The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Issue 7, Volume 90

OCTOBER 9, 2019 • VOLUME 90 • ISSUE 7

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

OPINION: QU DINING IMPROVEMENTS P. 5

ARTS & LIFE: PARENTS AND FAMILY WEEKENDP. 6

SPORTS: MURPHY’S LAW P. 10

Checking in

October kicks off with a motivational speaker and Fresh Check Day

By WILLIAM GAVIN AND ALYSSA NAUMANN

Midterms are approaching, classes are getting harder and the air is getting colder. For some college students, this is a time when homesickness is setting in, as well as stress or depression.

The week of Oct. 7 through Oct. 11, is Mental Health Awareness Week and with this in mind, Student Health Services at Quinnipiac hosted an inspirational speaker and a Fresh Check Day to help students check in with themselves and ensure they start the second half of the semester on the right foot.

JORDAN BURNHAM Emotions ran high, and all was quiet, as the young man spoke.

“If I can’t make anyone happy, what’s the point of being here?” he said. “That was the night I attempted suicide by jumping out my nine-story window.”

Jordan Burnham is a motivational speaker from the organization “Minding Your Mind.” He spoke to Quinnipiac students on Oct. 3, about mental health, depression and suicide. Burnham’s mission is to open up dialogue and educate students about mental health and encourage them to speak up about their own issues.

“Even though one in four college students will suffer from a mental health disorder, a lot of them won’t seek help, won’t seek treatment,” Burnham said.

Burnham was among those who didn’t actively seek professional help, relying on his older sister to be his “rock” throughout his youth.

However, when his sister went off to college Burnham found that he was alone and seemingly without anyone to turn to, not even his parents or friends.

Burnham was forced to move twice as a young child as a result of his father applying for, and receiving, positions at different high schools in different parts of Pennsylvania. At these new schools, he said he was treated harshly, not only because of his status as “the new kid”, but also because he didn’t talk or act like the other kids did. Without his older sister, his only confidant, Burnham said he began bottling up his feelings and beginning his descent into depression.

Burnham continued his story, illustrating his struggles with opening up to, and seeing, his therapist, his first suicide attempt which launced him into months of counseling in a behavioral hospital and his eventual diagnosis with depression. He recounted his struggles with trusting his therapist how he “lied to her to get out of her office as quickly as possible” and how he doubted that a female adult could understand the thoughts and actions of a young sixteen year old male.

In addition to these problems, Burnham said he faced common problems that many teenagers face: keeping up with an older sibling, making his parents proud, struggling with grades and having issues with friends or significant others.

However, Burnham didn’t only struggle with suicidal thoughts, but also a dependency on alcohol. His use of alcohol got him in trouble multiple times with the police, his family and his school, and was the inciting factor that lead to his second and more serious suicide attempt — when he jumped nine stories out of the window in his bedroom.

Burnham stressed how mental health is a widespread issue and healing is an ongoing commitment that must be worked on. He referenced the numerous sessions of therapy he has had throughout the aftermath of his suicide attempt, as well as the addiction to substances like alcohol

ALYSSA NAUMANN/CHRONICLE

Fresh Check Day included many booths for students to explore wellness and mental health awareness. or anti-depressant pills.

Burnham ended the night by answering questions from the audience and giving advice on how to best help friends that are suffering from mental illness by helping them find ways to cope and opening up about his own issues with alcohol abuse.

“I honestly felt like it was really beautiful, as in a lot of people go through and they don’t talk about it [depression],” Gabriella Vitelli, a sophomore who attended the presentation, said. “And knowing family members and friends in high school who’ve gone through situations like this, just seeing how he has coped with it and comparing these stories and knowing it’s a reality, it’s something going in everyone’s lives.”

FRESH CHECK DAY Quinnipiac hosted its fourth Fresh Check Day on Monday, Oct. 6, where students had the opportunity to check-in with their emotions and mental health.

The Jordan Porco Foundation created Fresh Check Day on college campuses as a way for students to engage in an open dialogue about mental health. The mission of the Jordan Porco Foundation is to prevent suicide and promote mental health.

“We’re all going to have some type of stress, we’re all going to have some emotions that don’t See FRESH CHECK Page 2

Triple trouble

EEE outbreak forces Quinnipiac officials to take action

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Quinnipiac University is taking precautions against a type of mosquito virus that causes more than an itch.

“It’s a virus that is spread through mosquitoes primarily in the eastern portion of the United States.” Christy Chase, director of Student Health Services, said. “There’s no vaccine for it, and there’s no treatment for it because it’s a virus.”

The virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), affects the central nervous system. It can cause symptoms such as high fevers, joint pains and seizures. The mortality rate of people who contract the virus is 33%, due to the brain damage it can cause. Chase reassured the students at Quinnipiac, despite these facts.

“The majority of people who are infected will not become ill,” Chase said. “Also, I think it’s important to note that there have been no confirmed cases in humans in this area.”

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are three to 15 cases per year of EEE. These mosquitoes carry the disease after getting infected by feeding on birds that have EEE. This mosquito species typically feed on birds and horses, not humans. The chance of infection is small — just 5% if a person gets bit —

but if it does occur, it is very serious.

“The things to look for are confusion, tremors, comatose-like symptoms,” Chase said. “And at that point, that’s the encephalitis — that’s the inflammation of the brain. If they can’t control it, it can become fatal.”

Risk factors for the disease include being over the age of 50, and under the age of 15, as well as living in swampy environments. The mosquito that carries the virus is typically found in the Great Lakes and in southern Florida. The prime time that this mosquito causes infection is from July to early October. Even though the prime season is almost over, a bird that had EEE was found in the town of Bethany, 15 minutes from Quinnipiac.

Once this was discovered, Quinnipiac health faculty took certain measures to keep the students safe.

“Last Friday, we worked with members from the emergency management team, and our medical director, and came up with the guidelines in the email that came through,” Chase said. “It recommended long sleeves, long pants, socks. Making sure screens are in order. We purchased quite a bit of bug repellent, and we have that available in the health center and I know facilities turned off the sprinkler systems because standing water

Staff Meetings on Tuesdays at 9:15 p.m. in SB123

can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.”

The health center sent an email to all the students on campus on Friday, Sept. 27, to provide information about the EEE virus and how to prevent infection. They also stated that they are rescheduling athletic events that take place from dawn to dusk until further notice. This email came as a comfort to students on campus who were wary of the virus.

“I think university was great for sending out emails, and notifying students that the virus is

present,” Kerri Sands, freshman biology major, said. “We can get the appropriate resources we need if we’re worried about it.”

Although the health center wants to educate the students here about EEE, they want to make clear that it is simply an extreme precaution they are taking. Chase said there are other health risks this time of year that students should be more concerned about.

“It’s definitely important to talk about EEE, but the flu is something that students should wor-

PHOTO FROM WIKICOMMONS

The mortality rate of people who contract EEE is 33% due to brain damage it can cause.

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INDEX

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CONNECT

By EMILY FLAMME

Opinion: 4

Arts and Life: 6

Sports: 10

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MEET THE EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bryan Murphy MANAGING EDITOR Alexis Guerra CREATIVE DIRECTOR Janna Marnell NEWS EDITOR Emily DiSalvo ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Stephen MacLeod OPINION EDITOR Toyloy Brown III ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Jessica Simms ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Ryan Miller SPORTS EDITORS Brendan O’Sullivan Jared Penna DESIGN EDITOR Ilana Sherman

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October 9, 2019

Going back to our roots

Wesleyan professor talks to students about how to relate to the indigenous people who came before them

By CONNOR LAWLESS Staff Writer

The students and faculty in the Mount Carmel Auditorium listened intently as Dr J. Kehaulani Kauanui, a professor at Wesleyan University, solemnly opened her lecture with a simple, yet important message for the audience.

“Before I dive in, I want to acknowledge that we are on Quinnipiac territory and acknowledge the enduring sovereignty of the Quinnipiac people even as we don’t recognize them as a collective polity. Sovereignty cannot be extinguished from indigenous peoples,” Kehaulani Kauanui said.

This would set the tone for a serious and informative lecture titled, “Global Ingenuity & Native Sovereignty,” about the relationship between colonial countries and the native people who came before them.

Kehaulani Kauanui was introduced by students Kiara Tanta-Quidgeon, a sophomore biology major and member of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians, a tribe from Connecticut, and Lala Forrest, a freshman medical student and member of the Pit River Tribe, a tribe from California. They spoke about an initiative run by the Arnold Schweitzer Institute (ASI), who hosted the lecture.

“The goals (of the initiative) are to create a way to include indigenous voices in the Quinnipiac community, educate about Quinnipiac’s Native American history, celebrate indigenous identities, and establish a sense of community for indigenous peoples here at Quinnipiac University,” Tanta-Quidgeon said.

Kehaulani Kauanui gave a brief history of the tribe that the university is named after. She said the Quinnipiac tribe had inhabited the area long before English settlers had arrived. Their traditional homeland had covered over 300 square miles stretching across southern Connecticut’s

rivers. However, after the diseases brought by the settlers caused a population collapse of the native people, the Quinnipiac only lived in four villages along the Long Island Sound. Once colonials established New Haven as a town, they established reserves for the natives. These native reserves were the first of their kind in what would become the United States. Eventually however, the Quinnipiac were coerced into selling their land and soon lost what stake they had in Connecticut.

After the Quinnipiac tribe’s history, she spoke about a local town, Middletown, and it’s complicated relationship with natives today.

When trying to find information about the native people whose territory was once in Middletown, she said that town officials were uninformed and even ignorant, with one telling her, “I don’t know. Maybe you should call somebody at Foxwoods Casino and ask”.

In order to finally get the answer she was looking for, she had to contact a researcher, Paul Grant Costa of the Native Northeast Research Collective. Official state doctrine states that the Wangunk are extinct but this isn’t true, as descendants still live in their tribe’s historical territory today. One of these members were in attendance at the lecture.

Gary O’Neil, an elder Wangunk, worked closely with Kehaulani Kauanui in the past in designing a class focused around Middletown’s native relations. He was a large part of the progress being made in representation of native people. During a recent opening of a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization heritage site in Middletown, he was allowed to participate in its opening.

“He offered an indigenous welcome and granted permission for the ceremony to take

place,” Kehaulani Kauanui said. “He pointed out from the podium that he thought this was the first time in his knowledge by his knowledge in over 200 years that the city of Middletown ever acknowledged the Wangunk in any official capacity.”

Middletown has been working toward bettering its representation of its native people and relationship with the tribes. Their process of mending their relationship with their native tribes is similar to the aims of the ASI’s initiative for the Quinnipiac community. A goal of the initiative mentioned in the lecture was language use, and the negative impact it can have. This particular goal stuck with students during the lecture and left some thinking about their part in the problem.

“I think the biggest takeaway I had was on learning language use and how to refer to certain terms and people,” William James, a sophomore international business major, said.

An example of language misuse Kehaulani Kauanui mentioned was students calling themselves “native” New Yorkers for example, when they mean they were born there. In response to a misstatement like this, she challenged students to start a dialogue about it.

“Next time somebody says they’re a native New Yorker, ask what tribe they’re from.

It’s a real conversation starter,” Kehaulani Kauanui said.

These conversations can be difficult to have, but they are an important one that the ASI is hoping to help start. For students who want to learn further about the ASI’s initiative is running or hope to further educate themselves on these issues are welcome to attend their campus wide teaching night on Nov. 19, to contribute their thoughts, ideas and knowledge.

Jones: ‘Fresh Check Day gives people the time to realize they need to take time for themselves’ FRESH CHECK from cover always feel so great,” Kerry Patton, executive director of health and wellness said. “And how we can know some different strategies to help, and also help a friend because whether you’re a teenager, college student or adult, relationships are important, and how you can help one another,” Fresh Check Day aims to increase awareness of mental health resources for students and to challenge stigma and misconceptions around mental health.

To spread the word about mental health, the event included booths that targeted various topics like body image, stress, emotions and how to take care of yourself.

“College is a really stressful time,” Emily McCave, associate professor of social work, said. “There’s a lot of transitions, they have a lot of stress with classes, relationships, sports, and they really need to reach out because they don’t have to do it on their own.”

McCave volunteered at the ‘100 Reasons to Stay’ booth, which communicated the message that suicide is preventable. By connecting students to resources and educating them on warning signs, McCave said that mental health is important and it’s OK to talk about it.

“The purpose of our booth is just to remind people to relax sometimes, not everything can go your way, smile,” Sean Patten, senior journalism major, said. “College is never easy, you’re going to get bumps and bruises down the road, but it will all work out in the end.”

Patten worked at the ‘Uplift’ booth, with the message to do things that make you smile. Other booths also aimed to remind students to put themselves and their health first.

“Sometimes everyone gets caught up in what they have to do, and Fresh Check Day gives people the time to realize that they need to take time for themselves and remember the importance and also give them tools in order to do so,” Natakki Jones, senior psychology major, said.

Jones volunteered at the ‘Elephant in the Room’ booth where students could write down insecurities, burdens or secrets that they want to get off their chest. Jones said that many of the things students wrote down are not commonly talked about or are stigmatized.

“We’re out in the open and we’re talking about it and that helps break down the stigma that it’s something that you should keep to yourself because it doesn’t do anyone any good for it to be bottled up or kept behind closed doors,” Lindsey Downey, junior criminal justice major, said.

Downey worked the ‘Be Yourself’ booth, where attention was drawn to the mental health of the LGBTQ community. Here, an ally chain was created with encouraging messages to the LGBTQ community to show support for those struggling with their mental health.

Activities similar to the ally chain encouraged student’s participation. The event offered various activities to engage students to join the conversation about mental health like spinning trivia wheels, petting a dog, getting a massage and receiving gong therapy.

“We do want to get out the word that it takes all of us to be able to start a conversation and to ask people how they’re doing and to really lis-

ten,” McCave said.

With the booths, activities and free food, the event was able to catch the attention of students passing by.

“We were just walking by and we saw it and saw that it was about mental health which is very important,” Jenny McLaughlin, freshman nursing major, said. “Obviously in our first year we get a lot of homework and assignments and tests so it’s good to keep your mental health in check.”

Downey said that with all of the pressures and expectations at college, it can take a toll on students’ mental health.

“It should be a time that you enjoy and even if it’s hard sometimes it doesn’t mean that you should be struggling so much that you start neglecting yourself and your basic needs,” Downey said.

Overall, Patton and other organizers were happy with the turnout at the event. However, she wanted to emphasize that mental health always needs attention, beyond the one day that Quinnipiac addresses it’s importance.

“I think it’s important for us, whether you’re a college student, to be able to identify and be in tune to how we’re feeling,” Patton said. “I think it is a lifelong skill that we’re all going to need.”

ALYSSA NAUMANN/CHRONICLE

Students were able to create links on an ally chain, which was one of many booths that encouraged student participation.

October 9, 2019

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

Friday, Oct. 11 Donuts for Donors The Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA) will be hosting a registration drive outside Starbucks from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to encourage Quinnipiac students to become organ donors. The organization hopes to inform students of facts and myths regarding organ donation.

Run to Wentworth’s Students can join the Running Club in a run to Wentworth’s Ice Cream from the front of the recreation center at 3 p.m. Once the group reaches Wentworth’s, the runners can enjoy ice cream before heading back to Quinnipiac.

Learn to Garba The South Asian Society is hosting a dancing event in honor of the Indian holiday, Navratri. Students can enjoy music and learn how to dance Garba in AC 120 on Friday, Oct. 11, at 6 p.m.

QCF Worship Team Auditions Members of the Quinnipiac community are welcomed to audition for the Quinnipiac Christian Fellowship’s Worship Team. The team is planning to sing at events, conferences and gatherings held by the organization. The auditions will be from 7:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. in CCE 101.

National Coming Out Day Ice Cream Social In honor of National Coming Out Day, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) will be celebrating the bravery of LGBTQ+ people around the world who have been able to come out. Students can join the organization in enjoying ice cream and good company in the Upper Cafe from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

ASMR Stress Relief Stressed from midterms? The Student Programming Board (SPB) is hosting an ASMR Stress Relief night where students can use kinetic sand, slime and other stress relief ideas to decompress after a long week. The event will be held in the Lower Cafe at 10 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 12 Dim Sum The Asian Student Alliance (ASA) will be showcasing traditional Asian cuisine to the Quinnipiac Community in SC 120 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Students can learn fun facts about each food while being exposed to a unique dining experience.

Fall Fest SPB and WQAQ will be hosting a fall music festival with free food, giveaways and live music performances. Unlike previous years, Fall Fest will be held on the Quad from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Food Frenzy SPB will be bringing food from Eli’s, Spuds, Insomnia Cookies and Panera for students to enjoy. Those who attend the event can also play games on the Nintendo Switch and Xbox at 10 p.m. in the dining hall.

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News |3

Politics: past and present

Professor Marcos Scauso discusses his political education and experience that has led him to Quinnipiac

By KALLEEN OZANIC Contributing Writer

Professor Marcos Scauso is one of the newest additions to the Quinnipiac University community. As an assistant professor of political science, he currently teaches Introduction to International Relations and Issues in Politics.

To adequately understand Scauso’s affinity for political science and how he came to become a professor, one must start at the beginning.

Born in Villa Maria, a “very homogeneous and fairly boring” small town in Argentina, Scauso always thought he would become an engineer to help with his father’s business. He was educated in Argentina up until graduate school, except for studying abroad in Hungary during the 2000-2001 academic year as an exchange student during high school.

Scauso’s parents saved money to send him to Hungary through the Rotary International, where the only cost was travel expenses. While he was abroad, Scauso found his love for languages, international relations and politics, especially in regards to how they affect people.

“I fell in love with the possibility of learning other cultures,” Scauso said.

In Hungary, Scauso studied the English, Portuguese and Hungarian languages. He said he saw learning these languages as an insight into their respective cultures and societies. Scauso believes “words are the things that define the world for us.”

Scauso also said he recognizes the power that individuals have in changing their world. Upon his homecoming to Argentina in 2001, Scauso’s country was in the midst of an economic and political crisis. There, he became active in the student movement through advocating for students’ rights and keeping education public in Argentina.

Through their efforts, the students saw change: military secrets were published, archives were opened, military dictators were tried for crimes against humanity, gay rights were established and higher taxes were imposed on upper classes. Argentina saw a conservative government ousted and transformed by progressive ideology in a matter of months.

In 2003, Scauso left for the United States with his partner, Caroline, who was from the U.S. Scauso, unable to afford a standard visa, did agricultural work in California for several years

to remain in the country. Through his work, he had access to Latino communities and was able to better understand the Latino experience and struggle within the United States.

In California, Scauso earned his master’s in international relations from San Francisco State University (2012), and his master’s in political science (2015) and Ph.D. in political science (2018) from the University of California, Irvine.

Last year, after earning his degrees, Scauso and his wife Caroline and son Timothy, 7, moved to Indiana. There, Scauso researched for a year at the University of Notre Dame.

Most recently, this past August, Scauso and his family ventured to Connecticut. He appreciates the bustle of urban life in New Haven and New York City but also enjoys the suburban quietude of Connecticut’s “beautiful, relaxing, green town.”

So far, Scauso said he has been able to draw parallels between his collegiate experience and that which he observes at Quinnipiac. Scauso believes the immense level of student activism in Argentina is absent in the U.S., but he said that could change due to the current political climate.

At Quinnipiac, Scauso said he can observe and understand students through his teaching.

“I see a conscious and critically-thinking millennial,” Scauso said. “And that’s very pleasant.”

Within the QU community, Scauso wants to be an ally as a Latino faculty member, seeing that the Latino population at Quinnipiac is underrepresented. Scauso, though, finds it critical to think of all Quinnipiac students, faculty and administration as allies.

“The university is a very friendly environment in which there is a lot of room for changing things and making things better,” Scauso said.

As a professor of political science, it is difficult to teach in an unbiased fashion, especially with students that are fostering their beliefs as part of a college experience. In this way, Scauso takes a different approach—one that embraces biases and open-mindedness.

“Neutrality, to me, is impossible,” Scauso said. “Therefore I prefer honesty and democracy.”

In Scauso’s class, he said he makes his stance on the issues apparent.

“I try to make my opinions very explicit,” Scauso said. “It is important to make the class

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MARCOS SCAUSO

Scauso is new to Quinnipiac this year and brings his love for learning other cultures to class.

a safe place.”

To do this, he said every student in class is encouraged to speak, and valuable participation is rewarded with sticky notes, which denoted participation credit. He said the class is a democratic setting where students can counter and support others’ opinions and their own.

His passions are clear to the class, as students have noticed.

“He’s such a great professor. He makes class interesting and cares so much about how students perceive him as a teacher,” Emma Atkinson, a sophomore advertising major in Scauso’s international relations class.

Scauso offered advice for Quinnipiac students based on his diverse experiences.

“Agency is resistance,” Scauso said. “Often we think we have no power because that’s what we’ve been taught.”

Scauso said he believes part of growth and change is resisting the status quo, not obeying it.

While this may seem difficult, Scauso assures us that, “thinking we can start to make the world a better place, in itself, is a form of resistance.”

Housing selection switch-up

Juniors will pick housing in November with more flexibility about room seleciton

By EMILY DISALVO News Editor

Bobcats are only two months into the fall semester, but QU’s Office of Residential Life is already asking students to make plans for next year.

Sophomores received an email from Melissa Kardipis, associate director of residential life, on Oct. 4, announcing that junior housing selection will be taking place in November this year.

Students will be able to select a bedroom, multiple bedrooms or a full suite starting Nov. 18 and 19 for juniors.

Mark DeVilbiss, director of residential life, said the Office of Residential Life decided to make selection earlier because he knows students like to plan ahead.

“I think a lot of students are interested in solidifying their housing options for next year and we wanted to be sure that they could do that with QU housing,” DeVilbiss said.

Previously, junior housing selection for the following year did not take place until the spring. Some students think moving selection to the fall could cause some complications.

“I think it’s a bit early because I’m still trying to figure out who I want to live with,” Juliana Vitti, sophomore computer information systems major, said. “I also am trying to

find an apartment off-campus, but this is adding more pressure.”

Kardipis and DeVilbiss both stressed the benefits of living on-campus.

“Living on campus provides you with the opportunity to live close to friends, close to your classes and have 24-hour support from University staff,” Kardipis stated in the email.

Other current sophomores are concerned that they won’t still want to live with the groups that they select this fall, by the time next fall comes around.

“So much can happen between November and spring semester,” Shannon Flaherty, sophomore media studies major, said. “It’s going to make things awkward for the next semester if you don’t plan to live with your current roommates.”

DeVilbiss said that students will be able to make changes to their rooms as soon as this fall if students change their minds about who they want to live with. He said that choosing to live in QU housing allows for flexibility with roommates that living in an off-campus property would not afford.

“We are happy to offer students who might want to change housing plans later the opportunity to switch into another available space also in QU housing,” DeVilbiss said.

“It’s one of the benefits.”

Juniors will have the choice to select any

bedroom or multiple bedroom that their housing group can fill, according to the email.

The email lists several examples. A student who has not selected a roommate can select a single room. A group of two can select a double room in an apartment or two single rooms in the same apartment. Students can also form groups to select full apartments which was previously the policy.

Additionally, juniors have the option to select a “deluxe single” in Crescent. This means that one person will live alone in a double in Crescent.

DeVilbiss said there are some students living in deluxe singles this year, but the upcoming housing selection cycle will be the first time that deluxe singles will be offered as an option up front.

For the upcoming year, Quinnipiacowned houses will come fully-furnished for the first time.

Additionally, graduate students will be able to live in Crescent, Whitney Village or in Quinnipiac-owned houses.

DeVilbiss said all of these changes were motivated by student feedback.

“We’re striving for flexibility and we want students to live with who they desire to be around,” DeVilbiss said.

4| O p i n i o n

October 9, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Opinion

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The NBA team no one is talking about The Dallas Mavericks will surprise people

By TOYLOY BROWN III Opinion Editor

For many basketball fans, this upcoming season brings a different level of anticipation. The massive amount of player movement among stars is a major reason for this added excitement.

Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant (out this upcoming season with a ruptured Achilles), Jimmy Butler, D’Angelo Russell, Mike Conley, Al Horford and Kemba Walker are all allstar caliber players who have changed uniforms since the last time they played in an NBA arena.

Many of the teams who acquired the aforementioned players are penciled in to make the postseason before anyone has had a chance to see it how it all melds on the court. These are the “sexy” teams that will have all the nationally televised games and talked about on sports debate shows regularly. One team that has not made any splashy moves this offseason and not receiving any amount of playoff buzz before the start of the NBA season is the Dallas Mavericks.

Last year, the Mavericks went 33-49 in the regular season.

They finished outside the playoff picture in a three-way tie for 12th in the Western Conference standings. Besides NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki’s retirement, the most notable thing that happened for the team last year was their trade for the New York Knicks’ injured star big man Kristaps Porzingis seven days before the trade deadline on Jan. 31.

In the trade’s totality, Dallas received Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke alongside Porzingis. They gave up Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and two future first-round draft picks. The Mavericks also sent their secondleading scorer at the time, Harrison Barnes, to the Sacramento Kings for Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph.

The major reworking of Dallas’ roster midway through the season played a part in them finishing low in the deep western conference. Although they were never truly in the playoff hunt, most basketball watchers will acknowledge that pulling off 33 wins in the vaunted Western Conference is a feat they should be proud of.

Especially when the team’s best player was standout Slovenian rookie Luka Doncic.

Doncic was by far Dallas’ biggest bright spot after having one of the best rookie seasons in NBA history. As a 19-year-old for half of the season, he averaged 21.2 points, six assists and 7.8 rebounds in 72 games according to basketball-reference.com. He deservedly won the Rookie of the Year award and besides a gaudy stat line, he passed the eye test with flying colors.

He was consistent in his production, impressive against proven elite players, remarkable with his arsenal of step-back three-pointers and composed in his fair share of pressure heightened games.

Although it is not always wise to have high expectations from any young player, let alone one going into his second year, Doncic is a talent worth betting on to get the Mavs a few more wins withstanding any important injuries to himself or the team.

The offseason for the Dallas Mavericks was fairly quiet given

Kristaps Porzingis poses at Dallas Mavericks Media Day. that they made two sizable trades last season. They prioritized keeping rotation players like J.J. Barea, Dwight Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber and Devin Harris on manageable contracts. The Mavs did add a couple of nice backcourt players: Delon Wright and Seth Curry.

Wright is a 27-year-old point guard that will bring past winning experience from his time playing for the Toronto Raptors. He has good size at 6-foot-5, which is a rarity for Dallas guards, and should be a solid fit with Doncic since he has a game that doesn’t rely on playmaking too much.

Curry is making a return to Dallas and will be adding shooting after having a season with the Portland Trailblazers where he shot 45% from the three-point line according to basketball-reference. com. He also has some familiarity with the team since he played for head coach Rick Carlisle two seasons ago.

The final worthwhile addition the Mavs brought is 7-foot-3inch and 290-pound center Boban Marjanovic. He obviously will bring immense size to their frontcourt and has displayed better than expected touch when shooting 10 feet and in.

Now as good as Doncic and some of the rotation players are for the Mavericks, what will make them a team to make noise in the West will be the insertion of a healthy Porzingis.

On Feb. 6, 2018, Porzingis tore his left ACL and hasn’t played since. There were some mumblings of a very late return last season but there was no point in having him play meaningless games.

Nearly two years since he last suited up for an NBA game, Porz-

Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson and Dwight Powell in front of the camera at Dallas Mavericks Media Day.

PHOTO FROM MAVS.COM

ingis will play for his new team with what apparently looks to be a new body.

In every recent picture and video clip of Porzingis, he does not resemble his former 7-foot-3-inch and 240-pound self from the first three years of his career. According to Mavericks reporter Tamara Jolee, Mavericks director of athletic performance Jeremy Holsopple said that Porzingis has gained an additional 16-17 pounds.

Most of the weaknesses in Porzingis’ game spanned from his thin frame and overall lack of strength. From being bodied in the paint when trying to grab any rebound, unable to finish through significant contact when driving to the rim and incapable of consistently backing his man in the post, Porzingis has flagrant deficiencies that could easily be exploited by good teams.

What made him amazing was the fact that he could overcome those weaknesses to still have a season where he averaged according to basketball-reference.com 22.7 points, 2.4 blocks, 1.9 threepoint makes and 39.5% from beyond the arc in the 48 games he played in 2017-18 season.

Now that the “Unicorn,” as Porzingis is famously referred to, is bigger, he and Doncic can be an underrated dynamic duo barring health issues. In basketball where only two stars can catapult a team to playoff contention, why can’t the Mavs pull off a 46-win season instead of the over-under win total of 41.5 according the Westgate Current?

With the “Unicorn” becoming what looks to be a rugged mustang, why can’t the Mavericks be in the NBA rodeo by April?

PHOTO FROM MAVS.COM

October 9, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Opinion|5

Pleasantly surprised

QU Dining listened, responded and acted after my brutal roast last spring

By EMILY DISALVO News Editor

Last spring, I wrote a stinging rebuke of the dining hall. I accused the sushi station of cross-contamination, global create of discrimination and G-8 of being similar to Brett Kavanaugh.

But the press is powerful and bad press brings change. I am truly impressed with the improvements that QU Dining has made since I first complained.

After my article was published, QU Dining reached out to me and offered to meet up to talk about my concerns. I thought this was very proactive, so I agreed to meet. I came to the meeting with a list of concerns which the QU Dining representatives wrote down and appeared to take very seriously. I left the meeting cautiously hopeful. They seemed to care, but at the same time, what could they really do? The dining hall is cramped as it is. I didn’t see a way that they could expand or improve their options with the resources we have.

I returned to school in August after a summer of gorging myself on highly edible food, to store up energy in case the dining hall lacked edible options. I was immediately excited about the prospect of the acai bowl station. While it was more like sherbert and less like the acai bowls I’ve seen on Pinterest, it tasted good, and there were plenty of options for toppings. Plus, it seemed healthy. Acai bowls instantly became a staple of my college diet and prevented me from contracting scurvy due to a lack of fruits in my diet as I feared last year.

One of my largest complaints last year was a shortage of vegan and vegetarian options. I found myself eating a lot of sides. Pork chops would be the main dish, but since I wouldn’t eat pork chops, I would have the sweet potatoes and rice offered as side dishes. This is a great option for one day, but I often left the dining hall feeling unfulfilled and returned to my room to munch on trail mix and eat peanut butter straight from the jar which isn’t a positive habit to get in to.

This year, QU Dining incorporated “Harvest,” a vegan station, of which I have been a huge fan. I am particularly an advocate for the vegan chicken nuggets which remind me of my childhood and the tofu and veggie stir-fry-type dish. I just love having a variety of entrees, not sides, that taste wholesome, rotate every day and do not contain meat.

I also appreciate the efforts of other stations to broaden their dietary horizons. The pasta station now has three different kinds of sauce. The grilled station not only offers veggie burgers but also, Beyond burgers, which are plant-based and meat-free.

These are exciting developments, and things that I wouldn’t have thought possible at this time last year.

The York Hill Dining Hall still has some work to do. Since it has fewer stations, there are fewer options and longer lines.

Students can serve themselves at QU Dining’s Harvest station.

Most of the stations, besides the salad bar, involve meat unless you want to kill an hour in the pizza/pasta line. I am hopeful that the new pub will help to increase the variety of options. However, props to QU Dining again because they have implemented a whiteboard for suggestions from students. This gives me a lot of hope because it means that students who are not comfortable writing an anti-QU Dining manifesto for The Chronicle can still have a voice.

And I guarantee you people who are writing on the whiteboard — they are listening. Improvements in the dining hall this year alone are all the proof you need.

“Write a letter, write an article, make a phone call, write on the whiteboard, show up at an office, but don’t just sit there dissatisfied.”

– EMILY DISALVO NEWS EDITOR

I encourage all students who feel dissatisfied with some aspect of Quinnipiac to make a stink. Don’t sit in your room and fume about it. Don’t take to Twitter and vent about it. What I have learned is that QU Dining doesn’t always follow you on Twitter. The people who have the power to make changes in your student experience might not even have a Twitter account, but they do have email inboxes, offices with open doors and multiple copies of The Chronicle.

Write a letter, write an article, make a phone call, write on the whiteboard, show up at an office, but don’t just sit there dissatisfied. It’s OK to say “Kava-nope” when G-8 lets you down.

JANNA MARNELL/CHRONICLE

Quinnipiac has opened up a new vegan station to accommodate students’ dietary needs.

JANNA MARNELL/CHRONICLE

6|Arts and Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

October 9, 2019

Arts & Life

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

BOBCAT FAMILY WEEKEND

Families spend a fun weekend at QU with their Bobcats

By MAGALI AGUILAR Contributing Writer

What better way to ring in the fall season than by going apple picking with your family? That was one of the several fun options students and their families had during Parents and Family Weekend held from Oct. 4 to Oct. 6.

Parents and Family Weekend is a yearly tradition here at Quinnipiac. Students have a chance to host their families for the weekend, and several fun events are held on campus for parents to participate in with their students.

The schedule of events began on Friday, Oct. 4. Parents who were able to make it on Friday had the option to attend a women’s field hockey game at 3 p.m. and later attend a Jewish Shabbat Dinner at the Peter C. Herald House for Jewish Life from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Finally, to enjoy the cooler weather and the Halloween holiday season, families could enjoy the movie, “Halloweentown,” at 8 p.m. in Buckman Theater presented by Quinnipiac’s Film Society.

On Saturday, Oct. 5, the full schedule of events guaranteed fun for all. Families could start the day off with free breakfast in the dining hall from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Quinnipiac’s Sustainability Committee sponsored the Artisan Craft Fair and Farmers Market again this year that was held in the Athletic and Recreation Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., giving parents and students the chance to buy handcrafted, upcycled decor and other goods. Families could also choose to paint a custom wood sign as a decoration piece in exchange for a $30 donation to the charity, United Way. Quinnipiac’s Film Society showed “Halloweentown” again on Saturday afternoon for those who missed the original showing on Friday night, but the events with the highest interest were the newly added family cooking classes hosted by Chartwells and Bobcat Family Bingo hosted by the Student Programming Board. Families were required to register in advance in order to participate in each of the events and spots filled up quick. Interest was so high that an additional session was added for each. These events replaced Fall in the Halls with the Residence Council and students’ performance of “A Midsummer Night's Dream” in the Theater Arts Center that took place during the 2018 Parents and Family Weekend.

The cooking class was held in the dining hall from 10 to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The class introduced attendees to the history and origins of sushi, including fish preparation techniques, the importance of rice preparation and the actual rolling of sushi.

Bobcat family bingo took place from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Mount Carmel Auditorium. Families could play to win some merchandise from the bookstore.

Those looking for a more creative outlet had the chance to attend salsa lessons in the Studio B in the Athletic and Recreation Center. A professional dance instructor held lessons from 2 to 3 p.m. for parents and students who wished to learn a new skill.

Frank Frasca, whose daughter Sophia Frasca is a freshman this year, said the events were very nice, particularly the Family Fest on the Quad.

For those who were not able to attend a cooking lesson or a bingo session, the Family Fest held on the Quad from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. provided an opportunity for students and their families to participate in carnival games, enjoy a live band, buy from food trucks and enjoy fun novelties and crafts. Family Fest on the Quad closely resembled 2018’s Parents and Family Weekend’s Night on the Boardwalk, also sponsored by the Student Programming Board. Students and their families were able to enjoy food, games and novelties.

This year’s Saturday activities ended much earlier than last year’s. Last year, parents had the opportunity to attend Rocktopia, a live concert presented exclusively for the Quinnipiac community. The show took place in the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. Before the show, parents who purchased VIP tickets were able to attend a cocktail hour and a meet and greet with the members of Rocktopia. However, parents seemed to enjoy the weekend regardless.

James and Lucy Majoros, who attended Parents and Family Weekend this year and last year, are avid sports fans. The events they enjoyed the most were the women’s ice hockey game against Providence and the women’s soccer game against Monmouth.

They also really enjoyed the chili stations that were located on the Quad near Tator Hall and also on the lawn outside the dining hall. Overall, they found this year’s schedule of events to be more

MAGALI AGUILAR/CHRONICLE

Families could participate in fun activities on the Quad during the Family Fest on Saturday, Oct. 5.

enjoyable than last year’s.

“I liked [both years], but I’d say maybe this year was a little better,” James Majoros said.

The family attended Parents and Family Weekend in 2018, but felt there was not as much to do as this year because the weekend’s main event in 2018 was the Rocktopia concert.

“I felt last year [Rocktopia] was the big thing, but there were less little things where this year there was a lot more little things which I like better since we were not interested in Rocktopia,” Lucy Majoros said.

Aside from all the great events hosted on campus over the weekend, the brochure parents received upon arrival listed recommendations for places to eat, shopping malls and nearby orchards for apple picking in the crisp, autumn weather. Families could make their way over to Lyman Orchards in Middlefield or Norton Brothers Fruit Farm in Cheshire for apple picking, or they could enjoy the various shopping centers and dining locations in Hamden and New Haven.

The weekend ended off on Sunday with Catholic Mass held at both 9 a.m. and 11a.m., and a women’s volleyball game against Manhattan at 1 p.m.

Parents, of course, made their way to the bookstore to buy some apparel for themselves and their students, and families said goodbye as the fun weekend came to an end.

GRAPHIC BY IAN BERKEY

GRAPHIC BY JESSICA BRIJ-RAJ

THE NEW CLOWN IN TOWN "Joker" gives a new perspective for the famous supervillain

By MATTHEW TRAVIA Staff Writer

Scrap everything you know about the infamous supervillain when watching the new film, "Joker."

Joaquin Phoenix plays the role of Arthur Fleck, who is better known as the Joker. The movie provides a new backstory that we’ve never seen before on the big screen as well as seeing Gotham City in a new lens. Director of the film, Todd Phillips, wanted to have this Joker emulate the same villain featured in the novel, “The Killing Joke,” where the Joker mentally wore down Batman.

PHOTO FROM WARNER BROS ENTERTAINMENT

'Joker' premiered in theaters on Oct. 4

The movie starts with Arthur Fleck at his job as a clown doing sign spinning for a company going out of business. A bunch of kids come up to Fleck and steal the sign before running away, with Fleck chasing after them. Fleck then gets smashed in the face with the sign then gets jumped by the delinquent teenagers.

That seems to be Fleck’s life summed up. He's just unlucky and is living a sad life that he shares with his mother. He’s been living with his mother his whole life, taking care of her in the horrific apartment that they live in.

This movie portrays everything differently than any other Joker film we have seen before. This movie has a new dark element to it, which is different for the viewers. I can’t say if the fanbase will enjoy the new perspective, it just depends on the individual’s taste of movie style. Phoenix brings the mentally insane out of the Clown Prince of Crime.

Joker seems to have a new motive for being an insane clown. Phoenix seems to have different qualities that are different from previous great Jokers such as Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger. Qualities that can make fans question or appreciate the character more.

In the original “Batman” film, starring Michael Keaton, this Joker is portrayed as a literal clown. Jack Nicholson plays the role the way you would see a clown in real life. Just goofy, corny jokes and even has deadly props to show. His Joker even gives people some comedic relief with his witty humor.

Nicholson’s Joker even has a backstory as a businessman who plans on making Gotham an even worse place than it already is. In a factory getting chased down by the police and

Batman, Nicholson’s character falls from a catwalk and lands in chemical waste altering his appearance. This would lead him to become the Joker.

Next, there is the “Agent of Chaos” Joker who was portrayed by the late Heath Ledger. Ledger’s Joker, arguably the best Joker performance ever done was quite different. His Joker appears on the screen with no backstory, he escapes Arkham and causes chaos in Gotham.

This Joker is a crime-ridden freak who wants to control Gotham with the unstable state it is currently in at the time. He causes fear to the public and is a true mastermind at what he does and tries to crack down Batman to show that Gotham is weak.

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker stands out from the other two Jokers.

In this movie, viewers see placing someone with mental illness in a horrific society and seeing how that affects the person. This Joker shows the effect of society has on some people who have mental illnesses. It shows the effect it has on the individual and shows the line between what is real and what is imagined.

In this movie, there is a twist where people aren’t feared by the Joker. If anything, he is looked up to as a figure of inspiration, showing people the corruption of Gotham and that nothing will ever be fixed for them.

It’s pretty easy to say that Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is one of the best Joker performances we have seen, but it's hard to say where he ranks among the others. This movie puts the villain in a new perspective that viewers haven’t seen before. If DC Comics keeps this Joker for future films, they have something great going forward.

October 9, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

7|Arts and Life

LGBTQ HISTORY EXHIBITS The Arnold Bernard Library features two exhibits about LGBTQ History Month

GRAPHIC BY HAYLEI COTTON

By JESSICA SIMMS Arts & Life Editor

The Arnold Bernhard Library, also known as Arnie by many Quinnipiac students, has held a variety of different exhibits in years past, but nothing has compared to the new exhibit, Robert Young, public services librarian, has put on for the month of October.

Young has helped plan two different exhibits that will be running until Oct. 31. The first exhibit, that is going on currently, is all about Connecticut’s LGBTQ Community, which has been on display since Oct. 3, and will continue being displayed until Oct. 16.

The second exhibit will be shown in the library starting on Oct. 16 and will be ending on Oct. 31. This specific exhibit will focus on Quinnipiac’s LGBTQ Community, looking at how it has evolved over the years.

The LGBTQ History Month exhibits were brought to Quinnipiac’s library after the school was interested in displaying some different exhibits during the fall semester, according to Young.

“About mid-August, the director of our library said, 'let’s get some interesting exhibits for the fall semester,'” Young said. “So, I started looking around and I remembered that back in June the Connecticut Historical Society had mounted a brand new exhibit about the history of the LGBTQ community in Connecticut. It’s a traveling exhibit that’s eight pop-up banners and they make it available to anybody who wants to display it.”

The eight pop-up banners provide a brief history overview of Connecticut’s LGBTQ community from the colonial era to today and how it became a community, found its voice and became more visible by society at large. Not only that, the exhibit was also created by college students.

“What’s really interesting about it, they [the Connecticut Historical Society] approached William Mann, who is the director of the LGBTQ Center at Central Connecticut State University,” Young said. “He also teaches there. When they approached him a couple of years ago, they asked him to create something with them. In one of his history classes, he had the undergraduate students in that class do the research for this exhibit, which is pretty cool.”

Alongside the exhibit all about Connecticut’s LGBTQ community, Young was interested in planning an exhibit about Quinnipiac’s own LGBTQ community, that will be officially on display at the end of October, but currently has a small case up right now.

“So what I decided to do, when I found out we could get the exhibit [about Connecticut’s LGBTQ community] for two weeks in October, I thought ‘Let’s see what we can have on display about the history of the LGBTQ community at Quinnipiac,’” Young said about planning the two exhibits.

“So I spent the past couple of months going through like 40 years of The Chronicle.”

The exhibit about Quinnipiac’s LGBTQ Community was made to supplement the bigger Connecticut LGBTQ Community exhibit. It includes a timeline about Quinnipiac’s campus that begins with the 1970s and ends with the present.

The exhibit also has a display of “The Quinnipiac Chronicle” articles, photos, posters, flags, banners and profiles of individuals that all discuss major events and people that have impacted Quinnipiac’s LGBTQ Community.

One of the bigger contributions to the Quinnipiac part of the LGBTQ history exhibits was a slideshow made by students who are a part of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club on campus about what it means to be a part of Quinnipiac’s LGBTQ community today.

“So what I did is that I contacted Lindsey Downey, the president of GSA, and Bill Jellison who is the faculty advisor and psychology instructor,” Young said about creating the

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY ROBERT YOUNG

The Connecticut LGBTQ History included banners that told the history of Connecticut's LGBTQ community.

Quinnipiac LGBTQ Community exhibit. “So they came over and met with me. They didn’t have a lot of content, but they did have some materials. We are going to be using some of their materials. They did a fantastic job [with their powerpoint].”

The powerpoint, created by GSA, went into depth about GSA’s role on campus and how it came to be here at Quinnipiac, educating students as to what it means to be a part of the organization in addition to how it has impacted the overall community.

“I would say that GSA's main contribution to the exhibit was the slideshow that is playing on the TV by the reference desk,” Downey said explaining how GSA contributed to the exhibit about Quinnipiac’s LGBTQ History exhibit. “While the rest of the exhibit focuses on the history of Quinnipiac’s LGBTQ community, Robert and Cecilia let us use the slideshow as a way to showcase what GSA is currently, what we do on campus, what the LGBTQ community looks like today and what we’re hoping to do in the future.”

Along with the powerpoint created by members of GSA, Young incorporated some profiles on some well-known members of the Quinnipiac community including some students and leaders on campus.

“Also I thought for Quinnipiac’s history, the fact for Austin Calvo was elected president this past spring and I thought that was interesting,” Young said. He explained why he wanted to incorporate a Quinnipiac part of the exhibit as a part of the larger on about the LGBTQ community in Connecticut. “As a matter of fact, he’s going to create a little profile about himself for the second part of the exhibit. I’m going to highlight him. Jennifer Brown who’s the acting provost and dean at the law school. She was one of the lead attorneys for many years for the Freedom to Marry organization. So I’m going to have a profile for her. I even looked into Professor Olian about before she came to Quinnipiac. The Anderson School out in California, where she was the dean, she was there when they initiated LGBTQ program in support for those students and I found photos of her holding up a rainbow sign.”

Alongside the PowerPoint and brief profiles of Quinnipiac

students and faculty that have impacted the LGBTQ community on campus, Young is planning on highlighting some other aspects of campus life that have transformed the LGBTQ community at Quinnipiac into what it is today.

“What I’m going to do is that I’m going to have a little bit about the GSA, I’m going to have a little bit about Queer at QU,” Young said explaining what he is going to showcase in the Quinnipiac exhibit. “Vincent Contrucci gives walking tours of New York City about the LGBTQ history there and he’s been doing that for a few years. So he’s going to give me some posters, he’s given talks, so I’m going to do something a little bit about him. I’m going to do some of these profiles that were done last year. But I’m going to have something about different individuals and the last case is that for about 15 years now, there have been drag shows every year on campus, so I heard those are very popular. As a matter of fact Sherry Vine has been coming here since 2007.”

With the work that was put in to both exhibits, students are encouraged to take some time to read them and learn about both Connecticut’s and Quinnipiac’s LGBTQ communities, especially with National Coming Out Day happening on Friday, Oct. 11 to celebrate coming out to family, friends and colleagues.

“I hope that when people see the two exhibits that they actually take some time to read through them and realize that the LGBT+ community has always been around, and that it’s not something new,” Downey said. “In particular to the QU exhibit that will be up fully later in the month, I think it will be really cool for people to realize that the history of the LGBT+ movement wasn’t that far removed from our reality. The timeline that Robert found was really touching to me personally because the same themes that we read about from the LGBT movement in bigger cities were also happening on this very campus. And the fact that there’s some very recent stuff included reminds me that we are still are moving forward and that what we’re doing on this campus does matter.”

8|Arts and Life

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

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October 9, 2019

NVERSATI

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Black Student Union discusses topical issues for the black community

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Staff Writer

Discussion is important for any community to grow closer and stronger. This is no different for the Black Student Union (BSU), which opened a dialogue about issues that affect its community.

The Black Student Union came together on Thursday, Oct. 3 to hold a coffee house in Student Center room 119. A traditional coffee house includes performances of poetry or songs, but this coffee house was a little different. It was a discussion-based forum for members of the black community on campus to discuss the “complexity of their complexion” and other topical issues that affect their community.

According to Andrew DePass, representative of the BSU for the Multicultural Student Leadership Council, one of the prevalent topics of the night was the collective reactions surrounding the sentencing of Amber Guyger. Guyger, a white police officer, shot an unarmed black man, Botham Jean, in his own home after she mistook his apartment for her own in 2018.

Following Guyger’s sentencing to 10 years in prison on Oct. 3, Jean’s brother, Brandt Jean, forgave Guyger and asked to hug her. What caught the BSU’s attention, however, were the actions of Judge Tammy Kemp. Following Guyger’s sentencing, Kemp gave Guyger a bible and hugged her, something that the BSU thought was inappropriate.

“We thought there was no need for the judge to go ahead and do that,” DePass said. “We were wondering, you know, what kind of message does that send?”

Kemp has since had a complaint filed against her with the Texas State Commission.

Another topic the group discussed was Patricio Manuel, the first transgender black professional boxer. Manuel began fighting professionally in 2018 and is now the face of Everlast, the most popular company for boxing gear.

They also talked about a recent controversy surrounding a child model for H&M. Pictures of one of their models, a young black girl, went viral after some believed that her hair was

The Black Student Union posted flyers on social media to promote the event. “undone” compared to white models and was disrespectful to both the girl and the black community.

“It’s supposed to be a relaxed way to connect with the community,” Amanda Etienne, the Director of Programming for the BSU said.

Outside of the discussion, there was an opportunity for some to perform original songs and short poems.

“Within the black community, there are a number of different perspectives because not everyone in the black community had

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY THE BLACK STUDENT UNION

the same experiences,” Depass said.. “We all come from different backgrounds, including class, culture, nation and whatnot.”

The BSU’s mission is to foster a sense of community dedicated to the celebration of black culture.

BSU meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 9:15 p.m. in Echlin room 207. It emphasizes the importance of facilitating a community that is open to black students on a predominantly white campus and expressing views on important issues within that community.

COMPARING CASTS IN ''WAITRESS''' The Broadway show, “Waitress,” has been casting unconventional actors and actresses, and each group of cast members put their own spin on the story that unfolds at the diner ler streets and even though I stayed for bows, I still managed As far as the stage door experience, we were in a bit Spoi rt By SAMANTHA SIMON to get squished up against the barricade (which was totally of a rush, so we did not wait to get our playbills signed. ale worth it). I was able to get my playbill signed and take However, it was evident that the stage door was not even Contributing Writer

The iconic Broadway show, “Waitress,” is ending its time at The Brooks Atkinson Theatre with a series of unconventional cast members before it closes on Jan. 5, 2020.

Colleen Ballinger, Todrick Hall and Jordin Sparks are some of the faces that may strike you as unusual on the Brooks Atkinson Theatre's stage.

And yes, I am one of the many people who were sucked in to paying an absurd amount to see two of my favorite YouTubers take over the Broadway stage. I then fell in love with the musical enough to see it again with a whole different cast, with Sparks as the lead.

Ballinger, who is well known for her YouTube persona, Miranda Sings, made her Broadway debut as Dawn, a quirky, Southern waitress, on Aug. 20. She was joined by Hall, a fellow YouTuber, who played Ogie, her nerdy lover in the show. Although Hall has been in other Broadway shows, such as “Kinky Boots” and “Chicago,” this internet pair definitely drew a crowd to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

The lead role, Jenna, was played by Alison Luff, at the time. I had never heard of her prior to seeing her face in my playbill, but I was absolutely blown away by her performance.

Jenna is a pregnant, southern pie shop worker who is in an abusive relationship, who has the baby, leaves her husband, and opens up her own pie shop. Luff brought Jenna to life in such an emotional way, it brought me to tears.

Their run ended on Sept. 15, and although it was short, it was definitely impactful. Tickets were in high demand as prices skyrocketed from around $70 to over $300 for orchestra seats for these dates.

It was certainly a different experience compared to the other Broadway shows I have seen before. I saw it on its opening night, so the energy was high, and it was very clear that the crowd was full of fans of Ballinger and Hall.

However, with the crowd consisting of mostly young fans of the two YouTubers, a lot of them were getting up and leaving before bows to get their playbills signed. Ballinger later expressed her frustration on social media about this.

The stage door was absolutely insane. People were in the

pictures with Ballinger.

Just before the YouTubers left the diner, “Waitress” announced that Jordin Sparks, season six's winner of American Idol, will be taking over the lead role, Jenna, starting Sept. 16.

My first reaction was “No Air” Jordin Sparks? Sparks had a lot to live up to after I fell in love with Luff’s portrayal of Jenna, and knowing her rich voice, I doubted her abilities to portray a small town southern pie shop worker. However, I was pleasantly proven wrong.

Last weekend I found myself back at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, happier than ever, with my best friend. I knew this performance would be different compared to when I first saw it, but I was not really sure exactly what to expect.

Immediately we were both taken back by the way Sparks owned the stage the moment she began singing her first number, “Opening Up.” Her voice fit the song so well, and because of that it almost seemed as if she put her own twist to it, allowing the words to come to life in her own way.

Although I went into the show comparing Luff and Sparks, I was more surprised by the comparison of the performances of Ogie. This time around the role of Ogie was taken back by Christopher Fitzgerald, who played the part in the original cast back in 2016. Comparing Fitzgerald to Hall, their portrayals of Ogie seemed like two separate characters.

It did not feel like Fitzgerald was playing a part, it felt like he was Ogie. His energy was radiant. From his geeky dance moves down to the way he took puffs of his asthma inhaler after gushing over Dawn, it all just felt real. Hall on the other hand, seemed to downplay the character. Although his performance was very good, he did not bring as much of the love-struck and nerdy attitudes as Fitzgerald did.

This time around, Dawn was played by Molly Jobe, an understudy. She was very talented, and her southern accent was a lot more realistic and toned down compared to Ballinger’s, but nothing will ever compare to Ballinger’s overall performance. Ballinger really brought Dawn to life with her facial expressions and outgoing attitude, which is something so unique to her as a performer.

close to being as hectic as it was when the two YouTubers were a part of the cast. There were many open spots by the barricade, and it was certainly an older crowd.

Both of my experiences at the diner were incredible, but it is evident that each set of cast members set the stage in their own ways.

Sparks ends her run at the diner Oct. 27, and “Waitress” can be caught on tour in 70 cities outside of the Big Apple.

SAMANTHA SIMON/CHRONICLE

'Waitress' will be closing on Broadway on Jan. 5, 2020.

October 9, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

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RUNDOWN MEN’S SOCCER QU 2, Saint Peter’s 1 - Wednesday Tomas Svecula: 1 goal, 3 shots, 2 SOGs Jared Mazzola: 3 saves, 1 GA Manhatttan 1, QU 0 - Saturday Eamon Whelan: 2 shots, 2 SOGs Mazzola: 4 saves, 1 GA WOMEN’S SOCCER Marist 1, QU 0 - Wednesday Selena Salas: 4 shots, 3 SOGs Markela Bejleri: 3 shots, 2 SOGs Monmouth 1, QU 0 - Saturday Ally Grunstein: 1 shot, 1 SOG Meaghan Phillips: 8 saves, 1 GA MEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU 4, Brock 4 - Sunday Karlis Cukste: 1 goal, 1 assist, 6 shots Evan Fear: 11 saves, 0 GA WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU 2, Providence 1 - Friday Taylor House: 1 goal, 2 shots Abbie Ives: 14 saves, 1 GA Providence 3, QU 2 - Saturday Sarah Coutu-Godbout: 1 goal, 4 shots Ives: 19 saves, 3 GAs FIELD HOCKEY Liberty 5, QU 1 - Friday Bianka Strubbe: 1 goal, 1 shot, 1 SOG Mack Vorel: 2 saves, 1 GA Boston College 4, QU 0 - Sunday Valerie Perkins: 4 shots, 3 SOGs Hedda Biermann-Ratjen: 8 saves, 4 GAs

GAMES TO WATCH MEN’S SOCCER QU vs. Marist - Wednesday, 3 p.m.

QU at Niagara - Saturday, 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER QU at Fairfield - Wednesday, 7 p.m.

QU vs. Niagara - Saturday, 12 p.m.

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU vs. AIC - Friday, 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU at Maine - Friday, 2 p.m.

QU vs. Maine - Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

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

QU at Maine - Sunday, 12 p.m.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL QU vs. Marist - Wednesday, 7 p.m.

QU at Rider - Saturday, 1 p.m.

QU at Saint Peter’s - Sunday, 1 p.m.

WOMEN’S RUGBY QU at Dartmouth - Saturday, 11 a.m.

@QUChronSports Jared Penna

@JaredPenna1 Brendan O’Sullivan

@BOSullivan25 Bryan Murphy

@Bryan_Murphy10 Jordan Wolff

@JordanWolff11 Peter Piekarski

@PiekarskiPeter Matthew Jaroncyk

@Mattt_j30 Matt Travia

@Matt_Travia026 Matt Nygaard

@MattNygaard1

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

October 9, 2019

MURPHY’S LAW

Hungry for more

By BRYAN MURPHY Editor-in-Chief

Ten more wins. A winning percentage that improved by .237. A top-10 final ranking. And an NCAA tournament berth.

After a subpar 2017-18 season, Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey had one of the best bounceback seasons last year. Finishing the year with a 26-10-2 record, the Bobcats had much more success and brought the Quinnipiac name back to the top of NCAA Hockey.

However, with all of the positives of last season, it wasn’t enough for the Bobcats, according to sophomore forward Wyatt Bongiovanni.

“It was like, we came all this way, and I don’t want to say we didn’t fulfill what we are capable of, but I think we definitely knew the potential we had [last] year,” Bongiovanni said.

“Coming into this year, we don’t take anything for granted, we don’t take anything lightly. Every game we play is a playoff game.”

The team finished tied for first in ECAC Hockey along with Cornell, but it was upset in the quarterfinals of the playoffs by Brown.

Despite the early exit, Quinnipiac received the No. 8 rank in the USCHO poll, giving them a chance in the NCAA Tournament.

Quinnipiac took down Arizona State 2-1 in the first game of the Midwest regional. However, it ran into the buzzsaw that was MinnesotaDuluth, who beat the Bobcats 3-1 in the Midwest finals and eventually would be crowned NCAA champions for the second year in a row.

This year, Quinnipiac is back in the headlines to start the season. With a current ranking of No. 9 in the USCHO polls and a No.2/No. 3 in the ECAC Hockey coaches’ and media preseason polls respectively, Quinnipiac looks to build off of a strong showcase from last year.

But with over 75% of the team being sophomores and freshmen, Pecknold will need his young team to mature fast.

“Being so young, the freshmen still haven’t figured everything out and we’re kind of getting the sophomores back on page,” Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold said. “Right now it’s about creating good habits in practice and those traits will translate to games.”

With the spotlight and the pressure back on the Bobcats, let’s see how the team shapes up for this season.

FORWARDS

The front 12 for the Bobcats come into the season without many gaps. Having only lost two forwards to graduation in Craig Martin and Scott Davidson and one transfer in Matthew Cassidy, who only played in 15 games, the forward group has a plethora of returners.

Eleven players from last year’s roster will be wearing the gold and blue once again this season, with some of them being the team’s top point-scorers from last year. Junior Odeen Tufto is coming off of back-to-back 40-point seasons, the first Bobcat since Reid Cashman (’07) to complete this feat. His 27 assists ranked first among all Quinnipiac players and his 42 points led the Bobcats last year, along with ranking him fourth in ECAC Hockey.

Senior Alex Whelan enjoyed another successful season, ranking fourth on the team in goals (13) and tied for fifth in points (25). Senior captain Nick Jermain registered 10 points, but missed part of the year with an injury.

With only four upperclassmen at forward, Pecknold will once again rely on his underclassmen to carry a heavy workload.

That method paid off last year for sure.

Four of the current sophomores played in every single tilt last year – Ethan de Jong, Wyatt Bongiovanni, William Fällström and Michael Lombardi. De Jong, Bongiovanni and Fällström all recorded at least 20 points, with Bongiovanni finishing third on the team in goals with 14.

Lombardi added nine points last season and sophomore Desi Burgart had eight.

As for the freshmen group, Pecknold said he expected Skylar Brind’Amour, Ethan Leyh and PJ Fletcher to make an impact right away.

Brind’Amour, the son of former NHL star and current Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, comes to Quinnipiac after a successful couple of seasons with the BCHL’s

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

Sophomore defenseman Peter DiLiberatore starts an attack for the Bobcats.

Chilliwack Chiefs, with 44 points in 52 games just feel that I thought he’d be good at it and he last season. He was drafted in 2017 by the Ed- was … I think he’s a better defenseman than he monton Oilers. is a forward. He’s got a good stick, he defends Leyh was originally committed to go to well, has good outlets.”

Wisconsin, but elected to decommit in January As for the freshmen, it will be a feeling-out and come to Hamden. In two seasons with the process to start the year. Five freshmen are rosLangley Rivermen of the BCHL, Leyh put up tered as defensemen, with three of them – CJ 73 points in 104 regular season games. Fletch- McGee, Logan Britt and Jayden Lee – having er, also of the BCHL with the Wenatchee Wild, participated in the exhibition game last Sunday. had 26 points last year in his team’s 58 games.

All in all, people saw how much the loss Redshirt freshman Guus van Nes will fi- of Fortunato (knee injury) and Priskie (suspennally be able to play in games for the Bobcats sion) impacted the team last year. The team this season. After transcript issues ruled him went 6-5-1 without Fortunato and were swept ineligible for the season last year, van Nes will in the Brown series without Priskie. This year, have a slight advantage over the rest of the first- they have no choice but to fill those voids. years, considering he has been around the team GOALTENDERS for a full year.

Andrew Shortridge could be argued as the “That hurt us, we had a great season but we best goaltender in the country last year. He was were counting on him to be a big part of that,” a Mike Richter finalist for Goaltender of the Pecknold said. “Unfortunately what happens Year, leading the nation in goals against averwith some of these European players is they age (1.51) and save percentage (.940). Shortdon’t know some of the rules and don’t take ridge elected to leave Quinnipiac early and enough math, English or science [classes]. His signed with the San Jose Sharks. He looks to grades were great, he was a credit short and it is be the starter with their AHL affiliate, the San just a different school system.”

Jose Barracuda.

While the freshmen will be key, Pecknold It really doesn’t matter who is in net, but believes the depth is the strong suit of his forthey have large shoes to fill after Shortridge’s ward group. immaculate season. Junior Keith Petruzzelli “This year, we are loaded at forward,” seems to be the starter this year, after splitting Pecknold said. “In my 26 years, I’d say it’s time with Shortridge his freshman year and probably the second-best depth we’ve ever starting the beginning of the season last year had at forward.” before losing it to Shortridge. Petruzzelli still DEFENSEMEN posted an 8-3-0 record with three shutouts, a The defense was the strength for the Bob- 2.42 GAA and .904 save percentage. cats going into the last season, led by a core of The Detroit Red Wings’ third-round draft three seniors and two juniors. However, with pick may once again face some competition the trio of Chase Priskie, Brandon Fortunato in the crease. Freshman goaltender Evan Fear and Luke Shiplo graduated and Brogan Raf- comes to Hamden with an impressive résumé. ferty foregoing his final year to play profes- Coming from the Waterloo Black Hawks of sionally, the Bobcats will have to rely on the the USHL, Fear recorded a 2.13 GAA and underclassmen to step up into bigger roles. .925 save percentage in the regular season, The lone upperclassman on defense is se- and posted a 1.99 GAA and .922 save percentnior Karlis Cukste, who elected not to sign with age in the postseason. the San Jose Sharks this offseason, who drafted Fear played the third period and overtime in him in 2016. Instead, he comes back to Quin- the exhibition game Sunday and appears to be nipiac to lead the defensive group with a lot of the backup to Petruzzelli. But as we have seen spots open in the top six.

Pecknold do before, he will ride whoever has Along with Cukste, sophomore Peter Di- the hot hand in the crease.

Liberatore should be pencilled in for a top-four For Quinnipiac, it will be how quickly can role. The finalist for ECAC Hockey Rookie of the freshmen adapt to the DI hockey style, esthe Year had a slow start to the season, but end- pecially the physicality of the ECAC Hockey. ed up with 19 points at the end of the year. The For the returners, with all the success they exVegas Golden Knights’ draft pick led the team perienced last year, they set out to prove that in plus/minus with 22. despite all of the youth on the team, Quinnipiac As for the rest of the defensemen … well still is hungry for more and they believe that the it’s a mixed bag. Sophomores Zach Metsa, TJ country will hear their roar once again.

Friedmann and Cam Boudreau all saw an in“I feel like there was that bittersweet crease in playing time last year towards the end feeling of being that close [last season], and of the year, thanks to the suspensions Priskie not getting there,” Cukste said. “I think that and Shiplo received after the infamous Yale works as motivation. game. Friedmann, who primarily played for“Having guys leave and people kind of sayward, was put at defense in the ECAC Hockey ing how much we lost, we have that chip on our quarterfinal round against Brown and received shoulders that we can do it. We can go out and praise from Pecknold. compete every day and have a great season.”

“As a coach, I always believe to think outPREDICTION side the box,” Pecknold said. “We were a little ECAC Hockey semifinals loss; NCAA thin with our depth last year at [defense] so we Tournament regional final loss put TJ back when Priskie and Shiplo were out. I

October 9, 2019

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

FRIDAY’S AFFAIR

Sports|11

Clockwise from top left: Sophomore defender Jess Halley clears the ball in a hurry, as an opponent closes down on her position; sophomore Mikayla Dugan raises her stick in preperation to send the ball streaking down the field; senior midfield Inès Ruiz Martinez sprints after the ball in an attempt to gain possession before a Liberty player does; freshman goalkeeper Hedda Biermann-Ratjen stand in front of her net, watching her team play.

BRENDAN O’SULLIVAN/CHRONICLE

1 6 107

Despite losing 1-0 to Marist, the Quinnipiac women’s soccer team allowed only one shot on goal in the game.

Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey senior forward and captain Nick Jermain scored a highlight-reel goal, which came in at No. 6 in SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays.

Quinnipiac freshman forward Tomas Svecula scored the game-winning goal against Saint Peter’s in the 107th minute.

Kaylee Sakoda

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

BY THE NUMBERS

COURTESY OF QU ATHLETICS

Quinnipiac golf freshman Kaylee Sakoda shines at the Yale Fall Invitational. She finished in ninth place with 10 birdies on the day, making this is the second time she has been under par on at least 10 holes.

12|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports

October 9, 2019

QUCHRONICLE.COM/SPORTS @QUCHRONSPORTS

Rodriguez’s rally MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

Layla Rodriguez, her coaches and her teammates take time to reflect on her illustrious collegiate tennis career

By BRENDAN O’SULLIVAN Sports Editor

It’s been 164 days since the Quinnipiac women’s tennis team lost in the 2019 MAAC Championship to Fairfield.

A win would’ve given the team its sixth straight MAAC title and senior captain Layla Rodriguez her third title in three years.

To this day, the loss frustrates Rodriguez.

“To be honest, it’s like salt on the wound that it wasn’t three in three, but it’s nice to say that I have two wins,” Rodriguez said.

“It’s really cool to say that I’ve technically made four NCAA match appearances ’cause I’ve played doubles and singles in the two appearances that I made.”

Since the loss, Rodriguez has cemented herself in the record books with her 100th career match win. She’s now up to 105 wins in her career with the majority of her senior season still ahead of her.

Quinnipiac head coach Paula Miller recruited Rodriguez to the team in 2016-17 and knew right away that she would reach these heights.

“I think we even talked about it after her freshman season ’cause I think her freshman season, she had probably close to 30-something wins,” Miller said. “And we talked about her making a hundred and getting in that top 10 that we have with all-time wins.”

Rodriguez was named to the All-MAAC First Team in No. 5 singles and No. 3 doubles as a freshman. She tallied 17 singles wins and 26 doubles wins.

She made history when she became the first Quinnipiac women’s tennis player to win MAAC Rookie of the Year.

She saw similar accomplishments in her sophomore year. She was named to the AllMAAC First Team for No. 4 singles and won 30 games, 15 wins both in singles and doubles.

In her first two years, she helped the team win the MAAC Championship – its fourth and fifth in a row.

Even with so much early success, Rodriguez has grown tremendously, more as a person than a player.

“She’s very grown up for her age, both of

my seniors are,” Miller said. “I’ll miss having that kind of adult supervision to help out with everything.”

Rodriguez and Amy Zammarieh are the only two seniors on the team this year. They take on leadership roles within the team along with junior captain Payton Bradley.

Rodriguez is younger than one of the team’s juniors and the same age as another one. This, however, doesn’t stop Rodriguez from being a mature leader for the team.

She’s a mentor to the youth and even the upperclassmen on the team. Zammarieh has been by Rodriguez’s side since freshman year – the only person to be with Rodriguez that long – and has learned the art of perseverance.

“Despite all the injuries she’s had over the years with her foot, she’s really persevered in the match as well as outside of the match and really just pushed herself to the limit,” Zammarieh said. “[She] always thought about the team before she could ever even think about herself and that’s selflessness.

“Consistency in terms of just fighting back is really what I took away from her and I think is something she portrays as a leader and is something I admire about her since freshman year, something I try and mimic.”

Injuries have taken a toll on Rodriguez, but that isn’t obvious given her 105 wins. She has a cyst in her foot but opted against surgery since it would take about a year to recover.

She said she had tendinitis in her arm and a “bad history” with her back, knocking on wood – her head in this instance – with hope that she’s got her back issues under control.

Even with an injury-riddled career, Rodriguez finds the positives in her years at Quinnipiac.

She’s in the 3+1 program studying biomedical marketing. She got her bachelor’s degree last year after three years and will graduate with her master’s degree this year.

The 3+1 program seems like a lot of work, especially for the captain of the tennis team. Rodriguez disagrees.

“Well, I know a lot of people say that the 3+1 is very difficult, but I feel like my high school definitely set me up very well,” Ro-

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

Layla Rodriguez speaking with her head coach Paula Miller during a match. driguez said. “I took a lot of AP classes, so I rieh said. “Once in a while, if we’re down or came in with a lot of AP credits. if we’re just getting in our heads, she has the “And also, I’m a very realistic person and ability to pull us out of it. She’s off on the I get stressed really easily, so time manage- side and she could say something funny and ment is like my number one. So definitely, if we would laugh and then that would lighten you can just manage your time, manage your the mood. It would help us to refocus.” resources, you can have time for anything.”

Rodriguez always put the team before As a member of the 3+1 program, Rodri- herself, and that showed with her fun, lightguez said she has to go on immersion trips. hearted attitude. She’s taking this mentality During her sophomore year, she went to Ni- into her senior year to make sure she enjoys caragua with Matthew O’Connor, the dean her final season at Quinnipiac. of the School of Business. She’ll be visiting She knows it’s almost time to graduate – Israel with O’Connor this winter. again – and made it known that the relationEven before enrolling at Quinnipiac, Ro- ships she made here are far more important driguez has loved meeting people from other than a win or loss. countries. She’s played in a couple international “Nobody’s going to remember the wins tournaments in California, her home state, and or the losses,” Rodriguez said. “It’s the thought it was fun to learn different rules. long-term effects of the team chemistry and One rule she mentioned in particular is the dynamic that I think will be everlasting.” that you cannot wear branded clothing if the Rodriguez will walk away from Quinnilogo is too big. If it exceeds a certain size, it piac in the spring of 2020. She’ll forever be has to be covered. among the winningest women’s tennis play“I’m obviously a big talker,” Rodriguez ers in program history. said. “I like talking to people. I like making “I’m the first one in my family to play a connections.” sport, so I know I’ve exceeded,” Rodriguez This statement holds true during Quinni- said. “My goal was to make the JV team in piac matches, not just at international tourna- high school, so I think I’ve exceeded that.” ments. Rodriguez is the loudest player on either team, cheering on her teammates nonstop.

“She’s always very supportive,” Zamma-