The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 92, Issue 12

DECEMBER 1, 2021 • VOLUME 92 • ISSUE 12

The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929

DANIEL PASSAPERA/CHRONICLE

Students report three attempted burglaries off campus over nine days p.2

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

OPINION P.4: CURLY HAIR REPRESSION

Editors Neha Seenarine and Nicole McIsaac share their experiences with societal expectations for women’s natural hair

PHOTO BY JANA BEAMER/FLICKR

A&L P.6: SWIFT ALBUM REVIEW Associate News Editor Katie Langley reviews Taylor Swift’s newest re-released album, ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’

COURTESY OF TEXAS A&M ATHLETICS

SPORTS P. 11: KEVIN MARFO RETURNS After spending a year in the SEC as a Texas A&M Aggie, the graduate transfer has returned to the MAAC

School of Engineering renamed to represent computing industry

By KRYSTAL MILLER Staff Writer

Quinnipiac University renamed the School of Engineering to the School of Computing and Engineering on Nov. 9, to represent the growing industry of computer science.

“Changing the name is representative of the programs we have in our school, so it’s more representative of what we have in our school and also where the industry’s going in terms of computing,” said Lynn Byers, interim dean of the School of Computing and Engineering.

Laboratory spaces will feature updated equipment on the Mount Carmel campus. The university will turn a classroom in Tator Hall into a collaborative classroom with monitors on the end of each table to allow students to work on a piece of code together. An additional classroom in Center for Communications and Engineering will be renovated.

“We’re going to convert to another collaborative classroom to support the enrollment in the computing programs,” Byers said.

Around 40% of the school’s current students are pursuing a computing-focused degree, according to Quinnipiac’s website.

Provost Debra Liebowitz said the administration is implementing these changes because computing programs are expecting to grow in demand and opportunities.

As specified in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in computer and information technology occupations is expected to grow 13% from 2020-30, which is faster than average for all occupations. These occupations would add about 667,600 new jobs.

There were 10 graduates in the computer science program in 2019-20, eight in 2020-21 and now 74 in 2021-22.

Evan Williams, a junior mechanical engineering major, said the new name has no negative impact for the school.

“It will also make it clearer to people this isn’t just the engineering program,” Williams said.

Christopher Gambardella, a junior civil engineering major, did not have a preference in what the school should be named.

“I didn’t even know it got changed, I’m still going to call it CCE,” Gambardella said.

Students can now see the School of Computing and Engineering when researching computing along with programs in other schools at Quinnipiac. There are computing programs across campus, such as game design and data science in the College of Arts and Sciences, computer information systems in the School of Business and graphic and interactive design in the School of Communications.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY AUTUMN DRISCOLL/QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY

The prevalence of the computer science industry influenced Quinnipiac University’s School of Computing and Engineering to change its name.

“By adding computing to our school name the effect will be to increase the visibility of computing across campus,” Byers said.

Riley Popp, a senior mechanical engineering major, thinks the name is beneficial for everyone.

See COMPUTING SCHOOL Page 2

2| News

MEET THE EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Sicoli MANAGING EDITORS Emily Flamme Toyloy Brown III CREATIVE DIRECTOR Connor Lawless DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR Chatwan Mongkol NEWS EDITORS Nicole McIsaac Melina Khan ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Katie Langley OPINION EDITOR Xavier Cullen ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR Michael LaRocca ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Ashley Pelletier ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITORS David Matos Neha Seenarine SPORTS EDITORS Riley Millette Peter Piekarski ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITORS Cameron Levasseur Ethan Hurwitz PODCAST PRODUCER Brendan Samson PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Daniel Passapera DESIGN EDITOR Amanda Riha ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITORS Peyton McKenzie Emma Kogel COPY EDITOR Aidan Sheedy THE QUINNIPIAC CHRONICLE is the proud recipient of the New England Society of Newspaper Editors’ award for College Newspaper of the Year in New England for 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2015-16.

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The Quinnipiac Chronicle

December 1, 2021

‘It’s unnerving’: Multiple attempted burglaries alarm off-campus students

By NICOLE MCISAAC News Editor

After returning to Quinnipiac University following Thanksgiving break, students are concerned about their safety after three reported burglary attempts occurred over nine days in off-campus housing on West Woods Road and Kimberly Avenue.

“Up until recently, I’ve felt very safe in my current home,” said Ariana Laneri, a senior graphic and interactive design major who lives in an off-campus university-owned house. “And I still do, but these recent breakins definitely made me remember that I need to stay alert and always do a final sweep of the house before I go to bed.”

The unknown male suspect in the latest burglary attempt, described as a tall male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, did not gain entry to the house and fled the scene before the Hamden Police Department and Public Safety arrived Nov. 25.

Chief of Public Safety Tony Reyes told The Chronicle that the suspect was later detained, identified and released due to a lack of evidence to arrest. No students were injured and the investigation is ongoing.

“We have a lot of presence out there,” Reyes said. “We’ve communicated with every one of our community members in that area, just to touch base to let them know we’re out there, to make sure that they are aware of what’s going on and that their doors and windows remain locked and that they’re vigilant.”

This is the third incident to take place on West Woods Road and Kimberly Avenue, following two attempted burglaries by a food delivery man targeting female college students. Reyes said that the recent suspect is not affiliated with the previous attempted burglaries and was under the assumption that the house was unoccupied before attempting to break in.

As a result of the repeated residential burglary attempts, Reyes said Public Safety is working directly with HPD to increase patrolling in the area to ensure the safety of its students. Reyes said that the Facilities Department is also installing motion sensor lighting in the area to create more of a deterrent.

“It would be nice if we had some sort of security system, whether that be cameras or something else,” Laneri said. “Similarly to how the dorms have Public Safety officers at the entrances to the campuses, it would be nice to know we have some sort of security as well.”

COMPUTING SCHOOL from cover “It accurately reflects the fact that the computer science program is also a part of it, which isn’t really an engineering discipline but (Quinnipiac) treats it as one,” Popp said.

There will also be possible future expansion of masters programs and online programs for degree completion. Currently, Quinnipiac offers master’s degrees in business analytics, instructional design, cybersecurity and online interactive media and communications in the computing program.

Quinnipiac added a bachelor of arts in computer science in 2017 to allow students to dou-

“It’s more representative of what we have in our school and also where the industry’s going in terms of computing.”

– Lynn Byers

INTERIM DEAN, SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND ENGINEERING

DANIEL PASSAPERA/CHRONICLE

Public Safety will increase its presence on Kimberly Avenue and West Woods Road after students reported three attempted burglaries over nine days.

“Now we will be paying very close attention to all our off-campus housing, particularly the ones that we own and continue to pay for our patrols in that area,” Reyes said. “We’re focused on this area more so now because we had three incidents in a very short time frame.”

Despite the precautionary measures in place, students said they are still reassessing their safety in their own homes.

“It’s unnerving knowing that people have been targeting student homes,” Laneri said.

“I’ve felt very safe in my QU home and the neighborhood and street it’s on. But hearing about these recent break-ins, it makes you realize that even if you feel safe, you still need to be cautious and take proper safety measures such as locking all your doors.”

Ja’Vielle Foy, a senior political science major, said she often does a “double and triple check” on her doors and windows before going to sleep in her off-campus house that is not affiliated with the university. She said she has questioned her overall safety since the repeated break-ins.

“I really enjoy the freedom of being off campus, and although I do feel safer on campus, crime happens everywhere,” Foy said.

After the incidents, Foy and her housemates have been looking into installing a security system for their house as a precautionary measure

moving forward. She said that although she is thankful to have neighbors who look out for her and her housemates, Quinnipiac could do more to ensure the safety of students.

“I think it would be helpful to install alarm systems in Quinnipiac-owned homes and even reach out to some of the landlords of Quinnipiacunrelated homes and encourage them to do the same,” Foy said.

Despite a higher concern, Reyes said it is not uncommon for thieves to target campus settings during breaks because individuals aren’t often home. However, he said students remaining in off-campus housing over the extended break can still feel safe and encourage them to reach out to Public Safety.

“We have good communication internally to know who’s going to be staying, but make sure that if you’ve made a last minute decision to stay that you communicated that to us,” Reyes said. “So that we know and we can work together to ensure the safety of students that are going to be.”

Reyes said he encourages students to properly secure all windows and doors, as well as keeping exterior lights on at night when possible. Any student with an immediate emergency is instructed to call 911, and any non-emergency safety concerns should be directed to the Public Safety Department at 203-582-6200.

ble major in other areas they are 74 projected interested in. It includes fewer scigraduates ence courses than a bachelor of science in computer science requires.

“It reflects reality, but it also reflects the future and the fact that 21-22 computing and computing related Computer Science programs are likely to grow more graduates and that there’s incredible demand professionally for computing related workforce and graduates,” Liebowitz said.

Students interested in computing will have more flexibility and 11 graduates options when deciding courses because it will be easier to add courses like data science and game design.

7 graduates “Part of what we’re doing is not 19-20 only growing the computing programs that are specifically in the 20-21 School of Computing and EngineerINFOGRAPHIC BY CONNOR LAWLESS ing, but also growing a computing lab will also host academic classes, as stated ecosystem because computing related skills are relevant to so many fields,” Li- on Quinnipiac’s website.

The adjustment of the title of the school ebowitz said.

Along with improvements in the School of is one of the first steps of change for comComputing and Engineering, there are other ar- puting at Quinnipiac.

“I’m excited about the direction that the eas on campus that have been added to adjust to school’s going in with this name change, and I the growing computer science industry.

An esports lab opened on Nov. 17, in the think there are a lot of possibilities and opportuRocky Top Student Center on the York Hill nities for students,” Byers said. campus. Students can compete in gaming tournaments and have recreation time. The

December 1, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

News |3

Medical student earns Crisis Hero Award for combating homelessness

By WILLIAM GAVIN Staff Writer

When Megan Leubner took a law and health policy class as an undergraduate at Brandeis University for a requirement, she had no idea she’d started a path that would lead her to receive the Crisis Hero Award from the Connecticut Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Leubner, a third-year medical student at Quinnipiac University, said the class opened her eyes to the “downstream effects” of the U.S.’s health care system on health and poverty. While studying at Brandeis, Leubner volunteered with Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, which jump-started her interest in helping people in need.

“I’d say that was the most exposure I had had in my entire life to working with populations who were experiencing either very fragile hous-

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MEGAN LEUBNER

The Connecticut Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized Megan Leubner (left) for collecting supplies for homeless people.

ing situations or who were currently unhoused,” Leubner said.

At BHCHP, Leubner worked as a patient activity leader, helping people by leading programs such as therapeutic art classes.

Leubner said her time at BHCHP inspired her to continue working in community service, both as a volunteer and a researcher.

Last spring, Leubner traveled to Providence, Rhode Island, for a volunteer program providing foot care supplies for homeless individuals.

“It was such a meaningful experience and it made me feel reconnected to volunteering,” Leubner said. “Like I’m so drawn and feel centered — I remember what’s important at the end of the day. Every time I do this kind of work, it’s just magnetic to me like that.”

In Providence, Leubner met her mentor Tracy Van Oss, a clinical professor of occupational therapy at Quinnipiac, over Zoom. “(Leubner) called me from her boyfriend’s house in the basement, and we probably talked for over an hour,” Van Oss said. “She was so enthusiastic, and she was so passionate and she was so excited about all of these things that she wanted to explore.”

Van Oss serves on the board of Connecticut nonprofit Columbus House Inc., which provides an emergency shelter and other services for homeless individuals.

With Van Oss as a mentor, Leubner began working as a volunteer for Columbus House while laying the foundation for her future capstone research project on how COVID-19 affected New Haven residents in fragile housing situations.

When the pandemic hit Connecticut, the Columbus House was forced to adapt. Suddenly housing services became remote, state services were overwhelmed and many of Columbus House’s usual volunteers were unable to help.

Other homeless shelters across the state were temporarily shut down or heavily modified to match new health protocols.

Along with nine other volunteers, Leubner created a system to collect, store and distribute over 6,400 household items to people in need, over just a few months.

“We had a website, we posted a lot of stuff on Facebook and we were posting in our group chats, and essentially what we did is we created a porch-pickup system so no contact needed to be had,” Leubner said.

Leubner and her team were unable to see many peoples’ reactions to receiving the supplies due to face masks, but one moment stood out to her. A magnet school in New Haven had been turned into a “makeshift respite center,” for people who had contracted COVID, but weren’t sick enough to stay in a hospital.

Leubner remembers seeing posters hung up for different clubs, including astrology, and said it resembled a ghost town — she said she thought to herself, “oh my gosh, this is like the apocalypse.”

But next to those posters were piles of donated food, water and clothing, which she and her team inventoried.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MEGAN LEUBNER “I just remember there was these Catherine DiTuri (right), Columbus House Inc. little goodie bags of organic fruit chews development director, nominated Megan Leuband water and a granola bar, and I was ner (left) for the Crisis Hero Award. like ‘this is the cutest thing ever,’” Leuher research going forward. But beyond her time bner said. “They had attached little notes sayat Quinnipiac, she plans to join doctors “on-theing ‘you’re heroes’ or ‘get well soon’ and stuff ground,” and to become an advocate for individlike that. I remember tearing up. I was reading uals who are homeless. all these little notes and just thinking about how “I just think that we have the ability to be badly people need to connect with each other and such incredible advocates and this wonderful opalso how creative and resilient humans are.” portunity to really stand up for our patients and In June, Leubner received a $2,500 grant for what they need,” Leubner said. her research from the People’s United Center for Women & Business and will continue to refine

Professor named infectious diseases society fellow criteria such as receiving national or regional recognition and their work must be published.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America “I think we all try to contribute to what matnamed Quinnipiac University’s Dr. Rahul Anand ters most to us and I feel lucky that I’m able to a fellow on Nov. 15, for his work in the clinical do what I love doing and be a part of something field along with his advancements in leadership greater,” the microbiology and infectious disease curriculum for infectious disease practitioners. professor said. “Which is what Quinnipiac does Applicants for this prestigious fellowship by educating the next generation of medical stumust be elected by their peers and meet specific dents, what IDSA does by empowering infectious disease providers and by taking care of patients on the front lines.”

Being in the field for over a decade, Anand has worked with tropical infectious diseases in India, worked in the field of HIV treatment in the Bronx, New York and he now works in Hartford County. Anand also practices travel medicine in various places around the country, working specifically with patients who are immunocompromised or have transplant infections.

“It’s taken a track record of doing work in the clinical field and along with it work to advance the field itself which I’ve been able to contribute to by working on leadership curriculums development for infectious disease practitioners,” Anand said.

“So, helping them not just be clinicians but helping them be their best selves and be better at leading teams and advocating for PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY change and managing and Dr. Rahul Anand created a leadership development curriculeading projects.” lum for medical students.

By JACKLYN PELLEGRINO Staff Writer

At Quinnipiac, Anand teaches a class on microbiology and infectious diseases as well as a course on leadership for medical students.

The latter course focuses on not just how to take care of patients, but why doctors go into the field and how doctors can help to improve the field. The first version of the curriculum was developed in fall 2019. This is the first semester Anand’s curriculum for infectious disease practitioners is available. Currently, Anand is working with other medical schools in the Northeast to implement a plan so that every medical student receives leadership training by the time they graduate.

“That’s our vision, that every medical student gets leadership training starting on day one of medical school that helps them be their best self and helps them be more effective team members and leaders and be able to impact the system and bring change,” Anand said.

Anand said that he would share with future medical students the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which is four quadrants of a circle meaning: do what you love doing, do what you’re really good at, do what the world needs and what it’s going to reward you for.

“Try to find that sweet spot and that might change with time but the more you can find and live in the sweet spot the more your own cup will be full of joy and you will be able to make a difference,” Anand said.

Two fourth-year medical students, Alexa Lisevick and Samuel Oduwole, along with a few others, have helped co-create this leadership curriculum.

“The students are so core to the curriculum in many ways,” Lisevick said. “In the first iteration of this course, Sam and I, our class, we had specific feedback elucidated from each of us throughout the course which allowed for real time feedback to be implemented. This allowed (each individual learner) to be able to get out of the course exactly what they need.”

Oduwole said that since the class only had eight students, each student received individual feedback and mentorship.

“Every bit of feedback was important and incorporated into the curriculum to make it better, and again, the big thing is one of the first days of the course we made our leadership goal and mission statement, what we wanted to accomplish and what we wanted to achieve from the class,” Oduwole said.

Lisevick and Oduwole explained how impactful their time working with Anand, someone with so much experience in the field. They also describe how his idea for the curriculum was made a reality.

“Dr. Anand is a great leader and he puts a lot of effort into his curriculum,” Oduwole said. “He had the idea and he’s pursued it, he has allied himself with students to make this a reality at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine. He’s gotten advocates from faculty and students and the school believes that this is something that is valuable. He has goals to ensure leadership and make it integral to the Netter curriculum.”

Lisevick described Anand as “personable and outgoing” and an “exceptional leader.”

“He takes the time to get to know every single individual that he works with,” Lisevick said.

“He recognizes their strengths and weaknesses and he’s always promoting each of us to grow and recognize not only our strengths but how to further develop in those areas that we have the space to grow.”

Anand said that his greatest reward is working with patients, contributing to education in his field and aiding leadership development because that’s what matters most to him.

“Just being able to make a difference in someone’s life every day,” Anand said. “That’s a privilege. That just makes every day special for me, whether it’s in teaching or in taking care of patients.”

T hTeh eQ Q uu i ni nnni i pp i a cc CChhr or no inc il ec l e

44 | O p i n i o n

Opinion

December 1, 2021

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CONNOR LAWLESS

Concealing the curls

The societal norms behind natural hair is frying our brains

By NEHA SEENARINE AND NICOLE MCISAAC

with natural hairstyles like tight curls, box braids or a natural afro were not recommended for job interviews compared with other types of candidates. Black women with straightened hair and white women with curly or straight hair got, according to a 2020 article published in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal.

Women are encouraged to embrace their beauty and not change themselves. However, if we don’t alter our appearances, we can lose opportunities based solely on how we look.

The irony here is that society tells us we are valued beyond looks, and the only thing that matters is who are on the inside. Work ethic, experience and ambition should be more significant factors in getting jobs than whether our hair has waves or curls or not.

Whether you have experience dealing with the struggles of natural hair or not, it is a topic that needs more attention.

These are our stories.

It almost felt like their natural hair wasn’t special enough for them either. However, I don’t think they were passionate enough about curly hair to get a perm. There’s nothing truly unique about straight hair, it was just the standard around me.

Although straight hair is allegedly the key to being beautiful, the flat iron is not doing me any favors. I heat mine to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and pass it through my hair once a week. To compare, that’s how hot an oven is to bake cookies. The heat can cause breakage and dullness to hair. The dryness can strip the natural moisture causing the hair’s cuticle layer to break, according to trichologist Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips.

I noticed my hair has more breakage when it’s straightened. I find hair strands all over my house floor. I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to commit a robbery without leaving a trail. There are high chances of looking like Cynthia from “Rugrats” by age 30. I might be better off being bald rather than changing the way I look constantly.

Using a flat iron seems like an addiction I can’t overcome. I recently invested in a hair dryer brush, and I eagerly wait to use it after I wash my hair. I’m infatuated with the way I look with straight hair, and I don’t feel the same with any other hairstyle. I try to avoid putting heat on my hair but that can only last for so long. All of a sudden, if I have to go out to dinner, I relapse, and I’m back to passing the hot tool through my hair.

Dealing with my natural hair is an ongoing battle. I hate the way I treated my hair for the last eight years. Although I prefer my hair to be straight, I know that my natural hair does not set me apart as a human being.

There’s nothing wrong with my wavy hair, but maybe there is something wrong with society that constantly claims you should accept yourself.

By NICOLE MCISAAC

Hair is something that we often take for granted, or maybe something that some of us don’t pay much attention to.

However, for others, including us, it is a constant battle with flat irons and hair dryers as weapons to fight the everlasting war on natural hair.

Societal norms oppressed the natural hair that we were simply born with, making individuals around the world feel as if curly or wavy hair is something that is not OK. It is as if we are supposed to wake up with a fresh blow-out every morning to fit into the stereotypical definition of looking “normal.”

The pressure to have straight hair is something that doesn’t just affect our personal lives. Naturally curly or wavy hair is not often accepted in the workplace.

Black women receive less work opportunities solely based on their hair texture. Black women

By NEHA SEENARINE

Associate Arts & Life Editor

The most damaging beauty standard I’ve faced is the need to have straight hair to feel pretty.

I wouldn’t be able to tell you how many hours I invested putting a flat iron against my scalp. After I’m done with the 45-minute process of using extreme sizzling heat, my spine-straight hair immediately boosts my confidence. But, what was wrong with the naturally wavy hair I already had?

There’s nothing wrong with the hair I was born with, and I admire the beauty of women with similar hair textures. However, I’m convinced an insecurity possessed me when I was 12 years old that I only look good with straight hair. I would see models in store displays with silky, straight hair, and the Western beauty standards made me feel ugly about my natural hair — well, to an extent.

I usually feel confident about my physical appearance, but I struggle to love my natural hair. Sometimes, I think it doesn’t compliment my face or the waves didn’t fit with an outfit. I have a difficult time styling my hair to wear to a five-hour shift. It’s not that I’m ashamed of my natural hair or I don’t want people to see me, I just assume my looks are enhanced with straight hair.

It’s my version of an Instagram filter.

When I was growing up, most of my peers had straight hair, and I felt so out of place with my wavy hair. Their hairstyles would last all day, and I would come home from school looking like I got crushed in WWE Smackdown. I wanted to look like the girls around me and rock a ponytail without it frizzing up. In order to try to fit in, there were times I looked up YouTube tutorials on how to make my hair straight.

On the other hand, I found my peers curling their hair for different occasions.

News Editor

From the minute I was born, I had tight pin curly hair — Shirley Temple hair, if you will.

It was a distinguishable trait that everyone in my family always pointed out and admired.

It was never an issue for me when I was younger. Throughout my early childhood, I would let my curls hang loose while I threw myself around the monkey bars. I wore it proudly, even if I didn’t know it then.

As time went on and I began grade school, these same curls would soon become squashed by a hair iron. And by squashed, I mean fried and sizzled to a crisp.

Middle school concerts, family parties, recitals — you name it — that flat iron was my confidant, my best friend. It was out for every single “special” occasion, and, soon enough, I began to feel as if I couldn’t feel “presentable” if my hair was not done a certain way.

It was normal to me. Everyone else around me when I was growing up had pinstraight hair without lifting a finger or pressing a button. I just wanted to fit in with the rest of the girls I was constantly with.

Fast forward to high school, and this mindset did not change one bit. From setting my alarms early enough to wake up and do my hair to begging my mom to straighten the hair on the back of my head so that one strand wouldn’t show the true spiral curls that were hidden underneath, I continuously went out of my way to conceal my curls.

Even now as I write this article, guess what?

My hair is blown-out straight thanks to my new profound love for the Revlon hair dryer brush.

It’s an ongoing battle that I still face as a junior in college with friends that beg me to leave it natural all the time.

Most people that I see on a day-to-day basis don’t even know about my hidden locks. They ask, “How did you get your

curls to look so natural?” I often reply by telling them the secret ingredient: water.

Despite my humorous attitude toward the subject, the constant brush-off of the comments made me realize how much I take my natural hair for granted and how often I don’t appreciate the curls that I have.

It wasn’t until this year that I decided to leave my natural hair when I went out with my friends for dinner. A group of girls approached me in the bathroom, telling me how much they loved my natural hair. My smile stretched from ear to ear.

I felt confident, for the first time ever, with my curly hair for a night out. Since then, I have challenged myself to embrace my natural beauty more and more every day.

I am not where I want to be yet. I still have room to love my hair more. Trust me, I am determined to get there. It’s not easy when the same societal views for straight hair are plastered everywhere you look, whether it’s the repeated posts on social media where everyone has a fresh blow-out, the comments people make about being presentable or even just being immersed in a predominantly white institution where everyone around you has pin-straight hair.

Even as a professional in the world of journalism, I often feel that my hair has to be done a certain way if I am taking headshots or reporting in front of a camera. I rarely see reporters rocking their natural hair and I wish this was different.

It’s not an easy battle to overcome. However, it is doable.

Maybe you are reading this and find that this article actually resonates with how you feel. That’s OK. It goes to show that you aren’t alone and that this topic is not often talked about enough. It should be.

T hT eh eQQu ui innnn ii p ii aacc CCh h r or noi nc li ec l e

December 1, 2021

Opinion|5

Opinion

Bring the Scouts back to glory

By MICHAEL LAROCCA Associate Opinion Editor

If you are reading this piece, there’s a very good chance that you are ineligible to become a member of Scouts BSA, but that does not mean that you should not support it and its endeavors.

It has not been hard to notice that scouting has seen a stark decline in enrollment over the past decade. According to numbers given to the Associated Press, combined membership for the Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA dipped from 1.97 million members in 2019 to 1.12 million in 2020, a drop of around 43%. For reference, scouting had more than four million members during the 1970s.

As a member of the Eagle Scout Class of 2020, I find the lack of enrollment absolutely appalling. It is upsetting for scouting to have such a sharp decline after seeing how much good it did for me during my teenage years.

Scout troops know about this decline. In fact, it was the main topic of conversation during the meeting to approve my passage to the rank of Eagle Scout. The conclusion the board and I came to was that the world has succumbed to the misconception that the Scouts is not a “cool” activity nowadays.

While it is debatable whether the Scouts appeal to adolescent boys and girls in 2021, there is no denying its sheer practicality and countless objective benefits to the development of young people.

As the oldest of three brothers, I did not have many male role models that were close to myself in age. When I joined the Scouts, I was able to see how that dynamic can affect me in a positive way for the first time.

I vividly remember sitting down in my first meeting with my beloved Troop 140 in Middletown, New Jersey. I saw our senior patrol leader at the time, and realized that was the type of person I wanted to become. I was young, excited and barely knew a single person’s name there, but the aura of the meeting implanted a goal within my mind.

I wanted to be that person people could admire, seek advice from and guide them through life. Five years later, I became that very person when I was promoted to senior patrol leader, essentially the troop’s president, during my junior year of high school. Looking back, there was no other organization I participated in throughout

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MICHAEL LAROCCA

Associate Opinion Editor Michael LaRocca (left) and his brother, Jack (right), have both rose through the ranks of Scouts BSA during their childhoods. my youth that allowed me to become a leader in the same way the Scouts did.

The first moment where I felt that I was a person other people could look up to came on March 5, 2017. That day was when my younger brother, Jack, made his transition from his Cub Scout pack to the very the Scout troop I had already been a member of for three years.

Seeing him follow in my footsteps after guiding him to that point was one of my proudest moments as a brother and as a person. I would not have been able to get that amazing feeling without the world of scouting.

One of the basic aims and methods of scouting is that it is meant to take place outdoors. In a world where many of our young children find themselves cooped up indoors and behind the screens of their tablets, scouting is a healthy outlet for them to explore outside their four walls and neighborhood.

Whether it be a troop meeting in a backyard on a Monday evening or a trip out to New Mexico to see the sprawling beauty of Philmont Scout Ranch, scouting is the best way to take a chance and learn to appreciate

the environment we all live in. While I never got around to flying all the way to Philmont, the trips I took with my troop gave me the opportunity to see the wonders of many other locations we would go to as a group.

The appreciation of nature I received through scouting actually played a part in my decision to attend Quinnipiac University.

While I was visiting campus as a high school junior, the view of Sleeping Giant State Park in the skyline gave me the sense of home I was looking for at a college campus.

Scouting is also one of the few organizations where practicing use of firearms is a component of its curriculum. With firearms being one of the most hotly debated topics in American politics, the simplest solution is education on gun safety.

According to a study from the University of Washington School of Public Health, only 61% of gun owners had received any proper firearm training.

Instead of putting more emphasis on abstaining from gun use, the scouting program puts more educated young people out into the world.

It promotes an understanding of the dangers a

firearm poses, how to avoid those dangers and use guns for their intended purpose. In other words, these Scouts learn common sense.

While it can be encouraged, skill with firearms was never the goal. I was absolutely putrid at shooting, but I can confidently say that I am comfortable around firearms and would know how to properly use them, which in the end, was the objective.

These positive aspects of the organization are rarely addressed when scouting is covered in the media. I am wholly aware of the lawsuits filed against Scouts BSA as a result of sexual assault allegations against leaders within scouting. With everything regarding it in mind, the potential for these crimes to occur was so miniscule throughout my 12 years of scouting that they were never a concern for me or any of the other boys I grew up around. While these allegations should be acknowledged, they should not be a worry for any parent who is considering signing their children up for the program.

I am proud to be a Scout, and there should be no shame in me saying that. Scouting gave me goals to strive for, such as achieving Eagle Scout. It gave me the strong work ethic I hold myself to, a group of friends who hold themselves to those same ideals and the chance to hone my skills as a leader, something I always wanted to be. There is nothing I am more grateful for than the five years I spent as a Cub Scout and my seven-year journey through the scouting trail.

This is what scouting is and should be.

What makes scouting uncool to the young men and women of this generation is exactly what made it amazing to our fathers and grandfathers decades before us. Scouting has not lost any of its magic or practicality. Instead, we as a society have to realign our priorities to understand exactly what that magic is, and that it is wholeheartedly practical.

Scouts BSA is not a joke. It is an organization that has done amazing things for the past 111 years, and it will continue to do amazing things because of the motivated young people fueling it. While many of you may not be able to join yourselves, you almost certainly know someone who can. Encourage them to follow the scouting trail. After all, “A Scout is helpful.”

Athletes aren’t immune to the opioid epidemic

By KEITH SAVAGE Staff Writer

Professional athletes are viewed at times as somewhat of “superheroes,” millionaires who are invincible and do not have the same problems as everyone else.

That could not be further from the truth.

Athletes are not immune to the same is-

sues people in society deal with, and currently, the U.S. is fighting an opioid overdose epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 93,000 overdoses in 2020, which was nearly a 30% increase from the year prior. Over 69,000 of the overdoses were from opioids. It is a clear issue in the country, but you don’t often hear about the effects it has on athletes until it is too late.

In August, former NHL player Jimmy Hayes tragically passed away due to an accidental fentanyl overdose in his Massachusetts home at the age of 31.

He played seven years in the NHL and made over $10 million, but his death showed how no matter how much money athletes make, they can be vulnerable to the same things anyone may face.

As a Bostonian, I saw how Hayes’ death impacted a lot of people in the Massachusetts community. It showed how bad

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

the crisis is getting. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with people who have been in places like recovery centers. Over time, it has been clear how much worse the issue is getting.

Overdose deaths aren’t just an issue in professional sports leagues such as the NHL, it can also hurt college athletes.

In May, Texas University redshirt freshman linebacker Jake Ehlinger died at the age of 20 of an overdose. He was on his way to the NFL like his older brother, Sam, a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. Even with such a bright future, addiction was something he had an issue with and what sadly ended his life.

A major question is why would a talented athlete succumb to drugs? That question is going to be different for almost everyone. Jake Ehlinger could have been going through mental health issues and drugs might have been a way to clear his mind. After all, these athletes go through the same problems as everyone else.

We are in a period of time where it is not uncommon to hear college students doing drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that in one month, 22.2% of college students used an illicit drug. As a student in college, I hear people my age talk about doing drugs and do not think of what’s wrong with it. It is not hard for

them to access and that isn’t changing anytime soon. I could only imagine how easy it is for professional athletes to have that access.

The list could go on for athletes that have overdosed and sadly, the list is going to continue to grow. We can only hope that we start to see fewer deaths, but based on how the country is trending, it is looking unlikely that the numbers will go down.

How can professional sports leagues and even fans help athletes receive help if they are going down the addictive road of drugs?

In recent years, we have seen players like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott talk about their mental health issues, and it has become a more comfortable topic to talk about. That should be the same for addiction to drugs. Drug addiction is rarely talked about in sports, but it would not be surprising if it will start soon. Unfortunately, deaths from drugs are going to continue to happen to athletes but when will people offer real help?

Hopefully, the tragic deaths of athletes like Hayes and Ehlinger open people’s eyes to show they can also get consumed by the addiction to drugs. We should never view anybody that is on drugs in a negative way.

Everyone goes through problems, and these athletes need help, just like us.

6|Arts and Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

December 1, 2021

Arts & Life

‘HAPPY, FREE CONFUSED AND LONELY’: ‘RED (TAYLOR’S VERSION)’ IS ALL-ENCOMPASSING A Swiftie’s review of Taylor Swift’s newest project.

By KATIE LANGLEY Associate News Editor

I've always felt like Taylor Swift narrates my life.

From break-ups to love stories, Swift has a song for it all. These themes and more are heard on perhaps her most complex album, “Red,” which came out in 2012.

The album’s first incarnation came among Swift’s split from actor Jake Gyllenhaal and brief fling with Conor Kennedy. Swift’s fourth studio album will go down in history as one of the most pivotal pop albums of our time and the standard for a great heartbreak album.

“Red” marks both Swift’s genre transition from country to pop and the growth of her writing prowess. The album is a beautifully chaotic mix of chart-toppers like “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “22” as well as lyrical hidden gems like “All Too Well” and “Treacherous.”

Thought masterpieces couldn’t get any better? Well, think again.

The most recent of her planned re-records, Swift released “Red (Taylor’s Version)” Nov. 12, a week before its initial release date. The singer-songwriter is re-recording her first six albums in order to take back her masters, the catalogue of all her songs, from her former record label, Big Machine.

Big Machine was recently sold to music mogul Scooter Braun, who Swift has had previous issues with.

The album includes 30 songs, including the original extended tracks plus eight tracks. These new songs come “from the vault'' of songs that Swift wrote for the original album, but did not include in the 2012 version. The rerelease features new collaborations with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton and Phoebe Bridgers.

I’m so glad these songs didn’t stay in the drafts.

As a huge Phoebe Bridgers fan, I was so excited when Swift announced she would be collaborating with the indie singer-songwriter on the track “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault).” I expected it to be a great sad song, and that it is.

“Nothing New” describes growing up as a woman in the spotlight, the constant turnover of fame and the public’s obsession with all things new and shiny.

Set to a melodic, Bridgers-esque acoustic backdrop, Swift and Bridgers ask, “how can a person know everything at 18 and nothing at 22 and will you still want me when I’m nothing new?”

This is not a new worry for Swift. Her song “The Lucky One,” which is also on “Red,” is somewhat of an open letter to someone who escaped fame — The Lucky One. Swift, who is known for her re-creations, expressed her anxiety over the futility of fame in her 2020 Netflix documentary “Miss Americana,” saying that famous women tend to be “discarded in an elephant graveyard by the time they’re 35.”

At 31, Swift continues to defy this stereotype, even as younger artists such as Bridgers rise to fame.

Swift originally wrote the track “Babe (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” for country duo Sugarland. Swift even played the “other woman” in Sugarland’s video for the song. In her new album, Swift puts her own spin on the song she’s only performed live.

In “Babe,” Swift does what she does best and turned country into pop. The production and dreamy feel are reminiscent of Swift’s “1989” album, a fact most likely due to the influence of Jack Antanoff of Bleachers, who collaborated with Swift on many of her strongest hits.

“Babe” is not the only track that seems out-of-time with the “Red” era. “Message in a Bottle (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” and “The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” seem like they belong in the soundtrack for a Disney Channel original movie in the best way possible. “Red” is known for its melancholic ballads, but these songs are just plain fun.

I can’t forget to mention the 10-minute version of “All Too Well.”

Widely considered her best-written song, “All Too Well” is pure poetry. If you don’t know the story, it chronicles Swift and Gyllenhaal’s autumnal relationship, from “getting lost upstate,” to “dancin’ round the kitchen in the refrigerator light,'' to him losing her, “the one real thing.” Throughout the song, the motif of Swift’s scarf, which he keeps to remember her, persists.

In a 2012 interview, Swift mentioned that the song was originally around 10 minutes, which fans definitely never forgot.

After years of begging Swift to release the full version of the song, it's finally here, and I can’t stop listening.

PHOTO BY COSMOPOLITAN UK VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS New verses in the 10-minute version Swift is re-releasing her first six albums to take back her masters from her former certainly don’t hold back. Swift recognizes record company. that Gyllenhaal was nearly a decade older Speaking of songs that call out Gyllenhaal, “I Bet You than her when they dated and continues to date younger Think About Me (feat. Chris Stapleton) (Taylor’s Version) women, reminiscing, “I was never good at telling jokes, but (From the Vault)” is an absolute assault, and it’s incredible. the punchline goes: I’ll get older, but your lovers stay my age.”

Stapleton provides backing vocals to a scathing review of She also alludes to performative feminism with the lyric, “and you were tossing me the car keys, ‘fuck the patriarchy’ a pretentious subject who wears “organic shoes” and has a “million-dollar couch.” key chain on the ground.”

For the music video of “I Bet You Think About Me,” From start to the fading outro of, “Just between us, did Swift reached out to longtime friend and actor Blake Lively the love affair maim you,” the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” is lyrically superior and emotionally taxing. This song to direct. The video, released on Nov. 15, features Swift as a red-adorned jilted ex-lover who crashes an all-white will leave you remembering it all too well.

Like many of Swift’s recent projects such wedding and ensues chaos and some lighthearted fun, too.

And personally, I am so proud of Swift for speaking her truth. as her film “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Swift broke the “good girl” mold put on women who Sessions,” “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is set rose to fame in their teenage years by fighting back against to be a multimedia experience. A short film Braun, her past record label and yes, even her ex. directed by Swift for her song “All Too Well” This re-conception of “Red” is the album as it was supposed dropped on YouTube Nov. 13, starring actors Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink. They deliver to be — heartbroken and bitter yet still hopelessly romantic. captivating performances as doomed lovers The jumble of songs is a perfect representation of the confusion among an autumn background. It’s a beautiful of being in your early 20s. By returning to her life experiences from a mature standpoint, Swift not only shows her mastery as way to illustrate a triumph of a song. a businesswoman but also provides a nostalgic look down the rabbit hole that is her songwriting catalogue.

5 / 5 red scarves

Swift originally released 'Red' in 2012, when she was 22.

PHOTO BY JANA BEAMER VIA FLICKR ILLUSTRATION BY PEYTON MCKENZIE

December 1, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Arts and Life|7

AMINÉ SHOWS HE’S JUST HAVING FUN WITH COLORFUL NEW PROJECT ‘TWOPOINTFIVE’

By CONNOR YOUNGBERG Contributing Writer

One of rap’s most underrated artists added another great project to an already impressive discography.

Adam Aminé Daniel, a 27-year-old Portland rapper better known as “Aminé,” released his new project, “TWOPOINTFIVE,” on Nov. 5.

Aminé is best known for his hit song “Caroline” from his first studio album “Good For You,” which achieved mainstream success and put him on the map. Aminé was named to the 2017 XXL freshman class alongside rappers such as A Boogie Wit da Hoodie and Playboi Carti with many fans of the music industry waiting for him to reach his full potential. “TWOPOINTFIVE” gives fans an idea of what direction Aminé is going in.

Aminé explained in a press release that the “POINTFIVE” mixtapes serve as breaks between studio albums. He released “ONEPOINTFIVE” in 2018 between his studio albums “Good For You” and “Limbo.”

“TWOPOINTFIVE” is Aminé’s most creative and experimental project yet. The extremely fast beats along with catchy lyrics throughout the project made it easy to find myself dancing to. Songs like “Colors” and “Charmander” are very upbeat while featuring pitched vocals from Aminé along with a collection of effects throughout the track that make them stand out.

Aminé flashes his creativity in the song “Mad Funny Freestyle.” He has a reputation for being a comedic rapper, and that is evident throughout this track. The song features some of my favorite lines throughout the project such as, “Crawlin’ on the floor, she a Navy SEAL” and “I’m the African Darth Vader, baby, I’m your father.” The song is genuinely hilarious and definitely serves as a bright spot on this project for me.

“OKWME” is a two-minute track with a lo-fi beat and uniquely pitched vocals. The song is extremely catchy, but after a few listens it can get too repetitive, as can the entire project as a whole.

The cover art, the official “Charmander” music video and many of the lyrics throughout the project show a cultural influence of drugs. Especially in the song itself where Aminé

says, “I’m off a shroom, I’m off a bean, I’m off a whole lotta shit.”

It’s clear that Aminé is just having a good time and having fun, which does make for some unique and bouncy music. However, Aminé never switches it up on this project, and the repetitiveness becomes noticeable after a few listens.

I believe Aminé’s main purpose of this mixtape is to experiment with the hyperpop sound, specifically the glitchy vocals and synths. The genre of this project feels like a mix between hyperpop and traditional rap that we’re used to from Aminé. This is a cool change of pace from Aminé, and hopefully he comes back to the hyperpop sound for later albums.

Aminé also seems to be taking some influence from U.K. rap throughout this project. U.K. rap has become more popular in the U.S. in recent years with its upbeat drum patterns and hi-hats. I PHOTO BY THE COME UP SHOW VIA FLICKR definitely think it influenced much of the Aminé's new project is an experiment in hyperpop that fans can look production in this mixtape, especially on forward to. the penultimate track “Sh!t2Luz.” are immaculate, and I’m confident you can’t be in a bad mood The mixtape has 12 songs for a length of a little over 25 minutes. while listening to it. The project deserves its praise for being Every song on this project is below the three-minute mark, and fun and experimental, and I hope to hear similar sounds in some do not even reach a full two minutes. It’s not typically what future Aminé projects.

I prefer in music projects, but it works in “TWOPOINTFIVE.” Each song delivers its own vibe that stays for just long enough without dragging on too much.

Overall, “TWOPOINTFIVE” gives Aminé fans an exciting look into the future as he continues to find his sound. A complete Aminé hyperpop rap album would be very fun and creative and could be in the rapper’s future plans as “TWOPOINTFIVE” continues to get the amount of love it has received so far, especially on social media. The vibes delivered on this mixtape

3.5/ 5 STARS

GOING GAGA FOR ‘'HOUSE OF GUCCI’

By DAVID MATOS

Associate Arts & Life Editor

Lady Gaga traded her microphone and meat dress for a phony Italian accent and tight 80s perm in her portrayal as the vengeful, murderous and glamorous Patrizia Reggiani in the film, “House of Gucci.”

Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” released exclusively to movie theaters Nov. 24. The film is based on the 2000 biographical novel “House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed” written by Sara Gay Forden. Needless to say, the star-studded crime drama heavily lives up to the title.

The over-the-top production is an embellished retelling of the scandalous history of the Gucci family that once owned their Italian luxury fashion house of the same name.

The film isn’t the typical story about some good oldfashioned family drama that ends with a choreographed dance number and hugs. It’s quite the opposite.

“House of Gucci” is a perfect combination of “The Godfather” and “Cruella,” a fusion I could never foresee.

It’s a story of two outsiders whose humble beginnings evolve into the classic villain origin story with a sprinkle of murder, Italian mafia-style.

The leading characters in the “House of Gucci” are Reggiani and her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver.

The pair met at a masquerade party where Reggiani mistakens Maurixio for a bartender. Driver’s character is an aspiring and even-tempered lawyer who wants nothing more than to remove himself from the Gucci fashion house and legacy of his name. Gaga’s passive and puttogether character works for her father’s transportation company. Driver and Gaga surprisingly make a beautiful couple with every scene of them falling in love more and more believable.

Their devotion for each other was most apparent when Rodolfo Gucci, played by Jeremy Irons, demands his son, Maurixio, to not marry Reggiani as he perceives the then 25-year-old as a gold digger. Maurixio goes ahead and ties the knot with Reggiani despite his father’s wishes.

The Gucci clan temporarily disowns Maurixio, but the chemistry between Gaga and Driver was so strong that broken family ties and the loss of an immense fortune didn’t dare separate the couple.

However, the Italian fairy tale later shifts into a hellish divorce when Uncle Aldo, played by Al Pacino, is charmed

by Reggiani’s wit and style and welcomes her into the family and business. This is a huge mistake on Aldo’s part as Gaga’s

character transitions from unassertive commoner to a greedy businesswoman as soon as her perfectly polished claws are one stiletto heel closer to the Guccis’ fortune.

One of the film’s strongest attributes was the decadeappropriate clothing and hairstyles. The movie spanned about two decades from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s.

The movement of time was made especially obvious through

GA

GA ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA KOGEL

Gaga’s character whose head-to-toe gaudiness was fitting for each era represented.

Gaga’s performance as Reggiani can be described in one word — brilliant. As the pop star only has one movie role as Ally in “A Star is Born,” a character that doesn't stray too far from Gaga’s real-life persona, my expectations for her newest role as the money hungry and rather villainous Reggiani were pretty lukewarm.

However, Gaga successfully translated the complicated reallife character onto the big screen. Her passion for the role was most apparent in her visible emotions and believability in her larger than life portrayal. She undoubtedly held her own alongside more experienced actors like Pacino and Salma Hayek.

Hayek played Pina Auriemma, a television fortune teller who befriends Reggiani. My main issue with Hayek’s

portrayal is her lack of any substance or motivation.

Auriemma is a recurring character who seems to only pop up when Reggiani enters a drastic phase in her family feud and needs reaffirmation. It’s not made clear why Auriemma continues to help Reggiani which makes the fortune teller’s part in the film’s murderous conclusion rather confusing.

Though there were some flaws in the storytelling, the inclusion of era appropriate music was ingenious. The film’s soundtrack ranged from Donna Summer’s “On the Radio,” David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” and New Order’s “Blue Monday.”

However, the addition of Caterina Caselli’s 1967 song “Sono Bugiarda,” the Italian “I’m a Believer,” was a bit distracting to say the least. Smash Mouth’s more well-known 2001 cover of the song that’s commonly associated with the “Shrek” movie franchise was all I could think of while Driver was getting to work at the Reggiani transportation company.

A character that was just as out of place as the inclusion of a song straight off the “Shrek” soundtrack was Jared Leto’s portrayal of Aldo’s idiotic son, Paolo. Leto’s unrecognizable aged-up appearance, thanks to what appears to be extreme makeup prosthetics, paired with his high pitched dialect and disarranged antics seemed more fitting for a “Saturday Night Live” skit than a biographical movie meant to take inspiration from a reallife Italian crime story. Assuming Leto’s choice to take his character down a more cartoonish route was intentional as he has had similar criticism for his attempt as the Joker in “Sucide Squad,” it does not work in the “House of Gucci.”

Leto’s attempt at being the comic relief wasn’t the only thing in shambles. Everyone’s Italian accents were quite laughable and seemed as if they all took inspiration from the Super Mario Bros for their depictions.

Overall, for a film that stinks of cigarettes and sweaty businessmen, I actually was decently satisfied with the complex experience that is “House of Gucci.” The enticing world manufactured to recreate a growing romance turned court transcript was triumphantly accomplished. The movie displayed nearly every actor at their best and despite the nearly three hour-long runtime, every scene was engaging enough to maintain your focus throughout the whole movie.

4/5 STARS

8|Arts and Life

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

December 1, 2021

MAKE APPRECIATION GO VIRAL

By NEHA SEENARINE

Associate Arts & Life Editor

If you want to land the job of your dreams, becoming the envy of your peers is not the way to go.

When a college classmate I haven’t seen since freshman year reaches their goal, it’s refreshing. It’s nice to know that endless school projects lead to somewhere. That’s the other thing, we take the same classes, complete the same coursework and join similar organizations — what am I doing wrong? Nothing.

Every now and then, I open social media and see someone in my network accepting a job opportunity. The post responses are filled with “Congratulations” or “Well deserved.” And they’re absolutely right, the person is well deserving of getting the job they worked hard for.

The key is to have drive. Opportunities are not handed out, they are earned. It is vital to apply yourself in all aspects to achieve your goal. However, just because someone accomplishes what they want before you does not mean you should be discouraged. There might be a feeling of jealousy, wondering why others are living your dream, but the professional path is different for everyone. Everything that is meant for you will come to you. At least, that’s what I like to believe.

The job market seems to be an exclusive club that you can’t automatically gain access to. On the job site ZipRecruiter, entry-level jobs postings filled by college graduates declined 73% including internship opportunities from March 2020, according to an article from The Atlantic.

As a journalism major, I have made peace with the slim chances of writing for Cosmopolitan fresh out of college.

I have accepted internship opportunities in the past and have learned valuable skills I can apply to a future job. There also have been times where I had to reconsider positions because it was not the best fit for me in my career.

I actively apply for jobs and find myself in constant distress wondering if a recruiter will reach out to me. When a peer breaks through the resume and interview phases, it’s important to root for them rather than be jealous of them.

The support is not limited to professional careers. I often see my peers starting small businesses, whether it is selling baked goods or creating embroidered sweatshirts. It does not hurt to support their business with making a small purchase or resharing their Instagram posts on your story. It is vital to pay full price even if it is your best friend’s roommate’s business. They need to profit somehow, and a 15% discount might hurt them starting out. You never know the impact

you might leave someone with giving them their first order.

Supporting your peers is so much more than leaving a comment on their LinkedIn job update. It can be as simple as liking a tweet. Students spend countless hours on projects to put in a portfolio. When they share it on social media, it is nice to acknowledge their hard work. I’m not saying you have to make their work go viral, sharing it far and wide across the internet, but the supportive sentiment is appreciated. When I’m recognized for my time and effort, I feel encouraged to keep pursuing the right path.

People may change their career paths, and that’s completely OK. My backup career choices are a cruise director or somehow becoming a briefcase girl on “Deal or No Deal.”

The people around you are in the same boat even though they may have different ambitions and paths. We need to remember we’re striving for the same end goal here, to be successful yet happy with the career of our choice.

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS ILLUSTRATION BY PEYTON MCKENZIE. DATA FROM THE ATLANTIC

KEEPING THE KINDNESS THROUGH THE HOLIDAY BLUES

By ASHLEY PELLETIER Arts & Life Editor

With Thanksgiving out of the way, the winter holiday season is in full swing. The mall is playing Christmas songs and storefronts are decorated to entice shoppers. For many, this time is one of nostalgia and warmth, but for others, the holiday season is a time of stress or a reminder of the bad parts of their lives.

The holidays are a time to spend with family. Although Kevin McCallister was home alone, it wasn’t on purpose.

Some may not be able to be with their family for other reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, work and long distances.

Growing up, my family would gather at cousins’ houses to open presents and stuff our faces with Mimi’s cream cheese brownies, but some people aren’t lucky enough to have close relationships with their family.

All you hear people say when you get back from Thanksgiving and winter break is “What did you do while you are home?” Many people either don’t have the family traditions that we take for granted or can’t take part in them anymore. For example, my Christmas traditions changed when my parents got divorced. No longer could I throw wrapping paper at my dad while my mom handed out gifts.

This feeling can be exacerbated by social media. People post pictures of them and their families in matching pajamas with heaps of great food and presents to show off to their friends when some people may not be able to relate. While the aesthetic of the holidays is great for my feed, I don’t always enjoy seeing people flex their stable home lives and expensive presents. There’s nothing wrong with posting what makes you happy, but the wave of Christmas tree selfies is overwhelming.

People also use the holidays as a time to flaunt their wealth. They may be lucky to afford Gucci or Louis Vuitton, but not everyone can, and it stinks when you’re on the envious end of things.

Another reason some may not find joy in the holidays is mental health. A 2015 survey done by the National Alliance

on Mental Illness found that 64% of people are affected by the “holiday blues,” anxiety and depression that can be caused by the extra stress of the holiday season.

It’s no secret why the holidays can often lead to more stress. Families scramble to clean houses, set tables and cook the perfect meal without succumbing to the pressure put on them by nosy relatives. One too many dry turkeys or unruly family members could be enough to send anyone over the edge. I know if my brother bothered me about the layout of my charcuterie board, he’d earn himself a cheeseboard to the face.

Some also struggle with seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that is based on the seasons. Fall and winter are the most frequent times to experience the disorder, especially as the sun goes down earlier and you have to work a winter coat into your daily fashion statements.

Be kind to the people in your life this holiday season.

Everyone is stressed about finding the best gifts and having to find where they put their ice scrapers, but the season is about love — romantic, platonic and familial. Check in on

ILLUSTRATION BY AMANDA RIHA

people who may be having a tough time with the holidays.

The best gift you can give is the gift of community.

December 1, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

This article is for comedic purposes only. Actual names and likenesses used in this article are used in a parodic context, and are not a reflection of any actual person.

By ANYA GRONDALSKI Podcast Host

ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LAWLESS

A typical day in the life of a QU student

8:30 a.m.

I start my morning by pre-ordering some Starbucks. When I arrive 10 minutes later, my drink is ready. It’s easy for me to find my mobile order in the small collection of finished drinks, and I can just take it and go without having to ask an employee to check that it’s mine.

We have an honor system here at Quinnipiac University: no one steals each other's food or Starbucks orders. Sometimes when I have an extra minute, I’ll order in person. There are also times when I get a drink I didn’t even order–a fun surprise.

“It’s honestly pretty slow,” Starbucks employee Cheryll Brown said. “We hardly get any orders. But the smoothie station is usually jam-packed.”

8:45 a.m.

I entered Café Q, and there’s so many vegan options today.

From plant-based desserts, to applewood smoked bacon and Philadelphia cream cheese, I have so much to choose from.

Today I went with a vegan and gluten-free croissant with some non-dairy butter to pair nicely with my warm drink.

In the dining hall, there was a sign for a vegan teach-in event called “Gelatin is for Meat-Lovers” hosted by Alan Butcher, a sophomore accounting major. He was serving romaine lettuce to the people that attend.

Normally, I ask the head chef what’s on the menu for the morning, and he tells me it’s something like bourbon-glazed gluten-free french toast or apple cinnamon bon bons.

“We like to prioritize making delicious and well-cooked foods for our students,” said Jack Hermin, Quinnipiac Dining’s

Arts and Life|9

public relations director. “We treat the kids like they’re our own.”

10:00 a.m.

I’ve arrived at class and since I’m a communications major, I have absolutely nothing to learn. I spent the whole class thinking about how easy it will be for me to get a job after graduating, especially considering how non-competitive the journalism market is. Plus, I’ll be making so much money in my position as a civil servant.

2:00 p.m.

I head back to my dorm and get ready for the gym. I was even able to make out the crying construction workers in the background. Hopefully she holds another one soon to knock over those ugly trees by the College of Arts and Sciences. They would be better replaced by more academic buildings and residence halls.

I get so annoyed when environmental science junior Polly Smith protests against climate change on the Quad every Thursday. It’s not like cutting down a forest of trees will do us any harm, especially in the 21st century.

4:15 p.m.

Break time! I decided to sit in the adirondack chairs on the Quad today. They really calm my mind and help me maintain my mental health. It’s calming to watch and hear all the tours pass me by on the Quad. I can hear the sweet sound of tour guides talking about Quinnipiac to prospective students.

7:30 p.m.

Every other week I go to my club meeting for Students Unite for French Fries (STUFF). Thankfully, I am not overextended in STUFF (even though I’m on the executive board). We have a large budget to spend on potatoes this semester to plan our Potato Party next week. We plan to use deep fryer machines to do a french fry cooking demo in CCE 101.

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

10|Sports

Scores & Schedule Thursday 11/18

WBB won 75-56 @ Army

Friday 11/19

WIH won 4-0 @ Cornell MIH tied 2-2 (1-0 shootout win) vs. Clarkson VB won 3-2 vs. Marist (MAAC Quarterfinals)

Saturday 11/20

MBB won 76-65 vs. CCSU WIH won 4-0 @ Colgate WBB lost 67-59 vs. Indiana VB lost 3-0 vs. Rider (MAAC Semifinals) MIH won 8-0 vs. St. Lawrence

Monday 11/22

WBB lost 54-50 @ George Washington

Tuesday 11/23

MBB lost 84-69 @ New Hampshire

Friday 11/26

WIH won 3-2 OT vs. Yale (Nutmeg Classic)

Saturday 11/27

WIH won 3-2 @ UConn (Nutmeg Classic)

December 1, 2021

Pete’s pond: QU top contender after receiving first-place USCHO votes

By PETER PIEKARSKI Sports Editor

For the first time since the preseason following Quinnipiac’s Frozen Four run in 2016, the men’s ice hockey team received first-place votes in the USCHO poll along with the No. 3 rank.

Granted, it only lasted a week due to Quinnipiac’s inactivity in games during Thanksgiving break and thus were dropped to No. 4. Nonetheless, the Bobcats still received six first-place votes in back-to-back weeks.

In 14 games this season, Quinnipiac holds the best goals against per game in the country, limiting opponents to just 1.36 goals against.

This can partially be attributed to freshman goaltender Yaniv Perets’ outstanding performance. Through his first nine starts, Perets owns a league-leading 1.06 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage, which ranks sixth in the country.

He’s also tied for third in the nation in shutouts with four. Not only that, but Perets ranks first in all three categories among freshman goaltenders.

Quinnipiac’s defense deserves the rest of the credit for its strong start to the season. Only two times this season have the Bobcats surrendered more than two goals in a game, one of which was the only loss on Quinnipiac’s record in which it fell to North Dakota 3-1. The other time, Quinnipiac defeated Arizona State 5-3.

How have the Bobcats been able to shut down scoring so far?

It’s simple. They prevent opposing teams from shooting the puck.

Quinnipiac allows 18.1 shots per game, which is second only to No. 2 Minnesota State, which surrenders just 17.1 shots per game.

This Bobcats’ defensive core is arguably the best in the country. It’s well rounded, with each player buying into head coach Rand Pecknold’s system. It’s noticeable how much better this

defense is compared to last year. Just looking at shots against last year, Quinnipiac allowed 26.1 shots against per game. The most significant difference in defensive play is there are very few second-chance opportunities.

Quinnipiac does an excellent job at preventing shots from occurring in high-danger zones, such as the high-slot or around the goal crease. Additionally, the defense clears screens and ties up forwards around the net exceptionally well, giving Perets more time to react to second-chance shots or freeze the puck.

The Bobcats’ ability to block shots continues to be a critical aspect of their game. At five-on-five or on the penalty kill, it does not change how this team approaches its defensive strategy.

Speaking of the penalty kill, Quinnipiac currently holds the sixth-best penalty kill in the nation, only conceding 12 goals on 107 opportunities for an 89.7%.

As impressive as the defense has been, there’s one aspect to Quinnipiac’s game that has been and could continue to prevent this team from potentially being the best in the country. The power play, which was once a strength for Quinnipiac, is now a weakness.

Currently, the Bobcats sit among the lowest in the powerplay rankings, No. 48 in the country to be exact, with a 13.3% conversion rate on the man advantage. They have been a little bit better as of late, scoring three goals on 14 opportunities over the last four games.

Most of the teams around Quinnipiac’s national rank in the standings such as Minnesota State, Michigan, St. Cloud, North Dakota, and Western Michigan all convert well more than 20% of its chances placing all five within the top-15 in the country.

If the Bobcats can maintain consistent power-play execution on top of their already outstanding defense, it’s only a matter of time before the USCHO slots Quinnipiac atop the national poll.

Sunday 11/28

WBB won 113-64 vs. Hartford MBB lost 72-61 vs. Brown

NOV. 20

DANIEL PASSAPERA/CHRONICLE PEYTON MCKENZIE/CHRONICLE

Upcoming Wednesday 12/1 WBB vs.Yale 6 p.m.

Friday 12/3

MIH @ Rensselaer 7 p.m.

MBB vs. Saint Peter’s 7 p.m.

Saturday 12/4

WIT&F Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener MIH @ Union 7 p.m.

Sunday 12/5

MBB @ Manhattan 2 p.m.

Tuesday 12/7

WBB vs. Northeastern 6 p.m.

Freshman goaltender Yaniv Perets has a 1.06 goals-against average, which is on pace to set a NCAA record (1.19).

VOLLEYBALL from Page 12 season high for the freshman, smashing her previous best of eight against Niagara on Oct. 24.

The fight within the Bobcats would finally give out at the end of the third set. After mitigating any huge runs by the Broncs throughout the match to that point, Quinnipiac allowed a 5-0 run that gave Rider a 21-18 lead. Moments later, another 4-0 run for the Broncs killed off the set 25-20, ending the Bobcats’ season.

“It’s all about growth,” Quinnipiac volleyball coach Kyle Robinson said after the team’s 3-0 win over Saint Peter’s on Sept. 18. “If we came in right away and we’re just winning everything, then I’m doing something wrong.”

While Robinson was referring to this season overall, his sentiment is applicable now more than ever when referring to what fans should expect from Quinnipiac in 2022.

This season graduated six seniors: outside hitter Maggie Baker, libero Daniella Balsano, Legg, Migliozzi, outside hitter Georgia Tselepi and outside hitter Olga Zampati. This is a great loss of production on both sides of the ball, but the returning talent is more than ready to step in.

Players like Diaz, Morse and Ka’ahanui have already established themselves as crucial members of Robinson’s everyday lineup. Diaz proved this season that she is one of the

most well-rounded players in the MAAC, leading the team in kills (293), second in digs (339) and third in assists (139), all while never missing a set for the Bobcats. Ka’ahanui will also look to improve in her role as the team’s primary setter next season after leading the team in assists (611).

Freshmen like Kimsel Moe, Tennon and middle blocker Lizzy Danelski will also have chances to make an impact in the future. Kimsel Moe has already been recognized for her defensive excellence, and Tennon was one of the few players whose growth was clear as the season went on, earning more starting opportunities and even saving her best performance for when the team needed her most.

Danelski also showed flashes of her ability to be a menace in front of the net when various absences at the middle blocker spot at certain points in the season forced her to fill in, including a breakout performance against Marist on Nov. 6.

After a challenging eight-game season last year due to the pandemic, the 2021 season was exactly what Quinnipiac needed to continue building for its future. Its returning players have seen what is needed of them throughout a full season, and its taste of success in the MAAC tournament should be more than enough motivation for them to come back better.

Burt Kahn Court is going to be a special place in September 2022. Be sure to save your seat.

December 1, 2021

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|11

Marfo: ‘It’s a different level’

After returning to the MAAC as a graduate transfer, Kevin Marfo’s year in the SEC has made him a more complete player

COURTESY OF TEXAS A&M ATHLETICS

His transfer represents a growing trend across all NCAA sports, but especially men’s basketball, which saw over 1,700 DiIt was March 4, 2020. The Quinnipiac men’s basketball team vision I players enter the transfer portal for the 2021-22 season, up had just wrapped up its regular season with a one-point victory from just over 1,000 the year prior.

In recent years, others have also come to Quinnipiac on a gradover Iona. Most didn’t know it at the time, but that night would mark the last time forward Kevin Marfo donned a Bobcats jersey uate transfer basis, including forward Aaron Falzon, who came to Hamden after playing his undergraduate career at Northwestern. for nearly two years.

“We’ve had guys come in, especially for fifth-years like …

“It’s great having him back,” Quinnipiac head coach Baker Dunleavy said. “He knows what it takes to win in college basket- Falzon, there’s a huge learning curve that resembles that of a freshman,” Dunleavy said. ball, but he also knows how our program works.”

Unlike Falzon, however, Marfo is in his fourth season with the Marfo, who transferred to Texas A&M for 2020-21, is in his sixth year of college basketball after playing his freshman year Bobcats and is no stranger to the system.

“The benefit of having Kevin is that he’s got a wealth of at George Washington and then three years at Quinnipiac, including a redshirt sophomore campaign. Last year, the NCAA experience. I think that’s been a really, really nice part of granted student-athletes an extra year of eligibility if their team having him as our quote-unquote transfer,” Dunleavy said. was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Marfo took ad- “He’s really more our guy.”

Playing under the guidance of the defensive-minded head vantage of the opportunity.

“I was grateful to be granted another year of eligibility,” Marfo coach Buzz Williams at Texas A&M last season, Marfo said said. “I wanted to put myself in a good situation for the following that he experienced a different approach to the game last season year, so I realized this has every important component for me to be in College Station.

“It’s just a different culture,” Marfo said. “It’s two different successful on and off the court, so I decided to come back here.” styles of coaching … polar opposites in my opinion. But they’re both successful in what they do so it’s just kind of adjusting to each situation.”

In an 18-game, COVID-shortened campaign with the Aggies, Marfo put up 2.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in just under 13 minutes of game action a night. This was down significantly from the season prior, where he averaged a double-double over 30 games, including a nation-leading 13.3 boards per game, while playing over 28 minutes per game. With one final year at the collegiate level, Marfo knows he has to elevate his game.

“I’ve got to work much harder,” Marfo said. “It’s a different level, it’s another league outside the MAAC that’s competitive … there’s players bigger and stronger than me and I have to just keep getting better.”

For the 6-foot-9-inch forward, getting better means becoming a more complete basketball player.

“Hopefully, this season I’ll have more of a well-rounded game,” Marfo said.

“That would be the goal. And just to obviously continue to be that elite rebounder that I was and add more to that so I can be more of a dominant player.”

That sentiment was shared by DunCONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE leavy, who detailed how he thinks Marfo’s Kevin Marfo has already been productive in 2021, averaging 10.5 rebounds a game. game will evolve as the season goes on.

By CAMERON LEVASSEUR Associate Sports Editor

“I think he’s going to take the next step in that evolution as a playmaker, as a perimeter floor spacer, as a driver in addition to what he can do inside,” Dunleavy said. “He’s worked really hard on his own to continue to get better, and I think that’ll be certainly evident when you guys watch him play.”

Through two games this season, that playmaking ability has been at the forefront of his game. Marfo is averaging 4.5 assists through six games this season, up from his previous season high of 2019-20. Getting swarmed with the ball in hands in the team’s home opener against Western New England, Marfo dished out seven assists, one short of his career high, a total he repeated just three days later against Holy Cross.

Aside from basketball, Marfo’s teammates are just happy to have him back in the fold.

“It’s nice to have someone who genuinely cares about basketball, but at the same time he’s an even greater person and someone that always has your back off the floor,” graduate student forward Jacob Rigoni said.

Rigoni, who is in his fifth year at Quinnipiac and his fourth alongside Marfo, has developed a close bond with the New Jersey native during their time together.

“He’s obviously been one of my closest friends in my time here and in life in general,” Rigoni said. “It’s been nice to have someone who’s been through the ups and downs of college basketball, and it’s both of our last years and we’re going to do whatever it takes to help this team win.”

As the elder statesman of the Bobcats’ roster, Rigoni explained that the two have a responsibility to be the team’s leaders on and off the court.

“I think we both understand the roles that we have to be on this team,” Rigoni said. “We have to be a big presence leadership wise and to bring it every single day and have great practices and set that example for the guys to follow.”

Being in their final year, however, certainly doesn’t mean that there isn’t still room to grow.

“I’m coming back into a new league,” Marfo said. “So I’m learning and trying to understand and trying to grow in certain areas … It’s not just them learning from me, I’m learning from them … this is still a new situation for me.”

While readjusting to the program may take time for Marfo, his stint in the SEC gave him a bigger perspective on the game.

“You want every player to want to be here and stay and it’s a fairy tale and whatever. This day in time it doesn’t work like that,” Dunleavy said. “Kevin thought the best thing for him at the time was to test the higher level and the benefit that comes with that is perspective … he’s got great insight to multiple experiences that he can relate to our guys.”

That experience will be crucial to a Quinnipiac team looking to win its first MAAC championship in program history. “(We’re) just trying to win games this year,” Marfo said. “Put ourselves in a good situation for the MAAC tournament and hopefully win the MAAC tournament and proceed to the NCAA tournament. That’s the goal.”

12|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

December 1, 2021

Sports @QUCHRONSPORTS

PEYTON MCKENZIE/CHRONICLE

Tournament review, a look at 2022 What does the future look like for No. 6 Quinnipiac volleyball after its MAAC semifinal loss to No. 2 Rider?

By MICHAEL LAROCCA Associate Opinion Editor

As the women of the Quinnipiac volleyball team walked out of the UHY Center on Nov. 20, they left knowing they put their heart and soul into every moment they spent on that court.

The Bobcats entered the MAAC tournament as the No. 6 seed in a field of eight competitive teams. An 8-9 record in conference play was enough for Quinnipiac to secure a date with the No. 3 Marist Red Foxes in the nightcap match of the tournament’s first round.

The outcomes of the day’s earlier matches were not conducive to a Quinnipiac victory. The three matches before the battle between the Bobcats and the Red Foxes were all fourset victories for the higher-ranked team, leaving Quinnipiac to either suffer the same fate or be the exception to the rule.

Quinnipiac’s performance was certainly exceptional.

The match was an instant classic, resulting in a backand-forth victory for the Bobcats, taking all five sets for them to do so. The style of play the Bobcats displayed was the most unselfish it had been all season, allowing each of them to play to their established skills.

Sophomore setter Chloe Ka’ahanui and senior setter Nicole Migliozzi both had 29 assists apiece, four different Bobcats had 12 or more kills and All-MAAC Rookie libero Faavae Kimsel Moe tied junior outside hitter Aryanah Diaz for a team-leading 18 digs.

The match was a battle of momentum for both sides, with the most pivotal shift coming in the fifth set. With Quinnipiac leading 7-5, two straight kills from All-MAAC First Team senior middle blocker Nicole Legg sparked a 4-0 run for the Bobcats, giving them an 11-5 lead and leaving the Red Foxes praying for a miracle.

The set would end in a 15-10 Quinnipiac victory, with the final point being killed off by sophomore middle blocker Lexi Morse off of a beautiful feed from Ka’ahanui. Morse epitomized Quinnipiac’s potential with a near flawless

match offensively, reaching a match-high hitting percentage of .520 and tying Legg for the most kills with 14.

Morse was not active for Quinnipiac’s last match against Marist, a five-set loss on Nov. 6. Even to the untrained eye, it was easy to see the opportunities Morse adds to the Bobcats’ offensive playbook. Her presence, alongside the elevated play of the entire team, tipped the scales in their favor this time around.

The upset victory for the Bobcats set them up with a matchup in the tournament semifinals against the No. 2 Rider Broncs. It had Quinnipiac’s number earlier in the year, as the Broncs defeated the Bobcats twice in the regular season, with both matches ending in four sets. As Quinnipiac had shown the night before, it would not go down, at least not without a fight.

This match was the premier example of the resolve the Bobcats have shown all season long. Rider would defeat Quinnipiac in straight sets, but in no way were the sets swift.

The Bobcats had a 13-9 lead in the first set and a 16-10 lead in the second, but the main difficulty was maintaining them. Rider would win those sets 25-23 and 27-25, respectively. Being unable to close out those sets was justifiable for the Bobcats, especially when the opposition had the MAAC kills leader, Broncs junior opposite-side hitter Morgan Romano, in its starting lineup.

From the very first serve, the match was in Romano’s hands.

She was the primary and most effective source of offense for Rider. Her 26 kills in three sets would be a MAAC-wide season high in that stat category, breaking her own previous best of 21 kills in three sets against Saint Peter’s on Sept. 25.

Quinnipiac’s source of hope would come from Diaz and freshman hitter Alexandra Tennon, who both led the Bobcats in kills with 14. In this match, Tennon showcased the young talent Quinnipiac has in its future. The 14 kills would be a See VOLLEYBALL Page 10

CONNOR LAWLESS/CHRONICLE

No. 6 Quinnipiac pulled off a thrilling upset win over No. 3 Marist in the MAAC tournament quarterfinals.