The Hofstra
HEMPSTEAD, NY Volume 84 Issue 13
Chronicle
Tuesday
February 26, 2019
Keeping the Hofstra community informed since 1935 News
CBS correspondent joins political panel By Robert Traverso STAFF WR I T E R
Veteran journalist Major Garrett joined former Democratic candidate for president Howard Dean and longtime Republican strategist Edward Rollins on a panel held at Hofstra on Thursday, Feb. 14, that evaluated President Donald Trump’s time in office as he reached the halfway point.
The main topics of discussion were the Trump administration’s policy achievements, as well as the president’s shattering of political norms and hostility toward democratic institutions Garrett, Dean and Rollins spoke before an audience of both students and adults inside the Student Center Theater at the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center. The Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of
the American Presidency sponsored the discussion, which was moderated by the center’s director, Meena Bose. The Hofstra Votes campaign co-sponsored the event. Garrett opened the event with a joke about how he recently fell asleep during a dental cleaning. Continued ON A2
Photo Courtesy of University Relations On Thursday, Feb. 14, Major Garrett, CBS White House correspondent, shared political insight during a Kalikow panel.
Dance student performs with Janelle Monae Coburn taking advantage Sports
Features
By Natalya Clarke STAFF WR I T E R
“A friend texted me at 4 in the morning asking if I wanted to do a gig with Janelle Monae, and I thought it was a dream,” said Dennette Bennett, a junior double major in dance and public relations. “I woke up and the text was still there, so I was like, ‘Yeah, of course.’ I sent her my Instagram, a headshot and my resume. Three days go by and I’m getting paranoid, so I ended up texting her and I was told I got the gig.” Since the early age of 3, Bennett has felt a stronger connection with dance than any other artistic outlet. Currently
she spends 17 hours a week on her future career and has mastered her interest in the techniques of modern and ballet. Recently, Bennett was able to exert her passion professionally through a thrilling, yet impressive gig – dancing for Janelle Monae during the popular music festivals Afropunk and Global Citizen. “I like performing. I like someone else’s vision to be put on me, so I can interpret it in my own way. I like being vulnerable enough so that the audience can feel like they’re on stage with me,” Bennett said. While attending the Hamilton School of Dance on Long
Island, Bennett was attached to the exhilarating feeling dance provided. Bennett showcased her first plie and ultimately fell in love with the performing arts. She recalled a memory from her first recital so vividly it almost seemed as if it occurred yesterday. “During my recital, my mom told me everyone was crying to get off the stage, but I was crying because the performance was over.” Essentially, this was a pivotal moment for Bennett, as she knew dance would become a strong aspect within her daily life. It was astonishingly clear that dance would be Bennett’s soulmate. Continued ON A9
Grande lands top three, a first A&E
By Megan Spreen STAFF W R I T E R
Ariana Grande became the first solo artist to hold the No. 1, 2 and 3 spots on the Billboard Top 100, following the release of her recent album “thank u, next.” The last to achieve this feat was the Beatles in 1964. Named after her recordsmashing single of the same name, “thank u, next”
immediately broke records, becoming the fastest album to hit No. 1 on iTunes in just five minutes, with all songs on the iTunes chart as well. The first song on the record, “imagine,” is a soft, dreamy lament of what could have been in a relationship that went wrong. Most fans speculate that this song was written about rapper and Grande’s ex-boyfriend Mac Miller,
who tragically passed away in September of 2018. The second song, “needy,” was teased by Grande on her social media prior to the album’s release and certainly delivers on vocals. However, the rest of the song leaves something to be desired in terms of substance in the background. Continued ON B2
of new opportunities
By DJ Lopes STA FF WR ITER
Basketball may not be the first thing you think of when someone mentions New York City. However, each bounce of a basketball drives the pulse of a city, with streetball courts all around. NBA players and streetball legends go to Rucker Park to create memories that last a lifetime. Being surrounded by this much basketball would be enough to hook any kid growing up in the city. It did just that for Tareq Coburn, though not as early as others. The Queens native didn’t actually play basketball recreationally until he was in the eighth grade, when his cousin got him involved in basketball and put him on a team. “He showed me how to play basketball ... he showed me how to shoot,” Coburn said. “I just started grinding from there”. Coburn stuck to the sport, attending Cardozo High School where he would eventually grow into the star of the team as a senior. On a team that featured two other players that would play Division I basketball, per game he averaged 20
points, seven rebounds and three assists. He emerged as a dynamic scorer who could knock down threes at a high rate and get to the rim, and he possessed the length and athleticism to bother teams at the defensive end. After leading his team to a championship in the Public School Athletic League’s Queens Division, he took his talents upstate, attending St. Bonaventure University. Unfortunately, he didn’t play much for the Bonnies, logging only 28 minutes over the course of 11 games. At the end of the year, he began to see the writing on the wall in regard to his playing time and decided that a change of scenery and a new opportunity would be for the best. Continued ON A18 Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
A2•February 26, 2019
NEWS
The Chronicle
Journalist analyzes Trump presidency at midterm Continued from A1 203 Student Center hofstrachronicle@gmail.com
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 Samantha Storms A&E Assistant Editors Victoria Bell Eleni Kothesakis Sports Editors Christopher Detwiler Felipe Fontes Alexandra Licata Assistant Sports Editor Anthony Roberts Features Editors Rachel Bowman Drashti Mehta Op-Ed Editors James Factora Daniel Nguyen Assistant Op-Ed Editor Jordan Hopkins Amanda Romeo Copy Chief Erin Hickey Assistant Copy Chiefs Mia Thompson Gabby Varano
One consequence of covering “the daily cyclonic spasms of the Trump White House,” he said, is “I’ve found the scraping of my teeth sufficiently relaxing that I can go to sleep.” Garrett’s recently released book, titled “Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride: The Thrills, Chills, Screams, and Occasional Blackouts of an Extraordinary Presidency,” is mostly about the chaotic nature of the Trump presidency, which he said is characterized by the “general approach the president [takes] to the presidency itself and all the pushing against our institutional sense of norms.” Garrett stressed, however, that while the Trump White House has undeniably been unique, that does not mean the president’s policy agenda should not be given a fair assessment. Garrett – in agreement with the rest of the panel – then highlighted the administration’s major domestic policy wins since 2016. He listed the GOP tax bill of December 2017, the changes in both policy and rhetoric regarding immigration and the conservative revamp of the federal judiciary. Rollins cited Trump’s “rebuilding” of the American military as the third policy of the “three legacies” left by his administration so far. “Trump’s rebuilding of the defense department has been very, very substantial,” he said.
Rollins, who served as an advisor to Ronald Reagan’s 1984 campaign and worked for the Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, is in favor of some of Trump’s agenda. “I actually think that Trump’s legacy is energizing a generation of people – young kids,” said Dean, the former Vermont governor and Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair, redirecting the focus of the panel discussion. Dean has been a vocal critic of Trump. Dean emphasized the galvanizing effect this White House has had on young voters. He said that the DNC – which he once led – played a minor role compared to the energy and massive turnout of young people that drove Democratic gains in last November’s midterm elections. “That would never have happened without Donald Trump,” he said. “Trump’s agenda was a part of the reason for huge young voter turnout in November 2018,” said Jacqueline Blain, a freshman at Hofstra. “I think the key thing young voters didn’t agree with is the immigration policy of the Trump administration, or the idea of the wall across the southern border,” she said. The foreign policy of the Trump administration, particularly as a byproduct of the president’s unconventional approach to governing overall, was assessed by the panel.
The president’s strategy for diplomacy with North Korea in particular “encapsulates the Trump approach to presidential powers and operating on the world stage,” Garrett said, adding that Trump’s strategy violated long-held norms on how to negotiate with “an adversary.” The first phase of the U.S.North Korea relationship under Trump – characterized by the president’s now-famous “fire and fury” threat – “created a sense of anxiety, panic and unease about what the president intended to do,” Garrett said, adding that when the president met with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in June of 2018, his mindset “was completely outside everything that existed before the Trump presidency” in terms of U.S. foreign policy. According to Garrett, Henry Kissinger – secretary of state under Nixon – has advised Trump to use his unpredictability as a tool. Subsequently, “the president has taken that to higher levels ... of flexibility and improvisation that even Henry Kissinger could not have imagined,” Garrett said. “What do I expect in Vietnam?” Garrett rhetorically asked, referring to the location of the president’s planned second summit with the North Korean leader. He answered, “What I always expect with the Trump presidency: the unexpected.” Unexpectedness, Dean said, is not necessarily a bad tactic in
Multimedia Editors Robert Kinnaird Peter Soucy Social Media Manager Brian Sommer Social Media Assistant Eddie Fitz The Chronicle is published every Tuesday during the academic year by the students of Hofstra University. The Chronicle is located in Room 203 Student Center, 200 Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. 11549. Advertising and subscription rates may be obtained by calling (516) 463-6921. The Chronicle reserves the right to reject any submission, in accordance with our written policies. All advertising which may be considered fraudulent, misleading, libelous or offensive to the University community, The Chronicle or its advertisers may be refused. The products and opinions expressed within advertisement are not endorsed by The Chronicle or its staff.
Photo Courtesy of University Relations Major Garrett joined Meena Bose, Ed Rollins and Howard Dean on Thursday, Feb. 14, to discuss Trump’s presidency thus far.
every case, pointing to Nixon’s famous nuclear “madman theory.” Trump’s unexpectedness with North Korea is different in that “diplomacy is different than foreign policy,” Dean said, adding that he does not think the president is “rational” enough to employ this tactic properly and safely. The panel broached the related topic of Trump’s struggle to cooperate with co-equal branches of government. They each agreed that the recent government shutdown – the longest in U.S. history and caused by the president’s inability to secure congressional funding for his border wall – best portrayed the president’s inability to work with this Congress. According to Garrett, the showdown between Trump and recently empowered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over whether or not she would invite the president to deliver the State of the Union address in her chamber amid the shutdown taught the country a lesson about the relationship between the legislative and executive branches. “Institutional powers mattered: they ran up against the presidency, and the presidency had to acknowledge them,” Garrett said. Although Dean believed the State of the Union spat between the president and Pelosi was a “small matter,” he said, “part of Trump’s legacy ... is we tested our checks and balances system and [the] institutional design of our Constitution.” Generally, Garrett said, because of the animus Trump has expressed for traditional, democratic U.S. institutions, “We now have a much more lively conversation about our institutions; how are they populated, what are their powers, how are they structurally aligned with one another, what is their underlying purpose and how valid and vital are they to our overall political experience?”
NEWS
The Chronicle
February 26, 2019 A3
Greek life ‘aces’ fundraiser for respected alumnus
videos. “We kinda caught it too late and it’s causing me to need a liver transplant.” The fraternity also used the event to encourage attendees to register as organ donors. Stephan Hatchett, current Sammy president and a sophomore video, television and film Leo Brine / The Hofstra Chronicle major, helped A volleyball tournament was held to raise money for former Sigma Alpha Mu President Ryan Fitzgerald who is in need of a trans- to organize the plant. tournament “We’re having fun and we’re Fitzgerald posted a video on By Leo Brine to support raising money for a good thing,” his Instagram page asking for STAFF W R I T E R Fitzgerald and others in a simisaid Matthew Breiman, a junior a donor and support during his lar position. Fraternities and sororities television major. “I came to time of need. “We can keep raising money united together while playing a play to help out Sammy because “Since I was 18, I found out I [for Fitzgerald] and donat[ing] co-ed volleyball tournament on they’re asking us to Sunday, Feb. 24, to raise money help a good cause.” and awareness for sick alumnus The tournament Ryan “VD” Fitzgerald, former raised money by president of Sigma Alpha Mu charging an entry fee (Sammy). that all teams paid. Organized by members of Additionally, funds the fraternity, Sunday’s philanwere raised through thropic game took place in the a GoFundMe page Hofstra University Fitness Cencalled “Operation ter to support Fitzgerald, who Save VD, Funding for a Transhave this degenerative autoimto other people that need organ suffers from a degenerative liver plant,” that has a goal of raising mune disease that’s attacking transplants because it’s a probdisease and is in critical need of $20,000. my liver,” Fitzgerald said in the lem that not a lot of people think a transplant.
“It’s really rewarding knowing that I’m helping out my alumnus. He inspired me to become the president of our fraternity ...”
of,” Hatchett said. Six teams comprised of 10 players each competed in double-elimination-style rounds to win the three-hour tournament. Teams competed for bragging rights and an engraved trophy that awarded the winners “tabling clout,” according to senior journalism major Berkeley Stevens. Sigma Alpha Epsilon won the tournament after playing against Sammy in the finals. Sophomore physician assistant studies major Bailey Mahoney enjoyed playing matches alongside other fraternity and sorority members. “[I liked] the Greek unity and the Hofstra campus coming together to support such a great cause,” Mahoney said. Due to the large turnout, Sammy is considering making the event annual or having another in the coming semester. “I honestly did not think it was going to get as much attention as it did, and I’m glad that everyone came out,” said Hatchett, who wishes to continue the fraternity’s philanthropic endeavors by having more events like this. “It’s really rewarding knowing that I’m helping out my alumnus. He inspired me to become the president of our fraternity, so I’m really glad I could help him out.”
Portland author tackles race and incarceration in new book
By Melanie Haid
ASSISTA N T N E W S E D I TO R
As part of the 15th annual Great Writers, Great Readers event, author Mitchell Jackson tackled issues of racism, family life, writing, history, incarceration and patriotism while speaking about his new book “Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family,” which will be released on Tuesday, March 5. “I see my work as a theme,” Jackson said. “Hopefully it is evolving.” The discussion, which was held in the Guthart Cultural Center Theater, addressed an audience of community members, students and faculty on Monday,
Feb. 25. The evening including a question-and-answer session and a live reading of excerpts of his debut novel, “The Residue Years.” Among his many accolades, Jackson has won a Whiting Award, The Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence, was a finalist for The Center of Fiction Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize and the Hurston/ Wright Legacy Awards. “I really liked the aspect about not being afraid to write about something that may end up making people upset or bring up emotion,” said Irini Tsounakas, a sophomore fine arts and English major Katrina Sims, assistant professor of history at Hofstra,
served as the moderator for the discussion. Sims explained that Jackson’s writing includes many different genres, including memoir, historical narrative and racial politics. “You weave a really complex tapestry,” she said as the two discussed his mother’s stories mentioned in the book. Jackson emphasized voice and authenticity in all of his works as he read them. “It’s not just style for style’s sake,” he said. “It’s who I am in the world.” “When writers write about things pure, raw and meaningful, they try to focus on Continued ON A5
Photo Courtesy of John Richard LG Author Mitchell Jackson visited Hofstra on Monday, Feb. 25, as part of the 15th annual Great Writers, Great Readers event.
A4•February 26, 2019
NEWS
The Chronicle
Volunteers ‘strike’ up conversation and fun at senior center
By Robert Traverso and Annemarie LePard STAFF WRITER / SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
A group of 19 Hofstra students traveled to the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility in Uniondale on Friday, Feb. 22, to assist senior residents in the third annual bowling community service event organized by the Office of Commuting Student Services and Community Outreach. “I love interacting with the college students,” said one resident at the Uniondale nursing home. “It keeps me young and makes me feel good and makes me feel happy.” The group arrived at the facility’s auditorium at 2 p.m., where they set up two lanes with 10 pins each. Prior to the bowling, the students introduced themselves and interacted with the residents. During the game, students split up into two groups. One set of volunteers assisted the seniors in guiding the ball down a metal bowling ramp into the pins. Another group cleaned up the fallen pins at the end of the alley and set them back up. The role of the students is not only to facilitate the game, but to also connect with the residents. “This, to me personally, is
more satisfying and rewarding than all the other [community service trips],” said Aden Kahn, a returning volunteer. “I feel like you have more of a genuine connection with the people that you are interacting with and you forge bonds as well because you see some of the same people.” “Unfortunately, some people in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers don’t have a ton of visitors, but we are those visitors,” said Georgia Linaris, graduate assistant at the Office of Commuting Student Services and Community Outreach. “Our goal is to make them feel important and socialize with them.” Linaris primarily organizes the monthly and large-scale community service programs at Hofstra. “I like to provide a variety of activities and reach out to a variety of different populations,” Linaris said. Prior to establishing a relationship with the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, Linaris said that Hofstra “had not engaged with the local elderly population as much as I would have liked.” The A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility was highly receptive to Linaris’ offer to do something different from other volunteer groups. “They often said, ‘We have a bowling activity, but we haven’t done it in
Robert Traverso / The Hofstra Chronicle A group of 19 Hofstra students visited the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility in Uniondale on Friday, Feb. 22 and assisted senior residents in a bowling event sponsored by Office of Commuting Student Services and Community Outreach.
years because, unfortunately, our staff is getting older, we’re short-staffed and we don’t have enough time to do it; and when we invite groups, they want to just do bingo,’” Linaris said. At the end of the day, volunteers and residents both feel light-hearted. Another resident at the facility said he has attended the annual bowling events run by the Hofstra students and he plans to participate in future games as well. The resident said, “When they
say the students are coming for bowling, I say, ‘Let me make sure I’m there.’” Linaris said her favorite part of this trip comes after the bowling, when students get a few minutes to talk one-on-one with a resident as they walk them back to their room. “I love watching the community we’re serving and seeing them interact with our students,” she said. Hofstra has placed an emphasis on community service since its founding. “It is a really
important thing to help our students grow into the adults, and into the citizens, we are proud that our university produces,” said Colin Sullivan, director of communications for Students Affairs. “Lucky for us, our student body has always been behind it. They are eager for these opportunities,” Sullivan said. “The student body challenges us as a university to continually come up with new and engaging ideas on how we can give back.”
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NEWS
The Chronicle
February 26, 2019 A5
Visting author shares personal experience in ‘Survival Math’ Continued from A3
Melanie Haid / The Hofstra Chronicle Katrina Sims, assistant professor of history at Hofstra, served as the moderator for the evening’s discussion with author Mitchell Jackson.
just telling the stories,” said Miranda Maliszka, a sophomore environmental resources and geographic information systems major. “He makes the effort to make others not just understand the story, but understand the person behind the story.” From drug dealing to incarceration to finding his voice, Jackson emphasized the importance of research and honesty in all of his works. He said he wants to “figure out how to translate this experience that is only mine,” so that others can understand his unique and personal point of view.
“It’s really powerful that he wants to tell people and be completely frank and bareboned,” said Kira Turetzky, a junior chemistry major. “It’s like ‘I’m not going to change, alter or hide anything about this, this is my life, this is my story and you have every right to read about my life as much as the next person.’” Jackson said his next book will center around a cult leader from in Portland, Oregon, which he is basing on a true story. “The project is, how can I make sure they don’t forget us,” Jackson said. “I could write for me but I write for us.”
Public Safety Briefs Compiled by Alisha Riggs
On Feb. 10, a Hofstra student reported that some time between 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, and 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6, her bike was stolen from the bike rack in front of the Netherlands Core. The bike was unlocked and not secured to the bike rack. On Feb. 11 at 11:50 p.m., while on patrol on the 13th floor of Constitution Hall, a PS officer observed a strong odor of marijuana coming from a lounge. Inside the lounge, there were two students present and a
clear plastic bag with marijuana in it was visible. The marijuana and bag were confiscated and both students were given referrals to OCS. On Feb. 14 at 1 p.m., the Hofstra bookstore manager reported that a Hofstra student put a book underneath her sweatshirt and left the store. The book was valued at $12.59. The student was identified and will be issued a referral to OCS. On Feb. 14 at 4 p.m., PS received report that an unidentified male took a golf
cart from Margiotta Hall and drove from south campus to north campus. PS conducted a search and stopped the cart in the Colonial Square parking lot. The male driving the cart was identified as a Hofstra student. The cart was not damaged. While questioning the student, it appeared he was suffering from emotional distress. The Student Health and Counseling Center (SHACC) was notified and the student was transported for an evaluation. No further action was taken into this matter.
Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle
On Feb. 15 at 11:50 p.m., while assigned to the Oak Street security booth, a PS officer observed a student on a skateboard riding through without proper identification. The student was stopped and given a referral to OCS for violation of the identification (ID) policy. On Feb. 16 at 12:01 a.m., while assigned to the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center, a PS officer observed a male entering by pulling on a locked door. The individual was apprehended and taken into the Hofstra Information Center where he was identified as a non-student and banned from campus for trespassing. On Feb. 19 at 7:20 a.m., a Hofstra administrator reported to PS that while he was walking on the east side of the new Frank G. Zarb School of Business, he observed a chip and some scratches on a newly installed bench. An investigation is being conducted into this matter. On Feb. 20 at 7:10 p.m., while on patrol a PS officer observed a vehicle being operated recklessly in parking field number seven. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was identified as a Hofstra student.
The student was issued a referral to OCS. On Feb. 21 at 3:50 p.m., PS received a report that a student was locked out of a room in Quincy House. When PS responded, they asked the student to present ID before opening the door to the room. The student presented ID that did not belong to him. When questioned, the individual stated that the ID card was given to him by the resident of the room. The ID card was confiscated and the student was given a referral to OCS for violation of the ID policy. On Feb. 21 at 6:15 p.m., PS received a call that there was an odor of marijuana coming from the sixth floor of Nassau Hall. Upon arriving at the room, PS observed two students attempting to exit the room. A grinder and pipe were observed and confiscated. Both students were issued referrals to OCS.
Key OCS – Office of Community Standards PS – Public Safety
A6 • February 26, 2019
features
The Chronicle
Culture shock: From Netherlands Core to Amsterdam
Courtesy of Maddi Goodridge Bowman standing on a bridge over the Roeterseiland campus.
By Rachel Bowman FEATURES EDITOR
Studying abroad is a lot like freshman year, only a thousand times more intense. Instead of driving 300 miles to Hofstra, I flew over 3,000 miles to a different country. The actual Netherlands was nothing like the complex I lived in two years ago. This was the most traveling I had ever done, and while I tried to stay calm, I was terrified. Luckily, I was able to make a friend on my flight who ended up becoming one of my best friends throughout the trip. The culture shock was immediate – everything from the social environment to how they go about their daily lives took me by surprise. I was overwhelmed by signs written in a language I did not understand and people talking in an unfamiliar tongue.
It made me feel so small and helpless, but I soon became overcome with gratitude because it made me realize how lucky I was to have spent all of my life in a situation where I have always spoken the predominate language. A cultural difference that I noticed immediately was how differently college students are treated in Amsterdam. At Hofstra, we are put in a bubble; our campus is highly concentrated, with our buildings all in one area and our students either living on campus or within commuting distance. In Amsterdam, the students come from all over and were provided a variety of accommodations. During my time abroad, I lived in my own apartment and for the first time, I had a place to call entirely my own. It was a lot
more responsibility than a dorm and a meal plan could ever allow. I had to take the minimal cooking, cleaning and miscellaneous upkeeping skills I had and keep myself alive in a foreign country. This responsibility taught me so much more than I realized and I was proud of myself for being able to sustain myself in a country where I could not read a single word on any product in the grocery store. Since the drinking age in The Netherlands is 18 years old, drinking expectations for students were very different and it created a new social environment that I wasn’t used to. Our orientation included renting out a club for us to party in. In America, drinking in college has the notion of being fun and breaking the rules. Since it’s not breaking the rules in Amsterdam, people don’t drink too much. Drinking is social and you can chat with your professors and friends over a beer. It has such a more mature feel to it than I’ve ever experienced in a frat party basement.I also had to learn to embrace the bike culture in Amsterdam. As a kid, I hated learning how to ride a bike so when I realized biking would be my main mode of transportation, I knew I was in for it. I lived in a part of Amsterdam located east of the city center and biked about 20 minutes
each way to get to anything of importance. Fortunately, I had really great neighbors to keep me company on my little island of student accommodation – knowing them expanded my world. My neighbors were from all different parts of the world, and it was such an enlightening experience to be able to talk about our different cultures and find things to connect over. Going to a school outof-state I do feel like I’ve made connections with people from all parts of the country, but there’s something special about making international friendships. Most of us were in a country we weren’t from, and we were all nervous and looking for friends. It made it easier for us to open up and make ourselves more vulnerable, and because of that we were able to make genuine connections. Traveling to different coun-
tries on the weekends turned my travel buddies from strangers to close friends very fast. It was overwhelming and stressful at first because I was traveling with people I barely knew. We all wanted to see the world and they encouraged me to go places I never would have thought to go. They even inspired me to go on a solo trip. I’ve always been one to want to challenge myself, but this was my greatest adventure yet. I always dreamed of an opportunity like this, but it was never something I thought I would realistically achieve. Amsterdam taught me I can do anything I set my mind to, that I am much stronger than I thought I was and it gave me so much more confidence in myself. I continue to learn and grow from my time abroad, and I’m forever inspired by the opportunity provided to me.
Rachel Bowman / The Hofstra Chronicle
The Amstel River located near The University of Amsterdam.
Club Spotlight: Required Radio Opening the door to podcasting at Hofstra
By Sumayyah Uddin STAFF WRITER
“Running Required Radio has definitely changed how I see the industry,” said senior radio production major Adam Castar, current president and one of the founding members of Required Radio. “When I was a freshman, I thought this industry was easy, but after three and a half years, it has become apparent how hard you have to work to be a great radio broadcaster or podcaster. I think that without this club, I wouldn’t have been able to get the internships I’ve had or hopefully a job in the future.” Required Radio is a stu-
dent-run club that allows Hofstra students of all majors to create and broadcast their own podcasts. Every member has the opportunity to have their own podcast and is responsible for its topic, production and hosting. “[The club] is independent of [88.7 FM] WRHU. The founders [of Required Radio], myself included, thought that since WRHU didn’t do podcasting at all that was a niche that could be filled by us,” Castar said. “Required Radio actually started as a class in the radio department; it’s still a class, and it’s taught by professor Dennis Quinn,” he said.
“It was after I took his class that a bunch of people and I began to take it more seriously and file the paperwork necessary to become an official club.” Along with running Required Radio’s website and cross-posting to Spotify, Soundcloud and iTunes, Castar hosts two shows on the network. The first, The NerdCast, is a show about video games he cohosts with Nick Koumis, a senior television and film production major and vice president of Required Radio. The second, Required Radio Fantasy Show, is about fantasy football that he co-hosts with Hofstra alumnus Ed Birdsall.
Castar is also a big fan of listening to other people’s podcasts when he’s not busy creating his own. “I’ve been listening to Bill Simmons’ podcast at the moment and also a variety of video game podcasts,” he said. While some of the work done in podcasting is individual, podcasting is very much a collaborative effort as well – starting in college is a great way to develop ways of working with others and getting help before entering the working world. “As far as advice is concerned, start early and learn how podcasting works,” he said. “You need to be a self-motiva-
tor, people aren’t going to guide you forever ... Make your own shows, ask people for tips and once you get comfortable, then you can make what you think you can. Also, don’t hesitate to ask questions. It’s better to ask how to do something right rather than get it wrong in a high-pressure situation.” For anyone interested in joining Required Radio, the club meets weekly on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in room 141A in the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. The club also hosts ProTools workshops in which students learn to record and edit their own podcasts.
features
The Chronicle
February 26, 2019 •A7
Humans of Hofstra By Betty Araya STA FF WRITER
“I grew up in New Jersey, but I live in Nigeria. I went to school here
Alexis Hughes
for six years before I moved to Nigeria. I notice the difference between western life and, you know, outside of western life, because everything is just different everywhere else. They place importance on certain things that aren’t as important. Like respect, for example, is not something that is very important here. Religion is also not as important here, but it is very important in Nigeria ... I used to be a Christian. I wouldn’t call myself a practicing Christian now, but I am a spiritual person. I do believe in God and Jesus Christ, but I’m not actively practicing so I don’t like to call myself a Christian ... Religion is actually something that really affected me. I was not really religious when I lived here ... I mean, we went to church like three times a year for holidays. When I went to Nigeria, I was in a Methodist school. Every single morning we would pray before we ate; we used to stand up as a school and pray. So things like that just get ingrained into your daily life, and you’re practicing more than you ever thought you would practice. Respect, too, that’s a really big thing. Respect is such a core value everywhere else, you have to respect people who are older than you, no matter how little the difference is.”
“I deleted all my social media because I have an addictive person-
ality. I realized I have to be addicted to the right things. Sometimes I’ll stay up all night painting a shirt and other times I’ll stay up all night, but with something unhealthy like social media. I spend too much time by myself, I need to go out and see people or FaceTime people I don’t see. I email my grandma because she doesn’t know how to FaceTime and when she calls me, all I get is a closeup of her ear. I like talking to people and hearing their stories. Life is different for everybody, our experiences are what make us different. That’s why I don’t want to judge people. I don’t know what happened to them. I think generally everyone is born good; well, I don’t think they’re born good, they’re born the same. I don’t think you’re born a murderer. I think [when] you’re born it shapes you and who you are. I mean, I don’t know, social media encourages people ... I don’t like using social media as a way to get to know people. It’s superficial. It encourages you to be superficial.”
Jesse Kenworthy Betty Araya / The Hofstra Chronicle
Joe Fay / The Hofstra Chronicle
A8 • February 26, 2019
features
M a n o n t h e U n i s pa n
What did you do over President’s Day weekend? B y Audra Nemirow S P E C I A L TO THE C HR ONI C L E
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Overheard @ Hofstra In LHSC: “He looks like an ex-leprechaun.” In Brower Hall: “I would die for chocolate croissants.” In Colonial Square: “You’re born and you’re happy ... and that’s the only time you’re happy.”
“I studied, took pictures for my photography class and practiced cello.”
In Dunkin’:
– Maya Palmer, sophomore
“Have you ever watched those chiropractor videos? I honestly want someone to snap my neck.” In Calkins Hall: “Have you ever seen Julius Caesar? Take a hint, girl.” In Hammer Lab: “Every time I start eating, I can’t stop. I feel like a real American.” “I went to a concert with my best friend.” – Link Rosser, sophomore
In Bits & Bytes “My day usually starts off healthy and gets worse from there.” In Gittleson Hall: “Syn addition, S-Y-N, not the activities you were partaking in over the weekend.” In Breslin Hall: “California was the first state to legalize marijuana. ”
“I went home to Baltimore, Maryland. Basically, whenever I go home I eat at all the restaurants.”
“Oh yes, I was there for that!”
– Kate Meager, freshman
Photos courtesy of Audra Nemirow
Robert Kinnaird / The Hofstra Chronicle
features
The Chronicle
February 26, 2019 •A9
Bennett takes Afropunk and Global Citizen stage CONTINUED FROM A1 At the age of 7, Bennett attended the DeVore Dance Center in Queens, where she concentrated on mastering her dance skills. In order to accomplish this, she indulged herself in a family of influential teachers, friends and mentors. Carolyn DeVore, a performance art teacher at DeVore Dance Center, strongly implemented performance quality within Bennett. Bennett watched her talent blossom as she worked with DeVore to become a skilled dancer. DeVore quickly became a role model for Bennett, as she helped set a clear path for Bennett’s dance career. The performance art scene
strongly displays many different types of dance, such as contemporary, ballet, tap and hip-hop. Bennett was compelled by almost all of them as she began to find her range within the arts. “I started with hip-hop and tap. I was most consistent with ballet, but I did modern and African. I started doing contemporary when I came to Hofstra, because I was always interested in it.” Although Bennett is drawn to most styles, she resonates with hip-hop tremendously because it has allowed her to incorporate her personal flare within the intricate movement, “I love hip-hop because I can put more of my sassier self into it. I am not a very extroverted person, so it’s another [outlet] for me to be the person I hope to be.” While feeling free to express her core self through the inspiring moves of Photo courtesy of Patrick Avognon hip-hop, Bennett Dennette Bennett, backup dancer for Janelle Monae also hopes
to move a wide range of audiences through contemporary dance. “It moved me while I watched other people do it, so when I got to Hofstra, I wanted to develop the technique to be on the same level field as I am with hip-hop,” Bennett said. Bennett’s experience with Monae allowed her to experiment more with hip-hop and verified that dance is her calling. Soon after receiving confirmation that she would be performing with Monae, a choreographer contacted Bennett, which she explained to be a moment of glory. Bennett put her skills to the test the next day as she swayed her hips through Janelle Monáe’s songs during an exciting, but trying, eight-hour rehearsal. Bennett performed at Afropunk, a music festival portrayed through black excellence with a groove of many different types of music, art, film and fashion located in Brooklyn, New York, the next day. Bennett was able to showcase her talent for Monae twice, as she strutted her moves on stage during Global Citizen in late September. The performance aspect of dance conclusively captures Bennett’s heart. “I hope to eventually move people with my dance. I like performing, because it feels
like dance is the only place I don’t have to think. I think a lot in general, but on stage I can just do,” Bennett said. “The emotion comes [naturally] ... and it’s exciting sharing that with the audience.” Before each performance, the only regime Bennett has designed for herself is a prayer. As she cried with her fellow dancers, two of whom are women she calls inspirations, and whom she danced with previously, Bennett felt as though she found her aspiration. “Being on stage gave me the confirmation that I am doing what I want to do. This is my purpose in life.” For Bennett, the performance lifestyle captures a wave of emotion and naturality while on stage. The hectic atmosphere of Afropunk and Global Citizen made Bennett feel even more powerful as she showcased her love for dance to an engaging audience. This is who Bennett was born to be. Dance certainly has its perks, but behind the scenes the art can become quite difficult. Bennett described dance as being mentally, emotionally and physically draining, and although she has dealt with the provoking thoughts of quitting the arts, she could never leave her soulmate’s
side. “There were points where I wanted to quit. When I was younger, my social life was limited because I always had dance; but I’m happier with dance than I would ever be without it.” Dance allows a sense of joy and fulfillment to grow in Bennett’s veins. She has learned a plethora of life lessons while being a dancer, one being her interest in self-growth. The difficulties of dance include constant criticism which Bennett describes as a melting pot for her self-reflection and confidence. “I learned how to take criticism really well, it made me take pride in being rational and self-reflective. It makes me think about how my actions are impacting someone else.” Not only has dance created the strong-suited woman Bennett is today, but it also allowed her to focus deeply on the person she is becoming. Ultimately, the art has become an outlet for her to truly express her inner being, a side of herself the world does not often experience. “In a perfect world I would love to pursue my dreams in New York and tour with major artists or get signed to a major talent agency,” Bennett said. “What’s for me will be for me.”
Getting Saucy: Spiced Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon Vanilla Whipped Cream By Peter Soucy M U LTIMEDIA EDITOR
This week’s recipe is spiced hot chocolate. It’s only hot chocolate-drinking season once a year, so I figured I’d drop this recipe that I made up a few years ago. It mixes elements of a Mexican hot chocolate that my mom used to make for me and golden milk that I’ve tried at different cafes around Rhode Island. Share some with a friend during the next polar vortex and have them whip the cream for you.
Peter Soucy / The Hofstra Chronicle
Ingredients: Hot Chocolate: 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder 5 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon turmeric Pinch of cayenne 3 tablespoons boiling water 2 cups milk (dairy or nondairy) 1 cardamom pod Whipped Cream: 1 quart whipping cream or heavy cream 1 vanilla bean 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions:
1. Add cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne and boiling water in a sauce pan. Heat on medium high while mixing. 2. As the mixture just starts to bubble, add milk and the cardamom pod. 3. Reduce stove to low heat and stir until heated through completely. 4. For the whipped cream, add the cream, the inside of the vanilla bean and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and whisk until desired stiffness – a hand mixer will make this part easier. 5. Top the hot chocolate with the whipped cream.
Hofstra Esports Tournament Friday, Feb. 22
Competitors wait in line to enter the tournaments. Hofstra Esports hosted one-on-one tournaments for Overwatch and Super Smash Brothers Ultimate.
Alex Rufer, President of Hofstra Esports and Carter Gil de Rubio, Overwatch chair of the club, record commentary of the Super Smash Brothers Tournament.
Spectators gather around the competition setups to watch the tournament progress.
Tournament organizer Mark Pettit (left), a junior computer science major, and a competitor watch a match as it’s recorded for the Hofstra Esports Twitch.
Two competitors play Super Smash Brothers Ultimate on the streaming setup, the screen that is recorded for the Hofstra Esports Twitch Channel.
Hofstra Esports hosts a tournament every Friday except on the first Friday of each month, when they host a casual play night. You can find them on Facebook at Hofstra Esports to find more information on future events the club will be hosting. Brandon Kaston, Smash chair of the club, updates the tournament results as players are eliminated.
Gil de Rubio checks in on the progress of the Overwatch one-on-one tournament. Photos by Robert Kinnaird / Spread by Peter Soucy and Robert Kinnaird
Arts and Entertainment
VOL 84 ISSUE 13
‘Issa mood, issa vibe,’ but is it a match? B2
A&E ‘Issa mood, issa vibe,’ but is it a match?
B2•February 26, 2019
Continued from A1 “NASA” is full of tight background harmonies while Grande sings about the importance of personal space and maintaining independence in a relationship. “NASA” is a perfect embodiment of the empowered, confident woman that Grande has grown into over the course of her career. The next song, “bloodline,” is on the same level of empowerment as “NASA,” but with a little more edge. The fourth track on the album has a sound extremely reminiscent of Grande’s “God is a woman” off of her previous album, “Sweetener.” Bold and confident, “bloodline” is truly Grande at her best in this album. Grande triumphs in vocals and production for “fake smile,” but the lyrics leave something to be desired. With retro, ‘50s-style background harmonies contrasting the pop beat of the song, “fake smile” sets forth with a
message of staying true to your down of Grande’s relationship emotions even when it’s inconwith comedian Pete Davidson venient to those around you. This in the wake of Miller’s death. message gets unfortunately lost Grande sampled the strings on in the bridge of the song, which Miller’s song “2009,” adding to shifts base and turns Grande suspicions about the subjects of into a caricature of a small child “ghostin.” throwing a tanOn her Twittrum, with a tone ter, Grande that is completesaid that the ly incongruous song is about with the rest of “feeling badly the song. for the person The songs you’re with bc “bad idea,” [sic] you love “make up” and somebody else. “in my head” feeling badly all showcase the bc [sic] he can overall vibe of tell he can’t “thank u, next” Courtesy of Republic Records compare.... and best on the alhow i should be Ariana Grande is the first artist to bum. The vocals hold the No. 1, 2 and 3 spots on the ghosting him.” and production Billboard Hot 100 since The Beatles “7 rings” and accomplished this feat in 1964. are top-notch “thank u, next,” and the lyrics each tell vividly both promotional singles for the heartbreaking stories. album, broke records and have Lyrically, however, the eighth topped the Billboard Hot 100 song takes the crown. Many fans charts for several weeks. suspect the heartbreaking ballad While these two songs are “ghostin” to be about the breakundeniable hits and have pushed
Grande’s fame to new heights, they don’t seem to fit in when taken with the album as a whole. They seem to have more pomp than substance, and the sound isn’t quite right for the rest of the album. The album’s closer, “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored,” was released alongside the album with a music video at the time of the album’s release. Despite the admittedly problematic premise of the song – specifically, pitting women against each other for the attention of a man – “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” is undoubtedly set to be Grande’s next hit. Overall, “thank u, next” is a solid pop album. It has a largely cohesive sound, energy and sincerity, as well as a grand total of 83 utterances of Grande’s near-patented “yuh.” Though the lyrics occasionally leave something to be desired, they feel completely Ariana Grande.
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Quick Hits
Courtesy of Chicago Sun Times
“Empire” star Jussie Smollett was arrested after filing a false report for hiring actors to attack him in Chicago.
Courtesy of The Undefeated
Tristan Thompson allegedly had an affair with Kylie Jenner’s best friend, Jordyn Woods.
Performances shine at dull Grammys
By Ben Abrams
eryone who was watching. Even with a bad first performance, these superstars were all that was The 61st annual Grammy needed to inject some muchAwards were in a bit of hot water needed energy. right from the start. After last If the rest of the Grammys year’s show, Recording Acadhad simply been performances emy President Neil Portnow was and Drake, that energy could’ve infamously quoted as saying lasted throughout the night. that women need to “step up” Sadly, it died quite quickly. to make the nominee’s list less Keys’ act got old as the show male. dragged on, even with This year, Drake declined a dueling piano bit, and to perform. Kendrick Lamar, there was no recovery in Childish Gambino and Ariana sight. No matter how many Grande all refused to show notable and historic wins up. The Recording Academy there were – from Cardi B couldn’t find anyone available to Kacey Musgraves to the to do a Motown tribute, so they absent Childish Gambino picked Jennifer Lopez. People – the Recording Academy weren’t happy right out of the Courtesy of Grammy Awards still found a way to step on gate, and they weren’t necesway too many toes whilst sarily wrong to feel that way. Among the winners for this year were Childish Gambino, Ariana Grande, Cardi B and sucking the fun out of alViewers hoped the Grammys Brandi Carlile. most every presentation. would be able to triumph over couldn’t make up for the absurd The most notable of these expectations and sell the magic number of dancers onstage. toe-stepping incidents had to of music to everyone without Thankfully, Keys showed up be when the show’s producers controversy. The announcement and brought a good bit of flare to flat-out cut Drake’s mic during that Alicia Keys would host the show’s introduction. She was his speech. Yes, the speech itself drew considerable hype, as did a quickly joined onstage by Lady was meant to be a solid jab at the performance roster that included Gaga, Lopez, Jada Pinkett Smith whole notion of the Grammys, Diana Ross and Dolly Parton. and ... Michelle Obama? Yes – but if the Recording Academy Maybe, somehow, the RecordMichelle Obama. The former first wants to even try to revamp ing Academy could change our lady’s appearance immediately its relationship with the world minds about the dreadful things sold the crowd and probably evof hip-hop, its chances did not STAFF WRITER
that have been said about it. They didn’t. Despite some wonderful surprises and absolutely stunning performances – even J-Lo put on the magic for Motown – the Grammys once again couldn’t seem to find their own rhythm. The show began with a lackluster number from Camila Cabello, whose vocal performance
improve. Other performances from the likes of Janelle Monae, Lady Gaga and Mark Ronson, Chloe x Halle, St. Vincent and Dua Lipa and Travis Scott (with James Blake) did make everything bearable, but those performances had to end somewhere and the actual show had to continue. Heck, even Post Malone was good. But alas, all good things must come to an end. Viewers were understandably left wanting more from this year’s show, and they should demand more. Award shows in general have become a hassle and this one bolstered that case. If the Grammys are to continue, they must adapt and accept that their platform is so diverse and democratized that there is no way to take the show 100 percent seriously anymore. If they can realize that, maybe we’ll be on the right track. However, for now, things remain stale.
Courtesy of Footwear News
Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld died on Tuesday, February 19, at the age of 85 years old.
Courtesy of CNN
This year’s Oscars had no host for the first time in 30 years.
Courtesy of Fox News
Cover: Grammy Awards
R. Kelly was arrested on Friday, Feb. 22, with aggravated sexual assault charges.
February 26, 2019•B3 A&E ‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ creates a buzz on Netflix
The Chronicle
uncovered the story behind the creator of the haunted paintings. It exposes the intricacies of an industry that otherwise are not common knowledge, which, Courtesy of Netflix combined ‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ is a certified 65 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, but only has an audience score with the of 38 percent. existence everything you would think: darBy Natalie Evans of multiple ing fashion, eloquent words said STAFF WRITER haunted paintings, makes for a with a dramatic flair and a lot of more compelling story. It makes “Velvet Buzzsaw” is the latmuseums, exhibits and art. the danger that much more excitest thriller to come out of our But it also has some things that ing and open-ended. The film loving overlord Netflix. It stars fans wouldn’t expect – a couple also makes a point to address Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo of flat characters, some empty concepts like greed, power, truth and Zawe Ashton, all of whom subplots and pacing issues. and shallow high-society persontake up interesting characters in It was a good movie because it alities at work through metaphors the contemporary art world. It’s
and some decent conversation. Even though it still felt flowery, vague and a little disingenuous, the point sailed through and it was clear that viewers were watching these snobs suffer some cosmic punishment. In some aspects, the film failed to meet expectations. As viewers in the modern contemporary art world, audiences were expecting more brazen, original characters that they could sink their teeth into. Instead, Netflix provided some fashion-forward individuals with bad attitudes who did not have any depth. The movie could have also done without the empty subplots that lead to nowhere. Josephina (Ashton) and Morf’s (Gyllenhaal) whole love story seemed to only exist just so that Morf would wrongfully tear apart Josephina’s ex-boyfriend’s art exhibition with his influence as an esteemed art critic. The choice to have that same ex-boyfriend die in a drunk driving accident seemed like a way for the writers
to exploit Morf in his horrorific manipulation scene in the soundproof room. However, despite all of this, Gyllenhaal’s performance certainly stunned as he continuously chose to dive into these characters with interesting lives and personalities. Viewers forget who he is for a moment and instead see him fully as a man who is clearly in love with art and its most experimental mediums, getting a rush from anything different, new and exciting. It is Morf who, through his rose-colored glasses, still seems to see truth – and it may be because he’s so perfectly blunt and honest. The one-liners are funny, the characters are still fun to watch and the unfolding of the story builds to a decent climax. Plus, the bit with the assistant who is everybody’s assistant is funny toward the end. It’s not a bad movie, it’s just a little disappointing compared to what viewers thought they were going to get.
Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), now an normally take the form of fungi, reunion: that of Stamets and his agent of the nefarious Section 31. decomposing any foreign matter long-thought-dead husband Hugh Yeoh’s acting drips with nuance they find. However, the “monster” Culber (Wilson Cruz). in every scene she is in, as she rel- uses toxic tree bark to kill the Back in season one, Culber’s ishes in Georgiou’s unbridled vilJahSepp, wreaking havoc across death at the hands of Ash Tyler lainy. Even the was a sore point act of eating an for many fans, apple becomes especially conintimidating. sidering he and Section Stamets were the 31’s liaison first gay couple in to Discovery Star Trek. is revealed to However, Cruz be Ash Tyler told fans that it (Shazad Latif), wasn’t the end a human with for his character memories of a and at long last dead Klingon, we see that he Courtesy of CBS was right. Of which doesn’t sit well with Capcourse, this didn’t tain Pike (Anson ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ marks the first Star Trek series since 2005. mean Discovery Mount). Michael couldn’t tug at vouches for him, but she’s still their world. our heartstrings even further by at uneasy around Tyler due to his afLieutenant Paul Stamets first making us believe that Culber filiation with Starfleet’s infamous (Anthony Rapp) cooks up a plan wouldn’t be able to pass through shadow organization. to rescue Tilly, having the ship the dimensional barrier. The episode then returns to do a dimensional jump into the Rapp’s emotions are on full Tilly, who has been transported dimensional plane itself. He and display in these scenes – from his across dimensions by May. Both Michael only have an hour to touching recollection of his and actresses are top-notch here, with find Tilly before the Discovery is Culber’s third date to their tearTilly being understandably angry eaten by the JahSepp, which they inducing embrace when they both and May begging her to help fight do shortly after crossing through. realize that the other is real to the against a “monster” destroying her Michael and Tilly’s reunion is utter heartbreak when Culber’s home. May’s species, the JahSepp, cut short, however, by another hand disintegrates across the bar-
rier. On Discovery’s side of things, the ship’s integrity is quickly running thin, even after Tyler calls Section 31 for help. Georgiou goes against her boss Leland (Alan van Sprang) to give Discovery three more minutes, which she justifies by blackmailing him for a botched assassination attempt. They eventually find a way to bring Culber across, but it requires May promising to transport him herself after Tilly, Stamets and Michael go through the barrier without him. She and Tilly pinky-swear and upon their return to our dimension, May keeps her promise. A naked Culber emerges from a cocoon into the engineering room, Stamets grabbing him in loving embrace. Pike and Leland are met by Admiral Cornwell (Jayne Brook), who orders them to put aside their differences and work together in investigating the mysterious seven signals that the season is centered around. What lies ahead in the series, besides finally finding Spock, is unknown, but with the return of Culber, things are definitely looking up.
‘Star Trek’ unburies its gay relationships
By Jacob Huller STAFF WRITER
With its high-stakes action, intriguing worldbuilding and excellent character work, “Star Trek: Discovery,” which began its second season this past January, continues to bring fresh takes on old Trek formulas. “Saints of Imperfection” premiered on Thursday, Feb. 14. It begins on the distraught Michael Burnham (Sonequa MartinGreen), rushing to save her friend Tilly (Mary Wiseman), who was kidnapped in the last episode by an interdimensional being known to them in a human form as “May” (Bahia Watson). She laments in her opening narration that she wants to have hope that Tilly will return but cannot, instead choosing to bury herself in her work. Said work is the continuing search for her foster brother, Spock, which has encompassed much of the season so far. As Burnham arrives on the bridge, they seem to have tracked his shuttle, but when it is pulled into their shuttle bay, its passenger is not the renegade Vulcan, but rather the Mirror Universe Philippa
The Chronicle A&E Mickey’s ‘Original Exhibition’ was ‘so fine’
B4•February 26, 2019
Courtesy of Youtuber Laughing Place The 16,000 square-foot exhibit ran from November 8, 2018 through February 10, 2019.
By Jenna Clark S TAFF W R I T E R
“Mickey: The True Original Exhibition,” the exhibit that became extremely popular on social media due to its photogenic nature, closed its Lower West Side doors two weeks ago on Sunday, Feb. 10.
By Casey Clark
From the moment visitors enter the facility, they fell in love with the eccentric decor. The exhibition was basically any Disney fan’s dream – especially fans of Mickey Mouse. A group of about 30 guests were permitted into the exhibit per time slot. It would have been unpleas-
ant to experience the exhibit had more guests been present. The first room held a wide screen that projected a short film about Mickey Mouse. The movie was followed by an enthusiastic spiel made by one of the cast members. The proceeding rooms contained artwork and creations inspired
by the original mouse himself. Each room followed a specific theme and the pieces on display in each pertained to that theme. The first main room had multiple neon light fixtures outlining the shape of Mickey Mouse. Additionally, it contained a large interactive structure of the Steamboat Willie, the ship he sailed in the classic cartoon. Posing and taking photographs of and with the artwork was highly encouraged. A majority of the exhibit was interactive for guests of all ages. The cast members were very helpful and informative throughout the process. They offered to take photographs and suggested the best locations in each room to take the perfect pictures. One room revolved around the movie “Fantasia,” including Sorcerer Mickey, while another focused on the women who colored in the original cartoons before the
development of technology. The room that featured free ice cream samples was surely a favorite for many guests. This room was designed like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and contained props from “The Mickey Mouse Club.” To conclude the experience, guests had the opportunity to participate in a fun Disney trivia game. This was a unique feature of the display as the trivia was hosted by a cast member along with Mickey Mouse himself. Mickey’s voice was projected through a Google Home device which moderated the game. Every participant received two pins exclusive to the exhibit. Guests were then able to linger around, browse and shop in the store which contained special merchandise, snacks and other mementos. This exhibit was established to celebrate and promote Mickey’s 90th birthday and left many fans imagining how marvelous the activities will be for his 100th birthday. Though it is now closed, Disney will hopefully host another exhibit like this in the future due to the positive feedback and levels of success this one achieved.
The story of life in ‘A Good Friend Is Nice’
STAFF WRITER
Island Records duo Jack Gilinsky and Jack Johnson, best known as Jack & Jack, recently released their debut album, “A Good Friend Is Nice,” on Friday, Jan. 11. Jack & Jack has been thriving on social media since 2013 when they started their Vine account, and they have been working hard ever since. Starting with just comedy, Jack & Jack soon ventured into music, which substantially increased their fanbase. The debut album features 12 songs that cover topics of love, heartbreak, friendship and other life events fans around the world can relate to. The album starts off with the song, “No One Compares To You,” the single taking over radio stations across the country. The song touches upon the feelings and thoughts that arise when a breakup occurs and how it is hard to move on because that person is still on your mind. “Lotta Love” is the following song, which has a mysterious
vibe and a slow-starting melody of the song, where he raps about The next track is “April that works up to the chorus. The what is separating them from a girl Gloom,” which has a hip-hop passion and intense feelings they found in Barcelona. sound with an upbeat melody and that Gilinsky and Johnson felt during their past relationships can be heard in the lyrics, “I can’t make you love me if you don’t.” The song concludes with the notion of moving forward into relationships with other people, despite the fact that they may face hardships. On a more positive side, “Barcelona” is a very relaxed song featuring a mariachi band slowly playing in Courtesy of Universal Island Records the background. Johnson’s rapping skills are demonstrated Jack & Jack, originally a comedy duo from Vine, has garnered over 1.8 million subtoward the end scribers on YouTube.
numerous echoes throughout. “Promise Me” has a slow but gradual buildup with a stately chorus emphasizing the duo’s powerful emotions. The track also has a futuristic sound with synthesized noises similar to that of a robot, creating a feeling of curiosity for what is to come. The rest of the tracks showcase Johnson’s and Gilinsky’s vocals and exquisite song-writing skills that have led them to accumulate over 2.6 million followers on Instagram. One of their hit singles, “Rise,” featuring recording artist and producer Jonas Blue, has sold over 500,000 units. Jack & Jack just started their “A Good Friend Is Nice” tour in Europe on Thursday, Feb. 21, and they’re coming to North America in April. Jack & Jack will be performing two shows in New York City at Irving Plaza on Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26. Spencer Sutherland recently announced on his Twitter that he will be joining Jack & Jack on some of their tour dates in North America as a supporting act.
A 12 • February 26, 2019
op-ed
The Chronicle
The The views and opinions expressed in the Editorial section are those of the authors of the articles. They are not an endorsement of the views of The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors. The Chronicle reserves the right to not publish any piece that does not meet our editorial standards.
My gender-neutral housing horror story
By Elliot Colloton
Heading into college as a trans student, my dorm situation was the greatest source of stress. Finding out Hofstra was offering a whole floor catered specifically to my needs – the Gender-Inclusive Themed Living Community – was ultimately what sold me on the school. My stress disappeared and instead I found myself excitedly counting down the days until move-in day. I knew that no dorm was going to be perfect, but the second I actually arrived, whatever bright-eyed freshman excitement I had was immediately extinguished. Moving in was bound to be stressful, especially when you’re a disabled person that can’t lift anything over 10 pounds. I should’ve known from the first moment I stepped into the elevator and didn’t see the button for my floor that things were only going to keep
going downhill from there. But I held onto that hopeful enthusiasm all the way up the narrow flight of stairs, the wheeled bin filled with all my things left at the bottom. I could deal with stairs, no problem. Never mind my bad back, my mom’s bad knee and the fact that neither of us could carry much up a flight of stairs, we’d figure something out! Then I opened the door to my room and discovered I was paying a frankly obscene amount of money for a room the size of a shoebox. After countless trips up and down the stairs and about an hour of desperately trying to maximize storage space so I had enough space to turn around in – spoiler alert: I didn’t – I was moved in. I made my peace with living in a closet-sized dorm, and that was that. Surely it couldn’t get worse, right? During the first few weeks of
September, I discovered that the stairway would get so humid that the paint would bubble and peel, mold would grow in the corners and puddles would form on the steps that were so slimy that I slipped on the stairs at least once a day, no matter how careful I was. Others living on the floor found their windows leaked horribly and my air conditioning refused to work. Work orders for the window went unanswered. I was told my air conditioning unit was unfixable because it couldn’t be accessed because my room is too small to move the bed even six inches away from it – which, coincidentally, is a fire hazard with the heat on, as it blows hot air directly onto flammable bedding and there’s nothing I can do about it. When people get locked out, Public Safety often takes more than an hour – and on occasion over two – to get to the floor,
and one officer even remarked after an hour and twenty minutes of me waiting that he “had no idea people actually lived up here!” With no resident assistant (RA) on the floor – we’re double-booked with the 12th floor, which is unfair to both the RA and the residents of both floors – it’s concerning to think about what would happen in an emergency. Don’t get me wrong – I love my floor. Everyone that put countless hours of work into making sure there was a space on campus where anyone could live comfortably, regardless of gender identity or expression, is a great thing. I wouldn’t dream of moving anywhere else on campus. I have an amazing RA who does an incredible job of making sure the needs of the floor are met and our voices heard, despite having her own floor on top of mine to manage. Our resident director has been
amazingly involved as well, taking time out of his schedule to personally meet with us and do his best to address our concerns. The problem is larger than either of them – it’s neglect by Public Safety, management and Hofstra’s administration. Whether my experiences this year have been the result of a tendency of Hofstra to neglect or outright ignore the needs of minority students like those living on my floor or are indicative of a larger problem with housing here in general, I don’t know. Either way, it’s clear that there’s a problem and it needs to be addressed.
Elliot Colloton is an undecided freshman who is a member of The Gender Identity Federation (TGIF) at Hofstra.
Graphic by James Factora
op-ed
The Chronicle
February 26, 2019 A 13
We can’t trust Michael Cohen’s apologies
By Anonymous
In December, President Donald Trump’s former attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for the illegal hush-money payments he made regarding two women Trump had affairs with prior to the campaign. The fact that we as a nation talk about the president having a “fixer” like it’s a normal thing for the leader of the free world to have is wild all on its own, but beside the point here. Following his sentencing, Cohen embarked on an “apology” tour. Pivotal in this endeavor was an interview with George Stephanopoulos that was picked up and dissected by multiple other media outlets. In this interview, Cohen talked about how he was “done with lying,” how he “took responsibility for [his] actions” and “told the truth.” What is so infuriating about
this interview and the ensuing response is the light in which it paints Cohen. He looks sympathetic and remorseful, as if he was just another person who fell victim to President Trump. This could not be further from the truth, and for media outlets to fall for this narrative is a journalistic failure, as it ignores the other vile things Cohen did during his time working for Trump. The experiences of my family, and so many other families across America, are living proof that the persona Cohen has built for himself in recent weeks is completely manufactured. My mother, like so many others, worked at a company that was swindled by Trump almost a decade before he began his presidential run. It’s not a standout story in any way – the company was hired by the Trump Organization, they did the work they were hired to do
and then were refused pay – but what does stand out to me now is the letter sent from the Trump Organization refusing payment, which was signed by none other than Cohen. If Cohen signed a letter like this once, I have no doubt he signed countless others that the Trump Organization sent out denying contracted companies fair compensation for their work. Cohen’s recent public appearances suggest that he wants to make amends or has come to regret his actions, which rings false. The regret that Cohen has been showing since his sentencing is nothing but manufactured and selfish. He isn’t sorry that he hurt people; he’s sorry that people found out about some of the crimes that he did, that he has to spend three years in prison and that he’ll probably never work in New York again. Furthermore, the repercussions he’s actually had to face have
been shockingly light. I am by no means the first person to make this point, but Cohen got three years in prison for violating campaign finance laws in a presidential campaign. According to NBC News, the average prison sentence handed down for a drug offense is more than six years. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the value of negotiating a deal with Cohen for the prosecutors. I get that Cohen wasn’t the main focus of the investigation, and his cooperation was vital for furthering the investigation to get to the heart of what happened during and beyond the 2016 election. What infuriates me about this whole situation is Cohen playing the victim and trotting out these sappy apologies in an attempt to claim the moral high ground over Trump. If Cohen was actually sorry, he wouldn’t just take
responsibility for the crimes with which he was charged; he would take responsibility for every other terrible thing he did at the behest of Trump. He would be honest about the people he hurt and the money he kept workers from rightly being paid. Any admission that does not include that is insincere and selfish. The company my mom worked for at the time got lucky – the work they did for them only cost a couple thousand dollars. They were able to recover. The same cannot be said for all the companies that had these kinds of dealings with the Trump Organization. Cohen helped Trump disrupt lives and hurt people; until he admits that, his new apologies mean nothing.
from Jan. 2019 reveals that majority of these generations support progressive ideas, including universal health care, free public college and a higher minimum wage. Sanders has also spoken about addressing income inequality, establishing higher taxes for the wealthy and ending tax breaks for billiondollar corporations. Many, if not all, of Sanders’ ideas have been echoed by other Democratic politicians and are becoming mainstream among Democrats. While a growing number of citizens support Sanders and his ideas, there are many who harbor doubts and believe his goals are not “realistic,” or will put too much strain on the economy. People must realize that these ideas are established policies in other developed nations, including Japan and many European countries. For example, the U.S. is the only developed nation that does not have universal health care. Again, primarily through higher taxes, the government in these other nations can fund health
care for anyone who seeks it. The government can keep prices of health care lower as well by regulating and negotiating the price of drugs and services and eliminating private health insurance, making health care more affordable and accessible. This lessens the financial burden individuals face when they fall ill or are injured. In 2016, Sanders released a plan outlining the funding for universal health care. While the plan would cost $1.38 trillion per year and would involve raising taxes, particularly among the wealthy, it would cost citizens less money on health care overall. Several nations in Europe also offer either free public education, such as Norway and Germany, or much more affordable education, such as France. Students in France attending public universities usually pay only a few hundred dollars per year. Their ability to provide this lies in higher taxes, an idea that Sanders supports to help people in the U.S.
attain higher education without having decades’ worth of debt to pay back. Countries outside of Europe, such as China, also offer more affordable higher education, with students paying about $3,000 per year. Climate change and protecting the environment is another significant point for Sanders. He embraces the science behind climate change and the dire predictions that have been made. He is adamant about investing in renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, instead of allowing the coal and oil industries to influence politicians into continuing to discredit science, which puts the U.S. and the world in danger. Sanders’ call for progressive candidates and true progressive ideas over left-leaning or Democratic views is one of his most poignant stances. This country has been treating politics as if they are a sporting event, and each party is a team that must win, no matter what that party stands for. Moderate
and independent candidates with progressive ideas are the future of politics for this country. Sanders is a good candidate who has been invested in his ideas for decades. He has been consistently advocating for universal health care and free public college tuition for the past couple of decades and has remained consistent with advocating for abortion rights and supporting the LGBTQ+ community. He has also drafted solid plans for his ideas, demonstrating he is not just “talk.” Some of his ideas may seem unrealistic, but they are worth supporting and investing in if this country is still committed to giving its citizens true opportunities to achieve the American dream.
The writer requested anonymity out of concern for their family’s privacy.
Here’s why Bernie can still win in 2020
By Rachel Wilson
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his 2020 presidential campaign launch early last week to open arms. According to CNN, his campaign went on to raise more than $6 million from 225,000 individual contributors, with an average contribution of $27, in its first 24 hours. This total greatly exceeds totals raised by other candidates, including Sen. Kamala Harris of California, who raised $1.5 million within 24 hours of announcing her campaign in January, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who raised $1 million in the first 48 hours after her campaign launch. Sanders launching his campaign with such a strong financial base indicates his popularity. Sanders gained a large following with these same ideas in 2016, particularly among young people. Much of Sanders’ fan base consists of millennials and Gen Z. A poll from the Pew Research Center
Rachel Wilson is a graduate journalism student.
op-ed
A 14 • February 26, 2019
“Hofstra in London” calling? Don’t answer.
By Kyra Bella
Anyone who has studied abroad through Hofstra knows that it will cost you a pretty penny. Not only are you required to pay the program fee – usually around $3,800 – but you are also required to pay for the credits you will be receiving through the University as well. The London study abroad program this past January session cost about $8,300. Some students don’t mind paying that amount because they feel that they have gotten some “bang for their buck.” I just do not feel that way. For comparison, a London study abroad program with Adelphi University partners with Kingston University in London for a program over the summer. The program cost for this includes the tuition, housing in a dorm for 31 days, field trips, unlimited travel on the underground and buses throughout greater London and transportation to and from the airport. All of this is $4,100. Students only have to pay for the cost of a round trip airplane ticket to London, which is around $1,000. This trip is around $3,000 less than Hofstra’s and includes so much more. Upon signing up for the trip, we were given the choice between taking a course in British contemporary theater or on the Swinging Sixties in London. The theater class included tickets to four London theater productions and a private tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. One would think that since the theater class was
set up to have so many amazing experiences, the Swinging Sixties in London class would be given opportunities for equally amazing experiences. But for five students in the class that assumed this, four of us were left sorely disappointed. Upon arrival to London it quickly became apparent that the Swinging Sixties course was the ugly red-headed stepchild of Hofstra’s London program. The real problem that troubles
The unfortunate reality was that our class was given no opportunities. We sat in a basement conference room of a crappy hotel and watched hours and hours of concert footage instead of experiencing the awesomeness and rich history of the city that we were studying in. In addition, our class was from 1-3 p.m., right smack in the middle of the day, preventing us from seeing London during primetime and
“Upon arrival to
London it quickly became apparent that the Swinging Sixties course was the ugly red-headed stepchild of Hofstra’s London program ...”
me is, where the hell did my money go? A roundtrip ticket to London and three weeks in a crappy hotel could in no way amount to $3,800. It can only be inferred that some of the money we paid went toward the shows and tours the other class had the opportunity to take, while my class was oh-so-“generously” given $40 each to go do something related to our class.
keeping us from eating three meals a day. When you are studying abroad in a country that is foreign to you, you would think that the director of your trip would be checking in to see how you were doing and make sure you were OK. That was not the case in London this past January. No emergency numbers were distributed to students; if
you had an emergency while in London you had to grow up quickly. We saw the program director on the first night and the last night. If you did not take a class with the professor that was the head of the trip, you did not see or hear from him for three entire weeks. We barely even saw our director when we got back to New York. I think the icing on the cake was when my roommate got detained by U.S. Customs and our director strolled right out of the terminal without checking to see if all of the students were getting through security. I understand we are considered adults now, but checking in to see if we are OK is still important when you are the director of a study abroad program. Our experience, although not ideal, was enjoyable – no thanks to Hofstra. We laughed at our situation because if we didn’t laugh I surely would have cried. I just hope that next year Hofstra can appoint a director that will ensure that no matter what class you take, you can still have an equally amazing experience. Hopefully the next director of the program makes the London study abroad program much more inclusive and equal than this past January’s program turned out to be.
Kyra Bella is a junior public relations major who was a part of the Hofstra in London program in Jan. 2019.
The Chronicle
Quick Hits
Trump departed for Hanoi, Vietnam, last night for a second summit with North Korea on nuclear tensions.
Theresa May considers delaying Brexit date, a month after the Labour Party announced their support for a second referendum on E.U. withdrawal.
Vice President Mike Pence announced additional sanctions against Venezuela, targeting four allies of President Maduro.
Got hot takes? We want ‘em! Email us at huchronicle.op.ed@gmail.com
R. Kelly’s bail was set at $1 million over the weekend after the singer was charged with 10 cases of aggravated sexual assault.
SPORTS
The Chronicle
February 26, 2019 A 15
Pride Performer of the Week: Alexa Mattera
“My teammates back and they gave me the confidence to player that I be."
had my really be the could
JUNIOR MIDFIELDER ALEXA MATTERA
Alexandra Licata / The Hofstra Chronicle
A 16• February 26, 2019
The Chronicle
SPORTS
Home win streak snapped on senior day in nail-biter
By Zevan Schuster S TA F F W R I T E R
Final (OT ) JMU
104
Hofstra
99
The Saturday, Feb. 23 game between Hofstra men’s basketball and James Madison University (JMU) came down to the wire, with the Dukes winning a 104-99 thriller in overtime. Playing on senior day, the Pride came up just short in their bid to finish the season off with an undefeated record at home and give the seniors one last home victory. Nevertheless, it was not meant to be. With the first 1,000 fans who arrived at the arena given Justin Wright-Foreman T-shirts and a packed David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex roaring all game long, the atmosphere was fitting for the nail-biter the game turned out to be. Of his home arena, WrightForeman said, “Words can’t describe [it]. I’m just happy I got the opportunity to play here, in front of these great fans that we have.” In the last home game of his career, Wright-Foreman, who is a candidate for both the Haggerty Award, given to the top player in the New York metropolitan area, and the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, given to the best collegiate shooting guard, was on his game per usual, scoring a team-high 33 points on 12-18 shooting, including 6-10 from three. However, matching him bucket for bucket was Dukes guard Matt Lewis, who put up a career-high 40 points on 11-22 shooting, including 6-9 from three, leaving his mark as the best player on the floor Saturday afternoon. But before Wright-Foreman and Lewis went back and forth, Hofstra’s recent trend of slow starts continued – they came out flat and did not muster a single field goal the last six minutes of the first half. Defensively, however, Hofstra also did not hold its own, allowing a 50
percent JMU field goal mark to push the Dukes out in front to an eight-point halftime lead. “You have to take it [personally],” said Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich. “And we didn’t. The last three games we didn’t guard. We were really good [at] guarding for the first 26 games. We’ve got to find it, because we’ve got it.” “We just stopped playing defense,” Wright-Foreman said. On Saturday, the Pride did not figure it out well or fast enough. On a day where they should have been playing inspired from the opening tip, Hofstra did not show it. For most of the game, they were out-hustled, failed to box out and lacked energy, although they did turn it on in key stretches to get themselves back in the game. Holding the Pride back in the early going was an inefficient outing from Desure Buie, Tareq Coburn and Jacquil Taylor. Both Buie and Coburn went 0-3 from the field. Buie also committed 3 turnovers, while Taylor committed another set of costly turnovers underneath the basket, which eliminated scoring opportunities. Combined, these three scored eight points in the first half – all by Taylor. In addition to trailing 4032 at the half, Hofstra went just 1-8 from the three-point line, failing to find any sort of rhythm. However, coming out of the break, the Pride played some of their best basketball of the game. Coburn shook off his poor first half, scoring 11 points in the first few minutes of the second half and providing a necessary spark for his team. “We had a chance to take control of this game, but I feel like we just didn’t do enough defensively. When you score as much as we did to start the second half, we should have taken control,” Mihalich said. While Coburn was Hofstra’s spark plug, Wright-Foreman proved to be its steadying force once again. After Coburn’s surge, Hofstra’s star guard added three triples before looking into the crowd and throwing his hand down with attitude. Buie shook off a poor first half of his own, racking up an
incredible 11 assists without a single turnover in the second half. His ability to make plays kept the Pride in front for most of the second half. Whether it was kickouts for threes or handoffs inside, Buie’s playmaking ability created efficient offense for the Pride in the second half. What unfolded down the stretch turned the game into a memorable one. With less than a minute left and the game tied, WrightForeman drew the defense inside with him and kicked it out to Coburn, who let the ball fly without hesitation. After going scoreless in the first half, Coburn scored 14 huge points in the second half, including the biggest shot of the game to that point. JMU guard Stuckey Mosley’s putback layup brought JMU back to within one, before Buie made two free throws for Hofstra to push the lead back up to three. But, as had been the back-and-forth nature of this game, JMU brought it to within one again, this time on a layup by Dwight Wilson, for his 13th and 14th points of the game. Buie followed up once again with two free throws to put his team up three, before JMU took the ball out with 3.8 seconds left, needing a three to tie the game and send it to overtime. With a screen set to free up point guard Lewis in the back court, the Dukes got possession of the ball, ran past the halfcourt line and stopped just before the three-point line to pull up the potential game-tying shot with a defender right in his face. In the ultimate pressure situation, the ball hit the bottom of the net, leaving the Lion’s Den stunned. “We play a lot of zone, and it’s hard to trap out of the zone,” Mihalich said on the Pride’s defensive efforts at the end of regulation. “At the end of the day, I can show you the board in there. It says that one of our defensive keys is to guard one-on-one. And, like I said, you’ve got to take it personal. [Lewis] took turns. He scored on everybody. He just isolated, and they basically
said, ‘We’re going to score on you,’ and they did. So we’ve got to respond better.” To start overtime, WrightForeman hit a three, as if to remind everyone who the nation’s No. 3 scorer is. With the bucket, Wright-Foreman also became the No. 4 scorer in Hofstra basketball history – yet another incredible achievement in his remarkable, historic career. With Hofstra now leading 96-91, JMU’s Mosley made a three, while Wright-Foreman simultaneously fouled Greg Jones, awarding Jones two free throws on top of the alreadymade three, which he converted. Though there is never a good time for a five-point possession, the Pride picked perhaps the worst time to give one up. To make matters worse, Lewis added a four-point play on the ensuing possession to go up 100-96, draining a three as the referee blew the whistle for a foul. After JMU’s 9-0 run in a matter of moments, WrightForeman split a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 100-97 with a minute left. On the Pride’s ensuing possession, Jones committed an over-the-back foul on Dan Dwyer, who calmly stepped to the line and made two free throws in order to bring the game within one at 100-99. Lewis again got fouled driving to the basket, a call that left the Pride incredulous. After predictably making both free throws, JMU led 102-99.
Hofstra had the ball down three, with 18.1 seconds left and their undefeated home record at stake. It was Wright-Foreman’s turn to answer back and hit a gametying three of his own. The storybook ending was there for the taking, but on this day, it was not to be written. The ball clanked off the rim. No good. JMU got the rebound and iced the game with a pair of free throws. Just like that, Hofstra’s home record received its first blemish, with the Pride losing 104-99. “Whether you’re winning 16 in a row or [if] you just lost two out of three, it’s all about the next game,” Mihalich said. “We’ve got to win the next two games [against] Drexel [University] and [University of] Delaware. That’s all that matters at this point,” Wright-Foreman said. With the loss, Hofstra falls to 23-6 overall and 13-3 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play, standing now just one game ahead of Northeastern University for first place in the CAA. The Pride goes on the road on Thursday, Feb. 28, to face Drexel and wraps up their season on Saturday, March 2, at 4 p.m. against Delaware. “It’s soul-searching time right now,” Mihalich said. “We’re still a game up with two to go. I like being in this position, but right now we’ve figured it out. I believe in this team.”
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Eli Pemberton had 15 points and five rebounds in Saturday’s loss.
SPORTS
The Chronicle
February 26, 2019 A 17
Big second half propels women’s lax to victory
By Jason Siegel STAFF W R I T E R
Fina l Hofstra
20
Fairfield
11
Alexa Mattera, Alyssa Parrella and Katie Whelan each had a hat trick to help the Hofstra women’s lacrosse team (3-1) take down the Fairfield University Stags (3-1), 20-11, at Fairfield on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 23. It was a back-and-forth affair in the first half, as neither team led by more than one goal. Mattera scored an unassisted goal with 3:23 until the break to give Hofstra a 7-6 advantage at halftime. Mattera finished with a team-high six goals on Saturday. The Pride offense exploded in the second half, as Hofstra scored eight unanswered goals to jump out to a 15-6 lead. Hofstra went on to outscore
the Stags 13-5 in the final 30 minutes. Mattera got Hofstra started on the right foot, finding the back of the cage just 1:24 into the contest to open the scoring and put the Pride ahead early. Jillian Winwood, who had a team-high three goals for the Stags, scored less than two minutes later to tie the game at one. Brooke Gallagher, who scored both of her goals in the first half, gave Fairfield their first lead at 6-5 when she put the ball in the back of the net with 11:48 remaining in the opening half. The Pride defense locked in after that, holding the Stags scoreless for the remainder of the first half. Parrella and Mattera stepped up down the stretch in the first half, as Parrella knotted the score at six with 7:22 left until the break before Mattera’s goahead goal. Hofstra’s defense continued to keep the Stags off the scoreboard early in the second
half until Winwood finally broke the ice for Fairfield off a pass from Gallagher with 18:52 remaining, but not before Hofstra found the back of the cage eight times to put the game out of reach. Defense has led the way in Hofstra’s earlier wins this season, as they held Bucknell University and Wagner College to four goals apiece in their previous two matchups. Goalkeeper Jess Smith has played a pivotal role for the Pride, averaging nine saves in the first four games this season. The Pride demonstrated their offensive depth against Fairfield, with seven players scoring and five finding the back of the net multiple times. Hofstra has hit the ground running after losing to No. 21 University of California in their season opener. All three of the Pride’s victories this season have been by a margin of at least nine goals. Parrella and Mattera both had high expectations coming
into this season, and they have not disappointed. Parrella paces the Pride with 18 goals in four games, and Mattera is the team’s second-leading scorer with 15 goals.
Hofstra will look to extend its winning streak to four games on Tuesday, Feb. 26, when they open a three-game homestand against Quinnipiac.
Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle Alexa Mattera scored a career-high six goals against Fairfield on Saturday.
HOFSTRA ATHLETIC CALENDAR HOME
T U E SD AY
W EDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATU R D AY
SU N D AY
AWAY
2/26
2/27
2/28
3/1
3 /2
3 /3
MEN’S
DREXEL – 7 P.M.
BA S K ET B A L L
W OMEN’S
D E L AWA RE – 4 P. M . CHARLESTO N – 7 P.M .
BA S K ET B A L L
U N CW – 1 P. M .
BASEBALL
R US S M AT T C E N T R A L F L O R I D A I N V I TAT I O N A L
SOFTBALL
I - 7 5 CH A L L E N G E
M EN ’ S LA C R O S S E
STONY B R OOK – 7 P.M.
G E O R G E TO W N – 3 P. M .
WO M EN ’ S LA C R O S S E
Q U N N IPIA C – 3 P. M .
M A RY L A N D – 1 2 P. M .
W RE S TLING
A 18• February 26, 2019
The Chronicle
SPORTS
Coburn thriving in new chapter of career
CONTINUED FROM A1
“I wanted to go somewhere closer to home. The only reason why I transferred was because I felt like the same returning cast was going to be there,” Coburn said. “The coach didn’t want me to play the small forward position, he wanted me to be the [shooting] guard, and the [shooting guard] and point guard didn’t come out of the game at all”. Going back to the recruiting trail again just a year after graduating high school, Coburn sought out the comfort of familiarity. He wanted to look at colleges that recruited him coming out of high school, because he already had a sense for the coaches and his potential role. Considering he also wanted to be closer to home, Hofstra became his university of choice, being only about 25 minutes away from Rosedale, New York. Part of what makes Hofstra unique as a team this year is the on-court production of their transfer students. Players like Coburn, Jacquil Taylor and Dan Dwyer have played key roles for Hofstra. The three have appeared in every game for the Pride this year – Taylor and Coburn primarily as starters. However, what separates Coburn from Taylor and Dwyer is that Coburn isn’t a graduate transfer. According to NCAA rules, non-graduate transfers have to sit out at least a year when transferring to a new program. So even though he’s only been allowed to play in games starting this season, Coburn has been able to practice with the team for the past two seasons. Unfortunately, he was not allowed to travel with the team. As the season wore on and practices got less intense,
Coburn had to find more ways to keep himself in game shape on his own time. “The first two months, you get used to the team’s plays in practice. But after a while you start to play on the scout team,” Coburn said. “I worked out a lot with my strength coach. I still worked out with my assistant coaches, so I could just get better for next year”. Even when that next year came, Coburn was still not a key member of the rotation. Over the first three games of the season, he only played a total of 26 minutes. His fourth game, against Big Ten opponent University of Maryland, proved to be his breakout game. He played 23 minutes, scoring 10 points and grabbing three rebounds, helping Hofstra stay competitive against a team that was undefeated at the time. “It was all about being patient. [We] had returning starters from last year, so I knew I had to accept what I was doing in the beginning,” Coburn said. “I was waiting for a big opportunity, playing against a bigger school where I might be needed more or whoever needs to step up. I was waiting to step up, waiting for a better opportunity.” From there, he earned himself
Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle
Coburn has started in 13 of 16 Hofstra games, scoring double digits in 13 and over 20 points twice.
the 16 games during Hofstra’s historic win streak. He’s scored double digit points in 13 games, even eclipsing 20 points twice. While his numbers (8.8 PPG,
“I was waiting for a big opportunity, playing against a bigger school where I might be needed more or whoever needs to step up. I was waiting to step up, waiting for a better opportunity.” more minutes, even getting his first start in a 89-73 win against Rider University. Since his first start, he’s become a consistent scoring option for the Pride, playing a key role as a starter in 13 of
4.1 RPG) don’t jump off of the page, his impact does. Coburn is an incredibly efficient shooter from beyond the arc, shooting 44.4 percent from three-point range in 99 attempts. His efficient scoring ability
balances out Hofstra’s scoring, allowing the team to not have to constantly rely on Justin WrightForeman and Eli Pemberton as the main sources of offense. “[I’ve] had a sense of confidence ever since high school. I was always a shooter,” Coburn said. Not only is he an efficient scorer, his energy and presence on the defensive end is invaluable to this team. His length and athleticism plays into Hofstra’s zone-heavy defense, as he can switch and guard most positions, and create distractions in the passing lanes. “I’m a good scorer. I’m an energy guy. I grab a lot of rebounds,” Coburn said. “This year, I’m playing the power forward because we [play
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with] four guards out, [with] really good guards.” Despite a recent lull in conference play, Coburn still expects a solid finish, with a potential for the school to reach March Madness for the first time since 2001. “We’re all going to play hard and hopefully get to the NCAA [Tournament],” he said. The team may have played their last home game, but you can still watch Coburn and the Pride take the court next on Thursday, Feb. 28, in Philadelphia against the Drexel University Dragons and in the upcoming Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament beginning Saturday, March 9.
SPORTS
The Chronicle
February 26, 2019 A 19
Softball ends Mardi Gras Invitational with loss
By DJ Lopes STAFF WRITER
Fina l S.F. Austin
7
Hofstra
3
The Hofstra softball team finished up their weekend in Alabama at the Mardi Gras Invitational with a 7-3 loss at the hands of Stephen F. Austin State University on Sunday, Feb. 24. Mackenzie Suto got the starting nod for the Pride, pitching four innings, giving up six hits and allowing seven runs – five of which were earned Suto ran into some very early trouble in her outing. Within the first five batters, she found herself in a bases-loaded jam with two outs after an error, a walk and a hit by pitch. She got out of it within two batters, but
not before allowing a two-run single. She settled down until the fifth inning, where she loaded the bases up again. She walked in a run and then allowed a three-run double, finishing her night before she could record a single out in the fifth. In the previous inning, Hofstra had loaded the bases themselves, scoring one run on a sacrifice fly by Madison McKevitt and two runs on an error hit by Lyndsey Shaw, who was pinch-hitting for catcher Devyn Losco. Hofstra received hits from four different players, including multi-hit games from both Kristin Hallam and Kasey Collins. Additionally, Meghan Giordano and McKevitt recorded hits. With her hit today, Hallam extended her streak of reaching base to seven games, while Giordano and Collins extended their hitting streaks to
three games. Part of Hofstra’s offensive struggle was being able to hit with runners on base. Hofstra went 2-14 with runners on base, and neither of these hits yielded any runs. The Pride’s inability to rally when down has been a problem throughout the young season, as they have gotten into early deficits that they have not been able to overcome. Relieving Suto was fellow freshman Madison Burns. Burns got through her two innings efficiently, allowing two hits and striking out two batters. She didn’t let up a run in her two innings of work. The two hits from Collins brought her batting average up to .412 this year. Her performance this season has been indicative of the talent of the freshmen so far. Three of the four team leaders in batting average are freshmen and
Giordano still has the only home run of the year for the Pride. The Pride finish with a 1-3 record at the Mardi Gras Invitational, with their game against No. 25 Illinois University being cancelled. Their next opportunity to win
will be part of their Interstate-75 Challenge, with games against Kennesaw State University, Georgia Tech University and Georgia State University starting on Friday, March 1, in Kennesaw, Georgia.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Meghan Giordano has the only home run of the season for the Pride.
Women’s basketball breaks six-game losing skid By Matt Novella STAFF WRITER
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The Hofstra women’s basketball team snapped its six-game winless streak after defeating the Northeastern University Huskies in a thrilling 63-62 victory. It came down to the wire, but the Pride battled their way to a road victory. A huge reason why they were able to pull out a win was because of their fourth quarter surge. Going into the quarter, Hofstra was down double digits, and Coach Krista KilburnSteveskey asked the team, “What kind of team are you going to be?” They responded with resiliency. Despite being down big throughout the majority of the game, Hofstra outscored Northeastern 25-11 in the fourth quarter to claw their way back in. In the biggest parts of the
game, the Pride made the key plays they needed to make on both sides of the ball to help earn them the win. Defensively, the Pride locked the Huskies down late in the contest. Northeastern couldn’t lay in a field goal during the last six and a half minutes and didn’t make any of their last 10 field goals. When it came down to crunch time, the Pride did what they had to do on the defensive side of the ball. On the offensive side of the ball, the 25 points they scored in the fourth led them to come back from the 13-point deficit that they faced in the final frame. The biggest possession of the game came down to the last 20 seconds. Hofstra trailed by two with time ticking away, and Sica Cuzic made a terrific clutch play. After Boogie Brozoski missed what would have been the game-tying layup, Cuzic tracked down the offensive board, sunk in the two pointer and got fouled in the process. Along with the huge shot, she nailed the free throw to give Hofstra the 63-62 lead with two seconds to go.
Northeastern couldn’t get a shot off of the last possession, and the Pride were able to lock up the one-point victory. “We executed in our half court better down the stretch,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. This win was their lone win in the month of February. The last time Hofstra won a game was back in January against this same Northeastern team. Ever since then, it’s been a disappointing month for the Pride. But the win for Hofstra brings them to an 8-18 overall record and they earned their second Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) win. Brozoski led the game in scoring with her 20 points. She also had five rebounds and five assists. “[Brozoski] had a good floor game for me,” KilburnSteveskey said. Hofstra’s junior guard Ana Hernandez Gil tallied 12 points off of her four three-pointers, while Jaylen Hines and Sandra Karsten each racked up six points. Marianne Kalin controlled the boards with seven rebounds and
Cuzic scored eight points off the bench, including the three most important points at the end of the game. The 2018-19 season for women’s basketball has not been what the Pride was hoping for, as they have only been victorious in eight games now. This was only the Pride’s second win since the calendar flipped to 2019.
Looking ahead, Hofstra returns home to Hempstead to take on the College of Charleston Cougars on Friday, March 1. This is their first home game since Sunday, Feb. 10, and Hofstra will look to use the momentum from this Sunday’s game and use it as a push to finish strong during their final four games of the regular season.
Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle Boogie Brozoski tallied 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Back Cover:
Women’s lax off to strong start
The Hofstra Chronicle
Sports
February 26, 2019
Don’t Stop Them Now
Women’s lacrosse ‘having such a good time’ in three-game win streak. Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle