Citlali Lopez, Tangerine Clerk Kate Gaffney, Intern
Madison Novotny ready to lead women’s hockey team
Trump defeats Harris to retake presidency
News of Donald Trump’s decisive presidential re-election caused different levels of emotion on the Utica University campus Tuesday night and into Wednesday afternoon.
As projections were made later Tuesday evening, The Tangerine staff walked around campus looking for students watching election coverage and could not find people gathered in Strebel Student Lounge or main lounges on campus. However, several were not afraid to voice their opinions by Wednesday morning.
Many were not surprised the former president will be the nation’s 47th president, while others were shocked, dismayed and worried about the future of the country among other issues.
For some, Trump winning a second term was welcomed with a positive response.
“Personally we all knew that Trump was going to win based upon voters’ reactions to Kamala’s campaigns and how awful we have been doing economically,” said Katelyn Potasiewicz, a senior. “The people have spoken with red across the board and it’s a beautiful day.”
For others, the news was met
with strong reaction and repudiation. Many expressed concerns about women’s health and human rights.
“As a woman I’m mad because a man who doesn’t give two (expletive) about women’s rights is the country’s president,” junior Dee Graves said. “At least Kamala is a woman who knows how to protect women’s rights. But both candidates weren’t the best fit anyways, so we were (expletive) no matter what.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Political Science Professor Luke Perry held an election analysis discussion in the Willard Conference Room, which was attended by around 50 students and staff members, addressing the results, Perry’s insights and what might happen in Trump’s second term.
Perry distributed a 2024 election fact sheet and highlighted Trump’s strength with voters in the economy, populism and na-
tivism. He answered questions, and pointed to many unorthodox issues that have surrounded the former president. Perry said he felt Trump would focus on a handful of goals once he officially becomes the 47th president, these include imposing more tariffs, increasing isolationism and preventing himself from being prosecuted.
On a positive note, Perry said “it was a free and fair election and in terms of democracy that is good.”
Many students asked questions about Project 2025 and the possibility of the United States withdrawing from NATO. Perry did not want to speculate without evidence but said “a more conservative government (will likely form) in a variety of ways.”
Despite the uncertainties that a second Trump term might bring, some Utica University students took more of a neutral stance on
his re-election.
“I wasn’t surprised, whoever won Pennsylvania was going to win the election,” sophomore Cal Crews said. ”I am not really a political guy and I don’t pay attention as much as I should but I think it was a good turnout. I was surprised at how much he won.”
Kyle Mitchell, a senior, said on one hand, it was encouraging to see such active civic engagement since voter turnout reached historic levels, which is a positive sign for democracy.
“On the other hand, the level of division in the country, with stark ideological divides and deepening distrust in the electoral process, was troubling,” he said.
He said it was interesting how various demographics varied in their choices, which proves how younger generations are changing the outlook of our country.
Xavier Acevado, a junior at Utica University felt both candidates were weak when compared to former candidates.
“I’m conflicted on my feelings,” Acevado said. “I just hope for the best for this country and all the individuals in it.”
More student reaction online at uticatangerine.com
College student voting at the 2024 polls. Photo by: Grace Christopher
University discontinues St. Petersburg Skills Lab after a 10-year effort”
Institute for the Study of Integrative Health offers scholarships and fellowships
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Editor-in-Chief - Breannan O’Hara
Managing Editor - Brady Barnard
Online/Social Media Editor - Syamimi Anuar
Sports Reporter - Nick Phillips
Staff Reporter - Megan Wright
Staff Photographer - Luke Reed
Tangerine Clerk- Citlali Lopez
Adviser - Mary Christopher
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.
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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.
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Campus Safety Blotter
3 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2024
Utica University discontinues St. Petersburg Skills Lab after a 10-year effort
Breannan O’Hara, Editor in Chief
The St. Petersburg Skills Lab was established ten years ago in Florida and was one of the first sites to launch in response to the shortage of qualified nurses and fully accredited nursing programs in the state. After all currently enrolled students complete the program, on-site instruction will be discontinued due to a decline in enrollment numbers as a result of changes in market conditions.
According to Utica University President Todd Pfannestiel, the St. Petersburg site has produced more than 700 successful graduates since the program’s commencement and has one of Florida’s top NCLEX exam passing rates.
Pfannestiel said with Florida being a hotspot for medical attention and care due to the large aging population, many other institutions have “flooded the market” in the past 10 years.
“Students can now pick any one of dozens of programs and while we aren’t the most expensive one, again, it’s a quality education and it costs a lot to deliver it,” Pfannestiel said. “As a result, we were not able to deliver it at a price that would compete with some of these other schools that came in.”
He said numbers started to slowly decline in terms of student interest and enrollment and they finally reached the point
where we asked ourselves, “have we achieved everything we could achieve in Florida?”
“We started to see the declining numbers around the start of the pandemic but then you have to be really careful to be sure it was not just the pandemic. Otherwise we would have made this decision in 2021,” Pfannestiel said. “We decided to wait it out a bit. It went back up a little bit but then you could tell it was starting to wind down. So here we are three years removed from the pandemic and we watched the market real carefully. I never want to sound like I am throwing the towel and saying let’s give up on it. It was just an educated decision.”
Pfannestiel explained that the program enrolled students in three cohorts over the 10 years and the program aimed to bring in 24 students each cohort, expecting to have 72 new students coming in through the year. He
said the university started to see the cohort numbers go from around 24 - 20 to 15 students.
After the decision to discontinue, Utica University will redirect its attention and resources to its New York State nursing programs located in Syracuse and Latham, and its reputable online learning nursing programs, he said.
“The Syracuse site has always been strong, and it remains strong but Latham is just skyrocketing now,” Pfannestiel said.”There’s a great need out of New York City and there are students coming up from there so it is really starting to spike.”
He said over the course of the next year and a half, the university will “teach out” and assist all of the students at the St. Petersburg location in graduating. Any funds and resources spent there will then be sent back up to the New York sites and the Utica campus, giving us the op-
portunity to “reallocate pieces of the pie.”
“So you close one door, it always opens another,” Pfannestiel said. “It’s been worthwhile and it certainly benefited the university in terms of our reputation and generation of money. The revenue that we are able to invest right back here on this campus. So everybody won.”
According to Pfannestiel, the last cohort of students was this fall of 2024.
“We communicated with all the students currently on site individually and said no worries, think of it as you are the final chapter. We are going to do right by you, the labs, experiences will be just as robust as if you were the first class 10 years ago,” Pfannestiel said.
He said the success of faculty and students is demonstrated by the work done in St. Petersburg and his discussion would have taken place five or six years ago if it weren’t for the outstanding faculty and students. We celebrate the success and don’t limit the closing because they made this work for ten years, he said.
“It’s not that we are closing out of failure. We’re closing it because we achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve,” Pfannestiel said. “We’ve helped educate hundreds of licensed nurses out of this program that I know are leaving their mark, not just in Florida, but many other states as well.”
Nursing skills lab class. Photo from Utica University Accelerated Nursing Website.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2024
The Institute for the Study of Integrative Health offers scholarships and fellowships
Grace Christopher, Staff Writer
The Institute for the Study of Integrative Health is looking for involvement from different campus constituencies that will be used in a multitude of ways.
The institute collaborates with integrative healthcare organizations and academic institutions to promote systemic change in the healthcare industry; promote indigenous healing systems and traditional world medicines; increase access and equity in integrative health for vulnerable and under resourced populations; and innovate in healthcare delivery, education, and research to improve opportunities for faculty and students and to enrich campus life.
“We want more research being done, we want to help our faculty find the time to do that, we want them to bring their research to the students. We want to carry out the mission of doing more research in integrative health,” said Bethany VanBenschoten, the institute’s program manager. “This is
Heidi Moore, Contributing Writer
James Ostinett is a Utica University adjunct professor who is a surgical assistant by day and a teacher by night.
Ostinett, an adjunct lecturer of biology, works at Wynn Hospital as a surgical scrub nurse where he works alongside a surgeon during surgeries, and then heads to the university to teach class.
He has a lot on his plate but continues to do more, such as playing in a band and owning
making it more widespread, ensuring that with patients that might be looking for alternative care or additional care, or that already have a medical care team. This appeals to our students who already might be in health sciences or healthcare majors and there are all these integrative ways you could help your patients.”
The institute’s values are communicated using the acronym SCORE – service, collaboration, openness, respect and evidence.
Graduate and undergraduate students can apply their knowledge in meaningful and relevant ways. Students in graduate programs such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing and healthcare administration as well as undergraduate programs such as psychology, communication and media, and dietetics and nutrition will engage in meaningful experiences related to their fields of study, Van Benschoten said.
The institute is also seeking faculty fellowship submissions for research and creative profes-
sional accomplishments that are related to integrative health and healthcare and meet a specific list of criteria. The deadline to apply is Jan. 25, 2025.
“This is like the big potatoes of what the institute does so we’re looking for Utica University-specific faculty that are doing or want to do research about integrative health care modalities and award them a course release,” VanBenschoten said.
Two student scholarships will also be awarded to full-time undergraduate students with
strong academic standing (GPA of 3.0+).
“We look for juniors and seniors and we want them to be involved with Integrative Healthcare and know what it is and want to learn about it,” VanBenschoten said.
The institute will publish its second newsletter on Dec. 1. Newsletters can be found on the institute’s webpage at https:// www.utica.edu/directory/institute-study-integrative-healthcare.
Professor Profile: James Ostinett
a music studio in Utica where he plays guitar. He also finds time to enjoy numerous sports including baseball, basketball, football, bowling and golf.
With a knack for making it all look simple, he has a way of juggling so many hobbies and positions.
“When I was in college I developed a habit of not sleeping, and then I just got used to it,” Ostinett said. “With being oncall and everything I just don’t need more than six hours of sleep a night. It’s when I stop moving that I become lazy.”
His official title at the hospital is a surgical-scrub first assistant and works with orthopedic, spine and podiatry of plastic surgeries.
In the beginning of his career, he studied at Hawaii University as a marine biology major. Then he came back to his home state of New York after tearing his rotator cuff that cost him his full-ride scholarship for baseball, where he attended Utica University and studied physical therapy.
From there he switched paths and decided to study at SUNY
Upstate Medical University.
“I didn’t like rehab. I’ve always been more of an anatomy junkie, which is obviously why I am still teaching it,” he said. “I actually wanted to be the one to repair an injury rather than to rehab it.”
Ostinett teaches two sections of the Anatomy and Physiology lab twice a week at Utica University.
“I actually enjoy teaching more than surgery, and I love surgery,” he said. “For me, teaching is a lot more fulfilling.” CONT ON PAGE 5
Bethany VanBenschoten, Program Manager of ISIH. Photo from Utica University website.
FEATURES
PAGE 5 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2024
CONT FROM PAGE 4
He feels this way because he gets to send his students out into the world with new knowledge and a better understanding of life than when they first walk in, and he likes to see his students thrive.
Braden McVicker, a sophomore who is in one of Ostinett’s labs, said he enjoys his classes.
“I love him as a professor. He is extremely helpful and humorous,” McVicker said. “He makes it so easy to learn, and his class is the least stressful out of all of the other ones I take.”
Ben Jantzi, another sophomore in Ostinett’s lab, said “it’s crazy how much he does outside of school.”
“It doesn’t seem like he has much on his plate because he is always so focused on us in class
and teaches us so well, otherwise we would’ve never known he did all of this,” Jantzi said.
Ostinett may make this life of his look easy, but he faces some challenges on a daily basis just like everyone else.
“The biggest challenge that I face daily is being able to respond to everyone and trying to contact all of them,” he said.
“I have 14 surgeons that I have to deal with on a regular basis and two more coming, so I’m getting messages and phone calls from them, and also trying to respond to my students for things such as grading, which makes this number one in my book because I want to be quicker.”
Ostinett says to “just keep moving” in order to handle all that life throws at you because this is what he does to manage all that he pursues.
Syamimi
Anuar,
Online and Social Media Editor
Utica University’s Annual Fall Open House allows prospective students and their guests to discover the various opportunities available at the university. Attendees can engage in interactive discussions regarding admissions, financial services, academics and student life.
According to Eric Sykes, Vice President for Enrollment Management, the primary goals of the open house are to inspire and inform the attendees and to make sure they have a clear sense of what it means to be a Pioneer, including all of the opportunities Utica University offers.
Utica University’s Annual Fall Open House
The open house is an opportunity for prospective students to understand the admissions process and their programs of interest.
At the open house on Saturday, Oct. 19, there were nearly 200 students and family members on campus. They had the opportunity to meet with faculty and current students, take tours of the academic spaces and residence halls, visit the dome and experience the dining hall.
Several information sessions were hosted throughout the day covering different aspects of the Utica experience, from the admissions process to what they need to do to make sure they graduate on time.
There was a panel session with
current students talking about their experiences.
“You can tell the audience perks up when they’re hearing from students in a panel discussion and our students represented us well in terms of describing their experiences including balancing academics and athletics, what they do to decompress on campus, and how they use the resources they have available,” Sykes said.
Another open house will be held on Monday, Nov. 11. Check-in for students and families starts at 8:15 a.m. with early bird tours heading out at 8:30 a.m., and the program is expected to last until 1:00 p.m., or when the attendees finish with questions.
There is plenty of available parking at Utica University, and the admissions provide transportation from campus for students who are interested in business to visit the downtown location to find out more about programs that are based there.
“Ideally attendees should walk away with a clear sense of who we are and what we can provide for them. It is really in the small things, like a conversation with a faculty member that make a big difference in getting a student to apply and ultimately enroll,” Sykes said.
For more information, contact the Office of Admissions at admiss@utica.edu.
Jame Ostinett playing guitar. Photo taken from James Ostinett’s LinkedIn page.
FEATURES
A Blessing in Disguise: A Midtown Utica Community Center Internship Experience
Citlali Lopez, Tangerine Clerk
Never in a million years did I expect the Midtown Utica Community Center (MUCC) to become my second home, now that I reflect on my time interning for them in my last spring semester of my freshman year.
I first met the staff of MUCC at last year’s Involvement Fair, where they were tabling and had a spinning wheel and a few other translation games. During two of my interviews, I was given the option to tutor for adult refugees in English-learning classes, or mentor a student for their afterschool program. I had tutored many of my own siblings before and thought I would best fit the role of a tutor for their afterschool program. I am so happy I did.
I was overly excited to begin working, although interning for MUCC did not quite feel like a job at all. It was an experience that altered my concept of a job completely. I would even
Marques Williams, Contributing Writer
BOND is a multicultural organization open to males built on the principles of brotherhood, community service and scholarship. The first meeting of the semester was held on Wednesday, Oct. 23 with new president Xavier Moore at the helm.
Xavier Moore, a sophomore and vice president of the student government association, was asked to step into the role by Anthony Baird, vice president for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, after the club became an unrecognized organization because of the lack of participation after many students graduated in 2022.
describe it as going to afterschool myself with the way I was learning about new people, and participating in some of the activities the students would do.
A normal day for me looked like heading over to the building, and helping to set up with another tutor, Grizz. We set up tables, or-
ganized the space to the best of our ability and handed out name tags when students arrived. I was responsible for many small tasks, such as tracking attendance, having enough supplies out, leading a group of children to the restroom and more.
My time spent could not have
BOND looking for new membership and ideas
According to SGA President Kathi Jabe, Moore was heavily involved in campus activities and was making an impact which led to the question of if he would take the role.
One of Moore’s main goals last year was to become recognized again and create a strong E-Board, but he had to make changes and sought guidance from sister organization WIND (Women in a New Direction). This collaboration gave him new ideas.
Some of BOND and WIND’s events included a bake sale and potluck dinner where campus organizations shared foods from their culture. That same month, in celebration of Women’s
CONT ON PAGE 7
been more rewarding, more delightful and anything other than lovely. Each day, I woke up with the intention to be the best possible tutor, and someone others could rely on. I saw myself in many of the children, with their playful selves and their shyness disappearing when they were having fun in an activity they liked.
It is a bummer that my schedule this semester doesn’t permit me to intern once more, but I intend to visit whenever I get the chance, to help wherever I can and hopefully return to them soon. I consider many of the other tutors some of my best friends, and admire all the people in administration, including my supervisors: Nurallah Alawsaj, Kay Klo and Renee Wah, to name a few.
MUCC makes everyone feel like family, and it is an environment I always enjoy being around.
Anyone interested can visit https://www.midtownutica.org/ to find out more information and submit an interest form.
Photo credits to @midtownutica on Instagram.
Members of BOND. Photo from Marques Williams.
FEATURES
PAGE 7 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2024
CONT FROM PAGE 6
History Month, BOND members served women and the brothers had to dress up because we were representing different styles.
Savior Wah, a BOND E-Board member who oversees social media and brand management, said he liked the potluck event because it allowed more than one organization to come togeth-
er and helped brand new ideas and mingle with other organizations.
“I learned the value of building and nurturing bonds within a community,” Wah said.
As the organization grew more events took place, such as February’s visit to the Underground Railroad in Auburn in recognition of Black History Month and
to also understand the city of Utica.
BOND is trying to increase membership this semester and Moore said he is trying to plan different activities to attract students.
Moore said more members and participation will enhance the organization and help bring new ideas to the table.
“We need more organization to come together and gain,” Moore said. “When things are seemingly falling apart, they are actually falling into place.”
Meetings are held on Thursday nights at 6 p.m. in the DuRoss Dining Room in the Dining Commons.
Utica University presents “The Wizard of Oz” in collaboration with Notre Dame Blue and Gold Players and community friends on Nov. 7, 8, and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and on Nov. 9 and 10 at 2 p.m. in Strebel Auditorium. The show is directed by Dennis Clark and features Grace Ruganis as Dorothy.
The general admission ticket is $20 and the ticket for Utica University and Notre Dame High School students is $5 with a student ID. There will be additional fees for online ticket purchases.
For more information, contact Laura Salvaggio, the Chair of Performing and Fine Arts at lmsalvag@utica.edu. Online tickets can be bought on Eventbrite.
‘Wizard of Oz’ performances this weekend: Photo Gallery by Breannan O’Hara
Madison Novotny ready to lead women’s hockey team
Eric Corey, Contributing Writer
“Losing just isn’t an option,” said Madison Novotny, captain of the Utica Pioneers women’s hockey team. The Pioneers demonstrated that mentality by winning the 2024 Utica Kickoff Tournament, defeating No. 5 Elmira College in an overtime thriller on Nov. 2.
Last year, the team also won the tournament in overtime, but this time, it was Novotny who emerged as the hero.
Novotny, a graduate student from Tampa, Florida, chose to attend Utica University after spending three years at a boarding school in Lake Placid, a town renowned for its hockey legacy. She was drawn to the physical therapy program, the facilities and competition. After serving as an assistant captain last season alongside Erica Sloan, who graduated in May, Novotny has stepped up as captain this year.
“Erica and I would sit down and talk about expectations to get on the same page,” Novotny said. “I know that if I had any questions, issues, or struggles, I’d be able to reach out to her.”
Sloan has been a significant influence on Novotny, who now faces the challenge of filling her shoes. Sloan was a standout captain, holding a school record and earning numerous honors.
Novotny, however, has also enjoyed a successful career, receiving multiple accolades. She was named to the UCHC All-Rookie
Team in her freshman year and has been a three-time First Team All-UCHC selection, along with an All-Tournament Team honor in 2024.
“This is my last year, but it’s also the last year for Stefanini, Modlin and Hawthorne,” Novotny said. “We want to win, no matter if it’s a scrimmage,
practice, or game. We just want to beat the other team.”
Throughout her tenure, the Pioneers have faced significant challenges, including overtime losses in the UCHC tournament. In 2022, they lost to Manhattanville College, and the following year, they fell to then-No. 1 Nazareth College in the championship game. The year after that they fell to Nazareth again in another 2-1 nail biter. The captain is determined to break that streak and plans to use the urgency of this being her final season to motivate her teammates.
“Our culture here is unmatched compared to everywhere else,” Novotny said. “We are all driven by the same goal. We respect each other on and off the ice, and it’s just a very good environment here.”
As Novotny leads the Pioneers into the 2024-2025 season, the team is eager for what lies ahead. They entered the season ranked No. 13 and have started with a 2-0 record. With her sights set on a UCHC title, Novotny aims to add another piece of hardware to her collection.
Next, the Pioneers will face Chatham University in Pittsburgh on Nov. 8 and 9.
World Series recap: Fans enjoy watching the Yankees play in championship despite losing series
Kate Gaffney, Intern Brady Barnard, Managing Editor
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series and even though most of the games resulted in heartbreaking losses for the Yankees, many die hard fans enjoyed seeing their team make the series for the first time since 2009.
Utica University psychology
major Connor Hillis, a junior, was too young to remember the last time Yankees played in the World Series, but said it was “awesome” to see them play on that stage.
“ Every year you pray for your team to make it, and for a while it seemed impossible for New York, so hopefully we can get there next year, I really think if we had another shot we can win it,” Hillis said.
Senior Jeremy Horowitz, who is
on the men’s baseball team, said he was ecstatic over watching his team go to a championship for the first time that he could remember.
“I was distraught when they lost,” Horowitz said. “ I sat on my couch with my hands on my face for a while. I think they’re definitely capable of getting back next year, but there’s a massive question mark on what Juan Soto will do. Without him there’s no chance.”
