Friday, April 26, 2024 Print Edition

TANGERINE

The Sports betting on the rise among Utica students: “It entices a lot of people”

◊ BRADY BARNARD SPORTS EDITOR

Every morning, a senior at Pioneer Village wakes up and checks his phone for daily sports bets. He places anywhere between 5-10 bets before brushing his teeth or eating breakfast, some on sports that he doesn’t even watch. Sports betting has become a part of his morning routine, and he finds himself constantly checking his phone throughout the day.

“Every morning I’ll hop on Draftkings and see what bets are popular,” he said. “I’ll place a few of those and then maybe a couple on random sports that I don’t watch, like tennis and stuff like that.”

He said he places bets because it’s fun to have something to look forward to. Even if he loses one bet, he always has the next one to focus on.

“I place bets on games that happen throughout the day,” he said. “I’m always checking my phone for the scores to see if my next bet is gonna hit… Because I usually bet on a lot of sports, I always have something to watch.”

The rise of popularity and easy access has led to college athletes participating in sports betting. If a student is a registered NCAA athlete, they are not allowed to bet on any sports no matter the level, but because of the quick and easy nature of

Diana Sidorevich, Managing Editor

online betting apps, athletes are regularly violating NCAA rules. Sports betting is a form a gambling and can be addictive. Many students are aware that they are losing money, but continue to bet in hopes that they will make their money back. According to Addiction Center, gambling stimulates the brain’s reward system in a similar way that substances can. Excessively betting on sports is a compulsive pattern of behavior that can lead to mental health, financial, social, and other personal problems.

In 2023, Americans wagered a record breaking $119.84 billion on sports betting, according to the American Gaming Association’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker. This number is a 27.5% increase from the

previous year, and thanks to more states legalizing sports betting, it is expected to keep rising.

With the rise in popularity of sports betting apps, like Fanduel and Draftkings, betting has never been easier. This accessibility has led to Utica University students to take part in this emergence of betting.

Junior communication and media major James Brown said he noticed that sports betting has recently become more popular and every sports fan he knows bets on games.

“A lot of that I believe is due to these promotions that these leagues are posting such as getting free money when you sign up,” Brown said. “It entices a lot of people to want to bet and it’s grown a ton over the last year.”

Many Sportsbook apps will offer special deals that encourage people to create an account. For example, at the time of publication, Fanduel is promoting a deal in which signing up and depositing $5 will grant the user $150 in free bets.

A senior psychology major at Utica, who chose to remain anonymous due to the nature of her profession, said these promotions are what led them to start betting on sports.

“Right before the Super Bowl my friend sent me a link to make a Draftkings account,” they said. “When I made an account with the link all I had to do was add $5 to the app to get $100 of free bets.”

They said after they used all of the free bets that the app provided, they continued to bet with their own money.

“I watch games now that I used to not care about,” they said. “It’s easy to scroll through the app and place bets, so I’ll place a few bets on sports I don’t watch just for fun, and then I’ll end up watching them just to see if the team I bet on is winning.”

Brown said it is common for people to place bets on sports that they would normally not watch.

“It has to be a good game for me to want to place a bet on it but I know some guys who will bet on any kind of sport,” he said.

Students open sports betting apps.

/Photo:

STAFF

Spring 2024 STAFF

@UticaTangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

Editor-In-Chief - Isa Hudziak

Managing Editor - Diana Sidorevich

Features Editor - Breannan O’Hara

Sports Editor - Brady Barnard

Online and Social Media Manager - Eleanor Berkhoudt

Senior Feature Writer - Charles Buckley

Senior News Reporter - Kayden Lamphere

Sports Reporter - Nick Phillips

Staff Photographer - Luke Reed

Circulation Manager - Juan Alvarez Garcia

Adviser - Mary Christopher

About

The Tangerine is published biweekly during the academic year by and for Utica University students. To reach a member of the staff, email tanger@utica.edu or call 315-792-3065. All material printed in The Tangerine is copyrighted. The Tangerine was first published as the Utica College News on Nov. 6, 1946.

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.

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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. News Tips?

NEWS

New vice president of enrollment management announced and will assume new role May 1

◊ ISA HUDZIAK

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After a long search for a new vice president of enrollment management at Utica University, one has been selected. W. Eric Sykes will take the helm from Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management Jessica Nelson on May 1, according to an email sent on March 27 by the Office of the President.

According to the email, the national search chaired by Dean Jason Denman poured through several qualified candidates before narrowing their sights on Sykes. The R. H. Perry search firm also contributed to the search.

Sykes has previous administrative experience at other institutions such as Emerson College, Xavier University, and Elmira College. He holds a master’s degree in social and personality psychology with a concentration in psychometrics from Purdue University and a bachelor’s in psychology from Loyola University.

