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Editorial: Cuomo’s “Not Great” Embarrassment

Written By Editor on 8/23/18 | 8/23/18

In this Friday's edition of the Mountain Eagle.

You’ve seen the video by now. Governor Andrew Cuomo told a crowd that America wasn’t ever that great. The next day he backtracked and said the exact opposite. His primary opponent Cynthia Nixon said, “"I think this is just another example of Andrew Cuomo trying to figure out what a progressive sounds like and missing by a mile.” Republican nominee Marc Molinaro said “‘Inartful’ isn’t an apology, it’s a cop-out,”

I’m not going to spill a lot of ink refuting the Governor’s first statement, even though it’s one that I fervently disagree with. There’s plenty of state and national writers that could do so better than I could.

However, I would like to talk about the context of the Governor’s flubs. We don’t write a lot about national politics but Governor Cuomo has made it a point to be a prominent figure in our entire coverage area.

Governor Cuomo’s statement doesn’t make sense. However, it makes perfect sense that he would say it.

Andrew Cuomo is the embodiment of why America is great. Not because of his actions, but because of how the country has treated his family.

His father Mario was born to two Italian immigrants and grew up in Queens. He went to public school, then St. John's Law, and played in minor league baseball. In one generation, the United States took a poor son of immigrants, sent him to a private law school, made him governor, considered by Bill Clinton for the Supreme Court, and allowed him to flirt with the presidency several times.

Andrew grew up in the shadow of his father's political rise, attending the private Fordham University and Albany Law School. He founded a charity for the homeless, married (and divorced) the niece of President Kennedy (and daughter of Senator and likely-future-president Robert F. Kennedy), served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, NYS Attorney General, and now may win a third term as Governor. His brother is a prominent CNN anchor.

What other nation would allow such a rapid rise? For all of America’s faults, it provided the crucial backdrop for political success that Andrew Cuomo does not appreciate. He is a child of privilege and his 2018 statements are far from his immigrant grandparents’ small shop in Jamaica, Queens.

Power-- from the way he governs in Albany-- is a means to its own end rather than a way to improve public welfare. His waffling on just about every issue-- gay marriage, taxes, fracking, pipelines, the tax cap, and even the ethos of the United States show why he’s being challenged from the left by Cynthia Nixon for having no true political moorings and from the right by Marc Molinaro for acting in a way that earned him the popular Upstate moniker of “King Andrew.”

His father used a similar line of thinking in his keynote address supporting Walter Mondale in the 1984 Democratic National Convention. He jabbed at Ronald Reagan: “Mr. President you ought to know that this nation is more a "Tale of Two Cities" than it is just a "Shining City on a Hill.” The speech did as little good for Mondale as Andrew’s did last week. President Reagan carried 49 states compared to Mondale’s 1.

Politicians triangulate and pander from local boards to state houses and DC. That’s nothing new. It’s the cold political calculus that makes Governor Cuomo different. America is great-- and the Governor should start taking notes instead of potshots he thinks will get him applause.


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NEAC Conference Honors 43 Cobleskill Student-Athletes with Scholar-Athlete Awards

Written By Editor on 8/20/18 | 8/20/18

Cobleskill, N.Y. – The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) announced today that 43 SUNY Cobleskill student-athletes have been selected as recipients of the league's Scholar-Athlete Awards for the 2017-18 academic year. In order to be eligible for the award, recipients most have earned a 3.40 grade point average (GPA) or higher during the academic year. For the 2017-18 academic year, 890 student-athletes from the league's 14 full-member institutions and six associate member institutions received NEAC Scholar-Athlete honors representing 36 states, Puerto Rico and 15 different countries.

During the 2017-17, the 318 student-athletes in the Fighting Tigers program posted an overall GPA of 2.75 with 147 student-athletes earning over a 3.0 GPA for the year. This marks the most NEAC Scholar-Athlete Award honorees in program history since Cobleskill joined the conference in 2008.

"I am proud of our student-athletes for their efforts in the classroom and on the field of play," said SUNY Cobleskill Director of Athletics Marie Curran-Headley. “I am also proud of the direction and efforts our coaching staff has taken in finding and recruiting quality young people who are capable of such impressive success at the NCAA level of competition"
The 43 NEAC Scholar-Athlete Award honorees marks the most honored with the award in program history since the Fighting Tigers joined the conference in 2008.
SUNY COBLESKILL NORTH EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE 2017-18 SCHOLAR- ATHLETE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Daniel Beavers
Fr.
Cobleskill, N.Y.
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Matthew Blumer
Fr.
Jordan, N.Y.
Ag. Engineering
Caliber Bolt
Sr.
Castleton, N.Y.
Bio-Technology
Anthony Bouchard
Sr.
Wantagh, N.Y.
Renewable Energy
Jacob Bunker
Fr.
Broadalbin, N.Y.
Animal Science
Nate Carinci
Jr.
Oneida, N.Y.
Business Administration
Katie Clute
Sr.
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Wildlife Management
Gabrielle Danthine
Jr.
Sloansville, N.Y.
Business Administration
Sean Degnan
Jr.
Monroe, N.Y.
Information Technology
Mouhamed Diop
So.
Manhattan, N.Y.
Business Administration
Joseph Fitzgerald
Sr.
Washingtonville, N.Y.
Turfgrass Management
Alli Fortin
Fr.
Riverdale, N.Y.
Information Technology
Mike Girolamo
Jr.
Waverly, N.Y.
Culinary Arts
Jill Gordon
Fr.
Rockyhill, Conn.
Animal Science
Mary Greagan
Sr.
Selkirk, N.Y.
Wildlife Management
Will Griffin
So.
Schoharie, N.Y.
Accounting
Colin Hizny
Jr.
Endicott, N.Y.
Business Administration
Hannah Hoffman
Sr.
Troy, N.Y.
Sports Management
McKenzie Holbert
Jr.
Sauquoit, N.Y.
Early Childhood
Karyn Knaul
Fr.
Central Square, N.Y.
Early Childhood
Cody Latimer
Jr.
Maryville, N.Y.
Renewable Energy
Eric Lilland
Jr.
Saugerties, N.Y.
Psychology
Olivia Madison
So.
Sharon Springs, N.Y.
Social Sciences
Alexia Massaroni
Fr.
Worcester, N.Y.
Animal Science
Annelyse Matzinger
So.
Cogan Station, Pa
Wildlife Management
Ashley Maye
So.
Westport, N.Y.
Culinary Arts
Josh Mazur
Fr.
Terryville, Conn.
Business Administration
Ja'Quan McGill
Jr.
Brockport, N.Y.
Business Administration
Islam Mustafa
Sr.
Gloversville, N.Y.
Information Technology
Abigail O'Brien
So.
Stockton, N.Y.
Horticulture
Fred Peters
Fr.
Guilderland, N.Y.
Wildlife Management
Joslen Pettit
Sr.
Gloversville, N.Y.
Communications
Quinn Porter
Jr.
Ballston Spa, N.Y.
Animal Science
Emily Potter
So.
Fort Plain, N.Y.
Animal Science
Michelle Randall
Fr.
Mattapoisett, Mass.
Animal Science
Shannan Rooney
Fr.
Staten Island, N.Y.
Therapeutic Horsemanship
Jordan Spina
Jr.
Worcester, N.Y.
Business Administration
Stacey Sprague
So.
Grand Gorge, N.Y.
Business Administration
Samantha Springstead
So.
Staten Island, N.Y.
Animal Science
David Vosatka
Sr.
Schenevus, N.Y.
Business Administration
Cory Walton
Fr.
South Headley, Mass.
Business Administration
Katrina Weingarten
So.
Carlisle, N.Y.
Business Administration
Zach Wightman
Sr.
Kerhonkson, N.Y.
Horticulture

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SUNY Men's Cross Country Primed for Campaign

After the opening day of the SUNY Cobleskill’s men’s cross country team’s pre-season training camp, it was apparent that there were a number of new faces in the mix. After a 2017 campaign that saw the Fighting Tigers place third at the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Championships, post one invitational victory and record a pair of second place invitational; there appeared to be many questions about the 2018 season after the graduation and loss of nine lettermen.

With the departure of one of the program’s most successful classes the questions facing head coach Mitchell Tomaszkiewicz are numerous as he enters his 26th year at the helm of the program. But as usual the Fighting Tiger mentor has his own spin on the situation.

“At some point athletes are going to graduate and leave your program. That’s what they are supposed to do,” said Tomaszkiewicz. “Every year is different and this year we are most likely going to have to do more teaching and long term developmental work given our team’s composition than in recent past years. However the goal of contending for a NEAC Championship remains the one constant from year-to-year regardless of the rosters composition. This year is no exception.”

Leading the way for the Fighting Tigers this season will be junior Scott LeBoeuf, Rochdale, Mass., Leicester High School, who earned Third Team All-NEAC honors in 2017 and senior Josh Foust, West Sand Lake, N.Y., Averill Park High School, who will be looking to rebound from an injury plagued 2017 season after earning Third Team All-NEAC Team honorees and All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Team honors in 2016.

The recruiting class is highlighted by freshman Dillon VanDemortel, Newark, N.Y., Newark High School, a 2018 New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class B All-State honoree in track & field in the 3200-meters and a First Team All-NYSPHAA  Class B Section V honoree in Cross Country along with freshman Britton Cook, Corning, N.Y., Corning High School, a member of Corning High School’s NYSPHAA Class A State Championship team and freshman Nick Merando, Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., Walter Panas High School, who has shown promise in the early season workouts.

The Fighting Tigers will open the 2018 season on Saturday when they will host the Fighting Tiger Short Course Invite on the college’s cross country course beginning at 11:00 a.m.

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