SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 • VOLUME 91 • ISSUE 4
The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929
The most
CONSEQUENTIAL
CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE
election in US history p.6
NEWS P.3: Hogan Lot closure
Hogan Lot is shut down for the fall semester, upsetting some students.
PHOTO FROM FLICKR
OPINION P.4: America’s apathy
The injustice in Breonna Taylor’s case shows how law enforcement lacks accountability.
CHRONICLE ARCHIVES (2019)
SPORTS P.12: Lab rats The women’s club soccer team is preparing for a spring season despite restrictions. ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS
Behind the scenes of Quinnipiac’s testing infrastructure By EMILY DISALVO Arts & Life Editor
As soon as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on colleges and universities became clear this spring, a team of professors and medical experts at Quinnipiac University began to work on developing a testing model. These four experts used a complicated simulation, research from previous pandemics and their own individual expertise, to launch a several-pronged strategy to identify, track and ultimately prevent cases of COVID-19 on Quinnipiac’s campuses.
The team
The testing team, headed by Dr. David Hill, professor of medical sciences and director of Global Public Health at Quinnipiac, meets almost every day. The other representative from the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine is Dr. Richard Feinn, associate professor of medical sciences. In addition, James Soda, associate professor of mathematics and data science, helped create the mathematical simulation that eventually led to the development of
the testing strategy. Xi Chen, associate professor of sociology, is an expert in research methods. She developed the sampling strategy for testing students.
The test
If you were ever tested this spring or summer for a reason unrelated to Quinnipiac, you may have experienced a deep swab in your nose administered by a nurse or doctor. At Quinnipiac, students have been able to avoid this dreaded swab in favor of a saliva test before they came and a gentle, self-administered circling of the nostril upon theirour arrival. After the first round of testing, which was a saliva test administered through “Vault Health” testing via Rutgers University, Quinnipiac identified 20 positive cases of COVID-19. These students were not allowed to move into Quinnipiac until they acquired a negative test result. The test used on campus is called the anterior narase test. Test accuracy is ranked on specificity and sensitivity. “Sensitivity refers to people who are infected and specificity means it will not
pick up people who are not infected,” Hill said. Hill said that the evolving science around COVID-19 revealed that the virus can be identified not just in saliva and in the depths of the nasopharynx but also in the outside part of the nose. The tests that Quinnipiac uses to test students on campus come from the Broad Institute, which manufactures this type of test. “We didn’t have to administer the nasopharyngeal swab which is quite uncomfortable,” Hill said. “We could just stand and observe students do it.” While Hill was not sure of the exact accuracy of the test given the fact that students administer it themselves, he said the test did receive emergency use authority from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “The FDA emergency use authority means it hasn’t gone through the full process, but it has gone through all of the scientific analysis, which said it was fine,” Hill said. Hill said the majority of COVID-19 GRAPHIC BY KARA KACHMAR
See TESTING Page 3
2| News
The Quinnipiac Chronicle
Lending a helping hand
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
September 30, 2020
Students collect food, personal protective equipment and sanitary supplies By KATIE LANGLEY Contributing Writer
Quinnipiac University School of Law’s Health Law Society and undergraduate organization Handprints for Sunshine are conducting a food, personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitary supplies drive through Oct. 16, to support COVID-19 frontline workers. The organizations are asking for non-perishable food items such as dry goods, canned products, condiments and spices. They are also requesting toiletries, disinfectants and PPE such as gowns, shoe covers, gloves, masks, face shields and other medical coverings. Nathaly Tomayo, third-year law student at Quinnipiac, is the president of the Law Health Society. “If anyone wants to drop off a donation, there’s going to be a box at the entrance to the law school as well as in the student lounge area in the medical school, and there’s also going to be a box at the student center at the Mount Carmel campus, the undergraduate campus,” Tomayo said. Alexa Massad, a second-year law student and vice president of the Law Health Society, said the drive is also taking monetary donations. “Since we understand a lot of students are
not on campus right now and unable to bring physical donations, we are accepting monetary donations as well via Venmo,” Massad said. Graduate and law students who would like to contribute can send donations through Venmo to @GabbyIzzo. Undergraduate students who want to donate are asked to Venmo @FrancescaMachiano. Massad said that the organizations are also relying on monetary donations from local grocery stores. “We’re working with a number of grocery stores, and a few of them have already determined that they will be helping provide some gift cards so we probably won’t be providing specific items from the grocery stores,” Massad said. “They’ve agreed to give some monetary donations.” Contributions will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Hartford Healthcare Network, according to the Law Health Society executive board. Gabriella Izzo, a second-year law student and the secretary of the Law Health Society, said the organization is trying to help in any way it can. “We’re definitely going to try to bring more food products to the Ronald McDon-
ald House (charities) and try to bring the PPE supplies to Hartford Healthcare,” Izzo said. “Just really try to bring what each organization needs at this time.” Tomayo said that the Law Health Society’s focus is on the health of the local community, so they saw this as an important opportunity to help. Francesca Marchiano is a junior nursing major and the president of Handprints for Sunshine. “At the end of the drive, our goal is to raise awareness about the situation and have students and faculty be more open-minded about the situation and how our community is affected by it,” she said. The organizations sponsoring the drive aim to include the entire Quinnipiac community in the efforts. “I think that was a big reason why we decided it might be a good idea to pair with an undergraduate association that had similar goals and wanted to get involved and try to help the community in a larger way,” Izzo said. “We thought this way it would be almost like a cross-campus event that we could collect more, get more campus involvement and try to really reach a larger portion of the Quinnipiac community.”
DESIGN EDITOR Michael Clement PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Morgan Tencza
Will QU go back to LA?
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. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, by emailing Brendan O’Sullivan at bgosullivan@quinnipiac.edu. Search “Chron-versations” and “Chronicle Weekly 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 advertise@quchronicle.com. Inquiries must be made a week prior to publication. SEND TIPS, including news tips, corrections or suggestions to Brendan O’Sullivan at editor@quchronicle.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be between 250 and 400 words and must be approved by the Editorin-Chief 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 editor@quchronicle.com. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Chronicle.
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By WILLIAM DEAN Contributing Writer
Quinnipiac University is tentatively giving “QU in LA” a green light for the spring 2021 semester after the program came to a screeching halt on March 14. In the information session on Sept. 22, Jennifer Kalaidis, the director for QU in LA, said the program is an opportunity for students to step outside their comfort zones into an exciting business environment. “It’s a great way for students to get some professional experience,” Kalaidis said. “Having experience on your resume on the other side of the country is really impressive to employers.” The cornerstone of QU in LA is the opportunity to work at a company in the field students are studying. In previous semesters, students have interned at Sony Pictures, Disney, the Los Angeles Times and other well-known organizations. Whether the program returns in-person for the spring semester is still a major question. When asked if the program would continue in-person in the spring, Kalaidis said she could not comment on the matter. Quinnipiac will announce if students can travel to Los Angeles on Oct. 19. The possibility of cancelling the program’s travel component is something that Kalaidis and other Quinnipiac leaders have planned for. “Thankfully we got our trial run in last year, and I think certainly our program and the university in general and the public health system is a lot better,” Kalaidis said. “We ask students that they be aware that this is a flexible situation, same as it is on campus. Safety is always number one, and students will have to be accommodating to that.” In March, in-person internships were cancelled and the 26 students in the program received an email recommending they leave Los Angeles by the end of the week. Students’ plans, organized around working and studying, were quickly thrown into chaos. The new top priority was finding a way back home. “Traveling back home was super last minute, so the biggest stressor was booking a new flight,” said Kayla Birmingham, a 3+1 business management major. Birmingham, who traveled to Los Angeles to
intern at interior design firm Harbinger, said that while leaving was the right thing to do, it was still upsetting. “When it set in that we actually had to physically leave the QU in LA program, I was heartbroken,” Birmingham said. “My time living and working in California was an absolute dream come true.” The transition to interning remotely caused some problems as well. When Quinnipiac announced it would suspend in-person meetings, not all program members had completed the required number of credit hours for their internships. Kalaidis said some students had fulfilled this prerequisite but “the rest of the students had to complete it remotely.” All 26 students returned home safely and received full credit for their internship and class work. Sophomore 3+1 media studies major Lachie Harvey hoped to study in Los Angeles in the spring but chose to delay his application. “The chaos going on in LA and California in general is really off-putting,” Harvey said. “Forest fires, protests and coronavirus is just too much.” Harvey said the university’s lack of communication about the program wasn’t helpful when deciding to apply. Another problem confronting students interested in QU in LA is the Los Angeles job market. While the city is slowly recovering from the pandemic-induced economic downturn, unemployment stood at 11.4% in August, according to California’s Employment Development Department. Though students will be entering a highly competitive job market, Kalaidis said that they have an edge over alreadyworking professionals “Generation Z, you really have a leg up with a lot of other workers in the sense of be-
GRAPHIC BY KARA KACHMAR
nign digital natives before this pandemic,” Kalaidis said. “I think students are coming in there being comfortable communicating online.” While the program’s immediate future is unknown, later semesters are expected to see high student interest. Harvey said he was “absolutely” planning on participating in the program later in his college career. “I’m considering living in Los Angeles when I’ve graduated, and I wanted to use the semester as a taste test of sorts,” Harvey said. “It’s way too good of an opportunity to go.” For Harvey, the opportunity to intern at a professional film production company is the most appealing aspect of the QU in LA program. Although her in-person experience was cut short, Birmingham said she would “do it all over again in a heartbeat” and that she recommends students consider the program. She said the opportunity to work alongside professionals in a dream job is “so valuable” and can not be found anywhere else. “An internship is so powerful and teaches what you like and dislike about working in the real world in terms of culture and the actual work you’re completing,” Birmingham said. “Be eager to soak up the knowledge.”
September 30, 2020
The Quinnipiac Chronicle
News |3
Closure of Hogan Lot upsets students By NICOLE MCISSAC and KATIE LANGLEY
Quinnipiac University’s department of public safety decided to close Hogan Lot on the Mount Carmel campus for the remainder of the semester beginning on Sept. 28. “We have been seeing much lower utilization of Hogan Lot, with only 39% of the lot’s capacity used daily and significant available capacity in our on-campus lots,” said John Morgan, associate vice president for public relations. “As a result, it was not cost effective to dedicate public safety resources to continue staffing the Hogan Lot, and those resources will be used elsewhere on our campuses.” All vehicles that remain in the lot after the designated date will be issued a citation and towed at the owner’s expense. Any student who is currently parked in Hogan Lot can now park in either the Hilltop or North Lots. “We do not anticipate any changes in ride share services or student pick-ups, other than rideshare services now using the North Lot in front of the Athletic and Recreation Center on the Mount Carmel Campus as their designated pick up and drop off location instead of the Hogan Lot.” Morgan said. Morgan said COVID-19 had no direct effect on the lot closing and there is no set decision on if the lot will reopen for the spring semester. “I’m incredibly disappointed with the faculty for their decision,” said Robert Markman, a sophomore marketing major. “I reached out to Shannon Grasso asking for an explanation, and I haven’t heard back from her, which is upsetting as there is no communication from the faculty.”
Markman said he frequently uses the parking lot to pick up food deliveries and to park his car. “I want to emphasize that there’s really no reason to shut it down,” Markman said. “Without a reasonable explanation, it just seems rash and unnecessary. With no communication whatsoever, the student population is left in the dark.” Students are worried that the university’s decision to close the lot will ultimately cause crowding in other lots throughout the campus. “I don’t use it, so I’m not particularly bothered,” said Julia Cosica, a senior film major. “It’ll definitely make the North Lot a lot busier, and it’s bad enough as is.” Maureen Okang, a sophomore biology major, currently commutes to her in-person classes. She said she is already planning on changing her schedule to arrive earlier on campus to ensure herself a parking spot. “Parking is going to become a lot harder for commuters,” Okang said. “We only have the option to park in the designated commuter area in North Lot and in the main North Lot. If both lots are already filled, it’s going to be very hard to find spaces.” Okang said that the commuter parking lot is very small and given the amount of commuters going to the school, she believes having more cars in the North Lot will have a direct effect on commuters’ time and schedules. Alyssa Arends, a first-year political science major, lives across the street from Hogan Lot in the Mountainview residence hall. She said the decision is very inconvenient for residents that live in her building. “Hogan Lot closing is a little frustrating
because having food delivered right outside my dorm used to be an alternative to going to the rat or cafe,” Arends said. “Walking all the way to the North Lot for food defeats the purpose of ordering food off campus.” Besides conflicts with food deliveries, students are concerned how this will affect their accessibility for being picked up. “As a student without a car on campus, the closing of Hogan Lot is extremely frustrating,” said Lauren Hamilton, a sophomore law in society major. “My parents always pick me up there for doctor appoint-
ments and it is so much easier. I just am unsure as to why there is a need to close the lot after hearing many students, like myself, use it very frequently.” Hamilton said Hogan Lot is a central location for students on campus to get picked up, use rideshare services and get food deliveries. She stated that in the times she has visited the lot, it has always been full and in-use by a lot of students on campus. Students with any questions or concerns regarding the new changes are encouraged to contact public safety at (203) 582-6200.
CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE
Hogan Lot is completely shut down for the remainder of the fall semester.
Chen: ‘We want students to keep what they are doing’ TESTING from cover tests are working under emergency use authority and assumed an eventual vaccine would be approved in the same way. The Broad tests cost $25 each, and Hill said Quinnipiac will be using these same tests again in the spring. “You have seen the news around Sacred Heart, and the challenges they have,” Hill said. “They were not able to sign on with Broad, and it just shows that when you don’t have a robust testing schedule, you run into trouble.”
The model
Soda has a background in disease modeling so he helped to set up a “computer game that the computer plays with itself” to identify a scenario to help develop Quinnipiac’s testing strategy. “It allowed us to simulate individual norms and say exactly how a testing strategy would form under those conditions,” Soda said. “I had to go to scientific literature and keep and eye on developments from the World Health Organization.” Based on his research, Soda had to esti-
mate how many contacts an individual student would have. He made the decision to use 10 contacts per student after studying a measles outbreak at Penn State University. He also inputted the prevalence of COVID-19 in Connecticut, and how the disease spreads. “I used the old fashioned probability and the data from the CDC to estimate how many residents had COVID by mid-June,” Soda said. Every individual student is present inside the simulation. It simulates every day of the fall semester, and each day, the students in the model have a certain number of contacts. The model, given it’s understanding of how COVID-19 is spreads and its prevalence in the community, it estimates the number of cases. “That covers the possibility that someone becomes infected with COVID who is not a part of the campus community,” Soda said. “For example, you go to the grocery store, you go on the bus.” The simulation also includes blocks of code that are working to contain COVID-19. This code represents social distancing measures and other regulations that Quinnipiac put in place to contain the virus. “Using these blocks, we can make com-
COURTESY OF JAMES SODA
James Soda, associate professor of mathematics and data science, expected 50 COVID-19 cases by Sept. 30, in his model, but as of publication there is only one.
parisons in terms of the total number of possible cases we would expect to have on campus, how many tests we would have to run, how many people are infectious at any given time and we choose the strategy that causes the least number of cases,.” Soda said. By choosing an estimate of 10 contacts per student to input into the model, Hill said they are planning for a little higher than the reality “We perhaps skewed the model not for the worst case scenario to look at some of the off campus housing,” Hill said.
ers are selected at random, and 25% of this group is tested each week. Chen said that it is normal for one person from a room to be selected multiple times in a row, especially if the room has only two or three students in it. The hope is that the result of that student’s test is a good indicator of the results of those whom they share a room with. “Each sample is independent so the history of the previous samples is not considered,” Soda said.
As the spring 2020 semester was winding down, Hill asked Feinn about the best way to sample students in the fall for testing. “I said, ‘My question to you is, what percentage of the student population do we need to test to be confident that we are picking up signals of asymptomatic or presymptomatic COVID on our campus?’” Hill said. “I gave them that task over the summer, and they worked incredibly hard to come up with a model on how we sample students.” Chen, who is also a demographer, uses a random sampling technique to select 15% of every floor residence hall for each week of random testing. “We do not prioritize race, gender or any other characteristic,” Chen said. “It’s purely based on the population of the floor.” Once the model selects the number of students on the floor, the sampling strategy switches to consider clusters by room. “Assuming you have 15 students selected (on a floor of 100 students), we are going to sample 15 rooms out of this floor,” Chen said. “That will maximize the number of rooms we selected.” This way, one person from every room is tested every week. “COVID could easily pass within the rooms,” Chen said. “We want to maximize the number of rooms we select.” As for off-campus, Quinnipiac-owned housing, they select one student per house each week randomly. Students who live in non-Quinnipiac-owned houses and commut-
Once a test comes back positive, it is time for a team of professionals to identify contacts of the infected person. The team defined “contact” as s ntacts as quickly as possible. Several students have been quarantined and isolated because of the contact tracing process, despite there only being one positive test. “As soon as someone goes to student health services with symptoms compatible to COVID that they pick up on the symptom tracker or they just call in de novo, they are put into a quarantine space until they get the test back,” Hill said. “We also quarantine their contacts.”
The sampling
The tracing
The trajectory
The testing team said that Quinnipiac’s one positive test is significantly below what the model predicted for this point in the semester. The model predicted that by Sept. 25, there would be a median of 41 cases. “The fact that we have such a low number of cases compared to the model means that people have been keeping to the policies we have set forth to keep people safe,” Soda said. The team as a whole emphasized that the Quinnipiac community should not let its guard down yet. “We have unbelievable good results,” Chen said. “We want students to keep what they are doing. Wear a mask and social distancing. We have very good results. Let’s not start partying or relaxing.”
4| O p i n i o n
September 30, 2020
The Quinnipiac Chronicle
Opinion
America’s indifference toward the Black body The aftermath of Breonna Taylor’s murder exemplifies law enforcement’s lack of accountability By TOYLOY BROWN III Opinion Editor
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are,” said Benjamin Franklin, one of United States’ Founding Fathers. Of the three officers involved in Breonna Taylor’s murder, a grand jury indicted former Detective Brett Hankison on charges of wanton endangerment on Wednesday, Sept. 23. According to Kentucky law, a “person is guilty of wanton endangerment in the first degree when, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person.” Although these three officers are solely responsible for the loss of an innocent Black life after raiding the wrong home, none were charged in relation to the murder. However, based on the decision of the grand jury and the laws of Kentucky, Hankison’s “indifference to the value of human life” shown in his irresponsible shooting of a neighboring apartment when executing a drug raid was deemed more egregious to the letter of the law than him and his partners’ role in killing a Black woman who was sleeping in her apartment. Quite literally, the bullets that missed Taylor and her boyfriend to shatter the glass door of a different apartment — but caused no harm to those who inhabit it — was a display more indicative of the disregard for someone’s life than the unnecessary and devastating death of Taylor, the 26-year-old emergency medical technician. This is yet another instance that exposes the immoral laws that consistently protect the perpetrators who breach the safety of Black people. Taylor’s murder also epitomizes the expendability and abuse of Black bodies as well as the justice that remains
nonexistent for Black people in the United States. Laws that make it exceedingly challenging to discipline officers who make mistakes that cost people’s lives should be seen for what they are: unjust laws. The police should not be one of the only classes of people immune to accepting the consequences of its wrongdoings — especially in a nation that notoriously boasts the highest incarceration rate of any country, as of July 2020. Authority figures in all other re-
PHOTO FROM FLICKR
The lack of responsibility for Breonna Taylor’s killers exposes an unjust penal system.
spects are held to higher standards. It is, at best, strange why there is an exception when it comes to law enforcement. It is impossible for true justice to be served when a life is taken. A $12 million settlement and a promise from the city of Louisville to implement changes like mandates for police commanders to approve all search warrants are not impactful changes nor does it near making things right. The starting point for anything that tries to approach justice when a life is lost is to substantially hold the wrongdoers accountable for their extreme levels of negligence. That is the bare minimum and is a more effective method to truly dissuade others in similar positions from making deadly erroneous decisions. A penal system that is incapable of holding its authority figures culpable for these grave errors is a reprehensible system. Taylor’s murder is an atrocity. The country she is native to is incapable of offering anything that can truly prevent another tragedy like hers from happening to someone else in the future. This reality is inexcusable, no matter how you look at it. This event pains Black Americans more because we know it could happen to any one of us. It is appalling that the humanity of Black people has been uncompromisingly infringed upon to such a degree that the decision not to charge anyone for Taylor’s murder was anticipated by most. It is astounding that America’s criminal justice system which is meant to uphold the rights of all its people and inspire confidence in equal treatment under the law tend to have the opposite effect for Black people. When you’re Black, justice for some might as well be justice for none if you’re not included. America’s clear apathy for our dignity reveals the truth on how it perceives Black bodies. Disposable. Hopefully those unaffected become as “outraged” as those who are and change that perception as well as the laws to make fairness a reality in this country.
Wake up — the country needs you BY EMILY DISALVO Arts & Life Editor
I have only been alive for 20 years, but I think most adults would agree that this is the most anxiety-producing and consequential time in American history. Stress, tension and sleeplessness are normal side effects of a deteriorating democracy, a massive death count and uncertainty about the future. If you aren’t feeling the gravity of this moment, wake up from your blissful ignorance. This moment, this election, this year will affect the rest of your life in this country and on this planet, and if you choose to remain aloof, your fate will be decided without your input. It is in your and our nation’s best interest for you to get informed and take action.
In this moment, we realize that the past several generations have taken for granted the effectiveness of our system and the series of government officials that for the most part, followed norms and laws. President Richard Nixon broke the law. It was shocking and unfortunate, but when the impeachment process went through, he was universally condemned, and he stepped down. The system worked. The system deteriorated a bit during the presidency of George W. Bush when he acted like he had evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction to help justify a war with Iraq. The fact that no one was able to step in and be a check on this decision is frightening, but America has always been eager to intervene elsewhere, especially after the attack on Sept. 11, 2001. To try to compare these flaws in the political system to the utter capitulation of justice, values and decency that has occurred since 2016, is like comparing a counterfeit $20 bill to a murder. Don’t even try. Since Donald Trump became president, the justice department is politicized to the point where the Attorney General OF THE UNITED STATES serves as his personal lawyer. The man running the post office is actively working toward its demise under Trump’s direction right before an election in which the mail is crucial to receiving ballots. Trump is holding massive, packed, indoor rallies at a time when teachers and students are fearing for their lives every day as they go to school in pursuit of an education during a pandemic. They are scared to hold hands, to sing and to be kids. The Republican-held Senate is rushing to appoint a Supreme Court Justice just weeks away from an election after previously saying in 2016 that eight months was too soon. Trump admitted this, according to the New York Times, was because he would need a conservative court to help him, assuming the election became disputed. The very fact that many assume that Election
GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL CLEMENT
Day and the days and weeks after are going to be disputed and caustic perfectly exemplifies the departure from norms. Trump has yet to confirm that he will leave office peacefully if he loses. Yes, one could argue that a pandemic is an extenuating circumstance. But a president who sees the pandemic, sees the science and decides to withhold the lifesaving information costing over 200,000 lives and counting is not extenuating. It’s neglect. In a moment when a woman is killed as she sleeps in her home by police and only one of the three officers is charged — not with murder but for firing into the neighbor’s apartments — is a moment when all lives are not treated equally and the very institutions that are supposed to protect us are murdering us in our sleep. This is a moment when a giant climate clock boasts a countdown to the end of the world in America’s largest city as Trump continues to roll back regulations that would protect the environment and buy us more time. Do we want more time on this planet where a man can be suffocated for being Black but a white man convicted of rape can walk free? On this planet where a rapist and a friend of rapists can be president? Where women’s reproductive organs can be stolen from their bodies by the government without consent? Where the people who call themselves pro-life continually support death? Who are we? Can we fix it? Is there a clock like the one in New York counting down the minutes inside of our heads until the damage done to our country and our world cannot be fixed? Where the systems cannot be repaired? I’m supposed to be focusing on classes and student organizations and washing my hands but instead, I am wondering if the damage Trump has wreaked on America can really be fixed. Is this who we really are? I have heard that the Obama presidency was emblematic of who America wanted to be and the Trump presidency is who we really are. Is this us? It’s not me. I’m going to vote for Joe Biden. He’s a little too hawkish for me, his healthcare plan a little incomplete, his vision for America a little moderate. But for crying out loud, he believes in science! He respects immigrants. He looks at racial justice protests and doesn’t see violence worth showering in tear gas. He sees hope for change. If you are sleeping right now, wake up. Breonna Taylor never got the chance. Do something. Read an article. Write one. Get informed. Get angry. This is not OK. Don’t continue on with your life because your life isn’t going to be OK if Trump is reelected this November. Wake up.
September 30, 2020
Opinion|5
The Quinnipiac Chronicle
Opinion
It might be time for Supreme Court reform By JAMES DOBSON Contributing Writer
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) hasn’t always looked like it does today, and it might be time to take another look at how this institution, one of the most powerful in American politics, is set up. The SCOTUS was founded in 1789 with the Judiciary Act, signed by George Washington. At the time, it only had six justices. Like today, they served until death or retirement. The number of seats on the Supreme Court has been changed six times over America’s history, ranging from five to 10 seats through its existence. In 1896, the
PHOTO FROM FLICKR
The ‘highest court in the land’ needs reform to ensure an impartial system.
number of seats was set to nine which it remains at today. Many do not realize that the only constitutionally mandated judge is the chief justice. The federal judiciary has always been subjected to be reshaped and molded by Congress. However, to actually attempt such a thing is politically unpopular. The last notable attempt to reshape the highest court in the land was President Franklin Roosevelt’s Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, more commonly known as the court-packing plan. This bill would have added just enough justices to the Supreme Court to sway it to Roosevelt’s side, so that his New Deal legislation would stop being struck down by the SCOTUS as unconstitutional. This plan instantly proved to be widely unpopular with the American public. As a result, Roosevelt’s courtpacking plan failed in the Senate, and another attempt to reshape the makeup of the court in any way has not been made by any president since. Thus, the structure of the Supreme Court has remained the same since 1896. Once nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, all nine Supreme Court justices are on the court until death or retirement. Only one justice, Samuel Chase, in the history of the U.S. has been impeached, but even then, he was later acquitted and returned to the court. Because of this unique process, SCOTUS justices do not have to go out of their way to appease their party. They are not meant to be political figures and their only concern should be the interpretation of the law. “Once confirmed, all of us are primarily responsible to the law,” Justice Stephen Bryer once during an interview. “To this institution. To your own conscience. And the public no longer has a direct ability to influence the decision through the ballot box. That’s why that confirmation process is a very important thing.” While Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s recent death and the subsequent Republican effort to replace her has made many Democrats question the system in place, all Americans, regardless of party, could stand to benefit from a reformation of the SCOTUS. There’s no way to tell which party will lose the next justice to retirement or death, and depending on the makeup of the Senate and the presidency, the same scenario could very well repeat with the attempted replacement of a Republican Supreme Court
justice with a democratic or even an independent one. There’s not one clear way to fix this problem. However, one of the most popular proposed solutions is an 18-year term limit for justices. If such a term limit were put into place, there would be a Supreme Court vacancy every two years. This would give every president the chance to appoint two new justices per term (barring unforeseen circumstances) rather than leaving the amount of justices appointed completely up to chance. Another solution some have called for is to raise the number of justices to 15. In this plan, 10 justices would be appointed and divided equally between party lines. These 10 judges would then come together to select the remaining five. The main goal of this system would be to depoliticize the court, rather than focusing on the parties trying to keep the court tilted in their favor. Currently, Supreme Court reform has much wider support among Democrats than Republicans, due to the fact that President Donald Trump has so far had three SCOTUS openings during just his first term in office. However, a reworking of the way new justices are elected has the potential to benefit both parties in the long run; no matter what side of the political divide that you stand, you could one day find yourself holding your breath that an older justice stays on the court long enough for the next election cycle because of the opposing party being in power. The Supreme Court as we know it today can be viewed as a political lottery and moving away from such a system would do much more to bring greater stability to one of the most important institutions in our government. And this issue likely will only grow all the more important as time goes on. Since laws are becoming increasingly more difficult to pass in Congress due to growing political divides and increasing polarization between Democrats and Republicans, the Supreme Court is growing more powerful as a result. It is picking up the slack left by Congress and increasingly affects policy. While it’s unlikely we will see any major Supreme Court reform anytime in the near future due to the general unpopularity of the idea and the lack of a single, clear solution, it’s important we keep our minds open in this rapidly evolving political landscape.
Civility with no action
Quinnipiac students are capable of remaining orderly when disagreeing on political issues BY MICHAEL CLEMENT Design Editor
Politics is not a scary topic, yet so many people would rather claw out their own eyes out than listen to discourse. Muffling those discussions, whether they get heated or not, infringes upon voters’ pursuit for an objective viewpoint. As Quinnipiac University President Judy Olian said in an email to the student body regarding political discussions, “We’re a community committed to inclusion and diversity, and that includes the range of political opinions and world views reflected on our campuses and all around us.” Why not let Quinnipiac’s diverse community members add their personal experiences and viewpoints to a campuswide conversation? Most of us on campus are eligible to vote, so what harm will be done to allow those among us who are uninformed to learn from the wide array of perspectives we have in our community? There is a difference between political and personal discussions. I have never had a conversation with someone adjacent to my personal political affiliation that has devolved into vicious personal insults, even when the discussion gets heated. That’s because when you strip your conversation down to just policies and ideology there is nothing to be disrespectful about. I could disagree with what someone says, but at the end of the day I know their viewpoint does not equate to their character. And to tell our community of adults that passionate political discussions only end in incivility is demeaning to us all. Let’s put our organizations that “can be role models for respectful and vigorous debate of the vital issues of today and tomorrow and can demonstrate collaboration in addressing vital societal challenges despite differences in world view” to the test then. As a campus community, we should all strive to ensure we exercise one of our most critical responsibilities as Americans — to exercise our right to vote. That doesn’t happen when you squash the discussion throughout campus. We achieve that through open, ideological dialogues that our organizations continue to host. We achieve that through pushing our administrators to give us
the time and resources to do so. Nothing is stopping the university from cancelling classes on Election Day or setting up early polling stations on the quad except for the university
itself. As a community that strives to be tomorrow’s leaders, we cannot be anything close to that unless we embrace political discussions instead of approaching them with cold feet.
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6 | Vo t i n g
The Quinnipiac Chronicle
September 30, 2020 DESIGN BY MICHAEL CLEMENT
vote your heart out Who’s on the ballot, what’s at stake and how to get involved -E. DiSalvo Coined “the most consequential election in American history” by Atlantic Magazine, the 2020 presidential election between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump isn’t one you’re going to want to watch from the sidelines. If you haven’t decided who you’re going to vote for, it is important to get educated on the issues at stake. Whether you are a single-issue voter or you like to focus on the bigger picture, it is important to get the facts on where the candidates stand on key issues before making your decision who to vote for.
September 30. 2020
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Vo t i n g | 7
Local campaigns to support By EMILY DISALVO
DESIGN BY MICHAEL CLEMENT
Arts and Life Editor
All of the following politicians are running for Connecticut state office positions that encompass all or part of Hamden. If you vote as a Hamden resident, it is important to become acquainted with their positions. Consider getting involved with their election efforts. Dr. Lisa Burns, professor of media studies, said that the local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic prove these down-ballot races are just as important as the national ones. “Your governor and your state legislature have a lot of power to determine your day-to-day life and what’s happening,” said Burns, who is currently teaching a course in political communications. “It is important to do that research. If college students plan to still vote at home, make sure you are checking your local media...they have election pages and you can get this information and find out about these races.”
Weruché George
Democrat running for 91st House district Weruché George is a Quinnipiac graduate and resident of Hamden for the past 15 years. She is a petitioning candidate running against an incumbent Democrat. George’s main agenda includes racial justice and equality for all, women’s rights, education and environmental justice. George encouraged all Quinnipiac students to get involved with her campaign. She is looking for volunteers to phone bank, drop off lawn signs, help people register to vote and campaign on social media. “We need residents in District 91 — Hamden to vote, vote, vote,” George said. “We need help to get the word out there that we’re running to build a better community for Hamden residents.” To learn more about George and to sign up to volunteer visit https://www.weruche4ct.com/ or email George at werucheforct@gmail.com .
Mike D’Agostino
Democrat incumbent running for 91st House district Mike D’Agostino was elected to the Connecticut State House of Representatives in 2012 after serving many years on the Hamden Board of Education. He currently serves as assistant majority whip and owns a private law practice in Hartford. D’Agostino is running on a continuation of his previous efforts related to workers advocacy, education and investing in working families. To learn more about D’Agostino or to get involved in his reelection visit https://www.housedems.ct.gov/DAgostino/ Biography.
George Logan
Republican incumbent running for 17th Senate district George Logan has been serving in the Connecticut State Senate since 2017. He is up for reelection this November and is running on his support for police and opposition to raising taxes. To learn more about Logan and to get involved in his
reelection campaign visit https://www.reelectlogan.com/ .
Jorge Cabrera
Democratic challenger running for the 17th Senate district Jorge Cabrera is a Democrat challenging George Logan’s reelection efforts. He is running on living wages, quality healthcare, equitable schools and a clean environment. To learn more about Cabrera and to get involved in his campaign visit https://www.jorgecabreract.com/ .
Kathy Hoyt
Republican challenger running for the 88th House district Kathy Hoyt is a Republican hoping to unseat Democrat Joshua Elliot in the 88th District. She was born in New Haven and raised in Hamden. Hoyt is committed to ending partisan politics,
taking fiscal responsibility, educating children, creating jobs and supporting veterans. To learn more about Hoyt and to get involved with her campaign visit https://www.hoytforhamden.com/volunteer/ .
Joshua Elliott
Democratic incumbent serving the 88th House district Joshua Elliott has been serving as a representative for the 88th District since 2017, and he serves at Assistant Majority Leader. He attended Hamden High School and got his law degree at Quinnipiac. Elliott hopes to legalize recreational marijuana, equalize property rates and create a more equitable tax structure. To learn more about Elliott’s reelection efforts and to get involved in the campaign visit https://www.housedems.ct.gov/Elliott .
Why (and how) you should vote Why should young people vote?
Millennial voting increased from 22% in the 2014 midterms to 42% in the 2018 midterms. While still below 50%, this is a large percentage for a non-presidential election year. In this year’s presidential election, some scholars are expecting a big turnout of Gen Z and Millennial voters. “There are plenty of signs that young Americans could play a major role in the 2020 election, helping to determine the outcome of the race between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden, as well as political control of Congress, and beyond,” Kathleen Struck wrote in Voice of America News. “Their record turnout in the 2018 midterm elections, signs of political activism, and a handful of issues being used as a rallying cry, including soaring college debt, health care and climate change, stand as evidence.” Young people have previously been hesitant to vote because politicians have failed to discuss issues that they care about — student loan debt, healthcare, social justice issues and the environment, according to Burns. “I think young people care about the issues,” Burns said. “It’s making the connection between caring about the issues and going to the polls to vote and support a candidate.” Burns identified the three big issues at stake this election to be the economy, the pandemic and social justice issues. “Those three issues are incredibly important to young voters,” Burns said. “We are not only talking about the current state of things — the pandemic, how the pandemic is being
handled, how it impacts the economy for young people trying to find a job and keeping their jobs … I also think that social justice issues have been giving a lot of lip service in previous campaigns but given everything that has happened this year and the growing consciousness of systemic racism, I think young voters care about changing the laws.”
If you plan to vote in Connecticut
Register You must register to vote in Connecticut by Oct. 27, whether you plan to vote in person or by mail. In addition to the voter registration drives student organizations are holding on campus, you can register on “Connecticut’s Official Online Voter Registration” website. Vote Remotely If you plan to vote remotely in Connecticut and you are already registered in Connecticut, an application will be automatically mailed to your address. This is not a ballot. If you would like to receive an absentee ballot in the mail, you can fill out the application and mail it to your town clerk’s office. Your town clerk must receive your application early enough so you can receive your absentee ballot in the mail and return it by Nov. 3, either by mail or using a ballot box at city hall. Use this option if you do not feel comfortable turning out to the polls because of COVID-19. In Connecticut, the pandemic is considered an acceptable reason to request an absentee ballot, per an executive order by Gov. Ned Lamont. If you have a mail-in ballot, it is crucial you fill it out correctly
so your vote is counted. Fill in the oval as instructed next to your candidate of choice. Sign the envelope with a neat signature. Vote at the polls If you plan to vote here at school, be sure you are registered in Hamden to vote. On Nov. 3, bring an ID like a driver’s license or a piece of mail with your name and address. The polling location for Quinnipiac students is Miller Library on 2901 Dixwell Ave.
If you plan to vote from a state other than Connecticut
Check registration deadlines for your state and if your state will automatically send out applications or ballots and look up when they are due. You are eligible for an absentee ballot, simply because you are away at school. If the application for the ballot is sent to your home, try to get a parent or someone else living at home to mail it to you here as soon as possible so you can send it in before the deadline. Regardless of how you decide to vote this year, it is crucial that you plan ahead. Make a voting plan, mark the deadlines in your calendar and then pretend that they are actually a week earlier than noted. There is a lot at stake this year and voting is one way to make your voice heard. “It is your voice,” Burns said. “If you don’t vote, you basically have given up your voice and not expressed yourself. If you didn’t vote at all then you denied yourself. If you care about these issues, whatever you care about, find that candidate that closely aligns to you as possible.”
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September 30. 2020
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The future of Roe v. Wade The fate of reproductive healthcare remains uncertain without RBG on the bench By KELSEY PAUL Contributing Writer
If anything demonstrates just how profound of an influence late United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had on women’s rights, let it be the comments that flooded social media mourning the feminist trailblazer’s death. Comments like, “It was nice having rights,” “We’re doomed” and “I am so sad and so scared right now” are just a few of the many panicked and forlorn remarks that inundated comment sections of Twitter, Instagram and many more social media platforms. Ginsburg is credited for the immeasurable advances she made for women’s rights, though she was not on the bench when the controversial United States Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade was brought forth. Nonetheless, many considered RBG to be the pillar keeping Roe standing, and now fear that it will fall without her support. Roe v. Wade, a milestone 1973 Supreme Court ruling, ensures a pregnant individual’s constitutional right to choose to have an abortion. Now, it is in danger of being overturned, and the potential consequences are undeniably severe. “Roe v. Wade has been challenged many times. Indeed, our abortion protections now are weaker than they once were,” said Kim O’Neill, associate professor of English at Quinnipiac University. “I am worried about reproductive rights, but I am more worried about the lived consequences for women and trans/non-binary people. Young women and poorer women will suffer disproportionately if abortion access is denied or further restricted.” If the ruling is overturned, legislation will fall into the hands of each individual state. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights’ “What if Roe Fell?” project, over half of the United States would be likely to either prohibit
abortion altogether or remove all legal protection. This poses a serious threat to women seeking an abortion, as many clinics in the South have already been closing. “Political agendas including state and federal legislation that create barriers to abortion access or interfere with the patient-provider relationship (Target Regulation of Abortion Provider, or TRAP laws) pose a threat to these fundamental reproductive rights,” said Dr. Rebecca Zucconi, assistant professor of medical sciences at Quinnipiac. “Many healthcare professionals, including myself, do fear that limiting safe and legal access to abortion services will force more women to resort to unsafe means to end an unwanted pregnancy, through either self-inflicted trauma, self-medication with toxic drugs, or reliance on dangerously unqualified and unregulated abortion providers.” It’s not just access to safe abortions that would be restricted if Roe was challenged or overturned. Limited access to contraceptives would present new and alarming consequences. “Even moving away from reproductive rights and looking at something as simple as access to birth control, I’m scared,” said freshman political science major Alyssa Arends. “In Trump v. Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that due to religious reasons, healthcare providers are not required to cover birth control for their clients. That decision was made before the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” Birth control is widely used among college-aged individuals for a number of reasons that extend well past its manifest purpose. College students are directly affected by this decision, according to Zucconi. “As young adults, college students have unique health care needs,” Zucconi said. “Aside from providing access to safe and effective contraceptive methods, reproductive health care for college students also addresses sexually transmitted disease prevention and treatment, which can
GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL CLEMENT
PHOTO FROM WIKICOMMONS
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was considered by many to be the last pillar keeping Roe v. Wade standing.
have profound implications on future fertility, as well as issues related to intimate partner violence, substance use, and mental health.” A primary concern regarding the possibility of Roe being overturned or weakened is that many of the justices (and lawmakers in many states, if legislation is turned to them) who will make this decision are male and aren’t affected by this ruling to the extent that women are. Many fear that if Roe is overturned, other fundamental rights will be seized, too. “If the government, an institution constituting primarily old, cisgender, heterosexual white men, can make laws governing a woman’s right to choose whether or not to bear a child, a function none of those men have, just what else can they take away?” Arends said. “And if the government chooses to value the ‘life’ of a fetus over that of a mother, what decisions will they make surrounding women’s futures or without women’s consent?” However, on Saturday, Sept. 26, President Donald Trump nominated a woman to the Supreme Court who may very well defend the already-dominating conservative views on the bench. He chose Amy Coney Barrett, who is considered “a hero to the anti-abortion movement,” according to the New York Times, to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is also known to be openly critical of the Affordable Care Act, which has enhanced women’s access to healthcare. There is no doubt that the decisions being made in the near future impact us immensely. One of the best ways to make your voice heard is by practicing civic engagement. In addition to voting, you can contact elected officials and share your opinions. “Quinnipiac students will be affected,” O’Neill said. “Abortion access saves the lives and well-being of people in our QU community and people we care about. You must get involved. Find out who your representatives are and write to them. Use social media. Fundraise for Planned Parenthood. And vote .”
September 30, 2020
The Quinnipiac Chronicle
Arts and Life|9
Serving more than food Some Connecticut restaurants offer dining with a side of trivia By OWEN DOODY Contributing Writer
Now that classes have been in session for about a month, on-campus students at Quinnipiac University and schools in the surrounding areas are settled into their dorms and may be starting to get bored. However, because of COVID-19, there are many policies and rules put into place at restaurants and bars in the area that don’t allow much more than outdoor dining and drinking. Nonetheless, a company called Bar Rated Trivia is continuing its business of conducting trivia nights at bars. In order to make sure that the company follows all guidelines, the hosts that are sent to these restaurants conduct all trivia through their laptop and the players answer on their phones. Here is a list of restaurants in the area that have trivia nights:
Eli's on Whitney
— 2392 Whitney Ave., Hamden, CT. 06518 Eli’s on Whitney offers fresh seafood, salads, burgers, steaks and chops and enticing appetizers. It’s also the closest restaurant in proximity to Quinnipiac on this list. Eli’s offers a fairly large beer and wine selection for those over 21 years old. Trivia night is hosted every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Bear's Smokehouse
— 470 James St., New Haven, CT. 06513 Bear’s Smokehouse in New Haven is one of four locations throughout Connecticut. Its menu offers a variety of meat-based meals with some soul food sides. Everything from pulled pork and fried chicken to burnt ends, mac and cheese and vegetables. Not only is it a smokehouse, it is also a bar and offers drinks ambiance. Trivia night is hosted Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Olives and Oil
— 124 Temple St., New Haven, CT. 06510 Olives and Oil in New Haven is a great choice if you’re looking for entertainment at an Italian restaurant. It serves salads, pastas and both small and large entrees. On top of this, it also boasts hand-pulled mozzarella and serves brick-oven pizza. Trivia night is hosted every Thursday at 7 p.m.
Trivia night at Bear's Smokehouse is on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m.
OWEN DOODY/CHRONICLE
The Hops Company
Orange Ale House
— 517 Boston Post Rd., Orange, CT. 06477 Orange Ale House in Orange is a great bar and restaurant that serves wings and pizza. It also serves burgers and ribs with a large selection of sides. Trivia night is hosted every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m
— 77 Sodom Ln., Derby, CT. 06418 The Hops Company in Derby has a great selection of more than 20 kinds of beer. Also, it has a great variety of cocktails and wines for those over the age of 21. For food, it serves pizza and salads as well as European-based appetizers and small platters. Trivia night is hosted every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Holiday fever Carrie Underwood brings the festivities early By MATTHEW TRAVIA Staff Writer
From winning the big stage on “American Idol” to starting off “Sunday Night Football,” Carrie Underwood has accomplished a lot in her career, but there was just one thing missing. That may sound odd considering she’s won seven Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music awards and even a two-time Entertainer of the Year Award — the first female in history to win the award twice. On July 20, Underwood announced in a video that that she would be releasing her first ever Christmas album. In the video, she said that she’s always wanted to make such an album and now was the perfect time. The album, “My Gift,” was released on Sept. 25, and features 11 songs that include a mixture of classic Christmas songs and even some original ones. The album is a little over 41 minutes long. The album features notable Christmas songs such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night.” Additionally, there are originals such as “Let There Be Peace” and “Sweet Baby Jesus.” The album shows how talented Underwood is as an artist, and she doesn’t seem to lose a beat with each song. She has done a great job with her first Christmas album showing she can be more than just a country star.
PHOTO FROM INSTAGRAM
Carrie Underwood released her first Christmas album, 'My Gift,' on Sept. 25.
Some songs that stood out were “Little Drummer Boy,” “Sweet Baby Jesus” and “Hallelujah”. “Little Drummer Boy” is a classic Christmas song that talks about a boy who played his drum for the birth of Jesus as he had no gift for him. This song is not a solo — Underwood’s 5-year-old son, Isaiah, duets this song with her. The song “Sweet Baby Jesus” is one of the two original songs that are performed on this album. This is a good song that includes some country elements that brings a classic Underwood feel to it. Lastly, “Hallelujah” is another duet. Underwood performs this song with Grammy, Emmy, Oscar and Tony award winner John Legend. Both are well-respected singers in their own ways, and together they sing one of the better songs that the album features. Beyond the album, she is set to star in a holiday special that is going to be exclusively aired on HBO Max. The special will be a live performance featuring an orchestra and choir to perform holiday songs including songs from “My Gift.” No date or name has been revealed for the special yet. Underwood joins the likes of Burl Ives, Mariah Carey, Frank Sinatra and many more successful singers to have their own Christmas album. It is never a bad time to be in the Christmas spirit, so check out “My Gift” if you want to be in a jolly mood.
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Senior of the week: Simon Hillinger
Contributing writer Zach Hochberg reminicses on the men’s soccer midfielder’s career after his first three years in a QU jersey Standing at 5-foot-6 and 145 pounds, many would consider men’s soccer senior midfielder Simon Hillinger undersized, but that doesn’t deter him from making an impact on the pitch. Hillinger was born in Ditzingen, Germany, came to Quinnipiac University in 2017 and has been making his mark since. Hillinger played in 15 games, making two starts as a freshman, tallying two goals and one assist. He even earned the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Offensive Player of the Week award on Oct. 23, of that year. He scored two goals in a game against Marist College, the first one sending the game into overtime and the second winning the match for the Bobcats.
The following season, he was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. He appeared in nine games and dished out four assists, two of which came against St. Peters on Oct. 3. That season total made him the third-best facilitator in terms of number of assists. Hillinger saw his appearances nearly double as a junior, playing in 16 games and logging over 1,100 minutes while scoring four goals, which was tied for fourth most on the team. Hillinger scored twice in a 5-0 Quinnipiac win over Canisius on Oct. 19. In 2019, Hillinger continued to perform, netting two gamewinning goals, tied for third on the team behind sophomore forward Tomas Svecula and then-senior forward Eamon Whelan, as well as tied for fourth in the MAAC.
Before attending Quinnipiac, Hillinger played for the Hallescher U19 Team in the second-highest league in Germany. Going back to 2014, he was also a part of the German U16 Championship team and played for SV Stuttgarter, which competes in the second-highest U17 league in Germany. Hillinger earned second place at the 2014 Wurttemberg Cup and was part of the U17 North/Northeastern Germany Championship team. Hillinger was also a member of the U17 Sachen-Cup and U19 Sachen-Cup Championship squads. While Simon may not be able to showcase his talent during a senior season that is lost due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a possible professional career could be in the works.
CHRONICLE ARCHIVES (2019)
GRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS
Schuler: ‘We’re still in that mindset that we’re going to be very elite this year’ CLUB SOCCER from Page 12 larger. In a completely new environment, it may be awkward to ask random people for a ride to tryouts, so being able to use the intramural fields benefits the team. “I tried out for the first time last year. So last season was my first season, and I could say I didn’t even know about the team for like two years beforehand because there was nothing really that I ever heard about it,” said Caitlin Palm, club soccer secretary. “Then when it became affiliated, I finally heard about it. That’s what prompted me to try out. So I was like, we have a team now even though we always did, I just never knew.” Within the coming weeks, once the roster is set, the next big thing the board will focus on is the team’s philanthropy. Since students were sent home before the university could host its annual 10-hour dance marathon, QThon, for Connecticut’s Children, most club sports missed out on the opportunity to fulfill its fundraising quest. “Just because everything is still up in the air about exactly what philanthropy events can go on and how exactly they will go on, we haven’t particularly discussed it yet,” Schuler said. “But it will definitely be in our plan to figure something out once we get our team set and everything starts to settle down, and we get a little bit more information about what’s going on.” Nevertheless, the Quinnipiac women’s
club soccer team faces one of its most important semesters for development, and the players are excited to take on any challenge that intersects their path.
“I think our rationale was building those relationships with our girls now and then being ready to go for the season in the spring because we have this actually really unique
opportunity for us,” Marshall said. “It’s about just doing the things that we don’t have didn’t have time to do before. It all starts here.”
CHRONICLE ARCHIVES (2019)
In its first season as a university-affiliated club, the Quinnipiac women’s club soccer team recorded five shutout victories in 10 games.
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CHRONICLE ARCHIVES (2019)
Quinnipiac women’s club soccer utilizes its time off By PETER PIEKARSKI Associate Sports Editor
Despite the season being canceled, the Quinnipiac women’s club soccer team is doing everything it can to make sure the team is ready for a potential spring season. Just one year removed from its inaugural season as a university-recognized club sport, club President Sophia Marshall faces a difficult challenge. Marshall and her board must build a squad, create team chemistry and hold tryouts and practices all while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the university and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Tasked with reaching out to the student body to generate interest in trying out for the team, Marshall took advantage of social media platforms to get the team’s message out. “We posted some memos about the season in each of the class Facebook groups that were kind of our initial push,” Marshall said. “We sent an email out. We also had a chart for our email list we had from tryouts last year. We had one of the largest groups of girls come out to our info session, which is really nice and successful. We do our trials next week. So, that’s gonna be really exciting, too.” Since women’s club soccer is one of the first club teams to hold tryouts at Quinnipiac this year, the team’s main focus is to maintain all of the guidelines to ensure its trials are safe. All of the forms and return-to-play sheets that it creates for tryouts have to abide by CDC guidelines. Essentially, the women’s soccer team is the university’s lab rat. Success with tryouts and practices will largely impact the precautions and parameters that Quinnipiac instills going forward. “We have to wear masks constantly, we have to be socially distant constantly,” said Meaghan Kelly, vice president of the club. “We’re going to be split up into pods for trying out so we can have a max of 12 girls trying out at once. And then for practice, we’re gonna have to split the team up into two groups or
three groups for practices as well. So it’s definitely been an adjustment, but I think we’re doing the best we can with what we can do.” The typical range of women trying out for the team is roughly between 60 to 80 per year. This year there was a bit of a dive, most likely due to COVID-19 circumstances. Nonetheless, there are north of 50 women trying out this year, so Marshall and her board view that as a success. With no fall season, the returning players fully intend to take advantage of the amount of time they have by practicing more often and getting
to know all the women on the team more fondly. “We ended up finishing nine out of 104 in the region last year, so we’re excited for the season,” said Erin Schuler, club soccer treasurer. “We’re still in that mindset that we’re going to be very elite this year, hopefully in the spring. But we’re looking to get that team solidified as early as possible so that we can form those bonds, and we can get that team chemistry and chemistry on the field and even just make sure that we have a bunch of set plays set up.” Last year’s impressive finish was no fluke. Ending the season with an 8-2 record, gath-
Quinnipiac women’s club soccer is hoping to start the new season in the spring.
ering five shutouts along the way and nearly beating a powerhouse in No. 1 ranked UConn in the first game of the season, which occurred less than a week after tryouts happened. The team’s success last year highlighted the importance of its affiliation with Quinnipiac, which allowed it access to university equipment, facilities, information for regional tournaments, a part of the budget and advertising the team campus-wide. Access to the on-campus fields makes the pool for first-year students to join much See CLUB SOCCER Page 11
CHRONICLE ARCHIVES (2019)