“To land a remarkable thought-leader and practitioner in the enrollment management field such as Eric is a testament to his abilities as well as the opportunities Utica University presents,” said Todd Pfannestiel, president of Utica, in the email announcement. “We all look forward to welcoming Eric and his family to the Utica community in a month.”

Campus Safety Blotter

◊ KAYDEN LAMPHERE SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

◊ BREANNAN O’HARA FEATURES EDITOR

On Aug. 1, 2023, Todd Pfannestiel assumed the role of president at Utica University after serving as provost for five years. One year into his presidency, Pfannestiel believes his term has marked excitement and progress for the university.

“I know that whenever I’m doing something, I’m enjoying it if the time flies by,” Pfannestiel said. “I can honestly say that my biggest regret is that I need my work to slow down so I can enjoy every moment of it.”

Over the past year, he has accomplished some of his personal goals when assuming the position of president, advancing both student enrollment numbers and academic offerings.

“We have really started to move the needle over this year in regards to recruiting graduate level international students, and we’re hoping that next year we’ll see more undergraduate students,” Pfannestiel said. “We’ll also have some new programs coming up. For example, a new Master’s in computer science that launches this fall, in addition to a few others that aren’t ready for prime time just yet.”

Pfannestiel also has his eyes set on the study abroad program at Utica. He seeks to partner with other universities to send more students abroad as a collaborative effort.

“The difficult part for many schools of our size is, until you get enough students interested, you never have

President Pfannenstiel, one year in

enough to make a program go,” Pfannestiel said. “We’re going to start thinking about what universities we can partner with where, at any one point, we might be able to combine our smaller interest numbers into a large total of students.”

Another interesting development in Pfannestiel’s leadership position has been his role in a committee designated to assign the next purpose of the St. Luke’s building across the street from Utica University.

“I’m in the group as a representative of the university, and the county is putting together a master plan of what they want to do with that building,” Pfannestiel said. “The way it is looking right now, I think eventually we’ll see it turned into a townhouse and condo with retail areas on the ground floor.”

Looking at what obstacles might lay ahead for Utica University, one of the biggest challenges it’s set to face is the shortage of high school students looking towards higher education options, according to Pfannestiel.

“We’re going through what is phrased as a ‘demographic cliff,’” he said. “As a result, there is a lot of competition out there in terms of how we recruit students to come to Utica University. It creates pressure; we are a private institution, so we don’t get state money. We are reliant on students choosing Utica and paying tuition to pay the bills.”

Upcoming enrollment is something that Pfannestiel has been keeping a particularly

close eye on, wanting to ensure that the incoming money is balanced with university expenditures. He firmly believes that Utica University will be able to do just that.

“We’ve already run to the edge of that ‘demographic cliff’ and succeeded,” Pfannestiel said. “For example, last fall we brought in a new student class that was 30% larger than the previous year’s class. This university sells itself, and we really need to continue to find ways to have events for prospective students to visit.”

Pfannestiel also wants to focus on improving Utica’s tuition price, claiming that he and his team are looking into resetting the cost.

“If we want to stay at the front of the line so that students pick Utica first, then we need to look at every factor,” he said.

If momentum continues in the way Pfannestiel believes it will, then Utica University could potentially see an

increase in student population from below 4,000 to above 5,000 within the next three years.

“I am a history professor by training, so I like to look backwards to see where we are going,” he said. “This year has been great for our stability with a new union contract, and everyone has been working hard to bring in new students which has put us on the same page.”

Above all else, Pfannestiel wanted to thank Utica University’s students for a successful first year as president.

He added: “We made great steps forward this year because the students showed us how to do it. You were the ones who, after the pandemic, wanted to get back on grounds and get back to having fun. It was a challenge, but we did it, and we did it because you all showed us how to do it. Our students showed us that we can deliver a quality education to them while still having fun along the way.”

President Todd Pfannestiel in his office

/ Photo: Diana Sidorevich, Managing Editor

FRIDAY,

Utica students put on global stage during IIHF Women’s World Championships internships

◊ ETHAN ROBERTS STAFF WRITER

Earlier this month, Oneida County hosted the International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship, which brought excitement and revenue to the Mohawk Valley. Some Utica University students were able to experience the excitement firsthand through internships.

The IIHF Women’s World Championship is one of the most prestigious international women’s hockey tournaments and took place in Utica from April 4 - 14 at the Adirondack Bank Center, neighboring Utica University Nexus Center. With teams from ten countries playing in the tournament, ultimately, Team Canada defeated Team USA in overtime.

Graduate student Hannah Beckman worked as the mixed zone host and arrived at games an hour early to get situated. She was assigned to Team Sweden for the duration of the tournament and collected interview requests journalists had for Team Sweden’s media coordinator.

Beckman had the opportunity to watch the game from ice level and under the 10-minute mark of the third period. She would make her way up to the Media Tribune, which is where all of the assigned journalists and media personnel were stationed.

“Once I had all the requests, I would send the requests to Sweden’s media coordinator,” Beckman said. “Post-game, I would assist the media coordinators on

chaperoning these players to the proper media personnel. This would carry on all throughout the tournament.”

Not only was she able to witness arguably the best women’s hockey tournament in the world, she was able to make connections. Beckman said her “game-plan” was to try and talk to people when they weren’t busy so that they had time to have a meaningful conversation.

“I usually created a casual conversation first, especially if I was working with them, then I worked on introducing myself and pitching my strong-suits,” Beckman said. “I found this worked extremely well and I was able to walk away with a number of contacts.”

Nicolas Leonard, a junior, was another student who had the opportunity to intern

at IIHF. Leonard’s role was to be on the camera in the stands, and shoot the opening ceremonies, pre-game warmups and then move to crowd shots.

He made a connection with Natalie Noury, a host for the Boston Bruins, Red Sox and all of the Division I college teams in the Boston area, that he believes will serve him well in the future.

“The best part about the job was the environment for all the USA games I shot,” Leonard said. “It was fun to watch the games when I could and be in the stands for such a massive event right in our backyard.”

For Beckman, being a part of it all was what she enjoyed most.

“Being able to see how everything works as a whole

up close and personal was an unbelievable experience,” Beckman said. “Being a hockey player myself, you’re used to just knowing that your job is to go play hockey, but as I grow up and am starting to get my foot in the door of sports jobs, I noticed that there is so much that goes on behind the scenes within production and content creation.”

Junior Nico Leonard pans at the camera at fans during the IIHF Women’s World Championship at the Adirondack Bank Center. / Photo courtesy of YSM Media.

FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024

Search committee to interview for provost and senior VP for academic affairs

◊ ISA HUDZIAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Campus interviews for the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs position will begin with Interim Provost Stephanie Nesbitt on Thursday, April 25, with three sessions.

According to a campus-wide email sent by the provost search committee, there will be two faculty sessions and one open session for students for each candidate.

The first faculty session will take place between 10 and 11 a.m. in the Willard Conference Room in DePerno Hall.

Subsequently, students and staff will have their session between 1:30 and 2:15 p.m. in the same location. Finally, there will be a second faculty session from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m.

The email included links to the Zoom sessions and the resume, cover letter and contribution to diversity statement from Nesbitt.

“My start in academia came as a member of this faculty, and I have been proud to be a member of it for so many years,” Nesbitt said in her cover letter. “Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to explain how my professional and personal history, knowledge, and skill uniquely position me to lead the academic enterprise at Utica University at this moment in our history.”

The other candidates will follow Nesbitt with interview dates on Monday, April 29 and Thursday, May 2.

Outstanding alumnus Patricia Montone Charvat speaks to media writing class

◊ MEGAN WRIGHT & SYAMIMI ANUAR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Students in CMM 261 Media Writing took a break from the norm on Friday, April 19 and listened to a presentation from Patricia Montone Charvat, senior vice president for marketing and strategy for Mohawk Valley Health Systems in Utica.

Charvat is a 1983 graduate of the public relations and journalism program at Utica University.

Charvat, who is also an adjunct lecturer of public relations at Utica University, spoke to students about crisis communication and how to immediately react when a crisis happens.

“When a crisis happens, internal communication is the most important thing to do in the first 48 minutes,” Charvat

said. “It is important to let everyone in the organization know about the crisis first before it spreads to the public.”

Public opinion impacts the organization’s image heavily, which is why organizations must maintain their reputation especially after a crisis happens.

Charvat said being honest is important to maintain the organization’s reputation because credibility is everything. The organization needs to apologize and communicate frequently with the people involved, including owning the mistake and fixing it.

“Most crises are not

unexpected events,” she said. “Most crises are due to poor management and bad decisions.”

Charvat was selected as Raymond Simon Institute’s 2023 Outstanding Alumnus and was honored at an awards ceremony on Saturday, April 20 in Donahue Concourse.

A photo of Stephanie Nesbitt. / Photo provided by Stephanie Nesbitt

Patricia Montone Charvat, senior vice president for marketing and strategy for Mohawk Valley Health Systems in Utica, speaks about crisis communication to Media Writing class students.

/ Photo by Megan Wright

FEATURES

Guest column: Letter to graduating class of 2024

◊ PRIYA KATWALA GUEST COLUMNIST

Dear graduating class of 2024 and all who were graduates in 2020, congratulations on your accomplishments today and the last four years. We started this during the most unprecedented times and have come through on the other side.

I am graduating today with my bachelor’s in Health Sciences and minor in Aging Studies and will continue through the PT Program as I get my doctorate in the coming years. As a student ambassador, incoming students ask me why I came to Utica. Utica checked off many of the attributes on my college list. A direct entry into the Physical Therapy program, the cross country and track and field programs and financial affordability made Utica the right choice for me. I came to appreciate the uniqueness of this place. Utica feels like home.

Here I channeled my love from my high school to Utica. My high school English teacher Mrs. Latko wrote to me during COVID, “You are such an influential figure in this graduating class, Priya! Your spirit and sense of love of life is infectious.”

I took the energy I had in a place of people that I was fond of as I called it my second home and made the next place Utica, a new place to grow roots and blossom. There is so much we learn not just in the classroom but during all parts and phases of our college journey: communication, public speaking, making new friends, how to be an active listener, figuring out who is there for you when you are at your worst, who is an active listener and who is genuine. We joined clubs, made a difference in our community, learned to work together, dealt with roommate

◊ NICHOLAS ROBINSON STAFF WRITER

The Tangerine’s “Behind U” staff spotlight highlights the people who support and serve the Utica University community every day. This week’s spotlight profile is Damian Boehlert, Sodexo’s general manager for dining services, who has worked at Utica University for 21 years .

Q : Have you had other jobs at the University?

A : I started as the catering chef, then was the retail supervisor, then was the assistant food service director, became the director at Onondaga Community College (4 years) then came back in 2010 as the General Manager.

fiascos, learned to stand up for ourselves, fell in love, faced adversity, rose to the occasion, dealt with grief and loss.

Expect the unexpected, my mother says. You don’t know what will be thrown at you at any given moment. Appreciate where you are, what you have experienced, and what you have faced. Because it has brought you to NOW. It’s not so much how you react but how you respond to any given situation. And remember you can only control what you do and not how others will act.

I used my work ethic to guide my academics. I used my love of running to be part of a team. I used my passion and pride in making TikTok videos Utica’s Admissions page. I wanted to show others that this place is special, a place that can feel like home, a place where you can connect and belong. I hope you have discovered a little bit

Q : What is your favorite part of your job?

A : I don’t know if I have one particular favorite part. I enjoy all parts of my job as no day is ever the same. The students make my job fun.

Q : What is the most challenging part of your job?

A : Trying to please everyone who comes in to eat on a daily basis.

of what you were looking for during these last four years.

“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can,” Frida Kahlo said. Remember we are on the other side of 2020.

I want to thank all my teachers and faculty from grade school to high school, coaches, my teammates, my study buddies, classmates, my professors throughout my years here at Utica. All of these individuals and communities have enabled me to learn, grow, and develop into the person that I am.

“When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person that walked in,” Haruki Muramaki said. “That’s what the storm is all about.”

Congratulations to all the graduates! We did it.

Q : What are some of your hobbies and favorite things to do in your spare time?

A : I still play sports outside of work such as football, basketball, softball, volleyball and golf. I enjoy boating, jet skiing and just relaxing on the beach. I coach my childrens’ sports teams as well and we are very active with that.

Q : What advice would you give to someone who is entering the food service industry?

A : Come in with an open mind and always be ready for a challenge.

Photo of Damian Boehlert courtesy of Utica.edu

FEATURES

OT grad students and CM students designed and built a multi-sensory Room for the Resource Center for Independent Living

◊ BREANNAN O’HARA FEATURES EDITOR

A group of occupational therapy graduate students collaborated with construction management students to design and build a Multisensory Room for individuals with dementia at the Resource Center for Independent Living (RCIL). The purpose of the project was to enhance the center’s current activities and meet the needs of their seniors.

Kylee Wojciechowski, an occupational therapy graduate student involved in the project, explained the goal of a Multisensory Room.

“The main goal of a multisensory room is to incorporate items that target a specific, or multiple senses,” Wojciechowski said. “These rooms aim to enhance participation and help relax clients through stimulating or

soothing activities.”

Tim Livesay, another occupational therapy graduate student involved in the project, said the room was a great success and the students involved gained a lot of knowledge.

“We learned so much about being able to use the skills we gained from our program to allow us to help a community resource and about the benefits of a sensory room for any age and sensory need,” Livesay said. “We also learned how to use our interprofessional educational skills with a different profession totally out of our experience in the healthcare field.”

The students faced a few obstacles while designing the room such finding a meeting time that worked for everyone and creating the layout design.

“Finding what large floor

items would best fill the space required a lot of debate, and research on our end,” Wojciechowski said. ”Especially after the construction management students saw the room and made their layout designs, we had a continual process of changing our plans based on additional information they gave us about the rooms setup.”

Wojciechwoski said this room will benefit the RCIL community and its members by offering an additional resource to support families with aging family members and by providing a safe space.

Professor of occupational therapy Colleen Sunderlin guided the students in the project along with Dimitar Todorov, associate professor of construction management.

“This was a perfect project for collaboration between students

in a health science major and construction management,” Sunderlin said. “For the students involved, they were able to collaborate with another discipline and apply the skills of interprofessional practice: values, ethics, roles, responsibilities, communication, and teamwork.”

The campus also has a sensory room located in Gordan Science Center, room 272.

“Students in the occupational therapy program host weekly open hours for students, staff, and faculty to openly use the sensory room to improve their sensory health,” said Cicily Talerico, professor of occupational therapy who helped design the sensory room on campus.

Open hours are listed on the door each week.

OT students giving their final presentation to the RCIL staff.

Photo by Mary Quinn.

FEATURES

Utica’s dance team brings entertainment and spirit to university and local events

◊ SUSANA SIEUNARINE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Utica University Dance team was created in 2018 and took big steps this year by bringing excitement to university events.

The team performs at all home games for the men’s hockey team and at other sporting events including halftime shows at football games and men’s and women’s basketball games as well as other campus events, such as the Unity Walk and Chi Beta Sigma’s Airband.

According to Teylor Rose Buck, a junior who joined the team two years ago and has been a dancer for 17 years, dancers don’t often have the chance to continue performing in college and the team offered her “a place to grow as a dancer and person and to be involved with campus life.”

“Starting college as a commuter student was daunting and trying to find a place, my place, where I felt comfortable seemed very overwhelming but with the dance team, it all fell into place for me,” Buck said.

Team coach Ciara Parrish said the team’s mission is to continue their love of dance into their college years.

In addition to performing on campus, the team also participates in dance competitions. On April 20, Utica hosted a showcase in the Clark Athletic Center and on March 2, the girls hit the road for an exciting day of dance at the Brockport Collegiate Dance Competition.

“It was an amazing, fun experience for our Utica dancers,” Parrish said. “We competed against nine teams, including schools like SUNY Brockport, Nazareth, Cortland, Fredonia, Niagara, Oneonta State and some others.”

“Our goal is to have fun, create a sense of school spirit and Pioneer pride at athletic games, events on campus and in the Utica community,” Parrish said.

The dance team hosts auditions during the first week of the fall semester and the team is formed within two days by the captains with help from the choreographer. Currently, there are 14 members on the

team.

“There are no specific skill requirements needed to audition, but a basic background in dance is ideal,” Parrish said.

Dancers must put in many hours to learn new choreography for multiple routines while perfecting their skills and creating an outstanding dance experience for the audience.

The dance team also holds a variety of fundraisers throughout the year that are important to their operation, and will host Pie-A-Dancer Fundraiser on Friday, April 26 in Strebel Student Center from noon - 4 p.m. in Strebel Student Center.

Buck said it’s nice to have people to lean on and the team welcomes that with open arms.

She added: “The dance team represents what it means to be a team so well in my opinion. The girls on this team are creative, inspiring, supportive and have taught me so much.”

Photo of Utica University’s Dance Team. /Photo provided by Ciara Parrish.

FEATURES

New library display encourages education and awareness through “Queer Lit”

◊ JAMES HYMON STAFF WRITER

If you’ve wandered through the library in the past week, you may have noticed a new display on the left side from the entrance near the help desk.

Designed by Nicole Lawrence, assistant professor of English, the display looks to offer students an opportunity to share their classroom-based learning with the broader campus community. “Queer literature is important because it reflects the varied experiences of LGBTQ+ people in America,” Lawrence said. “Queer literature also creates opportunities for non-queer and/ or questioning readers to learn more about LGBTQ+ history, people and experiences.”

The display includes several books recommended by students that offer different perspectives of LGBTQ+ people in society, a timeline of important events pertaining to LGBTQ+ rights and experiences in America, and several collectible items such as bookmarks.

The display also includes

interactive features, including a virtual display people can access from their mobile devices, a Spotify playlist for anyone’s listening pleasure and a poll where people could vote on which of the featured books they’ve read.

Eli Wilson, one of the students who contributed to the display, said the interactivity is meant to entice people to learn more about this style of literature.

“The display is meant to be

inviting, and having so many elements that are physical and approachable helps make people feel more welcome,” Wilson said. “There’s less of a lookdon’t-touch and more of a touchand-look.”

The purpose of the display is to promote LGBTQ+ literature and encourage students to take it in.

“It was great to see not only myself but my colleagues as well light up with pride and excitement as they came in to put up the physical display,” Lawson said. “I am so happy that this project turned out so beautifully and it would be a huge pleasure to do this project during more semesters.”

Based on the student response, the display has been successful not just in teaching others about Queer Lit, but also in bringing the class together.

“I think we all had a great time working on this display,” student Lexi Platts said. “Through this experience, I’ve gotten to know my peers on a deeper level and expand my own knowledge on queer topics through our individual research.”

The display is set to remain in place through April and the virtual display can be accessed anytime through a QR code posted next to the display.

Librarian Melissa Lawson assisted in the design of the physical and virtual displays and said projects like this are important to help encourage both expression and participation in students.

The display located in the library.

/Photo: James Hymon, Staff Writer

FEATURES

‘Come From Away’ Review: People banding together in the wake of a tragedy

◊ CHARLES BUCKLEY SENIOR FEATURES WRITER

On Tuesday, April 16, the touring cast and company of the Broadway musical “Come From Away” graced the stage of the Stanley Theater in Utica. The musical is based on a true story about the small town of Gander, Newfoundland as its airport suddenly becomes an emergency landing zone for flights being redirected in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

I heard many good things about the show, so when I bought a ticket, I had high expectations.

The show opened with the people of Gander tending to their jobs and duties as mayor, veterinarian, news reporter, etc., and there’s talk that their airport might finally be torn down. The day takes a drastic turn when air traffic control calls for a state of emergency and announces that they need more air traffic controllers on the scene as they had been notified of many flights being redirected towards their airport.

It was interesting how the cast was able to change their dynamics with others as they switched characters. In each scene or song number, they switched between the people of Gander and the people aboard the flights that were making emergency landings.

An example of this is how they switched between the Gander citizens who were preparing for the passengers and converting places into emergency shelters and then switching mid-scene to represent the panic-stricken passengers who aren’t allowed

off their flights.

Actors Stanton Morales and Molly Samson were playing Gander people who didn’t interact and then would switch to two passengers who were both complete opposites of one another but ended up falling in love with each other during their stay in Gander. No matter how many characters they played, they managed to keep a solid storyline between each character they were playing.

After hearing about the 9/11 attacks, passengers stated their personal information so they could keep count of those who landed in Gander. One man named Ali explains that he’s Egyptian and Muslim, and was on the plane for business reasons. Throughout the show, passengers acted afraid of him and wanted him to go away. They went as far as begging that he be pulled aside for additional questioning. At that moment I realized that they were stereotyping the passenger because he fit the description of those who

committed the attacks.

Further in the story, he admitted to being an international chef for a hotel. When passengers were told they could return home, many did not want him on the plane, the pilot even ordered for him to be body searched before he was allowed onboard.

I was appalled at the fact that the passengers didn’t take a minute to get to know the passenger before judging him. But I think that’s what drives home one of the points I got from this show: fear blinds a person’s ability to think rationally.

One of the funniest plots in the show was when they asked one of the passengers to go round up everyone’s grill in the neighborhood to have a giant cookout. The passenger asked to do this was terrified that he would get hurt for stealing people’s grills. Eventually he got caught and panicked but the Gander native simply pointed out that he had a better grill for him instead. It was comedic, at

first I first felt worried for the character but then completely cracked up at how kind and unconcerned the Gander native was about someone stealing his grill.

The music in this show was well done. The songs included a mixture of rock, country and folk. One of my favorite songs from the show was “If You Want to be a Newfoundlander,” which was sung at a bar where one of the Gander natives explained to the passengers that they had a tradition called screeching in. The tradition says that they must take a shot of a powerful alcohol and then kiss a cod to be considered one of the “Newfoundlanders.” This song was my favorite as it was not only one of the catchiest tunes in the show but also a funny musical number.

Overall, this show was a blast to see and left me full of joy. I’d see it again if it came back to the area and highly recommend others consider it as well.

Photo courtesy of Thestanley.org

FEATURES

Student Spotlight: Cailee Blackington

◊

GRACE MONACO CONTRIBUTING

WRITER

Senior Cailee Blackington is an extremely busy student. Along with majoring in Animal Behavior and minoring in Theatre, Blackington is involved with many aspects of student life. As the marketing coordinator for Bell, Tower, and Alumni Hall, she is responsible for creating and hanging posters, curating bulletin boards, and hanging door decorations in the halls along with managing the Student Life Instagram account.

Blackington’s involvement with the theater department began when she was cast as Portia in the musical “Something Rotten.” The production was produced by Utica’s Pioneer Players, the university’s student-run theater club, and was the first licensed amateur production of the show.

Being cast as a lead role

in her freshman year was “unreal,” Blackington said. Since then, she has become even more involved with theater and campus life.

Blackington is also the president of the Pioneers Players and public relations coordinator for the theater department. Her responsibilities consist of social media management such as running accounts on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. She coordinates content for all platforms to promote shows on campus and to reach a wider audience locally.

Pioneer Players recently accomplished a successful run of the musical “Baby” by Sybille Pearson, directed by Dennis Clark. Blackington starred in the show in the role of Lizzie, a key character who encounters the trials and tribulations of becoming pregnant at a young age. The show took the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions.

They laughed and cried through the beautiful telling of a journey of three couples becoming pregnant.

According to Blackington, this show felt like her own baby in a way.

“We’ve worked so hard and it’s been such a labor of love,” Blackington said. “Watching it come together has been an incredible journey..”

“Baby” holds a special place in her heart since it was her last show as a Utica student. Not only did Blackington star in the musical, she worked behind the scenes as well. She has been involved in every aspect of production as a student in the Production in the Theater class. Instructed by Laura Salvaggio, students in the course are responsible for the building of the set and set pieces for shows on campus. Blackington’s co-stars had wonderful things to say about

her during the process of “Baby.”

“Regardless of the day she’s had, she comes into the rehearsal space positive and always ready to work,” community member Xander Wilson said. “She’s just always willing to stay late to work and get things done so that’s respectable for sure.”

“I think she’s amazing,”

Cassandra Dolan, another community member said. “I want her to know that I’m so proud of her for everything, she’s truly inspiring.”

Balancing extracurriculars while taking classes requires a lot of patience and time.

“Time management is the biggest challenge when trying to balance these responsibilities with also being a student,” Blackington said. “Luckily, I have a great team surrounding me and a lot of support, so it’s all worth it.”

Photographers: Anita Biernat & Victoria DeLuca

Baseball winding down: seniors reflect

◊ ALEXIS WIMETT STAFF WRITER

The baseball team is set for a week of action following their 11-2 win Sunday afternoon after dropping a doubleheader to Vassar College on Saturday.

With a 10-20 overall and 4-7 conference record, these pioneers still have some work to do. Even while there is certainly much to be optimistic about, there’s a lot to improve. Expectations may be lower now, but this team is capable of jumping these hurdles.

“My biggest takeaway from this season is that hard times will come and go, but it’s important how you handle them.” graduate student Tyler Catalfamo said. “We have had ups and downs and not had the best season. It is crucial that we learn from our struggles and turn them into our positives as we finish the season.”

Even if the performance on the scoreboard may be lacking, this team has a lot of achievements to be proud of.

Starting with senior Jason Story. Story earned Empire 8 Player of the Week after the start of a remarkable final season. He went 8-for15 overall this past week, with four home runs and one triple, and at least one hit in

each of Utica’s four games.

“I aspire to leave behind a standard of excellence on this program. I strive to lead by example and put forth my best effort daily.” Story said. “While I have another year of eligibility that I will be using next season, this season is the culmination of hours of hard work and dedication towards my craft over the offseason. I am ready to continue contributing amidst this late season push.”

Following an incredible four-game run last week, freshman Jacob Scalise also earned Empire 8 Rookie of the Week. Scalise went 8 for 17 with two doubles, two RBI, and three runs scored this week, with at least one hit in

each of Utica’s four games. The rookie went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored against Alfred on Monday. After that, he had one hit in each of the two games he had against Russell Sage on Sunday, and two hits against SUNY Poly on Wednesday. Scalise has batted in 39 at-bats this season, batting .410 with 16 hits and a .510 on-base percentage.

Next, on Wednesday, April 24 at 4 p.m, Utica will travel to Marcy, New York to take on the SUNY Poly wildcats.

“We control our destiny and I believe in myself and the guys around me,” Story said. “I have no doubt about our capabilities to get on a run and make a late playoff push. As a team, we have an uphill

battle now but I know we still stay the course and put up a fight.”

Photo courtesy of YSM Media

SPORTS

Living in the moment: Daniela Muscari reflects on Utica athletics

◊ ALEXIS WIMETT STAFF WRITER

In the midst of her fifth and final season with the women’s lacrosse team, senior midfielder Daniela Muscari recently reflected on her time as an athlete.

In her freshman season Muscari learned not to take playing with her teammates for granted. Their season was cut short due to the pandemic.

“We started that season 4-0, we were doing really well,” Muscari said. “It was hard because we knew we had so much potential and that our seniors were likely not coming back for another season. You never know when it will be the last time you play with your teammates.”

During her sophomore season, she made the decision to redshirt and put her athletic career on hold, allowing her to prioritize her mental health.

“Redshirting was the best decision I have made for myself in a long time in terms of getting back to myself,” Muscari said. “Because I chose to put myself first and do what was right for me, I have had the time to focus on myself and figure out what is

going on inside my head to slowly work through things and give my team the best version of myself.”

Her teammates said she consistently prioritizes the needs of her team.

“One thing Dani has taught me is to just keep being myself and to keep pushing through tough times, because at the end of the day it gets better,” teammate Belicia Biette Said.

Muscari said the loss of those two seasons altered her perspective.

“Since I lost out on so much time playing the sport that I love, losing those two seasons proved to me that I needed to cherish every moment with my team,” she said. “Because of this I chose to play a 5th year this season and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Muscari intends to make the most of her final season at Utica. She and her team have been giving their all and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Not only did the team break the program record with their 10-game winning streak, but for the first time in program history, they defeated Nazareth University.

“I hope when this season comes to an end I can leave

behind the importance of supporting your teammates and making everyone feel as though they belong and matter,” Muscari said. “Always be a ‘come with me’

teammate. You never know what someone is dealing with or going through, it doesn’t hurt to be kind in everything you do.”

Photo courtesy of YSM Media

‘Par’ usual: Men’s golf maintains success entering the spring season

◊ ALEXIS WIMETT STAFF WRITER

Following their third-place finish in the Empire 8 Fall Championships, the men’s golf team began their spring season on April 13 and 14 at the Hershey Country Club, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for the Empire 8 Championships.

Thanks to Nathan Macdonald and Neil Roman’s leadership during the fall portion of the season, the team is off to a phenomenal start. In two different events, each shot 77. At the Oswego Fall Classic, Macdonald shot 77, while Roman shot 77, five shots over par, at the SUNY Canton Fall Invitational.

Finishing eighth and ninth in the rankings, Carter Lathrop and Adam Woodmansee were chosen for the Empire 8 Second Team AllConference. Lathrop shot a 78, while Woodmansee and partner Roman had an 81. Other scorers included Avery Sturtz with 86 shots, Blake Holmes with 90 and MacDonald totaled 84.

Freshman Aydin Parekh said the key to success this season is finding a balance.

“Golf is such a mental sport, it’s important not to be too confident while also having the confidence to trust yourself to hit good shots.”

To kick off the spring season, the team finished fourth on the first day of the championships. After one round, Macdonald, who remains in the lead, was Utica’s tomorrow performer and tied for sixth place with three other players. With an 87, 16 over par, Kimball Johnson sits in 12th position. Woodmansee fired an 88 to end the first round in 16th place followed by Roman in 18th. With a 92, 21 over par, Parekh completed the round and Joey Bagnato finished with a 106.

“For this season, I am just trying to continue to grow as a golfer, and as a competitive golfer. As a freshman, I have not played in a ton of tournaments, so the competitive golf scene has been a new challenge for me.” Parekh said. “I just want to keep getting better each day and see where that gets me. I have belief in my game and hopefully, I can continue being consistent and put together some good rounds this spring”

To conclude the championships on Sunday afternoon, with 1,328 strokes, Utica finished third overall among the seven teams.

Macdonald stayed on top as Utica’s top performer as he shot 77, six over par,

to finish fifth overall at the Championships. With 88 strokes, Woodmansee finished in 12th place overall. Parekh finished in 21st place with 92 strokes, Roman scored an 89, Bagnato finished with a 106, and Johnson concluded in 19th place with an 87.

The Pioneers will travel to Oswego on Saturday, April 27 at 11 a.m. and Sunday, April 28 at 10:30 a.m. for the Oswego Spring Invitational.

Head coach Brian Marcantonio remains confident in his team and predicts they should be able to contend for the league title in 2025.

“We have a solid mix of experience and talent. we’re really focused on the short game and making good decisions off the tee,” Marcantonio said. “Those are the two biggest things. Make good decisions off the tee, be aggressive when you can and then score with your short game.”

Photo courtesy of YSM Media

Puttin in work: Jane Fahy sets shot put school record

◊ ALEXIS WIMETT STAFF WRITER

Graduate student from Oriskany Jane Fahy not only holds the top mark in the NCAA Division III, but also recently beat her own record of 14.28m. for shot put with her toss of 14.32m. The toss also earned her first place in the Hamilton Continental Invite Saturday, March 30.

Throughout her time at Utica, Fahy has earned two all-region team appearances, the Empire 8 Field Athlete of the Year title and the AllAmerican shot put award. Prior, she won the CSC discus, shot put, and two-time CSC Most Outstanding Field Athlete competitions while in high school. She also earned the Track and Field MVP title at MVCC before transferring to Utica.

“To set a record at Utica is a way to leave your mark on the program itself,” Fahy said. “Coming to Utica, it was my goal to have both indoor and outdoor shot put records and to continue increasing them during my collegiate career.”

Her coaches and teammates say her level of commitment for her sport is unmatched. She puts in countless hours on the track and strives to be the best.

“It is a blessing that I am

able to do so with so much consistency,” Fahy said.

Head coach James Lemieux said her determination carried her to second place at the Nationals.

“When she had her big throw at AARTFC just one week prior to Nationals, we both knew we were ready to go and take a shot at winning the whole thing,” Lemieux said.

According to assistant coach Dave Brannigan, “no other athlete on this campus works as hard as her.” He believes that Fahy will become Utica’s first national champion this outdoor season.

Teammate Laura Meade said Fahy is among the most dedicated athletes she has ever met.

“She is constantly at the dome working to get better; she really leads by example in her work ethic,” Meade said. “With her hard work and dedication, it makes everyone else around her get better every day.”

Fahy said her time on the team has allowed her to set a bar.

“I hope I leave behind an example of what hard work looks like along with the success that comes with it,” Faye said. “I want my teammates to succeed and I want them to work hard for it.”

The entire team has made significant strides. In both of their outdoor meets this season, there have been several all-time top ten performances in program history. They were ranked third going into the indoor conference championship meet, and they finished second. They achieved their best team finish by ten places, placing fourth at the AARTFC championships just a week later.

Lemieux said the team is just getting started. “Jane’s first throw of the outdoor season broke her own school and conference record, and at the time was the #1 throw in the country,” Lemieux said. “We are dialing in for something special down the road for sure.”

Photo courtesy of YSM Media