The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 92, Issue 15

FEBRUARY 9, 2022 • VOLUME 92 • ISSUE 15

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SAMANTHA NIBLOCK

NEWS P.2: STUDY ABROAD RESUMES

After a nearly two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, study abroad programs have resumed at full capacity

ILLUSTRAITON BY EMMA KOGEL

OPINION P.4: VALENTINE VERSUS

Part 2

Concussion confusion, bobsledding and non-suicide pacts CTE’s ripple effect throughout sports, and why there are so few answers p. 10-11

Editors Nicole McIsaac and Ethan Hurwitz clash over the meaning of Feb. 14

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

A&L P. 7: TASTE BUD TOUCHDOWN

Arts & Life Editor Ashley Pelletier highlights her top Super Bowl snack recipes

South Quad project sparks mixed feedback

By KATIE LANGLEY Associate News Editor

Samantha Schild took to Instagram on Feb. 3, after Quinnipiac University announced its plan to build a new South Quad between Tator Hall and the College of Arts and Sciences.

“I’m sorry, this is a joke right?” wrote Schild, the secretary of Students for Environmental Action, on her Instagram Story.

The university plans to build two new academic buildings and a residence hall by 2024.

The project, which will cost $244 million, includes a new School of Business, a 417-bed residence hall and a general academic building.

However, some students said the problem is that this involves destruction and disturbance to the campus’ woodsy pine grove path.

“Tearing down the pine grove to build three new buildings and claiming to be a school focused on sustainability in eco-consciousness is hypocrisy at its finest,” Schild, a third-year 3+1 biology major, wrote in the post, which expired after 24 hours.

As a member of the Sustainability Committee, Schild said she is not aware of the university seeking any input from students before announcing its building plan, despite the commitment to “build relationships with Students for Environmental Action and other student groups” noted in an October 2020 Sustainability Report.

The university opened a Blackboard online community forum in 2020 for community members to voice concerns about issues of sustainability. An update from the office of President Judy Olian assures that the university has held “a series of town hall forums, meetings with stakeholders and a review of (the) best practices” for its upcoming plans.

“Why have a Sustainability Committee … if you aren’t going to include them in these types of pivotal decisions?” Schild told The Chronicle.

The university has made significant promises to be ecologically conscious. In the October report, Olian laid out a plan for a Sustainability Committee with the vision of establishing sustainability in “learning, living and leading.”

“A sustainable living environment necessitates campus layouts that fully integrate with surrounding natural environments,” the committee wrote in the report. “This requires the integration of ‘natural areas’ into campus design.”

Quinnipiac expressed that it hopes to gain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification in accordance with its sustainability plan and is considering building a green roof as a part of the new construction and utilizing solar power during building. A green roof is a roof covered in vegetation, used to absorb rainwater, encourage native wildlife and provide insulation. The university also plans to incorpo-

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY

A rendering of the South Quad shows the proposed blueprint for the three new buildings Quinnipiac University plans to build by 2024. rate sustainable energy by housing a central energy plant under the new academic building set to hold the School of Business.

Schild said these commitments are not nearly sufficient enough to establish Quinnipiac’s presence as an environmentally friendly university, especially not when getting there involves the destruction of existing natural spaces.

“‘(Exploring) the installation of a green roof with live vegetation and/or solar panels for energy generation’ sounds to me like a weak effort to address the issues the administration knew they were causing,” Schild said. “Implementing these types of changes should start with the nuSee SOUTH QUAD Page 2

2| News

MEET THE EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Sicoli MANAGING EDITORS Emily Flamme Toyloy Brown III CREATIVE DIRECTOR Connor Lawless DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR Chatwan Mongkol NEWS EDITORS Nicole McIsaac Melina Khan ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Katie Langley OPINION EDITOR Xavier Cullen ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR Michael LaRocca ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Ashley Pelletier ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITORS David Matos Neha Seenarine SPORTS EDITORS Riley Millette Peter Piekarski ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITORS Cameron Levasseur Ethan Hurwitz PODCAST PRODUCER Brendan Samson PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Daniel Passapera DESIGN EDITOR Amanda Riha ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITORS Peyton McKenzie Emma Kogel COPY EDITOR Aidan Sheedy 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.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Semester-long study abroad programs resume at full capacity

By JACKLYN PELLEGRINO Staff Writer

Quinnipiac University students are able to study abroad after a nearly two-year hiatus amid the ongoing pandemic.

Erin Sabato, director of global learning, said that a limited study abroad program resumed for the fall 2021 semester, with students traveling to Cork, Ireland, where they attended University College Cork. Over winter break, three students studied in Ireland, 16 studied in Spain, 14 studied in Costa Rica and five students studied in Mexico.

This semester, there are 83 students in Spain and Ireland. There will also be a few short-term programs during spring break, in May and in the summer.

Sabato said students have many options for studying abroad. Besides traveling for a full semester, students can partake in a short-term affiliate program where they can study abroad during the winter, spring or summer breaks.

Some faculty members also lead semesterlong courses that have a travel component for students either midway through or at the end of the semester.

Sabato said that there are new COVID-19 protocols for studying abroad, such as students applying through an online portal for all study abroad opportunities. She said that the ​​ biggest change is making sure that every student is applying, enrolled and registered in the portal.

“Safety and security has always been our main priority even before the pandemic,” Sabato said. “We do discuss with students the different safety and security policies that we have in place. I would say that things haven’t changed too much because we’ve always been concerned with our student’s safety and well-being.”

Samantha Niblock, a second-year 3+1 computer information systems and accounting double major, is currently studying in Cork, Ireland.

She said that she has seen so much in a month and “it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“I wanted to study abroad in Cork because I have always heard how beautiful Ireland was, and I wanted to gain that experience and be able to travel to other countries while I am there,” Niblock said.

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February 9, 2022

Niblock said the COVID-19 protocols were “pretty similar to home” She said practically all establishments closed at 8 p.m., but restrictions were lifted Jan. 22, and protocols are pretty similar to “home.”

“The (application) process was a bit scary during the pandemic because I was scared I wouldn’t be able to go but other than that fear, it was very smooth and COVID-19 did not get in the way of being able to come,” Niblock said.

Deveney Paine, a sophomore 3+1 advertising and graphic and interactive design double major, is abroad this semester in Seville, Spain. She said she chose to travel to Spain to improve her language skills.

“Spain is great,” Paine wrote in an email. “It rarely dips below 60°F, and it’s sunny almost PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SAMANTHA NIBLOCK (every) day of the year. The Kaitlyn Fitzgerald (top left), Keirsten Dunn (top middle), people are very nice, and the Samantha Niblock (top right), Nicole Miller (bottom left) architecture is beautiful.” and Amanda Callahan (bottom right) visited Blarney Paine said most of her class- Castle and Gardens in Cork, Ireland. es are focused on Spain, such as America,” Londregan said. “Also, Irish students Gender Views in Spanish Media, History and Mythology in Spain and Span- don’t say ‘I have class at 8’ they would say ‘I have college at 8.’” ish Literary Myths.

Niblock and Londregan are taking various Regarding the country’s COVID-19 protointroductory classes in Ireland such as “Introduccols, Paine said they are similar to those in the U.S., but “the people here are much better about tion to Irish Music, Introduction to Irish Folklore, Irish Step Dancing and Irish History.” Students following them.”

Sophomore nursing major Maggie Lon- studying abroad also have the opportunity to live dregan is also studying in Cork, Ireland, this with Quinnipiac students or students from other semester and said she has already experienced schools, such as the University of Massachusetts, University of Vermont, University of North Carsome cultural differences.

“Some of the biggest differences I have no- olina and University of Alabama.

“I am living with four other Quinnipiac stuticed is how Irish people speak,” Londregan said.

“There are a lot of phrases and words that we dents, but we just met and it worked out so well for us,” Niblock said. don’t use in America.”

Londregan said she has been able to ride Londregan said that the classroom environhorses through the mountains with her friends in ment is similar to Quinnipiac. Although, there Dingle, Ireland and Niblock has traveled to Dubare some key differences.

“Professors are called ‘lecturers,’ and Irish lin, Galway and Cobh, Ireland.

“I highly recommend studying abroad,” Nistudents skip class a lot more than we do in block said. “It is amazing to be able to live in another country, embrace their culture, meet new people, and travel to so many other countries while I’m there.”

Sabato advises that students should plan early, talk to the Department of Cultural and Global Engagement, attend the information sessions and meet with staff from the department individually to learn more about study abroad opportunities.

“We’re really excited that students are excited to travel again, we really look forward to supporting students throughout their time here,” Sabato said. “There are so many options, and I want students to be aware of all of them so come and talk to us, stop by our office hours, because we’re really here to help and support their global learning goals.”

INFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

SOUTH QUAD from cover merous academic buildings and residence halls we already have.”

Schild listed newly renovated residence halls Perlroth, Larson, Troup and Complex as better suggestions for the location of a green roof and solar panels, rather than further construction. She said that the university needs to preserve its natural resources, especially those that are in the process of repairing themselves from climatary damage.

“The Pine Grove has undergone a lot of damage from storms and tornadoes in the past few years, a testament to a changing climate with more and more extremes,” Schild said.

“But the drive that the administration feels to tear down such a beloved part of campus is incredibly disheartening.”

Schild said that the pine grove helps students feel connected to nature, and that it is not enough to have Sleeping Giant State Park across the street. In addition, Schild said that the construction will lead to the extermination of native plants and insects from the area.

“No more sweet songs in the mornings that you can hear all the way on the Quad,” Schild said about the campus environment when the building comes to fruition. “So much more will be lost than just the beautiful, towering trees.”

Cameron Davignon, a senior finance major, said that he is excited for the new buildings.

“I’m honestly all for it,” Davignon said. “I just wish I was still going to be here to see the new School of Business.”

Davignon, who was a member of the Residence Hall Planning Committee last summer, said he discussed the issue of knocking down the pine grove with Vice President for Facilities and Capital Planning Sal Filardi.

“Sal Filardi said they’ll plant multiples of what they cut down, so assuming they do that, I think (cutting down the trees is) fine,” Davignon said.

Though some students expressed on a Quinnipiac Barstool Instagram post after the announcement that they would rather see the university spend money on different projects, Davignon said the South Quad is an acceptable investment.

“It’s good to see (the university) spending the $750 million endowment on expansion because they’re usually hesitant to spend it, in my opinion,” Davignon said.

Justin Taddeo, a sophomore public relations major, was more concerned about the usage of the university’s space than the sustainability of the project. He said that Quinnipiac should focus on additional parking rather than creating more academic and residential buildings. However, he agreed that it is a good investment in the long run.

“I think paying for more memorable events or buying supplies for certain clubs or departments is something they could do right now to help current students,” Taddeo said about the university’s finances.

As far as the Pine Grove, Taddeo said that though he can see the concern, the construction does not bother him “because we have all of Sleeping Giant to enjoy.”

In an Instagram Story poll from The Quinnipiac Chronicle, 39 respondents said they support the plans for the South Quad, while 46 said they did not.

February 9, 2022

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

News |3

COVID-positive students left confused about isolation protocols

By KRYSTAL MILLER Staff Writer

Despite Quinnipiac University’s efforts to increase student access to COVID-19 testing, students who have already tested positive this semester said they are confused about isolation protocols on campus.

As of publication, Quinnipiac currently has 23 active cases, with a total of 34 new cases identified over the last seven days, according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.

With the increased availability of rapid athome antigen tests, Senior Medical Advisor Dr. David Hill said engaging in partnership with students and the community and increasing the level of trust between students and administration is the only way to keep students accountable for uploading positive tests.

“We don’t always know (if a student tests positive) and certainly if a student wants to hide the fact that they turned positive they are able to do that, but hopefully they think about the consequences for their roommates and their classrooms,” Hill said.

However, Hill said that PCR tests wouldn’t be used when returning to campus after testing positive because of the sensitivity.

“It is recommended you don’t use a PCR for 90 days (after COVID-19 recovery) because it is so sensitive,” Hill said. “It picks up little tiny remnants of the virus but those remnants do not mean the virus can multiply, that it can grow, that it can infect another person.”

If a vaccinated student is exposed to COVID-19, they are required to wear a mask in public spaces, keep track of any symptoms and retest on day five. If a student is unvaccinated, they will have to go into quarantine, Hill said.

“If we knew that a student tested positive and they were in a residential suite, we would consider all those individuals’ contacts and we would look at their vaccination status,” Hill said.

Jenna Coppola, a junior occupational therapy major, made an appointment right away

and took a rapid test on campus when she exhibited symptoms. Student Health Services sent her home with a rapid test to use after her isolation period.

Coppola said did not have any issues uploading her tests and the Student Health Center gave her documentation to share with her professors.

After her isolation period was over, Coppola said she took another rapid test and remained positive, but based on Quinnipiac’s policy, she was instructed to return to class. “​​I understand the need to go back to receiving in-person instruction rather than Zoom class,” Coppola said. “However, I still feel like I’m exposing my peers as well as professors by going back.”

Rose-Ellen Kane, a 3+3 second-year law and society major, was exposed to COVID-19 and decided to test before the fifth day of exposure.

She said Student Health Services did not tell her to upload her results until she asked herself.

“It wasn’t the fifth day for my exposure yet, but I had a bunch of classes that day that I was near people,” Kane said. “I wanted to test that day just in case, which ended up being positive so it was a good thing.”

Alyssa Arends, a sophomore political science major, said she also had communication issues with health services over the phone after remaining positive on day five of her isolation.

Arends called to confirm she had to wait 48 hours, but the nurse said seven days.

“I asked the nurse to clarify three times like, ‘Are you sure you’re talking about Monday, Feb. 7, because that’s seven days from today,’” Arends said.

The email of the booster clinic survey and spring isolation policies from Jan. 20, states that Student Health Services does not require students to test on day seven of isolation.

However, for precaution, Arends uploaded her positive test and said she was told to isolate for 24 hours and return to campus on the weekend of her eighth day.

“I’m still going to see what my result is on day 10,” Arends said. “Then I’ll call them and ask them to extend my virtual learning.”

Quinnipiac does not require masks in dorms after isolation, but Arends said that because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a mask for 10 days, it should also be enforced on campus.

“I was already planning on wearing my N95 mask around the dorm because the CDC recommends wearing a mask around the people you live up with up to 10 days after your original positive result, but I do not want to return to school if I am testing positive and potentially still contagious,” Arends said.

Both rapid tests and PCR tests are accepted to return to campus, but PCR tests are likely to show positive results at least 90 days after recovery from the antibodies of the virus.

Hill said most students who have contracted COVID-19 have opted to complete their quarantine at home to prevent spreading illness.

“They certainly have the option to do that, but I don’t think any student wants to infect another student,” Hill said. “I don’t think that’s the goal of any student and if you can keep that in mind then hopefully you’ll do the right thing.”

INFOGRAPHIC BY PEYTON MCKENZIE

Nearly a dozen students resign from SGA

It’s ‘normal’ during this time of year, VP for public relations says

By CHATWAN MONGKOL Digital News Editor

After a string of resignations last semester, 10 Student Government Association representatives have left their posts since the end of the fall 2021 semester.

“While (the) rationale for each one is confidential, reasons largely included internships, graduating, and pursuing other leadership opportunities, which typically is normal for SGA for this time of year,” said Jennifer McCue, vice president for public relations.

Below are the people who resigned: • Jack Weitsen, multicultural & identity senator • Sydney Nelson, health, wellness & accessibility senator • Jay Toland, non-senator justice • Aidan Truckenbrod, first-year vice president • Morgan Bloom, sophomore senator • Jonathan Caradonna, sophomore senator • Robert Lomino, junior senator • Sarah Dusse, junior senator • Yasmine Dubuisson, senior senator • Hannah Hansen, senior senator Nelson, a sophomore who has been with SGA since the fall of her first year, said she resigned because she got a new off-campus job, so she doesn’t have enough time for both.

“I picked the job over SGA,” Nelson said. “I don’t know about the other people, I know one person I know who resigned has an internship this semester.”

Bloom and Weitsen both also resigned because of new internships, which they said conflicted with the mandatory SGA general board meeting on Wednesdays.

“I hope to see my successor listen to everyone’s concerns and do what they think is best for the community,” Weitsen said. “I think anyone

who is elected into that position will do exactly that. I have full support for my successor, and I know that they will thrive in the role.”

Toland left his non-senator justice position because he graduated in December. General board members elected First-Year Senator Sean Formantes to fill a senator justice position last Wednesday.

Dusse declined to comment. Dubuisson couldn’t be reached. Caradonna transferred to a different university. Hansen, Lomino and Truckenbrod didn’t respond to comment requests about their resignations.

Sophia Marshall, SGA 2020-21 president and 2019-20 vice president, echoed McCue that the resignations that took place this year were because some students graduated and some chose to pursue opportunities outside of SGA. “It doesn’t have anything to do with SGA itself,” Marshall said. “It’s typical for people to drop for those reasons.”

She confirmed similar resignations also happened during her presidency.

“I think people forget that SGA is a student organization at a university,” Marshall said.

“School and work will always be a priority and the organization wants its members to be successful.”

General board members elected in the spring general elections are expected to serve terms of one year, according to the SGA constitution. The organization oversees the budgeting process for student organizations and serves as a liaison between the student body and the university administration.

The wave of resignations came after multiple executive board members and specialized senators resigned last semester.

Former M&I Senator Gabriella Colello resigned in August citing a “perverse power dynamic,” as all of the executive board members during the time were white men, and each re-

There were 10 further resignations between semesters, bringing the total amount for the academic year to 16.

About 33% of SGA has resigned.

INFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

ceived a tuition scholarship for their role. She also said she couldn’t justify working “another uncompensated equity role on campus.”

Former Vice President for Public Relations Carmine Grippo and former Vice President for Finance Cameron Davignon resigned in October and November, respectively. Grippo resigned to pursue other unspecified on-campus leadership opportunities. Davignon left his finance post due to academic and personal commitments.

Helen Tran, former commuter senator, resigned in December because she wanted to focus on her other projects. She also said being in SGA wasn’t the most effective way to represent commuters.

Vice President Chris Longchamp, election committee chair, said SGA intends to hold special elections to fill the vacant positions and the newly elected senators will be sworn in on Feb. 9, at the organization’s general board meeting.

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44 | O p i n i o n

February 9, 2021

Opinion

What’s the meaning of Valentine’s Day?

ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA KOGEL

Be mine yours

By NICOLE MCISAAC News Editor

Valentine’s Day. It’s that time of the year where you either feel captivated in a euphoric state of infatuation, or just find yourself crossing off days on your calendar until you finally get to March.

I get it. In a world facing various types of societal issues, a global pandemic and countless other struggles, it can be challenging to find any adornment in your day-to-day lives. Valentine’s Day can feel lonely, dispiriting and straight-up artificial.

However, the true meaning of the holiday solely lies in the way individuals perceive what it is all about. The love that is ever so spotlighted on a random day in the middle of February is more than just romantic adoration. It’s about showing appreciation to those around us — especially ourselves.

I personally love the holiday because it allows me to call a time-out from life, granting me the opportunity to acknowledge and recognize my personal needs.

A common misconception about Valentine’s Day often relates to picturing the celebration as some romantic novel come to life: enormous chocolate-filled hearts, a teddy bear that is way too big to store anywhere in your home, an enormous bouquet of red roses or even a lovey-dovey dinner with your significant other.

If that is your main focus of the holiday, it may come as no surprise as to why your heart shrinks when you walk past the love-

filled aisles of your local CVS Pharmacy or grocery store during this time of the year.

But all the commercialized mushygushy aspects of the holiday is not what it all boils down to. You don’t need a significant other, a night filled with plans or to excessively splurge on anything that is pink, red and heart-shaped. Whereas that stuff may seem as a necessity to celebrate the day, the true meaning lies within how you spend your time during the holiday.

In a college environment that demands a heavy workload, schedule stressors and other lifetime changes, it’s hard to take that step back to simply show love to yourself.

Maybe the love you experience on Valentine’s Day correlates to taking an extra five minutes to yourself, enjoying a movie night with your best friend or even just cooking one of your favorite homemade meals.

And yes, you also don’t need Valentine’s Day to show someone that you love them if you are in a relationship. In fact, if you really do care for someone and yourself, that should be the attitude that you have every day.

However, this holiday is a reminder to take a step back and appreciate all the good things in life. I mean, there is a lot to be grateful for that we take for granted every day.

So don’t let your flowers wilt and your heart grow dim this Valentine’s Day. Instead, take the day to do something a little extra for yourself. You deserve it.

Cupid’s a corporate puppet

By ETHAN HURWITZ Associate Sports Editor

Nothing gets on my nerves more than Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day is a holiday that is just another one in a myriad of unnecessary holidays celebrated by Americans, obsessed with buying an assortment of whatever.

These are the days where the partners who contribute nothing for 364 days of the year magically become the superhero in their companion’s life. It devalues what love truly is.

The pressure that is placed on people gift giving on Valentine’s Day is enormous.

If you get a bad gift on your birthday or on another special occasion, all is forgiven.

But if you don’t give an excess amount of flowers, chocolates and a box of chalky heart candies, then the entire relationship will crumble before your very eyes.

One should shower their partner in love and affection for the entire year. A holiday pushed by corporate pharmacies and candy companies should not be the driving force in keeping your relationship happy and healthy.

Now, there may be some that do not have a significant other on Valentine’s Day. That is fine because now it is just a regular day. If you want to buy yourself chocolates or a stuffed teddy bear, go for it. If you want to top that, do it on a random day in August. Just because other people are socially obligated to purchase out entire aisles of goodies, does not mean the single folks have to as well.

Diana Brice, the director of Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast, ref-

erences a study conducted by the SPSCC that Valentine’s Day is the time of year with the most suicides nationally. The “expectation” to feel loved, as Brice states, puts more pressure on single people, especially students, who see their depressive thoughts intensify during the day.

And don’t get me started on the dinner plans. Everyone expects a fancy, candlelit dinner at a restaurant that will put your wallet into a coma. With everybody trying to get a reservation on the same day mass chaos will ensue if you are unable to get a table.

If you are one of the lucky ones to have an understanding partner who does not focus on materialistic needs, then you should be all set — Valentine’s Day or not. However, if you are nervous to flub the annual cards and candies, you might need to reevaluate who you focus on when Cupid’s day hits.

Whether it is the grocery chains who flaunt their flower bouquets in your face or the Hallmark cards that always pinch a nerve, the commercialism of the holiday ruins what a holiday truly means. If you are an avid Valentine’s Day enjoyer, just enjoy the 24 hours and move on. Do not try to elevate Feb. 14, to the same perch of the fourth of July, Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Shower yourself with care. You are the most important person in your own life, and you should be able to drown yourself in sweets and unbelievably plush animals 24/7. Don’t limit it to just a single day in the shortest month of the calendar year.

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February 9, 2022

Opinion|5

Opinion

Limiting your misinformation intake Everyone can share an opinion, but Joe Rogan doesn’t deserve to be heard

By MICHAEL SICOLI Editor-in-Chief

It is remarkable how easy it is to turn the truth off like the faucet in your bathroom. Election results and vaccine science are easy examples of topics where this happens. But nowhere is this concept more centralized than in the political talk show realm.

The last few years have been turbulent for a number of reasons, but the spread of misinformation is front and center. The growth of social media has allowed everyone to have a platform to share their opinion. While that might sound like an ideal democracy, in truth, not everyone deserves to speak their mind.

When the wrong people are handed the microphone, horrific events tend to follow.

The rallying cry of Donald Trump contributed to right-wing extremists sieging the U.S. Capitol a year ago. Meanwhile, more people died of COVID-19 in 2021 than in 2020, exemplifying the embarrassing handling of a pandemic that still persists today.

Children are still being killed in our schools, America’s national debt has hit an all-time high and people are flooding the border at record numbers. Regardless of how you view immigration, it represents a huge systemic flaw of the current process.

This great country is yet again facing a number of issues, with solutions stuck in political gridlock. What hurts most of all is that the public has absolutely no idea how to properly view these issues.

Well, maybe you, reader, have a clue.

But everyone else has as much sense as giving a monkey a chainsaw.

That’s how it feels for each of us as we scroll through Twitter timelines and Google searches. A big reason for that is the power someone with large platforms can hold.

Podcaster Joe Rogan is just a guy with a microphone. He has plenty of basis to talk about MMA, and his Netflix comedy specials can be pretty funny. But when it comes to vaccines, political commentary, or anything that remotely impacts peoples’ daily lives, his words should carry no weight.

But that’s not the world we live in.

Cult followers run rampant for these talk show hosts. Rogan said racial slurs dozens of times on his podcasts before Spotify re-

ILLUSTRATION BY XAVIER CULLEN

moved them. He shared and spread misinformation on COVID-19, such as supporting ivermectin as a treatment option, a drug used to treat parasitic diseases, not a virus.

Rogan defended his points by clarifying that he’s not a doctor and that he’s just asking the questions. But those questions have answers, easily found with Google, that Rogan is simply too lazy to search. If he doesn’t feel like researching it, the average listener cannot be expected to.

It goes beyond funny podcast moments when those same points are utilized in an argument. The average person loves to hate on the national media — which deserves criticism for the partisan ways news is covered — but these independent airheads are no better.

You can just as easily swap Rogan with Dave Portnoy. Or Rachel Maddow. Or Alex Jones. Each sprinkles fake and speculative storylines like pieces of cheese leading to a mousetrap. People eat it up with little thought of the consequences.

Portnoy has been slapped with numerous rape allegations, but Barstool’s culture

Bobcat Buzz Appreciate shuttle drivers more

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of macho-misogyny laughs it off. Jones is ridiculed and laughed at for spreading Sandy Hook conspiracies, but there are still plenty who take his word as gospel. Maddow, despite her prominent news-desk platform, is not a journalist.

Maddow’s late night show isn’t an extension of the news team despite appearances. A 2021 court decision ruled in a defamation lawsuit against Maddow that her show is built upon “exaggeration” that is not meant to inform.

However, she spent night after night hyperbolizing the Muller investigation of Trump. She continued to bolster her skyhigh ratings with sensationalism on a show that, according to those court documents, should not be taken seriously. But not everyone knows that, there is no obvious marker that Maddow is a talking head.

Problems persist in America for too many reasons to count. You can’t throw all the blame on political commentators. But those figures hold ridiculous power over the masses, particularly when you consider how

BY EMILY FLAMME Managing Editor

Students at Quinnipiac University complain about many things such as dining and parking. Perhaps the most notorious service on campus is the shuttles.

People often whine about the fact that the shuttles arrive late or not at all.

And since my time at Quinnipiac began in 2019, I’ve had my fair share of poor shuttle experiences. However, I had an experience last week that has made me appreciate the shuttle system more than ever.

I live on York Hill campus, which means I have to use the shuttles much more frequently than in past years.

Although the spring semester has just started, I have had nothing but great experiences. So far, I have waited less than 10 minutes for every shuttle trip I’ve taken, but the positive experiences I’ve had are not just about timeliness.

Just last week, when I was getting off the shuttle before my 8 a.m. class, my cochlear implants fell off.

Cochlear implants are a hearing device that connect to my head magnetically and give me 100% of my hearing. I am not sure why they came off my head, but they hit the pavement as my foot came off the last step of the shuttle.

This happens often, so I know to remain calm. I immediately found my right cochlear implant, put it on and began my search for the left one. The rest of the students got off the shuttle and I prayed that no one stepped on it. I surveyed the area with no luck. I wondered if it stayed on the shuttle, so I approached the doors and the driver opened them for me. He asked if everything was OK, and I explained my situation.

He practically sprung out of his seat to help me. He looked up and down the bus and around the stairs to no avail before getting off the bus to search around on the pavement and walkway.

At one point, I turned around to see him crawling under the shuttle to look

much trust news organizations have lost over the last decade.

The Trump presidential campaign that spewed “fake news” at everything helped create the world we live in today. A world where people like Rogan have the power they do because conventional outlets have failed or appear too corporate. In reality, these people are just as crooked as the bunch, they only avoid the blame because they’re commentators and not journalists.

However, they do the same job. People like Rogan fill the same void people like myself are trying to fill, except they plug it with irresponsible content. It is common in news organizations to double and triple-check sources — something Rogan never did and contributed to his downfall. His lack of training makes his platform a cesspool for the same fake news he says he wants to counter.

Quinnipiac University professors preach journalistic integrity upon their students in every class. There’s even a senior seminar that revolves around journalism ethics. Understanding how to report in a responsible way is something that takes time and effort. It prioritizes the process of doing the right thing while walking the tightrope of external and internal pressure.

But money talks louder than principles.

People tune in to hear political talk from an everyday person who is raking in millions of dollars to continue clowning the airwaves.

It’s a tough trend to break because of how much faith the people have lost in journalistic pillars. You might even be reading this thinking, “Ugh, The Quinnipiac Chronicle. Time to add another one to the ‘do-not-read’ list.”

Do what you want. But I urge you to read and consume different types of media from each side of the aisle from people who are journalists, not commentators. Appreciate the diligence and fact-checking that goes into reporting, and avoid those who have no training to say the things they say.

It’s like high school. The popular clique isn’t always the one you should be around. Go find one of the millions of reporters who are striving to rebuild journalism’s image while outside forces strive to tear it down.

for it. After another two minutes of looking, he found it. I thanked him profusely and said how I couldn’t believe he was so active in helping me.

“I gotta help my kids however I can,” he said.

I wish I got his name, but his kindness will not go unnoticed, hence why I am writing this story. This is why I appreciate the shuttle services. They want to help the students who utilize the services every day. I’ve had several drivers ask if anyone needs to get to the Theatre Arts center, so they know to go there first and get the students to class on time. Other times they’ll stop in between a shuttle stop to let on a student who was running late.

Despite the thoughtfulness these drivers express, students will still complain. Next time the shuttle runs a couple minutes late, try to remember the driver may have just been helping a girl find her hearing device.

6|Arts and Life

February 9, 2022

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Arts & Life

REFLECTING ON ‘TWILIGHT’ ‘The Big Hit Show’ podcast looks back on 17 years of fan history

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Arts & Life Editor

The year is 2008. Around 3,000 people storm a mall in San Francisco, vying for the opportunity to meet Robert Pattinson, the romantic lead in the new indie film, “Twilight.”

This is just one example of “Twihards,” fans of the saga, going crazy over their vampire media of choice. It’s one of the most memorable examples of teenage girls going berserk over fictional characters. While these girls and women freely

showed the passion for what they loved, they were rarely legitimized and frequently mocked.

Journalist Alex Pappademas explored the history of “Twilight,” its fans and the road to Forever "Twilight” in Forks, Washington, through “The Big Hit Show.” The podcast is produced by Higher Ground Productions, Barack and Michelle Obama’s media company.

When I saw that a podcast was being produced about the history of “Twilight,” I couldn’t help but listen to it. As a newer fan, I was interested in learning about the history of the series beyond what I had seen on TikTok. I was shocked.

A recurring theme throughout the history of “Twilight” is rampant misogyny.

Girls and women were mocked for liking the series, including a comedian staging a fake premiere of “New Moon” for the sole purpose of yelling at the crowd of teenagers for liking a love story between a human and a vampire.

In fact, “Twilight” almost looked completely different to what it ended up being, as MTV and Paramount attempted to use the film to pander to teenage boys who were never the intended audience. The original script for the first movie included a jet ski chase, shotguns and more — none of which was in the source material.

The production studios tried to do this because they didn’t believe a film suited to a female audience would make any money. Clearly, they were proven wrong.

These are just some of the topics Pappademas covered throughout the fiveepisode chapter of the podcast.

What I loved most about “The Big Hit Show” so far is that it focuses on the community that Stephenie Meyer created with her infamous book series. Despite all of the misogyny and bullying “Twilight” fans faced, they created a community that is still around to this day.

Interviews with Catherine Hardwicke, the director of the first “Twilight” film, and others integral to the production of the saga created a full picture of just how intricate the history of a piece of media many continue to ridicule today could be.

The podcast also explored the problematic history of the series, including the exploitation of the Quileute tribe and the media frenzy that harassed Kristen Stewart and Pattinson for years, which is important. We often ignore the bad things about our favorite media, but that’s not the case with “Twilight.”

A fair number of fans interviewed throughout the series discuss Meyer’s problematic writing in particular, citing the need to be more aware about the media we consume and love.

Pappademas does a masterful job of balancing the tales of production and fandom, but also isn’t afraid to point out issues with people’s actions. He pointedly asked the comedian who openly mocked “Twilight” fans whether or not he sees his actions in 2009 as misogynistic.

While Pappademas used “Twilight” as the introduction into “The Big Hit Show,” the story is far from over. The podcast will also be used to explore other culturally impactful moments in media. The next topic they will cover is Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album “To Pimp a Butterfly.”

Even if you don’t care about “Twilight” or Kendrick Lamar, I highly encourage you to listen to “The Big Hit Show” as it gives a window into the culture mainstream media can create. It goes beyond the mediums it is actively observing and can be reflective on media companies as a whole.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY PEYTON MCKENZIE

ESPN’S CHRIS BERMAN SHARES TIPS OF THE TRADE WITH COMMUNICATIONS STUDENTS

By RILEY MILLETTE Sports Editor

Longtime ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman, best known for his eccentric highlight calls, visited Quinnipiac University Feb. 3, to discuss his career and the future of journalism with School of Communications students.

Berman’s friendship with Dave Stevens, head of Ability Media, led him to Quinnipiac. Berman was at Quinnipiac to use the Ed McMahon Communications Center to shoot a commercial and agreed to host a Q&A session with students afterwards.

Ability Media, which was founded on the basis of educating the public about physical and mental disabilities, has grown since its inception last year to a place where it can host the Q&A session as well as send six students to Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles.

Stevens was grateful that Berman took the time to visit and interview with student journalists.

“To be able to bring in Chris Berman, it doesn’t get much better than that,” Stevens said.

Stevens held an open-public interview with Berman, and one of the main topics the two discussed was the inclusion of journalists with disabilities in the sports media industry. Stevens was born without hips or legs, and Berman recognized the adversity Stevens faced when breaking through as a journalist in the 1980s.

Berman said the greatest thing he’s learned about sports in his 42 years in the business is that it can be a bridge between people who otherwise have little in common.

“It brings all sorts of people. ‘Hey, did you see the Chiefs-Bills game last week?’ This guy’s a millionaire, this woman shines shoes, I'm just talking, walking through an airport,” Berman said “But we can have a conversation, not because I’m Chris Berman but because I'm a football fan. I don't know where you're from, you don't know where I'm from, but we could have the same conversation. What a good thing.”

Aside from education about disabilities, students were excited to listen to Berman’s industry knowledge, which ranged from the decline of cable television to the difference in broadcasting between different sports. However, Berman’s

patented enthusiasm and nicknames that he uses on-air was short yet busy stint with Ability Media. the most popular topic of discussion.

“I see the change in him as a journalist, and he goes When Berman was asked where he gets inspiration for from sympathy to empathy,” Stevens said. “And he can help his quips, he said they all came to him organically out of his tell these stories now from that perspective. He got to be in excitement for the sport.

New York at fashion week and see some really debilitating “Anything that cuts the barrier to bring more people in is disabilities, and they're out on the runway acting like they're a good day,” Berman said. “But if you plan to do a bunch of supermodels. So it brings a different perspective to those that to be famous, not going to work.” that don't have a disability.”

William Dean, staff writer for The Chronicle and reporter for Ability Media, is taking part in the pre-Super Bowl coverage and has been a part of Ability Media since the beginning of the fall 2021 semester. He said Stevens’ connection with Berman has helped get the word out about Ability Media.

“It's a huge boost in eyeballs, attention,” Dean said. “Obviously when you have the voice of American football coming to campus, interviewing with one of the leaders of the organization on campus, it's huge.”

Ability Media’s events like the Berman Q&A, have helped student journalists like Dean build their resume and report from a different perspective.

“It's not really about my career, per se. It's all about bringing these issues to light,” Dean said. “However, I would be lying if I said that it hasn't benefited my career ... it's unmatched what I'm able to do through this organization.”

As a man with disabilities, XAVIER CULLEN/CHRONICLE Stevens commends the growth ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman visits QU to talk journalism, disabilities and that Dean has exhibited in his funny nicknames.

February 9, 2022

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Arts and Life|7

A SWEET AND SPICY SUPER BOWL Two recipes to snack on while you watch the big game Buffalo Chicken Dip

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Arts & Life Editor

I have never been a fan of football. I didn’t understand why my dad was screaming at the TV. However, I did associate the Super Bowl with the halftime show, the funny commercials and, of course, the snacks.

I have always regarded the women in my family as great chefs and bakers. In honor of Super Bowl 56, I’ve decided to share two of my favorite recipes you and your friends can make together while the Cincinnati Bengals play the Los Angeles Rams.

Everyone knows somebody who makes a mean buffalo chicken dip. However, I can assure you my mom’s recipe is one of the best. This chicken dip recipe is a staple at barbecues, family parties and tailgates alike.

Ingredients:

Whoopie Pies While whoopie pies are not customary in the discussion of “football food,” they are a great hand-held dessert. If you want to make them fit for the Super Bowl, you could even make them football shaped. This recipe does require beaters or a mixing bowl, but it is well worth it.

Ingredients:

3 blocks of cream cheese 3 to 4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese 1 bottle of Frank’s Red Hot hot sauce At least 2 cups of shredded chicken

Directions:

Set your cream cheese out to soften. Then, shred your chicken.

We usually use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, but any shredded chicken will work. Once the cream cheese is fully softened, mix all the ingredients together in an oven-safe dish.

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Then stir and serve with your tortilla chip of choice.

2 cups of flour 1 ½ tsp of baking soda 6 tbsp of cocoa powder 1 cup of sugar 1 tsp of salt 6 tbsp of shortening 1 egg 1 cup of milk 1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:

Mix ingredients together. Spoon out batter onto a greased baking sheet. Make sure to spread out the spoonfuls, as the cakes will rise and spread out. Bake at 350 F for eight minutes.

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup of shortening 1 cup of powdered sugar 1 ½ cup of marshmallow fluff 1 tsp of vanilla ILLUSTRATIONS BY CONNOR LAWLESS

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a bowl; beat or mix until creamy.

When all your components are done, spread filling on the inside of two cakes to make an Oreo-like pastry.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CONNOR LAWLESS

This article is for comedic purposes only. Actual names and likenesses used in this article are used in a parodic context, and are not a reflection of any actual person.

By MICHAEL LAROCCA Associate Opinion Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

Quinnipiac administration and faculty football game a success despite lack of attendance

After several weeks of cryptic hints and advertisements, Quinnipiac University administration announced on Feb. 4, that the school was hosting a full-contact football game between the administration and faculty on Sunday, Feb. 6.

“I don’t know who asked for this or wanted it,” said Alvin Moravsky, a first-year health science major. “Literally everyone I know thought we were getting an actual football team. I don’t think that’s too unreasonable since that’s what the flyers all around campus said.”

University administration placed flyers around campus throughout the weeks prior to the game stating the university will be, “Unleashing Ambition on the Gridiron.” It included fully designed uniforms incorporating the Quinnipiac colors, created by the fashion icon himself, men’s hockey coach, Rand Pecknold.

The game was played Sunday afternoon on the lush, green turf of the Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium for the reasonable entry fee of $25, which could be paid with cash or credit. If the students wanted a discount, they could use their meal points for entry instead at a $20 price point so the university could dodge taxes on the transactions.

The press release noted that the proceeds would go towards adding extra air conditioning to the administration offices located in the east wing of the Arnold Bernhard Library.

“When I heard it was $25, I had to puke into my Starbucks cup,” Moravsky said. “They really expect us to shell out that

type of cash for an event between folks who are approaching their retirement pension?”

However, for the nine students who chose to pay the fee to watch the game, they were treated to one of the great events in the history of Quinnipiac athletics.

“It beats watching the Giants,” said Jessica Williamson, a junior English major.

The game turned out to be a classic shootout between the administration and faculty, with the faculty coming out on top 56-53. The winning points came after Margarita Diaz, associate professor of journalism, connected on a 47-yard field goal as time expired.

University Provost Debra Liebowitz threw the interception that set up the field goal, giving the faculty the perfect shot at the win. Liebowitz would finish the game, completing 30 passes for 408 yards, five passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown and that one costly interception.

One of the few students in attendance, Joshua Morgan, a senior finance major, bet the entirety of his student loans on the administration, who were favored by 4 ½ points.

“It’ll be fine,” Morgan said after the Diaz field goal. “I have a few NFTs I can trade to bring my money back up.”

After the conclusion of the interview, Morgan began to cry and ran full speed into the woods behind the stadium. He has not been seen since the interview was conducted.

The university has stated that despite the minimal attendance, both sides have expressed interest in continuing this event as a team-building exercise for years to come.

“Wait, you gotta be making this up,” said Frank Wilson, a sophomore criminology major. “There’s no way this actually happened.”

8|Arts and Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Winter in Hamden

By DANIEL PASSAPERA Photography Editor

February 9, 2022

February 9, 2022

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Arts and Life|9

SE X A N D T H E PI T Y

‘And Just Like That' defies all postive expectations of a revival of the series

By DAVID MATOS

Associate Arts & Life Editor

The “Sex and the City” franchise is that old friend you keep running into every few years. You may have an amazing history together, but as you mature, you two just begin to fade away and your irreplaceable get-togethers turn into an awkward wave and nod at the local coffee shop.

The sex-positive American drama series, “Sex and the City,” was leaps and bounds ahead of its time as it showcased four sexually liberated female friends in their 30s combatting the New York City dating scene. The show spawned six seasons and two movies, and was a staple in the homes of many adults from the late 1990s through the whole of the 2000s.

Needless to say, expectations were high when a reboot series, “And Just Like That,” was announced by HBO Max that the three of the four leading ladies are making a swift comeback to reprise their iconic roles.

“And Just Like That” follows a similar idea to the original series but this time Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristian Davis) are in their 50s and are navigating a new chapter in their lives and friendship. Despite Kim Cattrall refusing to return to her role as the sex-positive fourth member of the group, Samantha, the reboot had all the ingredients to make something fabulous.

Instead, each episode was a cringe-fest of forced progressive storylines, nonsensical character development and amateur subplots written by people who seemingly never watched any previous iteration of “Sex and the City.”

A major hiccup within the reboot is the handling of Samantha’s absence from the show. It’s unbelievable for a friend as loyal as Samantha to move all the way to London over a financial dispute with Carrie. In one episode of “Sex and the City,” she selflessly pulled out Carrie’s diaphragm, so needless to say she is not the type of person who would drop a close friend over something as minuscule as money.

An even worse subtraction from the series is Miranda’s sanity. All of Miranda’s likable characteristics were in shambles in “And Just Like That,” as expressed through her newfound relationship

with the show’s first non-binary character and stand-up comedian, Che, played by Sara Ramirez. Miranda, who eloped with Steve in the final season of “Sex and the City,” is suddenly unhappy with her marriage as Steve can no longer satisfy her sexually.

Instead of communicating any of this to her husband of almost 20 years, she “naturally” has an affair with a podcast host who believes to be hilarious enough to classify themself as a comedian.

Miranda was the charismatic and wise lawyer of the group who was always in control of her life and was never quite known to make spontaneous decisions. Her choice to move on to a new chapter in her life with Che while leaving Steve in the trenches was extremely upsetting.

It’s also surprising that the show’s writers would go in this direction with the character, especially considering Steve cheated on Miranda once in the first “Sex and the City” movie which nearly seperated the couple for good. Miranda is either a major hypocrite or suffered severe memory loss sometime between the first movie and the reboot.

The writers of “And Just Like That” force the audience to accept Miranda’s inability to comprehend the weight of her out-of-touch relationship under the nose of her husband.

Their relationship is not admirable in the slightest, and I found myself rooting for Steve more than I did

Che and Miranda.

The show also hinted at Miranda having a drinking problem, but the storyline was abruptly abandoned when she decided to empty her bottle into her sink instead of seeking realistic help.It just goes to show how thoughtless the writers were when fabricating storylines the viewers are meant to care about.

The charm of the original series stemmed from the ladies’ relatability and sex-positive wit that made you root for every character. The reboot series, however, makes every character unlikable, far removed from the original source material. It almost feels like you’re watching a totally different set of characters.

Carrie is a widow with nothing but a podcast, a large fortune and a depressed look on her face for the duration of the series. Charlotte turned into a caricatured version of her former self who deals with seemingly non-problems every episode. Miranda gets the most unfortunate transformation as her strong will and togetherness is traded for a deranged personality and rose-colored glasses.

The most tolerable character in “And Just Like That” is the no-nonsense Seema, played by Sarita Choudhury. Seema is first introduced as Carrie’s real estate agent, but their business relationship quickly evolves into the most appealing friendship on the show. Seema brings a familiar and fun energy to the series that’s quite refreshing, especially in contrast to the chaos happening everywhere else.

“Sex and the City” lives on as one of my favorite shows, so it is bothersome that the reboot doesn’t compare in the slightest. I was left more and more disappointed with each episode. My fingers were crossed that the series would end with Carrie waking up from a terrible nightmare. However, despite their flaws, my devotion to these characters and their deranged lives did keep me invested every week.

Though I thoroughly disliked nearly everything about this series with just so much potential, I do yearn for a season two so the writers have another opportunity to clean up the mess that was made of this first one, and give any dignity left back to these once beloved characters. The reboot is HBO Max’s most-viewed original show ever, so the likelihood of a second season is surprisingly high.

ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA KOGEL

TRANSCENDING GENERATIONS: ‘THE CHALLENGE’ PROVES TO BE REALITY TV’S CROWN JEWEL

By MELINA KHAN News Editor

Among most of Gen Z, the most common association to MTV’s television channel is copious amounts of “Ridiculousness” or the latest “Catfish” mystery. But to me, MTV’s celebrity goes back to the original days of reality television, in the era of “The Real World,” “Road Rules” and my personal favorite, the worthy heir of both of the aforementioned: “The Challenge.”

Before the days of modern reality TV, with the likes of everything from “Keeping up with the Kardashians” to “The Bachelor,” there was the breakout hit “The Real World.” It followed a group of 20-something-year-old strangers as they navigated adulthood under a shared roof in a new city. While the popularity of such a simple plot line may seem unclear to a present-day reality TV junkie, it was groundbreaking at the time of its introduction in 1992.

Watching a group of real people face a string of real tribulations was relatable for all audiences, which was a large part of why the television model blew up. Being able to follow the growth of what were deemed ordinary people as they navigated adulting over the course of several months was light, digestible and intriguing.

As the model progressed, however, so did the demand for its evolution. In 1995, MTV launched “Road Rules,” a sister show of “The Real World” that chronicled a group of strangers as they lived in a recreational vehicle and traveled to different locations to compete in missions. The two shows intersected in 1997, when the respective casts of that year’s season were brought together to compete for a cash prize. The meeting inspired the inception of “The Challenge” in 1998.

In its early years, “The Challenge” brought together alumni cast members of “The Real World” and “Road Rules” to compete in challenges and eliminate each other in order to win a cash prize.

At the turn of the new millennium, reality TV began to boom, becoming fundamental to American popular culture as we know it today. The habitual nature of the genre is what has allowed “The Challenge” to continue dominating in popularity. It transcended the lifespan of both “The Real World” and “Road Rules,” reaching media consumers who were not yet born at the time of its creation — like me.

I’ve watched “The Challenge” since I was old enough to watch MTV, which, in retrospect, was probably still too young. The first season I distinctly remember watching from start to finish was “Free Agents” in 2014. The allure of it

was simple: the competitions were interesting, while the and personally, continued to be one of my all-time favorite social politics were gripping. Watching the contestants, who reality shows. were captivating characters in their own right, scheme their However, the show’s longtime run does have its way to the prize money week after week compelled me to downsides. Among “The Challenge’s” fanbase, I find there keep coming back for more. are fewer and fewer Generation Z members as the years go One of the highlights of the series was, and still is, its by. When I mention to friends or peers how much I love the personalities. Over the years, and with the conclusion of show, I’m often met with the response, “What’s that?” In a both “Road Rules” and “The Real World,” the show has generation that has grown up with reality TV, it saddens me taken on contestants from shows like “Are You The One?” that there are not more fans of one of the original members and “Big Brother” and even international hits like “Ex on of the genre. the Beach” and “Geordie Shore.”

While I was home for winter break and catching up on As an avid fan of the show, this is one of my favorite parts “The Challenge: All Stars 2” on Paramount+, my sister of “The Challenge.” In my early days of watching, there were and I were enthralled to discover many of the show’s early already established characters who had originally appeared seasons are available on the streaming service. Thanks to the on “The Real World,” but as the seasons have gone by, I love 20-minute episodes and ample time on our hands, we binged to see what new reality stars will appear on the show. seven seasons together. Going back to the early 2000s and When fresh personalities enter the game, they are in reflecting on how the show has changed so much yet still for a learning curve because the challenges are always stuck to many aspects of its original DNA, I was reminded mentally and physically harder than they expect. They are why I love it so much. also typically welcomed onto the show by being thrown into If you’re reading this and you’ve never seen “The Challenge,” elimination first, which is always fun to watch because only take this as your sign to finally put you or your roommate’s the strong ones come back.

Paramount+ subscription to good use. Consider it an homage to Beyond the different reality show cast crossovers, one of the original greats of the reality TV universe.

“The Challenge” veterans are integral to the show’s icon.

Several fundamental stars have been appearing on the show for nearly two decades, including some of my personal favorites, Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, Chris “CT” Tamburello, Darrell Taylor and Aneesa Ferreira.

These all-time favorites transcend generations, because their reputations and winning streaks precede them. They are why the show has continued to SCREENSHOT FROM INSTAGRAM / @CHALLENGEMTV be so successful, 'The Challenge: All Stars 2' is the most recent season and features franchise veterans.

10|Sports

February 9, 2022

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

9

Concussion confusion, bobsledding and non-suicide pacts CTE’s ripple effect throughout sports, and why there are so few answers

This is the second part of a two-part series exploring the risks involved in contact sports and the dangers of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Check quchronicle.com for part one.

By RILEY MILLETTE AND MICHAEL SICOLI

Many have heard about the lawsuit against the NFL involving former players who killed themselves and were diagnosed with CTE. But fewer people know that former ice hockey players are suffering the same way.

Let’s paint the picture of Rick Rypien, a former NHL player who played six seasons for the Vancouver Canucks.

Rypien, whom the New York Times described as “scrappy” and the “best pound-for-pound fighter in the NHL,” was only 5-feet-11-inches and 190 lbs. Even though he was far smaller than the average hockey player, he was an enforcer on the ice, and it earned him a $1.1 million contract in 2009.

Rypien died by suicide in 2011 and was later diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Now imagine former Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey captain Neil Breen’s reaction reading that news. He’s a player with a very similar archetype — 5 feet, 9 inches and 190 lbs during his junior hockey days — a tendency to fight and overwhelming CTE symptoms.

While one can’t be officially diagnosed with CTE until they’re dead and their brain can be operated upon, Breen has checked almost every box.

“Pretty bad anxiety on the regular, pretty uncontrollable,” Breen said. “My temper is violent … I have days where I can’t even leave the house. I get this sense of extreme anxiety that’s hard to explain.”

Breen, 43, speaks in a bit of a haze. If asked a question, you will probably get more than one answer — Breen put it best when he shared that he “talked in pieces.” Brain injuries, like concussions, can affect communication to the point where regular, daily actions don’t feel the same. So when Breen connected with former Team USA bobsledder William Person, a connection that Breen said “saved my life and refocused my path,” it was a feeling both knew all too well.

Bobsledding and skeleton leave athletes vulnerable to a phenomenon referred to as “sled head,” a slang term for what scientists call a stretch injury. While riding in a bobsled traveling close to 90 mph, the force applied to a rider’s brain causes a wave to move through the brain and cause damage. Stretch injuries corrode the corpus callosum, the nerve bundle that connects the two hemispheres of the brain.

Person, 51, is currently suing USA Bobsledding and Skeleton for allegedly not disclosing information about the longterm dangers of the sport, particularly with head damage. The New York Times picked up the story, which is how Breen and Person first started talking. Their relationship is what led Person to become a vocal proponent of concussion awareness outside of his ongoing legal situation.

“Breen gave me the courage and the permission to move forward and bring it to the spotlight,” Person said. “Before I filed that lawsuit, I would hide. I didn’t want my name talked about, I didn’t want to discuss it, I didn’t. I was very, very, very low-key, hoping that maybe I’m just gonna die in my sleep tonight. And maybe it’ll be just over.”

Person started as a track athlete, running sub-4.3 40-yard dashes and performing in the long jump. He had no inspiration to

bobsled before trying out in Chula Vista, California, for the 2002 Summer Olympics. After setting a new record at the event, Person was offered $50,000 for three months of competition.

“I gave him an educated answer. I said, ‘Well, if it’s a fair price, I’ll do it,’” Person said. “But in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, ‘50 grand for three months, sign me up.’ And that’s how I got started.”

That started a ride that would span nine years of intense competition. Bobsledding was a needed change-of-pace for Person, who enjoyed the new adventure. But between the crashes and the sharp turns came repeated blows to the head that plague him even now. Whether it was a “cloudiness” or “getting your bell rung,” it was just par for the course as a bobsledder.

“We didn’t have doctors out there. It was like, we slide, you crash, you just go back to the (top) — if you didn’t break an arm or a leg — you just went back to the top and did it again, that was your job,” Person said.

Person knows he’s not the only one suffering from the effects — it’s exactly what he talked to Breen about — and that’s what drove him to file the lawsuit. It’s about saving those suffering before it’s too late.

People read about athlete suicides in the news all the time.

For Person, some of those athletes like Steven Holcomb, who overdosed and died in 2018 after fighting depression for years, were friends. Scientists did not find CTE when they inspected Holcomb’s brain.

The topic of concussions and head trauma may linger in

the spotlight as pro athletes call attention to it, but people like Breen never knew about this growing up. Most American hockey players start on the youth USA level, which requires a waiver to participate in.

The language used in a USA youth hockey waiver is tough to follow. CTE or long-term head trauma is never mentioned in the waiver. There’s bodily injury, paralysis, death, but there’s little mention of potential damages decades in the future. It is alluded to under the umbrella of ​​”damages which may arise therefrom and that (the signees) have full knowledge of said risks.”

Say that line three times fast. But that’s contract talk for parents signing their kids up for a contact sport they likely don’t completely understand. And why think too hard about it?

Football is the only sport that causes severe head trauma, right?

The fear of brain damage has contributed to a decrease in football participants — a 2018 study by the University of California-Berkeley showed that a single season of high school football could change the structure of the teenage brain.

Meanwhile, the number of U.S. hockey players has almost tripled since 1990, according to a 2020 ESPN study. Signing your kid up to play is commonplace, something people don’t think twice about. Few think that signing their kid to play hockey or bobsled could lead them to severe mental illness brought on by repeated head trauma.

“In my opinion, (the waiver) should include the risk that you could heighten your chance for CTE from repetitive head trauma,” said Dr. Robert Cantu, medical director of the

We didn't have doctors out there. It was like, we slide, you crash, you just go back to the (top) — if you didn't break an arm or a leg — you just went back to the top and did it again, that was your job. ” - William Person Former Team USA Bobsledder Data from 2021 Journal of Concussion Volume 5

February 9, 2022 Concussion Legacy Foundation.

If Person had known the risk of bobsledding, he said he would have done things quite differently.

“That (first race) would have not happened,” Person said.

“I would have not taken one trip. And then, we wouldn’t be having this conversation if I could go back.”

The real stories of people who are struggling with CTE symptoms are powerful, and there are a lot of them.

But real stories told by actors is what helped accelerate the conversation even more.

The film “Concussion,” starring Will Smith, follows the real-life story of Dr. Bennet Omalu. He tried to bring to light the recent suicides and deaths of former NFL players, all of whom were posthumously diagnosed with CTE. The abbreviation “CTE” is mentioned 10 times in the movie, and was referred to as “chronic traumatic encephalopathy” once. The word “concussion” is said 20 times.

Herein lies the confusion between concussions and CTE. Although the film did not mistakenly mix the two afflictions, their proximity in the world of athletic neuroscience has created confusion. Quinnipiac Medical Director David Wang, who has led field studies surrounding concussions and CTE, has tried to separate the two in the minds of the public.

“The movie is a great story, but it’s got the wrong title!”

Wang said. “A concussion is a marker for somebody who gets hit in the head, it’s not a marker for who gets CTE. “CTE is cumulative. We have these two tracks going: We have this concussion world, and we have the CTE world.

And somehow, because of the way things are, people have melded them together.”

The flow of studies from medical professionals and highprofile media attention like “Concussion” have brought attention to these issues, but sometimes new information can cause some head-scratching. While concussions and CTE are often found in conjunction, studies that have tried to pinpoint causation between the two have been inconclusive.

In a study published by Current Pain and Headache Reports, only 84% of 92 participants found to have had CTE had a reported concussion history.

The average number of concussions reported in the same group of subjects was 17, suggesting that CTE is associated with multiple concussions. However, the remaining 16% of the group were found to have had CTE without a concussion history, possibly due to non-reporting.

Athletes failing to report or recognize their injuries creates an additional variable that has prevented scientists from finding a conclusive answer about how many concussions lead to CTE, or how they are directly linked.

With no concrete resolution and increased awareness on how contact sports affect the brain, high school and youth sports entered the crosshairs.

“Every parent is starting to think that a concussion equals CTE, and now we have massive confusion, and then we have hysteria,” Wang said.

On the surface, there are answers to the issue of CTE. Organizations like the Concussion Legacy Foundation and efforts from doctors like Wang have saved lives.

But the testimonies from those who have suffered through wars with their mental health tell a different story, and the

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Breen gave me the courage and the permission to move forward and bring it into the spotlight. Before I filed that lawsuit, I would hide. I didn't want my name talked about, I didn’t want to discuss it, I didn't. I was very, very, very low-key, hoping that maybe I'm just gonna die in my sleep tonight."

- William Person Former Team USA Bobsledder scientific question marks only make their lives more confusing.

As a former hockey player at Quinnipiac, Breen was the ultimate “bad boy.” He played a tough brand of hockey and wasn’t afraid of making a hit or getting in a fight with anybody.

He’s described times where he was knocked unconscious or has taken slapshots to the face, and there were few hurdles to clear in order for him to be back in the game.

Being allowed to play while concussed and banged up led to Breen’s current mental state, which has steadily improved over recent months. But there is still a constant roadblock that he can’t get past. He’s tried so many possible solutions, from abstract medical treatment to prescriptions to self-medication of marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.

None of them have worked.

Growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of solutions to his mental health problems, he reached out to his alma mater in search of help. He didn’t know how to feel about his illness, or who was accountable.

In an email to the Dean of the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine Phil Boiselle, Breen offered his own body for a proposed Quinnipiac-run CTE project after explaining his mental health struggles.

“Let’s solve this problem together and change the sporting world … I took a great deal of trauma during my 4 years at Quinnipiac,” Breen wrote. “I’m not looking for anything but help. I know that our research can save many lives.

“I may never have gone to QU had I not been talented at the puck. But I gave my all, sacrificed everything to lead our boys, ours and your school to new athletic heights.”

Boiselle responded the next day, saying that Quinnipiac is “not currently equipped to do the types of multidisciplinary,

CONTRIBUTED BY WILLIAM PERSON

William Person (far right) had to make a ‘non-suicide pact’ with his former teammates to prevent further tragedies to former bobsledders.

Let's solve this problem together and change the sporting world ... I took a great deal of trauma during my 4 years at Quinnipiac. I'm not looking for anything but help. I know that our research can save many lives.”

- Neil Breen in an email to Quinnipiac’s Dean of Medicine multi-center studies that are necessary to advance the diagnosis and treatment of CTE.” He said that he wanted to be “helpful” and referred Breen to the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s website. Associate Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan had nothing to add when contacted for comment by The Chronicle.

However, that is a route Breen’s all too familiar with.

He’s met with neuroscientists, including the CLF, and hasn’t found an answer. The email was yet another reminder of the mountain in his way of recovery. And when that mountain was partially built during his time at Quinnipiac, it added an avalanche of frustration.

“I feel like Quinnipiac is responsible for the way I’m feeling right now. I mean, I don’t. I mean, should I?” Breen said.

Even though Breen has had symptoms for several years, he still doesn’t know who to blame, where to turn, who to ask for help. No one does.

“If you played college hockey, you probably played Bantam,” Wang said. “You played high school and everything else, maybe it was cumulative with that, too … I think it’d be very hard to assign responsibility to one particular sliver of time.”

Breen and Person have seen their lives become intertwined with CTE to the point where the two can’t be separated. Breen has had suicidal thoughts. Person set up a “non-suicide pact” with his teammates as a way for them all to look out for each other, but that doesn’t always work. The cycle continues. The decades-old cold war has stayed on its course.

Despite Breen and Person’s efforts through lawsuits, business ideas and social media interactions, a mountain stands before them. The base of the mountain is multiple centuries’ worth of toxic masculinity, hardheadedness and muscular culture that defined American sport in its infancy and continues to demonstrate its stranglehold on society.

The middle of the mountain is the scientific confusion surrounding CTE. And the summit is cascading with red tape. Who is responsible? The leagues and organizations? The owners? The players? What will it take to make real change? How can we possibly remedy the loss of life that CTE has caused?

Then there are the curious cases of athletes like Holcomb, who suffer from depression and die, but are found not to have CTE. Should he be treated like a CTE victim while he’s alive?

How do we draw a distinction between clinical depression and CTE-induced mental health struggles?

It’s a subject flooded with research, yet still so many questions. And until those questions are answered, athletes like Breen and Person will continue to come and go, defined by their unconfirmed yet confident diagnoses of CTE.

And most will go far too soon.

12|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

February 9, 2022

Sports @QUCHRONSPORTS

ALEX BAYER/CHRONICLE

QU women’s hockey at critical turning point

After a 1-2 road trip and recent slide in national rankings, playoff expectations are up in the air

By CAMERON LEVASSEUR Associate Sports Editor

The Quinnipiac women’s hockey team looked like a national powerhouse out of the gate this season. The Bobcats started the campaign on a 13game unbeaten streak en route to a 15-1-2 record at the new year and were dominating the pace of play every time they took the ice.

But 2022 has been unkind to Quinnipiac thus far, as it has only managed four wins in 11 games and were swept by St. Lawrence on the road this past weekend.

ALEX BAYER/CHRONICLE

Uncharacteristic turnovers and unpolished defense highlight Quinnipiac’s woes.

The three-game weekend slate started with a trip to Potsdam to face a No. 10 Clarkson team. Anytime these two squads meet it’s bound to be a close game, and this contest was no exception.

Quinnipiac jumped out to a one-goal lead early in the first period thanks to a tally from graduate student centerman Taylor House, but 54 minutes later that was all the Bobcats had contributed to the scoreboard. With a Golden Knights goal just minutes into the third, the two sides headed in overtime knotted at one.

The road team would grit out a win in overtime on a point shot from junior defenseman Courtney Vorster that was tipped home, but an uninspiring third period that saw the Bobcats generate almost no quality scoring chances left a lot to be desired.

Saturday and Sunday the Bobcats stayed in the Empire State for back-to-back bouts with St. Lawrence, who needed six points to leapfrog Quinnipiac for fourth in the ECAC Hockey standings. It got all six.

The Saints battled to 2-1 and 5-1 victories, handing the Bobcats their worst margin of defeat since Jan. 9, 2021.

This team has not looked like the squad of a month and a half ago, and with the postseason on the horizon, it needs to pick up some slack in a number of areas if it’s going to go on a deep run.

First and foremost, Quinnipiac’s inability to break the puck out of its own zone was the thing that stuck out the most this weekend.

All year long, this team has played lockdown defense, and these past few games were no exception.

They were constantly getting in lanes and disrupting plays, but the issue began when they tried to get the puck up ice. The Bobcats forced passes up the boards and across the middle, which were promptly picked off and shoved back down their throat.

Quinnipiac needs to settle down more on the

breakout and control the pace of play, which was a staple of its game over the first half of the season.

The Bobcats also had an uncharacteristic number of turnovers in bad areas, both close to the net and on the offensive blue line. A cough-up behind the net on Friday led to Clarkson’s tying goal, and an errant pass on offense the following afternoon gave St. Lawrence a breakaway chance that it buried.

Offensively, Quinnipiac managed minimal highquality opportunities. The Bobcats lacked sustained pressure in the offensive zone, and even when they held their opponents in their own end for long stretches, they struggled to generate second chances and rebounds.

They played a rather undisciplined game over the weekend, racking up 10 penalties, a substantial amount for a team that prior to Friday was third in the NCAA, averaging under 2.5 infractions per game.

A bright spot for the Bobcats, however, was their shorthanded play, as they killed off all 10 opportunities down a player.

Seven points out of first in the ECAC Hockey standings, Quinnipiac has five games left before the playoffs begin, two of which are against top-four teams in the conference. The regular season title is not out of reach, but the Bobcats will surely need to win out to have a chance to claim it.​​That will be a difficult task given that they’ll stay on the road for their next three contests.

While it has dropped a spot in both national polls once again this week, Quinnipiac is in no way out of the running for a national title come mid-March.

This team has all the talent to make a postseason charge, it’s just a matter of whether these players can settle back into playing their game over the next few outings. In the words of great American poet Marshall Mathers, it’s up to the Bobcats whether they’ll “capture it … or just let it slip.”