The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 91, Issue 11

FEBRUARY 10, 2021 • VOLUME 91 • ISSUE 11

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

ARTWORK CONTRIBUTED BY SATINE BERNTSEN

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Satine Berntsen P.7

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NEWS P.2: SPRING DINING CHANGES A new station, director and mobile ordering app are among dining changes this semester

PHOTO BY KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES

OPINION P.4: THE SUPER BOWL STORY THAT TRANSCENDS THE FIELD The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl with one of the most diverse staffs in history

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE (2020)

SPORTS P. 10: SPORTS ON PAUSE Quinnipiac women’s basketball has played 14 games this year, but other teams aren’t so lucky

Thousands of healthcare students vaccinated

By CHATWAN MONGKOL Associate News Editor

As COVID-19 vaccines in Connecticut started to roll out, around 2,000 Quinnipiac University health sciences students are among the top priority to be vaccinated, COVID-19 Task Force Senior Medical Adviser Dr. David Hill said.

Phase 1a of the vaccine rollout began in early January for healthcare personnel, longterm care facility residents and medical first responders. Students in physical assistance, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing and medical programs are eligible in the first phase.

“The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has set up a system called the vaccine administration management system, VAMS, so we uploaded (healthcare students’) names and that allowed them to make their appointments,” Hill said. “I think most of our students in that initial cohort should have been vaccinated.”

Among those qualified, junior nursing major Renata Abiali said the vaccine gives her another level of security for her med-surg and pediatrics clinical.

“PPE (personal protective equipment) and distancing are effective, but having the vaccine is the next level of prevention and care,” Abiali said. “It makes walking into clinical more calming. I can interact with patients without feeling worried.”

Nursing students who are not practicing in a clinical setting like sophomore Karenna Downs are also qualified for the vaccine.

“My immediate reaction was pure relief,” Downs said. “I knew this would mean I, myself, would be one step closer to a stronger immune system against the virus, but I also knew I’d be doing my part to reaching herd immunity.”

Both Abiali and Downs got their first dosage of the Moderna vaccine last month. They faced similar side effects including arm soreness, fatigue and headaches. Downs said nothing was too serious. Abiali also said those symptoms are expected after the vaccination.

Another sophomore nursing major, Helen Tran, has already received two doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine through her job as she works as a neighborhood resident assistant at McLean, a senior resident center in Simsbury, Connecticut.

The vaccine committee at her workplace provided her with information.

“I was excited, and (the committee) seemed to be working very hard to make it happen,” Tran said. “I had to make an appointment because the vaccine committee would call me, and it would say like this is your first appointment and I had to show up.”

Tran received her first dose on Jan. 6.

“My arm was a little bit sore, and there

was a bruise on the second day, which was new because I never had a bruise for a vaccine before,” Tran said. “But it didn’t really bother me, I didn’t get any headaches and I wasn’t tired, so I was pretty surprised, because I do get headaches usually.”

Even though the first dose did not affect how Tran functioned throughout the day, she had a cold at the end of the day after she got her second dose on Jan. 27. She knew chills were going to be a side effect, but she did not know how cold she would get.

“When I was sleeping, I wore three socks, three pants, four shirts (and) a hat. And I even wore gloves or hand warmers inside,” Tran said. “That was like how cold I was, and I’ve never been so cold my entire life.”

Besides having trouble waking up the next morning, Tran said the cold lasted only one night.

Despite the 95% effective rate of Pfizer vaccine and 94.1% of Moderna vaccine, Quinnipiac national poll revealed that only 20% of Americans are very confident in the federal government’s ability to oversee the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

Tran got the vaccine without doubting its safety or effectiveness. She said that was because she has no allergic reactions, but she said she would question it for her brother who has a lot of allergies.

“We’re looking at 95% protection, that’s really great,” Hill said. “That’s as good as any vaccine we have out there and probably betSee VACCINE Page 2

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY KARENNA DOWNS

Students in healthcare programs are eligible to recieve the COVID-19 vaccine in the first phase.

2| News

MEET THE EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brendan O’Sullivan MANAGING EDITORS Toyloy Brown III Jessica Simms CREATIVE DIRECTOR Connor Lawless NEWS EDITOR Emily Flamme ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITORS Nicole McIsaac Chatwan Mongkol OPINION EDITOR Michael Sicoli ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Emily DiSalvo ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Ashley Pelletier SPORTS EDITOR Riley Millette ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Peter Piekarski DESIGN EDITOR Michael Clement

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Dining changes continue throughout the semester

By EMILY FLAMME News Editor

Quinnipiac Dining has changed aspects of its services for the spring 2021 semester by implementing a different mobile ordering system, adding a fresh food station and appointing a new dining director.

Toby Chenette was selected as the interim director after Chuck Couture, former resident district manager of QU Dining, stepped down.

The Dining Services Advisory Board has been meeting every two weeks to go over how dining can be improved and to address any questions students may have.

“So the purpose of the Dining Service Advisory Board is really to get feedback from students, and to improve the overall experience for dining at Quinnipiac,” said Tom Ellett, chief experience officer.

Ephemia Nicolakis, a first-year 3+1 graphic design and advertising double major, attended the meeting on Feb. 3, and said that these discussions seem to be improving the dining experience for students.

“They give greater insight for both students and Chartwells as to what can be changed for the better,” Nicolakis said. “It also helps to show students how much work goes into making change within dining in our community.

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The Blue Zone was implemented in the dining hall as a healthy snack station.

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Everyone is really dedicated to making the experience positive for the students.”

Ellett said that QU Dining hired an outside consultant to review the current dining situation and discuss further ways to enhance the experience. The consultant sent out 13,000 surveys to students, faculty and staff but only 1,200 were completed.

The consultant will be putting out a report in the spring about how QU Dining operates.

“That piece will come out, and we will be pretty open about our findings,” Ellett said.

“We’ll be sharing it here at the Dining Services Advisory Board meeting.”

Although more changes are to come after the report is released, Chenette has already implemented a few. The biggest one was the switch to the mobile ordering app Transact.

The previous system, Boost, had a lot of technical issues, which was the reason for the switch, Chenette said.

Transact had some mishaps at the beginning of the semester, but Chenette said it was human error that caused the problems.

“I would agree the larger percentage of issues was people and training and how to print and how to do the push notification that your orders are ready and such,” Chenette said.

“We can see a dashboard that tells us how many orders were very early, early, on time, late and very late. We’re shooting to get as close to 100% on time as we can.”

The QU Dining team has been meeting twice a day to readjust the systems to help make sure the mobile ordering is accurate.

Another update is that Au Bon Pain now has an option to have modifications made to an order, which a lot of students have been requesting, Ellett said.

One complaint that came up multiple times at the advisory board meeting was the long wait times at the Breakfast and Co. station.

“So what we’re thinking is not putting out the pasta at 11 a.m.,” Chenette said. “One idea that I had was a Belgian waffle bar with like strawberry sauce, blueberry sauce, some flavored whipped creams — that kind of thing

to try to entice students not to go to Breakfast and Co. to ease the line down there.”

The Blue Zone is a new station in Cafe Q that replaces the previous establishment, Harvest. It has fruit-infused water, packaged snacks, trail mix and dried fruit. Ellett said the idea for the Blue Zone came when a student approached him and asked about putting in a station with healthy grab-and-go options.

“I give great credit to Chartwells for embracing this student idea of a dietary option for students that’s different than the normal menu that they may create at Chartwells,” Ellett said.

“So for other students, this is just an example that we can make change pretty quickly.”

Another idea Chenette had was to bring in food trucks that students can use their meal points on since many have extra money in their accounts from the previous two shortened semesters.

“I have a pool of 15 different food trucks that are on the roster, and I’m looking to get a variety of trucks, so it’s not the same truck every day,” Chenette said. “On the main campus, I’m looking to do the main quad between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the lunch-meal period.

And then for late night, we can do 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. I’d like to do that somewhere up behind the bobcat. Closer to all the dorms just make sense to me.”

The current plan is that the trucks will come Monday through Thursday on the Mount Carmel campus, and will go to the York Hill campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays . Chenette said he has to figure out the best places for the WiFi to connect to the trucks since that is necessary for students to use their QCard.

There are plans in the works to diversify food options with the food truck program, which Nicolakis said is a positive change this semester.

“This semester’s dining experience seems to have changed for the better from last semester,” Nicolakis said. “The options have been much more advertising and everything seems more organized.”

Abiali: ‘This is the next step in safety, and it can’t just be a few people but entire communities.’

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February 10, 2021

VACCINE from cover ter than most because the tests were done in the elderly (and) done with those with chronic medical conditions.”

Hill further explained that even though the vaccines’ effectiveness may be decreased a bit with new variants of the virus, which are 40 to 60% easier to spread, they can still prevent severe illnesses, hospitalization and death.

Although many students have been infected or received the vaccine, Hill said nothing will be different now.

“You still have to undergo quarantine. You still have to wear your mask,” Hill said. “If we have enough people who are vaccinated and we can really see the effectiveness of herd immunity, then things may loosen up a bit.”

Connecticut is now in the second phase of vaccine rollout, in which individuals above the age of 75 and residents and staff of selected congregate settings, excluding college dormitories, are eligible. The upcoming phases for individuals age 65 to 74, essential workers, including educators, and those with underlying medical conditions with increased risk for severe illness are underway.

Hill said a challenge the state faces is the

allocation of the vaccines as it received 45,000 to 50,000 doses a week, which could take several months to complete each phase.

“Our student population, even though they’re living in congregate settings, will really most likely have to wait for the summer months to be vaccinated,” Hill said.

It remains undecided if the university will be requiring students to be vaccinated before their return in the fall semester. However, Hill explained how the university requires students to get meningococcal vaccines unless they have contraindication or special reason, he believes similar policy will be applied with COVID-19 vaccination.

“I would think that will be the same for (the) COVID vaccine, if it’s widely available, and it looks like it continues to be safe, and we are seeing evidence,” Hill said.

The evidence Hill refers to is preliminary evidence from England, in which the country is set to vaccinate the entire population in the coming months. It suggests herd immunity as a result of the vaccine.

“This gets at the debate about whether we would require a vaccine if all of Hamden is vaccinated. And we have got good herd immunity in Hamden, but none of our students in Quinnipiac have been vaccinated. Where’s COVID going to

happen,” Hill said. “These viruses are always going to find the least common denominator.”

As the vaccines are still under the emergency use authorization, Downs disagrees with the idea of requiring the vaccination in the next school year. However, she encourages other students to get it because it will help the community and the country reach herd immunity and save many lives.

“If the vaccine is widely available, I would hope the school would encourage those who can (or) are willing to be vaccinated, but a mandate for (the) vaccine does not seem plausible at this time,” Downs said.

To make the community members feel safer, Abiali also recommends students to get the vaccine.

“This is the next step in safety, and it can’t just be a few people but entire communities,” Abiali said. “The vaccine will help us move forward, and if you have the option to not only help yourself but everyone you may come in contact with, I think that opportunity should be taken.”

Because everyone has different circumstances, Tran advises others to do their own research and make their own judgements “My experience was not bad, it didn’t affect how I function as a human being,” Tran said.

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February 10, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

News |3

Students and faculty react to spring semester COVID-19 protocols

By JESSICA SIMMS and KATIE LANGLEY

As the spring 2021 semester is now in full swing, Quinnipiac University students and administration are hoping that by following the COVID-19 protocols, the community will be able to stay on campus until the end of the academic year.

With the rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide, protocols have had to change in order to contain the spread of the virus.

Tom Ellett, chief experience officer, said that one of the main adjustments to these protocols for the spring semester is that if a student misses a single required COVID-19 test, they will be required to get a test within 48 hours or they will be removed from the university.

“With the extra strains of COVID-19 that are out there, we are trying to be much more aggressive in terms of containing the bubble,” Ellett said.

However, some students wish that there were more testing days each week to give students more flexibility and to limit the lines.

“I think that testing should be done more than two days a week so there are more time options available for students to go and get tested,” said Dan Avni, a first-year athletic training major.

Anvi said that the large crowds at the testing centers also add to his anxiety around the testing process. He also expressed that the crowding seen in dining halls is worrying.

“Even though there is an app to order food, the lines are still outrageous and it is very unorganized,” Anvi said.

Zachary Ailara, a first-year health science major, is currently in isolation housing. He agrees that other students breaking violations is frustrating but said that a distinction must be made between how students are disciplined.

“It depends on how they break the rules,” Ailara said. “Humans are social, and if my friend is caught in another dorm I’d feel sympathetic. This is because he’s allowed to go to the Cafe with that person, eat without a mask, in an area where tons have been previously, but gets in trouble when he’s in a less occupied room that’s arguably cleaner. Now if the same friend goes off campus to a party or something similar, then it’s frustrating.”

If a student does see others violate a protocol and is uncomfortable by their actions,

they can call the tipline at (203) 582-4333 or they can email COVID19SupportCenter@ qu.edu. One change to the tipline this semester is that it is no longer anonymous.

“It really does no good because if we do take conduct action, we need evidence to put forward to the person who is responsible,” Ellett said. “It goes back to the whole idea that we all have responsibility to this community and you should be and I should be offended if (students) have a party. The expectations have been set.”

Ellett said that students should also call the tipline if they witness a faculty or staff member violate a protocol. Recently, the university has responded to an incident where a shuttle driver did not follow protocols by not wearing a face covering and allowing the shuttle to fill past capacity. Public Safety said they investigated the incident, which occurred on Jan. 31.

“Public Safety notified ProPark, the company that operates the shuttle bus service, and is reviewing footage from the shuttle and prohibiting the driver from returning to campus until after the investigation is completed,” Associate Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan said on Feb. 1, “The university is committed to strongly enforcing proper health protocols to create a safe, healthy environment for its students.”

When it comes to students who have had to isolate, Ailara said it has been a somewhat confusing experience.

“The rules are kind of vague, and I feel like it’s counterintuitive because if we’re supposed to isolate, why do we have roommates and other people in our building who can come and go?” Ailara said.

Other students also expressed their frustration with isolation housing, including Ali Feldman, a first-year biomedical science major, who said that isolation was harmful to her mental health. The university moved her to a hotel to isolate. Feldman said she believes that the issue is with the university’s lack of communication to the student body.

“The communication is horrible and everything is extremely unorganized. I was supposed to get my COVID-19 test last weekend, but I didn’t get it until yesterday,” Feldman said.

Alexa Taraboccia, a first-year nursing major, agrees that communication needs to be improved, saying If a student misses their weekly that her testing process COVID-19 test, they are given was confusing while 48 hours to get a test. If they do not get one in time they will in quarantine. Taraboccia said she was Students are now required to be “removed from campus” get tested weekly. There are 2 put in isolation when days each week where friends tested positive, students can be tested then contracted the virus herself.

“I understand that this is new for everyone but as someone who went through The tipline to report incidents quarantine and is now of breaking QUʼs guidelines is positive, the comResidence halls are now being no longer anonymous. It can munication isn’t that placed in quarantine when be called at (203) 582-4333 strong,” Taraboccia significant amount of cases are or emailed to COVID19Supsaid. “Towards the end detected in them portCenter@qu.edu of my quarantine, beINFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS fore I tested positive, I they’re upset with how they pay their bill, I was told that the health center was going to want to work to change that so that it’s easier, call me to set up a date for my day eight test- that people are listening, that people do it in a ing. That never came … my mom ended up respectful manner and that they do it in a carcalling to figure this out.” ing way, that we’ve heard you, that it matters However, Taraboccia said that the univer- to us,” Ellett said. sity is doing a good job of covering her exWhile there was an uptick in cases last sepenses as she is quarantined in a hotel. mester after Halloween, Ellett is hoping that Other students continue to be quarantined by quarantining dorm buildings, having some in dorm buildings. Last week, university ad- staff and students vaccinated and communiministration announced that the Commons cating with students, the university will not and Hill 10s buildings would take classes see a huge increase in cases all at one time. remotely while completing a 10-day quaran“These aren’t fun times for any college tine period. Ellett said other universities have student and also at the same time for any coladapted this strategy, and it was something lege faculty member or administrator that we Quinnipiac had planned to do if clusters of have to live like this, but if we care about our cases were found in the same residence halls. fellow humans, we all have a responsibility “It’s what our health expert recommended to do the right thing,” Ellett said. based on the numbers of COVID positives,” Ellett said that students have a responsiEllett said. “It’s a strategy, and it’s been bility to monitor each other in order to keep posted since the beginning of the fall semes- the community safe. ter … It’s not unlike a lot of other colleges “Treat others as you would want to be have done. Sacred Heart, UConn, a number treated, or treat that person that’s in front of of institutions did it last fall where there were you like your mother or your grandmother, buildings that they had quarantined.” your father was watching you, and would Ellett said he wants to work with students they be proud of you,” Ellett said. “… How who have concerns. do you want to be remembered? How do you “If students are upset with the food, if want to be thought of?” students are upset with the residence halls, if

Grace Period

Testing

Quarantine

Tipline

Quinnipiac alumnus and adjunct professor joins ABC News make him a meaningful addition to our hardworking D.C. team,” Greenberger wrote.

Azubuike, “Ike,” Ejiochi, Quinnipiac UniMost recently, Ejiochi worked as a genversity alumnus and adjunct professor of jour- eral assignment reporter for Fox 5 in Washnalism, joined ABC News last week as a multi- ington, where he covered the insurrection at platform reporter out of Washington, D.C. the Capitol, Black Lives Matter protests and On Feb. 2, Jonathan Greenberger, ABC other important stories from the past year.

News vice president and Washington bureau Previously, he worked for The Associated chief, announced the news in a note to staff.

Press, CNBC, KODE-TV in Joplin, Missouri “Ike’s exceptional investigative skills, and Fox 61 in Hartford, Connecticut. coupled with his love for journalism, will In his new role, Ejiochi will be reporting and creating packages for ABC News platforms like their online streaming and radio platforms.

Ejiochi earned his master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Quinnipiac in 2014. He returned as an adjunct professor in 2018.

The decision to attend Quinnipiac was made easy after a striking sunset gleamed over the quad on his visit, Ejiochi said.

“It just felt like home instantly,” Ejiochi said.

After earning his degree and entering the professional world, Ejiochi was approached to teach at Quinnipiac. Even though he never imagined he would return PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY AZUBUIKE EJIOCHI to the university to teach, he reAzubuike Ejiochi attributes his success to his confialized that his knowledge could

By MELINA KHAN Copy Editor

dence in the journalism industry.

be valuable to students.

“One of the staff members really reassured me and said ‘Hey, look, you have valuable experience, you’re great at what you do.

Our students can benefit off of that,’” Ejiochi said. “And it kind of opened my eyes to teaching and (that) there’s more to life than just waking up, going to work and coming back home.”

Ejiochi said he enjoys teaching at Quinnipiac because of the intimacy of the program.

“The professors know every single student,” Ejiochi said. “It’s not like that at any other university, big-time journalism school, it’s just not.”

Nicole Kessler, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2018, took a digital news production class under Ejiochi during her last semester at Quinnipiac, which she called a “masterclass.”

“Ike gave me the tools and proper mentorship to believe in myself again,” Kessler said.

Kessler said that Ejiochi’s class was unlike any other journalism class she took at Quinnipiac because he cares about his students.

“Post-grad, when I needed career advice, the first person I thought about contacting was Ike,” Kessler said. “I emailed him and three minutes later, right before his live shot, he responded. Twenty minutes later, we were speaking on the phone. He truly cares about

his students and that’s one prime example.”

In terms of his new role at ABC News, Kessler said Ejiochi is paving the way for Quinnipiac students.

“Ike is an incredible reporter,” Kessler said. “He is charismatic and his effervescent personality shines through on and off camera.

ABC News is lucky to have him.”

Ejiochi said he attributes his success so early into his career to hard work and discipline and that anyone can be successful if they possess these traits.

For students who want to one day be in a major role like his, Ejiochi said to never say no.

“Having a mentality of I can do anything, always say yes, never say no will get you so far, because it will force you to do things you’re uncomfortable doing,” Ejiochi said.

“When you see yourself succeeding doing something you never thought you could see yourself doing, it gives you a kind of self confidence to know that you can accomplish any goal you put your mind to.”

As for the future, Ejiochi is excited to continue telling stories that shed light on important issues.

“No matter where I am, I can be in Wyoming, or I can be on Mars, as long as I still keep telling captivating stories, that’s how I know my goal will be met.”

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

4| O p i n i o n

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

Opinion

Trailblazing femininity into the future of sports

BY MICHAEL SICOLI Opinion Editor

The Super Bowl is a perennial spectacle that engulfs America’s attention one Sunday a year by having millions of people tune in to watch the teams battle it out for the title of NFL’s best. As it turned out, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers smashed Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs 31-9.

But that wasn’t the story to watch.

Football has long been touted as “a man’s game”— an outdated and sexist title. Well, there were eight female coaches in the NFL this season. And six were on playoff teams. With National Girls and Women in Sports Day this past Feb. 3, the story of Super Bowl LV was not about the men on the field but the women on the sideline.

This past weekend, we saw women smash the gender barrier in sports. Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate the Super Bowl. Assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust and assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar of Tampa Bay are the first pair of female coaches to reach the Super Bowl, let alone doing so on the same sideline.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers presented one of the most fiercest defensive fronts in the league this year with a team that improved as the season went on, finishing the regular season with four straight wins to make the playoffs before beating the league’s best en route to a Super Bowl victory.

It would be naive to say these two coaches were the sole reasons behind this feat. But it would be ignorant not to recognize their roles in it.

Locust is in her second season with the Buccaneers, working with the defensive line in both seasons. In 2019, the Buccaneers produced the No. 1 rushing defense. In 2020?

No. 1 again. Locust was the league’s first female position coach. She played football until right before she turned 40 when she suffered a serious knee injury. That converted Locust’s passion for the game as a player toward coaching.

She struggled to find paid coaching gigs — high schools weren’t paying up, and she couldn’t get to the higher level.

She traveled to football seminars, attending when she could and hovering around when she technically couldn’t.

Locust slept in her car when money dried up and she started spending meal vouchers for herself. She did everything she could to support her family as a mother of two while chasing her dream.

After shadowing a coach at Dartmouth College, she landed a coaching internship with the Baltimore Ravens. From there,

PHOTO BY KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES

Maral Javadifar (right) and Lori Locust’s success in sports represents a growing trend of diverse coaching staffs. she became a defensive line coach for the Birmingham Iron, a team in the then-newly formed Alliance of American Football (AAF). With coaching experience under her belt, Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians brought her on to his staff.

Javadifar is the daughter of two Iranian immigrants, growing up in Flushing, New York. She played college basketball at Pace University where she earned her doctorate in physical therapy, the inspiration for which spawned from her own torn ACL. The combination of her qualifications as a strength and conditioning coach with the physical therapy degree helped her stand out among candidates for the position.

Locust and Javadifar are two coaches, Super Bowl victors at that. But more importantly, they are people. Their contributions were consistently felt by others on the staff.

“It’s great because you sit down and you hear they’re women coaches, but then you get into the meeting room with them and they’re just coaches,” Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell told the Tampa Bay Times.

“You get into the weight room and all of a sudden you’re being taken through a drill that you’ve never heard of before and it makes so much sense to you.”

These women represent a growing trend in sports. Just a month ago Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Spurs became the first woman to act as a head coach in an NBA game after

Of approximately

480 assistant

coaches in the NFL, only

8 are female.

5

There are minority head coaches in the NFL out of

32.

INFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

head coach Gregg Popovich was ejected. Last year’s Super Bowl featured the San Francisco 49ers’ Katie Sowers, an offensive assistant, who became the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl. Alyssa Nakken of the San Francisco Giants became the first woman coach in MLB history this past season, and in July was the first to coach on field during a major league game. Kim Ng of the Miami Marlins is the first woman general manager of any major professional men’s sport team in North America after being promoted in November.

Nearly a century ago that American women received the right to vote, let alone hold a prominent position in America’s game. Sports have long reflected the institutions of this country, from the gradual desegregation of sport to the eventual acceptance of peaceful protesting on an NFL field — acceptance, of course, by the NFL, not necessarily by fans or owners. But when progress is seen in sport, it should be cherished and acknowledged. It goes beyond sports. It changes societal norms and expectations.

Tampa Bay’s success this past year has largely been attributed to acquiring Brady. Fair enough. Adding the most successful quarterback to ever take a snap tends to add some wins to the record. But the Buccaneers also touted one of the most diverse coaching staffs in the league.

It is the only franchise in which all of its coordinators are Black — assistant head coach and run game coordinator Harold Goodwin, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong. There’s the aforementioned dynamic duo of Locust and Javadifar and the 82-year-old offensive assistant Tom Moore.

Arians emphasized the quality of each of these coaches were paramount to race, age, gender or any other factors outside the realm of football. But he knew the importance of different perspectives when it comes to coaching.

“To hear voices in a staff meeting that aren’t the same — don’t look alike, but they all have input — you get better output, and for the players the same thing,” Arians said on Zoom. “Not hearing the same thing over and over. To hear it from different people, different ages — from 27 to 82 — and every kind of ethnic group there is, and male and female, I think our players learn from that. I know I do.”

The NFL has long been scrutinized for its lack of diversity, as have many major sports leagues. With only two minority head coaches added in this year’s hiring group (Robert Saleh by the New York Jets and David Culley by the Houston Texans), it left some highly qualified options like Kansas City’s Eric Bienemy and Tampa Bay’s Leftwich and Bowles to stay behind as coordinators.

Bienemy, a long-touted candidate for a head coaching position, didn’t get interviewed by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bowles, a productive coordinator with prior head coaching experience with the New York Jets, had his interview with the Detroit Lions canceled. Leftwich didn’t even get an interview, period.

There’s still a lot of ground to be made up. The NFL is far from perfect and so is America. But seeing these trailblazers inspire the next generation, as well as their own, is a promising development that deserves recognition. The inspiration for little girls around the country who never considered football as a career path because of the way the game has been branded. That inspiration for our cousins, our sisters, our daughters.

“I do look forward to the day when it’s no longer newsworthy to be a woman working in the pros or making the Super Bowl for that matter,” Javadifar told reporters on Zoom.

“I hope we get to the point where all people are affording equal opportunity to work in professional sports.”

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Opinion|5

Opinion A recipe for a mental health disaster

Quinnipiac’s COVID-19 rules have strained students’ well-being

BY NICOLE MCISAAC Associate News Editor

February. A month of many celebrations, including one for mental health awareness.

As a person who’s always battled crippling anxiety, I can attest to never feeling worse in my life than I do right now due to the endless worries provided by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although I wouldn’t want anything else than being back with my friends and pursuing the career of my dreams, residing on a college campus during a draining pandemic adds a massive amount of fuel to the burning fire of a downward spiraling mental struggle.

To put this into perspective, a study observed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed an increase of United States hospital emergency room visits among children and young adults for severe mental health needs in 2020.

These results come as no shocker as they portray the extreme effects that the past year’s events and disasters have had on all individuals within society, especially younger ones.

The fears of COVID-19 are real and are very much prominent in all forms of every activity we do as college students. In addition, these terrors find ways to take over all forms of peace that are left from the pre-pandemic lifestyle.

Despite letting a huge sigh of relief out when realizing the university implemented more health and safety measures for this semester, I can’t help but focus on the little faults that have slipped through the cracks. These slipups could easily convert the campus environment into a detrimental disaster within weeks, days or even hours.

Quinnipiac University needs to do better — not only for the safety of the community, but for the students who are overcome with their fears and anxiety about being here.

For starters, students who have been quarantined due to

exposure from clusters of cases within their buildings are allowed to walk unsupervised to the cafe for fresh air time.

Although I do believe these students should have a chance to stretch their legs and take in the outside air, this is not the way to do so.

Realistically, these exposed students put the entire university at risk while waiting in line for their food, mail or even just sitting down for a second to eat and catch up with a friend. Even though the school encourages these students not to interact with others while using their fresh air times, it comes as no shock that it is unfortunately occurring and will have a direct impact on the positive cases on campus.

Along those lines, the introduction of the new, more aggressive and contagious strain of COVID-19 and the higher rates of positive cases on campus this semester just adds icing on top of the cake. All of these factors personally have me locked away in the depths of my dorm room with countless bottles of hand sanitizer and Lysol, praying that I won’t contract the virus and spread it to others around me.

And believe me when I say, it’s much more than just going to class, trying to grab a bite to eat at the dining hall or even just passing by someone else in the library. These COVID-19 fears live in the back of my mind and rattle me with frequent anxiety attacks while I try to do anything on campus anymore.

Sometimes these feelings of dread seem like they are taking over my whole life — whether it’s panicking after catching up with friends at a social distance, attending a hybrid class, awaiting a contact tracing email, overanalyzing after grabbing the doorknob to open my residence hall or even sitting down to eat and wondering if I scrubbed all of the bacteria off my hands. Every thought is about COVID-19.

I know I am not the only person or college student facing

this struggle, hoping that no one else around me is noticing. The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators oversaw a survey of 3,500 full-time college students and discovered 25% of students are feeling slightly anxious about COVID-19, 35% feeling somewhat anxious and 21% feeling very anxious.

This is a very unusual time to be a college student dealing with the stresses of coursework and adding these fears into your everyday routine doesn’t help. If you or anyone you are close with may be showing signs of mental health disorders, reach out to the Office of ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS Counseling Services here on campus. If you feel the need to go beyond Quinnipiac, there are people to talk to like the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Links to both resources can be found on the online version of this article at quchronicle.com.

Please know you’re not alone. I hear and live your struggle every day and acknowledge your mental health needs during this time.

A perspective on death

With 465,000 deaths and climbing, it’s time to remember the impact of each individual life

BY EMILY DISALVO Arts & Life Editor

My cat, Rose, died last week.

It was a painful death. She died as a result of a heart aneurysm.

It was a death of indignity following a life of dignity. Rose was a poised and elegant cat with snow-white fur. For her life to end in blood and gasping for breath is not at all a reflection on her life filled with dainty strolls along windowsills and hours spent in the company of her loving owners.

Since she died, I have been thinking a lot about death. I have been crying almost every day about the gaping hole she has left in my family. When I look at her photos on my wall, I consider all of our good times together, but I also consider the harrowing notion that I will never get her back. Death is permanent and tragic.

In the United States, we have suffered almost 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 11 months. This is the type of tragedy that will never sink in because of its enormity.

I am blessed enough to say that no one in my life has died of

INFOGRAPHIC FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

COVID-19. However, many of my family members and friends, like me, lead a life of privilege. We have the opportunity to work and attend school from home. We have the opportunity to live in a house, not a crowded apartment or a homeless shelter. We have access to medical care. We are more equipped to avoid death than so many others.

This is why I am privileged enough to say that while this week I have cried about the death of my wonderful cat, it was not my mother or my brother or my grandmother. But not all families can say the same. Some even lost multiple immediate family members as the virus tore through their home.

Rose was a best friend to me. She always sat by me while I worked, rubbed her furry side into my leg and looked at me with her deeply understanding eyes. I have taken the death of Rose particularly hard because of the context in which it is framed. This death hits even harder in the midst of a world that is grieving the loss of normalcy, but most especially thousands of those that we love.

As I reflect on death, I find it so trivial that people on my social media feed and sometimes right before my eyes blatantly act like COVID-19 and the deaths resulting from it are a joke. If you are privileged enough to have not yet experienced the painful wound of losing someone who matters to you, that is not an excuse to act like your actions will not indirectly cause another death.

Almost 500,000 deaths is not a number to mess around with.

That means hundreds of thousands of families crying and looking at photos and coming to terms with the fact that they will never get their loved ones back.

I would not wish the pain of losing a pet on anyone, but I cannot even begin to imagine how I would feel if I was crying about the loss of one of my parents instead. Death is so close to us right now. It is permanent and heartbreaking.

Stop making exceptions for your 21st birthday. Stop making exceptions for holidays, sports games and other things that make you happy at the expense of others.

I am not telling you to walk around with the idea of death breathing over your shoulder because that is a miserable way to live. I am asking you to wear a mask, social distance and before you celebrate your birthday, think about the pain of grieving.

COVID-19 requires empathy. To everyone who has lost someone to COVID-19, I send my condolences but thoughts and prayers only go so far. I also send my commitment to wearing my mask and social distancing to save lives.

6|Arts and Life

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Arts & Life

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

New website run by Quinnipiac students to tell the stories of people with disabilities

SCREENSHOT FROM ABILITY MEDIA

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Associate Arts & Life Editor

Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications is working with seven-time Emmy Award winner Dave Stevens to represent people with disabilities by creating Ability Media.

Stevens has been hired as a “professional in residence” to help head Ability Media, a new website focused on representing the disabled community. He has been a part of the media industry for over 20 years at organizations like ESPN, KSTPTV in Minneapolis and The Disability Channel in Canada. He has covered 14 Super Bowls, including Super Bowl LV, and has helped run baseball camps for disabled children since 2016 through the Disability Dream and Do Foundation.

According to its website, Chris Roush, dean of the School of Communications, and Stevens created Ability Media to “address a pressing need across all forms of media — the lack of representation of people with different abilities.”

The group will be producing several forms of media, including long-form articles, television packages and podcasts.

The content will focus primarily on representing people with disabilities and their achievements, but some of it will be made by people with varying abilities and a handful of interns from the School of Communications.

While the organization is just beginning to produce content, Stevens and theQuinnipiac interns have started to ramp up production. Some things that they have released so far include two articles, videos surrounding Stevens’ coverage of Super Bowl LV and a photo gallery. All of Ability Media’s content is published on its website, which was designed by Victoria Lorenz, a second-year 3+1 graphic and interactive design major.

Lorenz has dyslexia, which makes her work with Ability Media even more special.

“Having a group dedicated to (diversity) is really exciting, especially for disabilities, because most of the time everyone’s walking around campus,” Lorenz said. “You don’t really see anyone with different physical abilities or abilities that you can’t look at someone and know that it’s there ... and I’m excited to meet other people that I can relate to more through Ability Media.”

One of the more substantial projects that Ability Media has in the works is Ability Media TV, an “ENews” style show being directed by junior film, television and media studies major Alessandra Varon. There will be multiple segments to the show, including news, roundtable interviews led by Stevens and short films created by Quinnipiac students.

Topics will vary from athletics to feature stories about people living with different abilities.

“I just want to help cultivate a space of entertainment where people who represent such a large part of our population do not feel like they’re underrepresented,” Varon said.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 26% of all Americans live with some sort of disability. In contrast, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found that approximately 8% of films released in 2019 had a main character with a disability.

Additionally, less than 2% of people who work in media have some form of disability, according to Ability Media’s website. The organization also plans to host a summer camp

for differently-abled high school students who are interested in career paths in broadcasting and other forms of media. They want to do this to promote these areas as more diverse career possibilities.

While its goal is ultimately to help others, it has also been a rewarding and beneficial experience for the students involved in getting Ability Media off the ground.

“I’ve learned so much already and it’s been really good for my confidence in my own abilities,” Varon said. “I just feel like I’m using my passion for entertainment and for media in a way that’s going to benefit an underrepresented group of people, which at the end of the day, I couldn’t ask for more than that.”

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

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Arts and Life|7

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Local Art Corner

QU student creates life-inspired art

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SATINE BERNTSEN

By JESSICA SIMMS Managing Editor

Satine Berntsen, a first-year 3+1 film, television and media arts major, has been drawing for about three years since he first noticed art on the internet and wanted to be able to create something equally beautiful himself.

“I got so frustrated as I felt like I couldn’t create something so wonderful and gorgeous and create the things that I have in my head because I had so many ideas, I just couldn’t put them on paper,” Berntsen said. “I was like, ‘How do these people do this? I have to learn.’”

In order to be able to learn how to draw the things Berntsen saw in his head, he kept trying, though he said it was “the most frustrating thing in the world.”

“I think that’s the beauty of art,” Berntsen said. “There’s a lot of emotions that go into it, good and bad. I kept trying.”

Berntsen started off drawing on paper using a pen and then moved on to creating digital art by saving up to purchase an iPad. This took him about a year, and he uses the app, Procreate, to make his digital art.

“It was a learning curve, but it was basically the same as traditional, just pen and paper,” Berntsen said.

Berntsen said that drawing traditionally is typically reserved for personal projects, while his digital art is more fun, but still

heartfelt. He also makes art out of other materials such as acrylic paint when he gets inspired.

“For digital, I have a lot more fun with it. It encompasses all of my feelings. I have a deep connection with my digital art,” Berntsen said.

“Life in general” is Berntsen’s muse for creating art.

“I go around and I walk around and I see something that is absolutely beautiful and I’m like, ‘I want to create something beautiful today,’” Berntsen said. “I just think of what I could possibly draw. It’s usually motivated by whatever I’m liking at the time. I spin it in my mind and I try to think of how to show this in a really nice way. Then I just go ahead and draw.”

Berntsen takes about 10 to 15 hours to create bigger and more detailed pieces. Other pieces he can make faster in less than five hours.

“They can take quite a long time,” Berntsen said. “Also, because I’m not as experienced so I don’t know as many shortcuts.”

Even with pieces that take longer, Berntsen never expects his art to be perfect.

“The fun thing is it isn’t perfect, none of the pieces are and I don’t aim them to be because they shouldn’t,” Berntsen said.

“They should be viewed as who I am, and I’m not a perfect person. So if there is a flaw every once in a while, I embrace it and that is probably my favorite part of it. Sometimes, I incorporate it into the art because I’m, ‘Oh well, look at this.’ This is a learning curve, this is showing I’m learning and I’m drawing.”

Berntsen said he enjoys when people reach out to him via his art Instagram account, @moonsirenart, for commission work.

Since it is something new for him, he doesn’t have a price sheet created yet — rather, he prices his art out individually when someone reaches out.

“Right now since I don’t get too many (commission jobs) because I am new, I don’t have that much on my Instagram,” Berntsen said. “I’m a very new artist, so I don’t expect to have somebody be like, ‘Oh, I love your art. Here, let me pay $1,000 or something.’”

If interest in his work increases, Berntsen said he may consider creating a proper pricing sheet, but for now, he is taking individual requests.

Since making art isn’t something Berntsen plans to do for his career, he does not feel pressured to have to create something every day. Instead, he reserves it for when inspiration strikes.

“I adore (making art) and I love it with all of my heart, but I

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SATINE BERNTSEN

Berntsen created this painting during a time when he was passionate about acrylic art. don’t plan to draw for a living, so I don’t feel that same pressure and I don’t usually feel that pressure for much if anything,” Berntsen said. “... So if I have a day where I have schoolwork to do and I do really want to draw, it’s unfortunate … I keep those ideas and I keep pestering them in my mind and they tend to be better when I do have time because I get so excited for them and I have so many ideas for them.”

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SATINE BERNTSEN

Berntsen creates some of his art digitally on an iPad, using an app called ProCreate

8|Arts and Life

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Book of the Week

Edward Rutherfurd’s comprehensive chronology of New York translates history into the stories of real people

By EMILY DISALVO Arts & Life Editor

If you were to hand me a textbook on the history of New York City, I would hand it right back to you.

But “New York,” in novel form? I couldn’t put it down.

“New York: The Novel” by Edward Rutherfurd takes readers through the history of one of America’s most iconic cities by telling the fictional stories of characters in different eras.

The tale starts in 1664 with the story of Dirk van Dyck, a Dutchman who impregnated a Native American woman and tried to care for his new daughter while holding his marriage together.

Through his story, we learn about the relationships between the Dutch, English and Indigenous communities in the New Amsterdam region in the late 1600s. Dyck’s Native American daughter gifts him a handmade wampum belt, which becomes an item that is passed down through the novel as each era is represented by a future generation.

The novel also gives special attention to show the plight of various groups throughout New York’s history. Several chapters are devoted to the experiences of slaves, Native Americans and women.

In the preface of the book, we learn that these historical depictions, while fictional, are based in historical fact with “few simplifications of complex historical sequence or detail.”

Therefore, this book is an amazing way to gain insight into New York City’s entire history while you feel like you are reading a pleasure novel. I learned about one Italian immigrant, Anna’s, decision to leap to her death from the ninth floor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory during the 1911 fire. I also learned about the sharp social divide between immigrants like hers and the wealthy family also featured in the book, the Masters.

As we follow the Master family through generations, we watch them become a family of old money, with a cottage in Newport, jobs on Wall Street and a deep-seated hatred for any ideas deemed socialist — including the organization of union workers at factories

like the one where Anna died.

These stories intertwine as Anna’s brother Paulo gets rich as a bootlegger and ultimately runs into Rose Master at an underground bar. Her brother was later shot to death.

This sequence of events is symbolic for the reader because the only way Paulo, an immigrant, is able to be successful is through illegal business. His sister, who got a legal job that paid pennies, died at the workplace. However, when he collides with the Master family who comes from old money and has been established in America for decades, the readers see a parallel between the two success stories. The Master family is thriving because its foot is already in the door. Its success is legal and expected. Immigrant families did not have this luxury.

In 1929, even the well-established Master family lost all of its money in the stock market crash. The significance of the moment is realized when William Master, a Wall Street broker, asks his chauffeur to drive him to the Brooklyn Bridge. It seems as though he considers jumping — a stark parallel to the moment when Anna leapt from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

While William doesn’t jump, the audience is left to consider juxtaposition. Anna was jumping for her life. William was going to jump because of his reputation.

The book finishes with the terror attack on Sept. 11. At this point, readers have traveled through four centuries with multiple families — their kids and grandkids and great-grandkids. Like so much of the book, the part about Sept. 11, describes a tragedy — one of the most tragic in the history of the entire country.

But this book also reminded me about New York and America’s many other tragedies. Americans tortured British enemies in New York. Americans beat other Americans to death in the name of EMILY DISALVO/CHRONICLE slavery in New York. People died in fires and factories and fights 'New York: The Novel' is over 800 pages, but its quickon the battlefield.

New York is a city that never sleeps, and this book reminds paced plot makes it a page turner. readers that despite all this time being awake, we still have progress to make as a society to mend injustices and prejudices.

Every day is Valentine's Day with self-love

By NEHA SEENARINE Staff Writer

When Valentine’s Day creeps around, it can be a lonely time of the year if you don’t have a significant other. However, it doesn’t have to be if you make it a day for yourself.

Valentine’s Day is invasive to your personal life. Who cares if you have a significant other? Companies selling chocolate bars in red packaging with hearts on them certainly do not. If businesses can profit off the couples in the United States once a year, that is great for them. The benefit of seasonal candy is that it is discounted the day after. Feb. 15, is the real holiday here.

I do not mean to sound like a Valentine’s Day Grinch. It is great if there is someone special in your life. However, not everyone is in the love boat and that is fine. It can be frustrating going to your local grocery store for milk and seeing hundreds of teddy bears while you are passing through. The seasonal products cannot be avoided, and there is a feeling of being left out. However, there is no rule saying you have to buy something for someone else. You deserve to treat yourself because you are the only person you need.

There is a constant chase for love. We see it everywhere in

movies, books and even video games. It is exhausting to see even the action movies have a love storyline. These plotlines spread the message that happiness comes from someone else.

However, that is not true. You do not need to actively search for a significant other when searching for happiness.

Love does not come manifesting it over and over. You do not need to watch tarot card videos or look for validation from others you might be interested in. The secret to potentially meeting someone special is becoming that person. You should treat yourself the way you would want to be treated. You should prioritize loving and spending time with yourself. Alone time is okay when you are comfortable. It is nice knowing you got your own back. The idea of needing something only pushes it further from you.

You have to pour love into yourself and attract what you need. It is important not to depend on someone else for your own happiness. Valentine’s Day can be spent alone. You can do something nice for yourself like baking cookies or getting a new haircut. Valentine’s Day should not be the only time for self-appreciation. It is important to appreciate the wonderful things about yourself.

Here are a few recommendations for making your self-care Valentine’s Day as great as possible.

1. Watch a Movie!–As much as romantic comedies may be the enemy here, they are pretty great. My favorite is “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” which shows that even Matthew McConaughey struggles at love.

2. Take a shopping trip!–You can leave your room and go to your favorite store. You can make a list of some things you might need or want. You don’t have to buy anything, If the home decor makes you happy, take selfies with all the mirrors.

3. Get Crafty!–Stores sell craft-kits for Valentine’s Day. You can buy one and make a cute card that says, “I love me.”

4. Be your own date.–You should take yourself to lunch.

Maybe not dinner, restaurant wait-times can take long. If you can’t go out to eat, cook it yourself. You will feel both accomplished and satisfied with your favorite dish.

5. Get fancy!–If you look great, you will feel great! You can throw on your favorite outfit you’ve been saving in your closet and take yourself out. You deserve to feel as awesome as you are on the inside.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

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Arts and Life|9

Snow — no!

Weekday snowstorms hits Quinnipiac

By ANYA GRONDALSKI Staff Writer

When the first big snowstorm of the year hit Quinnipiac University’s campuses, it resulted in two virtual class days and students eager to enjoy the snow.

On the nights of Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, students learned that the university would be operating remotely the first two days of the week following a campus-wide containment period.

Anxious to entertain themselves, students were seen sledding

anywhere there was an incline. Spare dorm mattresses, pizza boxes and storage lids were used as makeshift sleds, however, the university is investigating students who used the university’s property outdoors.

With more snow in the forecast, many students and universities are considering safe ways to enjoy the powder.

Several residential assistants emailed their residents about the use of Quinnipiac-owned mattresses as sleds, but Associate Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan declined to comment on the university policy on mattress sledding.

Melissa Kaplan, interim director of the University Honors Program and professor of English, said her family took full advantage of the winter weather.

“We tend to jump at any opportunity to get the children out of the house and exercise,” said Kaplan, a mother of a 13-year-old and a 10-year-old. “Because their schools are no longer having snow days, they each had virtual classes until the afternoon. Fortunately, their teachers took advantage of the snow to incorporate it into their lesson plans. As soon as the school day ended, they grabbed the dog and headed across the street to the park to go sledding.”

Sledding on campus might not be the safest way to enjoy a snow day at Quinnipiac because most students don’t have a real sled on hand. A safer way to take advantage of the winter weather would be to participate in Quinnipiac’s university-wide snowman building competition.

“Students, staff, faculty and their families can submit snow creations to be judged,” a Feb. 2, email from the university read.

“Four Amazon gift cards, each worth $25, will be awarded to winners in the following categories: best traditional snowman, best snow creation, most creative and most Bobcat spirit. The winners’ snowmen will be shared across Quinnipiac social media and on MyQ. Present submissions can be viewed here. The winners of the competition will be determined after Feb. 24.”

Robert Schroeder, a first-year psychology major in the 3+3 law program and self-proclaimed “child at heart” thinks it's important for students to get outside and enjoy themselves when possible.

“Especially coming out of containment,” Schroeder said. “It is a great way to relieve stress and forget about everything going on in the world.”

Mason Glod, a first-year undeclared major in the School of Communications echoed Schroeder.

“I had such a good time (outside) with my friends!” Glod said.

Hamden received three to five inches of snow on Sunday, Feb. 7, and a few more on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

Kaplan suggested the university should make options widely available to students for snow play, especially during the pandemic.

“The benefit of winter is that it makes staying safe much more convenient since you are already wearing gloves and covering your face to stay warm,” Kaplan said. “It would also be a great idea if QU were to partner up with a local outdoor recreation shop or facility so that students could rent snowshoes and cross-country skis for the day. The back trails on Sleeping Giant are ideal for snowshoeing, and the Farmington Canal Trail is ideal (for) people who are new to cross-country skiing.”

SCREENSHOT FROM @QUBARSTOOL INSTAGRAM

SCREENSHOT FROM @QUBARSTOOL INSTAGRAM

Some students used their university mattresses as sleds — an action condemned by Residential Assistants.

Being pulled behind a car on skis was just one risky action displayed on social media after the snow storms.

Digging up the past Netflix’s ‘The Dig’ brings light to an interesting and historic archaeological dig

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Associate Arts & Life Editor

Humans have always been interested in uncovering their roots, from the historic cave paintings at Lascaux in France to the tombs of pharaohs in Egypt. “The Dig” tells the lesserknown story about one of the biggest archaeological finds in British history, Sutton Hoo. “The Dig” is based off of the 2007 John Preston novel of the same name. It was directed by Simon Stone and released on Netflix on Jan. 15.

Set at the eve of World War II, Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) is hired to excavate a set of burial mounds that supposedly date back to the Vikings. However, he discovers much more than he expected. He uncovers a burial ship from the sixth century, which is far older than the Vikings.

When more renowned archaeologists learn about the dig, they swarm Sutton Hoo, trying to steal the job from Brown. Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), who owns the land that Sutton Hoo is on, tries to ensure that Brown gets the recognition he deserves.

However, Pretty is dying with a heart defect. She tries to hide the truth from everyone, including her young son, Robert.

Up until the end of her life, she fought for the recognition of Brown, but the end of the film revealed that her wishes were denied. Neither Pretty nor Brown received any recognition for

the site until years after the Sutton Hoo exhibit opened at the British Museum.

I really enjoyed the cinematography of “The Dig.” The film was beautifully shot and lit. I noticed a majority of the sequences were filmed on handheld cameras, which gives a jolty feel. While that can be jarring at times, I liked the effect a lot.

A complaint that I have about the film is that the plot was a bit sporadic at times. Obviously, the main plot was the discovery and excavation of the archaeological site, but some of the subplots did not necessarily add anything to the film as a whole. This leads me to think that the movie would have been better off not including them.

One of these subplots in particular surrounded Peggy Piggott (Lily James). Piggott was Preston’s aunt, which led to her role in the dig being exaggerated, including a fictionalized, male love interest that took the place of the two women who made history by photographing the site. It is sad that the author and screenwriter felt the need to disclude these two female photographers in favor of a glorified romantic plot device.

I recommend watching “The Dig” if you have a passion for period pieces that take you back to another time. Everything about the movie feels like a time capsule. However, if you rely on a solid plot to take you through your watchtime, then it may not be the movie for you.

PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

‘The Dig,’ while an interesting concept, is distracted by many smaller subplots that detract from the main storyline.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

10|Sports

February 10, 2021

A delay in play COVID-19 related pauses running rampant in the MAAC

The NCAA stated that in order to be eligible to play in the postseason, a team must play at least 13 games.

By RILEY MILETTE Sports Editor

Consistency is a highly sought-after trait for athletes playing a college sport. However, in order for them to achieve that, it would help if their schedules were consistent as well.

Teams throughout the MAAC and ECAC Hockey, including Quinnipiac University, have had several games postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Between all four winter sports teams, there have been 12 games on the schedule that were not played when initially planned.

The Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team was stricken recently, as a game against the Long Island University Sharks was postponed because of COVID-19 issues in the LIU program. Therefore, the Bobcats went the weekend without playing a game, creating a 12-day spell between their away game on Jan. 24, against Clarkson and their home tilt on Friday against St. Lawrence.

Assistant coach Bill Rega noticed the fatigue in some of his guys during Friday’s game that he felt had something to do with the postponement the week prior.

“It shouldn’t have (affected the team’s stamina), but I think it probably did,” Rega said. “I thought there was some rust there. Some guys looked a little bit more tired than they did before. Some guys looked great tonight, some guys had jumps, some guys were ready to go and some guys looked like they were a little winded.”

Rega also acknowledged that if the LIU game went on as planned, the increased game reps might have created the same issue.

“It’s a little bit of a strange thing,” Rega said. “Like you play all these games and you think that’s gonna make you tired, and then you don’t play a game and you think, ‘Well, that made you tired.’ So you really can’t win, it’s a delicate balance.”

Junior forward Michael Lombardi said that even though the Bobcats didn’t get to play last weekend, they were still ready to get going when they had the chance to play.

“We stay pretty active on the weekends, whether it be coming in here getting a workout or getting right back on the ice,” Lombardi said. “Coach talks about handling adversity, and we were all ready for that game. It was just another piece of adversity for us.”

Lombardi’s teammate, sophomore forward Matthew Fawcett, argued that the break helped him, not hurt him. He said that the time off motivated him even more to get back on the ice.

“You’re definitely coming in a little hungrier, and we were excited to play because we had some time off,” Fawcett said. “So yeah, I think it definitely pushed us a little bit more, having that time off.”

On the other hand, the Quinnipiac women’s basketball

team has remained relatively unscathed. Barring two cancellations at the Mohegan Sun tournament that happened before the start of the regular season, the team has played all the games on its schedule so far.

“I think we’ve been able to capitalize in practice,” junior guard Mackenzie DeWees said. “Until you get in those games, that’s when you really learn. I think for our rookies, that was very important these last couple games is getting them in and getting them reps. In practice you can really imitate it, but it’s not the same.”

Quinnipiac women’s basketball head coach Tricia Fabbri corroborated that being able to be on the court consistently is a major contributor to their success, as the team has ripped off six wins in their last seven games.

“It’s just so hitchy, so it’s hard to get into a lot of game flow,” Fabbri said. “You saw a difference from us today, just being able to play back-to-back games and a lot of minutes.

Us staying healthy is obviously imperative because it gives us an opportunity to stay and practice as a team.”

But travel across the map and it’s an entirely different story. One of the teams in the MAAC that has felt the true wrath of the virus is the Niagara University women’s basketball team. It has yet to play three consecutive games without either a cancellation or postponement. Nine games were scratched. It’s now on its third pause.

The first pause for the Purple Eagles came right before the season started. The regular-season debut, which was a two-game weekend series against Saint Peter’s University, was postponed. The team was able to begin its season a week later against Iona College, picking up a win and a loss.

The second occurred three weeks later, following the team’s weekend sweep at the hands of the Marist Red Foxes, who were ranked No. 2 at the MAAC tournament in 2020.

“I think that takes a lot, because Iona had played a lot more games than us at that point,” Niagara women’s basketball head coach Jada Pierce said about the team’s first win of the season. “And then when we came out of that third quarantine into playing Marist, one of the top teams in the league, and to go to overtime, and we had a chance to actually win the game ... I think that says a lot about this group.”

The third and final pause so far was announced on Jan. 27, postponing that weekend series against Monmouth University. The team has now resumed practicing and is set to return from the pause against Rider University on Feb. 12.

Pierce said one of the struggles of training over Zoom and individually is mixing up the drills. She didn’t want to bore her players and make the quarantine worse.

“You want to have it in the flow of playing because you don’t want it to be boring or monotonous and you don’t want

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

them to hate what they’re doing,” Pierce said. “You want them to still love playing and having fun.”

Pierce said that although the several pauses definitely took a toll on her players, their spirits never wavered.

“They are still adamant about wanting to play, even with this last shutdown that we’re currently in right now,” Pierce said. “The first question they asked when we were talking to them that day we got the news was, ‘Do we get to make up the games that we lost? And when do we get to play again?’”

Even though pauses have eaten up most of the Purple Eagles’ season, Pierce is still confident that her team will come out stronger on the other side.

“I think with each one that we’ve been through, we’ve gotten stronger through it and the attitude has been not to just survive, but to thrive when coming out of these situations, and I think we’ve responded well.”

Looking forward, the MAAC tournament is on the horizon. Last year, the postseason was axed midway through because of the incoming COVID-19 wave that was overtaking the country. The Niagara Purple Eagles took down the Saint Peter’s Peacocks in the first round of the tournament.

Pierce said that she thought having fans would be a big disadvantage, but there was another factor that offset that loss.

“Our bench has been tremendous during this whole time,” Pierce said. “They have been into it more than any other year. I hear them a lot when I’m pacing up and down the sideline. I can hear them screaming for their teammates and they’re hype after every timeout.”

But there is a major issue with the idea of the Purple Eagles making another statement at the tournament. The MAAC announced that in order to participate in the tournament, the team would have to play at least 13 regular season games. Niagara has only played four games this year, and only have eight games left on the schedule.

But Pierce said that the first game of the tournament counts as one. Therefore, the team would have to play all their remaining games to be eligible.

The Canisius Golden Griffins started the season 0-5 and have also had rampant pause problems, so they resulted in canceling their season. With major uncertainty around some teams pushing for a playoff berth with some teams already having opted out, the MAAC tournament may look a lot different this year in more ways than one.

But one thing is still guaranteed — the players who are there will be ready for the spotlight.

“I think they are excited to be a part of the tournament because the atmosphere is second to none,” Pierce said. “We had that experience and that excitement and the electricity.”

February 10, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|11

Three in the Key: Cancellations affecting teams ahead of the MAAC tournament

By BRENDAN O’SULLIVAN Editor-in-Chief

On Thursday, March 12, 2020, the MAAC shut down its annual college basketball tournament and canceled spring sports for the 2020 season.

That yearly tournament is nearly upon us once again, and MAAC games are being canceled and rescheduled every week due to COVID-19.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult for teams on both the men and women’s side to meet the NCAA’s minimum of 13 games to enter the NCAA tournament.

“You would hope that you could still have that opportunity,” Niagara women’s basketball head coach Jada Pierce said. “The risk you run is, let’s say God forbid we don’t, we’re one or two games short. We get in the (MAAC) tournament, we catch fire and we win the thing. And let’s say we don’t have enough.

“So, now your conference champion tournament — tournament champion — doesn’t have enough for the (NCAA tournament). Now, it’s like now what do you do. Is there going to be — would there be an exception?”

The Niagara women’s basketball team has fallen victim to the numerous MAAC cancellations and postponements. The Purple Eagles have played just four games this season out of the originally scheduled 12 games so far. Nevertheless, they have six upcoming games and six postponed games to play, which would bring them to the required 13 games.

So, Niagara has a chance at qualifying for the NCAA tournament. However, the Canisius women’s basketball team will not under the current regulations. The Golden Griffins opted to forego the rest of their regular season, having only played five games. That’s significantly fewer than the required amount, putting NCAA and MAAC officials in a situation in which they may have to alter regulations.

Regardless, the conference tournament will be held. Every MAAC team except for the Canisius women’s basketball squad are continuing their seasons as planned. The MAAC tournament is scheduled for March 8-13 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.

Nevertheless, teams will come into the MAAC tournament with different levels of momentum. Barring any more schedule altercations, Niagara women’s basketball will play 12 consecutive games before the tournament. Canisius, if it partakes, will not play any.

The difference in momentum can dramatically affect the outcome of the tournament, favoring the team’s with the most reps throughout the season. Pierce acknowledged this when the team played Iona, who had played seven games to Niagara’s one. Still, she knows that any team has a chance to win and is excited about the upcoming conference tournament.

“But I think just knowing that an NCAA tournament berth is on the line and you feel like anybody has a chance, especially in a year like this that everyone has an opportunity, I think that is the level of excitement — that’s why they’re like ‘We want to play,’” Pierce said.

In terms of Quinnipiac’s teams, the women surpassed the necessary 13 games, while the men sit at 12 games played with over a month to go. Both will qualify for the NCAA tournament, but the heights they’ll reach are determinant on whether they can stay healthy and play games without multiple road bumps. Having a sound schedule is paramount to success.

“It’s definitely tough with all these cancellations because of COVID, and you just never know who you’re playing next,” Quinnipiac women’s basketball freshman guard Jillian Casey said. “So just a consistent schedule is great.”

Junior guard Mackenzie DeWees had similar thoughts to Casey and went on to say how in-game action is the best opportunity to learn. That said, with teams facing cancellations around the MAAC, they lose out on learning experiences.

“You can imitate games in practice, but until you get in those games, that’s where you really learn,” DeWees said.

With this in mind, teams such as Quinnipiac that have been able to consistently play without pausing operations will have the advantage in Atlantic City. The rust of a team that hasn’t played in weeks will be evident in must-win playoff games.

Though, if a team finds itself stuck in quarantine or on pause, keeping the team engaged with activities via Zoom while focusing on mental health has been a priority.

“For coaches right now, that’s a huge challenge — keeping your players engaged, keeping their spirits up,” Quinnipiac men’s basketball head coach Baker Dunleavy said after the Jan. 8, game against Manhattan. “Really dedicating your time and resources to metal health.

“I think for us, we just keep reminding ourselves that like ‘Hey, alright we’re in quarantine or we can’t do this, we can’t do that, but we get a chance to have a season.”

Amid the numerous cancellations and postponements, the season is still intact and the tournament is just around the corner. MAAC teams will be eying redemption after having their chances at hoisting a trophy cut short due to COVID-19.

“I know for everybody who was able to come back this year, I know that they’re making the most of every single day that they get to go out there because they know that any day could be their last,” Pierce said.

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

The MAAC tournament is scheduled to begin on March 8, 2021.

MAAC Women’s Basketball Games Played this season 20 16

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12|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports

February 10, 2021

@QUCHRONSPORTS

Taylors’ time COURTESY OF QU ATHLETICS

How the experience of seniors Taylor House and Taylor Girard have helped the growth of the program

By JORDAN WOLFF Staff Writer

Appreciation, gratitude and thankfulness are words often used by coaches when asked what a senior has meant to their program. When it comes to Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey senior forwards Taylor House and Taylor Girard, “leaving their mark” is the phrase that came to mind.

The person who used that remark is assistant head coach Amanda Alessi. Alessi is now in her fifth season at Quinnipiac and has seen the rise and growth of both seniors. But the long lasting-impact they’ll have on the program is something she’ll always remember.

“TG (Girard) has shown what true power, strength and speed can do,” Alessi said. “For players who have her build, they can aspire to be like her. As for Housey (House), she’s really shown how you can grow from your freshman to senior season in all aspects of your game.”

Before discussing House and Girard’s impact on the 2020-21 season, it’s important to understand how they arrived at Quinnipiac. Their stories are quite different, but the end destination is what remains the same.

House grew up in Joliet, Illinois — 30 miles away from Chicago. She was surrounded by deep-dish pizza places and the famous Wrigley Stadium, where the Chicago Cubs play.

So now you may ask how does one from Illinois find Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut?

House met a former member of the coaching staff as a

freshman in high school and was then able to visit the campus during a tournament she was playing in Connecticut. As they say, the rest is history.

“The campus, the facilities and the coaching staff were just all so nice,” House said. “I knew, once I looked here it was probably where I was going to end up and just comparing it to anywhere else I looked, nothing compared.”

As for Girard, she grew up in Macomb, Michigan, where she decided to attend Lindenwood University in Missouri.

Girard spent two seasons at Lindenwood before deciding it was time for a change. A big factor in her decision was her desire to play on a more national stage, as Lindenwood plays in the College Hockey America conference, whereas Quinnipiac plays in the ECAC Hockey.

Once again, you may ask how did someone from Michigan decide that Quinnipiac was the right place for them?

Sometimes in life, when one knows a place feels like home, it doesn’t matter where the place is located.

“The atmosphere felt right, it felt at home,” Girard said. “I don’t know how else to explain it, but everything just felt right.”

In House’s first season (2017-18), she had four goals and three assists. However, the Bobcats finished 16-17-3 overall with a 12-9-1 record in ECAC Hockey play. In her sophomore season, House’s production climbed to a total of 15 points, breaking down to nine goals and six assists.

The Bobcats finished 12-18-6 with a 9-9-4 record in ECAC Hockey play.

COURTESY OF QU ATHLETICS

Senior forward Taylor Girard (center) celebrates with teammates during 11-0 victory against LIU on Jan. 17.

The trend here is that House took the next step forward, but something else was missing from a team perspective.

Sometimes, it can come down to a philosophy in style of play or sometimes it can be the leading voice in the locker room reaching its peak. In this case, as soon as Girard arrived, things changed.

Girard produced a six-game point streak in 2019-20 and finished the season with 17 points, 11 assists and six goals.

House produced another 15-point season, with nine goals and six assists. The Bobcats as a team took a significant step forward, as they finished 20-14-3 overall and 11-9-2 in ECAC Hockey play.

Another key aspect in hockey is the linemates you play with. Sometimes, you don’t connect with the people you play with due to personality, likability or lack of chemistry.

In the NHL, you had the Boston Bruins’ first line be coined the “perfection line” due to how instrumental wingers David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand and center Patrice Bergeron’s chemistry played into recent success.

From House’s perspective, putting her together with Girard and junior forward Lexi Adjzia starting last season was a brilliant move.

“There was just something between me, her (Girard) and Adjzia, I don’t know what it was, but it just clicked,” House said. “Now she’s my roommate and we’ve become really close off the ice and we’ve spent so much time together, that we’ve just bonded.”

House cited how the duo have similar personalities. They are loose on the ice, they like to have fun and their actions do the talking.

The duo’s senior season has been one unlike any other.

The 2019-20 season ended on March 1, 2020, when the Bobcats lost game three of the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals to conference foe Princeton 3-2 in double overtime.

After that, the tandem expected business as usual — to be back on the ice the following November to start their final chapter together. Then the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. During the week of spring break, Quinnipiac sent its students home and told them not to return.

The ECAC Hockey then made an announcement the following month that the annual ECAC Hockey tournament would be canceled. Soon after, the NCAA announced its tournament would be canceled. So House and Girard were stuck at home, doing virtual workouts.

As it was getting closer to the usual start of the season, nobody knew what the deal would be with this season. Lucky enough for Quinnipiac, it played its first game on Dec. 13, 2020, against Sacred Heart, winning 6-1.

The Bobcats have continued their season throughout the ongoing pandemic, currently being 7-3 overall and 2-3 in ECAC Hockey play. With four games left to play, this can be considered Taylors’ time to shine.