Cayuga Community College Auburn & Fulton, New York
Collegian cayugacollegian@gmail.com
VOL. 68 ISSUE 10 DECEMBER 8, 2021
CAYUGABRIEFS
WILL POT BE FOR SALE IN AUBURN?
SHOULD HE STAY OR SHOULD HE GO?
LOCAL LEADERS SO FAR HAVE NOT MADE ANY MOVES TO ‘OPT OUT’ OF ALLOWING DISPENSARIES AS THE DEC DEADLINE APPROACHES By Caitlyn Major, Editor-in-chief
SUNY CHANCELLOR DR. JIM MALATRAS IS UNDER FIRE FOR IN HIS WORDS: “disparaging and disrespectful remarks about a former colleague.”
INSIDE: READ Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant, (right), recently hosted the SUNY Chancellor Malatras on campus.
HIS APOLOGY; LETTERS OF SUPPORT; AND CALLS FOR HIS RESIGNATION
CAYUGA BYTES EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Cayuga Men’s Basketball team member Nic Harris talks to CAYUGA BYTES host and Cayuga Collegian Editor-in-chief, Caitlyn Major, about the challenges the team has faced already this season.
Cayuga Men’s Basketball team member Nic Harris
Cayuga Community College’s Harlequin Productions received several awards at the fall festival for the Theatre Association of New York State. From left are Director Bob Frame and students Laurel Elliott, Allison Smith, Tessa Higgins, Grace Wiseman and Dylan Bianco.
STUDENT PERFORMERS HONORED Honors keep rolling in for the cast and crew of Harlequin Productions, the student theatre troupe at Cayuga Community College who just completed their first production since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cayuga’s School of Media Arts (SOMA) students and faculty are getting in the holiday giving spirit by creating a ‘Giving Tree.’
—OFFICIAL CAYUGA NEWS RELEASE
After earning accolades from the Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS) for their October performances of “A 5 Pack of Frivolity,” Harlequin Productions starred at the association’s fall festival on November 20. The association recognized the entire production with one award and singled out several students for acting honors. Harlequin Productions Director Bob
CONTINUED PAGE FOUR
Just donate a food item to the college’s food pantry and then you can select a SOMA ornament from the tree. The trees are located at the entrances of both the Auburn and Fulton campuses.
In episode 36 of CAYUGA BYTES, Sadie Coleman lists 20 fun things you can do if you find yourself bored between semesters. Coleman and her mom also reveal their family holiday traditions to keep in the Christmas spirit. You can view Sadie Coleman Episode 36 it on the CAYUGA BYTES YouTube Channel at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=V19CGSm9yTo
Caitlyn Major EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Individual municipalities have until December 31, 2021 to opt out of the portion of the law that will allow the installation of dispensaries. While municipalities will have to adhere to all of the other aspects of the law; this is the one thing that they can choose to opt out of. According to published reports, the village of Aurora, the town of Fleming, and towns of Springport and Brutus have already passed local laws that will prohibit the installation of marijuana dispensaries. The reports also indicated that many towns and villages have drafted such laws, but have yet to pass them. The town of Sennett has officially stated that they will not be passing such laws, and many areas are still undecided. Among the undecided is the city of Auburn, but with the end of the year deadline fast approaching, it doesn’t seem as if any such laws will be passed. Mayor Michael Quill and City Counselors Jimmy Giannettino, Terry Cuddy, Debby McCormick, and Tim Locastro all are on record saying that they are not in favor of passing such laws. Therefore, it seems as if Auburn will be on the list of areas that will be allowing the implementation of retailers for recreational marijuana. Unless something changes in the next few weeks, processes to open these dispensaries may begin anytime after April 1, 2022.
CAYUGA’S NURSING PROGRAM EARNS TOP GRADE FROM NURSING SCHOOLS ALMANAC —OFFICIAL CAYUGA NEWS RELEASE
PHOTO S BY TIM DONOVAN
INSIDE: • CAYUGA NAMES A NEW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS • MEET THE CAYUGA ATHLETES OF THE WEEK • RECENT SPARTAN GAME HIGHLIGHTS • NOT TO MISS OPINIONS ON PAGE 2
Earlier this year, in April, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that will legalize the use of recreational marijuana in New York State for adults 21 and older. This means that in the coming months, New York residents will legally be allowed to grow marijuana in their homes, buy and sell marijuana, and in certain areas even open dispenseries.
Cayuga Community College’s Nursing program received another accolade this month when Nursing Schools Almanac rated it the top associate’s degree program for nursing in New York. In their online ratings, Nursing Schools Almanac rated Cayuga’s program the best among almost 70 associate’s degree programs in New York. The ratings are based on an evaluation of each college’s record of graduates passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX) on their first attempt. Program Director Mary Driscoll credited the hard work by faculty and the determination of their students for making the College’s program a success. “Cayuga’s Nursing program is rigorous CONTINUED PAGE FOUR
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SHOULD THE COLLEGE BE HANDING OUT SHOULD HE STAY A $10,000 BONUS, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW? OR SHOULD HE GO? During the last Board of Trustee’s meeting a resolution was passed by a vote of seven to two that granted College President Dr. Durant a merit pay bonus of $10,000.00. I, along with John Comardo, voted against the resolution. In a time when full-time enrollment is decreasing by the semester, and there is so much of the
OPINIONS
Kyle Weisman
HOW I SEE IT...
HOMEWORK FOR YOUNG KIDS
Giving homework to students growing up doesn’t make a lot of sense. When kids are young and in elementary school, it’s the parent’s responsibility to make sure that the homework gets done. It isn’t necessarily a measure of how smart a student is, it’s simply a measure of how involved/how much time a parent has to sit down and do the work with them.
Caitlyn Major
STUDENT TRUSTEE
campus in disrepair, can we truly afford to be handing out 10 grand bonuses? Can we afford to give a bonus to anyone when we have no food service on campus? Prior to COVID, we had an operational Subway restaurant but it was closed because Dr. Durant said it lost $40,000. As a person with restaurant experience, I can say that $40,000 is nothing to panic over. I have seen many a restaurant recover from far greater loss in revenue than $40,000. One also has to consider that the lost enrollment due to the lack of services like food availablity on campus will cause a far greater loss in revenue than the
$40,000 lost by the Subway. The presence of a food service program is essential for college recruitment as is residential life, and college activities. We practically have none of these. I am sorry but Lattimore Hall barely qualifies as an truly good experience in college residential life. Yet, we gave a $10,000 bonus to a person who, in my honest opinion, made a very shortsighted decisions. That money could go toward re-establishing a food service program. It could also go toward fixing the showers in the Men’s Locker Room which are leaking, rusted, and corroded. We have a division three basketball team, and yet we cannot bring ourselves to maintain the locker room to basic standards. $10,000 could go toward establishing a wellness center on campus. With the challenges posed by COVID and the return to classes, we need a wellness center to help students cope with the stress associated with adapting and adjusting to a new environment. There are so many productive things that $10,000 could do, but instead we gave it away as a bonus. A bonus for what? Our administration needs to reconsider its priorities. Cayuga lacks some of the basic services most colleges offer. It is preferable if we make a profit from them, but to lose money while providing essential services like food, and housing is far better than not having them at all. If we do not make our college more competitive soon, then we will see the full-time enrollment continue to drop until we, at best, are an online only school like Phoenix.edu, or worse, closed.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Even in middle school and high school, kids should be more concerned with spending time with their family and friends. I understand the occasional homework assignment in high school; and it can be beneficial to students that are choosing to go on to college afterwards. However, not all students are planning to go to college following graduation. Maybe homework could be reserved for AP and early college courses. In actuality, I don’t think that a lot of homework should even be assigned then. Students go to school for seven hours a day. Their time outside of school should be spent socializing, doing sports, and spending time with family. As a society we place a lot of emphasis on work and education, but I think that the real purpose in life is truly living and having experiences. Kids will have their college years to worry about homework, and their entire adult lives to worry about work. We should be doing more to let kids just be kids.
CCC BOARD OF TRUSTEES —FROM CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S WEBSITE
The Governance & Planning and Finance & Audit Committee meetings of the Board of Trustees are scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 9, 2021. The public can attend these meetings remotely at https://us06web.zoom. us/j/82042430103 or by dialing 1-312-626-6799 and entering the Meeting ID 820 4243 0103.
The Cayuga Collegian welcomes letters from its readers. Submissions must be from a ‘cayuga-cc.edu’ email domain. Contact us at 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. We reserve the right NOT to PUBLISH.
Cayuga Community College Trustee Dr. Linda Van Buskirk received the Donald M. Mawhinney Jr. Trustee Leadership Award this month from New York Community College Trustees for her leadership and advocacy on behalf of community colleges. Pictured are Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant, Dr. Van Buskirk and NYCCT President Ann Fleming Brown.
CAYUGA TRUSTEE HONORED WITH LEADERSHIP AWARD —OFFICIAL CAYUGA NEWS RELEASE
A statewide consortium of community college trustees honored a long-time Cayuga Community College trustee with a prestigious award this month for her years of leadership and advocacy. Applauding her commitment to Cayuga, New York Community College Trustees (NYCCT) honored Cayuga Trustee Dr. Linda Van Buskirk with the Donald M. Mawhinney Jr. Trustee Leadership Award on November 5. The award recognizes trustees for their dedication to their local community college through advocacy, fundraising and professional contributions. Dr. Van Buskirk said she was honored to
Caitlyn Major EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Natalia Brillati Emma Deloff Alexander Chapman Kyle Weisman Timothy Donovan Mary G. Merritt
STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER PHOTOGRAPHER
... FACULTY ADVISOR
We are looking for more staff members!
DECEMBER 8, 2021 PAGE TWO
receive the NYCCT award, and that she was proud of the work she and other trustees perform to support the College and its students. “Public service and education stand at the top of my values. I am deeply gratified that I have been given the opportunity to serve Cayuga Community College, which offers so many people avenues for success,” she said. A trustee at Cayuga since 2008, Dr. Van Buskirk was the Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2016-2018 and the Vice-Chair from 20142016 and 2018-2020. She was the Chair for the Trustees’ Governance and Planning Committee in 2019-2020, and is the current Chair for NYCCT’s Government Relations Committee. As a trustee at Cayuga, Dr. Van Buskirk has supported efforts to expand the College’s academic programs and community presence and advocated for the state to adjust its financial support for community colleges. She has also conducted advocacy training sessions for trustees at other institutions to support their efforts. Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant and Board of Trustees Chair Marian Brown praised Dr. Van Buskirk for her commitment to Cayuga and for advocating on behalf of community colleges. “For almost 15 years Dr. Van Buskirk has been an indefatigable advocate for community colleges across New York and an exemplary trustee at Cayuga. Her leadership and support have been integral to our institution as we serve our students and the surrounding communities,” said Dr. Durant. “On behalf of Cayuga Community College, I congratulate Dr. Van Buskirk for receiving this tremendous award. She is truly deserving of this honor.” “We are so pleased that our colleague Dr. Linda Van Buskirk is being acknowledged by the New York Community College Trustees. She has been tireless in advocating for greater support for community colleges as invaluable educational partners,” said Brown.
SUNY CHANCELLOR DR. JIM MALATRAS IS UNDER FIRE FOR iN HIS WORDS: “disparaging and disrespectful remarks about a former colleague.” FROM DR. MALATRAS
Dear Colleagues: I have spent the past 20 years of my life working in public service. I am extremely proud of the work all of us in government do and I could not be prouder of the work we have done together over these past two incredibly difficult years here at SUNY. Leadership in public service is a privilege and with it comes immense responsibility for upholding the values of professionalism, decency, and respect. I take that responsibility very seriously and in recent days it has been clear I have fallen short. Earlier this week private text messages of mine from 2019 were made public in which I made disparaging and disrespectful remarks about a former colleague I served with in government prior to my time at SUNY. While my remarks were made more than a year before this colleague spoke out about the harassment she had been subjected to by the former Governor and were unrelated to those issues — that is not an excuse — my words were inappropriate, disrespectful and wrong. I not only owe Ms. Boylan an apology for my conduct, I owe an apology to the broader SUNY community for failing to live up to the standard that leadership of this institution entails and demands. My greatest hope is to foster an inclusive community at SUNY where every faculty and staff member and student can feel safe and heard. I hope that my record here has made that commitment clear. I know in this instance I fell short, but I am committed to doing the work to regain your trust and continuing on the path of ensuring a brighter future for SUNY. I appreciate those who have reached out to me to share their feelings and feedback about this issue. I am listening, I value it, and I am taking it to heart. In the days and weeks ahead I will continue to reflect on how we can develop a best-in-class workplace culture at SUNY and ensure that as your Chancellor I always live up to our highest values and ideals. Best wishes, Jim Malatras
FROM THE STUDENT ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK’S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND STUDENT GOVERNMENT LEADERS December 3, 2021 - Earlier this week the Office of the Attorney General of New York State released documents, transcripts, and other materials relevant to the sexual harrassment investigation of former New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. Some of these documents revealed conversations involving Chancellor Jim Malatras. His comments about a female co-worker, including the use of language such as, “go f*ck yourself”, show a level of hostility and lack of professionalism that is unbecoming and should be disqualifying for the position of Chancellor. These comments and the behavior they demonstrate are reprehensible at best, and we find it necessary to call for the resignation and removal of Chancellor Malatras. As the person charged with overseeing the largest public higher education institution in the country, the Chancellor should be held to the highest standards of integrity. In response to claims of a toxic work environment the Chancellor exacerbated and contributed to it by making other vulgar comments. It is imperative, now more than ever, that we support women and mothers (demographics that make up a significant portion of our system-wide student body) when they have concerns, and the Chancellor has demonstrated an inability to do so. Legislators at the State and Federal level have condemned the behavior of the Chancellor and publicly called for his resignation. The Chancellor of the SUNY System should have the confidence of, and the credibility with, all levels of government. This is especially true for Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, who are responsible for allocating SUNY its budget each year. SUNY students themselves should have the complete confidence that whomever is serving as Chancellor holds the ability to successfully obtain the resources necessary to support the programs and services of our 64 campuses. As tuition paying students we have every right to expect that the highest standard of excellence will be adhered to by the University leadership. The purpose of the Student Assembly is to represent the interests of students at the highest level, and across the state we are seeing the same sentiment emerge: critical action must be taken. In addition to all the specific reasons iterated thus far, many students are also worried about the impact this will have on them personally. Allowing the Chancellor to remain in place damages the reputation of the system, detracting from our education and devaluing the degrees we are all working toward. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned, in his own words, “because I work for you, and doing the right thing is doing the right thing for you.” We urge the Chancellor, a self-proclaimed pro-student Chancellor, to embody this mindset and do what is best not necessarily for him, but for the students he serves. As we have seen consistently throughout the released documents, Chancellor Malatras is not opposed to personal retaliation, and it is highly likely that this will be made evident to us as elected student leaders because of this statement. Even before this, the agenda of system administration has always been to limit us financially, restricting our ability to operate independently in order to keep our advocacy priorities in line with the administration’s interests. This financial chokehold is likely to only worsen in the wake of this statement, but we understand that this advocacy is more important. Should the Chancellor choose not to do the right thing and resign, we call on the Board of Trustees to remove him with a vote of no confidence at their next meeting, based on the concerns raised in our statement as well as those from the statements released by so many other organizations, policymakers, and influential figures across public higher education. Chancellor Malatras was approved by the Board of Trustees based on the influence of former Governor Cuomo and in spite of the objection of both the students and the faculty, and we have seen the negative outcome that this “process” created. Immediately following his resignation or removal, it is imperative that the SUNY Board of Trustees open a nationwide search process for the next Chancellor - a process that must incorporate student and faculty representation, involvement, and feedback and consider candidates of all backgrounds and all demographics.
STATEMENT FROM THE SUNY BOARD OF TRUSTEES “Dr. Jim Malatras has been an outstanding leader of SUNY through one of the most trying times in our history and has the support of the SUNY Board of Trustees. He’s acknowledged he made a mistake, taken full responsibility for it, and apologized appropriately. He is fully focused on the critical work of keeping our facilities open and our students and faculty safe through the ongoing pandemic. Under Jim’s leadership, the SUNY system stayed open throughout the pandemic while other major state university systems across the country and colleges across New York closed and went fully remote. Working hand in hand with our faculty, staff, and students he implemented groundbreaking COVID protocols that led to the administration of 2.9 million COVID tests on campuses and nearly universal vaccination among faculty, students, and staff. As a result, SUNY has consistently had one of the lowest positivity rates in the country—far below the New York statewide rate. That work set the stage for SUNY classes to be 70 percent in person this semester—a number that will grow significantly in the new year. Under Jim’s leadership, SUNY has eliminated barriers to higher education by waiving college application fees for low-income students, launched the SUNY on-line training center offering free certifications and classes as an entryway to college degrees, tackled food insecurity by auto-enrolling students in the SNAP program, invested in child care for students and staff, expanded mental health services across our campuses, created SUNY’s first-ever Pre-Medical Opportunity Program—a program that opens the door to medical school to students from underrepresented communities, and helped foster a comprehensive diversity and inclusion plan. As we head into another surge in COVID cases Jim and the Board of Trustees are focused on keeping our campuses open, securing additional investment for SUNY to meet New York State’s workforce demand, and expanding innovation to continue to drive economic development across New York State. We have challenging days ahead and believe Jim Malatras, as Chancellor of the State University of New York, remains the right leader to help us meet that challenge.”
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PENDING TRUSTEES’ APPROVAL, DAVID “D.J.” BEVIVINO WILL BE THE DIRECTOR OF CAYUGA-SPARTAN ATHLETICS
SPORTS
DAVID BEVIVINO
Cayuga Provost Ron Cantor recently announced the finalist in the search for a new Director of Cayuga-Spartan Athletics. Pending Cayuga Board of Trustee approval, the new Cayuga Director of Cayuga-Spartan Athletics will be David “D.J.” Bevivino. In a letter to the college Bevivino wrote: “I have
built a career in athletics both as an administrator and as a coach. I hold a master’s degree in adapted physical education and a bachelor’s degree in physical education. I have coached soccer for 19 years, 10 of which at the collegiate level. As an Assistant Athletic Director, I have shown effective strategies in recruitment, eligibility/compliance, retention, and academics across 24 different teams and most recently spearheaded the creation of the Nassau CC Esports program.” Presently, Bevivino’s role is as Assistant Athletic Director and the Sports Information Director for Nassau CC.
“My unique skillset and enthusiasm for athletics and technology has been shaped by the opportunities I have had throughout my career. One position that stands out to me, is my five years spent as a counselor in disability services where I mentored and advised students as well as served as the assistive technology and ADA/section 504/section 508 specialist to the college. This position allowed my passion for teaching, technology and working with students to all meld together. Importantly it also built upon my knowledge of technology and furthered my drive to ensure equity, diversity, and inclusion in collegiate athletics,” said Bevivino.
SPARTAN ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
SPARTAN WOMEN LOSE ROAD CONTEST TO VIKINGS Despite leading for three quarters, Cayuga Community College Women’s Basketball couldn’t hold a late lead and fell to Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday. A strong offensive performance through the first three quarters turned quickly, as the Spartans went cold from the field in the fourth quarter and lost 64-56 to the Vikings. The loss leaves Cayuga 0-7 on the season. Cayuga Coach Jim Alberici said the Spartans executed well on both ends of the court for the first three quarters, but haven’t
Lexie Cottrill led the Spartans with 11 rebounds in Saturday’s 64-56 loss to Hudson Valley.
been able to play a complete game yet. “We played well in the first half and great in the third quarter, and then we just didn’t execute in the fourth,” he said. “We play so hard, we just have to keep working. There’s only one way to get confidence, and that’s by winning.” The Spartans started off strong on both ends of the court, holding the Vikings to nine first-quarter points while seeing all five of their starters land in the scoring column. Cayuga held a 29-25 lead at halftime, and used 11-2 and 7-2 runs in the third quarter to build a 49-38 lead entering the fourth quarter. Cayuga struggled on both ends of the floor in the fourth quarter, scoring only seven points while the Vikings used runs of 16-0 and 10-0 to secure the win. Chardana Smith led the Spartans with 17 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Doray DiLallo finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and six blocks, while Elisabeth Waterman scored 16. Lexie Cottrill led the Spartans with 11 rebounds. The Spartans are back on the road Friday against Mohawk Valley Community College (1-6).
PHOTO BORROWED FROM CCC WEBSITE
IKECHUKWU EZIKE
PHOTOS BORROWED FROM CCC WEBSITE
DORAY DILALLO
Nic Harris finished with 23 points in the Spartans’ 92-76 loss to SUNY ESF on Sunday.
SPARTANS LOSE HOME GAME TO SUNY ESF Cayuga Community College Men’s Basketball couldn’t overcome a halftime deficit Sunday, dropping a home contest to SUNY ESF. The Spartans played well in the first half but couldn’t stage a comeback in the second half, losing 92-76 to the Mighty Oaks. The loss leaves Cayuga 0-5 on the season. The teams traded baskets in the first half, with SUNY ESF holding a lead for most of the half. A late alley-oop from Jay Baranick to Ikechukwu Ezike cut the Mighty Oaks’ lead to
EDITOR’S NOTE: BORROWED FROM CAYUGA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES’S ATHLETIC WEBSITE; THE COLLEGIAN IS LOOKING FOR SPORTS REPORTERS TO WRITE ABOUT CCC ATHLETES.
the second quarter, though, scoring only eight points and surrendering a 10-0 run to the Red Hawks. Starting the second half with a 32-25 lead, the Spartans continued to struggle on the offensive end. Five points from Cottrill helped Cayuga preserve a three-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Six points from Doray DiLallo and Chardana Smith’s second three-pointer of the game kept Cayuga in front with less than a minute remaining. Holding a 50-49 lead, the Spartans were whistled for a foul with less than five seconds remaining. The Red Hawks made one of two free throws to lock the game at 50 going into overtime. The Red Hawks quickly took a 54-50 lead in overtime and led the rest of the game, outscoring the Spartans 13-6 in the extra frame. DiLallo led Cayuga with 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Cottrill and Waterman each scored a dozen, with Cottrill’s nine rebounds leading the Spartans. EDITOR’S NOTE: BORROWED FROM CAYUGA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES’S ATHLETIC WEBSITE; THE COLLEGIAN IS LOOKING FOR SPORTS REPORTERS TO WRITE ABOUT CCC ATHLETES.
EDITOR’S NOTE: BORROWED FROM CAYUGA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES’S ATHLETIC WEBSITE; THE COLLEGIAN IS LOOKING FOR SPORTS REPORTERS TO WRITE ABOUT CCC ATHLETES.
SPARTANS DROP ROAD GAME TO VIKINGS
SPARTANS LOSE SECOND STRAIGHT OT GAME TO RED HAWKS For the second time in four days, Cayuga Community College Women’s Basketball lost to Roberts Wesleyan JV in overtime on Thursday. After building an early double-digit lead, the Spartans struggled from the field the remainder of the game and lost 63-56 to the Red Hawks. The loss comes on the heels of a two-point Spartans loss to Roberts Wesleyan on Monday, and leaves Cayuga 0-6 on the season. Cayuga Coach Jim Alberici said the Spartans started the game playing their best basketball of the season but couldn’t maintain that level of play the rest of the game. “For the first 15 minutes or so, we were playing great. We started to struggle some with turnovers and rebounding, and they got back in the game,” he said. “We’re frustrated right now, and I think we need to get a win to build our confidence.” The Spartans started out strong from the field, building a 24-9 lead by the end of the first quarter thanks to Elisabeth Waterman’s nine points and five points from Lexie Cottrill. Cayuga struggled from the field in
40-33 at the break. SUNY ESF maintained its lead for the second half, with Cayuga cutting the margin to six points with less than 15 minutes remaining before the Mighty Oaks started to pull away. Guards Nic Harris and Baranick led the Spartans’ offense, with each finishing with 23 points. Guard Khari Odom scored 13 points, and Ezike finished the game with nine points.
Ikechukwu Ezike had 15 points and led the Spartans with 11 rebounds in Saturday’s loss to Hudson Valley.
Cayuga Community College Men’s Basketball couldn’t keep pace on the road against Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday. The Spartans fell behind early and couldn’t catch the Vikings in the second half, losing 89-66. The loss drops the Spartans to 0-4 on the season. After each team started slow from the field, the Vikings took control with a 10-0 run to open the scoring. The Spartans struggled to generate offense, and the Vikings used five first-half three-pointers to build a 49-26 lead at the break. Cayuga wasn’t able to cut into the lead early in the second half, and the Vikings held a comfortable margin the rest of the way. Guard Khari Odom led the Spartans with 18 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Ikechukwu Ezike had 15 points and led Cayuga with 11 rebounds. Nic Harris had 14 points and Jay Baranick had 11.
MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent TIME Fri. 10 AT Mohawk Valley Community College 7:30 PM Sun. 12 AT SUNY Adirondack 2:00 PM JANUARY Tue. 4 VS Herkimer College 7:00 PM Thu. 6 VS Corning Community College* 7:00 PM
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent TIME Fri. 10 AT Mohawk Valley Community College 5:30 PM Sun. 12 AT SUNY Adirondack 12:00 PM JANUARY Tue. 4 VS Herkimer College 5:00 PM Thu. 6 VS Corning Community College* 5:00 PM Sat. 8 AT Genesee Community College 1:00 PM
SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 68 YEARS!
DECEMBER 8, 2021 PAGE THREE
NEW SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING FOR CAYUGA STUDENTS —OFFICIAL CAYUGA NEWS RELEASE
Students attending Cayuga Community College will enjoy greater opportunities to secure full tuition scholarships thanks to the generous support of the Cayuga Community College Foundation. The College Foundation, a key sponsor of scholarship opportunities at Cayuga, is increasing funding for the Presidential Scholars Program by 50 percent. The added scholarship funding will allow approximately a dozen new scholarships to be awarded between Cayuga’s Auburn and Fulton campuses. Increasing available scholarships is an important way to support students as they pursue their educational and career goals at Cayuga, said College and Foundation leaders. “We are excited to be able to expand this program that allows us to allow greater opportunities for our area high school students to come to Cayuga”, said Foundation Board President, John Latanyshyn. “The Foundation helps increase the pathways for students to be successful
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at Cayuga by addressing some financial obstacles, said Foundation Executive Director Guy T. Cosentino. “We look forward to welcoming more Presidential Scholars to Cayuga in the future.” “Scholarships are an essential element to supporting students as they balance their educational and career goals, work and family responsibilities. Full-tuition Presidential Scholarships ease the financial obligations of recipients and allow those students to remain focused on their academic journey,” said Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant. “Our College Foundation has always been a steadfast sponsor of Cayuga, and we thank them for their continued support for our students.” Recipients of the Presidential Scholarship must be first-time, full-time college students and maintain a 3.0 GPA in each semester to remain eligible for the scholarship. The added scholarships will likely become available in the 2022-2023 Academic Year.
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STUDENT PERFORMERS HONORED CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
Frame credited the cast and crew for making “A 5 Pack of Frivolity” a success. “The work that everyone did to make the fall performances a success was really remarkable. We had an entirely new cast who was tasked with learning the lines and nuances of different roles in different plays, and they excelled,” said Frame. “The performances and production at the festival were outstanding, and I was glad to see our students were recognized by the adjudicators.” Comprised of five comedic one-act plays, “A 5 Pack of Frivolity” captured the eccentric ways people respond to unexpected situations. Based on their October performances, two of the oneact plays, “The Stand-In” and “Tough Cookies,” were selected for performances at the TANYS fall festival. The cast and crew excelled at the festival. The performance of “The Stand-In” was named the second-best short production at the festival, and students Grace Wiseman and Dylan Bianco received People’s Choice acting awards. Wiseman also received one of only three Outstanding Performance Awards issued at the festival. An Auburn High School graduate who is majoring in Liberal Arts and Sciences: Humanities and Social Sciences, Wiseman has acted since she was 10 years old. “A 5 Pack of Frivolity” was her first performance with Harlequin Productions, and she described that her role in “The Stand-In” was a unique experience for her since she was the only character visible onstage. “That was certainly not something I’ve had to do before, act onstage when I’m the only one the audience can fully see for the entire play,” she said. “I really enjoyed this performance, and it’s
flattering to receive an award and be a part of a cast that received an ensemble award for all our work.” Prior to the fall festival, TANYS adjudicators recognized the entire cast with an ensemble acting award, Frame with a sound design award, and Wiseman with an individual acting honor. The two plays performed by Harlequin Productions at the TANYS festival were written by Brett Hursey. “The Stand-In” features an actress enduring a difficult director and histrionic sock puppet during an audition, while “Tough Cookies” shows a date that goes terribly wrong during dessert. Frame also directed “Antigone and Letters to Soldiers Lost,” a production by the Auburn Players which was named Best Long Production at the festival.
SOMETHING FUNNY
CAYUGA’S NURSING PROGRAM EARNS TOP GRADE FROM NURSING SCHOOLS ALMANAC CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
from the first day to the last day, and our faculty are dedicated to preparing our students and ensuring they have the knowledge and training to succeed,” she said. “Our students have a proven record of not only excelling on the NCLEX, but of being talented, reliable nurses once they join the field. We’re proud of the effort they demonstrate in our program and of their commitment to helping those in need.” In their statewide rankings, Nursing Schools Almanac tracked NCLEX pass rates for most colleges from 2011 through 2020. Aspiring registered nurses are required to pass the NCLEX before they begin practicing. Of associate’s degree programs in New York, Cayuga’s pass rate of 98.1 percent for first-time test-takers was the top
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score. From 2011 through 2020, 405 of the 413 graduates from Cayuga’s program passed the NCLEX on their first try. Cayuga’s two-year Nursing program emphasizes professional standards, clinical judgments based on evidence-based practice, patient-centered care and advocacy, leadership and communication. Students experience a variety of clinical settings, preparing them to provide care for patients of any age. The highly competitive program is available on Cayuga’s Auburn and Fulton Campuses. Students are admitted to the program each fall, and are strongly encouraged to attend an information session. The next virtual information session is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on December 13.
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