The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 91, Issue 17

MARCH 31, 2021 • VOLUME 91 • ISSUE 17

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

ILLUSTRATION BY KATHARINE HAINES

By EMILY FLAMME News Editor

After last semester’s fight for LGBTQ inclusivity at Quinnipiac University, President Judy Olian and other administrators are fulfilling their promises in the form of genderinclusive housing.

In December, the university made several commitments to becoming a more inclusive campus for the LGBTQ community including creating gender-inclusive housing and genderneutral bathrooms and completing the Campus Pride Index. The university also assembled different committees to focus on making these plans happen.

The gender-inclusive housing will be available for the fall 2021 semester for all students. Current first-year students will have the option available when they choose housing on April 6 and 7.

The Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) hosted a “roommate social” on March 25, to provide students with information about gender-inclusive housing as well as provide students with an opportunity to meet other people who are interested in this type of housing.

For incoming first-year students who choose to live with a randomly assigned student, they can fill out the roommate survey, which will have questions regarding comfortability with living in a gender-inclusive environment.

Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellett said there will be gender-inclusive rooms available in every residence hall.

“To me, it doesn’t really matter if we serve one student then we have accomplished our goal, so numbers don’t really matter,” Ellett said. “It’s about the openness of the institution to provide this for somebody who may feel like this makes them feel more comfortable in our environment.”

Kayla Duncan, a sophomore media studies major who is in the LGBTQ+ Fellows program, said she met with Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Don Sawyer, the residential experience committee and the other

Promises kept: Quinnipiac to provide genderinclusive housing in fall 2021

See LGBTQ Page 2

Asian Student Alliance outlines initiative for change at Quinnipiac

By MELINA KHAN Copy Editor

Quinnipiac University’s Asian Student Alliance (ASA) published an initiative for institutional and cultural change at Quinnipiac following continued targeting of Asian American communities and the recent mass shooting of Asian women in Atlanta, Georgia.

The initiative calls for changing disciplinary action for students who carry out racist actions, an increase in the support resources available to international students and an expansion in the number of Asian faculty, administrators and public safety officers. Andrew DePass, executive chair of Quinnipiac’s Multicultural Student Leadership Council (MSLC), acknowledged the initiative.

“We feel that sincere commitment is required to foster true change,” the ASA wrote in the document. “This commitment must go beyond proposed healing practices, an effort which alone falls short on the University’s claim to stand with Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) communities.”

The ASA proposed the formation of a partstudent, part-faculty advisory board to handle racially-motivated incidents. As part of the

disciplinary measures for students who carry out these actions, it recommended a community service component for an organization that represents the community the student discriminated against.

The organization also proposed a 5% increase in Quinnipiac’s minority faculty population over the next 10 years and greater allocation of resources to the Department of Cultural and Global Engagement to support international students.

“Our entire university community shares in the sadness and horror over the repeated acts of violence against communities of color, most recently against Asian Americans,” said Daryl Richard, Quinnipiac’s vice president for marketing and communications. “We appreciate the ASA’s offer to partner with the administration as a proactive force of good to help intensify our commitments to advance racial justice both at Quinnipiac and in our broader society.”

Richard added that university leaders will be meeting with the ASA members on Thursday, April 1, to continue exploring ways to ensure inclusivity at Quinnipiac.

The ASA also requested a re-acknowledge-

ment of the Washington Witherspoon Plan, a diversity plan created by MSLC in June 2020 to create minority equity and systemic change at Quinnipiac.

“We can’t, as an organization, just sit back and let the university not recognize or not try to help support our community in every way possible to make us feel safe,” said Rachel Reyes, a senior biology major and copresident of the ASA. Reyes said while the ASA appreciates Quinnipiac’s condemning of APIDA hate, it hoped the organization would have been contacted prior to the university’s statement. “(Quinnipiac administration) released statements condemning Asian hate without reaching out directly to our community or organization to see how we (are) doing or how healing sessions are being conducted,” Reyes said. “We do appreciate how administration is releasing statements condemning APIDA hate, though we wish they reached out to us (prior) to making a statement.”

Carrie Zeng, a senior psychology major and co-president of the ASA, said the organization would also like the administration to acknowlSee ASA Page 3

INFOGRAPHIC BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

OPINION P.4: SEXISM AFFECTS EVERYDAY LIFE The women’s weight room at the NCAA basketball tournaments got attention because it was smaller than the men’s

CRANDALL YOPP/QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY

A&L P.7: QU THEATER PERFORMANCE EXCELS The theater department put on a modernized performance of ‘An Iliad’

2| News

MEET THE EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brendan O’Sullivan MANAGING EDITORS Toyloy Brown III Jessica Simms CREATIVE DIRECTOR Connor Lawless NEWS EDITOR Emily Flamme ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITORS Nicole McIsaac Chatwan Mongkol OPINION EDITOR Michael Sicoli ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Emily DiSalvo ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Ashley Pelletier SPORTS EDITOR Riley Millette ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Peter Piekarski DESIGN EDITOR Michael Clement PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Morgan Tencza PODCAST PRODUCER Xavier Cullen ASSOCIATE PODCAST PRODUCER Kalleen Rose Ozanic COPY EDITOR Melina Khan THE QUINNIPIAC CHRONICLE is the proud recipient of the New England Society of Newspaper Editors’ award for College Newspaper of the Year in New England for 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2015-16.

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Court dismisses part of class-action lawsuit against Quinnipiac

By CHATWAN MONGKOL Associate News Editor

United States District Judge Kari Dooley ruled on March 25, to dismiss conversion claims after four Quinnipiac University students and parents filed a class-action lawsuit for tuition refunds in June 2020 amid the transition to online instruction.

The judge also ruled that the two parents named as plaintiffs had no standing to sue for all claims because the alleged actions were between Quinnipiac and its students, not their parents.

Associate Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan said the university is pleased that the court agreed with part of its motion to dismiss. He said the judge also ruled that it was too early to determine if the students’ claims are valid.

“The discovery process will help us illustrate that the decision to hold classes remotely last spring as the pandemic worsened was in the best interest of protecting the health of our students and the community, while enabling Quinnipiac to continue delivering excellent learning experiences and instruction,” Morgan said.

However, the students’ other two allegations, which are breach of contract and unjust enrichment, were not dismissed.

The Chronicle reached out to Hagens Berman, the law firm that represents students, for comments but did not receive any response at time of publication.

According to the ruling, the reason for the conversion claims dismissal was because the students used the same allegations for the breach of contract claims, which is not acceptable in a court of law.

Quinnipiac attorneys argued that the students need to prove their claims that online instruction had less educational value than in-person counterparts.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys said they were not questioning that, but they were challenging the

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ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

university’s decision “to retain tuition and fees for educational services that the institution allegedly promised but never provided.”

Dooley disagreed with Quinnipiac and noted that the students’ claims can be resolved without subjectively assessing the education quality as they challenged specific promises allegedly assured by the university.

For the breach of contract claims, Quinnipiac attorneys argued that the students failed to provide the specific contractual terms that promised them on-campus instruction.

The plaintiffs’ side said that languages on the university’s website, academic calendar and marketing campaigns suggest that students would be on campus, not online.

The court deemed the students’ allegations sufficient at this stage. Dooley ruled in favor of the students and denied Quinnipiac’s motion to dismiss these claims.

For the unjust enrichment claims, Quinni-

piac attorneys argued that the university had no choice but to close down the campus due to COVID-19 as if it did not do so, Gov. Ned Lamont’s executive orders would have mandated the shut down anyway.

However, Dooley noted that the question was not about Quinnipiac’s justification to close the campus, but it was about the expectation of in-person instruction when the university provided virtual instruction during the semester.

The judge found that to be reasonable and denied Quinnipiac’s motion to dismiss the unjust enrichment claims.

Attorneys from Hagens Berman filed the class-action lawsuit on behalf of Quinnipiac students on June 5, 2020. The lawsuit seeks millions of dollars in tuition refunds. It cited loss of access to facilities and the university’s failure to provide promised experiences.

Cuttle: ‘Now that all of this is becoming public, I feel like more people will start coming here’ LGBTQ from cover

fellows to discuss these new ideas for inclusion and revise old plans.

“It is very important that this school becomes more inclusive and accepting, not just for press and to put in emails but for students to come back to their dorm at the end of the day and feel safe and secure no matter what skin color, sexual orientation, religion, etc.,” Duncan said.

GSA President Athena Cuttle, a senior psychology major, was integral to the genderinclusive housing planning.

Cuttle met with Residential Life on Oct. 23, 2020, and began working to implement new ideas for LGBTQ inclusivity on campus.

She said that she felt the housing changes were overdue.

“I don’t know why it took (the university) so long because there’s so many schools — when I was doing research for this — there are so many schools that have (gender-inclusive housing), and it’s not even like a second thought to these schools,” Cuttle said.

Since the university has recently made public statements regarding its plans for improving the environment for LGBTQ students, Cuttle said she thinks more students will want to come to Quinnipiac.

“I know plenty of students that weren’t coming here because they’ve heard stories

about how non-inclusive it was for the LGBTQ community,” Cuttle said. “Now that all of this is becoming public, I feel like more people will start coming here.”

There are plans for a living-learning community (LLC) for the fall 2021 semester that will focus on LGBTQ studies. Ellett said the committees are still working on the plans for several new LLCs, and that they should be available for firstyear students for the upcoming semester.

Duncan said these changes will hopefully create a more welcoming environment for students in the future, but the university needs to improve on an administrative level.

“I hope QU gets more people that come from different backgrounds into positions of power,” Duncan said. “It is very hard to hear and believe an all-white staff or board that says they’re trying to make the school more inclusive.”

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

There will be gender-inclusive housing available in every residence hall in the fall 2021 semester.

March 31, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

News |3

Quinnipiac to continue weekly COVID-19 testing

By NICOLE MCISAAC Associate News Editor

In efforts to continue monitoring COVID-19 cases on campus, Quinnipiac University announced that weekly testing for all undergraduate students will last until the end of the semester on May 7.

“I think this sends a message to students that this is important and that we’re all a part of a community,” said Dr. David Hill, senior medical adviser for the COVID-19 task force. “In doing our part to maintain COVID-19, we have to show up on a weekly basis to be tested.”

Hill said the idea to extend weekly testing spawned from a recent letter signed by students and parents, asking the COVID-19 task force to continue it throughout April by emphasizing the value in doing so for the Quinnipiac community.

“It’s not only coming from us as a task force, but it’s also coming from a portion of the student body,” Hill said. “It also does give us that picture weekly of how many cases.”

Testing will remain on the Monday and Wednesday schedule of each week, with exception to the week of April 5, in which test-

ing will be held on Wednesday, April 7, and Thursday, April 8, following Easter weekend.

Hill said the same previous standards and disciplinary consequences will continue during the extended testing. Students will also remain exempt from paying for additional tests.

However, 15% of graduate students are continuing to be tested weekly. These students are not prone to be at high risk to the university, Hill said.

“We’re really worried about cases spreading throughout the dorms,” Hill said.

In response to the added schedule of testing on campus, some students are relieved with the university’s continued weekly testing.

“Honestly, the weekly testing makes me feel a lot more safe, so I have no problem with it continuing for the rest of the semester,” said Ava Coppola, a sophomore health science major. “I like having a piece of mind knowing that I know my results each week and that others do too.”

Having relaxed some of its restrictions and guidelines on campus, the university has remained at a “green alert level” with the highest positivity rate being 1.2% as of publication.

“It seems like the school has been able to

manage a potential outbreak a lot easier with increased testing,” Coppola said. “They are able to detect a positive case faster so that there is less of a chance of it spreading.”

Despite Quinnipiac’s plan to return to full on-campus instruction for the upcoming fall semester, there are still preparations in the works regarding regulations that the university will put in place.

Hill said an important discussion regarding the vaccine has been focused on making it an incentive-based decision among the Quinnipiac community. In addition, Hill said there will be similar COVID-19 policies set in place on campus.

“There will be some testing in the fall and how we do that is determined by the percentage of students that get vaccinated,” Hill said.

“It’s likely that we will not have to test those students who have been vaccinated.”

Some students have already made up their minds regarding vaccination but question how that decision from other members of Quinnipiac’s population will come into play for next semester.

“I’m hoping that the majority of the school’s population will be vaccinated as all

of my friends and I plan to be vaccinated before next semester,” said Karl Brooks, a firstyear film, TV and media arts major. “I still think testing should continue as a chunk of the population will most likely not be vaccinated.”

Brooks said that he feels ongoing testing ensures that the university can handle the situation to its fullest capability in the future.

“No testing method will be perfect but right now what we have is much better than random-testing and it is a pretty noninvasive way of testing people,” Brooks said.“While a negative test doesn’t eliminate the possibility of exposure or infection, it is a good way of filtering out those who are definitely infected.”

Hill said the university will continue to monitor the state of COVID-19 as the upcoming semester approaches and further activities become available to Quinnipiac’s community members.

Students can view the reviewed testing calendar online on the university’s COVID-19 resource section of the website, as well as follow up with the latest information regarding policy change within the community.

medical students Diane Hassanieh, Whitney Nicols and Pharis Sasa are also attending.

“I hope to increase my understanding of humanitarianism by gaining first-hand information from people within the issues that affect their respective communities,” said Allen, a sophomore political science and psychology double major. “I also hope to properly apply intersectional intervention and conflict resolution on matters of injustice.”

The program is live on Zoom Friday to Sunday for three weeks. There will be presentations and question-and-answer sessions. Students will use the platform GatherTown to discuss and will listen to educators who teach different human rights issues.

Throughout the program, each school prepares a presentation on a related issue to show at the consortium. Allen, Collelo and Sugebo are working on a presentation about period poverty and child care insecurity among women of color in Hamden, Connecticut.

“We hope to display the importance of understanding the tribulations faced by (women of color) and how to help,” Allen said.

Allen, who found out about the opportunity through her political science professors, said she is enjoying the

approach of the program as she is an activist and advocate for human rights.

“We have discussed various topics from Black Lives Matter, the negative impacts of colonialism, justice, religious persecution and its relationship to ethnic cleansing,” Allen said.

As a third-year law student, Fonesca also shares a passion for social justice. She said her experience in the program has been positive.

“It has been great to meet students from all across the country who are passionate about social activism like myself,” Fonseca said. “It has also been an incredible opportunity to learn more about topics that I hadn’t yet explored in such detail.”

Fonseca said she will use what she has learned in her future endeavors.

“What I hoped to get out of the program was to learn more about human rights issues globally and how to be more active in progressing change,” Fonseca said. “I am graduating from the law school this May and, as I begin my job hunt, the program has been extremely motivating for me to continue in this field.”

Jacques, a first-year law student, agreed that the consortium teaches valuable lessons.

“Even though a lot of the participants are young undergraduate students, you can really tell that there’s a promising future ahead for a lot of them,” Jacques said. “I think that the program’s organizers recognized this and are taking great

care in facilitating a space where we can learn, connect, and grow to become better leaders.”

Jacques said he did not know what to expect from the program but was impressed by the knowledge of the speakers and its inclusivity.

“They’re doing a great job at fostering an environment where students are free to submit their input and share their thoughts (and) ideas on certain issues,” Jacques said.

Hassanieh is a second-year medical student.

She said the pandemic has provided her and other medical students with the unique opportunity to participate in the consortium virtually.

“A call for applications to the program was opened up to medical students at Quinnipiac for the first time this year,” Hassanieh said. “This was one of the benefits of the online format, normally medical students wouldn’t be able to attend the in-person consortium due to not being able to take a full week off. The online format allowed two of my peers and I to be the first medical students to participate from Quinnipiac.”

Even in a global pandemic, the Oxford Consortium has given students a way to be the activists of the next generation in their local communities and abroad.

“It is amazing to hear from such passionate academics and advocates about subjects that are extremely important to the subject of human rights that I otherwise would not have gotten exposure to,” Allen said.

Students participate in human rights program

By KATIE LANGLEY Staff Writer

The Oxford Consortium for Human Rights selected nine Quinnipiac University students to attend a virtual program from March 12-28. The program surrounds the issues of racial justice, minority rights and religious freedom.

The undergraduate attendees are Ana Allen, Gabriella Colello and Mahlet Sugebo.

Law students Djess Jacques, Alison Fonesca and Kaydeen Maitland and

ILLUSTRATION BY AMANDA RIHA

Reyes: ‘We can’t, as an organization, just sit back and ASA Initiative for Institutional and Cultural Change proposals let the university not recognize or not try to help support our community in every way possible ...’

ASA from cover edge South Asian hate crimes in addition to East Asian hate crimes as both impact the APIDA community.

The ASA’s initiative comes after Quinnipiac’s administration faced backlash for its lack of response to incidents of alleged racism on campus. This is not the first time the ASA has tackled racism at Quinnipiac.

In September 2020, the ASA published a survey in which 30 Asian American Quinnipiac students were asked about their experiences at Quinnipiac. Over half (56.7%) of the respondents said they had experienced racism on campus.

Anti-Asian hate has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic originated in China in late 2019. The Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism found that Anti-Asian hate crimes surged by 149% in 2020.

1. Change disiplinary action for racially charged incidents 2. Increase resources for international students 3. Increase distribution of Asian faculty, administration and public safety officers

INFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

4| O p i n i o n

March 31, 2021

Opinion Sexism is bigger than the weight room

How sex discrimination pervades everyday life woman’s success without needing to be married or helped by a male counterpart. Not only will that help close the gender gap, but it will be a way to teach young girls that life is much more than marriage, and that they have the capability to be successful on their own.

BY EMILY DISALVO AND JESSICA SIMMS

During the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, videos and photos of the men’s and women’s weight rooms went viral on social media because of a noticeable size and quality difference between the two.

This is disgraceful, but the reason it garnered so much attention on social media was because it is a tangible example of sexism. The differences between the weight rooms were clear. The solution was obvious — make the weight rooms equal.

The everyday realities of sexism are much less concrete, and the subtleties of them can be just as offensive to women as a blatant inadequacy. For example, why was the men’s weight room larger in the first place? Many would argue that it is because men’s sports bring in more revenue. But why do they bring in more revenue?

Because whether or not college sports fans realize it, they associate athleticism and athletic performance with men’s, not women’s, sports and this unconscious bias is also sexism.

The small, seemingly insignificant instances of sexism are the ones that pervade the lives of everyday women, not just college athletes. For women, sexism consumes the workplace, politics, media and even our own feelings of personal safety.

Sexism in the workplace

I (Emily DiSalvo) will always remember when I was working as head lifeguard at the town pool and instructed two of the male guards to clean the boy’s bathroom. My boss, also a man, was standing nearby, and his words still ring in my ears today.

“Don’t listen to her,” he said. “She talks too much.”

He may have been joking, but the undermining of my authority as head guard provoked laughter from the two boys and stirred up anger and frustration with me. I proceeded to clean the bathrooms as he chatted with the boys about college and career plans.

It was as if his vision of me was of a full-time maid.

This is just one instance of sexism in the workplace and a miniscule one at that. However, it is an example of the ways in which women are sometimes undermined by men without them even realizing it. It is second nature for some.

Women in the workplace face sexual harassment, discrimination when it comes time to make promotions and a significant wage gap. In 2017, Pew Research reported that 42% of women have faced discrimination in the workplace because of their gender. One in four working women say they have earned less than a man who was doing the same job. Women are about three times as likely as men to have experienced sexual harassment while at work.

All of these issues are exacerbated for LBGTQ women and women of color who face the intersecting forms of discrimination from homophobia and racism on top of sexism.

“One area in particular where Black women stand apart is in their reporting of having been passed over for the most important assignments because of their gender –- 22% of employed Black women say this has happened to them, compared with 8% of whites and 9% of Hispanics,” Pew Research reported.

How should women get men to understand that they deserve equal treatment in the workplace? One theory is that seeing more women in positions of power will help to reverse the trend of sexism. Unfortunately, getting women to positions of power isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Sexism in politics

When women are asked to run for office, they are more likely than men to doubt themselves. This self-doubt is not limited just to politics.

INFOGRAPHIC BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

Sexism impacts our safety

INFOGRAPHIC BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

“Compared with men, women don’t consider themselves as ready for promotions, they predict they’ll do worse on tests, and they generally underestimate their abilities,” Katty Kay and Claire Shipman wrote for The Atlantic. “This disparity stems from factors ranging from upbringing to biology.”

This lack of confidence makes sense given that women who run for public office face more intense scrutiny than men who do the same.

Women face critiques on fashion, hairstyles, relationship status and even the sound of their voice when they run for office, attributes that are never directed at men. Many people who comment on women politician’s outfits are actually women and aren’t even aware that they are focusing more on her blazer than the speech she has so carefully practiced.

Bonnie Morris, a history lecturer at the University of California Berkeley, told The Guardian that she still feels there are issues in America with female authority.

“A lot of people are really threatened by super-smart women,” Morris said. “If a woman is trying to make her point by speaking slowly and forcefully, there’s always going to be a cohort of men who regard that as being scolded by a mother figure.”

My advice to break this cycle is to start treating women at the podium like they belong there. It’s as simple as that.

As women, we have been taught since we were young to avoid walking home alone at night in fear that we will be attacked by another human. While it is great to keep our safety in mind, it is unfair that women across the world are afraid to just walk alone, which is a basic human right.

In an article published by The Guardian in 2017, journalist Talia Shadwell talked to women from around the world about their walking habits as a Stanford University study of smartphone data reported that men walk more steps than women. What she found was that most women think twice about walking alone in their own neighborhoods.

“I don’t think most men realize how common street harassment is in this country,” one woman said. “I’ve been followed home, attacked, spat on, told to smile by men I don’t know, since school days. It’s pretty wearying feeling like you have to be constantly alert.”

In 2019, YouGov reported that 50% of women feel uncomfortable walking alone at night, and 59% of them who walk down an alley alone feel unsafe doing so. Even basic activities such as going to the bar are things that women are afraid of doing alone.

About half of women said they have never been to a bar alone, while only three in 10 men have said this is the case for them.

Sexism in the media

Even though Hollywood is slowly closing the gender gap in media, such as TV and movies, sexism is still prevalent. Last year was a step toward making female and male characters in film more equal. According to the World Economic Forum, 2020 had the largest percentage of female protagonists in the top 100 highest grossing films, with it being 40%. Yes, this is a lot better than past years, with Variety reporting that in 2017 this percentage was 24%, but sexism is still there in other ways, such as how the female characters are portrayed.

In 2018, after studying the 56 top-grossing films in 20 countries, the World Economic Forum found that female lead characters were four times more likely to be shown naked than male leads.

According to research conducted by San Diego State University in 2018, women characters were often in supporting roles, and only one in three speaking characters in the top 56 films of 2018 were female. However, when women were in powerful roles, they were still objectified. Nearly a third of powerful female characters were wearing revealing clothing compared to less than 10% of male leads.

“Girls need to see themselves reflected on screen and to see positive and authentic characters that can inspire them,” said Geena Davis, the Oscar-winning star of “Thelma and Louise.” “Content creators and storytellers in entertainment and media have an opportunity to support and influence the aspirations of girls and women and stop reinforcing damaging gender stereotypes.”

She is right. Young girls need to see a woman on screen in a powerful role and not have to think that even those in positions of power must still “please the man” by wearing revealing clothing or acting in a seductive manner. Girls should think that they can get to the top without having to act sexy or even act differently than their male counterparts.

The World Economic Forum also reported that audiences were told the marital status of 46% of female characters, while only 34% of the male characters’ statuses were shared.

Not only that, but almost three-quarters of male characters had a known occupation compared to only two-thirds of female characters. This is wrong.

Meena Harris, Vice President Kamala Harris’s niece, tweeted on March 22, “These movies have kids *obsessed* with playing marriage. We’re trying to get our girls to be as excited about playing graduation by telling them that it’s really fun and there’s lots of cake!!”

Young girls who watch movies will think that life is only marriage. While love and happiness is an important aspect of life, girls should be encouraged to be successful, too. Film directors should be making a stronger effort in creating movies that showcase a

SCREENSHOT FROM INSTAGRAM @KERSHNER.ALI

Stanford’s Associate Olympic Sports Performance Coach Ali Kershner posted photos of the men’s and women’s weight room at the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

For most women, taking regular precautions to avoid sexual assault is normal, as six in 10 women regularly take precautions to avoid sexual assault, while 60% of men say they do not. This is important to note — women and girls experience sexual violence at high rates with one out of every six American women being a victim of an attempted or completed rape, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest Network (RAINN). Why is this the case? Why are women continuously the victims of rape and sexual assault, with one in three women having been a victim of physical sexual violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)?

According to the Rutgers University Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance, the “perpetrators have a strong sense of entitlement and use power and control to commit acts of sexual violence. Most perpetrators adhere to rigid ‘traditional’ gender roles that focus on the inequality of women. This allows them to treat women and the targeted victim with no regard or respect.”

For many instances, drugs or alcohol are part of the situation, thus making the victim incapacitated.

Shockingly, in Minnesota, a man is not being charged for raping a woman because the woman voluntarily got drunk before the incident occurred. The man, Francois Khalil, was convicted in 2019 for third-degree criminal sexual conduct that involved an impaired victim. On March 24, the Minnesota Supreme Court overturned the conviction, stating that “mentally incapacitated” only applies to forced alcohol or drug consumption.

Nearly 10 million American women have been raped while intoxicated, according to The Washington Post.

Minnesota State Representative Kelly Moller (DFL) is sponsoring a legislation that will change the law to say that anyone who is intoxicated is incapable of consenting to sex, no matter if they are incapacitated voluntarily.

This is what we need. We need to make it known that sexual violence is not the victim’s fault at all. But, ultimately, we need to create a culture that all people, no matter the gender, should feel comfortable walking home alone at night.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

March 31, 2021

Opinion|5

Opinion How many will die before the government limits gun rights?

The pandemic may be nearing its end, but gun violence is not

BY MICHAEL SICOLI Opinion Editor

Returning to normalcy should be a welcome sight. We aren’t quite there, but the vaccine rollout is underway. President Joe Biden is hoping to have 200 million Americans vaccinated within his first 100 days — looking to be a soon completed mission as we enter day 64 with over 145 million vaccines distributed as of publication.

But what does a return to normalcy actually mean? Well, it means a rebound to this country’s most infamous pastime — mass shootings.

Of course, this isn’t anything new. In 2020, nearly 20,000 Americans died as a result of gun violence, including nearly 300 children, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The total death number was higher than any year in at least two decades, and the 50% more children died compared to 2019. Over 24,000 more Americans committed suicide using a gun.

4,464 deaths from gun 5,874 gun-related suicides

10,388 42,602

lives lost

projected deaths via gun in 2021

Data from Gun Violence Archive (March 30)

Of all the abnormal things 2020 offered, this stayed the same.

Gun control is a huge issue in this country that was utterly dismissed in 2020 due to COVID-19. Media companies didn’t cover it extensively because of the greater attention that the pandemic demanded. There wasn’t a mass shooting past Sept. 7, and before that, COVID-19 was ripping the country apart at a higher rate.

As the United States begins to normalize, the mass shootings came back. In Atlanta, Georgia, a shooter killed eight people on March 16. The shooter bought a 9 mm handgun and began shooting hours later. Six days later, another shooter killed 10 people in Boulder, Colorado at a grocery store, courtesy of an AR-15.

An AR-15-style gun has been the weapon of choice for mass shootings for years. The 2017 mass shooting at the Las Vegas Strip resulted in 61 deaths. The 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting left 26 people dead — 20 children and six educators. A shooter at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue killed 11 people in 2018.

This was all courtesy of AR-15-style weapons.

I understand the history of our country, and the importance of the Second Amendment. Guns have a special place in American culture and removing them outright would be unconstitutional.

However, the thing about amendments is that they can be amended. Making adjustments and controlling certain guns is well within the rights and ethics of elected officials.

If AR-15-style weapons are constantly being used, why not limit their availability? People can buy assault weapons for around $500 — incredibly cheap for a weapon of its caliber.

They’re infamously known for their inexpensive price tag.

The desire to feel secure and safeguard your home are viable concerns. But too many take the guns they own to kill others rather than protect themselves. Harvard University’s David Hemenway and Sara J. Solnick analyzed the National Crime Victimization Survey and found that from 2007 to 2011, only 0.9% of gun owners used their firearm to protect themselves from a crime.

The best and only argument to own an AR-15 is that “it’s

cool.” And yeah, it might be fun to use in a controlled environment. But that’s what firing ranges are for, where guns can be rented out to try and enjoy.

Implementing a waiting period across the country is another important step that should be taken. It serves as a cooldown timer to prevent immediate violence following the purchase of a weapon. It can serve as a shield against impulsive actions that shootings can be.

Many people argue that “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Mental health has been a huge issue in this country for the longest time, and it’s only gotten worse. Nearly one in five Americans suffer from a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. When buying from a licensed gun shop, it is mandatory to run the buyer through the criminal background system, but federal law doesn’t require mental health checks as a part of the system.

That’s only for licensed gun shops. Unlicensed gun owners sell through classified ads, at gun conventions or simply at a yard sale. No background check can account for those purchases.

And so, I’m waiting. Eventually there will be another school shooting akin to the 2018 Parkland High School shooting where 17 people were killed, 14 of which were students. I still remember how rattled I was as a high schooler. Researching this again still gives me chills. I can’t get that feeling out of my head years later, when I actually rejoice that my brothers and I are out of that confined school setting.

I know the odds are minimal. But they sure as hell aren’t zero, and there aren’t enough responsible gun owners for me to feel safe.

Change doesn’t come until it’s too late. As terrible as it sounds, the blood of each of those victims only slightly greased the government’s wheels to achieve change. And when more blood flows to get the gears moving to achieve the bare minimum, I’ll sit and remember this moment when nothing meaningful will happen.

INFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

When a racist painting imitates a racist reality Georgia’s new voting bill will restrain minority voters

BY XAVIER CULLEN Podcast Producer

On March 25, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a 95-page bill that will heavily suppress the vote of millions of Georgians — especially Black voters. Right behind Kemp was a painting of the Callaway Plantation in Georgia, which formerly housed slaves.

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams called the bill “nothing less than Jim Crow 2.0,” and it’s hard to disagree considering that African Americans will have many more roadblocks in the way of performing their civic duty with the passing of this bill. The painting in the background just reinforces that message.

Here’s a few ways Kemp and his cronies are trying to circumvent the Constitution by feeding into former President Donald Trump’s lie that the 2020 elections were stolen.

Decreasing drop-off ballots accessibility

In the past year, it has been clear other forms of voting promote voter turnout. In a time when many people were worried about in-person voting amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia increased its turnout rate from 52.5% in 2016 to 61.6% in 2020.

Now though, Kemp is trying to make the once-convenient method of dropping off your ballot more difficult. Georgia will be moving curbside drop-off locations inside early voting locations and will be removing several locations around the state.

Elderly and disabled voters are the targets of this part of the bill, as it will vastly hurt those who can’t travel that far to drop off an envelope. For two groups that have experienced so much grief and heartache throughout this grueling pandemic, the least Georgia can do is let them vote.

Requiring voter identification for absentees

To many people, this might seem like a no-brainer. Of course people would believe that voters should show identification when they arrive at the polls — there have been many claims of voter fraud by Trump and Republicans in the past five years.

The truth is that there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in states that don’t require strict identification, and the idea of requiring voter ID is a new concept. Prior to 2002, nobody had to show photo ID in the polls, and ballot tampering was not deemed an issue.

Georgia’s bill will force absentee voters to show identification, which can be a major hassle for many people. It can drive people away from voting due to the unnecessary steps needed.

Republicans have been pushing for stricter voter ID laws because it heavily discriminates against minorities, who tend to vote for Democrats. They are less likely to have the kinds of identification required by these states in order to vote, and that’s not by accident.

In 2016, North Carolina tried passing stricter voter ID measurements, which were later shot down by the United States District Court because it targeted the specific forms of identification that Black voters were more likely to use and banned them with “almost surgical precision.”

These laws are pitched as fixing a non-existent problem, creating more burdens on the voter before they can submit their ballot.

Criminalizing snacks or drinks

It’s no secret that some lines for voting are incredibly long, especially when there are only a few voting places for millions of voters to cram into. Georgia was especially notorious, as some voters in Atlanta had to wait upward of five IILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

PHOTO FROM TWITTER @GOV.KEMP

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signs a bill targeting minority voters in front of a painting of a plantation that held slaves.

hours before they could check a box.

People handed out water bottles and food to those who had to wait so long, especially to the elderly and disabled.

Well, now those conditions are going to be even worse, as the state is making it a misdemeanor to provide water or food to anyone waiting in line to vote. That means if you hand someone a water bottle after several hours in Georgia weather, you will face a bigger punishment than if you brought a gun with you.

Coupled with a ban on mobile voting units where volunteers drove bus-loads of people who couldn’t drive to the polls, this bill is a direct assault on the rights of voters.

Republicans and Kemp aren’t hiding their discrimination at this point. They got scared that the voices of Georgia are speaking up after they elected two Democrats to the Senate last year. Voters showed that when people get to the polls, Republican power will quickly fall, and this bill is Kemp’s last-ditch effort to maintain decades of discrimination.

However, these efforts by Republicans to try to suppress voters shouldn’t discourage people from being civically engaged. If we give up now, then that means Kemp will get what he wants, and discrimination will continue to thrive.

Get out to the polls, make your voice heard and kick these racists out of government.

6|Arts and Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

March 31, 2021

Arts & Life

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University on native land considers minor in Indigenous studies

By EMILY DISALVO Arts & Life Editor

Currently, there are at least 75 major programs and 112 minor programs in Native American and Indigenous studies at universities across America, but Quinnipiac University, an institution bearing the name of a Native American tribe, is not one of them.

Gabriella Colello, a junior legal studies and political science double major, set out to change that by proposing an Indigenous Studies minor at Quinnipiac.

Colello, a Pacific Islander, said when she arrived on campus, it bothered her that the university bears the name Quinnipiac but is otherwise indifferent to its heritage.

“It’s similar to naming a Jeep the ‘Jeep Cherokee’ and then not doing anything for Native Americans,” Colello said. “It is kind of just a marketing ploy. It’s not an ‘honoring’ title.”

Native American Indigenous Studies (NAIS) programming is offered at many other institutions, including the University of Connecticut (UConn). Over winter break, Colello compiled a list of similar programs in the region and lined up the curriculum with courses that are already offered at Quinnipiac.

“My whole goal has been to show that we have some of the starting courses but not to use that planning as an excuse to not hire Indigenous faculty and increase course offerings,” Colello said.

In addition to Colello’s work, Quinnipiac is working with Akomawt Educational Initiative to help the university create an academic setting that includes Native American studies.

Akomawt is a group that supplies educators with the tools to implement Native American curriculum.

Sean Duffy, professor of political science and director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute, agreed that adding the minor at Quinnipiac would be a starting point for other initiatives to make the university more inclusive.

“Our name is an Indigenous name,” Duffy said. “If we are going to use the name, we need to be aware of who the Quinnipiac were and still may be, the history of the land, all those kinds of things.”

The Quinnipiac tribe lived in South-Central Connecticut along the banks of Connecticut’s rivers before the English invaded.

Colello compiled her research in a 12-page proposal document called, “Achieving Inclusive Excellence: A Proposal for Introducing Indigenous Studies Academic Programming.” The

“We don’t have Indigenous students because there is no reason for them to come.

We don’t have any extra support. Quinnipiac is very expensive and there are a lot of obstacles in the way for native students”

Gabriella Colello, junior legal studies and political studies double major

PHOTO FROM KIARA TANTAQUIDGEON

Kiara Tantaquidgeon is the president of the Indigenous Student Union and is a member of the Mohegan Tribe. document includes an introduction from Kiara Tantaquidgeon, the president of the Indigenous Student Union.

“As an Indigenous student, I feel it is only right—and not only that but should be expected—that a predominantly white institution claiming native titles and land such as Quinnipiac is, should offer at the bare minimum a minor course of study for students,” junior health science studies major Tantaquidgeon wrote in the proposal.

Some of the existing Quinnipiac course offerings that would be adopted into the minor are “Development, Globalization and Colonialism,” “Ethics and Public Policy” and “Ancient Food for Thought.” The only course currently offered at Quinnipiac that relates specifically to Indigenous studies is a special topics course, HS-300 Native American History.

Tantaquidgeon calls this class, “One of the only courses that specifically teaches students about Native American history that is not whitewashed and colonized.”

Currently, if students would like to pursue Indigenous coursework, they must create an independent minor by combining courses that Quinnipiac offers. Tantaquidgeon designed her own minor in “Indigenous Cultures/Diversity Studies,” the first independent minor to be approved at Quinnipiac in many years.

“Indigenous students, on-campus now and in the future, already have to worry about facilitating their own education at a predominantly white institution,” Tantaquidgeon wrote in the proposal. “Now, on top of that, having to worry about spending precious hours that could be spent on schoolwork and extracurricular activities creating a minor about Indigenous studies at a school that is actively profiting off of an Indigenous name on Indigenous land. That is unacceptable.”

There are many hurdles that the proposal must clear before becoming a minor, Duffy said.

“In order to get a minor in the books that is a standard that people can adopt, it would have to go through the College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum and Pedagogy Committee and then it would have to be approved by the (Faculty) Senate,” Duffy said.

Duffy said that Colello’s proposal is ready to be reviewed by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty Senate, but first needs to acquire the support of faculty and administration.

Both Colello and Duffy said that offering Indigenous studies curriculum would be one way to attract Indigenous students to Quinnipiac.

PHOTO FROM GABRIELLA COLELLO

Gabriella Colello is leading the effort to introduce an Indigenous studies minor at Quinnipiac.

“Right now, Quinnipiac is like ‘We don’t have Indigenous students so why does it matter?’” Colello said. “We don’t have Indigenous students because there is no reason for them to come.

We don’t have any extra support. Quinnipiac is very expensive, and there are a lot of obstacles in the way for native students coming here which need to be removed because Quinnipiac is called Quinnipiac.”

March 31, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Arts and Life|7

War. What is it good for?

The Quinnipiac University theater department puts on a stunning performance of 'An Iliad'

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Associate Arts & Life Editor

Performers from Quinnipiac University’s theater department brought the costs of war into vivid color in a pandemic-friendly production of Homer’s “The Iliad.”

The play, which was an adaptation by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, streamed live on YouTube from March 18 to 27.

The performance features seven actors, each playing “poets” who narrate the show through monologues.

While all seven actors performed incredibly in their roles, three in particular stuck out to me. Sneha Sakhare, an actor and singer from New York City, did ethereal background vocals as well as a great monologue. Sarah Gass, a first-year 3+1 journalism and public relations double major, nailed her Quinnipiac debut with her lively character and dynamic performance. Esau Greene, a senior sociology and political science double major, showed amazing skill as a conversational actor in his main stage debut. I point these three out, but the entire cast shined in the production.

What I liked most about the show is how Peterson and O’Hare modernized the “The Iliad,” particularly in the references to each major war in the past several centuries. These references allow the audience to feel the impacts of a story distinct from Homer’s version due to the length of time since the Trojan War. The play covers themes and costs of war, particularly through the character Hector. Hector is portrayed as a loving father to his infant son but a menace on the battlefield. When Achilles inevitably kills Hector out of revenge for Achilles’ friend, Patroclus, Hector’s father, Priam, begs for the body back. After a lot of pleading from Priam, Achillies gives the body to Hector’s family. However, once the peace for Hector’s burial was over, the Greeks slaughtered the Trojans, including Priam and Hector’s son.

These losses are portrayed as a waste of humanity as the war has been going on for years.

The minimalist set was also a great touch. The stage was bare, leaving only backlighting of blues, yellows, greens and reds.

The rare use of spotlights led to the creation of silhouettes of the actors onstage, which I thought was really interesting. To me, it represented how the victims of war often do not get represented.

I also think that Quinnipiac’s theater department did an amazing job handling a production while complying with social distancing guidelines. The end of the production shows each poet with their own closed off section during which they can remove their mask to give their monologues, which I think was ingenious.

It allowed the audience to get the full effect of the actors’ facial expressions while keeping the cast and crew safe.

CRANDALL YOPP/QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY

The set for the play 'An Iliad' was simple and involved changing spotlight colors to create silhouettes.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

8|Arts and Life

March 31, 2021

Celebr ating Easter, Passo ver a nd Holi at QU during COVID-19

By DAVID MATOS Staff Writer

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Quinnipiac University faculty, staff and students are finding ways to celebrate spring holidays like Easter, Passover and Holi with Easter and Passover services being offered on campus.

The number of COVID-19 cases on campus have been remarkably low as the university enters the midpoint of the spring semester. At this point in the fall 2020 semester, COVID-19 cases among students were seemingly out of control, causing the university to enter a “red alert level” in November. This semester, due to students honoring mandatory health protocols and weekly surveillance testing, the university has been able to sustain a 0.6% positivity rate.

Dr. David Hill, senior medical advisor of the COVID-19 task force, encouraged Quinnipiac students to refrain from going home

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

during Easter and Passover weekend in an email sent earlier this month. Hill is aware of the importance of these religious holidays, so he suggests that students practice regular COVID-19 prevention guidelines if they plan to go home.

“We prefer that students refrain from traveling during these weekends,” Hill wrote. “But we do recognize that this is a deeply religious time for many of our students and families, and some may wish to travel home.”

An Easter Sunday service will be held in the Mount Carmel auditorium at 9 a.m. on April 4. Services for the first Passover Seder were held on Saturday, March 27. The university is also hosting the first-ever glow-in-the-dark egg hunt on the Quad set for Saturday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m.

This year, Passover began sundown on March 27 and ends on April 4. Practicing Jews are expected to refrain from consuming a variety of foods during the eight-day celebration, in addition to kosher meals. Quinnipiac will not be updating its regular menus during Passover.

University Rabbi Reena Judd does not take issue with the lack of Passover food available for Jewish students who plan on staying on campus this year.

“Most Jewish students who attend Quinnipiac are not very traditionally observant,” Judd said. “Many who do want to keep kosher for Passover bring kosher food from home or purchase it at the local food stores. I also give many students free boxes of matzah.”

Judd said that in years past, the dining hall tried to offer kosher options, but they were low quality and expensive.

“One year, many years ago now, the cafe did much more, but the kosher for Passover food they purchased was not very good,” Judd said. “Kosher for Passover food is very hard to make in the best of circumstances, and the cafe ended up

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

losing quite a bit of money.”

For students who celebrate Holi, a Hindu holiday in honor of the start of spring on March 28, the Quinnipiac South Asian Society created a video explaining the traditions associated with it on its Instagram account.

On the holiday, people celebrate by throwing colored powder on others as a way to symbolize the triumph of good over evil.

Additionally the South Asian Society held a raffle to win a $100 bookstore gift card, an Apple Watch and an Echo Dot. Quinnipiac will be operating on a normal dining schedule during Easter weekend and Passover, which is available on the QU Dining website. If you plan on celebrating at home this year, I personally encourage everyone to be proactive in slowing the spread by practicing social distancing, wearing a mask, getting tested and washing your hands regularly.

David Dobrik’s Vlog Squad finally crumbles

By ANYA GRONDALSKI Staff Writer

David Dobrik is a multi-millionaire with over 18.5 million subscribers on YouTube who has built an empire by creating comedic content that pokes fun at racial issues, sexual assault, disabilities, religions and more.

If it's not something you should laugh about, Dobrik and his squad have.

Business Insider recently published an article explaining a night in which the Vlog Squad enabled member Dominykas Zeglaitis, better known as Durte Dom, to rape a 20-year-old woman.

However, let’s start at the beginning of Dobrik’s exposed horrors.

Between Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, 2019, Trisha Paytas, YouTuber and social media star, was admitted to a mental facility after attempting suicide following months of trauma at the hands of Dobrik and his group. She was admitted two more times following her breakup with Vlog Squad member Jason Nash and the group’s severance of communication with her.

Throughout the following year, Paytas posted multiple videos to her YouTube channel detailing her experience with the Vlog Squad. This subsequently led the Vlog Squad to perpetuate a “Trisha is crazy” frenzy across the internet, thus invalidating her credibility by citing her mental health issues and breakup with Nash as evidence of her incoherency.

Joseph Francois, more widely known as Seth, played the role of “the one Black friend” in Dobrik’s vlogs for years. It wasn’t until this year that Francois came forward detailing the blatant racism and sexual assault he suffered during his time working with Dobrik.

One particular instance happened when the squad tricked Francois into making out with Nash, who he thought was Corinna Kopf, the resident “slutty” girl of the vlogs. Since he came forward about the experience, Paytas and popular YouTuber Ethan Klein have continued to advocate for Francois on their podcast “Frenemies.” Klein furthered his support with his wife Hila Klein on their show “H3 Afterdark.”

Since Paytas and Francois came forward, others were inspired to speak out on their negative experiences in Dobrik’s vlogs, detailing the disturbing power dynamic he created to coerce members into making uncomfortable content in exchange for clout or cash payments.

Returning to Zeglaitis, the Vlog Squad members were present for a skit when a group of underaged girls showed up to his apartment to reportedly have a fivesome with him. However, the girls’ said via social media messages with Zeglaitis that they were

not interested in having sexual relations, and that they were instead interested in meeting Dobrik. Dobrik is reported on multiple witness accounts to have asked Nash to go to the store and get alcohol to “loosen up” the group of girls.

Paytas, his girlfriend at the time, acknowledged the disturbing nature of the situation and convinced Nash that they should leave. Afterward, Todd Smith and Jeff Wittek, both Vlog Squad members and content creators, reportedly returned to the apartment with a bottle of Jack Daniels. Dobrik’s vlog from the night details that “after a stroke of luck and master negotiating, Dom made progress.” The girls are seen then following Zeglaitis into a bedroom.

One of the witnesses released a picture from the night that shows the rape victim being physically held up by her friends. She claimed that she woke up still intoxicated after the night’s events and had no recollection of having sexual relations with anyone.

However, she continues to suffer from physical trauma.

The article sparked the massive downfall of Dobrik’s empire, with members such as Wittek and Scotty Sire coming forward with varying apology videos and recounts of the evening’s events.

Dobrik’s manager and childhood friend Natalie Noel released a statement on Instagram on March 23.

“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the recent allegations and because of the severity, it’s taken me time to process,” Noel wrote. “Like many of you, I’m upset and angry and do not condone the behavior detailed in the article or any sexual misconduct/abuse for that matter.”

Wittek went as far as to join a live podcast with Paytas and Klein who have dissected the evening’s events thoroughly. On more than one occasion, the pair caught him in a lie.

Dobrik released his own apology video on March 23 titled “3/22/21.”

After the jumbled accounts of what happened and the failure of a number of Vlog Squad members who were involved to speak out, both Paytas and Klein have taken to Twitter to share their disappointment at the response of the group to the serious allegations.

“I know people who had it way worse in his vlogs than me,” Paytas said. “But the humiliation, embarrassment, and total lack of control I had in that final week is something I’ll never shake.”

Since the fallout, companies such as HelloFresh, General Mills, DoorDash, SeatGeek and EA Sports stopped partnering with Dobrik, according to NBC News.

Zeglaitis has not publicly responded to the situation, but many more victims across Twitter, TikTok and Instagram have since come forward detailing their own bad experiences with the infamous group. One girl tweeted how she remembered the

SCREENSHOT FROM TWITTER

An article from Business Insider including allegations of sexual harassment provoked the downfall of David Dobrik's empire.

Vlog Squad strolling “frat row” at University of California, Los Angeles to pick up underaged girls for its videos. A frat row is an area of a college town concentrated heavily with sorority and fraternity housing.

The common thread seems to be that no one can remember the night correctly.

No one is willing to honestly admit that Dobrik has spent years creating content with a culture of perpetuating negative stereotypes, slut shaming and creating uncomfortable situations in which saying “no” results in punishment.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

March 31, 2021

Arts and Life|9

Pandemic has increased body dysmorphia disorder while decreasing sexual encounters

By NICOLE MCISAAC Associate News Editor

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect many aspects of life, including the way individuals view themselves and their bodies, especially when it comes to sexual encounters.

Maybe this is because of the few extra pounds tacked on while being locked away in the confines of their homes, or maybe it occurred from spending more time alone in quarantine while battling specific internal conflicts and thoughts. Maybe it even happened from having a lack of access to proper mental health care or support regarding these issues.

Whatever the individualized case was, it comes as no shock that the pandemic completely shifted the way hundreds and even thousands of people view their bodies every day.

Britain’s Parliament conducted a research study in October 2020 that sampled 8,000 individuals and revealed that 58% of the participants under the age of 18 were feeling worse about their physical appearance during the lockdown.

An increase in pressure surrounding the need to focus on weight loss or improve appearance skyrocketed among individuals during this time period. People began to find ways to challenge the toxic thoughts that they had developed about themselves.

“A bunch of people on social media were more motivated to workout and get their dream body,” said Ashleigh Persico, a sophomore health science major. “Working out and eating healthy is a good thing, but during quarantine, I felt it got to the point where it was a ‘trend’ and everyone was following everyone.”

The popular workout and YouTube guru Chloe Ting, became one of the most watched trainers during lockdown. Her intense fitness programs circulated through various different social media apps and younger age groups. Even I have been swept up into the trend of regularly working out and following these planned daily fitness routines throughout my quarantine.

While working out and bettering one’s self is something admirable, the long-lasting effects of these crazed workouts and hyper-focused attention on physical appearance is something that has left an negative impact on the way people think about themselves within society.

“After participating in the workouts and eating healthy, I became constantly worried about how skinny I was or if the jeans will fit right like the girls I saw in the picture,” Persico said. “Social media definitely had an influence, and I feel a lot of comparing to others was done.”

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

Many people have experienced higher rates of body dysmorphia since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In alignment with appearance guilt and worries about “quarantine weight,” a rise in other mental health, eating disorders and body image struggles further contributed to image and perception battles. One large mental health issue during this time became Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

BDD is defined as a distinct mental disorder in which a person is preoccupied with an imagined physical defect or a minor defect that others often cannot see, according to an article published on WebMD. This disorder finds ways to completely control one’s life, no matter where they turn to and makes it difficult for someone to feel good about doing or wearing anything. It’s more than just a “mental health disorder” and consumes just about every thought a person has.

However, the idea of how this mental illness affects relationships continues to go unrecognized and undiscussed.

Sex is a prominent component of intimacy in relationships and

establishes a vulnerable environment in which a person’s body is seen in a new light.

For those who are diagnosed with BDD or endure other body image struggles, this could easily seem like an overwhelming experience that adds fuel to an uncontrollable anxiety and overthinking wildfire. In addition, these battles find ways to disrupt the fulfillment that individuals are feeling with their partners.

According to an online study published by PubMed, “Women more satisfied with body image reported more sexual activity, orgasm, and initiating sex, greater comfort undressing in front of their partner, having sex with the lights on, trying new sexual behaviors and pleasing their partner sexually than those dissatisfied.”

That same study also indicated that positive body image is related to self-consciousness and the importance of physical attractiveness, which further aligns with relationships with others and overall satisfaction.

While body image struggles vary from person to person, there may be a pattern of difficulties people face when trying to go about meeting new people or getting intimate with others, particularly post-pandemic.

“Personally, it hasn’t stopped me from going out or meeting new people, but I’m just more aware of how others perceive me,” Persico said. “I’m constantly thinking about what I look like, constantly checking if I’m skinny.”

In efforts to repair those added intimacy issues, it is important to note that it can and will be challenging. Keeping an open line of communication, trust and honesty with your partner can help aid in their understanding as to why the physical aspect of the relationship might be altered.

Despite trying to solely rely on discussing these struggles, there are other ways to further seek help in doing so. Finding a regular therapist to talk to about these body perception issues can serve as a way to explore all the different factors that are contributing to these attitudes and behaviors.

Understand the time we are all living in and the difficulties that come with it. If you put on some extra weight or developed some related body image disorders, don’t hate yourself.

You can seek help and guidance to work on these issues or even find alternative healthy goals to set for yourself. Just know, these struggles don’t define you.

Why is food so mysterious?

By NEHA SEENARINE Staff Writer

Jensen Karp, husband of “Boy Meets World” actress Danielle Fishel, had an unusual bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch for breakfast. On Twitter, he announced the prizes in his cereal were shrimp tails. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch Twitter account posted that there was no cross-contamination with shrimp.

SCREENSHOT FROM TWITTER

Twitter was in an uproar last week after Jensen Karp posted a photo of his cereal that he claimed had shrimp in it.

However, this scandal has made me second guess the foods I am eating.

“Ok, well after further investigation with my eyes, these are cinnamon coated SHRIMP TAILS, you weirdos,” Karp responded on Twitter. “I wasn’t all that mad until you now tried to gaslight me?”

Cinnamon Toast Crunch began its path to Twitter’s cancel culture. The company privately messaged Karp offering General Mills vouchers for his unfortunate experience. It asked him to send the shrimp tails for laboratory testing. Karp refused to ship his cereal back because of the poor communication from Cinnamon Toast Crunch. They did not give immediate responses to him and waited until the next day. The company then emailed Karp telling him to turn the cereal into law enforcement.

The cereal company issued an apology on its Twitter. The bizarre situation opened up two avenues on social media: a field day with memes and the fear of what is in the foods we enjoy eating.

Processed foods are a staple in the United States market.

We see advertisements plastered everywhere about the latest chip flavors. Billion-dollar corporations profit off producing unhealthy snacks and beverages that people consume every day.

“The core of the problem is the massive price distortions in the market that have been brought about by government intervention,” wrote Jeffery A. Tucker for the American Institute for Economic Research. “We have breads, grains, and corn syrup taking over our lives – all made available at absurdly cheap prices to the point that eating a healthy diet seems economically irrational.”

Processed foods are linked to heart disease, according to a study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

"The consumption of ultra-processed foods makes up over half of the daily calories in the average American diet and are increasingly consumed worldwide. As poor diet is a major modifiable risk factor for heart disease, it represents a critical target in prevention efforts," said Filippa Juul, a faculty fellow at the New York University School of Public Health, in the study.

While not all processed foods that you may eat will include shrimp tails or other imperfections, just the food alone can be dangerous.

It is easy for college students to eat processed foods. We are on busy schedules, so most do not have time to cook. It is much easier for a student to eat cereal for dinner rather than going grocery shopping to prepare a meal.

PHOTO FROM FLICKR

The marketing team for Cinnamon Toast Crunch urged Jensen Karp to return the contaminated cereal for testing.

Many students are not aware of the food they put in their bodies. They do not spend time reading the nutritional facts on the packaging. People are going to eat what is available when they are hungry. Processed foods are cheap and convenient while looking to find healthier alternatives can break a college student’s bank account.

Some students have a limited budget, so they cannot afford organic foods. Also, transportation to go off campus can be inconvenient, so they have to stick to what dining halls offer.

Quinnipiac Dining offers some healthy options for students.

They can go to the Blue Zone in Cafe Q to find an arrangement of healthy snacks from trail mix to dried fruit. Also, students can custom order their own acai bowls and salads.

Another way to avoid processed foods is to cook for yourself.

If your dorm has a kitchen, check out the selection of vegetables and other grocery items for sale at the York Hill cafe.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

10|Sports

March 31, 2021

Wolff’s Wire: Key takeaways from QU baseball’s first two weekends No. 1 starter?

By JORDAN WOLFF Staff Writer

On a cloudless March 20, with students and family members in attendance, the Quinnipiac baseball team (2-6 overall, 2-6 MAAC) stepped on its home field for the first time in 671 days — a welcome return. It played the Monmouth Hawks (3-1 overall, 3-1 MAAC). The Bobcats also traveled to Lawrenceville, New Jersey, this past weekend to face the Rider Broncs (6-2 overall, 6-2 MAAC).

The Bobcats lost three out of four games in both series.

On the surface, one may think that’s not the start to the season this team wanted. Luckily, success is not only surface level. While the team showcased some poor trends, there were some good aspects, too.

The Bobcats displayed their strengths more than their weaknesses in their season opener on Saturday. They defeated the Hawks 5-0, and a Bobcat who really benefited from that first game was sophomore pitcher Brandyn Garcia.

In his freshman year, the southpaw appeared in four games, making one start. In those four games, he finished with a 5.40 earned run average (ERA), allowed seven hits and six earned runs and struck out five batters in 10 innings pitched. The most innings Garcia had pitched in his career was three, but on Saturday, he doubled his career total.

Garcia’s debut was impressive as he allowed zero runs and two hits and struck out eight batters in six innings pitched.

He started again on March 26, and allowed two runs, hits and walks and struck out four batters in six innings.

It’s only been two starts, but Garcia is trending upward.

He could be the Bobcats No. 1 starting pitcher down the line.

Experience explodes In the season opener, two familiar faces brought the offense’s punch once again. The first is graduate student outfielder Andre Marrero, who, in the season opener, hit an important insurance run batted in (RBI) single in the bottom of the fifth inning. Marrero finished the game going 1-2, with a walk and two RBIs. The other is graduate student third baseman/outfielder Evan Vulgamore. It was a scoreless game, until Vulgamore launched a home run over the left field fence to make it 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth. He finished the game batting 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Vulgamore is currently second on the team in batting average (.385) and hits (10), along with leading the team in slugging percentage (.731), on base-plus slugging (1.215), and being second on the team in on-base percentage (.484).

A bigger story, though, has been graduate student infielder Dylan Lutz’s play.

The Colorado native leads his team in batting average (.431), hits (11) and is tied for second in RBIs (6). Marrero leads the Bobcats with seven RBIs. The opening two weekends saw a combination of experience and how that translates to offensive production. If the bats continue like this, expect to see high run totals moving forward.

Overpowered by offense and shut down by pitching

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

Graduate student outfielder Evan Vulgamore is hitting .385 this season.

The season opener and the final game of the Rider series are the only wins the Bobcats have this season.

Both series displayed that potent opposing offensive production can overpower the Bobcats’ offense. An example of this was the Hawks 8-5 win in the second game of the March 20, double-header.

Hawks sophomore utility player Harry Padden went 4 for 6 from the plate, including two triples. Padden also had three RBIs and a run scored.

Senior infielder Ian Ostberg celebrates after hitting a stand-up double against Monmouth.

The peak of Rider’s offensive explosion came in the third game of the series, as graduate student outfielder Kyle Johnson went 3 for 4 from the plate, with a double, home run and four RBIs. The other aspect the Bobcats struggled with was steady pitching. They faced Broncs graduate student pitcher Peter Soporowski, who leads the MAAC in strikeouts (17) and is second in ERA (0.60). The New Jersey right-hander pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits, one run and striking out eight batters.

Additionally, the Bobcats’ offense had trouble producing against Monmouth fifth-year pitcher Regan Dombrowski. The righty pitched four innings of relief, recording one strikeout while allowing no runs, no walks and two hits.

Bullpen woes The relief pitching flashed some solid stuff, as sophomore Kevin Seitter, junior Gabriel Romano and senior Connor Mahoney combined for three innings pitched, allowing one run and striking out five batters. However, things spiraled downward as graduate student pitcher Colin Donnelly entered the game.

Entering the season, Donnelly was one of the Bobcats’ candidates to fill the vacant closer role, which was previously held by former pitcher Andrew Workman. In his first appearance this season, he pitched one inning, allowed three hits, three earned runs and two walks.

Bullpen woes continued into the Rider series as well.

In the second game, graduate student pitchers David Longstreeth and Dakota Herman allowed a combined four hits, eight runs and five walks in 1.2 innings of relief DeCarr also came into relief and allowed three runs and three hits in two innings pitched. Donnelly struggled again, as he allowed five hits and three runs in 1 1/3 innings pitched.

While the Bobcats will probably have to do a closerby-committee scenario, it’s also important for them to have those in-between pitching pieces step up.

Play to the final out An important quality for the Bobcats is that they showed life in the final game against Rider. Down 5-2, the Bobcats didn’t allow a run between the fourth and ninth inning. They won the game 8-5.

Sometimes, teams get so defeated by the deficit they choose to quit or save their fight for a different day. Not this team.

It also happened against the Hawks. The Bobcats were down 10-4 in the bottom of the eighth. A Vulgamore solo shot and senior catcher Colton Bender two-run homer later cut the deficit to 11-7.

It’s small, but it can make a sizable impact if and when the Bobcats offense faces this situation again.

The recipe to success seems simple, but it’s all about the Bobcats sticking to their identity: a powerful offense. And when it’s clicking, everything else falls into place.

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

March 31, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|11

Pete’s pond: Overtime heartbreak

COURTESY OF QU ATHLETICS

Senior forward Odeen Tufto scored the first goal of the game three minutes into the first period.

By PETER PIEKARSKI Associate Sports Editor

There is almost nothing more legendary than scoring an overtime playoff goal. For Quinnipiac, Saturday night’s overtime loss was nothing short of heart-breaking.

Kudos to Minnesota State for battling back over the course of two periods, eliminating two separate two-goal leads. Especially after being outplayed in the first period.

Previously, I mentioned that Quinnipiac’s chance of success and a win exponentially skyrockets when it scores first and exits the first period with a lead. To its credit, it did just that. Two firstperiod goals came off the sticks of senior forward and captain Odeen Tufto and junior defenseman Peter DiLiberatore.

Tufto began the game emphatically by collecting a rebound from a keep-in by freshman defenseman Iivari Räsänen, and while all alone in front of junior goaltender Dryden McKay, he deked him out and backhanded the puck into the net just three minutes into the game.

Just 12.5 minutes later, freshman forward Christophe Fillion started a 3-on-2 odd-man rush, made a cross-slot pass to redshirt sophomore Guus Van Nes who then one-touched the puck toward the net and was tipped in by DiLiberatore.

Quinnipiac executed on every aspect of the game, something that’s been a rarity for this team in the first period this season.

Breakouts were clean, forechecking was relentless, odd-man rushes were efficient at generating chances, shots were highdanger opportunities and goals ultimately were scored.

“I think we started really good and I think we may have shocked them a little bit,” Tufto said. “I don’t think they expected us to come out like that.”

However, once the second period began, Minnesota State completely flipped the tide of the game. After being outshot 13to-6 in the first 20 minutes, the Mavericks outshot the Bobcats 14-5 in the second frame. They also managed to cut the lead in half with two minutes left.

A poorly played dump-in by Quinnipiac allowed junior forward and leading Mavericks goal scorer Julian Napravnik to fire a puck on net, which senior forward Jake Jaremko deflected past senior goaltender Keith Petruzzelli.

“We’ve been struggling a little bit with our first periods this

year,” head coach Rand Pecknold said. “We really locked in as a coaching staff trying to do something different with the guys today. Which worked but then it flipped because we weren’t very good in the second.”

The third period was going to be a tough test for both teams no matter what, but Quinnipiac took a late penalty following the Mavericks goal, which carried over into the third period. Just minutes after killing off the penalty, Quinnipiac took another one and nearly dug its own grave.

Nevertheless, the Bobcats killed off both successfully and then drew two consecutive penalties just 23 seconds apart, gifting them an extensive 5-on-3 opportunity to build on their narrow lead.

For a power-play unit that finished sixth overall in the nation, one would expect the top unit to work the puck around smoothly and generate a couple of clear shot lanes, but this 5-on-3 failed to do so. A forced shot, a bad cross-slot pass and a flubbed one-timer later, and Minnesota State had killed the two-man advantage.

Quinnipiac did manage to extend its lead just before the midway point of the third when the most unlikely goalscorer in C.J. McGee fired a loose puck from just above the left circle underneath the blocker of McKay. The sophomore defender had never scored a goal at the NCAA level to that point. This also happened to be Quinnipiac’s only shot on goal in the period.

As the final minutes rolled on, both teams created multiple offensive chances, but nothing connected until the 14:54 mark of the period when a Maverick’s dump-in was deflected back to the point where sophomore forward Nathan Smith fired a shot along the ice looking for a deflection.

Only this time it would come off of a Quinnipiac player.

Minnesota State, just like the second period, started coming in waves, never taking the pressure off of Quinnipiac’s breakout.

Freshman defenseman Jake Livingstone collected a Quinnipiac clearance with the Maverick’s net empty, skated coast-to-coast seemingly untouched, drawing a crowd of Quinnipiac players to the left corner before finding sophomore forward Cade Borchardt open in the slot, ultimately tipping the puck past Petruzzelli.

Just like that, Quinnipiac’s lead had vanished and Minnesota

State had sent the game to overtime.

For us, I don’t want to say we’re a young team but we’re a little bit all over the map at times,” Pecknold said. “And unfortunately, you can’t do that when you’re playing a top-five team nationally. A lot of the credit has to go to Minnesota State and how good they were and how they controlled play at times.”

Much like the second period, Minnesota State dominated overtime. The Mavericks suffocated the Bobcats breakout, forcing several turnovers in the neutral zone. In doing so, Quinnipiac’s forechecking and offensive pressure was non-existent.

The winning goal came via a great play by sophomore forward Brendan Furry. After getting to a dump-in first, Furry circled around the zone and then darted to the net, shooting it off of Petruzzelli’s pad.

Senior forward Reggie Lutz picked up the loose puck behind the net and wrapped around the side, putting the puck underneath Petruzzelli as he scrambled into position. With no whereabouts of the puck just laying in front of his right pad, sophomore forward Ryan Sandelin called game and knocked the puck into the net, sending Minnesota State to the next round.

A bitter ending for a few glorious careers with Quinnipiac.

Seniors goaltender Josh Mayanja, forward Joe O’Connor, as well as Tufto and Petruzzelli, had played their final game in a Bobcats sweater. Junior defenseman and assistant captain Peter DiLiberatore also joins that list as he recently signed an entrylevel contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.

“It’s unfortunate the way it ended there late in the third and then in OT,” Tufto said. “I was given a great opportunity when I came as a freshman, to play right away and play big minutes and special teams. I’m truly grateful for a coach like Rand Pecknold.

He’s given me the world these last four years.”

Quinnipiac has some major holes to fill for next season, and Pecknold will have a lot of work to do in the offseason to get this team ready for next year.

COURTESY OF QU ATHLETICS

The Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team finished the season 17-8-4, including postseason play.

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE (2019)

Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey head coach Rand Pecknold was named ECAC Hockey Tim Taylor Head Coach of the Year.

12|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports

March 31, 2021

@QUCHRONSPORTS

SCREENSHOT FROM MAACSPORTS.COM

Quinnipiac esports team ranks first in the MAAC

Mike Medina: ‘It’s the fastest-growing sport in the world’

By SYDNEY REYNOLDS Contributing Writer

Quinnipiac Athletics has experienced postponements and cancellations throughout the pandemic, causing some difficulties. However, one subsection has thrived: esports.

The university’s own club esports team has been performing well in the pandemic. While the club has been active on campus for five years, this is only its first year being an official club sport of the university. The team plays three games: Rocket League, Overwatch and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (SSBU).

Billy Schillinger, who goes by his username “Billy Schilly,” is a member of the SSBU team. Just recently in a match against Marquette University in which Quinnipiac won 1810, one of the announcers described him as the “anchor” of the group. He mainly plays Pichu or Pit in his matches.

Quinnipiac’s SSBU team has been the most successful in its division out of the three groups.

“In the span of a year and a half, we went a full calendar year without losing a regular-season game,” Schillinger said.

The team ranked first in the MAAC standings, winning the regular-season championship in February. They also placed second in the tournament championship, only losing by two points to Siena College. None of this would be achieved without skill. Just like physical sports, esports hosts practices for all team members, though they aren’t rigorous. Most are done on the players’ personal time.

The SSBU scoring system is also simple. Each player starts with three lives (also known as stocks). Once a winner comes out of a match, their remaining stock counts as a point. If a player comes out without dying, they have earned a maximum of three points for that round.

Esports has also become lucrative within the past couple of years. Schillinger is sponsored by a company called Brainless eSports. And most recently, the biggest cash prize for SSBU tournament-wise has been $250,000, awarded to the winner back in March 2020. But Schillinger’s eye isn’t on the money.

“It’s just a hobby that I do that I got really good at,” Schillinger said.

He has his own gaming community back on Long Island which consists of some nationally-ranked players. And, like physical sports, esports needs to make cuts to the team.

“The trial this year was just a straight-up double elimination,” Schillinger said. “Although, the results themselves weren’t the only factor. We’re also looking at sets, looking how people played, and we pretty much decided from there.

So if we saw what we liked, we kept them on the team.”

The overall growth of the Quinnipiac esports teams has

been incredibly impressive. Mike Medina, who is the director of campus life for recreation, helps oversee the esports team. He’s already planning on expanding the program.

“It’s the fastest-growing sport in the world,” Medina said. “And this may be breaking news, but we’re going to have an esports-dedicated place on Rocky Top. There will be a student center room over in the summer that gets renovated to be an esports space. So it’ll be an area where you can sit and play console games and then there will also be

PC stations in there as well.”

Much like the industry itself, the university is rapidly growing its gaming community. Medina is even open to introducing new games such as Valorant. Students can suggest what teams they would like to be added to club-level esports.

To support the SSBU team directly, they will be playing in the conference finals April 17. A livestream will play on https://www.twitch.tv/officialegf.

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS