The Hofstra Chronicle, March 28, 2023

THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE

KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935

Hofstra professor discusses the gender and class dynamics of the Black Health Movement

sor of history and a faculty-inresidence at Hofstra University. Sims discussed the gender and class dynamics of the Black health movement in the Mississippi Delta during the mid-20th century.

does not meet zabiha halal standards

By Moriah Sukhlal NEWS EDITOR

On Wednesday, March 15, the Center for “Race,” Culture and

Social Justice hosted its monthly Colloquia Series. This event featured a conversation with Katrina Sims, assistant profes-

OPINION

Sim’s discussion, “The Cotton Field was Not the Place for Her,” explored the history of the Taborian Hospital located in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, and its role within the historical context of the Black health movement. According to Sims, the Taborian Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the Mississippi Delta to introduce a

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By Megan Naftali NEWS EDITOR

literature in order to teach high school English.

By Makenzie Hurt ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

Content warning: The following piece contains discussion of gun violence.

I remember wanting to be a teacher since I was first asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My grandmother has worked as a paraprofes-

sional in her local elementary school for my entire life. We used to see her students around town as kids, and not only did the older students remember her, but her current students were also overjoyed to see her. I wanted to be a history teacher by the time I was in middle school. Then, during my freshman year at Hofstra, I decided to switch my major to English

My education professor has been one of the most influential people I’ve met at Hofstra, and whenever my enthusiasm for teaching faded, he always reminded me of why I was doing it in the first place. I’ve clung to the hope of becoming a teacher, of assisting students like me who felt alone and directionless in high school, of being like my high school English teacher, who worked with me on group projects because I didn’t have anyone else.

But due to the way that teachers are treated and viewed by America as a whole, I’m having trouble holding onto hope. The way that the media depicts teachers doesn’t show the true realities that educators face, especially in 2023.

For the past six years, Hofstra University Dining has outsourced halal products from Peter’s Wholesale Foods, a halal certified vendor, that provided Hofstra with a certification from the American Halal Foundation which is renewed yearly and posted at G8, the halal station in the Student Center, according to Lexis Meehan, the marketing manager of Campus Dining by Compass Group.

Last September, Asma Azam, a senior biology major and the president of the Muslim Student Association, began to question whether the food at G8 met zabiha halal standards.

Zabiha halal is the highest standard of halal. According to Azam, the animal needs to be hand slaughtered, certain recitations need to be made, and the process needs to be monitored, certified and cleaned properly.

Azam reached out to Compass Dining to inquire about the certification, to which they initially told her the food met zabiha halal standards.

“Closer to our last meeting in late November, they told

us that the chicken is machine slaughtered, whereas the beef is brought from a company that only sells zabiha halal beef,” Azam said. “[But] in the kitchen, is there someone who’s watching over cross contamination and how the food is prepared? That’s also something that needs to be controlled when you’re making a statement such as, ‘We’re serving zabiha halal here.’”

After learning the poultry items were not zabiha halal, Compass placed signs at the G8 station stating the poultry is not zabiha halal certified.

“Hofstra Dining is continuing to explore options for zabiha poultry as well as plans for a dedicated Halal kitchen and will share more information as it is available. At our current Halal Station we have a designated workspace, refrigeration and chef that is familiar with Halal governance,” Meehan wrote in a statement.

The Muslim community at Hofstra was saddened by the lack of knowledge regarding the zabiha halal certification.

“The sign saying that the

The American Psychological Association found that nearly 50% of teachers “plan or desire to quit or transfer jobs.”

Photo courtesy of National Cancer Institute

Students discovered that poultry at G8 is not zabiha halal certified.

Megan Naftali / The Hofstra Chronicle

G8

Teachers deserve compensation that matches their importance

Moriah Sukhlal / The Hofstra Chronicle Katrina Sims discusses the history of the International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor.

Panhellenic Council investigating sorority for body-shaming

day shirts that were provided for their new members’ class to protect the identity, body image and inclusivity of our community,” read a statement provided by the Panhellenic Council.

and body-shaming has been reported to the Panhellenic Council.

In Dec. 2022, an individual reported to the Panhellenic Council that a member of Alpha Phi said, “We only want to take a class of skinny girls, we’re going to put them on these diet plans and gym plans,” according to Mills.

disorders and cause a lot of insecurities.”

Ferrante emphasized the importance of inclusivity when it comes to recruitment.

“We operate in a values-based system,” Ferrante said. “We do strive for inclusivity. We strive for values-based recruitment. We strive for values-based programming.”

By Madeline Armstrong NEWS EDITOR

A source has asked to remain anonymous for the protection of themself and their organization. The pseudonym Allie Mills will be used.

Hofstra’s Theta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi sparked controversy during the Panhellenic social sorority bid day on Feb. 21.

According to Allie Mills, a member of the Panhellenic community, Alpha Phi had made it clear that they had intentions to recruit only “thin” members. When ordering T-shirts for their inductees, they only ordered shirts in small and medium sizes.

“[They ordered the shirts] before they even knew the kind of class that they were getting or who was going to be in it,” Mills said. “Probably a month before.”

“They ordered small sized shirts because that’s what they wanted the members to be like,” said Maria Llave, a junior writing studies and criminology major and the vice president of equity and belonging for Delta Phi Epsilon.

Upon seeing the shirts, the Panhellenic Council told Alpha Phi that they were not allowed to give the shirts to their inductees because they were noninclusive.

“Panhellenic had also advised against Alpha Phi’s bid

“Panhellenic is still investigating the situation, but the decision was made at the time in an attempt to ensure a values based recruitment. With that being said, Panhellenic does not condone appearance-based recruitment in any shape or form in our community, despite the stigma behind sorority recruitment.”

However, toward the end of bid day festivities, Alpha Phi posted a photo on their Instagram account with the new members wearing the shirts that they were not supposed to have been given.

According to Paul Ferrante, assistant director of leadership and engagement for fraternity and sorority life, the Panhellenic Council issued a violation to Alpha Phi regarding the Tshirts. There will be mediations between the Panhellenic Council and Alpha Phi to determine repercussions and next steps. However, Ferrante and the Panhellenic Council declined to comment on the status of these mediations and potential repercussions.

“This is peer-to-peer, and there is no exact timeline because the way that Panhellenic approaches these infractions is that we conduct it through mediation,” Ferrante said. “The Panhellenic Council reviewed, and the mediation process is being followed up on.”

While Mills knows that the Panhellenic Council is investigating the situation, she said she is concerned that nothing will happen as this is not the first time Alpha Phi’s non-inclusivity

Ferrante confirmed that this complaint was brought to his attention as advisor of fraternity and sorority life. However, he said that these issues are handled through the Panhellenic Council, and he does not know if anything came of the investigation into the issue.

“I think that there definitely needs to be some sort of accountability for them,” Mills said. “They’re getting away with so much and we’re not seeing them really be punished for it.”

Additionally, Llave said that

Alpha Phi’s international executive board did not respond to multiple requests to speak with them. However, their website states, “Alpha Phi International Fraternity is more than just a Greek organization – it’s a community of empowered women supporting one another for a lifetime.”

Llave agrees that Alpha Phi’s non-inclusive practices only fuel stereotypes that sororities are not inclusive.

“I feel like sororities in general get really stereotyped for having a particular look, and that’s not the case,” Llave said. “I only speak for my sorority, but we have a lot of diverse members and a lot of members that come from different backgrounds.”

The Panhellenic Council released a statement on Instagram following the events on bid day to inform the Panhellenic community about the situation.

Alpha Phi’s actions go against sorority values, which can be harmful to members.

“We’re women, and we should support each other, and we all come in different shapes and sizes,” Llave said. “I have given so many presentations about how these comments can really affect someone mentally and probably produce eating

“We want to ensure all organizations are practicing a values-based process of recruitment and focus on empowerment and equity,” read the statement, “but we also need to acknowledge and address that there is a stigma related to our community and that we are beginning to hold organizations accountable for their actions and working to educate our chapters and change in the partnership with Hofstra Advisors and Inter/National Headquarters and

Hofstra’s Theta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi is under investigation after incidents of body-shaming.

Alpha Phi posted a photo on Instagram with the new members wearing the non-inclusive T-shirts.

Photo courtesy of Alpha Phi’s Facebook

Screenshot by Madeline Armstrong

Compass

Dining attempts to mend halal food mixup

chicken here is not zabiha halal raised a lot of concerns amongst the Muslim students and Muslim community,” Azam said. “A lot of people were very hurt and disappointed by the situation because they basically [were] being fed food that does not meet their dietary restrictions.”

Azam believes an email should have been sent out to the Hofstra community as a whole to shed light on this mixup.

“I think that has been one of the most telling things to me. I’ve spoken to administrators that still don’t know about this issue. I’ve spoken to students

the situation was brought to light, we tried to address it as quickly as possible. Compass really took the lead on putting their signage out and working with Asma to get the message out to the community,” MuñozIsme said. “But I can’t tell you, we just didn’t send a message about that. I think it’s more we would focus on positive messaging of, ‘Hey, here’s what we are doing with our resources and how we are listening to students and really supporting you and what you need on campus.’”

The offerings of zabiha halal meals also prove difficult for residential students.

website recommended by the Muslim Student Association, according to Meehan. One restaurant that provides Hofstra with the grab-and-go meals is Guac Time.

Additionally, Hofstra Dining will offer a program for Ramadan this year where students can pre-order hot zabiha halal food by filling out a Ramadan meal request form. The orders need to be placed before 10 a.m. on the day of pick up and retrieved at Dutch Treats between 6:30-7 p.m. Suhoor retail items will be available at Dutch Treats. Frozen zabiha halal meals will be featured in the frozen section

and numerous other people and it’s really alarming to me that it’s something that is not talked about enough,” Azam said.

“This is a dietary restriction for a community that continues to grow on this campus. If you messed up, then you should take accountability for it and let everyone know what has happened instead of just trying to fix the issue in the background and just put a bandage on it, as it feels like it has been done now,” continued Azam.

Zaibis Muñoz-Isme, the assistant vice president of Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success, believes a mass email was not sent out to promote positive messaging.

“I would imagine that, once

“At my house, there’s always home cooked meals. I think it’s the case for a lot of people of my ethnicity, not necessarily my religion, but they always have good home cooked fresh food in the house. I don’t have that luxury anymore, and I feel it more and more every day,” said Rayhan Ahmed, a senior computer science major. “With this whole situation, it hasn’t been easy because it’s not really practical. Thankfully in New York, there are so many halal food options for restaurants, but it’s not really sustainable to go out and eat every single day. It’s a waste of time. It’s a waste of money.”

Compass Dining is now outsourcing hot and cold graband-go zabiha halal options using the HFSAA and HMS

as well, according to Meehan.

“I feel as if nobody had inquired, they would not have been educated on this. There’s a need for greater representation of different communities in administration or faculty or whoever is making these larger decisions higher up because it would prevent things like this from happening,” Azam said. “If a chaplain was included in that decision-making process, or even a couple of Muslim students who could lead you to the people who are educated enough to make this decision, then we would have prevented this from happening to begin with.”

Information compiled by Lily Spinda

Graphic by Megan Naftali

“This is a dietary restriction for a community that continues to grow on this campus. If you messed up, then you should take accountability for it and let everyone know what has happened instead of just trying to fix the issue in the background and put a bandage on it, as it feels like it has been done now.”

The untold story of the nurses of the Black Health Movement

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practical nurse training program in 1941. The program provided economic opportunities for Black women and “introduced a health politic that included access to medical and nonmedical care that was individualized, dignified, modern and uplifting,” said Sims.

Throughout her conversation, Sims worked to “rescue Black working-class women nurses from invisibility and place them at the center of the modern Black health movement” by presenting the narrative experiences of Black women.

Sims began by recounting the experiences of Ethel Marion Anderson Brooks, a Black woman who sharecropped with her family in the Mississippi Delta. At the age of 15, Brooks declared that “the cotton field was not the place for her.”

Brooks first heard of the prospect of working as a nurse “with the announcement that the International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor would fund a hospital and that they were seeking young women nurses,” Sims said.

The organization’s new focus on health care was introduced in 1925 by Perry Monroe Smith.

Sims explained that Smith was faced with the predicament of either taking his sick son on a two-hour journey from Mount Bayu to Yazim City to the only Black hospital – the Afro American Hospital – or going to Marigold Hospital.

Although Marigold was a closer hospital to Smith, he had to “suffer the indignity of walking through the back door [and] waiting for all the white patients to be treated while his son was sitting in agony,” Sims said.

Because of this, when Smith was elected International Chief Grand Mentor in 1937, he decided that the Knights and Daughters of Tabor would assume the healthcare mission.

“On Feb. 13, 1942, the Taborian Hospital opened, and it treated primarily prenatal and postnatal women,” Sims said.

Brooks and other African American working-class women at that time “wanted to align

themselves with the Knights and Daughters of Tabor in part because they recognized the organization was addressing a major issue, which was the access to medical care, but also there was an economic incentive,” Sims said.

“These women were able to have some level of self-determination and some say over their lives.”

Upon the opening of the Taborian Hospital, Smith employed Katherine Dandridge. According to Sims, Dandridge graduated from Mahary Medical College and was educated in curriculum development concerning medical care. She attended the hospital in an advisory capacity and became “the first women anesthetist in the history of our

nursing program that becomes the first in the state in terms of vocational practices. However, while these women are being trained by some of the most premier educators, because of their economic status, they are unable

“increase the prestige of nursing and improve quality,” Sims countered that it “really acted as an erection of a barrier because women who could not go to institutions that the state was accrediting … They would not be able to access that license, thus, not be able to work.”

fraternal women who are out doing the fundraising, and it is the nurses who are providing the medical and nonmedical care.”

Students who attended the event viewed the history of the Taborian Hospital as noteworthy.

nation at this moment in 1941,” Sims said.

Along with Dandrige, Nettie Perkins, the supervisor of nursing from 1946 to 1955, offered working-class Black women

“who have no familiarity, for the most part, with health care principles, a world-class education,” Sims said.

“What is noteworthy of these two women,” she said, “[is that under] their leadership [and] instruction, it is this informal

to get the credentials necessary that would allow them to have the pay that would complement their work.”

One example of this is Annyce Perkins Campbell, who, despite being a registered nurse, “never earned more than $640 a month in her capacity as the head of obstetrics,” Sims said.

“There is an effort to remove Black women from the health care space,” Sims said. She argues that “it is intentional and an extension of the anti-Black policies and laws that emerge during the progressive era.”

“When the state needed Black labor in the health care space, they were able to acknowledge the legitimacy of the program without accrediting [it],” Sims said. She explained that in the

Maria Moreno Suarez, a junior Latin American and Caribbean studies major, was fond of Sims’ discussion as she reflected on how the history of the state’s negligence in providing the Taborian Hospital credentials is a trend that is also prominent in Latin American countries.

“You see a lot of anti-Black, anti-Afro American or colorism in general in [Latin American countries],” Suarez said. “So being able to see that this [trend of withholding credentials] is not only in Latin American [or] Caribbean countries and that there are laws emplaced in America that can be placed into perspectives of these countries provides me with a basis for learning about [the trend] more.”

“I didn’t know the Taborian Hospital existed until this discussion,” said Jasmine Sellars, a junior journalism major. She reflected on the lack of media coverage of the Taborian Hospital.

“As a journalism major, I have a responsibility to tell the news, and it was definitely news to me,” Sellars said. “I’m not sure if they had journalists who were covering the anomaly that there’s a successful Black hospital taking care of patients.”

The work of Dandridge, Perkins and Black workingclass women of this time is fundamental to the Black health movement, according to Sims.

“[Campbell] acknowledged that that was a necessary part of her work. She understood that in order for the hospital to stay open and treat predominantly poor patients, she needed to accept her relatively lower pay.”

Sims noted that when Mississippi began to embrace licensing requirements for practical nursing, it posed a credentialing problem for the Taborian Hospital. While the state argued that the conditions were emplaced to

1960s, Mississippi experienced a nursing shortage. While the labor of Black nurses was utilized, the Taborian Hospital trained practical nurses without state funding.

The Taborian Hospital is noteworthy for being an independent organization that never received state or federal funding. As Campbell explained to Sims, “it’s the product of the pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters of the Black community. It’s the

“So much of the conversation around the Black health movement centers men, the physicians, for the most part,” Sims said. “They’ve been elevated in terms of their contributions, and it is these women who are largely responsible for educating the personnel who are handling the day-to-day matters. So, I think it is important we acknowledge them and their contributions.”

“So much of the conversation around the Black health movement centers men, the physicians, for the most part. They’ve been elevated in terms of their contributions, and it is these women who are largely responsible for educating the personnel who are handling the day-to-day matters.”

The Taborian Hospital’s legitimacy was threatened in 1949 due to the professionalization movement, which demanded that Black working class women redirect their already meager family economic resources to enroll in state sanctioned nursing programs.

Photo courtesy of Suzassippi

What do women truly desire?

desires a place for her children to dream and have the space to grow. She discussed the fear of saying things out loud and applauded writers who are able to be fearless in their writing.

Christine Garas, a sophomore in the physician assistant program, attended the event to accompany a friend and wasn’t expecting this panel to be any different than any previous ones.

Public Safety Briefs

Key:

PS - Public Safety

CS - Community Standards

NCPD - Nassau County Police Department

By Lily Spinda ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

In order to desire, one must dream. The anthology “Wanting: Women Writing About Desire” is a series of essays from women who share their deepest desires and how they changed throughout their lives. On Thursday, March 16, Hofstra’s department of English and Hofstra’s Cultural Center welcomed contributors Aracelis Girmay and Domenica Ruta to discuss their desires in the anthology co-edited by Hofstra’s director of publishing studies, Kelly McMasters.

Ruta shared her desires and how they evolved as she got older. She explained that as a child, her only desire was to grow older, and in her 20s, she chased relief through addiction. After 13 years of sobriety and a breast cancer diagnosis, she desired control of her body and mind.

“If abortion taught me for the first time that I had control over my own body, childbirth taught me how to let go of that control, and cancer was a lesson that neither of those things, control or surrender, are mutually exclusive,” Ruta read aloud. Now, she desires a haven where women are in charge of their bodies, similar to how she had control over hers when she first had an abortion.

“I learned how to make nonfiction come alive and a lot more honest because I learned how to be brave,” Ruta said as she read her essay to Hofstra students.

Sophomore Lara Rydesky,

majoring in journalism and minoring in creative writing, felt inspired by these female authors sharing their truth. “It inspired me as a writer. They talked about how telling your personal truth is courageous, which I’ve always been told was selfish,” Rydesky said.

As we live through an overturn of Roe v. Wade, the speakers expressed their desire for diverse authors to share their experiences. Ruta desired books on dealing with abortion and parenting that were written from the perspective of a non-white or straight person.

“Abortion and sex were hushed,” Ruta said regarding her upbringing as an adolescent and young adult in the ‘80s and ‘90s. “There was shame and quietness that I could feel the edges of, but I couldn’t get specifics. There was so much fear, [so] I love that we have books for our quests if we don’t want to talk to people.”

“There’s this idea among my generation and especially among women that talking about yourself is narcissistic and that wanting attention is evil, so it was really nice to hear that telling your story is necessary and good,” Rydesky said.

Girmay wrote about desiring a world and system of equality for her children and our future generations. “Language matters, [learning] how to talk to your kids about race is to be vulnerable [with them],” Girmay said.

This anthology is a diverse collection that explores a woman’s desires. In a country challenged by white supremacy and police brutality, Girmay

“I was really surprised when I found myself very interested and rarely getting distracted this time,” Garas said. “It definitely inspired me to get back into reading and maybe even try a genre other than fiction, which is what I typically go for.”

“Writing is my way to think,” Girmay said. “Writing this piece [helped me] to get clear with myself, talk about it with my kids, engage them on what was happening.”

Girmay shared her experiences dealing with race and identity with her children during the height of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

At the end of the panel, Garas asked Girmay and Ruta for any writing advice for non-English majors that struggle with writing non-fiction. “I was very grateful for their responses, and it was definitely nice to get some advice from writers, but I don’t think it made a huge difference in my writing process,” Garas said. “I understand what they meant by letting go of control more when writing, but it’s definitely harder to apply.”

“Good writing should be so many things that speaks to you personally,” Ruta advised to non-English majors struggling to write non-fiction.

This spring is Hofstra’s 19th annual year of hosting “Great Writers, Great Readings” to celebrate authors’ success and inspire students through open discussions and readings. The last panel for this spring’s “Great Writers, Great Readings” will be on April 26 and features Phillis Levin and Christie Ann Reynolds.

On March 10, at 11 a.m., two HU students reported to PS that their suitemate had an unregistered non-student guest staying in a room. The non-student was banned from campus.

On March 11, at 9:20 p.m., while on routine patrol, PS observed a red Dodge Charger drive onto campus at an unsafe speed in parking field 2A. The student was issued a referral to CS for their actions.

On March 13, at 4:30 p.m., a resident assistant in Bill of Rights Hall reported to PS that while conducting health and safety checks, they found drug paraphernalia and a small amount of marijuana in plain sight. The residents of the room were not present and will be issued referrals to CS.

On March 15, at 12:13 a.m., PS responded to Leiden House on a call that three HU students were having a verbal dispute. PS spoke to the students, and they all left without incident.

On March 17, at 7 a.m., an HU student reported to PS that they left their laundry in the laundry room in Alliance Hall from 10 p.m. on March 16 to 4:30 a.m. on March 17. When they returned to retrieve their clothes from the dryer, they discovered they were missing and that someone else’s clothes were there.

On March 18, at 2:30 a.m., while on routine patrol, PS

observed three HU students walking through the student center carrying an HU pedestrian walk sign and cone. All three students were issued referrals to CS for their actions.

On March 19, at 4:30 p.m., a non-student volunteer worker for the robotics event at the Hofstra Arena reported to PS that they parked their vehicle in parking field 6B and that upon returning, they discovered the back windshield broken. Police assistance was declined.

On March 19, at 8:55 p.m., the fire alarm in the Graduate Residence Hall was activated due to burnt popcorn. The fire alarm sounded, and the building was evacuated. PS, Plant personnel and the Uniondale Fire Department responded to the location. The situation was corrected, and the fire alarm was reset.

On March 21, at 8:30 p.m., a resident safety representative supervisor reported to PS that two HU students swiped into Suffolk Hall with one ID card. Both students were issued referrals to CS.

On March 23, at 4:07 p.m., an HU student reported to PS that they witnessed a vehicle strike a parked vehicle while pulling into a space in the Breslin Hall parking lot. The owners of the vehicles were identified as students.

On March 23, at 7 a.m., a campus employee parked their vehicle in the parking lot south of Au Bon Pain. Upon returning at 12:50 p.m., they found their purse overturned on the front seat with the contents spread out. The employee stated that their credit card, debit card and cash had been removed from their purse.

Compiled by Megan Naftali

Contributors and guest speakers from left to right are Aracelis Girmay, moderator and co-editor Kelly McMasters and Domenica Ruta.

Lily Spinda / The Hofstra Chronicle

FEATURES

Search and Destroy misses the mark

By Zoe Casselman ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

The East Village is known for its artistry, for being the birthplace of punk music, for remaining recognized as a place for creatives and for containing many performance spaces and musical venues. Expectedly, many stores in the area are related to music, from K-pop merchandise to R&B record stores – all of which are easily worth the visit. However, one exception is Search and Destroy, an infamous shop full of used and vintage punk-rock memorabilia, clothing and accessories. As I was exploring the East Village and window-shopping, Search and Destroy’s storefront caught my eye. From the outside, under big, bold white spray-painted text of the store’s name, there’s a large glass window with an eclectic collection of seemingly random things, such as skeletons with neon mohawks, a giant Mickey Mouse statue and a pile of baby dolls at their feet. It is an enticing display, but the store itself ruins the whole thing.

Upon entering, the decor begs you to notice just how “punk”

mutilated women on the walls and various graphic imagery and drawings, all unnecessary and presumably for shock value. While I didn’t see any, Search and Destroy has also been known to dress mannequins in Nazi paraphernalia, which is just about as truly anti-punk as you can get. Not to mention, photography is banned within the store – maybe for this exact reason.

Besides just the look, the store was extremely narrow and hard to get through since it was packed floor to ceiling with various merchandise, mannequins and people simply trying to browse. I was one of maybe five customers total in the store at the time. Between myself, other shoppers and the employees, moving freely without constantly bumping into someone or being in their way was nearly impossible. Additionally, most of the racks were so full that the clothing didn’t even move when I tried to push the hangers.

While advertised as uniquely curated vintage punk-rock goods, the merchandise itself is obscenely priced. For example, on the

a tie-dye Myrtle Beach shirt for the same price. What part about either of those things is vintage punk? Many of the jackets and sweaters were well over $100, and the actual punk-related clothing was similarly jacked up in price.

The quality of the apparel, especially the shoes and accessories, was also lacking, not that the price reflected that. Some of the shirts even looked to be stained and were still being sold at regular prices. Many platform shoes being sold were made of foam or similarly cheap material – yet were still priced egregiously. Cheap Halloween and fishnet tights on accessory racks were sold at $16 per pair, which may not seem like much, but is double what you would pay for an identical pair at Target. Plastic jewelry was tagged at over $20. The list goes on.

From the crude decorations to the outrageous prices, Search and Destroy sits at the peak of poser punk. From the second I entered the store to the moment I left it, I felt as if it was doing everything possible to convince me, “Yes

the while entirely co-opting what punk really means. I’m not saying

that punk can’t be gritty, obscene or in your face; those are great aspects of the style. But Search and Destroy takes punk culture and beliefs and completely corrupts them.

Punk culture is alive and well, but this store is the antithesis of what punk really is. It turns the aesthetics into an extremely capitalist business strategy that sells $20-40 shirts for $180-200.

Search and Destroy is a way for rich people to buy into punk without having to adhere to its ideology or lifestyle. While it was cool to look around for a few seconds, it very quickly became clear that Search and Destroy is the opposite of what it claims to be and is not worth more than a glance from the outside.

“I’m not saying that punk can’t be gritty, obscene or in your face; those are great aspects of the style. But Search and Destroy takes punk culture and beliefs and completely corrupts them.”

Zoe Casselman/The Hofstra Chronicle

Chron Critiques: Yankee Stadium’s new menu

By Michelle Rabinovich SPORTS EDITOR

With spring training just about to wrap up, and the World Baseball Classic over, baseball fans have been divided over the addition of the pitch clock, enlarged bases and the ban of the defensive shift. New York’s Yankee Stadium is going through some additional changes too, but to its menu to host fans.

“We got some great new partners; we have all of our existing previous vendors and we’ve done some upgrading to the menu,” said senior executive chef Matt Gibson. “We’re really excited to get this place back to a full capacity and have a great year.”

One of the things that Gibson stressed was bringing in local food as much as possible to the stadium, as New York City hosts people of countless backgrounds.

“We spent a lot of time in the off-season kind of dining around and keeping current with new concepts,” Gibson explained. “We’re all over the place ... just making sure we’re well rounded and making sure that everyone that walks in the building can enjoy themselves.”

Bronx native and “Next Food Network Star” Season 14 winner Christian Petroni is bringing his twist to something that everyone loves: garlic bread.

“Garlic bread is just something that I’ve always loved, and I was

always finding myself sort of tweaking it and reworking it and trying to make it better,” Petroni said. “I grew up coming [to Yankee Stadium]! I can’t believe I’m here, I can’t believe I have two concessions here and I’m very proud of my product!”

With that being said, fans can enjoy New York-esque chopped cheese or a spicy Asian fusion-style chicken, all housed in the same building on 161st street.

Gibson’s favorite dish that’s coming to fans this year is the No. 99 Burger, featuring two 4 oz. American Wagyu beef patties, American cheese and secret sauce. Note: the maximum amount of these burgers for sale will be exactly 99 at any given game.

“It’s not one of these behemoth burgers that you should get a free T-shirt for finishing it,” Gibson said. “[Fans] are gonna walk away happy with that burger.”

That famous burger, which will be offered exclusively at

the home of the 27-time World Series champions, is made possible by Lobel’s, a meat shop that has been in New York City since 1840.

“We want to be able to offer the fans something that they can’t get any place else,” said Lobel’s co-owner Brian Lobel. “I’m hoping for the fans who don’t have access to such high quality products to be able to enjoy that experience in Yankee

Stadium.”

All in all, it’s about the fan experience. From bacon on a stick to Grand Slam Shakes served in a souvenir Yankees cap, there will be something for any ticket holder to munch to watch nine innings go by.

Gibson’s final message to Yankee Stadium visitors?

“Please don’t leave hungry, and

Shalom Japan: fusing flavors and cultures

By Julian Rocha FEATURES EDITOR

Located deep in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is Shalom Japan. Rather unassuming from the outside, without a prominent sign or detailed features, when my friends and I first went to the restaurant, we nearly walked past it. However, as with many establishments in such a dense area, first impressions can be deceiving.

I first learned about Shalom Japan from a travel page on Instagram, which will usually show egregious stunt foods and places with very unreasonable prices. To my surprise, Shalom Japan was neither of these, so my friends and I jumped upon the opportunity to visit it.

When we stepped through the door, the environment was very serene, with dim lighting and soft music – perfect for a date night. After a long afternoon of

bouncing from one bookstore to another, my friends and I were promptly greeted.

To start off, my friends and I split the sake kasu challah, and as a self-proclaimed bread snob, I was thoroughly impressed. Served with raisin butter, the pairing was savory yet sweet, and more than enough to hold us off until our entrees arrived.

Looking around the restaurant, the most common dish on the table was the matzah ball ramen. Conveniently, this was also the dish which first piqued my interest on Instagram. Combining staples of Jewish and Japanese cuisine, I had high hopes for this dish, and I definitely was not let down.

The best part about eating at such a small establishment is that each dish is prepared with such care that it is almost homemade. The chicken broth was warm and hearty, with a rich color and smooth texture. As far as

the noodles themselves, they were plentiful and soaked up the flavor of the broth. Sprinkled on top were scallions and seaweed, adding complex texture to an otherwise very soft dish.

Up until visiting Shalom Japan, I had never eaten a matzah ball before, so I am not going to pretend to be a qualified judge. However, it certainly brought the dish over the top, as it added yet another layer to an already complex dish.

As hungry as I was, my meal was certainly filling enough. Although $19 is a bit more than I would typically spend on a dinner, the experience certainly made up for the price. The customer service was impeccable; although the employees were not breathing down our necks, they were very responsive and timely with the food.

Next time I go, I will be sure to try something new. With items such as lox rice bowls, wagyu

pastrami and wagyu hot pot, I am excited to taste all that the restaurant has to offer.

Shalom Japan is a must-visit for anyone in search of a sophisticated fusion cuisine experience. With a calm environment,

satisfying food and excellent service, this is an excellent place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

Shalom Japan can be found at 310 S 4th St in Brooklyn, NY.

Julian Rocha / The Hofstra Chronicle

“I’m hoping for the fans who don’t have access to such high quality products to be able to enjoy that experience in Yankee Stadium.”

Michelle Rabinovich / The Hofstra Chronicle

M AN ON THE U NISPAN

What do you love to hate?

By Zoe Casselman and Jess Levy ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR AND SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

“I don’t love to hate anything, if I’m being real. I love to love things people hate. If people hate things for no reason, I love to love it.”

verheard @ h O fstra

“I don’t dislike you because of your identity; I just think you’re really fucking annoying.”

“I just ate hand sanitizer.”

“Everyone manipulates someone sometimes.”

“This is an ABCDE conversation, so fuck your way out of it.”

“Let me touch your nipples!”

“Peanut butter. I’m starting a fight; plain peanut butter has got to go.”

sophomore

“The only thing I use YouTube for is to look up movie sex scenes.”

“If you see me with a tail tomorrow, don’t act surprised.”

“Man’s having the grass fandangle his balls.”

“Stop thinking about my penis.”

“I love to hate drama. It just stirs up more drama, and I just don’t like it.”

“I want to do unspeakable things to that Bronx Burrito.”

Spread by Audra Nemirow

-

Adam Yusupov, senior

-

Amber Moriarty, sophomore

- Sara Bowles,

Zoe Casselman / The Hofstra Chronicle

Chron Cooks ft. Anna DeGoede: Kayira’s Favorite Waffles

By Anna DeGoede

MANAGING EDITOR

These fluffy, crisp golden waffles have been a DeGoede family classic for as long as I can remember – but no one in our family loves this recipe more than my dog, Kayira. Ever since we started feeding her the last waffle from the batch (usually when there wasn’t enough batter for a complete one), she’s started waiting patiently at the counter throughout the whole process for her prized treat.

For a deluxe experience, top the waffles with raspberries, Nutella, peanut butter or chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup sugar

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

–

Instructions:

1. Oil the waffle iron.

2. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl, separate the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form.

4. In a third bowl, stir together the egg yolks, milk, oil and vanilla.

5. Add the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.

6. Fold in egg whites until just combined.

7. Spoon a generous scoop of the batter into the waffle iron and cook for five minutes.

8. Don’t forget to feed the last waffle of the batch to your favorite pet!

Anna DeGoede / The Hofstra Chronicle

Postcards from the Chron

Staff members of The Hofstra Chronicle traveled across the continguous United States as well as overseas for spring break. Everyone returned well-rested and eager to produce more issues of our beloved student newspaper. Take a look at where some of them went!

Spread by Jacob Lewis

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle

Anna DeGoede / The Hofstra Chronicle

Ethan Albin / The Hofstra Chronicle Zoe Casselman / The Hofstra Chronicle

Nell Stultz / The Hofstra Chronicle

Megan Naftali / The Hofstra Chronicle

Annabel Hofmann / The Hofstra Chronicle

Arts And EntErtAinmEnt

‘Welcome to the Eras Tour. I’ll be your host this evening, my name is Taylor.’

By Mac Sykes ASSISTANT ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

While Glendale, Arizona, is known for its historic attractions, bustling party nightlife and artistic culture, after Friday, March 17, the area will forever be immortalized as Swift City – the birthplace of “The Eras Tour.” In a historic, sold-out two-night event, Taylor Swift returned to the stage for the first time in five years in her most mesmerizing performance that will no doubt be the endgame of all concerts of our lifetime.

Calling it excitement would understate the screams and cheers fueling the 70,000 fans in attendance who awaited Swift’s return. “The Eras Tour” was first announced shortly following the release of the singer-songwriter’s tenth album “Midnights” in October 2022.

The road to “The Eras Tour” was not the easiest for those hoping to attend. Many fans struggled to gain admittance to purchase tickets on Ticketmaster

only to face day-long queues and high prices for seats, which became a media fiasco that tainted the site’s reputation given their core team’s lackluster response to the situation.

Despite this, Swifties were determined to witness the queen of the music industry reclaim her throne, and their determination proved to be more than worth the while.

It is obvious to everyone, Swiftie or not, that the mastermind of Taylor Swift does not solely lie in the beauty of her powerful work but rather that she has proven time and time again that she has a powerful ability to keep audiences engaged and refuses to tread on too-familiar territory. Instead, Swift has crafted an absolute treat for fans that welcomes back audiences of the past and introduces the next generation to the brilliance of her work.

“The Eras Tour” is truly a love letter to all. Swift kicked the night off by paying tribute to the canceled “Loverfest” tour of 2020, with a heart tugging

performance of the hit single “Lover,” before moving on to play a good majority from the often forgotten but hauntingly relevant “folklore” and “evermore” albums, ultimately rounding out the night with 44 songs and many surprises, including an acoustic performance of her very first piece, “Tim McGraw,” which left many moved to tears.

The show lasted three hours, and the energy filling the stadium was immaculate. Fans, some having traveled all day to the stadium, refused to sit as they danced the entire night with what limited space they could, all united by love for Taylor Swift.

It is impossible to properly put into perspective the opening of “The Eras Tour,” as no words will ever be enough to encapsulate the perfection of the show and give the performance true justice. However, the words surreal, innovative, once in a lifetime and starstruck are just a few that come to mind in the time since leaving the stadium.

From the stunning onstage visuals that transported audi-

Quick Hits

ences to a setting unlike anything else, only further enhancing the magical experience, to Swift’s masterful direction, gorgeous, innovative costumes and incredible choreography, “The Eras Tour” opener would win in every category without a doubt if there were an awards show for concerts.

Following this past weekend, this opener will be held as the standard of what to expect from a concert and the type of experience that audiences should have.

The only downside now is that, as a result, this tour puts to shame any that will come in the future. Nothing will ever compare to the bejeweled magic of the first night.

The tour will continue across the United States until August 9, for a final show in Los Angeles. Until then, there is no doubt Swift will continue to amaze audiences to the core.

The future of video game adaptations

By Sophia Musialkiewicz SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

“The Last of Us” is the newest HBO Max series that has taken the world by storm. Based on the award-winning video games of the same name, the show has nine episodes and finally wrapped up Season 1 on Sunday, March 12.

The game and the show are set in a post-apocalyptic world where a type of fungi called Cordyceps evolves and take over humans, turning them into puppets used to spread the fungi. “The Last of Us” stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, a jaded man in his forties who lost his daughter in the beginning of the outbreak, and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, a 14-year-old girl who is immune to Cordyceps. Together they must travel across the country in hopes of getting Ellie to a hospital that can create a cure for the outbreak through her immunity. Joel and Ellie form a beautiful fatherdaughter relationship while

facing many hardships along the way.

“The Last of Us” has been praised since its release due to the incredible acting, directing and writing. Pascal and Ramsey have a wonderful dynamic that makes you fall in love with them as characters and as a found family. Throughout the nine episodes, the viewers get to see Joel slowly open his heart up to Ellie and heal the wound left by the death of his daughter Sarah.

The viewers also get to see Ellie navigate the world and learn how to finally trust and rely on someone other than herself. The show navigates many different themes, like how to cope with loss, the strength of the human

spirit and how important it is to appreciate the little things even during the hardest times.

Like most apocalyptic shows, “The Last of Us” explores the idea that in a destroyed world with societal standards thrown out the window, the greatest obstacle is other humans. However, it’s also our connection to other people and the love we feel for each other that keeps us going and makes us stronger.

“The Last of Us” expertly navigates the line between good and bad, showing the viewers that the world is not black and white but a blurred gray. This idea can be seen in the season finale, “Look for the Light.” When Joel finds out the doctors are going

to kill Ellie to attempt to make a cure, he kills everyone in the hospital to save her. He chooses Ellie over humanity, which is an extreme way to show the love a parent feels for their child. Even if they are not blood-related, it is made obvious through their actions how deeply the two care for one another.

In the end, Joel lies to Ellie about what happens at the hospital, claiming raiders came and he barely got her out. Ellie is skeptical but chooses to believe him in the end. Was it the right thing to do? In a world full of monsters and death and loss, is there ever a right thing to do? There was no guarantee the cure would have worked, and either Ellie could have died for nothing or her sacrifice could have changed the world. There is no way of knowing.

That is why “The Last of Us” is so brilliant. It leaves its viewers with questions that force them to come to their own conclusions.

Courtesy of Variety

Courtesy o f LA Times

Courtesy of NBC News

“You” has been renewed by Netflix for a fifth and final season.

Victoria Alonso, co-founder of Marvel Studios, stepped down amid production issues.

Quentin Tarantino’s final movie, “The Movie Critic,” was officially confirmed to begin production this fall.

Sam Neill opened up about his experience with blood cancer in a recent interview.

Courtesy of HBO

Courtesy of CBC

Ed Sheeran revealed his final album will be released after his death.

The video game “The Last of Us” was first released in 2013.

Photo courtesy of HBO

Timo Tjahjanto: A modern legend of action cinema

By Michael Gaborno SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

With highly anticipated sequels such as “John Wick: Chapter 4,” “Fast X” and “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” coming out this year, moviegoers will have no shortage of high-octane entertainment. However, action junkies might still be looking for their next adrenaline-pumping fix after returning from these films. Luckily, there is no shortage of action at home, with countless films from many respectable directors available to watch.

One director, Timo Tjahjanto, started out relatively recently but burst onto the scene. He is one of action’s most visceral voices and his filmography is one of the most uncompromising and thrilling of any filmmaker across any genre.

Hailing from Indonesia, Tjahjanto and Kimbo Stamboel directed the 2007 short “Dara” and the 2009 slasher “Macabre.” They directed two other films together, including the 2016 hit

“Headshot.” This last directorial collaboration between the two serves as a compelling precursor to the relentless chaos of Tjahjanto’s “The Night Comes for Us,” starring Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim.

As Tjahjanto’s vicious, nonstop and brutal magnum opus, the Netflix original is as breathlessly paced, creatively staged and jawdroppingly choreographed as an all-out martial arts extravaganza should be. Its stunts are designed and performed with incredible precision and veracity. It is absolutely drenched in blood and guts, and there is enough character development to make us really care about the protagonists.

Following this movie’s success,

Netflix wanted Tjahjanto to make a more family-friendly effort with “The Big 4.” It has a zany tone and slapstick comedy, but it didn’t dispense any of the hard-hitting

directed segments in the horror anthologies “The ABCs of Death” and “V/H/S/2.” His segment in the latter, “Safe Haven” – which was co-directed with Gareth Evans – is considered by fans as one of the best of the franchise due to its unsettling atmosphere, unpredictable story and thrilling escalation from spooky cult thriller to full-on demonic (and literally explosive) gorefest.

blood-soaked mix of cyberpunk and splatter film, it nicely shows off his knack for squirm-inducing kills and energetic action.

In over fifteen years, Tjahjanto has made a name for himself as one of today’s most talented filmmakers. His breathtaking action sequences are unmatched by most, and his commitment to letting the action take center stage without sacrificing good storytelling is admirable and unique.

By Kat Salmon ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Book-to-movie adaptations are not a new concept. There have been plenty that are noteworthy and some that are worth forgetting about.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, we saw the rise and fall of romantic comedy movies. Now, in the 2020s, we are seeing the rise of romance novel adaptations. Romance novels have been around for ages but do not usually garner stellar screen adaptations.

When someone mentions a romance novel being adapted to the big screen, most people may think of 2015’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” or 2019’s “After.” In 2023, people can now think of much better adaptations like Netflix’s “Bridgerton” or 2021’s “The Hating Game.”

Romance books have surged in popularity thanks to “BookTok.”

While some people still scoff at those who enjoy the genre, it has

violence and gore. Those already on Tjahjanto’s wavelength will likely enjoy watching its giddy blend of terrific fights and charming silliness.

Action isn’t the only genre Tjahjanto is experienced in. He

Tjahjanto’s first solo film, “May the Devil Take You,” was also horror. It received positive reviews and is currently his highest grossing film. It spawned a successful sequel in 2020. In 2021, he returned to the world of VHS with “The Subject” in “V/H/S/94.” A demented and

The rise in romance novel adaptations

become much more respected than it used to be. Major streaming companies like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have been jumping at the opportunity to bring these novels to the screen because of the genre’s rising popularity on the social media platform.

If major companies are producing and releasing romance movies, then the books must be worth reading, right?

Loyal readers will say yes, while those prone to making fun of the romance genre will be skeptical.

Popular author

Colleen Hoover, whose books lean more toward the women’s fiction genre, is even getting adaptations. Her controversial novel, “It Ends with Us” is set to be made into a movie starring Blake Lively and

Justin Baldoni, with Baldoni directing. No release date has been set, but fans of Hoover’s book are anxiously waiting for more news to be released.

Amazon Prime is releasing an

Upcoming projects include a third “May the Devil Take You,” the comic book adaptation of “The Blind of the Phantom Cave: Angel’s Eyes” and the American remake of “Train to Busan,” changed to “The Last Train to New York.” The lattermost does sound unnecessary, but with Tjahjanto at the helm, it has more of a chance to defy expectations than it ever would. No matter how it turns out, Tjahjanto will remain an exciting and bold filmmaker and one that will forever be a favorite for genre enthusiasts.

adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s 2019 book “Red, White & Royal Blue.” It’s set to release later this year. The movie is bound to be as successful as the book because of

the cast’s chemistry and the plot that centers around the son of the president of the United States fake dating the prince of England. What’s not to love?

Of course, it would not be Hollywood if there wasn’t any controversy – namely, with this year’s adaptation of Jamie McGuire’s novel, “Beautiful Disaster.” The film is set to star Dylan Sprouse and Virginia Gardner and will be released on April 12.

McGuire is the main reason the film is considered to be controversial. She holds extreme far-right viewpoints and has made some racist comments. Some readers are urging people to boycott the film.

Jay Crownover announced that her “Marked Men” series is set to become a film and possibly a series of movies if the first adaptation is successful. The film, “Marked Men” – based on

the first book “Rule” – is set to release in early 2024, with Chase Stokes starring as the titular character.

It’s 2023, so there’s no reason romance should not be taken seriously. Romance books are fun! While they are not always literary masterpieces, that should not diminish their impact on readers. If more books get adaptations, the television and film industry will have an even bigger audience to cater to.

Even though there seem to be some bumps along the way, romance is becoming much more respected in the industry. Let’s hope more romance books will get the green light for future adaptations. Books like “Addicted to You” and “Twisted Love” would translate well onto the silver screen or the big screen.

Tjahjanto won the Maya Award for Best Director in 2018.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” garnered two sequels following the initial film in 2015.

Photo courtesy of New York Post

Photo courtesy of Warnaplus

By Jason Fields SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

With this year’s awards season over, many are now looking back on the strides and fumbles of each ceremony. Unsurprisingly, the one getting the most scrutiny is the most popular and omnipresent – the Academy Awards. Though many may have their own negative personal opinions regarding who did and didn’t win, the general mood is one of optimism, bolstered by the seven-win sweep of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” including a Best Picture win.

One topic that has persisted, however, is the idea of progress: particularly with how much the awards have progressed in terms of how the awards nominees and winners have grown – slowly, but surely – more diverse. While the intentions are in good faith, and necessary to the future of these organizations, the ways in which the Academy and awards shows in general have gone about doing this aren’t only problematic on a macro scale, but they also expose the failings of the film industry in terms of making actual, substantial progress.

The push for greater diversity in awards came as a result of outrage from the absolute lack of non-white acting nominees at the 88th Academy Awards. This outrage, dubbed under the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, would dominate the conversation to a point where much of that year’s Oscars ceremony centered around the debate. It was clear that there was work to be done, and the Academy responded swiftly. Initially, the goal was to expand the type of people nominating and voting, adding in more young, diverse people by 2020. This has expanded to a mandate, set to start with the next Oscars ceremony, that requires a film to feature a diverse cast or crew and narratives that will focus on marginalized communities.

On the surface, these changes don’t seem all that odd. While the average median age of an Oscar voter still skews older at 50, the increases of female voters from 25% in 2015 to 32% in 2020 and

Are awards shows still white?

people of color from 8% to 16%, shows a genuine – though slow – growth in who is making the decision of what gets nominated and ultimately wins. The diversity initiative, labeled the Representation and Diversity Standards for Oscar Eligibility (RAISE, for short), sounds even better.

As the industry and general public’s standard bearer of what represents the best of cinema, the Oscars are in a unique position to force the industry’s will. Want an Oscar? You have to play by their rules, no matter what you may think of them. Despite their noble intentions, however, there are flaws, both minor and major, that make these changes less radical than they may appear to be at first glance.

The most obvious limitation to these changes, especially with the diversity requirements, is how broad they are when analyzed further. While it sounds as though the guidelines are sweeping, the actual print states that only 30% of the cast or crew would need to be a part of a marginalized community. This means that most, if not all, films meet this requirement in some way.

Take, for example, Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.”

“The Irishman” seems like the kind of film the Academy would graciously move away from: a film directed by an aging white man about the evils committed by other aging white men. But one look at the crew list and it passes the requirement of having a diverse crew with flying colors; out of the 15 main crew members (directors, producers, writers, etc.), seven of them are women, including producers Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Kossoff and famed film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, and while

all those women are white, the film’s cinematographer, Rodrigo Prieto, is Mexican, adding a hint of racial diversity to the abovethe-line crew. Add in whoever is working below-the-line and those who work for distributor Netflix – provided those organizations are also working on diversifying their workforces – and the film has easily met two of the required qualifications that need to be met for a nomination.

This leads into the other main issue, which involves how this process ultimately trivializes the nominees themselves. Film industry veterans like Schoonmaker and Prieto are icons in their field – and are guaranteed nominations anytime they work on a project –but rather than highlighting this, the diversity requirements down-

already freaked out over genuine (and not-so-genuine) attempts at diversity on and off-screen, it’s a authentic concern. This speaks to the main issue overall: who is making what films. While the film industry has made strides to fix its diversity issues, the types of people working in the industry –and especially those who greenlight films – are still predominantly older white men. With that in mind, there is only so much the industry can do for diversification before awards ceremonies can fully represent the modern world; expecting awards ceremonies to change the film world is equivalent to putting the cart before the horse.

All of this is not to make diversity initiatives as a whole sound like a bad thing – far from it, as they are one of the few ways to help a stagnant industry truly evolve with the times.

tion can do more harm than good. Its broadness and unintended tokenizing effect shines light on the real reason these initiatives are started in the first place: money and social standing. By appealing to the broadest audience possible with more diverse nominations, the Oscars gain more viewers and make more money as a result. It’s a businessman’s way of rewarding artistic achievement, making it less about nominating the greatest artistic achievement and more about pretending to care about the plight of marginalized people without actually putting in the work to do so.

play their achievements and only highlight their marginalization in a broader context. This only marginalizes non-white and/or non-male nominees further, given that this highlights their relation to what has been the industry standard beforehand. If this is the effect these initiatives can have on industry veterans, the effect it could have on younger, first-time nominees – especially those from marginalized backgrounds – can cause these requirements to do the opposite of what they were designed to do.

Rather than create a more equitable field, it can make certain nominees feel like tokens instead of legitimate talent. Of course, this is all hypothetical, but given the ways certain people

Again, the idea – if film studios want to win an Oscars, they must play by their rules –is great. And there are far worse ways to implement systemic change currently ongoing.

Take, for example, the British Academy of Film and Television Awards’ solution to the same issue, which is having an outside committee alter the nominees after the fact to ensure at least one person of color in the acting and directing fields. This spits in the face of how the whole process of nomination is supposed to work and ultimately trivializes the nominee of color added in after the fact, while giving fuel to bad-faith actors who may use it to demonize the whole notion of diversification in general.

But just because there are far more patronizing versions of the same issues out there doesn’t nullify the fact that the Oscars’ solu-

It makes one wonder if the ultimate wins that feel like a step in the right direction – films like “12 Years A Slave,” “Moonlight,” “Parasite” and the aforementioned “Everything Everywhere All At Once” – won because they were genuinely believed to be the best film of their respective years or if they helped the Academy push a good narrative for themselves. Instead of making these films, and their creators, real players in the industry, they elect to make them show ponies instead.

With all that in mind, what are the solutions? The only real solution is the one Hollywood would never truly consider: let all artists – no matter who they are – make the work they want to make. It sounds painfully obvious, but the impetus of that means Hollywood having to confront the many systemic issues that lead to the need for the Oscars’ RAISE initiative in the first place. It means challenging audiences, potentially alienating viewers, making art that doesn’t always parrot the status quo and taking risks in art. It requires giving people who exist outside of what has been the predominant modes of filmic expression the ability not just to get a seat at the table but also to grow and expand it.

Here’s to hoping that this year’s awards season dominance shows the Academy – and the film industry at large – the way forward.

The 2023 Oscars featured the first Asian winner for best actress, with Michelle Yeoh winning for “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”

Photo courtesy of New York Theatre Guide

Compensating teachers for their performance

CONTINUED ON A1

The median teacher’s salary in the United States was $61,820 in 2021. This is not a horrible salary, but it is far below what teachers should be paid. The John Locke Foundation found that many K-12 educators report having to purchase classroom supplies with their own money and needing to take part-time jobs to support themselves. That’s not even factoring in the teachers who have families to take care of or student debt to pay off (which is a whole other problem in itself).

Teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District staged a three-day strike on Tuesday, March 21, to protest their low wages. Teachers in this district

claim that they cannot afford basic costs of living, especially with inflation. How are they expected to provide sufficient classroom materials if they can’t even provide themselves with basic living necessities?

The vast majority of teachers are extremely kindhearted individuals who want children to thrive, so they accept the low pay just for the sake of doing what they are passionate about. I personally went into the idea of teaching knowing that it is not the most lucrative profession, but I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. People always told me to just become a professor in order to get paid more, but if every aspiring educator resorts to that, there will be no one left to teach the children.

YouTubers

By Zoe Casselman

Since the first YouTube video “Me at the zoo” was uploaded in 2005, YouTube has grown substantially as an entertainment platform. During the early days of YouTube, an audience of millions was unheard of and seemingly impossible. Since then, the video-sharing platform has become a multibillion-dollar empire of content and content creators, with old notable names and newfound fame for newer creators. This rapid development, of course, did not come without problematic new YouTube stars.

By granting any individual this power, there comes an obvious possibility that it could be misused, especially for YouTubers whose primary audience are children and teenagers. There is an epidemic of YouTubers using their large platforms to publish inappropriate yet eye-catching content that preys on young audiences.

Individuals like Onision and Shane Dawson are excellent

A simple solution would be to increase teacher salaries.

Congressional staff members make a maximum salary of $173,000 a year and don’t have nearly as many responsibilities as teachers do. But if building the future isn’t a good enough reason to increase educators’ salaries even near the amount that members of Congress are paid, the risk that teachers put themselves at every day should be. The danger of verbal and physical harm from students and their parents has always been known, but following the pandemic, there are reports of heightened threats. Research from the American Psychological Association (APA) showed, “Approximately one-third of teachers report that they expe-

rienced at least one incident of verbal harassment or threat of violence from students during the pandemic,” and this trend is only continuing. Despite the threat that some students can pose to staff, teachers continuously show up.

In 2022, there were 51 incidents involving gun violence in American schools, according to EducationWeek, with a total of 40 casualties. Occurrences continue to happen, and children’s and teachers’ safety is put at risk, yet teachers are not given any additional compensation. The responsibility placed on the shoulders of educators is to keep entire classrooms of children safe while simultaneously preparing them for their futures.

The APA’s research also found that nearly 50% of teachers “plan or desire to quit or transfer jobs.” This isn’t because of a lack of passion for their profession, but because they aren’t being compensated enough compared to what they risk each day. One can only do so much without being valued for their hard work. If the salary was higher, myself and others would be more eager to become teachers.

Makenzie Hurt is a sophomore English major with a concentration in literature and a journalism minor. She is also the assistant opinion editor. You can find her on Instagram @makenziehurt.

to consider their influence on the public

examples of early YouTubers who rose to fame by amassing an audience of predominantly younger teens.

For instance, Onision, actually James Jackson, had a popular series in which he would rate fans and their bodies, encouraging his fans, which were primarily underage girls, to send in photos of themselves to his website forum for him to rate and judge – videos that are still available for viewing with a simple Google search. He also was noted to create numerous relationships online with his underage fans. In January 2021, Discovery+ released a documentary in which Chris Hansen from “To Catch a Predator” presented the claims of three women who stated that Jackson had groomed or abused them and then used his platform and audience to harass them.

Shane Dawson had his significant cancellation in 2020, facing similar claims of past racism, sexism and predatory content despite making the

actual videos themselves up to a decade prior. One influential part of his downfall in popularity was a clip of him pretending to masturbate in front of 11-year-old Willow Smith, for which Jaden Smith publicly shamed him, as Insider described. Dawson also often posted videos of himself in blackface, saying the n-word or acting out extremely racist stereotypes. Even despite these clips and further harmful content, Dawson garnered tens of millions of subscribers and billions of total views.

For an audience of largely pre-teens, this content being normalized was, and is, extremely damaging, especially when one considers that he had such a large platform for so long and still does, maintaining over 19 million subscribers.

While those examples are from YouTubers who claimed their fame in the 2000s to the 2010s, an era with less regulation from both viewers and the platform itself, the current popular trend of advertising

to specifically children while making content that is clearly not child-friendly is plaguing the platform.

Brent Rivera is a current prime example of this behavior, creating videos with catchy clickbait titles and colorful thumbnails, many of which involve half-naked women and sexually suggestive wording and imagery.

Rivera started as a Vine star and moved to YouTube after Vine shut down. As a result of his popularity on Vine, he quickly gained a large audience on YouTube, where he now has over 25 million subscribers, many of whom are children or young teens. But considering that some of Rivera’s popular, multimillion-view videos are “Touch my body challenge (gone wrong),” “Don’t sit on the wrong item” and “They thought they were home alone (caught),” all of which are paired with an equally suggestive thumbnail, his content is hugely problematic for his young, impressionable audi-

ence.

While these are only a few of many noteworthy examples, many famous content creators on YouTube whose main audience consists predominantly of children and teens have probably the greatest potential for harm on the entire app. Whether having just recently risen to YouTube stardom or holding a decade of experience, it doesn’t matter.

It is important to mention the significant yet unique harm these specific pop-culture figures can do. With a further emphasis of YouTubers catering to child audiences after seeing the immense views and success it can bring, more and more creators are following this inappropriate and predatory model to rope in young fans. It’s an infestation on the platform and just plain weird.

Zoe Casselman is a sophomore English literature major and journalism minor. She is also the assistant features editor and can be found @zoekca.

need

The views and opinions expressed in the Opinion section are those of the authors. They are not an endorsement of the views of The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors.

Across

Down

Graphic by Makenzie Hurt / The Hofstra Chronicle

1. March's flower

4. Country that created French fries

5. Dodge's newest model; and the name of an insect

8. Animated series about vulgar fourth graders

10. Hofstra's 2022 Fall Fest guest

12. Type of coffee found in lattes

1. Bird symbolic of peace

2. Little ___; dessert snack

3. Mary Shelley's most popular novel

6. Baby Yoda's real name

7. Scottish beef pudding

9. MLB player Pete Alonso's nickname

11. Fifth sign of the zodiac

By Savith Collure

Let’s be honest: Over the past 10 years, the phrase “Greek life” has been associated with a bad taste in our mouths. Gut reactions tend to draw our image of “Greek life” toward hazing and exclusivity. It’s not without merit: in the past seven years, there have been eight Greek life organizations removed from Hofstra’s campus. Hofstra reports that five of the eight were for disciplinary action. None of these organizations were preprofessional fraternities.

Fraternities and sororities trace back a few centuries; they were initially a place for students to discuss events and material outside of the curriculum. Preprofessional fraternities were designed with the same mindset with the added concept of a professional focus. Organizations on our own campus like Zeta Phi Eta (a fraternity in the communication arts and

It’s

By Anna DeGeode

As a campus community, it’s time we stopped glorifying the chronically involved lifestyle and reveal it for what it is – a breeding ground for a harmful work-life balance later down the line.

At Hofstra, it’s common to find people who are involved with two, three and even four or more clubs. Meeting someone who only participates in one club feels like even more of a rarity – which seems like a great sign that a school has strong extracurriculars and a robust student body, right?

Wrong. Though Hofstra will probably try to brag about just how involved everyone is, Hofstra students’ near-obsessive relationship with adding clubs to their already packed schedules is one of the most toxic elements of life on campus.

For starters, it’s time to stop

sciences) and Alpha Kappa Psi (a fraternity of business) were nationally founded in the late 1800s and early 1900s, spanning over a century of knowledge and values. Members were inducted into these organizations in a similar manner to honor societies, giving membership to individuals based on merit.

These organizations have constantly updated their membership policies in order to become more inclusive, irrespective of attributes like race and gender. Alumni of these organizations have reached the top of their respective fields. That’s what brings value to the organizations as a concept: a shared influx of knowledge from the best and brightest.

It’s also important to realize that not everyone starts with the same network or privilege. Plenty of students work jobs during school or are first-generation students with no background in the field they’re entering.

As college students, there’s no shame in initially being ignorant about how professional careers work; it’s why we have organizations to help us. Most preprofessional fraternities have a new member orientation process to teach students how to highlight skills and personality. Preprofessional fraternities help fill that gap through education processes and alumni networks.

The concept of the new member education process for Greek organizations is often frowned on as assimilative behavior or hazing, which I wholeheartedly disagree with when it comes to professional fraternities. How could we expect students with no prior experience to conduct themselves properly in certain professional settings? Sure, we have career fairs and seminars on campus where we can learn textbook definitions of interaction, but informing someone doesn’t engrain concepts into memory, experiences do.

Furthermore, many professional relationships also stem from passive interactions. Mentorship from current students to new students helps bridge this gap. “Big and little” pairings aren’t just cute captions for Instagram posts; they allow seasoned members of an organization to guide new members in the learning process. Positions within an organization aren’t titles used to impose hierarchy; they’re a commitment to the organization and the members they serve.

Preprofessional fraternities were designed with an inherent purpose: to help students grow into the best professional versions of themselves. Participation in these organizations isn’t just a resume builder – it’s a method for growth.

“Greek life is bad” is such a common blanket statement for students. Yes, it’s important to have a sense of responsibility for the culture the organizations

are creating. This means holding those organizations accountable for their actions: good and bad.

Preprofessional fraternities are good for our campus community as organized professional environments outside of class. There’s value in its selectivity based on merit, while also making sure the selectivity isn’t exclusionary of the individual’s identity. There’s value in the service of these fraternities to the campus through their community work. Most importantly, preprofessional organizations enhance our understanding of our careers and ourselves. Some things can’t be taught in a classroom.

to re-evaluate your campus involvement

putting so much stock in the sheer number of things people participate in. Someone might choose one or two clubs to focus on, instead of dividing their time between five different time commitments.

Beyond that, suggesting to people that “you need to get involved in more things” discounts the dedication and passion it takes to stay involved in one or two clubs, and also assumes that everyone can function with more than a few things on their plate at the same time.

This isn’t to shame the people who are involved in a lot of clubs; some people function the best with full schedules and multiple things to dedicate themselves to at the same time. There’s an undeniable benefit to meeting diverse groups of people and stretching yourself into a variety of interests.

However, the multi-club lifestyle isn’t the easy solution to professional and personal development that some people seem to think it is. Does it teach you to manage your time? Ideally, yes. Will it help you grow your skills in the areas you’re interested in? Also yes, hopefully.

While those things are beneficial, the non-stop Hofstra grind also neglects to consider what you can learn from learning to say “no” to adding things onto your plate. Instead of solely looking at our extracurriculars for their benefits, think about how a role might detract from your student experience. Additionally, it’s important to also recognize that sometimes, agreeing to join another club or gain another responsibility in an organization isn’t always a decision that you make in your own best interest.

Whether you mean it to or not, sometimes you’re influenced by the people or situations around you.

To counter this problem, ask yourself: are you passionate about what you’re being asked to do, or are you passionate about the person that’s asking you to do it? What will you have to give up in order to make time for this new responsibility?

If you’re just saying yes because you feel obligated to, then consider re-evaluating your choice. What could you do to make this role something you care about? Or, if you’re invested in the position but don’t have the bandwidth to add it to your plate, is there another responsibility you can delegate or give up?

You do not have to feel like a person who needs to do everything and join everything just

because it’ll look good on a resume or because you feel like other people are doing more. If anything, a club will mean more to you when you have the time to slow down and take the time to appreciate it.

If you want to add more responsibility, that’s great! If you want to take a breather, that’s also great. Just make sure that whatever you do, you’re doing it because it matters to you. Don’t be afraid to take a step back and re-evaluate now and then.

time

Professional fraternaties aren’t going anywhere

The views and opinions expressed in the Opinion section are those of the authors. They are not an endorsement of the views of The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors.

Anna DeGoede is a junior journalism major and the managing editor of the Chronicle. You can follow her on Twitter @AnnaDeGoede.

Savith Collure is an economics and public policy major. You can find him @savithcollure on Instagram.

Hofstra sees season end in NIT loss to Cincinnati

By Andrew Fantuccio SPORTS EDITOR

too much on 3-point shooting , Hofstra showed they could win basketball games in any fashion they needed to.

“We fought through a lot of adversity, and I’m proud of my guys,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “The only bad part is that we don’t get to be around them anymore. They were a joy to be around and made coming to work fun.”

home an outlet pass from Aaron Estrada. Then, late in the half, Hofstra’s old crutch became their lifeline as pair of backto-back 3-pointers from Tyler Thomas and Darlinstone Dubar tied the game at 31.

The University of Cincinnati

Bearcats rolled into Hempstead, New York, on Saturday, March 18, and defeated the Hofstra men’s basketball team 79-65. Those who have followed the Pride all season long know that the loss means the end for one of the most special teams Hofstra has assembled in a very long time.

Through growing pains, grueling road trips and injuries early in the season, the true caliber of this Hofstra team began to show following the New Year. After questions arose about whether or not they were a one-dimensional team that relied

By Michelle Rabinovich SPORTS EDITOR

One of the Pride’s calling cards all season was their dominance when playing at the David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex, with an 11-1 record at home. Getting the unlikely chance to play at the Mack this late in the season, Hofstra used the energy in the building to fight through a ninepoint deficit midway through the first half.

As Cincinnati led by eight, Hofstra began to chip away at the Bearcats’ lead. After forcing Cincinnati to turn the ball over on three straight possessions, momentum was fully in the Pride’s sails when Bryce Washington made it a fourpoint game by breaking loose on a fast break and slamming

Hofstra’s 3-point shooting kept the game close early on. Shooting 6-11 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes, their deficit at halftime was a respectable 40-37. However, the Pride had no answer for Cincinnati’s size on the interior. Once the Bearcats seized their only offensive outlet, Hofstra shot just 1-10 from the 3-point line down the stretch.

Without a solution to Cincinnati’s defense, Hofstra leaned on high-volume shooting, hoping that something would fall. Estrada led the Pride with 18 points in the game but did so by shooting an inefficient 7-24 from the field.

“Ultimately, I think the size and strength just wore on us,” Claxton said. “I don’t think it’s anything they did specifically. [Estrada] is not used to playing against that kind of size and length on a nightly basis.”

After another year gone by, Hofstra bids farewell to centers Nelson Boachie-Yiadom and Warren Williams after both played out their final seasons of eligibility with the Pride. With the duo in Hofstra’s frontcourt departing, the question remains whether or not the one in their backcourt will return for a final season, as both Estrada and Thomas have one more year of eligibility remaining.

While neither player, Claxton nor anyone else privy to that information has shed light on the topic, Thomas spoke about what has made his partnership with Estrada so meaningful.

“[Estrada] is an amazing

teammate and a better person,” Thomas said. “We shared the floor together. I think we both had no egos, and that’s why we worked out so well.”

Ultimately, that’s what made this year’s Hofstra team so special. In a sport that encourages egos, Hofstra played as a team and rejected the status quo. Even though future Hofstra squads won’t have the same players, the team-first culture established this year will be the standard going forward.

“It’s all about improvement,” Claxton said. “As long as we take steps and move in the right direction, we’re happy.”

Tigers hand Pride third straight defeat

got to figure out ways to execute and finish on offense.”

Towson was the first to score with midfielder Milana Zizakovic’s goal just over four minutes into the first quarter. Zizakovic doubled the lead with four minutes to go in the frame with a free position goal. With 90 seconds left, Lindsay Clarke made it a 3-0 game when she cut across the fan to send a curveball past Hofstra goalie Luchianna Cardello.

The Pride doubled down on the scoring with a Taylor Mennella goal with 4:32 left to go in the second half.

With just over two minutes remaining, the Hofstra scoring momentum was halted due to Zizakovic’s finished hat trick that made the score 6-3.

crease to snake a goal past the Tigers goalie.

Towson’s Ocea Leavy put up a goal to get back to that threepoint cushion, but Hofstra’s Grace Pupke notched her first goal of the season at 11:17 to make it a 9-7 game.

and collected; nothing really rattles her,” Smith said. “I’m really proud of her, and she’s been playing exceptionally well.”

The Hofstra women’s lacrosse team dropped their third consecutive match 10-7 to the Towson University Tigers on a rainy Saturday afternoon on Saturday, March 25. The team’s overall record dropped to 3-7 and 0-2 in conference play.

“Really hard fought game,” said Hofstra head coach Shannon Smith. “I thought our players worked hard, fought hard, showed a lot of resiliency there in the second half. We just

Hofstra took the reins in the second quarter with Megan Flannery’s goal 55 seconds into the period. Less than two minutes later, Blair Pearre found the back of the net to regain the three-point lead for the Tigers. Towson’s second free position opportunity of the day translated into another goal courtesy of Shannon Sullivan.

Hofstra tightened the scoring gap back to three points when Rachel Graff netted a goal, marking the scoreboard 5-2.

Hofstra came out of the halftime break with Lauren Coletti’s goal at the 46 second mark. With a two-player up advantage, Mennella bounced a goal past Jo Torres, making it a one-goal game for the first time since Towson’s first goal in the first period.

The Tigers pumped the brakes with four minutes left in the period with Gabby Garrett’s goal, making the score 7-5.

The fourth quarter was a stalemate for the first seven minutes until Garrett netted a goal from Cardello’s right side, going back to that three-point lead. Hofstra’s Kerry Walser sped through the left lane of the

With four seconds left, Towson cracked double digits with Lindsey Marshall’s goal.

Both goalies finished with eight saves throughout the contest, and Smith was thoroughly impressed with Cardello’s performance in-cage.

“She’s just super cool, calm

Hofstra’s next appearance on the field will be at home in Shuart Stadium on Tuesday, March 28, against the University of Connecticut Huskies. Draw control is set for 3 p.m.

“It’s another opportunity to for us to get better,” Smith said. “Getting better offensively, moving the ball better, finishing our shots and gaining more confidence.”

The Pride is 1-5 at home this season.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Hofstra hasn’t been in the second round of the NIT since 2006.

Photo courtesy of Evan Bernstein / Hofstra Athletics

Hofstra drops fourth in a row to Delaware

By Michelle Rabinovich SPORTS EDITOR

game at a time, but we got to be successful in every game going forward.”

Matt Elder opened the match with a fiery attitude despite the wet and windy weather conditions; he was the first to find the back of the net 63 seconds in and again seven minutes later.

Thirty seconds later, Delaware retaliated with a Clay Miller goal, but that was all the damage the Blue Hens could do in the opening frame.

quarter, and 10 seconds later, Owen Grant doubled down with a goal of his own. Acchione wasn’t done flexing on the crease, scoring with 71 seconds remaining in the first half.

The Hofstra Pride men’s lacrosse team was handed a thorough 15-7 loss on Saturday, March 25, against the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens. With the loss, the team’s record drops to 2-7 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

“Reality is that Delaware is better than us today,” said Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney. “We got to take it one

By Nick Mongiovi STAFF WRITER

Then, two and a half minutes into the second quarter, Cam Acchione scored to tie the game at two. The Blue Hens took the lead at the 3:46 mark with a goal by Brendan Powers.

Elder completed a hat trick less than four minutes later, evening out the score at three per squad.

Delaware regained the lead when Mike Robinson scored with 2:52 left in the second

Grant, and the rest of the Blue Hens, came out of the locker room fired up, as he netted a goal 47 seconds into the half. A rebound off the Hofstra goalpost gave Joe Speers the perfect opportunity to score, giving him his first goal of the season just two minutes into the quarter.

Tye Kurtz netted another goal for Delaware, but that celebration was short lived when Hofstra’s Colton Rudd narrowed the scoring gap to 9-4.

Delaware cracked double digits thanks to another Kurtz goal with just over four minutes to go.

After that, JP Ward, Trevor Natalie, Miller, Powers, Mike Robinson and Elder traded goals back and forth, totaling to eight among the two teams. Delaware outscored the Pride 5-3 in the final frame to end the game ahead 15-7.

Hofstra’s next appearance will be on the road against the Monmouth University Hawks on Saturday, April 1. Draw control is set for 11 a.m.

Follow

Pride take down Aggies to avoid series sweep

Steve Harrington all had twohit games. Bruggeman was the only player in this contest with multiple RBIs, having earned three.

The Hofstra University baseball team avoided a series sweep with a 5-3 win over the North Carolina A&T State University Aggies (NC A&T), bringing their overall record to 8-15 and 3-6 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play.

In the win, Kevin Bruggeman, Will Kennedy and

Brian Morrell got the scoring going in the second inning by reaching on a fielding error by Aggies shortstop Sabin Roane. Bruggeman knocked in his first of three runs with a scorching double that split the left and center fielders of NC A&T, scoring Morrell. Harrington singled to right field on a 1-0 count, scoring Bruggeman from second and giving Hofstra a 2-0 lead.

With one out in the top of the third inning, freshman sensation Dylan Palmer singled to center field on a 1-1 count.

With two outs in the inning after a strikeout from Santino Rosso, Palmer went from first to third on a single from Kennedy to center.

of the afternoon down the left field line, scoring Palmer and Kennedy, while Morrell advanced to third. The Pride led 4-0 after three innings of baseball.

The bats stayed hot for Hofstra as the team tacked another run on the board in the fifth inning. Palmer started the successful inning with a five-pitch walk. A single from Rosso to center field advanced Palmer to third, setting up runners on corners with nobody out for Kennedy. Kennedy was in attack mode and swung at the first pitch he saw, resulting in a fly out to right field that lacked the depth to score Palmer from third. With one out, Morrell hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Palmer from third, giving the Pride a commanding 5-0 lead.

plate. The sophomore catcher for A&T knocked in Jackson from third with a sacrifice fly to center field, cutting the five-run deficit to three and trailing 5-2 after seven innings of baseball.

center fielder T.J. Ash for trying to steal second base in the third inning.

Michael O’Hanlon recorded his fourth save of the season after his six-out save on Sunday. He surrendered one run, two hits and one hit batter in two innings of work while striking out two.

The Pride return to Long Island for a rivalry matchup against the Stony Brook University Seawolves on Friday, March 31. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. Follow

Kennedy advanced to second after Morrell worked a five-pitch walk to load the bases. Bruggeman added two more RBIs to his total with his second double

The Aggies got themselves on the board in the seventh inning thanks to Cort Maynard, who led the inning off with a single through the left side of the infield. Following the base hit, Camden Jackson landed a triple down the right field line to put Maynard across home

Brad Camarda surrendered only two runs and four hits in seven innings along with four strikeouts. His record improves to 1-1 and his ERA lowered to 9.83. Camarda also reached the century mark for the second time this season, eclipsing 100 pitches in each of his last two starts.

Not only did Bruggeman go 2-4 from the dish with three RBIs, but he also managed to throw out the Aggies’ speedy

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

The Pride has been outscored 58 to 34 over their last four games.

Photo courtesy of Rob Cuni

Hofstra is now 1-2 all-time against the Aggies.

By Aaron Diaz STAFF WRITER

Shut out over Monmouth gives Pride season win

mound. I thought collectively we did a much better job in game three.”

Haley Venturini spearheaded the pitching effort against Monmouth’s Billie Kerwood.

“I saw that she was a bit more effective today in some ways,” Clark said. “I think she threw some more competitive pitches, and she can keep hitters off balance with her off-speed. That was nice to see her come out and continue to be effective.”

“She is a fantastic athlete and a phenomenal hitter. When she gets outside herself, it makes hitting a little bit harder for her, but she still gets the job done. And today she stayed within herself and hit that pitch and crushed it, which was nice.”

game on a ground out to second to add the win for the Pride and a save to her record.

for Monmouth.

The Hofstra University softball team put on a masterful pitching performance to seal a 3-0 win in the series over the Monmouth University Hawks at home in Hempstead, New York, on Sunday, March 26.

“It was a win; that’s always nice,” said Hofstra head coach Adrienne Clark. “I thought the team did a fantastic job coming back and working to make adjustments both offensively and defensively, plus on the

In the first inning, Venturini made quick work of the first four in the Monmouth lineup, only letting up a double to Eve Serrato but preventing the team from cashing out beyond that.

In the bottom half, however, the Pride struck first with a leadoff single to center field for Kasey Collins, setting up a towering home run blast by Meghan Giordano to center field for a 2-0 lead.

“I loved that she was on time for the ball,” Clark said.

In the bottom half of the sixth inning, the action picked up again for Hofstra when Becca Vaillancourt drew a walk, setting up a single by Madison McKevitt that moved the runners over to second and first.

A single from Alanna Morse went past the diving Bri Lawson and put another run aboard for the Pride, making the score 3-0.

In the last inning of play, the Hawks threatened the lead with a leadoff single by Francesca Torraca. Serrato ripped another single to left field, putting runners on first and second with one out. At this point, Annabella Pisapia, who came in relief for Venturini, shut down the next two batters and ended the

Venturini was credited with the win with 4.0 innings pitched and five strikeouts on the day, advancing the Pride’s conference record to 5-1 and 11-16 overall. For the Hawks, Kerwood attached the loss to her name with 5.2 innings pitched

With a series win in hand, the Hofstra softball team will go up against the Army West Point Black Knights in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday, March 29, with the first pitch set for 4 p.m. at home in Bill Edwards Stadium.

Photo courtesy of Rob Cuni Hofstra leads the conference with a 5-1 record.

Graphic courtesy of Dylan Brett

By Aaron Diaz STAFF WRITER

With the 2023 season underway for the Hofstra University baseball team, many fans awaited what this team will bring to the table after last year’s historic season. Nobody predicted that Hofstra would have such a dramatic turnaround in 2022. According to preseason rankings, they were in the middle of the pack in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). However, they finished with a 30-23 overall record and won the CAA Championship for the first time in program history.

Among many contributors, there was one player the team relied on in almost every big situation: Michael O’Hanlon. Coming out of the bullpen as the closing pitcher for the Pride with a 4.74 ERA in 2022, O’Hanlon reflected on how he remembers that 2022 season.

“It was magical,” O’Hanlon said. “We ranked ninth in the conference, and we had a little bit of an edge to us, and we didn’t let anybody stop us. We just did what we had to do, and it ended up being an awesome season.”

However, during that time, O’Hanlon was used out of the bullpen incredibly often, with 43.2 innings pitched. Pitching coach Chris Rojas explained the reasoning for that choice throughout the season.

“He’s a kid who, last year, we leaned on a lot and was tremendous for us early and middle part of the season,” Rojas said. “He’s not scared of the moment, and he thrives in those scenarios, so he should be one of the back-end guys.”

O’Hanlon saw it as an opportunity to showcase himself and give the team his all when they needed him in those tough situations.

“At that point, I was doing anything to win,” O’Hanlon said. “If they needed me, I would go out there and give it

Michael O’Hanlon: Reliable in relief

my all. I didn’t care if my arm fell off, and we didn’t have as much depth as we have this year, so I was ready when they called me. I was just happy to pitch, and I’m glad I pitched as much as I did.”

From Glendale, New York, O’Hanlon was part of the graduating class of 2020 from Xaverian High School in Brooklyn. He proclaimed himself a reliever of the year in 2019 with a sixth ERA ranking and the leader in saves. From there, he committed to his freshman year at Hofstra, getting his first appearance against the Northeastern University Huskies on April 9,

With the ultimate demise of the Pride in the NCAA tournament against the University of Georgia Bulldogs on June 4, 2022, by a score of 24-1. O’Hanlon entered the 2023 campaign having been named on the 2023 Preseason All-CAA Baseball Team, with the team also being looked at highly with a predicted thirdplace finish in the conference. Above all else, this solidified him as one of the leaders for Hofstra.

However, with his overuse in the previous season, O’Hanlon has gotten a slow start, which most would not have anticipated.

most recent outings, O’Hanlon has closed out a 4-3 win over the College of William & Mary Tribe on Sunday, March 19, and a 4-2 win against the

Dayne Leonard. With the pitch, O’Hanlon struck out Leonard and showed all his emotion on the mound, yelling into the air and untucking his jersey in relief. With that win over a ranked opponent, O’Hanlon demonstrated his passion for the game and why he is put into these situations to close out games and add saves to his name.

Being one of the forefront leaders for Hofstra, O’Hanlon reiterated how he and other players keep everyone on the same page during a long and treacherous season.

2021, with 3.0 innings pitched allowing two hits and one walk while securing two strikeouts. He then made seven more appearances out of the bullpen, establishing a 3.18 ERA in his first season of play with potential going into the next season.

The 2022 season propelled O’Hanlon into being one of the most reliable pitchers in the bullpen for the Pride. That reliability showcased the emotion O’Hanlon delivers whenever he is put into closeout games.

“I feel it’s been in me my whole life,” O’Hanlon explained. “My mom, she has a very strong personality, so I get that from her. And I just have a belief in what I can do, and they brought me here for a reason to close down games. That’s been my mindset ever since I stepped on campus, so I try to be the best version of myself and give the team everything I got.”

“He’s gotten better since last season in terms of understanding how to control his emotions,” Rojas said. “He runs high on emotion, and sometimes that can be a detriment to him. So he’s taken a step toward maturity. But we also wanted to be careful with his workload and stay away from any arm issues. He’s had a slow start to the year where he had a tough first outing, but after that, he’s done well.”

With only seven appearances to his name so far this season, O’Hanlon has tried to give his team a fighting chance despite a sluggish start to the year. The Pride stands in ninth place in the conference with an 8-15 overall record. Despite a hitand-miss season, O’Hanlon is one of the most stable parts of the team.

Supporting a 2.89 ERA in those seven appearances, O’Hanlon has established his stance as one of the pitchers to go to in tough moments. In his

No. 24-ranked West Virginia University Mountaineers on Tuesday, March 21.

With the Pride leading in the bottom of the ninth inning, they looked to O’Hanlon to close out the game and get the save. With a quick strikeout to catcher Logan Suave, O’Hanlon fell behind to walk outfielder Landon Wallace to leave a man on base. He then bounced back to strike out outfielder Kevin Dowell for his second batter of the inning. A go-ahead double by Braden Barry to center field left two men on base with two outs and an intentional walk for JJ Wetherholt left the bases loaded. O’Hanlon put himself deep into a 3-2 count against

“We know we have a long season, and we haven’t been playing at home,” O’Hanlon said. “And we have a lot of new guys pitching, but we just instill that belief like last year because everything mattered. We always believe we are in the game even if we are losing in the ninth. So we just want to get back to that mentality of just always believing in what we got and just shutting it down.”

The unexpected start for the Pride early on has caused many to question if they will be able to turn their season around and repeat as CAA champions once again. Even if the odds are against them, O’Hanlon wanted to leave the fans with one final message.

“Just let the people know that we’re coming.”

O’Hanlon (center) has 10 saves in his three years at Hofstra.

Photo courtesy of Dale Sparks

“At that point, I was doing anything to win. If they needed me, I would go out and give it my all. I didn’t care if my arm fell off, and we didn’t have as much depth as we have this year, so I was ready when they called me.”

Women’s History Month: The women at the helm

By Michelle Rabinovich SPORTS EDITOR

Of all the uniforms she’s had, the coaching uniform was not something Hofstra University volleyball head coach Emily Mansur thought she’d ever wear.

That all changed after she finished playing for the Iona University Gaels when she had an opportunity to coach at Downstate Volleyball, not far from her alma mater, from which she was able to springboard herself into a collegiate coaching career.

“That’s when I saw that there is an opportunity here,” Mansur said. “And it just opened up to me a whole new vision about women in athletics.”

Mansur didn’t grow up with women coaches.

“[Coaching] was just a male dominant professional back home,” Mansur said. “I’ve never really had female coaches in Brazil. I never thought I could be a coach when I lived in Brazil; it was not in my mind at all.”

Courtney Veinotte, the Hofstra field hockey head coach, had the complete opposite experience and was surrounded by and accustomed to seeing women in leadership positions in athletics. Coaching felt like a natural progression, to some extent, to her and her peers.

“The high school program that I grew up in, the group of women, including my mom, have been coaching together for about 35 years,” Veinotte said. “When I was in

the youth program, the high school girls were coaching the young group, and so you saw that there’s this pipeline of opportunity and that sport could connect you to that college experience.”

Women’s basketball head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson had a similar experience to Veinotte, where she was taught by women during her high school years and onward. This made all the difference in the world to her.

“Now as a collegiate coach ... I do appreciate having a female collegiate coach because I feel as though my experience was different,” Atkinson said. “My

who I am as a coach now, I got from her, and I’m able to emulate some of that, I hope.”

No matter how much of Peck she tries to emulate, time and again Atkinson has experienced moments where her value was questioned in her profession.

“I mean, it is, for sure, a male dominated profession. As you work your way through as an assistant coach to a head coach, at times there are all sorts of question marks that are put over you, and you feel as though you have to prove your worth at times,” Atkinson said. “As an assistant coach with male assistant coach counterparts and peers, at times

everybody had very similar goals.”

Just recently, when it came to making a human connection for a new international recruit,

encounter certain things that maybe males in coaching don’t ... I want to show our ladies that you can do it.”

“Something I’ve always learned and preach to our players is to bet on yourself; too many times people second guess themselves,” said Hofstra women’s lacrosse head coach Shannon Smith. “Fight for what you deserve, and fight for that right.”

With increasing exposure of women’s sports in social media and pop culture, the coaches of Hofstra University are optimistic about what the future holds.

coach was very nurturing; you felt like she understood you a little bit more.”

Carolyn Peck was that central figure for Atkinson and her team during her college career. On top of a robust coaching career, Peck is now a sports broadcaster at ESPN.

“She was the first female Black coach to win the national championship at Purdue; she coached in the WNBA and so there was so much about her that I did look up to,” Atkinson explained. “I feel like a lot of

their voices are heard a little bit more than yours until you’ve really worked and worked twice as hard to earn that respect.”

In her tenure as a coach, Atkinson has been a part of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Women’s Coaches NEXT UP Program, the Villa 7 Leadership Conference, Next Chair, Step Up Assistant Coaches Symposium, NCAA/ BCA Achieving Coaching Excellence Program, Coaching U Live Conference and the NCAA Women’s Coaches Leadership Academy. Bottom line: she’s not alone in the male-dominated field of coaching.

“It doesn’t matter the sport; we all have the same challenges,” Atkinson said. “It doesn’t matter the program or the level; we all have very similar challenges, and we were able to take away such great ideas from all the women that were there because

Atkinson had Mansur’s help.

“We’re recruiting a Brazilian player, [the volleyball team] has Brazilian players, Emily’s from Brazil and speaks Portuguese, and so does the player we’re recruiting, so why not get her in the mix?”

Atkinson said. “I think from a women’s sports standpoint, all of us women’s head coaches, I think all of us really do a great job of communicating, supporting each other and uplifting each other when we need it.”

Uplifting each other is something that Mansur takes to another level in her personal coaching philosophy.

“I think the courage to stand up to anyone and be able to have a conversation with anyone, doesn’t matter it’s a man or a woman; I hope to be able to teach [my players] to leave here a leader that can work for anyone and can lead anyone,” Mansur said. “I have two kids, and for sure, I

“It’s still different, but we see women’s basketball gets to have a good amount of the exposure that the guys get,” Mansur said. “And I think it’s nice to see, for me, as a female in sports, in volleyball, we get the support we need. But we’ll continue to fight to get more, of course.”

“When I was playing, social media wasn’t huge, and now, everything is instant access off your cell phone,” Smith said. “I think men’s lacrosse always had the game on TV. The big conferences are putting forward the women’s sports and putting a push [for that].”

“The world of coaching is changing, for sure,” Atkinson said. “But I love more of the diversity that’s coming. I think it’s only going to help athletics, [and] it’s going to help continue to drive and show that we deserve a seat at the table, that we’re very qualified, that we bring a lot to these programs and that we’re capable.”

This year’s season with be Emily Mansur’s 10th as head coach.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

“Fight for what you deserve, and fight for that right.”

Atkinson is in her fourth season as Hofstra head coach.

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes / CAA

THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE

March 28, 2023

B ack on T op !

Hofstra’s 5-1 start out the gate skyrockets Pride to top of CAA standings

Photo courtesy of Rob Cuni / Hofstra Athletics