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CAYUGABRIEFS Women’s Studies speaker to present March 15th @11 AM The Student Activities Board in conjunction with the Professional Growth Committee, presents speaker Sally Sayles-Hannon in honor of Women’s History Month. Her speech “Important Figures, Facts, and Futures: Gender Inequality and Inequity” will be presented on Wednesday, March 15th beginning at 11 AM in Room M319 on the Auburn campus. Sally Sayles-Hannon is a Ph.D. candidate in Cultural Foundations of Education and former McNair Fellow at Syracuse University. She holds an M.A. in Women’s Studies from Texas Woman’s University and a B.S. in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in feminist pedagogies from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a diversity educator and active community organizer/ advocate in Central New York, Sayles-Hannon has a unique and critical interest in exploring issues of social inequality and education. She has been a lecturer/ instructor at four U.S. universities and colleges. Most recently, she held a lecturer position at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY in Social and Psychological Foundations of Education. Her recent research emphasizes the need to be critical of how civility functions in diverse classrooms; that is, to be aware of how our everyday “niceness” can, if we are not vigilant, reinforce and replicate the inequality we want to dismantle. She has shared her ideas and research at conferences and publications nationally and internationally. Notably, she was one of five invited critics for an author-meets-critics symposium of Meira Levinson’s important book, No Citizen Left Behind, which was later published in Studies in Philosophy and Education.
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Vol. 63 Issue 16
March 14, 2017
CCC SPARTAN BOWLER MAKES HISTORY! Andrew Kopec is the first-ever Spartan to win a USBC Sectional Singles Championship Andrew Kopec of Auburn is the firstever Spartan to win a USBC Sectional Singles Championship Friday, March 10th, in Allentown, PA. The Cayuga CC freshman finished first in the sectional out of 161 total bowlers which includes the best single bowlers from both four-year and two-year institutions. Kopec scored an incredible six-game total of 1409 pins and averaged 235/game to best Andrew Dekowski from William Patterson University by 16 pins. With his championship, Kopec is one of only five bowlers from the Allentown Sectional to advance to the USBC
Singles National Championships beginning April 18 in Baton Rouge, LA. Out of a total of four USBC sectional qualifier locations, (including Dallas, TX, Smyrna, TN and Addison, IL), Kopec was the lone bowler who topped the 1400 pin total at all sites which gave him the highest total score out of 722 bowlers from across the country! He also is the only junior college bowler in the country to advance.
Best of luck to Andrew as he moves on to the USBC Championships!
A conversation with CCC President Durant By Gabby Rizzo, editor-in-chief
Coming to the end of his second year as President, Dr. Durant gave some information about his background, his view of the college, and his thoughts on Governor Cuomo’s free SUNY tuition proposal. WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? “I’m a native New Yorker, lived in New York my entire life, grew up in Northern New York, spent a number of years in the capital region, and then when I came out here in August of 2015 I relocated in Auburn.” HOW ARE YOU LIKING AUBURN? “I’m really enjoying Auburn, it’s a great community, it’s been very welcoming to me and to our family. I found the entire county to be supportive of the college, and it’s still inspiring to run into people all the time and meet people all the time who themselves have attended CCC, or their children have, and how many lives the institution has influenced for many many years and it’s great to be a part of that and to live and work in this community.” Is that what attracted you to CCC? “Yeah, you know, I was fortunate to come out here to interview and explore the community, and learn about the college, my wife and I thought it would be a great place to be, and certainly have the Finger Lakes, and proximity to a number of cities and still near our families, but we were really looking for a community that we could raise our family. We have four children, two school aged children who have acclimated nicely to their schools and just really enjoying it.” WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ABOUT THE COLLEGE? “I’m proud to be apart of a community that I think is so dedicated. We have a dedicated and talented faculty and staff, our students are tremendous, they’re doing remarkable things in many different disciplines, and I’m just very honored to be a part of it, and to work with such amazing people, and to serve students, and just to be a small part of their own journey, and that’s just very rewarding work.” WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE COLLEGE? “Our vision is to continue to be certainly student focused, we want to be an institution
that continues to have high quality programs that provide students pathway for transfer to four year schools. We want to continue to be responsive to commuting needs for program development and supporting local employers, and we want to make sure that we are continually being mindful of how do we support students and helping them reach their goals, so we want if students enroll and their goal is to graduate or to get a certificate or to transfer that we do our part to help support the student to achieve their goal and I think we’re very well equipped to do that.” HOW ABOUT ALL THOSE ROOM CHANGES? “So we are in what I’d say the infant stages of trying to evaluate our space and to see if there are creative solutions we could have to improve service, improve academic spaces to try to modernize our facilities, to help support our faculty and our students, and we know there’s been shuffling of services and of offices and certainly it’s not intended to create confusion or frustration, but I would say that we’re in a process of making sure that we are maximizing the facilities that we have and helping to support our faculty, and ultimately support our students in an improved way. We appreciate the patience of everyone because we know it’s not always easy but we’re hopeful to continue to make enhancements to our campus and our future. On the Fulton Campus, we continue to have similar discussions of what are some future needs that are maybe needed there, service wise and space wise, and having a number of conversations to really identify our next phase.” ANY ADVICE FOR GRADUATING AND TRANSFERRING STUDENTS? “You know as students are approaching their last semester and commencement, I always hope that students take a second to embrace the moment and certainly enjoy their last few weeks, take a few deep breaths, recognize that they’re accomplishing something important and that they worked hard to be at the point where they’re thinking of transferring and they’re looking at being a college graduate and those are remarkable feats, that should not be lost, and i know sometimes that we’re focused on getting through the semester and preparing for exams and
CCC PRESIDENT DR. DURANT midterms, and moving through that, sometimes it’s hard to take a few moments to say you know what, you should be proud of yourselves. You should recognize that this is an important moment for your journey and we’re very proud of you.” How about returning students? “Well, for returning students, I think it’s continually important for them to not only be mindful to keep focused on what their goals are and to keep working hard, but that there’s a prize in front of them that’s worthy to do. Also, I hope that our returning students are taking advantage of all that we offer, outside of the classroom as well, and that they’re building relationships with people and exploring all that we have both inside and out of the classroom, to really make sure that they have a meaningful college experience and the college, you know, sometimes it’s hard with our busy lives and all that we’re trying to balance and trying to focus on our studies, but there are a number of other ways to enjoy the experience itself, and develop relationships and friendships that are important. I continually encourage people to challenge themselves and take new endeavors if they can and college is a great place to be able to explore, specifically when it comes to events and other activities that the college offers. CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE
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Should students be able to carry non-lethal weapons? At the recent Student Government Organization (SGO) Senate Meeting on the Auburn campus, members of a new club on campus, Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), presented a petithey had passed ASSOCIATE EDITOR tion around school which calls for students to have permission to carry non-lethal weapons on campus. Their petition had 60 signatures so far and the SGO recognized the petition. The petition drive grew out of YAL’s recent campaign #Nomorevictims which
Zakary Haines
OPINIONS HOW I SEE IT... Is TV becoming obsolete? As a child, I remember sitting in front of the TV watching “Scooby-Doo,” and “Bear in the Big Blue House” all the time. We always had our TV on, whether it was for my brother
Gabby Rizzo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF and me, or the news, or daytime TV or what have you. These days,we go days, sometimes weeks without watching TV. Sometimes I’ll turn it on to have it playing in the background. When I say TV, just to clarify, I mean cable. Channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, and so on. Things like Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube seem to be dominating with their own programs. Shows like “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,”“House of Cards,” and “Stranger Things” are taking the world by storm, being critically acclaimed and loved by many, and they all are shows found on Netflix. A big reason why people prefer Netflix and the like is that they can watch their shows uninterrupted, between no commercials in the middle of episodes and you can binge watch series. Given the option, why would you want to wait an entire week to watch another episode? Another reason is that they have a whole catalogue of shows you can watch on a whim. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve decided to watch “Scrubs,” “That 70’s Show,” and “Parks and Rec” in their entireties just because I felt like it. Also, watching older shows which are now in syndication, you have to watch whichever episode is playing. While with these services, you get to choose the episode. Similarly, Netflix and Amazon are efficient, you can watch your favorite shows on the go. With how busy everyone is at all times in this day and age, it’s really convenient to be able to watch or listen to your show while you’re waiting, traveling, or what have you. Some channels, like HBO, have taken cues, and adapted themselves to allow people to watch their shows on their phones, laptops, and so on. The most notable would be that if you have HBO, you can download HBO go and watch “Game of Thrones.” Lastly, is the news. My grandfather used to watch the news what seemed like all day, every day. I’m
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.
Archaeologists uncover a new old statue in Ancient Egypt Archaeologists have just discovered a new statue in Cairo, Egypt. It was found in a very slum-like area and they say that the statue may be of Ramses II, who was one of the Ancient Egypt’s most famous and longest ruling pharaohs. What they found is a STAFF WRITER huge head from part of a statue and it stands at about 26 feet high. It was so large that they had to use a bulldozer to lift it up out of the ground because there was so much water in the deep hole. It was found by a German-Egyptian archeology team. The site had contained parts of both the statue and another statue. A famed archaeologist named Zahi Hawass, who was Egypt’s former Antiquities Minister, said the area where the head was found is a very important archaeological place containing the remains
Brooke Dunn
sure other people do this, as well, but for the most part people just check the news on their phones or their computers. You can look up any news source you want, as well. When it comes to the news on the Internet, the possibilities are endless, and everywhere. I mean, just open your Facebook page. Other technological devices are making TV obsolete. With phones and laptops, they can bring their shows on the go with them, whenever, wherever. I’m not saying no one ever watches cable anymore, but it’s pretty clear that the rate took a dip. It gives people the power to watch all five seasons of “Breaking Bad” over the course of spring break, or spend five hours solely watching “Good Mythical Morning”on YouTube. It’s just the wave of technology and efficiency, when it comes down to it. —Gabby Rizzo, Cayuga Collegian editor-in-chief
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.
GABBY RIZZO - EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ZAKARY HAINES - ASSOCIATE EDITOR KODY FOWLER - PHOTOGRAPHER BROOKE DUNN - STAFF WRITER JULIETTE ZYGAROWICZ - STAFF WRITER ALIX SMITH - STAFF WRITER MAKENZIE LEWIS - FULTON CORRESPONDENT AMANDA DEAVERS - FULTON CORRESPONDENT MARIE KELLEY - FULTON CORRESPONDENT
MARY G. MERRITT - FACULTY ADVISOR
EMAIL THE COLLEGIAN AT CAYUGACOLLEGIAN@GMAIL.COM PAGE TWO
advocates for people to be able to defend themselves. As an example of violence on campus, the group brought up a homicide which happened on the Nature Trail in 2005. The group members pointed out that if the victim carried a defensive weapon such as mace or pepper spray, the incident may have ended differently. The 2005 homicide is the only major violent crime that has occurred on campus in recent history. While this is an interesting idea, it may not be completely necessary or useful for Cayuga Community College. Cayuga is a small campus compared to Syracuse University or Ithaca College. There is a low student population on campus and the campus security force is armed and able to handle events on campus. I believe allowing students to carry even non-lethal weapons would cause tension between staff and students and may increase violence on campus. Even though it seems there is a constant fear of violence happening on a campus, allowing students to openly carry non-lethal weapons will only put more fear into the student body, not less. — Zakary Haines, Cayuga Collegian associate editor
of the Temples to Akhenaten and Thutmose III, previous kings who ruled during the 18th Dynasty, as well as Ramses II. Hawass says excavating the area was very difficult because there are houses and buildings on top of the whole site and the ground below is filled with rainwater. He said the excavated head had been broken many years before they were able to retrieve it. Egypt is packed with long lost relics and many of them still remain buried. In November of last year, Egyptian archaeologists discovered a village and cemetery which they believe was used by officials tasked with building the Royal Tombs. The archaeological site is located about 250 miles south of Cairo and includes 15 large tombs which date back to the Early Dynastic Period, more than 4,500 years ago. This discovery is an important event because it enables scientists to learn about how the people of ancient civilizations lived, especially one of the most advanced countries of the time. However, archaeologist are fearful they might not be able to excavate it all because of all the structures above the site and the people that reside there. Hopefully they’ll be able to work out some sort of compromise! — Brooke Dunn, Cayuga Collegian staff writer
Kohl’s employees work to raise money for community By Catlin Borst, contributing writer Kohl’s Department Store, located on Clark Street in Auburn, has helped raise more than $10,000 to donate to the Auburn YMCA. Associates in Action (AIA) is a program designed to get Kohl employees out into the community to help and to have a little fun while they’re doing it. A generous donation follows the employees’ participation. Kelly Holmes, leader of the AIA program, says that each organization that approaches them must have a 501C3 tax number in order for the associates to participate. “We’ll participate in as many as we get asked to do,” she exclaimed. She says each organization receives a $500 donation at the time of the event. The most current AIA event is held every Thursday at the YMCA on 27 William Street. The associ-
ates get together and play volleyball against other teams who are donating their time and money for the cause. At least five employees must volunteer in order for the department store to give the donation. “It’s a great program but the hardest part is getting the associates to have the time to participate,” said Holmes. Another employee, Tim Sharp, attends as many events as possible. “It’s fun to help out the community and give back. Heck, without them we wouldn’t have our jobs!” By week seven in the volleyball tournament, the Kohl’s associates already raised more than $4,000. Every week for the next six weeks the money will be doubled, for a grand total of more than $10,000!
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SGO SENATE MEETING UPDATE The Finger Lakes SPCA, our
community’s hidden treasure
FULTON
CAMPUS!
The Cayuga Collegian wants to know what is going on up there! Be a Fulton Correspondent or just email us your news at Cayugacollegian@gmail.com
that their journal will be published on April 16th. All are welcome to submit work, which include poetry, photography, art, and stories that are within five pages long. C.A.Y.A. has announced several trips that are open to all students. The first being to Affleck Stable on the 27th. They will be doing things like learning horse care, saddling, and riding. The trip will cost each student $20. They will also be taking a trip to the Harriet Tubman home and the cemetery. PTK and the Criminal Justice Club are doing the color run, which will occur on April 28th. All students are welcomed to help plan the run, whether it be with food, the race itself, colors chosen, and more. Students are also encouraged to participate in the run itself. The Tutor Club will bring 24 balloons in honor of Peggy Carroway, a former staff member/student who had passed away after battling cancer in 2014. This will be held on Friday at 11 AM in the quad. On the 31st the poetry writing contest will come to a close, one can submit their poem to Katie Stout, and you could potentially win a cash prize. Harlequin will be performing “Crossroads” at the Bisgrove Theatre on March 23rd, 24th, 30th, 31st, and April 1st. The showings are all at 8:00 PM. SAB and SUNY Empire State will be holding Women’s Words, where women on campus will have the opportunity to read poetry- original or not- in the cafeteria. This will be held on March 28th from 11-12. Lastly, PBL had a successful Applebee’s pancake breakfast two weeks ago. Not many people went to the breakfast itself, but many tickets were sold prior to the breakfast. It was joked that it just meant less work for them. On March 25th, several members will be going to LeMoyne college to compete and go to seminars. It is a statewide competition, and if students qualify, they will be sent to Anaheim, California in June.
THE COLLEGIAN REPORT A VIDEO NEWS DIGEST TO GET INVOLVED: EMAIL Juliette Zygarowicz cayugacollegian@gmail.com
Local non-profits have a friend in The Columbian Foundation By Maggie L. Madden, contributing writer The Columbian Foundation was formed by the Columbian Rope Company, owned by Metcalf, in 1952. They are a non-profit organization that makes grants to tax-exempt not-for-profit organizations in Cayuga and Onondaga Counties to fund programs that are designed to help meet the needs of the community that aren’t met by other programs. For a tax-exempt charity to apply for a grant from the foundation a 501[C3] must be filled out. “If you don’t have a tax exemption from the IRS we cannot give to you. We can only give to approved charities,” said John P McLane, President/Treasurer and Director of the foundation. “They will typically ask for the names of the officers and directors of the organization to see who they are and to make sure there are no conflicts.” The form requires a budget or financial statement showing what the organization’s income or expenses along with a good recitation of how much they want and what they want it for. The board of the Columbian Foundation is made up of seven directors. The decision on where or how much money the organization gives through a grant is made through a popular vote. Most of the foundation’s business is performed through email since everyone on
the board is in different locations. In 2015, the foundation paid out a total of $69,793. Organizations that received grants included Auburn Public Theatre, Matthew House, Cayuga-Seneca Community Action Agency, Salvation Army, Baltimore Woods Nature Center, Calvary Food Pantry etc. Grants given covered different expenses including equipment purchases, capital improvements and general support. For example, the organization helped the Cayuga-Seneca Community Action Agency with a grant of $1,000 for general support of their Christmas Elf program. “The foundation is required to give out approximately $75,000 a year to tax exempt organizations,” said Karen E. Spinelli, Secretary and Director of the Columbian Foundation. The organization generally gives smaller amounts to various charities. For example, if an organization asks for $50,000, the foundation will not approve that large of an amount compared to a request for $5,000 that would be considered more reasonable. Over the years, the foundation has and will continue to help many charities through this fund which has and will be very beneficial to the communities.
By Michael Lewchanin, contributing writer The Finger Lakes SPCA, formally known as the Cayuga County SPCA, is a non-forprofit organization that has served Cayuga County and its animal friends in need since 1896. The shelter is known in the community for its unwavering support and stewardship of the animals in its care. Carol Russell, the director of the SPCA, wears many hats within the organization which include, but are by no means limited to, spokesperson, fund raising director, representative of legal matters, litter box cleaner, and even radio show and local newspaper regular. Russell finds herself a few times a year on the radio promoting the shelter and their good works. The local newspaper, The Auburn Citizen, gives the shelter space once
a week to feature an animal that is up for adoption and once a month an entire page is dedicated to promoting the shelter and their adoption initiative. She says she also finds herself regularly navigating Facebook, which she says has proven to be a valuable means of reaching the community. With more than 7,000 ‘likes’ and by word of mouth, Russell says the shelter is able to make connections that often result in animals finding new homes. The shelter offers a number of programs to educate the community. The staff makes presentations at local schools and organizations to teach and promote proper pet care along with responsible pet ownership. They also do outreach events at local businesses. Along with local health departments, Russell says The Finger Lakes SPCA hosts three to four free rabies clinics a year. Through donations and grants they are also able to perform free or low cost spay/neuter clinics, up to three times a month to low income pet owners. If not free, Russell says the cost may be as little as $10 per animal. They also help the community by being part of humane law enforcement by aiding in the investigations of animal abuse and neglect. While they only house dogs and cats, they have helped in humane cases involving livestock, rabbits, birds, and a number of other animal species. The shelter is run strictly by donations from private citizens and fundraising events. Russell says some of the businesses in the area often donate material items that the shelter uses every day. Russell says one of the biggest challenges the shelter faces is funding. Contrary to what people may believe, Russell says the shelter receives no support from any government agency be it local, state or federal. They receive no funds from any national SPCA organizations either. Russell says finding the funds to keep the doors open is one of the biggest challenges faced by the shelter daily. Everything from the heat, lights and water to feeding and vetting the animals in their care, is a constant concern for shelter volunteers.
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She says one of the challenges is finding new and creative ways to raise funds. One of the events that does well is an annual motor cycle ride called “Hogs for Dogs.” Russell says the turnout for this event averages around 175 bikes and includes a ride and an after party with good food and great music all of which is donated. All the money raised is put back into the shelter. Russell says there are many ways the community can help. Donations of all types from cash to kitty litter. Russell says the shelter will be starting a friendship drive to recruit community members to become Friends of the Shelter and make regular donations. Are you ready to help? Russell says there is a “wish list” posted on their website of all of the items they need. With kitten season coming, there is a need for litter, kitten food, and of course volunteers to help out. Volunteers are a large part of what keeps the shelter running. “The volunteers are often the first outlet of human kindness that these animals encounter,” said Russell. She says they do everything from cleaning up after the animals and keeping the building itself tidy, to clerical work and the vast amounts of laundry. Volunteers even walk the dogs during good weather. There is also a volunteer animal trainer on hand to help prep animals for their new families. Russell cautions prospective dog owners about pet store puppies. “They all need homes, even the pet shop puppies, but what people need to realize is that pet store pups come from puppy mills. The parents of those cute puppies live in deplorable conditions and exist for one reason and that is to make money for their owners,” explained Russell. “Buying from a pet store keeps puppy mills in business and prevents shelter animals from getting the good homes they deserve.” The shelter does not take their adoption process lightly and screening potential adopters is serious business. “Without the safe guards of assuring that the animals will be properly vetted, protected, and treated well, many of their animals run the risk of ending up in the same or similar abusive and neglectful situations from which they came,” said Russell. The fees for adopting at the shelter are $165 for a male dog, $185 for a female dog, and $120 for a male cat and $140 for a female. This small price covers the cost of spaying/ neutering, vetting, shots, heart worm prevention, microchipping, and all the care they received until they are adopted. These fees are a fraction of what an individual would have to pay on their own. Just paying to have an animal spayed or neutered on your own can cost around $200 and includes nothing else. The small fees they require is a small price to pay for the peace of mind of a healthy and well-cared for pet. Every dog leaves the shelter microchipped and the shelter has their own chip reader to help locate the owners of lost pets. Russell says one of her biggest frustrations is been the community’s lack of knowledge when it comes to the shelter and its mission. She says one frustration in particular is that for the past 20 years, the shelter has tried to shake the public misconception that they are a ‘kill shelter’ meaning that they will put animals down if they can’t find them homes. The shelter is in fact a “no kill” shelter with the goal of finding the right homes for animals regardless of how long it takes. Russell says euthanasia is only considered when an animal is either to sick or aggressive to rehome. With frustration comes rewards and Russell says one of her fondest has been the part the shelter played in rescuing some dogs from a ‘high kill’ shelter in Georgia. In cooperation with Pilots for Pets, the shelter was able to bring a number of dogs to Cayuga County, rehabilitate them, and find them loving homes-saving them from death row. Russell says her biggest reward is when one of the shelter’s wonderful animals find the perfect family, and then receiving updates from the families showing that there is in fact, a good life for pets after they leave the SPCA. PHOTO BY MICHAEL LEWCHANIN
Much was covered at the last Senate Meeting, whether it was things for clubs to keep in mind, or things that clubs plan on doing in the near future. One of the big topics was the budget requests. FSA director Toni Giannettino came in to say a few words about things to keep in mind when the clubs begin to fill out budget request forms. If any clubs are in need of assistance, her office is L217, and the formsare due on March 24th. Another important thing called to the Senate’s attention were the openings of all SGO positions.All interested are encouraged to run for the officer positions. Also on March 24th, Club Constitution revisions are due. All clubs must revise their constitutions, including signatures of all officers, advisor, and the date it was revised. These are essential and the budget forms will not be accepted if the revisions are not submitted. April has been declared Harmony Month, and to represent our diversity, solid colored flags will be put up in the traffic circle. They will be put up in the trees on Friday the 17th, and all are welcomed to help put up the flags. In tandem, the Tutor Club will put a banner in the CAS reminding that it is Harmony Month, and will have stickie notes available to students to write what diversity means to them. Lastly, if you or anyone you know is being targeted for being a minority, please go to public safety to report it. Cases like this are serious and should not be tolerated. As for Old Business, Young Americans for Liberty talked about the event they had at the campus called Your Life, Your Right, were they did things like sell coffee and had an interactive quiz. It was also brought up that they had a petition going, already with 60 signatures, to allow students to carry non-lethal self defense such as pepper spray and mace. This is not specifically a CCC rule, but SUNY wide. They have requested the help of SGO, and they have accepted to help their cause to the best of their ability. Creative Writing Club has announced
PHOTO BY MICHAEL LEWCHANIN
By Gabby Rizzo, editor-in-chief
PAGE THREE
President Durant.. CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN WHEN YOU WERE AT COLLEGE? “I wish I had taken more time to explore clubs and organizations that maybe I wasn’t as familiar with, and take in a little bit more of the arts and activities around that were available aplenty, I feel as though when I look back at my time as a student in college, particularly an undergrad, that I didn’t take advantage of as many opportunities that would have probably made an impact, probably would’ve met more people, probably would’ve gained more experiences that otherwise I didn’t because I didn’t make myself available to that. Since I’ve spent essentially my entire working career in colleges, coming from a student affairs background, I’ve spent a great deal of my professional life encouraging people to get involved because I see how important it is, and I wish I would’ve taking a little more advantage of it myself. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON GOVERNOR CUOMO’S FREE TUITION PLAN? “I commend the Governor in relation to his effort to ensure that higher education is affordable to students. From my perspective, we have a responsibility to try to keep our cost for education as low as possible, particularly community colleges, and his program, as proposed, is one that would be able to reduce the level of debt that students may have in higher education, they’ll pursue higher education, perhaps encourage more people to take advantage of access to college and those are things that are important to us, and certainly critical to our mission. When we’re looking at advocating for our college at the state level for support and aid, we also want to ensure that as we’re making the investments for student aid, that we continue to make investments for institutional aid which ultimately will also allows us to keep college affordable and that we can have the services and the supports that we believe are important to serve our students well. I think the proposal is an important one to support public higher education in New York State, to support middle class New Yorkers. I just also believe that it’s important that the Governor and the State Legislature continue to invest in the institutional aid component can together keep our cost down. HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT IT’LL GO THROUGH? “You know, I’m sitting like all of you to see how the next several weeks of the Legislative process will work out and where it’ll go. I know it’s been certainly something that’s been talked about a great deal in the press and a number of students and a number of other people are advocating and curious and I look forward to see the legislative process works out in Albany this year. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SEMESTER? “I’m looking forward to Commencement, it’s the annual event for us to really have the ultimate celebration of our students. For me, this will be the end of my second year here, and it’ll be a moment where I’ll know a number of students that I was able to welcome for their Orientation, are now people that I’ll be able to shake their hands and congratulate them on their graduation. We’re in essence completing our two years together, and that’s an exciting and certainly a remarkable thing I always look forward to being a part of for our students, with their families and supporters. It’s very inspiring to me and it’s certainly something that is a great reminder every year of why we do this, and how important it is.
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