05/05/2023

NY State DOT Studies Route 12B Improvements, New Roundabout

Representatives from the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) visited Colgate University on Wednesday, April 26, to gauge community input for a new construction project in Hamilton that would restructure traffic along Route 12B in the village center. The two NYSDOT staff members in attendance — Heather Tehan, the public information officer at NYSDOT, and Stefan Widomski, professional engineer 1 and project team Leader at NYSDOT — answered questions from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the O’Connor Campus Center (the Coop).

According to Tehan, the State Route 12B Pavement Reconstruction is currently in the scoping phase, which means that officials are still assessing the opinions of stakeholders in the community like Colgate University students and faculty.

“It’s not just going to be a paving of the top layer, it’s going to be a total reconstruction,” Tehan said. “That’s why we’re trying to get some input from the residents right now.”

According to handouts from the NYSDOT, the project will move into its preliminary design phase within the next month, where the team will be

evaluating community input to develop alternatives for Route 12B’s current layout. Following additional community forums this summer, the NYSDOT will move the project into the approval phase, where they will submit their preferred alternative plan and receive feedback from the state. One year from now, they plan to adjust their finalized project design and begin the bidding process so that construction can begin as scheduled in late Spring 2025.

The NYSDOT has already approved $14.0 million in funding for construction.

One of the most developed alternatives thus far includes a roundabout, which would either be put into the 5-way village intersection or at the crossing of Route 12B and Eaton Street.

“As part of our policy, anytime we do a reconstruction project where we’re looking at an intersection, we have to consider whether or not it’s a good fit for a roundabout,” Tehan said. “Everywhere that we see [roundabouts], the flow of traffic is better, and it’s also a greener alternative because you’re not stopping a car to wait for a light.”

The NYSDOT hopes that this alternative would make village traffic safer for pedestrians and cars since the rate of accidents on Route 12B exceeds twice

the national average. Widomski elaborated that even just one roundabout would likely affect the traffic of the whole village based on comments that they received from community forums on March 28.

“What we do at one [intersection] will help shed some clarity on the other,” Widomski said. “It all flows together, so we’re trying to find what people are satisfied with and represent those opinions in our alternatives.”

Village Trustee and Associate Director of the Upstate Institute Julie Dudrick expressed excitement about the project and its potential impacts on the community of Hamilton.

“The reconstruction project is exciting because it will reshape the main artery in our community and increase access and safety for those who live here and those who visit,” Dudrick said. “It also represents a significant investment in the village and will be just the first of many economic revitalization projects that will enhance quality of life for all of us.”

Among Colgate students visiting the NYSDOT table was second-year student Cullen Williams, who indicated his interest in learning more about the construction process.

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Recently, Colgate University’s Student Government Association (SGA) announced the winner of the 2023-2024 Presidential election. The SGA election commissioners, Ekaterina Balsan and Jack Tinker, sent an email to the Colgate student body on Tuesday, April 11 announcing junior Jonathan Eaton as the president for the upcoming academic year.

The election period ran from April 5 through April 7, according to an email sent to the student body from Balsan and Hyams on April 5 following a “Meet the Candidates” Town Hall on Wednesday, March 29 that was held on Zoom. Eaton was sure to highlight the voices of all Colgate students, not just those in leadership positions.

“I'm excited to see change on this campus. But, I want everyone to know that this is not a one-man show. I do not want this upcoming year nor my administration to be defined by my wants or my vision for Colgate. Instead, I want each and every one of you to talk about your wants and bring forward ideas on how to better our campus and our community. That way, we’ll usher in change that you want to see – and we’ll usher it in together," Eaton explained.

Eaton ran unopposed on a platform highlighting bureaucratic accountability, accessibility and equity, community engagement, sustainability and student success, according to his candidate page

on the SGA website. Eaton plans to hold monthly “State of the Gate” meetings, create a donation-driven “Executive Closet” for students looking to borrow professional clothing for interviews, and introduce a Major Exploration Day, among other initiatives that emphasize community and student support.

Eaton commented on his reasoning behind wanting to be the next SGA president.

"I ran for SGA President because I believed – and continue to believe – that Colgate shouldn’t just be where we get our degree from; it should be our home," Eaton said. "Each student, regardless of their background, should see Colgate as an opportunity to discover who they are and who they want to be, knowing, through it all, that they’re supported by their friends, family, faculty, and a larger community.”

While elections for Senate and Cabinet members will take place at the beginning of next school year, elections for leadership and election commissioner positions have been conducted as well, according to an email from Balsan and Tinker on Thursday, April 20. Open leadership positions included the Liason to Student Organizations, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian. The winners of these positions have not yet been formally announced to the student body.

University Groups Hold Graduation Ceremonies to Honor Seniors

While all members of the Class of 2023 will officially graduate at the Commencement Ceremony on May 21, campus departments have organized special graduation ceremonies to acknowledge and commemorate the accomplishments of some Colgate University seniors.

Haven’s Teal Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday, April 25 honored seniors who are survivors of sexual assault. The next day, LGBTQ+ Initiatives’ Lavender Graduation Ceremony celebrated LGBTIQA+ graduates and allies. Director of ALANA Cultural Center Esther Rosbrook also announced that ALANA will sponsor a Multicultural Graduation in the Hall of Presidents on May 20 to celebrate the experiences and achievements of the diverse graduating class.

Haven Assistant Director Michele Passonno further explained the origin of the Teal Graduation.

“Teal Graduation was brought to this campus to show support for survivors and their importance on Colgate’s campus,” Passonno said.

The ceremony, which took place in the ALANA Cultural Center, opened with an introduction by Charm Little-Ray, associate director of survivor support services, who previewed the order of the event. Director of Sexual Violence Support Dawn LaFrance then delivered remarks on the achievements of Haven over its six years of existence at Colgate. LaFrance noted that the survivors present had overcome unique obstacles to be able to graduate from Colgate and wished to use her speech to recognize this accomplishment.

“I want to take a moment to acknowledge what it takes to be a survivor and also go to

school at Colgate. Colgate is a really hard school: academically, socially, in a lot of different ways. You get a lot out of being here, and you graduate with a lot of great things. But if you are somebody who has been affected by trauma, remembering that trauma comes in many different forms, college life can be much more difficult,” LaFrance said. “I want to acknowledge that graduation means different things to different people, and for those who have been through really tough things in order to get there, I want to celebrate that journey and express how exciting that is.”

Passonno ended the ceremony by honoring specific members of organizations at Colgate who have been particularly valuable to Haven this year with special awards and certificates.

Haven also provided every senior with gift boxes containing teal honor cords. LaFrance explained to guests how the teal cords symbolized the unique accomplishments of their time at Colgate.

“We welcome you to take a cord with you. You can wear [it] to graduation if you want to, but you don’t have to; you can hang it somewhere, you can wear it around your room, whatever you want to do with it, but it really just recognizes what it takes in order to get to this point in your career,” LaFrance explained. “It’s just a token of our love and support for you all.”

Although lavender graduations are a nationwide annual tradition, the special theme of this year’s Lavender Graduation ceremony at Colgate was “With Pride We Thrive,” coinciding with the 20th anniversaries of the establishment of the Office of LGBTQ+ Initiatives and its on-campus queer safe space Rainbow Room. Director of LGBTQ+ Initiatives Lyosha Gorshkov explained the meaning behind the ceremony’s theme.

“For me, it means that we always have to carry that sense of pride regardless

CONGRATULATORY COMMENCEMENTS: Colgate organizations including Haven, LGBTQ+ Initiatives and the ALANA Cultural Center have held departmental ceremonies. Instagram /

[of] where we are. Because when we are authentic ourselves, when we acknowledge ourselves with pride, and when we thrive, the community thrives,” Gorshkov said. “Plus, recognizing that there’s so many of us, before and after. You have to continue, to have to keep the thread.”

Piecing together articles, posters and notes from Colgate archives and from past editions of The Colgate Maroon-News, Gorshkov’s remarks during the ceremony traced the extensive history of queer life at Colgate. Gorshkov invited Nancy Goldstein ’80, one of the co-founders of Colgate’s first gay organization in 1978, to participate in the Lavender Graduation via Zoom. Goldstein said she thought that the Lavender Graduation was an excellent representation of the social progress made at the University since she graduated.

“More than anything, I’m so moved to just be at the graduation. I can’t even believe that Colgate has something like this,” Goldstein said. “It really makes me thrilled to see the progress that’s been made […] I think it’s a beautiful thing that you have this special graduation and a community of people to treasure it. You’re really lucky to have this kind of community.”

Gorshkov also invited Karen Fuller, a representative of the LGBTQ+ youth safe space Q Center in Syracuse, to

speak at the ceremony. Noting that the fact that LGBTQ individuals like those at the Lavender Graduation even made it through college is a remarkable achievement in itself, her remarks echoed those of LaFrance to Teal Graduation guests.

Gorshkov also distributed several awards and plaques to specific members or organizations at Colgate who have made a great impact in queer activism and allyship over the past year. All guests could also pick up rainbow honor cords and lavender stoles that can be worn at the official commencement ceremony in May.

Wrapping up the ceremony, Gorshkov added that a symbolic event like Lavender Graduation ultimately has a real, tangible impact on members of the LGBTQ+ community, helping them feel accepted and comfortable at Colgate.

“This ceremony recognizes LGBTQ+ students who graduate in order for them to embrace their identities,” Gorshkov said. “It’s very important to have our own event to be able to get together as a community and to use that celebratory moment to acknowledge our existence, acknowledge that we are seen and we are a small but mighty community.”

Contact Sophie Karbstein at skarbstein@colgate.edu.

CLTR-Run Student Panel Discusses Implications of AI

was a collaboration between CLTR and the Writing and Speaking Center.

“In early September 2022, my colleague Jeff Nugent, Director of Learning and Applied Innovation, suggested that we begin attending closely to A.I. and its implications for teaching and learning,” Lutman said. “Since then, Jeff and I have had many conversations about A.I., and at his suggestion, we collaborated to host an event for faculty in February of this year. That event was well attended, and it was clear that there is great interest on campus in sustained conversations on the topic. Earlier this semester, Jeff reached out to discuss the possibility of a student panel, and I agreed that the student perspective would be highly valued.”

Lutman asked her students to see who would be interested in being on the panel, according to Cryan.

campus were. They agreed that ChatGPT can be used to summarize text and for idea generation, and that the way professors talk about ChatGPT is important — namely whether or not they acknowledge it. The students also touched on how writing style specifically is morphed when using ChatGPT.

“I think the panel was put on because AI is a very new space that could dramatically change education,” Cryan said. “More specifically, it is challenging many of the skills taught at university such as writing and critical thinking. We need to figure out how higher education institutions are going to respond.”

Nugent agreed that a potential use of ChatGPT could be idea generation, rather than a substitution for their own writing.

The Center for Learning, Teaching, and Research (CLTR) held a panel called “Student Perspectives on A.I. / ChatGPT,” on April 25 in Lawrence Hall. Five student panelists, including seniors Will Lam, Rivka Dai, and Josiah Paintsil, alongside sophomores Andrew Audus and Sarah Cryan, shared their

opinions on the ethics and usage of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence tools as they have become more pervasive on college campuses. All members of the community were welcome to engage and share concerns about the use of these tools in an educational setting.

The talk was moderated by the Director of the Writing and Speaking Center, Jennifer Lutman, and Director of Learning and Applied Innovation, Jeff Nugent. The event

“Professor Lutman sent a Google Form asking if anyone in our course (WRIT 210: The Rhetoric of Style) was interested in being on the panel, and I responded yes,” Cryan said. “On the Friday before the event, the other panelists, Jenn, Jeff and I met in the Writing Center where we discussed potential questions and responses.”

First, student panelists were asked what their experiences with ChatGPT on

“Another idea students seemed to share was the potential value of AI as an assistant or thinking partner to help with brainstorming topics, getting started with an idea, generating example code or creating outlines [and] summaries of topics,” Nugent said. “The idea of AI being able to provide learning support or tutoring might be helpful for learners at some point in the future.”

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4/24 MONDAY

1:40 PM Dana Arts Center: Campus Safety was conducting an inventory of a found wallet and found identification and bank cards that had someone else’s name on them. The matter was turned over to HPD.

6:13 PM 180 Broad Street/Townhouses: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was cooking.

6:01 PM Newell Apartments: Campus Safety responded to a concern for welfare report and the student was located and safe.

4/25 TUESDAY

12:36 AM 110 Broad Street: Campus Safety received a report of stolen property.

10:27 PM Bookstore: While on patrol, Campus Safety found the back door ajar. HPD responded; no one was located in the building and nothing was disturbed.

4/26 WEDNESDAY

6:21 AM East Hall Basement: Campus Safety received a report of students in the Women’s Center unwilling to leave. Students were identified and left the area.

6:57 PM 94 Broad Street : Campus Safety responded to an injured student and the student signed off on medical attention.

4/27 THURSDAY

10:09 AM O’Connor Campus Center : Campus Safety and SOMAC responded to a medical illness and

the employee declined medical treatment.

12:44 PM Off Campus/Broad Street: Campus Safety received a report that on 4/15/23, HPD issued a student an appearance ticket for unlawful possession of an open alcohol container.

1:02 PM Off Campus/Broad Street : Campus Safety received a report that on 4/16/23, HPD issued a student an appearance ticket for unlawful possession of an open alcohol container.

1:19 PM Off Campus/Broad Street: Campus Safety received a report that on 2/26/23, HPD issued a student an appearance ticket for unlawful possession of an open alcohol container.

1:26 PM Off Campus/Broad Street: Campus Safety received a report that on 4/16/23, HPD issued a student an appearance ticket for disorderly conduct.

1:54 PM Off Campus/Broad Street: Campus Safety received a report that on 4/22/23, HPD issued a student an appearance ticket for unlawful possession of alcohol and an open container.

5:44 PM Newell Apartments: Campus Safety and HPD responded to a report of suspicious activity outside an apartment door.

5:53 PM. 113 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a welfare check for a student and the student was found safe.

4/28 FRIDAY

9:04 PM Curtis Hall: Campus Safety and SOMAC responded to an injured student and SOMAC transported to CMH.

9:43 PM 94 Broad Street: Campus Safety and SOMAC responded to an ill student and SOMAC transported to CMH.

10:20 PM West Hall: Campus Safety responded to an ill student and transported to CMH.

11:41 PM Andrews Hall: Campus Safety responded to a report of an intoxicated student who was evaluated and released.

4/29 SATURDAY

6:07 PM Andrews Hall: Campus Safety and SOMAC responded to an intoxicated student and SOMAC transported to CMH.

7:20 PM Donovan’s Pub: Campus Safety responded to an intoxicated person.

10:02 PM Gate House: Campus Safety and SOMAC responded to an intoxicated student. The student signed off on medical treatment with SOMAC.

4/30 SUNDAY

12:38 AM 100 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was a maliciously discharged fire extinguisher.

1:48 AM Newell Apartments: Campus Safety responded to a report of two individuals (one known and

one unknown) entering a student’s apartment.

2:05 AM Benton Hall: Campus Safety observed a student in possession of stolen property.

2:50 AM 72 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to an intoxicated student report.

3:22 AM Cobb House: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was unknown.

3:26 AM Cobb House: Campus Safety observed a policy violation while conducting room evacua tion checks (failure to evacuate).

3:28 AM Cobb House: Campus Safety observed a policy violation while conducting room evacuation checks (failure to evacuate).

3:28 AM Cobb House: Campus Safety observed a policy violation while conducting room evacuation checks (failure to evacuate).

1:34 PM 66 Broad Street: Campus Safety received a report of stolen property and the case was turned over to HPD.

2:14 PM Andrews Hall: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was cooking.

2:31 PM 66 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a report of stolen property and it was recovered.

10:31 PM 180 Broad Street/Townhouses: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was aerosol spray

Plans to Reconfigure Hamilton Intersection Announced by NYSDOT Representatives

Continued from A-1

“A roundabout can fit there, but the question is whether or not it’s feasible,” Widomski said. “Since [12B] is against the village green, our design is not just geometry based—we have certain regulations and laws we have to follow about what we can and can’t do in that 5-legged intersection.”

Widomski also mentioned that the 12B project will likely be complicated by Colgate’s Third Century Plan

improvements, which include a Broad Street development project. Due to the overlap of these projects, the NYSDOT is thoroughly assessing all possible ideas for improvements on Route 12B.

“The DOT is doing a great job of consulting with the village, Colgate and the local business community to make sure the final design reflects many voices,” Dudrick said.

Tehan noted that the variety of comments they received from students will be helpful as they continue into

the design process. For example, several students who live on Broad Street told Tehan and Widomski that they cross traffic on Route 12B daily because it saves them time coming from Willow Path on their way home. It is unclear whether the NYSDOT will attempt to solve this problem between College Street and West Kendrick Avenue, but Tehan expressed satisfaction with the abundance of student opinions.

“We’re welcoming any and all comments, the sooner the better,” Tehan

said. “If people have thoughts, this is the time to tell us what they want.”

Comments can be submitted by emailing Tehan at Heather.Tehan@ dot.ny.gov or Widomski at Stefan. Widomski@dot.ny.gov. The NYSDOT also hopes that students and faculty will engage with details or submit comments on their website, which will be updated with new information.

Core Conversations Professors Discuss Future Directions for Curriculum

Colgate University students and faculty gathered to discuss one of the proposed slates of curriculum for the new Core Conversations course on Tuesday, April 25. The colloquium, titled “Our Relations,” was the third in a series where professors discuss the texts they worked with while teaching Core Conversations this semester. The panel consisted of Assistant Professors of English Dana Cypress and Ben Child, Senior Lecturer in University Studies and Writing and Rhetoric Jeff Spires, Assistant Professor of Writing and Rhetoric Rob Mills and Lecturer in University Studies Nagesh Rao.

This slate of texts consisted of Aristotle’s “Politics,” Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s “Discourse on the Origin of Inequity,” the 1973 film “Touki Bouki,” Toni Morrison’s novel “Beloved” and the 1990 documentary “Paris is Burning.” While each professor taught these five texts, some also added texts of their own choosing, ranging from W.E.B. DuBois’ “The Souls of Black Folk” to Tony Kushner’s play “Angels in America.”

First-year student Stephanie Zuaznabar found this system to positively impact her experience in Core Conversations.

“I like that they incorporated texts different from the ones they had in [previous Core classes]. I think it brings up new topics of discourse that are relevant to the world today while still having the capacity to refer back to the past and spark comparisons and contrasts. I also like that no matter what area of study you pursue at Colgate, there is at least one text that will relate to what you’re learning in those courses which provokes a diverse and insightful conversation,” Zuaznabar said.

By centering their courses on the same five texts, the professors hoped to create a shared experience across their sections of the course.

“My hope would be that a student from any one section could go to another section and just get right into it,” Mills said. “That there’s enough similarity with what they’ve read, they’ve got enough common background knowledge, that they could just participate in the conversation even if it’s about a text that isn’t in their section.”

Child opened the colloquium with an overview of why they chose each text for the new syllabus.

“[‘Politics’] is a good place to start because the texts that follow are grappling with the Aristotelian world, so that’s the first one,” Child said. “Our next text is Rousseau’s ‘Discourse on the Origin of Inequity’ — you can see we’re skipping ahead just a little bit in time. [Rousseau] suggests we go back to an imaginary state of nature, [so] it’s a really interesting conversation between these two texts between space and time.”

In this vein, Professor Cypress created the “Perfect Polus Project,” where she challenged her students to create their version of an ideal city. She shared that many students came to the conclusions of Rousseau before they had read his work.

“I said, ‘Okay, you have a lot of critiques of Aristotle, what would your perfect polis look like?’ The most brilliant thing that happened with this assignment is that my students were trying to imagine a world with no inequality — so, in many ways, they were preemptively thinking about the questions that Rousseau was going to be thinking about in the Second Discourse,” Cypress said.

When choosing texts for their new course, Spires discussed how they did not shy away from older texts or long novels as they felt it provided a better learning experience for the students overall.

“These texts almost demand close reading, which is a skill, right? It’s a skill that

Benton Center for Creativity & Innovation Takes Shape

incoming first-years, even second-years, are still developing; we wanted students to work on close reading and to see the pay-off of putting in hard work, of actually engaging with the texts, of seeing the different perspectives and hearing the spectrum of voices in each text. We thought this perseverance and attention to detail is really important in this pilot group,” Spires explained.

The unique part of this slate was the inclusion of films “Touki Bouki” and “Paris is Burning” in the central texts. Professor Mills felt the films provided a more accessible medium for the range of students in his class.

“I think the legibility of film is important— that it’s legible in a different way than reading something in a language. And I think there’s utility in that, especially as our classrooms become more diverse,” Mills said.

Additionally, Professor Spires’ students found “Paris is Burning” relevant to events happening both on campus and in the world at large, which inspired him to continue teaching the film.

“The students are responding well to ‘Paris is Burning.’ They’re linking it to today, the current backlash against trans people, the legislation being passed, and also all that is playing out on campus […] I’ve had trans

students in my classes who have said, ‘Finally, something that talks about me.’ And my thought was, ‘Well, yeah, that should be every class, but that’s just me’ — but it can be my class. So, ‘Paris is Burning’ is in my future longterm,” Spires said.

Professor Rao spoke about the contemporaneity of the chosen texts, sharing that he found himself moving both backward and forward in time while teaching.

“Some of these texts come into the world at transition moments, while others are set during transition moments, so they allow you to look back and look forward at the same time, and you learn how to historicize texts,” Rao said.

Stephanie Zuaznabar, who was a student of this pilot program, shared that she enjoyed her overall experience with this slate.

“I’m genuinely glad I was in this pilot group because I found each of the selected texts to be interesting and beneficial to my growth outside of the course. I like that we’re able to discuss different points in time and analyze what they meant [and] how they can be tied to occurrences in the present,” Zuaznabar said.

What You Read

THE TEN MOST READ STORIES FROM 2022-2023

1. 2. REMEMBERING BELOVED PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY

REPORT ALLEGES MISTREATMENT BY COLGATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S LACROSSE COACH — MARCH 20, 2023

EPHRAIM WOODS — FEB. 14, 2023

3. COLGATE UNIVERSITY RECEIVES OVER 21K APPLICATIONS FOR 2ND CONSECUTIVE YEAR — FEB. 17, 2023

4.

RODENT INFESTATION AT THETA CHI PROMPTS RESIDENT RELOCATION — FEB. 24, 2023

The early shape of the Benton Center for Creativity and Innovation is forming as the first major construction initiative of the Middle Campus project of the larger Third Century Plan materializes. Concrete foundations are being poured in preparation for steel framework in the coming months. The new academic hub will be home to interdisciplinary academic spaces, labs, exhibition and performance spaces. The facility will also include two ‘Fab Labs’

for digital and computer-based projects that combine advanced equipment and hands-on learning.

The 25,700 square-foot building, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), occupies the previously vacant site between the Dana Arts Center and James C. Colgate Hall.

Infrastructural and site-preparation work began in October 2022 following a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 30. The building is expected to open before the end of 2024.

Livestream is available at colgate.edu.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

BELL-BOTTOMS AND BREAK-UPS: REID’S ‘DAISY JONES & THE SIX’ — APRIL 21, 2023

SHELLENBERGER GIVES CONTROVERSIAL LECTURE DISCUSSING CLIMATE CHANGE — DEC. 9, 2023

THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF QUANTIFYING PRESTIGE: CAN YOU RANK A COLLEGE? — MARCH 31, 2023

FLEETWOOD MAC AND FRIENDSHIP: YOUR DAD’S ON AUX — FEB. 17, 2023

GOOD NATURE FARM BREWERY STRUGGLES AMID MOUNTING FINANCIAL ISSUES — DEC. 9, 2023

THE SHOCKING LACK OF ECONOMIC DIVERSITY AT COLGATE — DEC. 9, 2023

Weekend Details for Class of 2023 Commencement Celebrations

Thousands are expected to arrive in Hamilton for Colgate University’s Commencement Weekend from May 19 to May 21 to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2023.

Events will begin on Friday in the evening and extend through 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

For the traditional graduation ceremony, tickets are not required and seating is open. Should inclement weather occur and the ceremony is relocated indoors, tickets are required. Graduates are responsible for reserving up to five tickets for their guests.

Celebrations will commence at 5:30 p.m. with a commencement dinner served for graduates and their guests. A cash bar will be available.

On Saturday, May 20, events begin at 10:30 a.m. with an academic reception at Merril House which is followed by Commencement Seminars from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The annual Baccalaureate Ceremony will begin at 3:00 p.m.

The Baccalaureate Ceremony has been a key component of the larger Commencement Weekend since 1925, according the University website. The recipient of the Jerome Balmuth Award for Teaching and the Class of 2023 1819 award recipient. Other speakers will offer readings

from Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Humanist, Christian and Buddhist traditions, according to the University website. Musical and dance groups will offer a performance as well. Graduates will wear robes without caps. The ceremony marks the formal beginning of the University’s traditional graduation sequence.

The Torchlight Procession is one of the highlights of the weekend, and an iconic Colgate tradition since 1930 that is a lasting memory for those who have taken part. Graduates will begin lining the Academic Quadrangle for an address from University President Brain W. Casey at 7:45 p.m.

At 8:30 p.m., the Class of 2023 will process down the hill carrying torches, which Colgate University identifies as the “torch of knowledge”. Families and guests of graduates will greet seniors in designated areas adjacent to Willow Path. Following the procession, guests and graduates will attend the President’s Reception at 9:00 p.m.

At 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, the Commencement Ceremony will begin at Andy Kerr Stadium (unless in the event of inclement weather) with the procession of graduates, faculty, administration, and honorary degree recipients. A formal bagpipe troupe will signal the beginning of the ceremony which is slated to last for approximately 2½ hours. Seating is open,

Students on Panel Field Questions Concerning AI and ChatGPT’s Influence

Continued from A-2.

Secondly, Nugent and Lutman asked how ChatGPT could be integrated into course assignments. The student panelists agreed that ChatGPT gives students definitive answers, but doesn’t provide insight into how those answers were reached. Panelists agreed that this undermines the value of education, which is the ability to think critically.

“Here are a couple of ideas that stood out for me...for one, students are looking for guidance from faculty about how to use these AI tools in meaningful ways that can support their learning,” Nugent said. “The students seemed to share a healthy skepticism of using AI for the purpose of writing academic papers [...] clearly this emergent issue and something that we’ll need to continue having conversations about as AI evolves.”

The panelists discussed the value of original writing as a personal process, and how a big part of learning is how it relates to your own life.

“I am aware that a lot of faculty are worrying about the impact of ChatGPT, especially on the likelihood of plagiarism from the students and the effectiveness of tests and assignments for our learning,” Senior Rivka Dai said. “I also sense that students and faculty need more conversations so as to form a reasonable set of guidelines on the permitted and prohibited ways of using ChatGPT.”

Lutman, Nugent and audience members also asked what types of

feedback or support students could need to utilize ChatGPT effectively, as well as how the platform may affect critical thinking and collaboration.

“Overall, their comments focused less on threats to academic honesty and more on how A.I. might make certain learning experiences more clear or efficient,” Lutman said. “I also heard agreement among the panelists that they will appreciate professors’ explicit policies regarding A.I., and also that they hope more professors will explore and discuss the technologies openly in their classes.

The conversation ended with a brief discussion of what the potential punishments should be for using ChatGPT in an academic setting.

“I took away that the faculty really cares about students’ learning, and that the major concern might still be around the risk of impairing the learning experience including the growth of critical thinking and the practice of creativity,” Dai said. “The faculty would feel really hurt or would have no ideas what to do if they faced cases where the student’s work suggested a high prospect of plagiarism. So a guideline is very important not just for students and for professors as well. I also was informed of the possibility to use ChatGPT in some practical and positive ways without impairing my learning. It’s great that I got to hear the faculty’s perspectives and other students’ ideas.”

Contact Sophie Mack at smack@colgate.edu.

but there is seating reserved for those with accessibility needs.

Should inclement weather occur, the ceremony will take place indoor at Sanford Field House. Tickets for guests will be distributed to graduates. Additional indoor seating with a ceremony livestream will be available in the Class of 1965 Arena for those who prefer indoor seating to the

outdoor ceremony, or in the event of an indoor ceremony, for those who do not have tickets.

Following the completion of the commencement ceremony, residence halls and on-campus housing will close at 5:00 p.m. Contact Ethan Cherry at echerry@colgate.edu.

Ethan Cherry • Josie Rozzelle

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Annabel Morris

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Aaron Silverstein

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Aaron Notis • Andie Cook Copy editoRs

Ryan Dugdale • Sophie Mack news editoRs

Elli Ament

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Maya Kharkanis • Sophie Naylor

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My Strange Addiction: The Wedding of Sofia Richie

If you haven’t already seen it on your TikTok “For-You Page,” Sofia Richie got married last weekend. The model, Nudestix beauty entrepreneur and daughter of Lionel Richie married Elliot Grainge — son of Sir Lucian Charles Grainge, CEO of Universal Music Group — at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d’Antibes in the south of France. Move over Meghan Markle, because social media has dubbed this the year’s royal wedding – for good reason. Everything about it echoes old Hollywood glamor, and I am obsessed.

If you had asked me last week who Sofia Richie was or what she was up to, I probably would have said something along the lines of, “You mean Scott Disick’s girlfriend?” However, after being victimized by some strategic publicity, not only do I know that I am terribly mistaken, I now know every small detail about her big day. Elliot asked Sofia to marry him in Hawaii after a year of dating… at golden hour (take notes, you eligible  bachelors). The 24 year old has been sharing snippets of her special day – including fireworks and a performance from her famous father – on her TikTok platform all weekend. I have dubbed it my guilty pleasure; Sofia Richie’s wedding has turned into my Super Bowl.

I will admit that I became a religious follower of her wedding account, “sofiarichiegrainge.” Fans are flocking to the page to see Sofia’s first ever batch of GRWM (“Get Ready With Me”) videos she posted on the account she launched the day before her wedding. Let’s start with the dresses. The Met Gala may be here, but Sofia Richie’s display of Chanel was the fashion event I didn’t know I needed. The celebrity sported not one, not two, but four custom, designer dresses throughout the weekend. Let’s be real, this is a fairytale wedding that would send my younger, cinderella-obsessed self into orbit. During the wedding, Vogue even posted a video to its Instagram page showing Richie trying on three custom Chanel dresses – a long-sleeved beaded gown for the rehearsal dinner, a

fitted, beaded halter gown and veil and a minidress for the reception. Let’s just say that though my roommate and I are no fashion specialists, we were on the floor. One user commented on her TikTok videos, “I have become the biggest Sofia Richie fan in the span of a singular day.” Girl, same. I wonder if Sofia Richie’s back hurt waking up Tuesday morning after carrying the weight of the entire TikTok population on her shoulders?

Another fun fact: in April 2023, a year after announcing her engagement, Sofia Richie shared that she actually converted from Christianity to Judaism (her fiancé’s religion) ahead of her wedding. In a series of Instagram Stories, Richie posted a photo of herself signing a document in Hebrew. “What a magical day,” she captioned the post. “I want to thank cantor Nathan Lam for helping me along this journey of converting to Judaism. It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.” She added, “Today was that day!!!,” accompanied by five Star of David emojis.

And then there is the star-studded guest list. The wedding-goers were an inter-generational blend of all types of celebrities. The millennial stars obviously dominated the stage: sister Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Cameron Diaz and Benji and Joel Madden of the rock band “Good Charlotte.” If you are wondering the answer is yes, of course they performed at the after party. Another guest caught my eye while I spectated this wedding as a rather isolated, third party: the TikTok user Jake Shane, also known as “Octopusslover8.” While it made sense for Sofia Richie’s family and longtime famous friends to be in attendance, many fans – including myself – were confused by Jake Shane’s attendance. In doing some digging, I learned, through a commenter on the TikTok app, that the TikTok comedian is actually Elliot Grainge’s cousin, and more importantly, is now related to Sofia Richie. Is there a way that I can find my way into this family tree?

Long story short, give me about 7-10 more business days until I stop blabbing about Sofia Richie’s storybook wedding. Contact Chapin Rockwell at crockwell@colgate.edu.

On any given Tuesday, a collection of students occupies every seat in a long office at the end of a narrow hall. Office chairs wheel across slate floors as keyboards click, Remi Wolf plays and murmurs about the week’s happenings fill the room. It is a room unseen to the vast majority of the Colgate community where a campus dialogue collects and a commitment to upholding our commitment to giving voice to this campus is woven into the walls of a room that has not changed in decades. Plastered across the walls, black and white images reminiscent of a different time serve as a reminder to me that finding truth on this campus might just require a mindset as old school as the photos.

Our campus — and our world — is dichotomized. We exist in a culture that pushes beliefs to the fray where we must unwaveringly take up a side on topics big and small, and where one’s outlook is indisputably correct and the other inevitably wrong. It is hardly a novel idea to say our world is more polarized than ever, but four years in a third-floor office above the Hall of Presidents has provided me with an important reminder: not all beliefs need to be principles, and the need for the bigger picture is perhaps direr than ever.

If my over 800 hours in that narrow thirdfloor office have taught me anything, it is this: there is always more to the story, and we do a great disservice to ourselves, those around us and our campus discourse when we take a stance on issues that we are unwilling to revise. When stances on issues become principles, negotiation and conversation can become either merely symbolic or completely impossible.

Ideas become principles when they become concrete, unchangeable ideas that are woven into the character of our moral being. Principles calibrate our moral compasses and — different from beliefs — they are, by definition, immune to changing circumstances. Principles are necessary to meaningful human existence, but when the threshold for principled status is lowered to allow nearly every momentary belief to become concrete and unwavering, we can become unwilling to grow intellectually and challenge our own outlooks.

We exist in a culture that pushes beliefs to the frays where we must unwaveringly take up a side on topics big and small, and where one’s outlook is indisputably correct and the other inevitably wrong. It is hardly a novel idea to say our world is more polarized than ever, but not all beliefs need to be principles, and the need for the bigger picture is perhaps more dire than ever.

A 1938 John Herman Randall essay entitled “On the Importance of Being Unprincipled” offers a wise point that remains timeless. Rather than advocate for the principle of compromise, Herman suggests that we must reevaluate what we classify as principles, for once they become principles, they become unchangeable views dangerous for communal existence and forward progress. Reevaluating our threshold of opinion versus principle presents a point of reflection for how we can better coexist on this campus.

To be clear, this is not a call for the abolition of principles entirely or a statement that there are none worth upholding. It’s quite the opposite; have guiding principles, but it is okay for ideas and beliefs to be just ideas or beliefs, open to change and seen within the larger context in which they almost always exist. I’m arguing, too, that circumstances matter and that we are dangerously averse to understanding context.

The Colgate student body is markedly passionate, and we are privileged to exist on a campus that rewards passion with opportunity and voice. We take up important stances on essential causes in the hopes of pushing our campus forward, but on a campus that uplifts passion comes the possibility of a culture that pushes our passions to binary poles that we are unwilling to move from. We take a side, our side becomes principle and our principle becomes right and anyone with differing outlooks is thus inherently and irreparably wrong – and potentially immoral.

Often, we take up the principles of others as our own without question or reservation. In a world in which information is nearlimitless and widely available, how we don’t take time to confirm if the opinion we are about to decide is ours is a concerning and counterintuitive trend. The everlasting and irreversible presence of our words in today’s digital age should prompt thought about the permanence of what we publicly make principle. And to take an idea from someone else as gospel without confirming its validity in your internal belief system by seeing it in a larger, informed picture is, well, dangerous for our coexistence and communal push for progress.

We’ve been taught in this age of polarization that we must hold onto our beliefs with an unrelenting grasp, to be firm in our convictions and to take an opinion and stick with it. In a world that exists in the frays of black and white, we’ve resented the gray area. Our world is nuanced and a weaker grasp on some of our beliefs and opinions may allow us to safely tread into a gray area where the reality of our circumstances might actually exist. We live in that gray, and it’s time we start realizing that is not necessarily a terrible thing for every daily conflict we face. In this gray area, perhaps, is where we find our way forward together.

“It is preachers, teachers, writers and literary men who can get down to the roots of things and really understand them,” Herman Randall wrote in that 1938 essay. “The only action such men ever have to engage in is to protest, in the name of their principles, at what other men are doing. Principles are great things for protesting. That is in fact about the only kind of action you can really accomplish with them… such intellectuals are never faced by the problem of getting something done, of cooperating with other men.”

Our overly principled outlook on campus issues has disrupted, rather than constructed, community. At the core of a liberal arts education is learning to value the plurality of perspectives that make our world interesting. Liberal arts pushes us to evaluate the bigger picture, and few modern issues exist outside of the context of one.

There is always a bigger picture, and we must find a greater commitment to understanding it before we dig our feet in our principles and turn away from each other.

On campus, when issues arise, our discussions often focus more on talking than listening. When beliefs become principles, there is no listening, because there is no changing. But what would happen if we listened to each other and attempted to understand the bigger picture that lies in that gray area?

For it is in this gray area between the poles of our ideological spectrums that we find the capability to accomplish something meaningful and grow together.

If my over 800 hours in that narrow third-floor office have taught me anything, it is this: there is always more to the story, and we do a great disservice to ourselves, those around us and our campus discourse when we take a stance on issues that we are unwilling to revise. When stances on issues become principles, negotiation and conversation become either merely symbolic or completely impossible.

Student journalism exists in the gray and for good reason. It synthesizes sides of issues to find the reality and facts of situations and the decisions behind them. And, from my experience, reality is always more complicated than we predict. We must begin to accept that the issues that activate our campus discourse are more complicated than we know and that there are often more than just two sides to the story.

Student journalism has taught me that we must learn to include a multitude of perspectives on issues to understand them. But,

we must also be willing to answer questions and change our opinions when we get more information. We must move away from seeing contradicting viewpoints as unprincipled, wrong or offensive to our humanity.

800 hours in that narrow office has taught me that what I think about one thing one day could be different the next day when new information becomes available. That space has taught me to accept nuance and to search for the reality of our circumstances within it. Our lives exist in the gray area, and if we have any hope of meeting there and making progress, we must become more weakly principled.

Principles calibrate our moral compasses, and different from beliefs, they are, by definition, immune to changing circumstances. Principles are necessary to meaningful human existence, but when the threshold for principled status is lowered to allow nearly every momentary belief to become concrete and unwavering, we can become unwilling to grow intellectually and challenge our own outlooks.

All this is not to encourage you to be unopinionated and neutral in your existence on this campus. Passion, after all, is woven into the landscape of this hill, and passionate community members will be those who push us forward.

Relinquish your grasp on some of your principled ideas, and raise the threshold by which opinions become gospel. When every idea becomes principle, negotiation becomes impossible, and compromise becomes a relic of a different time. When every idea becomes principle, we find ourselves amidst a conflict that will never result in progress. But if we can learn to understand the bigger picture, we find that our opinions will often, and rightfully, change. Opinions are flexible and opinions drive productive passion that results in agreeable progress. Principles, by their definition, are unchangeable, and when we have more principles than opinions, we prevent ourselves from meeting in the gray area where we might just more happily coexist.

On the third floor of James C. Colgate Hall, amidst the gray area, will be a continued search for the bigger picture. Our office is home to a culture of valuable intellectual flexibility that has become a relic of a seemingly ancient time. But what is old could be new again – and it will remain the job of this newspaper, just as it has been for the last 154 years – to help you visualize the bigger picture. It is perhaps necessary now more than ever before.

Soaked in Conformity: Colgate’s Unnecessary Umbrella Stigma

make the short list of times I’ve actually touched the gadget.

It didn’t take me long to realize a couple of things once I got here. First, Google was correct. It rains a lot in Hamilton (in fact, my first day was marked by me running around in an August rainstorm while trying to find my orientation group). Second, despite the wet climate, you can never, ever, ever walk around in public with an umbrella.

My love of being out in the rain dissipated faster than a puddle on the ground hit by sunshine. Being one of only a few students walking to class on the first rainy day of classes was an unnecessarily humbling experience. Looking around, I quickly realized that many Colgate students would — for whatever reason — rather be unhappily soaked in rainwater than walk around with an umbrella over their heads.

Why the unnecessary umbrella stigma? Nobody knows.

even prompted debates in our country’s military, where service people were once barred from carrying the accessories because they somehow had an undermining quality. Obviously, walking around looking like you accidentally wore your clothes in the shower is a trustworthy representation of your toughness: why carry around a flimsy umbrella to change that?

Now let’s turn that argument around. Perhaps what’s actually “brave” is ignoring the conformity that grips Colgate. Do whatever you need to feel happy, comfortable and free from the judgment of others — in this case, use an umbrella. Looking around campus and seeing nobody else shielding themselves from the weather is enough to make anybody question their individual umbrella usage, especially when you’ve seen these same people walking around this tiny campus throughout the entire year. Still, wouldn’t we all be happier (and drier) if we gave umbrellas a chance?

Here’s a dreadful memory that I’m sure most students at Colgate University share.

You’re walking to class, and the morning drizzle turns into a torrential downpour. Suddenly your shoes are making all sorts of noises as you walk down the indoor hallway, and when you finally sit down, you realize that it’s going to take the entire 75-minute class before your pants are dry again.

It’s the type of situation that reminds us exactly why we despise the rain, but I think it’s time for a reminder that it doesn’t have to be

this way. In fact, the biggest roadblock towards embracing bad weather might just be ourselves: Colgate students love to hate umbrellas.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, where I probably experienced around five days of notable precipitation per year. I actually made my college decision in part because I wanted to experience a different climate — and, yes, that difference included average rainfall. In addition to the other weather gear I simply did not own (namely snow-friendly shoes, a real winter coat and gloves), I was convinced that I needed an umbrella. But now, looking back, packing my new umbrella into the FedEx box that I shipped to Colgate might

Art’s Complicated Role in Climate Activism

What is worth more: art or life? This profound question is what climate activists asked onlookers when their group, Just Stop Oil, threw tomato soup on Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in October 2022.

Many called this act of protest embarrassing. It was dubbed performative activism (a term I believe we use a bit too freely). Online rhetoric and media coverage reduced these protests to acts of vandalism. Young activists inspired other activists, and similar protests have occurred involving other works of art. Just last week, climate activists in D.C. smeared paint on the display that encases Edgar Degas’s sculpture “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.”

The criticism these groups received feels unfair. I myself love Van Gogh, but “Sunflowers” was behind glass and it’s doing fine. It was disappointing to see people in my own circles — even those who are especially environmentally conscious — feel embarrassed by a movement they normally resonate with. I recall the somewhat ignorant “What did the painting do to the climate?” jokes my peers made, but these sorts of remarks overlook the point.

I want to be clear: I don’t think art is the enemy. In fact, I think the environmental movement needs more art. Creative expression can be advantageous in spreading climate-related messages. The inclusion of art in climate activism draws in a larger audience, making environmentalism unignorable.

Not to mention, art has long been inspired by nature. Art and environmentalism can beautifully go hand-in-hand. However, I also understand the desire to target art, and I’d defend the Just Stop Oil activists.

I think their peculiar protest model is an incredible one to follow. Of course, it may have a disappointing consequence for the environmental movement: people may be put off the movement rather than drawn to it, but that consequence seems to arise from a misguided attitude.

I think we can all recognize that protests like these are for media attention, but we need to reframe seeking media attention in a positive light — as something helpful and incredibly necessary rather than the shallow goal of an outlandish stunt. “Attention seeking” is needed for a cause — the climate crisis — that’s so critical it can’t afford to be nitpicked or have its movement’s methods criticized.

There’s a lot to say about why forms of protest like this are a critical tool for the environmental movement.

For climate protesting in particular (because it’s such an ongoing cause), the media gets easily accustomed to certain displays of activism — so much so that things like marches and strikes become old news and lose their efficiency while the climate crisis prevails. Also of particular importance for environmental issues is the nature of an “unexpected” protest. An unexpected confrontation with the climate crisis helps to call attention to the fact that the crisis will only impact our everyday

Is it that they’re inconvenient? I don’t think so. Most umbrellas are foldable and store themselves neatly in a backpack or under a desk. I’d go as far as to say that walking around with an umbrella — no matter how annoying it is to carry — beats how uncomfortable it feels to be drenched with rainwater.

Are they just plain ugly? Sure, it can be awkward to walk around with a foldable tarp hovering above you, but there are ways to customize the look. Umbrellas, like all accessories, come in an endless variety of shapes, sizes and styles. Try a black one, or a red one, or — if you’re feeling adventurous — a clear one. The world of umbrellas is limitless: find one that you like and embrace it.

Maybe umbrellas are a sign of weakness. Real brave people, so it seems, face the pouring rain with zero protection, right? The question has

Now halfway done with my time at Colgate, I’ve moved on from the constant thought of feeling out of place and always trying to fit in at this school. I am, unabashedly, an open supporter of umbrellas. I often spend rainy days thinking of that utopic paradise where, after students finally realize that they don’t need to run around getting wet, I can walk out into the academic quad and find a never-ending field of colorful umbrellas, decorating the landscape with rain-soaked nylon. Until then, if you see me heading up the hill next semester on a rainy day, catch me holding that once-dusty umbrella over my head, carefree and dry — as we all should be.

lives more and more, so it’s something we should care about every day. Instead of just making people care about the climate when a major event occurs (like marching after an oil spill would do, for example), unexpected protests bring attention to the environment during seemingly optimistic times and in seemingly comfortable spaces.

An important point of targeting art is creating an uncomfortable environment in one of the most comfortable places of culture: the leisurely enjoyment of art. A museum — as a refined place to display things — can often create a space that feels separate from environmental issues. When protestors blur that separation, they force museum attendees to think about the environment in a space they weren’t expecting to. On a larger scale, it brings the whole environmental movement into more spaces.

I’d dare to say that it’s also important to consider how art is historically a mode of expression. Art creates a space of communication, and in general, we need more communication about the Earth. To be put off from the environmental movement by unusual forms of protests is to tell climate protestors to stay in their place and only speak out when we think it’s needed. Environmental discourse is always needed.  This all isn’t to say that climate activists should be free from criticism. It’s important for any movement to check itself as it grows. But this sort of criticism — calling people concerned about the planet embarrassing and “attention-seeking” — gets us nowhere and undermines an important form of protest.

Contact Rylee Hatch at rhatch@colgate.edu.

Embracing the Alternative

This is the time of year when some of you may be receiving bad news. Maybe you didn’t get the summer job, fellowship, or internship you really wanted, or you’ve been rejected from your top choice for graduate school. You feel disappointed and frustrated, wondering what else you should have done.

You’re not the only one experiencing disappointment this spring. NBA superstar Giannis Antekokounmpo was downtrodden the other night when the Miami Heat knocked his top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks out of the playoffs. But when asked whether he thought the Bucks’ season was a failure, he said, “It’s not a failure. It’s steps to success.”

I’m here to tell you that sometimes, failure is not a bad thing, and that your fallback option may in fact set you on the better path.

Let me give you some other examples. Colgate was not my first, or even my second, choice. After a different elite New England liberal arts college on which I had my heart set rejected my application and another put me on its waitlist, I visited Colgate for a second time in the spring of my senior year of high school. I remember thinking, “this place seems good enough.”

I could not have known then that Colgate — where I walked onto the cross-country and track teams, participated in student government, joined a sorority, learned a new language, wrote and defended an honors thesis, made lifelong friends and took my first steps on the road to becoming a federal judge — would be the one of the best things that ever happened to me.

During law school, more than anything I wanted to clerk for a federal judge. I applied to more than a dozen judges and did not get a single interview. After re-interviewing with law firms during my third year, I became a litigator at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, a law firm in New York City that had represented Colgate for many years and whose head of litigation was a trusted advisor to the administration.

I couldn’t let go of my clerkship goal, though, and midway through my second year at Hughes Hubbard, I sent out another batch of applications. This time, I had much better luck. I was offered not one, but two clerkships — first, for a United States District Judge in Miami, and at the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. I wish I had known, when I received all the rejection letters in law school, that with patience, time and persistence I would achieve my goal of obtaining a clerkship. Ultimately, I achieved more than I expected, having two full years of clerking for some of the best judges in the country, during which I refined my research and writing skills and worked on everything from death penalty appeals to civil rights litigation.

Ultimately, I set my sights on becoming a federal judge. Federal magistrate judges are selected by the federal district judges through

a merit selection process, so after several more years in private practice at Hughes Hubbard (where I returned after clerking), I decided to submit my application. Although I was invited to interview with the selection committees, they did not choose me. I let myself sulk for a few days, and then regrouped and reassessed what else I could do to raise my profile, build the skills I would need as a magistrate judge and gain more federal court experience. When new positions opened, I reapplied, and in 2019, I was selected by the Board of Judges for the Southern District of New York to become a magistrate judge, which has been a greater privilege — and challenge — than I ever could have hoped.

Of course, my experiences are not unique. Countless other success stories were preceded by rejections and deviations from what was perceived as the first choice. A friend from Colgate was rejected by over 20 graduate programs before he enrolled at NYU, eventually earning his Ph.D. and becoming a prominent expert in his field. His roommate was rejected from so many jobs that he had enough letters to wallpaper his bedroom.

Thomas Edison once said that he never failed at anything, he just “found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” When you’re facing a rejection letter, let yourself wallow for a day — but only a day — then pick yourself up, reassess your options, and put one of them into action. A summer living at home, waiting tables or working in retail can equally build your communications and people-management skills. Internship opportunities and alumni networks at lower-profile graduate schools can be just as good or better than at the higher-profile schools. A job in a smaller city or a smaller company may give you more handson opportunities than in a larger one. And if all else fails, use this summer to get started on research for your senior thesis, learn a language, or volunteer in your community.

Good luck, be patient, be persistent, and try again.

The Importance of Affirmative Action

Affirmative action has historically been used for the purpose of increasing diversity in university student bodies, especially in the admissions process. The precedent of using race-conscious measures for college admissions and hiring more generally was set in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson created the Office of Federal Contract Compliance in the Department of Labor to uphold affirmative action in government jobs.

Over the years, however, there has been a near-constant debate over the ethics of affirmative action, with states banning race-conscious admissions processes time and again. Currently, North Carolina is dealing with two cases that threaten the sanctity of affirmative action in the state.

Affirmative action is an important practice that works to provide a leg up for those who have been oppressed historically by the US government, resulting in generations of people who do not have the same opportunities as white Americans. In a country that has a long history of discrimination based on race and sex, affirmative action is imperative to ensure that all citizens get a fair chance at succeeding – and a major aspect of this starts with a college education.

Opponents of affirmative action argue that this practice harms white students and, as a more recent argument suggests, Asian-American students. According to the Center for American Progress, “this harmful myth perpetuates inaccurate narratives of homogeneity in AsianAmerican communities; disregards significant socio-economic differences between ethnicities; and ignores the stark intraracial disparities affirmative action helps to alleviate.”

Students at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are split on the importance of affirmative action in university admissions policies. Some argue that race should not give an applicant a leg up in the competitive admissions process, while others uphold the idea that universities have a duty to grapple with their racist histories through practices such as affirmative action.

If schools such as The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill remove race-conscious admissions practices, it is likely that minority representation will drop dramatically, as evidenced by previous bans on affirmative action that resulted in drastic reductions in minority admissions. For example, according to The American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity, in 1998, the University of California banned the use of affirmative action, which resulted in a 61 percent “drop in admissions of African American, Latino/a and Native American students,” with UCLA experiencing a 36 percent drop. Another study found that without affirmative action, students of color are 23 percent less likely to be admitted to selective public colleges. Clearly, affirmative action has tangible effects on minority students’ ability to attend institutes of higher education. Diversity in colleges and universities is beneficial to every student, not only those minorities who benefit from race-conscious admissions policies. According to the Center for American Progress, “evidence gathered by the Century Foundation suggests that racially integrated classrooms can reduce students’ racial bias, improve satisfaction and intellectual self-confidence, and enhance leadership skills,” all of which leads to improvements in an increasingly diverse global economy and overall productivity of workplaces. As we watch the unfolding of these pending cases in North Carolina, it is important to be aware of the benefits of affirmative action and the all too often attempts to reverse this important practice. Students such as those who created the Affirmative Action Coalition at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill show us how we must speak up for the practices we believe in, and speak out against those trying to reverse these crucial practices that aim to create equality of opportunity in a country that has denied non-white Americans that right for far too long.

THE CLASS OF 2023 REFLECTS

On Telling the Colgate Story

Ethan Cherry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

My first days at Colgate were marked by a race to find myself. I promised myself I would sign up for everything, try it all and find a place where I could feel part of something. See, what no one tells you is that when you arrive at college, the instant community you were promised on tour actually takes work from you, too.

To love Colgate, I needed to know Colgate. The Maroon-News presented me with an opportunity to learn Colgate from the inside out, to see it at its best and worst and to be introduced to this community alongside the students who knew it best.

Four years and over 800 hours later, The Maroon-News has become the center point of my Colgate experience. From late nights in the office piecing stories together to early morning crises, the joy of this opportunity has been more than just the memories of reporting our unique Colgate reality — it has been the impact of the stories themselves on our community.

I am forever grateful for each of the people that have made this year the most successful on record in our 154year history. The Maroon-News is an anomaly among college newspapers, not just because we’re still printing, but because our readership is still growing exponentially.

This paper means something special here and its history is as bright as its future. Here’s to CLVI.

Josie Rozzelle EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In high school, I was a true newspaper kid. My free time was spent in the “pub lab,” and some of my favorite memories occurred at yearly national scholastic journalism conventions. But, when I came to Colgate, I promised myself I would try something new. “That’s who I was in high school,” I thought, deciding that I was over the whole journalism thing and that I would find a new passion in my four years of college.

Well, here I am.

It’s not hard to pinpoint what drew me back to student journalism. I love reporting for my peers, providing them with the information they needed to stay active and engaged members of our campus community. I love learning about this intricate, complicated and vibrant place that is at times challenging and at other times perfect. Most of all, I love the team of passionate, hardworking and thoughtful students who make up The Maroon-News

For a small, unpaid staff of busy college students, we’ve gotten quite a bit done. I’m proud of the stories we’ve written, the decisions we’ve made, the innovations we’ve implemented and the impact we’ve left. But I also know there are stories that still need telling, and voices that still need to be heard. So, I can’t wait to see what The Maroon-News does next and how it will continue to be a source of information, balance and light for the Colgate community.

Four years later, I can look back and say that this is where I was always supposed to end up — in this tiny office on a Tuesday evening, putting together the last of the 23 editions of volume CLVI of The Maroon-News

Annabel Morris

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

I started writing for The Colgate Maroon-News during my sophomore pandemic. I was looking for some way to be more involved with Colgate away by the excitement and professionalism with which this organization never have thought, three years later, I would be as involved with this organization would help me develop as a writer, student and leader. covered everything from the University’s COVID procedures to with the paper has helped me gain confidence in my ideas, develop my engaged with the Colgate community. I am grateful for the relationships far The Maroon-News has come throughout my time as a writer and parts of my Colgate experience and I look forward to seeing all that the

Aaron Silverstein

MANAGING EDITOR

What’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned at Colgate? The question is put into words. I’ve changed in too many ways to describe. So maybe Colgate is the amalgamation of everything my peers and professors dance floor, in an article. What I am trying to say is that we learn peers and students. We walk up this uncomfortably steep hill every tives regarding econometrics, literature, democracy and coop chicken and those viewpoints change. We bring our 18 year-old selves to too. There is no single lesson. But know this: If you’ve ever raised the time to help me in office hours, if you’ve ever busted a brand submitted an article to this great publication, all I have to say is

Andie Cook

COPY EDITOR

At first I was nervous to write for The Maroon-News, since I didn’t cially well or comment on anything in a particularly unique manner. formed during my first year on campus. BD has a simple pitch — sounded pretty good to me, so I wrote for BD, then edited the a profile on an interesting person is pretty easy. Not only do the secret in that really anyone can be interesting — it just depends be open to people teaching you things, providing a new perspective

Here in Hamilton I’ve often found it easy to convince myself that know about everything I’d want to know. But this kind of thought yourself to be surprised by people and things. Through being in I know that it’s really hard to break a story at Colgate in the classic things on campus immediately. But in another sense there are stories something interesting to say if you let them. Just as a good conversation story can only be accomplished with two parties: writer and reader.

Aaron Notis COPY EDITOR

I signed up for The Maroon-News in my first year to be a sports writer. paper and edited my high school sports magazine, so I knew that first meeting on the second floor of the Hall of Presidents, The Maroon-News experience. Being able to continue to pursue my interests in sports ment furthered my passion for writing and journalism. It has been smart, motivated and talented people toward the goal of putting COVID-19 pandemic, laying out the paper with the other sports friends I’ve made within the walls of the Maroon office are some for the experience and the people at The Maroon-News, and I’m excited

Annabel

sophomore year while we were resigned to our dorms due to the Colgate from the confines of my room, and I was blown organization pursued campus and Hamilton news. I would the paper as I am today, and I had no idea how much leader. Throughout my time at The Maroon-News I have inspiring guest lecturers like Amal Clooney. Working my creative side, enhance my leadership abilities and stay relationships I have made over the years and I am proud of how editor. My work here will always be one of my favorite the talented writers and editors have in store for the future.

Silverstein

simply unanswerable. I’ve learned too many lessons to maybe I’ll just say this: the biggest lesson I’ve learned at professors have ever said in a class, at a club meeting, on the learn from each other here. We are each other’s teachers, every morning to hear each other’s voices and perspecchicken tenders. We bring our viewpoints to the table, to a small town in Central New York, and we change raised your hand in a class discussion, if you’ve ever taken brand new dance move on the Jug floor, and if you’ve ever thank you. Because, well, I love to learn.

Sophie Mack NEWS EDITOR

The first article I wrote was for the News section at the beginning of my sophomore year, and I remember being so nervous for other people to read my writing. Since then, I’ve been able to go to so many different events and meet so many people because of The Maroon News, and I am so grateful for the experience.

During COVID-19, I remember feeling like I was really informing the student body on what was going on at the time, and felt like my writing was making a difference. I have absolutely loved being a part of such an amazing community, and am so excited to see what is to come for The Maroon News!

Ana Mashek BAKER’S DOZEN EDITOR

As a new student at Colgate during the peak of the pandemic, The Maroon-News felt like the best way to get involved on campus — I’d feel an immediate connection to peers and have my voice heard when there weren’t many other outlets to do so. So, I started writing for a few sections, where I distinctly remember logging off conversations with interviewees over zoom and feeling a real sense of fulfillment. To discuss the passions of peers and staff at length was both exhilarating and important — it provided a way for me to understand the Colgate community on a more meaningful level.

Since then, I’ve narrowed my focus to Baker’s Dozen. I’ve loved having a hand in elevating the voices of both individuals and organizations who deserve recognition and praise. As part of the editorial staff now, I’m grateful to be surrounded by such motivated people who have committed themselves to providing our community with top-notch coverage and who are excited by the campus life and discourse that moves so quickly around us.

It’s been a pleasure to learn alongside these people, and I’m excited to watch The Maroon continue to grow in size and influence!

didn’t feel like I could cover happenings on campus espemanner. But then I noticed the Baker’s Dozen Section, just — highlight interesting people in the community. That section and now oversee it. The truth is that writing the people almost always make it fun, but there’s a little on you. All you have to do is listen and be interested; perspective or introducing you to a new way to think.

that I’ve met everyone I’m going to meet or that I already thought pattern is harmful in that it’s important to allow the newspaper office weekly for the past couple years, classic sense. It feels like everyone always knows about stories waiting to be broken everywhere — everyone has conversation is dependent on two people, a meaningful reader. So keep talking to new people, and keep reading!

Sloan Martin SPORTS EDITOR

I joined The Maroon-News on a whim in November of my junior year, and never at the time imagined that I would become an editor for the sports section less than a year later. I am so glad that I did join The Maroon-News, though, and I appreciate all the staff for welcoming me with such open arms. I have truly been lucky to be part of such a fun, dedicated, and enjoyable team.

Thank you to the previous sports editors for getting me so excited about writing, and for pushing me towards such a wonderful opportunity to become an editor myself.

Each week in the office was refreshing and exciting, and helped me grow a love for writing that I never thought I would have. It’s been an incredible experience for which I am forever grateful.

Drew Fischer ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

writer. During high school, I wrote for my local newsthat I wanted to continue writing in college. Since that Maroon-News has been an integral part of my Colgate sports journalism in a creative, open-minded environbeen an honor to work with this team of unbelievably putting together an incredible paper each week. During the sports editors was the best two hours of my week. The of the best I’ve made at Colgate. I’m forever grateful excited to see what the future holds for the newspaper.

Since first joining The Maroon-News in the spring of my junior year, I’ve truly enjoyed the opportunity to learn from my fellow writers and athletes around campus. As a passionate sports fan, I’m so thankful The Maroon-News pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace covering the teams and storylines I love.

By highlighting the accomplishments of Colgate’s dedicated student-athletes and learning each student’s unique approach to preparation and success, The Maroon-News allowed me to grow as both a creative and confident writer.

I can’t wait to see the continued progress of The Maroon-News and know its future is in terrific hands.

Tucker Carlson Isn’t Going Anywhere

Tucker Carlson’s ousting from Fox News last week created a sense of relief for many Americans like myself. After all, a MAGAstyle Republican who routinely spouted wild conspiracy theories along with white supremacist and xenophobic rhetoric was finally stripped of his platform on one of the largest news channels in the U.S.

Many have even hoped Tucker Carlson’s dismissal signals Fox News’ unwillingness to cater to Carlson’s views despite his consistent ratings and audience praise. However, the corporation’s decision to break ties with Carlson doesn’t signal a sudden moral change in the hearts of its leadership or an attempt to bring in different viewership. Rather, I believe Carlson’s dismissal was an act of self-preservation for a news channel that is increasingly struggling to clean up the fallout caused by its most controversial pundits.

On April 18, the Fox Corporation paid $787.5 million dollars to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation lawsuit in which Dominion claimed Fox had defamed their company by spreading misinformation about the role of its voting technology in the 2020 election. Just days after, Fox announced it would be parting ways with Tucker Carlson, the host who had enjoyed the network’s primetime slot since 2016 and amassed a consistent viewership of 3 million people each weeknight.

Many theories have arisen in an attempt to explain Carlson’s dismissal.

One of the most popular is that, thanks to the discovery process of the Dominion trial, Fox executives obtained Carlson’s private text messages and emails in which he used vulgar and derogatory language to criticize those very executives. Others maintain Carlson’s firing may have been a direct consequence of the workplace discrimination lawsuit filed by Abby Grossberg, former senior booking producer for Tucker Carlson Tonight. Grossberg has alleged that Carlson created an anti-semitic and misogynist environment where bullying and belittling ran rampant. Grossberg has also said that her complaints were not taken seriously by her Fox supervisors or the human resources department.

Whichever theory you buy about Carlson’s dismissal, what they all have in common is that Fox is acting to save their own skin from internal criticism or future lawsuits, rather than trying to protect journalistic integrity within the network.

It seems Fox News executives like Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch never intervened at the height of Tucker Carlson’s controversial comments because they understood the alt-right MAGA audience he brought in was too valuable for the network to lose, especially when competitors like Newsmax were ready to provide viewers with an alternative. In fact, the Fox Corporation often rallied behind Carlson’s most offensive comments. In December 2018, Carlson described immigrants as making the country “poorer, dirtier and more divided.” After advertisers subsequently cut ties with the show, Fox News claimed, in Carlson’s

defense, that “left-wing advocacy groups were weaponizing social media against companies in an effort to stifle free speech.”

Even when Carlson defended the January 6 capitol rioters — claiming it was “peaceful chaos,” which led to his denouncement by prominent figures in his own party like Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell — he wasn’t met with discipline by Fox’s higher-ups. Therefore, I think it’s unlikely Carlson’s dismissal is coming after an intentional turn away from the rhetoric he engaged in, but rather a desperate act now that the effects of his continued presence became too large for even Fox, a media giant, to handle.

Similarly, Bill O’Reilly, infamous to many for his racist comments both on-air and off, was only dismissed from his O’Reilly Factor primetime slot — that Carlson, ironically, went on to occupy — after the company decided they could not reconcile the sexual harassment allegations against

him and the numerous settlements with, according to the New York Times, an “overhauling of their workplace culture.” Additionally, while Tucker Carlson has been dismissed, many Fox News personalities who share some of his misogynist, white supremacist, xenophobic and homophobic views (albeit if not as explicitly) like Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham remain at the channel, seemingly because they aren’t creating the same level of internal division or costing the company as much in “clean-up.”

Tucker Carlson may be gone, but as long as the audience who loved him remain Fox News’ core demographic, the network will be forced to find a perhaps equally offensive personality to take his place. So while Tucker Carlson is leaving, what he stands for certainly isn’t.

There is No Such Thing as a Waste of a Job

dinged-up Honda Civic to a job in a strip mall where I’ll be wearing an apron and a visor emblazoned with a chain logo and a name tag that says “HELLO MY NAME IS: RICHIE.”

As I sit down to write this, I find myself in the midst of a struggle that college first-years have faced since the dawn of time: finding a summer job. My parents have made it abundantly clear that, yes, they love me, but being around the house for eight hours a day is not going to fly this year. The coming of May sees summer lurking right around the corner, and you would not be wrong to classify me as in somewhat of desperation mode. What am I supposed to do? The hiring window for most “legitimate” jobs or internships (the word is highly subjective but I think you know what I mean) has passed. All that seems to be left are the types of jobs that I assumed I would leave behind after graduating high school: waiting tables, making coffees, working

behind a cash register, etc. It feels weird for me and, somehow, wrong to go from a place like Colgate University — where it seems like everyone around me has some sort of high-brow business or consulting internship — to a place like the Starbucks at the corner of Sunset and Barrington.

The unfortunate reality for me is that time is not on my side; as my demand for a job becomes more inelastic with each passing day, I am coming to the reality that I will probably have to settle for something that I didn’t picture for myself four months ago. What I had in mind was a job where I put on slacks and a dress shirt (definitely with a vest over it), took Uber Premium to a gleaming skyscraper and rode the corporate elevator a million stories up into the spotless corporate office with briefcase in hand, ready to engage in some incomprehensible corporate jargonslinging. In reality, I will be taking my

I know I can’t be the only one in this situation. There can be a lot of stress that goes into the process of finding where to work after the school year is over. This is especially the case when you are aspiring towards a job in the world of business or finance down the line, where the recruiting process starts very early on, and you feel like you’re doing something wrong if you don’t have a corner office in Deloitte with your feet up on the desk while you read the Wall Street Journal and smoke a massive cigar by the time you’re 22. If you’re anything like me, and you were maybe not so on the ball in your job hunt throughout this semester, I’m here to tell you that things are going to be ok. Not all jobs are equal — prestige is highly variable and the reality is that a person’s salary is often the best way to reflect that — but the bottom line is that a job is a job.

I firmly believe that you can derive something valuable from all work experiences, no matter what it is you’re doing. I don’t necessarily have career aspirations to wrap burritos at Chipotle, but if that happens to be you for this summer, then find something — anything — from the experience that is going to help you when you do get that prestigious Wall Street job down the line. Maybe it means learning the best way to interact with a difficult customer, coworker or boss.

Maybe it means working on your attitude in a professional environment. Maybe it means negotiating your hourly pay or your shift times or your tasks because, sorry, you actually can’t flip burgers because the last time you used a flat top you almost blew the roof off your house.

No time spent working is worthless, but you have to commit yourself to that mindset. It sucks having to get up at six in the morning to drive to a job where you are underpaid, overworked and mindnumbingly bored — nobody is going to deny that — but being mopey is only going to make things worse. Working a job can be a little bit like school sometimes: you’ve got to suck it up and embrace the grind. Most importantly, find something from the job that you can derive value from and internalize it. It will pay off in the long run, and it is definitely better than sitting on the couch all day watching SportsCenter.

Just remember that one summer spent working as a busboy, waiter, camp counselor, math tutor or burger flipper won’t ever preclude you from your dream job. If you have the right attitude, jobs like those can actually teach you lessons that get you closer to where you want to be in ways you might not expect. So, with all that said, I’ll see you on the front lines soldier. And if you happen to be in Los Angeles, my hometown, stop by that Starbucks on the corner of Sunset and Barrington. I’ll fix you up a mean oat milk latte — on the house.

Olivia O’Brien Headlines Springfest

American singer-songwriter Olivia O’Brien recently performed at Colgate University’s Springfest 2023 Concert. Rapper Lakeyah opened the show with a dynamic and high-powered performance, complementing the more subdued energy of O’Brien’s music. O’Brien’s set flowed smoothly between mellow moody songs and brighter numbers.

O’Brien performed hits like “Josslyn” and “hate u love u” to a relatively small crowd of viewers, mostly concentrated towards the front of the Sanford Field House. Other Colgate students and their guests lounged on the turf farther back in the Field House, reminiscent of outdoor summer concerts in warmer weather. Attendance was noticeably lower than the previous year’s T-Pain concert, presumably due to student debate over the 2023 musical artist selection.

Every Springfest, Colgate’s Student Government Association (SGA) coordinates the selection of a singer to headline the Springfest

Concert. After an unusually late artist announcement revealed Olivia O’Brien had been booked as the 2023 Springfest headliner, student response was varied. While some students were excited about the prospect of O’Brien’s performance, many were upset that SGA had not selected one of the musicians from the student poll.

Sophomore SGA Senate Representative Paul Lynch explained how the artist selection process was halted as a result of internal issues.

“Most of the process took place during the last semester in the fall, but it was largely a process that was pretty private, and just kept within leadership, Lynch said. “Pretty much what happened was there was a lot of miscommunication and a lot of people weren’t being honest about what they hoped that the concert would look like, and basically that’s how we kinda ended up in our current situation.”

Lynch detailed the normal musician hiring timeline and clarified the internal SGA planning disconnects.

“Traditionally we start looking for a Springfest artist in the summertime actually, like August/July range [...]

with miscommunication and all that stuff, we actually didn’t start looking for an artist I think until the winter time, so maybe [around] like December/ January I think we actually started genuinely looking for an artist, but at that point, most of our main options like Steve Aoki had already been booked,” Lynch explained.

Despite initial student hesitation at the prospect of O’Brien’s performance, most viewers spoke very positively about their experience.

After attending the concert, sophomore Grace Ashley spoke about her unexpected enjoyment of the performance.

“I thought it was a lot of fun and Olivia O’Brien was a surprisingly upbeat performer,” Ashley said.

The stage was sparse, with colored lights and a simple back screen displaying O’Brien’s name. O’Brien did not let the lower turnout notably impact her performance, and gave a well-executed and professional concert despite fighting an uphill battle against student expectations.

O’Brien paused her lineup of originals to cover Ke$ha’s “Your Love is My Drug,” which received rave reviews from Ashley.

“Her Ke$ha cover was the moment,” Ashley added. “It was literally so good the crowd went crazy.”

Sophomore Ella Monfort enjoyed the Springfest headline performance as well, even though she was unfamiliar with O’Brien’s music.

“I thought [Olivia O’Brien] was really good, I hadn’t really heard of her before the concert

but I really enjoyed her music and had a great time,” Monfort said of the concert. While students were initially wary of the choice to bring O’Brien to Springfest, it seems as though most students enjoyed the more laid-back concert.

Dancefest Celebrates 25th Anniversary to Kick Off Springfest

RobeRt “JeRRy” PfiefeR Staff Writer

Dancefest returned Friday to kick off a weekend Springfest celebrations and programming. After months of preparation by the 24 different student dance troupes, their endeavors were showcased during one of Colgate University’s most anticipated events. This Dancefest was unlike any other as it was held at the Sanford Field House, Colgate’s largest event venue, rather than the Colgate Memorial Chapel, where the event has traditionally been held.

Senior Nataly Zarzuela performed or choreographed for the Colgate Ballroom Dancers, Latin American Dance, Melanated, Wolfpack and the Opening Number.

Zarzuela also helped plan the event as a Dancefest committee member. Zarzuela described how proud she was of her community for helping to bring about Dancefest and her feelings about her final time performing at Colgate.

“As a graduating senior, it was wonderful to participate in the Dancefest committee and have the opportunity to perform in as many dances as my body could handle. I loved that we all came together to celebrate 25 years of

something that strengthens the community on this campus. A family who loves and supports you for all the effort and hard work you do, regardless of the outcome. There is a saying we have, ‘This is something made for us, by us,’ and we couldn’t be prouder.”

Zarzuela continued to explain how her last Dancefest felt as a senior.

“In our last huddle, before we could leave Sanford, we shared stories of our beginnings with dance, how we could be ourselves in the spaces we occupied through dance at a PWI (predominantly white institution), and lastly, making connections that would last a lifetime,” Zarzuela said.

“As seniors, this was our last Dancefest; it became too real that we were dipping out of there. Nonetheless, we are so excited about what the rising seniors will do to keep the audience and us on our toes.”

Sophomore Despina Anastasiou, a performer on the Colgate Dance Team, also shared her experience dancing and preparing for the event.

“Colgate’s 25th Dancefest was a great success. After the countless hours each dance group spent preparing for this day, I was thrilled to see such an amazing turnout. Dancefest remains one of the

most exciting events Colgate hosts because of the incredible audience that supports it. It is the best feeling performing on the stage and hearing your friends cheer for you in the crowd. I am so grateful for everyone who came, and I am extremely proud of every dancer who worked extremely hard, escaped their comfort zone, and put on one of the best performances Colgate has ever seen.”

Sophomore Maya Schwartz, a member of the Shock Dance Group, detailed the preparation that went into the event.

“All the dancers work hard throughout the semester to prepare for Dancefest. Each group meets at least every week to improve their skills and learn the choreography. It’s always exciting to see what all the groups have been working on all semester at Dancefest because I only know what my groups have been practicing before then.”

Schwartz also noted the diversity of performances at Dancefest and the effect she saw this variety have on the Colgate community.

“There are so many different dance styles, and watching everyone’s hard work pay off is so cool. I’m also always so happy and surprised by how many students come to watch.

It’s super encouraging to dance in front of such a positive audience. I think it really brings the Colgate student body together!”

Sophomore Sophie Smyth, who choreographed and performed for the Colgate Ballet Company and performed for the Colgate Dance Team, addressed some of the difficulties the dance troupes faced with the venue change this year.

“I definitely think the venue change greatly impacted the quality of Dancefest. It was not simply the venue change that impacted the performance but the stage itself. The surface of the stage was incredibly rough, making it challenging to dance on for our dress rehearsal, which is supposed to give dancers an idea of what the stage will be like on the day of the show. [...] When Dancefest is held in the Chapel, it feels like a welloiled machine. Everyone feels comfortable there and knows how the show is supposed to run. With the venue change, it was just simply a little chaotic,” Smyth said.

Still, the differences in venue did not change Smyth’s feelings about performance art or Dancefest overall.

“I would perform in Dancefest no matter what. It’s really an event that brings

everyone together, and I love the energy it brings to the school. It’s also gratifying to showcase the hard work we’ve put into this semester. Leading up to Dancefest, we have rehearsals once or multiple times a week, depending on the group, and we take the semester to learn the dances and choose the perfect theme. Getting to experience being a choreographer for the Colgate Ballet Company, I’ve enjoyed the creative process of creating these dances, and it’s a surreal feeling to put forward your work for everyone. Overall, I think Dancefest is an essential event to Colgate’s campus, and I hope it continues to be a tradition for years to come.”

First-year Osvaldo Lopez Carranza, an audience member attending his first Dancefest, remarked how delightedly surprised he was by his school’s energy, scale and talent.

“I thought the Dancefest was awesome, it definitely exceeded my expectations. [...] I loved the energy from the crowd. I constantly heard people cheer for their friends on stage and scream excitedly when they pulled off cool dance moves.”

Students Celebrate Their Individuality at the Multicultural Ball

As a part of the 2023 Springfest weekend, Colgate University hosted a Multicultural Ball in the Hall of Presidents. The Multicultural Ball is a formal event held with the intent of celebrating the diversity of the Colgate community. Attendees got the opportunity to learn more about their peers’ backgrounds and share their own in a communal space through clothing, food and music. The space was decorated with string and strobe lights, Multicultural Ball banners, flower displays and traditional objects from a wide range of cultures. Guests wore traditional dress including sarees and hanfus. The night was a celebration of individuality.

Maria Suleman, a senior women’s studies concentrator was an organizer of this event. Suleman took pride in her role and wanted to make the event a memorable night for everyone. She made sure to give every cultural background a place at the ball.

“There was a lot of research into different cultural motifs, foods and music that went into making this event possible. My personal favorite part was envisioning the actual space and coming up with decor ideas that encompassed a wide variety of cultures. I had so much fun finding individual pieces that came together beautifully when combined with others,” shared Suleman.

The organizer felt pressure to make this event special, specifically for people of color or people of different cultural backgrounds, as this was the first and only multiculturalfocused event held during Springfest.

Suleman hopes her efforts leave an important legacy: Making the Multicultural Ball an annual event during Springfest.

“… [There is a] current lack of POC representation during this annual tradition. I think people feel as though they need to attend Greek life events to actually enjoy Springfest and have the same experience as their peers when there should be a variety of spaces for people to have fun with their friends. I think events like the Multicultural Ball could also further encourage students who otherwise exist at the margins of Colgate’s party scene to feel centered, seen, and appreciated for being themselves. We saw a lot of people comfortably express themselves in their cultural attire and dance to music they probably wouldn’t hear at other events on campus. I think that is enough for this event to be prioritized and highlighted by the university,” Suleman said.

Another one of the organizers, senior Sarika Pyreddy, also commented on the event.

“Multicultural Ball was a way to celebrate Colgate’s diversity through food, music, and clothing. This was the first cultural event held during Springfest so it felt pretty monumental for everyone involved in the organization. OASIS+ and ALANA hope to make this an annual tradition at Colgate so people have more space to express their culture with others and hopefully build a more unified community.”

With the hopeful addition of the Multicultural Ball to future Springfest schedules, Suleman feels that underrepresented groups in the Colgate community will find comfort and support

outside of the traditional university party scene. She feels confident that the success of the event will secure the ball as a musthave event during Springfest 2024. Her hard work allowed for students of all different backgrounds to feel loved, appreciated, and at home. Suleman cites the lively dance floor as evidence of the event’s success.

“Everyone was dancing together! We had such good energy at this event with some individuals encouraging others to join in on the dance floor and it was just so wonderful seeing people teach other

dances from their individual cultures,” shares Suleman.

Hopefully, the positive experience of those who attended the Multicultural Ball will open more opportunities for people of color to express their cultures with the Colgate community. This ball was a step in the right direction toward making the campus a more inclusive space that celebrates each student’s individuality.

Professor Navine Murshid Launches New Book: ‘India’s Bangladesh Problem’

and dialogue in bringing about global change and awareness of pertinent issues.

“When I was reading Murshid’s book, I began to wonder how is it that in an era of free trade, we have increased hostility towards people from free trade constantly,” said Rajasingham. “How can goods travel freely but people cannot?”

The Asian Studies Department at Colgate University hosted a panel celebrating the discussion and launch of Associate Professor of Political Science Navine Murshid’s book, “India’s Bangladesh Problem.” The discussion panel was hosted in Lawrence Hall on Tuesday, April 25. The event was held by Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies Aniruddha Maitra, Associate Professor of English and Women’s Studies Nimanthi Rajasingham, and Third Century Chair in Philosophy, Politics,

and Economics, and Professor of Political Science Tim Byrnes.

Murshid’s book, which was published recently, explores the stories and experiences of Bengali Muslims on the Indian side of the India-Bangladesh border. The subject matter is analyzed through the lens of citizenry relations, immigration policies, labor migration laws and exposes xenophobic government rhetoric. Murshid’s panel served as a platform to discuss these issues and create awareness among the Colgate community. The professor’s book and the discussion between herself and her fellow panelists emphasized the importance of education

Rajasingham’s quote rang true to not just the aims of the panel and Murshid’s work but to the audience as well. Throughout the panel, there was conversation surrounding the irony regarding how there is a facilitated free flow of goods and services across borders in our globalized world. Yet, people themselves, particularly the Bengali people in Murshid’s book, continue to face significant barriers surrounding not only immigration laws but labor laws as well.

While presenting her new book and its themes, Murshid discussed the discrimination that the Bengali people face.

“There is often negative stereotyping in India surrounding how the Bengali people are perceived, said Murshid. “Due to their ethnicity and how publicized and normalized these stereotypes are, there is a negative connotation regarding being Bengali, with the nationality and ethnicity being associated with poverty and danger in India,” Murshud discussed.

This was one of the main ideas that Mirshud wished to discuss in her book; she

wrote about the negative stereotyping of the Bengali people and the poor relations between India and Bangladesh to emphasize the importance of the topic matter. Murshid wrote about the subject matter by conducting immense research over many years and from her own life experiences as well. Through her writing, book, and panel, the professor hopes to create further awareness to combat this issue among many communities.

The launch of “India’s Bangladesh Problem” received a positive response from the audience, with students sharing their thoughts about the event. Sophomore Andrew Bonanni remarked, “I am impressed with how Murshid highlighted the plight of Bengali Muslims in India, which is so often overlooked in mainstream discourse. I believe that it is essential to create awareness and bring such issues to the forefront of public discourse.”

Murshid’s book release was a significant event for the Colgate community, as it provided a necessary platform to discuss the legal and human rights issues surrounding relations between India and Bangladesh. Murshid’s book will likely continue this discussion as it is circulated through the public.

Spiced Chickpea and Spinach Salad

Contributing

During finals week, students can often get caught up in the chaos of papers, exams, office hours and lab reports. When things are hectic, we can often de-prioritize healthy eating. However, keep in mind that nutritious meals like this salad will help you keep your strength up for those long hours of studying! Spinach, chickpeas, carrots and the other healthy ingredients in this recipe will help you feel more energized and refreshed even during the home stretch of the spring semester.

INGREDIENTS:

• Spinach

• 1 can chickpeas

• Matchstick carrots

• Olive oil

• Spices

• Salt

• Pepper

• Chili powder

• Coriander

• Garlic powder

• Rosemary

• Honey

• Feta

• Sunflower seeds

• Balsamic vinegar

HOT TIP : If you have it, hot honey goes really well on the carrots! Just substitute.

1. Drain and wash chickpeas.

2. Add olive oil. To taste, add salt, pepper, chili powder, coriander, garlic powder, coriander and honey. Make sure there’s an even coating.

3. To the matchstick carrots, add olive oil. To taste, add salt, pepper, chili powder, coriander, garlic powder, coriander, rosemary and honey.

4. Spread the chickpeas and carrots on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

5. Add spinach, chickpeas, carrots, feta, sunflower seeds, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl and mix.

13 Songs To Get You Through a Tuesday

For readers of The Colgate Maroon-News, it may not be obvious how much work goes into creating each edition. From writing to editing to troubleshooting technical issues, the editorial staff of The Maroon spends its Tuesdays in a small office very few people know exists, creating the weekly newspaper you are reading now. In order to make it through those late nights and latebreaking stories, here are 13 songs we relied on to help us get the job done. Whether you’re battling a final exam or finalizing a job application, this playlist is sure to keep your spirits high and motivation up.

1. TOUCH OF GREY — GRATEFUL DEAD

If you’re looking for a song to lift your spirits, “Touch of Grey” is sure to do just that. A classic in the Grateful Dead’s repertoire, this tune consists of an upbeat melody and fast-paced percussion and guitar throughout its entire 5 minutes and 50 seconds. While some debate the message behind the song, to us at The Colgate Maroon-News , the lyrics are uplifting and energizing. With the repeating refrains of “I will get by” and “it’s alright,” listeners are left with the confidence to get through a tough day.

2. DREAMS – FLEETWOOD MAC

The iconic drumbeat that kicks off this classic Fleetwood Mac tune will never fail to put a smile on our faces – or to get our heads bouncing to the slow but groovy beat of “Dreams.” Stevie Nicks’ dreamy voice (no pun intended) flows over the steady drum-heavy song in a way that feels truly like a dream. The lyrics “thunder only happens when it’s raining / players only love you when they’re playing” evokes sad yet hopeful emotions from listeners as they move through the reflective song. It is no wonder that “Dreams” is one of the band’s greatest hits.

3. WAIT A MINUTE — WILLOW

“Wait a minute, I think I left my consciousness in the sixth dimension,” Willow Smith sings in this catchy, neo-

funk song. You might fail to dissect a clear meaning from this song, but it is still an energizing tune that is perfect to vibe to. Smith’s vocal delivery is quite unique; she doesn’t quite sing but doesn’t totally yell the words either. Sit back and enjoy a tour through Willow Smith’s complex musical brain.

4. PULL IT TOGETHER — THE GREETING COMMITTEE

“I’m gonna pull it together,” the indie rock band sings in what is an obvious anthem for a newspaper staff trying to get a paper to print. But instead of encouraging feelings of stress or doom, The Greeting Committee’s upbeat track is remarkably encouraging. The only problem is you might want to get up and dance instead of sit down and do work.

5. LIZ — REMI WOLF

Here’s a secret: the go-to playlist of The Maroon-News editorial staff is Spotify’s Remi Wolf Radio. It’s the perfect mix of familiar songs, upbeat tempos and smooth listening. Wolf can probably thank the weekly production of The Colgate Maroon-News for a significant number of her Spotify plays. “Liz” is one of our favorites. It has a calm rhythm, but interjections of Wolf’s adventurous vocal keep it interesting — the perfect soundtrack to a long day in the office or library.

6. ROCKY – STILL WOOZY

If you don’t know Still Woozy, you’re missing out. Listening to music by Still

Woozy seems to transport listeners to a beach, dozing off without a care in the world – certainly, the energy needed to get through a tough night in the office. “Rocky” is no exception. The genrebending sound of Still Woozy is relaxing yet fun, with rhythmic guitar and drums alongside some electronic grooviness. If you’re looking for a song to take the edge off, this is the one for you.

7. PHOTO ID – REMI WOLF (WITH DOMINIC FIKE)

The uplifting and quick-paced song “Photo ID” by Remi Wolf and Dominic Fike is reminiscent of a sunny day filled with friends and chaotic dancing. Right from the beginning of the song which features Wolf’s high-pitched singing with Fike’s laughs over a gentle energetic guitar, you will be engrossed in the summery, exciting feeling of this song.

8. CLOCKS – RHYTHMS DEL MUNDO REMIX

A play on Coldplay’s “Clocks,” this Rhythms Del Mundo track will catch you off guard with its upbeat, dance energy. Just by changing the piano slightly and adding some guitar and trumpet, Rhythms Del Mundo changes the vibe entirely, turning “Clocks” into a fun, lively tune to get the office energized and productive.

9. ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG –BILLY JOEL

One of “Billy the Kid’s” biggest tunes off his most celebrated album

is one of those songs that you just want to sing along and dance to. The classic drum fill to kick the track off, the rebellious lyrics and that iconic saxophone solo all culminate to form a song perfect for staying upbeat during a stressful layout.

10. A DAY IN THE LIFE – THE BEATLES

“I read the news today, oh boy,” may just be the perfect description of a Tuesday for us here at the MaroonNews. The Lennon-McCartney classic features lyrics of daily routine, major melodic shifts, and those blaring, crazy moments of crescendo that saw the Beatles reach artistic heights unfathomable in the world of rock music at the time.

11. LITTLE LIES – FLEETWOOD MAC

The ethereal intro to “Little Lies” by Fleetwood Mac opens this groovy song in classic Stevie Nicks fashion. Transporting listeners into a hopeful yet sad story about longing for a lost love, Nicks sings to the subject of the song in a powerful tone, accompanied by delicate female voices that add to the dream-like nature of the song.

12. ALTHEA – GRATEFUL DEAD

“Althea” is perhaps the Dead’s grooviest tune and has stood the test of time as a Deadhead favorite. Robert Hunter’s lyrics are profound, and yet, the true meaning of the story they tell has been debated for decades. Nevertheless, if Tuesdays find you “feeling lost” and “lackin’ in some direction,” bob your head to Jerry Garcia’s signature guitar sound on this disco-dead classic.

13.

SATURDAY IN THE PARK – CHICAGO

A long Tuesday in the office can sometimes be a bit grueling, but this uplifting Chicago hit, filled with happy images and euphoric horns, can make every Tuesday feel like “the fourth of July.” Creating the newspaper every week is all about staying positive and energized, and this song is perfect for just that.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS

Carmel Barsh: Reviving Creative Content Through CUTV

At a school of high achievers, it’s impressive when someone manages to stand out as a particularly strong and effective leader. Carmel Barsh, a senior from Summit, New Jersey, is known as much for her warm and vibrant personality as she is for her work to restart and revolutionize Colgate University TV (CUTV), which had been defunct until this year.

Almost a half-century ago, CUTV was more focused on video journalism, but it had been inactive for the past decade. Barsh, a geography concentrator, took over CUTV and revamped it into an organized and active group that regularly produces online content, making everything from documentaries to Instagram videos.

“Today, because of the way that we consume media, with Tik Tok and more short-form videos, we’ve tried to adapt [CUTV] to that, while still keeping the whole vibe of it being very Colgate-centric and informative,” Barsh explained.

Barsh has spent the past year focusing on CUTV with dedication and ingenuity. To make CUTV successful, she has become something of a production hyphenate. Barsh is the CUTV Executive Producer, but she has worked with editing, brainstorming, inter-group communication and content creation as well.

“I had to learn how to edit, so I had to learn how to use

[Adobe] Premiere, because we didn’t really have a lot of editors. [We also focused on] the recruiting process, we had to set up a table at the club fair, at the beginning of the semester,” Barsh said. “We got funding for some equipment successfully, which was really awesome.”

Barsh made sure to share credit with her team and with senior Sebastian Coco, the one who got her involved with CUTV. The summer before the 2021 school year, Coco began the CUTV revamp by emailing people he thought would be interested. Barsh’s friend was on the email and passed her the information, and the rest was history.

Once Coco handed off the reins, Barsh hit the ground running. To establish a campus foothold, she reached out to other clubs and groups and began collaborating with them on projects.

“At first, it was a matter of just getting content off the ground and gaining some traction, and we drew from a lot of existing clubs and organizations on campus, like the 13 Degrees Magazine and their social media presence,” Barsh said.

Barsh takes her duty to the Colgate community seriously. She decentralized CUTV, transforming it from a group focused only on internal projects to one that combines original work with campus involvement. Under her leadership, CUTV has worked on a documentary with Colgate 13, the 13 Objects series with

13 Degrees Magazine and music videos, amongst other projects.

“If there are clubs and organizations who feel like they don’t have as much of a spotlight [...] we are one of a few resources that can be utilized to spread their message,” Barsh said.

“[I want people to see CUTV] as an approachable organization that wants to help other people spread their stories [...] We’re open to ideas from all the students on campus, and are willing to talk with them and create something that’s actually plausible, and that’s what we’re here for,” Barsh added.

The community within CUTV is important to Barsh as well. She brought her friends with her when she joined CUTV, and she has made connections with new recruits that go beyond CUTV work.

“It’s a lot of fun [working with your friends], and it’s a lot of very like creative-minded, motivated people who are all equally driven to not only have the idea but get the idea done, and put it into action, which has been really awesome,” Barsh said. “I think one of the benefits of doing it with my friends too is that we will not only have the ideas but we’ll be like ‘ok, let’s just go do it.’”

Barsh enjoys problemsolving and has invested time and energy into making CUTV a more effective and professional organization.

“In the process of [making a video series], it was really cool to be like ‘ok, this didn’t work last

time, so we’re gonna try to do this to make it go a little quicker and make it a little more efficient,’” Barsh explained.

Barsh wants CUTV to be her legacy at Colgate, and her goal has been to enable the group to continue the work she started.

“I think a lot of the work that I’ve been doing has been to set up CUTV to be sustainable and last and I’ve been talking a lot to leadership for next year and giving them ideas for how to recruit and maintain members, so creating a bond [...] That’s my biggest hope. Everything that I’ve done has been with the hopes of creating a sustainable environment for the club to keep going,” Barsh said.

As for what comes next? Barsh sees a career in producing in her future and wants to build off her CUTV experience.

“I am hoping to go into this business after graduation, so it’s been really cool to flex the muscles of producing and I really love coordinating with all these different people and bringing all the different pieces together [...] I just love the beginning to end, I love the entire thing, it’s a lot of fun,” Barsh said. And CUTV?

“It can only get better,” Barsh said with a smile.

Contact LJ Coady at ecoady@colgate.edu.

Drew Tompkins: Rebuilding WRCU after COVID-19

be,” Tompkins said. “There are a lot of great people in the station and I wanted to be like them. I saw people that I thought were working really hard, which I thought was kind of interesting. I fell into the role of caring about the station and wanting to make it the best it could be.”

For many Colgate University students, it can be difficult to find a place where they can express themselves. Senior and chemistry concentrator Drew Tompkins, however, lucked out and found his calling at WRCU FM 90.1, Colgate’s radio station. When he was a firstyear, Tompkins intended to go on

the most popular pre-orientation program among incoming first-years, Outdoor Education’s Wilderness Adventure but switched last minute to WRCU.

When asked what made him stick with WRCU beyond pre-orientation, Tompkins described the people involved with the radio station as a primary factor.

“I love music, and I cared about the station; it was a good place to

Since pre-orientation, Tompkins has worked with WRCU for the entirety of his time as a Colgate student. Leading multiple radio shows, serving as General Manager for the 2022 calendar year, and prior to that as Music Director, Tompkins has taken on many roles within WRCU. Now, to finish out his final semester, Tompkins advises the board and runs his current concept radio show, Core.

However, Tompkins’ experience at WRCU was not always smooth sailing. As was the case with many other extracurriculars on campus, COVID-19 debilitated WRCU.

“The end result was that they truncated the schedule down from 14 hours to 10,” Tompkins said. “Then people continued to drop out

of their shows mid-semester and so [the schedule] was kind of empty. We also weren’t allowed into the station, which was obviously a very, very big part of our lives. It was also all remote broadcasting which was not great. Everyone recorded on their laptops, which made co-hosting [shows] a little difficult.”

Emerging from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tompkins played an instrumental role in building the radio station back up to what it once was.

“I think Colgate had kind of forgotten that WRCU exists, so we’re trying to make them remember,” Tompkins explained. “Radio in general has kind of fallen; it’s not the medium it was 30 years ago. So we’re just trying to get people interested again. We refilled the schedule for the first time in five or six years, so that’s been a huge thing and a whole board effort. We’re also trying to cultivate the community and WRCU. We now have 150-plus DJs.”

Another huge part of Tompkins’ experience leading WRCU has been

lightening up the atmosphere at the station and trying to provide a space to unite people interested in music and radio.

“Making DJing fun has been a priority, which ties into helping community building. There were some changes to training that I made because training used to be at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and it was very rigorous. We’ve been slowly progressing towards training that is still teaching the correct things but does a better job of emphasizing the fun parts about radio,” Tompkins said. “It can be hard to get people on the same page because not all DJs are interested in being a radio type of person, necessarily, but we try to get the people who are to have some fun and hang out together.”

To hear more from Tompkins, be sure to tune into his radio show, Core, which airs live at 3 p.m. every Friday.

Lucy Langan: Forging a Future by Creating Connections

from her work at Colgate’s Writing and Speaking Center. As a peer consultant since her junior year, Langan spends between eight and twelve hours per week working oneon-one with other students. While her tasks involve editing and providing suggestions for the papers and projects of her peers, Langan ultimately seeks to make the experience valuable for students in the long run by instilling lasting skills and bolstering her clients’ confidence in their writing abilities.

“I work on helping students strengthen their writing skills long-term, so not just editing papers, but also finding trends and patterns in their writing and talking about ways to improve those for going forward,” Langan said.

Teaching Assistant for IE University in Madrid, Spain. Langan expects her skills in effectively communicating constructive criticism and analyzing long texts honed through hours working at the Writing and Speaking Center to be crucial in her new and exciting position.

“I’ll work at an international university editing papers from different students who speak different languages […] People will be coming from all over and then writing their papers in English,” Langan explained. “It’ll be really cool to be able to do the same work I do here but [in] a more culturally diverse place.”

say, what to highlight about my life and my experiences, so that was really helpful,” Langan said.

In addition to her dedicated commitment to her work at the Writing and Speaking Center, Langan has been a member of Link Staff since she was a sophomore, helping orient incoming students to Colgate. In this capacity she has been a welcoming face for several classes of Colgate students, providing them with a familiar and comforting presence for not only the transition to college but also beyond.

Even though senior Lucy Langan grew up in nearby Cazenovia, NY, she never really felt connected to Colgate University – until she actually arrived on campus, that is. Throughout her four years in Hamilton, Langan has left an indelible mark on the University through the interpersonal connections she has developed with people from all over campus.

When Langan looks back at her college experience, she is most proud of her work in helping her peers and the connections that have resulted from this.

“I think the people I met made it worth it, for sure,” Langan said. “I feel like it’s the way that I’ve connected with most people and been able to support people on campus in the most real, on-the-ground way.”

One of Langan’s lasting impacts in this regard comes

While her clients certainly benefit from her work, Langan also reaps rewards from it. Many of the students she has worked with are not just clients anymore but have become genuine friends.

“It’s my favorite thing I do on campus; it’s really fun. I’ve met so many people through it,” Langan mused. “I feel like most of my random friendships on campus are from that. I have a lot of repeat clients who I love, so I’m going to be sad about leaving that.”

But leave she will, and not just Colgate, but the country. After Langan graduates, her next role will be as a Fulbright

While the Fulbright application process is notoriously difficult, Langan found that the connections she had with Colgate’s Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships (ONFS) provided her with invaluable support along the way. Langan initially had no intention of applying to be a Fulbright teaching assistant, until ONFS personnel introduced her to the program and personally encouraged her to apply.

After she made the decision to go for it, Langan worked with ONFS to repeatedly polish her resume, respond to a series of questions, prepare several essays and participate in extensive interviews.

“They were so supportive and had all the insights into what to

“I’m still very connected to my Linksters from all three years, so it’s really fun knowing 15 to 20 people in each class here and being able to kind of watch them progress. They’ll still come say ‘hi’ to me or come have lunch with me,” Langan said.

It is in this way that Langan leaves behind a tradition of connection, inspiring future generations of Colgate students to extend a hand and engage with each other the way she did.

“I feel like that’s how I’ve impacted the school the most,” Langan said. “I think the stuff that I’ve done that has let me reach the most people is what I’m most proud of, and [what] I feel like I’ve left the most legacy surrounding.”

Creating an Impact Through Writing with Cat Muñoz

Senior Cat Muñoz is an English concentrator and writing and rhetoric minor who has spent much of her time outside of the classroom being a resource for others within the Writing and Speaking Center and the Office of Admission.

“Basically, what I do at the Writing Center is mainly building people’s confidence in their own writing just because I know it can be difficult to even think that you are capable of writing something that meets academic standards,” Muñoz said. “I would say there’s not much time spent looking at grammar or, like, if a comma is in the right place, it’s just making the client feel confident when they leave the center to say their own ideas and trust that it’s something important and valuable to add to the conversation.”

This has been a way for Muñoz to give back to the community and share the information she wished she had known earlier.

“I think that [the Writing Center is] like a support system that’s needed sometimes

because I didn’t have anyone that was older than me that had a similar experience to me to tell me what things were normal or like give me little shortcuts,” Muñoz explained. “I also get students that come in with comments from professors from specific papers that have been written and it’s a lot of having to reassure them that this is fine, and everyone gets these, so it’s like a lot of normalizing [improvement] and seeing it as growth; not necessarily as a step back.”

Muñoz also thinks that working in both the Office of Admission and the Writing and Speaking Center helps mediate between the University and its students in a more honest way. Because we are all students, it helps to normalize different experiences and give space for everyone to come in to learn and ask questions without feeling constrained by different power dynamics.

“I really just wanted to work in [the Office of Admission] to help incoming students and even the Colgate in Focus group to just make it an experience that was easier for other people to engage with. Even being at the desk feels good in being

able to make people more comfortable about asking a question. It’s not stupid, we all have questions,” Muñoz said. “And at the Writing and Speaking Center, the [client is just] a peer, so we can even be wrong and then the client can even tell us some things, but I just think it’s a hidden gem because it’s truly collaborative.”

As she prepares to leave campus, Muñoz hopes to see these resources advertised more during a Colgate student’s first year to ensure that they are more easily accessible.

“Last semester there was a [first time] event […] where [I was asked] to go talk to OUS firstyears inside Case [Geyer Library], and I just told them what the Center was like and what the process was like because none of them [knew] what appointments would look like. They had this idea that you had to come in a full paper draft, which is not the case,” Muñoz said. “They didn’t think that coming to the Center could be like just bringing in a prompt and asking somebody to help figure out how to move forward.”

However, both of these positions have also been rewarding experiences that have helped Muñoz reflect on

her own personal growth.

“I think I’ve mainly learned […] that you can always get better at everything. You’re only good if you think you’re good because then you’re putting in more effort. I also think […] that the beauty that you see in other people exists in yourself. If there’s ever a writer that I think is really

good or something, [I think] like, ‘wow, maybe I’m doing this too,’ so it’s that reciprocal feeling [that] when you help other people, you help yourself because you are seeing a mirror to yourself,” Muñoz said.

Legendary Men’s Ice Hockey Coach Don Vaughan Retires After 30 Years

Don Vaughan, longtime Colgate University men’s hockey coach, announced on Tuesday, April 18 that he is leaving the bench and retiring after a storied 30-year tenure. Vaughan is the third longest-tenured Division I hockey coach and leaves Colgate as its winningest coach in Raider history. He boasts six 20-win seasons, four NCAA tournament berths and two ECAC Coach of the Year honors.

Junior forward Ross Mitton described the special, inspiring atmosphere that Vaughan created on and off the ice.

“At the beginning of the year, the two biggest words that Coach Vaughan emphasized were trust and believe. A key to our success was trusting the guy next to you and trusting the systems that the coaches lay out for us. Also, we needed to believe that we are capable of being a championship team which is a critical reason as to why we had the success we did,” Mitton said. “Many people around the world doubted us but we believed in

ourselves. It brought us really close together as a group. It is definitely one of the closest teams I have ever been on in my career. We’re one big family that will last a lifetime.”

In his final season as head coach, Vaughan helmed an unforgettable run to this year’s NCAA tournament, leading Colgate to its first ECAC Men’s Hockey Championship since 1990. Colgate outlasted eventual national champion Quinnipiac — which ranked second in the country — by a double overtime score of 2-1 in the semifinals. The team then held onto an early lead against sixth-seed Harvard in the championship, winning Vaughan a tournament title in what was soon announced to be his final season. The Raiders fell to Michigan in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament.

“It has been a privilege for me to have served as head coach of the Colgate men’s hockey program for 30 years,” Vaughan told Colgate Athletics. “It is hard to believe that so many years have passed since Colgate Athletic

Director Mark Murphy gave a young assistant coach this opportunity in 1992.”

Vaughan humbly continued, celebrating his colleagues and thanking them for their assistance in his lengthy career.

“In all of these years, I never once looked at Colgate Hockey as my program. I was simply the mantle holder and have had so much help along the way,” Vaughan said. “I am very fortunate to have worked alongside many wonderful and talented administrators, assistant coaches, staff, and colleagues. Thank you to our alumni and Silver Puck Members, as well as Silver Puck President Jerry Quill ‘60. Your support over many years has always amazed me.”

Vaughan coached his way to 27 appearances in the ECAC Hockey Tournament. His players have become 56 All-ECAC Hockey honorees, 36 NHL draftees, 14 NHL alums, 12 Perfect Academic Progress Rate score winners, seven All-Americans, five Hobey Baker Award finalists, two ECAC Players of the Year, one NHL All-Star and a NHL

Stanley Cup Winner. During the 2017-18 season, Vaughan achieved his 400th career win at Colgate, becoming only the 24th Division I hockey coach to reach 400 wins. In the preceding year, the program had won its 1,000th game. Certainly, Coach Vaughan has many accolades to be proud of through his 30 year career. Perhaps more important than those accolades, though, are the bonds Vaughan was able to foster with his players.

“I had a great relationship with Coach Vaughn, as did many others on the team,” junior forward Alex Young said. “He was someone that was always able to provide advice and wisdom when it was needed. But it was away from the ice where the players were able to really connect with him, as we would talk about music, sport and hear stories about his fantastic career.”

Vaughn, a collegiate hockey player himself for St. Lawrence University in the 1980s, understood the importance of establishing a welcome and open locker room. Another impressive achievement for

Vaughan was the creation of an endowed position in his name. In November 2007, Colgate announced the establishment of the Donald F. Vaughan Endowed Coaching Chair for Men’s Ice Hockey. Vaughan became the only active coach in Division I Men’s Hockey to have an endowment in his name at the time.

Colgate said it will immediately begin a nationwide search for its next head coach, noting that the athletic department will not be limited to inside hires.

The program may be without its longtime leader as it attempts to defend its ECAC crown, but expectations will still be high, with Vaughan setting the standard for success over the past three decades. The players will certainly keep the impact and expectations of Vaughan with them as they look forward to the program’s next chapter.

Congratulations to Coach Vaughan on a successful career and a well-earned retirement.

2023 NFL Draft: Who Won and Who Lost?

This past weekend, the stage was set for college football players to learn where they will be playing in the NFL. The NFL Draft took place over three straight action-packed days of teams adding key pieces to their rosters, either aiming for present or future success in the form of a rebuild. Most importantly, the draft is a time when dreams come true for the athletes who have been selected.

The Carolina Panthers had the first overall pick in this year’s draft via a trade with the Chicago Bears, who were the worst team in the NFL last season. With the first pick, the Panthers selected University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. The Panthers desperately needed help at the quarterback position, and they’re hoping an impressive player like Young will finally bring some stability. After the failed experiments of Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, drafting Young will hopefully be a new and a better beginning for the Panthers, as the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner’s statistics were nothing short of impressive, throwing for over 3,000 passing yards in 2022 and over 4,000 passing yards in 2021, taking The Tide to a national championship during his tenure.

The next two picks in the draft were made by the Houston Texans. They had the second pick by virtue

of a second-worst record and traded up for the third pick in the middle of the draft. Houston is looking to end its streak as the NFL’s laughing stock – they have been far from competitive in the past two seasons, and they have fired two coaches over the same span. The second overall pick was Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, who had the potential to be first overall. Like Carolina, the Texans needed a quarterback badly, and they got someone who was nothing short of a standout while with the Buckeyes. Stroud finished third in the Heisman race this year, following an 11-1 record in the regular season and a College Football Playoff (CFP) appearance. For the third pick, which was acquired in a pick swap trade with the Cardinals, the Texans took University of Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. Anderson in his time at Alabama registered over 100 tackles and will be a fantastic defensive addition to the Houston Texans.

With the fourth overall selection, the Indianapolis Colts selected University of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, an outsatnding athlete for the quarterback position. While playing for the Gators, Richardson threw for over 2,500 passing yards and 17 touchdown passes last season. He will be a great addition to the Colts, who have still been looking for their future quarterback following the retirement of the great Andrew Luck in 2019.

Next, the Seattle Seahawks selected Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall

pick. This selection was the result of the Russell Wilson trade with Denver – Seattle got the fifth overall pick and the opportunity to add to the roster that made a surprise return to the playoffs behind the play of QB Geno Smith. Drafting Witherspoon will hopefully be a good addition to the defense as Seattle looks to improve upon their defense since last year when they surrendered more than 20 points in 13 of 17 regular season games.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

The defending NFC champions have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL coming off of a Super Bowl appearance, and they only improved further during the draft. It was not just the picks that made them a winner, but how they used their draft stock to land stellar running back D’Andre Swift in a trade with Detroit. The Philadelphia native and Georgia Bulldogs alum had himself a decent season in 2022, running for over 500 yards and scoring five touchdowns. If Swift can stay healthier in 2023, these numbers will look even better. Other players that the Eagles selected were defensive lineman Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith, two key defensive components from the championship-winning Bulldogs. They also selected Alabama tackle Tyler Steen in the third round,

CAROLINA PANTHERS

which will be a big help for the offensive line. It is hard not to be a winner when you have the number one overall selection. Bryce Young will be a great addition to the Panthers, and hopefully, greener pastures are ahead in Carolina if their quarterback problems can finally be solved. In addition to Young, the Panthers drafted solid players such as Jonathan Mingo, a wideout from Ole Miss, as well as offensive lineman Chandler Zava from North Carolina State.

Carolina now has a quarterback and a team to build around and will provide a set foundation for the future.

NEW YORK JETS

Big news came before the draft when the Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers – a trade which included a pick swap in the first round amongst other draft picks – from the Green Bay Packers. As a result, the Jets forfeited draft capital while the Packers, on the other hand, used their picks to draft around their new starter at quarterback Jordan Love. I also think the Jets missed out on one of the most talented

receivers in the first round, Jaxon Smith-Njigba from Ohio State University, who could have assisted Rodgers. There are still a lot of question marks about what an older Aaron Rodgers can bring to the table, and they were not able to assist him much in the draft.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

The 49ers started the draft without a first or second-round pick as a result of a trade with Miami for a pick that resulted in the drafting of quarterback Trey Lance, as well as a trade with Carolina for running back Christian McCaffrey. With the picks they did have in this year’s draft, they selected All-American kicker Jake Moody in the third round –a questionable choice. Also, going into training camp, the 49ers have a quarterback battle between Trey Lance, who is coming back from injury, and “Mr. Irrelevant,” also known as Brock Purdy, who took the Niners to the NFC Championship last year. The lack of draft picks was the result of trading for Lance, so this coming preseason will be the deciding factor on whether that trade was worthwhile for San Francisco.

Dillon Brooks’ Villain Act Shows Harsh Realities of NBA

forward LeBron James, one of the best players of all time, leading up to their first-round playoff matchup. Losing their matchup in six games, Brooks proved that a villain needs to be good, or at least useful, to be an impactful villain.

a fourth-quarter three-pointer. Brooks followed up this performance with an ejection in Game Five after hitting James in the groin.

Like all good stories, sports must have their villains. Fans want someone to root against, no matter what team they support. In baseball, the New York Yankees have historically taken that role as the “Evil Empire,” while the Houston Astros have also taken some of the heat because of their recent cheating scandal. In football, the New England Patriots get a lot of flack for their recent success under head coach Bill Belichick.

Yet, The National Basketball Association (NBA) always has multiple villains running around the league. In the past, the NBA has seen entire teams take on the villain persona, from the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons of the 1980s to the New York Knicks of the 1990s.

Now, in the era of player empowerment, individual players have tried to take on entire teams, their fans and the league all at once. Recently, Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks decided to antagonize Los Angeles Lakers

Brooks’s decision to antagonize James and the ensuing feud that took place became a focal point of the series. After a Game Two win over the Lakers, Brooks told ESPN, “I don’t care -- he’s old. You know what I mean? I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that game four, game five. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears. I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40.” In that game, Brooks had 12 points on 5-of-14 from the field, while foul trouble limited him to 23 minutes of play. While offense is not his strong suit, Brooks’s reputation as an elite wing defender motivated him to go at James, who finished the game with 28 points. James and Brooks argued frequently during the victory, with Brooks even yelling in James’ face following

Brooks finished the series averaging 10.5 points per game and 0.2 steals per game while shooting 31.2 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from three. Brooks finished the series with a plus-minus (the difference between their team’s total scoring and that of their opponent when that player is on the court) of -44. Brooks was an extremely harmful player to the Grizzlies, and getting on the nerves of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer only made that worse. By antagonizing James, Brooks ended up antagonizing Lakers fans, NBA fans and Grizzlies fans by the end of the series. His reluctance to speak to the media following his failed villain run resulted in a $25 thousand dollar fine from the NBA.

Brooks is not the first villain the NBA has ever seen, and he certainly won’t be the last. However, to be an impactful villain, you need to be successful on the court. Recent NBA history has seen former Pacers guard Lance Stephenson and

Warriors forward Draymond Green play the villain in certain rivalries. Stephenson, a member of the Paul George-led Pacers of the 2010s, was not the best player on the team but was still making an impact on the court. Green is the defensive captain of a Warriors dynasty and it has allowed his villainous behavior to evolve. During his seven-game series win against the Sacramento Kings, Green took to his podcast to defend his honor after receiving a onegame suspension, then another podcast episode to roast Kings center Domantas Sabonis at the end of the series. Both Stephenson and Green had success with their teams in some form, and their villainous behavior was celebrated by both their teams, the fans, and the rest of the league. Brooks’s act was so detrimental to the Grizzlies that, according to The Athletic,  he has already been informed that he will not be on the Grizzlies next season. If you can’t talk the talk, you shouldn’t walk the walk, and Brooks learned that the hard way.

Premier League Clubs Battle to Move Up the Table

The English Premier League, the major professional soccer league in England, is wrapping up its season this month as teams compete to stay in the league and avoid relegation, fight for the chance to play in European soccer tournaments or battle to be crowned champions of the entire league. For the casual sports fan, English soccer might not be the most popular. Yet in lieu of Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso” and the continued growing popularity of soccer in the United States, this article will provide an update on the world’s most competitive domestic soccer league.

The Premier League, as it stands, is structured in such a way that the bottom three teams in the league get demoted to a lower league, while the three best teams in that same lower league get promoted to the upper league. This unique system of demotions and promotions allows Premier League followers to not only enjoy watching teams fight to lift the league trophy but also to watch teams scrap together points to stay in the league itself.

Now to the actual teams and what to look for: first, the race to be champion has come close to being decided, with both Manchester City and Arsenal attempting to be crowned. Manchester City leads Arsenal by one win in the standings and has six games left to play in the season to Arsenal’s five. Manchester City has a relatively firm grasp on the title, but with games to play, there is always a chance for a slip and for the team to lose points. Manchester City fans shouldn’t be too worried, however, as they have the impressive 6’4” Norwegian monster Erling Haaland as their striker. Haaland in his first season broke the singleseason goal record for any player in the Premier League, beating out past record holders such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luiz Suarez. Arsenal led the league for the better part of the season and looked to be the

guaranteed champions, but they have dropped points in the past few weeks due to untimely ties and losses. Now, they have let the Manchester City squad, coached by strategy guru Pep Guardiola, close the deficit. Arsenal fans should not fret, however, as their current roster is both competent and exciting with young players like Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Ødegaard. Additionally, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta used to coach under Guardiola and has developed into quite the strategist himself.

In the Premier League, the top four teams are given the opportunity to play in the Champions League, which can be summed up as an international tournament where the top teams from across the European continent compete. As both Manchester City and Arsenal have significantly more points than the teams ranked third through sixth, one sees a battle between Newcastle United, Manchester United, Liverpool and the Tottenham Hotspurs begin to unfold for the last remaining tickets to Champions League soccer. Although the gap is eleven points from Newcastle (third) to Tottenham (sixth), there

RECAPPING THE GOLDEN ‘GATES

On Monday, May 1st, Colgate Athletics hosted the 16th annual Golden ‘Gates on Cotterell Court. During an action-packed night, nine awards were handed out to student-athletes and faculty members for their successful 2022-2023 seasons, leadership and scholarship.

is certainly still a race to secure Champions League qualification. Newcastle United have shocked the world with their incredible season this year, as they made minor improvements to their team and yet have the fewest goals allowed in the entire league, in small part to goalkeeper Nick Pope. Manchester United (fourth) has seen good form as of late, with a rejuvenated Marcus Rashford scoring prolifically since the World Cup, as well as a midfield being heavily anchored by Carlos Casemiro. However, their unpredictability comes and goes against teams across the board. Liverpool (fifth) has had a rocky season, to say the least, with multiple injuries and relatively poor play. The second-place team of last year has been struggling greatly this year, but they have a lightning-fast attack with the newly-signed Cody Gakpo paired with Mohamed Salah. Finally, in the European soccer race, we see the Tottenham Hotspurs (sixth) struggling the most to find form in this last push. The team has had three different managers since February 11 and has seen some of

the poorest performances in recent memory occurring weekly.

With the season coming to an end, you will find all of these teams attempting to gain as many points as possible and surpass one another to play Champions League soccer. The Premier League has twenty teams in the league, but for simplicity’s sake, the teams ranked seventh through fifteenth are all going to stay in the Premier League, even though they don’t have any serious chance of playing European soccer. Chelsea, a team that many will know, has had an all-time disappointing season, even after having spent over $200 million on players over the past summer and winter, as they currently sit in 12th place in the league.

The exciting part of the Premier League, as mentioned earlier, is the demotion and promotion aspect, and thus there is the battle for not finishing in the bottom three positions. The teams ranked 16th to 19th are separated by only one point, and so the fight to stay in is fierce.

2016 Premier League Champions Leicester City sit in 16th and attempt to rely on their best striker, Jamie Vardy, to lead them out of relegation.

Leeds United, or “America’s Team,” sits 17th in the league and remains out of relegation for the time being. With American internationals Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams, many state-side viewers root for Leeds, and with the World Cup always in the future, many hope to see these players remain in the most competitive soccer league in the world and see them continue to improve. Nottingham Forest (18th) saw promotion from the lower league last year and hopes to hold on to another year in the Premier League, with their superstar goalie Keylor Navas between the posts. Everton (19th) attempts to stay in the Premier League for another year as they just barely stayed in from last. The team has gone through many reworks and forms yet just hasn’t seemed to hold it together for enough games this year.

The Premier League never ceases to be unpredictable, so stay on the watch for new stories and moves in the standings!