Cayuga Community College Auburn & Fulton, New York
Collegian cayugacollegian@gmail.com
VOL. 67 ISSUE 18
LOCAL ARTIST HOPES TO HELP HONOR HARRIET WITH HIS ART
CAYUGABRIEFS
CAMPUS COVID-19 UPDATE This week we conducted 471 COVID19 tests. SUNY Upstate notified the College that one individual has tested positive for COVID-19. The individual was last on-campus on Thursday, March 4. They have been placed in isolation and are restricted from accessing campus. Contact tracing is complete. Please continue following our health and safety protocols. If you are experiencing any symptoms associated with COVID-19, please avoid accessing campus. Thank you for your continued commitment to the health and safety of our campus community. — Cathy J. Dotterer, Ed.D. Dean of Students
By Michael Perry, editor-in-chief
The city of Auburn is known for its two most famous citizens, Harriet Tubman and William Seward. However, while the historical Seward House Museum is situated right in downtown Auburn, the Harriet Tubman National Historic Park is on the outskirts of the city. Local organization Harriet Tubman Boosters have created a fundraising effort to have art placed in downtown Auburn, as they had a call last year for artists to create a large mural drawing of Harriet Tubman.
HELP US, RONDA!!! OLSZEWSKI RETURNS TO CAYUGA ADMISSIONS Cayuga Director of Admissions and Primary Designated School Officer, Bruce Blodgett, announced he is pleased to welcome back Ronda Olszewski to the Admissions Office. Olszewski had been with the Admissions Office for 16 years before moving to the Registrar’s Office last June. Olszewski is already busy and has started work on both the Auburn and Fulton campuses.
MARCH 10: OFFICES CLOSED; NO CLASSES
Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ODALYS VELAZQUEZ GONZALEZ WINS CAYUGA ART DEPARTMENT’S ‘THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD’
Program and Professional Development Day is scheduled for March 10, 2021. Offices are closed and there are no day classes.
The winner of Cayuga Art Department’s Studio Art and Design Student Fall 2020 Art Exhibit and a gift card to Blick Art Supply is Odalys Velazquez Gonzalez. Associate Professor of Art, Melissa Johnson, says the winning artist’s self-portrait received the most votes during the voting period which took place in February. Gonzalez graduated in December. Honorable Mention accolades go to student Sarah St. Clair’s piece titled ‘Mirror.’ Congratulations to both artists!
INSIDE: • A WORD FROM CAYUGA STUDENT TUTOR • STRESS TALK WITH SAM • MIKE TELLS YOU HOW HE SEES IT • SAM TELLS YOU HOW SHE SEES IT
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MARCH 9, 2021
OUR APOLOGIES: HERE ARE THE FACTS ABOUT CAYUGA CHILD CARE CENTERS In Collegian Issue 18, there was some misinformation published about Cayuga Child Care Centers. The staff apologizes for the mistakes. Cayuga Childcare Director Amanda 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.
Local artist and Auburn native Arthur Hutchinson’s design was selected, and he couldn’t be more thrilled to have his work displayed in the heart of downtown Auburn. “When I moved to New York City to study architecture in 2000, I never would have thought that 21 years later I would be back in my hometown doing a mural. To be able to use my artwork to shine a new light on a truly larger-than-life icon and share that with the public is really an honor,” says Hutchinson. The art itself is incredible. Everyone knows Harriet Tubman for her work in the underground railroad, but the artwork reveals her lesser known accomplishments. For example, many people are unaware that in her later years, Tubman worked to promote the cause of women’s suffrage. She gave speeches and campaigned for women’s voting rights in several major cities. In Hutchinson’s design, Harriet Tubman can be seen speaking on a podium with the words “VOTES FOR WOMEN” on the front. Also, behind her is a flag sporting the famous gold and purple colors of the U.S. women’s suffrage movement. In another area of the design, Tubman can be seen riding in a boat with Union soldiers in the American Civil War, highlighting her work as a Civil War nurse. Amanda Vivenzio lives and grew up in Auburn. She feels the use of Hutchinson’s art to help reveal Harriet Tubman’s unknown achievements is what makes it so amazing and unique. She says she thinks this is a great idea. “We’re a small city, and you always see artwork like this in bigger cities, so why not in here, too?” The Harriet Tubman Boosters hope every Auburnian is excited about this significant contribution to the city itself. The organization is asking for donations at https://paypal.me/HTBoosters?locale. x=en_US. They are also welcoming new members. You can reach out on their website www.harriettubmanboosters.org or Facebook page.
Harriet Tubman Mural by Arthur Hutchinson
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
HOW I SEE IT... I LIKE TATTOOS
OPINIONS
HOW I SEE IT... NBA ALL-STAR GAME IS MONEY
Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The NBA is hosting its yearly All-Star game in Atlanta, Georgia despite the pandemic. Brooklyn Net’s guard James Harden stated: “This All-Star game was kind of forced, and thrown upon us.”
Samantha Brodeur STAFF WRITER the upper half of my body. I love being a walking display of someone’s artwork, and I love having things permanently on me that mean something to me and have value, little reminders, I guess. To put a long story short, my boyfriend passed away suddenly in a motorcycle accident in 2019. From that, my way to honor his memory and significance in my life, I got some of my favorite tattoos done- from his signature, to his fingerprints, and flowers on my hand that were the type he gave me a few days before his passing. These mean so much to me and I have no regrets about getting them. When I got the flowers I have tattooed on my hand, a few months passed and I was working part-time at an insurance company, along with my other job being a bartender, and someone asked how I got hired with all my tattoos referred to them, more importantly the ones on my hands, as a “job-killers” and I couldn’t help but think why? Why should I be prejudged based on this? I could partly see the controversy if I had something offensive permanently inked into my
HAVE AN OPINION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? The two players who were removed from the game both play for the 76ers. Left to right: Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons After two all-stars were pulled from the game due to contact tracing, Milwaukee Bucks Forward Bobby Portis harped, “Should’ve just named All-Star rosters and let them go be with their families.” We all know why the NBA did not cancel it’s All-Star weekend; money. At this point, it feels like I’m beating a dead horse. I constantly complain and gripe that we should all be more cautious, but I can’t help it. Having known people who have passed away from the virus, it just baffles me that there are still people that don’t take it seriously. And that shouldn’t even be a requirement to care. You don’t have to know a cancer patient to understand that it’s a horrible disease. Again, I hate to say this because I just feel like such a whiner, but when you have a player in your league—Karl Anthony Towns in the NBA, whose mother died from COVID, hosting the All-Star game is a major insult. I just hope NBA fans remember this stain in the history of the league, as they have handled this season horribly.
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.
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.
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!
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skin, but it’s not. I think that the stigma behind having tattoos in professional settings needs to end, and while I understand our generation is more accepting and understanding, there still lies the underlying stigma behind them. Having visible tattoos on my body doesn’t mean I am any less intelligent or make me any less qualified than someone without. If a person has the knowledge, understanding, and is a great candidate for the job, they should not be denied based on having visible tattoos. This, of course is just my opinion, but most I’ve talked to with and without tattoos feel the same. I’m hoping with the future generations, we’re able to rid the workplace and professional setting’s controversy over tattoos all together.
PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA BRODEUR
Why are tattoos such a controversy still? I have two finger tattoos and a hand piece, and I absolutely love them; I have covered my body in about 15 different pieces, big and small, on just
EXPERIENCED TUTOR RECOMMENDS CENTER FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS During my time at CCC, I have experienced more than I could have ever imagined. I started the fall semester not knowing anything about tutoring and by the end, I was a tutor who was taking on multiple roles. The tutoring services here at Cayuga Community College are for helping out all students. The tutoring staff and CAS provided a sense of stability during this trying time. Above all else, the CAS represents kindness, and in every tutoring session that is what we try to achieve.
Kaeleigh Sciria CONTRIBUTING WRITER Recently I was provided with the task to reach out to my professors and to try to share information about tutoring. This included the times that we have our writing and math tables, the embedded tutors we have, and so much more. For my Child Psychology class, I was able to speak live on Zoom to share about our services. It can sometimes be intimidating to reach out for tutoring, so having the student tutors reach out, could be beneficial. The
ability to spread the word was useful because you never know who could need the help. After getting to speak with my classmates and hoping that I could have inspired one of them to reach out, something else incredible happened. When I was reviewing the different tabs for my class I saw an additional tab labeled, “Peer Tutor with Kaeleigh.” It was a significant moment because now my classmates could access all of our tutoring information right on Blackboard. This tab included a message sharing what I could do as a tutor in hopes to spark interest in students. It also had multiple tutoring flyers for our services that our staff created. Implementing tutoring services in my class was a brilliant idea from my professor. This tutoring tab will hopefully provide my classmates with the confidence to try tutoring if they haven’t already. Tutoring has provided opportunities that I never thought were possible and I am so grateful for taking the leap of faith with the CAS. You would think that tutoring might help you gain a higher score on a test or understand a math concept, but it’s so much more than that. Tutoring has provided students with a sense that they’re not alone in this. Even though the pandemic has impacted how tutoring and learning occur, we are brought closer during this time that has kept us apart. Please reach out to the tutoring staff in the CAS for academic help or just a smile.
Michael Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joshua Hart STAFF WRITER Patrick Mahunik STAFF WRITER Caleb Roden STAFF WRITER Corrine Stevens STAFF WRITER MaryJo Solazzo STAFF WRITER Samantha Brodeur STAFF WRITER Mary G. Merritt FACULTY ADVISOR We are looking for more staff members!
PAGE TWO MARCH 9, 2021
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IF YOU ARE STRESSED; YOU’RE NOT ALONE By Brent Calhoun, contributing writer
WHAT DOES A COVID VACCINE FEEL LIKE? By Hailey Newman, contributing writer Many people have expressed skepticism about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine shot. Many say they are concerned about the possible side effects that the experts say may result. The concern about side effects is causing many people to decide to not get a vaccine or they’ve decided to wait to get a vaccine. Auburn Eye MD, an ophthalmologist’s office, has requested every employee get bot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Each person reported experiencing varying side effects after the vaccinations. “It was pretty easy, I had no side effects besides my arm tingling and slight pain at the injection site,” said ophthalmology tech Diane Niznik after the first vaccine. Ophthalmology tech, Melissa Comer, also said she only had a mild headache the night she got the first shot. While the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine reportedly had very little side effects on the people in the Auburn ophthalmologist’s office, the second shot was not as easy. Many reported a variety of symptoms after the second shot which were more in severity and intensity. Although Comer reported very mild side effects after her first shot, She says she felt worse after the second.
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“I had a very sore arm and the next morning I had a fever of 102 and had body aches and a chill the rest of the day, although I felt much the day after,”said Comer. Although Comer’s experience may sound bad, all hope is not lost. “Later that day after getting the second shot, I felt tired and had a slightly sore arm,” said Auburn Eye MD HR representative, Amy McMaster. So although the majority of the employees in the office said that after the first shot they were mostly fine, only having slight side effects; they said the second shot is a different story. Many described the second shots side effects seemed to vary to very slight; similar to the first shot, to severe and intense; as if having the sickness yourself. EDITOR’S NOTE: I also received the COVID-19 shots. After the first shot, the only side effects I had was a sore leg and arm and some headaches that came and went. After the second shot, I felt completely fine the day of and after, but two days after getting the shot, I felt dizzy and I had a stomach ache but supposedly the younger you are the worse the effects are supposed to be, so in the end my side effects were relatively mild.
Mental Health among college students has been tremendously impacted by the stresses of online learning and quarantine rules arising from the Covid-19 Pandemic. Two local mental health professionals agree that there is a rise in anxiety and depression among a percentage of college students. “Overall, I think there has been an increase in depression and anxiety,” explains Robert Thomas, a social worker at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES. “Everybody has had to adapt including teachers and families when dealing with quarantining, learning remotely. I think it should be required to send out emotional support, and colleges should figure out different ways to get needed support to college students” Thomas, who has worked as a therapist for 22 years with students, explained he “has never seen anything like this (Pandemic). Thomas says that his anxiety and stress level has increased due to the need to care for others through the Covid-19 Pandemic. “Staying connected with people and staying active has helped me keep a clear mind and focus on helping my clients the best I can through this pandemic,” said Thomas. He says he regularly exercises and uses positive coping skills to help him manage his own overall health. “I’m just going to keep doing the best I can because this is the job I chose,” Thomas said. “I plan to keep supporting students and celebrate successes through tough times.” Another local private therapist identified
the pandemic as challenging for young people. “Young people aren’t meant to be learning from home and figuring out their social lives without being in person,” said Jayda Calhoun, who owns her own private practice at Health Central in Auburn. “This is uncharted territory for adults and young people alike. None of us have ever experienced this in our lifetime and it is difficult to cope with quick adjustments to our lives,” she said. Calhoun explained that her caseload is at least 85% college-aged people and she has a waiting list consisting of people seeking therapy for stress. “Depression and anxiety are prevalent among students seeking services, as well as the need to acquire positive coping skills and to manage tough emotions,” she said. Calhoun, who has a waiting list for services, plans to keep assisting others in either finding other outlets or services that can help them maintain mental health safety. Many students and therapists including Calhoun are relying on the use of Telehealth services for health-related safety and making sure people can get the therapy that they need. Telehealth provides a safe and compliant way to receive medical or mental health care without leaving home. If you are struggling with depression or anxiety or feel that you need support, visit www.psychologytoday.com, visit your local mental health clinic, or talk to your college advisor to seek information on how to obtain mental health care.
CALLING ALL STUDENT ARTISTS!!! STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES: CALL FOR ENTRY: Artworks related to the theme BORDER. Works to be included in the Art about Borders Exhibit - opening at the virtual SOMA Showcase on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Submissions due to melissa.johnson@cayuga-cc.edu by 11:59 PM, March 24, 2021.
Designs should fit within the theme of Environmentalism & Earth Day. Winning design(s) to be printed on reusable bags and distributed. Artist(s) with winning submissions will receive a $25 gift card to Blick Art Supplies & five printed bags. Bags to be distributed the week of Earth Day - details TBA.
Awards to be given in multiple Visual Arts categories, including Best in Show & The People’s Choice Award.
MAIL ART - Art Club invites students to participate in the Spring 2021 CAYUGA ART CLUB MAIL ART PROJECT. Interested students should email Melissa Johnson at melissa.johnson@cayuga-cc.edu
CALL FOR ENTRY: Designs for Earth Day Reusable Bags Submissions due to melissa.johnson@cayuga-cc.edu by March 24, 2021 @ 11:59 PM.
Small packages of art supplies will be mailed to participating students + work will be sent back to be displayed in a virtual MAIL ART EXHIBIT on social media. Exhibition details to follow.
CAYUGA-CC JOINS SUNY INITIATIVE SUPPORTING CURRENT, EMERGING WORKFORCE Cayuga Community College is joining other New York community colleges in an essential SUNY initiative promoting private industry apprenticeships to support statewide workforce development. As part of the Apprenticeship Programs at SUNY, Cayuga will work with local business and industry leaders to promote the importance of registered apprenticeships for individuals and the long-term value of these opportunities for regional employers. The College will host a series of virtual roundtable discussions this spring in Cayuga and Oswego Counties to explore increasing apprenticeships. Dr. Keiko Kimura, Cayuga’s Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Fulton Campus, said the program reinforces the College’s mission of supporting students and the local workforce, many of whom balance work and raising a family while still exploring ways to advance their career. Registered apprenticeships are an under-utilized resource capable of supporting students and regional employers, she said. “Apprenticeships are important in developing a dynamic, evolving workforce that’s capable of stepping into careers in our emerging industries. These opportunities help potential employees gain on-thejob experience and expand the available employee base for our local employers,” said Dr. Kimura. “We’re proud to participate in the SUNY Apprenticeship Program, and we look forward to collaborating with local industries to increase available apprenticeships.” Registered apprenticeships offer paid employment and wage progression, industry-specific standard training and nationally
SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 67 YEARS!
recognized and transferrable certificates. For employers, apprenticeships create a pipeline of qualified potential employees, a consistent training program and increased employee retention. Funded through New York State and a grant from the United States Department of Labor, the Apprenticeship Programs at SUNY partner closely with New York State Department of Labor and are committed to growing a highly skilled workforce by combining on-the-job training opportunities with related classroom instruction. The program focuses on developing pre-apprentices and registered apprentices in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, information technology and other high-need fields. Cayuga was one of 11 community colleges awarded a SUNY grant in late 2020 to participate in the expanding initiative. The College will primarily focus on developing registered apprenticeships in the advanced manufacturing industry, but will also promote increasing opportunities in healthcare and human services. In Oswego County, the three virtual roundtables are scheduled for 9 a.m. on the following dates: • Advanced Manufacturing Roundtable: Friday, March 12; • Healthcare and Human Services Roundtable: Friday, March 19 Cayuga is partnering with New York State Department of Labor and the Workforce Development Board of Oswego County on both roundtables, as well as the Manufacturers Association of Central New York on the Advanced Manufacturing Roundtable.
MARCH 9, 2021 PAGE THREE
SOMETHING FUNNY STRESS TALK WITH SAM “How often do we forget our value? No, seriously, how often do you forget your worth? It’s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of life and take a moment to remember who you really are.
Samantha Brodeur STAFF WRITER Okay, so now I’ve got you thinking. Some of you may be saying “Well, I know exactly who I am!” while others may be thinking “Well, I haven’t really thought about it in a while.” Not knowing your worth and your value can create feelings of anxiety, depression, and restlessness, and to be honest, there’s enough going on in the outside world, that we don’t need to be feeling it on the inside too. Your body, your energy, and your mental health are just as important to maintain as it is to get good grades, or keep up with routine maintenance on your car, you just need to take care of it, and it’s important to care for it routinely so it doesn’t get to the point of where you have a breakdown, and a lot of times when this happens, it’s our bodies and souls letting us know “Hey, enough is enough, I’m TIRED.” Here’s some tips and tricks on self-value and self-worth: 1. Treat yo’ self - Ellen DeGeneres always ends her shows with “Be kind to one another” and what a wonderful mantra to live by, but what about ourselves? You must be kind to yourself, first and foremost. Make time to do what YOU love and what your soul craves. Whether it be your favorite hobby, picking up a book, rediscovering old things that you used to love, but just let go, or learning something new. Take the time to invest in yourself, to treat yo’ self!
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2. Break your routine - We all have a routine, the same drive to work, the same coffee in the morning, the same nightly activities, and while these all give us comfort and safety, a little change occasionally, can be a great refresh and restart. Take a new way to work, plan a mini scenic drive, try a new coffee blend, or pick a book instead of the nightly Netflix show, even
something as small as allowing yourself to go to sleep an hour earlier than usual, all of these can put a small sense of rejuvenation into your life, ultimately giving yourself the kindness and worth it needs.
3. Write it Out - Sometimes we have so much built up inside of us that we hold on to, whether it be things that have happened in our personal life, work life, or academic life, we all hold on to things sometimes and hold them in and internalize them. Internalizing those types of stressors and feelings, isn’t giving your body the break or kindness it needs. I often write letters to myself and others, I call them “the letters I’ll never send.” I write all my feelings out onto a paper, I scribble, I doodle, I get every single thought or negative feeling out onto that paper. It helps me not hold it in and I feel like after I’ve done this I’m honoring and giving validation to the feelings I’ve been holding inside. To “let it go” I usually burn the paper (safely of course, if you use this method, please use caution), or you can rip it right up and throw it out. It’s a weight off your shoulders to honor yourself in this way. 4. Self-Care - Self-Care has so many different meanings, and often it comes with a generic label, but it’s not just all taking a bath and doing a face mask. Sometimes self-care is as simple as taking a minute to respond to a weird text message you got, or just unplugging from social media in general. It can be spending a few minutes more making yourself a delicious meal or taking the time to admire the sunshine and beauty that is outside. Self-care really is anything that takes care of our minds and soul. While these are just a few ways to add value and bring you back to a sense of self-worth, ultimately, it’s about honoring your truth, your peace, and your soul. Honor yourself and your feelings, and you will have the strongest sense of self-worth. More importantly, don’t let the thoughts and opinions of others make you feel like your value is any less. Henry David Thoreau said: “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when you bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen.” Honor your feelings, your truth, and your value. Invest in and take care of yourself because you are someone who matters, and you add value to this world.
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