Fairfeld defeats women’s soccer 1-0 in MAAC Finals
By AMANDA DRONZEK Sports Editor
FAIRFIELD — The MAAC Championship between Fairfeld and Quinnipiac was always going to be a one-goal game, it was just a matter of who would score frst.
Sunday afternoon, it was the Stags, who stripped the back-to-back conference champions of their crown in a 1-0 victory. For the frst time in three seasons, Quinnipiac met its end in the MAAC fnals.
“I know we were voted preseason all along, but I think that was just more of a respect for what they did last year,” head coach Dave Clarke said. “I don’t for one minute believe a lot of teams thought we were going to be here. I think they were written off.”
He’s right — Quinnipiac was the preseason favorite. And it did meet about 99% of those expectations by making the fnals apart from suffering its frst conference losses since 2021 (Mount St. Mary’s Oct. 19 and Fairfeld Oct. 30).
Final score aside, there wasn’t much Quinnipiac did poorly. The lone goal came off a free kick called right outside the corners of the penalty kill area on junior mid-
felder Molly Andrews for tripping.
The initial line-drive boot from junior defender Meghan Carragher wasn’t the problem — it was the rebound. Graduate student goaltender Sofa Lospinoso lunged and defected the ball for MAAC Championship Most Outstanding Player and junior forward Maddy Theriault to convert.
But as Clarke said, 11 other teams in the conference would have killed to play one more game, win or lose.
“Other teams would be like, ‘Yeah, we’d love a bad year like that,’” he said. “‘We’d love a down year like that. We’d love a disappointing year like that. Our disappointment is second in the league and then runner up in the championship.”
Because of that success, women’s soccer has set a precedent for other Quinnipiac teams to follow in training style and game approach.
“They’re the role models,” Clarke said.
It’s no easy feat to run a championship season back for a second time, three would be asking for a near impossible task. The Bobcats have been impressive nonetheless, reaching the MAAC Championship four out of the last fve years with much of that
credited to a core few who have been with the program just as long.
“Last night at dinner, all of them sitting at a table together, blowing out candles,” Clarke said. “They become a team, a family as well. We don’t use that word lightly.”
Key players such as graduate students forward Courtney Chochol — Quinnipiac’s leading scorer — and Lospinoso — whose 11 shutouts put her top 10 in the country for clean sheets — are rare to come by.
But so are players like midfelder Klara Bengsston — who had an eye-catching rookie debut in 15 games — alongside an experienced group of rising upperclassmen. No doubt, these veterans will take the mantle in stride.
In short, the Bobcats’ future is as bright as their present.
The next step?
“Keep the process,” Clarke said. “What we’ve done the last three years is go to work right away. Don’t take time off.”
If it ain’t broke, don’t fx it. And if Quinnipiac is as dedicated as it has been the last few seasons, it’ll be a top MAAC contender come next fall.
Quinnipiac, students host election watch party
By CARLEIGH BECK Associate News Editor
Quinnipiac Political Science Association and the Office of Community Engagement held an election watch party for students from 8-11 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Piazza on the Mount Carmel Campus.
QPSA is a nonpartisan organization that aims to create a space for people across the political spectrum and to promote civil discourse.
The hosting organizations provided attendees with American fags, stickers and food catered by Tonino’s Pizza. They switched between televising C-SPAN and PBS election coverage during the event.
“A lot of people expressed that they wanted to be with their friends in an environment and watch it together,” said Julianna Mazzella, a sophomore political science major and QPSA president. “So we wanted to create that environment for people, and with the help of the office of community engagement, we were able to do that.”
Students had the chance to take blank maps and fill them out as states were called for candidates Vice President Kamala Harris or President-Elect President Donald Trump. They could also fill out their prediction at the beginning of the night with the map.
All eyes were on the seven key swing states — Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
“I voted for Harris and mostly identify with the Democratic Party,” said Zach Borden, a sophomore supply chain management major from Pennsylvania. “(Pennsylvania) is very decisive. In Pennsylvania, it’s extremely split, and my values are more aligned with her values rather than the former president’s.”
Students across the political spectrum attended the event. Nyla Lavoie, a firstyear radiologic sciences major from Massachusetts, voted for Trump.
“I think it’s important that when people are voting, to not let anyone persuade you. Do what you think is right in your heart and what you need.”
At the watch party, students also spoke about their fears of the outcome of this election.
“I mean, what happened in the last election on Jan. 6, I’m just hoping that there’s
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Head coach Dave Clarke speaks to his team after Sunday’s game.
Students who attend the election watch party receive items like American fags.
TRIPP MENHALL/CHRONICLE
Graduate student goaltender Sophia Lospinoso averages a .778 save percentage.
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Public Safety captain featured in Zodiac Killer documentary
By AVA HIGHLAND Staff Writer
Quinnipiac University Public Safety Captain Don DiStefano was featured in the Netfix documentary, “This is the Zodiac Speaking,” — a documentary detailing the leading suspect of the unsolved case of the Zodiac Killer — released on Oct. 23.
The documentary explains that the case of the Zodiac Killer is one of the most famous unsolved cold cases in American history. The Zodiac Killer murdered at least five known victims in 1968 and 1969 in the San Francisco Bay area. In 1971, Arthur Leigh Allen became the only named suspect in the case. The documentary follows the investigation of Allen and his ties to the Zodiac.
In the documentary, DiStefano discusses his role as a detective on the case as well as his experiences throughout.
“When this first happened I was seven years old,” DiStefano said. “And then who would have known years later, I would be a detective in Vallejo, California that had a real Zodiac homicide case.”
The New York native started his career working for the Alameda Police Department in 1985. He later transferred to the Vallejo Police Department in August 1990.
In 1992, as a new detective in the Investigations Bureau, DiStefano had his first experience with the Zodiac case. After a search warrant was filed for Arthur Leigh Allen’s home, he was brought into the Vallejo station for questioning.
As a member of the Detective Division, DiStefano was asked to escort Allen into the interview room and wait until other detectives were ready to interview him.
“He was quiet. We didn’t really say anything to each other,” DiStefano said. “He was cooperative, and he was cordial and just relatively calm.”
This was DiStefano’s first interaction with someone who was possibly a serial killer. It was also a moment of realization for DiStefano, in that he could be face-toface with the real Zodiac.
“And it hit me, ‘Wow,’” DiStefano said. “This is possibly, you know, the Zodiac serial killer.”
In 1998, the detective leading the Zodiac case left the agency, and DiStefano was assigned the case. His supervisor gave him a box of letters from people all over the world who thought they knew who the Zodiac was. The agency received
several letters a month.
“He actually came over to me with this big box that he kept under his desk, and kind of plopped it on my desk and said, ‘Okay, here it is. Good luck,’” DiStefano said.
From then on, anything Zodiac-related went through DiStefano. Though the investigation was inactive, DiStefano had to be ready to investigate any new tips.
Around 1999, the case gained a lot of media attention. Sony Pictures and Phoenix Pictures began filming the movie “Zodiac,” released in 2007.
Vallejo Police was later approached by Sony and Phoenix around 2004 for a liaison from the police department while making their movie. DiStefano then worked with researchers during their initial research.
“They approached all of the agencies in the San Francisco Bay area that had bonafide Zodiac murders, and asked for access to all the case files and evidence items,” DiStefano said.
This kickstarted the creation of the Zodiac Task Force. DiStefano was asked to head the team as Vallejo police were the most transparent about the case.
“I got all the investigators that were like me that had the Zodiac case at that moment together, and we met numerous times,” DiStefano said. “We had at least one meeting a month. And really the goal was to take a fresh look at this.”
when they began their documentary, “This is the Zodiac Speaking.”
DiStefano received that call on July 4, 2023, which was coincidentally the anniversary of the Vallejo murders that took place in 1969.
“I hadn’t really thought about the case in over 20 years,” DiStefano said. “It was like the furthest thing from my mind.”
Ample Productions flew DiStefano out to Los Angeles, covering his hotel, meals and transportation. He was scheduled to be there for two days and was interviewed in a set made to be an old detective office from the 1960s.
DiStefano was not prepared ahead of time about any of the questions he was asked. Instead, he read through reports up until he entered the studio.
“I was reading these reports over and over again, because I wanted to do a good job,” DiStefano said. “I wanted to be accurate and come across well.”
Inside the studio, several different people interviewed DiStefano. Behind the camera also sat a large production team, with those on lighting, cameras and more.
“It was really easy, and I felt very relaxed and comfortable doing it,” DiStefano said. “It wasn’t the first time that I was in front of a camera, but it was the first time I was in front of a camera for a long time.
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The task force looked at evidence with forensic technology that was not available to detectives at the time of the murders. They organized case files and read through reports to try to find any new leads.
Each department had evidence items buried in warehouses or storage areas, creating the task of finding and reorganizing all of the evidence, before taking it into a lab for forensic analysis.
“Law enforcement was using the DNA technology to either eliminate someone from suspicion or include someone and connect them to the crime,” DiStefano said. “A lot of the agencies still had the original bullets that were removed from the victims bodies, casings that were at the crime scenes. So there were new forensic techniques available in the 90s to examine those items for evidence.”
After about a year and a half, the task force accomplished its goals but did not develop any new leads or suspects.
After retiring from Vallejo in 2005, Phoenix Pictures hired DiStefano as a consultant to fnish working with their researchers.
Having worked with Phoenix, DiStefano landed on Ample Production’s radar
For both days he was there, DiStefano spent all day in the studio. He was then brought back two weeks later, to spend another two days being interviewed.
“Everybody was great. And you get to know these folks and build a rapport, and we had a really good time,” DiStefano said. When the documentary was released, DiStefano and his family gathered to all see it for the first time, on Oct. 23.
“So on the night of the 23rd after I came home from work, got the whole family together, and we all watched it together in the living room for the first time. So it was the first tine I saw myself,” said DiStefano. “I was very happy with how it came out.”
Looking back years after working on the case, DiStefano never thought he would have been working on an infamous case like this.
“I was very happy to be working on it and it was a great experience,” DiStefano said. “Looking back now, maybe I didn’t realize how famous of a case it was at the time I was working on it, but that’s a good thing because it didn’t interfere with how I tackled it.”
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY DON DISTEFANO Quinnipiac Public Safety Captain Don DiStefano led the Zodiac Killer case in 1998 as the lead detective.
2024 presidential election watch party promotes disussion
nothing like that this year,” said Jameson Hatsion, a sophomore economics major from Connecticut. “I have a feeling there might be some backlash with whoever wins, but hopefully they have the proper measures in place when the passing of the parties happens in January (2025).”
The watch party allowed students to talk about their voting experience as it was the first time many exercised that right. Outof-state students were able to vote in the election through mail-in voting.
“I did vote, and I did the mail-in,” said Payton Stein, a first-year marketing major from Colorado. “It was stressful just filling (it) out. But I’m glad I did. I’m glad I took the initial steps to get my vote counted and have my voice heard.”
Options like early voting and mail-in ballots — which became popular during the pandemic — allow more students to vote while they’re in college. There has been a 14% increase of student voters between 2016 and 2022, according to a study conducted by Tufts University.
“We work with the All In Vote, which is a bipartisan organization that tracks voting percentages year over year for colleges and universities and to see and they also grade us as a gold, silver and bronze school based on what we’re doing,” said Tom Ellett, chief experience officer at Quinnipiac.
“We work with the student political groups, and really try to focus on voter registration of the plan to vote for students, and then actually the election day support this year.”
In the last presidential election, Quinnipiac received a gold ranking from All In Vote, meaning that 70-79% of Quinnipiac students voted. Previous rankings and Quinnipiac’s action plans for the election can be found on its website.
Ella Drew, Connecticut native and a sophomore political science and public relations double major who is QPSA’s director of engagement and marketing, wanted Quinnipiac to be able to have civil discussions no matter who won the election.
“I hope that people really learn to understand and respect each other’s values,” Drew said. “But also that we, as a group, not even Quinnipiac, but as a whole, learn to engage in respectful and meaningful conversation.”
TYLER MIGNAULT/CHRONICLE
The Quinnipiac Political Science Association hosts the election watch party with the Offce of Community Engagement.
TYLER MIGNAULT/CHRONICLE
Students sit in the Piazza and watch as the election results are announced on Nov. 5.
TYLER MIGNAULT/CHRONICLE
Students pay attention to seven swing states throughout the night, all of which turned red and went to President-Elect Donald Trump.
TYLER MIGNAULT/CHRONICLE Quinnipiac received a gold ranking by All In Vote, meaning 70-79% of the student body participated in the election.
TYLER MIGNAULT/CHRONICLE
Students at the watch party fll out their prediction for what the 2024 electoral college map could look like.
Memories over money
By BEN BUSILLO Associate Opinion Editor
College is the first place where you experience real personal freedom. Without your parents looking over your shoulder, you are able to make decisions for yourself. Breaking away from home is not only the first step in emotionally developing as a person, but it also comes with a bit of financial independence.
As kids who really don’t know any better, most of us instinctively decide to blow all of our money on nights out, fast food or impulsive shopping for things we don’t need. But is it wise to indulge fully in college, or is it better to save? The answer depends on your current financial needs and future plans. But if you really don’t need to save, why should you?
College is one of the only times in life when you can enjoy true independence without the full weight of adult responsibilities. When else will you and your friends have the chance to go out for a night on the town without having to worry about how your hangover will affect your performance at your nine-to-five job the next morning. The luxury of time and freedom is rare, and for many, college is one of the only times Don’t end up looking back and wishing that
ing memories while you had sonal fexibility to
However, there sons for students
vative with their money in college.
Every student faces expenses that can’t be overlooked. This includes things like textbooks, school supplies and for those who live off campus, rent. If your budget
Students who live far from home may also need to save
foreseen emergencies. Financial aid and part-time jobs often cover only the basics, and sentials can lead to
A way of balancing your spending habits could be to put aside your craving for McDonald’s on the drive to campus, or passing on the winter coat that is looking very enticing on TikTok Shop.
Putting experiences over material purchases can help you spend in a way that brings more lasting satisfaction. Spending money on outings and trips can create memories that feel more meaningful and enduring than a frequent shopping spree might.
The fresh breath of independence you get in college allows you to prioritize what matters most to you.
College is one of the few times when you’ll have the chance to live for the present, where the impact of a little financial indulgence doesn’t carry the same weight as it might later in life.
If you find yourself hesitating to spend on an experience that could become a lasting memory, remember that you have your whole life ahead to worry about saving.
So, while responsible spending has its place, college might just be the time to loosen up, focus on experiences over things, and savor the moments that come from choosing to live in the present.
Conservatives’ desperate need to conserve ignorance
By GABRIELLA VILAS BOAS Staf Writer
The key to conserving a closed mind is never exposing it to new ideas. Which is exactly what the right aspires to do by attacking the public education system.
Conservatives wish to place limitations on education such as extensive book banning, eliminating critical race theory, limiting gender studies and more.
The list of banned books in public
schools across the U.S. includes more than 10,000, according to The Guardian.
A vast majority of literature is removed from the shelves of public school libraries simply for bringing to light topics that conservatives deem controversial.
“As with books, a subset of authors were overwhelmingly targeted and banned across several districts last school year. In fact, the works of nine authors accounted for 20% of all instances of book bans in
the 2023-2024 school year as a whole,” according to a report from PEN America.
“These are often authors whose books grapple with race and racism or explore gender identity and sexuality or depict sexual violence. Several of these authors have penned multiple titles and are thus branded with a ‘Scarlet Letter’ – a phenomenon dubbed by PEN America where a ban on one title from a specific author is followed by efforts to ban their entire collection.”
On one hand, it is a valid concern that certain ideas may be taught from a biased standpoint, thus influencing the way students think and how they see the world.
On the other hand, preventing intellectual growth only promotes ignorance.
Censorship is a form of bias. It ensures that developing young adults are not given the resources to form their own opinions.
Additionally, book banning is not the only piece of this anti-intellectual epidemic. While banning books is detrimental to student’s exposure to important stories, eliminating important school subjects, such as critical race theory, prevents them from learning major historical lessons.
Critical race theory is defned as the study of systemic racism and how it came to be.
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund writes that the theory “recognizes that racism is embedded in laws, policies and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities.”
“Many that are condemning critical race theory haven’t read it or studied it intensely,” said Jonathan Chism, assistant profes-
sor of history at the University of Houston–Downtown and co-editor of “Critical Race Studies Across Disciplines” as he told NBC.
“This is largely predicated on fear: the fear of losing power and influence and privilege. The larger issue that this is all stemming from is a desire to deny the truth about America, about racism,” Chism said.
Records of mistakes made throughout history are there for citizens to learn from. However, if new generations of Americans are not taught these things, society will only continue to make the same mistakes repeatedly.
It is important to note the pattern of uneducated voters in America. Those who are victims of the consequences of educational restrictions are the same people who vote for these policies to continue.
“The biggest single, best predictor of how someone’s going to vote in American politics now is education level. That is now the new fault line in American politics,”
Doug Sosnik told CNN.
“Trump got the support of about twothirds of White voters without a college degree, but he lost White college-educated voters,” according to CNN’s exit polls.
Education should not be seen as a threat. If information must be withheld to maintain a certain mindset, then that mindset is not honest. Instead, it perpetuates ideals that prevent society from moving forward.
The purpose of education is not to change someone’s mind, it’s to provide people with the resources to formulate their own thoughtful judgment.
ILLUSTRATION BY TYLER MIGNAULT
ILLUSTRATION BY TRIPP MENHALL
Opinion
Refect on what you’ve done The 2024 election created a mess
By LILLIAN CURTIN Opinion Editor
Trigger warning: sexual violence and abuse
Election Day came and went, but it left a trail of destruction in its path and in its future.
A lot of people are hurt. I can’t speak to the countless minorities that are in pain right now — that’s simply not my place — but I can speak as a woman. So here it goes.
It’s hard to have a solid singular feeling about what happened. Vice President Kamala Harris had a “vibes” flled campaign, with little talk on policies. No one really knew where she stood on things besides abortion and gun control.
The thing is, even though she didn’t say it, it was there. If voters had done the research, they would’ve seen it on her website.
We’ve heard “she had no policies.” She did. Maybe she didn’t make it clear enough, that’s on her and her team, but to say she didn’t at all would be ignorant.
I’ve been trying to make sense of it all. There were faws in the campaign, we know that. But her faws and President-Elect Donald Trump’s faws are completely different.
Somehow, “rape allegations and felonies” do not outweigh “lack of communication skills.”
The top issue in this election was the economy. That was the biggest betrayal to everyone, because it shouldn’t have been. It was because it was misleading.
The truth is, I don’t know who to blame. Whether it be Harris’ team itself or just the lack of education voters seem to have.
Frankly, the president doesn’t have that much control over the economy in the frst place. This is where I would blame the American education system and not the candidate. I may even blame the voters for not fact-checking or doing their research.
The president can have infuence, but not control. Whatever they do is indirect.
It’s a constant cycle. We’ve seen it before. Former President Barack Obama left a good economy for Trump, and Trump got the credit. Trump left when the economy entered a dark time and voters blamed President Joe Biden.
If you voted because “Trump can save the economy,” I’ve got some bad news for you: the economy you loved so much was that of the Democrats.
Politics is personal, but it shouldn’t be. There was a genuine fear of families not being able to provide for their kids and that young adults like me wouldn’t be able to buy a home in a few years.
I beg you to educate yourself before you vote next time, because at least half of America doesn’t understand what they’ve just done.
If Harris had won, young girls would have been looking up at their frst female president. Now, boys are looking up to a man who has quite the reputation.
One who doesn’t care about women and has boasted about going into pageant dressing rooms, where 15-year-old girls were naked. But it was OK, because he owned the pageant. It’s not a secret. He doesn’t hide it. Trump has bragged about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, and he’s had countless infamous remarks like “grab ’em by the pussy,” “I did try and fuck her, she was married” and “I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even
wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”
Don’t believe these pieces of ‘liberal media?’ Look it up and hear it for yourself.
This is the man who was just elected into offce. You voted for the economy, but look at who you put in the seat that is responsible for every woman in this country.
He may be an alleged rapist. But he is not an alleged sexual abuser. As of 2023, 26 women claimed he had either raped, groped or assaulted them in some way.
“Trump was found, by a jury, liable for battery, a civil tort, based on the preponderance of evidence provided by E. Jean Carroll that he sexually abused her but not that he raped her,” per a Newsweek fact check.
Why didn’t they fnd that he raped her? Because of the lack of evidence. If there was enough to suffce a ruling that he sexually abused her, do you really think he stopped there?
Harris was not the best candidate, but she had character. That’s the kind of president we traded in — a woman abuser, instead of a woman with character. For the sake of an economy he won’t even have much control over.
The whole idea though, that women’s rights weren’t even a close second to the economy, sickens me. I’ve learned now my body has a price tag and instead of keeping women safe, voters opted for a cheaper tank of gas and lowerpriced groceries.
It’s not enough if you don’t worry about abortion laws because your state is considered safe. I don’t know about you, but my care for women doesn’t end at the Connecticut border.
I think of Amber Nicole Thurman, in Georgia, who died recently because she couldn’t access proper healthcare. It took 20 hours of her being in pain in a hospital bed dying, until doctors could operate. By the time they did, it was too late.
It’s like a butterfy effect. Trump used his power, and as a result, he is one of the powerful fgures who are responsible for her death, and the other deaths of women who died in similar ways during pregnancy.
Since the AP announced the next president, young men specifcally have been running wild on social media.
Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist, misogynist and antisemitic media personality, has led MAGA’s disgusting attacks towards women since Nov. 6. The fraction of faith that I had left in my own generation faltered when I woke up the other morning to TikToks of men claiming “your body, my choice,” quoting Fuentes, and attacking women who said they weren’t going to have sex with men, promoting the 4B Movement. — a feminist movement that originated in South Korea. It involves women from abstaining from sex, dating and marriage.
With women so afraid for their rights this election, men, specifcally young boys, have found this hilarious. His supporters, with large fanbases, have promoted the concept that women are now back to being men’s property.
In a world of Andrew Tates, I don’t know why I’m surprised anymore. Fuentes has gained a following and boys are listening. But how can we tell them not to listen when Americans just elected a man that embodies this into offce?
If you voted for Trump, please look at your
company, which includes Fuentes. Congratulations on having the same political opinions as a white supremacist.
I hope you know what you’ve done.
Young girls wake up to comments with statements like, “take it like a good girl,” “hahaha now zip it and make me a sandwich,” and “Well, at least I can buy groceries now. Who gives a f about your rights.”
You’ve taught men that, no, assault allegations don’t actually ruin a man’s life. But instead, they are eligible for one of the most powerful positions in the world. So the next time you tell a girl who has just been assaulted, “well, you don’t want to ruin his life with this allegation.” Don’t waste your breath.
There’s so much blood on his hands.
I’ve talked about women and abortion. But what about the law enforcement and his own supporters who died on Jan. 6?
What about the children who have died from AR-15s in their own classrooms?
George Floyd, who died under the knee of a police offcer was hailed a criminal. It’s interesting how that “criminal” was murdered, and “didn’t deserve the justice system,” but the tune
changed when a felon was running for president.
If I continued to list people hurt by Trump, either directly or indirectly, my hands would never stop moving.
America has forgotten about them. Or worse, chose to forget and ignore them.
This is so much more than just the economy, immigration and abortion. It’s about the precedent almost 75 million people set on Nov. 5.
So don’t tell me that we’re being dramatic. That the tears were too much. I mean, no one has incited an insurrection yet, have they?
Trump’s control over the government just became more than you should be comfortable with. Checks and balances exist for a reason, but we’re on the brink of it being thrown out the window. Though breaking windows, tear gas and blood on the foor isn’t new in the capitol anymore, is it?
I beg you to refect on this. Think about those who have died under his presidency and precedent. You may not learn this lesson until it’s too late, but stay educated and vigilant. The people just lost control of the government, no one should be celebrating.
GAGE SKIDMORE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
President-Elect Donald Trump will become the frst convicted felon to serve as President of the United States.
Arts & Life
'I was born in the wrong generation' Nostalgia economy and the return of retro
By GINA LORUSSO Associate Arts & Life Editor
Record players, chrome furnishing and gogo boots — it’s all making a comeback.
The revival of the most iconic eras in fashion, decor and novelty items serves as a longing for past decades and the simplicity that seems to come with them.
The nostalgia economy is the market where businesses and media capitalize off of consumers who purchase items based on emotional connections to time periods.
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of nostalgic products on the market. Whether it’s just a trend or it's here to stay, the emotional impact of the nostalgia economy has become a gateway to cherished memories.
These products aren’t just tapping into their original markets — they’re appealing to younger generations as well. I’d be rich if I had a dollar for every time my mom said she used to have the same exact straight-leg jeans I just purchased from American Eagle in the 90s — and another dollar for every time she said she started the trend.
Jean styles are just one way nostalgia is making its return. Mom jeans, fared, bell bottom, boot cut — they’ve been around forever. But what’s up with the sudden appeal?
Part of this appeal lies in the sense of comfort many get from adopting these styles. For example, during the 70s, bell bottoms became a symbol of counterculture and rebellion. While they may not have that same symbolic meaning today, their signifcance can appeal to those who hold similar values and cultural identities.
Beyond individual expression, the comfort we fnd in our clothes — retro styles or not — provides a sense of continuity in our fast-paced world. When someone wears mom jeans, boot cut
or even skinny jeans for that matter, they could be reaching for something that’s familiar and that has
brands, a growing number of people are becoming interested. Aside from the fact that platform boots and wavy patterns are key staples in their wardrobe — a nod to the dazzling 1960s and 70s fashion — they’ve adopted R&B and disco styles
This has led to a greater movement in bringing back music from Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, The
When celebrities — especially those with long-standing careers — revisit things from their own legacy, they spark nostalgic trends. As
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seen with Taylor Swift and her re-recorded albums, fans are reintroduced to pieces of pop culture they value.
In the realm of television and flm, popular reboots can appeal to those who crave the familiarity of characters and storylines they know and love. Revivals and sequels allow fans to reconnect with elements that hold personal or cultural signifcance. Moreover, streaming services like Disney+ have sections dedicated to the 90s and 2000s, giving fans 24/7 access to their favorite content.
Fueled by social media, nostalgic content can reach wider audiences and has a higher infuence rate.
The various platforms at our fngertips allow users to create and share content reminiscent of cultural touchstones that didn’t have online platforms to rapidly reach users. Social media also serves as an archive where you can quickly access content that reminds you of the “good ol’ days.” A library of saved posts helps preserve the memories we’re grasping to keep.
Many brands recognize nostalgic trends and use that customer feedback to revive old logos and products. This often leads to an increase in trust between consumers and brands because consumers feel seen and understood, according to Mintel.
This strategy not only builds brand loyalty, it helps products stand out in a market flled with the latest microtrends and must-haves.
The emotional value may outweigh the price tag, however, the nostalgia economy will keep offering retro experiences for past and present generations.
My mom and I may have the same jeans, but the memories that come with them are uniquely ours.
There's no place like the red carpet
The 'Wicked' premiere was nothing short of magical
By AMANDA MADERA Arts & Life Editor
The red carpet is known for its glamor and unique style statements, and the “Wicked” musical premiere in Los Angeles on Nov. 9 did not disappoint. With the musical set to release in two parts — Part I on Nov. 22, 2024 and Part II on Nov. 21, 2025 — this event offered fans an exciting glimpse of the highly anticipated flm adaptation.
The evening wasn’t just a celebration of the beloved musical; it was also a fashion spectacle that featured both interpretative and characterinspired looks from cast members and guests.
The best looks from that night were undoubtedly Ariana Grande’s and Cynthia Erivo’s outfts. They embodied their characters beautifully.
Grande embraced Glinda’s bubbly, pink personality in a pink-and-white gingham dress paired with matching gloves, a bow and a cardigan. At frst glance, I wasn’t completely sold on the look. I felt like it could have used a bolder shade of pink. However, the gingham pattern quickly grew on me because of the immediate connection to Dorothy’s iconic dress in “The Wizard of Oz.”
Meanwhile, Erivo’s look took a different approach to embody Elphaba’s essence. She wore a neon green, form-ftting dress crafted from an elastic material that highlighted her
silhouette. The color choice was spot-on, capturing Elphaba’s signature green, but I’ll admit I wasn’t too fond of the choice of material because it made her outft look cheap. Her jewelry was my favorite part of her look, as she was bedazzled in diamonds and emeralds.
I’m a fan of interpretive fashion, and Jonathan Bailey’s outft was just that. While it may not seem complicated, his sparkling silver buttonup shirt resembles The Tin Man and the poppy fower represents his heart. He was also wearing ruby-red shoes, much like Dorothy’s slippers.
While it can be hard to style men’s fashion for an event like this, Ethan Slater’s look took me by surprise. I really liked the emerald green velvet suit jacket. I’ll admit it’s a little basic, but it worked for the event.
Trisha Paytas’ look was nothing short of iconic. The black with the half-pink and halfgreen down the middle made the outft for me.
Some outfts weren’t up to par with the theme or my (highly unqualifed) standards.
Jennifer Lopez’s look would’ve been great for any other red carpet event, but it wasn’t giving “Wicked.” I love the style of the dress, the design and her hair, but the colors threw me off.
I won’t lie, I absolutely hated Ashley Tisdale’s green pantsuit. The mustard yellow button-up shirt didn’t help it either.
Even though the event was all about pink
and green, some stars did way too much. Frankie Grande’s outft was all over the place. The colors, patterns and textures clashed and the make-up could’ve been a lot better.
That said, certain risks with texture and color paid off. Jenn Tran’s dress was a lovely, feathered number that added whimsy to the evening, though I wish she had chosen light pink feathers instead of blue for a more thematic look.
One of the most heartwarming moments was seeing Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, the original Glinda and Elphaba from the Broadway show, at the premiere. Chenoweth dazzled in a gold dress, an elegant choice that subtly let
Grande shine as the pink-clad Glinda. Menzel, meanwhile, opted for a black dress with emerald accents in her bag and jewelry. Her outft felt deeply respectful of Erivo’s Elphaba, with the dark color palette hinting at her character’s complexity while remaining understated.
The “Wicked” premiere was more than just a movie debut; it was a spectacular fashion moment that bridged the legacy of “The Wizard of Oz” with a modern cinematic interpretation. The stars’ outfts highlighted their characters while adding personal touches, making it a red carpet-event to remember. Each outft contributed to a night that was as enchanting as the world of Oz itself.
Megan Thee Stallion: An unfltered look into her rise and resilience
By GRACE CONNEELY-NOLAN Associate Arts & Life Editor
Three-time Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion (Megan Pete) is known for her viral songs, bold lyrics and authoritative, unapologetic presence on and off stage.
But her documentary, “Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words,” exposes the duality of her life story — the pain and grief that have shaped her into the artist she is today. She is reclaiming her narrative and taking back control.
Released on Amazon Prime Video on Oct. 31, it marks almost two years since a jury convicted rapper Tory Lanez of shooting Stallion after a Los Angeles party in July 2022.
Watching her documentary was honestly a bit of a whirlwind.
The documentary delves into her early childhood in Houston, Texas, and the immense impact her mother, Holly Thomas, had on her career. We get a candid look at Stallion's grief she endured after her mother passed away in 2019 from a brain tumor.
Thomas was a rapper and guided Stallion in the music industry, coaching her through performing and how to appear to the public eye.
In the documentary, Stallion revealed she had to decide to remove her mother from life support.
It’s hard to understand that Stallion has experienced years of trauma but carefully concealed behind the persona crafted for her fans. Looking from the outside in, no one could have expected the pain she hid for years.
The same year Stallion's mother passed, Lanez entered her life.
The documentary marks Stallion’s frst time describing and speaking about the shooting and her mental health since the trial.
I decided to watch to understand her perspective better.
When Stallion frst accused Lanez of shooting her, many critics in the media didn’t believe her. In the documentary, we are shown clips of celebrities questioning her side and showing support for Lanez. Public fgures like 50 Cent, Lebron James, DaBaby and Drake all doubted her.
She shared that the hate became so intense online that she started to experience
suicidal thoughts. Feeling like a target onstage, Stallion needed some reprieve, so in November 2022, she checked herself into a wellness retreat for a month.
After the retreat, in the documentary, Stallion said that she “Felt like a new bitch.”
The flm did a good job of keeping things upbeat while sharing some truly vulnerable and candid information.
It emphasizes the double standards when it comes to gender and embracing sexuality.
One surprising part of Stallion’s documentary is her admitting she was romantically involved with Lanez. In April 2022, Stallion had an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King in which she denied ever having an intimate relationship with him.
In “Megan Thee Stallion:
In Her Words,” Stallion admits it was a lie. She details, frustratingly so, that if people knew they were once involved, they would get wrapped up in her sex life instead of the shooting.
“Yes, bitch, I lied to Gayle King,” she says in the documentary and goes on to say that they were intimate once or twice “on a drunk night.”
A key part of the documentary was Stallion’s disappointment in her close friend, Kelsey Harris, who betrayed her in the trial. Harris pleaded the ffth to avoid answering questions in the testimony and claimed she did not see Lanez fre the gun at Stallion.
Toward the end of the flm, we see the fnal hours before the verdict is revealed and the rush of emotions Stallion experiences.
She recalled her thinking the day before the testimony; “I need to show up for Megan Pete… today is not about trying to look strong. It’s OK to be sad. I need to stop avoiding it.”
Charged with 10 years in prison, Lanez was found guilty of three felony charges: assault with a semiautomatic frearm, having a loaded, unregistered frearm in a vehicle and discharging a frearm with gross negligence.
Amid tears, she says, “If I didn’t think there was a God before, I know that motherfucker up there now.”
I was so absorbed in her story. Her documentary offers an intimate, in-depth look at her most vulnerable moments, revealing a new side of Stallion — the real Megan Pete.
Zach Bryan's recent singles add to his timeless discography
By AMANDA MADERA Arts & Life Editor
To me, folk and country music screams summer. But some artists can transcend beyond my listening seasons. Zach Bryan is undoubtedly one of them; his talent makes him a year-round staple on my playlist.
Despite his recently questionable actions, I’ll admit the man makes pretty damn good music.
On Nov. 7, Bryan released two singles, “High Road” and “This World’s A Giant.” Naturally, his music makes me want to put cowboy boots on and frolic through a feld (I hope I’m not the only one). However, the vibe of these singles is different.
It’s more of hanging up Christmas lights in your house while your small town is covered in snow. And I’m certainly not mad about that.
“High Road” begins with an upbeat guitar and synth, which is ironic because the lyrics are quite the opposite. The song revolves around the memory of his mother who passed away on Aug. 4, 2016.
He sings “Adderall and white-lace bras that makes you fall in love/ You left your blue jeans in my pickup truck.” Even though who he’s singing about isn’t in his life anymore, her presence lingers.
Before acceptance comes bitterness. It’s one thing for something to be over, but it’s a separate thing to acknowledge it is.
“Everyone is tellin’ me that I need help or therapy/ But all I need is to be left alone.” As someone who has trouble opening up about how they really feel, this lyric meant a lot. When you’re so used to dealing with your problems alone, it’s easy to reject help from others.
In the second verse, he thanks his mom for
his big break. From singing songs and playing guitar in his Oklahoma home, to having 29.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify as of Nov. 12, he’s defnitely become a well-known fgure in country music.
The chorus is the most emotional part of the song, and you can hear the pain in his voice as he sings “She’s bound to come back and haunt you forever/ There’s ghosts in these windows and walls/ I’m waitin’ by the telephone all fuckin’ night/ Someone that ain’t ever gonna call.”
The electric guitar is one of my favorite
elements in this song as it fts the mood perfectly.
He closes the song out by repeating the frst verse. It’s almost as if he’s accepted what’s happened but will continue to look for his mother in everyday activities. She’ll stay with him as he recalls the memories they once shared.
“This World’s A Giant” follows a similar narrative, where he struggles with internal issues. I like the slow, somber melody of this track more as I feel it fts Bryan’s discography. It also showcases his metaphorical storytelling beautifully.
The mixture of a guitar, piano and trumpets set the scene for a devastatingly nostalgic track.
He sings “Be still, be quiet, this world’s a giant/ That I don’t feel like facing tonight. I don’t have the words yet, I’ll smoke a cigarette.” Bryan doesn’t feel like dealing with how scary the world can be. He doesn’t have the words to describe exactly how he’s feeling, but he fnds comfort in talking to whoever he’s addressing in the song.
Bryan continues about how he wants to have children eventually, but to do so, he needs to correct his childish behaviors. This song feels a lot like talking to your younger self and trying to let them know you’re trying your best.
While refecting upon his life, he feels guilty for all the bad things he has done. “I’ll say sorry to God for all the trouble I’ve caused/ Maybe that’s a good place for me to start.” Perhaps a nod to his recent break-up with internet personality Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia.
While the future can be terrifying and you’re bound to make mistakes, you’re someone your younger self would look up to. He sings “I heard breathin’ in this world is the thief of joy.” This lyric stuck with me the most, as breathing in the bad of this world can steal from your happiness.
I loved how the song's production became more powerful as he sang that line, making sure it left a lasting impression on his fans.
In both of these songs, Bryan’s poetic approach captures the universal struggles of loss, introspection and personal growth. And with each release, he invites us to navigate the highs and lows of life right along with him.
KATRINA PAISANO/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Zach Bryan's newest singles, "High Road" and "This World's A Giant," discuss struggling with internal issues in depth.
ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA COLLINS
'Time Cut' is the newer and worse version of 'Totally Killer'
By NEVE WILSON Staff Writer
Recently I was scrolling through Netfix and came across a new movie, “Time Cut.” But when I read the description I felt déjà vu — didn’t I watch this movie last year?
No, that was Amazon Prime’s “Totally Killer” which essentially has the same plot. Both movies are time-traveling, teen slasher flms — a high school girl accidentally goes back in time to prevent a series of murders that devestated her family.
And sure, reusing popular flm tropes is nothing new, but to me, it was bold for Netfix to release a movie with the same plot, intended for the same audience a year later and hope no one would notice.
And the worst news for Netfix? In my opinion, “Totally Killer” was better.
“Time Cut,” stars protagonist Lucy Field (Madison Bailey), who travels from 2024 to 2003 right before her older sister Summer (Antonia Gentry) and her best friends get murdered.
“Totally Killer,” stars Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka), who ends up back in 1987 after her mom is killed in the present and has to stop the killer’s original murders 35 years earlier. The teenage and adult versions of her mom, Pam, are played by Olivia Holt and Julie Bowen, respectively.
Despite having such similar plot arcs, there are a few ways that “Totally Killer” outdoes “Time Cut.”
Violence, gore and fear are all essential parts of horror movies, which “Time Cut” lacks due to Netfix’s over-censoring. There were a total of six deaths during the 91
minutes, with most of them being a quick, single stab that quickly cut away from the body. In comparison, “Totally Killer” showed 10 dead bodies throughout its 104-minute runtime and a lot more blood. Characters were getting stabbed multiple times with close-ups on corpses.
There were also more fght scenes in “Totally Killer,” like the opening which involves an epic knife fght between the killer and adult Pam. The fnal battle between the killer and Jamie takes place on a zerogravity carnival ride. In “Time Cut,” only one character, Lucy, puts up a fght when faced with the killer. The rest of the victims just try
to run away before quickly getting caught.
“Totally Killer” also does a good job of balancing all of this death with humor. Teenage Pam and her group of friends care more about having fun than their homicidal stalker — a fact that frustrates Jamie to no end. “Time Cut” is meant to be more heartfelt but to me it’s more depressing, particularly watching Lucy’s parents tell her that they only wanted one child, confrming her fear that she was a replacement for Summer.
The killer in “Time Cut” is revealed to be a future version of Quinn, Summer’s classmate who has been helping Lucy since she arrived in the past. Lucy’s arrival in 2003
creates two timelines — one in which Quinn becomes a killer and one in which he doesn’t, thanks to his friendship with her. Although they now exist in a timeline where he isn’t a killer, the future Quinn travels back in time and kills Summer’s friends for bullying him. He tries to kill Lucy after he is unmasked, but she gets the upper hand and kills him.
In the end, Lucy has to stay in 2003 after preventing Summer’s death, because there would be no reason for her parents to have her in the future. It’s defnitely a happy ending, but it seems a little too convenient to me how quickly Lucy decides to give up her original life and ignores the complication that she has no real identity in 2003.
In “Totally Killer” there are actually two killers. The original one was a classmate of Pam’s who wanted revenge on her friends for bullying his girlfriend and causing her to drive drunk. The second killer who murders adult Pam is the host of a true-crime podcast looking for fresh material. He follows Jamie back in time to kill her and protect his secret, but she ends up killing him.
Jamie then travels back to the present, where her mom is now alive and there have been some changes in her life, most notably a new older brother named Jamie (her name is now Colette). This ending felt more satisfying to me because she had to experience the effects of time traveling when she returned to her original life.
I am not the only one who preferred “Totally Killer” as it scored 87% on Rotten Tomatoes to become “Certifed Fresh” and 6.5/10 on IMDb while “Time Cut” only earned 28% on Rotten Tomatoes and 5/10 on IMDb.
Dunkin' and Starbucks brew festive cheer ahead of schedule
By GRACE CONNEELY-NOLAN Associate Arts & Life Editor
Thanksgiving may be a few weeks away, but the holiday season is already here.
Earlier this week, Dunkin’ and Starbucks launched their holiday menus. Despite record heat in the Northeast and fall feeling like summer, this seasonal marker pushes us to crave the holidays.
Dunkin’ and Starbucks have such strong followings that just the anticipation of new holiday menu drops drives their success. The companies compete for seasonal spending and innovative favors, drawing customers in before the holidays — a perfect time for new menu items and fresh deals.
While I love the holidays as much as the next person, it feels a little too early to capitalize on spending before the season even starts. Instead of enjoying fall, we’re already diving into gingerbread and peppermint season before November settles in.
Why do we rush the holiday spirit too early?
Waiting for the clock to strike midnight after Halloween, Dunkin’ released its holiday menu on Nov. 1.
Dunkin’ posted on Instagram as if their Spider Speciality Donut had leaked items from the holiday menu. The post confrmed Dunkin’ is bringing back fan favorites.
From Cookie Butter Cold Brew with a Cookie Butter Donut to Peppermint Mocha Signature Latte, Toasted White Signature Latte and White Hazelnut Bark Coffee, Dunkin’ is prepped and
ready for the festive spirit.
These classics are essential to entice customers to get their favorite limited-edition items they’ve been missing all year long. But no menu is complete without something new to taste test.
Some new beverages and bites include a Holiday Cookie Signature Latte paired with a new Almond Croissant and a Hash Brown Brisket Scramble Bowl. Cookie-favored drinks are clearly the embodiment of the holiday spirit this year.
The holiday menu brings new deals and Dunkin’ is spreading some midweek cheer with the return of Free Donut Wednesdays from now until Christmas. Reward members can get a free classic donut by purchasing any seasonal beverage.
If there is anything to get me through the week, this provides some incentive to start the holiday season earlier than expected.
Dunkin’ has been around the block long enough to know how to target its consumers. On top of the new drinks, food and deals, Dunkin’ offers fun, holiday-themed packaging and cups to make the experience all the more special.
So even though we are midway through fall we really have no choice but to jump onto the next season.
Like Dunkin', Starbucks is no different in its approach to embracing the holidays. On Nov. 7, Starbucks revealed its new menu and holiday cups along with the theme for this year's campaign:
“Merrier Together.”
And very ftting for an early Christmas gift, on Oct. 30, Starbucks announced the company will no longer charge extra for customizing their beverages with non-dairy milk, including soy, oat, almond and coconut milk — bringing those together who can’t stand to pay an upcharge for non-dairy milk.
Starbucks' holiday menu brings in something new this year: a trio of Cran-Merry Orange Refreshers with favors of cranberry, sweet orange, cardamom and cinnamon spices.
An abundance of different sweet cream cold foam favors is upon us, including gingerbread, peppermint chocolate, sugar cookies and more, which can be added to any drink, customizing all and anything that can be marketed as something for the holiday season.
And it wouldn’t be a true sign of the start of the holiday season without Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day.
The red cup has become a powerful seasonal marker ever since it was introduced in 1997. On this day, customers who order a season's beverage get a free, reusable, holiday-themed red cup.
The date has yet to be announced this year, but it is a tradition shared by millions, an unoffcial emblem of the holiday season.
On Red Cup Day, customers rush to Starbucks to get these cups that are only available while supplies last, capitalizing on early season jitters
and limited availability.
All of these deals, menu drops and holidaythemed merch really highlight the preseason to the holidays.
New favors and menu items create such a buzz before we can enjoy them when they're meant to, making the season less special and stretching out festive cheer until it loses charm. These items are supposed to last consumers until the end of December, but by then, it’ll be time to move on to the spring menu.
ILLUSTRATION BY KATERINA PARIZKOVA
ILLUSTRATION BY KATERINA PARIZKOVA
By GINA LORUSSO Associate Arts & Life Editor
When you live in a society rooted in hustle culture, the concept of slowing down seems nearly impossible.
Although not a new lifestyle, slow living is emerging as people are developing a need to prioritize mindfulness and quality over quantity.
Often confused with neglecting responsibilities, slow living is actually shifting focus from constant productivity to a more balanced way of life. In the face of burnout, this lifestyle encourages us to savor the present moment, cultivate more meaningful relationships and encourages us to engage deeply with the world around us.
Slow living is part of a wider movement called the slow movement. In Italy during the 1980s, a McDonald’s opened in Rome, sparking national protest. As a result, Carlo Petrini — an Italian activist and author — formed Slow Food along with a group of other activists, according to Slow Living LDN. Slow Food is an organization with missions of celebrating local food, preserving local and culinary traditions, appreciating food and preparing nourishing meals.
Since the beginning of the Slow Food movement, many people have adopted that mindset regarding other aspects of life like work-life balance, and physical and mental
What's the rush? Slow living in a fast-paced world
health to meet the demands of the body in a technological world.
As the rise of constant connectivity continues to progress, the principles of slow living have inspired many to take back their time, creating more balanced routines and focusing on activities that nurture their mind and body.
Aside from unplugging, there are countless ways to practice the art of slow living.
Spending time outdoors, whether it's a walk around the block or fnding a place to read a book on a nice day, these practices allow you to connect with nature and feel grounded.
My favorite way to decompress is creating a cozy space to foster a slow-living mindset. All it takes is some soft lighting, a couple of throw blankets, a hot beverage and a candle. A tranquil space acts as a sanctuary, separating you from the busy world outside.
Additionally, pursuing a hobby that you genuinely enjoy and fnd relaxing puts the mind at ease. Something as simple as a coloring book or a journal encourages mindfulness, giving you an opportunity to unwind with something that also makes you feel fulflled.
Adapting to a slower lifestyle today can be diffcult considering mostly everything we do is online and at a speed that’s hard to keep up with — making it feel like taking a break or time for ourselves is counterproductive. If you keep
pushing your limits, you’ll eventually burn out and regret not taking that 15-minute break when you wanted to.
Other challenges are rooted in misconceptions about slow living and its purpose. Slow living is often associated with laziness or lack of purpose — both not true. This societal perception often turns people off from slow living due to fear of judgment or falling behind.
Slow living doesn’t mean giving up on goals — it means that you’re fnding a way to meet them while prioritizing yourself.
Many employers today often expect workers to be available outside of the offce, making it hard to take a step back. With the added pressures to stay up-to-date with social media, it makes screen time feel more like a necessity.
Speaking from a college student’s experience, I often fnd it hard to even decompress with activities that require a little bit of thinking like reading. After a full day of classes, I would love to cozy up with a good book but the last thing I want to do is read more words off of a page. This has forced me to fnd other ways to slow down like coloring, cleaning and working out.
Our time, energy and focus are constantly demanded by the world we live in, but slow life offers a way to counter that.
Shifting to a slower lifestyle can defnitely be a challenge, but the benefts of a greater
well-being and cherishing the little things in life are unmatched.
Declutter your space, limit screen time and do something you enjoy — it’s simple. At any time of day, take a moment for yourself. You deserve it.
'The Penguin': A masterpiece in comic-book storytelling
By COLIN KENNEDY Managing Editor
I think I hate The Penguin — not the show, the man.
HBO’s “The Penguin,” broadcasted from Sept. 19 to Nov. 10, may just be one of the greatest comic-book adaptations set on screen.
The Penguin, or Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell), becomes one of the most detestable villains in the history of television over the course of eight episodes. When the show begins, the viewer is left rooting for Oz to rise in the underworld of Gotham to take what’s his. But by the end? I’m counting the days until Batman beats him to a pulp in some dark alley.
Farrell’s portrayal of Oz belongs right up there with the ranks of James Gandolfni as Tony Soprano. In a way they are both similar characters, they’re mafa bosses hell-bent on taking what’s theirs. But they are also both tragic characters, and you can’t help but feel bad as they slowly dive into madness.
Farrell completely transforms and becomes unrecognizable as Oz. Without actually knowing Farrell was playing the character, I’m not sure many people would be able to tell that he was the one hobbling on screen. What may be even more impressive is his voice transformation. Gone is the Irish accent many know him to have, and is replaced by a gritty, classic New York accent. Farrell should be frst in line to receive the Emmy for Best Actor in 2025.
“The Penguin” is set in the same universe as Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” and picks up right after the events of the flm. Gotham is ravaged after a devastating food, and following the death of infamous crime boss, Carmine Falcone, the crime underworld is up for grabs.
So Oz makes his move in an attempt to grasp the vacated power — but another member of the Falcone crime family is back to take Carmine’s place, Sofa Falcone (Cristin Milioti). Sofa has
just been released from Arkham Asylum — for reasons that remain unknown — after “killing” several women and earning the moniker, “The Hangman.” She teams up with Oz to take out the rest of the Falcone family who don’t want to see her gain control, setting the stage for Sofa and Oz to battle it out.
Milioti’s haunting performance as Sofa belongs right up there with Farrell. She perfectly plays off the role of someone who has gone through a traumatic event such as living in Arkham for years. Her monologue in episode fve, “Cent’anni,” when she reveals to her family her father pinned the murders on her to save himself, was terrifying and gripping all at the same time.
What the series does so well is make you truly care and root for the traditional Batman villain — or at least at frst. Oz's relationship with Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) shows the good in him, as Oz takes him under his wing. The viewer sees Vic go from this stuttering kid to a confdent man, standing side-by-side with Oz as he makes his big move against the crime families of Gotham.
But Oz’s relationships are what also makes the show so tragic, most notably with his mother, Francis (Deidre O’Connell). Oz’s relationship with his mother was what drove him into the
Gotham crime scene. He promised her he would give her everything she ever wanted, and stopped at nothing to try and make good on that promise.
The relationship gets even more complex when it is revealed that Oz “accidentally” caused of the death of his two brothers when he was a kid by locking them in a fooded tunnel where they later drowned. Oz never comes clean that it was he who left them down in the tunnel — whether he intentionally did it or not was not made clear.
It’s later revealed that Francis knew all along it was him, and that she even arranged to have him killed before Oz made his promise to her that he was going to give her everything she ever wanted. By the end, she couldn’t hide the hatred she had for him anymore.
Sofa uses the hatred Francis has for Oz against the love Oz has for Francis against each other. She captures them both, bringing them to the spot where Oz made his fateful promise. In her own twisted way, she wants Oz to come clean in the way her father never did. But Oz is too far gone for that, he could never live with the idea that Francis knew it was him. All the emotional stress gets to Francis as she suffers a stroke she never recovers from, leaving her in a vegetative state by the end of the series.
The most heartbreaking moment is when Oz realizes his mother isn’t going to recover. His coming to terms with the fact that his mother will never say she is proud of him crushes Oz, but it also frees him in a way too.
Oz eventually outsmarts Sofa, turning the other crime organizations in Gotham against her. In the end, she gets a punishment worse than death — she goes back to Arkham.
But once Sofa is put back into Arkham you are still left rooting for Oz, you’re proud of him in a way. He accomplished everything he ever wanted, he was now the crime “kingpin” of Gotham. But when Farrell said in an interview that everyone would hate Oz by the end — he meant it.
Oz and Vic share one fnal scene at the end of the fnale, on a park bench, where Vic says that Oz is like family to him. Oz can’t have that, as he says “Family is a strength, it drives you. But it’s also a weakness.” And then your stomach twists as Oz chokes out Vic, killing the only person who was ever loyal to him, and he smiles while doing it.
The dark, twisted transformation from the Falcone underling to hobbling, top-hat-wearing “Penguin” was complete.
Cue the bat signal.
‘It’s pretty special’
Hitting coordinator and QU alumn crowned two-time World Series champion
By AMANDA DRONZEK Sports Editor
Bottom of the ninth, 7-6 Los Angeles Dodgers. Right-hand pitcher Walker Bueler stares down New York Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo at the plate. 1-2 count.
Breaking ball, strike three swinging — the Dodgers are world champions.
And hitting coordinator and Quinnipiac baseball alum Louis Iannotti ‘16 gets his second ring in four years.
“The first one is just sitting in a box in my closet, and I’m sure the second one will be right next to it until we have a cool place to have it,” Iannotti said.
That same Iannotti surely didn’t expect to have two World Series rings collecting dust in his closet when he transferred from Siena to Quinnipiac in 2013. The sophomore catcher from North Haven wasn’t expecting to ever be coaching. He thought he’d be playing.
“I tore my labrum,” Iannotti said. “So I was hurt, and I obviously knew the staff there. My dad attended Quinnipiac and played there, so I had a connection with the school. I just reached out and it all just kind of lined up perfectly.”
Iannotti’s father, Lou, played for the Bobcats from 1978-1982, leading his team to their frst NCAA Tournament as a Division II program. At the end of his senior campaign, Lou was a Division II All-New England All-
Star Team selection and was inducted into the Quinnipiac Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
The duo not only share Quinnipiac baseball, they’re also the first father and son to be coached by former skipper and athletics Hall of Famer Dan Gooley, who managed the Bobcats for 24 seasons and is now the director of operations.
“We’ve known Dan for 46 years,” Lisa Iannotti, administrative assistant for Quinnipiac Athletics said. “You’re not going to meet a more humble human being than Dan. I mean, we love him. He’s our family.”
Louis’s mother and Lou’s wife, Lisa, has worked at Quinnipiac for the last 12 years. Initially, she was involved in Development and Alumni Affairs but transitioned to her current position in 2018.
“We have an affinity for Quinnipiac in athletics and I love the administrative staff and coaches,” Lisa said. “They’re a second family to me.”
So much so that the Iannotti’s still regularly have dinner dates with Lou’s old teammates — including one this past weekend.
“You know, it’s not just about baseball, it’s about the friends that you make and the experiences that you (have),” Lisa said.
“I grew up going and remember going to alumni games with my dad,” Louis said. “My dad is very close with a group of guys that he played with still to this day. A lot of
them live in the area. It was cool to share the same connection.”
“I have pictures of my son playing on this field with my husband’s helmet on,” Lisa said. “It was pretty cool to see (Louis) come back, following my husband’s footsteps, but yet, it was a path that he chose.”
Like his father before him, Louis’s tenure in Hamden was quite memorable for him and the program. Ahead of his junior season, current head coach John Delaney entered his inaugural year at the helm.
“He was pretty intense in a good way, like holding you accountable,” Louis said. “And I just think that people respect that when you play for somebody like that, who holds himself to a high standard, and then he holds everyone else to a high standard.”
Through 152 games, Louis posted a .272 batting average with 151 hits. He was also a NEIBA All-New England Third Teamer during his senior season (2015-16).
Then came the real world. In 2017, Iannotti signed with the Gateway Grizzlies, an independent baseball team in the Frontier League. But his career was short-lived, plagued by a career-ending injury.
“I was training again to play, and thought that I was going to be playing again with another (independent) ball team,” Louis said.
Instead, he got a phone call.
Louis’s childhood friend and best man Eric Yavarone — who also happens to be the Dodgers’ strength coach — said Los Angeles was hiring coaches in its lower minor league department.
“He called and said, ‘Hey, I know that they are interviewing for a coach that was in our low-A team,’” he said. “‘Would you be interested in coaching?’”
The rest is self-explanatory; a polished resume and a detailed interview process later and there you have it: Iannotti became a coach for the Dodgers High-A affiliate Great Lakes Loons in 2018. A year later, he transitioned to a role based in Arizona — where he currently resides — traveling through LA’s minor league teams and working with hitters.
“He was very driven and determined to make baseball a career,” Lisa said. “So I think when he didn’t get drafted, this was the next best thing for him.”
Last season, Louis moved up to the Dodgers’ double-A team, the Tulsa Drillers, as their hitting coach. Prior to the 2024 slate, he was named one of two hitting coordinators for the Dodgers, overseeing “all things related to hitting and hitters in the organization.”
So where is the crossover between the minors and the MLB? Well, Louis’s job is to prepare hitters in the minors for the show, but he also works directly with current players who bounce up and down through the system.
During spring training, Louis and a second hitting coordinator, Brett Pill, help familiar names like Shohei Ohtani or Mookie Betts among other major leaguers on the Dodgers roster. Occasionally, he’ll oversee the team during a homestand as well. But for a majority of the 162-game stretch, Louis travels through the minor league levels of the organization.
“We have a bunch of different things that are able to help them,” Louis said. “Their biomechanics, numbers, video, and when we see stuff start going awry, we use those resources to see, ‘Hey, are they moving differently? Are they hurt? What sorts of things have changed from when they were good, and what sorts of levers can we pull on to try and get them back?’”
This role becomes all the more important in a postseason scenario. Take October 2024 as an example.
“Before the postseason started, we went to LA and for four or five days, we had a group of guys that were in what they call a ‘stay hot camp,’” Louis said. “These are guys that could potentially be called upon to be activated to play in any of the postseason or World Series games.”
It’s been an unusual ride for Ionnatti, who went from a kid trying to make a name for himself on the diamond to jumping full force into professional baseball as a hitting coach.
A single phone call can change your life any which way; Louis is reaping the benefts.
“It’s pretty special,” Louis said. “You know, getting to work for an organization in professional baseball is cool, but I think the Dodgers have just a little bit more history than a lot of the teams out there.”
Well Louis, you’re part of that history yet again.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY TIM CAMPBELL
PHOTO COURTESY OF QUINNIPIAC ATHLETICS
Louis Iannotti is a two-time World Series champion as of October 2024.
An inside look at Quinnipiac hockey’s move from CCM to Bauer
By CAMERON LEVASSEUR Staf Writer
In the middle of April, several weeks after Quinnipiac men’s hockey fell to Boston College in the NCAA Tournament, senior defenseman Davis Pennington stepped into a room at M&T Bank Arena to make a decision about his future.
It wasn’t quite as life-defning as the choice he made seven years earlier, committing to play college hockey at Nebraska Omaha. Nor was it on par with the one he made just a year previous, opting to transfer 1,300 miles east to Quinnipiac. But it was the team’s annual ftting day, and the Bobcats were changing their primary equipment sponsor from CCM to Bauer, so for the frst time since his freshman season at Omaha, Pennington had to choose a new stick.
“A lot of guys already know (what they want) so those guys just kind of walk in,” he said. “But for me, I had to fnd something different. I had a pretty good year last year so I kind of wanted it to be as similar as possible.”
Pennington sat down with a regional Bauer representative and Alex Whitman, Quinnipiac’s head equipment manager, to talk through his options.
“They bring in their entire bag of sticks, and it has every fex, every shaft shape, every curve,” Whitman said. “And then they’ll have a grip wheel where it’s like a massive key ring that has every different kind of grip you can get on your stick, so the guys know exactly what they’re getting.”
Every equipment brand hosts ftting days for the schools they partner with. A regional representative for the company travels to the school with all of its high quality gear. If a player needs their foot rescanned for new skates, this is the time for it. If they want to try a new stick, a new helmet, new shoulder pads, new gloves — it’s all laid out in front of them.
“You grow up dreaming of a situation like that, where you can just try a bunch of stuff,” Pennington said. “Bauer was cool because they have a bunch of custom pro curves, so you can see what (David) Pastrnak uses, what (Patrick) Kane uses. So that’s exciting too.”
Most ftting days see few adjustments, players simply moving to the newest model in a line of gear they’re used to or perhaps adopting a slightly different curve. But as Quinnipiac prepared to don Bauer as its primary gear sponsor for the frst time since the 2016-17 season, every name on the Bobcats’ rosters had to make some kind of adjustment.
“We all know hockey players are creatures of habit,” Whitman said. “They don’t really like to change that much. But if they do, they know what their options are, and they can pick from whatever they want.”
In his search, Pennington settled on Bauer’s Nexus Tracer, the newest release in its Nexus line.
Except, he didn’t. His sticks are just wrapped to look like the Tracer. They’re actually the Nexus 2N Pro XL, which originally released in 2018.
He’s not alone. Seven players on Quinnipiac’s men’s roster play with what looks like the Tracer. Only two are actually using it. Four are in the 2N Pro XL and one (sophomore defenseman Chase Ramsay), is using the Bauer Supreme Ultrasonic.
The reason why comes down to feel. Nexus sticks feature a mid kick point (where the stick fexes), which is often favored by defensemen because it offers a balance between power and control.
But in 2020, Bauer shifted to a fve-sided shaft for new Nexus releases, a change that didn’t resonate with many players.
“Not everyone is sold on it,” Whitman said.
The 2N Pro XL is the last Nexus model released before the change, making it the natural successor for players like Pennington, who switched from a Tacks stick, CCM’s mid-kick point line.
“The last time I used Bauer, that’s what I used,” Pennington said. “I’m kind of a creature of habit, so I didn’t want to switch too much.”
So wrapping sticks is the healthy middle ground between athlete and brand. Players feel comfortable using an older model stick, sponsors want to advertise their top-of-theline releases.
“We’re not really in the business of making guys uncomfortable with what they’re using,” Whitman said.
That sentiment also applies to the brand of gear players use. While Bauer may be Quinnipiac’s primary equipment provider, there’s a clause in its contract with the university that allows for a specifc number of players in nonBauer gear.
Men’s sophomore forward Andon Cerbone and women’s freshman forward Bryn Prier both use CCM sticks, and Cerbone is one of seven players between the two programs to wear CCM skates.
“I’ve just always used CCM sticks, even
when I played in the USHL, which is a Bauer league,” Cerbone said. “I felt like more so in my head as superstition that I like the CCM sticks over (Bauer). Then for skates, same thing: I’ve always worn CCM skates. When I was little I used to get — they call them Bauer bumps — in my foot, so that was pretty uncomfortable, so I just stuck with CCM skates.”
That type of clause is common in the NCAA. Last season, as Quinnipiac was still under contract with CCM, forward Sam Lipkin ‘24 — now signed to the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club — noticeably used a Bauer Proto R. Pennington wore Bauer skates, the same ones he’s in this year.
“That’s just how I am,” Pennington said. “I don’t like to break in new gear.”
But his reluctance toward change is not simply that. Rather, it’s indicative of a larger trend present among both Bobcat hockey programs last season.
Of the 44 skaters rostered between Quinnipiac’s men’s and women’s teams in 2023-24, just 18 wore CCM skates. A plurality (21 skaters) were in Bauer, while four laced up True skates.
“We had a lot of guys that were already in Bauer skates last year,” Whitman said. “So that was kind of one of the driving factors behind the change.”
Women’s junior forward Tessa Holk joined that crowd when she transferred from Colgate, another Bauer school, in the offseason.
“I love the (Bauer Supreme) Mach skates,” Holk said. “I’ve had those the past three years now and I don’t think I’ll change, ever. They just ft so well.”
Knowing its contract with CCM expired at the end of the season, Quinnipiac met with different brands in the late fall of 2023, including a meeting with Bauer in November.
“We gave everyone pretty much a fair shake of it,” Whitman said. “We sat down with multiple brands and felded offers.”
No fnal decision was made until later in the season, but by the start of the new year there was a “pretty good idea that we were going to be switching over.”
“After weighing the options from the different brands, we felt that Bauer was just going to offer us the best deal going forward,” Whitman said.
Players were informed of the impending change in the spring, shortly before the NCAA Tournament. At that point, women’s forward Jenna Donohue had already made the decision to transfer to Quinnipiac from Dartmouth —
also a Bauer school — for her graduate season. She learned of the change through Big Green assistant equipment manager Ryan Finley, who is now in the same role at Quinnipiac.
“Ryan was like ‘Guess what, we’re going to Bauer,’” Donohue said. “I was like, ‘Oh my god that’s so nice,’ because I was trying someone’s CCM stick, and I was like, ‘I don’t like this.’”
Once the season ended, the shift went into full swing. Whitman and other equipment staffers worked into the summer to move out CCM gear, selling off equipment to pro stock dealers around North America.
“It was a lot of long days, long nights getting everything moved out,” Whitman said. “We had essentially seven, eight years worth of CCM equipment that had to move on from here.”
Starting July 1, shipments of Bauer gear began to arrive at M&T Bank Arena, offcially ushering in a new era. That doesn’t mean, however, that this is a monumental change for the programs.
“We’re at the point in time where the technology is pretty similar across the board,” Whitman said. “Everything’s so customizable nowadays that it’s pretty pretty easy to get somebody into something (they like), even if it doesn’t have the same brand name on it.”
But even minor changes can make a difference. Take junior forward Jeremy Wilmer for example. Like 14 of his teammates, Wilmer’s choice of stick is the Bauer Vapor HyperLite 2. He’s used Vapor sticks his whole life, including his last two near-point-per-game seasons at Boston University.
In the offseason, Wilmer tweaked his setup just slightly, moving from a P92 curve to a P90TM, giving his stick a slight curve on the toe of the blade and a lower lie (the angle between the shaft and blade).
“I do like to always get a read on if anything could make me better in any way and I thought that was something that could help my game,” he said.
And through eight games, Wilmer leads Quinnipiac with 10 points. Has changing his curve fueled his hot start? It’s tough to draw that correlation. But it certainly hasn’t hurt him. And in a sport where connection between player and gear is crucial, there’s a strong relationship between feeling and action.
“I think it gives you confdence too,” Wilmer said. “When you develop a routine and it works, you stick with that.”
TRIPP MENHALL/CHRONICLE
Sophomore forward Andon Cerbone wears CCM gear against Maine on Oct. 27, 2023.
TYLER MIGNAULT/CHRONICLE
Cerbone dons Bauer gear against UNH on Oct. 26, 2024.
‘The future is pretty bright’
Marist defeats Quinnipiac 2-1 in MAAC Quarterfinals
By JACK LAROCCA Staf Writer
HAMDEN — It was all red as Marist defeated Quinnipiac 2-1 in the MAAC Quarterfnals Sunday afternoon.
The opening for Quinnipiac was quite grim. The Red Foxes controlled possession for much of the frst half, playing the ball in the Bobcats’ defensive zone. The match was scoreless until sophomore midfelder Arion Ulaj opened up the scoring in the 18th minute. It looked like Quinnipiac was unable to get anything going. While the Red Foxes ripped out shots easily, the Bobcats were forced to drop back on defense constantly, making it impossible to get anything going offensively. By the end of the frst half, Marist outshot Quinnipiac 10-0.
Coming into the second half of play, the Bobcats still appeared to play stagnant, unable to do anything against the Marist defense.
Things only got worse for the Bobcats when a Marist player was fouled inside the box, awarding the Red Foxes a penalty kick following a VAR review. Red Foxes senior forward Richard Morel converted, putting them ahead 2-0.
The Bobcats needed something to spur them back into the game. Luckily, they did.
Following a collision in a goal-scoring opportunity, Marist freshman defender Gijs Verheul was assessed a red card forcing it to play with 10 men for the remainder of the game.
The Bobcats took that and ran, looking like a completely different team than the opening half.
Following a foul, the Bobcats earned a free kick taken by junior forward Ramesh Delsouz who fnally cut the lead in half in the 72 minute.
Things appeared to improve for the Bobcats as Marist then subbed off starting graduate student goalkeeper Jamie Lowell for sophomore backup Dreni Idrizi.
But ultimately, Quinnipiac was unable to capitalize and fnd the second surge to even the score.
“At the end of the day, I’m really proud of this team and proud of the growth that we’ve had this year,” head coach Eric Da Costa said.
“We’re a young group, we’ve got some great players at some key positions and that’s exciting for the future, but we live in the here and at the moment we’re just disappointed at not playing our best.”
This game not only marked the end of the season, it closed the book on several graduating Bobcats’ careers.
“I’m grateful to all our seniors and all the players who played their last game with us, using up their eligibility over the course of their four or fve year time with us,” Da Costa said. “They’re not measured or judged by this one game, but judged by the history they’ve had with our program and we should be really proud of them.”
One particular athlete who played his fnal game for the Bobcats was graduate student defender Terrance Wilder Jr.
“He’s everything, he’s the guy that we will miss the most,” Da Costa said. “We talk a lot about culture and culture is people. Replacing the player is easy, replacing the player that person is is impossible. He’s class.”
Despite the outcome of the game, Da Costa has high hopes for the program in coming seasons.
“I think the future is pretty bright for this group of players, this is hopefully an experience that helps us grow and kickstarts us for next season,” Da Costa said.
Men’s hockey on verge of being unranked after 3-5 start
By AMANDA DRONZEK Sports Editor
As of publication, Quinnipiac men’s hockey sits No. 10 in the ECAC and dropped to No. 19 in the USCHO National Poll, the closest it’s been to being unranked since dipping under the top 20 in 2017.
Yet it was just 19 months ago that head coach Rand Pecknold achieved his magnum opus and manned his squad to its first national championship.
Not to mention the Bobcats entered the 2024-25 slate at No. 7 in the country.
So, what’s happened in the last month that this program now sits below .500 just eight games in?
Fourteen new players, that’s what.
“We’ve got so many kids that have habits from the teams they came from, and we play differently than pretty much every team they came from, so we have to kind of establish those habits and create them,” Pecknold said on Oct. 6.
Quinnipiac is fush with talent — bringing in several Hockey East transfers, a pair of Bruins draft picks and a freshman goaltender who oozes potential. Additionally, it returned several standouts from last season’s roster that came inches away from a second consecutive Frozen Four.
But there’s a spark missing in this team, a lack of motivation. The Bobcats don’t take hard hits, instead they take bad penalties. They rack up eight goals against UNH on Oct. 24, they drop consecutive ECAC matchups to start conference play two weeks later.
“We hadn’t lost to Dartmouth in 14 years at home until last night (Nov. 8),” Pecknold said Nov. 9 after being shut out 3-0 to Harvard. “We haven’t lost to Harvard for a while at home either. So, that’s something we’re gonna face.”
That’s the story Quinnipiac’s been writing thus far. It’s chaos, it’s a process, it lacks the buy-in that makes this program so well-renowned across the NCAA.
Quinnipiac’s biggest pitfall is its inability to generate offense, which then affects its performance behind the blue line. The Bobcats are digging their own grave in the form of poor mechanics. A misplaced pass in the neutral zone becomes a turnover turned goal for the opposing team, a scoring opportunity gets foiled because Quinnipiac can’t execute that last connection.
“We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot with things that we do continually that we talk about that we’re not supposed to do,” Pecknold said Nov. 8.
Look, this isn’t to say that there isn’t hope for this Quinnipiac team. In the last two decades, it’s been a high-contending program, and in the grand scheme, it still is. This skid is out of character for the Bobcats, but it shouldn’t defne what’s already been built.
There are still plenty of standouts in the navy and gold, just watch for them. Junior wing Jeremy Wilmer and sophomore wing Mason Marcellus lead the pack with 10 and seven points, respectively. In that No. 3 slot is freshman standout, wing Tyler Borgula who is the team’s No. 1 goal-scorer (fve) right now.
Remember that aforementioned freshman goaltender, Dylan Silverstein? In time, he’ll play a crucial role in Quinnipiac’s future, already posting impressive numbers with a .922 save percentage and shutout through fve games.
“He’s been solid,” Pecknold said of the Calabasas, Californian who earned his frst back-to-back starts against UNH (Oct. 24-25). “He took a long time off of hockey for injuries and he’s coming back now and he’s a huge talent.”
Here’s the bottom line for those in panic mode: It’s not all bad in Hamden, it’s just not so good.
TYLER RINKO/CHRONICLE
Quinnipiac and Marist face the fag for the national anthem before the MAAC Quarterfnals on Nov. 10.
