Friday, December 9, 2022 Print Edition

TANGERINE

Program Sunsetting: Academic program review causes concerns

What is the review?

Utica University is undergoing an Academic Program Review spurred by a Board of Trustees resolution, which has caused unrest and questions on campus.

The university has individually reviewed majors over the past 76 years, but this review will be the first holistic overhaul of major offerings.

To some faculty, the abruptness of this charge and lack of prior warning has caused uncertainty and concern.

“Walking [into the faculty meeting] in September was a big shock,” said Kirstin Walker, associate professor of therapeutic recreation and chair of the therapeutic recreation department.. “Finding out that the report had been given with no faculty discussion is not shared governance.”

According to Provost Todd Pfannestiel, this is a routine procedure at many other higher education institutions.

“We are 76 years old and we have never done an academic program review,” Pfannestiel said. “The president and I absolutely agreed this was time… I would say moving forward, this is something that every university, including Utica, should be doing on a regular basis so it doesn’t have the shock value that I’m sure it has right now.”

As of the fall 2022 semester, Utica offers 59 majors to incoming students, but a majority of students enroll in only a handful.

According to Pfannestiel, who ran statistics prior to the semester, three majors make up almost half of enrollment: nursing, health sciences and cybersecurity. This discovery inspired a comprehensive review of the entire academic footprint of the institution.

The goal of this is to consider three possible recommendations regarding majors: which ones to add, grow or sunset.

“[We are] essentially asking three questions: what is not in that footprint that we should be offering, so new programs, what are some new ideas that we have resources or we believe we are positioned better than other universities that we can deliver on a new program,” Pfannestiel said.

He then continued to explain that some majors offered are not sought out by employers or incoming students.

Additionally, the Board of Trustees’ charge cites an unsustainable faculty-tostudent ratio as a primary reason for the review. This concept has led to concerns among faculty regarding employment.

“It was crushing honestly finding out that the board that has not expressed much of an interest in how things work

has decided there are too many faculty and not enough students and therefore programs are going to be cut,” said Daniel Tagliarina, associate professor of political science and chair of the political science department. “It is also worrying because it was not clear what exactly that meant. Am I going to be losing colleagues, am I going to be losing my own job, what does this mean for all of us? It was communicated poorly with no real follow-up.”

According to Pfannestiel, if a program is sunset, faculty might shift around course offerings from higher level to lower based on general education or minor needs.

“I don’t need a faculty member hearing the phrase ‘eliminate’ and sunset and thinking like, ‘oh, what the hell am I gonna teach?’” Pfannestiel said. “No, no, no,

no, no– there is so much that we need to get done here. But will it be a change and will it create some angst? I have no doubt it will, I’d be surprised if it didn’t.”

Pfannestiel continues to explain that the work done by faculty is important for the future of the university and students.

This perspective contrasts to that of faculty, including Tagliarina.

“If you are just getting rid of degrees, then keeping faculty, the main line of the charge, isn’t relevant,” Tagliarina said.

Members of the Task Force included the four school deans, four faculty members and four staff representing the logistics of the university, appointed by the provost.

CONT. ON PAGE 4

◊ ISA HUDZIAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

◊ HOLLIE DAVID MANAGING EDITOR

A sunset falls across campus and reflects on the sidewalk otuside of Bull Hall. /Photo: Alex Leland

Fall 2022 STAFF

@UticaTangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

Editor-In-Chief - Isa Hudziak

Managing Editor - Hollie David

Features Editor - Mickale Thompson

Photographer - Alexandria Leland

Tangerine Clerk - Charles Buckley

Social Media Manager - Nicolas Leonard

Adviser - Mary Christopher

Interm Adviser - Megan Postol

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

The Tangerine accepts paid advertisements. Advertising copy is subject to the same professional publishing standards as content. The Tangerine reserves the right to reject advertising that does not meet the standards established, is libelous, is in poor taste or violates discrimination laws. Please direct all inquiries to tanger@utica.edu. The deadline for publication is 10 a.m. on Tuesdays.

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.

News Tips? Opinions? Contact The Tangerine! TANGER@UTICA.EDU

Special thanks to Nolan Hyman :D

Campus safety Blotter

CONT. FROM PAGE 1

If a program is chosen to be sunset, the current students in the major will be taught out as is required by law, according to Pfannestiel.

“If, in mid-February, an announcement comes out that a particular major is being sunset, the first thing I want students to know is it does not impact them in any way at all,” Pfannestiel said. “They will continue to take those courses, they will earn that degree, we will be here to support them 100%. The faculty are here, they will be teaching those courses. [Students] will finish their degrees in which they are enrolled.”

Timeline of the review

A report was delivered to the Board of Trustees regarding the state of majors at the university over the summer.

The Board of Trustees wrote an Academic Program Review charge on August 19, just ten days before the beginning of the fall 2022 semester.

During a virtual Faculty Senate meeting in early September, faculty members were made aware of the program review and the role of a Task Force, but were not given specifics.

“We were told there was going to be this Task Force meant to review programs, and then it was a month later that we were told who are the people on the Task Force were only because the faculty pushed to find out,” Tagliarina said.

On Oct. 6, faculty received an email from the provost detailing the reasoning for the program review, which also named the members of the Task Force.

Throughout the fall 2022 semester, the Task Force gathered information on the current majors at Utica and delivered their recommendations to President Laura Casamento and Pfannestiel on Dec. 1.

Details of Task Force recommendations will remain confidential while the president and provost conduct a financial review. Once the recommendations are finalized, they will be released to the public on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

After the release of the recommendations, an open forum commenting period will be available on the school website. During this time, the campus community along with the general public will be able to comment on the recommendations.

According to Pfannestiel, the administrators will collect all the comments for the Board of Trustees, but likely no direct responses will be given by the university.

“At this point, we will not [respond],” Pfannestiel said. “The recommendations and all of the written comments, public comments, will all go to the trustees. They will see every word of it.”

The provost then continued to explain that he is unsure if the board will respond, but all the comments will be provided to them.

“And that’s why I say we probably will not take the time to sit down and respond to everyone because, at this point, it’s in the trustees’ hands,” Pfannestiel said.

“Whether they will respond to some in some fashion I don’t know, but I can assure you that in terms of transparency, everyone will see all of the recommendations [and] everyone will have an opportunity to comment if they wish.”

These comments will be collected for two weeks until early February, in which the Board of Trustees will review both the recommendations and comments to prepare for their mid-February meeting.

Campus concerns

A primary concern among faculty regards the lack of transparency about the parameters and findings of the review.

Distinguished Professor of Psychology Steven Specht explained in an email sent to The Tangerine that he believes the process has been very opaque. This sentiment mirrors that of Tagliarina.

“It sort of brings back this idea of the lack of transparency, unless the report gives very detailed reasons on why decisions were made, it is the same lack of transparency when we came into this thing,” Tagliarina said.“If it’s not in the report, it is not clear how they make any of these decisions.”

The term sunsetting has been attributed to this academic

program review because it is used by many other colleges and universities, according to Pfannestiel.

Some faculty believe that this terminology is meant to reduce the weight of what the review could mean for their futures.

“Using euphemisms typically only protects the entities in power,” Spect said.

A general consensus among students is a lack of knowledge on the topic altogether except for brief mentions by faculty and the Student Government Association.

“I really don’t know what that is,” said Timothy Barrett, a health studies major.

Erin Bruttomesso, a senior health studies major, echoed this sentiment by saying, “What the heck is that?”

Despite the unrest on campus, several faculty are committed to making sure students finish their degrees.

“Whatever happens, I am certain that the faculty will make sure the students get to finish what they started, what they came here to do,” Walker said. “We don’t walk out no matter how hard it is for us. We stay because we really love teaching here, and that is why we push so hard for communication.”

◊ ISA HUDZIAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ◊ MICKALE THOMPSON FEATURES EDITOR

A campus wide email sent on Nov. 2 announced that the Safe Trax office will be closing its doors after three years at Utica University and the student body has expressed concerns.

According to Utica’s website, the Safe Trax effort was funded through a $298,330 grant from the Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking on Campus Program supported by the Department of Justice in 2019.

Jennifer Jones was hired in 2019 as the Safe Trax Director and Ann Locke was brought in as a Safe Trax Advocate and Prevention Specialist during the spring 2022 semester.

“The grant’s three-year term will end at the close of the fall semester, and while that will likely result in some administrative changes, we remain deeply committed to the objectives that prompted the University to pursue this very competitive grant in the first place,” according to the email. “Just to be clear, the completion of this grant will not mean the elimination of any services provided to members of the University community.”

In response to the news, worried students banded together to write a petition in support of Safe Trax, which was spearheaded by senior and health science major Jada LaBounty.

LaBounty, who has

worked with Safe Trax, cites that she would not let the office and employees involved go down without a fight.

“[Jen] makes it a safe space where you don’t feel like you’re in a therapy session, you feel like you’re just talking to somebody because that’s what they’re trained in,” LaBounty said.

As of Dec. 7, the petition has received over 399 signatures from the campus community and general public expressing support for Safe Trax.

One of the primary concerns listed on the petition involves the accessibility and number of confidential resources available to students who experience assault in the middle of the night.

According to the Who To Call Where To Go brochure on the Utica website, a confidential resource is unable to disclose any information they receive by law without permission from the student unless there is a threat of imminent

danger of harm to themself or another person.

Alternatively, a nonconfidential resource is required to report information to certain parties on a “need to know” basis, but cannot offer confidentiality to a victim. The Office of Campus Safety is one of many private, or nonconfidential, resources on campus, which also include Title IX Coordinators Lisa Green and David Fontaine.

Safe Trax was listed as an on-call confidential resource that was available to students 24/7. The other confidential resource listed is the Health and Wellness Center counselors, who must be contacted through Campus Safety on weekends and after office hours.

According to Jones, the necessity to report to nonconfidential resources is a detriment to students and their comfort on campus.

“As a survivor of violence, having to go to who was a private resource at the time and sharing what I

shared and then it had to go to campus safety, it had to go to Title IX, it had to go to conduct,” Jones said. “Being forced into that just because a piece of paper says that I have to wasn’t empowering to me at all. In fact, it made me feel more [like] a victim.”

Another concern listed on the petition is the shift of responsibility from Safe Trax to faculty.

“The school is pushing the responsibility of the program to other faculty that do not have proper training or the time to assist students in a time of need,” the petition said. “Additionally, these newly chosen faculty are not confidential resources, which may deter students from utilizing this support system and finding help.”

Confidential resources cannot be trained overnight and simply appointing someone as a new resource is not sufficient, according to Jones.

“You can’t take a non confidential person and turn them confidential overnight. There are clauses, there’s protection, you have to have policies and, of course, security around documents and things like that,” Jones said. “So it’s not a simple thing where you can just designate someone and that’s your person now. I think as a student, to have these services and then to have them taken away, I would feel betrayal and definitely a loss of trust.”

CONT. ON PAGE 6

“I think priorities have changed,” Safe Trax closes its doors after three years

The Utica University flag stands outside of the library. Photo: Alex Leland

CONT. FROM PAGE 5

According to Amy Lindner, the vice president for advancement, Utica achieved the goals of the Safe Trax three-year grant. These goals included building institutional structures to prevent sexual abuse, sexual assault, dating violence and domestic violence; establishing educational programs for students, faculty and staff; and creating a long-term sustainable framework.

“I think this is the first time that we’ve had comprehensive training, training that really makes sure we are using traumainformed practices, and that’s for student conduct, RAs, campus safety,” Lindner said. “All the training programs we have are train-the-trainer-models. We pay once to get our trainers trained, and then they train students, faculty and staff, so that those education and awareness programs don’t go away.”

Upon arrival at Utica, Kimberly Morton was surprised to learn about the Safe Trax program and thought it was a wonderful program to have here on campus. She is a criminal justice major and a survivor of sexual assault who is working to fix the loopholes in the justice system pertaining to sexual assault cases.

Kimberlee’s Law, which was created by Morton, aims to eliminate the section of the penal code that grants early release to ensure that violent sex offenders serve their full sentence.

In response to the closure of Safe Trax, Morton believes that students will be discouraged from coming forward and willingly sharing their stories.

“I think it’s going to be very difficult,” Morton said. “When a person is sexually assaulted, especially a woman, they’re not going to want to talk to a man or Campus Saftey. Are they

going to have the same empathy that Jen would have had? It’s going to make [victims] not want to open up and talk about it.”

Lindner cites the Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT) and programs like the Green Dot Program and 12 Men Program as evidence of the sustainable practices that are now ingrained in Utica’s infrastructure.

Among the student body, many have expressed discomfort with the fact that the current Safe Trax staff will not be kept at Utica because finding someone to confide in and trust is difficult.

“I know people who have experienced trauma and [they are] going to have a hard time opening up to another individual if they were to hire somebody new,” LaBounty said. “And so keeping Jen and Ann as a resource to those who have been using them already will be easier than having to retell their story and re-victimize themselves.”

The services provided by Safe Trax will move to the Health and Wellness Center.

According to an email from Ariel Rios, the new executive director of student health and wellness, 24/7 confidential resource access will still be available and specifics on how that will look will be announced soon.

“We are committed to making sure that we continue on with the support that the Safe Trax program provided to the community and are excited about our next steps,” Rios said.

Without the Safe Trax program, the urgency of the administration to keep the program going or proving suitable alternatives to maintain a confidential resource was a concern for many.

“There [was] a lot of resistance and very much focused on the budget. That’s all I can really say about that unfortunately and I think priorities have changed and it’s not going in a direction that I appreciate,” Jones said.

FEATURES

Teddy Bear Toss: Photo gallery

Utica University men’s Hockey team beat Oswego State 4-0 on Dec. 3, 2022 during the 18th annual New York SASH Teddy Bear Toss game. The stuffed animals collected will be donated to local children for the holiday season through Toys for Tots and local charities.

Photos by Alex Leland

Turn up the Heat: Wisk Baking Company

◊ DIANA SIDOREVICH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The weather has been frosty lately, and the year long. As the sun sets sooner now and we pull out our cozy clothes and sip on warm drinks, sitting in dimly lit rooms with sparkling lights, looking for a time to be comfortable with people we enjoy. And mornings are slower as breakfast turns to brunch.

Inspired by a classmate ordering indulgent Bananas Foster French Toast for delivery one morning, I decided to go to Wisk Baking Company on Genesee Street.The location is tucked away in a cute nook in the heart of Downtown Utica, perfect for a lovely walk on a brisk day. Wisk Baking Company bakes elaborate pastries and cakes but also has an enticing breakfast and lunch offering.

We both ordered the Classic American for a savory brunch and two mugs of coffee to keep to a classic theme. The Classic American comes with two eggs, a choice of bacon or sausage, home fries or hash browns, and a choice of toast. The side salad isn’t on their breakfast menu but they were kind to accommodate my cravings.

Nowhere else in Utica will you find home fries where each diced cube of potato is perfectly tender and satiating. The hash brown was also served hot and crispy. The bacon might have been a bit too crispy, but the potatoes made up for it. Their options of toast were a bit more interesting than the regular offerings of regular hearty, homey diners. We ordered ciabatta

with one dish, layering the toast with eggs, bacon, and a bit of the greens with light dressing.

I would suggest getting coffee either at Character Coffee across the street or Utica Coffee down the road, as the watery taste of their drip coffee did not offer the boldness in flavor I was looking for. Here’s an idea: ordering coffee elsewhere and going on a walk to Wisk might feel like a small, cozy winter adventure with breakfast or lunch as a reward.

I appreciate the variety that their breakfast menu offers: it includes a brunch board for two, breakfast burritos, waffles, avocado toast, blueberry pancakes and omelets, and everything is served beautifully.

The lunch menu includes specialty sandwiches, salads, wraps, and soups. Their tomato basil is one of the best I’ve had.

After being tempted by chunky cookies and flaky pastries in the pastry display, I did not walk out of the cafe without a gorgeous chocolate croissant for the journey home.

Cyberbits: Don’t get scammed during the holiday season

◊ JAMES HAYES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Most people are familiar with popular mobile payment options, think Venmo and Apple Pay. These peer-topeer payment options offer a quick and easy way to send money to friends and family. These payment networks offer their platforms to users for free, but many people are unaware of the dangers that cybercriminals pose to these apps. Recently, there have been a number of scams using Zelle.

As convenient as it is to send and receive money at a moment’s notice, be cautious. Zelle is affiliated with more than 10,000 financial institutions. It’s used to transfer and receive money through many banking apps. Zelle even offers its own app. Banks boast about how secure it is to transfer money through their app, but they fail to offer that same security and support for customers who have been scammed by cybercriminals using Zelle’s platform to steal from consumers.

Knowing how to stay safe while using these payment transfer apps is critical, as scams continue to increase. So, before you open Zelle on your phone or tablet and click send for a friend, family member or quick purchase, here are a few scams to look out for:

Impersonation: Criminals attempt to impersonate family and friends and ask for money by presenting a sense of emergency. Sometimes, the fraudsters pose as a bank raising transfer limits for a fee, or as a government or utility agency demanding late payments on a bill. If users are not cautious, they could be sending money straight to a stranger’s account.

Overpayment scams: This happens a lot on social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace. A “buyer” sends a counterfeit

check to a seller, but the check is written for more than the requested price. The phony buyer asks the seller to send them the difference through an app like Zelle. The seller sends the buyer the overpayment. At a later point, the victim finds out that the check is fake and the money sent to the criminal through Zelle cannot be recovered.

E-commerce scams: Using a site like Facebook Marketplace, a seller “baits” a consumer with in-demand items like a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X at a low price. Consumers lower their guard and buy from the shady seller. The buyer pays the scammer using Zelle, but once the seller has paid for the item, the fraudster stops communicating with the buyer and won’t answer their calls. You never get the item, and Zelle can’t refund you or help you get the money back.

Dating site scams: Before you’re convinced you’ve met the person of your dreams on Match.com, think again. Scammers form a close, intimate relationship with a victim before convincing them that they need money, often in the form of an urgent request (i.e., a medical bill needs to be paid, their car needs to be fixed and they need help paying for a rental). If you send the money, say goodbye – it’s gone forever.

Phishing malware: Be careful when opening suspicious emails and text messages. They can contain malicious links, and when you click the link, the fraudster can steal personal information, including your Zelle credentials.

If you use Zelle, use it with caution. Don’t send money to someone you don’t know. Never purchase items using Zelle if you aren’t 100% sure that you will get what you’re paying for. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Happy Holidays!

A delicious breakfast.

Photo: Diana Sidorevich

Public mental health forum hosted at Utica

◊ CHARLIE BUCKLEY CLERK

On Wednesday, Nov. 30, the CMM 103 Honors Public Speaking class hosted a public mental health forum. The forum allowed students to ask questions regarding mental health, as well as view a presentation on how people can be better mental health allies to their friends in need. Christian Beck, a licensed mental health counselor at Colgate University, was the speaker.

Beck discussed how he would help students learn to identify warning signs, facilitate conversations, as well as answering general questions regarding the practice and topics discussed.

“We have this fear and worry about what to say and how to say it so it won’t hurt anyone, but we also want to know if someone is ok,” Beck said.

Beck showed a chart that depicted how mental health issues have affected adults, youth, etc. the chart states that one in every five adults experience mental illness.

“Some warning signs that you need to look out for come in different forms,” Beck said. “There’s talk, behavior and mood. People may say they’re hopeless or feel trapped, this is just one of several examples of warning signs.”

According to Beck, situational events can also affect a person’s

mental health.

“Physical health and wellness can be affected by career ending injuries, people who want to go pro might feel like they don’t know who they are if their career in a certain sport is over due to the injury,” Beck said.

After addressing warning signs and events, Beck explained the proper ways to facilitate conversations with friends who may need help.

“If someone is expressing themselves or asking a question on what to do, people need to listen to the situation with an intent to understand,” Beck said. “Being an effective listener means you need to show respect and create a climate that allows the person to communicate with you honestly.”

Beck said that there are numerous steps when it comes to effective listening, those steps can include listening to all cues whether they’re verbal or non-verbal, rephrasing words to sound better, taking time to

understand the situation, and even seeking feedback to confirm the right understanding.

“Doing these simple steps can allow for people to feel safe and tell others what they are going through, which in turn allows others to effectively listen and respond to the person in need”

At the end of the presentation, a Q&A was held in order to allow students to ask him questions about the topics covered or questions about his profession.

One student asked how people would respond to others who use dark humor to cope with their mental status.

“It’s something we actually bring up now in suicide prevention training,” Beck said. “We need to learn to stop normalizing things like dark humor and always take it seriously, we need others to understand that while they might not mean it, another person might.”

Another student asked how someone could help a person change their coping mechanism.

“First thing most people do is make an observation,” Beck said. “What we really need to do after is acknowledge the seriousness of what that person is going through and show them how other coping mechanisms might be better.”

The students of the CMM103 Honors Public Speaking class also had quite a bit to say, one expressed just how much work they had to do in order to put this event together

“It took a lot of time, from the start of the class we were practically thrown into the deep end and had to come up with everything. I’m glad to say we succeeded,” said Christian Stevens, a physical therapy major.

The students were also happy with the event’s attendance as they surpassed their original prediction.

“Our original goal was 30 attendees, however we ended up having 52 attendees in total,” said Kyle Mitchell, a criminal justice major. “I believe we had good attendance for a variety of reasons. My classmates and I advertised the event in advance and contacted professors, and asked that they encourage their students to attend. In addition, we advertised this event to the greater Utica Community.”

Fencing Club members smile together. Junior Adymar Berdejo, Senior Isabelle LaBelle, and Sophomore Aileen Berdejo at the Student Involvement Fair on Thursday, September 15, 2022. /Photo: Alex Leland

FEATURES

The Fit-Pitch Challenge: professionalism on display

◊ KAYDEN LAMPHERE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With the end of the semester drawing near, students may find themselves getting ready to enter the workforce, whether it be temporarily or permanently postgraduation. As a result, some may wonder if they are fully prepared for the professional world.

The Fit-Pitch Challenge, an event hosted on Nov. 10 by the Center for Career Readiness, aimed to help students improve their professional presentation by allowing them to “pitch” themselves to various local employers.

Students were tasked with preparing a 45-60 second elevator pitch that reflects their experiences, skills and accomplishments, Associate Director for Student Transactions

Jennifer Rubino explained, “demonstrating to a panel of employers why they would be an asset to any organization. [Then], each participant had a 10-minute time slot in front of our employer panel, where they received

feedback on their ‘pitch’ as well as their professional documents, such as their resume and cover letter.”

Representatives from ICAN, Indium Corporation, OHM BOCES, Northwestern Mutual, Rome Sentinel, and United Cerebral Palsy attended the event, giving students a wide variety of fields to receive feedback from.

According to the Director of the Jeremy C. Thurston ’00 Center for Career Readiness Kaliea Murray, the event itself was “born from the vision of our Vice President, Dr. Anthony Baird, who challenged our office to create an event

whereby students could practice their pitches with our employer partners before entering the ‘real world.’”

“We aim to help each student build the skills necessary to conduct a job search, land an interview, and eventually launch the career of their dreams,” Murray said. “The FPC is condensing what the student has learned during their four-year journey with us into a 10-minute immersive experience.”

Miriya Itty, a student who participated in the Fit-Pitch Challenge, said “Even though I was nervous, the challenge helped me learn

to be composed, think on my feet, and be mindful of what I needed to improve on!”

The Center for Career Readiness plans on hosting more events like the FitPitch Challenge in the future, so students should be on the lookout for their next opportunity to better their chances at a successful future.

“The Fit-Pitch Challenge seems intimidating at first, but it’s one of the best experiences you can have before you graduate,” student attendee Verona Deliu, said. “I truly believe that every single student should try it because it will help in increasing your confidence and prepare you for the real thing!”

The Center for Career Readiness is open Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Appointments can either be made on Handshake, or via walk-in. For more information, email Kaliea Murray (kemurray1@utica. edu), Alexis Racioppa (acraciop@utica.edu) or stop by the Center for Career Readiness in Hubbard 115.

Utica University book store merchandise available

◊ BRADY BARNARD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The bookstore now has tee shirts, sweaters, shorts, pants and more with the new Utica University branding. The new merchandise replaces the old “UC” logo with the school’s new “U” logo.

The store is already filled with merchandise that has the new branding. When the school year started, the bookstore

had sweaters and t-shirts that had the old branding but at a discounted price. Since then, the majority of the old clothing and other merchandise has been sold out. Students can still find the old merchandise on sale on the bookstore’s website.

Currently, the bookstore has more than just clothing, the store on campus has a lot of necessities for a college student, including rain gear, school supplies,

winter apparel, and other useful items.

“The bookstore ended up with a lot more merchandise than I thought they would have,” Junior Psych Child Life Major Kendra Russell said. “We just became Utica University and there’s already more than I could ask for with the new branding on it.”

Students were pleased with the quick release of new merchandise, and the fact that old merchandise

is still available at a discounted price.

The store is now offering “giving season specials” for the holiday season. This includes cold weather apparel with the school’s new branding, which is perfect for the winter weather. The store also now has a “gift section” which gives students all new merchandise such as ornaments, hats, and mugs.

(From Left) Nate Discavage, Indium Corp.; Antonio Corchado, Upstate Cerebral Palsy; Gina Dier, ICAN; Michelle Hall, Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES; Leah Scalise, Northwestern Mutual; Scott Rosenburgh, Rome Daily Sentinel. /Photo: Alexis Racioppa

Making a comeback: Kelsey Carter returns to the court after suffering gruesome leg injury

◊ MICKALE THOMPSON FEATURES EDITOR

A knee injury kept Kelsey Carter out for nearly a year which put a halt to her college basketball career. Carter never stopped fighting to get back on the court until the forward/ center finally made her highly anticipated return this season for the Pioneers.

Standing at 6-feet tall, junior Kelsey Carter created a big presence on the court and is well known for her defense on the women’s basketball team. The Jan. 14, 2022 game at St. John Fisher University, a team ranked 25th in the country at that time, created a huge challenge for the team, but the biggest battle for Carter would come later on as the game went on.

As one of her teammates was set in a defensive position to take charge from the far end in the fourth quarter. Carter found herself in a great help position, but as her teammate took the charge she fell landing on Carter’s foot.

Due to the backward momentum, she buckled Carter’s knee and her back landed directly in her shin. Carter’s motion sprung her forward immediately, snapping her leg by the knee in front of the Fisher bench.

“It felt like someone had taken from my knee down off my body,” Carter said. “Then tried to screw it back on but they screwed it back on the wrong way. It felt crooked.”

Three days later the school’s orthopedic

surgeon diagnosed Carter with a tibial plateau fracture and a torn meniscus. Carter described it simply as “breaking her knee.” The injury was not a typical sports injury. It is trauma related common in high-impact sports or car accidents, so the doctors in Utica couldn’t treat her injuries.

Carter went to a trauma center in Philadelphia where she met with another orthopedic surgeon to have surgery on her knee. After the five hour surgery, Carter was left with a metal plate in her knee and eight or more screws along with a stitched meniscus.

Carter’s race to recovery began shortly after her surgery on Jan. 28. In the early phases the doctors told her not to put too much weight on her knee as she would not be able to for up to three months. After staying home for just two weeks she returned to Utica to be with her teammates and start the recovery process. Carter had physical therapy three times a week after the injury along with a lot of stretching and scraping but the most enjoyable activity for her was riding a stationary bike.

Carter had another x-ray done on her leg to check up on the injury. Sitting in the library one day she got a call from the doctors. According to the doctors, the results looked good and due to her patience she was now able to walk and start weight bearing. Happy and nervous at the same time Carter sets up her phone to record herself. She then took her first step

after two months and one week contrary to the three month time frame.

“I could not stop crying,” Carter said. “Knowing that what I work for and what I was patient for so long paid off and me being able to walk early made me feel a sense of normalcy in my life.”

The women’s basketball team has a family atmosphere and while being sidelined and away from the action the team caring for Carter became more than just driving her places and getting her food. It was more about keeping her included and connected to the team by supporting her until she was able to come back.

“It was incredibly important for our team to stick by Kelsey’s side during her recovery,” guard Julia Rotando said.”Kelsey has been there for every single one of us when we were down. So being there for

her came very easy to all of us. Our team is very much like a family, so sticking together when things get tough is something we have all always done.”

Coming out of Seneca High School Carter was a dominant force to reckon with as the Shamong, New Jersey native racked up some highly impressive figures in her high school career.

She finished her high school career with 142 twopointers, 102 free throws, 400 points, 315 rebounds, 33 assists, 38 blocks and 28 steals in 83 games for the Golden Eagles.

Carter’s size, personality, maturity and intensity as a high school player along with her dominant stat line caught the attention of Utica’s Head Women’s Basketball coach Michelle Davis. Davis loved the way Carter spoke to her teammates.

CONT. ON PAGE 12

CONT. FROM PAGE 11

“She was very vocal and would get very big and long in the paint and always was directing people on where to go, you like those coach-type people on the court,” Davis said. “It’s helpful. She would go after rebounds and was fairly smooth for a high school player and when she would get the ball she would make a decision.”

The attributes and strengths that Carter possesses as a player on and off the court allowed her to create a special relationship with her team. Despite being “stubborn” and “bully-headed” at times, coach Davis says her desire and focus helped her get through the recovery process a lot quicker. “She wants results and she wants answers whether it’s in the classroom, on the court, or with her teammates,” Davis said. “It just goes back to that leadership and that determination.”

Carter was cleared to train and play noncontact basketball away from the team on Oct. 17. In practice, Davis would gently hit her with pads as the two practiced post moves. During the rehabilitation process, the coaching staff with the given information anticipated a January 2023 return.

With certain barometers and tests that needed to be done, Carter met with her physical therapist and passed those tests after the opening game of the season against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Nov. 9. Carter had to wait another week before making her season debut in the home opener against SUNY Delhi on Nov. 16.

Carter texted coach Davis on the Wednesday before the game that she had gotten the all clear to fully return to the team. At that time the trainers restricted Carter to just five minutes of playing time before the game but while watching her play in practice to their surprise she looked in better shape than they thought.

“For her injury it’s more mental than anything,” strength and conditioning coach Nathan Fredsell said.“Getting back on the court and having the confidence in what the surgeons did and what the doctors did and what work she put in. Just building that confidence back up and having the ability actually to go up for a lay up and trust that it’s going to hold up.”

Carter’s size and versatility makes her a valuable player on both ends of the court for the team. Despite the injury taking up

a huge chunk of her career and playing time, coach Davis still believes she can become that.

“She’s playing right now and hopefully we’re okay,” Davis said. “The nice thing is she’s going to have two years (this year and next year). I hope that she continues evolving and improving her game. I saw her as the kid that was gonna go out and she’s going to be a starter for us and average a doubledouble and I still think that’s things that she can do.”

COVID halted one entire season of basketball for Carter and her leg injury kept her out for a large portion of her sophomore year. Having her back on the court earlier than expected brought great joy to the team. After all the hardships stepping on the court for the home opener was a rewarding moment for her and a huge confidence booster as she finished with six points.

“I just want to be happy and have a good time,” Carter said. “Stats aren’t my thing team over me.”

Carter coming back in 10 months was nothing short of incredible, Davis said. It was a testament to her hard work and never quit mentality but from a coach’s perspective Carter returning to her old self will be the biggest expectation this season.

“I would love to see her smiling and happy on the court,” Davis said. “She is like a kid out there right now. She gets to do it again when it was all taken away.”

Before Carter’s first game back in the recovery process Coach Davis would gently hit her with pads as the two practiced post moves in preparation for her return. /Photo: Kayleigh Sturtevant