AWARENESS
Cayuga Community College Auburn & Fulton, New York
CAYUGABRIEFS
Collegian cayugacollegian@gmail.com
VOL. 67 ISSUE 6 OCTOBER 20, 2020
TIME TO CHECK YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
POOL ON CAMPUS COVID-19 TESTING PROCESS IMPROVES
By Marc Baan, co-editor After all the hard work students have put into the semester so far they deserve a reward, and that reward is on the way. Starting last week, the Financial Aid Refund Checks began to be issued out. Unfortunately, not everything is going as we would hope.
To improve our testing and make the process more convenient, we are expanding surveillance testing to four days per week on the Auburn Campus and three days per week on the Fulton Campus. Testing will also be available one evening per week on each campus. For your next appointment, we are requiring students and employees to use a scheduling platform to register for testing in specified half-hour time slots. Your testing appointment will not take the full half-hour. Please use this link to register and follow the instructions below to schedule your next testing date: Select the date and time for your test. Please ensure you select the appropriate campus. Note that Auburn Campus testing is now conducted in The Cube. Agree to the informed consent statement. On the next screen, click the Cayuga button and use your Cayuga email and password to login. This will confirm your appointment. You will receive a confirmation email. We encourage you to add this appointment to your calendar. You must be tested once between Monday, October 19, and Thursday, October 29. —Cathy J. Dotterer, Ed.D. Dean of Students
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CO-EDITOR FEATURE WRITER
PHOTO BY MARY G. MERRITT
BE THE FIRST TO SEE EACH NEW ISSUE OF THE CAYUGA COLLEGIAN!
Marc Baan
SUPER SANITIZER MEET KATHLEEN HANSEN: The retired CCC custodian answered the call to help and now scours the campus daily for germs. In her job as super sanitizer, she walks the halls of the Auburn campus cleaning anything people may have touched to combat the spread of disease, especially COVID-19. Despite her seemingly mundane task, she always has a smile in her eyes. If you see Kathleen in the halls, say hello and be sure to thank her for coming out of retirement for us to keep the campus germ-free.
FASFA (Federal Aid) checks are being issued out. It might take some time to get to you but if you are entitled to a federal aid refund it is on its way. If you are not sure you are eligible for a federal aid refund you can check your status at the FASFA website or contact the CCC Financial Aid Department and they will be happy to assist you. The TAP (State Aid) checks are another question. State Aid refunds have been delayed for an unknown reason. An email has been sent to eligible students regarding this delay. The Collegian has reached out through email to ascertain the reason for the delay, but as of printing, no response has been received. If there is new information, an update will be in the next issue of the paper. Although you may find it is annoying that a part of your refund is delayed, please remember a few things. There are thousands of students in college in New York State and thanks to the Covid-19 situation, many federal and state facilities are working with a skeleton crew. It will take time, but your financial aid refunds are on the way.
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PHOTOS BY MARY G. MERRITT
THANK YOU TO THE STUDENTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE CLUB FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO BUILDING
GOVERNOR CUOMO LAUNCHES COVID APP
CAYUGA
WELLNESS
SERVICES
By Michael Perry, associate editor
OPINIONS Michael Perry ASSOCIATE EDITOR
HOW I SEE IT... Recently, the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Finals, and Lebron James won his fourth NBA title. James has now won a championship with three different organizations, making him one of only four players to ever accomplish such a feat. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teenager in high school, and now he is 35-yearsold and showing no signs of slowing down. James’s path to greatness has not been short and sweet. He spent many years as a young NBA player with the Cleveland Cavaliers figuring out how to become a great leader and perfecting his own game. Even after two championships with the Miami Heat, and another championship when he returned to Cleveland, James struggled against a few teams in the playoffs, such as the Warriors and Spurs. He had to change his game plan and examine where he had to improve. Now he finds himself in the discussion for greatest player of all time because he adjusts and adapts.
“Finding small things to make your life easier better makes a big difference at the end of the day. So, adjust how you approach life if you feel like you’re in a rut.”
— Mike Perry, associate editor
When you struggle in life, it is probably because you are facing a challenge, just like James did against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. However, James did not just fail and walk away after losing, and you cannot just fail and walk away from life when it gets difficult. Change your game plan, examine where you need to improve. Do you need to manage your time better? Are you doing things that make you happy? Do you surround yourself with people whose presence you enjoy? Finding small things to make your life easier better makes a big difference at the end of the day. So, adjust how you approach life if you feel like you’re in a rut. Take a step back, breathe, and figure it out.
The Cayuga Collegian welcomes letters from its readers. Submissions must be emailed to cayugacollegian@gmail.com. Submissions must include your name, address and daytime phone number. All letters to the editor do not reflect the viewpoint of the Collegian office, its staff or advisor. All letters are simply the opinions of the writers themselves. All letters may be edited for content or length.
PAGE TWO
On October 1st, 2020 Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the launch of the COVID Alert NY app. Through the use of Bluetooth technology, it senses proximity to other phones that also have the app, and from there it can notify someone who may have come within six feet of a COVID positive person for at least ten minutes. There were two pilot tests conducted: one with students at SUNY Albany, SUNY Plattsburgh, and SUNY Oswego; and one with Columbia Engineering. The app is available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play Store. There have been similar apps used in Europe, but reports show extremely low usage rates. Virginia was the first state to launch an app like this back in August. However, as of October 1st, only 238 Virginians had used the app to report that they had become infected. It should be noted that there were over 50,000 positive cases in the state since the app had launched, per a report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, so clearly the majority of the state population did not use the app. We will need to see higher usage rates of these apps in order for the technology to be effective. The question is, how do you get more people to use the app? I think, for starters, most people would be suspicious of an app that tracks them everywhere they go. Also, most would be more eager to use the app if it were being promoted by doctor’s offices, testing locations, and any other medical facilities. Governor Cuomo may be excited for the app, but he cannot promote it alone if it is going to be successful. Local government officials should be promoting usage of the app as well. So far most of these COVID tracking apps have failed to be effective, but only time will tell whether the app proves to be successful in New York state. Perhaps if we see a large surge in cases people may be required to download the app. It all truly depends on the virus and where it goes from here.
Christina Bentley, MS Wellness & Intervention Counselor
Wellness Tips
Dr. Jerimy Blowers Wellness & Intervention Counselor
—submitted by Christina Bentley, Wellness Counselor, Fulton Campus
This is a difficult time for all of us. Make sure you check in with yourself. Here are a few things to help you take care of you. • Get some good sleep. Try to keep a pretty regular bedtime routine. Unplug and do something relaxing. • Move! Go for a walk or stretch your body. Even 5-10 minutes feels good. • Be mindful. Shift your attention to the here and now, this moment. How are you feeling? What do you see, hear? Take deep breaths. • Stay connected. Check in with friends, family. Use social media, video calls,
texts and phone calls to help stay in touch. Send encouraging words to someone. • Take a break from everything. Watch your favorite show, take a walk, bake, listen to music. Rest. If you ever need someone to chat with during these difficult times, please reach out to your Wellness Counselor on your campus.
AUBURN: jblowers1@cayuga-cc.edu FULTON: cbentle2@cayuga-cc.edu
HAVE AN OPINION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? Send your submission to cayugacollegian@gmail.com. Your submission must include the writer’s full name, college year and home town. Anonymous letters and letters written under pseudonyms will not be published. For verification purposes, submissions must also include the writer’s home address, e-mail address, and telephone number.
CAYUGA CLUBS! FULTON AND AUBURN CLUBS Please share your meeting times, events, and fund-raisers with The Cayuga Collegian We want to publish your news!
Email: cayugacollegian@gmail.com
Marc Baan Jenna Fields Michael Perry Emily Lane Joshua Hart Patrick Mahunik Mary G. Merritt
CO-EDITOR CO-EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHER CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTOR FACULTY ADVISOR
We are looking for more staff members!
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CAYUGABRIEFS FROM CCC PRESIDENT DURANT: WE ENDORSE GOVERNOR’S STRICTER COVID SANCTIONS As part of the effort to protect campus communities, SUNY has instituted standard sanctions for student violations of COVID-19 health and safety protocols. These sanctions issued by SUNY have our full support and have been instituted at both campuses. We are asking our faculty and staff to support these measures by reminding students of our health and safety protocols. Please review the details on the student sanctions listed below. SUNY COVID-19 STUDENT SANCTIONS • Misses two or more COVID-19 surveillance testing appointments, or fails to submit to daily health screenings for at least three consecutive days upon visiting campus, is subject to being restricted from campus or suspension. • Intentionally exposes other students to COVID-19, or fails to self-isolate if directed, is subject to suspension or permanent dismissal. • Fails to self-quarantine as directed or fails to comply with contact tracing efforts; hosts or attends an on-campus event violating campus population limits; or hosts or attends an off-campus event violating College, local or state population density guidelines, is subject to being restricted from campus, suspension or permanent dismissal. • Repeats and/or intentionally violates face mask and social distancing requirements is subject to being restricted from campus, suspension or permanent dismissal. • Student-athletes who fail to adhere to these standards may lose the privilege of competing. • Student organizations failing to adhere to these standards may be de-registered and reported to the appropriate national organizing entity. Students participating in organizations found to have violated these standards can be subject to loss of membership and/or officer status. —Dr. Brian Durant, CCC President
OCTOBER TRANSFER EVENTS PLANNED CCC WILL HOST 4 VIRTUAL TRANSFER FAIRS! OVER 40 COLLEGES WILL PARTICIPATE: BUSINESS VIRTUAL TRANSFER FAIR: Thursday, October 22nd from 11:00 AM 1:00 PM LIBERAL ARTS VIRTUAL TRANSFER FAIR: Tuesday, October 27th from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
FIVE CAYUGA FACULTY AND STAFF RECEIVE
2020 SUNY CHANCELLOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE Five Cayuga Community College faculty and staff members have received the 2020 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence, an honor applauding their outstanding contributions to the college and its students. Created in 1972 by SUNY, the Chancellor’s Award recognizes faculty and staff dedication and achievement in categories including Faculty Service, Librarianship, Professional and Classified Service, Scholarship and Creative Activities, and Teaching. “Throughout their years of service at Cayuga Community College, our five recipients of the 2020 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence have dedicated themselves each day to helping our students achieve,” said Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant. “Their commitment to our students’ goals is part of what makes Cayuga an excellent pathway as our students prepare for their future. These awards are well-deserved, and I congratulate all of our recipients.” Cayuga recipients include: EXCELLENCE IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICE Allison earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from SUNY Potsdam in 1993 and joined Cayuga in 2009 as the Assistant Director of Financial Aid. In that capacity, Allison has committed herself to counseling students and families through the financial aid process. This responsibility includes Allison Cass Assistant Director of guiding students and parents through completing and Financial Aid filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Her work includes verification and packaging of federal loans, reviewing all relevant loan issues for students, certifying private student loans, and she is responsible for monitoring $5 million annually in direct loan reconciliation for Cayuga. She also communicates directly with families exploring college options with financial aid information sessions and FAFSA filing workshops. In her time at Cayuga, Allison has served on the Student Success Committee, the Advisement Task Force Committee, and was the chair of the New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association Region 8 Committee from 2013-2014.
EXCELLENCE IN CLASSIFIED SERVICE After graduating summa cum laude from Cayuga in 2001, Misty earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Childhood Education from SUNY Oswego. From 2001 to 2007, she worked part-time with several Cayuga departments before joining the College’s Center for Academic Success full-time in 2007. At Cayuga, Misty works with Misty Digaetano students who are preparing Senior Typist for and taking placement and entrance exams, including for the Nursing and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs. She also works with Admissions and Student Engagement on student placement testing and captures data from the College’s Tutoring Program. Misty works closely with teaching faculty and the Office of Accessibility Resources, administering make-up and accommodative exams. During her time at Cayuga, Misty has served as a student retention coach and has participated in other College retention programs, serves on the Wellness Committee, and is a member of the Fulton Campus Strategic Planning Committee.
EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING Paul began working at Cayuga as a lecturer in 2002 after earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Mansfield University and a Master of Arts Degree in English from SUNY Oswego, where he concentrated in American Literature and Composition Theory. He became an Paul Nolan Assistant Professor at Professor Cayuga in 2008 and an Associate Professor in 2012 before becoming a Professor in 2016. Paul dedicates each semester to working with students to improve their writing and literary comprehension skills, with courses including Honors English and Fundamentals of Writing. For more than a decade, Paul has devoted time to supporting and enhancing Cayuga’s Honors Program, which creates rigorous avenues for students to challenge themselves academically. During his time at Cayuga, Paul has served on the College’s Professional Growth and Scholarship Committee, the Chancellor’s Award Committee, the Curriculum Committee and the Honors Advisory Committee.
EXCELLENCE IN ADJUNCT TEACHING A SUNY Oswego graduate who earned her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Fiction from George Mason University in 1994, Christine joined Cayuga as an Adjunct Instructor in 2007. For the past 13 years, she has dedicated herself to helping students develop their writing and literacy skills in courses including Freshman English, Christine Motto Children’s Literature and Adjunct Instructor Creative Writing. Christine discusses different writing styles and approaches with students, including objective and subjective writing, and the techniques that make these styles successful. An accomplished writer who has published several short stories and recently finished a novel, Christine draws on her own experiences to walk students through the writing, editing and publishing process. Part of her approach to teaching is to inspire students and to make each of them realize they have the ability to tell their own story, and to see the importance in sharing those stories.
EXCELLENCE IN FACULTY SERVICE Vita joined Cayuga in 2010 as a Student Engagement Counselor, and over the past decade has demonstrated a strong commitment to students’ well-being while also helping students determine their future pathways. She earned Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Psychology and French from Le Moyne College in 1993, and a Master of Science Degree in Vita Marie Racko Community Counseling from Student Engagement the University of Scranton in Counselor 1995. She is a nationally certified counselor, and advises students on course selection and primary fields of study. In addition to guiding students with personal and career advice, she is a transfer counselor helping students determine where they should continue their collegiate experience after Cayuga. From 2013 to 2016, Vita was the chair of Cayuga’s Behavioral Intervention Team and has conducted workshops on counseling students for faculty and staff. She has also served on the Academic Standing Committee, the Curriculum Committee and the College-wide Mentoring Committee.
CAYUGA RECORDS DEBUTS VIRTUAL MUSIC SHOWCASE;MORE TO COME
ON-LINE COLLEGES VIRTUAL TRANSFER FAIR: Thursday, October 29th from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
singer & songwriter
Jarrett Swasey
singer & songwriter
Frank ‘The Tank’ AD DESIGNED BY NATE SCHREINER FOR AN ASSIGNMENT IN COM 101
SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 66 YEARS!
PAGE THREE
What are you afraid of ? What are you afraid of? Perhaps a bad grade on your mid-tem? The cop driving closely behind you? Your parents when you get home late? All valid things to be afraid of, but all tangible things—all things you can see coming.
Marc Baan CO-EDITOR FEATURE WRITER
CCC STUDENT WORKS OF ART
Now think of the things you can’t see. Things that move in the comers of your eyes. Sounds that come from nowhere. The touch on your arm from the shadows ... HOW AFRAID ARE YOU NOW?
If you’re brave enough, read this weekly installment of OUR SHADOW WORLD. We will explore the myths and urban legends of our planet. From the creatures your grandparents told you they saw in the war, to the things found on an abandoned VHS tape on the side of the road. Nothing will be held back as we discover what people are afraid of in countries from all four corners of this world. Remember, all myths and legends start with some strand of the truth. Now let’s see if they stay are true or just turn out to be a good story!
DRAWING BY THERESA NETTI
DRAWING BY KEELEY CUTILLO
OUR SHADOW WORLD The story of South Africa’s Pinky Pinky For centuries, the nation of South Africa has been entangled in political and social upheaval, from the Boer Wars of the late 1800s to the rise and fall of Apartheid in the latter half of the 20th Century. Even during this country’s most turbulent times, there seems to be something even worse lurking in the shadows of the cities and the woods. A creature stalking the most innocent — a creature called the Pinky Pinky. Although the name sounds comical, the creature is the furthest from a joke. The Pinky Pinky has been described as having physical features of both a man and a woman. At times it is seen in the woods naked and at other times spotted in cities wearing a trench coat and a clearly fake, brightly-colored wig. People who filed reports saying they saw the Pinky Pinky claim it is bald with light-colored skin or bleached-looking skin. However, they all say the most distinct feature of this creature is its pink eyes. What Pinky Pinky does in the streets of the cities of South Africa and along the wooded paths between the rural farming and mining towns is what has made many women fearful of walking anywhere alone. The Pinky Pinky will come up to a young girl and begin to tell her story about its life or of the local
area. Once the story is over, the Pinky Pinky will demand money for its story and if the girl cannot pay, she is violated and might even be killed. Reports of the Pinky Pinky have been filed across the South Africa, and with such regularity that many local police departments are advising young girls on their way to school to never walk alone and for women out on the town for the night, to do the same. The Pinky Pinky is not a new phenomenon, the sheer volume of reports to police over the years adds to the credibility of the creature’s existence. There are reports from British explorers looking to expand the British Crown’s power claim in the region which say they have seen creatures they called the “Pink People” in the woods, watching them as they moved deeper into the interior of Africa. Going even farther back into history, the stories of pale creatures in the woods have been told by many of the early migrating tribes in Southern Africa. There is a more likely explanation for the Pinky Pinky. It is not something creepy and unknown, but something more mundane and even sadder. In this part of Africa, albinos, (people who are born without skin pigment and can have pink eyes), are regarded as evil. They are thrown to the fringes of society and have been publicly killed just for looking different. Many people who study the unknown creatures and urban myths of this world think the Pinky Pinky might be nothing more than reports of albinos thrown out by their families to fend for themselves. This is a strange world where many new discoveries are made every day. There could be a creature stalking the women of South Africa, hiding in the shadows, waiting for its moment to attack. We might never know until it is caught. In many ways, we might just hope the Pinky Pinky is an unknown creature and not a human doing this unspeakable crime to women. And we can hope that it is certainly not a human who was thrown away by society just because of the color of their skin.
DRAWING BY ASHLYNN CURRIER
DRAWING BY COLETTE THURSTON
Regarding the skull renderings you are seeing, these students are not studio art majors and are not coming from backgrounds having studied art, yet their motivation, work, and effort in class has resulted in excellent drawings which appear to be created by studio art majors. Students have been covering the foundations of drawing including sighting, perspective, contour drawing, line weight, balance, lift out, blending and shading with a variety of techniques. This project is a culmination of previous lessons and the results express their understanding of the concepts and techniques. — Janie Darovskikh, CCC Essentials of Art Instructor DRAWING BY ATHEENA WOODWARD
SOMETHING FUNNY Why did the art thief ’s van run out of gas as he drove away from the museum? Because he had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh.
SHARE YOUR FUNNY MEMES WITH US: CAYUGACOLLEGIAN@GMAIL.COM
Filbert...
AD DESIGNED BY ALYSSA CHEELEY FOR AN ASSIGNMENT IN COM 101
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE