Collegian Cayuga Community College Auburn & Fulton, New York
cayugacollegian@gmail.com
Vol. 66 Issue 19
April 21, 2020
CAYUGABRIEFS
COLLEGE OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE SUMMER 2020 COURSES WILL BE TAUGHT ON-LINE
ONONDAGA-CC COMMENCEMENT RE-SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST
After discussions with faculty and department leaders, the College will offer all summer 2020 courses in a distance learning format. While it’s possible employees could return to campus before summer courses begin, announcing this decision now ensures our students and employees can properly prepare for the continued reliance on distance learning courses and remote support services. I want to thank the faculty and department leaders whose input was invaluable in helping us decide this was the best course of action for our college community. Further updates on plans for summer will be provided as more information becomes available. —Andrew Poole on behalf of CCC President Brian Durant
CCC STUDENTS QUESTION WHY THEIR COMMENCEMENT ISN’T PLANNED FOR AUGUST By Emma Tavener, Editor-in-chief
CCC ‘06 alum and former editor-in-chief of The Cayuga Collegian, Josh Cradduck, originally from Olean, NY, recently announced he is leaving after 12 years at Spectrum News in Syracuse for an assignment desk job at NBC in New York City.
NEW EPISODE OF CAYUGA BYTES NOW ON YOUTUBE The remote staff of The Cayuga Collegian recorded another in a series of off-campus episodes of The Collegian’s new media show called CAYUGA BYTES via Skype. Episode 12 is now available on CAYUGA BYTES YouTube Channel and on the CAYUGA BYTES Facebook page. CAYUGA BYTES is about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING CAYUGA! Send us your videos of how you’re coping staying at home and doing course work. Have an opinion? Record it and email it to use at cayugabytes@gmail.com.
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COLLEGIAN FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SELECTED FOR HIS DREAM JOB AT NBC In the fall of 2004, a first year Telcom student answered an ad to become a staff member for CCC’s student-run publication, The Cayuga Collegian. Faculty advisor to The Collegian, Assistant Professor Mary Merritt, needed a full regiment of employees and volunteers to staff the newspaper created by faculty and staff soon after Cayuga Community College’s Founding to be the voice of the students who attend the college. Knowing it is difficult for students attending a traditionally ‘commuter’ college to commit time beyond class times, Merritt quickly assessed Cradduck’s writing ability and was able to ‘talk’ Cradduck into taking the role as the paper’s editor-in-chief. “I recall he came in the door saying he was only interested in sports reporting,” explained Merritt. “He went out the door four semesters later what we call in the industry—a news ‘junky.’” Merritt says Cradduck’s reign as editor-in-chief was especially difficult because in the fall of 2004, Merritt CCC ‘06 alum and was diagnosed with Stage former editor-in3 Colon Cancer. Unable to chief of The Cayuga teach on-campus classes Collegian, Josh while undergoing radiation, Cradduck, has surgery, and chemotherapy, appeared many Merritt continued to work times in the paper on The Collegian despite since his departure. her illness. This is from when “We continued to publish he landed his first the paper by keeping in con- job after earning a tact by phone and email,” degree at Ithaca said Merritt. “He could have College.
easily walked away, but he stuck with it, so the newspaper never missed a beat.” By fall semester 2005, Merritt was back on campus and was able to supplement Cradduck’s journalism education by traveling with him to College News Media conferences in Kansas City, MO and New York City. “I believe it was on the train ride home from New York City when Josh revealed to me his dream job of someday working for NBC in New York City,” said Merritt. “Then he proceeded to read to me his broadcast news assignments in a tone mimicking NBC’s celebrated main anchor, Tom Brokaw.” Merritt and Cradduck continue to reminisce and laugh about their history to this day. “We have remained friends over the years. It is always a treat for me to see my former students move forward with their careers,” said Merritt. Cradduck broke the news of his new career in an email: “Hi Mary! Hope all is well! I wanted to pass along some news to you before it hit my Facebook. I am leaving Spectrum News after 12 years. I have accepted an offer to become an assignment editor at NBC News at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC! As you know, probably more than others, working for NBC had been a dream for a while. I remember imitating Brokaw for my CCC radio newscasts and I even remember taping some in our coach seat on our way back from NYC (“too much puffery!”). Cradduck wrote referring to the only criticism Merritt bestowed on him after his Brokaw performance. “The Cayuga Collegian really got me launched into the real-world of journalism. It was my first real experience with deadlines, interviews and news writing. I learned so much under Mary’s tutelage,” Cradduck said. “I have fond memories of working at The Collegian late at night, right up to deadline for the next issue. This was my first foray into the news business. This was real. What I wrote up and edited got printed. People read it. You can’t beat it, even at the college level.”
“A postponed Commencement is better than no Commencement at all.” This message is being communicated by Cayuga Community College graduating 2020 sophomores repeatedly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic which closed the college in March along with an announcement that the May 2020 Commencement ceremony was also canceled. Now that Onondaga Community College has announced their plans to re-schedule their ceremony outdoors in August, Cayuga students are asking why CCC can’t come up with a similar solution. “I understand this is a very tough and scary time, but at the same time, me and my fellow classmates have worked very hard to get to where we are. To just cancel our ceremony instead of postponing it makes me very angry,” wrote CCC sophomore Lauren Murphy. “I got word from the bookstore that they aren’t even bothering to order our graduation regalia which hurt all that much more. I was hopeful that even though I might not have a ceremony this year, I could at least dress in my regalia and have a few pictures taken. At the very least, I would’ve liked to have received my graduation tassel, because next year all the tassels will say 2021.” OCC announced it is erecting an outdoor stage and encouraging friends and families to bring blankets and lawn chairs. “The very least they could do is give us a reason why they decided to cancel it so soon in the crisis,” expressed a CCC student. The Cayuga Collegian staff echoes the call for a postponement instead of a cancellation. They’re encouraging students to reach out to the paper to express their views. You can email your opinions to cayugacollegian@gmail.com. “People have worked very hard to be able to cross that stage, if it means so much to the students, it should mean as much to the administration,” wrote MORE OPINIONS PAGE 2 a CCC sophomore.
INSIDE: • LETTERS TO THE COLLEGIAN FROM STUDENTS & STAFF
• AWARD FOR HARLEQUIN STAGE PERFORMER • LIFE AS AN ORGAN RECIPIENT DURING A PANDEMIC • POETRY CONTEST WINNERS AND THEIR POEMS
• HOW I SEE IT: MANDATORY MASKS
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
FROM BEHIND THE SELF-QUARANTINED DOOR
OPINIONS
HOW I SEE IT... MASKS IN PUBLIC
Emma Tavener EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Governor Cuomo has recently signed an executive order stating that masks are not optional in places where social distancing is not possible. This means that every time you got out into a public place, such as a grocery store, gas station, etc., you are required to wear a mask. As an essential worker, I had already opted to wear a mask at work just because of the number of people I cross paths with. I was absolutely psyched when I found out it was no longer an option for people to come into my workplace without a mask. My store never limited the number of people allowed in it, including the days before Easter, and honestly, it was scary. But in just a short week, we are making progress and helping our essential workers feel safer, thanks to the new executive order. Not everyone seems to be on board with Cuomo and his decisions, such as people who exercise outside in the public. But it’s important to understand the mask is only necessary when social distancing is not so easy. While working the past few days, I counted a ton of people who didn’t come into the store with a mask, despite the signs on the doors. As an essential worker, I would ask that you do wear a mask in these public places, for your safety and the safety of others. If you can’t seem to find masks at your local stores or online, here are some simple DIY options for you! You could use bandanas, pillowcases, or an old shirt, preferably 100% cotton, so it’s tightly woven. Extra precautions include adding a coffee filter to block particles and a twist tie to keep the mask secure over your nose.
Quarantine can be a trying time for many and since many are self -isolating, it can affect mental health. Outbreaks can be stressful and overwhelming. But know with what you are dealing with you, are not alone. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, people have been affected in different
TO THE EDITOR:
As most know, the outbreak of Covid-19 has affected many people. One thing in particular that has hit many CCC students is the fact that the college announced (March 20, 2020) the decision to cancel graduation for the spring of 2020. The solution offered was simply to come to next year’s graduation in 2021. When the college announced that they were canceling graduation, it was about a week after all SUNY schools were shut down for the rest of the semester. Not only did they cancel it right away, but they didn’t even consider postponing it to a later date. How was that fair? Students have worked extremely hard. In this time of uncertainty, people are left wondering when exactly this quarantine will be over. All students have had to adjust to on-line classes. For many, it was their last semester, and they have been looking forward to graduation as a final goodbye. But instead the college has offered us nothing except a letter that was sent home explaining that graduation was canceled and that they would like us to just come back and participate in the graduation of 2021. That isn’t even fair in the slightest. It’s not our fault that the Coronavirus has turned everything upside down, but in the first week it hit the college, they decided to cancel everything and just be done. To make this situation hurt even more, Onondaga Community College just announced that they have moved their 2020 graduation to August 9th. Onondaga actually took into consideration that graduation is something that is important to students and families, so they are ensuring that it will happen this year so while people are stuck in their homes currently, they have something to look forward to. Conversely, Cayuga just canceled graduation and hasn’t even made an effort to consider moving graduation so students could celebrate what they worked hard to earn. Many students have vocalized that since graduation is next year, it’s not even worth attending anymore. Why bother coming to a graduation a year after you have already graduated and moved on? —CCC sophomore who wished to remain anonymous
FROM OUR READERS:
On behalf of myself and my Health and Wellness partner in crime, Ms. Christina Bentley (Fulton campus), we want to personally thank each and every member of the Collegian staff for your hard work and dedication to keeping the paper running. Especially when people are thrown into a world of chaos, counting on those familiar things is so important. The fact that you continue to provide normalcy and updates here is so important. I always loved the Collegian since I was a student (yes, we had paper back then) and seeing this tradition continue is awesome. We also want to thank you for posting the important resources for students. This is such a tremendous help to our mission in making sure that everyone is safe and that needs are being met. You do a great service for this institution and for all students, faculty and staff. Keep up the great work and know that you all are extremely valued and appreciated! —Jerimy Blowers, CCC Health and Wellness
Jenna Fields ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ways. Some of the disturbing side effects are difficulty sleeping, change in eating patterns, and excessive worry about what is going on and many more. Please remember that everyone has a different reaction to stressful situations
and so you need to keep that in mind. People are social creatures and going into social isolation is not good for an extensive period of time, but remember the goal is for everyone to stay healthy. Just remember that you are not alone and there are many resources available. Don’t be afraid to stay in contact with friends and family. There will be an end to this quarantine and when that happens people will be able to socialize again and go back to normal, so keep that in mind while we are all at home during this time. Stay healthy! —Jenna Fields, associate editor
ADJUSTING TO LIFE AND LIVING WITH A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC APRIL IS DONATE LIFE MONTH. I wanted to shed some light on why it is important to be an organ donor and what it is like being an organ donor recipient especially during COVID-19. I am Kimberly Thompson,. I am a Certified Nurse’s Aide and a student attending Cayuga Community College to further my education, after having a break for 10 years from schooling because life had other obstacles for me. My grandmother Mabel got sick, and then after my body started giving out on me, I started getting sick constantly. In April of 2010, I started dialysis. It was overwhelming to say the least. For years I struggled with dialysis, countless procedures and countless surgeries. Waiting for a kidney was just one of the uphill battles and obstacles throughout my life. Finally, on June 14th, 2016, I got the call that changed my family’s life and especially my life after six years, two months and eight days waiting for a transplant. This is my third semester at Cayuga Community College and out of all the stuff life has thrown at me, COVID-19 is right up there. At the start of COVID-19, I took it with a grain of salt like majority of the population. Cayuga Community College was in the middle of talks about moving to distance learning. Shortly after that, I knew stuff was getting serious when I received a letter from Upstate Hospital in Syracuse, where I received my transplant, about how to protect myself from COVID-19. It stated things like wear a mask, wash hands, and limit time in closed areas. I then started taking it more seriously. Cayuga Community College moved classes to distance learning. We were still able to see our friends, socialize with friends, and even get on-site tutoring, We even got to still meet for labs and stuff that still had to be in person. For many of my friends, including myself, we had to figure how we are going to manage this semester because we didn’t sign up to complete our classes on-line. It has been a big learning adjustment for everyone. I can tell you that most of us who have other ailments, whether they are visible or not, it has been exhausting. However, I can only speak about how I have handled it. Being a transplant patient, I can say I was wearing fabric masks before it was cool and a necessity. I take a hand full of pills to make sure my body plays nice with “Hope,” (the name I gave my new kidney). COVID-19 has been driving me bonkers because I normally get my own groceries, but I must rely on my parents, especially my dad, to get me things I need such as food, medication and other supplies because of safety issues. My parents are worried sick about me and of course I am worried about them and my sister and sister-in-law who are essential workers because they are pharmacy/grocery store employees. Also I have a sibling in the military. I am a CNA who performs home care and private duty and I’ve had to pull myself out of work because of this. I feel horrible because I had to pull myself from the front lines because of my transplant. I have a lot of
Kimberly Thompson, transplant recipient conflicting emotions. I limit myself to a walk outside to at least stay active and try to keep busy. Any time I come back from a walk, I wipe down my keys, phone, and doorknob to my apartment, then I grab the Lysol and Lysol my shoes and clothes and take my shoes off at the door and immediately wash my hands. After washing my hands, I Lysol my fabric mask and hand wash it every few days. I also monitor my symptoms constantly. If anything feels off with the kidney, such as lack of urine output, swelling in legs or anywhere, and protein in the urine, I take my temperature. I have an N95 mask and wear my fabric one over it or a surgical one under my fabric mask. Friday, I had to go to Auburn Community Hospital for lab work, I had a mask on and they took my temperature, and sprayed my hands, I stood there nervously in the area of the lab being very careful where and what I touched, and I had my mask on. My mind was racing a mile a minute because it took longer than I wanted to be in there just to do the paperwork. They got me in quickly once the standing lab order was printed. However, they missed an important lab order or two such as a urine analysis and a trough level check—which is understandable given everything going on. The reason these are important; just like the CBC, (Complete Blood Count) and metabolic panel, along with the two labs mentioned above is because they can tell if my transplanted kidney is leaking protein and a trough level is so they can make sure my anti-rejection medication isn’t too high or too low to prevent nephrotoxicity or cause rejection. Which means I must repeat lab work this next week. However, this is a part of the transplant life with or without COVID-19. I will say this, I am the type that always prepares for the worst and hopes and prays for the best. I always say transplant isn’t for the faint of heart or the weak. —Kimberly Thompson, transplant recipient
FROM OUR READERS:
This issue is remarkable. Stories are so timely, well written. And the graphics are attractive and innovative. Remarkable work. Congratulations and thank you to the Collegian student reporters and editors. Well done, all! —Heidi Nightengale, MS - Mentor and Lecturer in Community and Human Services at CCC
REACTION TO CAYUGA BYTES FROM OUR VIEWERS:
HAVE AN OPINION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? Send your submission to cayugacollegian@ gmail.com. Your submission must include the writer’s full name, college year and home town. Anonymous letters and letters written under pseudonyms will not be published. For verification purposes, submissions must also include the writer’s home address, e-mail address and telephone number.
PAGE TWO
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.
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!!!
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COVID-19BRIEFS ALL INFORMATION AS OF PRESS TIME AT 2:00 PM, MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2020
GOVERNOR CUOMO ORDERS NEW YORKERS TO COVER THEIR FACES Across New York State, if you go into crowded public places, you must have some sort of covering on your face. New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order last week requiring everyone from the age of two and up to cover their nose and mouth in public. The order took effect last Friday at 8 P.M.
PHOTO BY ANDREW POOLE
WINNERS FOR THE 9TH ANNUAL POETRY CONTEST HAVE BEEN SELECTED!
CORNELL STUDENTS DEVELOP NEW APP: QUARANTINE BUDDY By Hannah Lees, Syracuse.com Cornell students Jordyn Goldzweig, Sam Brickman, and Alisa Lai spent more than a year developing Zing, a platform that uses an algorithm to connect students who feel isolated on campus. But when the spread of coronavirus forced people across the world into preventative quarantine, the trio of computer science students realized they could use their technology to help connect more than just students. Quarantine Buddy uses a machine-learning algorithm that strategically ranks and outputs the best possible matches for each user based on background and interests, allowing users to meet new people while social distancing. Quarantine Buddy currently has over 600 users from 15 different countries, ranging in age from 18 to 80. Quarantine Buddy is a platform that helps people having a hard time during the pandemic find other like-minded people. “We found that everyone consistently said like, ‘Yeah, I just wish I had more outlets for social interaction,’” said Brickman. “They’re not going out and seeing people in person. It’s for people who maybe are having a rough time with this - we just wanted to help them out.” To get matched up on Quarantine Buddy, users answer 10 questions about themselves, including what they’re looking for in a buddy and what they’ve been up to during quarantine. Once they submit their answers, an algorithm matches them up with their buddy and sends a text with contact information and common interests. Most of the questions on the questionnaire are straightforward, but the last two get a little controversial, including asking the color of a dress that went viral in 2015 for appearing to be either black and blue or white and gold, depending on the person. Goldzweig said those questions are meant to be conversation starters for people who may have joined with the intent to have someone to talk to throughout the pandemic. The trio’s goal for Quarantine Buddy is to match people who have similar interests. Like a pair of singer-songwriters who have been paired up and are using Quarantine Buddy as a way to motivate each other. But the trio also wanted to be able to match up diverse pairs of people who might not normally meet outside of the platform. One Quarantine Buddy user, Sheldon Brown, a student at Dickinson College, originally wasn’t interested in meeting a stranger on an online platform. As he spent more time alone, though, he realized the platform was exactly what he needed. “It turns out it was a wonderful tool for me because I was kind of losing it here and all by myself,” said Brown.
Cayuga Community College students are helping lead a communitywide effort to produce hand-sewn, reusable masks to donate to emergency and medical agencies as they respond to COVID-19. After one month, the project has led to the donation of more than 500 masks.
CAYUGA STUDENTS SUPPORT EMERGENCY & ESSENTIAL WORKERS Cayuga Community College students are helping lead a community-wide effort to produce hand-sewn personal protection equipment to support emergency and essential personnel responding to the novel coronavirus. Working with other Cayuga students, New Visions and community members, first-year nursing student Gabrielle Scott has delivered hand-sewn reusable masks to area hospitals, fire departments and assisted living facilities. After one month, the project has delivered more than 500 masks, and is still going strong. Already deeply committed to the nursing field and supporting local medical agencies, Scott said she was also inspired by other people who were donating masks to emergency and medical agencies. “In this situation, it’s easy to feel very helpless. Most people are stuck in their homes, and it seems like there’s nothing we can do. When I found that other people online were making masks, and the masks were effective at protecting our emergency personnel, I knew that’s what I wanted to do, and that I could make a difference in this whole situation,” said Scott. Scott started the project with a post to a community Facebook page and by sharing the idea with her fellow nursing students. She outlined appropriate patterns and materials to help people design protection equipment, and provided the necessary dimensions for effective masks. Days later she was collecting bags of double- or triple-layer masks on peoples’ porches and delivering them to hospitals, assisted living facilities and other agencies. “Some people have donated materials, and some students went out and bought sewing machines so they could help. I started out delivering masks because I didn’t know how to sew, but I eventually taught myself as well,” she said. “This has really made me want to make more of a difference.”
Cayuga’s nursing faculty praised the students for stepping forward to help members of the area’s medical and emergency response community. “We are so proud of the compassion and resiliency our nursing students have displayed during this pandemic. They did not hesitate to adapt, formulate a plan, and extend their helping hands to fulfill a need during this crisis,” Cayuga’s nursing faculty said. “We are most fortunate to have such kind and compassionate individuals in our program and in our community.” Scott and fellow Cayuga student Amanda Regnier started a Facebook fundraising effort to purchase supplies for people sewing masks, which has helped other people support the campaign, said Regnier. “With Gabrielle starting this project, it opens up the door for so many people to get involved and really make an impact,” said Regnier. “There are ways for us to help and people who are getting involved are selflessly finding ways to do so.” Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic, both students remain committed to careers as nurses and in the medical field. They believe the current health crisis has further illustrated the importance of highly-trained, highly-dedicated emergency personnel. And this project is the perfect way to support emergency personnel, said Regnier and Scott, regardless of whether it’s by contributing to the fundraiser, providing materials or sewing masks. “Emergency personnel put their lives on the line to help our families, our neighbors and our friends. They’re not doing it because they’re required to, not because ‘it’s their job,’ but because they made a choice to put others first, to heal, comfort and educate,” said Regnier. “They are living up to that every single day without question. Now it’s our time to put them first.” For more information about the project, email Scott at gscott3@cayuga-cc.edu. —Andrew Poole, CCC Communications
AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH A member of the CAYUGA BYTES team, Telcom major Trent Wilkinson, decided to share on camera for the first time what it is like for him being a college student with autism. He especially wanted to get the message out in the month of April - Autism Awareness Month. You can find the episode on our YouTube CAYUGA BYTES channel. Please watch so you can spread
understanding. Trent will be pleased if everyone takes the time to watch!
SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 66 YEARS!
A group of volunteer tutors evaluated and ranked the poems anonymously over spring break. The 1st-3rd place winners won cash prizes and publication in Listen, and the Honorable Mention winner also will be published in Listen.
1ST PLACE WINNER My Sister is my Hero by Andrew Woodruff My hero is my sister. A person who grew up being bullied, and standing up for other people. Never herself. A person belittled and called queer and a dike, Though she is neither. A person who I see as having all the courage, And all the compassion that others lack, Though she only ever got walked over. A woman who told me she cried at night afraid of the inevitable bullying that her baby brother would go through- as she did, and how it would destroy him and herself in the process. Trying to protect her brother who is gay, and who is weak, and who does lack the courage and confidence that she has in herself. A woman who shared the heaviest burdens and thoughts with me and me alone, and I the same. A woman who I’ve cried for at 3 in the morning for years because I thought she was being stolen by someone I didn’t trust at the time. A woman who assures me that there are good men in the world that will love me, when I feel worthless. Someone who would die for people that aren’t worth it, but they are to her. My sister is my hero.
2ND PLACE WINNER Made of Gold by Tyler Vonn Please don’t try to fix me for i am not broken, simply because you seem to think that i am not outspoken, You must let me get there on my own, so i can show you that i have grown, I need to strive to make these connections, and make mistakes without your corrections, I will not always be alone, especially when i establish my very own home, I know my thinking has many flaws, gnarled into a pair of hideous claws, I am the champion of my own life, because i try to get past my painful strife, I have made many friendships without even knowing, that is how i know that i am growing, I come to state that i will not obey, this horrific beast that seeks to make me its prey, I write what i feel and i feel what i write, things that people can’t see with their sight, Sometimes i wonder if life had been different, if i had opened my ears and listened, Perhaps i wouldn’t have followed this path, if i had only learned to calculate the math, I need to travel to where i belong, to hear again that black cap bird song, I need to see the man that made me, so he can see what i can be, More than just a hollowed shell, freed from this entity’s wicked spell, Sometimes i want to say screw you addiction, i am free of this affliction, Hope has stricken & quickened my resolve, look at me i have evolved, I try to find the courage to muster, with all these people in this crowded cluster, I cannot feel safe in my frustration, with my own exaction manipulation, What i think is right is clearly wrong, my thinking needs to get right gone, I must change my thoughts and not put myself down, stop acting like 2009’s high school class clown, I need the paragons of old, to forge me a crown that shows i am bold, I am not made of clay but of gold, i may not always do as i am told, But my life is worth it, on that i am sold. MORE WINNERS’ POEMS PAGE 4
PAGE THREE
Cayuga first-year student Nolan Callahan received a Meritorious Achievement in Acting Award for his three roles in the spring production, and the TANYS adjudicator praised the entire cast for their work in “Jill Trent: Science Sleuth.”
PHOTO BY ANDREW POOLE
Spring performances by Cayuga Community College’s Harlequin Productions earned a positive response from the Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS), with one student earning an acting award for his diverse work as three characters.
Cayuga Community College student Nolan Callahan, pictured second from right as Professor Hoffmeister, received a Meritorious Achievement in Acting Award for his work in “Jill Trent: Science Sleuth.” Pictured with Callahan are, from left, Cayuga students Kai Stenson, Thomas Norris and Johnthan Burchim.
SOMETHING FUNNY
A spoof of 1940s spy films, “Jill Trent: Science Sleuth” shows the title character and her sidekick Daisy Smith battling Nazi sympathizers during World War II as they search for blastonium, a highlyexplosive mythical ore. The world premiere shows of the Carissa Meisner Smit and Paul Lewis play required extensive set designs and costumes for the actors to transform into their 1940s characters. “Lots of laughs, humorous characters and a fun and colorful set combined with the talents of this (almost) entirely student cast and crew,” said the show’s adjudicator. “Always a delight, the students paid homage to not only the ‘Jill Trent’ series but also to the comic book genre with all their camp, melodrama, high energy and silly accents.” Callahan, who acted in high school and community theatre groups, said the best part of the production was the experience of working with a new cast, crew and director in his first season with Harlequin Productions. Callahan filled three roles: Police Sergeant Mulligan; Trixie, a 7-year-old girl who constantly chews bubble gum; and the villainous mastermind Professor Hoffmeister. Callahan cited his role as Trixie as the most challenging. “While each proved to be challenging, the most by far was Trixie,” said Callahan. “Playing a 7-year-old girl when you’re not either of those things proves for a hilarious irony when put to work. That challenge, then, can be to overcome by playing with that and making it as obvious as you can. Several of the jokes in the show rely on that suspension of disbelief, which made for a better performance.”
Cayuga Community College student Nolan Callahan took home a Meritorious Achievement in Acting Award for his work in “Jill Trent: Science Sleuth.” Callahan played three roles, including as 7-year-old Trixie, in Harlequin Productions’ spring show.
Harlequin Productions Director Bob Frame praised Callahan’s work and versatility in the play. “Nolan fully embraced the over-the-top characterizations needed to realize his characters, which allowed the rest of the company to follow his lead,” said Frame. Callahan’s award caps off a strong 2019-2020 season for Harlequin Production, one in which the cast and crew also earned TANYS awards for their work in the fall semester performances of “All Around the Table.” —Andrew Poole, CCC Communications
POETRY CONTEST WINNERS 3RD PLACE WINNER My Basement by Emily Lane There is no way for me to come right out and tell you all the things that I think inside my head. Because my head is a messy stingy basement full of odd smells and dirty laundry. I can try to find the words to explain how I wish that my hamper wasn’t over flowing with towels soaked in tears and t-shirts stained with memories. Memories that I don’t want to remember anymore. Miss matched socks scattered like my ambitions that end up full of holes. Tired ragged clothes filled with hope, dreams, lies and fear. Unwearable, but I hold onto them like I hold on to the ideas of people Ideas of who they were to me if only for a moment. A stagnant smell of wasted time is overwhelming. A mixture of anxiety, panic, and the inability to let go of things that hurt me. The flickering light that swings from a chain on the ceiling, like me, it isn’t sure if it’s bright enough to make a difference. To shine a light upon this darkness that surrounds it, but it still tries. It may be broken but like myself it’s still here. The door is locked from the inside. Closed off from the world so no one can see my mess. I sit alone. In a stingy basement full of odd smells and dirty laundry. The light goes out.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!!!!!!!! SHARE YOUR POEMS WITH US: CAYUGACOLLEGIAN@GMAIL.COM
Do you want to learn HOW to GATHER & WRITE CONTENT?
You need to register for Telcom 204!!! 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!
If you are looking for ‘hands on’ experience RIGHT NOW? TELCOM 204’s Assistant Professor Mary G. Merritt, a journalist with more than 35 years experience, 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.
HONORABLE MENTION Human Nature by Ally Dennis A fading light, a world of blight A state so grievous, yet They look away, nothing to say And play away at life Not so easily seen, the mass naïvety, Indifference and preeminent desire They blaze a path, never looking back At the destruction that trails behind them Foolishly they go on, knowing they’ll be long-gone When the world finally tears at its seams The consequences will be dire, an unstoppable fire And the few powerless to contain it They laugh and stare, only the few truly care For the great sequela coming A few trembling hands, helping the future stand Against the chaos and strife The few might say, “Why is it this way?” And for that there is no clear answer The few might say, “It’s clear as day... It’s only human nature”.
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PHOTO BY ANDREW POOLE
CAYUGA’S CALLAHAN TAKES HOME ACTING AWARD FOR MULTIPLE ROLES IN ‘JILL TRENT’