmira College Saturday and Sunday. The Soaring Eagles saw their own 10-game unbeaten streak end Saturday before losing the second game Sunday. PSUC Head Coach Kevin Houle was happy with his team’s timely performance. “It’s definitely a good time to be playing your best hockey,” Houle said. “We had a very good weekend.” The Cardinals won Saturday’s game 4-2 and Sunday’s 4-0. PSUC more than doubled up on Elmira in shots during Saturday’s game, but the Elmira kept it close. Sophomore forward Courtney Moriarty finally broke the 2-2 deadlock with about 17 minutes left in the game and capped off the night with an empty-net goal. Moriarty was quite pleased with her personal performance over the weekend “I knew it was going to be the biggest weekend of the season,” Moriarty said. “So I came out and gave it everything I had.” ‘Everything she had’ was also good enough to earn her Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women’s West Player of the Week honors, and a spot on the D3hockey.com National Women’s Team of the Week. Sunday’s Senior Night game was a bit more lopsided of an affair. With senior defenseman Erin Brand, goalie Camille
Leonard, forward Jordan Lipson, forward Melissa Ames, defenseman Julia Duquette and forward Katelyn Turk all celebrating their final regularseason home game, the Cards capitalized on nearly every good chance they got. They also got a great night out of their special teams with a goal on both the power-play and penalty kill, both scored by Lipson with assists from Moriarty on each, something Houle was quite pleased with. “I was happy with our special teams,” Houle said. “We shut them (Elmira’s power play) out, and we got three (power play goals) of our own. I thought it was a pretty good outing for our special teams.” In the games against Elmira, Leonard tied Sydney Aveson for the PSUC program record for wins as a goalie with 69 of them. Houle himself expressed how lucky he and the Cards’ program has been to have not just Leonard, but a history of great goalies. “We’ve been blessed with excellent goaltending over the years, so she’s kind of the next step in the tradition,” Houle said. We’ve had some great goaltenders over the years, like Sydney. Now Cammy has equaled the career wins of Syd, who’s probably considered our best goalie ever, so she’s right up there.” Leonard’s wins also earned her honors similar to those of her teammate Moriarty, with Leonard earning ECAC Women’s West Goalie of the Week and a spot on the D3hockey.com National Women’s Team of the Week.
When asked about all these accomplishments, Leonard was happy, but remained humble. “I’ve been playing well, but I also think that it’s been a real team effort all through the season,” Leonard said. “Without the girls in front of me, I wouldn’t have been able to tie that record, so it’s just as much a team record as it is mine.” Other strong performances include a one goal, two assist performance from junior defenseman Megan Crandell Saturday, after which she was later named as the third member of a trio of PSUC players to make it onto the D3hockey.com National Women’s Team of the Week, along with Moriarty and Leonard. Melissa Sheeran also continued to solidify her place as an offensive juggernaut on the team with a beautiful wrist shot goal on the power-play in Saturday’s close game. Now, the Cards have just two more games before playoffs, both of them being on the road. Both Moriarty and Leonard stressed that the team wasn’t looking too far ahead, though. “Right now we’re focusing on the two games we have,” Moriarty said. ”We know we want to get more, we want to get the extra four points this weekend.” Leonard agreed. “We’ve clinched the number one seed no matter what, but we want to go in and take those extra four points away from Buffalo State,” Leonard said. “We want to keep our streak going and keep playing with confidence. Email Ben Watson at sports@cardinal
MHKY: PSUC continue strong performances From Page One
National Team of the Week, Valente scored the Cards’ opening goal versus Potsdam in the hard-fought match. “I’ve been satisfied with my play, but more so I’ve been satisfied with how the team has been playing,” Valente said. “Pulling off nine in-a-row has us feeling good.” The other hero of last weekend’s game was Engvall, who scored the OT winner 3:22 into the extra frame. “I’m not really the guy who usually scores goals, but I was glad to be able to get one when the team needed it most,” Engvall said. “I was happy for the team, and that we could keep the winning streak going.” As the season winds down, one member of the
team is inching closer to a milestone of his own, the coach. Emery is now only five wins away from hitting 600 wins, a mark that has only been met by 11 other coaches across all NCAA men’s ice hockey divisions. Coming from him, though, you would think that number is no big deal. “Honestly to me that’s just a number,” Emery said. “If you’re picking out numbers, winning percentage means way more to me. If you coach long enough, you’ll get those wins eventually.” That’s not to say Emery’s winning percentage is anything to laugh at, with him sitting at a .743 winning percentage coming into this season. Now, PSUC heads into its last two games of the season this weekend, first playing Geneseo Friday, and then Brockport on Sat-
urday. For Valente, the focus is still on getting the four points, but beating Geneseo could be a little extra bonus in itself. “Last year, with the way they beat us in the SUNYAC final (by score of 7-1), we’d like to get back at them,” Valente said. Emery reaffirmed, however, that the primary focus is just on getting the four points. “I don’t know if it’s retribution so much as it is just a big game in the schedule,” Emery said. “We only have two games left, and finishing first is out the window, so the ultimate goal would be to finish in second. We have our work cut out for us, though. Geneseo has a good, veteran team.” Email Ben Watson at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
Men’s Hockey
Save Percentage
Goals
Player Cole Stallard Joe Drabin Cam Owens
11 9 6
Player Cammille Leonard Kassi Abbott
.940 .938
Men’s Basketball
Assists
Points Per Game
Player Ayrton Valente Phillip Middleton Cam Owens
13 10 10
Save Percentage
Player Brady Rouleau Joshua Davies
Player Jonathan Patron Eli Bryant Eric Mack
17.8 14.7 13.9
Rebounds Per Game .892 .874
Player Jonathan Patron Ian Howard
8.8 7.2
Eric Mack
Women’s Hockey
5.7
Women’s Basketballl
Goals
Points Per Game
Player Melissa Sheeran Kayla Meneghin Jordan Lipson
24 16 13
Assists
Player Frannie Merkel Moe Jones Bella DePasquale
11.8 9.7 8.1
Rebounds Per Game
Player Kayla Meneghin Megan Crandell Jordan Lipson
21 16 14
Player Frannie Merkel Olivia Souky Taylor Clare
.2
10.3 6.0 4.6
School Record Plattsburgh 22-1-0 Elmira 15-4-4 Buffalo State 16-6-1 Oswego 16-6-1 Utica 14-8-1 Potsdam 12-10-1 William Smith 6-12-5 Neumann 6-14-3 Cortland 3-19-1 Chatham 6-16-1
Men’s Basketball
ECAC 15-1-0 12-2-2 11-5-0 10-5-1 9-6-1 8-7-1 3-9-4 2-11-3 2-13-1 1-14-1
School Record SUNYAC Oswego 18-5 14-2 Brockport 18-5 13-3 Cortland 16-7 11-5 Oneonta 14-9 11-5 Buffalo State 15-8 9-8 Geneseo 13-10 8-8 11-12 7-9 Plattsburgh Fredonia 10-14 7-10 Potsdam 2-21 1-15 New Paltz 1-21 0-16
Women’s Basketball
School Record SUNYAC Geneseo 23-0 16-0 Cortland 12-11 11-5 New Paltz 14-8 11-5 On e o n ta 13-10 10-6 Fredonia 16-8 10-7 Brockport 8-15 7-9 Plattsburgh 6-10 10-13 Oswego 8-15 5-11 Buffalo State 7-17 4-13 Potsdam 3-19 1-15
Time difference in tenths of a second between the old PSUC women’s 800 meter track and field record and Stephanie Boucher’s new time of 2:13.57.
TRACK: Records set From Page One
Fabian joined Jones with an ECAC qualifying time of his own in the 400 meters. Fabian also teamed up with Jones, Vinson, and junior Sobaan Ayub as part of the men’s 4x400 relay that finished 23rd overall with a ECAC qualifying time of its own. Fabian was quite content with his performance as a whole saying that he took around a full two seconds off of his previous 400 meter time. Senior Eric Denny continued his own strong season
as well, getting 24th in the high jump and 28th in the long jump to lead PSUC in field events. Now, the Cards have one more meet to gear up before SUNYACs. Both Boucher and Fabian were of the same mind when it came to how the team was approaching this weekend’s meet in Utica. “We’re just trying to run fast and get some people some qualifying marks for ECAC and SUNYACs,” Fabian said. “We just need to continue to work,” Boucher said. “This meet isn’t going to be a huge one but we still want to go
and run hard, while hopefully staying healthy for SUNYACs.” Their coach had a similar forward-thinking outlook. “We’re trying to keep people healthy, while getting some work in,” Jones said “We’re looking for quality, and hopefully we’ll be ready to go (for SUNYACs).” PSUC’s next meet will be the Pioneer Invitational in Utica, Saturday.
home by defeating Oneonta 87-82 and New Paltz by nearly 40 points, which can give the team an added boost of confidence heading into the pivotal weekend. “New Paltz is a really scrappy team, despite their lack of success. They give a lot of teams problems,” Grigg said. “We don’t want to underestimate anybody though. We just want to go in and play ball the Cardinal way. Same thing against Oneonta, we are two very evenly matched teams, and it’ll all come down to who executes better.” PSUC will be counting on its experience in order to win these games, which this team has a lot of despite its youth. “We are a very talented team, we know we can win games,” Grigg said. “It’s more than talent though. It’s about being dedicated and working hard for your goals, while also having the heart to go out there and take these
games from our opponents.” Despite their rollercoaster of a season, the Cards still have a lot to feel good about heading into their final weekend. “Definitely some ups-anddown through the season, but our first two games against New Paltz and Oneonta went pretty well,” freshman guard Nick DeAngelis said. “These two games could bring us into the playoffs, so they are definitely our most important games of the season.” PSUC will first travel to New Paltz for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff Friday, then will hit the road for Oneonta Saturday 2 p.m. to round out the regular season. “We just have to leave it all out on the court this weekend,” DeAngelis said.
Email Ben Watson at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
MBALL: Playoffs looming From Page One
“First of all, we want to win both games, but Saturday is our biggest game of the year,” junior forward Majestic Grigg said. “Regardless of what happens this weekend, we just have to take care of our business. It’s been a tough year full of ups-and-downs, so it would be great if we make the playoffs, but if we don’t, the reasons why are obvious.” PSUC found itself being in early foul trouble Tuesday which halted the Cards’ ability to execute fundamental plays as well as scoring. “We had a rough stretch. We couldn’t really get the ball in the basket,” Grigg said. “Guys were in foul trouble early, and we weren’t executing. When we execute, we play well. When we don’t, you see it on the scoreboard.” The Cards won both meetings earlier in the year at
Email Ezra Kachaturian at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
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Merkel having outstanding rookie year By Kyle Espejo staff writer
With a bright future ahead, the Plattsburgh State women’s basketball team is looking to the hand of freshman forward Frannie Merkel for its success. Merkel started playing ball at the age of four when she took her first shot with a basketball. While excelling on her volleyball and softball teams, Merkel just loved being on the basketball court. In her sophomore season of high school, Merkel caught the eye of associate head coach Ben Sarraf when she recorded 10 blocks in a game. “This is it, this is what I want to do in college,” Merkel said. “I thought it would be a great experience.” The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) allowed Merkel to learn the game at an elite level. The maturity in Merkel’s game stood out immediately the first time head coach Cheryl Cole laid eyes on the player. “Seeing that kid on the court for the first time, I just loved her motor,” Cole said. “She could jump out of the gym and was very physical.” The competiveness of basketball is what motivates Merkel to be the best she can be.” “I always push myself 100 percent of the time, I love to compete,” Merkel said. “My AAU coach always pushed
Merkel is known to be the team motivator as she always is keeping a positive, up-beat vibe and putting a smile on everyone’s face. “I like to try and work everyone to the bone,” Merkel said. “I just love to be myself out on the court leading by example.” Even Cole notices the upbeat personality of Merkel and loves to see it rub off on the rest of the team. “You can see Frannie loves to be a part of a team,” Cole said. “She has a lot of energy and is a pleasure to be around.” Senior guard Jax Miller is glad she got to play her final season with the future of Cardinal basketball. “Frannie is a great girl with an insanely bright personality,” Miller said. “Anything is possible for her because she is a go-getter. I don’t think anything will stop her from becoming great.” With her athleticism, work ethic, and desire to be great, Merkel can do special things for PSUC. “She is the kind of kid that comes in everyday for extra Cardinal Points/Konrad Odhiambo work whether it’s watchFreshman forward Frannie Merkel is averaging nearly 12 points per game in just under 23 minutes per game, ing film or just being in the while also sporting nearly 10 rebounds per game in her rookie year. gym,” Coach Cole said. “Her me and would try to get me notice early on in her career. will continue to be a night- her Plattsburgh family to be drive to be successful is outstanding. The sky is the limit “You can’t ask anything mare for the opposing team.” one of her favorites. to expand my game.” Throughout her career, “I saw the potential that for her.” Merkel prides herself on more from a player than her work ethic and giving ev- what Frannie gives you,” Cole Merkel has thought of her we would become a family,” Email Kyle Espejo at erything she has into all that said. “She plays with so much teams to be more like fami- Merkel said. “These girls are sports@cardinal she does which her coaches intensity and heart because lies. Upon her arrival to already my best friends and pointsonline.com and teammates have taken of how hard she works. She PSUC, Merkel foreshadowed it’s just the beginning.”
Women’s basketball stay playoff hopeful By Ezra Kachaturian news & sports editor
The Plattsburgh State women’s basketball team heads into its final weekend of the season against conference opponents SUNY New Paltz and Oneonta, with an overall record of 10-13 (6-10 in conference). Following a tough-fought game against Middlebury Tuesday night which the Cardinals lost 5954, PSUC will aim to take that energy and bring it into its final regular season series. “Honestly, with Tuesday’s game having been nonconference this late in the season, it didn’t have too much of a bearing on what we did this week to prepare for the weekend,” associate head coach Ben Sarraf said. “If we get these two wins, we’re going to need a little bit of help from other teams, but there is a chance we get in the tournament. These games are huge, and hopefully we can compete and end in a positive way.” The Cards have endured a season full of ups-and-downs with the freshmen-filled roster which resulted in missed opportunities earlier in the season which brings them to be in the situation they are in now - which is on the brink of either ending or continuing their season. “We let a couple opportunities slip both early and late in the season, so we eas-
ily could’ve been 8-8 heading into the weekend instead of 6-10 (in conference),” Sarraf said. “We’ve dedicated a lot of time to learning and teaching (the young roster). It’s been a lot different this year preparing for games like this, compared to the past three years when we had a lot of experience on the roster.” PSUC lost both its previous meetings against these upcoming opponents. Both losses presented the team with a lot to improve upon in order to redeem itself the next time they faced off. “The first time we played both of those teams, rebounding was probably the biggest issue,” Sarraf said. “We worked a lot on how we’re going to rebound, particularly on free throws. We gave up seven offensive rebounds on free throws, which is pretty much as bad as it gets because it gave the other team an extra seven possessions.” Freshman forward Taylor Clare also pointed out how important rebounding is, as well as playing against zone defense. “We’re especially working on rebounding because it has hurt us a lot this season,” Clare said. “Both teams will be playing zone this weekend which is something we’ve struggled with throughout the season because we haven’t seen it that much.” Looking forward, these two games could potentially
Cardinal Points/Darian Carey
Freshman forward Taylor Clare made 7-12 free throw attempts in PSUC’s 59-54 loss to Middlebury College, Feb. 14. be the final two games of the season for PSUC. With that in mind, the Cards will give everything they have in order to have a chance at saving their season. “We have to win them, that’s how important these games are,” senior guard Jax Miller said. “We just have to prepare ourselves in our game. How well we play and how well we execute the fundamentals is what it all comes down to.” Miller is one of the two seniors on the team this year, which caused some concern
for the senior headed into the season due to the amount of newcomers this year. “I definitely didn’t know what to expect coming into the season,” Miller said. “It definitely made me step up as a leader for them. Being one of the two seniors on the team, it was definitely a challenge in the beginning, but I couldn’t have asked for a better senior year with a better group of girls.” Clare has learned a lot from seniors Miller and Moe Jones in her first season with PSUC. “Even though we didn’t
have that many upperclassmen to lead us, Jax and Moe has done a great job leading us,” Clare said. “Not only did they help us, but they learned from us as well.” In order to make the SUNYAC playoffs, it all starts with the Cards securing these two games. Then, it will be out of their control afterwards, leaving it up to Brockport and Oswego to lose their games so that PSUC can secure the final playoff spot. “Even though it depends on other teams’ outcomes, we just need to focus on our-
selves first,” Clare said. “If we don’t get it done, then there is no reason to bank on what happens with other teams.” The Cards will travel to New Paltz tonight for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff, then will travel to Oneonta for a 4 p.m. tipoff Saturday. “It could possibly be the last two games of my career, so I hope to go out with two wins this weekend,” Miller said. Email Ezra Kachaturian at sports@cardinal pointsonline.com
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Greek life involvement worthwhile By Kavita Singh editor in chief
Plattsburgh State junior Julissa Vera has always had a passion for philanthropy. When she was in fifth grade, her school did a musical during April, which is Child Abuse Awareness Month. She said her class had to do extensive research about real life situations “It wowed me that this type of stuff is real,” she said. When she was a freshman, she said she felt a little lost with what direction she wanted to go in with the different clubs and organizations. “I definitely wanted to get involved with Greek life because they’re very involved with community outreach and working with philanthropies,” she said. “Growing up, I really looked up to Audrey Hepburn. I always wanted to do something with philanthropy and maybe one day becoming a humanitarian as well so I try to do as much as I can to give back to the community.” So when Vera came to PSUC, she was thrilled to hear that there was a sorority sponsoring Prevent Child Abuse America. “So once I saw (Sigma Delta Tau) had this philanthropy, it immediately drew my attention.” Currently, Vera is the vice president of Sigma Delta Tau, and she is also the vice president of Standards for PSUC’s Inter-Sorority Association. “I wanted to be more involved on the campus outside of my sorority,” she said. “I wanted to hold a bigger position rather than just a big position in just my organization.” President of Sigma Delta Tau Madison Winters said she has known Vera for a while, but they didn’t get close until they became house mates last semester.
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PSUC junior Julissa Vera demonstrates passion toward the various groups and clubs she’s involved with on campus. After taking a chance on Greek life, Vera believes she has the confidence and skills to pursue her dream job. Winters said Vera is “hands down the funniest person” she knows. They also work closely together as president and vice president for their sorority. “Julissa always has an upbeat personality. She likes to see the best in people, and that’s the first thing you notice about her,” she said. “She always goes out of her way to say ‘hi’ and make people feel comfortable.” Winters called Vera her “right-hand woman” when it comes to working together to create new ideas for their chapter. Winters said Vera is also the type of person that respects the rules, especially given her role with the Inter Sorority Association. Winters said that Vera does know when to be serious and when to have fun. For the most part, Winters said
Vera is always on the go. Winters said what makes Vera so successful is that she’s a “realistic optimist.” Winters said Vera has great ideas, but she never gets carried away with them. “I just think she’s one of those people that you can throw in a room of strangers, and she’ll be just fine,” Winters said. “She loves it, and she loves meeting new people.” Vera said she learned a lot about her own values after joining Greek life. “When I look at my sorority, I don’t just see it as a sisterhood, I see it as more of like a business and goal,” Vera said. “And we’re trying to reach that goal and work together as a group for something.” Besides being a leader in Greek life, she is also an
international business major and has two minors in marketing and global supply chain. “I had a family friend that was working in international business, and my grandmother worked for these two guys that did international business,” she said. “I like to travel, and I wanted to learn about other cultures and doing business in other countries.” She also had an internship as a campus manager with University Tees, which was company that connected with student organizations to customize apparel and accessories. Vera even went to the Involvement Fair this past semester to market the company. She went from table to table making sales pitches to different PSUC
clubs and organizations. Vera’s adviser has also taken notice of her work ethic. Senior Counselor for Educational Opportunity Program Amy Daniels said Vera is very outgoing and personable, along with having a very strong work ethic. “I think she’s very approachable and people feel very comfortable around her,” Daniels said. “I think people in her presence can pick up on that.” Daniels also said that Vera’s social skills will also help her with getting a career in the future. “A lot of time, getting a good career is about networking and building positive relationships, and I think she will do well with that,” she said. “I think that this involvement will help her kind of specify her goals
and get them more specific. I see it as a progression. I think this is all part of her journey, and that will get her to the next step. I think her future is bright.” Vera said she can see herself working in the city after school. She can also see herself traveling to different countries in Europe and South America. Vera said she feels like a completely different person from her freshman self. She believes taking that leap with Greek life really helped shape her leadership skills. “I didn’t see myself where I am today,” she said. “I didn’t know I had that potential in me to really climb the ladder and do more.” Email Kavita Singh at cp@cardinalpointsonline. com
Psychedelic drugs tested as medication By Laura Schmidt opinions & fuse editor
When taking a psychedelic drug, people often say they find extraordinary meaning and significance in mundane objects. This quality makes the drug LSD an eligible subject of study when trying to discover what parts of the brain are responsible for the activation of certain emotions and feelings. Research involving LSD and other types of hallucinogenic drugs have been ignored for the past 30 or 40 years due to fear from the general public, but people are finally coming around to the idea. A recent study published by the University of Zurich tested how the drug affected people’s ability to create meaning. They found that specific neurochemicals and receptors are responsible for this feeling of meaning. With this knowledge, researchers can better understand what triggers parts of the brain to start or seize function. In the experiment, participants were given either LSD, a placebo or LSD with a drug called ketanserin, which blocks the ability of LSD to act on 5-HT2A serotonin receptors. After the drug had kicked in, songs that were previously meaningless to the participants took on a new, special meaning. This didn’t occur nearly as much with the participants who took ketanserin along with LSD. Of course, the patients in these experiments were all supervised by psychologists and psychiatrists in order to ensure no one would experience a “bad trip” or a wave of panic. PSUC professor of biological science Donald Slish said this is an exciting field of research, and he’s glad the public is coming around to it. Slish said the use of LSD on patients with “wrong patterns” in the brain can help “reset” the brain in order to start fresh. Having psychiatrists present ensure the patient is properly reoriented after the trip. This type of therapy has been used for
various disorders, according to Slish. “It’s been used in addiction, obsessive compulsion disorder, depression, a lot of different things have to do with wrong thought patterns in the brain,” Slish said. Although experiments including LSD have been occurring for only about five
between your thoughts and these negative feelings about yourself,” according to Slish. The use of psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in mushrooms, could be helpful in reworking certain parts of the brain to reactivate feelings of meaning. Jennifer Bremser, PSUC assistant professor of psychology, said the use of psilocybin is very safe in this kind of research. This compound could potentially be used to produce an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety effect in people who have experienced a life threatening illness as well. Bremser said she believes our brains are “uncomfortable with uncertainty” and this produces a feeling of dread. She explained that existential dread is when we recognize our own mortality and begin to contemplate things such as death and pain. This can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety or paranoia. Terror management theory is the idea that giving meaning to one’s life gets rid of this dread and negative feelings. Ways to combat existential dread could be adopting different ideologies or cultural beliefs, according to Bremser. “I think the potential clinical or therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs are the most interesting,” Bremser said. Learning more about how these drugs affect the brain creates a better understanding of what mechanisms in the brain cause depression and anxiety in the first place. The recreational use of LSD to treat certain psychiatric disorders could be as short Cartoon by Ashley Spraker as five to 10 years away if these experiments continue to provide new informayears, this kind of research has helped tion about the brain. “It’s not at the point now where everyone professionals discover what can make a better anti-depression and anti-anxiety should be doing this,” Slish said. “They’re still learning a lot about it.” medication. Since everyone has different pathways of Email Laura Schmidt at thought in their brain, you sometimes “get opinions@cardinalpointsonline.com stuck in a rut and you go back and forth
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Vagina Monologues spark discussion By Hilly Nguyen associate fuse editor
Plattsburgh State’s Center for Womyn’s Concerns hosted The Vagina Monologues Feb. 11, in the Warren Ballrooms at Angell College Center. The Vagina Monologues is an annual campaign conducted around the world by volunteers and college students to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities, according to the official website of the Global Activist Movement to End Violence Against Women and Girls. At PSUC this year, half of the money raised through The Vagina Monologues is going to be donated to Planned Parenthood, and the other half will go to the organization of Eve Ensler’s choosing. The event attracted many people including students and parents. All seats quickly filled up before the event started. The ballrooms were decorated in pink and red, along with balloons, which created a perfect Valentine’s Day atmosphere. The stage was covered in a yellow light to make the audience feel warm and cozy. In the corner of the room, there were tables selling candies, vagina pops, buttons and t-shirts. All the money from selling those would be donated as well. “The event went really well, and it was a great turnout for all of us,” senior psychology major and treasurer of the Center for Womyn’s Concerns Jake Santilli said. “There were many more people than we anticipated, and more people came this year as well.” The cast is different every year. To be in the cast, all the students had to audition. “We only had about two weeks with a few rehearsals, along with everybody’s busy schedule,” he said. In 1996, Eve Ensler started The Vagina Monologues by interviewing 200 women about their feminine experiences of love, sex, rape, orgasm and
Cardinal Points/Valerie Muller-Tengelmann
The Vagina Monologues, held in the Warren Ballrooms, gave students an opportunity to voice concerns and opinions on current issues. Half of all proceeds collected were donated to Planned Parenthood of the North Country. more, which has been translated into 48 languages, performed in over 140 countries. “The Vagina Monologues’ goal is to start a discussion about female anatomy, sex and women’s rights because we don’t really talk about them,” Santilli said. “People try to avoid talking about them.” In 1988, Eve Ensler and a group of women in New York City established V-Day. Its mission is to bring the issue of violence against women and girls, according to its own official website. The main purpose of the event is to raise awareness about V-Day, a global activist movement to stop
violence against women and girls, according to junior communication studies major and president of the Center for Womyn’s Concerns Sydney Dixon. “The Vagina Monologues make women feel empowered,” Dixon said. “You are in the safe space to be able to express yourself and to feel that energy.” The Center for Womyn’s Concerns holds the Vagina Monologues annually. Every year, the club picks certain monologues based on their reflection to the current issues. “We also pick them based on people who audition and which
piece would fit the person’s voice,” she said. Dixon said this is her first experience working on an executive board position. She attended the Vagina Monologues last year, which was when she was interested in the club and wanted to join. “I think it is an important event for everybody to come and see to just get involved on campus in general,” Dixon said. “Coming to an event like this, you realize how women are able to take back the current feelings they have toward their vagina.” “I have done the Vagina Monologues in high school before,”
freshman journalism major Nyela Graham said. “It was really cool to see from an outside perspective.” Graham’s favorite part of the event was “The woman who loved to make vaginas happy” piece with all different types of moans. The story made people feel more comfortable with the topic of sex, according to her. “People don’t really like to talk about that topic, so I think the event is really helpful for everybody,” Graham said. “It educated people about the issue as well.” Email Hilly Nguyen at cp@ cardinalpointsonline.com
SWEAT: Intense training proves useful From page 6
High-intensity interval training, H.I.I.T., is a training technique in which you give all-out, 100 percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods, according to dailyburn.com, which is a membership site that helps individuals with their fitness goals. PSUC sports and wellness assistant professor Andreas Stamatis said that H.I.I.T. is not something new. Some people knew about it in the 1950s and 1960s. The first record was broken in 1954. “It’s something that we knew about, but now it’s a buzzing word,” Stamatis said. Research conducted between a group that did endurance training, which means any activities that increase heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. The group was then compared with a group that did H.I.I.T. training and they both had the same results found in fat loss and endurance training. Stamatis explained that while training for endurance, the heart has a better ability to pump out more blood. In the high intensity training, the muscles have a better ability to grab oxygen from the circulating blood. Stamatis thinks that both trainings should be combined so while one is helping with the heart, the other is helping with the functioning of the muscles. Stamatis said that high interval training is about cardio and because it pushes you for a certain amount of time, the oxygen you
use after you work out stays up higher than endurance, which helps burn more calories throughout the day. This, he said, causes a higher level of E.P.O.C., or excess postexercise consumption, which makes H.I.I.T. effective for fat-burning. E.P.O.C is the amount of energy our body consumes following a bout of exercise that is in excess of the pre-exercise oxygen consumption baseline level. Stephanie Saccone, a PSUC criminal justice major said that H.I.I.T. is effective if you have time. From being a mom, school work, a job, driving her kids to daycare and her husband to work, Saccone has no time to work out. When Saccone learned about H.I.I.T. and its effectiveness, she said that she would work out at night when the kids are sleeping, this way she would spend less time but still intensively working out. PSUC hotel, restaurant and tourism management major, Nikeitha Louison said she agrees with short intervals of intense working out because bursts of energy accelerate the fat burning process. “When exercising, you are supposed to work harder not longer,” Louison said. Louison stated that her workout routine is eight to 10 minutes of high intense cardio and then 20 to 30 minutes of weight-lifting. “My goal is muscle toning, so I perform 10 reps of four sets on the relevant circuit equipment,” Louison said. For students who want to start working out but can’t seem to find the time, Louison said to find time to create a schedule and stick to that schedule.
“When the schedule is made, the best thing for a beginner is to hire services of a trainer,” Louison said. She said that with the aid of a trainer, one can discuss his or her goals and the trainer can steer him or her in the right direction, and teach how to properly use the equipment. Saccone said that she heard on the radio that you’re making excuses if you don’t make time. It’s important for students to not assume that H.I.I.T. is the solution to working out quickly and seeing progress. Stamatis warned that there are higher risks associated with high intensity training. He said that students have to be sure that their fitness level is at that point. The point of a workout routine is to do better not injure oneself. “We are working out to be better, not to become worst,” he said. Students shouldn’t have any excuses that prevents them from working out and reaching their fitness goals. Stamatis said: “Perfect timing is when you don’t have a lot of time. During finals, when you are travelling, high intensity is not the solution. Students have to do endurance and high intensity.” He suggested that if students cannot do high intense training, they can increase their fitness level and then try it. Email Raheal Neeqyaue at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
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By Raheal Neequaye staff writer
With a full load of academics, social life, work, family and many other obligations, the last thing on a college student’s mind is working out. When the new year approached, a lot of students were striving to get the “perfect body” and getting in the gym was a main goal for them. However, when school started, that goal seemed to have gone out the window. Short intense interval workouts are appealing because they require so little time, but they also demand straining effort, according to an article published in New York Times.
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Illustration by Chelsea Soreno