The Hofstra Chronicle March 23, 2021

T H E HOFS T R A

CHRONICLE

HEMPSTEAD, NY VOLUME 86 ISSUE 6

TUESDAY March 23, 2021

KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935.

NEWS

Hofstra dance team pleads for University support

By Madeline Armstrong ASSISTA N T N E WS E D I TO R

Hofstra’s nationally and world ranked dance team has asked the University to allow them to practice in person, following COVID-19 safety guidelines, since the beginning of the fall semester. However, upon receiving vague responses from the school, the team decided to take matters into their own hands by releasing a petition calling for in-person practices and the ability to compete in the United Dance Association (UDA) 2021 national championships.

“We were just trying to find ways to progress and [the University] kept telling us that the lines were blurred,” said Gianna Cohan, a junior marketing major and captain of the Hofstra dance team. “So, we had to take it upon us, as a team.”

The petition, created by Cory

Holm, a Hofstra graduate and former member of the dance team, has received over 2,000 signatures with immense support from the Hofstra community. The team has been entirely virtual since the closing of the school in March 2020 and the biggest struggle the dancers have faced is the availability of space to practice.

“Space is a huge issue,” said Amy Oliver, a senior political science and sociology major and member of the Hofstra dance team. “Most team members are practicing in their dorm rooms or common rooms.”

Bella LoBue, a freshman communications major, has been on the dance team for 11 months and has yet to meet in person with the entire team. “It’s always been a dream of mine to dance with these immeasurable, talented athletes that this team breeds,” she said. “Being that

it’s my first year and it’s resulted in being stuck behind a Zoom screen has been really disappointing.”

In a typical season, the team practices four times a week in addition to team workouts.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the team has retained their usual practice schedule, but the entirety of it has been virtual.

However, the petition did catch the University’s eye and they have told the dance team they are allowed to compete in the UDA championship virtually, and they can utilize the new space allocations announced by the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement.

Despite these accommodations, the dance team remains frustrated. They were not given permission from the University until less than a month before

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Photo courtesy of the Hofstra Dance Team The Hofstra University dance team has won the United Dance Association national championships seven times in past years.

Hofstra students and staff address concerns with Resident Safety program

By Megan Naftali and Jessica Ren

SPECIA LS TO TH E C H R O N ICLE

Photo courtesy of Megan Naftali Student employees are speaking up against poor working conditions within the Resident Safety program.

Hofstra students are expressing concern over the unfair treatment of student employees and technological issues within the Resident Safety program during COVID-19. Complaints from Resident Safety Representatives (RSR) include a lack of breaks, inability to call out sick and inoperative T-monitors. “[Working as an RSR] is already not the best, and not being able to get a break through any of that is quite distressing,” said Rosa Edwards, a sophomore political science and economics double major and former RSR. “It felt like there was really nobody to talk to about it. Whenever I brought up complaints to the office, they would just say ‘I’m sorry about that, we will

make sure it doesn’t happen again,’ and then it would happen again.”

There are multiple accounts alleging that students were not offered meal breaks during an eight hour shift.

“I’ve seen other people who have not gotten meal breaks,” said Alexis Vega, a sophomore forensic science and drama double major and current RSR. “Or that have called and they haven’t been told when their meal breaks were.”

Student workers not receiving breaks is against the law according to section VI-6 of the 2020 Resident Safety Representative manual. “According to New York State labor laws, students employed with Resident Safety are required to take a half hour break after six consecutive hours of work,” the manual

states.

“In terms of breaks, I have given the okay to put on more people so that we do have enough staff to give those breaks,” said Karen O’Callaghan, director of public safety.

However, the lack of availability of meal breaks is not the only issue RSR staff is facing.

The inability to call out sick during the pandemic also poses an issue for student workers.

Edwards attempted to call out sick one evening during the Winter 2020-2021 session and was told that they must come in for their shift, despite already being over the maximum work hours that week due to copious amounts of students calling out.

Upon arrival, Edwards immediately began vomiting in the

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NEWS

A2 •MARCH 23, 2021

THE CHRONICLE

COVID-19: One year later 203 Student Center hofstrachronicle@gmail.com

Editors-in-Chief Melanie Haid Drashti Mehta Managing Editor Visvajit Sriramrajan Business Manager Robert Kinnaird News Editor Annemarie LePard Assistant News Editors Ahjané Forbes Marjorie Rogers Madeline Armstrong A&E Editors Eleni Kothesakis Victoria Bell Assistant A&E Editors Jacob Huller Kat Salmon Sports Editors Anthony Roberts Mike Senatore Assistant Sports Editor Will Wiegleman Features Editors Betty Araya Audra Nemirow Micaela Erickson Op-Ed Editors Jessica Zhang Daniel Cody Assistant Op-Ed Editors Yashu Pericherla Aja Ward Copy Chief Odessa Stork Assistant Copy Chiefs Antonia Moffa Julia Razzante Multimedia Editors Robert Kinnaird Adam Flash Talha Siddiqui Assistant Multimedia Editor Jacob Lewis Social Media Team Gab Varano Tori Licata Anthony Roberts Editor-at-Large David Lazar The Chronicle is published on Tuesdays 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 an advertisement are not endorsed by The Chronicle or its staff.

By Katrina O’Brien S P E CI AL TO T HE CHR O N ICLE

Whether it’s directly or indirectly, this past year has changed everyone’s lives, mentally and physically. To date, the United States has surpassed over 500,000 deaths due to the coronavirus. Since his inauguration, President Joe Biden’s agenda has included a number of executive orders designed to flatten the curve, with hopes that by the end of May there will be enough vaccines for all adult citizens. Biden’s aggressive plan for his first 100 days of presidency also includes the recentlypassed American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan which aims to invest $20 billion in a national vaccine program and $50 billion for testing. In New York state, only 9.4% of the population is fully vaccinated.

The CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) researchers identified census tracts with high levels of both social vulnerability and COVID-19 infection. The CDC SVI ranks each region in various social factors, including unemployment rate, poverty, number of single-parent households, those who rely on public transportation and crowded housing. These factors are grouped into four subject matters: disability, socioeconomic, ethnicity and household arrangement. The elements that contribute to social vulnerability, such as income, education, poverty, race and ethnicity, heavily affect who will suffer the most from

the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think that many people who need to get the vaccine obviously aren’t getting it in time,” said Justin Joseph, a journalism graduate student. “And certain people who aren’t eligible to get it due to the community they live in will be at the end of the list.”

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have

wide, it will take a long time for all those in urban communities to have access to vaccines.

During Hofstra University’s virtual event titled COVID: A Year in Review, Rebecca Sanin, president and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, shared her thoughts on the challenges people are facing due to limited access to vaccines and healthcare.

Courtesy of The New York Times The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed significant issues as to how healthcare is perceived and experienced by disparate communities and individuals. Law and public health experts explore the ethical, medical and social challenges associated with access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments in the NYC/Long Island areas.

put forward a seven-point plan to beat COVID-19, according to their BuildBackBetter transition website. The plan calls for establishing a U.S. Public Health Jobs Corps to mobilize at least 100,000 Americans across the country, with their main focus being protecting high-risk communities. Although they are increasing personal protective equipment accessibility nation-

“People who were struggling before the pandemic are now in crisis and there’s a whole new crowd of people who never relied on government services in their life and never relied on nonprofit services, who are in desperate need,” she said. “We had to very quickly understand that we were dealing with different populations, exploding needs across the board, different

populations have acquired us to really reinvent our strategy as we went along. So I don’t think anyone is completely prepared for a crisis, but as an organization we were prepared to bring the right people to the table to work together, to do the best we could in crisis.”

As Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely to live in multigenerational homes, selfisolation becomes more difficult for family members who have possibly come into contact with the virus. These conditions can lead to increased risk of transmission and community prevalence as well.

“What we really have to look at is that we all are hopeful that there will be an end and [that] vaccines will be eventually distributed across different communities,” said Martine Hackett, associate professor of health professions. “We can’t ignore the communities that don’t have the access that we have.

As vaccines will be distributed and eventually people will live without the mask mandate, other neighborhoods will get the access sooner than others. We cannot forget about those who will continue to be affected in the long term due to the lack of access opposed to others.”

Doctors at Long Island blood centers call for blood donations amid shortage

By Caitlin O’Brien S P E CI AL TO T HE CHR O N ICLE

Long Island is in the midst of a blood shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To combat the deficit, local blood centers and doctors are calling for new and veteran donors to meet the need.

Social distancing requirements have required many schools and workplaces to transition to remote work, causing blood banks to lose a reliable supply of donations from pop-up drives. New York state’s largest supplier of blood, the New York Blood Center (NYBC), is now primarily relying on physical

donation centers to meet the need for nearly 2,000 donations per day.

“The need for blood has not decreased, but the convenience and people’s willingness to donate did,” said Andrea Cefarelli, senior executive director at NYBC. NYBC relied on about 30,000

blood donations per month before the pandemic, according to Cefarelli. Now the center only gets around 75% of that amount, which she said cannot fulfill the traditional and emergency needs of hospital patients, as medical procedures return to normal levels.

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THE CHRONICLE

NEWS

March 23, 2021 • A3

Hofstra dance team releases petition to resume in-person practices CONTINUED FROM A1

campus have been allowed to shows what Hofstra prioritizes,” meet in person throughout the she said. their virtual submission was past year. But since the dance “We do bring in just as much due, giving them limited time team is classified as a spirit worth as the athletic teams,” to prepare for a competition support group instead of a sports Cohan said. “So, it’s very disthat they would normally spend team, it has not been granted the heartening that they chose their months working toward. Adsame accommodations. athletic teams over us instead of ditionally, the spaces they are “The dance team is not ... in unity with us.” allowed to practice in are less recognized by the NCAA as a “Unfortunately, it’s not a surthan ideal.

Division 1 sport at Hofstra,” a prise to any of us, especially the “I just don’t see it being alumni,” Holm feasible with said, stating what they’re that the dance giving us,” Coteam has exhan said. The perienced this dance team lack of support consists of since she was about 20 memon the team in bers, making 2013. it difficult to However, find a space the Hofstra that is large dance team enough and will continue dance-friendly. to work toward They will also their national not be allowed Photo courtesy of the Hofstra Dance Team to meet in Due to the University’s travel ban, the dance team will be competing virtu- championship and future person as often ally in the 2021 UDA national championships. endeavors as they need statement from the University despite these challenges. “Nothto adequately prepare for the said. “It is governed by the same ing stands in the way of this competition. rules as every student club and team’s work ethic and positive “Even though it is a change, organization, including the other attitude,” LoBue said. and it is [a] help,” LoBue said. spirit support groups and club The petition remains active as “It still doesn’t cut it for what sports.” the Hofstra dance team pleads it entails to be on a collegiate Oliver expressed frustrafor the University to fulfill all dance team.” tion over the fact that Hofstra their requests to allow them to This fight for in-person athletics and dance majors have perform at the world-ranking practices has been particularly been allowed to meet in person level they once were. frustrating for the team, considwith certain regulations. “It just ering that other sports teams on

Graphic courtesy of Caitlin O’Brien

Long Island in need of blood donors CONTINUED FROM A2

Dr. Alexander J. Indrikovs, the senior director of transfusion medicine at Northwell Health, said Northwell Health primarily relies on NYBC for blood needed for transfusions. However, he said the amount of blood NYBC has on hand has dropped from a seven-day supply to a one-to two-day supply.

Indrikovs said the blood shortage has not reached crisis level yet, but he urges people to donate now if they are able.

“Even if it is more challenging for them to do [so] during the

pandemic, we still need them,” he said.

Youth donors are the foundation of the blood supply. Nearly 500 schools and colleges on Long Island, including Hofstra, and in the surrounding New York area hold drives that provide around 75,000 donations per year. “They could get out of chemistry class and go donate in the gym with their friends,” Cefarelli said.

Workplaces fulfilled a similar role until remote work threw a wrench into the system. “It may be more difficult for an

individual that is working from home now to drive to a location on Long Island or in New York to give a blood donation when before they could give it at their work site,” Indrikovs said.

NYBC said it is able to host COVID-safe blood drives, but it is struggling to find organizations that are willing to do them. Cefarelli added a common response from organizations is that they are waiting until more people are vaccinated to ensure safety.

“We’re trying to show them how safe we can be,” Cefarelli

said. “We’re setting up blood drives in bigger spaces, the beds are further apart, the staff is further apart and, when they let us, we’re really quite successful with them.”

To motivate people to donate at their permanent donation centers, NYBC is using phone, mail and social media campaigns, as well as partnerships with hospitals and government entities.

Cefarelli said NYBC is working to vary the channel and message to appeal to a larger audience.w Many NYBC sites are now open seven days a week. Donors

must make an appointment, wear a mask while at the site and follow social distancing guidelines. As for NYBC, staff carefully clean the equipment and the number of donors inside are limited to ensure coronavirus safety.

Indrikovs encourages people to donate as often as they can.

“It is only with their donations that we can maintain the treatment for patients that need these therapies,” he said. “They count on the community to make those donations.”

A4 •MARCH 23, 2021

NEWS

THE CHRONICLE

Hofstra students react to Biden’s student debt relief plan

Graphic courtesy of Becca Williams The average student debt has been steadily increasing since 1995.

By Becca Williams SPEC IA L TO T H E C H R O N I CL E

During his 2020 presidential campaign, President Joe Biden promised to forgive student debtors for up to $10,000 in federal student loans. Although Biden has not acted on this campaign promise yet, some Democrats, such as Congress Member Pramila Jayapal, are pushing for more – up to $50,000 in forgiveness.

The current U.S. student loan debt balance sits at $1.7 trillion and many students at Hofstra wonder when, and if, they will get relief from their debt.

“I would definitely approve of [$50,000 in loan relief],” said Olivia Keena-Ross, a junior drama major. “That would be extremely helpful as it would probably take care of most of the loans I will have taken out by the end of college.” Keena-

Ross uses federal student loans to pay for around a third of her tuition. She said she would be in “financial trouble” without them.

The resolution for a $50,000 student loan relief plan has drawn support from 60 lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. 17 state attorneys and over 325 organizations have also publicly supported the cancellation of student debt, according to Forbes.

However, Biden said he will not support loan relief greater than $10,000 per borrower. Warren and Schumer have called on Biden to use executive action to push forward loan relief, but currently nothing has been done.

Keena-Ross said she felt angry about the current lack of loan relief for students, especially in Biden’s recent stimulus package.

“If there was a chance for student loan relief, it makes me question why it wasn’t used since there’s millions of people that would benefit from it,” Keena-Ross said.

New York State alone carries $85.3 billion in student debt. However, those numbers may not be equally distributed among college students. According to educationdata.org, Black college graduates “owe an average of $25,000 more in student loan debt than white college graduates.”

Soon-to-be graduate Stephan Hatchett, a film and TV productionmajor, is also not surprised by this statistic. He offered a perspective that is all about unequal access to information.

“Black families have less access to information about what loans to get and the different types of loans than white families,” Hatchett said. “So it’s no surprise that the loans that are taken out are possibly the most financially taxing.”

Hatchett has relied on student loans throughout his time as a college student totaling upward of $10,000. However, he acknowledges that his scholarship covers a majority of attendance costs. While Hatchett is still a supporter of forgiving $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower, he said he understands why Biden has not done so.

“Because he ran on a bipar-

tisan platform, I believe he wanted to at least give Republicans a chance to see the good that could come with it, instead of instantly making it happen,” Hatchett said.

Approximately 46% of U.S. adults support the cancellation of $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower, according to a recent Morning Consult survey.

The majority of those adults fall into the 18-34 age group, who struggle most with paying off their student loans. Recent Hofstra graduate, Tri Nyguen, did not qualify for federal student loans due to his immigration status but still advocates for student loan relief.

“Education should be free,” Nyguen said. “Forgive student loans or at least erase some of them.”

Only 13% of college students-

believe the Biden administration will forgive student debt as promised, according to a recent study by OneClass. Biden has extended relief on student loan payments through Sept.

30, 2021 suspending monthly payments and preventing loans from accruing interest.

While students wait for a permanent solution to student debt, Hatchett looks at the situation in a positive light while dealing with impending graduation and job prospects.

“Thankfully the economy is actually looking up,” Hatchett said. “More jobs are coming back, so I’m not too worried about getting a job during COVID. In the case I do not get a job, I’ll simply do my best to make money and work toward making steady payments on [my student loans].”

Graphic courtesy of Becca Williams Black graduates with a bachelor’s have higher rates of student loan debt than their white graduate counterparts.

RSR workers call for better working conditions CONTINUED FROM A1 booth and was not relieved for about an hour.

“Of course it’s not acceptable for someone to get sick and they’re told to come in,” O’Callaghan said. “If I, or the administrators are not made aware of that, then we can’t correct it.”

Edwards emailed Resident Safety Coordinator, Sasha Irace, regarding the incident. However, all they received was an

apology and a promise to follow up, but Edwards never received a follow-up email.

Not only are student workers struggling with inadequate work conditions, but technological issues are persistent within the program. A survey conducted on Friday, Feb. 26 indicated that the T-monitors in the RSR booths were off in every residential building.

According to the RSR manual, each resident safety booth is equipped with a monitor that displays the student’s

picture and name when their ID card is swiped. RSRs have the responsibility to pay attention to the person swiping the card to ensure that no unauthorized people are entering the building.

The T-monitors have been off since the middle of the Fall 2020 semester, according to a former RSR. Without the T-monitors, RSRs are unable to perform the proper procedures required of them.

“It’s harder for me to tell if it’s actually the person on the ID or not to make sure that people

aren’t sneaking in,” said Nicole Mandy, a sophomore criminology and dance double major and a current RSR. “Which, I know a few cases of people doing that.”

According to O’Callaghan, the current system of identification was homegrown, and Card Access Services is currently working on adding a new, more technologically advanced access system to check IDs. “It’s one of the major issues that we’ve been dealing with for years. That’s why it’s part of

the system upgrade in technology,” O’Callaghan said. “The T-mons [T-monitors], they’ve been down, but it’s almost a fortunate time because we don’t have visitors coming to campus.

We’re striving to get something in place so when we hopefully go back to full access in [September], we’ll have something in place.”

Additional administrative staff within Public Safety declined the request for comment at this time.

THE CHRONICLE

NEWS

March 23, 2021 • A5

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SUMMER!

Stay on track with classes and credits during Summer Sessions 2021: • Session I: May 25 – June 29 • Session II: June 30 – August 4 • Session III: August 9 - 27

Each session offers a wide-range of undergraduate and graduate courses – now offered in-person and online – for continuing Hofstra students. Many classes even fulfill distribution requirements!

REGISTRATION IS UNDER WAY Visit hofstra.edu/summer or email summer@hofstra.edu for more information.

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3/19/21 2:28 PM

FEATURES

A6 • MARCH 23, 2021

THE CHRONICLE

COVID-19 one year later: Where we were then and now

Photo courtesy of Yolany Paz Yolany Paz, a senior journalism major with minors in fine arts, public relations and integrated media.

By Micaela Erickson FEATURES EDITOR

Just over a year has passed since students across the country were sent home due to the growing threat of the coronavirus. Life as we knew it suddenly came to a halt, and everything was uncertain. Three communications students at Hofstra University reflect on where they were a year ago and how they’ve found their way in this new normal.

Yolany Paz, a senior journalism major, was living “her perfect life” before the pandemic hit. When classes abruptly paused the week of March 8, 2020, Paz felt she was oblivious to what was coming. A short visit to her boyfriend’s house in New Jersey for spring break quickly turned into an indefinite stay.

“My mom lives all the way in South Carolina and my dad lives in Florida, and that just seemed like such a trek,” Paz said. “It was a lot of shock honestly. I’m used to moving around a lot, but I’ve never been in a situation where I genuinely felt like I didn’t know where I was going to go.”

Adapting to virtual learning on top of grappling with the loss of her life as she knew it, Paz found herself falling into a depression.

As someone who likes to have full control over her life, this was an extremely hard adjustment.

“When everything happened, I literally fell apart in a way. I couldn’t get myself to do schoolwork,” Paz said. “I couldn’t even

believe people were telling me to do work when I was trying to piece my life together and figure out where I was going to live. It all just seemed so trivial.” After struggling through the spring

things seem to be looking up for her.

Cassidy Slamin, a junior television production major, had lots of exciting things planned this time last year. Slamin’s semester was off to a great start: Besides interning in Manhattan twice a week, she was looking forward to an Elton John concert and a spring break trip to Canada. These plans never came to fruition as the world began to shut down and brace for what was to come. With many things still uncertain about the nature of the coronavirus, Slamin decided it wasn’t wise to go home to her family in Massachusetts.

“My mom has no kidneys, she’s on dialysis. If she got COVID, she probably wouldn’t live. So, I was super nervous to go home,” Slamin said. “My girlfriend’s parents were very kind, and I was able to stay with them in Illinois, and I stayed

during the fall semester, Slamin’s dad lost his job. “I didn’t know if I could come back to Hofstra in the spring,” she said. The situation ultimately worked out, and Slamin was able to stay at Hofstra, finishing out her junior year remotely.

Stephan Hatchett, a senior film and TV production major, learned how to slow down thanks to the pandemic. “I was moving really fast [before the pandemic hit]. I was taking 17 credits plus an internship,” Hatchett said.

“My Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays consisted of waking up at 2 a.m. to get into the city by 4 a.m. to work at ‘The Morning Joe’ show.” Hatchett’s packed schedule also consisted of working long hours at the swim center and keeping up with his club involvement.

As the coronavirus spread rapidly across the U.S., Hatchett was finally able to pause, breathe

“Not letting my ego get in the way of what’s really important helped me a lot, and a year later I’ve stayed healthy and now have the vaccine.”

semester, Paz made the difficult decision to take time off in the fall.

“I didn’t think I was ready [to go back to classes]. It was really hard to lose everything I’d worked for,” Paz said. “I knew if I went back my grades would just continue sinking. I knew I needed a change of pace, I needed to find my rhythm again.” Paz then admitted she had been nervous about not graduating with her friends, but she doesn’t regret the decision to take time off.

“I’m getting straight A’s right now. I obviously found my pace and got back to who I was,” Paz said. Taking a semester off not only helped Paz get back into the swing of things, but it allowed her to get a job in her desired career field. Along with finishing out the first half of her senior year, Paz is currently working remotely as a design and communications consultant. Though the last year took a lot out of Paz,

with them for about three and a half months.”

After spending the rest of the semester and the beginning of summer in Illinois, Slamin eventually returned home to Massachusetts in July. During her brief time at home, Slamin worked overnights in a grocery store to avoid the crowds of people that would be coming in and out during the day. This overnight routine only lasted a month before she returned to Hofstra for the fall semester.

Slamin expressed how the fall 2020 semester was an emotionally challenging one. She had the opportunity to serve as an associate producer for both Hofstra Today and Hofstra Votes LIVE, but these positions presented their own sets of difficulties. “It was really hard to try and figure out logistics for the shows over Zoom,” Slamin said. To add to the stress of producing two major shows on campus and no breaks

money in account and I could just comfortably spend it.”

Hatchett mentioned that this was partially due to his study abroad trip in Italy being canceled, but it was nice to finally have a relaxing break.

Now in his final semester at Hofstra, Hatchett is interning with “The Rachel Maddow Show” and is finding structure in his coursework and other activities. Looking back on the past year, Hatchett noted how grateful he was for allowing himself to slow down and be more responsible. “Not letting my ego get in the way of what’s really important helped me a lot, and a year later I’ve stayed healthy and now have the vaccine,” Hatchett said.

The past year has brought about many challenges for people around the globe. Learning to adapt as circumstances change constantly is no easy task, especially for young people preparing to enter the real world. Now as we begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the vaccine, Paz, Slamin and Hatchett all expressed their hope for the future. It’s been a difficult year, but it’s exciting to see things starting to look up.

and learn to listen to himself.

Hatchett spent the first half of his quarantine at his off-campus house on Long Island, learning the ropes of “Zoom University” with one of his housemates. He later returned to his home in Chicago for the summer.

“I did nothing that summer.

It was the first summer since I think my sophomore year of high school that I actually had Photo courtesy of Cassidy Slamin a break,” he Cassidy Slamin, class of ‘22, is currently an associate said. “I wasn’t producer for “Hofstra Today,” a news programming working, and show broadcast out of the Lawrence Herbert School of I actually had Communication.

MARCH 23, 2021 • A7

THE CHRONICLE

FEATURES

T h i s Ho f s t r a L i f e :

The writer

Photo courtesy of Danny Giancioppo Danny Giancioppo, a senior creative writing major and aspring writer and sttoryteller.

By Betty Araya FEATURES EDITOR

For Danny Giancioppo, a senior creative writing major with a double minor in journalism and radio, TV and film, the most defining moments of his life were not thought through, but rather written. As he saw the events on paper, he was able to understand people’s actions as well as his reactions, slowly shaping his worldview. Eventually, those stories that helped him sort through his thoughts allowed him to develop his authorial voice and characters, in hopes of offering others that same clarity. This is what makes him a writer.

In his words, “being a writer is being able to kind of do magic ... It’s kind of being able to show someone that you have nothing up your sleeves and then just

reach into seemingly nothing, just an invisible world, and it looks like you just disappeared.

And then you pull something back and all of a sudden you have this story in this world that never existed and suddenly does.” It’s pulling from personal experiences and one’s imagination in order to create a shared experience. Giancioppo considers everyone to be a storyteller, seeing value in all experiences, but that doesn’t mean everyone is a writer or able to transfer the ideas into a skill.

His passion for this craft developed in the 30-minute journal sessions he was granted in grade school. He would pull out his composition notebook, in a school desk too tall for him to comfortably reach his feet to the ground, and while others used the moment of freedom to doo-

dle, he would write. By eighth grade, writing became a part of him and he was able to transport all the way to the sun – that is, in his mind. “It was kind of about a demigod kid like Hercules who ends up fighting against Cronus, and throws him into the sun,” Giancioppo said, reflecting on the first story he was truly proud of.

“And he throws him so hard that the sun spins around the world.

And it was like, oh, that’s why there’s day and night, because this Greek hero threw Cronos into the sun and made it start revolving.”

He explained that his stories tend to have a fantastical element, inspired by his favorite author, Stephen King. Giancioppo even has a summer house in Maine, the same town that King lives in. After sharing his alarming knowledge of King’s movements, followed by laughter and reassurance that the town is very small, Giancioppo explained how the iconic author has shaped his love for writing. He is not only familiar with where King takes his morning walks but has read many of his novels and takes inspiration from his storytelling

best in people. And those kinds of things are the kinds of writing that I hope to emulate to some degree or other.”

Giancioppo has completed about three manuscripts to date.

“At this point, now almost six coming on seven years later, I still have written like two or three different drafts of those books. And they were a way for me to express things in my life that I felt like I couldn’t really say in real life,” he said.

“I would take these problems or these issues or feelings or memories or thoughts, and I would sort of expand upon them, put them into this imaginary world that didn’t exist and pull something back out.”

In these stories, Giancioppo grapples with the authenticity of his friendships, as well as his own self-scrutiny. He wrote a superhero story of a boy, a character comparable to the combination of Tony Stark and Tom Holland’s Spiderman, who found himself not only confronted with a supernatural destiny, but with the question of whether he’s a good man. “At the core of it, it’s just about a kid who’s

constant rejection.

Giancioppo’s brave efforts, so far, have seldom been accompanied by external validation, forcing him to let his passion be enough. “I don’t think a lot of my self-worth is [placed] on my writing specifically because there hasn’t ever really been a moment where I didn’t know that this is what I’m supposed to do,” he said.

“I probably submitted like 10 short stories to probably like 30 different places, and I submitted a novel to a publishing agency.

And I’m in the process right now of working with artists to submit a pitch package for a comic series. And like, who knows where any of those might go?”

Giancioppo said. “All of them ... have been rejections, but it’s never a thing where seeing those rejections or even having them stack up becomes a feeling of, ‘oh, I can’t do this or I’m not worth it.’ It’s more just a feeling like, all right, cool, I’m not ready yet, but I just need to keep going and keep trying because I know that I have something, because it wouldn’t feel as right as it does to write – and to consider myself

“I would take these problems or these issues or feelings or memories or thoughts, and I would sort of expand upon them, put them into this imaginary world that didn’t exist and pull something back out.” techniques. “‘The Green Mile,’ although it has some fantastical elements, is kind of just the characters’ lives and he does a really great job of incorporating very human elements into his stories and always talking about this idea of growth,” Giancioppo said. “Even if the characters are all adults, there’s always this idea of growth and movement and memory and the evil in people, but also the

trying to figure out if he’s a good person,” Giancioppo explained.

“I’m not really doing it in the first place for money; that would just kind of be a cool bonus,” he explained. “But telling the stories is, as cheesy as it sounds, more than enough reward in and of itself.”

Developing this mentality as a writer is crucial – writers must bare their souls on the page while also subjecting themselves to

a writer wouldn’t feel as right as it does – if there wasn’t something there.”

His clarity, despite the insecurity, is because he loves to write, with as much depth as that word can carry. And that love is what makes him who he is. For Giancioppo, writing is not a hobby or a career but his language, and he will never stop speaking.

A8 • MARCH 23, 2021

FEATURES

Perotti analyzes the President: Making progress, or Biden his time?

By Madeline Armstrong

at odds with the administration that [the administration has] been able to do something big and important.”

Perotti believes that the United States is turning the corner on the pandemic largely because of the increased availability of the COVID-19 vaccine and the messaging from the president.

“The president and his medical advisors are pretty much on the same page, and are working with the states and not at odds with the states.”

Biden’s message from the beginning has been to chip away at the country’s deeply polarized political climate and emerge united as a nation.

“My main hope is that the United States can come out of this bitter internal conflict,” Per-

President Biden has proposed a bill to Congress that would legalize many categories of undocuFollowing the Trump admented immigrants in the United ministration’s final months at States. However, what Perotti the height of the COVID-19 finds unusual is that this bill does pandemic and movements for not have restrictive enforcement social justice and human rights, attached to it. expectations have been high “Former presidents have not for President Joe Biden and his done that,” she said. “They’ve administration. He kicked off his always thought that if they were presidency with aggressive acgoing to propose something tion to combat the challenges the that is a liberalizing measure, country is facing. Rosanna Perotthey would [need to] pair it with ti, associate professor of political something that was restrictive, science at Hofstra University, and that’s not what he did.” acknowledges the challenges Perotti says that this message to and accomplishments of the of inclusion is notable considBiden administration as its first ering Biden’s age. At 78 years 100 days unfold. old, he is the oldest president the “For having been shut out United States has ever had. Howof the White House during the ever, he has taken actions and transition for such a long time, enacted policies that coincide the administration with some of the dehas really hit the mands from youngground running in er generations. both symbolic and “Biden has “The Biden-Harris administration has material ways,” appointed more people of color to the illustrated that old Perotti said. presidential cabinet than ever before.” dogs can learn new Following every tricks,” Perotti presidential elecsaid. “Just because tion, there is a “tranyou’re a part of the sition period” where otti said. “But it cannot be done older generation, it’s not necthe president-elect transitions without leadership and messagessarily the case that you turn a into their role and is briefed on ing from the president.” deaf ear to the country’s future. the vital matters of the moment.

In addition to the pandemic, I give Biden credit for being forUpon losing the election, the another issue that has divided ward-thinking in that regard.”

Trump administration did not althe country is the racism and While the Biden administralow Biden this courtesy. Despite inequality that people of color in tion still has a long way to go this setback, Perotti believes the U.S. face. However, Perotti in rebuilding and uniting the Biden has made some “pretty thinks that Biden is taking steps country and people have conimpressive first strides” toward in a positive direction through cerns about Biden’s capability helping the country to recover his administrative appointments to do so, Perotti believes he has from the pandemic, addressing and immigration policies. made some significant strides racial inequities and attempting “Voices of all different comin his first couple of months as to restore a sense of unity in the munities have to be heard at the president. “The sense of worry country. top levels of policy making,” she and urgency has dissipated,” she One of Biden’s main accomsaid. “I think this administration said. plishments since being inaugurat- ... has sought to make the upper Time will tell how significantly ed is the American Rescue Plan. levels of bureaucracy look like the country can come back from This is a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 America.” the pandemic, how the nation can stimulus package that includes The Biden-Harris administracontinue to move toward unity extending unemployment bention has appointed more people and equality and what role the efits, $1,400 direct payments of color to the presidential cabiBiden administration will play to individuals, emergency paid net than ever before. Additionalin that process. Nevertheless, the leave, a 15% increase in food ly, Biden has taken steps to roll pressure on the new presidential stamp benefits, tax provisions, back some of the changes enactadministration is immense, with small business grants, education ed by the Trump administration Republicans and Democrats alike funding and housing funding, regarding immigration policies. eager to see what actions he will among other things.

“Biden has taken measures on take in the remainder of his first “It was ambitious on Biden’s immigration that are really bold,” 100 days and the next four years part,” Perotti said. “It is such a Perotti said. “Bolder than even in office. huge victory that signals to Reimmigration advocates expected publicans and others who may be him to be.”

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

THE CHRONICLE

Overheard Z oo m

on

“It was very interesting to go to class just to learn something. In all my years, I never had that.”

“Although, they did offer to give me the tooth with the crown.”

Person 1: “I need to get back to cramming for my exam.”

Person 2: “Have you tried cheating?”

“I bully my professors a lot.”

“I’ve never met a freshman in my life.”

Person 1: “Why doesn’t your dog listen to you?”

Person 2: “Because when he misbehaves, I give him cheese!”

“My cat plays the piano until we feed her.”

THE CHRONICLE

FEATURES

MARCH 23, 2021 • A9

Mental health and grieving in the age of COVID-19

By Drashti Mehta EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When the Food and Drug Administration issued their first authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine, it felt as though there was finally a glimmer of hope.

Possibly, there was even some truth to everyone that had a far more optimistic outlook than me when they said that normalcy was near.

But then again, maybe not. It’s been just over a year since the outbreak was declared a pandemic, and I suddenly found my social media feeds filled with a flurry of reflections of the past year and throwbacks to happier days.

As I scroll past the nearly identical posts of people thanking friends and family for sticking by their (virtual) side and being grateful despite all that has happened, I can’t help but think about the vital side of mental health and wellness not being highlighted. The side

By Sabrina Blandon

This is not to say that we I was never able to bring where we remind each other that shouldn’t ever feel grateful, only myself to make one of those it’s genuinely ok to not feel ok. that it’s not mandatory all the posts, and it’s because I recentA reminder that just because time. It’s ok to have days where ly realized that the only thing we’re in a pandemic doesn’t you don’t want to do anything. mean we have to feel grateful for I’m truly grateful for during the It’s ok to cry over all that may pandemic is that it has helped everything else all the time or me conclude that I’m burnt out. I have happened had it not been constantly remind ourselves and for the pandemic and to feel sad never wanted to accept it. I kept others that everything happens telling myself that it was a slump about things that did. for a reason. brought on by sudden isolation In the past year, I have lost Truthfully, I have blocks of many people time where I I love. I also feel largely lost someone unmoti“I needed to find my own path to grieve that I didn’t vated and upon, and in doing so, I was able to get to think I’d uninspired have to let throughout a place where I began to feel accepting and go of for a the pancontent with the events of the past year.” very long demic. As time. That a self-proloss made claimed me reevaluate practically everyoverachiever and unintentional from my friends and social life. people pleaser, the overwhelming But the feeling never went away, thing about my life, including where I was and where I wanted urge to do nothing was shocking and I kept bringing myself down to me and anyone who knows me as I convinced myself that I have to go. As I was, and continue, to grieve, I am becoming better at well. Every time I saw reflective no good reason to feel the way accepting my feelings and trying social media posts about being I do. I was always reminding to better understand them. The grateful and finding happiness myself that I have too many whirlwind of social media posts opportunties and privilege that amid the pandemic, part of me other people don’t and it’s selfish promoting positivity during these felt guilty for not feeling and times and the constant reminders to feel bad for myself. thinking that way.

that I needed to be strong, not for myself, but for my family, clouded my judgment. I let myself believe that focusing on the good was what was going to make me feel better. I eventually learned that, for me, thinking of a better time or trying to narrow in on all the good that has happened doesn’t necessarily help. I needed to find my own path to grieve upon, and in doing so, I was able to get to a place where I began to feel accepting and content with the events of the past year.

So, this is a reminder to anyone that might need it right now.

Everyone has had a different journey through this pandemic. Coping mechanisms look different for everyone. Take the time to let yourself feel what you’re feeling. It could be taking a day to yourself to stay in and do nothing, venting to a friend or reminiscing about a pre-pandemic era. Keep trying and find what works for you.

Chron Cooks ft. Sabrina Blandon: Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients:

Instructions:

1 stick butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and either spread melted butter or use a canola cooking spray.

1 ½ cup flour 1 cup chocolate chips 1 tsp vanilla extract

Photo courtesy of Sabrina Blandon

As a college student, one of the few recipes I felt like I needed to have on hand was chocolate chip cookies. I find that every time I make them, they always turn out different; but that just means there is always room for improvement. After much trial and error, this recipe came out as one of my more successful attempts.

1 cup brown sugar (I prefer brown sugar since it gives it a more caramelized, traditional cookie flavor. If you’re using white sugar, be sure to check on the cookies more frequently since this type of sugar burns easily.)

1 egg ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp baking soda

2. Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar with the melted butter.

If you don’t have an electric mixer, using a hand-held whisk works as well but may result in the melted butter bleeding through the cookie.

3. Mix in the egg until it is beaten into the mixture. Try not to overmix.

4. Add in the flour, salt, baking soda and vanilla extract. At this point, you may need to use a spoon instead of a whisk since the dough will catch more in the whisk, making it difficult to mix.

5. Incorporate the chocolate chips into the mixture. The measurement for this ingredient can be adjusted to fit your desired taste.

I find dark chocolate chips work best since milk chocolate is likely to burn easily, leaving the cookie not as gooey.

6. Scoop the mixture into little balls and place them on the prepped baking sheet, leaving some room between each one.

7. Bake for 11-15 minutes and enjoy. The baking time may vary depending on which ingredients are substituted.

A yearlong pandemic

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle Courtesy of Her Campus at Hofstra The World Health Organization declares Classes and clubs shift to remote meetings for the remainder of the Spring ‘20 semester.

COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

Jacob Lewis/The Hofstra Chronicle-

Socially distanced movie nights at Pride Pavilion begin in Oct. 2020.

Adam Flash/The Hofstra Chronicle

Students collaborate in-person and virtually to produce Hofstra Votes LIVE.

at Hofstra University

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle

Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle

Colonial Square becomes designated quarantine housing as Hofstra shifts to a hybrid learning system for the Fall ‘20 semester.

Jacob Lewis/The Hofstra Chronicle Sporting events continue without spectators in the spring.

Hofstra sets up outdoor tents for students to utilize.

Jacob Lewis/The Hofstra Chronicle Club sports resume practices.

Spread by Talha Siddiqui and Jacob Lewis

Arts and Entertainment

VOL. 86 ISSUE 6

‘Coming 2 America’ revisits Eddie Murphy classic B2 Courtesy of Deadline

B2 •March 23, 2021

A&E

THE CHRONICLE

‘Coming 2 America’ revisits Eddie Murphy classic

over three decades later. “I was in high school when I saw ‘Coming to America,’” Brewer said. “I now have kids that are in high school.

Eddie, who plays Akeem, is in his mid-20s and coming to America, but now Eddie Murphy has 10 kids. You know, he’s a different Photo courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar man.”

“Coming 2 America” currently holds a 50% on Brewer also Rotten Tomatoes, with a 42% audience score. explained how the

By Victoria Bell mindset of the characters has ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR changed over time and made the sequel different from the origiAfter over 30 years, “Comnal. “When you get to be a parent ing 2 America” serves as the and you get to have to deal with long-awaited sequel to the 1988 life some of the things that you comedy “Coming to America.” were very idealistic about when The film is centered around you were younger, they tend to the African king, Akeem, who blunt and fade away because returns to America after discovyou’re trying to create like a proering he has a long-lost son in tective bubble around everything the United States. Starring Eddie that you love,” Brewer said.

Murphy, the movie premiered “That also happens with Akeem on Friday, March 5 on Amazon and Lisa in this movie and their Prime Video and is currently bubble gets popped. And really, available to stream with a Prime that’s kind of like what I felt was subscription.

Director Craig Brewer felt that like the thing that we could bring that’s a little bit new.” making a sequel was a “great “So I hope that people feel that opportunity,” even if it was

we love the original movie and that we’re trying to do things that people who loved and appreciated the first movie would recognize in this movie,” he continued.

“But we’re hoping that what we can bring to the movie is something that the very audience core is maybe dealing with in their life and that we’ve been dealing with in the last couple of years, which is, you know, maybe it’s time for some of us old heads to, like, stop talking about the way it was and start listening to our kids and being okay with some change.”

The past year has seen widespread change in the arts and entertainment industry, with Black voices being amplified and championed in spaces that are historically not inclusive. Highlighting the experiences of Black people is a key theme throughout this film. “Eddie Murphy feels that the movie itself is the Black voice,” Brewer said. “... Back in 1988, there was never an allBlack cast in a movie that was a hit around the world. Now we’ve had Black Panther; we’ve had plenty of movies in the last couple of decades that have changed that. But back in the day, the movie itself was the statement

and the movie itself did not make any statements about race.”

Making a movie at any time is a monumental task, but doing so during a pandemic presents a unique set of challenges.

“We had to edit the whole movie by Zoom,” Brewer said.

“So, that was really difficult to not be in the room with my editor, to not be in the room while we’re doing the score, to not be in the room while we’re mixing.

But little by little, we all started figuring it out.” He continued, “I would say that the hardest thing for this movie in particular was how to test it. It’s just a different experience with a comedy in an audience versus them seeing it on the laptop.”

However, this new adjustment became a learning experience as well, according to Brewer.

“We’re coming out on Amazon Prime now, and a lot of people are just going to be watching this movie either by themselves or in their bubble of friends and family that they’re with,” he said. “And so, to some extent, it was a very difficult lesson in how perhaps movies are now consumed.”

‘Murder Among the Mormons’ gives insight into religious turmoil

By Madeline Armstrong ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Netflix’s new minidocumentary series, “Murder Among the Mormons,” dives deep into the events that had members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) religion, more commonly known as Mormons, questioning their faith and the history that the church was built on.

This series centers around the bombings that happened in Salt Lake City, Utah during the 1980s. Leading up to these tragic events, documents concerning the LDS church were released by historian Mark Hofmann. These documents contradicted the history of the religion and how it came to be, something that is very important to the faith and structure of the church as well as those who believe in it.

Because of the sensitivity and controversy surrounding

these documents, many people (including the LDS church itself) were willing to pay a large amount of money to acquire them. These became very highprofile dealings that only a select amount of people were involved in. So, when people involved with the dealings were suddenly bombed and killed, people began to question the legitimacy of these documents and the motives of those selling and buying them.

Eventually, it was discovered that Mark Hofmann actually forged the documents, among many other historical documents that were sold for large sums of money. When he believed he was close to being discovered, he murdered those who would have compromised his position.

He was eventually arrested and sentenced to life in prison.

This documentary gives an inside look at those personally affected by Hofmann’s actions.

Friends and fellow church

members felt betrayed by people’s faith and belief in not Hofmann, claiming that he was only a religion, but an incredibly a wholesome and good man. tight-knit community.

However, underneath that mask Overall, this documentary was someone who was extremely series does an incredible job at deceptive and performed truly revealing how the false actions despicable acts. Although he hurt of one man had the potential to many people and strained the uproot an entire community and very base of an entire religion, erode the historical basis of such it is undeniable that Hofmann a close-knit religion. was brilliant.

He successfully forged high quality historical documents and deceived millions of people.

The actions of Mark Hofmann and the tensions among the Mormon community during the era of the forged documents and bombings will Photo courtesy of Vox never be forgotten “Murder Among the Mormons” received an 80% as it tested many audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Quick Hits

Courtesy of Radio Times

Nominations for the 93rd Oscars were announced on March 15, with “Mank” leading with 10 nominations.

Courtesy of The Verge

Paramount Plus launched on March 4, with new revivals of “iCarly” and “Rugrats” expected by the end of the year.

Courtesy of Radio Times

“Killing Eve” is going to end with Season 4, but a spin-off is in the works

Courtesy of Vanity Fair

Actor Armie Hammer is under investigation by the LAPD for sexual assault after it was reported on Feb. 3.

Courtesy of Collider

Disney+ released “Raya and The Last Dragon” on March 5, the streaming service’s second premier access film.

THE CHRONICLE

A&E

MARCH 23, 2021 • B3

Broadway’s reopening remains an open question

Photo courtesy of Gothamist While there is no set date for Broadway to reopen at full capacity, it is anticipated that it will return in the fall.

By Anna DeGoede SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced that certain entertainment venues can begin operating at reduced capacity beginning on Friday, April 2, according to ABC7.

While the new regulation change applies to numerous art spaces, most Broadway shows will remain closed to the public.

Certain theaters with more flexible spaces will host some live programming.

These changes come with quite a few restrictions. Accord-

ing to the New York Times, arts and entertainment events must operate at 33% capacity. Without testing, spaces permit 100 attendees when indoors and 200 people outdoors. If all the guests provide evidence of a negative test, these numbers change to allow 150 people inside with 500 guests outside, with masks required in all instances.

These adjustments come over a year after the start of the Broadway shutdown on March 12, 2020.

Despite excitement about resuming live entertainment in New York, many have reservations about the financial impact.

Broadway theaters in particular are designed to operate at 100% capacity, not 33% capacity.

Financially, it is difficult for theaters to pay their full staff without having a large portion of the audience in attendance.

The modifications needed for pandemic safety also put a monetary strain on arts institutions. Many theaters may have to rearrange backstage and onstage

spaces to allow for social distancing. Others may opt to test their cast, musicians and crew on a regular basis – all financial considerations that did not exist for the old Broadway.

Broadway also must deal with the question of attendance. In the pre-pandemic era, much of the audience consisted of international tourists. Now, with travel restrictions in place in both the United States and other countries, a good portion of the ticket sales will simply not exist. Even with an American audience, fear of COVID-19 and cautions about spreading the virus will remain prevalent for a long time after any official reopening.

Other concerns, which Broadway producers outlined in interviews with Deadline, include in-theater logistics. Mara Isaacs, whose credentials include producing the Tony-awardwinning musical “Hadestown,” said, “I think the challenge is actually what happens at intermission. What do you do with the bathroom line?” It is easy

for management to control what happens backstage and onstage regarding the pandemic, but normal theater-going concerns still exist. How will audience members enter and exit in a safe manner?

Even though it seems there are more questions than answers about what Broadway will look like this year, the need to reopen art venues remains. Broadway alone employs around 100,000 New Yorkers while drawing in millions of dollars in travel and entertainment related revenue, according to PBS. On a social level, recordings of live shows are not the same as sitting in a seat as the house lights dim over a hushed audience. Actors and audience members alike note the impact of losing the live aspect of entertainment. Regardless of the challenges or of how long the process takes, when the theater doors open, people will be there to enjoy the show.

63rd Grammy Awards: History made for female artists

By Allie Millette STAFF WRITER

The 63rd Grammy Awards were held on Sunday, March 14 at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The entire event was held in person, unlike other 2021 award shows such as the Emmys and the Golden Globes, which opted for partially or entirely virtual events. Hosted

by Trevor Noah, the night was filled with live performances and big wins for artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

Grammys night was kicked off with performances of “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, “Everything I Wanted”

by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell as well as “The Steps” by HAIM. The majority of Grammy winners were announced prior to the official start time via a livestream, but the bigger categories were saved for the live show. While the performances were held

inside the Staples Center, the award ceremony was conducted outside, where social distancing was enforced, and nominees and guests donned masks as part of their signature fashion looks.

Megan Thee Stallion was presented the award for Best New Artist by 2020 nominee Lizzo, and she then went on to win two more categories: Best Rap Performance (“Savage” feat.

Beyoncé) and Best Rap Song (“Savage” feat. Beyoncé). Her win in the Best New Artist category made her the first female rapper to receive the award since 1999.

Beyoncé broke a record with her wins with Megan Thee Stallion and her win in Best R&B Performance for “Black Parade,” receiving the most Grammys for any female artist. She now has 28 Grammy awards, and even her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, won an award.

“Fetch the Bolt Cutters”

by Fiona Apple took home two Grammys, one for Best

Alternative Music Album and one for her Rock Performance of “Shameika.” Artists like Doja Cat (three nominations), Phoebe Bridgers (four nominations), DaBaby (four nominations), HAIM (three nominations) and BTS (one nomination) were completely shut out.

Taylor Swift went home with the Album of the Year award for “Folklore,” and left albuminspired easter eggs in her acceptance speech. Earlier that night she performed “cardigan,” “august” and “willow” as she lay upon a bed of moss in a dreamy wonderland.

Billie Eilish, who received five Grammys in 2020, went home with two more for Record of the Year for “everything i wanted” and Best Song Written for Visual Media for “No Time To Die.” Dua Lipa received a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album for “Future Nostalgia” after performing “Levitating” feat. DaBaby and “Don’t Start Now” earlier that night in an action-packed

performance.

Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B made noise with their performance of their song “WAP,” which was heavily censored but still raised complaints from viewers for its vulgar content.

The various performances of the night highlighted many female artists and celebrated the creativity of an industry heavily impacted by COVID-19 throughout the past year.

Photo courtesy of Billboard About 8.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making it the least watched Grammys to date.

B4 •March 23, 2021

A&E

THE CHRONICLE

‘Minari’ brings the Korean immigrant experience to the screen

By Lauren Ballinger STAFF WRITER

Steven Yeun made history in 2021 by being the first Asian American Oscar nominee for Best Actor for his role as Jacob in the film “Minari.” This is not the beginning of the “Minari” award show recognition; it has been nominated for five other Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Score, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. The movie also won Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes, and Alan Kim, who played David, won the Critiques’ Choice Award for Best Young Performer.

The critical acclaim is more than deserved. The movie shows audiences the most vulnerable parts of its characters, allowing them to step in their shoes and see themselves as each character.

Thematically, “Minari” shows the experience of being a Korean immigrant in America, of being a child and pursuing dreams in spite of the potential cost. Each frame appears like an intricate photo, and the score helps further immerse the audience into the

and the little things in life, one It is primarily through the intrienvironment. of the most obvious being their cacies of character development The film is about Korean experience as a Korean family and relationships that “Minari” Americans’ experience farming in America. In a scene where the accomplishes this. In a family or and living in rural Alabama in the any group of close people, in fact, family first attends church, they all 1980s and speaks to the universal wish to do good for those we experience various microaggresno two relationships are similar. love. In a period where physical Dynamics change based on who is sions and uncomfortable questions closeness is hard from the white to come by and people who attend relationships are the church. strained by disAlso, although David is the tance and a pandemic, “Minari” youngest child shows audiences and coddled the the importance of most, each family family, whatever member explores that may mean to different aspects of someone. their own childishness. Whether this That’s not to is expressed in say there isn’t the relief Monica conflict within feels when she the movie. The sees her mother plot propels its again, or their way through grandmother’s conflict and Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times love for Mountain trauma. There are “Minari”is tied with five other films for the second-most nominations Dew, there is an multiple scenes for an Oscar this season with six nominations. appreciation for the where tears will fact that the child – and should – be shed. However, through the present in each scene and the emo- within everyone never fully goes conflict and the moments at which tions they are expressing. There is away.

The movie also reminds the a three-dimensional view of each it may seem the family may fall audience of their own inner child. apart, they always have each other character.

With much of the film shot from They all must work on the big to fall back on.

David’s perspective, the audience can feel how he and his sister Anne feel as kids. Audiences follow them through the flurry of writing notes in crayon to ask their parents to stop fighting, and the shots from the backseat of Jacob and Monica discussing David’s heart condition. The anxiety of dreading parents’ anger and the excitement of sleepovers all come back to the forefront of the brain through the story of “Minari.”

The plot progresses purposefully. As an audience member, though, this purpose is subtle and unexpected until it is fulfilled in the final moments of the movie.

These authentic and mundane interactions between family members converge and lead to a natural climax, fall and resolution. All the while, each scene adds up to remains hidden under the viewer’s nose.

“Minari” masters the beauty of subtlety. Audiences do not simply watch the film but exist within the narrative as well. It is so easy to connect with; the score, visuals, emotions and characters all pull you in until the one hour and fiftysix-minute run time is complete, and you are a better person for it.

From page to screen, ‘Moxie’ screams an important message Robinson), a shy and quiet rising junior at her high school, who seems to have her life in order. When she and Claudia (Lauren Tsai) start their first day of junior year, they realize their fellow students are already thinking of who will be on the infamous “list,” where female students are awarded sexist superlatives such as “Most Bangable” or “Biggest Rack.” When new student Lucy Photo courtesy of TV Insider Hernandez (Alycia Pascual-Peña) comes “Moxie,” the novel, won the Goodreads choice award in young adult fiction in 2017. into the picture, Vivian realizes her high school feminism and shines a light on the

By Sabrina Blandon may not be as seemingly normal gender discrimination that remains STAFF WRITER as she once thought it was. prevalent in today’s society.

As Lucy opens Vivian’s eyes Produced by Amy Poehler, Based on the novel of the about the problems at their high “Moxie” is a contemporary same title by Jennifer Mathieu, school, Vivian becomes inspired coming-of-age story that empha“Moxie” follows Vivian (Hadley by her own mother Lisa’s (Amy sizes themes of equality and

Poehler) rebellious history of fighting the patriarchy, and decides to take a stand at her high school.

After the list is published, Lucy becomes a victim of her own high school’s toxic status quo. In response, Vivian decides to publish a zine called “Moxie,” calling out her school’s problems with sexism. She publishes it anonymously but tells students at her high school through “Moxie” to take several actions, like drawing stars and hearts on their hands to show their solidarity.

Lucy’s influence on Vivian and their high school starts to spread when Mitchell Wilson (Patrick Schwarzenegger) starts to bully Lucy. Vivian tries to give Lucy advice, but Lucy explains to Vivian that while facing things head on may seem annoying at the time, the bullying problem will only become bigger if it’s swept under the rug.

Lucy’s persistence and determination to hold her head up high serves as a life lesson for the audience about the dangers of not holding people accountable when they are openly sexist.

While the publication of “Moxie” was admired by some students at first, the Moxie Club soon finds themselves in hot water: Claudia gets suspended, a shocking confession comes to light and Vivian realizes she must come forward and claim responsibility for “Moxie” in order to save her life, and high school, from falling apart.

While Vivian breaks a few rules, the overall message of the film is inspiring, as it teaches its audience the power of their voice. “Moxie” proves that it’s possible to not only be heard, but to create meaningful change.

OP-ED

A12 • MARCH 23, 2021

THE CHRONICLE

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

Disney’s brand of representation is cultural appropriation

By Yashu Pericherla

Disney, the kids-moviemaking conglomerate, recently released its new animated film “Raya and the Last Dragon.”

On paper, the Southeast-Asian inspired film could have been a wonderful addition to Disney’s increasingly diverse repertoire, riding the coattails of success from their other culture-specific films. The 2016 Maori and Polynesian-inspired film “Moana” provided a fresh breath of air amid Disney’s Eurocentric princess films, and it was followed by live-action versions of originals with protagonists of color like “Aladdin” and “Mulan.” But, characteristic of Disney, a lot of the criticism for its most recent venture into ethnically-diverse storytelling comes from the performative angle the company seems to be taking, dropping the ball on actual representation.

“Raya and the Last Dragon” is

set in a fantasy location inspired by the entirety of Southeast Asia. That concept already raises many red flags. Despite meaning well, a movie lumping together any large group of people and co-opting their culture and experiences for “representation” is just an easy way for Western creators to check us off their diversity list. Just as how it is racist to conflate the entirety of East Asian culture, the rest of Asia also deserves the same pushback from audiences when it happens to that area’s cultures.

The peppering of various familiar elements from Southeast Asia in the film doesn’t take away from the fact that, unless referred to by its original name, a lot of those “symbols” can be construed as having been added to fit the vibe instead of for authenticity. The film reportedly draws from any and all cultures of Southeast Asia, so how are we to know that Raya’s hat is

specifically a Filipino salakot or that the soup from the movie is congee? Those details are nice to infer, but with Hollywood and Western media’s track record, it’s hard to trust anything other than an official statement that these choices were made intentionally and not to just provide

“Casting popular non-

Southeast Asian actors for these voice acting roles is racist and thinly veiled cultural appropriation.” a Southeast Asian “feel” to the film. Similar to how Disney casted light-skinned South Asians for roles in their 2019 “Aladdin” live-action, these unsubstantiated additions to the film contain no actual representational value.

The main grievance, however, is the casting. While Disney is working to diversify onscreen talent, this should extend to voice acting roles. Kelly Marie Tran, a Vietnamese American, voiced Raya and is the only person of Southeast Asian descent on the main voice acting cast.

Other notable Asian actors such as Awkwafina (Sisu the dragon), Gemma Chan (Namaari), Daniel Dae Kim (Chief Benja) and Sandra Oh (Virana) among others were cast as well, though they are all East Asian. While this is a far cry from when Disney used to cast all or majority white voice actors for nonwhite roles (like the original “Aladdin”), it still isn’t the kind of representation they say it is.

Just like how they are using the guise of generic, pan-Southeast Asian culture to reap the boxoffice benefits of diversity, casting popular non-Southeast Asian actors for these voice acting roles is racist and thinly veiled

cultural appropriation.

The icing on the cake is that the majority of Southeast Asia doesn’t even have access to Disney+ and cannot even watch the movie (which is also currently blocked by a paywall on the platform). Disney used Southeast Asian culture as a cash cow under the approval of a few Southeast Asian writers on the team and ultimately profited off their cultures with no actual representation. We pushed back on Disney when they messed up before, and we need to do it again. Authentic stories need to be told, but, most importantly, they need to be told right.

Yashu Pericherla is a junior English major from Texas. She primarily writes about pop culture and politics.

Your sourdough starter won’t save you from societal col lapse

By Daniel Cody Around the turn of the century, Christopher Lasch wrote “Culture of Narcissism” about a rising trend in American culture, in which he explains how people developed self-centered lifestyles and psychic solutions to ailments left by a bloody historical reckoning – a new narcissism that relied on the collapse of collective identity and the coddling self-care of individualism. However, the new millennium was optimistic, and hobbies infused with hippie-dippie sentiment seemed harmless.

“After the political turmoil of the ‘60s, Americans have retreated to purely personal preoccupations. Having no hope of improving their lives in any of the ways that matter, people have convinced themselves that what matters is psychic self-

improvement ... learning how to ‘relate,’ overcoming the ‘fear of pleasure,’” says Lasch.

Journalists like Matt Taibbi critically examined Lasch, astutely placing him in an apolitical, anti-opportunistic arena.

He is a widely interpretable yet easily accessible writer who called out the new age avoidance of material insecurity – but he’s not the messiah. He’s one voice in a sea of other Marxist, academic jargon-spouters.

Throughout the different stages of life under the pandemic, we’ve seen a plethora of political and social reactions, spanning from claims of election tampering to TikTok cancellations. Sourdough starters, knitting patterns, bullet journals, charcuterie boards and hundreds of other hyped-up concoctions took over mainstream platforms. Everyone needs a coping mechanism to

deal with newfound pandemic restrictions, and these trends are miniscule compared to the overwhelming psychological and material costs we’re incurring.

However, activities like these are manifestations of larger issues. What do we do with our lives after the return to normal? How do we meaningfully contribute to the betterment of society?

We are replacing substantive activism with online buzzwords and Instagram graphics, plagued by ideology that fetishizes the individual choice over the material impact of politics and social movements. The commodification of identity into capital, is a perfect example of what Lasch describes as the masking of personal gain with social reconciliation.

Talking about ourselves and sharing our experiences is important, but the retreat from

collective identity into psychoanalysis isn’t the answer.

Technology has given us the ability to constantly communicate with everyone, which can be our savior or our demise.

Our alienation is reparable with a collective effort against the old-age, restrictive mindset placed before us. We can use the internet to create marvelous things and execute long overdue social justice, but we cannot fit everything into narratives and one-step solutions.

What young people should take away from self-centered thinking is new forms of selfexpression. We have an ability to use our unique perspectives to create equally unique art. To use an awful phrase, we have democratized the medium, which is diluting the artistic field with bad artists and ctritics, but it is also fueling new potential. Real creative endeav-

Have an opinion? We want to hear it.

Email us at HUChronicle.Op.Ed@gmail.com

ors and actual social change – not just the performance of it – is what is needed. We can reach into the bloody past and find a new future if we stop perpetuating lackluster self-obsessions and media-powered narcissism.

Daniel Cody is a sophomore journalism major from Dallas, Texas, and Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He serves as an Op-Ed Editor for The Chronicle.

THE CHRONICLE

OP-ED

MARCH 23, 2021 • A13

Congress in perspective: H.R. 1 The leftist

By Daniel Cody

The liberal

By Leah Chiappino

The “I voted” stickers, much like the fall leaves, were plentiful during the last election season. It looks as though recent policy agendas have not lost their steam. President Biden won on a platform charged by younger voters who were looking for an end to the Trump era. However, as rhetoric following the end of the campaign trail showed, partisan politics embroiled itself in an information war over election security and the existential trust in public institutions. The For the People Act, commonly referred to as H.R. 1, was received by the Senate on Thursday, March 11. The bill is touted as the biggest expansion of voting rights since the 1965 Voting Rights act, which banned the disenfranchisement of people of color. The argument lies in how people vote – notably, mail-in voting.

There’s a lot to like about H.R. 1. Notably, it overturns the devastating effects of the Citizens United v.

FEC Supreme Court case, which allowed super PACs and corporations to pour nearly unlimited amounts of capital into political campaigns, oftentimes directly coordinating with candidates. And people should have access to voting – the bill ubiquitously expands access to the polls across the country, including indigenous reservations out West.

The broader implication here is trust in our voting system. Since the Russiagate conspiracy and Trump’s claims of widespread fraud in the most recent presidential election, the narrative has not been left alone.

What Democrats don’t want to say is that voting propaganda is implicitly “vote for Democrats.” While voting is absolutely a powerful tool, the left has to stop retreating into the arms of mainstream politics that don’t care about everyday Americans. Expanding and leveraging our own political power is necessary, and we aren’t going to find that in the Democratic Party.

If we’re insisting on having this mudslinging contest, I suggest we make the election a national holiday (like H.R. 1 proposes for federal workers) and incentivize voters to vote in-person post-pandemic. However, it’d be silly to think the Democrats and Republicans want to give people a day off, regardless of mail-in voting spurring the discussion.

H.R. 1, or the “For the People Act,” – proposed by the Democrats – offers numerous methods to facilitate voting for people in America. One of the more effective provisions is a two-week period of mandating early voting. As seen in the 2020 election, ensuring a variety of times for people to vote allows workers who cannot take off, caregivers, students and really anyone with a stricter schedule a chance to exercise their civic duty without having to suffer economically, academically or otherwise. Both Democrats and Republicans have jobs, both Democrats and Republicans go to school and both Democrats and Republicans have unexpected events come up. This provision is, therefore, a win-win for both parties.

The rest of it, however, gets a little more complicated. The bill mandates that states allow for mailin voting without an excuse (which, despite false claims that led to an insurrection, was very secure in the 2020 election). It also does not permit states to require a notarized signature for an absentee ballot, or require an ID to request one.

I worked the polls in the 2020 election and ordered them to verify the voters’ identities. If there was a discrepancy, the computer flagged the voter in the system, and they were required to fill out a provisional ballot or provide an ID depending on the situation.

In short, voter fraud does not happen on a widespread scale.

If we wanted to increase the security of alreadysecure elections, voter IDs could be an option. However, why make it a bureaucratic nightmare in order for someone to change their ID? Why can’t the government just send someone their ID for free, allow for same-day voter registration and make it easy to replace if you lose it? Why can’t transgender people fill out an online form and be automatically sent a new ID that corresponds with their gender identity?

If bureaucracy actually worked, any complaints about election security would be solved.

Daniel Cody is a sophomore journalism major from Dallas, Texas, and Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He serves as an Op-Ed Editor for The Chronicle.

Leah Chiappino is a junior studying political science and journalism from Smithtown, New York.

The conservative

By Ben Morawek Election procedures must provide citizens with a legitimate reason to trust that the election is fair and that its outcome accurately reflects the will of the governed. In fulfilling this goal, election procedures must balance two competing interests: to provide every eligible voter with a fair opportunity to cast their ballot and to prevent or root out any form of fraud. H.R. 1, a sweeping federal election reform effort, miserably fails to strike an acceptable balance.

Certainly, there are positive aspects of this legislation. For one, it would automatically register eligible voters who provide the applicable information to other government agencies (such as the DMV). This promotes the first interest of election procedures – providing eligible individuals with a fair opportunity to vote. Another constructive element is the paper ballot requirement. Electronic voting systems are potentially vulnerable to large-scale election fraud. By allowing voters to confirm their votes with paper ballots and by retaining those ballots for recounts, these vulnerabilities can be shielded. This responds to the second interest – preventing election fraud.

But these commendable and well-balanced portions cannot save H.R. 1 from its radical errors such as the nullification of state voter ID laws. Although proponents claim that such laws discriminate against minority citizens, evidence from “the largest individual-level dataset ever assembled to study voter participation,” published by the nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research, did “not find any negative effect on overall turnout and registration rates or on any group defined by race, age, gender or party affiliation.” This purported attempt to uphold the interest of providing a fair opportunity to vote goes too far in neglecting the interest of preventing fraud; consequently, it would undermine trust in our electoral system.

Whereas nullifying voter ID laws would unreasonably tip the balance out of order, the vote-by-mail mandate breaks the scales entirely. As New York Times writer Adam Liptak explains, “votes cast by mail are less likely to be counted, more likely to be compromised and more likely to be contested than those cast in a voting booth.” H.R. 1 has a net negative impact on our trust in democratic institutions – just when that trust is most needed.

Benjamin Morawek is a junior political science major from Bonny Lake, Washington. His Twitter handle is @ BenMorawek.

OP-ED

A14 • MARCH 23, 2021

THE CHRONICLE

The streaming wars: There are no winners

By Eleni Kothesakis We have entered a war unlike any other in this new digital age.

Our loyalties are being pulled in multiple directions, and our wallets are getting thinner by the day. This war is exposing some of the problems within our capitalist society and fueling the constant dissatisfaction of the general public. For the past 14 to 15 years, we have been engulfed in the streaming wars, and there is no end in sight.

When Netflix started streaming videos in 2007, the television landscape began to change completely. Video rentals were decreasing, leading to the ultimate demise of Blockbuster, with more streaming services on the way. In 2008, Hulu appeared, bringing both on-demand content and access to live network television shows. From there, streaming services popped up like weeds. Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, HBOMax, Disney+, Peacock and Para-

By Antonia Moffa March 2020 will forever be synonymous with the beginning of a new reality – one of lockdowns, face masks and social distancing – attributed to the ongoing pandemic. It also happened to be the month I hopped on the social bandwagon and downloaded the popular video-sharing app TikTok for the first time. While I didn’t know it at the time, TikTok would go on to provide me with much-needed joy, solace and hope as I grappled with COVID-19’s impacts on my life.

After being forced to move back home indefinitely months earlier than I had planned, suddenly away from my friends and a campus I love, I found myself overcome with an intense sense of isolation.

I turned to TikTok to feel a sense of connection to other people my age who were dealing with similar emotions. I watched content ranging from

mount+ are now fighting alongside Netflix and Hulu.

Netflix is currently the leading streaming service with over 200 million subscribers, but Disney+ is expected to surpass it by 2024. Platforms like Peacock, HBOMax and Paramount+ are the streaming landscape’s rising stars. HBOMax especially has seen a spike in subscribers after it released “Wonder Woman 1984” this past December.

While these eight streaming platforms are fighting to be the top platform, there are several other smaller, niche platforms like Crunchyroll and Shudder.

If you wanted to watch all of the available content out there, you’d be paying quite a bit of money in monthly fees.

With all of these options, traditional cable TV is becoming less appealing. According to Nielsen Global Media, in 2020, 18- to 34-year-olds spent three times as much time watching TV through streaming platforms than they did watching tradi-

tional television. Young people especially are choosing to rely only on their streaming service subscriptions, where you can be selective about the content you are paying for.

Imagine this: Your favorite shows are scattered throughout different platforms and the only way to access them is to subscribe to each individual platform. Combining the basic subscription package for each

complex discourse about the merits of communism to funny cat videos, and everything in between, all of which were somehow directed to my For You Page by TikTok’s sophisticated algorithm. And, while watching the news or browsing outlets like the New York Times made me feel nauseous, TikTok provided me with just enough easily-digestible information on current events and social issues to feel up to date.

While the main premise of Jacob Lewis’ argument in his piece “TikTok is slowing cultural progression” is that TikTok promotes the creation of simple, “over-produced” content that is the perfect venue for corporate exploitation, I would argue that independent TikTok creators have actually broadened my cultural awareness and sparked creativity in me that had been buried by schoolwork. By simply scrolling through and interacting with my For You Page, I have been introduced to countless

films, books and TV shows that I would have never heard about otherwise.

Lewis holds that the claim that “there is a side of TikTok for every niche” is false, and that all TikTok creators essentially produce the same content. While many uber-popular creators (à la Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae) certainly fit that bill, there really is something for everyone on TikTok. I’ve even learned practical skills on the app! After starting a plant collection during the first major lockdown, I learned most of what I know about taking care of them from other plant-lovers who share their tips and tricks on the social media platform.

As a young lesbian, TikTok has offered me the space to connect with other LGBTQ+ people, even if just through a quick exchange in the comments of a queer person’s video. As mainstream media still tends to underrepresent LGBTQ+ experiences, it is

“I predict that mergers are inevitable and will lead to higher subscription costs.

That means that many more people won’t be able to access the content they were once able to.” service would cost over $60/ month. Ironically, that’s the average bill for a basic cable package.

All these different platforms might seem like an upgrade from cable, but for college students, subscribing to just

one or two services is a hefty price to pay. Even if one offers a free trial period, that can draw people in to paying for a full subscription to finish binging a show.

If we take money out of the equation, there is still the problem of content getting lost in the madness. Visit any of Netflix’s social media posts and you’ll see people complaining about shows being canceled after one season. Because of Netflix’s size, shows that seem like they have a cult following may not be watched by the majority of subscribers. Netflix needs to see high viewership to make a return on their investment and justify the cost of the production. However, because of how much content the platform offers, it’s difficult to get people to pick one show over the thousands of other shows out there. The amount of content is overwhelming, and it pushes people to watch the same shows over and over again.

Another major problem is that we don’t need all these different services. While it’s great that shows like “Cobra Kai” and “Lucifer” can find a new life because of streaming, some services don’t offer anything new. I predict that mergers are inevitable and will lead to higher subscription costs. That means that many more people won’t be able to access the content they were once able to.

It’s hard to predict the trajectory of this war, but it’s safe to say that an end is not in sight.

We are closer to reverting to the days of cable than we are to anything else. New players keep emerging in the streaming wars, and in the end, it is unlikely that any of them will come out victorious.

validating for me to see authentic videos of real lesbians doing real life things like being in love, pursuing careers and dealing with heartbreak.

This unique type of affirmation is what makes TikTok an actual community where I can see myself reflected in the lives of thousands of other people.

In addition to providing me with opportunities for individual growth, TikTok has proven to be a useful platform for activism and crowdsourcing for people in crisis. At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer, Black TikTok creators shared footage from demonstrations in cities across the world and provided invaluable commentary on police brutality and racism. Their work has inspired countless people to take to the streets, donate to mutual aid and bail funds and uplift the Black Lives Matter movement across social media. TikTok’s user base is so powerful that it

significantly disrupted attendance at one of former president Donald Trump’s rallies and crowdsourced $12,000 for an 89-year-old pizza delivery man, exemplifying why TikTok is perfect for widespread organizing between people who are miles apart.

Though TikTok exists within the inherently corrupt system of global capitalism – and is therefore ultimately driven by profit – the app still provides users with the ability to create thought-provoking and unique content that challenges cultural norms, deepens understanding of the structural issues within our society and provides people like me with a place to feel seen and heard.

TikTok has cultural value

Have an opinion? We want to hear it.

Email us at HUChronicle.Op.Ed@gmail.com

Eleni Kothesakis is a junior public relations and global studies major who writes about all things entertainment.

Antonia Moffa is a sophomore at Hofstra studying global studies and political science. She serves as an Assistant Copy Chief for The Chronicle and is from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

MARCH 23, 2021 •A15

Hofstra women’s lacrosse falls to No. 6 Boston College

By Jair Brooks-Davis STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra Pride women’s lacrosse team suffered a 19-7 loss to the Boston College Eagles on Saturday, March 20 at the James M. Shuart Stadium.

A week after Alyssa Parrella had a game to remember, the Pride was looking to continue the momentum against the

Eagles, but quickly saw themselves down by two goals after Charlotte North was able to find the back of the net twice.

Caitlynn Mossman and Jenn Medjid each added a goal of their own, giving the Eagles a four-goal advantage.

Alexa Mattera got the Pride on the board with her first goal just under eight minutes in.

Taylor Mennella chipped in soon after, cutting the Pride deficit to just two goals.

The Eagles followed up with an eight-goal run to end the half, putting the Pride down 10-2.

Coming out of the half, Courtney Weeks added two more goals for the Eagles to increase their lead to 10.

Mennella, Parrella, Kate Fiola, Arianna Esposito and Grace Langella each added a

goal in the second half to bring the Pride up to seven goals in the afternoon.

Despite cutting the deficit to 12-7, Hofstra’s run was shortlived as the Eagles responded by putting up seven unanswered goals to take a 19-7 lead over the Pride until time ran out.

Mattera and Mennella led the Pride with two points each.

Jess Smith had the loss for the Pride despite six saves. Anna Kaufman led the Pride in ground balls with three.

Charlotte North and Belle Smith for Boston College lead all scorers with six and four goals in the game. “[Boston College has] a very talented group, obviously,” said Pride head coach Shannon Smith. “We got to string some good minutes of lacrosse together both defensively and

offensively on the field.”

The Pride looks to get back in the win column on Thursday, March 25 when they visit the Stony Brook University

Seawolves for another iteration of the “Battle of Long Island.”

Hofstra Athletics Taylor Mennella had two goals in Saturday’s game against BC.

Hofstra wrestling competes in St. Louis at NCAA Championships

By Will Wiegelman ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Hofstra wrestling team sent seven wrestlers to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Wrestling Championships that began on Thursday, March 18. Three members of the Pride survived day one while none made it to day three.

Senior Charles Small came into St. Louis as the 23 seed in the 184-pound division. Down 3-2 in the third overtime period, Small scored a reversal on the 10th-seeded University of Wyoming wrestler Tate Samuelson. The move gave Small a 4-3 advantage which he would hang on to for the final 13 seconds to complete the upset.

Small then lost to Northern Illinois University’s Brit Wilson, the seven seed, 5-2 in the second round to drop him to the consolation bracket. Small was defeated on day two via tech fall 16-0 by Ohio State University’s Rocky Jordan.

Graduate student Greg Gaxiola lost in the preliminary round to Utah Valley University’s Cameron Hunsaker 5-1 but made noise in the consolation

bracket.

The 32-seeded member of the Pride shut out the 30 seed, Cleveland State University’s Marcus Robinson 4-0 and dropped the 19 seed, Navy’s Casey Cobb 3-2 thanks to a last-second takedown. Gaxiola was eventually stopped on day two by Campbell University’s Joshua Heil 5-2.

Heavyweight Zachary Knighton-Ward was the third Hofstra wrestler to make it to the second day.

Knighton-Ward was doubled up by the six seed, Iowa State University’s Gannon Gremmel 8-4 to open the tournament but bounced back later in day one.

Knighton-Ward needed just 55 seconds to pin North Dakota State University’s Brandon Metz in the first round of the consolation bracket. Knighton-Ward’s season was ended the next day

by Ohio State’s Tate Orndorff via an 11-3 major decision.

Four other Hofstra wrestlers participated in the NCAA championships.

At 141 pounds, Vinny Vespa dropped two major decisions to Cayden Rooks of Indiana University 10-1 in the preliminary round and to Ohio State’s Dylan

D’Emilio 8-0.

157-pound Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Champion Holden Heller was taken down in a sudden-victory first overtime period by the University of Michigan’s Will Lewan. Heller was then upset in the consolation bracket by Army’s Markus Hartman 3-0.

Ricky Stamm was defeated in the 165-pound preliminary round by Northern Iowa University’s Austin Yant via a 12-4 major decision. He picked up a 5-3

sudden-victory win over Drexel University’s Evan Barczak but was pinned in the next round

by Purdue University’s Gerrit Nijenhuis.

Finally, Trey Rogers was defeated in the first round by the 197-pound bracket’s three seed, Arizona State University’s Kordell Norfleet via a 12-3 major decision. He beat the University of Tennesee at Chattanooga’s Logan Andrew in the consolation bracket preliminary round 6-1 but fell in the next round via a 10-1 major decision

to Clarion University’s Greg Bulsak.

As a team, the Pride finished with 5.5 points overall, good for 44th out of the 60 teams at the tournament. Hofstra tied with Kent State University. The University of Iowa finished with the most team points with 129.0 for its first championship since 2010. Pennsylvania State University with 113.5 points, Oklahoma State University with 99.5 points and Arizona State with 74.0 points also finished on the podium.

Hofstra Athletics Charles Small upset 10-seed Tate Samuelson from the University of Wyoming on day one.

A16 • MARCH 23, 2021

SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

Suttner’s two goals lift Pride past Northeastern in CAA opener

By Mike Senatore SPORTS EDITOR

The Hofstra women’s soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to five matches on Sunday, March 21 with a 3-0 victory over the Huskies of Northeastern University at Hofstra Soccer Stadium. The match opened up Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play for the conference’s No. 1 ranked Pride.

Sophomore defender Anja Suttner led the way with two goals, marking her first career match of multiple scores.

Sabrina Bryan added her fourth goal of the season to round out the Pride’s three in the match.

She also assisted on both of

Suttner’s goals, bringing her to 16 total points through five matches, overtaking fellow senior Lucy Porter as the team’s leader in points.

The first half saw strong defensive play on both ends, as both teams managed just one shot on goal through the first 40 minutes. With 2:23 remaining until halftime, Suttner put Hofstra on the board as she took a cross from Bryan on the left side of the box and knocked it past Northeastern goalkeeper Angeline Friel. “[Suttner is] a dream to coach,” said Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough. “She’s a wonderful player, but an even better person. When [our] back is against the wall, you know that Anja Suttner’s going to step up and make a difference ...

She’s just a fantastic, fantastic player. She’s obviously the best defender in the [CAA], in my opinion.”

The Pride began the second half aggressively, as Krista Agostinello forced Friel to make a save just over five minutes into the half. They maintained

possession for much of the half, controlling the pace and attacking often.

Bryan was able to capitalize on an opening on the left side by getting around her defender and driving to the middle of the field for a clean look at the goal. She put the ball just out of Friel’s reach into the near corner of the net, bringing the Pride’s lead to 2-0 with under 30 minutes to play. The goal was assisted on

by Porter and Miri Taylor, who got the ball to Bryan with plenty of room to work inside the box.

The closing 10 minutes saw the Huskies amp up their attack, looking to get back in the contest late. Their comeback hopes were shot down by Suttner’s second goal of the day and the third for Hofstra, coming at the 86:05 mark. The score came after a corner kick from Bryan came down in the middle of a scrum inside the goal area, and Suttner was the first one to get a foot on it to send it up and over the Huskies defenders and into the net. “[The Huskies] make you work for goals and games, and

that wasn’t an easy 90 minutes,” Riddiough said. “3-0 sounds like a comfortable game, [but] it wasn’t. They make you fight for everything, and you’ve got to be super impressed by how they did that.”

The Pride will look to continue their dominant play on Saturday, March 27, in their second away match of the season, when they will take on the University of Delaware in Newark, DE in a CAA matchup.

Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle Hofstra’s 5-0 start marks the best start to a season since 1994.

Softball completes weekend sweep of UMass Lowell

By James Kelly STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra Pride softball team completed a four-game weekend sweep of the University of Massachussetts Lowell at Bill Edwards Stadium on Sunday, March 21. They were led by another strong pitching performance by Madison Burns in game one and an offensive explosion in game two.

Burns threw her second complete game in as many days, allowing one run on five hits and striking out six.

“I thought [Madison] Burns

did a great job of setting the tone that first game,” said Hofstra head coach Jay Miller. “[She] came out and threw a lights out two-hitter and really, I thought, did a great job for this whole weekend.”

After allowing that single run, Hofstra’s offense erupted for three runs in the third inning to take the lead. Kristin Hallam singled to score Devyn Losco in the bottom of the third, and then scored on an error off the bat of Chelsea Manto. Manto later scored on a groundout by Jaycee Ruberti, and Brianna Morse launched a home run in the fourth to give the Pride some breathing room in the 4-1 win.

Game two was much of the same. After Annabella Pisapia allowed a run in the third inning, Hofstra’s offense answered once again by scoring four runs.

Meghan Giordano worked a bases-loaded walk to bring Hallam in for the first run of the game.

Angelina Ioppolo hit a sac fly to

score Manto, and Alexis Goeke stayed hot with a single up the middle to score Giordano and Ruberti.

In the fourth inning, the Pride added two more runs with a double to score Manto and Kayla Wilson. Nikki Mullin came on in relief to secure the 7-4 Hofstra win and the fourgame sweep.

Despite the two wins, the Pride left a number of runners on bases over the weekend.

“I was a little disappointed at the middle of our lineup which has normally been pretty consistent for us driving in runs,” Miller said. “We left a lot of people on yesterday and a lot of people on today as well, so I was a little disappointed there.”

At second base, Morse made a big difference for the Pride, improving their fielding across both games. After a strong weekend, the freshman may be solidifying her spot in the lineup on a weekly basis.

Adam Flash / The Hofstra Chronicle The Pride has won five-straight games after starting 1-4 this season.

“I thought [Brianna] Morse did a great job this weekend at second base,” Miller said.

“We’ve been sort of looking for somebody who’s gonna be able to win that spot for us and I thought she came out and did a great job for us, both defensively and she swung the bat a little bit for us.”

The series sweep brought the

Pride’s record to 6-4, with a winning streak of five consecutive games. The Pride will be in action once again on Saturday, March 27, on the road against the University of Delaware for another doubleheader, and the first in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play.

SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

MARCH 23, 2021 •A17

Tareq Coburn hopeful for basketball future beyond Hofstra

By Jair Brooks-Davis STAFF WRITER

Tareq Coburn has many talents. He grew up playing the piano, trumpet and guitar. He did activities like swimming and playing ping-pong. He aspires to be a physician’s assistant, but his main initiative is to try and go into the NBA. “Req-o,” his teammates call him, transferred to Hofstra University after his freshman year at St. Bonaventure University (2016-2017). It was an easy decision for him due to his closeness to home and knowing several players.

“I’m cool with the coaching staff and I’m close to home.

I knew the players, Justin [Wright]-Foreman, Desure Buie, and when I was transferring I spoke to them about it.”

Due to NCAA rules, Coburn had to sit out the 2017-2018 season with the Hofstra Pride.

He returned to game action for the 2018-2019 season, a year where the Pride went 27-8 overall and went 15-3 in-conference.

Coburn played in all 35 games while starting in 25 of them. He averaged 8.4 points per game along with 3.5 rebounds per game. He tied with Wright-Foreman for the highest three-point percentage on the Pride.

“Most teams need a shooter, and we needed a knockdown shooter that can guard at a big height like 6’5. [The team] had a lot of scorers at that time, ball-handlers, passers, but coming in as a knockdown shooter definitely raised bars for me.”

The Pride defeated the James Madison University Dukes and the University of Delaware Blue Hens in the first two rounds before being defeated by the Northeastern University Huskies in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship (CAA) game. Coburn added nine points in the contest. Like most basketball players, Coburn went back to work for the 2019-2020 season.

“I wanted to work on other areas [than shooting] such as dribbling and just scoring the ball in all types of levels,” Coburn said. “That’s what the coach put in my game plan, and I also

worked on certain decisionmaking types of reads. How to try and be more of a leader.”

In the 2019-2020 season, the Hofstra Pride went 26-8 overall while going 14-4 in conference play. Coburn averaged 10.6 PPG while averaging 5.5 rebounds a game. The Pride defeated Drexel University and the Delaware Blue Hens en route to the CAA Championship game rematch against the Huskies.

This time, the fate was different for the Pride as they defeated the Huskies 70-61.

“We pretty much went the whole 365 days just to win one game. We knew the pain of what it meant to fail and I think that’s the reason why we won that game.”

It was a joyous occasion for the Hofstra Pride as they won their first CAA Championship on March 10, 2020; but not much longer after, the world had to reckon with COVID-19 at full force. All major sports had suspended their seasons including March Madness. Schools had to move to remote learning.

People had to stay at home and work remotely. At Hofstra, the spring season for athletics was canceled.

“At first, I wasn’t really thinking it was going to affect the next year [2020-2021] but then I saw Ivy League schools shutting down completely, games being postponed ... Football wasn’t starting up, and I was like, wow like I’m really concerned if I don’t have a senior season, do I just continue pursuing the PA [physician’s assistant] route and just stop basketball completely for now?” Coburn said.

New York was one of the states that was hit the hardest by COVID-19. It was hard for Coburn to practice and work on his basketball skills without some of the most important tools, a basketball hoop. However, he was able to lift weights and do cardio at home throughout the spring and summer leading up to August of 2020.

“It was so crazy during COVID that they took off all of the hoops in all the parks, so I couldn’t go outside. I didn’t work out [on basketball skills] for five or six months,” Co-

burn said. “Could’ve [maybe] done a dribbling drill. Maybe I could’ve went to the park but I didn’t want to be exposed or my family to be exposed either.”

Coburn had to think about what the pandemic could potentially mean for his fourth NCAA season. Luckily enough, Coburn found out that he would have a season during the 2020-2021 year. Unfortunately, he would have to play without fans in attendance, something that players aren’t used to and tend to thrive off of.

“I was very disappointed because I played for the fans; they get me going,” Coburn said.

“Basketball without any fans or love; I don’t even really think it’s like real basketball.”

Coburn loves the energy that the fans bring to games at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Home games throughout this year’s season haven’t been the same for the Pride.

“You have to find a way to get energy,” Coburn said. “We try to bring that off the bench. You could definitely play a game at home and have it feel like an away game because no one’s clapping; no one’s energized.”

COVID-19 has made a new normal and brought plenty of different protocols for people around the world. Travel on the road for the Pride men’s basketball team during the pandemic has brought its own challenges throughout the 2020-21 season.

“If there’s a chance for us to drive there [to an away game] we will just drive there completely. We limit the exposure of flying. And when we are flying we will have to wear two masks, an N95 and then a surgical on top,” Coburn said. “Hand sanitize everywhere before we leave. When we get to the hotel we get catered food so we take it to our rooms and then take off our mask and then we are allowed to eat. When we come back [to Hofstra] we have to quarantine for three days after.”

Coburn finished second on the team in points per game as he averages 15.2 while leading the team in three-point percentage at .396. Jalen Ray led the team in points per game at 19.3. This

Hofstra Athletics Coburn led the Pride in three-point percentage at .396.

is their third season together as they’ve mended a solid backcourt for the Pride.

“Some people say we’re a one-two punch,” Coburn said.

He credits head coach Joe Mihalich for his improvement as a basketball player. “[Mihalich] definitely had an impact on the way I rebound.”

Coburn also credits acting head coach Mike Farrelly for helping him settle into Hofstra once he transferred.

“In the first few games I wasn’t starting still, Coach Farrelly just talked to me off the court and told me to stay motivated, we really appreciate you,” Coburn said.

The talks with Coach Farrelly stuck with Coburn and helped him when he joined the starting lineup during the 2018-2019 season.

The 2020-2021 season was a bit rough for the Pride as they finished at 13-10 overall and 8-6 in-conference. The last two weekend series of the regular season were canceled because of positive COVID-19 tests within the program, and the team wasn’t able to practice together.

The Pride headed to Harrisonburg, Virginia to take on the University of Delaware in the CAA Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 4. After defeating the Blue Hens, the Pride faced Elon University for the first time in the semifinals, where the Pride

fell to the Phoenix.

Even though COVID-19 has had its effects throughout the team, Coburn remains positive and optimistic. Regardless, he always keeps his priorities in check.

“I am still blessed to be alive; my family, nobody’s been affected, nor friends. We still got to finish the playoff games,” Coburn said. “A lot of people don’t get to go to playoffs so it’s a lot of blessings and curses to it too.

I am so blessed that I can still play this game I love right now.

A lot of Division II or Division III’s are shut down so you got to be thankful.”

For Coburn’s future, it’s up to him where he wants his career to go. He has significant options.

“My main passion is to play in the NBA; it’s not to play in the G-League, it’s not to go to many different countries for numerous years,” Coburn said. “If I don’t make the NBA, I always have a backup to go to a P.A. school.”

No matter what Coburn decides, his future is bright.

A18 • MARCH 23, 2021

SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

Jalen Ray embracing lessons taught on and off the court

By David Lazar SPORTS EDITOR-AT-LARGE

What is a pride?

A pride is a group of lions that hunt together, united under a common goal: survival. Senior guard Jalen Ray guides a pride of his own.

“This team is family,” Ray said. “Everyone is from different parts of the world and we all come together.”

The Hofstra men’s basketball team has many contributors, but Ray was the head of the pack.

His 19.3 points per game, 37.2 minutes a night, 154 field goals, 64 three-pointers and 39 steals led the squad in his final year.

A coming-out party set the tone for a successful final run.

In the 2020 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship, Ray notched 17 points and eight boards to earn a CAA All-Tournament Team selection.

“Winning the CAA Tournament was my favorite memory with the Pride,” Ray said. “That moment was everything.”

The Northeastern University Huskies held a 48-44 lead with eight minutes remaining, and at that point the Pride had converted only one of their last eight shots.

Enter Ray. After a secondchance layup by Elijah Pem-

berton, Ray hit back-to-back daggers from deep, giving the Pride a 52-48 lead. Hofstra never looked back. “That game was important,” Ray said. “I showed what I could do for the team when I made big plays for us to win.”

Thanks to Ray, the Pride earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in 19 years. “It meant so much,” Ray said. “We lost to Northeastern the year before so finally getting over the hill was amazing.”

But the NCAA Tournament never happened. March Madness was cancelled on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Ray lost his chance to win it all. “COVID-19 showed us that you never know when something could stop,” Ray said. “You should put your all during the moment.”

Ray’s final campaign featured a similar narrative. The Pride had to change their entire offseason regimen, implement new guidelines and play an entire season in front of no fans.

“You never knew when you were going to play and when you were going to stop over the last few months,” Ray said.

“You could have a two-week break so you have to stay in shape and stay consistent.”

In fact, the Pride did have

a two-week break. The team paused all team activities on Monday, Feb. 15, because of a positive COVID-19 test.

This was the culmination of the rollercoaster that is athletics during a global pandemic. However, Ray and the Pride used the pause to focus on life off court.

“We had a lot more time for academics,” Ray said. “The coaches emphasize the importance of school. We are studentathletes. Student comes first.”

In that department, Ray has thrived. “My time at Hofstra has been pretty good,” Ray said. “I am a better person than I was before. It has opened my eyes up to everything else in the world.”

The Hampton, VA native joined the Pride in 2017 searching for a fresh start after earning All-Virginia, all-region and all-conference first team accolades during his senior season at Hampton High School. He was named the Conference Player of the Year.

“I wound up at Hofstra because I knew I needed a new start,” Ray said. “I wanted to major in business and this is a good business school. It was a great opportunity for basketball too. But since then, I have switched to a liberal arts major.

Some classes had lawyers in

Hofstra Athletics Ray finished fourth all-time in made three-pointers in Hofstra history.

there. Still, I kept a minor in business.”

During his first season, Ray played behind Justin WrightForeman, Desure Buie and Pemberton, a trio that helped the Pride become a perennial CAA powerhouse. “[Buie] showed me the way when I first came here,” Ray said. “[Coach Speedy Claxton], Wright-Foreman and Pemberton have been role models for me too. They have helped me get to

where I am today.”

Ray’s illustrious four-year Hofstra career will be remembered for the successes the Pride had in the span.

Ray has made memories playing basketball, but learned many lessons off the court too. “Never let anybody change you,” Ray said. “Be yourself. Do not be somebody you are not.”

SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

MARCH 23, 2021 •A19

Joe Mihalich: The jacket, the zone, the winning culture

By Anthony Roberts SPORTS EDITOR

As a cold breeze whisked through Hofstra’s campus on Friday, March 19, the Hofstra community received news that made the breeze even more chilling. Although Hofstra missed out on the tournament this year, the Pride made headlines when the athletics department announced that men’s basketball head coach Joe Mihalich will transition into a new role as a special advisor to the athletic director. The Mihalich era has ended.

Mihalich, who did not coach this season due to a medical leave, served seven full seasons as head coach, taking the Pride out of dark times to a championship caliber program.

“Coach Mihalich has been an incredible leader, educator, and steward of our men’s basketball program over the past eight years,” said Hofstra Vice President and Director of Athletics Rick Cole Jr. “His leadership from day one has allowed our program to experience tremendous levels of success, both on and off the court.”

When Mihalich took over the Pride, the program was coming off a 7-25 season in 2012-13 and saw the team rebuild and take the three-game win improvement in his first season. His

second season saw the Pride go 20-14, the first of back-to-back 20-win seasons for Mihalich.

The Pride earned their first postseason invite at the College Basketball Invitational where they fell to the University of Vermont in the opening round.

The Pride went 24-10 the following season and took down their first power five school in the Mihalich era, defeating Florida State University while also finishing 14-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and earning a share of the CAA regular season title.

The Pride went on the CAA championship game before falling in overtime to UNCWilmington. Hofstra received an invite to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) where they fell to George Washington University in the opening round.

The Pride went 15-17 and 19-12 the next two seasons before emerging as a conference powerhouse during the 20182019 season.

After starting the 2018-19 season at 3-3 following an overtime loss at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Pride embarked on a 16-game winning streak and a stretch of 19 wins in 20 games. The Pride set a school record with 27 wins during the season and won the first outright regular season title since the 2000-01 season. The

Pride advanced to their second CAA Championship game under Mihalich where they fell to Northeastern University. The Pride also earned an automatic berth to the NIT where they fell to North Carolina State University in the opening round.

The 2019-2020 season, and Mihalich’s last season, saw the Pride break through with a 26-8 record (14-4 CAA) and capture a second consecutive outright regular season title. Hofstra also earned another Power-5 win, this time at Pauley Pavilion over UCLA. The Pride took a stretch of winning nine of 10 games into the CAA tournament and defeated Drexel University and the University of Delaware to set up a rematch against Northeastern in the title game.

This time, the Pride would not be denied as they took down the Huskies, earning the program’s first CAA Championship and first conference title and NCAA Tournament berth in 19 years. The magical moment was quickly disassembled as the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mihalich’s final win with the Pride will forever be remembered.

“I always said to my sons and my teams ‘END ON A MAKE’ ... and that’s what I did.

I love Hofstra University and the entire Pride family. Having

Hofstra Athletics Joe Mihalich has amassed 141 wins in his seven years as head coach at Hofstra.

Hofstra Athletics Hofstra earned a NCAA Tournament berth during the 2019-20 season.

that championship moment in 2020 is something I, and the entire Hofstra family, will never forget,” Mihalich said in a press release. “I am thankful for all of the student-athletes that I have coached and the staff members that were with me over the past eight years. I look forward to serving the Hofstra Pride in a new role and seeing our programs continue to flourish.”

Mihalich went 141-92 at Hofstra and has over 400 wins in his career between the Pride and Niagara University. In his 15 years as head coach at Niagara, Mihalich earned five postseason appearances including two NCAA Tournament berths, winning a play-in game in 2007. Niagara also made the NIT three times.

Mihalich had four 20-win seasons with the Pride and was named the 2018-19 CAA Coach of the Year, the first coach at Hofstra to take home the award since joining the CAA in 200102. Mihalich has also had three players take home the CAA Player of the Year honor.

This season, Mike Farrelly served as the acting head coach for the Pride and worked to carry out Mihalich’s winning mentality. During the CAA Tournament, the Pride rested Mihalich’s sport coat jacket, the same one he wore in the quarterfinals a year earlier, on his seat on the sidelines. After a Pride loss in the semifinals, Far-

relly was especially emotional when talking about his longtime friend and mentor.

“Coach [Mihalich] lived for this week, that final preparation whether we were the number one seed or the 10th seed. It was his time. It was the postseason and when he ramped it up and he was at his best,” Farrelly said. “[I’m] playing in his honor and trying to do my best coaching his team. You know, he was the guy who set the culture and carried it along and made this a championship level program, so to try and carry that on for him was important to me. I hope he’s proud.”

Farrelly will continue to serve as acting head coach as Hofstra conducts a national search for the next Pride head coach.

From the first win of his career at Niagara against the University of Buffalo in 1998 to his final game and win for Hofstra in the CAA championship against Northeastern, Joseph Mihalich will be rememberedfor bringing a winning culture on the court.

THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE

Sports March 23, 2021

T he E nd of an E ra Hofstra Athletics announced that men’s basketball head coach Joe Mihalich will transition into a new role.

Hofstra Athletics