Campus Champion

Non-Traditional Student Week Nov. 15 to 19 celebrates our undergraduate students who often balance college with commitments such as family, jobs and long commutes. Lauren Murphy does all that and is active on campus. She’s treasurer of the Non-Traditional Student Organization and a valued member of the Transfer Network Team. Weekdays, the inclusive early childhood education major works an early-morning shift at a day care, commutes 50 minutes to campus and puts in a full day before heading home after dark. With 250 non-traditional students on campus, there are plenty of reasons to submit your nominations to the Celebrate-a-Non-Trad! Campaign.  

A recently completed facility renovation will benefit SUNY Cortland’s athletic training program by providing state-of-art space for a discipline that bridges the university’s strong reputations in academics and athletics.

The $1 million project brings an open concept, new hydrotherapy equipment and fresh wall graphics to the John L. Sciera ’52 Athletic Training Room located on the first floor of Park Center.

The upgrade also marks the first comprehensive renovation of SUNY Cortland’s athletic training facility since the program was established in 1975, nearly a half-century ago, and it provides modern space necessary for the university’s recently established master’s program.

“From a facilities standpoint, we wanted to set ourselves apart at the graduate level,” said Trisha Donnelly, an athletic trainer who helped guide the four-year project along with Bob O’Malley, head athletic trainer. “This entire process had vision and purpose and we owe a lot of credit to the many people who supported it — campus leadership, the facilities team and other departments sharing space nearby.”

Donnelly said a trademark of SUNY Cortland’s athletic training educational experience involves faculty members who work with the university’s Division III student-athletes in addition to teaching classes. The new space offers more than 1,700 square feet of open area for both education and treatment.

Student-athletes and students in SUNY Cortland’s graduate  program in athletic training will benefit from a renovated open space in Park Center.

“Our athletic trainers teach critical courses, and our students can actually see them practice what they preach through their service,” Donnelly said. “We see that as one of our biggest strengths.”

Over the past 40-plus years, as team rosters grew in numbers, smaller and separated rooms filled athletic training needs such as taping before competition and injury rehabilitation. The renovation reimagined the athletic training operation by removing a concrete wall and swapping space with the Physical Education Department — essentially providing more than 1,000 square feet.

The project also brought the addition of two new hydrotherapy tubs from Grimm Scientific Industries and a shared space for new treatment tables, taping stations and rehabilitation equipment. Cosmetic improvements incorporate Cortland’s Red Dragon imagery and the Athletics Department’s “One Team, One Family” motto.

“One open space allows us to utilize our facilities better for our student-athletes and also adhere to educational standards and full supervision requirements,” said Donnelly, explaining that the work was informed by expectations of the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), the field’s accrediting body.

The renovation project included the addition of two new hydrotherapy tubs from Grimm Scientific Industries.

SUNY Cortland’s two-year, full-time graduate program in athletic training welcomed its first students in 2020 after professional certification requirement changes. The new main space follows the renovation of an athletic training classroom on Park Center’s second floor, which includes recording technology to assist hands-on lab work and a reserved area for a wellness corner that will allow students to focus on mental health needs.

“The nice thing about the classroom is that it’s a dedicated space and our students can come in and practice whenever they want,” Donnelly said.

The new main facility will continue to be named in honor of Sciera, a former head athletic trainer who led Cortland’s program into national prominence, and the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Hall of Fame will remain on display a short walk down the hall in Park Center.

Video produced by SUNY Cortland student Andy Fauvelle

The musical “Big Fish,” which opens in the Dowd Fine Arts Center Theatre on Friday, Nov. 12, packs many themes into its songs and characters.

It tackles mortality, fatherhood, family dynamics, the passage of time and the meaning of truth, to name a few.

That’s exciting for SUNY Cortland’s musical theatre major student actors, who are feeling energized by the challenge of performing in such a wide-ranging production.

“I really think this show has everything,” said sophomore Aria Odendaal of Tewksbury, N.J., who plays the family matriarch, Sandra. “There are fantastical elements. It’s wacky. It’s fun. But it’s also a beautiful, heartfelt story. Tears will be shed for sure if you’re ready to cry. Or if you’re not, you can laugh.”

“Big Fish,” based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the 2003 film of the same name, debuted as a Broadway musical in 2013. It is a story focused on the relationship between an aging father, Edward, his son, Will, who is about to become a father himself, and a series of seemingly tall tales that allegorically explain the highs and lows of their lives.

“It’s about living life to the fullest and not holding back,” said junior Kyle Rivera of Freeport, N.Y., who plays Will. “A lot of characters are holding something back. Edward is the one who shows everyone that life isn’t just surface level. You have to go deeper to find the true joys in everything. It’s about those bonds, relationships, family, friends and imagination.”

This production is directed and choreographed by Jeff Whiting, with music direction by Visiting Assistant Professor Jacob Carll.

Whiting has worked on Broadway, television and concerts around the world, including serving as associate director and assistant choreographer for “Big Fish” on Broadway in 2013. He is owner and artistic director of the Open Jar Institute, a musical theatre training program for the development of artists of all ages, and the founder of the Broadway Relief Project, which employed 400 Broadway costume makers to produce personal protective equipment for public hospitals in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. The designer and developer of Stage Write Software, a digital method of documenting staging and choreography, Whiting has seen it used on more than 40 Broadway shows and tours.

“It’s been wonderful to connect with these students on the show,” Whiting said. “The world has changed since the show was created, so their perspective on a family divided, which is the core of the story, has been really exciting to see and explore.”

Working with Whiting has been eye-opening for SUNY Cortland’s actors, as his experience with this musical and its characters, as well as his desire for students to experiment with their parts, has made the rehearsal process refreshing.

“Everything we’ve learned in acting class, this is time to use it,” said Tatiana Padro, a junior from Bay Shore, N.Y., who plays Josephine. “It’s great because when you go into rehearsal, Jeffery is so easygoing and great to work with. There’s no stress on the table when you get to rehearsal. He tells us we’re going to try new things today, gives me notes on what I need to try and it’s ‘go time.’”

“To have someone who’s worked with actors who portrayed the characters on Broadway and had real life experience with them, it’s cool because he brings in stories and all this information that helps us find our characters and find the musical,” Rivera said.

“The cast has done an excellent job at making bold choices and have found a way to bring the show to life in a brand-new way,” Whiting said. “It’s truly inspiring.”

Those familiar with the 2003 film will find similarities in the musical adaptation and may also enjoy the differences in the way this story is presented on stage.

“I think it’s about family, friends and the essence of time,” said Dominic Green, a junior from Queens, N.Y. who plays Edward. “We think life is long but it’s so small and it goes by so quick and things can change in an instant. It also teaches us that since life is so short, it’s important to have family and friends and to keep people you love close and not to be afraid to make friends and go on adventures.”

“Big Fish” will be performed in Dowd Fine Arts Center Theatre on Nov. 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. and on Nov. 14 and 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available online and are $20 for general public, $15 for senior citizens and faculty and staff and $10 for students and children. The Dowd Fine Arts Center box office is open on Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and on Thursday from noon to 3 p.m.

Audience members must wear a face covering at all times when inside Dowd Fine Arts Center. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination with a current student ID or valid driver’s license or proof of a recent negative PCR test will be required for entry.

Learn more about other upcoming events by visiting the Performing Arts Department’s website.

Dear campus community,

The recording of the campus COVID-19 update meeting held on Monday, Nov. 8 is available online. Many thanks to all who contributed to the update, including those who shared information about SUNY Cortland’s COVID-19 response and those who submitted questions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has monumentally disrupted all our lives. Every member of this campus has faced both personal and professional challenges due to the pandemic. Since March 2020, our campus has swiftly shifted its operations many times to keep our community safe. Monday’s meeting highlighted many of the mitigation measures we have instituted on our campus and the chart shared by Health Department Chair Jill Murphy shows very clearly how far we have come in managing the virus.

There were some questions yesterday about SUNY Cortland’s COVID-19 policies and the public health protocols of the Cortland County Health Department. Our COVID-19 Safety Information page will be updated as we approach the beginning of the Spring 2022 semester, and the Cortland County Health Department’s website includes information about how the county is managing the virus.

I want you to know how proud I am to lead this campus. SUNY Cortland is home to extraordinary and talented people and I am grateful every day for your expertise, collaborative spirit and care for our students. 

Take care,

Erik J. Bitterbaum 

President

We can’t wait for you to join us in celebrating the Cortaca Jug game on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021!

Whether you are coming back to campus, heading to a Cortaca Nation watch party or plan to stream the game at home, here’s everything you need to know to enjoy the big game.

The 62nd Cortaca Jug game will be played at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex at noon on Nov. 13.

Cortland (9-0, 6-0 Empire 8), ranked No. 14 in the most recent D3football.com national poll, takes on an Ithaca College team that is 8-1 and ranked No. 18 through games of Nov. 6. The Red Dragons clinched the Empire 8 football regular season title with a 47-3 victory over Alfred University on Oct. 30 and have already secured a spot in the NCAA Div. III tournament. 

Spectators at outdoor athletic events at SUNY Cortland are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings to limit the spread of COVID-19. Disposable masks will be available on request.

Tickets for the game are sold out. Fans may sign up for an email list through CortlandRedDragons.com if tickets become available at a later date.

A number of Cortaca-related events and others are happening on campus throughout this week. Events include:

• Tuesday, Nov. 9, 3 to 7 p.m.: CORT-a-Cart at the Student Life Center Multi-Activity Court
• Tuesday, Nov. 9, 9 p.m.: Trivia Tuesday, Corey Union Exhibition Lounge
• Wednesday, Nov. 10, 7 to 9 p.m.: Jersey Night featuring free pizza and wings, Corey Union Function Room
• Thursday, Nov. 11, 6 to 10 p.m.: Psychic readings, Corey Union lobby
• Friday, Nov. 12, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.: Cortaca hat giveaway, Corey Union lobby
• Friday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.: Corta-Cupcakes and carnival, Corey Union Function Room
• Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 12 to 14: The musical “Big Fish,” get tickets online
• Saturday, Nov. 13, 9 a.m.: Cortaca Jug Parade, Corey Union to the Stadium Complex
• Saturday, Nov. 13, 10 to 11 a.m.: Cortaca hat giveaway, Student Life Center lobby
• Saturday, Nov. 13, 3 p.m.: For the Culture Carnival, Moffett Center lawn (rain site, Corey Union Function Room)
• Saturday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m.: Grocery Bingo, Corey Union Function Room

For alumni and friends around the country, Cortaca Nation watch parties will be held in the following locations:

• Albany, N.Y.
• Bayshore, N.Y.
• Charlotte, N.C.
• Cortland, N.Y.
• New York City, N.Y.
• Syracuse, N.Y.
• Watertown, N.Y.

Registration to attend Cortaca Nation events is required for COVID-19 tracing purposes. Cortaca Nation events are free for all participants. To register and learn more, visit the Cortaca Nation page on RedDragonNetwork.org.

Video of the Cortaca Jug game will also be streamed live on CortlandRedDragons.com. An audio-only broadcast will also be available online. Live play-by-play and individual player stats will be posted throughout the game on CortlandRedDragons.com.

Alumni are encouraged to show off their school spirit and join a photo contest on game day through social media. Send in your photos through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #CortacaJug21. The winner receives a prize pack of SUNY Cortland gear, including a water bottle, pennant, duffel bag, blanket, magnet, mask, phone pocket, Red Dragon socks and a travel toiletry bag. Full contest rules and information are available on the photo contest page.

If you’re looking for fun Cortaca Jug gifs to share on social media, search “Cortaca” on SUNY Cortland’s Giphy page.

Add to your collection of Red Dragons apparel and get a 15% discount on SUNY Cortland gear at The Campus Store using the code “ALUMNI” at checkout.

However you choose to follow the Cortaca Jug game this year, let us know! Fill out a registration form to submit your favorite Cortaca memory, enter the photo contest or let us know if you may need any special accommodations at the Stadium Complex or a Cortaca Nation watch party.

It’s still one year away, but did you know that the 2022 Cortaca Jug game will be played at Yankee Stadium? We’re looking to build on the success of the Division III record-setting game that was played at MetLife Stadium in 2019. Tickets for the 2022 game go on sale on Tuesday, Nov. 16 with prices ranging from $24.50 to $69.50. Learn more and buy tickets at CortacaJug.com.

Let’s go Red Dragons!

On a regular day, English composition Instructor Jeffrey Jackson fulfills the role of educator, training and motivating SUNY Cortland students to reach higher in their mastery of the written word.

But whenever Jackson dons his military cap or uniform or steps outside of his car bearing the “U.S. Army veteran” license plates, he usually commands an entirely different kind of respect from whomever he encounters, whether they have a connection with America’s armed services or not.

“Sometimes you are able to be a change agent, if that’s the right term?” said Jackson, who served the Army from 1986 until 1993 in infantry and armor units in Germany and an Air Defense Artillery unit in Kansas.

“You can have a real good outcome and not only serve your country but your service can sometimes be a launching point for a brilliant career,” Jackson said.

Jackson, a U. S. Army veteran who served two tours in Germany and also participated in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia from 1992 to 1993, will deliver the university’s virtual keynote address during the annual Veterans Day ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 11.

Jackson will discuss his experience in the military and assist in the remembrance of our veterans during the ceremony, which will begin at 3 p.m. Those who wish to attend the online gathering can access the ceremony through a link on the Cortland Veterans Day website.

Jackson will speak after a welcome by SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum and several other presenters, including Neve Polius ’17, who will share her recorded singing of the National Anthem; and Andrew Jensen, a Westpoint Military Academy graduate and captain in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2009, who is the son-in-law of event co-organizer Sue Vleck. Jensen will read “What is a Veteran.”

Jackson prepared for his speech by reading a PEW Research Center report from earlier this year, which found that fewer than 10% of the U.S. adult population have served in the Armed Forces.

“Less than one in 10,” he said. “It is a heavy burden, yet we have borne it with pride, gladly knowing we shoulder it so others will not have to. The older I get, the more I realize what a monumental privilege it is to have served.”

Jackson said he gets emotional when he thinks of family members who moved him to serve his country in the military, including both his father and an uncle, both of whom served with honor in the Air Force.

“I still remember wedding pictures of dad and my mom,” Jackson recalled. “He was standing there in his dress blues looking really handsome and dapper getting married to mom. It was an important part of his life back before me. It was definitely an inspiration.

“My father is easily one of the smartest people I know. So if there’s something he did and did well, that’s motivation for me,” Jackson said.

His father served in the 1960s during both the Cold War and the Vietnam War.

“He was in grad school in Iowa and that was when a lot of people were being drafted, particularly for the Army in Vietnam,” Jackson said. “And Dad knew that was coming. He decided that if he was going to go into the military, he wanted to go into it on his own terms. He used his service in the Air Force as a launching point for a brilliant career in mathematics and engineering.”

At the ceremony, Jackson will discuss the remarkable interactions he’s had with others since his military service, both with fellow veterans as well as civilians, whether or not they have a connection with the military.

“We may have visible or invisible scars and trauma, but we all still served,” he said of the former. “And still there is a language between veterans that goes beyond words, whether we choose to speak about our service or not.”

By those who haven’t themselves served, Jackson is amazed at the growing support for veterans.

“When I put on that U.S. Army cap or that First Infantry Division cap, people look at it and it is an honest recognition of service to this country,” Jackson said. “That was not always the case, especially coming out of Vietnam. It’s definitely improved. There are some more things I’d like to see for veterans but we’ve definitely made progress in the country in how we treat our veterans.”

Jackson’s occupation was communications, technically known as a 31 Victor or 31V. He worked with FM and secure communications and was often attached to different field units or tactical operations centers.

He was honorably discharged as a specialist E-4 and began his academic studies in Florida. He studied at Onondaga Community College and earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in creative writing from Binghamton University and a master’s in information resources management from Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies. He earned a Ph.D. in mass communication/media studies from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2011.

In 2016, he joined SUNY Cortland’s English Department as contingent faculty, and in 2018 was appointed to his current position. He is married with two children and one granddaughter.

Participants are invited to honor a veteran they know by submitting by Monday, Nov. 1, the individual’s name, name, branch of service and photo to be included in the university’s 2021 Veteran’s Day Virtual Ceremony slideshow.

For more information, contact Special Events for the President.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Janice Atwood ’73  has the highest regard for the people who serve their country in the military.

“You give a military person a mission and they make it happen, you know?” said Atwood of Annapolis, Maryland.  “They say, ‘What do you need and when do you need it by?’”

She also values the education she received at SUNY Cortland.

Merge those two concepts and you get the Janice L. Atwood ’73 and Judith A. Rasmussen U.S. Armed Services Scholarship, which Atwood established naming both herself and her late sister several years ago through the Cortland College Foundation.

Awarded three times to date, the scholarship is the third the university offers for students who’ve served in the military or who are the children of veterans.

The Atwood/Rasmussen Scholarship helps students who either are a currently serving member of the U.S. Armed Forces,  a veteran from active duty, reserves or National Guard or an immediate family member of such a military service member. The recipient must be someone who is in good academic standing and enrolled fulltime with at least one year remaining at the start of the award year.

“I gravitate toward veterans,” Atwood said.

She noted that her own active and reserve military service from 1973 to 2000 was completed during the relatively peaceful years spanning Vietnam and the first Iraq War. The wide skill set Atwood developed in the service served her well in  civilian life,  supporting military contractors, including Booz Allen Hamilton, mainly with information security assignments.

She feels she has been fortunate and now wants to support her fellows in the armed services.

“When I went through grad school in Maryland, I used the G.I. Bill,” Atwood said. “And I had savings from being on active duty, and then I had my graduate assistant position, and then there was my pay from the Army Reserve. Some people aren’t as lucky to have the savings as I did.”

The scholarship also honors the generosity of Atwood’s late sister, a SUNY Plattsburgh graduate who left a bequest to her sibling that enabled Atwood to fully endow the scholarship.

A physical education major while at Cortland, Atwood established a similar scholarship at the University of Maryland at College Park, where she earned an M.A. in recreation in 1989. She received a second master’s degree in information and telecommunications systems for business from Johns Hopkins University in 1998.

In 2019 and 2020, two SUNY Cortland students — one armed services member and one child in a military family — benefited from the scholarship. Recently, Melany Jimenez, a junior biology major from Farmingdale, N.Y., was announced as the 2021 scholarship recipient.

Atwood met the first recipient, former Army Sgt. Peter Sarkodie ’20, who had enlisted after studying for one semester at SUNY Cortland in the early 2010s, in 2019 at the President’s Circle Scholarship Recognition Dinner at the Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House.

An eight-year veteran, Sarkodie served as a quartermaster in Iraq and was later wounded in Afghanistan. Back in the U.S., stationed in Tennessee and with the support of the G.I. Bill, he decided to return to Cortland to finish a bachelor’s degree in community health.

“The scholarship was a great help to me while I was at SUNY Cortland and it helped me to get into this nursing program,” said Sarkodie, who currently is studying to become a registered nurse at University of Rochester.

“I’ve always wanted of be in the public health sector,” Sarkodie said. “With community health, you’re helping the community as a whole, dealing one on one. This degree gave me the basis for that. I can choose to become a community health nurse and if I go that route, my degree from Cortland will be very useful.”

The 2020 President’s Circle event was virtual, with physical education major Kate Jensen giving a video speech acknowledging her scholarship.

“This scholarship helped me greatly in my pursuit of a degree, as my family had two other children in college at that time, and I was paying for my education,” said Jensen of Prattsburgh, N.Y., recently.

Her father, SUNY Cortland graduate Jon Jensen ’88, and brother, Leif Jensen, tie her to the military.

“My father enlisted in the Army after high school as a military police,” Jensen said. “He was stationed in Germany before the (Berlin) Wall came down and finished his deployment as private first class.”

Her brother served as a platoon guide during his Army basic training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. A private first class in public affairs, he is waiting for his Advanced Individual Training assignment.

“Educating others about fitness is my passion, and this scholarship will help greatly in my pursuit of a teaching certification,” Jensen said.

Now a junior, the Honors Program scholar hopes to complete her student teaching in Australia and later get her master’s degree in order to either teach physical education in high school, launch a personal training business or become a strength and conditioning coach.

“This scholarship will allow me to continue my education here at SUNY Cortland feeling more secure financially,” she said.

In 2017, SUNY Cortland was recognized as a 2017 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, which runs a Website and several ranking programs aimed at helping veterans get employment or a college education.

Along with that comes support of current students with this and several previous academic scholarship opportunities targeted to them.

Many generations of SUNY Cortland physics, chemistry, biological sciences and geology students with a military tie have benefited from a scholarship for their post-graduation graduate studies that was created by the parents of the late William Phelps ’69 in his memory decades ago. In 1971, during the Vietnam War, the former physics major and Air Force weapons and systems operator had disappeared along with the crew of their F4 Phantom jet while flying night missions over Laos. Their remains were never found and Phelps was declared Killed In Action in 1978.

The Thomas and Martha Rhubottom Scholarship, created in 2011, helps a SUNY Cortland student enrolled in any discipline who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces or is a child  of a military service member. The scholarship was endowed by Brian G. Murphy ’83 and his wife, Patricia Rhubottom, one of two the couple created, this one with Rhubottom’s father, a career military man, in mind. Murphy served as chair of the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors and  led the university’s previous, highly successful capital campaign. He was honored in 2012 with the university’s first SUNY Cortland Presidential Champion of Excellence Award.

On Veterans Day, Thursday, Nov. 11, alumni may join the campus community in honoring military service members during the annual Veterans Day ceremony at 3 p.m.

SUNY Cortland English composition Instructor Jeffrey Jackson, a U. S. Army veteran who served two tours in Germany and also participated in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia from 1992 to 1993, will deliver the university’s virtual keynote address.

Those who wish to attend the online gathering can access the ceremony through a link on the Cortland Veterans Day website.

The ceremony also will feature a welcome by SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum and several other presenters, including Neve Polius ’17, who will share her recorded singing of the National Anthem; and Andrew Jensen, a Westpoint Military Academy graduate and captain in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2009, who is the son-in-law of event co-organizer Sue Vleck. Jensen will read “What is a Veteran.”

Veterans with a SUNY Cortland connection will be honored with the individual’s name, name, branch of service and photo to be included in the university’s 2021 Veteran’s Day Virtual Ceremony slideshow.

For more information, contact Special Events for the President.

Tickets for the 2022 Cortaca Jug football game at Yankee Stadium between SUNY Cortland and Ithaca College went on sale on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021.

The game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. 

The tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or cortacajug.com at prices ranging from $24.50 to $69.50. Fans may purchase up to 19 individual seats. A dropdown menu will allow purchasers the option of sitting on the SUNY Cortland side (third base/left field) or the Ithaca College side of the stadium (first base/right field). All tickets will be delivered digitally, and mobile presentation will be the sole method of entry. 

A football seating chart for Yankee Stadium is available online.

In September, the schools and 5167 Sports Media LLC announced that they had partnered with the New York Yankees to have Yankee Stadium play host to the 2022 Cortaca Jug rivalry game. Once referred to by Sports Illustrated as "the biggest little game in the nation," the Cortaca Jug was played in 2019 before a Division III-record crowd of 45,161 fans at MetLife Stadium. 

This fall's matchup will take place on Nov. 13 at SUNY Cortland.

Campus community tickets  

Seats on the 400 level of Yankee Stadium will be reserved for SUNY Cortland and Ithaca College students, faculty and staff at the price of $24.50. These tickets will be sold by the respective schools in the fall of 2022. Members of the campus communities may purchase seats in advance of the campus on sale during the general ticket sale that begins on Nov. 16. 

All fans are highly encouraged to purchase tickets as soon as possible to ensure the availability of the best possible seats of their choice. Members of the Class of 2022 and students graduating prior to the fall should note that campus community tickets will only be open to current students in the fall of 2022. Those students are encouraged to purchase tickets now.  

Guests with disabilities  

For information regarding Yankee Stadium ticketing and services for guests with disabilities, fans may visit Yankee Stadium’s guide for guests with disabilities or email disabledservices@yankees.com. 

Please note that wheelchair accessible and designated aisle-transfer seats are available at various price points and locations. Yankee Stadium also offers enhanced accessibility for guests with hearing loss or low vision and for guests who are deaf or blind. 

Red Dragon alumni events 

We can’t wait to celebrate in the Bronx with all the SUNY Cortland alumni who are planning to attend! Details will be shared with you as soon as they are finalized. Check RedDragonNetwork.org for SUNY Cortland alumni information and follow the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates.

For the latest on all things SUNY Cortland athletics, visit CortlandRedDragons.com. 

Hard-working SUNY Cortland students can begin to submit applications Monday, Nov. 15, for scholarships to be awarded by the university during the 2022-23 academic year.

The 2022-23 scholarship application window will be open through Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, and students should visit cortland.edu/scholarships to start the process.

In the current 2021-22 academic year, SUNY Cortland will distribute more than $800,000 in institutional scholarship funds. Of the 980 students who submitted applications, 234 earned at least one scholarship.

This year’s 500-plus scholarships for returning students will range in amount from $500 to $7,700. Each scholarship opportunity is awarded based on unique criteria for applicants such as academic major, grade point average, community service or financial need. 

Starting Nov. 15, students should follow these steps to apply for scholarships:

• Visit cortland.edu/scholarships
• Select ‘View scholarships’
• Log in with myRedDragon credentials
• Fill out the general scholarship application
• Search “Our Opportunities” by qualities such as academic major or class year
• Review scholarship criteria and apply to all eligible scholarships
• Complete any required supplemental questions

Students can contact the Financial Aid Office at 607-753-4717 or email financial.aid@cortland.edu with questions.

In the last couple years, America and the rest of the world have been wracked by extremes that include political brinksmanship, apocalyptic weather events, deadly pandemic, economic collapse and social upheaval.

At SUNY Cortland, the 2021-22 Rozanne M. Brooks Lecture Series will take on many of these timely topics in five separate lectures or poster sessions on the theme of “The Culture of Extremes.” The series, starting on Oct. 13, this year is limited to the campus community because of the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

Among the presentations:

•  A psychologist will discuss pseudoscience and the tendency for communities to promote fictional research and miraculous cures.
• An astronomy and physics expert will share scientific findings about how humans can predict and ward off one of the most “out there” but least considered threats to the planet’s survival: a collision with the earth by a giant asteroid.
• A sociologist will relate how communities and countries can recover from complex humanitarian emergencies like tsunamis and 30-year wars.
• A specialist in homeland security will offer ideas on how radical beliefs sometimes evolve into over-the-top actions.
• A student panel will discuss how campus community members can cope in the face of modern day life’s extremes.

The Brooks lectures and receptions are free. Due to continued health and safety concerns surrounding the pandemic, members of the public are not invited. Seating will be limited and cannot be exceeded so please come early to secure a seat.

The talks all take place on Wednesdays and begin at 4:30 p.m. in Moffett Center, Room 115. Depending on the current public health circumstances, a reception to welcome each speaker before the talk may be announced. Events in the series are subject to change.

“There seemed no better series theme than ‘extremes’ for this year given what we all have been through over the last 12-18 months,” said organizer and Brooks Museum director Sharon Steadman, a SUNY Distinguished professor and faculty member in SUNY Cortland’s Sociology/Anthropology Department.

“The presentations this year will inform us on extreme beliefs and extreme events that surround us from near — such as Covid-19 — to far — such as outer space,” Steadman said.

The series opens on Oct. 13 with a presentation on “‘Why Do Communities Promote Scientifically Unreasonable Claims? Stupid, Crazy, or Just Humans Being Humans?”

The speaker, Craig Foster, is professor and chair of SUNY Cortland’s Psychology Department.

Humans, according to Foster, promote a variety of unrealistic scientific claims that lack scientific credibility: climate change denial, anti-vaccination sentiments and creationism to name a few. Yet these promotions exert substantive and dangerous influences on contemporary society.

“It is appealing to believe that people who promote these and other forms of pseudoscience must be unintelligent or mentally unwell,” he said.

Foster will offer an opposing opinion. Drawing on his research and personal experience in studying pseudoscience, he will make the case that scientific-related fraud develops because humans are generally vulnerable to being drawn into pseudoscientific claims.

The series will continue on Nov. 10 with Beth Ellen Clark, professor and chair of Ithaca College’s Physics and Astronomy Department, lecturing on the subject of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return mission with the talk, “Extreme Hazards: Planetary Collision.”

She will help the participants imagine case scenarios that are worse than climate change.

“We will review the ways in which NASA’s recent OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return mission is contributing to our quest to protect planet Earth from potentially hazardous asteroids,” Clark said.

Continuing the series in the spring, on Feb. 23, SUNY Cortland assistant professor of sociology Elizabeth Bittel will speak on “(Re)Making Home on Shifting Sands: Lessons from Post-Catastrophe Corrosive Communities.”

Using ethnographic data collected in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, Bittel has explored how communities experienced recovery from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, considered to be a “mega-catastrophe,” and the 30-year Eelam War(s).

“This work interrogates how power flows through institutions and communities seeking to rebuild their homes on shifting sands,” Bittel said.

“In particular, my work looks at how the process of rebuilding physical infrastructure is shaped by actors and institutions and co-produces social cohesion or corrosion, which both flourish throughout the lifecycle of disasters.”

A student panel will share their ideas at a presentation titled “Recovering from Extremes” on a date in March to be announced.

The series will conclude with a talk that teases lessons from the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which caught many Americans off guard.

Sam Jackson, an assistant professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, University of Albany, will focus on “From Extreme Beliefs to Extreme Actions: The Oath Keepers” on April 6.

Some Americans have become more explicit in preparing for violent conflict to stem off an alleged threat coming from criminals,  terrorists, other Americans and even the government.

“A group called Oath Keepers exemplifies this trend: perceiving threats from government, preparing for conflict with government, and leaving the door open for individual Americans to take action into their own hands,” Jackson said. “By examining this group, we can begin to understand how Americans who believe themselves to be patriots might storm the Capitol and attempt to disrupt American democracy.”

The 2021-22 Brooks Lecture Series is sponsored by a grant from the Cortland College Foundation, the Sociology/Anthropology Department and the President’s Office. For more information, contact Steadman at 607-753-2308.

Approximately 250 non-traditional students are enrolled at SUNY Cortland. Although their backgrounds often are wildly different, they all have interesting stories to tell.

The university defines non-traditional students as undergraduate students who are 24 years of age or older or, regardless of age, may have dependent children, be working full-time, have military experience or have made a break in education at some point after high school.

“I’m personally amazed at all that our non-traditional students accomplish while taking classes at SUNY Cortland,” said Cheryl Smith ’05, coordinator of student outreach and non-traditional student support. “It can be hard being an adult student in class with traditional-aged students. I enjoy getting to know them.”

The university will acknowledge these individuals Monday, Nov. 15, through Friday, Nov. 19, during its celebration of Non-Traditional Students Week.

Stories about outstanding non-traditional students will be shared during the week.

Monday, Nov. 15: Aaren Woodworth, a 25-year-old physical education major from Long Island, credits insights gained outside the classroom for his current all-in approach as a teaching assistant who advocates at professional conferences and seminars on behalf of his profession and the non-binary community in physical education.

Wednesday, Nov. 17: When she’s in Whitney Point, N.Y., Christina Wells mothers her three rambunctious boys. At school she changes gears, presiding over the NTSO, serving on the executive board of Tau Sigma, the national transfer student honorary society, and aspiring to teach physical education.

Friday, Nov. 19: Mathew Adams of Ithaca, N.Y., survived a 2011 housefire on his 20-year-long path to becoming the senior communication studies major, WSUC 90.5 FM radio commentator and film industry afficionado that he is today.

Additionally, the Bulletin features Lauren Murphy as its Campus Champion in this edition.

Next week will include a host of special activities, both on campus and virtually.

Unless otherwise indicated, these social get-togethers will take place in the Non-Traditional Student Lounge located in Cornish Hall, Room 1221.

Events include:

• Monday, Nov. 15: Continental breakfast, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Stop by to enjoy a cup of coffee, Danishes, muffins and scones.
• Monday, Nov. 15: Game night, 7 p.m. on Webex. Let’s have some fun while we play some family-friendly games.
• Tuesday, Nov. 16: Macaroni and cheese lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Enjoy macaroni and cheese as well as veggies, dip and assorted soft drinks.
• Wednesday, Nov. 17: “Scholarships for Non-Trads,” 11:30 a.m., Old Main, Room 130. Learn how to apply for scholarships, including those for non-traditional students, with Matthew Pitcher, scholarship coordinator from the Financial Aid Office.
• Wednesday, Nov. 17: Mid-week sweet treat, 1:30 to 3 p.m. Enjoy some cake and cookies.
• Wednesday, Nov. 17: Non-Traditional Student Organization meeting, 6:30 p.m. on Webex. Join the NTSO e-board, meet other adult students and help plan events/activities for the spring semester.

• Thursday, Nov. 18: Coffee and bagels, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Enjoy coffee and bagels with cream cheese.
• Friday, Nov. 19, TGIF pizza party, 12 to 1:30 p.m. Celebrate the week’s end with some pizza and wings.

Additionally, nominations are being accepted for the “Celebrate-a-Non-Trad” campaign, which aims to recognize non-traditional students who often balance college with other commitments such as family, jobs and long commutes. SUNY Cortland will present nominated non-traditional students with a certificate and campus recognition. Nominations should include the student’s name, contact information, relationship to the student and comments about the nominee. Comments will be listed on the certificate, unless otherwise noted. To nominate a student, fill out the nomination form.

Non-Traditional Students Week is co-sponsored by the Non-Traditional Student Organization and Advisement and Transition.

For more information about Non-Traditional Students Week events, contact Non-Traditional Student Support at 607-753-4726.

Cheryl Strayed, whose best-selling memoir of a 1,100-mile hike of recovery and self-discovery became the Reese Witherspoon movie Wild, will give a virtual talk with SUNY Cortland students, faculty and staff about her journey, her life and the art of writing on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

“Distinguished Voices in Literature: Cheryl Strayed” will begin at 5 p.m. via Zoom. The online presentation and conversation is free and open to the public but participants must register in advance.

The discussion will feature an opportunity to engage with an author of three best-selling books and the inspiration behind an Oscar-nominated film.

Originally scheduled as a live lecture for March 12, 2020, as part of Women's History Month, the event was cancelled at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and returns as part of the English Department's annualDistinguished Voices in Literature series as well as the Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee's (CICC) 2021-22 series on the theme of "Memory."

Organizers are trying to line up an opportunity for participants to view Wild in advance of Strayed's talk.

“Cheryl Strayed is a powerhouse of a writer,” said organizer Heather Bartlett, a SUNY Cortland English instructor and co-director of its Distinguished Voices in Literature series.

“This is such a special opportunity for our students and community, not just because of Strayed's fame, but because of the strength and compassion she models as a writer and public figure.

“She writes with fierce honesty. She offers up her vulnerabilities without apology. She lifts up other writers, other women. Cheryl Strayed shows us all how to be courageous and gritty without sacrificing who you are. Isn't this just what we hope for our students, for ourselves?”

Strayed’s honest courage is evident in Wild, which recounts how, at the age of 26, childhood abuse, divorce, drugs and the devastating death of her mother had all but destroyed her life. She improbably sought escape from self-loathing and self-destruction by walking the Pacific Crest Trail from California’s Mojave Desert to the Washington/Oregon border.

It was the first time she had ever backpacked.

The adventures she had, the people she met, the ordeals she surmounted and — most importantly — the life-changing realizations she came to during that 1995 odyssey, eventually became the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild. Published in 2012, it was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as her first selection for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.

Actress Reese Witherspoon’s film production company purchased the film rights. The resulting 2014 movie adaption, which starred Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl and Laura Dern as Cheryl’s mother, was nominated for an Academy Award.

Strayed, who also wrote the New York Times bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things and Brave Enough, and the novel Torch, has seen her books translated into nearly 40 languages around the world.

Tiny Beautiful Things is a collection of essays from the anonymous “Dear Sugar” advice column she wrote for the online literary magazine Rumpus. The book was adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, who also starred in the role of Sugar/Cheryl. The play debuted at The Public Theater in New York City in a sold-out run in 2016.

Strayed’s essays have been published in The Best American Essays, the New York Times, the Washington Post Magazine, Vogue, Salon, The Sun, Tin House, The New York Times Book Review and elsewhere. Strayed was the co-host of the New York Times/WBUR podcast “Dear Sugars,” which originated with her popular “Dear Sugar” advice column. She co-authored, along with Steve Almond, “The Sweet Spot” advice column in the New York Times Thursday Styles section. Strayed holds an MFA in fiction writing from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

In addition to the English Department and CICC, Strayed’s presentation is supported by the President's Office, President’s Fund, the Writing Center and SUNY Cortland Auxiliary Services.

Image of Cheryl Strayed courtesy of Joni Kabana

The annual Native American Heritage Month film series has gone virtual. In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, SUNY Cortland’s Native American Studies Program will make available on demand three films that highlight the histories and cultures of the Indigenous peoples of North America.

“These films ask us to consider how the histories and cultures of the Indigenous peoples of North America continue to exert a profound influence on the most pressing issues of our contemporary moment,” said Daniel Radus, assistant professor of English and coordinator of SUNY Cortland’s Native American Studies Program.

The first two films are available now for on-demand viewing through Sunday, Nov. 14. 

The first film, “Warrior Women,” 2018, tells the story of Madonna Thunder Hawk, an organizer of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1970s and the founder of the "We Will Remember" Survival School, an Indigenous alternative to government-run educational institutions. It was directed by Christina D. King and Elizabeth A. Castle.

The second film, “Attla,” 2019, tells the little-known story of George Attla, an Alaskan Native dogsled racer who, “with one good leg and fierce determination, rose to international fame and became a legendary sports hero.” It was directed by Catharine Axley.

To access these films on demand, please navigate to this link:   

The third film will be released for a 14-day streaming period on Monday, Nov. 15. It is called “The Condor and the Eagle” and is about social justice and environmentalism. Find the link and additional information on the Native America Studies Department events page.

Transcripts and discussion guides are also available.  

For more information, email Radus.

SUNY Cortland is looking for student artists to help the university make a visible statement against racial and social injustice and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Four artists, or groups of artists, will be selected to create a mural that will be mounted in the lobby of Moffett Center, based on four predetermined themes.

“The main goal is to highlight the different aspects of Black Lives Matter, but the students also wanted to highlight the individuals of the past whose shoulders we stand on,” said Lorraine Lopez-Janove, SUNY Cortland’s chief diversity and inclusion officer.

“It’s a way for us to think about where we’ve been as a campus, how far we’ve come, and how much more we have to do to be able to say there is equity and inclusion.”

The project was initiated by Timothy Bennett ’07, owner and publisher of local news website The Cortland Voice and founder of six FunFlicks Indoor and Outdoor Movies entertainment rental operations in the region. Bennett, a member and former officer of the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association board, volunteered to fund the painting of Black Lives Matter on Main Street in downtown Cortland during the summer of 2020.

He then offered to pay for a mural illustrating the same concept on the SUNY Cortland campus. President Erik J. Bitterbaum was supportive and wanted to make sure students were involved in its creation.

To that end, Lopez-Janove created a committee made up of representatives of the Black Student Union, Student Government Association and the campus chapter of the NAACP. Those students suggested the mural should actually be done in four panels, each depicting a different theme:

• They marched so we could…

The intent is to pay tribute to the work done by prior generations toward equitable treatment and opportunities, like attending college or owning homes, that were once denied people of color.

• We got us

This theme emphasizes solidarity among people of color and how, historically, members of the black community have had each other’s backs.

• Activism

The idea is to illustrate activism in whatever form the artist chooses, spanning the early days of the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives Matter protests of today.

• Our ancestors’ wildest dreams

The idea is to show appreciation for the gains made in the struggle that ancestors who experienced slavery and then discrimination would have a hard time imagining, while acknowledging that there is more to be done.

Student artists can learn more and apply to be considered for the project by completing the Call for Artists Form.

The deadline for applying is Monday, Nov. 29, by midnight.

SUNY Cortland’s History Department is holding a 3-minute documentary competition for current students on the theme of revolutions.

A $500 prize will be awarded to the winner or split among members of the winning team.

Students may work individually or in teams of up to three. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 2, 2022.

A full list of rules is available on the History Department website.

The History Department will hold a screening for submitted documentaries during the Spring 2022 semester. In addition to the $500 prize for the best documentary, a “People’s Choice Award” also will be given.

For more information, contact the History Department at 607-753-2723.