CCC COMMENCEMENT CANCELED ALL INFORMATION PUBLISHED HERE IS AS OF PRESS TIME AT 6 PM, SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2020
Collegian Cayuga Community College Auburn & Fulton, New York
cayugacollegian@gmail.com
Vol. 66 Issue 17
March 24, 2020
COVID-19BRIEFS
COVID-19
To ensure the health and safety of its students and staff, Cayuga Community College closed its campuses in Auburn and Fulton, effective 5 P.M. Friday, March 20, 2020. Campuses will be restricted until further notice. During this time, college employees will work from home. Students will continue their courses in a distance learning format and will have remote access to all support services, including library resources. “This has been a challenging situation, but our faculty, staff and leadership team have done a remarkable job supporting the institution. They worked tirelessly making this transition as easy as possible for our students,” said Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant. “Our commitment to our students has always been strong, and we will continue providing comprehensive support services and excellent faculty instruction as our students adjust to the distance learning format.” —Andrew Poole, CCC Communications
By Emma Tavener, Editor-in-chief
GROUNDS GRADUATION
ON CAMPUS JOBS CEASE FOR ALL STUDENT WORKERS
ORGAN TRANSPLANT STUDENT PRACTICES SOCIAL DISTANCING ON AUBURN CAMPUS “Wash, wash, wash, wash your hands!” exclaimed CCC student Kim Thompson through her stylish mask. A kidney transplant recipient four years ago, a now healthy Thompson says she was on campus Wednesday to finish up some Chemistry work. Thompson says she has to be very careful about her exposure to others so she considered wearing suspenders attached to a Hula Hoop so she would automatically practice proper social distancing. “My sister suggested wearing a few petticoats which I thought was a good idea because I could sit on the bus without taking anything apart.”
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By Emma Tavener, Editor-in-chief When cases of COVID-19 starting popping up in Central New York, soon after Cayuga Community College’s President decided the majority of classes would switch to a distance learning format available online. Student support services are available remotely by phone, email, or online during their normal hours, since both the Auburn and Fulton campuses are closed officially. There is no longer physical access to library facilities or the Center for Academic Success facilities. The distance learning style is very new for both professors and students on campus. It’s important to have patience on both ends. “It’s surreal,” said Norman Lee, Director of Student Activities. “It’s almost like you have to take away any training regarding crisis management of any kind and
we’re finding ourselves still combing through things to make the best judgment.” “I think there is a bit of an overreaction. I think the media is to blame for the way this is being handled with their 24/7 coverage. It’s just not healthy,” said CCC Telcom Norman Lee major Kody Swartwood who was on the Auburn campus last Wednesday for a video editing lab. “It’s happened all through history. I think the media is making it out to be worse than it is.”
Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 especially in New York State, the sophomores attending Cayuga Community College have been told that Commencement is canceled. The college website states, “We know this is disappointing for our graduating students and their families. All of you worked hard to reach this point, and Commencement is a wonderful time when our campus community and your families celebrate your remarkable achievements. It is one of the most treasured moments of each academic year, but we feel this decision is the best way to help our entire college community stay healthy and safe”. The college has extended an invitation to students who have earned degrees in December 2019, January 2020, May 2020, and the summer of 2020 to participate in the next Commencement, May 2021. EDITOR’S NOTE: We want to hear from students. Email The Collegian at cayugacollegian@gmail.com and tell us what you think about graduation being canceled.
WRITING SUPPORT/ CAS TUTORING UPDATE By Katie Stout, English Learning Specialist
PHOTO BY MARY G. MERRITT
Along with the closing of Cayuga Community College campuses in Auburn and Fulton last Friday, so ends campus workstudy jobs for students. Work hours ended at 5 P.M. on Friday. Students are advised to submit their final hours before 10 A.M. on Monday, March 23. “I am sorry to have to tell you this news. I had hoped that you could all continue working until April 1 and possibly longer. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen. I appreciate so much everything you have all done for the department this year,” wrote Director, Media and Telecommunications Programs Steve Keeler to an email to the department’s student workers.
PHOTO BY MARY G. MERRITT
CCC PRESIDENT DURANT ORDERS CAMPUSES CLOSED
The CAS still has writing support available to students, as well as tutorial support in other subjects. Our process is pretty straightforward. Students looking for tutoring in writing, should send me an email at kstout1@cayuga-cc.edu with the following information to schedule an appointment: NAME COURSE NAME/NUMBER CAMPUS Tutoring is available by email, phone, Zoom, etc., and we have peer tutors from the Writing Table available, as well. Students will typically receive a response back about scheduling their appointment within 24 hours M-F, and the next business day if the request is made over the weekend. The rest of the tutoring services in the Center for Academic Success (CAS) are also still open remotely! We have tutors in just about every CONTINUED PAGE 3
INSIDE:
• TELCOM TELETHON CANCELED • NEW YORK CITY TRIP CANCELED • YOU CANNOT VISIT GRANDMA • MEET THE NEW COLLEGIAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • LAST PERFORMANCE OF HARLEQUIN PRODUCTION TAPED • CCC ATHLETICS SUSPENDED; INCLUDES PRACTICES • STUDENT SHARES SELF-QUARANTINE EXPERIENCE • HOW I SEE IT: WORKING IN A GROCERY STORE DURING A WORLD PANDEMIC
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
FROM BEHIND THE SELF-QUARANTINED DOOR As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep across the globe, many students like myself are faced with taking their entire class load online. i feel fortunate in the fact that i only have one class transitioning to online; the rest of my classes for the semester already were online courses. My husband and I are both pretty sick with flu-like
OPINIONS
PHOTOGRAPHER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF When I was hired to work as a cashier in a grocery store in 2018, I never expected that one day I would be considered one of the most essential workers in the country! As Coronavirus has spread rapidly over the world, people everywhere are forced to stay home and businesses are closing. In New York State, it was ordered that all non-essential businesses close. Since working in an “essential” grocery store, I’ve transferred departments to customer service. I’m the only one in my parent’s house who still has to go to a job. I’m the only person in my household with the possibility of catching the virus and spreading it to others. Everyday I come home from work, I’m ridden with paranoia and anxiety that I’m carrying the virus. My parents are caregivers for my 90-yearold grandfather who is recovering from brain surgery and I come home everyday not knowing if someone carelessly has infected me. The most my store can do is tape lines on the floor three feet in front of me for people to stand behind so we can practice proper social distance. Yet I handle thousands of dollars in cash daily, use the same restrooms as hundreds of other people daily, and the virus can travel up to six feet from someone who is infected. As much as I worry about putting my health on the line, I still come to work in order to help the people who, just like me and you, are just trying to get the necessities for daily living. Most people have an understanding of what employees are doing for them and they understand the risks we take for them. But there is always that group of people who don’t understand why the shelves are empty, why our food services close early, or why I can no longer take their returns, and they love to blame cashiers, stockers, customer service, etc. for all of these problems. I’ve been called some choice swear words by a customer because she bought the last bag of frozen sweet potato fries and there is a hole in the top. Customers have screamed at me asking if I want to die and told me the virus was coming for me. People try to return essentials that they hoarded off the shelf and discovered they wouldn’t use, but I have to tell them no. Working in a grocery store during a pandemic has been a whirlwind of emotions. There are times when you feel proud for helping someone who is frantically looking for something, helping someone navigate our delivery services over the phone, or when a good Samaritan brings in donuts for the staff and thanks us for risking
The Cayuga Collegian welcomes letters from its readers. Submissions must be emailed to cayugacollegian@gmail.com. Submissions must include your name, address and daytime phone number. All letters to the editor do not reflect the viewpoint of the Collegian office, its staff or advisor. All letters are simply the opinions of the writers themselves. All letters may be edited for content or length.
PAGE TWO
Benjamin Winne FALL 2020
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
WINNE NAMED COLLEGIAN FALL 2020 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF As we say farewell to our sophomores on The Cayuga Collegian staff, we would like to announce Ben Winne will take over the duties of Collegian Editor-inchief in the fall. Winne is a Biology major with the goal of earning a doctorate in medicine. A voracious reader, Winne also enjoys all forms of writing. “Working for The Collegian has been a great learning experience. I’m looking forward to next semester,” said Winne. our health. There are also times where you can feel like everything is your fault, people scream at you, people need things that no matter what you do to help them, it isn’t enough. Chances are high that the employees at your favorite grocery stores feel all these emotions in one shift. Every night we go home and we are terrified that we could infect our families. Please remember to thank your grocery store employees and never take out your anger on these people. These employees are risking everything for you.
