The Hofstra Chronicle, December 6, 2022

HEMPSTEAD, NY

THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE

KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935

Resident safety representatives fear for residential safety

By Megan Naftali NEWS EDITOR

Resident safety representa tives (RSRs) began fearing for the safety of the Hofstra Uni versity residential community – and their jobs, when the RSR program was shifted from being under the umbrella of Public Safety to being under Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success (SEES) in November.

With the transition to SEES, the RSR program will undergo changes. RSRs have been told that no one will lose their jobs in the upcoming spring semester due to these changes; how

ever, an email sent to RSRs on Nov. 11, from Liliana Hinojos Madrid, the resident success manager, and Beth McGuire, the executive director of campus living, stated that there will be no RSR coverage during the winter intersession from Dec. 19 to Jan. 29.

In the email viewed by The Hofstra Chronicle, it states that they are actively working on “installing card swipe access on the RSR booth doors ... install ing closed circuit TV screen monitors at the entrance of residence hall buildings hoping to complete by fall 2023 [and] touring all RSR booths to ensure

Aside from cutting RSR cov erage during the winter interses sion, Jessica Eads, vice presi dent for SEES, confirmed that the only decision made yet is to remove turnstiles from all of the residential buildings. All other changes to the RSR program will be made after thorough discussions that will be held in the spring semester with RSRs, resident assistants and resident directors.

Overall, there are about 150 students working in the RSR program, 29 of which are inter

OPINION NEWS

Protect students by taking Title IX allegations more seriously

students face shows that the university doesn’t take victim safety as seriously as it should.

By Zoe Casselman SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Every Hofstra student has heard the term “Title IX.” Whether it is seen on posters plastered around campus or heard while learning about the most recent person accused of sexual assault, students know the term. Although Hofstra has detailed information available describing the university’s policies for victim safety and danger prevention, the few repercussions that accused

As detailed in the mis sion statement on Hofstra’s Title IX About Us page, the Title IX office handles allegations of harassment related to gender, specifi cally sexual harassment and sexual violence. One of Hofstra’s Title IX resources is the Student Bill of Rights, which details the powers a student has in dealing with a case of domestic violence, dat ing violence, stalking or sexual assault.

In this bill, there are fortu nately many protections for vic tims, such as making sure they are safeguarded from whom ever they have accused and have to speak about what they endured with as few people as possible. The second of the 11 rights says all students have the

right to “have disclosures of domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault taken seriously,” but based on the way in which Hofstra handles individuals who have been accused, this statement doesn’t feel entirely accurate.

In the event a student does endure one of these traumatic incidents, they can report it either online or in person. On the online how-to-report sexual misconduct page, there is a bulleted list further describing victims’ rights, including the aid and assistance the univer sity will provide to someone making a report. The last bullet point states, “The on-campus conduct process may result in sanctions including disciplin ary probation, suspension or expulsion of an accused student found responsible for a viola tion.”

Cast of ‘Aftershock’ speaks about maternal mortality rates

By Moriah Sukhlal NEWS EDITOR

Racial disparities in maternal and infant health are prevalent in the United States’ healthcare systems. Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee’s passionate and award-winning documentary “Aftershock,” released in 2022, sheds new light on maternal health, as the movie addresses the alarming maternal mortality rate among Black women.

Through their documentary, Eiselt and Lewis Lee have reignited the examination of the Black maternal health epidemic and have sparked discussions among many activ ist groups and public health organizations across the U.S. One such organization, the Women’s Diversity Network (WDN), hosted a viewing and panel discussion of “After shock” on Nov. 28. The event was co-sponsored by Hofstra University and Planned Parent hood of Greater New York.

“WDN has a maternal justice coalition that deals with making lives better and having better health outcomes for pregnant people and women,” said Shanequa Levin, founder and CEO of WDN.

“Black women are four to five times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white, Hispanic or Asian

Photo courtesy of Boston University School of Law

The cast of the award-winning documen tary partake in a panel discussion led by Hofstra professor Martine Hackett.

Photo courtesy of Women’s Diversity Network

we have responded to the needs of our team.”

Alexis Friedman / The Hofstra Chronicle

The Unispan reopened to pedestrian traffic on Friday, Dec. 2. The an nouncement came as a surprise since there was no projected reopen ing date. Construction on the windows and the metal paneling will continue at night and may result in the closure of a section of Hemp stead Turnpike. The Unispan will remain open to pedestrian traffic and the university will keep students informed of possible closures.

RSR program ‘SEES’ new changes

mented.

national students, according to Hinojos Madrid. Some RSRs that are outraged over the deci sion to cut coverage during the winter intersession are interna tional students.

“The F-1 student visa stipu lates that international students can only be employed by the university for a maximum of 20 hours per week during the semester and 40 hours per week during break,” said Shelby Greenslade, a senior biology major from Western Australia and Resident Safety Shift Co ordinator in the RSR program. The visa also does not allow international students to work off campus.

Job openings for interna tional students for the January session have been opened in the Athletics and Admissions Departments, as well as a few on-campus offices, according to Eads.

The email sent to RSRs on Nov. 11 states that RSRs look ing for on-campus job oppor tunities should reach out. Since the email was sent from the RSR program email, students have been sending inquiries to that email address, and the student coordinators (SC) don’t know how to respond, according to Jordan Dubroy, a senior BFA writing for the screen major and an SC.

RSRs have also expressed concern over swipe access to the booths eventually being imple

“We can’t shut off swipe ac cess on a whim, like if we know [an RSR] has a shift coming up, we can’t just turn it on for them. So they would need 24/7 access all the time, which means that any information in the textbook they can just have at any time,” said Claire Helfman, a senior criminology and sociology double major and an RSSC. “We have had situations where RSRs have interacted inappropriately with supervisors, or other RSRs or residents, and they have been dismissed because of that. But if a situation like that is hap pening, and an RSR is stalking someone, they can just get their room number and their name out of the post book.”

Helfman also explained that swipe access has not been nec essary because there is always an RSR in the booth and they switch off. The inclusion of swipe access leads her to believe that it implies that there will not be 24 hour coverage anymore.

Eads explained that the ad dition of swipe access is to increase the comfort of RSRs and will allow them to use the bathroom freely while giving them a way to get back into the booth on their own.

After looking into the year before the pandemic, Geral dine Hart, the associate vice president of public safety and community engagement, stated that there were less incidents in Stuyvesant Hall than in the Netherlands complex. Stuyves

ant, a freshman dormitory, does not have turnstiles.

“Accounting for the reduced population... the percentage of incidents is lower in Stuyves ant than a similarly situated first year residence hall,” Hart said.

During the Hofstra town hall held on Nov. 16, Helfman shared an encounter she had while on duty. She stated that while she was working a night shift as an RSSC, an RSR work ing in Stuyvesant called her say ing that a guy dragged in a girl who was visibly intoxicated.

“He said she could barely walk on her own, did not look okay and did not swipe her own ID at the door,” Helfman said. “He tried to stop them several times, but the guy wouldn’t stop and ignored him. He reported [the incident] to me immediately after and then to Public Safety.”

Helfman made the point that the ADA sliding doors make it difficult for an RSR to stop someone from getting into the building, especially the situation she retold.

Eads’ response to the anecdote Helfman shared rubbed some people the wrong way at the town hall.

“I want you to under stand that this is what hap pens on college campuses across the country, and what that means is that there are other ways to make people feel and be safe,” Eads said in response.

Eads believes her message was misconstrued as she

responded to Helfman’s concern over turnstiles.

“I re-answered that question a million times in my brain, and I had the opportunity to speak with that student again in our meeting on Friday,” Eads said. “I certainly want to apologize. It was a horrific experience that student went through. They are clearly upset about it and I skipped right to the second part of her question – which was the issue of turnstiles. [I] didn’t address that, and I wish I had answered that differently.”

Additionally, an SC and RSSC claimed that during a meeting with Eads and the RSR program, when they were voic ing their concerns over remov ing turnstiles, she said “Well, nothing has blown up or burnt down yet.”

Eads denied these allegations.

Removing the turnstiles is an attempt to make a universal design for all students to enter the residence halls, according to McGuire.

“[Removing] the turnstiles from my perspective is really about allowing for a more wel coming and inclusive opening and entrance to our residence halls, so everybody feels like they are invited to come in who are obviously members of our community,” Eads said. “It is really much more about making sure students with access issues can comfortably enter the space and feel like there isn’t a barrier that’s preventing that.”

RSR coverage will be cut for the winter intersession.

The RSR booth in the Graduate Residence Hall is empty as coverage is being phased out for graduate students.

Ahjané Forbes / The Hofstra Chronicle

Ahjané Forbes / The Hofstra Chronicle

Hofstra sponsors screening and panel discussion of ‘Aftershock’

CONTINUED FROM A1

women,” said Martine Hackett, associate professor of popula tion health at Hofstra. “In over 60% of these cases, the deaths were preventable.”

“Aftershock” explores the factors, such as structural racism and variation in quality healthcare, that contribute to this disparity. The film fol lows two individuals and their preventable deaths caused by child birth complications and Eislet and Lewis Lee’s journey to gain justice as they unite with activ ists, physicians and birth workers, forming new communities to fight one of the most pressing epidemics.

The documentary opens with video clips of 30-year-old Shamony Gibson, who passed in October 2019 after the birth of her son. Gib son’s partner, Omari Maynard and Gibson’s mother, activist, co-founder and CEO of Spirit of a Woman Leadership Develop ment Institute, Shawnee Gibson, are seen processing the events and working through their new life following the tragic death.

The following year, 26-yearold Amber Rose Isaac died due to an emergency cesarean

section. Maynard and Bruce McIntyre, Isaac’s partner, formed a brotherhood and began their fight for justice for their partners and the entire com munity impacted by the Black maternal mortality epidemic.

According to Eiselt and Lewis

provides physi cal and emotional support during preg nancy and labor. Follow ing the screening, Hackett led a panel dis cussion consisting of mem bers from the docu mentary on the implica tions of the film. Maynard began the discussion by com menting on the commonality of Black women experiencing ma ternal mortality and morbidity.

“From just the business side of birth, we take c-sections so lightly, and we feel like it is very common and has a sense

Gibson said. “Community was a major conduit for our healing process. The aftershock ripples are that people are awakening to something – the power of the womb, the womb wisdom. That just didn’t exist before – it's all science. That spirit is science; ritual is science, storytelling is action, grieving is action.”

The film also analyzes the historical perspective of the perpetual violence against Black women and their bodies: specifi cally, the crude ways in which surgical methods and the field of gynecology were developed through experimenting on the bodies of enslaved Black moth ers.

“Just being the spiritual being that I am, I am very conscious of our ancestors being deeply pleased that their stories, the untold stories, their unceremo nious deaths and their losses are told,” Gibson said. “These stories are being told unapolo getically and that the truth is out there whether people want to ingest it or not.”

During these periods of pregnancy on plantations, Black midwives became essential

“I happen to be one of them. Midwifery care is a model of care that has longer visits; we educate, we promote, we empower. You can't do that in a medical model [where] you’re only technically allowed to see a patient for 10 minutes.”

“We know that when you walk into hospitals, there’s obviously going to be a power dynamic that's going to exist,” said Stephanie Henriques, a so cial services strategist, licensed social worker and doula. “We’ve got our physicians and clinicians and then our birthing person and our doulas.”

The film's impact resounded in attendees as they noted its importance.

“It is a really important event that discusses issues affecting the community,” said commu nity member and social worker Kenya Jones. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to share more information with people and learn how to prevent it and help people.”

Some attendees even con nected with the challenges of receiving proper health care. “My mom purposely stayed in Ecuador to give birth to me and refused to go back to the U.S. because she didn't trust hospitals,” said Dorothea Armijos, a senior journalism major.

“And she’s a white woman, so imagine that [mistrust] amplified in minority spaces, specifi cally Black spaces.”

Lee, “Aftershock” also explores how these families “seek justice through legislation, medical accountability, community and the power of art.” Furthermore, it introduces topics such as the brotherhood of surviving Black fathers who are left to navi gate parenthood, the work and practice of midwives and doulas and the physicians challenging institutional reform.

Similar to a midwife, a doula

that it's supposed to happen,” Maynard said. “Unfortunately, that's not the case.”

While the importance of hav ing an advocate in the medical room during pregnancy and the period of labor was highlighted in the film, equally important were the practices of these fami lies and of the African American community.

“We are just restoring indigenous practices, Africancentered ways of just being,”

figures in aiding with births for both Black and white women.

Heather Hines, a full-scope practicing midwife and associ ate clinical professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Nursing’s Midwifery Program, discussed the modern-day impli cations of midwifery education.

“There are 45 programs in the U.S. that have midwifery, and out of those 45 ... there are less than five brown or Black program directors,” Hines said.

Hackett urges individ uals to watch the film, which can be streamed on Hulu. “Viewers will learn about the crisis of maternal mortality and what the consequences are for maternal deaths on the families left behind, [and] about advocacy efforts that have been sparked by the deaths of these new mothers,” Hackett said.

For those seeking to learn more about maternal health, Hackett advises them to join the Maternal Justice Coalition that serves Long Island. Additional resources can be found from the Women’s Diversity Network and Birth Justice Warriors.

“Black women are four to five times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white, Hispanic or Asian women.”

Martine Hackett (left), Shanequa Levin, Shawnee Gibson, Stephanie Henriques (center), Heather Hines and Omari Maynard (right).

Moriah Sukhlal / The Hofstra Chronicle

Hofstra alum speaks about debut novel

minor.

Aspects of Mal lory’s story were based on Hart’s real life. Both Hart and Mallory battled the grief of losing their moth ers to cancer.

Defacing art to stop climate change

By Lily Spinda STAFF WRITER

There is nothing as comfort ing as a relatable book, and Michelle Hart creates exactly that in her debut novel, “We Do What We Do in the Dark.” This is a story of grief, heartbreak and coming of age while simul taneously providing a voice for LGBTQ+ representation.

Her story is a subtle commen tary on the #MeToo movement. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Publish ers Weekly and the Los Angeles Times. The Hofstra English department and Cultural Center welcomed back the 2011 alum for the 19th annual “Great Writers, Great Readings” series. This event was a part of the “Celebrating Our Own” alumni series.

The main protagonist, Mal lory, is a college freshman that falls in love (or obsession) with a much older female professor at her school. The two begin an affair which leads Mallory on a confusing path where she must navigate between the loss of her mother and the effects of the affair.

However, this is nowhere near a happy-ending rom-com that justifies grooming, which is often exploited in media.

Instead, “We Do What We Do in the Dark” is a queer story that encompasses the reality and trauma of an imbalanced power dynamic in a relationship.

“I was pleasantly surprised to hear how her book was more about the repercussions of the messed-up relationship [that] the first few pages set up, rather than the actual romance of the situation,” said Stephen Sturges, a junior writing for the screen major and creative writing

At the speaker event, Hart read a snippet of the first chapter and described Mallory’s college, which was suspiciously similar to Hofstra regarding the large commuter population and bars within walking distance in town.

“As somebody who is a Hof stra alumni, her achievements feel very achievable as she was someone who was in our posi tion several years ago,” Sturges said.

Arianna Wentworth, a theater arts major with a creative writing minor, was inspired by Hart’s success. “I loved seeing her support network of writing professors and learning that her book is loosely set at Hofstra. I’m glad to learn about Mi chelle’s 10-year process in her book. It inspired me to take my time with my writing and not beat myself up for struggling to uphold a rigorous writing sched ule,” Wentworth said.

Hart started writing her debut over 10 years ago as a Hofstra student for her undergrad. She revealed that the song “Mr. Peterson” by Perfume Genius inspired her novel. Hart ex plained the dichotomy between the song and her novel – a rela tionship with someone older and its negative effects.

“I started thinking of my own life and what I had not seen in books and movies. One of the first things I thought of is queer loneliness,” Hart said.

Queer loneliness is not about being in the closet or not being in the presence of queer people but specifically about not being aware of a larger queer commu nity. She explains that loneliness can create an identity.

“What does queerness mean for the individual versus what does it mean for the collective?” Hart said.

By Sophia Guddemi STAFF WRITER

From cake smeared on the “Mona Lisa,” tomato soup thrown on Van Gogh’s art and mashed potatoes tossed on Monet’s art – across the world, climate change protesters have been making statements about the plight of the world by defac ing historic art pieces. Although these famous paintings were not damaged in the process, these acts have raised awareness and caused conversations about climate change’s environmental impact on our world.

Just Stop Oil, one of the many groups protesting through inter action with artwork, is demand ing that the United Kingdom’s government cease to license the development and production of fossil fuels.

On Oct. 14, Just Stop Oil pro testers threw soup at Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers.” On Oct. 24, they covered a waxwork model of King Charles III in chocolate cake. On Oct. 31, they sprayed orange paint on buildings in central London, and on Nov. 14, they covered the headquarters of the Barclays Bank in Aberdeen, Scotland, in orange paint.

Just Stop Oil activists have inspired other climate protests worldwide to participate in simi lar acts of civil disobedience. On Nov. 11, two climate activists in Vancouver threw maple syrup

on an Emily Carr painting, and on Nov. 15, an Austrian climate activist group in Vienna sprayed Klimt’s “Death and Life” paint ing with oily black liquid.

All of these groups have been participating in nonviolent public acts of civil disobedience to encourage their prospective governments to be more envi ronmentally conscious.

These protests have sparked conversations in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and many other U.S.-based news outlets as to whether or not this form of protest is effective and justifiable.

“I worry that by doing outra geous things like this, even if they are not destructive things, that [the protestors] are, instead of winning people over, turn ing them away,” said J. Bret Bennington, professor of geol ogy and chair of the geology, environment and sustainability department at Hofstra. “I’m just not sure this is the best way to go about it.”

“These are museum-goers, some of these are normal people like you and me, and we are already convinced that climate change is something that needs to be addressed,” said Mary Anne Trasciatti, director of labor studies and professor of rhetoric and public advocacy at Hofstra. “We really need to convince the people in power to do something about it.”

Trasciatti and her class, RHET 138: Social Protest, dis cussed their concern about the protests’ effectiveness in rela tion to their direct audience. The class suggested alterna tives that would reach authority figures to enact change.

“Disrupt an auc tion,” Trasciatti said. “Go to a private gal lery where the people who are in a position to buy this kind of art: the people who really control the eco nomic systems, the fos sil fuel industry and politics and governments around the world. Go directly to them.”

“It puts a poor light on envi ronmental activism. It portrays it as a joke because there are a lot of different ways that you can speak out against climate change without targeting art,” said Lucy Botelho, a junior sustainabil ity and Spanish double major. Botelho is a member of LEAF, Hofstra’s Leaders for Environ mental Action and Fellowship, who have been using more di rect ways of protest on Hofstra’s campus.

“We are working with the Hofstra administration and Hofstra dining [services] and telling them what we want to see on campus,” said Iris Izbay, a junior biology major and the LEAF secretary.

Izbay said that in relation to the protests occurring world wide, the actions are justified as to the cause they pertain to.

“The extremity of our dis course only reflects the extrem ity of the situation that’s hap pening,” Izbay said. “[Climate change] is going to be so much worse than a little bit of paint on some sculpture. What is worth more, a little bit of discomfort right now or incredible pain in the future?”

Just Stop Oil is one of the many groups protesting climate change through interac tion with artwork.

Michelle Hart spoke to Hofstra students about her novel and queer lonliness.

Photo courtesy of University Relations

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Hofstra alum addresses queer loneliness in debut novel

“My expectations were it to be someone just reading a part of her book and answering questions at the end,” says Erika Korbusieski, a senior television production major and creative writing minor. “I didn’t expect her to share so many personal stories and be very engaging with the audience. She was re ally funny and entertaining to watch.”

Hart worked as an assistant book editor of “O,” the Oprah magazine, which aided the editing process of her book. At Hofstra, she took several jour nalism courses and wrote for The Hofstra Chronicle.

“Journalists have to be curi

ous about what they’re writing about ... that curiosity to learn more [and] represent the truth better through knowledge is also an impulse that fiction writers could benefit from,” Hart said. “Going through journalism classes and learning how to research, ask questions, to get good answers is so important because that all ends up on the page.”

Her biggest advice to aspiring writers at Hofstra is to find what resonates with them and find out why.

“Reread things to learn what you like and to figure out why you like it,” Hart said. “That’s the ultimate skill that a writer

Public Safety Briefs

juvenile aided was present and refused medical treatment.

On Nov. 20, at 12:50 p.m., a non-student working as a lifeguard in the Swim Center reported to PS that they were experiencing stomach pain. The person aided refused medical treatment and stated they would see their private doctor.

On Nov. 18, at 4:26 a.m., the fire alarm in Nassau/ Suffolk Hall was activated due to the elevator. The building was evacuated, the alarm was reset and a work order request was prepared.

On Nov. 18, at 5 p.m., a non-student juvenile reported to PS that while swimming in the pool, they were accidentally hit in the nose by another swimmer causing a nosebleed. The mother of the

On Nov. 21, at 12:26 a.m., the RA in Colonial Square reported to PS that there was an odor of marijuana emanating from a room in Norwich House. One resident of the room stated that the room smelled of marijuana when they returned. The other resident of the room admitted to smoking off campus. There was no evidence of drug use in the room and no referrals were issued.

On Nov. 21, at 12:15 p.m., a UPS driver reported to PS

that while delivering HCL chemicals to Room 106 in Berliner Hall, the package was leaking. The Uniondale Fire Department responded along with the Nassau County Hazardous Material Team. The chemicals were neutralized, and the area was deemed safe.

On Nov. 23, at 10:30 a.m., a Hofstra University employee reported to PS that while using the staff elevator in Axinn Library, they tripped because the elevator was not level with the floor. The employee cut their lip. PS treated them with an ice pack, and they did not require any further treatment. Work orders were prepared for the elevator and the clean-up.

On Nov. 26, at 1:30 p.m., a Hofstra University faculty member reported to PS that an unknown male was in her backyard, then left in a white van. The Hempstead Police

Department was notified. An investigation will be conducted into this matter.

On Nov. 29, at 7:50 p.m., PS responded to Bill of Rights Hall on a call that there was an odor of marijuana emanating from one of the rooms. The resident of the room admitted to smoking marijuana and was issued a referral to CS for their actions.

can develop. The really impor tant skill for an aspiring writer is to reverse engineer the work that they enjoy.”

“It is empowering and excit ing to see someone who started in the same place I did find success,” Wentworth said. “I am now more inspired than ever to pursue my own career in writing and use my resources at Hofstra the same way Michelle did.”

“Experience just living life. Be open to explore. Believe in your story,” Hart said.

On Nov. 30, at 9:06 a.m., a Hofstra University student reported to PS that they drove over a hose located by the construction site near Margiotta Hall. The student believes that it caused damage to their tire and it blew out while driving on the Northern State Parkway.

Compiled by Megan Naftali

Alexis Friedman / The Hofstra Chronicle

Attendees had their copies of “We Do What We Do in the Dark” signed by Michelle Hart.

Photo courtesy of University Relations

FEATURES

Staff Spotlight: Jessica Eads

By Natalie Correa STAFF WRITER

Hofstra University has long been central to Jessica Eads’ life, from growing up around the university, attending school here and even bringing her children to the daycare center. Being so con nected to Hofstra has been key to her approach as an administrator.

“When things go awry, I take it personally,” said Eads, the vice president of student enroll ment, engagement and success at Hofstra.

As a Long Island native from Smithtown, Eads partook in the commuter experience for her four years as an undergraduate student. In the beginning, the adjustment to college was hard for her.

“It was my job on campus that helped me network and really find my groove and my group of people,” Eads said. This position, in addition to clubs and student research, helped to ground Eads on campus and help her find herself at Hofstra.

Eads didn’t plan to go into admissions as a career.

“I’ll tell you; nobody wakes up in the morning and says, ‘When I grow up, I want to be in admis sions,’” Eads said. “It is some thing you stumble upon.”

Eads’ job on campus – work ing under former men’s basket ball coach Jay Wright as a tutor for the men’s basketball team –gave her a first taste of the power of enrollment.

“I watched how athletic recruitment and athletic success allowed for students to really change their life,” she said.

After graduating, Eads worked for a year outside of Hofstra before returning to the universi ty. She took a job as a research assistant and soon after started a position as an administrator, working largely with the basket ball team.

Initially, she thought she would become a sports psychol ogist but came to the realization that higher education administra tion might be a path for her.

“I thought maybe I could take this sports recruitment thing and

tweak it into admissions,” Eads said.

From there, Eads worked in Enrollment Services for MBA/ EMBA recruitment and later assumed roles as the vice presi dent of enrollment management and the dean of admission and financial aid. Her work in en rollment was focused on how to

it was kind of over,” Eads said. “That didn’t work for me.”

As of this fall, the Depart ments of Enrollment and Student Affairs have combined to form the Division of Student Enroll ment, Engagement and Success. The merger of the departments into one has allowed Eads to feel more active in ensuring students

traditional methods of communi cation.

“[Students] aren’t coming to office hours,” Eads said. “Stu dents aren’t reading emails, [so] how do I get in the moment with students and get really raw and authentic feedback?”

Projects like the VP100 chat, a facilitated group chat with Eads,

This group chat results from senior leadership attempting to be more transparent with students. While the group chat is successful, Eads suspects that other methods, like open office hours, are misunderstood. Overall, Eads is looking at more informal methods of communi cation.

“Office hours is not going to the principal’s office,” Eads said. “It is truly an opportunity to discuss things. I think there are things that we as administrators need to reimagine. How do we open ourselves up to the student body?”

As a parent of a first-year student, Eads has been able to see the importance of this from a new perspective: seeing how prospective students respond to enrollment outreach and learn ing alongside her eldest about available resources. She has been able to better understand the importance of redefining how administration communicates opportunities and resources to students.

Ultimately, Eads’ biggest takeaway from this time has been to “just call your parents, or your family unit, every once in a while, because it matters.”

Outside of Hofstra, Eads is a big yoga and Pilates person. “It helps me realize that while I can’t make everyone happy all the time, at least I am coming from a place of goodness,” she said.

Eads integrates that energy in her office with classical piano radio and essential oils that welcome you as you step in.

Additionally, she loves sports, which was evident with her ini tial career plans. Coming from an Italian family, she also loves to cook, which she has been able to do with first-generation college students at dinners she hosts.

A key focus Eads has is to inspire with positivity.

get students to the university, but working solely in the beginning stage of a student’s experience had its drawbacks.

“You [would] build real rela tionships with students, and then

are getting a worthwhile experi ence.

It has also allowed Eads to build more meaningful relation ships, but doing so hasn’t been easy, especially when relying on

are intended to be easy ways for students to reach out with praise or criticism.

“It’s a great way for us to direct our energy and direct our goals,” Eads said.

“I think it’s just, how do we make today better than yester day? And do it for others, not for yourself,” Eads said. “If we do it right, we can change the world.”

Natalie Correa / The Hofstra Chronicle

“Office hours is not going to the principal’s office. It is truly an opportunity to discuss things. I think there are things that we as administrators need to reimagine. How do we open ourselves up to the student body?”

FEATURES

This Hofstra Life: Allison Siegel

By Makenzie Hurt ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

Being a transfer student is a difficult task, considering you’re struggling to find the perfect college that works for you. It is a large commitment to make, but also one that you want to make wisely.

Allison Siegel faced this daunting task in 2019 when she realized that Bucknell University, the college she was attending, wasn’t the perfect fit. She started looking at other schools and finally landed on Hofstra.

Siegel is a junior math educa tion major and is hoping to teach high school mathematics when she graduates. A native of the local town of East Rockaway, Siegel commutes to her classes.

She also works two jobs and is involved in several campus orga nizations. Her incredible motiva tion makes it easy to understand how she was able to transfer with little to no help.

Siegel explained her experi ence with the transfer process.

“In general, it’s been confusing because people don’t really talk about transferring,” she said. “It’s pretty difficult; you have to do a lot on your own. Unlike high school, there’s no one to guide you through the process. It’s also really hard to figure out for each school what the different re quirements are.”

Since there is no guid ance counselor to lead students through the process and some schools’ credits transfer dif ferently, many may become overwhelmed and quickly aban don the thought of transferring. Siegel, however, knew it was the right choice for her.

Siegel’s wit and positive attitude are undoubtedly driving factors behind why she was able to handle the transfer process. When asked where she sees her self in five years, Siegel respond ed, “Well, that’s a really rough

why teachers are so vital to our community, as she explains.

“I had really great teachers, and I also had really bad teach ers,” she said. “The great teach ers that I’ve had inspired me to be that person for somebody else.

nity that had different cultures and backgrounds, and I thought it would be an environment that I could immerse myself in easily.”

Siegel loves to meet people and learn about their life story, so she was eager to get involved.

“There’s so much that this school has to offer, as well as different people from different walks of life,” Siegel said. “With that foundation, there’s a lot that can go on on campus. That would be rewarding.”

Siegel’s favorite thing about Hofstra is the professors she’s encountered; she confidently stated that “a good foundation with a professor means every thing to me as a student.”

As a math major, Siegel appreciates the ability to be in a classroom rather than doing online classes. She took a gap year during the earlier stages of COVID-19 because of the difficulty of taking math classes specifically via Zoom.

“If you’re doing something wrong on your paper, nobody can see the error except for you,” Siegel said.

Not only is Siegel glad to have the opportunity to be in a class room and get the feedback that she needs, but she is also grateful to have great professors like Jillian Elstoough and Eduardo Duarte who make learning an even more rewarding experience for her.

question because I don’t even know what I’m gonna do tomor row ... but I hope that I’m happy, content with life, happy with my decisions and nothing major, [like] teaching at a school.”

Siegel’s motivation to become an educator are a reminder of

And it made me realize what impact a teacher can have on a student.”

“Hofstra seemed like a really good community of people,” Sie gel said when looking back on her decision to enroll at Hofstra. “I wanted to go into a commu

Her open-mindedness allows her to talk to anyone and make a stranger’s day.

She agrees that Hofstra’s portrayal of being culturally rich was accurate but thinks that the school could use this aspect to strengthen its community.

Siegel demonstrates a level of perseverance and positivity that many can learn from. While not everyone has to endure the transfer experience, she is a rep resentation of doing what makes you happy, even when it may be difficult. Her enthusiasm lies in being happy and making others feel the same – a great outlook that everyone should have in their lives.

“Hofstra seemed like a really good community of people. I wanted to go into a community that had different cultures and backgrounds, and I thought it would be an environment that I could immerse myself in easily.”

Photo courtesy of George Pappas

FEATURES

M AN ON THE U NISPAN

O verheard @ h O fstra

By Zoe Casselman and Julian Rocha SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE AND FEATURES EDITOR

“Get

- Kayla Keen, sophomore

“Do

- Taylor Montgomery, sophomore

“My mom said to me, ‘You would be a really good sugar baby.’”

“We may not have won but those cold beans-on-toast-eating wankers didn’t win.”

“Hell’s a hot place, you better pack shorts!”

“The best thing that’s happened this week is getting a job and getting 10 condoms.”

“No. Don’t compare my penis to Veggie Tales.”

“This show is just made for furries.”

“When I saw the ballcuzzi I thought of you.”

“Attempted murder aside, the guy was pretty funny.”

“She’s white with some seasoning.”

“Don’t

- Marlena Titus, senior

“Everyone show your credit card statements.”

Spread by Audra Nemirow

Julian Rocha / The Hofstra Chronicle

FEATURES

Chron Cooks ft. Anna DeGoede: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

By Anna DeGoede MANAGING EDITOR

These cookies are a family favorite in my house. They’re both deliciously crumbly and chocolatey, perfect for peanut butter fans or people just looking for a more interesting variation on the classic chocolate chip cookie.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup smooth peanut butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar, tightly packed

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

6 ounces chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.

3. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until com pletely mixed.

4. Sift flour and baking soda together, and add to butter mixture, beating until just combined.

5. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Drop onto baking sheet, about one spoonful of dough per cookie. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

7. Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Chron Cooks ft. Zoe Casselman: Salmon Bowl

By Zoe Casselman SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Want a quality salmon bowl but don’t feel like getting it from the Student Center? Then I have the perfect recipe for you! If you have 20 minutes and a few simple ingredients, you can make your own easy, delicious meal. This recipe makes two servings, so feel free to cook with a friend!

Ingredients:

1 pound salmon

1 ½ cups of sushi rice

Salt Pepper

Garlic powder

Olive oil

Optional:

1 cucumber

1 avocado

Sriracha mayonnaise Crunchy seaweed snacks

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking sheet.

2. Coat salmon to your liking with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

3. Place the salmon on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until it is cooked all the way and easily pulls apart.

4. While the salmon is cooking, rinse the rice 2-3 times until the water is clear, then add to a pot with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes, then take the pot off the heat and let sit for five minutes before plating.

6. Split the rice into two bowls, cut the salmon in half and then place one portion in each bowl of rice.

7. If desired, cut up the cucumber and avocado and add them to each bowl, then add srira cha mayo and seaweed strips.

8. Mix with a fork and enjoy!

Zoe Casselman / The Hofstra Chronicle

Anna DeGoede / The Hofstra Chronicle

Hofstra holiday hoopla

Hofstra University held its annual holiday lighting ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 1. University President Susan Poser and Student Government Association President Will Germaine spoke outside Hofstra Hall to commemorate the event.

Afterward, the festivities moved inside to the Son dra and David S. Mack Student Center to view the holiday window murals painted by Greek life and other clubs; Alpha Kappa Psi and Alpha Theta Beta won first place in the competition for their Chinese New Year mural.

Spread by Jacob Lewis

Emma Fabilli / The Hofstra Chronicle

Emma Fabilli / The Hofstra Chronicle

Courtesy of University Relations

Courtesy of University Relations

Courtesy of University Relations

Courtesy of University Relations

Courtesy of University Relations

Courtesy of University Relations

Arts And EntErtAinmEnt

‘Wednesday,’ a new look for ‘The Addams Family’

By Kat Salmon ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Wednesday Addams has been a household name since the original “Addams Family” television show premiered in the 1960s. Tim Burton’s version of the character now resonates with a whole new generation of fans, and it is not the version older age groups grew up watching. Jenna Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday is sarcastic and blunt, with little nods to Christina Ricci and Lisa Loring’s previous portrayals.

With this first season of “Wednesday” only having eight episodes, Burton needed to show loyal fans that his version would still please their desires.

Catherine Zeta-Jones portrays Morticia as the strange character viewers have known and loved, but her motherly side makes more of an appearance than in the other adaptations. She does not have the closest relationship with her daughter, but she still obviously cares for Wednesday. It’s refreshing to see unique portrayals of mother-daughter relationships on television.

After standing up for her little brother, Wednesday is sent to a

private boarding school by her parents. Nevermore Academy is no place for the faint of heart, as its students are supernaturally gifted, and there is a prophecy, dating back to colonial times linked to the Addams family.

Wednesday meets some interesting people while at Nevermore.

Principal Weems (Gwendoline Christie) was her mother’s roommate when she attended the school, and she does not seem to like Wednesday.

Weems was one of the most interesting characters to watch, as it was difficult to understand her motivations. Was she someone you wanted to root for, or not? You will have to watch and find out for yourself.

Another person Wednesday meets is her ray-of-sunshine roommate, Enid (Emma Meyers).

The two are complete oppo

sites, but they quickly form a beautiful friendship. Their scenes together were the best in the show.

One last character that deserves some praise is Thing. For those unfamiliar with the character, Thing is a disembodied hand that helps the members of the Addams family. He was not supposed to be at Nevermore, but he was sent by Gomez to watch over Wednesday. Thing provided comic relief when things started to get too dark. He also helped Wednesday figure out the proph ecy she seems to be connected to. If the show gets renewed, hope

fully there will be more scenes with Thing.

Some viewers of “Wednesday” feel that there should have been more episodes or that certain characters did not get enough screen time. Why did all of the adults think it was com pletely okay to always assume Wednesday was in the wrong? She is just a kid. Of course, there were times where she actually did things to justify their anger, but she is still a teenager. When adults, especially authority fig ures, make blanket claims about kids they assume are going to act badly, problems are going to arise.

Another thing worth mention ing is the very minimal diversity in the cast. Why are the three Black characters bullies? They eventually develop as the series progresses, but reverting to stereotypes in 2022 is a bad look for Burton.

If you have not already watched “Wednesday,” it can be streamed on Netflix. Hopefully, the show will get renewed for a second season. Fans are just going to have to wait patiently and maybe rewatch the show a couple of times.

The mystery is solved in ‘Glass Onion’

By Ryan Drew SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

It’s no mystery that Rian Johnson’s 2019 endeavor “Knives Out” was a massive hit with audiences and critics alike. So, the next mystery was to see if he was able to recreate the magic for the sequel “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” Spoiler alert: he does. “Glass Onion” is a tightly written, wonderfully performed comedic rollercoaster. The only returning cast member from the original movie is Daniel Craig, reprising his role as the world’s premiere detective Benoit Blanc. In the sequel, he manages to pull off being both the smartest in the room while also bringing some of the hardest laughs as one of the main comic reliefs. The other original cast members aren’t missed, however, with the new potential victims hitting it out of the park.

The standouts are Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson and Ed

Norton. Monáe’s performance is the most layered throughout the entire film. Johnson frequently repeats a lot of the movie though flashbacks, and Monáe’s performance gives off different information each time it’s shown, even though the foot age hasn’t changed at all. Ed Norton plays the role of the billionaire without self-awareness. He is able to keep the veil of intel ligence while saying some truly idiotic things. Kate Hudson is without a doubt the scene stealer, however; every line she says is hilarious. That’s another positive for “Glass Onion” over its prede cessor – it’s arguably the funniest film of the year.

“Knives Out” was also humor

ous, but its comedy was more situational, while “Glass Onion” has more actual jokes that are set up earlier in the film, allowing them to pay off in the later half.

Just because the movie is funny one second doesn’t mean that the next second won’t be nail-bitingly tense. A great example is the scene where the murder takes place. The scene draws a lot of parallels to the drug deal scene from Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights.” The music evokes feeling that it’s ever increasing, the shots get closer, a loud banging sound gets faster and the edit makes the shots shorter and shorter. The tension build up is great; it keeps you

on your toes with fake out after fake out until the payoff is finally given.

The motif of the titular glass onion itself is one of the best parts of the movie. The mystery at the center of the plot gives off the feeling that it’s this complex narrative of secrets and lies, however, the answer is plain as day. The glass onion itself seems layered like a regular onion, but it is made of glass so you can see right into its center. It has the veil of layers without having any. That motif is the key to how the mystery in the movie presents itself. You’re guessing people with in-depth motivations are the killer while the answer is presented clearly to you early on. This makes the final twist so satisfying. Not only were the characters duped, but the viewer was, too. “Glass Onion” deliv ers on everything you want it to, making it just a blast to watch and try to decipher, while also bringing laughs.

Quick Hits

Courtesy of Glamour

Courtesy of NBC News Courtesy of Variety

Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac died Nov. 30, at age 79.

TikTok sensation Noodles the Pug passed away on Friday, Dec. 2, at age 14.

Netflix’s “The Midnight Club” has been canceled after airing only one season.

Actor Danny Masterson’s sexual assault trial has been declared a mistrial.

Courtesy of The Sun

The scene at the dance in “Wednesday” has become very popular to reenact on TikTok.

Courtesy of The New York Times

Photo courtesy of Netflix

“That ‘90s Show” will premiere on Netflix on Jan. 13, 2023.

Rian Johnson also directed “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.”

Photo courtesy of Netflix

‘Criminal Minds’: De-Evolution?

By Anna DeGoede MANAGING EDITOR

When CBS’s hit television show “Criminal Minds” left air after 15 seasons, many people thought that this was the end for the beloved series, which featured a rotating cast of characters working to catch serial killers in the FBI’s Behav ioral Analysis Unit (BAU).

Little did everyone know that the arrival of CBS’s streaming service Paramount+ would also revive the show from the depths of cancellation as part of a larger attempt to bring Paramount+ and CBS into contention with other top platforms like Disney+, according to Deadline.

Before even setting foot onto the audience’s screens, “Criminal Minds: Evolution” distinguishes itself from its predecessors from the get-go with a limited 10-epi sode run for the first season, which centers around the BAU’s pursuit of a once-dormant serial killer now turned to a murderous mentor to others around the country.

Several core characters who were part of the original “Crimi

nal Minds” series have found themselves in new positions in the show’s universe, including Emily Prentiss (portrayed by Paget Brew ster), David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Jennifer Jareau (A.J. Cook), Pe nelope Garcia (Kirsten Vang sness), Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) and Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler).

Notably, a few members of the BAU who were pres ent for the con clusion of the initial “Crimi nal Minds” run haven’t returned to the silver screen: Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid and Daniel Henney’s Matt Simmons are absent from the show.

Even with most of the BAU team intact, the characterization is the first of many aspects of the revival that struggle to get off the

ground. Though the returning actors clearly know their characters inside and out from years of experience, they aren’t given much of a chance to flex those acting chops. Instead,

announcements) that don’t really fit what we know and love.

On top of that, there’s little to no character evolution outside the BAU. The new characters are incompetent at their jobs or poorly acted – sometimes both – which leaves little to appreciate outside the characters we already like.

mance other than as an expression less, stone-cold killer.

they’re handed clunky dialogue and non-sensical characteriza tions that leave die-hard “Crimi nal Minds” fans feeling more than a little off-put when they’re blindsided by awkward bursts of emotion and relationship issues (or

The show’s main villain, portrayed by Zach Gilford of “Friday Night Lights” fame, had the potential to push the BAU into a new era of be havioral profiling with his intricate network of serial killer followers – but Gilford, too, fails to hold up his end of the burden despite his character’s po tential for deep internal conflict.

His reactions fall flat, and so far, with three episodes of 10 in the season already released, he has yet to show any nuance to his perfor

A grand slam on Broadway: ‘Take Me Out’

By Alexis Friedman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Play is Broad way’s newest hit, “Take Me Out.” It delves into all the ways one can be “taken out” by telling the fictional story of Darren Lemming (Jesse Williams) coming out to his baseball team. With an all-star team for a cast, this revival draws theater lovers and avid baseball fans into the Gerald Schoenfeld Stadium, home of the MLB team, the Empires, in 2002.

Jesse Williams gives an out standing performance, portraying all the complexities of the fictional baseball legend Darren Lemming, but the show would be nothing without the performances of the supporting characters Kippy Sun derstrom (Bill Heck) and Mason Marzac (Jesse Tyler Ferguson). Heck’s character is the primary narrator of “Take Me Out” and peacemaker amongst the Empires as conflict after conflict arise

between Williams and every other player. Heck and Ferguson give exceptionally empathetic perfor mances and provide comedic relief during the darker and more intense parts of the play with quick witted remarks.

One of the greatest moments in the play is Ferguson’s monologue in which Marzac discovers the joys, sorrows and eccentricities of baseball and finds, in his under standing of the sport, an immense passion and appreciation of its beauty.

The monologue analyzes the sport of baseball from an outsiders perspective, which uncovers a vast appreciation of its symmetry, its metaphorical nature and highlights it as a perfect example of equality, proving it to be better than democ racy – and how it is practiced here.

After Lemming comes out to the Empires, pitcher Shane Mungitt (Michael Oberholtzer) is intro duced to the team, coming from an “A-ball Bumfuck” farm team as Mungitt gets reminded quite

frequently in the show. Mung itt’s character doesn’t talk much overall, but gives an emotionally impactful performance, especially towards the shows conclusion .

Throughout the show, Mungitt serves his role as an easy scapegoat for the Empires’ issues, culminat ing with his arrest for throwing a deadly pitch. At this pinnacle of the show, Oberholtzer gives an incred ible performance while discovering all the prior causal events leading up to the throw of that fatal pitch.

The creative genius written by the playwright Richard Greenberg is outstanding. “Take Me Out” ex amines all the various connotations of the phrase “take me out.” Darren Lemming comes out to his team, “Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd ...” is a classic baseball song and Mungitt’s erratic pitching takes the batter out, both literally and figuratively.

One application of the phrase “take me out” that Greenberg may not have intended for the show was the inclusion of full-frontal nudity

in multiple clubhouse shower scenes throughout the two-act show.

“The play’s nudity is about perceived masculinity and what it means to be in touch with your manhood in a way that is either restricted and restrained or free and expressive,” Heck said in an interview with Theater Mania. While the stark nudity is included per Heck’s point and does replicate what showering in a baseball clubhouse is really like for players around the world, it can take audience members out of the moment, leaving them more focused on specific characters’ anatomy than the crucial dia logue taking

To be fair to Gilford and the rest of the cast, it doesn’t really feel like they’re being given much to work with script-wise. While the details of the BAU investigation aren’t the issue, the dialogue and pacing, on top of poor wardrobe choices for the returning actors, drag what could have been a great step into modernity for a show that has always felt more authentic in its older seasons.

The most redeeming part of “Criminal Minds: Evolution” is, by a mile, getting to see the characters we’ve spent countless hours with on our screens again. Even with odd character moments, there’s a certain magic to the agents that populate the BAU that other shows don’t quite have.

The story itself is quite solid, with a unique-enough premise and the usual graphic murders and high-stakes profiling, but in the end, it’s a relentless loyalty to the original that will keep eager fans watching “Criminal Minds: Evolu tion” to the very end and beyond.

place in the showers.

The 2022 revival of “Take Me Out” truly is a grand slam performance that baseball fans and regular theatergoers should experience. Even lovers of other sports can relate and could gain a great appreciation for both the sport of baseball and for stories in male dominated sports that aren’t too common, like athletes coming out. “Take Me Out” can be seen at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre now through Feb. 5, 2023.

All 15 seasons of the original series can be streamed on Paramount+.

Photo courtesy of People.com

Jesse Williams portrayed Jackson Avery in “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Photo courtesy of New York Theatre Guide

Average ‘Andor’

By Mac Sykes ASSISTANT ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“Andor,” the newest in a slew of “Star Wars” streaming series on the platform Disney+, finished its first season on Nov. 23. The series follows Cassian Andor (Di ego Luna), a thief on the run who becomes involved in a raid on an Imperial fortress, which leads to his arrest, escape and ultimate enlistment in the Rebellion as a spy as introduced to audiences in 2016’s “Rogue One.” The series acts as a prequel to the film.

“Andor” departs from the previous Star Wars formula that somewhat fatigued the franchise since Disney’s acquisition of the property in 2012. The series gives us a unique perspective to the franchise we have not seen before, taking on a fresh perspec tive with new faces that carry the show on its own in their unique characterization.

However, the show is not without faults. For one, the series has very little to do with its titular character; it is deceiving. The

show is not about a particular man’s path of change but rather a galaxy of people that sparked a rebellion. The majority of events that happen have nothing to do with him or are completely out of his control.

The other major issue is pacing. “An dor” is a series that takes a while to find its footing, which unfortunately destroys any potential solid pace. That’s not to say that a series shouldn’t have slower, deeper or world-building mo ments or that everything needs to be an action-packed spectacle, but when plot points are unneces sarily dragged out for an entire season but go nowhere, it gets pretty tiring.

These moments toe the line on whether they count as “filler” because, while they do contain

relevant information, the execu tion of these scenes falls flat.

Another issue comes down to flat characterization of Cassian Andor himself. He’s cold and

few episodes, but this storyline doesn’t go anywhere for the rest of the show. As stated before, for a series marketed as his very own spinoff, it has very little to actu ally do with him or his progres sion. He starts as a ruthless, cold and hardened man, and when we see him in “Rogue One,” his only difference is in title as a spy, rather than a thief. There is no strong arc for him internally.

The release format for these episodes serves as another flaw. The series is composed of twelve episodes, progressing though arcs three episodes at a time. The series premiered the first three at once, which told a complete arc.

ruthless, but there isn’t much to him beyond this. The series continues to showcase him in this manner, but he is not developed beyond this or given anything interesting. The audience is given a look at his backstory, as an or phan from a native culture which was destroyed by the Empire within flashbacks during the first

In subsequent weeks, only one episode was released at a time. Releasing only one episode at a time proved fatal as some of these episodes contain little action in progressing the overall story and don’t wrap up until the third of the arc.

What “Andor” does get right, however, is its simple message of hope, bravery and combating oppression. Of all the characters in the series who inspire Andor,

the highlight comes from the performance by Andy Serkis as Kino Loy, a fellow prisoner and floor manager of the prison Andor is trapped on during a segment of the series. Loy is dedicated to his job and believes that hard work will set him free. When things begin to go horribly amiss, he has a breakdown and gives one of the most heroic speeches in all of “Star Wars,” something the fran chise has been particularly void of until now. Loy leads a rebellion that saves the lives of countless in a very emotional scene. What’s so excellent about this is that Loy is just an everyday person. He’s not a Jedi, like Luke Skywalker or Obi Wan Kenobi, but a simple man who wishes to just live life to the fullest again.

These smaller moments save the show from being less than impressive, but overall, “Andor” is an average tale that has much to improve before its next season, slated for release in 2024. Until then, fans will have plenty of time to mull this over and watch more content to come from the “Star Wars” mythos.

How ‘Sonic Frontiers’ gives hope for future games

By Peter Pistone STAFF WRITER

The “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise is known by its fans to be critical of the games produced by SEGA. The series has had several games that have ranged from mediocre to good by audi ence reception. Many people were losing hope in the series as the games were rushed to meet the deadlines, lacking in certain areas and not entirely what fans expect ed. Take the games “Sonic Forces” and “Sonic Colors: Ultimate” as an example of how fans saw the more recent titles.

“Sonic Frontiers” is the most recent installment in the fran chise. The game focuses on Sonic exploring the Starfall Islands to rescue his friends from Cyber Space and retrieve the Chaos Emeralds. The primary plot surrounds Sonic exploring the islands, helping a race of beings called “Koco” and fighting the Titans controlled by a new villain named Sage. Written by long-

time Sonic comic book writer Ian Flynn, the story is better than it has been in previous titles.

This is what makes Ian Flynn such a great writer when it comes to this franchise: he knows the characters front to back. The game emphasizes their backstories, their strengths and what each character has managed to do with out the help of Sonic: a missing element from previous games.

Flynn highlights the growth of these characters, and it truly shows throughout the entire adventure.

However, what pieces everything together has to be the gameplay for “Sonic Frontiers.” Unlike other games before this, “Sonic Frontiers” takes a whole new step for gameplay. Aside from the fact that the game is almost entirely open

world, “Sonic Frontiers” is the first game in the series to imple ment a combat system for Sonic. Instead of just boosting and using

ing from small and simple to ridiculously complex. However, the islands are still a massive joy to explore and giving Sonic the ability to run around these massive islands really fits the play style of the blue blur. The Cyber Space levels are also fun, and reminisce on the level designs from previous titles such as “Sonic Adventure 2” and “Sonic Unleashed” with only four different zones.

utilize Sonic’s combat system to the absolute fullest while dem onstrating how cool Super Sonic is through his sheer power and abilities. It’s something that’s never actually seen before, and it is worth appreciating.

the homing attack, Sonic now has several new abilities to take down the opponents on the island.

The open world experience is something the game takes to its fullest advantage, with several puzzles within the game rang

There is only one com plaint with these levels: As mentioned before, the Cyber Space levels reuse assets from other Sonic games. Finally, the bosses are where “Sonic Frontiers” shines brightest. After col lecting the seven Chaos Emeralds on each island, the player is greeted with one more fight with the Titan of the island that you will encounter towards the beginning of your journey. These are the greatest fights the franchise has to offer. The fights

However, the game does fail to present a good final boss and cinematic ending that would be best for the game. There’s noth ing wrong with the ending – it just fails at presenting an intense moment in a way that matches the rest of the game. Even the secret final boss on hard mode feels out of place with everything; while challenging and intense, it’s unfor tunately the worst final boss the series has up to this point.

“Sonic Frontiers” might just be one of the best games of the entire franchise. It’s a game that presents a solid story, amazing character moments and some of the best controls since “Sonic Unleashed,” as it does everything fans of the series have wanted for years upon years.

The “Andor” finale was one of Disney+’s highest viewed episodes of the year.

Photo courtesy of Frontiers

“Sonic The Hedgehog 2,” a film based on the video game franchise, was released this past April.

Photo courtesy of NPR

Hoftsra ... Pride?

By Allison Siegel

Let’s hear it for the Hofstra Pride! However, there seems to be a lack of “pride.” I am a current sophomore transfer student here at Hofstra, and I’ve noticed that some things aren’t quite as advertised. Hofstra is promoted as a school of com munity, with tons of ways to get involved on campus. When the semester began, I took it upon myself to reach out to clubs and get involved. I sent out a dozen emails at minimum, yet we are months into the semester and I’ve not received a single response.

Hofstra asks prospective ap plicants to rank the activities on campus that they would like to be a part of. The application asks students to “indicate the number of activities in which you are interested and list in order of preference.” Numerous clubs are listed on the applica

tion, including several which happened to be on the list of clubs I reached out to.

I am unsure if all of the clubs listed are still in existence, but Hofstra advertising their “diverse” 220 clubs seems to be a bit of a false advertisement. If the clubs that are displayed on the application don’t exist, then they should be removed from the list.

Campus life is a significant factor when deciding what school to commit to for the next four years. Picking colleges is a nerve-wracking process for many, and I feel strongly that this false narrative that has continued to be portrayed is wrong. Additionally, Hofstra’s tuition is, at minimum, $53,310 a year without a scholarship or financial aid. Many families have to adjust their finances to send their children to school.

Alternatively, some students pay for school on their own,

which can lead to years of loan payments. Because students pay such a large sum of money to attend Hofstra, there should be more ways than just academics to immerse ourselves in “the college experience.”

There is, however, one genre of campus organization that seems to be up and running. Hofstra’s Greek life is impres sive, but should this be the only sustainable way to get involved on campus? Greek life is great, but is it for everyone? No. For students who don’t want to be in Greek life, how do they get involved?

Hofstra held one club fair during Welcome Week, and we made it all the way into the second week of November without another one. When I found out that a second fair was being held, I was thrilled. Had I wished it was held closer to the beginning of the semester? Yes. However, as a student eager

to join a club, I was excited to attend.

The intention behind the club fair was clear, but there was an overall lack of excitement among the students tabling the clubs. They weren’t excited or passionate about what they were advertising, and not many students attended the fair as a whole. Seeing the low turnout made me wonder if the event wasn’t advertised well – if at all – or if students are aloof to Hofstra’s clubs.

Those of you who have ex perienced a weekend at Hofstra can attest to the fact that it’s vacant. For on-campus residents the offerings for activities are slim to none. As a commuting student, I would personally trav el back to campus for events, but what about the students who live on campus? How do they socialize on the weekend? The deficit in the community is alarming, despite our campus

having tons to offer.

There is so much space for community-building events to take place, without requiring any additional funds. Many schools have football teams, and students get involved by tailgat ing and rooting their team on from the stands. Hofstra doesn’t have a football team, but we, as Hofstra students, should still be able to rally together to show our “pride.”

Let’s change the narrative here at Hofstra. There’s always room for growth, and I think that Hofstra’s students and faculty have the capacity to actually make Hofstra a school built of community.

Allison Siegel is a sopho more mathimatics educa tion major. You can find her @allison.siegel on Instagram.

Protect students: Take Title IX violations seriously

CONTINUED FROM A1

These potential ramifications sound reasonably severe and just, but for many accused stu dents on campus, they are often not enacted.

Individuals, primarily men, who have received accusations remain in campus clubs, in on-campus housing and even in university employment posi tions.

A freshman student who chose to remain anonymous said, “A kid in my building has many accusations [against him]. [Hofstra’s] not doing anything if he’s still living there. No action has been taken by the school; only students have done something about it.”

When asked if she felt safe

on campus, she responded by saying, “I do feel safe because I travel in groups. However, when I saw him out – even though I was with people I knew who would protect me – I was still nervous and uncom fortable around him.”

An anonymous sophomore student employed on campus shared a similar sentiment, stating, “I work with someone who has confirmed allegations against them, and it makes the workplace very uncomfortable sometimes because they have a history with more than one person in our office.”

She continued, saying, “I constantly feel like I have to look over my shoulder both at work and on campus in case that person is around.”

When asked if she thought Hofstra should remove accused students from campus involve ment, she replied, “Students who have multiple cases filed against them shouldn’t be al lowed to work campus jobs. Not only does the student re ceive no repercussions for their actions, [but] by working at the university it reinforces that Hofstra doesn’t care if they’re associated with these kinds of people. Right now, it seems like having a Title IX [viola tion] filed against you means nothing.”

She discussed that the student body holds each other accountable, but the univer sity refuses to do so. She said, “Obviously if people find out, your reputation will be ru

ined amongst your peers, but Hofstra should instead strive to make campus safer by remov ing these students rather than keeping dirty little secrets.”

Hofstra promotes organiza tions such as It’s On Us, which focuses on the importance of accountability from not only the offenders, but bystanders and community members as well.

On their webpage, it says, “Raising awareness. Hold ing ourselves and each other accountable. Looking out for someone who cannot consent. It’s on us, Hofstra. All of us.”

This notion sounds pleasant but does little to help or force accountability when those who commit these acts receive little to no repercussions.

These students are enabled to repeat these actions until measures are finally taken to stop them. At that point, removal from clubs, employ ment or campus residency, while still entirely necessary, is far too late. More students are victims than they should be; even one is too many. The lack of punishment for harassment and abuse at Hofstra allows of fenders to repeat their behavior consequence free.

Zoe Casselman is a sopho more English major with a concentration in literature and a journalism minor. You can find her on Insta gram @zoekca.

OPINION

Chron Crossword

Chron Crosswords 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Across 2. Pack this place when basketball plays 6. The night shuttle driver - is known to all students as a legend 7. The damaged walkway that is used to get to classes 9. The restaurant that's located in one of the business schools 11. Eleven stories of knowledge and books 12. The on-campus bodega that shares its namesake with a nationality

Down 1. The town Hofstra is located in 3. The housing closest to the baseball stadium 4. The hottest/hellish hall on-campus 5. The most overrated thing at Bits 8. The freshman dorm that is closest to the Stu 10. The on-campus coffee shop that is close to the quad

Graphic by Ethan Albin / The Hofstra Chronicle

By Makenzie Hurt

Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion in popular culture regarding why the notorious fashion brand Victoria’s Secret is no longer relevant. The cata lyst was Jax’s 2022 song entitled “Victoria’s Secret,” where she sings, “I know Victoria’s Secret ... / She’s an old man who lives in Ohio / Making money off of girls like me.” The song’s speedy rise to popularity via TikTok came around the same time as Hulu’s docuseries, “Vic toria’s Secret: Angels and De mons,” in which the seedy un derbelly of the brand is exposed. The series delves into former L Brands CEO and founder Leslie Wexner’s misogynistic and malicious intentions.

In what appears to be a response to increased criticism, Victoria’s Secret launched a campaign in October called “Undefinable,” where the big gest names in modeling talked about their self-image. In the ad featuring Bella Hadid, which

Let’s leave Victoria’s Secret in 2022

can be found on Victoria’s Secret’s Instagram, she states, “I was taught that sexy was about your body. The way that your boobs looked in a push-up bra.”

Why was Hadid taught this? Because Victoria’s Secret has propagated this narrative.

The rise of body positivity has changed the world for the better, with brands such as Aerie incorporating models of all body types and striving to promote self-love. Aerie’s chief creative officer, Jen Foyle, told Forbes that the brand is “anti-super model,” an obvious dig at their competitor, Victoria’s Secret. Surprisingly, even with the rise of body positive lingerie and clothing brands, Victoria’s Se cret didn’t immediately change in order to keep up with the times. Instead, they continued promoting the unattainable im age of the classic “VS Angels.”

The Victoria’s Secret fashion show, in which supermodels walk the runway in lingerie and angel wings alongside some

of the biggest names in music, was canceled in 2019. Its parent company, L Brands, was quoted by Time Magazine as saying that the reason behind its sud den cancellation was due to the company wanting to “evolve [Victoria’s Secret’s] marketing.”

Women bashed the company for its annual fashion show, stat ing that it represented a misogy nistic and unattainable standard.

It is vital to remember that the models’ careers depend on being in perfect shape, so exercising and eating right are part of the job description. Yet the average woman does not have the time or money to constantly exercise and eat perfectly balanced diets.

The angel image is unachiev able, and it is being cast aside by other brands because when shopping, women want to see clothes presented on realis tic bodies like their own. Not to mention, Victoria’s Secret catalogs and advertisements are all heavily photoshopped to get the models looking as close to

“perfect” as possible.

As the company’s profits decreased, the brand finally decided to adapt to the bodypositive movement by incorpo rating more diverse models. Yet shoppers and critics alike were quick to pick up on their performative advertising. With their new “Undefinable” cam paign, some spectators are being swayed to believe that Victoria’s Secret has always embraced and empowered women. On the contrary, until being urged to incorporate new models, L Brands was profiting off of the unrealistic depiction of women’s bodies. Past members of Vic toria’s Secret’s marketing team referred to the fashion show as a fantasy, further proving the fact that this inconceivable standard for women is nothing more than an unrealistic goal.

Instead of profiting off of women’s bodies, Victoria’s Secret is now profiting off of a social movement and is using women’s empowerment for

their own monetary benefit –despite the brand being one of the oldest displays of unrealistic beauty standards. One might conclude that the brand would still be advertising the same models that they always have, but that’s economically unfea sible in the modern world.

Hopefully brands continue to support female empower ment and body positivity, since women have been forced to endure unrealistic expectations for centuries. While it’s just a start, the fact that many brands are realizing what women want is the first step towards greater inclusivity. Victoria’s Secret is guilty of making so many women feel insecure, and the brand should not be praised for being forced to adapt.

Makenzie Hurt is a sophomore English major with a concentra tion in literature. You can find her on Instagram @makenzie hurt.

TikTok has changed music, but not for the better

By Zoe Casselman

TikTok has gained immense popularity since its creation in 2014, now growing to become one of the largest social media platforms in the world. As of September 2021, TikTok de clared that it had reached over one billion active users glob ally, making it a promotional behemoth for both celebrities and celebrity hopefuls. Wheth er we like it or not, the steadily growing app has permanently changed the music industry, what’s trending and the future of songs in general.

A key function of TikTok is its “For You” page, a feature made for scrolling in which the content is continuously curated for the user. According to Tik Tok, each user’s recommen dations are based on factors fitting into three categories: user interactions, video infor mation, and device and account settings. Attributes such as lik

ing, commenting, sharing, the sound used, hashtags, language preference and type of device are weighted for each user to determine their feed and the videos they will see.

The For You page’s algo rithm presents a unique chance that is unavailable in other social media apps. Unlike other social media platforms like Instagram, you do not have to already be a celebrity to garner millions of likes or views. Nearly anyone can find almost instant fame on TikTok by get ting on the For You page, just by choosing a popular sound or using the right hashtag.

Virality is easier now than ever, especially for musical artists. TikTok has also become the go-to app for music discov ery. According to TikTok, 75% of users say they discover new artists through the app, and 63% say they hear new music they have not heard before Tik

Tok, making it an invaluable tool for established musicians and hopefuls alike. Musicians can now be discovered from a mere 15-second soundbite. This has led to TikTok users seeking them out on alternate plat forms, giving trending artists listeners they would not have accumulated otherwise.

While a potentially amazing opportunity for up-and-comers, it also encourages artists, both new and established, to forgo the traditional song structure. Rather than the classic intro, verse, pre-chorus and bridge format, many artists are creat ing much shorter songs with basic beats and bland, vague lyrics. In an interview conduct ed by Billboard Pro, Vincent Morgan, VP of A&R at Peer music corroborates this, saying that producers are now going through songs and making them shorter. Since these short, dull, catchy hints of songs are

now what trend, as it contin ues, music will just continue to devolve.

Even older music is unable to escape TikTok, as the app has become so influential in the world of music that it can revive songs that have not been popular for decades and put them right back on the charts. Consider “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” by Kate Bush. After being used on the soundtrack for season four of “Stranger Things,” the audio began to trend on TikTok. Because of the song’s newfound TikTok popularity, in June 2022, “Running Up That Hill” made its way to the No. 4 spot on Billboards Hot 100, and rose to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart. In the song’s original release in 1985, the song didn’t even make top 10, peaking at the No. 30 spot.

TikTok has become a critical

component of music sharing. For current artists looking for a new hit and new artists look ing to make it big, the way to do it is by making a video on the app and having your song trend as an audio. While overall it is easier to be discovered, TikTok’s effects on music are increasingly negative. Original ity in popular music is hard to come by now, and TikTok’s popularity is the reason why. The more power TikTok gains over the industry, the more mu sic is just going to keep getting worse. But due to the nature of the app, artists – both new and old – are going to utilize the For You page as their main means of advertising, making TikTok even bigger.

Zoe Casselman is a sopho more English major with a concentration in literature You can find her on Insta gram @zoekca.

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.

Another poor start for Hofstra leads to loss against Iona

By Archangelo Iurato STAFF WRITER

tonight; we got off to a slow start. We’ve found ourselves there in other games where we’ve been able to battle back and get ourselves going, but tonight we didn’t do that.”

Iona outscored Hofstra in turnovers, tripled the Pride’s scoring on second chances, won the battle in the paint, outscored the Pride’s 34-20 from under the basket and shot 50% of their points from beyond the arc.

16 points for the Pride. She also had the most rebounds with eight total, six of which were defensive. She was the only player for Hofstra who managed to make a shot outside the 3-point line, shooting 2-2 in the game. After her entrance in the second quarter, Thomas saw 30 minutes of playing time, the most of anyone on the team.

The Hofstra Pride women’s basketball team fell to the Iona University Gaels, 62-46, at the Hynes Athletic Center in New Rochelle, New York, on Nov. 30, dropping their overall record to 2-4.

It was a slow start for Hofstra, as they were outscored 22-8 in the first quarter.

“One of our Achilles’ heels this year has been how we’ve been starting the game,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “We saw that

Most of those 3-pointers came from Kate Mager, who hit seven in the game, and combined with Juana Camilion for a total of 35 points for Iona.

“Something we’ve got to work on is our defensive intensity and relentlessness on the defensive side of the floor,”

Santos Atkinson said. “We’ve got to be tougher, and we’ve got to make sure we’re not allowing such easy buckets.”

Brandy Thomas finished the game as the top-scorer for the Pride, as she was the only one to reach double-figures, scoring

“Once [Thomas] got going, she was able to produce offensively,” Santos Atkinson said. “There were some snapshots in there of some positives in things that we’ve seen and have been working on.”

While Iona led in nearly every other stat category, the Pride outscored the Gaels 16-12 in points scored off the bench.

“You’re looking for someone to be that spark,” Santos Atkinson said. “We found it from the bench; I thought some players tried to step up. But when you get yourself in that kind of hole, even with some

sparks coming off the bench, it makes it tough.”

The final quarter was the only one where the Pride managed to outscore their opponents. Their best stretch of the game came in the last few minutes. They turned a 27-point deficit with six-and-a-half minutes to play into a 16-point game when the final whistle blew.

“We’ve got to get better, and it starts in practice,” Santos Atkinson said. “You have to compete to win. It’s hard, and

you’ve got to be willing to give it everything you have. This team is going through that process, and we knew it was going to be that way. We’re continuing to build in this program, and we’ve got great players trying to do it with great support.”

Hofstra returns home to take on the Long Island University Sharks on Saturday, Dec. 3. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Brady Thomas led the Pride with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Hofstra unable to overcome George Mason in overtime

By Dylan Brett STAFF WRITER

Pride.

The Pride grabbed control early, jumping out to a 29-18 lead in the waning minutes of the first half, but the Patriots roared back and outscored Hofstra 50-39 the rest of the way to force overtime. George Mason bested Hofstra 13-9 in the penultimate period to secure the win.

the game to overtime.

The Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team dropped an overtime thriller to the George Mason University Patriots by a score of 81-77 on Nov. 30, at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, to end Hofstra’s brief two-game winning streak.

The Pride dropped to 6-3 on the season while George Mason improved to an even 4-4 record, as the Patriots logged their 16th win in 24 contests against the

Senior guard Aaron Estrada once again dazzled with 31 points on 55% shooting. Despite being limited by foul trouble as well as an apparent ankle injury in the second half, Estrada still managed to log 39 minutes and lead all scorers in the contest.

Estrada has now totaled 50 points on 59% shooting in his last two games. The Hofstra star converted a game-tying layup while being fouled with three seconds left and headed to the free throw line with a chance to seize the lead, but missed the subsequent free throw to send

Senior guard Tyler Thomas also made a difference offensively for the Pride, as he added 14 points on 44% shooting and logged his largest minutes total of the season. Senior forward Warren Williams had his most productive outing of the season, tallying season highs in points, rebounds and blocks.

George Mason had four players score in double digits in the win and assisted on over 45% of their made baskets, compared to just 26% for the Pride. No Hofstra player recorded more than two assists, while George Mason had three players do so. Senior forward Josh Oduro led the way for the Patriots, as he notched 21 points on 45% shooting while pulling down 11 rebounds to secure his second double-double of the season.

Junior guard Ronald Polite III

also poured in 14 points on an efficient 66% shooting. Guards DeVon Cooper and Davonte Gaines scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Hofstra is now 3-3 on their lengthy nine game road trip and will have perhaps their toughest matchup of the season up next as they travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face the 5th-ranked Purdue University Boilermakers on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The Boilermakers currently hold a

7-0 record and have won six of their seven games this season by double digits. The Pride will have to find a way to slow down one of the nation’s premier interior talents, as Purdue big man Zach Edey stands at a towering 7-foot-4-inches, six inches taller than Hofstra’s tallest player. Edey currently averages 22 points and 11 rebounds per game and is widely regarded as the favorite to win National Player of the Year.

Hofstra women’s basketball swims past Sharks

By Aaron Diaz STAFF WRITER

came out rolling with a quick 6-0 lead from Swint’s repeated movements in the paint.

Hofstra continued to fire on all cylinders, taking their lead to a commanding 17-2 advantage after Rosi Nicholson hit a midrange jumper on a fast break. The defense held its ground by only allowing eight points in the first quarter. As the offense sustained their lead, another layup from Swint ended the quarter 24-8.

Joseph-Bernard. Even when the Sharks had the upper hand, the Pride prevailed, going into halftime with a razor-thin 33-32 lead.

up the equalizer with a clutch three-pointer to end the quarter tied at 51.

The Hofstra women’s basketball team won 7471 against the Long Island University (LIU) Sharks, extending their home record to 3-0 on Saturday, Dec. 3.

Strong performances from Brandy Thomas and Zyheima Swint, who both contributed 19 points, led the team to the win.

“I’m really proud of how this team fought back and played,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “Our emphasis for this year has been getting ourselves off to a better start; I thought we did that today and came out firing.”

In the first quarter, the Pride

The second quarter started with a quick offensive rebound and a crafty layup from Swint to extend Hofstra’s lead 26-8. However, LIU decided to take the ball back into their court with Mariah Elohim’s back-toback threes to cut the deficit to 28-21.

The Sharks kept their secondquarter energy up into the third, exemplified by two free throws from Shyan Mwai to put LIU within two points of the Pride, 28-26. Emaia O’Brien’s defensive rebound and midrange jumper tied the game at 28 to cap the Sharks’ 20-3 run.

Hofstra regained possession and quickly retook the lead off a layup in the paint by Kayle

The third quarter unraveled into a more competitive game as both teams traded shotfor-shot. The Pride still held their own with a two-pointer from Nicholson stretching the lead 40-36. Hofstra’s defense slipped up again, and the Sharks capitalized on this moment of vulnerability with Ashley Austin’s slick steal to give herself a pathway to score in the paint, making it a one-point contest.

That possession was answered quickly with another two-pointer from Hofstra’s Thomas to make it a 42-39 game. A three-pointer from Mwai gave LIU their first lead of the contest at 46-44. Hofstra’s Ally Knights had enough and tied the game again at 46. A shot from downtown by LIU’s Claire Henson nullified Knights’ efforts, and the Sharks were leading once again 49-46.

After trading a few more buckets, with 2:15 left in the third quarter, LIU led 51-48. Hofstra’s Emma Von Essen put

The Pride took a brief fivepoint lead to start the fourth. However, LIU wasn’t ready to call it quits as Elohim’s 3-pointer and a fastbreak twopointer by Austin tied the game again at 56. Thomas and Swint flexed their presence with two big shots in the paint for a 61-56 lead.

Even when the defense slipped for the Pride, Swint put up another layup to change the scoreboard to 67-64 with 31 seconds left. Two free throws made by Von Essen sealed the game with a 74-71 victory over the Sharks.

Swint excelled in the paint, going 9-for-13 from the field, scoring 19 points and adding nine rebounds and one block.

“Her paint presence is great,” Santos Atkinson said. “She worked to get those opportunities and create opportunities in the paint to have an advantage, so we can finish at the rim. Her presence is what the team needs, and she’s got to continue to stay aggressive.”

With a win on their shoulders, the Pride turns to face the Army West Point Knights with another home game at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.

Tyler Thomas averages 12.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Photo courtesy of Mike Allen

Hofstra improves to an all-time 16-6 record over LIU.

Photo courtesy of Evan Bernstein/Hofstra Athletics

SPORTS

Hofstra earns mixed results at Cliff Keen Invitational

By Samantha Rose Walker STAFF WRITER

From Friday to Saturday, Dec. 2-3, the 40th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas (CKLV) Collegiate Wrestling Invitational took place, the year’s most difficult in-season wrestling tournament, featuring 33 teams, including the Hofstra Pride. This year alone, based on the entries, Pride fans expected to see the highest concentration of NCAA national qualifiers and AllAmericans before the postseason than at any other time.

Before the Invitational, Jacob Ferreira, Trey Rogers and Zackary Knighton-Ward all earned tournament pre-seeds.

On day two of the Invitational, Ferreira and Rogers each finished the day 3-2. The Pride finished 11-20, with 12 losses against nationally-ranked opponents.

There were several starters for the Pride unable to compete due to injury.

Going into the CKLV invitational preseeded ninth in the 184 bracket, Ferreira won his first-round match by fall

over Utah Valley University’s Hunter Morse at the 4:38 mark. However, he lost in the round of 16 by a major decision, 9-1, to University of Michigan’s 10th-ranked Matt Finesilver. Ferreira then won his first two consolation bracket matches, defeating Ohio State University’s Zayne Lehman 3-2 and Harvard University’s Leonardo Tarantino also 3-2. To conclude his run, Ferreira was defeated in the consolation round of 8 by the sixth-ranked Trey Munoz from Oregon State University.

Rogers, ranked 25th at 197 pounds, was listed as somewhat of an underdog in the CKLV invitational, given the competition against primarily ranked opponents. He is a fifthyear senior with five starts for the Pride, and he also qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2021.

Seventh-seeded Rogers began the tournament with a technical fall victory 19-4 at the 3:30 mark over Sacred Heart

University’s Nick Copley. In the round of 16, he was defeated 6-0 by Navy’s No. 24 Jacob Koser. Rogers then won his first two consolation rounds, defeating the Air Force Academy’s Calvin Sund 8-4 and Northern Iowa University’s Noah Glaser 5-3 before falling to No. 18 Kordell Norfleet of Arizona State University in the consolation round of 8, with a final score of 8-7.

Despite 184, 197 and 285 being the more favorable weight classes for the Pride, eleventh-seeded Knighton-Ward fell short in the round of 16 to Air Force’s No. 8 Wyatt Hendrickson by fall at the 3:15 mark and to University of Nebraska-Kearney’s Lee Herrington 11-5 in the consolation bracket.

Like Rogers, KnightonWard is considered an underdog since the heavyweight bracket in Vegas was one of the most stacked in college wrestling this season. Knighton-Ward is

competing for Hofstra for the fourth year in a row, hoping to reach his fourth NCAA tournament and first podium finish.

The Pride has one more major tournament before Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association competition is underway. The Pride will return home on Thursday, Dec. 22, at 6 p.m., when they face American University at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center in their first conference and dual match of the season.

Ferreira and Rogers both went 3-for-2 at the Cliff Keen Invitational.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Diving into Hofstra athlete name, image and likeness deals

By Jalen Tart STAFF WRITER

For the past 17 months, the sports world has been on a constant rise with the NCAA’s new name, image, likeness (NIL) rule that allows athletes to make money off of their popularity, fame and performance inside and outside of the classroom. Across Long Island, many athletes have found success with the new NIL rule when it comes to promoting their status as student-athletes.

“The NIL has taken a huge toll on Power Five and nonPower Five schools,” said Alyssa Morales Kelly, Hofstra’s senior associate director of athletics for compliance, diversity and inclusion. “We have an internal department program-software called ‘INFLCR’ which provides educational tools and materials for our athletes at Hofstra to help grow their brands and to allow them the best opportunities for our NIL athletes.”

Aaron Estrada of the men’s basketball team earned the chance to get an NIL deal when his previous season with the Pride yielded 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and five assists on average.

“With my NIL deal, I got a couple of endorsements right now, and with the NIL, you could either ask for people’s merchandise or they could give you money,” Estrada said. “I try to go for the deals that give me money and that’s usually when the sponsorships are pushing for

me to post more on my social media, on my story or a regular post.”

Estrada explained the details of his NIL deal.

“One of the deals that I have is Players Trunk and another with Campus Mogul,” said Estrada. “With Campus Mogul, they make T-shirts for me to sell to people who are interested in buying my gear. Every shirt that I sell, they’re getting profit from what I’m making as well because they make the shirts for me; they handle the shipping and it has my name on it, so it’s a good deal for me along with the Players Trunk.”

The NCAA officially made it legal for athletes to profit off NIL endorsements on

on promotions. Each state has begun to create rules and programs for studentathletes across the country that are interested in gaining sponsorship from different companies.

The goal of NIL is for studentathletes to profit and promote themselves by partnering with companies, corporations or businesses to help increase their following and fame while attending school. Athletes across the country are cashing in on deals from big-name companies and corporations.

NIL deals and endorsements can vary from social media posts with local businesses, wearing the company’s merchandise or gear, or partnering with the

for athletes to make a living for themselves. I think it’s a great idea to make money and bring it in at the same time while also having your school paid for.”

As a current sophomore, Iaquinto is still learning more

women’s basketball team.

“It’s disappointing because as international players, we do the same thing as the players in the United States.”

There are more than 21,000 international student-athletes that are included in the interim NIL policy where they are required to have an F1 vßisa.

Ineza does like how the NIL format is structured and is supportive of others that are receiving funds for their deals.

“With the NIL, I’ve seen a lot of people give back to their communities by having camps, food drives, clothing donations and other things,” Ineza said. “They invest their money in a lot of things that help and improve their communities, and they’re not being selfish with their money.”

July 1, 2021. Since then, over 450,000 student-athletes across the United States have already found ways to earn an income with their NIL by partnering with local businesses

businesses for annual events.

Many student-athletes across the country deal with financial struggles while attending college, and NIL deals have helped with those struggles. The annual NIL value for a studentathlete could generally range from about $1,000 to $10,000, although there are exceptions where athletes could earn substantially more.

“I think NIL overall is a great idea and a fantastic opportunity for athletes to make money while playing sports,” said Gianna Iaquinto, a sophomore infielder on the Hofstra softball team who also has an NIL deal.

“Even though athletes might be on a scholarship, it’s hard

about NIL during her time at Hofstra.

“I’m sponsored by Good Sport, which is an energy drink for athletes, and what I do is I take pictures with the drink and they’ll advertise me with the drink on their social media pages to help promote it,” Iaquinto explained.

While thousands of athletes are thriving off of NIL endorsements and sponsorships, the 20,000 foreign athletes that play stateside are barred from the same experiences because of strict rules about working outside of school as a part of being a student on an F1 visa.

“It sucks,” said Sorelle Ineza, a senior guard on the Hofstra

Hofstra has equipped its student-athletes with plenty of resources to help with their deals both inside and outside the classroom.

“NIL has always been happening,” Morales Kelly said. “Before the NIL being around, for two and a half years now, we have student-athletes here at Hofstra utilizing their name, image and likeness. As client professionals, the real intent of not utilizing the name, image and likeness were to not have student athletes’ name on Nike posters, Coke bottles and those type of things to make it an unfair advantage. Now we’re clearly in the exact opposite realm where everything is permissible.”

Estrada is averaging 21.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game this season.

“With the NIL, I’ve seen a lot of people give back to their communities by having camps, food drives, clothing donations and other things.”

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Sorelle recorded a 0.303 field goal percentage last season.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

By Olivia Hillestad STAFF WRITER

In the wrestling room, “practice partners” is a term used to describe two wrestlers who work together regularly during practice. This appears in the form of drilling exercises, learning new moves and wrestling “live” against each other. Found within Hofstra University’s wrestling room is something remarkable: practice partners graduate student Zachary Knighton-Ward and freshman Adrian Sans.

“A practice partner is not just someone that pushes you in practice, they’re like a brother to you,” Sans said. “You push him every day; every day you guys go through the same thing, same grind, everything together.”

Head coach Dennis Papadatos affirmed this sentiment.

“Your results are directly tied up into your practice partner, so it’s very important. They’re almost two people that kind of make one thing,” Papadatos said. “Someone’s results – their practice partners have a piece of that, so it’s a union; it’s a relationship.”

This unique relationship can’t happen between just any two wrestlers. For one, a partner must be roughly the same size.

Knighton-Ward and Sans are

A unique pairing in Hofstra wrestling

up or I see him doing something that’s not conducive to him winning at this level, I correct him and walk him through positions,” KnightonWard said. “Or I’ll get into a position and basically just show him what feels right and what feels wrong.”

team.”

Sans echoed this sentiment, saying it was an influence on his decision to commit to Hofstra.

“Honestly [having KnightonWard as a practice partner] means a lot; he’s been where I want to be, and he’s like a light at the end of the tunnel. He shows me what’s right and what’s wrong,” Sans said. “If I ever see him doing something, I’m going to try to mimic it. If he’s doing sprints at 100 miles per hour, I’m going to try to beat him, even though that might not happen.”

on helping him realize, ‘Oh, I didn’t know I did that’ when he tells [Sans], and it kind of reinforces everything.”

Knighton-Ward has a 7-5 record this year, adding to his Hofstra career record of 57-32. Sans’ record is 1-6, with his first college win happening at the Journeyman Classic where he beat Arizona State University’s Adrian Palosika.

both heavyweights, meaning they wrestle in the 285-pound weight class.

“I know I ask a lot of questions. I’ll ask him what he wants to see, what type of

An opportunity for growth is also available for KnightonWard by working with a new guy.

“They say when you start teaching something you get

Knighton-Ward will be the Pride’s starter at the 285-pound weight class and will be seen at upcoming dual meets. With the NCAA championships happening in March 2023, the two of them have plenty of time to keep pushing each other before Knighton-Ward leaves. Sans still has plenty of time left, and from what Knighton-Ward has to say about him, it’s looking hopeful.

Practice partners are crucial for a wrestler’s success, but what does an effective practice partner look like? As Sans said, their job is to push each other.

“[A good practice partner is someone who] doesn’t let you coast, that doesn’t just let you get away with something to kind of get through, that motivates you, that pushes you, that makes you work, that helps you,” Papadatos said. “It’s encouraging but it’s not easy, [it’s] demanding. A good practice partner gets the best out of you.”

The line between helping one’s partner while also focusing on yourself can be blurred. Knighton-Ward and Sans have found this balance, both working to help the other in clear and practical ways.

“When I see him messing

look, if he wants me to do an underhook I’ll try to keep it as hard as I can,” Sans said.

Papadatos pointed out that Sans is unique for starting his college career in the heavyweight class. Sans also wrestled at this weight class in high school back home in Miami, Florida.

It isn’t just size that matters, though: there is something else that allows them to connect and work together. When recruiting and when choosing a school, the compatibility of a practice partner is crucial when making these decisions.

“Every single person on the team, I viewed as if they would be a good practice partner,” Papadatos said. “I may be right, I may be wrong, but it’s 100% something I think about for every single person on the

better at it because you start breaking it down in your own head,” Papadatos said. “So it’s going to help [Knighton-Ward]

“He didn’t want to take the shortcuts; he didn’t want to take the quick and easy route that a lot of guys tend to try to take when things get hard. He was okay with walking into the fire, and just meeting it headon,” Knighton-Ward said. “That’s what I kind of love about this kid: he’s hard-working, he’s going to push himself, he wants to be the best and he wants to succeed at this level.”

In high school, Sans was the two-time regional champion and two-time state runner-up back in his home state of Florida.

“Your results are directly tied up into your practice partner, so it’s very important. They’re almost two people that kind of make one thing.”

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Knighton-Ward went 18-9 as the 285-pound starter last season.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics