The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 92, Issue 2

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 • VOLUME 92 • ISSUE 2

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

Two months after NCAA compromise Long-awaited decision allows QU athletes to use their name, image and likeness to build their brands (p.10-11) ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA KOGEL

NEWS P.2: COVID CLASS COMPLICATIONS Fewer virtual class options leave students concerned about missing class while sick

ILLUSTRATION BY LINDSEY KOMSON

OPINION P.4: ‘MILK CRATE CHALLENGE’ The challenge does not tell a person’s intelligence but their privilege

EMILY FLAMME/CHRONICLE

A&L P.7: PUMPKIN WAR PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM @SEAAVISION

Emily Flamme and Jessica Simms rank pumpkin-flavored beverages from Dunkin and Starbucks

Students voice vaccine verification concerns

By KATIE LANGLEY COPY EDITOR

COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card

FAKE DOCUMENT

Student First Name

A MI

2021

Patient Number Vaccine 1 2

Product

Pfizer Pfizer

Date

7/1/21 7/14/21

Clinic Site

Hospital Hospital

Other

ILLUSTRATION BY SEAN FORMANTES

Quinnipiac University required its students to upload a photo of their vaccination card to the Student Health Services portal by Aug. 1, relying solely on a trust based verification system upon student arrival.

Despite a 95% vaccination rate on campus, many individuals within the community are questioning the accuracy behind trusting in students to do the right thing.

“All you really needed was a photo and you can just download one off the internet,” said Lorraine Camilo, a sophomore criminal justice major. “Now, if I was supposed to show my card and prove it was real, then it’s a different story.”

Camilo, who is fully vaccinated, said she has not heard about fake vaccine cards being used in the community. However, she believes students should be able to opt out of getting vaccinated, as long as they wear masks and get tested frequently.

“It’s their body and they are entitled to do what they want with it,” Camilo said.

Other students, including Morgan Bloom, a sophomore political science major, said they were confident in the health center’s process.

“They are requiring students to upload

them to the health center’s portal and from there they can cross reference the info given there to their student info,” Bloom said.

Bloom, who said she had heard talk about fake vaccine cards, but called them “pointless,” said that following the university’s rules around vaccine requirements “will allow the school community to return to normal in the safest way possible.”

Associate Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan declined The Chronicle’s request to interview a staff member from the Student Health Services, but instead ensured that the university is taking precautions against falsities.

“Student Health Services reviews every card that is uploaded, ensures the appropriate information and signatures are included and follows up with students if there are any questions or missing information,” Morgan said.

The sale of fake vaccine cards has become somewhat of a new business venture, made easier by the fact there is no universalized database of vaccinated individuals.

A simple Instagram or Twitter search tells all and shows a ton of accounts that claim to See VACCINE CARD Page 2

2| News

MEET THE EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Sicoli MANAGING EDITORS Emily Flamme Toyloy Brown III CREATIVE DIRECTOR Connor Lawless NEWS EDITORS Nicole McIsaac Chatwan Mongkol ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Melina Khan OPINION EDITOR Xavier Cullen ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Ashley Pelletier ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITORS David Matos Neha Seenarine SPORTS EDITOR Riley Millette ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Peter Piekarski PODCAST PRODUCER Kalleen Rose Ozanic ASSOCIATE PODCAST PRODUCER Brendan Samson COPY EDITOR Katie Langley

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.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter, by emailing Michael Sicoli at michael.sicoli@quinnipiac.edu.

Search “Chron-versations” and “Chronicle Weekly

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 15, 2021

With fewer virtual options, students fear missing classes due to COVID-19

By NICOLE MCISAAC AND MELINA KHAN

With the reduction of Zoom and a push toward in-person instruction, Quinnipiac University students who contract COVID-19 are facing new hurdles when attending their classes.

Students who test positive, regardless of vaccination status, must isolate and quarantine for 10 days. Provost Debra Liebowitz said they are exempt from attending classes.

Student Health Services will correspond with the student’s professors on their behalf.

Although this semester, Liebowitz said health services treat a COVID-19 diagnosis “just like having a concussion.”

“If you need to be out of class, (the) health center would notify your faculty, and then you would work with your faculty to figure out what can be done,” Liebowitz said.

While attending an on-ground class virtually is not permitted, Liebowitz said Zoom can still be utilized for students to meet with professors or watch a recorded class session should that option be utilized.

“I wouldn’t say there’s no Zoom option available, what I’d say is, we’re not allowing the ‘just flip whenever you want’ Zoom option,” Liebowitz said.

Professors are instructed to assist students who miss class on a case-by-case basis, but Liebowitz said she continues to remind faculty to be flexible with students who may need it.

However, the flexibility does not extend from last year’s course structure of hybrid classes.

Liebowitz said that hybrid classes are the “hardest thing to manage” and are not allowed in the extenuating circumstances “It’s not a seamless experience,” Liebowitz said. “I think we did it very very well, and we can still do it if we need it. We still have that technology, but the goal is to move away from 100% of the courses being hybrid.”

More web-based classes are available

in comparison to before the pandemic, Liebowitz said.

Despite the increase in web-based classes, some students said all classes should have virtual options in preparation for sick individuals to still attend.

Khushi Dagli, a sophomore health science studies major, said she personally knows students who became sick this semester but were scared to get tested for COVID-19 at the prospect of missing weeks of class.

“We already have Zoom carts and everything available in the classroom, so it would be a good idea to have that option actually available for students who actually do turn up positive,” Dagli said.

Similarly to Dagli, other students feel that the university should offer the same remote learning tools from last school year to encourage sick individuals to still attend class.

“I guess they’re trying to have everything in person,” said Annika Sayles, a junior finance major. “If they have pre-recorded lectures, that would probably make my life a lot easier so I could watch them, or they could give notes on the class so I could still keep up.”

On the other hand, other students do not feel that recorded videos would substitute the education they’re paying for.

ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA KOGEL

Nicholas Taylor, a second-year biochemistry major, said he feels he would not be able to learn the same information through recorded classes in comparison to being attentive in a live classroom or virtual classroom setting.

“I’d certainly feel like I would fall behind and I would have to work even harder than I was before to catch up to the level that everyone else would be at from actually being in person for classes,” Taylor said. “I love going to class, and having that being taken away and I couldn’t even attend via Zoom, I personally would feel very frustrated.”

Until then, students who fall ill to the virus are prepared to experience a different learning experience than offered for ill students last year.

Benedetti: ‘I honestly think it’s super dangerous. It puts more people at risk if you’ve lied or have a fake card.’

Report” on streaming platforms for the latest news.

THE CHRONICLE is distributed around all three university campuses every Wednesday when school is in session except during exam periods. Single copies are free. Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and/or subject to university discipline. Please report suspicious activity to university security (203-582-6200). For additional copies, contact the student media office for rates.

ADVERTISING inquiries can be sent to thequchronicle@gmail.com.

Inquiries must be made a week prior to publication.

SEND TIPS, including news tips, corrections or suggestions to Michael Sicoli at thequchronicle@gmail.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be between 250 and 400 words and must be approved by the editor-inchief before going to print. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit all material, including advertising, based on content, grammar and space requirements. Send letters to thequchronicle@gmail.com. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Chronicle.

SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING ON

QUCHRONICLE.COM Our award-winning website since 2009

JOIN US

Staff Meetings on Tuesdays in SB 123 at 9:15 p.m.

CONNECT @quchronicle The Quinnipiac Chronicle @quchronicle

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

VACCINE CARD from cover provide the fake cards to paying customers.

One Twitter account, who The Chronicle chose to refrain from identifying to avoid encouraging illegal sale, warns users to “stay aware” of the situation, get their vaccination cards for free while urging individuals the virus is just a common cold.

As common as the sale of fake vaccination cards is, it is still a crime to use government seals such as The Department of Health and Human Services or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention without authorization. This was reiterated in March by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“If you make or buy a fake COVID-19 vaccination record card, you endanger yourself and those around you, and you are breaking the law,” the FBI’s statement reads.

Multiple students shared that they have heard about the use of fake vaccination cards with altered dates of birth in companion with fake IDs to gain access to 21-plus spaces such as clubs that require proof of vaccination.

“The scandal I’ve heard of is mostly about people using fake vaccine cards to get into clubs to show they are older than they are,” said Connor Benedetti, a junior strategic communications major.

Popular clubs such as Toad’s Place in New Haven are requiring proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test, further contributing to the use of fake vaccine cards.

“I honestly think it’s super dangerous,” Benedetti said. “It puts more people at risk if you’ve lied or have a fake card.”

Emma Frye, a sophomore biology major, said she’s also heard of underage students using fake vaccine cards to reflect birthdates of fake IDs. Though she has not heard of students falsifying their immunization record simply to bypass the university mandate, Frye said she is still concerned about the verification process.

“It worries me because we have a lot of high risk people on campus,” Frye said. “Getting a fake vaccine card could put a lot of people at risk, and because we don’t have herd immunity, it could cause rises in variants.”

The delta variant, a mutated strain of COVID-19, has caused a rise in positive cases across the nation. As a result of the variant’s impact, the university reintroduced a mask mandate for the fall semester.

Some students have seen fake vaccine cards firsthand in capacities outside campus. Brandon Assi, a sophomore biomedical sciences major, witnessed the production of falsified records in his workplace.

“I used to work at Staples copy center,” Assi said. “I can’t begin to tell you how many people tried to get them printed.”

When it comes to medical and religious exemptions, the university announced via email in June that they would accept requests for exemptions to the mandate through health services.

Quinnipiac’s COVID-19 webpage states that students who do not submit a vaccination record and do not have a valid exemption will not be allowed to live in university housing and may be subject to further penalty.

September 15, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

News |3

Breakdown of Quinnipiac’s major grants

By CHATWAN MONGKOL News Editor

Quinnipiac University received several grants over the past few months including $306,244 from the state Office of Higher Education (OHE) and almost $30 million in total from three federal COVID-19 relief bills.

Additionally, the university requested almost $300,000 funding from the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).

Grant to help local high schoolers preparing for college With a goal to prepare at least 100 high school freshmen from Hamden, Meriden and Ansonia school districts for college, the university put $444,425 into its Quinnipiac University Advancing Diversity in Science (QUADS) program, of which $306,244 was funded by the OHE. The three-year-long program allows high school students to work on a project investigating their home communities with guidance from their teachers, as well as Quinnipiac faculty and student mentors. Prospective students will have a chance to improve their college

readiness through campus visits, job shadowing and attending workshops.

The majority of the total amount, $182,900, will go toward salaries for newly hired and promoted employees — $38,400 for the program director, $36,000 for the part-time program coordinator, $36,000 for eight faculty mentors, $52,000 for 25 student mentors, $1,600 for onsite director of first aid and $18,900 for director of summer programs and planning.

On top of their salaries, they will get employment benefits that total $39,509.

Teachers from eight of the program’s partner schools will receive a $10,000 honoraria, which brings the total price tag to $80,000.

All expenses related to the instructional material and supplies, including t-shirts for students and lab and special event supplies, are covered by the $21,550 grant from the OHE. Quinnipiac contributed $112,666 to cover administrative support, event space, furniture and digital infrastructure. The remaining $7,800 was for other costs such as an external evaluator, background checks and licensing fees.

The OHE awarded the grant on July 1, and it will cover the program’s expenses until June 2022.

The university can renew the award next year.

Assistant teaching professor of education Cindy Kern will serve as the director for the program.

“This is an awesome and timely opportunity for Quinnipiac to serve our community,” Kern said in a press release. “QUADS facilitators use equity-based principles to design meaningful ways for students to both enhance and contextualize their college readiness and learn science while moving toward social justice.”

Besides the money for students, around $11.8 million of the institutional portions from the ARP and the CRRSA acts remained unused, according to the university’s latest report.

Quinnipiac spent all of the $2.6 million for institution-related expenses from the CARES Act last year for tuition/housing refunds, campus safety operations and technology fees.

Federal grants from COVID-19 relief bills

With goals to educate students about domestic violence and provide resources to victims of such violence, Quinnipiac applied for a $299,904 grant from the OVW in March.

If awarded, the university will partner with the Hamden Police Department and community-based nonprofit organization Women and Families Center (WFC) to provide more resources and services to students.

The Chronicle reached out to the Department of Justice to ask whether or not the university was awarded the requested fund but hasn’t received any response at publication.

According to the grant proposal, around half, or $150,178, of the total amount will be a three-year salary of the yet-to-hire program director who will oversee all the aspects of the proposed project. An additional $52,562 will go toward the director’s employment benefits.

Another $38,000 was requested to cover the Quinnipiac personnel’s consultant travel costs for the OVW technical assistance.

With less than 20% of the request fund left, the university will use $28,000 to expand its domestic violence victims services on campus with WFC as its partner. The proposal listed $3,900 for supply items including the program director’s computer, laptop, printer, general office supplies and brochure and flyers printing.

The remaining $27,264 was described as indirect costs.

If the OVW releases the grant to Quinnipiac, the university will be required to use the fund to implement all the proposed programming over the next 36 months.

As a part of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund programs under the United States Education Department, Quinnipiac received three stimulus checks that total around $26.6 million starting in 2020.

This includes $13.7 million from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), $7.6 million from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act and $5.3 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Out of the $26.6 million, the U.S. Education Department mandated Quinnipiac to allocate at least $12.28 million for student financial aid. As of June, the university has distributed $4.96 million to students with grants from the CRRSA and the CARES acts.

While the student portion of the CARES Act’s fund was completely distributed, the university still needs to give out another $385,000 to students from American Rescue Plan the CRRSA Act’s grant.

For the $6.9-million stuGranted $13.7 million dent portion from the ARP, the to Quinnipiac university “is in the process of developing a distribution policy $6.9 million allocated for students but nothing based on federal guidelines, granted to students yet with the intent of assisting as many students with high financial need as possible, while ensuring that the awards are substantial enough to be meaningful,” according to its website.

Distribution of COVID-19 Relief Funds CARES Granted $5.3 million to Quinnipiac $2.6 million went directly to students

CRRSA Granted $7.6 million to Quinnipiac $2.3 million out of $2.6 million has gone to students

Grant to combat sexual and dating violence on campus

INFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

Tennis players utilize North Haven High School’s courts amid Quinnipiac’s construction

By CHATWAN MONGKOL News Editor

As Quinnipiac University’s tennis courts relocation process is underway, tennis players are using the courts at North Haven High School’s sports complex.

Senior graphic and interactive design major Sydney Burke, who used to play tennis at Quinnipiac recreationally every week, tried out for club tennis at its temporary courts on Sept. 12.

“The North Haven tennis courts are pretty nice,” Burke said. “They don’t have any cracks or anything. I enjoyed playing there.”

However, she still prefers playing at Quinnipiac’s courts because they were specifically made for the team. She said it unites the players and the university.

Students said one inconvenience from not having a tennis court on campus is transportation as the university doesn’t provide lift to the neighboring town.

“I do have to drive 10 minutes from my offcampus house to North Haven High School,” Burke said.

Amanda Ertman, a senior sociology and elementary education double major, also talked about a challenge from having to get to North Haven High School by herself.

“There is no way to improve my game without spending gas driving off campus to a separate place off campus,” Ertman said. “For those who don’t even have a car on campus, they would have to ask someone that does have a car

on campus to drive them as well.”

Burke said there is a GroupMe chat that players use to arrange rides when needed.

One good thing about North Haven’s courts Burke mentioned was that it saves her a lot of time with parking as parking is an issue at Quinnipiac right now.

With the ongoing construction of the $45-million new health and wellness center, Quinnipiac plans to relocate its six tennis courts to the North Lot, which will further eliminate 145 student parking spots.

Even though Burke and Ertman support the relocation so students can enjoy tennis courts without leaving campus, Burke said “it’s a shame” that students will lose more parking spots.

The university hoped to complete the relocation by the beginning of the fall 2021 semester, which did not happen because the Hamden Zoning and Planning Commission (ZPC) has yet to approve it.

A North Haven High School official told The Chronicle that there is no formal contract in place for its sports complex’s rental to Quinnipiac as the usage of tennis courts is a courtesy as a result of the university’s past voluntary donations to the town.

The New Haven Register reported in 2018 that former President John Lahey donated $700,000 to North Haven. The Chronicle also reported that Quinnipiac presented the town with a $400,000 check in 2016.

The tennis courts relocation faced opposition because part of the plan includes the in-

stallation of eight new 50-foot light poles in the area where the zoning regulation only permits a maximum height of 35 feet.

Hamden and North Haven residents submitted petitions against the approval of the light poles citing light pollution that will affect people in the residential area and wildlife.

Quinnipiac Vice President for Facilities and Capital Planning Sal Filardi told The Chronicle in July that these light poles are night sky-certified and that there will be little to no impact on the environment.

On the other hand, the Hamden Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) also received many supportive letters for the university’s variance

request. The letters were mostly from Quinnipiac affiliates from top administrators to student leaders, tennis players, faculty members, alumni and parents.

As the public hearing with the ZBA for these light poles kept being postponed, Quinnipiac was not able to get approval for the overall tennis court relation plan.

Natalie Barletta, the administrative assistant to the ZBA and the ZPC, told The Chronicle that Quinnipiac’s variance application for light poles is scheduled for Oct. 21, with the ZBA. She said no public hearing for the whole tennis courts relocation is scheduled as of publication.

CHATWAN MONGKOL/CHRONICLE

Quinnipiac University plans to move its tennis courts to North Lot as the construction for the new health and wellness center is underway.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

4| O p i n i o n

September 15, 2021

Opinion

Performing the ‘Milk Crate Challenge’ is more telling of finances than intellect

version of this challenge arrived last month by Black male participants who posted it on Facebook. Now, why would someone suddenly decide to make this game?

Ask yourself this: What do you do for fun when you don’t have a Playstation or when you don’t have streaming services or cable? What do you do when you don’t have money to go shopping, or when you can’t afford to travel?

If you lack many outlets for emtertainment and have little disposable income because of systemic limitations in your opportunity to build wealth, is it all that shocking that you may resort to an activity that is dangerous yet exciting?

It must be acknowledged that the options we have for recreation are often telling of our level of expendable income, resources and socioeconomic status.

From a financially privileged position, the “Milk Crate Challenge” is perceived as a ridiculous game for nitwits.

But through the lens of the people in these communities, this game is apropos. The challenge is an inexpensive yet innovative way to preoccupy yourself in a community bonding affair where you feel the suspense of watching someone perform a feat that could end with adulation or agony. How different is that from watching someone walk a tightrope?

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Managing Editor

Privilege.

This buzzword often describes the invisible advantages we possess in some form. This nine-letter word is also known for its power to prevent us from viewing another’s perspective, reinforcing our narrow-mindedness.

The everyday challenge we should embrace is detaching ourselves from our comfortable assumptions so we can understand the standpoint of others, even when it comes to viral trends.

The “Milk Crate Challenge” is a more recent trend to blow up across social media. The challenge showcases people tentatively walking on a pyramid of unstable milk crates several feet in the air. One of two things happens in these clips: either the participant completes the walk safely and makes it to the other side, or they experience a painful, embarrassing plunge. More often than not, the latter occurs, which is a component that contributes greatly to the challenge’s popularity. Laughing at people’s expense is a nearuniversal pastime.

These videos racked up millions of views on social media and were prevalent on TikTok. The app later made the decision to ban such videos because it was unaligned with its community guidelines that discourage content that “promotes or glorifies dangerous acts,” according to a company spokesperson.

After laughing at these videos, we say how we would never do this. Then, we ridicule these participants in the comment section or in real life for subjecting themselves to an endeavor that will likely result in a hospital visit. People who have fallen have experienced serious injuries that range from shoulder dislocations and meniscus tears to broken wrists and even spinal-cord injuries.

The go-to way to insult the participant is to deride their intelligence because only “someone stupid” would walk on crates. Celebrity sports commentator Stephen A. Smith filled in as a guest host on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Aug. 23 and said on the topic, “I challenge anybody — anybody on Earth — to find people dumber than these people.”

A response like this is commonplace, even among medical professionals. Henry Schuitema, chief of emergency medicine at Jefferson Health in New Jersey, told The Washington Post, “So many of these injuries we’re seeing are preventable just by being intelligent.”

Ostensibly, putting yourself in harm’s way unnecessarily should not protect anyone from criticism and online quips. However, it does seem strange that the discourse has mostly focused on attacking people’s intellect when there are plenty of other dangerous acts that are acceptable enough that participants are absolved from a guarantee of their stupidity.

If people who do dangerous things are all dumb, what about those who rock climb without a rope or harness? How about bull running? Over 200 people are injured annually at the Spanish festival activity in their attempt to flee from several unleashed cattle. What about BASE jumping, the more dangerous version of skydiving? Instead of leaping from a plane, a person jumps from a fixed location, like a building or cliff, at a lower altitude with less time to descend safely using a parachute.

These dangerous activities are not exact comparisons to the crate challenge,

SCREENSHOT FROM TWITTER/@SAMSANDERS

Some participants in the ‘Milk Crate Challenge’ are even combining the challenge with gender reveals.

but the point is that these are exceedingly more hazardous.

However, you can easily find stories on each venture without being inundated by writers and commentators claiming all who participate are nincompoops.

While finding stories about how dangerous these activities are is easy, it is just as easy to find articles that nonjudgmentally explain why people are interested in these things, like how CNN explained BASE jumping. One of the lone videos that provide a fresh perspective on the “Milk Crate Challenge” is an IGTV video from activist and life coach Justin Blu. A reality that can’t be forgotten is that the majority of people seen in these videos climbing crates or spectating are Black, which is likely a factor in why there is an ease to call these people fools and a disinterest in discovering what could cause people to do this. If the majority of videos of people doing this dangerous trend were white, would the exact same assumption of idiocy be applied as widespread as it has been for Black people?

Knowing the history of racism embedded in this country’s fabric, likely not.

Now, let’s do the arduous work of seriously considering the crate challenge through the perspective of the participants.

The origins of this challenge aren’t clear, but according to Know Your Meme, we do know that a clip back from June 2011 titled “Guy Falls Off 6 Milk Crates” showed someone doing a variation of this challenge. The first official

“If you lack many outlets for entertainment and have little disposable income because of systemic limitations in your opportunity to build wealth, is it all that shocking that you may resort to an activity that is dangerous yet exciting?”

– Toyloy Brown III

MANAGING EDITOR

Additionally, imagine if people in these circumstances are offered money to successfully climb crates. Well, in Akron, Ohio, a $500 prize was offered for anyone who could climb the crates successfully. That may not seem like much, but in a city like Akron where one in every 4.2 residents lives in poverty, according to welfareinfo.org, doing this challenge is worth it.

To be clear, the “Milk Crate Challenge” is dangerous and should be discouraged. Additionally, it can’t be assumed that every single person doing this is poor — it has grown enough in popularity that well-off people chasing views have done it too. However, it’s wrong to ignore that there is actual reasoning as to why some people will resort to this activity. It is also misguided and lazy to blanketly call the majority-Black crate challengers stupid.

After getting our laughs and jokes off, is it too idealistic to focus more on wanting to create a more equitable and openminded society where people don’t have to start walking up crates for any reason? And if they do, can we restrain ourselves from repudiating their intelligence to the utmost degree?

I don’t think so, but obviously, that’s a minority opinion.

ILLUSTRATION BY LINDSEY KOMSON

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 15, 2021

Opinion|5

Opinion Balancing self-care and current events

How to handle our crazy world while keeping your sanity

BY STEPHANIE SUAREZ Staff Writer

The past year and a half has tested the world and pushed society to new breaking points — or so I thought. As if it was not chaotic enough handling a pandemic and trying to return to a “normal” environment, the universe decided that it was time for the bonus round.

It is stressful returning to classrooms without socially distancing or realizing you’re going to have to attend in-person classes without the possibility of Zoom. Many students have not had an academic structure that reflects pre-pandemic times for almost two years. When you factor in the sheer amount of chaos that has been happening around the world, this can evoke a whirlwind of emotions.

I’ve grown up watching and reading the news, but along with many other people, I have gotten to a point where I need to step away from the headlines. There has been one breaking news story after another. However, despite how overwhelming the world can become overnight, it is important to remain up to date with the news, in any format that you can digest it best.

Here are some techniques that can be used to help manage the craziness so it isn’t so taxing on you.

Physically Navigating the academic year and the news can begin to take a physical toll on people at a certain point. Personally, I have gone from getting a headache twice a year to feeling I’m getting one every 20 seconds, or I just curl up into a ball and hide away until the world becomes less bleak.

In the end, it comes down to taking things one at a time and knowing when it is necessary to step away and take care of yourself. That could be doing some breathing exercises, moving your body with activity or any self-care techniques, in whatever capacity is best for you.

Personally, I like to take time for myself by watching a couple of episodes of a TV show that I’m currently bingeing or I will do a simple five-minute stretch to get my body moving and relaxing.

Mentally and emotionally One of the most powerful things to come out of the past year in isolation is the importance of our emotional and mental well-being. You may have been accustomed to putting tasks, responsibilities or assignments first, and then if there was time left over, you could care for yourself. The key to managing two of the most common mental illnesses that people struggle with, anxiety and depression, is finding a balance between activities and taking care of yourself.

Anxiety has become a more normalized discussion topic today in the public eye, as 40 million adults in the United States are affected by anxiety every year, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America. When it comes to depression, around 17.3 million American adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2017, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It is important to recognize that if you or someone you know is experiencing this, you’re not alone, and knowing how to take care of yourself can go a long way.

If you’re finding yourself in a negative headspace after digesting a news story, follow it up with a positive story to help reinforce the idea that there is wholesomeness in the world.

Socially and politically Last year, when people suddenly had a ridiculous amount of free time on their hands, it was a wonderful time for binging Netflix in bed. However, there was a point where rewatching a show for the seventh time began to lose its magic. While Jan. 9 was when the World Health Organiza-

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

tion declared the first COVID-19 case, there were powerful campaigns that formed to move the United States forward, such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2020 elections. Reminiscing on the positive impact of these events can help offset the negativity produced by current events.

Although the news can become overwhelming, people should not fully retract from current events, but recognize what is causing the symptoms and how to treat it. We’ve already endured so much change since 2020 began, but continuing to take care of ourselves from any challenges that the news or academics can throw, is one of the most positive techniques we can all do.

Stress, spiraling and suicide

‘Mental health’ may be a buzzword, but the reality isn’t as simple

BY MICHAEL SICOLI Editor-in-Chief

Suicide has always been an important topic to me.

That may seem like an obvious statement in 2021 with people finally “woke” about mental health issues. Maybe it was clear-cut given the gravity that suicide commands.

Yet, despite September being Suicide Prevention Month, suicide doesn’t garner the talk it should. People don’t understand the thought process behind suicide. While it’s overdue that mental health is in the limelight, the generality of the term has masked the hideosity of suicide.

Depression and anxiety are the stepping stones. The stress of life such as sudden changes in routine or lifestyle can alter one’s mindset. It’s not as simple as calling someone a “glass-half-empty” type of person. One could have a pleasant day where everything goes right, and those nagging thoughts can drag them back down to a point of despair.

Imagine winning a competition, driving home with cheering friends and then dropping them off and heading inside. It could take just a single negative thought to affect a person’s mental state and lead to them spiraling before even reaching the door.

Spiraling isn’t in our common vernacular like depression and anxiety, but it directly ties into both. Essentially, it’s when something bad happens or a negative thought buries itself in your mind. For example, you remember that you forgot to pick up your friend from his appointment. And then you remember that you left that person you were interested in on “open” for one minute too long. And then you realize that you forgot to lock your car. And then you drop your keys at the door.

When you spiral, those tiny screw-ups get compounded tenfold. It creates the feeling that the world is crashing around you, and you can’t grab a foothold. When you couple that with depression and anxiety, it can lead you to that final step.

Suicide can be planned or it can be spontaneous. It can be public or private. It can leave someone saying, “I should’ve done something” or “I had no idea.”

There’s no universal look for suicide. Someone can be spiraling after months of fighting depression, anxiety, stress and all

that those entail. They’re driving at night, and say, “Screw it, I’m running through that stop sign, I don’t care what happens.”

The car speeds up, it blows through the sign, and a rush of relief, anger and disappointment flood the mind.

Or maybe that’s the moment where another car goes through. Maybe it’s a month after, a year or never. But these mental breakdowns come more often than people care to admit. The American Foundation of Suicide Prevention estimated that over 1.38 million Americans attempted to kill themselves in 2019. On average, there are 139 suicides a day in the U.S. What brings those on the brink back to shore is an anchor point, something that reminds them why they keep going.

For many, it’s loved ones. For some, its faith. For not nearly enough, it’s self-worth.

Depression, anxiety and stress — so much of it can derive

ILLUSTRATION BY XAVIER CULLEN

from a lack of self-worth, which is an intangible measurement of how much you value yourself. The key phrase there is “you value yourself.” Self-worth does not come from how much others love you or how much they appreciate you. It needs to come from within, an acknowledgement of the struggles you have overcome, the work you have put in, and the goals you will eventually accomplish.

Do you remember the impact you have on others, that small moment where you held the door open and made that guy smile? What about when you got a good grade on a test after you put hours of prep work in?

It helps to have faith or a support system. Both have been ironclad grips for myself in trying times, but self-worth is invaluable in that it comes from within.

If you have a friend who jokes about self-harm, check up on them. It most likely is just a joke, but ask a very easy question: “Are you OK?” Check up on your loved ones. Here at Quinnipiac University, we have the luxury of a counseling system, but not everyone knows how to utilize it or wants to label their feelings in such a clinical sense. Elsewhere, there may not be a counseling system to use.

I get it. It’s there if you want it, but the very least we can do is check up on each other.

Nobody can imagine the pain that suicide brings to everyone around them. No one certainly can’t imagine what drove a person to that point. But being responsible as a friend and recognizing what a suicidal path can entail is critical toward suicide prevention.

If you are in my life in any constant form, I assure you that you have contributed to keeping me going over the last 20 years. Building up that self-worth is a revelation I’ve worked on in recent years, with growing pains here and there. Thank you.

Do your best to educate yourself and make a difference.

If you are hurting, seek help, stay strong and love yourself.

Realize you deserve happiness because, in this world, you don’t get nearly enough reminders.

6|Arts & Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 15, 2021

Arts & Life

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

Attention affectation

By NEHA SEENARINE

Associate Arts & Life Editor

It is hard enough to turn off “vacation mode” when a new semester comes around. All of a sudden, your hours spent sleeping in are substituted with assignments. I try my best to stay on top of my tasks. However, my short attention span is making it difficult to put my full effort in.

My short attention span does not just taint my academic life.

It’s a problem in every environment I’m in. A month ago, I had a phone interview for an internship. The employer was discussing the job description and responsibilities for prospective interns.

I was sitting at my desk when I realized I zoned out. They proceeded to ask me questions, and I had a difficult time shaping my answers to fit the job. If you assume I did not get the job opportunity, you’re right.

It’s not that I’m not interested or I’m forgetful, I have a hard time paying attention. Oftentimes, I’m not mentally present.

When I commute to Quinnipiac University, I have to leave my house about an hour and a half earlier before my first class to secure a parking spot. I wake up around 6 a.m., and I catch myself driving mindlessly on the highway. It’s dangerous enough to be on the road when you’re tired, but driving past three exits without knowing is alarming.

I can blame my short attention span on the enemy: social media. According to a study from Microsoft, people lose concentration after eight seconds. In 2000, it was 12 seconds.

I notice that I constantly switch apps if I can’t find anything interesting. Social media shares a variety of content that draws in engagement. For example, I would rather spend hours watching TikTok videos than a full-length movie.

Dr. Julie Albright, a University of Southern California professor, told Forbes social media platforms adopted a mechanism that mimics the effects of gambling on the mind.

They share addictive content that users would be interested in, and some content they might not be.

“In psychological terms (it’s) called random reinforcement,” Albright said. “It means sometimes you win, sometimes you

lose. And that’s how these platforms are designed ... they’re exactly like a slot machine. But we don’t often talk about how our devices and these platforms and these apps do have these same addictive qualities baked into them.”

There are deceptive social media posts that will promote inaccurate information for likes and views because companies are aware that audiences will not take the time to read a full-length story.

As journalism students, we are warned that if our headline and the first sentence do not grab the reader’s attention, the chances of their full article being read are low. This leads readers to mainly engage with headlines that can be misinformative.

For example, a headline can say, “Paris Hilton in hot water,” when it’s just about her cooking show.

The attention span economy is suffering. We are sucked into a social media whirlpool where advertising is promoted over learning information.

Advertising has grabbed the attention of audiences through billboards and television commercials for decades by sharing the bare minimum. Social media engages viewers, and I’m sure ILLUSTRATION BY PEYTON MCKENZIE I’m not the only one who spaces out The brain's neural pathways mimic a gambling addiction when you use social media. during classes from all the Tik Toks they watch.

The value of virginity

more emotional weight instead.

“Emotionally, you might feel different. And, sure, there’s a chance your hymen might have torn,” McGee said. “But it is a deep-seated myth that something magic inside you changes the first time you have sex.”

There is a medical aspect of a female breaking her hymen or often known as “popping a cherry”, that society relates to someone physically losing their virginity.

In a medically reviewed online newsletter from Medical News Today, Dr. Maria Cohut describes the physical alterations that can occur when someone has sex for the first time “During sex, the hymen can tear and cause minor bleeding,” Cohut said. “This is more likely to happen if the hymen is less elastic, such as during adolescence, or if it has a smaller opening. This bleeding is usually minimal.”

However, some people are born without a hymen or tear it doing other activities such as playing sports — so there really is no correlation between tearing a hymen and one losing their virginity.

Cohut also states that a person solely cannot be determined as having their virginity based upon having a torn hymen or not.

“Some people believe that a broken hymen is an irreversible sign of virginity loss,” Cohut said. “However, it is impossible to tell whether a person has had sex just by examining their hymen. This is because the hymen is naturally open in most cases and because its shape and size vary from person to person.”

Regardless of experience, sex and virginity can be an uncomfortable topic for individuals to talk about, especially if they are hyperfocused on societal norms and standards. Whatever the case may be, it is important to not feel pressured into performing any acts that you are uncomfortable doing.

By NICOLE MCISAAC News Editor

Virginity is a concept. The heavy pressure behind losing your purity is a completely social belief that has developed through centuries of human interactions.

A virgin is defined as someone who has never had sex, but people can view intercourse through many different perspectives that don’t necessarily fit societal norms.

The most common definition of sex that people refer to falls along the lines of penetrative intercourse between a man and a woman. That description doesn’t exactly sum up every type of sexual act that people see as the love making experience.

According to an online article published by Flo, a company that runs a women's health app, the standard view of sex is challenged depending one a person’s sexual orientation and personal definition of the act.

“The dictionary’s conventional sex meaning doesn’t come close to covering the wide range of sexual activities people engage in,” the company states on its website. “Other forms of physical intimacy fall under the umbrella of sex, from making out to intercourse with multiple partners.”

In the long run, it does not matter how an individual defines what sex is because everyone will view encounters differently depending upon their experience and opinions.

The real question behind the whole idea of virginity is determining what really vanishes after having sex for the first time. People don’t simply change after their first time, their value does not decrease, they don’t lose worth and most importantly they do not become “tainted” from engaging with the type of activity.

In an online article from GoodRx, Dr. Kerry McGee highlights the theoretical misconception behind physical change after virginity loss and focuses the direction toward how sex can carry ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

The idea of virginity is subjective based on life experience, religion and morals.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 15, 2021

Arts & Life|7

PUMPKIN WARS

DESIGN BY CONNOR LAWLESS

By EMILY FLAMME and JESSICA SIMMS

With temperatures starting to drop and leaves preparing to change colors, it is officially time to grab a pumpkin-flavored drink.

With Starbucks right on campus and Dunkin just down the street from york hill, we have conducted an experiment to see what is the best pumpkin-flavored drink between our coffee staples.

EMILY FLAMME/CHRONICLE

EMILY FLAMME/CHRONICLE

#1 — Dunkin: Medium Iced Pumpkin Coffee with three creams and three sugars

#2 — Starbucks: Pumpkin Spice Latte Jess: After not having the pumpkin spice latte (PSL) from Starbucks in over a year, I was excited to take a sip of this iconic drink. Sadly, I was very disappointed. I couldn’t even tell that it was pumpkin-flavored. Even though the drink was the iconic orange color, the flavor was either not correctly mixed or when comparing it to other pumpkin drinks, the taste didn’t come through as strong.

Overall, it was my least favorite drink out of the four we sampled as the pumpkin wasn’t distinguished enough.

Jess: Once Dunkin starts offering its pumpkin-flavored drinks, this coffee becomes my go-to choice. The spice of the pumpkin flavor perfectly balanced out the cream and sugar that was added to the drink. It wasn’t overly strong, but I could tell it was the pumpkin spice flavor. Overall, it was the best pumpkin drink out of the four we tried.

Emily: This was definitely the best drink of the bunch. I loved how the pumpkin flavor was really strong, but you could also taste cinnamon and other spices that are included in the drink. This was the first time I’ve had this, and I will definitely make this my new drink of the season.

EMILY FLAMME/CHRONICLE

#3 — Dunkin: Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Jess: This was my first time trying Dunkin’s version of the pumpkin cream cold brew, and I was impressed. It had the same pumpkin spice flavor as the iced coffee we tried, but with the added aspect of the sweet cream cold brew. However, when mixed with the pumpkin cream cold brew, the spice comes out better when mixed with the cream cold brew. Overall, I do prefer the Dunkin version of the pumpkin spice flavoring.

Emily: The Starbucks PSL is what people think of when pumpkin-flavored coffee is mentioned. However, this was also my least favorite of the four drinks we had. It was overly sweet, which tends to turn me off a drink. The latte only tasted like milk and sugar. The pumpkin and espresso were nowhere to be found. Jess and I tried to determine if the drink was just made poorly or if this was just how the latte is supposed to taste. Either way, we couldn’t drink more than the two sips we had.

Emily: I really liked this drink. I felt like it was a pretty expected taste for a pumpkin-flavored coffee. However, I felt like the pumpkin wasn’t as strong as I would’ve preferred. The nutmeg flavor was intense, which I wouldn’t have minded if I could taste the pumpkin better. The pumpkin spice syrup at Dunkin definitely has more “spice” than Starbucks,’ so if that’s your preference, this drink is definitely up your alley.

EMILY FLAMME/CHRONICLE

#4 — Starbucks: Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Jess: This is my favorite seasonal drink from Starbucks. The cream cold brew is absolutely delicious and blends well with the rest of the drink. Unlike Dunkin’s version, the flavor of the coffee isn’t washed away by the cream. When compared to the PSL, this drink handles the pumpkin flavoring much better. It actually tastes like pumpkin. However, Dunkin’s pumpkin iced coffee is just slightly more delicious and the drink I would run out to get more than the cold brew.

Emily: Compared to Dunkin’s pumpkin cold brew, this one was better. I liked the cream and the drink had a smoother texture.

The pumpkin flavor is much stronger and is well-balanced by the spices. I also think Starbucks’ cold brew tastes better than Dunkin’s, which helps make the drink better overall. This should definitely be the face of Starbucks’ fall drink season.

Conclusion Jess: In my opinion, the best drink out of the four we sampled was the Dunkin Pumpkin Iced Coffee. A close second was the Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. The Dunkin version of the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew was my third favorite and finally, my least favorite was the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. After trying all of these different pumpkin coffee drinks, I now know what my go-to drink will continue to be. Get excited for another fun pumpkin season!

Emily: The Dunkin Iced Pumpkin Coffee was the best drink followed by the Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, the Dunkin Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and last was the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. I enjoyed the experience of trying a few different pumpkin drinks, and I feel prepared for the fall season knowing how the drinks compare to each other.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

8|Arts & Life

September 15, 2021

Why Paramount+ should be your next go-to streaming service

By DAVID MATOS

Associate Arts & Life Editor

Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have been go-to options for many, but Paramount+ should be on everybody’s list.

Paramount+ made its debut on March 4. It was originally marketed as a rebranding of CBS All Access with a more diverse library. The streaming platform’s content is owned by its parent company, ViacomCBS. Like most well-equipped streaming services, Paramount+ also has original content. Some more notable titles include the “iCarly” reboot, “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” the “Rugrats'' reboot and “Why Women Kill.” While “Rugrats” strays from its more memorable art style in favor of a 2021 audience, “iCarly”matures the original characters quite a bit, in favor of its older audience, still honoring its original source material.

I committed to the platform because I enjoyed the series “Why Women Kill.” The first season debuted in 2019 on CBS All Access, but the second season premiered on June 3 under the new branding. The anthology television series is a dark-comedy drama created by TV writer Marc Cherry, who is best known for creating “Desperate Housewives.”

The series takes place in different time periods and illustrates murder, betrayal and the unexpected. The lead actors of the story do a remarkable job at personifying their deadly characters. Cherry created different worlds within his anthology series that grab your attention with its unexpected

SCREENSHOT FROM PARAMOUNT+

A revival to Nickelodeon's 'iCarly' is one of the first original shows on Paramount+.

plot, strong characters and attractive scenery.

Paramount+ is also the perfect platform for any avid reality TV-show fan. The service has numerous titles like “Big Brother,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Jersey Shore” and so much more.

One of my favorite reality series is “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The competition show takes several drag queens across the nation and puts them in a high-pressure environment, competing in weekly challenges where they must utilize their skills to win the title of “America’s next drag superstar,” and a hefty $100,000 prize. Naturally, drama ensues and amazing talents that would otherwise never see the light of day are highlighted. The newest season of the show’s spin-off series, “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” premiered SCREENSHOT FROM PARAMOUNT+ HOME PAGE exclusively on the platform this past summer.

Paramount+ has content from a number of media companies including One of the best parts is how affordable it is. CBS, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.

An ad-free subscription only costs $9.99 per houses a plethora of vintage Nickelodeon content that many month, or a mere $4.99 with ads. I personally chose to split millennials and Generation Z kids can enjoy. It’s always fun the costs of the monthly ad-free option with my parents as to discover new shows or movies or even reconnect with we use the service on a daily basis to watch reruns of the some old media you wouldn’t think to rewatch otherwise. I “Jersey Shore” or whatever piques our individual interests. am excited to see what the future of the streaming platform If you’re into sports, different genres of film, children’s holds, and I will continue enjoying all that Paramount+ has content, reality shows or unique original content, Paramount+ to offer, as should you. is the right streaming service for you. The platform is also an amazing way to get your nostalgia fix. The service

SCREENSHOT FROM PARAMOUNT+

All seasons of 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' are available on Paramount+.

SCREENSHOT FROM PARAMOUNT+

Paramount+ picked up 'Why Women Kill' from its predecessor, CBS All Access.

Book of the Week ‘A Thousand Ships’ tells the little-regarded story of overlooked mythological women

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Arts & Life Editor

If you’ve ever studied Greek myth or Homer, the story of “The Iliad” is familiar. The godlike Achilles, the pig-headed Agamemnon, the heartbreaking Helen and the gorgeous Paris all play important roles in Homer’s telling of the Trojan War. However, “The Iliad” was told and later written from a male perspective. Dozens of women in the Trojan War never got their stories shared. A finalist for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction, “A Thousand Ships” by Natalie Haynes sets out to fix that.

It was interesting that Haynes chose to use Calliope, the Greek goddess of epic poetry and storytelling, and her journey with a poet, presumably Homer, as the backbone of the story. Calliope talks about how she is sick of hearing the stories of heroic men, so she grants the poet only the stories of women. No matter how distraught the stories make the poet, Calliope continues to push them onto him.

“A Thousand Ships” has different chapters that represent the perspectives of different women including slaves, goddesses and queens. Haynes bounces between all the characters, but finds a way to make the story flow well nonetheless.

A particularly interesting choice is that Haynes does not include the perspective of Helen in the story because she is the only female of true significance in “The Iliad.” Her story has been told, it is others’ turn.

Clytemnestra’s plotting to and murdering her husband, Agamemnon, is a surprisingly sympathetic story. It’s even more impactful after the story of her daughter, Iphigenia,

who was murdered by her father in a sacrifice for the goddess Artemis. Iphigenia’s story is striking because of her blind hope in Agamemnon that ultimately caused her death.

Another impactful story was the one of the Trojan women. Once the Greeks sacked Troy and killed the men, the women and girls were collected and set to be divided up as slaves. The Trojan story is primarily told through Hecabe (later known as Hecuba), the wife of Priam and the queen of the Trojans, as she thinks about what is to come. It is intense to read when she discovers the death of her final son who she avenges by murdering Polymestor, the man who killed him.

Haynes does not hold back in “A Thousand Ships.” The women in the story are not spared from the realities of war and neither is the reader. They bear witness as Cassandra, daughter of Hecabe, is raped, Andromache, widow of Hector, is made to throw their baby from the walls of Troy and young Chryseis is forced to drug Agamemnon to keep him away from her.

While this book is not for the faint of heart, the writing is too good to dismiss. “The Iliad” has been around for thousands of years, yet Haynes gives a fresh take on the story that is even more heartfelt and gut-wrenching than the original. Homer’s tale may be one of warriors and soldiers, but Haynes’ is one of the unsung heroes of the Trojan War. They may be fictional, but they are a haunting representation of women’s experiences in the ancient world as we understand them.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY BETSY PELLETIER

'A Thousand Ships' tells the untold stories of the women in 'The Iliad.'

September 15, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Arts & Life|9

Operation Mirrorball trophy Disgraced influencer Olivia Jade has been cast on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

By MELINA KHAN

Associate News Editor

The casting of infamous beauty influencer-turnedfraudulent student-athlete Olivia Jade Gianulli on season 30 of “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) has fans asking: “Whatever happened to predictability?”

Gianulli, the daughter of “Full House” star Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Gianulli, initially rose to fame in 2018 with her eponymous YouTube channel. Through sharing intimate moments of her life, she has amassed more than 1.8 million subscribers. That’s why the nation was stunned when it was revealed in 2019 that Gianulli’s parents bribed officials at the University of Southern California to admit her under the guise of being a rowing athlete.

The scandal, nicknamed by authorities as Operation Varsity Blues, sharply capsized Gianulli’s internet presence to nonexistence. This was largely due to the prosecution of her parents, who each pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and ultimately served prison time. Gianulli’s online silence lasted for just nine months, when in December 2019 she released a YouTube video titled “hi again.” At the time, Gianulli spoke of the challenges of the preceding year but said she could not speak of specifics due to the ongoing prosecution of her parents.

It would be another year until Gianulli addressed the scandal directly again, this time on Jada Pinkett-Smith’s talk show, “Red Table Talk.” The highly teased interview showed Gianulli acknowledging coming from a place of extreme privilege, to the point where she never thought what her parents did was wrong. Some topics went unaddressed — like the infamous photos of Gianulli posing on rowing machines.

Regardless, she said at the time that she believes in second chances and wanted to move forward with her life.

This begs the question, is publicly reemerging once a year really moving forward with her life? Will Gianulli always have

to face the scandal that made her a household name?

These are answers we’ll hopefully get during her stint on DWTS, which is set to premiere on Sept.

20. Twitter is already not about it. After the Sept.8 announcement, One user wrote, “who decided to give olivia jade airtime on #DWTS and are they fired yet?”, with another saying, “I can’t wait for Olivia Jade’s tearful waltz about how hard her life has been after she was a willing participant in a massive fraud.”

They’re not wrong. But DWTS is no stranger to weird, and sometimes controversial, casting.

The likes of former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Netflix star Carole Baskin have competed for the Mirrorball in just the past two years, to name a few. In recent years DWTS has cemented itself as the tipping point for B and C-list celebrities who will draw an audience, distantly straying from the “teaching celebrities how to dance” reputation.

So am I really surprised DWTS producers are jumping at the opportunity to cast a disgraced 21-year-old who is sure to elicit viewership? Not at all. Am I disappointed in it? Incredibly. A reality competition show is not the place for a redemption tour, but I will definitely be tuning in to see how she will handle it.

SCREENSHOT FROM TWITTER @DANCINGABC Gianulli’s life will no doubt always be a The 'Dancing with the Stars' Twitter announced that Olivia Jade reminder of the astounding privilege of being Gianulli would be a contestant of its season 30 cast on Sept. 8. rich and white, so what’s the point? If I had to guess, she’s likely leaning on a quiet, cutesy demeanor to fix her image and take her far in the competition. But make no mistake, she is never going to be able to shake the irreparable damage of her entitlement.

Canʼt get enough of The Chronicle?

Check out our podcasts!

Weekly Report Every Wednesday The weekʼs biggest stories

Chronversations Every other week New and interesting topics every show

Do you want to get involved?

Weekly staff meetings are at 9:15 every Tuesday night in SB123. Come by and meet the team!

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

10|Sports

September 15, 2021

The NCAA finally compromised Long-awaited decision allows QU athletes to use name, image and likeness to build their brands, participate in promotional campaigns

By RILEY MILLETTE Sports Editor

Cornerstone companies in America have become a subject of relentless debate over the past several years. A new wave of anti-capitalist thinking has called a lot of upperclass practices into question. Did Jeff Bezos really need to go to space? Did Richard Branson need to do the same?

But while Twitter fights about which Fortune 500 companies are being irresponsible with their power and riches, the NCAA looks on quietly from the shadows.

The NCAA, a non-profit organization by definition, has not been exempt from criticisms either. It has had its fair share of regrettable press disasters, from the unequal treatment of men’s basketball athletes to women’s basketball athletes at the 2020 NCAA tournament to the questionable cancellation of the women’s golf national championship because of weather issues.

Aside from spot news events, the NCAA has long been on the butt-end of a conversation that every other American seems to disagree with the organization on: athlete compensation.

Prior to 2021, collegiate athletes were not allowed to profit off of their own name, image or likeness. At surface level, this meant no brand deals, no sponsorships, no way for athletes to make some money off of an activity of which they devote dozens of hours a week.

But all that changed beginning July 1, 2021, when the new NCAA bill went into effect.

“Individuals can engage in name, image and likeness activities that are consistent with the law of the state where the school is located,” said Michelle Brutlag Hosick, NCAA CHRONICLE ARCHIVES (2019) associate director of communications, via press release on June 30. “College athletes who attend a school in a state Former Quinnipiac rugby back Mckenna Haz, founder of SEAAV Athletics, led the team with 72 points in 2019. without a name, image and likeness law can engage in this a large talking-to about how I could not go to any event describes her passion for the business, its long-term goals and type of activity without violating NCAA rules related to wearing SEAAV and representing my own brand because why she believes her business is important. It shows the readname, image and likeness.” that’s infringing on my likeness as a Division I athlete in the er an authentic face to put with the logo and product of the Put simply, athletes are now able to sign brand deals and NCAA, and I could get in lots of trouble for that,” Haz said. company, an important commodity for the average consumer. be associated with companies from a business standpoint.

As one could imagine, that created some hardships for Before Haz left Quinnipiac, that was absent. She was allowed Meng Meun Young, a public relations major and senior Haz and the prospects of her company. Currently, the SEAAV to be the backstage brains, but her face or likeness couldn’t be attacker on the women’s lacrosse team, was excited about website features an “Our Story” tab where Haz associated with the brand. That personal connection she hoped to the news. create with her customers was impossibly distant.

“I think it’s great that the NCAA finally came out with this,” “They were basically saying I couldn’t go there and Young said. “In the sports where it’s at a super high level and work at my own booth selling my own product because it’s really skilled players, then I think it’s super beneficial I’m a Division I athlete, which is insane,” Haz said. because they can get extra publicity that’ll help them “One of the biggest things that I couldn’t do when post-grad to get professional opportunities.”

I was at school was doing pop-ups on campus and Young is far from the only player to feel this on other campuses. I could technically set up other way. Former Quinnipiac rugby player Mckenna people that aren’t athletes and have them go do popHaz shares Young’s sentiments about the NCAA. ups, but when you’re starting out as a small busi“I think those rules were kinda hogwash,” Haz ness you’re kind of just a one-man show.” said. “There were just a lot of little things that were When the company would receive grants, they pretty ridiculous.” couldn’t be in her name. Even as the founder of a Haz is the founder and self-proclaimed “beating company unrelated to her status as a student-athlete, heart” of SEAAV Athletics, an athletic wear comany check given to the company had to be made out pany that makes clothing out of recycled material. to the company, not in her name. SEAAV received a Every sale diverts one pound of plastic from the $5,000 grant from a competition promoting women in ocean’s coast, per the SEAAV website. business while Haz was in college, but she had to go So Haz decided to kill two birds with one stone. Durthrough the motions to make sure the final destination ing a class project, the former communications maof the grant wouldn’t land her in trouble. jor at Quinnipiac University took some photos This abundance of red tape goes to show how of her friends wearing the gear she created. the NCAA views the rules that it sets in place.

Why not fulfill a college assignment Associate professor of journalism Rich Hanwhile taking some Instagram-worthy shots ley said if the organization had its way, that can help her small business grow? the rule allowing athletes to use their However, there was one factor likenesses for profit would not exist. that Haz and her voluntary models “The NCAA didn’t come to this didn’t account for. decision happily,” Hanley said.

Haz played rugby at Quinni“They were forced to do so by piac University before ultimately legislation in California.” deciding to leave school after On Dec. 7, 2020, USA three years and go full-time in Today reported that CaliSEAAV. The first post made fornia was passing a bill from the SEAAV account that would allow athletes addressing this phototo make money off their shoot featured Young name, image and likeand Bridget Nasir, a ness in an effort to put senior utility player on pressure on the NCAA. the softball team.

The state Senate and Since the subjects House of Represenof the photo are studenttatives voted for the athletes, they were prohibited bill to go through, and from participating in a promotional Governor Gavin Newcampaign, per NCAA rules. As previsom signed it in 2019. ously stated, this was recently overThe bill was proposed turned, and SEAAV posted the photos. to go into effect either on Jan. 1, 2022 or But before that change, Haz had when the NCAA followed California’s to learn the rules the hard way. lead and put into effect their own regu“I got pulled into the complilation allowing athlete compensation. ance office, and I had quite PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM @SEAAVISION After the NCAA passed its new bill, Haz was able to post images from photoshoots featuring Quinnipiac student-athletes See NAME IMAGE LIKENESS Page 11 Bridget Nasir (left) and Meng Meun Young (right).

September 15, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|11

Young: ‘(Athletes) can get extra publicity that’ll help them post-grad to get professional opportunities’ NAME IMAGE LIKENESS from Page 10 Essentially, it took pressure from one of the largest states in the country for the NCAA to succumb to the voices of many. By July 1, 2021, Haz had left college and was working full-time on SEAAV, so she didn’t have to worry about those rules affecting her personally anymore.

But the new rule still meant big things for her brand.

Now, she can post photos on the SEAAV website of college athletes, her target demographic, wearing her products without having to cut out their face or worry about the athlete having a distinguishable birthmark or tattoo, the latter of which the compliance office told her was not allowed.

Haz can now lean into the market she tapped into in the first place. As an athlete, she made a product targeted at athletes, and less restrictions means more opportunity to embrace that community.

“We’ve had to deny NCAA athletes into our (ambassador) program in the past because they can make commission from selling our apparel, but now we can actually accept them into our program,” Haz said. “We actually have quite a few NCAA athletes who are a part of it.”

We’d all like that to be the happy ending to the story. The athletes win, the businesses win, the schools win. But it’s important to remember that the NCAA is still the voice of authority. And as predictable as it may be, there are some exceptions.

Young, an international student from Calgary, Canada, is one of the athletes in a tough situation. Her and other international students are not allowed to associate their name, image and likeness with American brands in exchange for compensation. She was allowed to participate in SEAAV’s campaign because she volunteered without pay, but because the transfer of funds across borders is complicated, she can’t get involved financially with American companies.

The most recent gross domestic product (GDP) statistics rank the United States low in terms of revenue. A 2018 study by the Bureau of Economic Analysis found that 16% of America’s revenue comes from GDP as opposed to Canada’s 18% and nowhere near the planet’s top producers like Korea (28%) and the United Kingdom (36%) .

Regardless of the difference in opportunity between the U.S. and Canada, the inability to conduct business in the country that Young lives in for the majority of the year has led to her steering clear of the entire initiative.

“The options are limited for international students,” Young said. “For me personally, I’m just opting out of it because I don’t want to risk anything. You could get your visa revoked, and then I wouldn’t even be able to come here.”

Young knows some other Canadian athletes who have signed partnerships anyway. As a public relations major, Young is more knowledgeable with the marketing side of businesses, so she made sure to spread the word that international students might get into some trouble.

“I kind of told them that it was a little bit sketchy as a Canadian, so I would just watch out,” Young said. “Some people still don’t even know about the repercussions that could happen.”

Since Young was interviewed for this article, there have been workshops to teach athletes about what they can and can’t do when it comes to their images as NCAA athletes, but that’s over two months after the original bill was passed.

That was more than enough time for brands like Barstool Sports to swoop in and garner a substantial crowd of athletes looking to sign. The NCAA rule was effective July 1, and on July 2, @qubarstool on Instagram made a post congratulating men’s ice hockey junior defenseman CJ McGee on becoming a “Barstool athlete,” starting a trend.

The next day, baseball junior pitcher Derek Goldrick joined McGee at Barstool. Several other Quinnipiac athletes followed their lead, and by July 8, Barstool had posted six athletes it signed to an endorsement deal, while also saying “There’s been WAY too many Quinnipiac athletes joining the @barstoolathletics family to post each person,” in a photo caption.

It would be naive to say that one would expect the NCAA to make this transition without a hitch, especially given that its hand was forced by a state’s government. It would also be naive to say that athletes were better off before the rule was in place, despite difficulties with international students.

Of course, it’ll take some time. But with every potential horror story about an international student losing their visa over a sponsored Instagram post, and with every “large talking-to” from the compliance office to an athlete about breaking the rules, there’s an opportunity to grow.

SEAAV has grown in size, no doubt. The company has released multiple special collections, with plans for more.

The addition of an ambassador program allows for a much wider network to which the company can reach.

And it might not have existed if not for Haz’s persistence. Some might have quit after learning that as a college student, they could not publicly associate with their brand at all. But today, student-athletes are allowed to reach heights never before believed possible.

SEAAV started at Quinnipiac. What’s to say there won’t be any more athletes creating their own brands?

They’ll just have a bit of a head start.

PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM @SEAAVISION

SEAAV Athletics diverts 1 lb. of ocean-bound plastic with every sale and is partered with Noissue, which plants one tree with every package shipped.

SCREENSHOT FROM SEAAVATHLETICS.COM

When Mckenna Haz was attending Quinnipiac University, she was unable to associate her likeness with her company.

12|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports

September 15, 2021

@QUCHRONSPORTS

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE ARCHIVES (2019)

Pete’s pond: New faces reenergize title hopes PETER PIEKARSKI

Associate Sports Editor

The No. 11 Quinnipiac Bobcats men’s ice hockey season is rapidly approaching, and the opening schedule becomes more exciting as the games draw near.

After a tough overtime loss in the regional round of the NCAA playoffs and losing three key players that helped lead Quinnipiac last season, the Bobcats have their work cut out for them to start.

The team’s opening weekend is the Ice Breaker tournament being held in Worcester, Massachusetts from Oct. 8-9 where it will face off against No. 6 Boston College on Friday and then Northeastern, who received 11 votes on the most recent USCHO poll back in April.

Quinnipiac will then travel to Vermont the following week and host No. 5 North Dakota the week after for backto-back games.

All rankings are USCHO-based and are subject to change leading up to the season as the last poll did not account for incoming freshmen and transfers, but this is arguably one of Quinnipiac’s toughest opening schedules of the last decade.

“We’re excited to get the fans, first of all,” Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey head coach Rand Pecknold said. “It’s an aggressive schedule for sure, but we want to test our guys early and play the best. I’m really excited to get North Dakota to get out here for two (games).”

Yes, fans will be allowed to attend hockey games at full capacity with a mask. But there are some new faces for fans to see, as the roster has drastically changed since March 27.

After talking with graduate transfers goaltender Dylan St. Cyr and forward Oliver Chau, it’s clear that they look confident and eager to get the season going.

Chau is coming off a national championship with UMass and brings a level of experience and leadership Quinnipiac will need to get them back to the Frozen Four. He was also part of the UMass roster that lost in the national championship in 2019.

“This is a winning culture, although they haven’t gotten over the (championship) hump yet,” Chau said. “We have an unbelievable group and there’s a lot of excitement going into this year.”

Bringing in Chau was extremely important for Quinnipiac after losing its best playmaker in former captain Odeen Tufto.

While Chau is not as prolific as Tufto at putting up points, he still is a disciplined, strong playmaker and play-driver that will help

the Bobcats’ top-six produce. sive aspect to his game exploded this past season, putting up 26 The most important transfer, only because of the position he points in 29 games and finishing third on the team in points. plays, is St. Cyr. After finally being granted the starting role at Returning for his sophomore season, forward Ty Smilanic Notre Dame this past season, he put up impressive stats in the has become one of the go-to guys to produce and, much like last Big 10. In 23 games, he posted a .921 save percentage (SV%) year in lieu of senior forward Wyatt Bongiovanni who was hurt, and a 2.44 goals against average (GAA). he must step up again this year without Tufto.

Notre Dame had its season cut short due to a COVID-19 outQuinnipiac needs him to be healthy for this season if it wants break and missed the regional round of the NCAA playoffs. St. to be a true contender. Bongiovanni plays a key role in the ofCyr looks forward to getting back to the playoffs and making fense and most importantly on the power play. His impact on the some noise in the process. offensive end is invaluable as he excels at creating his own space “This is somewhere I really wanted to go,” St. Cyr said. “I and finding gaps in the defense. love the opportunity and it sounded like a great culture over here, The newly named captain’s eyes are set on winning the so I was really excited about it.” national championship.

Quinnipiac had 10 new players join the roster this year “That’s number one,” Bongiovanni said. “That’s the biggest from graduate/senior transfers and incoming freshmen. It’s a thing on my mind, it’s the biggest thing I want to check off on my new look for the team, and it’s something that Pecknold is to-do list. In terms of individual goals, obviously, there’s always embracing despite only having one graduate transfer ever in an ambition to go for a certain amount of goals and a certain his career with Quinnipiac. amount of points, but at the end of the day, I’m worried about “It’s chaos, it’s pure chaos,” Pecknold jokingly said. “We getting our team to the Frozen Four.” didn’t have the intention of taking five grad transfers, it just kind of happened.”

As for the returning key players for Quinnipiac, they all were happy about how the team is meshing and that the top goal is to secure a national championship.

Seniors Ethan de Jong (forward) and Zach Metsa (defenseman) round out the leadership core and are focused on generating another individually successful season.

Following an excellent season, de Jong has become a gem in Quinnipiac’s offensive scheme. Not to mention his usage and placement on the power play is crucial.

Metsa, who lost one of his defensive partners in Peter DiLiberatore this offseason, stands to be Quinnipiac’s best and most MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE ARCHIVES (2019) important defenseman. The offenSenior defenseman Zach Metsa finished third on the team in points (26) in 2020.