The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 91, Issue 3

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 • VOLUME 91 • ISSUE 3

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

MOURNING JUSTICE P.4

NEWS P.3: HAZED

Hamden impacted by West Coast smoke this past week.

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

A&L P.7: QU Nutrition

Local nutrition club gains popularity with QU students.

ILLUSTRATION BY KARA KACHMAR

SPORTS P.10: The future of sports is now

Esports take over as other programs shut down during pandemic.

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

Frustrating dining experience

Students are disappointed with new changes to campus food

By NICOLE MCISAAC Copy Editor

Quinnipiac University students are frustrated with their on-campus dining experience due to the fall 2020 semester containing many new COVID-19 related restrictions.

“It has been a nightmare,” said Jason Mendez, a sophomore computer science major. “The platform, ‘Boost Mobile’, cannot handle large orders and the fact that most dining options are only accessed through this mobile application only further limits dining options.”

Wait times for food have been an ongoing issue among students since the beginning of the semester. Although, Boost allows students to pre-order their meals and beverages, time-slots fill up quickly.

“The Starbucks time slots are non-existent so it basically gives me a better reason to make coffee at home or go to Dunkin Donuts off campus,” said Haley Gyorda, a sophomore advertising major. “Starbucks is definitely the worst of them all because if you order something at 12 p.m., you might not get it until 4 p.m..”

Gyorda lives on the York Hill campus this year and said that her dining experience

has been a lot different compared to her encounters on the main campus.

“The dining hall on York Hill closes around 7 p.m. (on Sunday),” Gyorda said.

“This clearly isn’t ideal for students who are working late or have night classes. They don’t have the chance to get food if they need to buy it from there.

Will Arcovitch, a first-year nursing major, said although his dining experience hasn’t been awful, he is still encountering complications using the new system.

“Boost has been very bipolar,” Arcovitch said. “Some days I’ll wait two minutes and my order will be ready, others days it could take up to an hour.”

Chuck Couture, resident district manager for Quinnipiac University dining, said that QU Dining understands the frustration with pick-up times. He said Boost is a learning process for both Quinnipiac guests and staff.

On-going training is currently being conducted for staff to try to get more meals and beverages produced within an hour period.

“If the Boost time frame doesn’t work, we are asking our guests to check out the See DINING Page 2

EMILY FLAMME/CHRONICLE

Picking up orders is causing students to crowd together while waiting in line.

2| News

MEET THE EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brendan O’Sullivan MANAGING EDITORS Jared Penna Jessica Simms CREATIVE DIRECTOR Connor Lawless NEWS EDITOR Emily Flamme ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITORS Chatwan Mongkol Kalleen Rose Ozanic OPINION EDITOR Toyloy Brown III ASSOCIATE 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 Mike Clement PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Morgan Tencza PODCAST PRODUCER Xavier Cullen COPY EDITOR Nicole McIsaac 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.

CORRECTION In last week’s issue The Chronicle misattributed a quote on pg. 2 in a sub-headline and article. All quotes attributed to Scauso were meant to be attributed to Sacco.

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 23, 2020

Asian Student Alliance tackles racism Student organization informs people about discrimination on campus

By EMILY FLAMME News Editor

Quinnipiac University’s Asian Student Alliance (ASA) is fighting racism against Asian students by raising awareness through hosting events and posting information on social media.

“We would like the Quinnipiac community to be open and understanding of Asians, to learn about our diverse cultures and history, and to educate themselves on the racism and stereotypes we experience,” said Carrie Zeng, senior psychology major and co-president of the ASA. Jason Koo, associate teaching professor of English, said he was concerned about the safety of Asian students on campus due to people blaming China for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some people even use derogatory terms such as “Chinese virus” and “Kung Flu.” “I hope the university continues to bring greater awareness to the specific problems Asian and Asian American students face, especially during the pandemic, as these problems are often not seen as ‘problems,’” Koo said. “Racism against Asians and Asian Americans is much more likely to go unnoticed or played down.”

The ASA surveyed 30 Asian American Quinnipiac students in August about their experiences with racism and how they feel the university handles these issues.

According to the survey, 56.7% of the students said they have experienced racism on campus and 60% said they experienced racism off campus.

In the same survey, 96.7% said they think Quinnipiac does not have a diverse population.

In terms of how Quinnipiac handles racism, 80% of the students surveyed said the university does not handle racist incidents well.

“We hope that Quinnipiac will hold students and faculty accountable for any racial incidents, as well as educate students and faculty/staff about racism against Asians,” Zeng said. “We would like to change this mindset and speak up about racial injustices because we are tired of it and hope to educate others about this.”

Students may struggle to report “the stuff that’s ‘not that bad’ compared to physically violent or overtly abusive acts,” Koo said.

He also said he hasn’t witnessed many racist encounters against students, but brought up how the Instagram account @qubobcatsforjustice has been shedding light on the racism students deal with privately.

“The things that are said in dorm rooms and at parties and in other social spaces outside the classroom are deeply alarming to me, because a lot of that seems difficult to report and might be difficult for the university to crack down on,” Koo said.

In June, a first-year student, Bridget Bognanno, was exposed for a racist Facebook post

about COVID-19, blaming “all those involved in China with starting this.” There was a widespread response, demanding action to be taken against this student which caused fora petition to be created that ended up receiving nearly 5,000 signatures, calling for Quinnipiac to support its students of color.

Boganno’s punishment was never addressed publicly, but Zeng said the ASA had a meeting in which they found out more about the case. For privacy reasons, the ASA can’t discuss the details of the case, but Zeng said

“The racism you hear should not be taken as a joke and our culture is not a trend.”

— CARRIE ZENG CO-PRESIDENT OF THE ASA

INFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

there was clarity about what happened.

“We also understand that change does not happen overnight,” Zeng said. “We have to be patient and trust the process. Quinnipiac has come a long way with change and we believe that Quinnipiac will continue to adapt and pursue changes for the better, even if it is in small stages over time.”

Koo said ignoring microaggressions that Asian students have to deal with can lead to larger problems down the line, such as hostility or violence.

“Microaggressions are actually a very big deal, because they reveal the racism that’s systemic, that’s so ingrained it’s not recognized as problematic,” Koo said. “I think making reporting avenues as clear and efficient as possible for students in the event of any abusive speech or act will go a long way toward making this campus safe.”

Zeng said the ASA hopes the Asian community on campus receives support from its peers. She said the organization wants the Quinnipiac community to be willing to learn about its members’ experiences and cultures.

“We are not a ‘disease’ and shouldn’t be treated like one,” Zeng said. “The racism you hear should not be taken as a joke and our culture is not a trend. We hope that we have support from fellow students and faculty, but we also hope that they are in support of all races, backgrounds and identities.”

Mendez: ‘It has been a nightmare’ DINING from cover dining stations in York Hill and Café Q that offer meals daily,” Couture said. “In addition, you can choose from a variety of graband-go meals, sandwiches, salads and parfaits in both locations.”

Apart from problems with wait times, students with food allergies have been struggling to find meals on campus that accommodate their specific health needs. Boost has an option to log food allergies while ordering, but some students are voicing their concerns about how reliable that is.

“While I do not have food allergies, my roommate with a peanut allergy, is extremely hesitant to order using Boost Mobile,” Mendez said. “Despite the mobile application having the option to notify each station of any allergy, his biggest concern is if the cooks actually take into account these notifications.”

Hannah Eaton, a sophomore occupation-

al therapy major, has had difficulty finding food on campus with her lactose allergy and vegetarian diet.

“I get a really upset stomach whenever I eat dairy,” Eaton said. “Whenever I say that I have a dairy allergy on the Boost app, they always still put regular cheese in my food and you can definitely tell the difference between regular cheese and soy cheese.”

Eaton said that she has been so frustrated with her dining experience that she resorts to purchasing food off campus and making her own food to avoid her allergy difficulties.

“Sometimes I’ll even make my own food and will put it on salads that are available from the dining hall,” Eaton said. “I’ll open the pre-packaged salads to gross and mushy vegetables. I don’t understand how it’s already gross if it’s prepackaged.”

Julia Villani, a sophomore criminal justice major, said she also feels that the new dining experience is problematic with food allergies

due to personal experience with celiac disease.

“I ordered a gluten-free wrap and the entire sandwich was falling apart and unable to be eaten,” Villani said. “When I can, I try and go off campus to get food but it would be much easier if there were more gluten free friendly options here at QU for me and others as well.”

Villani said she feels there are not many options offered to her at Quinnipiac and there should be more improvements to the dining experience that is offered to students.

“I feel there should be more options for all the students as there aren’t many varying options on a day-to-day basis,” Villani said. “I hope that the quality of the food improves, possibly by adding more fruit, vegetables and more gluten free options on the Boost app.”

Students are encou raged to contact quinnipiacdining@quinnipiac.edu for any questions or concerns regarding Boost Mobile.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 23, 2020

News |3

Hazed

Hamden impacted by West Coast smoke this past week

By EMILY FLAMME and ANYA GRONDALSKI

The West Coast wildfires have caused the sky in Hamden to be covered in smoke, leading to some Quinnipiac University faculty and students to question the impact of wildfires.

For the past couple of weeks, California, Oregon and Washington have suffered multiple fires, which have leaving 35 dead and thousands of others forced to evacuate their homes, as reported by the Boston Globe.

Grace Martin, a senior in the Athletic Training program, grew up in California and her family is still there. She said her friends and family are safe, but the air quality has been severely impacted.

“Local officials warned everyone to stay inside and not go out unless they really need to,” Martin said. “My brother sent me pictures of our neighborhood, and I saw ash dusted over on all of the cars and the skies were dark, gloomy and just gross.”

This past week, residents in New England were able to catch a glimpse of these destructive fires as the smoke reached the eastern part of the United States, according to Gil Simmons, chief meteorologist with WTNH/NEWS8.

Simmons said there was so much smoke

in the western part of the U.S. that when it rose 15,000 feet into the atmosphere, the jet stream’s strong winds carried the smoke all the way to Connecticut.

“That’s why the sky looks sort of dull, and you look up and it’s just kind of gray but you don’t see a cloud outlined,” Simmons said. “It’s almost like somebody pulled a thin sheet where you could still see the light coming through but you see mostly the color of the sheet.”

The smoke is so thick, according to Simmons, that it is expected to reach Europe after passing through New England early this week.

“The smoke over Connecticut will likely make a trip over Iceland and all the way over to Norway,” Simmons said. “We know the Earth is big, but in some ways, this makes it seem a little smaller.”

Sam Edwards, associate professor of legal studies, who teaches Introduction to Environmental Studies, views these fires as a reminder that climate issues are not as far away as they may seem.

“It saddens me to consider the impacts on humans and non-human animals from these tragic fires,” Edwards said. “Research suggests that ‘ethics declines with distance.’

“The fact that the smoke from these fires can be seen here makes it so that people are more likely to care.”

— SAM EDWARDS

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF LEGAL STUDIES

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

The hazy sky over Quinnipiac’s campus was impacted by the wildfires in the western United States last week.

A fire across the country elicits a different response than one that is closer to where you live. The fact that the smoke from these fires can be seen here makes it so that people are more likely to care.”

According to NASA, lightning sparked many of the fires, but it was the “record-breaking air temperatures, periods of unusually dry air and blasts of fierce winds — on top of serious drought in some areas,” that caused the intensity.

“When I was growing up in California, it definitely wasn’t this bad,” Martin said. “We always knew about fire season and had occasional fires, but it has significantly gotten

worse. It is alarming to see how quickly it has progressed in my lifetime.”

Since the fires are so powerful, they are producing significant levels of carbon emissions, according to NASA. Martin said in order to reduce the severity of the fires, serious change needs to occur in terms of climate change.

“It is definitely a global issue that has various social, economic, political and moral aspects,” Martin said. “We can start with a general commitment to reduce the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It will take a lot, but we have to just start caring.”

Hiking without boundaries

Physical therapy students fundraise for wheelchairs

By GRACE MCGUIRE Contributing Writer

Two Quinnipiac University physical therapy graduate students were determined to help a man with an incomplete spinal injury, Claudio Cabrera, hike Sleeping Giant State Park through their capstone project.

Vouching for independence for everyone, Rachel Hopkins and Juliana Noce have started a program called “Hiking Without Boundaries” to fundraise for wheelchairs to be able to help people go up the mountain. “(We are) super excited and happy to give back to the community,” Hopkins said .They partnered with Gaylord Hospital to make their capstone project a success. The hospital is supplying them with a GRIT brand

wheelchair, which is built like a mountain bike with levers on either side that the hiker can push down to propel themselves forward with their arms.

The only strength required is some ability with their arms and core strength, according to Hopkins and Noce. They explained that even if the hiker’s arms are not strong enough, a volunteer will accompany them up the mountain. If needed, someone can help by pushing from the back of the wheelchair, but independence is still a possibility.

“It’s so open to, you know, anyone, whether it’s CP, whether it’s spinal cord, whether it’s multiple sclerosis, whether it’s Parkinson’s,” Hopkins said. “It’s really open to so many different ... diagnoses.”

Cabrera came up with the idea after being involved in a motor accident that disabled him from hiking the Sleeping Giant.

Noce and Hopkins answered his call to help fundraising for wheelchairs as both of them love outdoor activities and have experience with adaptive sports, including managing last year’s Quinnipiac’s Wheels in Motion, a wheelchair basketball game.

Both Hopkins and Noce have been working to set up a trial run for Oct. 23, in which Cabrera, will try out the chair on the tower trail.

“We are more than welcome to have anyone come and join us,” Noce said. “It would just have to be in the social distance protocol (of Quinnipiac).”

As the program is only in its beginning stag-

es, the main focus for this school year is to fundraise for more wheelchairs so it can be sustainable and accessible to the Hamden population.

Noce hopes that next year’s graduating class will train volunteers and have more chairs in order to continue the program.

As of now, Hopkins and Noce have already raised the majority of the funds for the first chair, but are looking for another $1,000 before they get the chair by the end of the month.

To donate, visit their website, or send a check addressed to Gaylord Hospital with the memo “Sports Association/Hiking Without Boundaries.”

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY RACHEL HOPKINS

ILLUSTRATION CONTRIBUTED BY RACHEL HOPKINS

Two Quinnipiac physical therapy majors are using GRIT brand wheelchairs to help people hike independently despite having a disability.

4| O p i n i o n

September 23, 2020

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Opinion Mourning justice

I lost my hero on my birthday — it is my turn to fight

By EMILY DISALVO Arts & Life Editor

I grew up idolizing strong, intelligent women, certain one day I could become one too. My mom, my preschool teacher, Junie B. Jones. Later on I idolized Michelle Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but most of all, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

RBG’s bespectacled glare covers the walls of my dorm, the back of my laptop and the shelves of my bookshelf. I have watched her movie, read books about her and laughed at reenactments on Saturday Night Live.

RBG is my hero and on my 20th birthday, she died.

This isn’t about me. It’s about America and all of the women she represented as she fought for the right to access

TODD HEISLER/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death is a reminder to never stop fighting for what is just.

an abortion, sign for their own mortages, open their own bank account and be their own people, separate from men.

But on the night of my 20th birthday in one of America’s worst years to date, it felt a lot like a call to action.

Throughout her career, RBG never backed down from a fight. After law school, she couldn’t find a job as a lawyer because of gender discrimination in the field. She took a job as a professor, helping to inspire the next generation of warriors for justice.

When she finally began her tenure as a lawyer, she took on any and all cases that involved ensuring all groups had access to equal rights, not just women. She once represented a man who lost his wife, but could not receive the same Social Security benefit that widows received.

Her relentless commitment to equal rights and justice turned her into a pop culture icon among feminist activists.

Coined, “Notorious RBG” after the rapper “Notorious BIG,” people quickly realized the name fit. Her tiny frame and massive list of achievements was, and is, notorious.

Well into her 80s, she hit the gym with her personal trainer and worked out to opera music, which has long been a passion of hers. She kept herself healthy so she could serve out her lifetime appointment for as long as possible.

While she traveled in and out of the hospital, Americans like me held their breath. Would this be her last trip to the hospital? Would she return to the bench?

With President Donald Trump in the White House, Democrats feared a third conservative nomination. Losing RBG would mean an overwhelmingly conservative Supreme Court that would inevitably turn over Roe v. Wade and demolish the

Affordable Care Act. RBG’s death is our worst nightmare.

As she battled ailment after ailment, she knew in her heart how much was at stake and how much she had to live for. When she died, it was after a life full of effort.

She put forth effort to be a woman in a male-dominated field, to raise her children and care for her husband as he battled cancer. She put forth effort to fight her own cancer.

And most of all, she put in effort to spend every waking moment of her life fighting for anyone who isn’t receiving equal treatment under the law.

If she could put in all that effort, I think I can do at least an eighth of that. I’m 20 now. When RBG was 20, she was in college plotting the rest of her life. She probably didn’t know she’d be appointed to the Supreme Court or become “notorious.” It wasn’t luck that got her there. It was grit.

In honor of my hero, I plan to fight for equality with grit.

As a journalist, I will be a voice for the powerless. I will be a check on power. When I see injustice, I will not remain neutral. I will petition my government leaders for change and equal rights. I will vote for officials who will represent all people, not just rich, white men. I will dissent.

If I pledge myself to a life of being notorious, I am going to have to follow the RBG method to longevity. I will hit the gym, stay healthy, listen to opera and share love with my friends, family and even those whom I don’t agree with.

I can’t take on this task alone. In honor of RBG, we all need to commit to a life of justice. It’s the only way our democracy will survive this jarring time. When you see something you don’t agree with, dissent.

You can’t ‘Skip’ mental health

Dismissing Dak Prescott’s depression is an example of national indifference

BY MICHAEL SICOLI Associate Opinion Editor

Leadership has a convoluted definition. The intangible words society uses to describe it are straightforward — strong, respectful, honest — but the most common trait associated with leadership is the first adjective of the bunch. It is seen as a detriment, a flaw on the character sheet, to be weak rather than strong for even a moment. People who are thrust into leadership roles are put on a pedestal with critics constantly searching from every angle to find an imperfect mark.

Being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys — ‘America’s Team’ — makes the criticism feel like a heat-seeking missile, but Dak Prescott has handled it well. He came into the league as a fourth-round pick in 2016 expected to contend for the backup job behind Tony Romo. However, Romo hurt his back and Prescott was forced into the starting role for Forbes’ most valuable sports franchise in the world. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and is set to be paid among the highest in the league when he enters free agency in 2021.

Yet Skip Bayless, a sports talk show personality on Fox’s “Undisputed,” ripped Prescott apart when the quarterback admitted on “The Graham Bensinger Show” that he has been battling severe depression since his brother, Jace Prescott, committed suicide in April.

“I don’t have sympathy for him going public with, ‘I got depressed. I suffered depression early in COVID to the point where I couldn’t even go work out.’ Look, he’s the quarterback of ‘America’s Team,’” Bayless said on “Undisputed” on Sept. 10. “If you reveal publicly any little weakness, it can affect your team’s ability to believe in you in the toughest spots, and it definitely could encourage others on the other side to come after you.”

Bayless can scream his awful sports opinions all he wants. When it comes to mental health, he needs to shut up.

Some things are bigger than sports and depression has been an underrepresented problem in the United States for a long time. As a member of the generation who’s second leading cause of death is suicide, I am devastated by how mental health is treated in this country.

Make no mistake: Prescott is not alone. Men are built from the ground up to bottle up their feelings and to “man up.” While to an extent there are good virtues from this, every person experiences moments of weakness. When people have been deny-

ing their faults and flaws, continuously pushing them away, they reach a breaking point. That’s when things turn for the worst.

Unexpected changes disrupt routine and alteration causes anxiety. The sliding scale of this disturbance can lead to different results. When someone loses a loved one, that drastic shift of routine combined with an inability to express or comprehend the emotions can lead to depression. This is not something that has a timeline. It’s not, “take these pills and expect results in a couple of weeks.”

It’s a nightmare. It seems unavoidable with no way to stop it from popping up again. One might get through the tunnel after a tough journey, but it may be a trip that one will take several times again. The nightmare may teach you

GRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

something about yourself but at the cost of your well-being, possibly your own sanity. Sometimes, people don’t wake up.

As mentioned, Gen Z is more prone to experience these nightmares than anyone else. There are reasons why artists like Juice WRLD or Iann Dior are so popular — they appeal to the dispirited feelings of this generation. According to the APA report Stress in America: Generation Z published in October 2019, my generation is 12% more likely than any other generation to report their mental health as fair or poor.

Still, people like Bayless diminish the effect depression has on so many people. Since 2007, for the young age group of 15-21, suicide rates have risen by 45% for males and a devastating 87% for females, according to a study posted by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

People need to embrace their flaws and unleash their emotions. Preaching “manliness” and inner strength is important, but kids are dying and no one seems to care. Suicide and depression are far from political talking points in this country, but they are invisible plagues that people have no idea how to combat.

Outside of initial backlash from people on social media, Bayless has received no repercussions for his words. Since no punishment was doled down besides a cut-and-paste Fox statement about Bayless’ words, this has been nothing but a win for the host who just received thousands of clicks by bashing a man who battled depression after his brother died after fighting mental illness himself. There was no apology, nothing.

Nobody is asking for one. We know what type of man Bayless is — a shameless and unyielding sports personality who solely craves clicks and views, at best.

If you take anything away form this, please don’t ignore the signs. Always reach out. It may seem silly, it may seem insignificant, but showing that you care can be enough to help somebody take a step back from that cliff. With all the struggles COVID-19 has put upon Americans, be selfless and take an uncomfortable leap of faith to save a life.

“I think being a leader is about being genuine and being real … I think it’s important to be vulnerable, to be genuine, to be transparent,” Prescott said in response to Bayless’ comments. “I think that goes a long way when you’re a leader and when your voice is being heard by so many, and you can inspire.”

Be the best leader you can be. Be vocal when you feel the need to — don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

September 23, 2020

Opinion|5

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Quinnipiac ‘boosts’ students to use new form of mobile ordering School dining continues to dissatisfy their students

By ALENA DELUISE Contributing Writer

With most students turning the corner on their fourth week of on-campus living during the COVID-19 pandemic, Quinnipiac University has encouraged students to download the “Boost Mobile” app for food ordering.

However, the methods for ordering and distributing food via the app have major room for improvement.

As a student with a gluten and dairy allergy, I wouldn’t rely on Boost ordering to ensure the safety of my health when it comes to cross-contamination. There is always the chance that a worker will make an error that could be costly.

Charles Couture from Quinnipiac Dining sent students an email about Boost’s expansion. Last year, the app was only used for Starbucks and Au Bon Pain.

On Boost, food options are limited and incorrectly categorized. For instance, the Bobcat Den Convenience Store has 15 “breakfast snacks” listed on the app, however, two of those snacks are powdered and chocolate mini donuts.

Also, some food options are extremely limited at the York Hill Cafeteria, only offering three hot breakfast foods at the grill station: breakfast burrito, egg sandwich and egg sandwich with meat. Omitted are more common breakfast foods such as pancakes, french toast and scrambled eggs.

TOYLOY BROWN III/CHRONICLE

Despite being the primary way to order food, Boost has fallen short of expectations.

Students like Holly Wetzel, a sophomore nursing major from New Egypt, New Jersey are disappointed with the changes from their first year at Quinnipiac.

“I would definitely say there are less options,” Wetzel said. “Also, there has been a problem with your order being ready but someone else taking it. They don’t clarify if you’re that person getting it with your QCard.”

Quinnipiac needs to identify students when picking up online orders to ensure nobody is left without a meal. The Boost pickup station in SC 116 has a Chartwells employee at all times to regulate the student traffic. This employee should also be held responsible for checking student ID. Students have limited time to fuel themselves before and after classes, which poses another flaw to the app.

“It’s definitely more difficult because we’re used to picking up food between classes,” said Heather Nachshen, a sophomore nursing student from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. “Now, if you order your food for 6 p.m., it might not be ready at 6 p.m., it might be ready at 6:30 p.m. or even 5:30 p.m. when you’re still in class.”

Students will order food from Boost and have their food be completed either before or after the pick-up time the app gave them. The woman managing the Boost ordering pickup station at that time dismissively had no comment on the student opinion — shocker!

Boost also doesn’t offer an option to cancel or edit your order once it is placed, setting yourself up for an unsatisfactory meal.

Nachshen frequently orders from Revolution Noodle, the sushi bar located in the cafeteria on the Mount Carmel campus.

“You get there, and your food is cold because you took too long,” Nashchen said.

Another fear of Boost ordering is getting subpar food. You never know how your food is going to be prepared, leaving little room for customization and a lot of room for confusion.

A senior Residential Assistant studying international business from Syracuse, Indiana, was disappointed with the simple sandwich he ordered through Boost from the York Hill cafeteria.

“I ordered (my sandwich) on a sub roll, and when you order a roast beef sandwich, you expect that to be hot,” the senior RA said. “The foil itself was hot, but when I opened it, there were two slices of cold roast beef deli meat on two slices of white bread. I also got a handful of cold shredded cheese instead of sliced cheese that originally comes with the sandwich.”

This is an example of how you can order food and customize your options, however there is no guarantee you will get exactly what you ask for. In the case of the senior RA, he was misled to believe that he was ordering a hot sandwich but instead got the opposite — some cold roast beef and stringed cheese. Prior to Boost’s prominence at Quinnipiac, students could watch their food be prepared in person and had the ability to customize without any concern of substitution.

While the cafeterias are serving hot food, the Chartwells employees told me they cannot heat your sandwich “for health reasons, per COVID-19 regulation.”

According to the World Health Organization, WHO, “Heat at 56°C kills the SARS coronavirus at around 10000 units per 15 min (quick reduction).”

Chartwells workers are doing the best they can to prepare food correctly and efficiently for students, however the pressure to complete all orders in time takes away from their efforts. Boost creates an atmosphere in which workers feel they are on a constant deadline, yet their endeavours are not bringing satisfaction to its customers The possibility of messing up a student’s order is higher, and there is a higher risk of someone getting something that they cannot eat due to allergies or personal reasons.

Boost’s utilization is important overall because it will help ensure the well-being of the Quinnipiac community by de-densifying cafeterias and helping promote social distancing. Quinnipiac officials must improve Boost for students to have a better dining experience.

This should be a wake-up call

Young Americans need to be informed about the Holocaust, or else it will be forgotten

By JESSICA SIMMS Managing Editor

There’s a quote by George Santayana, writer and philosopher, that says “those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”

I heard this saying, or a very similar one, every time I learned about the Holocaust to stress the importance of being educated about the horrors that took place. For the longest time, I could never imagine people not knowing that millions of people were killed during the Holocaust, potentially allowing for this terrifying history to repeat itself one day, until now.

I saw a poll conducted by the President of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany when I was scrolling on Twitter that stated “nearly two-thirds of young Americans do not know that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, study finds.”

As a Jew, this hit home. I had family killed during the Holocaust and I, at the age of 16, toured Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest German Nazi concentration camp and extermination center created and used during the Holocaust. The anger and terror that I felt walking the grounds of that camp crept up on me when reading more of the poll’s horrifying statistics.

One of the most disturbing revelations was that 11% of the United States’ millennials and Gen Z members believe that the Jews caused the Holocaust, according to Newsweek.

When I first read this, I burst into tears.

Not every person gets the chance to tour a concentration camp to see the barracks where prisoners slept, the gas chamber remains, the hair that was shaved off prisoners when they first arrived at the camps and the personal belongings stripped away from families when they were forced against their will to leave their homes forever. However, young Americans can be properly educated about the

Holocaust in so many ways.

When I was in seventh grade, my English class read and watched “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” a historical tragedy book and film. While the story is fictional, it still taught my class about what happened in the concentration camps during the Holocaust. We talked about the historical facts that were included in the novel and opened a dialogue.

If my middle school teacher was able to take a few weeks out of the academic year to teach us about the Holocaust, then every teacher should have the ability to. The fact that so many young Americans are not aware of the magnitude of the Holocaust makes me think that some schools are not properly teaching this event or are not discussing it at all.

It is truly upsetting that the youth of the U.S. is not properly educated about this part of history. It is even more troubling that out of 1,000 people ages 18 to 39, nearly half of them said that they have seen Holocaust denial posts on social media or elsewhere online, according to Newsweek.

It is one thing to be unaware of history, but sharing this lack of knowledge online is scary. Therefore, we must fight this ignorance and stop the denial of this part of human history. Greg Schneider, Claims Conference vice president, said that social media platforms can help with the spread of denying the Holocaust.

“It is clear that we must fight this distortion of history and do all we can to ensure that the social media giants stop allowing this harmful content on their platforms,” Schneider said. “Survivors lost their families, friends, homes and communities; we cannot deny their history.”

My message to you is that you can help with this, too.

If you see a denial post on social media or even a post that makes fun of the Holocaust, report it. If you have friends that are denying this horrific event or are unaware of its

magnitude, share your knowledge with them.

If we work together, the Holocaust may not be forgotten.

PHOTO FROM INSTAGRAM

At 16, Jessica Simms visited Auschwitz-Birkenau where at least one million people died.

6|Arts and Life

September 23, 2020

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Arts & Life

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Amplifying BIPOC voices It's time to diversify your reading list

By KELSEY PAUL Contributing Writer

“To Kill a Mockingbird.” “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” “Of Mice and Men.” Do these titles sound familiar?

These are all pieces of literature commonly assigned in high school English classes, and the plots deal with the lives and experiences of one or more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) individuals.

However, all three of these texts were written by white authors. As a white person, I still recognize the importance of hearing from diverse voices, and I see the problem with the prevalence of white authors.

Think about the courses you’ve taken so far, in both high school and college. How many pieces of literature assigned in your English classes were written by people of color?

If you’re like me, the answer is “not many.” Most of the “mainstream” books and literature pieces we read in class were written by white authors. It was only in higher-level English courses, ones I had to actively choose to take, where I was assigned literature written by BIPOC authors.

There’s no better time than now to modify your reading list to include works penned by people of color. Whether it be a fictional novel, a scholarly essay or a personal narrative, it is important to read and learn from the perspectives of those who have been historically silenced.

In a longitudinal study carried out by independent publisher of multicultural literature Lee and Low Books, statistics show that over the course of four years, the publishing industry was just as white in 2019 as it was in 2015. Not only are authors of color published incredibly less than white authors, but they are also not being promoted as often as white authors.

In short: the publishing industry is overwhelmingly white.

“The life experience and biography of BIPOC authors is sometimes related to struggles against racisms and colonial legacies that still shape much of our lives today,” said Dr. Marcos Scauso, assistant professor of political science at Quinnipiac University. “BIPOC authors often have the agentic capacity, empathy and sensitivity to show issues of injustice that might remain more hidden to others.”

Scauso, an author himself, has firsthand experience with the struggles of authorship.

INFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

Lee and Low's 2019 Diversity Baseline Survey revealed that the industry remains overwhelmingly white.

“As an immigrant in the United States, I had to overcome obstacles that others might not even imagine,” he said of his path to being published.

His most recent book, “Intersectional Decoloniality: ReImagining IR and the Problem of Difference,” considers the diversity of oppressive experiences and aims to “assess diverse ways to think about ‘others’ while also emphasizing the advantages of decolonial intersectionality,” according to his website.

It’s especially important, therefore, to read from the experiences of those whose voices have been continually suppressed. The problem is enhanced when discrimination is perpetuated based on factors — varying by each individual — including, but certainly not limited to, socioeconomic status, access to education and geography.

“Besides the hurdles of immigration, sending translations of documents to get accepted into graduate school in the United States, proving that my Argentine university really existed, and so on, being an author continues to be difficult,” Scauso said. “Those who have experienced the consequences of axes of power based on sexuality, gender, ability, ethnicity, race, religion, class and so on tend to understand the difficulties of inequalities and they also tend to think about alternatives.”

That’s not to say that you can’t read classics like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” or that these books should be banned, but rather that it’s imperative to consider the point of view when reading literature like this.

“A white body can never capture the truth of what it’s like to live moment-to-moment in a place of hardship — in a place of marginalization due to the absence of whiteness,” said Marissa McKinley, assistant teaching professor of English. “So long as white authors speak for and from the BIPOC perspective, they act as an oppressor.”

McKinley is actively working to enhance BIPOC voices in the First Year Writing Program at Quinnipiac, as well as advocate for open-access materials, since availability of literature written by people of color is severely limited for a multitude of reasons. She emphasizes that it is on us, as well as educators, to learn about racial and ethnic disparities and inequalities experienced by BIPOC individuals, and to go a step further and act on our concerns.

“It is through repeated exposure to BIPOC voices that I, along with other educators, can cultivate ethically-minded, socially responsible citizens who show compassion and act on their concerns for their BIPOC neighbors,” McKinley said. “I am among this privileged group as a white teacherscholar. It is my job to acknowledge my own privileges and to use my position in the world and in the classroom to help share the voices of BIPOC authors.”

McKinley recommended reading “Narratives of East Asian Women Teachers of English: Where Privilege Meets Marginalization,” a novel by Gloria Park.

“The book details the lived experiences of six women as they work against linguistic privilege and marginalization,” McKinley said. “As an East-Asian woman herself, Gloria carefully exposes her researcher subjectivity and discusses how English was and is a symbol of access for the women and further, how their pursuit of equity is layered in linguistic, social turmoil. The book is a model for those interested in critical female reflexivity and linguistic privilege.”

Scauso recommended “Orientalism,” by Edward Said, a Palestinian American, which focuses on the “narrow” understanding the West has of the East. He also recommends "The Racial Contract,” an essay by Charles W. Mills, who “unveils many of the limitations of theories that still rule much of our lives today.”

Finally, Scauso suggested students check out “any of the works by Fausto Reinaga and Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui” for those who read in Spanish, though an article by Cusicanqui in English, "Liberal Democracy and Ayllu Democracy in Bolivia: The Case of Northern Potosí,” is another must-read.

If you’re looking for award-winning works of fiction that

you can read to support BIPOC authors, check out “The Poet X” and “With the Fire on High,” both written by Dominican American Elizabeth Acevedo. I also highly recommend reading the short story “Recitatif,” by the renowned Toni Morrison, if you’re looking for a thought-provoking story that makes you question your own biases and judgment.

Read away, but be mindful of who is doing the storytelling.

“Those of privilege must see it as their ethical, moral responsibility to show up and listen to marginalized voices,” McKinley said.

The Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo, Barnes & Noble, $11.99

Orientalism, Edward Said, Barnes & Noble, $15.50

Natives of East Asian Women Teachers of English, Gloria Park, Barnes & Noble, $34.95

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 23, 2020

Arts and Life|7

QU Nutrition Local nutrition club gains popularity with QU students

By JESSICA SIMMS Managing Editor

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

GRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

Ever since Quinnipiac University students returned to campus for the fall 2020 semester, photos of U Nutrition shakes and teas have swarmed Instagram feeds.

U Nutrition, a nutrition club that opened up on Whitney Avenue in May, is owned by two 19-year-olds, Jaslin Johnson and Jasmine Soto. After working at Johnson’s mother’s nutrition club in Shelton, Connecticut, the two owners realized they could open up their own shop after graduating high school.

“I think we picked Hamden because, well obviously Quinnipiac is right there, so we knew it would be a big hit and we just like the community,” Johnson said.

U Nutrition sells both shakes and teas. According to its Facebook page, each shake has 24 grams of protein, 21 vitamins and nutrients and is under 250 calories. Johnson said they use soy isolate protein, which is a plant-based protein.

“It’s a way better alternative than a non-vegan option,” she said. “It’s just ice and water. We don’t use any dairy or anything like that. It tastes more like ice cream rather than a protein shake.”

The teas are natural green teas that are made with aloe.

According to U Nutrition’s Facebook page, each tea boosts metabolism, burns calories and increases energy. Each customer gets a tea when they order a shake.

“The reason we do the shake and the tea together is because the shake has the vitamins, nutrients, the meal replacement and then the tea has all the stuff in it to help you digest properly, everything that you’re intaking with the shake,” Johnson said.

John Opie, a masters of business administration student at Quinnipiac, is happy with the amount of nutrients each tea and shake provides.

“The teas are full of B12 energy and electrolytes that are sure to boost metabolism and keep you hydrated,” Opie said. “Now don’t forget about the shakes. They have so many flavors, and they are all so yummy.”

Dana White, clinical associate professor of athletic training & sport medicine and a sports dietitian, said that when going to nutrition clubs such as U Nutrition, students should know that these shakes and teas are not actual food replacements.

“In general, being a registered dietitian, I think people should eat food,” White said. “I think to tell these nutrients the way that they seem to be, I’m afraid misleading because I think some people think they’re actually getting food out of the deal but they’re not. They’re getting these neon colored teas that have fun mixes … I think that the food is missing from the picture.”

By being close to Quinnipiac’s campuses, Johnson and Soto hope to offer healthy options to college students.

“You want something good, but that you won’t get freshman 15 from,” Soto said. “... (U Nutrition) is literally like two seconds away (from campus).”

Along with offering healthier options, Johnson and Soto are aware that by being young owners, they can relate to their college-aged customers.

“Since a lot of the people that come in are Quinnipiac kids, we’re like their age, so we relate to them a lot,” Soto said. “So we try to make it a party.”

Though for all customers, Johnson and Soto want to make them feel comfortable, like they’re back at home.

“We want them to feel kinda like we're best friends, like if they need somewhere to chill, cry, laugh,” Johnson said. “For real, because I listen to them and I’m like, ‘You know, me too girl. I’m going through it too.’”

Quinnipiac students appreciate the effort the U Nutrition staff put in to getting to know their customers.

“I go because it is a really friendly local business that has great customer service and a variety of products,” said Mia Lambroff, a junior nursing major.

Because of the $1 off deal when you post a picture of your U Nutrition shake or tea, Quinnipiac students’ social media accounts have been filled with these photos. Johnson’s mother used this deal at her shop in Shelton after being offered an ad deal. “(My mother) had been doing it for a while so I think she just noticed that it was the smartest market,” Johnson said.

“Because everyone was posting (shakes and teas) anyways and most of the time they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, yes I was going to post it anyways.’”

By being so close to Quinnipiac, this $1 off deal has worked to Johnson and Soto's advantage. Quinnipiac students see their peers posting pictures of these aesthetically pleasing shakes and teas, making them want to go to U Nutrition themselves.

“Every time a new person comes in, we ask them, ‘How did you hear about us?’ and every single time, it’s social media,” Soto said.

Because Johnson and Soto opened Hamden’s U Nutrition in May amid the pandemic, the beginning of their journey as business owners was tough.

“We opened dead in the middle of coronavirus,” Johnson said. “The governor, he put an 8 p.m. (curfew) and it was so stressful (in) the beginning because we were like, ‘What are we going to do?’”

However, since the fall semester began, Johnson said Quinnipiac students “gave them so much hope and life.” “... You helped us a lot,” Johnson said of Quinnipiac students, “We love you guys. We want you guys here all the time. The whole school. Every single one of you.”

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE

8|Arts and Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

September 23,2020

Protecting the

‘Bobcat Bubble’

Quinnipiac students work with faculty to promote public health on campus GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL CLEMENT

The QU Health Ambassadors are hoping to set an example on social media by demonstrating ways to protect the "Bobcat Bubble."

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Associate Arts & Life Editor

If you need advice on social distancing practices, such as staying six feet apart, wearing masks and the importance of public health, there’s a new group at Quinnipiac University ready to help.

The QU Peer Health Ambassadors is a group of students across the schools of nursing, medicine and health sciences who are working closely with faculty members and the COVID-19 Task Force to encourage students to follow social distancing guidelines and keep the community safe.

“Our responsibilities include promoting a safe environment, presenting ideas and student concerns to administration and being a resource for all things (COVID-19) for students, their families, faculty and staff,” said Charles Sharkey, a senior nursing major and student ambassador.

According to fitness, leisure and wellness professor Debora Lavigne, the group formed in early August, as the university administration solidified plans to return to campus.

Around 60 students showed interest in being an ambassador.

“The idea was bringing together different leaders in all of

the programs within health sciences, the medical school and the nursing school from the grad level all the way through undergrad,” Lavigne said.

Since the formation, the group has worked closely with administration to ensure that the plans made in regard to returning to campus had the student population’s approval.

“The administration really feels the connection between (itself and the ambassadors) can really be beneficial in getting the word out and keeping the campus open,” Lavigne said. “That’s the goal — we all want to be here. So that’s the main goal of working together on that, right? To make sure we make it to the end of the semester.”

On Sept. 9, the ambassadors, the Student Government Association (SGA) and the COVID-19 Task Force sent an email to students regarding seating in public spaces such as dining halls. Sharkey said they initiated the removal of these chairs to help students “understand that COVID-19 is still real.”

“Removing these chairs is a small, but important step,” the email stated. “Another step we can all take is to limit trips home, or elsewhere beyond the community, on weekends. We know this is a big ask, but we’ve achieved a huge milestone in

starting off the semester with zero positive cases on campus.

Help us ‘protect the Bobcat Bubble’ and limit any opportunity for the virus to be brought back to our campuses.”

Since that email was sent out, there has been one confirmed COVID-19 case in the Quinnipiac community, a non-residential commuter student.

The Peer Health Ambassadors Instagram account, @quhealthambassadors, is meant to be a resource for Quinnipiac students by posting tips to ensure students are staying safe in their respective communities.

The group hopes to remain a positive influence on the community, encouraging people to follow COVID-19 guidelines as opposed to discouraging or even shaming people from breaking the rules. Olivia Rua, a senior health studies major, emphasized the importance of this positivity in the effort to stay at Quinnipiac.

“We want to be educating everyone on the implementation, refreshing everyone’s memory and promoting cooperation of everything we all need to do to stay on campus and to stay safe and to have a successful semester,” Rua said.

A virtual safe space Multicultural Student Leadership Council hosts QU Monologues as a venue to discuss controversial issues

By WILLIAM GAVIN Staff Writer

Although it may have been virtual, the QU Monologues discussion on Sept. 15, hosted by the Multicultural Student Leadership Council, was a safe space nonetheless.

The event was held as a way to encourage discussion about issues that may seem controversial or delicate such as body image, sexual harassment and safety on campus.

The QU Monologues encouraged conversation between the students following small presentations by the event hosts.

The event covered controversial topics through video essays much like the Vagina Monologues, a series of spoken essays created in 1996 by Eve Enslerto.

“We wanted to make it more of an inclusive event (than the Vagina Monologues), not limited, so we changed it to the QU Monologues,” said Athena Cuttle, senior psychology major and Gender and Sexuality Alliance interim president.

For each of the major topics of the night, MSLC followed the style of the Vagina Monologues and played audio that illustrated a dark scene based on the trauma that social pressure can create. The clips got darker as the event progressed, emulating a provocative style that elicits emotions.

“Dear Anna, the truth is I would never speak to a child the way I speak to myself, I would never tell a 4-year-old

PHOTOS FROM WIKICOMMONS

The QU Monologues allowedQuinnipiac students to share concerns and emotions surrounding uncomfortable topics.

that she is fat. That no one will love her,” one clip said.

“There's nothing empowering about lessening yourself.

You're a vanishing act. Your body, the magic hat pulling out nothing. Your body is a clothing rack. Your body is my favorite sweater.”

This led the participants to discuss their own experiences with body image and conforming to society. One female student spoke about their roommate’s struggle with staying thin and refusing to eat for days in order to prevent gaining weight.

Others discussed how they’ve been profiled in the past, largely due to how they chose to express themselves. One student spoke about how their tattoos caused a store full of mostly elderly people nervous because the tattoos made them seem “less professional.”

Another student talked about how their hair didn’t conform to “Western standards,” and how it made even their own family tell them that they wouldn’t get a job.

The students also discussed safety on campus now that Public Safety laid off many of its diverse officers.

Participants believe that some students may feel that they have no one to turn to. Some students opened up and spoke about their concerns about the loss of representation, and how that could affect their own safety.

The QU Monologues also addressed sexual harassment through another audio essay, narrated by Patrina Robinson, a sophomore entrepreneurship major and community outreach chair for the Black Student Union.

Robinson’s piece, “Red Traffic Light,” describes the horror of an unwanted sexual encounter, and the fear and misplaced guilt that can come with it. “‘The Red Traffic Light’ is a story about a young woman who was confident in her ability to say no before someone taught her that just because you say stop doesn't mean someone will stop,” Robinson said. “Like a stoplight, people give consent by saying go, slow down, or stop. In the poem, she is a stoplight, and the sad reality is that drivers don't always stop when the light is red.”

Robinson wrote the piece after a personal incident earlier in her life. The experience left her deeply depressed. She hoped to find some relief in writing “The Red Traffic Light.”

Robinson wrote from the point of view of a survivor, to show how quickly an assault can escalate.

“I live beneath the stop light that says go when the time’s right. Slow down this doesn't feel right,” Robinson wrote in her poem. “You run through the stop light. Don’t feel her pain, just urges. Need what is so bad. You become colorblind. Deaf to the sirens. Stop, stop. If you can.”

After she finished reading, a deeper silence than that of typical Zoom conferences was felt, one that no one knew how to break. The weight of the piece seemed to sit on the participants’ shoulders, leaving them in silence.

Through the poem, Robinson wanted to show people that it is never OK for anyone to “not stop” when they are asked to do so.

“I want readers to understand that just because a person likes you and you like them does not mean they have any right to make you do something you don't want to,” Robinson said. “It does not matter how far you have gone, it does not matter if you wanted to or will want to at some point, it does not matter if you like how something feels, and it does not matter what you have previously consented to. You always have the right to say no.”

Despite the progress and the unfiltered conversations at the QU Monologues, the organizers of the event said that it’s not the end of the discussion.

“This conversation needs to continue into the future, not just having an event (and) it's over and done with," said Andrew DePass, a senior biology and computer science double major and executive chair of MSLC. We still need to discuss issues of body image and consent that unfortunately affect women and well, all people, but most importantly, women and folks of LGBTQ+ backgrounds.”

September 23, 2020

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10|Sports

September 23, 2020

The future of sports is now

Esports take over as other programs shut down during pandemic

By XAVIER CULLEN Podcast Producer

Club sports won’t take place on a hockey rink or a soccer field this fall. Instead, the athletes’ dorms will be the center stage.

Over the summer, Quinnipiac University announced it is expanding the club sports program to include esports for the fall 2020 semester to include more socially-distant activities in response to COVID-19 restrictions.

“For this fall, we really looked at what are some of the areas that we’re going to allow our students to be able to do,” said Michael Medina, director of campus life for recreation.

“Following the majority of the fall sports and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) being cancelled, a lot of our governing bodies in the university decided that we weren’t going to have any club sport competition this fall, with the exception of esports because you can socially distance and be in your residence hall.”

The expansion comes after the MAAC, partnered with the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF), sponsored five games for the fall 2020 semester: “Overwatch,” “Rocket League,” “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” “Dota 2” and “FIFA.” “For this fall, we do not plan on offering (‘Dota 2’ and ‘FIFA’) based off a lack of interest right now,” Medina said.

“But I think as we start to see this program grow and get a little more publicity on campus, I think we will make it a strong effort to be as inclusive to all of the games that we can be.”

Before Quinnipiac expanded its club sports program to include esports, Medina said there had been various esports teams that ran out of the game design and development program where students could learn more about the business and the technical skills that go into making video games, while also competing with others online.

“We want to keep that partnership with the academic side of things in the game design ... now as you look at the explosion of esports into a billion-dollar industry,” Medina said. “I think it would be a really cool partnership to have students who are learning how to write games and learn the business end of esports also be involved in our club esports program as well and it’s kind of a natural fit where a student who enjoys writing, coding and creating these games also is going to enjoy playing in games and competing against other students.”

Medina mentioned that club esports is a great way for students who might not have been initially involved in club sports to showcase their competitive drives.

“I think this group for us is going to bring a type of students who maybe would not have come into our facilities prior to this,” Medina said. “And that’s probably a little bit of a stereotype that we’re looking at a non-traditional athletic

program, but at the same time it is a huge competitive area across the nation, so it’s important for us to continue to have diversity in our offerings.”

However, he also noted that there is more to esports and sports as a whole than just the competitive nature that makes the expansion worthwhile, especially in a socially-distant world.

“I think right now, given some of the social distancing limitations that we have, esports is a great way to meet other students on campus in that virtual setting,” Medina said. “There’s nobody on this campus who can’t connect to BobcatNet, so you have that ability to create a friendship and this team is now going to give an opportunity for students to create that team feel and represent the university when they go out there.”

Justin Ellis, club esports president and co-captain of the “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” team, says he has been competing in tournaments for six to seven years and said he loves how the esports community can give students a deep sense of belonging.

“I think it’s really great that we’re developing this kind of experience for students to have a part of,” said Ellis, a senior English major. “I always think there’s an interest or connotation around esports where some people don’t consider it a real sport ... but I think what it really does is what any sport does and that’s kind of create a sense of community and a group of people that you feel a belonging with.”

Ellis continued and said that this is a unique opportunity for first-year students who might be struggling to find new friends as the normal college experience has been vastly changed due to COVID-19 rules.

“I just think that anyone that has any interest, or has heard about it, or even really doesn’t understand esports and just likes playing the game, I just think it’s so important that you just pay attention and keep your ears open for these kinds of opportunities,” Ellis said. “To just go out and meet people that play a similar video game ... I think, as far as the freshman class goes, this is a great opportunity for them to meet people.”

According to Green Man Gaming, esports is projected to have 645 million global viewers by 2022, which would surpass baseball in audience size. If esports continues its upward trajectory, it could make over $2 billion by 2022 and trail only the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL in revenue.

With the amount of professional esports athletes tripling since 2014 and the amount of money that is being made in the industry, Medina says that there are a lot of opportunities for students in the club esports program to go pro.

“I know there’s a segment of people out there who are going to say esports isn’t a true, competitive sport, and I think

Esports is projected to eclipse baseball in global viewership by 2022, according to Green Man Gaming.

GRAPHIC BY KARA KACHMAR

when you look at the nationwide trend and the international trend or esports competitions selling out NBA arenas, and the NBA2K league that they have where those are full-time people making money,” Medina said. “There’s a lot more students in our club esports program that could go and make money off of this then some of our other club sports teams right now who are doing it on a recreational side.”

Ellis hopes that esports can grow and become even more popular among colleges across the country and thinks there will be a greater push for a more unified national esports program. “(The EGF is) really trying to unify among all the conferences, not just the MAAC, Big 10, separately, they’re really working hard to make this a bigger picture thing that will actually go across the United States,” Ellis said. “I don’t think that’s going to come to fruition during my time at Quinnipiac, in my time in college, but by the time our freshman class is graduating I would expect a pretty heavy unity organization at that point among all colleges.”

With esports gaining popularity, Medina says it’s only a matter of time before the NCAA takes notice.

“You’re seeing at other universities there’s this blurred vision of is esports a varsity sport or is esports a club sport, is it a recreational group, and right now we have it as part of our recreation program, but I’m sure you can see in other universities they’re doing it as a varsity esport,” Medina said. “It may only be a matter of time before the NCAA starts to explore whether they want to get involved in creating a championship for it.”

COURTESY OF GREEN MAN GAMING

September 23, 2020

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|11

LEMAL-BROWN from Page 12 know you’re gonna be an amazing player,’” Lemal said. “She was maybe 12, 13 years old, but she was so fast. He was just blown away by her speed.”

Naturally, Lemal-Brown made the decision to take up rugby as soon as it was available to her. And, as you’d expect, it brought her and her mother together.

“My mom loved it,” Lemal-Brown said. “She was all in on it, which added another layer because she knew a lot of coaches in the sport. She was very eager to lead me to the highest level possible, even just starting out.”

So of the two types of parents, which type is Lemal?

It’s tough to say. Does she support her daughter with all she has? Of course she does. Is there a little bit of pressure on LemalBrown to be the “prodigy child?” Maybe.

But maybe Lemal isn’t just a parent that you can categorize into one of two groups. Because she’s not just a parent that goes to the games and supports her child.

She has an attachment to the sport that few other parents of the game have. She brought her daughter into the game and watched her blossom into an All-American star.

“I feel very close with her,” Lemal-Brown said. “I know if I ever have a doubt in my mind (about playing rugby), she’ll ask me a million questions, but I love that. She tests me a lot and I learn a lot from her because she makes me think about everything.”

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE (2018)

Junior wing Clara Lemal-Brown speeds by an opponent in a 2018 matchup against Brown University.

GRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

12|Sports

September 23, 2020

Sports

Parenting prowess

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE (2018)

How All-American Clara Lemal-Brown followed in the footsteps of her mother

By RILEY MILLETTE Sports Editor

We all know the two types of parents who show up to sporting events — the loud ones and the quiet ones. Whether you’re at a college football game or a middle school volleyball match, you’ll see both of them.

Let’s say you’re at a Quinnipiac University rugby match. Junior wing Clara Lemal-Brown finds the ball in her hands, and she breaks down the middle, using her blazing speed that made her an All-American pick last year.

But one trained set of eyes in the stands sees the outside channel is wide open. Annemarie Lemal, Lemal-Brown’s mother, takes note, literally. She often approaches LemalBrown after the game with a written list of things she saw that could use improvement.

“It just kind of became like I had a second film session every time,” Lemal-Brown said.

This isn’t uncommon in sports. Imagine a high school baseball player who rode the bench like it was a roller coaster. After his pity at-bat he would get when the game was out of reach, his dad would immediately greet him after the game, eyeblack still on and cleats still tied to give him feedback.

And that was high school baseball advice for a kid that barely even sniffed the field from a dad that hasn’t been around the game since his letterman days.

In Lemal-Brown’s case, she’s getting advice from a college rugby coach who has been calling plays at Colgate since 2009.

Since she was in high school, Lemal-Brown was hanging around the team, learning from her mother and her players.

Then there’s the other type of parent.

Lemal is also a figure skating coach at Colgate. In her days as an ice skating professional, she’s seen plenty of parents that do a little bit more than some other parents.

“In Lake Placid, the moms would sit up in the stands eating donuts and drinking coffee, just screaming at their kids if they ever tried to take a break on the ice,” Lemal said.

Lemal-Brown noticed the parents making a ruckus as well.

“They showed in fur coats, mink scarves, weird headbands that are made out of, like, squirrel fur or whatever,” Lemal-Brown said. “Just the most expensive, non-humanitarian outfits on the planet. ‘Why aren’t you doing this better? Be better, be faster, be stronger!’ And they are like seven!”

Lemal made sure to clarify that these parents aren’t bad people.

“Skating at a competitive level means that parents need to be invested monetarily, psychologically and with their time,

often driving great distances or even sending their child to live somewhere else to train,” Lemal said. “Because of this pressure and investment, there is in turn an onus on the coach to turn their child into a champion.”

But when it comes to Lemal and her daughter, there’s a different approach. Some of the figure skating intensity is there, for sure. But the two have formed a strong bond through rugby and continue to stay connected despite the distance.

Lemal-Brown, hailing from Wooster, Ohio, made the decision to come to Quinnipiac to play rugby, influenced by spending time with her mother’s rugby team.

Lemal enrolled her daughter in a two-day rugby camp when she was little, but Lemal-Brown didn’t end up pursuing it because there were no club teams around Hamilton, New York, where they lived at the time.

But it was inevitable that Lemal-Brown ended up on the rugby field somehow, and that time came during her sophomore year of high school.

“I really encouraged her to come to my practices, so that it would give her some structure after school,” Lemal said. “She would meet my players in the gym, so she really started falling in love with the sport then.”

About a year later, around the end of Lemal-Brown’s junior year, a high school team started up in Syracuse, New York, an hour away from their house. Lemal began driving her daughter to and from practice.

With the attention that she was getting from the sideline, not even in a uniform, both Lemal-Brown and her mother knew that venturing to Connecticut was fully on the table.

“I was always the mom that went on tour with her when she competed internationally,” Lemal said. “She went to the World Games in Paris, and she competed in Las Vegas, all the big international invitationals. It was a lot of fun because I wasn’t actually coaching her then, but I also, as a coach, knew the game. It was just nice to be able to be a presence with her in a sport that we both loved, so it was a lot of fun.”

Even on the sideline of a college team running water out to the players, Lemal-Brown was turning heads with her speed. As a high schooler, she was faster than every player on the college team.

And she was wearing L.L. Bean boots.

“The head of the tournament was so impressed with her that he gave her an All-Tournament jersey at the end, and he said ‘I just See LEMAL-BROWN Page 11

MORGAN TENCZA/CHRONICLE (2018)