Horseshoe
Our Staff
Executive Editor
Elisa Broche
Managing Editor
Haiden Leach UNH 25'
Maggie Farrelly
Interpretative Section Manager
Abigail Riggins
Photojournalism Section Manager
Hannah Loosman UNH 25'
Campus Features Section Manager
Haiden Leach UNH 25'
Literary Section Manager
Katie August
Investigative Section Manager
Jade Edwards-Figueroa
Contributing writers
Hannah Ferrara UNH 25'
Djemima Duvernat
Mirakel L. Spellman
Nevaeh Lugo
Michael Crowley
Azam Hostetler
Gabriella Pinto
Joshua Lozano UNH 25'
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Photographer: Haiden Leach UNH 25"
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Photographer: Ashley Bekondo UNH 25'
Model: Haiden Leach UNH 25"
Am I the Villian?
By: Djemima Duvernat
Is it possible for one person to have lived many lives?
I know cats have nine lives, but humans have just one. One life to love, one life to live, and one life for pain. Some may say that there is more to life than just these three. Others would argue that life is split into positive and negative. My life has been split into three different lives so far, and I hope I have a few more ahead of me.
There comes a time when one wonders, am I the villain?
I always wondered if I was a villain in any of my past lives. Sometimes being a villain is not bad; it depends on who is looking at it. Most people would say that the glass is half full, while others would argue that it is half empty. Who is right? Certainly not me. Since I do not know where I stand on the subject. I will let the reader decide at the end of the reading. Do you think I had three lives? Or am I a villain? And if so, do I see the glass half full or half empty?
Meet “Ancient Mama.”
Mama is my biological parent’s nickname for me. She was raised in Haiti in the kitchen with her mother. She was happy, naive, and oblivious. She had friends; she was surrounded by family. Her sister was her best friend. She had good grades and went on trips and outings with friends. She was raised in a troublesome country with shootings, shutdowns, and deaths everywhere. But she was happy because her family was there. Her mother would still cook the most delicious meals. Her father would still dance with her and talk to her about all his favorite songs. She and her sister would spend the nights gossiping in their rooms.
One of Ancient Mama’s best memories is Christmas. Although there was no tree, no gifts, and no Santa, there was love and happiness radiating from the house. Father was playing music; Mother was in the kitchen making something delicious, and the sisters were doing laundry while talking and laughing. Those were the best memories of “Ancient Mama.”
Is she a villain?
Meet “Bitter Pig.”
Pig is a nickname given to me by the people my parents left me with when I moved to the United States. She was 12 years old, and yes, she was left all alone. She was never happy with the fact that she was sent to live with strangers. She had no friends, and she rarely smiled. She lived in Florida, then she moved to Indianapolis with the same family. She was told to cook and clean. She was called a pig, and no one in the family spoke to her unless they needed something from her. She was mistreated and abused to the point she almost committed suicide. The family proceeded to kick her out the day of her failed suicide attempt. She was sent to live with another friend of the family. New family, new life, right? Maybe a new start?
One of “Bitter Pig’s” best memories is being groomed by the husband of the new family. He overfed her fast food. Their son would physically abuse her. The mother was never present, often working twelve-hour shifts. She depended on the husband for everything, something he took advantage of. He made inappropriate comments and touched those private places he should have never been able to. Until that dreadful night, she did not scream; she was told that no one would believe her.
Is she a villain?
Meet “Mima.”
A nickname given to me by my new family. She smiles; she is loved by her foster mom and her sisters. She is on her way to pursuing her biggest dream of becoming a lawyer. She has good and bad days, but, on either day, she is reminded that she is loved by the moon and back. She is traumatized, but she has friends now and people who will never let her down. She has a family now that loves and cherishes her. She found love again; she finally had a good night's sleep. A family dinner, a mother’s hug that compares to nothing on this earth. She has been smiling and living a life she had given up a long time ago.
One of “Mima’s” best memories is the road trip she went on with her loving family. The countless goodnight kisses and hugs. The family dinners, lunches, and movie nights. She is able to finally be a child at the age of sixteen. She is loved again; she is wanted again, and this time, it is not because she can cook and clean. It is because she was loved for just being herself. She was loved when no one loved her.
Is she a villain?
TheHandmaid’sTaleandthe
By:ElisaBroche
costofsilence: WhoWillTheyComeforNext?
Based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name, “The Handmaid’s Tale” premiered as a television series on Hulu in April 2017. Created by Bruce Miller, the show quickly gained critical acclaim for its chilling adaptation of Atwood’s dystopian vision. The series is directed by various filmmakers, including Reed Morano, Mike Barker, and Daina Reid. It stars Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne, a woman forced into servitude in the totalitarian regime of Gilead.
The adaptation stays true to the novel’s themes of oppression and resistance, while it expands on its characters and world-building to reflect contemporary issues.
One of the most common criticisms of the television adaptation is the lack of diversity in its cast. Some viewers argue that, given the racial realities of our world, a dystopia like Gilead would likely oppress people of color even more brutally. But when I hear this, I can’t help but think beyond that. If women of color, if marginalized communities disappear, who will the powerful turn against next? The answer is simple: women. Any and all women, regardless of race. And in many ways, that is exactly the world we are living in today.
The idea that only the most privileged can escape oppression is a dangerous illusion one that “The Handmaid’s Tale” shatters. Women like Serena Joy believed they were exempt from the horrors of Gilead. She helped craft the very policies that stripped women of their rights, only to become a prisoner of her own making. Serena thought she would remain powerful because she was one of the main architects, one of the favored. But in a system built on controlling women, power is never permanent for any woman.
Margaret Atwood, the author, has repeatedly said that nothing in her novel is purely fiction. Every form of oppression in Gilead is inspired by real events from history. The forced surrogacy imposed on handmaids, for instance, echoes the practices of the Argentine dictatorship (19761983), where pregnant political prisoners were executed after giving birth, with their babies handed over to military families. The strict dress codes imposed on women in Gilead resemble policies enforced by the Taliban, where women were and continue to be required to wear full-body coverings and are denied basic freedoms. Additionally, the novel’s systematic stripping away of women’s financial independence is reminiscent of the historical reality in the United States before the 1970s, when many women could not open bank accounts or obtain credit cards without a husband's permission. Atwood has drawn from these and other historical and contemporary realities to craft a dystopia that feels uncomfortably familiar.
The situation is a chilling reminder that power seeks to silence women any woman who dares to speak uncomfortable truths. During a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. AyanaPressley (D-Mass.) attempted to bring up the devastating reality of rape, only to be yelled over and denied the right to finish her statement by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).
It doesn’t matter where you stand politically this is not about parties. It is about humanity. When a woman says the word rape, you listen. You stop and you listen. And yet, powerful men in government men who claim to represent democracy and justice feel entitled to shout over any woman daring to name something so real and harrowing.
The world is mirroring Gilead in ways that should terrify us. The erosion of reproductive rights, the silencing of women in political spaces, the normalization of treating women’s voices as interruptions rather than essential contributions it all leads to the same chilling conclusion: If we do not stop them, we will no longer have a voice at all.
Serena Joy believed she could carve out a place for herself in a world that oppressed other women. She thought she could rewrite the rules to benefit herself while subjugating others. She was wrong. Women who think they are immune to this oppression because of privilege whether by race, wealth or status should take note. The systems that silence one group of women will, in time, turn against them all.
The lesson of “The Handmaid’s Tale” is not just a warning of what could happen. It is a mirror reflecting what is already happening. And for those of us who can still speak, now is the time to be louder than ever. Because if we don’t stop them now, soon we may not be allowed to speak at all.
PHOTOJOURNALSIM....
PHOTOJOURNALISM:
BYHAIDENLEACH
TheNewYorkHighLine
Instagram: photography from azam
The neck of a yellow excavator foots the bottom of a scene located in the Meat-Packing district of a bustling Manhattan, the smells of Chelsea Market wafting over. Shadows consume the urban landscape, lining every automobile and defining every storefront. Bright, vibrant colors contrast the darkness, fighting for their time with the viewer’s eye.
For once, the horizon of moving people is quiet and still, and we can’t quite see everything in focus. It would be more satisfactory to observe this scene with further clarity, yet the denying of this luxury gives birth to a photograph akin to an oil painting, a renaissance of spring beauty that isn’t just yet ripe. We’re almost there, but not quite there yet.
Broad brush strokes make up the tapestry that is woven into this first image, itself just a tiny frame in Manhattan, the five boroughs themselves accumulating to over eight million people. Just a tiny fraction of people, the Earth itself heavy under the weight of so many individuals. This image, heavy under the weight so much scrutiny. Why aren’t we in focus? The real question is, do we need all the details to see what’s important?
Let’s look upwards. Maybe the answer lies in the sk above, yet all we are confronted with are the tangled canopy of manufactured steel bridges, columns, and support piping. Moving from the yellow temperatures the oil painting, we are now able to see in clarity, tain by a blue hue that infiltrates every windowpane and every inch of concrete. We struggle to see the answer as the cerulean ceiling is plastered with wire and glass.
Instagram: photography from azam
Is there an answer in between the lines between where Mother Nature and the city meet? The warm hues bring life to the otherwise isolated dead end. There is nowhere to go from here, no realism in the abstract shadowed city landscape, no escape upwards through the suffocating clouds and eye-widening skyscrapers. It’s just a corner, this trapped energy forced to recycle itself, reinvent and evolve. All things have a beginning and an end. It’s what is in between that matters, it’s how we make the most of it.
So far we’ve taken a glimpse into the city, into skyscrapers, and into corners. What’s the most unlikely thing to see in the middle of Manhattan? A tree! We’re miles from Central Park and rather far downtown, on this elevated walkway we see many trees, shrubs, and grass, still dead and waiting for the electricity of spring to zap them into a world of green. This tree bears no fruit, no leaves, and is as stark in its color as it is in its feeling and emotion.
Towering above our possible reach, these iron overpasses threaten to blot out the sunlight. Nature did not intend for its forests to be made of fortified skyscrapers, interconnected beams and cold metal hearts Maybe the answer lies in the sheer elevation of such concrete creatures, are we meant to ascend til the sun scorches our wings? The cool colors are broken by a singular beam of light, breaking through the shaded walkway. How high are we meant to climb? Is the sky really the limit?
Moving back to bright yellow temperatures, we finally see some glimpse of plant life. Air conditioners feed into flat brick windows, shrublike branches stretch and struggle to grow. No buds of spring just yet, sunlight bleeds into ornate window sills, a nonexistent courtyard. A secluded stone corner, whispering to someone who won’t answer.
A million different branches break off into a million different directions, Mother Nature's guiding gaze illuminating the path forwards towards germination into new trees.
An unfamiliar stranger in Manhattan, this tree does not know the subway systems, the rude manners of the street, nor the responsibility of finances. Its wisdom is untouched, unmatched, and unspoken.
Instagram: photography from azam
In many ways, as I absorbed the lack of clarity of the first image needed to see what was really important, as I pondered the ability to reach the heights of my own life in the second image, and as I felt trapped and bewildered in the third, a new feeling emerged in the fourth.
Deep into the soil roots grow. In a lot of ways we are all as out of place as a tree in a world of skyscrapers, but it’s our uniqueness that makes us all special. Our flaws. Our differences. What makes us individuals? Should this have been just a walk on an elevated walkway for me? Or was it some sort of spiritual rebirth? I don’t pretend to know all the answers. But I do know it’s not so much the roots in the land that resonate, but the roots in the person.
yourself.
