HEMPSTEAD, NY VOL. 80
Issue 13
The Hofstra
Chronicle
Tuesday February 10, 2014
KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935
Hofstra community mourns loss of lacrosse player By Lauren del Valle NEWS EDITOR
Mere hours into 2015, as dawn rose over the hamlet of Copiague, NY a tree would halt a skidding Jeep on impact and alter a community forever. Joe Ferriso passed away three days later on Jan. 3, unable to overcome the injuries and brain damage caused by the crash. The 19-year-old sophomore mechanical engineering major left behind a legacy of humility, kindness and relentless persistence. He is survived by his parents Al and Debbie, and his sister and brother-in-law Amy and Arman Osooli. They are intertwined with the Pride community – Al Ferriso is a current Hofstra employee while Arman and Amy are members of the graduating classes of ‘07 and ‘08 and members of the men’s and women’s varsity soccer programs, respectively. More than 2,000 people offered condolences and fond memories to the Ferriso family at the D’Andrea Brothers Funeral Home in Copiague. The church and auditorium of Our Lady of Assumption
R.C. Church were rendered standing-room-only. The parish pastor, Reverend Dariusz Koszyk, celebrated the funeral mass; a tribute to Joe’s stewardship as an altar server growing up as a devout member of Our Lady of Assumption. A multifaceted personality, Joe played the French horn as a member of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. He performed at Carnegie Hall as first horn of the Nassau Principal Orchestra in 2013. Joe was a member Copiague Boy Scout Troop 284 throughout his youth. He restored the entryway of the Babylon Youth Service Building as his final project to earn Eagle Scout ranking; the highest honor in Boy Scouts. He graduated from Kellenberg Memorial High School on the honor roll with perfect attendance. Joe was a three-sport athlete and the captain of the soccer and lacrosse teams his senior year. A bench sits on the sports fields in honor of his memory.
Continued on A3
Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Joe Ferriso, a junior lacrosse player, passed away last month after a car accident. His friends and family remember his integrity and kindness.
Compass Group seeks to establish improvements By Lauren del Valle and Ehlayna Napolitano NEWS EDITORS
Hofstra’s campus continues to see changes in the wake of health concerns raised by students last semester. Last month, Hofstra’s Dining Services announced through an email to students on Jan. 14 that Compass Group, the parent corporation of Lackmann Culinary Services, had taken over dining operations in all facilities on campus. The change was made on Jan. 1. “The University felt it was time for a change. Lackmann had
been here a while and Compass has much larger resources,” Ed Taraskewich, the new resident district manager said. Joseph Barkwill, the vice president of facilities and operations at Hofstra, said the need for a change had taken shape over the summer and continued into last semester. The need for more management staff and other changes that Hofstra and Barkwill were requesting were slow-coming. “This past semester, talking to students, listening to what they were saying, they were actually repeating a lot of what we were telling Lackmann,” Barkwill
said. These student concerns reaffirmed the potential need for a change that Barkwill had been considering. Barkwill said his decision to change the company operating dining services was essentially made before Thanksgiving, although the shift did not come until after the semester ended in December. Bon Appetit and Chartwells – the two sub-companies under Compass Group that have taken Lackmann’s place on campus – were Barkwill’s choices because of their sizes and their offerings. The former, in particular, offered organic options that Barkwill
wanted to ensure for students. Compass Group is similarly trying to address student concerns. Pricing, food value, relationships and dialogue with the student body are among their priorities in making changes to dining services here. “We spent the last four or five weeks trying to make some improvements… with the understanding that this semester is really going to be a work in progress,” Taraskewich said. Barkwill echoed this and said that the process of making changes on campus has only just begun and will likely take around a year to be fully completed.
Compass Group has begun more training sessions with staff, which cover topics like sanitation, cleanliness and cleaning chemicals. They also have more management on-site, which had been a major point of concern for Hofstra under Lackmann. Compass is working to address the concerns raised by students at the end of last semester, including pricing and, more specifically, the pricing at Dutch Treats, Compass officials said. This has resulted in some changes to which types of foods are sold and how. However, they also remain hopeful for an
Continued on A2
A 2 • February 10, 2014
NEWS
The Chronicle
Students express optimism for new dining Continued from A1 open dialogue with students that will allow changes to be made if concerns or complaints should arise. Students seemingly remain optimistic about the changes, although some expressed
frustration during the transitional period. Avery Grimes, a junior IT major, described satisfaction with the changes, in spite of the seeming disorganization. “It can get a little chaotic and hectic but you just have to get used to it,” he said. “I think it’s an upgrade.” Similarly, Loulou Katz, a junior
classics major, said she felt the changes being made had resulted in some confusion. “I think it’s going to take some getting used to… but I feel like there’s a lot of room for improvement now... I’m pretty optimistic about this,” she said. As for the food, Katz said she felt that although the changes were not necessarily hugely
different, the new options she had tried were good. Compass representatives also expressed optimism for the coming semester and the changes that are underway. “We’re going to make mistakes, I’m not going to tell you we’re perfect… but we’re not going to make repeat violations,” Taraskewich said.
Hofstra plans Black History Month events By Khadijah Duncan
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The release of the film “Selma,” a biopic set in the Civil Rights era, and its current popularity partly due to the Golden Globe awarded song, “Glory” by Common an John Legend, heralded in this year’s Black History Month. This year the multiple organizations at Hofstra are gearing up to celebrate February and dive deep into history. The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination; to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes and to inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination. Hofstra has a chapter based on campus and President Shannon Alomar asserts the importance of the NAACP, which helped on many cases such as Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. “The NAACP is not just important for people of color, it’s important for all people,” said Alomar. “It is one of the oldest organizations around fighting tooth and nail for justice for it. Whenever something is not right in the community, locally or globally, the NAACP bands together as an established voice to make a change and that is why I think it is such a powerful organization.” The NAACP at Hofstra strives to help fill the gap. Their first general meeting is on Wednesday. Thursday marks the NAACP’s Founders’ Day and event that will ceremoniously highlight
the accomplishments of the organization over the years. “Our organizations stands for so much, but overall the NAACP core principles are rooted in the need for justice and equality for all people, especially those who are not given a fair chance to stand up for themselves,” said Alomar. Alomar is also heavily involved with Collegiate Women of Color. The organization was established on campus in 2000 and has stayed strong until now. The purpose of the organization is to assemble women of all colors on Hofstra’s campus to discuss current events, women’s issues and create a sisterhood that often goes unnoticed. “CWC is important because it gives women on Hofstra’s campus an opportunity to have a forum to discuss diverse topics with a group that eventually becomes your support system,” Alomar said. On Feb. 26, Collegiate Women of Color will be bringing guest speaker and Hofstra alum Ekiswa Asemota to talk about how dance changed her life and will be adding a special surprise to get the audience off their feet and into the beat. Another important aspect to African American culture is Greek Life. Alpha Phi Alpha is a brotherhood that has many greats among them: Thurgood Marshall, Duke Ellington, Cornel West and the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Since it’s founding on Dec. 4, 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. It is the first intercollegiate Greekletter fraternity established for
African Americans at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. It was established by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country. Some of Alpha Phi Alpha’s principles include scholarship, fellowship, good character and the uplifting of humanity. When speaking to Rashad Prescod, the Vice President of
the Xi Psi Chapter at Hofstra University, he mentioned and encouraged students to attend some great and educational events. “Xi Psi Chapter recently partnered with the NAACP to bring ‘Black Angels Over Tuskegee’ to Hofstra,” said Prescod. “On March 11, look forward to their Women’s Appreciation Dinner and also attend ‘Miss Black and Gold’ Informational.”
The
Chronicle
www.thehofstrachronicle.com
203 Student Center (516) 463-6921 Editor-in-Chief Magdalene Michalik Managing Editor Sophia Strawser Business Manager Jake Nussbaum News Editors Ehlayna Napolitano Lauren del Valle Entertainment Editor Brianna Holcomb Sports Editors Mike Rudin Kyle Kandetzki @ Hofstra Editor Isabela Jacobsen Assistant @ Hofstra Editor Janet Lee Editorial Editors Jacquie Itsines Jen Sifferlen Copy Chief Alexis Vail Assistant Copy Chief Marisa Russell Photo Editor Che Sullivan Assistant Photo Editor Jesse Saunders The Chronicle is published every Tuesday during the academic year by the students of Hofstra University. The Chronicle is located in Room 203 Student Center, 200 Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. 11549. Advertising and subscription rates may be obtained by calling (516) 463-6921. The Chronicle reserves the right to reject any submission, in accordance with our written policies. All advertising which may be considered fraudulent, misleading, libelous or offensive to the University community, The Chronicle or its advertisers may be refused. The products and opinions expressed within advertisement are not endorsed by The Chronicle or its staff.
“Black Angels Over Tuskegee,” a play that chronicles the journey of Tuskegee airmen throughout their careers in World War II.
The Chronicle
NEWS
February 10, 2014 • A 3
Pride athlete, vibrant student and loving son Hofstra community remembers Joe Ferriso Continued from A1 At Hofstra, Joe immersed himself in the culture of the athletic community. As a freshman, he tried out for the Division I men’s soccer team. Although he did not ultimately make the roster, Joe continued to train with the team during the spring season. Pursuing his goal of being a Division I student-athlete, he also played club lacrosse before securing a defensive position on the varsity men’s lacrosse team in the fall of 2014. “At the time I didn’t know his name, Joe being a walk-on,” said associate head strength and conditioning coach Jimmy Prendergast. “I knew his integrity as a person because I didn’t know how many [sprints] of the run test he missed. He could have just said I passed 15 so he didn’t have to run the whole 20 minutes over again. But no, he said, ‘No coach, I didn’t pass it.’ He had to run the whole 20 minutes again.” Prendergast was the last member of the coaching staff to see Joe. Joe opted out of joining his parents in Florida for the holidays so he could prepare for the upcoming season. New Year’s Eve morning he trained with Prendergast and a teammate, senior midfielder John Reicherter. “Anytime there was an opportunity he was constantly asking me for extra work,” said Prendergast. “He was willing to go above and beyond to make himself better. If [the team] lifted four times, he got a fifth day in… He was there getting better. He got better on New Year’s Eve. And then obviously we found out the news.” The towel he used after his last workout remains draped over his locker. Before departing for Syracuse to play their first scrimmage Jan. 24, Mr. and Mrs. Ferriso met with Coach Tierney and the team. Joe’s parents spoke to the group with words of support, ensuring
them of Joe’s love for each one of his teammates. Together they broke down a huddle chanting “family” before boarding the bus. Tierney took Joe’s parents to see his locker and the evidence of his last day in Margiotta Hall. Though offered whatever they wanted of Joe’s belongings, they chose to leave it. “We couldn’t do that to the boys,” said Al Ferriso. “It wouldn’t be fair to take that away from them so soon.”
expressed the importance of team camaraderie. “He came home one night and said to me: ‘Dad, you always talked about family… this Hofstra lacrosse team is a real family. I know what you talked about,’” said Al Ferriso. More than a part of the lacrosse team, Joe was constantly around Hofstra Athletics, working for the facilities event staff. He could be found mopping the basketball court during timeouts or collecting balls at field hockey games, always supporting fellow athletes. Al Ferriso manages the night shift custodial services. As his father worked on campus since 2001, Joe often spent time among the staff members in the custodial office. Blue and gold bands bearing Joe’s name can be seen on the wrists of custodial employees around campus. “He would do homework and take naps in here in between classes,” said Al Ferriso. “Monday through Friday I’d see him maybe an hour or two, but they were precious hours.” The Ferriso family arranged college scholarships for a high school student from the Copiague area and Kellenberg Memorial High School. Al and Debbie will award the funds to students who they feel embody their son’s fervor for life. Coach Tierney has set up a memorial fund that will aid the experience of a lacrosse player each year. “It came to me – if we can’t play with Joe, we’ll play for him… Play for Joe,” said Coach Tierney. “That quote has kind of taken on a life of its own.” The team will wear “JF 36” patches on their home and away jerseys this season; the coaching staff will be similarly clad on the sidelines in sweatshirts boasting the number 36. Senior midfielder Mike Malave worked with Lacrosse Unlimited and Warrior to create “JF 36” stick
“[He] came in everyday, always worked hard, always had a smile on his face, never complained and was just a great kid to be around...” According to head coach Seth Tierney, his locker will remain intact until the team’s season opener this Saturday, Feb.14, against Marquette University. On Saturday the equipment staff will clear it with the rest of the team’s and hang his jersey, No. 36 – following game day protocol. “From the time he was on the team in September, he was just the type of guy who was happy to be here,” said Reicherter. “[He] came in everyday, always worked hard, always had a smile on his face, never complained and just a great kid to be around and I’m just happy to have called him a friend.” Teammates returned to campus early so they could pay their respects. They took a bus to the services. Over the casket they broke down their huddle with Joe for the final time. They chanted “family.” “For a lot of our guys this may be their first time with death and it’s hard,” said Tierney. “Now all of a sudden burying a teammate; it’s not easy. Again, we’re entering new ground. Every day’s a new day. The guys breakdown every huddle saying ‘family.’” A member of the NYPD semipro football team, New York’s Finest, for 20 years, Al Ferriso shared a love of competition and hard-work with his son. Most importantly, however, he
heads dyed blue and white for him and his teammates. Women’s sports teams will wear “JF 36” headbands in support. “Play for Joe” shirts will be sold at the official bookstore. The proceeds will contribute to the memorial fund. The Town of Babylon will formally rename Rose Street “Joseph A. Ferriso Way” on March 23, what would have been the Copiague resident’s 20th birthday. Joe spent his last hours ringing in the New Year with his girlfriend, Joanna Napolitano, a freshman at Dominican College. She holds on to her memories of his light-hearted demeanor. During a date to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, Napolitano recalled his asking her to hold something for him. He reached out his hand so he could hold hers. “My friends said to me ‘He seems perfect. We’ve never seen you so happy,’ and I said ‘He is perfect,”’ said Napolitano. They shared a passion for
lacrosse, and practiced together when they could. Though only dating for three weeks when Joe died, he won the love of Joanna and fondness of her friends and family. His last gesture, true to his nature: leaving her friend’s home that morning, Joe folded his sheets neatly atop his pillow and left her a text message that he needed to feed his dog, but would see her later and loved her, according to Napolitano. Whether or not he realized it during his 19 years, those mourning his loss have assured his family that he impacted lives wherever he went. His legacy will be remembered on the Hofstra campus. “My son had faith and I have faith,” said Al Ferriso. “Faith is going to enable us to go on – and our friends… He’d want us to still live because he was a liver.” Additional reporting by Mike Rudin
Courtesy of the Ferriso family Hofstra athletes are remembering Ferriso with headbands, patches and lacrosse sticks that commemorate his varsity lacrosse number, 36.
A 4 • February 10, 2014
NEWS
The Chronicle
Inter-Fraternity and Sorority Council position remains vacant By Shannon Nia Alomar STAFF WRITER
Hofstra’s Inter-Fraternity Sorority Council (IFSC) is still awaiting a new Office of Student Leader (OSLA) Assistant Director to oversee their growing community. Towards the ending of the fall semester, Mario Bolanos, former OSLA assistant director, was let go from Hofstra University. According to Karla Schuster, Assistant Vice President of University Relations, “The
University generally does not comment on personnel decisions.” In addition to no longer seeing Bolanos face on the OSLA staff webpage, with more than 20 Greek-letter organizations on campus, the IFSC is also missing a permanent person to oversee their affairs. Sarah M. Young, executive director of OSLA, has stepped in to work with the fraternity and sorority community directly until the position is filled. “There is no assistant director right now. We are in the process
of a national search to fill the vacant position,” Young said. Members integrated in the ISFC community have not openly spoken out about the various changes that have taken place within the council, but Mikio Manuell II, vice president of the Hofstra Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., said many of the changes are welcomed. “Right now there are many positive changes happening, one being the increase in communication and unity between councils. Hopefully the new
person will encourage and help facilitate even more inter-council unity and growth,” Manuel said. Manuel is not the only member hoping for the continuous thread of positivity. Caitlin Navarro, member of the Hofstra Chapter of Alpha Phi International Women’s Fraternity, would also like if the new person that is chosen is enthusiastic about being a part of the Hofstra Greek Community as many of the members are now. “I think that there’s this misconception that we’re all a bunch of misfits that like to party
excessively. In reality, I think that most of the people in Greek life understand that if you want to play hard, you have to work hard too. I know so many of them [members in other organizations] who’ve been on the dean’s list semester after semester. So, [we] definitely [need] somebody who has a positive approach to Greek life,” Navarro said. The search for the new administrator is still underway.
Comm. school upgrades may result in higher course fees By Rachael Beaton SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
School of Communication students may see their course fees rise in the coming semesters as a result of improvements that are being made to the facility’s equipment. Communication course fees are under scrutiny as the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication converts from an analog television system to a completely digital system in 2015. “This change was needed... and continues to be necessary for the future,” Hofstra senior Tim Lin said. “As television majors we need to evolve with the everchanging medium.” The Herbert School is installing a new digital router to replace the analog router, a new digital ingest and playback system and updat-
ing the studio cameras from standard definition to high definition. “As an administrator you never like to raise the cost, but on the other hand it seems to be an element of fairness involved here and asking the people who are really getting to use the very expensive equipment to take on a little bit more of that cost,” Dean Evan Cornog, Lawrence Herbert School of Communication said. The course fees have already risen slightly but, before this had not been raised in the last 10 years. This is the third year of the conversion and the video engineering staff is finishing the router, a core piece of equipment that allows the audio and video signals to move around the building, costing about $250,000. The new router will be installed this summer and should be completed and in use for communication students within the
2015-2016 academic year. The difference between an analog system and a digital system is that all devices will be recording directly to digital chips and digital computer files, rather than converting tape and natural sound frequencies into digital files. This eliminates the converting process and the loss of quality in video and audio signals. “The big difference for me between analog and digital… is the quality,” said Douglas Morrow, an associate professor in the radio, television, and film department. “When you’re working with digital images you’re just working with a very high quality that doesn’t degrade... the digital quality means much more condensed.” Hofstra is finally concluding the renovation. It has taken time because of the cost of transforming a larger facility from analog to digital
compared to smaller schools that have already made the change on a minor scale. “Being able to use equipment that the industry is using, or putting into their own news rooms, is going to help students be better interns, and better entry level employees,” said Melissa Connolly, vice president of University Relations. “They’re going to be better prepared; they’re going to understand the equipment and be ready to contribute from day one when they get in the workforce.” The video engineering staff is currently waiting on an approval of the President’s budget for funding this year. “The things we are talking about now are in the several hundreds of thousands of dollars, so the dean will go to the President’s office and say we need to make capital improvements, which is all part of
a five-year planning process,” said Timothy Fehmel, facilities manager at the School of Communication and video engineering staff member. “We budget everything out so when it gets into money that big, we go for a special allocation from the President’s office.” Additional funds are also coming from alumnus Lawrence Herbert, the CEO of Pantone, Inc., who donated money to the school last year. In accordance with his donation, he demanded general renovations to the walls, lights and floors in addition to the digital change before he would put his name on the building. “It’s going to be much better for students to learn in an environment that’s going to be exactly like what they are going to encounter when they go out into the work force,” Fehmel said.
NEWS
The Chronicle
February 10, 2014 • A 5
• Forrest Gitlin was voted in as chairperson of the PR committee and Erin Casey was voted in as chairperson of the Rules Committee
SGA WEEKLY WRAP-UP
• SGA Appropriations saw five clubs and allocated a total of $11,341.90 of the $15,681.47 requested.
Compiled by Michael Ortiz
• SGA Club Relations announced that they will be trying to maximize the office space available for clubs to utilize. These spaces are currently used by 33 clubs and they have the potential to accommodate 42 clubs.
Public Safety Briefs Compiled by Victoria Espinoza On Jan. 29, a Hofstra student reported from the Fitness Center that their wallet with $64 in it was missing. The wallet was turned into the front desk at the Fitness Center, however the $64 was no longer in the wallet. Police assistance was declined. PS discovered a male sleeping the Netherlands lounge on Jan. 31. They discovered he was drunk and was not a Hofstra student. NCPD was notified, and they were able to contact the male’s mother who picked him up. The youth male was banned from Hofstra campus for trespassing. A student in Hauge house of the Netherlands reported a black wristlet missing from her suite on Jan. 30. The wristlet contained her wallet, with credit and debit cards, her license and $15 inside. PS conducted a search which proved negative. Police assistance was declined. PS received an anonymous call about possible underage drinking in the Utrecht House of the Netherlands on Feb. 1. PS entered the room and found liquor and beer bottles, along with three students who were all underage.
The alcohol was confiscated and the students were issued a summons. On Feb. 1, the fire alarm was activated in Nassau/Suffolk. PS searched the building and found a room in Nassau where four residents had not evacuated. PS also discovered alcohol bottles and drug paraphernalia, including two pipes and a grinder. Three of the students were given a summons and a fourth male was banned from campus. A dating violence incident occurred on Feb. 1. PS received a call of an altercation in the West Circle, near the student center. PS responded to the location and found three students, including a male and female involved in a physical altercation. It was also learned that the students had been drinking. All three students were given a summons. A staff member from the finance building reported a burglary to PS on Feb. 2. Between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 a cabinet inside a room in Weller Hall was broken into and 10 finance textbooks were stolen. A search proved negative. Police assis-
tance was declined, but an investigation is being conducted. On Friday, Feb. 6, a student in Bill of Rights stated that she left her door propped open to go to the bathroom, and when she returned, she found her room key and ID to be missing. Search proved negative, Hofstra Card Services and the lock shop were notified. A student residing In Suffolk Hall, on Friday, Feb. 7, reported to PS that when she returned to her vehicle parked in Colonial Square West, the passenger side rear view mirror had been vandalized. Police assistance was declined.
each other for verbal harassment. This has been an ongoing incident. Residential Life was notified and a room change emergency request was filed. No further action has been taken. PS received an activated fire alarm in Enterprise Hall, on Saturday, Feb. 8, and a search of the building led to a discovery of a burning incense, which had activated the fire alarm. The incense was confiscated and the resident student will receive a summons for failure to comply.
A student reported to PS, on Saturday, Feb. 8, that when she went to Rathskeller in the Student Center she discovered a table had been vandalized. PS responded and conducted a search which proved negative.
Key PS- Public Safety RA- Resident Assistant NCPD- Nassau County Police Department
An RA reported to PS on Friday, Feb. 7, that she smelled marijuana emanating from a room in Alliance Hall. PS responded but the room was found empty. There was a strong smell of marijuana in the room but no marijuana found on recovery. The resident was identified and issued an appearance summons. On Saturday, Feb. 8, two roommates who reside in Dover House, filed complaints against
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@HOFSTRA
A6 • February, 10 2015
Compiled by the Hofstra Chronicle staff On the Unispan: Girl: I’m so hungover. I just wanted to go out. Oh my god. I don’t know why I do it. Wednesday sucks.
In Calkins Hall: Guy: I wish Taylor Swift would write a song about me. In Mason Hall: Guy: I need help. I want to be good at something.
In the Student Center: Guy: I’m not a huge pizza person.
In the Student Center: Girl: I think of food more than anything and plan my schedule around my eating time.
In Au Bon Pain: Guy: The Krusty Krab is open 24 hours a day. In Breslin Hall: Girl: If we don’t go watch Fifty Shades of Grey on Friday, we’re done. Guy: I’d rather we be done than go watch it.
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In Roosevelt Hall: Girl: I wanna be the very best. That no one ever was.
In Herbert Lawrence Hall: Guy: I have to take the stairs? Damn. This sucks.
In Bits n Bytes: Girl: I was on the bathroom floor crying, begging for mercy.
In Bill of Rights: Girl: I sweat for the first time in months. I forgot what it felt like. Outside of the Student Center: Guy: I have my new shirt on today, so everything will be ok. In HofUSA: Guy: I don’t play beer pong with girls. Girl: Why? Because you know you’ll lose?
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Coupon Corner:
Winter deals and steals you can try now
By Amanda Valentovic STAFF WRITER
A new semester has begun, and after a potentially-lucrative holiday break – whether money was earned through gifts, working or a combination of both – one thing has stayed the same: students still want to make the money last as long as possible. Winter deals and sales are everywhere for college students, so here is where to look out for them: 1. Presidents’ Day sales: Many stores have Presidents’ Day sales as the holiday comes up. Pay attention to commercials that will advertise the deals that will be happening. There are also online sales at many stores like LL Bean, Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret, and with coupon codes students can save even more money. 2. Sign up for email lists: When making a purchase at a store and often online, many companies
ask the buyer if they would like to get email notifications – say yes! It might sound like a lot of spam, but there are often printable coupons and sale advertisements in the emails that cannot be found anywhere else. Rewards programs are sometimes offered too. 3. Amazon Student: Similar to Amazon Prime, students with an .edu email address can sign up for Amazon Student, which offers deals on textbooks and other school supplies, as well as free shipping on anything else ordered from the site. A huge plus: the first six months of Amazon Student are free! After that, it can be cancelled if the service is not needed or wanted anymore. If there is any way to save some extra money, students should take it. Sales and deals are popping up for students all of the time, so keep an eye out!
Courtesy of Creative Commons
Coupons and deals are everywhere for college students; you’ve just got to find them.
The Chronicle
@HOFSTRA
February 10, 2015 •
A7
Take a step out of reality and start a blog By Sonia Sharma
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Recently, I realized I needed to put my energy into some kind of creative outlet. I needed a hobby that could replace waking up my friends at 2 a.m., with random outbursts of “brilliant” ideas that came across my mind at inappropriate times. After all, according to Ted from “How I Met Your Mother,” “Nothing good comes after 2 a.m.” But is this really the case? Two a.m. knows all of our secrets and all of the thoughts that creep up on us during the day when we are too distracted to think about them. It is as if our suppressed thoughts are enlightened in our minds during this magical time, so why not create a blog? My friends and I became interested in Tumblr. Tumblr is a place where images speak for themselves when words
are not enough. It allows us to create an image of our personalities via social media. Instagram and Facebook are not personal enough and are often overshadowed by the fear of being judged by peers. If you want to get your thoughts out through pictures and gifs, Tumblr is a great option. The most difficult part is starting the actual blog. After trying out Tumblr, I decided I
find your topic of interest, you can base your username around your idea – an easy shortcut for a foolproof username. Next, you have to decide on a layout. Some of the themes are free, but are priced up to $130. I went with one of the free layouts to start, at least until I could fully become accustomed to the site. Since you might be playing around with your blog for a while before making it public, it’s good to just use a free template. Once your blog is up and you really feel like this hobby is here to stay, you can choose to buy a template. Don’t forget that content is just as important! After you choose your colors, theme, avatar and site name start writing. It is essential to have a consistent theme and idea in order to connect with your audience. Start writing down
“The most difficult part is starting the actual blog.” also wanted to try out a new type of blog, so I decided to go with wordpress.com. As with anything, it is hard to maneuver around a site that you are not familiar with. First, I needed to create a name. I decided that I wanted to talk about traveling and went with EastCoastWanderlust. When you
Sonia Sharma/The Chronicle
Blogging is a good way to take your mind off of stress and express yourself. everything and anything, and worry about revising later. This is the time to release your creativity. Another tip is to follow different blogs or listen to some music to get inspired.
Whether you’re passionate about traveling, fashion or anything else in life, the ideas are limitless and the fun is just about to begin. So get started with your own blog!
Hofstra sends students to Cuba By Elissa Salamy STAFF WRITER
This past January, 15 Hofstra students took part in the first Hofstra in Cuba program. The program started in Havana, Cuba’s capital city, and continued on in Playa Ancon, Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Pinar del Rio. With President Obama announcing plans to rekindle diplomatic relations with Cuba only days before the trip, the students were visiting Cuba at a very unique time. America’s embargo on Cuba began in 1960 and since then travel between the countries has been limited. Many of the students had no idea what to expect from their trip. “For me, Cuba was extremely
different than what I had ever heard or learned in school,” said junior Bhavneet Anand. “The people there want to reconstruct relations with us, they want the U.S. to end the blockade and they want to be a part of the world politically and economically.” “I came here with absolutely no expectations and no idea,” said
given by Professor James Wiley and Professor Conrad Herold. “I think the most significant aspect of the trip for most students was their realization of the truly warm nature and resilience of the Cuban people,” said Professor Wiley. “I learned that if anything sets Cuba apart from the rest of Latin America, it is their strong sense of pride in their revolutionary ideas, as well as their strong sense of trust, community Ariana Queenan-Newton/The Chronicle and culture,” said Anand. “Music is always Elissa Salamy/The Chronicle playing everywhere Hofstra students Cuba Chronicle in January. Photo courtesyvisited of the Hofstra and everyone is big on dancing and enjoying life for what it is.” the program and the quality of getting the right people at Hofstra “This program certainly the students participating,” said with our running another Cuba surpassed all of the Hofstra Professor Wiley. “[Professor trip next January.” programs I’ve been involved with, Herold] and I are already setting both in terms of the content of the wheels in motion in hopes of
“With President Obama announcing plans to rekindle diplomatic relations with Cuba only days before the trip, the students were visiting Cuba at a very unique time.’” junior Youssef Bouzaidi. “There’s so much more than what you think you know as an American.” The students learned a great deal about Cuba, through their travels and through the lectures
A8 • February, 10 2015
@HOFSTRA
The Chronicle
Man on the Unispan Have you given up on your New Year’s Resolution? By Elissa Salamy STAFF WRITER
“No! Mine is to be happier!” Anna Watts, Junior
“I did make a goal to be more organized, and I have been using my planner.” Tyler Beloin, junior
“No, I didn’t have one.” Jack Hanson, Sophomore
“That’s a hard question. No, not really. My New Year’s Resolution was to be a better student.” Matt Sonds, Sophomore
“I didn’t make one.” Julianne Nuetzel, Freshman
“My resolution was to get good grades, and I have!” Nicole Vuono, Sophomore
Background Photo Courtesy of Amanda Benizzi
The Chronicle
@HOFSTRA
February 10, 2015 • A9
The Humans of Hofstra By Danielle Santucci STAFF WRITER
Kiera Howe, Junior “I’m from the same town as Macklemore. We grew up 15 minutes away. Our parents know each other so we’re family friends. He gave a concert in my town hall before he got famous. It was only $5. I was one of the first to hear ‘Thrift Shop’.”
Armand Touhamy, Senior “I still don’t know how to ride a bike. When I was younger my parents tried teaching me how to ride a bike, but when I fell down, I was too scared to get back on. Before all my friends could drive, I felt left out because I never knew how to ride a bike. One day I’ll learn too, hopefully.”
Kelsey Gundel, Senior “I love my dog, Rusty. My freshman year I was in Honors College and during all my classes I would watch Rusty at Camp Bow Wow. He went to day camp during the day. It was a water bark camp that would have an outside swimming pool with webcams that would allow owners to watch their dog. It allowed me to see him everyday in Pittsburg while I would be at school.”
Background Photo Courtesy of Amanda Benizzi
Do you want to write for Features? If so, contact us at chroniclefeatures@gmail.com!
FORM Gallery Presents:
Later
by Hayley Blomquist Photos by Jesse Saunders / Spread by Che Sullivan and Jesse Saunders
Emily Lowe Gallery: ‘From Portraits to Tweets’ B2
A&E
VOL 80 ISSUE 13 Photo courtesy of Brianna Cingalio
B2 • February 10, 2015
A&E
The Chronicle
African Diaspora: Music and Dance in the Old and New Worlds
Photo courtesy of Annie White
By Brianna Holcomb ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Students, family, alumni and children all gathered in Adams Playhouse on Feb. 8 to watch the Black History Month dance concert, African Diaspora: Music and Dance in the Old and New Worlds. This show took its audience on a musical journey featuring West African drumming and dancing, South African choral music, concert music by African, Latin American and African-American composers, and Cubop (Cuban bebop) and Calypso dances for Big Band. The acts consisted of the Imani Winds, the Hofstra Chamber Choir, Uniondale Rhythm of
Knight Show Choir, Hofstra Jazz Ensemble and many others. The show depicted how music and dance spread from Africa to various parts of the world. Watching the program, it was easy to see the connection and common threads woven together that made up each musical performance. Maya Carter, a junior pursuing a BFA in theater arts with a concentration in performance, hosted the show. Carter has been working on the Black HIstory month concerts since she was a freshman here at Hofstra. Carter said, “Working on these concerts is a welcome opportunity to celebrate my history as an African American woman, and shed light on the integral position that the
arts hold in the black community.” Carter was able to weave together each act using narrative and poetic passages to show the story and travel of African music as well as culture throughout the different performances. The show started off with the drumming traditions of south and west Africa, and African classical songs performed by LiberianAmerican soprano, Dawn Padmore. Dawn Padmore is a Liberianborn soprano singer who has been referred to as “a resonating soprano” by New York Times music critic Bernard Holland. Among the acts of the first half of the show were the Imani Winds. Imani Winds is a quintet wind group who has been
Grammy nominated and is known as one of the most successful chamber music ensembles in the United States. The focus of the second half of the show changes gears to Latin America and featured a variety of ensembles. These groups included William Grant Still’s Danzas de Panama for orchestra segues, including work based on a traditional Afro-Columbian folk dance by Hofstra student composer Andres Maldonado. Recent alumus Andres Maldonado, ‘14, has composed work based on a traditional Afro-Columbian folk dance. His composition was written as a senior recital piece dedicated to his mother. Maldonado explains that AfroColumbian music “[Is] a genre of music called a Cumbia which is heavily rooted in Colombia’s Afro-
Photo courtesy of Annie White
Colombian community. It was a dance of courtship by African slaves in 17th century Colombia, as well as a dance of freedom and liberty. The percussion instruments are of African origin. “The text of the music is taken from the love sonnet Midday XXXIV, by the Latin American poet, Pablo Neruda. I’m Colombian on my mother’s side, so I wanted to create a piece that combined the beautiful lyricism of Neruda and the highly rhythmic energy of a Cumbia to capture her joy, exuberance and everpresent beauty that my family and those close to her knew and loved.” The show was able to capture Maldonado’s love for his mother and various musical influences the African culture was able to influence.
Photo courtesy of Tsz Hin Tang
Emily Lowe Gallery: ‘From Portraits to Tweets’ Photo courtesy of Grace Finlayson
Photo courtesy of The Huffington Post
Photo Courtesy of Brianna Cingalio Photo courtesy of Brianna Cingalio
By Brianna Cingalio SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The exhibit “From Portraits to Tweets: Imagery, Technology and the U.S. Presidency” opened in
Hofstra’s Emily Lowe Gallery on Feb. 3. It explores how the image of the president has changed throughout history. During the years of the early
U.S. presidents, people were only aware of what their leader looked like because of painted portraits. Today, the president can be seen on television, in the papers and on every social media platform. “When we get into the newer [exhibit] pieces, it shows that we have less control over our image,” Frantz Lucien, a graduate assistant in rhetorical studies said. “We have cameras to catch the president at any time, unlike during Washington’s time, where he controlled his image.” Lucien noted the representation of this idea in two pieces: one of former President Gerald Ford falling while disembarking from Air Force One in Austria, and another of former President George W. Bush making a goofy face as he tries to open a locked door in Beijing, China.
Due to applications such as Photoshop, images of the president may even be distorted. A computer in the exhibit displayed a Twitter post of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden taking “The First Selfie.” A second image was shown with President Vladmir Putin, of Russia, photoshopped into the background. Hofstra alumnus Sal Ciaravino and his wife Catherine agreed that their favorite piece was Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of Washington, which is also the image used on the dollar bill. “[I like] the detail,” Catherine stated. “I like that it was the basis for all future pictures of Washington.” The couple found that the exhibit highlighted the drastic changes that a presidents’ image
has undergone through the introduction of new technologies and mediums. “[The exhibit] shows how the president used to have a lot of control. These days, because of social media, they don’t have that same control,” Ciaravino said. Ciaravino also noted that the way society views the president has also changed. She added, “People used to want to see the president seated and looking professional. Now, we want to see him as a regular guy.” Another highlighted piece is entitled “Lincoln vs. Obama” by Alex Guofeng Cao, and it is a portrait of Lincoln entirely created by small black and white images of Obama. The exhibit is open at the Emily Lowe Gallery until May 8.
The Chronicle
A&E
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
written songs for other artists like One Direction, Jason Derulo and Lupe Fiasco. As we all know, those artists can have very driven songs that can cause serious uncontrollable admiration for the lyrics. The contagious lyrics of “Reflection” say “Think I’m in love, ‘cause you so sexy/Boy, I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout you, I’m talkin’ to my own reflection.” While giving us the female dominant lyrics, the girls of Fifth Harmony and the writers did not fall short when it came to also giving us club ready beats. With most of the songs being created in the same nature as “Reflection,” there was little to no room for any sweet and slow ballads. While having Bunetta on their side, the girls also had another few secret weapons that we have to give credit to. One of the singles for the album, “Sledgehammer,” was written by bubble gum pop artist Meghan Trainor. This would defiantly explain the fast two-step pass of the beat and the metaphoric nature of the lyrics. Also in the little bag of weapons, the song “Like Mariah,” featuring Tyga, contains parts of the airy singers ‘96 hit, “Always be My Baby.” The song samples Mariah Carey herself, along with Tyga and Jermaine Dupree wrote that song as well. All together, the great writers,
February 10, 2015 • B3
Black Angels Over Tuskegee Album Review: 5th Harmony Photo courtesy of Lamar Cheston
Mike CicchePhoto Courtesy of Lamar
By Brianna Holcomb ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
As a part of Celebrating Black History Month, Hofstra’s chapter of NAACP, New Opportunities At Hofstra Program (N.O.A.H) and Xi Psi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brought the play “Black Angels Over Tuskegee” to the Helene Fortunoff Theater on Feb. 6. This play is running on its sixth year off Broadway and features Hofstra alumnus Lamar Cheston. He is not only a graduate of Hofstra University, but also a member of the N.O.A.H Program and Alpha Phi Alpha at Hofstra. “Black Angels Over Tuskegee” tells the story of the 100th regiment of the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen was a segregated regiment of AfricanAmerican soldiers that were trained to fly and maintain combat aircrafts. The training center was located in Tuskegee, Ala. hence the name.
Mr. Cheston plays Theodore one of the six men accepted into the 100th regiment of Tuskegee Airmen.The two-hour play follows Theodore and the other men on their journey, and fight, to become members of the U.S Air Force to be able to defend their country. The play depicts the hardships the men faced while trying to pursue their goals of flying a plane. Each man has a unique back story which each actor portrayed through a large amount of emotion, storytelling and a few humorous moments. These characters were more than just African American men trying to learn about flying a plane: They were men with goals and aspirations which stemmed from being told they could not be taught something. Each character’s resilience and determination powered them through the unfair treatment to reach their end goal.
Nandee Mignon STAFF WRITER
While J Cole, Taylor Swift, and Meghan Trainor all have top ten albums, there is one that is rising on the charts. “Reflection,” by girl group Fifth Harmony, which was formed on the second season of “The X-Factor” back in 2012, has caught the attention of a broader audience. Their EP, “Better Together,” was very relationship oriented. It spoke about missing the boy you accidentally let go of, or staying strong together as sisters and friends. Their debut album, “Reflection,” poses a different kind of view. When living in what the Rolling Stone calls a “Post Beyoncé World,” self-empowerment and overall female empowerment is what drives the record sales. The song, “Reflection,” for which the album is titled, was written by Julian Bunetta. He has
with the party-like rhythm makes for a great album. But there is one piece of the blue print that was needed that really put some spunk into the album: The vocals. A Florida baby, Lauren brings a smoky and rustic sound to the group, while Cuba native Camila’s unique voice gives the group a harmonic edge. Normani Hamilton’s voice is very blues influences, while the “little big sister” of the group Ally adds power punch to the mix. Lastly, we have Dinah J. with her soul written vocal cords. Looking over the girls’ voices, the writers they worked with and the beats created, Fifth Harmony is the product of something great. We have to give our props to Simon Cowell, even if we don’t want to. As of what they are doing today, keep a look out for their “Reflection” tour featuring jasmine V., Jacob Whitesides and Mahogany Lox. It might just come to a city near you.
Photo courtesy of Just Jared
TV Review: Fox’s musical drama Empire embraces Hip-Hop
Photo courtesy of ABC
Photo courtesy of Fox
By Nandee Mignon STAFF WRITER
On Jan. 7, Fox premiered their newest show, “Empire,” a music-drama series that focuses on Hip-Hop music, entertainment and culture. The series follows the company’s founding family and their rise to the top of the industry. As well as all of the lies, illegal,
backstabbing and money hungry things they do. The show stars Taraji P. Henson (Cookie Lyon), Terrence Howard (Lucious Lyon, Cookie’s ex-husband), Trai Byers (Andre Lyon, Cookie and Lucious’ 1st son), Jussie Smollett (Jamal Lyon, the middle child), Bryshere Y. Grey (Hakeem Lyon, the youngest son) and Grace Gealey (Anika Gibbons, Lucious’ girlfriend and A&R for Empire
Entertainment). Right off the bat, the first episode will fill you with suspense, drama and loads of music. It introduces its audience to the infamous studio moments, Lucious being a homophobic father and being diagnosed with ALS. During this time, ex-wife Cookie is being released from jail after taking the fall for Lucious and serving seventeen years in prison. The show is filled with complex character structures dealing with love, loss and being independent while still being part of a family. The relationship between Lucious and Jamal is a touchy one. Jamal is often referred to as the most talented musician out of the three boys but to his father’s disappointment has “chosen” to be a
homosexual. The story follows Jamal and his relationship with his father, as they struggle to understand each other. Hakeem, being the youngest of the three boys, does not remember his mother at all before she went to jail. The first time Cookie and Hakeem have any real interaction is when he ends up calling her a b****. That scene introduces the struggle between the two characters for love, while the other wants distance. The writers do a wonderful job of following the complicated relationships that are in each of the character’s lives while still having a cohesive plotline. While some people have criticized the show for not being authentic or over dramatizing the Hip-Hop industry, others have
praised the portrayal of the music industry and the accuracy of the show. Of course, there has to be some kind of drama going on, and extra people involved, because that’s what makes a good television series. However, as far as the basics, of back stabbing musicians, industry rivalry and controversy around homosexuality in hip-hop is all too real. The show has already been renewed for a second season and they are only four episodes in. That should tell you something about the quality of the show. If you are hungry for good music, and good old fashion drug controversy with a dash of sibling rivalry, tune into “Empire,” every Wednesday at 9 p.m. on Fox.
B4 • February 10, 2015
A&E
TV That
Matters: ‘Togetherness’
The Chronicle
Film Review: ‘Still Alice’
Photo courtesy of Kate Stewart Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures
By Muhammad Muzammal COLUMNIST
Photo courtesy of HBO Photo courtesy of HBO Photo courtesy of HBO
By Christina Murphy COLUMNIST
There’s something infinitely depressing about watching a man lose his hair. It’s such a defeat. You can hide other signs of age by wearing dark wash jeans, moisturizing your under eye circles or driving a supped up sports car, but going bald – that’s a dead give away. Whatever semblance you had left of your masculinity is not only gone, it was lost. That was all I could think about when I first saw Alex, a man who figuratively loses at life, just as well as he literally does. The aging, balding, overweight and now homeless failed actor is seeking shelter with his best friend Brett. Brett has a wife, Michelle, a comfortable home in LA and two young children. Michelle just so happens to also have a drifting sister, Tina, who decides to uproot her life and stay with the family indefinitely. This is the set up for the new HBO dramedy “Togetherness.” Togetherness is the latest work by Mark and Jay Duplass, the kings of funny, but not like funny “ha-ha.” The Duplass brothers arguably birthed the modern day “mumblecore” movement with their 2005 Sundance classic, “The Puffy Chair.” Their early films examined what it was like to maintain relationships with friends, family and lovers during your twenties. Ten years later they’ve transitioned their shaky focus to television. They still manage to capture that same essence, but instead of focusing on lost twentysomethings meandering aimlessly through life, their characters are equally as lost and pushing forty. I know nothing about what it must feel like to be almost forty, but from the looks of “Togetherness,” a show that falls into the coming-of-middle-age category, it’s terrifying. We see this terror from two very different angles. The show creates an obvious parallel between Brett and Michelle, who have followed the conventional path of life versus Alex and Tina who have chosen quite the opposite. This poses a classic question: who’s happier, those who follow convention or those who defy it? Also according to “Togetherness” the answer is that both are equally as miserable! To one, the other seems to have the perfect life. For example, Tina is envious of her sis-
ter’s stability and seemingly blissful marriage, while Michelle envies her freedom. Their forced closeness slowly reveals to each other that maybe the grass isn’t always greener. Tina, especially, distracts herself from her own issues by designating herself as the house life coach, most often impressing her unfounded wisdom upon Alex. She gives off the appearance of having all the answers, as if she’d been let in on the secret to life before anyone else, while in reality she is lonely and her life is as empty as the bounce houses she sells at wholesale value. As expected, Alex begins to interpret this desire to improve his life as something more than just one woman’s desire to give someone a 90s teen movie-esque makeover. If this show has taught me anything, it’s that the Duplass brothers apparently understand something about family that the rest of us don’t. Their work captures a raw element of, well, togetherness that gets lost in most other family related dramesdies. “Togetherness” will make you question your future as well as helping you appreciate your youth, freedom and hair, while you still have it. Despite its modest three episode run, HBO has announced the shows renewal for a second season. Togetherness airs Sunday nights at 9:30 p.m. on HBO and is also available on HBOgo.
Photo courtesy of HBO
Courageous and honest, “Still Alice” is a straightforward film, based on the book, written as an account on the life of Alice Howland, a Columbia University linguistics professor who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 50. Howland is played by Julianne Moore, in what can be described as the veteran actress’ career best performance. Like all wonderful central performances of biopics, Moore’s portrayal of Howland is powerful and moving, a thrilling act of dynamic synchronicity where Moore plays Howland as an active, lively professor in the first half, and a neurologically damaged woman in the second half. Howland is surrounded by key supporting players like her loving husband John (a human, in-pain, Alec Baldwin) and her grown children Lydia (a brilliant Kristin Stewart), Anna (Kate Bosworth) and Tom (Hunter Parrish). In setting up a perfectly healthy Alice and a family life that is impeccable but not impossible, directors Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glazar highlight a sad but true fact about disease – no matter how healthy or how emotionally strong one can be, a physical sickness can arise at anytime. The guilt that Alice keeps causes her to want to commit suicide. In an eerie scene Alice watches a video clip of her taking to herself at a video she recorded months ago, when she believed not remembering Anna’s name would justify suicide. The true ingredient in the scene lies behind Julianne Moore’s facial expressions and small subtitles. Moore doesn’t overact
the part and instead, embraces the present for the future will be unknown. That’s what drives “Still Alice” home. The film’s impending doom factor otherwise known as death is treated with care and diligence and scenes where Alice speaks of a world where she doesn’t exist, and refuses to plan for the future, we cope with her. Through Moore’s emotional journey to open up to Alice Howland, we open ourselves up to her too. For that, the film is a reminder of our mortality and most importantly, a celebration of life. “Still Alice” doesn’t ignore that there cannot be any future. Instead, it dances in the present, becoming a great genre film and an honest look into the painful lives of both patients and caregivers. Take for example, two important scenes. In a sequence where John has to clean up his wife’s urine, and in another sequence where Alice forgets who Lydia is, there is a sense of beauty in how the Howlands never give up on Alice. Pushing forward and feeling optimistic, the characters don’t fall fully into oblivion. “Still Alice” paints an honest picture of a painful situation. That it doesn’t pretend to be this grand, deep film ironically makes it even deeper, for its realism unifies an audience of those who have cared, those who have lost loved ones to disease and those who are strong enough to keep fighting what they have. For its achievements overall, I say bravo to its cast and crew.
A12 • February 10, 2015
EDITORIAL
The Chronicle
Sleep on this: You may be napping your life away By Haiting Tan SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Surprised to see how many students were staying up studying in the library, Adrain Bazbaz, a junior studying at the University of Michigan, came up with the idea of a napping station at UM’s Shapiro Undergraduate Library. Now there are six vinyl cots and disposable pillowcases placed on the first floor of the library that is open 24/7. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 63 percent of college students in this country suffer from mild to severe insomnia or sleep deprivation problems, so college-aged students look forward to taking naps in between classes. This could be a result of having a night out with friends, staying up late to complete assignments or to study for tests and having roommates with different nightly routines. Unbeknownst to us is that taking naps has many disadvantages.
First of all, lack of sleep hinders cognitive processes such as thinking and learning. Secondly, it could impair attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning and problem solving and therefore, would lead to poor grades in class. The consequences of lack of sleep resemble those of students who binge drink or use marijuana, except its effects have been overlooked. Lastly, we believe that taking naps would make up for the loss of sleep the night before, but it actually messes up your internal clock. It becomes more and more difficult for you to fall asleep at night and therefore, you have to rely on naps to make it through the day. While many of us have a misconception that taking a midday nap would boost our energy, a long nap could actually lead to sleep inertia, and you would potentially wake up feeling more tired than you did before shutting your eyes. Daytime sleepiness
could be a sign of underlying disease or a problem that could eventually lead to early death. A study conducted in China, where taking a post-lunch nap is very common, found that for those who napped for more than 30 minutes were at a higher risk of developing type two diabetes. In addition to this, in a study conducted by the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers followed over 16,000 volunteers in Britain, where napping is uncommon, and discovered that those who reported napping less than an hour a day had a 14 percent increased risk of dying. As for those who reportedly napped for more than an hour, the risk went up by 32 percent. Most researches have discovered that power naps that last for approximately 10-20 minutes are a lot more effective as compared to a 60- or 90-minute long nap. This is because you will only enter
Illustration by Alexis Sansone
non-REM sleep, and it will give you a boost in energy levels and alertness. Since your sleep is not deep, you will be able to wake up easily without feeling groggy. However, some argue that such a short amount of sleep would not be able to sustain one’s energy level and hence, is ineffective. The benefits and
disadvantages of napping and its duration remains a highlydebated topic, but the bottomline is if you are fit, healthy and sleeping well, your body will not need that nap. Remember that naps are not meant to replace a lack of sleep from the night before, and that using them in that way could pose a risk to our health.
The Chronicle
OP - ED
February 10, 2015 • A13
Head to head:
The implications of ‘American Sniper’
Why Chris Kyle is America’s quintessential war hero By Alexi Cohen SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The recent release of the movie “American Sniper” has drawn thousands to the theater to watch as Chris Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, saves countless lives with his pinpoint accuracy as a sniper in Iraq. While this movie left some with tears in their eyes and pride in their hearts, some would argue that the movie emulates war propaganda and glorifies Kyle as a heartless killer. These sentiments could not be more unwarranted; Kyle should be viewed with honor and respect, and the movie as an honest and deep look at the hard-
ships of war. The movie follows Kyle as he completes four tours in Iraq and struggles to face civilian life with his wife and children each time he returns. While at war, Kyle is extraordinarily talented at what he does: kill the enemies before they can wreak havoc on American soldiers. After one of his comrades is shot, Kyle drags his bleeding body to help, all while keeping his eye on the enemy with gun in hand. The concept of snipers, whose jobs require them to kill people who cannot see them, can make many Americans uncomfortable. Yet, like it or not, the way
that America wins wars and has won wars is by killing people. This does not make Kyle and his fellow soldiers bloodthirsty killers. Critics like filmmaker Michael
our nation. The notion that “American Sniper” is comparable to war propaganda is incorrect. The movie does not promote killing simply because it is viewed through the eyes of a skilled sniper. Rather, it sends a strong antiwar message through the portrayal of Kyle’s struggles to regain normalcy after returning from the front. Besides the actual combat situations, the film focuses on the process of coming home and trying to assimilate back to normal life with his wife and children. These touching scenes that fill
“The notion that ‘American Sniper’ is comparable to war propaganda is incorrect.” Moore, who say that snipers are “cowards,” could not be more wrong. It takes a very special person to willingly enter dangerous war grounds, put his or her life on the line, and kill enemies. These people are far from cowards; they are heroes who protect
the movie are anything but war propaganda because they show how truly difficult it is to return back to the United States after fighting abroad and how much it weighs on Kyle and strains the relationships in his life. No one’s told, “this movie is perfection.” One comes to realize that making a politically correct war movie that everyone agrees with is nearly impossible. However, one thing is certain; American soldiers are heroes. They deserve the utmost respect. “American Sniper” is a beautifully candid depiction of the lifestyle that only the brave, noble, strong and patriotic can handle.
Have an opinion? E-mail us at hofstrachronicleeditorials@gmail.com.
How ‘American Sniper’ embodies Islamophobia By Mike Cicchetti SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The recently released film, “American Sniper,” tries and fails to find the diverging point between the war-life and civilianlife soldier, Chris Kyle. Instead, the storyline hangs on Kyle’s exploits, wasting no time in constantly reminding its audience that he is the most lethal sniper in U.S. history. Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, is placed atop a pedestal as an invincible soldier, renowned for his astronomically high and unprecedented number of kills. As the story progresses past his strangely violent father, his cheating girlfriend and moves into his TV-bred fear for his country, Kyle enlists and is torn down into a kill-
ing machine rather than built up as a man. As his notoriety grows, he comes off disillusioned by his situation, putting his platoon in jeopardy by abandoning his post in order to work the ground for his own personal hunger of protecting his fellow man, the end result causing more trouble than it prevents. As “American Sniper” tries to properly depict the war as seen by Kyle, the film neglects to accurately represent the Iraqi people. Kyle’s perspective of war is based on a narrow point of view of the people he fights against. Films like “The Hurt Locker”
and “Zero Dark Thirty” succeed where “American Sniper” fails in presenting both soldiers and terrorists on even ground without a good guy vs. bad guy complex. Rather than question the audience’s perception of the Iraqis,
Middle East that is becoming too common in this country. Equally irresponsible of the film is the nonchalant way in which it handles the war’s effect on its protagonist. “American Sniper” hinges on the after-effect of the war as its main purpose, but barely explores it. There are moments, like the soldier who thanks Kyle for saving his life in front of Kyle’s son, that truly hit to the core of what the film is trying to convey. Yet moments like that are so far and few in between, they become washed out by the sequences
“This negligible filmmaking only feeds into the racist bias against those from the Middle East that is becoming too common in this country.” the film chooses to feed into the fearful “Muslim terrorist” stereotype by only showing Iraqis who are “savages.” This negligible filmmaking only feeds into the racist bias against those from the
that take place in Iraq. Looking beyond the film’s narrow vision, it is clear to see how the men and women involved in Iraq can come back distraught in a post-9/11, PatriotAct America. They were pawns in a chess game ruled by politics, and it is disparaging to see their lives laid out for the wrong fights, like the war in Iraq. This self-proclaimed war film does very little to truly highlight the soldier’s struggle, and when it tries to do so, it presents itself as just a hiccup in Kyle’s ladder to his “deadliest sniper in US Military” label, thus negating his struggle almost entirely.
The views and opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section are those of the authors of the articles. 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.
A 14 •February 10, 2014
PRIDE PREVIEW:
SPORTS
The Chronicle
Men’s lacrosse ready to grab CAA Championship
By Sean Williams STAFF WRITER
Hofstra lacrosse and head coach Seth Tierney are not strangers to dramatic, heartbreaking season conclusions, but last years triple overtime loss to Drexel in the CAA championship will sting for a long time. This year, Tierney’s squad returns with plenty of experience, as well as a strong freshman class, in an attempt to capture the elusive CAA title and make a return to the NCAA tournament. Last season looked like it could be disastrous, as opening losses to Marquette and Princeton made the Pride look like it was headed towards another .500 season, or worse. But four-straight wins put Hofstra back on the winning track, and despite a loss to St. John’s University in the middle of the season, the Pride went on to a scorching six-straight wins before dropping the regular season finale against thenconference foe Penn State. A semifinal win in flood-like conditions against Delaware led to the fateful championship game against Drexel. Hofstra’s 11-5 record in 2014 featured its typical number of close games, as Tierney’s teams always seem involved in nail biters. However, unlike some years past, the Pride seemed more poised in overtime and in close games. Kris Clarke took over Hofstra’s John Antoniades’ spot at the faceoff position as a freshman, and was successful, if not dominant, at the X. Chris Selva continued to display his propensity for jaw-dropping saves in the net. Sam Llinares emerged from a promising freshman year to invigorate Hofstra’s attack alongside Torin Varn and Lance Yapor. The Pride seemed to improve as the year went along, and Tierney certainly hopes that that trend continues.
KEY LOSSES The Pride lost a number of seniors on the offensive side of the ball, as Torin Varn, Lance Yapor and Drew Coholan graduated. The trio combined for 72 goals and 21 assists, the bulk of the Pride attack. Their experience is certainly the largest cumulative
loss the Pride suffered as a team, as there are now a number of holes to fill in offense with question marks. Anthony Zappone and Corey Caputo also graduated, two players who offered grit and ground ball savvy to Hofstra’s defense.
KEY RETURNS Sam Llinares is a junior on attack, and will be the cornerstone of the Pride’s offense. The dynamic Long Island native can do it all; from assists to scoring, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him receiving some kind of All-American recognition in May. His 53 points led the team last season. Chris Selva is the team’s senior goalie, known for his daring, alert and entertaining play style. After a breakout sophomore year and a solid junior season, Selva provides a steady presence at the back of Hofstra’s defense. Kris Clarke a sophomore FOGO (faceoff-get off), earned the starting spot at the ‘X’ last year and made good use of it, posted a .556 rate. Despite rule changes at faceoff, Clarke will remain an integral part of Hofstra’s team. Mike Malave and Korey Hendrickson are senior midfielders that will provide a ton of experience and a good deal of firepower. The duo combined for 43 goals last year. Finn Sullivan is a defensive powerhouse, and an underrated factor in the Pride’s success. Especially in a year with this kind of defensive turnover, Sullivan’s big moment came last year in shutting down OSU’s Jesse King. Defensive midfielders Steve Romano, John Reicherter and Ryan Rielly are maniacs on the field. Each player adds speed and savvy, and their abilities to transition into attack help Hofstra keep opponents on its toes. There’s no question that this trio anchors Hofstra’s defense, and arguably the entire team.
FEBRUARY SCHEDULE Marquette University, 2/14 – Joe Amplo’s return to Hofstra was a little more triumphant than former boss Tierney would have hoped. The Golden Eagles ruined
the 2014 Pride’s homecoming with an 11-9 victory that wasn’t even that close. Hofstra’s defense looked confused early and it seems clear that the Pride underrated their opponent. This year the Pride will be sure to avoid the same mistake, but Marquette, though a young program, is far from an easy out. @Princeton, 2/20 – The Tigers have had Hofstra’s number the last couple of years, but allworld midfielder Tom Schreiber has graduated, and last year’s competition was in Hofstra’s favor until the final minutes. These two teams are very evenly matched, and this years game promises to be just as close. Manhattan, 2/24 – This is a new game on Hofstra’s schedule, and frankly, it’s one Hofstra should win handily. The midweek game may offer Tierney a chance to tinker with lineups a little bit. @Georgetown, 2/28 – The once renowned program has fallen recently, but Coach Kevin Warne has a difficult schedule planned this year in anticipation of Georgetown’s rebound to prominence. This could be a bit of a trap game for Hofstra because it will be their third game in one week and it’s on the road. Last year’s Georgetown/Hofstra matchup at Shuart lead to overtime, but the Pride was in control for most of the matchup.
PREDICTION Hofstra’s non-conference schedule on paper is even weaker than it was last year, so for Hofstra to succeed, they have two options for a hope at an at-large. They either need to win more games or the CAA needs to be stronger than it was last year. Unfortunately for the Pride, the CAA continuously resides in the periphery of the lacrosse elite, and a chance at an at-large bid in addition to the automatic bid is far from guaranteed. But the likes of what should be a very strong Fairfield squad, an improved Towson group, and defending champion Drexel indicates that this year the CAA could be stronger than it has been in some time, even with Penn State’s transition to the Big Ten. One thing that no preview can
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Sam Llinares enters 2015 as the preseason pick for All-CAA player of the year.
address, however, is the possibility of injury. The Pride has some depth, but an injury, especially to somebody like Llinares or Clarke, could spell disaster. My take is that if an experienced and sure-handed Pride squad fights through its non-conference schedule with minimal damage, and does well enough in the conference they will make it impossible to fail to receive atlarge bid, even if they miss out on the conference championship.
PRIDE TAKES Junior Sam Llinares, Attack:
“Last year and this year were some of the best teams Hofstra’s had. “We realize that you can’t start the season like we did last year, and we let some games get away from us, games we thought we should win, so we obviously can’t take anything for granted this year.”
Senior Chris Selva, Goalie:
On defense: “We have two new guys out there, we have Finn Sullivan who’s returning and had a great year for us last year.” “We have a lot of experience with Romano, Reicherter and Rielly up top, so that leadership up there is helping down low as well.” “We’ve lived together for four years now so it’s awesome to have that relationship off the
field and on the field. We click so well… we don’t even have to talk during games, we just know what everybody is gonna do.”
Senior Mike Malave, Mid:
“Guys have worked so hard this offseason. Of course we work hard every year but this year in particular we’ve really put an emphasis on our own individual game.” “Coach T always says to keep it in your own hands, decide what you can decide and control what you can control so… we just need to take it upon ourselves [to win the CAA championship] and get in.” “There’s always that word ‘potential’ – there’s so much potential with this [2015] class and… I’m going to be the hardest critic… we haven’t lived up to it yet.” Malave mentions Alderman, Kavanagh, Golden and Griffin as freshmen to watch out for.
Head Coach Seth Tierney:
Tierney believes that sophomore FOGO Kris Clarke has adapted well to the rule changes, and thinks Clarke has improved his game in regards to more ground balls and more trust with the wings. “I hope that they get everything they’ve put in, because they’ve put in an awful lot. But there’s nothing that’s guaranteed.”
The Chronicle
PRIDE PREVIEW:
February 10, 2014 •A 15
New coach and a new era for Hofstra softball
By Mike Rudin SPORTS EDITOR
It is the end of the Bill Edwards era with Hofstra softball. Firstyear head coach Larissa Anderson has to fill the big shoes left by the legendary coach whom was inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame last May. Last year, the Pride grinded out the regular season with a 32-11 record and a third place finish in the Colonial Athletic Association standings. Hofstra went on a frenzy in the beginning of the season with a 9-1 start and finished the regular season on cloud nine with a 10-game winning streak. During the postseason, the Pride faced similar fates in the CAA tournament and the NCAA tournament as they were eliminated in three games. Hofstra won against Charleston 8-4 in the first round but the James Madison Dukes knocked the Pride down a couple of pegs with an 8-0 shutout. That shutout forced Hofstra into an elimination game against the Towson Tigers whom knocked the Pride out by one run in a 7-6 loss. Despite not winning the CAA title, Hofstra still made an NCAA appearance thanks to the tremendous success in the regular season. Hofstra battled Texas A&M in the first game of the tournament but
PRIDE PREVIEW:
SPORTS
quickly wound up in a bind, losing 7-6. They were then forced into another elimination game against Bryant University. The Pride managed to live a little bit longer with a 10-6 win but, for the second time, Hofstra couldn’t pull a win against the Long Horns, losing 7-0 to conclude the 2014 season. 2015 holds potential and promise for the team as Hofstra was ranked third in the CAA preseason polls. Six starters from last year will suit up in a Pride uniform yet again for the upcoming season. James Madison took the first place spot in the polls with 56 points. College of Charleston tallied 48 points, two more than the Pride’s numbers in the polls. Larissa Anderson was a part of Edwards’ staff as an assistant head coach for the last 10 years and intends to continue the system Edwards left in place for the last 25 seasons. “I’m not changing the foundation,” said head coach Larissa Anderson. “The foundation is set, we’ll always recruit the players that have blue collar, great workethic, [are] self-motivated. And we kind of put a little new twist on it. We’re calling it the new era.” “The leadership has been outstanding. The chemistry that we have right now, I never been a part of a team that has the type of chemistry we have right now,” said Anderson. “It’s not that we
have one leader, there’s about 14-15 leaders that we have on our team. They’ve taken a lot of ownership in the program where they want to make a name for themselves.” Hofstra’s top two pitchers from last year will return to the mound – seniors Morgan Lashley and Taylor Pirone – for the upcoming season. Lashley and Prione compiled all 34 wins last year and nearly all the innings pitched in 2014. Catcher Erin Trippi talked about how she noticed the chemistry of the team and the impression it’s left on her. “In four years, this is a team I’ve yet to be a part of, in a sense that, our communication is unbelievable,” said Trippi. “We’re all on the same page, we all have good work-ethic.” The catcher heads into her senior year to provide for the team as one of the captains and offensive leaders for the Pride one last time. “I’m going to try to be a fierce competitor. I’ve always competed in everything I do,” said Trippi. “But this year [especially] I want to go out with a bang and leave everything on the field with no regrets. I want to play every game like it’s the championship game. I don’t care who we’re playing, every game I’m going to give it my all.” Sophomore outfielder Chloe
Defensive Player of the Year, scored 12 goals and picked up 34 ground balls. “We’re really fortunate this year that we have a great senior class returning,” said third-year head coach Shannon Smith. “It’s really fun to watch the six of them every day at practice get after it and lead the team.” That experience can only help a team that brought in 11 freshmen. With so many new faces come a lot of freshman mistakes, but some first-year players have stood out to Smith. According to her, Grayson Corbett has done a phenomenal job on the defensive side of the ball and Lindsey Alfano has done a great job of leading the five freshmen in the midfield. Asked about players whom she expects to play a bigger role
this season, Smith spoke of two sophomores: Morgan Knox and Tiana Parrella. She wants more from the attack duo whom had, in her words, “okay freshman years.” “With Morgan, Tiana and Brittain, you kind of have a big three on the offensive side of the field,” said Smith. “They all can score goals from anywhere.” Hofstra’s out-of-conference schedule features four teams that made last year’s NCAA tournament: Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Ohio State and Stony Brook. The Pride will host the defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Terrapins on Feb. 28. “The past two years, we kind of had an easy non-conference schedule,” Smith said. “We needed to make it more competitive to prepare us for conference
Photo courtesty of Hofstra Athletics Taylor Pirone sets to fire one from the mound. Pirone finished 2014 with a 1.75 ERA, best on the entire pitching staff.
Fitzgerald will come back to maintain her reputation as a quality hitter for the Pride. Fitzgerald led the Pride with a .370 batting average and produced well in the conference tournament with a .455 average. Anderson mentioned one player that she expects to step for the team that others possibly have overlooked. “I would say Michaela Transue. She was our starter at third base, probably from the second half
of the [2014] season. She’s only a sophomore and she’s competed right now, she’s going to be our starting shortstop and she’s a veteran. Even she’s only a sophomore, she’s a veteran on the field, she takes ownership, she’s a leader on the field, everyone looks to her, she has a remendous amount of energy.” First glance at the 2015 schedule has Hofstra on the road for the LSU invitational to open the season on Feb. 13.
Women’s lacrosse takes aim at NCAA bid
By Nick Mazzarella STAFF WRITER
After finishing 8-10 overall and 2-3 in the CAA, the Hofstra women’s lacrosse team was picked to finish third, tied with Delaware, in the conference’s preseason poll. Senior attacker Brittain Altomare and senior defender April Iannetta – two first team All-CAA members in 2014 – were named to the preseason All-CAA team. Senior goalie Kelsey Gregerson, who ranked fourth in the nation in save percentage and eighth in goals against average last year, was an honorable mention selection. Altomare led the Pride last season in goals (30) and assists (36) for a total of 66 points. Iannetta, the 2014 CAA
play.” “Our conference is extremely competitive,” she added. “It’s kind of like a backyard brawl.” Reigning CAA champion Towson was picked to finish first in the preseason poll. The Tigers beat James Madison – picked to finish second – by one goal in last season’s CAA title game. Following the 2014 season, the Pride wanted to improve offensively. They needed to find multiple scoring threats in order to make their attack dynamic, which would make Hofstra hard to scout and cover. Smith’s goal of a CAA championship resonates with Iannetta and Altomare, whom have one more chance to get a ring. They, as well as the four other seniors, have flirted with one a few times. Their first three
seasons ended with two semifinals losses (2012, 2014) and one finals loss (2013). “It’s really important to us to get to that championship and actually win it because we’ve been so close in the past,” said Iannetta. “We really want that to be how we are remembered at this school – the class that got back that CAA championship.” “We pretty much talk about it every single day how we want to go out with a CAA championship,” said Altomare. “Now that we’re nearing our last season, it puts everything into perspective…it would mean everything to us.” It’s now or never for Smith’s six seniors to finish the job and punch their tickets to the NCAA tournament. She knows that. “I think they have unfinished business.”
SPORTS
A 16 •February 10, 2014
The Chronicle
Wrestling struggles with blowout loss to #6 Cornell By Kevin Carroll STAFF WRITER
It was a valiant effort, but the Hofstra wrestling team was simply outmatched by the nationally ranked Cornell Big Red, dropping Saturday’s meet by a score of 41-7. Coming into the meet, the Pride were not expected to make much noise against a Cornell squad that currently sits at No. 6 in the NCAA wrestling rankings. “We were expected to win two matches, on paper, and we won those two matches,” remarked Hofstra head coach Dennis Papadatos after the match. The Pride’s struggles showed almost immediately, as junior Jermaine John was the first Pride wrestler to take the mat, in the 134 weight class. He fell to the Big Red’s Gabriel Dean at the 2:42 mark, giving Cornell a 6-0 advantage. Mike Oxley fared no better for the Pride, as the 197-pound junior lost a major decision to Cornell’s Jace Bennett, putting the Pride in an early 10-0 hole.
Next up on the mat was Pride heavyweight Mike Hughes, who gutted out an impressive 3-2 decision victory over Jacob Aiken-Phillips to pick up the Pride’s first three points. Unfortunately, the Pride failed to capitalize on the momentum generated from Hughes’s victory, as the Big Red rattled off 12-straight points, by virtue of a Nahshon Garrett pinfall victory at the 125 class over the Pride’s Bryan Damon, and a forfeit victory at the 133, to take a commanding 22-3 lead. Hofstra standout Jamel Hudson squared off against Cornell’s Nick Arujau in the next bout, and after finding himself in an early hole, Hudson put on a wrestling clinic, rattling off 18 unanswered points to win an 18-8 major decision over Arujau, and bring the score to 22-7. “That was the gutsiest win Jamel’s ever had,” said Papadatos. “He was down 8-0, and won 18-8. That’s pretty impressive.” Hudson’s victory ultimately was the Pride’s last, as Cornell
claimed wins in the final four weight classes. Cody Ruggirello’s absence due to injury continued to be a huge setback for the Pride, as Alex Mirante took his place at the 149 division on Saturday, and fell, by pinfall, to the Big Red’s Taylor Simaz. 157-pounder Jahlani Callender fared no better, as he ended up on the wrong end of a 12-2 major decision, bringing Cornell’s lead to 32-7. It was more of the same as redshirt senior Nick Terdick fell to Cornell’s Dylan Palacio by pin at the 165 class. In the meet’s final match, Frank Affronti of the Pride put up an incredible fight against George “Duke” Pickett at the 174 class, but was unable to pull out a last-ditch victory, as he lost a 3-0 decision, bringing the final score to 41-7, in favor of the Big Red of Cornell. After the match, Coach Papadatos spoke about the expectations faced when going up against a dominant team like Cornell. “The second it becomes okay because they’re so much
Alex Mitchell/Hofstra Chronicle Hudson was one of two winners for Hofstra, coming back from an 8-0 deficit.
better than us, you’ve lost even more than the actual match.” With the loss, the Pride fell to 5-10, 3-4 in the EIWA. Sixthranked Cornell improves to 13-1 on the year, and remains undefeated in the EIWA, with a 6-0 conference mark.
The Hofstra wrestling team heads to the City of Brotherly Love for their next match, as they look to slay the Drexel Dragons in Philly on Friday the 13th, for a 7:00 meet at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
HOFSTRA AT A GLANCE MEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S WRESTLING
Overall 16-9 Conference 7-5
Overall 14-9 Conference 7-5
Overall 5-10 Conference 3-5
SPORTS
The Chronicle
PRIDE PREVIEW:
February 10, 2014 •A 17
Russo takes young baseball team into 2015
By Frank Aimetti STAFF WRITER
After a disappointing 20-24 season last year, Pride baseball is back and set to stake their position in the CAA playoffs. Despite being projected to finish 7th in the CAA in the preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Pride is confident they can start making waves this season. The attitude among players and coaches was very upbeat and they seemed to be relishing their underdog status. Coach John Russo, now entering his fourth season as head coach, is confident that the team will bounce back from its worst overall campaign since he took over the program. He didn’t necessarily think that the Pride’s record last season indicated their level of play, suggesting that only a few minor
tweaks were needed to make this season a successful one. The Pride will receive a huge boost from shortstop Dalton Rouleau who is returning after two injury-plagued seasons and ready to make an impact. Dalton, named an honorable mention to the preseason all-CAA team, stated that health wouldn’t be an issue this year. The departure of two-time all-CAA Defensive Player of the Year Matt Ford will undoubtedly be tough on the Pride, but Coach Russo believes it is an incredible opportunity for Dalton to step up and fill the void. “Dalton Rouleau was out injured and I think he can pick up what Matt did defensively and be even better offensively than Matt was,” Coach Russo said. “Losing Dalton two years in a row to injury has been a huge factor to us and
so getting a full season of health from him would be great.” Coach Russo also indicated Adam Heidenfelder and Chris Bonk and others as newcomers that were bound to make an impact. “We’re going to have a new team and a new brand of characters,” said Coach Russo. Joining Rouleau in the infield is sophomore Brad Witkowski, coming off of an impressive freshman season where he batted .330. He mentioned how hard it was to watch the team struggle despite an impressive personal season. “It’s not a personal game; every player matters. You can’t go out and win the game by yourself,” Witkowksi said. “It’s a team effort, and you need the whole team.” Pitcher and designated hitter Brian MacDonald faces a unique
and challenging role with the team. He has to excel both as a pitcher and hitter, two positions that require completely different mentalities. MacDonald’s power-hitting ability made him a centerpiece of the Pride lineup. His four starts and seven appearances in relief show that, despite his varying role, MacDonald was able to make an impact wherever necessary. “I like the pressure it brings. Having to do both is very hard, having to focus on both, [and] going from one to other in a game, but it’s a definitely a challenge I like to accept and, you know, I’m proud of it,” MacDonald said. “It’s definitely an adjustment.” Pitcher Nick Kozlowski enters this season off a six-win campaign in 2014, one that tied
him for the third-best win total in Pride history. Kozlowski didn’t hesitate to pick endurance as an area for improvement to ensure a successful season. “Six wins was good but I kind of tailed off at the end last year,” Kozlowski said. “I think endurance-wise and just building my strength up and withstanding it throughout the season is my biggest goal.” The almost-unanimous goal from the players was a spot in the CAA playoffs. Kozlowski hoped they could take it even further. “CAA playoffs for sure, we strive for that, and you know, that leads us to a regional and from there on out, we’ll take it as it comes,” said Kozlowski. The Pride season opens up with a three-game series in Los Angeles, California against UCLA from Feb. 13-15.
HOFSTRA ATHLETIC CALENDAR Away
2/10
2/11
2/12
Home
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball
2/13 Friday
2/14
2/15
2/16
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
V.S. NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY7:00 P.M.
@ Drexel University 5:00 P.M. @ COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 11:30 A.M.
@ ELON UNIVERSITY 1:00 P.M.
Men’s Lacrosse
vs. MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY 12:00 p.m.
Women’s lacrosse
vs. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 3:00 p.m.
Softball
BAseball
WRESTLING
@ LSU INVIATIONAL 1:00 P.M. AND 4:00 P.M.
@ LSU INVIATIONAL 12:30 P.M. AND 5:30 P.M.
@ LSU INVIATIONAL 9:00 A.M.
@ UCLA 5:00 P.M.
@ UCLA 9:00 P.M.
@ UCLA 4:00 P.M.
@ DREXEL UNIVERSITY 7:00 p.m.
A 18 •February 10, 2014
SPORTS
The Chronicle
Men’s basketball breaks losing streak v. UDel, Elon By Mike Rudin and Anders Jorstad SPORTS EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER
The Hofstra Pride broke their three-game losing streak with a 79-69 win over the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens Wednesday, and a 80-69 victory over Elon, completing two season sweeps. The Pride improved to 16-9 and bumped their Colonial Athletic Association record to one win over .500 at 7-5, keeping the team afloat in the middle of the pack in the CAA standings, currently in fourth place. “Those last five out of six where we didn’t get it done, we broke it down for the guys the other day,” said head coach Joe Mihalich. “It feels like we were far away but we weren’t. We just had to take a deep breath, keep our composure, keep our poise, get back to believing ourselves and really proud of our guys doing it.” Juan’ya Green went from freezing cold to scorching hot – starting out 0-13 in the first half but turned the tables with 17 points scored in the second. Ten points of Green’s total performance came from the charity stripe. Green and the team in general struggled with shooting – especially three-pointers – in the opening minutes of the first half. “It was a lot of talk about threes, how many we take and I get it. We took too many in the first half,” said Mihalich. “But if we’d stop taking them, we wouldn’t have won the game. We won the game in the second half because of our three-point shooting because that’s what they do.” Ameen Tanksley led the Pride offense on the night with 22 points as well as three rebounds and two assists. Brian Bernardi shot 5-11 and 4-9 from beyond the arc – for 14 points, along with three rebounds plus two assists. The Pride started the game out on a high note with a 5-0 lead in the first two minutes and 10 seconds of the game. But the Blue Hens slowly chipped away within the first seven minutes – to shrink Hofstra’s lead down to two points by the 13:03 mark in the first half.
The Pride retaliated and regained lost ground with a 6-0 rally to put Hofstra out in front and keep Delaware from taking the lead. Following the rally, Hofstra’s lead ranged between 4 and 10 points, as they kept letting the lead go and reeling it back in until it drained to just one point at the 4:27 mark in the first half. After a pair of free throws from Moussa Kone to push the lead to three points, the remaining minutes counted down with Hofstra’s lead going back-andforth until it extended to eight points by halftime. The second half went off with a Blue Hens’ 6-0 rally but Hofstra struck back with 5-0 rally immediately following Delaware’s in the first 2:39 of the second half. After the first media timeout at the 15:54 mark, the Pride and Delaware got moving offensively – Hofstra matched the Blue Hens 8-8 within a span of 3:57. Delaware had a little fight left in them to put together back-to-back baskets to cut Hofstra’s lead to 51-48 with 7:58 left to go. With their backs against the wall, the Pride put the game out of reach with a 9-0 rally in a 1:58 span to propel their lead to 12 points. With six minutes left in the game, Hofstra maintained their double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game except for a split second when it shrunk to nine points. The Pride’s largest lead of the night was by 14 points in the final minutes of the game. “It was just important. I don’t care if this game was on Mars; we had to get a win tonight. We had to get that feeling out of our system,” said Mihalich. The Pride scored 28 points overall in the paint compared to a dozen by the Fightin’ Blue Hens. Hofstra hit 34 points inside the arc, almost doubling Delaware’s 18. Hofstra did not surrender the lead once throughout all 40 minutes of regulation, though Delaware tied for a measly 47 seconds. Hofstra men’s basketball continued its hot February start with an 80-69 win over the Phoenix at the Mack Sports
Complex. Elon entered the game as the second-worst team in the conference with a 3-8 CAA record, having lost seven of its last eight contests dating back to a 61-79 home loss to the Pride. Elon is led by Elijah Bryant, a freshman point guard – who at 6’4” is tall for his position – leads his team with 13.6 points per game. Along with many of his teammates, Bryant is a terrific shooter from long range and would prove to be difficult for the Pride to shut down. The Phoenix got off to a hot 13-7 start in the game thanks to a terrific defense that prevented some missed looks and generated turnovers to gain Elon some extra possessions. Dion Nesmith and Ameen Tanksley got a few shots to fall and took a 16-15 lead for the Pride. The game went back and forth for the rest of the first half and both teams played at an equivalent clip, heading into the locker room with a 39-37 Pride led. The Phoenix shot a scorching 40 percent from deep in the first half thanks to a sagging Pride defense that left a lot of shooters open behind the arc. “I thought we were missing some assignments with shooters [in the first half],” commented head coach Joe Mihalich. “It was just the focus. We didn’t have that focus that we wanted in the first half.” Hofstra finally started to pull away in the second half thanks to big performances by senior forward Moussa Kone and graduate student Nesmith. Kone corralled eight rebounds in the second half including three on the offensive glass and scored eight points in the second frame as well. Nesmith took over the game and scored 22 points in total, finding a variety of ways to score, from taking contact at the rim and finishing through it to making open looks from downtown. The defensive plan for Hofstra was a little different in this game than it has been in previous contests, which likely helped Elon to a hot shooting night with 45 percent from three-point range. “I don’t know how long you
Chris Owens/ Hofstra Chronicle Moussa Kone (31) rises up to complete a strong score at the rim. Kone’s play on both sides of the ball has been key to Hofstra’s wins v. Delaware and Elon.
can play [the same defensive scheme],” commented Mihalich. “[The 1-3-1 zone] is a good thing to do to change the pace of the game. There will be games where we play it more, but with the way [Elon] shot the ball tonight I was a little concerned about them spreading the ball out and them getting the ball to the corners and making deep threes.” Although Hofstra has been effective at executing the 1-3-1 zone against most opponents, Mihalich did not feel this game was the correct time to utilize it given Elon’s success from deep. The terrific performances from Kone (10 points, 9 rebounds) and Rokas Gustys (6 points, 2 rebounds) prove that this team can succeed without hot shooting nights from the likes of Brian Bernardi (1-for-9 from the field), Juan’ya Green (3-for-10 from the field) and Ameen Tanksley (2-for6 from deep). “That’s kind of that two-headed monster for us,” Mihalich said of Kone and Gustys. “If you can get 16 points and 11 rebounds out of that one position, that’s pretty darn good. These two guys play well together and play off of each other well so what one guy doesn’t do the other guy does.” By generating extra possessions on the boards
(Hofstra out-rebounded Elon by a 38-30 margin) and causing turnovers (18 for the Phoenix), the Pride can grind out victories against anyone in the conference. Another big storyline for the team is the position battle between forwards Jamall Robinson and Malik Nichols. After starting most of the games this season, Nichols has taken a spot on the bench in favor of Robinson in the past two games. “I don’t know, we’ll see,” Mihalich said of the likely starter going forward. “We’ll go game-togame. I don’t think ether one of them cares if they start or finish, which is a beautiful thing. It’s what a coach would hope for. We always say that it isn’t how you start the game, but how you finish it. Sometimes Jamall finishes, sometimes Malik finishes, sometimes neither of them do.” The Pride is now 19-6 overall and is in a three-way tie for fourth in the CAA at 7-5. Elon dropped to 11-14 overall and 3-9 in the CAA. Hofstra’s next competition is against the No. 2 Northeastern Huskies, at a home game on Feb. 12 that will be nationally televised on NBC Sports Network.
The Chronicle
SPORTS
February 10, 2014 •A 19
Loftus, White have big nights in weekend split By Kyle Kandetzki and Kevin Carroll SPORTS EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER
After carrying momentum from a comeback that fell just short against James Madison University Sunday, Hofstra was able split their weekend of conference games. The Hofstra Pride women’s basketball team fell to the CAA-leading James Madison Dukes 77-68 on Friday night, but defeated the William & Mary Tribe 52-46. Hofstra battled back from a 26-point deficit versus James Madison University to come as close as within four points in the loss, but on Sunday a low-scoring affair had the Pride defense playing a key role against the Tribe. “We had a choice after getting tested in the first half,” said head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey. “I was very proud of how they competed in the second half.” Things were promising for a possible Pride upset early, despite Ashunae Durant being absent from the game due to injury. Hofstra seemed to have the ability to go shot-for-shot with James Madison, with a tied 7-7 score four minutes into the game. Hofstra battled to close the gap after the Dukes continued to capitalize on free throws. The Pride drew several offensive fouls early, and came within two after an Asia Jackson three-pointer seven minutes into the half. The Pride’s fight completely disappeared following the Jackson score though, and in catastrophic fashion. Hofstra only scored two points, both on free throws, and failed to convert a single field goal, over a period of 9:35. James Madison used their conference-leading offensive attack to score 22 over Hofstra’s cold streak, and went into the break leading 44-20, with an overall 52 percent mark from the field. The team’s run was a total team effort, as no player went into halftime in double figures, but four players had six or more points: Precious Hall, Angela Mickens, Toia Giggetts and Hailee Barron. “[At halftime] I look at the stat sheet and say ‘You’re 8-for-39,’” said Kilburn-Steveskey. “[We] slow down a little bit, we settle down, because we’re missing some point blank things.” But the Pride came out
swinging in the second half, not allowing JMU to get out of the game without a fight. Kelly Loftus rebounded from a one for nine first period to drain six threes in a 12-minute period, while Darius Faulk added a consistent second half to make the comeback a possibility. Loftus set the tone early with three quick free throws, while Faulk followed her with a three-point play. Kelly’s reign from beyond the arc began four minutes into the period, and it was Faulk again with two scores to supplement her before the next Loftus three-pointer, making the score 55-41 with 12:36 remaining. The comeback was not quite a reality yet, but Loftus continued to establish her pinpoint outside shooting by making the next four Pride field goals, all on deep shots. James Madison’s offense stalled heavily at certain points in the second half, shooting 32 percent overall and minus a 5 -12 half from Precious Hall, the Dukes were 5-19. The Dukes successfully coaxed Hofstra into early fouls to put them into the double bonus, but the Pride tried them at their own game late. On three straight possessions, Loftus drew fouls and knocked down both of her free throws, the last of which got her to an unprecedented 30 points. Loftus’ six-straight points, and a nearly three-minute JMU scoring drought, put Hofstra back within four points, 72-68 with under two minutes remaining. “It’s all on them,” said KilburnSteveskey. “When this team puts their mind to it, they can do some great things.” As the fans in the Mack rose to their feet, they quickly receded after two-straight empty trips for the Pride, and a Lauren Okafor rebound off a missed free throw that turned into a score for JMU, making it 75-68. Hofstra would continue to foul in the final 40 seconds, but the offense could not score, and the comeback bid was ultimately foiled, 77-68. Despite Hofstra’s big second-half run, the offense still only shot 31 percent from the field. The percentage was dragged down primarily from a rough night for Elo Edeferioka, who shot 2-14, though adding 15
Salvatore Guardino /Hofstra Chronicle Elo Edeferioka goes for the opening tipoff vs. William & Mary. Edeferioka tied for a game-high with 12 rebounds.
rebounds. Loftus’ 30 point night was a career-high for her, while Faulk’s 15 points matched her careerhigh that she set earlier this season versus Western Kentucky. “We’re going to use this as momentum,” said Loftus. “We played with a lot of heart, and that’s what matters. We take this and get them back.” But in a flip of the script from the last time these two teams met, the Hofstra women’s basketball team was able to catch fire down the stretch and pull out a 52-46 victory in a nail-biting game on Sunday. Anjie White, making her second consecutive start for the Pride, posted career high numbers with 17 points and 12 rebounds. “I’m a little excited, but I’m just happy that we won,” White said after the game. “I’m just doing what I can for my team to win.” Kelly Loftus and Krystal Luciano also put up double-digit scoring totals for the Pride, with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Sunday’s game, televised locally on SNY, was a special one. The Pride abandoned their typical white and blue color scheme, and donned pink jerseys in support of the late, former NC State coach Kay Yow, who passed away in 2009 after a battle with breast cancer. “Life’s going to throw you punches, and we can’t curl up,”
Coach Kilburn-Steveskey spoke about Yow’s impact. “That’s what Kay taught us.” It was apparent from the start of Sunday’s contest that this game was going to be neck-andneck, as the two teams traded baskets and leads for much of the first half. Both teams started out shooting the ball well, but as both defenses amped up their intensity and started forcing turnovers and bad looks at the basket, it turned into a struggle to score for both the Pride and William & Mary. White, typically a role player, and more accustomed to coming off the bench, wasted no time making her presence felt in the starting lineup for the Pride. The redshirt sophomore had 10 of the Pride’s first 12 points, and finished the half with 12 points and six boards. Despite relatively quiet halves from Kelly Loftus and Elo Edeferioka, two key components in the Hofstra offense, the Pride still managed to roll into halftime with a 24-22 lead over the Tribe. Coming back onto the floor to start the second half, the Pride looked to gain a little separation from the Tribe. A three-pointer from Luciano did the trick, but William & Mary came right back, rattling off six unanswered points to take a one-point lead on the Pride. As the game came down into
crunch time, the Pride found themselves in a bit of a pickle. Edeferioka went to the bench with four fouls. The Pride caught fire down the stretch, using another White jumper, and a beautiful steal and layup through contact from Luciano to put the nail in the Tribe’s coffin. A couple of more free throws sealed the deal for Hofstra, who came away with a pulse-pounding 52-46 victory. “It was an extremely hardfought game against a really good William & Mary team tonight, who’s been on the rise,” Kilburn-Steveskey said after the game. “Just proud of these guys for really digging in and not giving in down the stretch.” Hofstra improved to 14-9 on the season after Sunday’s win, with a 7-5 mark in the CAA. William & Mary sinks to 11-12, dropping to 5-7 in conference play. The Hofstra women’s basketball team heads out on the road for their next contest, moving down south for a Friday the 13th showdown with the College of Charleston. That game will get started at 11:30 at the TD Arena in Charleston.
Back Cover: Anjie White and head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey celebrate after defeating William & Mary Sunday.
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Pink and White Anjie White leads Pride to victory over William & Mary in Play4Kay game for breast cancer awareness Salvatore Guardino /Hofstra Chronicle