Campus Champion

Student-athlete Sydney Smith began running as young girl and was an accomplished athlete throughout high school, so the opportunity to run for the Red Dragons and earn an exercise science degree made Cortland the right fit. Sydney was third team All-SUNYAC in cross country last fall but she’s also had her share of injuries. She aspires to help others return to physical wellness after a setback. To help pay for college and find a focus for her future, a year ago Sydney enlisted in the Army National Guard. She spent January through June in Missouri at basic training. Now, Private First Class Sydney Smith serves her country, her team and her university.

The COVID-19 pandemic has grounded study abroad for SUNY Cortland students for the Fall 2020 semester. But the university’s International Programs Office is still finding ways to offer valuable experiences to students.

“We are still trying to give students those valuable intercultural exchanges,” said Mary Schlarb, who has managed the office, among the oldest and largest programs in the SUNY system, for more than 10 years.

Each fall semester, anywhere from 60 to 130 students study abroad. But this fall no one from the university will travel outside U.S. borders. With COVID-19 still spreading and many countries closing their borders to viral hotspots including America, travel outside the U.S. is not possible.

Still, this is not stopping Schlarb and other SUNY Cortland faculty members from placing students in positions to receive valuable cultural experiences.

Like so many other aspects of SUNY Cortland life today, study abroad programs are going virtual for the time being. For example, two SUNY Cortland Health Department  faculty members, Barbara Barton and Sarah Beshers, have been closely involved in arranging Child Family Health International (CFHI) internships for students. CFHI internships allow students to be virtually involved in health-focused internships around the world.

The university’s students can also receive the study abroad experience by participating in SUNY’s Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program. This offering allows participants to visit countries around the globe to experience a variety of international perspectives right from their laptops.

For SUNY Cortland students looking to prepare to explore the globe next semester or sometime in the future, they can attend one of the many WebEx meetings hosted by International Programs. Offerings are posted on the Study Abroad Events Calendar. Individuals can review these and join the WebEx meeting of interest. The meetings range from general information about studying abroad to discussing specific upcoming trips. For example, this week the series explores programs in Ireland, Belize, the United Kingdom, India, Germany, Romania and China while other sessions discuss finding funding for study abroad, virtual exchange opportunities, education and student teaching in Australia, advice from returned students, and anti-racism in the context of study abroad.

Over the years, Schlarb has seen interest and participation with International Programs grow among students and faculty. Despite the pandemic, she still has high hopes for that to continue.

“I expect to see more students because it is more convenient,” Schlarb said. Additionally, these virtual International Programs offerings are much less expensive than the typical study abroad experience.

Although these electives are different than the norm, she encourages student participation.

“The biggest opportunity for growth comes when you step out of you comfort zone,” said Schlarb. “Take a step out and you won’t regret it.”

For more information, please contact studyabroad@cortland.edu or call the International Programs Office at 607-753-2209.

Prepared by Communications Office intern Nicholas Boyer

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras met with SUNY Cortland leadership on campus Sunday and endorsed the university’s plan to ramp up surveillance testing for the COVID virus and strengthen measures to stop its spread, including a temporary halt to all in-person activities by intercollegiate athletic teams, sports clubs and Greek organizations.  

SUNY Cortland will begin pooled surveillance testing on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the Park Center Alumni Ice Arena, with a goal of testing 1,000 students each week. These tests, made possible by a newly developed saliva diagnostic test and increased processing capacity at SUNY Upstate Medical University, will be mandatory for all students. They are in addition to the testing already being done by Student Health Services of students who exhibit symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has the virus.

Students selected for the first round will receive notice of their scheduled appointment via email tonight or Tuesday morning. Students selected for the second round, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18, will receive appointment notices on Thursday.

Due to the critical nature of this endeavor, all faculty are asked to work with students to make up any work missed due to a potential conflict with class times. Faculty and staff who have volunteered for testing will also receive appointments and should make alternative class arrangements if there is a conflict.

Chancellor Malatras also approved SUNY Cortland’s plan to double the frequency of wastewater testing for the virus from once a week to twice weekly. Results from samples taken from seven locations on campus will help SUNY Cortland target its surveillance testing more effectively. For this to be effective, it is critically important that all students abide by the policy prohibiting anyone from entering a residence hall who does not live there.

“I want to thank SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum for continuing to build on Cortland’s comprehensive, evidence-based COVID-19 mitigation and response plan,” Chancellor Malatras said. “Increased testing frequency done in tandem with strict, consistent enforcement and data-driven decision making is the right, three-pronged strategy for keeping cases down and campuses open.”

In light of a recent cases involving members of Greek organizations and athletic teams, SUNY Cortland is extending last week’s announced prohibition of in-person Greek and athletic activities until further notice.  The measure is also being widened to include all sororities and fraternities and all SUNY Cortland sport clubs. Those groups are now temporarily prohibited from holding in-person activities, either on-campus or off-campus, until further notice. This is not a disciplinary action, but a public safety measure required to protect our community. These prohibitions, recommended by the chancellor, will be re-evaluated weekly based on analysis of surveillance testing.

SUNY Cortland currently has 45 current positive cases of COVID-19, all of who are in isolation, either at home, in their off-campus apartment or in campus quarantine/isolation housing. Members of the SUNY Cortland community should be aware that if that number rises to 100, a series of more drastic measures will be taken, including the immediate elimination of in-person classes and a shift to distance learning.

Updated SUNY Cortland information on positive COVID tests is available on our COVID-19 Dashboard.

Although students on-campus appear to be doing a commendable job social distancing, wearing face coverings and avoiding large groups, we continue to receive reports of potentially dangerous student behavior off campus. Students should be aware that we are enhancing enforcement of gathering size restrictions both on and off-campus. Violators, those who host or attend unsafe gatherings, will face student conduct sanctions that could include automatic suspension, loss of athletic eligibility or loss of a Greek organization’s campus recognition.  SUNY Cortland has already suspended students for serious or repeated violations of the university’s COVID-19 safety policies, and will continue to do so. 

“The vast majority of our students understand the seriousness of this situation and the potential life-threatening impact of the disease,” President Bitterbaum said. “But, as we have unfortunately seen, it only takes a single act of carelessness or willful disregard to impact the lives of many people.”

SUNY Cortland students are encouraged to join a system-wide social media challenge to spread the word about the importance of wearing face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras has launched the “Mask Up or Pack Up” campaign to promote compliance with evidence-based COVID-19 safety guidelines across SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities.

Students are being urged to submit creative videos that ask their classmates to act responsibly and vigilantly to contain the virus and keep SUNY campuses like Cortland safe and open.

“‘Mask Up or Pack Up’ gives our students a platform to send powerful, persuasive messages to their classmates that encourage them to rise to the challenge and comply with proven COVID-19 safety measures,” said Chancellor Malatras. 

“Over a few short weeks, I’ve met with hundreds of students across more than a dozen campuses, all of whom are acting responsibly so they can stay on campus and learn,” he said. “This campaign will harness their talent, creativity, and frustration with the small fraction of students who jeopardize entire college communities. We need universal compliance and uncompromising vigilance from everyone to keep campuses open — and we are proud of students who are determined to speak directly to their peers to help amplify that message.”

Topics to highlight in videos include the importance of face coverings, physical distancing, avoiding parties and large gatherings and complying with testing and tracing guidelines set forth by the university and the local health department. Submissions, which should be no longer than one minute in duration, ought to be passionate, creative and as powerful as possible.

SUNY will post “Mask Up or Pack Up” videos containing clips from students from across the entire system.

To submit your video, visit suny.edu/maskup.

Learn more about SUNY Cortland’s COVID-19 response at Cortland.edu/safe.

Media predictions about the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election feature two diametrically opposed impacts on America’s future and lopsided polling over who will win.

“Many predict a Democratic wave, but the shadow of 2016 haunts both the pundits and the Democrats,” said Robert J. Spitzer, a respected political scholar and professor at SUNY Cortland.

“As the country lurches toward election day, Nov. 3, no one should underestimate the ability of the Democratic Party to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory,” said Spitzer, who has appeared on national television news shows that include NBC’s “Today Show” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.

Spitzer, as in many past presidential campaigns, will weigh in on how the 2020 election might play out, on Thursday, Oct. 1, during the university's first fall 2020 Community Roundtable.

Spitzer, a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and a nationally recognized authority on subjects such as the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. presidency and the politics of gun control, will share his pre-recorded presentation for viewing at 9 a.m. on the university's SUNY Cortland Community Roundtables webpage at cortland.edu/roundtable. Or, the QR code at the bottom of this page can be scanned into a device to upload into the presentation.

His talk, which is sponsored by the SUNY Cortland President’s Office, kicks off the university’s 2020-21 Community Roundtable Series. This year, virtual presentations will replace the in-person seminars traditionally held in the Park Center Hall of Fame, because of health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The Community Roundtables are free and open to the public. After Spitzer’s presentation, the virtual attendees will be invited to share comments and ask questions, which should be submitted prior to the event on a Questions form. The number of and questions selected will be based upon time limitations and relevancy to the topic. 

Spitzer’s talk will assess key factors that will shape the outcome of the election as Donald Trump seeks a second term by examining the issues, candidates and party coalitions that will decide the outcome. 

“In an environment fraught with crises and unrest — a continuing viral pandemic, an economic crash, the Black Lives Matter movement, global warming, voter suppression and an incumbent president who seemingly precipitates crises and disorder — some feel that the very legitimacy of the American nation is at stake,” Spitzer said.

He has testified before Congress, participated in meetings at the White House and has had his work cited by federal courts. Spitzer is a regular panelist on “The Ivory Tower Half Hour,” WCNY-TV’s popular public affairs program which airs every Friday night.

HIs books include The Politics of Gun Control (1995; 4th ed. 2007), Politics and Constitutionalism (2000), Essentials of American Politics (co-authored, 2002; 2nd ed. 2006) and The Presidency and the Constitution (co-authored, 2005).

In addition to writing 15 books, including four on the presidency and five on gun control, Spitzer has written more than 600 scholarly articles, book chapters, reviews, papers and essays. He is series editor for the Book Series on American Constitutionalism published by SUNY Press and for the book series on Presidential Briefing Books for Transaction Publishers.

In the 1980s, Spitzer served as a member of the New York State Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. He was elevated to the rank of Distinguished Service Professor in 1997, received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship in 2003, SUNY Cortland’s Outstanding Achievement in Research Award in 2005 and 2010, and is a former president of the Presidency Research Group of the American Political Science Association.

The Community Roundtable series provides programs on diverse intellectual, regional and cultural topics of interest to College faculty, staff and community members. Additional details regarding future scheduled roundtables will be posted to the Community Roundtables webpage.

For more information about the roundtables, contact Special Events for the President at 607-753-5453 or message special.eventsoffice@cortland.edu or visit the Community Roundtables webpage.

SUNY Cortland’s Institute for Civic Engagement will offer two opportunities for members of the university community to participate in important conversations as part of Constitution Day.

The first, “Should Cortland County became a Second Amendment sanctuary county?” will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 4 to 5 p.m. on WebEx.

Three Cortland County towns, Cincinnatus, Solon and Truxton, have recently passed laws that prohibit town officials from enforcing state laws that limit the acquisition or use of personal firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition. This panel discussion will localize interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, particularly the Second Amendment and issues of gun control and the right to bear arms.

The panelists are Stephen A. Furlin, Solon town supervisor, Ann L. Homer, Cortland County legislator and Robert Spitzer, distinguished service professor in SUNY Cortland’s Political Science Department and one of the nation’s foremost experts on gun control.

A 20-minute question-and-answer period will follow the first 40 minutes of discussion.

To register, please contact John Suarez, director of the Institute for Civic Engagement.

The second event is a SUNY-wide deliberative dialogue that will explore the future of voting. “Constitution Day: Deliberation on Voting in the United States,” will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17 via Zoom.

Register online through SUNY’s Center for Professional Development.

Constitution Day is recognized annually on Sept. 17, the day in 1787 on which delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia, Pa.

SUNY Cortland’s Garden Advisory Committee is dedicated to creating and maintaining a garden on campus, located between Van Hoesen Hall and Memorial Library.

Over the summer, these nine planter boxes were cultivated by a few campus gardeners who maintained an educational tool for the campus community to raise awareness about sustainability.

Sarah Beshers, associate professor in the Health Department and chair of the Garden Advisory Committee, managed the committee’s work this summer. She gushed over how proud and how much of a success this turned out to be in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

“It’s nice because it’s visual, it’s hands-on and it engages people of the campus community, particularly during a pandemic,” Beshers said. “It was one of the few bright spots to see the summer gardeners get to work and be satisfied with themselves and their work in a positive way.”

Summer gardener Karen Diescher, a teacher in the Child Care Center on campus, usually gardens with the children. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, Diescher and the children have not been able to garden since college students have returned to campus.

Committee member Tana Armitstead, supervisor of catering services of the Bistro for Cortland Auxiliary, kept herself busy as she was in charge of three garden plots this summer. Garlic was the main vegetable grown, as were a variety of flowers.

In the past, vegetables grown from the garden were given to Cortland Auxiliary to use in the dining halls. However, with the facilities closed due to COVID-19, the produce couldn’t be used this way.

The pandemic did not have a major impact on the ability to maintain the garden and keep it flourishing.

The committee is grateful for the assistance of Josh McLaughlin, head grounds supervisor. He kept the soil in very good shape and helped with the hose, shed and supplied compost.

Practicing sustainable gardening gives hope to future generations at SUNY Cortland. 

“I think Cortland has to care about sustainability, as does everyone,” Beshers said. “Cortland does a lot more on sustainability. This is really just one small piece of a bigger picture of the work that the campus is doing around sustainability.”

SUNY Cortland will continue to go green with the help of its hardworking community, faculty, staff and students.

Prepared by Communications Office writing intern Christina Cargulia

John Cottone, dean of the School of Professional Studies, will be the 18th inductee into the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame.

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, Cottone will be recognized at a later date.

Cottone, a member of the SUNY Cortland faculty since 1985, was director of the SUNY Cortland Athletic Training Program for 23 years and has served on more than 30 committees, many of which address critical components of the university’s mission.

As Kinesiology Department chair, Cottone was responsible for training and preparing countless athletic trainers who now serve as members of NYSATA. He was a 2007 recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.

Before joining Cortland as an assistant professor of physical education and head athletic trainer, he began his professional career as an assistant professor of physical education and the athletic trainer at Castleton (Vt.) State College.

He was the 2001 recipient of the NYSATA Thomas J. Sheehan Sr. Award, the association’s highest honor recognizing individuals who possess character, commitment and achievement in the athletic training profession.

In 2008, alumni and staff of the Athletic Training Program endowed the John Cottone Athletic Training Scholarship in his name.

Cottone served as NYSATA president from 2008 to 2010 and reviewed manuscripts for Human Kinetics, a publishing company. He also has written articles on topics in training and presented papers at athletic conferences throughout the Northeast.

As dean of the School of Professional Studies since 2008, Cottone leads the school’s six academic departments.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Cottone grew up in West Babylon, N.Y. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Castleton State College, where he was a standout lacrosse player and an inductee into the Castleton State Athletic Hall of Fame. He earned a master’s degree in physical education and athletic training from Indiana State University and his doctorate in education from Syracuse University.

The NYSATA Hall of Fame, located in SUNY Cortland’s Park Center, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the profession of athletic training in New York state.

Prepared by Communications Office writing intern Shannon Imbornoni