FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2023
VOLUME 108 | ISSUE 7
SUNY Plattsburgh’s independent student newspaper since 1997
Provided by the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance
Trans Trivia attendees, predominantly brothers of Nu Theta Gamma, pose after the event hosted by Kelly Metzgar (in purple) and Regan Levitte (in polka dot) to end the day of programming. The event featured a jeopardy-style game with questions on LGBT celebrities and personalities, laws, history and queerness in cultures around the world.
College celebrates Trans Visibility Day BY JESSE TAYLOR Staff Writer
International Transgender Day of Visibility was last Friday, March 31. All across the country transgender people and supporters gathered in celebration of their identities. At SUNY Plattsburgh, the LGBTQ+ Resource Committee staff worked with
the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance and Dr. Michael Morgan to bring together a series of events in recognition of the national observance. To kick the day off, students were encouraged to chat with the LGBTQ+ Resource Committee in the H.U.B. from 9 to 11 a.m. about anything, from people’s experiences as mem-
bers of the transgender community to their journey in discovering their transgender identities. The discussion in the H.U.B. was followed by a panel discussion at 11 a.m. hosted by Kelly Metzgar, co-founder and executive director of the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance and joined by panelists Lamar
Childs, Nate LaBounty, Sage Wolf, Gray Adkins and Amber Desjardins. To open the panel, Metgzar explained what Transgender Day of Visibility is: “It’s an annual event that occurs March 31, dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by the trans community world-
wide,” Metzgar said. The transgender community faces discrimination from various groups of people across the globe. This can lead to anxiety, depression and suicidal ideations if transgender people are not properly supported in their journey as a trans person. The Trevor Project found in a 2022 survey of 34,000
queer individuals aged 13 to 24 that more than half of transgender youth had seriously considered suicide in the previous year. “It’s a really scary time to be trans,” Childs said. Being visible means freeing one’s own identity and celebrating it, allowing one’s true self to become seen by all.
TRANS > 3
SA elections lack enough candidates BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News & Managing Editor
General Student Association elections are happening April 18. However, another — special — election will follow, as there are not enough candidates running to fill all positions. In total, there are 24 positions to fill. Eight of the positions are on the Executive Council — president, vice president, treasurer and five coordinators — and the other 16 positions are in the Senate. It is crucial that all positions are filled, as each senator is responsible for a unique aspect of student life, from College Auxiliary Services to living off-campus. No candidates are running for treasurer and three senator positions. To Senator Dhruv Shah, the responsibility that lies within the treasurer position is deterring students from running. Shah also said SA members have done work behind the scenes encouraging people they know to run in elections. SA Liaison Tyler Hargraves said the responsibility to promote elections falls on all components of the SA, although the Board of Elections could choose not to promote it. Hargraves, who also advises the Board of Elections, declined to comment on the effectiveness of current efforts to promote the elections, saying he would
prefer to leave judgment up to students. To Chair of Elections Mary Stockman, poor turnout is the result of a lack of promotion. This responsibility has not been clearly defined and communicated across the SA. “It’s embarrassing, it’s sad that people who are supposed to represent the student body are lacking in representing the student body because they’re not making sure that there’s a next legislation,” Stockman said. Stockman said promoting the election is not the Board of Elections’ responsibility because it lacks the resources the SA has to promote it, such as access to the Instagram account. Instead, the board, which Stockman said is an entity separate from the SA yet connected to it, focuses on organizing elections and ensuring they are fair and not degrading to other candidates. Stockman said the BOE communicated the need to promote elections “many times,” including personally discussing the matter with SA President Taiba Azeem and Vice President Saran Kaba and addressing the Executive Council in a meeting. CANDIDATES > 2 ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA/Cardinal Points
OPINION Murderous mommy
SPORTS Runners thrive under Naylon
ARTS & CULTURE Best of BFA on display
THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS Egg Hunt
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