The Hofstra
HEMPSTEAD, NY Volume 84 Issue 7
Chronicle
Wednesday
November 7, 2018
SPECIAL EDITION: MIDTERM ELECTIONS 2018
Dems disrupt Republican control with House majority By Katie Krahulik and Jill Leavey MANAGING EDITOR / NEWS EDITOR
Following a long-anticipated midterm election that, for many, possessed the potential to be one of the most contentious political shifts of the decade, Democrats celebrate their procurement of the House while Republicans advanced their Senate majority. Additionally, the country welcomes unprecedented representation of minorities in Congress. Having gained 24 seats in the House of Representatives, yesterday’s election sets the stage for a new wave of politics. Despite the GOP dominating two branches, Congress must embrace a new dynamic in Washington as Democrats secure majority standing in the House.
Senate flip states North Dakota, Indiana and Missouri went red, contributing to the Republican majority. Conversely, Democratic candidate Jacky Rosen flipped the Senate seat in Nevada, taking the win over Republican Sen. Dean Heller. In one of the most watched and contested races, incumbent Republican Ted Cruz took the Senate seat over Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke in Texas by slightly over 3 percent. Another very closeContinued On A4
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons In a highly-anticipated midterm election, Democrats gained the majority of the House of Representatives, while Republicans maintained control of the Senate.
New York State Senate flips after historic victories By Taylor Clarke NEWS EDITOR
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Andrew Cuomo won his third term as governor of New York on Tuesday, beating his Republican opponent Marcus Molinaro by a large margin.
A blue wave crashed into New York on Tuesday, Nov. 6, when Democrats took control of the New York State Senate from Republicans for only the third time in 50 years. Strong victories throughout Long Island districts helped push the party toward a historic legislative win. Many districts throughout Nassau and Suffolk County flipped Democratic on Tuesday. James Gaughran (D-District 5), Kevin Thomas (D-District 6) and Anna Kaplan (D-District 7) defeated Republican incumbents, while Democratic incumbents Todd Kaminsky (District 9) and John Brooks (District 8) kept their seats. Tuesday’s polls also brought changes to Congress. House
incumbent Peter King (R) of District 2 made history on Tuesday night, winning his 14th term in the House of Representatives after the tightest race in his political career, against Democratic challenger Liuba Grechen Shirley. “I’m proud to be going back to Washington. I’m proud to continue the fight for Long Island, proud to continue the fight for New York,” King said during his victory speech. “Also again to stand with the men and women in blue, the men and women in the armed forces and to also never ever give up against MS13 or ISIS until they are crushed and destroyed.” Lee Zeldin (R), incumbent of District 1, beat Perry GerContinued On A4
Inside This Issue: Hofstra remembers victims of hate crimes
A2•November 7, 2018
NEWS
The Chronicle The Hofstra
Chronicle 203 Student Center
hofstrachronicle@gmail.com
Editor-in-Chief Joe Fay Managing Editor Katie Krahulik Business Manager Alexus Rogers News Editors Taylor Clarke Jill Leavey Assistant News Editor Melanie Haid A&E Editors Joseph Coffey-Slattery Samantha Storms A&E Assistant Editors Victoria Bell Allison Foster Sports Editors Felipe Fontes Alexandra Licata Assistant Sports Editor Christopher Detwiler @Hofstra Editor Emily Barnes
@Hofstra Assistant Editor
Drashti Mehta
Op-Ed Editors James Factora Daniel Nguyen Assistant Op-Ed Editor Amanda Romeo Copy Chief Erin Hickey Assistant Copy Chiefs Mia Thompson Gabby Varano Multimedia Editors Robert Kinnaird Peter Soucy Social Media Manager Brian Sommer The Chronicle is published every Tuesday during the academic year by the students of Hofstra University. The Chronicle is located in Room 203 Student Center, 200 Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. 11549. Advertising and subscription rates may be obtained by calling (516) 463-6921. The Chronicle reserves the right to reject any submission, in accordance with our written policies. All advertising which may be considered fraudulent, misleading, libelous or offensive to the University community, The Chronicle or its advertisers may be refused. The products and opinions expressed within advertisement are not endorsed by The Chronicle or its staff.
Graphic By Peter Soucy / The Hofstra Chronicle
The Chronicle
NEWS
November 7, 2018 •A3
Hofstra students react to midterm election results Graphics By Jill Leavey / The Hofstra Chronicle
ELECTIONS FROM INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES “So the actual presidential election is every five years. It is mandatory for everyone 18 [and older] to vote. If you don’t vote, you are denied different types of services, like doing any type of transactions in the bank or traveling, unless you have the specific document excusing you from it. They limit those services for about a month or two if I remember correctly.” -Miguel Mariscal, senior engineering major from Bolivia “I haven’t been to any [watch parties] before, but we do these kinds of nights at home too, in high school like when Obama ran. The way [the United States] influences every other political system in the world, depending on your leader; they even have a live blog on my home news station where they show the governors but when it comes down to the actual elections, they go nuts over there and there’s actual viewing parties everywhere.” - Menno Van Gameren, senior business major from The Netherlands “Thailand hasn’t had an election in the past 4 years because of the military coup.” -Nandini Jhawar, senior psychology major from Thailand
A4•November 7, 2018
NEWS
The Chronicle
Elections result in unprecedented diversity in Washington Continued From A1 ly-watched race was that of the Tennessee Senate seat which ultimately went to Republican Marsha Blackburn, beating Democrat Phil Bredesen to become the first woman to represent Tennessee in the Senate. The race for the Senate seat in Indiana was of grave importance to Republicans as Mike Braun took the seat from incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly. Additionally, the defeat of Republican and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey nodded to preferences in the state of public interest, as Joe Manchin wins re-election. Key Democratic wins in the House included Jennifer Wexton
in North Virginia and Donna Shalala in Florida, whose valued backgrounds and experience gave them leverage over Republican contenders. However, Republican victors Andy Barr and Hal Rogers kept Democratic challengers on their toes in Kentucky, fighting for seats with no avail. At the gubernatorial level, the nation paid particular attention to Democrat Laura Kelly’s win in Kansas as she beat out Republican Kris Kobach, the secretary of state. Republican Ron DeSantis fought hard to secure the governor seat in Florida over worthy Democratic opponent Andrew Gillum. The 2018 midterm elections ushered in a new wave of female
elected officials. Before Tuesday, the record for the most women in congress in a given session was 107 members. As of Wednesday, there were over 110 female congress members representing both major parties. One of the most recognizable of these champions was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who made headlines as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress at 29 years old. Her journey began in June when she defeated incumbent Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary. The political media characterized her primary win as unprecedented and unexpected in light of her opponent having served 10 terms, being a top-ranked House Democrat and significantly outspending her campaign.
Some pundits say that her win is representative of the changing demographics of the BronxQueens district. Others among these women were Ayanna Pressley, who is the first black House member from Massachusetts, and Jayana Hayes, the first black congresswoman from Connecticut. Additionally, Rashida Tlaib was elected to represent Michigan’s 13th district and in doing so became the first-ever female Muslim woman in congress. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota followed shortly after as the second. The first Native American congresswomen were also elected on Tuesday, with Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland winning their House races. Tennessee saw its first female senator while Maine
welcomed its first female governor. Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia celebrated their respective wins as the first Latina congresswomen from Texas. Also making history this year is newly elected Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the first openly gay man to win such a position. After serving in the House for nine years, Polis’ defeat over Republican Walker Stapleton has set a national precedent in Washington. As the 2018 midterm elections come to a close, the nation faces its fate as a new political page lay bare, to be filled with the changes and policies voted on by its citizens. The information in this article is attributed to the Associated Press, CNN and Fox News.
Hofstra community gathers to watch midterms unfold By Melanie Haid and Drashti Mehta A S S I S TA N T N E W S E D I T O R / A S S I S TA N T F E AT U R E S E D I T O R
Amidst the tension surrounding the Democratic Party’s pursuit to take back the House and the Senate, Hofstra students gathered in the multipurpose rooms in the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center to witness democracy in action. The Hofstra Votes campaign held a watch party on Tuesday, Nov. 6, organized by the Office of University Relations,
Division of Student Affairs and the Student Government Association (SGA). The watch party featured live broadcasts by CNN, Fox News and Hofstra Votes Live. “The whole purpose behind the Hofstra Election Watch Party was so that students could all come together, regardless of their political affiliation and be civically engaged and watch what’s happening across the nation in terms of the results, issues that are really relevant to people,” said Deandra Denton junior, sociology and public policy
and public service major, and vice president of Student Government Association. Freshman political science major David O’Brien used the watch party as an outlet to stay involved and informed. O’Brien is from West Haven, Connecticut, where his father was the former mayor. “I submitted an absentee ballot for this election ... I was very excited to hear about all the speakers coming,” he said. “This is the first election cycle that I’m not home to be a part of, and I thought in some way I would be
Jill Leavey / Hofstra Chronicle Students eagerly await live election updates at the Hofstra Votes Watch Party held in the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center.
able to help out.” For many students in attendance, engagement at the watch party resulted from the direct impact the 2016 presidential election left on their respective states. “I actually voted in the 2016 election, I came out to see the turnout for Florida because when it turned red during the [presidential] election it was very disappointing because, ‘How could a sexual predator be in office?’” said Jasmine Dang, a freshman undeclared major. “I definitely want to see how they’ll vote this time after the whole Parkland shooting that happened in Florida and with the whole Brett Kavanaugh case. I have high hopes for Texas and Georgia and I hope Florida will make me proud this time.” For both Dang and John Mesko, a freshman undeclared major, coming from a swing state added an increased level of uncertainty. “Pennsylvania politics are interesting. You have a big swing state who’s voted Democrat in 2008 and Republican in 2016. It’s always messy because you really never know who’s going to win and no matter who wins, no one ever seems satisfied.” According to some experts, the changes that the country has endured since 2016 have also impacted voting trends. Public Rela-
tions Professor Jeff Morosoff observed this shift. “When you look at the trends ... young people are identifying far more as left-leaning and far more as Democrats, or they’re identifying as independents,” Morosoff said. “The Republican Party has a lot to worry about if the youth continues to be active.” Earlier on in the night, political science professor Richard Himelfarb gave his own predictions for the election. “It appears that the Republicans are going to hold the Senate and are going to lose more than 35 seats in the house.” Himelfarb said he believed Republicans could lose 30, 25 or 20 seats. “It’s not really clear at this point. The hopes the Democrats had for the evening to win 40 seats in the house and take majority control of the Senate and that, at this time, is not materialized,” Himelfarb said. The watch party concluded shortly after midnight, but politically active students say that they will carry the results with them long after the election. “People are getting more involved,” said Leslie Roldan, senior economics, business and marketing major. “It’s creating a new generation of voters, but I think we still have to work on it.”
NEWS
The Chronicle
November 7, 2018 •A5
Hofstra remembers lives lost in recent acts of hate By Leo Brine S TA F F W R I T E R
In a theater filled with weeping eyes, bowed heads and pleas to do more, students and faculty gathered to remember the lives lost in shootings that occurred at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in a Kroger grocery store in Louisville, Kentucky. The memorial, titled “Stronger Than Hate,” was held in the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 31, and was co-sponsored by Hofstra Hillel, the Interfaith Center and the Office of Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion. One week prior to the event, on Wednesday, Oct. 24, a man entered a Kroger grocery store and killed two people purely because of the color of their skin. On Saturday, Oct. 27, 11 congregants of the Tree of Life Synagogue were shot while attending prayer, making it the deadliest act of anti-Semitism ever committed in the U.S. Hofstra University Provost
Gail Simmons gave a speech recounting growing up in Pittsburgh. She remembered shopping at Kroger and driving around Squirrel Hill with her family. When she heard about the murders that took place the week of Oct. 22, she was shattered. “Suddenly the sweet memories of my childhood were twisted into scenes of death. Not simply death, but death by hate,” Simmons said. The names of the 13 victims were read aloud during the ceremony. Junior journalism major Melissa Berman said when the names of all 13 victims were read, she broke down. “I started crying. It hits home because you hear these names and it’s someone’s father, grandfather, brother, son. It’s a life,” Berman said. “It’s just so tragic that they lost their life doing what God has [them] do.” Simmons told those in attendance that people need to see the light in each other and that everyone should try to connect with one another. “We are one
Jill Leavey / Hofstra Chronicle Attendees watch a video of Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who was leading services at the time of the attack, speak at a memorial service.
with each other and we are one with the planet,” Simmons said. Simmons’ hope that students would unite and work together was later echoed by Rabbi Dave Siegel, executive director of Hofstra Hillel. “If we leave this room right now and think to ourselves,
‘Oh, that was nice,’ but go on our merry way, have we truly honored these victims?” Siegel asked. He suggested that the Hofstra community do three things: have fun, don’t live in fear and do more. “Personally, I need to do more.
Today I am committed to doing more,” Siegel said. “When you see or hear something that is wrong, say something.”
Races break barriers and shatter GOP opposition Continued From A1 shon (D) by six percent, winning another term as congressman. “This race offered a clear contrast of results or resistance,” Zeldin said. “And we were campaigning on results and that is what won at the end of the day.” Democratic veterans Kathleen Rice of District 4 and Tom Suozzi of District 3 both won re-election to their seats in the House. “This is the election of my lifetime and I know it is for all of you,” Rice said after declaring victory early Tuesday evening in Garden City. Suozzi, along with Rice, accepted his second re-election with gratitude. “Thank you, thank you, thank
you. I am so honored to serve as a member of the United States Congress,” Suozzi said. “And I’m feeling pretty good that we’re going to be in the majority come Jan. 1.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) became the youngest woman
beginning. “These struggles that we are taking on are generational. These struggles that we are taking on are long,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “These struggles will not be solved in two years or four years; it will take our whole lives, but
office, the first African-American woman elected to any statewide office and the first black person to serve as attorney general. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democratic incumbent, won re-election in the U.S. Senate for New York against Republican challenger
“These struggles will not be solved in two years or four years; it will take our whole lives, but this is the fight for our lives, this is the fight of our lives.”
ever elected to Congress at age 29. She won the 4th district race against Anthony Pappas (R) with a sweeping 66 percent victory. Following her triumphant win, Ocasio-Cortez addressed that while the elections were a milestone, they just marked the
this is the fight for our lives, this is the fight of our lives.” Ocasio-Cortez was not the only woman breaking barriers Tuesday night. Letitia James won a landmark race for New York State attorney general, becoming the first woman elected into this
Chele Farley. Gillibrand has served as the junior senator of New York since 2009. In wake of the #MeToo movement, Gillibrand has focused heavily on a message of combatting sexual assault, particularly in the military and on college campuses.
In the gubernatorial race, Andrew Cuomo cruised toward re-election, winning his third term as governor of New York over Republican opponent, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro. Cuomo ran on a platform that opposed President Donald Trump, tightened gun regulations, emphasized stricter environmental policies and provided stronger protection for immigrants. For New York, this means that races all across the state shattered obstacles and Republican opposition, giving Democrats a stronger hand in pushing key issues that had previously been blocked by the GOP majority. The information in this article is attributed to the Associated Press, News 12 Long Island, Newsday and The New York Times.
@Hofstra
A6 • November 7, 2018
The Chronicle
Overheard @ Hofstra In the Student Center:
In Vander Poel:
On the Unispan:
“What’s your average like right now?”
“That would be a good name for a band: Gucci Tissue.”
“I don’t remember getting home. Oh wait, actually I got a concussion on the way home.”
In Roosevelt Hall:
In LHSC:
“Honestly, really fucking bad.”
“Ugh, smells like basic bitch.”
“Anything a professor teaches can be related to dick size.”
In LHSC:
In Suffolk Hall:
In Brower Hall:
“My craving for fame cost me big time.”
“Put some pants on! You can’t go out like that!”
“Pardon my French, but what a bitch.”
The hardships of absentee voting in college
By Aoife Maher-Ryan and Jesse Lindell SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Over half the population of undergraduate students at Hofstra University are out-of-state residents and many are not able to vote in person at their states’ upcoming midterm elections. Absentee voting is the go-to for most students; however, the process varies from state to state, often creating confusion and presenting barriers for students wanting to vote. “Every state gets to do voting how they want, however certain
An absentee voter mails their ballot.
individual states have been conducting a campaign of voter suppression, particularly people who would vote Democrat,” said David Green, a political science professor. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “In 20 states, an excuse is required, while 27 states and the District of Columbia permit any qualified voter to vote absentee without offering an excuse.” Some states, such as Arkansas, Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas, have
stricter rules that require a copy of the voter’s ID or social security number in the application to receive a ballot. Other states necessitate that a first-time voter must vote in person; Louisiana makes an exception to the firsttime rule for students, but they have to submit a copy of their student ID or fee bill with the request. Many college students are first-time voters and may not have the means to go back home to vote if they have to do it in person. “I tried to [register] through New York but it was extremely complicated, and they were asking me for my New York driver’s license, which I don’t have. I tried several times, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it for New York, so I went home during the fall break to take care of it,” said Julia Wachtel, a sophomore television production major from Massachusetts. “If I waited any longer I wouldn’t have been able to register in Massachusetts. It was easy because I could go back home and hand it in, but if you can’t it can be difficult. Some people aren’t even voting because they don’t have the ability to or don’t know how.”
Many of these laws have been passed recently in an effort to prevent voter fraud, but they tend to end up being another barrier for people when they are voting. An investigation conducted by the Washington Post found 31 incidents of potential voter fraud in general, primary and municipal elections from the years 2000 to 2014 out of over one billion votes cast. Voter fraud is not common, but the myth of widespread fraud has been perpetuated by President Donald Trump and other Republicans. These ballots also require stamps, which most college students do not have on hand. In order to obtain the correct postage, they must go to the bookstore or find transportation to buy them from a post office or a retailer that sells them. The hassle college students experience involving the process may dissuade them from participating in the election. “Absentee voting by itself, in my opinion, is absolutely not a method of voter suppression. The concept itself is quite the opposite. It gives voters who are not present in their municipalities a chance to vote while serv-
ing other duties. For me, that’s being a college student,” said senior radio major Ben Abrams. “The trouble comes with how election boards manage absentee ballots. There have been several occasions when election boards all over the country have let either mismanagement or laziness ruin the democratic process for absentee voters.” Abrams cited a case earlier this year where the postal service did not deliver hundreds of absentee ballots meant for the November 2017 general election in Brooklyn until April. Abrams plans to drive down to his home state of Pennsylvania in attempt to avoid conflict through the process of absentee ballot voting that he had experienced previously. Nailah Andre, a senior journalism major, is experiencing a similar problem, “I did not get my absentee ballot. I applied for it in September and the county clerk claimed they sent it Oct. 3, but I never received it,” Andre said. “It was easy to apply for the ballot, but getting in touch with the county clerk’s office when my ballot didn’t arrive was hard. I had to call five times throughout the day.”
The Chronicle
@Hofstra
November 7, 2018 •A7
What are YOU doing during winter break? Earn up to three credits during January Session 2019. • Choose from a variety of on-campus and distance learning courses • Fulfill distribution requirements • Study abroad in Athens, Cuba, London, or Venice
REGISTRATION IS UNDERWAY! Register @ hofstra.edu/january
Courses meet for two weeks (January 2-15) or three weeks (January 2-23). On campus job opportunities are available. Residence and dining halls are open.
Ad_JanSess2019_RegistrationUnderway_HUChronicle.indd 1
10/9/18 3:30 PM
@Hofstra
A8 • November 7, 2018
The Chronicle
Man on the Unispan What issue(s) are motivating you to go out and vote?
By Audra Nem i row S P EC IAL TO THE C HR O N I C L E
“Based on how the world is now, the main issue is transgender rights.”
“I was gonna vote Libertarian to weaken the two-party system.”
“Probably health care and immigration are the biggest.”
– Liam Roeth, freshman
– Will Osei, Graduate student
– Davina Smith, freshman
Audra Nemirow / The Hofstra Choronicle
An inside look into growing up with local politics By Mia Thompson ASSISTANT COPY CHIEF
When I was little, I thought everyone’s parents were invested in politics. My dad certainly was – knocking on doors on the weekends and hosting gatherings to send candidate mailers out during the fall. My siblings and I went to countless watch parties over the years and got dragged along campaigning. For as long as I can remember, he has been involved at the local level volunteering his time. We live in a rural area, which is not what one would expect thinking about New Jersey. My town, specifically, is a farm one. On one side of my street, there’s a forest; on the other, corn fields. There are probably more
deer per capita than people; it’s the epitome of everyone knowing everyone. It was in this environment that my dad – voted most friendly in high school – thrived, relishing spending his afternoons going door-to-door talking to potential voters. In my freshman year of college, in a culmination of all this work, my dad ran for local office and won. He’s been serving as a township committee member since 2015, which is the local municipal board. Now, when I’m home, I see him spend most of his free time attending meetings, talking to people who live in town and figuring out how to handle local problems. What strikes me most about all of this is the human connection aspect. It feels like my dad
is constantly on the phone with constituents, fielding questions and discussing issues. It’s really interesting to see how the environment affects these interactions and has made me think much more analytically about politics and how people approach issues. Some of the partisan divides go away at the local level, so issues specifically related to our town tend to be more complicated to understand than simply Democrats versus Republicans. Seeing my dad volunteer his time for candidate after candidate for all these years really informed my political perspective. Most importantly, it instilled in me a respect for and understanding of the importance of public service. After years of seeing
the time and effort he put in, I was able to really appreciate the focus and attention it takes to be involved and to serve. Even on the local level, which has the perception of being simple, my dad is constantly on call. To me, politics have always seemed local, because for most of my life, they have been. My dad’s involvement has also warped my perception of politics and current events relative to everyone else. It still shocks me every time I hear someone say they’re not planning to vote, because at this point my brain is so hardwired to think this way that I can’t imagine not voting. I haven’t missed an election since I turned 18, for many reasons, the least of which being the constant
reminders from my dad. On my 18th birthday, I blew out the candles and was handed a printed-out voter registration application. Four years after that application was tossed my way, my dad is entering his re-election bid. Informed by his new perspective after having served a term in office, he is writing letters and knocking on doors yet again. Watching him work from a distance is much different, especially in a particularly active election year. I have much more of a backseat perspective, but regardless, I’m thankful to have grown up in a family that taught me so thoroughly the important of civic engagement, public service and voting.
The Chronicle
@Hofstra
November 7, 2018 •A9
Humans of Hofstra By Qainat Anwar
SPECI A L TO T H E C H RONI CL E
“I grew up in San Diego, California; moved to the Bay Area when I was 10. I actu-
Maia Buchman
ally knew about Hofstra because my older brother, who is two years older than me, went here. I was like, ‘Oh there’s no way I’m going to Hofstra, my brother’s there,’ but when I started applying, I thought I might as well because of the free applications. I applied, I got in and when I visited the school, I just knew this [was] where I was supposed to be. It was just an over whelming feeling that this school was for me. I really liked the campus and how people were approaching me, helping me. I initially came in as a psych[ology] major and I talked to this guy, Nadeem, who was super welcoming, and he took me under his wing. He told me about all the cool programs here. I felt so comfortable here and it is super far away from home; but my brother is here, and New York is super cool, so, you know, I was like, ‘OK, Hofstra.’ I’m a community health major; I want to be a nurse. I joined Alpha Phi last semester [which is] super fun and I’m really glad I joined. I met so many new girls. I socialize with the rest of the sororities and the other fraternities, so just solely joining it I met so many new people, and that’s the main reason I wanted to join. I had no idea how many people I would actually meet. I thought I would stay close with just my sorority, but it’s all of Greek life that I know, which is really crazy. I enjoy all the events everyone holds, and it’s just a nice community to be a part of. I’m not currently involved in anything else, but I’m trying to get involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and maybe club volleyball. I’m just feeling it out right now. I am a junior, so I know what’s around, I just need to put myself out there.”
“I was born in Connecticut. I was there only for six years and then we moved
down to Florida because my parents were sick of the cold. We moved around a lot; I never really called one house ‘my home’ because we moved so much. I think to this day I still don’t have a home in a way, because I’m always moving. Last year, I was in San Antonio, Texas, because I was in the military ... until I got injured. I’m on a medical discharge now. I enlisted so they could pay for school. I have the 9/11 GI Bill that’s helping me attend Hofstra. My time at the military was insane. It was intense; but coming from that to [Hofstra], I was already used to a lot of things. I lived in a dorm with 40 other girls for two months. [I had to] eat with them, share the bathrooms – it definitely shapes you. You mature a lot faster, especially in those two months, because of being yelled at and having to respect other people in a very specific way, [like] using the formals ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir.’ I graduated from high school and went to this [technical] school for security forces training, which is basically like military police – fancy term for a cop. The training was really intense. I had to run every day from a certain time to a certain end time. The ruck on my back was 70 pounds and having to run with that, the impact gradually made my legs really bad. I have permanent leg fractures. It’s been a year since I’ve been out now, so its healing – it’s getting better. I actually didn’t know Hofstra existed until I applied to every school in New York [and] I got an email about Hofstra, so I was like, ‘OK, I’ll apply there as well.’ I was looking through Hofstra’s academics and they have a really good reputation, especially with the medical program. So, I’m undecided right now, but I am thinking of changing my major to health science because I want to be a vet. I want to start going to the feminist clubs [too] because I’m a huge advocate for that, a huge feminist. It’s just the committing.”
Jasmine Dang
Courtesy of Qainat Anwar
Alex Licata / Hofstra Chronicle
Students from the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication worked tirelessly to produce live coverage of the 2018 election
Photos by Peter Soucy and Robert Kinnaird / Spread by Robert Kinnaird
Arts and Entertainment Celebrities making waves in political waters B2
VOL 84 ISSUE 7 Courtesy of Evening Standard
The Chronicle A&E Celebrities making waves in political waters
B2•November 7, 2018
By Allison Foster ASSISTAN T A RT S &
ENTERTA I N M E N T E D I TO R
What do Kanye West, Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian all have in common? Besides being interwoven into the web of drama that spurred from the 2009 VMAs debacle, all three of these international stars have recently created an online firestorm after making their political views known via social media. In a society so desperate for a change, countless public figures from both ends of the political spectrum have taken to Twitter and Instagram to voice their sentiments on our current political climate. Despite major discrepancies between their views, Kardashian and West have both met with President Donald Trump on separate occasions and posted about their political agendas, leading to media coverage that clogs timelines for weeks. The vessel that is social media has al-
lowed celebrities to influence not only fans’ and followers’ fashion choices and shopping habits, but also their political decisions. As controversial policy proposals continue to arise from the Trump administration, such as restrictions on illegal immigration and a policy to legally define sex as determined by genitalia at birth, dozens of celebrities have urged their audiences to exercise their right to vote in November. So, what impact does this really have on the midterm elections? In many cases, stars use their social leverage to encourage voter turnout. On Sunday, Oct. 7, Swift announced her support for Tennessee’s Senate candidate Phil Bredesen and House of Representatives candidate Jim Cooper via Instagram. In the caption of her post, the star said, “Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values,” followed by a link to
Vote.org. According to Business Insider, the site saw an influx of 65,000 new voters nationwide within the 24 hours after her post. Analysts attribute this increase directly to Swift’s statements, which were the first politicized comments she’d made in her career. Trump
given out for a small price (minus things like rice and water guns that would be more difficult to clean up). Before the show, several of the “virgins” were called up to stage for the “Virgin Sacrifice,” known for asking newcomers to the show uncomfortable questions. In this production, the question, “What is your favorite cartoon character?” was asked down the line, followed by, “Now what do you think that character would sound like having an orgasm?” The “Virgin Sacrifice” set the tone for the night, getting everyone in the audience into a fun, silly mood to properly participate in the show. The call-and-response actions of the audience, mostly taking place in the long pauses between characters’ lines, is what truly makes the “Rocky Horror” live screening so memorable of an experience. While the rampant use of the term “slut,” used by the audience to describe Janet in many scenes, can be a bit problematic in today’s society, it is an integral part of the audience experience that plays into the raunchy nature of it all rather than intending to cause actual
harm. Hofstra’s shadow cast was truly a sight to behold. With costumes and set pieces that matched those in the movie almost exactly, they added perhaps the most important experiential element to the show. Entering from all sides of the theater and stage, they chased each other around the rows of the audience and reminded us of the states of characters that the movie neglects for a few moments, such as Dr. Scott’s frozen state during one of the ending scenes. They had everyone on their feet during the iconic song “The Time Warp,” as well as helping direct audience actions during other important scenes. The shadow cast was so entertaining to watch that many audience members must have found themselves paying more attention to them than to the actual film playing above them. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is one of the most bizarre films in recent memory, but the racy Dr. Frank N. Furter, creepy servants Riff Raff and Magenta, shockingly normal Brad and Janet and many more characters
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Citizens and pundits alike argue what role, if any, celebrities should play in U.S. politics.
even told reporters that he liked Swift’s music “about 25 percent less” since the star denounced Republican Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn. Conversely, West made waves after showing his support for Trump on Twitter, featuring his redesigned Make America Great Again hat. In a controversial in-
terview with TMZ in April, West was criticized for his stance on slavery and questioned about his political leanings. The media spectacle led to a multifaceted discussion of politics and the role black men play in democracy. Kanye’s comments were paradoxical, and their effects were just as much so. According to a Reuters poll of black men’s approval rating of Trump before and after West’s comments, their approval went from 11 percent to 22 percent within a week. However, this isn’t necessarily reflective of real voters. In terms of Democratic voting blocs, black people make up one of the country’s most powerful. Political scientist Ismail White found that social pressure to conform amongst black people bolsters their support for Democratic candidates. “Black people are surrounded by black Democrats, so they vote like black Democrats. And when they don’t, they get checked,” said Gene Demby of NPR’s “Code Switch.” In
West’s situation, he faced swift confrontation from friends like Chance the Rapper and John Legend after the fiasco. In fact, West tweeted on Wednesday, Oct. 31, that he has “been used to send messages [he doesn’t] believe in.” His views aren’t popular among black voters, and they probably didn’t directly encourage a legitimate increase in Republican support. In light of the current political climate and the pedestal on which the media places celebrities, any and all politicized posts made by stars will become news just hours after they click send. Their influence hovers over many trends and persists over time, which gives their words much more weight. When Swift urges her fans to vote, they will – and she knows it. When celebrities use their power to make change, their audiences will follow suit.
have time warped their way into becoming sexy, funny cultural phenomena that won’t be re-
turning to “the planet of Transsexual, in the galaxy of Transylvania” any time soon.
Cover: Kanye West
V for Virgin: ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’
By Megan Spreen STAFF WRITER
Hofstra hosted a screening of the 1975 cult classic, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” this past Tuesday, Oct. 30. The event was complete with prop bags for the audience filled with playing cards, newspapers, glow sticks, toilet paper and more, as well as a live shadow cast reflecting the on-screen events. “Rocky Horror,” a story about a young couple who is forced to spend the night in a castle full of interesting characters after their car breaks down in a storm, was met at its original release with relative indifference. The movie has gained popularity slowly but surely and has amassed a cult following. A large part of that popularity is likely due to the development of the audience’s participation in the theater screenings. This has morphed the film from being simply a movie to an experience – one Hofstra students brought to life quite well. First-timers to the live show were given the traditional “V” for virgin in red lipstick on their face, and prop bags were
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox The 1975 film (starring Tim Curry) was adapted for TV in 2016, and featured Laverne Cox as Frank-N-Furter.
November 7, 2018•B3 A&E Steady bops that go overlooked: Little Mix
The Chronicle
By Joseph Coffey-Slattery ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Most people know the band Little Mix for the silliest of reasons. They know Perrie Edwards (the blonde, for those unfamiliar with the group) for her brief engagement to Zayn Malik and may have recently heard of the group as a whole for being swept up in the Cardi B and Nicki Minaj feud. These surface-level associations do the group – comprised of Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Jade Thirwal and Leigh-Ann Pinnock – a serious disservice. The group won the “X Factor U.K.” in 2011 (the first ensemble to do so) and went on to sign with legendary cynic Simon Cowell’s label Syco Music. The group has since seen two of their albums debut in the top 10 of Billboard, but they have failed to secure the single success enjoyed by fellow girl group Fifth Harmony. With Camila Cabello’s departure from the aforementioned band and its subsequent dissolution, Little Mix stands as the only female group of consequence. They have everything (and nothing) to prove. Their fifth album, aptly titled
“LM5,” is currently slated for release on Friday, Nov. 16. The project has been preempted by two singles thus far, “Woman Like Me,” featuring Nicki Minaj, and “Joan of Arc,” one of the catchiest songs in recent memory. To be sure, the band has been steadily producing bops. Casual listeners will have probably heard “Black Magic,” “Move” or “Shout Out to My Ex,” the latter of which gained traction in part due to the obvious nods to Malik. Little Mix is a band that is brimming with talent that benefits from a bubbly optimism. Partway through their projects, you begin to wonder if they ever truly get sad, with a repertoire of such empowering and brightly crafted songs. Their topics of conversation are the usual suspects – relationships, status, wealth – but they have a distinctly feminist hue. “I don’t need a man / if I’m loving you it’s ‘cause I can,” they croon on “Joan of Arc,” which speaks volumes to the group’s overall message. It’s as if to say, “Yes, we are singing about men, but it is because we like to, not because that’s what we’re told to do.” It’s curious that their success has
not rivaled that of former competition Fifth Harmony, given that the group is doing everything right. Their discography is easy to listen to and the vibe is one of genuine fun. Perhaps it’s due to a lack of features? Two of Fifth Harmony’s biggest tracks, “Work from Home” and “All in My Head (Flex),” acknowledged the current main-
stream popularity of hip-hop with features from Ty Dolla $ign and Fetty Wap, respectively. Little Mix has often opted to take matters into their own hands, thus surprising listeners when Minaj’s name appeared on one of the group’s latest singles. While “LM5” might not gain them any new followers, the group
certainly seems to be on the right track. Recruiting the reigning queen of hip-hop for the album’s lead single shows serious smarts, and they seem to be once again delivering their established brand of sultry radio hits. The group has proved to have staying power – now it’s just a matter of getting more people to tune in.
Courtesy of Columbia Records The group’s videos have been widely successful, amassing over 3.6 billion views in total on YouTube.
King Princess is a queer icon in the making
By Samantha Storms
ARTS & E N T E RT I N A M E N T E DI TOR
Love, happiness, sorrow and pain. All overwhelmingly human emotions that have the power to influence the very outcomes of our lives – themes that find themselves at the focal point of countless songs, all dedicated to the essence of the human experience and all that it entails. Then there are songs that transcend even the plane of emotion, focusing on subject matter so carnal that the artist leaves the listener open-mouthed at the lyrics’ unforgivably blunt message. Such is the nature of King Princess’ newest release, “Pussy Is God.” The track and its accompanying music video – a peculiar green-screen shot sequence that showcases KP before a background of angelic white clouds and contorting dancers – are Epicureanism’s wettest dream: a culmination of everything that it means to be unapologetically in love and lust,
regardless of the obstacles that block the path. The newest track, co-written by the singer’s current partner Amandla Stenberg, incorporates many of the religious themes that were present throughout KP’s debut EP “Make My Bed.” “Pussy Is God” is a glorious celebration of queer love, promising listeners that a love of reckless abandon is much more than simple indulgence – it’s absolutely holy. It’s godlike. It goes beyond the stars. The opening line of each verse begins with “Your pussy is God,” thoroughly solidifying KP’s intensifying role as a queer icon and leader, bent on destroying the foundation of discrimination that has wreaked havoc on the LGBTQ+ community for countless generations. “You know that it’s God, baby, when you’re around her,” the 19-yearold sings with a timeless bluesy croon. “She’s God, and I’ve found her.” While “Pussy Is God” may
seem at first like an easily written-off title for a song that offers little more than a farreaching reverence for the throes of passion and sex – raunchy and vulgar – King Princess’ delivery of her message is surprisingly and masterfully done. The young singer pours the contents of her heart out shamelessly, emphasizing the immaculate beauty of the female essence and the joys that go hand in hand with the discovery of the wonders of finding meaning and purpose in the body of another – a freedom that offers indescribable solace, a freedom that offers a home in human form. With each new release, KP continues to prove her ability to transcend the barriers that have been placed before her as an artist as a woman within the LGBTQ+ community. Each track, a perfectly packaged reverence of women and the love that they absorb and exude, redefines what it means to fall in love in the face of
adversity. KP’s version of heaven is made clear through her words.
It’s a state of endless pleasure, endless admiration and absolute endless love.
Courtesy of Columbia Records A Nov. 2nd article from Billboard notes that King Princess, whose real name is Mikaela Straus, has become “queer royalty.”
The Chronicle A&E ‘The Hate U Give’ shares a timely message
B4•November 7, 2018
By Victoria Bell
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ASSISTANT EDITOR
The recent film, “The Hate U Give,” portrays the story of a young black girl, Starr, torn between her two lives – her academic one in a white upper-class neighborhood and her home one in the hood. After witnessing the death of her close friend Khalil, an unarmed black boy shot and killed by a white police officer, Starr is faced with the struggle of speaking out and having her message be heard. This movie is incredibly timely given the current issues people are dealing with in today’s American society. It is safe to say that many people of color will find this movie quite relatable as it focuses on many ongoing problems black people face on an everyday basis. Such issues include police brutality, stereotyping and ignorance of other cultures, gang violence, the Black Lives Matter movement, protesting and much, much more.
Aside from those topics, another important theme the film keys in on is the power of young people speaking up loudly to make a change in the world. Not only does the movie discuss this heavy topic, but it also touches upon the hesitance many people who have faced a traumatic event feel when urged to speak out. In today’s world, such feelings of hesitance can be seen within many sexual assault survivors, who in recent times have found the courage to tell their stories due in part to the recent #MeToo movement. This film is overall very progressive in nature. All around, this film is one that should be on your bucket list. This dramatic thriller is sure to have the entire theater screaming, crying and laughing, all while being on the edge of their seats. This movie also includes many romance aspects. Features of an interracial couple make for a bold statement that love sees no color. Lead actress Amandla Stenberg truly does shine like a star.
Her amazing performance is bound to touch the hearts of many due to its very real and honest approach. Other featured actors include K.J. Apa, Sabrina Carpenter and Common. While this film is rated PG-13, adults should most definitely encourage young children to experience this movie. Amandla’s ability to convey the pain, anger, and sadness in witnessing the death of her best friend is a pure talent not many can attain. Yet, the strong, fierce and determined side of her character breaks through in moments when she serves as a leader. The contrast between these two personalities almost correlates to the two different lives she lives on a daily basis – at home and at school. The growing youth should be exposed to the ongoing issues in the today’s world as well as knowing the fact that they have a strong, influential voice. That feeling of powerlessness that keeps one from speaking is self-created, and can be overcome with steadfast determination.
solitude and desire time for selfreflection, they are immediately drawn to one another and refuse to abandon each other as they move around New York City. Through helping one another, each character is able to work through their own loss and discover who they are meant to be. The novel follows the everpopular “one day can change everything” plot line; however, it does so by shifting not only from each of the character’s points of view, but also from their past and current situations. While they all seem to come from drastically different backgrounds and upbringings, it later becomes clear that they each have more in common with one another than they initially realize. All three characters come from either broken or dysfunctional families, and the shifting points of view reveal that they all deal with loneliness in some way, shape or form. The dysfunction and loneliness in their lives create a struggle to connect with either their families or society. Despite this, Freya, Harun and Nathaniel somehow make a
connection with one another. Each character reflects on their lives leading up to the present and how certain decisions have forced them to take different paths. While each truly does not know how to move forward in life, they seek comfort from and rely on each other to figure it out. The addictive quality of the book leaves the reader wanting to learn more about the characters while also wondering how each of them reached the point they are at in their lives. Forman wonderfully weaves these vastly different lives into a cohesive tale of newfound friendship in the city that truly lives up to the nickname “The Melting Pot.” “I Have Lost My Way” begins with the questions “What if ...?” and “How do I move on?” However, the dialogue gradually shifts into the realization that everything happens for a reason and the acceptance of that logic. This novel will leave the reader in awe of the power of fate and destiny while serving as a reminder that we are all connected, even if it isn’t obvious at first glance.
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
The film currently sits at 96 percent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, signaling almost universal critical acclaim.
Gayle Forman’s lesson in confronting loneliness
By Elisa Grimaldi
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Released earlier this year, “I Have Lost My Way” is the newest fiction book from author Gayle Forman. Most often recognized for “If I Stay,” her novel-turnedmovie starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Forman is well-known for her young adult fiction novels that involve young love and selfdiscovery. Despite this novel having these same running themes, this novel vastly differs from her other stories in that there are three different points of view that meld into one voice searching for answers instead of the usual one person trying to find himself or herself. “I Have Lost My Way” follows three young adults who all happen to be in the same place at the same time: Freya, an internet-famous singer who has just lost her voice; Harun, a closeted gay teen with strict, religious parents; and Nathaniel, a lost soul struggling to deal with his rough childhood. All three happen to land in Central Park (literally, in one case), and although they seek
Courtesy of Simon & Schuster Gayle Foreman has also authored “If I Stay,” which was adapted into a film in 2014.
A 12 • November 7, 2018
op-ed
The Chronicle
Non-voters aren’t the problem. The system is.
By James Factora
In yesterday’s midterm elections, Democrats seized the House and Republicans retained control of the Senate. This is despite the fact that voter turnout this year broke records, with 36 million people reported to have voted early by Tuesday morning. Yet liberals continue to insist on blaming non-voters for the current hellish political climate with poisonous, manipulative rhetoric rather than placing the blame on the actual, structural roots of the problem, which are inextricably entwined with our government – and always have been. Also, in yesterday’s midterms, Florida passed Amendment 4, restoring voting rights to more than one million former felons. This also means 40 percent of all black men in Florida have just now gained the right to vote in 2018. It’s been widely reported that voters in Georgia have faced a variety of obstacles, with almost 90,000 voters purged from the polls and 53,000 voter
registration statuses changed to pending this year alone. It’s no coincidence that these measures largely affect people of color, specifically black people. Several anecdotes on Twitter have told horror stories of unlawful demands for photo IDs; waiting in line for hours on end because of faulty voting machines; or polling sites opening late in states all across the nation. AP reported that nearly 319,000 absentee ballots were rejected in the last presidential election. Given this precedent and the general trend of increased voter suppression, it’s not unrealistic to expect that a similar number of absentee ballots could have been rejected in these elections. Yes, all of the above are examples of voter suppression, and specifically voter suppression that largely affects marginalized communities. Yes, voter suppression is a growing and incredibly worrying trend. If President Donald Trump’s insistence that widespread “voter fraud” wasn’t
sufficient enough evidence of that, take it from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, that reported a record 24,000 received phone calls as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, compared to 14,000 during the 2014 midterms. In a nation that prides itself on its democracy, where we’re projected to spend $716 billion on “national defense” in 2019, there is no logical reason why any technical issues regarding voting should exist. Standardizing and streamlining the process of voting would certainly not be difficult from a financial or technical standpoint. Michigan, for example, just passed Proposal 3, taking them from being one of the hardest states to vote in to one of the easiest. The proposal includes such measures as providing the option for straight-party voting, automatic voter registration, provision of absentee ballots for any reason and auditing election results to ensure accuracy. As long as white supremacists – I mean, Republicans – hold
power though, there’s no way such measures will ever be implemented on a federal level. This isn’t even to mention the general inaccessibility of voting to physically disabled people, working-class people who can’t afford to take off work in order to vote and students who could be penalized for missing class instead of voting. But voting, while important, is not the “end all, be all” of civic engagement, and it certainly will not be what liberates the disenfranchised. Snapping a cute “I Voted” selfie for social media or making voting the height of your “activism” is kind of just like giving yourself a participation trophy. In the words of woke queen Taylor Swift, “Band-Aids don’t fix bullet holes.” Though this will undoubtedly raise controversy among my fellow student activists, I’m here to defend the non-voters and the third-party voters. It’s unfair that we should be forced to choose between a “lesser of two evils,” or that we should be blamed for
fracturing the vote just because we vote for a candidate closer to our personal beliefs. The real evils at work here are racism, ableism, misogyny and everyone’s favorite “ism,” plain ol’ capitalism. None of those are structures we can dismantle through voting alone. I’ll always fight for greater access to voting because as flawed as our system is, the right to participate is one that should be extended equally to all and because voting down ballot can and does effect real change. But true #resistance doesn’t start at the polls. It starts by materially and emotionally supporting the women, survivors, LGBTQ+ people and POC in your life. It starts with grassroots organizing and protesting. It starts not with misdirected anger and frustration, but with radical love and empathy.
James Factora is the PR chair of the Queer Trans People of Color Coalition.
We’re angry. Let’s channel that anger into action.
By Visvajit Sriramrajan
Last month, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States. His hearing was initially covered, but has since faded as a topic of discussion. Kavanaugh now wields the ability to make decisions that will affect hundreds of millions of Americans. Accusations of sexual assault against him were simply glossed over as insignificant. This is not, under any circumstances, a precedent we should be setting. It is important to note that the allegations against Kavanaugh are not isolated. They are a mere few among a myriad more of such allegations that shake the world each and every day. The notion that sexual assault is a huge predicament is one that women have known for decades. It is only its upsurge as a political keyword, along with awareness among many men of its pervasiveness, that is relatively
recent. If anything, the depth to which we have been indoctrinated by a patriarchal system without realizing it is disturbing. Upsettingly, the issue has also been made increasingly more partisan in the past few years. Women live with the constant fear of sexual assault, taking numerous precautions in an effort to improve the likelihood of their safety in any given setting. Sexual assault is neither influenced nor mitigatable by one’s alignment to red or blue. With regard to this issue, it does not matter. Arguments have also been cast attributing sexual assault to a victim’s attire, time of day, location and more. In reality, however, these factors are irrelevant, arbitrary connections made in order to justify inhumane behavior. This isn’t just a personal viewpoint; a wide array of analytical studies have been published disproving the traditionallyheld misconception that sexual assault is preventable by a
victim’s actions. I have long considered these obvious, but it is especially important that we are all on the same page. Regarding men, one must understand that it is not masculinity that is despised, but rather, the power associated with it. As such, terming feminism as misandry is a falsehood. It is despicable and hurtful that the scope of this concept is falsely manipulated, and it is precisely through this manipulation that disparaging terms such as “feminazi” have been derived. These terms are quite ironic, as they function to deliberately frame feminism in a manner entirely contrastive to its true intent of equality. Men are not despised, and claiming so is simply an attempt to shift a story away from its focus. Some time back, cartoonist Kris Straub had published a comic on the Black Lives Matter movement, which illustrated that focus being channeled toward a specific burning house
does not mean other houses are less important. Rather, at this present moment, the house on fire is the one that requires attention. This analogy works equally well for feminism. Those who claim that they are not feminists due to their belief in equality are fundamentally hypocritical. The divergence of this issue into “our problem” and “their problem” is a blatant example of apathy. Society comprises of both women and men, and thus their actions are mutually impactful. Concerning oneself is not just a recommendation, but a duty. Yes, there exists a contingent of men who find “locker room talk” harmless and who fail to regard sexual assault as a serious issue. However, I would like to assure that there are also men who fight this revolution with you, men with consciences that constantly remind us that such insolence and callousness toward our sisters cannot and will not be tolerated.
A man that does not treat women with the utmost possible respect should not be confirmed to the highest court in the nation. He should be subject not to reward, but to castigation. This revolution will not stop until the importance of sexual assault is thoroughly understood by all for whom feminism is shrouded in doubt rather than certainty, and even afterward, to ensure that it is never deemed acceptable. The key to all this is the people’s vote. True change can and will be effectuated by civic action. Each and every individual’s voice does matter. Though the situation seems bleak, we should not be despondent. Instead, we should fight. We should make sure that incidents like those of the Kavanaugh controversy never take place again. Our time is now. Visvajit Sriramrajan is a news writer for The Chronicle.
op-ed
The Chronicle
November 7, 2018 A 13
The The views and opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section are those of the authors of the articles. They are not an endorsement of the views of The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors.
Representative democracy doesn’t represent us
By Robert Kinnaird and Mia Thompson
Beto O’Rourke lost. Republicans took Indiana and North Dakota. The Senate is looking redder than we found it when this election started. Democrats may have lost in the senate race, but we went down swinging, and like the 2016 election, we once again had the majority vote. Unfortunately, once again, the government doesn’t reflect that majority of the American people. In the collective senate races this year, the Democrats led the popular vote by 9 percent, the biggest difference since 2008; yet, the majority of our senators are still Republicans. Our country is frequently called a democracy, but that is slightly disingenuous. Our country is a representative democracy, and because of that, our government, especially our senate, doesn’t represent us. An electorate that has made it abundantly clear that it prioritizes issues such as health care reform and common sense gun laws finds itself yet again represented by a Republican senate with no interest in providing those things. Why? The bulk of the United States population is concentrated along the coast, and the representative power of the middle of the country is
bolstered by this fact. We live under a directive issued by our founding fathers centuries ago – men who believed in rights only for land-owning white men. We have undone countless things that they created, so clearly, the founding fathers were fallible. Despite this, we still follow their proposed structure without question and they decreed that the Senate would be the most powerful part of our government. This decision shapes public policy to this day. In the 18th century, the power given to the Senate didn’t have a lot of effect when it comes to the distribution of political power, but today, it results in massive imbalances giving more political power to voters in sparsely populated areas than those in densely populated areas. In this system, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana are so sparsely populated that they each have only one representative in the House, yet each have two senators. Contrast this with a state like New Jersey, which has 12 congressional districts and only two senators. Geographically, it is much smaller, but its population is much more concentrated. A representative democracy
should, logically, represent the needs and wants of its people; however, this is not the case here. These five sparsely populated states only have a large enough population to fill five of 435 seats in the House of Representatives. Despite making up just over 1 percent of the House, these states make up 10 percent of the Senate. This gives these states a highly disproportionate influence in the branch that our founding fathers gave the most power to. The House is a step in the right direction; however, it too is flawed. Every 10 years, Congressional districts around the country are redrawn based on changes in population. This creates the opportunity for gerrymandering – drawing these House districts in a way that distorts racial, financial and political representation, breaking up or grouping together politically influential groups. The republicans who controlled the House in 2010 drew districts that diffused Democratic influence in the country. As a result, Democrats entered these midterms with an eight-point advantage on the generic ballot as to who should gain control of the house, but many individual races were within a few points of each
other. Because of gerrymandering, not even the branch of government that is supposed to represent the bulk of the population accurately represents us. Even with more voters, gerrymandering creates a situation in which the democrats have to fight an uphill battle to win seats in the house. Instead of serving voters’ interests, gerrymandering makes it so our representatives serve majorities that already exist by redrawing and bending the lines of our districts to benefit the standing majority. The power balance created by the House of Representatives is logical, dividing political power based on population, not just giving two representatives to each state. If our senate were divided the same way, then our legislative branch would more accurately represent the interests of its people. We can’t be fairly governed if we are not represented fairly in the federal government. Giving a state like New York the same amount of power as a state with a quarter of the population of Queens is an affront to democracy as a concept. The most powerful branch of our government fails to represent the majority
of our population and our “democracy” suffers for it. The House may vote to impeach, but the Senate votes to convict; the House may represent the absolute population of the country, but the Senate has greater power. The Senate confirms Supreme Court justices. The Senate confirms ambassadors. The Senate has longer terms. As of 1:15 Wednesday morning, Nov. 7, 9 million more votes were cast for Democratic Senate candidates, yet Republicans retain control. “We the people” have the opportunity to form a more perfect union with every election, but the desires of the people are rarely realized. Until the more powerful of the two governing bodies that make up our legislative branch represents the entirety of the nation fairly and justly, the goals of the many will be bogged down by the worries of the few.
Robert Kinnaird is a member of the Hofstra Democrats. Mia Thompson is an assistant copy chief for The Chronicle.
Quick Hits: Midterms Edition
Alexandra OcasioCortez (D-NY) became the youngest woman in history to be elected to Congress, at 29.
Jared Polis (D-CO) is the first openly gay male governor in U.S. history and Colorado’s first Jewish governor.
(L-R) Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Sharice Davids (D-KS) are the first Native American women to be elected to Congress. Davids is also Kansas’ first openly lesbian representative.
Total voter turnout has been projected to be 51.4 percent, the highest turnout for a midterm election since 1914.
These midterms are the most expensive congressional elections in history, with a projected $5.2 billion spent.
A 14 • November 7, 2018
By Douglas A. Morrow I thought it would be important for me to respond to the two recent internship opeds in The Chronicle: “Why I Quit My Unpaid Internship” by Gisela Factora and “Mandatory shouldn’t mean inhumane” by Alissa Anderson. I have been out of school for some time, but I certainly understand the difficulty in navigating academics along with trying to gain actual experience within our hoped-for professions. At LHSC, we often do that through
By Rachel Wilson
op-ed
Re: Internships
The Chronicle
the internship program, and that often leads to a very busy and challenged student. I am happy to say not only is help on the way, but help has arrived. After taking the role of internship coordinator for the Herbert School, I reached out to faculty and the Career Center to prepare materials and information on our programs and how to approach them. That being said, the website has been updated and a series of workshops are now in place to help empower students in regards to this unique course
and its opportunities. Each semester, students in the appropriate majors are made aware of the internship workshops. The workshops are presented by faculty, our Career Center liaison and myself. We really try to approach interning from every angle. How to prepare, how to do research, how to connect with the opportunities and the process used to get credit. Interning is all about the opportunity at hand, mentoring involved and being at the right site for the experience. It is very
important to get ahead of the process and know how to best approach the course. I highly recommend that first-year and second-year students attend these workshops so they know how to plan. These workshops also include information on how to deal with bad or difficult situations at the internship site. I truly believe that most all of our students and faculty realize the importance of experiential learning in our programs. I also believe that there are many more positive experiences than
negative. That being said, I am here to help. Please attend the next workshop (Radio, Television and Film Wednesday, Feb. 20, and Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations Wednesday, Feb. 27), and please feel free to reach out.
hurricanes. Six of those 10 storms developed into major hurricanes. Last year’s season was the first in 12 years to have two major hurricanes hit the continental U.S. What is the cause of these more active than normal hurricane seasons and the odd occurrences? Many signs point to climate change. According to an Oct. 2018 article from The Guardian, more intense storms can be linked to human-induced climate change. Hurricanes draw power from about 2000 meters below the ocean’s surface, and temperatures at this depth have been steadily rising since the 1970s. Last year saw the highest temperature at this depth on record. New data has suggested that hurricanes in the future will likely be stronger, slower and wetter – producing stronger winds and more rain. What should be a purely scientific issue has made its way into the political realm. Climate change has been a significant political issue for the past few years but has become more poignant since President
Donald Trump took office. One of Trump’s first actions was to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement. During his campaign, he vowed to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and now as president, he is keeping his word. He has steadily been rolling back Obama-era efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, including the Clean Power Plan. He has tweeted about how climate change is a “hoax” created by the Chinese meant to cripple the U.S. economy. While the politicization of human-induced climate change is nothing new, it has taken on a life of its own during the Trump Administration. While both sides fight to convince citizens that their stance is right, the future of the environment and the inhabitability of our planet is at stake. Climate change should never have become political. The scientific research behind climate change and human effects on it is thorough. Meteorologists and
climatologists around the world have found conclusive evidence that oceanic and atmospheric temperatures have been rising significantly since the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s. They have also published predictions for what could happen if temperatures keep rising at their current rates. The earth has gone through many periods of climate change, with temperatures rising and falling globally. Despite these changes, the planet is still here and still inhabitable to countless species of plants and animals. People use this argument to defend being lax about climate change or to deny human influence. The planet has gone through cycles of change throughout history and is still OK. However, what many fail to acknowledge is the fact that these changes have not happened this fast at any other point in recorded history. What is happening to the climate now is an experiment, and humans are the primary subjects. Besides that, the real issue isn’t whether the planet will be
OK. The real issue is whether the earth will remain inhabitable for humans and other species. More active hurricane seasons with bigger, stronger storms have been predicted for the near future. Coastal cities and lowlying areas are at risk of being submerged by floodwaters should a large storm hit. Storms like Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and most recently Hurricane Michael earlier this year, have demonstrated the destruction, loss of life and economic hardship these storms can and will bring. It is time to remove climate change from politics.
Douglas A. Morrow is an associate professor and internship coordinator in the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication.
Keep hurricanes out of politics
With an early start date, a record number of storms forming and ending up in unusual locations, this year’s hurricane season was unexpected and very active. Through Sunday, Oct. 28, the Atlantic Ocean produced 15 named storms, with eight strengthening into hurricanes, which is above the 1981-2010 average of 12 named storms and six hurricanes per year. One storm developed on Friday, May 25, right before the official start of hurricane season in June. It began as subtropical depression one before strengthening into subtropical storm Alberto the next day, May 26, over the southeast Gulf of Mexico. There was also a record number of subtropical storms that developed over the course of the season. This year’s strange hurricane season comes after last year’s extremely active season. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2017’s season produced 17 storms, with 10 becoming
Rachel Wilson is a graduate student studying journalism.
Got hot takes? We want ‘em! Email us at hofstrachronicleeditorials@gmail.com and come to our meetings at 6:30 on Mondays!
SPORTS
The Chronicle
November 7, 2018 A 15
Volleyball shines at all positions in sweep of UNCW By Zevan Shuster S TA F F W R I T E R
Final Hofstra
UNCW
3
0
After an embarrassing loss early in the season to UNCWilmington (UNCW), revenge was on the Hofstra volleyball team’s mind heading into the game Saturday afternoon, Nov. 3. Unlike the first game, this time the Pride played at home, with the chance to beat their rivals and get back to their winning ways. They not only won, but did so in dominant fashion, sweeping the Seahawks in three sets, 25-17, 25-21 and 25-18. “It’s a great win for the Hofstra volleyball program. Beating UNCW 3-0, it’s definitely a great feeling to have,” said head coach Emily Mansur. The Pride won the first set in a commanding fashion, 25-17.
They displayed phenomenal teamwork and an urgency from the start that Mansur had been preaching since the very start of the season. “I think the mindset has been to focus on us and to focus less on other teams. We can control the tempo of the match, and we came out ready to play,” Mansur said. From running down balls sideline to sideline, to keeping their defense organized, the Pride had a bounce in their step right from the get-go. Hofstra’s constant energy continued into the second set, but as the set waned, they started to run out of steam and lost the same sharpness that had gotten them to that point. “It’s about resetting the mindset. [I said], ‘Let’s go back to our game. We control the tempo, and we focus on [playing] Hofstra volleyball,” Mansur said. Having gone from being up 23-15, to only being up 24-21, the second set was suddenly up in the air. With the match on its way to either a 2-0 Hofstra lead or a 1-1
tie, Aisha Skinner came up with a huge spike to hold off UNCW, giving Hofstra the vital two sets to nothing cushion that they almost let slip away. “It was important for us to have our best players involved,” Mansur said. “Last time we played them, Aisha Skinner had a great match, but our outsides were not on point. Today, they stepped up and played really well and we had everybody involved.” Even when the Pride wasn’t at their best in this match, they still outplayed the Seahawks in every facet of the game. Particularly in kills and digs, Hofstra led 54-35 and 63-41, respectively. Even more impressive was the fact that the Pride had four players with 10 or more kills. “That’s a beautiful thing, and that’s our goal: to get more and more players involved so we don’t know who the ball is going to,” Mansur said. “As a team, we embrace each other, and every single player embraces their role. Different people get to do that, and that’s
the goal every single time from now to the end of the season.” Offensively and defensively, if there was a play to be made, the Pride made it much more often than their opponent. With the win, Hofstra is now 21-7 and 11-3 in conference
play – good enough for No. 2 in the CAA after having won a season-best five games in a row. They’ll look to make it six against Delaware on Sunday, Nov. 4, before closing their season against Northeastern the following Sunday, Nov, 11.
Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle Laura Masciullo led the Pride with 14 points and 14 kills against UNCW.
Vowinkel’s winning goal advances men’s soccer to semifinals By Eddie Gardner S TA F F W R I T E R
Final Hofstra
NE
1
0
The Hofstra men’s soccer team defeated sixth seeded Northeastern University in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 3, by a score of 1-0. Matthew Vowinkel scored the only goal of the game in the second half and Alex Ashton made a last minute save to secure the win.
The third seeded Pride now advance to the semifinals where they will take on UNCWilmington (UNCW). Hofstra dominated Northeastern for the majority of the first half. They controlled the ball well in the Huskies’ zone and put up eight shots – four of them on goal. Northeastern, on the other hand, failed to get a shot off against the Pride’s tough defense. Hofstra’s roaring start created their best scoring chance when defenseman Sean Nealis headed a shot toward the net that was saved by goalkeeper Chandler Cree.
Check out our website: www.thehofstrachronicle.com/category/sports
Nealis had another shot denied by Cree shortly after. Forward Luke Brown led the Pride with three shots in the first half, followed by Nealis’ two. The Huskies could not control the ball on offense and allowed several Hofstra scoring chances on defense. Keeping Northeastern intact was Cree who was strong in net for the Huskies, making four saves in the first half. The Huskies came out of the break inspired, putting much more pressure on Hofstra’s defense. They put up nine shots, with three on goal. Northeastern’s offense outplayed Hofstra’s for most of the period, but it was the Pride who were able to break the scoreless tie in the 52nd minute. Vowinkel headed a Storm Strongin corner kick past a diving Cree for his seventh goal of the season.
Brown almost extended the lead when his hard shot was stopped by Cree, who dove to his left to make the save. Down just one, Northeastern nearly tied the game with two minutes remaining when Moustapha Samb headed the ball on goal, but Ashton made a brilliant save to keep the Pride in front. Alec Supinski took a shot off the rebound, but it was blocked by multiple Hofstra defenders in front of the net. Dan Munch and Supinksi both led the Huskies with three shots in the half. The game was filled with many scoring chances for both teams, but it was a hard-fought defensive battle. Both keepers made several phenomenal saves in the game. After missing a few of the previous games due to injury, Ashton returned to the net for the Pride and managed to post
the shutout. “Those last two saves showed why we brought him back in once he got back from injury. Those were two excellent saves in the last couple of minutes,” said head coach Richard Nuttall. When the final horn sounded, the Pride had done just enough to inch past the Huskies and move one step closer to the CAA Championship match. “[It was a] hard-fought win,” Nuttall said. “I thought we deserved it based on the whole balance of the game. The first half I thought we were excellent. The second half, once we scored, I didn’t like how we dropped and let Northeastern back in it.” While there was a drop off from the first half to the second half, a win is a win as Hofstra secured its spot in the semifinals against UNCW on Friday, Nov. 9.
A 16• November 7, 2018
The Chronicle
SPORTS
Volleyball wins five-set thriller against Delaware By Alexandra Licata S P O RT S E D I T O R
Fi n a l Hofstra
Delaware
3
2
Hofstra volleyball defeated the University of Delaware for its sixth-straight victory in an exciting five-set match on Sunday afternoon at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center. Set scores were 19-25, 25-22, 25-15, 21-25 and 15-12. The Pride now stand at 22-7 overall and 12-3 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. Freshman Maddie Appleton and junior Laura Masciullo led the Pride with their defensive and offernsive play. Appleton recorded a season-high 32 digs, while Masicullo made 21 kills. Appleton’s former season-high
in digs came against Dartmouth University on Sept. 14 when she made 31 digs. “Maddie is growing as a player every day,” Mansur said. “That’s something that’s good to see.” It is the first time since 2012 that Hofstra has two win streaks of six matches within the same season. “It’s just the team chemistry,” said Hofstra head coach Emily Mansur. “Everybody’s doing things to make things happen. When one player doesn’t play well, someone steps up.” Hofstra’s early struggles allowed the Fightin’ Blue Hens to take an early lead. After being up 18-5 in the first set, a kill by Brooke Robertson started an eight-point run for the Fightin’ Blue Hens that ultimately led to a first set win. The Pride rallied back in the second and third set, winning by a substantial 10-point margin to take the third and go ahead 2-1. An early four-point run in the
fourth set would help Delaware to tie up the match at two. In the final set, Hofstra jumped out to a great start with a pair of kills from Masciullo and a service ace from Ivania Ortiz to lead 4-1. Masciullo added another kill later in the set for a 10-4 lead. Senior Nanishka Perez ended the match to give Hofstra the three-point win. “It was nice to see [Perez] come back into the game and play a good match,” Mansur said. “Today, [Skinner] struggled, but at the end was able to get some key points.” Perez recorded her fourth double-double with 10 kills ad 15 digs. Skinner’s 12 kills and 14 digs completed her 10th doubledouble this season. She also added four blocks. Senior Doris Bogoje also contributed with 12 kills and four blocks, while Luisa Sydlik tallied 56 assists. The Fightin’ Blue Hens were
led by Maria Bellinger with 18 kills, five blocks and four digs. Courtnie Roberts also added 35 assists, 10 digs and four blocks. With the win, Hofstra improved to 52-19 all-time against Delaware and have now won four straight against the Fightin’ Blue Hens. “We are getting closer
and closer to the CAA championship,” Mansur said. “If we want to go there and the win the whole thing, we need to keep focus and play our ‘A’ volleyball from now until the end of the season.” The Pride returns to the court to conclude the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 11, at home
Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle Maddie Appleton recorded a season-high 32 digs in Sunday’s match.
Women’s soccer becomes back-to-back CAA Champions By Mike Senatore S TA F F W R I T E R
Fi na l Hofstra
JMU
2
0
The Hofstra women’s soccer team captured their second-consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship on Saturday, Nov. 3, when they defeated James Madison University on the road by a score of 2-0. The title marks the fifth-ever championship victory for Hofstra University. The Pride’s biggest offensive weapons, stars Sabrina Bryan
and Lucy Porter, shone in the title match just as they had all season long. Porter struck first, scoring off of a blocked free kick from Miri Taylor in the 14th minute. This marked Porter’s 10th goal of her outstanding sophomore season. The next and final goal of the contest came 11 minutes into the second half, when Jenn Buoncore’s missed shot was recovered by Bryan, who buried it in the back of the net for her 11th goal and Buoncore’s 13th assist of the season. The aforementioned shots taken by the Pride contributed to their total of 12 taken in the match, six of which were on goal. The team shared the load well,
Want to cover Division I sports? Email us at chroniclesports@gmail.com
distributing the 12 shots taken between six players. Bryan led the way with four shots, while Taylor, Porter and Buoncore all took two. Jordan Littleboy and Bella Richards added one each as well. The Dukes took nine shots of their own, but Hofstra’s excellent defense, led by twotime CAA defensive player of the year Madeline Anderson, limited them to only two on goal. “We played a high-risk, high-reward system today and gambled a little bit,” said Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough. “We put a lot of pressure on our back four to handle some very dangerous offensive weapons and they handled it.” The Pride split the playing time for goalkeepers Ashley Wilson and Jenna Borresen as they have often done in the season. Wilson, a redshirt senior, finished the contest with two crucial saves as the defense shut out the Dukes.
“We definitely knew that we could repeat, it just took everyone on the field and on the sideline,” Taylor said. “As long as everyone gave 110 percent, we knew we could do it. We had a lot of faith, and we just wanted it.” In addition to becoming repeat conference champions with the win, the Pride will face No. 19 Boston College in the NCAA tournament. After being
knocked out in the first round of the tournament last year, hopes are high for the team’s prospects in 2018. “These past nine games, we’ve played the way I want us to play, and when we do that, we’re [...] difficult to beat,” Riddiough said. “We hope we’ll get a favorable draw and get to that second round.”
Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle Madeline Anderson helped limit JMU to only two shots on goal.
SPORTS
The Chronicle
November 7, 2018 A 17
Women’s basketball kicks off season with home win By Victoria Conway S TA F F W R I T E R
Fi n a l Hofstra
Iona
74
49
The Hofstra women’s basketball team kicked off their 2018-19 season by blowing out Iona College 74-49 Tuesday evening, Nov. 6, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Hofstra led by as much as 32 points, running the floor offensively and pressing the Gaels on the defensive end, never trailing in the game. “It’s always fun to get that
first one under your belt and come out on the winning end of it ... [I’m] proud of the leadership on the offensive and defensive side of the ball” said head coach Krista KilburnSteveskey. The Pride got out to a fast start behind the effort of senior guard Sica Cuzic, who scored four of the team’s first seven points. “It was nice having [Cuzic] back in the lineup, especially when she started off giving us some breathing room in the beginning ... taking the pressure off,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. Cuzic ended up with 10 points, going 3-3 from the floor – her best performance in a Hofstra uniform. On the other side of the ball,
the Pride’s defense stepped up, specifically in the second and third quarters where they kept the Gaels to just nine points in each period. For a majority of the game, Hofstra was pressing Iona, causing 17 turnovers. Overall, Hofstra held Iona to 36 percent from the floor and 11 percent from downtown. Another key contributor on the offensive side was senior guard Boogie Brozoski, who continued the push throughout the entire 40 minutes, finished with a game-high 18 points while adding eight assists. “Honestly, I’m just trying to find my teammates before I even find myself ... My head is up, I am always looking for my teammates. My success is just as
good as their success,” Brozoski said. “I just wanted to win, I didn’t care who scored or who got the assist. If we got it done, I was cheering; if it was me, it was great as well.” It was a balanced attack for the Pride as five players ended up in double figures. Junior center Marianne Kalin chipped in with 14 points of her own while grabbing five boards. “They were shorter – there was a lot of room – we shared the ball nicely,” Kalin said. It was also a night of firsts. Jaylen Hines, Shawn Mills and Jakayla Brown each recorded their first collegiate points. Hines missed last year due to an injury, while freshmen Mills and Brown made their collegiate
debuts. “[It was nice to] get them to get over their jitters ... I think that is the most impressive thing to me, rewarding people for how hard they are working in practice,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. As a team, Hofstra shot 57 percent from the floor while scoring 17 points off of turnovers. Hofstra also dominated in the paint, scoring more than half of their points down low. The bench chipped in 19 points, contributing to the onslaught. The Pride is back in action Friday evening, Nov. 9, when they welcome in Columbia University. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
HOFSTRA ATHLETIC CALENDAR HOME
T U E S D AY
W E D N E S D AY
T H U R S D AY
F R I D AY
S AT U R D AY
S U N D AY
AWAY
11/6
11/7
11/8
11/9
11 /1 0
11/11
M O U N T S T. M A RY ’ S
MEN’S BASKETBALL
– 2 :3 0 P. M .
– 7:30 P. M .
WOMEN’S
IONA
COLUMBIA
BASKETBALL
– 7 P. M .
– 5 P. M .
MEN’S
CAA TOURNAMENT
SOCCER
WOMEN’S
NCAA TOURNAMENT
SOCCER
– 7 P. M .
VO L L E Y B A L L
MARSHALL
BOSTON COLLEGE
N O RT H E A S T E R N
– 1 P. M .
A 18• November 7, 2018
The Chronicle
SPORTS
Previous challenges fuel women’s basketball in upcoming season By Alexandra Licata S P O RT S E D I T O R
Ranked No. 9 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) preseason poll, the Hofstra women’s basketball team knows it has something to prove. Coming off an 11-19 season in which the Pride qualified for the CAA Tournament and fell in the opening round against No. 10 College of Charleston, they now look to a healthy lineup to open up 2018-19 with a fresh start. “We are coming off a tough year for us ... We were banged. We were bruised,” said head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey. “We were fueled by [the fact] that we were probably going to be picked dead last and we were close. We were using that as motivation.” The Pride is led by senior Boogie Brozoski, who was named to the 2018-19 Preseason All-CAA team. After transferring from the University of Michigan prior to the 2017-18 season, Brozoski made her debut on Friday, Jan. 5 and immediately made her presence felt. In 20 games, 15 of which she started at point guard, she led the team with 13 points and 3.9 assists per game in an average of 31.2 minutes of playing time per match. She recorded her first career double-double in her first start, putting up 16 points and 10 assists against Charleston. Brozoski scored double-digit points in 12 contests and shot 44.3 percent from the field, as well as 78.7 percent from the free throw line. Along with Brozoski, juniors E’Lexus Davis and Marianne Kalin have helped to serve as leaders to a roster that includes five new freshmen. “They’ve embraced [the freshmen],” Steveskey said. “These guys are empowering the freshmen. They’re not cutting them down because they’re competing against them ... They’re empowering them to be great because they know we need them all to be great.” Davis played in all 30 games last season for the Pride and started 17. In an average of 25 minutes, she tallied 8.3 points and 2.6
assists per appearance. Last year, she scored a careerhigh 19 points at Sacred Heart University on Thursday, Nov. 30, and posted career-bests with eight rebounds and nine assists in the season opener against the University of Maryland – Baltimore County. Kalin also appeared in all 30 games last season, starting 29 and leading the team with 37 blocks. She averaged 8.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. With the losses of Ashunae Durant and Aleana Leon, Kalin will prove to be an important part of Hofstra’s ability to rebound the ball and ensure second-chance scoring opportunities. She also recorded her first career double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds against Iona College on Thursday, Dec. 7. Joining the Pride’s three returning starters are Ana Hernandez Gil and Jaylen Hines, who both missed last season due to injury. Hernandez Gil missed last season after an impressive freshman campaign for the Pride in which she appeared in 27 games and averaged 5.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game. She ranked in the top three in the CAA in three-point percentage for a portion of the season and finished the year shooting .371 from beyond the arc. “[Hernandez Gil’s] missed an entire year and almost a half. [She] has to get acclimated to playing the game again and get her confidence back,” Steveskey said. “There are days when her shot is back exactly the way it was; she has a natural knack for that ... We’re absolutely 100 percent getting there, and I think she’s buying into that.” Hines missed out on her freshman campaign due to an injury in July of 2017. In her high school career, she recorded over 1,000 rebounds and averaged 13.5 points. She was named First-Team Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) and ThirdTeam Washington Post All-Met as a junior and to the Second-
Team as a senior. “A lot of times with women, you don’t want to hear you’ve gained weight, but here [Hines] comes back and she’s gotten about two inches taller and has probably gained about 15 pounds of solid muscle. Every day, it’s amazing,” Steveskey said. “[I’m] excited about her. She’s definitely made our post play more competitive. She’s smart; she’s a leader.” Sica Cuzic also suffered a season-ending injury just seven games into last season. Cuzic was a key player off the bench for the Pride, averaging 5.4 points per game. She also pulled down a career-high six rebounds in just 18 minutes while she played in her final game of the season, and will be a key factor for Hofstra this season. Cuzic is another player who the Pride will turn to in order to fill the shoes of Durant, who averaged around 10 boards per game. Sandra Karsten and Petja Krupenko area also returning to the court for the Pride this season. Among Hofstra’s five fresh faces is JaKayla Brown, who joined the Pride after a successful high school run. She was named the McDonald’s All-American nominee as a senior, a three-time All-WCAC selection and the leading scorer in the WCAC. She finished her career with 1,485 points and now joins Hofstra in hopes of continuing to impress in games rather than just in practice. “[Brown] has just been a defensive stopper and she’s been getting herself on the floor because of her work ethic and her defense,” Steveskey said. She continued, “[The freshmen] are very competitive ... They have a competitive spirit, which is pretty nice. You always want that. You can teach kids how to run plays and do things, but you can’t teach somebody to be a competitor. That was something pretty awesome that we had when we were recruiting them.” With a full and healthy roster, Hofstra now can allot
itself a small margin for error, compared to last season when any mistake could cost them contention for a win. A main focus for the Pride this season is their ability to box out on rebounds, especially on the defensive end. “We face a lot of people that are going to be really physical and we have to make contact and get those boards,” Steveskey said. “You play good defense and you don’t give them a second opportunity.” On the offensive side of the game, the Pride hopes to play in a flow that will give everybody their shot selection by communicating and melding as a team. “It’s probably our biggest strength ... They’re just the non-negotiables that you have to communicate, and you absolutely have to talk on the floor,” Steveskey said. For the sixth-straight season, James Madison University was ranked No. 1 above the preseason poll despite Elon University having won the CAA Championship in both of the last two seasons. JMU held a 23-11 record and went 16-2 in conference play. Kamiah Smalls led the Dukes last season with 511 points for an average of 15 per game in 34 starts. The Dukes, along with teams like Towson University
and UNC-Wilmington, also have height off the bench that can prove to be daunting for Hofstra’s offense. “You have some of your usual suspects and then some of your ones that you can’t sleep on,” Steveskey said. “Drexel always causes you to play a half-court game. In our scrimmage the other day, we were controlling tempo – [I] think we’re going to be better in that.” The bar is set high for this Hofstra team, but Steveskey was hesitant to say exactly how high they can go. The team needs to prove what they can do on the floor, and how well they continue to receive their coaches’ advice is a big part of that. “Can we defend? Can we be really good at man-to-man, press and have a medley of different things to take people off their game? [We need to] share that basketball and read that defense,” Steveskey said. “I’m giving them a lot of freedom this year. With that being said, you have to see if they’re overplaying.” Hofstra’s season tips off on Tuesday, Nov. 6, against Iona University at 7 p.m. at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex and will play a backto-back doubleheader with the men’s basketball team on Friday, Nov. 9 beginning at 5 p.m.
Cam Keough / The Hofstra Chronicle E’Lexus Davis will serve as a leader to the Pride’s newcomers this season.
SPORTS
The Chronicle
November 7, 2018 A 19
Hofstra veterans set to lead team to big season
By Joe Fay
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
When the Hofstra men’s basketball team tips off their season on Friday, Nov. 9, against Mount St. Mary’s University, fans will see a team of mostly familiar faces who are ready to take the program to the next level. Hofstra is led by star guard Justin Wright-Foreman. Last season, Wright-Foreman poured in over 24 points per game (PPG) while shooting 45 percent from the field on his way to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year award. In his senior season, he has his sights set high. “My goal is definitely to be player of the year again ... but definitely going to the tournament [too],” WrightForeman said. “We’ve been right there. We need to get over that hump.” After testing the NBA Draft waters in the spring of 2018, Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich knows that Wright-Foreman has the weight of the world on his shoulders this season. “He knows it, we know it, everybody knows it,” Mihalich said. “We talk about it and we gotta accept it and embrace it, and I think he has.” The team throws everything
including the kitchen sink at Wright-Foreman in practice to help him get used to the pressure and to help him find ways to get his teammates involved. The Pride also returns junior guard Eli Pemberton, who will be looking to improve on a sophomore campaign in which he tallied 15.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game (RPG) – ranking No. 2 on the team in both categories. Pemberton’s offense will be looked to often in order to take some pressure off of WrightForeman. He knows how vital he will be to his team’s success and has worked in the offseason to meet the challenge. “I worked on being a leader ... it’s a grown man’s game and I want to be the most grown out of all of them,” Pemberton said. He also worked with WrightForeman outside of the team’s summer program to work on his game and their chemistry on the floor. Hofstra’s starting backcourt will be rounded out by senior point guard Desure Buie. Buie started 18 of Hofstra’s 31 games last season and led the team in assists with over three per game. The Pride will need Buie to continue to dish out the assists while looking to improve on his 6.4 PPG from a year ago. Most
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Hofstra was picked to finish third in the CAA in the preseason poll.
of all, though, Buie’s team needs him to continue to be a leader in his senior season. “I’ve been a point guard my whole life,” he said. “Being a point guard is about being a leader, being vocal ... that’s exactly what I’m doing for my teammates.” In the frontcourt, however, there are more question marks than answers as Hofstra begins the season. The Pride will be looking to fill the hole left by the graduation of star forward Rokas Gustys. Gustys had been their go-to man down low for three seasons, during which he contributed 11.1 PPG and 12.4 RPG. Gustys holds Hofstra’s Division I record for most career rebounds (1305) and is only the third player in the last 20 years to rank in the top five in the country in rebounding for three consecutive years. That kind of production will not easily be replaced. “I don’t think any one person can replace [Gustys],” Mihalich said. “I don’t think any one guy can make us as good defensively as we were [with him on the floor].” Mihalich hopes that graduate forwards Jacquil Taylor and Dan Dwyer will be the “twoheaded monster” that can begin to fill the void left by Gustys. “We hope that they can take [Gustys’] place and combine to hopefully be as productive as he was,” Mihalich said. Taylor completed his undergraduate degree at Purdue, where he played three seasons as a role player, while Dwyer attended the University of Pennsylvania and played four years. The Pride will be putting a lot of faith in the pair of newcomers, along with junior forward Stafford Trueheart, to find a way to fill the holes in the post. Hofstra is also changing up their approach to defense with the turnover in their backcourt. In practice, Mihalich has made a point of telling everyone on the team to focus on upping their rebounding numbers and defensive intensity. “Our league was ranked No.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics Senior guard Justin Wright-Foreman was last season’s CAA Player of the Year.
1 in the country for offensive efficiency,” Mihalich said. “Everybody can score ... whoever can play a little bit better defense can win the league.” The sixth-year Hofstra coach is also going to be relying on more depth than he is used to this season. “We’re gonna have to work on some combinations,” Mihalich said. “I’m usually comfortable playing with seven guys, [this year] we probably have nine. First thing everybody’s gotta do is understand their role.” The Pride will be looking for solid contributions from sixth man Jalen Ray and role players Kenny Wormley and Tareq Coburn. If Hofstra can find the right rotation that clicks on all cylinders, there is a consensus among the players that they
could make a run at a CAA championship this season. “The ceiling is as far as we let it go,” Wright-Foreman said. “We just need to keep competing every day.” The Pride were picked to finish third in the preseason CAA poll behind Northeastern University and College of Charleston. In order to raise the CAA trophy and make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001, Hofstra will have to get past these two powerhouse teams. Mihalich knows that is no easy task, but has faith in his squad. “We’re a team that can beat them. We gotta get healthy, we gotta hope our team chemistry comes together ... and we gotta be ready every night because [this league is] very competitive.”
Back Cover: Women’s soccer claims secondconsecutive CAA Championship
The Hofstra Chronicle
Sports
November 7, 2018
S tuck
on
R epeat
Women’s soccer wins back-to-back CAA Championships and heads to NCAA Tournament this coming weekend
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics