T H E H O FST R A
HEMPSTEAD, NY VOLUME 85 ISSUE 12
CHRONICLE
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2020
KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935.
The 1619 Project creator reframes America’s legacy NEWS
By Annemarie LePard ASSISTA N T N E W S E D I TO R
Nikole Hannah-Jones, the award-winning New York Times Magazine reporter and creator of the landmark 1619 Project, presented “Reframing History Through Slavery’s Legacy” in conjunction with the ongoing series “The Legacy 1619-2019” on Monday, Feb. 3, in the John Cranford Adams Playhouse. The 1619 Project began in August 2019 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first African slaves brought to America. It aims to reframe the country’s history by examining slavery’s modern legacy and the contributions of black Americans to the nation. “[The 1619 Project] argues that we are an exceptional [nation], just not in the ways we’d like to believe,” Hannah-Jones said. While the United States was born in 1776, the moment the country’s “defining contradictions” first came into the world
was in August 1619, according to Jake Silverstein, a writer for the 1619 Project. In 1607, a ship arrived at Point Comfort in the British colony of Virginia. It took only 12 years before the English colonists began to engage in the slave trade, according to Hannah-Jones. “They purchased the first group of 20 to 30 Africans, and that is the start of slavery and what would become America,” she said. “There’s a ... reason why a certain point in history is recognized as the starting point,” said Mario Murillo, vice dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and professor of radio, television and film. “And there’s a deliberate reason why we’re not taught about [1619]: because the idea of breaking the myth of American exceptionalism, breaking the myth of liberty and democracy that this country is founded upon, is something that powerful interests don’t want to
[discuss]. They want to maintain it because it’s in their benefit.” The United States was built on the idea that all men would be treated equally because they were endowed with equal rights and equality, per the Declaration of Independence. “As Thomas Jefferson is writing those words of liberty, he knows that fully one fifth of the population of this new country will enjoy none of those rights and none of those liberties, and in fact will not enjoy those rights and liberties for at least another 100 years,” Hannah-Jones narrated. One of the most sacred documents that belongs to the United States, the Constitution, is a document of liberation. However, “at our founding, we were not a democracy,” Hannah-Jones said. “Most Americans in this country could not vote. They could not select their leadership, they could not exercise the fran-
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Student workers push for minimum wage increase to match Nassau County By Melanie Haid N EWS ED I TO R
The Hofstra Student Workers Coalition (HSWC) is one step closer to their goal of increasing the student minimum wage at Hofstra University to match that of Long Island with a resolution passed by the Student Government Association (SGA) on Thursday, Feb. 6, backing their campaign. The ultimate goal of the organization, made up of student employees and supporters, is to “improve working conditions for student workers at Hofstra,” according to a press release from the HSWC. The coalition began in late May 2019, started by sophomore sociology major Elliot Colloton and junior biochemistry major Luca Rosser. They are now members of the coordinating team that expands
to undergraduate and graduate students alike. The current goal of increasing student minimum wage picked up traction quickly on Twitter. SGA passed a resolution in support of this as their first Senatorial Action of the year, only a week after the petition was released online. The petition, shared on Wednesday, Jan. 29, intended to raise awareness and garner support for raising the student minimum wage, which is currently $8.25 an hour, to meet the Nassau County minimum wage, which was raised to $13 an hour on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. As of Friday, Feb. 7, the petition has over 570 signatures. The University wrote in a statement that 93% of student workers earn more than the entry-level hourly wage of $8.25, and that the New York State Photo courtesy of the HSWC Coordinating Team
Chris Fleming brings comedy to campus
By Micaela Erickson STAFF W R I T E R
Chris Fleming, a popular comedian known for his web series “Gayle” and other popular comedy videos on YouTube, performed at Hofstra on Thursday, Feb. 6. The free stand-up show was put on by several of Hofstra’s LGBTQ organizations: the Gender Identity Alliance,
Queer Trans People of Color Coalition and The Pride Network, along with Hofstra’s Organization for Sexual Empowerment and Nonsense Humor Magazine. Throngs of people filled the lobby of Monroe Lecture Hall as they anxiously waited for the doors to open. The theater quickly filled and audience
members seemed more than happy to be there. After a brief introduction from the event’s sponsors, Fleming took the stage. His bright orange pants lit up the stage and the room erupted with excitement as the show began.
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The Hofstra Student Workers Coalition (HSWC), founded in late May of 2019, aims to better the experience of student workers a Hofstra.
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203 Student Center hofstrachronicle@gmail.com
Editor-in-Chief Taylor Rose Clarke Managing Editor Rachel Bowman 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 Felipe Fontes Anthony Roberts Assistant Sports Editor David Lazar Features Editor Drashti Mehta Assistant Features Editors Betty Araya Audra Nemirow Op-Ed Editors Sarah Emily Baum Visvajit Sriramrajan Assistant Op-Ed Editors Daniel Cody Jessica Zhang
NEWS
NYTM reporter on redefining the history of slavery
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chise,” Hannah-Jones added. “[The Constitution] codifies the institution of slavery, it codifies that we will count enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for political representation, it allows for the Fugitive Slave Act, which federalizes the ability to take runaways and send them back to their owners.” Hannah-Jones called the Constitution a document of “hypocrisy” because the colonists, at the time, clearly understood it was immoral to buy, sell and torture human beings in order to get them to do free labor. “How do we determine when the Constitution says, ‘We the people,’ that it’s not hypocritical that it doesn’t include black people because we would tell ourselves as a nation that black people are not human,” said Hannah-Jones. “Why does that matter? Because we still struggle with that belief today. We still struggle with that foundational idea that black people are lesser, that black people are not fully American, that black
psychology major. “And modern-day slavery is interesting ... through the years, there’s no overt segregation, but you can still [see] the microaggressions and the legacy through it all.” By the time America abolished slavery with the 13th Amendment, the U.S. was the third-to-last country to end slavery. “Slavery was so much a part of our country that we were one of the last to be able to get rid of it, and we had the bloodiest and deadliest war in the history of the United States – 700,000 men had to die to end slavery,” Hannah-Jones said. Those formerly-enslaved people decided they were going to bring democracy to this country and fight for what the Constitution guarantees: liberation, equal rights and equality. “You are here because of the resistance struggle of the black Americans,” Hannah-Jones said. “And yet, as we know, black Americans are still fighting to be recognized as full citizens in the United States.” The U.S. is a country built on slavery. “We can’t get over
Copy Chiefs Gab Varano Odessa Stork Assistant Copy Chiefs Elizabeth Turley Antonia Moffa Multimedia Editors Robert Kinnaird Adam Flash Talha Siddiqui Social Media Manager Jack Brown Annemarie LePard / The Hofstra Chronicle 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.
Students gather in the playhouse to see famed, award-winning reporter and creator of the 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones, speak on the legacy of slavery in America.
people are not fully human today.” “I don’t really know my ancestors, but ... learning about them through slavery has always been something I’m interested in,” said Tierson Wood, a junior
slavery as black people because America can’t get over it,” said Hannah-Jones. “So, what if, in the 400th year, we finally stop seeing black people as the problem, but as the solution?”
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H.O.P.E. for continued interest in geriatric care
By Rebecca Williams
SPECIA L TO TH E C H R O N IC LE
Former New York State Senator Kemp Hannon, who recently joined Hofstra University’s School of Health Professions and Human Services as a health policy fellow, led a panel discussion on the impact of the aging population in America on Friday, Feb. 7. The “State of H.O.P.E.” panel, which stands for Healthcare Opportunities and Policy Exchange, included four other healthcare professionals. Dr. Corinne Kyriacou, an associate professor and current chair of the department of health professions at Hofstra University, spoke on the benefits of integrated care for the elderly. A combination of social services and healthcare services “would allow older adults to connect with their community [because they] still want to be involved,” Kyriacou said. Kyriacou also spoke about her own efforts to better the community. She is focusing on establishing a Nassau County time bank – a program that connects volunteers with people who require their services. However, it is not like most volunteer programs. “Every member must be a provider and a recipient,” Kyriacou said. “Every person has a value and something to give – social isolation has impact on physical and mental wellbeing.” She plans to open the time bank in Glen Cove. Hannon stated that aging Americans’ need for healthcare services would not end with the “silver tsunami” of the baby boomer generation. “Our profession is stagnant, if not dying,” agreed Dr. Tara Liberman, an associate chief of the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine and an associate professor of medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell. “We can’t be the only ones to care for this aging
population. We have to be influencers.” There were a few students in the crowd that morning who were influenced by the panel. Julie Grzybowski and Ashley McDonough, both junior speech-language-hearing sciences majors, have many concerns about the healthcare of the aging population. “In my major I see a lot of struggling in the older generation,” Grzybowski said. McDonough agreed. “With my major, you can work with adults or children. I go more towards people with brain damage and that is usually the elderly. Coming here gives me more information on issues they often face, like high insurance rates.” According to a 2019 Department of Health and Mental Hygiene report on the health of older adults in New York City, 12% of New York City residents ages 65 and older reported not having filled a prescription due to the cost. Marianne Grady, the director of the government business division at Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, addressed this issue. She said most people do not understand who pays for healthcare and all the extra expenses that come with it, including caregivers. She also echoed the concern of the future of the healthcare profession. “Over 52% of aids need to grow to meet the aging population,” she said. “I’m surprised that more students who are interested in this career don’t attend these events,” said Emma Sample, a senior video/television and film major, who was confused about the lack of turnout. Yet, Hannon remains optimistic about the future. “Here we have a chance, in academia, of being able to do a little bit of shaping what’s happening, raising topics that are not necessarily of the moment,” he said.
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FEBRUARY 11, 2020•A3
Primaries, politics and polling: Hofstra takes on New Hampshire
Annemarie LePard / The Hofstra Chronicle
Spread by Adam Flash and Annemarie LePard
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NEWS
SGA passes resolution in support Iowa caucus crumbles of HSWC $13 minimum wage as results are delayed
CONTINUED FROM A1 minimum wage does not apply to students working at their own college. Many students “earn as much or more than the New York state current minimum wage,” and “these positions, for which hours are limited, allow students to focus on their studies and are not intended to be a student’s primary source of financial support.” “[The coalition] was set off by lots of heavy discontent from ourselves and our friends who work on campus, all with different workplace issues from our various jobs,” said co-founder Rosser. “We all had common ground in being paid below minimum wage for the county that we pay rent in, though.” The resolution passed by SGA on Thursday, Feb. 6, is titled “A Resolution to Support Student Employees at Hofstra University,” and it cites the cost of living on campus to be between $5,480 and $7,761 during the academic semesters and $23,225 in tuition per semester. “The costs mentioned before may not cover all living expenses students may face,” the resolution stated. “A wage of $8.25 per hour is insufficient for a student to afford all costs that they may incur while attending Hofstra University.” SGA supports student employees seeking a wage increase to level with the Nassau County minimum wage. “[The] immediate influence [of HSWC] and means of educating students are nothing to ignore,” said senior psychology major Nicole Starescheski. “I see the very real struggles of my friends who rely on an oncampus job, and usually an offcampus one, to pay for tuition,
housing costs and the things that they need to live. I just hope that Hofstra’s administration takes heed of what the student body so clearly wants and needs.” While the minimum wage was raised in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester at the end of 2019 to $13 an hour for private, nonprofit employers with more than 11 employees, student workers are among the excluded parties from the term “employee” that this wage increase applies to. Under the New York State Department of Labor 12 NYCRR 143.1k “Students in or for a nonprofitmaking institution” clause, a student is defined as “an individual who is enrolled in and regularly attends during the daytime a course of instruction leading to a degree, certificate,
By Hannah Merwin
been remiss in providing data such as the numbers of student employees. Without information such as that, I was unsure if the bill would overall help or harm students, but not enough that I would vote against it.” A “grievance process” for student employees to safely report job-related issues was also requested, along with a biannual Open Workers Forum for student employees to come forward, gather and share their stories openly without fear of losing their positions or hours being cut. The establishment of a student-run body to represent the student employees would “ensure all above demands are met in good faith to protect all future student employees at this University.” While this does not mean that the University will necessarily raise the minimum wage, many students feel it is a step in the right direction. “I really hope Hofstra takes the path of morality as they respond to SGA, Hofstra Student Workers Coalition and the student body as a whole,” said Nicholas Carrion, a junior management major. “The minimum wage in Nassau County is on its way to $15 an hour by the time I graduate, yet there are student employees who make just half of that.” The University has not provided an explanation as to what will occur moving forward as a result of the petition and the resolution passing. Regardless, the first Open Workers Forum will be held in the Student Center Greenhouse on Wednesday, March 4, and will be cosponsored by the Labor Studies Program.
“A wage of $8.25 an hour is insufficient for a student to afford all costs that they may incur while attending Hofstra University.” or diploma offered at an institution of learning, or who is completing residence requirements for a degree.” Other demands from the HSWC campaign, stated in the press release, include that the funding for the requested increase should not come from the budgets of departments, offices or other employers of student workers, but should be provided by the University so that jobs are not lost nor hours cut. Gopal Khandelwal, SGA Senator and senior political science major, abstained from the resolution vote, taking into consideration where the money would come from. “This Senatorial Action has major fiscal implications and, according to the presenters of the resolution, the University has
STA FF WRITER
As the 2020 presidential election draws nearer, the Democratic caucuses are beginning across the country, the first of which took place in Iowa on Monday, Feb. 3. The Iowa caucus is always the first of the election cycle; although it does not define the Democratic candidate, it assists voters in making a more educated decision about who they plan to vote for. This year’s caucus was different than years past, however, changing the process for the first time since it began in 1972 with the use of an app. Normally in a Democratic caucus proceeding, the candidates are separated into different parts of the room. Each candidate has approximately 30 minutes to garner support from as many present supporters as possible. Once that time is up, the number of supporters near each candidate are counted. If a candidate has less than 15% of attendees standing with them, that candidate is eliminated. After those candidates are eliminated, the timer once again starts. Supporters whose chosen candidate was eliminated now have the chance to align with a different candidate who is still in the running. This year, registered Democratic Iowans were able to show their support by participating in satellite caucuses around the world using their phones. The Iowa caucus didn’t go quite as planned: “A faulty smartphone app was at the center of a chaotic caucus,” according to the New York Times. Among the issues were the fact that the app was fairly new, didn’t work for everyone, gave users complications with submitting votes and had issues transferring data. Other reasons for the mayhem included jammed phone lines and the votes being counted by hand, which took much longer. Hofstra students hope that moving forward, changes will be made to improve the system.
“Our voting process is messed up because we haven’t updated it in years,” said Gabrielle Williams, a junior history and early childhood education major. “You can win by a coin toss.” “The best way to change the system is to change the location every once in a while,” said Justin Cabot-Miller, a senior math and computer science major. “Doing so will get more citizens involved. If you get people involved in the same state all the time, nothing is going to change as ideologies are passed on from generation to generation. If you varied the location of caucuses, you might get input from different kinds of people.” The results of the caucus were set to be reported last Monday night. But by the time 100% of the votes had been recorded, the Associated Press announced it was “unable to declare a winner.” Pete Buttigieg was the apparent leader with 26.2%, or 564 state delegate equivalents. Bernie Sanders trailed extremely close behind Buttigieg, with 26.1%, or 562 state delegate equivalents. Elizabeth Warren was almost 10% behind the top candidates, with Joe Biden falling even farther behind Warren. Buttigieg, however, was incredibly confident that he came out on top, as during a succession of speeches done by the candidates on caucus night, he stated, “So, we don’t know all the results. But we know, by the time it’s all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation,” later tweeting just as confidently, “Iowa, you have shocked the nation. By all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious.” The next Democratic caucus will take place in Nevada on Saturday, Feb. 22, followed by American Samoa on Tuesday, March 3, North Dakota on Tuesday, March 10, Wyoming on Saturday, April 4, Guam on Saturday, May 2, and the Virgin Islands on Saturday, June 6.
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NEWS
Trump vows to never let “socialism destroy American health care” at SOTU address
By Rob Traverso
ASSISTA N T N E W S E D I TO R
President Donald Trump delivered his third State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 4, before a divided Congress. Applauded by Republicans and boycotted by some prominent Democrats, the president’s address was centered around the state of the economy under his administration and made the case for a second Trump term. “I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been,” Trump said, touting his economic record. “America’s fortunes are on the rise.” The president touched on several economic points: record low unemployment, a rising stock market, the tariffs placed on China, a new North American trade deal, deregulation and more. Economic success might be Trump’s ticket to a second term: “Nearly six in 10 Americans (59%) now say they are better off financially than they were a year ago, up from 50% last year,” according to a Gallup poll released on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Tuesday’s address was full of the populist rhetoric characteristic of Trump’s reelection campaign, with anti-elitist messages emphasizing the “America First” school of thought. “Our agenda is relentlessly pro-worker, pro-family, progrowth and, most importantly, pro-American,” he said. “This is a blue-collar boom.” “I think the president was pretty deceitful,” said David Green, professor of political science, offering a different perspective on the economic record Trump outlined. “If you scratch the surface, some of the claims he made were downright false.” “The economy has improved while he’s in office, but that change began under Obama. Trump is not the sole source of that improvement,” said Mike Roller, a sophomore political
science and public policy double and recognized in real time by major. “He’s a liar and he’s Trump. trying to mislead the country “Socialism destroys nations,” into thinking he should be the president said, speaking to reelected.” Guaido. “But always remember, The Democratic response freedom unifies the soul.” to the State of the Union has The shoutout to the Venezulargely echoed this sentiment. elan opposition leader was just Although one of the a large dramatic, “Our agenda is relentlessly madeportion of the country pro-worker, pro-family, pro- for-TV is satisfied growth and, most importantly, moments with the featured in pro-American.” economy, the address. the variAlthough ous Democrats running to oust he did not mention his impeachTrump tend to paint a differment once in the 90-plus-minute ent economic picture: one in speech, the tension between which the main beneficiaries of President Trump and House Trump’s policies have been the Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose elite and corporate America, not Democratic caucus voted to imthe working class. peach the president last DecemIn drawing a distinction beber, was apparent. tween himself and the DemoTrump declined to shake crats running to unseat him in Pelosi’s outstretched hand just November, Trump’s largely before he began to speak. The cordial address took a divisive speaker, upon the conclusion of turn. He took aim at the alleged the address, visibly ripped up a “socialism” of the “radical left” copy of his speech. Democratic party. Perhaps the most unortho“One hundred thirty-two dox moment of the night came lawmakers in this room have when Trump informed Rush endorsed legislation to impose a Limbaugh, the conservative talk socialist takeover of our healthradio host, that he was to be care system, wiping out the given the Presidential Medal of private health insurance plans of Freedom, the highest honor that 180 million Americans,” Trump can be awarded to a civilian. said, referring to the Democratic In an unprecedented move, members of Congress who First Lady Melania Trump have either sponsored or coplaced the medal around Limsponsored various single-payer baugh’s neck. health care bills. “It felt like a Trump campaign “To those watching at home rally,” said Mitchell Ulrich, a tonight, I want you to know: We junior political science major. will never let socialism destroy “The State of the Union felt American healthcare!” he added, more like a Trump re-election likening the self-described campaign event than our democratic socialism of 2020 president keeping the American Democratic candidate and Verpublic updated on the status of mont Sen. Bernie Sanders to the our governmental systems,” regime of the “socialist dictator” Roller added. Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan The New Hampshire primary, leader. the nation’s second official Juan Guaido, who is recnominating poll, is on Tuesday, ognized by the U.S. and Feb. 11. other Western countries as the legitimate president of Venezuela, was invited to the address
FEBRUARY 11, 2020•A5
Public Safety Briefs Compiled by Elizabeth Turley
On Jan. 31 at 9 a.m., it was reported that a Hofstra student was driving recklessly through campus. PS responded to the scene and the student was issued a referral to OCS.
randomly on doors in a residence hall. On Feb. 3 at 4:30 p.m., a Hofstra faculty member reported that someone had removed personal items from their office. An investigation by PS into the matter proved negative and nothing was found.
On Feb. 1 at 1:25 a.m., a group of Hofstra students reported to PS that they were being harassed on campus by two other Hofstra students. The matter was referred to OCS. On Feb. 1 at 2:13 a.m., it was reported that a Hofstra student was driving recklessly in the Hofstra USA parking lot. PS responded to the scene and the student was issued a referral to OCS. On Feb. 1 at 10 a.m., a Hofstra student was referred sdfjs;dlfjk;sldkfj;aldfjk to OCS after failing to comply with an order to stay out of a residence hall where an incident had occurred earlier in the day. On Feb. 2 at 5:51 p.m., an individual who had previously been banned from campus was found to be trespassing. PS and the NCPD responded to the scene, and the individual was arrested by the NCPD. On Feb. 2 at 11:14 p.m., two Hofstra students were referred to OCS for disruptive conduct after knocking
On Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m., two Hofstra students and two non-students were found smoking marijuana in a residence hall. The students were referred to OCS and the non-students were banned from campus. On Feb. 5 at 8 p.m., two Hofstra students were referred to OCS for failing to comply after it was discovered that they were riding their bicycles across the Unispan. On Feb. 7 at 2:23 a.m., two Hofstra students were referred to OCS after they admitted to smoking marijuana in a residence hall. On Feb. 7 at 8:15 p.m., an odor of marijuana was found to be emanating from a room in a residence hall. PS responded to the scene and issued OCS referrals to three students.
Key PS – Public Safety NCPD – Nassau County Police Department OCS – Office of Community Standard
A 6 •February 11, 2020
By Amudalat Ajasa SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The days of paced romance have been replaced by digital speed dating. While many people prefer to meet in person, dating applications like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge have become popular ways for students to meet others instead of face-to-face interactions. Students have learned to navigate through the different apps based on their wants and the implications of the apps. The surge of dating applications in the past decade allows people to pick and choose which applications satisfy their wants. Applications like Tinder promote a more laid-back approach to dating while applications like Bumble and Hinge are for more serious relationship inquiries. “I started with Tinder because that’s what everyone else used, but then I found that a lot of
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From dinner dates to dating apps
people were like, ‘We need to meet up, we’re going to hook up and that’s it,’” said Annalisa Peña, a sophomore public relations major. “Bumble was a leg up because you made more of a connection,” Peña said. “I started to use Hinge because that was more about relationships.” Like most social media platforms, people want to present the best version of themselves, even if it’s not the most accurate representation. “It’s hard because you’re just judging someone on a picture, you can’t really see how someone really is or how they really act,” said Liv Chalfin, a sophomore psychology major. “It’s not as raw. When you’re meeting someone in person, there is no way you can be as perfect as you are on a dating profile,” explained Page Swinerton, a sophomore public policy major. Peña added that she prefers meeting people in person be-
cause “there is a better filtering process in person. On dating apps, you look at someone and cross them out for things super quickly.” However, there were students who preferred meeting over apps. Kaitlyn Sardin, a junior psychology major, stated, “It’s a great way to meet people, sometimes it’s hard to meet people in person.” Dating applications give users the advantage of curating the way they are perceived. “Oneon-one is harder than tapping through your phone,” Swinerton said. “Now we have the ability to hide behind a screen when first meeting someone.” People feel more comfortable talking to strangers through dating applications because they are able to conceal pieces of themselves that they couldn’t in person. Some feel less anxiety when meeting people on dating apps compared to in person.
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“It’s convenient and you can say exactly what you want to say because you’re hiding behind a screen,” Chalfin said. Convenience also plays a role in students’ use of dating applications. The time it takes to meet someone on a dating app is significantly less than the time it takes to get to know someone in person. “The old-school idea of dating is changing because everything is so digitized and it’s easier to accommodate dating apps into your life,” Chalfin said. Dating apps have become more prominent in our world because they “make dating a lot easier. Old-school dating took a lot of time and it was slowpaced,” Swinerton said. Students found that while dating apps were timely, they put forth unrealistic expectations for people. “Everything isn’t perfect, but when you present yourself on
dating apps, you present the perfect version of yourself,” Peña explained. Sardin added that people putting themselves on dating apps is “like you’re selling a product sometimes.” People often put forth inauthentic personas in order to get others to like them. “On my dating profiles, it’s the best pictures I’ve taken of myself and obviously I don’t always look like those pictures,” Swinerton said. Dating apps are more convenient and less anxiety-inducing for students when meeting new people. Yet, they encourage people to dismiss others prematurely and present unrealistic versions of themselves. But whether people like or dislike dating apps, they have changed the dating game.
tive. Though I did not agree with cheered on by their supporters in breakfast and rushing to the busWeld on many of his policy prothe crowd. Pete Buttigieg, Amy es in the early morning in order posals, it was admirable to see a Klobuchar, Joe Biden, Elizabeth to begin our trek north to see qualified, informed Republican Warren and Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang in Hopkinton, New candidate challenging the death among others, emphasized the Hampshire. When we arrived at grip that Trump seems to have on desperate need for the Democrat- the Hopkinton Town Hall, we the party. ic party to unite in the general were greeted by a meeting room With little time to spare, we election against Trump in order packed with people wearing hopped back on the buses and set to ensure that his presidency does T-shirts and hats with Yang’s off for Manchester, New slogan, “Make America Hampshire, for the 61st Think Harder” (MATH). annual McIntyre-Shaheen Yang discussed his signa100 Club Event, where ture promises, including we got a taste of the politthe provision of $1,000 a ical circus that descends month for all adults in the upon the state every four country, and his promoyears. Outside of the tion of human-centered Southern New Hampshire capitalism. He offered a University Arena, throngs hopeful future in which of people gathered in Americans are recognized sub-zero temperatures to for their intrinsic value, show support for their and not for what they can favorite candidates. Once contribute to the economy. inside, we walked past After a quick stop for dozens of booths set up lunch, we were welcomed Antonia Moffa / The Hofstra Chronicle for each Democratic to the University of New Antonia Moffa posing for a picture with presidencandidate, offering pins, Hampshire by Andrew tial candidate Amy Klobuchar. stickers and T-shirts to Smith, a political science potential voters. not continue. Each displayed professor. Smith provided us This event gives Democratic intense fervor and enthusiasm in with a presentation explaining candidates one final opportunity anticipation for the first primary the historic and modern-day to address the people of New election in the nation, reflective significance of the New HampHampshire en masse before the of the general feeling within the shire primary and discussed primary elections. Each candiDemocratic party. his research regarding political date paraded onto the stage to Our second day in the Granite engagement in the state. We got pre-selected, energetic music, State began with a flurry of hotel back on the road and attended a
rally for Pete Buttigieg held in a local high school. Buttigieg reiterated many of his popular policy talking points, including his criticism of the radicalism of other candidates, and offered a hopeful, inclusive vision for the future. After listening to Buttigieg, we drove down the road to listen to Amy Klobuchar speak. Klobuchar, a candidate running on a platform of realistic promises and extensive government experience, discussed her outrage at the current state of the nation with sincerity. Afterward, she generously offered to speak to and take pictures with a large group of individual constituents. After Klobuchar’s event, we finished our long day of gallivanting around New Hampshire, and retired to our hotel. Embarking on this political pilgrimage allowed me to experience one of the most important primary elections in the nation up close. While I am still unsure of who will win the New Hampshire primary, I am thankful that I was able to experience the message of every Democratic candidate in the 2020 race.
A behind-the-scenes look at the New Hampshire primaries
By Antonia Moffa ASSISTANT COPY CHIEF
As a political science major and committed Democrat, I have been closely following the race between the wide range of Democratic presidential candidates attempting to clinch the party’s nomination for the general election. While taking an introductory political science course in the fall semester, I was introduced to the “Hofstra Goes to New Hampshire” trip, an opportunity to observe one of the most consequential moments in American politics up close. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to attend the sixth iteration of the trip. Our first stop was Keene, New Hampshire, where we attended a town hall event held by William Weld, a former governor of Massachusetts and the only Republican candidate challenging President Donald Trump for the party’s nomination. In a fairly intimate setting, Weld discussed his legislative and business accomplishments and answered questions from members of the audience. His platform encompasses centrist outrage at the current administration, offering an alternative, moderate perspec-
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A 7 • THE CHRONICLE
February 11, 2020
Humans of Hofstra
By Betty Araya
AS S I S TA N T F E AT U R E S E DI TOR
“
Jess Bajorek “
I am studying English, creative writing and writing studies. I have always just really loved writing, ever since I was a kid. It’s been something that I was told I’m good at, and it was really the only thing I wanted to do as a career. I think it has to start with the characters first for me. Like, I have to get an idea for a person that I want to write about, and sort of the story and the plot forms around them and their motives. My favorite story that I’ve written ... [is] one that I wrote a couple years ago for a creative writing class. We had to write a short story at the end of the semester. Everybody had to do one, and it could be about anything you wanted, so I decided to write about these two characters. One of them was just starting out in school, and he was super anxious because his best friend of many years had gone off to college, so he was basically stuck at high school by himself. He didn’t know anybody else there; he wasn’t super comfortable. And so then he ended up befriending this other boy, and it [the story] was about the two of them coming together through this mutual friend that they had, and finding each other at a time when they both felt really alone. So it was more of an exploration of those two characters and their relationship together. And the plot kind of formed around that. My favorite story that I’ve read would be “The Alchemaster’s Apprentice” by Walter Moers. He is a German writer who started out as a cartoonist. He actually illustrates all of his novels, so he comes up with these stories that are really out there. He basically [creates] his own world where there [is] a lost continent, and it [has] all of these animals that don’t actually exist on it. And this story is centered around this cat that has two livers and can talk. And this cat is on the streets dying, and ends up getting taken in by this man, the Alchemaster, who essentially just wants to use the cat for his liver. But he basically says, ‘I’m going to kill you at the end of the thirty days, but for these thirty days I’m going to feed you and pamper you.’ And this cat is literally starving so he says, ‘That sounds like a pretty sweet deal.’ And so it’s kind of like his adventures with this Alchemaster, learning about all of the processes, but knowing that this guy is going to end up killing him. I loved how bizarre [the story] was. I loved just seeing a writer who had done something that I had never seen done before, and just taking things out of his imagination and really making a world of his own.
”
Photo Courtesy of Ted Burhans
The most obvious [reason I chose my major] would be books. Given why I’m here; it’s what I study. I guess I read a lot of sci-fi fantasy in particular … [I’m] especially interested in, I guess, how marginalized authors approach sci-fi fantasy. Because I think we’ve seen, in the past fifteen years or so, an explosion of writers of color, women authors, LGBT authors, whereas before the genre was entirely men. So that’s something I’m really excited about. It’s something that I’d like to hopefully work in some day. Either as a writer, or an editor [or] what have you. Well, I think that ... not that [sci-fi] was marginalized, but that marginalized authors were kept out of it. So it was like, for decades, just a bunch of white dudes writing and keeping everybody else out. And I guess that changed. I just read “The Left Hand of Darkness” in November, and it’s kind of a weird book to explain. It’s like, this dude gets sent off to be an ambassador of this planet of genderless people … [It] starts out as a political drama then turns into almost, but not quite, a love story. And it’s just, I don’t know, a very interesting book, so I loved that. I’ve also really loved recently “Imperial Radch” by Ann Leckie, and I read the “The Fifth Season” by N. K. Jemisin. My parents read to me a lot as a child, and it kind of took off from there. I can remember one time when I was probably in first grade, and I asked my mom to read to me. My favorite book series was Junie B. Jones, and I asked her to read one to me and she was busy. She was like, ‘You know you could probably just read that yourself, right?’ And that shook me. Not that I didn’t know I could read, but I didn’t know I could [read], like, what to me at the time was a really big book. And that was kind of like an eye-opening experience for me, when I sat down and read that book on my own for the first time. And I think everything kind of spiraled from there. I really liked reading as a kid. I was kind of socially awkward, and not good at talking to people, so I guess the books kind of filled that hole … And I think it was fourth [or] fifth grade when I really got into, like, Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, which is like the most basic answer for the book that made [me] want to read. But that sort of spurred everything, and from there I guess things just fell into place.
”
Gab Varano / The Hofstra Chronicle
Sam Whitman Betty Araya / The Hofstra Chronicle
A 8 •February 11, 2020
FEATURES
Man on the Unisp a n How do you practice self care?
THE CHRONICLE
Overheard @ Hofstra In Estabrook Hall:
“My professor is sexy, but not like in an appearance way, just his brain.”
B y L i z z i e F r a nk
SPEC I A L TO T H E C H R ONI CL E
In Gallon Wing: “That was fun! We almost died.”
In Calkins: “These are Macs. They’re designed to look great but not be very functional.”
In the Student Center:
“I do yoga, I do meditation and every morning I have a coffee [and] look out the front of my window.”
“I need to step up my A game.”
- Jillian Henrique, junior
In the Netherlands: “At one point in my life, I was a gay cowboy.”
In Dunkin’ on the Quad: “Lesbian snakes? Is that a metaphor for something?” “I think a lot of it has to do with your time and sort of being alone in a comfortable way.” - Rob Forte, freshman
In Bits n’ Bytes: “Gravity has its ups, but mostly downs.”
In LHSC: “It’s carbonated water. That’s so fucked up. It’s soda without the fun.”
In Memorial Hall: “I’m sorry I didn’t come. I was too busy doing work and being sad.” “I stay hydrated and moisturize every night and take showers – usually in the morning – and give myself a lot of time for sleeping.”
In Memorial Hall: “Roses are red, an infinite number is pi, that interaction made me wanna fucking die..”
- Shealynn Gelderman, graduate student Betty Araya / The Hofstra Chronicle
Adam Flash / The Hofstra Chronicle
A 9 • THE CHRONICLE
By Audra Nemirow ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
It was bittersweet to watch four years’ worth of memories gradually disappear from Kathleen Lieblich’s office. Lieblich was assistant director of Student Advocacy and Prevention Awareness until Friday, Feb. 7, and as her job title and inviting decor suggested, she was a lively, accessible presence on campus. Although she will be moving on to oversee student conduct at SUNY College at Old Westbury, she is still fiercely proud of her years at Hofstra and her recollections radiate positivity. Lieblich first arrived at Hofstra five years ago, hired by Residence Life. At that time, the Office of Student Advocacy and Prevention did not exist. The office launched one year into Lieblich’s Hofstra career, and she was on board from the beginning. “Everything that Student Advocacy and Prevention Awareness is known for has been [created] over the last few years,” Lieblich said. “And so, for myself and some of the other staff in this office, we’ve really sculpted this office with our bare
By Gab Varano COPY CHIEF
February 11, 2020
FEATURES
Staff Spotlight: Kathleen Lieblich Not just a professional behind a desk
hands. We’ve created everything that’s gone on here from scratch. I will always feel proud of being part of an office that just started, and all the things that go [on] behind the scenes that no one knows you have to do to start an office, and to start your programming calendar, and to start all these different initiatives that we’re really known for around campus, in such a small matter of time.” Lieblich’s role on campus was multi-faceted, a reflection of her passions. She oversaw all alcohol, drug, mental health and sexual violence prevention education programs, as well as the Peer Alliance Mentor Program, which consists of six tracks: Access, Commuter, Diversity, Global, PRISM and Transfer. Lieblich also worked with service clubs, advising student leaders on their philanthropic initiatives. While varied, Lieblich’s responsibilities were all meant to promote student well-being, connecting students with the help they needed. “I like to be really authentic
and genuine,” Lieblich said. “I hope that comes across when I meet with my students, but also that I’m not just a professional person sitting behind a desk, but someone who really cares about them. Someone who knows them and wants to help them. This job has never been just a nine-to-five for me. It’s something that I go home and think about.” Since personal connections are such points of pride for Lieblich, she most treasures her
with a fair-like feel that usually invites participation from hundreds of Hofstra students. “Its focus is on suicide prevention and supporting students,” Lieblich said. “Not just staff supporting students, but students supporting other students. It’s a really, really fun event, and it’s an important event because it talks about something really vital to be talking about consistently right now. It’s a really wonderful event that’s really near and dear to my heart and something I hope will continue and that I hope to bring anywhere I go.” Aside from the blueberry scones in the Student Center, Lieblich believes that she will miss the people the most. “I really have had such amazing interactions and relationships that have developed with students,” Lieblich said. “And staff that I’ve worked with have become like friends and family outside of work. I can’t say enough [about] how wonderful the people are here and how much I’ve appreciated working with everybody.”
“You are your [own] number one priority.” reputation of being someone who students felt they could easily turn to in times of need. “I’m most proud of how many students have come to me and said: ‘I heard you’re someone I can talk to,’” Lieblich said. On a larger scale, Lieblich was responsible for Fresh Check Day, an original concept she explored before her time at Hofstra. Fresh Check Day is a large-scale mental health and wellness day
Lieblich still speaks with the enthusiasm of someone in the midst of their position, making her departure difficult to believe. The students she aided will not be left to their own devices, as there will be interim support, allowing the Office of Student Advocacy and Prevention Awareness to continue going strong. During this transition period and far into the future, it is important to remember that as much as Lieblich loves to advocate for students, she hopes above all that her work has taught students how to advocate for themselves. “You are your [own] number one priority,” Lieblich said. “And I always tell students that when you’re on the airplane and you’re about to take off, and they are doing the safety warnings and they say: ‘If the mask drops down, you put the mask on yourself and then help the person next to you if they need help.’ You have to put your own mask on and make sure that your wellness is a priority before you can help someone else. All of our students are so wonderful and enjoy helping others, but sometimes they have to prioritize themselves in order to best help others.”
@GabGrabsGrub: Polenta Ingredients:
Instructions:
5 cups water
1. In a 6-quart saucepan over high heat, bring the olive oil, water, salt and bay leaves to a boil.
1/8 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 bay leaves 1 cup yellow polenta (corn meal), medium grind 4 tablespoons butter (optional) 1/2 cup grated Polenta is a Roman side dish made from a coarsely ground Parmigiano cheese flour that my mom has been making for as long as I can (optional) remember. It can be served with chicken, pork, fish, beef or roasted vegetables, and is perfect with a mushroom sauce or stew. Legend says Roman gladiators, who primarily followed a vegetarian diet, ate polenta (pulmentum in Latin) before taking on their opponents in the Colosseum!
2. Once the water is boiling, take the tablespoons of polenta and slowly sprinkle over the water. Using a wire whisk, whisk steadily to blend. 3. Continue to whisk until all the cornmeal is combined with the water. 4. Bring the cornmeal mixture to a boil and continue whisking. 5. Cook for approximately 30 minutes until the cornmeal mixture pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. 6. Taste for salt and remove the bay leaves. 7. Stir in the grated cheese and butter (if using). 8. Serve immediately by spooning into a dish, or pour into a cool pan and bake at 400 F for approximately 15-20 minutes until toasted. Follow Gab Varano on Instagram @gabgrabsgrub
Lunar New Year Celebration with the Hofstra University Honors College Hofstra University Honors College (HUHC) students and faculty gathered on Friday, Feb. 7, to make dumplings and celebrate the Lunar New Year which occured on Saturday, Jan. 25. Christina Wu, assistant professor of journalism, media studies and public relations, led the festivities with her mother, Chef Wang. This marks the first HUHC Friday Forum of the semester, a series of events held by the Honors College. “I was very touched by the coming together of our students. Everybody in there is actually getting their hands dirty and making their own versions of dumplings,” Wu said. “I want to share [my culture] with the students [and] I feel like they are sharing a great celebration and embrace of the culture with me.”
The first step in the process is rolling out the dough. “[Making dumplings] is very labor intensive. The older generations tend to do it from scratch every now and then. Younger generations tend to just get store bought [ones] but still [make them] every now and then,” Wu said.
The third step is to fold the dumpling together. “It’s a very exciting thing to share with our students such a defining feature of the Chinese cuisine but also the Chinese culture, especially around the Lunar New Year,” Wu said.
The next step is filling the dough with a meat or vegetable-based filling. “[Eating] is a big part of our [Lunar New Year] celebration. We cook up a feast – many, many dishes – and around midnight a big family will gather and make dumplings together, boil them and have them to cap the night off,” Wu said.
The final steps are cooking and eating. Many Chinese families use the New Year as time to bond. “When I was younger we’d get together as a huge family. [We’d] eat for hours, drink for hours, talk, watch the Chinese television annual gala and [at the end] play with firecrackers,” Wu said.
Photos by Adam Flash / The Hofstra Chronicle
Spread by Adam Flash, Robert Kinnaird and Talha Siddiqui
Arts and Entertainment
VOL. 85 ISSUE 12
‘Parasite’ win spells progress for the Oscars B2
Courtesy of People.com
B2•February 11, 2020
A&E
Fleming starts semester on high note
Courtesy of Robert Kinnaird Comedian Chris Fleming has over 385,000 subscribers on YouTube.
CONTINUED FROM A1 Fleming’s style of comedy appeals to a specific brand of people, as some of it is very niche and (for lack of a better word) weird. He is a hilarious, lanky man who defies conven-
tions of gender and masculinity, appealing to girls, gays, theater kids and anyone else who can identify with his unique sense of humor. His style has a “new age” feel that is unique to the current generation of young
comedians and heavily resonates with college-aged people. Fleming engaged with the audience as well, poking fun at Hofstra’s undeniable “improv energy” and even stopping for a second to ask an audience member for the time. Fleming’s show was unique because it relied on a variety of elements. From simply telling funny stories to performing his ridiculous songs and brief slideshow presentations, he had the room engaged the entire time. One of the show’s highlights was his song, “The Grad Student Shuffle,” to which even a room full of undergrads could relate. Another moment that had the audience dying was his deep analysis of John Travolta’s acting at the end of the movie “Grease.” Unfortunately, the show did
have its issues. The lighting was inaccessible to the crew working the event, nearly leaving Fleming in the dark. Luckily the lack of lights wasn’t deeply distracting and didn’t take away from the quality of the performance. There were a handful of microphone and sound problems, but those were quickly fixed. Fleming handled the technical mishaps with grace, never letting his energy dwindle. Chris Fleming’s comedy show was an excellent event. He clearly loves what he does and even took the time to talk with fans after the show, stopping for pictures and joking around with students. The show can only be described as a success for all organizations involved. Cover: Oscars
‘Parasite’ win spells progress for the Oscars By Mark Herron & Victoria Licata SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Live from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the 92nd Academy Awards kicked off their festivities the evening of Sunday, Feb. 9. After last year’s controversy surrounding Kevin Hart’s homophobic past, ABC confirmed in January that the broadcast would again go without a host. The 2019 ceremony was, in fact, the first to not have a host since 1989. Despite efforts to avoid a repeat of the negative press of yesteryear, the awards once again stirred up some controversy before the ceremony even occurred. Although the Oscars have been in existence for 92 years, there have only been a total of five women nominated for the Best Director award and only one has ever won. Despite the many directorial contributions women in film made in the past year, the Academy chose to only nominate men. Many talented female directors were overlooked, including Greta Gerwig for her direction of “Little Women” and Lulu Wang for “The Farewell.” Going into the night with the most nominations was
Courtesy of Vanity Fair Taika Waititi was the first indigenous filmmaker to be nominated for an Oscar in 2005 before going on to win at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Todd Phillips’ “Joker” with 11, including a Best Actor nomination for Joaquin Phoenix. “The Irishman,” “1917” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” each received 10 nominations. Janelle Monáe opened the show with a medley performance paying homage to many of the past year’s films alongside Billy Porter. Best Supporting Actor went to Brad Pitt for his role in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and Laura Dern went on to win Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Marriage Story.” Renee Zellweger won Best Lead Actress for her eponymous role in “Judy,” which critics cited as arguably the best performance of her career.
Joaquin Phoenix won Best Lead Actor for his role as Arthur Fleck in “Joker” and chose to use his speech to encourage everyone to come together on human rights issues, elaborating on his recent speech at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. Accompanying the In Memoriam, Billie Eilish and Finneas performed a slow, somber rendition of “Yesterday” by The Beatles. Notably missing from those shown were actors Cameron Boyce and Luke Perry, both of whom appeared on small and big screens during their lifetimes. Perry was last seen in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Both winners in the screenplay
categories made history this year. Taika Waititi won Best Adapted Screenplay for “Jojo Rabbit” and became the first indigenous filmmaker to win an Academy Award. He proceeded to dedicate his win to “all the indigenous kids all over the world.” Bong Joon-ho took home the award for Best Original Screenplay for “Parasite,” making it the first South Korean film to win an Oscar. Bong and “Parasite” went on to have some of the largest and most delightful shocks of the night, taking home awards for Best International Feature, Best Director and Best Picture. “Parasite” is the first film in a foreign language to ever take home the award show’s greatest honor. Upon accepting the award, producer Kwak Sin-ae stated, “We never imagined this to ever happen. We are so happy. I feel like a very opportune moment in history is happening right now.” Jane Fonda closed the night, reminding everyone of the importance of being open-minded. Reflecting this idea, it was refreshing to see such diversity rewarded throughout the broadcast, but there is clearly much more that needs to be done for the Academy to catch up with the times.
THE CHRONICLE
Quick Hits
Courtesy of Hollywood Reporter
The DC Comics spinoff, “Birds of Prey,” grossed a disappointing $33.3 million during its debut.
Courtesy of Cageside Seats
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s daughter, Simone, is training to be the first fourth-generation WWE wrestler.
Courtesy of Rap-Up
Pop singer Janet Jackson announced her new album, “Black Diamond,” along with her world tour.
Courtesy of Collider
Dramatic TV series “The Crown” is set to end following its fifth season, making it one of the longest-running Netflix Originals.
Courtesy of Nerdist
The second season of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” will be centered around a production of “Beauty and the Beast.”
THE CHRONICLE
A&E
February 11, 2020•B3
‘Magic Flute’: Mozart marries mystery & music By Victoria Bell ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
As one enters the packed Toni and Martin Sosnoff Theater located in John Cranford Adams Playhouse, the sight of a rather empty stage featuring a simple backdrop and few props surprises the eye. Above, there is a sign to display the English subtitles to the German opera. An announcement goes off to request that the audience silence their cell phones and, as the stage lights brighten, the Hofstra Opera Theater’s performance of “The Magic Flute” begins. This Mozart musical fairytale is centered around Prince Tamino, a recruit of the Queen of the Night, whose job is to rescue the queen’s daughter Pamina from Sarastro, the evil high priest. Armed with a magic flute, Tamino ventures on this quest with his companion, Papageno. Once the two spot Pamina, they aim to break free of Sarastro’s world. Tamino then faces multiple trials as he attempts to prove himself fit to marry Pamina.
Though advertised as an opera, this work featured elements of an operetta, including humor and spoken dialogue. The humorous aspect was certainly evident within the performance. The character of Papageno particularly offered many of these comedic breaks, which were rather silly and goofy in nature. The scene in which he meets his long-awaited partner Papagena was a crowd favorite, as it received many laughs from the audience, most likely due to the scene’s outlandish context and delivery, from the song to the staged movements. Another laughable moment in the show was the appearance of an inflatable dinosaur costume. This was quite a shock to see as these costumes are often worn on Halloween rather than on stage. Whether intended or not, this choice of attire most definitely unleashed many giggles throughout the packed house. On the subject of costumes, though many of the pieces represented the Egyptian attire of the time, several characters embodied out-of-this-world personas
with avant-garde and futuristic designs. For example, Papagena, who resembled an alien, wore knee-high metallic boots, a pure white wig and silver dress with a cellophane overlay. Sarastro and his guards were decked in all-white attire, with the head leader sporting a fourfaced mask and cape. Considering operas are almost entirely sung, the music of these works is vital to the quality of the performance. This particular show carried Courtesy of Hofstra University a wide range of notes “Magic Flute,” created by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was composed in 1971. from the lowest of the bass vocal range to the highest of the sopranos. The be heard without microphones. The performance of “The notes belted during the Queen of This production was placed Magic Flute” by the Hofstra the Night’s aria were certainly at under the artistic direction Opera Theater was certainly one a high enough frequency to shatof Isabel Milenski as well as to remember. The artistic stylings the musical direction of Scott of both the cast and crew made ter glass. Tamino’s bold, strong Jackson Wiley. The show, for a show that had its audience voice burst into the audience which opened on the evening of laughing while simultaneously while Pamina’s soft and sweet Friday, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m., also becoming invested in the characmelodies drifted into one’s ear like the cool breeze. It was truly showed a matinee on Sunday, ters and their stories. astounding that all voices could Feb. 2, at 3 p.m.
‘The Stranger’: New must-see Netflix thriller based on novel Harlan Coben. “The Stranger” features a star-studded cast of British actors who played roles in other well-known movies and television series such as “Captain America: The First Avenger” actor Richard Armitage, “Game of Thrones” actress Hannah John-Kamen, “Downton Abbey” actress Siobhan Finneran and “Skins” actress Lily Loveless, among others. These actors do not disappoint, giving beautiful, believable, heartfelt and emotional performances in this series. Courtesy of PRIMETIMER In addition to the incredHarlan Coben’s “The Stranger” premiered on Netflix on Thursday, Jan. 30. ibly talented cast that brings the show to life, it is the story itself and the way in By Jessica Zagacki missing mother? Secrets that which the plot unfolds that truly STAFF WRITER unravel, destroying families and make “The Stranger” stand out. the whole community in the Every episode is a roller-coaster Where can you watch an process? The answer is in the ride of revelations, atrocities ominous stranger reveal news new Netflix original series “The and twists keeping viewers in of a fake pregnancy to a dediStranger.” Released on Thursday, complete suspense and shock. In cated father? An insanely trippy Jan. 30, “The Stranger” is fact, the ability to keep the curiteenage rave? A mysteriously based on the book by renowned ous audience equally confused decapitated alpaca? A beloved American mystery novelist
and engaged throughout each episode and the entire series is not an easy task, but it is wellachieved here. In each episode, more secrets are revealed and tension continues to build, ultimately leading toward another revelation and a climactic end. It is within about the last five minutes of every episode that all hell breaks loose with one twist after another, leaving the viewer with no choice but to click “Next Episode” as fast as they can. Beside the actors and the plot, there are several technical elements that allow the story to elicit the emotion, suspense and dramatic effect it desires to achieve. The foreboding, mysterious and intense music coupled with each scene creates a sense of unease among the audience. The camera angles and aesthetic shots directed by Daniel O’Hara also add to the show’s overall effectiveness. Fans of mysteries, crime procedurals, psychological thrillers, dramas and simply anything dark will most likely enjoy “The
Stranger.” More specifically, fans of “Twin Peaks,” “Broadchurch” and “Black Mirror” would probably also enjoy “The Stranger,” considering that it has a similar dark tone. It is unclear whether or not there will be a second season of “The Stranger.” Although there is an immense amount of potential for a second season, the finale of the first season answers enough questions and provides enough closure for it to remain a limited series. It is rare for a television series to have such a satisfying ending. However, season one of “The Stranger” provides the ending its audience desperately craves and deserves after trying to piece together the puzzling plot all season long. If there were to be a second season, it would most likely be as wellreceived and binge-watched as the first one. Either way, Harlan Coben’s “The Stranger” has left its mark on the Netflix community as the new must-see thriller show of 2020.
B4•February 11, 2020
A&E
THE CHRONICLE
Super Bowl LIV halftime show: Football meets fiesta
Courtesy of MPR News All of the costumes worn by Shakira and Lopez were made in collaboration with Swarovski.
By Madeline Armstrong STAFF WRITER
No one knew what to expect from this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. When it was announced that it would be performed by Shakira and
Jennifer Lopez, viewers knew to expect something good, but no one could have been prepared for the incredible show these two powerful women were able to put on. Somehow, during the nailbiting game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco
49ers, fans were able to forget their worries when Shakira got up and started shaking her hips. Dancing and singing a myriad of powerful, well-known songs including, “She Wolf,” “I Like It” and “Hips Don’t Lie,” Shakira showed everyone that she can still bring a stadium to its feet. While singing, dancing and playing multiple instruments in her red fringe costume, she brought an energy that has become rare in today’s era. Next, Lopez appeared sliding down a pole. Yes, a pole. Dressed in leather from head to toe, she began her portion with “Jenny from the Block.” She also performed “Waiting for Tonight,” which included a costume change and a pole dance, referencing her recent movie “Hustlers.” Continuing on in a silver, jewel-studded outfit, she showed everyone that even at the age of 50, she can tear up the floor. To close the show, Lopez’s
daughter, Emme Maribel Muñiz, made an appearance. Accompanied by an all-female children’s choir, she started the song “Let’s Get Loud” and was soon joined by her mother. The number was rounded out with Shakira, now in a shimmering gold outfit, on the drums. Overall, this year’s halftime show was extremely entertaining and exciting. However, entertainment may not have been the only goal these women were trying to achieve. They are the definition of female empowerment and that was very visibly expressed through their dancing and song choices. During “Let’s Get Loud,” the children’s choir was made up of only girls and the stage was lit up to take the shape of the Venus symbol. The halftime show stood for female empowerment as well as cultural representation, as Shakira and Lopez highlighted their own heritages. Shakira’s dancing showcased her Lebanese
and Colombian roots while Lopez strutted with a Puerto Rican flag as the children’s choir wore American flags on their shirts. It’s shocking to think that these women, who astonished viewers with their actions and message, were not being paid for the show. Two women who are worth approximately $300-$400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, did not get paid one cent for what was one of their biggest and most exhausting performances of the year. Although they may not be getting the credit or compensation that they deserve, Shakira and Lopez put on an exciting and entertaining show with a powerful message. This will definitely be a hard, if not impossible, halftime show to beat. This year the halftime show rose above the standards of entertainment and into the realm of global empowerment and the igniting of social awareness.
‘BoJack Horseman’ reaches emotional finale
By Robert Kinnaird MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
It is impossible to express what “BoJack Horseman” can mean to people without discussing the kinds of people who find themselves drawn to this show. “BoJack” is a show that offers us a mirror to reflect our worst selves. It gives us the opportunity to confront some of humankind’s ugliest aspects and forces us to confront the fact that some things can never be forgiven. “BoJack” lets us see the worst of ourselves, either in the dysfunctional horse who can’t help but make things worse, the high-functioning cat who poured everything into a career that gives her nothing in return or the human woman who wrestles with a very real depiction of depression. The show that sold itself in the first season as a goofy little cartoon featuring a washed-up horse became a place for people to realize that they aren’t alone – that Hollywood stars and celebrities can be just like us, even when that’s a bad thing. Spoilers from here on out. The last half of the sixth season of “BoJack Horseman” came out on Friday, Jan. 31, pick-
and it shows how BoJack’s friends back into alcoholism or opioids. ing up where the first half left can’t pretend that what he did was off in October. We see BoJack In the end, BoJack does face (Will Arnett), who is now sober, okay. This show has consequences consequences. The audience sees teaching at Wesleyan University, for its characters and, despite him experience a poetic dream in attending AA meetings and all the times the show has viewthe second-to-last episode, “The trying to connect with his sister ers pitying BoJack for his tragic View from Halfway Down,” Hollyhock which features some (Aparna of the most beautiNancherla). ful animation ever Hollyhock has created for the show. just found out This episode takes BoJack’s darkus into BoJack’s est secret, which mind as he confronts he’s been rundeath and sees the ning from since people he has lost the end of the in his life. His cold second season: mother Beatrice He gave three (Wendie Malick), his teenagers liquor, oldest friend Herb abandoned one Kazzaz (Stanley of them drunk in Tucci), his horfront of a hospital Courtesy of TVLine rible family that set and almost had him on his path of As of 2020, “BoJack Horseman” has received two Annie Awards, sex with Penny two Writer’s Guild Awards, five Gold Derby Awards and two Critic’s self-destruction and Choice Television Awards. It also has two Emmy nominations. (Ilana Glazer), Sarah Lynn (Kristen the 17-year-old Schaal), the young daughter of his longtime friend, childhood or mistakes that are out starlet for whose death he feels Charlotte (Olivia Wilde). of his hands, one can’t help but responsible. Throughout the Season six fixates on this want to see him get punished for series, BoJack screwed over many moment and what it does to the what he did to Penny and the other of these people. However, none of their sickening behavior toward people involved. It refuses to let women in his life. With all of this BoJack off the hook for his actions in mind, though, the audience also him makes his wrongdoings right – it just makes it so there’s more as two investigative journalists can’t help but worry. We want wrong in the world. track the story down. The season BoJack to get what he deserves, BoJack wakes up from this shows viewers how he hurt Penny but don’t want to watch him slip
dream after being pulled out of a swimming pool and gets sent to jail for breaking and entering, but as BoJack himself says, “I think it was kind of for everything.” This is how “BoJack Horseman” handles consequences. It is real in the way that it tells us that celebrities don’t face the consequences we normal people face for our sins, but they instead face the ever-shifting and unpredictable jury of the fans and public perception. The people in his life who knew the worst of what he went through don’t just forgive him no matter what, but they also can’t pretend they don’t love him in a screwed-up way. The show ends with BoJack and his longtime friend Diane (Alison Brie) sitting on a roof, as they often did in the early seasons. It’s clear she doesn’t trust him anymore and that she hates the things he put her through, but she still can’t bring herself to hate him. They sit in silence, staring into the night, digesting the last thing Diane says: “Sometimes life’s a bitch and you keep living.” And therein lies the moral of the show – that no matter how much the world beats us down, we can simply keep going.
A12 • FEBRUARY 11, 2020
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.
Pro/Con: Hofstra should bring back football
By Robert Kinnaird
Hofstra University’s football program lasted for 72 years before ending rather unceremoniously in 2009, citing waning interest of fans and high costs as the reasons for its termination. The $4.5 million yearly investment in the team was said to be an unjustifiably high amount to keep the program going. The football team was the only one of 18 sports programs that was cut that year, but maybe it was the wrong team to dissolve or the wrong place to cut costs. Hofstra football was an important part of our school for decades, and it may be time to bring it back. In a 2009 New York Times article about the program’s end, players on the team expressed a feeling of having the rug pulled out from under them by the program, and Hofstra graduates with NFL careers
expressed disappointment. well, we can make a team passion that students, both “Hofstra should have a football worth cheering for that sucpast and present, have for the team,” said Wayne Chrebet, a cessfully brings in more than school. Hofstra alumnus and former it costs. With the current president’s New York Jets receiver, in Hofstra is a NCAA Divi2021 retirement, a new opporthe article. “We’re not a huge sion I school that has been tunity for Hofstra University is school, but I’m sure kids who successful in countless sports on the horizon, and this could grew up in Long include a revamp of Island dream of our sports program if playing at Hofstra.” the board and RabiWith the upcomnowitz’s replacement “I hope that the future of the ing retirement of decide it would help President Stuart the school. There are sports program is taken into Rabinowitz, his recountless directions consideration when the keys to the the school could take placement may have the opportunity to in the future, but I golden elevator change hands.” resurrect the football hope that the future program and usher in of the sports program a new era for Hofstra is taken into considsports. Though the eration when the keys last few years of our football throughout its long history as a to the golden elevator change program were costly and failed university, and a few bad years hands. to bring meaningful revenue for football shouldn’t necessarFootball is a staple of colinto the school, college sports ily mean the permanent death lege sports across the country, are a multibillion-dollar inof the program. Maybe the new and Hofstra’s lack of a team is dustry that can help our school president can turn the program a problem for its students. It in countless ways, and if we into one that not only makes doesn’t matter how little you hire the right coach and recruit money, but also increases the care about sports; a decent
team builds school spirit and name recognition, engaging alumni in the happenings of the school. It can be a way for students to build a relationship between the school and the community around it. The name recognition can bring not just football fans, but potential journalism and business students who are interested in other aspects of the college football industry. After hosting the presidential debates, Hofstra needs something new to keep it in public eye, and the most popular college sport in the country could fill that role.
Pro/Con is a column in which members of the Hofstra community argue opposite sides of a given issue. Robert Kinnaird is a junior majoring in global studies and journalism.
Pro/Con: Leave Hofstra football in the past
By Yashu Pericherla
It has been over 10 years since Hofstra University terminated its football team, yet contention remains as to whether or not it was a good idea. Looking closely at the facts, it doesn’t take too much thought to understand whether or not the decision was a good one. The fact of the matter is that Hofstra University doesn’t need a football team. Hofstra has 21 NCAA Division I sports teams that compete at the collegiate level and have successfully brought home laurels. To sustain the football program, funds would need to be allocated away from these other teams, only to elevate an expensive team that was subject to waning interest in its final years. The decision was made to cut the team from Hofstra’s roster, and in doing so allowed the money to go to
better causes. Hofstra soccer, lacrosse and ridden team for the sake of a After cutting the football basketball teams have kept few students would not be a team, Hofstra was able to the Pride strong, contributing profitable idea. use the money to launch the highly to student morale. The Other schools in the state Zucker School of Medicine, money issued to these sports that have defunct college creating a much stronger programs (among others) football teams include medical program to compete allows Hofstra athletes, who New York University, with other New York schools were successful before the Long Island University, like NYU and Columbia. The influx of funding, to bring Niagara University, St. money that went to academia even more glory and prestige John’s University and St. also helped Bonaventure fund other University, hard sciences “The decision was made to cut the team among other as well as colleges in from Hofstra’s roster, and in doing so engineering, the area. As which no former allowed the money to go to better causes.” for doubt had Division a hand in I football generating teams, Boston interest to University, expand the new Cybersecurity to the institution. The men’s Drexel University and Texas Center in association with basketball team also boasts A&M University (Corpus the Zarb School of Business a higher number of student Christi) are among many and the DeMatteis School athletes who have gone on others who have dropped their of Engineering and Applied to play professionally. But debt-inducing football teams Science. Academically, the fact of the matter is that and focused more on the Hofstra has been stronger than very few college players money-generating aspects of ever. get selected to play in the their schools. And as for athletics, pros, and sustaining a debtSchool football teams
Have an opinion? We want to hear it. Email us at HUChronicle.Op.Ed@gmail.com
have always been given a special pass and extra funding at the expense of other extracurricular activities. Fine arts, other sports, academia – all have been sidelined in favor of perfecting a single sports team regardless of whether or not the team is successful. Hofstra’s decision to better improve the overall school instead of pouring obscene amounts of money into a single program was an easily calculated risk, which has paid off in the highest of dividends.
Pro/Con is a column in which members of the Hofstra community argue opposite sides of a given issue. Yashu Pericherla is a freshman English major from Texas.
THE CHRONICLE
By Daniel Cody
FEBRUARY 11, 2020 • A13
Io-why do we still do this caucus
On Monday, Feb. 3, the nation held its breath as the Iowa caucus went underway. Iowa, a small midwestern state, was the first barricade to the finish line: the Democratic party’s endorsement for the general election. With this nomination, candidates have the chance to tackle the be-all-end-all of political rivals: the Republican incumbent, Donald J. Trump. Luckily for candidates and party officials, the Iowa caucus system is efficient and streamlined – just kidding. The Iowa caucus seems like one solid vote but is actually thousands of town meetingesque events. The caucus structure employs an odd mixture between the traditional primary and rank-choice voting systems. Basically, caucuses incorporate electability and popular choice into the same concept. Think of the physical caucus event, or precinct, as a neighborhood
Comic by Mark Herron
OP-ED
meeting that weeds out less popular candidates. It’s most likely a high school cafeteria, gym or any space that can fit lots of community members and lots of political chaos. When the caucuses start, the number of eligible voters is taken. Then, people walk over to corners of the room where representatives of each candidate are situated. Candidates must have 15% of voters in the caucus to reach the viability threshold, which locks in their votes. After voters sign a preference card for their viable candidate, they can leave. When a candidate is deemed unviable, however, supporters can move to another side of the room and choose a different candidate. This process is called alignment, and there are two alignments before the caucus chair declares the results. Then, delegates are assigned proportionate to the amount of votes a candidate gets in all 1,681 of Iowa’s precincts.
The delegates from each Iowa county are shuffled through the bureaucracy to the national delegate equivalents, of which a candidate needs 1,991 to win the nomination on the first ballot. If you think this is a discombobulated entanglement of counting and delegating, you are not alone. This year, the Iowa caucus had a disappointing turnout, coming in at only 176,000 caucusgoers. For comparison, in 2008 the turnout was 238,000. I think of the caucus’ prime in the mid-to-late 20th century, days when Americans had engaged in record amounts of civic activity. Of course, even back then, those Americans were the white and wealthy who could spare a day to perform their civic duties. Today, it’s hard for people to skip a day of work or school; 78% of American workers are living paycheck to paycheck, according to Forbes. Good
generational representation even becomes questioned when wealth gaps are even more problematic among age demographics: If millennials are to catch up to Gen Xers’ value, they would have to triple their wealth in just four years. Overall, spending an evening in a room getting into awkward political fights with your neighbors is increasingly difficult to do. This is in part due to the decreasing civic engagement of America as a whole, a sociological phenomenon which is related to lack of associational membership and civic participation. The stereotype that only old people vote on election day has not been around forever, it’s a mixture of wealth disparity and generational values. Along with the timber box of bureaucracy that is the Iowa caucus, there was the added element of scandal on Monday, Feb. 3. An app designed by a firm called Shadow was used
Cirque d’Iowa
to litigate the different roles of caucus-goers. To the dismay of the Iowa Democratic party, the app experienced difficulties and was responsible for multiple delays in the release of the results. The media frenzy to follow would lead to public delusion and pressure on the Iowa Democratic party, spinning the news cycle into a broken record. The political circuses of the past couple weeks could have been circumvented had Iowa and the rest of America come to the realization that caucuses do not work in the 21st century. It is an overly complicated and odd system that eminently topples over in voter and campaign chaos.
Daniel Cody is a freshman journalism major from Pennsylvania who writes about politics.
OP-ED
A14 • FEBRUARY 11, 2020
The MTA protects people who already live comfortably
By Micaela Erickson In December, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) announced that 500 new officers will be hired to police subway stations across New York City. Implementing this increased police presence will cost the MTA $250 million. The MTA is calling this exorbitant effort a way to improve New Yorkers’ “quality of life.” This is a huge contradiction, as this plan directly harms some of the city’s most vulnerable groups. The MTA listed a number of reasons why more officers are needed, two of them being fare evasion and homelessness. Living without shelter is not and never has been a crime, and treating people without homes as criminals does not help their situation and actively makes it worse. Policing the homeless and hurting poor people over a
$2.75 fare is far from “improving quality of life.” This action is classist and violent and will only perpetuate harassment of marginalized groups in New York City. People of color are disproportionately affected by police violence. The majority of homeless and impoverished New Yorkers are also people of color, and the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) undeniable history of violence makes this decision racist and oppressive too. The “action-oriented movement,” known as Decolonize This Place, has been organizing protests calling for the removal of cops from the subway system, full accessibility and free transit since November. On Friday, Jan. 31, protestors flooded Grand Central Terminal, marking the third “Fuck the Police” (FTP) demonstration. The protesters then took to the streets and subway sta-
tions. Some left anti-cop graffiti throughout various parts of the city and others jumped turnstiles and coated them with Gorilla Glue to keep people from swiping MetroCards. About 15 people were arrested during the demonstrations, most of whom were people of color. The NYPD has claimed no intentional racial profiling, but that’s not something they’d ever willingly admit to. Social media has played a vital role in these FTP demonstrations, with the protest quickly becoming a trending topic on Twitter. A lot of users criticized the actions taken by protestors (namely the Gorilla Glue on turnstiles), but the anger with the NYPD and the MTA is more than justifiable. Direct action must be taken if anything is going to change. How can the MTA spending $250 million on cops be considered “improving quality of life” when they can’t even
implement working elevators and accessible entrances to every station in the city? Only 36 out of 147 subway stations in New York City are wheelchair accessible; this doesn’t even seem like the bare minimum. But again, policing those in poverty is the real thing to be concerned with here. Twelve members of the NYPD drawing weapons and chasing down an unarmed black man for fare evasion isn’t an example of building a better New York City. Arresting and fining vendors for trying to make a living is not improving anyone’s quality of life. I’ll take the MTA’s claims seriously when public transit is free and accessible to all.
murder charges and was linked with draconian censorship policies in the 1990s. Similarly, Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was found guilty of embezzlement after reports were leaked from Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau three years ago, while Saulos Chilima, a politician originally affiliated with the DPP, started his own political party due to a personal vendetta against Mutharika. Corruption repeats each presidential term, irrespective of the incumbent party. The issue, then, is not with policy but rather with the governmental framework as a whole. We should not view Malawi through a monolithic lens. The country’s over 18 million citizens comprise nearly 10 ethnic groups and speak over a dozen languages. This diversity has existed in Malawi for centuries, yet political factions often transcend it. In the election that took place last May, Mutharika won over Lazarus Chakwera of the MCP by 3%, a victory which was later revealed to have been facilitated by election tampering involving the usage of correction fluid on
ballots. Party supporters are growing increasingly weary of continuing to invest in politicians who are more concerned with prolonging power and feuding with rivals than serving the needs of the people. Increased deforestation and overfishing hurt Malawian livelihoods. The country’s literacy rate was reported last year to be less than 63%, with a majority of the literate being male. The country also has no women in government, despite 56% of Malawi’s registered voter base being female. Poverty and the inaccessibility of education plague Malawi’s rural areas, while the AIDS epidemic, hepatitis A, typhoid fever and malaria continue to affect Malawian communities, most of which have little access to healthcare. While the country’s everyday people struggle with these issues, individuals in positions of power in Lilongwe, the nation’s capital city, view politics as mere entertainment. Malawian parties’ political stances are analogous to those of the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S., yet the parties’ legislative efficacy is
not. Lobbyists have immense power to sway elections and curb bills. Opinion pollsters in Malawi, according to the nation’s electoral commission, can also be easily influenced to alter reports. The nation’s democracy is wholly nonfunctional and is undermined by both major parties, whose agendas are seldom synchronized with the concerns of the Malawian people. Malawi has produced some of the world’s most brilliant minds, spanning the fields of art, science, athletics, writing and activism. The disconnect between its governance and its constituents, however, perpetuates its penury and socioeconomic circumstances. Malawi’s aforementioned 1993 transition toward a democratic system exemplified the spirit of its people and marked a desire for accountability and genuine change. It’s time the Malawian government starts taking that vision seriously.
Nestled in southeastern Africa, Malawi remains as impoverished as it was in the mid1900s. Although the bordering nations of Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique have grown to become significant regional powers in recent decades, facilitating scientific research and improving overall economic and health conditions, Malawi has struggled to ascend the ladders of social indicators. The country’s tattered state is largely a byproduct of successive negligent governments, a fact which has reared its ugly head once again this week as the country’s 2019 general elections were annulled by the Constitutional Court of Malawi, citing electoral fraud. In 1993, Malawians voted almost unanimously in favor of shifting from one-party rule, which it maintained after its independence from Great Britain, to a democratic and bipartisan government. This was motivated chiefly by Malawians’ disdain for Hastings Banda, the leader of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) during the independence movement, who faced
QUICK HITS
HIT IT AND ACQUIT IT On Wednesday, Feb. 5, President Trump was acquitted on all charges regarding his impeachment trial
Micaela Erickson is sophomore journalism major.
Malawi: Take your people seriously
By Visvajit Sriramrajan
THE CHRONICLE
Visvajit Sriramrajan is a student from the Chicago area double majoring in journalism and linguistics.
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON This past weekend ushered in the image of a “Super Snow Moon,” one of the biggest full moons in a calendar year.
FEEL THE BERN Monday, Feb. 10, marked the first time Senator Bernie Sanders surpassed Former Vice President Joe Biden in a poll that was conducted by Business Insider with 25% of the vote.
THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT The Iowa Caucus took place on Monday, Feb. 3, but results remain tumultuous as errors in counting ballots arise from the app “Shadow.”
THE CHRONICLE
FEBRUARY 11, 2020 A 15
SPORTS
Pride Performer of the Week
VS WAGNER
4 GOALS 2 ASSISTS
JUSTIN
SYKES
Graphic courtesy of Anthony Roberts
Pro Focus: The consequence of technology in the MLB By Zevan Shuster STAFF WRITER
As Eddie Guerrero once said, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” But perhaps the Houston Astros tried a little bit too hard. Sure, sign-stealing has existed in baseball since the beginning of the game. Whether it be the runner on second base, the third or first base coach or even the opposing dugout, teams have been stealing signs to gain a competitive edge for a very long time. This could technically be considered cheating, but in the baseball world, that is considered gamesmanship. Using the human eye and human senses to track signs is not only accepted, but often encouraged. Technology, however, is where things get dicey, to say the least. When technology is used in place of the human element, the integrity of the
game comes into question. And to get ahead, the Astros didn’t just use technology; they abused it. A Major League Baseball (MLB) investigation found the Astros stole signs electronically by having a camera positioned in center field zooming in on the catcher while simultaneously having someone in the clubhouse watch the feed. Someone would then bang on a trash can if an off-speed pitch was coming and do nothing if the catcher had called a fastball instead. This would be bad enough, but the damage it caused is irreparable. This was not just a run-of-the-mill team doing it either. The Astros used this system in the postseason during their championship run in 2017. Famously, the Astros came back from 4-0 and 7-4 leads on their way to beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the 2017 World Series, nailing Clayton Kershaw for seven runs.
Whatever was left of Kershaw’s postseason legacy was shattered after that World Series. It’s impossible to know what could have been, or if his career would have been defined differently had the Dodgers won, but the thought of it surely keeps Dodgers fans up at night. Perhaps more than any other sport, baseball has been notorious for scandals. As far back as 1918, the Chicago White Sox lost the World Series on purpose in exchange for money. Pete Rose, the all-time hits leader in MLB history, is permanently banned from the game of baseball for betting on the sport (he alleges that he only bet on his own team, though that still diminishes the integrity of the game). And for decades, players across baseball used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, considered by many to be the greatest pitcher
and hitter, respectively, of all time, still have not been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame because of their PED scandals. However, this sign-stealing scandal was undoubtedly the worst of them all. A scandal like this changes careers. It can lead to demotions after players struggle against the Astros or, as Freddie Freeman explained about his teammate Kris Medlen, make someone retire
altogether. Several pitchers said that they would rather face a hitter who is on PEDs than one who knows what pitch is coming. Right as baseball was easing out of the era of cheating, the sport is back in the spotlight. Except this time, it’s exponentially worse. How can the nation’s pastime be trusted?
Photo courtesy of Bob Levey A.J. Hinch and Jeff Luhnow were both fired by the Houston Astros.
A 16• FEBRUARY 11, 2020
THE CHRONICLE
SPORTS
Men’s lacrosse routes Wagner in season opener
By Justin Joseph STAFF WRITER
Final Hofstra
21
Wagner
11
The Hofstra men’s lacrosse team made a statement in their season-opening 21-11 win against the Wagner College Seahawks at James M. Shuart Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 8. Freshman Justin Sykes could not have asked for a better start to his Hofstra career, netting four goals in the game. He also received help from numerous teammates, such as junior Dylan McIntosh and senior Ryan Tierney, who each had a hat trick in the game. “Just felt good to finally wear the same color jersey as all my brothers in the locker room and do battle with them,” Sykes said. “I’m excited about the win today, but we have a lot of work
to do ... I am excited for the week to come.” “Games like today when we can get everybody in are huge for the future of the program,” Tierney said. For the Seahawks, Tyler Lawton also had four goals in his first game of the season and was accompanied by Jake Garb and Mikey Vanaman, who each had two goals apiece. Hofstra got on the board first as Sykes scored a man-up goal, the first of his career, off an assist from junior James Philbin to take a 1-0 lead off a Wagner penalty at the 11:11 mark in the first quarter. Wagner wasted no time, as they scored just over a minute later when Tim Schmidt got past the Hofstra defense to even the game at 1-1 with 10 minutes left in the first quarter. Hofstra got on the board again when junior Riley Forte scored an unassisted goal with a little over nine minutes remaining to take the lead 2-1 over the Seahawks. The Pride then got an unassisted goal from freshman
Sam Lutfi at the 7:22 mark to gain a 3-1 advantage. Both teams’ defense held up for the next couple of minutes, with each goalie making a save in net for their teams. Hofstra then dented the twine again when Sykes found the back of the net after driving to the right of a defender and juking another to the floor to take a commanding 4-1 with 3:42 remaining in the quarter. Wagner finally stopped the bleeding when Garb got past Hofstra goalie Bobby Casey to cut the deficit to 4-2 to end the first quarter of play. The Pride’s attack would continue early in the second quarter as McIntosh scored his first goal of the season to make the score 5-2, just 34 seconds into the second stanza of play. Hofstra’s balanced scoring continued as Tierney and freshman Ryan Sheridan both struck the net to give the Pride a 7-2 lead with nearly 10 minutes left in the second quarter. The Pride spread their attack around and found multiple options on
offense to score goals. “It’s unbelievable ... looking down the roster and seeing that three freshmen have scored their goals [to] combine for seven goals is awesome,” Tierney said. Wagner got on the board again when Lawton scored for the Seahawks to make it 7-3. From there, the Seahawks climbed back into the game with a Stephen Dwyer goal to bring the score closer at 7-4 with a little over seven minutes remaining until the half. Both teams struggled to score again until Lawton found the back of the net for his second time in the afternoon, making the score 7-5 with 4:21 remaining until the half. After their hot start, Hofstra went on a scoring drought for nearly eight minutes of play in the second stanza until Hofstra scored two crucial goals within 12 seconds of each other, off the sticks of Philbin and senior Michael Altmann to take a 9-5 lead into the half. The Seahawks came out of
the gate fast, with Garb scoring his second goal at the 11:45 mark. On the very next play, Wagner goalie Danny Brady made a key stop to keep Hofstra off the scoreboard. The Pride then went on a 7-0 scoring run with Altmann, Sheridan and McIntosh, among others, scoring their second goals for the evening, with the first coming just 25 seconds after the big save by Wagner and off the stick of Altmann. With Hofstra now up 16-6 at the 10:44 mark in the final quarter, Wagner was forced to make a change at goalie from Brady to John Wright, but it made no difference as Hofstra cruised to the victory. The Pride, now 1-0 on the year, will be back in action Saturday, Feb. 15, when they host the University of Michigan. The game will start at 11 a.m.
Men’s basketball overcomes 16-point deficit over Huskies By Justin Joseph STAFF WRITER
Final Hofstra
NU
75
71
Hofstra men’s basketball managed to pull out a narrow 75-71 victory over the Northeastern University Huskies on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Desure Buie and Jalen Ray each poured in 22 points apiece in the game, while on the other side, Jordan Roland led the Huskies with 32 points. Roland was the first person to score in the game, hitting a midrange jumper over Jalen Ray for the 2-0 lead. The Huskies went on a 6-0 run, forcing Hofstra to call an early timeout as they trailed 8-0 at the 17:50 mark. The Pride started out the
game in man-to-man defense, which is uncommon since they are predominately a 2-3 zone defense. “Sometimes it gives us energy ... There are three or four games where we did that and it’s been good to us, but it wasn’t [today] so we went back to zone,” said Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich. Hofstra started out early shooting 0-for-5 from the field and did not hit a basket until Tareq Coburn hit a three-pointer to make the score 13-4, in favor of the Huskies, with under 15 minutes to go in the half. Roland then hit a fadeaway three from the left corner to put his team up 18-4 with 13:25 to go until intermission. No one had success early for Hofstra offensively as they struggled to knock down shots from the field going 5-for-20 up until the eight-minute mark, compared to the Huskies 10-for17 from the field. Slowly, the Pride began to claw their way back into the
game off a mini 5-0 run by Pemberton started on a threepointer from the left wing to cut the deficit to eight points. The Pride came as close as six points with 1:44 left in the half until Northeastern went to the line and made both pairs of free throws to lead 38-28 with a minute remaining. Buie would close out the half for the Pride with a turn around jumper at the buzzer to head to the break trailing 40-30. Roland was the high performer for Northeastern and their only double-digit scorer, netting 19 points in the half going 7-for-12 from the field as well as 3-for-7 from behind the arc. Pemberton was the only double digit scorer for the Pride in the half as well, leading the way with 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field. Collectively, the Pride shot 31% from the floor in the first half and that percentage dipped to 25% from downtown. The Huskies shot 51% from the field and a scintillating 44% from
three. The defensive tenacity for both teams picked up early in the second half, with both teams combining for only 10 points in the first four minutes. Over the next four minutes, there were unfavorable calls from the referees on both sides, none bigger than the call that gave Huskies star Roland his fourth foul on the evening, which prompted the head coach Bill Coen, to pull his star player from the game. With Roland gone, the Pride went on a 9-0 run over a 2:43 span in which they made five of seven shots from the field. Stafford Trueheart stole the ball and dunked it in transition to send the Mack Complex into a frenzy as the team cut within four points. The Pride tied the game at 50 with under 10 minutes to go in the game and at the nineminute mark, they took a 53-52 lead over Northeastern off a three-point shot by Ray. Buie then sank back-to-back threes to give the Pride a 59-54
lead with 7:12 left in the game, which capped off a 20-4 run by Hofstra. Both teams struggled to score down the stretch but Hofstra found the bottom of the net a little more over the closing minutes en route to their home victory. Northeastern cut it to 69-68 off a fadeaway, onehanded shot by Roland, but still came up short. “Our late game execution was great. All the execution goes to them ... To a tee, these guys were great,” Mihalich said. Hofstra has now won four straight games and move to 18-7 on the year, and 9-3 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. The Huskies drop their fourth straight contest and fall to 11-13 on the year with a 5-7 record in the CAA. Hofstra is in action again Thursday, Feb. 13, when they face the College of Charleston at home. That game starts at 7 p.m. and will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.
THE CHRONICLE
FEBRUARY 11, 2020 A 17
SPORTS
Late rally falls short for women’s basketball against Delaware By Tony Genualdo STAFF WRITER
F i nal Delaware
77
Hofstra
67
The Hofstra women’s basketball team dropped their 13th straight game in a 7767 loss to the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens on Sunday, Feb. 9, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. The Pride is now 3-19 this season and 0-11 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. Hofstra was looking for their first conference win of the season against an eighth place Delaware team. While Delaware was only 4-6 in conference play, they came into this game on a
two-game winning streak. The first quarter saw Hofstra get to an early 6-4 lead. The Blue Hens went on a 4-0 run after calling a timeout, but the Pride bounced back. Hofstra was almost perfect on their shot attempts in the last six minutes of the first quarter, the only miss being JaKayla Brown’s attempt at the buzzer to end the quarter with the score tied at 14. Delaware only shot 31% from the field in the quarter, with Hofstra shooting 67%. The second quarter was not a good shooting quarter for the Pride. Ana Hernandez Gil, the Pride’s three-point sharpshooter, missed all seven of her threepoint attempts. The team had a scoring drought in the middle of the quarter that would last over three minutes until Marianne Kalin ended it with 3:24 remaining. Delaware led at halftime, 35-28. Delaware held Hofstra
scoreless for a little over three minutes to start the third quarter, going on a 6-0 run. The first score of the half from the Pride would come from Hernandez Gil as she finally got a three to go down. She had a very productive second half, leading the team in points with 14. Hofstra would have another scoring drought later in the quarter, this time for four and a half minutes. This would be broken by Jaylen Hines with 54 seconds left. Hines finished with 11 points and led the team with 5 rebounds. “We just knew that we had to limit their offensive rebounds, so whenever they shot, we found somebody,” Hines said. The Pride finished with 17 defensive rebounds. The fourth quarter saw an opportunity for Hofstra. Delaware called a timeout with 6:41 to play, after which the Pride went on an 8-2 run. The
Pride tried to make a late push in the final two minutes of the game, with Hines continuing to put points on the board. However, in the end, Delaware kept up and defeated Hofstra 77-67. Nine players in total put points on the board for the Pride, including four players who had double digits. “[Kalin] and [Hines] have done a great job of putting themselves in the right position
to be able to score,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “[Hernandez Gil] steps up for us consistently. People coming off the bench, we need that. It’s going to be a team effort for us, and we’ve known that since the beginning of the year.” The Pride returns to action on Friday, Feb. 14, as they travel to North Carolina to take on the Phoenix of Elon.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Jaylen Hines finished with 11 points in Sunday’s game against Delaware.
HOFSTRA ATHLETIC CALENDAR MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHARLESTON
UNC-WILMINGTON
@ ELON
@ WILLIAM & MARY
2/13 7 P.M.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
2/14 7 P.M.
WRESTLING
2/16 11 A.M.
BROWN
2/16 1:30 P.M.
MICHIGAN 2/15 11 A.M.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE
SOFTBALL
2/16 2 P.M.
HARVARD
MEN'S LACROSSE
BASEBALL
2/15 4 P.M.
BUCKNELL 2/15 2 P.M.
@ PURDUE 2/14 3 P.M.
@ DRAKE / STANFORD 2/14 2:30 / 5 P.M.
@ PURDUE
@ PURDUE
@ DRAKE / STANFORD
@ DRAKE
2/15 1 P.M. (DH) 2/15 10 A.M. / 12:30 P.M.
2/16 12 P.M. 2/16 9 A.M.
A 18• FEBRUARY 11, 2020
THE CHRONICLE
SPORTS
Baseball looking for hot start to season in 2020
By Eddie Gardner STAFF WRITER
After an up and down 2019 campaign that ended with a heartbreaking loss in the regular season finale, the Hofstra baseball team is gearing up for another season with hopes of a better result. The Pride aims to start the season on a stronger note than they did a year ago, when they had a dreadful record of 6-24 in the first half of the season. Despite their early struggles, they came together as a team and produced a record of 127-1 in their final 20 games and finished with an overall record of 18-31-1 and 10-14 in conference play. Unfortunately for the Pride, their dreams of a remarkable comeback and a spot in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament came up short when they fell to the College of William & Mary in the final game of the regular season. “Last year was kind of bitter,” said Hofstra starting pitcher Jack Jett. “We had a great run toward the end of last season, but this year we want to clean that up because the first half wasn’t good, so now we’re going to hit the ground running and try to start it off how we finished last
year.” With that bitter taste of last season’s finish still in the mouths of the Pride, head coach John Russo is optimistic his team has what it takes to come out firing in 2020. “The one thing I’ve liked is where our starting pitching is. I feel like Jett, Ryan Rue, Jimmy Joyce and Steven Boscia are all throwing really well, but we do need to get a couple more guys from the bullpen throwing better,” Russo said. “I have liked the effort from the position players, and I feel like in the last three or four days they’re finally starting to catch up with the pitching and have had better offensive days against them.” Hofstra’s pitching has always been one of their strengths, and this year Russo and pitching coach Blake Nation will be counting on Jett and Rue to lead the starting staff at the top of the rotation. “[Rue], as a freshman last year, took the ball every weekend, but it was definitely a labor of love because it was hard for him to do,” Russo said. “Some weekends we got three or four [innings] from him, we’ve tried to get five and sometimes maybe a sixth. So we’re going to need a little bit longer outings from
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Jon Russo is entering his ninth season as head coach and 12th season with the Pride.
[Rue] this year.” “As for Jett, he really got us going midway through last year,” Russo said. “The last two weekends he beat the [University of] Delaware and William & Mary and had a great summer at the Cape Cod Baseball League. He ended up throwing almost 100 innings this summer, so with those two at the top of our rotation, we’re super excited.” With the pitching staff looking strong, Hofstra’s batters have pretty big shoes to fill now that star catcher Vito Friscia was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 40th round of last season’s Major League Baseball draft. “You don’t replace [Friscia],” Russo said. “He is just a great hitter and you hope Rob Weissheier has a similar type year to [Friscia] or something to that nature.” With Friscia now onto bigger things in his baseball career, senior Weissheier is the next man up to lead the Pride’s offense with his great power and ability to help his younger teammates. “It’s going to be tough to follow [Friscia],” Weissheier said. “He was something special and really fun watching him hit, but he taught me a few things
and hopefully I’ll be able to get going this season and do something like he did.” Weissheier is coming off a career year in 2019 in which he blasted eight home runs, tying Friscia for the team high, and drove in 28 runs. To go along with Weissheier, Hofstra features two other young stars at the plate, Austin Gauthier and Anthony D’Onofrio. While both experienced breakout seasons last year, junior Gauthier enters this year being named to the 2020 Preseason All-CAA team. Gauthier looks to build on his 2019 season where he batted .269 with two home runs and 22 RBIs. D’Onofrio burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2019 and also drove in 22 runs with two home runs. Now entering his second season with the Pride, he looks to take another step forward at the plate. “Getting that experience is important and D’Onofrio getting a lot of starts last year was huge for him coming back this year because he’s now seen that CAA pitching,” Weissheier said. “For [Gauthier], he hit really well last year so he knows what he’s going to see and can really prepare
for the season.” Hofstra also welcomes infielder Brian Goulard, who transferred from Fordham University and will be a muchneeded boost for the Pride’s offense. In his final season at Fordham, Goulard drove in 30 runs while also carrying a .280 batting average. “Having Goulard should also help in replacing [Friscia], but the other thing I like is that we [have] about nine other guys who had over 50 at-bats or more last year,” Russo said. “Last year at this time, we were really inexperienced and didn’t know what we had on the mound or position player-wise so we have a really good idea of where we’re at going in right now. Although Hofstra was ranked No. 8 in the preseason coaches’ poll, they hope to prove everyone wrong. “Our goal is to win the CAA. That’s it,” Weissheier said. “That’s been the goal, that’s what we’ve been working for and putting in those extra hours for every day – to win the CAA.” Hofstra’s season will kick off on Friday, Feb. 14, when they take on Purdue University in Sanford, Florida.
THE CHRONICLE
FEBRUARY 11, 2020 A 19
SPORTS
Pride searching for identity behind young core
By Mike Senatore STAFF WRITER
The Hofstra softball team is preparing for its 2020 campaign, in which they will look to re-enter the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship picture after a disappointing 2019 saw them fail to defend their 2018 conference championship. In 2019, the Pride came under the helm of new head coach Jay Miller. The previous coach, Larissa Anderson, left the program after leading the team to a CAA Championship win and an appearance in the NCAA Regionals in her fourth year in the position. The team struggled to find a rhythm in the following year, as the void left by the championship team’s nine departing seniors proved too big to fill in just one year. This year, with an exceptional group of sophomores and eight freshmen entering the program, the team’s youth is key to Miller. “Our future is the freshman and sophomore class, so that group is the group that we have to rely on to carry this program,” Miller said. “I think that both Alexis [Goeke] and Kristin [Hallam] have done a great job of providing senior leadership for our young kids.
They’re great role models, both on and off the field, for our team and they’ve really set the tone for this year’s ball club.” The team has already faced adversity prior to the season even getting underway. Three of the team’s players have undergone or will undergo season-ending surgery, rendering them unable to play in the 2020 season. Included in that group is Hallam, a senior infielder who’s blossomed into a key player for the Pride. She’s undergone a successful UCL surgery, commonly known as Tommy John surgery, in the preseason. “We’re going to miss having [Hallam] with us this year,” Miller said. “She was the Defensive Player of the Year in the CAA last year and was our catalyst – our lead-off hitter on offense as well. [She] set a record for stolen bases, so those are things that we’re going to miss. We’re going to have to have somebody else step up to fill that void, but her rehab and
next year at full strength.” Devyn Losco, a junior catcher who played in every game last season, will not compete due to UCL surgery as well. Sam Ward, a junior catcher who just transferred from Rider University, is out for the year due to ACL surgery. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have a few kids out for the season, but it gives other people an opportunity to show what they can do and step up, so that’s what we’re looking for them to do,” Coach Miller said. Hallam will return to the team next year to complete her senior eligibility, leaving seniors Alexa Corben and designated player Goeke as the team’s only departing members. Goeke was one of two Pride players to be named to the CAA’s AllConference First Team last year, along with Meghan Giordano. Giordano excelled in her freshman season with the Pride, earning CAA Co-Rookie of the Year honors. She ranked in the top 10 in many offensive
an incoming freshman, has to be a leader.” On the mound, sophomores Madison Burns and Mackenzie Suto will be joined by two freshmen right-handed pitchers,
“They think we won’t be at the [CAA] Tournament ... We’re here to prove everybody wrong.” recovery has been going very well. I expect her to come back
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Jay Miller is hopeful for a strong year in his second season.
stats for the CAA including total hits, RBIs, home runs, batting average and on-base percentage. In each category, she was Hofstra’s leader as well. Giordano credited her freshman year success to the unity found in the locker room. “When all the girls are working together, and we’re all seeing each other’s achievements and going out there every single day and working for what we want, it creates this bond that we have,” Giordano said. “Everyone on our team is a leader in some way. Whether it’s on the field, off the field [or] in the classroom, every single person has a role. I think that’s really important that every person, whether you’re a senior or even
Nikki Mullin and Natalie Grubczak. This creates a flexibility at the position that the team did not have last year, as they only had the thenfreshmen Burns and Suto as options. “Both [Burns] and [Suto] are much improved over last year,” Miller said. “Having a year under your belt makes a tremendous difference at the Division I level, and I think they were both able to see, last year, what it takes to compete at this level, and they both came back a lot stronger. And, they’ve got some help; it was just the two of them last year, so, especially by the end of the year, we got pretty tired on the mound. “Both [Mullin and Grubczak]
are freshmen that I think have tremendous potential ... they have some experienced kids ahead of them, and [Burns] and [Suto] have both done a great job of helping them get accustomed to what Division I softball is all about and what it takes to compete,” Miller said. “I think our freshmen are going to surprise some people.” Above all, the team wants to return to the level of play that brought them the CAA Championship in 2018. While the CAA’s pre-season polls might not expect the Pride to make the jump this year, ranking the team No. 6, the team remains confident despite their underdog status. “[Returning to the CAA Championship] is really important to us,” Giordano said. “The pre-season polls just came out, and we were ranked No. 6, which means they think we won’t be at the tournament. It’s a piece of motivation for us because we’re here to prove everybody wrong. Everybody’s working, day in and day out, giving 110%, to make sure that we get there, and we don’t just stop there – [that] we keep going.”
Back Cover: Men’s lacrosse erupts in season opener
THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE
SPORTS
February 11, 2020
21 Jump Street
Men’s lacrosse hangs 21 on Wagner for a convincing win in their season opener. Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics