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WHITE HOUSE stops in NY
New Cayuga -CC trustee named
Lady Spartan Softball update SOMA Talent Show photos COLLEGIAN OFFICE HOURS Caleb Slater, editor-in-chief Monday: 10 am - noon Wednesday: 10 am - noon
The Cayuga Collegian’s editor-in-chief hit the campaign trail to study candidate support. By Caleb Slater, editor-in-chief
College inaugurates President Durant By Steve Brewer, staff writer
After assuming the role of president of Cayuga Community College back in August, Dr. Brian M. Durant was formally inaugurated on Friday, April 15th. In attendance were students, faculty, staff, elected officials, delegates from SUNY, and so many more who all came out to witness the event. During his speech, President Durant made it clear that his priority was first and foremost the success of the students attending CCC. “Ultimately, all that we do is about the student,” Durant said. “We have an emphasis on student success. Student outcomes in the areas of graduation, retention, and individual goal completion will always be our focus for continuous improvement. Student success is institutional success.” This has been a sentiment that President Durant has repeatedly expressed since he first took office. Putting students first continues to be President Durant’s highest priority. After his first “State of the College Address” back in October, a faculty member remarked then that in all of the years that they have been at the college, President Durant was the first president to list students as their highest priority. A similar theme was echoed by Student Trustee Molly Sharples in her speech during the
inauguration. Sharples, an active member of the college’s Harlequin Productions, said that no college president to her knowledge had attended a Harlequin Production. She said this quickly changed when President Durant attended the opening night of a play back in the fall. Since he took office, President Durant has made it a point to be involved in as many on campus activities as possible. Recently, he attended the SGO Presidential Debate hosted by The Collegian and he also watched the SOMA Talent Showcase, during which a student drew a caricature of him. “At every meeting, Dr. Durant always asks the same question, ‘How does this help our students?’” CCC Foundation Executive Director Guy Cosentino said. “He reminds us that our most important mission is to make sure our students get a great education.” REPORTER’S NOTE: I feel safe in saying that we all are happy to have President Durant leading CCC as our college continues to grow and we pursue avenues of expansion including the long awaited dorms and athletic fields. If you see President Durant in the hall be sure to congratulate him for his inauguration, he is a truly remarkable individual who truly appreciates us students and our feedback!
“Make America Great Again”, “Ready to start a political Revolution?” These slogans have been at the front of Donald J. Trump’s and Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign since day one! They disagree with one another on virtually every single issue, but if there is one thing they seem to have in common, it would be low expectations. When the two candidates first announced, nobody expected them to get this far. In mid-April of last year, Hillary Clinton out polled Bernie by more than 50 points! Now they are neck and neck in every single national poll and in one case, the Reuters poll, CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO
PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER
INSIDE:
April 19, 2016
The race for the
CAYUGABRIEFS Cayuga Community College Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of its newest Trustee. The Honorable Patrick V. Mahunik has been appointed by the Cayuga County Legislature to fill the unexpired term of Mr. Joseph Runkle who resigned in February, 2016. Mr. Mahunik will serve as Vice Chair of the Board’s Finance and Audit Committee and the Board’s legislative liaison. “We are excited to have someone with Pat’s experience join us,” said Jeffrey L. Edwards, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the College. “The The Board looks forward Honorable to working with Pat Patrick V. on Cayuga’s future,” Mahunik he added. Mr. Mahunik has been a Cayuga County Legislator since 2008 and currently serves as Principal of Alternative Education at OCM BOCES in Liverpool. He is involved in various youth sports teams and is a member of numerous local and regional boards.
Vol. 62 Issue 16
PHOTOS BY CALEB SLATER
Collegian
A Trump supporter outside Saturday’s Trump Rally in Syracuse.
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
TO THE EDITOR: Is ‘Yik-Yak’ Cyberbullying?
OPINIONS The race for the
WHITE HOUSE stops in NY
Over the past few months, Wells College students have received several official emails about how there have been hurtful, anonymous messages about other Wells students on the social media app: Yik-Yak. But does this mean that Yik-Yak is just a platform for cyberbullying? I don’t think so. Technically speaking, every form of social media is an outlet for people to abuse others. However, since Yik-Yak is an anonymous service which does not allow the use of names, people may make references to something, but no one can be certain it was about a particular person. According to Yik-Yak’s terms and conditions, these behaviors are not allowed: “Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten, or otherwise violate the
legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others. Use racially or ethnically offensive language. Discuss or incite illegal activity. Post anything that exploits children or minors (including pornography that depicts minors) or that depicts cruelty to animals. Alter the opinions or comments posted by others on the Services. Post any image or language that is obscene or offensive, threatening or demeaning to any individual or group.” Yik-Yak did try to make it so that it would be an app where people could share their opinions about whatever area they are in. For example, looking over the week’s recent ‘yaks’ for Wells students, it basically just shows people bashing the dining hall, complaining about fire drills, and broken hearts.
Though there are times when people will go on Yik Yak and post a nasty comment or reference something that happened on campus, I hardly ever see names. I am not denying that cyberbullying is a real issue, I am just saying that I don’t think people use Yik-Yak, to bully other students. I have never seen anyone get threatened on Yik-Yak or truly abused by words. If there ever was a case where that happened, then yes, I think that it should be looked into immediately, but the problem is that it is an anonymous app and for the most part you cannot tell who is posting what. Personally, I like Yik-Yak. I think it is an outlet for students to speak their minds without the fear of being penalized by the college. —Emily Badger, Wells College freshman
CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
PAGE TWO
Protesters line the street across from the Trump Rally in Syracuse.
PHOTOS BY CALEB SLATER
Bernie is beating Hillary! How does this happen? How can someone crawl up out of a 50 point deficit and, in just under a year be leading in the polls, winning seven consecutive states? How can someone whose campaign started out as a joke (Donald Trump) then become the Republican frontrunner and a serious contender to become the next President of the United States? With all eyes on New York and the incumbents ready to rally around “The Empire State,” I decided to hit the road and attend the political rallies, so I could get a better sense of Senator Sanders and Donald Trump. It should be noted that I did not focus my attention on what the candidates said, but rather on the crowd and supporters of each candidate. My theory is if I can get a better understanding as to what the target demographic looks like, then I will have a better understanding of how this election got to where it is and where we may end up. Just to be clear, I am documenting what I personally experienced during my time at the two events. My observations, do not necessarily reflect all Bernie supporters, nor all Trump supporters. Last Monday, April 11th, a group of Cayuga Community College students and I started that exploration at the Bernie Sanders’ late evening rally at at the University at Buffalo (UB). The doors opened at 4:00 P.M., with Bernie expected to speak at 7:00 P.M. We arrived early to the campus at approximately 3:40 P.M., but by the time we reached the facility, the line to get in already stretched out far beyond the door, thousands of willing participants and eager voters awaited the chance to get in to the arena, which seats around 6,100 people. During our two hour wait to get in, I used my powers of observation to take note of the types of people supporting Sanders. For one thing, I noticed a large portion of the group were young people, probably between the ages of 18-25. I also noticed a ton of smokers on campus. I saw attendees smoking anything from cigarettes, to vapes, to pipes and possibly non-tobacco substances. I knew Bernie was in favor of the legalization of marijuana, but I was surprised to discover some of his supporters are one issue voters and in addition to all the smoking and tie dye shirts, I overheard someone remark, “Ya man, I am just voting for Bernie, so I can smoke more pot.” As troubling as this remark may have been to hear at the time, I can say with all honesty that this was nothing compared to what I heard at the Trump rally. The only other notable moment from my time in line would be the religious
Scenes from the Bernie Sanders’ rally at UB in Buffalo. propaganda I was handed for the Tony Alamo Christian ministries. Tony Alamo, keep in mind was an evangelist who took money from his followers and in 2009 was arrested for sexually assaulting a child. I don’t know why, but at every single political event I’ve attended, people hand out these Tony Alamo propaganda news sheets. Upon admittance to the arena, I decided to sit way up top, so I could see the entire room and get a feel of what remarks gained the biggest appeal and resonated with the audience. The three comments that made the crowd roar the loudest where the following: 1. In regard to campaign finances, Bernie mentioned his grassroots campaign and how his money is coming from “individual contributions with an average of $27 per person.” 2. His attacks on Secretary Clinton 3. In regards to unequal pay in this country Bernie said, “Women are telling me they want the whole damn dollar!” Last Saturday, I attended Donald Trump’s rally at the Oncenter in Syracuse. The line was not nearly as long and we were admitted within about 15 minutes, but during that time I already started to notice why Trump continues to say, “There is nothing like a Donald Trump rally.” Outside the arena there were plenty of people taking pages right out of Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal, by trying to make a quick buck selling Donald Trump merchandise, like we were attending some sort of sporting event. You name it, they were selling it. Donald Trump t-shirts, postcards, buttons, hats, even the Donald Trump Halloween mask. Perhaps the most memorable snake oil salesmen were the guys walking
Collegian editor-in-chief, Caleb Slater, at the Trump Rally in Syracuse.
up and down the block trying to sell t-shirts yelling, “Hillary sucks, but not like Monica.” One of the guys even pointed to a woman in line and said, “She knows what I am talking about.” I knew I was in for something special when the security was more tight than for our own sitting President. There was Police, FBI, CIA, Secret Service, local security firms, TSA and more! An entire street was dedicated to just K9 units. Upon admittance to the facility, I noticed a strong sense of nationalism within the room, unlike anything I had ever seen before. The order of events, went as follows, the singing of the National Anthem and America the Beautiful. A World War II veteran announced the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a guy whose entire job was to hype up the crowd and had everyone join in to about five minutes of “Build the wall” chants. The room was so explosive it gave off a “You’re either with us, or against us” tone and to not applaud would be considered an act of treason! Although this may sound extreme, my thoughts were only backed up when someone standing near me was being given nasty looks for refusing to cheer because he, “didn’t want to draw attention to himself.” A Trump supporter called the guy out for his lack of energy and asked him, “You’re not here to start trouble are you?” The young man responded with a soft, “No.” What was more troubling to hear and difficult to digest were the reason why many of the supporters praise Trump. One girl mentioned how she likes what he can do for the economy, but yet couldn’t seem to find it in her to bring up one thing, not a single plan, or policy Trump would enact to
benefit the economy. There was even a family who came together and said they love his sense of humor and the hair alone was reason to secure their vote. Another group of people said they like the idea of stronger borders and the wall, but the most reasonable explanation I heard from people in attendance was the notion that Trump would come back to Syracuse and help bring back manufacturing. I listened very carefully to Trump when he did arrive, 25 minutes late, and not a single policy was laid out, he said he would create jobs, but when the crowd chanted ‘how?’ he simply went back to the, “I will make America Great Again” slogan. Outside the rally is where the protesters were, which is another thing I noted anti-Trump people tend to be more vocal than the Trump supporters. Across the street there was an entire group of people chanting, “Donald Trump, go away, racist, sexist, anti-gay.” I also encountered a debate between a Trump supporter and an anti-Trump protester and the protester would say his point and then talk over the Trump supporter, not even giving the opposition a chance to tell his side of the story. There is passion on both sides, regardless of the reasons why they support the candidate, but I did not notice the same level of protesting at the Sanders rally as I did at the Trump rally. My final thought is regardless of how the New York Primary turns out, there is one thing that I do not see supporters from either event doing and that is voting for Hillary Clinton. If there was one thing that both crowds share, it would be an all out hatred for Secretary Clinton.
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SOFTBALL
Lady Spartans have a bad weekend; lost 4 SPORTS GO SPARTANS! GO SPARTANS! GO SPARTANS! When it rains, it pours
Lady Spartan infielder Jamison Valentino
Magical place
By Tom Hundley, staff writer
PHOTOS BY TOM HUNDLEY
When it’s raining outside, it pours inside Cayuga Community College’s Auburn campus building. The roof is leaking in spots. Judo instructor Petrosino says it is leaking in the Dojo room. He said they had to place buckets in the center of the mats to collect the water from the melting snow on the roof this spring. Karen Merritt of the Student Engagement office says right above her desk is a roof joint, so every time it rains, everything on her desk gets wet, even her chair.
The Lady Spartans struggled Sunday to keep up with the hot hitting bats Monroe had, between the two games the Monroe had six homeruns. The Spartans struggle both offensively and defensively as they only scored a total of 5 runs in the two games and accounted for 6 errors. The Lady Spartans dropped both games against the Lakers of Finger Lakes on Saturday scores were 5-4 and 15-5. The Spartans were led by Danielle Vuillemot (Auburn, NY) who went 5 for 8 with a double and triple. Jamison Valentino (Union Springs, NY) also contributed going 3 for 5 at the plate and continuing to do her job moving runners over. The Spartans struggled in the field as they had 7 errors in the two games.
By Tom Hundley, staff writer There is a magical place in your own backyard that is always forgotten about. Do not be fooled by what it’s mainly known to have in the building. Books are not the only items libraries have in their collections. The CCC Library is a treasure trove of modern media. “The main focus of the college library is to support the academic roles at the college. The college also purchases materials to add to the library collection such as print and online items for students to use,” CCC librarian Sara Davenport. Davenport says if there is something that is not in the collection, it can be obtained by using the interlibrary loan system. She says the college also has many nonschool related materials like films, music recordings, and magazines. The college’s library also has many
services available. There is a reference service available to help with research. The library has public computers, iPads and laptops for people to use. The library also has technical support help in case a computer problem happens. There are quiet study areas available with equipment such as large screen TVs to display group projects. There are large comfy couches with built-in plugs to charge devices. There are also smaller study rooms equipped with media players. The cafe area is the perfect place for a meal while studying. The library’s website has more than 140,000 e-books are available to download. There is also an on-line video on the website to help students learn how to use the college library.
Kobe calls it quits
By Zakary Haines, sports writer
CALEB SLATER - EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MALCOM HUEY - PHOTOGRAPHER KEVIN SHUTTER - STAFF WRITER STEVEN BREWER - STAFF WRITER ZAKARY HAINES - SPORTS WRITER MONICA ESPADA -STAFF WRITER ALEXANDRA CASSICK - STAFF WRITER JULIETTE ZYGAROWICZ - PHOTOGRAPHER THOMAS HUNDLEY - STAFF WRITER SPENCER KENNEY - STAFF WRITER JESSA LAMPHEAR - FULTON STAFF WRITER MICHAELA ZIEGLAR-GREER - STAFF WRITER SAM PHILLIPS - DISTRIBUTION CHIEF - POET
One of the greatest has just ended a 20 year NBA career. Kobe Bryant, also known as “Black Mamba” played his last game in the NBA beating the Utah Jazz 101-96 and scoring 60 points by himself. This also eliminated the Jazz’s chances of getting the 8th seed in the western conference for the playoffs. What mattered more was Kobe went out in what was described as “vintage” Kobe fashion. Kobe even described his performance as “the way I use to play” when he was asked about his performance. Kobe’s 60 points brings out a couple new records in the NBA. Kobe being the oldest player to score
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SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS!
60 points in a game and scoring the highest amount of points by a player in their final game. Many people showed up for this game: Kanye West, Jay-Z and former teammate Shaquille O’Neal. Kobe’s family was in the stand too including his two daughters, Natalia and Gianna and his wife Vanessa. Many athletes from around the NBA congratulated Kobe on a great career through a video that was pre made and presented before the game. This event was so big it even overlooked the Golden State Warrior’s historic game against Memphis Grizzlies, where Golden State beat the 95-96 Chicago Bulls old regular season record 72-10 by going 73-9. A record presumed nearly impossible. Kobe Bryant started his career when he was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 at 13th overall. Kobe was traded to the Lakers and the rest is history. Kobe was the last active player from the 1996 draft class. Kobe was all smiles in the post game interview. He was all smiles throughout the whole game. The only question left is, which number to retire 8 or 24. Only time will tell. Congratulations Kobe Bryant on an excellent career.
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20 WDWN TOP 20 FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 12TH
PHOTOS BY CALEB SLATER
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PHOTOS BY CALEB SLATER
TALENT SHOWCASE
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