The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 17

FEBRUARY 12, 2020 • VOLUME 90 • ISSUE 17

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

SPORTS P.12

State of the QUnion

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

Herd the doubters

A summary of all the announcements at this year’s address on p.3

Taylor Herd overcomes adversity to achieve greatness with the women’s basketball team.

OPINION P.5

PHOTO FROM FLICKR

Trump victorious with acquittal

A day after the State of the Union, the Senate ruled that there was not enough evidence to remove Trump from office.

ARTS & LIFE P.6

PHOTO FROM OSCARS PRESS

92nd Academy Award takeaways

This year’s Academy Awards had many takeaways, such as ‘Parasite’ winning a total of four Oscars.

QU takes NH

ILLUSTRATION BY JANNA MARNELL

Students campaign for candidates in New Hampshire primary

By CHATWAN MONGKOL Staff Writer

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY HAKTAN CEYLAN

Jensen Wilson, Haktan Ceylan, Matthew Hawryluk and George Tzimorangas (left to right) at Pete Buttigieg’s Manchester campaign headquarters.

Nineteen students got to experience canvassing for presidential candidates who competed in the New Hampshire primaries.

Dr. Scott McLean, associate professor of political science, led students in his class, PO 362 — Presidential Election Campaign: The New Hampshire Primary, to New Hampshire on Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 and Feb. 7 to 12. Students participated in an intensive internship for presidential candidates of their choice.

Stephan Kapustka worked for President Donald Trump and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Samantha Murdock, Zac Gormley, William Herring and Senaj Mersim worked for former Vice President Joe Biden. Sarah Annabi and Tyler Delehoy worked for Senator Bernie Sanders. Myles Phillips-Wilcox and Ambar Pagan worked for Senator Elizabeth Warren. Gabriel Farberov and Miriam Shawish worked for former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld. Haktan Ceylan, Matthew Hawryluk, George Tzimorangas and See NEW HAMPSHIRE Page 2

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2| News

MEET THE EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bryan Murphy MANAGING EDITOR Alexis Guerra CREATIVE DIRECTOR Janna Marnell NEWS EDITOR Stephen MacLeod

February 12, 2020

SGA holds special elections, special appeals General board gets new members, clubs get new funding

By STEPHEN MACLEOD News Editor

The Student Government Association (SGA) held special elections to fill vacancies in its government and special appeals to spend unused money at its weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

Four senators, including former Vice President for Finance Glenn Adams who resigned in November 2019, were elected to fill vacancies in class cabinets.

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITORS Emily Flamme Kalleen Rose Ozanic OPINION EDITOR Toyloy Brown III GRAPHIC BY KARALYN KACHMAR

Adams was also nominated to sit on SGA’s Judicial Board which oversees SGA. It will vote this week to decide if Adams will join the board.

SGA has held several special elections in the 2019-20 academic year. About 25% of all seats in the government have been filled by special elections.

“Only one special election senator has previous involvement in SGA before,” SGA President Austin Calvo said. “We have no connections to anyone else who got elected. It’s been random, run of the mill students who step up and jump at the opportunity. It helps break up club culture instead of reinforcing it.”

Special elections happen when a student steps down or is forced to leave SGA. Reasons for a senator to leave SGA include grades, conduct violations or personal reasons.

SGA also heard special appeals and approved over $55,000 in new fundings for

28 student organizations. New funding included over $25,000 to Q30 for new cameras and audio equipment, $4,200 to Big Event for day-of-the-event expenditures and $4,000 to the African and Carribean Student Union for their AfroCarribean Night.

Budget cuts have hampered special appeals in the past, but a 20% increase in March 2019 has allowed for much more funding. Calvo said that SGA underwent an audit and was able to find much more money than in years past.

“Q30 has requested that (funding) for the past couple of years, but we finally have the budget and it feels really good to fill that,” Calvo said.

Many clubs were given funding to allow them to attend conferences, hold new oncampus events and add on funding to large events on campus, such as the Black Student Union’s fashion show.

ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR Michael Sicoli ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Jessica Simms ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Ryan Miller SPORTS EDITORS Brendan O’Sullivan Jared Penna ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Riley Millette DESIGN EDITOR Connor Lawless PHOTOGRAPHY EDTIOR Morgan Tencza

THE QUINNIPIAC CHRONICLE is the proud recipient of the New England Society of Newspaper Editors’ award for College Newspaper of the Year in New England for 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2015-16.

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Annabi: ‘I couldn’t believe that I was sitting right next to the stage’ NEW HAMPSHIRE from cover Jensen Wilson worked for Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Nicholas Campanelli, Joshua Gorero, John Hangen and Jonathan Rosenblum worked for Andrew Yang.

Before they went up to New Hampshire, students hoped to meet potential supporters for their candidates, other volunteers, other presidential candidates and get an opportunity to learn something that can’t be learned by sitting in a classroom.

“My biggest hope with this second trip down to New Hampshire is to advance both my knowledge politically as a student of this particular social science and as a citizen of this country to better approach a future that is worthy for the children of our collective future,” said Ceylan, a sophomore political science and philosophy double major.

While Ceylan wanted to learn more about the nation’s politics, Pagan, a sophomore political science major, hoped to meet Warren because her campaign slogan, “Dream big, fight hard!” inspired her to go into politics in the future.

“These words motivate me to fight for my dreams,” Pagan said. “She inspires me to run for office one day.”

The tasks that students got to do were knocking on doors, talking to voters, putting up and holding signs to support the candidates at events. From this experience, junior economic major Tzimorangas said it was eye opening as there was no true consistency in who voters said their first-choice candidate was when he was talking to them.

“The voters of New Hampshire are extremely independent thinkers,” Tzimorangas said.

“They aren’t going to let the results of Iowa determine how they vote, and they’re for sure not choosing a candidate based on the polls.”

Being in a campaigning environment, students said that it was a great opportunity to learn about the election process, see how campaigning really works and how different the real one is compared to seeing it through the TV. “(An election campaign) is a large operation as well as a busy one. It could be quite tiring sometimes,” said Gorero, a junior political science major. “However, the passion that the volunteers provide gives so much energy to continue and persist.”

Tzimorangas said that working in the campaign made him feel like he was a part of something much larger than himself. He shared some of his experience from Buttigieg’s campaign.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY GEORGE TZIMORANGAS

Several students, including George Tzimorangas, attended The Democratic Debate.

“Our main goal is finding those who are either undecided voters, or those voters who are considering voting for Pete,” Tzimorangas said.

After Tzimorangas found those people, he explained why Buttigieg was the best candidate. Then, he made sure to listen to all the voters as they were saying what was important to them. If he came across voters who were for other candidates, he moved on.

Students didn’t just get the opportunity to work for their chosen candidates, they also got to attend events like town halls and the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner.

One of the events students got a chance to attend was The Democratic Debate on Friday, Feb. 7, at Saint Anselm College in Manchester. Annabi, a freshman political science major, was among one of the students who got to witness history.

“I couldn’t believe that I was sitting right next to the stage, just a few feet away from all of the candidates,” Annabi said.

After the debate ended, Annabi met Biden, talked to him, shook his hand and took a selfie

with him. She said that she had to keep reminding herself that it was actually happening.

“I couldn’t believe I was making eye contact and conversation with (former) VP Joe Biden,” Annabi said. “It was just insane.”

As McLean said in a statement, this course gives students a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be a part of the 2020 presidential election. Gorero took this opportunity as a way to understand the issues at stake and ways to make a campaign strong as well as interesting and captivating.

“Every hour of experience in New Hampshire and serving in a presidential campaign is a significant learning opportunity that can have enduring effects and impart real experiences of communication, leadership and civic engagement,” McLean said in the statement.

McLean has been taking his students to New Hampshire since the 2000 presidential election.

“I’m so happy that Quinnipiac was able to have a class like this for the semester,” Tzimorangas said. “Because the experience is something I will always cherish.”

February 12, 2020

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

News |3

State of the QUnion promotes achievements PHOTO AND GRAPHIC BY CONNNOR LAWLESS

QU administration takes a victory lap

By STEPHEN MACLEOD and NICOLE MCISAAC

The Student Government Association (SGA) gathered high-level administrators on the Burt Kahn Court to answer student questions at the annual State of the QUnion on Feb. 6.

President Judy Olian, Interim Provost Jennifer Brown, Chief Financial Officer Mark Varholak, Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Monique Drucker, Vice President for Facilities and Capital Planning Sal Filardi, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Donald Sawyer and Vice President for Academic Innovation and Effectiveness Annalisa Zinn were all present to answer student questions and concerns. Several members of Olian’s cabinet such as Chief of Staff Bethany Zemba and Vice President for Marketing and Communications Daryl Richard were also present at the event.

SGA rolled out a new format for this year’s event. While in years past, questions were mostly submitted by students and read

by SGA, this year’s questions were submitted live at the event and SGA prepared several questions based on student feedback they have heard throughout the year. There was also a panel of 14 students representing SGA class presidents and voices from underrepresented communities.

“Getting (non-SGA) students to attend this year was (SGA’s) biggest achievement,” SGA President Austin Calvo said.

Attendance was also encouraged in person as SGA rolled out incentives for students to go. Those who did were entered into a raffle for concert tickets and sororities were given panhellenic credit for attending, among other incentives. It paid off, as hundreds gathered in Burt Khan to ask questions.

“I have been on SGA since I was a freshman, and this is the biggest state of the QUnion that I have ever seen,” said Julia Suessor, SGA senior class president. “I think it’s important that we continue to do events like this.”

Olian opened the event with a speech that set two themes that would be constant throughout the 90-minute event: construction and community.

After a warm welcome, Olian provided

new updates on the Rocky Top Student Center’s new pub, On the Rocks. She said she hopes to see it open in “two to three weeks” with Filardi later adding that the university has a target opening day of Feb. 29, in order to open the game in time for the Quinnipiac vs. Yale men’s ice hockey game.

Beer and wine will be sold to anyone who is of age, but there will also be programming and events for all ages, according to Olian. She described it as a “great sport and information bar” due to a wide variety of screens throughout the facility.

Quinnipiac is also working on finishing its new master plan, which Olian revealed would be a 10-year vision of all capital improvements and major investments on all three Quinnipiac campuses.

Olian’s speech then shifted to the theme of community. She started by saying the university is pushing for “inclusive excellence” and announcing that 50% of all new College of Arts and Sciences hires will be professors of color.

“We become a more inclusive campus where at every level we have more diversity,” Olian said.

She also announced two new community-based initiatives: Bobcat Connect and #QUKindness. Bobcat Connect is a Quinnipiac take on LinkedIn where undergraduate students can connect with mentors and alumni. #QUKindness was originally announced in a video by Olian on Jan. 21, but Olian went into more detail on what she hopes to see.

The floor was then opened to student questions and concerns.

The first question, answered by Varholak, was about dining options. He said that the university is not looking to move towards “all-you-can-eat” board plans, also known as meal-swipe plans. According to Varholak, these types of plans can hurt food diversity that the current meal-plan style allows. He said instead that Resident District Manager of QU Dining Charles Couture is committed to providing a better dining experience.

The next few questions revealed that the university is looking at how to improve parking on the Mount Carmel campus in the fa-

cilities master plan, that club sports are being looked at for potential expansion beyond the current 10 teams and that the university is considering ways to improve the shuttle-tracking technology to improve the shuttle system.

A question then allowed Brown to talk about new majors. She said the university is looking at adding several new major offerings including, but not limited to, environmental sciences, environmental policy, data science, business analytics and applied business.

Brown also said that there are no plans to cut majors at this time, but part of the strategic plan will be to assess demand for certain degrees. She did guarantee that if a program is cut, there will be a clear “teach-out” program that will allow students to finish their degrees and graduate with them if their program ends up being cut.

Several other questions involving clarification on planning and policy were also asked. The university revealed it is reviewing how it handles students in its graduate school year of an accelerated degree program and are open to student feedback, that the president’s estate was nearing completion and would be used as an event space in addition to being future presidents’ home and that they are hoping to create more on-campus jobs that align with students’ career interests to help give them workplace experience.

The event closed with university administrators turning to the audience and asking questions of the community. They asked what about Quinnipiac makes students proud that the university should be aware of, and what is the best way to reach students with university messaging.

Students cited quality faculty, ample opportunity for resume building and career preparation as reasons for their pride in Quinnipiac.

“It’s really important to foster the dialogue that we saw here today, and the administration provided some resourceful responses,” said Sophia Marshall, SGA vice president. “This was a great opportunity for the education of the student body and to make sure the administration is aware of everyone’s concerns as well.”

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS On The Rocks

Bobcat Connect

#QUKindness

Diversity

4| O p i n i o n

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Opinion

For the love of football

The new XFL league can, and should, survive

By XAVIER CULLEN Staff Writer

Football season lives on.

Over the weekend, the XFL made its comeback debut after nearly two decades in the grave.

What once was a league riddled with poor play and dirty hits, is now full of electrifying playmakers that everyone should keep their eyes on.

The first game on Saturday, Feb. 8, was the Seattle Dragons against the DC Defenders, and it featured Defenders quarterback Cardale Jones, the former Ohio State Buckeye who led his team to a 2015 College Football Championship. He bounced around from team to team in the NFL before being cut from the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad in 2019.

He had 291 passing yards with two touchdowns and a 125.64 passer rating.

The biggest star of the weekend, however, was Houston Roughneck’s quarterback P.J. Walker who threw for 272 yards and four touchdowns in his debut against the Los Angeles Wildcats on Saturday.

He threw several beautiful deep balls and escaped pressure like a pro, showing flashes of another Houston quarterback, Deshaun Watson.

Walker was a star in college, as well. He had 10,668 passing yards and 74 touchdowns with Temple University from 20132016 — both school records — but wasn’t taken in the NFL Draft, and hopped around the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad before eventually being waived for the third and final time in 2019.

These players make the league exciting to watch, and that will be the main attraction for the XFL for years to come.

The path to the XFL for many players is similar to Jones and Walker. Star in college, struggle in the NFL and go to the XFL to start for a team. These players are getting another chance to play football, but it’s more amazing that the league is even running.

The XFL took a bumpy road to get here. In 1999, the league was founded by WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon as a way for football fans to have something to watch after the NFL and NCAA seasons finished.

With the back of players’ jerseys having names like “Big Dad-

dy,” “Deathblow” and “He Hate Me,” along with hard-hitting collisions that caused several concussions, the league tried to appeal to NFL fans who thought that football had become too soft and needed an extreme, early-2000s edge to it. But it failed horribly.

After an ugly championship game that ended in a 38-6 rout of the San Francisco Demons by the Los Angeles Xtreme to end a grueling season, ABC News reported that NBC and the WWE had lost a combined $70 million from just the one season, and NBC pulled the plug indefinitely.

So why will this season be any different?

The XFL seems to be taking itself seriously this time around.

Gone are the ridiculous jersey names and teams like the New York Hitmen, Memphis Maniax and Orlando Rage. In are teams like the DC Defenders, LA Wildcats and the Dallas Renegades, and the players are actually wearing their own names.

A few nice additions like the microphones of referees being broadcasted on air for people to know their thought process when making a call improve the quality of the game, but the biggest reason why the new XFL will succeed is because the game is actually fun.

The XFL’s official motto for its new rules is “less stall, more ball,” and it did that with several changes to the regular NFL rulebook that have turned the game of football into an energetic 60 minutes.

Teams only have two timeouts instead of three, the play clock has been reduced from 40 seconds to 25 seconds and the game clock doesn’t stop when a pass is incomplete or a player runs out of bounds.

A faster pace of play is what the NFL needs, as games can take upwards of three hours, according to the Elias Sports Bureau and LA Times. The game between the St. Louis Battlehawks and Dallas Renegades lasted only two hours and 45 minutes from kickoff to the final whistle, nearly 30 minutes reduced.

The new kickoffs are amazing. Instead of the kicking team lining up on their own 35-yard line, like it does in the NFL, it lines up on the opponent’s 35-yard line, with the kicker on its own 30. With players not being able to move until the returner catches the ball, kickoffs are a lot more exciting and have a higher chance of being

PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

After a failed first season, the XFL is back with eight new teams. returned for a lot of yards, while also reducing injuries.

The best rule change, however, is the new point-after-touchdown. Instead of the normal one-point kick, teams get to choose whether they want to go for one, two or three points, and the play is placed on the 2, 5 or 10-yard line, respectively. This opens up the game immensely. Now, a nine-point lead is no longer a twopossession lead, and the point after is no longer a near guarantee.

These rules make the XFL unique, and one of the main reasons why the XFL is going to stick around. But there are even more reasons why the league should survive.

Players like Jones and Walker never made it big in the NFL, not because they weren’t good, but because they weren’t good enough.

Only 1.6% of college football players make it to the NFL, according to the NCAA, so that means the other 98.4% of players will likely never play for a team again. That’s why the XFL is so important.

It gives those players a second chance and pays them for the skills they have developed over the four years of college. Nobody would have thought about guys like Jones or Walker ever again, but now they have highlights in the XFL, and look to be the face of the league for years to come.

It’s only been one week, but the future seems bright for the new league. These guys deserve to play, and the XFL deserves to stay — for the love of football.

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Opinion|5

Trump victorious with acquittal What’s next for the Democrats?

By ISABELLA MCCLARY Contributing Writer

After three years of Democrats seeking to impeach President Trump, the Senate has voted against the two articles of impeachment, therefore acquitting him. Now that the sole mission of the Democratic party to legally remove Trump from office has been demolished, where does this leave it?

The vote came as a shock to a majority of Americans, while others were expecting the Senate to dismiss the two articles of impeachment. The group that should not be surprised are the Democrats. Although they hold a slim majority over the House of Representatives, they are outnumbered in the Senate. Prior to the announcement of the acquittal, Chief Justice John Roberts announced that “47 senators have pronounced Donald John Trump, President of the United States, guilty as charged,” while “53 senators have found him not guilty as charged.”

This is not bewildering to Democrats as they knew it was clear

they were not going to successfully impeach Trump, acknowledging it was only a method of slandering his presidency even more than has already been attempted.

It’s worth noting that there was an innate risk for the Democrats to impeach Trump. Prior to the impeachment, Speaker Nancy Pelosi had previously claimed she had no desire for an impeachment inquiry. “I’m not for impeachment … Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan,” Pelosi said in an interview with the Washington Post.

Yet, Pelosi and others members of the House of Representatives concluded to impeach Trump on two different articles, but the effectiveness of the damage done to Trump’s Presidency appears questionable.

Following the State of the Union address and prior to the acquittal, the latest Gallup Poll has shown the highest approval rating Trump has received thus far in his term, coming in at 49%.

Donald Trump was acquitted on both articles of impeachment.

PHOTO FROM FLICKR

How is this by any means a negative result of the impeachment?

The matter at hand is that Democrats exploited all means of removing Trump from office, but failed to do so. Had they gone in a manner where there was sufficient evidence to convince the Republican majority in the Senate, the vote may have otherwise turned around.

It is important to recognize that investigating Trump was not completely unjustified, but the grounds that he was impeached on were harder to prove as an impeachable offense. The biggest difficulty that both Democrats and Republicans can concede is how to interpret what the founders of the Constitution meant. In Article 11, Section 4 the United States Constitution establishes. “The President, Vice President, and civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The House of Representatives found the phone call between the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump to be “quid pro quo”. Whether or not that falls under what the founders meant has been difficult for members of Congress to interpret.

Regardless of both articles of impeachment and Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) presentation of the case with numerous witnesses, the Senate found that the evidence was not sufficient enough to prove that President Trump is guilty. Nonetheless, this not only changes the upcoming election for Trump, but also for Democrats across the spectrum.

Undecided voters or registered independents are an exceptionally crucial group to win over in both political parties. The recent acquittal is creating tensions on the campaign trail and should certainly be concerning to House of Representative members where all 435 of the seats and 35 of the Senate seats will be contested in November. Therefore, the result of the acquittal may bring them to favor Trump in this year’s upcoming election.

There may be a matter of time before another scandal befalls Trump, either on his own accord or due to Democrats. Despite this, the main focus should be on honing in the upcoming presidential election this fall. Especially Democrats who appearingly seek to remove Trump from office by impeachment, rather than nominating a candidate that may challenge Trump.

The American public will await whether or not the impeachment affects Trump’s re-election bid.

Shakira and J.Lo’s underlying messages at the Super Bowl Understanding that this halftime show was more than just a concert

By JESSICA SIMMS Arts & Life Editor

The Super Bowl halftime show — a concert that has featured artists such as Prince, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake in years past — is the moment where everyone, avid football fans and those of us who watch the Super Bowl for anything but the actual game, come together to enjoy the approximately 12-minute concert.

This year, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed side by side, giving viewers a show full of medleys of their hit songs, amazing costume changes, a children’s choir and a beautiful duet between Lopez and her daughter, Emme, as they sang a rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s, “Born in the USA.” What 102 million Americans saw while watching the halftime show this year was not just a regular musical showcase put on by two Latina superstars — it was a show full of artistry and athleticism that helped address the pressing issue of there being a cultural division in the United States. The show also included two other well-known Spanish-speaking artists: Puerto Rican rapper, Bad Bunny, who performed with Shakira, and Colombian reggaeton singer, J Balvin, who joined Lopez on stage.

Lopez and Shakira made history at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show by making it the first time two Latina women headlined the show, but afterward, people were not talking about this pivotal moment in history — people were upset by how these two women performed through their forms of dancing. Parents were complaining that their young kids were watching a woman pole dance wearing a lace bodysuit. Some others believed that the dancing by both Lopez and Shakira was “scandalous.”

However, what people do not know is that both of their performances meant something to them and weren’t just a way for them to show off.

Shakira is half-Lebanese and half-Colombian and has dedicated her career to her cultures. This Super Bowl performance allowed her to bring it all together in one place. Through her dancing, instruments, costumes and more, Shakira’s performance represented her life and career.

“I was born and raised in Colombia, but I listened to bands like Led Zeppelin, the Cure, the Police, the Beatles and Nirvana,” Shakira said to Faze magazine. “I was so in love with that rock sound, but at the same time, because my father is of 100% Lebanese descent, I am devoted to Arabic tastes and sounds.”

And what was the tongue movement that went viral on social media? That is called a Zaghrouta, which is a tongue vocalization that is common in cultures, such as Lebanese and Colombian. It is a way to express excitement and joy and is used a lot during Carnaval de Barranquillaw which is a festival in Shakira’s hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia.

Shakira’s hips really don’t lie, but where she learned how to dance was interesting. Shakira told Rolling Stone that she ate at a Middle Eastern restaurant with her father once and heard the Doumbek drum and fell for belly dancing. She now, to this day, combines belly dancing with Latin dance and has created her own style.

At the Super Bowl, Shakira also performed two Colombian dance styles. She, along with her dancers, performed champeta during the song, “Waka Waka.” Champeta originated in Colombia and is a form of folk music and dance.

Before that song, she danced mapalé, an Afro-Colombian style of dance that was brought over by slaves, representing the fishermen that had a long day of work. This allowed her to highlight what makes her music special for her.

Lopez began her portion of the show with pole dancing, which was intended to tribute the skills she picked up working on the film, “Hustlers.” Although people have said that this was inappropriate, the choreographers of her performance, husband and wife duo Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, insisted they wanted to highlight her athleticism and acrobatic skills that are involved in this type of dancing.

“Now, obviously you can see (pole dancing) in one way because of obviously the places you can see this done,” Tabitha said. “But it’s evolved into such an art form.”

The entirety of Lopez’s performance was carefully created by her choreographers. They wanted to have a balance of her hit songs, while also giving the message of honoring her Puerto Rican heritage and encouraging viewers to find their own voice.

“A voice as a woman, as a Latino, as a mom, inspiring women of the next generation to get loud,” Tabitha said to Buzzfeed News.

One of the highlights from Lopez’s performance was near the end when her daughter, Emme joined her along with other children and started singing “Let’s Get Loud” from inside lighted cages. Lopez came out wearing a custom Versace feathered coat that looked like the Puerto Ri-

PHOTO FROM TWITTER

The halftime show had over 100 million viewers, according to a statement by the NFL. can flag as Emme sang a part of “Born in the USA.” “I think it started, from a musical standpoint, having ‘Born in the USA’ in there for a little moment, and it just was a natural evolution,” Tabitha said to Buzzfeed News. “We had a great partnership with Versace and Rob (Zangardi), her stylist, saying, ‘Let’s just do this in a way that everyone feels that American pride.’ I don’t think we were trying to be heavy handed with anything. I think we were just celebrating all that is beautiful about this country — Puerto Rico being part of this country.”

The day after the Super Bowl, Lopez referenced the cages the children were singing in.

“All I want my girls, the little girls on stage with me and all over the world to know is how to use their voices and be proud of everything they are,” Lopez wrote on Instagram. “Other people can try to build walls, keep us out or put us in cages. We are proud to recognize that all of us together are what makes this beautiful country truly great.”

While both performances, Shakira’s and Lopez’s, have been receiving some hate, it is important to remember that they showed their roots, reminding us that the Latino culture is as American as the Super Bowl is.

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Arts & Life ANDREW COOPER/COLUMBIA RECORDS

Brad Pitt won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood.'

'Parasite' won four Oscars at the 2020 Academy Awards while also being nominated for six.

PHOTO FROM CNN ENTERTAINMENT

92nd Academy Awards takeaways: ‘Parasite’ rules the night A rundown of the biggest night in Hollywood, where the South Korean film took home four major awards

By PHIL AKRE Staff Writer

The 92nd Academy Awards can be summed up in one word, or movie title “Parasite.” It’s the film you heard about leading up to the Oscars, and now it’s the film you definitely won’t forget. It took home four Academy Awards, including a stunning, but not entirely surprising, victory over World War I epic “1917” for Best Picture. Bong Joon-ho won Best Director, capping what was an unforgettable night for the Academy and film culture.

“Parasite” was the story of the night, but the evening was full of plenty of noteworthy presenters, awards and speeches. Here’s a rundown of the evening's biggest stories and important moments.

The battle for Best Picture, a finish worth waiting for By all accounts, Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” couldn’t have had a better night. In the 92-year history of the Academy Awards, there had never been an international film to win Best Picture. “Parasite” did just that on Sunday, earning Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay in the process. It was a riveting moment for the Academy, film enthusiasts and South Korea.

The international hit’s primary competition heading into the night was Sam Mendes’ World War I epic, “1917.” It had

PHOTO FROM OSCARS PRESS

Elton John and Bernie Taupin won Best Original Song for '(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again' from the movie, 'Rocketman.'

long been considered the favorite, primarily for Mendes’ direction and its one-shot approach. However, the Academy got it absolutely right for its decision to reward “Parasite.” It was widely expected to contend for many of the nights top awards, praised for its originality and the relevancy of its social references. More importantly, the film's success was a reminder that the Academy can still get it right when it matters most. “1917” is the visual masterpiece with a palette of emotion, but “Parasite” is the film that we will remember.

home her first Academy Award for her performance as fiery divorce lawyer, Nora Fanshaw, in Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.” It was a long time coming for the 53-yearold Dern, who received nominations for 2015’s “Wild” and 1992’s “Rambling Rose.” Her speech was equally touching, offering spirited remarks to her mother, which ABC cameras made sure to capture in its emotional moments. It was a fine night for two of modern films finest, two powers capable of pulling off Tour de France performances.

The night started off with a bang

A disappointing night for the big ones

Janelle Monae performed to start the evening’s ceremonies, and she did not disappoint. It was electric, thunderous and a clear declaration that inclusivity would be a theme of the show, even if its nominations failed to reflect it. She was followed by comedians Steve Martin and Chris Rock, the first presenters of the night. The pair's chemistry was evident early, regularly earning enthusiastic, authentic laughs from the packed house at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater. They made references to the Democratic Iowa Caucus fiasco and mocked Billionaire Jeff Bezos and director Martin Scorsese.

Thankfully, they were quick to reference the Academy’s lack of women directors and black nominees. While the opening ceremonies were relatively ordinary, its authenticity helped get the night started smoothly. It was a massive improvement from Ricky Gervais' job as Golden Globes host in January.

“The Irishman” and “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” were nominated for a combined 19 awards. They left the night with two. The latter won for Best Supporting Actor (Brad Pitt) and Best Production Design, but the two feel like a letdown for Quentin Tarantino, who was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Director. It couldn’t outduel “Parasite” and its steady momentum. The same can be said for Martin Scorsese and “The Irishman.” After its massive budget, de-aging technology and assembly of star power, it was essentially shut out through the major awards season.

“1917” didn’t have a bad night, but it seemed destined for Best Director and Best Picture. “Parasite” had other plans, thanks to surging momentum.

An expected, but memorable night for the supporting winners

PHOTO FROM OSCARS PRESS

Bong Joon-ho became the second director of a foreign-language film to win the Best Director award at the Academy Awards.

Go Brad! That was the overwhelming feeling as Brad Pitt approached the stage to take his statue for Best Supporting Actor.

He was long penciled in to win here for his role as Cliff Booth, stuntman in “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood.” Still, it was extremely satisfying to see the 56-year-old finally win his first Oscar for an acting role. Pitt also delivered a highly anticipated speech, short and sweet. He referenced John Bolton in a few scathing lines and finished his time by kindheartedly asking, “Once upon a time in Hollywood, ain’t that the truth?” It was a fitting moment for one of cinema's true stars.

Like Pitt’s award, Laura Dern’s candidacy for Best Supporting Actress was a favorite throughout awards season. Indeed, she took

Four quick hits It was great to see legendary songwriter Bernie Taupin and Elton John’s “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” win for Best Original Song. “Rocketman” almost feels forgotten in a 2019 that was packed with important films, a reason it earned just one nomination.

“Little Women” should have won for Best Adapted Screenplay after Greta Gerwig’s Best Director snub, but “Jojo Rabbit” gained a big following and was always a contender here.

As expected, Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”) and Renee Zellweger (“Judy”) took home the Best Actor/Actress Oscars.

Netflix’s “American Factory” took home the Best Documentary Oscar. It was a significant moment for the streaming giant, which mostly had a quiet night aside from Laura Dern’s Supporting Actress win. The documentary was produced by Higher Ground Productions, the creation of Barack and Michelle Obama.

Two standout quotes "They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week. I’m thinking maybe Quentin does a movie about it, in the end, the adults do the right thing." — Brad Pitt “Thank you so much. When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart, which is, the most personal is the most creative.” — Bong Joon-ho

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Arts and Life|7

Sorority and Fraternity philanthropy events

The sororities and fraternities on campus are hosting events such as tournaments and competitions over the next few months to raise money for its respective philanthropies. -A.Pelletier Delta Desserts

Ducks Fly

Thursday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Sunday, March 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tri Delta is hosting a cake-decorating competition and dessert buffet to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at Burt Kahn Court.

∆∆ ∆ ∑

Moon Ball Sunday, Feb. 16, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Delta Upsilon is hosting its annual floor hockey tournament to raise money for the Global Service Initiative.

ΓΦΒ

Φ ∑

Gamma Phi Beta is hosting its annual kickball tournament to raise money for Girls on the Run in order to fulfill its focus to build strong girls.

Shamrock the Rope Sunday, Feb. 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

ΚΔ

Sunday, March 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Alpha Chi Omega is hosting its annual event for domestic violence awareness. Participants sign or mark on a canvas pledging to end domestic violence and then compete in a relay race while wearing heels.

Ω ΑΧ

Sunday, April 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Phi Sigma Sigma is hosting its annual wiffleball tournament in honor of the late Katie Vashon.

The Lion Cup Sunday, April 19, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Α

Δ

Π

Kappa Delta is hosting its annual St. Patrick’s Day tug-of-war competition to raise money for Prevent Child Abuse America.

Walk A Mile

Katie’s Game

Alpha Delta Pi is hosting a flag football tournament to support both the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation on the Tator/Echlin Lawns. A bake sale and food trucks will also be available.

B+ Bubble Soccer Tournament ΖΒΤ

Sunday, April 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Zeta Beta Tau is hosting its annual soccer tournament to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

There will be food trucks and a DJ. GRAPHICS AND DESIGN BY CONNOR LAWLESS

‘Hamilton’ sails its way from Broadway to theaters The Broadway musical will be in theaters, featuring the original cast

By MELANIE CARERI Staff Writer

It’s common for books, plays and musicals to turn into movies. However, it’s not very common for a Broadway musical to be filmed for movie theaters where anyone can watch it on the big screen. This is exactly what actor, singer, producer and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda and Disney decided to do for Miranda’s, “Hamilton.”

On Feb. 3, Miranda and Disney announced on Twitter that the Broadway musical was filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City, and the movie version will be released on Oct. 15, 2021.

“Hamilton” is a hip-hop musical that tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton. With its diverse cast, fast-paced storytelling, exciting dance routines and, of course, its unique choice of musical style, “Hamilton” has been a hit on Broadway since 2015.

Since “Hamilton” has won 11 Tony Awards and a 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the show is widely known. Even though the show is so popular, there are some people who do not have the opportunity to see it live. Therefore, Miranda and director Thomas Kail decided that turning the show into a movie will give more people the opportunity to watch it. Disney paid $75 million to hold and distribute the film version of “Hamilton.”

Disney, Broadway and history lovers are ecstatic for the film’s release. Celebrity fans have even posted on Twitter about how excited they are.

“AND THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN!!! You are Non Stop @Lin_Manuel! I’m gonna wait for it with bated breath and I’m sure we will be more than satisfied,” actress Katherine McNamara posted on Twitter.

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill is also excited about the film’s release.

“Truth is that @HamillHimself can't wait to WATCH this film version of Hamilton (no need for rebranding). #StarWars fans should be excited about it, too!" Hamill wrote on Twitter.

Not only are “Hamilton” fans excited for the film’s release, but so are the cast and production team of the film.

“We worked a very long time to make the very best piece of theater possible, and Tommy has translated that into an exciting

PHOTO FROM ATLANTIC RECORDS

The 'Hamilton' film will feature the original Broadway cast, with creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda playing the role of Alexander Hamilton. film version, where you have the best seat in the house with the original cast,” Miranda said to The New York Times. “The ability to democratize this is a really rare privilege.”

The fact that the original cast is in the film is what makes the project even more exciting for people.

“What I'm most excited about is there will be a point at which, you all have that friend who brags, I saw it with the original cast,” Miranda said to CBS News. “We're stealing that brag from everyone because you're all going to see it with the original cast. We're just trying to find the right time to do it.”

Director Thomas Kail and producer Jeffery Seller filmed the show in different settings. They filmed a matinee and night performance with a live audience present and then shot close ups of the cast in an empty theatre. With the different

angles, people will get to see “Hamilton” in a way they’ve never seen before. Kail and the creative team are still trying to figure out with Disney how to arrange and present the footage. However, Miranda does not seem to be concerned with the final product.

“My creative experiences with Disney have been very positive, and the reach they provide is what you want,” Miranda said to The New York Times.

With a grossing $636 million and an audience of 2.6 million people since 2015, “Hamilton” has so far been a timeless hit for people of all ages. Miranda and Kail have worked with Disney before and have succeeded. The hiphop biography will be seen by more people and will become another successful addition to Disney and Miranda films.

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A vision into Marvel's future The reveal Marvel fans have been waiting for

By MATTHEW TRAVIA Staff Writer

Super Bowl Sunday had its fair share of action and entertainment.

We saw Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs make a fourth quarter comeback to capture the Lombardi Trophy. We got to see Tom Brady’s speech about Hulu’s content, not people’s initial thoughts of his retirement speech. We saw Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s electrifying halftime show. We even saw the birth of Baby Nut, the baby version of Mr. Peanut.

But none of those things could top what Marvel fans have been waiting to see for quite some time now. A new trailer for Marvel’s big three new original series on Disney+ aired during the Super Bowl.

The three new shows that were presented were “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “WandaVision” and “Loki.”

The trailer starts out by zooming into Captain America’s shield, and it gets yanked out of a tree. We then hear Sam Wilson say, “It’s time,” as he chucks the shield at another tree at a pretty far distance.

We finally get to see how these two characters interact with each other since their comedic interactions during “Captain America: Civil War.” The trailer then shows some quick action clips of what is to be seen from the new show. Then a doorbell goes off, and we see Vision and he says in his calm tone, “Wanda, welcome home.”

We will learn how Vision is alive, since he was killed by Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War.” Does he get reincarnated or is this a hallucination that Wanda is having for her late partner?

There is even a clip where Wanda is in a wedding dress holding hands with Vision, and he is wearing a suit and tie.

The segment ends when a telephone rings, and Wanda picks up the phone and says “Vision residence” as it shows to be on a classic style television set.

After that, there is a clip with a quote that states “The universe is expanding” showing that the world of Marvel is not slowing down and only growing from what it originally started with.

We then got to witness a small teaser clip of the show “Loki.”

Loki seems to be sitting in a dark room and with a grin on his face then says “I’m going to burn this place to the ground.”

The scene looks as if the God of Mischief is being interrogated for something bad he has done … What else is new?

We get to see how he becomes alive since he was also killed by Thanos during “Avengers: Infinity War.” He finds a way to bring himself back to life during the time heist of “Avengers: Endgame.”

Fans now get to see how everything comes together now and how it turns out.

There is no set release date for any of these shows, but we finally saw a glimpse of what is to come.

'Loki' was one of the new Disney+ original series presented during the Super Bowl.

PHOTO FROM MARVEL

Next in reality television

Netflix’s foray into fashion is a worthwhile watch

By TIM POWERS Staff Writer

With the rise of the media giant that is Netflix, we have seen a wide range of new programming come with it. From dramas like “The Crown” to comedies like “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and now to reality television with “Next in Fashion,” Netflix is making sure it creates content for everyone.

“Next in Fashion” is a 10-episode reality competition that seeks to find the next big fashion designer. The project is hosted by “Queer Eye’s” Tan France and fashion designer and model Alexa Chung. The winner receives $250,000 and can create a collection in collaboration with Net-a-Porter, a fashion retailer. The premise of the show is not all that different from that of “Project Runway.” Except, this show is on a streaming service which means no commercials and every episode is at your disposal.

There are 18 contestants from all different areas of the world, each with their own talents and experiences. In the beginning, all contestants are paired together in order to see how each designer works in a team. Some are paired together because they know each other, while others are not which creates tension and drama between differing fashion styles.

Each week, the contestants are given a new challenge in designing a type of clothing whether it be a red carpet look, a denim design or a streetwear outfit (the term streetwear being used very lightly as many of the designs feel too over-the-top for many to actually wear on the street).

It is particularly interesting seeing the teams interact with each other. Some teams, like Issac Saqib and Nasheli OrtizGonzalez, operate with one person seemingly doing all the work, while others have trouble combining both their tastes like Hayley Scanlan and Julian Woodhouse. Others are a great team together, showing the power to friendship and even shedding some tears like Angel Chen and Minju Kim. Overall, most of the teams work well together. It is a nice change of pace seeing people be nice to each other on reality TV instead of screaming at each other. Instead, we are given sweet moments of growth, love and respect. The show is reminiscent of “The Great British Bake Off” in that regard.

Both show the world artists that are incredibly passionate about their work while also being incredibly nice.

“Next in Fashion” never views its subjects as something to be played with. The producers of the show clearly have some respect for not only their contestants but fashion in

LARA SOLANKI/NETFLIX

'Next in Fashion' was released on Netflix on Jan. 29. itself. Nothing ever comes off as cheesy or overproduced.

Everything is presented with care and legitimacy, allowing fashion to come through as true art and not something for petty drama. It creates a friendly competition between passionate designers that want to show the world their work and themselves.

The designers have an endless array of fabrics and tools that they can pick from to design their outfit. It seems as if Netflix spared no expense when it came to deciding the show’s budget. It doesn’t stop there either. The workshop and runway designs are spectacularly constructed. Each week, the workroom transforms into the runway seamlessly and creates a fashion show production.

Each episode ends with Tan and Alexa sitting down on the couch and performing a little skit of sorts urging the audience to press the “next episode” button. As if much of the audience needs urging because “Next in Fashion” is the perfect binge-

watch or to just have it playing on in the background. It balances that fine line between making sure the audience cares while also being mindless reality television.

“Next in Fashion” is a great addition to the endless assortment of fashion-related reality competitions, but it stands on its own with the strength and kindness of its contestants.

You come expecting fashion drama and exceptional looks, and you stay for all of that and the great personalities. The show is worth the watch if you’re into “Project Runway” and all things related to fashion. But be aware, it can be addicting.

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Interactive|9

VALENTINE’S DAY WORD SEARCH The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

Newsroom Workshop When: Tuesday, Feb. 18 Time: 9:15 p.m.

Where: CCE118 Ever see The Chronicle and want to join? Or just want to learn about what journalism has to offer?

FLOWERS HEARTS HUGS KISSES

CANDY CHOCOLATES CUPID DATE NIGHT

LOVE PINK RED ROMANCE

Come to The Chronicle Newsroom Workshop for a night of food, trivia and fun!

Valentine’s Day horoscopes Aries (March 21- April 19) Aries tend to be one of the more passionate signs. Therefore, an Aries on Valentine’s Day is sure to either make or receive a huge, loving gesture.

Leo (July 23 - August 22) Leos tend to be wild and on Valentine’s Day, they’re no different. Therefore they are going to be down for just about anything ...

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) Sagittarius is often considered to be the most fun-loving sign. With that, it’ll take a grand and personal gesture to earn their undying love.

Taurus ( April 20 - May 20) Taureans are known to be adventurous while being in need of attention. While a movie night might sound heavenly to them, they’ll soon be texting friends and ex-lovers, trying to find other plans.

Virgo (August 23 - Sept. 22) With a Virgo’s practical personality, they’ll think of Valentine’s Day like any other day — They’re content with sitting back and continuing on with their typical routine.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) For Capricorns, 2020 is a new year for new love. This sign is going to be looking for bigger and better things this Valentine’s Day.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) With a Gemini’s unpredictable personality, the thought of being tied down for Valentine’s Day isn’t too appealing.

Instead, Geminis should keep their options for plans (and people) open.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) Libras tend to wear their heart on their sleeve, making their expectations high for Valentine’s Day. They need to be careful, however, to not let their emotions override having a good time.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) An Aquarius typically likes to sit back and observe. This Valentine’s Day, however, they should take any opportunity to celebrate the day. They’ll thank themselves later.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) On a day like Valentine’s Day, Cancers tend to be more emotional than usual.

Cancers should keep their expectations for the day of romance low, so there won’t be any regrets later on.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) Scorpios tend to be possessive, so they’ll most likely be found looking at what their ex or potential lover is doing on Valentine’s Day.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20) A mysterious Pisces is all about selfcare. Therefore, no one knows how to treat them better than themselves. So they should focus on what makes them happy this Valentine’s Day.

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Ward: ‘The thing that impresses me the most about Taylor is how strong she is’ HERD from Page 12

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

extra motivation for me.”

Herd also has an impact off the court. She travels with her teammates to community schools to read and talk with local children.

In the Quinnipiac community, Herd is the Athletic Senator for the Student Government Association. Along with that, Herd assists in the planning and development of Boomer Bash. This event focuses mainly on local families and is hosted by QU Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

Herd is also involved in assisting with housing for all student-athletes.

This past December, Herd was recognized by Hartford HealthCare and News 8 with the Hartford HealthCare Courage Award. The award is presented to 12 student-athletes who attend Connecticut colleges that have shown courage when they face adversity. Herd was named early in the first recipient class this year.

“It was a time for me to reflect on all the support I have around me and how blessed I am to have the people (that I do) in my life,” Herd said. “That wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t at Quinnipiac, so I think it was a day to step back and be appreciative of all the highs and lows of the season, and everyone who’s been there along the way.”

Herd was also nominated for the Senior CLASS Award which is given to student-athletes that use their platform in athletics to serve as leaders in their community. Quinnipiac senior forward Jaden Ward was not shocked to hear of Herd’s nomination. To be eligible for this award, you need to have achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

“She deserves every single one of them,” Ward said. “She’s a very hard worker, very passionate and very strong.”

Along with that, Ward is impressed with the effort that Herd brings to the court despite the personal adversity she is dealing with outside of basketball. Herd’s father had not been able to travel to her games since the end of her freshman year.

Even with the uncertainty surrounding her father’s condition, Herd was determined to not allow anything to keep her down or get in her way. Herd still doesn’t get see her family as often as she did before, but she got the chance to when the team faced Central Florida on Dec. 17.

With her father unable to provide in ways he could before, Herd had to take on more responsibility. While her mom was at the hospital with her father, Herd moved her younger brother into college.

Living three hours away from home with the uncertainty of her father’s heart transfer process was a challenging task for Herd. After a silent heart attack in 2017, Herd’s father’s health continued deteriorating, leading to his unfortunate death earlier this year.

The team atmosphere, her accomplishments and the pro-

gram’s success has helped Herd deal with her off-court adversity.

“The thing that impresses me the most about Taylor is how strong she is,” Ward said. “She has a lot of things going as everyone knows in her personal life, and she always brings it on the court. She’s very good at dealing with everything that’s going on in life and just helping everyone out there and being there for everyone. She’s an all-around great person.”

Off the court, Ward described Herd as a fun and adventurous person who loves to dance, watch basketball, go to Dunkin’ and study journalism.

Quinnipiac redshirt junior guard Shaq Edwards is in her second year with the women’s basketball program. Still, she easily sees Herd leaving a legacy at Quinnipiac where nothing off the court will affect her play.

“I see her leaving a gritty type of legacy,” Edwards said.

“Someone that won’t allow factors in her off-the-court (life) come in on the court.”

Herd interned with the Los Angeles Sparks, a WNBA team, in the summer of 2019 as a public relations and communications intern. Because of this, she was inspired to focus more on the less important areas of her game.

“It was surreal watching them live,’’ Herd said. “They are so skilled and so athletic, and they just have that different demeanor and confidence in their game. They’re just so smart and watching them live inspired me to just get more film in and see what I could do to focus on little areas of my game that I haven’t considered before.”

Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri’s daughter, Carly, had a similar situation to Herd, as she suffered ACL injuries as well. It was comforting to Herd knowing that someone has already been through that process. For this reason, and many more, Fabbri inspires Herd.

“I most admire her fieriness and her demeanor as a woman in sports,” Herd said. “It’s really inspiring to me, especially since I want to eventually become a woman in sports like sideline reporting. She’s really been a great example for me. So, just trying to follow her lead in that sense.”

Herd is a three-time MAAC Champion and played a key role in the team winning 52 straight conference games, which ranks as the 10th longest streak in NCAA women’s basketball history.

Over the last three years, the team went 83-20. Herd’s best year was when she won the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year, as she had a career high in the following categories: points (258), points per game (7.8), field goals (90), field goal percentage (.359), three point field-goals (56), defensive rebounds (86), total rebounds (106), rebounds per game (3.2) and assists (35).

In less than five months, Herd will graduate from Quinnipiac. She’ll leave with All-MAAC team nominations, the Sixth Player of the Year award, three MAAC championships and potentially a fourth this year.

That’s not how she wants to be remembered, though. She wants to be known as someone who was there for others, similarly to how Quinnipiac was there for her.

“I want to be someone that people miss because I was there for them in moments no one else was there for,” Herd said.

“You know they miss me on the court for my vocal leadership or whether it’s in the weight room they’re like, ‘Oh, I miss Tay because she was always working hard.’ I want to be remembered for the examples I tried to set for my teammates.”

TIMELINE OF HERD’S SUCCESS NOV. 16, 2016 Herd played her first collegiate game and scored her first point on a free throw.

JAN. 21, 2017 In a game against Rider, Herd scored her first career basket and recorded two points.

DEC. 3, 2017 Herd scored four points in her first collegiate game. Quinnipiac won 64-58 against Hampton.

MARCH 8, 2019 The MAAC presented Herd with the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year for the 2018-19 season. She became the second Bobcat to win the award.

DEC. 10, 2019 Herd was given with the Hartford Healthcare Connecticut Courage Award which is awarded to Connecticut student-athletes who have shown courage when faced with adversity.

JAN. 17, 2020 Senior guard Taylor Herd is averaging 10 points per game this season.

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

Herd was nominated for the CLASS Award which is awarded to seniors who exemplify excellence in community, classroom, character and competition.

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BRENDAN O’SULLIVAN/CHRONICLE

Freshman forward Brendan McGuire has a 29.3 assist percentage which ranks fourth in the MAAC.

Kelly: ‘It’s like (Master) Shifu and Po from Kung Fu Panda’ FRESHMAN from Page 12 Immediately following his graduation, McGuire played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) with Crown Basketball during that summer and won the Live in AC championship.

He then took his talents to St. Thomas More for a postgraduate season before being recruited by Quinnipiac. He joined the Bobcats for the 2019-20 season as a freshman with four years of eligibility.

Paul profusely mentioned McGuire’s cool, calm and collected personality. Nothing rattled him to the point where it affected his play. His first time stepping on the Quinnipiac court for practice, he felt right at home.

“Coaching him was fantastic. He’s got so many qualities that you want in a player, and he’s a great teammate. He’s got an outstanding work ethic and is such a competitive spirit.”

– ROBERT PAUL

CHAMINADE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL HEAD COACH “I was just ready to get to work,” McGuire said. “Excited to finally be playing with all my teammates and also knowing we had a lot of work to do to get better.”

McGuire started the season as a bench player with reserved minutes. He averaged 11.4 minutes per game (MPG) in his first seven games. He fought tooth and nail during practices to earn additional playing time.

The speed and intensity of the practices were an adjustment at the start of the season but because of how hard the players practiced, the game started to slow down for him. “(He’s) definitely a guy that would make people better every day. I wasn’t sure how many minutes he would play, but I thought even if he didn’t play a lot in the games he would make us better in practice,” Quinnipiac head coach Baker Dunleavy said. “He plays defense, he passes, he does a lot of things that don’t involve scoring.

“I think he’s such a natural fit with our roster, and that’s

why he’s been earning so many minutes right away.

We got a lot of guys on the team that need the ball and are good scorers. He gets them the ball, and he defends. He’s a round peg round hole good fit.”

Mentorship and guidance served a major role in McGuire’s development. He praises Paul for strengthening his foundation and developing his all-around game to maximize his abilities on the floor. Paul loved McGuire’s ability to lead by example during practices and games.

“Coaching him was fantastic. He’s got so many qualities that you want in a player, and he’s a great teammate,” Paul said. “He’s got an outstanding work ethic and is such a competitive spirit.”

McGuire’s biggest supporter since he first started playing basketball is his brother Michael — a senior at Western New England University. Michael still makes time to watch every game to ensure that Brendan plays efficiently.

Within the Bobcats’ team itself, McGuire appears to have a new mentor, junior guard Rich Kelly.

Since they both spend the majority of the game with the ball in their hands, McGuire loves to watch how Kelly gets everyone else on the team involved on top of being the team’s leading scorer.

“It’s like (Master) Shifu and Po from Kung Fu Panda,” Kelly jokingly said. “He’s pretty smart and knows a lot. I’m sure I don’t tell him too much he doesn’t already know.”

McGuire’s hard work and selflessness have begun to pay off.

Over his last 11 games, he averaged 28 MPG and started in nine.

His recent stretch of play confirms his selfless personality, as he currently stands at fourth in the MAAC for assist percentage — an estimate of the percentage of his teammates’ field goals he assisted on while on the court, according to Basketball Reference.

“Brendan has taken that approach of the everyday mentality. He’s continuing to get better. He didn’t play much earlier in the season, but he stayed ready and kept working hard,” Kelly said. “When his number was called, he was ready to go. We’re a completely different team with him on the floor. He’s going to be a big piece of what we do this year and for years to come.”

Work ethic is the top priority for McGuire. He continuously wants to improve in every aspect of the game. To him, picking up assists is just as important as limiting turnovers, and his shooting ability mirrors his ability to strip his opponents’ ability to create quality shots.

With only eight regular season games remaining, there is only one thing on McGuire’s mind.

“Just want to keep getting better,” McGuire said. “The regular season is obviously important, but we want to be at our best for the conference tournament.”

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

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Five-tool freshman MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

Quinnipiac freshman forward Brendan McGuire’s tremendous work ethic has earned him a starting role

By PETER PIEKARSKI Staff Writer

If you were to create a basketball player, you’d want them to be able to do everything on the court. You’d want someone who can score, make sharp passes and clamp down on defense.

Quinnipiac men’s basketball freshman forward Brendan McGuire is that player. At 6-foot-7 and 190 pounds, he possesses every tool that coaches dream to have on their team.

McGuire played four seasons of high school basketball at Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York. As a senior in 2017-18, McGuire averaged 10.9 points per

game in 24 contests and showed his ability to shoot from deep as he drilled 34 3-pointers during the season.

“He’s a walking triple-double, and he can defend five positions,” Chaminade basketball head coach Robert Paul said. “(He’s) someone who’s not afraid of the moment.”

Paul highlighted two games that McGuire starred in during his varsity tenure. In his junior year, McGuire led Chaminade to a CHSAA championship in an 85-65 over Holy Trinity.

McGuire scored 18 points en route to winning MVP of the game.

As a senior, Chaminade hosted Cardi-

nal Hayes High School and won on a lastsecond shot. McGuire drove down the court and assisted senior Bobby Connors’ gamewinner to beat Cardinal Hayes 65-62. Paul said that McGuire was by far the best player on the court in both games.

Coincidently, Paul knew that McGuire’s Quinnipiac teammate, sophomore guard Tyrese Williams, played on that Cardinal Hayes roster.

He confidently stood by his statement that McGuire was the best player during that game.

Even with his great on-court abilities, what stands out is his work ethic and his commitment to getting better every day.

“I think his work ethic is another thing that separates him from most players as he treats every practice like a game and every game like a championship,” said Kevin Gunning, a former high school teammate and sophomore athletic training major at the University of Alabama. “He’s always ready to lay it all out there on any given night.

“Brendan is easily one of the most selfless players I’ve ever played with. He always looked to make the extra pass even if he was in a position to score it himself.”

See FRESHMAN Page 11

Herd the doubters

Taylor Herd has enjoyed a lucrative basketball career despite adversity

By JOHNNY URICCHIO Staff Writer

Senior guard Taylor Herd finished a contested layup against Siena.

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

Taylor Herd, one of the most accomplished Quinnipiac women’s basketball players that the program has ever seen, is less than five months away from graduation. She’ll leave behind a potent legacy decorated with an abundance of hardware.

Just four years ago, however, Herd was simply trying to secure a college basketball scholarship. She suffered a season-ending ACL injury in both her junior and senior years of high school.

College coaches were uncertain if they should continue recruiting her because of the injuries. Quinnipiac, however, did not waver, which led to Herd’s commitment to the Bobcats’ program.

“It definitely stalled my recruiting process,” Herd said. “A lot of coaches that had either offered me or showed interest in me, didn’t necessarily pull them back, but there was hesitation to go forward with the recruiting process. And that’s, I think, the main reason I chose Quinnipiac and their coaching staff because they took that gamble on me and took that risk to not know how I was going to come back. My work ethic and their belief in me is what got me to playing minutes now.”

Herd returned to the court for the first

time in two years on Nov. 16, 2016 against Holy Cross. She said she was not herself when she first came back, as she had to get back in the rhythm of basketball after being away from the sport for so long.

“I think it was just me catching up to the pace of the game and also making sure that my leg was just as strong as all these other girls’ who weren’t coming back from injury,” Herd said.

In her sophomore season, Herd became a key contributor to the team, averaging 6.0 points per game in 33 games and 25 starts.

A year later, she became the second player in program history to win the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year award, joining Maria Napolitano, who won it in 2014-15.

Herd appreciated the award and the support that came with it, especially from the rest of the conference and its coaches. She recognized how crucial her role was off the bench but was ready to take the next step forward in her senior year.

“That energy and spark I could prove for my team wasn’t going unnoticed,” Herd said. “I think it was even more of a push especially this year to keep going and accept a new role and work for more individual goals, more team goals. So it was really just See HERD Page 10