Friday, February 10, 2023 Print Edition

TANGERINE

Local NAACP chapter asks for more involvement at panel event

To kick off Black History Month, Utica University hosted local NAACP leaders during a panel on Jan. 30. The leaders included local president Freddie Hamilton and community leaders Edward Jackson and Craig Grant. Hilda M. Jordan moderated. The nonprofit’s goals were discussed along with the mission of growing youth involvement in the NAACP. The event, which began with a moment of silence for Tyre Nichols, who was killed on Jan. 7 by five police officers from the Memphis Police Department, was attended by about 15 Utica faculty

and staff members and no students.

Hamilton said her vision for the organization is to be more involved in local government to represent people in distress. She emphasized the importance of understanding history to increase political awareness in African American communities.

“You can not change the future if you do not understand history,” Hamilton said. “I would like us to be an organization that focuses on economic development and increases voter participation of people of color.”

Hamilton described information deserts in African American communities as barriers to those goals.

Communities of color lack information, discouraging participation in local politics and economic advancement. Financial literacy, diversity and inclusion are vital in expanding the networks for people of color. Providing people with information is crucial so they can participate in decisionmaking at the workplace and local government levels.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1909 by Black and white activists to combat ongoing violence against African Americans.

CONT. ON PAGE 4

Rally to be held in protest of Academic Portfolio Review vote

ISA HUDZIAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Board of Trustees will meet the morning of Friday, Feb. 17 in Bell Hall for their annual meeting. Outside the doors, a group of individuals ranging from faculty, staff, students and community members will be standing in a rally.

During the upcoming trustees meeting, there will be a vote on whether to accept, reject or alter the recommendations given by President Laura Casamento regarding the Academic Portfolio Review. These recommendations proposed

that certain programs be sunsetted, modified or grown.

The rally, which will take place on Feb. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is being organized by AAUP-Utica president Leonore Fleming.

Fleming, an associate professor of philosophy and director of the honors program, said that the rally emerged out of three main concerns circulating amongst faculty.

These concerns are:

A lack of transparency throughout the program review process, including but not limited to the promise

of data that has not been fulfilled

An unclear rationale behind the initial Board of Trustees charge and subsequent recommendations

The violation of the collective bargaining agreement pertaining to curriculum decisions

“We’ve been stating these concerns in a variety of formats and we censured the Board of Trustees,” Fleming said. “They responded that they were not going to change course, and so we will continue to make our concerns known.”

According to Fleming, the rally will be an opportunity for campus and the surrounding community to come together.

“It’s a place for faculty and students and community members to come together and to unify,” she said. “The Utica University community is united, it’s informed, and it’s resisting the actions of the Board of Trustees right now.”

Since the rally will be located between Bell Hall and Tower Hall, Fleming hopes that students will stop by to grab some free coffee, read a flier and listen to the speakers currently being accumulated.

CONT. ON PAGE 3

◊ JAMA JOSEPH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

◊

The NAACP meeting, courtesy of the Feb. 2 Morning Mention.

Spring 2023 STAFF

@UticaTangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

Editor-In-Chief - Isa Hudziak

Managing Editor - Hollie David

News Editor - Mickale Thompson

Special Assignments Reporter - Mariami

Kentchadze

Social Media Manager - Nicolas Leonard

Circulation Manager - Briana Ajayi

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

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!

CONT. FROM PAGE 1

“I really do hope that since we’re located between Bell Hall and Tower Hall, that it will be a nice area for students to come out and see their faculty on campus fighting for them, fighting for the university, and I mean, that’s what college is about,” she said. “College is about free speech and demonstrating and making your voice known and it’s an important part of college and democracy, being an engaged citizen.”

According to Fleming, she is hoping to have a diverse set of speakers ranging from students to community leaders to foster a sense of unity and have “magical moments” of a common belief.

“We don’t make ourselves do enough on campus where we

have students and faculty and community members come together,” she said. “I’m really hopeful that we can have some of those magical moments where we are all fighting for the same things even if it’s a bit bittersweet because of the actual context.”

Fleming encourages students to reach out to her if they would like to participate in the rally by speaking or performing.

Campus safety Blotter

CONT. FROM PAGE 1

The NAACP went on to play a pivotal role in the Civil Rights movement in cases such as Brown v. Board of Education. Led by lobbyist Clarence M. Mitchell Jr., the organization helped advance not only integration of the armed forces in 1948 but also the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1964 and 1968 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Community leaders such as Edward Jackson Sr, a Navy veteran who moved to Utica in 1984, joined the NAACP in 1985. The organization advocated for more black teachers and led an initiative to hire a black principal. African Americans did not have representation on the local school board or common council at the time. It was the job of the NAACP to advocate for people of color in the local community.

Craig Grant joined the NAACP at a young age as an entrepreneur in the property maintenance business. He is chair of the Black History Month Committee and the former first vice president. He has also been a 30-year member of the NAACP. He views the organization as a part of the checks and balances political system in which African Americans often lack political and legal representation.

When asked about his most significant accomplishments, Grant said “helping people retain jobs and seek higher quality jobs” would be high on his list. He has a passion for representing those facing discrimination in racial disputes in the workplace. Grant’s involvement in the organization as a youth helped him come up with the idea of merging local

colleges to form an NAACP college chapter to increase youth involvement.

This idea of the college coalition forming the NAACP youth chapter received support from the likes of Dr. Clemmie Harris, professor of Africana Studies at Utica University. Harris encouraged establishing an ongoing relationship between Utica University and NAACP so students become more involved in the community initiatives occurring around them.

Jordan, who moderated the event, grew up in Utica and attended Thomas R. Proctor High School. Her early involvement in the NAACP helped mold her into the person she is today. She graduated as salutatorian of her senior class and then went on to graduate from Harvard University. Jordan has served

as a workplace discrimination paralegal and founded the anti-racist social equity firm HMJ Consulting. She is excited to lead the recruitment of younger chapter members. Recruitment has not occurred since 2019.

NAACP is seeking students to help solve the issue of the information desert that the Utica community faces. She said the NAACP needs participants familiar with social media management, website building and data management. Students familiar with sociology research would also be helpful. For more information or to get involved, email naacputica. oneida@gmail.com.

New shuttle service provides more opportunities for students

ISABELLA YAGHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Over the past two semesters, the shuttle service has broadened its horizons as it now will transport students to and from anywhere in the area with less rigid time restrictions than seen in the past.

Every Wednesday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. outside of Strebel Student Center, a shuttle will be available free of charge to transport students to and from wherever they need.

Historically, the shuttle would only go to Walmart and Target and run in 20 minute intervals. This meant the driver would pick up students outside of Strebel and drop them off at Walmart or Target, then circle back to campus to pick up another group and/or drop off the students who had finished shopping.

When boarding the shuttle, students will let the driver know where they would like to be driven and they will then exchange contact information with the driver. This allows the students to call or text the driver once they’re ready to be brought back to

campus.

Common destination choices among students are Sangertown Square Mall and the Marquee Cinema, both in New Hartford.

This change in structure gives students more freedom to

run their errands or have fun off campus with guaranteed transportation.

“Being able to give students free transportation, because not all of us have cars, is a reliable resource to have whenever I need to buy necessities and food,” firstyear student Zeniyah Gholson said.

Additionally, the shuttle driver will make multiple rounds back to campus to ensure all students in need of transportation that day are serviced.

Devlin Daley, a staff member at SLCE office, said a “Tour of Utica” trip will be offered soon and is an opportunity for students to connect with the community, especially for the university’s international students, allowing them to grow familiar with the Utica area.

The SLCE Shuttle rolls up to Strebel to pick up students. Photo: Mickale Thompson

Interview with President Laura Casamento: Academic Portfolio Review

◊ ISA HUDZIAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

◊ HOLLIE DAVID MANAGING EDITOR

The first few weeks of the Spring 2023 semester have been riddled with announcements and forums pertaining to the Academic Portfolio Review taking place. The Tangerine sat down with President Laura Casamento to discuss these recent developments and how they relate to Utica University’s mission as an institution.

The Academic Portfolio Review, spurred by the Board of Trustees to holistically review the major offerings at Utica, received recommendations from Casamento and Provost Todd Pfannestiel on Jan. 18. The two-week commenting period ended Feb. 2.

Casamento has worked at Utica for 19 years this coming March and has taken the helm as president for seven of those years. At the end of July, she will step down from her role as president for retirement.

According to Casamento, the higher education market has witnessed many shifts since the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rise of adult education and hybrid models, which universities like Utica need to respond to.

“My reaction [was] that it was both necessary and timely,” she said. “We have been talking about our academic footprint and being really responsive to the market and what happens around us since we developed the Strategic Plan, which was approved in December of 2019, so it’s a very specific goto-market strategy piece, and evaluating the programs that you offer is absolutely part of that.”

The commenting forum located on Utica’s website is segmented into three individual forums for faculty, staff and students to promote comfortability in their own

space. Casamento offered an anecdote regarding students who come into her office.

“I have students who come into this office and look around and they’re, even though they might say they’re not intimidated, the look on their face says, ‘well, I’m in a different space here,’” Casamento said. “I want students to be able to have the freedom to express themselves.”

She explained that faculty will be able to make a case regarding the review. This is directed mainly to faculty in majors at risk of being sunset, who are invited to give additional information for consideration.

“So the board will consider all of that information when they make their decision,” Casamento said. “Even as part of the public comment period, I’m hearing that there are areas that plan to make their case and they’re welcome to do that. The board is going to review, not only everything under review, every comment, but if a department or program wants to make its case and has other information they think is valuable to that decision, the board’s going

to consider that.”

In terms of involving alumni and parents of current students, Casamento said that avenues are being investigated alongside the influx of social media comments.

“We are having the development officers reach out to the alumni base,” Casamento said. “We will be discussing the possibility of opening up a specific email avenue for that. Our main concern is to make sure that everyone on this campus community clearly understood [the recommendations] and knew that they could comment.”

There was a pause in the room when the image investigation was mentioned and a look of weariness colored the president’s face.

In response to the Board of Trustees’s internal and external investigation of the graphic image, Casamento directed the question back:

“How would you respond?” she said. “I think that’s all I have to say about it.”

In the Academic Portfolio Review recommendation process, Casamento believes that there has been a miscommunication regarding the impacts.

“I think this is one of the biggest misconceptions out there right now, is that we are getting rid of these disciplines, and sunsetting a major does not mean, we are not sunsetting minors, we are not sunsetting concentrations, we are not getting rid of these disciplines,” she said, citing Construction Management as an example of a program sunsetted decades ago and is now again a part of campus DNA. “We will continue to teach coursework in that discipline, and we will take advantage of our faculty expertise and the good work that these faculty members do. That doesn’t mean that you have to have a major.”

In between sips from a green coffee mug, Casamento mentioned that the university hopes to never do a holistic overhaul of majors again after this review and instead create a smaller-scale, rotating evaluation.

“My hope, every program is reviewed in five years, but it’s rotated,” she said. “So, in the next five years, it’ll be these particular programs, and then the year after, it’ll be this particular program. If we can get that into our DNA, the need for these wholesale reviews go away.”

Through the halls of campus academic buildings, signs of discontent from faculty is visible. Casamento, who voiced support for the right of faculty to be vocal, also expressed confusion over the timing of the censure.

CONT. ON PAGE 6

President Casamento giving remarks during the Student Veteran Association office’s ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 6, 2022. /Photo: Alex Leland

CONT. FROM PAGE 5

“The other thing that is really important here, again, they’re censuring the board for decisions they haven’t made yet,” she said. “We’re not talking enough about the fact that these disciplines are not going away, that we’re not taking the liberal arts and tossing them? The liberal arts foundation that students get through general education and through minors and concentrations is not going away.”

NEWS

Another facet of the procedures lost in translation is the role of curriculum and determining academic programs, Casamento explained. Utica University is accredited by the Middle States Commission for Higher Education, whose criteria place responsibility on the Board of Trustees.

“[A legally constituted governing body] is ultimately accountable for the academic quality, planning, and fiscal well-being of the institution,” Standard VII: Governance,

Leadership, and Administration said.

The president flipped through the folder of handwritten notes in her lap. The goal of the institution is to be responsive, she said, and guarantee payoff for student investment in their education at Utica.

“We were founded in 1946 as a really responsive institution, right? An institution that responded to very critical needs around the region and workforce,” Casamento said. “In many ways, in order to

ensure that we’re here in 40, 50 years from now, we have to continually evolve and be that responsive institution and what students want and need and what their families want and need. We will change and will evolve and we have to be responsive to that now more than ever.”

CMM student covers World Cup using UticaTV credentials

◊ BRADY BARNARD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In November, the FIFA World Cup took place in Qatar and freshman communication and media major Andres Jaime-Mendez was able to attend the event as a member of the media.

Jaime-Mendez, who is from San Diego and is majoring in sports journalism, arrived in Qatar on Nov. 18 and, thanks to communication and media professor Laura Lewin, he was able to obtain a press pass using UticaTV credentials. The pass granted him access to broadcast studios around Doha and gave him filming permits.

He attended ten matches, one of those matches being a United States game. The World Cup tournament, held every four years, consists of men’s national soccer teams and determines the sport’s world champion.

“It was surreal to be at another World Cup and have the opportunity to be able to see the world’s greatest players on display in front of my very eyes,” he said. “They’re my idols, the guys I grew up watching, and there is no event more special to me that I could possibly attend.”

Jaime-Mendez had 24-hour access to the downtown media center where top bloggers, influencers and international figures all met in a modern media hub.

“A benefit I received from having a press pass was access to Media Broadcast Studios across the city, where members from the Associated Press, ESPN, FOX Sports, and more would film their live shows,” he said. “I was able to interview fans from different countries including Qatar, and would regularly talk to anyone I could.”

According to JaimeMendez, he learned a lot from the conversations he had, making him realize how much passion different parts of the world have for soccer.

One of the standout events was when Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina. He went into the street to talk to emotional fans and was struck by how devastated they were by Argentina’s loss.

“Most of them felt like it was the collapse of Argentina,” he said. “That was one of the big takeaways from the World Cup and stayed in the news for weeks.”

Lewin said she became excited when Jaime-Mendez told her she was planning on attending the first week of the World Cup. He is already an active freshman on campus and in the Utica area, working as an analyst and color commentator during Utica City FC games and is host of UticaTV’s Overtime show.

“He asked if UticaTV would write a letter so he could apply to obtain media credentials,”

Lewin said. ”I was more than happy to do that for him since he is a member of UticaTV and the host of our weekly Overtime show.”

Jaime-Mendez said he felt like with all the help he received from the professors at Utica, he owed it to the program to turn his trip into a learning opportunity for the school. He wants to share what he learned about different cultures and fans from around the world.

Jaime-Mendez is no stranger to traveling for soccer. This was his third World Cup and compared to the others he went to, this one was by far the greatest. He explained that with the culture of Qatar, the tournament was a truly eye-opening experience. While enjoying the games, he

was able to learn about many other cultures, and converse with many different people. The compassion of every fan was greater than the language barrier, allowing everyone to find common ground and celebrate the tournament together.

“I want to thank everyone that was a part of UticaTV during the fall semester, with a special shoutout to Professor Laura Lewin, and a huge thank you to all the new viewers and fans of Utica that shared their thoughts and feelings with me in Qatar,” Jaime-Mendez said.

FIFA World Cup in Qatar photographed by Andres Jaime-Mendez

FEATURES

Let’s celebrate Black History Month

◊

DIANA SIDOREVICH CONTRIBUTING WRITER History:

Black History Month dates back to 1926 when the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) first celebrated “Negro History Week.” The celebration was planned to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass in the second week of February.

In the following decades, mayors in cities across the country issued yearly proclamations recognizing Negro History Week. Thanks to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, “Negro History Week” evolved into Black History Month across college campuses.

Black History Month was officially recognized in 1976 by President Gerald Ford, calling on the public to, “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Utica’s BSU History: Utica University’s own Black Student Union began in the fall of 1966 when a group of 20 students came together to form United Students. Its mission was, “to inform both black and white students of the Negro in this society and, hopefully, to promote more humanitarian attitudes.”

The group grew and became more involved on campus while developing a list of demands, some of which included installing a lecture series for prominent black speakers, creating courses on Black history and achievement, establishing a black cultural center on campus, and making a bigger effort to recruit minority students.

Some demands were met but others weren’t, prompting a six-student, newly named

Black Student Union, to stage a historic sit-in in a campus computer lab. Their efforts resulted in an agreement with then-President Dr. J Kenneth Donahue.

Black history today: Now, students can find a lot more resources, support and programs, even from alumni speakers and mentors. BSU advisor and Executive Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mark Kovacs arranges for alumni to connect with current minority students and offer support.

“Our Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Student Relations has collaborated with various faculty, departments and offices and students on campus and even those outside our Utica University community to offer a wide variety of opportunities to learn more about Black History and Black Heritage,” Kovacs said.

Brittany Sanchez, a psychology major at Utica, began to celebrate Black History month in middle school because her school was predominantly Black.

“I celebrate Black History month by watching things from Black creators and eating cultural foods,” Sanchez said.

The BSU’s current president, senior Amara ClementeJohnson, said the student union provides a space to talk about shared experiences and issues such as discrimination and to just make friends and connect.

The BSU is not just for Black students but invites anyone who is an ally to join their club. Because Utica University is predominantly white, about 26% of students are non-white, the BSU wants to increase its general representation on campus.

“I celebrate the culture because I have it in my DNA,” said Scarlen Lopez, a Public

Relations and Marketing Major who identifies as AfroLatino.

Lopez has been researching and learning about Black History in America for the DEI Instagram account. She plans to bring what she’s learned to her Dominican culture at home, which has African American roots.

‘[BSU has] been a foundation, not just for Black students but for students of color, acting as a safe place to talk about positive or negative experiences,” Kovacs said.

In the fall, the BSU hosts a Kwanzaa celebration, a holiday created in the 1960s by a college professor as a way of uniting and empowering the African American community in the aftermath of the deadly Watts Rebellion. It’s centered around seven principles:

• Umoja — Unity

• Kujichagulia — Selfdetermination

• Ujima — Collective work and responsibility

• Ujamaa — Cooperative economics

• Nia — Purpose

• Kuumba — Creativity

• Imani — Faith

During the celebration, students are educated about African American culture through keynote speakers, dance and drumming performances, and soul food.

We say we actively celebrate Black History in America, said Jasper Wojtach, Retention Academic Support Coordinator at TRIO, but when we do, it’s largely in the context of suffering and death.

“When we only talk about something through a particular lens, it makes it more difficult for us as a society to add any other perspective or nuance about Blackness,” Wojtach said. “It makes it more difficult for us to imagine Black success and Black joy.”

The events put on by campus are promoting the celebration of Black culture and serve to inform our community on different aspects of Black History.

In the spring, the BSU hosts Apollo Night. In the early 19th century, a place on Harlem’s main commercial street called Apollo Theater was central to Black artists and entertainers as a space to perform and hold shows. The BSU began to host the talent show to give a platform for students and community members to bring their talents and have fun.

Utica is displaying a Periodic Table of Black History, showcasing Black and African American figures and their contributions in various fields, including scientists, artists, politicians, activists, athletes, and more. The new book display in the Gannett Memorial Library includes books important to African American history. They have also created a playlist on Spotify.

“American history throughout the years should be occurring continuously, in order to look ahead, lest we forget,” Kovacs said.

Events held this month to highlight Black history in America can be found at utica.edu/dei-events.

Periodic Table of Black History located in Gannett Memorial Library. /Photo: Diana Sidorevich

Turn up the heat: Rooster’s, they’ve got the sauce

◊ DIANA SIDOREVICH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tucked into a corner on Charlotte St. in Utica, a casual burger joint named Rooster’s has been perfecting smash burgers since November 2021.

I walked into a room that was foggy from beef patties sizzling under a cast iron burger press. A carpeted floor, stick-on wood paneling, and the tunes coming from the radio gave the impression that I stepped into a classic 1950s restaurant.

A couple seated at a red table was quietly eating burgers and a basket of cheese fries. Another couple sat at the long bar, fixed on their meals. Squeeze bottles of sauces lined an open shelf and two friends were working the grill, preparing a large togo order.

Richard Snyder and Irvin Carney grew up in the same neighborhood and when their friend Javon Pratt opened up Roosters, all three of them ended up working together.

“It’s a good atmosphere,” Carney said as he introduced me to their story.

After his previous restaurant endeavor, a pizza place in Utica called Pie Squared, Davis decided to perfect the burger. The small menu is a testament to their focus on making a burger really well and Rooster’s often has specials on the menu.

Recently, Carney made a chicken burger called the Swervin Irvin—a ground chicken patty topped with pesto, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and a balsamic drizzle.

Their January special was so popular that it was kept on all month: the Oklahoma City Smashburger. Shoestring onions were pressed directly into the fat on the beef patty, topped with American and cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, BBQ sauce and their house-made Rooster sauce.

For those generally unimpressed with housemade sauces, Rooster sauce packs flavor and a bit of texture onto the burgers. Their crispy nuggets would make a fine vehicle for the Rooster sauce. A lot of customers compare it to Big Mac sauce. They make it easy. There are three burgers on the menu: The Rooster, The Classic, and The Figgy. You can get any of them “chopped,” where the burger gets chopped on the grill and the cheese gets tossed in there too, and served on a hoagie roll, or you can get any of the burgers served on top of fries. I went to Rooster’s with a group of five, so we got to try it all.

Chicken nuggets, Figgy fries, The Rooster, cheese fries, Double Rooster chopped Figgy fries—highly recommended. They’re umami but have the sweetness of the fig jam that fits well with the salty, savory profile. The Rooster was nested between two perfectly toasted buns and topped with lettuce, pickles, onions, American cheese and signature sauce. Between the cheese fries and regular, both were good but the cheese wasn’t special enough to warrant ordering those again.

Rooster’s hours work with a college student’s schedule. They’re open Monday through Friday, 1 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and again from 4 - 8 p.m. The lunch rush is crazy so either give yourself some time or call in to order. They’re closed on the weekends.

Super Bowl LVII preview: Utica’s predictions

◊ NICK PHILLIPS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The matchup for Super Bowl LVII is officially set for Sunday, Feb. 12 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona as the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Kansas City Chiefs are led by MVP frontrunner Patrick Mahomes who looks to win his second MVP, Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP. The Philadelphia Eagles are led by third-year Pro Bowl quarterback and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles both carried a 14-3 record during the regular season and were the best teams record-wise in their respective conference.

The Chiefs come into this game with wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs while the Eagles enter this game with two straight dominant wins against the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.

The Philadelphia Eagles are 1.5-point favorites over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, according to CBS Sports. The Eagles are favored due to the phenomenal play of their offensive and defensive lines along with the fact that they were 16-1 when Hurts started for them this season.

Both teams have recently won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs winning in 2019 and the Eagles winning in 2017. The Kansas City Chiefs had six Pro Bowl players and the Eagles had eight Pro Bowl

Players. Both teams had six allpro players this year also.

With the big game set to be underway this Sunday, some Utica University students made their predictions on which team they thought would win.

“I have to say that the Eagles are going to win,” freshman Luke Reed said. “The way Jalen Hurts has played he has looked like the best player in the NFL this season.”

His answer was the complete opposite of Utica University baseball player Dean Cox, who thinks the Kansas City Chiefs will win the Super Bowl.

“I am a big believer in Patrick Mahomes and he is definitely the best player right now in the NFL,” Cox said.

Utica softball player Paige Graves said, “it has to be the Eagles.”

“They have had the best record all year and they have been the better team all year,” Graves said.

After seeking out insight from a Utica University football player, to find a player’s point of view, sophomore football player Michael Joyce believes the Chiefs will prevail in the end.

“I don’t think that the Eagles are as good as what people think and that they are overrated due to playing in a weak division,” Joyce said.

Since half picked the Chiefs to win and the other half picked the Eagles to win, hopefully, that means we’re in store for a great game on Sunday.

The grub. /Photo: Diana Sidorevich

Men’s Hockey on Feb. 3, 2023 photographed by Francis Tavino

◊ MICKALE THOMPSON NEWS EDITOR

Georgiana Santullo enjoys a pregame coffee every now and then on game days. However, the D3 hockey star would tell you that pregame rituals can sometimes create mental blocks and cause distraction, having had one while playing in high school. These days, the approach is more businesslike. Two sticks ready for the game, 20 minutes of skating to get the legs moving, followed by a hot bath to get the legs fresh done three and a half hours before the puck drops.

At 5 years old, she would play hockey with her older brother and other boys. This helped her develop a tough, unshaken playing style because they would throw her in the goal and shoot pucks at her.

To this day, her brother is still her toughest critic, along with her father who occasionally would bash her after games, letting her know things she needs to be better at.

Santullo developed confidence from the criticism and on Jan. 28, she smashed the all-time program record for most games played [109] with her 110 appearances, the most by any player in Utica women’s hockey history.

“[My family] was so happy for me,” Santullo said. “They’ve watched all the behind-thescenes of the last few years of how much work I’ve really put into it. For them it was one of those really proud moments for them just to see where I was when I could barely skate when I was so tiny to watching me do these amazing things.”

Women’s Assistant Hockey Coach Madyson Moore joined the team in fall 2021 and said at first glance she could see Sanullo was a welldriven player that wanted to change from prior years and knew the level the program could get to.

“When I got here she was

looking for that next level,” Moore said. “When I finally got hired and was brought on, that’s when I saw on the ice a player that just wanted more after COVID and she’s been proving it ever since. She’s worked her tail off physically in the of-season, in season, and has relayed it onto the ice”

With her milestone in sight, Santullo developed percent pain in her back early last November just a few games into the season from a movement during a team lift that she thought would potentially end her season.

“I couldn’t bend over, I couldn’t really do much, I was very limited in my range of motion,” Santullo said. “I was trying to do treatment for probably a month and I wasn’t seeing any pain alleviation.”

After seeing a chiropractor and a physical therapist, she found out she had a bulging disc in her back as a result of her disc pushing down on her nerves, causing tingling and numbness in her legs.

“As soon as I found out what it was I got into more of a treatment plan where I was seeing the chiropractor three times a week,” Santullo said.

“I was doing as much physical therapy with a trainer as I could to push [it] back into place.”

The everyday struggle of

dealing with a potential season-ending injury and pain when trying to put her socks on created many obstacles. To overcome those challenges is all a part of competitive spirit, fellow team captain and senior Erica Sloan said.

“Georgie is very competitiveshe wants to win-as we all do [and] will do whatever it takes to win, and win as a team,” Sloan said. “With her competitiveness, it makes everyone else around her get better every day.”

The journey from beginning to end tends to sum up an athletics legacy. Some come for bragging rights, others come to break records. Santullo on the other hand came to Utica, not for the record books but to change the team’s culture. She wanted to be remembered as a game-changer and a

leader in the locker room for years to come.

“My biggest thing was that I wanted to leap this program just a little bit better,” Santullo said. [When] I became a captain I talked to my coach about how can we make this program better so everyone feels they have a role on this team and want to show up every day. What I’ve tried to do over the last few years is build the girls up to want to be here and want to be here for each other.”

As of Feb. 6, the team currently holds the number 12th spot on the USCHO poll rankings in women’s division three hockey with an 18-12 record. The focus now in the camp and for the rest of the season isn’t on individual accomplishments but on winning a title.

“As cool as it is to have that record, our team right now is focused on winning a championship,” Santullo said. “It’s at the forefront of everyone’s mind every day and that is the one thing we strive for every single day.”

According to Moore, the amount of talent within the team, along with a determined leader in Santullo, gives them a bright future this season.

“She’s our captain for a reason,” Moore said. “She leads by example in her work ethic. We just gotta focus on the little things first and we’ll get there.”

Georgiana Santullo becomes most capped women’s hockey player of all-time

Georgiana Santullo on the ice with her hockey stick, in the zone. Courtesy of Jeff Pexton Perfect Game Imaging

Photo courtesy of @uticapioneers on Instagram

◊ MICKALE THOMPSON NEWS EDITOR

Angela Hawthorne didn’t want to be an outfield hockey player, instead, she learned how to power push off the ice instantly just by watching other goalies. At 5-foot, 2 inches, it took her years of practice to get over the fear of standing in front of the crease.

Hawthorne grew up in Santa Clara, California where she played her grassroots stages of hockey. She also came from a mixed-race background. Her father is white and her mother is a Vietnamese immigrant. Her dad played beer hockey for 10 years and introduced her to the sport at 11 years old.

“Some people sometimes see me as only white and some people only see me as Asian,” Hawthorne said. “It’s very difficult [because] I am different and sometimes I don’t fit it culturally and also [have] to educate people on it too just because they’re not exposed to it.”

Despite initiatives to foster diversity across colleges and universities and measures by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to create a more inclusive playing field, 62% of student-athletes across Divisions I, II, and III are predominantly white, according to the 2022 NCAA demographics database.

In Division III, 72% of studentathletes are white. At Utica University, student-athletes make up 27% of the student population with 609 athletes as of fall 2022. The school’s numbers, however, exceed the NCAA’s margin as white athletes make up 76% of Utica’s student-athlete population. The university also has 2,265 undergraduate students with 72.8% being predominantly white. As a predominantly white institution (PWI) the lack of diversity that the school experiences as a whole runs

deeper in its athletic program.

“Being from California, our travel girls team that I played with the majority of five or six years we were due to the demographics still mostly white,” Hawthorne said. “But we had probably one-third or a half of the girls Asian or of a different race so that was kind of coolto have that representation.”

Hockey isn’t as popular on the West Coast so Hawthorne went on to play postgraduate hockey in Michigan and called it a reality check for seeing far fewer Asian players than before. The lack of diversity seen in hockey was already a challenge for her in the middle stages of her career.

“The NHL doesn’t have that many Asian players to begin with, let alone non-white players in general, and even in women’s hockey there’s not that much representation, to begin with,” Hawthorne said. “I was lucky to have my current trainer that I work with [who] is a Filipino. She’s been like a big role model for me.”

Data from the Office of

Institutional Effectiveness shows that over the past seven years, 136 out of 164 Utica’s women’s hockey players were white which is equivalent to 82.9% of the program’s players and of that 164 only two were Asian.

At Utica, she is only one of seven Asian athletes. Being half-Asian and half-white creates somewhat of an identity dilemma for her at times.

Dave Clausen, women’s hockey head coach at Utica University, said ice hockey as a sport worldwide is not diverse and in order to have more diversity on the Utica team there must be diversity on high school hockey teams.

“It’s not an easy situation in the hockey world,” Clausen said. “I will look at my team and we’re certainly very white, that’s a fact. If I’m gonna have more diversity on my team, there has to be more diversity in hockey when kids are 8, 10, and 12 years old cause I’m stuck recruiting what’s there when there are juniors and seniors in high school.”

At Utica University, Asians make up 1.14% of the student-athlete population. Hawthorne said the gap between white players and everyone else at Utica is eyeopening. She believes the institution should make more conscious recruiting efforts to look into player backgrounds and take that into account.

“In [terms] of the Asian athletes, we have a couple on our team so taking away us I can probably name the rest of the athletes just because there’s really not that many,” Hawthorne said. “I just think that [putting] more focus on being aware of that at the minimum and taking that into account that if there’s the opportunity to diversify our school we should take the chance.”

Read more at uticatangerine.com

“The reality is we’re very white,”: Inside the lack of diversity in Utica University’s athletic programs

The athletes interviewed in this piece, from left to right: Angela Hawthorne, Rajver Singh, Dan Amady and Ro Hernandez / Photo: Mickale Thompson