The Hofstra Chronicle, October 11, 2022

CHRONICLE

KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935

Sen. Gillibrand holds town hall

first lady Hillary Clinton was appointed to be secretary of state.

Hofstra President Susan Poser introduced the senator and shared what it was like meeting her.

college campuses,” Poser said.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has served in Congress for 13 years.

By Ahjané Forbes NEWS EDITOR

Hofstra University opened its doors to the Long Island community on Thursday, Oct. 6, hosting the first town hall this year with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

Gillibrand, a New York native, was appointed to the Senate in Aug. 2009 after the seat was vacated when former

“Several months ago, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Sen. Gillibrand at her office in Washington, D.C.,” Poser said. “She was very generous with her time and impressed upon me her dedication to our state and to our country and doing the right thing.”

Poser highlighted issues that Gillibrand continuously advocates for and that students can relate to.

“Sen. Gillibrand is leading the fight to reform the justice system for sexual assault sur vivors in the military and on

Jeremyah Jones, a first-year law student, was born in New York but moved to Tennes see for 15 years. After coming back for law school, Jones decided to learn more about government officials in the state.

“I just wanted to see how she would answer questions,” Jones said.

Jones compared this town hall to the ones in the South.

“It was pretty rare in Tennes see to see that kind of fervor in town halls,” Jones said. “They’re usually a lot drier.”

Although Jones did not have a question for Gillibrand, he said it was beneficial to have the opportunity to listen to com munity members’ concerns

Hofstra’s iAM program collaborates with Nassau Community College

Media bias: Just another business rooted in profits

spins on real-life issues with the inten tion of increasing profits, only to leave their viewers with distorted outlooks on issues that are not inherently political.

companies profit from adver tisements and funding from organizations aligned with particular parties.

By Madeline Armstrong NEWS EDITOR

Since 2018, Hofstra has been offering a mentoring and scholarship program for STEM students who may be struggling academically or financially. The Integrated Achievement and Mentoring Program (iAM) is funded by the National Sci ence Foundation and is run by a group of Hofstra professors. This year, the iAM program will be collaborating with Nassau Community College.

recruitment from local high schools to target high-achieving students from low-income com munities.

“Students will be closely men tored, participate in a summer undergraduate research project, have access to an online tutor ing and assessment program in mathematics, attend academic and career workshops and, if financially eligible, receive NSF-funded scholarships,” Lee said.

In order to increase sales, prominent news outlets broadcast stories that align with the political parties of their viewers and sponsors.

By Makenzie Hurt

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Media bias is alive and well, and it’s being fueled by MSNBC and Fox News. Two of the biggest broadcasting stations are putting obvious

In the early 1900s, before the invention of the radio, paper boys would stand in the street yelling pro vocative news titles to increase sales.

In 2022, much of the same is being done by big media companies – bigger stories that align with political parties gather more streams, clicks and traffic. As a result, the

News stations have a spe cific way of delivering stories that do not make it blatantly obvious that they are present ing them with bias. The sta tions’ viewers alone show the direct impact that this essen tially subliminal bias has on us. According to researchers from Florida Atlantic Univer sity, Fox’s recurring viewers are around 93% Republicanaffiliated, while MSNBC’s are 95% Democrat-affiliated.

“[This is] for Pell-eligible stu dents who have been accepted into one of five STEM (Sci ence, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) AS degrees at Nassau Community College and plan to transfer to one of 25 STEM majors at Hofstra University,” said Jaqueline Lee, a biology professor at Nassau Community College and coprincipal investigator of the pro gram. “The program provides scholarship support, participa tion in a summer undergradu ate research project, support to accelerate math placement [and] membership in the iAM NCC-HU student club, as well as individualized course and program advisement, career and transfer mentoring and student support services.”

This process will begin with

Nassau Community College will welcome its first cohort of 12 students in summer 2023 and will continue accepting 12 additional students each year for five years.

The other co-principal in vestigator, Jessica Santangelo, a biology professor at Hofstra University, founded the original program that, up until now, fo cused solely on current Hofstra students. According to Santan gelo, the program has been very successful, with an 83% 4-year graduation rate.

“I am passionate about sup porting students who want STEM careers,” Santangelo said. “This is an excellent op portunity to do that.”

Rachel Lande, a sophomore political science major with a

Photo courtesy of Congress

Hofstra’s iAM program will be partnering with Nassau Community College to offer more opportunities to STEM students.

Photo courtesy of Desolora-Lanre Ologun

Photo courtesy of Jorge Maya

203 Student Center

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Editors-in-Chief

Melanie Haid

Drashti Mehta

Managing Editor

Gabby Varano

Business Manager

Robert Kinnaird

News Editor

Annemarie LePard

Assistant News Editors

Ahjané Forbes

Marjorie Rogers

Samantha Sivert

A&E Editors

Victoria Bell

Eleni Kothesakis

A&E Assistant Editor

Jacob Huller

Kat Salmon

Sports Editors

David Lazar

Anthony Roberts

Assistant Sports Editor

Mike Senatore

Features Editors

Betty Araya

Audra Nemirow

Assistant Features Editor

Micaela Erickson

Op-Ed Editors

Visvajit Sriramrajan

Jessica Zhang

Daniel Cody

Copy Chiefs

Elizabeth Turley

Odessa Stork

Assistant Copy Chiefs

Antonia Moffa

Julia Razzante

Multimedia Editors

Robert Kinnaird

Adam Flash

Talha Siddiqui

Social Media Team

Elizabeth Turley

Tori Licata

Tino Pattigno

Jack Brown

Anthony Roberts

Editor-at-Large

Sarah Emily Baum

Public Safety launches new app

By Ahjané Forbes NEWS EDITOR

After creating a new app to make Hofstra University safer, Hofstra Public Safety held a workshop with Student Access Services (SAS) on Monday, Oct. 10, to teach students how to use it. HofstraSafe, an app aimed to promote a push-button response to Public Safety, was launched on Sept. 28.

Public Safety’s goal was to connect with students. To do that, the campus security per sonnel had to move from their landlines and think mobile.

“We know that students re ally access information via the phone. That’s just the reality of it. So our thought was, ‘how do we meet them where they are?’ And we thought let’s get some information out on the phone, which is going to make them more comfortable,” said Geraldine Hart, associate vice president of Public Safety and

Community Engagement. “We met with representatives from Student Affairs who could sit with us and help us because we

support, Hofstra shuttle tracker and non-emergency resources.

The “share my trip” feature can send your location to a

and on campus,” Hart said. Ad ditionally, the feature tracks the entire route the user has taken.

Android and iPhone users can utilize the “Share My Loca tion” feature in the message or maps app on their phones. Its users can see the geographical location of their friend or family member when they are in an unsafe situation. Hart explained that HofstraSafe is one step ahead of the technology giants.

didn’t want to just make it what we think it should be, but really what the campus wants.”

The app, which is available to download in the App Store or Google Play Store, has nine key features: emergency numbers, mobile blue light, share my trip, safety tool kit, campus map, emergency plans, emergency

friend on campus to track you if you feel like you are unsafe.

To access this feature, you must be a Hofstra student with a 700 number. However, Public Safety says that you can send anyone your location via the text feature or the instant mes saging app Snapchat.

“You can use it off campus

“If anything happens along the way, [the person who is tracking your location] will be able to call Public Safety, which is different, and we’ll be noti fied immediately,” Hart said.

Many students agree that this was a good addition to the Hof stra Safe app, but at the same time, students feel like they for got to include some important features regarding students with disabilities.

iAM helps STEM students succeed

nine months now and hopes to attend law school and eventually open her own prac tice.

minor in chemistry, attributes much of her success in college thus far to Santangelo and the iAM program.

“I was blessed enough to have Dr. S. as my biology professor,” Lande said, “and she was one of the few professors who gave me hope for a better future with more opportunities than biology [or the] medical field.”

Lande’s perseverance and dedication caught the eye of Santangelo, and she was given the opportunity to apply for the iAM program. Lande has been a part of the program for

“I genuinely hope more kids who were in the same predica ment as me, lost as a freshman and even going through selfhatred for not [living] up to their expecta tions find a program like iAM mentoring and make it their obligation to keep fighting for themselves,” Lande said.

Nidia Mendoza, a senior biol ogy major, came across the iAM program her freshman year after taking a semester off.

“This program basically pulled me back into school [when] I didn’t think I would be able to come back to school,” Mendoza said. “If this program had not been here, I definitely would not be at Hofstra.”

Mendoza said that through the iAM program, she has been able to improve her note-taking and studying skills as well as learn about different career

paths within her chosen field –Mendoza wants to become an OB-GYN surgeon. According to Mendoza, the program provides a great deal of help to students who were high achieving in high school but are now strug gling academically, financially or personally in college.

“There’s always somebody there to help you,” Mendoza said. “It’s my lifesaver.”

Daniel DeButts, a junior biol ogy major, struggled academi cally before being accepted into the iAM program. When he entered the program, he had a 2.5 GPA and had failed exams. The following semester, with the program’s help, he was able to raise his GPA to 3.75.

“It allowed kids who were losing scholarships … who were showing a drop in grades suddenly, to give them an op portunity to get back on track,” DeButts said.

Now, DeButts is a mentor in the program, guiding new students who enter the iAM program.

“I help guide people who are new or confused or are not sure if they want to be in the pro

gram,” DeButts said. “I’ve had a couple of kids come to me just desperately confused and kind of out of their mind like I was.”

Some students who have been through the program say that it would be valuable if this pro gram was replicated for students in other majors.

“If we had more opportunities for different majors, that would be super helpful,” Mendoza said. “Everybody has some type of difficulty where they need that helping hand.”

Santangelo said that what she finds most inspiring is the perseverance students have and the way they flourish in their individual STEM careers.

“Students will be the pri mary beneficiaries of the deep involvement of both NCC and Hofstra faculty,” Lee said. “To gether, both institutions will re alize a new level of commitment in promoting STEM curriculum that will produce future leaders in these fields as part of the joint grant mission.”

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Public Safety

Photo courtesy of Jeswin Thomas

The Hofstra iAM program offers mentoring and scholarships for STEM students.

regarding issues they care about.

Many audience members voiced their concerns regarding the overturning of Roe v. Wade. One attendee told a story about her grandchildren and shared that one of her granddaughters suffered two ectopic pregnan cies.

Before answering the ques tion, Gillibrand explained how medical procedures like dilation and curettage (D&C) can be considered an abortion in some states and might have to go through the court. D&C is the removal of tissue in the uterine lining that is usually performed after a miscarriage, abortion, childbirth and/or unexplained bleeding, according to Repro ductive Facts.

“[What] I want to do, and what I hope everyone here does, is to be heard on the issue. We have the First Amendment, the

Hofstra hosts town hall with Sen. Gillibrand

right to free speech,” Gillibrand said.

Gillibrand acknowledged that people have the right to practice freedom of religion but urged that people should not impose their beliefs on someone making their own reproductive decisions.

“No matter what your per sonal views are, it is a matter of what your personal deci sion would be if you were in that situation,” Gillibrand said. “Lifesaving care needs to be available to women in this country. It’s a hard issue. It’s one we’re going to have to fight for and do it legislatively.”

Justice Clarence Thomas was nominated in July 1991 by former President George H. W. Bush to replace Justice Thur good Marshall, the first African American on the Supreme Court.

After Bush’s nomination, sexual harassment accusations surfaced from a former employ

ee of Thomas, Anita Hill. Hill worked at the Department of Education and Equal Employ ment Opportunity Commission. Thomas denied the claims and called the investigation “high tech lynching.” Thomas took the oath of office on Oct. 23, 1991.

Using Justice Thomas as an example for his question, Nicholas Issacs, a freshman po litical science major, asked Gil librand if there should be more consequences for appointed and elected officials when they lie in front of Congress.

“I think they were intentional. If this was a corporation, and this is a public filing, they’d be guilty of fraud. So I think they should be held accountable,” Gillibrand said. “Now, how do you hold the Supreme Court justice accountable? The only way you can do that is through impeachment, which would take [a lot of] time.”

The National Suicide Hotline

Designation Act of 2020 re quired the Federal Communica tions Commission to designate 988 as the universal number for mental health crises and suicide prevention.

In its full first month of operation after its instatement in July, data showed a 45% increase in calls, chats and text messages alongside an im provement in answer rates and response times in Aug. 2022 compared to Aug. 2021, accord ing to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Gillibrand, a co-sponsor of the senate bill, discussed the increased hotline usage.

“It’s devastating to know that you have a 45% increase in calls to the suicide prevention hotline. It’s a blessing that we have the hotline,” Gillibrand said. “If you see an increase that much, you know the need is even greater. That’s the part we have to just keep focus ing on – getting resources into

communities, helping our health care services [and] encouraging more people to go into therapy and go ... into medical fields because we desperately need more personnel.”

Gillibrand explained that the increase in calls could be a result of the pandemic.

“COVID-19 was not easy. It was very hard. It was very hard for students to be isolated like that, to miss some of their most important life moments like high school graduations, high school proms, high school field trips [and] college events. It re ally was hard,” Gillibrand said.

Other students reflect on the senator’s presence during the town hall.

“It’s a very concerning time,” Issacs said. “But I am at least comforted that we have people like Sen. Gillibrand who are going to try and fight for us in Congress.”

Law professor discusses how the U.S. lost the consitutional right to abortion

ment began with its roots in the Catholic church,” Ziegler said.

Bringing the religious com ponent to the issue, Ziegler stressed that the movement grew in the 1980s as it became part of the growing religious wing of the Republican party.

“In part, that was a marriage of convenience,” Ziegler said. “There were not a lot of other political options on the table.”

clear that fetal rights becoming a constitutional right was not viable, so the movement had to settle on making abortion unconstitutional.

came to overrule was Clarence Thomas [who] welcomed con frontation,” Ziegler said.

By Nana Phoebe Bjornestad

TO THE CHRONICLE

The annual Critical Spiri tualities lecture took place on Sept. 28, and was hosted by The Hofstra Department of Religion and the Cultural Center, which invited Mary Ziegler, Martin Luther King Jr. law professor

at the University of Califor nia, Davis, to discuss how the anti-abortion movement gained power to influence the Supreme Court and overturn Roe v. Wade and the future implications.

Ziegler discussed the antiabortion movement in the 1960s.

“The earlier abortion move

Then there was the issue of American culture changing with the early LGBTQ+ movement and no-fault divorce. Ziegler specified that the anti-abortion movement and religious right wing movement could not constitutionally do much about these issues, but Roe v. Wade was different. Accordingly, this began the fight to make fetal rights a constitutional right.

“The answer they came up with was the point of controlling the Supreme Court,” Ziegler said.

However, it soon became

Nevertheless, there were set backs in the 1990s. Ziegler gave a few examples, such as Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The public was still unprepared for the end of Roe v. Wade – leading part of the movement to believe that more work had to be done to sway public opinion.

“It was a shock to the prolife movement when the court refused to overrule Roe and preserve what it called the es sential holding of Roe, namely that there is a right to choose abortion before viability,” Ziegler said.

In regards to the Supreme Court, Ziegler stated that Justice Clarence Thomas was seen as a figure who did not care for public backlash.

“The best proxy for how the public would act when the time

With all of these factors, including the influence of super PACs, the relationship with the GOP and the packing of the court with justices that would be willing to overturn Roe v. Wade, Ziegler concluded that these all led to the overthrow of overturning Roe v. Wade when the court took on the case of the four week abortion law from Mississippi.

“It was not a surprise to me that the court ruled,” Ziegler said. “It was a surprise to me that the court overruled Roe v. Wade in the way it did.”

Reflecting on Ziegler’s pre sentation, one Hofstra student appreciated the historical and personal rhetoric.

“I have never heard this per spective from a lawyer. She did use emotion, but it is also such a

Mary Ziegler, Martin Luther King Jr. law professor at the University of California, Davis discussed how the U.S. lost the constitutional right to an abortion and its future implications.

Photo courtesy of Nana Phoebe Bjornestad

Implications of losing the right to an abortion

logical viewpoint,” said Sophia Marciana, a freshman English ma jor. “It was cool to hear that.”

After discussing the historical background, Ziegler asked attendees to consider what happens now since this constitutional right is gone. She proposed the idea that other consti tutional rights will be stripped, such as the Fourteenth Amendment that gave same-sex couples the right to marry.

“Samuel Alito and Brett Kavana ugh have tried to reassure the public that Roe was essentially the end of the road,” Ziegler said.

Ziegler’s lecture not only im pacted students but faculty members as well.

“I really value a kind of histori cal context that she put it in. That understanding really sheds light on the current court,” said Rosebud S. Elijah, the co-director of elementary education and an associate professor

of teaching, learning and technology programs department at Hofstra. “I value that. I thought that was very helpful for me.”

Although Ziegler gave examples of officials invading peoples’ privacy to gain data about when someone could be pregnant, she did express optimism for the future using Kansas’s rejection of an antiabortion amendment.

“I think what comes next, in a way, is going to be a stress test for democracy,” Ziegler said.

After hearing Ziegler speak about these issues within the country, a Hofstra student shared her advice to other students.

“I think its important to go out to these kind of things,” said Brooklyn Peterson, a freshman psychology major. “To learn about it, even if you have a strong opinion, it doesn’t even matter, just being educated on it is important.”

PSafe pushes for a safer community

“Having the location of different accessibility ramps and entrances into buildings would be important to have just so people would know how to get into them if they can’t use the regular doors,” said Brandon Gilmore, a graduate rehabilitation coun seling student. “Just to have a little extra addition so people know and make it easier to navigate around campus because it is just so big.”

Gilmore also added that Student Health Services should be more prominent on the app, saying that mental health is a big part of a stu dent’s safety.

“Your mental well being is so critical to your success when it comes to your educa tion and getting the most out of being here. I think it’s important to have that mental health aspect there,”

Public Safety Briefs

Gilmore said. “Being able to just go in and be like, ‘I want to schedule an appoint ment.’ And you can reach out to them right away instead of going through the website and [put in your] email. Be ing able to see what programs the counseling center is offering on any given day is beneficial as well.”

Right now, for emergen cies, the Mobile BlueLight will alert Public Safety of your exact location on cam pus. Hart explained that this feature will provide quicker responses to domestic dis putes.

“There’s no sign in, there’s no email address, you just tap [the bluelight],” Hart said. “That’s an automatic notifi cation to public safety. Your geolocation and a phone call comes into Public Safety. There’s a dedicated monitor out at the front desk, and that immediately alerts that some

body has activated it.”

Students expressed relief after the launch of this app.

“It’s really nice that the app is on its own [platform]; that will make me feel safer,” said Logan Wilbur, a freshman creative writing major. “It also is really reassuring that the school cares. Money, ef fort, time and care is put into keeping everyone safe.“

Although the app has been released, Hart says Public Safety is open to feedback to better serve the community.

“We’re always open to sug gestions. So if there’s some ideas that can improve the app, it’s an open and ongoing kind of living process,” Hart said.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the HofstraSafe app con tact Erika Schaus, assistant director of Public Safety at 516-463-5320.

-

On Sept. 29, at 1:20 p.m., a Hofstra University employee reported to PS that they witnessed two commuter students allowing a non-student entry into the fitness center. The non-student was escorted to the HIC and banned from campus.

On Sept. 30, at 12:32 a.m., PS observed graffiti on a dumpster next to Butler Annex while on routine patrol. The plant department was notified.

west parking lot overnight and discovered damage to the rear bumper upon returning to their vehicle. Police assistance was declined at the time.

On Oct. 2, at 2:25 p.m., the fire alarm in the Graduate Residence Hall was activated due to a smoke detector. The building was evacuated, and the situation was corrected.

On Sept. 29, at 8:06 a.m., the fire alarm in Bill of Rights Hall was activated due to hair care products. The building was evacuated, the fire alarm was reset and the situation was corrected.

On Sept. 29, at 10 p.m., a vehicle driven by a commuter student collided with a vehicle driven by another commuter student while traveling westbound on Hempstead Turnpike between California Avenue and Oak Street. Both vehicles were damaged, but no injuries were reported. The NCPD responded and took a report.

On Sept. 30, at 3:10 p.m., a Compass employee who was backing their vehicle into a parking spot at the Colonial Square Roadway struck a parked vehicle belonging to a nonstudent. Police assistance was declined at the time.

On Oct. 1, at 1:30 p.m., a Hofstra University student reported to PS that they had parked their vehicle in the Colonial Square

Compiled by Megan Naftali

Hofstra

NCPD

Nassau County Police Department

Chron Critiques: Thomas’s Ham & Eggery

By Julian Rocha FEATURES EDITOR

Growing up in Virginia, if I wanted a fast and friendly breakfast experience, my only real option was Waffle House, which is somewhat of a dietary stunt of its own.

I had spent some time on Long Island during the summer growing up, but up until coming to college, I hardly knew anything about the diners in the area.

Since coming to Hofstra, Thomas’s Ham & Eggery has been my go-to weekend breakfast spot, so I was devastated when the diner closed temporarily due to an electrical fire at the start of the semester. However, it recently reopened, and I had the opportunity to revisit the diner, which was just as great as I had remembered.

My first time eating at Thomas’s Ham & Eggery took place during the fall of 2020, when indoor dining was a rare occurrence. At the time, the diner was nearly empty, and the employees were very cognizant of the COVID-19 measures, seating us at a safe distance from the other patrons.

The excellent service was reflected in the efficiency of the food, which the server brought out seemingly moments after we placed our orders.

When I visited Thomas’s during its reopening weekend, I began to realize that the diner really is not equipped for long waits, with a waiting area about half the size of my dorm room. However, the long lines are

a testament to how great the restaurant is, and it was nice to see so many people eagerly waiting to eat there again. As with most diners, the wait went by reasonably quickly, with text notifications providing updates on how long to wait.

Just about every time I go to Thomas’s, I order the same meal:

the Nova Scotia lox with eggs and onions. It is certainly a very hearty meal and leaves me ready for a nap every time I have it.

A frequent frustration I have with quick-service restaurants is that their food is often stom ach-churning, but with Thomas’s, this is not the case.

Compared to other breakfast

restaurants, the ingredients are very fresh and the building itself is relatively clean. Sure, they could use a dash more seasoning in their food, but it is always cooked properly and can be brought to life with a light amount of hot sauce.

Although I stick to the same meal each time, I always consid

er the other breakfast items on the menu, such as the frittatas, French toast and freshly baked pastries.

If you aren’t looking for breakfast food, Thomas’s is the type of establishment where instead of people watching, I find myself gawking at everything that comes out of the kitchen, each meal presented on a shiny silver skillet.

Stepping into the diner is like stepping into someone’s home, with cute artwork on the walls and old-school mu sic adding more voices to an already cheerful atmosphere.

Even though the employ ees work hard to keep the food and customers flowing quickly, they take the time to converse with everyone, en suring a satisfying and mem orable dining experience.

The past few times at Thom as’s, I’ve found myself deep in conversation with other patrons, many of whom have been eating there since before I was born.

Thomas’s Ham & Eggery is a great place to be on a weekend morning for a hot and tasty meal.

A staple of Long Island for over 75 years, it has kept a steady crowd with its quality food, quick service and family-friendly atmosphere. Having survived COVID-19 and the recent fire, its popularity has shown no signs of slowing down. Although it’s not the easiest to get to without a car, it is well worth the trip and a great diner to bring guests from out of town to.

“I find myself gawking at everything that comes out of the kitchen, each meal presented on a shiny silver skillet.”

Photo courtesy of Thomas’s Ham & Eggery

Chron Critiques: Gino’s Pizza

By Julian Rocha

EDITOR

Oftentimes, the best restaurants are the ones you don’t plan on going to.

On my roommate’s birthday, we drove around in search of a place to eat dinner, to no avail. As a last resort, we searched around on Google Maps, which led us to Gino’s Pizza.

From the outside, the restaurant is rather unassuming, tucked away next to a massive grocery store in a quiet neighborhood. At first, we were unsure if the restaurant was even open, because the interior cannot be seen from the street. However, when we walked in, it became clear that the restaurant was open and eager to serve customers.

The interior of the restaurant looks like a classic East Coast pizza joint, with sports playing on the television in the corner and hard chairs crowd ed around the tables.

At the counter, a long glass window displays the various slices, some of which are even topped with lettuce and salad dressing. Of course, they also offer the stan dard cheese and pepperoni slices, but it is nice to see a more tradi tional pizza restaurant step out a bit with their offerings. Further down the counter, an industrial sized bowl of garlic knots tempts customers as they order from the menu, which is very extensive itself.

Behind the counter, you can

see other positive reviews left in newspapers, dating back many years. The quality of the restau rant has remained consistent and the employees give patrons many reasons to keep coming back.

As with most other count er-service Italian restaurants, the menu is long enough that I found myself debating a handful of entrees.

If someone wanted to order an appetizer, they could choose from an assortment of carbs, soups and salads, with customi

zation available for many items.

For the main dish, options in clude the typical pizza, pasta and sandwiches, as well as various forms of meat and seafood.

Although the menu was very long, and my eyes were bouncing around it like pinballs, I decided on the classic baked ziti. Most of my friends ordered slices of pizza, so the employees put them all in the oven at once, ensuring we would not have to wait too long for our food.

The laid-back atmosphere of

the restaurant was conducive for conversation, so we literally and metaphorically broke bread around the table. The bread was piping hot, and it was all I needed to hold me over for the time being.

When our food arrived, we dug right into it, with the presentation of the food making my mouth water. The ziti had the perfect concentration of noodles, cheese and sauce, making each bite just as satisfying as the last.

Throughout the hour or so that

my friends and I were in the restau rant, the employees went above and beyond to ensure we were satisfied, repeatedly filling our bread basket and bringing our food out very quickly. Given that there were very few other patrons in the restaurant, the service was fast er than any other Italian restaurant I have been to. Even on a busier night, I would imagine that the service would be top tier.

From the counter, customers can see right into the kitch en, where the cooks have a very efficient manner of commu nicating with each other and plating the food.

One criticism I do have for Gino’s Pizza is that the food is somewhat expensive.

The portion sizes are by no means skimpy, but for the price point, I’ve had more substan tial meals. However, the food is very tasty, and the service is great, so I left feeling satisfied.

Gino’s Pizza is a great restau rant with friendly staff and ample portion sizes. Its menu offers some exciting options, but it still has many of the classics that peo ple love from Italian restaurants.

Although not super close to campus, if you find yourself in West Hempstead, definitely give it a try if you are in search of quality Italian food in a laid-back space.

Julian Rocha / The Hofstra Chronicle

“Gino’s Pizza is a great restaurant with friendly staff and ample portion sizes.”

M AN ON THE U NISPAN

O verheard Oat h O hfstra fstra

By Julian Rocha and Ethan Albin

EDITOR

EDITOR

“I’m excited over holes.”

“It would be romantic as hell if we got into a car accident.”

“I am kinda like a squirrel, but not sexually.”

“I want to die promptly at fifty.”

“It’s gonna be me, my heating pad and Jeffrey Dahmer.”

“Grab that golden rod you’re following to heav en, and shove it up your ass.”

“Since I’m a U-Haul lesbian stuck in a trans man, we bought a snake together.”

“I want to see colors like a mantis peacock shrimp.”

“Use your wagon to box him out.”

“Not to be a Debbie Downer, but he was never that into you.”

What is your favorite place on campus?

“The library, because it has good views and it is quiet.”

- Julia Messina, sophomore

“The second floor of the library, because it is a good study spot.”

- Sam Dennis, junior

“The place outside the Mack Arena with the water, the seats and the cats. It’s perfect.”

- Leo Rose, junior

Chron Cooks ft. Anna DeGoede: Oreo Brownie Trifle

By Anna DeGoede MANAGING EDITOR

In my family, every time someone has a birthday, they’re allowed to pick the dessert item they want to top off the evening. However, I’ve recently strayed away from the norm and branched off into trifles. These multilayered desserts are a great way to combine many spectacular dessert genres into one delicious treat. We tried this trifle over the summer for my birthday. It’s very, very sweet but also quite customizable. For a more personalized take on this dessert, you can vary the pudding and Oreo flavors – I chose mint Oreos, Oreo pudding and Funfetti brownies. Recipe adapted from Culinary Hill.

Ingredients:

Brownie mix:

1 (20 ounce ) package brownie mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon water

Pudding mix:

1 3.5 ounce package instant pudding mix of choice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup water

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

For the trifle:

1 16 ounce container frozen whipped cream thawed, divided 12 Oreos, crumbled

Instructions:

1. Follow the instructions on the brownie box to bake the brownies, then let cool and cut into one-inch squares.

2. Mix the pudding mix, vanilla, water and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl un til smooth. Then, fold in half of the whipped cream until combined.

3. In a trifle bowl or large serving dish, place half of each component (brownies, pudding and re maining whipped cream) in layers. Repeat one more layer, then garnish with crumbled Oreo cookies.

4. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serv ing.

Anna DeGoede/The Hofstra Chronicle

‘The Wolves’ packs a punch

The Hofstra Department of Drama and Dance’s first production of the semester, “The Wolves,” written by Sarah DeLappe and directed by associate professor Christopher Dippel, began its run on Friday, Oct. 7.

The show, which revolves around nine teenage girls on an indoor soccer team and how they navigate conversations about social class and other controver sial topics, is presented in the round to allow for more dynamic movement on the actors’ parts and immerse the audience in the setting.

The Wolves will be performed again at 8 p.m. on Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 20-22, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23.

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Quick Hits‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is a spell of nostalgia gone wrong

By Aidan Judge ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Sequels to classic films have become a stable trend in Hollywood over the last few decades and, in some cases, have seen great success.

Recently, “Top Gun: Maverick” became the most successful film of the year, earning over $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office, accord ing to Box Office Mojo, proving that sequels to classic films are not all bad and can even bring in new fans of the franchise.

Disney+’s “Hocus Pocus 2,” however, takes a leap of faith by trying to recreate the energy of the 1993 classic “Hocus Pocus,” and it fails miserably.

The film, which streamed exclusively on Disney+ on Sept. 30, serves essentially as a modern retelling of the story of the Sanderson sisters, three witches from Salem, Massachusetts, who were banished but revived by the infamous black flame candle after hundreds of years.

Calling the movie a “sequel” to the original feels like a stretch, since there isn’t any originality to set it apart from the first film at

all; it’s a rehash of its spookier, more entertaining sister film –and not a very enjoyable one at that.

The lead characters, teen age Salem natives Becca (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), find themselves celebrating Becca’s 16th birth day, which happens to be on Halloween. Becca receives the black flame candle as a gift, and when she lights the candle under the full moon, the Sanderson sisters come alive once again.

Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler), Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy) all

do an excellent job of reprising their roles from the original film, cementing themselves as one of the only bright spots in the sequel production.

It is nice to see the original magic of the Halloween classic live on through the kooky, colorful costumes and voices of the Sanderson sisters, but outside of the reprisal of those roles, the film doesn’t have much substance.

The biggest problem is the plot and the script. Not only is the plot uninteresting for a majority of the movie, with the ending as really the only eyecatching moment, and one could argue that even that is corny and cliché, but the attempted humor and light-heartedness of the film comes off as awkward, forced and just flat-out unfunny.

At the start of the movie, there is an unnecessarily long sequence of the Sanderson sisters running through a Walgreens, which is one of the film’s attempts at the sisters trying to fit into a modern

society and learning about things such as skin care, which they were told is possessed by the spirits of children.

The sequence is a great exam ple of the poor humor imple mented in the script and comes off as more of a plug for brand deals (Sarah Sanderson uses a Swiffer as her new riding broom, for example), rather than just let ting the lead actresses take over the screen and work the magic that they did in the original.

If anyone is looking for a Halloween movie to throw on in the background in between trickor-treaters, then save “Hocus Pocus 2” for that. Otherwise, it is not a film worth investing the nearly two-hour runtime into, especially if you want to launch yourself into the Halloween spirit. Another classic like “Halloweentown” works per fectly instead.

The plot is bland, the jokes are corny and the magic of the origi nal is just not there. Although it is nice to see these classic char acters back on the screen, the end product was not worth the wait.

Måneskin lets out all the angst in new single ‘THE LONELIEST’

By Kat Salmon ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

In 2021, Italian rock band Måneskin took the world by storm as they won Eurovision with their hit “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE.” They are still causing a stir in 2022, as they have released new music, head lined Lollapalooza, were featured on a movie soundtrack and will tour North America toward the end of the year. On Friday, Oct. 7, the band released their new single “THE LONELIEST” after teasing the song on social media for several weeks.

This is a new sound for the band, as it is the most emotional English song they have released since gaining popularity. Lead singer Damiano David delivers the lyrics in a haunting, beautiful manner.

The rest of the band does a phenomenal job delivering angst through their respective instru ments. Toward the end of the

song, there is a guitar solo that will leave listeners absolutely speechless. It will be an experi ence to hear the song performed live – will it still hold the same emotion?

The song itself is about anticipating deeply miss ing someone you love.

David per fectly demon strates this in the beginning of the chorus when he sings, “You’ll be the saddest part of me / A part of me that will never be mine / It’s obvious / Tonight is gonna be the loneliest.” This person will never be his, and he has to live with that for the rest of his life, which can feel like mental torture.

“THE LONELIEST” is the

type of song you put on when you are feeling a bit depressed and missing someone. Whether that person is a friend, family member or past relation ship, they are not in your life anymore. It may even help you feel better to just go in your car, put on this song and turn the volume all the way up.

You could also just listen to it on a dark and gloomy day, which are becoming more fre quent as the weather gets colder and the leaves are falling off their branches. The lyric video released alongside the song even

features the band walking in a funeral procession on a rainy day.

In an Instagram post follow ing the song’s release, the band said, “OUR NEW SINGLE THE LONELIEST IS OUT NOW! We had the chance to play it for the first time yesterday night in London and it’s been quite emo tional. THANKS LDN, we love you!!!” This song is very special to Måneskin, and you can see that through the teasing weeks before the release and their cur rent excitement.

There has been no clear indica tion if this single will appear on the band’s next album, but one can only hope that it will. As fans anxiously wait for more new music, the song can be listened to on any streaming platform and purchased for digital download.

If you want to see Måneskin in concert, the band will perform in New York this December.

Courtesy of NPR

Courtesy of TV Guide

Courtesy of Popsugar

Country singer Loretta Lynn passed away at 90 on Tuesday, Oct. 4.

“Teen Wolf: The Movie” will premiere on Jan. 23, 2023, on Paramount+.

Taylor Swift announced the tracklist for her upcoming album “Midnights” on Friday, Oct. 7.

Singer Rex Orange County has been accused of sexually assaulting an English woman.

Courtesy of Vulture

The film has a 61% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Courtesy of GQ

Harry Styles had to postpone his concert on Thursday, Oct. 6, due to an illness in his touring party.

The music video for the song

Photo courtesy of NME

Photo courtesy of Vanity Fair

By Alexis Friedman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“Derry Girls,” one of the best comedies of the decade, writ ten and created by Lisa McGee, aired its final season on Netflix on Friday, Oct. 7. After broadcast ing the third and final season of the series on Channel 4 in March to the United Kingdom, “Derry Girls” returned to U.S. viewers on Netflix one last time. The show concludes its nineteen-episode run while taking on the political trauma of the Troubles in Lon donderry, Northern Ireland, from a teenage point of view.

“Derry Girls” captures the heart and soul of five teenagers grow ing up in the decade of the 1990s while the Troubles were cooling off, and peace was in sight.

McGee drew from personal experience when drafting the characters, especially Erin Quinn, played by Saoirse Monica-Jack son, an aspiring writer similar to McGee as a teen. Monica-Jackson is joined by Nicola Coughlan, Louisa Harland, Jamie-Lee

Sláinte, ‘Derry Girls!’

O’Donnell and Dylan Llewellyn as her closest friends through out the show. The lives of their parents are followed as well, giving very good insight into the characters’ deci sions and situa tions throughout the course of the show.

The third and final season of “Derry Girls” was the only one to include a seventh episode, which ran 23 minutes longer than the standard 25-min ute episodes this season. It began less politically minded than the previous two seasons but con cluded with eyes toward Northern Ireland’s peaceful future with the Good Friday Agreement being voted on.

The dialogue is incredibly well written, with no letter wasted, but

may be difficult for viewers not already familiar with the show or Northern Irish slang. Words like ach, cracker, dicko, eejit, ride, shite the tights and wee buns are

thought-provoking and exciting show for viewers.

The genius of the conclusion to the “Derry Girls” series altogether lies in the comedic genius, slap stick writing and performance of each line written.

of day-to-day teenage life and familial troubles.

frequently used in the best ways.

In addition to McGee’s cre ative genius of a script, the cast expands to include cameos by Liam Neeson and Chelsea Clin ton, creating an even more funny,

Each and every character has their own unique timing and facial expressions that truly make the show the most un-“fecking”believably funny thing you can ever watch. This season beautifully highlighted the attention to detail by the creative team and cast, pro nounced in every minute of the 200-minute season.

Despite its largely political tone, the heart of “Derry Girls” is the story of family and friend ship shared among the primary cast through their ups and downs

At times, the issues characters have may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, but that is what truly encapsulates the show as one representing the teenage lives of Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle and James.

The teenage revolutionary essence of “Derry Girls” and review of the Troubles from a teenage perspective is captured perfectly in the fifth episode, “The Reunion,” by a quote from Erin’s ma, Mary, as a young girl.

“Our whole lives we’ve been told what we can do, what we can wear, where we can go, who we can talk to,” she tells her friends in a make-or-break moment at their high school dance. “We’re told who we are and what we believe in. It’s all curfews and barricades and roadblocks and rosaries. For once, let’s do some thing purely because we want to do it. This is our revolution!”

‘Andor’: A look into what ‘Star Wars’ could be

By Mac Sykes STAFF WRITER

On Sept. 21, “Andor,” a new original “Star Wars” series, pre miered exclusively on Disney+.

First announced in Nov. 2017 as part of a slew of shows within the “Star Wars” mythos, the show is a prequel to “Rogue One,” a film set before the original 1977 “Star Wars.” By Nov. 2018, Diego Luna was confirmed to be repris ing his role of Cassian Andor from the movie, as the series was to focus on his character’s origins.

The series is set five years before the events of “Rogue One” and opens with Andor, a refugee whose home planet was destroyed by the Empire many years ago, on a search for his long-lost sister.

In its three-episode premiere, the show diverted expectations. While many expected an actionpacked, non-stop thrill ride similar to its film counterpart, the story is slower-paced and about everyday working people. The

show gives viewers a look into a side of “Star Wars” that hasn’t been explored much before.

The leads aren’t intelligent Jedi nor are they evil military officials on a quest for ultimate power. Instead, the show discusses civil ians just going day by day and suffering through bad times, while including undertones of sociopo litical themes that are reminiscent of issues in our world today.

This series captures the human side of “Star Wars” at its best, and the franchise is given a fresh take with this presentation. In this sense, it’s perhaps the most realistic take.

The series is not without flaws, however. This characterdriven take is, without a doubt, melodramatic. At times, it is an excruciatingly slow-paced series that doesn’t know where to go with itself, especially after the first three episodes that kick off the story. It was wise of Disney+ to premiere the release of the first

three episodes together, as they form a complete hour and a half story. If this was not the case and audiences were only given the first episode, there may have been more negative reception, as the first episode alone surprisingly does not tell a full story at all.

Disney+ should have continued releasing three episodes at once for the entire season overall.

Another fatal flaw, similar to its sequel “Rogue One,” is under developed and non-interesting characters. The exception might be Andor, as viewers learn of his origin with various flashbacks in the first three episodes. By the fourth and fifth episodes, how ever, he is given nothing to do and feels like a side character with actions and events completely out of his control.

Beyond these flashbacks, view ers are given nothing new that they don’t already know about him from “Rogue One.” He’s a gunslinger, a rebel and a man

fighting for good – nothing else but that. Characters do not have to be completely formed by the end of a show’s first episodes, but viewers should at least have a rough idea of who they are and what will make them change.

The lead of “Andor” feels exactly like the same man he will grow to be in “Rogue One.” The enemies are two-dimensional, cliché characters trying to rise through the ranks and are noth ing more than whiners who are devoid of what made villains such as Darth Vader or Emperor Palpatine so memorable and intimidating.

None of the characters keep viewers engaged.

The conversations that they have don’t advance the series further and only serve to throw in a

few Easter eggs for hardcore fans.

“Andor” gives a unique perspective of the “Star Wars” world by detaching it from the rest of the franchise and making it have little to do with the overall universe of stories. However, it fails in every way to capture the attention of audiences and keep them compelled to watch due to underdeveloped characters and incomplete plotlines that are dragged out unnecessarily.

Nicola Coughlan also stars in Netflix’s “Bridgerton” as Penelope Featherington.

Photo courtesy of Mashable

Photo courtesy of Variety

Michael Vey returns to battle the Elite

electric abilities, a by-product of a new machine which affected them in their mothers’ wombs. Togeth er, they used their combined abili ties, as well as the help of several close Nonels (regular humans), to beat Dr. Hatch and his company, the Elgen, or so they thought.

The continuance of the series starts three years after the death of Dr. Hatch and the breakdown of the Elgen. The Elgen has turned into Veytric and is now run by Michael’s father, who was thought to be long dead but turns out to be very much alive and well.

only one that seems to have kidnapped Jack and Tara are the Chasqui, a group hidden in Puerto Maldonado, Peru. Another elec tric member of the Electroclan is also missing, but there are no leads of her whereabouts.

By Alexandra Kline STAFF WRITER

Veyniacs (Michael Vey fans) were surprised by author Richard Paul Evans when he released the eighth book in the Michael Vey series, “Michael Vey: The Para site,” on Sept. 27.

The series was thought to have ended with its climactic seventh book, which concluded the long

battle of the Electroclan against the sinister Dr. Hatch with his timely death.

The series followed the Electro clan, a group led by Michael Vey, as they tried to stop Dr. Hatch from using them and others to take over the world and create his own empire.

The special thing about Michael and the 16 other children like him is that they all have some special

It is not until the disappearance of Jack, a Nonel and close friend to all of the Electroclan, and the disappearance of Tara, an electric and Taylor’s twin sister (Taylor is Michael’s girlfriend and also an electric), that it becomes apparent that something left behind by the Elgen is hunting them down.

The Elite Guards of the Elgen were a separate entity from the Elgen and Dr. Hatch, so when Hatch died, they did not. There are three Elite groups, but the

One of the funniest characters, Zeus (whose powers are the abil ity to shoot lightning bolts from his hands, obviously), brings the most comic relief to the novel with his hilarious jokes that are not always appropriate for the moment. For example, waiting for the arrival of some close friends at a landing strip as they run for their lives from the Chasqui does not seem to be the moment to think about how funny it would be if a drug lord’s plane landed instead.

One of the greatest things about the novel is the character Ostin. He is a junior at Caltech, and he is so smart that he is bored at school. Throughout all of the books, he seems to know every thing necessary to escape captors and cells, create attack plans, thwart the plans of their enemies

or just give the characters and the reader a random tidbit that both puts a smile on the reader’s face and makes them shake their head at the same time. His character is a Nonel, but he makes up for it with his incredible intellect. There is no “Michael Vey” novel without him.

The best part about the new est novel is how Evans allows all Veyniacs to see the ways in which their favorite characters have grown into themselves as people from the last time they were seen at the end of the seventh novel. It provides a fulfillment for all read ers and continues an amazing and must-read series.

The entire “Michael Vey” series is filled with action, adventure, stakes, humor and a little romance in between. It is an incredible fantasy novel series for any fan of the genre.

Read “Michael Vey: The Parasite” now to see how Michael and the Electroclan plan to defeat their new enemies, the Elite!

‘Monster: the Jeffrey Dahmer’ story becomes popular Netflix series

By Osheen Yadev SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” is currently the highest trending American TV show on Netflix, with 10 episodes released in late September. It has already drawn a vast audience base, with around 196.2 million watched hours.

It’s an American crime and horror story created by Ryan Murphy, starring Evan Peters as the notorious serial killer.

Rather than focusing on Dahmer, the series investigates the racial injustices and police incom petence that allowed his heinous acts to continue for as long as they did.

The storyline is based mainly on facts, emphasizing well-known details about Dahmer’s troubled childhood, his long-held fasci nation with death, his extreme loneliness and the things he did in the hopes of keeping his victims close, even after death.

The story jumps around in time,

between Dahmer’s childhood, his adolescence, young adulthood, and present day.

Fans of the show get a glimpse of Dahmer’s life in each episode: everything from his parents’ marital strife to his mother’s mental health issues, along with his difficulties fitting in and overall abandonment issues. Niecy Nash por trays Dahmer’s neighbor, Glenda Cleveland, who many admirably regard as a hero.

The storyline makes it clear to viewers what factors might have led Dahmer down his path. In one flashback scene, Jeff’s father, Lionel Dahmer (Richard Jenkins), is overjoyed when his son expresses an interest in studying roadkill. He believes his son wants a career in science, the field in which Lionel himself worked. His joy is offset by the knowledge that it was a clear sign

of Dahmer’s future homicidal tendencies, and his father misread these signs.

In another scene, Lionel mentions all of the medications

scenes, such as when police say a young Black accuser shouldn’t judge Dahmer based on prior arrests because “he knows how it is” (even though the young Black man in question had never before been arrested and rightfully resented the assumption), or when a judge shows no sympathy for the father of Dahmer’s victim Konerak Sinthasomphone’s (Kieran Tamondong), implying that he simply can’t understand him through his tears and thick Laotian accent.

Sinthasomphone, drugged and bleeding in the street. Instead of investigating the situation, such as checking Sinthasomphone’s identification and Dahmer’s previ ous record, the officers believed Dahmer’s story that the 14-yearold boy was his 19-year-old boy friend who had too much to drink. Dahmer went on to murder the boy and five other people before being reported by others and even tually apprehended. The people who reported him were bothered by the smells and noises.

Dahmer’s mother’s took while pregnant with him, implying that they may have altered his brain chemistry somehow.

The overt racism of the time is emphasized by several upsetting

The story’s most sig nificant focus is on police incompetence. Police officers frequently dis miss allegations against a young white male made by young Black men and women such as Cleveland.

The most shocking scene occurs when Cleveland’s daugh ter and niece call the cops after discovering an escaped victim,

After stretching out the story over 10 episodes, the ending falls short of providing satisfying closure. The information cards at the end of most true-crime series are one of the things fans look forward to the most. They indicate where various players are today and what has happened since.

If you like true crime and are fascinated by serial killers, you shouldn’t wait to watch this show.

Richard Paul Evans has been publishing books since the 1990s.

Photo courtesy of NME

Evan Peters and Ryan Murphy have collaborated in multiple projects together.

Photo courtesy of Michael Vey Fandom

Hofstra should allow pets in the dorms

By Ethan Albin

Disclaimer: I would like to recognize that some students al ready have animals on campus, usually in the form of a service dog or emotional support ani mal. I want to be clear that I’m not saying these students have special privileges. Their animals are there to assist their owners with everyday tasks and should not be seen in the same manner as everyday pets.

A new study has emerged which found that petting a dog increases brain activity. This got me thinking about what this would look like for students who reside in Hofstra’s dorms. We live high-stress lives as we split our time between academ ics, extracurriculars, work and our social lives. This begs the question, would allowing stu dents to have pets in the dorms be beneficial?

Obviously, allowing pets on campus would add another responsibility to a plate already full of classes and extracur riculars. These pets are living creatures who require food, water and attention, which is something that some students potentially wouldn’t take the time to indulge. But a pet’s needs are similar to our own.

Humans need to move around, eat and drink, as well as be cared for. We share many of the same needs as pets; if we can take care of ourselves, then pets shouldn’t be a challenge.

Another concern could be where the pets would stay; some would argue that our dorms don’t have enough space for them. Animals do require a certain amount of space accord ing to the Humane Society. The Animal Welfare Act requires that pets have enough space to move around, lie down and

sit or stand comfortably. This is usually done by providing a dog bed or crate that gives the animal their own personal space. Pets need somewhere to lie down, eat and play; some dorm rooms wouldn’t be able to handle both a student and a pet.

However, several large schools have established petfriendly dorms without issue,

“A furry companion would help relieve the stress of college life.”

ken, up to date on vaccinations and registered with the school or residential life.

so why can’t Hofstra? Some may object to living with pets due to allergies or discomfort with animals, and that’s fine. The schools that allow pets on campus have procedures for this; for example, they may require the pet to be housebro

A furry companion would help relieve the stress of col lege life. This is the same reason why the school brings in therapy dogs around finals to help soothe the burden of cramming and studying. Why can’t students bring their own pets to help them unwind? It would aid students in their battle against mental and physi cal health struggles. This stress relief wouldn’t be something that students need to wait for or coordinate, they would just have a pet on campus that they could relax with. These animals would also help their owners get out side. It’s become common for students to turn into hermits once school begins, meaning they rarely see the outdoors. This is detrimental to student mental health, as it can lead to

the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Owning a pet would be something that forces students outdoors, as pets need to use the restroom and expel energy throughout the day.

Walking or playing with your pet would be an easy way to destress while simultaneously getting outdoors, both of which are recommended for students to improve their mental health. Hopefully having pets on campus becomes an option for students. A cat or a pup to assist students in stress management and to teach some responsibility is something the school should support.

Ethan Albin is a sophomore journal ism major and the editor of the Opinion section. He can be found on Instagram @ethanalb.

Media bias: Just another business rooted in profits

CONTINUED FROM A1

If you were to put MSNBC and Fox News on simultane ously, you would immediately pick up on the fact that they run the same stories at the same time with completely different headlines that serve their politi cal agendas accordingly.

Search “Joe Biden” on both MSNBC and Fox News’ websites, and the first headlines are drastically different. One of MSNBC’s is “Joe Biden: This is an open book, there is noth ing for me to hide” and one of Fox’s is “Biden’s Bizarre ‘Where’s Jackie?’ episode cause for alarm, Republicans say ‘Diminished capacity.’”

Without knowing each sta tion’s political affiliations, which party would you put them in based on the head lines? These stations know exactly what their specific au diences want to read and cater to their general opinions solely with the intention of increas ing profits, not just spreading information.

Fox viewers will keep going back to Fox, and MSNBC viewers will keep going back to MSNBC. If you are only looking at issues through one lens, you are essentially liv ing in an echo chamber that doesn’t allow you to hear other opinions and facts.

There are three sides to every

story: side one, side two and the truth. Am I saying that you completely stop watching and reading everything that comes from Fox or MSNBC? Abso lutely not. In fact, it can be beneficial to view them – along with other networks. However, taking one side as the truth and

“Search ‘Joe Biden’ on both MSNBC and Fox News’ websites, and the first headlines are drasti cally different.”

running with it causes prob lems for healthy, productive discussions.

The current political division and outright animosity toward those who identify themselves in different parties are a result of media bias. Not to mention, Americans continuing to fight about politics is only providing these stations with even more to profit off of, making us a means to an end and treating the population’s political feud as nothing more than a com modity.

If you’re a pessimist, you might be thinking, “Well, I can’t trust any news stations.” I’ve been there. However, there are some great alterna tives if you want largely unbi ased news.

The Associated Press has

been ranked the number one unbiased news network on nu merous lists, with NPR being a close second. I, and some Hof stra professors that I’ve spoken with, use Democracy Now!, an independent news organization that doesn’t rely on advertise ments or government funding as they are a non-profit. This casts them apart from MSNBC and Fox News, who, in com parison, obviously have some skin in the game.

Makenzie Hurt is a sophomore English lit erature major. You can find her on Instagram @makenziehurt.

Only trumpets playing today are playing ‘Taps’

Graphic by Ethan Albin /

The views and opinions expressed in the Opinion section are those of the authors. They are not an endorsement of the views of

The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors.

Celebrities should be held accountable for their greed

By Lincoln Anniballi

As the wealth gap increases and millions of Americans suffer due to inflation and unemploy ment, many cast blame on the millionaires and billionaires that rule America’s top companies.

From Jeff Bezos to Elon Musk, the infamous “one per centers” are rightfully scorned for their exorbitant and ex traordinary wealth. While the corporate tycoons that have made billions off the backs of the middle and lower classes are battered and mocked for their wealth, celebrities are often glo rified and praised despite being able to be just as exploitative and criminal.

This week, Kim Kardashian, the star of the billion-dollar Kar dashian empire, was fined over $1.26 million by the SEC for her deceptive promotion of the cryptocurrency Ethereum Max. Kardashian pushed the coin onto her 330 million Instagram

followers but failed to disclose that she was paid $250,000 for the post.

The noteworthy reality star will face little blowback from the public for her criminal behavior. In the accumulation of her $1.8 billion net worth, Kardashian, who often speaks about criminal justice reform, has been the subject of employ ee-driven lawsuits alleging wage theft and retaliation. Despite her criminality and enormous build up of exploited wealth, most of her fans will still clamor for her posts and purchase all her overpriced products.

Kardashian isn’t an outlier – just about all of the Holly wood elite get a pass from the usual social justice warriors that attack big business, despite the similar moral and political pitfalls.

Star-studded brands dominate the multibillion-dollar cosmet ics market, sometimes charging more than double their unaffili

ated rivals for the same prod ucts. Some of the top names in the celebrity cosmetic market include Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Kylie Jenner. The makeup industry is flush with allegations of forced labor and child labor, yet celeb rities continue to pull in billions and establish new brands every year without a peep.

Celebrities frequently disre gard their supposed principles

“Celebrities are often glorified and praised de spite being able to be just as exploitative and crimi nal.”

on pertinent issues when it inconveniences them. Over the summer, many took to social media to call out the hundreds of short private jet rides of ce lebrities from the likes of Taylor

Swift and Jay-Z.

Leonardo DiCaprio faced blowback after his routine crosscountry private jet rides and his massive gas-guzzling yacht were exposed. DiCaprio has been one of the loudest voices in the push for climate justice, funding lawsuits and star ring in films aimed at pushing reform – although his privilege and convenience are apparently more important.

Despite their hypocrisy be ing widely known, millions in a generation that cares more about climate than ever before will still rush to stream Swift’s newest album or DiCaprio’s latest film.

In contrast to the busi ness moguls that control huge portions of the stock market, effectively forcing consumers to spend, celebrities are only empowered when fans buy in to their products. As teachers, nurses and laborers quietly work the underpaid jobs that fuel our

nation’s productivity, celebri ties flaunt their massive homes, hoard their millions and make inequalities worse.

For too long, out-of-touch celebrities have been accepted as the status quo, but it’s long overdue that we recognize their contribution to the issues we care about and demand they do more.

Rather than continue to be scammed by the manipulative rich people we brand as “ce lebrities,” we must stand up to their hypocrisy, stop buying their overpriced and exploit ative products and demand they distribute more of their profits to their employees. Until that’s done, the celebrities are not the only hypocrites – so are we.

Lincoln Anniballi is a sopho more political science major and can be found on Twitter @LincMass.

Young men need to stop idolizing Andrew Tate

By Ethan Albin

Whether you care about pop culture or not, I’m sure you’ve heard about a man by the name of Andrew Tate. The “Top G” made his name on social media spouting controversial takes left and right, speaking on the rights of women and how they should act and spreading toxic masculinity.

This behavior led him to go viral on TikTok and Instagram, with millions of fanboys taking his advice on how to make money and how to “pull” wom en. Kids have started to look up to him as he flaunts his fleets of luxury cars, his watches and the women surrounding him.

However, this is the same man who has said egregious things; as a result he’s been banned from many social me dia platforms.

Tate’s most controversial takes are about women. He has tweeted, “Sexual harassment is disgusting and inexcusable. However. A man looking at you or whistling at you or asking your name isn’t harassment,” as well as, “If you put yourself in a position to be raped, you must bare some responsibil ity.”

Both of these quotes are worthy of being canceled, but Tate went even further when news broke that he was being investigated for sexual assault and rape charges. While being investigated for these claims he was caught saying, “I’m not a rapist, but I like the idea of just being able to do what I want. I like being free.”

He’s also preached to his teen fanboys to enroll in his online course at Hustlers University, which allegedly taught his fol

lowers how to “get rich quick.”

The course was valued at $49.99 a month and was branded as an affiliate market ing program. In reality, this was a pyramid scheme, as new members could earn commis sion for signing other members

“He has tweeted, ‘Sexual harassment is disgusting and inexcusable. How ever. A man looking at you or whistling at you or asking your name isn’t harassment ...’”

up. The members of this course were assigned the task of creat ing social pages that reposted Tate’s videos and quotes to further spread his influence.

Following his recent ban from Meta platforms and Tik

Tok for “inciting hate speech,” Tate shut his course down. However, his ban hasn’t slowed him down because bot accounts that mimic Tate have appeared in droves. These accounts have gained a stronghold on both TikTok and Instagram, reposting his podcast clips and videos by the hundreds. This has allowed him and his brand to stay relevant even after his account was banned.

A valid question, given the circumstances, would seem to be: why do young men look up to Tate? For starters, he is often seen surrounded by women and claims to give advice on how to attract these women through his content.

Young men may see him as a guiding figure, when, in reality, this is all for show. Tate and his brother also own their own fleet

of luxury cars, such as their beloved Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, McLaren and Lamborghini, that they love to show off.

Adolescents see Tate as someone who came from noth ing and became something – a feeling many of his fans aspire for. They look up to him be cause he represents what they want to be when they grow up: successful. He has cars, he has money and he’s surrounded by women. That’s what young men idolize, and while that isn’t right, it’s on us to change that.

Ethan Albin is a sophomore journalism major and the editor of the Opinion sec tion. He can be found on Instagram @ethanalb.

By Marisa Dambach STAFF WRITER

Dragons slay the Pride in Philadelphia

Wiktoria Fronc near the circle. Fronc split Drexel’s line of defense to put the ball in Krista Agostinello’s path. Agostinello took a touch to the left of goalkeeper Molly Piso, who was off her line, and shot the ball easily into the net. This marked Agostinello’s second goal of the season.

The Pride had 11 shots in the first half compared to Drexel’s three. Goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich had one save, and Piso had five.

her first goal of the season.

Just over 10 minutes later, the Dragons tied the game once more. Forward Annalena O’Reilly headed the ball up and into the cage. Kuzmich jumped up to make the grab, but the ball went through her hands and into the back of the net.

On Thursday, Oct. 6, the Hofstra women’s soccer team narrowly lost to the Drexel University Dragons, who lead the conference 3-2, at Vidas Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hofstra slipped to 6-6-2 overall and 1-3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

The Pride struck first in the five-goal game. Midfielder Dagny Run Petursdottir received the ball and sent it to midfielder

In the first five minutes of the second half, Drexel was on the board. Forward Casey Touey played the ball through to forward Delaney Lappin. She took it down to the box, where she chipped it over Kuzmich for her sixth goal of the season.

Hofstra took the lead again in the 58th minute. Agostinello sent the ball to forward Olivia Pearse on the right flank. Pearse took one touch to launch the high-arching ball over Piso for

The game-winning shot came in the 75th minute. Defender Laila Payton directed the ball to forward Isabel Kuzy who took her time on the ball, faking out a defender before ripping the shot. She sent the shot across the goal into the side-netting of the left side of the goal. Kuzmich made the dive, but it was too far out of her reach to stop.

The Pride was still fighting to get the last-minute tie. Freshman midfielder Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir had a shot to the top left corner, but Piso denied it.

Hofstra ended the game with 19 shots, nine of them on goal, compared to Drexel’s nine total

shots and five on goal.

Fronc led the team in shots with seven and three shots on goal. Kuzmich ended with two saves, and Piso had seven.

The next time Hofstra takes the pitch will be away against the University of Delaware Blue Hens on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m.

Anja Suttner leads the Pride in minutes played this season with with 1,305.

Max Edelman / The Hofstra Chronicle

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Van der Vegt vexes Towson in nine-save shutout

By Marisa Dambach STAFF WRITER

van der Vegt had two saves in the period, and Towson’s Tessa Scheenstra had one.

The second period saw Hofstra net one goal. Towson started with a shot on target by attacker Gianna Antone which was saved by van der Vegt. Less than 50 seconds later, the Pride scored the lone goal of the game.

The fourth period saw a push from the Tigers to try to come back and take the win. Van der Vegt had a strong period, as they saved each of the five shots that came their way.

On Friday, Oct. 7, the Hofstra University field hockey team won 1-0 in a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) matchup against the Towson University Tigers. The Pride improves to 6-6 on the season and 1-1 in conference play.

Hofstra came out of the gates firing. The Pride had four total shots compared to the Tigers’ two when the first period concluded. Goalkeeper Merlijn

Forward Simryn Desai collected a loose ball before laying off a pass to midfielder Fede Schroder. Schroder fired a low, fast shot past Scheenstra’s outstretched leg and into the net. This marked Schroder’s first goal of her career. Desai’s assist was her first of the season.

In the third period, Hofstra played down a player after midfielder Samantha Spera was sent off with a red card. Towson’s attacker Sarah Hatfield recorded the only shot of the period, but nothing came of it.

Toward the end of the period, Hofstra brought their own slew of shots. Desai had two on target, and Larsson and forward Cami Valor each had a shot on target. Just like van der Vegt, Scheenstra saved all the shots that came her way.

Hofstra recorded 10 shots, six of them on target throughout the game. Towson had 11 shots total and nine on target. Van der Vegt recorded nine saves on the afternoon, and Scheenstra tallied five.

Van der Vegt’s nine saves put them at 277 career saves, only seven away from bypassing Kaitlyn De Turo and moving into 10th place for most saves in a career at Hofstra.

The Pride takes the field

again on Friday, Oct. 14, at 3 p.m. against the Monmouth University Hawks in their next CAA matchup.

Late goals lift Pride over UNCW

By Tim Neschis STAFF WRITER

for Hofstra and blasted the ball into the bottom left corner, past the diving UNCW keeper Gabriel Perrotta to tie the game late at one apiece.

With under four minutes to play in a crucial Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) game, midfielder Francesco Perinelli stole the ball away from UNCW deep in their own zone and shot it over the outstretched leg of Perrotta to give the Pride the lead, and ultimately the win.

of the season and his sixth in the last three games alone. Perinelli’s goal was his first of the season and the second of his collegiate career. It was also the first game winning goal of his career.

With the win, Hofstra jumps into first place in the CAA with a 4-1-1 record, tied with Elon University. The win also puts the Pride’s overall record at 8-2-1.

The Hofstra men’s soccer team extended their unbeaten streak to eight games, picking up a 2-1 victory over UNCWilmington on Saturday, Oct. 8, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

After 70 minutes of no goals to start the match, UNCW’s Omar Aboutaleb put a shot past Hofstra goalkeeper Wessel Speel that seemed to seal a victory for the Seahawks.

However, just five minutes later, Hofstra was given the narrowest of chances and received a penalty kick after UNCW’s Bachir Ndiaye committed a foul inside the box.

Eliot Goldthorp took the shot

Hofstra’s defense was strong once again, as they have not allowed more than one goal in seven consecutive games and have yet to allow more than two goals in any game this season. The Seahawks totaled nine shots with only four making it on net. Speel had three saves in goal for Hofstra.

UNCW’s Perrotta was forced to be a little bit busier than that as he faced seven shots on net from Hofstra. This is the third game in a row that the Pride have totaled more than 15 shots, the best stretch for their offense all season.

Goldthorp’s goal was his tenth

Hofstra will be back on the field on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., when they host Saint Joseph’s University in a nonconference matchup before resuming CAA play against Elon on Saturday, Oct. 15, in what will be the first match between the two schools since last year’s conference championship game.

Merlijn van der Vegt now has 277 saves in their career at Hofstra.

Francisco Perinelli’s lone shot against UNCW was the game winner for the Pride.

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Photo courtesy of Bellmore Images/Hofstra Athletics

Pride overcome second set slip, topple Charleston in four

By Marisa Dambach STAFF WRITER

Mansur. “Every match is good, and the more we improve the better it is.”

Yagmur Cinel achieved a career high in kills with 18 in the match, while Beatriz Alves recorded 47 assists to increase her conference leading total to 637 so far this season.

Charleston opened up the first set with a service ace from Emma Appleman.

evenly matched until Hofstra closed out the set 25-21 with a kill by Izadora Stedile.

After a back-and-forth affair in the first set, the Cougars dominated the second, taking it 25-17 without Hofstra ever holding a lead. The Pride were unable to even tie the game at any point in this set.

The Hofstra volleyball team took a 1-0 series lead with a 3-1 win against the College of Charleston on Saturday, Oct. 8, increasing their win streak to seven games in a row. The Pride are now 10-8 overall and 7-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

“Every win is the first one, because that’s the mindset we have to have as a coaching staff to continue to get better,” said Hofstra head coach Emily

After that first point the game went back and forth, with each team exchanging points all the way up to 6-6 after a kill by Clara Bal off an assist from Alves.

The Pride then had a threepoint streak to go up 8-6, but that ended on a service error from Alves to make the score 8-7. The Cougars then took a two-point lead which the Pride quickly came back from and tied the game at 12 apiece with a service ace from the freshman Bal.

The scoring continued to be

Hoping to right the wrongs of the second set, Cinel gave the Pride the first point of the third set after a long back and forth volley. Two attack errors and a service error by the Cougars gave the Pride a 5-2 lead.

The Cougars challenged a kill from Zyare Abdul-Rahim that came from a bump from out of bounds in an attempt to erase the unique point off the board, but the call was upheld, giving Hofstra a 9-7 lead. A 5-2 run by Hofstra gave them an 18-11 lead, but a late comeback attempt by Charleston shortened the lead to 24-20, testing the resiliency of the Pride.

Emily Nunes recorded three kills and nine total attempts against Charleston.

However, the attempted comeback was halted by a kill from Alves which outsmarted the opposing defense. Cinel then tacked on the decisive point of the set for Hofstra and won the third set for the Pride.

Stedile started the fourth and final set with three service aces that, along with a kill from Cinel, gave Hofstra a demanding 4-0 lead. The Cougars fought back and eventually tied the set at seven. The Pride ended the

stalemate with three straight points to go up to 10-7, a lead they maintained throughout the rest of the set.

Hofstra led Charleston in assists, kills, blocks, digs and service aces.

The two teams will meet again on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 12 p.m. in the last game of the series, in which Hofstra will look for their eighth straight win and to remain undefeated in CAA play.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Volleyball sweeps Cougars to stay undefeated in CAA

By Aaron Diaz STAFF WRITER

game with a 10-8 record and a seven-game winning streak, beating Charleston 3-1 the day before. Meanwhile, Charleston was looking to salvage the second game of this weekend’s series and improve to 8-11 on the season.

from Abdul-Rahim to solidify the first set 25-19.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, Hofstra’s volleyball team defeated the College of Charleston Cougars with a 3-1 victory, extending their win streak to eight.

“It’s a great weekend, especially winning both matches against a very good Charleston team, and it’s a wonderful thing to continue to build; it’s great,” said Hofstra head coach Emily Mansur. “We never had a doubt [in ourselves], so if people had a doubt, I hope this proves a point that we are [going to] continue to build and continue to get better.”

The Pride came into Sunday’s

Hofstra started the first set with a kill by Zyare AbdulRahim and continued to attack, taking a 4-3 lead to start. The Cougars did not back down easily and tied the set at eight after Hofstra’s Beatriz Alves recorded a bad set.

To break the tie, the Pride scored six unanswered points for a 14-8 lead from a couple of service aces and kills by AbdulRahim and Izadora Stedile.

The Pride continued their offensive dominance and led the set to 18-10.

The Cougars didn’t give up, scoring three unanswered points to cut the deficit to 18-13. Hofstra failed to close out the first set with some miscommunications to expedite a lockdown win.

Hofstra rallied together and won the set with two more kills

Hofstra and Charleston opened the second set by trading with kills courtesy of Alves, Yagmur Cinel and Emily Nunes to tie at 5-5. Another kill by Alves gave the Pride some breathing room with an 8-5 lead in the set.

The Pride took that lead and widened it to 20-13 with an attack error by Charleston’s Lexi Wierzbicki. Similar to the first half, the Pride struggled to close out the set and opened the door for Charleston to creep their way back into the game.

Hofstra’s tightened defense gave way for a 25-19 set win with a kill from Stedile to close the second set.

The third set started off similar to the first two, with both teams going neck and neck, tying the set at 7-7. Charleston capitalized on an instance of miscommunication and earned 12 points to Hofstra’s three to take a 19-11 lead.

Once on top, the Cougars’ overpowering offense did not stop their momentum, and they

won the third set 25-15.

Hofstra opened the fourth set with three consecutive points from Cinel and two attack errors by Charleston’s Gabi Bailey. Hofstra continued to hammer down the Cougars, taking a 7-1 lead.

A kill by Hofstra’s Sarah Pierre put the score at 13-5, further adding momentum to a face-paced set.

Hofstra’s overall dominance was solidified via a Nunes kill, and that same energy led to a 25-15 win. This win elevated the team’s record to 10-8, 8-0 in conference and gave them their

eighth consecutive win.

“I’m very proud, and it’s exciting,” Mansur said. “Every win is a win, and it’s a long season and we focus on each day, but it’s awesome.”

Abdul-Rahim led the team with 11 kills, followed by Alves with 42 assists to help boost Hofstra over Charleston.

The volleyball team prepares to face off against the UNCWilmington Seahawks on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m. in Wilmington, North Carolina, looking to extend their win streak to nine.

Winless streak now at five; Hofstra ties Delaware 0-0

between both sides throughout 90 minutes of play.

The match was the final of a four-game road trip for Hofstra in which they failed to pick up a win. It was also Hofstra’s second scoreless draw this season, with the other coming against Yale University on Aug. 26.

By Andrew Fantucchio SPORTS EDITOR

For the third time this season, the Hofstra women’s soccer team came away neither the winner nor the loser, as the Pride’s match against the University of Delaware on Sunday, Oct 9, ended in a scoreless draw that featured a combined 12 shots on goal

Against Delaware, Hofstra senior goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich recorded four saves, one shy of her season high, to keep the Blue Hens off the scoreboard for their second straight game. On the other side, Delaware’s Odaliana Gomez stopped eight shots from the Pride. It was the third time the freshman has held the opposing team scoreless this season.

The Pride had several

players play the entirety of the match, as Louise Hayden, Krista Agostinello, Dagny Run Pettursdottir, Anja Suttner, Cailey Welch and Olivia Pearse all logged 90 minutes of action. Pearse, along with Ellen Halseth, led the team with four shots in the contest. Halseth, Hofstra’s leader in goals scored this season (six), clocked in with 69 minutes of action.

Katie Hackley led Delaware with shots in the match, raising her season total to 25. Sara D’Appolonia and Raychel Speicher were the only other Blue Hen players to record a shot in the match as Hofstra’s defense held its opponent without a goal for the sixth time this year.

The Pride are now on a fivegame winless streak, having gone 0-3-2 in that span, with all five of those matches coming against Colonial Athletic Association opponents. Hofstra, the reigning CAA champions,

Hofstra women’s soccer is now 1-3-2 against the rest of the CAA.

now sit in tenth place in the conference and only have three games remaining before the end of the regular season. Fortunately for Hofstra, all three of those games take place at home where they’re 4-3 so far this season.

Hofstra’s next match comes against the 7-5-2 UNCWilmington Seahawks at Hofstra Soccer Stadium, on Thursday, Oct 13, at 7 p.m. UNCW is currently riding a

three-game unbeaten streak and is occupying fourth place in the conference standings. The Pride and Seahawks have gone to double overtime in each of their last two matchups against one another.

Last year, Hofstra won 2-1 with Miri Taylor scoring the winning goal, furthering what was a nine-game winning streak for Hofstra at the time. Hofstra has not lost to UNCW since 2018.

Photo Courtesy of Delaware Athletics

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Hofstra is tied for first place in the CAA with an 8-0 in-conference record.

Building bridges over language barriers

By Michelle Rabinovich SPORTS EDITOR

Hofstra, like many other Division I schools around the nation, pools many of its athletes from around the world. That begs the question: what do players who move to Hempstead from other countries go through to overcome one of the biggest obstacles to living in the U.S. –the language barrier?

German Plotnikov, a junior on the men’s basketball team, said that although he studied English in his hometown of Minsk, Belarus, his transition to America wasn’t as easy as he anticipated.

“When I first came, I could say small things like ‘I’m open’ or like four or five sentences to explain what I’m trying to do,” Plotnikov explained. “For the first four months I completely shut down, I was barely talking because I couldn’t communicate. Then [later that year] it sort of clicked for me, and I realized I can speak fluently. I understand what people want from me. I can talk when people talk to me.”

Dagny Run Petursdottir, one of the freshmen on the women’s soccer team who hails all the way from Iceland, has had similar experiences.

“Sometimes I forget a word and I just stop talking; it’s hard to engage in a conversation

[and I feel I] have to be fast,” Petursdottir explained. “I’ve never been in a country where everybody only speaks English, and I’m not quite there yet.”

Petursdottir felt that she’s lucky that she’s not the only Icelandic player on the team, citing Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir who shared the same sentiment.

“I think it’s really good that I have ... another Icelandic person with me on the team and that we’re going through this together,” Thorhallsdottir said. “[Petursdottir] helps me a lot; I would probably be a lot more insecure if I was alone.”

time.”

Both of the players said that they find relief in being able to fall back on their teammates and their patience.

“The girls have been really welcoming and understanding that, you know, I’m not the best in English,” Petursdottir said.

“The girls have helped me with the language [barrier] [by] being patient and understanding because I freak out when I don’t know words, but they’re just so calm,” Thorhallsdottir concurred.

Petursdottir and Thorhallsdottir acknowledge the importance of seamless

need reassurance or they need to understand something a little bit more, they’re more comfortable now, they’re used to me now,” Riddiough said.

Pieke Roos, a freshman field hockey goalie, has been learning English back home in the Netherlands since she was four years old. The challenge for her, however, was learning the narrow scope of new, field hockey-specific terminology that was different than what she used her whole life in the Netherlands.

“I did kind of struggle with certain coaching call outs on the field,” Roos said.

“I’m a goalkeeper, and you have to be very direct in communication to say, where the ball is, where your mark is, and the terms are different in Dutch.”

Just as there is more to life than the game, language can present challenges off the field.

One of the biggest differences Thorhallsdottir has noticed is the change in her character from home to Hofstra, particularly her struggle to deliver jokes. She explained by the time she finishes translating a joke from Icelandic into English, the conversation has moved on and she feels she’s simply not fast enough. Or, if she is fast enough, jokes get lost in translation.

“My personality is so different in English than in Icelandic; my humor is zero,” Thorhallsdottir said.

“I have no humor in English, but hopefully it comes with

communication when they take the pitch for the Pride. That doesn’t always mean it’s possible, and the coaching staff isn’t blind to this dilemma.

Women’s soccer head coach Simon Riddiough has coached for over 20 years and has seen many international students walk this same path.

“It’s a learning process; [the coaching staff and I] know there’s going to be some kind of speed bumps along the way whether it’s a language or cultural barrier,” Riddiough said. “Understanding English as a second language, recognizing sarcasm and all of the nuances of English language.”

Players and coaching staff alike agree that one-on-one communication was one of the best ways to overcome the language barrier.

“I think overall, [the players are] more comfortable talking to me individually so if they

“So, the communication has [gotten] better, which makes the messaging easier on the fly, there’s more comfortability and understanding between all of us and the international players now, so I think we, moving forward, we’re progressing well.”

“It’s not scary to talk to [the coaches] at all,” Thorhallsdottir explained, enjoying how direct the coaching staff is with her. “So yeah, if [I] have any questions, [I] just go to the coach and he’s understanding and will tell you what you can do better.”

“Because we [are] used to dealing with international [players], we’re probably a little more patient than most coaches, a little bit more giving and understanding of where their starting point is,” Riddiough said. “So I think we’re all moving in the right direction.”

Roos even joked that the first two weeks of preseason felt like being in a classroom prematurely as she relearned all of the terms she needed to play.

“It’s almost like a little bit of studying that I had to do,” Roos explained. “Your saves are a reflex; also your callouts are a reflex.”

Ultimately, Roos felt that it boils down to confidence, which stems from repetitions for both the physical saves and the verbal calls for her teammates.

“[For example] in the game against Sacred Heart, I was just having a lot of fun,” Roos said.

“I felt confident in myself, and that makes it that you don’t overthink what you’re going to say.”

Whether on the court or the field, the Pride have shown time and again that they have the dedication to overcome any obstacle that comes their way.

“My personality is so different in English than in Icelandic; my humor is zero. I have no humor in English, but hopefully it comes with time.”

Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir is from Reykjavik, Iceland and is in her first year with the Pride.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics German Plotnikov’s home of Minsk, Belarus is more than 4,410 miles away from Hofstra.