The Hofstra Chronicle, March 12, 2024

HEMPSTEAD, NY

VOLUME 91 ISSUE 3

THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE

KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935

International Women’s Day event inspires students

By Sophia Guddemi NEWS EDITOR

In anticipation of International Women’s Day, a crowd of students gathered in the Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater on Thursday, March 7, to hear from a guest speaker about the progress she has made in women’s rights and the change that still needs to be made globally.

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TUESDAY March 12, 2024

The residential side of Hofstra isn’t up to snuff OPINION

By Tom Norman

ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

While touring Hofstra for the first time, I remember wondering what the dorms looked like. There was this mystique to it. What could be over there? What was hiding just beyond the Unispan? I had to know.

It turns out, there’s a good reason they don’t always show you any dorms on tour: Hofstra University’s Achilles’ heel is how drab and boring the residential portion of campus is. There are a multitude of reasons for this. The biggest is how dead it is on weekends. Most of this problem can be attributed to how many students are commuters. According to U.S. News & World Report, only 41% of Hofstra students lived on campus in 2022. That is a remarkably

low number. When over half of your student body is not around when they don’t have to be, you are doomed to have a lackluster environment for the other 41% of students.

Hofstra sees season end to Stony Brook 63-59

By Frankie DiCalogero

SPORTS EDITOR

It’s hard to beat a team three times in one year. That sentiment reigned true on Monday, March 11, as the Hofstra University men’s basketball team was defeated by local rival, the Stony Brook University Seawolves, 63-59 in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) tournament semifinals.

“Hat’s off to Stony Brook, they made big shots when they needed to, so congrats to them and good luck to them in the finals,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “Hell of a year by my guys, super proud of them. There’s no head-hanging here. They gave us all that we wanted game after game.”

Stony Brook’s Tyler Stephenson-Moore was the story of the first half, leading the Seawolves with 14 early points and shooting 50% from 3-point, going 3-6. Chris Maidoh continued his strong CAA tournament play in the post, by attacking the glass with 6 easy points and two offensive rebounds.

As is custom, the Battle

for Long Island was a tightly contested affair from the opening tip. With both teams struggling from the field, physicality and tough-minded basketball became the focal point of the first half.

CAA Player of the Year Tyler Thomas led the Pride early on with 11 points on 4-9 shooting, 3 of which came from behind the arc. He wasn’t the only one connecting from long range, as Jaquan Carlos added two threes after 20 minutes of play.

The second half pushed the physicality and grinding nature of the game to its peak. Hofstra eventually took their first lead of the game since seven minutes before half. At the 11:19 mark, Darlinstone “Dstone” Dubar trained a 3-pointer off an assist by Carlos to put the Pride in front 44-41.

With Hofstra still in front,

51-48, Stony Brook kicked things up a notch, scoring 13 unanswered points 61-51. Despite an end-of-game sprint in the final 30 seconds for the Pride, the Seawolves held on to advance to the CAA Championship game, overcoming their own 15 giveaways.

The sluggish turnover play of the first half didn’t translate to the final 20 minutes of ball, but still, Stony Brook pulled off the upset with their clutch gameplay down the stretch.

Stephenson-Moore continued to guide Stony Brook, putting up 23 points on an efficient 7-14 shooting, while also cushioning the stat sheet with nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Maidoh continued his persistent presence down low, finishing with 13 points by the

To be honest, I don’t entirely blame commuter students for not wanting to come back on the weekends.

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end of the night. Aaron Clarke contributed 12 points and gathered eight rebounds.

Thomas played all 40 minutes, despite coming down with an injury mid-second half. Thomas shot 10-27 from the field, good for 32 points thanks to six made 3-pointers. He also pulled down nine rebounds and handed out six assists.

Carlos once again was the iron man, dishing the rock six times and picking the pocket thrice to go along with his 13 points.

It was an off night for Dubar, as he only attempted six shots and made two of them. It was a 5 point, six rebound and two steal effort for the junior.

The Pride finished the season 20-13 overall, Hofstra’s third straight 20-win season.

Dorms come at a hefty price with Hofstra’s website estimating a range of $6,000 to $8,000 a year.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra University Office of Residence Life

Michelle Rabinovich / The Hofstra Chronicle

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle Guest speaker begins her lecture by wishing the audience a “Happy International Women’s Day.”

This is the third year in a row Hofstra has lost to a lower seed in the CAA tournament.

203

Editor-in-Chief Anna DeGoede

Managing Editor

Secretary

Business

Business

Aaron Bushnell heightens discourse on extreme protests

By Giovanni Salsa ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

TW: Self-harm, death and violence.

On Feb. 25, United States Air Force soldier Aaron Bushnell self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. Bushnell live-streamed the act on the streaming platform Twitch and stated that what he was about to do was an “extreme act of protest” against what he states is a “genocide” against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Aaron Bushnell was born in Orleans, Massachusetts, and grew up in a religious compound called “The Community of Jesus.” After leaving the compound in 2019, he began his military career the following year. In the military, he served as a cyber defense operations specialist where his job was to work on offensive and defensive aspects of cyber security, especially concerning foreign entities.

“I am an active duty member of the United States Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” Bushnell said. “I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest but, compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s

not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”

Bushnell then proceeded to prop up the phone against an object, giving viewers an unobstructed view of the act. He then poured a water bottle filled with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire while repeatedly shouting “Free Palestine.”

There has been some speculation as to whether Bushnell had a diagnosed mental illness that compelled him to protest in such a way. Some believe that for one to commit an act as extreme as self-immolation, one must have mental health issues. Others believe this is the rarest and loudest manifestation of drawing attention to a cause. It is described to be the most extreme act of protest due to its slow effects on the body and the horrifying imagery it bestows.

There have been many notable examples of this throughout history, a primary example being in Saigon, Vietnam. On June 11, 1963, a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk named Thích Quảng Đức protested the discrimination against Buddhists enacted by the South Vietnamese government by lighting himself on fire at a busy intersection in Vietnam. While many disagree with this extreme method, the

what he did. He could have easily injured other people doing it as well as to believe that your death has more purpose than you alive is just unfortunate.”

Despite the debate about the methods of his protest and its effectiveness, Bushnell’s reasoning for doing it was clear: he wanted to raise awareness of the situation in Palestine and hoped that this would motivate the Western world to finally take action.

haunting images taken of Quảng Đức shocked people and drew attention to the discriminatory policies of the government.

“Aaron Bushnell was a man who set himself on fire, not because he has a mental illness, but because he recognized that this was the only way people will listen,” said Alisha Paracha, a freshman political science major. “You can see this by the headlines on mass media networks. Everyone is covering the guy who set himself on fire, but they aren’t covering why he set himself on fire. He set himself on fire because people were too blind to see the genocide happening in Gaza and he knew that, through this form of protest, people might actually open their eyes.”

Some students share a different concern regarding the protest. They believe that there are other ways to raise awareness for a cause or protest without injuring or mutilating oneself.

“As someone in ROTC, I believe that Americans do have the right to protest for a cause they believe to be fair and just,” said a Hofstra ROTC cadet, who wished to remain anonymous.

“However, I do believe that the man that set himself on fire for a ‘free Palestine’ went too far. The fact is, it was dangerous

“It’s not possible to reconstruct all the factors which would lead [Bushnell] or anyone else to take such a drastic step,” said Carolyn Eisenberg, professor of U.S. history and American foreign policy. “One thing that’s clear is that millions of Americans are disconnected from the gravity of the situation in Gaza and from the American role there. Here, in plain sight, thousands of women and children are being mowed down, with no place to hide. And the United States is arming and paying for this. [Bushnell]’s self-immolation was one man’s effort to direct attention to an ongoing catastrophe.”

Bushnell’s story has also provoked questions among many, leading them to wonder what the extent of the United States’ involvement in the Israel-Hamas war has been for it to lead an airman to protest them.

“For the past few weeks now, I’ve had to look away from the news because it’s heartbreaking for me which is why I didn’t dig too deep into that story, but it’s just because you feel helpless not being able to do more,” said Wally, a graduate student in the Zarb School of Business, who only provided their first name due to safety concerns. “So, I can understand why he might have felt helpless and disappointed so to say, especially since he was a representative of the United States. That’s a tale of the ongoing problem in the Middle East.”

This article is in no way condoning or encouraging selfharm and it is written purely for informative purposes.

Photo courtesy of LinkedIn

Black Business Expo brings Black voices to the forefront

By Camryn Bowden STAFF WRITER

A photographer who highlights Black models, a jeweler who expresses herself in her art to assist with college and a hair care service focused on Black hair were only a few of the Black-owned student businesses showcased at this year’s Black Business Expo.

The annual expo returned to campus this year on Feb. 29. Black student entrepreneurs highlighted their business ventures in the Student Center Atrium.

The exposition hosted four student-owned businesses and three different industries. Two of the businesses focused on Black hair care and hair treatment. Another business sold jewelry, and the last was a photography service.

“What I’m expecting is just more exposure for the students,” said Hugo Morales, lead organizer of the event. Morales, the associate director of Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion, said that as the organizer, he wanted to “create a platform for [Black students] to be able to showcase their products, services, et cetera, to all the students here on campus.”

This year, the Expo was hosted in the atrium of the student center, placing the event in one

of the busiest areas on campus. According to Morales, this was an intentional move to promote further awareness of Hofstra’s Black business owners.

“Marginalized students and marginalized communities need to have some representation,” Morales said. “The purpose of this event is to showcase that we have students that, in this community, are doing more things than just being students.”

“It also encourages other people who might be quieter about their own personal businesses, just so that they can feel comfortable,” said Renelle Wilson, a sophomore televison production and studies major and another one of the business owners. Wilson pointed out that this event could positively affect students who might be too scared to put their businesses in the limelight.

“For me, sometimes, it can feel kind of uncomfortable to be in a space where you know you’re the minority, so to put yourself out there, you might feel like people might not receive you in the way you want to be received,” Wilson said.

Wilson is the owner of Shots by RW, a photography service that focuses on highlighting Black models. “One thing that I specifically do is use a lot of Black models in my shoots, to

just rearrange how we are seen and portrayed by the media.”

Dejanae Hunter, a sophomore psychology major, said the Expo would do wonders for her brand.

“This event is the perfect way to bring exposure to the students who are working hard at their passions and making it known to others on campus.”

She also expressed how thankful she was for the Expo occurring in the first place.

“I’m really appreciative of this opportunity because I feel like I’ve been needing new ways to market my business other than just my Instagram page,” Hunter said.

Rachel Lande, a junior criminology and sociology major, owns a local Black hair care service specializing in locs. According to Lande, the event helped her feel visible on campus. “I think it’s very important, as being a minority community within Hofstra, to have our voices and businesses showcased,” Lande said.

“Support local businesses, particularly Black-owned businesses […] not because it’s Black History Month, because if you’re part of a certain community, you’re that 365 days a year,” Morales said. “If you invest in your own community, then your community will grow.”

Graphic designed and information compiled

by Moriah Sukhal

The Office of Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion acts as the organizing body for the annual Black Business Expo.

Camryn Bowden/The Hofstra Chronicle

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Jelena Pia-Comella is currently an adjunct lecturer at John Jay College, an adjunct assistant professor at Hofstra University, a faculty member of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and a consultant for the Global Action Against Mass Atrocity Crimes.

“To attend classes and read about gender justice is one thing, but to be able to be educated by someone who has participated and assisted through the creation of conventions, laws and policies is an experience like no other,” said Sarah Gerges, a junior sociology and criminology major.

International Women’s Day is a globally recognized day celebrated annually on March 8 that is intended to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day simultaneously honors the past and looks to the future, calling for action toward true gender parity.

Hofstra begins celebration of Women’s History Month

about true gender parity and to make it a reality.”

“I’ve been promoting women’s rights through getting women at the table and amplifying the voices of these women at decision-making forums,” PiaComella said in regard to her experience when first entering diplomacy work. She said that, at the time, she was one of very few female voices in the space, leading to her presence becoming a package deal with gender

conflict, the result is a situation where conditions for women become even worse.

“During an armed conflict, their people will be targeted,” Pia-Comella said due to their vulnerability and lack of protection. “Sexual and gender-based violence against women is rooted in systematic and systemic discrimination of women’s rights.”

Pia-Comella was part of the group of members who indoc-

go to universities,” Pia-Comella said. “We cannot forget anyone.”

Hannah Morello, a junior psychology major, said that she came to the event to learn more from Pia-Comella, wanting to learn outside of what was taught in the classroom.

“I just wanted to see what she had to say, anything that she can tell me that I didn’t already learn in her class,” Morello said. She continued about the effect

manitarian law and international criminal law, such as the Rome Statute. Then she was appointed as chief of mission to Canada and the United States from 2001 to 2007.

In 2008, she became a consultant for the Center for Women’s Global Leadership and Women’s Environment and Development Organization to coordinate the Gender Equality Architecture Reform Campaign which led to the creation of the UN Women organization.

Gender parity refers to the equal contribution of both men and women to every aspect of life, both public and private. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “inspire inclusion,” aimed to set the focus on broadening the lens of the day and emphasizing the importance of diversity in empowerment.

Margaret Abraham, a professor of sociology and women’s studies who helped coordinate and moderate the event, said, “We need to acknowledge, we’ve done much but we need to do more in these challenging times. We view today as a day to celebrate but also about what actions are needed to bring

policy reform.

Gerges said she has been inspired by Pia-Comella since the first time she heard her speak about creating a path in the fight for gender justice. “[She] will continue to teach me something every time we meet,” Gerges said.

One of Pia-Comella’s most prominent goals is to bring accountability to conflictrelated sexual and gender-based violence. She explained that in a patriarchal society, during times of peace, women already do not have the same resources or entitlement to justice and economic power. So, when there is

trinated the Rome Statute into the United Nations in 2002. The Rome Statute, as stated by Pia-Comella, is “an international treaty that investigated and prosecutes war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and all forms of oppression that had very strong gender provisions.”

However, she was also quick to acknowledge that progress isn’t being made universally across the globe, and a part of International Women’s Day is recognizing that.

“Being at a university, we cannot forget that as we speak … girls cannot go to school in Afghanistan and women cannot

the presentation had on her.

“The impact that gender-based crimes have on other countries that honestly, we don’t even think about – when she talks about all of that, you say ‘wow’ and realize that you are privileged.”

Pia-Comella spoke not only of her diplomacy but also about her career path, which she described as “non-linear.”

She started her career in 1996 as a diplomat representing Andorra at the United Nations in the United States and in Canada. There, she worked to set new standards in international human rights laws, international hu-

She was in this position until 2018 when she became the deputy executive director of the World Federalist Movement’s Institute for Global Policy.

“Throughout her career, she has prioritized her feminist principles by supporting women’s rights, leadership and supporting the work of activists,” Abraham said.

“My biggest takeaway from the talk is to take what you’re passionate about and apply it to your dreams and aspirations,” Gerges said.

“There is no one right way to a career you love and a career that will make a change. Women are consistently targeted and are highly disadvantaged during times of conflict; another economist would not be able to create the change that Pia-Comella’s passion and drive allowed her to achieve.”

This event was a part of a collection of events at Hofstra throughout March that are centered around Women’s History Month, including Coffee Hour with Hofstra’s Women in Leadership, Women @ Hofstra and the upcoming Women’s Business Expo on Monday, March 25.

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle

Students listen to Pia-Comella speak about her career journey and acomplishments in diplomacy.

By Denivia Rivera

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

During Black History Month, Black Leaders Advocating for Change (BLAC) Eats provided a variety of traditional Black and Caribbean food options to students on Hofstra’s campus. BLAC partnered with Campus Dining to supply four traditional meals with recipes which were presented once a week in the Student Center.

Because Hofstra does not currently have any permanent locations serving Black and Caribbean food, BLAC Eats served as an opportunity to provide more diverse options on campus.

Kaila Archer, a junior speechlanguage-hearing sciences major, is one of the core members of BLAC and believes that the BLAC Eats program is important for students.

“Compared to what we already have, there is no one station that is dedicated to just African American food,” Archer said. “I felt that BLAC Eats was a really crucial thing to fight for and execute because everyone should be represented.”

To properly represent students, BLAC leaders created the recipes by asking students what meals they personally enjoy.

Favour Chibuzo-Enwere, a junior neuroscience major, is another core member of BLAC who helped with the process of creating the menu with Compass Group.

BLAC Eats at Hofstra

“It was a matter of asking everybody in the group ‘what do you personally like’ and ‘do you have a recipe you can send us by a certain date,’” Chibuzo-Enwere said. “Once we compiled all those recipes, we sent them in to Compass [Group].”

The meals created by BLAC Eats included rasta pasta, jerk chicken with fried plantains, fried chicken with sweet potato casserole and corn on the cob and rice and stew.

Campus Dining marketing manager Lexis Meehan spoke about her experience with presenting meals with recipes from students.

“Creating multicultural dishes

for our guests brings a sense of satisfaction,” Meehan said. “It’s particularly satisfying when the recipes are brought by our guests from home.”

Many students had a positive experience with the meals presented by BLAC Eats, agreeing that the program provided a comforting feeling.

Chris Crisden, a sophomore drama major, spoke about how he enjoyed seeing familiar foods from home offered on campus.

“It reminds me of home,” Crisden said. “If I want sweet potatoes, I can go and get some, or if I want fried chicken – I’m a fried chicken fiend. But I think it was really good to have that

On April 8, at 4 a.m., the RSR working in Bill of Rights Hall reported to PS that two HU students and a non-student failed to comply with

option there.”

Abigail Lakes, a sophomore psychology major, had a similar experience with BLAC Eats, expressing how she felt about the opportunity to have more cultural food available on campus.

“I don’t feel like there’s a lot of diversity in food on campus so when I saw that rasta pasta was given out, it just reminded me of home,” Lakes said.

Lakes raised another point students have voiced about needing to go off campus to buy foods they enjoy.

“A lot of the food on campus gets old really fast. It gets tasteless, and then, I’m spending more money outside of campus to get more food,” Lakes said. By allowing programs like BLAC Eats to happen more often, students can have more diverse meal options and spend more of their dining money on campus.

Chibuzo-Enwere said she hopes for BLAC Eats to be a more frequent program on campus.

“Until we eventually get a station, we’re just hoping to expand how many meals are offered per month during a semester,” Chibuzo-Enwere said.

Meehan spoke on the idea of having BLAC Eats become a more frequent program on campus.

“For the last three years we have done two BLAC Eats meals every month,” said Meehan. “Though we would like to accommodate BLAC for more meals, this program is also extended to other cultural organizations on campus.”

While the accommodation for more frequent BLAC meals is limited, BLAC Eats remains an important and meaningful program to many students.

Khalia Rembert, a junior psychology major, spoke about the importance of having culturally diverse meal options on campus.

“Through food, we gain experiences and core memories,” Rembert said. “It’s also the craft that goes into making the food; it’s special for each culture.”

person wrote messages in chalk on the sidewalk on the south side of Hofstra Hall. Photos were taken of the graffiti, and an investigation is being conducted into this matter. The plant department was notified for cleanup.

Public Safety Briefs

by Moriah Sukhlal

Hofstra guest policy and verbally harassed the RSR. The non-student was banned from campus, and the two students were issued referrals to CS for their actions.

HU custodian discovered that the wall dividing the urinal in the men’s bathroom in HofUSA had been ripped off the wall. A work order was prepared.

lided with vehicle one. No injuries were reported. Hempstead Police Department responded.

On April 12, at 9:50 p.m., the fire alarm in Estabrook Hall was activated due to hair care products. The alarm sounded, and the building was evacuated. PS, the plant department and the Uniondale Fire Department responded to the location. The situation was corrected, and the fire alarm was reset.

front bumpers. No injuries were reported. Nassau County Police Department responded.

On April 8, at 11:14 p.m., the RA in Utrecht House reported to PS that, while conducting rounds, there were loud noises coming from a room. PS responded and discovered open bottles of alc

On Feb. 25, at 10:02 a.m., an HU employee discovered unauthorized fliers posted on campus by unknown indivuduals. A canvas of the area produced negative results, and the investigation is ongoing.

On April 8, at 4 a.m., the RSR working in Bill of Rights Hall reported to PS that two HU students and a non-student failed to comply with Hofstra guest policy and verbally harassed the RSR. The non-student was banned from campus, and the two students were issued referrals to CS for their actions.

On Feb. 23, at 7:32 p.m., a fire alarm in the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center sounded due to a malfunction. Two hundred people were evacuated within one minute without incident. PS, Plant and UFD responded. The situation was corrected, and the fire alarm was reset.

On Feb. 28, at 6:34 p.m., an HU faculty member reported to PS that they had lost their key and requested a new copy.

On April 8, at 11:14 p.m., the RA in Utrecht House reported to PS that, while conducting rounds, there were loud noises coming from a room. PS responded and discovered open bottles of alcohol. Six students were issued referrals to CS.

On Feb. 24, at 8:15 a.m., an

On Feb. 29, at 6:06 p.m., PS received a call of a vehicle fire in parking field 1S.E. PS, Plant and UFD responded. The fire was extinguished, and damage was reported to the vehicle. The subject vehicle was registered to an HU student and three other vehicles were damaged. Two of the other cars were registered to students and one to an HU faculty member. All cars were unoccupied at the time, and there were no injuries.

On Feb. 28, at 8 p.m., an HU student was driving vehicle one westbound in parking field 2A when another HU student driving vehicle two was reversed out of a parking space and col-

On April 11, at 10:20 a.m., an HU plant employee reported to PS that he accidentally damaged a vehicle owned by another Hofstra employee on Holland Road while working on the main campus. The owner of the vehicle was notified about the damage and responded to PS.

On April 11, at 2:18 p.m., it was reported to PS that an unknown

front right bumper, and vehicle two sustained damage to the left rear quarter panel, door and bumper. There were no injuries. Hempstead Police responded, but no police report was filed at the time.

On April 14, at 5:25 p.m., the fire alarm in Hampton House was activated due to burnt food in the kitchen. The alarm sounded, and the building was evacuated. PS, the plant department and the Uniondale Fire Department responded to the location. The situation was corrected, and the fire alarm was reset.

On March 3, at 2:30 p.m., vehicle one, driven by an HU student, was reversing when they struck vehicle two, driven by another student. Both vehicles sustained damage to their

On March 4, at 1:15 p.m., vehicle one, driven by an HU student, was parked and occupied in parking field six. Vehicle two, driven by an unknown person, attempted to park and struck vehicle one. The operator of vehicle two drove away. Vehicle one sustained damage to the right rear quarter panel, but there were no injuries. Nassau County Police Department responded although no police report was filed at the time.

On April 15, at 10:19 a.m., the fire alarm in New York House was activated due to burnt food in the kitchen. The alarm sounded, and the building was evacuated. PS, the plant department and the Uniondale Fire Department responded to the location. The situation was corrected, and the fire alarm was reset.

On April 15, at 6:53 p.m., an HU student reported to PS that they lost their wallet containing their driver’s license, Hofstra ID, debit card and cash. The wallet was lost in a location off campus. The NCPD responded and took a report.

On March 4, at 12:10 p.m., vehicle one, driven by an HU student in parking field 2A, struck vehicle two, driven by another HU student. Vehicle one sustained damage to the

On March 6, at 7:30 a.m., vehicle one, driven by an HU student, was traveling westbound in parking field seven when it was hit by vehicle two, driven by another HU student who was traveling northbound. Vehicle one sustained damage to its entire left side, while vehicle two sustained damage to the front bumper grille and headlights. No injuries were reported. Nassau County Police Department was notified, and they responded.

On April 16, at 9:44 a.m., an HU student reported to PS that some of their laundry was missing from the laundry room in Alliance Hall. The student requested a police response.

On April 16, at 10:26 p.m., an HU student was issued a referral to CS

Compiled

BLAC Eats menu for Black History Month 2024.

Photo courtesy of Denivia Rivera

FEATURES

Live from Studio A, it’s Jake Epstein

By Aidan Judge ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Picture this: the lights begin to shine in Studio A at the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University. Cameras are rolling, headsets are babbling and the audience waits to be queued for the opening round of applause. Live from Studio A, it’s “Thursday Nite Live” starring none other than junior television major Jake Epstein.

It’s typical that you’ll find Epstein doing whatever he can to find himself on or off camera in the school of communication. There, he works tirelessly to embrace his dream of working in the world of television. Acting, writing, producing, you name it. Chances are, Jake has it on his résumé.

Growing up in the picturesque town of Amagansett, New York (a prime spot for oceanside beach days in the summertime), Epstein’s journey to television and his dedication to the world of communications didn’t begin with a passion for the career path. In fact, it started in quite a different direction. During his days of growing up in the Hamptons, Epstein took inspiration from his father, an entertainment lawyer. Being exposed to the bustling world of musical performance and media in this way, he originally figured his path would lead to studying law. It wasn’t until his high school years that Epstein discovered his passion for television.

Shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “The Office” have always been a cornerstone of entertainment and happiness for Epstein, leading to the inspiration to launch himself into the world of comedy. Epstein said he gets inspiration and joy from being able to make people laugh and believes that laughter is one of the strongest ways to get to somebody’s heart.

However, even after he found his passion, his path to comedy was not always linear, or even positive for the television student. During his sophomore year of high school, he suffered

a severe concussion that left him with temporarily impaired cognitive abilities. In this time of strife, for Epstein, comedy was a beacon of hope. After taking refuge in comedy as a form of

Epstein has made quite a name for himself, making himself into a bit of a “hallway celebrity.”

After being inspired to attend the school because of Hofstra’s spin on “Saturday Night Live” titled

and I am currently working on a couple with him now. Not only is he exceptionally funny and ambitious, but he is extremely dependable and is someone I can consistently rely on. As a very

“No matter how tough it might seem after a project doesn’t work out, this industry is a lot like surfing... Eventually your wave is coming, and it’s gonna feel like magic and it’s gonna be worth it .”

healing, Epstein found happiness through the works of comedy legends like Adam Sandler and juggernaut television shows like “Friends.” After months of rehabilitation, including work with neuro-optometrists, neuropsychologists and therapists, one of Epstein’s idols, Adam Sandler, took the stage on “Saturday Night Live” with a heartfelt tribute to Chris Farley. Through this moment, his love for television began.

Under any circumstance, it would’ve been difficult to predict the years following and even more difficult to predict the success. Since arriving at Hofstra University in the fall of 2021,

“Thursday Nite Live,” the junior communications student says he dreamed of being part of Hofstra Entertainment Access Television (HEAT)’s College Emmy Award-winning show. Well, if it wasn’t obvious by now, he did just that. After auditioning for the main cast of the show his freshman year and not making it, Epstein bounced back to be cast in his sophomore year, building the confidence to become a force to be reckoned with in Hofstra’s comedy scene.

“Working with Jake is such a pleasure,” said Hayley Kastner, producer of “Thursday Nite Live” “I have been on a few projects with him in the past,

“Saturday Night Live.”

“I feel like I’ve worked there for 5 years because I’ve worked there for 5 years in my head,” Epstein said on his current position as an intern for the “Saturday Night Live” news parody segment “Weekend Update.” He recounts playing the ending theme for the late-night variety show before bed every night while dreaming of working for the franchise (and he unintentionally manifested reality, it seems). Epstein’s admiration for the show spans back years before he even decided to delve into a television career, reading “Saturday Night Live”-centric books and media to prepare himself for his future in comedy. There’s one quote that Epstein finds himself coming back to, from the show’s creator Lorne Michaels: “We don’t go because we’re ready, we go on because it’s 11:30,” which Epstein uses as a mantra for success in the television world.

It’s obvious that he is setting himself up for success, but behind all of his passion, hard work and unwavering determination, there lies a sage, softer aspect of the “Thursday Nite Live” cast member. He compares his college experience to “preparing for a 5K by running a marathon” in the demanding nature of the communications world. He also admits to having his own moments of anxiety, despite his mighty presence in the rooms he often commands with grace.

close friend of mine, we also have a lot of similar ideas [and] interests, so I always enjoy working creatively with him.”

Along with his success on “Thursday Nite Live,” his list of accomplishments continues. The New York native found himself hosting Hofstra’s very own communications school award show “The Herbies,” working on senior film projects as a producer, in multiple leadership roles at WRHU, the university’s radio station and even becoming a resident assistant at Stuyvesant Hall for first-year students. It wasn’t until this year, however, that his years of dreaming paid off in a way they never had before. Enter

“No matter how tough it might seem after a project doesn’t work out, this industry is a lot like surfing,” Epstein said. “You’re gonna be paddling out there and you might run into a shark or hit a wave, a friend might catch a wave and you wanted that, but it’s always good to cheer for them. Eventually, your wave is coming, and it’s gonna feel like magic, and it’s gonna be worth it.”

To catch a wave as magical as fulfilling his childhood dream of working on “Saturday Night Live” is a pretty major feat, but one could argue that Jake Epstein is much more than one-in-a-million.

Aidan Judge / The Hofstra Chronicle

By Anna DeGoede EDITOR IN CHIEF

Take the C Train or the E Train two stops uptown from Penn Station and you’ll find Bibble & Sip: a cozy bakery café that offers a variety of unique beverage and pastry options. Sitting just a few feet away from the downtown side of the 50th St. station, this café is a welcome reprieve for explorers looking for something sweet to eat, or in my case, a safe refuge from the rain.

Once inside, you’re quickly confronted with a difficult pros-

FEATURES

Chron Critiques: Bibble & Sip

pect: choosing from the large display case bursting with different sweet treats. There are traditional croissants and scones, matcha or Earl Grey tea, cream puffs and a variety of puddings.

Though you can’t go wrong with these classics, the obvious choices line the bottom row of the display case in a bright array of colors and animal faces. Some of their most adorable and flavorful combinations include a llama-shaped cake that boasts a hazelnut and chocolate flavor and a dark chocolate birthday cake decorated like a panda.

I came to Bibble & Sip expecting these delightful creatures after seeing them on the café’s website, but they were even more impressive in person. Each was made with clear attention to detail, with not a piped-on

eye or berry nose out of place. Unable to decide at first, my friend and I ordered drinks to sip while we chatted. I selected the iced hot chocolate with almond milk (a plus, considering I often struggle to find dairy-free milk options at boba and similar shops).

My friend got a strawberry matcha which came with a distinct ombre layering. Both drinks also came in thematically cute cups decorated with the shop’s llama mascot which offered the option to sip directly from the lid or use a straw.

As someone who isn’t a fan of most teas, Bibble & Sip didn’t offer as many non-tea or matcha-based drinks as I would have liked. However, my iced hot chocolate was delicious. So, even if you don’t like coffee, green tea or black tea, there’s still something here worth indulging in.

Once I had an hour or so to decide on my sweet treat of choice, I went back to the counter for the lychee berry dessert – which featured a white tea mousse, lychee compote and a strawberry Bavarian-and-matcha almond cake.

Unfortunately, the desserts come at a steeper price than what they offer in terms of taste. My pig-shaped cake cost about $10, and my friend’s much smaller Totoro macaron was $6. Even then, I was so distracted by the appeal of the pig décor that I didn’t end up liking the flavor combinations as much as I would’ve hoped. Bibble & Sip is also quite cramped considering how popular it is. My friend and I arrived just before it opened, and we weren’t the only people waiting outside. The seating options, while charming, were few, and those they had were close together, so not everyone who came in after us was able to sit. As a result, my friend and I felt like we should leave out of courtesy long before we wanted to part ways.

Poem: going in circles

Overall, I’d advise anyone going to Bibble & Sip to closely analyze the flavor profiles, prices and sizes of the dessert before selecting their treat of choice. Don’t get so caught up in the décor that you forget about your taste buds – or your wallet. However, if you’re looking for Instagrammable desserts and light refreshments, Bibble & Sip is the perfect place for an aesthetic and yummy treat.

Bibble & Sip can be found at 253 W 51 St. in New York City.

By Michelle Rabinovich SPORTS EDITOR

what do we do? we revisit the same old story once again, for the umpteenth time, as if we dont know the outcome.

what if we try to change it?

im scared.

i think it’s worth trying what will we really learn? what will we gain?

who will we leave to suffer in our wake?

it beats the alternative, going in circles again and again

maybe it’s easier that way. not for me. it’s tearing me apart.

get used to it. i did.

i can’t.

then this is no longer a circle, but a line with a start and finish. our worst nightmare.

i guess so.

is this what we were doomed to from the start? two tortured writers, stuck in a cursed loop? wanting to force something that doesn’t occur naturally?

i don’t know. so it’s the age old question, what do we do?

i don’t know

Photo courtesy of Daniel Fazio / Unsplash

Anna DeGoede / The Hofstra Chronicle

Anna DeGoede / The Hofstra Chronicle

M AN ON THE U NISPAN

What are your plans for spring break?

By Zoe Casselman and Madeline Sisk

FEATURES EDITOR AND COPY CHIEF

“On Monday, I’m going to clean up the Auobon with the LEAF Club, and then, I’m just going to sleep and work.”

- Katelyn Gladkowski, freshman

O verheard @ h O fstra

“I hit my head on a cannon. I think I wasn’t dyslexic before that.’”

“The two main characters of “VeggieTales” are fruits, does that mean that they’re gay?”

“I’m a nympho because of my dad.”

“I’m going back home to Texas!”

- Victoria Rincon, freshman

“I’m working on a senior film.”

- Diego Olivares, sophomore

“I’m a lesbian. I know an evil man when I see one.”

“Do not fart into my Yogibo you asshole.”

“My Barbies are always doing something freaky.”

“Did you forget who I am? Milklover69?”

“Get me out of the stu there’s a person on a leash.”

“I turned my cat into an iPad kid.”

“Are you talking about me or hypothetical me?”

Spread by Audra Nemirow

Zoe Casselman / The Hofstra Chronicle

By Zoe Casselman FEATURES EDITOR

As a pasta connoisseur myself, I can admit that there are few simple pleasures in life greater than a bowl of warm, creamy pasta. This dish is easy, simple and extremely filling, so it is the perfect option for a cheap meal at school or home. Whether you’re trying to impress a date, cooking for your friends or making dinner for the family, you just can’t miss with this spicy sausage rigatoni.

You can also customize the ingredients to your liking every step of the way, from the brand of pasta used, the vegetables added or impossible meat for any vegetarians. This recipe makes four servings, so it’s perfect if you want leftovers!

Chron Cooks ft. Zoe Casselman: Spicy Sausage Rigatoni

Ingredients:

4 oz of cream cheese (half of a block)

1 jar of pasta sauce (Rao’s is my favorite, but any will work)

1 package of hot Italian sausage

1 16 oz box of rigatoni noodles

Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, then cook pasta according to the instructions on the box.

2. Save 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then strain the noodles.

3. At the same time, place sausage into a pan coated with olive oil.

4. Separate sausage into small pieces with a spatula then season generously with salt and pepper.

5. Stir sausage occasionally, continuing to separate into smaller pieces until fully cooked.

6. In a separate pot, add jarred pasta sauce and bring to a simmer, adding a splash of olive oil for taste.

7. Cut cream cheese into blocks and add it to the sauce.

8. Stir the sauce and cream cheese until fully incorporated, then add the saved pasta water. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

9. Keeping the sauce at a simmer, add the cooked sausage and a handful of parmesan then mix.

10. Once fully mixed, add the cooked rigatoni.

11. Stir until the rigatoni noodles are fully coated with the sauce.

12. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle parmesan on top and enjoy!

Zoe Casselman / The Hofstra Chronicle

Women’s History Month at Hofstra

March is Women’s History Month, which Hofstra celebrated by highlighting women’s voices. On Wednesday, March 6, “Women @ Hofstra” brought a panel of faculty and administrators to speak on their professional experience.

Jelena Pia-Comella spoke on Thursday, March 7, about International Women’s Day, finding gender justice and recognizing discrimination faced by women.

Spread by Annie MacKeigan

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle

Annie MacKeigan / The Hofstra Chronicle

Arts And EntErtAinmEnt

Why the myth of ‘dump month’ should die

By Michael Gaborno STAFF WRITER

January and February, August and September. These pairs of months might not seem to be related even slightly, but they share a crucial similarity: they are continuously referred to as “dump months” for the movie theater marketplace.

The stigma around the “dump month” has become ingrained in online pop culture. Contrary to popular belief, the issue isn’t inherent to the months themselves, but rather the distribution pattern of the studios.

This problem first came as a result of the downfall of the monopolized studio system which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled as an anti-trust violation in 1948. This decision cast doubt on the once-guaranteed viability of the theatrical model, causing studios to herd their major releases into “more suitable” time periods. The explosive mid-‘70s arrival of the summer blockbuster and the meteoric rise of acclaimed and reliable

independent studios worsened this studio-driven myopia.

Studios convinced themselves that audiences would refuse to show up to these films, even though this notion has been repeatedly disproved.

January has served as a reliably strong starting point for horror films starting in the 2010s, ranging from the acclaimed such as “Split,” to the despised such as “The Devil Inside.” The weekend surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. Day has seen some terrific performances, with such hits as this year’s musical reboot of “Mean Girls” and, most notably, the outsized performance of “American Sniper” in 2014 which saw an opening of over $100 million for the long weekend and eventually became 2014’s biggest domestic grosser.

February is no stranger to successes either; President’s Day weekend has often proved fertile for massive hits such as “Black Panther.“ Beloved horror favorite “The Silence of the Lambs” saw unprecedented financial and

critical success, even going on to awards season glory.

August has often been regarded as the death of the summer movie season, even though “The Fugitive” was huge in 1993 and “The Bourne Ultimatum” closed out its trilogy with a bang in 2007. It wasn’t until “Guardians of the Galaxy’s” incredible run in 2014 that studios began taking advantage of the August corridor after the month-long July blitz. Typical blockbusters like “Suicide Squad,” along with atypical breakouts such as “Crazy Rich Asians” posted fantastic grosses in this former dead zone.

September has existed in an uncomfortable position, situated between the tail end of summer and the start of the lucrative fall-to-holiday stretch. Warner Bros. has staked the post-Labor Day weekend as the premiere for its horror tentpoles ever since the monstrous performance of “It” shattered expectations and records with its $123 million debut.

“Dump months” have been

at the forefront of industry discussions in 2024 due to the dire lack of quality releases from studios throughout January and February. The muchpublicized success of “Dune: Part Two” represents the first genuinely great performance of the year, though the absence of exceptional box office performances can largely be attributed to strike-related delays and the short-sighted greed of the studios. The overperformances of these films prove that they are not exceptions to the rule, but rather that the rule itself is a fallacy.

Hollywood has done so much unnecessary damage to itself by creating and perpetuating this self-destructive and false narrative of “dump months” being audience poison, and in the end, only Hollywood has the power to reverse that narrative. For the sake of the theaters that need these films to survive and the creatives that have been unfairly shunned because of this stigma, let’s hope that they do.

Ariana Grande brings ‘eternal sunshine’ to rainy New York

By Sophia Guddemi NEWS EDITOR

As a cold rain came down outside, eager fans waited in line inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza in hopes of seeing Ariana Grande perform songs from her new album, “eternal sunshine” on “Saturday Night Live” on Saturday, March 9.

Fans could get tickets to the performance through an online lottery or by waiting in line the day before for standby tickets. Alejandro Rivero and his friend, Kamryn Castro, waited in line outside for 9 hours on Friday, March 8. On average, only the first 80 people in line get into the show. Rivero and Castro were number 114 and 115 in the line but they were enthusiastic regardless.

“For [Grande], anything,” Rivero said. “We don’t know [that we will get in]. We just hope.”

Castro traveled from Connecticut to meet her friend in

the city in hopes of seeing their long-time shared favorite artist.

She noted that she and her friend have been fans “all their lives.”

This Saturday’s show marked Grande’s first televised performance since 2021. Her album, “eternal sunshine” is a concept album inspired by the 2004 film, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” which follows a couple as they try to erase each other from their memories after the relationship has a tumultuous ending.

Grande spoke in an interview with Zach Sang about what drew her to name the album after the film.

“People hear it and think it’s so optimistic. That’s kind of the point is the irony of what it means,” Grande said. “Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind is like ignorance is bliss … but it’s really sad. It’s selectively erasing certain things.”

“We want everyone to experience eternal sunshine,

sure,” Grande said. “But it’s also the irony of it … because there’s a lot of pain in the album as well.”

Fans felt inspired to watch the film, which is set on Long Island, because of Grande’s connection to it.

“I watched the movie because of the album,” Rivero said. “I loved it. I’m so proud of her.”

On Friday, March 8, along with the release of her album, Grande released a music video for her song “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” which she says visually embodies the entire album. There are various direct connections between the music video and the film, including the main plot of the video being the erasure of memories of a past relationship. Fans were moved by her performance in the video, evoking strong emotions from them.

“It was so sad, again, I cried,” Castro said regarding when she watched the music video.

Quick Hits

“Oppenheimer” won Best Picture at the 2024 Academy Awards.

Billie Eilish has become the youngest-ever two-time Oscar winner.

Although she hasn’t seen the film herself, she said that from what she’s seen online, the connection to the album made her emotional.

Jason Kim, a junior television production and studies major, said that not only is this album his favorite of Grande’s, but the video and the concept feel deeply personal. Kim has a YouTube channel where he reviews and makes commentary on popular music with over 15 thousand subscribers.

“[The album] feels like a time capsule for where [Grande] is at in life, more so than any of her other albums,” Kim said. Regarding the music video, he said, “[Grande]’s acting in the one shot where she wakes up is insane. Her facial expressions throughout the entire video were so convincing. You can’t even hear what she’s saying in the moment, but you understand it and you feel it.”

Pokémon recently announced “Pokémon Legends: Z-A,” releasing in 2025.

Courtesy of Brooklyn Academy of Music

Courtesy of Rolling Stone

Courtesy of Dexerto

Courtesy of Wall Street Journal

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

Olivia Rodrigo brought out Sheryl Crow at her show in Nashville on Saturday, March 9.

Ramy Youseff will host “Saturday Night Live” on Saturday, March 30, with musical guest Travis Scott.

‘Dune: Part Two’ is an experience like no other

By Mac Sykes STAFF WRITER

In recent years, only a few science fiction films come to mind that are both as exhilarating and as much of a masterclass of creativity and perfection as “Dune: Part Two.” Returning to direct, write and produce, Denis Villeneuve once again amazes audiences with breathtaking visuals, gorgeous cinematography, unique sound design, wonderful production design and amazing worldbuilding.

Villeneuve’s triumphant work on “Dune” only adapted the first half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel. Over the years, there have been numerous unsuccessful attempts to bring “Dune” to the big screen. In the 1970s, avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky famously attempted to produce a 10 to 14 hour adaptation of “Dune.” The project was put on hold due to budgeting issues. After many other failures, renowned director David Lynch released a movie version of “Dune” in 1984 that

was a commercial and critical failure, bombing in the box office and losing over $10 million.

The green light for “Dune: Part Two” was based on the success of “Dune.” As confident as he was in his direction of the story, Villeneuve expressed fear that “Dune: Part Two” would not be made, given Warner Bros. decision to release the 2021 version of “Dune” simultaneously in theaters and on their streaming service, Max. The film was confirmed shortly after its success in theaters and on the streaming service in late October with the company praising Villeneuve’s and his team’s vision. “Dune: Part Two” entered pre-production immediately following the announcement, with the majority of the main cast returning to their roles, including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Stellan Skarsgård and newcomers including Florence Pugh and Austin Butler. Filming lasted from July to December 2022.

“Dune: Part Two” immediately picks up where 2021’s “Dune”

left off. Paul Atreides (Chalamet), the exiled duke of Arrakis, and his mother Lady Jessica (Ferguson), are the lone survivors of the House Atreides massacre at the hands of the antagonistic House Harkonnen during the climax of the last film. They have joined a faction of the Fremen people, natives of the desert planet led by warrior Stilgar (Javier Bardem).

The Fremen believe Paul is the chosen messiah in a prophecy that will bring prosperity to Arrakis and free them from the oppression of the Harkonnens. Paul wishes to undergo training in the ways of the Fremen, denouncing the prophecy in the hopes of gaining the trust and respect of those who believe the prophecy is false. Love develops between him and the Fremen woman Chani (Zendaya) in the meantime. Paul begins to have visions of a holy war that would cause the deaths of millions should he gain power and go south with his mother to unite the other Fremen. Meanwhile, as the threat of the Fremen opposition grows, Baron Harkonnen (Skarsgård) entrusts

his ruthless nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) to wipe them all out and secure spice harvesting on Arrakis.

“Dune: Part Two” is a flawlessly beautiful film from start to finish. While the beginning is a little slow, the film picks up the pace and is an astounding piece of cinema. With its enriching plot and themes that continue to build upon the richly detailed universe that “Dune” introduced, it brings forth a realistic take on science fiction. Through mixing realworld issues of our relationship with nature, the fight for resources, the dangers associated with a society’s reliance on religion and the sociopolitical undertones of fighting for disputed land, it’s a wonderfully crafted work that stays true to the original novel by Frank Herbert. Additionally, the performances are all top-notch. Ferguson has a leading and cold presence on screen; Austin Butler’s cruel, eccentric portrayal is well done; and Zendaya’s mix of strongwilled leadership yet kind and tender abilities – and her realistic

From ‘Damsel’ to warrior

By Alyssa Inserra STAFF WRITER

Netflix’s new movie, “Damsel,” was released on Friday, March 8, starring Millie Bobby Brown and directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. Even though there was a novel published in 2023 under the same name with the same story, Netflix’s film and the novel are both based on the same original screenplay by Dan Mazeau, just using different mediums to tell the story.

Elodie (Brown) and her family are invited to the Kingdom of Aurea for a wedding between Elodie and Prince Henry of Aurea (Nick Robinson). Due to the harsh and barren landscape of Elodie’s kingdom, she must overcome her personal feelings about the marriage for the good of her people. After the wedding, Elodie is taken to the top of a mountain for an ancient ceremonial tradition. Over a

bridge, Henry throws her into a chasm to be a sacrifice to the beast living in the mountain. Elodie must traverse the many caverns in the mountain, hiding from the sight and hearing of the great dragon (voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo) living inside the mountain. Elodie is only the second sacrifice of three to appease the dragon – but it’s all a lie. The film is an incredible display of survival, beauty and intelligence. One of the great parts of the film is the amazing scenery depicted in the film. The Kingdom of Aurea is an abundant and fertile land that was filmed on a real vineyard in Italy. Other instances of beauty are in the realistic special effects. One of the first caverns in the mountain is full of stalactites and stalagmites. A swarm of screaming birds enter the cavern,

all set on fire by the dragon. It is both stunning and horrifying.

puzzles. It provides assurance that, when she is stuck in the chasm and finds a map made by previously trapped princesses, she will be able to find her way out.

chemistry with Chalamet – all contribute to the most powerful scenes in the film.

What’s truly special, though, is Villeneuve as director. He captures the range that Timothée Chalamet is capable of as an actor in his performance as Paul, who is struggling with the prospect of being the chosen one and uniting the Fremen people as a revolutionary. It solidifies him as one of the leading actors of this generation and is, perhaps, his greatest, most diverse performance yet.

Villeneuve once again showcases how talented and genius he and his team are with “Dune: Part Two.” One man does not make a film; it is a collaborative effort of all departments and this film highlights that excellently in its groundbreaking story. If there is a film you need to experience in a cinema, it’s this one.

Elodie is kind and intelligent from the very beginning. The first time she appears, she is chopping wood with her younger sister Floria (Brooke Carter) to provide wood for her people so that they may survive the harsh winter they endure together. Before she is thrown into the chasm, Elodie is also seen twice making maze

While Elodie begins as just another damsel in distress, she grows to become a warrior princess worthy of life and respect. Queen Isabelle, the Queen of Aurea (Robin Wright), despises Elodie for being strong enough to thwart the dragon and put the kingdom at risk. Robin Wright once played a damsel in distress as Buttercup in the classic film “The Princess Bride.” Wright also transforms from being a damsel to a warrior queen – an evil one at that. The film “Damsel” is a must

watch for all fantasy and fairy tale lovers. While it is a twist on the normal “knights-savingthe-damsel-in distress-fromthe-dragon” fairy tale, it still keeps and twists many other fairy tale tropes that all fairy tale readers will enjoy immensely, including a kind stepmother (Angela Bassett). The movie is an incredible film for women and girls to watch and an even better ending than one could have hoped for.

Watch “Damsel” now on Netflix to see if Elodie will be able to escape the dragon and defeat the royals that wanted her dead.

Photo courtesy of Parade

This marks Brown’s fourth project with Netflix and her first time as an executive producer.

Brynn Cartelli presents exhibit inspired by debut album

By Abby Gibson ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Brynn Cartelli, winner of Season 14 of “The Voice,” released her debut album “OUT OF THE BLUE” on Friday, March 1. To celebrate her debut, she curated an art exhibit for the album that was open only for the release date in New York. The event ran from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Lower East Side. It contained over 30 pieces of artwork, mostly created by young female artists based in New York.

Somehow, after opening for the “Today” show with her song “The Blue” that morning, Cartelli still had the energy to show up to the exhibit herself. She opened the exhibit with a performance of “The Blue” and “Secondhand Smoke” from the album and stayed for the entire three hours the exhibit was open greeting fans who came sporting their best blue outfits.

new songs on the album allowed fans to gain more favorites from Cartelli’s growing discography.

“The song that really stood out to me was ‘Fine Line’ because

cohesive.

“It’s sad but heartwarming because we’re all experiencing something similar but in different ways,” said longtime fan

an inside look at that day. The outfit, a black top and a light blue tutu with a pair of ballet shoes, is featured in three other photos as Cartelli dances and poses

abnormal lips as it had a crown, bow and rings made into it.

“The fruit sculptures were interesting because ‘OUT OF THE BLUE’ doesn’t just revolve around the color blue, it’s out of the box and weird,” said Hannah Grynberg, a senior public relations and Spanish major at Hofstra who also attended the event.

of the vocals, they’re insane,” said Amanda Thesen, Cartelli’s makeup artist. “It’s like a song you want to hear Brynn Cartelli sing because the vocals are so fire.” Cartelli’s voice is powerful and mature, which she certainly shows off in this album.

Cartelli is the youngest winner of The Voice to date at just 16 years old, as well as Kelly Clarkson’s first coach win of the show. After spending four years crafting her debut album, she has finally released it to the world. The album has 14 songs for a total run of 49 minutes, and it has a major blue theme.

“It’s really exciting to see this album finally be released and just to kind of see the growth that Brynn has had as an artist over the years,” said Travis Curry, who attended the event.

Six of the 14 songs had been released prior to the full album: “Gemini,” “Secondhand Smoke,” “Girl Code,” “Convertible in the Rain,” “Boy From Home” and “Lucky To Love You.” Having

Fans seem to be loving the new album. With themes ranging from crushing on a boy to being overly dependent on a friendship, there is plenty to relate to in each song. Something that Cartelli uses to her advantage is matching lyrics and music to enhance her storytelling which can instill more feeling into a song.

“‘Running In Place’ is my favorite because I relate to it so much, and it’s my new favorite car jam,” said fan Anne Maria Mattila. The upbeat pop song uses a sense of hesitation in the beat of the chorus to create a sense that you aren’t going anywhere, like you’re running in place. The storytelling is evident in the album and is a key reason why the album as a whole is so

Charlotte Scott. It is a bittersweet feeling to know that the painful songs on the album can be related to, but it is also what enhances Cartelli’s ability to connect with her fans.

“I only have one debut record, and I wanted to celebrate the New York City creatives and bring in the world of ‘OUT OF THE BLUE,’” Cartelli said. The exhibit focuses on her friends’ artworks but also allows others into the world of her album. Artists featured included Jimmy Fontaine, Elinor Kry, Ilana Guaraca, Amber Wynne-Jones, Ana Santos, Victoria Sherwood, Genevieve Geller and Ares Maia. The collection of photographs, sculptures, paintings and more was able to immerse fans into Cartelli’s creative world.

Some of the art featured included still photographs from the music videos for songs on the album, including “Secondhand Smoke” and “Gemini.” Other photos were from the album cover photoshoot, showing the audience

for the camera. “It’s a beautiful way to have her songs and lyrics expressed in more than the words and to really get people feeling and understanding the vibe of ‘OUT OF THE BLUE,’” Mattila said. Just like album cover art, this exhibit was an outlet for Cartelli to push her visionary side.

Two pieces within the exhibit stood out to the viewers: the sexy fruit and the journals. The fruit piece was created by Geller from polymer clay and acrylics. The set included six different pieces titled “Bird,” “Banana,” “Mango,” “Strawberry,” “Ms. Slipper” and “Yuzu.”

“They had a lot of personality and were very nicely done,” said Alanna Beneroff, Cartelli’s stylist for her “Gemini” music video. “Very well executed but also funny.”

Each piece in this set of clayand-acrylic-made objects had eyes and their own pair of big lips, besides “Bird.” “Bird” was already interesting without the

Geller also showed two of her journals and a colored pencil drawing titled “Continual Fulfillment” and “Afternoon Scroll (Generated to be Noticed because Love Takes Time)”. The two journals sat opposite each other on a table and were written in, lived in and created by Geller. Drawings of hearts with faces, receipts from restaurants, airplane tickets and so much more were put into these journals, cultivating an intimate and personal relationship with those who flipped through them.

“What I also love about art like [the journals] is that it feels like art that made me want to go home and take a journal and do something similar to it like put little receipts and candy wrappers and receipts from food and flights and little things in it and draw around it and talk about how I’m feeling in those moments,” Thesen said.

The exhibit appeared to be a hit to those who attended. It was unique to see an artist curate an art exhibit for an album release party, but then again, Cartelli has proven to be a creative person herself. With all these events, fans are eager to know what comes next in the era of “OUT OF THE BLUE.” One thing is for certain: – Cartelli’s creative flow isn’t stopping any time soon.

Photo courtesy of Abby Gibson / The Hofstra Chronicle

Cartelli’s debut album peaked at 8 on the iTunes pop album chart.

By Tim Daly

Much of society thinks of Satanists as child-sacrificing, blood-drinking Illuminati members, but real Satanists are more concerned with autonomy than any pentagram worship or ritualistic sacrifice. Whether Satanism is a religion partly depends on your definition of a religion, and if it needs worship or spiritual beliefs to be considered one. Regardless, Satanism is a legitimate belief system that is unfairly opposed and mischaracterized by the public.

Due to its active opposition to Christianity and other religions, Satanism is often attacked and misrepresented in society. The view of Satanists worsened in the 1980s due to the Satanic panic, a rise of conspiracies about ritualistic child abuse cults. Because of this, most members of the Satanic Temple, including the organization’s leaders, practice under a pseudonym, for fear of doxxing and harassment. Many have to keep their membership a secret due to potential safety risks,

OPINION

Satanism is a legitimate belief system

damage to their social status and even loss of employment. Satanic beliefs themselves aren’t unreasonable, and in some cases, are even virtuous.

There are two main Satanic organizations, the Church of Satan which was founded in the 1960s, and the more active and modern Satanic Temple which was founded in 2013.

These two organizations differ in their beliefs, but neither promotes the extreme ideas that the group’s detractors would have you believe.

The common factor between these two denominations is a resistance to authority, with Satan as the chosen symbol for this. Both organizations are not theistic, and there is no legitimate belief in or worship of Satan, he is simply a symbol of individual liberty. This satanic belief is incredibly relevant in our current day, and dare I say, falls in line with American values.

Any idea of Satanists as people who sacrifice animals or children is categorically false and goes against Satanic beliefs completely. Not only does it go

against ideas about the sanctity of life and empathy that exist in Satanism, but it also does not make sense because the action itself would be illogical to Satanists. The Church of Satan’s website says, “The only people who perform sacrifices are those who believe in supernatural beings who would consider a sacrifice to be some form of payment for a request or form of worship.”

While there are people who do commit indefensible actions in the name of Satan, the same can be said about Christianity, Islam or any other major religion or belief system throughout history.

The Church of Satan’s main values involve selflove, and in this comes the idea of pleasure-seeking. The Church of Satan promotes epicurean-style indulgence, favoring moderation over abstinence, while taking a stance against compulsiondriven overindulgence. Anyone who takes a message centered around seeking pleasure for oneself and uses it to justify hedonistic behavior does so at

their own peril. The Church of Satan and the Satanic Temple’s beliefs differ on other things, but neither organization is promoting anything unreasonable or harmful.

The Satanic Temple’s beliefs are focused on bodily autonomy, with much action being taken by the organization to promote abortion access after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision leading to a great deal of controversy for the organization. Critics delegitimize it as leftist trolls pretending to be a religion, but if other religions can take stances on issues like abortion, why can’t the Satanic Temple? Especially considering that the Satanic Temple has taken the side in the abortion debate that a majority of Americans (69% as of 2023) support.

The Satanic Temple promotes empathy and compassion for others, within reason. The Church of Satan is a bit clearer, with its stance being kindness for those who deserve it, and vengeance for those who do not. While this doesn’t

adhere to the beliefs around forgiveness in religions like Christianity, it could be argued that Satanism’s stance is more realistic and useful as it falls more in line with how our society and justice systems function.

When critiquing these beliefs, it is important to keep in mind who is drawn to Satanism. There are certain groups of people who, based on their own life experiences, would find messages of pleasureseeking and vengeance legitimately useful. People are drawn to Satanism for the same reasons as they are to any religion or belief system: a source of guiding principles or community. It shouldn’t matter what symbols or stories resonate with others as long as they lead people to ethical conclusions.

Tim Daly is a sophomore journalism major and an assistant opinion editor.

The residential side of campus isn’t up to snuff

CONTINUED FROM A1

It’s not like Hofstra does a great job of organizing or promoting fun and exciting activities for students to participate in on weekends. We have sports which, don’t get me wrong, are fun, but that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Even so, the marquee weekend sporting activity at most universities is football, something that Hofstra no longer has.

You may argue that, due to the higher number of students who don’t live on campus, there isn’t much the university can do event-wise for those who do stay here. Maybe the university should try harder to employ some more fun activities. Here’s a theory: what if one of the biggest cities in the world was

a train ride away? The very few “Explore Next Door” trips that do happen seem to disappear halfway through the semester. Do you mean to tell me that you can’t find a single cool event to attend in the city during April?

Not only is there a lack of events, but what the residential side does have to offer isn’t exactly thrilling either. Plenty of dorm buildings are either falling apart or out of the way of everything. Colonial Square seems nice at first glance, but that first impression sours rather quickly when you realize that if you want to go anywhere that isn’t the gym or HofUSA, it is a hike.

I didn’t realize how bad it was until I was looking at off-campus housing for next year. You would be shocked how many houses in different

neighborhoods are closer to the academic side of campus than Colonial Square is.

Getting to the academic side from Colonial Square is a mini journey. If you don’t want to walk through the Student Center parking lot every day, you just add more time to your morning walk by taking the sidewalk. I know this seems like a non-issue to most, but I don’t pay the amount of money I pay to go here just to play a real-life game of “Frogger” every morning.

I would not be surprised if you told me most of the land on the residential side was just parking lots which is quite ironic considering how dreadful parking is around Colonial Square. The only big parking lots close to Colonial Square are the two near HofUSA, which is only convenient for a

handful of the many buildings in the complex. Meaning, that if you don’t get in the row that lines the front of Colonial Square, you are out of luck.

I also remember how big of a selling point the arboretum was on my first tour. To Hofstra’s credit, the academic side is beautiful in the spring when all the trees have their leaves. However, they decided to save none of that beauty for residents. Because nothing screams, “I can’t wait to spend four years here taking in all this nature” quite like six 14-story buildings ruining any chance of living that gleeful fantasy.

Most importantly, living here is just plain expensive. Most houses in the surrounding area have rent prices that are a fraction of the cost of living in a dorm. When you consider that it is cheaper, more convenient

and more fun to find a house to rent off-campus, what incentive do you have to stay? According to Hofstra’s website, most options range from about $6,000 to over $8,000 per semester. That is ridiculous for how little value you get out of such a high cost.

Hofstra’s residential issues, whether due to the university’s incompetence or not, are issues nonetheless. I don’t blame anyone who is willing to pack it up and go somewhere else after just a year or two of living here, especially when Hofstra seems to be doing everything possible to make you want nothing to do with their housing options.

Tom Norman is a sophomore journalism major and an assistant opinion editor.

OPINION

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

Across

5. Township in New Jersey that shares its name with the Student Government Association’s vice president

8. Song by the band “Muse” as well as a staple of March

9. Only country to border both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf

11. Longest river in the United States that’s name is also a Midwest state

12. Flintstone and Warner share this name.

13. It’s “always sunny” in this U.S. city

Down

1. Lustra’s “Scotty Doesn’ t Know” is most remembered from this 2004 film.

2. Hofstra alum who became the first woman to umpire a spring training game.

3. Red fruit that’s also a member of the rose family.

4. Former U.S. territory that was transferred to the United States at Castle Hill in Sitka

6. Small Asian country on the island of Borneo that’s ruled by a sultan.

7. Hall containing Bits & Bytes

10. The brothers who made the first successful powered airplane flight.

Graphic by Ethan Albin / The Hofstra Chronicle

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

Use more paper! It’s our only hope

By Lincoln Anniballi

Most of us have been indoctrinated to believe that the greatest way to save the environment is by reducing paper use. Paper kills trees, trees are good, and therefore, paper is bad.

In an attempt to move in a “greener” direction, paper has often been replaced with screens. I don’t think this is inherently bad, and I’m not against technology or screens, I’m just also not against using paper.

Paper, in its purest form, is a natural, renewable and biodegradable product. The environmental risk is that we don’t write on pure paper. It’s not trees that make paper bad for the environment – we’ve got trees (and they regrow). The production, distribution and disposal of that paper is what’s bad for the environment. However, the threats are

By Estelle Collette

limited compared to those posed by other environmental dangers like oil and plastics. The risks of paper use can be minimized through changes in its production and disposal, making it more sustainable.

Technology has made our lives more convenient. Our backs are fortunate that the days of carrying around big textbooks are far gone. I’m glad that I can type this article on my laptop rather than find a typewriter or be forced to handwrite it. The ability to use ctrl+f on a document is incredible. Yet, there is still value to paper.

Paper is more real than images on a screen. The aesthetics of holding a book, reading a newspaper or getting a letter or card are unmatched. But more important than simple aesthetics, holding a text, physically annotating and hand writing carries actual educational and emotional

value. Paper posters hung in residence halls or on bulletin boards are more attractive than screens that switch advertisements every 10 seconds. There’s a societal value in seeing what papers are on display together and having the freedom to hang them.

Seeing the array of events hanging on a board has artistic and cultural significance. You can take it all in rather than stand and wait for a bright artificial Canva template to flash by. Beyond aesthetics, in the age before the screen, anyone could hang posters. To fundraise, advocate for a cause or promote an event, you could print some flyers and hang them up. Now, you’ve got to appeal to the higher powers who control the screens. With paper, people can keep your flyer as a physical reminder, building a personal connection. Graphics today are gone as fast as they come.

It’s not just posters. I’ve recently switched from taking notes on my iPad or laptop to a college-ruled notebook. I’m not tempted to switch between tabs or scroll through my email. I don’t have to worry about what color I’m going to use or miss notes when my Wi-Fi cuts out. Using paper, I don’t have to charge my notebook or worry about whether my pencil has died.

Instead of reading on my computer, I can concentrate on a paper copy. I won’t be distracted by notifications and my boredom won’t get the best of me, going to Instagram or YouTube. The attention span of younger generations is getting increasingly short. Using paper is a solution. Anything I want to read that’s a few pages long, I print. The biggest downside? My print credits are shot. My way might not be your way, and that’s fine. I’ll do what works for me and you can

do what works for you. But my preferences may convince you to use paper, just look at the history.

Almost all we know about our history is from paper records. If these things are locked up on your computer, or worse, the intangible cloud in an account no one can access, how will future generations learn about you? We are leaving no physical trace of our humanity without paper.

Stuff online gets lost all the time, both by accident and purposefully. The value of paper is practical, aesthetic and necessary for the preservation of knowledge. Using technology and using paper are not mutually exclusive. Let’s use both to make our lives easy and give our existence value.

Lincoln Anniballi is junior political science and history major.

AI has no place in the employment process

Going in for a job interview no longer consists of speaking with a person. Instead, applicants find themselves conversing with computergenerated programs as they are examined based on keywords, eye contact and other mannerisms. Artificial Intelligence is choosing the workforce of the future and deciding what qualifies as a good fit for open positions without the invaluable input of a human executive.

After the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Gartner Inc. survey among HR leaders stated that 86% of employers are now using AI technology in the hiring process. This software is specifically programmed to examine facial cues, tone of voice and timed responses to questions and pick out specific words or phrases within them. Rather than facing a human with empathy and patience,

applicants may have their responses cut short or discussion topics abandoned at the will of increasingly unavoidable AI hiring systems. Not only does this remove the entire aspect of human connection and charisma within interviews, but AI is imperfect due to its programming method. Almost 50% have been proven to show gender bias leaving applications from women to become automatic afterthoughts even in instances where women exceed qualifications. Additionally, evidence of both racial and gender bias are found in 25.7% of AI systems. Women, more specifically women of color, face unfair treatment due to this software and its defects, preventing them from having the same chances and opportunities as the most popular group chosen by AI: white men. This is partially a result of the fact that men dominate 78% the field of AI creation. The programs are not only biased but

also fail to perform as well for women and non-binary people. The voice recognition systems do not function correctly, and job opportunities and information are not distributed to women like they are distributed to men.

A Princeton study testing the extent of AI bias proved that these systems inherently push applications with European-sounding names over those with African-sounding names. European names were “significantly easier to associate with pleasant than unpleasant terms” while African American names were connected with words related to violence, sickness, crime and more. AI also struggled to understand different dialects spoken during interviews, repeatedly associating the AfricanAmerican vernacular in English with Norwegian.

As AI incorporates the same biases and stereotypes its creators possess, it becomes

just as, if not more problematic than gender and racial bias in the working world before the implementation of AI applications. While society continues to grow and change, there are means of defense against discrimination in the work world. And yet, there is no defense against programmed AI that is published with bias, as it is often not re-examined and continues to affect a countless number of applicants.

Furthermore, job listings themselves are appearing less and less in person and more through online platforms with confusing navigation systems and unfairly distributed opportunities. More importantly, these listings do not properly reflect the extent of actual job opportunities, as entire groups are excluded from being advertised certain openings due to racial or gender bias.

When examining the recruitment process through AI systems, it was discovered

that the first wave of applicants often consists of white men and through interacting with them, the algorithm will recommend more applications from white men, eventually erasing applications from any other group of people.

AI isn’t working. While it might be more convenient for employers, it is significantly more harmful to applicants as gender and racial bias dominate which candidates are submitted for the recruitment process. Not only does the process create a total disconnect between employers and to-be-employees, but it also prevents opportunities from being distributed equally. AI has no place in the work industry and as long as it is biased, it should be removed from the hiring process entirely.

Estelle Collette is a sophomore filmmaking major.

Do Hofstra’s men’s and women’s teams get equal publicity?

By Olivia Hillestad SPORTS EDITOR

The following charts show data collected from the Hofstra Pride Instagram account, Hofstra Pride Athletics account on X, The Hofstra Chronicle’s website and the Instagram accounts of each athletic team. The data was collected to compare the number of times men’s and women’s teams were mentioned, as well as how

often individual athletes were mentioned.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 establishes that schools have a legal duty to provide equal athletic opportunity based on sex. According to the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR), this includes equal publicity, meaning equivalent coverage for men’s and women’s teams and

athletes on a school’s website, social media and other publicity mediums. In the past 10 years, the OCR has investigated multiple high schools and universities following claims of unequal publicity. In 2015, Rutgers University was one such school. They refuted the accusations, claiming that the imbalance was out of their control. In an OCR report on the case, the office stated that schools must market and

promote all teams equally, not just their largest, most popular, or most successful teams.

Men’s lacrosse drops third straight to No. 18 Tar Heels

By Anthony Hidalgo STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra University men’s lacrosse team was handed a 21-9 loss at the hands of the No. 18 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels on Saturday, March 9, at the James M. Shuart Stadium.

This defeat is Hofstra’s third straight loss, bringing them to 3-4 on the season as they look forward to Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play. UNCChapel Hill improves to 4-2 on the year with the Tar Heels earning their first win over the Pride in more than a decade,

having lost their last three matchups with Hofstra dating back to 2016.

“Anger and focus; they had that today,” said Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney. “They were not going to be denied righting the wrongs of a few years ago. We lost today. They beat us and we lost and when that combination happens it’s no good.”

The Tar Heels led the game wire-to-wire, dominating Hofstra on both ends of the field. Time of possession was heavily in UNC-Chapel Hill’s favor and the few opportunities the Pride had on offense were shut down by a suffocating North Carolina defense. The Tar Heels refused to give up an inch to the Hofstra offense as they struggled to gain any momentum in the first half.

Matt Wrede got UNC-Chapel Hill on the board first with his second goal of the season, before Trevor Deubner found the net for the first time this season to put the Pride in a

quick two-goal hole.

Sam Lutfi responded less than a minute later to get Hofstra on the board, but UNC-Chapel Hill rattled off another three straight goals to take a 5-1 lead after the first quarter.

“We could have made some plays,” Tierney said. “[Lutfi] had an inside look after his first goal. Colton [Rudd] had an inside look in the first quarter. When you play against a top 20 team, if you don’t cash in on those layups, it could be a two-goal swing, and that’s what it was.”

Lutfi, along with Rory Jones, led Hofstra with two goals apiece, with five other members of the Pride finding the back of the net. Griffin Turner had a goal and a pair of assists for a team-high 3 points. Sean Henderson added 10 saves before Max May took over in net for the final 10 minutes.

Owen Duffy spearheaded the UNC-Chapel Hill offense, leading with a team-high four goals and five assists. Logan

McGovern and James Matan both recorded hat tricks as the Tar Heels had 11 different players score in the win.

Justin Skyes scored his 11th goal of the season for the Pride just over one minute into the second quarter to bring Hofstra within four, but UNC-Chapel Hill responded with a 6-1 run the rest of the frame, leaving Hofstra to enter the break trailing 11-3.

“It’s one of those where you got to move on, we gotta cut it loose and have positive vibes moving forward,” Tierney said.

“I promised the team, win, lose or draw there was going to be a scouting report for Fairfield [University] in their lockers and that’s what it was.”

Hofstra has split the last four meetings against Fairfield, losing the two most recent matchups 11-12 and 10-12, respectively.

The Pride travel to take on the Fairfield Stags on Saturday, March 16, from Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium. Face-off is scheduled for noon.

Hofstra is 9-6 all-time against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Photo courtesy of Lee S. Weissman / Hofstra Athletics

Two Pride wrestlers place at EIWA championships

By Olivia Hillestad SPORTS EDITOR

After two days of tough competition, the Hofstra University wrestling team had two wrestlers place at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships on Saturday, March 9. Keaton Kluever placed eighth at 285 pounds to automatically qualify for the NCAA championships while Jurius Clark placed seventh at 157 pounds. After losing in the quarterfinals to Lewis Fernandes of Cornell University 13-0 during the first day of competition, Kluever beat William Jarrell of American University to move on to day two and automatically qualify. During the consultation quarterfinals, Kluever faced Princeton University’s Matt Cover. To open, he used a duck under to get to Kluever’s legs and took him straight to his back to get a 7-0 lead heading into the second period. There, the two

started in neutral but the action quickly stopped as Kluever had to default out of the match.

The loss put Kluever into the seventh place match against Grady Griess of the United States Naval Academy, where he medically forfeited to place eighth.

During the first day of competition, Clark beat Jonathan Ley of Navy to move onto the consolation quarterfinals to face Blake Saito of Brown University. After a scoreless first period, Saito rode Clark out during the second period to get two minutes of riding time. In the third period, Saito elected to start at bottom and earned a quick escape to get on the scoreboard and win 2-0.

In his match for seventh place, Clark had a rematch against Long Island University’s Rhise Royster, who beat him 6-1 at the Hofstra Long Island University dual earlier this season. After another scoreless first period, Clark

chose bottom in the second period and earned a quick escape. In the third period, Royster took bottom where he got to Clark’s leg and fought for a reversal to make the score 2-1 in his favor. While fighting to keep Clark down, Royster was called for locking hands, awarding Clark one point and tying the score 2-2. Clark continued to fight to get to his feet, with Royster getting called for pushing him out on the edge of the mat with five seconds left. Because he already had a stall warning called against him earlier in the match, the call awarded Clark 1 point to make the score 3-2. Following the conclusion of regulation time, Royster earned a point for riding time to make it 3-3 and force the two into a sudden victory overtime. Neither wrestler scored during the overtime, moving it to two 30-second tiebreaker periods. During the first, Clark started on the bottom and got

a last-second escape to put him up 4-3. In the final period, Clark used a leg ride to keep Royster down and win the match, placing seventh.

The Pride ended both days with 15 team points to place 16th. Kluever will compete at the NCAA Championships starting Thursday, March 21, and continuing through Saturday, March 23, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Hofstra claims series win over Towson to open CAA play

By Nick Mongiovi STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra University softball team beat the Towson University Tigers 12-0 on Sunday, March 10. The Pride won their opening Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) series and improved to 4-11 overall on the season.

It was a dominant performance from Hofstra, as they scored in five out of the seven innings played, including a five-run seventh inning. With 7 points already on the board for the Pride, Olivia Malinowski scored on a throwing error from the left fielder to increase their lead to 8-0. Tyler Douglas then scored on a wild pitch,

stretching the lead to nine runs.

Chelsea Manto singled to left field for her second hit of the afternoon and knocked in Kayla Wilson from second base. With the bases juiced and one out in the inning, Gabriella Sultan singled to right field, scoring Manto from second and Nicole Cancel from third.

Malinowski cleared the bases in the third, with a threeRBI double to right center, increasing the team’s lead to 4-0.

The bats were hot, but Towson committed five errors in the loss. Out of the 12 team hits for Hofstra, Manto, Malinowski and Lily Yepez all had multi-hit games.

Pitcher Julia Apsel entered the circle for the sixth time this season and the second time this weekend. Apsel pitched five scoreless innings, allowed three hits and fanned five, as she improved to 3-3 on the year. Apsel was responsible for both the team’s victories against the Tigers in this series.

Apsel lowered her ERA

to 1.27, as this was her third outing of the season without allowing a run. To this point, she has 28 strikeouts and eight walks throughout 38.2 innings of work.

Anna Butler relieved Apsel for the sixth and seventh innings. The junior right-hander pitched two scoreless innings while allowing two hits and one walk. Butler’s ERA on the season is 1.05 in 6.2 innings of work.

Despite sitting at 4-11 overall, the Pride are fifth in the CAA standings. Towson slides into the eighth spot in the conference, with a 1-2 record in CAA play and 8-13 overall.

The home opener for Hofstra is Friday, March 15, against Drexel University. The first pitch is set for 5 p.m. against the 4-11 Dragons. It’s a threegame series, with game two to be played on Saturday, March 16, and game three to be played on Sunday, March 17.

The win secured Hofstra’s first series victory of the season.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Meullion / Hofstra Athletics

Photo courtesy of Dennis Papadatos / Hofstra Athletics

Jurius Clark finishes the season with a 15-9 record.

By Ethan Poole STAFF WRITER

Pride finishes CAA season with loss to Aggies

The Hofstra University women’s basketball team wrapped up their regular season on Saturday, March 9, with a 57-46 loss to the North Carolina A&T State University Aggies. The Pride finished their season at 9-20 with a 3-15 record in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play as the Aggies finished up at 19-10 and 13-5 in conference play. Hofstra struggled offensively throughout the entire game, no members of the Pride eclipsed double-digit points and they

shot 26.9% from the field as a team. Sloppiness with the basketball was also an issue, as Hofstra had 22 turnovers on the day, compared to just 14 for the Aggies.

Sorelle Ineza and Emma Von Essen both led Hofstra with 9 points each. Von Essen added four rebounds and an assist, while Ineza had a steal along with an assist and a rebound. Both players had three turnovers. Von Essen wraps up her regular season averaging 12.1 points per game, good for No. 18 in the CAA. Ineza finishes with 9.3 points per game, her strong back half of the year propelling her to a solid stat line.

Ally Knights led the team with five assists and nine rebounds, the nine rebounds being her highest total at Hofstra. Knights finished the regular season tied for No. 7 in the CAA in assists with 3.4 dimes per game.

Zyheima Swint pulled down six boards for Hofstra, finish-

ing her regular season as the No. 4 leading rebounder in the conference with 7.7 per game. Brooke Anya was not far behind her in the rankings, coming in at No. 9 with an even seven boards per game.

The offensive load for North Carolina A&T was carried by senior guard D’Mya Tucker and redshirt sophomore center Chaniya Clark. Tucker scored 16 points on an efficient 4-7 shooting performance along with eight made free throws, also adding seven rebounds. Clark put up 12 points and led both teams in rebounding with eight. Clark finished the regular season at No. 3 in the CAA in rebounding with 7.8 per game, just edging out Swint.

Jordyn Dorsey led both teams with four assists and finished the season tied with Knights’ 3.4 assists per game for No. 7 in the CAA.

It is off to Washington D.C. for both teams as well as the rest of the CAA for the con-

ference tournament. Hofstra sits as the No. 13 seed and will take on Hampton University in the first round of the tournament. The game is set for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13.

Hofstra swept in final game of long road trip

By Aaron Diaz STAFF WRITER

The St. John’s University Red Storm beat the Hofstra University baseball team in a three-game sweep over the weekend in Queens, New York 9-8. Hofstra played a doubleheader on Friday, March 8, and the third game of the series on Sunday, March 10. The Pride’s pitching put the team in the hole early, and the offense could not overtake the Red Storm.

Both offenses rang out the hits with the Pride collecting 12 hits compared to St. John’s 10. Carlos Martinez started for

Hofstra and Mario Pesca got the start for the Red Storm.

Martinez has struggled on the mound so far this season. Following today’s start, Martinez has a 1-2 record and a 12.33 ERA on the season.

The Red Storm caught Martinez early, as catcher Jimmy Keenan roped a single-scoring two runs in the first with a 2-0 lead. Martinez finished the game surrendering seven runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings pitched. He was also tagged with the loss.

On the other side, Pesca gave up a run in the second inning with a Penn Sealey single to right field cutting the lead to 2-1. Pesca exited the game after five innings of work, having allowed four runs off five hits.

Five players on the Pride had at least two hits including Santino Rosso, Alex McCoy, Luke Masiuk, Will Kennedy and Matt Pelcher. Rosso also led the team with two RBIs and a solo home run in the third.

McCoy followed that home run with a dinger of his own over the left field fence, but the Pride was still trailing behind 5-4 in the fifth inning. Ben Beauchamp shined for the Red Storm, making three hits in three at-bats with one RBI. He also managed a home run in the third inning.

Down 8-5 in the sixth, the Pride started their comeback attempt. Rosso’s RBI single scored Dylan Palmer, now down 8-6. In the seventh, a Kennedy single and Michael Brown groundout put Hofstra within one at 8-7 late in the game. A sac fly for St. John’s in the bottom half capped their scoring at 9 points bringing them to a 9-7 lead.

Masiuk kept the rally going with a single to left field, scoring McCoy to come within one, but that score did not change heading into the ninth as Jed Boyle closed out the game for St. John’s as they completed the sweep with a 9-8 win.

After the series, Hofstra now stands at a 4-9 record while St. John’s climbed their way to a record of 8-4. This marked the last road series for the Pride as they make their home debut against the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights on Tuesday, March 12. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. from University Field in Hempstead, New York.

Photo courtesy of Stephen Blue / Hofstra Athletics Hofstra is 2-2 in one-run games so far this season.

Photo courtesy of Evan Bernstein / Hofstra Athletics

Hofstra finishes bottom two in the CAA standings for the third straight year.

By Josh Sager

STAFF WRITER

Rory Jones never backs down, never gives up

Rory Jones is the epitome of Hofstra University men’s lacrosse: hardworking, determined and tough. Any team would want him on their squad.

“He gets knocked around a little bit, but he’s never going to back down from a challenge,” said Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney. “He is mentally and physically tough, pound for pound.”

Jones is on a tear early into his redshirt junior season, having already scored 14 goals and collecting 21 points this season as opposed to 26 points and 18 goals for 2023.

“I would credit all of it to my coaches and my teammates,” Jones said. “Coach [Michael] Gongas has done a good job of just putting me in positions for me to be successful.”

Growing up in Maryland, a state that is known as a hotbed for lacrosse prospects, his environment helped him develop to where he is now. It challenged him to continue becoming better and better.

“I think that everyone wanted to be great, so I was around people that pushed me and helped light a fire in me,” Jones said. “Once again, that’s the culture: it’s lacrosse. I really latched onto it at a young age. A lot of practicing in the backyard. I’d watch a game, and then, I’d go out and practice the stuff that I saw.”

He accepted another challenge, going from one notable lacrosse setting to another in coming to Long Island. It’s been quite an adventure for the Abingdon native.

Despite eventually ending

up in Hempstead, Hofstra was not initially where he was supposed to go, as a change in the recruiting process caused his prior commitment to the University of Michigan to fall through.

When this happened, Tierney was determined to bring Jones’s lacrosse talents to Hofstra. He did whatever it took to add Jones because it was clear he was a major team player.

“Late in my junior year [of high school], I spoke to [Tierney],” Jones said. “I came up here, I saw everything and I loved him. I still wasn’t sure about what I wanted to do, but he was persistent, calling me every single day, trying to get me here. I wanted to be somewhere I was wanted.”

“When we found out [Jones] was available, we called him immediately,” Tierney said. “We loved what [Jones] was about. He was a blue-collar player. He plays hard, his compete level is very high, his work ethic and his desire to be great is there and we knew we could work with those ingredients.”

It was a rough start to his college career; to start with, he lost his senior season in high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, the summer before his freshman year, something wasn’t quite right.

“I noticed back pain, and then I got here, and fall my freshman year, the back pain was just terrible,” Jones said. “[I had a] tough time breathing. We went and looked at my back. And then, after all the X-rays and MRIs came back negative on my back, our doctors came in and twisted me around a little bit and said, ‘We’ve got to look at his hip.’”

It wasn’t a back injury, and it was worse than they’d originally thought. He had torn the labrum in both of his hips and his right one was broken on top of it. He had to have two hip operations, which forced him to sit out the 2021 season.

“It was difficult, I had never really had a longterm injury like that before,” Jones said. “I had bumps and bruises, but never something that sidelined me or held me out. I just think that having to watch in the moment was really tough, but looking back, in the long run, it was probably the best thing for me.”

“He fought through it like a champ,” Tierney said.

leading scorer, Gerard Kane.

“I think that when things are going well, I always tend to deflect,” Jones said. “It’s always a credit to my teammates and coaches, but if we lose a game, I always feel like I look in the mirror and blame myself.”

Because of the injury, Jones decided to redshirt to avoid losing eligibility. It hasn’t hindered his lacrosse-playing abilities, however, as he has been in the top five on the team in scoring for the last two seasons and is second for the Pride this year.

He scored eight of this year’s 14 goals in the season opener against Wagner College on Feb. 3. That performance put him in a five-way tie for second-most goals in a game by a player in program history.

“We worked all fall on putting in a new offense with Coach Gongas which puts me in really good positions,” Jones said. “And then my teammates knew that I was feeling it early in the game, so they just continued to give me the ball and I was open a decent amount. I had my hands free and my feet free, and I just kind of trusted my shot, and they just happened to be falling that day.”

“His feet had time and room and he shuffled into it, and he didn’t miss the goal because he shot to score and not for ESPN’S Top 10,” Tierney said.

Always looking to score, 26 of his 57 shots have been on goal, which makes 46%.

Jones has been putting pressure on himself to help lead this team with the departure of last year’s leading scorer, Matt Elder, and an injury suffered by the second-

With Jones standing at 5 feet 7 inches tall he is one of the two smallest guys on the team, along with fellow midfielder Trevor Natalie.

“Being on the smaller end most of my life has made me play just a little bit harder,” Jones said. “I’m not scared whether I see a defenseman that’s 6 [foot] 5 [inches] or 5 [foot] 9 [inches]; I don’t look at anyone any differently. I’m going to play the way that I play.”

To complete the package, Jones’ nature is caring and selfless. His propensity for caring about others off the field has led to Tierney calling Jones the ultimate teammate.

“If [Jones] was in a restaurant, and one of his teammates needed help, he would be there,” Tierney noted. “If he was able to help a teammate with family matters, social matters, working out, he has gotten up early in the morning to be there for his teammates. I have gotten phone calls from him about teammates that were struggling, and he cared to make that phone call. That’s a pure teammate.”

“I care a lot about the people in my life,” Jones said. “Whether that’s here, back home [or] my family. If you’re a family member or friend, I’ll do anything for you. If you need me in the middle of the night – I’ll be there.”

And be there he has for the

team on and off the field. And it’s on the field where he’s needed the most. The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) section of the schedule is coming up, and Tierney hopes Jones can play a big part against CAA opponents.

“He needs to stay focused,” Tierney said. “He doesn’t need to let the lows be too low or the highs be too high. And he needs his work ethic and compete level to become contagious and to have that spread throughout the team.”

“We have a Big Ten opponent and an [Atlantic Coast Conference] opponent before we get into CAAs,” Jones said. “I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing and the team’s going to keep doing what they’re doing. [Tierney] has done a great job putting in a game plan. My teammates have done a great job executing. I’m just going to keep playing team ball.”

But the goal remains the same for Jones, Tierney and Hofstra alike: stand on top of the CAA podium one more time. This is something they haven’t done since 2007.

“I don’t really care if I’m the one that scores or if it’s one of my teammates,” Jones said. “I’m just happy to be out there. It’s a team game. If you see me after one of my teammates scores, I’m usually hands in the air, running right over to them.”

Jones is the ultimate team player, and it’s his selfless personality on the field that rounds his personality out. So far, he has taken his game to new heights, and he plans to take the team with him on their quest for a CAA title.

Photo courtesy of Lee S. Weissman / Hostra Athletics

Jones has 54 goals and 23 assists for 77 points in his Hofstra career.

Jones is four goals shy of his season high of 20 points.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta / Hofstra Athletics

SPORTS

Ally Knights finds home across the globe

By Josie Racette

COPY CHIEF

Searching for a home away from Geelong, Australia (a whopping 10,000 miles away), Ally Knights ventured to the northern hemisphere to the University of North Florida, but in her junior year, she made the switch to Hofstra University in Hempstead.

“When I came on my visit to Hofstra, there was very much a family vibe, which I was missing at my old school,” Knights said. “I felt very supported and cared for as soon as I stepped foot on campus. Being so far away from my family and my home in Australia, if I could find a place that felt like home to me, I was going to go there straight away.”

Family is huge for Knights, especially since she’s only able to see them for about five weeks each year.

“I am sacrificing a lot in terms of being here,” Knights said. “I have a little brother who’s 13 who’s growing up. I have my older brother, my parents, my grandparents – they’re getting older. That’s a sacrifice I had to make and that’s what motivates me in terms of like, if I’m here, I’m gonna give it my 110% effort because I want to make myself proud, I want to make my family proud and I want it to mean something.”

This season is made special by the fact that it’s her senior season, so she knew that she wanted to leave everything on

the floor and be the best version of herself. As a teammate, as a point guard and as a friend, she knew she wanted to excel. Let’s start on the hardwood.

“Personally, [I need to be] more aggressive downhill when I play and just [make] sure I continue to look out for myself and be the best point guard I can be,” Knights said. “As a team, we know what our potential is and [we need] to continue to stay locked in, fight, get better [in] every game and learn from them and keep moving forward. I believe in this team, and we believe in this program.”

A category that Knights leads the team in is assists and steals per game which are 3.8 and 1.4, respectively. It’s safe to say

Atkinson. “We wanted a point guard that could lead our team; that could run our offense. We wanted a point guard that has some experience, that has the ability to get past people with a quick first step, and [Knights] checked all of those boxes. We wanted a point guard that didn’t mind being a vocal point guard, and she was that; we were able to check all those boxes and more with [Knights].”

Like any point guard, Knights has her leadership at the

and I was very young. I was probably like eight when I started playing, so, year by year I got a little bit better,” Knights

“When I came on my visit to Hofstra, there was very much a family vibe, which I was missing at my old school. I felt very supported and cared for as soon as I stepped foot on campus.”

that a big part of her goals as a player this year was to be more aggressive on the court.

“We wanted a true point guard, and [Knights is] that,” said Hofstra women’s basketball head coach Danielle Santos

forefront of her mind, both on and off the court.

“I want to be that person who helps my teammates get through the good times, the bad times and kind of be a leader to show them the way in terms of how we want this program to look, the culture [around it and] how we want to compete,” Knights said.

To zoom out of her career for a moment, she’s been like that, dedicated and hardworking, for years. In high school, Knights realized that playing at a college level, or possibly even further, was an option for her.

“I slowly kept working hard,

said. “I realized ‘Oh, okay, this is something I could do long term.’”

Even in her short time with the Pride, Knights has grown monumentally as a person and as a player.

“She’s just grown so much,” Santos said. “She’s grown as a person. She’s so coachable. I think this year she’s worked really hard. Last year, her teammates respected her just because of how hard she worked and what she brought daily and how consistent she was. I think this year she’s worked really hard to continue to build genuine relationships with everybody on the team so that she has the ability to hold everybody accountable and to be able to motivate them in their own way.”

Sorelle Ineza, a graduate student and fellow guard on the team, echoed those sentiments

about how Knights has evolved these past two years.

“She was more reserved [last year], and was just trying to do her job by leading us on the court,” Ineza said. “This year, she’s expanded her leadership [by] being more vocal. She takes pride in all her abilities. She’s much more than just a point guard. She’s one of our best defenders, she can shoot the ball [and] she can get to the basket.”

Ineza also mentioned how Knights is always checking in with her teammates and how she’s not afraid to ask if any of them need anything, on or off the court.

“She’s always making sure that you’re good, like ‘Hey are you okay? Do you need anything?’” Ineza said. “She’s very vocal [and] very positive. She always gets us going like ‘Hey guys, we’re good. Keep going. Stay positive.’ Even if we’re down during a game, you’re still gonna hear her cheering us on and helping us be successful.”

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes / Hostra Athletics

Knights previously played basketball at the University of North Florida before transferring to Hofstra.

Photo courtesy of Alexis Friedman / Hostra Athletics Knights has 205 points and 206 assists in her Hofstra career.

THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE

Hofstra falls 63-59 to Stony Brook, extending NCAA tournament drought to 23 years.

Michelle Rabinovich / The Hofstra Chronicle