Campus Champion

University Police Officer Danielle Salisbury designed official Pride Month patches that let campus police officers across New York state show support for the LGBTQ+ community throughout June. The patch project doubles as a fundraiser for the Point Foundation and you can read more about it online. Officer Salisbury also instructs students and staff on behalf of the Green Dot bystander intervention programs and she teaches self-defense for UPD’s Rape Aggression Defense sexual assault prevention training. Plus, she’s a certified New York Police Juvenile Officer, bringing to the department skills needed to assist with issues impacting young people on campus.

SUNY Cortland’s University Police Department officers take pride in their work year round.

During the month of June, however, they and law enforcement officers across SUNY are encouraged to don a newly created official rainbow patch to identify themselves as firm allies during LGBTQIA+ Pride Month.

Red Dragons have a special reason to boast about the creation of these embroidered uniform badges: SUNY Cortland University Police Department people made it happen.

Officer Danielle Salisbury came up with the idea for these official patches that let campus police officers show support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and other non-heterosexual campus community members, according to Cortland UPD Chief Mark DePaull.

“The (University Police) Commissioner has approved the New York State University Police Pride Patch to be worn on University Police uniforms state-wide,” DePaull said.

Mary Sullivan Ritayik ’97, New York State University Police Commissioner and a SUNY Cortland sociology graduate, explained, “It has been a past practice of the New York State University Police Department to show support for national organizations or campaigns by the wearing of a ‘themed uniform patch.

“This month, in conjunction with the Chancellor’s Office, a uniform shoulder patch in support of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month will be allowed to be displayed on the uniform, if the department so desires,” Ritayik said in a May 9 memo to university police chiefs.

Moreover, Salisbury has been collecting $5 from anyone who wants to purchase a patch with all proceeds going to Point Foundation, a 20-year-old organization that aims to empower promising lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential — despite the obstacles often put before them — to make a significant impact on society.

“It’s one of the largest nationwide nonprofits to benefit LGBTQ, college-aspiring youth, and offer mentorship in terms of their education and community service,” Salisbury said. “They also fund scholarships for aspiring LGBTQ youth.”

Salisbury said it all began as a mission in partnership with Officer Jennilee Valentin to foster greater ties between the UPD and the campus, Cortland and statewide LGBTQ+ community by attending conferences and gatherings of groups including SPECTRUM and the TransAction Conference on campus and the Cortland LGBTQ Center in the local community. SUNY Cortland’s resources for students and employees include: The Center for Gender and Intercultural Studies, Pride Club, SafeZone training and The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Committee.

“I absolutely love art and design, and I wondered if State University of New York has ever had a pride patch,” Salisbury said. “I contacted a few people, including my chief, who’s been here over 30 years, and I asked, ‘Has this ever been done?’ And every answer I got was ‘No, I don’t believe we’ve ever had one.’

“As bad as that can be, it’s good for us,” Salisbury said. “It’s progress. It’s something we can do. So I kind of took my idea and ran with it.”

Salisbury’s essential design was to preserve intact the SUNY University Police badge within a rainbow of colors. After close collaboration with the patch designing company, this was achieved exactly a year ago.

Salisbury ordered a shipment to campus even though she didn’t know if the state would approve of her idea.

“I really wanted to do the patch,” Salisbury said. “I still was motivated even if it was just for nothing more than local representation and to raise awareness and to raise some money for the Point Foundation.”

Her next task was working with Chief DePaull to pass the initiative up through the UPD chain of command to see if SUNY would adopt it for statewide use. 

“The chief has been 100 percent behind this initiative from the get-go,” Salisbury said. “He spoke to the commissioner of the university police, and took the patch to the State of New York Police Chief’s Conference.”

It probably helped that the commissioner is a Red Dragon, too.

As for Salisbury, she sent one of her own uniform shirts to a tailor to have the standard University Police patch replaced with the one she helped bring about.

“So I have a specific shirt with my pride patch and it will remain that way every year from now on for the month of June,” Salisbury said.

That’s a good thing for Salisbury. Because the orders have been flying in and she’s already running out of the first batch of 251 police pride patches. She’s ordering 251 more. The patches may be obtained from Salisbury and she will gladly arrange for shipping if necessary. 

More than 2 million people in the U.S. live with an incurable communication disorder known as aphasia, yet only 15% of the population has ever heard of the condition, according to a 2020 survey.

That’s why three graduate students and a faculty member in SUNY Cortland’s Communication Disorders and Sciences Department successfully petitioned the Cortland County Legislature to declare June to be Aphasia Awareness Month locally.

“People may assume that individuals with aphasia have a loss of intelligence, but that’s not the case,” said Eileen Gilroy, a lecturer who teaches the Language Disorders in Adults course to graduate students. “These individuals just lack the ability to communicate.”

Three students training to be speech-language pathologists — Erika Janny, Paige Knetchel and Min Ju Oh — attended the May 26 meeting of the Cortland County Legislature and spoke passionately about aphasia’s causes and the need for awareness. That led legislators to issue an official proclamation, which falls in line with the national recognition of the month.

“Our students spoke from the heart,” Gilroy said. “It was so impressive.”

A stroke is the most common cause of aphasia, which impairs the ability to speak and understand others. Other causes can include traumatic brain injuries, tumors, infections and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite not having a cure, aphasia can be treated with speech therapy.

In March, actor Bruce Willis announced his retirement due to aphasia, bringing more awareness to the condition.

In past years, graduate students in Gilroy’s classes have led several different community education projects related to aphasia. Their work brought them to hospitals, local events and even restaurants and banks to help develop menus and prompts that could make it easier for individuals with aphasia to place their food orders or perform banking transactions.

The three-student team that spoke to the legislature didn’t do it for academic credit.

“This wasn’t tied to a class requirement,” Gilroy said. “These students were passionate about something and they stepped up.”

During the second year of SUNY Cortland’s two-year master’s program, students work primarily off campus, with one semester in a school placement and one in a healthcare setting.

Gilroy said that community projects improve students’ abilities to translate their academic work into simpler terms. That, in turn, can help the public understand the life-changing work of speech-language pathologists and audiologists, whether it relates to aphasia or a different disorder.

“Our students and faculty are passionate about letting the world know that these individuals are out there and they’re part of our community,” Gilroy said. “They deserve a voice and they deserve to be heard.”

Two retired Homer (N.Y.) Central School District educators were honored by SUNY Cortland on May 4 for making Cortland County a better place to live and the university a more vibrant educational setting.

Richard “Chic” Cecconi ’74, M ’87, C.A.S. ’93 and Gail Terry VanPatten ’75 were honored, respectively, with SUNY Cortland’s 2020 and 2021 College Community Appreciation Awards, during an invitation-only dinner event at the Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House.

During 2020 and 2021, most in-person ceremonies on campus were postponed due to public safety concerns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. With these awards, the university moves forward in simultaneously hosting two recognition events for model Cortland County citizens.

Cecconi over his long career greatly expanded recreational opportunities for Cortland County youth while excelling as a science teacher at Homer Junior High School, before pivoting in retirement to go “all in” for his alma mater.

Likewise, VanPatten first made her mark as an educator in the Homer Central School District and then faithfully served the Hospice Foundation of Cortland County as well as the Cortland Regional Health Center and the university.

During the evening’s celebration, Erin Boylan, SUNY Cortland executive director of alumni engagement, offered remarks with SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum for Cecconi. Dr. William Hopkins, professor emeritus of psychology, offered remarks with Bitterbaum for VanPatten. Thomas Gallagher, chair of SUNY Cortland’s College Council, gave a welcome and co-presented the award with Bitterbaum.

The College-Community Appreciation Award is sponsored by the College Council. It was created in 1985 as a means of thanking persons who have assisted SUNY Cortland in a significant manner. Cecconi is the 36th citizen to receive the honor and VanPatten is the 37th. The most recent honoree, in 2019, was Katherine Emerich Compagni ’68, M ’74, executive committee member with the World Service Council of World YWCA and former board member of the Cortland College Foundation. View a complete list of past winners.

Richard “Chic” Cecconi ’74, M ’87, C.A.S. ’93

Even before the day he graduated from college, Cecconi began a long career of giving back to the greater Cortland community.

Cecconi, a retired Homer, N.Y., science teacher, began making his mark on generations of young minds in September 1974 at Homer Junior High School. In Spring 1974, while student teaching there, Cecconi volunteered to coach the fledgling Varsity Lacrosse B team, bringing that team up to school sponsorship level in two years. He coached the varsity lacrosse team from 1981 to 1984 in addition to coaching the junior varsity team from 1976 to 1980. He continued to coach at all levels the remainder of his years at Homer.

Cecconi launched his school’s Environmental Science Club in the mid-1970s and was recognized as the Conservation Teacher of the Year in 1977 by the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District. The club evolved into the Jr. High Science Club. Cecconi continued to co-advise the club for more than 25 years. He helped organize the Cortland Area Science Teachers Association.

Additionally, Cortland County Cooperative Extension hired Cecconi as one of five supervisors of the United States Youth Conservation Corps in the summers of 1974 and 1975. These youth crews constructed all the walking trails at Camp Owahta in Solon and built overnight sleeping dormitories for future campers. The second summer, the program shifted focus to Dwyer Memorial Park in Little York, where Cecconi’s crews helped build walking trails and renovate many park facilities.

From 1982 to 1986, as part-time recreation director for the Village of Homer, he managed the land purchase on Route 281 for Calale Field and then ran projects to develop the fields, fencing, parking lot, storage building and restroom facilities. He also helped establish the Greater Homer Youth Soccer League, which has grown tremendously over the years. From 1975 to 1999, he initiated and ran the Homer Summer Lacrosse League, which featured three age divisions, grades 3 to 6, 7 to 12 and post-high school.

For three years, from 1985 to 1987, Cecconi served his alma mater as an assistant varsity coach for SUNY Cortland’s lacrosse team.

He joined the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association’s Board of Directors in 2009, serving for 12 years on key committees and fulfilling multiple volunteer roles with the Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House. Cecconi is currently involved in the CLAX Legends Weekend, which since 2019 annually reunites lacrosse alumni and recognizes their contributions. He is a key organizer of the Draggin Draginz, the SUNY Cortland lacrosse games and gatherings suggested for the Class of 1989 and earlier grads. He also helped organize the Delta Kappa Beta (1925 to 1991) fraternity’s first and second reunions, in 2014 and in 2019.

Now an emeritus board member, he is always on hand when an event such as Senior Send-Off, Orientation or Alumni Reunion calls for a ready and cheerful alumni ambassador.

Cecconi was honored in 2019 by the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association as an Outstanding Alumni Volunteer.

“All of my volunteer work is considered ‘payback’ to Cortland State for all that it has given me: a successful teaching and coaching career, two post-bachelor’s degrees, meeting my wife (Christine Perry Cecconi ’74), establishing lifelong friendships, a sense of self-confidence and access to an overall high quality of life,” Cecconi said.

Chic and Christine have two children, Andrea and Nicholas, and two grandchildren.

Gail Terry VanPatten ’75

VanPatten of Cortland loves to volunteer her services to local community organizations and the university.

“Anything I can do, just let me know,” she offers to SUNY Cortland and Alumni Engagement officials.

VanPatten earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Cortland in elementary education.

She taught elementary school in the Homer (N.Y.) Central School District.

Currently serving as vice president of the Hospice Foundation of Cortland County Board of Directors, VanPatten has actively volunteered with the foundation for at least 15 years.

For years until the COVID-19 pandemic, she served visitors at the Cortland Regional Medical Center coffee shop as a volunteer.

She has participated in and helped run numerous events as a SUNY Cortland Alumni Association committee volunteer since 2010.

A founding member of the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association’s Cortland chapter, VanPatten continues to serve as a chapter committee member and also has served on an alumni regional committee.

A dedicated alumni ambassador, her beaming face and cheerful banter has set the mood for a seemingly endless list of academic and social special events: Commencement ceremonies, Senior Send-off, Transformations welcome table, Orientation and the annual Halloween Extravaganza at the Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House.

Because she lives nearby the Parks Alumni House, VanPatten also rolls up her sleeves and helps with more behind-the-scenes tasks like baking cookies for alumni events, trimming the rooms for the holidays or occasionally ensuring that guests there are well-treated when staff are away.

“I love talking to the kids,” VanPatten said of her many hours helping SUNY Cortland students navigate the college experience and emerge at Senior Send-off as new alumni.

To be perfectly honest, to VanPatten it’s all about having fun.

“Since I’m from Long Island, I love asking them where they are from,” VanPatten said. She often shares the “fun table” with former classmate Ann Devery Hotchkin ’75, a Rockland County native.

“Between the two of us, we compete to see who can get the most students who come from either place, and I usually win.”

VanPatten has two grown children, daughter Deb Pelowski and son Tracy Wright; and four grandchildren and two great-grandsons.

SUNY Cortland and Tompkins Cortland Community College are hosting Cortland County’s second annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 18 at Courthouse Park on Church Street in downtown Cortland.

The Cortland County Community of Color (C4) network, a collaborative initiative between the two SUNY campuses, will host the official recognition of Black American emancipation from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event will feature speakers, family friendly vendors, food samples and music.

Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, when Texas was finally forced to recognize the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, freeing the last enslaved African Americans in the country. Last year, Juneteenth became a federal holiday.

“In history there are certain dates that represent historically important shifts in society that all must pause to recognize,” said Cyrenius Weagba Fitzjohn, SUNY Cortland’s assistant chief diversity officer. “This day is celebrated in black communities across the country as a day of hope, remembrance and motivation to continue moving forward and make the most of the freedom and opportunities afforded them.

“Seeing the support of this day from other community members shows Black Americans that they no longer need to struggle for equity alone. This is why C4 hopes to continue expanding its Juneteenth celebration in Cortland to demonstrate the community support and care for black lives in our county.”

Keynote speaker for the June 18 event will be the Rev. Phil Turner, pastor at Bethany Baptist Church in Syracuse. Nathaniel Wright, a pastor at God’s Lighthouse of Praise on Port Watson Street in Cortland, will also speak. 

Dear campus community,

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month and it is an important time for us to recognize the achievements and accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning individuals.

We celebrate in June to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Until 1966, it was illegal to serve alcohol to a gay person in this state and many gay establishments continued to operate without liquor licenses in the subsequent years. On June 28, 1969, a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City resulted in six days of protests that energized LGBTQ+ activism across the country.

Our nation, our state and our campus has come a long way since June 28, 1969. I ask that all of us continue to make SUNY Cortland a safe, inclusive and positive environment for all people.

SUNY Cortland’s resources for students and employees include:

• The Center for Gender and Intercultural Studies
• Pride Club
• SafeZone training
• The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Committee

I also encourage any interested members of the campus community to participate in SUNY’s system-wide Pride Art Gallery, which is accepting all types of creative work, including writing, dance, music and visual art from students, faculty and staff. Submit your work and view the creativity and expression of others at SUNY.edu/pride.

All the best,

Erik J. Bitterbaum

President

Dear campus community,

Supporting our diverse multi-faith community is a key part of our SUNY Cortland’s campus culture. I ask the college community to respect students, faculty, and staff by facilitating a culture of understanding and civility for religious holidays.

Please make the appropriate accommodations to allow people to fully express their faith in accordance with NYS Education Law Section 224-A. Keep in mind that not all people within the same faith group practice their faith in the same manner and that how they express their faith may change over time.

A brief list of upcoming observances is included in this email. Please consult the religious holidays and observances page online for additional dates for the 2022-23 academic year. Consider these dates as you create syllabi and schedule major events, assignments, field trips and tests in your courses. 

Thank you for respecting our diverse faith communities during these times.

All the best,

Erik J. Bitterbaum

President

The Orientation Committee will begin welcoming new students and their families for student orientation and advisement beginning Friday, June 24.

All new students were invited to select an in-person or online synchronous one-day orientation program. These program options are provided to balance the safety and wellness of all involved with an opportunity for students and families to be engaged.

Students will be required to be compliant with our COVID-19 vaccination policy before signing up for an in-person Orientation session. Attendance will be limited for each date to decrease density at in-person events.

Specific dates are listed below.

Transfer Session 1: Friday, June 24 (online)

First-Year Session 1: Tuesday, June 28

Transfer Session 2: Wednesday, June 29

First-Year Session 2: Thursday, June 30

First-Year Session 3: Wednesday, July 6

Transfer Session 3: Thursday, July 7

First-Year Session 4: Friday, July 8

First-Year Session 5: Monday, July 11

First-Year Session 6: Tuesday, July 12

First-Year Session 7: Wednesday, July 13

Transfer Session 4: Thursday, July 14

First-Year Session 8: Monday, July 18 (online)

Transfer Session 5: Wednesday, July 20 (online)

First-Year Session 9: Friday, July 22 (online)

Remember to welcome new students and families that are visiting campus during Orientation. Various offices and departments work together to make these events a success and to aid our new students in their transition to SUNY Cortland. The campus community is invited to participate in these programs.

For program information, refer to the Orientation website at cortland.edu/orientation. Direct questions about the Orientation program to Marinda Souva in Advisement and Transition.