The Hofstra Chronicle December 4, 2018

The Hofstra

HEMPSTEAD, NY Volume 84 Issue 9

Chronicle

Tuesday

DECEMBER 4, 2018

Keeping the Hofstra community informed since 1935

LHSC develops diversity and inclusion committee

By Letisha Dass & Ciera Nickel STA FF W R ITER S

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra University Faculty in the LHSC attended a training session on Saturday, Dec. 1 to better understand bias and address campus-wide issues.

Diana Mieles, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry at Hofstra, said she overheard a group of students in Breslin Hall talking about the Latino population negatively on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The students said they hated Mexicans and Latinos should only speak English, and said, “If they speak Spanish, they need to go,” in a light-hearted tone, followed by laughter.

“It was right in my face. I couldn’t ignore it. It made me feel so angry that they were talking this way, and I didn’t know what to say or what to do.

I wish I recorded it, but I was

alone in Breslin,” Mieles said.

“I didn’t want to say anything because I was so small compared to the group of them.”

Such instances sparked an initiative within the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication (LHSC). The diversity and inclusion committee in LHSC sent out a questionnaire to faculty and students within the school in early November in response to growing concern over issues within the University at large.

“When the committee first met last year, we wanted to ensure all students a safe space to thrive where diversity is celContinued On A5

University’s Title IX policy updated to provide transparency

By Becca Lo Presti STAFF W R I T E R

The Title IX Office at Hofstra University has updated their “Student Policy Prohibiting Discriminatory Harassment, Relationship Violence, and Sexual Misconduct” for the 2018-19 school year.

While the updates are now in the new “Guide to Pride,” an email sent to students on Wednesday, Nov. 7 summarized the three major changes.

The policy now makes it clear that when a complaint is made against an employee, “Students have the opportunity to discuss their rights under the Harassment Policy and available resources.” The language of the appeal process has also been clarified to promote better comprehension.

In addition, the time frame for making an initial complaint of a policy violation has been extended to 12 months from the most recent occurrence of the violation. Prior to this update,

the time frame was six months.

Allison Vernace, the Title IX officer for student issues, said, “The changes that we had made were basically out of clarity and also student feedback of things that students had mentioned to myself and others on campus.”

Carissa Ramirez, a senior double major in political science and public policy and public service, spearheaded the movement to increase the time frame.

“After I reported my assault to Public Safety, I was so dissatisfied with my reporting experience that I wanted to commit the rest of my time here to trying to improve the reporting experience for others in the future,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez researched approximately 30 other universities to explore their policies in regard to Title IX. She “found that a majority of these schools had no reporting limits at all ... I also found that a majority of schools had an alternative way of reporting besides going in person –

online reporting was the most common.”

Ramirez sent Vernace a 40page proposal summarizing the research over the summer. While the proposed extended limit was put in place, Ramirez is not done advocating for change.

She wants to create an online method for reporting violations of Title IX. In addition, Ramirez wants to increase awareness of the policy updates. “Hofstra’s advertising of [the policy] has been less than optimal and has not made the increase in reporting time well known to a majority [of] students.”

Although Matt McLoughlin, a sophomore majoring in engineering science, did not know of the policy changes for Title IX, he did support the changes.

“I think that it’s a good time to give kids enough room for what is supposed to happen in those situations, because they can get real difficult.”

A recent article in The Chronicle about an amendment

to the defamation policies in the “Guide to Pride” noted the lack of student knowledge of that change as well.

Emma Kern, a senior history and anthropology major, echoed Ramirez. According to Kern, “Unless you really want to be a part of It’s On Us or Sexual Assault Awareness, you really kind of have to search for it ...

I would say that Title IX itself is so undermanned in a way.”

Kern stressed the importance of student involvement on campus as a way to ensure that students are aware of their rights.

Tara Stark, a sophomore history and social studies education major, appreciates the engagement between Title IX and the student body. Stark is the Student Government Association’s It’s On Us Ambassador.

“They’re really trying to bring a lot of Greek Life into it, and they’re using Student Government as a liaison to bring student involvement.”

As a transfer, Stark noticed

a difference at Hofstra. At her former university, Stark “did not see as much tabling and programming. The people who are involved [at Hofstra] really do care and get the word out there.”

Vernace explained that she works with many of the student groups to inform the Hofstra population. “It’s definitely something that we’ve been in talks about with students, specifically our advocacy boards with the best ways to relay policy update information ... we’re looking into sending it out in different newsletters that students receive.”

Director of Communications for Student Affairs Colin Sullivan emphasized the importance of student awareness. “Just because this doesn’t happen to you, doesn’t mean that every student should not be aware of this policy, because that’s how to help your friends. That’s how everyone can keep our community safer.”

Inside this issue: Students demand professors be held accountable A4

NEWS Robotics event exhibits Hofstra engineering programs

A2•DECEMBER 4, 2018

By Letisha Dass STAFF WR I T E R

Engineering skills were put to the test as approximately 40 students from Nassau and Suffolk County participated in a robotics competition. On Saturday, Dec. 1, teams participated in the Toy Adaptation Project at Hofstra as part of an annual event titled the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition.

The event was a collaboration with the School-Business Partnership of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) and Hofstra’s Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Saturday’s outreach program gave both current and prospective students the chance to get to know Hofstra’s engineering professors and help improve toys for individuals with disabilities.

“Hofstra has hosted our Robotics competition annually, so we were brainstorming on how we could showcase [the] Hofstra University engineering program to the FIRST Robotics students,” said Jeffrey Stern, board member of SBPLI. “We decided to hold this joint event spotlighting Hofstra.”

The event began with a presentation by Saryn Goldberg, a mechanical engineering professor. Her presentation provided an overview of engineering, specifically explaining the types of engineering while introducing professors and programs that the University provides to undergraduate engineering students. Among the opportunities highlighted were the co-op program and the Advanced Summer Program in Research

The small school size is appealing to many potential undergraduate students. “I really like how it is only the teachers teaching and not the [teacher’s assistant], so I get to see my teachers a lot more,” said Christian Stilwagen, a member of Team 263 at Saturday’s event and a senior at Sachem High School North. “The smaller class sizes give me more oneon-one attention, which helps me learn better.”

“They can use these skills not only in their FIRST Robotics teams, but also in other areas of engineering...”

(ASPiRe).

“A lot of engineering programs have both an undergraduate and a graduate program. If there is a graduate program, that means faculty spends a big chunk of their time training their graduate students. That is not what happens here,” Goldberg said. “We don’t have graduate students, so all of our time and attention is focused on undergraduate students.”

Professor Lynn Albers of the engineering department, presented the Toy Adaptation Project, which was started by Ohio State University. Members of the Society of Women Engineers volunteered to help the robotics students understand how to rewire the toys.

“There are a bunch of robots – toys, basically – and they are really hard to play with. They are wiring it so that just with

one button ... it comes on and it comes off. It is for children with disabilities,” said Aishu Gandhi, a junior mechanical engineering major.

“They are [also] rewiring and using soldering techniques to put the wires together,” Gandhi said.

Soldering is the process of joining wires together by melting solder around the connection.

The program provides students that are interested in the field of engineering an opportunity to get involved and learn skills that they can carry on to their respective future careers.

“There is a lot more to being a good engineer than being able to solve a math problem,” Goldberg said.

“I think that it will be helpful,” said Megan Richards, a sophomore civil engineering major.

“They can use these skills not only in their FIRST Robotics teams, but also in other areas of engineering that they may have in their high school classes and eventually into their college years.”

‘Science Night Live’ debunks myths about moon

Lawrence, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy, shared insight on the origin of the moon to a packed audience at the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center in Garden City, New York.

The eventRobert Traverso / Hofstra Chronicle took place on Hofstra professors J. Bret Bennington and Stephen Lawrence shared insight on the moon’s Wednesday, discovery during the University’s program, “Science Night Live,” on Nov. 28.

Nov. 28, inside the museum’s planetarium as In a lecture titled, “How the

By Robert Traverso STAFF WR I T E R Apollo Program Solved the Rid- part of Hofstra’s annual public lecture series, “Science Night dle of the Origin of the Moon,” Before NASA successfully Live,” J. Bret Bennington, chair of landed humans on the moon The leading pre-Apollo view, the department of geology, for the first time in history, known as the co-accretion environment and sustainability very little was known about the theory, argued that the Earth and at Hofstra, along with Stephen moon’s origin. moon formed at the same time.

The Apollo program changed our understanding of the origin of Earth’s moon, debunking the co-accretion theory and every other moon formation hypothesis of that era.

Bennington explained that not only did NASA manage to map the entirety of the moon’s orbit, but it also successfully placed geophysical instruments on the lunar surface that provided us with previously unattainable data. Most importantly, Apollo astronauts obtained moon rocks that have since been studied on Earth.

“Samples collected by Apollo astronauts established radiometric ages for major lunar features, revealing the timeline of the geological evolution of the Earth,” read one slide from the duo’s PowerPoint presentation,

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Editor-in-Chief Joe Fay Managing Editor Katie Krahulik Business Manager Alexus Rogers News Editors Taylor Clarke Jill Leavey Assistant News Editor Melanie Haid A&E Editors Joseph Coffey-Slattery Samantha Storms A&E Assistant Editors Victoria Bell Allison Foster Sports Editors Felipe Fontes Alexandra Licata Assistant Sports Editor Christopher Detwiler @Hofstra Editor Emily Barnes @Hofstra Assistant Editor Drashti Mehta Op-Ed Editors James Factora Daniel Nguyen Assistant Op-Ed Editor Amanda Romeo Jordan Hopkins Copy Chief Erin Hickey Assistant Copy Chiefs Mia Thompson Gabby Varano Multimedia Editors Robert Kinnaird Peter Soucy Social Media Manager Brian Sommer The Chronicle is published every Tuesday during the academic year by the students of Hofstra University. The Chronicle is located in Room 203 Student Center, 200 Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. 11549. Advertising and subscription rates may be obtained by calling (516) 463-6921.

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Continued On A4

NEWS

The Chronicle

DECEMBER 4, 2018 A3

Community unpacks diversity and calls for improvement

By Jordan Laird STAFF WR I T E R

Jonathan Lightfoot, professor of teaching, learning and technology, says he has been called to the dean’s office on multiple occasions because a student accused him of talking about racism “too much” in class. This was a central topic of discussion at the panel held Monday, Nov.12, that discussed biased and prejudiced history education.

Dr. Lightfoot, who also serves as the director of Hofstra’s Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice, was one of four speakers at the panel titled “Columbus Discovered America and Other Lies We’re Taught in School.” This was hosted

by Hofstra’s Queer and Trans People of Color Coalition (QTPOCC), the Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice and several other campus organizations.

“It’s disgusting,” Lightfoot said. “We’re this close to New York City and we endeavor to be a world-class institution of higher education. We don’t have an African studies program, we don’t have ongoing diversity training, we don’t address what these professors do in courses and classrooms and so forth.”

Rosario Navalta, a sopho-

Jordan Laird / Hofstra Chronicle Professors and students addressed a concerning lack of diversity at Hofstra during a panel titled, ‘Columbus Discovered America and Other Lies We’re Taught in School,’ on Monday, Nov. 12.

more double major in religion and history, says that their classes can be extremely frustrating and that they are constantly reminded of their identity.

“I have to be a historian in the moment,” Navalta said. “I have to be that person, the scholar in the room on all things about brown oppression. And my pro-

fessor consistently looks at me because everyone else around me is white as a fucking sheet.”

Professor Benita Sampedro, another panelist and associate director at the Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice, works to challenge racial biases. Sampedro said she came to Hofstra with a specialization

in Spanish colonial studies, an area of academia fraught with biases. But for every new course she teaches, she makes a new syllabus from scratch. She also makes an effort to propose new courses like one she is currently teaching, “Farewell to Columbus: Rethinking Latin American History.”

Jordan Laird / Hofstra Chronicle The panel was hosted by Hofstra’s Queer and Trans People of Color Coalition (QTPOCC), the Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice and several other campus organizations.

