Cayuga Community College Auburn & Fulton, New York
Collegian cayugacollegian@gmail.com
VIRTUAL VETERAN SERVICES WORKSHOP A Virtual Veteran Services Workshop is going to be held on Wednesday, March 24th at 11 AM. The guest presenter is the Centers for Student Engagement and Academic Advisement. Register in advance for this meeting by emailing Emily Cameron at Emily.Cameron@ cayuga-cc.edu.
DON’T MISS ONLINE JOB OPPORTUNITIES HOW TO WORK A VIRTUAL JOB FAIR Monday, March 22 11:00 AM Meeting ID: 991 3449 1740 Coordinator of Career Services Meg Osborne will help you prepare to work a virtual job fair like a pro!
CCC VIRTUAL JOB FAIR Wednesday, March 24 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Meet employers in real time to find your next opportunity – whether you’re looking for full-time, part-time, seasonal or internship! Register with Meg Osborne, Career Services Coordinator, osbornem@ cayuga-cc.edu. PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS: AFLAC Auburn Community Hospital Auburn Memorial Medical Services Auburn YMCA-WEIU Bass Pro Shops BIRNIE BUS SERVICE BorgWarner Cayuga County Cayuga County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Cayuga Milk Ingredients Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County Elderwood at Liverpool Fox Pest Control G&C Foods Helio Health Hillside Hobart and William Smith Colleges Finger Lakes Institute John Neri Insurance Little Lukes Childcare Northern Mast Climbers, LLC Oswego Health Rapid Response Monitoring Seneca Hill Manor Spectrum The Inns of Aurora The Rev Theatre Company Unity House of Cayuga County
PLAY BALL!!! CCC’s Alex Wurster strides across home plate during Saturday’s double-header against the Corning Red Barons.
FINALLY, A CAYUGA TEAM TAKES THE FIELD
With the beginning of the spring sports season upon us, Cayuga’s Spartan Baseball Team kicked off their season March 20th at Falcon Park in Auburn with a weekend of back-to-back play with two double-headers in two days.
Caleb Roden “We’re going in hopeful for our season, considering we have a strong lineup and pitching staff with a couple of returning players from our past season,” said Cayuga student pitcher Wyatt Palmer of Camden. The Spartans faced rival Corning Community College for their home opener. “Going into the game, we’re gonna have to take care of the baseball and minimize mistakes. We live and die by a strong defense,” said Palmer. Palmer says The Spartans faced some difficult and new challenges over the last few months but are looking to come out aggressive, get on the board early, and end the day 2-0. He says the team is really excited to show off the work everyone has put in. However, the team dropped both of their home opening games on Saturday to Corning Red Barons. The final scores: 8-3 and 15-12. Sunday, Niagara County Community College visited Falcon Park. The Spartans lost both games to the Thunder Wolves, 7-6 and 13-0.
MORE INSIDE: • COACH GAMBA ON THE CAYUGA BASEBALL SEASON PROSPECTS
• AUBURN NATIVE PLAYS IN THE MLB - MIKE PERRY REPORTS • CCC BASEBALL SCHEDULE
CAYUGA EMBRACES TRANSGENDER ATHLETES A CLARIFICATION ON LAST ISSUE
STUDENTS: JOIN THE FUN
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By Caleb Roden, staff writer
STAFF WRITER
NOW RECORDING MONDAYS AT 3 PM!
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DOUBLE, DOUBLE HEADERS START CCC BASEBALL SEASON
Aiden Driscoll-Sadusky slides into home during Sunday’s first game of CCC’s double-header against Niagara County Community College.
PHOTOS BY ANDREW POOLE
CAYUGABRIEFS
VOL. 67 ISSUE 20 MARCH 23, 2021
ESSENTIALS OF ART STUDENTS SHARE THEIR WORK
Art Professor Janie Darovskikh shares the outstanding works of Art created by her students. Above, a pen & ink image by freshman Katlyn Moon. SEE BACK FOR MORE WORKS OF ART BY CCC STUDENTS.
CCC Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs Dr. Robert Cantor says the college administration applauds President Joe Biden’s recent Executive Order allowing athletes to play on teams which are the opposite of their biological gender. At the same time, the college administration has stressed it still fully supports Title IX for women. “Society is changing all the time and historically, colleges are often at the forefront of these changes. Colleges like Cayuga are committed to creating opportunities for all students, and we value a welcoming atmosphere that supports the academic, athletic and career paths prized by our students.” Dr. Cantor said. The nation’s new policy now means transgender athletes at CCC are able to play a sport under the gender they identify as. “What could be more important than helping society move forward in ways that give people freedom and support as they expand horizons and learn from each other?” Cantor said.
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
HOW I SEE IT: BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
OPINIONS
HOW I SEE IT... Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF A crowd gathered Saturday near the Georgia State Capitol to demand justice for victims of recent shootings of Asian-Americans. Hundreds of people of all ages and varied racial and ethnic backgrounds gathered in Liberty Plaza in Atlanta, and in similar rallies across the country, waving signs and chanting slogans. What upset me the most through all of this was the news coverage. The media routinely painted the shooter as someone who “just had a bad day” and did not report the shooting as a hate crime. Per voanews.com, “While not ruling out racial bias as a motive at a time when Asian Americans are under attack across the country, law enforcement officials in Georgia said Wednesday that (Robert Aaron Long, 21, the man being held in connection to the shootings) told them he had been motivated not by race but by a desire to fight his “sex addiction” by eliminating “temptation.” I would quickly assume Long is lying to avoid
being charged with a hate crime. A quote that I saw and felt deeply about was “When was the last time that you saw law enforcement take the word of the accused killer and turn around and tell you, ‘He said it wasn’t a hate crime, so I guess that’s not a hate crime,’” said Chris Kwok, a board member of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. How I see it, this was definitely a hate crime. If you go and kill a specific group of people who all share the same ethnicity it is either a massive coincidence or you are committing a hate crime, and based upon the events of the past year (people calling COVID-19 the “China Virus,” I believe this was a hate crime. The fact that people are willing to make an effort to defend this horrible human just makes me sick.
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.
Some people believe The Black Lives Matter movement is biased. It’s singling out one race and saying only black lives matter. They think the police are doing the best they can. However, I think The Black Lives Matter movement is more than what meets the eye. Many people don’t understand the meaning behind it. .The Black Lives Matter Movement means so much to me and it’s starting to mean a lot to others as well. It’s an honest wake-up call and people are starting to answer. Many people marched all over the world and came together for the same reason, to face inequality. The Black Lives Movement is not just about police brutality although there have been several cases of extreme police brutality in the United States for several years. According to the Washington Post, more than 5000 unarmed people have died as a result of police harm since 2015. George Floyd, a man who died due to police force, was caught on video and has woken the movement and impacted it to what it is today. The movement is not just about police brutality although as a police officer your job is to protect and serve and with that job comes great responsibility. I understand that police officers get frightened as well but they have a deadly weapon in their hands and with that police officers should be trained correctly. I think people have a right to protest respectfully for a change. The Constitution’s first amendment in the Bill Of Rights is freedom of speech. The Constitution guarantees the right to express ideas and information freely. I think to myself where would I be if Martin Luthur King Jr did not march in Washington in 1963 and give the “I Have A Dream ‘’ speech, or if Rosa Parks got up from the bus and they did not boycott the bus for 381 days? They were fighting for what they believed in and what’s right. People have a right to fight for what they believe in respectfully. Isn’t that what makes America free? I read in the New York Times, “Half a million people marched in 550 places all across the United States of America.” Black Lives Matter protests have taken place in 60 countries and seven continents and are nominated for the Nobel peace prize. Black Lives Matter has become a very important worldwide movement to fight racial injustice. The movement has become so big in regions like Africa and the Middle East supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Many people are coming forward about inequality of minorities including immigrants, people of all colors and different ethnic backgrounds to fight to bring awareness and to demolish racial inequality. Racial inequality and police brutality are happening. I support The Black Lives Matter Movement because it fights against just that. We need to continue this fight against racial inequality and educate colleagues, family members and friends on the matter. —Regina Myers, CCC student
CAYUGA
WELLNESS
SERVICES
Christina Bentley, MS Wellness & Intervention Counselor
Dr. Jerimy Blowers Wellness & Intervention Counselor
ZOOM FATIGUE??
—submitted by Christina Bentley, Wellness Counselor, Fulton Campus
Whether you are a college student or working online these days, you are bound to experience some “zoom fatigue.” By this, I mean, too much time is being spent online on the computer. One may experience things like fatigue, difficulty concentrating or staying on task, etc. Right now, as we move through this pandemic, we are forced to do more and more online. Here are some quick tips to help reduce “zoom burnout:” 1. Try reducing on-screen stimuli-switch from gallery view to speaker view. This may help give your brain a break from all the visual cues like looking at others and their backgrounds. 2. Turn off the self-view feature-it’s good to make sure you look presentable for a class but then do yourself a favor and turn that feature off. We normally do not see ourselves when talking and we do not need the extra anxious feelings and worry. 3. If it is possible, call in using your phone and not your computer. If the professor does not require face-to-face and you can just listen, this allows you to move freely around and even step outside for some fresh air. 4. Set some breaks-sometimes, it’s not possible but when it is, schedule a break here and there in-between classes. Stretch, go for a
walk, grab a beverage or snack. Your body will thank you later and you will get a burst of energy from the activity. 5. Take notes-go old school here and take notes with paper and a pencil. The activity will help you pay attention more to the material presented and be able to retain it and interact more. 6. Make sure your home office/class is different than your living area-Set up a space that will tell your brain it’s time to get to work. Some things that may help are: lighting, a comfortable place to sit at a desk or table (not the couch or bed), make a soothing playlist that motivates you, have a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage near you. 7. Avoid multitasking. This is important. Avoid trying to do several different things online at once or looking at your phone while attending class. It’s been proven that one is more successful if dedicating their time to one task only, rather than multiple. If you are someone you know at CCC is in need of any personal counseling or community referrals, feel free to reach out to CCC’s Wellness Counselors: Dr. Jerimy Blowers (Auburn campus) at jblowers1@cayuga-cc. edu or Christina Bentley (Fulton campus) at cbentle2@cayuga-cc.edu.
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
Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joshua Hart STAFF WRITER Patrick Mahunik STAFF WRITER Caleb Roden STAFF WRITER Corinne Stevens STAFF WRITER MaryJo Solazzo STAFF WRITER Samantha Brodeur STAFF WRITER Mary G. Merritt FACULTY ADVISOR We are looking for more staff members!
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AUBURN NATIVE TIM LOCASTRO STARTS FOR ARIZONA The MLB sensation was coached by Cayuga’s T.J. Gamba By Michael Perry, editor-in-chief Auburn native Tim Locastro started for the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, March 19th in right field and went 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
SPORTS
Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Tim’s cousin, Mike Locastro Jr., wearing Tim Locastro’s jersey at a game.
Locastro, who recently overcame a bout of COVID-19, is now 5-for-12 with a double, triple, two stolen bases, and two runs scored over five games this spring. The team did not have high expectations for Locastro coming into the season, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, but he has definitely impressed thus far. Piecoro quoted Locastro in his article saying “I’m ready for whatever role is put in front of me. I’ve come off the bench
a lot. I’ve started a few games. But I’m ready for whatever role.” Clearly, Locastro is ready to contribute however he can. Locastro’s baseball coach at Auburn High School, TJ Gamba, is the current head coach of the Men’s baseball team at Cayug Baseball Head Cayuga. Gamba has nothing but positive Coach TJ Gamba things to say about Locastro, as a human and as an athlete “He was a very good, dedicated player in High School and obviously continued to improve and grow to get where he is currently at, the big leagues. He was a great teammate as well,” said Gamba. Gamba also noted that Locastro has done a great job of handling the responsibilities of a being major leaguer and it is surreal to watch him play on TV. “It just goes to show, people that have a goal, work at it, stay committed, and take advantage of the breaks, they earn can achieve the
desired result.” said Gamba. “I am a huge fan and extremely proud of him,” Tim Locastro’s cousin, Mike Locastro Jr., is also from Auburn and loves the support Tim gets from the local community. “Tim just came back MLB player and from COVID and Auburn native thankfully it wasn’t Tim Locastro too bad for him. He’s ready to have a big year!” Per Basbeall Savant, a website dedicated to MLB statistics, Locastro is currently the fastest player in the MLB, averaging a league high sprint speed at 30.7 feet per second. Anyone who watches Locastro isn’t surprised by that statistic, as stealing bases is one of Tim’s specialties. The Diamondbacks have several upcoming contests. They play the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, March 23rd and the following day they face the Cleveland Indians.
SPARTAN BASEBALL HOME SCHEDULE SPARTAN BASEBALL TEAM LEADS MARCH
WED 24 HOME 4:00 PM Finger Lakes Community College *
*CONFERENCE SUN 18 HOME 2:30 PM Tompkins Cortland Community College *
WED 24 HOME 6:00 PM Finger Lakes Community College *
WED 21 HOME 2:00 PM Genesee Community College *
WED 31 HOME 2:00 PM Erie Community College *
WED 21 HOME 5:30 PM Genesee Community College *
WED 31 HOME 4:30 PM Erie Community College *
SUN 25 HOME 1:00 PM SUNY Broome Community College *
APRIL
SUN 25 HOME 3:30 PM SUNY Broome Community College *
SAT 10 HOME 1:00 PM Herkimer College * SAT 10 HOME 3:30 PM Herkimer College * SUN 18 HOME 12:00 PM Tompkins Cortland Community College *
MAY
SUN 02 HOME 12:00 PM Mohawk Valley Community College * SUN 02 HOME 2:30 PM Mohawk Valley Community College *
CAYUGA VS COVID-19: AN UNEXPECTED YEAR-LONG BATTLE By Josh Hart, staff writer “When the COVID Pandemic required us to close the college back on March 20th of last year, we were originally informed that the shutdown would only last a few weeks,” said Telecommunications Professor and School of Media and the Arts Director Steve Keeler. “It only became gradually apparent that the impact would continue for months. We never predicted that it would last over a year.”
Joshua D. Hart STAFF WRITER Cayuga Staff recalled what their general feelings were when exactly one year ago, Cayuga Community College was abruptly forced to become an almost entirely virtual school, for the first time in the college’s history. Social Sciences and School of Business Director Eric Zizza, described the transition as being very sudden and stressful. “It was a very unforeseen change for all of us,” Zizza said. “All of our traditional in-person interactions were being replaced entirely with Zoom meetings, phone calls, and emails. We were all highly concerned that our students would be negatively impacted.” However, despite these concerns, Zizza says the majority of students showed heavy resilience toward the changes and managed to finish the semester strong.
Cayuga Honors Program Coordinator Sheila Myers said that the college issued out a Persistence Award to approximately 2,000 Cayuga students over the course of last summer. Myers said the award was given specifically to students who were able to successfully complete and pass the Spring 2020 semester as a way of recognizing them for their ability to persevere their way to success, even in a time of crisis. However, Keeler says that while students have managed to maintain their grades, the pandemic has taken a greater toll on the college’s financial stability. Keeler says with most college courses remaining virtual, student enrollment has dropped significantly. Keeler also says that due to budget cuts caused by decreased tuition revenue, staff members who retire are unable to be replaced, creating a heavier work load for the remaining staff. But Keeler also praised the college’s ongoing efforts to fight against the virus. “I feel like the college has worked hard to keep us all safe,” Keeler said. “Very few people are allowed on campus, everyone has to get tested weekly, and infection rates at both our campuses have remained very, very low. I feel we’re in better shape than most other schools.” Keeler says that Cayuga is hoping to return to normal operations by the start of the Fall 2021 semester, with some minor adjustments. “Many of our remote learning techniques that were introduced during the pandemic are likely to stick around in some form,” Keeler said. “Some students like the convenience of online learning and will likely want elements of it to remain in place.”
THE WAY BACK TO PLAY SINCE COVID With their 2020 season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic after just four games, the Cayuga Spartans are ready to get back on the field and show they’re one of the top teams in Region 3 of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Baseball Coach TJ Gamba expects a deep pitching staff and strong defense to lead the Spartans during the 2021 season, with some of the team’s top throwers returning from the 2020 team. The Spartans were 3-1 in 2020 before the pandemic forced the season’s cancellation. This year’s team should be ready to take a step forward and seriously contend in the region, said Gamba. “I think we’ve improved immensely across the board. I’m very confident in that. We have our sights set on some goals — getting to the playoffs and advancing past the region — but that depends on how we grow as a team and elevate our game to compete with some of the bigger programs,” he said. “But based on what we’ve done in the past, we’ve already competed. We just have to step up and be consistent, and I think this team is capable of that.” The home series of two days of double-headers, the first against Corning marks the start of a 16-game stretch in as many days for the Spartans. Fortunately, the Spartans appear to have the depth to handle the challenging schedule. Gamba said Cayuga has as many as 18 pitchers lined up to take the mound, with leading arms including Austin Doyle-Miller, Brendan
Williams, Nate Coffey and Wyatt Palmer. Backing up Cayuga’s pitching staff will be versatile defensive lineups that coaches are still exploring. Gamba said the players’ ability to play multiple positions will be key in overcoming any injuries throughout the season, but will also help players secure field time throughout the season. “We have great depth in the infield, with some unbelievable defensive combinations that won’t limit our offense either,” said Gamba. The bats may take a little longer to come to life because of the limited spring training, said Gamba, who expects returning players Sam Jenkins, Hazel Martinez and Zac Legarretta to pace the Spartans at the plate. In 2019, Jenkins hit .353 while leading Cayuga in home runs and finishing second with 30 RBI. In the same season Legarretta hit .347 and led the Spartans with 12 stolen bases. “We have some guys who can swing the bat, but time will tell on that. We’re a bit behind, so we’ll see,” said Gamba. “I expect our strength will be on the mound and in the field.” The Spartans have an extended home stand to start the season, with the first eight games and 12 of the first 16 contests coming at Falcon Park. The Spartans host doubleheaders against Finger Lakes Community College, and SUNY Adirondack before traveling for a road doubleheader at SUNY Adirondack on March 28. —Andrew Poole, CCC Sports Information
ROUGH WEEKEND FOR SPARTANS The Cayuga Community College Spartans continue to look for their first win of the season after falling twice to Niagara County Community College on Sunday. Cayuga overcame an early Thunderwolves’ lead in the first game before losing a 7-6 squeaker, but couldn’t keep pace with Niagara’s bats in the second contest, falling 13-0. The losses drop the Spartans to 0-4 on the season. “We were a lot better in the first game today than we were yesterday, so it’s good to see that improvement. The defense was better, and I liked our approach at the plate. We hung in there against a good team,” said Cayuga Coach TJ Gamba. “We slid back some in the second game, and we’re going to work to make sure those mistakes don’t keep happening.” The Spartans fell behind early in the first game, trailing 6-2 entering the bottom of the fourth. Cayuga loaded the bases with no outs and a Zac Legarretta single brought home the first of four runs in the inning, knotting the score at six runs apiece. Pitchers controlled the next two innings, but Niagara pushed a run across in the seventh after loading the bases. The Spartans put two runners on in the bottom of the frame, but couldn’t score the tying run. Alex Wurster finished the first game
SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 67 YEARS!
CCC’s Jack Flynn two-for-three with two RBI and Samuel Jenkins went two-for-four with a run scored to pace the Spartans’ offense. Niagara’s bats were too strong for the Spartans in the second game, as the Thunderwolves built an 8-0 lead through the first three innings. Cayuga was unable to keep pace, managing a double by Jenkins and a single by Ryan Corsoniti. The Spartans return to Falcon Park for a doubleheader against Finger Lakes Community College on Wednesday, March 24. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. —Andrew Poole, CCC Sports Information
MARCH 23, 2021 PAGE THREE
TALK WITH SAM SOMETHING FUNNY STRESS STRESS REDUCTION FOUND IN SOUND “I don’t know about all of you, but I am a huge music fan, and music has always altered my mood and attitude, especially in high times of stress and anxiety. Growing up, I never had a
Samantha Brodeur STAFF WRITER TV in my bedroom, just a radio, and still to this day, I would choose listening to music and reading a book over watching TV. Music has been my escape for as long as I can remember. I listen to it when I’m upset and need a good cry (“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler and “Alone” by Heart are my personal go-to cry songs, no shame), I listen to it when I’m in a great mood and just want to jam out in my car (If you catch me at a stop light just jamming out, feel free to join the party), for every occasion I have a playlist or a song. Music is universal. Did you also know though, that there are different music frequencies that can help reduce stress and anxiety, and improve focus? I heard about this about a few years ago, and have used this technique while stressed after work, during intense times of studying and schoolwork, it’s helped improve my focus, reduce depression and anxiety, and just
help with my overall mental wellness. I thought this would be interesting topic and technique to share with you all, again that I use in my own life. For times like these, when I’m really struggling with what seems like the weight of the world on my shoulders, and stress is barreling down on my back, I use music created at 528 Hz. This is said to be the “love” frequency. I know this sounds silly, but studies show that when music or sound is listened to at this frequency, it promotes stress reduction, mental clarity, positive energy, selflove, and inner peace. Now, I know what you might be thinking, this has got to be some type of weird joke and this doesn’t work, right? Or it’s got to be people just banging on bowl or humming and chanting, but I’m here to tell you, some really famous artists actually have songs written and performed in this frequency, without you even knowing it! Most famously, “Imagine” by John Lennon, was composed in 528 Hz. Also, some other artists who have composed and had songs performed in this frequency are Jack Johnson, Bob Marley, Ed Sheeran, and Mac Miller, to just name a few. While I can only tell from the experiences I’ve had, you should try it out for yourself! The best thing you can do is go right to whatever platform you stream on, I use Spotify personally, and insert “528 Hz songs” and there a ton of them, seriously, tons! Start with just a quick 15 minutes, close your eyes, sit back, and just breathe. Like I said above, music is universal, and this is a quick and easy method for stress reduction, inner peace, and overall mental clarity to ultimately help your overall mental health and wellness. “
ESSENTIALS OF ART STUDENTS SHARE THEIR WORK
SHARE YOUR FUNNY MEMES WITH US:
Pointillism project created by early childhood major, freshman Dan VanNostrand
Pointillism project created by sophomore Danielle Weeks
Pointillism project created by sophomore Amber Knoepfler
AD DESIGNED BY NATHANIEL ENGLISH FOR COM 101 CLASS.
Pen & Ink assignment by freshman Brittaney Kaye “Brittaney did an outstanding job on her pointillism project. She went beyond fulfilling the basic criteria. Her piece communicates a strong narrative of care and love,” said Art Professor Janie Darovskikh.
Filbert...
Pen & Ink above created by sophomore Kassidee Seely LEFT: Pen & Ink by Julia Furlong
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE