issue 17 vol 81

QUChronicle.com February 15, 2012 Volume 81 Issue 17

sports

Opinion

News

Velaj aims to play Should class attendance Presidential amid lockout, page 16 be required?, page 5 primaries update, page 3

SPARKS OUT

Volleyball coach fired, escorted off campus chronicle staff reports

Robin Lamott Sparks, Quinnipiac’s volleyball head coach and a public relations professor, has been fired from the university, according to two anonymous sources in the athletics department.

The university confirmed that Sparks is not the volleyball coach anymore, but did not specify why or if she was fired.

“The university does not comment on confidential personnel matters,” said Lynn Bushnell, vice president for public affairs.

One of the sources in the athletics department said Sparks was escorted off campus.

“It was in their best interest (to fire

Sparks),” one anonymous source said, referring to the athletics department.

Kurt Wise, chairperson of public relations, spoke to Sparks’ sports public relations class Monday night and said that Sparks was no longer employed by the university.

“Robin Sparks will not be teaching for the rest of the semester,” Wise said to the class. “This is not health-related. She no longer works at the university. Do I know why?

No. Was I told why? No. I received a phone call saying she won’t be teaching this class [so] you need to find someone who will.”

Sparks’ name had been removed from her office in Athletic Center 213 before Friday. On the volleyball page on the athletics website,

the coaches tab was listed as “TBA” Wednesday night.

The athletic department had no comment on Sparks’ firing.

The Bobcats were 20-133 in five seasons with Sparks at the helm and posted a 4-25 record this season.

“She didn’t do a lot for the program,” one of the sources said.

Sparks was in charge of the team when the university planned to cut the volleyball program before the 2010 season and make competitive cheer a sport, but a federal judge reinstated the team after he ruled that the university was not complying with Title IX rules to cut the team.

One source said Title IX had nothing to do with the decision to fire Sparks.

matt eisenberg/chronicle

Robin Lamott Sparks was fired last week according to two sources. She coached the volleyball team to a 20-133 record in five seasons.

Quinnipiac retracts parking ban on York Hill juniors

SGA welcomes new class reps By kim green News Editor

By michele snow Managing Editor

Juniors once again are allowed to park on the Mount Carmel campus at any time of the day.

In an email sent to all resident juniors last Wednesday night, Senior Vice President for Administration Richard Ferguson wrote that the policy that had previously prohibited any juniors from parking on the Mount Carmel campus before 3:30 p.m. had been revised.

Transportation and scheduling had become a problem for students living on the York Hill campus with classes and athletic practices on both the Mount Carmel and North Haven campuses, Ferguson

Freshman making impact under the boards, page 16

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said.

According to Quinnipiac’s attorney Bernard Pellegrino at a recent meeting with the Hamden Planning and Zoning commission, there are 191 juniors with classes on both campuses.

Ferguson encouraged juniors who do not have classes on the North Haven campus to use the shuttle system. “This will minimize traffic, maximize parking spots available to all commuter students, and contribute to a better environment for all of us,” Ferguson said.

Security originally instituted the parking ban on juniors on Sept. 27 at a Hamden Planning and Zoning meeting.

The Student Government Association held special elections last Wednesday, selecting three new class of 2013 representatives after resignations.

The SGA voted in Gayle Mould, John Muzzy and Jocelyn Dulanie to the organization and offered the opportunity to all others who ran to become involved as non-voting members.

Muzzy is excited to join the organization and begin working with his fellow leaders.

“I know the character of the people that comprise the board and it’s an honor to be chosen by them to join their ranks,” Muzzy said.

Because of the resignations, the new representatives will serve a shorter term than other representatives who are elected annually in the spring. Muzzy said his main goal is to help as much as he can with current projects and help plan for the See sga Page 5

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QU alum wins Grammy

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FLASH MOB

Les Julian, a local Bristol musician and 1970 QU alum won a Grammy in last night’s award ceremony. The artist earned this prestigious award for his collaborative efforts on the children’s album “All About Bullies...Big and Small.” This particular album gained the reputation of Best Children’s Album at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The money earned from his album is to be donated to the International Bullying Association. Julian found his love during his time at QU for music and has released two other albums since his graduation. – A.T.

SPB goes to D.C. The Student Programming Board, along with interested undergraduate students, are taking a trip to visit Washington, D.C. from March 30 to April 1. Students will be staying at the Holiday Inn Capital which is in walking distance from attractions such as The Smithsonian, The Spy Museum, The Lincoln Memorial, and more. Tickets are $100 per person for double rooms and $75 per person for triple or quad rooms. The last chance to buy tickets is today, 5 p.m., at Carl Hansen Student Center Tables. – A.T.

Media MashUp for SoC students

Quinnipiac’s School of Communications will hold its first professional development event April 20–21 at the Rocky Top Student Center. The event will bring all four departments of the SoC together for a career development fair specifically designed for the SoC students. The first day of the event will host more than 50 media companies looking to hire.

On the second day, there will be a series of interactive sessions, as well as 25 professionals speaking about a multitude of subjects of media at the local, national and global level.

Registration will be open until March 1 at www.qumashup.com. – K.G.

End of recruitment for sororities

lauren epifanio/chronicle

Members of Greek life organizations joined together for a flash mob to Cupid’s “Cupid Shuffle” Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Upper Caf.

Senior Week themes released

Formal Panhellenic recruitment ended Monday night in Burt Kahn Court. Out of the 380 women who registered for recruitment, 260 were placed into a sorority. Each sorority had a quota of 55 new members. If the quota was not met, the sorority has the option of havBy John Healy Senior Managing Editor ing informal recruitment this semester. Alpha Delta Pi accepted 57 new members, Alpha Chi The 2012 Quinnipiac Senior Week ComOmega accepted 56, Pi Beta Phi and Kappa mittee announced the themes that will be takAlpha Theta accepted 55 and Phi Sigma Sig- ing place during Senior Week through a Youma accepted 41. – K.R. Tube video last Tuesday.

The events, which run from May 17-19, will consist of an on-campus and off-campus SGA

event with a different theme each day.

On Thursday, May 17, students will spend the day on Dorm Road participating in a Jersey Shore themed event. In the evening students will attend Terminal 110 in New Haven under a Mardi Gras theme.

May 18 will feature an on-campus event on the Quad with a Catalina Wine Mixer theme.

During the evening students will be heading to Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., to a Las Vegas theme.

The final day of Senior Week students will participate in a Hawaian Luau event at Holiday Hill in Prospect, Conn., then later go to the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Conn., for a New York City-themed senior banquet.

Tweet @QUSGA using #LIVETHELEGEND how you or someone you know is living the legend this week. As part of it’s “Respect Your Campus” campaign, SGA wants to remind all bobcats what we stand for through the Creed.

Got issues? So do we. Join us.

“I choose to be a member of the Quinnipiac Community.”

The Chronicle staff meets Tuesdays at 9:15 p.m. in TH106

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republican primary races

MITT ROMNEY

RICK SANTORUM

NEWT GINGRICH

RON PAUL

Former mass. Governor

Former penn. Governor

Former speaker of the House

Texas congressman

projected delegate count: 106*

projected delegate count: 37*

projected delegate count: 35*

projected delegate count: 27*

states won 1st place: new Hampshire, nevada, Florida, maine

states won 1st place: iowa, minnesota, colorado

states won 1st place: south carolina

states won 1st place: none

photos by marcus harun/chronicle, gage skidmore

Mitt Romney leading in delegate count, states won

By Marcus Harun Web Developer

No one in the Democratic Party decided to run against President Barack Obama this year, so he will be the Democratic nominee. But who will his challenger be on the ballot in November? That is being decided now in the Republican presidential primary.

Every state has the chance to hold a primary caucus or election.

Election voting is private and individual, while caucuses require communities to come together to hear representatives of candidates speak before voting. Every state has a set number delegates, and the candidate who earns at least 1,144 delegates will be the Republican nominee to challenge Obama in the general election.

Every state has its own way of deciding how it will split up the delegates based on the primary results – some give all the state’s delegates to the person who re-

ceived the most votes, other states award delegates proportionally to the votes.

So far eight states have voted in this primary season, and the race is now down to four Republican candidates: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. The next primaries will be held Feb. 28 when voters in Arizona and Michigan have their say in the primary election.

Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, is currently leading in the projected delegate count with 106. He is the most liberal of the four Republicans.

“Ideologically, Romney is closest to the center,” said Sean Duffy, chairman of Quinnipiac’s political science department. “He has proven that he can work across party lines in the past.”

Second in the delegate race is Santorum, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. He has won three states, including the nation’s first

primary, in Iowa.

“Santorum’s main issue is the religious conservative perspective, particularly around issues like morality, the family and things like that,” Duffy said.

Santorum often holds campaign events with his wife and seven children on stage. Many of his political positions are based off of his Roman Catholic upbringing, such as his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. He has 37 delegates in the primary season.

Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, earned the most votes in South Carolina, but has has not done well in more recent contests.

“Gingrich is a firebrand who talks up a big story,” Duffy said. “He whips up people’s emotions. He is a very effective debater.”

Gingrich’s South Carolina win came shortly after two Republican presidential debates, where he attacked Romney and earned a lot of

senior

applause from the audience. He has 35 delegates.

U.S. Congressman Paul from Texas has not taken the first place spot in any of the primary races so far, but he has 27 delegates. Since his Libertarian views are not considered as “mainstream” as the other candidates, he focuses his efforts in the states that award delegates proportionally to the vote percentages.

“Ron Paul’s platform is largely simplified government,” Duffy said. “That defines him, but it doesn’t necessarily whip up a lot of the mainstream enthusiasm.

He’s got a lot of support among a lot of the nontraditional voting populations.”

Paul is very popular among young voters, but not many of them usually turn out to vote, Duffy said.

This is Paul’s third campaign for president; he also ran in 2008 and 1988.

“A lot of this election is putting

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someone up to beat Barack Obama,” John Steinberg, chairman of Quinnipiac University College Republicans said.

The group QU Democrats says that the Republicans’ criticism of Obama is unjustified.

“Things haven’t been perfect, but I think he’s doing the best job that can be done,” Kevin Cross, QU Democrats president, said. “Things are getting better and the economy is picking up and the Iraq war has ended.”

QUCR attended the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting in Washington D.C. last weekend and heard some of the candidates speak. The College Republicans officially endorse the Mitt Romney campaign, Steinberg said.

“Mitt Romney because of his strong economic background and his ability to create jobs,” Steinberg said. “He’s a businessman who can use economics to turn this thing around.”

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Quinnipiac shows documentary for Black History Month By robert grant Staff Writer

“Intern Queen” Lauren Berger speaks to a full house in Burt Kahn Court Feb. 8, giving students insight into being an intern.

Katie O’Brien/Chronicle

Intern Queen bestows tips on students By olivia Grattan Contributing Writer

When it comes to the world of internships, most interested students have little to no idea where to begin. After a visit from the self-proclaimed “Intern Queen” Lauren Berger, Quinnipiac students will hopefully be more at ease.

Berger, a University of Central Florida alum, spoke to a full house in Burt Kahn Court Feb. 8, giving students insight into being an intern.

After completing 15 internships during her four years at UCF, Berger was inspired by her college roommates to use her experiences to help others who struggle with internships. This led to the creation of her website, and her newly released book, “All Work, No Pay.” Her speech in Burt Kahn provided numerous tips for navigating the application process of internships, and what to do when you are given the opportunity. Berger stressed that an internship “should be used to your advantage. It is a time to be selfish, and figure out what you want to do.”

Joseph Catrino, assistant dean of career services for the School of Communications, was responsible for Berger’s visit to the school. When he got the chance to bring her to the university, he jumped at the opportunity as a way to emphasize the importance of internships.

As an assistant dean for career services, he provides as much guidance as possible to the approximately 1,200 students in the School of Communications.

“Most of my meetings consist of answering student questions, like ‘Where do I look for an internship?’ and ‘How do I apply?’” Catrino said.

Not only does he help students look for internship and career opportunities, but he contacts companies on his own to open up the career opportunities for students as well.

Although most students do not apply for internships until their junior year, Berger landed her first at the Zimmerman Agency her freshman year. However, she noted that because of her promptness in sending in her resume and her research of the company, she impressed the intern coordinator.

“When researching a company, locate their website, read the mission statement, and view the executive bios,” Berger said. “Showing interest in the company can put you ahead of seniors who are simply applying for college credit.”

She also stressed the importance of handwritten thank you notes. After an interview, a thank you note can seal your fate at a company and is a gesture that employers appreciate.

One of most critical points made by Berger was that putting yourself out there and telling people what you want to do with your future can go a long way. She attributed most of her success to being persistent and communicating with the many people she met through her internship experience.

Although Berger’s advice was helpful, it instilled a bit of panic in students, according to

sophomore Bonnie Conklin.

“I’ve been thinking about applying for an internship this summer, and although I’m happy I came, I feel a lot more stressed and pressured to get some applications in, but I also feel much more confident now,” said Conklin, who has not had an internship.

Once communications students land an internship, they need to contact Grace Levine, the internship program director. Levine decides whether a student can receive college credit for their internship, which is necessary to complete the mandatory media studies capstone class for SOC students.

Catrino teaches a five-week, one-credit career development course available to SOC students.

Next fall, the course will be extended to seven weeks.

“The first week I typically get into what the communications field is like,” Catrino said. “I try to help students realize where the jobs are, what you need to know when pursuing a career in communications, and what you might need to prepare for.”

The course is built around students who need a push in the right directions, Catrino said. The students are asked to do self-evaluations in the course, which gives them an idea to what they would like to do with their future. One part of the course requires students to find an internship or job listing, prepare a resume and cover letter and then submit it to the company.

You have probably heard of Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall, but the work of Constance Baker Motley might be unfamiliar.

Michael Calia, director of the Ed McMahon Communications Center, had not heard of Motley either before he was asked to do a documentary on her life. “Justice is a Black Woman: The Life and Work of Constance Baker Motley,” produced and directed by Calia, premiered Thursday evening in Buckman Theater in an effort to educate people about Motley’s life.

“The hope is that this piece will raise awareness and tell her story,” Calia said. “It’s more of an educational piece than a documentary in that sense.”

Motley was a lawyer, judge and state senator born in New Haven.

She made the best of what was given to her and attended New York University and Columbia University School of Law, despite a shortage in money.

Marilyn Ford, professor of law at QU, and her son, Gary, were determined to give Motley the recognition they thought she deserved.

In September 2009, the School of Law cosponsored a symposium with the Yale Law School, “The Life of Constance Baker Motley: Civil Rights Lawyer and Federal Judge,” which included a 20-minute documentary on Motley. After that, Ford and Lynn Bushnell, vice president for public affairs, asked Calia to make a one-hour documentary.

“Judge Motley was a shining example of all that is right in this country, while trying to right some of our most egregious wrongs: segregation and discrimination,” Bushnell said.

Quinnipiac alum Susan Bailey wrote the documentary, narrated

by Juan Williams, a political analyst for Fox News. The documentary includes primary source interviews with people who worked with or knew Motley and also an interview with former President Bill Clinton.

“I was really able to get a sense of what an exceptional woman she was,” Calia said. “Like with all documentaries, I went through a wonderful educational process.

“We hope that this piece will get around to other outlets to raise awareness. It’s important for people to understand the fighting for fairness and equality that took place.”

Connecticut Public Television picked up the documentary, but an air date has not yet been announced.

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Adjunct professor’s super “Powers” By lauren epifanio Contributing writer

While most college students go to the Dominican Republic for vacation and pleasure, Quinnipiac Adjunct Public Relations Professor John Powers takes students to help parts of the country most Americans never see.

For the past 22 years, Powers has led groups of Quinnipiac and Yale student-volunteers to the Dominican Republic to support troubled locations by building hospitals and clinics, as well as bringing clothing.

In addition to their physical presence, between now and April, Powers and Quinnipiac Traffic Control Officer Ken Kastenhuber will collect sporting equipment and clothing for Dominican children and adults.

Kastenhuber and Powers met in the faculty parking lot and began discussing Powers’ annual trips with students to La Romana in the Dominican Republic. Powers spent time with children who played sports with no shoes or equipment.

It would be Kastenhuber’s history as a youth sports coach that would lead to a collaboration between the two.

“I coach youth football, basketball and lacrosse in North Haven

and I immediately felt for the people [in the Dominican Republic] and wanted to jump in and help,” Kastenhuber said.

The Quinnipiac athletics department is contributing by donating sports equipment, Kastenhuber said, giving everything from basketballs and soccer balls to sneakers and cleats.

“The collection at Quinnipiac will make a big difference and let the people know in these remote, forgotten villages that someone cares,” Powers said. “I hope this will allow the QU community to feel a direct connection to the poor Haitians who are living in the sugarcane villages of the Dominican Republic.”

Powers will lead a group of 90 students to La Romana, Dominican Republic in late June, alongside foundations such as the Dominican Republic Mission Team. Zachary Zealor traveled to the DR last summer with Powers, and said the experience was life changing.

“To see the smiles from people who have nothing and see how often they smile is incredible,” Zealor said. “These people smile more than I do and I have so much more than the essentials they lack. The fact

that I am taking a house made of pieces of sheet metal and a dirt floor and giving them a cement house is something that gives me great pleasure and is a feeling and a memory that can be never taken away from me.”

Over the course of his involvement abroad, Powers has seen significant progress as a result of his trips over the years.

“Back in 1990, this ‘hospital’ was just six holes in the ground, and now it is three stories tall and treats over 50,000 patients each year,” Powers said. “Houses are being built for people living in dilapidated shacks, schools have been started, hungry people are being fed and some very poor kids have been able to go to high school and college and are now professionals making a difference.

Since 2011, the Dominican Republic has an unemployment rate of 13.3 percent, and in 2004, 42.2 percent of the population lived below the poverty line, according to the CIA website.

“The Dominican Republic Mission Team and the trip has been such a huge part of my life,” said junior Josh Powers, John Powers’ son, who

photo courtesy of john powers

For the past 22 years, Powers has led groups of Quinnipiac and Yale student-volunteers to the Dominican Republic to support troubled locations by building hospitals and clinics, as well as bringing clothing. attended the trip last summer. “I had the unique opportunity to see this mission in La Romana go from a dream to a reality. The hospital there now sees 60,000 patients per year.”

The group provides medical clinics, works on construction of the Good Samaritan Hospital they helped build in La Romana, builds homes for those living in deplorable

conditions and many more charitable projects, John Powers said.

“We are working to rebuild every home in this village (50 homes) where families live in shacks built with scraps of metal,” John Powers said.

To contribute, bring your donations by the Mount Carmel Campus security office.

Mailroom line extends into Café Q SGA welcomes 3 new members sga from cover

One student waiting in line said she had waited more than 30 minutes.

meghan parmentier/chronicle

American pride in Bobcat Nation By mackenzie malone Contributing writer

To honor those who have made sacrifices to keep America safe, fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon and the Student Veteran Organization are making efforts to give back.

The brothers of the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter at Quinnipiac are sending care packages to active-duty Marines in Afghanistan stocked with energy drinks, gum, toiletries and an assortment of other comfort items, said Ben Jerome-Lee, special events co-chair for Sigma Phi Epsilon. The program began last year, modeled after SigEp’s Yale chapter Marine Care Packages.

Twenty eight percent of the deaths claimed by the War on Terror were the lives of young American ages 18-21, according to Rod Powers, an author of three books on U.S. Military Veterans.

“It gets brothers aware that there are guys overseas giving up their 18 to 24-year-old lives,” Jerome-Lee said. “They could be doing what we’re doing and instead they give it up to serve their country.”

Last semester, SigEp began to send care packages to a Marine unit overseas. The corporal in charge of that Marine unit, Adrian Bonenberg-

er, was related to the fraternity’s former Vice President of Programming Tucker Robinson.

In a email correspondence between SigEp’s former president Alex Forman and Captain Christopher Mercado of the Marine unit, Mercado expressed his deepest gratitude for the gesture.

“We sincerely appreciate what you’ve done for us,” Mercado said.

“Adrian and his company did an absolutely fantastic job up here in Afghanistan and they have cast a very big shadow for us. We’re all doing great and we definitely appreciate the support of Sigma Phi Epsilon and yourself. It’s things like this which keep us going.”

This semester the packages are going out to a new group of soldiers, Jerome-Lee said.

“It keeps [the soldiers] in the forefront of our minds and it perpetuates the idea that they are sacrificing something for us,” Jerome-Lee said.

Another group on campus that supports the nation is filled with the people who have fought to defend it.

The Student Veteran Organization helps young veterans transition into student life, as well as raise awareness of the veteran commu-

nity. Veteran Ian McAfee started the group on campus last March.

“We’re not your average students,” McAfee said. “We have members that are married with kids, families.”

There are currently 20 members in the organization, consisting of veterans and supporters. McAfee opens the doors to everyone that wants to support those that are active in the armed forces.

The SVO plans to expand its presence on campus, but because of the group’s new status, it has not had time to participate in any events, McAfee said.

The organization has plans to host a movie night to raise awareness of homeless veterans, McAfee said. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, approximately one-third of the homeless adult population in the United States is made up of veterans.

The SVO also hopes to send care packages to deployed soldiers and to hold a Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test (PFT) fundraiser where participants will do pull-ups, sit-ups and run a race. McAfee hopes to donate the proceeds from the PFT to local veteran charities.

future of SGA. The Class of 2014 President Matthew Desilets left his position for personal reasons, Vincent Bond said.

The President position was filled internally by the SGA directly after the resignation and not through the special elections, Bond said.

The Class of 2014 Vice President, Marissa Harper, was moved to the President position, and the representative with the highest votes last spring election, Caitlin Gallagher, was moved to the Vice President position. In order to fill the vacant representative seat, SGA referred back again to last spring’s election results and the representative with the highest votes that did not get elected, Emily McDonald, was welcomed to join the SGA. The three juniors will replace former representatives Camilla Gomes, Steve Ducos and Saba Shahid, who resigned from their positions on the general board over winter recess. All said their resignations were for per-

sonal or academic reasons.

“I have a lot of other things going on that I need to put more time into and focus on to excel in the field that I’m trying to go in to,” said Shahid who resigned after two and a half years of involvement in the organization. “I have so much pride and love for this organization but it was something that I knew I had to do in order to succeed in other parts of my life.”

Muzzy understands the time commitment to SGA and the reasons for the resignations, but feels SGA is the perfect addition to his college career and experience.

“I’ve taken on a fair amount of work during my time at QU, but it’s all been for things I greatly enjoy,” he said. “SGA is no different. I’ve always wanted to graduate here knowing I never passed up an opportunity that I sought after. Now my plate is the perfect amount of full and I’m excited to begin this new chapter of my college experience.”

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Opinion Nix attendance policy

Quchronicle.com/opinion opinion@QUChronicle.com @QUChronicle

College students should be held accountable When you have a policy that alAfter sitting through the first lows students to miss a certain week of class, most commonly amount of class penalty free known as “syllabus week,” there and gives professors the is only one part of each profesability to grade based upon sor’s carefully worded packet students’ presence rather of what-to-expect for the course than skill, why not get rid that students immediately seek: of a policy all together? attendance policy.

The beauty of havFrom my seat in the back ing no policy is that a of the room, I could see alnew one is automatically most every student immePhil Nobile enacted: accountability. diately flip to whatever Associate News Editor @PhilNobile It becomes a student’s policy the teacher had, in order to calculate how many absenc- prerogative to get to class and a professor’s desire to teach material es they could get away with.

that requires class time. If professors are projecting their material through Powerpoint slides that become available to the students for personal use, is there any incentive to attend class except to play Scramble With Friends for an hour?

If more professors made their courses impossible to pass without attending class, an attendance policy based upon punishment wouldn’t be needed. Even further, if professors created material desirable to students, a successful learning environment would be created. Putting

slides on a projector that they barely know how to operate doesn’t teach.

It diminishes our desire as students.

Creating valuable discussion, allowing unique interpretation and learning would kill any student’s qualms about attending class. Would this process completely weed out those students who skip class compulsively? Probably not.

But in the end, screw ‘em; they’re paying a hefty amount to be here, so the university isn’t losing any sweat over the skippers. And if they don’t have the mental consider-

ation to get an education rather than play Call of Duty all day in their $13,000-per-year dorm, then why should professors even care? This isn’t high school. No more handholding. The real world is around the corner.

Getting rid of an attendance policy will make both the teacher and the student culpable on all aspects of the education spectrum. The professor will have to produce learning material worth learning, and the student will have to actually show up, and want to.

A courageous return for Professor Engel

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On Feb. 6 it was announced that Tobias Engel, son of Professor Len Engel, had tragically passed away. A million thoughts circulated through my head: How is Professor Engel doing? What can I do to help? Who will replace him as my new Senior English Thesis professor?

I have known Professor Engel for more than three years and could only imagine the kind of pain he was experiencing having to bury his own child so unexpectedly. So naturally when our Senior Thesis class met the next day, I was expecting to see a new professor taking over for the rest of the semester.

But to my surprise, Professor Engel walked through the doors, composed, pulled out the work for the day, and began. He didn't think that his personal circumstances should interrupt our most important class as English majors and he didn't want to rob us of a well-taught course on the works of William Faulkner. As I sat listening intently almost in shock and awe, I asked myself: Would I have done the same thing if I were in Professor Engel's shoes? Would I have been strong enough and put my students first?

It is more often than not that we slander and mock our professors, outweighing the "bad" professors with the good ones, almost as if we take pride in expressing our distaste for the faculty. We do not take our

courses seriously, and as a senior I can identify with the saying: “Well I'm a second semester senior, so these courses don't matter.”

As of last Tuesday, when I witnessed one of the most incredible acts of selflessness by a professor in my four years here, I have decided that every course matters.

These professors spend time and offer kindness all in favor of helping us succeed to be whatever kind of person we want to be, and the fact that we take this for granted is disappointing and it is truly only hurting ourselves.

We are here to learn and to prosper and too often does schoolwork fall secondary to the social aspect of Quinnipiac. But this past week has made me reconsider. If I take away anything from my senior thesis class, it will be the love and kindness that Professor Engel offers every student he encounters. He has said that he will finish out the semester with us and help us discover what our writing is really capable of.

So the next time your alarm goes off and you're laying in bed, contemplating whether going to class is really worth it or not, think about if you share the same tenacity that Professor Engel brings to the classroom each and every day. I know I'll be there, pencil in hand, eager to learn whatever he has to teach. – Jessica Poe

Does Professor Len Engel’s return to the classroom inspire you?

Let us know on QUChronicle.com

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Opinion|7

Quinnipiac vs. Hamden

Not all off-campus QU overstepping students are rebels its boundaries The New Haven Register this week opened I sat in the audience at a Hamden Planning When Quinnipiac gained special per- consultation of the Hamden Planning and and Zoning meeting three weeks ago and lis- an article on this issue by calling studentmits to build the York Hill campus before Zoning Commission and without changing rented properties “party houses rented tened to several residents walk up to the the wording or the spirit of the original its opening in fall of 2009, it was under by college students.” This type of lanmicrophone and describe in great, angry agreement. the pretense that the people living guage is simply feeding the hype that detail just how frustrated they were The email said, “To avoid disthere would be considered on-camexplodes a few incidents from the with off-campus Quinnipiac students. ruption in academic programs we pus residents and not commuters. same select houses into a town-wide Some had real justification for have revised the policy to allow juThe number of parking spots zoned disdain for all students renting houses their arguments. There was a woman niors living on York Hill to park on for the Mount Carmel campus would in Hamden. from Sherman Avenue who had her the Mount Carmel campus at any not be adequate for York Hill residents Trying to cut out student-rentAmerican flag and Adirondack time.” if they were considered comed houses or trying to sap all of the chairs stolen and her lawn peed While this seems to be an muters, according to the Plancollege culture out of the town of on. She has every reason to be admirable cause, it is illegal. ning and Zoning commission Hamden is unrealistic. Quinnipiac fed up.

Plain and simple. Quinnipiac meeting in October.

Michele Snow Jeremy Stull Managing Editor Opinion Editor students aren’t going anywhere, and Others, however, simply don’t should have taken this situation Until this fall, the Hamden @michenator @jpstull if anything, they’ll be increasing in like Quinnipiac students living in into account before building Planning and Zoning Commistheir neighborhoods, even if they mind their number over the next few years. sion was under the impression that York York Hill or before agreeing to the terms Hamden residents need to accept Quinnipiown business. Some Hamden residents wish Hill students were not driving down to that it did. ac students into their they could contain The hubris exhibited by the university Mount Carmel. Imagine their displeasure community, because us all on Quinnipiac when Bernie Pellegrino and the Quinnipiac during this entire parking situation should for the most part, property, but until delegation presented information that com- serve as a warning to all of us soon leavQuinnipiac students then, they insist on ing the Quinnipiac bubble. Within Hamden, pletely went against the prior agreement. do respect their someone regulating Quinnipiac then revised its policy in Quinnipiac is the second biggest employer Hamden commuour off-campus beOctober, giving only seniors the right to next to the town itself. It holds a lot of monnity. It’s only a few havior. drive down and park during peak hours, ey and pumps a lot of money into the surslobcats who don’t.

I have my own which seemed to appease the commis- rounding community. Holding such a posiI’m going to be problems with this tion gives the institution the idea that it can sion. living off campus university, but on Senior Vice President for Administra- make its own rules. next year, and like this issue, I’m on If Quinnipiac comes out on top here, it tion Richard Ferguson sent out an email many other QuinQuinnipiac’s side.

Feb. 8 to York Hill juniors which informed will simply be a microcosm of how society Students who choose to live off campus be- nipiac student renters, I’ll consider that house them all that all parking restrictions were and government work; those with the clout come responsible for their own actions. Quin- my home, and not my “party house.” being removed. This was done without (re: wealth) get their way. nipiac cannot enforce its rules on students who do not live on its property.

Though Quinnipiac would certainly prefer students to choose on-campus living, it cannot force this decision on its undergraduates. And neither can the town of Hamden or its residents. We go to school in this town, and have just as much of a right to live in this town as anyone else.

To the man at the zoning meeting who wants us “out of the neighborhoods” because he “can’t tell you the number of times he’s been cut off by a Quinnipiac student who doesn’t know how to drive,” I say that even if you herd us like cattle back on to campus, we will still have to coexist within this town. And that includes driving on Hamden’s roads, shopping at Hamden’s supermarkets, filling up our tanks at Hamden’s gas stations and giving business to Hamden’s restaurants.

Bad drivers exist. Bad neighbors exist. But this is a college town. The sooner Hamden residents start realizing and embracing that, the better.

I am sorry for those residents who have experienced real problems with a select few Quinnipiac students who do not respect the environment in which they live. But they cannot turn around and blame the university for not teaching proper morals or values to its students, or not disciplining them enough.

Who knows where the bad decisions come from, but they certainly do not come from Quinnipiac not giving its students a proper moral education. These are upperclassmen who should have learned right from wrong by now, anyways.

Once these students choose to live outside of Quinnipiac’s property, they become the responsibility of the Hamden police, not Quinnipiac security.

And complaining to zoning is not the right direction for Hamden residents to channel their frustration, either. Some residents want to reduce the number of students allowed per house from four to three. This would not be effective Dakota Wiegand/Chronicle because only a handful of houses with students contribute to the problem, not the majority.

This cartoon is a play on the popular Internet meme called “Socially Awkward Penguin.” Quinnipiac-based memes are making waves online.

Quinnipiac cannot control students living off its property – that’s the Hamden Police Department’s job.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

8|Arts & Life

Arts & Life

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quchronicle.com/arts-and-life artslife@QUChronicle.com @QUCHRONARTSLIFE

From ‘bedroom DJ passion’ to local performer

By MIKE TURZILLI Staff Writer

From Monday to Friday afternoon, senior Ryan Walker assumes his daily routine as a history major. Come every Friday night, though, you can find Walker downstairs at Aunt Chilada’s in Hamden, displaying his talent as a deejay.

For Walker, becoming a deejay seemed almost inevitable.

“I pretty much have an addiction to listening to and collecting music,” Walker said.

This “addiction” may be a good thing, as it has led him to establish himself as a local deejay.

Although most deejays tend to have a certain style, Walker attempts to adjust his sets differently for each performance. Factors from the setting of the gig to the vibe he gets from the crowd can shift the kinds of music Walker decides to mix.

“My goal every time I play a set is to basically take the crowd with me on a trip by watching for their reactions and trying to read what they’re liking in a song or what they’re disliking, and move to a new song based on that,” Walker said when asked about his style.

Clearly, Walker feeds off of the energy of his crowd.

When he isn’t in front of a live audience and adjusting his sound to fuel their night, Walker is exploring his own musical interests as a deejay.

“I love to mix Drum ‘n’ Bass or older Jungle,” Walker said. “I’m not very good at it, and no one around here really wants to listen to it, so I guess it’s mostly a bedroom DJ passion of mine.”

This “bedroom DJ passion” highlights the true musicianship that Walker possesses. A brief look at his influences also reinforces his dense musical background.

“One of my biggest heroes in the deejay

world is definitely DJ Shadow. I pretty much worship the dude,” Walker said.

Shadow is highly regarded in the deejay community. He is most famous for composing the first album made entirely from samples, “Endtroducing,” which was released in 1996 as his debut album.

Although Walker does not play any of DJ Shadow’s music directly, he has gained tremendous insight from Shadow with regards to live performance.

“I usually just subscribe to some of his philosophies when it comes to my sets. For instance, the idea that the music I play can be used to unite a group of people,” Walker said.

For Walker, seeing a crowd come together through the medium of his deejaying makes the hard work all worth it.

According to Walker, there exists a community of deejays at Quinnipiac who all work together and perform live shows.

“Working with other people at Quinnipiac is one of the things I love the most about deejaying,” Walker said.

Walker has been working with fellow student deejays Ray Decker and Kris Giordano for almost two years. Walker and Giordano pioneered a mixing radio station they streamed through WQAQ last year.

"His deejaying is very multidimensional,” Decker said. "[His style] is more on the aggressive side. He likes to bounce between styles: house, electro and trance."

Walker gives credit to his friend Austin Sutcliffe, also a Quinnipiac senior, who he claims got him into deejaying.

Walker was able to meet someone willing to pressure him to start deejaying; his talent is a musical asset to Quinnipiac’s student body. Walker displays his talents every Friday night at Aunt Chilada’s in Hamden, where students can see him deejaying along with Giordano.

Anna Brundage/Chronicle

Ryan Walker expands his deejay skills in the Quinnipiac community, saying he likes to “take the crowd on a trip” every Friday night at Aunchie’s.

How Bodyblade beat my butt

By Caroline tufts Staff Writer

Lesly alvarez/chronicle

A Bodyblade class at York Hill starts with cardio and gradually incorporates the blade.

I was surrounded by mirrors, polished wood floors, the catchy beats of Nicki Minaj, and I realized all at once that I was trapped with no way out. Earlier in the week, when I volunteered to observe and participate in the fitness center’s Bodyblade class on Thursday at the Rocky Top Student Center, I simply thought it would be like any other day at the gym.

As I looked around, I quickly realized that I had been mistaken.

According to instructor Amanda Frost, a senior physical therapy major, Bodyblade is “pretty newly invented, and at first was only used in rehab, especially for shoulders. But then people started to actually come up with cardio and ab workouts for it.”

Bodyblade.com states that the blade — which has a flat and oblong shape, with a padded handle in the center — has an oscillating motion which must be countered by the contraction of the shoulder

muscles, as well as hundreds of other muscles in the body, causing them to become strengthened and toned.

As the class began I felt pretty confident. Aside from the fact that I somehow always managed to be on the wrong foot and going in the opposite direction of everyone else, I felt that I was definitely up for the challenge.

Our instructor led us through cycles, starting with cardio and gradually incorporating the blade to work our shoulders, arms, thighs and abs. I knew that I was getting a workout, but the way that this program worked my body only felt pleasantly strained. The radio may have been playing Avicci, but in my mind I was singing “Be a Man,” and reveling in the delusion that I, like Mulan, was as swift as the coursing river.

I thought that I may not have gotten in way over my head, when suddenly we were instructed to follow the motions of Frost’s hands. And in what may be the most visually strange orchestration of all time, I proceeded to move in any direction

she called out. I jumped, I slid, I squatted and I planked.

I was just about to burst out laughing at my genuine awkwardness when Frost yelled out to the room, “I know everything is shaking right now, that’s the point.

Just don’t think about it and squat.”

After many cycles, which passed surprisingly faster than I expected, we wrapped up the class with some yoga-like stretches that relaxed and refreshed my body all at once.

In fact, the entire atmosphere seemed vibrant and satisfied with a good workout that didn’t crush either our bodies or our spirits.

“I think it’s a good workout, it’s different because it’s your whole body, so it’s a good warm-up when you go to the gym, and it goes by really fast,” junior Jessica O’Leary said.

“I love Bodyblade,” senior Lauren Ciesmelewski said. “It’s a different type of workout; it tones you but doesn’t bulk you up. It’s working all different muscle groups at the same time, and it’s always working your core.”

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Arts & Life|9

Meet the man behind QU’s memes

By NICOLE FANO Arts & Life Editor

Hilarious quips about the Ratt, CAS, Toad’s Place and the spring concert can now be found on the Quinnipiac University Memes Facebook page.

Sophomore Tom Valerio created the Facebook page this past Saturday, which gained 804 “likes” in a 48-hour span.

Valerio posted on his Facebook page yesterday, “I’ve become a quinnipiac legend over night....thank you internet.”

“I’m extremely surprised that it has gotten the amount of attention that it has gotten,” Valerio told the Chronicle. “I thought that it was going to just be between me and my friends but I’m really happy that it has spread to the entire campus and that people are sharing their memes.”

According to Urbandictionary.com, a meme is “an item of pop culture propagated via word of mouth.” In this case, a meme is a humorous picture from pop culture with a witty phrase.

Within the past two weeks, college-specific memes have gone viral via Facebook and the Internet.

With 198 “likes,” the meme about North Lot parking has earned the label of crowd favorite.

With an image of Boromir from “Lord of the Rings,” the meme reads, “One does not simply get a spot in North Lot.” Valerio said he gets his meme inspiration from campus phrases, events and landmarks.

“You just have to see who you go to school with and then come up with something origi-

Courtesy of Quinnipiac University Memes/Facebook

Memes like these are being uploaded and shared on the Quinnipiac University Memes Facebook page. nal and funny,” Valerio said.

Boston University, Yale University, Penn State, Purdue and Rutgers University are a few of the many universities to recently adopt campus-specific memes.

“I think it is sort of funny, but some of them don’t really make sense,” freshman Samantha Chasse said. “All the jokes on there aren’t new.”

Senior Kevin Mahoney says the frequent posts are funny, especially since the memes are relevant to Quinnipiac.

“I wouldn’t say that it represents Quinnipiac positively or negatively, but rather accu-

‘The Vow’ to forget

By ANNA WAGNER Contributing Writer

After seeing “The Vow,” moviegoers will wish their tickets came with a pre-nup.

Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams keep it realistic (and slightly disappointing) in this new Valentine’s Day flick.

Paige (McAdams) experiences a car crash that causes her to lose her memory of her husband, Leo (Tatum). Leo is devastated by this discovery and is determined to make his wife fall in love with him again. His endeavor, though, comes with obstacles, including Paige’s estranged parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange) and her ex-fiance, Jeremy (Scott Speedman).

Paige’s family tries to direct her away from her less conservative life as an artist and wife to Leo.

Movie reviews

The chemistry between McAdams and Tatum was refreshing, as they did not portray the super-serious couple that tend to occupy romantic movies. In fact, the couple’s realness was one of the film’s few highlights. Unfortunately, the plot mainly focused on the negative drama between Paige and her family. Therefore, the chemistry was overshadowed by the family’s dirty laundry.

Needless to say, the movie is far more complicated (and frustrating) than the trailers make it out to be. Between Paige’s touchy ex-fiance, her snobby parents and Leo’s desperate attempts to woo her back, viewers will anticipate the end.

“The Vow” started off promising, with a beautiful wedding scene and an ultra-emotional, slow-motion car accident scene. But after those moments the film was rushed, resulting in an anti-climactic ending.

McAdams, who is no stranger to the romance genre, was a shining star. Tatum, however, gets an ‘A’ for effort, but an ‘F’ for his artsy wardrobe. His character was inconsistent throughout the film. In the beginning, he played a sweet, dorky hipster who made Paige laugh by farting and singing Meatloaf. By the end of the movie he was once again portraying the same edgy tough guy from “Step Up,” punching Paige’s exfiance in the face at a wedding. Despite several cute and memorable lines, the only good thing to come from Tatum’s role was the multiple, pointless shirtless scenes and hiney shots.

Those looking for a feel-good, light-hearted romance might as well save the $11, order some takeout and put on a movie from your Netflix queue. Despite all the hype, “The Vow” simply falls short.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

rately,” Mahoney said. “Let’s be honest, our university is known for having students who love to complain about the smallest inconvenience in the bubble that is QU.” Junior Tara Irving said the Facebook page is successfully fulfilling its purpose — to entertain the student body.

“I love the meme page, it is so fun,” Irving said. “I wanted to make one before when I saw other colleges put them up on Facebook, but I didn’t have any witty memes to make.”

Other meme topics are inspired by common campus complaints such as overpriced cafeteria foods, the Ratt’s early closing times

and York Hill shuttle inconsistencies.

A meme with an image of a hiker among snowy mountains reads, “Half a gallon of orange juice over 5 dollars at York Hill? Better drink my own piss.”

For now, it seems the meme momentum will only continue to pick up speed.

“I just want it to keep going,” Valerio said.

“I want myself and all of the fans of the page to continue utilizing the page and creating memes for everybody to see and enjoy.”

‘Safe House’ Will Thrill

By HANNAH ALEGBELEYE Contributing Writer

“Safe House,” starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, tells the story of Tobin Frost (Washington), an ex-CIA agent and dubbed traitor. Frost acquires a highly important file on the CIA that he intends to sell to the highest bidder. Word quickly gets out that Frost has indeed acquired the file, and he becomes the most wanted man in South Africa.

Frost turns himself into the U.S. Embassy, which causes him to be brought to a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa, kept by Matt Weston (Reynolds). Once in the safe house, Frost is interrogated by agents regarding his whereabouts for the last 10 years. The safe house is soon infiltrated by bounty hunters looking for both Frost and the file. Weston and Frost are the only two that narrowly escape the exchange of gunfire, and soon go on the run.

Weston soon discovers that sometimes you can’t tell the difference between who is good and who is bad, when he discovers that one of his superior’s dirty dealings may be evidenced on the file. Weston is then torn between doing what is right or saving his own life — all while the slick-mouthed Frost stays calm, cool and collected while working on his own escape plan.

Ordinarily, anything with Denzel Washington is a hit, and “Safe House” is no exception. The film’s plot is a classic tale of a good guy and bad guy who indirectly work together to make it out alive — and in the process learn about each other, and the world they thought they knew.

While “Safe House” may remind audi-

ences of numerous past action movies, the film still holds its own. Though “The Vow” was correctly predicted to take the No. 1 spot in this past weekend’s box office, it is no surprise to see “Safe House” fill the second spot.

“Safe House” proves that two excellent actors can turn any basic action movie plot into an exciting, money-making thriller.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

10|Arts & Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

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THIS IS ME

COVERING THE BASES

A father and son’s baseball journey across the continent

Google Maps

Matt Buynak has visited 26 Major League Baseball stadiums (see pins), visiting 31 states and Canada in the process.

By meghan parmentier Senior Managing Editor

Matt Buynak is not one who struggles on the first day of classes, wondering what to use as his “interesting fact” when introducing himself to the class. The sophomore, a broadcast journalism major who dreams of one day working for ESPN, has a statistic sure to wow his peers: He has been to 26 Major League Baseball stadiums, including 20 of the current 30 ballparks.

“It really all started when my parents got divorced when I was younger,” Buynak said. “My school district would have a February break and an April break every year. So, I would spend February break at home with my mom, and April with my dad. And instead of just staying around town, we decided to go do stuff. And that’s when we started going on baseball trips.”

Buynak remembers a major moment in his middle school years when he went to a Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway Park and sat 20 rows behind home plate. He went with his dad, a friend and his friend’s father. The Red Sox won, and Buynak was a fan for life.

From then on, he went to games just with his dad.

“It started as a way for the two of us to bond, as something we could do, just father and son,” said his father, Drew Buynak.

But because April is just the beginning of the baseball season, they began traveling over the summer. Once the schedules come out, Matt Buynak and his father pick the direction they want to go, and set a week when they can hit all the stadiums with the teams playing at home.

What started as day trips has extended to week or two-week long trips. They always drive.

NAME: Matt Buynak HOMETOWN: Milford, Conn.

YEAR: Sophomore MAJOR: Broadcast journalism Favorite team: Boston Red Sox Favorite stadiums: PNC Park, Wrigley Field Madeline Hardy/Chronicle

“A couple years ago, two weeks after I actually got my license, I was out driving around Illinois as part of a trip,” Matt said.

The farthest they have ever gone round trip is out to Kansas and back, 4,000 miles round trip. They used to put the miles on a rental car, but now use his dad’s Chevy Malibu.

By now, the Malibu has more than 200,000 miles on it. They’ve taken it on most of their road trips and to Florida once.

“It’s just a really fun experience,” Matt said. “You get to go to all these different cities, see different teams, some games are more important than the others, and just going to all the different ballparks and seeing how they’re really the same thing, they’re all just there for baseball, but they’re all so different. The architecture’s different, the teams are different, the fans are different.”

For stadiums that don’t host home games on their way through, they stop and tour the stadiums.

Their trips center around baseball, but branch off to different restau-

Matt Buynak adds one more baseball field to his list, resting here in Quinnipiac’s dugout. rants and other places they want to visit in a city.

As for their hotel standards, “All we need are two beds, a TV and a shower, because we’re always getting in late and we’re always leaving early. So we’re usually staying at a Motel 6,” Matt said.

“I’ve always loved traveling.

One of the goals in my life is to go to all 50 states, and so far this has given me a lot [31]. It’s just cool to see it all. It’s the same country and everything, but it’s all different stuff.

The people are different, the food is different, the atmosphere is different,” Matt said.

Some of his memorable trips are because of the weather he sits through to see the games: from the long rain delays to a night game in Philadelphia when it reached 85 degrees.

“But they’re all memorable for different reasons,” he said.

Of all of them, Matt has visited Fenway Park the most. To name a

favorite stadium, though, he says is difficult. Easier, is picking a least favorite: Oakland, because it was a football stadium also.

“The architecture’s different, the teams are different, the fans are different.”

– Matt Buynak “So when you walk up to it, there’s nothing about it at all, it’s just a big concrete thing that’s like 40 feet high,” he said.

Long term, Matt and his father hope to reach every stadium, even though it would be costly and difficult.

“I’d like to go to all the stadiums, it’s going to be difficult with trying to string them all together. To go to Seattle to see a game, there’s nothing else out there, to see the Rockies

in Colorado or to see the Diamondbacks in Arizona,” Matt said.

He would also love to attend a playoff or World Series game one day.

Drew also hopes Matt continues to do the same thing with his children, because going away on trips and being in the car for six to seven hours is the kind of thing he feels will always be remembered.

Short term, Matt has some specific trips he’d like to make. Even though his father is a Mets fan, they’ve never been to one of their games, home or away, together.

“The closer ones are stadiums you can go to anytime,” Drew said on why they pick the others.

Other than that, Matt has his sights on a trip to Texas to see the Rangers and Astros. If he goes, which he’s hoping to this spring, he’ll be adding to the collection of mini bats and balls with team logos he has from every other trip with his father.

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

CAMPUS COUTURE

instagram

of the week

sarah’s style

Clara Spohn

Austin, Texas Broadcast journalism Junior

Shirt: Habitat Shorts: Lucky Brand Tights: DKNY Boots: Fitswell Scarf: Urban Outfitters “I try to find new trends that are compatible with the closet I already have stocked. I believe a good scarf can be a game changer for any outfit.”

We know you all love to pretend you’re artsy. Show us your best instagrams by tweeting them to

@QUChronArtsLife

workout of the week

Zumba

Instructor: Brittany Esolda Senior, Occupational Therapy

Why do you love this class?

“I love to dance, I’ve been dancing since I was 3, and then I took a zumba class here and decided to get certified.”

What parts of the body or muscle groups are worked the most?

Legs and arms

What’s your favorite move?

“I just like to shake!”

MONDAYS AT 6:30 ON MOUNT CARMEL Katie o’brien/chronicle

Rave

Wreck

Quinnipiac’s ‘socially awkward?’

‘Smash’ lives up to its name

Arts & Life|11

NBC

Lesly Alvarez/Chronicle

When Katharine McPhee made it through to the next week of “American Idol” in 2006 by sending Chris Daughtry packing, I promised to never love any of her work.

Unfortunately, I broke that promise Feb. 6 during the premiere of NBC’s new show, “Smash.”

The show stars McPhee as an actress looking for her big break on Broadway, and Debra Messing as a playwright searching for inspiration for her next musical.

Christian Borle, who starred in “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” plays Messing’s super flamboyant songwriter (insert cliché “Will and Grace” comment here). Together, Messing and Borle search for a director and a leading lady for their show based on the life of Marilyn Monroe.

McPhee’s competition for the starring role in the show is “Wicked” star Megan Hilty. Hilty gives her a run for her money with a voice even Lea Michele would kill for.

The episode ends with a bang as McPhee and Hilty belt the duet “Let Me Be Your Star,” while walking through Times Square on the way to their callback auditions.

Broadway lover or not, this show is a must-watch. —S. Epstein

With InsideCollege’s published list of “Socially Awkward Colleges,” writers at the Yale Daily News seem to have gained another weapon for their arsenal, aiding them in their ongoing harangue of Quinnipiac’s student body.

Yes folks, it is sad to say we made the cut. As reported in the Huffington Post, we are among the ranks of schools such as Marist College, Boston University and Clark College.

Are QU students, as the YDN cleverly quipped (and yes, that is sarcasm), “urinating all over New Haven because they become nervous in social contexts and act out accordingly?”

The answer is unquestionably no. Quinnipiac may be quick to accommodate individuals who deal with learning disabilities, but as for the socially disabled, it is as tough a climate as any.

Quinnipiac offers students a thriving social life, and as with any other youth-centric community students — particularly any who may be considered “socially awkward”— need to stretch their limits and put themselves out there in order to succeed.

So it begs the question: how in the world did InsideCollege come up with this list, and how does a school such as ours — known for partying, public relations and athletics-- make the cut? —C. Tufts

Hookup Etiquette

By SARAH ROSENBERG Associate Arts & Life Editor

Some people are simply the relationship type. Others prefer to just “dabble,” if you will, with a number of girls or guys, with the mindset that college isn’t the place to be monogamous. Monogamy is a complicated word to many college students, much like capitalism, assimilation or existentialism — something we’ve all learned about and know is important, but are pushing into the back of our brains until it’s absolutely necessary in our lives.

For some people, females in particular, it takes a while to accept that having solid relationships in college is often unattainable. With that said, the “hookup” acts as that awkward in-between. It is what happens when you have a reciprocated attraction to someone, but don’t want a concrete partnership. Hookups can be a one-time occurrence, but when it becomes habitual, things can get messy. Personally, I believe it’s the stereotypes of certain gender roles that skew the idea of hooking up, preventing it from ever being a perfect, welldrawn-out college experience.

For one, males need to erase the word “attached” from their vocabulary. I truly think that men single out women for getting “attached” after a fling, mostly for bringing emotions into the picture when all men seem to want is a friendship plus physical attributes. Most girls will not go into a hookup unless there is a certain level of attraction, and in most cases will expect a little more out of a physical encounter. Don’t be mistaken — this doesn’t always mean a relationship, necessarily. Some girls just want respect after the fact, to be treated the way things might have been beforehand or to be seen as an equal who doesn’t become a morning-after story for a pool of guy friends.

Thus, know what to expect before you go in for the kill. A girl is a girl no matter how you spin it, and although this isn’t a universal concept regarding females, emotional attachment is a core ingredient of their makeup. Expect it, work with it and don’t penalize them for it.

Why would you want to hook up with someone made of stone, anyway?

Secondly, don’t be a repeat offender.

This idea goes for both males and females, that when you’re out (and perhaps under the influence of alcohol) you seem to be attracted to people you wouldn’t normally be interested in. Some people call it the “beer goggle effect,” but I just think that alcohol makes you overly-affectionate. Either way, if you so happen to delve into a hookup that leaves you scratching your head the next morning, don’t do it again. This is disastrous, as the recipient of your confused hormones will most likely get the wrong idea, and no feeling is worse than false hope.

Maybe the key is to rid ourselves of these ridiculous gender stereotypes — that women are clingy and prone to episodes reminiscent of “Fatal Attraction,” and that men are void of emotional consciences when physical and sexual opportunities arise. Nonetheless, hookups are not the stuff of classic love songs.

Bobcat TWEET OF THE WEEK @CebeccaRashman Rebecca Cashman

Professor asks challenging question. *engage blank Quinnipiac stare* #qpacproblems

12|Interactive

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

greek life crossword

Fe b r u a r y 1 5 , 2 0 1 2

solution to last week’s crossword

solution to last week’s sudoku

greek life word search Alpha Beta Chi Courtney Delta

Epsilon Fink Gamma Greg IFC

Kappa McKenna Omega Panhellenic Phi

sudoku: Easy

Pi Rho Sigma Tau

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|13

Matt eisenberg/Chronicle

Senior Furtuna Velaj leaps past a defender in a Nov. 4 game vs. Bryant. Despite that game being Velaj’s last one as a Bobcat, she has expressed interest in playing professionally in the U.S. and overseas.

Velaj: ‘I think I can still get better’ Velaj from Page 16 Velaj said. “It made me feel truly at home. It’s truly where I’m from.

That made it the icing on the cake.”

Quinnipiac women’s soccer head coach Dave Clarke said that once Velaj had the opportunity to play for Albania, she couldn’t turn it down.

“The opportunity to represent her native Albania is one she could not turn down,” Clarke said. “To be selected to play for one's country is the ultimate honor for any soccer player and one which only a select

“To be selected to play for one’s country is the ultimate honor for any soccer player and one which only a select few players get to enjoy.”

— Dave Clarke Quinnipiac women’s soccer Head Coach

few players get to enjoy.”

But Velaj has one goal in mind: the U.S. National Team.

She has aspired to play for the U.S. since she was little. When asked what it would be like to play for America, she paused.

“Oh my God,” she said, waiting for the words to come to her. “If I play for the U.S. National Team, it’s like I completed one of my dreams and one of my aspirations.”

When she was younger, Velaj wanted to play college soccer – Division I soccer, specifically. When she came to Quinnipiac, she did more than that.

She earned the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year award as a freshman, as she scored 15 goals and recorded an assist. Throughout her Bobcat career, she has recorded 94 points, second in program Division I history.

Yet Velaj still seeks to represent the United States in international play. Ever since she saw the U.S. win World Cups and Olympic medals and watched the team play on

TV, she has pictured herself playing with the team.

“I’ve had this image in my head that whenever I score, I know exactly what I’m going to do and exactly how I’m going to celebrate,” Velaj said.

“It would be a dream come true.”

Velaj said she knows that obtaining her goal wouldn’t be easy. Because of the competition she faces all around, she said she needs to focus on her skills and try to separate herself from everyone else.

“I have a long way to go. It’s not something easily attainable,” Velaj said. “There are so many girls in the U.S. that do play soccer and the thing with the national team is getting your foot in. I didn’t have many opportunities growing up because of financial reasons and things like that, and I didn’t have the U.S. national citizenship as well, so now that I will be getting it, I will be getting closer to it.”

Velaj said if she plays in Europe after graduation, she would need to play her best and be her best to get more recognition to eventually play

“I’ve had this image in my head that whenever I score, I know exactly what I’m going to do and exactly how I’m going to celebrate.

It would be a dream come true.”

— Furtuna Velaj Quinnipiac women’s soccer senior

for the U.S. “I need to be one of the best players, and hopefully that will draw enough attention that [the U.S.] will give me a call-up to one of the camps,” Velaj said. “Then when I get to the camp, that’s when I’d get compared and see if I fit into their system. Even if you’re the best player, the coach may think that you don’t think that you fit into the system or the dynamics with the team.”

She has been training on her own and is doing her best to stay in shape by playing intramural basketball.

She has also joined Quinnipiac’s women’s golf team and is training with the players every day.

“I’ve really picked it up and like it,” Velaj said.

She said she would focus more on golf, staying in shape and getting her bachelor’s degree in political science until May, around the time she would leave for Europe if she plays. She said that because soccer comes naturally to her, she only needs a few weeks to get back into the soccer grind.

“All you need is two weeks to get fit and then work on my technical aspects like finishing, shooting, passing and things like that,” Velaj said.

The league said it plans to be back for the 2013 season, and Velaj hopes to play for a WPS team then.

“Ideally I’ll stay in the US,” Velaj said. “My family’s here and my friends are here, and I would love for my friends to come see me play soccer professionally.”

Perhaps one day she’ll have a shot for the entire country to see her play soccer professionally.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

14|Sports

The Rundown

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU 7, Clarkson 6 – Saturday Kellen Jones: 3 goals, 2 assists Connor Jones: 3 assists MEN’S BASKETBALL QU 67, CCSU 59 – Sunday James Johnson: 20 points Ike Azotam: 15 points, 10 rebounds WOMEN’S Basketball QU 64, CCSU 59 – Saturday Felicia Barron:20 points, Kari Goodchild: 10 points

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Moore: Drame is a ‘godsend’

games to watch

MEN’S BASKETBALL QU (15-10, 8-6) vs. St. Francis (N.Y.) (13-12, 10-4) – Thursday, 7 p.m.

QU (15-10, 8-6) at LIU-Brooklyn (19-7, 13-1) – Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU (15-14-2, 10-8-2) vs. Union (424-4, 2-16-2) – Friday, 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL QU (18-6, 10-3) vs CCSU (11-13, 5-8) – Wednesday, 7 p.m.

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY QU (15-10-5, 7-7-4) at Rensselaer (8-19-3, 5-10-3) – Friday, 7 p.m.

QU (14-9-5, 6-6-4) at Union (17-67, 11-3-4) – Saturday, 7 p.m.

Matt eisenberg/Chronicle

Ousmane Drame, a 6-foot-9 freshman and native of Guinea, goes up for a block during a 72-67 loss to UMass on Dec. 17. Drame is averaging 6.1 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Bobcats.

OUSMANE from Page 16 Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network is your source for live broadcasts.

Follow @QUChronSports for live updates during games.

further improve his skills. He averaged more than 12 points per game, but began adjusting to his new role in the paint. It was at this time that he began getting recruited by several Division I schools like Quinnipiac.

“I liked the place, the arena, the campus, and my visit was wonderful,” Drame said. “I felt like it was the right place for me.”

Coming into Quinnipiac, he began playing under the leadership of

a new coach, Tom Moore. Though different in style, Drame said that Moore and McCarthy both have something in common.

“They’re both psycho!” he joked.

“They just don’t want anything less than the best from me, going hard all the time, and they really push me.”

Moore has been incredibly pleased with the way Drame has played thus far this season.

“He’s very talented, and his length and his IQ and his timing are allowing him to be a real factor even

though he hasn’t developed fully,” Moore said.

Even in his post-high school days, Drame often gets calls from McCarthy after games. He said that rarely does the coach have anything positive to say to him, and instead, pushes him to improve.

“He’ll call me even if I have a 14-point and 10-rebound game and he’s never satisfied,” Drame said.

“He tells me I had two turnovers, and so would Coach Moore. They just want the best from me, and

sometimes it gets to me, but it’s really helpful.”

Midway through this season, Drame was forced to start after fellow forward Jamee Jackson went down due to a foot injury. While starting as a freshman may be a nerve-wracking experience for some, it was not the case for No. 23.

“I knew I had to step up and hold on, do the things he was doing when he went down,” Drame said.

His presence was felt almost immediately, as he collected his first double-double against Niagara with 13 points and 10 rebounds on Dec. 22. Since then, he has been a staple in the Bobcats’ lineup as the team tries to push toward an NEC Championship.

“The way we currently value defense is a good thing,” Drame said.

“This is not a guarantee, but I can see us in the NCAA Tournament this year. They say we’re a young team and it’s not expected and this and that, I think that’s just all excuses.”

With promise in the future, Drame knows he’s in a good place.

He also understands there is always room for improvement.

“I have to make smarter decisions on the court, and be stronger.

I feel at some moments in the game, I tend to be weaker than I am and let fatigue take over,” he said.

As “Ous” works to improve himself and those around him, the sky is the limit for him and the Bobcats program. And his head coach knows that.

“He’s really been a godsend,” Moore said. “I knew one of the freshmen would have to step up, and he’s made the most of his opportunity. He’s got a chance to be one of the best big guys who’s ever played here.”

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|15

Anybody care to lax?

DAKOTA WEIGAND/Chronicle

Clockwise from top left: Midfielder Basil Kostaras races past a Vermont defender in Sunday’s scrimmage; Dylan Webster runs down field after the ball in the first half of Sunday’s scrimmage; freshman goalie Dylan Torey prepares to make a save against a Catamount player.

by the numbers

44

points allowed by men’s basketball team in WEDNESDAY NIGHT’s CCSU game, THE FEWEST this year.

14

career doubledoubles for ike azotam after picking up his 12th of the season on Sunday against ccsu.

James Johnson Men’s basketball Guard

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Senior Queens, N.Y.

Johnson had 34 points in a home-and-home series sweep over in-state rival Central Connecticut State. Johnson was 8-for-15 shooting from 3-point range. He leads the team with 16.8 points per game and is shooting 36.8 percent this year from beyond the arc.

Becca White

Women’s indoor track Junior Natick, Mass.

White won the 2012 Northeast Conference Championship 5K race with a time of 17:35.50 at the Prince George’s County Complex in Landover, Md.

17:35 Becca White’s victory time in the 2012 NEC Championship 5k race

5

Points for sophomore Kellen Jones (3 goals, 2 assists) in a 7-6 victory over clarkson saturday night.

11

Goals scored by men’s ice hockey this weekend against St. Lawrence and Clarkson.

MATT EISENBERG/Chronicle

Photo courtesy of Quinnipiac athletics

16|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

coach’s corner

Sports

“[Ousmane Drame] has got

a chance to be one of the best big guys who’s ever played here.”

— tom Moore men’s basketball coach

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quchronicle.com/sports sports@QUChronicle.com @QUChronSports

Ous is loose

Freshman making impact under the boards

By JON ALBA Staff Writer

Matt Eisenberg/Chronicle

Freshman Ousmane Drame goes up for a layup in Sunday’s 67-59 victory over Central Connecticut State.

A packed crowd sat at the Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain Sunday afternoon as the Quinnipiac Bobcats found themselves in hostile territory against Central Connecticut State.

Reigning Northeast Conference Player of the Year Ken Horton squared off at half court for the opening tipoff, an electric atmosphere all around him.

Horton, senior captain of the CCSU Blue Devils, looked over at a small group of fans in yellow jerseys, who appeared to be booing him.

Except they weren’t. They were cheering for the player across from him: The man they call “Ous.” “They love me,” Ous said with a laugh.

“And I really appreciate that.”

Freshman forward Ousmane Drame has established himself as a fan favorite on a Bobcat squad that consists of players like James Johnson and Ike Azotam, who are averaging 16.8 and 16.2 points per game, respectively.

Through 25 games played, Drame is averaging 6.1 points per game in 19.1 minutes per contest. The 6-foot-9 forward has also become a valuable asset down low for the Bobcats, where he has tallied 7.3 rebounds per game as well.

Drame currently has 180 rebounds, which puts him in sole possession of the Quinnipiac freshman record in front of previous leader Azotam and former standout Justin Rutty, the NEC’s all-time leading rebounder. He also has 20 blocks, which is a program record for a freshman, and has been named NEC Rookie of the Week three times this season.

But for Drame, the records and the accolades did not come overnight. It has been a long ride to where he is today.

In 2003, he relocated from Guinea, Africa to the United States, and spent the remainder of his childhood in Massachusetts. He was not initially phased by basketball, but decided to give it a try in his freshman year of high school. Drame did not receive any playing time that season, and he looked to come out the next year and see the court.

“Come sophomore year, I was 6-2,” Drame said. “I was a small forward and I shot a lot, honestly.”

Still, Drame struggled to find playing time.

Just two years ago, a growth spurt allowed him to grow another four inches heading into his junior year of high school. It wasn’t until after this growth spurt that he found himself with the ball.

Drame became a full-time paint presence, even while dealing with a knee condition called Osgood-Schlatter disease, which is common among people who grow at a fast rate.

“I found myself working out a lot and trying to get better at being a scorer, being a better rebounder and body-wise, I was skinny, but I had the right people around me at the time,” he said.

As Drame progressed, he was taken in by his high school coach, Corey McCarthy.

“He’s somebody I look up to, and has helped me through everything. Not just basketball, he was there for me all the time,” Drame said.

Even with the support, working with McCarthy was far from a smooth ride.

“He was very psycho,” Drame said with a grin. “He never took anything less, he always wanted me to give the best. And sometimes, that wasn’t even enough.”

The forward also spent time playing at Marianapolis Prepatory School, aiming to See OUSMANE Page 14

Velaj copes with lockout, plans for overseas By mATT EISENBERG Sports Editor

One moment Furtuna Velaj was on top of the world, waiting to hear back on whether or not she could achieve another one of her dreams – a big step toward accomplishing her ultimate one that she has had since she was little.

And then the next moment, Velaj, who months before had just finished her final soccer season as a Bobcat, was back to the drawing board with some ideas of where she would play.

Velaj had tried out for the Philadelphia Independence of Women’s Professional Soccer, one of the premier women’s soccer leagues in the world that features players among the likes of Alex Morgan and Amy Rodriguez, who both played on the U.S. National Team last summer. But a day before Velaj was supposed to hear back from the team, she found out that the league had canceled its 2012 season.

“It was really disappointing,” Velaj said.

Velaj found out on ESPN that the season was suspended because of a dispute with a former owner.

"Making the decision to suspend the 2012 season was a difficult and painful one, but it’s necessary to take the time to address current issues and solidify our business in order to provide appropriate support needed to achieve the League's long-term goals,” WPS CEO Jen-

nifer O’Sullivan said in a press release on Jan. 30.

Velaj had two more tryouts planned in case the team didn’t make an offer to her, but she said the two-day combine went well. She said that she thought she would fit well into Philadelphia head coach Paul Riley’s system.

“The actual Philadelphia team is very, very good. They have amazing players on that team,” Velaj said, mentioning Rodriguez and Tasha Kai, who won a gold medal with the U.S. Women’s National Team in the 2008 Olympics.

Velaj said that Riley’s system focuses on players that have a good soccer sense and field vision. “[Riley] likes very technical players,” Velaj said. “The reason why I thought I’d be a good fit to play in Philadelphia is because of the system they play in, the type of players he likes, and I think I’m one of those players.”

Since the WPS canceled the season, Velaj has looked elsewhere to continue playing. She has expressed interest in playing overseas in Iceland, Sweden and Germany, though the German league has already started play.

“For me, the reason I want to go pro is that I think I can still get better as a player. I don’t think I’ve reached my full potential as a soccer player,” Velaj said. “I still have a lot more to learn. Physically, I can still become a

lot stronger. Soccer-wise, I can still learn a lot more from the game and just being at a higher level.”

Velaj also said she wants to see how she compares among other professional players worldwide.

“I want to compete and see where I do compare with other players that do play my positions and that are technical like me,” Velaj said. “When you get to the pro level, all of those players are extremely good athletes; not only are they good athletes, but they are very good technically as well.”

Velaj got a taste of international play in November when she played for Albania’s Women’s National Team.

“It was awesome, one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” Velaj said with a smile.

Velaj scored a goal in Team Albania’s 4-1 win vs. Macedonia, but it was the atmosphere that reminded her of her childhood that stood out for her.

Nearly one out of every four people in Macedonia is Albanian, and Velaj remembers seeing a lot of Albanian fans at the international friendly.

“They were singing a lot of Albanian folk songs that I used to hear growing up, so when I was playing in the game I was hearing that,” See VELAJ Page 13

MATT EISENBERG/Chronicle

Furtuna Velaj smiles after the team’s 2-0 win vs. Bryant on Nov. 4, her final game as a Bobcat.