My husband works for a company that was deemed essential so he and a person who lives with us, are still out there working every day. I’m home now for the long run, my college coursework is online; my daughter’s daycare is officially closed; and i’ve lost my job until further notice. I’m already struggling to balance my time with my young daughter home all day with me. She’s a wonderful distraction, but it is hard to get some of my work done, but it will be OK in the end. The closing of our school put a halt to the NAMI club i’m helping to start on campus. I made a Facebook page for the group. I’ve been in contact with our advisor and advocates so we can try and start helping the student body better manage their mental health this fall. We also want to create an online platform which people can contact when they want to reach out. You can find our group page on Facebook @NAMICCC . in light of this serious situation, i decided to have a little fun with a personal project i’m working on called #theyellowproject. it’s a series i’m still creating based on mental health, but i had to have some fun with it while we are locked away in the house. so yes.. i really did take photos in my basement with a roll of toilet paper and a raincoat! Enjoy!
PHOTO BY COLLEGIAN PHOTOGRAPHER EMILY LANE
Emma Tavener
symptoms, so we decided to call the COVID -19 hotline because all our other tests for the flu and pneumonia came back negative even though we’re really, really sick. We were told to go to a community clinic in Syracuse and go through the drive-up testing lane that they implemented. When you get there they have signs all over giving directions for you to pull up to the right place. They ask you to leave your windows rolled up until they motion you to put them down. They only have you lower your window about five inches so they can talk to you and take your temperature. The nurses are dressed head to toe in PPE, (Personal Protective Equipment), and some of them even have splash guards, and full hazmat suits. It’s honestly so surreal pulling up to it all, almost like we were in some end -of-the-world zombie movie. After they took our vitals and talked with us about how we were feeling, they sent us home. My husband and I were told to take our three-year-old daughter home and to stay quarantined for the next four days. Apparently they decided we don’t have COVID-19, but we are sick with a cold and some kind of respiratory infection. i’m having a hard time recovering because i have asthma so my lungs aren’t handling the seasonal changes very well.
KEEP GRANDMA AND GRANDPA SAFE New York State Governor Andrew Cumo recently ruled that nursing homes will no longer be able to allow in visitors due to the risk of Covid-19 and its
Jenna Fields ASSOCIATE EDITOR
dangerous effects on the elderly. But for many people in homes like that, like having their families visit and that’s what they look forward to. My grandmother is in an intensive memory care
facility nursing home. She has severe dementia. She may not remember me, but it’s important that I go and visit her as much as I can. Since I’ve known my grandmother, she has always loved dogs so every time time I go I bring my dog to visit her. But due to the coronavirus I wasn’t able to visit her like I normally do. Despite not being able to see her at the home, the nursing home staff set up Facetimes with all families so the residents could stay connected with their loved ones. So last Thursday, we had our first ever video call with my grandmother. She was thrilled to see all of us as well. We had all the animals with us during the call so she got to see her family and all the animals she always loves to see. For me, it was a different experience. The nurses were really nice and also excited for the residents to finally see their families. The one nurse that was helping my grandmother was so sweet, he helped take screenshots that they are going to print out and give the residents to hang in their room until they can see their families again in person.
PHOTO BY MARY G. MERRITT
HOW I SEE IT...
WORKING IN A GROCERY STORE DURING A WORLD PANDEMIC
PHOTO BY COLLEGIAN PHOTOGRAPHER EMILY LANE
Emily Lane
COLLEGIAN REMOTE STAFF Emma Tavener Jenna Fields Benjamin Winne Emily Lane
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSOCIATE EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Mary G. Merritt FACULTY ADVISOR
JOIN US IN THE FALL 2020!!!
COLLEGIAN STAFF COMMITTED TO CONTINUING When the leaders of CCC’s student-run newspaper held their staff meeting last Wednesday, they did not know it would be their last on campus this semester. Despite the college buildings closing, students Jenna Fields, Emma Tavener, Ben Winne, and Emily Lane decided to keep working preparing issues of The Collegian to provide the campus community with information. They also plan to continue producing The Collegian’s new media show, CAYUGA BYTES. “These are outstanding students who realize how important it is to keep the college community connected, but more importantly they’re also writing and recording history. Future Collegian reporters are going to be looking for information about this unprecedented action by the college in the face of a world pandemic. Hopefully the work of these students will help them understand what it was like to have their college semester halted and their lives changed by an event out of anyone’s control,” said Assistant Professor and Collegian Faculty Advisor Mary G. Merritt. “I’m very proud of them.”
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ONE CONFIRMED CASE IN CAYUGA COUNTY; SO FAR TWO COVID-19 CASES IN OSWEGO COUNTY The Cayuga County Health Department recently announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the county. The infected man is not a resident of the county. He felt ill as he was traveling through and sought medical assistance. The man in his thirties in now under quarantine. Public Health Director Kathleen Cuddy said, “this case demonstrates the need for social distancing and practicing personal protective measures, including not traveling and staying home.” The Oswego County Health Department posted on their website that the county has two people who tested positive for COVID-19. More than 100 people have been tested so far; 50 have tested negative.
NEW YORK STATE GOVERNOR CUOMO ORDERS STATE RESIDENTS TO STAY AT HOME New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a state-wide “stay at home” executive order for all residents Friday, the strictest measure yet to fight the spread of the Novel Coronavirus for the nation’s largest city. “This is not life as usual,” he said. “Remain indoors, go outside for solitary exercise. Don’t go to a house with multiple people.” Cuomo said Friday that there are 7,102 confirmed cases statewide—and about 1,250 people are hospitalized. That’s around 40 percent of the nationwide total of at least 12,000, according to The New York Times, despite New York having six percent of the country’s population. Cuomo said the order meant non-essential gatherings of any size could not take place for New York’s 19 million residents.
By Jenna Fields, Associate Editor
By Jenna Fields, Associate Editor
After many months of preparation, the college’s Telcom Department had to make a tough decision to postpone the first ever live Telcom Telethon. The six-hour event featured 20 minutes acts of local talent performing with a bank of call takers answering phone all in an effort to raise money for the college’s food pantry. The organizers of the event say it was a hard decision to make, the circumstances involving Covid-19 and its spread dictated they should take the proper precautions for the safety of the crew and performers. Organizers say they would like to reschedule the live Telcom Telethon if possible for later this semester. If that is not possible, they’re hoping future Telcom students would like to pick up where they left off and continue planning based on all the hard work put in from students and staff this past semester.
“Group travel to a dense city is not recommended at this time,” wrote Director, Media and Telecommunications Programs Steve Keeler to an email to the department’s students. “I’m sorry to report that the college administration informed me this morning that the Telcom New York City bus trip has been cancelled as a public health precaution. The college’s Foundation has stated that they will support the trip again next year.” Students enrolled in Cayuga Community College’s Telcom Programs were to experience an expense-paid day trip to tour the famous Paley Center for Media and visit the newest haven for new media equipment—B&H Photo Video Electronics and Camera Store. Transportation, admission to the museum, and lunch were to be all provided by the college. Students would have had some free time to experience the city.
CCC’S BASEBALL TEAM FORCED TO END PRACTICES PHOTO BY MARY G. MERRITT
COVID-19BRIEFS
TELCOM LIVE TELETHON TELCOM DEPT. TRIP TO PREMIER CANCELED NEW YORK CITY CANCELED
Along with the total transition to distance learning came the decision to suspend all athletic activity at the college. CCC’s Baseball Team were holding practices in the hopes of getting their season back. Not anymore. “We’ve been practicing since August so having our season cut short is very disappointing,” said CCC sophomore and baseball team member Dave Wilson of Ontario, Canada. Wilson says the team isn’t even holding practices now so he is heading back to Canada. Wilson says he will be playing baseball for Dalhousie University next fall, majoring in Sociology.
Dave Wilson CAYUGA’S AUBURN CAMPUS LIBRARY READIED FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING PANDEMIC HAS A SURPRISING EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT PHOTOS BY COLLEGIAN PHOTOGRAPHER EMILY LANE
By Benjamin Winne, staff writer
UNFORTUNATELY, THE LIBRARIES ON BOTH CAMPUSES ARE CLOSED.
NEW YORK STATE GOVERNOR CUOMO ORDERS ALL BUT ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES TO CLOSE DOWN Don’t make plans to go to a movie with friends any time soon, or travel or much of anything with other people for the time being. On the shoulders of Cuomo’s “stay at home” executive order for all residents, he has also ordered non-essential businesses to close their doors indefinitely. Civil fines and mandatory closures for businesses that don’t comply with the new mandate will be enforced beginning on Sunday, Cuomo announced. “These provisions will be enforced,” he said. “These are not helpful hints. This is not if you really want to be a great citizen. These are legal provisions. They will be enforced. There will be a civil fine and mandatory closure for any business that is not in compliance. Again, your actions can affect my health. That’s where we are.” Cuomo, however, said there will be no civil fines on individuals at this time for people who violate the policy. For example: Essential retail: • Grocery stores including all food and beverage stores • Pharmacies • Convenience stores • Farmer’s markets • Gas stations • Restaurants/bars (but only for takeout/delivery) • Hardware and building material stores
SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 66 YEARS!
With more countries around the world moving toward locking down the main population in order to more effectively combat the Coronavirus, people may feel there is little upside to being constantly confined within their homes. One positive that may be lost on some people is the environmental repercussions of staying home more. As big countries all across Europe and Asia are moving toward total lock down in places like Italy, China, and the UK, their emissions have been cut to a fraction of what they once were.
Fish are now visible swimming in the canals of Venice, Italy
This emissions graph shows China’s CO2 emissions before and after the lock down due to the virus. Water pollution, air quality, smog conditions, and many more environmental conditions have improved as a direct result. Likewise in Venice, Italy; the canals that are the main mode of transportation in the city have cleared from being less traveled. You can now actually see the bottom of the canals and the natural environment that usually inhabits it, that
is hidden by the constant movement and pollution of the water from gondola traffic. All in all there is some positive change that can be yielded from staying home. Apart from protecting yourself and the people around you, apparently staying home is helping to heal the environment little by little. These changes bring to light how much of an impact each and every one of us has on the natural environment, even just from our every day travel. They also show us how far we need to go in order to really start to effect positive change on the environment around us.
WRITING SUPPORT/CAS TUTORING
CONTINUED PAGE 3
subject available to connect over phone, email, Zoom, Blackboard, and Facetime. Students wishing to request a tutor in a subject other than writing, please send an email to one of the following with their name, course name and number, and campus:
MATH HELP: Math Specialists: Stacey Canino (Fulton Campus), stacey.canino@cayuga-cc.edu, or Larraine Mahoney (Auburn Campus), mahoneyl@cayuga-cc.edu ALL OTHER SUBJECTS: Teresa Hoercher, Tutorial Coordinator: hoercht@cayuga-cc.edu
Do you want to meet people? Do you want to be noticed on campus?
Do you want to learn to WRITE well?
You need to register for Telcom 204
If you are looking for ‘hands on’ experience RIGHT NOW... TELCOM 204 will teach you all the skills you need to go out and find interesting stories to write about and be published. The world is waiting for you - get the skills to meet its challenges head on.
PAGE THREE
FINAL HARLEQUIN STAGE PRODUCTION RECORDED
The recorded show will be streamed over the Internet with the blessing of its authors
Photos by Michael Paul Callahan via Facebook
Along with the many disappointments which happened because of an abrupt end to CCC’s spring semester, comes plenty of missed opportunities. If you did not get to attend a live performance of the Cayuga Community College student theatre troupe Harlequin Productions’ spring show: “Jill Trent: Science Sleuth,” you’re going to get a second chance. The play opened March 12th and completed all its scheduled shows that weekend. The COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the next weekend, with the exception of the Thursday night performance on March 19th. Then the production was closed to an audience. Harlequin Productions Director Bob Frame received permission from Washington playwrights Carissa Meisner Smit and Paul Lewis to live stream the recorded performance on the Internet. But just not quite yet. Director Bob Frame posted on Harlequin’s Facebook page news about a snag in the plan. He wrote: “Again the gods are asking for patience. The downloaded recording from the camera was being uploaded to the Internet when word came that the College President was shutting the College down, The engineer left telling me it was uploaded and being processed. However, when I checked the link he shared, only 13 minutes were uploaded. I texted him and he said he would work on it remotely yet it still sits at 12:53 <sigh> When I know more I will share the link.” To check for the link go to https://www.facebook.com/ Harlequin-Productions-of-Cayuga-Community-College. “It’s nice we’re recording our last performance so people can view it in the future,” said Nolan Callahan, a CCC sophomore cast in Harlequin’s spring production Jill Trent: Science Sleuth. “We’re very proud of our first performances last week. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the show and the experience.” Callahan says he is planning to transfer to SUNY Oswego next semester. According to published reports, you can expect a rollicking blend of mythical explosive elements, espionage, World War II and the Adam West-era Batman cartoon. Spoofing famous spy films from the 1940s, “Jill Trent: Science Sleuth” will show the title character battling Nazi sympathizers during World War II in a desperate search for a legendary ore that could alter the fate of the world if it falls into the wrong hands.
SOMETHING FUNNY
If you have SOMETHING FUNNY you would like to share with The Cayuga Collegian, please email a jpeg to cayugacollegian@gmail.com with your name!
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE