NICK MCADAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
President Laura Casamento held a Town Hall meeting on April 21 for faculty and staff addressing the financial state of the College. The meeting covered many pivotal topics from this academic year, including the impacts of the coronavirus, the enrollment and retention rates and the College’s strategic plan in the next five years.
Utica College’s primary focus, at least for the latter half of the recent decade, has been to increase its retention and enrollment rates. Many databases indicate that the College’s retention rate, at least for the times before the pandemic, hovered between 70% and 73%. At the meeting, it was revealed that the College saw a 14% decrease in overall enrollment in the past four years.
Kelly Adams, the assistant vice president for marketing and communications, indicated that this number directly correlates to a declining number of high school graduates, particularly in the Northeast portion
of the country. This is confirmed, as of 2018, by The National Center for Education Statistics which published a study in December of that year indicating a sharp increase in high school dropout rates, specifically in low-income
populations.
“In the fall of 2016, we brought in a freshman class of 685 and had to rent an entire wing of an off-campus hotel to accommodate residential student capacity,” Adams said. “Long term, this was not a sustainable strategy, and it led to lower retention. Today, we are targeting a freshman class of 550. So clearly part of the decline is attributable to strategy.”
Another factor to consider for this time period,
SEE TOWN HALL PG. 5At the end of March, Utica College President Laura Casamento released a statement that said planning was underway for the College to return to full in-person academic and administrative operations for the fall semester.
Sentiment around campus is that this is a welcome announcement for faculty and students alike.
Shad Crowe, the vice president for emergency management, confirmed that there has been much talk within the cabinet
about the logistics. As of now, the intention is to go fully in person.
“Obviously, anything can happen and it can change on a dime – if the virus has a resurgence or if the vaccines begin to fail, that will change the approach,” Crowe
said. “But as of right now we’re hoping to return to full in-person classroom experience as we’ve seen in the past. However, we’re ready to pivot if we need to.”
Crowe said within classrooms, CDC guidelines will be
followed by students and teachers. There is a high possibility that the sixfoot distancing suggestion will be reduced to three feet. Additionally, UC has a unique feature to help combat the virus –Ultraviolet-C lights.
“If you look at classrooms, we have installed some mitigating equipment like UV-C lights,” Crowe said. “They’re really unique to this campus and we’ve had no cases trace back to the classroom. I think that’s a direct indicator that, in conjunction with our improved air filtration, they are really doing a good job in preventing viral transmission in our
classrooms.”
The normalcy of the fall semester will also largely depend on the vaccination status of Utica College’s students. While Utica College has not yet made a decision on whether they will be making the vaccine compulsory, it is still being strongly recommended by the administration.
“The vaccine certainly has some tremendous advantages,” Crowe said. “There is a lot of great scientific information out there showing that the vaccine is effective and that it’s preventing transmission very effectively.”
SEE FALL PG. 3
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FALL FROM PG. 1
An additional benefit of getting the vaccine is that it eliminates the need for people to quarantine. The CDC no longer requires vaccinated individuals to quarantine, and instead recommends they track their symptoms.
Mehmet Sencicek, a professor of economics, said the only emotion he is feeling toward the possibility of a fully in-person semester is excitement.
“I think the probability of being on-ground is becoming more and more likely based on the current trends and based on the effort that our college and the emergency management team has put in,” Sencicek said. “They made the circumstances much more favorable for us last two semesters and I have full confidence that they will do that to the best possible thing for the fall.”
Sencicek said that it has been a challenge teaching in an online and hybrid environment, particularly as many students who are enrolled as on-ground students still choose to attend online. While this is better than students missing class entirely, it means that professors’ attention is divided between trying to ensure virtual students are getting everything they need and the students that are physically in the classroom.
“It is also a challenge for students to be online, as it makes it harder for them to pay attention to be fully focused in class when they’re not in the classroom,” Sencicek said.
“The overall system is not easy to do, but necessary under the circumstances.”
Professors and emergency management are both still unsure whether or not Zoom lectures will be an option for students next
semester. Sencicek is looking forward to being able to do more in-class exercises and having students work together on their work. He feels that students working together, rather than by themselves, comparing results or discussing how to go about solving problems all contribute a lot to the student learning experience.
“Right now it’s just me and the student and their computer,” Sencicek said. “Restrictions make it harder to speak with students, and compared to pre-COVID times I do feel that I haven’t been able to get to know students, and I’m sure vice versa. The physical distance does lead to some emotional distance.”
Sencicek said he has no apprehensions, largely due to vaccinations and Utica College’s phenomenal job at keeping everyone safe
thus far.
“UC has been great with their vaccinations and the on-campus clinics,” Sencicek said. “I hope that students will get their vaccinations so we can have as normal a fall semester as possible.”
Junior Emily Hill is excited at the prospect of a fully in-person semester, too.
“I’ve really missed being on campus and being able to see and interact with people I haven’t been able to in the last few semesters,” Hill said.
“Group projects and class discussions have been particularly difficult.
People feel uncomfortable unmuting and talking to each other when we’re online, so I’m looking forward to being able to do everything in person again.”
Hill said she feels that certain parts of her education have suffered in the online format, largely because students seem to
avoid participating when on Zoom.
“The length for which we’ve been in an online and hybrid format has hindered our education to some extent, and is going to hinder our job opportunities if we carry on for much longer,” Hill said. “People know that you don’t learn as much when you’re online and being on ground is far more effective, and we need that in-person, practical experience particularly in healthcare fields.”
Sencicek said that in spite of the challenges of being virtual, students have done well.
“Students have been amazing in terms of their resilience as well, being able to work under these conditions and still having achieved what they have,” Sencicek said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the U.S. economy. Last year, many businesses, from momand-pop shops to major chain retailers, found themselves shutting doors and/or filing for bankruptcy due to lack of consumer spending and the inability to allow in-person shoppers during the height of the pandemic.
In addition to this, the number of people filing for unemployment skyrocketed. Last July, the U.S. unemployment rate was 10.2 percent. To put this into perspective, the peak global unemployment rate during the Great Recession (2007-2009) was only 10 percent. The process of job searching can be difficult, but throw in a global pandemic and you have a tough, grueling road ahead. Many students, whether they be incoming freshmen or soon-to-be graduates, have expressed worry about finding a job after college.
“I definitely am stressed thinking about job hunting, especially since a lot of the places that I was really interested in working at are either closed temporarily or are not hiring right now because of staff limitations due to the pandemic,” said Morgan Kocher, a senior studying business management.
“I’m scared to graduate and not have a job. I’ve worked really hard in school and I want to be able to show off my skills.”
The Center for Career and Professional
Development at Utica College is designed to help students start their job and internship search. With the pandemic affecting almost every aspect of daily life, the Center has implemented new and updated services to help students find their perfect job, whether it be in-person or online.
“You are not alone in the job and internship search process,” Assistant Director of Career Development Victoria Pardee said. “A tip that I have for students looking to apply for jobs and internships is to connect with their Career Coach. We can help you build a strong resume and cover letter, as well as identify employers of interest. We have strong connections with employers and are happy to refer you to our contacts. If we don’t have a partnership with the employer yet, we can build one.”
According to Upwork, 41.8% of Americans were still working remotely at home, as of Dec. 2020. In
addition to this statistic, it is predicted that by 2025, 36.2 million Americans will be entirely remote, an increase of over 16 million people compared to data on remote work before the pandemic.
Trey Cornish, an online student in his junior year, has experienced both the convenience and distractions of working from home.
“I’m definitely thankful that I’ve been able to work from home during the pandemic,” said Cornish, who is currently studying cybersecurity. “I am lucky that I didn’t have to go out in public and risk catching the virus. However, I have also found working at home to be an easy distraction.
It’s easier to lose yourself on your phone, watching TV or being online. It’s a struggle each day to tell yourself to continue working when all of these distractions are within reach.”
With many jobs and internships forced to be remote, it raises the
question of whether skills learned online will transition smoothly to inperson experiences, once things are able to open up again.
“I want to reassure students that this is a global pandemic and we are not the only ones going through it,” Pardee said.
“Employers understand that some of the ‘typical’ in-person experiences were moved to a virtual setting. We do believe that we’ll see a trend of more virtual work, as employers are realizing that this is a possibility.
While there may be an uptick in remote work, we are confident that employers will begin to resume in-person work post-pandemic.”
UC is aware of the added stress that the pandemic has placed on the student body and has worked to provide increased assistance with the growing number of questions and concerns presented.
“The Center for Career and Professional
TOWN HALL FROM PG.1 however, is the tuition reset of that academic year. The impacts of the decision, both financially and in terms of overall enrollment, continue to impact the College to this day.
remaining half was spent covering the College’s losses of $2.3 million from room and board revenue as a result of the closing of the school during the outbreak of the coronavirus last March.
terms of credits - before attending. There will also be a focus on expanding and developing all levels of study, from bachelor’s to doctorate programs, along with a huge change in the College’s core course requirements.
Development has exciting news in that we have recently completed a search and screen process and hired three new Career Coaches,” Pardee said. “Based on your industry of interest, you will have an assigned Career Coach. Your Career Coach will be able to assist with topics such as major and career exploration, job and internship search assistance, resume and cover letter building and editing, graduate school search and applications, networking guidance and interviewing skills. Stay tuned for our official announcements.”
The Center for Career and Professional Development is located at 115 Hubbard Hall. Students are urged to reach out to their Career Coach to learn more about their desired career and to start building relationships with local businesses.
Competition also arises from New York State with the Excelsior Scholarship. The financial impacts of the scholarship can give qualifying students money covering some of their respective fees to pay for a state school. It also impacts Utica College, which does not qualify for the scholarship, as prospective students may seek out a cheaper alternative to higher education in the future. However, Casamento believes that current Utica College fees for tuition and room and board will remain competitive with the benefits of the Excelsior Scholarship moving forward. Right now, the College charges students just above $10,000 per semester in tuition fees, with room and board fees in variance depending on where students live on campus.
The bright side to this topic is that UC is seeing an increase in first-year applications for the fall semester. This news comes after it announced a full return to inperson operations next semester. Casamento has encouraged faculty to prompt their students to return in person for the fall and has every bit of confidence that the students will follow suit.
“I encourage as many students as possible to get their COVID vaccine,” she said. “Students may not know this, but anyone who has been fully vaccinated does not have to quarantine after exposure to someone
who has the virus. This is great news and goes a long way towards bringing back a sense of normalcy to day-to-day living on campus. So my message to students is: please get vaccinated.”
As expected, the coronavirus impacted Utica College in a number of ways, especially in terms of the school’s financial position. For the 2021 fiscal year, the institution is expecting to exceed costs of $3 million.
The College also released its overall operating budget expenses and revenues for the academic year. Expenses this year dropped from $80.3 million in 2020 to $77.4 million, but are predicted to jump up again to $82.8 million next year.
It’s estimated that the College’s expenses broke down for this fiscal year in these categories:
• Salaries and Benefits
- $48.5 million
• Operating Expenses
- $22.7 million
• Auxiliary Expenses$3.7 million
• Debt Services - $2.5 million
The College’s operating budget cash surplus is estimated at $2.2 million, while its DOE for this year was 2.4%. Generally, any percentage above 2% signifies that a higher education institution has enough of a cash cushion to cover things out of its
control.
In terms of revenues, Utica College made most of its money from undergraduate fees totaling $39.6 million with graduate student fees falling behind with $16.9 million. The school collected an extra $4.3 million in fees and $10.3 million in auxiliary revenues, with another $8.7 million labeled as “other.”
Elements helping the College’s financials include endowments, gifts and The Higher Education Relief Fund (HEERF). As of March 31, the College has received $33.5 million in endowments or money that is donated to an organization for a specific purpose. A hefty portion of this money has been used on UC’s new infrastructure, both on and off-campus, which has increased in the last five years. According to Casamento, the College received $3.5 million in gifts directed to the endowment in the past 18 months.
HEERF is an element within the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), passed by Congress on March 27, 2020. The fund is split into three different parts, all received at different times. The first two rounds of funding totaled $6.5 million.
In the first round, $1.2 million was sent directly to the students in the form of emergency grant financial aid. The
Another $4.1 million was granted in the second round. Similar to the first round of funding, the College allocated a portion of the money toward student emergency aid, but the remaining money was used to cover COVID-19 expenses. According to Casamento, PCR-saliva testing was by far the biggest coronavirusrelated expense, although an exact number of how much it cost wasn’t provided.
UC is waiting for the third fund to hit, totaling $7.2 million.
“$3.6 million of which will be used for emergency grant aid and sent directly to students based on updated conditions and requirements,” Casamento said. “The remaining $3.6 million will be used for any further COVID-19 mitigation expenses and to partially offset the loss of tuition, room, board and other revenue directly related to COVID-19.”
The College has rapidly expanded its presence, specifically with infrastructure, in recent years. Expect more of that, but in a different style in the next five years. The plan is to diversify revenue by modality and geography.
Utica College will further develop its High School Bridge Program, giving students the opportunity through certain coursework to complete a full year of college - in
Geographically, Utica College plans to put some focus on the Florida campus as well. Later this year or in early 2022, the College will expand to create a third academic site in the state. According to Casamento, the site will likely be located in Pasco County, which is located on the Western side of the state, just north of Tampa. All of these plans fall in accordance with Utica College’s strategic plan from 2020 until 2025.
“Some of the tactics detailed in the Strategic Plan include the following: Create general education pathways that honor broad interdisciplinary perspectives, transferable skills, and integration of majors; Create academic offerings to attract and retain underserved student populations; Implement a coherent model of experiential learning opportunities that integrate majorrelated experiences for first-year students,” Casamento said.
The topics tie together within the College’s plans of trying to remain fiscally prudent in the future. Keeping spending numbers in line with the College’s sources of revenue will allow the school to fund these initiatives without gathering any debt.
“We need to invest our resources in initiatives and programs that have both a measurable and meaningful return on investment,” Casamento said.
After the doors to Utica College were abruptly closed in March 2020 with an overwhelming influx of local COVID-19 cases, the community faced uncertainty in how the college would continue to function. As the 2021 spring semester comes to an end, let’s take a moment to review how many things have changed in the past academic year.
A $650,000 grant was awarded to Utica College towards Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) scholarships. The grant was divided between 14 students to cover fouryears of tuition towards a bachelor’s degree in applicable fields.
All-Access Bookstore Rental Program
Several facets of life took a startling hit due to COVID-19 and finances were not spared from the list. Textbooks have a history of being expensive for college students; in order to address this, Utica College instituted the All-Access Book Program via Gallup. This program offered a rental service that required a small fee, a waiver agreeing to cover costs if books are damaged, and returning rentals by a predetermined date.
Students Violating COVID Rules
Suspended from
Between Aug. 20 and 31, more than 15 students from South Hall were removed from campus after attending a cramped dorm party without masks. The lack of adherence to Utica College’s COVID-19 pledge, the zero-tolerance policy and the mandatory policy training pushed Campus Safety to crackdown on these students.
Le Bistro Closes Down
Down the hall that connects White Hall and Gordon Science Center, there is an empty cooler and an unused counter that used to be Le Bistro. This grab-and-go café was closed due to COVID-19 regulations. However, students who desired a caffeine fix could traipse to the Gannett Library where Common Grounds remains active.
For the fifth time in Utica College history, the Walk A Mile for Unity Event was guided across campus with a plethora of signs promoting reflection and inclusivity. This event took place on Sept. 2 and offered something new
for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with other campus organizations. Despite the downpour of rain, over 80 people pledged in the tent outside Strebel Student Center and joined the walk online or in-person.
War of the Worlds radio play & ALLIN4UC campaign
retirement, Varga can still be found volunteering in the UC community and occasional accompanist to the Utica College Concert Choir.
to a pandemic-conscious campus: a digital option to participate in the walk. In-person walkers had to sign up for time slots and proceed socially distanced while online partners took to social media with the hashtag #UCommUNITY.
On Sept. 14, the now former Dean of Students at Utica College Timothy Ecklund announced his intention to step down from his position after two years of service due to personal reasons. The announcement created a need for other faculty changes: Scott Nonemaker stepped into the role of interim dean of students, Marissa Finch moved to interim director of student living and Lauryn Moore was shifted to interim director of student engagement.
From noon to 3 p.m., the second annual Suicide Prevention Walk took place on Oct. 7. This event was held by Active Minds and the club’s advisor, Sadé Cardin, which raised more than $800 for the American Foundation
In lieu of a play during the Fall 2020 semester, Professor Rachel Wolfe directed a radio-play: War of the Worlds. This story about a martian invasion aired on Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. across the WPNR radio waves. On the same day as this performance, the ALLIN4UC donation campaign raised over $100,000 towards several sections of campus life: Student Success, Athletics, Academics, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.
NOVEMBER
Alane Varga Retires
Effective Nov. 30, Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Alane Varga retired from Utica College. She committed 37 years of service to the college and helped establish the Unity Walk, promoted the Gender Sexuality Alliance and acted as advisor to Africa in Motion. Post-
Mental Health Day and 2020 Election Debacle COVID-19 precautions rejected the idea of a prolonged break in the fall semester. In order to give students at least one day of break, President Casamento announced that Nov. 3 would be a “Mental Health Day.” However, this announcement was rescinded due to a handful of faculty complaints, and instead a mental health day could be enacted at professor discretion.
Nov. 3, a rainy Tuesday, was also the 2020 Election Day in the United States. Prior to the election, Utica College laid pocketConstitutions and Voter Registration forms across campus.
Sports Expansion Announced
In a campus-wide email, President Casamento announced a $2 million gift to expand sports facilities. Combined with other donations, the entirety of a $3.5 million price tag was SEE REVIEW PG. 7
REVIEW FROM PG. 6 covered. These additions include a multi-purpose synthetic athletic field and an eight-lane outdoor track.
Rise in COVID, Several Students “Go Digital”
The final day of onground classes was meant to be Nov. 25, but several students returned home much sooner than that. With a rise in COVID-19 cases and North Hall being placed under quarantine Nov 10., students had the option to transfer completely online to finish the semester.
DECEMBER
Africana Studies Program Becomes a Minor
Faculty members at Utica College took an impactful vote on Dec. 2 that officially added Africana Studies as a minor. This minor requires six courses that cover studies of Africa and the African Diaspora. The minor, manifested by History Professor Clemmie Harris, will offer five concentrations: Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, African-American, North Africa, Afro-Latin and the Middle East.
JANUARY
UC Mourns Norberto Rosado & Raymond Rivera
Prior to returning from
fall semester, the pattern continued with COVID-19 worries about how spring break would increase numbers. Instead, Utica College announced that in place of a spring break, students will have two mandatory mental health days: March 4 and April 2. During these days, classes were to be canceled to give students a chance to rest and catch up on schoolwork.
allowed the creation of the Karl Zimpel ‘75 Endowed Professorship in Cybersecurity. This is the second endowed professorship at Utica College and will allow faculty, student and combined research opportunities.
winter break, Utica College received the news that Norberto Rosado and Raymond Rivera, two valued members of facilities management, died of COVID-19 complications. Norberto “Norm” Rosado Sr. was a member of facilities management at Utica College for 16 years. He was 68 when he died on Dec. 31. He had a passion for athletics, was considered a family man and was married for 45 years.
Raymond Rivera, known as the overnight custodian at DePerno Hall and member of facilities management, died Jan. 2 at age 64. He also loved sports, collected coins and dedicated much of his time to his family.
FEBRUARY
First Week of Spring Classes Digital
The initial start of the on-ground spring semester was meant to be Jan. 25, but a rise of COVID-19 cases following the winter holiday season pushed it forward a week. Students logged onto Zoom during the week of Feb. 1, otherwise known as the “Syllabus Week,” before regular in-person instruction would begin Feb. 8.
Two Mental Health Days Implemented
Just as breaks were wiped from the calendar in the
Intra-cultural Student Clubs and Organizations Center to open in the Fall
MARCH
$13 Million Science Complex Scheduled to Open by Fall 2021
Nestled between the Gordon Science Center and Romano Hall lies a construction project that will birth a new science building. This complex will house several teaching labs, research areas and active-learning classroom spaces. The $13 million building is set to finish early August and will open to welcome students come the upcoming fall semester.
Johnson & Johnson Vaccination Opportunity for Student Employees
On March 11, more than 200 members of the Utica College community received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination from Walgreens pharmacists. The opportunity arose earlier in the week via an email sent by Vice President for Emergency Management Shad Crowe for student employees, faculty and UC staff under New York State health regulations.
On March 24, President Laura Casamento announced that a $1 million pledge by Fredericka “Fritzie” Paine
On April 11, the Utica College men’s basketball team won its first ever Empire 8 championship with a final score of 8965 against St. John Fisher.
Last June, the Pioneers lost its No. 5 teammate Christopher Bamba and dedicated the season to his memory.
After qualifying for the 2020-2021 Empire 8 Tournament, the Utica College Women’s Tennis team advanced to the semifinals after defeating Hartwick College 8-1 in the first round. The Pioneers were edged out of the competition by St. John Fisher in the semifinals on April 1, but the season still stands as the furthest advancement in the Empire 8 tournament since 2006.
The Utica College Intracultural Student Clubs and Organizations Center, once known as the Newman Center, has been under renovations since Dec. 2020. Several additions have been added, such as an outdoor sitting area and patio. The Women’s Resource Center will relocate to the Intracultural Center in the upcoming semester, and will be open throughout the day to students with ID access. At the end of the spring semester, the Women’s Resource Center will change their name from “Womyn’’ to “Women’’ because of the exclusive history of the spelling with ‘y.’
In accordance with New York State requirements, Utica College will be holding Commencement with numerous restrictions. Roughly 400 attendees will be allowed to the graduation ceremony, including the undergraduate students. Graduate-level degrees will be given completely online. Graduation will occur on May 15.
MICKALE THOMPSON CONTRIBUTING
Candance Myers, a 2014 graduate, is a part of Utica College’s rich alumni network, specifically in the journalism and public relations departments.
Myers, who received her bachelor’s degree in public relations and journalism, has transitioned into freelance television producing but has not forgotten her UC roots.
“I always knew I wanted a career in television or radio and I also had a passion for writing,” she said. “I battled if I should have majored in communications or journalism for a while and ultimately chose journalism because deep down I’m a reporter and someone who loves to tell stories.”
What Myers enjoyed most about the program at Utica College was the ability to talk with professors during their office hours.
“I did this a lot with Professor Kim Landon and it was always a good time,” said Myers, who is a former Editor-in-Chief of The Tangerine.
Once Myers graduated from college, she faced some challenges and found herself still searching for her dream job three years after leaving UC.
That experience helped her stay grounded and have faith which eventually helped her land a job as an office assistant
College professors are responsible for molding the minds of future generations. Professors are looked at with an even more intense magnifying glass at Utica College since the school is known for its smaller class sizes and an 11:1 studentfaculty ratio.
for The Real Housewives of New Jersey. She went on to work on other projects such as The Real Housewives of New York, the Race in America series, Facebook’s Returning the Favor, hosted by Mike Rowe, and currently Netflix’s Queer Eye.
Not finding the perfect job right away was a frustrating experience. She stayed positive and continued to network, conducted informational interviews and kept options open for interesting opportunities.
“I did my research on the key players of companies,” she said. “I applied and I just waited for my time.
However, my frustration with things not moving as fast as I would have liked them is what led me to meet my first boss in television.”
Myers grew up in Harlem, which is a place that she holds deep in her heart.
“Growing up in Harlem was pretty cool,” she said. “There’s so much history there so every day it was like a history lesson walking down 125th Street. I love the culture of Harlem. I carry my Harlem pride with me everywhere I go.”
The Boys and Girls Club of Harlem also holds a special place in her heart. It was her first job as a teenager and the organization employed her between jobs as a new college graduate.
“They allowed me to create my own programming to teach editing and film to elementary-aged students,” Myers said.
“They allowed me to mesh my world with their world so I could feel empowered. I now create content for BGCH and
also act as their producer and videographer for events.”
Maintaining a relationship with her former professors at Utica College is also important to Myers. Earlier this month, she was the guest speaker in a “Real Talk” event hosted by the Raymond Simon Institute for Public Relations and Journalism.
Myers gave students advice and shared some of her career experiences.
A few former professors, such as Landon, remember her for being a reliable and hardworking student.
“I could tell she had goals and that she was serious about pursuing them,” Landon said. “Her work ethic set her apart from her peers, especially at The Tangerine. That was one reason she became Editor in Chief.”
LOOKING TO THE
Her current goals include staying in the freelance producing profession.
“I like my freedom,” she said. “I can decide when I want to start looking for work. If I just finish a show that was filmed for four months and decide I need a few weeks off I can take a few weeks.” She also will continue to be an alumni resource for Utica College and its current students. Myers enjoys offering advice and providing guidance to a student in need.
According to Myers, interning and building relationships is key when starting a career.
“Build relationships with people in the industry they are looking to pursue,” Myers said. “Relationships are key. As cliche as it may sound, sometimes it’s really about who you know that can get you in the door.”
A Utica College professor who is held in high regard by many students is Dr. Sherri Cash, associate professor of history. Cash holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Buffalo State College and received both her master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Arizona. Her education endeavors were not without uncertainty at first as she previously attended the State University of New York at Albany and the University of South Florida. Originally she studied English, theatre and marketing. Cash also voluntarily attended night classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. It wasn’t until later on where she began studying history.
“I realized that it was calling me,” Cash said. “I had a passion for history.”
“I realized that it was calling me,” Cash said. “I had a passion for history.”
- Dr. Sherri Cash Professor
Cash holds a passion for history, which she then applies in her teaching. Graduate student Hayleigh Snyder commended her as an exceptional professor.
“She challenges you, she
holds you to a certain standard and she treats you like you are a young professional,” Snyder said.
Outside of the classroom, Cash described the most challenging day of her life not as a professor, but rather as a daughter.
“The first thing that pops into my head is the day that my mother died,” Cash said. “It’s one of those days that you have to ask yourself ‘How would I react under whatever the circumstances are and you don’t really know until you’re there?’”
Cash’s biggest regret is something she also
says is her only regret. While getting accepted into a graduate school she worked hard for, she accepted a marriage proposal from her first husband at the same time.
Describing it as a “different era,” she chose to follow him to Arizona instead of staying with her original graduate school choice. While lamenting, she also says if she did not make that decision, she would not have ended up with her second husband, Mike, and the children she shares with him. She also wouldn’t be at Utica College.
“I wouldn’t actually change it, but I certainly wouldn’t advise any other young women in particular, or young men for that matter, to make that choice,” Cash said. “That was a major turning point in my life.”
Cash described the most challenging person in her life to be her husband Mike, but challenging “in a good way and in the best way,” as she describes it.
Even on a small campus with small class sizes like Utica College, some professors work with a large number of students throughout a typical semester. Professors can
be influential figures for students on campus, but sometimes students might be just as influential to their professors. Cash described the most influential person in her life to be her children.
“As a parent, I guess I’ve developed a perspective of saying to myself ‘What would I tell my kids to do?’, or ‘What kind of choices would I want them to make?’” Cash said. “I think that in that sense, they have become the most influential people in my life.”
REBEKAH HEDEEN FEATURES EDITOR
In the heart of Utica right off of Genesee St., in a cute nook, lies the Utica Coffee Café and Roasting Company. Founded by Frank Elias and Heather Delia, the roasting company and café took on its own personality influenced by Utica’s diverse population and pop culture aspects.
Utica Coffee started its roasting business in 2002 and later opened a café in 2013 to serve fresh coffee and treats to local individuals. The café also has a second location in the center of Clinton square that offers its own unique ambiance.
“It all began in 2002 with the purchase of our Genesee Street location in a relatively economically depressed area of Utica,” Utica Coffee Roasting Company online said.
“The potential in not only this location but this area was seen by our founder & president, Frank Elias.”
Utica’s character is unmistakable with its Big Apple energy and smalltown people. The addition of Utica Coffee to the
Gallery: A selection of the photography of Alexandria Leland
techniques. The Brewtorials can be found on the Utica Coffee website.
area simply enhanced the already existing beauty of the small city and encouraged the work of local artists.
Because Utica Coffee has been around for nearly 20 years their customer base allowed them to thrive during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
“When the pandemic hit, we went to an online base and our customers were very supportive and respectful with that,” Brandy Zizzi said. “When we opened our space back up for in-person custom-
ers, everyone was very supportive and respectful of COVID-19 guidelines. Yes, we wear masks and we have moved tables but they have been really good about being compliant with guidelines.”
Adherence to the safety guidelines is crucial for any business but especially for small businesses like Utica Coffee and the many others that exist on Genesee St. In addition, Utica Coffee has about 500-600 transactions per day between both locations; following the
necessary precautions is crucial for them to stay in business and keep others safe.
“I would love for the Utica College community to know that we do offer online ordering as well as Brewtorials for how to make coffee online,” Zizzi said. “We also get a lot of students that help and we love all the support they have given throughout the pandemic.”
The “Brewtorials” are tutorials on how to make a variety of coffees in different styles using various
“Something that makes Utica Coffee special is our wide variety of coffees,” Zizzi said. “We roast our beans right behind our café which not many other places have. Our warehouse is right behind the building and we also partake in wholesaling.” With so many options available in terms of freshly roasted coffee beans, an endless list of flavors, and fun extras like muffins and chocolate-covered coffee beans, it is hard to imagine how a coffee shop could get much better.
“We also have the Stars program for rewards which awards you stars upon a purchase,” Zizzi said. “When you reach 10 stars, you get $5 off. The stars also don’t expire, ever. You could use them at the beginning of summer and then leave and when you come back they will still be there. The stars can also be used for anything: merch, coffee, and food.”
Brooke Riscica and The Tangerine have collaborated to launch a series that focuses on nutrition and fitness for students in college. The first set of videos can be found on The Tangerine’s YouTube page. Stay tuned for more content from Riscica in the near future and for a second series talking to students about their significant stories that have made a major impact on them.
The Tangerine has launched a new series on its YouTube called Minechat. The premise of the series talks to students about their significant mental health stories over a game of Minecraft. The Tangerine firmly believes that mental health has become the strongest student-driven initiative at Utica College. This series is an attempt to join those important conversations and give students a comfortable alternative to tell their stories while giving the chance for those in the community to relate to the experiences being shared.
This is the first time members of The Tangerine staff have selected an Athlete of the Year.
Out of the near 700 student-athletes at Utica College, The Tangerine has selected Ellen Collie as the Athlete of the Year for the 2020-21 academic year.
As a first-year player and student, Collie finished with an undefeated record of 8-0 in singles play with the women’s tennis team this past season. In collaboration with her doubles partner, Ellen Lyga, the duo posted a doubles record of 6-2, while having each of the team’s wins come by five games or better. The efforts from Collie helped propel women’s tennis to its best overall record since 2006, helping the team finish 5-3 while also qualifying for postseason play for the first time since that season. This season also marked the first time in Utica College women’s tennis history where the team advanced to the semifinals of the Empire 8 Tournament.
Collie’s dominance in singles play proved to be a valuable asset to the overall success the team saw this season.
From March 6 to April 1, she posted four shutout victories against opponents from St. John Fisher, Hartwick College and Russell Sage College.
All of her victories aside from three matches were won by three games or more.
She also earned a first-
her competitive mentality toward the game, and simply wanted to keep playing tennis in college.
team honor for singles and doubles play, as well as being selected as Utica College’s representative on the Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year team for women’s tennis.
Collie was also selected as the Empire 8 Player of the Week during the week of March 15, marking the first time since 2016 where a member of the women’s tennis team was selected for this award.
Beyond the stats and accolades, Collie’s roots in tennis run deep into her childhood. Much of her family plays tennis with her brother-in-law playing the sport at a professional level. Collie herself first picked up a racquet at the age of four, playing the sport for around 15 years.
“There was a point in time when I actually stopped playing tennis because I didn’t think it would be my thing,” she said. “That quickly changed. I play tennis frequently with my family and friends back home.
My sister plays for a club team and my brother-inlaw plays professionally down in Florida. Both of
them have helped me stay in the game for as long as I have.”
Collie is a native of Harbor Springs, Michigan, a little town just at the northern tip of the state almost within a viewing distance of Canada. It’s a 10-hour drive from her hometown to Utica College. In high school, Collie proved to be just as valuable a player as she’s been for the Pioneers, with three state championship appearances with her team and multiple positive seasons in both singles and doubles play. When it came time to pick colleges, Collie initially was turned off by the tennis team’s performances within the past few seasons. While Collie was attending Harbor Springs High School, the Pioneers posted a combined record of 10-38 between 20162019. In seasons prior to the pandemic, the team failed to achieve a winning record in well over 15 years.
Collie was looking at a pair of other schools specifically in warmerweather climates. Yet,
it was the weather that drew her attention away from the other schools and back toward Utica College, but this came with some resistance from the team at first.
“I had to reach out to the coach of the team after turning in my recruitment application,” she said.
“Utica didn’t respond to me at first while a bunch of other schools wanted me to come hit with their teams. I had to call Utica and essentially prove myself to be worthy of the program, which I felt was odd at the time, but it all worked out in the end after indicating what my records were in high school.”
Collie seemed to make the right choice attending Utica College, specifically with her own approach toward the game and the general culture of the team. She described the team as being very relaxed: one of which players can practice on their own time and simply just be present for all of the games. She preferred this approach to the game this season. After high school, Collie said she lost
“This season was very relaxed, which only started to intensify more when we realized we were closer to making the postseason and possibly going further in the tournament,” she said. “A lot of the team was disconnected at the start of the season. We didn’t really speak to each other much away from the court. A lot of players didn’t show up to practice much, which was allowed. This all changed as time went on. I’m glad to say that I’ve actually made a lot of connections with all of the players on the team.”
Collie doesn’t take much stock in the mental preparation for each game either. No superstitions, but sometimes a pregame meal of pasta to give her the energy she needs to compete. Although she does get butterflies in her stomach before the match, she indicated that she just went out and played to get the anxious feelings out. With each hit, it became clear to Collie that she was involved in the game and had to put up results for her team. It became more of a focus on hitting the ball, and less of a worry of what was happening around her.
Collie also gave much credit to Lyga, her doubles partner, for her success this season. The duo accounted for a total of 21 wins on the season, which was 46% of the Pioneers’ individual and collective victories. Lyga finished with an individual record of 7-1.
SEE AOTY PG. 13
The Utica College men’s golf team won the Spring 2021 Empire 8 Conference Championship. Senior Josh Kienz shot seven-over par for the championship to earn the program’s first Empire 8 Individual Championship. The Pioneers qualified for the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships in Wheeling, West Virginia from May 11 to May 14.
AOTY FROM PG. 12
Collie was grateful to have a strong doubles partner and indicated the bond between the two, both on and off the court, for the success they achieved.
“Doubles requires two very strong performers to go a long way and to win games,” she said. “Having
her by my side in each game was very beneficial and I’m very grateful and optimistic for the future of our play.”
Off the court, Collie majors in business management but isn’t sure if that’s what she wants to commit to in the long term. As a first-year student, she still has time
on her side to make her decision.
And, looking down the road, Collie remained optimistic that the tennis team can replicate the positive results from this season. With young promising players such as her, Lyga and Morgan Willis, the core of the team is in place. From
there, Collie believes that with the same approach to the game as this season and more communication between the players that the team can become something special on campus.
“At the start of the season, we didn’t even have a full team to compete,” Collie said. “We’ve come
very far in such a short time. I’m thankful that the team stayed safe and healthy this season with the coronavirus at hand. I’m very excited to see what the future holds for this program.”
So far, 2021 has allowed the difficult events of 2020 to come full circle in the most beautiful of ways.
The crowning of the Utica College men’s basketball team with its first Empire 8 championship in program history against St. John Fisher by a score of 89-65 is evidence of that.
The Utica College community and the team faced the tragic loss of Christopher Bamba last summer. The team unified, faced tragedy head-on and dedicated its season to Bamba. Unity proved to be imperative to a title run that took five years under Head Coach Sean Coffey to create.
“I was really happy for our players and their families because they have this for the rest of their lives,” Coffey said. “They’ve etched their names in the history of our program and of our athletic department.”
Hunter Remley, a graduate student at Utica College, has been with Coffey since the beginning of both of their collegiate careers. This championship allowed Remley to have a Cinderella ending as he closes his career on top as a Pioneer.
“It was full circle,” Remley said. “I looked over at Bamba’s jersey and it all comes at you pretty quick. Four days later and it’s starting to set in that this hasn’t been done here. This is the first time ever. I keep watching the videos nonstop because I’m just trying to relive that same moment.”
Before getting to the top, the team’s story unfolded in waves. It wasn’t the usual ladder to the top of the mountain, but the team’s commitment to success remained a consistent element in an eight-part journey this academic year.
It was announced on Nov. 24 that winter sports would be pushed back from its typical start time. President Laura Casamento and the Presidents’ Council reached a unanimous decision for this delay. They also approved March 1 as the tentative start date for the basketball schedule. Due to positive cases, the season didn’t start until March 10.
The difficulty didn’t end there for winter athletes. Practices were expected to start at the beginning of February pending their coach and player preferences. For men’s basketball, the transition between the start of practices to games was rocky.
Kobe Lufkin, a senior guard, emphasized the struggle of hitting hard mentally. The constant shifts of mask mandates made things difficult in
adjusting to the game with conditioning.
“It had a lot of ups and downs and was overall a roller coaster of a season,” Lufkin said. “A few times we looked forward to practice and playing and then it would just be taken away from us before we knew it. It was a mental struggle.”
#FOREVER5
It was on June 23 that the college community and team would hear of the tragedy of Bamba. He was heading into his sophomore year when he lost his life in High Falls. A player that embodied excellence both on and off the court, Bamba made an impact wherever he stood. When players and students returned to campus last fall, they ensured that
the number five would be remembered.
One way the team would honor Bamba was through the team’s apparel. According to Lufkin, everything had a tie to Bamba.
“There were a bunch of things we did to honor him this season,” Lufkin said. “Our travel suits had the number five on it. Our shooting shirts had the number five on them and specifically the travel suit jacket. We remember that being his favorite jacket and waiting for that to come in for the longest time so we dedicated that to him.”
The team continued in the path of remembering Bamba by retiring the number five and leaving a seat for him on the bench every game with his jersey laid out. Additionally, they gave Bamba a few seconds on the court with them each game.
“When we finally got back to the court, every single game and every time we went in we had a moment of silence for Bamba,” Remley said.
“We all just wanted to do it for him. He was always there with us.”
Utica opened its season against Elmira on March
10 in Speidel Gymnasium. Right out of the gates, the Pioneers gave fans a virtual foreshadowing of the season in an 82-44 blowout victory. Four players scored double-digit points, including the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, Damien Call, who had 11 points in 19 minutes while shooting 100 percent from the field. The Pioneers went on to smother Keuka College two days later by a score of 92-71 before coming home to Miga Court against Alfred University. A long-awaited return home for the first time in 389 days. When the final second ticked off, everyone knew it was worth the wait as Utica beat Alfred 89-57 to go 3-0 overall. For the players, it was enough to walk to the end line and salute their fallen brother with a poster hanging with the number five.
FALLING TO THE POWERHOUSES
Following the team’s hot start to the season, the St. John Fisher Cardinals came to Miga Court and stole an undefeated season right from under the Pioneers’ feet. Going into halftime, the Pioneers led Fisher 44-31. That changed when the team’s opened the second half.
The Cardinals outscored the Pioneers 54-25 in the second half on a 60.61 shooting percentage from the field including 55.56 percent from three. The final score was 85-69. The Pioneers rebounded with an 81-63 win over Houghton College before being caught in the talons of the Golden Flyers by a SEE UNITY PG. 15
UNITY FROM PG. 14 score of 72-63. Nazareth beat Utica at its own game, outshooting the Pioneers from behind the arc with 41.9 percent compared to Utica’s 14.3 percent. Both losses demonstrated holes in Utica’s game early in the season. To Lufkin, it was more the mental game the team lost in those moments.
“It was more of a mental struggle for us,” Lufkin said. “Overall just taking teams’ best hits and how we reacted in those games. We obviously didn’t react very well and that’s why they won.” Fisher and Nazareth have been the superteams of the Empire 8 for basketball over the past two decades. This year was different. Despite the losses to the juggernauts of the Empire 8, the Pioneers felt like they were still the team to beat.
“We know that these teams are not going to go away,” Remley said. “This was by far the best team I’ve been a part of and I thought that after we lost those games. We knew what they did well and I just thought we were better.”
After falling to Nazareth and St. John Fisher, the Pioneers flipped a switch. The team followed the loss to the Golden Flyers with four double-digit wins. The team’s first pair of wins came against Russell Sage College, 59-44 and 78-65. Utica followed those up with another pair of wins against Elmira College, 70-58 and 84-53.
The Pioneers were hitting a stride both offensively and defensively. Kimedrick Murphy, senior center,
a winner’s mentality like we’re ready to go.”
referred to these games as crucial in Utica’s journey to the championship.
“After the Naz[areth] loss, we needed to win to get our confidence back up to where it needs to be for us to take on the bigger schools,” Murphy said. “We had some hard weeks in practice to just get ready for those games. We had to make sure we went out there and did what we needed to do.”
Utica closed its regular season out on a fourgame win streak. This propelled the team to the top of the Empire 8 conference as the number two seed. This guaranteed the Pioneers history. On April 9, the Pioneers hosted its firstever Empire 8 playoff game in program history.
Utica College announced, in accordance with the Empire 8, that sporting events would be allowed up to 65 attendees. Once the tickets hit the market, fans responded quickly to this home playoff match. It didn’t matter whether 65 people were allowed in Miga Court, or 100; the home court advantage set the tone for the Pioneers’ postseason play, giving the team the extra fuel it needed to push through.
Before tip-off, the energy in the gymnasium was one of the future champions. The fans radiated it, and the players felt it, too.
“The fans finally sitting in the stands was nice,”
Lufkin said. “It was a nice change in the pace and energy of the gym. I feel like hosting gave us a lot of momentum and we were ready to play them.”
The Pioneers went into halftime down by two points in this grudge match. Coming out of the locker room, the Pioneers caught fire to punch a ticket to the championship game. In the first nine minutes of the second half, the Pioneers outscored the Golden Flyers 18-5 and never looked back. The first dose of revenge was complete.
“I felt like that was the game where we finally figured ourselves out as a team,” Lufkin said. “We all were clicking. Everyone on the team wanted to play for each other. We just had great energy.”
Two days following the team’s semi-finals win against Nazareth, the Pioneers made the trip out to Manning-Napier Varsity Gym to take on the Cardinals of St. John Fisher.
Coming into the game, the Pioneers were 0-3 in championship games against Fisher. Step two of the revenge plot was now in place.
“We were all ready,” Murphy said. “The team needed this. We wanted to win. We wanted to win for Bamba. We had been saying that all year so we got to come in with
Going into the locker room the Pioneers were leading 44-35. Everyone was contributing to the early lead shooting 55.5 percent from the field. This included Empire 8 First-Team selection, Thomas Morreale who scored the Pioneers first nine points from behind the arc.
The team needed to finish. After the buzzer sounded for the first half, Coffey was prepared to address his team with that very simple message. Instead of saying it, Coffey walked into the locker room hearing it.
“At halftime, I didn’t really even have to say a word,” Coffey said. “I could hear them in there saying everything that needed to be said. It was just like they got it. They are figuring it out and growing up. It was pretty cool.”
It was like something out of a movie. Almost fairytale like how everything came together. The Pioneers came out of the gates with divine guidance as they opened the second half on an 11-2 run.
After the team’s explosion to start the quarter, Utica kept pouring it on. The final dagger didn’t come from deep. Instead, it came from the big man down low on multiple consecutive possessions.
“[Murphy] was the one who single-handedly ended Fisher’s run,” Coffey said. “As the lead got down to nine, he had four straight buckets of pure dominance. He played like the biggest person in the gym and took all hope away from the opponent.”
The Pioneers never let the Cardinals get within striking distance. Both Coffey and the players lost track of the lead. The
focus was solely on getting buckets; attention so deep like reading a great book that you cannot put down. The championship feeling didn’t sink in until the Cardinals admitted defeat.
“I was losing track of the lead,” Coffey said. “I was still coaching like it was a five-point game. We’ve been in that position before. We can’t lose this huge lead so I just coached till the end. Once they started putting in their bench guys, I turned to Coach Mullane and said ‘They’re throwing it in, this is going to happen.’”
The final seconds ticked down. It was over.
“There are so many emotions,” Lufkin said. “It was hard to take in all at once. We had joy. We were a little sad at times. It was hard to even comprehend it at the moment. It’s all kind of starting to set in now.”
The celebrations kept coming for the Pioneers. The team’s MVP was Murphy, otherwise known as “The Hama.”
“I was turning around and dapping everybody good game and they called my name,” Murphy said. “I was like, ‘My name?’ My heart started racing and I was just happy we won. I just couldn’t believe it. It was all so crazy.”
There are certain traditions that come with winning a championship. There are the championship rings and banners. Then there is the dousing of liquids over their coach.
“I walked in and they were all quiet,” Coffey said. “Then they just exploded. There were bottles of water everywhere and they were squirting me. Just things I’ll never forget. You see it at every NCAA tournament so that was pretty awesome.”
After moving to Utica in 2009 to be closer to family, Ray Biggs has become a household name in the local area for many reasons. If you turned on Utica College Pioneer Radio at WPNR 90.7 FM to listen to Utica College sports over the past decade it’s likely Biggs’ voice was calling one of the games.
Biggs quickly realized that his passion for sports broadcasting outweighed his business interests after he enrolled at UC as a business student in 2011. Prior to the start of his first semester, he decided to make a decision that would undoubtedly change his career path.
“The summer before I came here, I walked into Doug Croft’s office at the radio station to ask about opportunities in sports broadcasting,” Biggs said. “Little did I know that I had a job within about a week at WPNR.”
Croft, who is the current chief operator and station advisor at WPNR-FM, said he gives Biggs a lot of credit in helping develop the sports broadcasting department at the radio station.
“When Biggs first started, we were experimenting with the sports broadcasting staff to see what could potentially work for us,” Croft said. “Over his tenure, Biggs became an important part of the staff and the effort he put in made him fundamental to how we exist and function today in sports broadcasting. Biggs also
had the idea of a weekly sports show and he is one of the main reasons ‘Pioneers Weekly’ exists.”
When Biggs took charge of the sports broadcasting staff during the 20122013 school year, his sports director role gave him some of the most memorable experiences as a sports broadcaster.
Utica College athletics had a historic year in 2012-2013 and Biggs played a big part in it. The college had one team from each of the three sporting seasons reach the national tournament stage. When this happened, Biggs was on call to broadcast some of these events.
“I think the 2012-2013 year still rings true as not only the most memorable year for me but for all of us here at Utica College,” he said. “Sending a program to the NCAA Championships in all three seasons whether it was field hockey that fall, men’s ice hockey that winter and softball that spring, was truly remarkable. For me, the opportunity to do
those championships in all three seasons was memorable not only for the action on the field, but I also think it really set the table for me to get more opportunities in sports broadcasting going forward.”
Since then, Biggs has broadcasted many sporting events in the local area. Even after graduating in 2013, with a degree in public relations and sports communication concentration, Biggs continued to be the voice of ice hockey as he searched for other opportunities outside of Utica College.
Biggs has filled several broadcasting positions during the past eight years, including roles at ESPN Radio Utica-Rome, New York State American Legion Baseball, the Utica Blue Sox, Utica City FC, Utica Comets as well as announcing for various high school sports and editing for D3hockey. com.
These many opportunities have come and gone over his time
Hockey Conference. In doing so, Biggs also continues to provide assistance to WPNR by doing play-by-play coverage for many of the sports broadcasts done for the radio station and for streaming purposes. Having Biggs as an influence for the current sports broadcasting staff at WPNR is a privilege, according to Croft.
in the Utica area and he is satisfied by where he is today because of his love for the city and the college.
“When I graduated, there was always part of me that thought maybe I’d be able to stay here,” Biggs said. “But, by the same token, there was also a part of me that wanted to test the waters on things like professional hockey opportunities at different ranks such as the ECHL, the USHL and even a Division I hockey school out in Michigan. I explored my options and now coming up on 10 hockey seasons in the books for me, it’s safe to say that part of me that always said I’d be here ended up being right.”
Currently, Biggs serves as the assistant sports information director at Utica College, where he helps the sports information office in all facets of its operation and helps strengthen the Pioneers’ 26 Division III athletic teams.
Biggs is also the sports information director for the United Collegiate
“I feel like we value Biggs the most now, because of what he has done for us over the years,” Croft said. “As a student and even now, his preparation for games has always been a key to his success as a broadcaster. Overall, his caring, preparing and practicing has helped him become such a great mentor for what it means to be a broadcaster.”
Croft also added that Biggs’ style of broadcasting has helped propel him to who he is today.
“Just like many of the best broadcasters in the world, he has a unique delivery that has helped him become the ‘Voice of the Pioneers,’” Croft said. “If you are in the Utica area and know anything about hockey, I am almost certain you know about Biggs.”
Biggs has fallen in love with Utica. Despite growing up in Montgomery, which is about three hours southeast of Utica, he is proud to call Utica his home.
“I couldn’t be happier to be here in Utica,” Biggs said. “My friends are here, my family is here and Utica is more of a home to me than the place I grew up in.”