TheOceanTriedToStopmeItfailed:
By:MaggieFarrelly
Scuba diving is much more than a sport; it is an invitation to explore an entirely different universe, one where gravity feels like a forgotten memory and the world is painted in hues only the ocean can create. My love affair with the depths started at a young age, but it wasn’t a smooth or simple journey. I am 21 now, and I have been scuba diving for over eight years, but the path to getting here was riddled with challenges that almost kept me from the life I cherish beneath the waves.
My story starts, as many do, with a love for water. As a kid, I swam competitively, thriving on the rhythm of my strokes and the exhilaration of racing through liquid lanes. Snorkeling became a natural extension of that love. Peering into the shallow reefs and watching fish dart around coral, I thought I had seen the best that the ocean had to offer, but scuba diving was a whole other beast.
Most people would have packed it up after such a traumatic start, but something inside me refused to let go. I gave myself time to heal, determined to try again.Then came another setback: my first encounter with decompression sickness, or “the bends.” The bends felt like my body had been torn apart by invisible hands. Yet even in the midst of that agony, my resolve didn’t falter. If anything, it grew deeper.
My parents didn't share my excitement. When I first told them I wanted to scuba dive, they were terrified. They had seen the documentaries about sharks, heard the horror stories of equipment failure, and were entirely convinced I was signing up for an early death. But I was relentless. I saved every dime I could for classes and gear, worked part-time jobs, and skipped the little luxuries my peers enjoyed.
Eventually, my parents gave in. When the day of my certification dive arrived, I was ready – or so I thought. But nothing could have prepared me for the reality of my first dive. The dive itself started like a dream. The water enveloped me in its cool embrace, and the world above dissolved into nothingness. Descending into the blue, I marveled at the way the sunlight fractured into golden shards around me. But then . . .it happened. I felt a sharp, searing pain in my ear, like a firework detonating in my skull. My eardrum had burst, and I felt the unmistakable trickle of blood escaping my ear.
Panic threatened to consume me, but I surfaced as calmly as I could, clutching onto my training and the reassuring presence of my instructor.
That should have been the end of my scuba journey.
The ocean had already given me a glimpse of its magic –the way the water muffles every sound except for the rhythmic whoosh of your breath, the surreal beauty of watching schools of fish move as one, as though guided by an unseen conductor, and the intoxicating sense of freedom that comes from floating weightlessly, suspended in a three-dimensional space that feels infinite. These are moments that remind me of why I fell in love with diving in the first place. Now after eight years of diving, I have ventured into depths that few ever get to see.
I have explored shipwrecks cloaked in history, gilded alongside creatures that look like they belong to another planet, and lost myself in the kaleidoscope of coral gardens. I am also proud to say that I’m now a certified rescue diver, trained to help others navigate the challenges of the underwater world. It’s a responsibility I take seriously, but it’s also a badge of honor that reminds me how far I’ve come.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the ocean rewards persistence. It’s not always forgiving, and it demands respect, but the treasures it holds are worth every challenge. My journey into scuba diving taught me resilience, patience, and a profound appreciation for a world that’s both alien and deeply connected to our own.
To anyone who’s considering taking the plunge, I’ll say this: it’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. The ocean has its way of testing you, but it also has a way of showing you just how vast, beautiful, and miraculous life can be both above and below the surface.
“Not Professional Enough": My Experience with Racism in High School
By Mirakel L. Spellman
Have you ever wondered what racism is like firsthand? This is my experience.
I went to a high school that was predominantly white. It was stereotyped by other schools for having “rednecks and truckers.” As an African American who attended this school, I had to deal with people of color always asking me why I went there.
I never questioned where I was going or how others were going to see me based on my race. It never crossed my mind that I was going to deal with racism in high school because I never experienced it in middle school. During my freshman year, my classmates made racial comments that I had to report to my school. One day I arrived at school with box braids, and two guys approached me during computer class and told me my braids were “ghetto.” What made my braids ghetto compared to the girls who were not African American? Or those who had French or Dutch braids? My school addressed the issue, and when they spoke with me, they said that the parents were upset that their child said something like that and called it unacceptable
There has always been discrimination toward African American hair that’s curly and kinky. During and after slavery, there were beauty standards that targeted Black women's hair. You had “good hair” if it was straight, smooth and silky. “Bad hair” was coiled, curly and kinky with a thicker texture. This created this bias that people with “good hair” were more attractive and socially accepted. However, if you had “bad hair,” it was ugly and unattractive.
Women of color were discouraged from embracing their natural hair There has always been a microaggression toward hair, with comments of “Your hair looks better straightened.” Women of color were influenced to use relaxers and hair straighteners to fit the white beauty standards and to look “professional.” African Americans were discriminated against for looking “unprofessional” when they had afros, braids, dreads or twists.
There’s a negative bias toward children and teenagers of color in schools that restricts them from having braids, afros or dreads. One teenage boy in Texas was told he had to cut his dreadlocks to walk at his graduation, in order to meet the school district’s dress code The dress code was “hair must be clean and well groomed.”
What makes dreadlocks not clean?
I want to bring awareness to others that there has always been discrimination toward African American hair, from slavery to today’s society.
During my freshman year, we had assigned seats in math class, and I had to sit with a guy from a different town.
There were times he would call me a monkey and talk about how bad Black people are. I had to write a statement to my school about how they would handle the issue. A counselor and a teacher pulled me into the office after I wrote the statement and said I shouldn’t have to deal with students making racial comments toward me. However, they excused his behavior because his mother had died of cancer. I was the victim of racism, but since his mother died, I just had to accept that it happened and move forward.
Racism is formed by various influences throughout life from parental to peers. As individuals, our views are influenced by the people around us, often when we are younger A child will absorb their parent's explicit and implicit biases. If they say racist jokes and negative comments about a race in their home, this child will hear these comments and see prejudiced behaviors as acceptable. This behavior will follow them through their lives. These actions will impact them as a person and affect others they harm. These children and teenagers will start making racist jokes and negative comments about other races in school.
Schools downplay racism, which is a significant issue that impacts a student’s understanding of racial dynamics.
When racism is not confronted, it becomes normalized. Students will grow up thinking that racist attitudes and behaviors are acceptable. This perpetuates a cycle of discrimination into adulthood. Schools’ lack of consequences minimizes the situation. A student of color should feel comfortable reporting racism and know the school will handle the problem correctly.
However, schools will call it a “misunderstanding” or a simple “bullying incident” without addressing the racial aspect. When a racist student receives no consequences for making racist comments, this perpetuates harmful stereotypes into their adult life. When these comments are acceptable at home and schools don’t give any consequences for their racist behavior, it doesn’t help the problem we are having in America.
I want my story to bring awareness to women of color to speak up about the comments made toward them about their hair. We shouldn’t deal with discrimination toward our hair just because it doesn’t fit the white beauty standards
I want to bring awareness to school administrations downplaying racism when a victim is coming to them about the issue. Schools need to address the racial disparities that occur in the system and take action against prejudiced behavior.
No one becomes racist from something that happened in their personal life. Everyone can’t be the victim in the story it’s about taking accountability for the situation and addressing the concern.
Racism isn’t born. It’s learned.
Beyond the Duty Desk: What It's Really Like to Be an RA
By Jade Edwards Figueroa
Resident Assistants, or RAs, are described on the University of New Haven website as playing “an integral role in our community by building relationships with residents, supporting students through challenges, and connecting them to campus resources.” But what really goes on behind the scenes?
Angelina Paulus, an RA for Bergami Hall, has seen a range of incidents in her three semesters on the job. In his experience, Paulus says weekends are the busiest time of the week.
"Weekends are very, very busy. You have to be very aware," says Paulus. “This is when frat parties throw, this is when people go to the club.”
She says that although she is an RA for a strictly freshman building, she cannot be naïve to residents drinking on the weekends even though the university's code of conduct explicitly states: “Alcohol is not permitted in first-year residence halls or in rooms, suites, or apartments in which all residents are underage students.”
According to Paulus, this policy isn't stopping first-year students.
She said her worst experience with drinking in Bergami came during her first semester as an RA. A chair was thrown at her. The incident began normally. During her nightly duty shifts, she walks through the building to make sure everything is operating as it should.
“I was walking around and saw trash in the hallway, so I knocked to see if it was theirs and so someone could clean it up,” she said.
A guest in the room slammed the door in her face upon realizing it was an RA, who led her to check for substances.
“The resident wound up being under the influence and got really mad,” said Paulus. "They started slamming stuff and screaming. I asked to see everyone's ID, and the person — the main resident in the room couldn't find theirs."
Paulus said the resident then took their desk chair and flung it at her.
“At that point, I had to determine that environment wasn't safe for me.”
Not every experience is a bad one, though.
In her first semester as an RA, she also experienced an incident that taught her the value of being a resource. Paulus describes herself as “relentless” when it comes to trying to connect with even the quietest residents.
“There was a resident who was always quiet, and slowly but surely, they started to open up,” Paulus said. “I didn't think much of it.”
The resident continued to walk in quietly but began saying hi to Paulus and even started attending her RA programs. One day, Paulus noticed irregular behavior from the resident and offered a listening ear.
“We went to another room to talk, and the person sat me down and told me that there was one particular night where I had asked them how they were and on that night, they had found out their two best friends had committed suicide, and they were planning to leave and kill themselves,” she said.
"Me asking how they were and saying, 'I'm here for you,' touched that person that night, and they decided to go get their dinner instead. These are the connections that make it worth it."
Similarly to Paulus, a first-time RA, Leigha Powell, said, “I've had people in this building give me moments where they say, 'I'm glad I've had someone to talk to like an RA.'” Powell said she values the community she has built in her first year as an RA something she said made reappliing worth it.
"As a resident, you have a vague idea of what RAs do. You don't know what the full extent is until you're in the role," she said.
But despite the workload, Powell continues to believe that it is worth it to become an RA.
Istherealinebetweenbuildingcharacter andscaringyourchild?
By:HaidenLeach
While discipline is essential in shaping a child’s character, it should never come at the expense of instilling anxiety or fear. Parents need to balance authority with guidance to foster growth rather than apprehension. I never really thought about this until I had some late-night discussions with friends or came across a related article on my Apple News feed But I feel that this question is complex and relevant, especially now As a collective, as a world, and even more so as a nation, our emotions are even more developed. Humans are always evolving, but does this always mean progress?
Are there ever consequences?
Growing up, my childhood wasn’t bad; it was similar to that of other kids my age. I went to school, played sports, joined a club or two, and lived in a home where my parents sometimes argued something that’s normal for families and everyday people like you reading this I picked fights with one parent more than the other because I felt like, sometimes, the things that parents said needed to be challenged. Audacious for a kid to do, I know. I've always been outspoken. I continue to challenge people today because constructive challenges create learning opportunities for both sides Without them, growth isn’t possible
It’s our parents' first time living and being parents, but when you’re the parent and I’m the kid, it feels like my actions should be judged less harshly You’ve lived the child’s life already; my mistakes are my first time experiencing them At times, situations were handled differently than I would have if I were a parent
This brings me to the question: Where is the line between building character and scaring your children? As children, we can all recall a moment or memory that stuck with us and followed us into adulthood Did that experience build you up and make you a better person? Or did you silently sit with it and vow you’d never become your parents?
And no one talks about the fact that it should be okay to stand up for yourself if you don’t like something Let us normalize voicing our opinions even if it’s to a teacher, partner, or boss. We are all human, and we all have stories, but your voice should always be heard. This brings me to the broader discussion of parenting styles and why they’re so important I think the similarities between constructive parenting (constructive choices) and authoritative parenting are not talked about enough. The baseline is the same, and so are the expected outcomes. One, however, promotes constructive challenge learning
Parenting types:
Constructive Parenting: defined as a “child-rearing strategy where parents provide the child with options when making decisions ” In layman’s terms, it allows children to be involved in decision-making in their everyday activities while still maintaining choices that are positive and safe.
Authoritative Parenting: defined as “strict rules, high standards, and punishment to regulate the child’s behavior ” Authoritarian parents have high expectations and are not flexible with them. The children might not even know a rule is in place until they’re punished for breaking it.
While constructive parenting encourages critical thinking, independence, and emotional intelligence, authoritarian parenting can sometimes lead to fear-driven compliance rather than a positive learning experience. The question now becomes: Which approach better prepares children for adulthood? Do strict rules instill discipline, or do they suppress a child’s ability to navigate challenges on their own without the reinforcement of a parent?
Both parenting styles aim for the same result, but as children, we experience something called the “zone of proximal development,” which plays a crucial role in our early years It is “the difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can do with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner ” Growing up, the way my parents handled situations shaped how I navigate life. Sometimes, I follow their approach, and other times, I take a different path I recognize the tendencies I’ve gained, but I take pride in being open and fostering direct communication with others
For some parents, building resilience in their child is the only way to parent. But is this generational trauma, or is it simply evolving parenting methods? I implore you to think about fear-based parenting if your parents used it on you, remember how it made you feel That’s exactly how your children feel when they look to you for support. Parenting isn’t about control; it’s about guidance By fostering open communication rather than fear, we empower children to become strong, independent thinkers.
Concluding on my views, I'll tell you this was merely just a shower thought I had recently, but it plagued my mind I was compelled to dive a little deeper into it. Here we are again, living through yet another 2 AM perspective
NevaehLugo
Spoiler Alert! This article contains both major and minor spoilers from the following Marvel movies: “Thor,” “Avengers,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” and “Avengers: Infinity War.”
“Every villain is a hero in his own mind.”
In 2013, Tom Hiddleston, the actor who portrays Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, made this comment in the middle of a press tour for the latest Thor movie at the time, “Thor: The Dark World”.
But, what does that mean?
The movie adaptation of the comic book character, loosely based on the mythological Norse god, stole the hearts of fans from his first appearance in the 2011 film, “Thor ”
Many would consider him a tragic villain, in the sense that being victimized by a series of distressing events led him on his path of villainy, rather than an inherent sense of corruption
Since the release of the movie, Hiddleston had grown accustomed to facing the recurring question of “Is Loki really evil?”
Though his answers would change in wording and length, he was always consistent and unwavering in his response: No
So, what drove Loki to be this way?
The tragedy of Loki’s character is multifaceted, as each uncovered detail serves to add another layer of misery.
At the risk of taking a therapist’s approach, it all began in his childhood Though the first of his films begin later in his life, stories from different characters around him allow viewers to put together the pieces on how Loki was treated in his younger years
The biggest on-screen reveal about Loki’s childhood takes the form in a scene from “Thor” that many fans found emotionally devastating, in which Odin, Loki’s adoptive father, reveals his true heritage
After a great war between the realms of Asgard and Jotunheim, Odin noticed its king, Laufey, had left his newborn baby behind to die Odin took this baby in, with the hope that it would serve as a tool to keep peace between the two realms Odin even raised this baby as his own son, Loki.
Upon receiving the news in his adulthood that he was adopted and was actually born among the race he was raised to despise (bear in mind his age had crossed over a millennium at this point) Loki understandably does not take the news well
“You know, it all makes sense now,” Loki said “Why you favored Thor all these years. Because no matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!”
Unpacking what he said, it becomes clear that Loki ultimately feels unloved in comparison to his widely adored brother, Thor
On top of that gut punch, he’s still processing the fact that everything he’d ever been told was a lie. He is not Asgardian, his family is not his by blood, he was born a race that the entire kingdom of Asgard hates, and he never actually had a chance to earn a spot on the throne of Asgard
The actions he takes after this revelation only serve to worsen his situation, and though he is, by storytelling standards, the antagonist of the film, he still never acts out of malice Not once
In “Thor” his actions are driven by a desire for paternal validation.
In the 2012 film “Avengers,” he is driven by the influence of the scepter in his hand, as well as the unseen forces who gave it to him
In “Thor: The Dark World,” a moment of ignorance leads to his indirect hand in his own mother’s death
Every action he takes, though not malicious, still causes some sense of misery for others.
Fitting for a tragic character, Loki seems to finally begin to heal in “Thor: Ragnarok,” knowing the experience of fighting on his brother’s side–the side of “good”– only to meet his untimely demise in “Avengers: Infinity War,” which takes place right after.
Fans were excited by his return in the miniseries “Loki,” but since the Loki in that show was plucked from earlier in the timeline and thrown into an alternate life, a return for the fan favorite Loki, referred to as “sacred timeline Loki,” doesn’t seem to have a plausible means of return.
By definition, tragedy always ends in death, but to die amid a moment of respite from a lifetime of suffering is a true form of tragedy
From Hospital Walls to Charger Halls
*University was a fresh start, a world full of opportunity just waiting for me to dive in. I stepped onto campus bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I was going into STEM, positive that I had the map to navigate adulthood, and confident that equations, formulas, and discoveries would define me I was eager to live life as a young adult, free of boundaries and ready to leave the safe cocoon of my childhood behind. I couldn’t wait to find my place in the world. But life, as it often does, had other plans
Now, I’m running across the University of New Haven campus, Jazzman’s coffee in hand, rushing to make it to my 12:30 poetry class My backpack slaps against my back as I weave through students, dodging groups lingering by the lawn. My morning–if noon even counts as morning–started like it always does: caffeine first, then everything else. If someone had told my 18-year-old self that I would be an English student, running late to class, I would have laughed But my journey to this moment was anything but ordinary.
In week one of university, it was just a discomfort in my chest I thought it was the stress and pressure of being a first-year student. Soon, it became something bigger, something I couldn’t ignore. My body began to betray me. I felt weaker, I could barely eat, and I couldn’t keep water down I would fall asleep at my desk, unable to focus as my body spiraled into a slow collapse
I went from one doctor to another, in and out of hospital rooms, each time hoping some professional would have an answer–only to be sent home with empty diagnoses I was repeatedly told it was just stress or that I was a mystery case. No one could explain what was happening to me. No one could provide a name for the illness that was stealing my strength. I couldn’t feel my legs I tripped and I fell, gravity no longer obeying me I broke a bone in my foot–not from an accident, but from weakness. I couldn’t understand it, and neither could they.
I dropped out of university Everything I had worked for–the dream of becoming someone renowned in the world of science–crumbled. My world was confined to hospital rooms, the sterile white walls closing in on me as my body continued to fail me. I went to more than 20 hospitals, and still, no one had an answer
The darkness came like a heavy fog, the fear of the unknown creeping in every day. I spent sleepless nights lying awake, my mind racing, trying to figure out why my body was doing this to me I wondered if I would ever walk again, if I would ever feel like myself again The fear of becoming a shell of the person I had once been overwhelmed me.
I sank into depression; I couldn’t trust my body anymore Each day felt like a battle with my mind, my body, and the world around me. There were nights I cried myself to sleep and other nights I simply couldn’t sleep. The pain in my legs felt like a thousand needles persistently piercing my skin But it wasn’t just the physical pain that hurt–it was the mental anguish that gnawed at me. The isolation, the loneliness, the fear that I would never be able to return to the life I had envisioned for myself. Finally, in the quiet darkness where everything seemed impossible, something unexpected happened. I found solace in words.
I went to my pediatrician–the last person I thought would understand I remember telling her everything: how I had fallen down the stairs, how I couldn’t feel anything from the hips down, how my legs felt like they were made of jelly. I was terrified and angry because no one believed me They all dismissed my pain and told me it was in my head. But she looked at me with such compassion, and for the first time in months, someone listened. She made a call. A bed was prepared, and I was sent to a hospital for more tests
In that cold, sterile room, I underwent a series of procedures that felt like the slow unwinding of my existence Spinal taps, blood work, MRIs from my skull to my feet Days turned to weeks of testing. The doctors pumped me full of medications, but nothing seemed to help. I was paralyzed. I was told I might never walk again. The diagnosis came eventually–Guillain-Barré Syndrome–a rare, devastating condition where your immune system attacks your nerves like an enemy inside your body. Your ability to walk, move, and feel disappears. The doctors had been telling me I was a medical mystery all this time, but there it was: a name for my suffering, a label for my pain
I was sent to an inpatient rehabilitation facility, where I had to learn how to use a wheelchair and navigate a world that no longer felt like mine It was terrifying Every day was a struggle The pain was constantly sharp and burning, like tiny daggers piercing my skin. Despite this, I fought–not because I was strong, but because there was no other choice.
By: Maggie Farrelly
The shame of being weak and needing help clawed at my sense of self I used to be independent, a person who did things on their own. But now, I have to rely on others for everything. I felt like I had lost my identity, like the girl I used to be was slipping through my fingers. I was lost in a sea of needles, tears, and fear The darkness in my mind was relentless Reading and writing became my escape.
I didn’t have the strength to run away from the hospital room, but I could run through the pages of books. I could lose myself in stories, in poems, in the words I scribbled in my journal. It wasn’t a cure, but it was a lifeline. Through words, I was able to feel human again, like I could reclaim a part of myself that had been stolen
Slowly, the impossible began to happen. I moved my toes, I lifted my ankle, stood, and walked with a walker. It wasn’t much at first, but it was enough to remind me that I wasn’t completely broken I could still rebuild, even if the road was long and filled with pain
I’m back on campus now, weaving through crowds, Jazzman’s coffee warming my hands against the crisp West Haven air I’m running late to poetry class–again–but I’ve never felt more alive I’ve regained full motor function, yet the feeling in my legs is still gone. It’s a constant tingling, like the sensation of a limb falling asleep–but persistent. It’s a sharp electric current, always burning The numbness is my companion, and the neuropathy is my shadow, stabbing me with every step.
It isn’t the pain that defines me, nor is it the illness, the hospital visits, or the uncertainty of my future What defines me now is what kept me going when everything else seemed impossible: literature.
When I was trapped in that hospital bed and the walls were closing in, I had nothing but my imagination to keep me company. I traveled through the world of novels. I wrote, even when I had no energy to do anything else. I created stories in the margins of my notebooks, filled with characters and places that gave me hope, even when I was alone in that white-walled room
Literature became my lifeline. I began to heal when I started to find my way back to my body. I found my way back to words That’s why I’m studying English now I found strength in stories and in poems. Writing saved me, giving me a reason to keep going when all I wanted to do was give up. It gave me a place to heal, a place to belong, and a way to feel whole again.
I still live with the pain. The numbness is a constant reminder of what I’ve been through. But I’m here. And I have books to thank for that.
The worlds I’ve traveled through in literature and the stories I’ve written have given me the courage to continue. They’ve given me the strength to keep going when every step feels like a battle
I’m not the person I was when I entered university, ready to conquer the world of STEM. I’m someone different now–someone stronger.
No matter how much pain I endure, I have the power to create, to write, and to live.
By: HaidenLeach Amomentwiththemost important manoncampus:
When you come to college, the mentality of a little fish in a big pond seems to hit harder than ever How do we know if our voices are ever heard in a sea full of fish? Our new University president, Jens Frederiksen, sat down with me to talk about his first year here and how the students and faculty have shaped his experiences
“I saw incredible potential,” stated Pres. Frederiksen, when I asked him, “Why this University?”
A sense of home, worth, and strength radiated from this campus and its inhabitants in their greatest need. The last president of the university was Steven Kaplan, who oversaw the campus from 2004 to 2022 Starting March 1st, 2024, Frederiksen was ushered into his new office at Maxcy 227, beginning his fresh take here.
As his first anniversary has passed, there have been major changes around campus With many moves, students’ opinions, and events of all varieties happening, the tides were turning. “I came and never left,” he continued, with chipper responses around the campus
The first interaction students, faculty, and parents had with the new president was Move-In Day! As the new flock of pupils arrived on campus, Frederiksen was eagerly standing by His agenda to push full steam ahead for the new year was in full effect
Return on investment (ROI) has been a huge point in his grand scheme and for the university's stats Recently, the university announced that members of the business school would be joining a new commute. This was a huge push within the realm of return on investment.
“We're moving the business school back to the main campus That's a big deal because it all sort of trickles down, right? The business school is doing a fantastic job, but for their retention numbers or their recruitment numbers it’s a hard pitch to make when you're in a very competitive space and you'll spend your last two years shuttling back and forth,” Frederiksen stated.
Every student at this institution must have all the necessary things to enhance their education While some dissent over more students being acclimated to campus, the full picture is that we are promoting the best version of ROI
Behind the scenes, many students don’t know what goes on around them simply because we are not always looking. In our meeting, I was informed of “additions and revisions to the PA labs at One Care Lane, finalizations at the Peterson Library third floor, and trying to bring the North Campus a little bit more into the general student body ” Additionally, the railroad salvage has become the framework for a sort of innovation and industry park for incoming classes. Marine Biology also now has resources right on the water at the marina in New Haven
For the world-class travelers, this campus host, a satellite branch, has been welcomed! Students can now learn and explore in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in our latest expansion
Our community is only as good as the people in it, which also further embarks down the road of ROI. A hypothetical from Jens states, “If we had somebody who didn’t cover the One Stop office, who didn’t care about students, they could sink the well-being.” ROI has not become privy to just the students because the staff must be able to provide further support
Everything in life and on this campus is a slow-moving machine That’s because every year, we serve upwards of 9,500 students and hundreds more staff Things take time and become part of a trickle-down system, but this does not mean suggestions and opinions go unheard.
“I think people would be hard-pressed to say that I’m not sort of actively involved,” a statement for the president, in which I couldn’t agree more. When I offered the question, “Do you care to hear what the student body has to say?” Frederiksen pronounced, “I would love that level, and there are limitations on sorts of things, so any groups or anybody that feels like they’re not being heard, again, they can contact my office directly, and I will continue to do as much as I possibly can ” Leaders, for example, show up which is what Jens continues to do for our growing college and it is evident in his presence around campus
This piece of information presented a question everyone needs an answer to: can we build more?
Space to build and acquire is limited, and price tags are high, but he hears the concerns. The timeline is so aggressive because of the push on all fronts that Jens gets pulled away from things as easily as one can.
He reassures me he never loses sight, but things take time. Money is not infinite, and with the operations of the university, clearance and monetary restrictions do apply
Frederiksen joked that he wished he had “an unlimited bank card” for the university so he could curb all students’ indiscretions.
Concerns are never addressed lightly, but I urge our Chargers to be professional in their communications with the president and his office. While it may feel like we are not being heard, we are being seen, and we must reciprocate As a society, it’s hard to disassociate a subject from a person, but in some cases, it’s mandatory.
While we see a president of the university, the naysayer of campus, or the man who has the biggest paycheck, others see differently. Our esteemed faculty member is a dad, friend, colleague, spouse, and educator.
I implore each member of this campus to remember that when approaching any professional subject here or elsewhere.
The changes have radiated through our campus It almost feels like it’s 2008.
The trees are brighter, the flowers are more abundant, and the wind is freer. We’re radiating a buzz that, two years ago, plagued our minds
Our educational experience is shaped by the curriculum but also by the people investing in it
I asked the president one last question before we parted ways: “What do you hope your legacy is at UNH?”
Jens said, “I’ve got a little bit of runway left in me, and so I mean, I think in terms of what we've done in one year, imagine what we could do in fifteen, right? And so, twenty I’d like to think I’ve got that.” He continued, “Ever so subtly, we begin to redefine what sort of higher education is.”
We have changed the narrative of higher education and the daunting task of staring adversity down to complete change. We are in the world to make it a better place, and here at the University of New Haven, our leaders are paving our paths.
A lasting sentence to leave you with comes from, well, the man of the hour:
“To be part of an institutional journey that mimics the individual student’s journey and transformations and outcomes I mean, it’s hard not to be inspired,” Frederiksen concluded.
He’ssobrat.
Silver dollar pancakes have nothing on you.
Neither does this greasy spoon, In all its glory with that big gumball machine
With its swirly track coated in the dust Of cracked candy and The kids’ menu with an extravagant Buccaneer boat to color
With four crayons that will yield an abstract masterpiece
I like the color in your voice better, As infrequently as I heard it.
But you would always order “Coffee, please,”
And I would direct you away from the pink sugar packets. Make sure to mix it well,
And don’t forget to take home those jelly packets. They don’t last forever. Don’t forget.
Don’t forget
You would never forget
As you hold my hand, leading me up to the counter
To see from my point of view.
The other adults don’t look past their knees into that glass case at The array of vibrant treats and sugary sweets inside.
NeverForget
ByKatieAugust
An extra dollar for a Push Pop was everything to me, But Push Pops have nothing on you
Pockets rustle with those jelly packets, With a warm hand in mine and the other
Holding that grand glass door open.
You’ll wait for the other grandpa and Little girl to pass.
“Aren’t you a little old for that?”
You say to the old fellow carrying a teddy bear for his girl.
“We all need them,” he says with a chuckle, Guiding his granddaughter in.
Kind and clever, So impatient but you’ll wait and slow down
When you see us in anyone else
You never forgot the wonder that everyone grows out of I’m sure you’re still waiting for me,
Never forgetting.
Never forget.
Alumni Features: Amanda Castro, Horseshoe Magazine Creator
The University of New Haven shows pride in its alumni and the legacies they leave on campus, even years after the students have departed to pursue their careers. One of these notable alumni is Amanda Castro, the creator of Charger Bulletin Magazine, now better known as Horseshoe Magazine Through her vision and entrepreneurial spirit, Castro has left behind a creation that celebrates diverse voices and ideas, an organization that still holds these ideals years after her departure.
Before coming to the University of New Haven, Amanda Castro, born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, moved to the United States to get good medical care for her type 1 diabetes, where she attended an arts school to hone her writing skills as a high school senior before attending university
“Up until around 10th grade, I wanted to be a doctor,” said Castro. “Around then, I discovered that I had a passion for writing. I would always be the girl who shot her hand up asking how many words the assigned essays were ”
University of New Haven was Castro’s first choice when choosing a school that was on the east coast, where she credits the strong staff and support for someone pursuing a career in journalism.
“The programs here were just so strong when I looked into it,” she said. “Also, they had a strong staff, with notable professors such as Susan Campbell really standing out to me. As soon as I got the call from the school saying I’d been accepted, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is it ’”
Castro began her first year at UNH in 2018 as a commuter, taking the train from New York to classes, where she would make fond memories with friends.
“Being a commuter, I wasn’t always on campus but the times I was, I had a really good time,” said Castro “I made two of my closest friends in a class with a tough professor, it was always such a mess.”
In Castro’s senior year, she chose what would eventually be Charger Bulletin Magazine for her honors thesis through an idea from a class “I was in a class that semester that was on interpretive writing, which was really right up my alley and I knew was exciting to other students as well,” she said. “I also had the experience of creating a website and building it up from ground zero, which was fun and taught me a lot ”
Castro credits the creation of Horseshoe Magazine to her knack of overwriting, as well as the lack of essay writing in Charger Bulletin newspaper
By:AlexisDawkins-
“If you were to give me a word limit, I’d have to keep track to make sure that I stayed within the requirements, which made me feel like I was missing out on vital information that would make the article perfect,” said Castro “You don’t really get to explore deeper articles in the Charger Bulletin newspaper, which got me thinking that despite students usually not wanting to write more, a magazine would open the doors up to more possibilities of students wanting to learn more and give more inclination to write.”
Her biggest struggle during the creation process of the magazine was getting viewers to interact with the website she created.
“Interest is hard to garner when you’re a bustling student with other things on your mind,” said Castro. “I was hoping for student traffic to lead people to the magazine, which didn’t go as well as I thought it would, with things picking up only a month before I had to present my thesis ”
One of Castro’s biggest regrets throughout her college career was her lack of presence on campus outside of classes
“While being a commuter and having online classes was a lifesaver, I think having more campus experiences would’ve changed my college experience as a whole,” she said “I basically only saw my friends via Zoom calls and through discussion board posts; it would’ve been nice to hang out with them once or twice a week, though ”
Castro said she finds her inspiration and drive through her mother, Cynthia
“She’s been through a lot and has always handled her life with such grace and poise,” she said “I’ve always looked up to everything she does and living life the way she did is my biggest aspiration.”
Castro’s biggest belief is that it is imperative that you never give up when it comes to pursuing journalism.
“It’s a competitive market right now in the world of journalism,” she said. “You’ll hear more noes than yeses, meaning you have to be prepared to be rejected and move on and continue trying, there's a lot of pressure to be ethical in the world of journalism, it’s a matter of how you handle the pressure of criticism that separates the good writers from the great writers ”
Maldonado
The world is quiet again too quiet, really. The kind of stillness that pulls strange thoughts from the back of your mind. Tonight I’m not thinking about stars or space or galaxies far, far away. Tonight, I’m thinking about the ocean.
Not the soft, summer-time postcard-perfect version. Not the sunlit waves brushing the shore or the soundtrack to a beach vacation. I’m thinking about what’s underneath. What we haven’t seen. What we haven’t even tried to understand. It’s easy to forget, but we’ve only explored about 5% of our oceans. Five. Percent. That means 95% the overwhelming majority is still a complete mystery. There are valleys deeper than the Grand Canyon, mountain ranges taller than the Rockies, and ecosystems that have existed for millions of years without our knowledge. Yet we know more about the surface of the moon than the depths of our own planet. That should be shocking. That should be headline news. But somehow, it’s not.
For some reason, we’ve accepted it this gap in our understanding of the very world we live on. We talk about colonizing Mars, sending billionaires into orbit, and mining asteroids. But most of Earth remains untouched, uncharted, and honestly… forgotten.And it makes me wonder: why? Why have we turned our eyes completely to the sky while ignoring what lies beneath us? Maybe it's because the stars are romantic, they feel aspirational. The ocean, by contrast, is dark. Cold. Pressure-filled. You don’t float through the deep sea you sink, and maybe that’s part of it. Space represents escape, promise, and the future. The ocean demands we face the weight of what’s already here.
We should still care more. In the 95% of the unexplored ocean, there could be entire ecosystems that rewrite what we know about life. There could be cures to diseases, ancient wrecks with untold histories, or creatures so strange they feel like they’re from outer space. We don’t know and that’s the point. We are living on a planet that holds secrets it hasn’t given up yet and we’ve stopped asking the right questions. Some of the most fascinating discoveries of the last decade didn’t come from distant exoplanets. They came from submersibles diving into the Mariana Trench. From scientists finding fish that
By:MichaelCrowley
glow in the dark, and jellyfish that change shape like liquid ghosts, to microorganisms that survive in boiling vents and freezing cold, teaching us that life is tougher and more adaptable than we ever imagined.
We’re so used to thinking of Earth as "known territory" that we forget how little we truly understand. Honestly, that scares me a little. It’s not just a matter of geography it’s symbolic of something deeper It reflects how we treat the familiar. We overlook it. We assume we’ve seen all there is to see. But beneath the surface of the ocean, of other people, of ourselves, there’s so much more. The ocean is like a metaphor we keep ignoring It’s vast It’s full. It’s powerful. And it’s humbling.
It reminds us that knowledge isn’t something we’ve mastered it’s something we’re always on the verge of discovering. We just have to be willing to dive for it. And yeah, I get it there are practical reasons too. Exploring the deep sea is expensive, dangerous, and technologically complex But if we can send robots to Saturn, surely we can figure out how to better explore our oceans. The problem isn’t ability it’s lack of attention. Some nights I lie awake and wonder what we’ve missed Not just species and structures, but opportunities To learn. To connect. To marvel. I think about the stories we’ll never know because we didn’t look.
The age of discovery isn’t over, it never really was We just stopped believing there were still places worth discovering. But there are.
The ocean doesn’t just feed us or regulate our climate It holds memories. It holds history. It holds life that continues whether we’re watching or not. And maybe if we listened, if we paid closer attention it would teach us something about ourselves. About what it means to coexist. About how to survive.
So here I am 1:47 AM Thinking about the miles of mystery below the surface. And it’s comforting in a way to know that wonder still exists. That mystery still survives. That even now, in a world that feels so mapped and known and scrolled through There are still places left untouched.
Maybe that’s where the magic still lives. Not above us but below
LifeisChoice,byTaralynAndes
I tried way too hard in high school. I was raised to believe a person’s high school performance determined everything for the rest of their life. Therefore, I got straight A’s, and I sucked up to nearly every teacher I met. I wore a cardboard box on my head, and I drew whatever face on it that would appeal the most to everyone else.
Junior year, I had to watch a TED Talk about answering the “big question”: How do you decide what you are going to do with your life? This was an important question to me, and one I was struggling with. While I was watching this TED Talk, one thing the speaker said stuck with me. She advised the audience to pursue what they are good at, rather than what they necessarily want.
I loved art and theater. I did dance, I performed in musicals, and I studied animation. I wanted to pursue a career in the performing arts. However, I was way too hard on myself to the point where I lacked any confidence to act on such a desire. If I were to go for a degree in animation or acting,
I would not make it with the timidity of a squirrel. I was running out of time to apply for college, and I was determined to make a decision.
If I were to pursue something other than the arts, what would it be? How does one measure their skill level at such a young age? Grades
I excelled in my mathematics and chemistry courses, so I decided to start there. After talking with some family members and teachers (as well as taking several online quizzes), I determined I wanted to pursue a career in forensic science with a concentration in chemistry.
The change from artist to forensic chemist was drastic in many eyes, but I was certain it was what I would be good at, and therefore, enjoy
I was done within the first semester of college. I stopped going to classes, I gave up on my assignments, and I barely took care of myself. If you’ve ever heard of the Freshman 15, I had a Freshman 35 I was not happy, and I was certain it was because of my academic inabilities
My roommate at the time had to suffer with my lack of class attendance and personal responsibility. She recommended I try to switch majors to something like communication. She had also just switched to communication, and she was thriving.
It was yet another difficult decision for me to make. I knew I would be a year behind if I switched majors, and I did not want to put so much extra work on myself just to graduate on time. It wouldn’t feel worth it to make it to the finish line with a broken leg.
In hindsight, switching majors felt as if I was giving up Whenever I struggled in high school, I always managed to get an A. It was as if I were drowning in a sea of high standards and failing grades. I was actively failing, and I did not know how to walk away rather than address it head-on.
What if I was making a mistake? What if I just needed to try harder? What if I made the wrong choice and fell even further behind? The spiral of what ifs cascaded over me and had me terrified of failure.
LifeisChoice,continued
But I was okay. I was not walking away; I was simply taking a different path at the fork in the road, one I hadn’t thought to explore before.
After some deliberation (and my mother’s approval), I contacted my advisor and switched to A Communications Major with a concentration in film and media entrepreneurship.
I am about to graduate, and I have never felt so confident and proud of who I am and the work I have accomplished over the past four years. Changing majors was the best decision I could have made.
There is this huge stigma around changing majors and knowing exactly what one wants to do by the time they are 18 years old. This has been going on far too long, like the leftovers of those in the past who could easily enter the workforce. Job competition has only gotten worse, and there are a lot more educational and occupational opportunities to choose from.
Life is about choices. There is no point in time when a person is unable to make a change or a shift in perspective. While they may be stuck, they are not lost.
Isthepastbecomingaparallel?
ByHaidenLeach
We all use some form of social media, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram reels, or TikTok, my favorite.
There, I stumbled upon an 8-minute video by The New York Times Opinions account with a man named Jan Böhmermann. Böhmermann, a German journalist, took time to educate viewers on a daunting reality. Germany is making a comeback. What kind of comeback, you ask?
A fascist one.
Because of a German court ruling, it is legal to call someone a fascist in Germany but you cannot call them a Nazi.
As with the U.S. in the states, we will “Never Forget” 911. Maybe not surprisingly, in Germany, they vow to “Never Forget” the Holocaust. This concept is called, “Vergangenheitsbewältigung” (pronounced, Fergang-en-haits-be-VEL-ti-goong) or “champions at confronting their history.” In his video, Böhmermann says the rise of the far-right political force Alternative for Germany (AfD) is stunning. The AfD or (Alternative für Deutschland), is gaining mass popularity for the first time since World War II, with the extremist Björn Höcke the face of the movement. In a recent national election, the party came in second, with nearly 21% of the votes.
Germany, as with the United States, holds elections on a state and federal level. Höcke and the AfD party are rising and gaining a mass following.
Among the seven major political entities in Germany, two are leading in the polls: the AfD and the CDU/CSU. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), currently hold a slim lead 30% to AfD’s 20%.
The AfD’s rise in popularity led to its first state election victory in Eastern Germany since World War II. Höcke, at the forefront of this movement, has been praised by supporters for his radical views such as rejecting the country's “Never Forget” narrative.
The party was founded in 2013 with the intent to bring contradicting opinions to the EU policies. However, as has happened in the U.S., radicalism spread quickly. From dissenting to EU policies, the party's agenda presently revolves around antisemitism, Islamophobia, antiimmigration rhetoric, anti-media sentiment, and government distrust. This radicalization progressed further to broader issues like “Never Forget.” Höcke, claiming that the Holocaust is a “speck of bird-shit in German history”.
This authoritarian behavior is not new, and we’ve seen it before. Does a middle-aged man who preyed on the undereducated, convincing them that the government was their enemy, sound familiar? What about someone with no real qualifications for leadership, yet managing to secure a presidency through popular votes? No parallels yet? Stick with me.
False promises and twisting the truth are intertwined in politics. However, there’s a fine line between political spin and propaganda. History has a way of repeating itself. Just as Germany once fell under the spell of a dangerous ideology, we are watching a similar story unfold here.
In the U.S.’s most recent election, 'We the People' elected Donald J. Trump a failed businessman, an accused abuser, a con artist, a convicted felon… oh, and the president!
A man who rallied behind the undereducated and disillusioned, and painted himself as their savior. His impeachment in 2019 led many to believe he could never hold office again yet he won. Trump secured 321 electoral votes to Kamala D. Harris’ 226.
Trump’s actions since being in office include some of the most aggressive and authoritarian executive orders ever being pushed on the American people. They include (but aren’t limited to):
Reforms to bar women from having bodily autonomy
Restricting access to abortion healthcare, or contraceptive rights.
Leaving migrants to fear for their safety as ICE continues to rip families apart.
Government officials and the general population seem to be willfully ignorant yet these are the workers who bleed for this country. Departments fundamental to the nation's stability are now under siege. Our Department of Education, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) programs, the CDC, and Medicaid offices all facing erosion under an administration intent on centralizing control.
This is not just dictating; it is showcasing an authoritarian playbook using a fascist chokehold that approachesNazi ideology.
The world’s past is repeating itself and we are watching a parallel unfold before us.
18 days till graduation: By:HaidenLeach
This week's entry is a little shorter, only because I'm kind of struggling to grapple with reality It's been hard to think about the fact that I'm leaving the place I've been home to for five years
For those of you who don't know, my origin story starts in Indiana, then I moved to Pennsylvania, and ended up here in Connecticut Moving from PA to CT for college was one of the biggest risks I've ever taken, but it's been one that's paid off exponentially So many things are important to me, and I established myself in a way that I never thought possible I have become one of the most important people in others’ lives and my own. I see myself as a hard-working and driven individual who truly wants to flourish in society I want a good job, a stable income, and a way to enrich people's lives.
My education has taught me that it IS a luxury and made me even more grateful because of that idea. I have it, but I fought extra hard to keep myself here, and so did others. After switching majors four times, I landed in the communications department and I've been here ever since. The last five years at the University of New Haven have taught me so much. It’s a journey that has evolved in more ways than one. I'm no stranger to change because I moved so much as a kid. But as I get older, I find it harder to want to change because I find myself connecting even deeper with people as an adult. However, change is good, and change keeps us growing
Aspects of change that I do look forward to are being able to restart myself to a new capacity. Ever since I was a kid, it's felt like I get to live different lives, and they are lives that I enjoy. Moving to a new place also gives me new experiences, which I take with me and incorporate We as humans can never stop growing; if we do, it means we’re closed to learning Ideas as such make me even more appreciative of the things that I have.
Five years is a long time to dedicate to something. It almost feels like the university and I have been in a relationship and am reaching the breakup stage. It's a silly analogy, but it's honestly the only idea that’s been letting me process. Leaving my friends feels like I'm leaving a partner.
I rely on them for our class projects, to vent to when I need some advice, or just to look for a friendly face when passing in the halls. Growing up is hard, but leaving people when you don't have a choice is harder. We have FaceTime and modern technology, cars, and planes, but it's not the same There will only be one time in our lives when we were all 20, 21, and 22 sitting in the halls of our classrooms together.
It's not just leaving the friends and the memories of the education you’ve gained You also leave teachers who become your mentors and almost a second parent. For me, at least in my department, I found solace in knowing that a lot of my professors are parents. I feel like they translate that very well into the way that they present situations with their students. It's made me feel like, in a way, this has become my home away from home. The generosity, kindness, and understanding they all present are something I have not found in teachers in the past. The community they foster in their classrooms is exactly what has sparked me to go into grad school to pursue the ability to give this to others. In a way, leaving will also be one of the hardest things because I feel like I'm leaving a piece of myself here I worked so hard to establish myself here. Now my time is just up?
No one talks about the solemn hours that follow when you walk across that stage and leave the state The routine that you've had for so long now becomes a distant memory But it gives you a sense of nostalgia to look forward to for the rest of your life Every time I scroll through my phone and see pictures of the things I used to do, a rush of adrenaline crosses over my body It makes me relive all the wild experiences that have ever happened to me and made me the person that I am Like I said before, growing does not mean moving on but expanding your horizons.
ElisaBrocheL.
Neil Diamond sets out on a journey across the U.S. to look at how Hollywood has portrayed Native Americans in movies. He talks with historians, actors, and indigenous people to understand how these portrayals have shaped public opinion. One key location he visits is Monument Valley, a site famously used in numerous Western films directed by John Ford. Here, Diamond reflects on how the landscape became synonymous with the "Hollywood Indian" stereotype, even though many Native American tribes depicted in these films were not from that region. The vast desert and towering rock formations served as a backdrop for countless cowboy-versus-Indian conflicts, reinforcing inaccurate and monolithic representations of Native people.
Diamond also travels to Los Angeles, the heart of the film industry, where he interviews Native actors such as Adam Beach and Wes Studi. He learns more about how this actor struggled to separate from Native Americans, being classified as either savages or warriors. In this conversation, he learns more about Native American representation in Hollywood. One of the most striking moments for me was seeing Sacheen Littlefeather stand and give a speech at the Oscars, hearing both cheers and boos from the audience. It was genuinely astonishing to witness, and I deeply admired, her bravery in taking such a bold stand for Native American rights on such a grand stage.
One of the places that called my attention the most was a camp of those "frat-looking boys" who painted their bodies, yelled, and kicked tables.
To me, it is unclear what the purpose is for their actions. It was disrespectful. The scene highlighted the still ongoing issue of cultural appropriation and the difference in appreciation between indigenous traditions and how they are misrepresented or misused by non-Native groups.
Throughout the documentary, several key takeaways emerge regarding the portrayal of Native American people in movies. The concept of the "noble savage" and the "savage warrior" has dominated Hollywood narratives. Characters like Tonto, played by Jay Silverheels in The Lone Ranger, show the subservient sidekick trope, while other films present Native people as violent obstacles to white settlers. These reductive stereotypes erase the diversity of Native cultures and histories. Many non-Native actors have portrayed Indigenous characters, a practice known as "redface."
An example is Burt Lancaster in Apache (1954), where he played the Apache warrior Massai despite having no Native ancestry. Similarly, white actors like Charles Bronson and Anthony Quinn were frequently cast in Native roles, further marginalizing Indigenous actors. The documentary also highlights how Native Americans were rarely given speaking roles, and when they did speak, their dialogue was often simplified or broken English. Films like Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956) showcased Native characters as either silent or speaking only in grunts and fragmented phrases, reinforcing a dehumanizing portrayal.
The documentary also discusses the "renaissance" of Native cinema, which represents a turning point in the industry where Indigenous filmmakers and actors reclaimed their stories. This movement focuses on authentic storytelling from Native perspectives rather than narratives shaped by outsiders. Films such as Smoke Signals (1998), directed by Chris Eyre and based on Sherman Alexie's work, mark a significant shift in Native representation.
The film, featuring Adam Beach and Evan Adams, was the first feature-length film written, directed, and acted entirely by Native Americans, breaking new ground for indigenous storytelling.
In the end, Reel Injun shows how Hollywood has often misrepresented Native Americans but also highlights the changes happening in Native cinema. Through interviews, history, and personal stories, the documentary explores the struggles and progress of Indigenous representation in film. More Native filmmakers and actors are now telling their own stories in a way that feels real and meaningful.
The Enigma of Henry C. Lee: Reflection on Legacy and Perception
By: Maggie Farrelly
As an English major at the University of New Haven, I have always been drawn to stories, narratives, and histories. However, one name on campus that intrigued me beyond literature was Henry C. Lee. His name graces the building forensic science students pass through daily, yet his presence is both felt and absent. While his contributions to forensic science are undeniable, the controversy surrounding his legacy raises questions about how history will ultimately perceive him.
Known globally for his work in forensic science with involvement in cases like the JonBenet Ramsey case, the OJ Simpson trial, the Woodchipper murderer, and other headline-grabbing cases. I first became interested in Lee’s story during a journalism event. A reporter from NBC, who had interviewed Lee extensively, described him as both a pioneer in forensic science and a figure with a complicated, sometimes controversial past. What struck me most was an offhand comment that has stayed with me ever since:
“Everyone can make their judgment on Lee. Either you see him as a bad guy, or you see him as someone who got lost trying to save everyone, but in the process, ended up making mistakes along the way.”
Up to that point, I had only encountered his name in passing references to the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science. I never had a professor mention him in class; none of my coursework ever crossed into that world. Yet there he stood, an institutional presence hiding in plain sight; outside of that, there is little discussion of his work or his personal story. However, that journalism event forced me to confront the dichotomy of opinions about him, leading to a deeper understanding of his complex legacy. That also led me to question the underlying meaning of legacy itself in what we choose to remember and what we choose to conveniently forget.
I expected to find straightforward facts and timelines when I went on to research Lee, but instead I found a trail of controversy, confusion, and contradiction beneath a world of accolades. The Woodchipper case was once seen as a marvel of forensic science, but the more recent 2023 federal ruling found that Lee had fabricated evidence in a double murder trial, causing the conviction of two Black teenagers in 1985. The more I looked into this, the less I knew. The ability to access transparent records about Lee was next to impossible. The Freedom of Information Act doesn’t apply to private universities like UNH, which was a hurdle that led to many angry mouse clicks.
The reliability of testimonies, articles, and sources felt like I was reading a novel where the narrator lies to you to make you confront some deeper meaning, like writing an essay with half the materials missing, or solving a murder case without any evidence. I would like to make this clear: this piece isn’t about slander, hate, or any type of attempt to rip his name off a building, not that I or anyone has that power. It is about the truth and what we owe to it, and it is about understanding the deeper meaning of his legacy. For students here who are preparing for careers in law or forensics, Lee’s story is not just a case study in forensic science and innovation. It is a cautionary tale about ethics, responsibility, and the consequences of even a single misstep in the courtroom and the devastating impacts that can make on people. It is about how charisma, credibility, and power shape educational institutions in positive and negative ways, and how we can learn from history, not destroy it. The truly haunting factor of this isn’t that there may have been mistakes made that need to be accounted for; it is the ghostly silence.
I have spent years learning how to read between the lines of the whitespace cesuras and how to spot the gaps in narratives as an English major. In Lee’s case, it seems that the gaps are widening, and maybe that is why I keep going back to Google to search his name. Maybe it’s why I keep sitting outside Maxcy and Lee’s building, not to tear him down but to figure out what we can learn about him, about ourselves, and about the stories we choose to tell. His name is a huge presence on campus, yet no one talks about him outside of the criminal justice departments. He is practically absent, and that quiet is what made me think about this. The silence. It isn’t neutral, it is almost curated, and whether this becomes a longer project or just a curiosity I forever carry, I don’t know yet, but what I do know is that history doesn’t write itself, we write it. If we aren’t willing to look closely and investigate and interrogate the names even on our buildings, we risk repeating history, letting fiction take the place of fact. The legacy of Dr.Lee is still being written, but so is ours, and in the cases of both, the truth matters even when it is hard to find or access.
ShouldBlackbeCapitalized?
By:TaralynAndes
YOU BET, we are jumping right into it this time! We all know some words should simply not be said, especially by non-minorities. Not only do a lot of these forbidden (or should I say, taboo) words have a lot of derogatory historical context, but they also simplify a large group of human beings into a label that does not truly represent who they are.
Some obvious words and phrases are outright offensive and have been abused throughout time to be belittling. Even once historical figures began to avoid such vocabulary and address proper representation, new problems arose that had to be resolved. For example, it has been deemed morally acceptable to use the phrase “people of color,” but it is disrespectful to say “colored people.” The latter is derogatory due to its past use in designating segregated locations (i.e., “colored bathrooms” or “colored schools”). “People of color” better describes a group without “labeling” them by a characteristic they own.
This is not an article attempting to define what is and is not allowed to be said or written; that is not my job nor my intention. I want to simply inspire discussion and education to better represent all of humankind.
Despite the gradual improvement in diversity, inclusivity, and word choice throughout history, there are still some questions about whether or not specific terminology carries negative connotations. Additionally, journalists and other writing-intensive majors have to define the rules for properly identifying and representing people of color in their writing. They are the ones who influence the future of writing.
The Pew Research Center is a fact tank primarily established to better educate individuals and their dialogue. In 2023, the PRC discovered that, out of 5,000 Black adults, 63% have found that news about the Black community is often far more negative than any other racial or ethnic group, and 57% believe the news only covers a portion of Black communities.
When it comes to their future, only 14% believe that Black Americans are highly likely to receive fair representation in their lifetimes.
It is 2025, and we have yet to properly represent an entire culture and community in the media.News journalists study a writing format developed by the Associated Press: AP style. According to AP writing regulations, the word Black is capitalized when referring to race, ethnicity, or culture. The Associated Press defines that “The lowercase black is a color, not a person”. Funnily enough, white is never capitalized in such a scenario. The press works to explore how skin color plays a role in systemic racism, “But capitalizing the term white, as is often done by white supremacists, risks subtly conveying legitimacy to such beliefs.”
At this point, it is determined that Black being capitalized is not only appropriate for identifying culture or ethnicity but also helps in the fight for representation over repression. However, there is another question: is the term Blacks offensive? Well, does Black being plural have any negative connotation? Not really. But “Blacks” is extremely dehumanizing; such vocabulary reduces people of color to simply their skin tone rather than their history, their upbringing, and their family. From singular to plural, from an adjective to a noun, a simple change made a word go from respectable to unacceptable.
It is important to address the use of said words, especially in influential areas such as the press and social media. Communication is ever-evolving, and what we say (or write) matters. When analyzing whether or not something is inappropriate or degrading, it is crucial to look into both the historical background of the word and the room for representation it allows.
College-Educated Women’s Strong Opinions on President Trump:
By Hannah Ferrara
Educated women are essential to this country. These women are here to speak on the fears, feelings, and anxieties that have come into their lives since Donald J. Trump was inaugurated.
The first thing that you see when you click and open the link to The White House website is our newly elected and inaugurated president, Donald J. Trump. Alongside his picture, is the quote “Every single day I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe, and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America.”
But who is the “you” that he is fighting for, and is it truly what we ‘deserve’?”
Let's check the facts from the White House’s website. Here are some of the things that Donald J. Trump has done in the short time since being inaugurated as our 47th president of the United States.
The recent presidential order that was indoctrinated on January 21st of this year reads as this: “It is the policy of the United States to protect the civil rights of all Americans and to promote individual initiative, excellence, and hard work. I therefore order all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to terminate all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements. I further order all agencies to enforce our longstanding civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.”
In other words, the U.S. government wants to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and given opportunities based on their skills and efforts. In efforts to achieve that, all government departments have since been ordered to stop any policies that give “special treatments” to people based on identity.
A cybersecurity major who is graduating this May, Ashley Bekondo, fears the effects of repealing DEI on a personal level. “As a cybersecurity and networks major, I am in a field that is heavily male dominant. The removal of DEI initiatives truly does concern me, especially being that I identify with two underrepresented groups within my profession: I am a woman, and I’m African-American.
It’s hard to imagine that something that provides equal opportunity and inclusivity to underrepresented people is being made to be something so negative.”
Then there are Trump's new policies and repeals on immigration and birthright citizenship status. President Trump’s new birthright citizenship policy is now changing the rules for who gets automatic U.S. citizenship at birth. Previously, the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to anyone born in the U.S., as long as they were subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Thirty days after this executive order was put into place, some children will no longer get automatic citizenship if their mother was in the U.S. illegally, and the father is also not a U.S. citizen or green card holder.
Chloe Schumacher, who is working toward a masters in special education, said she feels terrified. “We have fought for years as a country to get where we are, and it just feels like we're going backward in time,” she said. “Our country was founded on people coming here from all over and were watching it get completely sucked away. It should be so simple to think and care about others and those around you. We're watching the ones who truly make our country great get torn down, lives diminished; all because of the terrible things that certain political figures say.”
Cassandra Stevens, who will receive her degree in criminal justice at the University of New Haven in the next year, is experiencing the same fears. “I am scared for the immigrants of my city,” said Stevens. “New York City is basically run by immigrants. They do the jobs that no one else is willing to do. They get their hands dirty, work eighty hours a week, bust their asses to survive in this country; and all of a sudden the world is painting them as criminals. Part of my job at the moment is to watch out for border control vans. My undocumented coworkers are constantly fearing for their safety now. Even though they are the hardest workers and some of the kindest people I know, there are some people who still see them as just immigrants and animals. It makes me sick.”
College-Educated Women’s Strong Opinions on President Trump:
THE next actions that President Trump has taken tie in with the repeal of DEI regulations and target a very specific group of people: the LGBTQIA+ community. The first executive order targets transgender individuals. Overall, the executive order pushes against policies that recognize gender identity as a legitimate basis for rights and protection. This order is the start of a larger political debate about gender rights and biological sex; which directly targets non-binary and transgender individuals and their rights within major parts of society like sports, education, and healthcare.
Stevens has even more fears for a community that she connects with on a personal level. “I’m scared for the queer community,” she said. “Trump has already banned LGBTQIA+ and Black Lives Matter flags from being hung by businesses, and he is working to ban transgender people from joining the military.
People tell me I am being dramatic when I say that the queer community is under attack, but no one realizes that these things happen slowly. THIS is how it all starts. Have we learned nothing from history?”
Malia Downey, who will receive her degree in severe special education this May, identifies as a lesbian.
“I am scared, to be honest,” Downey said “I am scared about the discussion of overturning Obergefell vs. Hodges, the right to same-sex marriage, because that is my life. To think it could only be legal for ten years and then it is over is tragic to me. I feel anxious when I wake up every day now that he has entered the office because it feels like an attack on my life and the others around me. The country is going to become more and more unsafe by the day.”
As you can see, we have only discussed few actions of many that President Trump has made since being inaugurated. These are issues that are touching the lives of those who have worked tirelessly to achieve their dreams and contribute to a society that accepts and appreciates them. As we move forward, it is essential that we not only hear these voices but also truly listen to them. The journey ahead is going to be a long one that requires all of us in society to do our best and engage with the best intentions for a nation that fights for all of its people - not just some. Thank you for listening to our stories.
Transitioningtoanew2AM perspectivecolumnist,letme introduceyoutoMichael Crowley.Heisafreshman hereattheUniversitywho hasgrownandchallenged himselfincreativeways.He isfillingmyshoesaswe transitiontoanewschool year.Gearupforawildride fullof pressing thoughts. withlove,Haiden
History Lost to Flames
By: Michael Crowley
It’s 2:03 a.m.
My window is cracked open, and the more I stay up, the more I’m losing out on precise time to sleep. Nonetheless, my thoughts keep me awake. You know those nights when a random thought engulfs your mind and you can’t seem to get it out of your head until it is pondered about? Well tonight, for me, it’s the Library of Alexandria.
If you know me, you know how much I love what-ifs in human history, and this is like no other.
I don’t remember exactly how I got here. Maybe it was a quote on social media, or more than likely a TikTok that came across my “for you” page while I was doom-scrolling tonight. But once the thought landed, it planted itself in my mind: “What if the Library of Alexandria never burned down?”
If you’ve never heard about it or vaguely remember it from a history class here’s a short version. The Library of Alexandria was founded in Egypt during the 3rd century BCE. It wasn’t just a place to store books as a traditional library. It was a temple to human history.
Imagine a world where scholars from Greece, Egypt, India, and beyond came together to study, debate, and share what they knew. There were astronomers, mathematicians, poets, scientists, and translators. It was a diverse and perfect culmination of human history, what modern-day historians would only dream of being in.
Historians estimate that the library may have held up to 400,000 to 700,000 scrolls. Not books scrolls. Written by hand. Ideas that someone sat with, shaped, and sealed in ink. Knowledge passed down, across time and cultures, brought into one space to be preserved, understood, and added to.
Then it all went up in smoke.
There’s a debate about how it was destroyed. Julius Caesar might’ve accidentally set it ablaze during a military campaign. Others say it was gradually dismantled over time through neglect, political shifts, and religious uprisings. No single villain, no dramatic cinematic moment—just centuries of apathy and missed chances. And that, in a way, makes it worse.
Because it wasn’t just a building that burned. It was a build up of multiple small problems like neglect that caused it to be lost to time.
What were we on the verge of discovering?
Could we have advanced medicine by hundreds of years? Could we have avoided certain wars with a deeper understanding of each other’s cultures and philosophies? Would North America have been discovered earlier? Who would’ve colonized what is known as the United States of America first? Could we have developed technologies that still feel like science fiction today?
It keeps me up (on nights like this) to think we might have known the Earth revolved around the sun centuries earlier or had a working theory of atoms, the nervous system, even flying machines. These weren’t sci-fi fantasies. There’s evidence that some of this knowledge existed, or was close to existing, in those scrolls. And yet… here we are, picking up the pieces generations later, starting from scratch on ideas that may have once already lived, breathed, and died in those scrolls. Gone. Because we didn’t protect them.
History Lost to Flames
What sticks with me the part I can’t shake is that we’re still losing knowledge – not to flames, but to neglect. We’re surrounded by information, yet somehow more disconnected from understanding.
There’s access, but not always intention. Truth competes with noise. We underfund the places meant to preserve learning, and dismiss the voices that push us to think deeper. It’s not as dramatic as a fire, but the effect feels the same—we let valuable knowledge slip away.
Quietly. Constantly.
And yeah, I know I’m just one person staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night. I’m not trying to solve the world’s knowledge crisis with a single thought. But it makes me wonder: what if we treated learning as sacred? What if we approached every conversation, every story, every piece of information with the kind of reverence the ancient scholars once did?
The Library of Alexandria might be gone. But the idea of it the dream behind it doesn’t have to be.
Maybe it’s in every open book, every thoughtful question, every time someone chooses curiosity over certainty. Maybe it lives again every time we choose to preserve knowledge, share it, and protect it—not just for ourselves, but for the next generation.
At 2 a.m., when the world feels heavy and the past feels painfully close, I think about what we lost in the fire. But I also think about what we still have the power to protect. Because knowledge, once lost, is hard to recover. But knowledge shared?
That’s how you rebuild a library.
Pray Baby: A Marcus Harvin Feature
By Haiden Leach
Marcus’s origin story starts in Connecticut as a resident of New Britain. After spending six years at the maximum-security MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution, Harvin is a reformed inmate.
“My grandma used to always say to me, whenever anything, happened, she’d say “Pray baby.” So, every time I think about giving up, like when things get hard, I just pray, you know,” said Marcus Harvin when I asked him if there was a phrase he lived by.
I first met Marcus when I was a junior at the university, and his story stuck with me. My friends produced a film highlighting the struggles we all face. Marcus and his message continue to foster, educate, and urge us to strive for a better tomorrow.
College is not an easy feat, but coming to college with different credentials than your peers can be intimidating. Harvin assured me that his time on campus has been nothing short of positive. The atmosphere and campus community made him feel welcomed and at home as a Charger, he said.
After his release for a reckless driving incident, Harvin and six others became the first group of graduates from the university’s education program through local prison systems. His education comes from the University of New Haven (UNH) Prison Education Program and the Yale Prison Education Initiative (YPEI). The Yale program was launched in 2016 by alum Zelda Roland. Yale partnered with UNH in 2021 to advance abilities for student-inmates to gain either a two- or four-year college degree. The program, which offers classes at McDougall-Walker and the federal women’s prison in Danbury, is now part of a program that serves 15 schools and prison systems across the United States. Just 20% of inmates receive a form of higher education in prison, UNH officials confirm.
His story is different from the peers you may normally have.
“I believe that you can outperform your past, and this has allowed me the opportunity to prove that,” Harvin said.
In addition to being a full-time student, Harvin is also a full-time dad and husband. On his days off, he spends time as a minister, running a nonprofit men's group, and volunteers at a local food and homeless shelter. His reason?
“To prove to these individuals that hey, you can be here today, but look at where you could be tomorrow,” he said. “The impossible is possible.”
Harvin has set a plan for the next unwritten chapter of his life, a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. He will wear his robe and proudly cross the stage at his graduation in May. As a new parolee, Harvin said he hopes to become a defense attorney, and recently, he was accepted into law school at Western New England University and is awaiting decision letters from two other schools.
To his younger self, he would say, “The end goal or the finish line is way farther and wider and I guess more beautiful than I ever would have thought it was. I never thought I would go into a career in law.”
Harvin sets the bar as a society to yearn for more, not only personally but emotionally. There is never too much to learn or too much to gain. A scripture he favors, and got secretly tattooed on his body at 17, reads “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
As the semester draws to a close, the reality of the next steps is sinking in for all graduates. We can all learn a lesson when observing such a story. Rock bottom isn't the end but the turn of a new page. As in Harvin’s story, it doesn't have to be a close, but another stepping stone.
When he was told “pray, baby,” he did. Harvin prayed, and he got what he wished for: a better tomorrow.
Unseen on Campus: How Transgender and Queer Students Find Their Space While It’s Stripped Away
By Jade Edwards Figueroa
Amid the Trump administration's anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, trans youth across the country are left wondering where they fit into this new quota.
With the federal government now pushing antiDEI orders signed by President Trump, the Department of Education is complying. They issued a statement on Jan. 23 reading, “Following Pres.Trump’s recent Executive Orders and initial guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Department removed or archived hundreds of guidance documents, reports, and training materials that include mentions of DEI from its outward facing communication channels.”
As these efforts continue being pushed, transgender students are left unsure of their access to a genderaffirming education.
Cayden Baranowski, a music and sound recording major, says though they feel accepted as transgender in “spaces that are typically supportive of queer people, generally, the diversity center, PRIDE, like the club meetings, those are spaces that are made for queer people by queer people. You feel more accepted, but as soon as you step out of it, there's always some issue.”
Students like Baranowski often experience similar feelings of being excluded from non-traditionally queer spaces. Emerson Forrest, a criminal justice major, says microaggressions tend to follow her. Forrest says, “They give you a look, like when you’re not cis (gendered), and that happens in pretty much every single class.”
Transgender individuals are feeling the effects more amid the Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government Executive Order signed by Trump on Jan. 20.
The Executive Order aims to prevent transgender women from being included in traditionally female spaces. The order states, “Across the country, ideologues who deny the biological reality of sex have increasingly used legal and other socially coercive means to permit men to self-identify as women and gain access to intimate single-sex spaces and activities designed for women, from women’s domestic abuse shelters to women’s workplace showers. This is wrong.”
Transgender individuals across the country have lost access to gender affirming services in the light of this order, including the ability to change their gender on passports.
This lack of transgender representation at the federal level has led to students wondering about the future of gender affirming education. Music and sound recording major,
Andi Rivera, said, “I 100% worry. Especially with the threats towards schools that their funding would be taken away if they ‘appease’ these students,” Rivera continues to discuss their fear of being able to fully transition under this administration,
“A lot of federal laws are coming to the table about limiting what trans people get access to medically, I just fully decided I want to transition and now I don’t know what to do.”
Unseen on Campus: How Transgender and Queer Students Find
Their Space While It’s
Stripped Away
With problems arising from a gender affirming position, the transgender community also fears being intentionally misgendered, instances where one will purposefully use the wrong pronouns for a person. Though the university prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Forrest says not every major is inclusive. “I wouldn’t say C.J. (Criminal Justice) is very diverse, at least in terms of LGBTQ+ people. I know some people, but not a lot of trans people.”
On the other hand, Jayden Saguiped, a music and sound recording major says, “With some majors I feel like it’s diverse and definitely inclusive.The diversity and inclusion class that everyone has to take, it's obvious that's an important class, but I feel like it's so easy for the information to go out of your ear.”
In these turbulent times the university maintains a diversity and inclusion statement on their website reading, “The University of New Haven strictly prohibits discrimination in admissions, educational programs and services, and employment based on race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and any other basis protected by law.”
Though the future of DEI is currently up in the air, there are still currently a number of campus resources available at this time. The Myatt Center in Gerber Hall, CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services), and PRIDE are all safe space options to discuss these topics.
The Oversexualization of Black Women
By: Djemima Duvernat
I am here to point a finger at social media, our mothers, and our education system because, yes, there is a culprit for the sexualization of black women's bodies. It began back during slavery and colonization, so what is the excuse now? Everything that was done by ignorance during slavery is still done today, but with a full understanding of the issue.
The question is not why black women are being disrespected, the question is why are we still allowing it?
Women have not been able to escape the constant criticism and abuse over their existence. Male discomfort should be the issue in question, but everyone is more focused on what a little girl is wearing around their uncles, cousins, or family friends. Black women have an invisible guidebook to live their lives by.
Some of them don’t even know it until it slaps them in the face.
Imagine being told to change or sit properly on the couch because your uncle is coming over; that’s the life of a little black girl. It feels like a betrayal by your own race on top of everyone else. These little girls have no idea what it means to be sexualized or what sexuality even is.
The Jezebel Stereotype
The Jezebel stereotype is not to be confused with the biblical Jezebel. There is a similarity as they both portray women as wicked and immoral, but the Jezebel stereotype is quite different from the biblical picture. The Jezebel stereotype started with slavery and colonialism, when African women were sexually exploited by colonizers. They justified their actions by labeling black women as sexually deviant and unsatisfied with their race. Although we are now in modern times, the damage is still there and growing stronger. People do not view black women as fully human, but rather as mere objects for sexual gratification.
This image of the hypersexual black woman persisted well beyond slavery. It influences how black women are portrayed in literature, art, and popular culture throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The stereotype not only stripped black women of their humanity but also served as an excuse for racism and sexism, and now argued that people of color needed white people to teach them civilization and rationalization.
While slavery has long been abolished, the Jezebel stereotype continues to affect black women around the globe.
**WE ARE WOMEN AND WE ARE POWERFUL**
The Oversexualization of Black Women
By: Djemima Duvernat
Media Representation
The media is very powerful, and Hollywood works overtime to dehumanize people of color. When you look online, black women are always “the baby mama," “the stripper,” and whatever else they have made us out to be. What you see becomes what you think, and just like that, we are manipulated by the media. Is that fair to people of color, specifically black women?
We have the power to change the world again through the new generations. We can reshape perspectives and make sure that mistakes are not repeated. Social media is very dangerous because people are quite gullible, and children are more prone to being groomed. A child is like a pile of clay, and what they see and hear shapes them into adulthood.
Women in general deserve to be treated with respect, but black women deserve to be treated like people, not just with respect. Their bodies need to be seen for what they are and not as objects that can be used to satisfy some sexual fantasy.
In the past, it was said that black women needed to be civilized; what is the excuse now? What should a little black girl today be told when she sees someone who could be a role model being treated like a sex toy? What is the excuse for those harmful movies and videos on social media? How do you convince a little girl that she is not a toy to be played with?
**WE ARE WOMEN AND WE ARE POWERFUL** Education
Research has shown that the oversexualization of women can have profound effects on the self-perception and identity of black women. In a study by Seanna Leath et al., it was found that black women are acutely aware of the Jezebel stereotype and its influence on how others perceive them. This awareness shapes their gendered racial identity and forms their sexual beliefs and behaviors. Black women in this study reported feeling pressured to conform to or reject the stereotype, with some embracing hypersexuality as a form of empowerment, but others actively distanced themselves from such representations to avoid judgment.
Awareness
The issue is how black women are treated in our society. We are being depicted as less than humans because, God forbid, we were born a woman and black. Two things that no one has control over. No one can guess what gender or race they will be born into.
I am not saying that we need to stop putting people in those categories, but what I am asking is to stop ignoring the issue and stop rubbing salt into the wound. Educate our children and teach them the dos and don’ts. They are the next generation, and they have it in their power to change the outcome of the next decades.
50 Years Since a Forgotten Genocide
By Azam Hostetler
Hate is a powerfully destructive tool. Covering up the nightmarish past is another.
April 17, 1975. Tanks emerge on the streets of the capital city, Phnom Penh. Cambodia is about to come to the end of a brutal five-year civil war amid decades of political turmoil. The United Statesbacked Khmer Republic government had been defeated, and the U.S. Embassy and other officials had been evacuated just five days earlier. Yet about five decades ago, among the mass refugees and cheering crowds, their hopeful allure of peace was struck down.
In just four years, at least 1.25 million though it’s possible as many as 3 million Cambodians perished from disease, starvation and mass murder. Civil and property rights were abolished, along with the expression or practice of religion. Society was to be remade in accordance with communist beliefs to create a “new Angkorian” empire. All evidence of Western and pre-revolutionary influence was eradicated. According to Britannica, anyone speaking different languages, holding jobs considered “intellectual,” or belonging to minority ethnic or religious groups was especially targeted.
At the helm of the Khmer Rouge was leader and Prime Minister Pol Pot, who renamed the country Democratic Kampuchea and instituted the concept of Year Zero. All of Cambodia’s rich history was to be erased. The identities of the population were reset, and a form of Maoist communism aimed at building a classless society was implemented. According to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the ideology cast educated city dwellers and Western capitalist ideals as corrupt, promoting a regime ruled by and for the poorest peasants.
The world’s attention was drawn to the humanitarian crisis by the 1984 film The Killing Fields. Haing S. Ngor portrays a survivor, based on real-life journalist Dith Pran, who is forced to march out of deserted cities and work in forced labor on hopeless agricultural projects.
Starving and severely beaten, his character treks through mud-filled trenches scattered with rotting skulls and skeletons, eats lizards to survive, and witnesses daily executions of those who disobey. These are only fragments of the horrors millions endured.
The film also depicts the fall of the American Embassy through the eyes of a U.S. journalist, the devastation caused by American bombings during the civil war, and the growing political tensions that led to the 1975 takeover.
Many Americans might not know where Cambodia is on a map or might conflate this tragedy with the Vietnam War. But the Cambodian genocide was a distinct catastrophe that warrants recognition because it should have never happened.
Radios, music, currency, hospitals and factories were banned or rendered obsolete. All children age 8 and older were separated from their parents, and formal education was abolished. The Khmer Rouge indoctrinated children to view the state as their true parent. According to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, children were seen as pliable and easily brainwashed. They were taught to obey and to believe that anyone who violated Pol Pot’s ideology — even for eating without permission deserved execution.
50 Years Since a Forgotten Genocide
By Azam Hostetler
The Khmer Rouge was overthrown in 1979 by a Vietnamese invasion, which installed a puppet government. In the decades since the genocide, Cambodia has largely been ruled by the Cambodian People’s Party, which has justified its grip on power by invoking the trauma of the past.
As reported by The Conversation, most of the population was born after 1979, and education on the genocide remains limited, resulting in a national knowledge gap. History has been manipulated, trauma repressed, and authoritarianism reframed as stability.
Justice was delayed for decades, and many perpetrators of the genocide still walk free some even hold government positions or live near survivors. Cambodia’s economy, heavily reliant on tourism and exports, has grown, but its intellectual class remains stunted due to the systemic destruction of human capital during the genocide. As The Conversation reports, intergenerational trauma persists, and discussions of the past are often neglected rather than embraced. The legacy of the genocide lingers in the institutions and in the system.
So why does this matter now? It’s been 50 years. But historical amnesia the failure to understand how the past informs the present and future is dangerous. Those who forget history may be doomed to repeat it. Political extremism in any form is dangerous, especially when it leads to bloodshed.
The hatred instilled in children, in Khmer Rouge soldiers, in Pol Pot, and in all who participated in the genocide, shows how powerful and destructive that four-letter word hate can be. Violence is never the answer, nor is silence about the past.
The people of Cambodia deserve honest reflection, not suppression, forgetfulness or educational neglect. Many young people may not know their country’s history, yet they carry inherited trauma within their families. The killing fields where victims were slaughtered with pickaxes because bullets were too costly, where children were trained to hate, where famine and disease ran rampant must not be forgotten.
We have a duty to remember these atrocities to prevent the next genocide. Across the globe, people have suffered and continue to suffer under extremism and oppression. And while many think, “It can’t happen here,” it can.
Dith Pran, the real-life journalist portrayed by Ngor in The Killing Fields, once said, “I don't consider myself a politician or a hero. I'm a messenger.
If Cambodia is to survive, it needs many voices.” Many ears. Many eyes. Many voices.
Looking back, 50 years later, at those tanks rolling into the cheering streets of Phnom Penh tanks that brought not peace but devastation we are left with a collective memory, and a collective responsibility, to never forget.
I’m not a religious person. For context, the only times I’ve recently been in a church were for family members’ baptisms or funerals.
I’ve never felt drawn to religion, except for the concept of heaven. That idea always calmed me down as a kid because I have always had a serious fear of death borne of saying goodbye to my elderly aunts.
My grandfather had calmed my fears by telling me he’d had near-death experiences that allowed him to reunite with his deceased family members. That worked, for a while. Now that I’m older, I don’t know if I believe that heaven exists because my logical side shuts down the thought of it. I can’t cope with the idea that it will all be over one day. That’s why I still try to have hope. While I’m not religious, my hope allows me to feel the presence of my deceased loved ones when, oddly enough, I see a cardinal.
This is not a new idea. Whether it’s a person saying “Hi mom” when one flies by or the song “Cardinal” by Kacey Musgraves, there are so many instances where cardinals are seen as a symbol for loved ones who have passed away.
We have a figure of a cardinal that sits on the top shelf of the china cabinet in my family’s dining room. When my grandfather died and I started seeing a cardinal perched on the railing of our deck out back, I made the connection.
My grandfather died at the bottom of the steps of that deck in 2018. I was 13 when it happened. He was leaving to go to the Veterans Affairs hospital with my grandmother, but he didn’t make it. He fell into my grandmother's arms and said, “I’m sorry.”
Gabriella Pinto
While I have hundreds of pictures and videos of my grandfather in my phone, those are from the past. The cardinals provide me with something the pictures and videos can’t, a new interaction with my grandfather.
I had similar encounters with cardinals when my great aunt passed away in 2023. Her doctor told her that given her age, she didn’t need to have mammograms anymore, which allowed cancer to ravage her body.
For her final days, my great aunt had at-home hospice care. That year, on the first of April, my mother and I went to visit her early. I held my mother as she sobbed in my arms. My once-lively great aunt who spoiled me rotten and ended every phone call with “take it easy” was now unresponsive in a hospital bed.
She wasn’t hooked up to anything and didn’t respond to what we said to her, so she might have been gone already. When we got home, we sat on the couch in silence.
At one point, my mother got up to talk to my grandmother, my great aunt’s sister, in another room. This was when I began to hear a repetitive chirping noise coming from outside. I searched every window in the house to find the sound. Then I turned and looked at the back deck.
And there sat a cardinal, perched on the railing, chirping at me. I called for my mom without breaking eye contact with the bird, and once she saw it too, the cardinal finally flew away.
Five minutes later, we got the call that my great aunt had died.
Both my grandfather and great aunt died in the spring, when the cardinals would come out. Logic tells me to think one way about these birds, but hope and faith urge me to look deeper. This may be the only thing I choose to believe in.
Those were his last words. I couldn’t. That’s why I have the cardinals. Those birds probably aren’t him, but at least they remind me of him.
Whether it’s my loved ones’ actual spirits, “messengers” from heaven, or just a plain old bird, I’m reminded of people who changed my life whenever I see a cardinal. I hope that it’s somehow all connected, and for now, that’s enough for me.
