The Hofstra Chronicle, September 27, 2022

CHRONICLENY

KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935

Hofstra raises student employee minimum wage

they be paid at least Nassau County mini mum wage. Although students welcome the increase in pay, they have yet to be paid the county minimum wage – $15 an hour.

By Madeline Armstrong NEWS EDITOR

An email sent out by Human Resources to all Hofstra student employees on Thursday, Sept. 8, informed them that the student employee minimum wage would be increased from $8.25 an hour to $12 an hour.

This announcement comes af ter years of students requesting

According to President Susan Poser, about 50% of students will be making $15 an hour and 75% of students will see an increase in their pay.

“Right now, this is what we’re willing to do,” she said.

A study delving into the bud gets used for student employ ees was conducted by Denise Cunningham, director of Human Resources. In the study, it was found that a significant portion of the budget and a number of federal work studies were not

being utilized. “The pandemic changed how we work. Some of those changes – increased digitization, for example – have become permanent,” Cunning ham said. “As a result, there is less need for some jobs, such as delivering paper documents, as more work moves online.”

Additionally, some Resident Safety Representative (RSR) booths will no longer be staffed at all times. According to Poser, “there doesn’t seem to be a need.” Only one booth will be staffed in Colonial Square as opposed to the usual three and the graduate hall RSR booth will slowly be phased out during this semester.

Ryder Lazo, a senior his tory and German major and Chloe Leatherman, a senior

CONTINUED ON A3

Darling, what the hell is going on?

Hofstra changes COVID-19 isolation policy

By Taylor Nicioli STAFF WRITER

What seems to be the most anticipated and talked about movie of the year finally came out in theaters last Friday, Sept.

By Megan Naftali NEWS EDITOR

Hofstra University residen tial students have expressed concerns after a new isolation policy was put into effect on Monday, Sept. 12, when signs were placed on bathroom doors in the towers without prior notice.

23. “Don’t Worry Darling” is prov ing that it’s un able to stand up to the hype that was created before it even hit the big screen, and critics are saying it is just not worth the watch.

The first scene takes the audience into a small, inti mate dinner party with the main characters. The character and world-building follows this theme of intimacy throughout, and even feels bor derline intrusive, which can be a good or bad thing depending

Once the viewer begins to get an idea of where they are, which appears to be a somehow mod ern version of a 1950s suburbia, things begin to take off and make viewers question exactly what the hell is going on. There were scenes of topless women and empty eggshells; if the viewers weren’t watching with an extremely careful, analytical eye, too much crucial informa tion would be missed, which could explain the poor ratings. A & E

on the viewer. This is especially seen with the two sex scenes that take place early-on and were actually notably uncom fortable to watch.

“Students who are isolating in their single room may use the bathrooms for unmasked activity (showering, brushing teeth, face washing, etc.),” the signs read, specifying that students in isola tion could only use the bath room without a mask for those activities during five half-hour windows throughout the day.

The new policy was imple mented after feedback was given to Student Health Services (SHS) and the Office of Resi dence Life from students who previously resided in isolation housing, according to Jessica Eads, the vice president for Stu dent Enrollment, Engagement and Success.

“The students felt alone [because] they were isolating. It was something we knew we had

to think about when we started coming back this year, to try to help students feel a little bit more like they’re at home when they’re isolating,” Eads said. “The world is changing, and we lean toward our medical experts to really help us out, that’s Northwell Health and SHS, to help us out in terms of staying on top of what’s happening in the changing CDC guidelines.”

Some students living in the towers believe that even though the university was taking feed back from students who were previously in isolation housing, they should have also consid ered feedback from students cur rently residing in the towers.

“I feel that the new policy is extremely unsafe. They also just didn’t communicate or ask stu dents how we would feel,” said Carlos Silva, a senior journalism major with a sports concentra tion. “Sometimes I think the school just chooses to do things without actually thinking about the people they are affecting.”

Over the summer, the univer sity looked at isolation policies

Florence Pugh and Harry Styles have both had roles in Marvel movies.

In light of the new isolation policy, students stated that they wereuninformed of the changes and believe that the new policy is unsafe.

Ahjané Forbes / The Hofstra Chronicle

Hofstra Human Resources announced that the student employee minimum wage would be raised to $12 an hour.

Photo courtesy of Variety

Photo courtesy of Kenny Eliason

Hofstra looks toward solutions for a more sustainable campus

students are inclined to eat and which will be thrown away at the end of the day.

Andrea Millwood, associate director of the North Shore Land Alliance and project manager of the Roosevelt Community Garden, located about three miles from Hofs tra’s campus, shared opportunities for Hofstra students to get involved with supporting com munity agriculture projects. In addition, Hofstra was able to provide plants for the garden over the summer.

plant material in abundance to attract and provide habitats for pollinators,” Runkel said.

The native plant garden was initially a proposal by J. Bret Bennington, a professor of geol ogy and chair of the geology, environment and sustainability department at Hofstra, who also moderated the panel.

“I’m really passionate about native pollinators, native polli nator species and just the impor tance of planting native plants,” Bennington said. “The idea of using the Hofstra campus [and] restoring it so that it provides an ecological refuge for species that are sort of getting pushed out of suburbia, I just find that tremendously exciting and find that students want to work on these kinds of projects and study what’s going on on campus.”

By Isabella LoBue and Nell Stultz SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE & ASSISTANT COPY CHIEF

To showcase and discuss ongoing initiatives, student pro posals and community partner ships aimed at improving sus tainability on campus, Hofstra University hosted the “Building a Sustainable Campus: Faculty, Staff and Student Initiatives” panel on Tuesday, Sept. 20, as part of the 2022 Presiden tial Symposium, “Solutions for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”

During the event, students from last semes ter’s sustainability and food studies programs on campus brought forth their class-gener ated proposals on how members of the Hofstra community can take further action toward liv ing within a sustainable model.

Intro to Sustainability students Natalie Correa, a sophomore double major in sustainability studies and geographic informa tion systems, Camryn Gallagher, a senior double major in sustain ability studies and geographic information systems, and Conor Latimer-Ireland, a sophomore sustainability studies major,

proposed reducing food waste at Hofstra and bringing transparen cy to the amount of food waste being produced.

“When we made our initial proposal, we did ask Hofstra students in a survey how they felt about waste on campus,” Gallagher said. “Of the 67 responses that we received, 96% of the students said that they would be interested in see ing composting on campus.”

Since their proposal, Hofstra has already started to implement solutions to reduce food waste. The Yo! Bowl food station in the Student Center is now selfserve, where people can grab their own portions for 57 cents per ounce.

In addition, each food station now has a “Foodie Feedback” scannable QR code where stu dents can give direct feedback to Compass Group, Hofstra’s dining service, on the quality of their food; this allows Compass to narrow in on which foods

“The community partners help enhance our educational programs that provide valuable tools for us,” Millwood said. “Partnering with Hofstra University in the sum mer was really nice ... having a partnership helps make the com munity garden sustainable.”

Michael Runkel, the associate director of grounds at Hofstra, shared ways that the university has already implemented more

Some students in attendance expressed frustration with a lack of knowledge about food waste and food-related waste, such as disposable containers and utensils, and what is and isn’t recyclable on campus.

“It’s great to hear that [Runkel] is so sustainability focused,” said Aleyana Boothe, a junior urban ecology major and sustainability studies minor. “But [I] definitely want to see Compass take more action.”

Earth-friendly groundskeep ing practices; these methods include incorporating more native plants, removing invasive plants, sustainably caring for the turf on Hofstra’s athletics fields and using geographic informa tion systems to map and better care for Hofstra’s collection of trees.

Runkel also shared goals which Hofstra hopes to accom plish, including adding more pollinators and native plant gardens like the one outside Bernon Hall.

“There’s a clear void of native

“It’s not transparent,” said Mary Madigan, a sophomore mathematics education ma jor, discuss ing a lack of understand ing among students on how to properly dispose of food-related waste in the recycling and trash bins in dining areas on cam pus. “If they’re not being used, what’s the point?”

Millwood encouraged stu dents to volunteer and be more involved with the university’s greater community.

“My hope is to really encour age and inspire others to get into sustainability, because it’s real,” Millwood said. “We need to protect our environment.”

“Of the 67 responses that we received, 96% of the students said that they would be interested in seeing composting on campus.”

Michael Runkel, assistant director of grounds, discusses the role of Hofstra’s arboretum in the goal creating a sustainable campus.

Photo courtesy of Nell Stultz

Constitution Day scholarship winners discuss tolerance

who illustrated the history of Constitution Day and its impor tance.

Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship Day, celebrates the adoption of the Constitution in 1787 and the individuals who have become U.S. citizens since then.

By Sophia Guddemi

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Hofstra University hosted a Constitution Day dialogue dis cussion on Friday, Sept. 16, fea turing a panel of three student essay winners and two experts who discussed the meaning of tolerance. The Hofstra students, who were three of 47 individu als to submit an essay, won the

scholarship prize of $750 by re sponding to the question, “What does tolerance mean to you?”

This event was also cu rated by the Tolerance Means Dialogue organization, which travels around the United States to present ideas and discussions to universities.

The event began with an introduction from Hofstra Uni versity president Susan Poser,

Following Poser’s opening remarks were panelists William Eskridge, the John A. Garver professor of jurisprudence at Yale Law School, and Robin Wilson, the Mildred Van Voo rhis Jones Chair in Law at the University of Illinois College of Law. Eskridge and Wilson pre sented case studies exemplifying the conflict between tolerance and the law which reflect the extreme partisanship in America today. The event was moder ated by Vice Dean Julian Ku, a Hofstra distinguished professor in constitutional law.

After the panel discus sion, the three scholarship winners presented their es says and shared their personal experiences with the meaning of tolerance.

“It is a curiosity for knowl

edge outside of one’s worldview and humility that recognizes no one person has the monopoly on truth or morality,” said Jamin Enquist, a third-year graduate student in the Maurice A. Deane School of Law. Enquist was the first winner of the essay contest. Ferida Osman, a second-year graduate student in the school of law, shared her personal experience with religious dis crimination in a post 9/11 world. “#ToleranceMeansThat I won’t be scared to wear my hijab anymore,” she said. After being mistreated by those in her com munity, Osman expressed that “tolerance was more of a fallacy of the people used to cover their true intolerance.”

“To me, tolerance is not just reluctant acceptance or a pitying understanding. It is two sides coming together to make a dif ference,” said Meredith Frank, a sophomore undergraduate television production and stud ies major.

The presentation of their essays led to a question-andanswer session where audience members engaged in conversa

tions about the importance of tolerance in society and heard more personal sentiments about how tolerance is a factor in the panelists’ lives.

“We are fractured,” Wilson said. “And we are going to stay fractured until we learn to know each other.”

In response to an audience question about how to partake in a discussion with persons of op posing beliefs, Osman said that “the biggest thing about toler ance is having patience.”

“Tolerance can really mean different things to different people based on their experi ence,” said Theresa Kelley, a third-year law student and the editor-in-chief of the Hofstra Law Review.

After the event, Ku stressed the importance of being able to work with people who share dif ferent views.

“It is particularly important in university that we have these conversations,” Ku said. “This is the point of being here.”

Hofstra raises student employee minimum wage

film and history major, formed a student union last semester to advocate for Hofstra student employees and ensure that they are being treated fairly. “We’re glad to hear that some people are making $15,” Lazo said, “but we just don’t understand why the school has decided to deem other people’s work more important than others. It sort of makes student workers wonder why their work is deemed unim portant or less deserving.”

Sarah Battaglino, a junior writing for the screen major, works as a student aide in the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Dean’s Of fice and as an RA on campus. Battaglino said that she was happy her student aide posi tion saw a raise, but she wished the university would consider

raising the stipend RAs receive each semester. “As an RA, you can get either one floor or two floors, and the pay is the same,” Battaglino said. “Even if you have double the residents, you’re still getting paid the same.” Additionally, she said that she has “a lot of anxiety” surrounding her finances and does not feel financially secure.

Leatherman feels that there is a misconception that student employees are working to gain “work experience.”

“We want to ensure that student employees have mean ingful work experiences that will help them prepare for their future careers,” Cunningham said.

However, according to Leatherman, the reality is quite different. “The students who are taking these jobs are not the ones with wealthy parents who are pushing them to get ‘job ex

perience,’ it’s people who need jobs,” she said. “I have experi enced firsthand – and I know a lot of other student employees have as well – struggles with food insecurity and paying for rent and utilities. Hofstra is a notoriously expensive school, and the area around it has a pretty high cost of living. You can’t live off of less than $15 an hour.”

According to Cunningham, an average of 1,100 students are employed each year. According to a study done by U.S. News, 61% of Hofstra students live off campus, meaning they are re sponsible for their own housing and utilities.

When asked if the univer sity plans to increase student employee minimum wage to $15 an hour, Cunningham said, “The university will continue to evaluate student employ ment patterns over time and

make adjustments as conditions evolve, guided by our goal of providing the maximum number of on-campus employment op portunities.”

The Hofstra Student Union is still organizing for the semester and is open for student employ ees to voice their concerns and stand up for the Hofstra student

workforce.

“I think it’s great that Presi dent Poser came in guns blaz ing, wanting to look at every thing and actually changing things,” Leatherman said. “This is a step in the right direction and I look forward to seeing where we go from here.”

Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship Day, celebrates the adop tion of the Constitution in 1787.

Photo courtesy of Anthony Garand

Hofstra student workers are still not being paid Nassau County mini mum wage.

Photo courtesy of Marvin Meyer

Hofstra professor discusses controversial Elgin mural

as it was displayed in a pre dominantly African American community. Dalton believes Powers should have considered the artwork’s “racial potential” before creating it.

“When you have a piece of art that’s in public, you’re going to get many people from many different perspectives looking at it, so you can’t control what the artist’s intention is,” said Carrie Albert, director of the Hofstra University Museum of Art. “Each person that’s looking at a piece of art is bringing their own background and experience into what they’re seeing.”

tor of labor studies. “In theory, I suppose we should be able to shame people because they did shitty things; but in practice, it doesn’t work because they resist.”

Other professors felt that Powers should have provided a message in order for the public to interpret the mural better.

By Moriah Sukhlal ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The Center for “Race,” Cul ture and Social Justice began its first colloquia event of the Fall 2022 semester with a presenta tion by Philip Dalton, associ ate professor of rhetoric and public advocacy, on Wednesday, Sept. 14. Dalton discussed his recent essay publication titled “Condemning Racial Terror Appropriately? A Critique of an Anti-Racist Mural in Elgin, Illinois.”

In 2004, artist David Pow ers was commissioned by The

Outside Exhibition Group (OEG), the Cultural Arts Com mission and the city of Elgin, Illinois, to work with local art students and create a mural for the town. Powers presented the mural, “American Nocturne,” to the city in 2007. The purpose of the mural was to denounce rac ism, according to Dalton.

On May 17, 2016, an Elgin citizen, Richard Farr, realized that the crowd in the mural was similar to the lynch mob from a photograph of the Aug. 1930 lynchings of J. Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Marion, Indiana. Farr posted his realiza

tion on a community Facebook page, which sparked controver sy among Elgin residents.

“[Powers] attempted to shame white people at large for race terror, a rhetorical endeavor that exceeds the potential for blame epideictic, to amplify commu nity values,” Dalton said.

Dalton explained that this is an example of race terror, defined as actions that are intended to scare or discipline communities into accepting a defined and limited role within society.

Where Powers’ mural was located also raised concerns,

When news of the mural’s connection to a lynching image was released, Powers did not issue a statement. Critics of the mural have expressed to Dalton that they do not believe that the mural represented their experi ence in Elgin. Afterward, citi zens began questioning Powers’ original intent and wondered why the origins of the mural were not disclosed.

Hofstra faculty members who attended Dalton’s talk contrasted Powers’ mural with other successful murals aimed at shaming the audience.

“The Memorial for Peace and Justice invites you in and kind of coaxes you to a really difficult and horrific conclusion, and yet you’re more willing to go there,” said Mary Anne Trasciatti, professor of rhetoric and public advocacy and direc

“I’m kind of disappointed in how the artist presented his work,” said Daniel Cole, associ ate professor in the department of writing studies and composi tion. “I kind of understand what my colleague [Trasciatti] said of wanting to lull someone in, but at the same time, there ought to be some sort of place for just sort of shaking people up and saying, ‘Hey, look, this was awful; look at how the people were behaving’ and to get a real sense of it too. Both things are concerns.”

In 2021, Powers’ mural was taken down and replaced. The new mural was inspired by images painted on boarded-up storefronts when the community protested George Floyd’s death.

“This topic is important be cause it is evident [that] we are in a moment where people are evaluating public monuments and things like murals and statues as they pertain to race, ethnicity and diversity,” Dalton said.

The Elgin mural was painted by artist David Powers in 2004 in Elgin, Illinois.

“In theory, I suppose we should be able to shame people because they did shitty things; but in practice, it doesn’t work because they resist.”

Philip Dalton, PhD, discusses the creation and reception of “American Noc turne” in Elgin, Illinois.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Reader

Students voice concerns over new isolation policy

at peer institutions. Eads added that other universities are hav ing students isolate in place, meaning in their assigned dorm rooms, instead of offering isola tion housing. Hofstra still offers isolation housing in the Nassau Residence Hall for students who have roommates or live in suitestyle living situations.

“Students may find it more comfortable to isolate off cam pus with family or friends. For those residents that prefer to isolate on campus, Hofstra has arranged for those COVID-19 positive students who reside in tower single rooms to isolate in place,” said Rob Stahl, execu tive director of SHS. “During these times, students who do not have COVID-19 are able to choose to avoid these spaces.

The bathrooms are then cleaned and disinfected more frequently, accord ing to CDC guidance.”

Typically, the bath rooms in the towers are cleaned once a day, but they will only be cleaned more frequently if there is a student with COVID-19 on the floor.

Currently there are no COVID-19 positive stu dents isolating in a single room in the towers, ac cording to Eads.

Russ Smith, director of residential education, added that spray bottles with disinfectant are now available in the tower bathrooms for students to use if they feel uncom fortable.

If there is a COVID-19 positive student on the

Public Safety Briefs

Compiled by Megan Naftali

floor, other students liv ing on the floor will not be notified to “protect the rights and privacy of our students,” Eads said.

Although the univer sity wants to protect the rights and privacy of students with COV ID-19, some residential students want to be noti fied if there is a chance they can encounter someone with the virus.

“I’m not a fan of [the policy], however, I wouldn’t mind it as much if they just sent an email to everyone living on the floor like they do when you’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive,” said Cai Yale, a junior theater arts ma jor with a concentration

in performance. “They already have the capability, so I don’t see why they can’t do it for this too.”

Yale continued to voice con cerns about how the new policy affects students with disabilities and claimed that they directly spoke to a SHS official regard ing their concerns.

“[The SHS official] essen tially minimized every concern I had and made it seem like I was overexaggerating every thing,” Yale said. “As a disabled student, I did not feel as though my health was being taken seri ously. I didn’t feel safe in that office. After the bathroom policy was released, I emailed Resi dence Life voicing my concerns, and it was the same ordeal. We are the ones paying tuition. We should be listened to.”

On Sept. 9, at 11:55 p.m., while on routine patrol, PS found an outdoor garbage can belonging to Hofstra knocked over and damaged on the South Campus. The Plant Department was notified.

On Sept. 11, at 12:17 a.m., while on routine patrol,

PS discovered that the men’s bathroom sign in the Netherlands Core was removed. A work order was created to replace the sign.

On Sept. 11, at 1:07 a.m., while on routine patrol, PS observed a non-student sleeping inside the Student Center. The non-student was escorted to the HIC and banned from campus.

On Sept. 13, at 12:41 p.m., a Hofstra student reported to PS that while their vehicle was parked in parking field two, personal property was taken from their vehicle. The student stated that they would file a police report at a later time.

On Sept. 13, at 11 p.m., a Hofstra student reported to PS that, while on campus, they were approached by a male in

a black vehicle that wanted to engage in conversation. The interaction made the student feel uncomfortable, so they contacted PS. PS conducted a search of the area, but they were met with negative results.

On Sept. 14, at 10:10 p.m., PS observed a female exiting the Student Center’s bathroom near the Commuter Lounge. The female was holding envelopes and a beach chair and was identified as a non-student. She was taken to the HIC and banned from campus. The NCPD responded, and the non-student refused medical treatment by an EMT.

On Sept. 19, at 4:29 p.m., the fire alarm at HofUSA was activated due to burnt pizza. The building was evacuated. PS, the Plant Department

and the Uniondale Fire Department responded to the location and the situation was corrected.

On Sept. 20, at 8:30 p.m., PS noticed a camper entering campus belonging to the husband of a Hofstra student residing in the

Graduate Residence Hall. The student has been informed on numerous occasions not to park the camper on campus. The student was issued a referral to CS for the actions of their guest.

Alexis Friedman / The Hofstra Chronicle

Some students living on campus say that they do not feel comfortable with the new COVID-19 isolation policy.

Photo courtesy of Tatiana Shyshkina

This Hofstra Life: Juliana Logan

By Anna DeGoede MANAGING EDITOR

For some, wearing a cloak to class feels more like a scene out of a fantasy film than a modern-day experience, but for junior marketing major Juliana Logan, a cloak is just one of sev eral iconic clothing pieces that she chooses from before leaving her dorm.

Logan’s experiences with fash ion are far easier to describe than explaining where she’s from.

Her stepfather is a former Marine and used to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which meant that Logan’s family moved around a lot – Logan was born in Southern California before moving to Utah when she was six and Virginia when she was 10. Now, when Logan visits home, however, she takes the train to Maryland.

Though moving around the country was difficult, and Logan at times struggled to make friends in the three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school she attended, encouragement from her mother ensured that fashion was always a hobby she could turn to.

“My mom has always been a bit unconventional; even though they were raised Jehovah’s Wit ness, they were always trying to go to thrift stores and have their own style within the church,” Logan said.

“When I was born, my mom was very clear with letting me do what I wanted and express myself. There was never an expec tation that I should be something different, and even though I don’t match with my mom’s personal style, they were always supportive of mine.”

When she was younger, most of Logan’s style preferences involved pink, princess-y outfits, which set her apart from many of her peers while she lived in Utah.

“I was already the non-reli gious kid,” Logan said. “I was blonde as a child, so I got a lot of

the dumb blonde jokes, and I was really feminine and into Barbie. With all of those things com bined, I started feeling weird, like I couldn’t be all those things

Now, Logan has started to reclaim her love of colorful articles of clothing (she recently just acquired four pink corsets). She continues to honor her time

ly acquired two more dinosaur purses – a black tyrannosaurus rex and a lavender triceratops –to complete her dinosaur purse trifecta.

ever,’” Logan said. “He then proceed[ed] to make out with my neighbor underneath said cloak, which I was not as excited about.”

Even after acquiring a dress that had cloak-like elements, Logan’s desire for a real cloak was still not satisfied, and she requested a cloak for Christmas. The end result? The cloak that Juliana wears around campus.

The cloak, made by her grand mother, ended up being approxi mately 7-8 yards of wool and 7-8 yards of satin lining.

“She bought all of the fabric for it, and all of the trimmings, and the buttons at the top were custom made from a silver smith,” Logan said.

Despite her love for fashion, sometimes being a recognizable figure based on clothing can be more difficult than people might think.

“In elementary school in Utah, you had to write birthday cards for everyone,” Logan said. “I kept one which I come back to every so often – out of my whole class, one of them says that I’m a good friend, and every single other one said something compli menting my appearance.”

“When someone comes up to me saying ‘You wear that cloak, right,’ they know me because of what I look like, not usually be cause they know me. The most recognizable part about me has been my fashion since elementary school.”

at once, so I decided I could no longer like pink.”

As Logan grew older, her fash ion interests changed. While she once wore sparkly Justice shoes, she eventually switched to black lace-up boots.

“People in middle school knew me because sometimes I would forget my gym shoes, and I would run the mile in those shoes,” Logan said.

in Utah with a different accesso ry – the dinosaur purses she often sports on campus.

Her interest in these unconven tional purses stems from her el ementary school history classes, which were devoted to studying dinosaurs. Logan’s first dinosaur purse was her teal stegosaurus purse; a family member gifted matching ones to her and her younger sibling. She eventual

Logan’s cloak, which is argu ably her most distinctive clothing item, stemmed from the first time she met an acquaintance from school who wore a cloak as a casual outfit element. At the time, Logan was also beginning her interest in “Dungeons & Dragons” – a community that also enjoys wearing cloaks.

“He wore a cloak, and I was like ‘That is the coolest thing

Even so, fashion is such an integral part of Logan’s life that she doesn’t plan to stop coming up with new outfits anytime soon.

“I really like putting together an outfit,” Logan said. “I think it’s fun. I like getting a little prompt from someone, I love dressing up for a theme. I think it’s fun to be able to put some thing together in a way that you haven’t before because someone gave you a prompt that you hadn’t considered.”

“There was never an expectation that I should be something different, and even though I don’t match with my mom’s personal style, they were always supportive of mine.”

Photo courtesy of Juliana Logan

By Julian Rocha FEATURES EDITOR

Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to travel many times, both with family members and by myself. Earning my drivers’ license, graduating high school and turning 18 came and went without much fanfare, and going off to college did not feel like a true introduction to adulthood. However, what has felt like a true milestone is the experience of travel. I have learned plenty about myself, as well as the places and people I interact with, making the world a smaller place.

As a kid, almost all of my travel consisted of family road trips up and down the Northeastern United States, with gas stations and towns all around. Rather than beach excursions or grand sightseeing, most of these trips were spent with rela tives, which I will always be grateful for. Because of this, I can feel at home outside the town I grew up in, which made the transition to college six hours away from home much easier.

My first time spending an extended amount of time outside of a city or a suburb was two summers ago, when my family and I flew out to Utah to visit various national parks. Eating cold sandwiches in towns with populations less than a thousand and staring into the burnt orange horizon showed me a different side of America, contrasting the endless greenery of Virginia and the hustle and

bustle of New York.

Although I have learned plenty from traveling with my family,

FEATURES

traveling without them for the first time provided a unique sense of adventure and opportu nity for growth.

Over the summer, I traveled to Ireland to conduct research with one of my professors, but I had

to fly out on my own. Landing in Dublin at 5 a.m. without cell service or a clue how long I had

from the cars seemingly on the other side of the road to the road signs, trying to visualize just how

enough sleep.

Some of my fondest memories on that trip were spent sitting inches from the window at night, hoping the cell signal could last long enough for a FaceTime call, and wearing a hat and gloves in June.

I certainly lived nicely when I was there, but it was the personal growth that made both every minute on the phone and every walk down to the water worth the challenges.

Throughout the month that I spent in Ireland, I interacted with countless people, each of whom I could write a whole article on. From the foreman working on the mountain with stories about his time living in Philadelphia to the sweet, older woman in the used bookstore who plunged into the Atlantic every morn ing, these people made each day an exciting journey of its own.

Traveling has been the greatest opportunity as a student, as I have felt myself grow independent and even more curious about the world.

I’m not sure when or where I’ll travel next, but it has made me more curious about the people right here at Hofstra, each with a unique set of experiences and perspectives.

been awake was a strange expe rience to say the least, but as I would learn throughout my time in Ireland, I just had to adapt.

On the four-hour bus ride from the airport to where I was staying, my eyes bounced around

far a kilometer actually is. As with my family trip to Utah, zipping along the winding roads in Ireland made me almost wish I were a postcard photog rapher, not a college student with too much luggage and not

Perhaps that’s what made me join The Chronicle: the newspaper is a platform to share the journeys of others, as well as my own.

Julian Rocha / The Hofstra Chronicle

Personal essay: Lessons from travel as a student, as I have felt about the

M AN ON THE U NISPAN

O verheard Oat h O hfstra fstra

By Ethan Albin and Julian Rocha ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR AND FEATURES EDITOR

“Airplanes are so loved; they get so many asses sat on them.”

“Be a brave warrior, and wiggle your pickle over the jar.”

“If she’s for the streets, she’s not getting in these sheets.”

“Are crazy people attracted to me because there’s crazy in my blood?”

“Man can’t change the world, only Christ can.”

“I wanted my shorty to get the nipple piercing.”

“He looks like he smells farts for a living.”

“My ‘Phantom of the Opera’ fantasy is all consensual. I’m not brainwashed, it’s just fun and spooky.”

“If you participate in no shave November, then you’ll also be participating in no nut November.”

“Your transformation into an alcoholic took quicker than I thought it would.”

What current trend is overrated?

Spread by Audra Nemirow

“Hydroflasks, because you can get a better water bottle for way cheaper.”

- Victoria White, junior

“TikTok, because sitting on your phone and swiping for hours is ridiculous.”

- Jayde Whitten, senior

“Five inch inseam khaki shorts, because the material is too boxy.”

- Rachel Bamgbose, junior

FEATURES

Personal essay: Student mental health

By Alexandra Webb SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

We all have our own story to tell when it comes to mental illness. If we are lucky, mental illness is only part of our other wise beautifully imperfect time here at Hofstra.

I will preface by saying that I am in no way a medical profes sional. I do not know the ins and outs of mental illness. But I will say that I am an expert in the il lustration of my own story, and I hope I can be of service to others by sharing it.

I am 18 years old, and I am a survivor; but that is only part of my story. As a Hofstra student who has always struggled with anxiety and ADHD, within the

past year, I was also diagnosed with OCD, depression and PTSD. It is safe to say that I am a veteran of mental illness; how ever, it is an ongoing struggle for most that goes by unnoticed to the people around them.

The scary reality is that mental illness is a faceless demon that takes no true form; you might never know that someone like me has been struggling with mental health issues. Of those of us who are plagued with mental illness, it can be difficult to articulate our story beyond our own isolated thoughts.

Many students, like myself, feel alone in their existence; like they might never be fully understood by the world. I am

here to tell you that this is not the case; you are not alone. After checking in with some of our students on campus, I found that they all admitted to struggling with mental health during their time at Hofstra.

Although the perception of mental illness is changing, it is still important that we ensure that students struggling with mental health concerns have the tools they need to address and manage those symptoms. But is there more we should be doing?

The consensus among the stu dents I approached on the issue was that mental health services on campus are not as accessible as they could be.

Although most students have

an awareness of counseling services available to them, they admitted to not knowing how to access those tools, making it difficult for people seeking treat ment to reach out for help.

As someone who spent most of the summer recovering from traumas that I have experienced within the past year, I’d hope that students would seek out the help that our university offers to avoid encountering a similar situation. It is our responsibility to ensure that our fellow students are educated about the tools and services available to them here on campus. You are not alone. There are people who share your story. And if nothing else, there are people in our community

who want to hear yours.

Mental illness may never go away for most, but if nothing else, the hard times can only breed strength and resilience.

You are not your mental ill ness. Recovery is possible; help is available. Reach out. We are in this together.

Student Counseling Services at Hofstra is available at (516) 463CARE (2273). After-Hours Crisis Call is available through Public Safety at (516) 463-6789.

Chron Cooks ft. Antonia Moffa: Apple and Cinnamon Overnight Oats

By Antonia Moffa COPY CHIEF

As fall quickly approaches, I wanted to infuse the flavors of some of my favorite autumnal treats into a breakfast recipe. I’m an avid apple pie fan, and these overnight oats taste about as close as you can get to the real thing!

They are also a quick, easy-prep way to make a healthy, balanced breakfast that you can literally grab and go in the morning.

Ingredients:

Rolled oats

Cinnamon sugar

Oat milk (can be substituted with dairy milk)

1 apple

Instructions:

1. Measure out a portion of rolled oats using the container you will use to store the meal; I rec ommend using a mason jar. Fill the oats up to just below the top of the container, then pour them into a mixing bowl.

2. Dice the apple into small cubes. Add to the mixing bowl.

3. Pour enough oat milk over the mixture to cov er it, then mix until combined.

4. Season evenly with cinnamon sugar to taste.

5. Pour mixture into a mason jar and store in the fridge. Allow it to cool overnight.

6. Enjoy these overnight oats as an easy breakfast when you wake up!

Antonia Moffa / The Hofstra Chronicle

Food for thought

Hempstead-area restaurants visited Hofstra University on Wednesday, Sept. 21, and offered students a “taste of the neighborhood” in a community barbeque. The gathering proved to be popular, with lines for food stretching across the lawn of Pride Park. The event capped off the second day of the three-day-long Presidential Symposium, an annual forum developed by President Poser. This year, members of the university and local community discussed sustainability and the climate crisis.

Spread by Jacob Lewis

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle

Emma Fabilli / The Hofstra Chronicle

Emma Fabilli / The Hofstra Chronicle

Harry Styles and Florence Pugh star in ‘Don’t Worry Darling’

CONTINUED FROM A1

Critics have also stated the movie regurgitated a common trope that has been seen repeat edly in psychological thrillers: a fake world where the main character doesn’t know it is fake, similar to “The Truman Show” and any other movie following in these footsteps. However, this one does take the concept in a somewhat different direction with the idea that the lead is a woman, one who is living in a fabricated man’s world. Wilde’s take on female pleasure through a man’s perspective is actually quite relatable, one truly only a theme that a female director could take on.

Alice frequently feels like she is suffocating, such as when she is trapped against the window or wrapping herself in cellophane when she is preparing dinner. While her husband thinks she has the perfect life, she is repeat edly showing that she feels

trapped in what is supposed to be her ideal world. Despite this, Wilde does a great job at put ting in the metaphors of Alice’s entrapment and the constant panic attacks she faces in this world where she is gaslit by the men that she is forced to live beside. It’s frus trating and eerily relatable in all of the right places. Undoubtedly, Styles’ performance was above par to what was expected from the pop singer, who had only been in several small acting parts beforehand.

Styles dove into the role, and while Pugh and Kroll, unsurpris ingly, out-acted him in several scenes, he was still able to keep up when it came to portraying a man with fake confidence, who is manipulative to his wife

despite being used like a puppet in the overall scheme of things.

While his improv acting could indeed use some work, the only disappointment I had was that he

a very long “Black Mirror” episode. Truly, the film felt as if it was going to end at least three times before it actually ended, while still leaving out important details that could’ve made the story feel more likely.

Quick Hits

By Anna DeGoede MANAGING EDITOR

Earlier this month, fans of musical theater were shocked when Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning “The Phantom of the Opera” announced that its final perfor mance would take place in five months on Feb. 23, 2023, after a historic 35 years on Broadway.

Though the show’s closing may be surprising to some, the decision to shutter “Phantom” may have been a long time coming. According to Playbill, “Phantom” hasn’t been able to meet its running costs since reopening post-pandemic – the cheapest tickets have been approximately $40 for years.

Comparatively, “Chicago,” which is next in line for the title of longest-running Broadway show, has tickets starting at around $60 and third runner-up “The Lion King’s” starting ticket prices are approximately $100.

“Phantom’s” announcement seems to follow 2022’s trend of beloved shows ending their runs; “Dear Evan Hansen” just marked its final performance, while other notable show departures,

including “Come From Away” and “The Music Man,” aren’t far behind.

Now, it’s hard to imagine the Great White Way without also picturing the iconic porcelain mask of the famed Phantom of the Opera, which has graced the marquee of the Majestic Theater for longer than most of our gen eration can remember; even after “Phantom” closes its doors, its numerous historical achievements will con tinue to grace Wikipedia pages for a long time.

Beyond turning the days when “Cats” used to reign as the longest-running Broadway show into memories, “Phantom” won seven Tony Awards when it premiered in 1988 and was the first show to celebrate 10,000 performances in New York.

More recently, in 2016, “Phantom” cast Ali Ewoldt, the first Asian American to play the

didn’t attempt his most notable performance of the puppet dance at Madison Square Garden during his residency there this last month.

As Styles said himself at the Venice Film Festival, “Don’t Worry Darling” does “feel like a movie,” or at the very least,

Overall, “Don’t Worry Darling” didn’t have a shot at keeping up with the hype that star Harry Styles was destined to create for it, but it still does a good job of tackling themes of sexism, if you know what to look for. Both the actors in front of the camera and the crew behind the scenes were impressive, and “Don’t Worry Darling” is a good watch if you are into the sci-fi thriller genre. Whether you want to call it an overused theme or not, it is guar anteed to keep you watching and entertained for the entire two hours, even with a few pacing and structural issues

iconic leading role of Christine Daaé, and Jordan Donica, the first African American man to play Raoul de Chagny. This year, Emilie Kouatchou became the first African American woman to take on the role of Christine alongside Donica before his departure.

“We’re in a period of intense change in this industry, and I’m just happy that I could be a part of that change,” Kouatchou said in an inter view with Broadway. com in August 2022.

Though

the era of change brought by “Phantom’s” closing, compared to the triumphant casting of Kouatchou as Christine, can be rather depressing, history sug gests that this isn’t the end for beloved fans of the Phantom’s stories. There are still a few months to catch the dramatic sounds of the “Phantom” over

ture before it closes.

For the fans who fear that this is the last time “Phantom” will ever grace the stage on Broadway, “Les Misérables,” a show with markedly similar popularity and musical character istics of “Phantom,” has earned numerous revivals and produc tions after it departed Broadway in 2003; national touring produc tions will likely continue to roam around the country, boasting revamped staging and design of the well-loved classic.

If you’re really desperate for musical content, there’s always the spurned sequel to “Phantom,” titled “Love Never Dies,” which essentially amounts to Lloyd Webber writing fanfiction using the same characters to make more money. There are some good songs in the show – just not a good plot.

Either way, try to catch “Phantom” before it closes. Who wouldn’t want a chance to sit under the glamorous chandelier one last time?

Courtesy of Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Rihanna will headline the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in 2023.

“Bridgerton” star Jonathon Bailey will star as Fiyero in the upcoming “Wicked” movies.

Adam Levine has been accused of cheating on his wife. He has denied the allegations.

Netflix’s “Dead to Me” will release its final season on Nov. 17.

Courtesy of Forbes

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

HBO’s “The White Lotus” will premiere its second season on Oct. 30.

“Beetlejuice: The Musical” also just an nounced its closing

“Don’t Worry Darling” has a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

Photo courtesy of NBC News

Photo courtesy of Vox

A&E

By Aidan Judge

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Television’s longtime favor ite reality competition series “Survivor” returned with a bang on Wednesday, Sept. 21. The episode, titled “LIVIN,” intro duced eighteen new castaways to the game of “Survivor” in its now permanent location of the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji.

The episode begins with host Jeff Probst introducing the 26-day adventure with a commentary on what the game of “Survivor” is: strangers helping each other to build a society and strategizing on who they will eliminate once they attend tribal council – where players’ torches are snuffed after they’ve been voted out of the game.

Probst makes a lot of banter with the new players, asking them about their lives outside of the game and what it means to them to play. It’s good to see Probst interacting with the castaways on a personal level, adding a muchneeded human element to the game after a string of seasons that

were hyperfocused on the new twists and advantages the show was throwing the players’ way.

Ultimately, the game of “Survi vor” has proven itself to be social and about build ing relationships, which is what this premiere episode focuses on.

The episode continues with an exhilarating reward challenge in which the three tribes, which are named Vesi, Coco and Baka, compete against each other to earn the basic camp supplies they will need to sur vive. The challenge was an incredibly close call, but in the end, the redwearing Vesi tribe came out victo rious and earned their supplies.

The other two tribes were forced to try and earn their supplies in a different way, in a game called “Savvy or Sweat.” If players chose the “Savvy” option,

they would be given one chance to attempt to solve a brain teaser involving rearranging bones to make a certain numbered combi nation. If “Sweat” was selected,

tribe their supplies.

The Coco tribe went for the physical “Sweat” challenge, with tribemates Ryan Medrano and Geo Bustamante swiftly digging up their camp sup plies.

As the first three days of the game continued, alliances were formed on each of the new tribes, and on day two, each tribe was required to send a represen tative to an island in order to play a game of chance.

Bickering between tribemates, Layadi and Gabler ended with the Baka tribe attending tribal council, where schoolteacher Morriah Young was eliminated in a 5-1 vote after being deemed the weakest member of her tribe.

The season premiere of “Survi vor 43’’ is strong in the fact that it focuses so deeply on the relation ships and the beginning of their formation early on in the game. With each tribe, we got to see the new players form bonds with each other and create alliances that may last a long time.

two members of the tribe would dig through a large square in the sand to find their supplies under a four-hour time constraint.

The Baka tribe chose to work together, with 19-year-old college student Sami Layadi figuring out the puzzle quickly and earning his

Ultimately, Mike Gabler of the Baka tribe was able to earn a special hid den immunity idol, keeping him safe for the first two tribal councils of the season.

The season’s first immunity challenge included a unique ele ment of choice in which tribes were able to choose what puzzle they wanted to complete after run ning through an obstacle course.

The reworking of twists from previous iterations also works well, forcing players to show their cards and make strategic deci sions for themselves and for their tribes early on.

Ultimately, “Survivor 43” started its 13-episode run strongly, reviving the heart of old-school seasons while adding its modern twists. The show returns Wednes day, Sept. 28, with a 90-minute second episode.

By Caitlin Tracey SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Netflix’s new teen dramedy, “Do Revenge,” released Friday, Sept. 16, and quickly gained popularity over social media.

Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, the film follows Drea (Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke), two students at an expensive private school who team up to take revenge on each other’s enemies. Drea tries to take down Carissa (Ava Capri), who outed Eleanor when she was 13, while Eleanor infiltrates the school’s exclusive clique to gather dirt on Austin Abrams’s character, Max, Drea’s ex-boy friend, who leaked her sex tape. According to Robinson, who co-wrote the script with Celeste Ballard, the film is loosely based off Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train.”

“Do Revenge” is a fitting suc cessor to other dark or satirical

teen comedies like “Heathers” and “Mean Girls,” just modern izing their concepts. The film definitely isn’t meant to be a realistic reflection of teenage girlhood like “The Edge of Seventeen” or “Lady Bird” aimed to be, but instead it takes a more dramatic and fantastical route. However, it’s not devoid of cultural criticism – the film weaves social media, homophobia and performative activism into its narrative.

The film wastes no time getting into the plot, breezily leading the audience through the girls’ revenge plans. It follows, yet subverts, both teen movie and revenge flick conven tions, weaving a compelling story that keeps you on your toes. The script also includes many current

references and jokes that don’t come off as corny or cringe.

The pastel luxury world that “Do Revenge” takes place in adds to the heightened narrative. Mint

lower middle class Drea worked hard to thrive in.

A carefully curated number of needle drops complement the film. “Do Revenge” features songs by Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, as well as ‘90s classics like “Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger and “Celebrity Skin” by Hole. The film also features a score co-written by Este Haim. Netflix has made the movie’s soundtrack available as a playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.

green and lilac school uniforms and a pastel pink background juxtapose the cruel actions the students carry out. Luxurious houses and designer clothes emphasize the wealthy world that

The complex characters are the film’s best aspect; they’re easy to hate, yet you completely see where they’re coming from. Mendes and Hawke excel in playing two wildly different teenage girls who are both sympathetic to each other and, sometimes, downright evil.

Abrams deftly plays hatewor thy popular golden boy, Max. Talia Ryder as Gabbi and Rish Shah as Russ give depth as the

main characters’ love interests, even in less prominent roles. Other standout performances include Jonathan Daviss as Elliot, Max’s right-hand man, Sophie Turner as Drea’s former bully, Erica, and Sarah Michelle Gellar as the school’s headmaster. Every character falls in and out of favor with the audience throughout the film; one second, you’re sympa thizing with them, the next, you realize that they’re more devious than they seem. Each actor deftly rode their character’s twists and turns, giving the audience a wild ride.

The movie was not without its problems – including a few questionable blocking and editing choices – but they can be over looked when you’re sucked in by the story.

“Do Revenge” is a delicious, funny and thrilling teenage dram edy that deserves a high spot in teen movie canon. “Do Revenge” can be streamed on Netflix.

‘Survivor 43’ marks franchise return with epic premiere episode

Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke get teenage vengeance in “Do Revenge”

The season features the franchise’s 10th consecutive season to take place in Fiji.

Photo courtesy of Enterainment Weekly

“Do Revenge” currently has an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Mendes’ highest rated project.

Photo courtesy of What’s On Netflix

Season Five of ‘Cobra Kai’ beats its way to Netflix’s #1 spot in TV shows

By Alexandra Kline STAFF WRITER

“Cobra Kai,” the American martial arts teen drama, is always a whirlwind of emotions. The best part of the fifth season is the end of the miscommunication trope found throughout the prior seasons. Created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schloss berg, the miscommunication started between the two original characters, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Danny LaRusso (Ralph Macchio).

Johnny reopened Cobra Kai as a way to pay the bills, and he intended to make it better than it ever was when he was younger and under the strict control of John Kreese (Martin Kove).

However, Danny didn’t like that because of his horrible past with Cobra Kai, as seen in the “Karate Kid” films, so Danny decided to reopen Miyagi-Do Karate to fight back against Cobra Kai. If anything, Danny opened the karate studio for the wrong reasons, because he is a very successful car salesman

known throughout the valley so he did not need that additional income. The only reason Danny opened Miyagi-Do was to get back at Johnny, something that was not even necessary, as Johnny’s heart was in the right place when he reopened Cobra Kai. However, that was not the end of the miscom munication.

Between the students of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do, there was a lot of bully ing, teasing, boyfriend/ girlfriend stealing and more. One of the other big miscommunica tions throughout the show was the strained relationship between Johnny and his estranged son Robby Keeney (Tanner Bu chanan).

Robby was jealous that Johnny was never a father to him, but Johnny ended up becoming a father figure for one of his karate students, Miguel Diaz (Xolo Mariduena). This tumultuous relationship between father and son caused even more turmoil be tween Robby and Miguel which was not fixed until another fight between the two in season five,

which was facilitated by Johnny in the only way karate connois seurs know how.

The reason why Johnny wanted to resolve the relationship between the two boys was because Johnny had been dat ing Miguel’s mom for a bit, and they had a big surprise for everyone that would make them all one big family.

During this season, there was a great deal of karate and fights for honor and a place in the world karate competition. With Kreese in prison and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) now in charge of Cobra Kai, Silver wants to make Cobra Kai’s teachings valley-wide and global. He recruits the help of Kim

Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim) and her group of top sensei that know the Way of the Fist, a dirty form of karate, to help Silver bring them global. While Silver has their help, Daniel flies an old frenemy Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) from Okinawa to California to help fight against Silver and Cobra Kai.

The many resolutions between characters and groups make season five the best “Cobra Kai” season yet. Characters seem to have a brighter future ahead of them without the drama of their dojos getting in the way any lon ger; Johnny is growing as a father figure, and Daniel is realizing the importance of family over karate.

Season five was released on Friday, Sept. 9, on Netflix and season six is still pending renewal. Watch “Cobra Kai” now to see the drama, the tricks, the misconceptions and, of course, the karate. There is no “Cobra Kai” without a big season finale karate battle.

Mia Goth shines in twisted and jaw-dropping ‘Pearl’

By Frank DiCalogero ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

From the initial announce ment of a prequel of the highly acclaimed 2022 slasher film “X,” fans have been at the edge of their seats waiting for “Pearl” to finally grace their screens.

It would be unreasonable to describe “Pearl” in just one word. The film was not only a mesmer izing and mind-twisting journey to watch unfold, but it was also clever throughout, with a sense of worry gripping audiences all the way to the ending credits.

“Pearl” takes place in the same location as “X,” in a cabin home stead in rural Texas in 1918 during World War I. Pearl (Mia Goth), a young woman at the time, is living with her German immigrant parents. Pearl’s father (Matthew Sunderland) is paralyzed, while her mother Ruth (Tandi Wright) is an overbearing, dominant mother figure who insists on Pearl taking care of her father and their farm, never giving Pearl the chance to

branch out and find herself in the world.

Pearl eventually realizes that her biggest aspiration is to become a chorus girl, though Ruth strongly disapproves of her dream.

Goth reprises her role as the titular character, Pearl, only this time as a much younger version. Goth was nothing short of spectacular from the moment she appeared on screen.

Not only did Goth show her incredible versatility as an actress, but nearly every word she uttered came off as fright ening. Critics and fans alike have praised Goth for her performance, call ing it “star-making” as well as “Oscar-worthy.”

The film also stars David Corenswet as the projec tionist and Pearl’s fling while her husband Howard (Alistair Sewell) is out fighting in the war. Emma Jenkins-Purro stars as Mitsy,

Pearl’s much wealthier and privi leged sister-in-law.

Throughout the film, writer and director Ti West paid homages to the films of the golden age of

makes “Pearl” a successful second chapter in the “X” franchise.

West adds a more psychologi cal approach to this film than its predecessor, creating a more eerie environment. West also does a great job in con necting a lot of the ideas that transpired in the first film to the second one, with the themes of desire, aging/youth and looking after your future being highlighted once again.

though viewers see signs of Pearl being a deranged and questionable woman early on, some chunks in the middle of the film came off as just filler and boring.

Hollywood, such as “The Wizard of Oz.” The homages were very apparent and showcased an even broader range in the film than “X.” West’s creativity is what really

Upon being released to theaters across the country, many questioned if West would nail the origin story of its villain Pearl. Wholeheartedly, West delivered in just about every account in showing why this young woman became a killer enraged with sexual desires in “X.”

Despite the positive reviews, one of the glaring issues of the film was that it felt like everything went from 0-100 quickly. Even

There were still some interest ing elements during that time period, but the dialogue between the characters came off slow and methodical, and not in the best way possible. However, once the killing and paranoia begin to settle in, it is easily much more of a challenge to look away from the big screen, as “Pearl” turns into what we all expected ... a bloody masterpiece.

Building a strong backstory with jaw-dropping murders, a psy chotic, disturbed and downright desperate character and a terrified and endless smile that stays put until the very end of the postcredits, “Pearl” delivers in more ways than one.

“Cobra Kai’s” sixth season, set to air in 2023, may be delayed due to production issues.

Photo courtesy of Flickering Myth

Goth will return in “MaXXXine,” a sequal to West’s “X.”

Photo courtesy of Netflix

By Aaron Liebowitz

Why is it that the death of a monarch ruling over a nation which is not our own has taken over all of the American media’s attention in the past few weeks?

Could it be due to Queen Eliz abeth II’s longevity and reach, ruling over the United Kingdom along with other realms and ter ritories for 70 years which con sisted of over 16% of the world at the time of her ascension? Or possibly the modern special alli ance that both the United States and the United Kingdom share since the fall out from the wars of the early twentieth century?

Whatever forced American media, and more so the world’s media, to become so focused on Queen Elizabeth II, her life and her legacy signifies that it must be connected to an intrinsically human instinct – an instinct which forces us into mourning when what was once stable and continuous comes to a close.

By Hannah Grynberg

The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 8, causing some to mourn, and many to celebrate. The queen passed at 96 years old, but she has been ruling since the 1950s. Eager for power, the queen was monarch of 15 different coun tries. This means that people in all these countries lived under a ruler that they did not vote for.

Behind the face of what looked like a sweet old lady turned out to be someone who was obsessed with control. Ac cording to the Associated Press, her passing has left many ques tioning the idea of monarchy

As humans, we can mourn those we love and those we admire. As Americans, we might not overtly mourn Queen Eliza beth II, but we should respect, admire and understand the sys tem that modernized since we violently left it: that of a constitutional monarchy.

From Norway in the north, Leso tho in the south, Japan in the east and Canada in the west, 22% of the world still has a monarch as head of state. The monarch system, constitu tional or otherwise, provides a form of stability and continuity that cannot be rep licated by any form of govern ment, especially the republican system we swear by in the United States.

For the United Kingdom, the monarchy, while mostly

insignificant in prominent po litical matters, is a vital diplo mat and mediator around the world.

The formation of the Com monwealth, like other organiza tions such as the United Nations

In acknowledging the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, from the dissolution of an empire to the modern day, we recognize what her kingdom has done through its history is vital.

Through the freedoms gained by states from the former Brit ish Empire, to her reign seeing the final payments of the Slavery Aboli tion Act from 1833 which freed all enslaved people throughout the em pire at that time, the past 70 years have been shaped by her presence.

King Charles III, who now begins his reign is forced to be come apolitical but his time as Prince of Wales shows us that, on the world stage, as diplomat for 15 nations he will push forth fighting climate change and forging a greater global commu nity for future endeavors higher up on the global agenda.

While Queen Elizabeth II might not have reigned over the United States, her ability to be a stable and forceful presence on the world stage during her 70year reign leads us to respect, rather than mourn, the achieve ments of her reign and the form of government it represents.

and the European Union, con nects nations and their officials in a way that cannot be repli cated, allowing international communities an ability to meet, discuss and push forward agen das of true global change.

The queen’s reign and its end suggests that a monarchy heightens the stability of its na tion by keeping its head of state constant opposed to nations whose head of state changes be tween varying political ideolo gies multiple times a decade.

The queen: eager for power

and whether or not it is the best tactic in governing a nation.

Yes, she came into her reign when Harry S. Truman was president and before man set foot on the moon, but there were many negative events during her time as queen that tend to be looked over. Many feel the queen has a “power ego.” In fact, she used her reign to prohibit natives of the Chago Islands from ever returning to their homes after forcing them to leave the island.

According to the New York Times, the Economic Freedom Fighters, a South African politi cal party, felt the queen’s death reminded them of the number

of challenges and obstacles her family brought on Africa and around the world. This is just one example of how the queen was perceived as racist to many

decades was a link between different generations. However, this does not make up for any of the wrongful burdens and injus tices she has placed on people.

Aaron Liebowitz is a senior double major in filmmaking and classics.

and was disliked by millions around the world.

One may argue that her remaining in power for seven

The media tends to focus on her positive impact, leaving out anything that could ruin her reputation. The United States chose to have a democracy, yet for weeks we have been solely covering her on the news as if she was our own ruler. This just demonstrates how the idea of a monarch in power can change the world; just one person’s reign can impact the entire population negatively or positively.

I could go on to explain the horrific things the queen and

Monarchy: the key to a stable nation it.

royal family have done that are barely covered, but that would take days. Monarchies are not as popular anymore, which means it is time for change.

No singular person should have a say over nations, and the idea of colonization for power should be abolished. Yes, Queen Elizabeth II may have been a big loss for the United King dom, but there is so much more behind the scenes that we still do not know.

Hannah Grynberg is a double major in public relations and Spanish. Follow her @hannah grynberg on Instagram.

“As Americans, we might not overtly mourn Queen Elizabeth II, but we should respect, admire and understand the system that modernized since we violently left it.”

“Behind the face of what looked like a sweet old lady turned out to be someone who was ob sessed with control.”

OPINION

3,000 years later

Comic courtesy of Ares Davila

DeSantis’ stunt represents everything wrong with politics

By Lincoln Anniballi

Amidst the crisis of desper ate migrants seeking refuge and opportunity in the United States, Florida governor Ron DeSantis sought to make matters worse by coordinating an effort to fly roughly 50 migrants from Texas to the affluent Massachusetts island community of Martha’s Vineyard.

The Republican governor and rumored White House hopeful’s stunt was a part of a larger ploy by Republican governors to send undocumented immigrants to sanctuary districts across the country.

The 48 Venezuelan immi grants were corralled by an em ployee of the Florida governor and duped into getting on the planes headed to the island. The migrants were allegedly told they were traveling to Boston and promised shelter, food and jobs.

In a statement, DeSantis confirmed that “the two planes with illegal immigrants that

arrived in Martha’s Vineyard today were part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.”

DeSantis did not inform resi dents of the Vineyard or state of the arrival beforehand, thrust ing the desperate families into precarious situations.

Imagine traveling to America, desperate for an opportunity to provide and care for your fam ily. You’re promised shelter and a job while getting hauled onto a plane that you think is going to Boston. You get off, tired, carrying all your belongings and are told you’re on a small island with no ready resources. You’re left stranded with your young children in a place where few speak your language, and even fewer know who you are or how you got there. How would you feel?

Lawyers representing the migrants said their clients were, “lured ... under false pretenses” to Martha’s Vineyard, “where they were unceremoniously

stranded.”

DeSantis’ stunt of tricking helpless families to make a political point highlights just how callous Republican politi cal culture is.

For a group that complains so much about virtue signal ing and inaction, Republicans are quick to perform pointless antics rather than participate in meaningful dialogue regarding reform.

Despite what pundits espouse, no one on the political spectrum believes that the current im migration system is functional or without flaws. More than 2 million illegal border crossings have resulted in detainments this year, and an estimated 11.3 mil lion undocumented immigrants live in the U.S.

There are those both on the left and right that agree these millions should not be crossing illegally and should not be un documented, yet only those on the left offer realist solutions.

Increasing or eliminating quotas, cutting bureaucracy, re

forming drug laws and creating a path to citizenship are all valu able ways to better secure our borders and ensure that incom ing citizens are legal, accounted for and safe.

While progressives claim DeSantis was inconsiderate in sending the migrants to Massa chusetts, he charges that Demo crats were uncaring following the death of 51 immigrants in the back of a truck in San Anto nio in June.

Despite their rhetoric regard ing the tragedy in San Antonio, Republicans refuse to acknowl edge immigration catastrophes are caused by the unwelcoming policies they support.

If the 51 migrants felt wel comed and had the ability to seek refuge safely and legally, they would not have suffered in the brutal way they did.

The U.S. is a nation of im migrants. We are the ‘melting pot’ or ‘fruit salad’ of the world. Our economy thrives on immi grant labor and our institutions flourish with unique ideas and

experiences. Using desperate humans as a political prop does nothing more than desensitize us to the chaos our current im migration system presents.

Too often politicians forget that their policies, rhetoric and directives affect the lives of real people. DeSantis wanted to score a political point rather than tend to the needs of the helpless. We are so caught up in left versus right that we forget about the people our actions impact.

Lincoln Anniballi is a sophomore political science major and can be found on Twitter @LincMass.

Why hot men deserve to stay on romance novel covers

By Kat Salmon

If you have ever been on BookTok or walked into a Barnes & Noble, you may have noticed that romance books have skyrocketed in popularity. That’s a great thing because some of these popular authors publish independently, so their books do not get the same marketing as traditionally pub lished books.

One of the first things you notice when choosing what to read next is the cover. I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, but it’s inevitable. Discreet covers on romance novels have become the go-to, because some readers do not want people to know what they are reading. That’s understandable, but other

readers would love to show that they are obviously read ing a romance novel with a hot couple in it.

The biggest issue with dis creet covers is that they can be misleading. A novice romance reader may not know they are picking up a book that has some smut. A romance cover that features a hot man, woman or couple on it is a subtle warn ing there may be more steamy scenes in the book.

In the world of publishing, some independent romance authors are getting picked up by traditional publishing companies; one such writer is Sierra Simone, author of the “Priest” series. That series is being picked up by Bloom Books, which is an imprint of Sourcebooks, after Simone had

discreet covers commissioned from Emily Wittig in April 2022.

“Now, the downside to this is that Bloom can only keep one set of paperback covers, which will be the floral covers, mostly for bookstore reasons,” wrote Simone in an Instagram post from August 2022 about the publishing change to Bloom Books. Out of the few indie authors being traditionally published, she has been one of the only ones to give a clear reasoning for the permanent cover change.

“I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure there is a matching Sad Hottie cover for the last two Priest books, so that the series will match in the end,” Simone said to fans of the original book covers. It’s

understandable that it may be a bit jarring to have a priest ro mance with a shirtless man on the cover, but if you are going into this book thinking it would not be steamy, you would be gravely mistaken.

Romance readers should be given a choice of the cover they would like – the hot man cover or the discreet cover. It’s amazing that some of the cover designers are getting their work out there, but sometimes you just want to read a book that has an attractive man on the cover. Completely getting rid of the choice of covers is a step in the wrong direction. It’s like we’re telling romance readers that they should be ashamed for enjoying the genre. We have progressed so far as a society, that this borders on the line of

censorship. What’s next? Cen soring the content within these books, too?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with reading romance! If society is trying to tell us there is something wrong with having an attractive man or woman on the cover, then they do not have to read those books. That’s the great thing about reading: there are so many different books out there to choose from.

Kat Salmon is a senior English major with a double minor in religion and writing studies. She has read over 149 books this year. Follow her on Instagram @thenight owlbookblog.

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

By Dylan Brett STAFF WRITER

goals.

“It was a good game from us, a good performance,” said Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough. “We were professional in the way we approached the game.”

was waiting at the back post to finish for her fourth goal of the season. Halseth finished her night by scoring twice in less than 30 seconds, with both goals courtesy of assists from Wiktoria Fronc.

Thursday night at the Hofstra Soccer Stadium, the Hofstra Pride women’s soccer team won their first ever meeting with the Hampton University Pirates by a score of 8-0 to begin their Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title defense. The Pride moved to 6-3-1 on the season, as well as 1-0 in conference play.

It was an all-around effort from the Pride, as 26 different players made appearances in the game, with six of them scoring

After closing out nonconference play with a 2-1 loss to Columbia, Hofstra needed to kickstart their offensive attack, and they were able to do just that against Hampton. Freshman Dagny Run Petursdottir scored her first career goal in just the third minute of play, and the Pride never looked back from there.

Ellen Halseth was the focal point of Hofstra’s offensive attack tonight, tallying three goals and an assist in just 33 minutes of play. Her first goal came in the ninth minute, as she dribbled around the Hampton keeper and calmly slotted the ball home on an open net.

She then played a cross to Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir, who

“She was sharp. When she plays well, she’s almost unstoppable,” Riddiough said of Halseth’s performance. Halseth now holds sole possession of the team lead in goals.

Hofstra’s relentless press was a focal point of their game plan Thursday night, as the Pride did not allow a single shot on goal. Hofstra was able to maintain 64% possession, with a majority of the game being played in the Pirates’ half.

A red card against the Pirates opened things up even more for the Pride, as Hampton was down to ten players for over 60 minutes. Anja Suttner was the next one to add her name to the score sheet, as she buried a 32nd minute penalty kick in

the bottom left corner for her second goal of the year.

The Pride entered the locker room up by a score of 6-0, good for their largest halftime lead of the season.

Due to the enormous halftime cushion, Hofstra was able to get some new faces involved in the second half. Leah Iglesias and Matilda Liljefors were both able to score their first career goals, bringing the lead to 8-0. The game also saw Hofstra utilize three different goalkeepers, with

Mackenzie Sullivan and Avery Holden coming on in relief of Skylar Kuzmich.

Hofstra has now won six straight conference openers and holds an impressive record of 18-3 in such games. The Pride will continue conference play on Sunday, Sept. 25, when they take on the College of William & Mary Griffins at the Hofstra Soccer Stadium.

Ellen Halseth scored a hat trick in the first 30 minutes of the game against Hampton.

Max Edelman / The Hofstra Chronicle dominant in conference opener

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

By Amelia Bashy SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Pride rolls in Roos’ first career shutout

well.

On the other end, Pieke Roos, Hofstra’s freshman goalie from the Netherlands who started in place of Merlijn van der Vegt, dove out of the goal box to block the Pioneers from scoring.

cut into the Pride’s lead before the close of the opening half but ran into Hofstra’s Sydney LeGuillow, who blocked two shot attempts to keep Sacred Heart off the scoreboard.

The Hofstra field hockey team recorded their third shutout of the season on Friday, Sept. 23, defeating Sacred Heart University 3-0 at the Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium.

Both net minders were tested early on. In the opening quarter, the Pride’s Jamie Mc Millan was awarded a penalty corner, but after her shot was deflected, Tara McNally took another shot at the ball that bounced off of Pioneer’s goalie Samantha Maresca’s leg guards back out to the goal line. A rebound attempt from Mc Millan was blocked as

“[Roos is] an incredibly athletic goalie,” said Hofstra head coach Courtney Venoitte. “She’s very fast, she can challenge balls, pop back up and get into position very quickly, and she’s also an incredible person. She has this spark within our team. She’s a very good leader, and I can see her playing that role in the future.”

Cami Valor broke the stalemate late in the first quarter, putting the Pride ahead 1-0 with her first goal of the season.

Simryn Desai joined in on the scoring action late in the second quarter by netting her second score of the year off of a feed from Cami Larsson, stretching Hofstra’s lead to 2-0.

The Pioneers attempted to

The Pioneers tightened up their defense in the second half, as goalie Maresca racked up 13 saves but remained without an answer on offense.

As desperation mounted, Sacred Heart took more risks and became more aggressive as time counted down.

In the final nine minutes of the fourth quarter, the Pride earned another penalty corner. Mc Millan set up the play with a pass to Larsson to secure the win, whose shot was stopped once again by Maresca in goal. Off of the rebound, LeGuillow stopped the ball from getting too far back into the field and scored her first goal season and her first since 2019.

Roos earned her first win and shutout as goalkeeper.

The victory moves the Pride’s record to 4-5, as they

remain undefeated historically against Sacred Heart.

The Pride’s next contest comes against Northeastern University at home on Friday,

Sept. 30, at 3 p.m. in their first Colonial Athletic Association match of the season.

Hofstra welcomes Aggies to CAA with decisive win

By Marisa Dambach SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

The Hofstra Pride volleyball team defeated the North Carolina A&T Aggies 3-0 in a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) matchup on Saturday, Sept. 24, at home at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center.

This was the first matchup between the two teams now that

the Aggies are a new addition to the CAA.

Hofstra’s first set was its most dominant of the match. Toward the end of the set, the Pride had four unanswered points and easily took it 25-14.

Freshman outside hitter Izadora Stedile led the team with seven kills and four digs in the set. Sophomore setter Beatriz Alves led the team with 13 assists in the set.

“[Stedile] is getting back to her normal self,” said Hofstra head coach Emily Mansur. “I think we’ll have a couple of weeks to go until she’s fully recovered, but it’s nice to see she’s moving well.”

The second set saw more back and forth between the teams, but dominant offense by the Pride allowed them to take the second set as well. Redshirt senior Zyare Abdul-Rahim helped Hofstra with a 3-0 unanswered streak, as she had two kills and a block to start the second set. The Pride had three

unanswered points to win the set 25-19. Alves contributed a kill and middle blocker Sarah Pierre had a kill as well.

In the final set, Hofstra jumped out to an early 6-2 lead and later had six unanswered points. Hofstra closed the set 25-17 to secure a dominant victory.

“It was definitely a better effort as a team,” Mansur said. “We are happy to see the improvements coming from last week.”

Stedile led the team with 13 kills and eight digs. She also had a .450 hit percentage which was second on the team. Alves ended the match with 38 assists, leading the team in that category. She also had a seasonhigh three blocks. Sophomore libero Chiara Cucco led the team with 16 digs.

Overall, Hofstra had 102 attacks compared to North Carolina’s 85. They also had the upper hand in hit percentage with 0.255% compared to the

Aggies’ 0.082%. They had 43 assists, with the majority coming from Alves.

“I think we had very good moments for everything,” Mansur said. “The goal with this young team is to keep this momentum. It’s been big to build a team, the ladies are comfortable walking around each other and I think the more comfortable they get around each other, the better we get as a team.”

This win takes Hofstra to 6-8 overall and 3-0 in conference play. The Aggies fall to 4-9 overall and remain winless in conference play.

The Pride and the Aggies faced off again on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m. at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Photo Courtesy of Neil Miller / Hofstra Athletics

Hoftstra outshot Sacred Heart 23-8 in the contest.

The win over NC A&T was the Pride’s second sweep this season.

Offense absent for men’s soccer against William & Mary

By Kenny Forman STAFF WRITER

It was the only shot on goal by either side throughout the entire half. Hofstra did have a scoring chance in the 44th minute, but an offside whistle was called to negate the play.

In the first half, W&M outshot Hofstra 5-3, while the Pride had the only corner kick. Many fouls were also called, as the two sides combined for 19 in the first half.

team, as well as one each for defenders Stefan Mason and Nico Oberrauch and midfielder Eliot Goldthrop. The Pride was also called for multiple offside penalties throughout the half.

The Hofstra men’s soccer team settled with a scoreless draw against College of William & Mary (W&M) in a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) matchup on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Albert Daly Field in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The first half was uneventful, aside from good defense played by both sides. In the 22nd minute, W&M forward Diba Nwegbo got off a shot on goal that was saved by Wessel Speel.

Offense was still nowhere to be found for either side entering the second half. W&M had two shots on goal with the first coming in the 49th minute from Nathan Messer. The second shot came in the 76th minute from Webb Kosich. Both shots were easily handled in goal by Speel.

Despite Hofstra’s strong defensive effort, they were simply unable to get anything going on offense. What didn’t help was them continuing to get called for fouls, including four yellow cards, one for the

In the second half, Hofstra outshot W&M 6-4. However, they still could not manage a shot on goal. Overall, each team totaled nine shots, with W&M getting credit for three shots on goal. Hofstra had one corner kick in the second half, compared to four from W&M. Hofstra also committed nine fouls in the half, compared to six by W&M. In total, Hofstra committed 18 fouls, compared to 16 by W&M.

Goldthorp led Hofstra with three shots. Marcelo Lage and Ryan Carmichael each had two, while Roc Carles and Francesco Perinelli each had one. Nwegbo led W&M with three shots, although only one of them was on target.

The tie snaps what was a four-game winning streak for Hofstra, as they move to 5-2-1 so far this season and 2-1-1 in CAA play. W&M moves to 2-24 and 2-1-1 in CAA play. Hofstra will next host the University of Delaware on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 5 p.m. at the Hofstra Soccer Stadium.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

Goalkeeper Wessel Speel held an opponent for the third time this season on Saturday.

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Hofstra fails to finish in shutout loss to Tribe

By Aaron Diaz SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Riddiough. “I thought we controlled much of the game and created chances to win, but individual errors cost us.”

The Pride got off to a sloppy start both offensively and defensively, as W&M opened the game by pressuring Hofstra’s defensive territory in the first few minutes. That early pressure ultimately led to a goal two minutes into the game for the Tribe, as Ivey Crain scored her fifth of the season with an assist from Elaina Longjohn.

wide left. Hofstra continued to shoot by firing off four shots in a span of 10 minutes, but the Tribe’s defense held strong to end the first half.

W&M almost took a commanding lead with time expiring in the first half as Kayleigh Shackford shot from out top, but a save by the Pride’s goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich kept it a one goal game.

game, Hofstra continued to take that sailed off target. Hofstra outpaced W&M in total shots 18-9 in the game, but only challenged Tribe goalkeeper Zoe Doughty with four on goal all afternoon.

Ellen Halseth led Hofstra with four shots with two of them being on goal. Kuzmich recorded two saves in net for the Pride.

you’re having an off day at the office, it’s going be a long day,” Riddiough said.“We created chances, it was just finishing them. Some of the chances we had I would love to have as a player.”

Hofstra looks to get back on track as they get ready to match up against Monmouth University Hawks on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m.

The Hofstra women’s soccer team struggled to score a goal on Sunday, Sept. 25, in a 2-0 loss to College of William & Mary (W&M) at Hofstra Soccer Stadium.

“I was actually quite happy with the performance,” said Hofstra head coach Simon

With their lead at 1-0, the Tribe continued to up the pressure, attacking Hofstra hard from all directions.

The Pride began to gain some momentum with back-to-back shots by Krista Agostinello and Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir that both narrowly missed the goal

The Pride’s offensive struggles persisted out of the gate after halftime with opportunities at a plenty, but without any results on the scoreboard to show for them.

W&M stretched its lead to 2-0 on Crain’s second goal of the afternoon, which was assisted by Ginny Delacruz and Longjohn.

In the late minutes of the

“We created a lot of opportunities; we’ve got a lot of offensive weapons, but if

Volleyball completes sweep over NC A&T

By Amelia Bashy SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Hofstra head coach Emily Man sur. “I know we are so tough on her, and she did such nice numbers, and we’re like Chiara, you can do better. I think she had a good match, but we know she can continue to do even more for us.”

Kennedy Stevens stood out in the first set for Hofstra as she recorded a block and a kill to even out the score. The Aggies defended their end of the court by consistently blocking each tipping attempt from the Pride.

The game was tied at the start of the third set, but the energy continued to increase and proved to be the deciding factor. The momentum for the Aggies wavered slightly as they had a poor start to the set, but managed to score three straight points after committing a series of errors.

The Hofstra volleyball team completed a sweep of North Carolina A&T (NC A&T) by taking their match on Sunday, Sept. 25, three sets to one.

The match got off to a bumpy start for Hofstra when the Ag gies took the first set 25-20.

The Pride scored early in the set with a kill after the Aggies blocked a returning ball. Chiara Cucco dove twice to keep the ball in play, however one of those attempts led to the ball hit ting the net for an Aggies point.

Cucco recorded 25 digs during the match, which is the second most she’s had in a match so far this year after recording 27 digs versus Stony Brook University on Saturday, Sept. 17.

“[Cucco] did a good job,” said

The energy on the Pride’s side of the court seemed to shift as the second set began. While the Aggie’s blocking seemed un stoppable, the Pride figured out their ways and used it to their advantage.

In four separate instances, the Pride hit wide-open spots on the Aggies’ court. Emilly Nunes aced the Aggies to tie the score after an attack error. Zyare Abdul-Rahim racked up five kills and a block in the second set. Her powerful arm tied the score at 11-11 and 12-12. Her last three kills gave the Pride a set win, 25-17.

“It’s all about going back to our mental part,” Mansur said. We know we need to focus the minute we get on to the court.”

Naiya Sawtelle stuck two kills into the Pride’s court, tying the set. The Aggies took the lead off of an attack error from Hofstra. The Pride’s stumble slowed as they spotted the Aggies’ open spots on the court. Previously, the Aggies took advantage of the Pride’s gap in the middle of the players in the first two sets.

The Pride effectively attacked that area, leading to a fourpoint lead after Beatriz Alves’ kill. Cucco dove into the open middle of the court to save the ball from an Aggies point.

At one moment during the set, NC A&T’s Nadia Montalbán-el Hiriche ran back and forth from her position to the out of bounds line to keep the ball in play. Her teammate, libero Morgan Allen, was also covering a significant area of the court. The Pride won the set 25-17.

In the final set of the match, both teams were fighting for

the win. A large majority of the beginning serves bounced out of bounds for both Hofstra and NC A&T, closing the gap between the teams. The Aggies had a successful tip into the Pride’s back corner of the court, tying the set at 4-4. Yagmur Cinel then hit a line kill that gave the Pride the advantage.

The momentum for Hofstra was consistent until a brief slip-up that cost them a point as Sawtelle hit an ace that left the Pride stunned.

The Aggies energy picked up in the last few rallies of the game as blocks and kills by Hannah Howell and Maya John

son put the Pride on their heels. Hofstra then responded with a clean kill by Abdul-Rahim, and Cinel finished the game with a kill that gave the Pride the win.

The Pride are now 4-0 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play.

“Every match in the CAA is huge,” Mansur said. “Anyone can beat anyone at any day. So, it’s really nice for us to start 4-0, and we just got to keep building the momentum around us.”

Hofstra’s next match is on Saturday, Oct. 1, in Hampton, Virginia, against new CAA members Hampton University at 2 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics

The Pride combined for 57 digs en route a definitive 3 sets to 1 victory.

By Michelle Rabinovich SPORTS EDITOR

Clara Bal is no stranger to jumping head first into new experiences, and she is not one to shy away from a challenge. In fact, one of the first things to overcome when crossing the Atlantic to come to Hofstra was the language barrier, as she calls Riom, France, home.

“[My mom] [taught] me Polish really young, and I feel like knowing two languages when you’re really young helps you to learn other languages after, so I think it helped me with my English,” Bal said. “I was struggling with English at first, but I feel like I’m getting better. I also speak Spanish!”

The quadrilingual’s struggle was not unique compared to the rest of the team, as the 16 players on the team hail from a total of eight different countries including Turkey, Cyprus, Italy and Brazil. Bal said that presented a unique set of challenges for a team that consists of mostly freshmen players.

“[Coach Mansur] said on the first day when we came [to practice in the summer] that we are going to be all speaking English and we’re all going to put aside our own language,” Bal said. “Sometimes it’s a little bit hard [when] you’re tired because you [just] lack words, [but it’s] helpful to

Clara Bal is not afraid to be fearless

know that we’re all in the same boat.”

Cooperation is easier when there is enough passion to work toward a common goal.

“It seems common when an athlete says that my sport is meant for me. I am here because I love [volleyball]. I couldn’t bear not to do it every single day,” Bal said. “I feel like a lot of people believe in us this year; I think this year we have the will to prepare [and the] will to win.”

After the Pride swept the Stony Brook Seawolves, Bal was killing the game with an all-time high 20% of all team kills (115 out of 550) attributed

hard, but you play smart and I really like it.”

While it wasn’t a challenge, Bal didn’t plan on bringing an extroverted version of herself to the court. Being openminded to it brought results she didn’t anticipate.

“When you bring this energy, you stimulate your teammates,” Bal explained. “[The team is] really expressive about when we win points, and when you embrace it, you feel energized.”

Bal went so far as to say that her teammates and their continuous belief in each other are the reason behind her success.

The first-year star player was

so much.”

On the flip side, Bal reflected that she’s placed in a unique position as a D1 athlete, where she feels she has more

“I would say I have a tendency to be a perfectionist,” Bal said. “Sometimes I just feel like I have to perform, I have to be best, I have to be better all the time, [so I learned] to be less tough on myself, because I had a lot of [unreasonable] expectations.”

After the heavy introspection, Bal looks to the future with high hopes and ambitions.

“I want people to not see me as a first year but as a good player in the volleyball team,” Bal said. “[I want to] make my long and far away from home trip worth it.”

And just because she’s mature doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy a good laugh.

to her thus far. That doesn’t mean she wanted to take credit for all of them.

“Actually, I feel like it’s more about making yourself step up in the team,” Bal said. “It’s more about being a good teammate and trying to be better for the team.”

Something Bal chalked up to her success was working smarter, not necessarily harder all the time.

“Tipping … [is where] you would go for [the ball] but you would just drop the ball somewhere,” Bal explained. “Maybe [it’s] less impressive physically because [it’s] not hitting the ball super

honest in saying that balancing school, D1 athletics and a healthy personal life is no walk in the park.

“When you’re tired physically, sometimes it’s tough mentally to keep going, [and] sometimes you’re just lost in your thoughts. It’s like, I do this because I love this, but sometimes it’s just hard,” Bal said. “Sometimes it’s just a lot, and I have to let go a bit and just realize that sometimes you just need to breathe.”

To balance herself, she has both herself and 15 other peers who she sees daily to hold up a mirror to her, and that never fails to do the trick.

“Either with my teammates, or my friends, I try to communicate about the problems or the things that are tough in the moment,” Bal explained. “I feel like it helps

opportunities than the average student, including maturing more than the average person.

“When you’re a studentathlete, you get so [many] opportunities that other people don’t have; [I] get to travel, meet many new people, experience new cultures,” Bal said. “You [also] learn a lot of things about yourself, you discover you’re capable of doing a lot of new things and you’re also discovering how you are in different kinds of pressure or when you’re in tough times. You get to know yourself so a lot more, which is thrilling.”

After playing with the French youth national team in high school, Bal learned the maturity and strength in being transparent and realistic with the most important person: herself.

“There was a moment [during practice where] I tripped, and everything [was] recorded,” Bal said in between laughs.

To balance everything out, Bal showed something near and dear to her heart: food.

“I [tried] an acai bowl [for the first time],” Bal said. “I also discovered peanut butter and I love it, it was [like] discovering a new taste for me!”

On the court, amongst her peers and in her own mind, Clara Bal carries herself as a tour de force, bringing pride to the Pride.

“I would say I have a tendency to be a perfectionist. Sometimes I just feel like I have to perform, I have to be best, I have to be better all the time, [so I learned] to be less tough on myself, because I had a lot of [unreasonable] expectations.”

Clara Bal has become a breakout performer in her first year at Hofstra.

Bal leads the Pride with points season

Photo courtesy of Morgan Engel

Photo courtesy of Morgan Engel