September 27, 2022

Charger Bulletin The

Fleming leads 3-2 charge over Saint Anselm

BY CHRISTOPHER ELWELL Sports Editor

The New Haven women’s soccer team again found themselves in the win column on Saturday afternoon at Kathy Zolad Stadium in a crucial conference matchup with the Saint Anselm Hawks. The Chargers were able to erase their one-goal deficit from the first half with consecutive goals halfway through the second to take a 3-2 lead, which would hold for the rest of the game. New Haven has climbed their way back to .500, looking to extend their two-game win streak next week.

The Chargers would strike first this match with a goal by Vickie Fleming to the low right corner, beating opposing goalkeeper Emma Hudson. After ending their scoreless streak against Pace last Wednesday, it looked like a promising start for New Haven. Saint Anselm would answer back, however, scoring two goals in the final minutes of the first half. Within three minutes of play, New Haven saw their one-goal lead

turn into a deficit entering the second half.

The second half was dominated by New Haven who held control of the ball for the majority of the half. The Chargers kept constant pressure on the Hawks, throwing the ball to the net and generating plenty of scoring chances. Saint Anselm still found themselves up by one through all the pressure, but New Haven started making a comeback.

The Chargers were able to tie the game at two in the 73rd minute with Fleming’s second goal of the game—sneaking the ball past Hudson in the low left corner—assisted by Elizabeth Anderson. Just 42 seconds after scoring the game-tying goal came the go-ahead score off the foot of Madison Blonde, sending the crowd into a frenzy and giving the Chargers a 3-2 lead.

Blonde led New Haven with four total shots, three of those coming on goal. She was only able to connect on one of those, though, as she tallied both a goal and an assist. Fleming was perfect shooting the ball, going

2-2 on her attemtps. Midfielder Ashlee Crumrine was the only other Charger to fire a shot on goal.

Defensively, goalkeeper Amanda McQuillan anchored the team with three saves, her

third time making so many saves this season.

New Haven would make this lead stand until the end, bringing them to 4-4-2 (2-3 NE10) on the season. The Chargers will hit the road for their next match-

up against Southern Connecticut State University on Tuesday, at Jess Dow Field. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. as the Chargers look to grow their win streak. More information can be found at NewHavenChargers.com.

New Haven’s Dakota Cimetta kicks the ball against Saint Anselm, West Haven, Sept. 24, 2022.

Photo courtesy of Charger Bulletin/Tyler Rodriguez.

The student news source for the University of New Haven

The New Haven women’s soccer team celebrates after a goal against Saint Anselm, West Haven, Sept. 24, 2022.

Photo courtesy of Charger Bulletin/Tyler Rodriguez.

Theater department prepares for fall production of ‘The Hatmaker’s Wife’

BY PRESLEY DEPUGH Contributing Writer

The university’s fall production of “The Hatmaker’s Wife” is underway as the theater department held auditions for their upcoming show on Sept. 12 in the Bucknall Theater. Three days later, the first table read took place and the enthusiasm and effort of the cast could be felt through their powerful performances.

“The Hatmaker’s Wife” by Lauren Yee follows the main protagonist, Voice, who moves into a house with her boyfriend and soon begins to hear the walls talking to her.

Margaret Savilonis, associate professor and theater program director, said the university’s theater department has not yet done a play written by Yee, a famous Asian-American playwright.

Savilonis said, “We also like the story. It’s funny but it’s also, obviously, very touching and is a lot about human connection.”

She said that the program is still recovering from the impact that COVID-19 had on the world and the university. This play will show the audience a story about love and connection “in a time when we’ve been missing

that.”

Despite the event being an informal table read, the cast made sure to put their heart and soul into the performance.

Angelina Paulus, a first-year criminal justice student, who plays Voice, is no stranger to stage life. “I’ve been doing theater for about 10 years of my life. I can’t really remember a time when I was not involved in theater in some capacity.” Paulus says she’s passionate about being onstage, which shines through as she reads her lines.

Every cast member was excited to start the show and delve more into their characters.

Nialah McCalla, a first-year student studying music who plays the silent Golem, says “I’m just really excited to get more experience in theater because it’s definitely something I want to do when I leave here.” McCalla says she is looking forward to making more friends and participating in the university’s theater club.

Ian Sacci, a junior sports management major, is not only playing Voice’s “rigid” boyfriend Gabe in the play but is also an active member of the Theater Club as the vice president. He said, “We play theater games; we get people from the industry

coming in.”

Last year in the production of “Head over Heels,” Sacci played Dametas, the viceroy to King Basilius. Sacci’s experience being on stage was seen as he put all his best effort into getting to know his character Gabe during this table read.

The upcoming fall production

will have a lot of effort put into it, as Savilonis says, “We will be rehearsing three to four times a week.”

Alexa Manniccia, a first-year communications major and stage manager, said, ”It will be a lot of work...but I think I’m prepared for it.”

Make sure to set your calendar

to Nov. 16 for the first performance of “The Hatmaker’s Wife.” If you have any interest in theater, head to the Theater Club’s Charger Connection page to see a list of the upcoming events they are holding for the fall semester.

Charger Rec Center celebrates 15 years on campus

BY SAIGE BATZA Arts & Life Editor

Fifteen years following their grand opening in the spring of 2008, the Beckerman Recreation Center continues to explore new ways to celebrate the university community and the impact the Rec Center has made on the lives of students since then.

Located right past the entrance of main campus, the Charger Rec Center houses multiple recreational gyms, where students can enjoy physical activity with friends and let off steam in between classes.

University students have many events to look forward to at the Rec this semester. The Charger Rec’s intramural sports season starts on Oct. 3, and registration closes at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28. They are also hosting GroupX classes Monday through Thursday; the schedule for these classes can be found on the Charger Rec’s official Instagram account.

In addition, they will be holding events in partnership with the Myatt Center, called Pride Moves with ChargerREC, during the first week of October. There will be various events during the week, ending on Oct. 8, with a concluding field day event on

Zolad Field.

Director of Campus Recreation Jess Scibek said that student employees and faculty are what really make her hopeful about the future of the Rec Center at the university. She said, “What brought me to this campus are the same things that make me excited for the future: a student population that wants to be active and involved, student employees who are energetic and hardworking, faculty/staff who go out of their way to help students maintain balance and well-being while meeting their educational goals.”

Scibek emphasized that the Rec Center community continually strives to maintain a “culture of inclusivity and creativity.”

She highlighted the changes the Rec Center has made in serving the community since the start of the pandemic, as the building was used as a COVID testing site and events were hosted to meet COVID guidelines. She said, “Now we’re gradually getting back to transitional recreational activities –open recreation on the courts, fitness classes, resistance training, equipment check out, mind/body programs, hosting club sport competitions and playing full seasons of intramurals both indoors and outside.”

Assistant Director of Intramural Sports and Member/Guest Services Marissa Vittorio said that in her four years working for the Rec Center, she has seen many changes. “Going from a student to a professional in the same department, under the circumstances we were held to at the time, helped me develop into the professional that I am today,” she said.

Vittorio talked about the sense of joy that her job at the Rec Center has brought to her life, saying “TeamREC has been a huge part of my life, our staff is like my family, it is both the best and worst part of my job as I know they will all move on from here someday.”

One of Vittorio’s goals for the future is to help as many students as possible and provide opportunities for the campus community to get involved.

Brie Sousa, manager of programming and a university graduate student, said that her favorite aspect of working at the Rec Center is the community with other staff and students on campus. She said, “This is my fifth year working at the Rec Center and I have seen many changes from year to year, but the one consistent aspect of this job is the team environment.

Many people I have met here are my closest friends and it makes this a great place to work.”

One piece of advice Sousa would give to students interested in applying for a position at the Rec Center is “to be themselves and know their strengths.” She said, “In order to have a team that functions the best it possibly can, we have people with many different strengths so that we can all assist each other and work together as a team.”

Zach Shaner, a junior forensic science major and Member Service Attendant (MSA), said that students can get involved with the Rec Center by playing some

of the intramural sports available there. He said, “The sports we play in intramurals are split into four different seasons with our first season this year starting very soon with singles and doubles tennis, 7v7 flag football, indoor soccer, and cricket.”

Shaner said that his favorite aspect of working at the Rec Center is having the opportunity to interact with his co-workers. He said, “Since I started working here, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the other people that work in the building, and I love being able to come into work knowing that I’ll have a good time with everyone there.”

Free weights inside the Beckerman Recreation Center, West Haven, Sept. 25, 2022.

Photo courtesy Charger Bulletin/Mia Adduci.

Outside of the Bucknall Theater, West Haven, Sept. 24, 2022. Photo courtesy of Charger Buleltin/Charlotte Bassett.

Russia begins illegal referendums in Ukraine

BY LILLIAN NEWTON Politics Editor

Highly controversial Russian referendums began in Ukraine on Friday, with the aim of showcasing so-called public support for the annexation of Ukrainian territory into the Russian Federation. The voting is occurring in the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson–some of which are only partially controlled by Russia at the moment.

Russian news outlets have confirmed that voting will be conducted through a door-todoor system in most cases, as the short-term notice of the announcement left little time to build key voting infrastructure. Residents will be handed paper ballots by authorities to fill out at their own homes.

Ninel Lysenko, originally from Donetsk, was there when a similar vote occurred in 2014. Fleeing Melitopol, she said “I saw what they did there, and it was all staged… I mean, what can you do when they come to

your home? How can you vote when they have guns?”

The referendums are not only illegal under Ukrainian law but under international law as well. The referendums do not meet the basic democratic standards for free and fair elections and have therefore been seen as fraudulent by many, with the result likely to fall in Moscow’s favor.

Global leaders have denounced the process, with U.S. President Joseph Biden saying that the referendums were a ”sham.”

At the same time, the referendums could still open the door for the Kremlin to “officially” annex the regions, expanding Russia’s borders. Furthermore, Russia could use the outcome of the referendums to illegitimately claim that any future attempt by Ukrainian forces to take back the regions is an attack on Russia itself, escalating the war.

The move reflects Moscow’s decades-old Stalinist playbook of introducing illegal pseudo votes in neighboring nations

that Russia wants to annex.

At the same time, Russia has broken its own rulebook–in the past, Russia commenced staged votes only after territories had been invaded and occupied fully. This change likely reflects President Vladimir Putin’s worry that his military forces may face a real risk of defeat.

Russian-backed separatists have chorused their support for the vote. Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-backed leader of the self-described Luhansk People’s Republic, has been vocal in his avid support for the annexation, saying “All of us have been waiting for a referendum on joining Russia for 8 long years. We have already become part of Russia. There remains only a small matter – to win [the war].”

While Russia had previously recognized Ukraine’s post-Soviet era borders under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Putin still believes several regions of eastern and southern Ukraine to be rightful territories of Russia due to mistakes made by Soviet

leaders Vladimir Lenin and Nikita Khrushchev.

At the United Nations, members of the Security Council (SC) have condemned Putin’s annexation plans. The SC has further criticized Russia’s escalation of the war, specifically noting Russia’s mobilization of troops and Putin’s threat to use

nuclear weapons.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council that the latest developments in the war by Russia are “dangerous and disturbing.” He went on to further say, “They are further steps away from any prospect of peace- and towards an endless cycle of horror and bloodshed.”

Jan. 6 Committee hearings set to begin at end of month

BY FAITH ARCURI Contributing Writer

The House Jan. 6. committee, which is tasked to investigate the events surrounding the 2021 invasion of the U.S. Capitol, will resume its hearings on Sept. 28., according to Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson.

“That’s the goal at this point. We are looking at the process of being able to look at the report… as well as closing the loop on any potential witnesses,” he said. It would be the first gathering since the panel concluded its summer sessions on July 25.

Thompson also said the intention is to create an interim report by mid-October and finalize the document before the end of the year.

“We sunset at the end of December,” Thompson said.

With the midterm elections in November, the panel is set to finish its investigation and release its report soon. Currently, Republicans are expected to win back control of the House of Representatives. If the party is in control when the next Congress is sworn in come January, they will likely shut down the committee.

“Obviously, if the Republicans win the midterms, the committee is going to be folded up,” Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, told TIME. “They’re under some time pressure to get that out. It’s obvious that there’s a Democratic strategy to make Trump front and center because that’s politically helpful.”

He also said, “If this had been a

normal investigation, rather than one that had been on a compressed time frame, then I think they would have done a lot of things differently. The pace would be different.”

The committee is still seeking testimony from conservative activist Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Getting her to testify has been a month-long goal, Thompson said, and that any appearance by her had to be “delayed” due to “some things that happened.”

Ginni Thomas attracted the committee’s attention after it became public that she had corresponded with John Eastman, a lawyer involved in the campaign to pressure former Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to certify the election. Thomas also attended the former President Donald Trump’s rally at the Ellipse that preceded the Capitol attack and urged former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows to assist in overturning the 2020 election results.

The panel is also looking for another segment of emails from Eastman, who had previously testified before the committee and repeatedly pleaded the Fifth.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Pence and potentially Trump are among the others on the committee’s list.

In past hearings, the Congressional Committee has released video and photographic evidence from Jan. 6, which included never-before-seen-outtakes of Donald Trump’s video to his supporters, video of Senator Josh Hawley running from Capitol attackers he

had previously encouraged and an appeal from Rep. Liz Cheney to those who supported Trump that day.

Trump, the committee already said, was directly involved in trying to have election workers and lawmakers at both federal and local levels declare him the winner of the race over President Joseph Biden. Some of the officials that Trump pressured were Pence, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Arizona State House of Representative Rusty Bowers.

Trump and Pence had a phone call hours before the joint congressional session to confirm the votes began, in what onlookers described as a “heated” conversation. As the Capital attack unfolded and the mob threatened to kill the vice president, Pence was

forced to hide in an underground location while Trump continued to criticize him on social media.

“President Trump is wrong. … I had no right to overturn the election,” Pence said at a speech earlier this year. “The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone. And frankly there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president.”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was one of the most pressured local officials, as Trump fixated on his loss in the Peach State.

The phone call between Raffensperger and Trump revealed the former president asking Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes in Georgia- just one vote over the margin by which he trailed Biden.

At one point on the call, Trump suggested that his inaction could mean he was criminally liable, but Raffensperger denied Trump’s request and his false assertions including his claim that thousands of dead people voted in the election.

Rusty Bowers became emotional as he described to the committee the tool of being asked to violate his oath of office. Trump asked Bowers to help with a plan to replace the state’s electors committed to Biden during a phone call weeks after Trump lost the election. Bowers insisted on seeing evidence of voter fraud, which he said Trump was never able to produce.

Speaking to ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, he was asked if he ever considered going along with Trump’s plan. Bowers said, “The idea of throwing out the election of the president is like, okay, so what part of Jupiter do I get to land on and colonize?”

There has been a lot of media coverage of the hearings, and some students have not been following the action. Health science student Hannah Zutant says that it’s been “hard to follow” because there’s been “too much going on in the world, it’s been too crazy to watch it.”

Hearings can be viewed on major television networks including ABC, CBS, CNN, NBS/MSNBC, CNBC and Fox Business. The hearings will also be livestreamed and available to watch in full on C-SPAN and on the select committee’s Youtube channel.

The American flag flies in front of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

A headshot of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

University announces GSI increase in midst of inflated economy

BY MIA ADDUCI Campus News Editor

Earlier this month, Chancellor Steven Kaplan announced a 2% General Salary Increase (GSI) for much of the current faculty and staff.

Vice President of Finance and Administration George Synodi spoke further to clarify this financial decision.

He said that those eligible include “the non-union employees of the university” and described the number of groups within university faculty and staff which are parts of separate unions, including police staff and facilities employees. For workers who are unionized, salary increases are established through collective bargaining agreements.

Synodi said those who qualify are non-unionized employees who have been working for the university for an established period of time; new faculty and staff do not currently qualify.

Synodi further spoke on the process of implementing the GSI increase. He explained how the university operates on a fiscal calendar - running from July 1 to June 30, and hence annual budgets are set around this time.

He said “when we put our annual budget plan together, we included the 2% in the budget planning.” He also said that the university references records from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the northeast region in order to determine the values set for such salary increases.

Inflation rates are “the highest that they’ve been in years” Synodi said, and as a result, they needed to assess their annual budget. Pre-pandemic, inflation rates within the region and across the country tended to stay closer to the 2-3% range, whereas now they have hit closer to 7-8%.

Synodi said that the university considers factors such as cost of living (COL) when determining changes in worker salary. He also emphasized the value of supporting workers through such economic factors in light of valuing the retention of “good employees.”

When considering future GSI increases and other responses regarding salary needs, Synodi said that “in order to remain competitive we’re going to need to consider that.”

In a different light, Synodi said that the GSI increase did not pull funding from any other areas of the university’s

budget. Surrounding concerns about a rise in tuition, he said “absolutely not in the current year” as “there is no budgetary impact” to this motion.

He said that the salary increase was a response to the current economic climate, and that while other universities are

actually awarding greater increases, the University of New Haven is currently “just not in a position to do that.”

Sydoni voiced his hopes that the rates of inflation will slow down, but in the meantime budgets would reflect COL needs at this time. This

mirrored Kaplan’s response, who in his official notice said “While we must remain highly strategic and fiscally prudent in the current higher education landscape, investing in and nurturing our people must remain a top priority.”

Students report multiple dead animal sightings across campus

BY MIA ADDUCI Campus News Editor

Over a span of 18 days, student reports have accounted for 10 dead bird sightings, one dead mouse and numerous appearances from a live possum, primarily around the outside of the Marketplace near the Bergami Center.

The following summarize the current bird carcass record as of Sept. 23:

Sept. 1: The first bird is spotted outside of Bartels Hall.

Sept. 2: A second bird is spotted outside of Bartels Hall.

Sept. 9: A dead bird was spotted outside of Celentano Hall in addition to another outside of Bartels Hall.

Sept. 18: Another dead bird is spotted on a sidewalk on campus.

Sept. 19: Another dead bird is spotted in mulch below a tree on campus.

Sept. 24: Another dead bird is spotted outside of the Rec Center, and an additional two dead birds were spotted being consumed by a squirrel under a tree.

Sept. 25: Another dead bird is spotted at the back end of the Bergami Center, near the Marketplace.

When viewing pictures corresponding to these incidents, different coloration and position at the time of death distinguish the carcasses from one another and eliminate the potential of the carcasses being relocated

to account for multiple incidents.

Student reports also provide an image of the dead mouse outside of Bartels Hall on Sept. 8, generating a tally of seven small animal carcasses around the largest dining location on campus.

Additionally, numerous possum sightings have occurred around the Bartels area since the start of the semester, with student reports being recorded on Sept. 12 and 15, under which other students voiced similar sightings.

Dead animals pose the risk of Salmonellosis, Campylobacter and Clostridium perfringens, as well as a number of other zoonotic diseases.

FEMA outlines the potential dangers of the decomposition of animal carcasses, in saying that “The environment is threatened as carcasses decompose and release large numbers of coliform, Clostridia, and other bacterial organisms.

When these organisms are shed into the environment, surface and ground water can become contaminated, leading to infringements of EPA and DNR regulations. In the case of intoxications, further consideration has to be given as to whether the toxin will leach into the environment and cause more problems.”

The CDC also outlines that 48 states present risk for West Nile Virus, which is transmitted through mosquitoes. They indicated that dead birds should not be handled

with bare hands, as birds both consume mosquitoes and can easily be bitten by them. West Nile Virus has been detected in 23 towns in the state of CT as of Aug. 29, including West Haven, New Haven and a neighboring town of Milford.

Birds and rodents have been sighted numerous times over the span of just under two weeks.

According to the University Police Department (UPD), the university does not have an animal control office, and inquiring students are redirected to the West Haven Police Department (WHPD)’s Office of Animal Control.

WHPD Animal Control has not responded to a request to comment, however on Sept. 21, Dispatcher

Rich Standish said that they do not take care of animals that are on university property.

He also said that there are no legal regulations to consider in terms of animal disposal, and that dead animals should just be “thrown in the trash by facilities workers.” He refused to speak further on the matter.

Dave Crenshaw from the Office of Marketing and Communications outlined a different policy, and said that “We do not have any knowledge or reports of any such events across the University. The University does maintain a program for vermin control that is managed through our Office of Facilities. Should students experience something like this they

should contact Facilities.”

The university’s Environmental Health and Safety Department, and representatives under the Environmental and Workplace Safety office also did not respond to requests for comment.

Representatives from the Office of Marketing and Communications said that they were not aware of any incidents of such nature.

On Sept 2., students reported that the Marketplace garbage was overflowing, having not been emptied for several days prior. Updated images showed the garbage removed on Sept. 4.

It is unknown at this time whether sanitation issues are connected to the animals in the surrounding area.

A dead bird lays on a sidewalk on the UNH campus, West Haven, Sept. 25, 2022.

,Photo courtesy of Charger Bulletin/Samuel Weinmann.

A $20 bill wedged in the door of President Zenger’s office., West Haven, Sept. 24, 2022. Photo courtesy of Charger Bulletin/Charlotte Bassett.

UPD officers newly equipped with body cameras on campus

BY LILLIAN NEWTON Politics Editor

As of July 1, 2022, all police officers working for the University of New Haven are required to wear body-worn cameras (BWCs) while on duty. This change went into effect throughout the state and across campus.

This change comes as part of new accountability guidelines for all sworn police officers across Connecticut. The law, titled “An Act Concerning Police Accountability” was passed in 2020 by the House of Representatives in the Connecticut General Assembly and later in the state Senate. It requires sworn police officers to wear BWCs during all public interactions.

The 64-page bill includes a number of substantial changes to policing in Connecticut beyond BWC implementation and usage. The General Assembly not only mandated the usage of BWCs by police officers but also required dashboard cameras to be installed in all police vehicles. The bill also included increased training in implicit bias and crowd management, the duty to intervene if a police officer witnesses excessive use of force and prohibiting departments from imposing quotas on officers for pedestrian citations.

On Aug. 31, the Dean of Students Office released an email on behalf of Dean of Students Ophelie Rowe-Allen and University Police Department (UPD) Chief Adam Brown detailing the changes. The email says–in part–“Body cameras record visual footage at all times. Officers are required to enable audio recording when interacting in a law enforcement capacity or when responding to

a call for service.” They further elaborated, saying “UPD is committed to employing best practices for using body camera technology and in safeguarding the privacy of those we interact with. Above all, our paramount priority is protecting our campus, ensuring the safety of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors, and being accountable to the individuals we serve.”

The email went on to provide a statement of commitment to providing students with a “holistic approach to public safety and personnel development that enriches the mental health and intellectual wellness of our community.”

“I feel like I am more safe because I know, at least, I’m from New Jersey and by law there they have to let you know when they are recording and let you know if they’re recording you” freshman Grace McDermott said when asked about the change. “ I like the idea of them being recorded and having accountability for their actions, and I don’t really feel like my privacy is being invaded because they have to tell me, and if I don’t want to be recorded, I feel as though I can just leave the situation… I would like to have proof of what is actually happening versus word of mouth.”

Similarly, junior Tony Khanphouy feels safer on campus with BWCs. He said “For me, it’s okay. It promotes more safety.”

Sydney Robinson, a senior forensic psychology major, just recently found out about the UPD’s implementation of the devices, saying “I definitely feel like it’s needed given the area we live in, and just with everything going on. I definite-

ly think that more university police departments need to be doing it.”

While this change is new for UNH, a number of other Connecticut colleges had previously adopted the usage of BWCs.

According to the Quinnipiac Chronicle, Quinnipiac University’s Public Safety added BWCs to their tool kit in late Aug. 2017.

The University of Connecti-

cut made the change even earlier, with a pilot program in the spring semester of 2016 with six officers on the Storrs campus and one at the UConn School of Law to test out wearing the devices. The university expected all 82 sworn police officers working for the school at the time to be wearing BWCs by the summer. UConn’s change came as a result of a law passed in 2015 that required

several state agencies, including UConn, to have the equipment in use by July 1, 2016.

Similarly, in neighboring New Haven, Yale University Police officers have been wearing body cameras since 2016. The Yale University Police Department updates Order 427 on Body Worn Cameras annually in order to ensure the standards for BWC usage are up to date.

The University of New Haven Police Department Sign, West Haven, Sept. 24, 2022. Photo courtesy of Charger Bulletin/Samuel Weinmann.

Editorials

Our Staff Concerns arise surrounding university cleanliness

Editor-in-Chief

Tyler Wells Managing Editor

Samuel Weinmann

Arts & Life Editor

Saige Batza Politics Editor

Lillian Newton Sports Editor

Christopher Elwell Campus News Editor

Mia Adduci Copy Desk Chief Lindsay Giovannone Photography Editor

Charlotte Bassett Community Engagement Editor

Amber Cholewa Multimedia Editor

Stephen Gangi Videography Editor

Andrea Rojas 88.7 WNHU Liasion

Carl Giannelli Advisor

Susan L. Campbell

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BY EDITORIAL STAFF

For a little over a week, students had noticed trash cans that had been continually piled with garbage, cups and fiending flies outside of The Marketplace. A casual walk by would render a nauseating smell that helped to spoil students’ appetites even before they stepped into the dining hall.

Even as the issue was noticed, the trash cans remained. And they remained. And still, they were there, for five whole days, until finally they were removed, and the stench shifted away from the dining hall’s entrance.

Why did this take so long, even as the discarded food was left to fester, uncovered, in the early September heat?

In the first month of the fall semester, many students have noticed some concerning aspects of the university’s cleanliness. Most notable has been the increasing number of dead animals found and posted to social media.

This has raised the question to students: do we live on a clean campus?

Dead animals will happen anywhere you go, but the frequency with which they’ve been found has been surprising. In just the last three weeks, there have been 10 dead birds and one dead mouse found throughout campus. On Friday, the Instagram @ unh_afterdark posted an anonymous submission from a student that showed two dead birds and a squirrel eating them just outside of the Recreation Center.

In the dorms, some students have found troubling amounts of dust in the vents and around their rooms. Students in the Forest Hills complex, located just off campus, have also dealt with a recurring black mold problem that has gotten residents sick for many years now.

The university has also made clear the asbestos they have in a number of buildings, outlining the locations of its presence in a lengthy report from Associate

Page Six View

BY LINDSAY GIOVANNONE Copy Desk Chief Column

Censorship, and advocating for it, is anti-American. Banning and controlling information is the work of an authoritarian government, not a democratic one. It is also a violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Even still, individuals and entities make attempts to ban certain works of literature for a myriad of reasons. According to the American Library Association (ALA), the top three reasons written works are challenged are because there is “sexually explicit” content, content that is “unsuited for any age group” and/or content with “offensive language.”

Pen America, an organization that advocates for free speech, reported that from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, schools banned 2,532 books. These bans occurred in 32 states and affected 4 million students.

2022 is set up to be a record year of book challenges; from Jan. 1 – Aug. 1 alone, there have been 681 challenges on 1,651 unique titles. 41% of these books have LGBTQ themes and protagonists, 40% include protagonist or secondary characters of color, 22% contain various sexual content and 21% address race or racism.

“Everywhere Babies” is a picture book for children aged

1-3 containing illustrations of babies crawling, sleeping and being cradled by family members was placed on the Florida Citizens Alliance Porn in Schools Report because there is an illustration of a same-sex couple, which is absolutely asinine. If you are viewing a book about babies as having pornographic material, reevaluate yourself and your perspective. Same-sex couples taking care of a child is not pornography; this is a book intended for babies’ enrichment and learning.

Over half of the books challenged are intended for young adults or children. It is not children that are challenging books for their content, but adults who are fearful that their children may be “exposed” to certain themes or content, such as gender identity, mental illness, sexuality and racism. But this bubble they are fabricating is only to comfort themselves. Racial injustice will not end because a child doesn’t read about it; queer people will still exist; mental illness will still be prevalent. Reading about these topics and seeing your identity and experiences in an empowered character is affirming and validating.

Books represent the most core experiences of a society and reflect the world’s most common occurrences. They are time capsules of their periods. You cannot coddle your children into ignorance and shield them from the realities of life.

Vice President of Facilities Louis Annino. While this isn’t generally something that students need to worry about, it is an underlying threat in the case that buildings get damaged. These occurrences across campus aren’t the only things to worry about; it’s also what’s going on inside the dining halls that is concerning as well. Students have posted to social media about a number of problems with food, including meat being undercooked or rotten. Many plates and bowls will have old food on them, which can either be scraped off or ignored by the next student who eats it. While this will always be an issue for any school, it is never a good look when these are the only meals that some students are able to get.

Also, in The Marketplace, a change has been made in their trash shoots, so that food waste, trash and utensils end up going in the same shoot. This has the tendency to overflow, due to the high volume of trash it sees, and

students are left to just throw trash on top of the pile.

While some of these issues are unavoidable, there are others where it would be refreshing to see the university take accountability.

Cleanliness in the dorms is an item which should especially be focused on. Such issues shouldn’t arise in the first month of classes when there was an entire summer available to dedicate towards getting these health and safety issues figured out.

Tuition rates currently stand at an annual $42,610 plus the costs of housing and dining arrangements. If this money isn’t being used to resolve issues that students are noticing at every turn, then where is the proof that their money is being put back into bettering their futures?

Until these needs are addressed, they will continue to affect the student experience on campus. We’re only left to ask, is this the experience the university wants to give the student body?

Bartels doors: Only one way in

BY CHARLOTTE BASSETT Photography Editor

The topic of “Bart’s doors” has become a trigger word for most upperclassmen, and I can only assume freshmen are about to catch on quickly too. Legend has it that the kneehigh doors by Jazzman’s Cafe, above the stairs leading down to The Marketplace (aka Barts, the unofficial, cooler name by far), can only open on your way out of the dining hall. Prior reasoning to this one-entrance-only phenomenon into the dining hall was to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect students, faculty’s top priority at the university. Flashforward to this moment, as you’re reading this article, it is largely assumed that the pandemic has pretty much run its course and college life is largely back to normal. Considering this, one is left to question: are the doors really necessary?

In my opinion, having to trek outside around the entire dining hall, in rain, snow, or tornado, just to swipe our cards at a kiosk that could easily be placed at the top of the steps we stood in front of, is kind of absurd, and that’s not even the best part. Imagine having to use the bathroom during your meal. Oh yeah, the closest one is up the stairs by Jazzman’s, just past the infamous doors. After going

up the stairs and “doing your thing,” trek number two around the outside of the building begins just to get back to your plate of food which was just a mere 20 steps away.

The real question is, why is this necessary? What could possibly be the reasoning for this inefficient and inconvenient way of life on campus?

I can tell you the dining staff themselves do not know the exact reason why this is, either.

The employees, as helpful, kind and welcoming as they are, cannot risk getting into trouble, although they may sympathize with us and our lengthy commute.

If you find yourself annoyed with the current situation, visit @nomorebartelsdoors on Instagram, and check out the link in their bio to voice your thoughts.

Please help make life a little easier for the food eating population here on campus, which includes simply everyone at the university. College is supposed to develop independent minds with the power of knowledge and encourage the questioning of why things are the way that they are, so we can make the world a better place.

I look forward to your help, and I hope to see us all walk down the steps into The Marketplace in the foreseeable future.

No. 23 football takes down Bentley 21-13 on the road

BY TYLER WELLS Editor-In-Chief

In their first Northeast-10 conference game on the road in 2022, the New Haven football team walked out of the hostile Bentley University environment with a 21-13 win on Friday night. It was a cold and windy game, making the offensive attacks on each side limited. However, the New Haven rushing attack stepped up in a big way, carrying the offensive load as the defense held stout enough.

New Haven running back Christopher Ais got the night started on the ground, exploding for a 42-yard rush through a gap in the defensive line – hurdling a member of the Bentley secondary before being tackled at the 12-yardline. After a two yard gain by fellow RB Hunter Cobb, Ais punched in the touchdown with a 10-yard rush to take a quick 7-0 lead.

Benltey responded with a field goal in their next drive to make it a 7-3 game, which would be the last score of the first quarter.

At the start of the second quarter, Ais once again took to the ground to gash the Bentley defense with smaller gains, leading the offense down to the one-yard line. Quarterback

Connor Degenhardt took it from there, sneaking into the end zone and giving New Haven a 14-3 lead.

Bentley ended the half strong though, responding with a touchdown of their own to trim the lead to just four at the break.

The offenses slowed in the second half, as the sides traded possessions in the third quarter with no points being registered.

However, the first Bentley drive of the fourth ended with a field goal, giving New Haven a slim one-point lead.

Momentum was heavily in the Falcons’ favor when they held New Haven to a three-andout, forcing a quick punt to get the ball back. The punt, with a swirling wind and cold weather, only went 18 yards to give Bentley premium field position down by one with just 10 minutes left.

On the first play of the Bentley drive, their quarterback rolled out of the pocket looking for room to rush. New Haven defensive lineman Jack Quander reached the QB, knocking the ball out of his hand and forcing a fumble that rolled away in the open. It was recovered on the run by New Haven linebacker David Onyemem and returned for a touchdown to give the Chargers a 21-13 lead, crippling

the Bentley momentum. From there, the New Haven defense remained stout and didn’t give Bentley anything more on offense. The ball finally ended up back in the Chargers hands as they kneeled and ran out the clock, giving New Haven their third straight win. Degenhardt finished with 62 passing yards on just 13 attempts because of the weather, while Ais led all rushers with 136 rushing yards and a touchdown. Cobb added 25 yards of

Field hockey beats SMC 1-0

BY TYLER WELLS Editor-In-Chief

After being ranked 10th in the country to open the season, the New Haven field hockey team struggled to find a win over its first four games. While three of those games came against ranked opponents, including one goal losses to Adelphi and Assumption, the Chargers were left waiting for their first win of the year.

This would come as they traveled to Vermont to take on St. Michael’s College, walking away from the long trip with a 1-0 win over the Purple Knights.

The first period went by quietly for both sides as neither were able to find the back of the net. New Haven’s defense remained strong, giving up just a single shot during the period that was blocked.

In the second period, midfielder Sophia Schreck connected for her second goal of the season, giving New Haven a 1-0 lead in the match; forward Abby Nixon was credited with the assist. This would be enough for the Chargers as their defense kept the St. Michael’s offense off the board.

When the buzzer sounded, New Haven dominated on the stat sheet, tallying 15 shots on goal while the Purple Knights were limited to just seven. Schreck led the team with five, while sophomore defender added three of her own to pace the offensive attack. The defense was anchored by goalkeeper Kiera Integ-

lia, who made seven saves and kept St. Michael’s scoreless. It was her seventh career shutout as a Charger, and her first of the 2022 season.

With the win, New Haven improves to 1-4 (1-0 NE-10) and starts conference play strong. Meanwhile, St. Michael’s falls to 0-5 (0-1 NE10).

Field hockey returns to play on Tuesday for their first home game of the 2022 season. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on the blue turf of Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium. More information on their upcoming schedule can be found at NewHavenChargers.com.

his own on the ground, while wide receiver Kasi Hazzard led the team with 32 receiving yards. On defense, defensive back Khyon Fitzpatrick returned from injury in a big way this week, leading the team with nine tackles. Linebacker Damon Burton Jr. tallied eight of his own while Onyemem had six tackles and the fumble recovery for a touchdown.

With the win, New Haven improves to 3-1 (2-0 NE-10) and extends their winning streak to

three games. On the other side, Bentley falls to 2-2 (0-1 NE-10).

The Chargers return to action on Saturday as they travel to New Hampshire for a matchup with Saint Anselm College. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. as New Haven looks to continue their win streak and remain undefeated in conference play. More information on the game can be found at NewHavenChargers.com.

MSOC v. FPU

BY CHRISTOPHER ELWELL Sports Editor

The New Haven men’s soccer team took to the road on Saturday night to face the Franklin Pierce Ravens at Sodexo Field, falling 4-0. The Ravens, who entered the game as the second ranked team in the country, dominated this game from the start, scoring three of their four goals in the first half of play and limiting New Haven to just two shots, a new season-low. New Haven is still searching for their first win of the season, falling to 0-5-3 (0-2-2 NE-10) on the season.

Franklin Pierce got on the board in the 13th minute with the first of two goals by midfielder Miguel Secades Rodriguez. It would not take them long to score again with a goal by Braudilio Rodrigues in the 16th minute, beating Chargers goalkeeper Themis Kastoris. Rodriguez would then connect for his second score of the game in the 29th minute with the assist coming from Rodrigues, giving the

Ravens a 3-0 lead in the first half.

The second half was not much better for the Chargers, who were not able to register a shot on goal. This game was a step in the wrong direction for New Haven who had attempted 40 shots in the previous two games. Midfielder Alexander Gunnarsson and forward Adam Lindstrom were the only ones to attempt a shot.

Franklin Pierce would extend their lead to four in the 74th minute with a score by Younes Addar. Kastoris would register a season-high nine saves in the game, but Franklin Pierce proved to be too much for him and the Chargers.

New Haven will now come home for their next matchup with Saint Rose on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at Kathy Zolad Stadium. They will look to get their first win of the season with kickoff set for 7 p.m. More information can be found at NewHavenChargers. com.

The field hockey post game graphic, Sept. 24, 2022. Photo courtesy of Instagram/@unewhavenfh.

Players on the New Haven football team celebrate after a touchdown against AIC, Sept.17, 2022, West Haven. Photo courtesy of Charger Bulletin/Tyler Wells.

Volleyball drops first home match 3-1 to SNHU

BY TYLER WELLS

Editor-In-Chief

After opening the season with 13 consecutive matches on the road, the New Haven women’s volleyball team returned to Charger Gymnasium for the first time in 2022. The result didn’t go the Chargers’ way, however, as they dropped the match 1-3 to Southern New Hampshire University in their second Northeast-10 (NE-10) matchup of the season.

The first set started well for New Haven, as they relied on the arms of their young front line. Freshmen Kylie Reynolds-Martin, Amihan Johnson and Avery Moore all contributed kills in the set, as senior outside hitter Emily Barry added three of her own. The New Haven defense carried the team in the set though, as they earned nine straight points on blocks and SNHU service errors.

This took the set from a 9-9 tie to an 18-10 New Haven advantage, allowing them to take an insurmountable lead. As such, the Chargers walked away with a dominant first set victory.

The second set was the complete opposite, as the Penmen were in control for much of the time to take a 25-15 win. Sophomore outside hitter Macy Brown got onto the scoresheet in the set, tallying three kills to pace New Haven; Johnson also added another

three kills to her total in the set.

The momentum continued to swing in the Penmen’s favor during the third set, as they outpaced the Chargers once again. With SNHU up 5-4, they rattled off five straight points to take a 10-4 lead. They then used another seven point streak to take an 19-10 lead, and effectively take New Haven out of the set.

Just like that, after starting the match strong, New Haven

was on its heels trying to rally. The team showed life in the final set, even after once again falling behind. With the set at 19-12, the Chargers went on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to two. Three blocks on the front line, plus kills from Brown and Moore, sparked the run, as the New Haven bench caught life despite being down.

However, it wouldn’t be enough as SNHU rattled off the final four points to take a 25-20 win in the final set.

Barry and Reyonolds-Martin led a balanced New Haven attack, tallying eight kills each. Brown added seven kills of her own and led the team with 18 digs, while Johnson and Moore connected for five. Sophomore setter Sophia Leon-Tabor contributed 25 assists to lead the team, as Brown and sophomore defensive specialist Carleigh Vedder were the only two Chargers to connect on aces, with two and one respectively.

With the loss, New Haven falls back to .500 at 7-7 (1-1 NE-10) and snaps their fourgame winning streak. On the other side, SNHU improves to 7-3 (1-1 NE-10).

Volleyball returns to the floor on Saturday as New Haven hosts Le Moyne College with the match slated to begin at 4 p.m. For more information on the upcoming schedule, or a live stream of the next game, visit NewHavenChargers.com.

New Haven’s Emily Barry prepares to spike the ball, West Haven, Sept. 24, 2022.

Photo courtesy of Charger Bulletin/Tyler Wells.

The New Haven volleyball team celebrates after a point against Southern New Hampshire, West Haven, Sept. 24, 2022. Photo courtesy of Charger Bulletin/Tyler Wells.

Kylie Reynolds-Martin spikes the ball against SNHU, West Haven, Sept. 24, 2022.

Photo courtesy of Charger Bulletin/Tyler Wells.