The Hofstra Chronicle, Vol. 81, Issue 17. April 19, 2016

Page 1

HEMPSTEAD, NY VOL. 81 Issue 17

The Hofstra

Chronicle

Tuesday april 19, 2016

KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935

TKE suspended through spring 2017 semester

By Michael Ortiz NEWS EDITOR

Mere hours after being cleared of hazing charges, the fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) found out they were suspended again. TKE has been suspended through the 2017 spring semester for violating the terms of the temporary suspension that were in place as the University investigated the organization for the hazing allegations. According to Andrew Garcia, the president of TKE, the organization was found “responsible” by the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (OSLE) for hosting two unsanctioned events. This violated the suspension active at the time the Department of Public Safety was investigating the allegations.

Jack Ferrell, a sophomore who was a member of TKE’s fall 2015 pledge class, allegedly accused the organization of hazing him as he went through the process of becoming a member. According to Garcia, Ferrell depledged suddenly five days into the process. “After the process was done, and everything was finished, he came out with hazing allegations against us,” Garcia said. “He had a lot of claims against us but he really had nothing to back them up with.” The allegations initiated just before Thanksgiving break and that is when the temporary suspension was issued. The investigation was conducted, and a hearing was held in mid-February. TKE maintained innocence and defended themselves at the proceedings. Since there was a lack of

evidence to support Ferrell’s claims, the organization was found not responsible by OSLE for the charges against them. “Since he really had nothing to back up his claims, we won the hearing pretty easily because it was everyone’s word against his own and he didn’t have any evidence of what he was saying,” Garcia said. Ferrell declined to comment, and asked that The Chronicle refrain from contacting him again. Just as the members of TKE were celebrating, hours after receiving the verdict, they received a troubling email from Sara Diem, the assistant director for OSLE. “Chapter Presidents,” the email states, “Please be aware that as of today, February 12, 2016, no fraternity or sorority may co-host an event with or attend an event

hosted by Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Enjoy your weekend.” Garcia was shocked, “We got hit with that email with no context at all and then of course everyone started freaking out about it,” he said. He then emailed Diem to find out why this email had been sent to all Greek life presidents. Diem informed him that he should have received an email previously from Nestor Melendez, the assistant dean of students and director of OSLE; an email Garcia says he didn’t get. “She had to send it to me because I wasn’t cc’d in the original email,” Garcia said. “Basically it was an email saying that we were back on temporary suspension for violating our previous suspension.” Although the organization was not found responsible for hazing,

they were found to have had two social events during the time of the investigation, a clear violation of the suspension in place. “As the semester went on, we knew that these hazing allegations were not true,” Issac LeSage, TKE’s historian, said. “We knew we were going to beat that case, at least we were fairly certain. So we had a mixer with Danceworks and someone uploaded a picture and [Ferrell] caught it.” TKE admitted to having these events while they were suspended, something they say they regret. However, how this came to light is just another twist in the story.

To clarify, Brian “Pena” is a pseudonym that an unidentified person created in order to send apparently false evidence to OSLE. The person explained to Garcia via email that he was a friend of Ferrell’s and Ferrell asked him to send those emails. “I sent them two pictures of pregames TKE had while not on suspension in December and told them that the pregames were during the suspension (with random made up dates) which was a lie. I also said they had alcohol in their cups... they did not. I said they were hazing their pledges... they were not. I do not live with them and I do not even know them. Everything I e-mailed

the school is false and fabricated,” “Pena” wrote. The legitimacy of those claims, or lack thereof, did not seem to affect OSLE’s decision. According to Garcia, the governing body followed through with the investigation and after speaking with several people from other organizations involved in the events, found them to be responsible. OSLE will not comment on the details of any investigation they perform, however OSLE administrators explained, “[TKE] violated a section of their temporary suspension, that was communicated to their organization in the letter sent.” The Dean of Students Office released a statement that said, “The Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (OSLE) is committed to supporting all of our fraternities and sororities in their endeavors. To provide this support, we’ve worked towards creating a baseline for chapter performance for each of our

recognized organizations. We do this in many ways, one of which is through our Letters with Pride Assessment program. The program is designed to hold chapters accountable in a variety of areas, including: Academic Achievement, Membership Development, Recruitment and Retention, Chapter Management, and Campus and Community Involvement.” Although “Pena” recanted the accusations, TKE did admit to violating their suspension, and were found responsible of doing so. However, they feel the punishment, especially considering how the evidence came about, was unfair. “To finish out this semester suspended for doing that would have made sense,” LeSage said. “I would have said, ‘Yeah we broke the rules.’ But the fact that

Continued Below

False evidence allegedly provided to OSLE in case against TKE The day after Garcia learned TKE had been placed on suspension yet again, he woke up to another concerning email signed by someone calling themselves Brian Pena. “In the email – it was also sent to Sara Diem and Sofia Pertuz, the dean of students – it said that he had sent in accusations about a bunch of things of us violating our previous suspension, and also accusations of more hazing,” Garcia said. “It said he made all this stuff up, sent it in to OSLE and that this kid Jack Ferrell told him to make it all up. He also said Brian Pena is an anonymous email so Brian Pena is not even a real person.” In the email, the individual (who from hereon will be referred to as “Pena”) expressed deep regret for his actions and asked that the information not be used against TKE. It is unclear when “Pena” initially submitted the information to OSLE; however, this is the first time TKE members were made aware of this development.

“I am saying the information I had reported was false. I had no evidence of anything because Jack Farrell just made up lies and told me to send them in,” “Pena” wrote. “This organization is being wrongfully punished because of lies and the e-mails I sent which had wrong dates and wrong names that were not true,” it continued, “This is legally punishable by law to use a false report from an anonymous e-mail and I will take legal action if the school uses my e-mails in anyway to punish any organization. Please disregard my report and my previous e-mails.” Pertuz responded, saying the information had been received and is being investigated. “If you have nothing new to report, there is no need to send any other communication,” she wrote. The emails that “Pena” originally sent to OSLE contained pictures of the unsanctioned events, with the names and ages of the people allegedly in the photos.

Continued on A4


NEWS

A 2 • April 19, 2016

The Chronicle

Student concerns heat up annual Town Hall By Katie Krahulik STAFF WRITER

At times there was tension as students took advantage of the opportunity to express their utmost campus concerns on Wednesday, April 13 at the annual town hall meeting. The concerns voiced to a panel of Hofstra’s highest administrators in the Plaza Rooms of the Student Center varied, as students passionately addressed issues involving campus dining, prayer space, scholarships, resident facilities and on-campus parking, to name a few. Members of the panel included President Stuart Rabinowitz, Provost Gail Simmons and Dean of Students Sofia Pertuz. They were joined by Vice President of Student Affairs W. Houston Dougharty, Director of Public Safety Karen O’Callaghan, Vice President for Facilities and Operations Joseph Barkwill and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Jean PedenChristodoulou, among others. Jennifer Thiebaud, a senior foreign language education major, was enraged about the nature of dining plans as well as food prices and demanded answers from the panel. She asked about the removal of the concession stand in the Netherlands and said, “I pay $50,000 a year for the extra amenities that state schools and public schools do not have.” Barkwill responded by acknowledging that there wasn’t enough traffic in that area to maintain the facilities. Thiebaud continued to voice her concerns in what turned out to be an intense exchange with President Rabinowitz. “A $1,200 meal plan sometimes does not last a student three quarters of a semester. Why is fruit so much more expensive on campus than at the supermarket?” Thiebaud asked. “Water bottles went from 20 oz. to 16 oz. and the price remains the same. I love yogurt, but half a cup is $5.50. That’s insane.” “Go to another university and tell us if their food is as cheap as it would be if you went to the supermarket. It’s not,” Rabinowitz said. “The vendors set the prices, so if you’re unhappy, then join our food committee. We want student input on this, but if we could do

better, then we would do better.” Alyson Guarino, president of the Student Government Association (SGA), spoke about Thiebaud’s concerns. “I think it’s OK if students are upset and come because it’s an open town hall, so it’s a great opportunity for students. So, yes that was surprising, but I think it was good. I think it was good for administrators to see the passion and frustration in the student,” she said. That frustration was evident when Thiebaud was inquiring about the Netherlands Core hours of operation being reduced. At one point, Rabinowitz shrugged his shoulders and Thiebaud called him out and questioned his

Senate Executive Committee said. “Rabinowitz does the right thing by encouraging concerns.” There was a space created for interfaith prayer this year, but during the town hall there was a request for more prayer space on campus, preferably on the south side of campus for commuter students; otherwise, students need to cross the unispan to the north side of campus to pray. It was addressed that some students pray about three times a day. President Rabinowitz suggested creating a temporary space for now on the south side of campus, to which Executive Director of the Career Center Gary Miller, who was also on the panel, offered

“Don’t jump to conclusions because you feel like making a point or because you’re feeling angry.”

commitment. “When I shrug, all that it meant – and this is a good lesson for you in not reading too far into body language – because it meant that I never heard that the hours were cut in the Netherlands,” Rabinowitz said. “That’s what the shrug was. Don’t jump to conclusions because you feel like making a point or because you’re feeling angry. And don’t try to read into other people’s forms of communication without asking them what they meant by it. That’s a lesson for life.” Thiebaud was not happy with his answer. “How does leadership not know that hours of operations changed when student life should be their biggest priority?” “The cost of tuition is only increasing while what we get in return decreases. We get no value for our money. To say the least, there is stagnant growth in the dining services we receive,” Thiebaud said. “When we have a forum like this, everyone is given an opportunity to show up and voice their concerns,” Eugene Maccarrone, a member of the University

the second floor of the Career Center as a temporary space for students to practice prayer until permanent accommodations can be made. Ben Martin, a freshman political science major and SGA member, agreed that the prayer center should be a focus. “I believe that diversity is an important aspect of our campus,” he said. “Respecting the traditions and religions of other groups makes our campus more inclusive and more accepting. I think that everyone should have the right to practice their beliefs without difficulty and the school should aide them in doing so.” Lola Solis, a freshman political science and women’s studies major, is the SGA club relations chair. She commented on the lack of clarity in receiving potential scholarships through the school after enrolling and asked for a more efficient way of understanding the process to receive more scholarships. “We do have a scholarship application on the portal, but if you think it’s messy, or not working, then you are certainly welcome to come talk to me or

the director of Student Financial Services,” Jessica Eads, the vice president for enrollment management said. “We would love to have a roundtable discussion about means to make the application more accessible. But understand that once that application is in, when you are awarded scholarship upon entry, that is your main scholarship. There are limited scholarships available to continuing students after that point.” A student addressed his concern about parking. He told a story about being late for class and getting a ticket due to the lack of parking outside Breslin Hall. Rabinowitz suggested that a solution might be adjusting scheduling. Provost Simmons agreed with Rabinowitz, adding that the scheduling problem affects more than just parking. She admitted that the scheduling affects internships, jobs, off-campus activities, flexibility, selection options and classroom distribution. Sophomore Natalie Mishkin, a political science major, introduced the fact that some of the residential towers have ellipticals whereas others have a study space. She asked about the possibility of adding machines to the towers that lack them so that they have an exercise space as well as a study space. “The issue we’re trying to address is what do you want to have and what facilities do you want in the residence halls? Barkwill responded. “These things do have to be looked at in terms of practicality, use and safety in terms of the equipment. Some of the buildings are designed with ventilation systems that are impacted by the people down below so we have to look at technical standpoints as well.” Vice President Dougharty concluded, “There were a few things we didn’t know about such as swipe problems and the prayer room. The other thing is that we need more space to simply be a community, which is something we are working very hard on to address. We want all Hofstra students to feel welcome.”

The

Chronicle

www.thehofstrachronicle.com

203 Student Center (516) 463-6921 Editor-in-Chief Lauren del Valle Managing Editor Kyle Kandetzki Business Manager Kristen Rodriguez News Editor Michael Ortiz Assistant News Editors Danny Nikander Laurel O’Keefe Entertainment Editor Brianna Holcomb

Assistant Entertainment Editor

Mohammad Muzammal

Sports Editors Mike Rudin Kevin Carroll Assistant Sports Editor PJ Potter @Hofstra Editor Janet Lee

Assistant @Hofstra Editor

Amanda Valentovic Editorial Editor Gabriella Ciuffetelli

Assistant Editorial Editor

Kirnendra Sidhu

Copy Chiefs Che Sullivan Medea Giordano Assistant Copy Chief Sarah Kocher Photo Editor Jesse Saunders Social Media Manager Kimberly Gazdek The Chronicle is published every Tuesday during the academic year by the students of Hofstra University. The Chronicle is located in Room 203 Student Center, 200 Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. 11549. Advertising and subscription rates may be obtained by calling (516) 463-6921. The Chronicle reserves the right to reject any submission, in accordance with our written policies. All advertising which may be considered fraudulent, misleading, libelous or offensive to the University community, The Chronicle or its advertisers may be refused. The products and opinions expressed within advertisement are not endorsed by The Chronicle or its staff.


NEWS

The Chronicle

April 19, 2016 •A 3

Presidential fellows consider the message of the election

By Gabriella Ciuffetelli EDITORIAL EDITOR

Senior Presidential Fellows Ed Rollins and Howard Dean sat down with former George W. Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan to discuss this year’s presidential election during the “What’s the Message in 2016? Public Communication and the Race for the White House” panel on April 14. The discussion was sponsored by the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency. It focused on defining the overall message driving the 2016 presidential election and the presidential candidates’ abilities – or lack thereof – to effectively perpetuate this message to voters. McClellan believes “the biggest message this year… [is] the betrayal and distrust that is felt by voters.” He spoke to the dissatisfaction the electorate feels

with the political establishment, and credited Donald Trump’s rise to the top of the polls as a result of this. McClellan also said that while Trump’s candidacy embodies this message of disdain, he was quick to add that the real estate mogul has not “taken it to the next level” and has yet to introduce substantive policies or build on the movement he is trying to lead. Andrew Wagner, a senior video and television major, agreed with McClellan and said that both Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders embody the peoples’ distrust of the government. “The people who are supporting Donald Trump are very definitely fed up with everything, and it’s a similar thing going on with Bernie Sanders,” Wagner said. “But I feel like the Republicans who are voting for Trump are more angry with the government itself, while people voting for Bernie Sanders are angered with

society.” Speaking to the Democratic side of the campaign, McClellan noted that Sanders also represents this message, and that he and Trump are trying to lead a movement and shake up the political process while doing so. According to McClellan, the intense competition between the Sanders and Hillary Clinton campaigns is indicative of the moderday collision of the people’s “distrust of the status quo” and politicians’ reluctance to let go of “the culture in Washington.” Dean deviated slightly from McClellan’s line of thought, and said “the medium is the message” of this election cycle and the election has been muddied by the intersection of “reality TV meet[ing] politics.” Dean also said it is Clinton, not Sanders, who best embodies this message on the Democratic side, and portrayed her as a pragmatic leader, who “has a history

of reaching out” and uses her platform as a medium to address voters’ desire “to actually get something done” and keep the country moving forward. Rollins spoke last, and gave the most candid response, saying that in this election cycle, “the message is chaos.” Like McClellan, Rollins agreed that Trump is leading “a massive marketing campaign” that uses momentum and flashy rhetoric to push the candidate – rather than a platform – forward. Regarding the Republican campaign, Rollins said that the chaos has affected the Republican Party at all levels, with some delegates refusing to attend the convention because of threats of violence against them and some governors refusing to associate with the presidential candidates. “It’s not about fairness, it’s about winning,” Rollins said when discussing the Republican National Convention and the

potentiality of a brokered convention, which is something all three speakers see as a likely outcome. Other attendees also offered their own ideas regarding the message in 2016. Mirabai Siegel, a sophomore political science student, said the main message is more substantive and is “focused on the matter(s) of terrorism … and education.” Siegal said that while Sanders and Trump have both talked extensively about these points, “they are too radical, and a happy balance is needed” if a candidate wants to successfully push these ideas onto the public agenda. While there was a general consensus among the speakers and the attendees alike that this election cycle is unconventional, the event showed there is no singular message driving the candidates, or voters in 2016.

Religious leaders discuss political impact of Islamophobia

By Fabiha Khalid STAFF WRITER

In this heated election season, when social ideals and ideas of foreign policy are polarized throughout the country, Hofstra has made an effort to create dialogue about pertinent issues such as Islamophobia. Different religious leaders gathered on Wednesday, April 13 in Axinn Library to discuss how the fear of Islam has been fueled, and how it’s modern commonality is due to a lack of an understanding and acceptance among the American public. The panel, “Racism, Islamophobia and the 2016 Elections ‘A Deliberative Dialogue’” was hosted and conducted by Professor Emeritus of History Michael D’Innocenzo. The event was also cohosted by the Center for Civic Engagement, The Interfaith Alliance of L.I, the Honors College, the Peace Fellows Program at Hofstra and The Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. People from all over the local community, including Nassau Community College, The Islamic Center of Long Island (ICLI) and attended the event. Emilie Beck, a sophomore

global studies and sociology double major said, “It is important for Hofstra to host discussions such as this because it facilitates an open and more tolerant environment. Hofstra’s campus can be used as a vehicle for sustainable change and growth and talks like these only help that progress us towards that goal.” The event started with a fiveminute speech from each of the four panelists, followed by a question-and-answer period and concluded with more intimate discussions among the people sitting at tables. The first person to speak was Minister Natalie Fenimore. An advocate for peace and acceptance, Fenimore began her speech on how making minorities a scapegoat appears frequently throughout history. She said that all people of Abrahamic faith must learn to “come together and stand for one another” as they all are essentially “one spirit of life.” Fenimore went on to say that we must speak out against hate and stand together to protect one another, no matter the race or religion of others. The next person to speak was Santiago Slabodsky, a professor of Jewish studies. He started off by saying that even though he

isn’t Muslim, “this topic is very personal to me because I come from a people that know what it’s like. You can’t hate or scapegoat the people you love.” As someone who has worked very closely with the Islamic community, he finds it outrageous that anyone would fear them. Slabodsky recently went to a conference in Washington D.C. where all the presidential candidates were present, and he had something to say about the current GOP frontrunner, Donald Trump. “When Trump spoke, it was the first time in my life I was in the presence of a true demagogue,” he said. “The level of hate and bitterness, the absolute absence of any optimistic unifying principle was terrifying.” Slabodsky described how demagogues appeal to desires and prejudices rather than rational arguments. He gave the example of the Holocaust, saying “the murder of the Jewish people by the Nazis was called the final solution to the Jewish problem in Europe.” The third panelist was Seemi Ahmed, the Muslim Chaplin at Hofstra. Ahmed defined Islamophobia as a fear of Islam and a suspicion of Muslims. With time, this fear has been

perpetuated due to the decline in economics and an increase in the number of immigrants entering the United States. She went on to say how Irish, Italian, German and other peoples were widely hated at some point in American history, but not feared. Ahmed also highlighted the fact that “all Muslims are painted with the same brush,” and that isn’t fair in her opinion. “The fearmongering has just got to stop,” she said. She reminded the audience that just as the U.S. and other western nations are fighting off extremists, so has the Muslim community. The last person to speak was Mark Lukens, a pastor at Bethany Congregational Church in East Rockaway. Lukens described how even though Islamic extremism definitely exists in society and the world today, Christian extremism is also a reality and is every bit evasive and violent. With all of this hate in the world, much stemming from religion, Lukens asked, “What do we do?” He thinks that economics has a lot to do with the emergence of extremism. “It’s not enough to say that these people are lunatics because their lunacy is based in legitimate grievances,” Lukens said.

After the panelists were done speaking, Fatimah Mozawallah, a freshman biology major asked, “One of the panelists said how Donald Trump is gifted in spreading hate … how do you speak to the large number of people that support him and show them that this is not what it should be?” Lukens continued to talk about how economics has a lot to do with such feelings of hatred, while Slabodsky condemned such actions and said it’s our job as citizens to host such dialogues and continue to spread the right message to fight back. Sara Ahmed, a freshman economics and political science major and a Peace Fellow, felt she learned how to better argue against hate speech. “People can benefit from these events because they have the opportunity to hear voices and views they might not be familiar with,” she said. “For example, as a MuslimAmerican, I’m used to hearing imams and other Muslim scholars tell me how we need to condemn terrorism done in the name of Islam, but it was also nice to hear other religious authority figures speak on the issues.”


NEWS

A 4 • April 19, 2016

The Chronicle

Virtual reality seminar demonstrates future of storytelling By Marie Haaland STAFF WRITER

The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication organized three events in Studio A on Tuesday, April 12 in an attempt to show students the potential of using virtual reality (VR) as a tool for journalism. The first of the events was a panel of three experts – Marcelle Hopkins, James Pallot and Carla Borras, who all work with VR technology. “The rise of VR storytelling and the possibilities of this new media are very exciting, quite baffling and something that we really want to be consciously discussing and integrating as appropriate into curriculum,” Dr. Evan Cornog, dean of the School of Communication, said. VR is a relatively new field; therefore, the technology is still undergoing drastic changes and improvements. Pallot is a co-founder of Emblematic Group, a company that creates content for VR

systems and is on the forefront of exploration in this field. He explained that there are two kinds of VR: 360 and volumetric. According to Pallot, the majority of what is on the market is 360 VR, which he says is a powerful experience, but has some drawbacks. “You can look around, up and down, see all around you, but you can’t change your own orientation within a scenario. I can’t navigate or explore within the medium,” he said. “In volumetric, by contrast, we put you in a physical space, where you can walk around, and the fact that you’re getting impulses not just into your eyes and ears but your body is present in a space and able to move around at will, takes it to another level of immersion and interaction.” There are videos depicting the 360 VR technology on Facebook, including one showing a scene of a plane dropping food in South Sudan. Hopkins wrote and co-produced the VR documentary “Recipe for a

Famine” for PBS’s FRONTLINE. She is both excited and impressed with what we have seen from VR so far, but expects more in the future. “I think, and I hope actually, that we haven’t figured out yet what VR is capable of. Because in five years I think it’s going to look very different from the way we’re making it now,” she said. “And I think it’s our collective project, as creators and as journalists, to figure out what we can do with VR that we haven’t done yet, that we haven’t been able to do before.” She believes that there are many uses for VR that have not been discovered yet. Hollywood is currently investing a large amount of money into using VR technology, and other companies like FRONTLINE have many plans for upcoming documentaries using VR. “As generations keep coming up with new technology, we’re seeing things that we probably would have never imagined,” Awilda Pena Luna, a junior public

relations major, said. “Things that we’ll not only be working with but experiencing in our everyday lives. I think virtual reality is amazing, so I’m excited to see just how far this [will] go and the new things that’ll come about from this.” “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Borras, the series coordinating producer of FRONTLINE, said. “There is no one set of magic answers to doing really great, powerful, impactful VR journalism. We’re all trying to figure it out and it’s an emerging form, and I don’t

pretend to have all the answers.” Journalists are still figuring out the best way to use VR in storytelling. Not all documentaries will be improved by the use of this technology, and not all stories will be able to be told with VR. There are journalistic hurdles that the technology still needs to be overcome, but these experts feel that VR will continue to improve and become more widely used in the field.

Photo by Laurel O’Keefe An example of virtual reality technology from the seminar on April 12.

TKE hopes to have sentence reduced after long process Continued from a1 spring semester 2017 we still can’t come back, I mean it does kind of cripple us.” TKE’s punishment was a yearlong suspension, however they have been suspended for this entire semester due to the previous hazing allegations of which they were cleared. In total, if the sentencing stands, they will have been suspended for three semesters. They are currently trying to reach a compromise with OSLE. “We’re hoping we can get the sentence shortened so that it’s this semester and next semester,” Garcia said. “When I talked to them I think some part of them realized it’s not really fair. We did break their code of conduct, but I think they did realize that it’s a little bit harsh.” According to OSLE, “As was outlined in the letter to TKE, no appeal process would be granted should any of the sections be violated.” Although initially TKE was angry with OSLE, they feel that now they just need to work with them. “No matter what, I know they’re just doing their job,” LeSage said. “Of course initially

when it happens you get really angry at the person who’s punishing you. At the same time, if they do have this rule where they have to do a blanket year-long suspension, they do have to do that. I can’t actually get angry at that. But what I can get angry at is the fact that this never should’ve happened in the first place.” Garcia and LeSage do feel the way OSLE handled the case was questionable. Garcia claims he continuously asked to see what “Pena” sent to OSLE, to little avail. “We were still trying to see what he sent because at that point the investigation should have been over so there’s no point in not showing us,” he said. “They told us to come into the office to pick up whatever they had for us and then they gave us the two pictures of the social events. Those two pictures should have been included in the email that we got before, and that’s what we had been asking for a long time.” The Chronicle attempted to reach Assistant Dean Melendez, to find out if it’s common practice to resist disclosing evidence to those being investigated – and if

that was indeed done in this case – but did not receive a response. More than anything, Garcia and LeSage, a junior and senior respectively, are worried about the future of their organization. Tau Kappa Epsilon can now be found on a list of unrecognized Greek organizations at Hofstra. The list is accompanied with the following statement, “For your own well-being, you should not affiliate with any unrecognized Greek or other student organizations. Hofstra University does not advise or control the actions of any unrecognized groups.” Although the list clarifies that TKE is suspended through spring 2017, Garcia feels this greatly damages their reputation. “This is a list of organizations that are literally illegal to exist,” he said. “They’re considered gangs, they can’t exist and we’re just thrown on this list. What are people supposed to think when they see us on there?” The two expect to have about five members left in the organization by the time they can accept new members. “It doesn’t list a reason, it doesn’t say what happened,” LeSage said. “People just

assume the worst. We’re supposed to come back with five guys and add that stigma now.” Neither leader knows what motivated Ferrell to make the hazing allegations that led to the original investigation. “The last interaction I had with Jack was when he decided to depledge,” Garcia said. “I shook his hand, I gave him a hug because we’ve known the kid for so long and I was like, ‘We’ll still be friends, we’ll still chill after this.’” LeSage says this relationship has been tarnished forever. “I don’t think he deserves to come back to Hofstra,” LeSage said. “From the fact that he lied and somehow still won. He’s not going to get punished; he’s never going to get punished.” OSLE explained that if they do anything to violate their suspension, it will be extended for another five years. “We’re just trying to work with them at this point,” LeSage said. “We still want to come back to Hofstra at the end of the day.”

DEVELOPING: TKE is not the only fraternity to face disciplinary action this semester; the national Sigma Pi organization revoked Hofstra’s charter for the fraternity in March, after they allegedly received a video depicting hazing practices that occurred as new members went through the pledge process this semester. The Chronicle is currently investigating the circumstances of Sigma Pi’s charter removal. The national organization released a statement that said in part, “The Executive Office suspended chapter operations upon receiving evidence of violations of both Fraternity and FIPG risk management policies. After an investigation, Eta-Gamma Chapter was found to be in violation of Sigma Pi’s standards.”


NEWS

The Chronicle

April 19, 2016 •A A5

Take Back the Night event fosters survivor solidarity By Courtney Joyner STAFF WRITER

Emotion and empowerment filled Monroe Lecture hall on Friday, April 15, as students met to stand against sexual abuse as participants in the event, Take Back the Night, sponsored by Campus Feminist Collective, Collegiate Women of Color and Student Advocates for Safe Sex. Student speaker and freshman journalism major, Maria Saldivar said, “Take Back the Night was an incredibly empowering experience. Listening to survivors and victims was inspiring and the march at the end showed how strong we all are and how we won’t let anyone take our rights away from us.” The night is designed to educate and empower students as well as inform them of Hofstra’s procedures in relation to sexual and domestic violence. The event also helps students understand what they can do to support survivors. After a few short presentations, the floor was open for

students to share their stories. Counselors and safe rooms were also provided for students who may be triggered as the program progressed. Lara Nochomovitz, Hofstra’s Title IX Coordinator, expressed her feeling about the event. “I’m really impressed by our students for creating a space that’s safe and empowering for survivors to come forward and speak freely and share their stories. I think that it speaks volumes,” Nochomovitz said. “For me, as one of the people who has coordinated how we respond to sexual assault, I want to be supportive of the survivors and because this is such a serious issue and my job is about creating a space that’s safe.” Althea Bardin, M.A. Clinical Psychology and Ph.D. candidate at Hofstra University attended the event in support. “Although I serve as a crisis counselor with the Office of Student Counseling Services, my participation this evening was motivated by a wish to support this event. I am here to support

students. I am also a graduate student at Hofstra and understand that the responsibility to facilitate a safe environment belongs to all of us.” Solidarity from students was also overwhelmingly expressed. As someone with experience with the violence discussed during the event, freshman and double major in political science and sociology Genesis Rivera praised its methods. “The Take Back the Night event, in my opinion, was very successful and inspiring. The most effective part was the protest on the way over to the campus,” Rivera said. “As much as survivors need support and need to tell their stories, it is equally important to convince others to stop the violence and usually the ones that need to hear that message will not voluntarily attend an event like that. As someone who has experienced this violence, I felt that the rest of the event was great and supportive for those who were brave enough to speak out.” Secretary of Campus Feminist

Collective, Natasha Rappazzo, highlighted why the club chose to host the event and how it resonates with the Hofstra community. “Take Back the Night is an emotional and empowering night. Survivors are able to share their stories in a safe environment where they know they won’t be judged or questioned. Take Back the Night is so important to have on college campuses because it

is essential for students to know the resources available for them on campus if they are survivors or what to do if they experience sexual violence. Not only does Take Back the Night educate, but it creates a safe environment and bond between the people who come to speak out, show support and call for a safer campus and society for everyone,” Rappazzo said.

Photo by Peter Soucy Elly Belle, a junior, reads a spoken word piece she wrote during Take Back the Night in Monroe Hall on Friday, April 15.

Public Safety Briefs Compiled by Gabriella Ciuffetelli On April 8 at 3 a.m., PS received a report that there was a dispute between a male and a female on the 12th floor of Estabrook Hall. PS responded and found the students engaging in a verbal dispute. The dispute was resolved and both students were issued referrals to the Office of Community Standards. On April 8, a Hofstra administrator from the department of computer science reported that several computer parts were taken from different labs in Adams Hall over the past year. An investigation is being conducted. On April 8, a Hofstra student reported that she lost her ID card on March 23. She also reported that on April 6, Card Services informed her that another person tried to gain access to a Hofstra University building using her lost ID. The card was then canceled. On April 9 at 5:10 a.m., a PS officer discovered a male sleeping inside a room in the law

school. The male was apprehended and transported into the Hofstra Information Center where he was identified as a previously banned nonstudent. The Hempstead Police Department was notified, responded and arrested the individual for trespassing.

and in entering the room, found a bong, a grinder, a butane lighter and trace amounts of marijuana in plain sight. The resident of the room was also present. The paraphernalia was confiscated and the resident was issued a referral to the Office of Community Standards.

On April 9, a vendor in the Food Show reported that she discovered a food chopper was stolen from her booth located in the arena. The food chopper, valued at $34, was taken between 4:30 p.m. on April 8 and 7 a.m. on April 9. Police assistance was declined.

On April 11, a Hofstra student reported to PS that she has been continuously harassed on the social media app Yik Yak since March 28.

On April 10, a Hofstra visitor reported that she returned to her vehicle on the north side of the arena after working for the Home Improvement Show to find derogatory letters scratched onto the driver’s side of her vehicle. On April 10, an RA reported that she smelled the odor of Marijuana coming from a room in Quincy House. PS responded

On April 11, PS received a report that a student who has been barred from attending any Greek activities was present at a Greek event on the soccer field. PS responded, escorted the individual out of the stadium and issued him a referral to the Office of Community Standards. On April 13, a Hofstra student reported that she discovered key scratch marks on the hood and right side of her vehicle when she returned to her car near the Butler Annex building. Police

assistance was declined. On April 14, A Hofstra staff member reported to PS that two personal laptops, a black bag, two laptop chargers, an iPhone lightning cable and three notebooks were taken from underneath his desk in room 107 in the Student Center. These items were taken at some time between 2:30 p.m. on April 13 and 9 a.m. on April 14. The NCPD responded and took a report. An investigation is being conducted. On April 14, a Hofstra faculty member reported that an unknown person took his laptop computer from his office in Gittleson Hall at some time between 1:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on April 13. An investigation is being conducted. On April 14, a Hofstra student reported that she left her phone unattended on the counter of Dutch Treats at 8:30 p.m. After leaving with her food, she returned approximately 10 minutes later and discovered her

Key PS – Public Safety RA – Resident Assistant NCPD – Nassau County Police Department RSR – Resident Safety Representative phone was missing. When she tried to track her phone via Find My iPhone, she discovered that the function was turned off. Police assistance was declined. On April 14 at 9:50 p.m., an RSR assigned to the Netherlands South security booth reported that a Hofstra student attempted to enter the complex without swiping. The RSR confronted the student and told him he would have to wait for PS to respond because he violated the ID policy. The student became verbally abusive to the RSR and PS issued him a referral to the Office of Community Standards.


@HOFSTRA

A6 • april 19, 2016

The Chronicle

Overheard@Hofstra Compiled by The Hofstra Chronicle staff In Bits ‘n’ Bytes: Girl: Can you scratch the back of your throat? Guy: With your tongue? So like choke myself with my tongue? Outside the Student Center: Guy: The wind is when the earth is moving faster. In Lawrence Herbert Hall: Girl: My stepdad proposed to my mom with Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe,” suck my d***. In Bits ‘n’ Bytes: Girl: I have really sensitive gag reflex. It’s not cute.

In the Axinn Library: Guy: I drive in manual if I’m bored. Manual is more fun. In Lawrence Herbert Hall: Girl: Can we still call him Dill Pickles even though he’s old? In Nassau and Suffolk Hall: Girl 1: See you’re having trouble putting it in. Girl 2: Yeah it doesn’t fit. Outside the Axinn Library: Guy: I’m gonna need some d*** before the show. We’re always listening......

OVERHEARD SOMETHING FUNNY? SEND IT TO US! CHRONICLEFEATURES@ GMAIL.COM

Letters from the Pacific: India’s revered Taj Mahal

By Kaeli Van Cott STAFF WRITER

For a long time, I’ve dreamed of visiting India and seeing the Taj Mahal and I am so grateful to have had the chance to do that this semester. The Taj is as amazing and as spectacular as people describe it and no picture could do it justice. The only thing is, the Taj Mahal is not all of India. Although any person visiting India should go see it, there is so much more that the culture and people have to offer, and so much more to learn than a photo-op at the Taj could provide. The way we learn about India in the United States is misconstrued and at times, outdated. For the longest time, I learned about the caste system throughout school and how the untouchables were outcasts in society. When speaking with the Mahatma Gandhi Trust during a class field lab, my class very quickly learned how outdated the untouchable caste is in Kerala, the state within India where we were visiting. People are actually born into a caste for life, but have

social mobility and can change their social class. Members of the lowest caste in Indian society have the ability to work their way up to being in the upper class, provided they have the right opportunities and resources. Food in India was absolutely fantastic and worth trying. Naan bread became a staple during every meal for me, as well as urad sweet bonda, which are sweeter Indian zeppoles. Tons of Americans that visit India tend to be apprehensive about the food because of the possibility of being sick, but travelers’ sicknesses can happen anywhere, not exclusively in India. I ate ice cream and all of the things doctors advise people not to have while traveling and I was completely fine. The different spices like turmeric, thyme and others are worth trying. More than anything, the people I met in India were funny and thoughtful. During my travels, I met other college students who were curious about the United States just as much as I was curious about India. I met people within the Pulaya caste in a fishing village that let me try some

Kaeli Van Cott/The Chronicle Locals riding elephants at Amber Fort in Jaipur, India.

coconuts and sang traditional songs for us and asked us to do the same for them. These kind of

exchanges made my experiences in India even better than what I had imagined, and I had imag-

ined really great things from India from the start.


The Chronicle

@HOFSTRA

April 19, 2016 •

A7

Students hammer through spring break By Amanda Valentovic ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

Most students went home or away on vacation when classes weren’t in session for spring break; but two clubs on campus traded in their notebooks and pencils for hammers and nails. The Newman Club, Hofstra’s Catholic club, traveled to Martin

County, Kentucky to help renovate homes, while Hofstra’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity brought their house building skills to New Orleans. “We worked on the home of a 90-year-old woman named Bitsy,” Melissa Cooke, the secretary of the Newman Club, said. “[The home] was around 100 years old and it was so old and slanted. We

Courtesy of Melissa Cooke Newman Club poses with 90 year-old Bitsy at her house in Kentucky.

put up new siding and insulation.” This was the Newman Club’s fourth trip to Kentucky. For the last few years, they have worked with the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), a nonprofit organization that works with people in poverty who are living in the mountainous area. “We’ve been going to CAP for the last four years because our Catholic minister was a long term volunteer there,” said Cooke. “It allows members to engage with their faith on these trips.” The spring break trip wasn’t the first for Habitat for Humanity, either. With the national Habitat for Humanity organization, they’ve spent past years in Delaware and North Carolina building homes. “We signed up for the location with [the] national [chapter], and once we do that it’s student run,” Aditi Gupta, Habitat’s vice president said. This year in New Orleans, the members on the trip got to see a new place and learn how to build for the environment there. “A lot of the places in New Orleans are hurricane proof, so they have to be lifted off of the ground,” said Gupta. “We weren’t working [on homes] directly related to Hurricane Katrina but the displacement is still affecting the area we were

Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity builds a house in New Orleans over spring break.

in, and that’s crazy.” Even though it was a new place, the Habitat members were ready to put their experience to work. When they’re at home, they work with the Nassau County Habitat for Humanity chapter, who is currently working on relief for Hurricane Sandy victims. The Newman Club was also building in an area that has had its own challenges. “It’s in the mountains of Kentucky, which is a coal mining area,” said Cooke. “And coal mining has kind of taken a turn for the worse. It’s not that the people there are not hard workers, it’s just that it’s been

difficult.” Though each group was in a completely different location, both said the best part was working with the people there, as well as each other. “They could not have exuded more gratitude,” Cooke said about Bitsy and her daughter Nell. “They said it was one of the best weeks of their lives and it was such an honor to work with them.” “It was cool because we got to mix the culture with the work we love to do,” Gupta said. “It’s a great way to make friends who are like-minded who also want to give back.”

privilege. Usually, people or companies with that kind of power are the ones who take ideas or materials from less privileged cultures, claim it for themselves and decide if it’s trendy. Booker also believes this problem is why people don’t give Africa enough credit in regards to influence. “A lot of people do not like to pay homage to Africa. Africa has influenced places in a plethora of ways, but people refuse to recognize that,” she said. Booker hopes that her fashion show will do just that. The free show will begin at 7 p.m. in the multipurpose room.

Courtesy of Jahnasia Booker

Fashion mash-up: Africa meets Japan By Austin Woolman SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Hofstra will host the first Africa Meets Japan fashion show on Wednesday, April 27. The show, as the name suggests, will feature an array of outfits that are inspired by African and Japanese culture. The show was put together solely by senior Janashia Booker, who was greatly influenced by her culture growing up. “My black culture has influenced me with everything that I do. It’s how I think, it’s how I interact, everything,” Booker said. Despite her deep cultural influences, it’s hard for Booker

to pick a particular role model because she is still learning about her background to this day. “I’m still trying to understand black culture because there really isn’t one,” she said. “Being black isn’t really monolithic; it’s actually very vast. It encompasses a lot. You could be Caribbean, Creole, African, American, etc., and still be black.” The Syracuse native also explained that her background, along with her infatuation with Japanese culture, inspired her to mesh the two cultures for a night of fun and fashion. “This fashion show is going to show us how we are all artists,” Booker said. “It’s going to show how we use the way we dress as

a way of communicating a story.” However, the show will also serve as an education tool for those who attend. One of the primary goals of the Africa Meets Japan Fashion Show is to spread awareness of culture appropriation. “In a nutshell, culture appropriation is taking aspects of different cultures and exploiting it. People from other countries will strip the meaning of certain clothing and use it as a trend, which disrespects the culture it came from. One who does this does not pay proper homage to its culture,” Booker said. Booker went on to explain that culture appropriation also requires economic and political

A kimono from the collection.


A8 • april 19, 2016

@HOFSTRA

The Chronicle

Man on the Unispan What is something you did when you were younger that you wish you could still do today?

By Brianna Ciniglio STAFF WRITER

“Not go to class.” Ryan Mullin, Sophomore

“Nap all day.” Liliana Hinojos Madrid, Sophomore

“Play on the playground.” Melissa Koenig, Senior

“Dress up as a Power Ranger.” Josh Torres, Sophomore

“I used to sing a lot when I was a kid. I still do it, but I wish I’d do it more.” Catherine Benny, Senior

Fit on the swings. [I’m] too tall to do that [now].” Jared Tekiel, Junior

Photos by Sarah Kocher


The Chronicle

@HOFSTRA

April 19, 2016 •

A9

The Humans of Hofstra

By Jordan Laird STAFF WRITER

Abbey Sullivan, Sophomore “Well I’ve always been really interested in TV. Ever since I was in high school I knew I wanted to write for TV, specifically comedy. Saturday Night Live is my favorite show. This was the best school that offered that. They have an amazing TV program, HEAT Network. I work with Thursday Nite Live, I recently became the head writer and I’m really excited about that. Advice on being funny: Watch a lot of comedy. Really pick out who you want your influences to be. Obviously you have to be yourself and tap into what you think is funny and part of that is watching other people. I first decided I [wanted] to do comedy because I was watching Tina Fey in a sketch and I had this revelation of, ‘Wow this is her job; this is what she does for money.’ And that’s when I decided that’s what I wanted to do. Also, a lot of other comedians, Amy Poehler, the original cast of SNL like Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin. Those are my main influences.”

Amelia Beckerman, Freshman “In my dream world, I write some literary fiction book. I have an idea for one that I’ve been playing with but it doesn’t do anything in my head. My favorite author is J.D. Salinger, love of my life. So in this dream world, I write this literary fiction that doesn’t sound like his but has the same feeling. His books have this feeling that’s not really coming of age, but more ‘being young in New York,’ it’s how Fitzgerald sounds too. It’s the life you want to live and the life you can live through literature and that’s what I want to write. But I also want to live that life. I make up writing advice a lot in my head. I think, ‘When I’m a famous writer, I’ll put this in my writing memoir!’ Since I’m not anything right now, just pretending I am, I don’t know if I have any advice. I guess what I do for myself is I write whatever I want and then when people try to tell me, ‘Maybe it would sound better like this,’ I try to not listen. When you take a creative writing class, a lot of the time your professor will always have his or her own style and try to push that on you. But I feel like a part of writing is finding yourself by saying no to what everyone else says to you. Now I feel like I sound really pretentious!”

James Sweeney, Sophomore “I have a meeting tonight. It’s the final meeting before we put out a magazine on campus that hopefully people will like. It’s a collaboration between Font magazine which is the Hofstra English Society and Nonsense Magazine and so it’s called “Fontsense.” So it’s just a ton of weirdo poetry, weird short stories and sort of abstract humor. I’m an editor for Nonsense. I filter everything through the view of comedy anyways so I enjoy writing for the humor magazine. I like selfdeprecating humor and writing from the perspective of someone who’s very hard to like. So Nonsense gives me an outlet where I can write really absurd stuff but also the anti-hero freak. We write anything. What makes something funny, I think it has to have some universal qualities. That’s what I like about absurdity. You either won’t get it or you will but there’s nothing marginalizing about absurdity inherently. At Nonsense, we’re critical or we’re absurd but it’s all a subversion to get you to see the world in a different way, maybe even a way that’s truer.”

Photos by Jordan Laird


Hofstra’s Department of Drama and Dance presents:

Annual Spring Dance Concert April 14th through April 17th

Spread by Jesse Saunders / Photos by Peter Soucy


A&E VOL 81 ISSUE 16

Jesse Saunders/ The Chronicle

Peter Soucy/The Chronicle


B 2 •April 19, 2016

A&E

The Chronicle

Spring Dance Concert explores communication through dance

Peter Soucy/The Chronicle

By Jake Pellegrino STAFF WRITER

What is language? What is communication? These were questions that constantly popped into my head while watching the Spring Dance Concert in Adams Playhouse. The concert forced me to

question what I knew about communication and how we use it. Normally, to communicate we use our words, sometimes our hands or even facial expressions. However, we rarely use solely our bodies to communicate. Of course you’ve heard about body language, but that usually com-

plements our speech and focuses on one part of our body. The dancers in the concert, however, used their entire bodies and no words to tell a story. It showed that language is not restricted to these forms because unlike other forms of communication, dance does not need

to be translated in order to be understood – all you need to do is watch. The concert was broken up into five acts, each with the goal either to tell its own story or simply show a theme to invoke emotions in the audience. For example, the first act, entitled “From the Ether With Instinct,” didn’t have a specific story but I felt it transported me to the ‘60s rock ‘n’ roll scene complete with an air guitarist. However, the next act, “Kindred,” had a different story to tell. It had a jungle-esque theme and reminded me of the world of “The Lion King.” It told the story of several members of a community coming together to revive another who had fallen ill. Next was “Through-Bound” which I found very relaxing as it took me away to the ocean, then “Caruggi.” I found this to be the most visually moving of all the performances and it made me feel as though I was riding in a gondola in Italy.

The show ended with “Tranceform,” which gave off an intergalactic feel that was complemented by its video screen that helped to make the audience feel as though they were actually in space. The best aspect that all five acts had in common was that the music and dancers really connected to each other. In other words, it often seemed as if the music was asking a question and then the dancers were answering. This call and response feel kept me engaged throughout the performances, allowing me to follow the performers as they spoke through their dance. Members of the dance department’s faculty directed all five acts. Each act showed the power of the department and the collaboration that went into it between students as well as with faculty.

Cover: Spring Dance Concert

Video Game Review: ‘Dark Souls III’

Photo Courtesy of darksouls3.com

By Rob Dolen STAFF WRITER

“Dark Souls III” is a surprising blend of new and old ideas that still remains true to the essence of the original “Dark Souls” game.

Set in the dark fantasy world of Lothric, “Dark Souls III” is a third-person adventure game. The player takes on the role of an undead warrior who was raised from the ashes and is tasked with defeating the old Lords of Cinder

to avert a cataclysmic event. After the first expositional cutscene, the players are sent to the character creation system where they must choose what class they want: Knight, Mercenary, Warrior, Herald, Thief, Assassin, Sorcerer, Pyromancer, Cleric or Deprived. Each class has its own distinct focus on character statistics, with the exception of Deprived, which is a barebones class for customization. These character statistics hugely influence the play style throughout the entire game. The game begins with the player rising from the dead and goes straight into game play. There are no outright objectives, forcing the player to explore and find a purpose in a semi-open world full of monstrosities from the kingdom that once was. This exploration is heavily rewarded, as dedicated players will find more important items, equipment and enemies as they follow hidden paths. Combat in “Dark Souls III” is a satisfying meld between the original series and “Bloodborne,”

which creates a fluid fighting system that rewards skilled players for mastering defensive techniques. The “Dark Souls” series has always been renowned for its emphasis on strategic planning, measuring enemies’ attacks and capitalizing on their weak spots. This is especially exemplified in “Dark Souls III,” where careful planning is essential to survival on even the easier and earlier bosses. The weapons systems in “Dark Souls III” enable highly customizable play, like allowing the character to wield two swords, a sword and a dagger, a sword and a shield or even two shields. The new weapon arts system allows the player to add magical enchantments to weapons and move-sets, giving the player new strength to help with the plethora of enemies and bosses in the game. Enemies are plentiful and varied throughout “Dark Souls III” and the changes made in “Bloodborne” heavily influence

the structure of bosses. Bosses tend to have several different transformations, both physically and statistically, forcing players to adapt and remain on their toes. Some boss fights also cater to the strategic side, focusing more on the player’s patience rather than brute force on one weak spot. “Dark Souls III” also provides some of the most visually stunning landscapes and vistas that the series has ever seen. It’s a testament of game design on how much intricate detail is put into the world. Different paths are interconnected towards a common point with unlockable shortcuts so that the walk of shame after a failed boss battle isn’t tiring. “Dark Souls III” is a masterful challenge that entices new players and caters to series veterans; it’s a combination of a return to form as well as a serious upgrade to the series.


The Chronicle

A&E

Artist Spotlight: ‘Parachute’

Photo Courtesy of amazon.com

By Amanda Valentovic FEATURES EDITOR

It’s been three years since they last released

music, but the Virginiabased band Parachute is back with their fourth album, “Wide Awake.” The album is filled with songs that are influenced by just

about every genre you can think of, from their pop-rock roots to gospel to piano-based ballads. It’s a noticeable and welcome difference from “Overnight,”

Sit-down with Dani Shapiro By Brianna Holcomb ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“I never knew that part of being a writer was trying to make sense of the world … In retrospect, I may have always been a writer.” The woman behind these words is Dani Shapiro, the author of five novels, the memoir “Still Writing” and a recent guest on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. Shapiro sat down with Professor McPhee and her creative writing class, Keeping a Journal, in the parlor room of Hofstra Hall to talk about writing fiction and the process of writing memoirs. The sit-down was very casual and allowed students to ask Shapiro questions about her writing process, as well as advice for their own writing processes. “Listen to your still voice,” she told the room. This was just one of the many suggestions that she gave the listeners. Shapiro expressed very strong attachments to the way a writer should arrive at their great story. A piece of that process includes the feeling of failure. “Feeling tortured is a part of the process,” Shapiro said. She went on to explain how usually when she felt confident about a piece of writing, it did not come out as well as she thought.

Her descriptions of the stages of her writing provided great insight to what a real writer truly goes through. Recalling her own process, Shapiro made it clear that her writing could be deemed unconventional compared to other writers. Her chaotic path to becoming a writer was also unconventional and reassured the audience that there is no definitive way to make that decision. Shapiro has a very easygoing nature about her. She encouraged those listening to ask questions and pick her brain. As she spoke, the students in the room stayed armed with their pens and notebooks to write down anything that would be useful to remember as they continue on their writing journey. The sit-down with Shapiro offered great insight into her creative mind. It helped give a real word perspective on how to brainstorm a new idea, as well as how to feel more confident about one’s material. For Shapiro, it all starts with one question: “What do you want to share?”

an album that sounded like it was trying too hard to be dance music. That doesn’t mean there aren’t still some fun, upbeat songs. The first track, “Without You,” throws big choruses and catchy rhythms at you right off the bat and “Lonely With Me” has simple lyrics and repetitive melodies that will be stuck in your head until they drive you crazy. Lead singer Will Anderson stretches his voice to its limits on the ballads “When You Move” and “Everything,” and it works. He shows how versatile he can be when compared to the more heavily rock-sounding songs like “Getaway” and “Crave.” While there isn’t really a bad song on the album, there are a few that shine brighter than the rest. The smooth vocals and descriptive lyrics of “Jennie” make it relaxing to listen to but

April 19, 2016•

also one you can sing along with. The title track “Waking Up” is an anthem that closes out the album with country-like guitar riffs and huge cymbal hits from drummer Johnny Stubblefield. “New Orleans” is the best example of a classic Parachute song – it has a little bit of everything. Anderson’s backup vocals sound like a southern gospel choir, saxophonist Kit French’s part is something that you might actually hear in New Orleans and the lyrics tell a story, which is what this band does best. Parachute has lost a few members in the last two years with guitarist Nate McFarland and bass player Alex Hargrave both leaving the band. But unlike groups whose music suffers when they downsize, this one managed to rebound from the losses and come back

B3

stronger than they were before. “Wide Awake” has a different sound than Parachute has had in the last few years, but in the best possible way. It sounds a little bit like their 2011 album “The Way it Was,” but more mature. The pop elements from “Overnight” are still there, just not as overdone as they were before. This band put a new spin on the music they were making and the risk turned into a reward. Sometimes as musicians try to evolve they lose what originally made them unique, but with this album, Parachute proves that doesn’t always have to happen.


B 4 •April 19, 2016

A&E

Q&A: ‘Crown the Empire’ By Robyn Kass-Gerji STAFF WRITER

This spring four bands toured on the Monster Outbreak Rock Tour. The bands were Night Verses, ONE OK ROCK, Crown the Empire and Issues. I sat down with lead vocalist of Crown the Empire, Andrew “Andy” Velasquez, to discuss the tour, the new album and band rituals. Hofstra Chronicle: Tell me what the tour is like? How many shows do you have left? Andy Velasquez: I think we’ve only got about a week, maybe a week and a half left. This is one of those tours that seems to feel like really short because everyone on the tour is really nice, so it’s just been super easy. HC: What’s it like touring with Issues? AV: Oh, kickass. We did a tour with them in the UK a while back and it was amazing. HC: I love Issues, I’ve seen them perform a couple times now. AV: Yeah, there’s an honesty about them. They’re not divas, they’re not too cool to hang out and that’s something I really appreciate. HC: You guys are playing Warped Tour this year. What do you think of this year’s lineup? AV: I’m stoked! Honestly this seems like the first time in a while that I haven’t seen many complaints, which is a good thing. It seems like everybody on the internet has something to bitch about every tour ever but I think it seems well-received. HC: Well, you guys just finished recording a new album and you performed your new song “Zero” at Self-Help Fest, how was the reaction? AV: It was surprisingly a lot better than we expected or we could have anticipated. We wrote that song as the one we wanted to put out first and put our best foot forward essentially. That one was just the best one to pick and it was fun. HC: So tell me a little about the new album. AV: It took us about nine months in time. It was the longest time we’ve ever had to work on an album. A lot of the times were, well, we didn’t really have a lot of time to reflect and think about it. This is the first time we had enough experience and actual life to write songs about, you know, real things instead of these fantasy stories. Before we were like 16 and 17, we hadn’t lived yet. It was a risky thing stepping out and doing something different and “Zero” was kind of the first step in that direction. HC: Do you guys have any pre or postshow rituals? AV: I’ll usually just have a shot of whiskey before the set. I used to get really nervous and I would just get s***faced everyday. But now it’s like a ritualistic sort of thing; I obvi-

ously now have had more experience and I’m a lot more confident on stage, so now it’s just more like the ritual of it. We also do this thing where we “heat it up.” It’s a chant. Explaining it to people is always weirder than actually doing it. HC: Do you guys ever butt heads when you’re on tour or making new music? AV: Oh, all the time. I’m an only child so I’ve never had a brother or sister or known what it’s like, so this is how I imagine it would be having six brothers. It’s like we’ll beat the sh*t out of each other, not to bleed but you know, we’ll slap each other around. HC: I get that I have brothers and we used to beat each other up. AV: Oh yeah, so it’s bound to happen. The thing is we’re so close we can work past any issue we come across. HC: What do you guys like to do on your days off? AV: Not hang out with each other. Sometimes we’ll go to the movies, stay in a hotel and get laundry done. If there’s something around the area, something cool, like if we’re in Paris obviously we’re going to go out and do something. HC: Do you ever get recognized on the street or do people ever follow you around? AV: One time I got recognized in New York! Actually it was the day after we played a show and we had an off day and I was walking around. I went to that Toys R Us actually and some dude was like “No way?!” and I was like, “Is this really about to happen, did I get recognized in a normal place?” This guy was like “You’re in ..” and I was thinking “Here it comes,” and he goes “Capture the Crown!” I was like, ugh not the band, but I’ll take it though. HC: Do you have any advice for bands who are trying to get their music heard? AV: Oh man, to start, there are so many things. It’s a thousand times harder than I thought it was originally. So, if you’re trying to be a musician, practice your ass off. That’s all it is. Just get [to] the best you can be and if you come across something then it will happen. If you’re in a band, social media is God now. ----------------------------------------------The show took place at Irving Plaza in New York City. As a live band Crown the Empire completely rocked out and played a well-rounded set. I don’t think the fans could have asked for a better show. Hopefully next time they’ll be headlining and even more people will know the lyrics to their songs. Make sure you check out Crown the Empire on this summer’s Warped Tour.

The Chronicle

‘Everybody Wants Some!!’

By Muhammad Muzammal ASSISTANT ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Coming off his 12 years in the making magnum opus, “Boyhood,” Richard Linklater returns to his early ‘90s roots for his next effort, “Everybody Wants Some!!” – a coming-of-age story centered on a college freshman’s final days before his first class. A throwback to Linklater’s freeflowing, teenager-oriented narrative style, “Everybody Wants Some!!” is a funny, light-hearted comedy that is full of the director’s signature philosophical blunders and fresh human wit. Both of these elements add layers to the film, separating it from the “American Pie” crowd of teenage films. Linklater’s hero is Jake (a great find in Blake Jenner), a sensitive, soft-spoken nobody who we first meet driving his low rider with a stash of old ‘70s vinyl records stacked in the backseat. The camera, always relaxed and never aggressive, films Jake’s point of view which is an exciting perspective. As Jake arrives at his house, we learn that he’s on a pitcher on the baseball team and meet the rest of his adventurous, always entertaining teammates. Roll call: There’s the fiendishly entertaining womanizer Finn (Glen Powell), the elusive, friendly California pothead Willoughsby (Wyatt Russell), the stubbornly competitive McReynolds (Tyler Hoechlin), the angry weirdo Jay Niles (Juston Street) and the coolminded chameleon Dale (J. Quinton Johnson). Other characters fill in the mix, but these five stayed with me: They are the type of strong men jocks we see in high school and beyond. Linklater’s biggest achievement in the film is showing depth behind this stereotype. The baseball team attends parties on the nights leading up to the first day of classes. There’s the disco club gala, which erupts in teenage sex chaos back at the house, a country club freestyle rodeo, a punk party and a performing arts party, which although less aggressive than the previous three, is just as creatively staged and a bit more risqué. The parties act as hotspots for the baseball team members to find their identities. But more so, they give way to the team’s primary goal: sex. At the social core of these players is the lust for sex and the lust for life – hence the title. The always humorous competitions amongst the teammates, from games of ping pong to Space Invaders, show

the characters’ need to win, and you get the feeling they want something more than just the title of Space Invaders Champion. For Jake, that something is not just sex and winning, but an actual relationship. One of the film’s greatest scenes is a cruising sequence gone wrong. Finn tries to seduce the redhead Beverly (Zoey Deutch) and her friend. Instead, he gets rejected by the ever so smart Beverly, who looks past the rest of the players in the car and stops at the “quiet one in the backseat,”Jake, who is crunched like a tin can between two of his teammates. The scene helps to jumpstart a journey for Jake that grows into an unexpected bond between himself, a baseball player and Beverly, the fine arts major. It was a thoughtful touch that supports the movie’s view of differing teenage perspectives on the topic of growing up. “Everybody Wants Some!!” explores the insecurities and deep questions that your average horny teenager may ask about life. (Freshmen, take note of the discussions about which classes to take and which major to pursue.) At the end of the film, class finally starts, but there is no big philosophical statement to validate the film’s seriousness – don’t be fooled by the professor’s mantra on the board. The ending is, like the events preceding it, a single moment in the lives of these teenage boys in Texas in the 1980s. For Linklater, life may not be about the big picture but the tiny moments in between. The film is surprisingly provocative and much more nuanced than your regular teen flick. It is also a fun ride with a killer soundtrack, filled with vibrant hits such as “My Sharona,” “Let’s Get Serious” and “Give Up the Funk.” It also has its share of memorable, visual gags like the freshmen hazing scene, shortly after the team’s first practice. “Everybody Wants Some!!” is a loosely entertaining film that is not only a worthy follow-up to Linklater’s epic “Boyhood” but a film that stands on its own regard.

Courtesy youtube.com


A12 • APRIL 19, 2016

EDITORIAL

The Chronicle

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

The Party Line

Republicans are pro-reform, not anti-immigrant

By Johannes Sorto CONTRIBUTOR

There are few issues in American politics today that the left distorts as effectively as immigration. Though liberals love to argue that Republicans hate all illegal immigrants and are the anti-immigrant party, this argument is a far cry from reality. The nonpartisan Pew Research Center conducted a survey among Republicans on immigration and found that 70 percent of Republicans believe that the economy would benefit if undocumented workers became legal citizens. Another 69 percent of Republicans believe that illegal immigrants are hard workers and 86 percent of Republicans would support legislation that allowed immigrants to live here legally. Lastly, 76 percent of Republicans believe that deporting illegal immigrants is

unrealistic. Only a small minority of Republicans are against immigration reform. Yet this group receives the most media attention and used to represent all Republicans, thanks to the Democratic Party’s rhetoric. The problem with immigration is there are a large amount of immigrants who are able to enter this country through various means, such as by crossing the border illegally or overstaying their visa. The left claims that the only way to solve this is to allow every illegal immigrant automatic citizenship. This does not fix the problem in any way. Granting citizenship does not fix the problem, instead it encourages it and we would have even more people entering

illegally. We already saw this occur when President Obama signed into law the Dream Act. After it was signed, children from Mexico and Central America crossed the border illegally because their parents believed that any child that enters the U.S. will automatically become

illegally, it can lower the number, and more importantly, it can stop drug trafficking which is plaguing communities, including ones on Long Island. The second part is to change the immigration system so that it provides a legal avenue for poor people from Latin America to immigrate here. Many people from Latin America enter the U.S. without papers because there is no option for them, but if there are opportunities through a better immigration system, we would see a drop in illegal immigration overall. The third part is that the U.S. needs to pay more attention to Latin America. Millions of Hispanics are coming here

“The Republican Party is a party of reforming the government to run more effectively for our nation.” a citizen. This created a major humanitarian crisis that lasted an entire summer, a direct result of liberal policies. The solution to immigration has three parts. The first is better border security. Though no amount of border security can stop all immigrants from crossing

because of gang violence or poverty. If the United States made a greater effort helping Latin American countries fight against gang violence, along with increasing economic development, we would see less illegal immigrants entering the United States. The Republican Party has never been an anti-immigrant party. The Republican Party is a party of reforming the government to run more effectively for our nation. It is a party that is focused on stopping waste, fraud and abuse and looks to promote freedom to all in hopes that everyone will be able to live life to the fullest.

Johannes Sorto is the president of the Republicans of Hofstra University.

Have an opinion? Email us at hofstrachronicleeditorials@gmail.com

America: a nation of immigrants By Jesse Saunders PHOTO EDITOR

We are a country built on the backs of immigrants and yet we have had anti-immigrant rhetoric in almost every era of our nation’s history. The current hatred towards immigrants, specifically Muslims and Mexicans, is an unfortunate new face to a problem that has plagued our nation since its inception. However, while it’s easy to use a few choice examples of immigrants causing issues or being the source of violence, the majority are assets to the country and deserve the right to citizenship that most of our ancestors longed and fought for. Immigration is not something that should be a controversial issue, since this country was founded by people looking for a better life away from their natural home. It seems

entirely hypocritical to deny people looking for the same solace as our ancestors. President Obama’s administration has deported the most illegal immigrants in modern history, but has demonstrated with other legislation that mass deportation is not the way to solve the problem of illegal immigration. Obama has worked hard to enact laws that would aid immigrants, knowing that at one point “we were strangers too.” Laws such as the Dream Act would be permanent and peaceful solutions to a problem that seems to be unceasing. Deporting illegal immigrants breaks up families and leaves children to fend for themselves in a currently overencumbered foster care system. Though many believe otherwise, illegal immigrants aren’t stealing American jobs. On the contrary, they’re being exploited for their

desperation for work. While there is an illusion that everyday Americans are losing out to illegal immigrants, they misunderstand the exact treatment of those workers. More often than not, they are underpaid and overworked in jobs that many Americans ignore or underestimate the need for. Instead of building a wall and expecting another country to pay for it, Americans need to look to making the path to citizenship more accessible. Why should we punish people who come to this country for the same reasons our ancestors did? The keystone of the American dream is that it can be anyone’s dream, not just a naturalized American citizen’s.

Jesse Saunders is the president of the Democrats of Hofstra University.


The Chronicle

OP - ED

APRIL 19, 2016 •

A13

Smoking ban is important Letter to the editor

By Erica Brosnan STAFF WRITER

The academic side of Hofstra University became smoke-free in December 2014, but that’s not something you would realize if you simply walked around. Despite the fact that the south side of campus is a completely smoke-free area, cigarette smoking continues as if a ban never even existed. Hofstra has always been clear about the repercussions of smoking on campus: a fine of $25 for the first violation and a fine of $50 for reoccurring violations. Yet the campus still seems far away from being free of smoke. When the ban was first enacted, I thought it was really going to do Hofstra a lot of good. Before the ban I would find myself constantly and unexpectedly walking into clouds of tobacco smoke and was repeatedly frustrated that it was allowed on campus. Even more so considering this was happening well after the Smoke Free Air Act had been passed in New York, banning smoking and the use of electronic

cigarettes “in virtually all workplaces, close to hospital entrances and in city parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas.” It had seemed to me that Hofstra stayed in accordance with New York State law banning smoking from indoor areas, but pedestrian walkways and plazas on campus were still legally free game. Therefore, when Hofstra decided to ban smoking across

also a fire hazard – especially in grassy areas around campus where people flick cigarette butts – and an environmental and aesthetic problem as well. We have a smoking ban on campus for a reason, yet there are still plenty of people who will blatantly ignore it. I’ve even seen some students smoking while standing directly adjacent to a “smoke-free campus” sign. There’s only so much Public Safety can do to enforce the smoking ban, and most of the time it’s considered too much of a hassle to fine somebody for such a small offense. It’s really up to the students and faculty to respect the ban and realize that it’s not funny or ironic when you ignore rules that are put in place for the safety of others, especially when there are plenty of places on the north side of campus where you can chainsmoke to your heart’s content. Smokers, please do everyone’s lungs a favor and minimize the amount of toxins already polluting New York’s air and start smoking on the other side of the unispan.

“...It’s really up to the students and faculty to respect the ban and realize that it’s not funny or ironic when you ignore rules that are put in place for the safety of others...” the entire south side of campus, I was proud of my school for recognizing the impact of smoking and second-hand smoke and that it had made an effort to attempt to minimize the effects. I recognize that most college students are above the legal age to smoke and therefore, if they choose to smoke then that’s completely fine and I respect that decision. However, I feel that smokers should also respect the indisputable fact that second-hand smoke is a very real threat. Smoking is

By Brittany Scalise

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Hello Class of 2016! I’m sure you have been getting lots of email this semester about graduation, and the mixed emotions of excitement and fear are beginning to sink in. I know some of you hoped this experience would never end, while others cannot wait for the next chapter of your lives to begin! Two years ago I was in your same position, dancing somewhere in the middle of both those feelings. I’m here to tell you that graduation doesn’t mean your relationship with Hofstra ends. The moment you receive your diploma, you become a Hofstra GOLD Alumnus/a (Graduate of the Last Decade) and are welcomed as a member of an incredibly successful network of young professionals. Hofstra GOLD hosts many networking events throughout the year where alumni come together and show their support for the university. I would like to warmly welcome you to your first Hofstra GOLD event, which will be taking place in New York City on June 16, 2016. Attending a Hofstra GOLD event is a great opportunity to make new contacts, as well as connect with old friends! Additionally, GOLD alumni are eligible to receive discounted ticket prices for regional and University events such as Gala, Fall Festival and the NYC Alumni Holiday Party. Being a GOLD Alumnus/a provides you with the opportunity to give back to Hofstra. Your support benefits student scholarships and ensures that undergraduates will continue to have the same resources you had when you were here. To celebrate the transition from student to Hofstra GOLD alumnus/a, I ask that you support the 2016 Senior Class Gift. This annual tradition invites seniors to make a difference by giving back to the university and showing your support for the Hofstra community. Your class gift of $20.16 will help to ensure that future students have the same opportunities you’ve had during your time at Hofstra. Hofstra University has placed you in a unique positon to succeed, if you let what you’ve learned help you along the way. So don’t be afraid to take risks and stay adventurous! Good luck and CONGRATULATIONS! I hope to see you at the next GOLD event on June 16!

Single-issue voting does more harm than good

By Gabriella Ciuffetelli EDITORIAL EDITOR

If there is one thing that I am tired of as a young, female, nonreligious Republican voter, it is the fact that a politician’s stance on abortion has somehow become the ultimate litmus test of one’s devotion to conservatism. While this may be because I’m one of the few anomalous Republicans who are actually pro-choice, I genuinely believe it is ridiculous to boil anyone’s record or political standing down to a solitary issue, regardless of what that issue may be. Look, I get it. Abortion is an issue of values, and, as such, it spurs the most heated possible responses from proponents of either side of the debate. But can anyone justifiably argue that it is fair to reduce the complexities of conservatism or liberalism, to one

single issue? Speaking personally, I can fully attest to the fact that it is in fact possible to believe in specific ideals of Traditionalist Conservatism (like limited government, responsible spending, individual liberty and low taxation) while also being pro-choice or more lax on social issues. Assuming otherwise is not only ignorant, but also dangerous. The greatest modern example has to be the first 2016 Republican presidential debate in which each candidate was asked point blank whether or not they support abortion for any reason, including in the cases of rape/incest or danger to the mother’s life. For many, if not all of the candidates on stage, giving any answer other than “no” could be seen as an early end to

a campaign that had barely even started. Forcing candidates to pass this sort of litmus test not only perpetuates this idea that conservatism doesn’t fall on a spectrum, when it very much does, but also keeps candidates who may not be totally against abortion from saying so as they fear being labeled a “RINO,” (Republican in Name Only), by members of their own party. How, as a party, are Republicans to ever breach our differences, of which there are many, when we are too busy vilifying each other over singular issues? If we want to change the narrative of the GOP being a divided party, the first place to start is with ourselves. Of course, this is not an inherently Republican problem either. In fact, this election cycle

also brought scrutiny on the Democratic side to Senator Jim Webb for being “too Republican” because of his stances on homeland security. Webb received vilification of his own from the media and from voters for being too far to the right simply because he disagreed with his base on a particular facet of policy. What we must remember as a populace is that there is an inherent difference between ideologies and political parties. Ideologies will always continue to exist, and always exist in varying degrees, with or without the formal framework of a party around it. As such, I think there is no single issue so great that it deserves to strip away someone’s political affiliation, whether they’re a private citizen or a politician. Instead of looking for

“the perfect candidate” and discounting members of our own parties for disagreeing on singular issues – even if they’re important ones – we must instead take a step back and look at the bigger picture. If we continue to create an environment in which we refuse to compromise with our elected officials, how can we expect our leaders to compromise with their peers or with their coworkers across the aisle? Being a hard-liner, no-compromise Republican or Democrat may be great for winning primaries, but it is terrible for actually getting things done.

This op-ed was originally published on Degree180. com


A 14 • April 19, 2016

SPORTS

The Chronicle

Men’s lacrosse takes down Drexel to move up in CAA By Elliot Rubin STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra men’s lacrosse team extended its winning streak to two games as they defeated the Drexel Dragons, 10-4, on Saturday night in Philadelphia. Hofstra is now in a three-way tie for second place in the CAA standings with Towson and the University of Delaware. The Pride started off the scoring at the 10:53 mark, when Korey Hendrickson scored on an assist by Brendan Kavanagh. Hendrickson’s goal was his 22nd of the season. Hofstra added another five minutes later when Josh Byrne assisted Brian von Bargen en route to his 24th goal of the season. The Pride led 2-0 after the first quarter. Michael Kay, however, ensured that Drexel would not be shut out for long. A minute into the second period, Kay contributed his second goal of the season, cutting Hofstra’s lead to 2-1. Later in the quarter, the Pride

answered back with two goals of its own. The pair of Hendrickson and Kavanagh was responsible for another score as they extended Hofstra’s lead to 3-1. Then, at the 5:27 mark, Sam Llinares delivered his 24th goal of the season, as the Pride pushed its lead further, going up 4-1 by halftime. Hofstra came out on the offensive to begin the second half and scored five goals in the third quarter. Hendrickson started it all with this third goal of the day and his 24th of the season. A minute later, Byrne added his 25th goal. At the 5:55 mark, Kavanagh scored a goal of his own – his eighth of the season. Two minutes later, Zachary Franco assisted Hendrickson as he added yet another goal – his 25th. Byrne finished up the scoring in the third quarter for the Pride by adding another goal with one second left in the quarter, his second of the game and 26th of

the season, giving Hofstra a 9-1 lead. The Dragons started off the scoring in the final quarter. At the 11:20 mark, Matthew Varian assisted Nick Valentino’s second goal of the season. Drexel scored again nearly 30 seconds later, at the 10:54 mark, when Frank Fusco scored his fourth goal of the season. The Dragons cut the Hofstra lead to 9-3, and it looked like Drexel still had time left to make up the deficit. Yet, they only scored one more goal the rest of the way. At 3:50, Llinares scored his 25th goal of the season and the second of the game, pushing Hofstra’s lead to 10-3, all but sealing the game for the Pride. At the 2:05 mark, Drexel’s Jeremy Omrod scored his second and the final goal of the game, setting up the final score of 10-4. Offensively, Hofstra had 20 shots on goal, with nine coming in the third quarter, the most per quarter in the game. In the first

having the focus and this is my last year of lacrosse so I might as well give it my all.” His current stats can attest to this as he has scored 24 goals and five assists. He’s currently the third-best scorer on the team with the fourth-highest total amount of points. Von Bargen was motivated by the lack of performance from seasons before and he evaluated his performance to work out all of the problem areas. “The focus from the summer after that loss [in the 2015 regular season finale] [was to] work hard and I really just developed my game and really focused on what I needed to be good at,” said von Bargen detailing most of this work during the offseason, which was a mental endeavor. The 22-year-old didn’t have it easy when he first started his college career with the Pride. Von Bargen scored 15 goals across his first three years in a Hofstra uniform. Von Bargen finds himself closest with two fellow players in particular, senior Sam Llinares and junior Josh Byrne.

“It’s all about being good guys. They stick by my side through thick and thin and just always [have] my back,” he said. Von Bargen values the bonds he’s made with his teammates. Although he does not even hesitate for a second when asked who his biggest inspiration is. “My dad. He played football at C.W. Post and his work ethic and the way he [carries] himself. He comes to every game,” von Bargen said. During his time on the field, von Bargen focuses on the task at hand and shuts out most of the background noise. “I go game deaf [when playing] other than the coaches and the sideline I don’t really hear anything,” von Bargen said. “I don’t really get affected by the crowd, the big thing is the sidelines. The sidelines’ energy is something I pick up on. It’s always fun playing in the rain getting out there.” Von Bargen is very comfortable with balancing school and lacrosse as a senior pursuing a major in criminology. Yet, the biggest challenge he faces this season is coping with competing

Cam Keough/The Chronicle Korey Hendrickson tallied four goals against Drexel, compiling 25 this season.

quarter, they had four shots on goal. In the second, they had five and in the fourth, they had two. Defensively, Hofstra recorded nine saves, while Drexel had 10. With the win, Hofstra improved to 8-4 on the season (2-1 in conference play), and Drexel

dropped to 4-8 with the loss (0-3 in the CAA). The Pride will travel to Amherst, Massachusetts, to battle the UMass Minutemen this Saturday at 1 p.m.

Brian von Bargen enjoying breakout senior year By Victoria Mickens STAFF WRITER

When you go to a Hofstra men’s lacrosse game there is no doubt that you have heard the name Brian von Bargen being broadcasted throughout James M. Shuart stadium this season. Von Bargen is a senior midfielder who has contributed greatly to the Pride’s current 8-4 overall record, 2-1 in the CAA. The Wantagh, New York, native just celebrated his 22nd birthday on March 30 and has been playing lacrosse since he was in first grade. Although basketball and football played major roles in his athleticism, von Bargen always had a passion for lacrosse. To ensure a solid finishing season, von Bargen has actively worked to improve his strategy, technique and overall fitness. Yet, he has seen the most noticeable results in his mindset and overall focus. “[I’m] just going out the way I want to,” von Bargen said about his approach to this season. “Last year was tough, [finishing the 2015 season at] 5-9. Just

Cam Keough/The Chronicle Midfielder Brian von Bargen is fourth on the team in goals (24) and points (29).

in the remaining time left before his collegiate career ends. “Coming out and playing a good game [is most important] because it’s a ticking time clock

and I only have so many left,” von Bargen said.


The Chronicle

SPORTS

April 19, 2016 •

A 15

Maddie Fields capitalizes on shared role in net By Mark Mausner STAFF WRITER

Hofstra women’s lacrosse freshman goalie Maddie Fields has been a pleasant surprise in the net for the Pride this season. Her performance in goal is a bright spot in what has been a difficult season for the team. Fields has a 12.92 goalsagainst average, a team-best for players that have posted over 250 minutes between the pipes. She gives a great deal of credit to her fellow goalie Alexis Greene for showing her the ropes. “She is a mentor,” Fields said. “She really took me under her wing when I got here and even when I wasn’t playing, she was always helping me and telling me exactly what we were doing. We’ve become really close; we’re like best friends now.” Instead of being competitors fighting for one position, they’ve worked together to help each other improve. “I can say I’ve bonded with everyone on the team,” Fields said. ”There’s never an awkward

moment with anyone, so I’d say those are some good team qualities. I wouldn’t want to be on a team where I couldn’t just have fun and talk with everyone on the team.” Fields holds a record of 2-2 on the season, including an 11-9 victory over Columbia in which she played every second of the game and recorded a career-high nine saves. “Coming into my freshman season, I didn’t expect to be playing, so to be getting playing time is pretty incredible to me and the whole team has been really welcoming,” Fields said. Her second victory came just days later in a thrilling 10-9 overtime win on the road at William and Mary in the team’s CAA opener. Her success so far has been a result of working hard to overcome adversity. “I came in with a broken wrist so I wasn’t playing at all in the fall which was difficult,” she said. “When I was injured, I really wanted to get back to playing so that became a huge part of my

life. It definitely motivated me to do extra work and watch film and get to know what the team is like.” The Maryland native was surrounded by the sport growing up. She had two older brothers who played lacrosse and her parents had friends whose kids were all in on it as well. “Everyone played so they kind of just put me in automatically. We always just threw in a goalie, so one day I just went in and I actually happened to be good at it so all my coaches told me I should stick with it, so I just started working on that,” Fields said. The biology major may pursue other dreams besides lacrosse after college. “I want to do PreVet,” she said. ”I love animals. I want to get into veterinary school after college so I think that it would be a little difficult playing lacrosse afterwards.” The freshman still has a while before she gets to that point, and the sport she plays will help her to succeed out of the goal as

Cam Keough/The Chronicle Freshman Maddie Fields has logged two of the team’s three victories this year.

well. “When I’m on the field, I don’t think about anything else,” Fields said. ”I don’t think about that biology test I have the next day. It just clears my mind and you

know if you make a save everybody just gets pumped, so it boosts my confidence, too.”

Pride stunned by late comeback from Delaware By Kevin Carroll SPORTS EDITOR

What initially looked like a sure victory turned out to be the exact opposite for the Hofstra women’s lacrosse team, dropping a 14-13 overtime heartbreaker to the University of Delaware on Saturday afternoon at James M. Shuart Stadium. Hofstra led 7-0 with just a few minutes remaining in the first half, but the Blue Hens would outscore the Pride 14-6 over the rest of regulation, with Jamie Schwartz scoring the game-winner just a minute into overtime to give the Blue Hens the shocking victory. “A heartbreaking loss, it really is, there’s no other way to say it,” said Hofstra head coach Shannon Smith. “Delaware kept fighting back … the ball didn’t bounce our way today.” A beautiful day for lacrosse looked as if it were going to turn ugly quickly for the visiting Blue Hens. Hofstra came out firing on all cylinders, running the score to 7-0 before Delaware could respond with a goal of its own.

But that goal would prove to be the first of many for Delaware, who ran off three more consecutive goals to cut the Pride’s seven-goal lead down to just a 7-4 advantage heading into halftime. Even after Delaware managed to fight back from that large deficit, Hofstra still looked like it had the game in hand when graduate attacker Lindsay Scott scored her fifth goal of the game – and 47th goal of the season – to give the Pride a 13-10 lead with just 3:33 left in regulation. But the Blue Hens, who came into Saturday’s contest looking for their first CAA victory, would not go down quietly. Shannon Hawley scored for the Blue Hens with 1:40 remaining, and then Coley Ricci would make it a 13-12 game with just 51 seconds left. After winning the ensuing draw control, Delaware called timeout. “We just told them to buckle down, play sound defense and make sure we were communicating and not fouling at this point,” Smith said about what she told her team coming out of that

timeout. The defense did buckle down, turning away a few attempts from the Blue Hen attackers. Hawley was able to find a gap in the defense, beating Hofstra goalie Alexis Greene with just 12 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Delaware was able to gain possession of the ball to start the overtime period, and Schwartz found the back of the net to win the game under sudden-victory rules. Greene, who got the start on Saturday after an impressive performance on Friday against Towson, had another solid game in goal with eight saves. “She was really seeing the ball well today,” Smith said of Greene, who has been locked in a goalie battle all season with freshman Maddie Fields. “She’s been playing really well the last two games.” In addition to Scott’s superb five-goal performance, freshman Lexi Lenaghan notched the first hat trick of her Hofstra career, setting a new personal-high with three goals. Drew Shapiro had two goals

Cam Keough/ The Chronicle Lindsay Scott had five goals and two assists in the overtime loss vs. Delaware.

and Carlee Ancone, Morgan Knox and Jenna Budd each scored for the Pride. Budd’s goal was the first of her career. With the loss, the Pride drops to 3-10 on the season, with a 1-3 record in the CAA. Delaware improves to 9-6 and breaks into

the win column in conference play with a mark of 1-3. Hofstra returns to action on Friday, April 22, heading over into Suffolk County to take on rival Stony Brook at 7 p.m.


A 16 • April 19, 2016

SPORTS

The Chronicle

Softball’s Larissa Anderson looks for resurgence in CAA By Mike Rudin SPORTS EDITOR

The Hofstra Pride softball team is on the hunt for a CAA playoff spot as the team currently sits in fifth place in the conference. The Pride (21-17, 5-6 CAA) just wrapped up a three-game series against the University of Delaware over the weekend. Prior to the series, I had the chance to speak to Pride head coach Larissa Anderson about the strengths and weaknesses of the team so far. Mike Rudin: Despite a rocky start, as the Pride has been close to .500 a majority of the season, your team won four of the last five games [prior to the Delaware series]. What helped the team collect the recent winning stretch? Larissa Anderson: It’s been our ability to compete every pitch for seven full innings. That’s something we’ve been trying to instill and we’ve talked about it, we work on it in practice and I really saw it for the first time against Elon. That they truly competed every single pitch and the outing Jessica Peslak had, and the emotion the team had after

that, I think they felt the gratification of putting in all the hard work that they had prior to and it really paid off.

.362 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs. What’s been the key to her success, having this breakout year?

MR: As you mentioned with Jessica Peslak doing well recently, she’s made her way to being the go-to starter now with a 15-7 record and 141 1/3 innings pitched. How much progress has she made throughout this season?

LA: She is becoming a true student of the game in the batter’s box. She has worked with my assistant Elise [Fortier] every single day. She watches video, she talks about hitting [and] she understands her swing. She feels it, she’s a true student of the game right now [and] understanding exactly what she’s capable of doing and what she feels when her swing is breaking down and how she needs to correct it. She’s put in the work. She’s put in more work than anybody else on the team and it’s obviously paid off.

LA: Her growth is above and beyond where I expected [it] to be by this year because she is a first-year player. Even though she is a junior and she has observed this program for the last two years, she doesn’t have a lot of experience under her belt. So she’s still technically a freshman in terms of her playing experience, and she really has taken [it] upon herself to elevate her game. She expects tremendous outings every single time she throws and she’s getting better every single time … she gives us an opportunity to win every single game she’s going out and I can’t ask any more than that. MR: Your shortstop Michaela Transue, is having a great year at the plate right now, batting

MR: Also, Kim Smith and Caryn Bailey are the veteran presences in the lineup, both [are] also doing really well right now. How important is it to have that offensive core for your team? LA: It’s huge and it’s the experience, there’s nothing that replaces experience. They’ve been there, they’ve done that [and] they’re not intimidated by an opponent, they’re not intimidated by a pitcher. They just have to let the game come to them and stay relaxed and do everything they’ve been doing in their entire career. MR: On a side note, Transue and Smith have struggled defensively a little bit with compiling 31 errors altogether. Is there anything in practice you or any of the assistant coaches wanted to focus on to help with that?

Cam Keough/The Chronicle Anderson and Hofstra softball team members stand for the national anthem.

LA: Now, the reason why is that you have pitchers that don’t throw as many strikeouts as pitchers in the past. So, more balls are being put in play because we don’t have that strikeout pitcher … [and] more balls are being hit harder so they’re putting a little more pressure on the left side of the infield. Especially with the tendencies Peslak and Scarpato throw to what side of the plate. So, more balls are being hit hard in play and at the same time we expect them to make those plays. So, it’s getting them to play at a faster pace … with the ball being put over the heart of the plate a

Cam Keough/ The Chronicle Head coach Larissa Anderson converses with infielder Megan Patierno.

little bit more, it puts a lot more pressure on the defense that they haven’t been used to. MR: Between Nikki Michalowski and Brittany Allocca, both in new positions – Allocca at catcher and Michalowski at first – how well have they adapted so far this season? LA: Michalowski has wowed me from day one. She’s one of those that her will completely exceeds her skills. She’s so driven and so determined … to have a breakout year and to earn a starting position that she has just impressed me every single day. Brittany Allocca is a born catcher and she is so natural back there. The adjustment we had to make with her is she just had to speed up to the play of our game. She has such an unbelievable arm that throughout her entire life she just relied on her arm strength. She could’ve looked at a runner, probably winked twice and then throw out a kid at second base because her arm was that good. She can’t do that at this level so she just had to get a little bit quicker on her transfer, which she has done. MR: Also, you have to be happy with the batting well at over .310 at the plate. What’s really worked for them? LA: It’s the time they’ve been putting in and understanding and not trying to do too much. Both

of them hit on both sides of the plate very well. They have home run potential so you can’t make mistakes to athletes like that and it takes the pressure off of players like Bailey, Transue and Smith when you know you have younger players that are in the lineup and getting the job done. It doesn’t put as much pressure on those older athletes. MR: Now with your team tied for fifth in the CAA standings, what do you look to do to help pick up the slack a little bit and create a winning recipe? LA: We got to start winning some series’. [After] losing the series to Towson and then only getting two games in against [UNC] Wilmington, we’ve put ourselves in a tough hole. We got to start winning some series’ here to have a shot to make the playoffs and the team knows. Their backs are up against the wall and they have to play with a desperation because Hofstra has never not made the playoffs. So we have to make sure that we take care of what we’re able to do and we can’t be watching the scoreboard and hoping other teams lose.

TO SEE THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW, GO TO: http://thehofstrachronicle.com/ category/sports/


The Chronicle

SPORTS

April 19, 2016 •

A 17

Softball drops 5-0 lead, loses rubber match By Mark Mausner STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra softball team forfeited a five-run lead in the fifth and sixth innings, losing to the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens, 10-6, on Sunday afternoon. Delaware knocked in four runs in the fifth inning and scored six in the following frame, taking the rubber match of the CAA series. Senior third baseman Kim Smith led the Pride at the plate

despite the series loss, batting 2-for-4 and collecting three RBI on the day. Senior outfielder Chloe Fitzgerald also collected a multihit game, batting 2-for-5 with two RBIs. The Pride scored three runs in the first inning, taking advantage of two errors by the Blue Hens. Fitzgerald, the Pride’s leadoff hitter, made it to first on a throwing error on the first at-bat of the game.

Victoria Mickens/The Chronicle Third baseman Kim Smith collected three RBIs in the series finale vs. Delaware.

Two consecutive walks by Blue Hens starter Carolyn Szymanski loaded the bases and Smith’s one-out double brought Fitzgerald and Michaela Transue home. Sophomore catcher Brittany Allocca then scored from first on a throwing error on the relay throw from the outfield. Hofstra’s three runs in the first inning came on just one hit. The Pride extended its lead to 5-0 an inning later when Transue and Allocca were hit by pitches on consecutive at-bats. The Blue Hens pulled Szymanski from the game, as she allowed five runs on one hit in less than two innings. Delaware made it a one-run ballgame in the fifth when Mariah Kondravy’s single up the middle plated Leanna Gearhart. Anna Steinmetz followed that up with a three-run home run to left-center to make the score 5-4. After Smith gave the Pride an insurance run in the sixth, the Blue Hens loaded the bases off freshman reliever Madison Grimm and had an opportunity to turn the game around against Hofstra’s Courtney Scarpato. An illegal pitch by the righthander brought home a run. A fielding error then scored two Delaware runs to give them a 7-6 lead. Kondravy hit another single up the middle for a RBI and

Victoria Mickens/The Chronicle Reliever Courtney Scarpato came in with the bases loaded and a 6-4 lead until Delaware scored six runs during her outing in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Lisa Stacevicz’s double drove in two more to seal the Blue Hens victory. In the circle, Jessica Peslak got the nod and pitched through the first 4.2 innings. She surrendered four earned runs, five hits and three walks with no strikeouts. Grimm took over and took the loss, giving up three earned runs with two outs to show, as her record dropped to 5-6. Scarpato finished the game to

close out the sixth, getting the final two outs. She gave up three unearned runs on three hits with one strikeout in her outing. The Pride is now 21-17 overall and 5-6 in CAA play. Hofstra sits in fifth place in the conference standings. On the other hand, Delaware moved to 26-14 overall, with a record of 8-4 in the conference.

HOFSTRA ATHLETIC CALENDAR Away Home

4/19

4/20

4/21

4/22

4/23

4/24

4/25

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

University of Massachusetts 1 p.m.

men’s lacrosse Stony Brook University 7 p.m.

women’s lacrosse Softball

baseball

Stony Brook University 3:30 p.m. LIU-Brooklyn 3 p.m.

Elon University 6:30 p.m.

Elon University 12 p.m. Drexel University 2 & 4:30 p.m.

Drexel University 12 p.m.

Elon University 4 p.m.

Elon University 12 p.m.


A 18 • April 19, 2016

SPORTS

The Chronicle

John Russo sees camraderie, passion in team By Victoria Mickens STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra baseball team began the season with many struggles, sporting a 1-7 conference record heading into a threegame set against the College of Charleston (they’re now 4-7). I had the chance to meet and speak with head coach John Russo to discuss what Hofstra fans have to look forward to prior to their series sweep. Victoria Mickens: What are your thoughts on the season so far? John Russo: We’ve had a lot of tough losses. We’ve gotten to do a lot of travel. It became a little bit tiring. I think we hit the grind of the season a little sooner than what we would have thought. I wish we would have won some of the closer games. We have about 12 losses by two runs or less and I think if we had won even a couple of those, it changes how maybe we would have started conference with our confidence a little higher. But I am happy we have gotten to play and get the players a lot of experience so far. VM: How do you and the team keep your composure with repeated losses? JR: The losses add up. The

thing I try to talk to the team about is not continually making the same mistakes and getting better and learning from experience. And I think part of [the issue is] us playing young position players for sure; eight out of our nine guys on our line up return next year and we’re starting a freshman and a sophomore in the conference rotation, so they’re getting a lot of experience. So not making the same mistakes, and as a coach I think you have to look at the long term value that you’ll get from them in the season. So hopefully all the experience that they’re gaining now maybe won’t help up as much this year but it will definitely help us in the future. VM: How do the players help each other work towards this same goal? JR: I think by being on the road all the time, they get a lot of time together; I think our team camaraderie is really high and I think this team really gets along. I don’t think morale has ever been down all year and we don’t act like a team [with few wins] because we know the competition we have faced. And when you’re going to Texas A&M, who was number one in the country last week; or you’re playing Missouri, who’s in the SEC and

you’re playing Ohio State, who’s one of the top teams in the Big Ten and Longwood, who’s leading their conference, we know exactly what we have done. And maybe on the outside people don’t know, but we have played as tough a schedule as probably any team in the Northeast. The kids have enjoyed that part of it, we would just like to have won more.

VM: What are your thoughts on the first home victory this year [vs. Manhattan]? JR: I thought it was something that needed to happen. I was really bothered by us being 0-5 at home to start the season, and I felt like we played like a road team instead of a home team [in terms of] having the confidence that we should. We had a meeting before the game to talk about those things. Never have I been so confident in a game this year as I was before the start of yesterday’s game [because] I just thought we prepared correctly. I thought we had whatever that “it” factor was. We were walking around a little differently. [We were] super happy with the win and you can tell the guys felt better. VM: In addition to the camaraderie that you mentioned, do some of your top players help out those who may not be as experienced? JR: We have really good seniors. We have Bowie Matteson, Alec Eisenberg, Chris Bonk, Dave Jesch and Ryan Karl. They’re all great kids. Chris Hardardt’s another one. They have done such a great job of integrating the younger guys. The younger kids usually, when they’re getting corrected, can do one of two things: They can get upset because they’re not used to it or they really embrace it, and I think they have really been embracing them. And I think that’s what has made camaraderie so good. I think it’s also a respect factor. And they treat each other respectfully. They’re all good kids and in turn they help foster the camaraderie. VM: Do you see that passion and love for the game in practice?

Cam Keough/The Chronicle Head coach John Russo, talking with new hitting coach Tyler Kavanaugh.

JR: We do. Like home runs or big outs and that’s what the

Cam Keough/ The Chronicle Baseball head coach John Russo is currently 111-126 at the helm of the Pride.

beauty of college athletics is. Everyone is excited, everybody gets when things like that are happening. [The] weekend against Delaware, we had a lot of negative emotion. We seem to get frustrated on the mound; we had a couple of big at bats not go our way. And to be truthful, I feel that Delaware was fuel by those emotions and they carried on our negative emotions and it lead to their sweep of the weekend. VM: Do other sports influence your players? Other Hofstra sports in particular and their performance in their seasons? JR: One of my favorite nights of the year we were in Florida and we were at dinner on Thursday night I believe. The restaurant was full and we were sitting at a long table, and throughout the table everyone had their phones out and we were watching the CAA tournament and Hofstra playing, and they won on a last second shot that beat somebody. The whole table had a huge uproar in a big packed restaurant. And it was funny because some phones were ahead of other phones. Then the next weekend, we were at Coppin State in Maryland when the basketball team was in the tournament in Baltimore and we won the games. We had

to wait in between doubleheaders, and we were watching the games. I know the guys have a lot of friends on softball that they’re all following their scores. So I definitely think there is camaraderie between the teams. And I know for sure we are following other sports and know how they’re doing. VM: What do we have to look forward to for Hofstra baseball? JR: I think some things that are neat are our young talent. Steven Foster and Mat Annunziata are both sophomores, so they’re coming back. You got to see Brad Witkowski, a junior, coming back. Nick Bottari has had a really good year so far hitting. I think on the mound you get to see the excitement of John Rooney, who has been pitching a lot in conference as a freshman; Chris Weiss as a sophomore; Adam Heidenfelder, a sophomore. I think the young talent, Teddy Cillis has been really good, he is leading the conference in home runs and he is only a sophomore. If nothing else, the fans and the supporters of Hofstra can recognize the young talent we have. Obviously our record is not what we had hoped for but I am not at all disappointed in our effort, it has just been a tough year.


The Chronicle

SPORTS

April 19, 2016 •

A 19

Baseball pulls off series sweep of Cougars By Victoria Mickens STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra baseball team shut down the Cougars of the College of Charleston on Sunday, April 17, as the Pride posted its fourth home victory. On this sunny warm afternoon, with the stands packed with fans, the Pride swept the Cougars with an 8-7 win, bringing its overall record to 12-24 and 4-7 in Colonial Athletic Association play. The sweep was an upset of sorts against a Charleston team who was 5-1 coming into the weekend. In the fourth inning, Charleston was ahead by one after a batter was hit by a pitch followed by an infield single and a bunt. But Hofstra was quick to take the lead that it would keep for the rest of the game thanks to three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Junior infielder Brad Witkowski and freshman catcher Vito Friscia were both walked and third baseman David Leiderman joined the party and hit a triple, bringing the

lead to 2-1. Nick Bottari increased the lead to 3-1 when he hit a single into left field. The Cougars managed to meet the Pride at 3-3 in the top of the sixth. Hofstra’s senior starting pitcher Bowie Matteson was

relieved by sophomore Teddy Cillis. In the bottom of the seventh, the crowd erupted in cheers as the Pride posted a five-run inning. Freshman Tom Archer hit a one out infield single which was

followed by a left field single by sophomore Steven Foster. Mat Annunziata sent the ball through the right side and loaded the bases. Witkowski singled, knocking in two runs and brought the score to 5-3.

Cam Keough/The Chronicle Brad Witkowski knocked in two runs in game 3 of the series to secure the sweep, improving to 4-7 in CAA play.

Charleston changed pitchers, but the damage was done after Leiderman stole third and found his way home with some aggressive baserunning. Andrew Mundy relieved Cillis in the top of the ninth but gave up a grand slam. But, Mundy then closed the game out with two groundouts. David Leiderman, who finished the game 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs, totaled six hits in the series and six runs batted in. Brad Witkowski and Chris Hardardt picked up two hits each. This is Hofstra’s first conference sweep in over three years, dating back to the March 29-31 series against George Mason in 2013. They return to action Wednesday on the road against LIU Brooklyn at 3 p.m.

Back Cover: David Leiderman went 6-for-9 including six RBI in the series vs. Charleston.


The Hofstra

Chronicle HOW SWEEP IT IS!

David Leiderman leads Pride in first CAA series sweep since 2013 Cam Keough/The Chronicle


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.