The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Issue 4, Volume 90

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 • VOLUME 90 • ISSUE 4

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

OPINION: CHRISSY TEIGEN P. 4

ARTS & LIFE: RELAY FOR LIFE PREVIEW P. 6

SPORTS: ROBINSON’S RISE P. 10

QU cleans house while forging ahead Olian says strategic priorities will continue as planned despite budget cuts

By EMILY DISALVO News Editor

The $3.2 million slash to the budget is a good opportunity to clean house and reassess priorities at Quinnipiac University, according to President Judy Olian and other administrators.

The university asked deans and other unit heads to reduce their budgets for this year because of an enrollment shortfall.

“The question is, would you make the choice to continue investing in everything that you’ve been doing for the last 10, 20, 30 years if it doesn’t feed into the future?” Olian said.

Olian said the $3.2 million in cuts will not be affecting students but rather university spending in the “margins.”

“Everything about the budget cuts is really at the margin and there was nothing, and I emphasize nothing, that is being withdrawn from the student-focused or student-centric services that we’re delivering,” Olian said.

The budget cuts, which make up 3.93% of the operating budget, are a result of a significant shortfall in enrollment for class of 2023.

Deans across the university are in the process of making decisions about what will be cut in their schools. Executive Vice President and Provost Jennifer Brown said she has been reviewing the deans’ decisions and sees a few patterns in which areas have been cut.

“I can tell you this afternoon as I have been gathering and collating the offered budget reductions from the various schools and vice presidents, mostly what I’m seeing are reduc-

tions in part-time faculty who will not be as necessary given the reduced number of students we have to teach,” Brown said.

Brown also said many of the cuts she has seen in the offered budget reductions are related to membership dues for outside organizations, software, travel, lodging and catering.

Olian also mentioned assessing academic programs to see if there are any with low enrollment. Eliminating an unpopular minor, for example, would allow faculty resources to be redirected elsewhere.

“The question is, can some faculty and programs be redirected into those areas if enrollments are very low in other parts?” Olian said.

“We would look at enrollments and expertise and where students are headed for careers.”

Brown said one program under consideration is a graduate medical program that she estimated had only four students enrolled.

Olian said “several thousand” dollars of the cuts will come from athletics.

While hiring for offices and schools across campus is “frozen,” the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the Office of Development will continue to spend money in hopes of increasing enrollment and philanthropy.

Brown said work on the strategic plan will continue because the university’s forward momentum is important.

“If this current year we asked some professors not to travel or to travel less than they otherwise would have, that has a very short-term, relatively small impact this year,” Brown said.

GRAPHIC JANNA MARNELL

Quinnipiac University ranking compared to peer institutions.

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Labs, like this one on the first floor of Tator Hall, were renovated this summer. Renovations on the North Haven campus are also underway according to Olian.

“But if we put a halt to the kind of thinking we are doing about how to support students here– I do believe that health and wellness center is an important part of supporting student life at

Quinnipiac — I think that would be a big mistake. To put a halt to that would be to lose time See BUDGET Page 3

Don Sawyer steps into a new role

The position for associate VP of equity and inclusion is evolving and Sawyer is part of the journey Staff Writer

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Don Sawyer is now the vice president for equity and inclusion – a new role for him and the Quinnipiac community.

Sawyer’s promotion from his previous role as associate vice president of academic affairs and chief diversity officer, announced

by President Judy Olian in an email, comes in the wake of the Princeton Review’s new college ranking of Colleges with Little Race/ Class Interaction. Quinnipiac was voted No. 1 in this category and Quinnipiac administration is looking hard at how to change this from a societal standpoint.

“When we talk about diversifying a community, bringing people here doesn’t necessarily mean that there are going to be connections that are made across differences,” Sawyer said. “When we talk about diversity, we talk about increasing the number of different identities that you have on campus.

But by just increasing the numbers that you have on campus doesn’t mean that there is going to be any interaction.”

Sawyer’s new responsibilities, outlined in Olian’s email, include engaging the com-

high-school communities and starting an action team that responds when difficult situations arise.

Sawyer said this promotion is just an extension of his last position with an increase in diversity responsibilities.

“This role is to ensure that one, diversity and inclusion is not seen as any one office,” Sawyer said. “And, also, helping to expand what inclusive excellence means across all three campuses.”

In a previous article on the Quinnipiac’s official website about Sawyer being promoted to his previous role as chief diversity officer in April 2018, Mark Thompson, executive vice president and interim provost, reflected on Sawyer’s experience and his commitment to students.

“He knows Quinnipiac well and has forged strong relationships with students, faculty, administrators and staff across our three campuses,” Thompson said. “During his time here, he has worked with multiple groups to find solutions to complicated issues and strived to create an environment that leads to our recruiting, retaining and graduating civically engaged students.”

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Esau Greene, a junior political science and sociology double major and vice president for student experience, has worked with Sawyer on a number of initiatives.

“Last year, we finished work on this initiative called Cultural Education, Cultural EDU,” Greene said. “Essentially, it was a mirror off of Alcohol EDU and Sexual Assault EDU, teaching incoming freshman and possibly juniors and seniors about cultural education and diversity inclusion.”

Sawyer has been teaching for the last 20 years, according to Olian’s email. Before he joined Quinnipiac’s faculty in 2012, he taught at Syracuse University, where he got his PhD in sociology. He is now a tenured professor in Quinnipiac’s sociology, criminal justice and anthropology departments.

He has initiated a number of programs, both in the Quinnipiac and New Haven community. One of these programs is called the #HipHopProject that he started at the Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven.

“The initiative utilizes the hip-hop music genre as a means to combat both disciplinSee SAWYER Page 2

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INDEX

By GARRET REICH

Opinion: 4

Arts and Life: 6

Sports: 10

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

2| News

Digging in

MEET THE EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bryan Murphy MANAGING EDITOR

Professor at Quinnipiac uses grant to study 4,500-year-old bones from Arabian Peninsula

Alexis Guerra

By EMILY FLAMME

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Quinnipiac University teamed up with the University of South Alabama to research the Early Bronze Age by using skeletons on loan from the United Arab Emirates.

Jaime Ullinger, a professor of anthropology at Quinnipiac, designed the program with colleague Lesley A. Gregoricka of the University of South Alabama.

“We worked together on projects for a pretty long time and three years ago, we both traveled to the United Arab Emirates with Quinnipiac students,” Ullinger said.

“We kind of talked about possibly this REU grant, which means ‘research experience for undergraduates.’”

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the professors $293,914 in a Research Experiments for Undergraduates (REU) grant.

“Effectively there’s a stipend that goes to the students, so they actually get paid,” Ullinger said. “It is the only time in a scientist’s life that they will get paid for doing research.”

Although Ullinger’s mission is to research the bones that she retrieved from the Arabian Peninsula, her other goal is to give undergraduates an opportunity to work as archaeologists. She applied for the grant so students can get the chance to do hands-on research as well as learn how to effectively share their knowledge.

“One thing we are thinking about is science outreach, how to make things accessible. We have a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,” Ullinger said. “They made fiveminute videos that explain their research.

We are adding Arabic subtitles so people in the UAE can see the videos and learn what we have discovered.”

Ullinger gave some insight into what the students have been researching so far.

“Your skeleton can, ultimately, [react] to society and culture. Things that you eat, the way that you were treated, and the way that you worked,” Ullinger said. “We know that at least 400 people were buried in say one of

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Students across the country took part in real-world archaeology research. these tombs. But they’re kind of mixed up, and this is called commingled, people are coming in and moving things around, that’s part of the process. The idea is that even though you were an individual in life, after death you all become an ancestor group that’s important somehow.”

Archaeologists understand that during the Early Bronze Age, the society Ullinger is studying, did not adopt writing practices from the big civilizations around them, namely Mesopotamia and Egypt. The people that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula still had intricate cultural practices that archaeologists are uncovering today.

“Interestingly, we’re going to present at the conference in the spring that there is someone in the tomb, in one of the tombs, who was left articulated, meaning she didn’t get mixed up with everyone,” Ullinger said.

“This summer we found out that there is a lesion on one of her ankle bones that is consistent with being some kind of tumor. That may have impacted her mobility, so maybe she couldn’t walk as well as other people.

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September 18, 2019

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The program took place at the University of Alabama, but Quinnipiac students were involved.

There’s another tomb, not so far from that tomb, that my colleague worked on. Another individual who had a form of polio, who would have also had limited mobility, she was also left articulated. We’re trying then, we’re interested in why these two individuals were left with their skeletons intact, and everyone else’s is mixed together.”

This research was conducted at the University of South Alabama with students all across the country, but Ullinger involves students that attend Quinnipiac. Her ultimate goal is for undergraduates earning their anthropology degree to have real experience in the archaeological field before moving onto graduate school.

“I have a lot of students who do research with me at the center of anthropological research, and they have already been working on some things related to this project,” Ullinger said. “We have some of the skeletons here in order to do some X-rays and CT scans of them.”

As for the future research of this REU program, Ullinger said, the exploration isn’t over yet.

“Next summer we’re going to be doing aging, so groups will assess bones to see what the ages were of all the skeletons,” Ullinger said. “And we’ll be looking at activity patterns next summer, like where certain muscles pull on the bone and what that can mean about someone doing work that requires a lot of upper-arm strength.”

Though Ullinger gets to uncover the mysteries of a prehistoric society through technical research, it is more than that to her—it is about who these people were.

“There is nothing these people wrote, but what I really like about working with skeletons is that those are the people themselves,” Ullinger said. “It’s not the stuff that they made, it’s the actual people. It’s the most direct lens into looking into how all those people lived.

It’s not what they wrote, it’s not what they made, but them themselves.”

Thompson: ‘He knows Quinnipiac well’ SAWYER from cover ary issues and the drop-out rate among atrisk students,” according to QU.edu. “Under Professor Sawyer’s guidance, students also learn to make hip-hop, rap and poetry their mediums for expressing their hardships, struggles, hopes and aspirations.”

This program has expanded into Sawyer’s Quinnipiac model, like his Sociology of Hip-Hop class.

Greene said Sawyer’s initiatives and work on campus have impacted the discussions held around campus.

“I think I’ve seen him open up a lot of doors for students of color, bridged a lot of gaps in understanding for students of majority students on campus and minority students,” Greene said. “He does a great job bringing people to the table, giving a place for understanding, a place for voices to be heard, topics to be talked about.”

Sawyer said that he believes it is the

role of the Quinnipiac community to create spaces where these critical conversations and dialogue can take place.

“We see that there is a lack of dialogue across these differences but we can’t assume that they are going to happen on their own,” Sawyer said. “What is our role in providing these spaces to have this dialogue? It’s not just about dialogue, it’s about perspective taking, it’s about that interaction that we have, it’s about that expanded worldview that will result from these intentional dialogues.”

September 18, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

The man with a plan

FEATURED EVENTS WANT YOUR EVENT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION IN THE CHRONICLE? Email tips@quchronicle.com

Wednesday, Sept. 18 Club Hole in the Wall Scrunchies Fundraiser Club Hole in the Wall will be selling hair scrunchies for $3 at the Student Center tables on Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Proceeds from the sale will go to Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut for terminally ill children.

Kevin Smith: Success Beyond the Major The Student Programming Board (SPB) will be bringing speaker Kevin Smith to campus.

Smith’s keynote, called Success Beyond the Major, focuses on inspiring students to pursue their dreams and define their unique value. The event will be held in the Piazza at 8 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 19 AMA BBQ The American Marketing Association (AMA) is hosting a barbecue for all students to come learn about AMA and enjoy some free food.

The barbecue will be held on the Mount Carmel Maple Grove at 4 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 20

From the campaign trail to the SGA suite, QU’s newest class president aims to make the Class of 2023’s voice heard

By MIKE CLEMENT Contributing Writer

Between the newly-gained independence, the waves of unfamiliar faces and the unexplored terrain set before you, adjusting to living at college can be an overwhelming experience for many. Within the first few weeks after movein day most freshmen create micro-communities within their residence halls the more everyone gets to know one another.

By the time Student Government elections rolled around this past Monday, Sept. 9, freshman Carmine Grippo had converted the third floor of Irma into his campaign headquarters.

“I just wanted to meet people and talk to people,” Grippo said. “Before I even decided to run for president, that was my goal. My thought process was even if I lost I still met people and got to make a ton of friends around campus.”

Grippo, an undeclared business major from Middletown, Connecticut, said he comes from a pedigree of leadership and hard work.

Since elementary school, Grippo has always stepped up and been the voice of his class. He also grew up helping out at his family’s gas station, which in return taught him how to be an effective communicator.

“I can talk to any type of person,” Grippo said. “One of the most important parts of being an effective leader is to be diverse in how you talk to people. Administrators, older people, younger people, it doesn’t matter what your background is, I can always communicate with you. I love all people. I love humans.”

With the combination of communication and charisma, Grippo set out to knock on as many freshman dorm room doors as possible to get a

Comedian K-von Stage comedian K-von will be performing live in Buckman Center at 10 p.m. He is the star of MTV’s hit show “Disaster Date” and has made an appearance on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” SPB will also be providing free food at the event.

Saturday, Sept. 21 Rooting for you Students can plant their own succulent to decorate their dorm room in the Lower Cafe on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. SPB will also be providing free snacks.

Sunday, Sept. 22 Relay for Life The event welcomes students, staff, family and friends to our school to participate in various activities in an effort to raise money for The American Cancer Society. Relay for Life will be held at 10 a.m. on Tator Hall Lawn.

Monday, Sept. 23 Tap Company Technique Classes Students can participate in technique classes with the Tap Company to work on skills needed for their choreography. These classes will help students pick up choreography quicker. It will be held at 9 p.m. in BC 150.

Tuesday, Sept. 24 Trivia Tuesdays on the Hill Join SPB for Trivia Tuesdays on the Hill.

Bring your friends up to Rocky Top on York Hill at 9:30 p.m. for the chance to test your trivia knowledge and win some great prizes.

Snacks will also be provided.

News |3

better sense of who his classmates are and how he could effectively serve them as class president. It paid dividends — last Monday the class of 2023 elected Grippo to be its president by a margin of 82 votes. He even received the most votes for class senate, but he cannot hold two SGA positions at once.

“My strategy was just to be a friend to fellow freshmen,” Grippo said. “My floor in Irma was very supportive of my campaign and helped get the word out. As soon as we got the OK from SGA to start campaigning, I went home the next day to make stickers [and] posters to distribute around campus. The girls on my floor even helped me make a huge sign to hang up in my window.”

Grippo’s primary goal as class president is to install printers in common rooms in every freshman residence hall. He also wants to sit down with the rest of the SGA cabinet to attempt to lower the price of snacks at the dining halls, especially ice cream.

“I absolutely love ice cream,” Grippo said.

“I bought a pint of Ben & Jerry’s on campus when I first moved in. My family owns a gas station at home, so I know for a fact that ice cream does not cost nearly as much as we are being charged for here. It’s not even realistic, and to do that to a kid just because they have a meal plan that their parents are paying for is not fair at all. Most freshmen cannot have cars on campus, so we blindly have to buy $8 ice cream. That needs to be fixed.”

Outside of the political realm, Grippo is a fitness fanatic. He takes pride in working out as often as he can fit into his schedule, and even sees it as a therapeutic outlet. Grippo is also a

MIKE CLEMENT/ CHRONICLE

Grippo won the election by a margin of 82 votes.

member of the investment club on campus.

Above all, Grippo said wants to serve his new community by unifying the class of 2023 and make every voice of his constituents be heard.

“As a freshman, I refuse to let my class fall behind and be silent at the decision-making table,” Grippo concluded. “I want to be that voice.

I’m not afraid of other kids just because they’ve been here longer. I’m not going to be a quiet freshman president. If I see a problem on campus I won’t hesitate to speak up about it.”

Mele: ‘We are doing our best to minimize what the students feel in the end’ BUDGET from cover and lose forward momentum on something that will benefit hundreds, thousands of students.”

Olian said that the health center will be a comprehensive facility. The scoping for the facility will be done in October and estimated costs will follow.

“The wellness center isn’t just a physical fitness center, which it will be,” Olian said. “It will be a counseling center. It will be a center for medical consultation — and we know that counseling is a big, big need — but also be programming space where we want our students, our faculty and staff to have the opportunity to develop healthy living styles, healthy wellbeing for the rest of their lives.”

The shortfall in enrollment, while larger than expected, might give the university to reassess its priorities Olian said.

“I’ve heard from some people who say we like it, that there are a few fewer students– a few hundred fewer – first-year students on campus because we were getting too crowded,” Olian said. “So we need to ask the question of what’s the right size of the institution?”

Olian explained that smaller classes would mean less need for faculty resources.

“You need less part-time faculty if you have far fewer students because there are fewer sections at the freshman level,” Olian said. “What we made a choice of is to have more full-time faculty. That’s why we hired 18 full time faculty in arts and sciences and communications.”

Brown, however, said the university doesn’t actually need to get smaller to be more selective.

“We might see that our applicant pool increases and we can be just as selective this year as we were last year and actually get a larger group of students,” Brown said. “Alternatively we end up giving the same number of offers of admissions this year as we did last year, maybe our yield on those offers goes up because people see ‘Wow, there is some exciting stuff hap-

pening at Quinnipiac.’”

The ‘exciting stuff’ comes with a cost, and the especially small class size isn’t helping the effort. Olian said she will be tapping into the university’s endowment as well as ramping up fundraising to pay for the strategic initiatives.

“We need to ask the question of what’s the right size of the institution?”

– JUDY OLIAN

PRESIDENT OF QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY

“There’s a principal of the endowment and there’s endowment returns and we never touch the principal,” Olian said. “The endowment returns are now being used for projects that are typically one-time facilities.”

These facilities include updated labs in Tator Hall and new physical therapy labs on the fourth floor of the health sciences building on the North Haven campus.

Bernadette Mele, president of the faculty senate, emphasized that the cuts will not impact the students because faculty will bear most of the effect, even though the true effect is still unknown.

“We are still trying to get a more clear picture on what the financial situation is and what effects the cuts are going to have on the faculty,

and we are going to do our best to minimize the effects on the students,” Mele said.

Mele said she did not know exactly how the smaller class size will affect the budget in future years, but acknowledged that the university will have to adapt to the smaller income from tuition.

“It’s going to affect us for the next few years because that was the incoming class and they had an enrollment shortfall,” Mele said.

Instead, Mele said Quinnipiac’s new partnership with Gateway Community College could be one way to bring students to Quinnipiac.

“While higher education is struggling to be able to get students in, I think making the partnerships with the community colleges will help to benefit us,” Mele said. “It will take time, but I think it will benefit us in that manner.”

Olian said the Board of Trustees is making sacrifices this year to make up for the shortfall.

“We’re having a move of our board retreat from Florida to the campus,” Olian said.

“Going to Florida is important for all kinds of development reasons, but in this budget year, we’re choosing to hold the same retreat on campus and save money.”

Olian said the budget cuts are not something she would consider telling the student body about because they are insignificant compared to the progress the university is making in other areas.

“We are at unprecedented levels of investments in the student experience, like they’ve never been done before,” Olian said. “I can rattle off all kinds of things. With a budget as large as ours smaller budget cuts are not things that we go to the students with unless it directly impacts them.”

Mele said there are many aspects of the budget that remain unclear.

“I wish I had more answers related to those numbers and what the actual budget cuts mean to the students,” Mele said. “Everything is happening to the point where we are doing our best to minimize what the students feel in the end.”

4| O p i n i o n

September 18, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Opinion

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Trump and Teigen’s Twitter tussle Chrissy Teigen fights back against Trump after he calls her a “filthy mouthed wife”

By MAGALI AGUILAR Contributing Writer

If you’re new to Twitter or simply don’t have an account, you probably missed one of Chrissy Teigen’s most recent tweets gone viral.

On Sunday, Sept. 8, Teigen, a model and tv personailty, posted a photo of herself writing on a chalkboard to commemorate her daughter Luna’s first day of school. The photo was captioned, “Luna, remember the night before your first day of school? When mommy was making your sign and the pussy ass bitch president had his ninth meltdown of the day.”

The tweet instantly went viral, as several of hers do, having been retweeted over 30,000 times and having gained over 307,000 likes according to since she posted it. Soon after, the hashtag #PussyAssBitchPresident was trending in the United States.

Teigen’s tweet came as a response to one President Donald Trump had tweeted earlier in the night. As usual, Trump was complining about not receiving credit for the little good he’s done as president, in this case signing into law a new criminal justice reform. Trump went on to tweet “Guys like boring @johnlegend and his filthy mouthed wife are talking now about how great it is–but I didn’t see them around when we needed help getting it passed.”

Trump’s tweet was prompted by John Legend’s discussion about the effect incarceration has on families at an MSNBC Town Hall event with Lester Holt at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York. Legend, a famous singer, songwriter and actor, is the founder of Free America, a campaign that aims to raise awareness for criminal justice reform. This hits close to home for Legend as his mother spent time in jail after years of self-medicating with illegal

PHOTO FROM WIKICOMMONS

Chrissy Teigen’s blunt personality is part of her brand.

PHOTO FROM WIKICOMMONS

President Donald Trump speaks at rally in southern Illinois.

drugs after the death of her mother.

Legend, along with other advocates for criminal justice reform, has said that the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act, also known as the First Step Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on Dec. 21, 2018, is a major step towards reforming the federal prison system in the United States. The First Step Act aims to reduce recidivism. It also is designed to ensure people who are released from prison can go home, get a job, and focus on rehabilitating.

“Since when is there something wrong with being a filthy mouthed wife? #teamchrissy.”

- MEGHAN MCCAIN

DAUGHTER OF LATE REPUBLICAN SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

This isn’t the first instance in which Teigen has had an unpleasurable online encounter with Trump. Soon after he was inaugurated, Trump blocked Teigen on Twitter after she repeatedly expressed in her tweets just how much she dislikes him. This backfired, however, when in May 2018, a federal judge in New York City ruled that Trump blocking people on Twitter is a violation of the United States Constitution. This ruling came as a result of a lawsuit that was filed by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and seven other plaintiffs who Trump individually blocked on Twitter.

Some Twitter users were quick to notice that all the people Trump targeted in his hateful tweets, including NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt and CNN host Van Jones, were none other than people of color.

A surprise to absolutely no one.

The hashtag was brought to the attention of Twitter itself, who decided not to let the hashtag stay trending due to its profane nature, despite the number of people using it. Twitter users noticed, and those who felt Teigen’s “nickname” for Trump should trend a little longer improvised and started using abbreviations such as #PABOTUS, #PPAB, and #PresidentPAB. Even Meghan McCain, the daughter of late Republican Senator John McCain, sided with Teigen the following morning when she tweeted, “Since when is there something wrong with being a filthy mouthed wife? #teamchrissy.”

A few days after Teigen’s online battle with Trump, she appeared on the Sept. 11 episode of Ellen, revealing that she is still blocked from viewing Trump’s account and tweets on Twitter. She found out about Trump’s tweet through family and friends. Teigen couldn’t help but laugh at the situation, pointing out that Trump “cannot not be a bitch.”

Trump did not tag Teigen in his earlier tweet where he referred to her as John Legend’s “filthy mouthed wife,” and she later tweeted that the best part of it all was the fact that Trump felt compelled to mention her despite the fact that she was not present at the town hall, and her name was never brought up.

Aside from all the good laughs this hashtag provided for Twitter users, one fact remains: Trump is unable to stay out of the spotlight for longer than a minute.

Trump’s job approval rating fell six points, down to a 38% approval rate from the 44% last recorded in July as released in a recent poll conducted by ABC News and The Washington Post. In typical Trump fashion, he later took to Twitter and called it a “phony suppression poll meant to build up their Democratic partners.” In a series of tweets that followed, Trump claimed he has done more than any other president in the first two and a half years. This is al-

SCREENSHOT FROM TWITTER

Full thread of President Donald Trump’s remarks toward John Legend and Chrissy Teigan.

SCREENSHOT FROM TWITTER

John Legend’s tweet that sparked President Donald Trump’s twitter thread calling out him and his wife.

most laughable unless you count separating children from their families and holding them in cages.

One thing I will give Trump credit for is the work he’s done in regards to the economy. Since Trump’s election in 2016, unemployment rates have lowered and the number of job openings has increased. Since becoming president, Trump has received overall positive ratings on the way he has handled the economy. However, those ratings are slowly declining and many Americans believe a recession is likely to occur within the next year. The way Trump has handled the economy is likely going to be an issue he uses to his advantage in his re-election campaign, but a recession would not work in his favor.

On Sept. 10, Trump tweeted a photo on Twitter of a “Trump 2024: Keep America Great” sign. It seems that he’s forgotten that we live in the United States of America where there is a law in place that limits a president to two terms.

Trump should get off Twitter, brush up on constitutional law and focus on campaigning for the upcoming 2020 election before he gets too far ahead of himself.

September 18, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Opinion|5

Oil ruins last and largest wildlife refuge Drilling into ANWR should be illegal

By GARRET REICH Staff Writer

For the past two years, I have been obsessed with a single detail of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. I remember when they announced it, in the middle of the night, that it passed through Senate on Nov. 2, 2017. I remember being horrified at the news that came out the next day about a national wildlife refuge considered for oil drilling, barely broadcasted in height of the major facet of the act: tax changes.

That horror heightened when I heard a bid was recently opened.

At the time the act was released publically, every major news program focused on the tax rate changes for individuals and businesses. It was, afterall, a significant piece of paperwork that would alter the economics of the United States. What was barely mentioned was section 20001: Oil and Gas Program. This enabled the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management “to establish and administer a competitive oil and gas program” in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), according to Congress’ official website.

The ANWR is a 19.6 million acre piece of land, stretching across nearly 20% of Alaska’s natural borders. In this land, there is an estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil available for off-shore drilling, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Regardless of a survey spearheaded by Yale University’s Program for Climate Change Communication that reports 70% of American voters are opposed to drilling into ANWR, the land was still recently put up for private lease bids.

The national wildlife refuge is one of the last and largest plots of land — in the world — that has not been excavated for drilling purposes. It is also home to a number of migratory species, including the Porcupine Caribou herd, that rely on the natural environment for breeding and summer resources.

I get it. This doesn’t seem to directly impact us, as students.

The refuge is over four thousand miles away from us and a trip there would include traveling across almost the entirety of Canada. If we drill there, it means gas prices may lower and possibly a temporary dip in the unemployment rate.

These arguments are valid. Another significant point that is addressed when drilling in the ANWR—a discussion since 1987 — is that it would reduce international reliance on outside oil resources.

While this is a valid point, there are discrepancies in this argument.

For example, over the last 50 years, the United States has reached into every state to obtain oil. As older fields dry up, our domestic production of oil has fallen, according to John W. Schoen at NBC News. If the country were to begin drilling in national parks and reserves, it would barely depreciate the value of gas.

Instead, it would strain to keep the price where it sits currently. Additionally, according to Schoen, the “U.S. currently uses about 21 million barrels of oil a day, about 6 million of which is produced domestically.” Drilling into refuges and national parks — such as ANWR — would only maintain this 6 million, not increase the data point.

Opposing arguments also highlight that there could be positive sociological impacts on the communities around these oil rigs. However, in the long run, these oil booms often have a negative social impact after the upsurge of oil development levels off.

North Dakota is a prime example of this. In the early 2000s, a prime oil reservoir was found in central North Dakota. Where the statewide population was one of the lowest in the country, before the oil rigs were developed, thousands of people moved into the Peace Garden state. For example, Williston, a town in the northwest corner, expanded by “67% from 2010 to 2014”, according to Adam Millsap at Forbes.com. To account for this growth, local and state governments had to broaden their scope in context of schools, housing (both rural and urban) and other city services.

However, these surges of proliferation lead to a drastic fall.

One businessman in Williston, Marcus Jundt, said their community is overbuilt: “We have too many hotel rooms, too many apartments, too many restaurants. People are going to go broke.” This then forced the North Dakotan governments to account for these falls in the economy by “cut[ting] spending or dip[ping] into reserves,” Jack Healy, a New York Times reporter, said in 2016.

This surge in job creation still left hundreds of laid off oil workers in a limbo that left them broke or moving again. The job creation that was established becomes irrelevant after a few years, when the workers on the rigs are dismissed and are without second options.

Finally, in respect to the last point addressed, many argue that the land covered by drilling facilities would be minimal in context of how large the refuges are. In the instance of the ANWR, fracking is planned off the coast.

While it is projected to only occupy a few hundred acres of

PHOTO FROM WIKICOMMONS

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is located in Northeastern Alaska, United States.

the land, drilling would still prove detrimental to the natural cycles in these areas. As described earlier, the Porcupine Caribou herds depend on these coastlines for mating and breeding land. This is only highlighting a single species in a single area; hundreds of more organisms rely on that coast for survival, and the resources it provides.

While the reach of drilling would be minimal — in not only the ANWR, but other national parks and reserves — the negative repercussions of development vastly outweigh the outreach of land being developed.

There are justifiable reasons for drilling in national parks and reserves. After all, it could prove beneficial, chiefly from an economical standpoint.

Regardless of the financial benefits drilling in national parks and reserves, like ANWR, would provide, it should remain illegal in that it would drastically affect these prodigious natural environments and their cycles.

Turning the ‘Paige’ to a new chapter Longtime WFAN overnight host calls it a career

By RYAN MILLER

Associate Arts & Life Editor

It’s not often that a person whose regular shift starts at 2 a.m. can gain much recognition. Most people up at this time are trying to stay awake at work or are insomniacs.

For sports fans, no matter what the reason was that you found yourself up at all hours of the night, there was one constant who would be up with you — Tony Paige.

This past Saturday, Paige hosted his final overnight program on WFAN, a New York-based 24-hour sports talk radio station, after 16 years in the position.

Paige, who announced his retirement in June, assured listeners that the decision to retire was solely his own choosing and that he was not being forced out or leaving due to illness.

Paige has given WFAN listeners a unique point of view over the years as both the station’s primary boxing expert and only main black host.

I first stumbled upon Paige when listening to WFAN after a Mets game before the team switched stations. I was pulled in by his soft-spoken voice and well-articulated points, something that suits the night shift far better than the yelling of the loud afternoon hosts the station currently employs.

Paige being a Mets fan himself (like another great late-night host on WFAN, Steve Somers) understood the ups and downs of the fandom, both ready to celebrate each win like it was a playoff game or comfort fans who couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel after yet another tough loss. And trust me, through the early 2010s there were many more Mets losses than wins.

What separates Paige from other hosts though, is his ability to be such a naturally genuine and optimistic person. You could fill any of the New York sports stadiums to maximum capacity with the number of callers he cheered up over the years. Paige even had a few emotional moments over the course of his career, such as the time he stayed strong fighting back tears speaking with a caller who had lost his home in Hurricane Sandy and just needed someone to talk to.

Paige had a knack for making his show about more than just sports. As he noted during the last segment of his final show, he always felt that it was important to focus on things other than just game scores and recaps. In particular, Paige always opened up the phone lines for callers to talk about their parents on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day or even asking listeners what they were thankful for on Thanksgiving day shows.

As many great guests, commentary and debate Paige experi-

enced from his callers over the years, he also made sure to thank the non-calling listeners who never felt inclined to be more than just an observant participant. Around Christmas time of 2014, I fell into this category as well.

I was trying to stay strong while my father was in the hospital.

After long nights hoping things would be ok, something didn’t sit right with me turning on the television as a distraction. It felt wrong for me to get entertainment in a moment where I had so much pent up emotion and fear. Instead, I decided to turn my bedside radio on and listen to Tony Paige. He was just doing his thing, hosting shows as he typically does, but he provided a calming feeling for me at a time where it felt like nothing else could.

As he said himself during his final show, “Family means a lot to me, and I’ve noticed family means a lot to all of you too.”

I’m just one of many hundreds of people who Paige impacted during his career at WFAN, as he truly made the most out of an

PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA

WFAN is a New York City sports radio station.

opportunity that was not originally in the cards.

Paige’s career began at WFAN after interviewing for what he thought was an opening doing the updates (providing scores to all of the major sports games in progress every 20 minutes on the station). After speaking with Mark Chernoff, a top-level executive at the station, Paige was offered an audition to host overnight shows. As fate would have it, Paige won over the hearts of his bosses and the station’s listeners.

Paige, who is also a father, often incorporated family values into the show. This included anecdotes of coaching one of his sons in high school sports. His advice for parents on his final night on the air? “Talk to your kids. You are their first coach, whether it’s on the diamond, on the court, or in the living room. Always try to be better than your parents treated you, and go the extra mile.”

As much as Paige encouraged being a strong support system for children, he also acknowledged one of the hardest things to do as a parent is at a certain point “you have to let go, let them fail.” Letting go is something Paige learned to do himself, and as his callers on his final night echoed, it was refreshing to see him walk away on his own terms seeking something new out of the rest of his life at 66 years old.

Paige mentioned some plans in the works to finally write a book, stating his passion has always been writing, and perhaps most importantly to spend more time with family.

I was lucky enough to fight through busy phone lines to say one final thank you to Paige and wish him luck in those future endeavors, and I was happy to hear him say in his final segment that he’d continue to root for the Mets, the same way I’d continue to root for him.

In his closing moments, Paige stopped taking callers and set the stage for an intimate goodbye with his listeners. Paige admitted he was overwhelmed by all of the praise he received his final week from callers thanking him, but he remained humble as always saying, “You praise me endlessly and that’s a little unfair because I should be praising you.”

The song Paige often used to transition back into his show from commercials, “When Somebody Loves You Back” began to play, signaling the end for Tony Paige on WFAN. The chorus of the song goes, “It’s so good, loving somebody, when somebody loves you back.” Fittingly, the last thing listeners heard from the long-time overnight host was “Tony Paige signing off, all I can say is, I love you back. Take care.”

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

6|Arts & Life

September 18, 2019

Arts & Life

QUCHRONICLE.COM/ARTS-AND-LIFE ARTSLIFE@QUCHRONICLE.COM

GRAPHIC BY HAYLEI COTTON

CELEBRATE. REMEMBER. FIGHT BACK.

Quinnipiac’s 2019 Relay for Life to bring the community together to fight cancer

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Contributing Writer

Students and staff will come together to raise money for the American Cancer Society in Quinnipiac’s annual Relay for Life this Sunday, Sept. 22.

Over the course of the past two weeks, the Relay for Life executive board has put on fundraisers such as Chipotle, food trucks and selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts. So far, Quinnipiac has raised over $16,600 for Relay for Life.

Relay for Life was born in May 1985, when Dr. Gordon Klatt ran around a track in Tacoma, Washington, for 24 hours to raise money for cancer. Relay for Life is now a global fundraiser with partakers all over the world. According to the American Cancer Society website, over 4 million people in 26 countries take part in Relay for Life each year.

“It is a space for us all to learn more about the American Cancer Society and to support cancer research,” said Pratibha Thippa, sophomore volunteer coordinator for Relay for Life As volunteer coordinator, Thippa runs general board meetings, which are held on Tuesdays at 9:15 p.m., so that students who are not a part of making Relay happen can still get involved.

The most powerful aspects of Relay for Life are the survivor lap, the caregiver lap and the luminaria. The survivor lap is where those who are battling or have defeated cancer walk in unification. Following this lap, they are joined by their caregivers, people who they would not be there without.

Finally, the luminaria is a silent lap where candles are lit in

decorated paper bags dedicated to those who died, those who lived and those who are continuing the fight. These are made to honor the fight against cancer and the strength of everyone whose lives have been touched by cancer.

“I think the best part of Relay is definitely the luminaria,” Thippa said. “It gives you time to think back. Even though we have fun events throughout the day, why are we here? Why do I relay?”

Thippa relays for her uncle and a cure for osteosarcoma.

“I think the best part [of Relay] for me is the survivor lap,” said Morgan Literate, a member of the Class of 2021 and finance chair for the executive board. “I think it shows us that even though it took hard work to get there, they are going through a battle that is way harder.”

Literate relays for her mother and for a cure for all cancer.

She credits her mother for being the reason she is on e-board as well as the reason why she is pursuing a nursing degree.

The executive board has several other events planned for the day to go along with the universal Relay for Life plans.

Events will take place periodically throughout the eight hours including food trucks, performances, raffles, guest speakers and even visits from chiropractors.

The money raised by participants in Relay for Life is having a real impact on those suffering from cancer and their families. In 2017, the American Cancer Society contributed to over 600,000 free or low-cost screenings for cancer. They also saved families upwards of $45 million due to free lodging programs for patients.

JESSICA SIMMS/CHRONICLE

Relay for Life tabled the entire week leading up to its event that will take place Sept. 22.

You can still get involved by going to the executive board's table from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside of Starbucks in the student center this week. From there, you can either make a donation or register for the event. Registration costs $15 prior to the event and $20 the day of. You can also donate to the event or dedicate a luminaria on the American Cancer Society website by searching for the Quinnipiac Relay.

NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK FOR APPLE

This year's Apple event makes customers excited for its new releases

By KIM CAN

Contributing Writer

Apple held its annual event in the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California on Sept. 10. This event marked the release of not one, not two, but three new iPhones for this year. In addition they released a redesigned iPad, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iOS 13 and much more. However, the ultimate hype coming out of this Apple event is the iPhone 11.

The new iPhones that were announced are the iPhone 11 Pro, the iPhone 11 Max and the iPhone 11. As per usual, Apple made improvements to battery life, implemented new hardware and new software to these phones. However, the iPhones are sporting a new look this year.

The iPhone 11 features a dual camera system which are wide and ultra-wide, improved 4K video, night mode and the “Slofie” which means you can take a selfie in slow mode. The iPhone 11 comes in white, black, green, yellow, purple and red.

What will surprise Apple customers is the price. The iPhone 11 costs $699, which is affordable compared to prices such as $749, $999 and $1,099. Even though the three iPhones are very similar, they have noticeable differences. One difference would be the cost. It is $999 for the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max will be $1,099 and also the three-camera setup, which includes a bonus camera which is the Telephoto camera. Also, you wouldn’t get that much of a color option comparing to the iPhone 11 because it only comes in midnight green, gold, space grey and silver.

According to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, these iPhone Pros will Thippa be the most powerful iPhones ever.

“The most powerful and most advanced iPhones we have ever built, with a stunning design," Cook said, “And the company is asking customers to pay up for them.”

Tim Cook believes that everyone is willing to pay that much even though the price tag may be a bit too high for consumers.

This means that if you are willing to pay $999 for the iPhone 11 Pro or $1,099 for the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Although many consumers have three great options for upgrading their phones.

If you aren’t a big fan of the iPhones due to their new look, look no further because Apple released a couple more new

Kailann Drance introduced the dual-camera for the iPhone 11 at Apple's Keynote event. products. One of its new products that was released on this event is the reinvented iPad. This iPad has upgraded itself to comply with the smart keyboard and the Apple pencil. Along with that, it has upped its retina display to 10.2 inches. With these new upgrades to the iPad, customers will be surprised that the updated iPad is only $329. Customers can save a lot of money by buying this instead of the iPad Air or iPad Pro. Along with the iPad, Apple has released the Apple Watch Series 5. This new series of Apple Watches will be the first of the smartwatches to have an always-on-display technology.

This means that you can have this watch on and the battery does not drain as quickly because it has an 18-hour battery life. Along with that, the Apple Watch Series 5 has many

PHOTO FROM APPLE NEWSROOMS

different options for customers to choose from, including its new titanium coated watch.

Along with the devices, Apple has released some new streaming services as well. One new streaming service is Apple TV+. This new streaming service includes Apple TV originals along with classics. It's available on Nov. 1, and if any customers get any new Apple device, Apple TV+ will be free for one year.

Along with that, Apple released Apple Arcade where if you pay $4.99 per month, you will have access to 100 exclusive games that are exclusive to Apple devices. On the plus side, you will get one month free.

No matter what Apple releases during the Special Event there is something for everyone. So take a chance and explore what Apple has to offer for the 2019-20 year.

September 18, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Arts & Life|7

AN ALBUM THAT WILL MAKE YOU SAY ‘WOW’ Post Malone returns with his third studio album

By RYAN MILLER and ALEXIS GUERRA

Hollywood may be bleeding but Post Malone comes out unscathed.

For a star who seems to churn out hit after hit, Post Malone gives fans a satisfying follow-up to his 2018 success “beerbongs & bentleys.” The album may be on the longer side in terms of duration, but listeners will have a hard time finding a dull minute out of the 51-minute running time.

“Hollywood’s Bleeding” dropped on Sept. 6 after much anticipation. “Wow.” one of the album’s singles, was released way back on Dec. 24, 2018. Another single “Goodbyes” which featured Young Thug, was a fan-favorite summer jam having been out since July.

In total, “Hollywood’s Bleeding” has nine features, which also include SZA and Halsey. This figure actually tops the eight combined features Post Malone had between his previous studio albums “beerbongs & bentleys” and “Stoney.”

Many fans were left wondering how Post Malone would raise the bar after the success of “beerbongs & bentleys,” but the 24-year-old worked his magic yet again. Interestingly, Post Malone can truly call this work home cooking, as “Hollywood’s Bleeding” was recorded entirely in his Utah home. The album is also the first that Post Malone recorded following his breakup with Ashleen Diaz, whom he had been dating for three years.

A quirky observation about the layout of the album is the way that Post Malone ordered the durations of the songs. The first batch of songs are all two minutes long, followed by a four-minute song, which is then followed by three and twominute songs in that order.

Even with Post Malone’s introspection throughout the album, he calls back to his typical cliches about popping pills, sex and drinking beer on “Saint-Tropez.” This reminds the listener that this is still a Post Malone album despite “Hollywood’s Bleeding” going off in a variety of directions.

“Circles,” a pop-rock track, blends into the background of the album but is nevertheless executed well. Its '90s FM radio froth pairs well with the strummed guitars and windy rhythms.

Post Malone’s versatility as an artist shines in “Hollywood’s Bleeding.” His collaboration with Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott on the power ballad “Take What You Want” brings back Post Malone’s roots in a heavy metal band before becoming a rapper. Even more so, Scott and Post Malone are able to keep up with Osbourne’s whirlwind of vocals. It’s not Post Malone’s best song, but it’s his most thrilling. And although the explosive track may seem out of place on “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” it fits

'Hollywood's Bleeding' was released on Sept. 6, as Post Malone's third studio album. into an album of weird and wonderful combinations.

The most lyrically strong track on the album is the slow, two-minute interlude “Internet.” Produced by Kanye West, Post Malone raps about his take on the internet’s negative effects on our society. He finishes the song with “If ignorance is bliss, then don’t wake me up/And I’ll probably be the last to know/’Cause I don’t get on the internet no more.”

“Myself” is a more subdued but hopeful R&B track that transports you to the ‘70s. The soul-crooning track, cowritten with Father John Misty, talks about not being able to appreciate success because of how fast life moves turns almost political with the lines “The world has gone to shit and we all know that/People freakin’ out, like, hit the Prozac.”

“Hollywood’s Bleeding” will be part of Post Malone’s Runaway tour which just went underway on Sept. 14. The tour takes place exclusively in North America, opening in Tacoma.

Post Malone will make his way to 31 different locations promoting the album with Swae Lee and Tyla Yaweh joining as supporting acts.

There’s no denying that the new album is long, with 17

PHOTO FROM SPOTIFY

tracks that include “Sunflower,” a song Post Malone first showcased on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” last year. Also featured on the song is the aforementioned Swae Lee. The song is most recognizable from its appearance on the soundtrack of the 2018 animated blockbuster “SpiderMan: Into the Spider-Verse.”

Unlike “Stoney” and “beerbongs & bentleys,” each track feels distinct — Post Malone is finally separating his various influences from rock, rap and country. The insightful album is evidence of his versatility and willingness to do exactly what he wants with no regrets.

4/5 STARS

THE ‘HUSTLERS’ OF MOTHERHOOD ‘Hustlers’ is more than just your average stripper movie

By TIM POWERS Staff Writer

A touch of sexiness, a broad sensation of danger, an impending sense of insecurity and mothers who want the best for their children. This is what rifles through the scenes of “Hustlers,” a film that narrates the story of a group of strippers that drug and steal from their rich, abusive and nauseating clientele.

The story is based on a 2015 “New York” magazine article, “The Hustlers at Scores,” which tells the true story of Roselyn Keo and Samantha Foxx. For the purpose of the movie, their names were changed. The acts occurred after the 2008 financial crisis that left most of Wall Street unemployed. This led to the usual patronage of strip clubs no longer having the money to keep up a perfect attendance.

With a lack of income flowing and children at home that need to be fed, people have to get creative. And that’s exactly what these strippers do. They would spike the drinks of the men they would meet with a combination of MDMA and ketamine and then steal their credit card information. Some have viewed the situation as criminal and monstrous while others view their story as powerful and downright badass.

The film was directed with grace and wit by Lorene Scafaria who fosters a style that is reminiscent of Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” and Adam McKay’s “The Big Short.” In other, more reckless hands, the film could just be another basic stipper movie where the characters are just hot strippers. But in the care of Scafaria, she makes sure the characters of the film are wellrounded and consequential instead of being portrayed as just objects to the powerful men of the world.

Hustlers stars an A-list cast of such names as Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer, Cardi B, Lizzo and Lili Reinhart.

Each member of the cast brings a level of energy and perspective that is essential to telling a subversive, provocative, and delicate story. But, Wu and Lopez are the true stars of this film.

Wu, who has shined on ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat” and last year’s “Crazy Rich Asians,” gives another strong and emotionally heavy performance as Dorothy/Destiny. Her character is a single

PHOTO BY ERIC CHARBONNEAU/ ET CANADA

The 'Hustlers' cast includes stars such as Lili Reinhart, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo and Cardi B.

mother who also has to take care of her grandmother. Determined to make the best out of a bad situation, she takes up stripping and it leads her to some interesting and life changing events. Wu is one of the best and most consistent actresses of this moment, giving audiences something unexpected but emotionally and intellectually ripe.

Lopez, who hasn’t been in a good film since 1998’s “Out of Sight” and 1997’s “Selena,” gives a performance that is worthy

of attention and praise of every award body in the country. Lopez portrays Ramona Vega, a stripper at the top of her game who loves hard but hates even harder. Ramona is a woman who can be cold-hearted and cut-throat and Lopez makes her appear like your best friend without losing her edge. It truly is a masterclass of a performance that completes a balancing act of total opposite personality traits.

One of the most important and poignant scenes in the movie has Wu’s Destiny and Lopez’s Ramona talking to each other about why they do what they do. For Destiny, it is about her daughter and her grandmother. For Ramona, it is about freedom and a sense of security.

At the climax of the scene, Ramona says to Destiny, “motherhood is a mental illness.” Ramona doesn’t mean that as an offense, but instead as a defense. It is something that is so gargantuanly human and vulnerable. Motherhood can make a person do anything to protect and care for their child even if it means drugging and stealing from some of the most powerful men in the world. It single handedly justifies their reasoning for each act, not just in dealing with the men but also dealing with themselves. In that single line, it gives more of an insight into these characters and the life of strippers than just watching someone dance on a poll to a Fiona Apple song.

“Hustlers” is an important movie for society today. It is entertaining and eye-opening to not just the world of stripping but motherhood and surviving in a world that doesn’t care about you. “Hustlers” is one of the best and most interesting movies of the year.

5/5 STARS

8|Arts & Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 18, 2019

MORE THAN JUST A FOOD TRUCK

Spuds Your Way opens up a new restaurant

By Jessica Simms Arts & Life Editor

Imagine that you could order that giant, delicious baked potato that you love to get from the food trucks on the Quad– any day of the week, delivered straight to your dorm. That sounds like it could be in a dream, right? Well, it will soon be reality since the opening of Spuds Your Way’s new restaurant.

Located just a minute away from Quinnipiac’s Mount Carmel campus, Spuds Your Way opened up its new restaurant on Aug. 27 down on Whitney Avenue, where Droogies, Quinnipiac students’ favorite place to call late at night for some infamous mac-n-cheese bites and milkshakes.

“Food trucking is awesome, but like it’s getting harder and harder to get the good events that are cheap to get into, vendor fees are going up more and more and more trucks are opening so it’s kind of cut-throat,” Justin Cohen, owner of Spuds Your Way, said about why he decided to open up a restaurant. “With a storefront, you can have set hours for your employees whereas on the truck, hours vary so it’s hard to get good help.”

Droogies has been closed since the summer, allowing Spuds Your Way to easily move in to its location. “[Droogies’ old location] just kind of fell into my lap,” Cohen said. “The people that were previously here were looking to get out and they wanted to unload all of the equipment too. Pretty much I could use everything they had outside of a couple pieces and then I just brought in a percentage of it. I mean it was just like a low investment to open up whereas if I went into a place and had to build everything up, it would cost me a lot more money.”

Cohen decided to create Spuds Your Way after realizing that getting a great baked potato in Connecticut is very difficult and that he wanted a positive change in his life.

“I was at a crossroads in my life. My ex-girlfriend just broke up with me,” Cohen said explaining the creation of Spuds Your Way. “We go to the Main House Baked Potato at the Big E every year to get the baked potatoes up there and to be honest, you can’t really find a good baked potato anywhere in Connecticut. It just kind of seemed like a good niche to get into.”

After realizing that the baked potato industry is what he was interested in getting into, Cohen got support from his dad to create Spuds Your Way. “My dad is always thinking outside of the box,” Cohen said. “He was like ‘Jared, you should do it.’ And I said ‘Why not?’ I was dealing poker up at Mohegan Sun and it was just kind of a like a dead end job. You’ll make a living out of it, but you’re not going to, you know, get rich or anything like that.”

Since then, Spuds Your Way has evolved from a food truck, to a trailer and then to this new restaurant.

Even with the restaurant opening just a few weeks ago, it has been pretty successful, despite the fact that not all of its services are functioning “So far, so good,” Cohen said about his recently opened restaurant. “I mean we haven’t activated our delivery yet. We are partnering with Uber Eats, so as soon as that happens, which should be today or tomorrow [Sept. 18], I expect business to increase. Yeah, not everyone knows we are here yet. They are still finding out.”

Quinnipiac students may wonder what will happen with the beloved Spuds Your Way food truck that rolls up on the Quad frequently throughout the school year. Cohen says that the truck will still appear on Quinnipiac’s campus, but not as much as upperclassmen will remember it coming to Quinnipiac in previous years.

“So I had to cut back on the amount of events we can do with the trucks just because I do not have enough staff,” Cohen said. “Like training people takes more than a day or two, so I’d rather not sacrifice the quality and the customer service just to do the business. So right now, we’re only out maybe three days a week on the truck or trailer and we’re in here [the restaurant] like six days a week.”

When it comes down to the impact Quinnipiac students have made on Spuds Your Way’s new restaurant’s success, Cohen is a little surprised that more Quinnipiac students have not stopped by.

“I thought it was going to be a little bit more [popular],” Cohen said about Quinnipiac’s impact on the restaurant.

“Like I said, once, I think, we activate the deliveries I think

JANNA MARNELL/CHRONICLE

Spuds Your Way opened up Aug. 27 on Whitney Avenue.

Spuds Your Way will soon be partnered with Uber Eats to bring it your own way.

Jared Cohen, owner of Spuds Your Way, helps in the kitchen to make the perfect potatoes. that will be better. And eventually, we’ll take delivery over ourselves once we find out what the flow is going to be, but to add a staff member just to wait for a delivery, there’s just not enough of them right now. So yeah, eventually we’ll be open later Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I think will help as well. It’s just that I'm already working like 16 hour days.

I can only do so much until I hire more people.”

Even with Spuds Your Way holding an official opening event in the next few weeks, the restaurant also has some benefits and features catered to Quinnipiac students.

JANNA MARNELL/CHRONICLE

JANNA MARNELL/CHRONICLE

“[Spuds Your Way] take Q cards,” Cohen said. “We have online ordering available. We do a lot of events on the Quad and stuff, so we are passing out menus when we are there. We are also doing a lot of catering gigs on campus so whenever we do that, we give out menus to all of the students. I think it will take a little time for the word to get around that we are more than just a food truck, but yeah, so far, three weeks, I can’t complain.”

Interactive|9

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 18, 2019 Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.55)

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10|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Robinson’s rise

RUNDOWN MEN’S SOCCER QU 1, Albany 1 - Sunday Romain Daniellou: 1 goal, 2 shots, 2 SOG Tomas Svecula: 3 shots, 3 SOG Jared Mazzola: 7 saves, 1 GA Jordon Bennet: 1 shot, 1 SOG, 1 assist WOMEN’S SOCCER UMass Lowell 2, QU 1 - Wednesday Lauren Wendland: 1 goal, 2 shots, 1 SOG Rosie Weaver: 2 shots, 1 SOG, 1 assist Meaghan Phillips: 5 saves, 2 GA Markela Bejleri: 2 shots Dartmouth 2, QU 0 - Sunday Ally Grunstein: 2 shots, 2 SOG Weaver: 1 shots, 1 SOG Olivia Myszewski: 4 saves, 2 GA Selena Salas: 2 shots VOLLEYBALL Colgate 3, QU 0 - Friday Olga Zampati: 7 kills, 4 digs Morgan Sherwin: 6 kills, 3 digs Alejandra Rodriguez: 10 digs Rutgers 3, QU 0 - Saturday Kaleigh Oates: 8 kills, 1 block-assist Aryanah Diaz: 8 digs, 7 kills Rodriguez: 8 digs New Hampshire 3, QU 1 - Saturday Diaz: 20 digs, 14 kills Zampati: 13 digs, 7 kills Oates: 11 kills, 3 block-assists

GAMES TO WATCH MEN’S SOCCER QU at CCSU - Friday, 6 p.m.

QU vs. New Hampshire - Tuesday, 3 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER QU at Canisius - Saturday, 1 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL QU at Siena - Saturday, 1 p.m.

QU at Marist - Sunday, 1 p.m.

FIELD HOCKEY QU vs. UConn - Friday, 3 p.m.

QU vs. Vermont - Sunday, 12 p.m.

RUGBY QU vs. Notre Dame (Ohio) - Saturday, 12 p.m.

MEN’S TENNIS Quinnipiac Invitational - Friday - Sunday WOMEN’S GOLF Boston College Intercollegiate - Sunday - Tuesday

September 18, 2019

Former national team coach joins Bobcats’ staff

By JORDAN WOLFF Staff Writer

After the 2018 season, the Quinnipiac volleyball team went in a different direction and fired head coach Kris Czaplinski.

The Bobcats hit the restart button after going 9-21, and found a four-time NEC coach of the year and winner of five northeast conference championships.

The man behind the numbers is first-year head coach Kyle Robinson.

Robinson started his career at Air Force from 2006-08. He served as an assistant head coach at the University of Oklahoma from 2015-18. He has a wife, four children and hasn’t been a head coach since 2014 (LIU Brooklyn).

Why did he feel that 2019 was the right time to take another job? He wanted a chance to showcase his coaching skills with a program near his home.

“I’m a Northeast guy and wanted the opportunity to come home,” Robinson said. “As I’ve been through a lot of different programs in my coaching career, family has always been the most important thing. When I had the opportunity to look at the job at Quinnipiac, I’ll be honest I wasn’t totally ready to jump on board until I met the administration.

With meeting Bill Mecca (Assistant Athletic Director) and Greg Amodio (Athletic Director) it just felt right.”

Robinson continued by admiring how Quinnipiac cared about more than just volleyball.

“People seem to really care about each other,” Robinson said. “They care about the family of Quinnipiac Bobcats and not just their own sport. You have to like going to work and enjoy the people you work with, and that’s what I felt here.”

Robinson didn’t just a college coach, as he got an opportunity to coach at a national level. He spent time as both a head and assistant coach for the USAW college national and development team from 2011-15.

You might think with all the background in coaching he’s had a lifelong passion for volleyball. However, Robinson only started to pursue volleyball as a junior in high school. Robinson spent his first three years in high school as a swimmer.

Robinson’s high school math teacher convinced him to try volleyball and the rest is history. He dedicated himself to practice the sport each and every day.

The practice led him to playing in countries such as Greece, Puerto Rico, Belgium and the United States. Having national team experience opened Robinson’s eyes of what it means to achieve something.

COURTESY OF QU ATHLETICS

Quinnipiac volleyball head coach Kyle Robinson previously coached at Oklahoma University.

“When you play at that level, and not that I was best, but it was decent level to where it teaches you how to respect the profession,” Robinson said. “Coming into to the gym and working hard everyday, there’s players and coaches who depend on you. You can say you played at a national level and that’s great, but it can go away very quickly.

Someone is behind you trying to take your spot, so it taught me how to be humble and work hard everyday.”

Robinson has to bring the fighting mentality to his new team. He inherited a squad of players that he didn’t get to recruit, and 10 out of the 12 players are sophomores or above.

A plethora of those players have made quite the impact in 2018. Senior setter Maria Pansari led the team in assists (1,126). Junior right side hitter Morgan Sherwin was second on the team in kills (352). Junior middle blocker Gabby Horman led the Bobcats with 86 blocks. Senior libero Alejandra Rodriguez led the Bobcats with 377 digs.

He also gets the sophomore duo of middle blocker Lydia Jones and outside hitter Maggie Baker. Robinson gets to coach senior middle blocker and reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) player of the week Kaleigh Oates.

The issue isn’t the talent on the roster.

The main question is how do you get a group of players who are used to playing a certain

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The 2018 Quinnipiac volleyball team huddles after scoring a kill.

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

style to quickly re-adjust to a new one? Robinson believes the answer is simple – to just remember why you’re a part of this team.

“The class structure is what it is,” Robinson said. “At the end of the day, we’re all just volleyball players. So whether you’re a senior and you’ve been here three years, you still have a lot to learn. Our humility and empathy teaches us to respect the jobs that we do for each other.”

Whenever you see a team with an assemblage of veteran talent, it also increases the confidence of taking more chances.

The 2018 Bobcats totaled 1,351 kills, where their opponents totaled 1,439 kills.

They had a total of 675 errors to their opponent’s 539. They averaged 12.1 kills per set and .172 total percentage rate.

Quinnipiac finished sixth in the MAAC in hitting percentage, fifth in assists and fifth in kills. The Bobcats reached the MAAC quarterfinals, as they were swept by Fairfield 3-0.

With that in mind, Robinson wants his team to have a change in philosophy and approach towards opponents.

“I’d say we’re definitely more offensive than previous teams here,” Robinson said.

“That’s just my mentality. In the past 10-15 years, the game has changed and women have become more athletic. So we have the opportunity to become more offensive and we’re going to take it.”

Despite the small sample size, Robinson has the 2019 squad on the right track. After starting 0-2, they went on a four-game winning streak.

The Bobcats (4-5) lost to the University of New Hampshire 3-1 in their final nonconference matchup. Going into MAAC play, Robinson expects to see improved team chemistry and growth.

“Since we are such a new team, we’re just trying to get better as a unit,” Robinson said.

“Every match and practice we’re just trying to gel. We’re trying to trust each other and trying to learn to not have this uncomfortable feeling of being a new team.”

Whether you dislike or like the sport of volleyball, Robinson wants the Quinnipiac community to appreciate the brand of Quinnipiac volleyball.

“We want you guys to love us,” Robinson said. “We want to make sure that when you hear about our program, that we put a smile on your face. I can’t say that was always the case here, we know that we can put a good product out and represent the university a lot better.”

September 18, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

FÚTBOL FRENZY

Sports|11

Clockwise from top left: Quinnipiac women’s soccer sophomore forward Gretchen Kron fields a pass from a teammate; sophomore midfield Selena Salas throws the ball to a teammate; Salas sends the ball into the box on a Quinnipiac corner kick; freshman forward Rosie Weaver races up the sideline in an effort to beat to UMass Lowell defenders.

JARED PENNA/CHRONICLE

1 5 72

Quinnipiac women’s soccer senior goalkeeper Olivia Myszerski made her first start of the season against Dartmouth on Sunday, Sept. 15.

Field hockey sophomore defender Jess Halley has surpassed her freshman points total. She is up to five points this year.

The Quinnipiac golf team set a program record at the Dartmouth Invitational. Four golfers scored a 72 or better, the first time this has been done in Quinnipiac program history.

Bianka Strubbe

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

BY THE NUMBERS

BRENDAN O’SULLIVAN/CHRONICLE

Graduate student midfielder Bianka Strubbe has tallied six points in her last two games. She scored the goal of a 2-0 win against Sacred Heart and both goals of a 3-2 loss against Hofstra.

She is up to seven points on the season, two away from her Quinnipiac career total of nine.

12|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports

September 18, 2019

QUCHRONICLE.COM/SPORTS @QUCHRONSPORTS

Six-hour difference

COURTESY OF QU ATHLETICS

Hedda Biermann-Ratjen aims to translate her German national team-level of play to the Big East with the Bobcats

By MIKE CLEMENT Contributing Writer

Ever dream of working out with your home country’s national team? Freshman Hedda Biermann-Ratjen has already done it.

How about being named to your favorite league’s first team? Biermann-Ratjen has done that too.

What about becoming a national champion? You guessed it – she’s done that as well. Twice.

Biermann-Ratjen, Quinnipiac field hockey’s newest goalkeeper, is no stranger to tough competition. The Hamburg, Germany native was Harvestehude THC’s starting goalkeeper during her secondary school years.

After years of tearing up the Bundesliga – a German league – with her club, BiermannRatjen made a profile with an agency that specializes in connecting European athletes with college coaches in the United States.

Quinnipiac made an initial introduction to Biermann-Ratjen, and she immediately became interested in its field hockey program.

“On my profile I got a response from [associate head coach] Nina Klien and we immediately started emailing about my journey in field hockey so far and about the university and its program,” Biermann-Ratjen said.

“I first of all really enjoyed hearing about the school, but I also I liked the way she was talking about the program and the sport. It was very focused on individual development, but also the development of the team in the past and over the next year.”

The idea of Quinnipiac’s field hockey program was alluring for Biermann-Ratjen, but what really sold her was her soon-to-be teammates. Upon showing her interest, several players reached out to Biermann-Ratjen to help her feel more comfortable with coming overseas to play for the Bobcats.

“I got to meet two players over Skype and I really enjoyed talking to them on a personal level,” Biermann-Ratjen said. “That was really important to me to feel comfortable with the people I was going to see every day for the next four years.”

Back in May, Biermann-Ratjen traveled to the United States for the first time to visit Quinnipiac and its field hockey program.

She raved about the Mount Carmel campus’s atmosphere and community, which coupled with the university’s academic prowess ultimately helped her decide to attend.

“Everybody you meet here is like nicer than the person you met before,” BiermannRatjen said. “[My teammates] all have a rare combination of being very, very friendly, but they will tell you what you need to do in order to get things done without intimidating you, and they will do their part as well. You can really feel that when you talk to them. When you’re coming to a whole different culture like this you feel like you’re in good hands.”

Biermann-Ratjen admits she was anxious about moving to the US at first, but once she moved in she quickly adapted. Though living at college can be stressful to some at first, she has found solace in having a fixed schedule to adhere by everyday.

“I think it’s a huge help to live on campus because although it’s a culture shock at first, you’re pretty busy so you don’t really get time to stress out because you’re either in class or you’re with your roommate who you just met,” Biermann-Ratjen said. “And then the rest of the time I’m on the field, so I feel like keeping us busy is a pretty good way of getting adjusted, so I feel pretty good.”

As soon as she got settled at Quinnipiac, however, the Bobcats traveled to California for exhibition matches against UC Berkeley, UC Davis and No. 21 Stanford at the end of August.

Biermann-Ratjen made her Quinnipiac debut against California, allowing only one goal on seven shots in her 22 minutes of play. She saw a few more minutes against Stanford the next week and allowed one goal on 10 shots. Biermann-Ratjen was lights-out in her first career start for Quinnipiac during the Bobcats’ home opener on Sept. 14, posting a shutout on 15 shots after being in goal for the entire game.

BRENDAN O’SULLIVAN/CHRONICLE

Biermann-Ratjen huddles with her team in a game against Sacred Heart.

“Stanford was a huge experience,” Biermann-Ratjen said. “It’s a very strong team, and to see our team improve our game against them. I personally was very impressed to see our team step it up in the second half even though the first half hasn’t been going great.

I think that’s a very hard skill to have, like a lot of people get frustrated when the first half doesn’t go like they want to. And that’s something that this team doesn’t do.”

Though field hockey is BiermannRatjen’s passion, there is nothing more that she loves than her family and friends back home in Germany. Lately, she’s been working to find times in between her busy schedule to contact them because they are always on her mind.

“I’ve been really enjoying staying in contact with family and friends from home, but it can be difficult to communicate with them just because of the time zone difference,” Biermann-Ratjen said. “When I have free time at 6 p.m. because practice is over, my friends and family are asleep. If I have time in the morning it’s the middle of the day for them. Their lives don’t stop just to talk, and vice versa. So that’s kind of a chal-

lenge and be able to find the time.”

One thing Biermann-Ratjen is most excited about for her four years ahead of her at Quinnipiac is her academics. The behavioral neuroscience major is eager to delve more into how the human mind works, and apply her knowledge to a potential future career.

“I essentially do what a biology major would do but then I also get into the psychology of things like neurology and the interplay of the psyche and the biological system,” Biermann-Ratjen said. “I find that very interesting and I’m very excited to see how that major is going to evolve over the next year. I would really like to get into research or development of treatments or study design.”

Biermann-Ratjen and the Bobcats are entering the thick of an arduous schedule ahead of them in the Big East. Their first interconference matchup is at home in Hamden on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. against the University of Connecticut. With Biermann-Ratjen protecting the goal, the Bobcats look to improve on their 2-5 record in the Big East last year.