Lightfoot said Hofstra struggles to retain faculty who are people of color (POC); he even considered leaving while on sabbatical, which he took “just to get away and take a breath.” He decided to stay and “continue to fight here.”

At the Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice, Lightfoot and Sampedro are working to establish regular, mandatory bias sensitivity trainings for faculty members.

“Our research suggests that some of our professors are out of touch and don’t have a clue,” Lightfoot said, which elicited laughter from the audience. He continued, “Some of them are outright racist.”

Lightfoot expressed hope that the administration had agreed to the Center’s proposal to hire a chief diversity officer.

However, he expressed concern that the Center has not been told anything about the hiring process. He encouraged students to “show up” if the University brings in a candidate for the position to make a presentation.

“You all need to show up and challenge them on what they’re going to do to address issues of discrimination and bias on campus.”

NEWS

A4•DECEMBER 4, 2018

The Chronicle

Professors poke at scientific theories surrounding the moon Continued FROM A2 which was projected onto the planetarium dome.

Bennington, who has taught at Hofstra since 1993, spoke in depth about the geology of the moon and what it has revealed about its origin.

Bennington explained that Uranium-lead dating of the Apollo moon rocks allowed scientists to produce a timeline of the moon’s evolution in space for the first time.

“The moon formed within 500 million years or so after the Earth formed,” Bennington said. “[The moon] didn’t form at the

“It seems likely the moon formed from a big collision ... but we’re still trying to figure out exactly how that happened. same time as Earth.”

Following the Apollo program’s findings, the giantimpact hypothesis was put forth by several scientists during the mid-1970s. “[The giant-impact theory is]

the best theory we can dream up that doesn’t contradict the [Apollo] data,” Lawrence said. “[The moon] formed from super-hot debris ejected when a large protoplanet struck early Earth.”

Named Theia after the mother of the moon goddess in Greek mythology, the large protoplanet, estimated to have been about the size of Mars, was destroyed upon impact with Earth. Theia then dissipated into a large disk of gas, which merged over time into what we recognize today as the Earth’s moon.

Amelia Willard, a sophomore sociology major, said that prior to the lecture she had never considered that information regarding the composition of the moon and the Earth could help with “figuring out the origin of the moon.”

“Due to the evidence shown

in this lecture, it is most probable that the giant-impact hypothesis is the correct view of the moon’s formation,” said Jacob Mamiye, a senior sustainability and geology major.

Despite the findings presented Wednesday night, Bennington added that scientists still have a long way to go. “It still seems likely the moon formed from a big collision, a ‘big splat’ or a ‘big whack’ or whatever you want to call it,” Bennington said. “But we’re still trying to figure out exactly how that happened.”

Provost reveals new method to improve faculty accountability

By Leo Brine STAFF W R I T E R

Hofstra is trying to expedite the process of reporting faculty by having students send complaints to the newly created Complaint.Resolution@Hofstra. edu, an email system implemented at the beginning of the semester by the Office of the Provost.

Some students have criticized the previous system. There are several current methods of reporting available to students.

Some are considered “official” while others “unofficial,” and these different channels can produce different outcomes.

According to Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Gail Simmons, the email system will soon begin to be heavily advertised.

Emails sent to this address will, according to Simmons, be funneled to a specific staff member of the Provost’s Office based on their graduate or undergraduate status. Once read, the Office of the Provost will determine which course of action to take.

Junior video/television and film major Wesley LouisCharles tried to file a complaint against a professor who Louis-Charles said used racially insensitive remarks in class.

The professor had been told by multiple students to stop.

“The process is so difficult that I couldn’t file the complaint,” Louis-Charles said. “It

shouldn’t be [a] culture where students have to deal with professors [to file a complaint].”

In the past, students had to go to the professor first and then the department head when filing a complaint. After the department head views the complaint, they may choose whether or not to pursue it.

If pursued, the department head may speak with the profes-

Resources or Title IX. The department head or dean may be kept in the loop, but there is no specific policy dictating that.

The student can also approach those offices directly with their complaint. However, several students have said that after approaching Title IX with complaints, they were turned away.

“If the complaint/report/

then they can appeal it to the appropriate dean. If still unhappy, they can continue to appeal until a decision is made by the Office of the Provost.

Students can also file complaints with the Equal Rights and Opportunity Officer, Jennifer M. Mone. This process is laid out in the Hofstra University Harassment Policy which was recently shared by the Title

“We’re an academic community, we try to be kind and reasonable with one another. It’s when things progress and [it becomes] clear that there’s a pattern of behavior, that we start to take note.”

sor and the student or send it to a channel they deem more appropriate to handle the complaint. Department heads and deans can handle cases on their own if they see fit. Cases are pursued and investigated at the University’s discretion.

If a complaint is made by a student who feels they have been target by a professor based on their race, gender or religion, it can be sent to an appropriate channel outside of the department or school, such as Human

issue with a staff, faculty, or administration member is not of [discrimination on the basis of sex] no involvement from the Title IX office is warranted.

All other concerns regarding Faculty, in particular those that happen within the classroom, should be handled through the respective department Chair and/or the Provost office,” said Director of Communications for Student Affairs Colin Sullivan.

If the student is unhappy with the way the case was handled,

IX Office.

As of right now, not all complaints are kept; however, if the Office of the Provost notices a pattern, a record will be formed of email correspondence and any meetings that are held between the professor, their union representative and the Office of the Provost.

“We’re an academic community, we try to be kind and reasonable with one another.

It’s when things progress and [it becomes] clear that there’s a

pattern of behavior that we start to take note,” Simmons said.

“These are human relationships, it’s very difficult to make them cut and dry. It’s going to depend on the case ... Each complaint is unique; they don’t fall into simple categories.”

Students invovled in the Jefferson Has Gotta Go! (JGG) movement have been protesting the lack of infrastructure in the system since the start of the semester.

The group said they are not simply looking for a way to lodge a complaint, but that they want the school to keep complaints filed against professors and make them public for the sake of transparency.

Along with this, JGG said they want a centralized system for reporting complaints. This is to ensure that all departments are kept in the loop if a professor has complaints regarding separate issues.

Senior public policy major Ja’Loni Owens met with Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Sofia Pertuz and Vice Provost Neil Donahue on Tuesday, Oct. 23.

Owens said that at the meeting they were informed that the school did not have a centralized reporting system, nor was there a record of communication between departments. “I don’t see how an institution can function that way,” Owens said.

NEWS

The Chronicle

DECEMBER 4, 2018 A5

New survey reveals student perspective on diversity Continued FROM A1 ebrated. In order to accomplish our goal of fully succeeding as an inclusive environment, we needed a way to address any and all concerns students may have. I suggested an anonymous survey so that [the LHSC] community could speak freely. This survey is a result of several drafts over an 11-month period,” said Nicole Franklin, assistant professor of television production and a member of the school’s diversity and inclusion committee.

Vice Dean Mario Murillo, head of the committee, has played an integral part in making this a topic of discussion on campus. Murillo made it clear that some entity needed to step up and be at the forefront of the issues to prevent instances similar to Mieles’. “The survey coincides with another initiative that we’re doing, and that’s this Understanding Bias Workshop on Dec. 1 [that’s] open specifically to the faculty of [LHSC].

It’s really for us to begin the dialogue, because this is a process,” Murillo said.

“It is hard to adequately discuss a topic without current data, so this survey provides the

committee with a solid starting point and understanding of the climate in which we are operating,” said Victoria Semple, associate professor of public relations and a member of the committee.

“I am a big supporter of the diversity/inclusion initiatives at LHSC,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, LHSC dean.

A student fellow at the Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice, Michelle Boo, a junior psychology major, received the questionnaire and immediately recognized the work of the committee. “I have seen some of the questions and that was really interesting. You can tell it was because of Vice Dean Murillo,” Boo said.

For this new program, LHSC is working closely with the Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice. The goal of the program is to “foster a more inclusive atmosphere on campus and to work on expanding the discussion on race and social justice,” said Benita Sampedro, professor of Spanish colonial studies and an associate director at the Center. “We do that on many fronts – scholarship,

activities, student engagements and faculty engagements ... One program that the Center has is to train faculty on racial sensitivity issues through specific training sessions that the Center will be providing for different schools.”

Although Associate Directors Veronica Lippencott and Sampedro were not aware of the questionnaire, they know that the Center is working with them on a pilot program which

Brian McFadden, a professor of media studies, take their own initiatives to provide an inclusive classroom and curriculum.

McFadden said he is very intentional about his wording and the way that he runs his classes in order to be all-inclusive and avoid being offensive. “I put a lot of thought into what factor my own identity plays in the classroom and how that could make people comfortable or uncomfortable ... That’s why at the beginning of the semester I tell everyone what the chain of command is here [within the school],” McFadden said. “When I’m teaching my classes I acknowledge that the way I see something is coming from the perspective of a 30-something white person, a straight person, a married person or a middle-class person ...

Those sociological factors allow me to see things that way and that means I have several blind spots. I try to fill in those blind spots by engaging and talking with people more.”

“According to previous campus climate surveys, students felt that there were issues

“I put a lot of thought into what factor my own identity plays in the classroom ...” is “being started at the school of communication for faculty diversity bias training,” Professor Lippencott said. The sensitivity training is meant to raise awareness of issues on campus by analyzing the questionnaire results.

One early project of the Center is the Annual Faculty Summer Research Grant. In this project, “the commitment of the faculty is to develop, in addition to the lectures, a curriculum on campus related to this subject of race and social justice,” Sampedro said.

Some professors, such as

Public Safety Briefs

between students and professors and between other students on campus, so [LHSC] felt that it was enough of an issue that action needed to be taken,” said Sierra L’Altrelli, a senior public relations and political science student who received the questionnaire in her inbox. “I think that level of response speaks for itself.”

When it comes to racial issues on campus, Stephanie Campos, a senior marketing major and student fellow at the Center said, “A lot of people are not aware ... When students [are] saying something is happening, listen to them.”

Carissa Ramirez, a senior double major in political science and public policy and public service is the student affairs committee chair. She stated in an email sent out to Hofstra’s community, “In my four years at Hofstra, I have seen high levels of student activism and a strong desire to improve the campus we live and learn on.

Through protests, club events and everyday interactions, I have seen students initiate and engage in conversations that attempt [to] tackle difficult issues.

Your willingness to advocate for yourselves and others continues to inspire me.”

Compiled by Michael Mertz & Alisha Riggs

On Nov. 10 at 2 p.m., during the Oceanside High School vs. Farmingdale High School football game at the James M. Shuart Stadium, a spectator was observed yelling and acting disruptive. When asked to be quiet, he refused. The individual was then escorted to the Hofstra Information Center

where he was banned from campus and released.

On Nov. 12 at 2:20 p.m., a Hofstra student reported to PS that sometime between 12:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Nov. 12 he had parked his vehicle in the Colonial Square east parking lot. When he returned at 2 p.m., he discovered that

Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle

there were several key scratch marks on the vehicle. NCPD assistance was declined at this time. An investigation is being conducted into this matter.

On Nov. 24 at 2:20 p.m., during a football game in the James M. Shuart Stadium, four males were observed engaging in loud behavior.

While walking down a ramp in the stadium, the individuals were being verbally abusive.

PS and section eight security attempted to escort the males out. Three of the males left compliantly but one did not.

The male became disorderly and was put into restraints. The male was then taken into the Hofstra Information Center and was banned from campus.

On Nov. 29 at 12:05 a.m., the fire alarm was activated in Bill of Rights Hall. The UFD

came with PS to investigate the building. During a search of the building, it was determined a vape had activated the fire alarm in a room. The resident of the room was issued a referral to OCS. On Nov. 29 at 6:15 p.m., PS received a report that an unidentified male was soliciting religious information and causing students to feel uncomfortable. PS responded and identified the male as a non-student. The male was escorted to the Hofstra Information Center, where he was banned from campus.

On Nov. 29 at 10:25 p.m., PS received a report that the odor of marijuana was emanating from a room in Vander Poel Hall.

PS responded and when questioned, the student

admitted to rolling a joint.

He voluntarily opened a box with marijuana paraphernalia, which contained rolling papers, two lighters, a grinder, small pipes and a small container with marijuana residue. The items were confiscated and were taken to the Hofstra Information Center. The male was issued a referral to OCS.

Key NCPD – Nassau County Police Department OCS – Office of Community Standards PS – Public Safety UFD: Uniondale Fire Department

@Hofstra

A6 • December 4, 2018

The Chronicle

Overheard @ Hofstra In the Student Center:

In Vander Poel:

On the Unispan:

“I’m sorry you have five inches of legs, but shut the fuck up.”

“What do you want for your birthday?”

“You look like a skinny blueberry.”

In Davison Hall:

In the NewsHub:

“That gentleman to the left is extremely dank.”

“To be happy.”

“I’m exploding right now bro, hold on one second.”

In LHSC:

In Suffolk Hall:

In LHSC:

“I’m a drug addict; that is not new information.”

“You sound like a Teletubby on crack.”

“Have you guys ever smelled someone that smells like celery?”

Hofstra’s It’s On Us starts support group for student survivors of sexual assault

By Emily Barnes FEATURES EDITOR

In an empty conference room attached to the Office of Student Advocacy and Prevention Awareness, students and faculty of Hofstra’s It’s On Us committee convened for the last meeting of the semester, on Monday, Nov. 19, to discuss upcoming programs for the growing initiative combatting sexual violence.

Initially established under the administration of President Barack Obama in the fall of 2014, the It’s On Us campaign became a national movement committed to ending sexual assault that has since garnered widespread attention on college campuses.

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, Hofstra commemorated its campus-wide launch of the campaign as more than 200 students, staff and faculty congregated in the David and Sondra S. Mack Student Center Atrium to take part in the pledge to prevent sexual assault on college campuses.

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network,

among undergraduate students, 23.1 percent of females and 5.4 percent of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation.

In partnering with community organizations, campus facilitators of Hofstra’s It’s On Us program are progressively engaging in efforts to help discontinue the stigmas surrounding sexual violence as it pertains to students.

“It is vitally important that our young people recognize and understand that passive acceptance of the damaging myths and stigmas associated with sexual assault only serve to perpetuate the rape culture that continues to undermine efforts to curb sexual violence,” said D.J. Rosenbaum, the campus education coordinator from The Safe Center LI, following the Nov. 19 meeting.

“Healing comes more easily when support and understanding surrounds us. Given the current trend of heightened student involvement and activism, campuses must respond proactively,

above and beyond that which is technically mandated; to fail to do so puts not only survivors at risk of further trauma but puts the morale of the campus population at risk as well.”

A particular focus at the meeting was on the survivor support group that formally launched next week for student survivors of sexual assault on campus. Emma Kern, a senior double major in political science and anthropology, began formulating the group last fall alongside Claudia Andrade, the former director of student advocacy and prevention awareness.

“I realized that we had support groups for anxiety and substance abuse, and given my knowledge of It’s On Us and knowing survivors of sexual assault on campus and off campus, I realized that we needed a group where survivors could come together and support each other and talk about their experiences,” Kern said.

After receiving positive feedback from students who were interested in joining the group,

Kern said the group became a place to openly speak about the current political climate and its impact on the conversation of sexual assault, as well as a safe environment for students to discuss any issues affecting their personal and social lives.

“We usually come in with no topic at all, there is one just in case, but normally it’s people talking about their experiences and their coping mechanisms

and how they sort [out] their assault,” Kern said.

Other points during the meeting included upcoming It’s On Us campus events for the spring, such as a self-defense workshop, Planned Parenthood’s Plan Van for rapid STD testing and counseling and a table discussion on spring break safety.

Emily Barnes / The Hofstra Choronicle D.J. Rosenbaum, the campus education coordinator, frequents Its On Us meetings at Hofstra.

The Chronicle

@Hofstra

december 4, 2018 •A7

A8 • December 4, 2018

@Hofstra

The Chronicle

Man on the Unispan With finals coming up, how do you handle stress?

ByDrashti Me ht a

A SSISTANT FEATU R E S E D I TO R

“I listen to my playlist on Spotify and binge-wach Netflix.”

– Melissa Braunstein, freshman

“Having a group of friends to guide you and act as a support system always helps.”

– Nick Rosado, sophomore

“I think it’s helpful to stop, take a break and do something relaxing.”

– Sydney Chesworth, senior

Drashti Mehta w/ The Hofstra Choronicle

What I learned about the power of forgiveness

By Betty Araya STAFF WRITER

I’ve had many crushes throughout my life, though there is only one instance where I thought I was in love. Of course, the love I felt was the warped, misshapen definition I previously accepted, but I felt the heartbreak nonetheless. Like every painful experience, I was able to take a valuable lesson from it.

From the moment this man came into my life, I decided he was the one. Now, this is not because he was so good to me or had all the characteristics I look for. If I’m being honest, there are very few moments I can remember where his presence brought me anything but discomfort. I decided I “loved” this boy to avoid feeling small.

I conjured up a false reality in my mind to avoid facing the sad

truth I never wanted to accept – people will not treat me the way I want them to.

Notice how I said want them to and not deserve to?

The biggest lie society has told our generation is that we are entitled to absolutely everything. I blame the participation trophies we were told to graciously accept in grade school.

A ribbon that is basically saying “nice try” won’t make someone feel like a winner. The pain that comes with a loss is still there – it just opens up a window for denial.

After about a year of going back and forth in my head, I decided this boy wasn’t worth it, and I decided to forgive him. The tricky thing about forgiveness is that although it starts with the initial decision to forgive the other person, that

moment is seldom when the forgiveness actually happens.

More often than not, when we think about forgiving someone who wronged us, we think we are owed an apology. Which goes against my previous point – nobody owes us anything. The funny thing about this situation in particular is that I didn’t want an apology.

For the first month of our “friendship,” he failed to show me a single ounce of compassion. I was not blameless either.

All I ever showed him was a wall built on pride and fear to avoid getting hurt.

There couldn’t be an apology great enough to rekindle that friendship because it was never there. What I wanted from this boy was for him to confess that the reason why he treated me so poorly was because his love for

me was so strong that he didn’t know how to act. Yes. I actually convinced myself of this. Isn’t the human mind interesting?

Don’t get me wrong, I did truly care for him at one point.

I truly had love for him as a friend, but in order to let go of my bitterness toward him from the pain I let him inflict on me (because no one can make you feel anything without your permission), this is the debt I felt he owed me.

I also felt guilt for the way I treated him, so this debt not only frees him, but me as well.

Because then I would get to satisfy my ego further and get forgiveness for my bad behavior.

Thank God I realized this was crazy and am no longer pining over someone I don’t even want in my life. I am even more

thankful for the valuable lessons this experience taught me.

If I had a time machine to go back to the day I met this boy and start over, I wouldn’t do it.

So often, many people are agonizing over past relationships and dreaming of a different outcome. All that does is waste valuable time and strip the individual of their peace.

I learned the importance of discovering my worth so that when I am mistreated, I can know it has nothing to do with me. Forgiveness is not for the other person, it’s for you.

I learned to forgive others for their shortcomings and accept kindness as a gift. Now, I am no longer stagnant and looking back at what could have been.

Instead, I shed my bitterness, excited for the windows that will open.

The Chronicle

@Hofstra

december 4, 2018 •A9

Humans of Hofstra

By Qainat Anwar

SPECI A L TO T H E C H RONI CL E

Sophia Hadeed

“I grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that’s where I’m from. My dad is from Trinidad, so I grew up going back and forth, that really influenced how I was raised – really old school. When I came to college, I was declared a global studies major. It seemed cool to me, but I didn’t really have a plan. Eventually, I realized I loved learning about the world and the structure of the world and why things are the way they are. The thing with global studies is that it’s really intertwined with geography and sociology and looking at the world with a cultural perspective and how that influences the structure and buildup of everything around us. So, what I’m doing now is incorporating digital mapping ...

I’m learning how to create maps and represent the statistics that are major issues that everybody wants to voice but doesn’t know how to project. I take that data and I turn it in to a map. This past summer I had the opportunity to study abroad through Hofstra. I went on the European Odyssey. We went to 11 countries and 28 global cities within three months. We took 15 academic credits – five courses through Hofstra. It was the most enriching experience of my life academically, personally and professionally. I was able to incorporate everything that I learned through the opportunities provided to me, not only through my classes, but the networking opportunities I’ve had, the international opportunities, the panels and the speakers, it’s a really enriching experience and to be able to incorporate what I’m being taught into my real life is a great experience. My professors are helping me gain the skills to eventually be able to create a series of maps that represent crises all over the world. I want to focus on the Caribbean though, because that’s home. I can see how the crises, particularly with Venezuela, are affecting Trinidad and I want to show it, I want to visualize it. I want people to see what’s really happening. As people, we have to see it, that’s just how it clicks.”

“I recently had the opportunity to sing at a Rangers game. I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember – I have always loved to sing. When my sister was a baby, I used to put on concerts for her. I started taking voice lessons when I was 11. I did a few of the plays when I was in middle school and I tried out for X-Factor when I was 13, but I didn’t make it. My dad was part of the NYPD before he passed away and they have this organization called the Widows and Children Fund with the Garden of Dreams Foundation. The Garden of Dreams Foundation is an organization that focuses on creating once in a lifetime experiences for kids who have gone through some rough times. Within a year of my dad passing, I got an email from the fund saying that they have auditions for this talent show so I auditioned, and I got to sing at the talent show hosted at Radio City, which was incredible. Ever since then I’ve been a part of the organization. They invite me to sing at the talent show every year and they’ve asked me to be an artistic ambassador for the talent show – it’s my second year doing that. Last month, they called me and told me that the Rangers were doing a Hockey Fights Cancer night and they invited me to sing the national anthem at the game. I was like, ‘OK!’ What am I going to do? Say no? I’m a huge hockey fan, I’ve always loved the Rangers, especially because my dad and I used to watch the games all the time, and it holds a really big place in my heart to be able to mix my love of singing and my love for the Rangers. It was just an incredible experience.”

Brianna Fernandez Courtesy of Qainat Anwar

A group of students, all involved in the queer activist scene at Hofstra University, holds an impromptu gathering in the Student Center, the hub of all student life. Just upstairs is their safe haven, Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion (IEI).

Many of these club offices function as a home base for these students. Personal and political touches are interspersed throughout the cluttered, yet organized, spaces.

Avery De Sousa, an e-board member of the Pride Network, does work just outside the Pride Network’s office. The Pride Network is an LGBTQ+ student organization at Hofstra.

Once again entangling the personal with the political, these students gather in IEI, sharing the minutiae of their days.

Ryder Smith, who is the president of Student This feeling of home is especially important for students who are not out as Advocates of Safer Sex, is nonbinary and uses the gender-neutral pronoun “they.” queer to their families.

IEI is home to many multicultural organizations on campus, including the Pride Network, Campus Feminist Collective (CFC), Campus Women of Color and more. Free condoms and other saferw sex materials can be found at every corner.

Smith (right) embraces a friend.

Much like the CFC office, the Pride Network office is adorned with photographs that emulate the trappings of home. Here, students have hung pictures of Pride Network members on a field trip to the historic Stonewall Inn.

Smith takes some time to destress with a pogo stick found in the recesses of their office. “I don’t know how it got there or whose it is, but it’s just there now.”

Photo Essay by James Factora / Spread by Robert Kinnaird & Peter Soucy

Arts and Entertainment

VOL 84 ISSUE 9

The end of ‘AHS: Apocalypse’ as they know it B2 Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The Chronicle A&E The end of ‘AHS: Apocalypse’ as they know it

B2•December 4, 2018

By Mia Thompson

ASSISTA N T C O P Y C H I E F

“American Horror Story” wrapped up its eighth installment earlier this November. The season’s 10-episode run, originally billed as a crossover between the first (“Murder House”) and third (“Coven”) seasons, dealt with a hypothetical end of the world – a nuclear holocaust orchestrated by the antichrist, Michael Langdon, introduced in “Murder House.” The season begins with a demonstration of the moments leading up to this impending disaster, and then the first three episodes focus on a completely new set of characters who have taken underground to one of several bunkers (known as “outposts”) orchestrated by a mysterious global group in an attempt to weather the crisis.

As one watched these episodes in real time, they seemed cluttered and disjointed. There are frequent, large jumps forward in time. These sporadic leaps ultimately place the characters 18 months into the future, but naturally do not leave much room for character development

or exposition. The season picks As the season progressed, However, this choice was ultiup at the end of episode three. there were some confusing mately revealed to be important Three of the witches from elements. Some plots felt like in the final episode. After Mal“Coven” return; this triggers a they went on too long, and then lory, one of the new witches inflashback that resets the story were abandoned at the drop of troduced this season, goes back to before the bombs and then a hat. In particular, the time in time to defeat Langdon and spends the rest of the season and detail spent on developtherefore avert the apocalyptic detailing Langdon’s rise crisis, these two characters to power and the coven’s happen to meet and fall in attempt to stop him. The love again. The very end of story continues right up the episode shows the two until the moment it had of them dating, getting marleft off at earlier, setting ried, having a child and, to the scene for a battle bemirror the end of “Murder tween the witches and the House,” returning home antichrist in episode 10. one day to find a babysitter Normally, “American dead at the hands of their Horror Story” season son, who is clearly the next Courtesy of FX finale episodes leave the antichrist.

The final episode of ‘Apocalypse’ changes around viewer with more quesThis choice on behalf the established “AHS” canon and timeline, but tions than answers. Plots sacrifices none of the riveting content fans have of the show is an interestseem unresolved, and char- come to enjoy. ing one, because it creates acter motivations are sometimes ing a love story between two a commentary on the nature of confusing. Given the show’s characters in the bunker (three evil. Instead of there being one nature as an anthology series, episodes), who were ultimately single antichrist in Langdon, it these tend to be permanent cliff- killed off at the end of the third hints at a system where evil is hangers and questions. However, episode. This was frustrating to cyclical, being reborn through the finale to the eighth season, watch as the show was initially these boys and unable to be pertitled “Apocalypse Then,” bucks airing because it felt like a lot of manently kept at bay. It’s both this trend and pulls off a feat the time devoted to a plot line that a callback for fans and paints show hasn’t managed to do in seemingly went nowhere could the ideals with which the season at least the past two seasons – have been spent on developing was attempting to wrestle. While bringing the story full circle. another, more relevant plot. attempts may have seemed to

fall flat as the season progressed, the payoff at the end was really worth it. This cyclical battle of good versus evil that the episode sets up is a fresh perspective for the show and much more compelling than one all-encompassing antihero.

This episode does raise a few questions, however. After the apocalypse has been undone, Mallory decides to save another witch, Queenie, from traveling to Los Angeles to meet her death, which was instrumental in the plot of the fifth season.

Given that all the seasons of “American Horror Story” are connected, this means that there is a plot point in another season that has now been undone. Overall, the season finale of “Apocalypse” neatly ties together the events of the eighth installment of “American Horror Story” and reveals the overarching story structure that viewers had been unable to see being constructed for them.

Cover: Smino

‘Showman: Reimagined’ packs a musical punch

By Erin Hickey COPY C H I E F

“The Greatest Showman” exploded in December of 2017 when it hit theaters. With original music written by “Dear Evan Hansen” composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the movie was a musical spectacle based on the story of P.T. Barnum – founder of the Barnum and Bailey circus.

The film’s music has recently been revamped with the release of “The Greatest Showman: Reimagined” on Friday, Nov. 16.

The album, similar to the movie, starts off with a bang with “The Greatest Show,” performed by Panic! At the Disco (PATD). The drama of this song is the perfect fit for lead singer Brendon Urie’s vocals and the theatrics of the band.

The next two tracks are P!nk followed by her daughter, Willow Sage Hart, singing “A Million Dreams” and a reprise of the same title. A video of the two performing the song went viral,

with almost 12 million views on YouTube since it was posted on Wednesday, Oct. 24. P!nk’s powerful voice shines in this song, and it’s clear that the 7-year-old Hart inherited her mother’s talent.

“Come Alive,” from Year & Years and Jess Glynne, really does bring some life to the album, matching the energy of the original song from the film.

Next up are MAX and Ty Dolla $ign covering “The Other Side.”

This does a good job of imitating the banter of Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron’s characters in the original song and is a better production than what may have been expected.

The power ballad of the movie, “Never Enough,” is reimagined by one of the queens of power ballads herself, Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson takes on this track with vocals sure to give listeners the chills and leave them wanting more of her incredible performance.

“This Is Me” is next, with Ke-

ala Settle, Kesha and Missy Elliot. The last track on the album is Kesha singing this track alone.

Both tracks don’t quite seem necessary on the album, and though both are good, Kesha’s solo performance is the stronger of the two.

“Rewrite the Stars,” the love song performed in the movie by Efron and Zendaya, is covered

by James Arthur, the singer of “Say You Won’t Let Go,” and Anne-Marie, an artist that recently came out with the hit “2002.” Both voices blend perfectly together to make this a beautiful cover of the song.

Next up is “Tightrope,” covered by Sara Bareilles. Having written and starred in “Waitress” and starring alongside John Legend in this year’s NBC production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Bareilles is no stranger to musicals. She lends her talent and experience to this song and her slowed-down version creates an all-new experience for listeners.

Zac Brown Band, perhaps an

unexpected group to be featured integrating pop artists into the on this album, covers “From musical theater world is seemNow On.” The banjo from the ingly becoming an ever-growing original song is highlighted more trend – with similar attempts in this rendition, as well as the such as NBC’s television addition of a fiddle, making the musicals and the 2016 “Hamilsong seem meant for a country ton Mixtape” – “The Greatest artist.

Showman: Reimagined” overall Two bonus tracks are of does a fine job compared to its two songs already recorded counterparts. on the album. “The Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Greatest Show” is performed again by Pentatonix, which is well-performed; however, PATD’s theatric production is more suited for the overall feel of the song. The second bonus track on the album, “Come Alive,” by Craig David, is another case of a good, but not quite memorable song.

Individually, each song is, for the most The original compilation album was one of just part, quite good. Is it seven soundtracks to stay in the Top 10 for 30 better than the original nonconsecutive weeks in the past 50 years, per Billboard chart reporting. soundtrack? No, but as

December 4, 2018•B3 A&E Michael Bublé gives fans an album to ‘Love’

The Chronicle

Courtesy of Reprise Records The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, just behind Mumford and Sons’ “Delta.” Currently Bublé has two entries in the Top 10, with the second being his 2011 album “Christmas.”

By Eleni Kothesakis STAFF WRITER

After a two-year hiatus, Michael Bublé released a new album titled “Love” on Friday, Nov. 16.

His break from music followed the diagnosis of his son’s liver cancer in 2016, and it is clear from the album’s title that it reflects the journey he and his family endured over the past two years.

In typical Bublé fashion, his relatively short album of only 11 songs (13 in the deluxe version), is a mix of covers of classic songs as well as his own originals.

Bublé is an acquired taste. In a time where rap songs dominate the charts, the soulfulness and heartwarming aspects of his music are becoming less and less popular with the majority of streamers.

However, we can always rely on the older generation of female fans to buy physical CDs and keep this beautiful genre alive.

Every now and then it’s important that we take a step back from listening to artists shout random, strange words for three minutes and just ugly cry to a sad Bublé song or get genuinely happy when listening to upbeat songs like “Love You Anymore,” which is off his newest album.

Unlike his other albums, however, “Love” has a different energy to it. Rather than just a

fun album where Bublé covers his favorite jazzy songs and generally keeps an upbeat vibe throughout, this album radiates a sense of purpose.

It could not be more about love and all the different forms of it that he has – for his wife, his children, his family and life in general. One cannot just feature “La Vie En Rose” on their album and argue that they were filled with anything but strong feelings of love and passion.

Part of his version of the song is sung in classic French, the language of love, effectively saying all that can be said. If your mother doesn’t swoon to Bublé’s version of “La Vie En Rose,” then she’s a liar.

One of his most emotional songs on the album is his original song “Forever Now.” What makes this song so tear-jerking is that it wasn’t written to fill space or make middle-aged women swoon over him; rather, it was written for his sons.

After an emotional two years, Bublé uses this song to address his sons directly to express the immense love for them that he will hold forever.

The warm and hopeful atmosphere presented in this song radiates from the soft piano and orchestra section, fully encapsulating a truly difficult personal experience.

Although his classic covers of songs such as “My Funny Valentine,” “I Get a Kick Out of You” and “Such a Night” are beautiful renditions, only enhanced by Bublé’s modern and young voice, the real stars of his album are the originals songs.

Despite rumors that Bublé will be retiring from music, he will have a tour this upcoming winter aptly named “Don’t Believe the Rumors.”

We can definitely expect some more tear-jerking songs about his family in the future as Bublé reenters the world of music.

Controversy sets background to ‘DUMMY BOY’

By Joseph Coffey-Slattery ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“Colorful hair, don’t care,” Nicki Minaj raps on 6ix9ine’s Top10 hit “FEFE,” the Murda Beatzproduced banger that dropped in mid-summer. While the queen is right that the rapper’s hair stylings aren’t of much consequence, a series of damning charges facing the Brooklyn native with a potential life sentence might be.

6ix9ine, born Daniel Hernandez, was jailed shortly before his new album “DUMMY BOY” was set to drop on Friday, Nov. 23, for various infractions, including allegations of racketeering. After a brief delay, the project arrived ubiquitously on Tueday, Nov. 27, following a tweet from DJ Akademiks announcing that it was dropping for “fans to enjoy.” A more astute reading might suggest that the rapper’s legal fate looks tenuous.

The album was leaked over the Thanksgiving weekend, but this didn’t seem to alleviate demand: Its proper release sported a swift climb to the top of the iTunes sales charts, undoubtedly the result of fervent public interest.

However strong a start, a

singular question remains: Is the album good? Given the problematic history of its curator, the self-proclaimed “King of New York,” this is a loaded question.

While few can get behind the man himself, the music still has a propensity to be occasionally decent, as was the case with “FEFE.” By any account, “DUMMY BOY” is certainly the best album you could’ve expected from the rapper at this point in his career. Why? He yells less.

Among other things, 6ix9ine has a delivery that can be soundly described as “unique.” It’s a biting, astoundingly angry growl hurled at top volume with an ensuing train of expletives. Take the single “STOOPID,” for instance: The likelihood that some violent act will be committed by the song’s end seems a given. Such a style sets him apart from his peers – if the flamboyant hair and matching grill didn’t already.

Even though his career thus far has been built on songs with this penchant for yelling, 6ix9ine manages to tone things down quite a bit on about half of “DUMMY BOY,” opting instead to deliver lines in a monotone ramble over

brooding basslines and catchy hooks. This more streamlined approach to rap will undoubtedly prove advantageous from a sales perspective.

The number of artists recruited for this album reads as long as one of Lil Pump’s Gucci receipts. With the sole exception of “WONDO,” every track features newcomers and A-listers alike, including Kanye West, Lil Baby, Gunna and the aforementioned Minaj. Unsurprisingly, it’s on these tracks that the artist really excels.

The album’s standout is “KIKA,” which features a wonderous, simmering steel drum loop coupled with Tory Lanez’s autotune crooning handily driving the chorus. 6ix9ine is still angry here, but it seems to be a reined in sense of anger – a targeted, rifle-like delivery. The song’s end features a bit of wry humor when Lanez gives a shout-out to “Tr3yway,” the name of the gang that has recently gotten the rapper into such hot water. Recognizing this, Lanez falters halfway through its utterance, instead shouting other “t” words, including “Trojan” and “Target.” It’s amusing, if nothing else.

“MAMA,” the West and Minajthough his music is showing gradfeaturing cut, is sure to draw the ual signs of improvement. While most attention for its name recoghis character is dubious at best, nition alone. West is rather stingy it’s likely the album will move about featuring, so his appearance a massive amount of units. Like here is particularly noteworthy, Lil Wayne and T.I. before him, as is his selective endorsement 6ix9ine should have more than of rap’s new wave. Minaj, to her adequate success selling records credit, is always a welcome presfrom behind bars. The problem ence in the booth and more than is, though, that it might be his last delivers on her verse that some opportunity to do so. argue could be subbing Cardi B. Song aside, though, it’s singularly interesting to behold two of rap’s gatekeepers co-signing with such an unconventional and truly wild younger artist.

6ix9ine remains as Courtesy of Universal Musical Group problematic as when he “DUMMY BOY” failed to secure the top spot on Billboard first entered in its first week, an honor that instead fell again to Travis the industry, Scott’s “Astroworld,” which has been out since August.

The Chronicle A&E Netflix show reveals truth about growing old

B4•December 4, 2018

By Eleni Kothesakis STAFF WRITER

It’s hard to believe that a show about the elderly could be hilarious and endearing while also dark and unpleasant. Netflix’s new show “The Kominsky Method” does all of the above. Following the longtime friendship of actor Sandy Kominsky and his agent Norman Newlander, the show presents a side to aging that is seldom portrayed in entertainment.

The characters here aren’t cute old people who live in nursing homes happily playing chess or joking around giving out hard candies. They live brutally honest lives. The entire first season, comprised of eight episodes, is based around Kominsky’s new relationship that he tries to navigate in this stage of life, as well as the more impactful storyline of Newlander trying to cope after the recent death of his wife. In addition to that, he has to deal with his drugaddicted daughter.

Both men are dynamic char-

acters and their respective actors are superb, allowing for comedic relief to be integrated into the otherwise tragic storyline.

The duo of Michael Douglas as Kominsky and Alan Arkin as Newlander is a match made in heaven. Not only do their skills facilitate better dialogue and emotion between the characters, but they are also able to beautifully tell a story that can be truly heartbreaking.

What “The Kominsky Method” does extremely well is the casting of minor roles that bring a truly unique element of comedy into the show, a welcome complement to the energy of Douglas and Arkin.

The best supporting cast member is undoubtedly Danny DeVito as a urologist. Watching DeVito play a slightly insensitive yet completely collected urologist constantly talking about the elderly’s trials in the bathroom is nothing short of comedic genius.

“The Kominsky Method” is raw and real. It may have comedic ele-

ments, like Devito’s character, but beneath the comedy is a storyline that is tragically authentic and that many other portrayals of the elderly in popular entertainment fail to capture. This storyline is the truth behind growing old and watching your life start to change.

In only eight short episodes, it’s easy to become deeply attached to these well-thought-out characters as you realize how growing old changes a person at the same time that the characters do. Although “The Kominsky Method” follows characters who live their lives un-

like most people, the main characters Kominsky and Newlander are able to give a voice to a generation that has not necessarily been accurately represented in television and film in the past.

Courtesy of Netflix The series features an all-star cast with Oscar winners Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, as well as Emmy-winner Danny DeVito.

Recent album releases leave rap fans excited

By Zoe Shipenberg STAFF WRITER

Albums released in November

by Action Bronson, Vince Staples and Smino have given rap fans a lot to be excited about.

Queens rapper Ariyan Arslani, also known as Action Bronson, released his fourth studio album, “White Bronco,” Thursday, Nov. 1. Following his split from Atlantic Records earlier this year, “White Bronco” is first independently released album since 2011.

The 26-minute album kicks off with funky guitar and a laid-back beat over “Dr. Kimble.” I was surprised but not disappointed with Bronson’s Otis Redding sample on the track “Irishman Freestyle.” The songs “White Bronco” and “Prince Charming” feature dreamy melodies and jazz instrumentals that merge well with Bronson’s raspy, gangster rap style. Bronson dives into his newfound fixation on love in “Prince Charming,” but shortly reverts back to the normal topics he raps about – somewhat disappointing because he didn’t talk about anything new or lyrically important throughout the entire album.

One highlight features Knxledge’s soulful production in the song, “Picasso’s Ear.” These tracks flow together instrumentally, carrying a more contemporary jazz and soul theme with dense but simple energy that compliments Bronson’s style. The outro, however, reaches into a more electronic and futuristic vibe with trap-like beats on “Swerve on ’Em,” featuring A$AP Rocky.

Overall, the album’s production was a new and impressive approach for Bronson’s style, but the lyricism throughout “White Bronco” was ultimately underwhelming.

Vince Staples surprised fans with his unexpected release of “FM!” also on Thursday, Nov. 1.

This album puts the listener into a radio simulation that conveys summer vibes in Long Beach, California. “FM!” is portrayed as an excerpt from Los Angeles radio personality Big Boy’s radio show, “Big Boy’s Neighborhood.”

Although this all seems lighthearted, Staples’ rap style has always expressed very dark lyrics alluding to street life, police brutality and injustice toward African Americans. Staples’ originality stems from his experimentally electronic and fast

tempo beats that compliment his rhythm and dark lyricism.

“FM!” dives right into “Feels Like Summer,” depicting summer in Long Beach with a catchy hook and chorus featuring Ty Dolla $ign. Right off the bat, Staples raps: “Summertime in the LB wild, we gon party ‘til the sun or the guns come out,” immediately setting the tone for the song – and the album. A lot of the songs are catchy and noisy, which is something that Staples masters. In addition, it was a very nice surprise to hear rapper Earl Sweatshirt in his own 23-second interlude that gave Sweatshirt fans a glimpse of hope for an update on his highly-anticipated album.

The only problem that I had with this album was how short and open-ended it was, considering the last song, “Tweakin,” left me wanting more. I think the album itself is definitely satisfying for Staples fans. From the perspective of a big fan of Staples’ work, it was just what I was looking for, following his successful second debut album “Big Fish Theory” last spring.

A week following the release of these two albums brought the release of Chicago rapper Smino’s album, “NOIR.” Smino expresses

a trip-hop and chill sound that compliments his unorthodox wordplay and laid-back, slinky vocals. His sound is complex and polyphonic, but appealable to a wide range of music tastes within hip-hop.

In terms of “NOIR,” I could definitely say that Smino has exponentially grown in terms of his flow. The vibe of this album is different from his 2017 release “blkswn” in that it’s not as warm and mellow. “NOIR” doesn’t

follow a continuous theme, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The song “KRUSHED ICE” is very different from the rest of the album, not to mention from his style in general. The thick 808-driven beat carries his rhythm in a rather strange way, including a feature from rapper Valee.

As a whole, this album was ultimately underwhelming when compared with “blkswn.” Similar to movies, the sequel will never be as good as the original.

Courtesy of Atlantic Records A record year in hip-hop sales continues to play out well into the fall, with releases from Action Bronson, Smino and Vince Staples.

A 12 • December 4, 2018

By Davus During the afternoon of March 17, 2015, I was glued to my couch.

Cautiously, I watched the numbers go up and the clock tick forward. The backdrop of a tense night in Jerusalem played out on my TV screen.

Anchors and analysts from the BBC reported the exit polls that would decide the next Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. Israel was at a crossroads. It was going somewhere, but nobody knew where.

The incumbent, Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, was leading his conservative Likud party in this election. Bibi was a political giant among his colleagues, known for his harsh words of doom-and-gloom and tough defense strategies. Plus, he was running for his fourth term as prime minister.

The conservatives loved him. Israeli settlers favored him. Palestinians despised him.

The Republican-controlled

op-ed

The Donald Trump of Israel

U.S. Congress invited him to speak just two weeks before his election day and gave him a flurry of standing ovations.

President Barack Obama wanted nothing to do with him.

Bibi has shown himself to be a fear-mongering kind of leader. In the days leading up to the election, he told a crowd at a rally that “there will be no Palestinian state,” and made a last-minute plea to his supporters in an online video, claiming that “Arab voters are coming out in droves to the polls. Left-wing organizations are busing them out.” Bibi was using fear tactics to get voters out, actively trying to convince the public that if he wasn’t elected prime minister again, Israel would be dead in the water. Surely, this would put an irrevocable stain on his campaign.

Then the election results came in: Bibi won.

I slammed my hand on the table and shouted. “Why?!”

Why in the world would someone like this win? With every good molecule in my body telling me he shouldn’t win, why did he win?

Does this sound like a familiar question? Did you happen to ask yourself this on Nov. 9, 2016?

I thought so.

Many Americans think the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the new era of farright politics is unprecedented on the world stage. I don’t, and there’s a reason for that.

I wasn’t shocked when Trump got elected, because Israel already had their Trump in office. I knew electing a fearmongering leader was possible, because I saw it myself.

The only difference is that I’m not quite sure Trump knows what he’s doing as his country’s leader. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu knows exactly what he wants to do as his country’s leader, and that terrifies me even more.

For years, Netanyahu has poised himself to be the savior of Israel. His near-messianic idea of his strategies to stop all threats against the Jewish people have propelled him to the highest office in his country, and he’s now one of the most vocal world leaders in the 21st century.

But Bibi’s not concerned with building bridges toward diplomacy. Instead, he’s focused on war – and lots of it.

Many people are critical of Israel these days, and there is always a portion of that criticism that’s simply antiSemitic. However, some of that criticism is very legitimate, and it’s all thanks to Bibi.

Netanyahu has, time and time again, used fear to motivate his supporters. He’s not concerned with how a crumbling economy and infrastructure in the Palestinian territories could possibly lead to young men joining terrorist groups. He’s not concerned with rising

Democrats, argue that the massive building program will revitalize a crumbling American infrastructure and create millions of new jobs.

The first step that the plan outlines would involve the Speaker of the House reinstating the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, but the larger effects – if the plan came to pass – would completely revamp the American energy system, with the overall goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2035.

It seems like an impossible deal, born to die in the cold, uncaring hands of Congress.

But this could be America’s last great chance to put climate change right, before the damage becomes irreversible.

The costs of global warming will be catastrophic and easily justify bold and decisive movement. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) already estimates that the cost of repair to infrastructure as a result of climate change will top $300 billion by the end of the century – a number that

will only continue to rise as the crisis progresses. It’s a number that looks even larger compared to the $147 billion annually that Green New Deal investing would add to the country’s gross domestic product, as well as 1.1 million new jobs in the first year.

America has invested in infrastructure programs of this scale before, and time and time again it has proven to have been a massive boon to the economy. People would vote for it, too: more than 70 percent of Americans support strong green policy, and more than half believe that investing in green infrastructure will create jobs.

The numbers are there; all that’s left is the policy.

It’s here that all movement on green progress has been stalled, usually by hundreds of millions of dollars spent by oil and natural gas lobbyists on both sides of the aisle. Republicans especially have been slow to accept climate change data, but no one is an innocent party; nearly $25 million has been spread around from oil and gas lobbyists, $4 million of it

The Chronicle

housing and healthcare costs for low-income Israelis. He’s only focused on his total conservative leadership of Israel, no matter where that leads.

Until there can be positive change against a fear-mongering Donald Trump of the Middle East, Israel’s relationship with the world isn’t going to get any better. Netanyahu constantly cites the violence in his own country to fuel his political machine. However, what Netanyahu fails to see is the violence he’s inciting between his own people, and how that’s tearing Israel apart from the inside.

This article is a follow-up to the Features piece “A Jew comes home.” The author has chosen to change their name.

The New Green Deal: America’s last great chance

By Jordan Hopkins

The last few weeks have seen a changing of the guard in Democratic politics, as newly elected progressive representatives are beginning to throw their weight around in their new workplace. The new legislative session doesn’t begin until Thursday, Jan. 3, but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made her voice heard. Last month, she joined a group of climate change protestors outside of Minority Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office calling for, among other things, the single most ambitious climate change legislature ever to be introduced.

Ocasio-Cortez’s New Green Deal is a response to dire news on the climate change front.

Within the last few weeks, several reputable sources, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and President Donald Trump’s own White House, have released reports warning that we have perhaps less than 10 years to drastically reverse the effect of extreme pollution in our environment. The panel

unanimously called for a worldwide effort to reduce pollution and transition fully away from fossil fuels, a position that scientists have been backing with increased urgency since the 1970s.

Government response has been lukewarm at best; however, Ocasio-Cortez and the progressive left of the Democratic Party are looking to change that with the ambitious Green New Deal. The concept behind the program, like the name might imply, is heavily influenced by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s famous New Deal, which helped lift the United States out of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Like the original deal, Ocasio-Cortez’s plan would focus largely on developing green infrastructure within the United States, with a concentration on converting the national power grid to zero-emissions and developing increased solar and wind power output. The progressives sponsoring the deal, which include 14 other House

to Democrats. But even some who could never be described as “progressive” have voiced support for a radical green program, going as far back as to Mr. Radical Centrist himself, Thomas Friedman, who in 2007 advocated for a carbon tax and as much as $51 billion in “green stimulus” to drive development.

We’re sitting at the tail end of 40 years of climate change denial propaganda, and every attempt to stir development has stalled. Instead, the United States has settled for halfmeasures, cover-ups and denial, a bad combination for a country which ranks No. 2 in carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.

If Democrats want to make a move on climate change, it has to be bold, decisive and unified. They have to want to change the world, to be willing to unshackle themselves from oil and gas money and set an example for the rest of the world.

If Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is willing to lead the way, who are we to stop her? It doesn’t seem like anyone could if they tried anyway.

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December 4, 2018 A 13

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

From one white woman to another: Do better

By Helen Porskova

I was shocked when I first heard that 53 percent of white women voted for Donald Trump. My immediate response was to doubt such a statistic, considering how I fervently disagreed with his policies, to the point of personal offense. This shock, however, was counterproductive.

This statistic, give or take a few percentage points, accurately reflected the attitudes of many white women in our country. They are our mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins and friends.

They are the family friends our mothers might not agree with on every point, but who make pleasant conversation with us in our kitchen. They are our aunts, who smooch our cheeks and bring small snacks whenever they visit.

It’s hard to believe these are the women who buy into the racist rhetoric that actively undermines our non-white peers.

Yet, it is our responsibility as white women to believe it.

We can no longer sit in silence and allow women of

color to suffer because we are too afraid of uncomfortable conversations.

On the days leading up to Tuesday, Nov. 6, I felt greatly disillusioned. After Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, a lifelong position, I felt there was nothing in my power that could change the great system of inequality that exists within our nation.

Yet, I was so grateful casting my vote, as many firsts were won during this election.

Michelle Lujan Grisham from New Mexico became the first Democratic Latina governor.

Sharice Davids from Kansas and a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and Deb Haaland from New Mexico and a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe became our first Native congresswomen.

The list of victories in this election goes on, and I can’t imagine the excitement of women of color to see and hear of the success of candidates who will hold the white members of our party accountable.

We cannot, however, let this act of accountability rest solely

on the backs of people of color within our country. This election proved to be a great stride in progress for the Democratic Party. We cannot attribute this victory to white women as 50 percent of us still voted Republican, and even if we had chosen differently, voting is not enough.

We, as white women, must do so much more than take credit for the work of women of color.

We need to also be the ones to have these uncomfortable conversations with our male, white contemporaries, as well as within ourselves and with other white women.

We are the ones who need to step back and realize we are often speaking over our non-white counterparts, whether it be in academia, in the workplace or just in casual conversation among friends.

We are the ones who need to begin thinking: why are so many spaces at Hofstra dominated by white people and how can I incorporate new, often unheard voices? How can I support my peers of color? How can I accept criticism when I

may have overstepped boundaries?

If you find yourself surrounded by only white people, ask yourself why. Ask yourself how to change that. Support your peers of color in uncomfortable situations, especially considering the multiple reports of Hofstra professors utilizing racist language in and out of the classroom. Question why you label certain things the way you do. Credit the language and slang you steal from marginalized communities. Address your own white privilege.

While we may struggle, these struggles will never amount to those of a black woman who has to hear white professors toss the n-word around in class as if that act is not loaded with violence. We are not reminded of how our school system failed to teach us about our founding fathers’ involvement in slavery on our walk to the student center. When passing the statue of Thomas Jefferson, we are not reminded of the University continuing to compromise the safety of students of color for the feelings of white students.

The campus itself is located on the land of the Lenape tribe, yet the University has shirked admitting more indigenous students.

Initiatives to make people of color feel welcome on this campus have been neglected since Hofstra’s creation. Let’s change that. It’s easy to ignore the discomfort of non-white people at a predominantly white university. Yet, these issues must and will be addressed – with or without white women – as we have seen in the elections.

We can show up and support candidates of color in the party, allow people to address the racism present among Democrats and incorporate voices that are usually silenced or we can continue what we’ve been doing for years: allowing people of color to do the work within the party and only coming out to support in the end when it benefits us.

We, as white women, need to do better.

could possibly be doing wrong.

I became extremely uncomfortable around them and their friends. It also didn’t help that one of their friends would comment on my dress and always stand in my way when they were around.

I was eventually able to speak with the three of them after encountering some difficulties.

I thought it went well because I heard nothing about anybody complaining about me for the next three weeks; however, I thought wrong. One afternoon I was randomly verbally assaulted by the rude suitemate about the most random things. They even pretty much kicked me out of our lounge. While this was happening, my roommate just sat and did nothing and then got dinner with them.

Because of the poor treatment and lack of support, I had to reach out to my resident

assistant to do a mediation.

My roommate and suitemate had done so, too. The mediation itself went all right as my suitemate and I attempted to work out our issues, though it was extremely tense. Afterward, there was just silence for the rest of the semester. At the end of the semester, however, my roommate and I did have a rather one-sided talk. They told me I should move out because of how disruptive I was to our suitemates’ lives. I thought this suggestion was unfair and did not move out.

Unfortunately, neither my roommate or suitemate liked that very much. Both of them barely talked to me in the spring semester besides to complain about something, like how smelly my room was, who was using the bathroom at what time or about the placement of my things in the lounge. Sometimes

my stuff was even moved all across the suite.

I eventually decided we needed another mediation. I felt I wouldn’t be heard otherwise.

Unfortunately, this mediation didn’t go so well; my roommate verbally assaulted me afterward by complaining about how overly sensitive I was and how nobody will ever be nice to me in the future. Fortunately, I barely spoke to them or the suitemate again for the rest of the semester and still have not to this day.

While I did try to make myself heard, I feel I could have done a better job sticking up for myself. If you ever experience abuse from your roommate, suite mate, friend or SO, don’t be afraid to seek help. There are many supportive and helpful people on campus in Student Access Services and the Student Heath And Counseling Center.

Helen Porskova is a member of the Democrats of Hofstra University

My roommate from hell: A cautionary tale

By Anonymous

When I was in my senior year of high school, I was always worrying about what living with a roommate would be like.

Before college, I had lived with just my parents – I was an only child in a small, suburban town.

I wasn’t very social, and am still not, and didn’t interact with people my own age very often.

My senior year of high school was also rough because my parents were in the middle of their divorce. My parents were selling the home I lived in for so many years and moving far away. I had to live on a campus instead of commuting to the local state college.

I had concerns about how clean my roommate would be, how noisy they would be and how many guests they would have over and how often. I wound up living in a suite in Stuyvesant Hall with a room-

mate and two suitemates. Unfortunately, many of my fears turned out to be accurate.

When I first moved in, the three individuals whom I would be spending several months of my life with in close proximity with seemed perfectly amiable.

Boy, are appearances sometimes misleading.

Things started going wrong when I figured out that some of my suitemates’ mutual friends, who would visit very often, were talking behind my back.

They apparently were talking about how quiet and socially inept I appeared to be. One of my suitemates appeared to agree, because whenever I would try to make conversation with them they would either ignore me completely or reply angrily with one-word answers.

I was so confused and frustrated about what the issues were and focused on what I

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The Chronicle

The rise of racial profiling in Trump’s America

By Drashti Mehta I still remember the day I woke up and realized that Donald Trump had just become the President-elect. For the first time in my life, I felt unsafe, like I was risking my life walking in the neighborhood I had lived in for 20 years. His entire campaign felt like a joke rooted in racism, homophobia, xenophobia and misogyny.

I couldn’t fathom allowing him the privilege and title of president.

In the months after Trump was elected, I could feel people’s eyes on me every time I stepped out with my dad or brother. It’s not that I don’t look Indian, it’s just that they fit the stereotypical “brown person” outfit a little more than I do.

We had family and friends concerned enough to tell my brother to shave his beard, fearing he would be the next victim of a stabbing or shooting.

But what hit me hardest were the family members that felt the need to warn me about pursuing journalism as a career

and proceeding with caution if I “needed to interview people I didn’t know.” Just the thought that my family felt the need to caution me in the pursuit of my dream is a red flag. I’d never felt singled out, and now it feels like all that matters is my skin color.

However, the largest issue arose in January 2017, when my dad announced he would need to drive down to Florida for a business trip and the panic began to settle in. In the three months since Trump had been elected president, it seemed as though every morning The New York Times had another frontpage article on a person of color that was attacked, pulled over or arrested without a valid reason.

I immediately took to the interactive map The Times published to keep tabs on how individual counties voted in the 2016 election and made a list of towns he shouldn’t drive through, make a pit stop or spend the night in.

While he appreciated my concern, he ultimately brushed

it off, opting for the most time savvy route.

Between October and December of 2016, the FBI reported a five-year high in hate crimes, an approximate 5 percent increase overall with reports that 58.9 percent of victims were targeted because of their race and/or ethnicity.

There were 381 anti-Muslim crimes and 834 anti-Semitic reports. Making my concern entirely valid, as my dad is often mistaken for a Muslim, something that wasn’t and shouldn’t be an issue, ever.

But as reports of hate crimes flooded the news, I feared that my dad would be the next of victim of racial profiling and unfortunately, I wasn’t wrong.

A day into his departure, I received a phone call that while driving through a more conservative town in Maryland, he was pulled over within minutes of pulling out of a gas station and given a “warning” for driving on the highway with his handicap tag still hanging.

The next day, he told me a cop

Weekly comic

in Georgia pulled him over for not having his headlights on – a valid reason, if it weren’t for the fact that he was driving an hour before sunset and had no reason to have turned them on.

Even my brother, who briefly resided in Suffolk County after the elections, began to notice a rise in racism if he left the vicinity of Stony Brook University.

Racial profiling often goes entirely undetected. I never gave it much thought until both my dad and brother had these experiences throughout various parts of the East Coast. But I think what bothers me most is that they face racism because they “look the part,” while I continue to breeze through my day because my skin is lighter than theirs. Skin color does not influence who you are as a person, nor does it determine one’s intention. I have the same race and ethnicity as the rest of my family, and they cannot and should not be victimized as a result of the rise of white supremacy.

Quick Hits

George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States of America, died at the age of 94 on Friday, Nov. 30.

Margaret Atwood announced a sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale” 33 years after the dystopian classic’s publication.

Tumblr has announced that the social media site will ban all adult content on the site starting Monday, Dec. 17, 2018.

The G20 Summit was marked by world leaders’ interactions with the Saudi Crown Prince blamed for killing a Saudi dissident.

Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle

Bernardo Bertolluci, Italian director of “Last Tango in Paris,” died on Monday, Nov. 26, at the age of 77.

SPORTS

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December 4, 2018 A 15

Men’s basketball guts out victory over Siena

By Max Underhill STAFF WRITER

Fina l Hofstra

94

Siena

86

In a game that did not go perfectly for Hofstra men’s basketball, the team was able to stave off a late run by Siena College and ultimately reached a 94-86 victory. Hofstra improves to 4-3 on the year after a heartbreaking overtime loss to Virginia Commonwealth University, and Siena slips to 2-5.

Justin Wright-Foreman led the Pride with 28 points in a week where he was named to the Lute Olson Award Watch List and honored as the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week.

Wright-Foreman went for a scintillating 12-for-19 from the field, as he could not be stopped from finishing at the rim or knocking down his jump shots.

“He just works so hard,” said head coach Joe Mihalich.

“It’s a coach’s dream when your best player is also your hardest worker.”

Coming into the 2018 season, one of the biggest questions for the Pride was who was going to handle rebounds for the team.

So far this season, each night a different player has taken control of the glass. Wednesday night, junior guard Tareq Coburn was up to the task.

“I figured we needed somebody to rebound,” Coburn said, “since we had Rokas [Gustys] last year who rebounded everything.”

Coburn delivered an unexpected performance for Hofstra. The guard from

Rosedale, New York, put up career highs with 12 points and a team-leading 14 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. Coburn transferred from St. Bonaventure and sat out all of last year due to NCAA eligibility rules.

In his freshman year at St. Bonaventure, Coburn only averaged 2.3 minutes per game and scored four points in 12 games played. “[Coburn] wanted the basketball tonight,” Mihalich said about his player’s rebounding performance.

“He was relentless and went after the ball hard. His attitude and his energy gave us the boost that we needed.”

Stellar shooting by Hofstra in the first half, including six of 10 from three-point range, helped the Pride jump to an early advantage.

The Siena Saints were able

to keep it tight throughout most of the half, thanks to the production of senior forward Evan Fisher inside. Fisher finished with 25 points and seven rebounds.

Hofstra rolled into halftime with a 45-37 lead. Hot shooting by junior guard Eli Pemberton and Wright-Foreman helped extend the Pride lead to as many as 20 points with 8:10 remaining in the second half.

Pemberton finished in doublefigures with 19 points. A 20-6 run by Siena, in which Hofstra did not score a field goal, brought the Saints to within six with 1:42 remaining.

The Siena run was led by freshman guard Jalen Pickett who scored 18 points in the second half on his way to a career-best night. Pickett finished with 27 points and dished 13 assists.

“If we are going to be a good

team, we can’t have those stretches that we had tonight where we were poor with the ball or poor defending,” Mihalich said.

“Our defense has to get better, it wasn’t good tonight.”

Wright-Foreman answered the scoring drought with a smooth step-back jumper that put Hofstra on top 85-77 with 1:16 remaining.

Siena’s run proved too little, too late as the team was forced to foul and hope Hofstra missed at the freethrow line. Hofstra, ranked No. 8 nationally in free-throw percentage, shot nine-for-10 at the stripe down the stretch and 86 percent in the game.

The Pride is back at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex next week for two home tilts against Monmouth University and Rider University.

Weak second half hinders women’s basketball in loss

By Christopher Detwiler ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Fina l SHU

70

Hofstra

64

The Hofstra women’s basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 70-64 loss to the Sacred Heart University Pioneers on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 29, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. The Pride have now lost three of their last four games.

Three Hofstra players scored in double-digits, with senior Sica Cuzic leading all scorers with 19 points. Junior Marianne Kalin added 14 and senior Boogie Brozoski contributed 12.

Hofstra (3-5) held a fivepoint lead after two quarters against Sacred Heart (3-3), but the Pride’s poor shooting and defensive effort in the second half allowed the Pioneers to come out on top.

“I just don’t think we answered their call,” said

Hofstra head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey.

“I think they played way more aggressive than we did. [Our players are] going to have to come together and find out what kind of team we want to be this season.”

Hofstra shot nearly 54 percent from the field in the first quarter, compared to Sacred Heart’s 33 percent. Despite the shooting disparity, the game was tied at 14 after a quarter of play.

The Pride’s successful shooting continued into the second quarter, where they shot 53 percent from the field.

Hofstra used their hot hand to take a 40-35 lead heading into the locker room.

Hofstra was 8-8 from the charity stripe in the first half. All eight of the free throws came in the second quarter.

Unfortunately for Hofstra, the successful first half did not spill over into the next two quarters.

In the third quarter, Hofstra shot a measly 25 percent from the field and did not score a field goal until there was 4:43 remaining in the quarter.

Sacred Heart used an early 10-0 run in the third to take a

45-42 lead.

“We were letting the offense affect the defensive end of our floor,” Kilburn-Stevesky said.

“We [made] some pretty poor decisions offensively. We start shooting poorly and then we’re not defending on the other end.”

Hofstra answered the Pioneer run with a 6-0 run of their own to regain the lead late in the quarter.

Miscommunication on passes in the winding seconds of the third period led to unforced Hofstra turnovers and allowed Sacred Heart to end the third with a 54-52 lead.

Sacred Heart outscored Hofstra 16-12 in the final frame, including a 7-0 run to end the game.

Down three with 1:34 remaining, Hofstra had the chance to bring themselves within one as Cuzic was sent to the free throw line. Cuzic, who had been 7-8 from the line previously, missed both crucial free throws.

Hofstra did not score in the final 2:30 of regulation.

“We’re not playing [the] Hofstra brand of basketball,” Kilburn-Stevesky said. “

“We just have to work harder on defense,” Kalin said. “When we [play] good [defense], the offense [will] come. Today it didn’t happen. [We] just have to learn from that.”

Hofstra finished the game shooting 40.7 percent from the field, after shooting 53.6 percent in the first half.

Despite the offensive struggles in the second half, Cuzic finished the night with her third double-double of the season, complementing her 19

points with a game-high 11 rebounds.

“I just feel like it wasn’t enough,” Cuzic said. “It wasn’t about me. As a team we need to be more consistent. We’re working hard. We just need to translate it somehow. We’re working on it. We’re getting better.”

The Pride will next travel to Massachusetts to face Holy Cross on Wednesday, Dec. 5.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Marianne Kalin recorded 14 points in the loss to Sacred Heart University.

A 16• December 4, 2018

The Chronicle

SPORTS

Volleyball swept by Nebraska in NCAA Tournament

By Julia Presti STAFF WRITER

Fina l Nebraska

3

Hofstra

0

The Hofstra volleyball team’s season wrapped up on Friday, Nov. 30, when they fell to the No. 7-ranked University of Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Hofstra’s nine-match winning streak came to an end as the Cornhuskers won three quick sets: 25-19, 25-12 and 25-16.

The Pride ended the season with a 25-8 overall record.

Hofstra had a strong start in the first set, jumping out to 5-3 lead. After some back-andforth action, the Cornhuskers answered and went on an 8-3 run, giving them the 19-14 advantage.

However, the Pride would not go down without a fight, forcing Nebraska to take a timeout after shrinking the Cornhuskers’ lead to three at 21-18. Unfortunately

for the Pride, they were only able to rally one more point as they fell in the first set by six.

Nebraska came out swinging in both the second and third sets, separating themselves with runs that carried them to comfortable victories.

In the second set, it was an early 10-point advantage that did the damage; while in the third, Nebraska saw an 8-3 Cornhusker run set them apart.

It was the 10th straight match in double-digit kills for Laura Masciullo as she added 10 on the night. Luisa Sydlik posted 24 assists, her 65th straight match in the double digits.

Maddie Appleton added to the score sheet and led Hofstra with 13 digs.

Overall, Hofstra had 18 errors, including seven service errors that proved to be the downfall in the match. The Pride’s attacking percentage was .134.

The loss is Hofstra’s first since Wednesday, Oct. 17, as they went into Nebraska boasting a nine-game winning streak.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t go the way that we wanted; but all

we can do as Hofstra is continue to grow and continue to bring our name,” said Hofstra head coach Emily Mansur.

Four Hofstra players’ careers came to an unfortunate end in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Senior Michaela Rucli finished her career with 1,023 kills and 536 blocks. Rucli added five kills and one block in the match but ends her time in a Hofstra uniform ranked No. 3 all-time in blocks and No. 16 in kills.

Senior Doris Bogoje closed out her career with 386 kills and 214 blocks. Caylie Denham had 625 digs, and Nanishka Perez totaled 828 kills, 916 digs, 111 service aces and 157 blocks.

Even with four impactful seniors leaving the team, the Pride look to repeat as Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) champions next year.

The Pride has a lot of returning talent on next season’s roster, including All-CAA First Team selection Masciullo, CAA Rookie of the Year Skinner, CAA Setter of the Year Sydlik and CAA All-Rookie pick Appleton.

Appleton is excited for next season. “Unfortunately it didn’t go the way we wanted it to go, but we will be back. We will be back next year,” Appleton said.

Likewise, Masciullo, the AllCAA junior outside hitter, looks forward to getting ready for another impactful season.

“We are ready to go back to our gym and work harder and be ready for next time,” Masciullo said. “We’re going to be back ...

I just wish we would have done better.”

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics The Pride conluded their conference-winning season with a 25-8 record.

Dylan Ryder has strong showing at Vegas Invitational

By Max Sacco S TA F F W R I T E R

Ten Hofstra University wrestlers competed in the CliffKeen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational starting on Friday, Nov. 30.

The tournament featured top teams from around the country including No. 2 Ohio State University. Hofstra’s Dylan Ryder (125) was the only wrestler from Hofstra to advance to the second day of the tournament.

The tournament began with a bang for Ryder with an 8-7 win over Shane Metzler of Rutgers, the same wrestler who beat him previously in the season during the teams’ dual meet earlier in November. Ryder would lose his next match 12-5 against Oregon State wrestler Ronnie Bresser.

Ryder then beat Josh Jensen of Utah State 12-5 and Nolan Hellickson of Harvard 12-1 in the consolation bracket to secure

his spot in the second day of the tournament.

In his first match on Saturday, Dec. 1, Ryder lost 9-1 to Drew Mattin of Michigan University in a hard-fought battle between the two. Mattin scored two quick takedowns and a two-point near fall to jump to an early 6-1 lead in the first period. Ryder would escape the takedown, but Mattin would add another takedown during the second period to make the score 8-1. Ryder finished the tournament with a 3-2 record and was the only Pride wrestler to advance to the Saturday round of the tournament.

Sage Heller (174) posted a 3-2 record at the invitational.

All of his wins and losses came by pins. Heller did not advance to the Saturday round of the tournament. His overall record this season is now 7-6.

Pride wrestlers Ricky Stamm (165), Trey Rogers (184), Nezar

Haddad (197) and Omar Haddad (285) posted 1-2 records for the Friday session which was not enough to advance to the Saturday round.

Trent Olson (133), Chris Mauriello (157), Garrett Lambert (141) and Ryan Burkert (149) went 0-3. They also did not advance to the Saturday round of the tournament.

The Pride finished No. 29 out of 42 teams at the Vegas Invitational. Ohio State would finish in first place to win the tournament. The tournament featured over 15 teams ranked in the top 25 of the nation.

The Pride return home Sunday, Dec. 9, to face University of Northern Colorado at 1 p.m. and then Virginia Military Institute at 3 p.m.

After that, the Pride will take a month-long hiatus before traveling to Pennsylvania to face Bloomsburg University on Friday, Jan. 4.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Freshman Dylan Ryder finished the weekend with a 3-2 record.

SPORTS

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December 4, 2018 A 17

Pemberton hits 1,000-point milestone in victory

By Matt Novella STAFF W R I T E R

Fina l Hofstra

78

Kennesaw

52

The Hofstra men’s basketball team took the game in a 78-52 rout over the Kennesaw State University Owls on Saturday, Dec. 1, in a game where junior Hofstra guard Eli Pemberton made history by reaching the 1,000-point milestone as a member of the Hofstra Pride.

“We did what we had to do,” said Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich after the team ran away with the easy victory in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Pemberton became the 37th

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player in program history to reach the career milestone of 1,000 points.

“He was terrific ... He’s an all-conference player,” Mihalich said of Pemberton. Pemberton finished the game with 15 points and seven rebounds on five of 10 shooting in 29 minutes of play.

Hofstra took an early lead and never let it go. The Pride was able to jump out to a 15-point lead after the first half of play.

After being up 37-22 following one half, Hofstra held on to win their first road game of the season.

“We played so well at Marshall, Maryland and [Virginia Commonwealth University]. But this is our first road win ... good teams win on the road,” Mihalich said.

Despite playing hard-fought games against these nonconference opponents, the Pride hadn’t returned victorious in a road matchup until Saturday’s win.

Defensively, Hofstra strapped up and played well as a unit. “Our guys were in sync,” Mihalich said. “As the ball moved, we were moving. We were talking

[and] communicating, we were locating shooters and drivers and recognizing personnel.”

The Pride forced seven steals, four blocks and gave up their lowest points allowed this season with 52.

Across the board, Hofstra utilized all of their weapons offensively, as the exponential lead allowed them to get more guys into the game than usual.

Three players reached double figures in the points column.

Justin Wright-Foreman continued his success in his senior year with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

He has now put up at least 20 points in each of the eight games he’s played in.

Also, after his 20-point outing, Wright-Foreman has extended his double-digit point scoring streak to 61 games – the second longest in the nation.

Alongside Wright-Foreman, Pemberton and Jalen Ray stepped up for the Pride.

“It was a feel-good win,” Mihalich said.

The win puts Hofstra at a 5-3 record. This month, Hofstra won’t leave the Empire State as they play five games in New York before beginning Colonial

Athletic Association (CAA) play on Friday, Dec. 28.

“Big stretch for us. One game at a time,” Mihalich said.

“Hopefully we can have a good December.”

The next game for Hofstra is Wednesday, Dec. 5, against

Monmouth. The Pride head back home, where they hold a 4-0 record this season.

Currently sitting in the No. 4 spot in the CAA, Hofstra looks to climb up the standings as the month of December begins.

Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle Pemberton earned his 1,000th point with an early three-pointer.

HOFSTRA ATHLETIC CALENDAR HOME

T U E SD AY

W EDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATU R D AY

SU N D AY

AWAY

12/4

12/5

12/6

12/7

1 2 /8

1 2 /9

MEN’S BA S K ET B A L L

W OMEN’S BA S K ET B A L L

W RE S TLING

MONMOUTH – 7 P.M.

HOLY CROSS – 6:05 P.M.

RI D E R – 4 P. M .

U M BC – 1 P. M .

N O RT H E RN CO L O RA D O / VMI – 1 P. M .

A 18• December 4, 2018

The Chronicle

SPORTS

Transfer Jacquil Taylor provides rebound strength for Hofstra

By DJ Lopes STAFF WRITER

As a budding prospect from Cambridge, Massachusetts, Jacquil Taylor once called himself the “Best Kept Secret.”

After four years, a myriad of injuries and a career’s worth of lessons, college basketball’s “Best Kept Secret” is ready to make himself public.

Taylor’s long journey to Hempstead started as a child over three hours away. Taylor grew up in a college basketball family, as his uncles Keith and Lamar Butler both played college basketball. Keith Butler played for Temple University and DePaul University, while Lamar Butler played for George Mason University. Most recently, Taylor’s older brother, Maurice, played for North Carolina A&T State University and Niagara University.

“I’ve just been around basketball my entire life,” Taylor said. “My dad was my [Amateur Athletic Union] coach, so he helped with my recruitment, and I played my older brother all the time.”

Eventually he would play high school basketball in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, at Beaver Country Day School, where he blossomed as a solid, big-man prospect. He was a physical, athletic forward who was offered scholarships by multiple colleges, including Boston University and Siena College before he committed to play at Purdue University.

Taylor came in with a freshman class that included college standouts such as Isaac Haas, Vince Edwards and Dakota Mathias. Those players – especially Haas, a 7-foot-2-inch, 300 pound center – provided a good challenge for Taylor, himself 6 feet and 10 inches tall and 235 pounds, to keep improving in practices.

“As hard as it is on TV for other guys, I don’t even feel

bad for them, because I’m like, ‘Hey, this is what I [have to] deal with every day,’” Taylor said.

He was also able to play for an experienced winning coach in Matt Painter and for multiple NBA players, including Caleb Swanigan and A.J. Hammons. “[From Coach Painter,] I learned that every little detail actually does matter, and moving without the ball is essential,” Taylor said. “From [Edwards], [Hammons], [Swanigan], [Haas] and all of [my other teammates], the mental aspect is the most important part when it comes to basketball.”

Unfortunately, Taylor played sparingly due to injuries and was forced to redshirt his freshman year. It wasn’t the first setback of Taylor’s career, however. He missed his junior year of high school due to injury, and it wouldn’t be his last. He missed the 2016-17 season due to the same injury in his left foot.

But even through all of these struggles, it was the mental toughness that was instilled from his teammates and friends that helped him battle through.

“It seemed like I was taking one step forward and two steps

fractured his arm in a game against the California State University, Fullerton Titans.

With backup Matt Haarms being forced to start, Taylor came into the backup role, logging a career-high 15 minutes in a homecoming game in Boston against Texas Tech University in the Sweet Sixteen.

“It was a flat-out unbelievable experience,” Taylor said. “The way the season was going for me, I would’ve never thought I would have that chance ... I’m just glad my family got to see me play in my home state.”

After earning his degree in interdisciplinary film and video studies, Taylor announced his intent to transfer in search of better playing time opportunities.

“When you decommit from a school, you just get a bunch of phone calls ... people were calling my phone at 11 o’clock at night and 2 in the morning ... But honestly, it’s a good frustration that people actually wanted me,” Taylor said.

Eventually, Hofstra was able to sell him on something other school’s simply couldn’t provide: a great fit close to home.

“My parents haven’t seen me play in such a long time, and I

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Jacquil Taylor leads the Pride with 59 rebounds this season.

low who isn’t afraid to battle for a rebound, much like his favorite player, Kevin Garnett.

His most dominant game this season was a 17-rebound effort in a 69-67 loss against Virginia Commonwealth University. It was his second 10-plus rebound game of the season.

It was also the biggest test

“It seemed like I was taking one step forward and two steps backward; it seemed like I never got a break.” backward; it seemed like I never got a break,” Taylor said. “But my friends told me, ‘God won’t put you in a situation that you can’t handle.’ So he’s putting me in a situation because he knows that I can handle [it].”

Taylor’s biggest shot at the spotlight at Purdue came in his senior season during March Madness, when Haas

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was so far away ... at least [they] can see me play my last college season,” Taylor said.

With this transfer, Hofstra is able to secure a potential multi-year replacement for alltime rebounding leader Rokas Gustys. Because of Taylor’s unique situation with injuries, he may be granted a rare sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. Taylor has been solid so far this year, starting and averaging a career-high 20 minutes, 3.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. He’s shown flashes of a tough center down

of his much improved foot and ankle, as he logged a careerhigh 35 minutes in the game. To come back from a lower body injury at 6 feet 10 inches is a very difficult task, and Taylor has proved every bit of his resilience and drive to return to form this season.

Another important thing that Taylor brings to the Pride is his postseason experience. Taylor is one of two players, along with fellow graduate transfer Dan Dwyer (University of Pennsylvania), to make it to March Madness. This Hofstra

team isn’t particularly young, with only one freshman on the roster, but Taylor’s experience in playing important postseason minutes will come in handy for the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament and beyond.

“I’ve seen a lot of things. I’ve seen when things go completely south; I’ve seen situations where we didn’t fold under pressure; and I’ve seen situations where we flat-out just blew teams out,” Taylor said. “I’ve been around really good teams, and I’ve also been around teams where we could’ve been good, but things just didn’t go our way.”

But before getting to the conference tournament, the rest of the season must be played out. The team faces high expectations, especially from within.

“As far as the team goes, I think we go to the NCAA tournament,” Taylor said. “But we’ve just got to do what we’ve got to do.”

Taylor and the Pride will continue working toward that goal this season. Their next game will be at home against the Monmouth University Hawks on Wednesday, Dec. 5.

SPORTS

The Chronicle

December 4, 2018 A 19

Cuzic making statement in comeback senior season

By Alexamdra Licata SPORTS EDITOR

After a season-ending injury put Sica Cuzic’s Hofstra women’s basketball career on hold after just seven games in the 2017-18 season, Cuzic was unsure if she was going to be able to play the sport she’s loved since she began playing at the age of 13 in Galati, Romania.

However, in her senior season with the Pride, she’s proven to be a crucial starter in the lineup and has shown how much she is capable of, despite her previous injuries.

Having grown up in Romania outside of a basketball family, the decision to play basketball was one Cuzic went for on a whim.

“I just gave it a try to see how I liked it and then it turned out to be amazing,” Cuzic said.

“My sister was also playing basketball, so I think that’s one of the main reasons why I stuck with it.”

While her older sister stopped playing after a few years, it was Cuzic who found her passion that led to her playing in America.

She led LPS Alba lulia to a U17 Romania National Championship and was named MVP. She averaged 17.9 points,

15.1 rebounds and five assists.

“It was definitely a change in the game style,” Cuzic said.

“In Europe we play slower, but we emphasize the details a lot more. In the American game there’s a lot more transition and it’s a lot more physical. The game’s way faster.”

She began at Trinity International High School, where she completed her high school senior year, which helped her transition, before going to Salt Lake Community College. There she ranked No. 2 in scoring, averaging nine points per game, and helped her team to NJCAA Nationals.

“I had a year to adjust in high school to get the hang of the academics and adjust to the language,” Cuzic said.

“By the time college started, I had an idea of the way things were going to be, but at a way higher level.”

Despite that head start, the workload of being a Division I athlete and exercise science major was one that was difficult to anticipate. It’s required her to increase her time management skills and ensure things are getting done along the way.

“There are a lot of times where we’re so tired that you don’t feel like doing anything, but you have no choice but to do it,” Cuzic said.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Sica Cuzic leads Hofstra in rebounds with 62 so far this year.

Adam Flash / The Hofstra Chronicle Sica Cuzic is second in scoring for the Pride with 107 points recorded, behind senior Boogie Brozoski’s 117.

“It will eventually catch up with you ... I just have to do a little bit at a time and don’t let things pile up.”

Before her junior year, she transferred to Hofstra and became a member of the Pride.

In her first two matchups, she scored eight points.

In seven games, she averaged 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds.

When her season ended, the Pride still had 23 games to go; games Cuzic would not have the opportunity to participate in.

“It was hard in the beginning because I wasn’t sure if I was able to come back to normal,” Cuzic said.

“I worked really hard and I didn’t think about anything [besides] getting better ... I think the biggest thing was taking it one step at a time.”

That mentality helped Cuzic be ready for the first game of this season, in which she scored 10 points.

Despite a few tough games against Stony Brook University, Marist College and Stetson University – all of whom held Cuzic to under five points – Cuzic has already marked this year as a career season.

She recorded a career-high 27 points against St. Bonaventure University on Sunday, Nov. 11, and has had three double-

doubles in eight games.

With a long season ahead, and the Pride currently at 3-5, Cuzic knows she needs to stand as a leader for her younger teammates while continuing her own strong play.

“I try to work hard every day at practice because some people feed off of each other’s energy,” Cuzic said.

“I know I can influence my teammates, especially the younger ones. I know if I work hard, they also pick it up.”

Cuzic is currently Hofstra’s second-highest scorer with 107, only six points behind classmate Boogie Brozoski, who has 113 this season. She is the team’s leading rebounder, totaling 62 thus far. “[Cuzic] responds,” said Hofstra head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey after Hofstra’s game against St. Bonaventure.

“She can contribute in so many ways, and tonight it was on the offensive end. Her value

on the court goes beyond even just scoring points. She just responded today and just really wanted to compete. She pulled her teammates together, and I was really proud of her.”

Cuzic’s goal to finish out her senior year is for the team to win the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and make the CAA Tournament. In order to do so, improvements need to be made as the team approaches the middle point of the season.

“I think our communication needs to get better, because we have a few pieces where we can work very well with each other, but sometimes we don’t communicate well enough,” Cuzic said.

“I think we need to be a little bit more consistent because sometimes things get hard and we can’t have one or two people pick it up. All five of us, the bench, everyone needs to be involved.”

Back Cover: Eli Pemberton records 1,000th career point

The Hofstra Chronicle

Sp

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Eli-te

December 4, 2018

Junior Eli Pemberton became the 37th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle