HEMPSTEAD, NY VOL. 80 Issue 21
The Hofstra
Chronicle
Tuesday April 28, 2015
KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935
Hofstra community mourns loss of Olivia McClellan By Lauren del Valle and Ehlayna Napolitano NEWS EDITORS
Photo courtesy of McClellan’s Gofundme page Second-year Hofstra student Olivia McClellan passed away on Sunday April 19. The photo was used at the request of the McClellan family.
On Sunday, April 19, sophomore Olivia McClellan passed away in Enterprise Hall. The cause of her death remains undisclosed. However, her memory has elicited an outpouring of condolences and aid to her family in an effort to cope with the tragedy as a community. Friends and those that knew her described her as passionate and reserved. However, as one of her professors said, she had a strong sense of justice and admirable strength. “You didn’t really know her that well but she was part of [the] community... how much somebody matters... creates a wound,” said Dr. Lauren Kozol, an Honors
College faculty mentor and Writing Studies professor. Kozol reflected upon her time as McClellan’s Culture and Expression professor and stated that she was a “highly intelligent” student, with insight and a “fire in her eyes.” The young woman was a deep thinker with a sense of humor that Kozol felt was important to remember. However, she was also a reserved person, who was quiet in class, but always with an insightful comment when called upon. “She was somebody who kept her guard up but she did have close friends,” Kozol said. She remarked that she felt McClellan was a good friend to those close to her. Luke Pelton, a graduate sports science student who was friends
with McClellan, agreed that friendship was a very important thing to her. “She really valued the friendship that people offered her,” Pelton said. “Coming to Long Island was really rough and having that close group of friends meant a lot. You could tell she valued it.” Kozol was a part of several events held in memory of and in support of the community after the McClellan’s death. These events have included bracelet making and an open forum for people who wanted to share emotions and memories. According to Pelton, McClellan loved bracelets and often made bracelets for herself.
Continued on A3
Guarino and Gallagher sweep SGA elections By Michael Ortiz STAFF WRITER
The Guarino-Gallagher ticket won the Student Government Association (SGA) presidential race by a vote of 450-256. Before the votes were counted, voters were given the opportunity to get to know the candidates and their plans for the 2015-2016 academic year. The SGA Election Commission held three debates. Presidential and vice presidential debates took place in Plaza Middle on April 17. A town hall style forum occurred in the main dining area of the Student Center on April 22, the first of two days of voting. Few community members unaffiliated with SGA attended the election events. Nonetheless, the events went on as scheduled and one ticket proved superior to the other, and that ticket happened to win the
election. Current SGA vice president Nicole Olsen, and current SGA comptroller Alyson Guarino went head-to-head in the presidential debates. Debate questions didn’t encourage a rebuttal, and when they did, the opposing candidate usually refrained from doing so. However, the candidates did present new initiatives. When asked what population at Hofstra they felt was underrepresented, and what they would do to fix it, both candidates agreed that commuter students were clearly underrepresented. “Some people travel hours to get here, and I think they don’t have representation on decisions that are made on campus,” said Olsen. The junior political science and economics double major felt that there should be a governing body created for commuter students to fix that issue.
Guarino agreed and added that she felt students with disabilities were also underrepresented on campus. “I think that [students with disabilities] are a small population on campus, but they absolutely need to be represented more.” “I do not think SGA was as effective as we could have been,” said Olsen, who felt that although the individual committees did well this year, SGA as a whole needs to start thinking more about students in general, not just clubs. Rather than make general statements, Guarino offered specific ideas that allowed the audience to understand what she would implement if elected. “I want to put something up on CollegiateLink where students can put an initiative that they want to see or problem that they have.” “I want students to have a central place where they can complain about something, and
then not only do we take on the initiative, we have their contact information and we keep them updated on every single step of the initiative,” said Guarino, junior IT major and information systems and data analytics minor. At the conclusion of the presidential debate, the vice presidential debate commenced with current chair of the appropriations committee, Damien Gallagher facing off against current chair of the programming board, Whitney Shepard. Gallagher, a sophomore political science major and legal studies and business minor prepared with specific ideas and initiatives much like his partner in running, including a three-part system to improve Hofstra’s ranking as an institution. Gallagher felt that a huge detriment to the University is its retention rate. He offered ways to increase spirit, the value of a
degree from Hofstra and a sense of community, which he claimed would keep students at Hofstra. As vice president of SGA, one oversees all the committees, so the candidates were asked what specific initiatives they have for each of the committees, to which Shepard, a sophomore public relations major and global studies minor, answered that she had none. “I’m just going to be honest I haven’t really thought of this question,” she said. “I think that when senate elects their chairs for each committee, they elect them for a reason and I trust them to do their job.” Once again Gallagher offered a concrete answer that allowed the voters to gain insight on where he would take SGA.
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A 2 • April 28, 2015
NEWS
The Chronicle
Renovations affect club office allocation Student Center changes aim to fulfill student needs
By Michael Ortiz STAFF WRITER
Clubs finally learned their fate as club office space allocation was finalized at the Student Government Association (SGA) senate meeting on April 16. After weeks of waiting, 27 clubs received an email from SGA club relations chair Alexandra Engelson congratulating them on their allocation of an office space, which – provided they follow SGA guidelines – they will have for the next two years. This delay came after the University decided that changes needed to be made to better utilize the space in the Student Center. The rest of the 43 applicants did not receive a space. However, there were significant structural changes to office allocation. SGA noted some of the major changes in a press release. “In
the small clubs office area (offices 263A-J), office 263A will now become a club storage space for clubs who do not have an office space but still require storage.” This means that any club that did not receive an office space will now have the space they need to store their club’s equipment. “Main reasons clubs were not allocated a space was if the committee felt they merely needed storage or a meeting place,” said Engelson. Thus, the creation of this central storage space should help alleviate some stress for many club leaders. “Club meetings can be held in reserved rooms on campus and are not supposed to be held in office spaces,” added Forrest Gitlin, SGA public relations chair. The press release continued, “There will be a centralized location for club sports located in the hallway with the Interfaith Center.” The space is room 207,
where SGA currently resides. An email sent from Engelson to club leaders stated that this space will be utilized “as an office for all club sports, a place for storage, and an area where club sports can proudly display their trophies, stats and awards.” Another major change that will be occurring this upcoming academic year is an interfaith prayer space that will be created in room 201. According to SGA, that space will have different sections where students of different faiths can practice whenever they choose. “All undergraduate students will have access to this space to comfortably exercise their faith in peace and privacy,” according to the press release. The Greenhouse in the Student Center has traditionally been utilized as a prayer/service space, but after complaints that the space was not private nor quiet enough,
the University and SGA deemed it necessary to make a space that fit the needs of those practicing students. Although these changes are aimed at bettering the use of the space, there are still 16 club applicants that didn’t get the office space that they applied for. Engleson explained what the process was in determining whether or not a club should receive an office space. “The process started by determining what clubs we believed needed an office, regardless of how many spaces we had to allocate,” she stated. “Once we went through every application we decided on what organizations should go where. Then after we created our plans we met with the Dean of Students and we learned of more changes being made to the Student Center.”
The
Chronicle
www.thehofstrachronicle.com
203 Student Center (516) 463-6921 Editor-in-Chief Magdalene Michalik Managing Editor Sophia Strawser Business Manager Jake Nussbaum News Editors Ehlayna Napolitano Lauren del Valle Entertainment Editor Brianna Holcomb Sports Editors Mike Rudin Kyle Kandetzki @ Hofstra Editor Isabela Jacobsen Assistant @ Hofstra Editor Janet Lee Editorial Editor Rachael Durant Copy Chief Alexis Vail Photo Editor Che Sullivan Assistant Photo Editor Jesse Saunders The Chronicle is published every Tuesday during the academic year by the students of Hofstra University. The Chronicle is located in Room 203 Student Center, 200 Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. 11549. Advertising and subscription rates may be obtained by calling (516) 463-6921. The Chronicle reserves the right to reject any submission, in accordance with our written policies. All advertising which may be considered fraudulent, misleading, libelous or offensive to the University community, The Chronicle or its advertisers may be refused. The products and opinions expressed within advertisement are not endorsed by The Chronicle or its staff.
The Chronicle
NEWS
April 28, 2015 •
A3
Community joins together to honor McClellan’s memory Continued from A1 Other events included a memorial service in front of Hofstra USA and a small, intimate gathering of a few students in HUHC offices with Kozol and Dean Warren Frisina. In that discussion, Kozol said, there was a feeling of pervasive responsibility and wishing that more could have been done to prevent what happened to McClellan. “It was helpful to discuss it and realize, of course, the people that feel that [way] are the people that did the most,” Kozol said. On Thursday, April 23, the formal University memorial service was held in front of Hofstra USA at 7 p.m. Dozens of people gathered in front of of the building and shared memories of McClellan. Kozol and others spoke about their personal connections to McClellan and to her story. A moment of silence was observed. Attendees could also take rainbow-beaded bracelets that
were found in Olivia’s room that she had made. Members of various faculty departments and student religious organizations were also part of the memorial. McClellan’s father spoke as part of the memorial service on Thursday and thanked the community for sharing the side of her that her family at home did not get to see. The small tribute displayed for the memorial service remains in front of Hofstra USA. The memorial was a “community effort” among several different departments, that collaborated to create the event, said Dean of Students Sofia Pertuz. It allowed those gathering in McClellan’s memory to “come together and support each other as a community,” according to Pertuz. A notice was sent to students on Wednesday, April 19, which stated that McClellan had passed away in Enterprise Hall on Sunday. “The entire Hofstra community is saddened by the loss of Olivia McClellan,” an official University statement said. “... As a com-
“We know that the outpouring of love that we have received will sustain us.”
munity, we mourn for Olivia and extend our thoughts and prayers to her friends and family during this difficult time.” McClellan’s family also issued a public statement for the media, which thanked everyone who participated in the gofundme campaign started by McClellan’s aunt, Diana Ferrell Acreman. The page exceeded its initial goal of $3,500
to cover the family’s plane tickets to New York. The campaign has now begun working toward a goal of $15,000 to cover funeral costs as well. Of that, over $10,000 has been raised. “Olivia was a beloved daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, cousin and friend – a caring, creative spirit who will endure in our hearts and memories,” an official
statement from the McClellan family stated. “We know that the outpouring of love that we have received will sustain us, and we will always be grateful for the kindness so many have shown us and Olivia.”
Photo courtesy of Jaime Colon-Velez The memorial outside Hofstra USA remains in place. McClellan’s family thanked the Hofstra community for their support and for sharing their memories at an event last week.
SGA candidates talk campus issues in debates Continued from A1 “Another thing I’d like to see is a consolidation of Student Services and Academic Affairs,” he suggested. “I think that we have a lot of similar purposes between them and they overlap more often then they think. I think that by consolidating them into one committee, it would be very efficient,” said Gallagher. He also offered ideas for the Rules and Public Relations committees, adding that he expected his committees to go “beyond the call of duty.” This pattern continued into the full ticket or “town hall style” debate. After the debate, Zachary Johnson, a non-SGA-affiliated
student and sophomore English and TV production major felt candidates were vague and idealistic. “I feel that [Olsen and Shepard’s] answers were not as specific, it was more idealistic where Guarino and Gallagher sounded like they had thought about it before and were very interested in helping.” In this debate, candidates were asked about the tension between SGA and clubs, problems between students and Public Safety, and allocation of funds among other things.
The candidates offered ideas such as training for public safety officers to better deal with students, and holding more open forums for students to express their discontent with public safety,
the small holes discourage the recycling of the plastic containers that Compass provides. Olsen also felt that putting more paper recycling bins across campus is important as well. She believes that these smaller initiatives would show the administration that the community wants to be greener and would lead to bigger investments like solar panels and wind turbines in the future. Matt Tanzosh, a sophomore TV production major felt Guarino and Gallagher were better prepared for tough questions.
“My whole purpose for running is to build a vision for the Student Government Association that goes well beyond my time here.” SGA, or any other body that students are having issues with. “My first initiative is to make the holes on the recycling bins bigger,” said Olsen. This seems insignificant, but Olsen said that
“When I asked about the priorities regarding budget allocations, [Olsen] said ‘I don’t believe there should be priorities,’ and I’m like, ‘Well there are so let’s talk about it.’ I feel that [Guarino and Gallagher] were better prepared to answer those sort of questions.” Arguably winning the debates and securing the majority vote, Guarino and Gallagher will serve as SGA president and vice president for the duration of the 2015-2016 academic year. “My whole purpose for running is to build a vision for the Student Government Association that goes well beyond my time here,” said Guarino.
A 4 • April 28, 2015
NEWS
The Chronicle
Hofstra celebrates Earth Day with outdoor festival By Nico Machlitt STAFF WRITER
Students filled Calkins Quad last Wednesday, listening to live music and eating vegan food as a part of annual Earth Day celebrations. Fifteen clubs and community partners orchestrated the event to educate the student body on Earth Day themes like Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and local green initiatives. Earth Day is a global event that is used to educate people about the importance of keeping the earth clean and safe. Sophomore public relations major Jordan Heiden attended the event for a second year to keep learning about how she can help keep the earth clean. “I’m really passionate about the environment, and I came to [the] event last year and it had a really big impact on me,” said Heiden. “It made me more aware of everything that goes on in the world and how I can affect it in a positive or negative way. I think it’s really important to spread awareness about all the environmental issues that we face today.” Student clubs, such as the Sustainability Studies Club, Green Party Club, and the Center for Civic Engagement, as well as community organizations such as Long Island Food Not
Bombs, Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives and Food & Water Watch were all in attendance, giving students many opportunities to learn about the environment and interact with community organizers. Freshman biochemistry major and president of the Green Party Club Liliana Hinojos Madrid likes the awareness Earth Day brings to campus. “Earth Day is really important to us because it raises awareness for what is going on around the world and these are things people normally don’t know about,” she said. “Earlier today a lady was speaking about the effect of nuclear bombs on our environment and that’s something people normally don’t talk about.” The Earth Day celebration served as more than just an informational seminar; it gave each club and organization a platform to speak about topics that were important to them. “What we’ve been focusing recently is the legalization of cannabis, both in the hemp and medical field. We have been observing the states of Washington and Colorado and seeing what they have accomplished and seeing how other states can legalize cannabis,” said Hinojos Madrid. Students not only learned about ways to help the environment, but
they were active as well. Sophomore sustainability studies major and president of the Sustainability Studies Club Sarah Lippmann helped students tie-dye using sustainable dyes. “We’re tie-dying with vegetables so we’re doing a fun craft in a sustainable way that won’t hurt the environment,” said Lippmann. “We’re not using any of the dyes that use chemicals and are bad for the earth, you are just using pure beet or kale juice.” President of Students for a Greener Hofstra Tsz Hin Tang created notebooks that he was giving to students. “We have been collecting single-sided paper and making them into notebooks,” said Hin Tang. This goes along with his platform of reusing materials that could have gone to waste. Long Island organizations also played a big part in the Earth Day celebration. Junior social and global studies major Sage Davino and senior sociology, global studies and geography major Eleanore Saintis are Hofstra students working with Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. The Long Island organization went to the event with the purpose of listening to students and informing them of a national issue. “This semester we have been working on the idea of nuclear disarmament and the idea of
Jesse Saunders/The Chronicle Annual Earth Day festivities were held on the Calkins Quad last Wednesday. Students gathered and organizations hosted tables.
taking away nuclear weapons to help keep the earth safe,” said Davino. The United Nations Conference on Nuclear Weapons happened this weekend and student voices needed to be heard, according to Saintis. “We are talking with students to get them to sign a petition for us to deliver to the United Nations. This is important to show that students really care about the
environment,” said Saintis. Earth Day helped educate the students and faulty leaving them with knowledge that they can spread to their friends and family, while also providing them free food and a welcoming atmosphere.
Relay for life honors the fight to beat cancer On Saturday, April 25, Relay for Life was held at Hofstra University. The annual event had over 700 participants, who walked laps around a makeshift track to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Student organizations and the Hofstra community came together and raised over $43,000. Fifty-eight different teams made contributions toward the foundation. The event lasted 12 hours and students created various booths hosting on-site fundraisers. Compiled by Magdalene Michalik Photo courtesy of University Relations
NEWS
The Chronicle
April 28, 2015 •
A5
• Alyson Guarino and Damien Gallagher were elected SGA President
SGA WEEKLY
and Vice President for the 2015-16 year, defeating Nicole Olsen and Whitney Shepard by a vote of 450-256.
WRAP-UP
• SGA Appropriations allocated a total of $284,151.07 or 40.11 percent of the $708,355.15 requested at budget weekend. • Hofstra Culinary Society was granted SGA recognition.
Compiled by Michael Ortiz
• Prudence Club was not granted SGA recognition.
Public Safety Briefs Compiled by Victoria Espinoza An RA in the Netherlands reported to PS on April 20 that he smelled the odor of marijuana during his rounds. PS responded to the room, entered and found three students, a bong and a hamster. All students were given summonses. PS received an anonymous complaint of an odor of marijuana coming from a building in C-Square on April 22. PS responded to the room, entered and discovered a strong smell of marijuana. They found rolling papers, one student and two guests. The guests were banned from campus and the student was given a summons. While conducting health and safety inspections in Alliance Hall on April 22, the Resident Supervisor entered a room and found a glass jar of marijuana on the desk in plain sight. PS was notified and both students were given summonses. An RSR in Enterprise Hall observed a non-student entering
the building with a student’s ID on April 23. PS was notified and confiscated the ID card. The nonstudent was banned from campus and the student was given a summons. On April 24, PS was on patrol in Alliance Hall and smelled an odor of marijuana coming from a room. PS entered the room and the student was given a summons. PS was on patrol near the Fitness Center on April 25 and discovered half a keg of beer on the east side of the building. The keg was confiscated and secured. PS received a report of a Hofstra student trying to buy cigarettes and marijuana in the student center on April 25. The student was identified and given a summons. A PS officer guarding a party at Hofstra USA on April 26 observed two students trying to give stolen wristbands to non-students. The students were given
summonses. On April 26 an RSR in the Netherlands observed a vehicle backing into another vehicle, causing damage to the bumper. PS responded and identified the driver as a non-student. The nonstudent left a note on the damaged vehicle, and was banned from campus. A Hofstra student reported to PS on April 26 that she has been harassed by another female student for a month now. An investigation is currently being conducted. On April 26, PS received a report from a Hofstra student of a babysitting scam on Care. com. The student stated it was a money scam, however, no currency had been exchanged. The incident was reported to the Garden City Police Department. On April 27 an RA reported to PS that he heard screams coming from a room in Constitution Hall. PS responded and entered the
room and found a male and female inside. They stated that they had a verbal disagreement. Both were given summonses. PS was notified on April 27 that two people were having a verbal argument in Estabrook Hall. PS responded to the situation, discovered they were two non-students and they were banned from campus.
Key PS- Public Safety RSR- Resident Safety Representative RA- Resident Assistant
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A6 • April 28, 2015
The Chronicle
Compiled by the Hofstra Chronicle staff Outside Cafe on the Quad: Girl: Have you ever dreamt you were an inanimate object? Like a soda bottle? Guy: I had a dream I was a rock once.
In Nassu Hall: Girl: I really hope the royal baby will be born on my birthday.
In Breslin: Girl: My arm hurts, my leg hurts, and now my f****** brain hurts.
In Colonial Square: Guy 1: I was really excited because I got a job interview, but turns out it was a scam. Guy 2: Dude, that’s a real bummer.
In The Student Center: Girl: All I can do is sit in my shower and drink vodka.
In The Student Center: Girl: I dont want to do my paper. I’ll pay someone $10 page if I have to.
In Suffolk Hall: Guy: Look, I’m not saying your mom is hot, I’m just saying that she looks like Jessica Alba.
In Bits & Bytes: Guy: We have got to go to the strip club before I graduate, people.
On the unispan: Girl: If I was a guy, I would probably be a boobs kind of guy. Just saying.
In the library: Girl: Honestly, airport jail may be better than my current experience.
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End the spring semester feeling healthy Key to surviving the final weeks of the year could be a change in daily habits By Juliana Spano STAFF WRITER
It is that time of the year again. Those papers you put off are finally piling up, and the exam dates are getting closer and closer. Sure, you would rather stay in bed and watch Netflix, but now is the time to take control. Here are a few tips on making it through the semester with great grades. Start by taking a deep breath. With all the stress and anxiety, we tend to shorten our breath and increase our heartbeat, which leads to anxiety attacks. Taking a deep breath will fill your lungs with oxygen and clear your mind. Just remember to inhale and exhale slowly. If you have the time, try to exercise. Even just walking
briskly to class will get your blood pumping. After sitting at a desk for hours, your body will ache and you will feel miserable. Studies show you should move at least every hour. So get up and go on a walk in between studying. Try yoga for a complete body detox. The gentle movements in yoga will help stretch out your
short bursts of energy, you will ultimately run yourself dry. Try to eat and drink natural sources for energy. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon, coupled with a hot cup of green tea are the perfect nutrients to have before acing your test. When you take a break, enjoy some comedy. Laughing will ultimately make your studying experience more pleasant since it relaxes your entire body. Laughter will help relieve physical tensions and stress. Go watch some Jimmy Fallon or “Parks and Recreation” for a good chuckle. Lastly, remember to get some sleep. It is important to put the
“Taking a deep breath will fill your lungs with oxygen and clear your mind...”
body while calming your mind. You will feel a lot better about not only your essay, but also the world. Refrain from cramming in lots of caffeine and sugars for
Courtesy of Creative Commons
Yoga is a great workout option if you’re looking for a way to destress. partying on hold for the week, and enjoy your bed instead. Getting at least eight hours of sleep will prepare you for an
entire day of studying. So don’t let the bedbugs bite, and do your best on your test!
The Chronicle
@HOFSTRA
april 28, 2015 •
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Tips to decompress before finals week By Amanda Valentovic STAFF WRITER
The last few weeks of the semester are finally here, and with that comes final papers, projects and a lot of stress. While it’s important to stay on top of your schedule and everything you have to do before you can recycle your notebooks, it is also important to relax. Here are a few ways to loosen up before the end of the year:
flowers, even if you are doing homework. Have a Beach Day The ocean might still be too cold for swimming, but a day on the sand can still be fun. Plan a day with a group of friends and head to Jones Beach. It’s close
Play Board Games Playing board games might sound boring, but if you get a big group of people together and turn it into a tournament, it will be anything but. Classic choices like card games and Monopoly are always fun, but so are newer games like Cards Against Humanity. A few hours playing a game might clear your head and give you a few laughs to get you through to the end of the year.
“Plan a day with a group of friends and head to Jones Beach.”
Enjoy the Weather It’s finally warm and sunny so spend some time outside! Not being cooped up inside with the heat blasting and being able to go out and enjoy spring weather will put anyone in a good mood. Bring a blanket outside and enjoy the sunshine or enjoy the blooming
enough that you can be there and back in a day and even do something else, but can still be a fun field trip if you want a change of scenery. A beach trip can also be a fun way to celebrate the end of the year, so another option is waiting until all of your finals are over!
There are so many ways to reduce your stress levels when there is a lot going on at the end of the year. Find what works best for you, take a deep breath and remember that summer is just around the corner.
Courtesy of Creative Commons
Take some time to relax during your busy finals week.
How to balance stress and sanity as classes wind down By Jenna Grasso STAFF WRITER
The end of the semester is one of the most bittersweet times for all students. It’s the time where you have to leave all your friends you’ve made throughout the year to go home, work and be with your family again. Not only can the thought of going home be stressful, the end of the semester is nothing but added stress. Extra credit, rewrites and assignments are all on your mind, while trying have a good time in your four years at college. For the end of the semester, there are some ways to stay sane and balance the life of classes, work and friends, so you can succeed in your last semester before you head off for a relaxing few months of no school and warm weather. One excellent way to make sure you get everything done is to prioritize. You want to put assignments for the classes that you are doing the worst in first. This is better than doing them last, rushing through them and hoping for the best. Prioritizing work for your worst class will make it easy to balance all of
your homework and projects, and it will help you concentrate. Remember: It is always a less stressful when you have an idea of the grade that you are going to come out with. Of course, going out and having a good time with your friends in college is a main priority for most students, but be realistic with the times that you actually have to go out. Now that the weather is getting nicer, you are automatically going to be distracted. Instead of going out on a Tuesday night, stay in and work on the rest of your projects and save one day of the weekend to relax and not worry about homework and projects. Always utilize teachers and the free appointment and advisement hours that Hofstra offers. Teachers like when students care about their classes. Not only does this help you network and connect with professors that can help you later in your college career, but it gives you more clarity on a project or an assignment. The more the instructor is willing to help you, the less nervous you will be handing in an assignment you “think” you completed correctly.
Just checking in with a professor can bring down stress levels and you keep calmer during finals, and it will improve your grades too. The most important tip is to relax and remember to always utilize the facilities at Hofstra to get your finals work done as efficiently as possible. There are an immense amount of facilities including the Writing Center, meetings with teachers and tutors that can help you complete your projects to get the best grade possible. The most important tip to remember is to concentrate on one thing at a time. The more things you are trying to do at once, the worse your tests and projects will turn out. You need to be able to focus on assignments and tests to work efficiently and get the grades you strive for.
Courtesy ofChronicle Creative Commons Ariana Queenan-Newton/The
Don’t let stress defeat you during finals week. Prioritize assignments for classes and ask professors for help if you need it.
Do you want to write for Features? If so, contact us at chroniclefeatures@gmail.com!
A8 • April 28, 2015
@HOFSTRA
The Chronicle
Man on the Unispan If you could be granted one wish, what would it be? By Brianna Ciniglio STAFF WRITER
“Less work in school.” Anthony Lazzaro, Freshman
“The ability to fly.” Daniel Artuso, Junior
“One of every musical instrument in the world.” Ashanti Graham, Sophomore
“I guess it’s that everyone I love and care about and everyone in the world who is going through a hard time has a happier life.” Elisa Tang, Senior
“For a good job.” Robert English, Freshman
“Immortality.” Jason Stimac, Sophomore
Background Photo Courtesy of Amanda Benizzi
The Chronicle
@HOFSTRA
april 28, 2015 •
A9
Faculty Spotlight: Sit down with Dean Oppenheim By Claudia Knutsson SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Dean Marc Oppenheim traded in his jeans and sneakers for a suit and tie. A former Hofstra student, Oppenheim is the man behind the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. The dean began his career as a student aide, and when an opportunity arose to work full-time at Hofstra after his graduation, he jumped on it. He has now been serving the Hofstra community for 15 years. Oppenheim served as Assistant Dean and Senior Assistant Dean at the Center for University Advisement from 2000 to 2005, and has worked for the School of Communication since 2005. Oppenheim holds other positions on campus, such as an adjunct professor in the department of rhetoric, where he teaches the Introductory Oral Communication course. In addition, he has been the Graduate Director for the Master of Arts in Rhetorical Studies for four years. At first glance, Oppenheim looks like just any other member of Hofstra community. But it is his youthful energy and unique perspective that allows many students to trust him as a guide and leader. According to Oppenheim, he was unsure of what he wanted to after he graduated in May 2000. “It’s very helpful for me working with students to have been one at Hofstra, because I understand their experiences and their perspective, so I know how to navigate the student experience from their perspective,” he said. Senior film production student, Karlie Fasanella, is just one of many students that believes that Oppenheim is an effective and helpful advisor. “I remember during my freshman summer orientation, it was Dean Oppenheim that helped me choose classes for my first semester at Hofstra. He told me that he went to Hofstra, and he picked classes for me with professors that he had as a student. I thought it was remarkable that he truly had an understanding of student life.” Fasanella described the importance of a student-advisor mentorship, which Oppenheim takes to another level. Having an advisor that went to Hofstra not too long ago makes the transition into college life smoother and manageable for new students. The dean’s office receives diverse foot traffic, with students from international backgrounds and different majors constantly stopping by, making it always bustling with activity. Phones are ringing, fingers are typing fast on keyboards, paper
Claudia Knutsson/The Chronicle
Dean Oppenheim manages his website for college students and graduates to help find career leads on MEOjobsonline.com. are rustling and the doors are constantly opening and closing. Students sit in brown chairs waiting excitedly for the next appointment. The experience Oppenheim received from Hofstra allowed him to occupy a chair as a leader. Oppenheim had a plan and a focus about his career. To be a dean, you must be responsible to balance your tasks and life outside of work. “I find I can balance as long as I have a plan, and make sure that I follow through with it,” Oppenheim said. Yet, the job comes with its difficulties. Oppenheim helps students with various problems and concerns, such as emotional, financial and academic issues. Having a very strong knowledge of the university’s policies and procedures is a necessary skill, Oppenheim said. From academic advising to financial aid policies,
knowing these intricacies are prerequisites for working in a dean’s position because there are times where a student’s particular problems must be addressed by a different individual or student service. “You have to have the interest and ability to communicate with people on a regular basis. My position dealing with
Dean Oppenheim has grown into a campus leader and now serves as the face for Student Affairs at the School of Communication. “When I first joined the administration as a young person, right out of undergraduate, I definitely think that students and colleagues were a little suspicious of my credentials because they thought I was very young and inexperienced, even though I was doing a very good job, that was at the beginning… As I improved myself, and showed my proficiency and confidence, the people around me showed a lot of respect and I feel that I’ve been treated very well,” Oppenheim said. Being the Associate Dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication is both rewarding and challenging for Oppenheim. Yet he brings a unique energy and perspective to his position, and he is thus one of the most influential leaders at Hofstra.
“To be a dean, you must be responsible to balance your tasks and life outside of work.” Student Affairs puts me up front when it comes to talking to students and assisting students, and so you need to have a comfort level with all things interpersonal. You also have to have the right disposition to be able to balance many issues simultaneously, and do it kindly and graciously,” he said. Oppenheim also embodies the Hofstra spirit. Since his start as a student aide,
Transcen Dance’s Spring Show April 25, 2015 Supported by Hofbeats (above left) and Hofstra Zeenat (above right).
Spread by Che Sullivan and Jesse Saunders / Photos by Jesse Saunders
A&E VOL 80 ISSUE 21
‘Bare’ Kat Deiner’s FORM Gallery - B2
Photo Courtesy of Kat Deiner
B 2 • April 28, 2015
A&E
The Chronicle
FORM Gallery: ‘Bare’ takes back the female body
Photo courtesy of Kat Deiner A painting in the FORM Gallery, “Bare,” of woman sitting and holding her knees.
By Brianna Holcomb ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Often, a woman’s body is never really her own. She is accused of not sharing it with the world, but also persecuted for over-sexualizing it. Kathleen Deiner has taken back the meaning of a woman’s body in her gallery “Bare.” In Deiner’s paintings she captures the different aspects of a woman’s nude body. The gallery displays all aspects from a woman’s knees to her bare
breast. Not one of these features is displayed sexually; they are shown for what they are: An aspect of the human body. My favorite photo in the gallery is the portrait of the woman sitting and holding her knees. The portrait is a profile view of the woman sitting – her hand is holding her arm and hugging her knee loosely to her chest. It is a very simplistic painting and a position that many women find themselves in.
The painting technique used made the woman’s skin appear soft and delicate. The soft texture helped to keep the body form looking over-sexualized. This, combined with the forms of light and color, promoted the soft nature of a woman’s body. It was neither crude nor derogatory toward the female anatomy. “Through abstract self-portraiture, ‘Bare’ explores the contours of the female form. Ignoring the sexual stigma associated with
female nudity, the paintings highlight the ethereal nature of the figure through light and color,” said Deiner. Deiner does an excellent job portraying the female body as a work of art instead of a sexual representation One of the portraits shows a woman’s naked body including her breast. A woman’s naked chest is not shown or is covered in some strategic way in many media outlets. When a woman’s breast is shown it is overly sexualized. In this painting neither of those things are taking place. Her chest is fully exposed but there is nothing sexual about it. Her painting represents the naked body in its truest form without the harsh judgments and standards that are typically associated with a woman’s body. Although many of the pieces of
the portraits may feel taboo, like the breast, Deiner does feature other aspects as well. A painting of a woman’s belly button is presented in the gallery. This painting is focused on the center looking right at her belly button. The painting comes off as though she is standing in a spotlight. Although you cannot see anything above or below her belly button, besides her stomach, the painting seems to glow like one would after taking a shower and standing in the fluorescent light of a bathroom. Deiner does a wonderful job capturing the beauty of the female body without sexualizing it. The use of light and color help to portray the softness and beauty that is the female body. This gallery is feminine beauty at its finest.
Photo courtesy of Kat Deiner
Spring Dance Concert shows an appreciation for dance and its artistry
Photo courtesy of Hofstra.edu Dancers during the 2014 Spring Dance Concert.
By Brianna Cinigilo COLUMNIST
The Spring Dance Concert was not a show for everyone. The DanceWorks shows are usually fast paced and attention grabbing. The dances in this show – almost all of them choreographed by faculty members from the dance department – were longer,
more complex and contained their own theme or story. This was a show for those who have a true appreciation for dance and its artistry. The opening number, “Come As You Are,” featured the dancers in giant gray tutus which complimented the different movements throughout the piece. They began
with music from Bach, which was accompanied by ballet-styled dancing, but ended with music from Nirvana and the Pixies, where a more contemporary style of dance was used. The dancing was elegant, but the performers also expressed their playful sides by “messing up” certain steps and goofing around in a few spots throughout the dance. The piece was fun and one of my favorites. One of the most aestheticallypleasing pieces was “Lost Edges.” A screen projected the image of a forest, which was set in front of the dancers, making them appear almost ghost-like, as if they were woodland spirits. Unfortunately, the screen was rather distracting. There were many instances where I found
myself admiring how interesting the screen looked instead of watching the dancers. The music was eerie and at times piercingly loud and unnatural, adding to the distractions in this piece. The dancing was elegant and featured amazing partner work, but it was a bit lost behind the screen and music. “¡Por la Vida! (To Life),” was an exciting tap piece that was constantly active. The dancers costumes were bright, colorful and styled as if they were in the disco era. When I first saw them, I thought they were odd, but after the first few minutes of the dance, I felt they worked well. The way the different colors moved on the dancers’ legs and arms as they tapped looked like different strands of a rainbow joining
together to dance. One of my favorite parts of the piece was the argument between two of the dancers. The entire debate was completely conveyed, not through words, but through the sounds they made in their tapping. It truly spoke to how much can be said through movement, particularly dance. The show ended perfectly with the fast-paced jazz piece, “I See You.” This dance was basically the visual of what goes on in everyone’s head at the end of a long week of work and the start of the weekend. The dancers, who were all dressed in suits, displayed a variety of movements, from spins and lifts to fist pumps and snaps. It was a great, up-beat conclusion to the show that I loved.
The Chronicle
A&E
April 28, 2015 •
B3
Hofstra BSU brings the Caribbean to campus By Brianna Holcomb ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Each club at Hofstra takes the time to not only educate, but also entertain as they put on various events throughout the year. The Black Student Union does just that with their annual program, in collaboration with the African Caribbean Society, Bacchanal, or better known as Carnival. This is their third annual event, which includes bright costumes, performances, music, food and much more. Bacchanal is an important part of West Indian culture that brings a fun and colorful atmosphere to the campus each year. On April 17, the BSU started the day with J’Ouvert, a paint throwing tradition that starts off the Carnival celebration. This event consisted of powdered paint in a various array of different colors. For those who do not know, J’Ouvert is very similar to the ancient Hindu tradition of Holi (which was displayed on Snapchat’s live feed this year). This paint-throwing tradition came about at the emancipation from slavery in 1838 when slaves were able to participate in these street carnivals. It has become a large part of West Indian culture ever since. Students showed up donning white shirts, so the paint would show up, and flags representing their countries. The DJ played a mix of Reggae and some hip-hop for the non-Caribbean crowd. Students ran around laughing and throwing paint at each other as well as attempting to keep
the powered paint from being thrown on them. The air was filled with puffs of colors as the cups of paint were tossed into the air. After the running around and paint throwing ended, a large array of Caribbean food was served. The menu consisted of foods like ox tail, jerk chicken, plantains, rice and peas, curry goat and much more. Guest lined up piling their plates high with food, joking and laughing. The celebration continued on into the night. Over 200 guests arrived to Hofstra USA to see the performance of the Bacchanal girls and their extravagant costumes. They entered the venue split up into four groups: Fire and Ice, Effervescent, Risky Business and Mysterious. At first glance, you notice the large feathers and colors that are on these costumes. It is safe to say that these girls made a bold statement in these outfits. The costumes looked as though they could be bejeweled bathing suits but they represent much more than that. Every jewel on the costume clearly added some weight but the girls carried themselves upright with no problem. One of my favorite pieces in the outfits was the headpiece. Their headpieces were donned with large and colorful feathers resembling the tail of a peacock.The jewelry on the headband matched the colorful feathers and stood out against the plain cloth that was used to make this extravagant piece.
Not every girl was wearing a large headpiece. The girls who took on this challenge are known as front line girls. They are the first to walk into the event and in a traditional road march are the first girls you see. This does not mean that the other girls’ outfits were any less extravagant. The energy that these young women carried into the venue transferred to everyone in the room. As they made their grand entrance, each group stopped in the center and conducted their own routine. Each mini-routine consisted of simple dance moves that could be found at an actual Carnival celebration. To add to the atmosphere, in previous years the special guest at Bacchanal have been Soca artists. For example, in 2012 Destra and Ding Dong came to perform for the crowd. This year, BSU’s special guest was Hot 97 DJ Bobby Konders and Jabba. They specialize in playing Reggae music with their segment “On Da Reggae Tip.” They play a mix of Reggae, Soca, dancehall and hip-hop music. This event gave a great look into this large event that brings millions of people to the Caribbean every year. It is a large learning experience that made me appreciate the culture so much more. The hard work that goes into putting on this event was shown in the small events leading up to Bacchanal as well as in the girls’ costumes. Cheyenne-Rae Stewart, who was born and raised in Jamaica and Vice President of BSU, organized this event with a lot of pride.
“The Black Student Union in Collaboration with African Caribbean Society hosts this annual event in an effort to promote culture awareness and share the rich tradition of the Caribbean people amongst the Hofstra community,” said Stewart. “There is a lack of Caribbean festivals/culture represented by the University itself, so we try to represent this minority group of students on campus. As an old Jamaican saying goes, ‘We likkle but we tallawh,’ which means we are small but we accomplish great things.”
Photo courtesy of Natasha Rowley Three of the Bacchanal girls showing off their costumes.
FORM Gallery: ‘Spitfire’ battles the idea of femininity By Shannon Alomar COLUMNIST
If you ask any woman how long it takes to get ready each day, the time may vary anywhere from five minutes to more than an hour. This concept may seem foreign to men, but as a woman in modern society, there is a constant battle between being too feminine and not feminine enough. Digital photographer Alvia Urdaneta chose to challenge this ideology in her FORM Gallery Show entitled “Spitfire.” In certain instances, spitfire is used as a synonym for “tomboy,” but it is commonly used to describe a woman with a strong temperament. “If you’re not feminine enough, you’re called a b****, and if you’re too feminine, you’re called a girly girl. Finding a balance is impossible,” Urdaneta said while addressing her frustration with modern standards placed on women’s style, beauty Photo Coutresy of Alvia Urdaneta and image. Personally, Urdaneta said she has been Portrait from the “Spitfire” FORM gallery. labeled as both throughout her everyday
life. While working for her editorial internship, she was seen as girly girl because she works with a lot of men, but when walking around campus on a normal day, she said she might be seen as too masculine due to her choice of wearing more comfortable clothing. Having a close connection to the issue she wants to challenge, she chose to use herself as the subject of her photographs for this particular show. “The photos are a series of self-portraits of me in different clothes, environments and often featuring male models. I wanted to display myself as fighting the idea of what a woman is ‘supposed’ to be,” Urdaneta said. Raised in a Venezuelan family, Urdaneta was exposed to the Latino concept of “machismo,” which is the sense of strong masculine pride and the acceptance of a patriarchal society. Although many households accepted this way of life, she said her parents believed in equal roles between the genders.
“My dad had a very modern mentality. My parents shared the responsibilities in our house and raised me to believe there should be equality between women and men no matter what society tries to tell us,” Urdaneta said. When asked what women inspire her in the world today Urdaneta responded, “Laverne Cox, Rhonda Rousey, Gwen Stefani, Hilary Clinton, Helen Frankenthaler and Miuccia Prada – basically any woman who has killer style, strength and confidence in who she is!” Urdaneta’s biggest hopes for her upcoming show is that the viewers of her prints question why they always see women a certain way and why women have to battle between two extremes throughout their lives. To learn more about Alvia Urdaneta, you can visit her Instagram @alviaalvia. Also, look out for her #SpitfireChallenge that will encourage women to post photos of themselves defying the societal standards placed on women today.
B 4 • April 28, 2015
A&E
TV That Matters: ‘Veep’
Film Review: ‘Ex Machina’ By Muhammad Muzammal STAFF WRITER
Photo Courtesy of Sky.com
By Christina Murphy COLUMNIST
Since the announcement of Hillary Clinton’s presidential run just a few weeks ago, it seems like this is the closest we’ve come to having the nation’s first female president. Last Sunday, HBO’s “Veep” gave us a glimpse of what being the first female President might be like. Turns out it’s filled with a lot of meetings, appointments, weird gifts from world leaders, phone calls, missing hikers and men. Season three ended with the unexpected resignation of the president and the former VP Selina Meyer moving on up to the West Wing. The episode begins with President Meyer attempting to deliver her first big speech in the office, but the teleprompter goes blank, leaving her speechless, so to speak. The episode then flashes back to the previous 24 hours, where we get a look inside the bungled speech preparation strategy adopted by her team of “flying monkeys” that she calls her presidential staff. As we learn from the opening credits, the past eight months of her presidency had not been going great – especially for her devoted and sometimes obsessive assistant, Gary, who has been shut out of meetings and kept from his main girl, Madame President. He now has to watch over her through an empty office window that has a view directly into the oval office. His love is so extraordinarily suffocating that he inadvertently blinds her while she is delivering her speech by taking her back-up reading glasses, because he thought having them in her pocket made it look like she had a penis. Although, he makes it very clear that she could “totally pull it off” if she kept them in her pocket. President Meyer is a woman and a fierce
one at that, although most times it does feel like she achieves most of her success due to a series of random accidents. Politics are a boy’s game and President Meyer is breaking through barriers. In the world of “Veep,” and probably the real world, the White House is filled with a bunch of “lady racists” who use phallic language to assert their dominance around Washington D.C. through obscene gestures and things that border on sexual harassment. Meyer’s first goal as president is to reallocate funds for her Families First bill, which would work towards alleviating poverty, specifically for underprivileged children. Through use of a “cock-thumb” strategy, she finds $50 billion that could be cut from an obsolete submarine defense system in the military. Her plan is thwarted at the last second by a congressman who threatens her team with the backlash, which will result from the job loss caused by the cuts. In their last-minute attempt to make changes to her speech, they lose everything. During their struggle to resurrect the speech, they insert an older version, which includes a series of random notes and the former President’s $60 billion submarinespending plan. President Meyer receives a standing ovation as she sees her Families First Bill dissolve in her own hands. Little frustrations like this surround President Meyer throughout the entire episode. She has to balance being the most powerful woman in the United States, and arguably the entire world, with feeling so utterly powerless against her incompetent staff and overbearing political and gender restraints within the American political system. “Veep” airs on HBO on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. and can be watched on HBO GO.
To be interviewed for print and online Email A&E at chronicle.entertainment@gmail.com
The Chronicle
Real science fiction is built on ideas, which makes it scarce in the heavilycommercialized world of Hollywood. Science fiction movies offer fascinating ideas, but become lost in the typical confines of the horror/action genre. However, there are a few exceptions. Novelist and screenwriter Alex Garland’s directorial debut “Ex Machina” is a rare science fiction film that relies more on ideas than on story and violence. The film has doses of both, but they are undermined by philosophical discussions, which Garland provides through imagery and densely-packed dialogue. The writer/ director embeds themes of sociallyconstructed femininity, the ethical horror of artificial intelligence and the possible consciousness of a robot – all of which deepen the rich material of the film. Caleb (Domnhall Gleeson), a young and lonely computer programmer, works for Bluebook, a Google-like conglomerate established in the near future. Caleb is chosen based on his merit to help the CEO of Bluebook, the freaky and menacing Nathan (Oscar Issac), by being the human subject of a Turing test. He works with his computer counterpart, Nathan’s newly-invented robot Ava (Alicia Vikander), a robot with the face of a woman, but the mechanical, wiry body of a robot. Throughout the film, Caleb begins to fall for Ava, arguably a femme fatale, whom plans to escape from her cruel inventor. The film, like the screenplay, is tight and, to a degree, claustrophobic. The slow-moving, tension-heavy mood and the setting of Nathan’s sheltered home in the middle of a forest, make “Ex Machina” a beautiful blend of Ridley Scott’s “Alien” and “Blade Runner” and Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” – films that share the common theme of showing humanity’s dark side. All these characteristics can be found in “Ex Machina.” Nathan, who was a prodigy in computer coding by the age of 13, is a brilliant creep. He creates concubines of female robots, which have built-in consciousness and human skin, giving him means for sex and house cleaning. In a disturbing scene where Caleb
opens a closet revealing Nathan’s many female robot girlfriends, Garland introduces to us the theme of a socially-constructed femininity. Through Nathan’s vision of the female identity, shown in his robotic models, we see that they are all constructed according to images from magazines, movies, TV shows and video games. The message here is that the feminine identity, frequently found throughout society, is a male construct. Perhaps it is comforting that Ava wants to break out against Nathan. Although her intentions are deadly, they are philosophically sound. Garland does not give into romanticism when developing the relationship between Caleb and Ava. Instead, he gives Ava’s reasoning pure logic, which is how a robot is expected to act. Along with the storyline, the performances are outstanding. Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb as a naive, realistic human being and is the most relatable character in the film. Alicia Virkander plays Ava as a robot afraid to die and a being that longs to escape. Oscar Issac delivered the best performance as the demented Nathan, whose drunkenness and obsession with creating females underline his controlling, hermit-like lifestyle. The music by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow is ambient and, like the film, ominous. The music’s digital feel appropriately fits the futuristic gilded age that Garland creates in the film. Cinematographer Ron Hardy uses images of Garland’s world as distant and cold, yet paradoxically beautiful, especially when it comes to the natural rain forest, which surrounds Nathan’s sleek, hidden home. “Ex Machina” is memorably compelling and powerful. The climax of the film, as well as the events preceding it, don’t venture past the harsh truths of what an automated, conscious machine can do when it is threatened by its creator. This is a noir-thriller, an Oedipal film, and a great exercise in the horror movie genre. Above all, it is a real science fiction film that is also the finest film of 2015 thus far.
A12
• April 28, 2015
EDITORIAL
The Chronicle
Emojis: No text communication without representation By Kaeli Van Cott STAFF WRITER
When it comes to the media, it’s important for all people to be represented, regardless of a person’s gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity. This holds true even with seemingly small things like emojis. Although emojis might seem minor, the amount of people who use them is tremendous. Emojitracker.com shows the amount of emojis being used on Twitter in real time, and with just a quick glance, there were 698,494,519 of the crying out of laughter emoji being used on Twitter. These little smiley faces are more than just faces; they are a means of communication used on a day-to-day basis. When the new emoji keyboard was released in a recent iPhone
and iPad update, it included alternate skin tones for the first time ever. Any individual emojis that include people, from the girl
of millions of people around the world. The decision to only cater to some seemed to promote cultural exclusivity. When communicating to others, being represented by something as simple as emojis is comforting and can bring a sense of belonging, even if it’s not something most iPhone or Android users are actively thinking about. Some users have argued that the additions to the keyboard are unnecessary and were only created to appease those who may be sensitive. These new emojis are necessary because inclusivity and acceptance are necessary in life.
“These little smiley faces are more than just faces; they are a means of communication used on a day-to-day basis.” raising her hand to the peace sign, now allow for the option to choose from a variety of skin tones. This was a crucial step in properly representing all people. Previously, emojis lacked diversity. In fact, instead of the people being colored yellow like smiley faces of the past, they were mainly Caucasian. By making this decision, it seemed like Apple only cared about one group out
Not being properly represented in even the smallest of things is insulting. Small things can still have a huge impact, especially when it comes to communication. Although this step toward becoming more inclusive is well intentioned, there are still some improvements that can be made. There are many skin tones represented with the new emojis, yet there are none that represent
who uses emojis, and that needs to change. The issue with these characters is that they have created little representations of race that had not existed in emoticons beforehand. Originally, emoticons were little yellow circles that did not define people, but instead expressed an emotion. The emergence of emojis and the decision to create Caucasian ones created the issue of selective inclusion. When developing these additional emojis, the decision should have made to either represent everyone or represent no one at all. Yellow smiley faces could have worked, but if small representations of people are going to exist, they should represent everyone.
“There are many skin tones represented in the new emojis, yet there are none that represent biracial couples. There are no emojis that wear hijabs or burkas.” biracial couples. There are no emojis that wear hijabs or burkas. They do not represent everyone
Elections and a referendum: Catalans deserve to vote By Marta Penas Mur SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
On April 15, 2015, Antònia Casellas, professor at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, gave a lecture at Hofstra University on Catalonia’s case. Throughout the presentation, co-sponsored by the Department of Global Studies and Geography and European Studies, Casellas analyzed the region’s history and discussed the emergence of the independence movement. The talk was entitled “Catalans Want to Vote: Crisis, Politics and Identity in Spain.” You may have heard this sentence on the news or radio, or perhaps you may have read something about the Catalan situation on the newspapers. Now, who are the Catalans and what are they trying to accomplish by voting? Catalonia is an autonomous region located in Spain’s northeastern corner, with its capital at Barcelona. The Catalan people have struggled for centuries to preserve their political and
cultural identity. During Franco’s regime (1939-1975), Catalan nationalism was suppressed and the Catalan language was banned. Franco’s death 40 years ago represented the end of a dictatorship in Spain, which was followed by a successful transition in democracy. Yet Catalans are having trouble
the will of the Catalan people, unsuccessfully, as an “informal referendum” took place and 80.7 percent of voters backed independence. Catalans want to vote and decide their political future, just like Quebec and Scotland have previously done. I was born and raised in Catalonia and I am a proud
or multilingual state, which conflicts with Catalonia’s interests. I am hopeful that Catalonia will be recognized as a country in a near future, and that a concept as simple as supporting the Catalan national soccer team in the World Cup will be a reality. Economically speaking, Catalonia is Spain’s wealthiest
“Whether Catalans decide to move forward with independence or they choose to rebuild relations with Spain, the relevance of the vote is that Catalans will have the opportunity to let their voices be heard.” expressing their opinions and deciding for their future, which raises a lot of questions about the quality of Spain’s democracy. For instance, on Nov. 9 last year, more than 2 million Catalans voted for independence in a straw poll, despite countless legal and political objections from the People’s Party government. Spain’s central government used the constitutional court to block
Catalan. I believe that the situation as it is right now is unsustainable. I am pro-independence, as I think that a Catalan state will be able to manage Catalonia’s resources better and more efficiently. The Spanish state has long attempted to unify the country, despite ethnic and linguistic diversity. Spain has no intentions of moving towards a multinational
region. With a population of 7.5 million, or 16 percent of Spain’s total population, Catalonia accounts for nearly 25 percent of Spain’s total GDP. In addition, Spain collects 23 percent of its total taxes in Catalonia, money used to subsidize less developed regions in Spain. More than that, Spain’s investment in Catalonia during the period 1982-1998 only repre-
sented 8.5 percent from the total spent. The economic crisis has played a huge role in boosting the independence movement, as a large number of Catalans, including myself, are now skeptical about the effectiveness of Madrid’s centralized control of the country. So, what does the future look like in Catalonia? Elections. President Artur Mas called early regional elections for Sept. 27 this year. Catalans will have the opportunity to freely and democratically decide their future and choose the next Parliament of Catalonia. If a majority of the Catalan people vote for prosecession parties, Catalonia will advance the independence process. Whether Catalans decide to move forward with independence or they choose to rebuild relations with Spain, the relevance of the vote is that Catalans will have the opportunity to let their voices be heard.
Have an opinion? E-mail us at hofstrachronicleeditorials@gmail.com.
The Chronicle
OP - ED
April 28, 2015 •
A13
Trash the trash bags and foster a sense of community
By Erica Sattler
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The foster care system can be confusing and even disheartening. Foster care is a program where a minor is placed into a new home and cared for by someone who is not their parent, certified by the state. When a child enters the foster care system, it is common for them to be given a trash bag to carry their belongings. Twelve hundred children enter foster care in the United States every day. If even half of those kids receive a trash bag, that is 600 kids that are now forced to carry everything they own in a garbage bag. There are a lot of reasons that a child enters foster care, and not every child remains
in foster care, but children are not garbage. While this isn’t anyone’s fault in particular, and there is sometimes just not enough money to provide a bag for these kids while caring for them, it does not make this okay. This is just one example of something that a foster child can go through. To help these kids, a nonprofit organization called Together We Rise executes community action projects to help give these children a sense of normalcy and belonging so that they have a better chance of growing up to be a successful
adult. Together We Rise at Hofstra follows this mission to help foster youth on Long Island. The club’s first community action project this semester was to visit a
is a diagnostic group home that is designed to keep siblings together after Child Protective Services removes them from their family home. They brought along Monopoly, Farkle, Uno, and two decks of cards that we donated to the home. The club spent two hours playing and teaching each other new games while sharing stories and a lot of laughs.This was a new experience for everyone in the club and I can honestly say that we all had a great time. Everyone wants to feel important, and by spending time with these kids, we were able to give them more of the attention that they deserve. Sometimes, it’s the little
“Two hours at a group home may be a small part of a bigger picture, but making any type of difference is a monumental step toward a better world.” group home with board games and spend some time with the residents. Members of the club visited Hope for Youth’s Family Ties facility in Amityville, which
things that make a difference and the memories made will last a lifetime. Whether your cause is foster care innovation, rescuing animals, cleaning up parks or anything in between, I encourage you to take some time out of your day and do something about it. Two hours at a group home may be a small part of a bigger picture, but making any type of difference is a monumental step toward a better world. I am confident that volunteering to help these children will make a difference, and I am excited to see where Together We Rise at Hofstra takes me in the future as I work to help these kids. The foster care system doesn’t have to feel so discouraging.
Illustration by Tom Cassese
The views and opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section are those of the authors of the articles. They are not an endorsement of the views of The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors.
A 14 •April 28, 2015
SPORTS
The Chronicle
Baseball swept by Huskies, Pride fall to ten under .500 Game One: Pride’s two-game winning streak ends By Joe Barone STAFF WRITER
After back-to-back consecutive offensive explosions against non-conference teams during the week, the Hofstra Pride was confident they could win their third game in a row on Friday afternoon vs. Northeastern. But Huskies’ pitchers Nick Berger and Mike Fitzgerald thwarted the Pride’s plans as the duo compiled a two-hit, one-run outing as the Pride dropped this one, 5-1. Early on, the Pride picked up where they left off in their last game when Mat Annunziata led off with a single. It was a promising start, however, the Huskies completely took over, baffling Pride hitters along the way. The two teams were held off
the scorecard for the opening two innings until Northeastern’s Keith Kelly brought home the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly putting the Huskies up 1-0 after three innings. Hofstra remained composed and sparked a minor rally in the top of the fourth. Brad Witkowski took matters into his own hands as he led off the inning with a walk, stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by Northeastern catcher Josh Treff. With a runner on third and one out, sophomore David Leiderman smacked a Nick Berger pitch to left field for a sacrifice fly – Hofstra’s lone run on the afternoon. This was a pivotal moment for the Pride, who attempted to keep up with a strong Northeastern
team that won six out of their last eight games. It was evident who the hotter team was since the Huskies were quick to respond, starting a two-out rally. Hofstra starter Bowie Matteson did not find a way to get the final out of the inning, as Northeastern scored three runs by smacking three hits, one being a big tworun single by Keith Kelly. Hofstra had their best chance of the game in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out. After Brett Johnson and Eric Ferguson walked, Chris Hardardt played some small-ball, bunting the two runners over into scoring position. The next pitch hit Mat Annunziata, setting up arguably the Pride’s best hitter, Steven Foster, with the bases loaded.
Jean Pierre Guzhnay/The Chronicle Steven Foster batted 1-for-8 in the three-game series v. Northeastern and scored one run in game three.
He though grounded into a double play, ending the rally, and embodying the type of frustrating afternoon it was for Hofstra. Northeastern added one
more run in the bottom of the sixth inning, putting the finishing touches on the victory.
recorded his 17th stolen base, to go along with a .359 average on the season. Third baseman David Leiderman swiped his eighth bag, to support a .303 average. With the loss, Alec Eisenberg dropped to a game below .500 on the season, 3-4.
Northeastern starter, Dustin Hunt, pitched 6.2 strong innings, only yielding two runs and allowing four hits. Hunt improved to 5-3 with the win.
Game Two: Huskies win back-to-back v. Hofstra By Elliot Rubin STAFF WRITER
The Pride lost a close game Saturday, 3-2, to the Northeastern Huskies, despite the fact that starting pitcher Alec Eisenberg had a strong outing. Eisenberg went six innings, allowing three runs, nonetheless it was still not enough for the Pride. Hofstra scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly off the bat of second baseman Brad Witkowski, scoring designated
hitter Mat Annunziata to take the early 1-0 lead in the first. Unfortunately for the Pride, they didn’t score again until the seventh inning, at which time it was 3-1 Huskies. In the third inning, Huskies designated hitter Cam Hanley’s bat woke up, as he hit a two-run triple in the frame followed by an RBI double two innings later. The two-run deficit proved to be costly as the Pride lost by a run, 3-2, despite left fielder Brett Johnson’s home run in the seventh inning making the game
a little closer. The pitchers to enter the game after Eisenberg were Kevin Weissheier, who issued a six-pitch walk, and Luke Noone, who recorded a strikeout on 12 pitches in the seventh. They were followed by Brendan Mulligan allowed one hit and also had one strike out. In the game, Brett Johnson recorded his sixth home run of the season and drove in his 17th run of the year, going 2-for-4 in the loss. Center fielder Steven Foster
Game Three: Northeastern sweeps Pride in third loss By Frank Aimetti STAFF WRITER
Hofstra’s CAA woes continued in an 8-3 loss to host Northeastern, dropping the Pride to 3-15 in CAA play and further entrenching them in the cellar of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Pride’s season record fell to 15-25 with another demoralizing defeat in a season already filled to the brim. Designated hitter Brian MacDonald smacked his second home run of the season in the
second inning to put Hofstra up 2-0. That would be the Pride’s first and only lead of the day, as the Huskies put up three runs in the bottom of the third inning on a couple of home runs. Starting pitcher for the Pride Nick Kozlowski was hit hard, allowing three runs and five hits, forcing him into an early exit after three innings. A lone positive for Kozlowski was the five strikeouts on the day, matching his previous season-high. The pitching didn’t get much better for the Pride either, as the
bullpen allowed five runs in the following five innings, ballooning the lead to 8-3. Hofstra added a single run in the eighth on perhaps the most exciting play of the day. Outfielder Steven Foster stole home after an attempted pick-off move by the Huskies pitcher. The steal was Foster’s 18th on the season in 28 attempts. The Pride’s next game will see them take on Monmouth University in a single game road contest at 3:30 p.m. on April 28.
Mike Rudin/The Chronicle Brian Macdonald smacked his second home run of the season in game three.
The Chronicle
SPORTS
April 28, 2015 • A 15
Smith’s squad loses only game in April v. SBU By Mike Rudin SPORTS EDITOR
The Hofstra women’s lacrosse team suited up against the No. 6 Stony Brook Seawolves last Tuesday in a home-field matchup at James M. Shuart Stadium, but the Pride endured a rough 12-8 loss to Stony Brook. “It’s a tough loss to swallow. but Stony brook’s a tremendous team; they’re No. 6 in the country right now,” said head coach Shannon Smith. “We struggled defensively, they were strolling the ball a lot in the second half. We struggled a little bit defensively in the second half, we left a lot of goals we usually didn’t.” The Pride dropped to 10-5 overall on the season while the Seawolves improved to 15-1. Hofstra’s five-game win streak
was shattered while Stony Brook boosted their winning streak to four consecutive games. Despite the loss, senior Britain Altomare made program history by tying the university’s all-time record for points with 240. She tied the record once she scored her 35th goal of the season as well as notched an assist versus the Seawolves. The first half consisted of both teams matching each other goalfor-goal until the Seawolves went ahead by halftime, 5-4. Stony Brook’s defense outmatched the Pride’s offense in a game where aggressive play rattled the Pride, and miscues by the players and team hindered the Pride’s chances throughout the game. Twelve fouls by the Pride in the first half alone made things difficult, including the yellow card
issued to April Iannetta during the 19th minute of the first period for unsportsmanlike conduct. That penalty could have made matters worse, but luckily Hofstra’s Kelsey Gregerson blocked the shot for the only save of the first half. The Seawolves limited the Pride offense to nine shots in the first period and Stony Brook’s goalkeeper made two saves while Gregerson made one, which provided enough separation for a 5-4 lead at halftime. The turning point where Stony Brook took over was in the beginning of the second half when the Seawolves rallied and scored three straight goals in the opening eight minutes of the final half. “We were losing the draw controls and were getting beat off the offensive side,” said Smith.
“Brittain was hitting the ball where she wanted to go, we weren’t boxing out. We weren’t fast enough off the restraining line.” Initial possession is a critical factor in every game and that put Hofstra at a slight disadvantage since Stony Brook led draw controls 13-9. The trio of goals by SBU’s Dorrien Van Dyke, Courtney Murphy and Taylor Ranftle put the Pride in a bind, down 8-4 with 22:22 left remaining. Lindsay Alfano tried to breathe life back into the Pride with a pair of unassisted goals on Hofstra’s end. Her burst of offensive production pushed Hofstra within three, 9-6, and raised the idea of a comeback with 16 minutes remaining. The Seawolves tactic was drawing out as much time as possible and executed it well.
Stony Brook kept Hofstra off the board for the next eight minutes. In the meantime, SBU’s Kylie Ohlmiller and Van Dyke scored a pair of goals, making things bleak for Hofstra. The Pride’s Shea MacAvoy and Morgan Knox shot back-to-back goals as a last ditch effort to get a rally going. When less than three minutes stood on the clock, Gregerson was pulled out of the game and it immediately led the way for Stony Brook’s final goal of the game at 1:52. The Seawolves killed the remaining time and took the win. Gregerson allowed 12 goals with two saves in the game and had a .143 save percentage. Morgan Knox and Alfano were the only Pride players with twogoal performances against Stony Brook.
Rain hands Pride Softball wins in come-fromshortened victory behind fashion v. Syracuse By PJ Potter STAFF WRITER
Pride baseball sailed past LIU Brooklyn on Wednesday, 10-5, in a shortened game due to a one-hour lightning delay. The game had to be called after seven and a half innings played since it was too dark out for any further action. Hofstra’s 6-9 hitters were the major factors of the game. They combined for seven of the eight runs batted in and eight of the team’s 12 hits. Brian MacDonald picked up two hits and is now on a six-game hitting streak, going 13-for-25 over that span (.520). Ryan Donovan, Eric Ferguson and Chris Hardardt finished out the lineup with two hits each. 12-of-the-15 runs between both teams were scored in the first three innings. The Blackbirds started off the game with a two-run single from Bobby Webb in the first. Hofstra answered in the bottom half with one run when Mat Annunziata scored on a fielder’s choice hit by Dalton Rouleau. Annunziata went 2-for-5 for the Pride in the leadoff spot.
LIU Brooklyn plated two more in the next inning on a triple down the right field line by Tom Jakubowski. Ferguson and Hardardt fought back in the second with RBI hits each. Hofstra exploded for five runs in the third inning. MacDonald began the rally with a triple to the right center field gap, scoring two runs. He has 10 RBI in the last five games. Donovan then brought MacDonald home on a base hit up the middle and Hardardt once again notched an RBI hit to left field. Ferguson also scored, but on an error by Luis Rios. In the seventh, Donovan launched home run number three of the season on a solo shot over the right field fence. Cody Olsen won his first game of the year (1-1) in three innings of relief. He allowed no runs on two hits and one walk. Adam Heidenfelder started and was given the no decision; he surrendered four runs, all earned, on six hits and three strikeouts. Adam Seibert threw the seventh and eighth inning without allowing an earned run, lowering his ERA to a team best 3.62.
By Kyle Kandetzki SPORTS EDITOR
Faced with a potential loss against ACC-worst Syracuse, Caryn Bailey brought Hofstra back from the brink, and then some. Hofstra softball defeated the Syracuse Orange (17-26, 1-13 ACC) in eight innings on Tuesday at the newly renamed Bill Edwards Stadium. Hofstra trailed 4-1 going into the final inning, but Larissa Anderson’s team tied things up to go to extras, where Bailey hit a walk-off, two-run home run to give the Pride the win. “Syracuse had pitchers faster than we have seen, and we were behind a bit on bat speed early,” said head coach Anderson. “But that isn’t a bad thing, and we adjusted.” The non-conference showdown started off as a true pitcher’s duel, with neither team scoring through the first four innings. Cuse’s Jocelyn Cater was in the circle against Taylor Pirone, with Cater seeming a bit more in control, racking up 11 strikeouts over seven innings.
Both teams found offense in the fifth, the Orange via a solo home run, while Hofstra tied things back up via a Bailey groundout with runners on first and third, scoring Rachel Simodejka. Pirone struggled in the sixth, letting in three runs in what could have been an easy inning. Second baseman Lacey Clark made a diving stop with one out, but threw the ball errantly to first, putting runners on second and third. This was followed by two singles, the latter of which went down the right field line and brought in two runs down, putting the Orange up 4-1. Morgan Lashley came into the game in relief and got the inning’s final out, and struck out the side in the top of the seventh. The Hofstra offense finally came alive with their backs against the wall in the bottom of the last. Chloe Fitzgerald reached and Bailey slammed one over the right field wall to bring the game within one. Cater continued to struggle, leading the Orange to opt to bring in Sydney O’Hara in relief,
but she instead walked Brittany Allocca with the bases loaded to tie the game. But the game continued into extras after Erin Trippi struck out with two out and the bases still loaded. Lashley continued her dominant appearance by striking out two more in a quick eighth inning, with Bailey looming, on deck in the bottom half. Fitzgerald (2-for-3) reached again, and Bailey (2-for-4) finished off the comeback with a shot just over the left field fence, a game winner and her second home run in the same amount of innings. Pirone went 5.2 innings before being pulled amid Syracuse’s rally. Her line included seven hits, one walk and three strikeouts. Lashley’s relief outing was unblemished over 2.1, with only one HBP with no hits or walks, Bailey’s two dingers brought her up to 11 in 2015, tied for the best in the CAA, and 40 RBIs, second in the conference. She also had every RBI that was physically hit in, as the only run not driven in by her was Allocca’s bases loaded walk.
SPORTS
A 16 •April 28, 2015
The Chronicle
Men’s golf comes up short at CAA tournament in last place By Kevin Carroll STAFF WRITER
The Hofstra men’s golf team couldn’t keep up with the pack this past weekend, settling for a ninth-place finish in the nine-team CAA tournament at the St. James Plantation course in Southport, N.C. To say it was a weekend to forget for the Pride would be a huge understatement. The Pride ended up shooting a 944 over three rounds of golf, 80 strokes over par for the tournament. This score left them 71 strokes behind the eventual champions from College of Charleston, who finished at an incredible +9 for the tournament. The Pride’s first day on the
course was a disaster, as the team shot a 344 in the first round, setting them far behind the rest of the pack. The team regrouped heading into the weekend, cutting more than 40 strokes off their score for a second round 301. They managed to do even better on Sunday, shooting a 299. But the damage had already been done, and it was too late for the Pride to make any serious noise in the tournament, slipping to the very bottom of the barrel, where they finished on Sunday. Standing out for the Pride throughout the tournament was a pair of players from the back end of the rotation, David Won and Johnson Ko. Both players shot a 235 (+19) over three rounds,
good enough for the two of them to slide into a tie for 37th place. David Mecca finished one stroke behind them in 40th place, and had the best round of any of the Hofstra golfers, shooting a 70 (-2) on Sunday, becoming the only member of the team to shoot below par. Taking home the individual honors for the tournament was John Jonas, from the overall champion College of Charleston Cougars. Jonas shot 215 (-1) on the tournament, finishing two strokes ahead of his teammates, Josh Lorenzetti and Zach Munroe. The Cougars will be headed to the NCAA Men’s Golf Tournament for the second straight year.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics David Mecca golfed in his last competition with the Pride over the weekend.
HOFSTRA AT A GLANCE BASEBALL
SOFTBALL
Final Record 5-9
Overall 15-25
Overall 30-11-1
Final Record 11-5
Conference (2-3)
Conference (3-15)
Conference (14-3)
Conference (6-0)
Final CAA Standings: 5th Place
CAA Standings: 9th Place
CAA Standings: 2nd Place
Final CAA Standings: 1st Place
MEN’S LACROSSE
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
The Chronicle
SPORTS
April 28, 2015 • A 17
Men’s lacrosse fails to reach CAA tournament By Jeffrey Werner STAFF WRITER
There wasn’t a game more important on the Hofstra Pride men’s lacrosse schedule than Friday’s matchup against the Stags of Fairfield University. The season, and a spot in CAA post-season play, was on the line at Rafferty Stadium for the Pride. Unfortunately, the winds weren’t blowing in Hofstra’s favor as a late run in the fourth period wasn’t enough and the season ended in a bitter 5-4 defeat. The disappointment of the loss was evident in head coach Seth Tierney’s voice during his postgame interview. “It’s just really hard. All season long, we’ve had situations where we either couldn’t catch a break or make a break happen for us, and tonight we got out to a rough start and they jumped all over us.” The Stags did exactly what the Dragons of Drexel, Minutemen of UMass and Big Red of Cornell did to defeat Hofstra: they got an early lead in the first period. Tristan Sperry started the scoring for the Stags with his 20th goal of the season two minutes into the game to give the Stags a 1-0 lead. Jake Knostman extended the lead to 2-0 with his 16th goal of the season four minutes later. TJ
Neubauer, Joe Rodrigues and Dave Fleming all contributed goals in the first period to end the first period with a commanding 5-0 lead for Fairfield. The second period belonged to Hofstra, as it was their turn to go on the offensive. Brian von Bargen put the Pride on the scoreboard just 1:55 in. He scored for the second time in the game a little over four minutes later to cut the lead to three goals. There has never been a game this season when Sam Llinares didn’t have his name in the stat sheet, and this game was no exception as he scored his 33rd goal of the season to bring the score to 5-3 at the end of the half. Neither team scored in the third period, so it was onto the fourth. If Hofstra was going to complete their comeback, they would need to do it then. With less than three minutes in the game, Zachary Franco shot the ball into the net to bring the Pride to within one. Then, with less than 30 seconds to go, the Pride found themselves scrambling to get a shot into the net to force overtime. Llinares shot the ball wide, but senior Mike Malave was able to get the ball back. With seven seconds to go, Malave tried to be the hero for Hofstra, but his shot went just above the goal and officially ended the season for
him and the Pride. With this loss, the Pride officially closed out their 2015 season at 5-9 overall and 2-3 in CAA play. This season marked the third time the Pride failed to make the CAA semi-finals in the last four seasons, and also the second time the Pride has finished with a losing record since 2012. This was certainly not the season fans expected from the Pride after last season, when Hofstra came up one goal short of winning the CAA title. The return of Mike Malave, Sam Llinares and Korey Hendrickson on the attack had Pride fans excited about the offensive firepower those players would bring. Also returning to the team was Chris Selva, a senior, and fans were expecting him to lead the team and make fantastic saves to get Hofstra the wins it needed to return. Despite the disappointment of the end of the season, the Pride have some uplifting news for the program. Sophomore defender Joe Ferriso, who passed away prior to the 2015 season, was named as one of the five finalists for the One Love Foundation’s Yeardley Reynolds Love Unsung Hero Award. This award recognizes two individuals, one man and one woman, for their dedication, integrity, humility, hard work,
Mike Rudin/The Chronicle Sam Llinares struggles to get up after being knocked down. He scored one goal on nine shots in the game vs. Fairfield.
community service, leadership, kindness and sportsmanship – all qualities exemplified by UVA’s Yeardley Love whom passed away in 2010. Ferriso was named along with Todd Stewart from Brown
University, Geoffrey Sullivan from Colgate University, Patrick Frazier from Loyola University and Kyle Zittel from Penn State University.
HOFSTRA ATHLETIC CALENDAR Away Home
4/28
4/29
4/30
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
5/1 Friday
5/2
5/3
5/4
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
@ CAA Championship Game (if Necessary)
@ CAA semifinals vs. Towson 4:00 P.M.
Women’s Lacrosse Softball
@ Seton Hall University 4:00 P.M.
Baseball
@ Monmouth University 3:30 P.M.
v.s. LIU Post3:30 P.M.
v.s. Elon University3:00 P.M.
@ College of Charleston DH 4:00 P.M. & 6:00 P.M.
@ College of Charleston 11:00 A.M.
v.s. Elon University2:00 P.M.
v.s. Elon University1:00 P.M.
A 18 •April 28, 2015
SPORTS
The Chronicle
Women’s lacrosse finishes undefeated season in CAA By Kevin Carroll STAFF WRITER
After being stonewalled by Drexel’s defense for most of the second half, the Hofstra Pride women’s lacrosse team broke through, scoring four goals in the final 2:17, to propel the Pride past the Dragons by a score of 9-8 on senior day, and ensured that Hofstra would finish their conference slate of games unblemished.
Brittain Altomare played her usual stellar game, finishing the game with four goals. However, it was defender Lindsey Alfano who managed to overcome a shaky first half performance to beat the Drexel goalkeeper with just 32 seconds left, capping off a remarkable streak where the Pride rattled off four unanswered goals to come back from the brink of defeat against a very tough Drexel squad. “A lot of credit to Drexel, I
Mike Rudin/The Chronicle Brittain Altomare scored four goals v. Drexel to help provide the win.
Mike Rudin/The Chronicle Lindsey Alfano scored two goals on two shots during the season finale win.
thought they played exceptionally well today… I thought we really dug in there with the last two minutes and thirty seconds, and we started to play Hofstra lacrosse,” said head coach Shannon Smith after the game. Altomare, one of the six seniors playing their final game at Shuart Stadium, got the ball rolling for the Pride early, putting the Pride ahead 1-0 just under three minutes into the game with her 36th goal of the season. With the goal, Altomare became the all-time leader in points in school history. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment for Brittain, she’s been such an unbelievable player for us,” head coach Smith said of her superstar after the game. Drexel was able to answer, however, as four different Dragons scored the next four consecutive goals to give Drexel a 4-1 lead. After Carolyn Carrera made it 4-2 with her first career goal, both defenses began to take over the game, keeping the score right where it was for the next nine minutes, before Drexel’s Alissa Watts was able to bury one in the back of the net, giving Drexel a 5-2 lead. The Pride fought back as the first half drew to a close, due largely in part to the efforts of Altomare, whom beat the Drexel keeper twice more in the first half, notching herself a hat trick and sending Hofstra to halftime down 5-4. Morgan Knox tied it up at 5 coming out of the break, but then the Dragons answered with three more goals, pushing the lead to 8-5 with 10:41 left to play. Drexel slowed the game down, stalling and bleeding the clock as much as they possibly could, and it seemed to work. But then something clicked in the Hofstra offense, as Lindsey Alfano scored a free position goal with 2:17 left to make it an 8-6 game. Just 24 seconds later, after Altomare had won the draw control, Sam Lenox put one past the goalkeeper, and the deficit was cut to just one goal with 1:53 remaining. Altomare won the draw control again, and scored the equalizer with 1:13 left to play, sending the Shuart Stadium crowd into an uproar. Due to
Salvatore Guardino/The Chronicle Sam Lenox put in one goal and two assists in the final regular season game.
Mike Rudin/The Chronicle Kelsey Gregerson makes a save, one of her six, during the 2015 season finale.
a foul after the goal, Altomare was awarded possession of the ball and got it to Alfano. The junior defender navigated her way through the mouth of the Dragons’ defense, and with just 0:32 left on the clock, she snuck one past the goalkeeper, putting the Pride ahead, 9-8. As the crowd went wild, there was still one more crucial faceoff, and freshman Carrera managed to gain control of the ball, and seal the deal for the Pride, overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to walk away with the 9-8 victory on Senior Day. “I’m just really proud of the team, and really proud of the seniors, and I’m really happy that
they get to leave their last game at Shuart Stadium with a W… but we need to get better heading into conference play,” said head coach Smith about her departing seniors. Altomare led all scores with four goals, and Alfano added two more for the Pride, who finishes the season with an 11-6 record, and an unbeaten 6-0 mark in the conference. Next up for the Hofstra women’s lacrosse team is the CAA Tournament. The Pride clinched the top seed with Saturday’s victory and will face the Towson Tigers in the semifinals on Friday, May 1. The CAA tournament action will be held on the campus of the University of Delaware.
The Chronicle
SPORTS
April 28, 2015 • A 19
Softball mercies UDel back-to-back in DH on Sat. By Jeffrey Werner STAFF WRITER
On Saturday, the Hofstra Pride softball team began a threegame series against the Fightin’ Blue Hens of the University of Delaware with a doubleheader at Bill Edwards Stadium. The Pride dominated by shutting the Hens out for 11 innings and scoring 16 runs and mercy-ruled Delaware in both games. Morgan Lashley was given the start for the first game of the doubleheader. Consistent with most of the season, Lashley controlled the Fightin’ Blue Hens’ batters. She struck out five and allowed one hit in the five innings she pitched. Lashley earned her 17th win on the season. Of course, pitching doesn’t get runs on the board, so Lashley needed her teammates to back her up. The Pride batters got Lashley an early lead, thanks to a two-run home run by third baseman Kim Smith, her fifth of the season, which drove in Caryn
Bailey and gave Hofstra a 2-0 lead. The Pride offense exploded in the fifth inning. Shortstop Michaela Transue started the run production with a single that allowed Megan Patierno and Rachel Simodejka, the pinch running for Erin Trippi, to score, extending the lead to 4-0. Lacey Clark came up to bat and lined the ball up the middle to drive in Transue and Chloe Fitzgerald. Soon after, Delaware’s pitcher started to tire and made mental errors. She walked Trippi with the bases loaded and threw a pass ball that brought in Clark to score and seal the victory for the Pride, 8-0. The second game was the same story as the first, with the only difference of Taylor Pirone on the mound. Pirone picked up where Lashley left off and shut out the Fightin’ Blue Hens for six innings by striking out two batters and limiting their bats to three hits. Pirone picked up her 12th win of the season.
Despite playing back-to-back games, the Pride’s run production showed no signs of exhaustion. First baseman Brittany Allocca came up in the second inning with Patierno on base and smashed the ball over the left field fence for her fourth home run of the season and put the Pride up 2-0 once again on Delaware. The Pride wasn’t done scoring runs in the second as Bailey hit the ball over the left fielder’s head for a double that scored Fitzgerald. The fifth inning held yet another display of the Pride’s run production. Smith made some noise in the second game after she hit a ground ball to second base that drove in Fitzgerald. Clark came up to the plate and doubled down the third base line, driving in Bailey and extending the lead to 5-0. Trippi then lined the ball back up the middle for single, allowing Clark to score the sixth run for Hofstra. With the bases loaded, Transue
Jean Pierre Guzhnay/ The Chronicle Caryn Bailey batted 3-for-9, scoring four runs in the series v. Delaware.
worked a walk to score Brielle Pietrafesa to end the fifth inning with a 7-0 Pride lead. The Pride was able to seal the deal when
Clark drove the ball over the center fielder’s head and scored Bailey to claim another 8-0 victory for the Pride.
Softball sweeps UDel for five consecutive wins By Mike Rudin SPORTS EDITOR
Senior Day took place at Bill Edwards Stadium for the Hofstra Pride last Sunday and the Pride went on to complete their threegame series sweep of their CAA
opponent, the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens, with a 3-0 win. “Very impressed with our defense, we made some great plays today. Anytime you can shutout a team, you know you’re pitching [well] and playing great
Jean Pierre Guzhnay/ The Chronicle Taylor Pirone threw a shutout in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.
defense,” said head coach Larissa Anderson. “Offensively, I thought we were a little tentative and we were evaluating too much.” Sunday’s win marks Hofstra’s third straight shutout in the series against the Fightin’ Blue Hens. The Pride (14-3 CAA) improved to 30-11-1 on the season and locked up the second seed in the upcoming conference tournament. Hofstra’s senior starting pitcher, Morgan Lashley, received the nod for Sunday’s game and improved her record to 18-1. “She came out, and obviously it’s a very emotional day with Senior Day, and I think that had something to do with it. She has a lot of pride in her performance,” said Anderson. “I know every time she goes out on the mound she’s going to give everything she possibly has and she did.” The game started with the Pride up early 1-0 in the bottom of the first and it was all the run support Lashley required in the game. Three walks, scattered to
Caryn Bailey, Kim Smith and Brielle Pietrafesa, respectively, set the stage for senior catcher Erin Trippi at the plate. Trippi was clipped by a pitch and she drove in the first run with an RBI hit-by-pitch. After the first, both teams threw three consecutive, scoreless innings until the Pride scored again in the bottom of the fifth. With Clark at second and Pietrafesa at first, Erin Trippi stepped in and put up her second RBI of the day as she reached first on a throwing error by the Delaware third baseman Heather Oakley, which brought Clark home and Pietrafesa to third. Brittany Allocca came to the plate with runners on second and third and managed to squeeze out an RBI groundout to extend Hofstra’s lead to 3-0 by the end of the inning. Senior pitcher Taylor Pirone took over for Lashley in the top of the fifth to close out the game, and received her fourth save on the year. The two pitchers compiled a three-hit, shutout win for the Pride.
Lashley pitched 4.1 innings while surrendering two hits, no runs, no walks and striking out five batters. Pirone closed out the game pitching 2.2 innings while giving up one hit, no runs, no walks and striking out two. The Pride concluded their 10-game home stretch with a five-game winning streak and finished the home stretch with an 8-2 record. Hofstra will play the last four, 2015 regular-season games on the road. First, against Seton Hall University then a three-game series against their CAA rival, the Elon Phoenix. The Pride will take on the Seton Hall Pirates this Tuesday on April 28 at 4:00, followed by their final CAA series at College of Charleston this weekend.
Back Cover: Senior Brittain Altomare leaps up for possession of the ball during a draw control v. Milan White of Drexel.
The Hofstra
Chronicle
Sky’s the Limit Brittain Altomare breaks all-time points record at 244, women’s lacrosse 6-0 v. CAA rivals Mike Rudin/The Chronicle