Cayuga Community College Auburn & Fulton, New York
Collegian cayugacollegian@gmail.com
VOL. 67 ISSUE 17
PLAY BALL!!!
CAYUGABRIEFS
THREE CAYUGA SPORTS TO GET READY FOR A SPRING SEASON
COVID-19 CAMPUS UPDATE
This week we conducted 463 COVID19 tests and were notified by that two individuals tested positive. Both individuals were last on the Auburn Campus on Monday, February 22. They have been placed in isolation,and contact tracing is complete. They are restricted from accessing campus. — Cathy J. Dotterer, Ed.D. Dean of Students
By Caleb Roden, staff writer March will be the start of three spring sports at Cayuga Community College. Athletic Director Pete Liddell confirmed women’s softball, men’s soccer and men’s baseball will begin practice in early March. “We are officially looking to start in early March with official practice…with game
MARCH 10: OFFICES CLOSED; NO CLASSES PHOTOS PROVIDED BY AMANDA GOULD
Program and Professional Development Day is scheduled for March 10, 2021. Offices are closed and there are no day classes.
FORMER FOUNDATION PRESIDENT PASSES The College expresses sincere condolences to the family of John “Jack” McLane. Mr. McLane passed away peacefully at his home on February 20, 2021. As a local attorney, Jack has a long list of accomplishments and involvement in the Auburn community including serving as a Past President of the Cayuga Community College Foundation. Jack was a graduate of Mount Carmel High School, Class of 1961. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Niagara University, Magna Cum Laude, in 1965. He then obtained his Juris Doctor Degree from Columbia University Law School, Cum Laude, in 1968.
INSIDE: • COVERAGE OF THE FIRST STUDENT SENATE MEETING • COVERAGE OF THE VIRTUAL WRITING EVENT • ATHLETES GET HOOP HELP • MEET THE NEW COLLEGIAN STAFF MEMBER • MIKE TELLS YOU HOW HE SEES IT
NOW RECORDING MONDAYS AT 4 PM! STUDENTS: JOIN THE FUN
MARCH 2, 2021
HELP CCC CHILD CARE PROGRAMS GROW The power of flowers is expected to help Cayuga Community College’s Child Care Centers grow even better this spring. The college’s Early Childhood Club is hosting a fundraiser all through March to help enhance the outside areas at the center. The fundraiser is called “Flower Power.” Student members of club will be selling seeds, sprouts, and bulbs all month, with some of the proceeds going to the child care programs. “The fundraiser’s goals are to bring more natural elements to the playground- trees and flowers, bushes, a tricycle track for riding bikes, outdoor building blocks, sensory walls, etc.,” said Cayuga Childcare Director Amanda Gould. “ECERS, (Early Childhood Environment a Rating System), and ITERS, (Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale), suggest we have these things to continue to provide high quality education.” Gould says they have two locations this year- one at 81 Wall Street which serves children ages 6 weeks-5 years; the other program is on the Auburn campus (197 Franklin St). The on-campus facility houses their school-age program (K-7th grade). It operates Monday through Friday, based on when the children attend school. Auburn schools for this age group are operating a hybrid schedule. There is no Cayuga-run childcare available on CCC’s Fulton campus.
According to the program’s website, www.cayuga-cc.edu/students/childcare, the Cayuga Community College Child Care
Center is a state licensed, NAEYC and Quality Star New York accredited facility which was recently renovated. Cayuga Community College Child Care Center serves the children of Cayuga students, faculty, employees, and community members. Children of Cayuga students receive enrollment priority. The key features of our program include: • Daily Lesson Plans that incorporate all areas of childhood development • Experienced and certified staff • On-site nurse, as well as MAT trained staff • Gym classes, and use of gym facilities • On-site playground • On-site nature trail • College and local community members enrichment activities
Caleb Roden STAFF WRITER schedules being finalized as we speak,” said Liddell. “It’s very nerve-wracking attempting to adjust to the pandemic for sure. Cayuga has identified three programs this spring that we hope to return to competition.” Liddell says all three programs had practices during the fall semester. “Our main concern will be trying to make sure we keep student-athletes, coaches and staff safe,” said Liddell.
“The NJCAA and Region III has been meeting since the onset of the pandemic to determine the appropriate protocols for a safe return to play. Probably the biggest things will be mask-wearing, social distancing, and testing for all of our student-athletes,” said Liddell. “There will be limitations and spacing when we travel. Currently, spectators will not be able to attend games.” Liddell says he is looking forward to seeing athletics playing on the fields of Cayuga once again.
OUR APOLOGIES: AN EARLIER
ZOOM ID NUMBER
934 9197 6612
VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE IN ISSUE 17 RELEASED PREVIOUSLY CONTAINED WRONG INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAYUGA CHILD CARE PROGRAM. THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CERTIFIED AS CORRECT.
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HOW I SEE IT... FIRST SGO STUDENT SENATE MEETING I WILL LEARN AND SUCCEED PART TWO
Mary Jo Solazzo
OPINIONS
HOW I SEE IT... NO BIG DANCE FOR SU BB
Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Syracuse Basketball is one of the better programs for Division I Collegiate Men’s Basketball. Normally, we are in the top 25 and have much more wins than losses. We’re used to the Orange making the NCAA tournament. So when we don’t win a lot and when we don’t make the big dance, it can feel like a huge disappointment. However, we as fans should be grateful for having a top tier program. Georgia Tech, the team Syracuse most recently played and lost to, hasn’t made the NCAA tournament in 10 years. If Syracuse didn’t make the tournament for 10 years fans would rage.
Another good thing to point out is several programs that normally are in the top 25 conversation have not fared well this year, so it’s not just ’Cuse. UNC, the school Michael Jordan attended in college, was in the lower part of the ACC standings for a good part of the season. Duke, considered one of the “blue bloods” of college basketball and coached by legendary coach Mike Krzyzkewski, is on the verge of not making the end of the year tournament. Again, we as fans should be thankful that our team is normally so good that one mediocre season can really make us upset. Syracuse has plenty of young talent. They will improve with time, the chemistry is there but the skill is not. Next year, they return with most of their players. So even if this year was not what it was supposed to be, there’s always next year.
STAFF WRITER Even though it took me 65 years to get to this point in my life, I’ve had it rough. In 1994, I needed bilateral hip replacements. The hip surgery on my left leg caused a nerve damaged resulting in what they call a ‘drop foot.’ I couldn’t sue for malpractice since New York State had paid for both operations, so I had to learn to live differently. The life I knew was walking, bowling, camping, and not falling. From this injury, I’ve had a broken back, a broken spine and a broken arm. Maybe you won’t believe this, but God has healed all three fractures, not doctors, God. It’s still hard to walk because my foot turns making me fall. I don’t like being seen using a walker, because I wonder if people are making fun of me. But I pulled myself together and I am hoping to get a degree in Creative and Professional Writing for television. I’m doing well so far. I love Journalism but not Psychology. Some professors are great, some aren’t. It’s quite an experience. As I said before, I was previously turned down by two colleges and did not get a degree, but I earned 69 credits. Finally, I found a doctor after 17 years of being, shall I say—a cripple. He’s doing more tests to see what they can do. My circulation is poor and the doctor is checking my heart first. Then I will see a vascular surgeon. See, there is a God, but I waited17 years do to something about my nerve damage. I’ve lost feeling in that leg and it retains water and at times, it swells like a balloon. Before, I was in a lot of pain because of my hips. It’s a ‘Catch 22.’ Either live with the pain or have a nerve drop foot. I still feel the pain, so what’s the difference? I don’t know how I did it. And I was a single parent for 14 years. I’m determined to get my degree. If you know anyone who is disabled, you know we have a brain, and we don’t give up. I live on my own and loving it. My daughter helps me every week and my two sons support me. Good luck everyone.
By Patrick Mahunik, Jr., staff writer
Student Government Treasurer, Hannah Stearns announced at the first Student Government Organization (SGO) Senate meeting last Friday via Zoom, funding for the clubs will, unfortunately, be going down 20% for next year. She explained this is caused by low enrollment this year with the pandemic, but she did say the clubs have also spent very little money this year, so it quite possibly won’t be as big as an issue as it sounds. There were many topics talked about during the meeting from the future to events currently happening at CCC even with the pandemic. Yes, they said while the pandemic has put a hold on many things at CCC, the
Patrick Mahunik Jr. STAFF WRITER clubs are still finding ways to have events to help spread awareness or to just have fun. There were events announced and pitched from the Radio and Television Guild (RAT) and SGO leaders. Some of the ideas included a conspiracy theory night, a fitness week, a comedy game show to start at the end of March, and many more activities. All of the participants in the meeting where working to come up with ideas to help students get to some sense of normalcy this semester. The first of many things which happened on Monday is the Women’s History Month Bingo. It was a fun way to help students fight off the isolation they’ve all been in for almost a year as well as educate and spread awareness about the amazing women that have been ignored or not recognized quite enough throughout history and for the students to win prizes. Another event occurring soon is the Human Sex Trafficking Awareness session on March 3rd where students will be able to hear from victims of this horrible crime to help people understand how truly terrible it is.
There is also the continuation of the Diversity Series here at CCC which was reported to be getting an incredible turnout from students and staff. The last two sessions of this great series are on March 3rd and March 10th at 11 AM. To get information about these events contact Norman Lee and keep an eye out for emails about the events. The last of the confirmed events happening in the near future is the RAT Guild’s Game Night on March 12th at 5 PM. No game is set in stone yet, but some ideas suggested by RAT Guild Student Senator Shirley Kristensen included some options including the games Madden, Among Us, and Cards Against Humanity. The RAT Guild is also looking to collaborate with other clubs for some events this year if any clubs are interested contact Steve Keeler or the officers of the RAT Guild. In other business at the Student Senate Meeting the announcement of the RAT Guild officers. Corinne Stevens was elected President, Samantha Schwartz was elected Treasurer, and the Vice-President position is still being decided. SGO leaders announced they will be holding their elections for the 2021-22 year on April 12th. If interested in running the deadline to apply to run is April 5th and you must send your application to the SGO leadership or their advisor, Norman Lee. With the news of budget cuts, more clubs may be planning more fundraising events to help the clubs make up for the money lost and continue to do events this year and next year to help educate students and help students connect with fellow students. If you’re interested in going to a meeting with the SGO their next and last one of the semester is on April 16th.
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
HAVE AN OPINION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? Send your qualified submission to cayugacollegian@gmail.com. Your submission must include the writer’s full name, college year, area of study, phone number, and hometown. All submissions must have an email domain of ‘cayuga-cc. edu’ to be published. Anonymous letters and letters written under pseudonyms will not be published. For verification purposes, submissions must also include the writer’s home address. The staff of The Cayuga Collegian reserves the right NOT TO PUBLISH without an explanation.
MEET THE COLLEGIAN STAFF
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.
Michael Perry Joshua Hart Patrick Mahunik Caleb Roden Corrine Stevens MaryJo Solazzo Samantha Brodeur
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER
Mary G. Merritt FACULTY ADVISOR
Samantha Brodeur STAFF WRITER Hi all! My name is Samantha Brodeur, I am a resident of Pulaski and graduated from Pulaski High School in 2010 and I returned to Cayuga in the fall of 2020 after a 10-year break. I am a Liberal Arts student with a concentration in Psychology, working toward my
We are looking for more staff members!
PAGE TWO MARCH 2, 2021
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goal of becoming a Clinical Psychologist. I am also a member of CCC’s chapter of the NSLS. I am a single mother of a seven-year-old boy. Outside of school, I lead a very active lifestyle, while I am a manager at a local bar/ restaurant, you can always catch me anywhere from the lake, to roller skating on any blacktop surface, and even up snowboarding on the mountains! A neat fact about me is that I lived in and attended elementary school in Montreal, Canada, moving back to the US when I was 10! I live life daily practicing mindfulness, meditation, self-care, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to share these things with everyone here at Cayuga Community College!
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AUBURN ATHLETES GET A PUSH-UP TO ENTICE RECRUITERS
By Michael Perry, editor-in-chief
Central New York has never lacked local talent when it comes to sports. Yet, colleges and universities are much more
SPORTS
Jeff Richardson with the JV Girls Nottingham team he coaches.
Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF likely to recruit a high school athlete who is from a major city over someone from a smaller city like Auburn. This is simply because small town athletes do not get the views and publicity that kids in big cities receive. If there are more recruits playing in a big city high school game than a scout will obviously attend that game over a game being played in a rural area or in a smaller town. So, when Auburn native Jeff Richardson saw an opportunity to give local kids more exposure to colleges via
social media, he knew what he had to do. “I’m from Auburn and I graduated from Auburn High School in 2007. Back then coming from a small town and getting colleges to recruit you was a big issue. My experience is a big part of why I am doing this”, says Richardson. Since 2018, Richardson has run a social media page called CNY Hooptalk, where he posts local athletes highlights, streams girls and boys high school games, interviews the players, and so much more. Also, Richardson has prep schools and colleges who reach out to him asking about local athletes to look out for. He noted he does all of this especially for local kids who might not have access to social media, sending them Jeff Richardson their highlights and stats. Local athlete Hakeem Ali is from Auburn, NY and is a graduate of Auburn
High school. He plans on attending Penn State Wilkes-Barre in the Fall as a Junior playing for the men’s basketball team. Ali has known Richardson his whole life and has nothing but praise for Richardson and what he is doing, stating “Jeff is a great dude and I think it’s great what he’s doing for local kids and helping them get exposure so they can play in college.” Richardson says he has seen an improvement in exposure for local athletes since starting his page in 2018. While he does not currently want to do CNY Hooptalk full-time, he says it is something he has not ruled out completely. On top of running CNY Hooptalk, Jeff has a full-time job working with at-risk youth, he is the Head Coach of JV girls’ basketball at Nottingham High School in Syracuse and is also Assistant Coach for men’s basketball at SUNY ESF in Syracuse. You can follow his page at facebook. com/cny.hooptalk and subscribe to his YouTube channel, CNY Hoop Talk TV, for live local game streams.
ITHACA COLLEGE POET READS POEMS TO CREATIVE WRITING CLUB STUDENTS
By Josh Hart, staff writer
Cayuga students recently had the opportunity to hear poetry read by the poet, himself. During the hour-long session on Zoom last week, Cayuga Creative Writing & Literature students heard the poems from a special guest, Jerald (Jerry) Mirskin, a popular Flash Fiction writer who also teaches writing courses at Ithaca College.
Joshua D. Hart STAFF WRITER Throughout the bulk of the workshop, Mirskin presented some of his own personal examples of Flash Fiction writing to the students and staff. A couple of the stories were samples from his most recent book, “Crepuscular Non Driveway,” which was first published in April of 2014. Mirskin also read a few more recent stories of his that have yet to be released publicly. Each of the stories that Mirskin picked for his presentation, all had a similar theme that tied them all together. Each story was a simple “Slice of Life” type story, focusing on a simple part of a person’s life. These included topics such as, the awkwardness of learning about human reproduction for the first time, the awkward feelings that a person has on their first day of college, and the feelings of grief one has after losing someone close to them. Some of the stories were heartfelt and tender, some were humorous, and some were a mixture of both. The students and staff attending the session seemed to be deeply immersed into Mirskin’s poetry and appeared to be holding on to every last word he read. In the discussion which followed, they all agreed that the stories demonstrated a clear example of Mirskin’s style of writing. In addition to his readings, Mirskin also briefly paid tribute to famous American poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who had recently passed away on February 22nd at age 101. Mirskin described Ferlinghetti as one of the Founding
SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 67 YEARS!
Fathers of “Beat Poetry.” Mirskin said Ferlinghetti was one of his biggest influences when he first started writing poetry. He recalled the time he worked as a carpenter and wrote one of Ferlinghetti’s poems on a dust covered mirror Jerald Mirskin inside a house his crew was working on. After he was later laid off from his construction job, he then went to Binghamton University and took his career in a whole new direction. Mirskin was born in the Bronx, and grew up living in California, Maine, and Wisconsin. Currently, he has published three individual poetry collection books, in 2002, 2008, and 2014, respectively. In addition to being a writing professor at Ithaca College, Mirskin also teaches select classes at Cornell University, and has worked as a New York State Poet-inthe-Schools. Mirskin had previously visited the CCC Auburn and Fulton campuses in the Spring of 2017, as part of the English and Humanities Division’s Visiting-Writers Series, where he also read from some of his published collections.
TECH BUILDING ELEVATOR REPORTED TO BE HAVING UPS AND DOWNS AGAIN.
MARCH 2, 2021 PAGE THREE
STRESS TALK WITH SAM SOMETHING FUNNY “Let’s talk about stress. We’ve all had it, and although some might experience it more than others, and in different ways, as human beings that is the one thing every single one of us has in common, we all experience stress. As college students, amid a global pandemic, tensions
Samantha Brodeur STAFF WRITER
2. MEDITATION- There have been multiple studies that have shown the positive effects that practicing meditation has on the mind and body and coping with stress. Honestly, YouTube has been the best and most helpful tool and resource I have used. Meditation can seem scary and overwhelming at first to someone who is never tried it before, but there is no right way to do it, it is all about what relaxes and comforts you personally. I started just seeking out “Guided Meditation” videos on YouTube, and there are thousands of great ones to choose from all ranging from 5-minute short meditations, to longer ones. It is all about your comfort level, but YouTube is a great place to start.
can run high. It becomes easy to slip into that “brain fog” of thoughts and tasks that consume your mind- things like navigating academic life, work life, and personal life. While prior to the pandemic, it was a bit easier to separate each one, now it seems although they are all meshing. This can cause you to lose focus and motivation, and in turn creates stress. It seems sometimes, when you have the pressures of assignments due, studying to complete, worrying about working, making sure bills are paid and up-to-date, and juggling life in-between, it can completely consume and overwhelm you. If this sounds anything like you or anything you struggle with, you are not alone. I know for me personally, it has been somewhat of a struggle and it often can be difficult to step back, take a breather, and get your mind back on track and focused. In recent weeks, I have been doing research and testing out useful techniques and practices on how to regain focus and destress, how to rid of that “brain fog” and heavy chest, anxious feeling that often comes when we are under stressful situations. Here are some of the “de-stress” techniques I have learned and practiced myself:
3. PRACTICE GRATITUDE- It can get hard during stressful times to look at the big picture and remember the things that you are in control of. I personally have a gratitude journal, but this can be done on just a paper. Take one minute of your time and write down three different things you are grateful for. This can help you visualize and put into perspective the things that matter most. Practicing and visualizing gratitude increases self-esteem, reduces depression, and helps reduce stress!
1. MINDFUL BREATHING exercises for grounding and centering your mind and body- Close the laptop, put the phone down, shut the TV down, and turn the music on low, it is time to focus on you. Close your eyes, loosen your shoulders, unclench your jaw, bring your eyebrows up, and back down to loosen your face muscles. With your eyes closed, inhale a deep breath for 2 counts (1…2) and exhale out for three counts (1…2…3), repeat this a few times. This helps your mind slow down, re-organize, clear, and refocus itself, while releasing the built-up tensions you are holding in your body that you may not even realize you are holding in!
While these are just some small examples of ways to relieve stress, it is always so important to remember that the time and season you are in in your life right now, is exactly where you are meant to be, and if you are doing the best that you can, you are doing great, so do not be too hard on yourself. I read somewhere once “So far you’ve survived 100% of your worst and most stressful days. You’re doing great.” You are not alone, and if you do need help and are feeling too overwhelmed, the Centers for Student Engagement has amazing resources for students. Do not be afraid to reach out. We are all in this together. You are important, your feelings are valid, and you do matter.”
4. AFFIRMATIONS- It is easy in times of heavy stress to get down on ourselves. I have found that repeating positive affirmations to myself daily, improves not just my mood, but eases my mind as well. I have them posted everywhere from a sticky note on my laptop, by my bed, on my mirror… seriously, my house it littered with them. Some great ones to start out with would be something like: “I chose peace of mind today.” “I chose to release all negative thoughts” “I use positive thinking to manifest positive outcomes” “I go easy on myself in any situation.”
This week’s MEMES submitted by Mike Perry and Samantha Brodeur
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