Volume 102, Issue 4
October 12, 2020
THE
CHARGER BULLETIN
West Haven, Conn.
The student news source of the University of New Haven.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH 2020
Students share stories about their heritage
Graphic courtesy of Christopher Colquhoun, Graphics Editor
The Charger Bulletin
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October 12, 2020
BU L L E T I N B OA R D
Bulletin Briefs
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The
Charger Bulletin
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300 Boston Post Road | West Haven, CT 06516
Centennial Ball
Page 6 Immigration on TV
Page 8 Hispanic Heritage Month
Page 10 NBA finals
ChargerBulletin@newhaven.edu | www.ChargerBulletin.com office: 203.932.7182 Our office is located on the second floor of 46 Ruden Street, Room 202.
Editor-in-Chief Kayla Mutchler Since 1938, The Charger Bulletin has been the official student news Managing Editor Amanda M. Castro source of the University of New Haven. Student Life Editor Beth Beaudry Advertising Sports Editor Joe Klaus The Charger Bulletin ad rate sheets are available upon request or by callEntertainment Editor Tiara Starks ing 203.932.7182 or via email at chargerbulletinads@gmail.com. The Opinion Editor Kristen Marcus Charger Bulletin reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. AdverStaff Writers Kelly Adkins, Earl Alexander Givan, and tisements within The Charger Bulletin are inserted by outside sources identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the UniverCameron Hailey sity of New Haven. Advertising material printed herein is solely for informational purposes. For the most up-to-date information, visit Multimedia Editor Jada Clarke www.ChargerBulletin.com/advertise. Associate Editor for Photography Hunter Lang Associate Editor for Graphic Design Christopher Letters to the Editor The submission deadline for letters to the editor is 5 p.m. on Friday Colquhoun for publication in Monday’s issue. Letters to the Editor are also pubAdvertising Manager Hannah Providence lished online the same day as the release of print issues. Letters should Associate Editor for Videography Nick Meaney not exceed 300 words if they are to be considered for print publication. All submissions by outside writers to The Charger Bulletin, unless otherwise Community Engagement Editor Victoria Cagley approved by the Editor-in-Chief, will be treated as letters to the editor. Letters to the Editor are published under the discretion of the Editor in Chief, and not every submitted letter will be published. The Charger Bulletin also reserves the right to withhold Letters to the Editor that are excessively vulgar or nonsensical, or do not meet our editorial standards. Letters can be sent via email to ChargerBulletin@newhaven.edu and must contain the writer’s name and contact information for verification purposes. The opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are of the authors themselves and not The Charger Bulletin.
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Page 16 “All lives matter” togo box
The Charger Bulletin staff strives for excellence and accuracy in writing and reporting. We recognize that mistakes may occur and encourage readers to notify the Bulletin if they feel a correction is necessary. Please email the Editor-in-Chief at chargerbulletin@newhaven.edu.
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October 12, 2020
NEWS
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University celebrates 100th year with “Broadway Sings for the Centennial Ball” event BY KAYLA MUTCHLER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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he night of Oct. 3 was filled with music, heartwarming stories, and fun as students, staff and alumni celebrated the virtual Centennial Ball. The event included a cocktail hour to socialize with university community members, student showcases, performances from Broadway stars and more. The show was aired through an online portal for viewers that bought tickets. From 6 to 7 p.m., viewers were able to attend a virtual cocktail hour where they could enter different rooms and talk with members of the community. There were tables for alumni, clubs, sports teams and more. Charger community members shared their experiences with The Charger Bulletin. “Being a part of the university has been very fulfilling in a lot of ways,” Ted Hotaling, men’s basketball head coach, said, “Obviously, I think there’s so much growth for it to happen and it’s exciting to be a part of
Audra McDonald
Photo courtesy of University of New Haven
it.” Derrick Rowland, senior, M.B.A., and member of the basketball team, said about being a part of the centennial, “I’m just appreciating it, being able to be a part of history, and just enjoying it, even though the times we’re in are just not good times.” Alumni Association member Reece Gleadle said, “If you look back at how far the school has come, we are huge and doing awesome things, so the future stays bright. It’s a good time to be a charger.” At 7 p.m., the show began with six-time Tony award-winning host, Audra McDonald. She welcomed everyone to the event. McDonald said, “as Broadway performers, we know a bit about perseverance, dedication, and hard work -- all the traits reflected by this incredible student body.” Then began a toast to the university, which led into a video of how to make a 20s-style old fashioned cocktail. Students and faculty were then featured, congratulating the university and being happy to be a charger. The performances then began, with “For Once in My Life” performed by “Hamilton’s” Julius Thomas III, and soloist for the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Mark Kopitzke.
Morgan James performed “Don’t Stop” with her husband, Doug Wamble, accompanying her on guitar. After the performances, Adriana Trigiani, university alum and best-selling author, congratulated the university and reflected on her experiences. “And what an incredible student body you have,” said Trigiani. “Students from all over the world from all walks of life come together to get this incredibly great education.” Trigiani introduced junior, fast-track business major Hannah Providence, who shared stories of growing up and how university and personal experiences allowed herself to graduate in just five semesters. “The greatest thing I ever did for myself was ask for help,” said Providence. “I lean on the faculty and staff at the University of New Haven to support and guide me on the direction of success,” said Providence. Trigiani then appeared again for an interview with university president, Steven Kaplan.
They discussed improvements over the years at the university, education fundamentals, the future of the school and inspiring stories. Providence appeared again to talk about the university’s newest building, the Bergami Center for Science, Innovation, and Technology. She said, “This building symbolizes the capability of our students’ dreams and innovations and it marks the first chapter of our next 100 years.” More students congratulated the university for its 100 years and transitioned into the next event, which was a performance from the U New Haven dance team. It started out with The Charleston, a popular dance from the 1920s, which led into a more modern style of dancing – and Charlie the Charger was there, too. The rest of the night included more Broadway performances and a feature about the marching band. Nearing the end of the night, Kaplan appeared again for a speech. He thanked the univer-
Performing “Seasons of Love” Photo courtesy of University of New Haven
sity and reflected on what the school and charger community has accomplished. He said, “I see a university that continues on the path of greatness to prominence… I see a university that will continue to make this world a better place.” McDonald appeared once more for her performance of “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught” by Rodgers and Hammerstein and “Children Will Listen” by Stephen Sondheim. Then, most of the performers came together for the final song, “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway musical “Rent.” McDonald then closed the night, thanking everyone that made it happen. “I have only one more thing to say before I leave you tonight – go chargers!” The Centennial Ball is available to re-watch via the online portal for ticket holders.
October 12, 2020
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NEWS
Winchester Hall residents quarantined as COVID-19 cases rise on university campus BY KAYLA MUTCHLER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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n Tuesday, students at Winchester Hall and other university members were notified via email of a mandatory 14-day quarantine because of an influx of COVID-19 cases. Winchester residents were alerted prior to the rest of the university in an email from the COVID task force, a group of university community members charged with creating the university’s response to the coronavirus. About two hours after the email went out to Winchester residents, an email that explained the quarantine was sent to other members of the university. The email to the entire community said there have been
seven new cases within 24 hours leading up to Tuesday, with five detected in Winchester. There are also residential students in other halls and commuter students who are required to quarantine. The email to Winchester residents said that the quarantine is “out of an abundance of caution and to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19.” The email to Winchester residents also said that all quarantined students are required to take a COVID test on their fifth day of quarantine. Even if they test negative for the virus, the students must quarantine for the entire two-week period, the email said. The email said the outbreak was caused by “an unauthorized large-scale gathering that took place over the weekend that was attended by a person who has since tested COVID+.” According to the COVID
USGA President’s Corner Hello Chargers! Welcome back. I know that our current campus climate is most definitely unprecedented, and here at USGA we are working diligently behind the scenes to support our students. This past Friday we had President Kaplan speak at our USGA Retreat which was open to all students. At this forum, he answered questions regarding course work, quarantining, mental health days, and proclaimed that Black Lives do indeed matter. Missed the forum and have more questions? No worriesyou can always email me, and I will bring the questions forwardor stay on the lookout for USGA
Sofia Martinez, president to host another open forum with our administration. I know that this is not how we wanted to spend our semester, and I hope that in these circumstances that we build a community together- through education, kindness, and advocacy.
Dashboard, there have been 24 new cases in the past seven days, 24 active cases, and 12 students in isolation on campus. There are also 280 students in isolation on campus along with 69 off campus, as of this writing. Abigail Jones, a sophomore national security major and a Winchester Hall resident, said she is concerned about missing work during this critical time before midterms. “I love my roommates but I don’t wanna be stuck in my room for 14 days since I had work and other commitments I have to miss now,” she said. Selena Aponte, sophomore health science major, said she is upset about the quarantine. "Many people have made sacrifices and take precautions just pt be put into a mandatory 14-day quarantine." "My routine is completely different now," said Aponte, "I
can't leave my room to do my laundry I can't see my team or practice, I can't see my sister." "Both my roommates chose to do quarantine at their homes, so the only people I can even talk to are over a screen," said Aponte. The email to the university community ended with a reminder for students to follow the school’s COVID-19 protocols. It said, “To be clear, the actions of a few could put the remainder of the semester at
risk.” The email also said: “Ultimately, we all have a responsibility – one that we should embrace -- to keep each other safe and to do our part to ensure we are able to continue to have a successful – and complete – fall semester.” Members of the COVID task force did not respond to The Charger Bulletin’s request for comments.
Winchester Hall
Photo courtesy of Hunter Lang
October 12, 2020
E N T E RTA I N M E N T
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Saturday Night Live premieres Billboard Music Awards nominations for its 46th season BY TIARA STARKS ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
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n Oct. 3, NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” returned to television after a long-awaited hiatus. The live sketch-comedy show scored the most watched season opener, hosted by Chris Rock with musical guest, Megan Thee Stallion. It was the second-most-watched in 12 years, right behind the 2016 opener a month before the last presidential election. According to Deadline, “The telecast was up +27% in total viewers (7.765 million vs. 6.107 million) and up +26% in 18-49 (1.68 vs. 1.33).” Even with a pandemic ravaging the nation, and the president being affected by COVID-19, season 44 of “SNL” is expected to proceed much like the past 45. The taping of the show was held in its usual setting in Studio 8H at the 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City, complete
Megan Thee Stallion and Chris Rock Photo courtesy of SNL on Twitter
with a limited live audience who were considered paid extras to adhere to coronavirus guidelines that shows “must prohibit live audiences unless they consist only of paid employees, cast and crew.” The show’s cold open began with a re-enactment of the first presidential debate of 2020. Joe Biden was portrayed by comedian Jim Carrey, and Donald Trump was played by actor Alec Baldwin, each taking hits at their respective politicians. For Chris Rock, COVID took center stage in his monologue jokes, as he touched upon the protocols for the cast and crew in the studio to allow for the show to continue live and in-person. Hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion performed her hit song, “Savage.” Within her performance, she referenced Kentucky Attorney General, Daniel Cameron, responding Tuesday to critics over his handling of the Breonna Taylor case. The performance played an audio clip of social justice activist Tamika Mallory saying Cameron is “no different than the sellout negroes that sold our people
into slavery.” The statement was displayed in large white letters behind Megan Thee Stallion before she said, “We need to protect our Black women and love our Black women. ‘Cause at the end of the day, we need our Black women.” Megan also referenced her own shooting, after publicly accusing rapper Tory Lanez of shooting her in both feet after an argument back in July, she posted photos of her injured feet after she was not initially believed. Megan Thee Stallion also played two clips from the Malcolm X speech: “The most disrespected, unprotected, neglected person in America is the Black woman,” and “Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair? The color of your skin? The shape of your nose? Who taught you to hate yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet?” After Megan’s “Savage” performance, she hit the stage again with rapper Young Thug to perform the song “Don’t Stop,” to close out the episode. “SNL” airs every Saturday night on NBC at 11:30 pm.
BY KAILEY FESHLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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he 2020 Billboard Music Awards nominations were released on Sept. 22 by NBC. With many nominees and strong competition in each category, fans are excited to see who will come out on top. This year’s show, originally planned to be held on Apr. 29, but due to COVID-19, will now broadcast on Oct. 14. The broadcast will be live on NBC from The Dolby Theatre at 8:00 PM ET and Kelly Clarkson will host. With Post Malone leading with the most nominations, holding 16 nominations in 15 different categories, other artists are not far behind, according to Billboard. Artists, including Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, Khalid, and Kanye West, hold strong nomination numbers as well. Kanye West received nine nominations in Christian categories. These nominations include Top Christian Artist, Top Gospel Artist, Top Christian Album, Top Gospel Album, and Top
Post Malone
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Christian Song. With a unique situation of getting nominated three times in one category, West’s songs “Follow God,” “Closed on Sunday,” “On God” and “Selah,” are all nominated for Top Gospel Song. The three fan-voted categories this year, according to Billboard, are the Billboard Chart Achievement Award, Top Social Artist, and Top Collaboration. If you are interested in voting, you can do so now. It will also be available on TikTok as the show’s primary voting platform. The full list of nominees and categories is on Billboard. For the most updated Billboards news and awards, visit the Billboard website.
Billie Eilish
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
October 12, 2020
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E N T E RTA I N M E N T
Hispanic Heritage A look at the portrayal of Month immigration on TV BY ANDREA ALVERCA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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usic has always been a part of me, especially Latin, as I feel it connects me more with my roots, and it’s something I’ve always been passionate about. These are just a few of my favorite songs from different genres that have been getting my mind off these past couple of months. Yo x Ti, Tú x Mi -- ROSALIA, Ozuna In English, it translates to “Me for you, You for me.” The song is about two people who are each other’s partners-in-crime, and the song combines Puerto Rico’s urban melodies with Spain’s flamenco flairs. Yo También -- Marc Anthony, Romeo Santos Salsa and bachata are combined in this song to tell the story of a woman caught up in a love triangle between a mobster and the FBI agent tracking him down. Obsesión -- Aventura A classic bachata, the song is by the Dominican band “Aventura” and sung by who Latin America (LATAM) considers the “King of Bachata,” Romeo Santos. The song tells the story of a man who is in love with a taken woman to the point of obsession. Dos Locos -- Monchy & Alexandra “Monchy & Alexandra” were a Dominican bachata music group in the 90s and early 2000s. The song is about two people who think that they are crazy for loving one another while they are both in a relationship with different people. Suavemente -- Elvis Crespo One of the most famous merengues since 1998, Crespo sings about falling for a woman and how she makes him feel with just one kiss. Como la Flor -- Selena “Como la Flor” is sung by the late Mexican singer Selena Quintanilla, who is referred to as the “Queen of Tejano (Texan) music.” The song is about a woman who, after breaking up with her boyfriend, explains how it hurts to lose her love and describes her love as a flower that has dried up and died. La Camisa Negra -- Juanes Colombian singer, songwriter and activist Juanes sings “La Camisa Negra,” a cumbia and alternative rock song. He sings about wearing a black shirt because he is mourning the loss of the love a girl once had for him. Propuesta Indecente -- Romeo Santos Also sung by the “King of Bachata,” Santos sings about proposing a deal to a beautiful woman by leaving her relationship to go on an adventure with him. La Tortura -- Shakira, Alejandro Sanz Colombian singer Shakira sings about the emotional pain she has gone through by losing the man she loves, and Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz joins the duet as the man who messed up their relationship. Lambada -- Kaoma 1989 French-Brazilian pop group Kaoma sing “Lambada,” which is a fast-paced Brazilian dance that couples perform, involving their stomachs touching. The song was re-adapted by Puerto Rican singer Don Omar for his 2011 hit “Taboo,” which was featured in the fifth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise “Fast Five,” which was partly filmed in LATAM countries Puerto Rico and Brazil.
BY AMANDA CASTRO MANAGING EDITOR
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or years, television has been a way to bring visibility and shape people’s interpretations of the characters they portray. TV characters and stories have been given expanded importance and resonance with additional prejudice by political officials and media figures. This has raised additional distrust upon immigrant communities as a result of the unhealthy and often exaggerated stereotypes that are portrayed of Hispanic and Latinx communities on screen. In 2019, Define American, a media and cultural association founded by Pulitzer-winning writer José Antonio Vargas, collaborated with USC Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center and The Hollywood Reporter on a new analysis comparing immigrants on scripted television and real life. The three published their results of a study – that was released in Oct. 2019 – surrounding the questions of how immigrants are portrayed on television and how those portrayals compare to the real-life experiences of immigrants. “The analysis examines the demographic, socio-economic, and social representations of immigrant characters depicted,” says the study’s overview, “as well as the context and use of any culturally- or politically-charged terms relating to immigration in 143 episodes of 47 television shows that aired in 2017 and 2018.” The shows analyzed were ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” Freeform’s “The Bold Type,” “The Fosters,” the CW’s “Jane the Virgin,” NBC’s “The Good
Place,” and Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black,” and “One Day at a Time.” TV immigrants have tended to stick to traditional connections with criminality, unemployment, and poor education standards outside of citizenship-related storylines. The study found an over-emphasis on linking immigrants to crime. Violence was connected with 22 percent of immigrant characters on TV and 11 percent connected to criminality, down from 34 percent in 2018 but still out of line with real-world figures. In 2018, research by the Cato Institute and the Marshall Project showed that immigrants commit less violence than native-born Americans, regardless of identification status. In fact, according to the Cato Institute, the prison rate for legal and illegal immigrants, except arrests for immigration offenses, is less than 1 percent. The report also showed that television often over-represented illegal immigrants strongly, too. 63 percent of TV characters with a recognized immigration status were undocumented immigrants or asylum seekers, compared to just 24 percent of actual American immigrants. The study said that more than twenty immigration terms were tracked in each episode that was analyzed from each show. “The words ‘deportation’ and ‘ICE’ appeared in about onefifth of all episodes,” said page 18 of the study, “and the use of ‘undocumented’ appeared
more frequently than the use of ‘illegal / illegals / illegal immigrant.’” “Latino characters were the subject of 37% of the deportation mentions while White characters (44%) and female characters (63%) were the most likely characters to challenge the mentions of ‘deportation’ as unacceptable,” said the study. “Latino characters were also the most common recipients of mentions of ICE and the term was challenged as unacceptable just over half of the time (52%), and the challenges also mainly came from women (71%).” Define American has consultations with showrunners, writers, and administrators to better ensure that stories and personalities relevant to immigrants are correctly and responsibly depicted. It worked on more than 23 TV and film projects in 2017, including NBC Superstore, Hulu's East Los Big, and worked on an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2019 about a surgical intern who is a recipient of DACA. Another option, “Jane the Virgin” writer Rafael Agustin suggests, is to employ immigrants in the writers’ room for accuracy at the time of planning an episode. For more information on topics of immigration in entertainment, visit the Define America webpage. To provide support to immigrating families and individuals, visit the Vera Institute of Justice for information on how to help. Photo courtesy of The Norman Lear Center
October 12, 2020
E N T E RTA I N M E N T
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Whitewashing in Hispanic entertainment BY SELENA SOTO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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ollywood has a long way to go when it comes to accurate portrayals of Latinxs and other people of color in movies and television shows. Whitewashing -- or casting white actors to play non-white characters -- is not a new issue. By continually casting white actors, there is not enough representation for Latinxs and people of color. According to Mitu, there are many examples of whitewashing for Hispanic roles. “Whitewashing in Latinx media continues to prove over and over who they represent. Telenovelas and movies always have casted for white passing Latinx, or even Spanish actors,”
said Erica Maggiore, executive assistant and sargent of arms of the Latin American Student Association (LASA) at the University of New Haven, “There is rarely Afro-Latinx representation because of the strong colorism in the latinx community that many people refuse to talk about.” One example is the musical, “West Side Story.” The film centers around a Romeo and Juliet love story and two rival gangs, the white gang, the “Jets,” and the Puerto Rican gang, the “Sharks.” A member of the Jets, Tony, falls in love with Maria, whose brother Bernardo is the leader of the Sharks. Since the Sharks’ are a Puerto Rican gang, the cast should have been made up of Puerto Rican or Hispanic actors and actresses; however, this wasn’t the case. Natalie Wood, a white, American actress played María. George Chakiris, a Greek actor,
played Bernardo. Puerto Rican actress, Rita Moreno, who portrayed Anita, was put in “brown face” along with other members of the cast for the Sharks to appear more “Hispanic.” Blackface has been used to imitate and capture the stereotypes associated with people of color. A more recent movie, “Power Rangers,” included the villain Rita Repulsa. This character is typically played by a Japanese or Latina actress. The Inverse says that in the early 90s TV series, a Japanese actress played Rita Repulsa. Most recently, white, American actress Elizabeth Banks was cast in the role. Whitewashing is not confined to just the film industry. The popular streaming service Netflix has received praise for a positive representation of people of color through the show “On My Block.” The show’s cast includes Jason Genao (Domin-
ican) for Ruby, Jessica Marie Garcia (Mexican and Cuban descent) for Jasmin, Diego Tinoco (Colombian, Mexican, and Ecuadorian descent) for Cesar, Sierra Capri (African American) for Monse, and Brett Gray (African American) for Jamal. However, The Equinox says that the casting of white American actress Ronni Hawk as Olivia received criticism. Hawk’s character on “On My Block” is a young Latina girl whose parents were deported, which resulted in her staying with Ruby’s family. However, Hawk’s Tweets in support of President Donald Trump did not sit well with fans. In The Equinox’s article, Hawk’s tweet reads “Go @realDonald Trump please bring America back!!!” Fans of the show suggested Hawk’s character, Olivia, be killed off or recast, as they felt Hawk held views that were offensive and insensitive to the character she
The current cast of On My Block
Photo courtesy of On My Block Twitter
was portraying. The United States does not lack diversity. What the country lacks, however, is accurately representing Latinx community on TV and movie screens, despite the obvious backlash by fans. “Young children grow up watching these TV shows and movies,” said Maggiore, “and it’s important that they’re watching things that uplift them for who they are, make them love themselves.”
Indie developer, InnerSloth, cancels ‘Among Us 2’ BY CAMERON HAILEY STAFF WRITER
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n June 15, 2018, an indie game developer, InnerSloth and its team of three developers, released “Among Us,” a game that would soon be the most-watched game on Twitch and gain a player base of 3 million concurrent players on PC, iOS, and Android in 2020. Among us is a murder-mystery game, where players are placed into one of two positions. One team consists of crewmates,
the main goal of these players is to finish an assigned task. To win they must complete these tasks before the other players, the imposters, kill them. The game has a discussion and voting stage where players can talk about, and ultimately vote out who they suspect is the imposter. In a blog post to the player base, InnerSloth announced the cancellation of “Among Us 2,” the projected sequel to “Among Us.” According to InnerSloth, this was a difficult choice that involved moving to update the game code and adding content to the first game, “Among Us.” “We have decided to cancel Among Us 2 and instead put
all our focus into improving Among Us .” said the developers. Innersloth released the game as an indie project, with modest player counts for the two years of its release on Steam, an online game distributor, until July, there were only 6,771 players. After July, “Among Us” received a massive spike of players, reaching 438,524 concurrent steam players in September. This uptick of players pushed “Among Us” to the top three games on Steam, according to player count. New content will be released soon with this decision, said Innersloth. The servers of “Among Us,” which received
criticism as the game gained popularity. Colorblind support will also be coming to the game soon, as well a friend and account system to allow for easier game use for private games. The
last change will be a new stage, allowing four playable areas for users. No release date for these changes has been given as of Oct. 1.
Among Us game play Photo courtesy of Joseph Klaus
Hispanic Heritage Month 2020 October 12, 2020
Page 8
Chuletas Can-Can
By Nicole Soto, sophomore, marketing major
My favorite Puerto Rican “plato típico” to eat whenever I visit home is Chuletas Can-Can. This dish originated in 1957 in Restaurante La Guardarraya in Yauco, Puerto Rico. Chuletas Can-Can, also spelled Chuletas kan kan, is a style of pork chop with the rib meat, fat, and skin all still attached. To prepare Chuletas Can-Can, one must begin with marinating the meat with a variety of ingredients, which can be cilantro, oregano, vinegar, onion, paprika, and garlic. After marinating the meat, the CanCan is then deep-fried to make a layer of pork rinds on top of the rib and the pork chop. Chuletas Can-Can is usually served with rice and beans and amarillos (fried plantains). This is my favorite dish because it is a perfect example of how flavorful Puerto Rican food is and how the fusion of ingredients can contribute to make a wonderful dish like this one.
Chuletas Can-Can
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Daniela Pietri, junior, home land security and emergency management major Being Puerto Rican is an honor for me because it’s like a party 24/7. Wherever you are in the world you are most likely to find a Puerto Rican around the corner. My favorite Puerto Rican food has to be my mom’s asopao with pan sobao. My favorite dance has to be salsa. My grandma used to make me dance with her all the time. Sunday mornings waking up to Rubén Blades blasting on the speakers was my favorite part of the day. My favorite Spanish songs right now have to be “Del Mar” by Ozuna and “Hasta Que Dios Diga” by Anuel AA. Left: Flag of Puerto Rico Right: Flag of the Dominican Republic Photos courtesy of Creative Commons
Genesis Feliciano, junior, criminal justice major Being both puertorriqueña and dominicana, I’ve learned so much about my culture and I’ve embraced their differences and their similarities because that’s what makes me, me. My favorite Dominican food has to be my grandmother’s sancocho which is like a stew with meat and vegetables in it. My favorite Puerto Rican food has to be a tie between my grandfather’s pasteles en hoja or his alcapurrias. Yes, I do put mayo, ketchup and a little hot sauce on my pasteles. My favorite dance has to be bachata, I’m still a little rusty with salsa but I’ll get there. My favorite Spanish song right now has to be “Virgen” by Adolescent’s Orquesta, a classic.
LASA President’s Corner
Kelly Cordova, president
My freshmen year, I didn't know how to get involved on campus until I saw that the Latin American Student Association (LASA) was having a general meeting. I was very much intrigued, especially because my nationality is Ecuadorian. I was actually born there and immigrated to the United States at the age of two. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood and attended a Catholic high school which had zero to no diversity. I felt a disconnect between
my culture and native language. When I came to the university, I wanted to get back in touch with my culture and LASA did that for me. I felt welcomed and I met people who had the same experiences as me. Not only did I get to know other Ecuadorians but I learned about different Latin cultures that I never knew about before. I was nominated to become president my second semester of sophomore year. The reason I took on this position is because I
would like to see a change on this campus. I want to educate those around me of the world beyond what is in front of us right now: the many crises happening in Latin America and what is to be Latinx. Flag of Ecuador
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Hispanic Heritage Month 2020 October 12, 2020
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Is there a difference between Latinx and Hispanic? BY AMANDA CASTRO MANAGING EDITOR
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hile the terms “Hispanic” and “Latinx” are used interchangeably, how similar are the meanings of them both? Much like white, Black, and Asian, Hispanic and Latinx are used as a way to identify race categorically. These two terms are used interchangeably but there is actually an overlap. For instance, most people who are Latinx are also Hispanic, and vice versa, most people who are Hispanic are also Latinx, but not everyone. But how? What does Hispanic mean? The term “Hispanic,” according to the Census, usually applies to people who come from Spain or another Spanish-speaking nation or whose heritage derives from them. This means that, although people from Portugal or Brazil – for example – are not Hispanic, people from Spain are. Puerto Rican professor and
coordinator of modern languages at the University of New Haven, Roberto Irizarry said, “Hispanic is a term that underscores the colonial history of Spain in relation to Latin America and excludes the Portuguese legacy.” Most Hispanic people speak Spanish as a native language; however, as long as one’s family originates from a Spanish-speaking country, it is not a prerequisite to speak it as a native language or at all. Therefore, people from Spain and the rest of Latin America are Hispanic. But while an individual from Chile is Hispanic, a person from Brazil is not, according to Mara Medina Pla, senior forensic science major and treasurer of the Latin American Student Association (LASA) at the University of New Haven. “Someone who is Brazilian would be Latinx as Brazil is in Latin America but as they don’t speak Spanish in Brazil they wouldn’t be considered Hispanic,” said Pla. And to confuse matters a bit more, Guyana is the only South American country in which English is its official language,
A famous face By Leo Levine-Aquino
A famous face in Latin American entertainment is Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican singer, rapper and producer. He’s known for his Latin Trap music and for being a trendsetter in musica urbana. Bad Bunny, birth name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was born in Puerto Rico in 1994. He started
singing at the age of five. He studied audiovisual communication at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. During his time at the university, he was a bagger at a grocery store and made music that he uploaded to SoundCloud, including his song “Diles,” that got him signed to the Hear This Music label
proving that not all South American countries are Hispanic. So then, what does Latinx mean? While the word “Hispanic” involves individuals from Spain and excludes individuals from Brazil, the exact opposite of that is “Latinx.” Brazilians are Latinx, though Spanish people are not. “Someone from Spain would speak Spanish and would be considered Hispanic,” said Pla, “but Spain isn’t a part of Latin America, so they wouldn’t be considered Latinx.” Latino, Latina, or Latinx, in general, means someone from Latin America. Simple. However, the concern stems from knowing precisely where Latin America is. Latin America is any place in America that speaks a language that descends from a Latin romance language. In English, the term “Latino” derives from a condensed form of the Spanish word “Latinoamericano,” which translates to “Latin American.” In general, Latin-American countries would include Mexico, part of North America, all of Central America – excluding
Belize – the majority of South America – excluding Guyana and Suriname. And in the Caribbean: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Haiti and the French West Indies. “Since the 1960s,” said Irizarry, “the term ‘Latino’ has emphasized the regional identity of not only those born in Latin America but also those residents in the U.S. who claim their forebears’ ties to countries in that area of the Americas.” Why the confusion, then? Generally, the words “Latinx” and “Hispanic” are only found in the U.S. So much so, that the meanings will restrict their application to people who currently live in the U.S. The U.S. Census Bureau poses a particular question related to the race of Latinos and Hispanics but uses the terms interchangeably. The U.S. Census defines the “Hispanic or Latino” category as “a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.” Since the Census Bureau acknowledges that Hispanic is a concept that defines ethnicity
in 2016. Later that year, he released a song called “Soy Peor” which peaked at number 22 on the Hot Latin Songs chart and it’s video got more than 650 million views. In the summer of 2018, he was featured on Cardi B’s single “I like it,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 list. Since then, he has collaborated with many artists including Drake, and in 2019 Bad Bunny won a Grammy for his album
“x100pre” which won Best Urban album. Bad Bunny
Photo courtesy of Bad Bunny Instagram
and not a race, as they complete the survey, people are able to self-report a number of racial groups in addition to the Hispanic origin. Self-reports of race in the Census, however, show that more people consider their race Hispanic. The only reason it includes both words instead of regional use is that “Latino” is more widely used in the west of the U.S., while Hispanic is more commonly used in the east. The term “Hispanic” was first used in the U.S Census in 1980 by the Nixon administration and its definition specifically stated that it refers only to Spanish-speakers and background. Realistically, data depends entirely on self-reporting, and essentially that is what ethnicity is all about: self-identification, whether a person identifies or prefers not to associate with a particular community they choose to be part of. The best way I have ever seen it put was by a Pew Research article that researched who is Hispanic. “Anyone who says they are. And nobody who says they aren’t.” “Shifts in identity terms reflect the wish for communities to represent themselves accurately,” said Irizarry, “While not all subgroups always embrace some terms, it is important to recognize and cultivate an awareness of how a given sector desires to be addressed in order to generate solidarity among ethnicities.” Finally, a quick test to see if you’re paying attention to this whole thing: I am both Hispanic and Latina because I live in the U.S, but I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, which is part of Latin America and is a Spanish-speaking U.S. territory. Simple enough.
October 12, 2020
S P O RT S
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The NBA finals: A season of firsts BY JOSEPH KLAUS SPORTS EDITOR
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he stage has been set for NBA finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat to conclude what has been an eventful NBA season unlike any other. The path that these two teams took to get here was different but they got to the same point, in the end. The Lakers were the number one seed coming out of the regular season and were favored by analysts to win the championship, being led by Allstars Lebron James and Anthony Davis, in their pursuit of winning it all for Kobe Bryant. Bryant, the Laker legend, tragically died in a helicopter crash in January with his daughter Gianna and seven other individuals. James
and the Lakers have dedicated the season to Bryant and on multiple occasions worn “Mamba” jerseys in memory of Bryant. The Lakers opened their trip to the finals with a matchup against the Portland Trailblazers. The Blazers took game one, but the Lakers came back to win the next three. Game five was postponed because of the league-wide boycott of the shooting of Jacob Blake and to protest in favor of the Black Lives Matter movement. There was talk of canceling the rest of the postseason but that dissipated as games resumed with players wearing jerseys displaying messages in support of Black Lives Matter. After the boycotts, the Lakers won the series against the Blazers, 4-1. In the semi-finals, the Lakers knocked off the Houston Rockets 4-1. The Western
Conference Finals was a bit of an odd matchup as the Lakers matched up against the Denver Nuggets, an underdog throughout the playoffs. The Nuggets, however, were not enough for the Lakers, who won 4-1 once again. On the other side of the bracket, the Miami Heat took a different approach than the Lakers. The Heat was the fifth seed in the East and was overlooked by many analysts. The Heat went on to sweep the Indiana Pacers 4-0, and next faced the first seeded Milwaukee Bucks who had the best record in the league. In shocking fashion, the Heat upset the Bucks 4-1 and sent a shock to the league. The Eastern Conference Finals was a matchup between the Heat and the Boston Celtics. The Heat won 4-2, booking their ticket to the finals and to square off with Lebron and the Lakers. “This whole season has been
Heat player, Jimmy Butler Photo courtesy of Miami Heat Twitter
one for the books and the finals is as interesting as the season was’” said sophomore student Nick Barry forensic science, “I would have liked to see the Celtics in the finals but this is interesting Lebron returning to Miami what else could you ask for.” Lebron left the Miami Heat in 2014 and this is the first time the Heat has been in the finals since
Lebron’s joining. The Heat have cut the series lead to 3-2 heading into game 6 on Sunday at 7:30 where the Heat will try to force a game 7. One thing is for sure: the NBA season has been filled with firsts and a season that has kept fans on their toes and this matchup for the finals is one that keeps that going and will be interesting to see who comes out holding the championship trophy.
MLB postseason preview BY TYLER WELLS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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ollowing a COVID-altered regular season, Major League Baseball (MLB) has made it to their closing chapter of 2020: the postseason. Just as the regular season took on a new look, the playoffs are following suit. For the first time ever, 16 teams made the playoffs -- a major difference from the typical 10. Never before had a team that was below a .500 winning percentage during the regular season make the playoffs; two such teams made
it this year. This new formatting resulted in a new round being added: a three-game wild card series among all playoff teams. The higher seeded teams hosted this short series, playing in front of just their families, who were allowed to be in attendance. Though many fans questioned the validity of a three-game series, especially in a sport as unpredictable as baseball, the result was an action-packed, stressful and exciting display of playoff baseball. “My housemate woke me up at one-in-the-morning,” after the New York Yankees took a 10-9 lead late in the ninth inning, sophomore computer science major Robert Taylor said, “It
was an electric moment.” The winners of each series will meet in the next round, the Division Series, starting on Monday, Oct. 5. As teams move on, different playoff bubbles will be formed to contain the players and coaches, aiming to limit the spread of COVID. The fivegame Division Series locations are: Los Angeles, Calif. (American League), Athletics vs. Astros San Diego, Calif. (American League), Rays vs. Yankees Arlington, Texas (National League), Dodgers vs. Padres Houston, Texas (National League), Braves vs. Marlins According to Sporting News, each team is staying in hotels
together during these bubbles, being limited in their travels beyond this constructed “safe zone.” After the Division Series, winners will move on to the League Championships, which are taking place in San Diego and Arlington. The winners from here will move on to the World Series, set to be hosted at the Texas Rangers’ home ballpark in Arlington. MLB is planning on welcoming fans to the games taking place in Texas, one of the few states that allows fans to be at sporting events. “I wish I could go,” Taylor said. This is a sentiment carried by many fans who have wanted to cheer on their favorite athletes
in person over the past four months. MLB is making 11,500 tickets available for spectators, a number they plan on being filled quickly. The 60-game season hosted a plethora of dramatic storylines, many of which continue into the playoffs. For fans of the eight teams that remain, there is strong optimism that anything can truly happen. Playoff baseball is where players etch their name into legend. It may certainly look different this season, but the stakes remain the same; October baseball is when the true season begins.
October 12, 2020
POLITICS
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Vice presidential debate recap BY KATIE KLEMME CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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hile the Vice-Presidential debate on Wednesday night was calmer than the presidential debate on Sept. 29, it still eventually devolved into a debate over facts, each side disagreeing on things said in the past and during the debate time. Senator Kamala Harris and Vice-President Mike Pence held up the pretense of civility, but tensions between the two remained high, as questions about topics such as the role of the vice president and racial bias in America were addressed. The debate began with a hard-hitting question about COVID-19 directed towards Harris. When asked about how she felt about President Donald Trump’s response, Harris responded with statistics. “200,000 people dead, 1 in 5 businesses closed, and 20 million people filing for unemployment,” said Harris. She also mentioned the rumor
Kamala Harris
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
that both Trump and Pence were made aware of the potential impact of COVID-19 in January, two months before the American people were told. Fact: A white house official said that the president was told that the coronavirus was potentially going to “spread globally.” Pence responded, saying that the Trump Administration has put America first throughout the pandemic and that the American people have demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice for the wellbeing of others. The next question given to the candidates was on the role of the vice-president. This brought up the topic of the presidential candidates not being truthful with the voters. Pence responded regarding rumors about the president's taxes that, “The President is a businessman, and has paid millions of dollars in taxes.” Pence also mentioned that the President has made financial documents available to the public for anyone to view if they have questions. Fact: Trump reported more losses than earnings in his taxes which is why he paid so little in his first two years as president. As the debate moved forward into topics like the economy and
the Supreme Court, it devolved into a he-said, she-said fight. Both sides made points that were refuted by the other, and both candidates did not want to move on from questions. For many questions, the candidates would use their uninterrupted time to respond to a previous question or response, as opposed to the question currently posed by the moderator. This led to a very confusing debate, as both candidates often switched topics. The candidates spent a long time on the topic of the economy, discussing issues such as tax cuts and health care. Harris accused the Trump Administration of not having a plan to protect people with pre-existing conditions if Obamacare is repealed by the Supreme Court. She also stated in response to Pence that Biden was responsible for the Recovery Act, which helped in the Great Recession. Pence stated in return that Obamacare was a disaster and that Joe Biden was responsible for the slowest recovery from a depression since the great recession. He also stated that Joe Biden supports the Green New Deal which will cost Americans 2 million dollars.
Fact: The economy was well into recovery when Trump took office and he did not significantly improve the economy during his time. The debate addressed many other topics like the recent nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barret by the Trump administration, and the ruling on the Breonna Taylor case. Both candidates had different opinions on this topic, but by this point, the debate had devolved into questioning facts presented by the other side. On the Breonna Taylor case, Harris stated that she thought justice had not been given and that there needed to be reforms in both policing and the criminal justice system. Pence responded by saying that he trusts the justice system. He said that there is no excuse for what happened to George Floyd, but that the rioting that is destroying businesses is unacceptable. Regarding the presidential election, they addressed the fact that Trump has not committed to a peaceful transfer of power should he not win the election. Harris said that “The Biden Administration plans to bring integrity back to the white house.” Pence said that he thinks, “The
Trump Administration will win the election and that the Biden Administration has been trying to overturn the results since the 2016 election.” The debate ended with a question from an 8th grader about how American citizens were expected to remain civilized when the candidates cannot model that in their debates. Pence said that “America believes in a free and open exchange of debate,” and that the news is not a true representation of the American people. He also stated that the two sides will often come together as friends after issues that seem to separate them. Harris said that the Biden Administration works in a bipartisan way and that the future is bright because of young leaders like the girl who gave the question. Overall, this debate was more civil than the presidential debate but featured a lot of tension, and a disagreement over facts and statements. This is the only Vice-presidential candidate debate, and the next presidential debate will be on Oct.15.
Mike Pence
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
October 12, 2020
POLITICS
Page 12
Trump nominates Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill Supreme Court vacancy BY ISABELLE HAJEK CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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n a press conference on Sept. 26, President Donald Trump announced judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nomination to fill the Supreme Court Justice vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. His decision has sparked controversy because of both the proximity of the appointment to the presidential election and Barrett’s political ideologies. Qualifications Barrett was a clerk for Judge Laurence H. Silberman in the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. and then for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia from 19971999. She practiced criminal and civil law from 1999-2001 as an associate with Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin L.L.P. and then at Baker Botts L.L.P. In academia, Barrett contributed to 12 peer-reviewed articles that were published in journals such as the Columbia Law Review and Texas Law Review. Barrett’s presence in the court system resumed in 2010 when Chief Justice John Roberts appointed her to sit on the Advisory Committee on Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure where she served for six years. In 2017, Trump nominated Barrett to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; she was confirmed in Sept. 2017 and has served as a judge up to the present. If appointed, Barrett would be the youngest Supreme Court Justice in history, and the fifth woman to serve on the bench. Push Back Pres. Trump’s decision to appoint Barrett, a little over one month from the 2020 presi-
dential election, has received criticism. Before Ginsburg’s death, shesaid, “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed,” days before her death. Ginsberg’s wish was not without precedent. In 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Senate blocked President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court Justice nomination, Judge Merrick Garland. McConnell said, “The Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the nominee the next president nominates, whoever that might be,” and was supported by senate judiciary chair, Charles Grassley, speaker of the house, Paul Ryan, and then presidential nominee, Trump. Trump said on Good Morning America in 2016, “I think they [the Senate] should wait until the next president and let the next president pick.” According to a CNBC article, with his 2020 nomination of Barrett, Trump has justified his push to confirm Barrett, saying the outcome of the presidential
The Supreme Court Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
election will depend on the Supreme Court and that a full bench is needed. On Sept. 18, presidential candidate Joseph Biden repeated Trump’s words from 2016, “But there is no doubt, let me be clear, that the voters should pick the president, and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider.” Obama said similar words in his Statement on the Passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ideology Concerns The timing of her nomination is not the only controversy. Democrats question Barrett’s political ideologies and how that will affect her decisions as a Supreme Court Justice. If Barrett is confirmed, the Supreme Court bench will consist of predominantly conservative Justices with Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Barrett leaning right as Stephan Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan lean left on the political spectrum. People question how her religious beliefs will factor in her decisions if confirmed. Barrett has been linked to the People
of Praise religious organization, a Catholic-based community whose central tenet is that men are to serve as the “head” of the household and that a wife is subject to his rule. Ex-members of the organization have claimed the organization to be cult-like and demands total subjugation of females, whereas current members state that this is not the case at all and, in fact, women play a role in decision making and leadership within the community. The combination of Trump expressing intent, in a 2016 Presidential Debate, to only appoint justices who are “pro-life” and Barrett’s self-professed Catholic faith, her views on abortion have been questioned. In her Senate confirmation hearings for her appointment to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Barrett stated, “All nominees are united in their belief that what they think about a precedent should not bear on how they decide cases,” in response to a question regarding her personal beliefs on the case of Roe v. Wade. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the decision on how abortion is restricted and controlled would differ state by state, as each state government would be allowed to establish their own policies. In effect, the access a person has to abortion would be dependent on their geographical residence. On Nov. 10, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear two matters regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), an Obama Administration era policy. According to a New York Times article, Barrett has consistently opposed the ACA; Trump’s nomination of Barrett and his outspoken opposition to the ACA suggests that he believes Barrett will rule against the ACA.
As the appointment of Barrett is dependent on the Senate’s approval, different lobbying groups have begun to work to sway the votes of Senators either for or against the appointment. The Human Rights Campaign has declared Barrett a “threat to LGBTQ rights,” reproductive rights, and voting rights, because of her past academic and judicial career. They have launched a “We Dissent” campaign in opposition to Barrett’s appointment. Americans for Prosperity have initiated a grassroots campaign in support of Barrett’s nomination that began with 200,000 letters sent to senators urging their support and continues with a text and call campaign to constituents to contact senators. The group’s senior vice president, Casey Maddox, said that he is confident that Barrett is someone, “who is going to defend our freedoms, and not legislate from the bench.” Moving Forward Despite controversy, Barrett has begun the process of her nomination consideration as she began meeting with GOP Senators on Sept. 27. This is a customary step most nominees take ahead of their confirmation hearing. Barrett’s confirmation hearings are scheduled to begin on Oct. 12, according to Sen. Lindsey Graham on Fox News’ “Sunday Feature.” In order for Barrett to be confirmed, the Senate will have to vote affirmatively in a simple majority - over 50 votes - after the hearings and following debate has concluded. McConnell has yet to comment on whether the hearing will be completed by election day.
October 12, 2020
POLITICS
Charger Polls Check out chargerbulletin.com each week for a new Charger Poll!
Trump has COVID, and you should be angry BY BARRY LEWANDOWSKI
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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Poll closed and results as of Oct. 8
Results as of Oct. 12
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he U.S. presidential election is less than a month away, and more than four million Americans have already voted. Yet with less than 30 days to go until Nov. 3rd, the incumbent president has become incredibly contagious. The president has contracted the coronavirus, and you should be angry. Last Tuesday night, during a chaotic debate, the president’s family refused to wear masks. The Cleveland Clinic, where the debate was held, had required all guests in the debate hall to wear a mask, yet more than half of Trump’s guests, including his four children, refused. While there have been conflicting reports on when Trump was officially diagnosed with COVID-19, on Thursday, senior advisor Hope Hicks tested positive for the virus. On Wednesday, during a Trump campaign event in Minnesota, Hicks began exhibiting symptoms and quarantined herself on Air Force One during the flight home. On Saturday White House physician Dr. Sean Conley told reporters that Trump was "72 hours" into his diagnosis, later specifying that he meant to say the president was on day three. All while another doctor, Dr. Brian Garibaldi, said that Trump had received treatment 48 hours prior - which means he received treatment midday on Thursday. Trump never revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19 until late Thursday night. And on Thursday, around midday, he was at a campaign event in New Jersey, where he interacted with over 100 maskless guests. The
White House knew of Trump’s exposure, and some believed Trump to be exhibiting symptoms on Thursday before the event. In addition, Trump’s team never warned Democratic nominee Joe Biden or his team that Trump may have been exposed to the virus. These facts are damning. The president of the U.S., and those around him, were exposed to COVID-19, and contagious during Tuesday’s debate, Wednesday’s campaign event in Minnesota, and Thursday’s event in New Jersey. The president was being treated for COVID-19 hours before the American people ever knew. Now, with Republican and White House staffers testing positive, the White House is refusing to offer a clear timeline on when Trump was diagnosed - or showing symptoms - of COVID-19. Sunday, days after testing positive and receiving multiple treatments, put his Secret Service staff in danger by driving around, waving at supporters just outside the Walter Reed facility. No person deserves to contract COVID-19. It is a deadly, contagious, and cruel disease that has taken the lives of over 200,000 people. Yet it is hard to ignore, especially in the wake of his own diagnosis, that the nation’s president has been willfully negligent, putting American lives at risk. For months, Trump has disputed the effectiveness of masks. He declared it “would disappear,” implied a vaccine was weeks away and insisted COVID-19 affects “virtually nobody.” Trump has been named as the single largest driver of coronavirus disinformation, and on the COVID-19 deaths in the
United States, claimed “it is what it is.” You should be angry. Trump refused to wear masks. He held large rallies, and people died. For months, Americans waited for Trump to stand behind the scientists, like director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, and lead the American people through this crisis. Now, not only has his leadership been ineffective, but he put himself and other Americans at risk. The president is very sick. A 74-year-old man, there are real concerns about how he will do in the coming hours, days and weeks. One more COVID-19 death, no matter who it is, is unacceptable. It is imperative that every American receive the treatment and help they need when diagnosed with COVID-19. But Donald Trump, the president, has access to some of the best doctors in the world. We do not. On Friday, Trump needed supplemental oxygen. 34 individuals in the President’s orbit have tested positive. Since being released from Walter Reed Medical Center, Trump has posed for photo ops without a mask. He has tweeted over 120 times, and has continued to downplay the virus, calling his catching it a “blessing from god.” All this, while refusing to tell America when he last tested negative for the coronavirus and being back to work in the Oval office. Donald Trump is an ineffective leader. He has misinformed, and let down the American public. When he knew he was exposed to COVID, when he knew he could be a spreader of a deadly disease, and even now, when he knows he’s sick and is putting people in danger, Trump is taking Americans down with him.
October 12, 2020
POLITICS
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New York Times releases report on Trump’s taxes BY CAMERON HAILEY STAFF WRITER
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n Sept. 27, the New York Times released a report on the tax returns of president Trump. In the report, Trump paid $750 in 2016, which was his first year in office. Before the first presidential debate, the report was told on the findings from tax data on President Donald Trump. This information has been in news circulation for years and has appeared in court cases leading to a subpoena of the return data. The appeals court ruled on Oct. 7 that Trump’s tax returns must be sent to the Manhattan District Attorney. This ruling enforces the subpoena which Trump’s team has been in a year long battle over. Even with the decision to subpoena the tax returns, the public had not heard what Trump had paid in federal income taxes for the past 15 years until the
New York Times report from Russ Buettner, Susanne Craig and Mike McIntire released this article in late September. Patrick Gourley, an assistant professor of economics at the University of New Haven said, “Part of it did not surprise me, in the United States we tax income and not wealth. If Trump is donating his salary back, like many Presidents before him, his income may be very low currently.” The report said, “He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made.” Trump has been in an audit battle for the last decade with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and it could cost him upwards of $100 million, says the NYT report. The battle is over a $72.9 million tax refund primarily from losses. Gourley said about the IRS audit battle, “The IRS just isn’t being funded the way it should, the US has some of the most complex tax codes in the world. It makes it difficult to do its due
diligence and investigate the cases.” The report accounts for income taxes and does not account for Social Security, Medicare and other taxes. But the report does include many tax write-offs, the Times said, such as consulting fees adding up to millions of dollars, and even expenses such as $70,000 dollars in haircuts. The largest, however, was a refund of $72.9 million. This was claimed due to a reported $1.4 billion loss from his businesses in just 2008 and 2009. Currently, this refund is under investigation by the I.R.S says NYT’s report. According to the Times, the president’s businesses have lost money for a majority of the years since 2000, with his golf courses losing upwards of $315 million and Hotel Washington losing more than $55 million. His personal brand, however, has been profitable, his image, through television, and products have made the president $427.4 million from 2004 to 2018, according to his returns. Under the current tax system, businesses
that suffer financial losses can write-off those losses for a tax reduction. Gourley said, “It is important for the tax code to be consistent, if we agree a smaller golf course can write off expenses, then someone with 50 golf courses should also be able to.” In a tweet about the tax report, Democratic presidential candidate Joseph Biden said, “The American people deserve transparency from their leaders, it's why as of today, I've released 22 years of my tax returns.” Biden and his wife, Jill Biden paid $299,346 from a taxable in-
come of $944,737 combined in 2019, a rate of 31 percent. Vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff reported $3,018,127 in income, and 39 percent of that being taxed at $1,185,628. When asked about the tax reports in a press briefing on Sept. 27, Trump ended the briefing. A question during the first presidential debate was asked about his tax returns. Trump responded saying he paid millions of dollars in income taxes.
Donald Trump
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Dwayne Johnson publicly endorses Biden and Harris BY SHAYLEN STANCIL CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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n Sept. 27, actor and former WWE wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson publicly endorsed presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris. This is the first time Johnson has ever expressed public support for any presidential candidate. The news of his endorsement comes a little over a month after
Joe Biden officially became the Democratic nominee. Johnson made this announcement with an almost eight-minute video posted to Twitter. He said this is a big deal for him. Johnson also had the opportunity to interview Biden and Harris prior to announcing his endorsement. The biggest question he asked was how they would earn the respect of the American people. Both Biden and Harris responded that they would be open and truthful. Biden said, “they [Americans] can take anything if you level with them and tell
the truth.” He also said, “Our administration is going to be representative of all of America.” Then Harris said, “You cannot have trust if you don’t speak truth.” In the video, Johnson also said that he has been, “a registered independent with centrist ideologies” for a while now. To him, the 2020 Presidential election is “arguably the most critical election our country has seen in decades.” He firmly believes that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the best fit to lead the U.S. based on their successful endeavors in the past and how
dedicated they are currently. In the Tweet’s caption, he urges everyone to vote and included a link to the Vote Save America website, which is designed to help people easily register to vote and stay informed about all presidential and vice presidential candidates, donate to political causes, and see everyone on your local ballot. For more information on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ campaign visit the official Joe Biden website to stay informed.
Dwayne Johnson Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
October 12, 2020
OPINIONS
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From Patriot to Nationalist – A Shift in National Identity BY ISABELLE HAJEK CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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ed, white, and blue adorned people waving flags in parades among brilliant fireworks and fanfare is the imagery of the American patriotism known to the world and its citizens. At what point does patriotism turn into nationalism, though? Should we fear that shift in identity? Patriotism is defined as “love of your country and the desire to defend it,” whereas nationalism is differentiated as, “a feeling of loving your country very much and being very proud of it; a feeling that your country is better than any other.” The two terms used to be synonymous; however, in recent history, their nuances have created two distinct definitions.
These subtle differences contain their own connotations, where patriotism is proud and positive, and nationalism is hateful and harmful. At its founding, there would be no question that America was a land of patriots -- they fought for individual freedoms and to form a new country. As a young nation, the U.S. did not claim superiority but toddled its way through new governance and identity formation. American exceptionalism had not yet taken form. While the term “city on a hill” was coined in the 1600s, it was politicized in the 1970s by the Reagan administration and used by every administration to follow. The term was adopted from a Puritan sermon, which placed American civilization on a pedestal for the rest of the world to follow in model and subsequently burdened the U.S. with a duty to maintain excellence and aid to aspiring nations.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
With the acknowledgment that the U.S. was the ‘best,’ came the self-appointed burden of becoming a humanitarian governance for the world. While in part this is because of the U.S.’s involvement in WWI and WWII, the larger phenomenon is attributed to the American belief that they have maintained the ‘city on a hill’ status, if it had ever been true, and need to interfere in international affairs as a part of a savior complex. Recently, President Donald Trump has announced that he will create a 1776 Commission focused on creating a patriotic curriculum to teach children, “to love America with all of their
heart and all of their soul.” The creation of this commission comes after his criticism of the 1619 Project launched by the New York Times, by Trump. The project claims to supplement traditional history teaching with the history of Black American’s oppression from slavery to the present day. Trump’s curriculum battle exemplifies the trend of American schooling erasing the sins of our past to perpetuate an image of national greatness and superiority in its citizens. Such self-aggrandizement comes with certain dangers. A study conducted through Harvard University found that certain nationalist ideals lead to negative views of immigrants and other minorities. Specifically, nationalist ideology was linked to an increased belief that immigrants increase crime rates and take “away Americans’ jobs.” One article argues that racism
and nationalism are cyclical in nature and depend on one another in some instances. It claims that the two contain more similarities than differences, thus creating codependency. These findings are rooted in the understanding that nationalism creates an ingroup, where members of the U.S. create a definition of what it means to be American, and everyone who does not meet said definition is part of an outgroup. Those in the outgroup are then treated differently because of their differences. The U.S. identity has shifted from Patriotism to Nationalism in recent history. This shift is linked to perpetuated racial injustice and inequality in the country. As our country struggles to negotiate racial tensions, it is clear that Nationalism is an identity to fear. And we should have begun fearing it long ago; as we inherit its problems in the present.
Ex-felons should have the right to vote BY KRISTEN MARCUS OPINION EDITOR
T
he 2020 election is right around the corner and there has been a major push from celebrities, influencers, politicians and the general public to go out and vote. However, there is a large population of people who cannot exercise their right to vote: convicted ex-felons. Ex-convicted felons should have the right to vote. To illustrate, felony disenfranchisement in the U.S. is the barring of individuals who were convicted of felony crimes from
voting in political elections. The Sentencing Project produces research publications that promote reform in “sentencing policy, address unjust racial disparities and practices, and to advocate for alternatives to incarceration.” They said that 6.1 million Americans were not allowed to vote because of felony disenfranchisement. If a felon is no longer incarcerated, even if they are on probation or parole, they should have the right to vote because they are back in society and they should feel like a part of it. Allowing them to vote could introduce them to legislation in their area and state, in which they too can help other ex-convicted felons. There is also a lack of pro-
gramming for ex-convicted felons, which would lead them back to a life of crime and back to being incarcerated. Felony convictions also stay on your record for life which might hinder employers from hiring them outside of a state or government-sponsored program.
Rap artist JT from the group City Girls, served a 24-month sentence for fraudulent credit card charges. During the night of the presidential debate, she shared her frustrations on Twitter. “As a felon, I feel our votes should still count I mean I do Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
still live here in America & pay taxes as well!” The ACLU later quote retweeted and said they completely agree and that our right to vote should not be taken away. The 15th amendment states that we have a right to vote not denied by race, and the 19th amendment allowed women the right to vote, so why should those who are incarcerated or ex-convicts lose their right to vote? If the U.S. is a country that cherishes each other as human beings, it should not be marginalizing this group of people; it should help them become the best people they can be for the betterment of our country as a whole.
11October
12, 2020
STUDENT LIFE
Page 16
Student receives “all lives matter” to-go box from Bartels BY BETH BEAUDRY STUDENT LIFE EDITOR
S
ince the Black Lives Matter movement was established in 2013, there has been dispute over people responding to the movement with the phrase “All Lives Matter.” The Black Lives Matter movement was created following the death of Trayvon Martin, with the Twitter hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter. With #BLM came the phrase “All Lives Matter,” which many BLM supporters have deemed insensitive. The All Lives Matter hashtag was considered to be a counter-protest to Black Lives Matter. During the summer of 2020, there was a revival of the Black Lives Matter movement as millions of people protested against systemic racism and police brutality. President Steven H. Kaplan from the University of New Haven sent an email to students on June 6, promising to help promote Black Lives Matter and diversity education more when students returned to campus in the fall. Following that promise, students were outraged when a Black student went to the Marketplace dining hall on Sept. 25 and received a to-go box with “All Lives Matter” written on the bottom of it, with a smiley face. The student who received the to-go box wishes to remain anonymous. She told the Charger Bulletin, “I don’t feel like the staff or students are getting a proper education because if they were, that phrase wouldn’t have been
on the box and handed to a Black student.” The student said that the staff member handing out the to-go boxes saw what was written on it and did not offer to give her a new one. The student later went to her residential assistant (RA), sophomore Grace-Oriana Andre about the issue. Andre said that she had come back from Bartels a few minutes before her resident did, and that her own box said “laugh” with a smiley face. She said that it appeared as though all of the boxes already had messages written on them. Hunter Lang from the Charger Bulletin received a to-go box with “peace and love.” Lang said, “From the message I got on my box, it was clear that there were good intentions behind the message, but there also seems to be a lack of political awareness.” “Every to-go box was pre-written with a message, so I don’t know for sure if it was even the young lady at the station when you first walk in to swipe your card,” Andre said. Andre posted the photo of Photo courtesy of anonymous student
the to-go box with “All Lives Matter” on her Instagram story, and the incident quickly spread across campus. “I would like the University to recognize how serious this situation is especially in these times where Black lives are fighting for justice against a system that won’t allow that,” Andre said. “Not only do I want the person who did this and others who may agree with them to be educated on the matter, but I want there to be action taken because this affects everyone on campus.” On Sept. 26 the Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA) Instagram posted a statement from dean of students Dr. Ophelie Rowe-Allen about the incident. Rowe-Allen said, “This may seem to be a benign message with no ill intent, but in the current climate, statements such as this undermine our comprehensive efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive University community in which everyone feels accepted and welcome.” “We have reached out to the dining services team to express our concern,” she said. “We
will continue to foster open dialogue on why phrases such as this are harmful and polarizing. Continuing to have these important conversations is critical to advancing progress in our communities near and far.” The student who received the box did not feel that this response was effective. She said that there was no guarantee that the faculty member would see the Instagram post and that students were not told whether or not the staff member who wrote the message was found and if the issue was even ever addressed. She said, “Why isn’t this the main priority? There is staff on campus 24/7, so why can’t anyone deal with it sooner? Are our weekend plans more important than establishing a solution and giving out the proper educational opportunity?” On Sept. 30, the dean of students office and dining services provided the Charger Bulletin with an updated response of the message posted on the USGA Instagram. This update clarified that the dean of students reached out to the general manager of dining services, and that chief diversity officer Lorenzo Boyd is planning to “foster open dialogue on why phrases such as this are hurtful and polarizing.” Rowe-Allen told the Charger Bulletin that the dean of students office and Lorenzo Boyd are investigating the Marketplace staff. On how education will increase among faculty, coordinator of leadership, diversity, and inclusion at the Myatt Center, Zanaiya Léon said, “On the Staff side, the Myatt Center offers workshops that staff, faculty, and students can take to better educate them on social
Photo courtesy of Hunter Lang
identities, power, privilege, oppression, and allyship to name a few themes. Unfortunately at this time, those workshops are not widely mandatory and are only given upon request.” Senior political science major and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) president Jordan Harris, believes that workshops should become mandatory for faculty. Harris said that teachers and faculty need to continue their education about current events and diversity, as the messages that they promote are the ones that students will carry into their careers. “The university has to show that they care about this and diversity,” he said. “They will see that the students will follow.” Harris said that he not was not surprised by what happened, but that he hopes the university makes this their priority. “This university says they stand for diversity and inclusion and I would like to see action taken place in the situation to truly support that,” Andre said.
October 12, 2020
Page 17
STUDENT LIFE
WNHU remains live during COVID-19 BY BETH BEAUDRY STUDENT LIFE EDITOR
W
ith all of the campus COVID-19 restrictions, student organizations are having to adapt. For example, the university’s radio station 88.7 WNHU is finding ways to still stream live and be active on campus. However, the need for social distancing has caused some changes to their studio. Since the Ruden Street studio has all hands-on equipment that students share, and all of the microphones are less than six feet apart, only one student in the studio is allowed at a time this semester. Students must also sanitize their equipment and show their “cleared” CoVerified badge upon entering. WNHU general manager Bruce Barber said that even
88.7 WNHU
with the changes, students are remaining flexible and positive. “We are extremely lucky that WNHU is equipped with Zetta, a professional radio station automation system,” Barber said. “All the music in Zetta is curated by our students, and we’ve been able to keep the station running remotely throughout the pandemic.” Even now, with the campus reopened, there are still oppor-
Photo courtesy of Bruce Barber
tunities for students who are off of campus to be involved with WNHU, he said. Station manager, and senior PJ Tucker said, “[If] you want to get better at audio production or want to stay off-campus due to pandemic concerns, we can help students record and edit their own radio shows from home, which we can put into the automation weekly or multiple times.”
WNHU has live shows where students are in the studio and handling the music or hosting podcasts. Even when students aren’t in the studio, there is a live 24-hour playlist. Barber said, “Our programming philosophy is that WNHU should feature ‘music FOR college students — chosen BY college students’, and we have an incredible music committee that meets regularly to add songs to the rotation.” Barber said that adapting to COVID-19 restrictions has made some positive changes for WNHU. He said there has been an improvement in communication among the team. Now that the members cannot hold in-person meetings, they meet via Zoom and stay connected via Microsoft Teams. Another way that WNHU is remaining active is by offering multiple radio shows throughout October. These shows are for a certain time block on varying
days, where there are guest hosts or a theme for the music selection. These shows range from a sports report, gospel music, jazz, Italian music, and more. There are also nights where the station is hosted by University of New Haven alumni. “We are planning new programming initiatives surrounding social justice and the effects of the pandemic, and have seen a dramatic increase in student interest surrounding podcast production,” said Barber. Eventually, students at WNHU want to host in-person events on campus. “The best part about music is if you turn it up enough, you don’t need to stand close at all!” said Tucker. “WNHU is still interested in setting up during these nice fall days to play music for our students, and keep the university positive in a time where we can all use some positive vibes.”
LASA celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month BY TIARA STARKS ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
H
ispanic Heritage Month officially began on Sept.15 to mark the independence days of Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile. At the University of New Haven, a student organization on campus has made significant strides in highlighting the importance of Latinx contributions to society during Hispanic
Heritage Month. The Latin American Student Association (LASA) is one of the most popular multicultural organizations on campus dedicated to educating members of the Charger community about Latin American cultures and contributions through professional, educational, and social programming. One of their biggest events to date has been their annual Kickoff Barbecue, which is a chance for students from all ethnic backgrounds to share in the traditions of Latin American culture, the club is open to all students and with the goal of encouraging them to learn about cultures outside of their own.
Some events they’ve had in the past few months have included “What is the “Ni Una Menos” Movement? “Not One Less,” a Conversation on Colorism & Racism in Latinx Community, and Como La Flor, a discussion on Latinx women and their inventions. Even though COVID-19 has impacted in-person programming, LASA continues to hold virtual events bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. “It’s been so difficult with COVID, as we usually have a yearly tradition of exciting events to do in person during Hispanic Heritage Month, but we’re trying the best we can to
get students to stay interested and active,” says LASA’s Executive Assistant and Sergeant-atArms, Erica Maggiore. LASA’s mission statement is, “uniting all that is different.” “We love to teach everyone about our own countries’ cultures and current issues going on, while also encouraging you to share your own stories and traditions regardless of where you come from,” Maggiore said. “We try to help those in our community by bringing everyone together and making them feel wanted and loved,” said Maggiore, “Especially freshmen where this is entirely a new experience for them, and on top of
that, being even more secluded due to COVID conditions.” You can follow LASA on Instagram @lasa_unh and to inquire about more information, please email lasa@newhaven.
Latin America
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
11October
12, 2020
FUN AND GAMES
Page 18
The Charger + The presidential debate memes + Wearing a mask to lessen your chance of acquiring the virus + Food trucks on campus
By Kristen Marcus
- The presidential debate - Not wearing a mask and catching the virus - Paying “money money� for them
Submit your positives and negatives to chargerbulletin@newhaven.edu!
Charger Crossword