THE HOFS TR A
HEMPSTEAD, NY VOLUME 86 ISSUE 7
CHRONICLE
TUESDAY April 13, 2021
KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935. NEWS
Professor alleges Hofstra failed to accomodate COVID concerns By Ahjané Forbes
A S S I S TA N T N E W S E D I T O R
Madeline Armstrong / The Hofstra Chronicle Arthur Dobrin, professor emiretus and adjunct professor at Hofstra University, was originally scheduled to teach a section of Media Ethics in a first-floor lecture room in Breslin Hall.
Arthur Dobrin, 77, a professor emeritus and current adjunct professor at Hofstra University, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after his request to teach Journalism 001 (Media Ethics) remotely was declined. He alleges age discrimination, breach of contract and failure to accommodate his medical condition. According to Dobrin’s recollection of the events, he had taught Media Ethics remotely in Spring 2020 and he expected to teach the course remotely again in Fall 2020. He was notified by the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication (LHSC) that the course had to be taught in person. Dobrin objected to this decision and told the department
he would provide a medical note in order to teach remotely. Although the date when this encounter took place was not specified, LHSC did not accept the note weeks prior to the beginning of classes. Following Dobrin’s objection, he was no longer scheduled to teach Media Ethics. The course would have been his only one for the Fall 2020 semester. Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, and Jeffrey Morosoff, chair of the Department of Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations, have declined The Chronicle’s request for comment as the case is ongoing. The University said they have not received the EEOC complaint from Dobrin but
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Kosher students say there’s not enough to nosh By Megan Naftali
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Madeline Armstrong / The Hofstra Chronicle Some students who keep Kosher claim the University has not provided enough choices this semester.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hofstra Dining Services made significant reductions to Kosher food options on campus. These changes have made it difficult for students who keep Kosher to acquire food, as the choices are limited. “We have the little to-go [kosher meals], but I would say that there are not always a lot of choices and sometimes they are just not there because they have run out,” said Samantha Meltzer, a senior mathematical finance major. Hofstra Dining Services limited Kosher food options on campus to pre-packaged meals from Al Fresco and Wing Wan, according to Compass Resident District Manager Bruce Bechtle. Hofstra Dining Services also removed Eli’s Kosher Kitchen,
which used to serve hot, fresh Kosher meals Monday through Thursday. Some students like Meltzer have grown frustrated with what they perceive to be a Kosher food scarcity on campus. “Al Fresco only delivers to us twice a week,” Bechtle said. “It’s a food management issue just to see what the rotation is [and] how often we can get [Kosher food] and making sure we restock better than we have.” The scarcity of Kosher food on campus has also led some students to develop unhealthy eating habits. “There is very little Kosher food. The joke I constantly make is that I survive [on] Chex Mix and Reese’s peanut butter cups,” said Eliot Drazen, a sophomore film major. “With fewer options to eat, the easier it is to decide not to eat.” Some students also miss having hot meals, as many are un-
able to heat up the pre-packaged meals due to Kosher restrictions. “I miss Eli’s every day. I miss being able to eat warm meat,” Meltzer said. “All of the options are cold, so if I’m eating a Kosher meal, I’m not going to put that in the microwave because the microwaves that I have access to [on campus] are not Kosher.” According to Bechtle, Hofstra Dining Services decided to close Eli’s because COVID-19 restrictions made it impossible to safely serve students in the small space of the kitchen. “The nature of the setup of the serving area for Eli’s was that a student could come in and select their meal in the space, which is impossible [now] because of social distancing regulations from the health department,” Bechtle said. He also said the Kosher kitchen on campus
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A2 •APRIL 13, 2021
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 Editors-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.
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THE CHRONICLE
The Hofbeats place third in national a cappella semifinal competition
By Annemarie LePard
no way for our music director – there was no way for any of us – to really know if everybody knew their music or if they were just there to be there.” When it came time to compete, the group of 18 had to individually record their own parts using voice memos. Mike O’Malley, a senior double major in history and audio produc-
getting that [award] and second place [in the quarterfinals],” O’Malley said. “I felt like I had to sort of carry the torch for the seniors who didn’t get that opportunity to perform what they worked on last year.” Once the mix was finalized, the group collaborated on their video submission, while adhering to COVID-19 safety
single member of the group stepped up and took responsibility, [because] it can be so hard The Hofbeats – a co-ed a to do things during COVID cappella group at Hofstra – adwhen everything’s on Zoom and vanced to the Northeast region when we’re in a pandemic,” she semifinals of the International said. Championship of Collegiate A Despite the challenges of a Cappella (ICCA) for a historic pandemic and not having the second time, all while maneuopportunity to sing together, this vering around the challenges of year’s group has a bond like no COVID-19. other. “Being a “The culture young kid and community watching ‘Pitch [have] never Perfect,’ you been better,” never think that Shah said. “It’s you’re going not 18 singers to be part of in an a cappella [the ICCAs] group; these one day,” said are 18 friends Adam Ruben, that will stay on a freshman Zoom for hours biomedical enand hours just gineering major to talk and play and member of silly games.” The Hofbeats. The Hofbeats “You can’t ultimately really put [the placed third in Photo courtesy of Justin Shah feeling] into the competition, The Hofbeats have mastered the art of collaborating and rehearsing on Zoom during the pandemic. words.” but at the end The Hofbeats tion, pieced together the final guidelines. of the day, they find competing competed against 27 other a product. “Everybody went 100% and in the semifinals to be a victory cappella groups within their After spending roughly 45 put in so much time and effort in itself. region and landed in the top hours to edit and mix the four[to] plan their outfits,” said “Regardless of what the place eight despite never singing or minute arrangement of “Paint It Hofbeats Music Director Natalia is – I don’t even care that it’s performing together in person. Black” by The Rolling Stones, Antkowiak, a junior music edu[a] competition anymore,” Shah All their practices and rehearsals O’Malley received a special cation major. “We all sent [the said. “We have that [submission were held on Zoom to adhere to award for outstanding mix for outfits] in group messages and video], and I’m going to look social distancing guidelines. the entire Northeast region by went and recorded individually back at this in like 20 plus years “It was a big stress [on] trust,” Varsity Vocals, host of the ICat the setup we had.” and say, ‘Wow, that was awesaid Hofbeats President Justin CAs. Antkowiak said the group’s some.’” Shah, a junior music educa“[Being named best audio connection is inspiring. “It tion major. “Because there was mixer] felt good, especially was really awesome how every NEWS EDITOR
Campus life to return to a new normal this Fall
By Tori Bien
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected multiple aspects of Hofstra students’ lives, and although people have adapted to a new normal, pre-pandemic life is commonly missed. Students have abided by tough restrictions declared by the University for the health and safety of the community. Students have also altered their educational paths and socialization patterns to reduce exposure and keep the University afloat, but many are wondering when these protec-
tive measures will be lifted as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more accessible. Students, especially eager first years, have received the short end of the stick throughout the course of the pandemic, costing them friends and opportunities alike. Student connections with their peers, professors and extracurricular activities have had to change. Some students feel as if their social lives are slipping away and the window of opportunity to assimilate into college life is quickly closing. “As a freshman here at Hofstra I feel that ... the COVID-19
guest policy in the dorms is restricting all of our abilities to meet new people and make new relationships,” said Ryan Levenberg, a freshman film studies major. “I really hope that adjustments can be made for next semester so I can thoroughly enjoy my college experience.” Unlike students who live on campus, remote students feel even more shut out from the community. “I really think I missed out on the college experience,” said Christian Gardecki, a freshman journalism major. “I just stayed in my dorm when I was on campus for the first
semester and now I’m staying home.” Students’ perspectives on what Hofstra will look like next year differs. While many are unsure, they remain optimistic that college life will turn the corner and return to normal. Tony Beres, a senior TV production major, is concluding his undergraduate degree in hopes to return to Hofstra for graduate school. “It was very sad to spend my senior year under COVID-19 restrictions as I was excited to graduate in a normal situation,” Beres said. “I’m
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THE CHRONICLE
NEWS
APRIL 13, 2021 • A3
University faces an ethical dilemma with a Media Ethics professor
CONTINUED FROM A1 expressed the decision to have some in-person classes as one that had the educational needs of the students in mind, according to a statement previously issued by the University. “[When planning for the semester,] the emphasis for undergraduate classes, especially introductory classes as well as lab and studio courses, was on in-person classes, while graduate classes were more online,” the statement reads. And in any event, class assignments are never based on the age of a professor.” Although age discrimination is one of his complaints, Dobrin’s complaint is centered around his underlying heart condition. He did not describe his condition as a medical disability, however his lawyer, Thomas Liotti, said that Dobrin’s health condition does limit him from teaching in the classroom. “The Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA] is a future protection he should be afforded under the circumstances because his heart condition would probably limit his ability to be at the school during the pandemic,” Liotti said. “And therefore it’s probably going to qualify as a disability.” The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination toward anyone with a mental or physical disability in the workplace, schools, transportation and all other public and private places. “[The Department] made
the decision that Media Ethics, Journalism 001, would be taught face to face,” Dobrin said. In response, Dobrin’s cardiologist said, “You’re not going in the classroom – this is crazy. [I will write you] a medical accommodation.” In the original complaint filed, Dobrin states that, “Faculty shouldn’t be given less considerations than that given to students.” He wondered whether the University gave students more consideration when it came to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. The elderly as well as individuals with underlying conditions, including those with a heart condition, are considered high-risk for contraction of COVID-19 and may experience life-threatening complications, according to the CDC. The guidelines specify that older adults should limit in-person interactions and maintain social distancing protocols at all times. Dobrin indicated that he does qualify as a high-risk individual per CDC guidelines. However, as an adjunct professor, Dobrin does not have the same leverage as full-time faculty members. The Hofstra Chapter of the American Association of University Professors and the University share a contract called the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which explains all the key components of each professor’s workload and their conditions of employment. Martine Hatchett, the Vice President of Grievances for the
Hofstra chapter, says adjunct professors are not entitled to the same options as full-time professors. “If you look in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, as an adjunct you’re not guaranteed a course,” she said. Adjuncts are limited to teaching two courses a semester. Article 24 of the contract defines adjunct professors’ conditions of employment and workload. In section six, “Seniority and Assignments,” it states that adjunct professors should understand an “assignment of the course does not guarantee that the course shall be offered.” Nonetheless, the section states that the department chairperson should inform an adjunct professor of their assignment to a course in a “timely manner,” no later than the “first day of registration,” which for the Fall 2020 semester was Sunday, March 1. While Dobrin was informed by the deadline that he would be teaching the course, the CBA does not currently include a clause that requires the University to disclose the format of the class. Because of this, Dobrin prepared a syllabus and lined up guest speakers for the course in anticipation of having the option to teach the course remotely. This is not the first case recently where a Hofstra employee has alleged discrimination against the University. A similar complaint was filed on April 29, 2019 with the EEOC by former Resident Director Jacqueline Bavier. Bavier v. Hofstra University
alleges that Hofstra repeatedly failed to provide her with reasonable accommodations. She also states that the University proceeded to terminate her on the basis of her disability after denying several requests to have her dog, Lady, be classified as a service dog and not an emotional support animal. The case claims violation of the ADA and the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL). The NYSHRL defines reasonable accommodations as a modification made to assist prospective or hired employees with their daily tasks. According to the official complaint on record with the U.S. District Court, three days after being hired as a Resident Director Bavier submitted an accommodation letter to bring her service dog on campus and was approved. However, Bavier states that difficulties to make the distinction between emotional support animal and service dog arose, ensuing a series of issues regarding the ability to allow her dog on campus grounds. The complaint cites an incident in which a Public Safety officer failed to recognize her dog as a service animal and insisted that she “get rid of it” and would not be allowed back into the residence hall until she complied. This account is an amendeded version of the original complaint, filed in June 2017, which the University states was dismissed. “This is a five-yearold case that was previously dismissed by the New York state Division of Human Rights,” the
University said in a statement. “We are confident the University handled the matter appropriately.” The University did not provide a comment for the amended 2019 complaint currently on file. Bavier’s lawyer could also not be reached for comment. Workplace discrimination is illegal and one of the grounds in which a firing may be declared unjust under the current employment and union system in New York state. Liotti explained that the grounds for firing an individual are often vague. “We are unfortunately in a hiring and firing at will state,” he said. “Unless you have a written contract – like a union contract – then you basically can be fired at any given time for any particular reason unless there’s discrimination involved.” The non-discriminatory clause in the CBA states, “Neither party shall discriminate against any faculty member because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, marital or veteran status or union activity.” Dobrin calls his ordeal “morally unacceptable,” and hopes to resolve the issue in the near future so he may resume teaching. “That’s to be determined. It isn’t completely up to me,” Dobrin said. “What I can say is that I miss teaching.”
In-person classes to resume as primary method of instruction CONTINUED FROM A2 considering coming back next year and I’m excited to be able to attend in-person classes. I just hope some things will change, such as visiting dorms and eventually no masks.” Martine Hackett, associate professor of health professions, believes that it is important to continue focusing on community health even if restrictions
begin to ease. “We can’t focus on the future if we don’t take the precautionary measures now, as the University is beginning to show hope with their plan to shift to mostly in person classes,” Hackett said. “I could see guest restrictions being lifted if students were vaccinated, but any requirements for that are still undecided.” The course of Hofstra’s next
academic year is contingent on CDC and New York State guidelines, but the administration remains hopeful. “We are were very keen to return to in-person classes and provide a committed holistic experience,” said Margaret Abraham, senior vice provost for Academic Affairs. “College is a time where the quest of knowledge and possibility of building relationships
is important and we want our students to thrive to the best of their ability. We will do our best to achieve our goal of creating the most welcoming experience possible.” With the rising availability of COVID-19 vaccines and the University’s diligence to return to normal life, things seem to be moving in a positive direction. The administration believes
the Hofstra community can get there by working together for the greater good of all. As of now, the University can only commit to in-person classes and the possibility of lifted guest restrictions. Many things are still yet to be determined, but the next academic year is looking bright.
NEWS
A4 •APRIL 13, 2021
THE CHRONICLE
Hofstra talks social inequities on Global Justice Day
Photo Courtesy of Global Rountable Issues. The Center for Civic Engagement hosted several virtual events to celebrate Global Justice Day.
By Katrina O’Brien SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Hofstra University Center for Civic Engagement held virtual events for Global Justice Day on Wednesday, March 24. Several panelists and students came together to discuss food inequality as well as environmental and safety issues in the fast fashion industry. According to the event, more than 820 million people worldwide face food insecurity, and that number is on the rise. Meanwhile, global climate change is threatening food supply, biodiversity and human health. Various injustices exist within the global food system, such as a lack of equitable resources, opportunities and
access to land for people to produce their own food, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. “There have been studies that show a lot of how that framing has been changed,” said Rae Gomes, executive director of the Brownsville Community Culinary Center. “The government has left volunteers to solve the problem of combating poverty from a community to a global scale.” Approximately 283,700 people will suffer from hunger on Long Island at some point this year, according to Community Solidarity. “Class struggle occurs every minute of everyday life in the United States,” said Mary Anne
Trasciatti, associate professor in the Department of Writing Studies and Rhetoric. “It’s just the working class that always has its neck under the heel of powerful people, and the struggle is still going on.” The food industry is not the only industry responsible for social inequities and environmental devastation. Fast fashion gives consumers an opportunity to purchase more clothes for less, but those who work in or live near those manufacturing facilities are subject to environmental health hazards. Meanwhile, the United States consumes more clothing and textiles than any other nation in the world. About 85% of the clothing Americans consume –
nearly 3.8 billion pounds annually – is sent to landfills as solid waste, amounting to nearly 80 pounds per American per year. Fast fashion not only generates massive amounts of solid waste in wealthy countries such as the United States, but because the majority of its production takes place overseas in poorer communities, it serves as a massive health and environmental safety hazard to the people living in these communities. Not only does fast fashion carry environmental repercussions for the communities close to its manufacturing centers, but it also carries an array of safety issues for the workers employed by the industry. “Women in Bangladesh have died in fires or from factory collapses because of lack of attention to safety issues,” Trasciatti said. “All this is happening just to meet the demands of capitalism.” Trasciatti said that unsafe working conditions are also present in the United States. “Workers in Los Angeles are making equipment to keep
others safe but are not being paid a fair wage and have to work extraordinary hours just to make ends meet,” Trasciatti continued. “Other issues such as wage theft, long hours, lack of [personal protective equipment and] unsafe factory conditions, including the issues with forming a union, are all examples of injustices faced every day that are extremely overlooked.” Many organizations work with people all around the world to support garment workers and tackle the injustices they face. Some Hofstra students brainstormed ways to support the local community with some of the issues outlined during the panel. “Checking in with local churches [and] other religious establishments and Hofstra’s food pantries [are great ways] to help combat local hunger,” said Margaret Engel, a senior triple major in global studies, geography and drama. “Opportunities for student involvement are Global Labor Justice, United States Against Sweatshops and Long Island Jobs with Justice.”
“Class struggle occurs every minute of everyday life in the United States.”
Kosher food options few and far between on campus CONTINUED FROM A1 was too small to cook in while practicing social distancing, so cooks cannot even prepare food in the Kosher kitchen during the pandemic. Because Hofstra’s Kosher dining options are limited this semester, some think Hofstra’s mandatory meal plans for residential students are unfair to those who keep Kosher.
“If you live on campus, you have to pay for [a] meal plan,” said Leilah Abelman, a senior political science major. “They are not offering me the same options [they] are offering other students, so I still have to pay the $2,000 ... [That] is a lot of money, but they are only offering me little boxed meals.” The residential student meal plans range from $1,020 to $2,820, according to the 2020-
2021 dining plan contract, with first-year resident student meal plans ranging between $2,440 and $2,820. Hofstra Dining Services is actively looking to get more Kosher meal options from distributors such as Chimichurri of Carle Place, Halal Shack and other distributors, according to Bechtle. “My goal is to get things up and running by August,” Bechtle
said. In the meantime, the Hofstra Dining Service staff is willing to hear students’ concerns and help find a way to tailor foods to a specific student’s dietary needs. “If students feel like they’re stuck and they only have these pre-packaged items, I would recommend that they speak with me or Bruce Bechtle,” said Jessica Jaeger, a registered dietitian at Compass. “We can coordinate
with the chefs ... I think that is one of the best ways we can manage and make sure that everyone is getting a nice variety.” Any students with dietary concerns or in need of help finding nutritious meals should contact Jessica Jaeger at Jessica. Jaeger@compass-usa.com.
THE CHRONICLE
NEWS
APRIL 13, 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
A6 • APRIL 13, 2021
FEATURES
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ADVANCE AS A LEADER IN EDUCATION The School of Education at Hofstra University offers a fully online MSEd in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies, designed for aspiring professionals who wish to work in colleges, universities, post-secondary institutions and other allied settings. • Choose from flexible, asynchronous courses, taught by a dynamic group of award-winning, full-time faculty. • Gain hands-on experience through various internships or through graduate assistance programs. • No GRE required and scholarships available for qualified candidates! Learn more at hofstra.edu/highered or call 516-463-4723.
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THE CHRONICLE
APRIL 13, 2021 • A7
FEATURES
T h i s Ho f s t r a L i f e :
The Renaissance man
Photo courtesy of John Krapp John Krapp, associate professor and chair of the Comparative Literature, Languages and Linguistics Department.
By Julian Rocha SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
For many, college is a place to learn and grow both as a student and a person. For John Krapp, associate professor and chair of the Department of Comparative Literature, Languages and Linguistics, this certainly rings true. As a Hofstra alumnus himself, being at the university has been an enriching experience. “When I went to [Hofstra], I wasn’t planning on being a professor; I was planning on being a lawyer,” Krapp said, detailing his days as an undergraduate student. “I came in as a sophomore, and I went to a part of the University that no longer exists. It was a place called New College, which was a small, separate liberal arts unit of the University where they were trying to create an environment where you could design your own interdisciplinary curriculum. What they wanted to do was emphasize how knowledge is connected rather than compartmentalized,” he said. “We read ‘The Oresteia’ by Aeschylus,
and that’s when I realized that what matters most in a court of law is who makes the better argument.” Despite his love for philosophy, Krapp ended up back in literature, falling in love with the room for interpretation it allowed. “No matter what you know about a piece of literature, somebody else is always going to have a different take, whether they are a student or a professor,” he said. Literature has taken Krapp to amazing places, beyond just what can be found in the pages. “When I was leaving undergraduate school, I had to make a decision about what I wanted to do for graduate school. I decided as a junior in undergraduate school that I wanted to go to Oxford University, and so I went,” he said. “I studied romantic poetry with Johnathan Wordsworth, who is the great-great-great nephew of William Wordsworth, arguably one of the greatest romantic poets of all time. At some point, a number of us decided we were going to go on a pilgrimage to Tinturn Abbey, and the Lake
District, and Grassmere and all the places where Wordsworth and Coleridge strolled around, thought about and wrote about poetry. Being in the Lake District, where these people were, studying romantic poetry at twenty years old, was a profound experience.” Early on in his career, Krapp found himself surrounded by familiar faces from his time as a student. “When I got hired at [Hofstra], back in ‘92, most of the people who taught me at New College were still there. One of my colleagues who retired a few years ago said, ‘We remembered what you were like as a student but we hired you anyway.’ He’s a dear friend of mine who lives in Spain now.” Many colleagues whom Dr. Krapp worked with have also had a profound impact on him outside the classroom. “One of them was a guy named Ignacio Götz, who became a mentor and a friend,” Krapp noted. “When my wife Lisa and I got married, he had been a Jesuit so he married us, and he has been a very important person over the years. I don’t think I’ve come across a faculty member on
Brothers Karamazov,” by Fyodor Dostoevsky, is the book that challenged his preconceived notions the most. It allowed him to question the world and his place in it. “It’s one of the greatest philosophical novels of all time, because it deals with age old questions to which there aren’t really any answers,” he said. “There are three brothers that try to work their way through these problems in conversation with each other, and it’s about what each one learns along the way about these really important answers to these really important questions. So what’s interesting about that book for me, is that the three characters each represent a different approach to life. Each of the brothers have elements of the other brothers in their personality,” he explained. At different points in his life, Krapp has found himself relating to each of the three brothers. “I’ve always known the direction in which I want to head, but it took me a long time to get there. There was a stretch where I read it once a year, every January.” Although Krapp holds a deep fondness for the works he teaches, the most important part
“What I try to do is focus my teachings on the idea that all human beings are trying to express their agency and selfhood into the world.” campus whose time with them I didn’t enjoy. I’ve just been very lucky in that way. The University has done a really good job of picking faculty that want to work with undergraduates, so they’re happy on campus. When you’re happy with your job, you tend to become someone people enjoy spending time with.” Krapp has read many books since he first set foot on campus, but there is one that that he feels the most strongly about. “The
of his career is his students. He is often amazed at the connections they make to the readings. “I’ve had students turn [to] books that I would never imagine them to, and there were times I was almost shaken by those reactions. I wouldn’t expect something so casual in a book to resonate with them that much.” To Krapp, anyone could walk into an empty room and begin to lecture. The key ingredient in a class, he feels, are the seats with students
in them. He believes that with literature, you have to do a lot less lecturing. “All you have to do is ask the right questions, and then that will get the conversation going,” he said. Krapp’s deep passion for philosophy is reflected in his approach in the classroom. “What I try to do is focus my teachings on the idea that all human beings are trying to express their agency and selfhood into the world. In order to do that, they need to negotiate ideological tension with the environment around them. The sources of these tensions come from family, religion, politics, media, the economy etc., and there are so many nuanced approaches. The literature that I use will demonstrate how writers try to negotiate these ideological tensions. What I try to do is strip these down to basic human desires, interests and tensions, and once I find these common denominators, I try to make them more complicated and based on specific things such as class, gender, sexuality, race and things like that. From there, I try to base it on the experience of the student. We all have different passions, desires and appetites, which can be informed by how and where we are raised,” he explained. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the university experience for Krapp, like so many others, he remains optimistic. “The nice thing that’s happening right now in education is that we have this really strong and unified sense of including voices that were at one time not part of the conversation,” he said. “They are now a vital part of the conversation. If we don’t keep this conversation going now, with the voices that are in it, these conversations are going to stagnate and die. It’s a really great time to be on a college campus. And what I’m looking forward to is having these conversations in person.”
A8 • APRIL 13, 2021
FEATURES
Rock CAN Roll takes PR Senior Capstone Course to new heights By Melanie Haid
management and Victoria Wetmore, agency director, partnered with Rock CAN Roll. Rock CAN Roll’s mission, according to Cardona, is “to stock the shelves of emergency food agencies with healthy, nonperishable food and provisions. They collaborate with rock concerts, schools, corporations and private individuals to collect nutritious, nonperishable food (for people and their pets) and necessities for distribution to Long Island’s families in need.” “The six of us have taken on an enormous project in the last half of our senior year, among other classwork, trying to find jobs, and of course, during the
for the company, leading up to the virtual concert in late April. So far, the lineup for the virtuWhile some non-profit work al concert, tickets for which will may be limited with the panbe sold for $5 through Facebook, demic still taking the world by include Hofstra alumni Libby full force almost a year after its Quinn Band and current Hofstra start, other nonprofits have found student, Savannah Shea Music. creative ways to continue to give Ideally, Moxie would still like to back to the community. have one more performer. Public Relations Capstone “We are doing all of the public course PR 107 is a requirerelations for this organization,” ment for students in the public Weber said. “This is by far the relations major, where students most hands-on experience that are grouped together to assist a I’ve had at Hofstra aside from an real nonprofit organization with a internship that I acquired on my public relations campaign. own. It feels like I’m working a Ivan Cardona, assistant profesjob, and it feels like I’m doing sor of journalism, media studies the work that I would be doing and public relations at Hofstin the future. I feel like with this ra University, told the group, experience who’ve I’m learning named significantly themselves more than I “Public relations students combine the “Moxie PR have in any Agency,” theory and experiential components of their class comthat this is bined.” previous classes and internships to provide the first of At first, clients with strategic planning, objectives and the course this kind of project done was beidentification of appropriate techniques.” at this scale. ing taught The students through that make up the hybrid Moxie PR pandemic,” Mento said. “We’re model, but now it’s all virtual have been assigned to nonprofit all dedicated to this project – which means all of Moxie’s hunger relief organization Rock because we share a common meetings are over Zoom too. WeCAN Roll. goal: to do the most amount of ber joked that they were always “Students serve on a pro bono good for this nonprofit as we can stressed, but that it’s worth it. basis to develop a PR program during our time with it.” “We know that the work we’re for a nonprofit client assigned Throughout the course, Moxie doing is making a real impact, by the instructor,” said Cardona, PR will work with Rock CAN and that’s what’s driving us one of the PR 107 instructors. Roll’s founder to set up an to put on this concert,” Mento “Public relations students comextensive PR campaign, includadded. bine the theory and experiential ing marketing, advertising and The concert will be held virtucomponents of their previous everything in between. Their end ally on Wednesday, April 28, one classes and internships to provide goal is to put on a virtual concert of Hofstra’s designated wellness clients with strategic planning, to raise money for the organizadays. The Moxie PR Agency said objectives and identification of tion’s operations. that while it takes a lot of work appropriate techniques for a sucUsually, pre-pandemic, Rock to plan the event, and even more cessful PR effort. Working with CAN Roll would hold in-perto iron out all of the details, it is their clients, students execute son events, often at concerts, to an absolutely worthwhile expevarious aspects of the campaign collect canned goods through can rience to prepare them for their and develop a work portfolio as drives, which would be distribpost-grad careers. they complete their public relauted to the surrounding Long “This capstone course benefits tions degree requirements.” Island community. The orgathe students, and our community A group of six senior students, nization’s main source of can partners consider these services including Alec Jacobs, the direccollection has now been limited valuable sources of support,” tor of incentives and sponsordue to COVID-19. Cardona said. ships, Dianna Riegel, director “It’s the biggest project any of of social media, Emily Suter, art us have ever taken on,” Mento director, Jarrett Weber, account said. Essentially, the group is executive, Madison Mento, doing all of the public relations director of branding and brand EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THE CHRONICLE
Overheard Z oo m
on
“Had enough of this? Well there’s more, sorry.”
“Hand holding can be very intense.”
“When I’m bored I like to watch videos of Chris Christie telling people off.” Student: “I broke my leg and can’t do anything.” Professor: “Good, now you have time to write.”
“I’m a senior, which is ugly.”
“Do you all know what incels are?”
Person one: What kind of governments do they have in Scandinavia? Person two: Aren’t they communist?
“Katy Perry’s “Part of Me” music video is military propaganda.”
THE CHRONICLE
APRIL 13, 2021 • A9
FEATURES
Dancing for freedom: An Iranian woman’s story By Madeline Armstrong ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
*For the safety and protection of a source in this article, her quotes will not attributed by name. “Dancing is a blessing ... It feels like you’re at the center of the universe,” said a 20-year-old female dancer from Iran. Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, it has been illegal for women to dance publicly in the country because it is considered to be perverse and immoral, according to the principles of the “cultural revolution.” However, upon finding a passion for the art form, she continues to dance in secret. While dancing may be outlawed for women in Iran, this has not stopped them from searching for ways to practice and teach it. Dance teachers are able to hold classes in underground basements or other secretive locations. However, proper teachers are hard to come by and it is a dangerous study to pursue. “I’m always nervous about it,” she said. “Whenever I’m going to ballet class, I’m paranoid [that] someone is following me. If someone shows up, I need to
By Anna DeGoede
be able to run.” Despite this constant fear, she has continued to train and search for ways to make a lifestyle out of dancing. Two years ago, she decided to apply to universities in the United States to study dance. One of her applications found its way to Giada Matteini, a dance instructor and founder and artistic director of Wandering Avian Dance Experience (WADE), an institution that operates at the intersection of performing arts, activism and social change. “She sent a video application and I absolutely fell in love with her,” Matteini said. “Not only because of her ability as a dancer, but because of her story.” Matteini proceeded to reach out to the young dancer, offering her the chance for work with Matteini through a scholarship to a summer program in Italy. However, due to problems with her visa, she was unable to attend. Since then, Matteini has been working with her to find a way
to get an education in dance. And once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, all efforts were put on hold. This caused Matteini to become aware of her own privilege amid the increase in violence and injustice against women globally, and she was inspired to create WADE. “The main interest of WADE is to promote women’s work, to
series consisted of performances, conversations and interviews by artists and activists, including a dance video created by the Iranian dancer. The dancer’s video brought attention to the gender inequality in Iran and the pain women feel not being able to properly express themselves. “It’s a kingdom for boys here,” the dancer said. “You can’t expose yourself when you go out. You can’t talk like yourself when you go out. You can’t walk like yourself when you go out.” Because of the continued struggle for even more basic women’s rights in Iran, the freedom to dance is not at the forefront of rights to reclaim. This dancer believes that many do not think the risk of advocating for women to dance publicly is worth it. “Dance has been dead here for over 40 years and people haven’t realized that [it] has been taken from them,” she said. “We’ve
“I’m always nervous about it ... Whenever I’m going to ballet class, I’m paranoid [that] someone is following me.” elevate women’s voices, to have a space for women to talk about their experiences,” Matteini said. “We want to fuel systemic cultural change through dance and through music and through conversation in the arts.” In December, WADE joined the UNITE to End Violence against Women campaign to create the 16-day “WADE into Activism” virtual event series, focusing on activism against gender-based violence. The
fought for so many basic things for so long, like not wearing a hijab or having the same rights as men. Even those things have gone nowhere.” Over the past couple months, Matteini has been able to work with universities to give her a space to tell her story and expose her to different dance educators, all in the hopes of finding a way for her to leave Iran and dance freely. “I want to give her a space to tell her story and keep her engaged because she doesn’t have opportunities to go dance and perform,” Matteini said. “Listening to her story really makes all of us put things into perspective.” Despite the constant fear, challenges and disappointment, this dancer will not let anything deter her from attaining her dream. “If the whole world can do it, then why can’t I,” she said. Matteini urges people to become aware of the challenges and injustices women face all over the world and do something about it. “We can open the conversation,” she said. “We can talk about solutions and we can push for things to actually happen.”
Chron Cooks ft. Anna DeGoede: Sweet Apples
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Ingredients:
Instructions:
3-4 apples of any variety, peeled and cut into thin slices
1. Melt butter in a skillet. Add brown sugar and cornstarch and stir to make a paste.
2 tablespoons butter
2. Sprinkle with cinnamon and stir in water. Cook and stir mixture until thickened.
¼ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch Photo courtesy of Anna DeGoede
Here is a recipe for when you’re hungry for something sugary, but want to feel healthy at the same time! Whether you’re looking for a tasty side dish to go with your main course or a dessert to end the day with, this easy recipe fits the bill. Minimal cookware and inexpensive ingredients make this a perfect dish for college students.
Cinnamon to taste ½ cup water
3. Add apples, stir to coat. Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until apples are the desired softness. 4. Plate and serve while hot.
Spring into Hofstra As the weather warms up, spring is arriving at Hofstra University! With it comes flowers beginning to bloom and more outdoor programming around campus. Hofstra kicked off its Spring Pop-up Concert Series at the Pride Pavilion on Thursday, April 8. Additionally, the University has begun offering COVID-19 vaccines to students in the Physical Education Building, working to keep the Hofstra community safe.
Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle
Spread by Jacob Lewis, Adam Flash and Talha Siddiqui
Arts and Entertainment
VOL. 86 ISSUE 7
What’s a king to a god: ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ B2 Courtesy of Polygon
A&E
B2 •April 13, 2021
THE CHRONICLE
What’s a king to a god: ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’
By Robert Kinnaird MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Was “Godzilla vs. Kong” a “good film?” Not really, but that question isn’t relevant to a movie like this. Monster movies like this aren’t supposed to be high art. They aren’t competing with classics like “The Godfather” and they aren’t trying to. What they are, and what they have always been, are fun, and this movie delivers. “Godzilla vs. Kong” hinges on a few simple plot points. Something is making Godzilla angry, causing him to attack human cities; something is competing for the role of Alpha. The humans of Monarch, the organization that studies monsters like Godzilla and King Kong, believe that the threat to Godzilla’s reign is Kong, but that Godzilla’s behavior show he needs to be stopped. Another group of humans led by Madison Russel (Millie Bobby Brown) believes a corporation called Apex is somehow involved and that they are purposely making Godzilla attack people. Apex is creating a robot known as Mechagodzilla, an iconic
Photo courtesy of Decider
“Godzilla vs. Kong” received a score of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.
monster that comes from the 1974 Godzilla movie “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.” The two sides of the story intersect as Apex seeks to get Kong to travel to the center of the earth so they can follow and find a power source that can power their new human-made monster. On the way to the tunnel to the Hollow Earth in Antarctica, we see the first fight between the two iconic monsters, the first time they’ve exchanged blows since Japan’s “Kong vs. Godzilla” in 1962. The fight is an epic clash of titans featuring incredible visual effects and creative combat, though if you’re asking for realism, you aren’t going to like this
movie – it features a million-ton lizard standing on a carrier ship as he receives a punch from a gorilla the size of a skyscraper. The visual elements remain fantastic throughout the movie, with the hollow earth being an absolutely stunning creation that features some new monsters and unravels parts of the history of the Monsterverse, making the already large world of Godzilla so much larger. It reveals ancient rivalries between Godzilla’s species and Kong’s, which justify some of the fighting and make the ending so much more satisfying. Also, Kong gets a giant, badass axe. From there the movie goes on
to the final fight between Godzilla and Kong in the neon-lit Hong Kong before they are joined by a rampaging Mechagodzilla. The human-made Kaiju doesn’t look fantastic, having weird proportions that give it long legs and a strangely slight frame, but it works well when you see the robot start to move, beating Godzilla in terms of strength and speed and offering a real threat to the two legendary creatures, creating high stakes no matter who your favorite monster is. “Godzilla vs. Kong” is a riproaring good time, feeling more like a sports game than a great movie. The human dialogue and plot advancement scenes are boring, like in every monster movie (save maybe Shin Godzilla), feeling like the boring push-the-ballforward plays and huddling that football has to have just to move the game along. When the monsters get the spotlight and their fights take center stage, those are the moments that get you on your feet screaming “LET’S GO,” like you’re watching a wide receiver dive into the end zone. It’s not really much of a movie, but God is it an event worth seeing.
