The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Issue 17, Volume 86

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929.

QUCHRONICLE.COM

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

VOLUME 86, ISSUE 17

Snow, rain cause issues on Mount Carmel

By STAFF REPORTS

See QU in LA Page 4

See SNOW Page 5

A pothole problem

Students concerned about driving conditions on New Road ERIN KANE/ CHRONICLE

New Road is covered in potholes like the one pictured above. Cars swerve while driving down the road to avoid the potholes.

By VICTORIA SIMPRI Staff Writer

Some residents of New Road think the Public Works Department is overlooking the pothole problem on the road.

The responsibilities of the Public Works Department include fixing potholes, removing trees that may be hazardous to driving conditions and road and curb repair, as stated on its website.

Senior Kori MacDonald lives on New Road and uses the road on a daily basis to at-

tend classes during the week.

“The condition of New Road is not good,” MacDonald said. “A lot of cars are always swerving into the other lane to avoid potholes.”

According to MacDonald, swerving into the adjacent lane can allow you to avoid a pothole but is equally as dangerous.

“When you see the car in front of you swerving [to avoid a pothole] you decide if you want to swerve or hit it. You have to look at the oncoming traffic to make sure swerving

is better than going through the pothole, but there’s always that potential danger,” she said.

MacDonald said because she drives on New Road every day, her car is slowly being damaged and there will likely be long-term negative effects on the car, rather than if she were to drive on the road every so often.

Sophomore Katie Cavallaro commutes to Quinnipiac and is not happy with the condition of the road or the effects that it has had See POTHOLES Page 6

Worried on the West Coast Students robbed while studying in LA Contributing Writer

see what’s happening on award-winning website since 2009

“My life was in that MacBook and now I’m scared to even walk around the complex.”

– VICTORIA SAHA JUNIOR John Morgan, associate vice president for public relations, said students have to attend an orientation session that goes over safety precautions.

“Students who take part in the QU in LA program are required to attend a detailed orientation, which includes reminders about common safety precautions, including closing and locking doors, not displaying personal property publicly and being aware of your surroundings,” Morgan said.

Saha said Melissa Karipidis, associate di-

POLL

Victoria Saha and Melanie Nyarko’s Oakwoods apartment was recently broken into, while they continue to spend the semester studying in Los Angeles.

A few days after the program’s orientation, Saha and Nyarko were assured that Oakwoods was a safe place and no student was ever robbed.

Saha said she first noticed something suspicious when she got back to her apartment one day at the beginning of the semester.

“I came back to find my door wide open after I specifically remembered closing it shut— I thought it was my roommate but no one was home,” Saha said.

Saha said nothing was missing but she called security because she was scared. She said security told her there were no cameras.

About two weeks later, Saha and Nyarko woke up shocked to discover that someone broke into their apartment while they were sleeping.

Saha and Nyarko woke up to find all their money and Saha’s MacBook and multiple chargers stolen.

“My life was in that MacBook and now I’m scared to even walk around the complex,” Saha said.

Victoria’s twin sister, Olivia Saha, who is a junior at Quinnipiac, could not believe her sister and roommate were placed in such an unsafe area.

“It is obviously very terrifying thinking about the fact that Victoria and Mel were in

such close proximity with an intruder,” Olivia said.

She said that the most upsetting fact about this ordeal is the way the university is choosing to handle it.

“Quinnipiac assured the safety and wellbeing of their students in Los Angeles, however failed to properly assess their security measures,” Olivia said.

Have you ever been written up during room checks?

CONNECT

By KATHERINE HANSFORD-ARCE

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

@quchronicle

INDEX

rector of Residential Life at Quinnipiac, told her all Quinnipiac students who are studying abroad in Los Angeles must sign a contract that says the program is not responsible for theft or stolen items.

Saha said when Karipidis responded that way, she was so appalled and wondered why Karipidis didn’t take the situation seriously.

“When I called Melissa Karipidis and asked how Quinnipiac would have responded if Mel and I were to have been physically harmed, she completely avoided the question,” Saha said.

Saha has a balcony view of an elevated parking lot, which is not easily accessible by the public.

“Not a lot of people would know the ins and outs of this property unless someone was thorough about the apartments here,” she said.

Saha said her apartment is considered to be a luxurious apartment, but it lacks basic security protocols.

Quinnipiac program officials promised to move the girls to an apartment on a different floor within three days of the incident. Four days later, they re-postponed the move for another week, according to Saha.

“If that doesn’t scream “ridiculous”, I don’t know what does,” Saha said.

Oakwoods is not responsible for stolen items, according to Saha. She said Oakwoods did not have enough security.

“It’s clear that because of their lack of

Winter weather caused flooding and power outages on the Mount Carmel campus throughout the past few days.

The incidents began on Sunday afternoon when a small heating element was tripped off in the Carl Hansen Student Center, according to Associate Vice President for Facilities Operations Keith Woodward. A hallway in the Student Center lost heat, causing a pipe to freeze and a sprinkler head to break. Water started to leak into the area by the ATM and vending machines on the first floor.

Facilities closed three conference rooms in Carl Hansen that afternoon and on Monday so that they could dry, but the rooms were open on Tuesday.

Monday evening and nighttime snowfall and freezing rain caused the university to cancel shuttles after 10 p.m., except for a limited service between Mount Carmel and York Hill, according to an email from Parking and Transportation Coordinator Shanon Grasso.

Freshman Sara Franck had night class on Monday.

“It was kind of annoying to get there and it was hailing too, she said. “I think [Tuesday] morning was fine, but I think later classes yesterday should have been cancelled.”

Then, a water pipe burst early Tuesday morning in Village 600s, forcing students to relocate to other rooms for the time being.

Sophomore Madeline Fitzpatrick lives in the Village 600s building. She said in an email she and her roommates woke up around 4:20 a.m. to the sound of blaring alarms in their building and direct rooms.

“We evacuated the building and waited for Public Safety to come and tell us what was going on,” Fitzpatrick said. “Public Safety told us we were fine and to go back to bed. However, the flashing light from the fire alarms continued to go off for about another five minutes.”

But eventually Fitzpatrick said she decided to go back downstairs to see what was going on.

“They told me there was a large leak upstairs and asked us if the water had began to seep through into our room yet,” Fitzpatrick said. “About 10 minutes later we reopened the main door downstairs to see water rushing down the stairs of the upstairs apartment where the pipe had burst.”

She said around 6:30 a.m. Public Safety instructed her and her roommates to pack a bag and go to Residential Life to receive a temporary new room in New Village.

Fitzpatrick said Residential Life said they currently do not know when they will be allowed to return to their rooms, but it could be a few days, or a few weeks.

Fitzpatrick said she hopes the university will improve the way they handle these types of situations in the future.

“Apparently this is a pretty frequent occurrence and the university needs to figure out a better way to handle the pipes in the buildings when the temperature is constantly changing and a better plan as what to do if the pipes do burst,” Fitzpatrick said.

The university also called students, faculty and staff around 6:20 a.m. stating classes were cancelled until 9:30 a.m. because of the

Interactive: 7 Opinion: 8 Arts & Life: 10 Sports: 13

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

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MEET THE STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Julia Perkins ART DIRECTOR Hannah Schindler

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STUDENTS SPEAK UP

J.K. Rowling, author of the “Harry Potter” series, announced last week the script for the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” play will be published this summer. This was big news for the “Harry Potter” fans since many were unable to get tickets to see the play in London. The play is set 19 years after Harry defeats Voldemort and tells the story of Harry and his son Albus. Students share their thoughts on the new script book.

By VICTORIA SIMPRI Photography by ERIN KANE Design by HANNAH SCHINDLER AND KRISTEN RIELLO

WEB DIRECTOR Nick Solari

Lily Herman|Sophomore|Physical Therapy

CO-NEWS EDITOR Sarah Doiron

“I’ve seen all of them [Harry Potter movies]. I haven’t heard a lot about it [new book] but I’m interested to see what it’s going to be about because, you thought Harry Potter was going to be done with and now that she’s putting out more stuff. It’s interesting to see what path she is going to take with the characters.”

CO-NEWS EDITOR Tara O’Neill ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Hannah Feakes ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR David Friedlander ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Nisha Gandhi ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Madison Fraitag ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Caroline Millin SPORTS EDITOR Tyrell Walden-Martin

Andrew Ray|Freshman |Nursing “I’ve seen none of the movies but I’ve read all of the books. I haven’t heard there was going to be one [new book] because I thought she closed it up pretty well. I didn’t think it needed to continue.”

ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Max Molski ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Jordan Novack

Jennifer Fusco|Freshman|Biology

COPY EDITOR Nicole Hanson

“I’m excited, I didn’t really look into what it’s about, like where it leaves off, but I’m excited, I would read it.

I thought the last movie had a good ending, it explained everything, I don’t know why they have to have an extra one but I’ll most likely be picking up a copy of the new book.”

DESIGN EDITOR Kristen Riello ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR Christina Popik ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR Jessica Sweeney PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Erin Kane ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Julia Gallop ADVISER Lila Carney 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 and 2012-13.

MAILING ADDRESS Quinnipiac University 275 Mount Carmel Avenue Hamden, CT 06518 THE CHRONICLE is distributed around all three university campuses every Wednesday when school is in session except during exam periods. Single copies are free. Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and/or subject to university discipline. Please report suspicious activity to university security (203-582-6200) and Lila Carney at adviser@quchronicle.com. For additional copies, contact the student media office for rates.

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Christian Boretti|Freshman|Business “I’m not a Harry Potter fan but I’ve seen all the movies and I will watch it here and there. Wait they’re coming out with a new book? A couple of my friends are big Harry Potter fans and they haven’t told me anything.

I’m happy about this new book for sure because I don’t like endings, I like for things to keep going.”

Beyond the Bobcats

A rundown on news outside the university.

By Tara O’Neill

Supreme Court justice dies at 79

Four Americans arrested in Bahrain

Pick-up truck hits man in New Haven

Antonin Scalia passed away on Saturday, Feb. 13, according to The New York Times. He was found dead in a West Texas resort. Though the cause of death was not immediately released, a spokesperson for the United States Marshals Service said nothing indicated that his death was a result of anything suspicious. Following family wishes, an official cause of death will not be released to the public.

A police statement released on Monday, Feb. 15 said that four Americans in Bahrain were arrested for using false information to enter the country and allegedly participating in an “attack on police,” according to CNN. Officials in Bahrain said some of the Americans were members of international media that did not register to enter the country as such. One of the Americans was arrested at a riot and the other three were arrested at a security checkpoint.

A man is in critical condition after being hit by a pick-up truck in New Haven on Monday night, according to WTNH. The New Haven Police told WTNH the 58-year-old was crossing the street between two parked cars when he slipped or stepped into the truck’s path when he was hit. The truck driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, WTNH said. Police say the driver is not at fault for the accident and no one was charged.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

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DATE RAPE

DRUGS WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW

DESIGN BY KRISTEN RIELLO

1 in 5 women will be the subject of

at least one sexual attack during their time in college HEALTH RESEARCH FUNDING

UP TO

90% UP TO

80% LESS THAN

10%

OF COLLEGE CAMPUS RAPES OCCUR THROUGH DATE RAPE INCIDENTS

OF DATE RAPES WITH MALE PERPETRATORS OCCUR WHEN THE WOMAN IS INTOXICATED

OF RAPE CASES REPORTED TO POLICE RESULT IN CRIMINAL CHARGES HEALTH RESEARCH FUNDING

Women who are victims of date rape are MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM PTSD than women in the general population Date rape is the LEAST REPORTED of all violent crimes

HEALTH RESEARCH FUNDING

News|3

By JENNIE TORRES Staff Writer

A fun weekend outing can quickly turn dangerous if someone is misinformed about the dangers of date rape drugs.

Otherwise known as Club Drugs, Roofies, Liquid Ecstasy or Special K, date rape drugs are known for being used to drug people, making them vulnerable to their surroundings and succumb to their attackers.

Every 21 hours, a woman is raped on a college campus, according to the Health Research Funding website. But men can be victims of rape and date rape drugs, as well. One in 16 men and one in five women will be sexually assaulted while in college, according to a 2015 report by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Still, a majority of these crimes are never reported.

Both alcohol and drugs can be factors in sexual assaults. Nearly 90 percent of sexual assault victims had drank alcohol before being attacked, according to a Canadian Medical Association Journal study of 882 victims. The same study found 20 percent of victims were drugged.

Freshman Sophie Toure knows the impact these attacks can bring to people. Her cousin was drugged and sexually assaulted last year. “[My cousin] was raped last year and she had a baby because of that,” Toure said. “She was originally living in West Africa, but then once her mom and everyone else found out she was pregnant, she moved to France to live with her father.”

Because of her relative’s traumatic experience, Toure finds herself cautious when she goes out.

“I don’t go out often but when I do I’m very careful, especially since that happened to my cousin,” she said.

Director of Student Health Services Christy Chase provided a document which states that date rape drugs commonly contain either gamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), ketamine or rohypnol.

But these drugs are not easily detectable.

GHB can be in an odorless, colorless liquid form, a powder or a pill, according to the document. Ketamine is a white powder and rohypnol is a pill that can dissolve in liquid.

These drugs are usually hidden inside the victim’s drink, so it is advised that during any social event, one must never leave his or her drink unattended.

Drinking alcohol can also create issues when trying to figure out whether someone has been drugged or if they have just consumed too much alcohol, according to Chase.

“It can be difficult to tell the difference of

88% 76%

someone who has been drugged vs. someone who may have drank too much,” Chase said.

“Many of the symptoms overlap.”

Some students say the university could do more to teach them about date rape drugs and how to help their friends if they were drugged.

Senior health science major Gabriella Vacante said she has not learned about date rape drugs much in high school or at Quinnipiac.

“It never really comes up,” she said. “I think [the university] should definitely have different events held [to teach students about it] because that would probably be a good thing. … The Student Center [should] promote [date rape drug awareness] more. I’m sure there are pamphlets and stuff, but you don’t really notice.”

Lubna Farooqui, a freshman biomedical science major, learned about date rape drugs in her high school sophomore health class. But a few years later, she does not remember everything she learned then.

“I personally don’t know the differences [between being drugged or drunk], unless they’re very severe,” Farooqui said. “I don’t remember completely what I learned back from my sophomore year and I’m not sure how much other students might know about it, so I think it’s definitely something you should be aware of and you should know about.”

Most students probably would not know what to do if they were drugged or if a friend were drugged, Farooqui said. This is why the university should consider incorporating these lessons into classes, such as the first-year seminar course, she said.

“I feel like that would probably be something nice to cover in FYS or something,” Farooqui said. “Because all freshmen have to take it and it’s a pretty important thing to know about, especially if you go out partying and drinking. That’s something you really need to be aware of and it’s pretty scary to have to deal with something like that. You’re requiring students to take FYS, you might as well throw that into the curriculum and actually have them learn something worthwhile.”

Many people around the country are working to prevent further drug-facilitated sexual assault. For example, a group of North Carolina State University researchers are currently manufacturing nail polish that changes color when it detects date rape drugs of any substance.

“With our nail polish, any woman will be empowered to discreetly ensure her safety by simply stirring her drink with her finger,” the company Undercover Colors’ Facebook page reads. “If her nail polish changes color, she’ll know that something is wrong.”

of women have never consumed an unattended drink of women have never consumed a drink given to them by a stranger THE CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT STUDY OF 2007

A person who ingests GHB, according to the document, can experience dizziness, drowsiness, slowed heart rate, nausea, loss of consciousness, inability to remember and possible seizures. If someone ingests GHB, they could even, in extreme cases, slip into a coma or die.

KETAMINE

causes hallucinations, convulsions, loss of time and identity, loss of consciousness and coordination, violent or aggressive behavior, and possibly respiratory failure, according to the document.

ROHYPNOL

ingestion have varying symptoms depending on the person, but will likely still cause negative effects such as low blood pressure, difficulty talking, visual issues, nausea, loss of muscle control, drowsiness and trouble remembering, the document said.

PREVENTION Know the signs of being drugged.

Watch your drink at all times and never leave it unattended.

Never accept an open drink from someone.

If you see something, say something.

Attend events with a large group of close friends and look out for each other.

If you suspect that you or someone you know has been drugged, seek medical help immediately.

THE CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT STUDY OF 2007

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

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CAMPUS BRIEFS Students participate in public relations competition for first time Have you heard any news that you think Quinnipiac students would care about?

Please, tell us: tips@quchronicle.com

Connecticutbased app live on iTunes Store RydeHopper, an app that allows current and former Connecticut university students, alumni, faculty and staff to share rides from one location to another, is now active in the iTunes store. The app is currently only available in the state of Connecticut, but is expected to expand. Former and current students, faculty and staff can also become drivers to make money.

RydeHopper is currently looking for college ambassadors and they would be compensated. Those interested can send an email to Nelson@rydehopper. com. – T. O’Neill

Class of 2016 SGA rep position open Seniors can run to be elected as a Student Government Association representative for the spring semester.

Interested candidates must have at least a 2.5 GPA and be in good conduct standing, as well as attend an information session to be involved in the SGA special election process. To learn more, seniors can contact Election Committee Chair Carly Hviding.

-J. Perkins

W.I.S.H to host Vagina Monologues Women in Support of Humanity will present their own production of The Vagina Monologues on Feb. 20 from 5 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. and Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The play celebrates the experience, trials and tribulations of women and females, according to DoYouQU. The production will be a reading of the monologues that will be open to the public for $5 a ticket. All the proceeds will go to a local charity to help benefit women in need. There will be light refreshments available. – S. Doiron

QU301 info sessions begin The faculty-led QU301 abroad course information sessions for summer and fall of 2016 will begin Feb. 22. Students who are interested can learn about the QU301 programs available for the summer and fall 2016 semesters. There will also be directions on how to apply for these courses. The information sessions will be Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mount Carmel Auditorium and Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in Buckman Theater. Students who cannot attend an information session but are still interested in applying can contact Ewa Callahan anytime after the information session on Feb. 25 at ewa.callahan@quinnipiac.edu.

– S. Doiron

By JOHN LAVENBERG Staff Writer

This year marks the first time Quinnipiac University will compete in the nationwide Bateman Case Study Campaign run by PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America).

The Bateman Case Study Campaign is PRSSA’s premier national case study competition that gives public relations students an opportunity to apply their “classroom education and internship experience to create and implement a full public relations campaign,” according to PRSSA.org. The goal of the competition this year in partnership with SVA (Student Veterans of America) is to increase awareness about student veterans around the world and increase networks and support for them, the website said.

In this year’s competition Quinnipiac will have two teams, each tasked with creating their own campaign to raise awareness for the student veterans on campus through different events and promotional activities from Feb. 15 to March 15.

Hilary Fussell-Sisco, associate professor of strategic communication at Quinnipiac and professor of the STC 402 class that participates in the competition, hopes the month-long event will make the community more knowledgeable about what student veterans face.

“Hopefully this is the big blossoming of awareness, but then people will also know that there is a resource to go to if you’re a returning veteran,” Sisco said. “So they know there’s a place they can go for issues and coming back and transitioning.”

One of the students in this year’s competition, senior Carly McKenna, said she wants the competition to unite students and student veterans.

“We want to break the stigma between us and student veterans and show how we’re all students here at Quinnipiac,” McKenna said.

Another competitor, senior Katherine Lizotte, states a similar objective, “We want to get people to know that there are student veterans on campus who are just normal people going to school and they’re doing awesome things,” Lizotte said.

According to the president of Quinnipiac’s Student Veteran Organization, senior Zachary Peters, there are over 150 student veterans or family members of veterans who currently attend Quinnipiac which he calls “quite a large number.”

Despite this high count, Peters has still faced instances where people were unaware there were veterans on campus.

“When I tell people I’m a part of the Student Veteran Organization or that I’m a veteran most of the time the reply I get is ‘I didn’t even know there

JULIA GALLOP /CHRONICLE

Seniors Rachel Triffon (left) and Katherine Lizotte collected signatures in support of student veterans. were veterans here,’” Peters said.

“I also think the campaign is a good way to let students and faculty know about the struggles student veterans face while integrating back into civilian life.”

“We want to break the stigma between us and student veterans and show how we’re all students here at Quinnipiac.”

– CARLY MCKENNA SENIOR

In addition to making people more knowledgeable about the challenges veterans face, student veteran and business major, junior Christopher Bolduc, thinks the campaign will help the veterans on campus in a bevy of other ways.

“Raising awareness will help veterans, in general, get the funds they need,” Bolduc said. “I think this campaign is going to help show veterans that the transition is easier than they think and that coming to college is just a great benefit for them instead of pushing it away.”

Bolduc feels raising this awareness will influence more veterans to come to school because they’ll feel welcomed and at home as opposed to being an outsider.

“Me, specifically, being a combat veteran going into a freshman class when I was 23-years-old was really different because none of those wom-

en or men have seen what I’ve seen or have done what I’ve done,” Bolduc said.

Sharing these types of stories of what student veterans have gone through prior to and while attending school is something McKenna’s team will be addressing through one of their events.

The team consisting of Carly McKenna, Ali Sayles, Phil Lentini, Emily Hennessy and Melissa Barosy, who named their campaign “Bridging the Gap,” will be hosting a panel on March 2 at 9:15 p.m. in Mancheski where five student veterans will answer questions and discuss the experiences they’ve had and the struggles they still face.

The student veteran panelists are: John Barlett, Rich Salazar, Sean Tajirian, Maureen Friedly and Michael Russo.

“We want to portray the message that they want,” McKenna said. “To show students that we are all sort of the same we just come from different backgrounds.”

The other team, consisting of Katherine Lizotte, Morgan Moschetta, Rachel Trifon, Catherine Wehrle and Victoria Renner, named their campaign “Serving to Success.” The team has been tabling in the Carl Hansen Student Center Monday, Feb.15 and will continue through Friday, Feb.19.

They will be displaying a large, wooden, 3-D American flag that individuals can sign as a way of showing their support.

Further, the flag will be brought to another tabling at the Feb. 26 women’s basketball game to get signatures and

educate not only Quinnipiac students, but members of the Hamden community as well.

“It will be information to teach people about all of these different things that are happening,” Moschetta said. “Then they can sign their names to show that they are now more aware and educated.”

Both teams will also campaign through various social media pages and initiatives that will take place on platforms including both Facebook and Twitter.

For the competition, each team will submit their final entry to PRSSA headquarters in April where they will be judged. Three finalists will be chosen to present their campaign to SVA sponsor representatives.

The first place team receives $3,500 and a trophy, second place receives $2,500 and a plaque, and third place receives $1,500 and a plaque.

The top three teams will be recognized at the PRSSA National Conference, according to its official website.

McKenna and her team said the experience has been a positive one and they thank Dr. Fussell-Sisco and their advisor from Pratt and Whitney, Raymond Hernandez, for being great role models and mentors.

Lizotte and her team echoed similar sentiments to Fussell-Sisco adding that the whole team is honored and grateful that they were chosen to be the first representatives from Quinnipiac in the competition.

Each team will know if they were chosen as a finalist by PRSSA on Monday, April 18.

Student seeks compensation after robbery in LA QU in LA from cover security, this was able to happen,” Saha said.

Despite the lack of security, Oakwoods makes sure safety protocols are taken, according to Olivia.

“Their office is keenly aware of the importance of students’ safety abroad and therefore is diligent in making sure that students’ housing is acceptable and safe, along with executing proper safety protocols in the event of emergencies,” Olivia said.

Saha said after the break-in, she didn’t receive any apologies from the L.A. staff and manager.

“I am also very upset because no one from Oakwoods higher up managers even came to either of us to personally apologize,” she said.

Oakwoods holds itself to luxurious apartments but doesn’t even have basic precautions to take, according to Saha.

“It was clear that because of Oakwoods negligence something like this was able to occur,” Saha said.

When Saha told the school what happened, a staff member from Residential Life said, “I don’t know what to tell you.”

But Saha wondered whether or not Residential Life would have the same reaction should a similar situation happen on campus in Ham-

den.

“If this incident were ever to happen while being on either Mount Carmel or York Hill, would they have the same response?”

Saha said.

She also wonders if it would have took something more serious to occur in order Residential Life to wake up and take action.

Olivia wonders how proper safety measures are followed across the world, but Quinnipiac fails to take such actions. She said the theft would have never happened on Quinnipiac’s campus housing, “due to the fact that Quinnipiac has made sure that the living spaces are safe.”

“If this had happened on New Road which is off campus but

still Quinnipiac provided housing, they’d be following up and making their every effort to ensure that those students feel safe moving forward,” Olivia said.

For the future, Saha believes Quinnipiac should make sure students’ apartments will have security cameras everywhere.

Despite the theft, Saha said Quinnipiac’s program in Los Angeles is great and that she has been doing amazing there.

Saha said the program is not to blame and neither the director.

“I have so many amazing opportunities being offered to me here through my internship and I want other students to experience this great city,” she said.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

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N e w s |5 5

The journey to the silver screen

Public Safety officer acts in TV shows, movies

By JEREMY TROETTI Staff Writer

Growing up in a rough area in the South Bronx, Roberto Alfaro dreamed of either being a police officer or on TV. But now Alfaro, a Public Safety officer, is doing both.

Alfaro, who began working at the university in July of last year, is also a former member of the Hartford Police Department, a professional model and actor, mounted police instructor, salsa instructor, personal trainer, competitive bodybuilder, writer, inventor and motivational speaker.

But Alfaro’s most recent triumph was an appearance in Showtime’s “Billions.” He has been acting and modeling professionally for the past 24 years. He has had roles in shows such as “Orange is the New Black,” and “Law and Order.”

“My grandfather was a police officer. I had other family members who were police officers, so I always wanted to be a police officer. But also, besides that, I always toyed with the idea of ‘Wow, it would be great to be on TV, and be an actor as well.’”

– ROBERT ALFARO PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER

“I’ve done tons of movies, shows – nothing major. I’ve been in quite a few independent movies and commercials,” Alfaro said.

He first started modeling in 1992, when he was noticed by a photographer/reporter at a local gym in Hartford. The photographer/ reporter was looking for someone in good shape to do an underwear ad for the Hartford Courant and approached Alfaro with the opportunity.

“I thought about it, came back a couple days later, and I told her, ‘I’m gonna do it,’ and the next thing you know, this full-page ad came out in the newspaper like a week later, in Sunday’s paper,” Alfaro said.

Before coming to Quinnipiac, Alfaro worked at the Hartford Police Department, and his fellow officers got a kick out of seeing the ad in the paper.

“It was a great experience, so from that little piece of paper – the ad that I had – I wanted to continue modeling,” Alfaro said.

And so he did.

Alfaro got in contact with a friend who was also a model, and from there was connected to the same agency.

“And then – that was in 1992 – I just kept going from there,” Alfaro said. “I started doing all sorts of ads. I was doing runway, and from that agency I expanded to other agencies. And to this day, I have six modeling agencies in different states that I work with.”

As a result of his modeling career, Alfaro’s acting career was born shortly thereafter. While working on an ad with a female model, she gave Alfaro a glimpse into the acting world – and a way to break into it.

Alfaro sent his resume and a headshot to the casting director and waiting to hear back if he got a part in anything. And, sure enough, he did.

“It was for this show called ‘New York Undercover’ back in the early ‘90s, and so sure enough I sent it in, and in a couple weeks, I got a small little part in that show, and that just got me going, and I kept going from there,” Alfaro said.

All of this was a dream come true for Alfaro who, growing up in a gang- and druginfested neighborhood in the South Bronx, always aspired to be a police officer, as well as be on TV. “My grandfather was a police officer,” he said. “I had other family members who were police officers, so I always wanted to be a police officer. But also, besides that, I always toyed with the idea of ‘Wow, it would be great to be on TV, and be an actor as well.’”

Growing up, Alfaro had many idols – one of those being the Lone Ranger. “[The Lone Ranger]...was a deputy sheriff, and he would go after the bad guys on horseback. So wouldn’t you know it, I made my dream come true – I became a police officer, and five and a half years into my police career, they decided to open up a mounted unit in Hartford,” Alfaro said. “I applied and they took me in, and before you know it, I

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT ALFARO

Public Safety officer Robert Alfaro doubles as an actor, model. made my dream come true...because I also became a mounted cop, just like my idol.”

After accomplishing a lot of his dreams, one of Alfaro’s goals is to inspire others to chase their dreams. He has performed speeches for youth in urban areas, as well as for the criminal justice program at Quinnipiac. Alfaro also runs his website, www.

robertoalfaro.com.

One of the greatest satisfactions Alfaro gets from his career is knowing that his story can inspire others to pursue their dreams as well.

“I like to make a difference. I like to help people out,” he said. “It makes me feel good when I make a difference in someone’s life.”

Campus loses power Tuesday due to weather SNOW from cover weather.

At 11 a.m., the Mount Carmel campus lost power due to a downed line, which cut traffic off on New Road near the New Road entrance.

The university sent out an alert stating the power company used by the university, United Illuminating, expected power would be restored by 12:30 p.m. Power was restored

to the Mount Carmel campus by 1 p.m. and students, faculty and staff were alerted via text, email and phone call.

Students were also asked in an email on Tuesday to move their cars from North Lot, New Village, Hill Circle and Dorm Road, so Facilities could clear snow.

Sophomore Chris Artabane said he was not bothered by the power outage. “[The power outages] haven’t really affected my day at all,” he said. “It went out

in my class for the last half hour, but other than that it hasn’t really affected it much since they got the generator going. Our power went out in our room, but we still had this little light going. The WiFi went down, and that probably had the biggest effect.”

Some students, such as sophomore Chris Brachlow, said they were glad to have a few classes cancelled because of the weather.

“My alarm clock didn’t go off in the morning, but I got lucky and my class was

cancelled anyway,” Brachlow said. “Also, I wasn’t able to do my work since my work requires WiFi from my room and I wasn’t notified that there was WiFi in [Carl Hansen] so I didn’t know where to go to do my work this morning. But besides that, it was kind of nice to have a break from my classes.”

Reporting by Sarah Doiron, David Friedlander, Tara O’Neill and Julia Perkins DESIGN BY KRISTEN RIELLO

A three-day timeline of weather-related incidents

Sunday 2.14

After a heating element was tripped off, a water pipe burst in the Carl Hansen Student Center on the Mount Carmel campus around 3 p.m.

Monday 2.15 Due to inclement weather, the university suspended shuttle services at 10 p.m.

tuesday 2.16 4:30 a.m.

1:00 p.m.

8:00 a.m.

1:30 p.m.

A water pipe burst in the Village 600s, forcing students to relocate.

Due to inclement weather, the university cancelled classes until 9:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

The Mount Carmel campus lost power due to a downed line on New Road.

Power was restored to the Mount Carmel campus.

Carbon monoxide detectors go off in University owned New Road houses.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

6|News

Fe b r u a r y 1 7 , 2 0 1 6

A celebratory month for the Albert Schweitzer Institute Institute receives holiday, executive director nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

By HANNAH FEAKES Associate News Editor

Quinnipiac University’s Albert Schweitzer Institute had a number of accomplishments this month. Not only did the state of Connecticut make Feb. 13, 2016, Albert Schweitzer Institute Day, but its executive director, David Ives, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

A small reception was held to honor Albert Schweitzer Institute Day last Thursday, Feb. 11 in the offices located on the corner of Mount Carmel Avenue and New Road from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. About 75 people filtered through the museum throughout the day.

In the official statement from Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, this day came about because, “since 2002, the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Quinnipiac University has fostered partnerships and programs designed to promote Schweitzer’s humanitarian legacy for a more civil and ethical human society characterized by respect, responsibility, compassion and service.”

Ives said this news gives the institute recognition he has been working toward.

“This day means that we have done a good job of recognizing and promoting the ideas and background of Albert Schweitzer and we are now a world-recognized organization,” Ives said.

According to Ives, Malloy didn’t have involvement with the institute before this. “[Malloy] has never been really involved,” Ives said. “He just decided that he had heard enough wonderful things about us that he would recognize us [the institute] and that we were a unique program in his state and we deserved the recognition.”

The institute houses a small memorial museum that highlights the life of Albert Schweitzer, a history-making humanitarian.

Photographs, pieces of art and even artifacts that portray Albert Schweitzer’s life can be

ERIN KANE/CHRONICLE

Feb. 13 was recently named Albert Schweitzer Institute Day in the state of Connecticut. found throughout the building.

Schweitzer believed that each one of us could do something to relieve the suffering and misery in the world. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952, according to the Quinnipiac University website.

“We are supposed to promote the values and ideals of Albert Schweitzer, specifically, we want to promote humanitarian values and we want to promote health and peace,” Ives said. “Our background is based on Albert Schweitzer’s ideas.”

A couple days ago, Ives was nominated to be a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He was

nominated because he has worked on peacerelated programs for the majority of his life, as well as for what he and the institute has done over the years. But he said he will not know the results until November.

Ives has been the executive director of the institute since January of 2002. He is also an adjunct professor of Latin American studies, philosophy and international business.

“All that I have been able to promote in a variety of areas, is why I was nominated for the Peace prize,” Ives said. “I don’t expect to win, because there are so many nominees, but I think it is still a pretty big deal.”

Through the institute, students have gone on about five summits (humanitarian trips), although there have been 15 summits in total. Students have visited Hiroshima, Berlin, Chicago, Warsaw and South Africa. Sixty students recently went to Barcelona for discussions with Nobel Peace Prize laureates on refugees and nuclear weapons.

“We hope to have our next summit in Monaco or Costa Rica or perhaps in New York City, and perhaps even on Quinnipiac’s campus,” Ives said. “I am hoping [freshman] who are just starting out will go with us on some of our next summits.”

The institute has brought in both major and minor speakers, such as President Jimmy Carter and scientist Jane Goodall, to help establish a relationship and strong connection with the students and the institution.

“Our students get to meet some fairly famous people who have done something good for peace,” Ives said. “They also get to understand a little bit about poverty and why something should be done about it.”

Anthony Vinci, a junior double major in international business and computer information systems, is involved in work study at the Albert Schweitzer Institute offices.

“I think that the institute is amazing and that David does so much for the university,” he said. “Unfortunately, it is not as recognized as it should be.”

Ives described the theory behind Schweitzer’s work.

“If I were to look at you in ‘awe’ it would make it difficult for me to hurt you in any kind of way,” he said. “I would celebrate your existence. That’s what you should do with everybody, male or female, no matter what age, our lives are to be celebrated.”

Commuters frustrated with condition of New Road POTHOLES from cover on her vehicle.

“I actually haven’t been on that road in a while,” Cavallaro said. “But before the snow it was still pretty bad and there were bumps and ditches in the road; it’s not a smooth drive.

When you hit a ditch it scratches or even dents the front of your car.”

Sophomore Bonnie Skinner has hit the potholes that are scattered on New Road and is not satisfied with the effect they had on her vehicle.

“The potholes are everywhere and I personally have hit a few of them so my tires are probably a little bit damaged, which stinks but everyone’s cars are probably ruined,” Skinner said.

According to Skinner avoiding the potholes is almost impossible and damage is bound to happen to all vehicle that pass the road like Skinner the first time she hit a pothole.

“The one that I first hit was the one right next to the intersection where the cops sit, there’s a huge pothole there, and I hit that one and I thought that my tire was blown out,” Skinner said. “It’s fine but it just stinks because everyone I carpool with too hits the potholes.”

Since New Road is a long road that is frequently used, Skinner believes that it would be difficult to close down the road to repairs the potholes.

“Over the summer they should definitely try to fill up all of those potholes because a lot of people have probably been in dangerous situations because it,” Skinner commented.

Senior Catherine Wehrle has also experienced the effects of the potholes on New Road.

“I currently live on New Road and commute to class multiples times a day during the week and on weekends,” Wehrle said in an email. “The condition of the road is awful and makes commuting to class feel sometimes unsafe and nerve-racking.”

According to Wehrle, in addition to the unsafe condition of the road for driving, the potholes also present various hazards to the vehicles that use it for passage on a daily basis.

“I have had to refill my tires with air multiple times due to potholes and road conditions as well as ask the mechanic to check my car’s axle during service appointments to make sure it is still intact,” Wehrle said.

There are many things that could be done to improve the condition of the road, according to Wehrle.

“Students who primarily use New Road are not here for four months over the summer break and, while it would inconvenience the residents of Hamden and few students on campus, it is worth the time and cost [to pave the road],” Wehrle said.

Wehrle never considered calling in a complaint about the road to the Department of Public Works because of the minimal effect it would have on her commute to Quinnipiac.

“I have never thought about calling the public works department because it has really only affected me this year and I graduate in four months. If I did it wouldn’t be changed in time for my benefit,” Wehrle said.

The Department of Public Works is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. as stated on their website. According to the secretary, the Director of Public Works Craig Cesare has not been available for comment within the past week because of the recent accumulation of snow.

ERIN KANE/CHRONICLE

Many students who live on New Road are unhappy with the driving conditions caused by potholes like the ones above.

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Opinion TWEETS OF THE WEEK Quinnipiac university is also known as ICELAND.. #funfact @Chaise_Malik YBTRECE I bet when I take my kids to tour QU, New Road will still have a million potholes. #QuinnipiacProblems @RobCiambra Rob Ciambra February 16, 2016: the day Quinnipiac froze over and had a major power outage #stateofemergency #judgementday? #jk @alexazeoli Alexa Quinnipiac is like the annoying drunk girl who can’t find her friends @Johnny_Manzz Anthony Torchia

YAK OF THE WEEK Make sure to bring ice skates to class today! Free public skate around the campus!

INSTAGRAM OF THE WEEK @clarebelle14 View from the law building #quinnipiac #windows #view

We know you all love to pretend you’re artsy.

We’ll find your best instagrams if you tag them with

#quinnipiac

Fe b r u a r y 1 7 , 2 0 1 6

QUCHRONICLE.COM/OPINION OPINION@QUCHRONICLE.COM @QUCHRONICLE

FOMO affects us all FOMO: (foh-moh), or the fear of missing going out. However, people experience FOMO out; typical amongst most adults who always even when they’re out with their friends. For example, if someone is out to dinner at Buffalo want to be a part of something.

It is probable that most, if not all, people Wild Wings with their friends instead of being at experience FOMO at some point in their lives. Toad’s Place, that someone might begin to wish When FOMO occurs, it is usually while someone that they were also at Toad’s so he or she can live begins wondering what their friends or acquain- to tell the tale of the guy who got kicked out for attempting to take a nap on tances are doing for activithe grimy stage. ties, perhaps a nightclub or JULIA GALLOP Now, there are ways to an on-campus event. The relieve oneself of the burden subconsciousness behind Associate Photography Editor that is FOMO. To be honest, FOMO is that one does not @jule_gals it is basic common sense. want to miss out on what, FOMO is probably occursupposedly, everyone is doring more and more because ing. They most likely fear of the advancement of (surthat they will regret not being involved, create distance from their friends prise!) social media. Let’s be real, the whole or community, or hear the crazy stories post- point of Snapchat is to show other people that activity. All of these are valid reasons to always what you’re currently doing is great and fun and want to be included in any and all activities. It is, you should totally be where they are. Everything however, important to remember that 1) every- posted to Facebook and Instagram is (usually) one experiences FOMO and 2) there are benefits positive and has the capability to make people envious. As a result of social media, we are conto putting it in the back of your head.

FOMO is a lot more common than people stantly exposed to what other people are doing, realize. It can be as typical as staying in on a and we wish that we were doing the same things.

Back to basic common sense, though (or my Saturday night and watching Netflix instead of

version of solutions to FOMO). I am a young, spry, baby freshman. In my first semester of college, I was lucky enough to befriend some awesome, funny and overall amazing people. Every moment that I spend with my best friends here is quality and enriching, so much so that I do not want to be anywhere they are not. If I were having a casual movie night with my friends on a Friday, and I saw someone post a Snapchat story of a Foster the People concert, I wouldn’t want to drop everything and leave my friends because I selfishly don’t want to miss Foster the People.

In short, the way to be immune to FOMO is to (surprise!) live in the moment you’re in.

If you are constantly wishing you were doing something else or were somewhere else, you will eventually be a very unhappy person. When you start feeling that terrible anxiety of FOMO coming up, remember that you can’t be in two places at once. You are where you are, you are with who you are with. Whether you’re sitting in your jammies watching “Supernatural,” or partying hard with your best friends at Toad’s, enjoy that moment. Trust me, there is nothing you would rather be doing.

Hill isn’t all it’s cracked up to be With the housing lottery coming up, many students are beginning to figure out their preferences for where they would like to live next year. For the freshmen, the target dorm for many of JORDAN NOVACK them is Hill. With Associate Sports Editor air conditioning @JordanNovak and a kitchen, it is a very convenient dorm, and one I am very happy with.

Unfortunately it has many downsides as well that people overlook in the process.

For my roommates and I, the main downside has been the bathroom. Unlike every other sophomore housing option, Hill doesn’t have its bathrooms cleaned, and students are not provided with toilet paper. While neither of these sound bad on the surface, the price and time commitment really becomes a burden for us as already stressed college students, whereas other residence halls on Mount Carmel receive a weekly cleaning.

Add The Chronicle on Snapchat for live updates!

Additionally, the facilities are dated. While the kitchen is nice to have, my suitemates and I have had many issues with our sink. To date, we have needed facilities to come deal with the garbage disposal on three separate occasions, all relating to the blades and motor wearing down due to age. As I would find out from the facility worker who replaced it, this eventually would lead the entire system to crack, and create a leak, and mold underneath the sink.

Meanwhile, the stove top is equally dated.

In my kitchen, two of the burners don’t consistently work well, and the fan is so old that it causes our smoke alarm to go off nearly every time we make something. As for the oven, it takes up to an hour to preheat on occasion.

The dated facilities also include the laundry room. On several occasions this year, the machines have broken causing a buildup of waiting people attempting to do their clothes.

Meanwhile, while the dryers are not out of

order, they leave clothes damp and require multiple cycles consistently if you want your clothes to actually be dry.

The laundry room is also in an inconvenient location. With it located in the basement you have to go outside for laundry, and it makes laundry impossible on snowy or rainy days. Additionally, with the laundry room located on the bottom of a steep hill (hence the name of the dorm), it makes laundry a danger during the winter due to fear of black ice.

The last inconvenience regarding Hill has to be the “backup generators.” When we moved into the dorm, we were told that in case of a blackout on campus, Hill was equipped with a backup generator similar to the one in Irma. Yet today our dorm was one of the last on campus to get power back.

So while Hill is a great option, it is not without its negatives. With that in mind, make sure to consider all available housing options for next year, as they all carry their own character building positives.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Fe b r u a r y 1 7 , 2 0 1 6

Opinion|9

That’s so basic Infinity signs, feathers, dream catchers, arrows and anchors. What do all of these things have in common? They are all considered tattoos that “basic” girls get. Why do these objects have to be considered basic?

I think that every tattoo that you get should ERIN KANE have a meaning since it will be embedded on Photography Editor your skin for the rest of your life. That is the reason why I think that these objects aren’t basic. They are symbols of memories that people have in their lives.

One of the problems of labeling these different objects is that many people are skeptical about getting them. Most girls don’t want to be considered “basic”. It is not a compliment to many people and some people believe that these objects are simply

symbols of basicness.

I have definitely thought about what people might think if I was to get the particular tattoo that I want, a compass with an arrow going through the middle as one of the needles. This is not what everybody would consider basic but it has “basic” elements.

The arrow, for example, is something that people see as basic, but nobody really knows the deeper meaning behind it. An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward, so to me this means that when life is pulling you back with difficulties, it will launch you into something great.

Everybody has a different reason for getting tattoos and they all have their own meanings for them. Also, every tattoo is different so they are never “basic.”

Tattoos aren’t the only thing that are associated with the word “basic.” There are actions that girls do that are considered basic. A girl could just be going in and getting her favorite drink from Starbucks and decides to take a picture of it. Guess what people call her? Basic.

Another thing, why should people actually care if they are called basic? Being basic isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Why can’t being basic be considered taking a screenshot of the small moments in our lives that symbolize something bigger? Why can’t basic just mean things that you like to do or things that you just like in general? Why label things as basic? Why label at all?

Social media has a lot to do with all of this. Many people post photos on Instagram and Facebook and people will comment saying, “that’s so basic” or something similar to that. What is even worse than this is when people include in their own caption “#Basic-

whitegirl.” This brings more attention and meaning to the label.

Have you ever looked up the word basic before? I decided to actually look up on Google “What do basic girls do?” A lot of the articles that came up were about what “basic white girls do.” Urban Dictionary came up with having different objects and actions that people do every day. There are common and random things like Starbucks, Uggs and selfies, yet if you see a girl doing them they can be called basic. And yes, I said girl, because if you really think about it, guys don’t really get called basic. The “basic” label is sexist and the label itself should just be removed from society.

Honestly, go and call me basic because a majority of the descriptions for being basic apply to me. But at least I know there is more to me than this “basic” label, and others should think that as well.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

QU professors: stop saying the “N word” Whether it’s freshman seminar or one of the university’s Diversity & Ethics classes, I have seen time and time again white educators use the “N word.” It seems that the intention is to break down the hostility towards the word, in order to have a more honest conversation about race. Some professors think that the stigma around the “N word” prevents productive dialogue about racial oppression. But what defines “productive dialogue?” Is it a conversation where white students are encouraged to

throw empathy out the window, to relieve guilt when discussing black oppression?

Just as you are able to readily identify what word I am referring to in this piece, it is evident that you can talk about the “N word” without saying the actual word. With that in mind it reveals that saying the “N word” for educational purposes is just unnecessary.

Unfortunately there are some professors that have this uncontrollable itch to succumb to their white privilege, seeking any opportunity

to say a word that they would feel otherwise barred from using. The “N word” is a derogatory term created by whites to dehumanize black people. Used among some black people, it is a term of endearment; a way of acknowledging a shared experience of black oppression. But white people are not entitled to black culture and therefore not entitled to share in that experience. This is a very important point to understand when educating students on the callousness of the “N word.”

Enlightening students to the effects of oppressive slurs should be to promote cultural competency. Part of cultural competency is being aware of how minoritized people are impacted by the things that those of privileged groups say and do. This includes being mindful of how using such words, especially by a white professor can trigger black and brown students. Besides, “why do white people want to say the word so badly anyway?”

-Isaiah Lee ‘16

LAST WEEK’S QUCHRONICLE.COM POLL RESULTS

Did your professor hold an online class for the snow day?

23% Yes 77% No

Men’s Soccer League Mondays and Sundays

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10| Arts & Life

Fe b r u a r y 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

Arts & Life

QUCHRONICLE.COM/ARTS-AND-LIFE ARTSLIFE@QUCHRONICLE.COM Design by Hannah Schindler

CAFE HACKS

It’s about that time of year where you’re starting to get sick of some of the options on campus. A few members of The Chronicle got creative with the food options in the cafe and gave their reviews. -Nisha Gandhi

2

1

Penne pasta, sundried tomato pesto sauce, shredded cheese, carrots, veggie medley

3

4

Mashed potatoes, shredded cheese, onion, wild mushroom bisque 1

PENNE PASTA

Sarah “I like carrots and pasta, but separately. It’s alright though.” 3/5 Christina “Sweet carrots taste good with the sundried tomato pesto sauce, adds crunch to regular pasta.” 5/5 Kristen “The vegetables add a good crunch and a little bit of nutrients.” 3/5

3

MASHED POTATO

Nisha “Tastes like a baked potato or a perogi.” 4/5 Hannah “I don’t like mashed potatoes, but this is really tasty. Adds a lot of extra flavor to boring mashed potatoes” 4/5 Christina “Great if you like cheese & onions. The soup gives ordinary mashed potatos a flavorful addition.” 3/5

GLUTEN FREE!! Banana, almond butter, flax/ chia seeds, chocolate chips, raisins/craisins

2

Apple cinnamon oatmeal, almond butter, chocolate chips

BANANA SPLIT

Kristen “Usually the mushiness of banana is off putting but the fruits and seeds help cut through the mush.” 3/5 Nisha “Too much going on but it’s not that bad.” 3.5/5 Hannah “This is a creative way to eat banana and almonds, my favorite!!” 5/5

4

APPLE OATMEAL

Kristen “Almond butter makes it really sticky but adds lots of protein and flavor.” 3/5 Sarah “I feel like my mouth is going to be stuck together forever now but it tastes all right” 2/5 Christina “Oatmeal and almond butter is my favorite snack.” 5/5

Bonus Hack Getting tired of just settling for a plain, boring coffee? Try mixing up your drink! You can use the different blends of coffee, try mixing in hot chocolate or even use some cinnamon or honey to add some extra flavor!

Have your own cafe hack?

Tweet it to us at @quchronicle.

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Fe b r u a r y 1 7 , 2 0 1 6

Arts & Life|11

OPINION

KKK jokes are never funny

By JULIA PERKINS Editor-in-chief

A recent Internet meme featuring the Ku Klux Klan has misconstrued both history and current events in a way that promotes ignorance. The picture shows the women who danced during Beyonce’s Super Bowl halftime show performance with text that reads: “Beyonce’s dancers during Super Bowl. Supporting Black Panthers.

Apparently it’s totally okay to be racist if you’re a black celebrity.” Underneath is another picture of several Ku Klux Klan members waving their arms with text that reads “Next Super Bowl halftime show.”

The meme appears to try to say Beyonce was somehow being racist in her Super Bowl performance, so next year we should amp up the racism and bring in the KKK. Yet, to suggest the KKK, a white supremacist organization responsible for the murders of thousands of black people and the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, should perform at the Super Bowl is a disgrace to everything this country should stand for.

In “Race and Racisms: A Critical Approach ” author Tanya Maria Golash-Boza defines racism as “(1) the belief that races are populations of people whose physical differences are linked to significant cultural and social differences and that these innate hierarchical differences can be measured and judged, and (2) the practice of subordinating races believed to be inferior.”

Maybe I watched a different Super Bowl

performance than the meme creator, but nowhere did Beyonce perpetuate the idea certain races are inferior to others.

But what is even more disturbing than the desecration of Queen Bey is the way the meme equates the Black Panthers with the KKK. The Black Panthers formed in 1966 during the Civil Rights Movement. The party set up programs, such as ones that gave free breakfast to school children, protected people against police brutality and promoted community pride, according to PBS. However, the party is also associated with violence. When one types in “Black Panther Party” into Google images, several pictures of men with guns comes up. The group was involved in a shootout with the Oakland police in 1968 and went armed to the California Legislature in 1967 to protest a gun control law, according to USA Today.

One of its cofounders, Bobby Seale, was accused, but not convicted of murder, according to PBS. One should always hope communities and groups can push for and create social change without guns. But the truth is, violence attracts attention to causes, which makes change faster.

Besides, systematic racism and horrific acts by groups like the KKK foster justifiable anger in members of the black community. So then organizations like the Black Panthers form because marginalized people need a group that makes them feel connected to others and celebrates their identity. The KKK, on the other hand, lynched black people and burned their houses because they

RAVE

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF STARBUCKS APP

Starbucks app lets you order ahead

The consensus on this campus seems to be that Starbucks coffee is the way to go.

Starbucks has recently made getting coffee in the morning even easier. I just downloaded the Starbucks app in order to pay in the store using my phone, when I noticed that there was a tab to order.

Before you order, it tells you how far the closest Starbucks is from your current location and approximately how long it will take to make your drink. This way you know exactly when you should place your order so that it’s ready at a time that works for you. You also get to pay right from the app, so all you need to do is walk in the store, ask for your drink and it’s ready for you.

Here’s why this is awesome. A few days ago, my roommate wanted to go to Starbucks before class, and we left a little later than expected. I was then planning on having to show up to class late, being that stereotypical Quinnipiac student that walks in with a Starbucks cup. By using the app to order on our way, it was ready right after we walked in, and we were able to make it back to main campus, and even find a spot in North Lot, all before 11 a.m.

I am a big Dunkin Donuts fan, but Starbucks may end up getting more of my business if it’s always as quick an experience as it was last time. –J. Sweeney

FLIKR / NEWTON GRAFFITI

The white supremacist organization, the Ku Klux Klan was created during the Reconstruction era, but chapters still exist today. thought white people were superior.

Nor is the KKK is a thing of history. For example, a Missouri chapter of the KKK passed out fliers in St. Louis and on social media in November 2014 saying they would use “lethal force” against

Ferguson protests, according to Vice News.

Klan members, as well as institutionalized racism, are still hurting people’s lives and the country as a whole. This is why there’s a line, and KKK jokes cross it.

WRECK

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF TWITTER

Stop award show commentary

I’ve always been a fan of award shows, however, recently, as social media has taken over our world, I’ve started to hate them.

Scrolling through my Twitter timeline on Monday night was actually painful for me. Almost every tweet I read was negative commentary about the Grammys. People I follow were complaining left and right about who “deserved” to win an award and getting into fights with each other about who should have won with little to no logical support to back up their claims.

I truly apologize if you enjoy reading these tweets but personally, I find them extremely annoying.

The way I look at it, everyone who’s nominated is doing something right. Whether or not I agree with the lyrics or the format of their acceptance speeches, these nominees are working insanely hard to make their dreams a reality and that’s more than I can say about myself.

It’s a little ridiculous that people get into very real and very heated fights with their peers over who they think should have won and to be honest, it’s ruining the fun of award shows. They’re supposed to be for entertainment, so that we, as an audience, can gawk over the gorgeous gowns and be exposed to new things in the entertainment world, not so that we can sit on our couches with a bag of chips feverishly typing away on our laptops trying to have a full blown argument with someone online using just 140 characters at a time.

It’s time to stop this social media madness and go back to enjoying award shows for what they are: entertainment and a reason to hang out with all your friends. –N. Gandhi

12|Arts & Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

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The Gym Just Isn’t Working Out male Perspective

By SEAN KELLY Contributing writer

Men downstairs and women upstairs, this juvenile separation of sexes is what you would likely see at Quinnipiac’s Mount Carmel gym.

The lower floor includes the weight room and basketball court, while the upper floor includes aerobic machines and a track. With such a wide variety of machines to use, why is there not an equal representation of men and women on each floor?

A major factor, as senior gym employee Melissa Barclay would agree, is intimidation.

“I do believe that girls are intimidated by the weight room,” she said.

This dilemma comprises a major reason people go to the gym in the first place: stress relief. After a long day, gym goers seek exercise as an escape. Therefore, putting oneself in a place of discomfort or judgment is not an ideal relief from stress.

But is it discomfort or simply a difference in workout routines?

“I think it’s a little bit of both,” senior Chris Danielle said. “Guys typically stay in the weight room while girls like doing cardio, abs, [and] lighter activity.”

So then how do we incorporate women into the weight room, or men on the aerobics machines?

“I believe if it was a larger space, they would feel less like someone is watching them,” Barclay said.

Chris suggests the addition of “more machines” and the “integration of the two, cardio and weights together” could be a solution to this problem.

Being in the minority of a room could draw some attention. However, having this ‘larger space’ could simply be achieved by going to the gym during times when it is less crowded. Then, someone who is uncomfortable being the only man or woman in the room can gain confidence in his or her workout despite whoevers in the room.

The second issue that I have with the gym is an issue that applies to both genders, and that is the electronic sign above the track. The sign, which was installed last fall, points joggers in the direction of which to run around the track. Each day the sign changes directions from clockwise to counterclockwise.

In the first few weeks of this sign’s installment, many people were running in both directions and bumping into each other. The sign was just above the line of sight to be ignored by most people. Eventually, frequent gym users became aware of the sign and followed its direction. The daily change in direction can rejuvenate a monotonous workout routine, but the sign still seems unnecessary, especially with the

Female Perspective

By MADISON FRAITAG Associate Arts & Life Editor

Any female who enters the Mount Carmel gym knows how it feels to be outnumbered. The male to female ratio has gotten unacceptably uneven.

Females entering the weight room can expect to be greeted by testosterone and uncomfortable stares.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for females to have a comfortable, accepting workout atmosphere and currently, that is not the case here at QU. Freshman occupational therapy major Shay Vobis is a regular in the Mount Carmel gym. Vobis said she tries to use the weight room every other day but is forced to face the discomfort of a male dominated setting.

“I rarely see a girl in there,” Vobis said. “It’s very uncomfortable to work out.”

While this inequality is off putting in itself, the aggressive nature of a male workout regimen can be an additional factor in driving females away.

“I’m very intimidated,” Vobis said. “Sometimes they stare at you because you’re the only girl in there.”

This discomfort is not limited to gym-goers.

Allison Nascimento, a sophomore nursing major, has worked in the fitness center for over a year now.

Nascimento said although many other employees are female, the majority of supervisors are male.

Nascimento acknowledges the imbalance

between males and females in the weight room, yet says some females do utilize it.

“There’s actually a few, maybe five girls that go in there during my shift, so it’s not unusual for me to see, but there’s obviously a difference in ratio, there’s a lot more guys,” Nascimento said.

Although she is an employee, Nascimento also makes use of the fitness center. However, her discomfort in the weight room does not entirely stem from gender inequality.

“Sometimes I know that they [guys] obviously stare at the person that’s different but I find myself going in there when there’re girl athletes training so I’m not even intimidated by the guys I’m intimidated by the girls as well,” she said.

With this primarily male presence in the weight room, many females find refuge in the upper gym with the cardio machines. However, as this divide becomes more apparent, males may feel unwelcomed upstairs.

“Based on the people that I sign out when I’m working by the computer and during the shifts that I work, a lot more girls sign up and there’s only a few guys that sign up for a treadmill or a bike, very rarely though,” Nascimento said.

It is clear that there is an imbalance in the Mount Carmel gym, but it is not clear if anything will be done to alleviate it. Until then, males and females will most likely stay in their place or be forced to step over unspoken boundaries.

Think before you speak

Student creates Facebook group to teach students not to be offensive

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE YOU DON’T SAY QU FACEBOOK PAGE

By AMANDA PERELLI Staff Writer

A Facebook page created by senior psychology major Erik Panzer is reminding the Quinnipiac community to think before they speak.

“You Don’t Say QU” was created by Panzer in the spring of 2015. The organization promotes the idea to think before you say something offensive.

“It came across my Facebook feed, the original one done by Duke University,” Panzer said. “I thought ‘Oh that’s pretty cool’, so I contacted the people at Duke to make sure they were comfortable if I was able to start something at Quinnipiac and they were all for it.”

The purpose of the page is to spread awareness of what an offensive phrase is and why it is important

to avoid them.

Duke University’s student organizations, Think Before You Talk and Blue Devils United, helped create the first “You Don’t Say” University Facebook page.

Since then the Duke page has featured posts from other universities, including Quinnipiac and they have been in contact with Panzer about the Quinnipiac page.

“I targeted the athletes first because those were the people I had access to at the time and that’s where Duke’s most powerful ones were, the athletes,” Panzer said.

Accessibility and support are behind why the page mainly features students from Greek life and Student government.

“I don’t want it to be groups of people because I’ve had people complain about it,” Panzer said.

“They don’t feel like they should be doing it because they’re not in a group like that but these groups are just what I’ve had the most access to.”

Panzer has not turned anyone down who wants to be on the site. It is not a difficult process to run the page but they have faced problems with wording in the past.

“We edit a lot and it’s the edits that may change someone’s original word or original statement. There have been times where different associations will complain about how it’s been said,” Panzer said. “So we edit a lot and we might change the word or phrase a little bit. It’s more to support than it is to offend.”

With the Duke page facing neglect after its creator

graduated, Panzer would love to see the Quinnipiac organization grow once he leaves in the spring.

“I had interest from someone and I offered to hand it off to them if they wanted to continue it on but I haven’t heard back from them,” Panzer said.

“I’d love someone who has as much passion as I do to come and take it over.”

The process of creating a post is simple.

“They’ll send it to me, I’ll look at it and edit it, I’ll send it to the Duke guy to look it over and then we’ll get it going,” Panzer said. “A bit of organizing and photographing but it’s manageable. It’s a good message and has a lot of impact. Just one of them reached over 20,000 people on Facebook.”

Students can get involved by contacting the email on the Facebook page.

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|13

Turner: West and Brown are both ‘very driven’ WEST & BROWN from Page 16 “The neat thing in women’s hockey is that when you look at some of the top teams, they have a number of good players on them.” Turner said. “Once you’re involved in one program, usually there’s more than one player that’s strong there so it’s always nice when there’s people who know each other well and both get excited about going to the same place.”

According to Turner, West and Brown have had a big impact on the team.

“They are two incredibly talented hockey players and very driven individuals and we saw that when we watched them play with Whitby together,” Turner said.

“We saw that when we watched them play with Team Ontario together.”

“It’s remarkable just how well they’re playing, and how much they’ve developed and how confident they are in playing the role that we need them to play and saying, ‘this team comes first and I’m going to do whatever I can to help this team,’” Turner added.

Turner also said that due to West’s competitive nature and Brown’s humor, the two are very important to the team’s chemistry.

“They’re a lot of fun and without them we wouldn’t have the team dynamic that we have right now. They’re both really important [to this team].”

Over the years, the two Ontario natives have become close friends.

“I’ve seen Nicole grow and what she’s done even in hockey and in school and just life,” West said. “You see each other, you live with each other, and you learn the patterns.”

CHRONICLE FILE PHOTOS

Lindsey West and Nicole Brown have combined for 27 points so far this season.

“I know how to push her buttons and things like that,” Brown added. “She eats pasta every single day, Kraft dinner is probably her favorite… We’re like sisters now I think. I know a lot about her and she knows a lot about me.”

According to Turner, West and Brown have improved a lot since coming to Quinnipiac.

Brown, a forward, is currently riding a career high point total with 19 points on the season after scoring 15 points as a junior, 11 points as a sophomore, and 15 points as a freshman.

West, a defenseman, has 8 points this season after scoring 10 points last season, 6 as a sophomore, and none as a freshman.

Both players have suited up for all 31 games so far this season.

“They’re both so much stronger,” Turner said. “We have an outstanding strength and conditioning program… and both of them have picked up speed, they’ve picked up strength, their shots have improved, their quickness, their agility on the ice [have

all improved].”

As their college careers come to a close, both players have taken time to reflect on the time they spent at Quinnipiac University.

“It’s cliche, but it’s gone by so fast,” West said. “Getting to play a sport is definitely something that’s made it fun, but I can’t believe it’s kind of–it’s hard to say–coming to an end.”

“I’m jealous of all of the people who are going to come in and take our place over the next four years. If I could do this all over again I’d definitely do it,” Brown said.

West was sure to add that the team felt like a family.

“I’ve grown to have 23 other sisters… I [could] never picture doing this with anyone else,” she said.

Both players hope to aid the Bobcats in reaching the Frozen Four this year, but as for their own futures, Brown and West are considering their options. After all, she majors in public relations while Brown is a health science major.

“We’re both kind of on different paths with what we’re doing for school,” West said.

However, both players are considering the possibility of playing together in Europe.

“It’s a possibility,” West said.

“It’s still something kind of in the works, we’re not really sure… what’s going to happen in the next couple of months.”

“And we only live like 10 minutes away when we go back home to Canada so I’m sure we’ll run into each other every now and then,” Brown said, jokingly. “I can’t quite get rid of her.”

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

14|Sports MEN’S ICE HOCKEY

St. Lawrence 4, QU 3 (OT) – Friday Sam Anas: 1 goal Devon Toews: 2 assists Michael Garteig: 22 saves

QU 3, Clarkson 2 (OT) – Saturday Chase Priskie: 1 goal Toews: 1 goal, 1 assist Garteig: 30 saves

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU 3, St. Lawrence 0 – Friday

Melissa Samoskevich:1 goal, 1 assist Emma Woods: 1 goal, 1 assist Sydney Rossman: 25 saves

QU 2, Clarkson 2 (OT) – Saturday Woods: 1 goal, 1 assist Samoskevich:1 goal

MEN’S BASKETBALL Manhattan 84, QU 77 – Thursday

Daniel Harris: 16 points, 5 assists Abdulai Bundu: 12 points, 8 rebounds Fairfield 84, QU 80 (2OT) – Saturday Chaise Daniels: 28 points, 8 rebounds Bundu: 16 points, 10 rebounds

Iona 78, QU 59 – Monday Bundu: 12 points, 6 rebounds Daniels: 12 points, 7 rebounds WOMEN’S BASKETBALL QU 62, Iona 61 – Friday Aryn McClure: 22 points Paula Strautmane: 14 points, QU 63, St. Peters 53 – Friday McClure: 14 points, 7 rebounds Maria Napolitano: 14 points

GAMES TO WATCH MEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU at RPI – Friday, 7 p.m.

QU at Union – Saturday, 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU vs. Union – Friday,7 p.m.

QU vs. RPI – Saturday, 4 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL QU vs. St. Peter’s –Thursday, 8 p.m.

QU vs. Manhattan – Sunday, 2 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL QU vs. Marist – Thursday, 5 p.m.

QU at Rider – Sunday, 2 p.m.

QU at Manhattan – Tuesday, 5 p.m.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE QU at UCONN – Wednesday, 3 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOFTBALL QU vs. Lipscomb – Friday, 2 p.m.

QU vs. Indiana State – Friday, 7 p.m.

QU vs. Western Illinois – Saturday, 9 a.m.

QU vs. Loyola – Saturday, 11:30 a.m.

QU vs. Wisconsin Green Bay – Sunday, 9 a.m.

(All games held in Chicago, IL)

Follow @QUChronSports for live updates during games.

Watch Q30 Sports for Quinnipiac athletics video highlights.

Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network is your source for live broadcasts.

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GAME OF THE WEEK

Men’s basketball falls to Fairfield in 2OT Daniels scores career-high 28 points in loss

By MAX GOMES Staff Writer

Quinnipiac men’s basketball faced the Fairfield Stags on Saturday looking to improve its 5-9 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record and break a two-game skid. The Bobcats extended the game to two overtimes, but ultimately fell to the Stags 84-80.

“Tough loss,” Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore said. “Being at home, we really would have loved to have won and try to keep pace with some teams in the middle of the pack [in the MAAC].”

Quinnipiac forward Chaise Daniels proved to be a dominant force as he went 6-9 from the field, banking 12 points for the Bobcats in the first half. Daniels eventually finished with a career-high 28 points in the contest.

Daniels made a layup with 4:30 left in the half to put the Bobcats up eight. However, with three minutes left in the first half, the Stags went on a 10-0 run to end the first half leading 38-34.

“We lacked confidence with the ball early in the game and just was terrible at both ends at the end of the first half,” Moore said.

Quinnipiac kept even with Fairfield during the second half as neither team could build more than a four-point lead. The Bobcats gained possession on loose balls and on the boards throughout the second half, out-rebounding Fairfield 29-15 and grabbing 13 on the offensive glass. Daniels said that the physicality has been with the team all season.

NICK SOLARI/CHRONICLE

Quinnipiac guard Giovanni McLean drives past Fairfield forward Matija Milin during Saturday’s 84-80 loss.

“We are a scrappy team. We like to fight, dig and earn the win.”

Daniels said. “We’re accustomed to this type of game.”

With the clock winding down in regulation and the Bobcats down, Quinnipiac guard Daniel Harris got fouled while attempting a three-pointer. Harris knocked down all three free throws to knot the game at 70 apiece with 28 seconds left in regulation.

Fairfield’s Curtis Cobb missed

a potentially game-winning jumper with :04 left in regulation and the game entered overtime.

After Tyler Nelson hit a threepointer to put the Stags up 77-75 with :39 left in the first overtime, Daniels hit two free throws to tie the game and send the game into another extra period.

Abdulai Bundu hit the Bobcats’ only field goal in the second overtime and the team scored just one point over the final 4:21. Cobb put

in six of Fairfield’s seven points in the second overtime to put him at a team-high 19 points on the night as the Stags won 84-80.

“When you have a game like that and goes into double overtime, you have to be scrappy,” Harris, who played a team-high 44 minutes, said. “You’ve got to dig deep.

You might be a little fatigued, you might be tired, but you have to dig deep and get a W. We didn’t get that tonight.”

Ulrich: [Merkel] is ‘the best shot putter we have’ MERKEL from Page 16 been left yet.”

Merkel had a solid campaign in the inaugural season of shot put at Quinnipiac, setting a personal best of 39.46 feet as well as placing 10th overall in the MAAC Championships. While this start was pretty extraordinary, Merkel remains far from satisfied.

“I need to get my numbers up this year,” Merkel said. “Because they expect me to come in and break boundaries, so now that’s what I have to do.”

Satisfied or not, Merkel’s teammates are continuously impressed by her work ethic and the way in which she pushes herself as well as her peers forward.

“She is kind of the workhorse of the team,” sophomore sprinter Jessica Lee said. “She goes out of her way to do things on her own outside of practice to ensure that every meet she sets personal records and gets better.”

Lee is not the only one who notices just how hard Merkel works on a day-to-day basis. Assistant coach Steve Belanger does as well.

“There’s a lot of workouts where I see that fire, she wants it,” Belanger said. “She wants to get better. And you know, a lot of athletes just don’t have that.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MACKENZIE MERKEL

Mackenzie Merkel and her brother, Aidan, share a touching moment.

Where does this “workhorse” mentality and drive stem from for Merkel? That would be her little brother.

“He just works so hard,” she said. “It’s amazing because he still seems like a baby to me but he has come such a long way.”

To communicate with Merkel and the rest of his family, Aidan uses an iPad that he types into and it speaks for him. While this may seem like an easy thing to do for most people, unfortunately, for Aidan, the movements required to do such a thing takes a lot of prac-

tice and hard work.

Merkel and her family credit Aidan’s physical therapist for his development and growth both physically as well as mentally, and it is that feat that pushed her into the physical therapy/athletic training major.

“He’s had the same physical therapist since he was born, so she’s helped him so much,” Merkel said. “That’s why I want to do that, because I want to be able to help other kids like him so that they can progress.”

A combination of the agoniz-

ing schedule of a Division I athlete paired with the daunting academia of the physical therapist major would also cause most to lose focus. Mackenzie, on the other hand, is combatting it quite well according to her senior captain Kristen Ulrich.

“She is always running around but she always gets her practice in,” Ulrich said. “She is also there for anybody else on the team too.”

Ulrich not only pointed to Mackenzie’s dedication, but her talent and leadership as well.

“She’s the best shot putter we have,” Ulrich said. “There are a lot of newbies for the shot put and when she is watching them and sees a single thing they are doing, she pulls them aside and shows them exactly how they are supposed to be doing it.”

After becoming exactly what her brother Aidan needed in a sister, Merkel has also become everything her peers need in a teammate and a friend.

When it comes to what the rest of her time as a Bobcat will hopefully bring, Merkel says she looks to push past 40 feet for a new personal best, with her parents Ronald and Colleen, and of course Aidan, by her side.

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|15

No. 5 Acrobatics and Tumbling falls to No. 1 Baylor Bobcats back in action at Alderson Broaddus University on Saturday

By CONOR ROCHE Staff Writer

No. 5 Quinnipiac (0-1) acrobatics and tumbling lost its season opener at home on Sunday to the No. 1 Baylor Bears (1-0) – the defending national champion – by a final score of 286.96-278.775.

The Bobcats started out ahead after winning the first event, the Compulsory round, 38.50-38.40. The Bears then took the second event, acrobatics, 29.35-28.45 and held the overall lead 67.75-66.95. Baylor held that lead throughout the remainder of the contest.

After the Bobcats took the pyramid round, 29.80-29.75, and the Bears taking the toss event, 29.40-29.10, the Bears went into the final two events leading 126.90-125.85.

Quinnipiac head coach Mary Ann Powers took these first events to help strengthen her team.

“I scaled back on a lot of their star values because I just wanted them to get some confidence,” Powers said. “Whereas the stare values on Baylor’s side were already way

up there. We stayed close and now I get to build the season and put some layers on this and I think the kids are ready for more.”

The Bears started to add onto their lead in the tumbling event, winning 58.3555.525, and went into the final event leading 185.25-181.35. The Bears secured the victory after winning the team event 101.7197.40.

Even though this game stands as a loss on the team’s record, Powers believes this was an overall win for the team.

“I don’t take this as a loss” Powers said.

“There’s lots of ways to win. We won in this bench today, we won in confidence, we won in regaining some injuries, we won in these kids having a ball and making sure that are fans had a good time and growing the sport.

There’s a lot of wins here and no losses for this team.”

The Bobcats will next go to Philippi, West Virginia to face Alderson Broaddus University and Fairmont State University on Saturday afternoon.

PHOTOS BY NICK SOLARI, JULIA GALLOP/CHRONICLE

16|Sports COACH’S CORNER

“[The win vs. Iona] was, I’m sure, pretty entertaining to watch from about five minutes to go in the third quarter all the way down to the end of the game.”

— TRICIA FABBRI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports

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Merkel’s Mission

Women’s indoor track’s Mackenzie Merkel is inspired by her brother, Aidan, who has a genetic disorder and severe autism

By BILL RUOCCO Staff Writer

For most individuals, there is a time where perseverance is an obligatory characteristic in order to achieve.

When Mackenzie Merkel was 8 years old, her brother, Aidan, was diagnosed with a genetic disorder that complicates everything he attempts to do. Two years later, Aidan was also diagnosed with Autism. For Aidan, giving up is not an option, and for his sister, Mackenzie, it is no longer an option either.

Sophomore Mackenzie Merkel of the women’s indoor track team uses both her love for her brother as well as his display of perseverance to create a fuel that pushes her to be better.

Merkel’s younger brother, Aidan, 11, has severe Autism as well as prader-willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects height as well as causes developmental delays.

His entire life, Aidan has had trouble accomplishing the tasks that we think of as everyday activities, including his current inability to talk. It is Aidan’s constant effort and persistence toward things such as attempting talking to his sister that push Mackenzie every single day at practice and events.

“I don’t like when people say that you can’t do something,” Merkel said. “Because you don’t know if they can or can’t, you’ve never seen them try.”

Merkel said she would do any-

PHOTO COURTESY OF MACKENZIE MERKEL

Mackenzie Merkel and her brother Aiden pose for a family photo.

thing to have a conversation with Aidan, even if he was speaking Spanish.

Regardless Merkel said the two are close.

“As weird as it sounds, because he can’t talk, so how could he be

your best friend? But he really is my best friend,” she said.

As a senior at the Academy of Holy Angels in Demarest, New Jersey, Merkel earned all-league as well as all-division honors in the shot put, the event that she would

carry on with following that season.

Upon arrival at Quinnipiac, the shot put event for the respective women’s indoor track team was non-existent. Merkel plans on wasting no time making her mark

on the newly orientated program.

“What a great thing to start, I could be the first person to throw shot put at Quinnipiac,” Merkel said. “To leave a mark that hasn’t See MERKEL Page 14

Special bond between West, Brown helps women’s ice hockey

By SAM DACOSTA Staff Writer

As the women’s hockey season is coming to a close, so are the college hockey careers of many Bobcat seniors. Among them are Lindsey West and Nicole Brown.

West and Brown are about to close another chapter of their long history playing together. In fact, the two have been teammates since before they were Bobcats, both playing for the Whitby Jr. Wolves and the Team Ontario select team.

Both West and Brown credit the Whitby Jr. Wolves and their coaching staff for helping them develop as players.

“It definitely got me to where I am today,” Brown said. “I don’t think I would be at Quinnipiac if I didn’t go to Whitby first so it was a really awesome experience.” “[The coaching staff] works with each player to help them accomplish what they want to do,” West added.

HAILEY GUARRACINO/CHRONICLE

Nicole Brown and Lindsey West celebrate a goal with their teammates in a 2-2 tie Saturday Feb. 13.

Both West and Brown felt that going through the recruiting process together, along with their

teammates on Whitby and Team Ontario, made it much easier to decide on their future.

However, when Brown was first contacted by Quinnipiac, she knew nothing about the school.

“I had to Google it,” Brown said. “Just talking about it with my teammates at Whitby, I found out that Lindsey [West] was also interested in Quinnipiac. So we kind of rode on that process together, talked about phone calls and things like that, so it was cool to go through it with someone who is actually on my team now.”

Quinnipiac head coach Cassandra Turner played a major role in bringing the two to Quinnipiac.

“I remember having phone calls with Cass (Turner), who at the time was the assistant coach and she really was the one that made the program seem like a place where I wanted to be for the next four years – a place that I could call home,” West said.

“I remember talking to Nicole and the day that she committed we knew that for the next four years we

were still going to get to play together and have the chemistry that we built in Whitby to continue.”

West and Brown had a history with several Quinnipiac players as they were teammates with Kristen Tamberg, Cydney Roesler, and Nicole Connery on Team Ontario.

“We had that experience to play with each other and know each other from the past,” West said.

“Coming to school with a group of friends was a lot of fun.”

According to Brown, it is rare to see a team with as much past history together as the Bobcats.

“It’s definitely something that a lot of other schools can’t say they have in a senior class is five players who have all played together before they came to the school,” Brown said.

Turner explained the reason her team is filled with so many players with prior experience as teammates.

See WEST & BROWN Page 13