Friday, November 17, 2023 Print Edition

The

TANGERINE

VOL. LXXVIl, ISSUE 6

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

UTICATANGERINE.COM

HEOP and CSTEP Accepts Transfers

Gallery: ‘Into The Woods’

Football Clinches ECAC Bowl Game

NEWS | PG. 7

FEATURES | PG. 13

SPORTS| PG. 16

Nursing faculty and students adjust to St. Luke’s Campus closure ◊

KAYDEN LAMPHERE

SPECIAL ASSIGMENTS REPORTER

After serving the Utica community since 1957, St. Luke’s Hospital, part of the Mohawk Valley Health System, closed its doors on Oct. 29 after the new Wynn Hospital opened in downtown Utica.

James Monahan, a professor of practice in the nursing department at Utica University, said the impact of losing a medical facility so close to campus has affected some students on campus.

“I think the convenience of St. Luke’s across the street was great for the students,” Monahan said. “Especially those on campus. Those nursing students could get up

A back entrance to St. Luke’s Campus. // Photo: Kayden Lamphere and just go across the street, whereas right now, a lot of them have to take a bus from St. Luke’s to [Wynn Hospital].”

Doreen

Rogers,

the

chair of the nursing department, said the change has forced students to adjust their preparation times because employees

and students at the Wynn are required to be shuttled from the St. Luke’s campus to the new hospital.

CON. ON PAGE 4

AAUP-Utica files discriminatory grievance against Utica University

MICKALE THOMPSON

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The American Association of University Professors at Utica University (AAUPUtica) has filed a formal grievance against the university for violating but not limited to two articles under the current

On Oct. 16, the university verbally informed a member of the union’s bargaining unit that it would be terminating the faculty member’s contract, then in writing on Oct. 20.

◊

The tenure-track faculty member was reappointed last year, according to an initial AAUPUtica email obtained

by The Tangerine, and the university’s Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Stephanie Nesbitt

and Vice President of Human Resources and Professional Development Lisa Green aimed to circumvent the faculty member’s reappointment process due to their immigration status — breaching the terms of

CON. ON PAGE 5

PAGE 2

STAFF

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

Fall 2023 STAFF

@UticaTangerine @Utica_Tangerine @Utica_Tangerine

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Editor-In-Chief - Mickale Thompson Managing Editor - Diana Sidorevich Layout Editor - Chakradhar Palli News Editor - Selma Dizdarevic Features Editor - Charlie Buckley Online Editor - Emma Goodspeed Multimedia Editor - Kayleigh Sturtevant Special Assigments - Kayden Lamphere Sports Reporter - Nick Phillips Staff Photographer - Luke Reed Circulation Manager - Juan Garcia Circulation Manager - Michael Campbell 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.

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.

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NEWS

PAGE 3 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

UTICATANGERINE.COM

Campus Safety Blotter

Date Of Incident Time Of Incident

Short Description

Building

10/31/2023

10:55 PM

Noise Violation

Pioneer Village

10/31/2023

3:30 PM

Theft of Campus Property

South Hall

11/1/2023

1:14 PM

Confiscated Items

Bell Hall

11/1/2023

1:00 PM

Confiscated Item

Pioneer Village

11/1/2023

1:57 PM

Fire Safety Violation

Alumni Hall

11/1/2023

2:02 PM

Fire Safety Violation

Alumni Hall

11/1/2023

1:00 PM

Fire Safety Violation

Tower Hall

11/1/2023

1:20 PM

Fire Safety Violation

Tower Hall

11/1/2023

2:00 PM

Failure to Comply

Alumni Hall

11/2/2023

8:00 AM

Marijuana Violation

North Hall

11/2/2023

10:40 AM

Health & Safety Inspection

North Hall

11/2/2023

1:20 PM

Fire Safety Violation

Boehlert Hall

11/2/2023

2:14 PM

Confiscated Items

South Hall

11/2/2023

2:15 PM

Fire Safety Violation

South Hall

11/2/2023

2:20 PM

Fire Safety Violations

South Hall

11/2/2023

3:00 PM

Fire Safety Violation

South Hall

11/3/2023

8:00 PM

Medical Assist

Harold T. Clark, Jr. Athletic

11/4/2023

2:00 AM

Noise Violation

South Hall

11/5/2023

12:15 AM

Fire Alarm

South Hall

11/5/2023

12:50 AM

Noise Violation

Pioneer Village

11/5/2023

9:17 PM

Possible Larceny

11/5/2023

8:00 PM

Noise Violation

North Hall

11/5/2023

8:00 PM

Noise Violation

North Hall

11/6/2023

2:48 PM

Medical Assist

South Hall

11/7/2023

9:40 PM

Odor of Marijuana

South Hall

11/8/2023

11:33 AM

Fire Alarm

Bell Hall

11/8/2023

11:55 PM

Vehicle Damage

Parking Lot

11/8/2023

3:47 PM

Email Scam

11/9/2023

1:39 AM

Suspicious Activity

South Hall

11/9/2023

6:55 PM

Vandalism

North Hall

11/9/2023

10:07 PM

Marijuana Violation

Boehlert Hall

11/14/2023

12:20 PM

Fire Alarm

Boehlert Hall

11/14/2023

12:14 PM

Fire Alarm

Boehlert Hall

PAGE 4

NEWS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

HOSPITAL FROM PAGE 1 “This will require an additional time commitment from the students and clinical instructors to arrive earlier and leave later given the shuttle time,” Rogers said.

Taylor Kraft, a junior nursing major, expressed concerned about transportation because the parking garage at the Wynn Hospital is still under construction.

“The parking garage for staff and students at the Wynn is not set to open until the spring of 2024,” Kraft said. “So, I am a little worried about the snow and if that will add even more time to my commute to the Wynn Hospital.”

According to Rogers, proximity and travel times may not be the only thing changed by the switch.

“The transition from the St. Luke’s and St. Elizabeth’s campuses to the Wynn could potentially limit the number of students we can place in clinical and during transition experiences for the Traditional and ABSN programs,” she said.

Despite those challenges, staff are excited about shifting

UTICATANGERINE.COM

their practice to a newer, state-of-the-art facility, Monahan said “It’s exciting for the students, both juniors and seniors, to move to a brand new hospital,” Monahan said. “It’s the first time a brand new hospital has opened in 25 years, so it’s something that is new and exciting for us.”

Sophomore nursing major Kalista Betz said she is enjoying the fresh environment at Wynn Hospital so far.

“I think that the Wynn is a great upgraded building that both our patients and we needed,” Betz said. “A lot of my older coworkers expressed to me that they weren’t excited because they would have to learn all the new things and learn their way around the hospital, while the younger and newer nurses expressed excitement for such a huge change!”

Kraft’s experience has been similar at Wynn, appreciating the upgrade in technology provided by the change.

Two days after the new hospital opened, she started clinicals there once a week.

“There

are

a

lot

of

Taylor Kraft and her clinical group at the Wynn Hospital. // Photo courtesy of Taylor Kraft

kinks that need to be worked out in the hospital, but there is a lot of technology to help students succeed,” Kraft said.

technology, new beds, a new hospital. It’s going to give them some great clinical experience as the hospital gets up and running fully.”

According to Monahan, experiences so far have been positive overall, as students have been given the chance to work with brand new equipment.

Though the transition will take time for students and staff in the nursing program to get used to, Rogers said, the relationship between MVHS, Wynn Hospital and Utica University is something that will not change.

“St. Luke’s was getting close to one hundred years old,” Monahan said. “With Wynn, it’s new

NEWS

PAGE 5 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023 AAUP FROM PAGE 1 the current contract.

According to the email, AAUP-Utica is concerned about this case for many reasons: “We have learned there is a great disparity in how various members of our bargaining unit have been treated with respect to the visa/ green card processes.

Additionally, HR said in no uncertain terms that what is happening to this faculty member could happen to other faculty members in the future.”

On Sept. 29, in an investigation into potential contract violations, AAUPUtica sent the university a request for information from which a majority of the information was not provided. The union on Oct. 11 attempted to resolve the matter in step one before the grievance was filed — the university declined. The chapter then began consulting with an immigration attorney whom the governing board officially hired on Oct. 24.

“The university has refused to fulfill its legal obligations under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to provide information relevant to the processing [of] a grievance in a timely manner,” the grievance said.

From there, a second request for information was filed which included an inquiry into how the university processes sponsorship for employees with green cards.

“This information is required to be kept on file in accordance with the code of federal

regulations,” the grievance said.

“At this time, additional information from the university will not be forthcoming,” the university responded on Nov. 3.

The official grievance letter, the second overall against the institution in the step two-phase was sent to Nesbitt on Tuesday, Nov. 7 which in part stated that the university has broken federal laws by not providing the relevant information, nor has it provided a reason why the information is being withheld.

“This grievance is heartbreaking for two reasons,” AAUP-Utica President Leonore Fleming.

“First, because of what we’ve learned when talking to faculty members about their experiences as non-U.S. citizens working at this institution. Second, because I was feeling good about the future under the new university leadership, and now some of my enthusiasm is gone. I am still hopeful that President [Todd] Pfannestiel and I can work together on this issue and on other issues, and I do still have hope that we can work together to build back a culture of shared governance.”

Nesbitt did not respond to The Tangerine’s request for a statement or an interview. From there, The Tangerine reached out to Green, who also declined to provide a comment along with President Todd Pfannestiel who said he “will not publicly discuss any confidential personnel matters.”

“The grievance process is very specifically laid out in the collective bargaining agreement between the

UTICATANGERINE.COM

university and the faculty union, and we will follow that process as required,” Pfannestiel said in an email.

In an addendum to the current contract from the previous CBA in regards to grievance procedures, a meeting will be held amongst officials from the university, the grievant and the union’s grievance officer 10 working days after the grievance is received. The university officials then have seven days to reply in writing after the meeting.

If the grievance isn’t resolved in step 2 the grievant may appeal in writing to a grievance committee — selected by AAUP-Utica’s grievance officer, who consults with the grievant and no more than three members of AAUP-Utica — the president of the university or his or hers designee.

“This discussion and review shall occur within ten working days of receipt of the reply referred to in the last sentence of Step 2,” the 2015-2020 CBA said. “The President (or his or her designee) shall reply in writing no later than fifteen working days after the discussion and review meeting.”

According to Utica’s nondiscriminatory policy, the institution provides equal opportunity and accepts students and employed individuals without regard to race, national origin or citizenship. The union however said the claim is false and through interviewing chapter members who hold green cards or have applied found disparities in how members have been treated.

“When we started investigating this case, we focused on a particular faculty member, but as we continued investigating, the various issues began to grow and grow,” Fleming said. “We have uncovered a number of things, and this case is now so much larger than I ever imagined.”

In step four.

With the concurrence of the grievant in the case AAUP-Utica may submit the matter in writing — along with copying the president of the university and its lawyer — to the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in accordance to the Voluntary Labor Arbitration Dispute Rules then in effect if the grievance isn’t resolved step three.

“The selection of the arbitrator and the procedures for the formal proceedings shall follow the AAA’s Rules,” the CBA said. “The submission to arbitration shall occur within fifteen working days of the receipt of the President’s reply referenced in the last sentence of Step 3.”

“The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on both parties and not subject to appeal. The arbitrator shall have no power to add to, subtract from, change any provision of this Agreement, or imply any obligation not expressly set forth in this Agreement. No award shall be effective retroactive beyond the date of the grievance.”

At press time the university officials and members of AAUP-Utica are scheduled to meet Monday, Nov. 20 at 9 a.m.

PAGE 6

NEWS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

UTICATANGERINE.COM

Food composting in the dining hall pushes sustainability ◊ SELMA DIZDAREVIC NEWS EDITOR Those with meal plans on campus have likely noticed a slight change in operations at Utica University’s dining hall. This semester, thrown-out food is now being composted and repurposed to minimize the effects of food waste on campus.

Food composting on campus was prompted by a New York State-wide initiative to incorporate more sustainable practices into university dining. “[New York state is] looking for renewable energies and composting is one of those renewable energies,” said Damian Boehlert, Utica University’s food service director.

“Sodexo and the university, we like to be sustainable.”

The university partners with an external company to pick up discarded food and take it to a center for composting. Afterward, reports are routinely sent to Boehlert’s email, indicating how many pounds of waste was processed each day and its cost.

“On average, we are composting 135-40 pounds per day,” he said.

“Since we’ve opened, probably 8,700 pounds.”

Erin Kelly, the program director for dietetics and nutrition and coordinates the Tangerine Grove food pantry. She said the addition of this recycling process is “fantastic.”

“It’s a fairly simple process

Landscape view of the dining hall. // Photo: Chakradhar Palli and the environmental benefit is huge,” Kelly said.

“The reduction in waste that the university has to pay for the removal of is significant.”

Kelly noted that several big factors contribute to food waste at universities.

One of them being buffetstyle dining halls.

“A couple of the big issues that contribute are the all-you-can-eat dining halls, swipe in and eat whatever you want, because people tend to put more food on their plate that they know they’ll eat,” she said.

The other contributing factor, according to Kelly, is “using trays in addition to plates” which gives students more room to pile on food that they often neglect to finish.

The University decided to eliminate food trays several years ago.

Boehlert said that this initiative was “huge” and “unreal” in its impact on rates of food waste.

Food service staff are also monitoring and measuring food waste

directly in the dining hall.

amounts of wasted food.

“We have a food waste scale out there. We track it, figure out how much it’s costing, whether it’s a pizza burnt to cutting scraps from a cantaloupe, we record all that,” Boehlert said. “We do a really good job of that.”

“I definitely have noticed a lot of food waste, especially in the dining hall,” said Julianna Colavita, a nutrition major.

“A lot of the time when you throw out your food, you will sometimes see full plates of food being wasted and thrown out.”

In addition to composting efforts, Utica University has stalled its food waste through its involvement with the Food Recovery Network, a national organization.

The university has its chapter, which was initiated by Kelly.

“Students [and] volunteers will take food that’s been prepared in the dining hall but not eaten and as long as there’s a fairly large quantity left, they will take that food and repackage it and donate it to local hunger relief organizations,” she said.

Minimizing food waste in a college setting comes with challenges as students can be uninformed about food scarcity and waste, leading to excess

Colavita said the composting initiative is “really great” and suggested that the dining hall “offer more favorable and more popular food options that students enjoy” to reduce the amount of food that is tried and thrown out.

Educating students about small changes they can make, such as using reusable bottles instead of the plastic cups provided in the dining hall, would help in the reduction of food waste.

“Some habits are hard to break, but maybe putting forth some sort of educational campaign to encourage students to not take as much food and maybe telling them the negative effects,” Kelly said.

NEWS

PAGE 7 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

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Utica’s HEOP program accepts students from Cazenovia and Medaille First-year students in HEOP meet with staff weekly, sophomores and juniors meet every other week and seniors meet once a month to discuss student’s progress, plans and issues.

HEOP and CSTEP students gather in the HEOP office. // Photo: Diana Sidorevich ◊ DIANA SIDOREVICH MANANGING EDITOR The Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) program at Utica University is funded by New York State’s Department of Education through grants and provides financial aid and supportive services to financially and academically disadvantaged students in the state.

This semester, Kari Beane, the director of HEOP, filed an amendment to the Department of Education to ask for additional funding for five transfer students.

After Cazenovia College and Medaille University closed this year, the Department of Education asked HEOP schools to open up spots in their cohort to accept HEOP transfer students. Beane opened up five slots for students, three of whom transferred from Cazenovia and two came from Medaille, increasing the number of students in her program from 65 to

70.

HEOP students receive up to five years of financial assistance for tuition and housing costs, have a cap on the amount of loans a student accrues and receive counseling related to school and scheduling decisions. The first-year students who are a part of the program attend a five-week prefreshman summer institute designed to serve as a bridge between high school and college.

The grant received per student is based on the institution’s tuition rate, and Beane files quarterly reports to account for the money spent and students’ success in the program.

In addition to paying a portion of each student’s tuition, grant money is used to pay the majority of HEOP and CSTEP staff salaries, for professional tutors the programs offer, the events hosted by the programs, such as this year’s upcoming Friendsgiving, and for personal funds the

students can request money for, such as traveling or necessities.

Until the additional funding comes in from the state, Beane said she is using current funds to cover the expenses of the newly transferred students.

Bean is also the director of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), another opportunity program funded by grants from the New York State Education Department.

However, although she is allowed to cross 20% of the grant between the two programs, she tries to make sure the resources are shared in such a way that she can help as many students as she can.

Students in HEOP come into the university as part of the program, but CSTEP students can apply and be recruited for the program. With a 5% crossover between the two programs now, Beane said, to allow the funds to be shared between more students.

“It allows us to keep a closer eye on them academically because HEOP kids are lower on the academic scale,” Beane said. “That’s what the grant is made for — to supply the kids with additional help to get them through.”

Despite the programming and services HEOP offers, Beane said what causes students to grow most is the family atmosphere.

The monthly family-fun nights draw students together and the staff’s down-to-earth approach “allows them to know we’re not perfect or expecting them to be perfect.”

Sophomore Lacy Harrison transferred to Utica from Cazenovia and said integrating into the community was easy because Beane showed her around campus and made her feel welcome. She said she feels comfortable in the office, but it’s also a place where she gets a lot of work done.

“I’m happy to be here…there was a lot of empathy,” said Harrison, an animal behavior major.

“They try to make you feel like you belong here.”

She goes to the HEOP office every morning before class for a cup of coffee.

PAGE 8

FEATURES

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

UTICATANGERINE.COM

The Beauty in Chaos: Weekend trip to Montezuma Beach ◊ BREANNAN O’HARA GUEST WRITER Exploring the natural wonders of bioluminescence that occur year round in Paquera Bay and Turtle Island were on the top of my bucket list since I arrived, now all I had to do was book a hotel and figure out transportation which seemed straight forward.

Since this was my first time planning a trip by myself, I soon realized the complexities that come with getting around Costa Rica’s remote areas and winding roads.

I booked a hostel in a small beach town called Montezuma that had a laid back atmosphere and was filled with openminded locals that live a bohemian lifestyle. I found this town very intriguing because it was a hidden gem from tourists which really allowed me to be immersed in the individuality of locals.

The transportation getting there was troublefree but there were three different stops we had to take which made our time prolonged. We started our journey with a bus from San Jose to Puntarenas. From there we had to take a ferry to Paquera, finishing with another bus to Montezuma. After our day-long travels, we were exhausted.

While walking around town the first night, we realized that the type of currency accepted

varied greatly. The tours only took dollars while the public bus and restaurants accepted colones. We did not come prepared with correct cash, so finding an atm was necessary for getting back home.

I left that worry behind for the day and took a tour to Tortuga Island. No words could describe the beauty of the turquoise water against the gray, defined rock structures. In the distance the coastline could be seen where the wild ocean met the quiet rainforest. Our tour guide was lively and filled the air with the pura vida spirit. Once on the island, an abundance of wild pigs and peacocks were seen wandering the white sand beaches.

Once we arrived back at our hotel, another obstacle came our way.

We had a bioluminescent tour booked that evening, but it was 40 minutes from our hostel.

We assumed that there would be transportation available but that was not the case. It was too late to be reimbursed for our tour, so we were frantically searching for a ride. Taxis and Ubers were non-existent here.

We decided to talk to the hostel owner about our problem.

The way he expressed empathy and concern was truly heart-warming.

He guided us through our worries and kindly offered us a ride to and from our tour. His genuine intentions made us

A hotel in Montezuma beach. // Photo courtesy of Breannan O’Hara feel comfortable in an unknown situation.

We conquered all our difficulties and made it to the grand finale of our trip. We hopped in kayaks and were guided to one of the darkest parts of the bay. When our paddles touched the water, the surface looked like it was filled with thousands of sparkling stars. It started to rain which would seem like a bad thing but as every drop touched the water, a bright teal color came to light. It was such a magical experience. We couldn’t

help but laugh as the rain turned into a torrential downpour.

Our trip was filled with complete chaos but with that came beauty as well. Not everything goes perfectly as planned and that is okay. Some memories can only be experienced through the obstacles that come along. We now have an unforgettable story that we can look back at and laugh.

Breannan O’Hara is a junior studying in Costa Rica for the Fall 2023 semester.

FEATURES

PAGE 9 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

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Stone Mercurio tribute skatepark comes closer to fruition in Rome ◊ ISABELLA YAGHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER The city of Rome banded together to raise more than $400,000 to help build a skatepark in memory of Stone Mercurio, whose sudden death last spring at age 18 devastated the community.

Within a month after Stone’s death, his parents Chris and Andrea Mercurio, and sister Carmella Mercurio, wanted to raise suicide awareness and started to plan the SFM Skatepark Project in Bellamy Harbor Park. The goal is to honor Stone’s adventurous nature – and “nothing boring” mantra – by creating a destination skatepark that offers various recreational opportunities for all ages and abilities.

The main skate area will support skateboards, bikes, scooters, rollerblades and wheelchairs, and feature one of the largest paved pump tracks in New York state. The project will also enhance the park’s civic plaza by incorporating space for youth programming, live music and food trucks, according to the Oneida County website.

The Oneida County Board of Legislators on Oct. 11 approved $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the skatepark, helping to reach the $400,000 mark. The city of Rome also applied for $800,000 in additional funding from the New

York Department of State and the New York State Canal Corporation.

Jake DiBari, a fundraising volunteer and advocate for the SFM Skatepark Project, said those funds would nearly fulfill the $1.4 million fundraising goal.

“These are two separate departments within the state that fund a range of community projects,” DiBari said. “We are hopeful that the state will deem our project worthy and award us the full $800,000 or part of that.

The funding is detrimental to the project.”

Several Rome businesses are supporting the project, including Crust Kitchen and Bar by giving patrons the option to round up their change as a donation. Copper City Brewery donates all proceeds from a certain beer to the project.

In addition to small business contributions, SFM Skatepark Project volunteers have also organized successful fundraising events.

One of Stone’s best friends, a Utica University student who asked to remain anonymous, said merchandise sales have been significant at fundraising events. “[When] you walk around Rome, a lot of people have merchandise, so it’s been a big chunk of money,” the friend said.

There are two phases associated with the construction of the skatepark.

DiBari said that phase

Sketch outline of the skatepark. // Photo: Isabella Yaghy one, breaking ground and pouring the concrete foundation, is projected to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.

“The hope is to build a plaza with stairs and rails and a large pump track around the perimeter of the skatepark,” DiBari said. “Phase two would be the larger phase and fill in the area within the pump track. The entire project is 30,000 square feet, and would be one of the largest skateparks in the northeast.”

Brenda McMonagle, Oneida County legislator and the mother of one of Stone’s best friends said one of the skatepark’s goals is to be a hub for community outreach.

“The park is being built in an underprivileged area where there are kids looking for a place to go,” McMonagle said. “This will be that safe place…There are plans to partner with the school district for free lunches in the summer and with other local organizations to provide mental health counseling

and family wrap-around services.”

McMonagle provided an expansive description of the diverse recreational pathways being built into the SFM Skatepark.

“The park will offer skating and biking and be accessible to scooters, not only for kids but folks of all ages,” McMonagle said. “It will have ADA equipment and a splash pad, it will allow for music, art and food trucks to be a part of the experience.”

Stone’s friend said suicide awareness is the driving reason behind this project, and he doesn’t want that to be forgotten.

“The fact that we’ve made this much progress in such little time - a city of roughly 30,000, with help from people elsewhere, but mostly Rome - is a testament to how we held Stone and the kind of person he was,” he said. “Losing him in our lives has killed us, it’s a distraction but it’s a good distraction. We’re doing this for Stone.”

FEATURES

PAGE 10 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

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CMM students mix with professionals at first Networking Night ◊ CHARLIE BUCKLEY FEATURES EDITOR

Utica University’s Center for Career Readiness hosted a networking event for Communication and Media students on Nov. 2, allowing CMM students to mingle with three Utica alumni who work in various communication fields.

The graduates’ whose job areas range from journalism to business owner and marketing coordinator sat on a panel and talked to students about their careers.

For Daily Sentinel, City Reporter Thomas Caputo said his career journey was influenced by the work he did with Utica’s student media organizations such as UticaTV and The Tangerine.

and how he helped the homeless find places to stay, as well as food and other essentials.

While some speakers found jobs they set out for, one ended up going down a different path than she originally intended.

“When I was still in college as a transfer student, I worked for The Tangerine as the features editor and then as the managing editor before graduating,” said Hollie David, a 2023 alumnus who said while she does miss writing articles at times, her role at the Stanley Theatre as marketing has ignited her passion for designing graphics for the Stanley shows. “Since starting at the Stanley I’ve really enjoyed working with graphics and helping

with fully fleshing out the making of the shows being done there.”

According to Career Coach Alexis Raciopp, though the Center for Career Readiness holds networking nights every fall — typically for students in non-clinical health and human services and accounting — the Communication Networking Night was the first event held aimed to target CMM students.

“I know that there are many students that are not only interested in communications but some who are interested in specific aspects such as public relations and marketing,” she said. “While the Center for Career Readiness focuses more on events such as the career and

internship fair during the spring semester, it’s not out of the question to host networking events.”

Racioppa said one of the biggest things that comes with networking is the opportunity to learn about the variety of occupations that can exist in a particular field.

Deborah Kessler, a 1991 alumnus and owner of the event planning and public relations company Kessler Promotions, advised anyone interested in starting a business to make sure they have a business plan first.

“Make sure there’s a market for your business, even a specific target audience if possible and try to understand who’s gonna buy your product and why,” she said.

“A lot of the professors knew how much I was an advocate for journalism so they really looked out for me and helped me find jobs in the area that were related to journalism and also helped me narrow down what would be the best fit for me,” Caputo said.

After receiving help from professors, Caputo was able to secure his current role at the Sentinel before graduating in May 2022.

Caputo said one of his favorite stories he has written since joining the Sentinel was a profile on Pastor Michael Ballman

The three panelists from the Communication Networking Night. // Photo: Charlie Buckley

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REVIEWS

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‘Into The Woods’: A more realistic approach to original fairy tales ◊ ELEANOR BERKHOUDT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In the middle of the Strebel Auditorium stage is an elevated space surrounded by four slim bookshelves making up the corners of a house, with the appearance of a library. Sitting on the left side of the stage was a large pink book and on the right side was a navy blue one. They both had gold frames detailing the front and a white accordion wall coming off to the side, giving the appearance of books standing up.

The narrator, played by 13-year-old Caleb Hemming, sat on a bench in the library and began reading a story to the audience. The books opened up to reveal the characters inside, giving the illusion that the audience is peering into the storybooks.

Cinderella and her evil step sisters prepared for the ball in the book on the left side, while Little Red Riding Hood entered the house of a childless baker and his wife on the right.

Into The Woods, a musical by James Lapine with music and lyrics

by Stephen Sondheim intertwines the plots of famous Grimm Brothers fairy tales such as “Cinderella”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Rapunzel”, and more.

It takes a more realistic approach than the original fairy tales with

Cinderella leaving Prince Charming after he kisses the baker’s wife. The addition of sexual innuendos in the relationship between Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf set off laughter in the audience.

The end of the play tied up nicely, with the characters overcoming their differences to defeat a giant. Seeing characters from different stories interact provides a new perspective to these famous fairytales.

Cinderella and Jack go to live with the baker and his wife, proving that neither Prince Charming’s castle nor her father’s house are good environments for Cinderella.

Utica University firstyear student Hannah Jones played the role of Florinda, one of Cinderella’s evil stepsisters. Jones had been in shows in the past and decided to audition for “Into The Woods’ as a way to meet new people.

Cast members at the opening of the musical. // Photo courtesy of Jonas America play the narrator instead of The Mysterious Man as it adds authenticity.

Clark said he knew he wanted to have children in the cast because the show’s theme revolves around “stories that children read.”

The amount of talent the young actors displayed was very impressive; I was blown away by their flawless vocals. Much to my surprise, Jones said the actors were not using any microphones.

Meaning that they did an amazing job projecting their voices throughout the theater, especially with complicated lyrics.

The set lighting illuminated each scene beautifully, with special effects, like fog adding to the magic. Overall, the combination of talent paired with set design and complicated lyrics made “Into The Woods” a spectacular performance.

Director Dennis Clark selected a great cast who worked well together even though many of the characters are not Utica University students.

The cast of 20 included multiple young actors from local elementary and high schools, with Little Red Riding Hood’s granny being played by a 10-year-old.

The director’s decision to have a young man

Derek, Xander and Gianna in scene two. // Photo courtesy of Jonas America

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‘Into The Woods’: Photographed by Jonas America

SPORTS

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Women’s basketball falls short despite late comeback ◊ JAMES BOSS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Vanessa Hall’s careerhigh 26 points and a game-leading six steals from Mackenzie Simmons weren’t enough at home as Utica fell 78-70 to Union College on Nov. 13 and 0-3 in non-conference play to start the 20232024 campaign.

It was a defensive struggle at first, with neither team scoring a basket in the opening two minutes. Graduate student Julia Rotando kicked off the scoring from the field; her jumper put the Pioneers up 4-0 with 7:46 left in the first.

After the first period, Utica (0-3, 0-0 Empire 8) trailed 18-14. Newcomers Hayleigh Lagase, a transfer from Georgian Court University, and Hall, a first-year from Whitesville Central High School, led the scoring for Utica after 10 minutes with four points each.

In the second quarter, Union (1-2, 0-0 Liberty League) continued to steadily build their lead. Jelena Perovic led the way for the Garnet Chargers by scoring eight points and dominating the low post.

By halftime, Utica trailed 33-27 but Hall continued to keep the team in the game, converting all of her attempts from the field as well as a few attempts from the line.

Despite the Freshman standout performance the game started to get

A Utica player absorbing pressure during a game. // Photo: Kayleigh Sturtevant away from Utica when Union outscored them by 10. The biggest downfall for the Pioneers was the first possession of the quarter when the Garnet Chargers had a pair of offensive rebounds to set up an open jumper.

The home side had more possession of the ball with 17 offensive rounds compared to nine from the Pioneers.

Heading into the fourth quarter, Utica trailed by 16, which quickly turned to a 23-point deficit after Union went on a 7-0 run to start the quarter.

However, when all hope seemed lost, Utica found their will to fight.

Guard Kieara Kirvan was subbed in near the start of the fourth and immediately woke up the Pioneers. Two steals and a forced turnover led to five points for the

Pioneers and then they got rolling with 6:18 left in the game. Hall in under two minutes scored seven points — she capped off her scoring run with a three-pointer — as the clock ticked down to 3:28.

With Utica still trailing by double-digits and with under four minutes left, they went with a smallball lineup — focused on forcing turnovers.

With Rotando and Senior Hope Halvarson checking in alongside fellow guard Haley Burchardt. Utica was able to force several consecutive turnovers and turn them into eight points in less than a minute.

The Pioneers down by five with 1:43 left to go were still in it, however their hopes were shortlived as Union quickly

cleaned up the turnovers and put the game to bed with a few more buckets.

“The fourth quarter truly showcased our ability to come together and work as a team when we needed it most,” Hall said. “We never gave up on each other and because of that, we were able to cut a 20-point lead into only a few points. We need to work on continually keeping that intensity, and now that we know what we are capable of, we can only go up from here.”

The Pioneers will travel to SUNY Purchase to take on Manhattanville College on Saturday, Nov. 18 as the Pioneers continue to search for their first win.

SPORTS

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Intramurals allow semi-competitive play to any interested student ◊ DANIEL STEIGERWALD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Some clubs and organizations on campus might get overlooked

by Utica students. And intramural sports are often among them.

The university offers a handful of intramural tournaments throughout the academic year, allowing all students regardless of athletic ability to come to the Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation athletic dome and play in select sporting contests.

Intramurals create an opportunity for students who are not on a college team to play sports in a semi-competitive way.

Events are held Monday - Thursday nights from 9 - 11 p.m. at the dome. All current Utica students can sign up and participate in intramurals that are offered on

campus.

The games usually include weeks-long tournaments in sports such as but not limited to basketball, volleyball and badminton. Though sometimes there isn’t enough interest in a long tournament there are often some quick one-night tournaments.

Recently, one-night flag football and soccer tournaments were held on the turf inside the dome.

Intramurals are overseen by a group of student volunteers, some of whom are either referees or scorekeepers.

They are also involved in setting up the dome for a specific event.

Dome superintendent John Keating, a Utica alumnus, has been assistant director of intramurals since 2016 and said he enjoys watching students

come to the dome a couple of times a week to see intramural games happen.

help out with intramural sports. He helps out with setting up for the games as well as scorekeeping.

Keating said he always tells students interested in intramurals to stop in his office and sign up. Also, if students have new ideas for a competition, they are free to meet with him to suggest any ideas they have.

“The thing I like the most about working for intramural sports is being challenged with the responsibility of performing given tasks while enjoying the numerous different sports being played,” Goslicki said.

“Many of the sports that we have came from suggestions we got from students,” Keating said.

Some of the responsibilities of volunteering for intramural sports include helping set up the court or field inside the dome for whatever sport is being played, getting teams signed in and directed to the right court, and keeping score of the games at hand.

Daron Goslicki, an intramural volunteer, likes coming to the dome to

What many students and staff like the most about intramurals is the unpredictability of it all.

Some games have been close, some games are blowouts, and many games have had surprising winners, so you truly never know what could happen.

When asked about how you can join intramurals, Keating said, “Just come to the office and sign up.”

SPORTS

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Pioneers 14-0 shutout win punches ticket to ECAC Bowl game ◊ JAMES BOSS CONTRIBUTING WRITER It was freezing at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium when Utica shutout the St. John Fisher Cardinals 14-0 during Senior Day on Nov. 11. The Utica’s defense hounded Fisher’s offensive line from start to finish, stifling their run game and recording six sacks against their heated conference rival.

The Pioneers intercepted a pass meant for Fisher Mason Payton on their opening drive which gave the home side an advantage on their first possession. From there, Senior Matt Brantley on the carry made it third and short inside the Cardinals 10, Then quarterback Sam Florio was called in however Fisher was able to force a fumble turning the play the other way.

Utica’s defense picked up the offense. Pressuring Fisher’s quarterback, Aaron Chase, led to a sack and another interception, this time by Defensive Back Terrance Toussaint.

back to the passing game.

This led to the turnover when DeAndre Green for the Cardinals undercut Wide Receiver Antonio Cianfarani on a slant to pick off sophomore quarterback Brett Fuller.

one up for tight end Tyler Kolenda, for the first touchdown of the game as well as Kolenda’s first touchdown of the season, 7-0 in favor of Utica halfway through the fourth quarter.

A 9-yard run on third and long got the Cardinals into field goal range as the special teams unit jogged onto the field in an attempt to break the scoreless tie. But that was for not as kicker Logan Laratta hooked it wide.

Utica forced another punt, and once again the offense looked to Brantley to make a play.

The veteran running back with a 37-yard put Utica in the red zone. Then Florio with another tough touchdown, barrelling through the Cardinal’s defense up the lead to 14-0.

Utica’s offense was forced to punt once again, but this time muffed by Fisher’s return man Ryan Romagnoli.

Graduate student Nick Billand jumped on the loose ball to set the Pioneers up just outside the Cardinal’s 20.

After a few stops, Florio sprinted onto the field for the first time since his fumble. In a show of resilience, Florio rolled out to his right, and floated

“Each of our quarterbacks ended up having a turnover that they want back… particularly Sam… but then he comes back and throws a touchdown and runs for one,” head coach Blaise Faggiano said of his quarterback’s toughness.

“It’s just a good example of the resiliency of our guys, and it’s been our

mantra of just finding a way to win.”

A strip sack sealed the game for the Pioneers on the following drive as Defensive Lineman John Stroughn got after Chase. For the second time this season, Utica was able to hold the opposing team scoreless.

The win also marked its fifth consecutive victory over Fisher.

The defense ended up recording six sacks against a team that had only allowed seven all year. Seniors Dough Simmons and James Lanier with two sacks apiece led the Pioneers.

Brantley finished with 129 yards on the ground, the most he’s recorded in a single game.

Utica now looks to Hobart College on Saturday, Nov. 18 in the ECAC Clayton Chapman Bowl. The time has not yet been determined.

Both teams would limit their turnovers after the first three drives, however, it still didn’t lead to points. The next six drives before the end of the half ended with punts with both offenses sputtering.

Utica started their second drive of the third quarter on their side of the field after Fisher failed to convert on fourth down.

Brantley once more shook off numerous defenders earning 31 yards on four carries. The senior brought the Pioneers to Fisher’s 35yard line before they went

Utica finished the regular season with a 8-2 record. // Photo: Kayleigh Sturtevant