Hofstra Drama’s spring semester is “Working” out well
By George Concannon STAFF WRITER
After a successful fall semester with two in-person performances and a film release, the Hofstra Drama Department geared up for the spring semester. With the rise in COVID-19 cases, however, the department decided to perform their spring productions virtually. Like the first show of the semester, “Barbecue,” the drama department’s production of the musical “Working” was livestreamed and made available for free. The show ran on weekends from Friday, March 19, to Sunday, March 28 and was performed on Zoom with the performance available to watch via ShowTix4U. “Working,” written by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, is based on the Studs Terkel book “Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do,” and follows the lives of ordinary people as they go about their day jobs. The show is a
poignant look at what it means to be fortunate enough to work, but also the many reasons why people do the work they do. Directed by Dr. Cindy Rosenthal of the drama department, “Working” featured a cast of 13 students. Seniors Chris Ho, Natalia Cotto, Kyra Janaé Bryant and David York led the cast in an array of vignettes, with Bryant making her mainstage debut. Juniors Avery Rudd, Ben Cohn, Tess Le Coney and Olivia Keena-Ross dazzled the audience with powerful renditions of their numbers, “Working” was Cohn’s mainstage debut as well. Le Coney and Keena-Ross presented powerful performances with “It’s An Art” and “Nobody Tells Me How,” respectively. Ho got the audience up on their feet and dancing with his number “Delivery,” and he and Cotto sat them down in tears with “Delivery” and Cotto’s number “Just a Housewife.” The rest of the cast was filled out with a number of extremely talented underclassmen, who
proved that there’s a bright future ahead for the drama department. Sophomore Aiden Holubeck along with freshmen Spencer Giles, Christian Harris, Allison Paul and Weston Scheck rounded out the show with their own slew of amazing debut performances. Giles and Scheck kept the waterworks coming with their respective renditions of “Fathers and Sons” and “The Mason Song.” Paul demanded applause with her gripping performance of “Cleanin’ Women.” Every cast member pulled double duty for this show, playing two different characters with two different jobs. Each actor beautifully handled this challenge and delivered two weekends of stellar work. The time and effort they put into this show was apparent and it certainly paid off. Compared to previous productions, “Working” was a one-ofa-kind show for Hofstra, as it was presented using a mix of pre-recorded content and live Zoom performances. The songs for the show were pre-recorded
in Hofstra’s Black Box Theater, while scenes and monologues were performed in real-time. While this definitely wasn’t an ideal set up, the cast took advantage of this unique opportunity to make the best of it. “I really am glad that I was in the cast that I was in, because it didn’t feel as much like I was performing alone,” Scheck said. “We were all in our Zoom call together and we had our cameras on the entire time, and during songs and stuff we’d all have little dance parties. The worst part was always clicking leave on the Zoom and now you’re sitting alone in your room.” “Working” was a smash hit success overall, as the cast delivered two weekends of stellar performances. If you missed this show, have no fear. The department’s last show for the spring semester, “Phaedra,” will be performing weekends from April 9-18, and is sure to be an excellent end to the semester.
Quick Hits
Courtesy of Revolt TV
Rapper DMX died on Friday, April 9, at the age of 50 after suffering from a drug overdose a week prior.
Courtesy of People
Taylor Swift released the re-recorded version of her album, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” on Friday, April 9.
Courtesy of LA Times
"Glee" cast members honored the late Naya Rivera at the GLAAD Awards on Friday, April 9.
Courtesy of IndieWire
Regé-Jean Page will not return for season 2 of “Bridgerton.”
Courtesy of Vulture
Christopher Meloni returned as Elliot Stabler in “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”
THE CHRONICLE
APRIL 13, 2021 • B3
A&E
Olivia Rodrigo proves to be more than a one-hit-wonder
By Olivia Wisse
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Actress and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo released her highly-anticipated single titled “deja vu” on Thursday, April 1. At the beginning of the year, Rodrigo was catapulted into stardom when she released her debut single, “drivers license.” It set the record twice for the most streamed song in a day on Spotify and became the fastest song to reach 100 million streams on the platform. The song was released among a whirlwind of rumors. Fans speculated the song to be about Joshua Bassett, Rodrigo’s co-star on “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” on Disney+. Specifically, a lyric in Rodrigo’s song mentioned that her ex is now spending time with a mysterious blonde girl instead of her. This caused fans to point to Rodrigo’s fellow Disney icon Sabrina Carpenter, who is rumored to now be dating Bassett. The controversy caused Rodrigo’s song to become immensely popular on TikTok. Adding to the storm of gossip, Sabrina Carpenter later released
of the larger narrative Rodrigo is companion to “driver’s license.” her song “Skin,” which appeared to respond to Rodrigo, all but con- taking listeners on, one seemingly Rodrigo finally gave listeners a firming the rumors to be true. minute detail at a time. glimpse into the story she alluded Despite the controversy With the release of her new to in her debut single – the story surrounding “drivers license” single, it is clear that “drivers liof her ex’s new relationship with contributing to the song’s success, cense” was only chapter one of the the “blonde girl.” Rodrigo opens Rodrigo’s talent as a lyricist and story of lost love, and “deja vu” the song singing of the things she songwriter and her ex proves she used to do todoes not need gether: Eating a scandal to strawberry ice propel her cacream in Malreer. No matter ibu, watching who Rodrigo’s "Glee" and songs are singing Billy about, and Joel songs. regardless of She then acif they are cuses her ex fact or fiction, of reliving the Rodrigo sings exact experiabout emoences they had tions that are together but universal. At with a new just 18 years girl, passing old, she shows them off as immense brand new. Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone emotional The moments Actress and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo released her highly-anticipated single maturity. The between them titled “deja vu” on Thursday, April 1. car, the license that were supposed to be special turned out not and learning to drive are just a is chapter two. With “deja vu,” to be. gateway into her tumultuous story Rodrigo shows a whole new side This time, instead of being of a failed romance and unfulfilled to her songwriting abilities. At the mournful, Rodrigo is angry. promises. They are the beginnings same time, this song is the perfect
Unlike the pop-ballad nature of “drivers license,” Rodrigo’s new single is closer in genre to indie pop or alternative. The song features a heavy drum beat and haunting harmonies. Where “drivers license” ends on a sad and regretful note with a soft vocal delivery, “deja vu” ends with Rodrigo chanting accusations at her ex. Similar to how “drivers license” was not really about a license but the story of failed love, “deja vu” follows a similar paradigm. The strawberry ice cream and Billy Joel songs mentioned in “deja vu” serve as physical representations of jealousy and betrayal. Ultimately, Rodrigo’s failed love story is not about missing someone, it is about the pain that comes with being replaced. With both singles, Rodrigo has proven herself to have immense promise as an artist. “deja vu” has also reached the top of the charts, earning a spot at number three in the U.S. on Spotify and number eight globally. Rodrigo is set to release her debut album on May 21, likely to give fans more of the story they are craving and further show off the range of her talents.
Taylor Acorn: A rising star to watch “Numb” by Linkin Park, “Helena” by My Chemical Romance, “Bloody Valentine” by Machine Gun Kelly, “Bulletproof Love” by Pierce the Veil and “Hear You Me” by Jimmy Eat World. None of these covers have been released Photo courtesy of Nashville Lifestyles on any streamCountry artist Taylor Acorn is verified on Spotify with 279,461 monthly listeners. ing platforms, but they show garnering attention for her covers By Kat Salmon Acorn’s range as an artist and of rock and emo songs as well ASSISTANT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT show the impact these songs have as her original songs. In March EDITOR had on her. Vic Fuentes, lead 2021, her acoustic cover of Papa Viewers on Tik Tok and Instasinger of Pierce the Veil, gave Roach’s “Scars” even caught the gram Reels should keep their eye his approval for Acorn’s cover attention of the band’s guitarist. on rising star Taylor Acorn. The of “Bulletproof Love” on his Tik Some other songs Acorn has Nashville-based artist has been Tok account, which got tweeted covered on Tik Tok include
by the band’s record label, Fearless Records. In late March, Acorn released her original song “True Crime.” It’s a hauntingly beautiful song about still being in love with the person who stole your heart. Anyone who has had their heart broken but is still experiencing those lingering feelings will be able to relate to the lyrics. The song is perfect to play with all the windows down on a nice summer day, or while walking around in the rain crying. Even though the song has roughly under 200,000 plays on Spotify, it’s bound to become one of her hits. In an Instagram caption, Acorn shared, “From recording vocals for the first time to hearing it on the radio for the first time ... the day Andrew Pacheco and I wrote this song we truly believed we had created something so special and I am overwhelmed with love and gratitude. Thank
you guys so much for streaming True Crime, I haven’t been this excited since 2017.” This song, as well as her earlier releases, is just the beginning for Acorn. She is here to stay and is sure to produce more hits in the future. Fans wanting exclusive content and full emo covers can join her Stay Emo FanClub. All that needs to be done is purchase a t-shirt, and access will be granted within 24 hours. The link can be found on her Twitter and in her Instagram bio.Whether you’re a country music lover or still stuck in your 2007 emo phase, you will quickly find a new artist to blast at full volume in Acorn. Acorn’s songs can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music. She can be found on Twitter @ tayloracorn, on Instagram @ tayloracornmusic and on Tik Tok @tayloracorn1. Keep an eye on her, she’s got big things coming her way.
A&E
B4 •April 13, 2021
THE CHRONICLE
Group streaming provides a new movie experience Party allows the party creator to control when the episode starts, which is helpful if multiple people are trying to join. Despite that benefit, a major downside of the platform is that the group will have to send a new link for every episode watched, which is an annoyance when binge-watching television shows. The most inconvenient part of Hulu Watch Party is the advertisements, which are interspersed throughout the video much like they would be during an on-air broadcast. Not only that, but each person gets ads at different times and at different lengths, so the other people are forced to wait for them to finish before resuming the video. The “catch up” option does a poor job of getting everyone back to the same place, since each device pauses and plays separately from everyone else. Overall, the synchronization across devices suffers. Prime Video Watch Party closely resembles the two previously discussed platforms. All viewers must have an Amazon Prime account and selections include purchasable or rentable content,
as well as Prime videos. Guests access the party by clicking a link. Whoever creates the party controls the video, moderates the chat and ends the party. Scener operates similarly to Teleparty, except that it has an added video and audio function, which allows groups to watch movies and shows together while seeing each other’s reactions in real time. Netflix, Disney +, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max and YouTube are just a few of the streaming platforms that work with Scener. The video function separates Scener from the other three services mentioned here. Each person can control whether they have their camera and audio on, while also controlling the volume of each individual friend. While none of the platforms are perfect, it is nice to know that the group theater experience can continue in some form despite the pandemic. Ultimately, the most important part is the time spent with friends and family, not what avatar someone has or how many advertisements the group must watch to do so.
for the NFTs of her blog posts to behavior. Her project to establish the resurface. Delvey’s continuous fights with “Anna Delvey Foundation” – Born in Domodedovo, a town mainstream media and tabloids what would’ve been her art club, on the outskirts of Moscow, have positioned her as a new magnum opus and safeguard into Russia, Delvey (then, Sorokin) New York's higher society – had form of celebrity, as she takes to was raised in Germany and Twitter to dispute what briefly moved to London she perceives to be false to attend Central Saint reports and invasions of her Martins College before privacy, labelling reporters landing in Paris – when as nuisances prodding for a she first started going by “newsworthy” reaction, as Delvey – to intern for she tweeted. Nonetheless, Purple magazine. In 2013, Delvey remains stalwartly she hopped the pond to consistent in keeping her New York and began her narrative straight. ascension of the social A Netflix film titled circles of Manhattan’s elite. “Inventing Anna” followIn a series of longform ing Delvey’s life in New reporting from The Cut, York began production in Photo courtesy of Insider journalists describe how 2019, and since has gotten The series “Inventing Anna” is based on the New Delvey had drifted from caught up in legal troubles Magazine article “How Anna Delvey Tricked hotel to hotel, all the while York under New York’s “Son of New York’s Party People” by Jessica Pressler. attempting to secure fundSam” law, which prevents ing from various banks criminals from directly and financial institutions, meeting been thwarted when her debts profiting from of their crimes. the likes of Martin Shkreli and eventually caught up to her. Thus, Notwithstanding these minor hictraveling to Omaha, Nebraska, to she was sentenced to 12 years cups, her new street fashionwear meet with Warren Buffet’s real in prison, but had her sentenced brand, DelveyMail.com, which estate giant Berkshire Hathaway. shortened to four due to good parodies the British tabloid, The
Daily Mail, is coordinating with fashion designer Paul Cupo. What makes Delvey unique is her stance at the nexus of life and art. Through the silver screens of television and films, aspirational youth can only think of her life through the lens of fantasy. She is not a perpetrator of but a mirror to the seemingly unaffordable and hyper-competitive social atmosphere of modern day. While betrayal and theft are condemnable actions and fame and riches don’t translate to happiness, there is no moral prescription to Delvey’s crimes. She has apologized for her crimes and has used funds she received from her Netflix deal to issue restitution to her victims. One can only speculate on the fairytale-to-hellhole life experience Delvey has endured. However, one thing is for certain: don’t mess with Anna Delvey. As she wrote on Twitter, “I don’t have a pattern, you can never figure me out.”
Photo courtesy of The Verge
AMC Entertainment’s stock price dropped 58% amid the coronavirus pandemic.
By Anna DeGoede SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 catapulted group streaming services into the public sphere. Where people once flocked to movie theaters, now viewers must resort to watching new films in the comfort of their own homes while snacking on homemade popcorn. Unfortunately, with social distancing guidelines in place, this also means the in-person experience is limited to family members.
By Daniel Cody OP-ED EDITOR
Anna Delvey – also known as Anna Sorokin or “Soho Grifter” – is a Russian-German socialite who was arrested on multiple charges of grand larceny and theft of services through her self-concocted fraud of expensive hotels and restaurants. After her parole release last February, she attracted attention through social media posts and sightings. As of Thursday, April 1, she turned herself into immigration authorities facing the conclusion of her criminal trial and awaits potential deportation back to Germany, according to Business Insider. In her personal writings dubbed “The Delvey Diaries” she documents her time spent in prison and reflects on the uselessness of the penal system. Delvey, in her tried and true, fabulous faux-heiress tone, summed up her prison sentence as a blasé waste of time. Sadly, readers will have to wait
Teleparty, Hulu Watch Party, Prime Video Watch Party and Scener are just a few of the platforms that allow viewers to watch a movie or show remotely with a larger group of people from other households. Each platform has benefits and disadvantages. Which one is best? Teleparty itself is relatively easy to use. After choosing a show, one viewer can start the party and send a link to their friends. Once those friends use the link to access the show, the group can chat together on the right-
hand side of the screen as the automatically synced video plays. Chat-wise, Teleparty’s interface is the most attractive. Viewers can customize their own avatar from about 20 different options and input their own nickname. The avatars’ different colors help differentiate one friend from another at a quick glance, and the font is easy to read. One of the best, underappreciated things about Teleparty is that if one person pauses the video, the video immediately pauses for everyone, which ensures that everyone is watching the same part of the video at once. On the other hand, disconnection issues happen occasionally: Messages appear to send twice, people get booted from the session or Teleparty claims someone left when they are still there. Hulu Watch Party operates similarly to Teleparty, but with no extension required and the watchable content remains exclusive to Hulu. To start a party, viewers go to the Hulu website, click on the desired film or episode and send the link to their friends. Unlike Teleparty, Hulu Watch
Life meets art with Anna Delvey
OP-ED
A12 • APRIL 13, 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.
You haven’t committed a hate crime today. Want a cookie? By Jessica Zhang In February of 2020, I wrote my first op-ed for The Chronicle, which urged people to take a look at the biases behind their fear and refrain from blaming any East Asian-looking person for a virus that happened to be discovered in an East Asian country. At the time, I had faith that the panic would fade as the virus spread throughout the country. A little over a year later, the situation has only gotten worse. The increase in societal awareness about what we are facing is nice, but it, like my first op-ed, falls into the trap of individualizing the problem instead of examining how anti-Asian sentiment helps keep this country’s wheels turning. Some people may approach the issue differently, but I am
not here to regurgitate Instagram infographics about unlearning racist behavior or to promote simplistic hashtags. There is plenty of information out there for those who care to look. What we need to be doing is calling out and holding institutions that support the conditions in which hate flourishes accountable. For example, media coverage, while appreciated, is not being used to see the bigger picture. Much of the rhetoric surrounding this rise in racist attacks against the Asian community has focused on numbers – this many people were perpetrators, and this many people were victims. Talking about specific incidents is a cheap replacement for examining why people feel emboldened to do things like that in the first place. It perpetuates the idea that the ones who aren’t being actively hateful are
automatically doing something good, so nothing changes in the end. Also, it’s not like Asians were never targets of anything before the COVID-19 pandemic. We constantly fluctuate between invisibility and hyper-visibility, which are both violent tactics
“A little over a year later, the situation has only gotten worse.” intended to keep us in line just in case we get sick of chasing the carrot of capital-A assimilation. The U.S. treats its Asian population like a pawn in its game of systemic racism, encouraging animosity between
minorities and framing tension as either a personality flaw or something racially inherent. Personally, I’m no longer as concerned with interpersonal racism as I used to be. Calling out microaggressions and harassment is still important, but no one would partake in racist behavior if society didn’t reward it in some way – and that is the root of the issue here. The people who pat themselves on the back for not participating in the hate are the same people who stand by and do nothing when they see an act of hatred right in front of them, and why would they? It’s so much easier to mind your own business so you don’t become the next target. We all know that anti-Asian incidents and racism in general aren’t going away any time soon. Hoping everything dies
down after the COVID-19 virus becomes less of a threat isn’t enough because eventually the Asian community will once again become the unwilling main character of another American crisis. If we as a country truly want the suffering to end, we need to stop pretending that individual people bear the brunt of the responsibility for making that happen. Lighting someone’s backpack on fire is a symptom; the system we live in is the cause.
Jessica Zhang is a senior double major in publishing studies and mass media studies with a minor in sociology.
Comic: The Dems’ hyprocrisy Comic courtesy of Dickinson-Frevola
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THE CHRONICLE
APRIL 13, 2021 • A13
OP-ED
Pro/Con: D.C.’s non-state status is taxation without representation By Leah Chiappino The slogan that was instrumental to our country’s founding and that flashes across D.C. license plates could, in theory, never hold more truth. However, Republicans, who assert themselves as true patriots, are opposing D.C. statehood at every turn. Why would they not want to promote freedom based on one of the strongest tenants our country was founded upon? Granting statehood to D.C. would subsequently add two more-than-likely Democrats to the Senate. This is certain to kill the filibuster, or at least make it very difficult for Republicans to pass anything once they gain the majority (unless they win in 2022 by a landslide). Nevertheless, it is frustrating to con-
tinuously see politicians whine about the unfair changes that the political system would bring to them while not recognizing the unfairness everyday Americans face. It is, therefore, reasonable to question the constitutionality and ethics of mixing the nation’s capital with a state. According to HR 51, an area will be created known as the “Capital,” which will “include the principal Federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the United States Supreme Court Building and the Federal executive, legislative and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building.” This provision in the bill argues against any criticism that could be made regarding federalism
and the separation between the federal and state governments. The federal government and state government will also retain the properties they own outside of the capital section.
“We cannot ask people to serve their country without granting them the full benefits of citizenship.” Citizens of D.C. currently pay more in taxes than people in 22 other states, and more taxes per capita than anywhere else in the country. Their 700,000 residents make The District of Columbia’s population higher than both Vermont and Wyo-
ming. 11,000 Washingtonians actively serve in the military. Residents are able to and do serve on juries. Yet, the only federal representation D.C. has is a non-voting member of the House of Representatives? We cannot ask people to serve their country without granting them the full benefits of citizenship. At a certain level, D.C. statehood also becomes a racial justice issue. 47% of the city’s residents are African American, who face rampant voter suppression across the country as it is. According to a 2016 referendum, 86% of D.C. residents wanted to gain access to statehood. They have earned it and then some. It is far past time to act to do the right thing, even if it’s politically damaging. Re-
publicans, if you fear your political future, restore your own party – don’t deny nearly threequarters of a million people the basic rights of citizenship.
Leah Chiappino is a junior studying political science and journalism from Smithtown, New York.
Pro/Con: D.C. statehood would violate the Founders’ original vision By Ben Morawek The Constitution states that “Congress shall have Power ... To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States.” In other words, the Constitution gives the federal government the exclusive authority to administer the District of Columbia. Under this arrangement, the District cannot fall under the jurisdiction of any state. Why did the Framers write this arrangement into the Constitution? James Madison explains in Federalist Paper 43: “Without (complete authority at the seat of government), not only the (federal government) might be insulted and its proceedings interrupted with impunity; but a dependence of the members of the (federal) government on the State comprehending the seat of the government, for protection in the exercise of their duty, might bring on the (federal govern-
ment) an imputation of awe or influence, equally dishonorable to the government and dissatisfactory to the other (states).” It is inherently problematic to make the security of the supreme government dependent on an entity other than itself. This concern is very much alive today. On Jan. 5, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser claimed that D.C. police were “well trained and prepared to lead the law enforcement, coordination and response to allow for the peaceful demonstration of First Amendment rights.” The very next day, this “well trained and prepared” police force could not stop a mob from breaking into the Capitol, insulting and interrupting the proceedings of Congress. In this instance, relying on D.C. police for security had disastrous consequences. At least under the current arrangement, Congress can make any reforms it deems necessary to ensure this doesn’t happen again. To comply with the Constitution, D.C. statehood advocates suggest shrinking the size of the federally administered zone to encompass only the important
federal buildings while allowing the rest of the District to become a state. But, as attorney R. Hewitt Pate points out, “this federal enclave could not function as a self-contained entity. It is inextricably connected by sewer systems, water systems,
“It is inherently problematic to make the security of the supreme government dependent on an entity other than itself.” roads, and ... dependence on the New Columbia for fire protection, police protection and the like would raise any number of jurisdictional problems.” This is precisely the situation James Madison feared: Such an outsized dependence on a single state would provide that state an outsized influence on the federal government. Despite this rationale behind the Framers’ intentions, it isn’t strictly unconstitutional to shrink the size of D.C. The New Columbia Statehood Commission reminds us that “Congress
has the authority to redefine the borders of the federal district and shrink its size, as it did in 1846, when the portion west of the Potomac was returned to Virginia.” However, this raises the question: Why not return the remaining portion to Maryland instead of creating a whole new state? Indeed, “unlike other states,” writes Hewitt Pate of the Heritage Foundation, “the District does not possess the ‘multiplicity of interests’ Madison described in Federalist 51 as the essence of civil government.” Besides, it is far more reasonable to address any concerns about voting representation by reincorporating D.C. into Maryland rather than dethroning Rhode Island as the smallest state in America. But of course, D.C. statehood advocates care more about increasing Democratic power in the Senate than about reasonably addressing these concerns. Nevertheless, the issue of voting representation still stands, as does the Framers’ argument against statehood. The better solution, therefore, is not to add another state to the Union but
rather to add an amendment to the Constitution providing D.C. with a voting member in the House of Representatives.
Ben Morawek is a junior political science major from Bonny Lake, Washington. His Twitter handle is @benmorawek.
OP-ED
A14 • APRIL 13, 2021
THE CHRONICLE
Journalism’s objectivity obsession is a roadblock to impactful, informed reporting
By Odessa Stork
Trigger warning: Mentions of sexual assault and misconduct The very first thing I remember learning in my journalism education was the concept of objectivity. At the core of most calls for objectivity is a very reasonable sentiment: The media shapes public opinion, so it’s important that journalists work with diligence and care to ensure that they don’t report falsehoods, misinform readers or misrepresent and exaggerate issues. That’s simple enough. But the more time I’ve spent in the field, the more I feel that when industry higher-ups call for objectivity, they’re not calling for accuracy – they’re calling for a soulless, uncontroversial status quo. On March 28, Politico reported that, for several years, the Washington Post had enacted a policy to ban one of their report-
ers from covering any stories related to sexual misconduct because she had publicly spoken up about being a survivor of sexual assault, and editors perceived this to be a conflict of interest or a lack of ability to be objective in her reporting. The reporter, Felicia Sonmez, came forward as a survivor in 2018 and was quickly thrown into a whirlwind of exhausting, vicious commentary from people and publications judging from behind a screen. Shortly after, the Post told her that “because of her past history, and her public statements about it, she would not be permitted to cover stories that pertained to sexual violence,” according to The Guardian. When all this information surfaced, Sonmez published a Twitter thread detailing her experiences. “It was only once the Kavanaugh story broke in Sept. 2018 that the editors
enacted [a ban]. It was lifted several months later, then reinstated in late 2019 when I was being attacked online after the publication of a story about the man who assaulted me. The ban has been in place ever since, for more than a year now. I’ve pleaded with the editors to lift it, to no avail,” she wrote. On March 29, the ban was reversed, but Sonmez’s years spent under the ban tell a story of countless missed opportunities for reporting that would have been priceless and are now irretrievable. She missed out on writing about Brett Kavanaugh. She missed out on writing about Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez coming forward as a survivor. She missed out on writing about the allegations against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. I can only assume that there are more. And so, I cannot help but wonder: If this same kind of objectivity-driven mindset was
applied universally, would anyone would be able to write about anything at all? Would Asian reporters be allowed to write about the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes? Would Black reporters be allowed to write about police brutality and the ongoing fight for racial equity? Would LGBTQ+ reporters be able to write about the recent wave of anti-trans legislation? If we use the Washington Post’s logic, probably not. And who would be left to write all these stories? In most instances, none other than the same white, straight cis men who have created and monopolized the norms of journalistic coverage forever. I want to read stories about sexual assault written by survivors. I want to read writing that is informed by lived experiences. To assume that reporters who have lived the issues they cover are incapable of writing accurate stories is offensive
and detrimental to the industry. These reporters should be our most trusted sources. They know to use precise, up-to-date language. They know to treat sources with respect. They can cover sensitive topics with care and decency. For so long as we are here, experiencing the world as humans inevitably do, stripping one’s self of all that humanity and experience is an impossible ask. May we stop asking the impossible in the name of soulless objectivity and allow our coverage to become more informed and impactful by letting informed reporters tell the important stories. Odessa Stork is a senior with majors in journalism and philosophy. She serves as the Copy Chief for The Chronicle and you can find her on Twitter @odessawrites.
The many half-truths surrounding Georgia’s new voting law
By Matthew Buzard Georgia Republicans recently passed a massive bill that would make sweeping changes to voting procedures. Among other things, the bill expands early voting dates and hours, requires identification to vote absentee, shortens the window to request absentee voting, limits locations and hours for ballot drop boxes and demotes the Secretary of State from chairing the Election Board. Controversially, the bill also bans anyone from giving food or drink to the people standing in line to vote. Progressive activists immediately linked the bill with Jim Crow laws. The activists are right to question legislative motives here, but they go too far in calling this bill “Jim Crow 2.0.” In truth, the bill both expands and restricts voting. The ban on giving water to those waiting in line seems entirely petty, but overall, the
bill does not strike me as particularly abhorrent. Notably, Georgia’s early voting expansion and its broad ID requirements are more progressive than those of several blue states. Regardless, President Biden has repeatedly claimed that the bill ends voting hours early. These falsities have real world consequences. After President Biden called to boycott the MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta, the MLB announced it was moving the game to Denver. Relocating the game, as noted by Stacey Abrams, only hurts the local Atlanta businesses that will now lose a projected $100 million in revenue. Pressuring the MLB to move the All-Star Game rings of performative activism that operates to the detriment of Atlanta’s working class while doing nothing to change the voting situation for Georgians. Of course, the Republicans are no better. They allege that
Democrats go too far in their criticism, but some of that criticism is well-founded. The aforementioned water ban is totally unnecessary, and ousting Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger from the Election Board is obvious revenge for his previous refusal to join in Trump’s election overthrow attempt. Republicans fail to recognize the political context surrounding the outrage. Putting aside the vast history of Southern states attempting to suppress Black votes, state Republicans are currently engaged in a nationwide campaign to limit Democratic turnout. A lawyer representing the Arizona GOP made this plain in a Supreme Court oral argument. The restrictions must stay because otherwise “it puts us at a competitive disadvantage relative to Democrats,” attorney Michael Carvin stated bluntly. All of these restrictions are
proposed under the guise of election security and integrity. But after months of false election fraud allegations, Republicans have lost all credibility in claiming to care about election integrity. While the text of Georgia’s bill may not be terrible, the overarching Republican move to restrict voting is problematic and worthy of outrage. On one side, Republicans want the public to ignore their pursuit of Democratic suppression and believe these voting restrictions are entirely necessary for election integrity. On the flip side, Democrats want full public support behind their exaggerated allegations of Jim Crow-esque racism in Georgia’s bill. Republicans are half right in the idea that the Georgia bill isn’t hyperrestrictive, and Democrats are half right in their allegations of suppression. It’s clear both sides want to tie in a broader narrative about our current
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political dynamic. Republicans want Democrats to appear like wild-eyed radicals, while Democrats want Republicans to appear like power-hungry racists. The truth here, as always, falls somewhere in between. Fact checking can be difficult because often a statement is neither entirely true nor completely false. It’s important that we constantly think critically and independently about accusations thrown by political opposites. Otherwise, we will be trapped in a neverending cycle of hyperbolic half-truths. Matthew Buzard is a 3L at Hofstra Law School. You can find him on Twitter @Matthew_ Buzard.
SPORTS
THE CHRONICLE
APRIL 13, 2021 • A15
Speel makes big impression as Hofstra’s new goalie By Alexis Friedman STAFF WRITER
Hofstra University’s men’s soccer goalkeeper, Wessel Speel, has already accomplished a significant dream of his as a freshman: Coming to America for college to play soccer. “It has always been my dream to come to America,” Speel said. “I had a few offers [from other universities] but Hofstra stood out to me because the coaches came to visit me back home and they had a lot of trust in me.” Since making the decision to come here from his home in the Netherlands to study and play soccer, Speel has started all seven games as Hofstra’s goalkeeper. Already, Speel has a goals-against average of 1.29 with 29 saves thus far and a saves percentage of 72.5%, all remarkable numbers for a freshman in his first season playing at the college level. Both statistics are well
above average for professional goalkeepers. Speel started playing soccer when he was five years old, inspired by his older brother. “When I was eight, I fully committed to being a goalie,” he said. Playing goalie has become a great passion of Speel’s. Those closest to him feel his dedication and determination to achieve his dreams. A memory that significantly stands out from Speel’s 14year soccer career was the final match to win the league title for his team at 13 years old. “We were 4-2 down in the match and at one point, we had a corner [kick] and my coach was yelling to me ‘go, go, go to the corner’ and so I went there,” Speel said. “I don’t know what happened, it was a really small moment, the ball came and I just had it and I scored as a goalie, so it was 4-3. A few minutes later, one of my friends on the
team scored and it was 4-4 and we won the league.” At 15 years old, Speel played on a recruitment team and had the opportunity to do a trial with FC Utrecht in the Netherlands. He earned a spot on the team and joining was “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he said. At Hofstra, Speel has had an incredible first season starting as a goalie, logging three wins, two losses and two draws. “I think I’m on a good run, however I’m a big perfectionist so I’m never really satisfied,” Speel said. “There is more potential, but it’s not going that bad to be honest.” Speel doesn’t have any prematch traditions. “I’m not much of a superstitious guy, I don’t really believe in that, so I just go with the flow and whatever happens, happens,” he said. After Hofstra’s 0-0 draw against University of Delaware, Speel was recognized as the
Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Week. “The game I was recognized for wasn’t my best game, it was a solid game but I’ve played better one in my opinion,” Speel said. “The fact that I had a clean sheet and six saves is usually a big thing for a goalie so I think that was the main reason I got recognized.”
Receiving the recognition from the CAA “confirms that I’m on the right track, still continuing,” Speel said. “I don’t think this is the end, I’m hungry for more.” He hopes that hunger will result in “four great seasons at Hofstra” and breaking through to Major League Soccer following his university career.
Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle Wessel Speel holds a 1.29 goals-against average this season.
Mattera looks to end her Hofstra lacrosse career a champion By Anthony Roberts SPORTS EDITOR
When the 2020 Hofstra women’s lacrosse season abruptly came to an end due to the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty filled the air about Alexa Mattera’s future with the Pride. After the NCAA announced an extra year of eligibility for spring athletes, the answer was clear: Mattera was coming back for a final season with Hofstra.
“It was definitely a hardending last year, especially as a senior. We were hoping to win a CAA championship and we never got the opportunity,” Mattera said. “If Alyssa [Parrella] and Darcie [Smith] were coming back there was no worry in my mind that I was going to come back too.” The Pride got off to a hot start in their 2021 campaign, rattling off wins against Saint Joseph’s University and UConn.
Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle Mattera sits fifth all-time in CAA history with 203 career draw controls.
However, the season was put on pause after a positive COVID-19 test within the team halted Hofstra’s momentum. “It was tough to hear that someone tested positive on our team but I think we came together and during those 10 days [of quarantine],” Mattera said. “We had a quick turnaround against Albany and it didn’t go in our favor but we knew what we had to do and from that game, we had to learn and get better.” With CAA play now underway, Mattera is ready to lead the Pride back to the CAA tournament. The team has one goal – win the championship. A championship victory is no easy task, as the one team that stands in the way for the Pride is James Madison University (JMU). The Pride reached the last CAA championship game in 2019 before falling to JMU. This season, however, the Pride defeated the Dukes 13-7, snapping a five-game losing streak to JMU. “It’s going to take a lot of heart, a lot of passion and a lot
of hard work [to win],” Mattera said. “It’s going to take our defense making big stops, our goalie making big stops and our offense getting offensive possessions and putting the ball in the back of the net.” Although the Pride currently sits 4-4, they have played a tough schedule facing four consecutive ranked opponents including then-No. 6 Boston College and No. 6 Stony Brook University. The Pride followed those with ranked CAA opponents Drexel University and JMU. “Playing tougher teams definitely helps us, especially with pressure,” Mattera said. “Playing these teams will help us in the future with teams like Towson and JMU. I think they are our biggest competition, so we have to be ready for them and playing these tougher teams helps.” In her career, Mattera has amassed 114 goals with 24 assists, giving her 138 career points. Mattera also has 107 ground balls and 203 draw controls, putting her at number
five all-time in CAA history for career draw controls. This season, Mattera has served as an important piece of the Pride’s offense, recording a goal in each game this season. One of four team captains for the Pride, Mattera has been alongside fellow captain Parrella each year providing Hofstra with a one-two attack on offense. The special bond between Mattera and counterparts Parrella and Smith has the Pride ready to take on any team that stands in their way. The three have been the driving force for Hofstra since their freshman year, and now they want to end their careers on top. “Having Darcie, Alyssa and I coming back as fifth years, obviously there is a high standard that we want to win a CAA championship,” Mattera said. “The heart and the passion are there and everyone wants to win.”
SPORTS
A16 • APRIL 13, 2021
THE CHRONICLE
Despite setbacks, Concannon looking for fresh start with Hofstra By Jair Brooks-Davis STAFF WRITER
Overcoming obstacles almost seems natural to Alex Concannon. The graduate student has had a long journey en route to Hofstra University. A native of Syosset, New York, Concannon grew up in a lacrosse family with his parents Timothy and Gloria and sisters Nicole and Casey. Lacrosse is a popular sport, but it isn’t regarded as a “major sport” in the eyes of most people compared to baseball, football, hockey or basketball. The Premier Lacrosse League is on the rise in popularity and gaining recognition as it continues to grow. Hockey and lacrosse are often compared. Concannon’s father played hockey for several years, but he managed to teach his son lacrosse as he was getting older. “I just picked up the [lacrosse] stick and fell in love with it. I was doing stuff on my own, like going down to the park and shooting on the net with friends,” Concannon said. “I learned as time went on and I would watch lacrosse when the Final Four was on television.” In elementary school, Concannon had his first chance to play lacrosse with friends in his town. He recalls scoring his first goal on a rainy day and the excitement that it brought him. “I scored with my Johns Hopkins University pinnie [scrimmage vest] on, so I think then and there I subconsciously became a fan of Johns Hopkins while I fell in love with the
sport that day,” Concannon said. As he got older, he gained exposure at several lacrosse showcases like the Maverik Showtime Spotlight camp where he finished as the Most Valuable Player. Sure enough, Johns Hopkins head coach Dave Pietramala was in attendance to view the high school star who had dreamed of playing for Johns Hopkins since he was in elementary school. “It was pretty crazy [being recruited by Johns Hopkins] because back in ‘05 and ‘07 they made it to the Final Four and won it [NCAA Championship],” Concannon said. “Seeing Kyle Harrison and Paul Rabil, probably the two best players to ever play at Hopkins, I was kind of hooked and when coach Pietramala reached out I was in disbelief.” Alex competed in several tournaments throughout Baltimore as he grew up and he visited Johns Hopkins on various occasions. He was humbled at the fact that several other schools like Duke University, the University of North Carolina and Lehigh University were recruiting him to compete for their programs, but ultimately none of them could match what Johns Hopkins meant to him. On Feb. 9, 2016, Alex played his first NCAA game for the Blue Jays against Navy. He registered two shots, but unfortunately it was the only game he played in during the season. Before the following game against Loyola Maryland University, he would tear his ACL along with other ligaments in his knee.
Hofstra Athletics Prior to Hofstra, Concannon played lacrosse at Johns Hopkins.
It was a tough process for Concannon as he finally made it to his dream school but didn’t get the chance to prove himself and showcase his ability on the season in his freshman year. Although it was painful for him, he tried to focus more on other things and he tried to look at other positives within his life. “When adversity hits, [it helps me to] just stay level-headed and [remember that] there are worse things in life than getting hurt or tearing a ligament. Just trying to remain positive throughout the process was probably just the biggest thing,” he said. In Concannon’s second season, he was ninth on the team in scoring with three goals while also collecting nine assists on the season as he finished with 12 points. After his injury, he was trying to figure out steps to get back to full strength before he was injured. “I always hold myself to a pretty high standard regardless of the injury. When I was back on the field, I didn’t think too much about the injury,” Concannon said. “I tried to look forward and tried to know what to do to help my team win.” In his third season with the Blue Jays, he finished with 18 points on 10 goals and eight assists as his team made it to the NCAA Tournament, but lost to Duke in the semifinals. He finished the following season with 18 goals and eight assists for 26 points after Johns Hopkins lost to the University of Notre Dame in the first round. Concannon’s offseason consisted of a regimen of eating well along with staying in the weight room. He balanced it out with playing wall ball while working and doing internships. The offseason activity, he believes, helped him with his production for the season. In his fourth year with the Blue Jays, Concannon tore the meniscus in his knee but played through the injury. During the summer heading into his fifth year, he opted for surgery, but in the first game of the season against Towson University, he suffered another knee injury and ultimately had two operations
Hofstra Athletics Concannon has 15 goals this season with six assists.
on it. While Concannon was dealing with his injury, the COVID-19 pandemic was in full effect. Due to the shutdown, the NCAA gave an extra year of eligibility to athletes. In Concannon’s case, he had a chance to return to the field once again for his favorite team since he was young, Johns Hopkins. “Unfortunately, the whole coaching staff got let go which left a sour taste in my mouth. It was upsetting times and it was frustrating as it was a weird time,” Concannon said. “At the time, I put my name in the transfer portal. I knew something good was going to come out of it.” Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney reached out to Concannon shortly after his name was submitted in the transfer portal. It meant a lot to Alex, as the calls the two had weren’t always about what was being taken place on the field. After talks with his family and weighing his opportunities, Alex made the decision to transfer to Hofstra and join the Pride men’s lacrosse team in the summer of 2020. “I was very appreciative of him reaching out as one [Johns Hopkins] alumni to another. I knew Ryan [Tierney] growing up, we played against each other in high school,” Concannon said. “At the end of the day, it seemed it was the right thing to do and I’m thrilled with my decision. I’m loving it here and I get to see my family.” As a member of the Pride men’s lacrosse team, Concannon
feels a family type of bond in between him and his teammates. He’s having fun playing within Seth Tierney’s offensive system along with splitting attackman duties with Ryan Tierney and graduate-transfer Justin Lynskey. Concannon is optimistic for the rest of the season between himself and his teammates. He believes the team has what it takes to compete for the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title, and they need to clear themselves of mental mistakes. “Play within our game plan,” Concannon said. “Listen to what our coaches have to say. If we manage to do that, we’ll be okay.” Regardless of the outcome of the season, Concannon is looking ahead to his post-collegiate career. He has always been around his father’s job sites since he was a kid. “I’ve decided that I’m going to be [joining] my father’s company this summer,” Concannon said. “I hope to learn a lot throughout the years, and then eventually the future goal is to take over his company but for now, I need to start at the bottom and work my way up.” Concannon is looking to return to the Pride men’s lacrosse lineup this season. He’s thankful and grateful for how far he’s come as a player and person. He’s happy at Hofstra University and is looking to help his team achieve a CAA Championship.
SPORTS
THE CHRONICLE
APRIL 13, 2021 • A17
Mansur finding the positives from shortened volleyball season By Eddie Gardner SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
After the Hofstra volleyball team fell in crushing fashion to the University of Delaware in the 2019 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) quarterfinals, head coach Emily Mansur knew some big changes were on the way for the Pride. Although disappointed by the defeat to the lower-seeded Blue Hens that ended her team’s season, Mansur was excited to begin a new era of Hofstra Volleyball following the departures of two Pride legends in Laura Masciullo and Luisa Sydlik. However, that day had to wait a whole extra semester because of the cancellation of all Hofstra sports during the fall of 2020. The loss to Delaware had already left a bitter taste in the mouths of every single player and coach at that moment, but the extra delay to get back on the court made it feel far worse. Finally, on February 20, 2021, the Pride returned to action for the first time since that cold, heartbreaking night in November of 2019. And although this past season was filled with struggles and even more COVID-related shutdowns, Mansur was grateful to have her team playing again. “It was just wonderful to be back on the court,” Mansur said. “I think this is something we all really appreciated having this chance and we knew at any minute that could go away. Every game we got to play was a special game, especially this year after going through everything that we did.” Hofstra started the season strong going 3-0, but after having to pause all activities due to positive COVID-19 tests within the program, they struggled heavily for the remainder of the spring. Hofstra finished the season on a four-match losing streak, with three of those coming against their CAA rival, Northeastern University. Despite the quick downfall after the strong start and only playing seven total matches, Mansur took a lot out of this season and feels the newlook Pride are bound for more
success in the future. “There was a lot of learning and learning of people’s personalities and just many different things because it was just such a different dynamic then we have ever had,” Mansur said. “It was a different challenge but it was the best feeling being able to get a team back on the volleyball court. Hofstra welcomed several new players to the team after the departures of seniors Masciullo, Sydlik and Eliska Truneckova in 2019. All of a sudden, after dominating the CAA for many years with their old core of stars, the Pride became one of the younger teams in the conference. But their youth did not stop them from forming great chemistry on and off the court, even despite the strict safety restrictions and mid-season stoppage. “I think they did a really nice job. We did miss a few key players that stayed home last semester and didn’t come back, but our student athletes who were here invested a lot of time in getting to know each other,” Mansur said. “So even with all the restrictions, they were able to be creative in different ways.” However, growing pains are inevitable, and that is something this young Pride team went through all season during the pandemic. “They did have a lot of challenges because of how young we were, and having the freshmen coming in not knowing anything that was going on, nothing really was the way that we usually do things here,” Mansur said. “Hofstra volleyball is so much about us really getting to know each other, becoming a family and getting our team to work at a certain level. All of this had to change this year.” The Pride was flying high three matches into the season, having defeated the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stony Brook University and Seton Hall University. Following their gritty victory over the Pirates on Feb. 26, things began to shift away from their favor as they began CAA play. They welcomed Northeastern into town for the first time on
March 5 in a battle for first place in the CAA North Division, but fell in four sets. While they tried to rebound from their first loss of the season, Hofstra was handled easily by the Huskies again two days later. Just like that, the Pride was in last place in the conference. “I think a big thing was just the pressure that comes with CAA play,” Mansur said. “I’ll take this on me because I think the ladies did a phenomenal job, but being able to teach them to translate all of the other games we played into CAA play is important. I think my assistant coaches did a really nice job, I don’t think I did, of teaching them ‘Hey, we did it before, it’s just Northeastern, we’ve beaten them many times and we know how to do it.’” “I think some of the girls got a little bit lost in the pressure of starting CAA [play], and if you compare the numbers of what they had before to what they had during, it was very different,” Mansur said. It was a tough two matches for Hofstra to open conference play, and even more devastating for the Pride, they never got the chance to right the ship. Just a few days later, Hofstra had to suspend all activities due to a COVID outbreak within the program. This shutdown caused Hofstra to miss four consecutive CAA matches, which put them far behind in the standings and with almost no time to make up for it. “It was really tough. I think once we got to the CAA’s, and after that first weekend which was already challenging for us, we didn’t have a full team anymore,” Mansur said. “We were down eight players due to COVID, so it was a completely different challenge.” The outbreak caused Mansur to almost have to forfeit the remaining games on the Pride’s schedule, but many members of the team convinced her to let them play. Seeing the determination from her young team, Mansur felt she had no other option but to give her girls what they wanted. “I was super proud of the ladies that were here because
I wanted to cancel the games, I didn’t want to play,” Mansur said. “I felt that we just couldn’t represent and that it wasn’t the right thing to do. But they really wanted to play and they told me, ‘Coach, no matter what happens, we are going to do our best,’ so we went for it.” Even in the craziest and toughest of situations, Mansur did everything she could to answer the requests of her players to continue playing, including suiting up herself in practice. “We had our only six players playing on one side, and then us coaches on another,” Mansur said. “I haven’t played volleyball in eight years, but I had to practice. I spent the last three weeks of the season playing volleyball and coaching.” According to Mansur, this experience was one of the toughest challenges she went through as a coach, but it also taught her a lot. “It was definitely challenging but I learned a lot. I learned to appreciate many things in a different way,” Mansur said. “I think it was a lot growing. I’m very thankful for the coaching staff that I have because they are wonderful and they were able to keep us going.” In addition to the impact from Mansur during this season, senior and team captain Ana Martinovic played a crucial role in leading the team. The Serbian star entered the season as Hofstra’s active kills leader with 445 and was a huge presence in the locker room and on the court for the younger players. “I think Ana Martinovic – and I know she’s our captain so it’s kind of a given – took a lot on her back this year,” Mansur said. “I think for the eight years I have been here, she has had the hardest job as a captain. It was really tough, and for her to stay composed and play, I don’t know how she did it.” Mansur confirmed the senior will be returning for a fifth season in 2021 as a graduate student and will continue to provide the Pride with great leadership and tough play on the court. “Out of all of our seniors, [Martinovic] was the only one
who we had a scholarship available for to bring her back, so she is going to be here again with us for next season.” While Masciullo was quickly climbing the Hofstra leaderboards and becoming one of the greatest attackers in team history from 2016-2019, Martinovic was quietly putting up consistently strong offensive numbers behind her. Now, without the second alltime attacker in Pride history, Martinovic entered a new role on the team in 2020-21 while also continuing her strong play on the court. In the seven matches this season, Martinovic led the team with 76 kills, 3.17 kills per set, 87.5 points and 3.65 points per set. “Again, I think we had a lot of challenges this year in staying disciplined and understanding the sacrifices we had to do to make it to the end as a group, and we fell.” Mansur said. “Unfortunately, we made some bad decisions as a group and that cost us a season. I think having someone like [Martinovic] who really kept her composure and kept whoever was here going is huge.” While the status of next season still remains unknown, including COVID-19 restrictions, scheduling and fan attendance, Mansur is fully confident in herself and her team to learn from the mistakes from this past year and have a much-improved 2021 season. “I am confident in all of us as a coaching staff, a returning group and all of our new players that are coming,” Mansur said. “I think we’re going to see a good amount of changes to our team ... but I think it will build us and help us get ready to take Hofstra volleyball back to the level we know how to play.
A18 • APRIL 13, 2021
SPORTS
THE CHRONICLE
Sabrina Bryan cements her name in program history
By Adam Flash
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
As Hofstra women’s soccer head coach Simon Riddiough and former associate head coach Toby Bischof packed up their car and hit the road, they had no idea what they were in for. It was February, a snowstorm was raging on and a six-hour drive to Pittsburgh was ahead of them, all to watch one potential recruit play and meet her family. And to top it off, their windshield wipers were broken driving down the snowy highway. Was it worth it? At the time they had no idea. “I was scared for my life [but] I didn’t know that that six-hour drive was going to be worth what it was,” Riddiough said. “I would do it 50 times over.” “In hindsight, it was probably the best decision we’ve ever made,” he added. That recruit was Sabrina Bryan, now four years later, a name synonymous with Hofstra women’s soccer. A part of a three-time defending Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship team, Bryan is proving to be one of Hofstra’s greats, leading the team both on and off the field. Last season alone, the senior was the 2019 CAA Attacking Player of the Year and received national recognition being named to the United Soccer Coaches All-American Third Team. Ahead of this season, she was picked for the 2020-21 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. A prolific goal scorer with 33 career goals heading into this year’s CAA playoffs, she ranks
sixth all-time in goals and first in program history in assists with 27. The Pennsylvania native and Riverhounds Academy alumnus not only scores points, but does so at the right time, coming up big for the team when she’s needed most. In 2018, she scored two goals in a NCAA Tournament First Round upset against Boston College that saw the Pride win 4-1. And in 2019, in front of a packed Hofstra Soccer Stadium, Bryan scored the match-winning goal in overtime against Loyola Chicago to send her team once again to the second round of the national tournament. However, while individual accolades are nice, Bryan’s focus is on the entire team’s goals and always has been. “Definitely the first goal I always have coming into the season is [to be] CAA champions and just trying to get further with the NCAAs,” she said. “It is obviously nice to get the recognition [but] it’s just kind of a reassurance. It’s not really the goal that I’m looking toward.” Her team mindset and desire to always improve has made her one of the program’s best, evolving from a player who can create opportunities out of nothing to one who can finish them as well, according to Riddiough. “She’s become a pretty much exceptional, all-around player,” Riddiough said. “She’s also combining with her teammates around her and when she does that we’re pretty much unstoppable at times.” Bryan’s talents don’t come easily, though. She works tirelessly, developing both herself and others around her along the
way. “The ability to have one of your best players, if not your best player, work as hard as she does in practice and challenge people as she does in practice and in game day, it just brings the whole level of the program up another notch,” Riddiough said. Bryan is a special player in more ways than one, including being left-footed. Left-footed players are rare in soccer and are valuable when they come along. When she was just starting to play, Bryan’s father recognized this. “I used to be right-footed when I was younger. I’m naturally a right footer,” Bryan said. “There’s not many left-footed players. My dad knew that when I was growing up so he made me train every day with my left foot until I liked it more than my right.” “I’m definitely more leftfooted now but I can play with both. It’s definitely helped me,” she added. Regardless of which foot is scoring the goals, Bryan is helping lead the Pride during a historic time as they set their sights on a fourth consecutive conference championship. “I don’t even know if I could put it into words [what it would mean to win],” she said. “There’s not many people in their college history that can say that they went four-for-four. We definitely want to try and make that happen.” With this unique season shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, what motivates Bryan to work toward her goals is simply the fact she’s playing at all. “Especially this season I
Adam Flash / The Hofstra Chronicle Bryan ranks first in program history with 27 career assists.
think just reminding myself how lucky I am to be playing,” she said. “Knowing that the time is counting down ... I definitely try and make the most out of every single game and practice.” Having developed close friends in her teammates over the years, ones who constantly push her to be a better player and person, will make graduating even more bittersweet. “Just being comfortable with the team as the years go on is really what helped me grow. We rely on each other to be a family ... and to help each other get through tough situations,” she said. Upon leaving Hofstra, she’ll take her exercise science degree to graduate school, pursuing a career in physical therapy. However, her dream has always been to play professional soccer and will continue to work at that goal. When Bryan signed with Hofstra at the end of her junior year of high school, the program
was optimistic. They believed she could fill a starting position right away and hopefully make an impact on the team. The rest is history. However, just as important as her traits on the pitch are those off of it. “She does the right thing in all aspects, whether it’s in the community, in the classroom or on the soccer field,” Riddiough said. “We got very lucky because those characteristics you don’t really know until you get the kid. As much as you do the research and you get told that this kid is going to be this way sometimes that’s not necessarily true.” He continued, “With Sabrina, we hit the jackpot and we’re very fortunate that she got through all four years at Hofstra and probably the most successful four years in [program] history. She’s been a huge part of it.”
SPORTS
THE CHRONICLE
APRIL 13, 2021 • A19
Vowinkel ready for next challenge in professional soccer By Adam Flash MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
On a cold, winter evening in January, Matthew Vowinkel was relaxing at home. The 2021 MLS SuperDraft was into the third round and it was just another night for the New Hyde Park resident. That is, until he saw his name. As the second pick of the third round, 56th overall, FC Cincinnati selected the senior forward from the Hofstra men’s soccer team. After graduating, Vowinkel is going pro. And to him, this finally means many years of hard work paying off. “[I] found out that my name was up there and [I was] just really overcome with a lot of happiness. Couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Vowinkel said. “My family was happy for me. I was happy for myself and I know everyone around me was happy for me.” Playing professionally is a dream most athletes have and only some accomplish. For Vowinkel, it was a dream he’s had since he was little growing up
playing a variety of sports. “I knew that from an early age I wanted to go professional in some sort of sport because I thought it was the coolest thing,” he said. However, his passion for soccer rose above the others as he would go on to pursue it full time, winning numerous state championships and Player of the Year awards throughout high school en route to playing for Hofstra. But once here, it didn’t take long for him to make a name for himself, working tirelessly to accomplish his professional dream. “It’s his consistently hard, fantastic work ethic that’s got him to where he is, and it’s a lesson for other people,” said Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall. “He’s got great determination and he’s focused on what he wants in life.” By his sophomore season in 2018, Vowinkel had already led the team in multiple categories, including goals and total points, and has stayed on top ever since. By the end of the season, he earned himself a place on the
All-Colonial Athletic Association Third Team. And in 2019, he was honored with a spot on the First Team for his efforts in the final third. “I believe he’s as good as anybody in the country inside the box if you give him the right supply,” Nuttall said. With 28 career goals under his belt so far, Vowinkel says there’s no greater feeling than scoring. “I think it’s one of the best feelings in the world once that ball goes in [and] you can just celebrate with the team,” he said. “You just feel accomplished after that.” Another important aspect of the game for him (and what doesn’t show up on the stat sheet) is his love for leadership. “Being a role model for the [younger] guys is the best,” he said. “Making sure that those guys ... look up [to someone] so that they can one day be in my shoes.” However, long before the forward stepped foot into Hofstra Soccer Stadium as a player, he came as a fan. Growing up on Long Island, he’s always
been around the team. “I really enjoyed growing up and being around Hofstra. I always looked to the players as role models when I was younger and I always said to myself, ‘I want to play here when I get older,’” he said. Having familiar faces around also eased his transition from high school to college. Before committing to the Pride, Vowinkel played club soccer at Massapequa SC with Hofstra teammates Jack Nuttall and Storm Strongin. They were even coached by Hofstra assistant coach Shaun Foster and Richard Nuttall. “Jack’s one of my best friends ... and I knew Rich for a while so it definitely made [the transition] easier,” he said. “[I] had sort of like a family around me already and it was definitely easier coming in.” Playing with the same coach for an extended period of time has been a positive for Vowinkel. “[Coach Nuttall] knows my mannerisms. [He] knows my ups and downs, my strengths and weaknesses,” Vowinkel
said. “Just to be able to talk to him not just like a coach but almost like a father and being able to open up and get whatever I need from him has been much easier both on and off the field.” Upon graduating with a degree in finance next month, the Long Islander will set his sights on going south to Cincinnati, where he’ll stay motivated and continue to work hard at the game. “I want to continue to excel. I know there’s people that are better than me out there and I want to be at that level,” Vowinkel said. “What motivates me is just really the love for the game.” Both on and off the pitch, Vowinkel strives to always be his best, whether it’s as a student, friend or family member. “We’re going to see how he does translating to the next level, but every level Matt’s gone to he’s scored goals,” Nuttall said. “My proudest thing is the great person he is and the great soccer player that he is. I’m proud he’s a graduate of Hofstra University.”
Craig ‘Speedy’ Claxton named next men’s basketball head coach By Mike Senatore SPORTS EDITOR
After the departure of former head coach Joe Mihalich following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, the Hofstra men’s basketball team has found their next leader in Craig “Speedy” Claxton. The decision was announced on Wednesday, April 7, and an introductory press conference was held on Thursday, April 8. Claxton will transition to the role of head coach from the assistant coaching position he has held with the Pride since 2014. “I am honored and humbled to be leading this program into the future,” Claxton said in a media Zoom call following his introductory press conference on Thursday, April 7. “This was my dream job, and this means the world to me today to have that dream finally come true.” The hiring of Claxton came as the culmination of an expansive, nationwide search, according to
Vice President and Director of Athletics Rick Cole Jr. “Every search is about trying to find the right fit, at the right place, at the right time,” Cole Jr. said. “We know we did that, but we were humbled by the interest [garnered by the head coaching vacancy].” Claxton was a player for the Pride from 1996 to 2000, and in that time, he cemented himself among the Pride’s historically elite players. As the team’s point guard, he led the Pride to the America East Conference championship in 2000, granting the team a spot in the NCAA Division I tournament. He is one of few players to score over 2,000 points in his career with the Pride, and he averaged 22.8 points per game in his senior season. He averaged double digits in scoring in all four of his seasons, and at the time of his graduation he led Hofstra in both career assists and steals with 660 and 288, respectively.
After being selected in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Claxton had an accomplished career in the NBA, highlighted by being a member of the 2003 NBA Championship-winning San Antonio Spurs. He had his best year in the league statistically as a member of the Golden State Warriors, as he averaged 13 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals per game in the 2004-05 season. In 2010, Claxton’s number 10 was retired by the Pride, and he was inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame. Just three years later, Claxton returned to his alma mater as a special assistant to Coach Mihalich, and he was quickly offered a position as an assistant coach the following year. As a member of the Pride’s coaching staff, Claxton helped lead the program to some of its most successful seasons. In the 2018-19 season, the team set a school record of 27 wins, and
despite being upset in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship game, earned an entry into the National Invitational Tournament. The following season, Hofstra finished the job, claiming the CAA title and earning an NCAA tournament berth for the first time since 2001. “This is not a rebuild job,” Cole Jr. said. “This is a job that we can take – we hope – to even greater heights, and that’s our expectation with coach Claxton, is that we believe we are going to get to even greater heights.” In the 2020-21 season, the Pride was led by then-acting head coach Mike Farrelly due to Mihalich taking a leave of absence. Hofstra finished with a 13-10 record in a season shortened due to COVID-19, and the Pride fell to Elon University in the semifinals of the CAA Championship tournament. In his time on the Pride’s staff, Claxton has coached players such as Juan’ya Green, Jus-
tin Wright-Foreman and Desure Buie and worked with them to help develop their skills. As a point guard in his own playing days, Claxton’s tutelage proved especially helpful for the Pride’s young guards, as many showed significant improvements across their Hofstra careers. “You’ve got to build your relationships with these kids, night in, night out,” Claxton said. “Most of these kids, [if] you’re loyal to them, they’ll be loyal to you, and at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about.” “I’ve walked in [our players’] shoes, and they know that,” Claxton said. “Whenever I talk to them, they can wholeheartedly accept what I’m saying and believe it, and the most important thing is that trust factor.”
THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE
Sports
April 13, 2021
S howtime Hofstra men’s and women’s soccer enter the CAA Tournament as division champions.
Adam Flash / The Hofstra Chronicle