The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 91, Issue 15

MARCH 17, 2021 • VOLUME 91 • ISSUE 15

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL CLEMENT AND CONNOR LAWLESS

One year of COVID-19 p. 6-7

Quinnipiac student family income in 2009, accor a study by the Equality of Opportunity Proje

6.8% in 28% in top 1% top 5%

46% in top 10%

66% in top 20%

INFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

NEWS P.2: ECONOMIC DIVERSITY AT QU Quinnipiac ranks low in terms of economic diversity, with the majority of students living above middle class

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY HAKTAN CEYLAN

A&L P.8: ARTIST’S CORNER Haktan Ceylan writes poetry infused with song under a pen name

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE (2018)

SPORTS P.11: 482-DAY BREAK The Quinnipiac men’s soccer team is back like it never left

Quinnipiac announces new COVID-19 policies

Students will be able to visit other residence halls, attend sporting events and take a shuttle to the North Haven shopping center

By NICOLE MCISAAC AND EMILY FLAMME

Quinnipiac University announced its COVID-19 policy changes for the remainder of the spring 2021 semester, allowing students to visit other residence halls, spectate at sporting events and utilize shuttles to go off campus.

Tom Ellett, chief experience officer, sent an email to the Quinnipiac community on March 16, breaking down the changes.

“As spring brings warmer weather and more opportunities for safe outdoors activities, we are pleased to announce that Quinnipiac will slowly relax certain COVID-related restrictions,” Ellett wrote.

Starting on March 20, students can visit others in different residence halls, with the consent of their roommate. Students still need to follow indoor gathering guidelines, which states that groups must not exceed twice the occupancy of the unit with a maximum of 10 people.

People from other residence halls are allowed to visit from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., but they must wear a mask and social distance.

“I think that these are changes that are need-

ed,” said Brandon Asaai, a first-year biomedical science major. “However, I think the speed at which they’re implemented at can be a worry just because of the prevalence of COVID-19 at the moment.”

Another change includes increasing shuttle capacity to 50% and adding a shuttle service that brings students to a shopping center in North Haven.

Student spectators will be allowed at outdoor sporting events starting on March 19, but they have to wear a mask and social distance.

Beginning April 1, two parents per athlete will be able to attend the game if it is an outdoor event. They will have to wear a mask and observe social distancing guidelines. Tailgating will not be allowed, and parents cannot visit any other part of campus besides the field or stadium.

The university has also committed to creating more opportunities for students to gather in person safely. People in the same dorm room can play basketball together in either groups of four or six. Reservations will be required, and the players will have to wear masks. There will also

be events such as QTHON and the Big Event.

“Considering so far this semester we have been testing every week instead of one person per unit per week, I feel like we’re on top of (COVID-19 cases) more,” said Andrew Grabkowitz, a senior in the entry-level masters physi-

cians assistant program. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a little spike (in cases), but I can’t see it being that bad as long as people are actually following these policies and not just like ‘oh they’re just lightening it up, we can go back to normal.’”

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

Quinnipiac University held one of its first in-person events on March 15, to honor the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Morgan Tencza PODCAST PRODUCER Xavier Cullen ASSOCIATE PODCAST PRODUCER Kalleen Rose Ozanic COPY EDITOR Melina Khan THE QUINNIPIAC CHRONICLE is the proud recipient of the New England Society of Newspaper Editors’ award for College Newspaper of the Year in New England for 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2015-16.

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

March 17, 2021

An overview of Quinnipiac’s economic diversity

By CHATWAN MONGKOL Associate News Editor

With tuition increasing every academic year, Quinnipiac University students have different ways to fund their education from having it paid for by their parents to taking out federal loans and receiving Pell grants.

The financial aid trend reflects economic diversity at Quinnipiac.

“Compared to other surrounding schools and their tuition rates, I would say that the rate at QU is incredibly high,” said Mairead Reilly, a first-year psychology major. “The fact that it continuously goes up is concerning, considering that it is already unaffordable for many potential students.”

According to the data from the United States Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Quinnipiac’s tuition and fees for first-year students went up 3% between the academic years 2019-20 and 2020-21.

It will increase 1.15% for the next academic year, which will make the direct costs for incoming first-year students $66,960.

Room and board costs have also increased 3.3% between 2019-20 and 202021, and they will increase 1.62% in the next academic year.

Sophomore English major Kerry Deasy said that the tuition is high contrary to the quality of life the university provides to its on-campus students.

“A lot of times, tuition is something that is more associated with the education aspect of college more than anything else when in reality, you are paying for the entire living experience and every part of it should make you feel as though you are getting your money’s worth,” Deasy said.

With the expensive cost to attend Quinnipiac, Reilly said it came with the stereotypes that the university is for rich, elite kids.

Director of Financial Aid Victoria Hampton said students’ financial need is not a consideration during the admission process.

Public financial aid information suggests how the university is doing in terms of its economic diversity.

The data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that 97.8% of students received different kinds of scholarships or grants, and 66% of students took out federal student loans.

“I receive (a) grant and scholarship from

QU every year, but I pay for the remainder of tuition solely on loans,” said Bryanna Clement, a junior chemistry major.

While many took out loans by themselves, the College Scorecard revealed that 10-15% of the students had their parents borrow money for them through federal Parent Plus loan.

The Wall Street Journal analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education and ranked Quinnipiac ninth in the nation for universities that leave parents with the most college loan debts on the average of $78,439.

However, that does not mean all parents will carry the financial burden for their students.

“My parents took out a plus loan for me but are not (paying) a single penny of it, I will just be paying them in the future for them to pay off the loan,” said Sydney Nelson, a firstyear health science studies major.

The NCES also revealed that only 16.8% of students received Pell grants, federal grants for students who demonstrate financial hardship, with the average of $4,442.

According to College Finance, students whose family income is less than $60,000 per year qualify for Pell grants from some funding to the maximum amount.

Among 15 undergraduate four-year private non-profit universities in Connecticut, Quinnipiac ranks 12th in percentages of Pell grants recipients. Goodwin University ranks the highest with 81.7%, and Fairfield University ranks the lowest with 10.7%.

Reilly was one of the 16.8% of Quinnipiac students who received Pell grants. She said she would not be able to come to Quinnipiac without those and other scholarships from the university.

“My financial background is generally paycheck to paycheck,” Reilly said. “My mother has been unemployed since the initial (COVID-19) shutdown, and my father is a seasonal worker, meaning that he is employed in the spring and summer seasons.”

She said the grants that she received will likely cover the majority of her first two years, but after that, she plans to take out loans.

“I am beyond worried,” Reilly said. “I committed to QU because I was offered excellent financial aid, but I worry that my financial concerns will inevitably interfere with my academic performance.”

Considering the tuition rate, Deasy made an assumption before coming to Quinnipiac

that it was not the most economically diverse university. According to the New York Times, a study by the Equality of Opportunity Project based on millions of anonymous tax records suggests a similar finding.

The study states that the median income of Quinnipiac students’ families is $147,900. According to the study, 66% of the students were from the richest 20% of the country. While 46% were from the top 10%, 28% were from the top 5% and 6.8% were from the top 1%.

Only 2% of the students were from the bottom 20%, which is the lowest rate among universities in Connecticut. According to the study, Quinnipiac ranks 2,362th out of 2,395 universities in terms of share of students whose families make less than $20,000 annually.

“I think the lack of economic diversity on campus has created a difficult barrier for (prospective) students of different economic statuses as they may feel intimidated by the stereotypes and by students on campus who may perpetuate these stereotypes as well,” Deasy said.

She also said that this would create a difficult cycle, and it would make it almost impossible to increase economic diversity on campus.

Hampton said the data the New York Times presented was not up to date.

“They represent one cohort of students who entered in 2009,” Hampton said. “Our economic diversity has improved since that time by nearly seven percentage points.”

She also described Quinnipiac’s economic diversity as “evolving” as the university is constantly reevaluating its aid program to help students at all levels of financial need.

According to the university’s strategic plan, financial assistance for students from the economically marginalized communities is one of the plans to create an inclusive community.

Even though Reilly said she had a good experience with the university’s financial aid assistance, she said she could not say the same for other families.

“Since the tuition is so high, other lowincome students who struggle with academic disabilities may not be offered the same assistance,” Reilly said.

However, Hampton said the university offers financial aid and in-depth financial aid counseling to all families both before and after admission.

Quinnipiac student family income in 2009, according to a study by the Equality of Opportunity Project

6.8% in 28% in top 1% top 5%

46% in top 10%

66% in top 20%

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

March 17, 2021

News |3

Diversity, equity and inclusion class offered at QU

By NICOLE MCISAAC Associate News Editor

Quinnipiac University partnered with EverFi to establish a new online training course that centers around diversity, equity and inclusion as a part of the university’s 10-point plan to advance racial justice within the community.

“This course gives us a chance to create a baseline for students who might have never touched diversity training or concepts of identity, intersectionality and bias,” said Daymyen Layne, director of multicultural education and training at Quinnipiac. “It’s about broadening the scope in terms of cultural intelligence.”

The optional online learning module is structured to take students through exercises dealing with identity, implicit bias, microaggressions and interactive situations to help work through scenarios that students might encounter. All undergraduate students received an email on March 2, regarding the introduction of the course within the community. Prizes are offered to students who participate in it.

“If we’re trying to build this inclusive excellence driven community, why aren’t we trying to move that needle a little bit and push to the envelope in terms of what students are learning and how they’re thinking about these concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion,” Layne said. “This is just one more tool to help us do that.”

Layne said establishing the training course was one of the many goals within the

Department of Cultural and Global Engagement and has already been tested for over a year within different student leadership groups and organizations to see how students would react to the structure of the module.

“It was a really positive response,” Layne said. “Now we are at the point where we need to get this into as many people’s hands as possible.”

Joshua Delgado, a junior history major in the 4+1 Masters of Arts in teaching program for secondary education, said that although he has not taken the course yet, he finds it important for the Quinnipiac community to participate in it and fully intends to complete it himself.

“I really do believe this is a great stepping stone to talk more about sensitive issues regarding diversity, equity and inclusion,” Delgado said. “As a future educator and a minority student, I’m genuinely interested in what QU has put into this course.”

Delgado said that despite the course not being “the end-all-be-all,” he hopes it will bridge the divide between the multitude of people that come to Quinnipiac.

“QU is seeing an even greater influx of BIPOC students, but we’re unfortunately seeing an even greater increase in issues surrounding race, diversity, equity and inclusion,” Delgado said. “Hopefully, the more we start talking about these issues and educate ourselves and each other on these matters, we can become the QU that the administration

frequently emails and tells us that we are.”

Similar to Delgado, other students acknowledged the weight that this course has for students during their time at Quinnipiac and beyond.

“Everyone has their own personal background, culture, ethnic identity, sexuality and religion,” said Kimberly Janeczko, a sophomore nursing major. “It is important that we as a collective society not only acknowledge our differences, but educate ourselves on them so that we can become a group of people that cherishes each other’s differences, rather than using them to categorize and discriminate against others.”

In addition to emphasizing the significance behind the education and discussion of this topic, some students said they wished more people on campus talked about the course.

“All students on campus need to realize that this course is not something that we just complete because we have to,” Janeczko said. “However, if the administration does not emphasize its importance in more than just one or two emails sent out, then I do not think the student body’s mindset will change.

And to me, that is quite disheartening.”

The goal is to make the course a cornerstone of the Quinnipiac educational experience for students moving forward.

“We’re looking at making this a natural part of the QStart checklist, and we’re looking at other pieces of how we can further engrain this into the Quinnipiac community, whether that’s different ways to interact with faculty, first-year seminars or writing,” Layne said. “We are constantly looking at more ways to have these conversations.”

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

Professors discuss research during COVID-19

By KRYSTAL MILLER Contributing Writer

COVID-19 has changed the way Quinnipiac University researchers conduct their studies, complete their projects and communicate with others.

Dennis Richardson, professor of biology, had to continue his research on the biogeography of leeches while still teaching in the classroom.

“The financial pressure that COVID caused in research, we don’t have the funding we had before,” Richardson said. “In addition, we are teaching more so there is less time to do more

research and for a while we were completely shut down we couldn’t even get into the labs which makes it very difficult.”

The lab was shut down for some time, so Richardson and his colleagues struggled with how to replace lab time with frequent Zoom calls.

“I would say because of the time we were completely down, it’s probably reduced our effectiveness by a good 50%,” Richardson said. “But like I said we never completely stopped, we just kept it going forward.”

These challenges never stopped Richard-

NICOLE MCISAAC/CHRONICLE

COVID-19 shut down labs which made it challenging for professors to conduct research.

son and his colleagues from obtaining necessary information.

“I think that is one of the benefits we have of everything being electronic now, we’ve never stopped having access to everything and our library has done an excellent job of making sure everything’s still running so we can get access to the papers that we need for our research,” Richardson said.

Although there has been less in-person communication, there are resources available to finish research, even if it does require more time. With the new skills developed from online communication, researchers can use it to learn and prepare for the future.

“I had a project planned that would involve quite a bit of travel, and obviously that was not possible so really that was the next phase of a project we are working on with studying the biogeography of leeches,” Richardson said.

Richardson had already submitted a grant proposal for internal funding, but he was not able to access it because of the lack of revenue sources for research. Travel also became nearly impossible, which changed the course of his research.

“I’ve been impressed watching my colleagues here at Quinnipiac how nimble they have been and how well everyone has adjusted,” Richardson said.

In addition to being inspired, Richardson said he commends the administration and his colleagues for their ongoing support during this new time of research.

Nita Prasad, associate professor of history, discussed how lack of access to Yale’s Sterling Memorial Library in New Haven negatively impacted her research.

“It is a game of trying to put a bunch of Band-Aids over a wound,” Prasad said.

Although more people are using online sources to conduct research, historians still need to have access to research libraries.

Prasad included how it is unsustainable long term to not be able to use essential materials.

“My major project was put on the back burner, it ultimately took a lot longer to complete,” Prasad said.

Prasad has to try to complete her book project manuscript while teaching a research seminar to undergraduate history majors.

“I had to become a little more creative in fashioning research projects,” Prasad said.

Although her research has not stopped, she has had to become more innovative in constructing her projects. She said getting to conferences and feedback on research may be easier, but it is harder to access information.

“Teaching has changed, the new environment and scholarly research is intermittently linked,” Prasad said.

The new era of research has spilled into the classroom. The way students and professors find information has become more online based than before.

“There is a knock on effect in the classroom,” Prasad said.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

4| O p i n i o n

March 17, 2021

Opinion We need to honor the roots of environmentalism

As being ‘green’ grows more popular, we need to actively fight the whitewashing of the movement

BY MAHLET SUGEBO Staff Writer

When you think of a climate activist, what do you think of?

Come on, be honest and think about it for a second.

If the first thing that comes to your mind is a white vegan in their 20s who uses reusable straws and bamboo toothbrushes, then you have succumbed to the whitewashing of the environmental movement.

Growing up, I always knew to save plastic bags and stow them away in the designated drawer in our kitchen. I knew to reuse plastic, glass and metal containers rather than throwing them away. I knew to throw the leftover banana peels into the soil of our garden rather than in the trash. I knew to be especially mindful of my water and electricity consumption because not only were both necessities that could go scarce at any moment, but they were resources that not everyone had access to in my neighborhood.

These habits were second-nature — practices you feel you were born with because you can’t even remember the first time your mom scolded you for not doing them.

I was 17 years old when my mother bought me my first at-home facial mask. Before that, we made our home-made versions for two main reasons — first, to counter the overconsumption that’s encouraged in the beauty industry, and second, to mindfully concoct mixtures that were safe both for our bodies and the environment.

That’s the first concept in the three R’s of sustainability: reduce. But we didn’t practice these thinking of the three R’s. We practiced them because we thought that it was what we were supposed to do — when you’re on this planet, you don’t do anything that might degrade and destroy it. Rather, you do everything you can to take care of Mother Nature in your everyday life.

These principles have been passed down from generation to generation in BIPOC communities. They only recently got the labels “The three R’s.”

We applied the second R here, reuse, by repurposing our recyclables until they were completely worn down. As for the third R, recycling, it was the absolute last resort. It wasn’t even a service that was readily available in my hometown of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. So, frankly, reducing and reusing were the only options.

Everywhere you go in Addis, you can see mini structures made out of plastic bottles in neighborhood parks, makeshift planters transformed from tin cans, bags made from plastic milk-bags, shoeshine boys reusing metal cans, plastic jugs and many more signs of an environmentally-friendly society.

Even at home, we reused the plastic and metal containers that contained butter, produce from grocery stores like Fresh Corner and plastic to-go cups and take-out containers from local café chains like Kaldi’s. At home, they weren’t thrown out, but used to store spices like berbere, different flours that we use to make dishes like shiro, our homemade butter kibe and even used as Tupperware. The plastic bags we would so dearly collect were used as shower caps, processing caps for hair masks and as shields from rain and mud for your hair, shoes or purse.

Throwing them away meant you would get judgemental looks from strangers or a lengthy lecture from your mom, dad or auntie about human waste. So, whether we liked it or not, we’ve always been environmentalists.

As I grew up and was exposed to Western culture, I was confused to learn that the principles that environmentalists protest for are principles that have long been practiced in BIPOC communities. The “minimal” and “zero-waste” lifestyle environmental activists were seen as “radical” even though it was, and still is, part of the daily life of communities found in many countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

Being “zero-waste” was a given and being anything but “minimal” meant you were ungrateful for the abundant things you already had in your life.

Every year, my mom, older sister and I would sit in front of our closets as we sorted through what we wore and didn’t wear anymore. This wasn’t so we could figure out what we needed to buy, but to give it to those who needed it in our community and to reduce our consumption. Because of this, we were encouraged to wear our clothes until we couldn’t and to only buy out of necessity.

I later learned this is one of the foundations of sustainable fashion.

What was even more shocking was seeing mainly white faces as delegates of the environmentalism movement when all I saw growing up were Black people, my Habesha community, doing the work. And so, the white vegans that are widely celebrated for their environmentalism never represented me or my community.

I want to see the face of my older sister who spent her hours learning how to make shampoo, conditioner and body wash at home. I want to see the face of my mom who reuses plastic take-out containers and refuses to throw them away.

I want to see the face of my dad who spends his Sundays returning glass bottles and plastic water jugs to stores to exchange them or refill and reuse them.

But to this day, their faces are replaced by people like Greta Thunberg.

It’s something that, to this day, surprises me, and that I laugh about over coffee, or known as buna in Amharic, with my family.

With environmentalists such as Rachel Carson being inaccurately credited for starting the environmentalist movement, it makes highlighting BIPOC voices in the sustainability movement difficult to accomplish.

BIPOC communities across the Global South have always reduced, reused and repurposed. But those communities are the most underrepresented in modern conversations around environmentalism.

And when our voices are left out, our power, influence and history in taking care of Planet Earth get erased. It’s then replaced with a shell of what we started.

If your climate activism doesn’t include BIPOC voices, it can no longer be accepted as activism.

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

Bobcat Buzz The path toward reopening Connecticut

BY STEPHANIE SUAREZ Staff Writer

In a blink of an eye, society is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. It feels like it was yesterday that schools closed for an extended spring break and the pandemic was just an epidemic.

Dealing with the trauma and struggles of the pandemic has been taxing. There are glimpses of normalcy, which create excitement and impatience in everyone. But we need to take a step back, and build on the progress we’ve created in a progressive style rather than setting us back with a surge in cases and deaths. It is one thing to hear about the numbers and be unfazed, but it’s essential to remember that attached to every number is a person with a story.

Across the United States, 14 states lifted their mask mandates in March 2021. Connecticut’s guidelines on the one-year anniversary of the pandemic include removing

restrictions for restaurants, libraries, gyms/fitness centers, houses of worship and the extension of more. The limitations for gatherings, at a private residence, include 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors while the limitations for commercial venues changed to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors.

Although there have been almost 1.5 million people vaccinated in Connecticut, we cannot be quick to remove regulations. Rather we should formulate a plan for reopenings in a fashion so that a large proportion of the population can enjoy social interactions with peace of mind, after being fully vaccinated. If we’ve learned anything over the course of the pandemic, it’s how the illusion of a steady society can create a disaster in a matter of time.

Bobcat Buzz is a new column covering Quinnipiac’s smaller but important topics.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

March 17, 2021

Opinion|5

Opinion It’s hard to start a new chapter without ever picking up a book

BY EMILY DISALVO Arts & Life Editor

I have been a believer in the power of reading ever since I was born. Even before that, my mom would read stories to me in the womb. At age 20, there has yet to be a time when I am not “working on” a book.

This makes me a rare phenomenon because many of my peers seemingly can only name the books they read in high school English classes. According to Pew Research, in 2019, 27% of United States adults said they hadn’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year.

This is startlingly sad because life without books is hardly life at all.

For me, books are often an escape from my own story — one I am not always interested in focusing on. They are a chance to live someone else’s reality, learn something new or gain a new perspective on a current event.

Growing up, many people have commented on my writing skills, my mastery of language, the words I choose to use when I speak and my confidence when trying to articulate my thoughts into words. I can attribute my skills in all of these areas to reading. Because of books, I have learned new words.

I have trained my mind to absorb language and to form my sentences the way a skilled author would.

I am not just making stuff up here. Strong early reading skills are actually an indicator of higher intelligence later in life. If you want to make yourself a better writer and communicator, the best way to do it is to read books by people who write the way you want to sound.

Many non-readers use the argument that they are too busy for reading. For me, reading is a part of my routine, and it does not take up additional time. I read while I eat breakfast and it helps me to get my mind active first thing in the morning. I also read right before I go to bed to help settle me down.

Choosing to read when we are bored or have downtime instead of playing a video game or scrolling on social media is quite beneficial because it helps us use free hours to actively learn new things or to engage the parts of our brain that process language. While it may seem like a chore when you first

start out, soon you will find yourself looking around for your book, eager to find out what happens next.

Books are also a good way to connect with others. I have found that I have an instant connection with someone when we have both read and enjoyed the same book. Even if we have never spoken before, simply being able to reminisce about the characters and the storyline gives two complete strangers something to relish together.

I bonded with my roommate in Washington, D.C. over books. When we were unpacking our bags on move-in day, I noticed both of us were pulling book after book out of our already heavy suitcases. To prioritize books in cumbersome luggage is a sign of a dedicated reader.

While it turns out we have different taste in books, we share recommendations and even old copies of some of our favorites. Our friendship now spans topics far beyond books, but it is still something we can talk about.

Some would argue that video games or movies have the same impact, but I would disagree. There is something magical about being able to explain that you spent days or even weeks with characters and stories — the same characters and stories as someone else. While some may connect to video game characters, there is a particular joy to reading their dialogue and watching them come to life on the page. On top of that, you have language, words and phrases as sort of a secret language to share.

No matter how you consume your books — hard copy, ebooks or audio books — consume them. If you stopped liking books in middle school and haven’t tried again, try again. Books have so much more meaning for me now that I have lived and experienced things outside of the toxicity of seventh grade.

And books themselves have matured too. There are so many popular books by BIPOC authors, LGBTQ authors and authors of other diverse backgrounds. There are characters and storytellers that you will identify with, and if your last memory of reading is the Hamlet play you read freshman year of high school, I challenge you to return and try something new.

All these years of reading later, I don’t have a favorite book or genre. If you ask, I will probably name the book I am reading at that moment because I have read so many insightful and wonderful books it would be impossible and unfair to choose.

But, I challenge you to find a favorite book because maybe then, reading might become your favorite pastime too. Start a new chapter in your life. Read.

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

The ball is in your court, Quinnipiac

The SGA puts administration on blast with its support for commuters

BY DANIEL PASSAPERA Contributing Writer

Nearly 15 days after Quinnipiac University announced a $90 semesterly fee for commuter students, the Student Government Association (SGA) released a compelling rebuttal favoring students. The statement, a complete masterpiece, echoed the deep-rooted division between the administration and its students’ concerns.

The timing couldn’t be better as commuter students began taking matters into their own hands by protesting during campus tours — a display that hurt the pockets of the very institution stealing from ours. It was a stroke of genius.

After an ineffective and lackluster State of the QUnion, condescending emails from Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellett and two surveys, this announcement was surprisingly refreshing and assuring. The SGA swung and did not miss.

“As students, we believe Quinnipiac University is not acting in accordance with its values, as the policy is clearly inequitable to a specific portion of the student body,” the SGA announcement said.

Notably, the SGA mentions “no student was consulted during this decision-making process” and “overwhelming student feedback” — two things the administration should’ve accounted prior to making this inane policy. The bare minimum must be hard when all you see are dollar signs.

The statement continued to get better as it went on, featuring six resolutions every student could support. The SGA requested a total exemption from the fee for all current undergraduate students, the assembly of a task force, detailed reports and “transparency” — a word that the administration doesn’t quite have a grasp of.

Personally, as a commuter myself, my favorite is the fifth resolution, which, “calls upon President Judy Olian, Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellett, and other parties involved in crafting the email to publicly apologize to commuter students for the demeaning tone directed at commuters regarding their academic performance.”

But at this point, the only sorrow, if any, that is demonstrated by the administration will align with that of an

apology from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. It’ll be completely meaningless — the damage has already been done.

As of March 15, the administration has yet to respond to the SGA’s statement. However, Ellett has offered up a spectacular “opportunity” for 10-minute engagements in a recent email to all undergraduates. Although meetings can be effective they need to lead to action. This commuter situation has shown these meetings are anything but that. Meanwhile, President Judy Olian took the time to share last year’s sustainability report, expressing gratitude toward the Sustainability Planning Committee for its strategies. Notably, the email mentions, “three strategic areas” in learning, living and leading — three L’s, all of which Quinnipiac takes. How ironic.

Ideally, a request should’ve been made for a total exemption for incoming students and a disavowal of the newly approved authoritarian requirement, which dictates that all future undergraduate students, who live farther than 25 miles of Quinnipiac, must live on-campus for at least three years.

However, this statement was a start of which I want to personally thank the SGA for.

I, including many others, would love to see this energy moving forward with more issues that are plaguing campus.

It’s a multifaceted effort on campus that expands beyond the SGA and the administration. Students need to actively voice their concerns, and I’m not talking about bringing back acai bowls or expanding Starbucks’ hours.

Every student should feel comfortable everywhere, especially when seeking higher education to further themselves.

Speak out for your peers and actively seek to better the campus through involvement, organizations, initiative, petitions and other necessary means.

This fight along with many others continues. Here’s my riveting advice to the elites “serving” their students: the smart choice is to side with your students, recognize the diverse community at large and improve the campus experience for everyone.

If the over 1,100 supporters weren’t enough, the SGA’s backing proves to be problematic for the administration go-

SCREENSHOT FROM INSTAGRAM @QUSGA

The Student Government Association released a statement condemning the $90 commuter fee.

ing forward, if it chooses to respond. Quinnipiac, you have this opportunity to right a wrong. It would be a shame if current or prospective students shy away from this institution over continued mistreatment.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

6 | A Ye a r L a t e r

BY BRYAN MURPHY Staff Writer

It’s so cliché to say, but I went home on spring break thinking I would see all of my classmates and roommates in just a few short days. And those few short days turned into a few long months.

And I can’t lie — it’s been hard. I never would have thought my final undergraduate year would end the way it did. I had to finish my time with The Quinnipiac Chronicle with meetings on Zoom, without a final proper goodbye as my tenure as Editor-in-Chief came to end. I never got to soak in that final deadline day or the final weekly meeting.

After working hard and taking extra classes to graduate early in three years, the “reward” was a diploma sent in the mail. My roommates and I huddled around our laptops in

our kitchen in August, waiting to see our name pop up on the screen for five seconds during our graduation ceremony.

And now as a graduate student, in my final year of college, it hasn’t been spent balancing classes with work for my career like a normal graduate student. Finding a company that was hiring was about as rare as finding people roaming on campus in the fall semester. I haven’t been able to see nearly as many of my friends as I was hoping to and if I did, COVID-19 was always lingering in the back of our minds.

Most of the activities and good times you hear about from others that have graduated before are hard to relate to because frankly it’s not possible to do those things right now.

But while it certainly hasn’t turned out the way I thought it would, and despite all the bumps in the road, I still made the most of it and enjoyed my year as best as I could.

My roommates and I have spent countless hours together, whether it’s yelling at a football game on the TV, spending too many hours playing video games or just sitting around a table with a drink in hand (we’re all legal, don’t worry) and having some of the best late-night conversations.

I’ve learned a lot through Zoom University, ahem, I mean my graduate courses. Jokes aside, the professors have been awesome and extremely caring during this time. While they continue to push us, they know how hard it is for us and how adaptable they have to be.

Most importantly, I know how much worse things could be for me and the people I’m around.

March 17, 2021

There’s so many unfortunate events happening, whether it’s people losing loved ones or businesses being forced to shut down, that it puts it into perspective how lucky we are. We still get to attend classes and get ourselves ready for the real world, all while being idiots in college.

I have no idea what’s next for me after Quinnipiac. But if the pandemic has taught me anything, your life can change in a matter of seconds. And it’s OK to not know what that change will be.

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE (2019)

Bryan Murphy is studying to receive a master’s degree in sports journalism.

BY ALLISON DAMIGELLA Contributing Writer

I had never worked in health care before.

Yes, I am in a medical program, but this was my first job in an actual hospital. When I imagined my summer in 2020, it never included spending over 36 hours a week in a psychiatric hospital in Southeastern Massachusetts, and it certainly never included COVID-19. I feel as though these two experiences alone are a lot to handle, but when put to-

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY ALLISON DAMIGELLA

Allison Damigella is a sophomore athletic training and physical therapy major.

gether — let’s just say things got interesting.

COVID-19 ruined so many lives. I have family friends that died from the virus, and I know so many people who have also lost a loved one during these unprecedented times. When we were sent home last year because of the pandemic, I knew that I wanted to work somewhere that would allow me the opportunity to help others.

Mental health has always been an important matter in my life and with the shutdown, it was apparent people would suffer.

Now, working at a hospital requires you to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves when interacting with patients. As employees, we were required to practice proper PPE usage during our time in the hospital. Upon arrival, we would be screened to make sure that we had not contracted the virus — but this didn’t account for employees who didn’t show symptoms.

As the people that got to leave the hospital, we were the biggest threats to our patients. Patients could not come and go. They would need a doctor’s order to be discharged. On top of that, we were not equipped to handle any active COVID-19 patients as we were only a psychiatric hospital.

With that in mind, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when, during my first week on the job, I came into contact with a COVID-19-positive patient. I never got the virus from this encounter because I had my mask on, but we couldn’t force patients to wear masks. That week we sent out two positive patients.

One of the units I worked on was focused on patients that were detoxing. It was on that unit that I could see just how much the pandemic had ruined people’s mental health.

Generally speaking, the pandemic made it hard for people to stay sober and sent many individuals to rehab due to a relapse. I encountered so many people that felt broken from isolation. Many of them either relapsed or had worsened mental health issues that they could not

ILUSTRATION BY M handle on their own. I was faced with the reality of the impact the pandemic had on people’s struggles. It was one thing to see statistics and read about relapse rates and the decline of mental health, but staring these issues in the face was such an eye-opening experience.

My time in the health field was much different from the many heroes that were working on the front lines during the pandemic. However, with my job, I was exposed to individuals whose suffering worsened from the pandemic. Not only did this grow my compassion, but it made me realize just how much we need to fight for mental health issues.

This experience was just one look into how much people’s lives had been affected by this awful virus and how we, as a society, need to do so much better with our compassion.

March 17, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

A Ye a r L a t e r | 7

INFOGRAPHIC BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

BY EMILY DISALVO Arts & Life Editor

It was March 2020, and all I could think about was the Democratic Primary.

President Donald Trump had just been acquitted after an impeachment trial in the Senate. I had been in the Capitol Building throughout the trial, and while I didn’t get close enough to see it, it still felt momentous.

I was horrified and sad to see my two favorite Democratic Prima-

MICHAEL CLEMENT

BY LACHIE HARVEY Contributing Writer

When I first stepped onto Quinnipiac University’s wellmaintained grass, the campus stole my heart. I knew that I wanted to spend the next four years studying here. I haven’t changed my mind, but during 2020, I came pretty close. After I found out that the university planned to cut our semester short in March, I was devastated.

At the time, I was less worried about my studies — I knew the school would endure. I was far more concerned about the relationships I formed with my college friends.

While everyone else I knew went back to their homes across the East Coast, I got on a plane and flew all the way back to New Zealand.

ry candidates, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, falter after the Iowa caucus and Super Tuesday. It seemed like the biggest story of the day was politics, because I was in Washington, D.C., where politics is the center of life.

Someone in my class attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in the final week of February and shortly after, we learned there was a case of COVID-19 there. All I remember was that I read an article about how all these cases of “corona” were tanking Corona’s brand image, and the kid who had attended CPAC found this to be hilarious.

Days later, I boarded the metro, which was so full that it was standing room only. I was pressed between bodies — blazers, unwashed hoodies and the unrelenting stench of urine — and I distinctly remember someone coughing.

I snapped a photo and sent it to my mom. “LOL germs,” was my uninformed and ironic caption.

That weekend, I visited the National Mall, the Navy Yard pier and many other popular tourist spots, surely surrounded by people who had flown in from across the country, and maybe even the world.

Despite the threat, the whole issue seemed very distant. Then, one night I tuned into the Rachel Maddow show.

One of my favorite primetime TV hosts, known for her winding lectures and deep analysis, was uncharacteristically to the point that night. She described a very contentious and dangerous situation in Italy. She described it as a cesspool of disease that was rapidly spreading through the region.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew people traveled between Italy and the U.S., and I knew we would soon be doomed.

But no one here seemed to be talking about it other than how similar it sounded to beer.

The idea that those people could transmit a virus to me without showing any visible symptoms of sickness didn’t cross my mind. I didn’t know what a coronavirus was. I didn’t understand that it could be deadly. And in this way, I feel slighted by the government for failing to share this information as soon as it had it.

While in D.C., I was interning at The Hill.

The offices remained open into mid-March and coming into the office was “optional.” I never considered the idea of showing up to work as “optional” before. The notion that I could just watch Congress on my computer and write about it rather than actually attend was radical and actually a little humbling. I realized just about anyone

The next few months were hell, watching all my friends in America have to sit inside in fear while, after a short lockdown, all my New Zealand friends went out and acted completely normal.

As it turns out, I was wrong not to worry about my studies. Due to the time difference, I was waking up at around 3 a.m. most days to attend lectures. I felt completely lost, and I hated not being able to speak to my professors in person.

Long story short, I was tired, anxious and miserable.

After the semester finished, I spent my time in New Zealand free while trying to distract myself from the coming fall and its inevitable problems. When the day came for me to return to Quinnipiac, my mum was even more upset than the first semester she had to say goodbye to me. I flew through an eerily empty Los Angeles airport and an equally empty Chicago terminal before arriving in Hartford. I had a terrible experience in isolation when I arrived at Quinnipiac, but I’ve already written about that.

The semester itself was not very enjoyable for me. I was unable to see many of my friends who were living on the Mount Carmel campus due to residence hall restrictions. I didn’t get to play flag football, an activity that brought me and my closest friends together freshman year. I hated hybrid learning and my friend group that I was so invested in became somewhat fractured by the inability to go out and socialize with others. Near the end of the semester I suffered nerve damage in my back and spent my final weeks bedridden and despondent.

When I returned to New Zealand, I couldn’t have been happier. My mum got married, and I went to a festival on-

MICHAEL CLEMENT/CHRONICLE

Emily DiSalvo is a third-year 3+1 journalism major. could be doing the work I did as a reporter, with or without the press pass.

I watched my last congressional hearing as an intern on March 12, from the couch of my apartment. I wrote a story about two medical marijuana bills that were advancing in the House. It wasn’t, in my opinion, any worse than any article I wrote in person. The possibilities of lazy journalism startled me a bit, but I assumed the return to the office would be imminent.

Two days later I left the city. The Smithsonian museums had closed. The Capitol Building had been shut down to tourists. Still, people moved about the city without masks. I brought home an extra loaf of bread for my family, but I failed to find any toilet paper.

One year later I reflect on the downfall of America in that week and how close I was to the buildings where all the important decisions were supposed to be made. And, instead of making those decisions, they kept quiet so as not to ensue panic in Americans.

One year later, I am still panicking, and I wish I knew to be scared back when we still had time to fix it.

Many of the restaurants and businesses I grew to love in D.C. have closed due to the economic fallout of the virus. When I return, it will most definitely not be the city I left behind.

over New Year’s Eve. I felt free. It took all my strength to get back on the plane and come back this semester. Every single person I’ve spoken to has asked me why I came back.

I’ve given a million answers, but the truth is I still love this place. Maybe I’m crazy, but I still have hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I know if I gave up on this place now, I’d never forgive myself.

So how have the last 12 months gone? They’ve sucked.

But it’ll take more than one bad year to stop this Bobcat.

MICHAEL SICOLI/CHRONICLE

Lachie Harvey is a second-year 3+1 media studies major.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

8|Arts and Life

Arts & Life

March 17, 2021

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

Local Art Corner With two identities, one Quinnipiac student manages to be both a poet and Bobcat

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY HAKTAN CEYLAN

By ANYA GRONDALSKI Staff Writer

Haktan Ceylan, a junior political science and philosophy double major, lives a double life. Under the name Natkah Nalyec, he’s developed an identity as a well-known student poet at Quinnipiac University.

A self-proclaimed “eclectic” artist, Ceylan has been writing for the past three years. Poetry has been his therapy and over time, it has developed into a hobby and defining part of his identity. His work is nontraditional and musical.

“I try to stray away from the normal connotations of what you’d expect going to a library and picking up an old poetry book,” Ceylan said. “I try to fuse elements of hip hop and sort of like singer-songwriter elements into the poetry while also trying to keep true to the craft and true to the therapeutic components which found me writing in the first place.”

Spoken word became a safe haven for Ceylan, who developed a false front to protect himself from a teenage community in which he felt targeted. He kept a journal of dayto-day occurrences that he felt couldn’t be safely shared, even with those closest to him.

“That’s when I started realizing that some of the language that was put there was very romantic or even very artistic to my definition then … that’s when I really found a love for writing,” Ceylan said. “And that then translated to me watching a lot of like button poetry performances and deaf poetry jam and things like that. I became very inspired by some of these poets and started to try to imitate their art.”

"If I were anything but who you thought I were, would you still accept me for who I was, or for that matter, who I'd openly become?"

Stranger by Natkah Nalyec

POEM CONTRIBUTED BY HAKTAN CEYLAN

His writer alter ego, Natkah Nalyec was born out of Ceylan’s darkest period.

“There was this one day where I was with someone who was very unhealthy, very toxic, and we were in a relationship,” Ceylan said. “And I felt like I had surrendered many parts of my fabric to not only them but to the surrounding factors that combined in the relationship.”

In dissociating from his own self in the mirror, Ceylan noticed the words on his shirt were reversed and decided that Natkah Nalyec, his name reversed, would become the most honest version of himself.

Ceylan’s artistic process is spiritual and often begins with the bleeding out of internalized emotions. One line quickly develops into 40 while Ceylan decorates and illustrates the story he envisioned.

“I will either see something or I’ll get an idea … I like to also grab a lot of inspiration from my own life,” Ceylan said. “Like things I’m going through, topics that are sensitive to me, things I want to get off my chest. These are all common symptoms of the works that I produce and I release.”

In late April, “Ineffable,” will be released online and potentially in a zine format. On the same day as its release, Ceylan will release its sister project "Lee's Farm Road." Ceylan drafted the two projects during the highschool era. Additionally, Ceylan will re-release a former project entitled “untitled, tacenda” which he wrote for a Quinnipiac contest.

“It (untitled, tacenda) was ignored entirely, and so I felt like there were a lot of things there that I wanted to get off my chest,” Ceylan said.

Art has been an inescapable form of expression for Ceylan.

Poetry has not been the limit to his creativity, as he often expresses himself in simple actions like hiking or even general writing like prose.

“It’ll always come out, one way or another,” Ceylan said.

March 17, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Arts and Life|9

Book of the Week

‘The Book Thief’ is the pinnacle of historical fiction

By MICHAEL SICOLI Opinion Editor

A story is only as interesting as its narrator, and “The Book Thief,” by Markus Zusak, is told by Death itself.

That’s not hyperbole. The Grim Reaper watches over Liesel Meminger as she grows from a child to a young woman in Nazi Germany in this international bestseller. Death is naturally a big part of the era — a wry, wearied narrator with a dry sense of humor about millions of lives lost tells this story. However, don’t mistake that dry humor for anything other than a coping mechanism. Even Death was horrified and haunted by the genocide in Germany during World War II. Death follows Liesel and her family, sharing their perspectives as Germany embraced Nazism. Her stepfather, Hans Hubermann, is a kind and caring man with a good judgement of right and wrong. Her stepmother, Rosa Hubermann, is tough and cold to Liesel, but it becomes clear that she deeply cares for her inside.

With Nazi enthusiasists sweeping neighborhoods as Adolf Hitler rose to power, the family blended in. Liesel joined the youth group while Hans signed up with the Nazi party, even if it wasn’t something he believed in.

In a great act of virtue, when his Jewish friend Max Vandenburg asks to be hidden, Hans obliges. Max possesses guilt over leaving his family, who did not want to understand what the Nazis were going to do next. But he also feels terrible about putting Liesel and her family in danger.

There’s much to like about this book, particularly if you enjoy historical fiction. But Max’s character and his relationship with Liesel is one of the best in literature. The two spend a lot of time together in the cold, damp basement where Max is fixed up, talking about what books Liesel is reading. They become family, as Max shares his own short stories with the young girl, and Liesel describes the weather outside with colorful, childlike imagery —

similarly to how Death describes the souls he sees throughout “The Book Thief.”

In “The Word Shaker,” one of the books Max writes for Liesel, he describes Nazi Germany as a forest filled with words that created “a nation of farmed thoughts.” It shows Max’s belief on Germany where Hitler had contorted an entire population to his ideology. But one tree did not bend or break — the one that a strong girl plants in the book that symbolizes Liesel’s friendship with Max. Max daydreams about boxing Hitler. He feels the roar of the crowd while they box for hours. But it’s a battle Max cannot win.

The fight is always rigged against him when Hitler incites the crowd on his side, but he fights nonetheless.

There’s also Liesel’s best friend Rudy Steiner, another great relationship featured in this book. Rudy constantly tries to get a kiss from Liesel only to be affectionately called “Saukerl,” an insult that Rosa calls Hans. Rudy idolizes the great Jesse Owens, a Black American runner who won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, hurting Hitler’s mantra about a superior German race. The symbolism of that combined with Rudy’s charming character is hard to ignore.

There’s Hans’ recruitment to the military, in which he’s sent away and narrowly avoids Death several times. There are loyal and quiet German characters, reflective of the time period.

Speaking up was a death sentence, and that’s how Hitler rose to power. Going against him meant risking everything — just like Hans does.

I’m purposefully trying my best not to reveal any spoilers here.

The symbolism and artful storytelling makes this a must-read as one of the most heartfelt books out there. The ending is memorable PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA for me to this day. Like any great author, Zusak understands the power of language and uses it to create an impactful story about 'The Book Thief,' narrated by Death, is a historical fiction novel set in Nazi Germany. a period when words made all the difference.

Cardi B is a fashion doll now

By DAVID MATOS Staff Writer

In conjunction with Women’s History Month, Cardi B, a 28-year-old rapper, revealed her new business venture in the doll market.

Cardi announced the launch of her doll on “The TODAY Show” on March 5. She revealed that when she was a kid, she had never seen a doll that looked like her. Now that the rapper has a daughter of her own, she wanted to take the opportunity to make a doll in her own likeness.

"When this doll business got presented to me, one of the reasons I decided to do it is because I'm a girl's mom," Cardi said on Instagram Live. "Nowadays, these dolls are not like Barbies.

They are way more expensive. They come with way more fashion and are way more diverse. They come so chic, and I constantly gotta spend money on these dolls. My daughter constantly wants me to buy these dolls, she actually has a preference."

Fans expected Cardi to announce her much-anticipated second studio album but got a doll instead. She released her first studio album, “Invasion of Privacy,” in 2018.

Cardi later deactivated her Twitter account and responded to the criticism on an Instagram Live session.

“People don’t just get rich just off music,” Cardi said on Instagram Live. “I got to venture off to do something — to do other business ventures. It’s fucking whack every time I do a business venture you got people harassing me for an album. Mind you, I clearly stated after this song (Up) I’m going to keep working on my album. I’m not putting out no singles until I drop my album.”

Doll enthusiasts also criticized Cardi. The digital mockup of the doll that was officially released on the rapper’s Instagram

shares a resemblance to the popular L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls. The dolls, created by MGA Entertainment, are known for their curvy body type, rounded heads and massive eyes. These attributes are also seen on Cardi’s mockup of her doll.

Cardi once again took to Instagram Live. She claimed that MGA Entertainment manufactured her doll, which explains the noticeable resemblance between the two doll lines. However, Toy Insider, a reputable toy news site, debunked the claim as it announced that the doll was actually backed by NECA, which is better known for manufacturing licensed action figures.

Despite the criticism, Cardi’s doll sold out minutes after its launch. She worked alongside Real Women Are, a diverse doll brand run by women of color. The brand aims to create toys that better reflect women of today. Cardi plans to expand the line with dolls made in the likeness of other musical artists and of working-class women, like nurses or police officers. The doll retailed for $35 and was available to pre-order for only 72 hours on realwomenare.com. All quantities are expected to ship in July.

“It's important to see dolls that look like them because growing up, I ain't never seen a doll that looked like me, I've never seen a doll that really represents me," Cardi said on “The TODAY Show.” “When you go to the doll aisle when you was my age, it's either like there's a real white one, there's a real dark one, and there's like barely one that's like in the middle.

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK None of them have my style, none of them have my flavor, and Doll enthusiasts said Cardi B's doll was too similar to other dolls that were already available. it's like I want a doll that represents me."

Though Cardi B’s doll was not starved from controversy, the rapper continues to expand her brand and exceed expectations with her business-oriented mindset.

Fans criticized Cardi B's decision to release a doll as they had hoped for an album.

SCREENSHOTS FROM TWITTER

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

10|Sports

March 17, 2021

Sixteen-month snooze

It’s time for the women’s soccer team to kick off its season after extended time off

By RILEY MILLETTE Sports Editor

The Quinnipiac women’s soccer team played its last game of the 2019 season on Nov. 7. The Fairfield Stags hosted the Bobcats in the MAAC tournament semifinal and beat them 1-0. It was a rainy, windy, freezing night, and the Stags sent the No. 5 Bobcats home. For 16 months, that was the team’s most recent memory of a game.

After the extended hiatus, the team returned to action on March 9, 2021. It was a warm, sunny day in Hamden, Connecticut. The first hint of spring showed, the temperature peaked near 60 degrees and for just a couple hours, life seemed to return to normal for Quinnipiac women’s soccer head coach Dave Clarke and company.

The team’s first game of the year went down as a 3-1 victory against Marist, who the Bobcats upset in the 2019 MAAC quarterfinals.

Of course, both teams changed significantly. The Bobcats are now without some key parts of last year’s team, including forward Ally Grunstein and defenders Kylie Lance and Mackenzie Tibball. But Clarke says it shouldn’t make a difference who’s not on the team anymore.

“I think it’s just too many differences in the additions to the team and the program to really feel the impact of lost players,” Clarke said. “You can’t go back. Typically you’re always looking back at last year, looking at the scouting, looking at the teams and where they finish, and I think a lot of this goes out the window.”

The preseason practices were no easy task either, regardless of who left the program. Clarke said the team sometimes struggled to get through reps.

“I’m sure the players will sort of attest that it was a little bit frustrating,” Clarke said. “Small groups, pods, separate teams, mixing and matching, wearing a mask. But every team and every sport in the country has gone through it. So I told them early on, I said, ‘We just control what we can control.’”

Clarke also talked about the younger members of the team getting ready for the season, the sophomores in particular. One is standout sophomore goalkeeper Meaghan Phillips, who won MAAC Rookie of the Year last season. The other is sophomore forward Paige LaBerge, who transferred from Florida State University this offseason.

Phillips certainly attested to the fact that it was no easy feat going well over a year without playing a game-speed match against outside competition, in the spring no less.

But to her, the most significant part of the 2021 season is the shortened schedule. The team played 19 games last year, counting the two postseason games. But this year, they’ll be lucky to reach half of that mark. There are only six games on the regular season schedule, two of which have already been played.

“Talking with all the other girls, we kind of were like, ‘OK, we only have six games,’” Phillips said. “So we know that we have to make the six games count. So kind of just preparing to that sense, knowing that every little detail matters at this point now. Everything we do in practice, we have to pay more attention to it and be more cautious of what

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE (2019)

The Quinnipiac women’s soccer team celebrates after junior forward Lauren Wendland’s goal against UMass Lowell. we’re doing. Because one mistake could mean everything.”

The stakes are especially high this year. One late-game concession could lead to immediate turnover in the league table. Not to mention, there’s not much time to get accustomed to competitive games before the tournament.

But LaBerge said the team’s leaders, both up front with her and behind her in the midfield and defense, filled in right away and helped the newcomers and young players.

“It kind of put me back, like as a reminder to always work hard,” LaBerge said. “They are probably the most competitive people I have ever seen. So it’s nice that we have like those leaders that kind of put everyone in their place. Even when they’re practicing, you have to be at that standard.”

Regardless, the regular season is now one-third of the way completed after the team’s games against Marist and Rider.

Four more tilts are on the docket before the tournament rolls

JARED PENNA/CHRONICLE (2019)

Sophomore goalkeeper Meaghan Phillips is coming off a stellar year in which she won MAAC Rookie of the Year.

around again. And even after the revolving door pushed the seniors out, the women’s soccer team has plenty of talent.

Phillips had a rookie season for the books between the sticks and will be back in full force this season. Midfielders Hannah Reiter (senior) and Selena Salas (junior) will be ready this year after dealing with injuries in the past alongside sophomore Markela Bejleri. All three of those midfielders have been major playmakers for the Bobcats at some point and having them all healthy on the pitch opens up a world of potential.

But that’s exactly the catch. It was rare to see those three players patrolling the midfield at the same time last year, and the team certainly hoped it could get it together for practices. But there haven’t been many opportunities for the team to go out and practice at full strength this year.

“I think I can count on one hand (the number of practices everyone has been together),” Clarke said. “That’s just the realities of coaching in a competitive environment. You’re always managing the numbers, but it is exciting as a coach to start to have players back that you want on the field and you want contributing.”

Small practice groups aren’t the only challenge that COVID-19 presented. After playing in the fall for decades, the team is now practicing and preparing for games in the spring. There has been league-wide disdain for the situation, but Clarke says it doesn’t affect him.

“The irony for me is the number of coaches who are complaining about it, but I like it,” Clarke said. “I embrace it, because I think the practices have been, not that they’re not meaningful in the spring, but there’s a different edge to them right now.”

Two games into the year, the team looks the part. That new competitiveness of the spring has taken over, and it seems as if a lot of the players have found their groove.

Players from all three tiers are contributing. Salas and sophomore midfielder Olivia Scott are getting involved in scoring opportunities. Freshman forwards Courtney Chochol, Rebecca Cooke and Olivia Kudrikow have all been featured on the stat sheet. The Bobcats’ defense held Marist to only nine shots in the entire season opener.

But Phillips said the work never stops. Even if 100 obstacles fall in your path, it’s all about getting better.

“It’s a big year for all of us, I’d say in terms of getting our team where we need to be,” Phillips said. “So kind of just building off of, ‘Yeah, last year was great, but this year needs to be better.’”

March 17, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|11

One last shot

By MORGAN TENCZA Photography Editor

Quinnipiac basketball has brought me to four MAAC basketball championships and two NCAA tournament trips where I had the opportunity to photograph for The Quinnipiac Chronicle.

My first two years covering the basketball tournaments were pretty standard but exciting and insightful. The Chronicle would send three writers and a photographer to the arena. In years past it was the Times Union Center in Albany, New York. We would cover the tournament for the entirety of Quinnipiac’s run. Both years,fthe women’s basketball team dominated the MAAC tournament. Even though the men’s team never made it past the semifinals, the women’s team got to lift the trophy in 2018 and 2019.

In March 2020, two writers and I made the trip down to the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the new home of the MAAC tournament. We arrived on Tuesday, March 10, the first day of gameplay, though Quinnipiac’s teams weren’t scheduled to play until Thursday since both earned a first-round bye.

The world came to a crashing halt Thursday afternoon, just as the women’s team was about to come out for pregame warmups.

COVID-19 finally spread to the United States and leagues, schools and businesses across the country shut down one after another.

Media gathered into the press conference where MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor canceled the remainder of the tournament and spring sports season.

After having to leave without covering a game in 2020, I was not going to miss out on my senior year MAAC basketball tournament. At this year’s competition, I not only got to cover Quinnipiac’s two games, with both losing in their first matchup, but I also shot five additional games.

My experience this year was certainly different than my previous two rounds. I did not have floor access, I had to shoot from the stands and I did not have access to the athletes. It was definitely a strange experience, but I saw it as more of a challenge.

With the different limitations, I explored my creative skillset and added a bigger lens to allow me to get better photos in my new seating position. It was certainly a learning experience for me to shoot basketball in a completely new way with different equipment, but I was able to grow as a photographer in such a short time.

It was hard to say goodbye to two teams I have been able to follow for the past four seasons.

I have watched so many Bobcats grow as players and leaders. I saw MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE senior forward Jacob Rigoni grow Quinnipiac women’s basketball team lost in the first round of the MAAC tournament. from a strong 3-point shooter to a I am so thankful to The Chronicle for giving me the chance well-rounded player who was a tremendous leader on and off the to enhance my photography skills over the years and allow me court. I watched a team of incredibly talented and strong-willed to attend such important tournaments to cover basketball. It has women absolutely reign over the MAAC and reach the NCAA been so great being able to capture two fantastic teams at the tournament in 2018 and 2019, where they put up a strong fight MAAC tournaments and beyond, even if the past two seasons against college basketball giants UConn and South Dakota State. have brought challenging experiences.

I got to know the players and coaches of both teams well over the past four seasons, and it has been an incredible experience.

How Quinnipiac men’s soccer prepared for its spring season after a 482-day break

hurdle hasn’t been one at all. He’s taken a leadership position, he’s a lot more mature and vocal and a lot more comfortable within It’s been a long time since the Quinnipiac men’s soccer players himself as a second-year player than he was as a first-year player.” placed their studs on the turf for a game that meant something. A Senior midfielder and team captain Simon Hillinger also saw whopping 482 days, to be exact. the fall as a good opportunity to bond as a team, which was much That’s a long time for any team, especially one that was so needed after such a long break. close to being crowned MAAC champions after losing 2-1 against “It was definitely easier because we were all more togethIona in the semifinals. It’s a result that is still felt around the team, er, closer,” Hillinger said. “We were fortunate enough to be head coach Eric Da Costa said. able to practice, which helped us a lot as well, which also “I know that was eating away at the guys for a while there,” helped us, or me, to integrate the said Da Costa, who’s entering his 16th new players.” season at Quinnipiac. “So that hasn’t Leadership is an essential skill gone away. That’s something that was for any captain, and Hillinger really exciting to see is the fact that knows it. It’s why he spent time they still have that little bit of a chip on talking to his teammates about the their shoulder about how that season things they want to change. He ended. They’ve rubbed that off onto knows what this group is capable the incoming freshmen or first-year of, and the tempo during drills reclass that came in.” flects it.

With the loss motivating the “We’re also very positive beteam, the attention turns to who cause we saw what is possible will be suiting up for Quinnipiac with this team,” Hillinger said. this spring. Every year there’s turn“Two years ago, I have to say over on the team, though it will be now, and we saw with the incomespecially hard to replace 2019 Alling freshmen, that we added a lot MAAC First Team forward Eamon of good players to our team to Whelan. He left Quinnipiac third our squad. The mentality is very all-time in goals (35) and was the high. The intensity in practices is unanimous 2018 MAAC Offensive very high.”

Player of the Year.

What’s one name to look out Midfielder Romain Daniellou, for? How about Paulo Soares, who who was a member of the 2019 Allplayed just 41 minutes in 2019 due MAAC Second Team, is another to injury. The senior midfielder was tough player to replace. Both played a on the MAAC All-Rookie team as a pivotal role in Quinnipiac’s 9-6-3 refreshman in 2017 and was selected cord last season. But Da Costa is conto play for the Cape Verde National fident that the team is well-prepared Team in 2018. to succeed without Whelan or Daniel“He’s been really sharp, relou — at least on the field. ally effective and really focused “I’d say that we have moved on,” CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE (2019) and really honed in, and he’s Da Costa said. “And that’s no offense The Quinnipiac men’s soccer team is looking to improve upon last year’s loss in the MAAC semifinals. really starting to have the team to those guys by any means. Every take shape around him, cause to cohesion and culture. Without any games to play against year I say the same thing at the end of season and replacing playhe’s the engine of the group,” Da Costa said. opposing schools, practices and team bonding became just ers is easy … What’s difficult to replace is people, the impact that A unique offseason promises a unique season, and it’s already as important as the matches themselves. Normally, the team a person has had on your program and every one of our players born fruit. The team was set to play against Manhattan on March only has two weeks of preseason before non-conference comes through and leaves an impression on our program … That’s 11, but the home opener was postponed. Da Costa knew this was games begin, a schedule Da Costa deemed as “Baptism by gonna take some time to figure out.” a possibility even before the game was pushed. fire.” This time they had over three months.

It certainly helps to have three 2019 MAAC All-Rookie play“We have games on the schedule, but we don’t know if “We had the entire fall with our entire incoming class ... to ers in forwards Tomas Svecula and Brage Aasen and defender we’re gonna play them,” Da Costa said. “And that’s something integrate into the team to become ingrained in the culture of what Henry Weigand on the pitch. Da Costa described the sophomore that is really abnormal, and you never prepare for that. So how we do and learn their teammates and learn how to play with each trio as “really special, rare breed talents.” do you prepare for a game on Thursday that, all of a sudden, other, and for their teammates to learn how to play with them, and “I think we’re gonna see their roles grow, we’re going to play a doesn’t happen on Thursday?” see their value early, which you don’t always get,” Da Costa said. little bit differently, partly because we want to accentuate their talThat’s something the team will have to figure out ahead of its Weigand was the only player on the roster to stay home in Gerents and their strengths,” Da Costa said. “So we’re gonna placate match against Fairfield, who won its opener against Canisius 2-0 many during the fall semester, but Da Costa believed that Weigand to that a bit as a team, and we have the opportunity to do that. We last week. One thing is for sure — this team is itching to kick off didn’t miss a beat when returning to the team this spring. have some really special players.” its season with a bang.

“He’s jumped back in this spring and integrated himself seamThe preparation for this season has certainly been unique. Nor“Fired up,” Hillinger said. “We’re very excited.” lessly,” Da Costa said. “So what could have been a little bit of a mally the team gets to play a schedule of non-conference games.

By MICHAEL SICOLI Opinion Editor

But due to COVID-19, those were canceled.

The challenge and failure were a part of the formula as they faced different teams with different play styles. Da Costa acknowledged that battling in those games normally helps the squad perform later in the season.

“We found success in that sort of struggle early, in order to be successful late, and try to peak at the right time, which is usually in October,” Da Costa said. “We don’t have that now.”

What Da Costa did have was a fall semester dedicated

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