The Hofstra
HEMPSTEAD, NY Volume 85 Issue 7
Chronicle
Tuesday
NOVEMBER 5, 2019
Keeping the Hofstra community informed since 1935 SPORTS
In absence of Wright-Foreman, Pride will rely on new core By Justin Joseph STAFF W R I T E R
Last season Hofstra men’s basketball had one of the best seasons in program history. The Pride went 27-8 overall to set the school record for wins, 15-1 at home, finished first place in the conference boasting a 15-3 record in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play and was the number one seed in the CAA tournament before falling to Northeastern University in the CAA championship game. The Pride had a lot of success last season and will look to carry that into this upcoming year to reclaim their spot at the top of the conference and seek an NCAA tournament berth. This season the Pride will be
heading into battle without one of the best players in Hofstra history, Justin Wright-Foreman, who was drafted with the 53rd pick to the Utah Jazz. “We had an NBA player on the team, he was magical, he was one guy that was always going to get that big bucket; this year there are five guys who can get that big bucket,” said Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich. “This year there are five different guys, maybe six, that can lead the team in scoring any given night and it’s kind of fun to know that.” While Wright-Foreman’s presence on and off the court will surely be missed
NEWS
County politicans pitch their policies By Robert Traverso A SSISTA N T N EW S ED ITO R
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Head coach, Joe Mihalich speaks at Hofstra Basketball Media Day on Wednesday Oct. 23, 2019.
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MULTIMEDIA
Halloween at Hofstra
The Hofstra Chronicle Hofstra celebrates Halloween this week! Check the spread on page A10 to see how students got into the spooky spirit of the holiday.
Hofstra University hosted a forum on Tuesday, Oct. 29, featuring candidates who are running for state and county offices in this year’s general election. Held inside the Helene Fortunoff Theater located in the Monroe Lecture Center on Hofstra’s south campus, the forum was attended by both Hofstra students and members of the public. The National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) Long Island Chapter, Inc. and the department of political science at Hofstra University co-sponsored the event, which was part of the Hofstra Votes campaign initiative. “Civic engagement and community outreach and service are key parts of Hofstra University’s mission,” said Karla Schuster, assistant vice president for University Relations. “This forum fulfills both of those goals.” “We were honored to partner with the Long Island chapter of 100 Black Women, an organization dedicated to promoting leadership and civic engagement, to provide a forum for students and residents with the opportunity to hear directly from local candidates,” Schuster said. Barbara McFadden, the chapter’s president, said the NCBW advocates “on behalf of women of African descent in the Long Island community, and, of course, across this country.” The NCBW, which is nonpartisan and strictly an “advocacy organization,” does not endorse candidates, McFadden said. “This forum has been put Continued ON A2
A2•NOVEMBER 5, 2019
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The Chronicle
Local candidates use forum as ‘neutral platform’ 203 Student Center hofstrachronicle@gmail.com
Editor-in-Chief Taylor Rose Clarke Managing Editor Jillian Leavey Business Manager Robert Kinnaird News Editor Melanie Haid Assistant News Editors Annemarie LePard Robert Traverso A&E Editors Victoria Bell Eleni Kothesakis A&E Assistant Editor Jacob Huller Sports Editors Christopher Detwiler Felipe Fontes Assistant Sports Editors David Lazar Anthony Roberts Features Editors Rachel Bowman Drashti Mehta Assistant Features Editors Betty Araya Audra Nemirow Op-Ed Editors James Factora Amanda Romeo Assistant Op-Ed Editors Sarah Emily Baum Visvajit Sriramrajan Copy Chiefs Mia Thompson Gab Varano Assistant Copy Chiefs Odessa Stork Elizabeth Turley Multimedia Editor Robert Kinnaird
Assistant Multimedia Editors
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Social Media Manager Jack Brown The Chronicle is published every Tuesday during the academic year by the students of Hofstra University. The Chronicle is located in Room 203 Student Center, 200 Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. 11549. Advertising and subscription rates may be obtained by calling (516) 463-6921. The Chronicle reserves the right to reject any submission, in accordance with our written policies. All advertising which may be considered fraudulent, misleading, libelous or offensive to the University community, The Chronicle or its advertisers may be refused. The products and opinions expressed within advertisement are not endorsed by The Chronicle or its staff.
Continued From A1 together by members of our public policy committee for the sole purpose of providing a neutral platform for candidates to inform us of their positions,” she added. All 14 candidates in attendance spoke at length throughout the forum; each was given three minutes to introduce themselves before fielding questions from audience members and lastly giving their concluding remarks. They touched on a wide range of issues, such as nonviolent drug offenses and criminal justice reform, property assessment and tax relief, climate change and environmental protection and labor issues such as unionization. Democratic Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen spoke at the forum, as did her Libertarian opponent Diane Madden. Democrat Kevan Abrahams, District 1 representative and the minority caucus leader in the Nassau County Legislature,
also spoke at the event. Others candidates in attendance seeking a seat in the Nassau County Legislature included member of both the Republican and Conservative parties Cherice Vanderhall, District 1; Democrat Siela Bynoe, District 2; and Democrat Debra Mulé, District 5. Republican Tom Tweedy, District 2; Democrat Shari James, District 3; and Democrat Lora Webster, District 5; all of whom are running for the Town of Hempstead Council, spoke at the event as well. Also in attendance at the forum were member of the Democratic and Working Families Parties Sylvia Cabana, who is running for Hempstead Town Clerk; Republican David Redmond, who is running for North Hempstead Town Supervisor; member of the Conservative and Republican parties Francis McQuade; Democrat Chandra Ortiz, who is running for Tax Receiver for the Town of Hempstead; who is running for Nassau County District Attorney and Libertarian Annette Totten, who is running for State
Supreme Court. “Even the candidates that don’t have [the same] name recognition as some do still have great ideas and solutions in terms of fixing the issues that impact our communities directly,” said Mike Amoruoso, a senior journalism major who attended the forum. “I thought the most interesting part was hearing the wide variety of ideas about how to make Nassau County a bet-
ter place to live, work and go to school. Also, to hear about their ways to help solve the issues facing the residents of Nassau County,” said freshman finance major Devin Reck. “I think Hofstra wanted to host this event in order to keep students [informed] about what’s going on in local government. I think they succeeded in doing this and it was a great idea to host this event,” he added.
Robert Traverso/ The Hofstra Chronicle Kevan Abrahams, minority leader of the Nassau County Legislature, underscored the success of economic programs across the county.
Biographer analyzes Colin Powell’s career By Kenny Conrade & Shayna Sengstock S TAF F WRI T E R / S P EC IA L TO TH E CHRONI CL E
Jeffrey Matthews, business and leadership professor at the University of Puget Sound, spoke about his book, “Colin Powell: Imperfect Patriot,” on Monday, Oct. 28, in the Guthart Cultural Center Theater at Hofstra University. “[Matthews] traced Powell’s military and political career, focusing on his service in four presidencies: [Ronald] Reagan, [George H. W.] Bush, [Bill] Clinton and [George W.] Bush,” said Meenekshi Bose, professor of political science at Hofstra University. “The Seeking Purpose series gives Hofstra students the unique opportunity to hear from and interact with professionals from a wide variety of fields who [not only] created a career path for themselves, but
also have an inspiring professional journey,” said W. Houston Dougharty, vice president for Student Affairs at Hofstra University. Matthews spoke on the pros and cons of the former U.S. general’s career in public service as well as the process of writing his book about the former lieutenant. “I [was] looking at my phone and [saw] I [received] an email. The email [was] from Colin Powell,” Matthews said. “The email [said], ‘Dear Professor Matthews, I read an article you wrote recently, I’d like to discuss it with you.’” The article Matthews wrote was published in The Hill, a Washington, D.C., political newspaper. It was an op-ed letter addressed to General H. R. McMaster about “the new position [McMaster was] going to take in the Trump administration and how there are some things [McMaster] can learn about
from Colin Powell’s experience,” Matthews said. In his piece on McMaster, Matthews wrote that Powell was a “deeply thoughtful and morally courageous senior military adviser to President George H.W. Bush.” Later in the lecture, Matthews touched on how he was able to expand the email conversations between himself and Powell into an interview. “Three months later, I was at his house and we spent four hours together,” Matthews said. “By then I had written a draft of the book, so I was pretty well prepared.” After the talk, Matthews opened up a question and answer session to which students and adults were able to ask their questions regarding Powell. “I loved it when the people were asking the questions and he was giving firm answers. It seemed like he really, honestly knew a lot about [the subject], especially because he wrote
the book,” said Joshua Knickerbocker, a senior from Island Trees High School who attended the event. “I went in not knowing much about [General] Colin Powell or Jeffery Matthews’ book. After the event, I developed a deeper appreciation for what Colin Powell did while he was the United States National Security Advisor,” said Michael Roller, a sophomore political science and public policy double major. “He had a very in-depth accounting of a man who had several positions in government,” said Craig Burnett, associate professor of political science. “[I] learned quite a few things that I didn’t quite remember or possibly know about [Powell].”
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NOVEMBER 5, 2019 A3
Diversity unites Hofstra community during writing workshop
By Katie Fenton
SPEC IA L TO T H E C H R O N I CL E
Setting aside a few hours to sit down and take on a creative task outside of class may be difficult in the middle of a busy semester, but students took the opportunity to do just that during Crossing Borders, a guided writing workshop sponsored by Herstory Writers Workshop and International Student Affairs on Saturday, Oct. 26. The workshop was “designed for international and domestic students to share their personal
experiences as members of the diverse Hofstra community,” according to Hofstra University. Despite the early start, organizers said that students were clearly ready to participate and listen to one another. “What surprised me was how honest and brave people were in the way that they shared stories,” said event organizer and Director of International Student Affairs Anne Mongillo. “Everyone was just so compassionate with each other and very supportive.” Mongillo said that she was inspired to organize the work-
Photo Courtesy of International Student Affairs
Students shared personal experiences and expressed support during the writing workshop.
shop after attending a similar one herself and seeing a need for similar opportunities for Hofstra students. “I had attended a Herstory workshop last year and I saw the value in it in terms of being able to take personal stories and turn them into calls for action,” Mongillo said. “But my main goal was really to give a sense of belonging to students who attended the workshop and I hope that we were able to do that.” Sitting in a circle, students and facilitators discussed the goals of the workshop, emphasizing the importance of empathy, compassion and inclusion within the space. Each student was then asked to discuss a moment in their life that opened their eyes to an issue that they consider important. Erika Duncan, the founder of Herstory Writing Workshops, responded to each student with advice on how to make their anecdote the opening scene of their story. Junior English major Amara
Leonard said that Duncan’s advice was one of the most impactful parts of the workshop. “I got to learn ways of being able to improve my own writing and it has made me interested in possibly wanting to write a memoir of my own one day,” Leonard said. The workshop wrapped up with each student reading their story aloud. The students expressed support for one another during the storytelling, which covered various themes and was often emotional. “It kind of connects everyone in a way, because everyone was just so vulnerable. Even if you didn’t know most of the people in the group, you could relate to them,” said Keshianah Malvoisin, a junior psychology major. “We’ve all been through so much in our lives, and it’s just kind of surreal to hear it out loud.” Eighteen students attended the event, but organizers and students agreed that working with a small group established a sense
of intimacy and openness. “The people hosting it made you feel as though your experiences and your identity truly matter, and the workshop aimed to give you the tools to express your story to the world,” Leonard said. Many students, including Leonard, expressed a desire for similar events on campus as the workshop ended. “I am hoping for more clubs and events like this to be made on campus. As a person of color, I feel there is an incredible lack of creative space for people from marginalized communities to speak and have a safe space for creativity and to express themselves,” she said. “If we had more events occur on campus like the Crossing Borders workshop, I feel like many people would be so much happier and feel like they have found a place where their voices can be heard.”
Hindu Festival of Lights brings ‘light over darkness’
By Audra Nemirow ASSISTA N T F E AT U R E S EDI TOR
Hofstra’s South Asian Students Association (SASA) held their annual Diwali Dinner celebrating the Hindu festival of lights on Friday, Nov. 1, in the Student Center Multipurpose Rooms. The actual date of Diwali was the previous Sunday, Oct. 27, but SASA chose to hold their luminous evening of food and dancing a few days later. Diwali is a harvest-based festival signifying the victory of light over darkness, of good over evil. “Nobody ever has Diwali parties on the actual day of Diwali, which is mostly because they are at the temple praying or at home,” said Gopal Khandelwal, treasurer of SASA and a junior political science major. “This year Diwali was on a Sunday; however, we chose to do it the Friday after, which is really close to the actual day.” SASA’s Diwali Dinner has seen increasing attendance over the years at Hofstra, and this year, the club decided to charge for admission: $5 for a ticket re-
served in advance and $7 at the door. At first SASA was wary of charging, worried that the price would negatively affect attendance, but the turnout was as impressive as ever with about 170 attendees. DJ Nishan, a regular fixture of SASA events, greeted the guests with music upon arrival. Nishan played popular dance music from around the world, with an emphasis on music from the South Asian subcontinent. The room was festive, pulsing with colorful lights, and the tables were adorned with the powdered patterns of rangoli art. Lazzat, a Long Island restaurant, provided the buffet of traditional food. After some appetizers were served, SASA’s executive board introduced themselves and thanked the crowd. SASA chair Shivangi Mehta reflected on the importance of a Hofstra Diwali celebration, recognizing the importance of Diwali beyond a religious context. Then, the club Sitare – which means stars – kicked off the festivities with a dance rooted in Punjabi styles.
The dance floor opened up to everyone until the main meal was served. Before the event wrapped up, the executive board paid tribute to their president, Manmeet Nijjer, who is leaving next semester. The event attracted a varied crowd of students, reflecting SASA’s goal to raise awareness of South Asian culture. Many of the attendees celebrate Diwali themselves, but the crowd also held enthusiastic regulars without much cultural connection to Diwali. “I was here last year and the year before, and I had a lot of fun, so I decided to come back,” said Sophia Sola, a junior bioengineering major. “I saw them tabling in the Student Center and I bought tickets ahead of time.” Sam Gong, a sophomore forensic science major, was new to SASA’s Diwali Dinner, but was already impressed by the event. “It seems like a really fun environment,” Gong said, “and while some of the music isn’t as traditional as one would think, it’s a great way for the commu-
nity that do actually celebrate it and those who are just here to experience it to get together, but then understand traditional cultural importance too.” Both Sola and Gong plan on attending future SASA events. For Arunima Roy, SASA vice president and a junior double majoring in film studies and pre-med, the Diwali Dinner has a more personal dimension to it as well.
“I just like the idea of being able to celebrate a part of my culture,” she said. “Growing up, I would celebrate it in a small area, maybe just in my house or having a few friends over. But to have an event where 100 people of different backgrounds, different cultures, who just want to come together to celebrate this one thing ... it’s just really amazing.”
Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons A rangoli is an art form in which patterns are created on the ground using a variety of colors. It is typically made during Diwali.
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Rutgers professor urges black unity during Trump era By Zevan Shuster STAFF W R I T E R
Deborah Gray White, the Board of Governors distinguished professor of history and professor of women’s and gender studies at Rutgers University, delivered a speech at Hofstra University on Wednesday, Oct. 16, titled, “Are There Really Forty Million Ways to Be Black in the Age of Trump?” White’s talk was part of Hofstra’s “The Legacy 1619-2019,” a series of events on subjects that reflect on “the journey of African Americans over four centuries and the hopes of a people, past and present.” In addition to teaching at Rutgers, White directed “The Black Atlantic: Race, Nation, and Gender,” a historical analysis project at the Rutgers Center from 1997-99. She was also the chair of the history department at the University from 2000-03. White expressed her take on what led to the Trump era
coming about in the first place, and also laid out a roadmap for how black people can persist through it. She stressed that this is a pivotal moment for the African American community, offered insight into where the future is heading and how she is working to guide the community forward. “When so many of my peers were marching, and they took so many different paths to fighting racism, I said, ‘I’m going to do the research, and I’m going to write, and this is going to be my contribution. That’s going to be my activism,” White said. White focused on the plight of black people under the Trump administration and how important it is for the African American community to organize and persevere through this time. “I feel like we [need to have] a mindset about protecting black rights to be who we want to be ... We do have to understand that we can be whoever we want
to be but being black means that we have to do it together because we are simply outnumbered,” White said. White emphasized that now is a particularly important time for the black community to stick together, since it is facing what she deemed unprecedented territory. White repeatedly emphasized the point that unity, especially in the face of adversity, is what is most important. To White, the black community isn’t just fighting; it’s fighting back against oppression. “In 2016, that backlash, and make no mistake, [the election] was a backlash against having a black president ... That’s what it was,” White said. “It was as if they said, ‘We’re gonna push you right back into your place.’” While White was insistent on the importance of unity, she also singled out those in the African American community who she sees as taking away from its ability to stick together and stay
strong. “We can think differently. We should think differently. But I just want us on the same page when it comes to self-defense,” she said, prefacing a discussion about conservatism in the black community. “I just don’t get black conservatism,” White said. “I get if you want to be a fiscal conservative, but what I can’t see is when people look at what’s going on with mass incarceration, and they see these figures and they say, ‘Well, I think police treat black people just as fairly as they treat white people,’” White said. “Really?” she asked. An audience member vociferously agreed with White on this point. “[Black conservatives are] not informed. It’s not a part of their world,” shouted the member of the audience. To White, anything that diminishes the strength of the African American community does not just take away from
the present or limit the progress made in the past, but also has the unfortunate potential to do harm in the future. This is something White said she cannot live with. White stressed, however, that since the ultimate goal is “firstclass citizenship” for black people, any effort to attain this requires unity in the African American community. “I think that everybody is going to have their own way. I just think that once your eyes are on the prize, and that prize is first-class citizenship, then however you feel you need to progress in that way, however you feel you can make a contribution, then that’s what you should do.”
This week in Student Government: By Sarah Baum ASSISTA N T O P - E D E D I TO R
Hofstra’s Student Government Association (SGA) issued mid-semester reports this week regarding the state of campus affairs. The report highlighted a historic change in the fundamentals of SGA, as well as updates involving the appropriations of SGA’s over-$300,000 budget and its ongoing outreach efforts among student organizations. SGA President Kathryn Harley and Vice President Kaylor Dimes toted progress and goals spanning a wide variety of campus issues, with a focus on student-administration relations specifically. Most notably, this week’s meeting minutes report said that surveys have been sent out to club leaders to gauge their experiences with reporting discriminatory behavior at Hofstra. The report also articulated a reinvigorated dedication to spending more time and money to improve campus accessibility and recreational activities.
The office of Comptroller Rhea Bathija has spent this semester bolstering relations with club leaders through routine face-to-face meetings. The report highlighted this semester’s improvements in requesting reallocation for club funds, which can now be done online. It was also noted that clubs as a whole have been issued $347,130 for the 2019 fall semester. About $46,000 has been distributed so far, bringing the net deficit to $6,599.99. The Appropriations committee’s report outlined club funds doled out thus far, tallying at $103,655 in requested funds compared to $47,273 in allocated funds – a fulfillment rate of 44.74%. The Club Relations Committee reported that it has overturned a controversial rule that formerly mandated clubs have eight weekly office hours. Now, clubs must only have two office hours per week. They have also extended time for clubs to utilize SGA storage space and
created an SGA training packet for new club leaders. They plan to continue working with clubs to utilize storage space. They are also preparing an SGA leadership training session with student organizations. The Public Relations Committee has been busy revamping SGA social media this year and tabling at events, but their biggest accomplishment this semester was putting a “suggestion box” on the Hofstra portal so students can express their ideas, comments and concerns to the Senate. Non-SGA members are also encouraged to come to weekly Senate meetings to voice their opinions and ask questions. In the coming months, SGA plans to foster relations with the general student body by establishing a “Contact Your Student Senator” webpage, reaching out to Hofstra news organizations to publicize initiatives and launching a weekly newsletter. The Student Services Committee announced it has “dras-
tically changed the way it functions,” now focusing on student initiatives and advocacy. They have been working toward sustainability and accessibility on campus as well as outreach with the local high school this semester. The report also highlighted the status of club elections. Only 22 SGA-recognized clubs have held proper elections
this year so far. The deadline to do so is Sunday, Dec. 8. In addition, six clubs were granted SGA-recognized status this semester: The Hofbeats, The National Society for Black Engineers, Hardline Capital, De Moda, Makin’ Treble and The Dutchmen.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra University
The 2019-2020 representatives for student government look to build a stronger relationship between SGA and the student body.
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NOVEMBER 5, 2019 A5
‘Sports mega-events’ in Latin America exploit traditional society
By Ryan Gineo
such as the Olympics and the World Cup, have on Latin SPEC IA L TO T H E C H R O N I CL E American countries. Christopher Gaffney, a geGaffney recounted the hisographer and clinical associate tory of the Olympic Games professor at New York Univerand their modern-day implicasity, presented “Olympic Latin tions in Latin American cities. America: From Colonized BodHe explained how the modern ies to Neo-liberal Urbanization” Olympic movement began as in the Guthart Cultural Center a “neo-colonialist ideology” in Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Europe but was quickly adopted The event explored the political in Latin America because of the impact that sports mega-events, “transnational business connections that were emerging through British mercantilism.” Gaffney discussed how during the Cold War era, countries used sports in their national identities to create alliances and project their power to the world. This was the case for Cuba under Fidel Castro’s regime. “It’s well known that Castro used baseball and the Cuban sports machine in their alliances with the Soviet Union as a way of outward expression Photo Courtesy of Christopher Gaffney of national power,” Gaffney contrasted the relationship between Gaffney said. “If you sports and politics through the decades. don’t have power in your military or your
economy, you can certainly develop it in the sporting context.” Gaffney then shifted to the modern-day view of sports mega-events in Latin America, arguing that the Olympics and the World Cup have been the “leading edge of global capitalism and neo-colonialism.” He used the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, both held in Brazil, to illustrate how sports have essentially become “moneymakers” for FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). At the World Cup, FIFA exploited Brazil’s “sense of rhythm” and eliminated their cultural traditions by prohibiting instruments and drums in the stadiums. Two years later, Brazilians were removed from their homes in order to build the Olympic landscape. “The implicit utopia of the Olympics is an explicit dystopia for those who are in the way of the spectacle,” Gaffney said. Gaffney concluded by describing how boycotting and resisting the Olympics can open “new ways of imagining the world.” While he suggests that the world does not need the Olympics, he said the IOC and FIFA need people to continue to buy into their mega-events.
“If we open up new ways of thinking about sport, we can open different conversations about how we can move forward into a more egalitarian sporting world,” he said. Gaffney thought that turning off the television and decreasing ratings would be how boycotting the Olympics would work, since the IOC makes most of its money from NBC. “They never open the gaze to talk about the city context unless it’s about tourism,” he said. “It is important to not watch the games and to not have that narrative being fed into your head. Most of us are not thinking our sporting choices as political choices, but they are.” As the co-director of the Latin American and Caribbean studies program, Brenda Elsey, also an associate political science professor at Hofstra University, said she immediately wanted [Gaffney] to come to Hofstra after he moved to NYU. “I have two classes, one on Latin America and a freshman seminar on sports and politics,” she said. “There’s really no better person to bring in for this event.” Ben Cohn, a sophomore anthropology major, enjoyed the lecture, saying it was “well-
spoken and very informative.” The main thing that stood out to him was how much the IOC “hides from the general population, such as the maltreatment of trainees and the murder of children.” Junior English major Amara Leonard attended this event as part of Elsey’s class on Latin American and Caribbean studies. “It was interesting to learn how the Olympics has deeper controversies underlying the event and that these are important issues that deserve to be addressed with the public,” she said. Griffin Schmoyer, a first-year journalism major, was intrigued by how Brazil redirected money from their national museum to fund the Maracanã Stadium for the 2016 World Cup. That museum burned down in 2018 due to a lack of maintenance. “You would think that a country would want to hang on to its history, especially with such an old building with so much history,” he said. “But the glory of holding the Olympics overshadowed that.”
Public Safety Briefs Compiled by Elizabeth Turley
sdfjs;dlfjk;sldkfj;aldfjk On Oct. 25 at 12:50 p.m., PS received a report of a theft of a laptop from an office in Heger Hall. An investigation into this matter proved inconclusive. On Oct. 28 at 4 p.m., PS received a report of a physical dispute that had occurred between two Hofstra students in the Fitness Center. The matter had been resolved. On Oct. 30 at 10:51 a.m., a Hofstra student reported to PS that she had lost her wristlet after leaving it somewhere in Breslin Hall. The property has not been found.
On Oct. 31 at 4:30 p.m., a Hofstra student reported to PS that she had left her unlocked vehicle in a parking lot near the Fitness Center. When she returned to the vehicle, she found that her wallet had been stolen. Police assistance was declined at this time.
Key PS – Public Safety
Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle
features
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The Chronicle
Club Spotlight: Strictly Steppin’ The steps heard around the world
important to be able to pick up on steps. “Everyone learns at their own pace, and if you are a slower learner, people will pull you aside and work with you,” Johnson said. “It is one thing to know the steps, but we have to be able to perform them too.” Without Annemarie LePard / The Hofstra Chronicle any music to Strictly Steppin’ is a club at Hofstra that performs the art of stepping, a style of dance that combines a series of claps, pats and stomps. supplement the routine, perforyou’re not doing that, then you By Annemarie LePard mance is key. “Sometimes I get can’t hit all of the beats you’re ASSISTA N T N E W S E D I TO R into my own little mood or get trying to make.” Strictly Steppin’ is not your typical dance team. Through a series of claps, pats and stomps, this style of dance uses the body as an instrument to create music. Originally called Emanon, Strictly Steppin’ was founded in 2000 as a branch of Hofstra’s IMANI Dance Ensemble. It practices the African-rooted art form known as “stepping.” “Stepping is a compilation of claps and stomps, which create beats attached to emotional expression and meaning,” according to Strictly Steppin’s page on GetInvovledHU. “It’s about trying to find a beat with your feet first, and then just finding some type of way where your hands can go with it,” said De’Jah Gross, a junior journalism major and secretary of Strictly Steppin’. “It’s kind of like making music, in a way.” Step dancing is all about being heard. “You want to have your fingers closed because you want to hear the sound clearly, not all mushy, because it makes a different sound when your fingers are open,” said Elashia Jones, a senior community health major who is co-captain and treasurer of the club. “When you’re stomping, you need to make sure that you’re stomping with a flat foot so you actually hear the stomp, because if
from stepping, but she said it is worth it because the feeling of a routine just clicking with the entire team is indescribable. “In the moment you’re practicing, you’re going and going and going, then one day, it’s just perfect. We all end together, everything sounds precise and it’s just that feeling,” she said. “Everyone looks at each other, and we’re like, ‘Yeah, we totally just killed that!’ and it’s really exciting and rewarding when we see if [a routine] can come together because we make all of our sets ourselves.” At the end of the day, it is not about the performance of the step dance, but rather the familial bond that unites the team. “We go there and of course there’s work, and we take things seriously, but there’s also times where it’s just fun,” Johnson
“I love the presence that they give, and they’ve honestly made my first semester of college a lot more memorable than I thought it’d be.”” For co-captain Brittany Johnson, a junior double major in psychology and Spanish, step was hard to learn in the beginning due to her background in cheerleading, which followed a numbered structure and incorporated a variety of components other than just dance. “[Cheerleading] is eight counts – on this number you do this, and on this number you do that; but that doesn’t exist with step,” she said. “It’s just you do this, then that, and you have to figure out the pauses for yourself.” Stepping is not only about preciseness, but fluidity as well, different from the stiff movements that Johnson is used to from cheerleading in high school. “If I’m stepping, I have to hit [the step] but I have to put attitude into it, like actually move my body more with it to create a looser motion,” she said. While rhythm also plays a major role in step dancing, it is
ue doing [step].” “I just love the team,” a beaming Delgado said. “I love the presence that they give, and they’ve honestly made my first semester of college a lot more memorable than I thought it’d be.” The 15-member team holds open tryouts at the beginning of each semester for anyone who is interested, regardless of their level of experience. “People just basically come and we show them a few steps, then they show it to us,” Johnson said. “We see how well they work with the team and how well they pick it up.” Strictly Steppin’ is working toward entering competitions for the first time in several years after a lot of members graduated all at once, forcing them to stop. Johnson is hopeful that the team will be able to compete within the next year. Practices are held on Tuesdays in Student Center Room 143, and Thursdays in the yoga studios of the Fitness Center from 8:45 p.m. to 11 p.m. Strictly Steppin’ will be performing Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Black Student Union’s Annual Unity Showcase featuring celebrity guest Zoie Fenty in the John Cranford Adams Playhouse.
in, like, a little attitude or sass said. “Everyone just gets along to add my own creativity [to a really well and being in that routine],” Gross said. kind of happy, positive environNicholas Delgado, a freshment makes me want to continman psychology major, feels “great” while stepping. “I know it sounds weird, because it hurts. Stomping hurts, obviously, like it gets tiring and you get sore,” Delgado said. “But honestly, it’s really fulfilling when everything comes together.” Johnson has popped many blood Annemarie LePard / The Hofstra Chronicle vessels in The Strictly Steppin’ team rehearsing for their next performance at the annual Black Student her hands Union Unity Showcase on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
features
The Chronicle
November 5, 2019 •A7
Humans of Hofstra By Daniel Cody S TA F F W R I T E R
Jack Goodman Daniel Cody / The Hofstra Chronicle
“
My whole life has kind of revolved around my passions. I’ve always been very driven by my love of theater, visual art and writing music. The idea of wanting to have a path and wanting to have [a] destination has kept my passions alive. When I was little I was always set on being a painter, which now, as a music and drama major, I look back on and think it’s kind of funny. That artsy part of me kept developing, and I found theater, which was really important to me. Sophomore year in high school I was going through a really hard time. I would play on the piano, messing around doing whatever was cool and then wrote stuff down, and from there I convinced my parents to buy me a keyboard. I realized that this could be something I could develop. It was the first time I had something in mind that I could imagine myself doing instead of just sitting around a studio and painting, which I don’t think I could do now. I always look for something about music that makes me feel something. I would spend hours listening to my favorite artists or my favorite musicals, looking for things that wouldn’t be the first song people would gravitate to. I look for [moments] where the orchestration or the lyrics hits in a certain way, and if I’m able to communicate that for myself or for other people, I think I will feel a little bit more complete. In theater, it felt like an escape, I didn’t do a lot of extracurriculars that felt like they were for my enjoyment, whereas theater made me feel like I belonged. I was never someone who got big parts, especially in middle school or the beginning of high school, and that never bothered me. I made friends who understood me; that is what drew me to theater. Throughout high school, I got better, and I kept working on it, which turned it into a passion for me. It wasn’t until I got to be a lead character [in] my senior year that I got to immerse myself. It was so much fun for me, and it was so important to me at the same time. We [put on] “The Drowsy Chaperone” and I was the Man in Chair, which was super cool. My favorite part about taking in the character is finding the similarities that you have with [them]. Especially in high school shows, there’s an element of being type-casted. Specific people played the same type of roles throughout high school; it can also happen in college and the industry. However, it lets you connect to your character. It’s not always for good reason, but when it is, it can really help. You have to find the piece of the character that’s in you, and when you find that [piece] you live through it more. If you’re not following your passion, what is this life worth?
”
“
I like to consider myself a passionate person, with my major and politics especially. I was young – 14 – when the 2016 election primaries were going on, and it was super hectic. It was interesting; I wanted to know what everyone was talking about in politics. From that point on, I read the news a lot, trying to keep up with the who-said-what on domestic and international issues. Donald Trump’s takeover blew my mind, and I knew I wanted to be in the field where this crazy stuff happened. I hopped on the 2016 political hype. I listen to music to lose all of it though, especially ’90s grunge rock. My dad got me into it, every time I got into his car, I’d hear Nirvana, which later in middle school sent me into a different realm. I had no idea that music could give so much emotion. I got super obsessed with Kurt Cobain, which gatewayed into other artists from that time period like Chris Cornell – I got really into it. The heaviness and heat of the lyrics are really dark. It’s a depressing music genre and it has a lot to do with darkness, but I think I like it because there’s so much emotion in it. You feel someone’s emotions and internal conflict, love and passion, you feel it all in the music. They put a part of themselves into the song. Most of my political ideals were made at this same time, kind of early high school. I went into freshman year of high school not knowing the difference between a Democrat and a Republican, and walked out religiously checking the news and anything I could know about any politician. My political ideal is completely on a single-issue basis. It’s never a monolith. I’d just listen to something and think, ‘Yes, that’s correct,’ or ‘No, we shouldn’t do that.’ It happens to be that a lot of them just fall into a liberal category – I don’t let other people’s views influence me. I look at issues from my own self-education of politics. People try to tell me to think a certain way and that I should follow a certain belief or ideology, and I’d just let myself figure it out on my own. I don’t want to base my belief on what someone tells me; I want to forge it myself, what I can gather from my experience and situation. If I could send literally everyone a text message right now at Hofstra, it’d say ‘VOTE.’ I have a free mindset. We’re only on Earth for the time being, make the most out of it, be yourself and live your own life. There is no version of you, and no one has gone through the things uniquely that you have, so you have your own special experience. Don’t change who you are to satisfy someone else.
”
Gab Varano / The Hofstra Chronicle
Kellie Smith Daniel Cody / The Hofstra Chronicle
features
A8 • November 5, 2019
M a n o n t h e U n i s pa n Did you participate in your local election on Tuesday, Nov. 5?
The Chronicle
Overheard @ Hofstra
B y Letisha Dass
In Bits n’ Bytes:
S TAF F W R ITER
“My parents would never tell me how they met, so I assumed it was just an arranged marriage.” In Barnard Hall: “I haven’t been stabbed in a year.” In C.V. Starr:
“Yes, because I feel that voting is important. It’s important to keep tabs on who is running and make sure there are good candidates for the community.” – Daniel Vargas, junior
“I’m dressed up as job insecurity. That’s pretty scary, I think.” In Nassau/Suffolk: “Look at all these thirsty Halloween hoes.” In Brower Hall: “I had sleep I wanted to do.” In the Student Center:
“I believe my hometown’s elections were last year, which I did vote [in]. Voting is not even the standard of a democracy; it should be a thing that everyone does.” – Gabrel Vanni-Phillips, sophomore
“Clearly she’s thinking more than bullfighting. She’s thinking about “hopping the sack,” with him.” In the Quad: “When I can’t sleep, I just read screenwriting books at 3 a.m.” In LHSC: “It’s going to work. And if it doesn’t ... fuck it.” On the Unispan: “I’ve literally never been to the gym in my life.”
“Yes, I have already sent in my ballot. It is my right as a citizen and might as well flex it.” – Michela Polek, junior
In Bill of Rights: “The most expensive concert I’ve ever been to was a Michael Bublé concert.”
Audra Nemirow / The Hofstra Chronicle
Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle
features
The Chronicle
November 5, 2019 •A9
Hofstra sophomore finds a future in fiction
B y Damali Ramir e z
Fielding believes ordinary peois on the pre-law track and is a As for advice she would give ple also have the resources and member of the Hofstra Unito young writers, she said, “If power to call for action. versity Honors College. While you have written something that Not many can say they are “Jo is always questioning growing up in Nassau County, you believe people will enjoy a published what’s the right she took an early interest in or criticize, have it copyrighted, author at 19. thing to do,” the diverse cultures New York make sure you have your rights After two years Fielding said. offers. Fielding participates in to it and publish it. Start small, of writing, “For us to fight international academic programs to your local publishing Start small, go to your local publishing against our mod- and enjoys learning about other go drafting and company and get your foot in editing, Elissa cultures overseas. Her hobbies the door.” company and get your foot in the door. ern versions of Fielding, also tyranny, do what include book hunting, vintage Readers can find “When Ryknown as E.M. you feel is right photography, blogging, novel der Stands: The Beginning” on Fielding – a pen in your heart in and short-story writing, readeBay, Amazon, Barnes & Noble name inspired terms of speaking and international culinary and Booktopia. by J.K. Rowling – published the book’s three parts show ing out against what is wrong.” experiences. her first novel. “When Ryder tyranny under a prime minister, She is working Stands: The Beginning” follows a president and a monarchy.” on her second protagonist JoLee “Jo” Ryder Because her book reflects the novel and plans and her fight to restore peace in controversial social and political to elaborate more her country, Prevost. climates of today’s society, she within the com“First I cried, and second, I stayed determined in remaining ing-of-age genre. couldn’t believe that basicalneutral. Neutrality is a key prin- The publication ly after two years of writing, ciple Fielding carries throughout date for her secfinishing up this book [and] her works. ond novel hasn’t copyrighting [that it was] noFielding wants her book been determined ticed by a publishing company,” to familiarize readers with a just yet. said Fielding. “I said to myself, dystopian environment, enabling Fielding is ‘Wow, I actually get to see my them to recognize, acknowledge currently a sophwork in the physical form for and call out any person that is omore majoring the masses at such a young age,’ abusing their authority or power. in mass media and I feel like that’s unheard Essentially, if you see somestudies with a of.” thing, say something. Don’t stay concentration in Fielding started writing her on the sidelines as a spectator. media, policy novel at the age of 16. Frequent While the protagonist, Jo, and law and a rhetoric about the U.S. becomDamali Ramirez / The Hofstra Chronicle uses her superpowers to tackminor in Mandaing an Orwellian or MachiavelElissa Fielding is a sophomore mass media major and recently had her first novel, “When le the tyrannical government, rin Chinese. She lian state inspired her storyline. Ryder Stands: The Beginning” published. S TAF F W R ITER
She stated, “I said to myself, ‘Maybe I’ll write a novel depicting such a situation, but taking a broader approach to it,’ because
“
”
By Gab Varano
@GabGrabsGrub: Biscotti
C OP Y C HIEF
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Makes about 40 biscotti
1. Heat the oven to 375 F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. (Parchment is better for easy clean up and crisper cookies.)
1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon anise extract
2. In a large bowl, mix oil, eggs, sugar and anise extract and blend well. 3. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until a dough forms.
1 tablespoon baking powder
5. Divide the dough into halves and shape each piece into a long roll. 6. Place each roll onto the cookie sheet and press down into 1/2-inch thickness. 7. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden.
Gab Varano / The Hofstra Chronicle
Fun Fact: Biscotti means cooked twice! (Bis = twice, cotti = cooked) These Italian classics are great with tea and coffee and are also good alone!
8. Remove from the oven and place onto a wire rack to cool slightly. 9. Slice crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. (Use a serrated knife – they cut cleaner.) 10. Place cut side up onto cookie sheets and bake an additional 6-10 minutes on each side. Follow Gab Varano on Instagram @gabgrabsgrub
H alloween at H ofstra Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle
Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle
Link Rosser, a junior chemistry major, attended all his classes for the day in a vampire costume.
The Resident Hall Association (RHA) hosted a “Halloweentown” event in HofUSA on Oct. 28. Attendees painted pumpkins and enjoyed Halloween themed treats. Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle The Hofstra Chronicle found Waldo at Breslin Hall in sophomore Thomas Doherty, a public relations major. Melanie Haid / The Hofstra Chronicle Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle Zain Farooqui, Rules Chair of the Student Government Association, dressed as Shazam for Halloween
Melanie Haid / The Hofstra Chronicle Decorations at the Netherlands’ haunted house read “HELP” out in flour.
Melanie Haid / The Hofstra Chronicle The Netherlands put on an annual haunted house to celebrate the holiday Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle
Costume makeup for the victim of a zombie attack poses for a picture in the Netherlands’ haunted house.
Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle Caramel apples at the RHA “Halloweentown” event.
Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle Senior psychology major Serena Payne went about her day in costume as Catwoman this Halloween.
Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle A pumpkin painted in Hofstra colors at the RHA Halloweentown.
Spread by Robert Kinnaird, Talha Siddiqui and Adam Flash
Arts and Entertainment
VOL. 85 ISSUE 7
‘BoJack’ returns for the beginning of the end B2
Courtesy of Scoutmag
B2•November 5 2019
The Chronicle
A&E
‘BoJack’ returns for the beginning of the end
By Robert Kinnaird MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
The first half of the final season of “BoJack Horseman” premiered on Friday, Oct. 25. It picked up where it left off, with our washed-up sitcom star protagonist checking himself into rehab and his relationships falling apart. “BoJack Horseman” has always been a show that pulls no punches when it comes to emotions, but this season is the first time that, instead of watching BoJack spiral deeper into endless cycles of booze and bad decisions, we see him do the right things. The beautiful thing about these episodes is that every character gets what they deserve. BoJack gets help and a second chance through rehab. Diane, his long-suffering friend, gets what seems to be her first shot at a truly healthy relationship. Loveable goofball Todd, BoJack’s asexual former roommate, gets a shot at making up with his family. Princess Carolyn, BoJack’s former
agent and lover, finally gets to moment. There isn’t a single “have it all” with a career and a character in this series who kid. Mr. Peanut Butter, star of a makes it through without hurting blatant rip-off of BoJack’s show someone or without being hurt, “Horsin’ Around,” finally gets and all the pain these characters his crossover episode. But the have inflicted on each other horrible seems thing ready about this to exseason is plode. that these The characshow ters get once what again they have succoming ceeds to them on all too. levels As BoCourtesy of Inverse of Jack tries According to creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the producto walk tion. decision to end ‘BoJack Horseman’ was Netflix’s, not his. a better The path, the voice sins of his past begin to boil actors and cameos are perfect, over around him. All the horrible the animation is gorgeous and things he’s done in the past five the tongue twisting dialogue the seasons begin to come to a head. show manages to weave into The people he’s hurt begin to brilliant moments of comedy talk, and the show leaves you is better than ever before. The waiting patiently for the other writers have managed to give a shoe to drop at almost every hugely satisfying lead-up to the
end of a series that nails every emotional beat, every punchline and every moment of character development. Also, spoiler alert, BoJack goes gray and it genuinely works for him. Somehow the writers have taken a show that, on the surface level, just seems to be a goofy comedy about a funny horse man with depression and turned it into one of the most fantastic and emotionally heavy shows of all time. The team has truly done an amazing job on this part and on the entire series. The writers left us on a cliffhanger that instills a fantastic sense of dread for what will happen next and we don’t have to wait too long. The season will be completed at the end of January and will hopefully be just as satisfying as this first half.
Quick Hits
Courtesy of NME
Rock band My Chemical Romance announced their reunion show called “Return in Los Angeles,” which is set for next month.
Courtesy of Yahoo
HBO has announced that a “Game of Thrones” spin-off is in the works, titled “House of the Dragon.”
Cover: BoJack Horseman
Jenny Slate is fearlessly hilarious in ‘Stage Fright’
The show begins with Slate in an intimate theatre doing stand-up comedy. Joking about everything from her outfit to politics, Slate gets the audience instantly laughing. The show then shifts to documentaryesque filming. She Courtesy of ET Canada is shown talking Slate appeared multiple times on the NBC comedy about her family ‘Parks and Recreation’ in the role of Mona-Lisa and interviewing Saperstein. them in her By Madeline Armstrong childhood home. SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Throughout the course of this special, Slate interviews a family Jenny Slate is a well-known member and then proceeds to actress, recognized for her fun joke about it in her comedy and bouncy television presence. show, giving an inside look Excelling in voiceover work, she at the material she uses in her is known for her roles in movies show. As the special goes on, and shows such as “Big Mouth,” Slate becomes more personal, “Zootopia,” “The Lego Batman touching on her recent divorce Movie” and “The Secret Life of and the emotional distress this Pets.” With a voice for comedy, caused her, as evidenced by her the 37-year-old actress decided hesitation to use it as material to create a comedy special, in her show. However, she does “Stage Fright,” that premiered touch upon it in the comedy Tuesday, Oct. 22, on Netflix. part of the special, joking about
moving back home and bad dates. As Slate begins to discuss her struggles with stage fright, the show’s tone becomes more melancholic. She speaks about how it’s not that she’s afraid people won’t think she’s funny, but that she feels she is expected to give a certain amount of herself and she doesn’t want to disappoint her audience. “I don’t earn the love unless I give something beautiful that goes out. My stage fright comes from a deeper thing, of exchange,” she said in an interview just hours before her show began She also talked about how she’s afraid that she will be so nervous she will “deny herself the moment to have fun.” From the performance Slate gives, no one would ever know her struggles with anxiety and self-deprecation, nor would they suspect the sadness she has gone through with her divorce and returning to her hometown. Slate takes the stage with confidence and excitement, entrancing the audience, clearly in her element while wearing a black silk tuxedo and drinking a
beer. The actress in Slate is also apparent in her sudden shifts in “roles” during her show. Using different voices and faces, she is undeniably hilarious and talented. The format of the film is very refreshing. The way it incorporates both stand-up comedy and personal interviews gives the audience an inside peek at the person behind the act. Slate is more than just a funny personality; she is a human being. She struggles, as we all do, but has been able to channel these emotions into finding joy through comedy and acting. Because of Slate’s rare ability to show her true self and maintain her humor, “Stage Fright” is a must-see for comedy and documentary lovers alike. Viewers will be laughing at one moment and crying the next. There is absolutely no way to watch this film and not fall in love with Jenny Slate.
Courtesy of Popsugar
The CW is producing “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” a crossover of “Supergirl,” “Legends of Tomorrow” and “The Flash,” among others.
Courtesy of Fox News
Former “Full House” star Lori Loughlin reportedly plans to plead not guilty to the new charges of “conspiracy to commit federal program bribery.”
Courtesy of Popcrush
Actress Bella Thorne received backlash this Halloween for “glamorizing” a look of physical abuse.
The Chronicle
A&E
November 5, 2019•B3
‘new skin’ marks new era for ‘VÉRITÉ’
By Kat Salmon
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Kelsey Byrne, professionally known as VÉRITÉ, is best known for songs like her cover of The 1975’s “Somebody Else,” as well as “Underdressed,” “When You’re Gone” and “Nothing.” Her last solo music release was December 2018’s “Bunker Studio Sessions, Brooklyn, NY.” It comprised orchestral performances of songs from her debut studio album, “Somewhere in Between.” Since the release of her debut album, she has also been featured on other artists’ songs like Matt Maeson’s “Tribulation” and Pell’s “Show Me.” In April 2019, VÉRITÉ started vaguely hinting at new music on her Instagram account. During the months of April and May, she often captioned her photos with snippets of her second album’s first single, “gone.” That single was later released on Friday, May 31. In an Instagram post a couple days before the song’s release, she said that “gone is a beginning and an end.” The Chronicle had the oppor-
tunity to interview VÉRITÉ gle’s release, VÉRITÉ announced release, VÉRITÉ revealed that through email. When asked if a few headlining shows and that her second record, called “new the song was a metaphor for her she would be supporting the band skin,” would be released on next era in music, she said, “It’s a X Ambassadors on their fall tour. Friday, Oct. 25. For marketing metaphor for the record purposes, if someone as a whole and the new were to pre-save “new musical chapter. ‘New skin,” they would gain skin’ is a cycle. The end access to VÉRITÉ’s loops back to the beginnew cell phone number. ning and I think that With access to this love and relationships number, fans would work that way as well. be able to communiGone is an end and a cate one-on-one with beginning.” VÉRITÉ and get early Before the release glimpses of her new of the album’s second music. Later, she pubsingle, VÉRITÉ licly released the cell announced that she phone number on her would start touring Instagram account. again. On Thursday, “When I was writing July 11, she announced ‘new skin,’ I honestly an acoustic show where didn’t have this grand she would perform inspiration or plan for some songs from the what I was writing. It Courtesy of Vanyaland new album. Her second was me putting one Since its release, VÉRITÉ’s “gone” has had over single, “youth,” was foot in front of the 1,073,000 streams on Spotify. released on Friday, July other. Now that I’m fin19. When it was released, ished with the record, I she said in an Instagram post, The album’s third single, see it’s about being in the middle “This song breaks my heart a called “ocean,” was released on of a cycle. It’s not such a dissimilittle. I hope it breaks yours too Tuesday, July 16. The song is lar sentiment from ‘Somewhere (in a good way).” The song is about losing yourself in somein Between,’ but ‘new skin’ is about wasting time, specifically one to the point where you are a much more nuanced.” youth, on a person. After this sin- different person. After the song’s After writing and finishing the
album, she acknowledged the fact that she is a different person. “I feel like I’m constantly changing, which is positive and negative,” she said. “Change is uncomfortable as fuck, but I always want to be moving forward.” The most recent two singles from “new skin” were “good for it” and “think of me.” The song “good for it” was released on Friday, Sept. 13, and carries a theme of second-guessing oneself. “Think of me,” released on Friday, Oct. 18, is about being in a relationship in which the other person is cheating and may remind listeners of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know.” The remaining songs on the album include “new skin,” “body in my bed,” “faded,” “medicine” and “amnesia,” as well as an instrumental interlude. These other songs show how VÉRITÉ has grown in her music and in life. Her second album, “new skin,” can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon. It can also be bought on vinyl.
to move on from the shocking loss. Three years after his death, Serafina keeps herself hidden in her home, completely hung up on her late husband and the enchanting rose tattoo he had on his chest. This all changes when she meets truck driver Alvaro Mangiacavallo, who reignites her passion and lust for life. In Act I, the stage is set for the whirlwind romance between Serafina and Alvaro. It begins with Serafina telling her friend that she is pregnant with her second child. What should have been a wonderful day for Serafina and her daughter, Rosa, turned into a tragic one when the news came that Serafina’s husband died. Fast-forward to three years later and Serafina has become a hermit, obsessed with praying and talking to her husband’s urn while Rosa, at the age of 15, is graduating high school and ready to become a wife and mother. After wallowing throughout
otherwise may have fallen flat with an audience unfamiliar with Broadway productions from over a decade or two ago. Originally produced in 1951, “The Rose Tattoo” is a far cry from the shows currently on Broadway, most of which are based on already-popular movies. While Williams’ genius can’t be questioned, “The Rose Tattoo” is far from his best work. The entire first act is an extremely slow buildup for what happens in the second act. When comparing the buildup time to the main storyline of the show – Serafina’s relationship with Alvaro – it is disappointing to see the time wasted that could’ve been used to develop their relationship further. Despite its faults, the show is an enjoyable and unique production that is unlike anything else on Broadway. “The Rose Tattoo” will be closing on Sunday, Dec. 8, so grab your tickets now before it’s too late.
‘The Rose Tattoo’ returns with Tomei as star
Courtesy of Deadline Marisa Tomei starred in ‘The Rose Tattoo’ once before, at the 2016 Williamstown Theatre Festival.
By Eleni Kothesakis ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Tennessee Williams, the famous playwright known for works “The Glass Menagerie” and “A Streetcar Named Desire,” has returned to Broadway with
the revival of “The Rose Tattoo.” The play is currently running in the American Airlines Theatre for a limited-time engagement. “The Rose Tattoo” follows Serafina Delle Rose, a proud Sicilian woman living in Louisiana, as she grieves for her late husband and attempts
Act I, Act II begins with Serafina and Alvaro meeting for the first time. Compared to the first act, the second half of the production showed a comedic side of Williams that is rarely seen in his other work. Alvaro, played by Emun Elliott, brought air to the otherwise stale show. Their relationship dynamic is similar to that of a modern-day couple and it is not hard to root for the two as a couple from the moment they first meet. Serafina is brilliantly played by Marisa Tomei, who successfully brings Williams’ words to life in this modern age. While mostly known for less serious roles (“My Cousin Vinny,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming”), Tomei’s range as an actor truly shines in “The Rose Tattoo.” She is convincing as a grieving, borderline-hysterical widow, while also being charming and free-spirited when falling in love with Alvaro. She brings a new life into the play, which
B4•November 5 2019
The Chronicle
A&E
‘Jesus is King’: The rise of Yeezus
Courtesy of Yahoo News ‘Jesus is King’ is Kanye’s ninth album to debut at No. 1.
By Daniel Gordon SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
From building his way up to the top of the rap game to creating a multi-million-dollar clothing company, Kanye West has done it all. But now, he has transitioned from one creative outlet to another by taking a more religious approach
and pursuing preaching. West started his rapping career in the mid-1990s, skyrocketing through the rap game. He has been nominated for several awards such as Favorite Rap/ Hip-Hop Album, Producer of the Year, Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and many more, slowly building a name for himself: Yeezus. The
name stuck with him after his 2013 album release of the same title. Starting in January of 2019, West began preaching. His first church service was publicized on Twitter by his wife of five years, Kim Kardashian West. The tweet stated, “Our new Sunday Service is starting. Go checkout the rehearsals in my Instagram stories.” The services are weekly church services, led by West himself, that heavily emphasize music. Videos of the services posted by attendees have surfaced, showcasing how exclusive it is to listen to West speak. At a different location each week, the service consists of a guest speaker, a choir, A-list celebrity attendees like singer/ songwriter Sia, musical guests and gospel versions of his hit songs like “Ghost Town.” These weekly services reflect the religious overtones of his new album, “Jesus is King.” Before the album dropped, Kim Kardashian West posted a photo
on Twitter on Wednesday, Sept. 25, of a single page which had the title of West’s long-awaited album and a list of what many presumed to be song titles. The morning of Friday, Sept. 27, all Yeezus followers looked at their phones to check if the anticipated album was ready to be heard on streaming platforms, but they were disappointed. It was later announced that the album will have a new release date of Friday, Oct. 25, just under a month after the original release date. West did in fact release his newest, and perhaps most unique, album on that date, fulfilling all of our hopes and dreams. With songs different from the original teased release, the 11-song, 27-minute album incorporates the art of gospel and rap. Easily one of the most unique songs in his highly anticipated album is “Closed on Sunday.” This song talks about how Sunday is a day for family, to “put the gram away” and “get your fam-
ily.” He brings up the famous chicken franchise Chick-fil-A, saying how because Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, his family is his personal Chick-fil-A. Strange metaphor to use, but hey, it works! The other tracks on the album are called, “Every Hour,” “Selah,” “Follow God,” “On God,” “Everything We Need,” “Water,” “God Is,” “Hands On,” “Use This Gospel” and “Jesus Is Lord.” The highly anticipated album is everything that Yeezus followers have wished for. With a mixture of the old Kanye and the new Kanye, the collision of gospel and rap has hit the music world through this new album. With some curiosity as to what to expect, West has once again changed our perception of music. Incorporating his religious beliefs into his lyrics, West’s newest album has been one of the best yet. So, Kanye, when’s the next album coming?
AOA makes statement on gender inequality in performance
By Justin Chupungco SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Five-member girl group Ace of Angels (AOA), recently went viral for their cover performance of MAMAMOO’s “Egotistic” while competing on Mnet’s girl group survival show “Queendom.” The performance, while great for the group’s attention to choreography, elegant vocals and high production quality, really shined because of its societal commentary and statement against gender bias and inequality. So, just how did AOA do this? It was just a performance, was it not? From the very beginning of the performance, member Jimin sent the audience into awe with the lyrics to her introduction rap, which she penned herself. The lyrics translate to “Z-I-M-I-N says we the queen / CD, DVD, TV, the stage is my home / When the fine hair falls / The cherry blossoms also fall / I don’t want to be the falling flower / I’m the tree.” Jimin’s lyrics are a commentary on several girl group stereotypes. Girl groups are constantly raved about for their looks, causing female idols to go to extremes
to take care of their appearperformance of “Décalcomanie.” and wowed the people with their ance, adopt strict diets and more. However, AOA’s performance powerful dance moves. Similarly, girl groups are known took this to new heights using the Many people may have missed to fall victim to the seven-year platform of “Queendom,” being this in the performance, but AOA curse, in which a group disbands aired on one of South Korea’s broke the metaphorical “glass seven years after their debut. AOA largest music channels worldceiling” through the choreography refutes both of these stereotypes wide, to showcase the LGBTQ+ of their performance. Known as a by stating they don’t want to be community. The backup dancers highly misogynistic society, South looked at like pretty Korea has endured a conflowers; instead they stant struggle for gender want to be looked at equality, and things such as a powerful, sturdy as the #MeToo moveforce – a tree. AOA ment have only recently uses the symbolism of begun to pick up traction a tree, something that in the country. In their lasts for a long time and “Egotistic” performance, is grounded, to reflect AOA took handkerthat they want to last chiefs from their backup forever and continue to dancers, a symbol of be a force in the K-pop purity and cleanliness, industry, which they a common portrayal of have already done by Korean women, before Courtesy of Allkpop.com breaking the seven-year they threw the handkerAOA has won nine awards since its formation, including curse. chiefs forward and raised an Asia Artist Award and a Seoul Music Award. AOA’s hidden weapon their fists up in the air for the performance to the sound of shatterwas using drag queens as backup had an entire section of the dance ing glass while shouting “bicho dancers in the latter half of their break to themselves, where they malo,” which translates to “bad performance. It was a revolutionwere front and center. At the end boy.” ary move that shook the entire of the performance, the members The result? AOA went viral studio as well as audiences around of AOA surrounded each of the for their performance of the hit the world. Many compared this to drag queens and pointed at them song, not only in South Korea, but MAMAMOO’s use of drag queens while hyping up the crowd as the worldwide. The group topped realin their 2016 Melon Music Awards drag queens strutted their stuff time search charts in South Korea
after the performance aired on the third episode of “Queendom.” The performance has over 15 million views (across both video versions of the performance combined as of Monday, Oct. 21). Despite the success, AOA only placed third (out of six) for the second round of “Queendom.” However, they were victorious with how much buzz the performance generated and how much their popularity boomed afterwards. It’s very inspiring to see AOA use their platform as K-pop idols to comment on unfair gender standards and generate dialogue on an issue that goes wider than the K-pop industry. Though AOA may not have won “Queendom,” they truly won with the new fans they attracted and the interest they gained during their time on the show. It will be interesting to see how AOA continues to use their platform as a top K-pop girl group when they return with a new album in November.
A12 •November 5, 2019
op-ed
The Chronicle
The The views and opinions expressed in the Editorial section are those of the authors of the articles. They are not an endorsement of the views of The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors. The Chronicle reserves the right to not publish any piece that does not meet our editorial standards.
What’s the T: Illegally Blonde – the perils of acting while trans
By Serena Payne
I have been acting for most of my life, taking part in plays and musicals throughout middle and high school and even attending an arts high school with the specific focus of studying theater all day. However, after I came out and started to transition, I began to notice a difference in the way I was treated by fellow actors and directors, choreographers and casting directors. Mainly, I observed a sense of them not knowing what exactly to do with me, and on occasion there was actually just blatant transphobia directed at me. However, one thing was almost always true; they were never going to cast me as a woman. My high school theater department may have been
open to the idea of casting me as a trans woman, but coincidentally, there are practically no trans female characters and thus no parts. Even when we did a couple of scenes from the musical “RENT,” a cisgender, heterosexual man was cast as Angel. Even when there are parts that I, as a trans woman, would be “right” for, I wasn’t given a chance to audition. And that brings me to Hofstra University’s Drama Department. See, anyone who knows me will know that I actually began my stint here at Hofstra as a drama major, but I ended up switching majors. While there were a lot of things that added up to me making that decision, the final push I needed came
when I was having a discussion with some of the upperclassmen when I was still a freshman. Auditions were coming up, I was excited and I wanted some tips so that I would have a shot at the parts I wanted. The upperclassmen looked at me and said very plainly that I would never be cast in the roles that I was hoping for because, and I quote, “The drama department casts roles based on how we see you and, well, you are a man.” Just like that, my dreams shattered. While of course part of me expected that to be the case, I had never assumed that it would be so blatant. In my mind, those were the kind of things said in secret once I had left the room, not to my face. The upperclassmen
continued to explain that acting is tough enough when there are not always enough roles for women, and that the characters I was hoping to get weren’t even trans, so it wouldn’t make sense to cast me. At this point, I was starting to lose faith – not just in acting at Hofstra, but in acting in general. I also began to get mad. Whenever there is a scandal surrounding the latest cis actor to be cast in a trans role, the same defenses are always brought up: “Acting is about pretending to be something you’re not!” or “If they were the best ones for the role then they should get the part!” But something I quickly realized was that trans people – especially trans women – were not given those same freedoms.
I wasn’t allowed or supposed to audition for cis female roles because I wasn’t a cis woman and it was “unfair.” My skill, or the idea that acting is for playing pretend, suddenly no longer mattered. All they cared about was the circumstances of my birth. So. when the message being received is that trans people can’t be cast in cis roles, but that cis actors should be allowed to be cast in trans roles, then all you are saying is that trans people shouldn’t be cast at all. And in the words of the great Elle Woods: “I object!” “What’s the T” is an op-ed column by Serena Payne, a senior psychology major and trans woman.
It’s been a wild week. Here’s our visual approximation of it. L-R: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, an evil toilet from Captain Underpants representing the toilets on campus and Elle Woods, all enjoying a ride on the NYC subway. Confused? Read our articles to see how it’s all connected. Graphic by James Factora.
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November 5, 2019 A13
The MTA needs to get on the labor rights train By Letisha Dass On Wednesday, Oct. 30, thousands of members of the Transportation Workers Union (TWU) Local 100, the largest transportation workers union, rallied in lower Manhattan over the lack of compliancy in negotiations from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) concerning their contract renewal. According to The Wall Street Journal, 40,000 transit workers have been working without a contract for the MTA since Wednesday, May 15, of this year, mainly because there has been no agreement over the preposterous offers that have been laid on the table by the MTA. One of the offers was to change the circumstances surrounding overtime. According to the New York
Daily News, instead of implementing overtime pay for working over eight hours a day, the MTA has offered to pay its workers overtime only if they have worked more than 40 hours in a given week. The offer also included a cut on health care benefits for workers and a policy allowing MTA supervisors to change the contract if they believe a worker has taken too many days off. Workers are furious. These offers are an insult to their work lifestyle. It basically says that the MTA does not care for its workers – that they are replaceable, especially with the threat of layoffs hovering over workers’ heads due to the supposed lack of funds in the MTA. Many rely on their current overtime situation to pay their bills. Men, such as my father, would work
multiple 16-hour shifts in a week in order to build up enough funds to pay for car loans, school bills and utilities. New York is an expensive place to live, especially with two daughters. Without the current benefits that make working at the MTA worthwhile, why should the workers continue? They could strike again as they did back in 2005, which happened due to a previous failure in contract negotiations with the MTA. According to CBS News, another transit workers strike would cause mass chaos for New Yorkers. Commuters would have to find alternate ways to get to their destination. Trains and buses would be halted for what could possibly be days. There would be heavier congestion on bridges and streets throughout the metro area, for the only
way to get to one’s destination would be by paying for a taxi or an Uber. Since the city traffic tends to flow onto Long Island parkways, any expedited routes, such as those with the Long Island Railroad, would be of no use. You would still be walking to work. So, when transit workers say, “We move New York,” it is not just a clever choice of words; it’s reality. We rely on transit workers to keep us going in our fast-paced, ratrace lives. There is no denying it, no matter how much you wish to curse the bus driver when he misses your stop or shake with outrage because of a 20-minute delay on the train. You may not always see the person that is behind the wheel, but they are a person like you and me. They have a family. They have goals and dreams. They have good and
injection site, the city reported eight fewer overdose deaths per 100,000 person-years, 67% less ambulance calls and lower HIV infection rates. As usual, the United States is lagging behind. Recently, Safehouse, a group which has its location in the neighborhood of Kensington, has taken the first strides in implementing supervised injection sites. Supervised injection sites are places where people can bring previously acquired illegal drugs to use them in medically safe conditions and, most importantly, medical professionals can monitor individuals for overdose – sadly there’s a great need for that type of medical care. According to the Philadelphia Department of Health, more than 4,700 people died from drug overdoses in 2014, with 80% of those drug overdoses being opioid related. This is more than double the city’s homicide rate. Officials have claimed that this influx has to
do with the contamination of fentanyl in traditional drugs like crack cocaine and heroin, leading to a higher potency and more potential overdoses, as indicated in an article by the Philadelphia Inquirer. This is where supervised injection sites come in. Medical professionals can observe users and ensure that in the event of an overdose, patients can receive care as soon as possible. Supervised injection sites also provide safe needles and consumption tools, which would greatly control the high HIV rates among patients in the Philadelphia area. According to Prevention Point, 24% of men and 17% of women reported that they contracted HIV through contaminated needles. If this trend continues, there could be a recurrence of the HIV epidemic of the 1980s. Patients in supervised injection sites are also given resources of both mental and medical assistance, which help with the congruent skyrocketing
rates of depression and poor mental health among drug users. According to Safehouse, patients are registered and assessed on their mental and physical health before being provided with drug-related services. Within the past few weeks, supervised injection sites, like those proposed by Safehouse, have been challenged in the courts for violating the Controlled Substances Act under statute 21, otherwise known as the “crack house statute,” which prohibits the facilitation of drug use. The District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania, however, ruled that Safehouse’s intent is not to increase or facilitate drug use, but to combat drug use overall, regardless of their methods. Judge Gerald McHugh stated in his ruling, “I find that the purpose at issue under § 856 must be a significant purpose to facilitate drug use, and that allowance of some drug use as one component of an effort
bad days. The only difference between us and them is that on those days, they have to deal with thousands of people and their outrage toward the MTA. That is why when the MTA drags its feet when making the same negotiations that it has always made with its workers, one must wonder ... Why? The MTA knows what would happen if the workers decide to strike. The MTA knows how much it means to our lives. Because of this knowledge, the MTA should listen to its workers and actually act upon the supposed fairness that it claims to possess, instead of repeating mistakes. Letisha Dass is a Hofstra student and the daughter of an MTA worker who is a member of TWU Local 100.
Safe injection sites are a step in the right direction
By Daniel Cody
Many people from my home state of Pennsylvania crack jokes about Philly’s gritty streets or coarse accents, and granted, they are somewhat funny, but Philly continues to be one of my favorite cities. From the Liberty Bell to Philly cheesesteaks, there’s an unparalleled personality of Philadelphia. There is also, however, the overhang of hypodermic needles and homelessness that haunts every street corner. Philadelphia has been ravaged by the opioid crisis and the heroin epidemic. Through supervised injection sites, Pennsylvanians can take a step in the right direction toward cleaning our streets from addiction. Supervised injection sites have been implemented in Canada and Europe since the ‘90s, and studies have shown that they reduce overall drug consumption. According to the College of Canadian Family Physicians, when Vancouver implemented a supervised
to combat drug use will not suffice to establish a violation of § 856(a)(2). The ultimate goal of Safehouse’s proposed operation is to reduce drug use, not facilitate it, and accordingly, § 856(a) does not prohibit Safehouse’s proposed conduct.” This provides the legal framework for cities around the country, like Denver and San Francisco, that have been trying to achieve legal authority to build supervised injection sites. Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, and the biggest city in my home: the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I hope that we can continue to be pioneers in the fight against addiction, and once again hold the nation together as the Keystone State. Daniel Cody is a freshman journalism major who writes on topical politics and the discourse that follows. Find him on Twitter @danielhcody.
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A14 •November 5, 2019
op-ed
The Chronicle
Trick or Tweet? No more political ads on Twitter By Yashu Pericherla The spookiest day of the year was preceded by an even more haunting tweet from the CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, who announced on Wednesday, Oct. 30 that Twitter will no longer distribute political advertising. The decision for a social media platform to ban paid political ads in this age of technological importance is groundbreaking. Of all the mainstream social media sites, Twitter has arguably one of the more politically active demographics. The user base is younger and more politically charged. By throwing politicians and policymakers into the mix, Twitter can be and has been easily made a political battleground. However, this new verdict doesn’t seem to be influenced by any of that. We can’t talk about Twitter banning political advertising without bringing up Facebook’s recent infamy. Recently, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, was called to testify before the House Financial Services Committee with regard to what I like
to call Facebook’s Political Ad Debacle. The crux of the situation is that Facebook is allowing essentially any political ad to be run with little to no fact-checking. Zuckerberg spent almost 10 hours in court explaining that this allows voters and viewers to see what politicians wish to express to the public – even if it isn’t factually correct. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren decided to put Facebook to the test by buying an ad in which she announced that Zuckerberg and Facebook are backing President Trump’s reelection. In the ad itself, she goes on to say that this is not true, proving that Facebook has done and will do no screening before running ads from politicians on the platform. This revelation, combined with previous scandals – most significantly the Cambridge Analytica data breach and the Russian involvement during the 2016 U.S. election – has put both Zuckerberg and the company in some really hot water. It seems that Twitter came to
its decision to ban political ads as a response to this catastrophe. It makes sense, given how much sway social media advertising has had in the past elections and current political events. Taking the preemptive step to limit the liability of what will no doubt be a harrowing race to the 2020 presidency is probably this site’s best bet, seeing as many of the candidates – and especially the president himself – seem to turn to Twitter to verbally duke it out. Dorsey said it best in his announcement via personal tweet: “A political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet. Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.” Twitter taking this decision is bold and bravely timed just before the beginning of the final leg of the presidential race. While much can be lost with this new ban, Dorsey seems to have only the best hopes for Twitter’s future – and seeing
what Zuckerberg is facing now, the future seems bright. Most opposition to this decision seems to be from the political right. Brad Parscale, Trump’s campaign manager for the upcoming election, notably voiced his disagreement, stating that the decision was “a partisan act intended to silence conservatives.” On the other hand, Democrats are in favor of the ban, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tweeting, “I believe that if a company cannot or does not wish to run basic fact-checking on paid political advertising, then they should not run paid political ads at all.” While Twitter’s new ban seems to be drawing the best and worst of critics and advocates to voice their opinions, one thing can be said is true: that voice is their own.
return with a vengeance. You return to your dorm – the walk of shame. You shower but still feel, somehow, violated. Now, this would never happen to me. I’m a vegan, which means that I am morally obligated to proclaim my dietary choices every other sentence, but also, that I do not eat chicken nuggets, and therefore this predicament would never befall me. But as a student on Hofstra’s campus, I too have been subjected to the righteous injustice that is our university’s automatic toilets. While many have been installed during recent construction, I firmly assert they should remain a relic of the recent past. Much like the robot overlords which some speculate will one day dominate mankind, these toilets are a technological menace: unsanitary, unsustainable and inconsiderate to the diverse needs of the Hofstra community. First and foremost, automatic toilets are ticking time bombs
of bacteria and fecal matter. According to the Journal of Applied Microbiology, microorganisms reach a vertical height of 2.7 feet after a toilet is flushed, although some scientists predict that number to be as high as six feet. Either way, the two to six foot splash zone is decidedly within the proximity to a toilet with which the standard person relieves themselves. This means when a toilet automatically flushes, you will almost certainly be in the splash zone. Moreover, these toilets are environmentally wasteful. One report in Tampa, Florida found automatic toilets may use up to 50% more water than a manual-flush toilet. This leads to hundreds of gallons of water waste per year, per toilet. Finally, automatic toilets are incompatible with students with a physical disability, who may struggle to sit and stand and therefore exacerbate the excess flushing problem. Observant
Jewish students might be unable to use electricity during holy days due to their faith. Therefore, they and/or their visiting family or friends may struggle to meet basic hygiene needs within areas of Hofstra’s campus with automatic toilets, such as the Student Center or most residential buildings. Automatic toilets are an inefficient, needless expense which inconvenience students and dirty our environment. I believe Hofstra officials should reconsider the use of automatic toilets in future renovations. If we listen to the facts over faux promises of water conservation and cleanliness, then we can all make the best of a crappy situation together.
Yashu Pericherla is a freshman English major from Texas.
Quick Hits McFIRED: McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook was fired on Sunday, Nov. 3, for “exercising poor judgement” and having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.
TRUMP SUED BY NY WRITER: A famous magazine columnist is suing Trump for defamation after she accused him of rape and he called her a liar.
Hofstra’s toilets are a menace to society
By Sarah Emily Baum
Imagine it’s late at night. You’ve just come back from a night out with friends, laughing and regaling at the campus hotspot, HofUSA. You ordered the chicken nuggets, a classic dish. Your friends warned you, but hungry and naive, you persisted. Oh, how wrong you were. It started with a rumble. Then, it grew into a grumble. Then, a mighty roar erupted in the pit of your stomach. That’s when you knew you needed to use the restroom, and fast. You make it just in time, but as you are sitting there, lamenting the choices that have led you to this moment emptying your bowels in a HofUSA bathroom stall on a Wednesday night, you hear ... another rumble. Not from your stomach. This time, it comes from the pipes. The automatic toilet begins to flush while you are using it, and you feel microscopic particles of your chicken nugget disaster
Sarah Emily Baum is a sophomore double majoring in journalism and public policy. Find her on Twitter @SarahEmilyBaum.
GOOD FOR THE GOOSE, GOOD FOR THE GANDER: New York has banned the production and sale of foie gras, a dish made from the fatty liver of duck or goose, citing concerns about animal cruelty.
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: Beto O’Rourke left the 2020 presidential race this week, claiming in a social media post that the campaign “does not have the means to move forward successfully.”
SPORTS
The Chronicle
November 5, 2019 A15
2019 CAA Championship Game: Hofstra vs JMU
Anthony Roberts / The Hofstra Chronicle
Field hockey ends season with overtime win at Northeastern By DJ Lopes STAFF W R I T E R
Final (OT ) Hofstra
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NU
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DEDHAM, MASS. – On a chilly afternoon, the Hofstra field hockey team finished their season strong with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Northeastern University Huskies on Sunday, Nov. 3. The Pride received goals from three separate players, including two from Cami Larsson. Despite the offensive production, the Huskies got off to a hot start, putting some pressure on Hofstra early. They outshot the Pride 10-3 in the first half and earned the half’s only penalty corner, which was unsuccessful. The Huskies got on the board first when freshman Alli Meehan scored her 11th goal of
the season. The Pride didn’t let that deficit last for too long, as Mercedes Currie scored the equalizer two minutes later off an assist from Larsson. The goal was the second of Currie’s career and Larsson’s third assist of the season. Hofstra took the tie into the half and the score stayed the same until late in the third quarter. Merjlin van der Vegt stood strong in net, but after three consecutive shots, the Huskies went up 2-1. The fourth quarter saw two ties and a lead change, starting with Madison Warfel scoring a goal with 10:44 remaining. She found the back of the net unassisted, tying the game with her eighth goal of the season. The goal cemented her breakout senior season, in which she put up six more goals and seven more assists than she did the year prior. The Pride took the momentum from Warfel’s goal in stride, taking the lead five minutes later
on a penalty corner goal from Larsson. The play, a give-andgo between Larsson and Djuna Slort, was similar to the play that produced two goals a week earlier against the University of Delaware. The sophomore duo has continued to improve this year, combining for eight goals and five assists in their last five games. The Pride couldn’t hold onto their lead for long, as Rowe put in another goal with five minutes left to tie it at three. With that, the game went into overtime. The Pride quickly got to work in the extra frame. They earned two consecutive penalty corners just two minutes into the period. They missed out on the first one, as Slort got her shot blocked. But they came right back, with Frankie O’Brien and Warfel assisting on Larsson’s second goal of the game, earning the Pride a win. The Pride took control of penalty corners in the contest.
For only the fifth time this season, Hofstra took more penalty corners than their opponent, tallying four as opposed to Northeastern’s three. This is an immense improvement from their last meeting with the Huskies, as they allowed 18 corners the previous year. All in all, the Pride’s penalty corner defense improved significantly as they finished the season allowing 16 fewer penalty corners compared to last
season. A seven-save game from van der Vegt brought her season total to 99, finishing her impressive freshman second in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in saves. Hofstra finished the first year of head coach Courtney Veinotte’s tenure at 8-10, three wins more than the year prior. They ended the year on a two-game win streak, equaling last year’s CAA record of 2-4.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
Cami Larsson scored two goals, including the overtime winner.
A16•november 5, 2019
The Chronicle
SPORTS
Men’s soccer relying on depth during CAA Tournament By Adam Flash ASSISTA N T M U LT I M E D I A E DI TOR
Coming off an appearance in the conference final last season, the Hofstra Pride men’s soccer team will enter the 2019 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament as the No. 3 seed, beginning their playoff run on Friday, Nov. 8, against the No. 6 seed, the University of Delaware, at Sentara Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The tournament will conclude with the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the home field of the highest-remaining seed. After losing seven seniors and standout starters in Sean Nealis and Luke Brown, among others, the Pride tallied an overall record of 8-6-2 and 5-2-1 in the CAA this regular season with one non-conference match left to play against Columbia University on Tuesday, Nov. 5. “[The regular season] went well. It could have been a little bit better ... but [we’re] definitely running into the tournament with a good step going forward and good momentum with the past three or four games,” said junior forward Matthew Vowinkel, the team’s leading goal scorer on the season. On Friday, the Pride will face Delaware in the first round of the CAA tournament. Barely edging their way into the playoffs, Delaware posted a CAA record of 2-4-2, led by sophomore defender Timo Hummrich with six goals, four of which came from penalty kicks. UNC-Wilmington (UNCW) and James Madison University (JMU) earned the No. 1 and 2 seeds respectively, with each receiving a first-round bye in the tournament. UNCW enters the playoffs on an eight-match winning streak, going unbeaten in CAA play and claiming the regular season conference championship. No. 2 JMU posted a 5-2-1 record in the CAA and currently sits at No. 21 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches poll. Manuel Ferriol leads the JMU Dukes as one of the top offensive players in the country, scoring 15 goals and earning 34
points in 18 matches. “You can’t look past JMU, who beat the No. 1 team in the country,” said Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall, who is looking for his fifth CAA title
Classmates Storm Strongin and Petter Soelberg are also players to watch for, with Strongin earning 11 points and Soelberg 10 this season, along with graduate goalkeeper Alex
does step up,” Nuttall said. “I think it’s more of working as a team and then one or two or three individuals have a good day and help the collective [unit] out.”
“Our biggest strength is our collective one. When we’re energetic we can wear teams down with our energy and our persistence.” in 31 years at the helm. JMU defeated No. 1-ranked Wake Forest University, 1-0, on Sept. 17. The No. 4 seed belongs to the College of William & Mary, followed by Northeastern University at No. 5. The William & Mary Tribe are no strangers to the finals, reaching the conference championship match in three of the last four years. The Tribe’s freshman goalkeeper Kieran Baskett also leads the CAA with 61 saves. Coming in at No. 5, Northeastern University will enter the playoffs for the fourth time in seven years, posting a CAA record of 3-3-2 this season. While seeds determine opponents, they become less important once the matches begin. “Anybody can beat anybody,” Nuttall said. “If you look historically [there are] some lower seeds who won the tournament, which shows the quality [of the conference].” “We’ve won it as a sixth seed once and a seventh seed once. JMU a couple of years ago won it as a fifth or sixth seed. So anyone can win it; it shows the quality of the CAA from top to bottom,” he added. The Pride will enter the tournament led by Vowinkel with 12 goals, including two hat tricks from Hofstra’s 5-0 victory over Delaware on Sunday, Oct. 26, and 3-0 win over Northeastern on Saturday, Nov. 2. The hat tricks mark the first ones for the program since 2005.
Ashton, who recorded five shutouts in the regular season. However, Nuttall hopes the entire team can step up in the playoffs. “You hope you’ve got great players and in one particular game you don’t care who steps up. You just hope that somebody
Last year, the Pride fell to JMU in the championship match in penalty kicks after tying 1-1 at the end of overtime. This year, they’re using the negative memory as a reason to train harder. “Now we know what we’re up against and what we have to do
in order to get there. Especially the older guys who are here,” Vowinkel said. “The experience [of making it to the final last year] is definitely a step in the right direction.” The team aspect of soccer is essential; heading into playoffs Nuttall understands that’s what could make or break the Pride’s championship run. “Our biggest strength is our collective one. When we’re energetic we can wear teams down with our energy and our persistence,” Nuttall said. “And I think, if you look, that’s probably our weakness. If we aren’t energized and we aren’t persistent, then we struggle in games.” The Pride will hope to stay energetic on Friday, Nov. 8, as they take on Delaware in the first round of the 2019 CAA Tournament. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Anthony Roberts / The Hofstra Chronicle
SPORTS
The Chronicle
November 5, 2019 A17
Women’s soccer advances to CAA final with win over Elon By Anthony Genualdo SPEC IA L TO T H E C H R O N I CL E
Fina l Hofstra
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Elon
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HEMPSTEAD, NY – The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) women’s soccer tournament continued Sunday, Nov. 3, at Hofstra Soccer Stadium as the No. 1 Hofstra Pride defeated the fifth-ranked Elon University Phoenix in the tournament semifinals, 3-1. The Pride advanced to the CAA championship game for the third straight year and will face the sixth-ranked James Madison University (JMU) Dukes on Saturday, Nov. 9, in a rematch of last year’s conference championship. The Phoenix came into Sunday’s game fresh off a 2-1 victory over the No. 4 Northeastern University Huskies on Friday, Nov. 1, in the CAA quarterfinals. The last meeting between Elon and Hofstra was earlier this season on Sunday, Sept. 29, which resulted in a 5-0 win for
the Pride. Hofstra put pressure on Elon right out of the gate. Three minutes in, Miri Taylor found Sabrina Bryan on her left side and Bryan fired from a distance with her left foot. The ball bounced and just squeezed by Elon goalkeeper Katrin Hauksdottir to give the Pride an early 1-0 lead. This would be the first of many chances for Bryan in this game, as she would finish with seven shots. “I’m extremely fortunate to have that front six,” said Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough. “They are special. With Gerry Lucey’s coaching in the offensive third, he’s getting the best out of them.” Elon’s offensive chances in the first half were limited, but their defense denied Hofstra any additional goals and kept the game within one. In the 38th minute, a corner kick by Hofstra was sent into the box where a header attempt from Lucy Shepherd was deflected out to Anja Suttner, who rifled it in and extended the Pride’s lead to 2-0. The first real offensive chance for Elon came in the 43rd
minute. A foul by Megan Fisher led to her being dealt a yellow card, the only one of the game. A free kick from Elon’s Hannah Doherty found no one in the box and rolled out of play. Hofstra continued to pressure Elon in the second half. The early minutes saw multiple shots from the offense, most of them being blocked. A penalty was given in the 53rd minute after a hard foul from Elon’s Kayla Hodges. The penalty shot from Lucy Porter was saved by Hauksdottir, keeping the Phoenix alive. The first shot on goal from Elon did not come until the 75th minute. A minute later, the Pride came charging down the right wing. Amanda Ebbesson set up a cross to Bryan which she would tap in to score her second goal of the game and ninth of the season, making it 3-0 Hofstra with 15 minutes of play left. In the 79th minute, Elon saw some light as Carson Jones scored her 10th goal of the season and made it 3-1. In the 87th minute, Hodges sent the ball into a crowded penalty box
in a desperation shot attempt. The ball would go untouched and hit the post before being scooped up by Pride goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich. Elon finished the game with only four shots and two shots on goal. Hofstra finished with 26 shots and five shots on goal. The Pride now has their sights set on JMU and their third-straight CAA championship.
“It’s always a battle with James Madison. [Head coach] Josh [Walters] is doing a fantastic job. They’ve got some really special players who I’m sure will come to Hofstra and be happy to play in the finals,” Riddiough said. “It’s going to be a classic CAA showdown between traditionally the two best programs over the last three or four years.”
Adam Flash / The Hofstra Chronicle Hofstra is now 7-0-0 all-time against Elon, outscoring the Pheonix 21-7.
HOFSTRA ATHLETIC CALENDAR HOME
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VOL L E YBALL ME N’S B ASKE TBALL W OM E N’S B ASKE TBALL
U N CW – 1 P. M . SAN JOSE STATE – 7 P.M. HARTFORD – 7 P.M.
MONMOUTH – 4 P. M . SA CRE D H E A RT – 1 P. M .
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The Chronicle
SPORTS
Men’s basketball looks to build off of historic 2018-19 season CONTINUED FROM A1
other Hofstra veterans are ready to step up and take over the reins of the team. Senior Eli Pemberton, who many viewed as playing a supporting role to Wright-Foreman, was named to the All-CAA First Team for the preseason and has high hopes for the team. “It’s more of a balanced team now ... we got a lot of guys who are going to step up immensely. A lot of guys who averaged single-digits, I don’t think they are going to average single digits this year. It’s going to be more of a team effort and if everyone buys in it’s going to be a great year,” Pemberton said. Pemberton averaged 15 points per game while also amassing 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 blocks in the 35.4 minutes per game he played last season. “I know I have to take on a different role, I was always the shadow to [Wright-Foreman]. I’m going to have a bigger role,” Pemberton said. “I’m a junkyard dog, I do more than just one thing, whatever is going to get my team to win, I’m going to go do that.” Pemberton’s partner in crime, senior Desure Buie, will also look to be a key to the team’s success this season. Last year, Buie was third in points on the team after Wright-Foreman and Pemberton, averaging 10.7 per
Player of the Year and made both the All-CAA Third Team and CAA All-Defensive Team for his play a year ago. Like Pemberton, he was named to the All-CAA team for the preseason, but was placed on the second team. The goals for Buie remain the same for this season: “[To] get defensive player of the year again, for the second time and as a team win,” he said. Buie and the Pride know they will face challenges every night, as winning the CAA’s regular season title last year puts the team on the map and paints a target on their back. “Everybody’s good in our league, [we’ve] got to be the best defensive team every night so we can win games,” Buie said. Before the season began, the Pride was picked to finish first in the CAA preseason poll voted on by all 10 conference head coaches, 10 sports information directors and other respective media members. “There is nothing good about that, it’s fool’s gold,” Mihalich said. “We are proud that people have that opinion about our program and our players, but all the people who picked us haven’t watched us practice this year. They’re doing it based off of last year.” “You either have to prove
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Last year, Eli Pemberton averaged 15 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
thought the program would suffer without Wright-Foreman leading the way, but with
“It’s more of a balanced team now ... we got a lot of guys who are going to step up immensely.”
game while leading the team in assists with 5.2 per game and 2.3 steals per game in the 34 games he played in. He was also named the CAA Defensive
people right or prove them wrong, we’ll just have to prove them right,” he added. Being picked first in the CAA polls is surprising to some, who
Wright-Foreman’s departure, we see many new faces join the program. Hofstra added sophomore Omar Silverio and freshmen Caleb Burgess, Kvonn Cramer
and Jermaine Miranda to the team. Mihalich is confident that they will be major players for the program, but knows that it will be a work in progress. “There are some days they play like freshmen, some days they play like newcomers, but there are other days when they show how talented they are. We have to remind ourselves as coaches it’s still their first year here, but we are excited about them, they are really good players,” Mihalich said. Hofstra will also feature key contributors such as senior Tareq Coburn and junior Jalen Ray. In addition, the team expects a
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lot from junior Isaac Kante, who will start at center for the Pride. Their starting lineup will see Buie at the point, Ray at the guard spot, Pemberton and Coburn playing the forwards with Kante starting down low. “We need to be fast, scrappy and defense. It’s going to be a lot more defense this year and guys who can sit down and really play defense,” Pemberton said. Without the star-powered lineup the Pride showed a season ago, Hofstra will look to an evenly-spread offense with Pemberton and Buie leading the pack for the Pride.
SPORTS
The Chronicle
November 5, 2019 A19
Women’s basketball hopes new coach can lead team to success By Quentin Thorne STAFF W R I T E R
The Hofstra Pride women’s basketball team was ranked last in this year’s Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) preseason poll, but after a disappointing season last year, the team has hired a new coach in Danielle Santos Atkinson and revamped the roster. Santos Atkinson, redshirt sophomore Jaylen Hines and redshirt junior Ana Hernandez Gil are optimistic about the upcoming 2019-2020 season. Santos Atkinson comes in drawing experience from some of the best programs in the nation. She has worked for Florida State University, the University of Kentucky and most recently served as the associate head coach for the University of Pittsburgh. “I have been able to pull [experience] from everywhere I’ve been,” Santos Atkinson said. “Basketball is basketball, whether it’s at the high-major
level or mid-major level. Some of the things we were able to do at the high level [are what] we want to be able to pull from.” The Pride have a hustleoriented mentality heading into this season, and Hines says she’s up for the challenge. The forward is ready for the upcoming season and dialed in on where the team needs to improve. “[We need to] overall just be a stronger team mentally and physically,” Hines said. The Maryland native has already seen her fair share of difficult CAA competition, but she does not want to see it affect the team’s overall focus or consistency in how they prepare. “We prepare the same way for every team, we practice the same way whether the team is ranked or not,” Hines said. “We need to come in with the same mentality to compete, no matter who it is.” Hernandez Gil agreed with Hines’ sentiment and
emphasized that a lot of the simple things need to be worked on. She spoke about what she hopes to see from the team. “Having some effort every single day, competing in practice and getting better,” she said. Hernandez Gil was a perimeter threat for the Pride last season, scoring a team-high 74 three-pointers. But the guard is still not satisfied, looking to improve and make an impact any way she can heading into her redshirt junior season. “I want to lead the team as much as I can on the court and off the court,” Hernandez Gil said. “As well as help the new freshmen and transfers transition into the team too.” One of the most respected defensive players on the team is Finnish senior Marianne Kalin, who led the team with 26 blocks last season. But Santos Atkinson hopes to see her take the next step and grow her game offensively in her final year.
“[Kalin] is going to have an impact for us on both ends of the court. Defensively she does a good job and she’s mobile,” Santos Atkinson said. “She needs to expand her game to be an offensive threat for us as well, whether that’s being able to shoot and have a face up part of her game or down low.” Senior Petja Krupenko is also expected to have a big impact this season. Last year, she averaged 2.2 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists on 9.1 minutes per game. Although her numbers may not catch the eye, Santos Atkinson recognizes her value nonetheless. “She knows how to lead and has the ability to put people in the right places,” Santos Atkinson said. The Pride has welcomed in two true freshmen this season, both of whom look to make an immediate impact on the team. The first is Piper Doo, a native of Ontario and a two-time team MVP of Southwest Academy. The other is Sorelle Ineza, a native of Quebec, who led her former team of Dawson College to a silver medal in the state championship and the Canadian national championship. “Both freshmen have come in [and already] made an impact,” Hines said. “They’re freshmen so they are making freshman mistakes, but they are willing to learn and willing to work hard. That’s really all you can ask from them.” Santos Atkinson spoke highly of Ineza in particular, who has assumed a large role on the team already. “Ineza has really come in and stepped up with [E’Lexus] Davis being out,” Santos Atkinson said. “She has really impressed and has been prepared to play under the responsibility we’ve given her.”
This comes as a result of Davis rehabbing an injury sustained last season. Davis played a large role on the team prior to the injury, starting in 16 games and averaging 22.8 minutes per game. The guard had 4.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists during that stretch. Hernandez Gil identified that she has still found ways to contribute in spite of the injury. “[Davis] is working hard every day in rehab and off the court, when she’s sidelined she’s calling out telling us what to do. She really pushes [herself] every day to be better,” Hernandez Gil said. After starting the season with two games on the road, the Pride will have their first home game of the season against Long Island rival Stony Brook University. This will be Santos Atkinson’s first game as head coach at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, and she cannot wait for the team to get out and play in front of Hofstra fans. “I think it’s great. Why would you want anything else but to be able to come in and play your first game against such a rival team?” Santos Atkinson said. “It’s really exciting and we’ll have a couple road games before that to really get our feet wet and get in a groove.” The team has a lot to improve on with an overall record of 11-22 and a ninth place finish in the CAA last season. But Santos Atkinson has both demanding and optimistic expectations for every single athlete on the team heading into the year. “We are hoping to be our best selves,” Santos Atkinson said. “At the end of the year if we have reached our maximum potential, from day one to the last day, and shown growth, that would be a success for us.”
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Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Hofstra has 470 victories at the NCAA Division I level all-time.
Hofstra basketball begins wednesday for both teams
The HofstrA Chronicle
Sports
November 5, 2019
The Ball is in our Court
Hofstra men’s and women’s basketball begin their seasons Wednesday and prepare to make runs in the CAA.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics