Winter 2020

Hat Trick: Three sets of sibling teammates bring out the best of each other on the field

salibalr — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 14:34:24 +0000

Hat Trick: Three sets of sibling teammates bring out the best of each other on the field salibalr Fri, 12/18/2020 - 09:34

Three pairs of siblings at ��Ƶ are bringing more than just their skill and abilities to the game — they bring their chemistry, the anticipation of the next move, the difference in balance that counters the other and the desire to make a difference in Mustang athletics.

Despite all spring- and fall-season athletics competitions being canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the siblings shared their thoughts about being teammates.

Felix and Guillermo Rosario-Acosta

Football sophomore Felix Rosario-Acosta was unsurprised when brother Guillermo decided to join the Mustang sidelines.

“I knew he’d follow me,” Felix said with a laugh. “He always does. But I also know that ��Ƶ provides the best opportunity for him and I’m excited to see what he can do for our program.”

Author

Brandy Thurston

“I look up to Felix, and it feels amazing to rejoin him,” Guillermo said. “Seeing what he was able to accomplish his first season last year gave me hope that I’d be able to have

a similar impact (on the team).”

The brothers left a lasting impression on the Indian River football program during high school, playing on opposite sides of the ball and excelling in their roles.

Felix, a standout linebacker for the state-ranked program, collected Section III first team accolades, All-North honors and was the recipient of the Indian River Athlete of the Year award his senior season.

Guillermo excelled on the opposite side of the ball as a running back, having a breakout season his junior year and rushing for more than 1,700 yards in each of his final two years to earn All-Section accolades.

The brothers have competed in basketball and lacrosse together as well.

Despite subtle differences, the brothers admit they are quite similar, both majoring in human performance & health promotion while pursuing potential careers in physical therapy or athletic training.

While they have had much success on their own, they both attribute their achievements on and off the field to their parents.

“Our dad saw something in us that we didn’t see at the time,” Felix said, describing how their father introduced them to a sport neither was interested in initially at 10 years old. “Our parents have always been there to support us in all we do.”

After high school careers playing on different sides and different roles, playing together at ��Ƶ has made the Puerto Rico natives that much closer as brothers.

“The best thing now is being able to see each other more than normal, especially during this pandemic,” Guillermo said.

Christopher and Connor Picciott

Brothers Christopher and Connor Picciott made their way to the Morrisville lacrosse field as attackmen.

Christopher joined the Mustang family in the fall of 2019. With the pandemic-forced cancellation of his first spring season, he will have the rare opportunity to play all four years of eligibility alongside his younger brother.

“I get an opportunity to play with Connor, to share with him something special as last season got cut short, and I am still looking to collect my first college win,” Christopher said.

The brothers, separated in age by just one year, played four years together at Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square, New York.

Christopher found his way to ��Ƶ through his father, a graduate of the automotive program. Lacrosse is an added bonus for the sophomore who is making his own path in athletics.

Connor found ��Ƶ was the perfect pick as well.

“Part of my decision to attend ��Ƶ was having Chris here,” Connor admitted. “But also, during the recruiting process, it was welcoming and made me feel like part of the program immediately, unlike other schools.”

Both readily admit that they are competitive with each other – that often there’s a competition in who will get the most points, with dinner sometimes including trash talk about who was better than the other.

Connor, who claims that he usually lets Christopher win any sibling argument, said that playing with his brother makes the overall strategy a smooth operation. “Playing with Chris, I know his next move, where to go and we feed off one another,” he said.

“I can rely on Connor to be where he needs to be,” Christopher said. “In high school, we often were relied on because of our relationship and ability to read one another.”

The spring was tough on the brothers who have only played lacrosse during their young careers. Connor admitted that, without his senior season in high school, the fire to play died a little until being able to rejoin his brother on the field.

“Chris motivates me,” he said.

Their goal is to be the next attacking duo to grace the Mustang field.

The automotive management students are considering going into the family business with their father.

Aislinn and Lauren McGreal

“There’s nothing better than a sister,” said Aislinn and Lauren McGreal, sisters who play for the women’s lacrosse team. Aislinn is a freshman and Lauren a sophomore.

Just two years apart in age, they have a bond that has carried them from the earliest of days when their parents forced them into sports together in first grade.

The pair started their athletic careers in gymnastics, moved on to figure skating, then found their way to two sports together for Pawling High in lacrosse and ice hockey, while maintaining their individual identities in soccer (Aislinn) and field hockey (Lauren).

Despite their bond as sisters, they are quite different and rely on one another to bring out the best in each other.

“I learned that during the time away from Aislinn I had to make myself better in my own way,” Lauren said.

Being best friends is what makes their sister bond stronger than any other.

Lauren began her Mustang story in 2018 as a nursing major at ��Ƶ.

“I was often overlooked in high school,” she said. “But coming here, I was able to put my own mark on the program even as a freshman, and I’m proud of what we’ve done as a team, even today during the pandemic.”

“I knew Aislinn would come here,” Lauren continued. “We depend on each other.”

Education played a big role in why Aislinn came to ��Ƶ to study equine science. “At the end of the day, it came down to what I wanted to major in, and being able to play lacrosse again with Lauren is an added bonus.”

The chemistry the sisters have off the field has transpired into ‘magic’ on the field, both being able to play nearly any and all positions. “She’s the calm in my game,” Lauren said. “She is determined and likes to follow the rules.”

“And Lauren is creative, she always adds some fancy move to whatever she is doing,” Aislinn cut in.

Being at Morrisville together has strengthened their bond. “I’m happy she’s here, she brings out the best in me,” Lauren said.

“It’s nice. I’m excited to see what happens,” Aislinn said. “I rely on her.”

Published date

December 15, 2020

News Type

Creamery churns to new heights during pandemic

salibalr — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 13:46:23 +0000

Creamery churns to new heights during pandemic salibalr Fri, 12/18/2020 - 08:46

Shortly after he graduated from ��Ƶ, Kyle Clark ’18 returned to his fifth-generation family dairy farm with a four-year degree in dairy management and a plan to resurrect the creamery that once stood on the property, located on Elk Creek Road in Delhi, New York.

His vision and hard work came to fruition with the official opening of Clark Farms Creamery on March 1, a venture that put the family name on milk bottles and dairy products throughout southern New York and beyond.

In eight short months, popularity of the milk (whole, reduced fat, skim and chocolate), butter, cream and half-and-half produced at the creamery surged beyond anything Clark could have ever imagined.

Author

Franci Valenzano

The budding business leaves him little time to spare these days. He shared his story during a quick cell phone conversation while driving to distribute milk.

“Having your own brand is so rewarding,” Clark said. “We are working 10 times harder than before. It is nonstop and hectic but, at the end of the day, I love making a product and selling it to people and could not dream of doing anything else.”

The creamery, owned by Clark, sits on Clark Dairy Farms, a business started by his great-great-grandfather and now run in partnership with his father, Thomas.

“We had next to no customers when we started out and were peddling a couple hundred gallons at first,” Clark recalled. Today, 400 to 600 gallons of milk are processed daily, five days a week. Two hundred of them sell out nearly every day from their farm stand.

Within weeks of opening his creamery, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down restaurants and put a freeze on many of Clark’s deliveries. With gallons of milk left over, he bought a refrigerator, filled it with milk, and placed it out front as a self-service stand.

“I didn’t know if people would pay a higher price for milk that comes from a local farmer in their backyard,” Clark said. “I thought it would mostly sell to just neighbors, but people were driving miles to buy it. This self-serve farm stand just took off.”

Driving sales are a quality product from the Clark Dairy Farm’s prized herd of milking cows.

“Our dairy products are made only from the milk of our herd,” Clark said. “We never outsource.”

And because it is vat-pasteurized (heated at a lower temperature for a longer time), it has a distinct flavor and sweetness customers love. Their chocolate milk, which Clark describes as tasting like melted chocolate ice cream, is a favorite.

A drinkable yogurt will soon add more choices for consumers. “We’re still perfecting this recipe, but the future looks bright for this product,” Clark said.

As he adds products and the business grows, Clark is particular about maintaining its hometown feel.

I want to stay small. I want everyone who is buying milk to know they are getting it right from the farmer. It is our cows, our process and our milk.

Kyle Clark

“I want to stay small,” he said. “I want everyone who is buying milk to know they are getting it right from the farmer. It is our cows, our process and our milk.”

Part of the appeal of the business is attributed to the original family farmhouse and barn (still in use) and a hobby woodshop where customers admire his grandpa Pete’s handmade furniture.

Patrons also have grown fond of their “mascot,” the family dog named Steven. “He’s your typical lazy cartoon hound dog who waddles over to every customer to say hello,” Clark said.

Working on the family’s farm has always been part of Clark’s career plan. “There was no doubt from when I was a little kid, I was going to be a dairy farmer working with my father.”

After hearing good things about ��Ƶ, he enrolled in the animal science - dairy program and upon graduating with an associate degree, transferred into the college’s dairy management bachelor’s degree program.

“It was hands-down the best decision I ever made in my life,” Clark said. “The four-year program gave me a look at the business side of the industry and spurred me to want to do something different.”

So did a part-time job at ��Ƶ’s dairy incubator, where his vision to run a creamery began.

“I knew it (creamery) was a trending thing, and I went for it,” said Clark, who started collecting used equipment before he graduated.

Professors at ��Ƶ provided him with much of what he needed while working toward his dream. “Dr. (Steve) Mooney is one of the most intelligent professors I have ever met,” he said. “His knowledge and ability to find ways to cater difficult subjects to students on an individual basis definitely helped me through.”

Clark’s ties to ��Ƶ remain strong. Last semester, he opened his business to associate professor Sheila Marshman’s Capstone Farm Management & Rural Entrepreneurs class. Students take on farms as a business and act as consultants to evaluate financials, human resources and strategic management. Marshman’s class specifically focused on marketing and distribution at Clark’s creamery.

Clark fondly remembers the class. “It was a superb opportunity that gave me a look at actual records and real numbers. In the end, we had to put in a practical recommendation to the farm owner,” he said.

As he talks enthusiastically about his plans for the future, which include developing products and growing the brand, Clark stops to acknowledge all he has to be grateful for.

“We are so thankful for all of our loyal customers,” he said. “Every day I get to wake up and do what I love to do. This country was built on agriculture and it is kept going
by farmers everywhere.”

Published date

December 15, 2020

News Type

The Making of Mo the Mustang: New mascot brings bolt of energy to campus life

salibalr — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 19:48:08 +0000

The Making of Mo the Mustang: New mascot brings bolt of energy to campus life salibalr Thu, 12/17/2020 - 14:48

Like most first-year students in 2020, Mo the Mustang’s (they/them/their) arrival on campus at ��Ƶ was not what they originally had in mind.

Wearing a face mask, practicing physical distancing, picking up meals to go and otherwise adjusting to pandemic life were some of the firsts that the college’s mascot experienced at the same time as other students.

Originally, the plan for a new mascot design to be unveiled was to take place in the middle of the spring 2020 semester, or at least by commencement in May. When COVID-19 struck and sent everyone to remote learning and working from home, both the costume’s production and Mo’s debut were delayed.

That gave the college time to plan for a different sort of arrival, and Mo immediately became the favored face of (re)introducing ��Ƶ to students arriving for fall 2020.

“Coming back to campus this semester was scary. It was difficult to engage students because no one could gather in groups,” said one staff member. “There was a lot of important information to convey, from health checks to new dining protocols. Using Mo in custom-made videos, photos and signage quickly made them a familiar and friendly figure. The information was still new and on a serious subject, but Mo made it easier to remember and just a little more fun for students.”

Mo the Mustang is the latest iteration of a campus mascot that has taken different shapes over time. The college had used off-the-shelf costumes for several years, some persisting long past their intended and expected duration. Additionally, the costumes were monochromatic and did not necessarily show up well in photos or video.

With the need for a new costume and a fresh look, people from across the college worked together to come up with an idea worthy of a custom design. The college is expanding its outreach efforts to alumni, students, fans and families, and it recognized a need to project the personality of the institution.

Determined to show more of the mascot’s energy and personality in a new design, the college took its ideas to a number of potential partners who could make that vision come true. ��Ƶ selected Sugars Mascot Costumes to help, based on some initial concept drawings and conversations that showed a lot of promise.

“From my point of view as the mascot vendor, Mo is the result of a very fruitful collaborative process,” said Lucie Whitehead, account manager. “��Ƶ came to us with a strong aesthetic viewpoint, and I think that, working together, we created something special.

“I love the lightning bolt above the eye in particular.”

The new mascot is intended to reflect the athletics logo, which features a mustang with a green mane and bolt-like design element.

The name was inspired by a common nickname for the college’s hometown: Mo’ville. As the team collaborating on the mascot refresh reviewed many suggestions,

members recognized the many possible wordplays they could make with “Mo” and ran with it.

Additionally, it was recognized that “Mo” seemed like a gender-neutral name, which also advanced the idea of making Mo an ambassador for inclusivity. By not assigning a male or female gender to Mo, and instead giving Mo a nonbinary identity, they are able to be a positive role model for everyone.

“People often think of male as the default gender, especially in mascotting, and it’s wonderful to see an organization making a conscious choice to move away

from that,” Whitehead said.

Author

Graham Garner

The new design represents the mascot as friendly and welcoming, but also sturdy, tough and even a bit edgy with the two-toned green mane that some have dubbed

the “Mo-hawk.” Mo projects the resiliency and grit many Morrisville students and graduates demonstrate in their studies and careers.

“The new look is much more modern and cool. I love the electric green over the eyes. It looks like they are charged up!” said Rhiannon Da Cunha, alumni engagement coordinator. “I think the new design suggests and outwardly expresses that the college is continuously evolving and adapting. The new mascot looks a bit younger and not so weathered and aged as the previous one. The design reflects the student body — relevant, current and full of that youthful energy that students

bring with them to campus.”

Da Cunha taught Mo some salsa dancing as well, in a video on social media that invited students and others to participate in a series of virtual dance lessons.

“I have been really impressed with what I have seen in terms of Mo being used as a tool for spreading information regarding pandemic protocol in a fun, engaging way,” Whitehead said. “Mascots are often associated with crowds and big events, but I am seeing that many organizations are realizing that they are such a good tool for connection in the absence of that — they can communicate across distances and convey emotional warmth in a time when that can feel lacking because of the necessity to keep physically apart.”

Mo already has their own social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They will soon appear on the college’s first TikTok and Snapchat accounts as well. Just like the college they represent, expect to see Mo working in innovative ways to engage all of their fans and supporters however they can.

“I hope Mo continues to be involved in the many evolutions of the college and symbolize hope, life and spirit for years to come,” Da Cunha said.

The new look is much more modern and cool. I love the electric green over the eyes. It looks like they are charged up.

Rhiannon De Cunha

Questions and Answers with Mo

Check out these fun facts about Mo the Mustang!

What were the biggest factors in you choosing to attend ��Ƶ?

Too many reasons to the list! My parents both attended and met at Morrisville. You should hear all the stories they tell me about their days at the Equine Center. They often took me for visits around the track. We always took family photos at the Mustang Statue and we attended Mustang Weekend every year (my dad would brag that it was named after him, but I never believed that one).

What are you most looking forward to during your first semester?

Well, it isn't the first semester I expected, but I'm just looking to make the most of it. With everything from horses to horsepower, Morrisville is a place where you can really harness your potential. I can't wait to be hooves-on, er, I mean hands-on, in the labs while combining that with online classes to get a hybrid experience this semester. I also hope to be a good neiiiggghhhbor and greatly look forward to becoming a part of the Mustang family! #MustangStrong

What is something unique that people may not know about you?

I am nonbinary. Please refer to me using the pronouns they/them.

Under normal circumstances, how do you like to spend your free time?

I like to stirrup fun. I really enjoy roaming the hills, grazing in the admin quad and attending sporting events. Go Mustangs! I also recently got a job as a mascot. It's a pretty stable position, I've really enjoyed it so far.

What is a skill you'd like to learn and why?

I would love to learn how to cook. It would be great to make something different that doesn't have oats in it.

What are you most proud of that you never have an opportunity to talk about?

I am a horseshoe champion! I was the top finisher at the World Horseshoe Tournament. It was such a MOmentous occasion for me and my family. Now I get to play at the new horseshoe pits on campus.

What are your pet peeves?

1) People who saddle themselves with too much negativity; 2) When I am going too fast and people tell me to "hold your horses"; and 3) When talking too much makes me hoarse.

Who do you most admire?

��Ƶ students and professors. They learn and teach with passion, overcome challenges and obstacles and are true trailblazers. Students are career-ready right out of the gait!

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?

I'd tour with the Harlem Globetrotters for a while. It would be so much fun to get to play a game of HORSE with them.

What is your favorite: book; magazine; television show; movie; musical group/band/singer, etc.?

My favorite magazine is MOmentum, of course. My favorite book and movie both have to be Seabiscuit. I would say my most-watched television show is Mister Ed, which was a staple in our household growing up. For music, I am a huge fan of the '80s. You know, MOdonna, MOtallica, Bon MOvi. My favorite '80s song has to be Take on Mo, especially since I starred in the video.

Published date

December 15, 2020

News Type

For the Love of Agriculture: Ag teacher cultivates a classroom and a community through dynamic lessons

salibalr — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 19:00:52 +0000

For the Love of Agriculture: Ag teacher cultivates a classroom and a community through dynamic lessons salibalr Thu, 12/17/2020 - 14:00

Rebecca Werbela ’04 started an agriculture education program at Morrisville-Eaton Middle-High School in a small room with big plans.

As they grew, so did the excitement of her students who are grabbing hold of dynamic lessons — getting their hands dirty building and planting, growing vegetables hydroponically and gaining an understanding about the hundreds of careers available to them in the agriculture industry.

“There is a heightened level of excitement where Rebecca has built energy into our program,” said Gregory Molloy, superintendent of Morrisville-Eaton Central Schools (MECS), in Morrisville, New York. “We are a small school that doesn’t have a lot of electives, but there are so many opportunities students are taking advantage of because of her.”

Werbela’s infectious energy and genuine love for all things agriculture has gone beyond the classroom, spreading widely into the community through her outreach with leadership organizations and volunteer efforts.

“I have so much vision and I push for ag education anyway I can,” Werbela said.

She credits ��Ƶ with helping her develop lucrative skills, a can-do attitude and a solid work ethic.

“I would not be where I am today without my Morrisville degree and experience,” she said. Her resilience shined when the pandemic halted in-person teaching at MECS and the district switched to remote learning.

“I took it in stride,” Werbela said. “Everything in the ag industry is always changing with animals, plants and buildings. You adapt and learn to evolve with it. Students jumped on phones and computers and we did not miss a beat.”

Werbela’s persistence and enthusiasm are notable traits. When it comes to agriculture and partnering with the community to promote it, she is always eagerly on board.

On a sunny day in November, Werbela and her students teamed up with ��Ƶ faculty member Adam Olinski to build four raised garden beds at Morrisville-Eaton Middle-High School. In the spring, Olinski and his horticulture students will return to teach them how to start seeds, and germinate and plant crops in the raised beds.

“This is one of the many ways we are helping to promote agriculture in our local school community,” Olinski said. “Rebecca and her students’ excitement toward the project is outstanding.”

Author

Franci Valenzano

“I love partnering with the college,” said Werbela, who teaches courses in animal science, natural resources and everything in-between. “It is a chance for me to show students exploring careers and secondary education what is available to them.”

“The collaboration with ��Ƶ is essential for our students,” said Eddie Waskiewicz, principal at the Morrisville-Eaton Middle-High School. “To have the students involved in meaningful programs is huge.”

Werbela works tirelessly to incorporate different aspects of agriculture into her classroom.

The fruits of her labor are visible in the school’s agriculture room and attached greenhouse. A three-tiered grow cart supplies the cafeteria with fresh herbs and greens. Tomatoes grow without soil in a hydroponic garden, a project in a collaboration with Elisa Livengood, assistant professor in ��Ƶ’s aquatic science & aquaculture program. Livengood also plans to help students start a classroom tank to raise fingerling brown trout.

Plans are in the making for a schoolyard sap house in 2022, as well as a small schools-based community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, which allows consumers to buy a share of a harvest on a farm.

To students like Kyle Pearsall, a senior at MECS, Werbela’s lessons are helping to shape his future.

As he considers ��Ƶ an option for conservation science or biology, he’s enjoying the hands-on collaborations. “I am seeing first-hand all that the college has to offer and it is a great experience for me.”

Among his favorites was working with Brendan Kelly, associate professor of forestry and renewable resources, and his students. Kelly, a Certified Forester through the Society of American Foresters, had his silviculture students mark trees based on criteria and Werbela’s students tapped the designated trees for maple sap to produce maple syrup. Werbela hopes to take that teamwork to a new level with a maple syrup program at her school.

“The partnerships with the college have opened up limitless opportunities for our kids,” Molloy said. “In the middle of a pandemic, we are teaching these meaningful lessons for our students to give back to the community.”

Teaching was not the first choice for Werbela, an equine bachelor’s degree graduate who spent many years in the equine jumper circuit as a professional horse show groom and planned a career training horses.

But a job as a barn manager and adjunct professor at Cazenovia College gave her a taste of teaching that seasoned her fondness for the classroom.

More doors opened when Werbela was asked to help get MECS’s FFA chapter off of the ground as advisor. She took a special interest in teaching students about the opportunities available to them that go beyond farming. She liked it so much, she stayed on as their teacher, too.

She credits ��Ƶ with nourishing her career.

“Every course I took prepared me for everything I am doing now,” Werbela said. She broadened her skills through a summer job on the college farm where she learned how to brush hog and drive a tractor.

Intrinsic in her work is giving back to the community.

Werbela played an integral role in planning ��Ƶ’s five successful dairy drive-thru events, which involved the distribution of thousands of dairy products to community members in need at a critical time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Becca’s committed to the success of her students and to agriculture as a whole, and we’re lucky to have someone like her here in Morrisville,” said Ashley Marshall, assistant professor of dairy science at ��Ƶ, who worked with Werbela at the college’s dairy drives. “It’s exciting to be able to partner with MECS and this is mainly due to Becca and her drive to open as many doors as possible for her students.”

Through her role as FFA advisor, Werbela’s students won a New York State Ag in the Classroom Award in 2019 with local maple partner David Orth and the Orth Farm. Her efforts include working with the Madison County Farm Bureau, where she served as a board member and as the equine chair for the past six years, as well as helping with events that raised money for the Food Bank of CNY, Madison County Youth Agriculture and Cornell Cooperative Extension programs.

The future holds much more for Werbela and the community.

“The sky is the limit,” Werbela said. “I want to make a mark on this community. I want my students to see how valuable their education is and I want to be able to give them a glimpse into the more than 300 careers agriculture education has to offer.”

I love partnering with the college. It is a chance for me to show students exploring careers and secondary education what is available to them.

Rebecca Werbela

Dairy drive-thru

Werbela was in the middle of the action of five successful dairy drive-thrus at ��Ƶ, where thousands of items were distributed to the Morrisville and surrounding communities at a critical time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We wanted to do something to help those in the community during these difficult times,” said Ashley Marshall, ��Ƶ assistant professor of dairy science, who spearheaded the effort along with Morrisville-Eaton Central School and the Morrisville Auxiliary Corporation, including Nelson Farms. “Not only did this help those in need in our community, but it also helped the struggling dairy industry since the demand on dairy products dropped dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Despite inclement weather and each of them being in their eighth month of pregnancy, nothing stopped Werbela or Marshall from running and participating in the drive-thru events, which served more than 2,600 vehicles.

Dairy drive-thru tallies

Milk – 5,700 gallons
String cheese – 192 cases (2,304 packages/27,648 cheese sticks)
Cheese curd – 1,600 containers
Block cheese –1,750 pounds
Chobani yogurt – 5 truckloads
Eggs – 1,400 dozen
Butter – 1,734 pounds
Sour cream – 2 tons

Published date

December 15, 2020

News Type

Nursing student stuck abroad for three months during pandemic adapts from a world away

salibalr — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 18:35:29 +0000

Nursing student stuck abroad for three months during pandemic adapts from a world away salibalr Thu, 12/17/2020 - 13:35

It was going to be a memorable spring break in Morocco.

As she packed her suitcase, Jessica Miller’s mind drifted to the mountainous country of western North Africa, a March trip she had planned for months to marry her fiancé, Mouaad Essaadi, who lives there.

She would be back home in a week to finish the semester at ��Ƶ, where she is a nursing student, and in plenty of time to celebrate her son Owen’s 10th birthday in April. But shortly after she landed in Morocco, the government closed the borders and shut down international flights. It was the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the coronavirus spread around the world, Miller was among many Americans who were stuck abroad, struggling to return home. Her week-long trip turned into three months of learning and living a world away.

Stranded in a foreign country with her entire life left behind — a young son, an apartment, a part-time job as an LPN and only a week’s worth of clothes — she had no idea when she could return home.

Their reunion came in June, when an emergency evacuation flight planned by the U.S. government brought 200 Americans stuck abroad home, Miller among them. The trip cost them double the price of a regular roundtrip flight.

Since the long journey home, she has given birth to their daughter, Layla. With regulations making it difficult for travel, Essaadi has only seen his new daughter in video chats.

As the world adjusts to the “new normal,” Miller is forging ahead with life’s plans, including graduating from ��Ƶ with an associate degree in nursing in December 2021.

Miller worked for nine years as an LPN when she decided to go back to college, choosing Morrisville because it offered her everything she was looking for in her future plans to be a nurse practitioner.

Author

Franci Valenzano

In March, it kept doors open for her when the pandemic pushed the campus to remote teaching and learning. Professors rallied to help Miller complete her semester abroad amid a pandemic weighted with so many other challenges for her, including a six-hour time difference.

“They are not as industrialized (in Morocco) and the Internet there is weak and spotty,” she said. “An exam taken by classmates at 9 p.m. was an exam at 3 a.m. for me.”

Professors worked with her limitations, assisting in any way possible.

“They made sure everything was set up for students, regardless of their situation,” Miller said. “They made sure we had books and everything accessible online and if I had any questions, I could reach out to them at any time.”

Back home, her brother and mother took over care of her son and stepped in with his studies as his school switched to remote learning. They pitched in financially, too, since Miller could not work her part-time job as an LPN for Kond Medical.

Days slipped away slowly as she and her son spent their first Easter, Mother’s Day and birthdays apart.

Miller stayed with Essaadi and three family members, some who spoke mostly Arabic and little English.

“The lockdown there was pretty strict and airspace was closed,” she recalled. Residents were to stay inside their homes with the threat of arrest if they did not comply. Those with a pass, including Essaadi, were allowed to leave their residences to get essential supplies only.

Miller and Essaadi knew each other for years, through relatives living in the United States, and got engaged in Morocco in 2018. A series of setbacks has postponed their wedding more than once — the latest when courts shut down in Morocco during COVID-19.

Miller’s ornate, red beaded wedding dress is on hold at a small shop in Morocco awaiting a wedding now planned for 2021.

Getting back to her old routine has been challenging for the 32-year-old Herkimer resident — the home she left changed by a pandemic that shattered normalcy around the world, forced education into remote learning and closed nearly everything but hospitals and essential businesses.

“One of the biggest shocks for me when I came home was the bare shelves in grocery stores, especially Walmart,” she said. Shelves were sufficiently stocked in Morocco.

Unlike the U.S., there were no takeout food options in Morocco at the beginning of the pandemic and their only food came from a supermarket and a small general store.

Recalling the months away from home still evokes heavy emotion.

“The hardest part was not seeing my son and only being able to communicate through a computer,” she said.

She planned his 10th birthday, a surprise parade, with help from a world away. The parade started with members of the Herkimer Police Department, MOVAC Ambulance and the Herkimer Fire Department, but the community stepped in with such immense participation, it turned into a large celebration.

“It’s a birthday he will never forget,” Miller said. “He was extremely overwhelmed with emotion, a cake, gifts and a bonfire.”

His greatest gift would come later though, with Miller’s surprise trip home. “We both cried and hugged for a very long time,” she said.

Published date

December 15, 2020

News Type

The Frontman Drummer: Challenges paint opportunities for hearing impaired percussionist

salibalr — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 18:02:09 +0000

The Frontman Drummer: Challenges paint opportunities for hearing impaired percussionist salibalr Thu, 12/17/2020 - 13:02

One large, ongoing art project is how Taylor McDowell describes his life.Why? Because its elements combine to create a portrait of what the 2015 ��Ƶ

graduate loves: web and game development, drumming, storytelling, art and music. Each has shaped the life of the 28-year-old New Hartford, New York resident, whose palette is a colorful blend of perseverance and will.

Despite being born with 80% hearing loss, McDowell has persisted to become a drumming instructor, pit musician, well-known street performer, and a web and game developer.

The accomplished artist shares his love for drumming and technology in a new informative and entertaining YouTube channel called GeekSalad, where he posts inventive videos and performance tips.

His most recent offering on the channel was a free, five-part instruction workshop called “Bucket Drumming.” Bucket drumming refers to improvising with household items — buckets, pots and pans, even a pizza box — in lieu of expensive drumming gear.

Author

Franci Valenzano

His workshops are designed for children and anyone who may be interested in street performing. McDowell introduces participants to the basics of drumming and includes stick grip techniques, drum beats, rudiments (drum patterns), exercise and live performance tricks.

“Arts at the Palace” in Hamilton, New York, hosted the videos after the concept came about during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Some of the most creative concepts and music are born during these times,” McDowell said.

The pandemic introduced an unexpected challenge. McDowell’s primary way of understanding people is through reading lips, but masks have made that more difficult. With the help of hearing aids, he can hear frequencies, but still has trouble hearing the pitch of the average human voice.

From a young age, McDowell didn’t let his hearing impairment stand in his way and views adversity as an opportunity to be more creative. To compensate for his hearing impairment, he taught himself how to listen with other parts of his body.

“Being hearing impaired has given me a whole different perspective on life,” he said. “You don’t have to have ears to hear. I listen differently and use other senses to hear.”

A strong sense of vibration gives him the ability to identify timings and affords him a heightened means to feel his music. “You can use your whole body for listening. The primary source of sound is vibration.”

College years

After taking a course at Cazenovia College, McDowell decided to enroll in ��Ƶ’s information technology program as an avenue to hone his programming skills.

He went on to earn an associate degree in computer information systems (2013) before transferring into Morrisville’s bachelor’s degree program, application software development, where he graduated with honors.

His Morrisville degrees opened many doors after graduation and two internships expanded his skills, making him more marketable in the industry. He is now a web developer for digital collections and scholarships at Hamilton College, in Clinton, New York.

Morrisville also offered McDowell practical experience in applying his game development skills through participation in the Global Game Jam ™ (GGJ), the world’s largest game creation event. The college annually serves as a host site for the popular event that tasks participants from all over the world to create an online game within 48 hours. He has not missed a jam since 2011.

I found a way to combine what I love into one source, doing all of my own programming, graphics, music and art in my games. Drumming is a talent that helps me learn other things and carries over so I can combine my skills.

Taylor McDowell

Far beyond the classroom were additional skills McDowell amassed at college.

“Social communication was an unwritten class,” he said. “Because I was homeschooled, I didn’t have as many communication skills as others. Morrisville is where I really got good at communicating with people who had other skillsets and started working in groups.”

McDowell has taken those lessons to the streets, performing as a solo drummer in the annual Saranac Thursday concert series in Utica, New York, and other venues. His first drum solo experience in the Big Apple was performing at 34th Street and 7th Avenue, near Macy’s department store.

“It was so exciting to see all of the people walking by and those who stopped to listen to me,” he said. “Music is a great way to bring everyone together.”

His talent shows in his performances, which include blazing drumming while twisting and flipping his drumsticks in the air.

“I just start my own beat and improvise,” said McDowell, who puts his all into every performance. “If they see I am having a good time, they will, too. I love hearing the

reaction from the crowd.”

His commanding stage presence and affinity for drum soloing have affectionately earned him the nickname “Taylor - The Frontman Drummer.”

The beginning

McDowell grew up in Eaton, New York, the oldest of two boys.

When he was three years old, doctors realized he had only 20% hearing. Not long after, he was fitted for his first hearing aids, but wouldn’t start speaking until he was five

years old.

Uncomfortable in a classroom setting, he was homeschooled, with his first memories of learning through a set of flash cards.

It was his parents who noticed his keen sense of rhythm. After playing on his cousin’s drum set, the sticks never left his hands. He started drumming when he was eight

years old and by the time he was 12, his affinity for game development also took the stage.

“I found a way to combine what I love into one source, doing all of my own programming, graphics, music and art in my games,” he said. “Drumming is a talent that helps me learn other things and carries over so I can combine my skills.”

McDowell studied privately, for many years under well-known Syracuse-area percussionist Jimmy Johns. As a young teen, his abilities continued to develop as he performed as assistant percussionist, under Johns, in two of Syracuse Stage’s big productions. He also was a drummer for “RENT” at the Catherine Cummings Theatre in Hamilton, New York.

He began self-teaching when he was 17, watching YouTube tutorials. As his skills progressed, he opened up avenues to share them with others, including teaching

drumming workshops.

Throughout his career, McDowell has been inspired by famous percussionists including jazz drummer Buddy Rich (considered one of the most influential drummers of all time), who motivated him to perform drum solos, as well as Mike Mangini (drummer for the progressive metal band, Dream Theater), whose videos helped him perfect his one-handed drum roll.

“The people I’ve met have inspired me to better myself,” McDowell said. “And my parents have been there every step of the way to encourage me to go after my dreams.”

Published date

December 15, 2020

News Type

Innovation and loyal customers are ingredients that feed chef's appetite

salibalr — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 15:22:35 +0000

Innovation and loyal customers are ingredients that feed chef's appetite salibalr Thu, 12/17/2020 - 10:22

Brian Simmons’ aunt offered him a job washing dishes on a Friday night when her restaurant in Nunda, New York, was short-staffed. “The rest is history,” he said.

Since that day more than two decades ago, Simmons ’01 has built a successful career out of nourishing patrons as owner and chef of The Yard of Ale Restaurant.

The casual-fine dining restaurant, located in Piffard, New York, the western Finger Lakes region, offers a diverse dinner menu, as well as a featured menu each week, showcasing specialty and seasonal ingredients prepared by Simmons.

Simmons honed his culinary skills in ��Ƶ’s restaurant management program while working at the Yard of Ale on weekends and during breaks, serving as a chef there for seven years before purchasing it in 2007.

“It was the natural next step in my career. The ability to establish my own family-run restaurant always appealed to me,” Simmons said. His restaurant is a 19th century canal house decorated with vintage photographs of prominent locals and buildings — and the place where he would later meet and marry his wife, Liz.

Author

Franci Valenzano

The Yard of Ale was just coming off of its most successful year and had started even better in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic turned everything upside down.

The restaurant closed its doors for one day, March 17, while Simmons and staff quickly devised a plan for takeout food the next evening.

“We immediately scaled everything back. We shrank our menu to favorites and items we could get out quickly and would travel well to-go,” Simmons said. “We never did much takeout prior to COVID, so there was a huge learning curve for us.”

His inventiveness went into overdrive.

“We quickly found out that people were still looking for great food while they were quarantined, maybe even more than before, since no one was going anywhere,” Simmons said. “So dishes like lamb and octopus and great steaks were selling as well as they ever had.”

They started a takeout “beef on weck” special (roast beef on a kummelweck roll) on Wednesdays, which sold out nearly every week, and served a Nashville hot chicken sandwich on Sundays that took off immediately with similar results. Not wanting to lose the momentum they had built the last couple years, they started posting daily specials on social media and provided a weekly updated menu to attract patrons.

Forced to scale back staff to only four during quarantine, Simmons took orders during the day, made to-go salads and greeted people as they came to pick up food.

“The unforeseen benefit from all of this was that I was able to connect with customers I normally don’t see while cooking in the kitchen every night,” he said. “I got a lot of pleasure seeing their faces and talking with them.”

Customers continued to support the restaurant, ordering takeout through the quarantine and requesting their favorites.

An innovative menu and slow-roasted Angus beef prime rib (which Simmons argues is the best in Western New York) make the charming restaurant built on a passage to the Erie Canal a favorite stop for locals and patrons who travel from as far as Buffalo and Rochester.

Its appeal also includes a warm, cozy atmosphere with historic period renovations made by a local craftsman to the 160-year-old building

“We do everything we can to make our customers’ experience a great one,” Simmons said. Much of that he attributes to a hardworking and loyal staff.

It was clear while he was a student at ��Ƶ that Simmons had the zest to go far in the industry. “He had a passion to be in the kitchen and always came to class and labs prepared,” said Kerry Beadle, associate professor of business & hospitality. “He wanted to try new things and had a desire to continually learn.”

Morrisville provided Simmons with different skills for running a restaurant from cooking to finances.

“A friend told me about all of the different things culinary students were learning and it really sparked my interest,” Simmons said.

He took in all he could at Morrisville while working at The Yard of Ale — on weekends as needed, holidays, summer breaks full-time and every chance he could.

“I loved to learn. I loved working long days and I always fed off of pleasing people (staff and customers alike),” Simmons said.

Morrisville made him realize that he could turn his passion into a career.

“Professor Kerry Beadle was someone I aspired to be like as I grew. He was smart, kind, loved what he did and I always thought from early on that is how I want to be as I grow in the business.”

Simmons started when the Food Network was just taking off and consumed as much Bobby Flay and Ming Tsai as he could, taking notes on dishes the well-known chefs eere cooking and applying them at work.

“I also began to collect cookbooks and teach myself as many different recipes and techniques as possible. Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller and Marcella Hazan were some of my go-tos,” he said.

Simmons’ large appetite to try new things is evident in his menu, which rotates with products of the seasons. His innovative food presentations include lobster corn dogs, bison meatballs, lemon-garlic grilled octopus, and prosciutto-wrapped, blue-cheese-stuffed figs with their own honey drizzle from a beekeeping venture they started eight years ago.

“I love the pace, the constant change and learning to adapt with it,” Simmons said about the restaurant business. “I love food and I love to cook. Nourishing people is a gift I’ve been blessed with.”

Sourcing locally is another feather in his cap. Simmons serves New York State beer and craft beer from the nearby Dublin Corners Farm Brewery and buys the majority of summer produce from a local farm stand.

A friend told me about all of the different things culinary students were learning and it really sparked my interest.

Brian Simmons

Through the years, loyal customers have never let him down, especially when The Yard of Ale reopened for dining in June. The main dining room, divided into nooks, has worked to their advantage following COVID restrictions. Reservations are encouraged for dining, as well as for hosting showers and other events. The restaurant follows all COVID guidelines, including wearing masks and physically distancing.

“People were extremely excited to come back as were we to see them,” Simmons said about reopening. “We are so grateful for the love and support of our community. After three months of putting food into to-go boxes, it felt amazing to put food on plates again.”

Published date

December 15, 2020

News Type

New College Competitors: As esports gains popularity, ��Ƶ jumps on board

salibalr — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 14:30:02 +0000

New College Competitors: As esports gains popularity, ��Ƶ jumps on board salibalr Thu, 12/17/2020 - 09:30

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused the physical world to remain distanced, the virtual world of esports has emerged to connect people like never before.

��Ƶ students are among those taking a hold of esports (electronic sports), an organized sports competition featuring multiplayer video games where gamers from around the world can compete individually or as a team. They also can tune in as spectators.

“This summer, I played Rocket League with my now-roommate pretty much every day and we got to know each other and become close, even before living together,” said Ryan Creenan, a business administration student who is one of the many members of ��Ƶ’s growing esports team.

In Rocket League, Creenan, who goes by the gaming handle toastergoalie, is referring to a competitive video game described as a “high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem.”

It is one of the many games that has become popular within esports, which has exploded this year after rising in popularity during the past decade. According to the latest market report from gaming analytics provider Newzoo, esports is expected to grow to $1.1 billion globally in 2020, a year-on-year bump of +15.7% from 2019.

For Creenan, esports became a safe alternative to interact with others. “It was the only way my friends and I could hang out and get together,” he said.

Author

Eugenio Mercurio

Esports at Morrisville moved from novice to pro level in the fall of 2019, when Spencer Herring (F1SH), an information technology: network administration student, became president of the Morrisville Competitive Gaming (MCG) club. Herring’s first order of business was to help elevate esports from casual interest to serious competition.

“When I first joined (MCG), it was just a club where kids would come and play games, so I started a Smash team and have tried to blossom it into a legit esports program,” said Herring, a passionate Nintendo Super Smash Brothers Ultimate player.

Herring pushed to create a large team of players on campus and reached out to peers from other institutions to gauge their interest in competing. His vision meshed with that of MCG co-advisors Angela Rhodes and Jamal Verity, both avid and longtime gamers who continuously advocated for esports through various avenues on campus.

Working together, the group successfully organized and hosted the club’s first esports scrimmage last fall, squaring off against Bryant & Stratton College (Buffalo, New York).

��Ƶ has seen the value in esports and gaming, recently announcing a minor in game programming open to students in any bachelor’s degree program. Plans also are underway to renovate a Charlton Hall lecture hall into a multifunctional space to be used as both a classroom and an esports arena by next fall.

“Our challenge now is for our esports program to be fully recognized by administration as an official team,” said Verity, assistant professor in the Computer Information Technology (CIT) Department.

The esports team advanced a level closer to that goal last spring, being awarded grant money to purchase official team jerseys and Alienware pro gaming equipment.

“When we unboxed those jerseys at the beginning of the spring semester, the students’ faces just lit up and they were definitely excited to be recognized as college competitors,” said Rhodes, the college’s Systems & Electronic Resources librarian.

But shortly thereafter, the COVID-19 pandemic forced colleges everywhere to abruptly transition to remote learning and brought live, in-person sports at all levels to a sudden halt.

As SUNY System Administration began developing ways to bolster its response to the pandemic, it leaned on the virtual capabilities of esports. In April they announced a three-week, systemwide SUNY Chancellor Esports Challenge to help support student emergency funds.

“All of the sudden, the whole esports scene erupted and some campuses, including ours, that didn’t appear to outwardly have much of an esports scene came out of the woodwork to compete on a SUNY-wide scale,” Rhodes said. “It’s never been done before, and now there’s this whole community that I’m in communication with.”

The Challenge attracted 46 colleges and nearly 500 student participants. Following its success, SUNY partnered with the tournament formation and management platform, LeagueSpot, to organize two more events: a Summer Esports Tournament held throughout August and a six-week SUNY Fall Esports League during the fall semester.

“When the pandemic came about, it caused us to pause our scrimmages,” Verity said. “Then the SUNY Esports League allowed us to enroll our student-athletes into competition again, and it was a blessing.”

Morrisville’s gamers were stoked to hear the news.

“A tournament against all other SUNY colleges? I absolutely love it,” said Hunter Snyder (ItsOffTheWall), a computer information systems major.

All of the sudden, the whole esports scene erupted and some campuses, including ours, that didn’t appear to outwardly have much of an esports scene came out of the woodwork to compete on a SUNY-wide scale.

Angela Rhodes

Snyder served as captain for the Fortnight 2v2 team competition during the fall league, pairing with automotive technology major Evan Schaaf (Jerjoeev3) and earning a first-round bye in the playoffs.

“This was a way for people to connect and play together and have fun,” Snyder said.

Snyder’s team members share those sentiments, especially this year, as esports tournaments have offered much more than just friendly competition.

“It’s a refresher,” said Ricardo Gibson (Shiruya/SageLeader), who competed in Smite 1v1 during the fall league. “It got people out of their depressed state from this pandemic and helps put people in good spirits. They are not able to come together face-to-face, but they are able to communicate.”

Gibson, an information technology: application software development major and vice president of MCG, has formed bonds during this time of isolation.

“During this competition, I’m making a lot of friends. Even opponents are now ‘frenemies,’” he said.

“I had a lot of fun and met a lot of nice people,” added Herring, who competed in all three SUNY tournaments.

The team hopes to see esports continue its rapid progress at both the college and system level.

“A hope of mine, and Jamal’s, is that eventually this will evolve from a league into an NCAA-level athletics competition — Something where we can recruit, give out scholarships and elevate our players,” Rhodes said.

Esports Viewership

Did you know that gamers enjoy watching esports just as much as competing in them? As more viewers tune in to watch their favorite games being played by some of the best gamers in the world, the global audience for esports is estimated to reach nearly 500 million in 2020, according to Newzoo. SUNY System Administration and ��Ƶ have both joined this phenomenon, live streaming all the esports tournament action through their respective channels on Twitch, one of the world’s leading streaming platforms for gamers. Check out the MCG Twitch Channel (www.twitch.tv/morrisville_gamers) and the SUNY Esports Channel (www.twitch.tv/sunyesports) to view recent broadcasts.

Meet the Advisors

Angela Rhodes and Jamal Verity have served as co-advisors for the Morrisville Competitive Gaming (MCG) student club since it was formed in 2015. They had established reputations as gamers on campus, and it was natural that they would be the ones first approached for the role.

Angela Rhodes

Gamer Handle: Angemaler

Currently Playing: Final Fantasy XIV on PC

I have been gaming…: all of my conscious life, and because of my age, was lucky to ride the gaming wave just as it was forming. My family had an Atari 2600 when I was quite young, and then my dad brought home the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) for Christmas in 1989. I was eight years old and we were living in Germany at the time, so that system became a very big part of our family entertainment. My love of gaming was something that I never “outgrew” as I became an adult, and my gaming passion is all thanks to my dad.

I love everything about gaming because it presents a story in which I can live and poses a challenge for me, either through the skill of jumping a platform, figuring out a puzzle, or satisfying the urge to collect all the things. My favorite games of all time usually have all these qualities.

Jamal Verity

Gamer Handles: Hotraad / Ninjamaal

Currently Playing: Overwatch; World of Warcraft: Classic; World of Warcraft: Shadowlands; Valorant; Among Us; Fall Guys; World War Z. I’m mostly a PC gamer and build my own rigs.

I have been gaming…: since 1979. I have always been a gamer. My first experience with video gaming was with an Intellivision game console, where I spent the whole summer at my friend’s house playing the baseball game. I also remember my mother sending me to the supermarket with $20 and allowing me to keep the change, which I would use to play the arcade games that were inside the store. I would work all week so that I would have money to spend many weekend nights hanging out with my friends at the local arcades until close.

I guess the competitive nature started brewing in me when I would try to top the high scores on each machine. And the better you were, the less coins you spent. I also began participating in fighting-game competitions and, once I enrolled in college, also started a Tecmo Bowl league where I organized football game competitions with folks in my dormitory.

Published date

December 15, 2020

News Type

Winter 2020

Hat Trick: Three sets of sibling teammates bring out the best of each other on the field

Felix and Guillermo Rosario-Acosta

Christopher and Connor Picciott

Aislinn and Lauren McGreal

Creamery churns to new heights during pandemic

The Making of Mo the Mustang: New mascot brings bolt of energy to campus life

Questions and Answers with Mo

What were the biggest factors in you choosing to attend ������Ƶ?

What are you most looking forward to during your first semester?

What is something unique that people may not know about you?

Under normal circumstances, how do you like to spend your free time?

What is a skill you'd like to learn and why?

What are you most proud of that you never have an opportunity to talk about?

What are your pet peeves?

Who do you most admire?

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?

What is your favorite: book; magazine; television show; movie; musical group/band/singer, etc.?

For the Love of Agriculture: Ag teacher cultivates a classroom and a community through dynamic lessons

Dairy drive-thru

Dairy drive-thru tallies

Nursing student stuck abroad for three months during pandemic adapts from a world away

The Frontman Drummer: Challenges paint opportunities for hearing impaired percussionist

College years

The beginning

Innovation and loyal customers are ingredients that feed chef's appetite

New College Competitors: As esports gains popularity, ������Ƶ jumps on board

Esports Viewership

Meet the Advisors

Angela Rhodes

Jamal Verity

What were the biggest factors in you choosing to attend ��Ƶ?

New College Competitors: As esports gains popularity, ��Ƶ jumps on board