Friday, October 6, 2023 Print Edition

Fall 2023 STAFF

@UticaTangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

Editor-In-Chief - Mickale Thompson

Managing Editor - Diana Sidorevich

News Editor - Selma Dizdarevic

Features Editor - Charlie Buckley

Online Editor - Emma Goodspeed

Multimedia Editor - Kayleigh Sturtevant

Special Assigments - Kayden Lamphere

Sports Reporter - Nick Phillips

Enterprise Reporter - Mariami Kentchadze

Staff Photographer - Luke Reed

Criculation Manager - Juan Garcia

Adviser - Mary Christopher

Submission Policy

Letters to the editor are welcomed from all members of the Utica University community. Letters must meet fair and accurate publishing standards and contain no libelous material. Anonymous letters to the editor will not be printed. All letters and editorials must meet the print deadline of 5 p.m. on Mondays. Please send all submissions to tanger@utica.edu. Takeback requests are a form of censorship and therefore not accepted.

Advertising Information

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The opinions and columns expressed in The Tangerine are those of the individual writers and do not represent the views of The Tangerine or Utica University.

Student government elects six candidates into office

◊ MICKALE THOMPSON EDITOR-IN-CHEIF

Utica University’s Student Government Association on Sept. 22 opened the voting period for the fall 2023 elections. The voting period, which saw 130 students participating in the voting process, concluded on Sept. 23 after which six students were elected into SGA leadership positions.

In the race for underclass senator, first-year student Xavier Moore was the sole candidate and after being voted in, said he intends to elevate the consciousness and awareness of the campus body through open conversations and will try to chip away at the barriers placed between each other.

“My intention to materialize those goals [that] are rooted in student participation,” Moore said. “I plan on collaborating with students, studentofficers, and faculty to first increase student participation.”

Stephanie Guseva, Anais Jaikissoon and Ash Tavarez all secured spots within the upperclass senate.

Guseva, a biology major with minors in chemistry and health and society, said being a STEM major influenced her decision to run for office.

“Utica has a large population of students interested in the healthcare field who need representation,” Guseva said. “Not only that but having an anthropology minor broadened my horizon regarding all the different cultures on campus that deserve to be heard and recognized.”

For Jaikissoon, the decision to enter student government was fueled by the desire to make a change in my community.

“When I first learned about being elected, I was excited and grateful,” Jaikissoon said. “I was thankful because being elected

by my peers showed they trusted me to represent the upper class.”

Tavarez on the other hand plans to use her involvement in other organizations on campus to bring a different perspective of the student body that attends the university.

“I hope to work closely with all of us who hold positions in SGA, especially the E-board to further improve the communication between the student body and SGA since sometimes people may feel intimidated to raise their concerns themselves,” Tavarez said.

With three total candidates, the race for graduate senator saw the most competition. However, graduate student Zachary Nordstrom was voted in to occupy its sole seat in the Senate.

Ryan Brousseau, a cybersecurity major who was voted in as first-year class president,

said though he originally didn’t have an interest in student government, he did have an interest in getting involved more in social extracurriculars.

“My goal is for everyone to graduate with beaming grins on their faces and an unending tide of fond memories,” Brousseau said. “There’s a million things to do to achieve that but for right now I want [to] get as many people involved on campus as possible by giving people a million things to get involved in.”

SGA President Kathi Jabe said the first election of the new semester is always exciting but this year’s was “invigorating.”

“They are eager to engage and voice their opinions,” Jabe said. “I can only hope to mirror their passion and work towards nurturing it. I’m incredibly excited to witness how our senators will contribute and lead in driving the changes we all aspire to see on campus.”

◊ MICKALE THOMPSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As students, delegates, cabinet members and faculty walked into the Charles A. Gaetano Stadium on Sept. 29 to witness the inauguration of Todd Pfannestiel, the scene: cloudy skies with winds gusting at 13 mph – was much different from the McDonald’s that Pfannestiel, then provost, first learned he was selected as Utica University’s 10th president.

This time it was signed and sealed.

“Walking into Gaetano Stadium was truly one of the best [memories],” Pfannestiel said. “Everyone was so supportive. But especially to see all the students in the bleachers, and to hear

their enormous response as I came into view is one I will never forget. I still get chills even as I speak about it.”

Board of Trustees Chairperson Jeremy Thurston presided over the installation ceremony, which lasted about an hour and 15 minutes, and delivered the opening introduction. From there, Student Government Association President Kathi Jabe extended the greetings on behalf of the student body and said when first meeting Pfannestiel, it was apparent he possessed a genuine care and attentiveness to the needs of the students.

“Dr. Todd was and still is,” Jabe said “Someone who is willing to lend a listening ear, to sit down

with any and every student to answer their questions, address their concerns and alleviate their worries.”

In his inaugural address, Pfannestiel said he’d accepted the challenge but the journey to where it is now started as a freshman at the University of Arkansas. In his quest to define perfection, he turned to his love of baseball.

“Just imagine this — a bouncer deep in the hole at shortstop requires a perfect throw to first base to beat the runner. Just as much as a slow roller to third base required the same perfection. Ninety feet is perfection,” Pfannestiel said he’d written in his freshman essay.

Years later, with a second chance to

define perfection for Utica University

Pfannestiel said in a desperate attempt to find inspiration, he tossed out contrary adjectives and focused on one theme: making the impossible possible.

“I came to realize that perfection is not unattainable at Utica University,” Pfannestiel said. “Because the perfection we seek is in our interactions with each other. It’s in the paths we physically walk and the other paths along which we strive. It is in the perfect journey that we undertake as much as we might incorrectly assume that it’s in the destination to which we arrive.”

Now, the journey for the coming years and what

Pfannestiel: ‘We know where we’re going because we know who we are’

President Todd Pfannestiel poses with Jeremy Thurston chairperson Board of Trustees [left] and former chairperson Robert Brvenik [right] after accepting the university’s institutional charter. // Photo: Kayleigh Sturtevant

CON. FROM PAGE 4

the president envisions for Utica is that of an excellent, relevant, innovative institution. But that mission statement is similar to the words you find in other universities’ mission statements, Pfannestiel said.

“Our perfection at Utica University is not a static goal or achievement. It’s all about the path. It’s about the journey,” Pfannestiel said.

What is our 90 feet? And how do we define that

path? Pfannestiel asked.

“Just imagine,” he said again. “A puzzle with over 4,000 pieces much like the more than 4,000 individuals who comprised this university community. Not to mention the thousands of alumni and friends. It would be near impossible to piece together that puzzle if we didn’t have the picture on the box to guide us but — we have that picture. We know where we’re going because we know who

we are.”

As Pfannestiel concluded his address he turned his attention to the students saving “the best for last.”

“This perfect path that we are all here trying to create — it’s for you,” Pfannestiel said. “Utica University exists because of you and for you.”

By the end it was official.

Frostburg State University President Ronald Nowaczyk, in reference to Jim Collins’s concepts of level five leadership in his book ‘Good to Great,’

described Pfannestiel as a “level five leader in the making.” However, for the man himself who rose through the ranks of academia, the first of his kind to become president of Utica University said his inauguration “is a transition meant to look forward.”

“It sinks in more everyday,” Pfannestiel said. “But everyday is still a learning experience, as you never know what challenge may arise.”

President Pfannestiel poses with Dr. Thomas Rossi and Chairperson Jeremy Thurston. // Photo: Kayleigh Sturtevant

‘Pfunn’estiel’s speech uplifting and brilliant, students and alumni say

◊ DIANA SIDOREVICH MANAGING EDITOR

The Utica community braced the sprinkling rain to gather at the Charles A. Gaetano Stadium for President Todd Pfannestiel’s inauguration ceremony on Friday, Sept. 29. Students, athletic teams and alumni filled the bleachers and the rain let up before the procession began.

When it was Pfannestiel’s turn to walk to the stage, he pointed to the students, eliciting louder cheers and applause. He shared a message of renewal, optimism and fun.

Political science student

Kyle Mitchell said what stood out most was the energy of the student body. They cheered several times during Pfannestiel’s speech. One instance was when he addressed his wife Dr. Aimee Zellers.

“Truly we are one old soul inhabiting two individuals and I so enjoy watching you far exceed any accomplishment that I will ever have in my career as you continue yours,” Pfannestiel said.

The girls in the crowd cheered louder at that moment.

Psychology-child life major Ella Ortiz said it was the most memorable part of the ceremony.

“I thought it was so sweet, how genuinely he cared about everybody, and his compassion,”

Otriz said. “He cares.”

Of all of the scholars and saints Pfannestiel could have chosen to quote to describe his relationship with his wife, he chose Winnie the Pooh.

“If we live to be a hundred years old, I hope I live only to be a hundred years minus one day, so I’d never have to experience the world without you,” Pfannestiel quoted, prompting a kiss from his wife who sat on the stage.

Again the student body cheered.

Nursing major Kalista Betz said the Winnie the Pooh speech and the “lovey stuff” stood out.

Betz said she was proud to have attended the inauguration of one of the ten presidents that Utica has had.

For cybersecurity major Terry Kirabo-Nagginda, the inauguration ceremony of the tenth president was momentous and hearing about some of the historical elements was interesting as well.

“It was a great ceremony. It’s the first time I see something of that sort,” KiraboNagginda said.

Pfannenstiel expressed gratitude towards those who have been a part of his journey until now, from his parents and sister, Interim Provost Stephanie Nesbitt and the leadership team, the Board of Trustees and institutional delegates and guests, to the facilities crew and Sodexo.

“You could tell he was very grateful to be here, you could tell he

was grateful to be the new president,” KiraboNagginda said. “He’s excited so I like the excitement. It’s definitely a good opening to homecoming.”

Kiarbo-Nagginda’s takeaway from Pfannestiel’s speech was to use “the inner compass in your heart to forge your path.”

In an attempt to define perfection for the institution, Pfannestiel said it lies in the paths we physically walk and the paths along which we stride.

“It is in the perfect journey that we undertake as much as we might incorrectly assume that it’s in the destination to which we arrive,” Pfannestiel said.

Attendees stand for the national anthem // Photo: Diana Sidorevich

PAGE 7 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2023

CON. FROM PAGE 6

“Our perfection at Utica University is not a static goal or achievement. It’s all about the path. It’s about the journey.”

Class of 2016 alumnus Shawtay Thompson said addressing the students on this path was brilliant. “That was something that I would love to hear when I was a freshman or on my path starting out, to know that the journey is going to have a lot of twists and turns but it’s okay, because you’re

going to end up exactly where you need to be,” Thompson said.

The president’s address to the student body impacted business management student Stefania Grimaldi. The story he shared about speaking up to his history professor stuck with her the most, “because he wouldn’t be here today without speaking up.”

Pfannestiel’s addressed each attendant of the ceremony in some way, and to David Palmer from the class of 1996,

the president seemed very genuine.

“There weren’t a lot of platitudes,” Palmer said. “He was just speaking very from the heart, being genuine and sincere. Sincerity is really the main thing that I was getting from that.”

The speech was uplifting and personified what a lot of the alumni who are still involved with the college are feeling, said Harry Keel, a golden alumnus from the class of 1973.

He attended the

ceremony because to him, the Utica community is almost like a “brotherhood of friends and family too.”

After the last speech, “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas blasted through the speakers and the students stood cheering for the last time that afternoon.

“I think the university has so much to look forward to going forward,” Mitchell said. “Ultimately the song in the end, that was just a ball.”

President Pfannestiel pointed to the crowd as he walked into the stadium. // Photo: Diana Sidorevich

Lack of menstrual healthcare products an issue for students on campus

◊ KAYDEN LAMPHERE SPECIAL ASSIGMENTS REPORTER

Utica University’s fall 2021 semester included 2,658 female students, which made up more than 60% of its overall student population, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Despite that, menstrual healthcare products are noticeably missing from most campus bathrooms, leaving students on campus to struggle on their own.

Some students have voiced their frustrations over the lack of tampons and pads provided in the bathrooms on campus.

“There are pretty much no menstrual products in any of the school bathrooms,” junior health sciences major Lauryn Munson said. “We can’t choose to have our periods. It’s something that should be accessible to all students.”

Munson said there is a sense of unfairness in the issue, as male condoms are provided in every bathroom on campus, but not crucial personal healthcare products. One student, a junior psychology major who asked to remain anonymous, also questioned why the availability of products are restricted to certain locations.

“I once had to go from the library to the TRIO office for products,” the student said. “Why don’t we have [period] product access in all bathrooms?

It would help us from having to travel all around campus for [them].”

Kingsley Przytula, a third year child life psychology major, offered the perspective of someone typically even further restricted from period product access.

“As a transmasculine person, asking someone else for a pad or tampon can be uncomfortable or even painful because of gender dysphoria,” Przytula said. “Having period products provided in bathrooms would really help in that way.”

Assistant professor of psychology Kaylee Seddio has been strongly advocating for the implementation of period product access on campus, recounting a particular encounter that

sparked motivation.

“On the second or third day of classes, I overheard two students asking each other if they had a tampon or a pad,” Seddio said. “Neither of them did, and I actually had to run out to help them because, of course, there wasn’t anything available in the bathroom.”

According to Seddio, the issue has impacted academics, with some students being unable to attend class because they do not have the access to products they need.

“I’ve had students in the middle of class activities need to leave because they started their period with nothing to help them available,” Seddio said. “It makes my job as a professor harder, because those students are missing

class time, at no fault of their own.”

Ariel Rios, the executive director for the Health and Wellness Center, said this is something that was recently brought to their attention a few weeks ago by professor Arlene Lundquist.

“She came to us to get more information, and to tell us about how she had noticed that there aren’t really any dispensers or areas for students to get tampons or pads,” Rios said.

From there, the Health and Wellness Center performed research and Associate Director of Health and Wellness Bethany VanBenschoten looked at what is currently established.

“We actually have had some of these products in some locations,” VanBenschoten said. “Specifically in [the Strebel] gender neutral bathroom. But, it’s behind a few doors, so it’s not the most accessible of places.”

According to VanBenschoten, some action has already been taken for products to become available in bathrooms. A potential partner the Health and Wellness Center is considering is a company named August.

“August is a young company created by two college students who recognized the need for tampons and pads on campus,”

Tampons and pads provided to all in need in Professor Kaylee Seddio’s office. // Photo: Kayden Lamphere

CON. ON PAGE 9

CON. FROM PAGE 8

VanBenschoten said. “They are all about sustainability and access.” According to VanBenschoten, work is being done to finalize a proposal, including cost analysis and implementation, in order

to provide more products across campus.

In the meantime, the Health and Wellness Center urged students to use products that are available to them right now.

Free tampons and pads are currently available in the Strebel Student Student

gender neutral bathroom, the Francis A. Wilcox Intercultural and Student Organization Center, the Health and Wellness Center and the Tangerine Grove Food Pantry.

The importance of getting more out and available, no matter the cost, is something that should be on the radar

of all in power to change it, Seddio said.

“So many people don’t even realize this is such a big issue,” Seddio said. “At this point, it is not a budgetary issue, it’s a student success issue.”

Utica University and the importance of professional development: A

◊ SELMA DIZDAREVIC NEWS

The Professional Development Committee (PDC) at Utica University has one main goal: to assist in the professional development of individual faculty members at the university. This might take on different forms depending on the field or discipline and may include attending conferences, keeping up to date with new research, and learning from other institutions.

In the 2022-2023 academic year, 79 staff members reported participating in over 600 professional development and engagement activities. According to a report made by the PDC, the university’s Advancement division, which works on creating alumni relations and building the university’s reputation, had the highest percentage of reported professional development activities at 28.8% with 189 staff members.

Vice President for Advancement Amy Lindner said a big component of the division’s professional development is

community engagement.

“That’s a big piece that might get overlooked,” Lindner said. “Because we deal with alumni, we want to make sure that you as students don’t first hear from us when you become alumni, that you know who we are when you’re students. So I think a big piece of our success in that ranking is the fact that we try and come to as many campus events as possible.”

Many of the professional development activities fulfill the purpose of learning about best practices for particular departments.

“A lot of [what is learned] is best practices, what has been most effective,” Lindner said. “For example, 5 years ago we never used text messaging to communicate with our alumni. Once we brought that technology on we had to learn when is the best time to use it, how often do people want to get texts from us and about what, and how the content of those texts could be most effective.”

The Department of Admissions and Enrollment Management at Utica came in with the second

highest rate, reporting 116 employees and a 17.7% rate.

Jessica Nelson, executive director of admissions, said that as a supervisor, she encourages the staff to attend as many professional development opportunities as they can. Some professional development activities that are particular to the Department of Admissions include learning about “the best way to attract students to campus” or how to “communicate with students properly,” according to Nelson. These activities go beyond professional development, she said, as many also contribute to a staff member’s personal self-development.

“Some of them are strictly personal selfdevelopment type of things like public speaking, writing or whatever the person whose taking the training is interested in,” Nelson said. “It doesn’t always have to be specific to their job because developing themselves otherwise helps their job without them even knowing it.”

For faculty members, professional development

is a continuous endeavor.

“Our tenured faculty members and our research faculty members are always working on something,” Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Stephanie Nesbitt said. “They have research they’re doing, things that they’re writing if they’re from the more creative disciplines, so that’s sort of an obligation for them but it’s also a passion for them.”

For many professors of practice who are not on a tenure-track and may not be research faculty, they often maintain practice in their professional field in the outside world, so some nurses still provide pro bono nursing or work shifts in a hospital, according to Nesbitt.

“There’s a variety of professional development that faculty do and that is just part of being a faculty,” she said.

For many departments and their employees, finding the time and the financial means

CON. ON PAGE 10

‘constant journey’ and ‘quest for improvement’

EDITOR

CON. FROM PAGE 9

can present obstacles to pursuing professional development activities. These limitations can lead to a department or division landing a lower rate on the professional development scale.

Nesbitt said that lower rates are often attributed to faculty members who are paying attention to the financial assets of the university and might be waiting for a better time to pursue costlier professional development activities.

“What we find often is that people who are really good stewards of our financial assets and means, often when we ask them not to do

something they really take us in our word,” she said. “So they won’t ask to go to a conference, they won’t ask to do something right now because they want to help us out with the institution.”

According to Nesbitt, it’s difficult to find an answer for lower percentages of professional development due to the effects of the pandemic that are still lingering on the university and its finances.

“So I think it’s hard given the COVID pandemic and where we’ve been to say, ‘Oh that department has a low rate of professional development that’s probably a problem,’” she said. “That may mean that they’re just really

committed people to the campus community and haven’t been spending much money as we’ve really been minding ourselves as we emerge from the pandemic. In a perfect world where those things didn’t exist, you’d be perhaps a bit concerned but in this world, I think it’s really difficult to assign a cause to that.”

Professional development opportunities are encouraged for all staff members to satisfy their curiosity and passions, and to stifle any complacency or boredom that might occur along the way.

A professional career no matter what it is should be a constant journey and a

quest for improvement and a quest for new knowledge and learning, particularly in higher education, Nesbitt said.

“The human experience is an evolving one and I think when we stop pursuing knowledge and improvement we almost stop in place, and that sounds really corny in some ways but I think it’s really true,” she said. “We are blessed with these phenomenal minds that are curious and interested in things. If we don’t pursue knowledge and growth and learning, what are we doing?”

WE HAVE WHAT YOU WANT DOWNTOWN

Study room reservation switched from Navigate to LibCal

KAYDEN LAMPHERE SPECIAL ASSIGMENTS REPORTER

◊

Study rooms in the Utica University library have been offered as a resource for student success over the past few semesters. Recently, students may have noticed a change in the system of reserving those rooms.

LibCal, a shortening of Library Calendar, is the new system for study room reservation as of this semester, replacing the Navigate application.

According to Melissa Lawson, a librarian and coordinator of access services, the switch was made because of the accessibility provided by the LibCal interface.

“Navigate unfortunately did not have as much control as we wanted it to,” Lawson said. “With LibCal, now we can put information about when librarians are here, when we have reference hours. We couldn’t really do that with the tools from before.”

Lawson said the system is more versatile and offers more capabilities.

“It allows us to do calendars, appointments, events,” Lawson said. “And of course it has [the] spaces, which is what we

are using to book the study rooms.”

According to Dean of Library and Learning Commons James Teliha, the switch was something the library had been meaning to do for quite some time, as Navigate was a system installed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We used it because it was the easiest thing to get out there,” Teliha said.

“Now, two years later with things back to normal, we

decided to go with the system we’ve already had in LibCal.”

Internal feedback from staff and student employees, according to Teliha, was overwhelmingly positive, with convenience being one of the attributes highlighted.

Jasmine Ortiz, a sophomore biology major, said it was a seamless transition and didn’t even notice a change in the system between semesters.

“It seemed all the same,” Ortiz said. “You just go up [to the main desk], give them your card, and you get an email about it. Really easy.”

Nisa Cetin, another biology major also said the process is similar but there are some changes and requirements.

“I had to give my email,” Cetin said. “Which is fine, but it’s another step that we have to take. But, it only takes ten seconds, so it’s not that big of a deal.”

Lawson said the email requirement is nothing more than for records that may or may not matter at all.

“[LibCal] isn’t integrated with the BannerWeb system,” Lawson said. “So there isn’t any risk of looking any further on the profile beyond just identifying who is using the study rooms.”

According to Teliha, the library’s number one focus is providing service and being accessible to all.

“The library has always been about serving everybody,” Teliha said. “This change allows all students, online or in person, to book and use our services, as all students have a right to.”

Study rooms at the Frank E. Gannett Memorial Library. // Photo: Kayden Lamphere

Board of Trustees unanimously approve labor agreement

◊ MICKALE THOMPSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Utica University chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP-Utica) reached a 99.22% ratifying vote in favor of the tentative agreement which was approved by the AAUPUtica Governing Board on Sept. 6.

In the one-week voting period that concluded on Wednesday, Sept. 27, of the 152 members in good standing, 128 equivalent to 84.5% of all eligible voters cast their ballots on the tentative agreement of which 127 members voted Yes.

“These results demonstrate the amazing strength and unity of our bargaining unit,” AAUP-Utica President Leonore Fleming said. “I’m extremely proud of our negotiation team, the AAUP-Utica leadership, and the entire bargaining unit, for all of the hard work they’ve expended over the past year.”

The Board of Trustees along with President Todd Pfannestiel met

on Sept. 28 at 11 a.m. and discussed the agreement after which a unanimous approval by the Board of Trustees in favor of the agreement was handed down at noon. The new contract for AAUPUtica members, which expires in May of 2027, is effective immediately.

According to Pfannestiel, the university’s position has always been to achieve a collective bargaining agreement that is best for the institution as well as fair and supportive of the faculty.

“We wish we could have done so without the previous contract expiring,” Pfannestiel said. “The end result of the negotiation was a contract that is in the best interest of both the faculty and the institution.”

Leading up to negotiations, Fleming said the union leadership, the negotiation team and the governing board sent out a survey asking members to rank specific issues, as well as asking for comments and concerns which

helped prepare for the bargaining process.

Daniel Tagliarina, vice president of AAUP-Utica, said one of the positives from the new agreement is the minimum salary guarantees across ranks as digging through the numbers found there were a lot of pay inequities issues.

“This is one way to push for more equity,” Tagliarina said. “So that we don’t have people who are effectively in the same position at the same rank being financially compensated radically differently.”

Though the labor agreement was achieved there is still a lot of work to be done on non-economic issues, said Fleming. Several ongoing grievances as well as the one filed on Jan. 10 over the university’s failure to provide shared governance in response to the Academic Program Review are now at the arbitration stage. However, per the new contract, Fleming said the arbitration was placed on hold until

Dec.15.

“Our plan now is to subpoena all of that information (and more) prior to the arbitration event so that we can demonstrate how the entire Academic Portfolio Review process was a violation of shared governance as stipulated in our collective bargaining agreement,” Fleming said.

With the Board of Trustees still censored by the Faculty Senate body, Fleming said, the arbitration will become active again unless both sides agree to delay it further. If not, the date for arbitration will likely be in late January with hopes of reaching an agreement before Dec. 15, or if not at least make some progress towards a settlement.

“When listening to my faculty colleagues over the past few weeks, what is crystal clear to me is that this is still an issue worth fighting for, and having a new economic contract in place doesn’t change that,” Fleming said.

Proctor High School shooting puts Campus Safety vigilance into perspective

◊ DIANA SIDOREVICH MANAGING EDITOR

A school security guard was shot in the back of the head last month during a fight outside a Proctor High School football game. He was

discharged from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital a few days later and the shooter was identified when he turned himself in to Utica Police the next day.

Proctor High School

is an 11 minute drive from Utica University, but Vice President for Facilities and Emergency Management Shad Crowe said nothing goes on in Utica without Utica University Campus Safety

knowing.

Campus Safety monitors local police channels 24/7, on the lookout for critical incidents happening in the

CON. ON PAGE 13

Utica area. They share information with Utica University’s community depending on the location of the incident and the media attention the incident garners, even if it doesn’t directly impact the university.

They want the community to know that Campus Safety is monitoring everything, Crowe said.

“Communicating and being transparent helps people to not become alarmed,” Crowe said.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, Campus Safety sent out an alert to make students aware of the shooting incident and let the campus know that they are monitoring it.

Several students, including Rita Salibi, Keely Herrick, Jaedin Prudent and Lesly Illescas, did not receive an alert. Illescas said she found out about the incident in a conversation in her math class. One of her classmates went to the football game at which the incident occurred.

Most of Illescas’ classmates are from the Utica area and she was surprised to hear that “it’s normal, it always happens,” from them. She would’ve wanted

to receive a notification, “even if it’s 10 minutes, 15 minutes nearby, you never know what could happen.”

Herrick was alerted through her roommate, who did receive a notification about the incident.

Campus Safety’s sources in the police department said “there should be no concern for Utica University at this time.”

Members of the Campus Safety department are well acquainted and have contacts within local agencies “that usually can provide us with specifics regarding the incident,” Crowe

said, sometimes including details that police departments can’t provide to the public.

Crowe believed there was no immediate danger to the campus, that the police department had a general idea of where the suspect was and that the suspect wasn’t a threat to the university’s campus community.

That did not mean Campus Safety wouldn’t be vigilant in their patrol operations, checking the perimeter of the university, checking doors in the academic buildings and residence halls, checking vehicles and making sure no one is

trying to break into them and monitoring cameras, Crowe said.

Construction management student Chris Okeng’o said even though he doesn’t live on campus, he has noticed Campus Safety patrolling often.

“As an international student it’s nice to see that the school has good security,” Okeng’o said. “That I can see.”

Campus security are not the only safety officers on Utica’s campus. State police, New Hartford Police and Utica Police occasionally come through campus as they did that Saturday and Sunday as part of their patrolling duties, even though there was no reason to believe the suspect had fled in the university’s direction, Crowe said.

“I didn’t receive any phone calls [from faculty and staff],” Crowe said. “As long as we continue to do our best to share as much as we have when we have it, in a timely fashion, I think it helps people to remain calm.”

If the incident was closer or the suspect was not in custody and was sighted in the vicinity, “that’s a completely different conversation,” Crowe said.

CON. FROM PAGE 12

Pathway near Strebel on Utica University campus. //

Photo: Diana Sidorevich

◊ SELMA DIZDAREVIC NEWS EDITOR

Since its inception in 2001, Utica University has supported the work of the Oneida County Freedom Trail Commission. Similar to other freedom trail commissions throughout the state, the commission tracks the abolitionist movement and Underground Railroad activity that existed in Oneida County.

The Oneida County Freedom Trail Commission was started in Utica by Professor Emeritus of Sociology and commission cochair Dr. Jan DeAmicis. The organization and its team conduct research, verify information and make its findings on Underground Railroad activity available to the public.

Mary Hayes Gordon, the director of program operations for Young Scholars, and cochair of the Oneida County Freedom Trail Commission said while pursuing her master’s degree in liberal studies from Utica University, she was connected with DeAmicis and began researching the Underground Railroad. Knowing that her home had once been a part of the movement while sitting at the kitchen table and eating breakfast one morning, Gordon was sifting through research that DeAmicis had already done, which included heading down to the National Archives in Washington D.C. and

locating anti-slavery petitions that came from Oneida County.

“I used his petitions to look to see if the people who had lived in my house had by chance signed it,” Hayes said. “And they had.”

This research led Gordon to join the commission around 2012. According to her, Utica University has been consistently supportive of the commission’s work since it was formed and continues to provide resources for its members to perform and present research.

“They have been supporting in all different ways, [including] intellectual and academic knowledge and support, helping with publications [and] using the copy center,” Hayes said. “The university was instrumental in the creation of the Freedom Trail Commission in that it was a university professor who started it [and] that they provided space.”

The Oneida County Freedom Trail Commission provides a way for the community to learn

about the history of the abolitionist movement through its walking tour. The tour, which can be group-led or self-guided, features five spots that were pivotal “to the end of slavery,” Gordon said.

“This was a very active community,” she said. “When I say that, I don’t want people to get the impression that everyone here was anti-slavery because they were not. But this [area] was very active in the movement.”

It begins on Utica’s Bleecker Street, where a convention was interrupted by a mob of local politicians and representatives who opposed anti-slavery sentiments. Each of the five stops have a sign that provides information about how the stop relates to the Underground Railroad and abolition activity. QR codes are posted on the signs which link to the commission’s website and guide individuals to the next stop.

In February 2014, the commission gave its first guided tour to a group of

55 people. They provide tours for “students from other local colleges [and] to kick off the Juneteenth weekend,” as well as “on request.”

“Our goal was to provide a way for people to get an understanding of some of that history that was here,” Gordon said.

According to Gordon, the Underground Railroad is often “romanticized” with myths and stories that are untrue. She hopes that the tour will illuminate these inconsistencies and inform people that it was “everyday people who made this work happen.”

“I want people to know it was multi-racial, that it was not romantic. It was hard, it was lifethreatening, and it really is one of the things in our world that shows the best of humanity.”

The work of the Oneida County Freedom Trail Commission provides a perspective on the community’s past, present and future.

“One of the reasons I study history is because seeing what human beings have been capable of can help us to see what we are capable of now and what the future generations [will be capable of],” Gordon said. “It helps us understand what we can do and how we can make an impact and make the change, because there will always be something humans have to improve on.”

Utica University and Oneida County Freedom Trail continue educational collaboration

// Courtesy of Utica University’s Instagram account

Annalise Michener puts her love for animals into action

◊ CHARLIE BUCKLEY FEATURES EDITOR

Annalise Michener didn’t have much access to animals while growing up in boarding school, but has always had a love for furry creatures.

“My love for them grew even more once I graduated and was able to get a few pets of my own,” Michener said. Michener has a dog, two cats, two cockatiels and a bearded dragon. While she planned for many of the pets, she admitted that she wasn’t the biggest fan of reptiles when she began her pet collection.

“I wanted to get to know reptiles a little bit better, so I got a bearded dragon which is considered a beginner

pet for people who want to own some sort of reptile,” Michener said.

As for the birds, Michener ended up with one cockatiel after a family member didn’t want it anymore and she decided to take it in. She eventually got another cockatiel so they could socialize.

Michener said her love of animals is what made her choose animal behavior for a major.

“There’s not a lot of animal behavior majors throughout the country,” Michener said. “This major stood out to me because the usual majors involving animals are veterinary and biology, but I was looking into training animals or grooming animals.”

As an animal behavior

major, one of the classes Michener took involved working with animals at the Utica Zoo. Her favorite animals to work with were monkeys. When the class fed them and hid food in the toys, they would investigate it as if to make sure it was okay to eat. The animal behavior students found it entertaining.

Along with being an animal behavior major, Michener has also put effort into clubs such as the Animal Shelter Association (ASA) where students help raise money and make gifts for animals in humane societies and other places.

“I got involved with ASA shortly after I arrived here as a transfer student,” Michener said. “The last few semesters I tried to

volunteer as much as I could and help out the previous executive board we had.”

This year, Michener is the vice president of ASA and works alongside Emma O’Donnell, the current president of the club. They enjoy working together, Michener said.

Annalise Michener has six pets in total. // Photo: Luke Reed

FEATURES

OP-ED: Costa Rica’s first impressions are life changing for Utica student abroad

◊ BREANNAN O’HARA GUEST WRITER

When I first arrived in San Jose, it was night and I couldn’t get a glimpse of the new landscape. During my ride from the airport to my homestay in Costa Rica, the first thing I noticed was that the city was filled with light. Not one road we drove down was dim. The nightlight was lively and filled with laughter and commotion.

The upbeat music that filled the city made me want to dance. I was amazed to see that the city had been Americanized, in the fastfood context, and had big chains like Starbucks and Taco Bell.

When I made it to my homestay, my mama tica (host mom) greeted me with a warm hug. Her son was there to translate for me and they made sure I was comfortable and felt at home. They gave me a tour and showed me to my bedroom. The way that plants and the outdoors were incorporated into the house was unique. Each room had an open window to allow fresh air and the backyard flowed into the house. I fell in love with the architecture because it gives a sense of connection to nature even when you are indoors.

There is a language barrier between me and my host parents that can be frustrating for us but is expected. It challenges us all to step out of our

Outdoors in Costa Rica. // Photo courtesy of Breannan

O’Hara

comfort zones and learn a new language. Every day we are finding ways to communicate effectively. Even though we can’t understand each other’s words completely, compassion and concern is felt and expressed nonverbally. We’ve had some good laughs in the process.

Everyday my host mom generously cooks a homemade Costa Rican breakfast and dinner for my two roommates and I. I really feel immersed in the culture with these meals. The food is vibrant and beautifully plated. I’ve been eating with my eyes first at every meal.

A major difference between the food here and in America is that in Costa Rica, it’s all natural. Every breakfast consists of fresh fruit like melons, mangos, or bananas, a cup of world renown coffee, and a main entree like french toast, an omelet or scrambled eggs with ham. My roommates and I feel like we’re in heaven because we usually skip breakfast back at home. For lunch and dinner, rice and beans are in every meal, accompanied by plantains, meat, and vegetables. Our host mom makes sure we are always full.

Going outside for the first time in daylight felt life changing. Just outside my homestay I could see enormous mountains that surrounded the whole city. It looked like a painting. The clouds touched the peaks and formed around them filling in all the crevices. Since we are in the rainy season it typically starts storming in the evening every day. You can tell it’s going to pour when the clouds come up from behind the mountains. It is truly glorious to see these towering giants in person.

A couple months ago, this program seemed as if it was in the far future but here I am today, living in a whole new world. This will be my reality for the next three months. I am so excited to see what new experiences Costa Rica has to offer.

Breannan O’Hara is a junior majoring in animal behavior with a minor concentration in journalism. She is studying in Costa Rica for the Fall 2023 semester.

Q&A with Professor Marvee Marr

◊ CHARLIE BUCKLEY FEATURES EDITOR

Marvee Marr is a business professor at Utica University’s campus downtown. Her career began in Puerto Rico and since then, she has traveled the globe not only to teach but also to explore. To this day, Marr has visited over 94 different countries, and aims to visit 100 countries in her lifetime.

She recently sat down with The Tangerine to talk about her teaching career and passion for travel.

Q: How did you start teaching abroad?

A: I moved to Puerto Rico in 1998. When I was looking for work, I found a part time job as an English as a second language teacher (ESL). After some time, I came across an advertisement for a job at a community college out of Texas, Central Texas College, and it taught all the military bases around Puerto Rico. I had a master’s degree in fine arts and writing and they asked me to teach writing and literature classes.

Q: How many countries have you taught in since you began?

A: I have lived and worked in a total of 16 different countries. During a five year period when I was living in

Europe, I visited and taught master programs in five different countries. My main home during the five period stay was in Slovakia, but my job sent me to Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.

Q: During this time, were you still teaching the same classes or had they changed again?

A: The classes I taught changed quite a bit

before Europe. I went to Brazil after Puerto Rico where I continued to teach ESL. I turned to mostly English and literature when I left Brazil and began teaching in Mexico, however my second year in Mexico is when I began teaching business.

Q: Do you have a favorite country you taught in?

A: It’s hard to say honestly. I will say my

job in Europe that sent me to five different countries is my overall favorite position I’ve had because it allowed me to travel even more. The college I worked for that had me working in Europe still contacts me now about teaching abroad in other countries such as China.

Q: What advice would you give to students who express interest in studying abroad while they’re in college?

A: My first piece of advice is go. I actually have a quote that I use, which is that traveling is ‘knowledge with a view.’ What you learn in another country is invaluable; you learn so much just about human nature. I even learned about our own political system while living abroad. You learn that the world is bigger and that there are more people who are different which is okay. For some people, living in a different country actually wakes them up to the fact that we as people are all different.

Marr poses in front of the Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal // Photo courtesy of Dr. Marvee Marr

Blaise Faggiano learned the profession in Albany— the rest was history

to say.”

An abysmal 3-7 record triggered a search for a new head coach. Faggiano, a 1991 national champion with the Ithaca Bombers, had his sights set on a career in coaching. By 1993 he’d learned the profession, by understanding how to recruit and how to separate himself from the players as an assistant coach at the University of Albany. In a pool of over 125 applicants — he stood out to Spartano.

“I liked him right away,” Spartano said. “He got a big star in my mind when we brought all four to campus. I was very impressed with him but I didn’t tell a soul.”

scoring football game in NCAA history with 142 points. The players at the end of the season wanted Jellerson as their official head coach, Morgan said. He was a perfect fit for the current players and could bring immediate success.

“He was the guy a lot of us gravitated to,” Morgan said. “Especially when coach Kemp was originally relieved of his duty.”

◊ MICKALE THOMPSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jim Spartano wanted to meet the final four head coaching candidates away from campus to get a personal feel. It was more intimate with them that way — so he met Blaise Faggiano in Syracuse.

In 2007, the football program was in turmoil. Then-head coach Mike Kemp left with three games remaining in the season. Two years prior he led the Pioneers to its first winning season with a 6-4

record. The split paved the way for defensive coordinator Kirk Jellerson to take over the team. Jellerson had worked under Kemp since 2004 finishing the season 1-2 as interim head coach.

“We had 10 to 11 assistants that wanted to stay and finish the year,” said Spartano, Utica’s former athletic director who’s in the university’s Hall of Fame. “We asked them if they wanted to leave, we would honor their contracts — no hard feelings but they wanted

Under Kemp, the system was outdated, offenses were changing, and he wasn’t the best X’s and O’s guy, said former wide receiver now head football coach at SUNY Buffalo State Lazarus Morgan, and players had an issue with his leadership style.

“Whenever you’re building a program from scratch it takes a lot of hard work and you’re dealing with a lot of issues,” Morgan said. “He got to the point where he couldn’t take the program any further.”

After Kemp left, two exciting games followed including a 72-70 quadruple overtime loss to Hartwick College on Nov. 10, 2007, which saw a combined 12 total touchdowns in what was at the time the highest-

Faggiano on the other hand wasn’t thinking about being a head coach. After a oneyear stint at UAlbany, he returned to his alma mater in 1995 as defensive coordinator. He left Ithaca a year later and became a defensive line coach at St. John Fisher University, a conference rival, who the Pioneers will face this season on Nov. 11, then went on to become their defensive coordinator in 1999.

In eight years, Faggiano transformed the Cardinals’ defense, according to head coach Paul Vosburgh. Though he only saw five wins in his first three seasons he was a “worker,” Vosburgh said. As the defensive coordinator, Faggiano had the chance to look more at other positions and increase his knowledge, inevitably growing more and more as a coach, but had a certain relatability to the players on the defense line having played the position himself.

CON. ON PAGE 19

Blaise Faggiano, became the head football coach at Utica in 2008. // Photo: Kayleigh Sturtevant

CON. FROM PAGE 18

“They understood that he’d played the game,” Vosburgh said. “…But most of all I think they responded to him because he was all about the players first and foremost.”

From 1999-2007, Vosburgh, with Faggiano’s help, led the Cardinals to three NCAA tournament appearances. When Faggiano applied for the head coaching position at Utica, Spartano called Fisher’s Athletic Director Bob Ward, and asked for an honest opinion.

“He’s tough,” Ward said of Faggiano to Spartano on the phone. “He demands a lot. He’ll be in your office once a week wanting things.”

During the interview process Fagginao had a

SPORTS

burning competitiveness, Spartano said. When he got hired in 2008 at age 37, he was the longterm solution, Morgan said. He changed the narrative and connected the football players to the community and the program to the campus.

“When I was a player, we were the football team and that’s all we really were,” Morgan said. “We kind of alienated ourselves from the rest of the campus.”

Described by Spartano as an “up-and-coming program,” Faggiano saw the team’s potential. With much of its talent on defense, he called it a “diamond in the ruff,” filled with tough blue-collar guys who just wanted to win.

“I can remember our first spring practice — no pads

and we’re doing drills and they just wanted to kill each other,” Faggiano said. “To impress me.”

Morgan said Faggiano was the driving force that made the program a desirable place for new recruits, and Spartano said good players recognized Faggiano’s skills as a speaker, a caring person and someone who would look out for them.

In the pre-Faggiano era, playing against Utica “was a game,” Vosburgh said but not as much as it is now. In 2022 the Pioneers finished 10-2, its best overall record and appeared in the NCAA tournament for the first time in history and made it to the second round.

“We were kinda tired of being close,” Faggiano said. “Like, ‘Alright everyone knows

were good but when’s Utica really gonna do something on the big scale.’”

Now in his14th year as head coach off backto-back winning seasons, Faggiano’s philosophy remains the same: faith, family, academics, football and the lessons learned from him as a player are still engrained, Morgan said.

“I would want my son and daughter to play for Blaise,” Spartano said. “I trust him.”

“If you wanna be in a foxhole and you wanna pick someone with you, pick Blaise. He’s not gonna let you down. You want someone to cover your back and you cover his back. Blaise is your guy.”

SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo are set to join UCHC

◊ ALEXIS WIMETT CONTRIBUTING

WRITER

The men’s hockey programs at SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo are expected to join the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) for the 2024-2025 season. Ten teams will now represent the UCHC Men’s Hockey Conference.

The two schools joined the UCHC on Sept. 6 after announcing their entry into the Empire 8 on Aug. 21.

“These are two great additions to our young league,” Utica’s head coach Gary Heenan said.

“They are both established programs with good buildings and fan bases. This upgrades our league tremendously.”

The two new teams will join Utica University, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo, Wilkes University, Chatham University, Manhattanville College, Nazareth University and Neumann University.

“The UCHC is getting a complete shake up and adding these two teams will for sure enhance the competitiveness,” sophomore forward Chris Carroll said. “Our preparation as a team is what sets us apart from the schools we play and we will be ready to go when the time comes.

Last season, Utica’s men’s hockey team was ranked No. 1 nationally.. After defeating Nazareth College, the team won

its fourth championship in program history and backto-back UCHC conference titles.

“I think that it will be great for the competitiveness of the conference as well as adding a few teams that are closer location wise to us and Nazareth,” sophomore goalkeeper Avery Sturtz said. “It should also create a few more close rivalries with us playing them more frequently in the future.”

Entering his 22nd season as the team’s head coach, Heenan is eager to guide his team through another season.

“We are the youngest team in the country minus first-year teams,” Heenan said. “We will have to

preach patience and process.”

Last season, Heenan was recognized as a finalist for the American Hockey Coaches’ Association Coach of the Year award after leading the team to a record-breaking season, which included tying the school record with 25 victories. Heenan has high hopes for not only this season but for what the 2024-2025 season holds for his team.

As the program’s founder, Heenan has received numerous Coach of the Year awards. Under his leadership the Pioneers regularly transition players to the professional level and consistently produce All Americans.

Utica beats Hartwick College 48-7 to improve to 5-0

◊ NICK PHILLIPS SPORTS REPORTER

James Salles’s 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Utica’s Sept. 30 homecoming game helped the Pioneers dismantle Hartwick College in a 48-7 victory and move to 5-0 this season.

They began their rout in the first quarter when Sam Florio threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Logan Kraft. Florio went on to rush for a 2-yard touchdown just 90 seconds later giving the Pioneers a 14-0 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, Utica added 10 additional points courtesy of Ethan Licin’s 15-yard touchdown run and a Corey Lichtman 31-yard field goal. Hartwick’s quarterback James Sobol threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Nate Rath for the Hawks’s lone score of the contest with just under four minutes of play left in the first half.

The Pioneers, up by 17 at the half, utilized their ground game with two rushing touchdowns from Salles in the third quarter on 11 and 17-yards. Lichtman, from 40 yards out, added another field goal.

The only score of the final quarter came on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Nick Amendola to Matt Kaires to make the final score 48-7.

Defense came up trumps in the game as Utica held the Hartwick offense to a single touchdown while also making three interceptions which came from Cam Provenzano, Eli Douglas and Doug Simmons, who also had a forced fumble in the game.

“Last game just really showed us what kind of group we have the potential to be,” senior defensive lineman James Lanier said.

“When the offense can score 40+ points and your defense can hold a team to one score that’s always a positive thing. It doesn’t matter who we play.”

Lanier said while starting 5-0 is great, the team cannot become complacent and that

they still have to take the remainder of the season week by week.

Lichtman, with a perfect 6/6 on PATs and 2/2 on field goal attempts, went on to win Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance on Saturday.

“We have a talented football team. This was the most complete game we’ve played this season and the score was a result of that,” Lichtman said. “When we lock in and play to our potential we are a difficult team to beat. This is a team we are better than all around and we did not stoop to their level.”

Following last season, the expectation was to start 5-0. Lichtman and head coach Blaise

Faggiano along with the other coaches have built a standard to win football games that he expects to continue, Lichtman said.

After making the firstever NCAA tournament in program history, Faggiano said that his expectations for his group are always high and his goals are to develop young men, enhance the academic experience and to have a football program that the university, community and alumni can be proud of.

Utica (5-0, 1-0 Empire 8) will look to remain undefeated with their toughest game of the season so far where they will travel to play No. 17th ranked SUNY Cortland (3-1, 1-0 Empire 8) on Saturday Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.

Utica beats Hartwick at home for the second year in a row. // Photo: Luke Reed