SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent student newspaper since 1997
VOLUME 106 - ISSUE 1
FRIDAY, FEB. 18, 2022
CARDINALPOINTSONLINE.COM
ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points
Emily Scholler, a SUNY Plattsburgh senior majoring in childhood education, helping wobblers, children from ages one to two, do an activity in Sibley Hall’s child care center.
Child care center pays interns BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA
Staff Writer
In partnership with the Early Childhood Education and Human Development and Family Relations academic departments, the Child Care Center at SUNY Plattsburgh opened a paid internship position for upperclassmen students. As of the third week of the semester, six interns have been selected. Four are already working at the daycare for about 20 hours a week, earning minimum wage. The paid internship is aimed at
SUNY Plattsburgh students majoring in education or human development and family relations. It is designed to complement their coursework, provide practical experience and expose them to work in the area of early childhood education, which can later turn into employment. Interns are expected to complete workshops, familiarize themselves with the curriculum used at the daycare, select and co-create lessons and work with small groups of students. “You have to be able to negotiate a lot of things at the same
time — that’s part of the fun of it,” Child Care Center Director Sally Girard said. They also work with the different professionals and service providers for children at Sibley Hall — occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language therapists, special instructors and others. “Our interns would actually have an opportunity to see what’s going on there, which mimics what happens in not only early childcare settings, but schools,” Maureen Squires, associate pro-
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fessor and chair of teaching education, said. “So if our students graduated here and went to school, they would get to see that. They would see the collaboration, and they would be part of that.” For the daycare, the internship invites extra “helping hands,” as one of its goals is to attract college students to work in early childhood education settings. “[The internship] really allows [students] to get a foot in the door, so to speak, and see what it’s like to work in a daycare setting, and then,
hopefully, entice them to continue working in that setting.” Squires said. Some other benefits interns bring to the daycare are enthusiasm and new ideas. “[Interns] come in eager and excited, and they offer a whole new element to our early childhood program,” Girard said. To apply, students submit an application form, letters of recommendation and complete an interview.
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OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points
Construction workers help fix damaged water pipes on campus.
Fuerza and attendees raise a Black power fist after Black History Week event.
Water pipe breaks, disrupts water supply
Fuerza celebrates Black History Month
BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA
Staff Writer
A pipe supplying several campus buildings with water broke near Wilson Hall Feb. 9. As a result, Clinton Dining Hall and DeFredenburgh, Hood, Moffitt and Wilson residence halls lost their water supply from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., when the pipe was fixed. For the duration of the
emergency, Housing and Community Living granted students in the residence halls which were affected “access to Mason and Macomb Halls to use their bathroom facilities,” as per a mass email from Nikki Deyo-Pugh, administrative assistant at Housing and Community Living. The email also contained apologies for the inconvenience: “We recognize that this will be a huge inconve-
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nience and we will do our utmost to make sure that you all stay informed. We of course would not be doing this, if this was not an emergency.” Until 2:30 p.m., it was uncertain when the issue would be resolved. “We don’t know how long the water will be shut off,” the aforementioned email read.
BY OLIVIA BOUSQUET News & Managing Editor
Outside of the Angell College Center Tuesday night, the wind whipped and the temperatures dropped. However inside the warmth of the ACC, a rhythmic beat from a speaker spilled out of the Alumni Conference Room. Inside the room, Fuerza, the Black and Latinx union, prepared for its 7 p.m. event called “Dating outside your race.” A panel of nine students, of different ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds, WATER l A2 answered prepared questions from Fuerza
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Event Coordinator Ivonne Diaz and Fuerza On Campus PR Albert Tejada. The panelists were Kenneth Baez, Lorenzo Johnson, Bianca Nieves, Arianna Santiago, Samuel Marmol, Grisbel Peña, Elizabeth Baez, Isabella Perez and Moustapha Diop. “I feel it definitely just adds to just making sure that everyone is open minded and seeing that it’s life,” Fuerza President Charlin Peguero said on the importance of these discussions. “You have to experience things sometimes, and it’s not always as black and white as people see.”
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News Editor Olivia Bousquet
Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
SA kicks off semester BY OLIVIA BOUSQUET News & Managing Editor
Detective Burghy has nothing to report this week.
Weekly Meme
One hundred and one days to do something great was the message Student Association Advisor Jacob Avery left the senate thinking about after its first meeting Feb. 9. Information from last semester was reviewed, such as approving December’s meeting minutes. Four new members — Aysun Akhundlu, Ryan Ferguson, Mary Stockman and Nilay Vaidya — were unanimously voted into the senate and then sworn in. The biggest topic of discussion was Fuerza’s request for an additional $1,595 to cover expenses for its Cardinal Love event. The Black and Latinx union held a Valentine’s Day-themed event in the Warren Ballrooms Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. The SA already provided Fuerza with $2,000 toward the event,
but the organization was not anticipating such high costs for catering from Chartwells and for lighting, sound and decorations. Fuerza’s president Charlin Peguero wanted a diverse food selection to include “soul food and vegan options.” This caused the amount to increase. Some members of the senate did not see the need to give them more money, but others differed. Senator Oscar Saldivar noted the importance of supporting clubs, especially since it would give students the opportunity to attend a fun event on campus. An amendment was proposed and accepted to give Fuerza $1,520 instead of the requested $1,595. This would remove the money for lighting, sound and decorations since clubs are given $75 to help with such expenses. The $1,520 will help Fuerza pay for catering of the intended menu.
WATER Continued from page A1 Without water to clean reusable dishes, Clinton switched to disposable tableware until water access was restored. All the beverage machines were out of order. In addition to a cut water supply, the water main break resulted in Wilson shutting down its electricity for about an hour. According to Sherman, because the residence hall is located directly downhill from the broken water main, some water had gotten into the building. In order to prevent a fire or other damage to electrical areas, the electricity was shut off until the water dried out. The lack
Additionally, Haliee Olsen, a TV-video production and digital media production major, was approved to produce content for SA as its photographer and videographer. Kimberly Motieram was approved
students were approved as members to the Activities Coordination Board to help with events. In other news, SA President Ahmed Metwaly planned on setting up a meeting to find a new College Auxiliary Services executive director to replace Dana Kellerman. He also planned to renegotiate the contracts with Chartwells, the school’s food provider, and the shuttle bus company. Metwaly also noted that SUNY Plattsburgh was providing transportation to Clinton Community College for students to receive their boosters. Metwaly’s goal this semester was to reinstate “institutional memory” lost due to COVID-19. He hoped to see more SA involvement with clubs and on social media.
by the senate to be Coffee House co-chair. Coffee House is an event for students to eat and drink while listening to performers. Coordinator of Activities Laman Hanifayeva said they were also planning on collaborating with KoffeeKat, a local cof- Email OLIVIA BOUSQUET cp@cardinalpointsonline.com fee shop downtown. Four
of internet access prevented some students from attending their online classes. “It was a very big inconvenience,” Wilson resident Autumn Smith said. “I really wanted to take a shower, because I was so tired, but I couldn’t. It was hard to do work, too.” James Sherman, assistant director of Campus Housing and Community Living, and Maintenance and Operations Manager Patrick Farrell both said the break likely happened because of the frost and cold temperatures causing the water inside to freeze and expand, damaging the pipe. To fix the issue, the frozen section of the pipe had to be dug up from deep within the ground and replaced. Sherman said it was fixed “relatively quick,” due to the prob-
lem being discovered early. “Had [the break] not been caught, and it was like a day or so later, it could have damaged the electrical line,” he said. “It could have been a much bigger deal had somebody not caught it right away.” The Plattsburgh area experienced a few water pipe breaks this winter, and more could occur if temperatures drop. There are no precautions that Maintenance and Operations can take, due to the seasonal nature of the issue. “I wouldn’t say it’s going to be a common occurrence as the weather gets warmer,” Sherman said. “My supervisor jokes that these types of things don’t usually happen in June.” Email ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA
cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
FUERZA ALEXA DUMAS/Cardinal Points
Campus COVID-19 Tracker Number of positive COVID-19 cases within SUNY Plattsburgh community:
105 CP Corrections There are no errors to report this week. If you see an error in Cardinal Points, email cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Continued from page A1 The event started with the panelists introducing themselves and identifying their ethnicity, race and religion. Some panelists ethnically identified as Dominican, Puerto Rican, Jamaican and African. Racially, most panelists identified as either Black or white, and religiously, some were Catholic, non-religious, spiritual or Muslim. The panel then discussed many stereotypes that occur when dating outside of their race. Many said that old generations in their family were more likely to be racist to someone with darker skin. Fuerza Social Media PR and panelist Kenneth Baez said it’s important to “educate yourself” to overcome stereotypes of dating other races. He shared it can be hard with family when his grandparent said, “Don’t bring someone darker than you home.” However, Santiago said her family did not care about who she dated “as long as I’m happy.” The panel all had different experiences to share. Panelists also discussed if they had ever dated outside of their race. Some hadn’t because they were
OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points
Panelists Samuel Marmol, Grisbel Peña, Elizabett Baez answer questions relating to dating outside of their race. more comfortable dating people that understood their culture and language, but those that had dated outside their race said the experience exposed them to a lot of new things. The audience also spoke up with their own experiences about dating outside of their race. An Indian audience member said her relationship with her Dominican boyfriend had language barriers, but his family tried connecting with her as much as possible by teaching her new words. “I feel it was really beneficial to our community,” Attendee Alexa Santos said. “We really discussed a lot of topics that people don’t really talk about or
that people are not comfortable sharing because, I feel like in today’s society, people are very sensitive. People are always scared to upset someone or hurt someone’s feelings, so I feel like that was not really on the table today.” The audience and panelists engaged with each other by asking questions or adding insight to their personal experiences with dating. There was debate on certain dealbreakers to relationships that involved a lot of discussion from everyone in the room. With more than 20 students in attendance, conversations continuously flowed for the hour-long event. “I definitely was [happy
with the turnout,]” Peguero said. “People were more open than I thought they would be, especially with a topic like this — no one was giving political answers. I felt it was very much like everyone was just being raw, and that was the intention of the meeting as well.” Fuerza held a series of events for Black History Week to celebrate Black History Month. The club ended the week with its sixth Annual Cardinal Love event Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Warren Ballroom.
Email OLIVIA BOUSQUET
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FRIDAY, FEB. 18, 2022
Wintertime blues affects students BY DANIELA RAYMOND Staff Writer
With pandemic numbers continuing to rise, so have depression rates. College students experience some of the highest cases of depression. According to a survey done by BBC news, 13% of students who were surveyed struggle with depression. In 2021, that statistic rose to 67%. The limited amount of activities and social events allowed due to COVID-19 has caused mental health to decline. With managing classes, academic events and clubs, college students have been feeling the effects of the pandemic more than ever. But is the SUNY Plattsburgh administration offering enough mental health services to better aid students through this tough time? The SUNY Plattsburgh Health Center offers counseling services every fall and spring semester of the academic year, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment only. While the college has taken some steps to help students through this difficult time, the pandemic has affected the ability to provide these services immensely. Christine Minck, the director for the Student Health and Counseling Center, mentioned that the health center has lost staff and finding time to schedule in all the students has created a long wait list. Jaida Jenkins, a junior sociology major, turned to outside support for her mental health. “I didn’t get much help at the health center here,” Jenkins said. “I tried going last semester; they were too busy to book. I reached out to an outside source off-campus for help, and they’ve been really helpful when the school hasn’t been able to provide those services.” Minck mentioned that health services submitted a strategic plan for utilization of funds in early October, but have yet to hear back.
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“I mean people are concerned about receiving one-on-one counseling, but that all that is a part of the plan that still needs to be approved,” Minck said. The pandemic has brought upon and accentuated stressors, including fear and worry for loved ones or one self, and constraint on physical movement and social activities due to quarantine
and major lifestyle changes. COVID-19 has led to disruption to nearly every aspect of life. Students that entered the pandemic as freshman, who were able to go to parties on the weekends and socialize without masks are now second semester juniors, many returning to campus without the classic college experience on campus; a.k.a not
being able to go out without the worry of a mask or social distancing. Some students, like Amoudiatou Aboudoulaye, a senior fitness and wellness major, have found it difficult to re-adjust to regular life after quarantining, while also having valid COVID-19 concerns with mandates being lifted throughout the country. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that, “the statewide vaccine- or mask requirement for business will end though maks will still be required in school and other places where people congregate.” “Everytime cases rise it makes me nervous of what restrictions or more vaccines we will have to get,” Aboudoulaye said. “Me, like many of my friends, were forced to get the booster to even stay on campus so that alone adds a lot of stress and anxiety.” Aboudoulaye mentions that with quarantine, many students have grown comfortable with doing their studies in an at-home virtual setting. The transition to in-person class has been especially difficult for college students. Students, who are hopeful for the future beyond the pandemic, are looking for ways to cope with it while on campus. With the health center having a waiting list, it may not be the best option for all students. Finding ways to get outside, attend club events, go hiking at the high point views that the North Country is known for, or skiing at White Face Mountain is important. Furthermore, the health center also has plans for improving services. Minck said, “As part of that strategic plan we are looking at increasing services through various contracts with Telehealth counseling services and in-person agencies that provide more counseling services.”
Email DANIELA RAYMOND
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Social media spreads message of self-love BY JEREMY BINNING Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day used to be a day filled with love and compassion. What happened to buying your significant other a bouquet of flowers and a heart-shaped box of chocolates? Nowadays young adults aren’t focused on others in a relationship unless it’s beneficial. In 2022, the era of selflove has began, and more people are focused on their careers and future. With apps such as Tinder and Bumble, hook-up culture has
been taken to new heights, with many people preparing to have a one-night-stand over going on a date and actually getting to know someone. According to Refinery29, a digital media and entertainment website, 21% of people worldwide use dating apps for this purpose. Which leaves many to wonder — where’s the love? It seems most people are more interested about the latest episode of Euphoria or watching the Super Bowl over what they’re going to do with their significant other during the holiday of celebrating love.
“Of course I have a few plans for my girlfriend and I this Valentine’s day,” Michael Eskander, a senior majoring in information technology, said. “I don’t look at [Valentine’s Day] as a big deal like when I was younger. I guess it’s just a part of becoming an adult.” It could be true that becoming an adult does take away the fun from things we used to enjoy, like giving out V-Day cards to classmates in elementry school. However, social media seems to be one of the main sources where people get their newly adapted lifestyle choices from. Practicing
and preaching independence has been just a few of the toxic trends that has recently increased in popularity on social media. With this new trend spreading, it seems to be the reason Valentine’s Day isn’t as big as it used to be. But if you’re in a relationship, wouldn’t you want everyday to feel like V-Day? Daniel Cantwell, a junior majoring in broadcast journalism, explains how he and his girlfriend like to regularly spoil each other from time to time to keep the relationship feeling new. “Rather than buying gifts just
for anniversaries and birthdays, I try to buy my girlfriend things every now and then to let her know I think about her, and she always tries to one-up me every time. It’s like a friendly competition on who could spoil who more,” Cantwell said. This is one trend a lot of young adults are slowly starting to follow thanks to the likes of Tiktokers Danielle Cohn and Micky Tua, as well as other countless Tik Toks of “couple goals” posted throughout the app. VALENTINE l A4
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Editorial
Fredonia students hold protest
Stephen Kershnar, a Philosophy professor at SUNY Fredonia, is under investigation for his comments about pedophilia made during one of his classes. “Imagine that an adult male wants to have sex with a 12-yearold girl. Imagine that she’s a willing participant,” Kershnar said. “A very standard, very widely held view, is there’s something deeply wrong about this and it’s wrong independent of it being criminalized. It’s not obvious to me that it’s in fact wrong, I think this is a mistake and I think that exploring why it’s a mistake will tell us not only things about adult-child sex and statutory rape, but also about fundamental principals of morality.” This quote is from a video titled “Sexual Taboos,” posted on a YouTube channel
called “Brain in a Vat.” His comments led a group of about 20 Fredonia students to hold a protest on campus. A petition to fire Kershnar also received over 15,000 signatures. SUNY Fredonia President Stephen Kolison released a statement saying “effective immediately and until further notice, the professor is being assigned to duties that do not include physical presence on campus and will not have contact with students while the investigation is ongoing.” Throughout the video, Kershnar repeatedly says “adultchild sex.” That is called pedophilia. Calling it “adult-child sex” poses it as sex that children are willing participants in. According to Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest
anti-sexual violence organization, individuals who are under the age of consent do not have the capacity to consent to sex. Free speech advocates including FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, have defended Kershnar, arguing he is protected under freedom of speech. Alyssa Bump, Editor in Chief of Fredonia Leader Magazine, put it well when she said, “The First Amendment may protect speakers from being censored, but it does not protect them from facing the consequences of what they say from the public.” Kershnar’s speech is protected by the First Amendment and it is important to ask students questions that make them think critically. However, like a newspaper, professors
are meant to present information and let students do with it what they please. Kershnar is known for asking questions that strike up conversation about issues like slavery, torture, abortion, discrimination and God, so you would think the tenured professor would have perfected discussing without taking it too far. It is OK to make students uncomfortable because they are receiving new information, but not because they feel unsafe. Being taken out of context is always a concern in the age of social media and distrust in reliable sources of information, so it is important to make sure what you’re putting out there reflects you in a way you are comfortable with being perceived or be willing to face the consequences.
Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
Editorial Board Editor in Chief Alana Penny
Managing Editor Olivia Bousquet
News Editor Olivia Bousquet
Opinions Editor Jess Johnson
Sports Editor Garrett Collins
FUSE Editor Sydney Hakes
Graphics Editor Zoe Nguyen
Photo Editor Olga Muka
Web Editor Alexa Dumas Public Relations Chair Erica Haley Faculty Adviser Shawn Murphy
Contact CP: Editorial Board: 518.564.2174 Advertising: 518.564.3173 Fax: 518.564.6397 118 Ward Hall SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY 12901 cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Elisa Lam found dead, Cecil Hotel BY MATTHEW WENDLER Contributor
It was the low water pressure that caused complaints to be made by guests of the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles Feb. 19, 2013. Complaints were also made about the water’s unusual taste with some guests claiming the water had dark discoloration. Hotel maintenance worker Santiago Lopez was sent to investigate the matter. Four large cisterns sit tall on the hotel rooftop, all eight feet in height and able to hold 1,000 gallons each. When Lopez reached the top of the tanks, he found the hatch of one of them open. There, he discovered a person, her decomposing figure void of all clothing. It was the body of a young woman, floating face-up, inside the water tank. The victim was identified as Elisa Lam, a 21 year-old college student at the University of British Columbia from Vancouver, Canada. Before her death, Lam was touring numerous towns and cities along the western coast of the United States as part of a self-planned trip. After spending a night in San Diego, she made her way over to Los Angeles. She used public transportation to travel and checked into the Cecil Hotel Jan. 28, 2013. She was originally assigned a shared room; however, her roommates made complaints about odd and disruptive behavior exhibited by Lam, resulting in her getting moved to a private room. On each day of her trip, Lam made a phone call to her parents. She was scheduled to check out of the hotel Feb. 1, 2013 with plans to head toward Santa Cruz. By that time, her parents hadn’t received any calls from her since Jan. 30.
Her parents tried continuously calling her, but she did not answer. They contacted the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as a result and reported her as missing. The police searched her hotel room, as well as the area surrounding the hotel, but came upon no leads. Her belongings were bagged and placed in a storage room by staff after she failed to check out. Nearly everything was left behind. One of her last known sightings was at a shop called The Last Bookstore Jan. 31, 2013. The last known footage taken of her was released by the LAPD Feb. 14, 2013. It was recorded by a Cecil Hotel elevator surveillance camera Feb. 1 and was taken while the elevator was on the 14th floor. In the video, Lam exhibited peculiar behavior. First, she walked into the elevator and pressed all the buttons in the center row. One of them was a door-hold button that prevented the elevator from moving for two minutes. Next, she looked out into the hall, turned her head both ways, then backed into the corner beside the buttons. Lam then cautiously jumped out of the elevator, side stepped to the left, stepped back inside, then walked out and stood to the left of the doorway. She went back inside a few seconds later and once again pressed all the center row buttons. Afterward, Lam stepped out, stood to the left of the doorway again, and started making odd gestures with her hands. Lam’s fingers were outstretched, with her hands waving up and down. She then walked off down the corridor. The elevator door closed seconds later. It is unknown whether
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there was another party present outside of the camera’s view. The same clothes Lam was wearing in the video, as well as her room key, were found at the bottom of the water tank. After Lam was discovered, the tank was drained and cut open for the retrieval of her body. The autopsy report, released to the public five months after her death, found no signs of physical trauma or sexual assult. In the toxicology report, only small traces of prescription medication and 0.02 g% of alcohol were found. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office ruled the cause of death as an accidental drowning. Lam was previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression, which was why she was taking medication. The coroner theorized she experienced
a manic episode due to undertaking her meds, which was said to have served as a contributing condition that led to her final moments. When a person suffers from a manic episode, they tend to have an extreme change in mood that alters their state of mind. They will have overly high energy and are more susceptible to engaging in risky behaviors. They may also suffer from hallucinations. While the roof access doors were locked with an alarm system in place, she could have easily climbed up the fire escape to get there. It is suspected she jumped into the tank herself. There are many people however, that are not satisfied with this conclusion and believe foul play was involved. The case has many unanswered questions. What was running through Lam’s head when she was in the elevator? What would have influenced
her to climb to the roof and jump into the water tank, especially since she was scheduled to leave the day the footage was taken? The full truth may never be known. The Cecil Hotel is known for having a dark history. It was built in 1924, and its doors were opened in 1927. Over the years, the hotel became associated with numerous cases of violence, murder and suicide. With the number of deaths that occurred there, the hotel is widely believed to be haunted. A portion of the hotel was re-branded with the name “Stay on Main,’’ by new management in 2011. It closed down for renovations in 2017 and re-opened as an affordable housing complex in 2021.
Email MATTHEW WENDLER cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
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WARNING: CARDINAL POINTS NEWS IS FLAMMABLE
For some, Valentine’s Day is just a regular day. For others, it’s a day for them to show their significant other how much they mean to each other. Regardless, it should be looked at as a day of celebrating love and compassion, whether being in a Continued from page A3 relationship or not. Back in elementary school, we would give candy out to our classmates for the festive day, and as adolesChristina Bonne-Annee, a senior majoring in public relacents, it wasn’t looked at as anything more than that. Hopetions, explained how she is going to spend her Valentines Day fully, the upcoming generation can learn from back in the days W O R K I N G T H E N I G H T S H I F T having a self care day. and make love popping again. “Laying with my cat with a facemask on and catching up on FOR PSUC SINCE 1969 my shows is about all I really want to do. I do think the day isn’t as celebrated and festive as it used to be, but I don’t think of it any less,” Bonne-Anne said. “I’m enjoying the single life, Email JEREMY BINNING but when I do get in a serious relationship I definitely want to cp@cardinalpointsonline.com make Valentine’s Day more special. I’m good for now.”
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Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points
Emily Scholler, a SUNY Plattsburgh intern, plays an activity with young children enrolled in Sibley’s child care services.
INTERNS Continued from page A1 If selected, they may also go through health and background checks. According to Girard, parents responded to the internship positively, noting that it is “so good” for children to be surrounded by “knowledgeable and competent adults” who are “invested” in them. Squires is herself a parent of a 3-yearold child enrolled in the center, and said she had no concerns. “Maybe it’s also because I am a faculty member, and I understand the importance of observations, so I don’t mind at all that there
are student interns in the room,” she said. “I think it’s good for my kiddo to actually see a range of adults in the room. I think it’s great for the interns in there, as well. I also have a lot of trust in the daycare.” One of the interns — senior graduate student Whitni Izzo, who is pursuing a master’s in special education, works with preschoolers. She has experience working with elementary school children, but wanted to try a nontraditional setting. “I’ve been learning a lot about just working with the younger years, because I’ve been working in kindergarten, first grade with set lesson plans, but here, [the children] have been interacting with each other in free time, play time,
and during circle time,” she said. “I just work with them one-on-one.” Izzo likes the individualized approach she is able to have with children at the Child Care Center, as she wishes to work in a pediatrics office in the future. The internship is also flexible and convenient to her, as the daycare is close to her off-campus housing, and she is able to take breaks, such as during finals week. Another intern — Emily Scholler, a senior early childhood education major with a concentration in special education — has continually worked at the Child Care Center since spring 2019. But now, she reports having more responsibilities. “[In my previous experience working at the day-
care], it would be more of just going with the kids and playing with them, and doing snack time, and now, I get to plan academic experiences — small group time — and I do more of greeting parents and writing in [children’s] notebooks,” Scholler said. “We write about how they eat each of their meals and about how their day went.” The internship works well with Scholler’s schedule, as most of her classes are at night. It also helped her make her decision to continue working in early childhood education after she graduates. “Personally, I would like to work with small children. I’d like to do early intervention, so this is like the perfect experience to have before I do that, to
really know that this is a field I want to go into,” Scholler said. Funding for the internship has been secured for the whole year, but Squires and Girard hope to be able to continue the program for longer. “It’s very limited. It’s a great opportunity, but to only give us three semesters to try this out isn’t very much time,” Squires said. “Maybe, if the state sees that this is worthwhile, they would renew [funding] and give us money for another year, and another.” They advocate for the importance of early childhood education, especially in settings outside of traditional schooling, like the Child Care Center. “[Affordable and acces-
sible daycare] is not readily available in the North Country, and it’s really a broader issue. It’s a national issue.” Squires said. “So something like [this internship], even though it’s really small, it’s a movement in the right direction: we’re actually acknowledging the importance of this field.” Girard shares this view. “Our society undervalues early childhood education, particularly when it comes to education outside traditional classrooms,” she said. “Education at child care centers is just as valuable as that of school settings.”
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Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
This Week in Photos: Creatures Photos By Olga Muka
Above: Juniors Jamie Junior, Abigail Zerbe and Cellar Hogan pose with their creatures.
To the right: Seniors Oscar Saldivar and Omar Saldivar show off their creatures at the Student Association’s event.
The Student Association hosted a Create-ACreature in the H.U.B. on Feb. 14. Students created their own stuffed animals to take home with them. Below: Sophomore Sarah Feingold and Freshman Hailey Sweeney smile with an eagle and tiger stuffed animal.
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FRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022
Bears can’t handle soaring Cardinals
Bridget Orr (21) warms up for the Cardinals, who comes into this week ranked the No.2 ranked team in the country. BY LIAM SAMPLE Staff Writer
The No.2 Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team closed out the Potsdam Bears 8-3 after an explosive five goal first period Feb. 11 at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. With this win, they clinch the top spot in the North East Women’s Hockey League standings, which they have done all four year since the conference was created. This game was a bounce back for the Cards after a hiccup on the road where they tied Cortland 3-3 Friday, Feb. 4. They have now won two straight and moved to 18–2-1 overall with a 13-0-1 conference record. The Cardinals proved they were worthy of the No. 2 rank in the country with five different players scoring in this offensive statement. This is their second straight home game scoring eight or more goals. Sophomore Mae Olshansky netted two goals to start the game and both came from quick shots near the crease. The first was off a one-timer where Senior Nicole Unsworth sent a cross-ice pass to Olshansky. Her second was four minutes later, where she ripped home a loose puck after an Unsworth shot went off the goalie’s pad. This brought Olshasnky’s goal total up to eleven on the season, the most by any player on the team appearing in their first season. Graduate student Kaitlin Drew-Mead scored at the 11:17 mark of the first period on a perfectly placed shot
short side for her tenth of the season. Fellow graduate student and reigning NEWHL Player of The Week Annie Katonka followed with one of her own moments later; on the power play, she redirected a pass from Junior Ivy Boric right in front of the net for her twentieth of the season. Boric also tallied her nineteenth assist of the year, tying her for the second most in the conference. Unsworth scored her twelfth this year. At the 17:03 mark to end the first period barrage. After taking the puck into the offensive zone, she drew the goalie to her left and found the back of the net. Coming out of the first break leading 5-0 felt like enough for the Cards, but the Bears battled back with senior Stephanie Dunlap and junior Emily Dellaneve getting their team into it. The second was also a bounce back for Bears’ sophomore Goalie Ellie Zurfluh, who stopped 12in the period and thirty-one overall, while allowing eight. She moves to 6-7-1 and is in her first collegiate season. Plattsburgh went with junior Chloe Beaubien, who is starting in her second straight. She is now 7-0-0 in eight appearances and allowed three while saving twenty in this one. The Cardinals got back on track in the third, tallying another just over three and a half minutes in the period. Katonka sent a pass from the far corner over to Boric in front, who one-timed it five hole. Back on the powerplay five minutes later, Katonka took a shot from the slot for her second power play goal of the game and twenty-eighth career. This puts
DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points
her just one short of tying the schools powerplay goal record of 29. “It was a really good first period then we just kinda thought we could coast through the game and Potsdam took advantage of it.” Katonka said. The Cardinals put the icing on the cake when Unsworth managed a breakaway, made a nifty move to the outside and put a low shot past Zurfluh with 1:20 remaining in the game. She finished the game with five points. This season she has scored four goals against Potsdam in tow games. “We got off to a great start which was good for us tonight” summarized Senior Goaltender Ashley Davis, “.. but going into the rest of the season we need to focus on consistency and keeping the pressure on for 60 [minutes].” Plattsburgh finished the game leading thirty nine to twenty three in shots. Special teams was a huge factor for both sides, with Potsdam going two for three on the powerplay and The Cards finishing two for four. Historically, The Cardinals have never lost a game to The Bears, being a perfect 32-0 against them. While Plattsburgh holds the top spot in the NEWHL, Potsdam is barely hanging on the last playoff spot and with this loss, moves to 8-12-1 and 6-8-1 in conference. With little time left before the playoffs, this next week has become increasingly important for both sides. Email LIAM SAMPLE cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Women’s basketball loses two close games
Caitlin Kolsar (24) had a good season scoring averaging 3.4 points per game. BY JESSICA LANDMAN Staff Writer
The Cardinals traveled out to Potsdam for their fifth consecutive away game on Feb. 8. Ending the first quarter down, the Plattsburgh women’s basketball team gained the lead in the second and kept that advantage through the final three quarters, guiding the team to a 68-60 win over the Bears. Just one minute into the first quarter, a 3-point shot made by Mya Smith put Plattsburgh on the scoreboard. The Bears went on to score five consecutive points with Couture getting a layup shortly after. With six minutes remaining in the quarter, Hannah Roberto made a good layup to lessen the Bear’s lead, however this was quickly followed by another five points made by Potsdam. Coming back with only four minutes remaining, Couture secures three points with two la-
yups and Inglee with a three pointer. Sullivan finished out the quarter with a jump shot ending with a score of 15-18, Bears. The Cardinals started the second quarter on a high note. Only 30 seconds in with a completed jump shot shot by Kelly Degan assisted by Misa Dowell. This however was followed up by two good layups from Potsdam. Plattsburgh’s Mya Smith responded with a three point basket and Misa Dowell with a jumper in the paint. The Cardinals wrapped up the quarter with Couture and Roberto both bringing in two points each giving Plattsburgh a 31-30 lead at halftime. First year and point leader for this game, Payton Couture said, “My team and I knew we had to stick to our original defensive and offensive plan that we were working on from our previous practice. As well as keeping our energy and confidence up throughout the rest of the game for us to win.” Coming out of half, Couture sank a 3-pointer af-
DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points
ter just one minute into the third quarter. After even, back-and-forth play by both teams, Cardinals kept their narrow lead over Potsdam until about seven minutes into the quarter when the Bears gained seven consecutive points giving them a one point lead. Couture responded with four points at the end of the quarter bringing the score to 49-46 with just ten minutes left in the game. Coming into the final quarter, Plattsburgh came out strong with six points three minutes in. The Bears answer with five successive points but it’s still not enough to give them the lead. Hope Sullivan secures that lead further making two good free throws with just six minutes left in the game. The Cardinals finish the game resolutely with points from Smith, Couture and Sullivan. The Cardinals end the night with a 6860 win over the Potsdam Bears. WBBl B3
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CARDINAL SPORTS
Sports Editor Garrett Collins
Cardinals go on Bear Hunt
Men’s Hockey
Men’s Hockey -SUNYAC tournement TBA Feb 26
Womens Hockey -NEWHL tournement TBA Mar 1
Mens Lax Sat. Feb 26 @Russle Sage 3 p.m.
Womens Lax Wed Mar 2. @Canton 4p.m.
Baseball Sun. Feb 27 @Maritime 12/3 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
Softball
School SUNYAC Oswego 11-0-2-1 Plattsbugrh11-2-4-1 Genesseo 10-0-2-1 Cortland 7-1-5-2 Fredonia 7-0-0-0 Brockport 6-7-1-2 Potsdam 3-0-11 Buffalo State 3-1-10 Morrisville 2-1-12
Record 16-5-1 15-7-3 18-3-1 12-9-2 9-9-1 13-9-2 4-16-1 5-16 7-14-12
Women’s Hockey
DAKOTA GILBERT /Cardinal Points
Jacod Hearne (31) has been on a tear as of late going undefeated all 5 of his starts. BY MELANIE LANZO Staff Writer
On Friday, Feb. 11, The Plattsburgh State men’s ice hockey team took down SUNY Potsdam at SUNYAC inside the Maxcy Ice Arena. This win puts the Cardinals in a position where they could possibly participate in the SUNYAC tournament and make it in the final conference standings. First-period, junior Ryan Hogg started off the game with his first goal of the season, and at 6:16 sophomore forward man Paul Bryer also got an assist on a flat-out one-time shot past the goalie. Potsdam then started to play catch up, 12:06 and that’s when forward Robert Clerc made a pass to forward Michael McArthur, who scored the puck into an open net.
Ludwig was also given an assist in that play. The Cardinals immediately had a 3-1 advantage at 6:22 of the second period. Sophomore forward Carson Gallagher scored, creating a power play. Senior defense Matt Araujo made it to the left point and Araujo moved the puck taking it out of the ditch presented before Gallagher left it in. At 3:24 of the third round, Young really started scoring. He basically saw a wide-open shot and used it to his advantage, he skated to the end and managed to score on the other side, beating the goalie to it. Adam Tretowicz is another player making strategic playing moves, scoring at 12:08 of the third round. Tretowicz and Young went back and forth, creating a 2-on-1
rush into the other team’s score zone. Tretowicz passed the puck to Young on the left side and got ready to push it through the goal. Young passes it back to Tretowicz. Tretowicz made the goal. Potsdam’s Ludwig finally started stepping up for Potsdam in a time of need and broke up the scoring spree at 16:12 of the third round. Garrett McArthur and Josh Bifolchi got some assists on the score. The Cardinals won with a score of 5-2. The first round of the SUNYAC Tournament will take place Feb 26. Then following up, a semi final round will take place March 2. The championship game is scheduled for March 5, 2022.
Men’s Hockey Goals
Bennet Stockdale Joey Mancuso Carson Gallagher
Assists
Womens Hockey 14 13 9
Bennet Stockdale Joey Mancuso Jacob Modry
14 14 14
Save Percentage Jacob Hearne
.905
Goals
Annie katonka Nicole Unsworth Sara Krauseneck
Assists
27 15 14
Sara Krauseneck Ivy Boric Erin McArdle
27 22 20
ave Percentage Lilla Neace
.951
Men’s Lax Goals -
Assists -
0 0 0
Women’s Lax Goals -
Assists 0 0 0
Baseball
-
0 0 0
0 0 0
School NEWHL RecordPlattsburgh 15-0-1 20-2-1 Cortland 11-4-1 16-4-1 Oswego 11-4-1 14-7-1 Potsdam 6-10-1 8-14-1 Canton 6-9-1 12-9-1 Morrisville 4-11-1 6-14-1 Buffalo State 0-15-0 1-20-1
Mens Lax
School SUNYAC Record New Paltz 0-0 0-0 Cortland 0-0 0-0 Plattsburgh 0-0 0-0 Oswego 0-0 0-0 Brockport 0-0 0-0 Fredonia 0-0 0-0 Geneso 0-0 0-0 Oneonta 0-0 0-0
Womens Lax
School Cortland Geneseo New Paltz Plattsburgh Brockport Buffalo State Fredonia Oneonta Oswego Potsdam
Record SUNYAC0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Softball
Email MELANIE LANZO cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Cardinals tie single season loss record
Marlon Todd (0) is second on the team in 3-pointers made with 23 three- pointers made on the season. BY COLLIN BOLEBRUCH Staff Writer
The Cardinals are about to break a school record, but it’s not history that they want to make. On Tuesday, Plattsburgh (2-19) lost to the conference opponent Potsdam Bears (10-9) by a score of 6780 in Potsdam. After suffering their 19th loss this year, Plattsburgh ties the 1999-2000 and 2002-03 seasons for most losses in a men’s basketball season. With just four games left on the schedule, the 2021-22 Cardinals are set to be in sole possession of the title. Despite the double-digit final score, the game remained close most of the way throughout. There weren’t many lead changes, but the Cardinals were always a basket or two behind. Kevin Tabb saw a career night, netting 26 points, six rebounds, two steals, and four three-pointers. Other key contributors included a double-double by Erik Salo with 14 points and 13 rebounds and first-year guard Franklin Infante with 11 points. Tabb wasn’t surprised by his stat sheet. He said, “My confidence was really high going into that game.” Infante started the season on the bench but eventually worked his way into the starting lineup over older, more experienced players. Infante shared, “I try to handle the responsibility the best I can.
Learning from my teammates and coaches has helped me adapt the best I can with a lot of room to improve. I put the work in to be as ready as I can when my number is called. I don’t feel pressure because I know I have my teammates and coaches behind me.” Coming off of the bench for Potsdam, center/forward Tyrese Baptiste put up 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Guard Jeff Williamson scored 15 on just eight shots. Potsdam had seven more offensive rebounds than Plattsburgh. It took advantage of that, putting in 17 second-chance points to the Cardinals’ five. “It hurt the team in a big way. We need to do a better job boxing out and attacking the glass on defense,” Salo said. Although only seven players saw over 10 minutes, Plattsburgh recorded an impressive 47.4% (27-57) from the field. It also recorded 16 turnovers to Potsdam’s 13, while scoring only nine points off of those opportunities, and Potsdam scored 23. “We can take advantage of our opportunities off turnovers by staying composed once we get possession of the ball and getting the best shot available on offense.” Infante said. The high workload didn’t phase the starters. “I think it helped, because like the way we practice we be running hard and stuff like that. So I feel like the starters don’t get tired a lot.” Tabb said. The first half saw a game of back and forth, with the Cardinals never being down by more than seven. Platts-
DAKOTA GILBERT/Cardinal Points
burgh was plenty efficient, hitting 50% of all shots and 42.9% of their threes. “I feel like that was everyone coming together that game. Like we was going into that game, like trust, believe in your game. Don’t be scared to take your shots or none of that.” Said Tabb. Only their starters played significant minutes, with just eight players seeing the floor in the first. Between those three bench players, only two points were scored on four shots. They entered the next half down 32-38. Things did not get better for Plattsburgh. Baskets from Salo and Infante brought it within two, but within five minutes the Cardinals were down double digits for the first time all game. The game was never out of reach, but that was the tipping point for the Cardinals. The Bears put their foot on the gas pedal, leading by 18 with two minutes left. “We need to retain our composure late in these games.” Salo Said. “I think being consistent and playing smart, team basketball for a full 40 minutes is what the team needs to work on most. Plattsburgh returns home Friday, taking on SUNY Geneseo (9-11). Two weeks ago, the Cardinals lost in Geneseo by six, and now they look to even out the season series. Email COLLIN BOLEBRUCH cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
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Sports Editor Garrett Collins
CARDINAL SPORTS
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Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
Plattsburgh mourns the loss of ‘Coach K’
PROVIDED BY: BRIAN SAVARD
John Konowitz was a well respcted member of the SUNYAC community head coaching for New Paltz and Cortland, Winning coach of the year in 1995. BY GARRETT COLLINS Sports Editor
This season for the SUNY Plattsburgh men’s basketball team has been one that most players on the team are probably looking forward to seeing end. The team started out going 1-1 and from there went on not to win a game until late January, when they beat the Buffalo Bengals in a thriller. The compounding losses, and only four games left in the season are something that can make a team want to throw their hands up and every loss just starts to feel the same way. One loss however did not happen on the court but off the court, when the assistant men’s basketball coach, John Konowitz unexpectedly died Jan. 28. A natural athlete, Konowitz was a two sport athlete in High School playing both baseball and basketball. Hoops was where he was the best, breaking an at the time, school record for points in a game scoring 41 points. Konowitz would then take his talents to the college ranks, looking to continue his career for the foreseeable future at Glassboro State College. That foreseeable future for Konowitz, However, was a lot closer than he expected when a tumor ended his playing career after a brief one year on the team. Although his playing career was over, this setback didn’t allow him to stop contributing to the sport. Moving his knowledge of the sport to the North Country, Konowitz started coaching at Ausable Valley Central School from 1974-1982 taking over a team that, in his first three years, won only six games. After those early years of coaching Konowitz moved up to the collegiate level, taking the reins of the North Country Community College team from 1982-1985. After a brief stint on the community college level, Konowitz was asked to take over a New Paltz team that was down on its luck, not having a winning season in 10 seasons. After some success with New Paltz after four years he would take one more head
WBB Continued from page B1 “Yes, I think playing Potsdam later on in the year again played a factor in us being able to walk away with a big win. As the second time we played them our offense was noticeably better,” Couture said, “As well as when we played Potsdam the first time, we didn’t have the team we have now.” This win over the Potsdam bears brings the Cardinal’s women’s basketball team to a 7-14 record with a 4-10 SUNYAC record. The Plattsburgh Women’s basketball team had another game just three days after their exciting win against SUNY Potsdam. SUNY Geneseo came to Plattsburgh’s Memorial Hall Gymnasium after having five away games. The match was close, passing the lead ten times but the Cardinals eventually fell to the Knights 45-34. Coming into this game, knowing that Geneseo would be a tough opponent, head coach Benjamin Sarraf said. “I expected that Geneseo would try to do the same thing they did the first time against us because it worked so well. They basically ran on us when they could and used their size advantage when we were able to slow them down. Those two factors combined crushed us. Knowing that, we prepared to stop their size in the half court and continue to get
coaching job. The Cortland Red Dragons had won a total of 34 games in a span of six years. After Konowitz arrived in 1989, Winning ensued. Konowitz Cortland’s career would see him go 84-75 with a 50.2 win percentage, which was a breath of fresh air compared to the 33.3 win percentage in the eight years that preceded Konowitz. Konowitz would end his head coaching career in the only way he knew how - winning SUNYAC Coach of the year in his final season in 1995. The next step for Konowitz was to return to where his coaching story began. Although he was working locally for Primerica Financial Services, the lure of teaching the youth his extensive knowledge of Basketball was something that he could never shake. He would return to coaching - this time as a volunteer assistant for SUNY Plattsburgh and where his coaching career began, at Ausable Valley Central School. Just as he helped the teams that he joined in his past, his job was to help the newly hired coach Mike Blaine in 2019. “Coach was critical and a vital importance when I first came to the Program in 2019,” Blaine said. “The familiarity with the SUNYAC and the teams helped the transition.” Not only did Konowitz help new Coach Mike Blaine get acclimated to a new environment, he also was always there for players and was always there for them. “He was valuable to players someone who always had their backs and wanted the best for them,” Blaine said. Konowitz influenced every player he met - even ones that he never ended up getting to coach his teams. Andrew Dumas, a highschool basketball player was coached by John’s brother, Ron, for Keene Central School in the 1980. “John coached at North Country Community College when I was a high school athlete (during the 1980’s) and I attended his summer basketball camps,” Dumas said. He shared a story about getting recruited by Konowitz to join his New Paltz team. “I was transferring from Champlain Junior College
and he must have found out that I’d be home during spring break. He came to my parents’ house with a stack of VHS cassettes of his team’s games. He stayed and visited with me and my parents for the afternoon, “ Dumas said. Although he ended up joining the Plattsburgh Cardinals roster in 1988, He still recalled playing against his former camp counselor on the college stage. “He always made it a point to say hello and ask how I was doing. He was genuine and sincere. I appreciated that.” Past and present, Coach Konowitz has made a positive impact on his players. Current Cardinals big man Erik Salo, mentioned how all the coach wanted was his players to get better on and off the court. “Coach Konowitz was a coach that truly cared about his players and the team,” Salo said. “Even though the coach only knew some of us for a short time, he truly wanted us to become better basketball players and men, and it really showed.” “He knew how to joke around while staying on task and was always a delight to be around. I am grateful for the short time I got to spend with “Coach K” and I know many others would say the same.” Konowitz was a valued member of the Cardinals during his time with the team that spanned over eight years as an assistant coach and has touched all of his players present and past, and he will surely be missed by not only the north country community and the rest of the SUNYAC Community at large.
back in transition. Offensively - we knew we needed to be patient... in order to be successful against a team that big you need multiple attacks, ball reversals, and paint touches to get good looks. That’s why we were taking our time on offense.” Geneseo took the lead early and through many missed shots from both sides, the Knights finally made a point with five minutes left in the quarter. Two minutes later, Plattsburgh got onto the scoreboard with a good three pointer made by Brinley Inglee to tie the game. The low-scoring quarter ended 6-9 with Geneseo taking the lead. The second quarter was opened up two minutes in with a three pointer made by Kayla Doody, assisted by Couture, and tied the game 9-9. After a free throw made by Payton Couture to bring Plattsburgh into the lead, both teams were evenly matched with Sullivan, Dowdell, Smith, and Doody scoring points to end the second quarter with an overall score of 19-17. “With the lead at half I expected Geneseo to change their gameplan,” Coach Benjamin said. “I knew the only way we would win is if we could adjust to whatever they had planned.” Geneseo opened the second with two quick layups to take the lead. Plattsburgh’s comeback came shortly after with Hannah Roberto’s layup to tie while Deagan, with a three point, and Roberto, with a layup, took a five point lead with only six minutes left in the quarter. Kayla Doody came in with a three point and two good free throws, however with the Knights
being the primary scorers, they took a narrow lead at the end of the third quarter with a score of 31-32. The fourth quarter started with a three point made by Geneseo but a quick response from Brinley Inglee also with a three point shot to tie the game one final time with eight minutes remaining in the game. The Knights dominated the rest of the quarter with two three pointers, two jump shots, a free throw, and a layup. The game ended with a devastating final score of 34-45. This loss to the Geneseo Knights brings the Plattsburgh State women’s basketball team to a record of 7-15 and a SUNYAC record of 4-11. “Moving forward into the rest of our season we will continue to play with confidence as well as high energy,” Payton Couture said. This confidence and energy will continue in the team’s final home game and senior night against SUNY Brockport Feb. 12 and away games at SUNY New Paltz Feb. 18 and SUNY Oneonta Feb. 19.
Email GARRETT COLLINS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
Email JESSICA LANDMAN cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
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FUSE
FUSE Editor Sydney Hakes
Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
Africana Studies hosts movie nights BY LUCA GROSS Staff Writer
The Africana Studies faculty showed “Judas and the Black Messiah,” followed by a discussion on Feb. 10. The goal of this discussion was to analyze the connections between the past and today, and how the film can give us a new perspective on history, specifically during Black History Month. The film was based on true events and stars William O’Neal, played by LaKeith Stanfield who is blackmailed by the FBI to infiltrate the Black Panther party. He is tasked with obtaining information on the chairman Fred Hampton, played by Daniel Kaluuya. Dr. John McMahon, a member of the Africana Studies faculty, said, “film can display moments in history that are lesserknown or even actively covered up and buried from public memory.” Superheroes or scary stories have their place, but film can provide a new outlet of information for a new audience. When the medium is utilized effectively, they can offer a unique perspective on historic events. “[Movies] give a broader audience access to historical accounts. How else can you learn about history, you can read a book, you
Africana Studies shows “Judas and the Black Messiah” in Yokum 206. can take a class, or hear stories from other people,” Elizabeth Onasch, a member of the Africana Studies faculty said. “Mainstream film may allow some to understand history better,” Dr. Tracie Guzzio, of the Africana Studies department, said, “this may be the first way to get people to question or think about the his-
tory they may not have learned in school.” The discussion after the film, yielded a variety of opinions from students and faculty of diverse backgrounds. The film surprised some of the audience. A member of the history department explained that despite growing up while the events transpired, she had
little to no knowledge of it until later in life. An exchange student from Africa was surprised to have learned about it at all. Their experiences growing up in another country and their knowledge of the events did not match what they saw in the film. The discussion continued from the benefits of
OLGA MUKA/Cardinal Points
films like “Judas and the Black Messiah” into the history behind the film. “I think it corrects a lot of the misperceptions of bad history that people implicitly receive about the Black Panther party,” McMahon said. “I think it shows the work they did on social programs, it shows the solidarity work they did with other orga-
THRIFT Continued from page B6
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The stop is located on the first floor of Adirondack Hall, and is open periodically throughout the semester. Students and faculty can purchase a ticket for $5 on the SUNY Plattsburgh website, or in person at the stop. With a ticket, the shopper can take however many items they want from the shop, with a limitation on TVs and fridges. The idea was created by Jim Sherman, the director of Campus Housing and Community Living. New York state mandated that college students reuse and recycle leftover goods and materials to prevent them from being added to landfills. “Students leave stuff behind all of the time,” Sherman said. “The semester ends and they don’t need a lot of their things, or don’t have the ability to take it all with them. We did a rummage sale for years, but students would often have left campus by then and there were always so many things still sitting here.” The stop gives students a place to drop off things they may not need at any time in the semester. Donations can be brought to the Campus Living office or be inquired about with the office or over email. Besides being a place to donate unwanted goods, the stop provides access to items many students need but may not be able to afford. Items found in the stop can range from clothing to electronics to furniture. “It’s great for someone like an international student, who often only has one bag when they get to SUNY Plattsburgh. They can get most things they need right on campus for $5,” Sherman said. “Then when they leave, they can bring it all back to the thrift stop.” A cart service is available for all students on
nizations in Chicago in a really effective way that dramatizes and narrates in a way that makes it accessible for folks.” Onasch mentioned the 1619 project from the New York Times, a reminder of the 400 years since slavery. Like the film, the project aims to refocus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the history of the United States. Specifically the contributions of the enslaved individuals in the United States. “Black history is American history,” Guzzio said. “So much of who we are as a country is because of the contribution of African Americans. The Black Panthers breakfast programs later became the basis for the federal school lunch programs.” There was a reflection on how Americans have a lot to think about in the way history is portrayed, and how stories like the one depicted in the film often become suppressed over time. The Africana Studies faculty are hosting another movie night, followed by a discussion Feb. 22 with a screening of “Summer of Soul,” a documentary on the Harlem Cultural Festival during the summer of 1969. Email LUCA GROSS cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
campus to transport items to and from their dorm. Students are also welcome to browse the shop without purchasing a ticket first. All of the money collected from the tickets is given to the campus food shelf. “The entire idea of the thrift stop is to help students and faculty who may be in need. We wanted to turn that money around and help the students in another way,” Sherman said. At the grand opening in August 2021, they raised nearly seven hundred dollars, and around a thousand dollars was raised at the beginning of the spring semester. They hope to spread word of the stop, that “it will only thrive if students and faculty actively donate and buy from the stop,” Sherman said. Ann Beauchamp, a senior at SUNY Plattsburgh, is a big proponent of thrifting. “When I was younger, my mom would always ask where I wanted to go for school shopping,” Beauchamp said. “Instead of something like Target, I would always say to a thrift store. I loved the idea of finding something no one else has, and as I got older, I also loved the sustainability of it.” She learned about the campus thrift stop from the emails and hopes to visit the next time they’re open. “I’d also advise students to take the time and thrift. Not only is there the satisfaction of finding a unique item and being sustainable, but it can be a great way to see a town and get involved in the community,” Beauchamp said. The stop is currently operated by volunteers and the campus housing staff. There aren’t set hours, but Sherman said to expect updates and information over email. Students are welcome to get involved volunteering at the stop, and encouraged to donate goods or just $5 for the food shelf.
Email SYDNEY HAKES
cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
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FUSE
FUSE Editor Sydney Hakes
Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
‘North by Nuuk’ portrays new views BY JESS JOHNSON Opinions Editor
Hues of green and blue light the way and guide curious students along the walls of “North by Nuuk,” exhibition gallery in the John Myers Fine Art Museum. An intimate, contemporary look into the landscapes of Greenland, 70-year-old artist and tenutred professor of photography at Rochester Institute of Technology, Denis Defibaugh presents his exploration 300 miles north of the Arctic circle and his journey of meeting new faces, seeing new sights, and engulfing himself in the culture of Nuuk to the settlement of Illorsuit. Inspired by Rockwell Kent, an artist who took three voyages to Newfoundland, Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, and Greenland in the mid 1900s, Defibaugh’s work shows a more recent look into the landscape of Greenland overwhelming the human figure, the change in the environment surrounding settlements due to global warming, traditions and culture, untouched remote arctic communities, and a modern, inside look into its capital, Nuuk. “I liked seeing the difference between Kent’s trip, and the Nuuk’s photos, and how they compare,” Senior Studio Art major Victoria Lafave said. “Most of my work and my subject matter is organic and nature based, so it definitely helps me see different variations of what I wanna put down when I’m painting. I paint from my mind and what I can remember, and [the exhibit] gave me a different view.” Artists like Lafave draw inspiration from explorers such as Kent, who sailed to Nuuk, Greenland in 1929, in a small 33-foot cutter named Direction, where he stayed until early 1935. He resided in Greenland and produced an extensive collection of photographs, art and literature describing
LIAM MOLONEY/Cardinal Points North by Nuuk, Greenland debuted in Myers Feb. 1 and will be on display until March 11.
and illustrating his time in the Uummannaq district. eighty five years later, Defibaugh, who had grown up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received a traveling grant through Polar Field Services, flew to Greenland, following in Kent’s footsteps and staying in the same small communities as he resided. Once there, Defibaugh traveled to the distant communities of Illorsuit and Uummannaq, two small island settlements about 50 miles apart. In 1931 when Kent arrived in Illorsuit the population was about 165, and in 2016 the population was about 75. Defibaugh was able to meet many of the residents and immerse himself in their culture and traditions. Defibaugh was out photographing on his birthday, Oct. 4, 2016. Birthdays are an important occasion in the small population of Illorsuit, and he had not mentioned to anyone it was his birthday. One of the first community members he saw knew it was his birthday, and had a gift to offer him. It was a necklace with a handmade, inuit drum on it, Defibaugh describing it as “really beautiful.” Although there was a language barrier, because the Illorsuit people
speak Greenlandic, others had spoken to him as well and given him candy bars during the day. A man even had invited him to dinner to eat a wolf fish he had caught earlier in the day, an image that is featured in the Nuuk gallery. “From there I left, and went on top of this hillside to do a panorama,” Defibaugh said, explaining one of the landscape photos from the exhibition. “And it was an amazing day all the way around, from photographing to how nice everyone was to me, to getting this panorama that I had probably photographed half a dozen times. It was a very good day; a very good birthday.” Getting images like these were a visual representation of his journey while navigating getting to know the community of Illorsuit. Originally inspired by Kent’s lantern slides from the SUNY Plattsburgh Kent archive, he wanted to do a comparative study based on the photographs by Kent and Defibaugh’s more recent exploration to the same communities in modern day Greenland. He was in four different communities during his 16-month voyage; Nuuk, the capital of Greenland with a population of about
16,000, to Sisimiut with about 7,000 residents, to Uummannaq with about 1,200 residents, to Illorsuit with about 70 residents in the community, spending most of his time in Uummannaq and Illorsuit. Defibaugh’s goal was to “document the inuit culture and the cultural and primal landscape.” “There were similarities in things I did and things that Kent did, but the main similarity was the four communities I photographed,” Defibaugh said. “I had never been to Greenland before, so I didn’t have any preconceived ideas about what I was going to go and photograph. I just knew that I wanted to photograph the contemporary culture of Greenland, the contemporary Inuits, and the cultural landscape that includes people, not so much the primal landscape.” For Defibaugh, who has also received a prestigious National Science Foundation award for research, it was a learning experience about the culture and what’s important to those residing in Greenland. Axel Jeremiahson, a collaborator on the National Science Foundation Award, was an integral part of the project, a Greenland native that
helped educate Defibaugh on the area and introduced him to some of the residents, culture and activiy of Greenland, as well as how to really immerse himself into the ways of the communities. “I did everything I could to become part of that community,” Defibaugh said. “It was funny because when I first got there, I didn’t know anybody. By the time I left, in the heliport in Illorsuit I knew everybody. In the heliport in Uummannaq, I knew probably half to three-fourths of the people in the airport. I would alway know people in airports by the time I left, whether they were Inuit, or American, or Danish. I got to meet a lot of different people, and be a part of their lives.” Defibaugh says he is still in touch with many people in Greenland, and this past weekend, one of them sent him a note about downloading a video game to be able to play together. He explains that his project has made quite the impact, and he’s even sent books to Greenland to people he’s worked with and who were photographed in the project. He also did photography workshops with about 140 students in Greenland and created ex-
hibitions for their work in the schools there. “I wasn’t just there to take their pictures; I was there to do more than that,” Defibaugh said. The North by Nuuk exhibition is open in the John Myers Fine Art building until March 11, and is free and open to the public, Tuesday through Sunday, noon until 4 p.m. “It’s a wonderful show, I’m really happy that we have it here,” Tonya Cribb, the director of the Plattsburgh State Art Museum, said. “Right now we have global warming and we’ve got glaciers sinking in Greenland. Rockwell Kent had a lot of contact with the Indegenious people there. Thinking about their lifestyle and how they’re impacted… There are just so many students that can be impacted by this show. I want to encourage everyone to come.” North by Nuuk is an art exhibit experience to see first hand, as “there’s a type of fearlessness about both artists, as they went outside of what they knew; they went outside of their comfort zones and had these amazing experiences they were able to share with other people.” The exhibition will soon be moved to Cooperstown, in the Fenimore Art Museum until the end of the year. Defibaugh is looking to set up more exhibitions to spread more of his imagery all over the country, and is currently working on contacting different museums in Florida and Maine. His objective is to find as many museums as possible to share his findings to inspire others. He would love to visit Greenland again, as he’s already received invitations to come back.
Email JESS JOHNSON
cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
By Sydney Hakes
LEO
Big things are happening, huh? Don’t get too caught up in the excitement or you’ll lose track of other responsibilities. Still try and enjoy it though. Tip: double knot your laces this week.
SAGITTARIUS
You’re in a transitional phase. Focus on what will be best for you and not what you think is expected of you. Tip: don’t eat too much ginger this week.
VIRGO
Don’t get complacent in the mundane. Take a moment right now to remember your goals and aspirations. Tip: buy a new outfit.
CAPRICORN
It’s a guessing game on the next steps you want to take regarding relationships, but go with your gut and don’t overthink it. Tip: just send the message.
You’re juggling too many personas. Focusing on yourself internally will pay off in all aspects of your future. Tip: watch a new movie.
LIBRA
You have a break in the everyday grind coming up. Try and enjoy it instead of thinking about all of your concerns and responsibilities the entire time. Tip: remember to take a lot of pictures.
AQUARIUS
You have a habit of spiraling between being grounded and having your head in the clouds. Try and find some common ground within yourself. Tip: try a new hobby.
Any unexpected and unfortunate events will pass by quickly. It may seem like the end of the world, but what follows will be growth. Tip: pet a cat.
SCORPIO
PISCES
While you might love to live unpredictably, planning in advance could help improve your everyday flow. It might make some people in your life happier too. Tip: call someone you love.
ARIES
The balance of high-energy and de-escalation is going to be key this week. Look out. Tip: make a new recipe.
TAURUS
You’re caught up waiting for the next thing to happen. You haven’t lived in the moment in a while. When you finally get to that next thing, you’re going to regret not appreciating the past more. Tip: wear a scarf this weekend.
March 21 - April 19
April 20 - May 20
GEMINI
May 21 - June 20
CANCER
June 21 - July 22
July 23 - August 22
August 23 September 22
September 23 October 22
October 23 November 21
Live and let live. Stop getting so worked up over issues that don’t need an explosive response. You can only control your reaction, not the situation. Tip: make a new recipe this week.
November 22 - December 21
December 22 January 19
January 20 February 18
February 19 March 20
Myers exhibit B5
BY SYDNEY HAKES FUSE Editor
Campus Housing and Community Living opened a campus thrift stop in August 2021 to provide cheap and accessible goods to students, while also being a location for students to donate items throughout the semester. See THRIFT, B4
NGHI TO/Cardinal Points